Stefanie's Chili

Well, actually it's not my chili. It's real name is Stratford's Sweet Chili from a Crockpot Cookbook. But it's the only chili recipe that I make! When I was little I HATED chili. Really, really hated it. The smell of it cooking would make me gag. That was one of the meals that I was allowed to eat something else for dinner if my parents were eating chili. I am still not the biggest fan of most chili but I really like this one. You must make garlic bread to eat with this - this is a must!!! I promise it won't be as good without it!

Ingredients:
1 can (19 oz) Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can (19 oz) Red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1 can (28 oz) Chopped tomatoes with herbs and spices
1 can (10 oz) Corn kernels, drained
2 Carrots, peeled & diced
2 Large garlic cloves, minced
1 Red onion, finely chopped
1 cup Ketchup
¼ cup Liquid honey
3 Tbsp Chili Powder
½ tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 green pepper diced
1 yellow pepper diced
1 red pepper diced
Sour Cream
Cheddar Cheese, grated

Directions:
In slow cooker, combine chickpeas, kidney beans, tomatoes, corn, carrots, garlic & red onion. In a bowl combine ketchup, honey, chili powder, and cayenne; mix well and pour into slow cooker. Stir to combine.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours, until hot and bubbling. Add green, yellow & red pepper and cook on high for an additional 20-25 minutes.



Serve in bowls with a dollop of sour cream and grated cheddar cheese.

Biscuit Topped Green Bean and Beef Casserole

All I have to say is that I was shocked at how good this was. I found this recipe in a Pillsbury cookbook that I bought in the grocery store in September 2001. (or at least that is the date on the front cover) I also found the Taco Blossom recipe in there as well. This casserole reminds me of something that would have been eaten regularly in the 70's. Give it a try, we really liked it.

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
2 cups Frozen cut green beans
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 (2.8 oz) can french fried onions
1 (12 oz) can refrigerated biscuits

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 8x8 square glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Brown beef in skillet over medium heat until cooked through. Drain.

Add beans, soup, water chestnuts and milk; mix well.



Cook 8-10 minutes until bubbly; stirring occassionally. Stir in half the onions. Taste the mixture at this point and see if it needs more seasoning. I added some salt, pepper and garlic powder.



Spoon mixture into the baking dish.

Cut each biscuit into quarters (I used kitchen shears) and place biscuit pieces points up over beef mixture.



Bake for 15 minutes. Slightly crush remaining half of onions and sprinkle over biscuits. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until biscuits are deep golden brown.

Taco Salad Blossom

Well, I really didn't like the white background for the blog. I like the look of the black background against the photos of the food. Sorry Jordan!

Speaking of Jordan....he said the funniest thing the other day. We were with friends and talking about how I have a food blog. He said that me starting the food blog is the best thing that has ever happened to him. (I thought I was the best thing that ever happened to him??) I guess now that I have this food blog I cook more often and try new things which he is quite happy about. Go figure!



This recipe is something I have made a few times. It's great if you have leftover meat from tacos. I had some queso dip with sausage in it that I used this time and it turned out alright. I'll give you the recipe for the meat in case you do not have leftovers.

Ingredients:
1/2 pound ground beef
2 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning mix
1/3 cup water
3 cups shredded lettuce
2 medium tomatoes
2 tablespoons Thousand Island dressing
2 Tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tablespoons sliced ripe olives
2 Tablespoons sour cream
1/4 cup crushed tortilla chips

Directions:
Brown ground beef in skillet over medium heat until thoughourly cooked, drain. Stir in seasoning mix and water. Cook an additional 2-4 minutes or until mixture boils and thickens.

Meanwhile, divide lettuce evenly onto 2 serving plates. (I don't measure out lettuce or the rest of the ingredients. I just eyeball it but you can measure if you like.) Remove stem from tomato; place tomato stem side down and cut to but not through the bottom of each tomato, to form 6 wedges. Place tomato on each lettuce lined plate, separate wedges to form blossom cup.



Drizzle each with 1 tablespoon salad dressing. Spoon warm beef mixture into center of each tomato blossom. Top each with cheese, olives, sour cream and chips.

I also serve this with chips on the side.

My mom's zucchini bread

When I was growing up my mom always made zucchini bread. I didn't like zucchini (still don't!) but I always loved this bread. I made it myself for the first time a few weeks ago. It makes two loaves and freezes wonderfully. I just took the other loaf out of the freezer yesterday and I cannot tell it's been frozen. Saryn loves this bread too!

Ingredients:
2/3 c shortening
2 3/4 c sugar
4 eggs
3 c shredded zucchini (about 2 medium)
2/3 c water
3 1/3 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cloves
2/3 c chopped nuts, optional (we leave these out)

Heat oven to 350. Grease bottoms only of loaf pans. Mix shortening and sugar in large bowl. Add eggs, zucchini and water. Blend in flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla and cloves. Stir in nuts. Pour into pans. Bake about 1 hour 10 min or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Check the bread at about 50-60 minutes and cook longer if needed. I like to eat it plain or sometimes put butter on it and warm it for about 10 seconds in the microwave, yummy!!

Venison Italian Soup

For those of you who do not have venison or do not like it hamburger would work just fine with this recipe. When my parents came to visit last time they brought a bunch of venison meat with them and this is a great recipe to use ground venison if you have some and do not know what to do with it. This recipe freezes well too! You can add whatever vegetables you want to suit your tastes.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground venison
1 onion, chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
3 cups water
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans
1 (15 ounce) can green beans
1 carrot, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped (I omitted this)
1/2 (16 ounce) package seashell pasta


DIRECTIONS
Brown venison, onion, and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, and spices. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for about 30 minutes.



At this point, taste the sauce and see if it has enough seasonings for you. I felt it was a bit bland for our tastes so I added more basil, oregano, pepper, & some garlic salt.

Stir in beans, carrots, and whatever other vegetables you'd like to add. Simmer soup for 90 minutes.



The recipe calls for you to add pasta and cook it in the soup. I did that this time but next time I would recommend cooking the pasta separate and adding it to the soup when you are ready to serve.

See how the pasta looks like it's taking over the soup?



Top individual servings with grated cheese, and serve.

Shrimp Scampi Bake

Shrimp has been on sale at Harris Teeter quite a bit lately so we've been eating it more than normal. I love shrimp scampi and this recipe is pretty good and easy. Add more red pepper flakes to spice it up a bit if you like your food seasoned more.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter
2 tablespoons prepared Dijon-style mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (I use dried if I don’t have fresh)
2 pounds medium raw shrimp, shelled, deveined, with tails attached (I only used 1 pound shrimp and I took the tails off)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (more or less depending on your tastes)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, and parsley. When the butter melts completely, remove from heat.



Arrange shrimp in a shallow baking dish. Pour the butter mixture over the shrimp.



Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until the shrimp are pink and opaque.

(I checked mine at 8 minutes and stirred the shrimp/sauce. Then I kept checking every few minutes so I wouldn’t over cook the shrimp. I served over pasta with garlic bread and veggies.)

Kickin’ London Broil w/ Blue Cheese Butter

This is a great recipe if you like blue cheese, which I do, especially melted with butter on a steak!

Ingredients:
3 T crumbled blue cheese
2 T butter, softened
1 tsp fresh chives (or dried if you don't have fresh)
1 T coarsely ground black pepper (I use a little bit less than this b/c it's a lot of pepper)
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp onion powder

Directions:
Preheat the grill for low heat.

In a bowl, mix the blue cheese, butter, and chives. Set aside. In a separate bowl, mix the black pepper, garlic salt, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.

Rub the steak with olive oil. Coat both sides of the meat with the spice mixture, and rub in by hand.



Lightly oil the grill grate. Place meat on the grill, and cook 10 to 15 minutes per side, or to desired doneness. Remove from grill, and slice lengthwise into thin strips. Top with a large dollop of blue cheese butter, and serve.

Salsa Chicken

Another one of our favorite chicken recipes. We make a Mexican meal out of it with black beans, spanish rice, and this time avocado & tomato salad.

I found this recipe from allrecipes.com and I didn't really change a thing. I allow the chicken to sit in the taco seasoning mix while I prepare other ingredients so it marinates a bit.

Ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (again, I only use 2)
4 teaspoons taco seasoning mix
1 cup salsa
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
sour cream

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place chicken breasts in a lightly greased baking dish. Sprinkle taco seasoning on both sides of chicken breasts. (Sometimes I put seasoning in a zip lock bag and shake until chicken is covered. I find the chicken is evenly covered this way.)



Pour salsa over the chicken.



Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is tender and juicy and its juices run clear. (I had to bake for 30-35 minutes)

Sprinkle chicken evenly with cheese, and continue baking for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Top with sour cream and serve.

Granny Pat's Spaghetti Sauce

Before we begin I feel that I should let you know that this spaghetti sauce does not have 1 tomato in it. Can you believe it?! A spaghetti sauce without tomatoes....well, it does have tomato soup. Does that count? :)

This spaghetti sauce is a favorite in Jordan's family. His maternal grandmother (Pat) used to make this recipe for Jordan's mother and sister. When they grew up they started making this for their families. You can also find this recipe here on Mathew and Mary's food blog. (Mathew is Jordan's cousin) I think their recipe is a bit different as the recipe I have has been changed a tad.

Since it is such a favorite of Jordan's we make it on a regular basis. When you read the ingredients do not be put off ~ I promise it is very good!

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons oregano
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp tabasco sauce
1 can tomato soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Directions:

Brown the ground beef and onion in the olive oil. (I don't use the olive oil as I find that even the leanest ground beef has enough oil)



Drain well. Add oregano, salt, pepper, chili powder to the meat mixture.



Cook about 1-3 minutes. Add tobasco sauce, tomato and mushroom soup.



Stir well and simmer with lid on for 45 minutes stirring frequently. Serve over pasta. I also serve with a salad and garlic bread. I sprinkled a little parmesan cheese over mine but you do not have to.