The Spicy Taste of Victory

I actually won something!!  At the last minute, I decided to enter our pool club's Chili Cookoff - well, it was actually the day before.  Someone had to drop out, so I took that spot.  Sadly, I didn't look at the day's soccer schedule and was strapped for time...So after our last game, I rushed to our grocery store to pick up all the ingredients, simmered it for about an hour and then headed over to our pool.  Two hours later, I was victorious!  Totally worth the scramble...I even bugged my husband at the firehouse to share my exciting news!

So, I'm not that "carry a recipe to my deathbed" kind of gal - which means that yes, I am sharing it with my friends! This recipe is a combination of different recipes I have tried over the years and includes my hands down favorite chili starter.  I've done the whole make from scratch thing and honestly, this starter is way better and much easier, as well as not salty - a lot of chili seasonings just leave me feeling puffy and miserable.  

Please let me know how you like it - hopefully it will be a big hit in your households!  My family has already asked me to make it 3 times in less than two weeks...

My Family's Favorite Chili
(serves 6-8)

1lb italian sausage

1lb extra lean ground beef

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

1T minced garlic

1 jar Tabasco chili starter - spicy

1 jar Tabasco chili starter - mild

1 can of V8 spicy hot juice (the soda can size)

1 can diced green chilis

2 cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Combine both meats in a skillet and brown, so that there is no more pink showing.  While meat is browning, heat approximately 2T of olive oil and saute onion and garlic, until onion is a little soft.  Once meat is completely browned, drain any liquid and then add to pot with onions and garlic and mix.  Pour in both jars of chili starter and juice, then fill one jar with water and add to pot - if you like chili a little more saucy, then add one more jar of water.  Add chilis and kidney beans; mix thoroughly and simmer for approximately 1 hour.

It's a Keeper...Honey Parmesan Pork Roast

As I have blathered on about before, I LOVE my crock pot! As a working mom who has an equally busy husband & kids, my crock pot is my meal lifesaver - you can throw a whole bunch of stuff in the pot and voila, meal time!

I found this roast recipe from Six Sisters Stuff on Pinterest and have been dying to try it on my family; as with many of the recipes on here, I slightly modified it a bit. I told my friends I would repost it here if it was a keeper and my jury of three unanimously voted that it was awesome! I served it with two of my other tried & true favorites, yukon gold garlic mashed potatoes and roasted brussel sprouts, which I am also posting for your dinner time pleasure...

Honey Parmesan Pork Roast - serves 6
(recipe adapted from sixsistersstuff.blogspot.com)

4 lb boneless pork shoulder roast
2/3 cup grated Paremesan cheese
3/4 cup honey
3T tamari soy sauce or Bragg's liquid aminos
2T dried basil
2T minced garlic
1t fresh ground red pepper
1T olive oil
2T cornstarch
1/4 c cold water

Spray crock pot with Pam; place roast fat side down in crock pot. In small mixing bowl, combine cheese, honey, soy sauce, basil, garlic, pepper and oil until smooth (will be a paste consistency); pour over the pork. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours.

Remove meat from pot and place on a platter; keep warm. Skim fat from juice; transfer juice & drippings to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch & water until smooth. Gradually stir into saucepan with juices and continue stirring until gravy thickens and comes to a boil. Slice roast and serve with gravy.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

2 lbs brussel sprouts, rinsed
1/4 cup olive oil
1t garlic powder
1 1/2t sea salt
1t pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Trim stems off and halve sprouts. Place sprouts in a glass bowl and combine oil, garlic powder, sea salt and pepper with sprouts until coated. Spread sprouts on cookie sheet and if desired, sprinkle more salt & pepper over the sprouts. Put in oven for 15 minutes or until leaves become slightly crispy. Serve immediately.

Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes

6 yukon gold potatoes, rinsed and cubed
4 whole peeled garlic cloves
3T butter
1/2 c cream cheese
1/2 c sour cream
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Boil potatoes and garlic until potatoes are soft. Drain and return potatoes & garlic back to pot and add butter, cream cheese and sour cream. Mash mixture to desired consistency and season to taste with salt & pepper. Transfer to 8x8 dish and spread evenly. Place in oven uncovered for approximately 15 minutes to set and allow a slight crust to form. Please note: if you don't want a crust, loosely cover with foil and still bake for approximately 15 minutes to set.

Comfort Food Recipe #4 - Creamy Chicken and Dumplings

I love winter and comfort food. The cold weather is the time I enjoy making stews, roasts and chicken & dumplings; needless to say, my crock pot gets a workout! Chicken and dumplings are a hands down family favorite. Here is my recipe and I hope you all enjoy it!

Creamy Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings

4-6 chicken breasts
1 T garlic powder
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 can diced white potatoes, drained
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cups chicken broth*
2 cups frozen peas & carrots
1 package refrigerated biscuit dough, each biscuit cut into quarters


Rinse chicken breasts and place at the bottom of the crockpot and season breasts with garlic powder and pepper. Add onions and potatoes, both cans of chicken soup and chicken broth. Cook on Low for 8 hours. Once cooking is completed, shred chicken with two forks in the crockpot, then stir in the frozen peas and carrots.
*If you like your chicken mixture more like a soup, you can add more chicken broth at this time, to taste. Top with biscuits and cook approximately ½ hour or until biscuits are no longer doughy.

Grilled Chicken with Chipotle BBQ Sauce

I love the smoky, spicy taste of chipotle; it's one of my favorite ingredients! I take a can of chipotle in adobo sauce (which you can find in the Mexican food aisle), puree it in my food processor and keep it in my refrigerator for use. Here's a really yummy barbecue sauce that I found in an ad and substituted hot sauce with chipotle.

Grilled Chicken with Chipotle BBQ Sauce

2 c tomato sauce
1/4 c cider vinegar
1/2 c dark brown sugar
1/4 c honey
1/3 c dark beer
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp dried yellow mustard
2 tbsp pureed chipotle

1 lb chicken, cut up
Sea salt

In medium saucepan, combine sauce ingredients and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 15 minutes. Take off heat and set aside.

Rinse chicken; sprinkle with salt. Cook chicken on grill, turning and brushing with BBQ sauce for approximately 30 minutes.

Chicken Carbonnade

I originally found this Belgian stew recipe in Bon Appetit - the flavor was good, but it was too greasy. So, I modified the recipe and my family loved it even more!

Chicken Carbonnade

4 large chicken thighs, skin removed
Flour
Salt
Pepper
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 pound onions, thinly sliced
3 teaspoons (packed) dark brown sugar, divided
4 small bay leaves
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 cup dark beer
1/2 cup beef broth
1 to 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

Coat large nonstick skillet with Pam and heat over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with flour, salt, pepper, and allspice. Add chicken to skillet and sauté until brown, about 4 minutes per side; transfer to plate.
Spray pan with Pam again. Add onions and 2 teaspoons brown sugar to skillet; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and sauté until deep golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Mix in bay leaves, mustard, and remaining 1 teaspoon sugar. Add chicken, skin side down, then beer, broth, and 1 teaspoon vinegar. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Uncover skillet and simmer until chicken is cooked through and sauce thickens, turning chicken occasionally, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and more vinegar, if desired. Serve over something starchy like egg noodles, rice, mashed or roasted potatoes.

Tequila-Lime Chicken

This is a very zesty and yummy chicken recipe! Be creative with it - great for tacos or taco salad and fajitas!

Tequila-Lime Chicken

Marinade
3 tbsp Honey
1/4 c tequila
1/4 c chicken broth
1/2 c lime juice
1/2 c fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
Zest of 4 limes
4 serrano chilis, seeded & minced

2 1/2 lbs chicken

Put all marinade ingredients in a Ziploc bag & mix thoroughly. Add chicken and marinade for 24 hours. Grill on indirect heat (M-O-M) for approximately 5-10 minutes each side; serve immediately.

Lemon Garlic Chicken

This marinade recipe comes courtesy of my Uncle Russ. I like to make this chicken in bulk and then use it for sandwiches, salads, etc.

Lemon Garlic Chicken

Marinade:
1/4 c olive oil
Juice from one lemon
Zest from one lemon
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 c fresh parsley, finely chopped
pinch of sea salt and black pepper

1 lb boneless chicken breasts, thin cut or pounded to approx 1/2" thick

Put all marinade ingredients in a Ziploc bag & mix thoroughly. Add chicken into bag and marinate for approximately an hour, turning bag over every 15 minutes. Heat grill; cook chicken on indirect heat(M-O-M)for approximately 5 minutes on each side.

Steamed Artichokes

We love artichokes - they're not only yummy but very versatile as an appetizer, side dish or meal in itself! Here is a very easy recipe that gets huge raves from family and friends:

Steamed Artichokes

3-4 Large artichokes
White wine
1 tsp crushed garlic or 1 whole clove
1 tbsp lemon juice

Rinse artichokes, trim spiked tips off leaves & cut stem off. Place artichokes in a 4-6 quart pot, stem side down. Pour in 3 cups white wine and 1 cup water so that water is about halfway covering the artichokes; if you need to add more liquid, use the 3:1 ratio (so, if you need to add 1 1/2c more wine, add 1/2c water). Add garlic & lemon juice. Keep pot uncovered and set heat to high. Bring liquid to a boil; once boiling, cover pot and turn burner down to low/simmer. Steam artichokes for approximately 45 minutes or until an artichoke leaf pulls off easily. Once done, remove from heat, drain and serve immediately.

These are also great chilled! Make a few & stick them in your refrigerator; if you like them warm, just throw them in plastic wrap and reheat in microwave for 20-30 seconds.

Here's a couple of dips I serve with artichokes, as sometimes we need a break from the standard mayonnaise:

Quick Lemon Garlic Dip

1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp crushed garlic, or to taste
1/4 tsp lemon juice

Mix all ingredients together until smooth & creamy; chill approx. 1/2 hr before serving.

Quick Chipotle Dip

1/2 cup sour cream
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1/2 tsp pureed chipotle, or to taste
1/2 tsp finely chopped scallions (optional)

Mix all ingredients together until smooth & creamy; chill approx. 1/2 hr before serving.

Our Favorite Summer Salad

One of our favorite summer salads is from a recipe that a friend of mine, Steve, gave to me when I ran into him at Trader Joe's! The dressing is my inclusion - I love vinaigrettes, but don't love all of the chemicals, preservatives, manufactured stuff. So, I went online & found an easy recipe that I played with to make it thicker & zestier! We make this salad at least once a week and often serve it topped with a grilled chicken breast or salmon fillet.

Spinach Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette (feeds 4)

Strawberry Viniagrette (recipe follows)
1 bag spinach
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup dried blueberries
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup candied walnuts

Mix vinaigrette in bottom of bowl; toss remaining ingredients together; serve immediately

Strawberry Vinaigrette

3 tsp strawberry jam or preserves*
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 tbsp olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Whisk jam & vinegar together in bottom of salad bowl; slowly drizzle olive oil in while continuing to whisk, so that dressing can thicken. Season dressing with salt & pepper to taste.

*you can also substitute with raspberry jam or preserves; walnuts can be substituted with pecans or almonds

For Your Labor Day Grilling Pleasure....

My husband's friend & coworker, Billy, gave him this salmon recipe. It's fantastic and a staple in our home! Besides being delicious, I love the versatility of it - I can serve it with grilled veggies and rice or over salad.

Salmon a la Billy (feeds approx. 4)

1 large salmon fillet, with skin - I usually get a 1-2 lb fillet for our family
Zesty Italian dressing of your choice
Soy sauce of your choice
Brown Sugar

Rinse fillet and put in a Ziploc bag; mix 1 cup dressing to 1/2 cup soy sauce; pour marinade over fish, seal bag and refrigerate minimum 4 hours, up to overnight.

Grill on indirect heat (M-O-M). Before grilling, lay a sheet of foil on grill & spray with Pam. Place salmon on foil, skin side down. Sprinkle salmon generously with brown sugar and then grill until thoroughly cooked (usually 10-15 mins). To remove fish from grill, slide spatula between skin & meat. Serve immediately.

Side dish suggestions:
Grilled vegetables
Rice
Salad

Corn Bread Casserole

1 box Jiffy corn bread mix
1 14oz. can cream style corn
1 140z. can whole corn, drained
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp honey

Preheat oven to 400. Mix all ingredients together; pour into greased loaf or 8x8 pan. Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until golden brown on top. Serve immediately.

Lynne's Awesome Chicken Tortilla Soup - Crockpot Style

My best friend Lynne gave me this recipe. I like to cook soups in my giant crockpot, so bear that in mind when making this soup. Makes 14 cups.

2 ears of corn
2 cups celery, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cups carrots, finely chopped
1 anaheim chile, seeded & finely chopped (optional)
1 large can red enchilada sauce
1 quart chicken broth
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 6 boneless skinless thighs

Shredded jack and/or cheddar cheese
Crushed tortilla chips

With a sharp knife, cut kernels off of ears of corn and put in crockpot. Put all remaining vegetables in crockpot. Add sauce and broth; stir gently. Add chicken. Set crockpot to low (10 hours). When time is complete, shred chicken with two forks and stir gently to mix shredded chicken back in. Serve immediately & top with tortilla chips and cheese.

Side dish suggestions:
green salad with a sour cream/salsa dressing
corn bread casserole

Best.Sangria.Ever.

Okay, I might be overstating it a bit, but I get a lot of compliments and requests for my Sangria recipe...This is hands down, my favorite summertime cocktail! We live in the East Bay, where it gets VERY HOT in the summer, so we spend all of our free time at the pool club with our friends and neighbors. I always have a big pitcher of Sangria in my cooler.

I'm not one of those "secret family recipe" people, so I thought I would share it with everyone:

Best.Sangria.Ever.
(makes approx. 6 glasses)

1 750 ml bottle of red*
1 750ml bottle of white*
1 Orange, halved & sliced
1 Lemon, sliced
1 Lime, sliced
1 cup granulated sugar (I use superfine or baker's sugar)
Fresh seasonal fruit of your choosing,
such as sliced apples, peaches, apricots, or mango and berries
1 shot glass of rum

In a 4 quart glass or plastic pitcher, add wine, sugar & all fruit; stir, or if pitcher is a sealed lid type, shake until sugar is dissolved. Add rum and stir or shake again, then refrigerate for 24 hours. Serve over ice.

*I never, ever spend more than $3.00 per bottle of wine - Charles Shaw & Sea Ridge are usually my "go to" wines for this recipe. Cabernet & Chardonnay are the varietals I use.