Chipotle Chili

1 medium yellow onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4-5 Tbsp chili powder (this makes the chili fairly mild, so up the chili powder if you want it to be spicier)
2 Tbsp paprika
1/2 Tbsp cumin (be careful not to add too much, it can dominate the flavor)
2 Tbsp dried oregano flakes
.5 lbs ground beef
1 15 ounces of diced tomatoes in puree (I used about half a can)
1 15 ounce can of white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 minced chipotle chili peppers in adobo sauce. *ONE PEPPER, NOT ONE CAN!*

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a large pot on medium
2. Saute onions until translucent
3. Add the chili powder, paprika, cumin, and oregano and stir until mixed thoroughly.
4. Add the beef and cook until browned.
5. Add 1/2 a beer and simmer all the liquid off.
6. Add the beans and tomatoes.
7. Add the chipotle chili peppers.
8. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover pot and let simmer for 1 hour.
9. Adjust flavor with salt or tobasco if necessary.

Serves 2.

Yum. That's about all I can say. This is our 2011 Christmas dinner. We were planning on going out for Chinese food but were not feeling like leaving the house. The recipe was adapted from here. This goes especially well with these corn muffins.

Roasted Tomato Soup with Ground Beef, Sausage, and Basil

Roasted Tomato Soup with Ground Beef, Sausage, and Basil
(Makes 3-4 servings)

1 large onion, chopped in pieces 1/2 inch or less
1 T minced garlic
4 tsp. olive oil, divided
2 cups beef stock
1-2 cups water
1 14 oz can diced roasted tomatoes
1 T tomato paste
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground fennel
2 links hot turkey Italian sausage
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 can navy beans (drained and rinsed)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (at least!)
Parmesan reggiano cheese (opt - but is it really?)

Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in a dutch oven or large soup pot, add onions and saute about 5 minutes, then add garlic and saute until fragrant.

Add ground beef and turkey sausage (removed from casings) and brown, using the back of a turner to break into small pieces.

Add stock, tomatoes with juice, oregano, fennel, rinsed navy beans and about a cup of water. Cover and simmer on low for 30 minutes to an hour. Add water to thin if necessary as it cooks.

Right before serving, stir in fresh basil and simmer a few minutes more.

Ladle into bowls and grate a little Parmesan over the top.

For the record, I don't like black licorice. The flavor is very off-putting to me. So I've avoided fennel since it's described as having a licorice flavor. I do, however, LOVE sausage and have recently discovered that one of the ingredients in Italian sausage is fennel and I've enjoyed crunching down on a whole fennel seed when I come across one. So I was willing to give this recipe a go. I bought some fennel seeds, ground them up in my spice grinder and wow! I actually liked the smell. And the flavor was spot on! This soup is a really nice, full flavored soup. Enjoy!

Crockpot Coconut Beef Stew

.5-1 lbs stew meat
1 small yellow onion, cut in chunks
1 can coconut milk
1 juice from one lime
2-3 cloves chopped garlic
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cumin
1 1/2 T chili paste (or 1-2 tsp red chili flakes)
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated

Add everything to the crockpot, toss to coat and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4.
Stir and serve over rice.

I found this recipe at A Year of Slow Cooking. I omitted the chili and used honey instead of sugar because of the restricted diet I'm on. I garnished it with fresh cilantro which was nice. Next time I'll add the chili (diet is almost over) but will probably keep the honey. This is even better as left overs reheated the next day. In the photo I served it with braised kale with vinegar which I DON'T recommend. The flavors do not mix well. I think a nice salad or another steamed veggie would be great with this.

Meatballs!

1 pound ground beef
½ pound ground italian pork sausage
2 egg yolks
½ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
4 cloves of minced garlic (or chop 1/2 and mince 1/2)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons of dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste
3-4 slices Italian bread, crust removed
1 cup milk
olive oil

Break bread into chunks and put in a bowl and cover with milk. Let sit for 5 minutes as you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Put into a large bowl the following: beef, sausage, eggs, cheese, garlic and spices. Squeeze some of the milk out of the bread but leave fairly soaked. Add this to the bowl and mix everything together with your hands (the fun part). Shape into medium sized balls and set on a plate.

Cover the bottom of the skillet with oil and heat on medium. I used a 10" cast iron fry pan and it worked great! Once Put the meatballs in and brown on all sides. You can also bake them in an oven at 350 for 20 minutes or so or simmer them in marinara sauce for 40 minutes.

If you fry them, place on paper towels and pat to remove excess oil.

When Dave and I visit his parents in Buffalo, we usually have spaghetti and meatballs. Real, authentic Italian spaghetti and meatballs. I've never had anything like it but these come pretty close. At least, they'll do until my next trip east. I served these over spaghetti squash tonight with a really good pasta sauce I got at the store: Nana's. It's locally made by a family here in Shoreline.