CHILI!!!!!!

It's my last hurrah to winter! I just had to make a pot of chili one more time. It is just my traditional "poor people" chili. 

I soaked a pot of pinto beans while I was at work.  I rinsed the beans and set them to boil.  After they got soft, I started to get the rest ready.  In a saute pan I softened up some sweet onion and garlic in a combo of butter (real butter NOT margarine) and some olive oil.  Once they were softened up a bit I added FRESH ground chuck from my amazing butcher.  I also added my new found friend:

It added some amazing color and taste.  I discovered this little gem thanks to my sexy hot friend who is an amazing Puerto Rican Chef, Monique Negron.  She is awesome!

Anyway, added the beef and onions and garlic (oh yeah, I forgot to tell you I also added a rather large amount of minced garlic too) to the beans along with two cans of tomato paste and three cans of V-8.  Additionally, I added chili powder, paprika and some Soul Seasoning.  It is gently simmering now to develop its flavors.  I am off to see if I have enough ingredients to make cornbread.  If not, I may boil some noodles to put my chili over....I know that is weird.  I had never done it before but I saw it on some Food Network show and tried it....very good!

Another Random Soup night

I like to make a hearty soup on Tuesdays for a friend of mine who needs some "motherly TLC".  Tonight I just was not exactly sure what to do so you know me! I just started throwing stuff into the pot!

I started with about two teaspoons of olive oil and chopped almost 2/3rd's of a sweet onion and put that on medium high.  After a while I added two heaping teaspoons of garlic.  After the onions got soft I added two cans of chicken broth.  Into that I put one very, very large skinless boneless chicken breast, cut up (I swear this bird was at least a double D!!!!).

After the chicken gets done I am going to add a can of Cream of Chicken with Herbs and some flat dumplings.  That should be good and hearty and do him well for the week.  I like being able to share this gift.  I enjoy cooking. I hope he enjoys it!

Irish dinner a day late!

I had great plans for dinner on Saturday March 17th! I had purchased a big slab of corned beef from my butcher and grabbed a large head of cabbage while at the Farmer's Market.  I was going to make a traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage dinner.  Unfortunately other things happened to completely delay it.

http://www.wavy.com/dpp/news/local_news/police-shoot-robbery-suspect?ref=scroller&categoryId=20000&status=true

So, after the excitement of a shoot-out and not getting my car back until after 9:30 pm, we just went to bed. 

Today, Sunday, I put the corned beef in the crockpot around 11:30.  At 7:00 pm tonight I poured the liquid from the crockpot over some chopped potatos (russets) and some chopped cabbage and boiled until tender.  We enjoyed our dinner of beef and cabbage.  Everyone, that is, except my oldest child who does not like cabbage.  She had a ham and pepperoni cheese sandwich.

yummy mushrooms and Texas Pete

I went to the grocery store to get some more Texas Pete (I swear it is what keeps my darling hubby all spicy and sexy!).  As I wandered into the store I went straight to the fresh veggies.  In the mushroom section was an interesting package from Modern Farms Mushroom.  It was a mushroom blend of sliced baby bellas, shitake and oyster mushrooms.

 http://www.modernmush.com/products.html

Honestly I have never had anything except the small white button mushrooms! Who knew the complex and earthy flavors I had been missing out on? They were woody and wonderful.  I was surprised at the aroma of the oyster mushrooms.  I put them in a small saute pan with a stick of REAL butter and got them all warm and yummy.  I used them to pour over my roast I made for dinner tonight.  I had made a quick run to the butcher and picked up a new cut of beef I had never tried.  It was called a beef tip roast.  It was already trussed up by the butcher.  I wasen't sure what to do so I just threw it the oven for a couple of hours.  It was pretty good but it was even better with the mushroom sauce.

I also bought a 3 pound bag of red potatoes and made mash-a-taters with some real butter and milk. I meant to fix some brussel sprouts but got distracted and forgot.  It was definately a meat and potatoes night. 

Okay, I admit it......

I use Campbell's soups to cook with.  I am not a sauce genius yet and sometimes I just don't feel like whipping up a bechemel sauce or gravy from scratch.  Tonight was one of those nights but I have discovered that Campbell's has this Cream of Chicken with Herbs soup.  It is WAY yummier than regular cream of chicken.

I poured it over three very large bonelesss chicken breasts, put foil over it and put it in the oven at 350 degrees for about an hour until the chicken was done. Oh! And I used two cans of soup with about 1/2 of can of water...that is all you need.  I poured it over rice although it is really luscious over mash-a-taters but I was too lazy tonight to do that.

The picture does not do it justice.  The gravy is good enough to just drink by itself....it was quite the yummy, no fuss dinner.  I hope you try it sometime!

Itza meatballs!! (and da sauce!)

I am channeling my Italian grandma tonight.  I am making my own sauce and it goes a little something like this:

2 teaspoons of yellow onion, chopped
2 teaspoons or so of olive oil
Saute for a bit then add:

A couple tablespoons of minced garlic
a tablesppon of real butter
Saute some more!  Then add:

2 cans of Hunts chopped tomatoes and stir well, then add:

Two cans of Hunts tomato paste and stir well
Next:

Two cans of V-8 Juice and stir.
Then I added dried oregano and basil, as much as you like (I am very heavy handed with it as we like the rich flavor but I am sorry, I do not measure!)

While my sauce was simmering I decided to make meatballs. But I have a horrible confession....my budget ran tight and I could not go to my local butcher. so I got my hamburger at the grocery store.  It is not as good as quality as fresh ground from my butcher but it will work for today.  I mixed my hamburger with bread crumbs, crackers, two beaten eggs, salt, pepper, basil, oregano and garlic powder.  I mixed it up well and put my meatballs in the pan to bake.

This is the meatballs as they go into the oven.

This is the finished meatballs...they are very Italian tasting with the oregano and basil...total yum.  I am going to mix these with the sauce and get the pasta going and have a nice dinner.  I love Italian food!

DEEP DARK CHOCOLATE SIN!!!!

I was feeling the urge to bake tonight but did not seem to be in the mood for the "normal" cookies or bread.  I pulled out a different cookbook and began to peruse it.

I came across a recipe titled "Brownie Pudding Cake".  I read it and it sounded like the old pudding and cake mix combos they made in the 1970's.  I loved those things, all gooey pudding and cake all in one pan.  I just had to try it.

I was a little disconcerted by the first step of mixing.  It seemed thick and strange.  But by the time I added the remaining ingredients, it was looking good.   Below is the progression of ingredients:

The recipe stated that as it baked it would separate into cake and pudding layers.  And it sure did.  When I took it out of the oven it was a deep, rich, dark cake on top with amazing deep chocolate pudding underneath.

Let me tell you....it is pure sin.  It actually needs some ice cream or real whipped cream to go on top.  I mean, if your significant other is not available....this stuff would definately fill the bill in the short term....