RECIPE: Red Meaty Chili

Or you can call this a "pantry chili"... so I start with a red onion...



And then chop up some garlic and set it aside...



After heating my dutch oven, I let the red onions soften... but I don't add the garlic until the last minute or two (no one likes burnt garlic).



Then I like to add my dry seasonings... it's almost like they get toasted when added at this point. Stir them around for a minute or two and then get along with things...


Next comes the ground beef...



Stir it up, break it down and brown it (until just a little bit of pink remains).



Next I add my diced green chiles and stewed tomatoes... and give her a stir.



Then I add the beans... and keep stirrin'...



Last addition... some tomato sauce...



Then I turn the heat to low, place the lid on top... and approximately 2 1/2 hours later, this is what we're havin' for dinner!



Give her another stir, grab the ladle and get outta my way ...




We serve up our chili with Red Lobster's Cheesy Biscuits - have you ever had these things?! Check 'em out... they're super easy (and super yummy)!



Red Meaty Chili

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, diced
1 can dark kidney beans, drained
1 can pinto beans, drained
1 pound ground beef
1 small can diced green chiles
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 small can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt/pepper to taste

Instructions
Set up beans to drain.

Place dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and let heat up until you see a whiff of smoke. Add diced red onion, sauté until tender. Add diced garlic, sauté for an add’l 2-3 minutes. Add chli powder and ground cumin to veg, stir well and sauté for 2-3 more minutes. Add hamburger and brown until most pink is gone. Add salt/pepper to taste.

Add drained beans, diced green chiles and stewed tomatoes (and can of chili) – bring to a simmer. Place lid on dutch oven and reduce heat to low. Stir several times and allow to simmer on low – but be careful that the bottom of the chili doesn’t burn.



enjoy your time in the kitchen...

RECIPE: My favorite pot roast

Confession, right off the bat: (Nah, I'm not shy...) This post will be considered "incomplete" until I make it again... because once dinner was ready to be served - I forgot to take a final picture of the end product! So, you'll just have to dream about it...

And on we go with the rest of the story...

I was feeling a bit under-the-weather on Sunday... and knew it would probably get worse before it got better. So, I prepared ahead of time. Since I had to go to the grocery anyway (sick or not, a girl still needs to do her weekly grocery run... ) I figured I'd pick up something that was great for leftovers, hubby could eat off of while I was out for a meeting last night and that would be good in case I just couldn't stand up anymore (yes, I'm getting dramatic, I know...)

And the chuck roast just happened to be on sale... $1.50 a pound! You can't beat that! So, I had the butcher grab me a big roast... and I headed over to the vegetable stand to get some carrots, potatoes, celery, thyme, etc...

Perfect sick-day dinner... I could let the dutch oven do most of the work (with minimal effort on my part) and it would be ready in just a few hours.

So, this is what I did... I started by heating up some oil in the dutch oven and browning the roast on both sides. Just a little salt and pepper is all the flavor it needs (actually, a good layer does it best).



Then I got to cutting up the veggies...





Don't you just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE crimini mushrooms?! They have so much more flavor than their sisters, the button mushrooms. (Sorry lil' button mushroom - but know that I still love you!)



And I decided to mix it up a little this time (which I later regretted, but only slightly) and added some stewed tomatoes to the pot along with the beef stock.



And now it's time for everyone else to jump in the pot...







And this is where I fall short... imagine {here} a beautiful plate of roast and gravy and potatoes and green beans and biscuits. Oh yummm... (stay tuned... I'll post that picture at some point)... just not this week...

So, here's the recipe... and I have to admit, next time I make this I'm going to omit the stewed tomatoes. It wasn't "bad" - and I'm sure some prefer the taste WITH the tomatoes, but next time, I'd leave them out. And now I know...


My Favorite Pot Roast
Recipe by Lori Tisdale

Ingredients
2-3 pound chuck roast
Kosher salt/pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 can stewed tomatoes, Italian flavors
1 cup beef stock
1 yellow onion, quartered
2 celery stalks, sliced
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 3” pieces
1 cup crimini mushrooms, stems removed and quartered
2 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves

Instructions
Start with cutting all vegetables and setting aside. Liberally season both sides of roast with salt/pepper.

In a large Dutch oven, heat oil on medium-high heat. Brown the meat completely. Add the tomatoes and beef stock. Position vegetables next to and top of the roast. Top the roast with herbs and salt/pepper. Cover the pot, and reduce the heat to low. Braise for 3-4 hours; until the roast comes apart easily with a fork. Baste every now and then… do not let the top of the roast become too dry.

Making a quick gravy: Start with 1/2 cup of roasting liquid and 1 tablespoon of flour - mix in small bowl with whisk until all is combined. In a small sauce pan, add 2 more cups of the broth and gravy "rue" you've just created in the small bowl. Stir constantly until sauce thickens, over medium low heat.

Before serving pot roast, either tear apart with forks or slice thin and serve with cooked vegetables.

For leftovers: we're making tacos... yum!



enjoy your time in the kitchen...