Chili

It's December 27th and winter has finally decided to make an appearance. In Clearwater, we are on the eve of 8-12" of snow and ice. I thought I'd officially celebrate the arrival of freeze your face off cold with and all time favorite, Chili. This recipe is extremely quick and easy to put together and can be spiced up as much as you'd like. Enjoy!

On a side note, each recipe now has a "PRINTABLE VERSION" available. Below the list of ingredients on each recipe page, you will find a link that opens a window with a printer friendly version for those of you that are interested.

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef (I'd suggest 97/3 or 95/5 to avoid too much fat)

1 14 oz can tomato sauce

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes

1 14 oz can kidney beans (or black beans if you'd like)

1 14 oz can chili beans
1 cup water

1 small onion diced (roughly 1 cup)

1 celery stalk (diced)

4 oz can diced green chiles

1.5 TBSP chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp garlic powder 

Spicy Option

1/2 to 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper

Smoky Heat Option

1 tsp chipotle chili powder

Click here for a PRINTABLE VERSION

As indicated above, I would buy ground beef with very low fat content (i.e. 97/3 = 97% lean & 3% fat). The higher the fat ratio, the more liquid you are going to have in your cooked taco mixture. You could also use ground turkey or chicken if you prefer.

Add all ingredients to the crockpot. I would use your hands to break-up the meat into small pieces. If you don't, you will get large chunks of cooked meat rather than the smaller preferred chili style.

Mix all of the ingredients until combined and the seasoning is well incorporated. Cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours.

Serve with your favorite garnishes. Some prefer oyster crackers or shredded cheese. As you can see, my "garnish" of choice is a toasted and melty grilled cheese. Stay warm!

Taco Salad

Christmas is just around the corner and next week at the high school the countdown to the end of finals and Friday will be on. We have made a major transition in our house in the last few weeks. Basketball season has started. That means that Erin takes over the cooking duties for the next few months. In the spirit of the upcoming Star Wars movie (of which she has seen none, I repeat, NONE OF THEM), I am attempting to be Yoda to her Luke in the way of the Crock pot. This Taco Salad was one of the last meals I put together before practice started. We use the taco mixture on lettuce and Fritos as taco salad, but it would be great in hard or soft taco shells, nachos or authentic taco salad shells if you are able. Hope you enjoy it. Feliz Navidad!

Ingredients

1 bag of Fritos (You can see we like the knock-off Kroger brand)

1 head of lettuce (We used romaine)

1 lb ground beef (I'd suggest 97/3 or 95/5 to avoid too much fat)

1 packet Taco seasoning (Roughly 3 Tbsp if you have the big tub like me)
1 diced onion

1 diced red bell pepper
1 14 oz can black beans (rinsed & drained)

1 14 oz can corn (rinsed & drained)
1 14 oz can Rotel (diced tomatoes with green chiles - drained)

8 oz block of colby jack cheese (shredded)

Optional Garnishes

Sour Cream

Salsa

Click here for a PRINTABLE RECIPE.

As indicated above, I would buy ground beef with very low fat content (i.e. 97/3 = 97% lean & 3% fat). The higher the fat ratio, the more liquid you are going to have in your cooked taco mixture. You could also use ground turkey which is very lean and my wife "claims" is better for you than red meat. Bah Humbug!

Also, I highly recommend buying your cheese in blocks and shredding it yourself. When cheese is produced, it gets sprayed with a thin film of wax as a preservative. Store bought shredded cheese doesn't melt nearly as easily or smoothly because each shred is covered in wax. A full block however, only has a coating on the outside. If you shred it yourself, it will melt much more evenly and results in that stringy, stretchy cheesy goodness we all love. Trust me. A little more work will go a long way.

If you would like to make your own Taco seasoning because you are concerned about MSG or too much sodium, check out this recipe for Homemade Taco Seasoning. 

Add the diced onion and bell pepper, black beans (rinsed and drained), corn, (drained) and Rotel to the crockpot. 

Add the ground beef to the mixture. I would use your hands to breakup the meat into small pieces. If you don't, you will get large chunks of cooked meat rather than the smaller more taco style mixture. Add the taco seasoning to the top of the ground beef.

Mix all of the ingredients until combined and the seasoning is well incorporated. Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.

Depending on the type of ground beef you use, you may need to drain or siphon off some of the excess liquid. You are now ready to serve in the taco application of your choice!

Serve on a bed of lettuce and top with cheese, Fritos and your favorite Mexican garnishes.

Lexie Mae's Tortilla Soup

November is here and the weather has been unbelievable the last few weeks. Cooler weather means soup season in our house. We tend to have a few favorites that make frequent appearances throughout the fall and winter, but this recipe is a new one. It is a delicious, brothy soup with a ton of flavor and more importantly incredibly easy to put together.

I am official naming it "Lexie Mae's Tortilla Soup" after our friends Matt & Courtney and their new baby girl, Lexie Mae. Our whole crew (boys and all), went to visit Matt & Courtney a few weeks ago before Lexie Mae had arrived. They were kind enough to make dinner and host us for a few hours. Along with inviting us into their beautiful home (I don't think Harrison & Graham damaged anything), they also made and shared this wonderful recipe for chicken tortilla soup. I am incredibly happy for them and so grateful that Lexie Mae joined their family a few weeks after our visit with them. Congratulations Matt & Courtney and welcome Lexie Mae!

Ingredients 

2 chicken boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cans Ro-Tel
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn
1 yellow onion, finely diced
28 oz chicken broth
1.5 cups of water
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp black pepper

Tortilla chips or strips (for topping)
Sour cream (Garnish)
Shredded cheese for topping (I used pepper jack)

Click here for a PRINTABLE RECIPE.

In your crock pot, add chopped onion, rotel, black beans, kidney beans, corn, chicken broth, water, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, oregano and black pepper. Stir until combined.

Now, add two chicken breasts to the soup mixture. Make sure that the chicken breasts are fully submerged in the liquid (not like above, I wanted you to see them). Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.

When cooked, remove the two chicken breasts from the soup and use two forks to "pull" the chicken. It should essentially fall apart, but it is easier to do on a plate versus inside the crockpot in the liquid.

After the chicken has been pulled, add it back to the soup and stir to combine. 

Grab some bowls and serve! I like to top mine with shredded pepper jack cheese, tortilla chips and sour cream. Other garnishes include chopped cilantro, salsa, hot sauce or jalapenos. 

Lexie Mae's Tortilla Soup with pepper jack cheese, tortilla strips and sour cream.

Chicken Tikka Masala

The weather is getting colder and in our house that means time to crank up the crock pot a bit more often. We love Indian food, but if you want to go authentic it is really labor intensive. Don't get me wrong, authentic is awesome. Unfortunately for most people you just don't have the time to toast and grind whole spices before your one-year old breaks your 4'x 6' picture window with a wooden spoon. 

Yes. That happened in our neck of the woods.

Tikka Masala is a tomato based curry that delivers Indian food flavors at their finest. Spicy. Sweet. Fruity. Earthy. Hopefully you find this recipe just as tasty if not better than the "real" thing. The unbelievably tender chicken this recipe yields comes from long hours of low and slow cooking and also the time it gives the spices to meld and develop. Never tried Indian food before?  Then now is definitely time! If you have never made the leap, it’s likely you have tried the spices it contains in several separate dishes. Indian food combines all those rich spices into one amazing dish. It's OK. You can do it. Go on and excite your taste buds with this flavorful, spice packed Indian dish.

This recipe makes a ton of Tikka. Get ready for leftovers or if you aren't a leftover fan, you might consider cutting the recipe in half.

The engine that drives the Tikka Masala train is the curry mixture know as Garam Masala. While two spice mixtures are the same, Garam Masala usually contains: black and white peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, cardamon, bay leaf and cumin. Garam means "hot" and Masala means "spice mixture". Real complicated, right? Most large grocery stores have an Indian section where you should be able to find it, but if you live in the Wichita area it's worth a trip to The Spice Merchant & Company.

If you haven't been to The Spice Merchant and you live within an hour of Wichita, get in your car right now. Seriously. Load up the kids and head towards downtown Wichita. The Spice Merchant is a menagerie of spices, teas, coffees and culinary trinkets. A veritable buffet of delectable goodness just waiting to go home with you and to make you kitchen smell incredible! I promise Garam Masala won't be the only thing you leave with. 

Sidenote: If you are a serious coffee drinker (read: coffee snob), then this is a must visit location for you. Whole beans from all over the world. Take them home as is or they will grind them right if front of you to your specifications.

Ingredients

• 1 package of boneless, skinless chicken thighs (2-3 lbs) cut into 1" chunks
• 1/2 large yellow onion, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp freshly, finely grated ginger
• 1 (29 oz) can tomato puree
• 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt (I use Greek)
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp Garam Masala (See note above)
• 1 Tbsp cumin
• 1/2 Tbsp paprika
• 2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1-3 tsp cayenne pepper (3 tsp is SPICY - I'd go with 1-1.5 to start)
• 2 whole bay leaves
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
• Long Grain White Rice or Basmati Rice

• Naan Bread (Optional - Not really, you MUST have this with the dish!)
• Chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)
  
  Click here for a PRINTABLE RECIPE.

Chicken Thighs

If you have never cooked with chicken thighs before, after this you will to yourself "where have you been all my life?". Warning: They are DARK meat and therefore contain more fat than say chicken breasts, but fat is flavor and they become moist deliciousness in the world of a crockpot. And the best part... They are cheaper than chicken breasts and probably located right next to them in the meat department. As you can see above, I would use a pair of kitchen shears to trim off any excess fat on the edges of each thigh before you cut them into chunks.

Fresh Ginger

The top piece is what you should look for in the grocery store. It has a tough brownish skin and is very knobby. You will probably find it near the mushrooms. They come in big pieces and and sold by the pound. You DON't have to buy the entire 6" piece. Just snap off a section the size you need (see above) and away you go. At home, use a vegetable peeler to remove the tough outer skin before grating. If you have a micro-plane, that could work too. Watch your fingers! 

Naan Bread

Naan is a flat bread that is traditionally served as a side dish in Indian cuisine. It is great to use as a "scoop" with curries. I would warm it up in a 400 degree oven for a few minutes before serving. You should be able to find it in your bakery department. Usually its near the tortillas. It is a MUST HAVE with this dish. Trust me. Go get some. 

In your crock pot, add chopped onions, minced garlic, grated ginger, tomato puree, yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, Garam Masala, cumin, paprika, salt, cinnamon, pepper and cayenne pepper. Stir until combined.

Add diced chicken thighs and mix until they are well coated with sauce. Now add the bay leaves (leave them whole, you are going to remove them later). At this point, you can refrigerate it overnight and start it in the morning or get it cooking now if you are ready.

Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.

Remove the bay leaves before you do anything else!

In a bowl, whisk together heavy cream and cornstarch, pour mixture into slow cooker and gently stir. 

Allow mixture to cook 20 minutes while you prepare your rice (see Coconut Curry Recipe for info on rice cookers).

Tikka Masala with steamed carrots and cauliflower and Naan bread.

Serve over rice and top with chopped cilantro (if you like it, I don't). Enjoy!

Chicken Enchiladas

It has been quite some time since my last post. Like many of you I'm sure, things have been incredibly busy since school started. Along with the normal hustle and bustle of getting the school year off of the ground, I have taken on some additional extra-curricular responsibilities as the Student Council sponsor and I decided to  start working on my Masters degree as well. Good timing right? I am happy with how it has all started, but needless to say my free time has been few and far between. I am glad to introduce my newest post, chicken enchiladas with red sauce. The chicken cooks in a homemade red enchilada sauce and with a little work, is made into a tasty casserole dish full of cheesy (and slight spicy) chicken enchiladas.

Ingredients

1 package of soft taco size tortillas (8-10 & I used corn, but have also used flour - Your preference)

2-3 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs

14 oz can Rotel (diced tomatoes with green chiles - drained)

14 oz of tomato sauce

3/4 cup water (I pour it into the tomato sauce can and swirl it to pick up any leftover residue)

3 TBSP Chili Powder (4 TBSP if you like more heat)

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper1 diced onion
8 oz block of pepper jack cheese (shredded)
8 of block of monterey jack cheese (shredded)

Click here for a PRINTABLE RECIPE.

A few notes on the tortillas. I used corn in this blog post, but we often use flour. Generally people are decisively in one camp or the other when it comes to tortillas. I think corn tortillas have better flavor and texture, but are certainly more fragile and less pliable than flour. The flour tortillas definitely hold together much more easily and are therefore more user-friendly when it comes to filling and rolling the enchiladas. Your choice. You won't be disappointed either way.

Also, I highly recommend buying your cheese in blocks and shredding it yourself. When cheese is produced, it gets sprayed with a thin film of wax as a preservative. Store bought shredded cheese doesn't melt nearly as easily or smoothly because each shred is covered in wax. A full block however, only has a coating on the outside. If you shred it yourself, it will melt much more evenly and results in that stringy, stretchy cheesy goodness we all love. Trust me. A little more work will go a long way.

Add the tomato sauce, water, chili powder, oregano, garlic powder, cumin, salt, black pepper and diced onion to the crockpot. Stir until combined.

Add the chicken thighs and stir to coat. At this point, you could refrigerate this overnight and start it in the morning before you head out the door for work if you wanted.

Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours. Hopefully you get something like this. I know, it doesn't look that appetizing right, but just wait. I promise. Your patience will be rewarded!

Remove the chicken thighs from the crockpot, place them in a separate bowl and use two forks to pull the chicken. Leave the sauce in the crockpot and turn it off.

Add 1/3 of the crockpot sauce and the can of drained rotel to the chicken and stir to combine. This is going to be your filling for the enchiladas.

Take 1/2 of the remaining sauce and spoon it into the bottom of a 7 x 11 casserole dish. Try to get mainly sauce and leave the other goodies in the crockpot. We'll use them later!

Add roughly 1/4 cup of the chicken filling to the tortilla and shape it into a long rectangle (see picture above) and add a 1/4 cup of the pepper jack cheese. Roll and add seam side down into the sauced 7 x 11 pan. Repeat for all enchiladas. It should make 6 to 8 total. If you have leftover filling, I'm sure you'll figure out what to do with it.  

Place your rolled tortillas in the pan and cover with the remaining sauce from the crockpot (don't leave any goodies left in the pot). Then, cover with the shredded monterey jack cheese. 

Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes and the cheese is melted and bubbly. 

Chicken enchiladas with red sauce, Mexican rice and salad

Top with sour cream (if you'd like), serve and enjoy!

Beef Tips with Mushroom Gravy

I don't know about you, but I have been enjoying October evenings in August this week. I woke up to a 58 degree morning. 58 degrees! On August 20th! In South-Central Kansas!  I honor of our cooler weather, I made a hardy comfort food meal that is usually reserved for late fall or early winter. Beef Tips with Mushroom Gravy. If you aren't so keen on mushrooms, you can always leave them out. When I first was considering experimenting with this dish, I perused the internet for ideas about ingredients, cuts of meat, etc. I think every recipe I came across included a packet of french onion soup mix and a can of cream of something. Over and over. Have no fear there will be no cream of anything here! (See what I did there?) 

This dish does only require 6 hours of cook time on LOW because I wanted the Beef to come out as "tips" (solid pieces) versus just shredding into pulled beef. 6 hours was perfect. They were still fork tender, but held together when I took them out to make the gravy. I did use a cut of meat called "Beef Chuck Shoulder Cross Rib Cut". I is essentially pre-cut strips of beef chuck shoulder. You could use a whole beef chuck shoulder as well. The pre-cut strips just saved me some knife work. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

2-3 lbs of Beef Chuck Shoulder (Cross Rib Steak if you can find it)

28 oz of beef broth

1 6 oz can tomato paste

6 carrots (peeled & rough chopped)

1 yellow onion (peeled and rough chopped)

4 garlic cloves

8 oz of mushrooms (white or baby bella)

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp black pepper

For cornstarch slurry to thicken gravy

2 TBSP corn starch

2 TBSP cold water 

Click here for a PRINTABLE RECIPE.

Mix beef broth, tomato paste, onions, carrots, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl until the tomato paste is combined with the broth.

Cut the beef into 1" to 1.5" cubes and add to the crockpot.

Add the broth & vegetable mixture and stir. Try to keep the beef submerged in the liquid if possible. Cook on LOW for 6 hours.

After 6 hours, removed the beef tips from the liquid and add the mushrooms and cornstarch slurry (see below). Stir and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes or until gravy thickens to your liking. Then add the beef tips back to the gravy and stir to coat them with gravy.

Cornstarch Slurry: Mix 2 TBSP Cold Water & 2 TBSP Cornstarch

Most of the time, a cornstarch slurry has 2 parts water and 1 part cornstarch, but this gravy need some serious thickening power. Be sure to make the slurry in a cup first, then slowly add it to the liquid while stirring it in.

Beef Tips with Mushroom Gravy - Roasted Potatoes - Parmesan Garlic Green Beans

Serve and enjoy!