Beefy Mole-Type Chili with Corn and Beans. . .

I should call this Progressive Chili or maybe. . .A Chili Evolution! 

This was a time-intensive process, taking several hours. Perfect for this snowy, wintery day! It turned out so well, but this first ingredient photo doesn't show everything that actually ended up in the pot. So if you're planning to make this, use this ingredient list. Also, I did NOT use the jar of chunky vegetable pasta sauce.

2# good quality beef steak

1/2 small minced onion

2 big carrots VERY FINELY chopped

garlic salt - fresh ground black pepper

1T smokey ground cumin

3T single source EVOO 

I almost felt like A Real Chef today, with my Pike Place Market apron; from one of my many trips, long ago; in the Seattle area! It seems every time I cook something with a dark sauce, I end up with splatters all over my tops! 

Cut all the fat off the meat. Slice then chop it into 1/2" cubes. Combine everything in a 6 quart pot. Stir and sauté' until browning. Measure out 1-1/2c fresh, cold water and use a little at a time to 'deglaze' everything in the pot just before it begins to stick. Continue this process until all the water is gone. While this is simmering, rough chop all the vegetables and finely chop the poblano pepper. Add them to the pot, stir, cover and let them simmer about 5 minutes, adding just enough water to keep them from sticking if needed. Then add the tomatoes.

1-1/2 med. yellow onions

1 yellow bell pepper

a 5 or 6 stalk celery heart

1/3 lg. poblano pepper

28oz. can diced tomatoes and juice

Continue to simmer all this covered, for about a half hour, on low heat. Next add the chili beans and chili gravy in the can. Drain and rinse the rest of these before adding to the pot:

1 can cannellini beans

1 can garbanzo beans

2 cans black beans

3 cans corn

1T brown sugar

2t chili powder

2 cinnamon sticks

12 semisweet chocolate chips

Stir gently, then simmer all this together on low heat, covered. You can serve this now, but it would be even better if chilled thoroughly and reheated later. I think this pot is at least 6 quarts, and it's totally full. Have I mentioned how much I love soup, stew and chili season . . ☺️ . . Lin

Winter Beef Roast -or- Stew

I loved my mom's roasts! She'd always get a 2-3# Arm Pot Roast. It was fixed very simply, with some browning, then a little water added. She'd spread a can of cream of mushroom soup over the top, sprinkle on a package of dry onion soup. Cover and let it simmer on a back burner for several hours. Mmmmm!

Today I'm using 2-1/2# of Black Angus Beef Sirloin Tip Steaks. Instead of leaving them whole, I cut the meat into 3-4oz. pieces. The outer layer of fat was trimmed and the meat washed and dried. I browned it just a bit in EVOO with a little chopped purple onion. Then added a big splash of vinegar to the juices the heat pulled out of the meat. Simmer this way on low an hour or so. Then add:

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 pkg. onion or beefy onion soup mix

1 14oz. can sliced stewed tomatoes

My mom didn't add tomatoes to her roast, but in my mind, the only thing better than a cream-based beef gravy is tomato-cream gravy! Let this simmer on low heat another hour or two. Serve with steamed green beans over mashed potatoes.

- -OR- - after an hour or a bit longer, add the following vegetables cut in rough chunks:

1 med.-lg. onion

some small Yukon Gold potatoes

2-3 big carrots

2-3 big stalks of celery

3 sliced garlic cloves

If you're planning to serve this today, continue simmering another 40 minutes or so to get the vegetables cooked as you like them - -OR- - add the vegetables now, stir, cover, simmer on low 15 minutes then cool to room temperature. This last photo shows everything added, just before refrigerating.

Tomorrow I'll put the pot over low heat and simmer 15 minutes or so to finish cooking the vegetables and warm the meat. Soup, stew and chili tastes better chilled and reheated! Invite your friends / family and serve up big steamy bowls to take the winter chill out of everyone's bones! 😋 Lin

Curried Beef and Vegetables

Oliver—My 10 year old, Perpetual Puppy

I'm at The Lake this week, and so far there's only been a couple hours of calm sunshine. It's pretty windy, grey, and misty out there, just off my deck right now, but also a lovely spot, regardless of the weather, to hang with the dogs and listen to NFL Football in the background with something yummy simmering on the stove. . .

Perfect Cooking Weather! 

Penny—My 17+ year old, Old Girl

I'm sure that again, I brought WAY too much food with me. 'Someday,' I'll find I'm low on groceries right before coming up. I'll get everything unpacked and settled here, then go to the lovely Super One, down the road, for exactly what I need for the week! As opposed to dragging 4 big, fully-packed bags of cans, frozen and fresh food like usual. . .

I'm not sure just when that'll happen, crazy-over-shopper that I am, but I look forward to it!

Sooo, today, the meat, about a pound of Black Angus eye of round steak, was cut into chunks, browned in 3T EVOO with a little of that onion, finely chopped. Then browned and deglazed several times with some lemon tea, sweetened with honey, that I made earlier.

I added the vegetables shown in order of their length of cooking time:

Celery, carrots, cabbage, then covered and simmered 15 minutes. Then red bell pepper, potatoes, onion and sweet potatoes, simmered another 15 minutes. Sliced garlic and some green onion tops at the very end. I added more tea as needed, using about 24oz.

This photo is just before adding the coconut cream. Do that at the very end, just before serving, pour it over everything, stir gently, taste to check flavors. I used 3T of this curry powder, which is way too mild for my taste! I added 1t each of salt and pepper, but some crunchy peanut butter and golden raisins would have been perfect to round out the flavors. Heat once more to a low simmer and serve in big rustic bowls.

Mmmmm!!

This is perfect for A Chilly, Fall Day,

on our Beautiful Lake Superior! .😊. .Lin

Ajvar-Simmered Sliced Beef and Zucchini

2/3# thin sliced beef

2T EVOO
2T aged dark balsamic vinegar
1/2 lg. purple onion - chopped
2 lg. stalks celery - sliced
2 med. zucchini - cubed

Heat the oil, add a small amount of the onion that's been more finely chopped, with the beef. Stir fry this for a couple minutes over medium heat. Add the vinegar and keep cooking and stirring until the beef browns and begins to stick to the pot.

Using 1c of beef or vegetable broth, a little at a time, deglaze the pan.  Let it brown again, and repeat the process several times. Add the rest of the vegetables, 1/2c of Ajvar sauce. Stir, cover and simmer on low 30 minutes. Stir well, check the flavors and add anything needed. I did not add any of the salt shown. Good browning and deglazing often eliminates the need for that! Simmer on low heat another 20 minutes.

At this point it seemed the flavor needed a bit of a boost but I couldn't place just what would do it. Then I realized it needed something warm, sweet and savory. I added 1t pumpkin pie spice (!) and it was perfect!

This turned out so well. The meat was tender and full of flavor, and the vegetables were just right. Don't be afraid to try mixing sweet and savory. Sometimes that crossover is just what's needed! . .Lin

Beef and Vegetable Stew

I'm up at the lake for a week.

One of my very happiest places.

The first day or two I cook, one of my happiest activities! Today, a giant fresh salad and this pot of stew sounded good. I picked up some Asian take-out on my way here last night that came with a big container of rice. I didn't need that with spring rolls, so later I'll make some slow-baked Rice Pudding.

In a 3 quart pot, combine the first group of ingredients. Start this, covered, on low-medium heat, to bring the juices out of the meat. Turn the heat up to start the browning. Just before it begins to stick, add the sliced-chopped carrots, celery and tomatoes. Break up the tomatoes once they're in the pot. Add the juice and 1-2 cans of water. Stir all the browned bits off the bottom of the pot, cover and simmer on low heat 20 minutes.

• 3/4# Angus beef stew meat
• 3T butter
• 1/4 of 1 sm. onion - finely chopped
• salt, pepper, Old Bay Garlic and Herb seasoning

• 2-3 big carrots
• 3 stalks celery
• 1 14.5oz. can stewed tomatoes

Next add these vegetables, cover and simmer on low heat another 45 minutes. Check the broth for flavor and add whatever is needed.

• 
  1/3 lg. head of green cabbage
• 5 sm.-med. Yukon Gold potatoes
• rough chop the rest of the onion
• 3-4 big red radishes 
• 1/2 green pepper

This is a good, healthy, filling lunch or dinner. I've even been known to eat this sort of thing for breakfast! No rules in cooking! Be Bold - Be Creative! . .Lin

1st Chili of Fall 2020

1⅓# Black Angus Beef Steak cut in cubes
2T good heavy Italian EVOO
1-2T dark Fig Balsamic vinegar
½t hot chili-lime seasoning
1-2t ground cumin
1 med. sweet red pepper - chopped
3 lg. cloves garlic - minced

Combine all the above in a medium glass bowl and let it marinate for about a half hour.

Meanwhile, open, rinse well and drain 1 can each black beans and black eyed peas. I had this combination stuck in my head and happened to have a jar of the two of these, in dry form, mixed together.

For raw dry beans, simmer 1c beans in 2 qts. of water. Rinse and drain, changing the water just after it comes to a good rolling boil, 3 times. If the beans are a little hard at this point, that's okay, they'll soften the rest of the way simmering, once the ingredients are all together. Simmer the meat, garlic, pepper and spices for 15 minutes until the meat juices evaporate and everything begins to brown. Add beans and the following to the pot:

2c cold filtered water
8oz. tomato sauce
1 14.5oz can stewed tomatoes (chopped) and juice
1½c homemade blended vegetable sauce
2 lg. bay leaves
6-8 chocolate chips
1t ground cinnamon

In Mexico, chili is often made with a strong Mole Sauce containing coffee or chocolate and cinnamon. I like to do this when I'm making a chili that is low on chunky vegetables. One that's mostly meat, beans, and a dark, rich sauce. Simmer over medium heat another half hour. Serve with crusty (homemade) Cheddar-Onion Ciabatta. I'll post that recipe soon.

I love chili!  Made with Beef, Chicken, Venison, Elk. . .Chili made with whole chunks of meat - not ground.

Welcome Fall! 🍂🍁🍂 I'm SO glad to see Summer gone this year! . .Lin