Lemon Spaghetti

As I type this the water for the pasta is on the stove trying to get hot enough to boil. Making the sauce for this dish is super quick. I've been making this recipe since my husband first bought me Giada's first cookbook Everyday Italian. I'm beyond in love with this light and quick pasta dish and I've shared it with a few of my friends. There's no meat which makes it perfect for Meatless Mondays but I wouldn't be afraid to try chicken, shrimp or even a sweet Italian sausage as an addition to make it a more rounded meal. I'll be serving this with a salad tonight.

I only use half a cup of olive oil and half a cup of Parmesan cheese. I found that if I used the whole 2/3 cup of oil then I would have very oily pasta at the bottom of my serving bowl. Don't be afraid to use linguini or fettuccine in place of spaghetti. Fresh basil is best, but dried will work if you don't have fresh. If you use dried remember to use half the amount the recipe calls for! Tonight I discovered I was completely out of basil so I'm subbing with oregano (about 1/2 tsp) and a pinch of crushed red pepper.

1 pound spaghetti

2/3 cup olive oil

2/3 cup grated Parmesan

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the oil, Parmesan, and lemon juice in a large bowl to blend.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss the pasta with the lemon sauce, and the reserved cooking liquid, adding 1/4 cup at a time as needed to moisten. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon zest and chopped basil.

Every Day Italian - Giada De Laurentiis (recipe can also be found at foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/lemon-spaghetti-recipe/index.html)

Tahitian Chicken

We had some friends come over last night for dinner and a movie. They brought the movie (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring) and I made dinner to go with it. Naturally, I cooked Tahitian chicken! Ok, follow my thought process here – Lord of the Rings was filmed in New Zealand so I should make New Zealand-ish food. I am too busy/lazy to look up New Zealand-ish food. I have Tahitian chicken on the menu. Tahiti is approximately 2688 miles from New Zealand so they are practically neighbors. Tahitian chicken is the perfect meal to go with this movie.

Tahitian chicken is quite easy to make but it does require extra cooking time. In the past I’ve cooked this in a stock pot as opposed to skillet and the sauce turns out much better that way. Using a skillet leads to much less sauce so if you like sauce use a stock pot.

I like to add bell peppers to this recipe. I keep chopped frozen bell peppers in the freezer for times just like this. The frozen bell peppers are leftovers from previous recipes and so they are basically free additions!  This recipe does need to be served over something. I prefer brown rice because it holds up well to the chicken.

3 T. cornstarch

2 T. soy sauce

2 lb. chicken, cut into cubes

1 T. vegetable oil

8oz. can pineapple chunks

1/3 c. cider vinegar

¼ c. brown sugar

1 tsp garlic salt (feel free to add more)

¼ c. water

Ina medium mixing bowl combine 2 T. cornstarch with the soy sauce. Add chicken cubes and toss until all pieces are coated. Heat oil in a skillet (or stock pot). Add chicken and brown. Remove and strain.

Drain pineapple and reserve juice. Return chicken to the skillet. Add pineapple juice, vinegar, brown sugar and garlic salt. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 45 minutes. Add pineapple (and peppers) and cook until warmed through.

Dissolve remaining cornstarch in a small amount of cold water. Add dissolved cornstarch to chicken mixture. Cook, stirring constantly until thickened.  Serve.

I honestly have no idea where I got this recipe. It's been in my food binder since I was in high school.

Baked Rigatoni Cake

This may be one of the easier dinners I make in terms of ingredients but it has never failed to impress. It may be the fact that I can make pasta stand up straight that wows people when I make this.This is a kid friendly meal straight out of Martha Stewart Kids (I miss that magazine so much!) that adults always gobble up. Kiddos probably would too but I've never served this to them.

Amazing friend brought over some garlic bread to go with dinner -
Little One was excited!

A spring form pan is an absolute must to get this to stand. I used ground turkey (as usual) and threw in a little Italian Seasoning for some extra flavor. No butter required for the pan, a cooking spray work just as well.

• Salt
• 1 pound rigatoni pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound ground meat (beef, pork, or turkey)
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
• Butter for pan
• 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 8 ounces coarsely grated mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt. Add pasta; cook until slightly underdone. Drain, rinse in cold water, and drain. Toss pasta with 1 tablespoon oil to coat. Set aside.
   
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add meat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Cook 2 minutes more. Add tomatoes; simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.
   
3. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Toss pasta with Parmesan cheese. Tightly pack pasta into pan, standing each piece on end.
   
4. Spread 2 cups meat sauce on top of pasta, pushing it into holes. Bake 15 minutes. Sprinkle mozzarella on top. Bake until cheese is pale golden, 10 to 15 minutes more. Remove from oven, and let stand 15 minutes. Run a knife around edge to loosen; unmold. Cut into wedges. Serve with remaining sauce.
   

http://www.marthastewart.com/261794/baked-rigatoni-cake

Ranch Spinach Dip

Call me a big kid but I really like to dip my veggies into something. I’m always trying to find ways to get more vegetables in my diet and honestly this dip has helped. I know most dips aren’t usually healthy but I’m convinced that because this has spinach it has to be good for me. I use low fat sour cream so there’s not as much fat but still a good texture.

16 oz sour cream

1 pkg ranch dressing mix

10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and drained

Mix all ingredients together and serve with vegetables.

Creole Chicken Red Beans and Rice Soup

I’m in love with soup. This love affair may have happened when I was four and going to school in Belgium. Each day we would have soup for snack. A lovely lovely brothy vegetable soup. At least this is what my four year old memory tells me.

When I plan my menus I often plan about one soup a week. I like to be adventurous and try new soups but I have a few that I return to frequently. This is one of those soups. Husband is a very big fan of this soup so of course I love to make it for him. Most people think this will be a spicy soup but it’s not. It is flavorful, but the Creole seasoning I use is not spicy.

I use Emeril’s Essence as my Creole seasoning. One day I realized it didn’t make sense for me to buy Ceole seasoning, Italian seasoning or Herbs de Provence. I have all the ingredients to make these seasonings in my spice cabinet and half the time I can’t use them before they lose their flavor. It’s not a huge money saver to make my own seasoning blends, but I like knowing that I’m not throwing away money on spices!

The recipe below is my altered recipe. If you would like to try the original follow the link below. I’ve made too many adjustments to list them all separately. Buying an already cooked chicken helps make this recipe come together quickly.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded

Creole seasoning – lots! I never measure, add to taste

1 1/2 cups onions, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

1 cup carrots, shredded

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

Pinch crushed red pepper

3-15 oz cans red beans, rinsed

2 cups shrimp stock

2 cups beef stock

12 cups chicken stock

1/4 pound long grain white rice, uncooked

1/2 cup chopped green onions (green part only)

In a large stock pot heat olive oil. Add the onions, celery, and carrots. Sauté the vegetables for 4 minutes. Add the garlic, bay leaves, pinch of crushed red pepper and red beans and sauté for 1 minute. Add the chicken and Creole seasoning. Add the stock and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes. Reseason if necessary. Add the rice and continue to cook for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender. Remove from the heat and stir in the green onions. Ladle into soup bowls and serve with crunchy French Bread

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-live/creole-chicken-red-beans-and-rice-soup-recipe/index.html

Emeril’s Essence

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/emerils-essence-recipe/index.html

Upside Down Shepherd’s Pie

In the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day I wanted to make something a little bit Irish. Since we have little one at home, husband and I were not up to going out for green beers this year. We did split a bottle of Guinness with dinner.

This recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks. While the recipes found in it are low cal, don’t be fooled! These recipes are very yummy. I happened to have everything listed below in my kitchen (except for the evaporated milk, I subbed in regular milk) so even though I hadn’t been to the grocery store in over two weeks I was able to pull this together.

Some of the more “fussy” parts of this recipe I completely omitted. Since I used ground turkey I didn’t need to drain the meat or wipe the pan with paper towels. I don’t use a steamer basket for my potatoes, I boil them like I would any other time I make mashed potatoes. And while an electric mixer does make lovely potatoes, I like lumps of potatoes in my mashed potatoes – it reminds me that I’m eating the real thing. I use my trusty old potato masher and in about the same time it takes to use and electric mixer I have great mashed potatoes.

1 ½ lb baking potatoes, cut into ½ inch cubes

Vegetable oil spray

1 lb. lean ground beef (ground turkey)

1 cup onion, chopped

½ cup water

2 tsp. very low sodium beef bouillon cubes

1 T. chili powder

¼ tsp. cayenne (optional)

½ cup fat free evaporated milk

¼ tsp. garlic powder

¼ tsp. salt

¾ cup shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese

Set a steamer basket in a small amount of simmering water in a medium sauce pan. Put the potatoes in the basket. Cook, covered for about 10 minutes or until tender. Drain well. Return the potatoes to the empty pan.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Remove the heat and lightly spray with vegetable oil spray. Cook the beef for three minutes or until no longer pink. Pour into a colander and rinse under hot water to remove excess fat. Drain well. Wipe the skillet with paper towels.

Reduce heat to medium. Cook the onion for 3-4 minutes, or until translucent. Increase the heat to medium high. Add the water, bouillon, chili powder, cayenne and ground beef. Cook for 2-5 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Using an electric mixer, beat the potatoes on low for 1 minute. Add the milk, garlic powder and salt. Beat until smooth. Spread in a 12x18x2 in baking dish. Spoon the meat mixture over the potatoes. Top with cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and let stand for 3 minutes to let cheese melt slightly.

American Heart Association Low Cal Cookbook

Artichoke Pizza

This is an excellent Meatless Monday meal. This meal will not give you leftovers so plan accordingly if you plan leftovers into your weekly meals.

I use marinated artichokes to add a little extra flavor. Because of this I can usually omit the oregano. I have never used a whole 12 oz jar of red peppers, I use about half a jar. Sliced almonds work a little bit better than chopped. Make sure the pitas you use are the pocket kind or else slicing them can be a real pain.

2 pita breads, split horizontally

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

12-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and sliced

6-ounce jar artichokes, drained and cut in half

1/4 cup roasted almonds, chopped

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar (6 ounces)

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Heat broiler. Arrange the pita halves cut-side up on a broiler proof sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and broil until crisp, 2 to 3 minutes.

Top with the red peppers, artichokes, almonds, Cheddar, and oregano. Broil until the cheese has melted, 2 to 3 minutes.

Sunday Food Day

No recipes with this post, I’m just happy with the food day I had on Sunday.

My dad and I went and checked out a church in town that I am thinking about becoming a member of. Little one wakes me up early no matter what day it is so Sundays are no longer for sleeping in. Everyone that I met at church on Sunday was very nice. Bonus – visitors receive a loaf of bread from one of the bakeries in town!

Dad likes to can food. It’s one of his many hobbies. Since he gives many of his canned goods items to me, I like to assist with the canning process when I am able to. On Sunday he needed one red pepper to complete a tapa. After church we went to the grocery store (I need cilantro) and instead of buying one red pepper dad bought a two pound bag of peppers. To be fair, he wasn’t able to buy just one pepper, the bag was his only option if he wanted a pepper. So my optimistic dad looked at the bag and decided to pickle peppers. I joined in on the slicing fun with the hope that one or two jars of those beautiful peppers would make it my house!

Little one has been eyeing food at the table for the past two weeks. I decided that it may be time to start thinking about solid foods. Also, the thought of a sleepy baby with a full tummy sounded really good after springing forward for daylight savings time! Husband and I gave little one his first taste of oatmeal. It was a huge mess but little one learned that spoons = food!

Chicken Enchiladas

The phrase “The secret’s in the sauce” could have been written for this enchilada recipe.  I have lots of enchilada recipes that I make regularly but none compare to this one when it comes to the sauce. I have considered making a huge batch of the sauce and canning it just so I have it on hand to make this recipe go even quicker.

I use leftover chicken in this recipe. When I make a roasted chicken I’ll save some meat and put it in the freezer until it’s time to make enchiladas (or soup or whatever else sounds good). I usually have everything I need to make these on hand except for the cilantro. This time I didn’t have any cilantro (they were out at the grocery store) so I had to use dried. It was ok, but if you can use fresh defiantly use it!

I tried to grow some last year but I found that I goes to seed so quickly. After making this the first time I have never felt like I have to use the suggested cheese. I used some salsa jack this time and pepper jack is always yummy. As long as there is a 1 ½ cups of cheese feel free to mix and match!

I’ve tried to cut back some on the calories by heating the tortillas up many different ways other than in the oil. I have not found anything that works as well as the oil. It’s a little time consuming, fattening and you can burn your fingers easily, but the oil works.

Because I didn’t have two whole cups of chicken I threw in some black beans. I also chopped up a lovely

orange sweet pepper that dad was canning earlier in the day. I sautéed the green onions and the pepper before adding them to the filling mixture. Since the enchiladas don’t need to cook for very long the onions stay crunchy if you don’t sauté them before hand.  

I found this recipe in 2006 (not sure why I found a recipe on a cooking oil web site) and I am happy to see that they have updated the recipe to include oven temperature and cooking time. I’ve been guessing for years, but happily I’ve been guessing correctly.

ENCHILADA SAUCE

2 tablespoons Crisco® Pure Vegetable Oil

2 tablespoons Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour

1 to 2 tablespoons chili powder, or to taste

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 (14 oz.) can chicken broth

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

ENCHILADAS

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

3/4 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided

3/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese, divided

1/4 cup sour cream

1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Crisco® Pure Vegetable Oil

12 (6-inch) corn tortillas or 10 fajita-sized tortillas

Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray

HEAT oil in large saucepan. Stir in flour and chili powder. Cook 1 minute. Add cumin, chicken broth, tomato sauce, salt and garlic powder. Bring to boil and simmer 10 minutes.

COMBINE chicken, green onions, 1/2 cup Cheddar, 1/2 cup Monterey Jack, sour cream, chiles and cilantro. Stir in 1/2 cup Enchilada Sauce, stirring until well blended. Season with salt and pepper.

HEAT 1/2-inch oil over medium heat in large pan. Fry tortillas, one at a time, until soft (10 seconds per side). Drain on paper towels.

HEAT oven to 350°F. Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with no-stick cooking spray. Spread a small amount of Enchilada Sauce over the bottom of dish. Spread 3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture in each tortilla and roll up. Place enchiladas, seam side down, side by side in prepared dish. Pour remaining sauce over. Top with remaining cheeses.

BAKE 15 to 20 minutes or until sauce bubbles. Garnish with sour cream, sliced green onions and chopped cilantro.

http://www.crisco.com/Recipes/Details.aspx?recipeID=1702

Beef Stroganoff

Sunday nights mean dinner at my parent's house. Usually mom cooks dinner but every once in a while I make dinner. This Sunday dad and I teamed up to make beef stroganoff. I've made several different versions of this recipe (low cal, quick cooking) but I think this one is my favorite. It's simple, and while not super quick it can be made on a week night.

I added half a teaspoon of black pepper to add a little extra flavor. Since there is a whole cup of sour cream in here the pepper doesn't have too much bite. I like my stroganoff creamy so I was very happy with the full cup of sour cream, but feel free to cut this back to 3/4 cup. I think a tablespoon of sherry would have been  a good addition. Once the beef has browned, drain the beef or else there will be too much liquid in the sauce. I added the onion at the same time as the broth and garlic to give it extra time to cook.
       
1 1/2 lb boneless beef tenderloin, cut into half inch cubes
2 T. butter
1 1/2 cups beef broth
2 T. ketchup
1 tsp. salt
1 garlic clove, minced
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 onion chopped
3 T. flour
1 cup sour cream

Cook and stir beef in butter in a 10 inch skillet over low heat until brown. Reserve 1/3 cup of the broth. Stir remaining broth, ketchup, salt and garlic into the skillet. Heat to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, covered, until beef is tender, about 10 minutes.

Stir in mushrooms and onion. Cover and simmer until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Shake reserved broth and flour in a tightly sealed container' gradually stir into beef mixture. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir minute; reduce heat. Stir in sour cream and heat through.

Serve over cooked noodles, rice or potatoes.

Spicy Cornmeal Crusted Catfish

I did my cooking outside of my kitchen today. Husband is on his way to Manila and little one may or may not be teething. Life is a little stressful in our house. Thankfully my parents live about a mile away so after dropping husband off at the airport little one and I headed over to their house. Little one began his home brewing adventures today. He hung out in the kitchen while my dad started a batch of cranberry wine for the holidays and a batch of brew for when the weather warms up.

My dad is on a real fish kick lately so we made catfish for dinner. I made this recipe when husband and I were still living in Denver. We both liked it but we haven't cooked fish much in our new house. This breading is one of the easiest I have ever used. I'm not sure why it sticks so nicely, but if this is your first adventure in breading you will be pleased with the results.

Tonight's catfish was not spicy. I used smoked paprika but you could easily change the taste with the type of paprika you use. My mom is very sensitive to spicy foods (complete opposite of me) so the smoked paprika was the right choice. I also omitted the cayenne pepper.

I baked some sweet potato steak fries as a side dish. I flavored them with only olive oil, salt and pepper. What makes this so exciting? Little one stared at my sweet potatoes all through dinner so I let him have a taste. Little one was so excited. I gave him about half a teaspoon of sweet potatoes – I have a feeling we will be taste testing many different foods very soon.

¼ cup yellow cornmeal

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

pinch of cayenne pepper

salt and fresh ground pepper

4 catfish fillets (8oz each) rinse and patted dry

2 teaspoons canola oil

On a baking sheet, mix together the cornmeal, paprika, cumin, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Dredge fish in cornmeal mixture, turning to coat both sides.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat one teaspoon oil over medium heat. Place two catfish fillets in the skillet, skin side up. Cook until crust in browned and fish is firm, 6-8 minutes on each side. Transfer fish to a plate, keep warm. Repeat with remaining oil and fish.

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/spicy-cornmeal-crusted-catfish

Peruvian Roast Chicken

I had to make something that husband would be able to "cook" on Friday night since I had to run to work for a few hours. Prepping this chicken and leaving it to marinade in the fridge was the perfect choice. I even left the rack and baking sheet in the fridge with the chicken to make everything easier.

This chicken needs 4 - 24 hours to marinade, and it's totally worth the time. It was suggested to serve this with french fries, which we did. How fun to have roast chicken with french fries, this definatly was a change from the roast chicken I grew up with.

• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• One 4-pound chicken, rinsed and patted dry

1. Using the flat side of a chef's knife, smear together the garlic and 2 tablespoons salt on a cutting board to form a paste; transfer to a small bowl. Stir in the oregano, ginger, cumin, 1 teaspoon pepper and the paprika. Stir in the vinegar.

2. Slide your fingers between the chicken skin and breast and loosen the skin from the meat, working your way to the legs. Spread the marinade under and over the skin and inside the cavity. Transfer to a gallon-size resealable plastic bag; refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

3. Preheat the oven to 400°. Remove the chicken from the bag and place breast side up on a rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until the juices run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife between the breast and the wing, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before carving

Baked Potato Soup

It may already be March, but that doesn't mean that it's any warmer outside than it was a month ago. While staying home with little one on Friday I wanted something hearty for lunch but not too heavy. I was really excited to try this baked potato soup recipe. I have a recipe that I use from time to time but I was excited to see cauliflower on the list of ingredients. I'm trying to find ways to sneak more veggies in my diet. This recipe did it! I couldn't even taste the cauliflower!

Next time I make this I will add at least one extra cup of milk. The soup ended up very thick. Husband said it was like eating mashed potatoes and he was right. Extra milk would thin it out without taking away any taste.

• 2 large baking potatoes—peeled, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
• 3 cups milk
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 head cauliflower, cored and chopped
• 1 bunch scallions, white and green portions thinly sliced separately
• 4 slices bacon
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (about 2 ounces)
• 1/4 cup sour cream

1. In a large saucepan, combine the potatoes, 2 cups milk and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium-low, add the cauliflower and scallion whites, cover and simmer until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the remaining 1 cup milk, then puree the soup. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Microwave the bacon at high power until crisp, 3 to 4 minutes; crumble. Divide the soup among 4 bowls and top with the shredded cheese, sour cream, crumbled bacon and scallion greens.

www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-index/soup-recipes/Baked-Potato-Soup

Beef Goulash

Yesterday was my dad’s birthday and I asked him if I could make dinner for him to celebrate. My dad grew up in the Midwest so he’s a meat and potatoes type of guy. But after living all over the US and in Europe and the Middle East he’s also open to more adventurous meals. He’ the one who introduced me to tapas and paella! He’s a good man.

Now goulash may not sound at all adventurous, at least not in the state of South Dakota, but that is because so many people see goulash as something you just throw together. Midwestern goulash is as close to Hungarian goulash as that jar of Prego is to Italian red sauce.  Good goulash takes time and quality ingredients. The recipe I used is from Cooking Light so it has less fat but the flavor is still there. You cannot rush this, give this recipe the full time it needs to cook and you will not be disappointed.

Because it was the 2^nd of March I didn’t want to purchase tomatoes at the store. It’s not the right time of year for fresh tomatoes and I’m not a huge fan of hydroponic tomatoes. I used my homegrown tomatoes that my dad and I had canned during the summer. They were already cooked during the canning process, but since they were going to be simmered for so long it doesn’t make a big difference.

I used smoked paprika because that is what I have. The flavor was very deep but not too intensely smoky. I would be interested in trying the recipe with a hot paprika just to taste the difference. I had one pound of fingerling potatoes remaining so I went ahead and used those instead of the Yukon Gold. I think the fingerlings worked well in this recipe because they are waxy, russet potatoes wouldn’t have held their shape as nicely after being cooked for so long.

1 ½ pounds boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

¼ cup all-purpose flour (about 1 ounce)

1 ¼ teaspoons salt, divided

¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

1 tablespoon butter

4 cups chopped onion (about 2 large)

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons paprika

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 cup chopped plum tomato (about 3)

½ teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed

2 bay leaves

½ cup water

1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium beef broth

2 ½ cups cubed peeled Yukon gold or red potato (about 1 pound)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Dredge beef in flour; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef; cook 8 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove beef from pan.

Add onion and garlic to pan; sauté 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in paprika and vinegar; cook for 2 minutes. Return beef to pan. Add the tomato, caraway seeds, and bay leaves; cook 3 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 cup water, and broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour and 45 minutes. Add potato; cover and cook 1 hour and 15 minutes or until very tender. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and juice. Discard bay leaves. Serve over egg noodles.

Cooking Light – January 2007

Beef Chili with Sour Cream and Cheddar Biscuits

We had friends over for dinner last night. Yummy chili, good conversation and cute babies all equal a perfect way to end a Monday! I know that these friends enjoy a good pot of chili so I pulled up this recipe from smittenkitchen.com – one VERY good cooking blog! The pictures are stunning and I haven’t found a recipe there that has let me down yet. I was able to have the chili simmering away before our friends arrived but I made the biscuits just before it was time to eat. The biscuits come together rather quickly so we didn’t have to wait long for hot biscuits to go with dinner.

While I know the woman behind smittenkitchen has already made a few adjustments to this Gourmet recipe, I had a few of my own:

·         I used two pound of ground turkey instead of ground beef

·         To make up for the missing pound of meat I added 15oz of pinto beans. This helps bulk up the chili, makes up for the missing protein and bring the cost of the dish down just a smidge

·         I used ¾ teaspoon of red pepper flakes and there was still a bite, sniffles were heard around the table but our friend’s almost two year old daughter still munched away

·         I used one teaspoon of baking soda in the biscuits – this gave me a better raised biscuit than just using half a teaspoon

Beef Chili with Sour Cream and Cheddar Biscuits
2 onions, chopped
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 T. garlic, minced
2 carrots, sliced thin
2 lbs. ground beef
1/4 cup chili powder
1 T. cumin
2 T.  paprika
1 T. oregano
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 cups tomato puree
1 1/4 cups beef broth
3 T. cider vinegar
15 oz. kidney beans, drained and rinsed

15 oz. pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 green bell peppers, chopped

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-low heat and cook the onions in it for five to ten minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and carrots and cook for one minute more. Raise the heat to medium and add the beef, stirring and breaking up any lumps until it is no longer pink, about ten minutes.

Add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano and crushed red pepper and cook for another minute. Add the tomato puree, broth and vinegar and simmer the chili, covered, for 35 to 40 minutes. Add the kidney beans, pinto beans, bell peppers, salt and pepper to taste and simmer for an additional 15 minutes, until the bell peppers are tender.

Serve ladled over a split Sour Cream and Cheddar Biscuit, below, with additional sour cream and pickled jalapenos, if desired.

Sour Cream and Cheddar Biscuits
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 T. cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
4 oz. sharp cheddar, grated
2 T. pickled jalapeños, drained and chopped  

1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Either cut the butter pieces into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or rub them in with your fingertips until well-combined. Stir in the cheddar, jalapeños and sour cream until the mixture forms a sticky dough. Pat it out to a 1/2-inch thickness on a well-floured counter and use a 3 1/2-inch biscuit cutter to cut six rounds. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 15 to 17 minutes, until golden on top.

Adapted from http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/09/beef-chili-sour-cream-and-cheddar-biscuits/