so i know i've been mia from the blog, but i promise i have been busy in my kitchen! here's one of my favorites, especially as the weather begins to get chilly (haha, get it?). i know you midwesterners are expecting your first snowfall tomorrow, so here's a recipe to snuggle down with on those cold winter nights :o)
equipment:
frying pan
can opener
crockpot or dutch oven with lid
ingredients:
2 T. olive oil
1 - 1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 c. corn (or 1 can--i used the southwest mix canned whole kernel corn)
1/2 c. red pepper, chopped
1/2 an onion (i used red), chopped
2 t. minced garlic
1 t. chili powder
1 t. dried cilantro
1 T. worcestershire sauce
3/4 t. salt
1 14.5 oz. can whole tomatoes
1 16 oz. can chili beans
1/4 c. chipotle tobasco sauce
1 12 oz. can tomato paste
4-6 oz. water
steps:
1.) cook ground beef in oil and add in corn, red pepper, onion, garlic, chili powder, cilantro, worcestershire, and salt when almost done. cook until beef is done and onions are transparent.
2.) while the beef mixture is cooking, cut the canned whole tomatoes into bite-sized pieces. Add the beef mixture, tomatoes (without the remaining juice), chili beans (with all remaining sauce), chipotle tobasco sauce, tomato paste and water into a crockpot or dutch oven. cover and cook on low or simmer for about 8 hours
time:20-30 minutes prep, 8 hours to let it simmaaaahh difficulty: 1.5 (1 being easiest, 5 being hardest) rating: ♦♦♦♦1/2◊ (4.5 out of 5 stars) suggestions for variation: serve it with sour cream and/or cheese. try eating it with tortilla chips or nachos instead of a spoon.
hello there! sorry for my absence--i had reconstructive bone surgery on both feet a few weeks ago and have only recently been able to stand for any length of time. so! what do i do when i can stand again? get back in my kitchen, of course! in order to celebrate the world cup and my LOVE for spain (and fernando torres!) and all things spanish, i decided to make some salmorejo (sal-more-AY-hoe)--a tomato and garlic spanish soup that is served cold. it's great for summer, and it's so easy!
equipment:
chef's knife
measuring cups and spoons
serrated knife
food processor or blender
ingredients:
1 lb. ripe tomatoes
2 cloves minced garlic, or to taste (i used about 3)
1/4 c. olive oil (spanish if you can get it)
1 T. + 1 t. vinegar
french bread baguette
salt to taste
hard boiled eggs for garnish
iberian ham or bacon bits for garnish
cilantro for garnish
steps:
1.) cut about half of the french bread baguette into slices and leave out to stale a bit (an hour or two will be fine).
2.) cut the tomatoes into chunks and put them into food processor or blender. then add garlic, olive oil, and vinegar and blend until smooth.
3.) peel the bread part of the french bread baguette away from the crusts. add it to the tomato mixture one piece at a time and blend (also one piece at a time). continue adding pieces of bread until the mixture has about the same viscosity as pudding (or a little thinner).
4.) chill for a half an hour or more. as the soup chills, hard boil about 1 egg for every 2 people being served. put eggs into a saucepan and cover in cold water. add about 1 T. of vinegar and 1 t. of salt to the water. bring to a rolling boil, and as soon as it boils, turn the heat down and simmer for about 1 minute. then take it off the heat and cover and let stand for about 10 minutes. the eggs are done when you spin them on the counter and they stay upright. cool them down by putting them in cold water or ice, depending on how quickly you need to serve them. peel and chop into small pieces.
5.) ladle or spoon into bowls, and garnish with cut up hard boiled eggs, iberian ham/bacon bits, and/or cilantro. add salt to taste. serve with slices of the rest of the baguette of french bread (i even like to use these as edible spoons and never actually touch a real utensil!).
time:1-2 hours for bread to stale, 30 minutes to prepare, 30+ minutes to chill difficulty: 1.5 (1 being easiest, 5 being hardest) rating: ♦♦♦♦1/2◊ (4.5 out of 5 stars) suggestions for variation: play around with the proportions of everything until you find the combination that works best for you.
hello! my name is kendra, and i am a recently married workaholic with never enough time or energy. one of the things i enjoy, however, is simple, fast, and inexpensive cooking. please feel free to comment on recipes or leave suggestions for existing or future recipes. thanks for visiting!
happy cooking :o)
