Slow Cooker Beef Chili

 

Slow Cooker Beef Chili

2 tablespoons olive oil or canola

2 ½ medium onions, chopped

3 – 4 chopped cloves garlic (use more if cloves are small)

1 chopped green bell pepper (optional – I like it for color)

1 tablespoon cumin

¼ cup chili powder

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 pounds ground beef, (preferably Publix Market Ground Beef)

2 (15-ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes (or whole) with juice (I like Italian canned tomatoes if available because they’re sweeter and not so acidy – like Cento brand) 

1 (14.5 ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes

1 (14.5 ounce) can tomato sauce

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions

Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking, 3 to 4 minutes.  Add onions, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, pepper flakes, oregano, ½ tsp of salt and cayenne.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.

 Increase heat to medium-high and add half of the ground beef.  Cook the beef, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink and just beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.  Remove ½ of the ground beef/onion mixture to a plate - if needed for room to brown remaining beef. 

Add the rest of the uncooked beef and cook, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 4 minutes.

Transfer all of the cooked beef mixture to a large slow cooker.  Add beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and Worcestershire sauce to slow cooker.  Stir to combine and taste.  Adjust seasoning with additional salt and add at least 1 tsp. pepper.

Cook the chili on the high setting for up to four hours (but a minimum of 2 hours).

Jimmy Red Cornbread

 Jimmy Red Cornbread

Dry ingredients

1 ½ cups Jimmy Red cornmeal

½ cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

Wet ingredients

2 eggs

1 ½ cup buttermilk

3 tablespoons of melted butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees with a cast iron skillet in the oven to heat also.  Ten minutes before adding cornbread batter to the skillet put the butter in the skillet in the oven.  

Whisk dry ingredients together.  Beat the eggs then combine the eggs with the buttermilk.  Gently stir the wet and dry ingredients together.  

Pull the skillet from the oven and pour the melted butter into the cornbread batter.  Stir gently to combine and then pour the batter back into the hot skillet.

Put the skillet in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.  After removing the cornbread from the oven, immediately invert it onto a plate to maintain the crispy crust.

Deb's Kale & Spinach Bites

 

Deb’s Kale & Spinach Bites

2 cups chopped fresh kale (stalks removed), spin in salad spinner to dry

6 ounces fresh spinach, chopped, spin in salad spinner to dry

1 chopped yellow onion

2 minced garlic cloves

2 tablespoons melted butter

2 beaten eggs

1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water whisked in

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 cup bread crumbs

½ cup panko bread crumbs

1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (divided)

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon of these spices: thyme, sage, rosemary, oregano

¼ teaspoon cayenne

½ teaspoon garlic powder

Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt & pepper to taste

 

Line a half-sized sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Melt the butter and olive oil in a medium skillet and add the chopped onion. Sauté until cooked through and very soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic, and quickly sauté but don’t burn it. Add kale and spinach and cook briefly until slightly wilted. Let cool slightly. Prepare other ingredients while cooling spinach mixture.

Combine the kale/spinach mixture, Dijon mustard, spices, regular breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup of the grated parmesan cheese, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until you have a smooth consistency but still have texture to spinach and kale. Taste and add squeeze of lemon juice, some hot sauce, more salt, more pepper, or worcestershire sauce as needed. Add beaten eggs.

Spoon the spinach mixture into a medium bowl and form into little balls - best to use a melon baller. Place on the parchment-lined cookie sheet and put the cookie sheet in the freezer for 90 minutes or 2 hours. Bake as outlined or put in a freezer bag and keep until ready to bake.

To bake: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Beat one egg with 1 tablespoon of water and place in bowl. Combine ½ cup of panko bread crumbs and remaining ½ cup of parmesan cheese in a bowl. Add ½ teaspoon of salt, pepper, and garlic powder to the cheese panko mixture. Add ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper. Mix with your hands, then brush each kale bite with egg wash and then roll each kale bite in the parmesan/panko mixture. Coat them well because this provides the crispiness.

Place the coated kale bites back on the parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes or until they’re just starting to turn golden brown. Don’t be afraid to let them cook longer. Let cool slightly before serving.

Optional Dip Sauce: Combine ½ cup sour cream or ½ cup Greek yogurt with 1 tablespoon mayo, ¼ cup fresh dill, & 1 clove minced garlic. Add hot sauce, salt and pepper to taste

Robin's Mediterranean Rice

4 cups cooked white rice (warm or room temperature)

½ cup of currants

1/3 cup toasted pine nuts

1/3 cup of drained capers

4 teaspoons dill (double if using fresh dill)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon of salt

½ teaspoon of pepper

 

Whisk together this dressing: dill, lemon juice, cumin, olive oil, salt and pepper in small bowl.  In a separate bowl, gently mix rice, currants, pine nuts and capers together.  Immediately before serving, pour dressing over rice mixture and gently toss. 

Robin's Smoked Gouda Soup

1 stick of butter

1 cup of chopped onion

2 cloves of minced garlic

1 chopped head of cabbage or 1 packet of tri-color coleslaw

¼ cup of flour

8 cups of chicken or vegetable stock (two 16 oz. boxes of stock)

2 teaspoons of salt

½ teaspoon thyme

½ teaspoon cayenne powder

1 cup of ½ & ½ or milk

8 ounces of smoked gouda, shredded on box grater

3 chopped carrots

4 slices of bacon

 

Brown bacon until crisp and set aside until cooled. 

Melt butter in Dutch oven.  Sauté onion until translucent in butter.  Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Add cabbage and cook until barely tender.  Sprinkle flour across cabbage – onion mixture and cook for 2 minutes until flour barely begins to brown. 

Add broth and spices and cook until mixture bubbles and slightly thickens.  Taste and add more salt if needed. 

Add milk and heat thoroughly.  Then add grated cheese and stir until melted.  Add carrots and simmer without boiling until carrots are barely cooked. 

Serve soup with parsley and crumbled bacon.

Deb's Ranch Dressing

 

Deb’s Ranch Dressing

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup buttermilk (shake well)

1 clove garlic

1 tablespoon finely chopped onion

1/8 sea salt

½ teaspoon dry mustard

2 tablespoons chives (finely chopped)

1 tablespoon parsley (finely chopped)

1 tablespoon fresh dill (finely chopped)

¼ teaspoon black pepper

 

Whisk together mayo and buttermilk.  Mash garlic, onion, and salt together on a cutting board to form a paste.  Use parchment paper to make the transfer easier.  Whisk paste and dry mustard into mayo/buttermilk mixture.  Whisk in the chives, parsley, dill, and black pepper.  Add additional salt to taste (go easy!).  Refrigerate in an airtight jar.

Sylvia Dodson's Cornbread

 3/4 c. meal

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

3/4 c. buttermilk

1 egg

1/4 c. flour

1/2 t. sugar

1/4 t. soda

1/8 c. oil

Bake at 450 until browned (20-25 minutes).

** Sylvia used ground meal from an Amish store. It is grainier than regular corn meal. She used unbleached flour.

*** Vickie doubles this recipe for a large iron skillet of cornbread.