Beef Chili

Beef chili with a perfect medium to hot spice level.

Serves 4 -5 hungry men. NOTE FROM HUNGRY MEN: Try putting less beef and more veggies next time. 

Ingredients:
* 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, chopped
* 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
* 1 carrot, sliced I put in a lot more than just one. Also, Jonathan likes it when they're softer. I recommend boiling the carrot before putting in the pot for it to come out softer. 
* 1 onion, chopped
* 2 stalks celery, chopped
* 1 dried red pepper, crushed
* 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper (or 1 whole green pepper)
* 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper (or 1 whole red pepper)
* 1/3 jalapeno pepper, minced
* 1/3 cup bottled steak sauce
* 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
* 1 (1.25 ounce) package chili seasoning mix
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
* In a large pot over medium-low heat, combine tomatoes, tomato paste, carrot, onion, celery, pepper flakes, bell peppers, jalapeno pepper and steak sauce.

* While tomato mixture is simmering, in a large skillet over medium heat, cook beef until brown; drain. Stir chili seasoning into ground beef.

* Stir seasoned beef into tomato mixture. Mix in cumin and continue to simmer until vegetables are tender and flavors are well blended.

* Stir in beans, cilantro and parsley. Total cook time approx 1.5 hours throughout all directions. Heat through and serve.

Used ingredients and quantities based on Award Winning Chili recipe posted on allrecipes.com. This recipe also calls for 1/4 cup white wine and 5 slices bacon which I omitted.

Southern Living's Chicken Pot Pie

Hands-on: 31 minutes; Total Time: 1.5 hours.
Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings. (Served four hungry diners in my case. We each had two helpings.)

Ingredients

• 1/2  cup  butter
• 2  medium leeks, sliced
• 1/2  cup  all-purpose flour
• 1  (14.5-oz.) can chicken broth
• 3  cups  chopped cooked chicken
• 1 1/2  cups  frozen cubed hash browns with onions and peppers (I bought both ingredients separately)
• 1  cup  matchstick carrots
• 1/3  cup  chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground pepper
• 1  (17.3-oz.) package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed (refrigerated Pillsbury pie crust was a less expensive equally good substitute)
• 1  large egg

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add leeks, and sauté 3 minutes. Sprinkle with flour; cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes. Whisk in chicken broth; bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Remove from heat; stir in chicken and next 5 ingredients.
2. Roll each pastry sheet into a 12- x 10-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Fit 1 sheet into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate; spoon chicken mixture into pastry. Place remaining pastry sheet over filling in opposite direction of bottom sheet; fold edges under, and press with tines of a fork, sealing to bottom crust. Whisk together egg and 1 Tbsp. water, and brush over top of pie.
3. Bake at 375° on lower oven rack 55 to 60 minutes or until browned. Let stand 15 minutes.

Comments: While chicken pot-pie is a wonderful comfort food, I discovered I would choose Shepard's Pie over Chick Pot Pie... 

Discovered recipe in Southern Living's February 2011 edition. See original recipe here.

Fresh Asparagus Soup

Prep Time: 10 Minutes     ♦     Cook Time: 20 Minutes     ♦     Ready In: 30 Minutes

Ingredients:

Thank you Amir for the
wonderful hand blender

    * 1 pound fresh asparagus (I buy close to 2 pounds fresh asparagus / 2 bundles and cut off the edges so it ends up being about 1 pound of usable asparagus)
    * 3/4 cup chopped onion
    * 1/2 cup vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
    * 1 tablespoon butter
    * 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    * 1 teaspoon salt
    * 1 pinch ground black pepper
    * 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
    * 1 cup soy milk
    * 1/2 cup yogurt
    * 1 teaspoon lemon juice
    * 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Place asparagus and onion in a saucepan with 1/2 cup vegetable broth. Bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer until the vegetables are tender.
2. Reserve a few asparagus tips for garnish. Place remaining vegetable mixture in an electric blender and puree until smooth.
3. Melt butter in the pan that was used for simmering the asparagus and onions. Stir while sprinkling flour, salt, and pepper into the butter. Do not let the flour brown. Allow the mixture to cook only 2 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth and increase the heat. Continue stirring until the mixture comes to a boil.
4. Stir the vegetable puree and milk into the saucepan. Whisk yogurt into the mixture, followed by lemon juice. Stir until heated through, then ladle into bowls. Garnish with reserved asparagus tips. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Comments: 

    *  Original recipe posted by Nanook on AllRecipes.Com lists this to make 4 servings. I find that I am left with between 2 and 3 servings.
    * Very delicious.

Lots O'Meat Lasagna (Paula Deen revised)

My revised recipe is below. To see how to triple the cheese and meat, view original recipe here.

Ingredients
    * 2 pounds ground chuck
    * 1 onion
    * 2 cloves garlic, minced
    * 2 teaspoons ground oregano
    * 1 teaspoon ground basil
    * 1/4 teaspoon salt
    * 1/4 teaspoon pepper
    * 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
    * 2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
    * 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
    * 1 1/2 cups low-fat Mexican shredded cheese mix
    * 1 (5-ounce) package grated Parmigianno-Reggiano
    * 2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
    * 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
    * 9 oven-ready lasagna noodles
    * 1 (8-ounce) packages shredded mozzarella

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.






Sauce:
In a large saucepan, combine ground chuck, sausage onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat until meat is browned and crumbled; drain.

Return meat to pan and add oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and paste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30+ minutes.

In a small bowl, combine Mexican shredded cheese, Parmesan, parsley, and eggs.

Spoon 1/4 of sauce into bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking pan. Place 3 uncooked lasagna noodles on top of sauce. Do not overlap noodles. Spread 1/3 of cheese mixture over noodles, top with 1/4 of sauce and 1/3 mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers, ending with sauce, reserving 1/3 of mozzarella cheese.

Bake 35 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and bake 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

I really have to get some nice serving dishes. Nah, I don't.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi, 100% From Scratch

This recipe is taken straight from Kat's Sweet Potato Gnocchi recipe. See it here.

Who knew gnocchi was such a simple dish that could be made from various vegetables? See Pumpkin Gnocchi or Spinach Gnocchi recipes for other delicious variations.

1. BAKE

2. MIX INGREDIENTS

3. ROLL & CUT

4. BOIL, THEN FREEZE FOR LATER OR FRY

5. EAT

Served w/Za'atar

Served w/Spaghetti Sauce

Also good as alternative for croutons in salad.

Calorie discussion... If this recipe makes 4 servings, then the calorie count is:
   2 cups whole wheat flower = 400
   1 egg = 70
   2 Sweet Potatoes = 350
---
   Total before frying: 820
   Divided by 4: 205; sweeeeet.