Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Steak Chili

 
So Here just one week before I start printing holiday style recipes...Is something different... Steak Chili....
(No,I hadn't heard of it before today either!)This is really
A hearty version of chili with steak instead of hamburger....Check it out....

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound stew meat ( beef, cut into bite sized pieces )
2 cups onion ( sliced thinly )
28 ounces tomatoes ( crushed )
28 ounces kidney beans ( canned, drained and rinsed )
1/3 cup chili powder
1/4 cup ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons oregano ( dried )
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon garlic ( minced )
1 1/2 cups beef stock ( fat free )
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 corn tortilla ( diced )


DIRECTIONS:
  1. In a large pot over medium high heat, combine the oil and steak and saute for about 5 minutes, or until steak is browned. Add the onions, garlic and chile pepper and saute for another 5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.
  2. Add the chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, tomatoes and kidney beans. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about one hour. Remove cover and simmer for another 30 minutes, or until you've reached your desired thickness.
  1. Place beef and onions in the liner of a slow cooker coated with cooking spray.
  2. Combine next 10 ingredients (crushed tomatoes through chocolate chips) in a mixing bowl. Pour over the beef mixture and cook on low 8 to 10 hours or until the beef is very tender.
  3. 30 minutes before serving, turn the slow cooker to high and add the corn tortillas. Simmer 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tortillas dissolve and thicken the chili. Serve with cheddar cheese, diced red or green onions, and sour cream (optional).
- See more at: http://akitchenhoor.blogspot.com/2014/11/slow-cooker-cincinnati-style-steak-chili.html#sthash.YHtiYro4.dpuf
  1. Place beef and onions in the liner of a slow cooker coated with cooking spray.
  2. Combine next 10 ingredients (crushed tomatoes through chocolate chips) in a mixing bowl. Pour over the beef mixture and cook on low 8 to 10 hours or until the beef is very tender.
  3. 30 minutes before serving, turn the slow cooker to high and add the corn tortillas. Simmer 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tortillas dissolve and thicken the chili. Serve with cheddar cheese, diced red or green onions, and sour cream (optional).
- See more at: http://akitchenhoor.blogspot.com/2014/11/slow-cooker-cincinnati-style-steak-chili.html#sthash.YHtiYro4.dpuf
  1. Place beef and onions in the liner of a slow cooker coated with cooking spray.
  2. Combine next 10 ingredients (crushed tomatoes through chocolate chips) in a mixing bowl. Pour over the beef mixture and cook on low 8 to 10 hours or until the beef is very tender.
  3. 30 minutes before serving, turn the slow cooker to high and add the corn tortillas. Simmer 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tortillas dissolve and thicken the chili. Serve with cheddar cheese, diced red or green onions, and sour cream (optional).
- See more at: http://akitchenhoor.blogspot.com/2014/11/slow-cooker-cincinnati-style-steak-chili.html#sthash.YHtiYro4.dpuf
 Enjoy!  Eat well my friends!
  1. Place beef and onions in the liner of a slow cooker coated with cooking spray.
  2. Combine next 10 ingredients (crushed tomatoes through chocolate chips) in a mixing bowl. Pour over the beef mixture and cook on low 8 to 10 hours or until the beef is very tender.
  3. 30 minutes before serving, turn the slow cooker to high and add the corn tortillas. Simmer 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tortillas dissolve and thicken the chili. Serve with cheddar cheese, diced red or green onions, and sour cream (optional).
- See more at: http://akitchenhoor.blogspot.com/2014/11/slow-cooker-cincinnati-style-steak-chili.html#sthash.YHtiYro4.dpuf
  1. Place beef and onions in the liner of a slow cooker coated with cooking spray.
  2. Combine next 10 ingredients (crushed tomatoes through chocolate chips) in a mixing bowl. Pour over the beef mixture and cook on low 8 to 10 hours or until the beef is very tender.
  3. 30 minutes before serving, turn the slow cooker to high and add the corn tortillas. Simmer 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tortillas dissolve and thicken the chili. Serve with cheddar cheese, diced red or green onions, and sour cream (optional).
- See more at: http://akitchenhoor.blogspot.com/2014/11/slow-cooker-cincinnati-style-steak-chili.html#sthash.YHtiYro4.dpuf

Monday, November 10, 2014

Guinness Beef Stew

Last Month I only dropped two posts....I promise to do better this month....And in fact I already have...This is my third post this month....With that said..Let's get to it..

Here is a delicious meal or rather dish that's right on point for a night like tonight when the air is beginning to get cooler and one wants to stay in the house and chill..

Guinness Beef Stew...

INGREDIENTS:
3 pounds beef pot roast
3 parsnips ( large )
4 carrots ( large )
5 celery ( stalks )
1 white onion ( )
5 red potatoes ( )
1 pint Guinness stout ( beer )
1 1/2 quarts beef stock
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon thyme ( dried )
1 tablespoon seasoning salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper ( )
1 package(s) frozen peas
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup water 

This will serve 15.

DIRECTIONS:
 
1 .  Cut the meat into bite-sized cubes.  Brown the meat in a pan with nonstick spray.  Once browned, transfer to a crock pot.  Deglaze the pan with beef stock and add to the crock pot.

2.Chop the vegetables into bite-sized pieces and add to the crock pot.
 
3. Add the Guinness Stout Beer , beef stock, and Worcestershire sauce to the crock pot.
 
4.Then you  Add the spices, and stir it up little darlins.
 
5. Cook on low for 8 hours.
 
6. Add the slurry and frozen peas in the last 30 minutes of cooking.  (Combine the cornstarch and water in a bowl and add to the stew.)
 
Voila!  There you have it...

Enjoy! Eat Well My friends!

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Duck With Kumquat Honey Sauce


Back again folks with another fine and exotic meal for the ages.....

Duck with Kumquat Honey sauce....Almost sounds x-rated......

Check it out:


Makes/Yield4 servings
Prep Time15 min

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 duck leg portions
  • ½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
  • 1¼ cups freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 tablespoon Cointreau or brandy
  • 10 kumquats, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • salt and pepper
DIRECTIONS:
  • 1Place the duck legs on a rack standing inside a roasting pan, season well with salt, pepper, and the five-spice powder and roast in a preheated oven, 425°F, for 35 minutes.
  • 2Put the orange juice, honey, cloves, Cointreau or brandy, and kumquats in the roasting pan under the rack after roasting the duck for 10 minutes. Return the pan to the oven for the remaining 25 minutes.
  • 3Remove the duck from the oven and add to the roasting pan with the kumquat sauce. Simmer gently together on the stovetop for 10 minutes.
  • 4Add the chopped parsley to the sauce, thickly slice the duck, and serve piping hot with boiled potatoes and green beans. 
     
    Serve with a nice white wine...
     
    Enjoy..And Eat Well My friends...
     

Monday, November 3, 2014

Sweet Potato Bread Pudding

I really neglected this blog last month ,so I'm going to make up for that in a real big way this month..I'm coming back with some really good and innovative recipes...Like this one that I got from one of my Facebook friends...

Sweet Potato Bread Pudding.

INGREDIENTS:
  • 5 cups torn french bread pieces
  • 1 sweet potato
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 cup mini marshmallows
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans, divided
  • 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt
  • Vanilla Sauce
  • 7 oz sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 tsp. milk
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract


DIRECTIONS:

Step 1

Rinse sweet potato and poke holes in it using a fork. Microwave for 12 minutes, until cooked through.

Step 2

Peel potato and place in a large bowl. Smash using a potato masher until smooth.

Step 3

Add eggs and mix using the potato masher again. Add sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Stir with a spoon.

Step 4

Add marshmallows, 1/4 cup pecans, bread, and milk. Gently stir until combined.

Step 5

Spray an 8 x 8 pan with non stick cooking spray. Add bread pudding mixture. Top with remaining 1/4 cup pecans.

Step 6

Bake for 55 minutes at 325 degrees.

Step 7

Vanilla Sauce: Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over warm bread pudding.

Serve this to your guests...Piping Hot....

Enjoy!  Eat Well My Friends!

Food Safety Tips
Protect yourself against food-borne illnesses.


1. Use a "refrigerator thermometer" to keep your food stored at a safe temperature (below 40 degrees fahrenheit).

Cold temperatures slow the growth of bacteria. Ensuring that your refrigerator temperature stays at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or colder is one of the most effective ways to reduce your risk of food-borne illness. You can buy a refrigerator/freezer thermometer at appliance stories, home centers (i.e. Home Depot), and kitchen stores including online ones, such as Cooking.com.

2. Defrost food in the refrigerator, the microwave, or in cold water... never on the counter!

Perishable foods should never be thawed on the counter for longer than two hours because, while the center of the food may remain frozen, the outer surface may enter the Danger Zone, the range of temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees fahrenheit, in which bacteria multiply rapidly. If you’re short on time, use the microwave or you can thaw meat and poultry in airtight packaging in cold water. Change the water every half-hour so it stays cold and use the thawed food immediately.

3. Always use separate cutting boards for raw meat/poultry/fish and cooked foods/fresh produce.

Bacteria from uncooked meat, poultry, and fish can contaminate cooked foods and fresh produce. An important way to reduce this risk is to use separate cutting boards for raw meat/poultry/ fish, and cooked foods/fresh produce.

4. Always cook meat to proper temperatures, using a calibrated instant-read thermometer to make sure.

One effective way to prevent illness is to use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of meat, poultry, and egg dishes. The USDA Recommended Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures are as follows:

* Beef, veal, and lamb (steaks and roasts), fish - 145 degrees fahrenheit

* Pork and ground beef - 160 degrees fahrenheit

* Poultry - 165 degrees fahrenheit.

Cook meats like roasts and steaks to lower temperatures, closer to medium-rare, so that they retain their moisture. It is recommended that those who are at high risk for developing food-borne illness (i.e. pregnant women and their unborn babies, newborns, young children, older adults, people with weakened immune systems, or certain chronic illnesses) should follow the USDA guidelines.

5. Avoid unpasteurized/raw milk and cheeses made from unpasteurized milk that are aged less than 60 days.

Raw milk is milk from cows, sheep, or goats that has not been pasteurized (heated to a very high temperature for a specific length of time) to kill harmful bacteria that may be present. These bacteria, which include salmonella, E. coli and listeria, can cause serious illness and sometimes even death. The bacteria in raw milk can be especially dangerous to pregnant women, children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems or chronic illnesses. Raw milk cheeses aged 60 days or longer are okay, since the salt and acidity of the cheese-making process make for a hostile environment to pathogens.

6. Never eat "runny" eggs or foods, such as cookie dough, that contain raw eggs.

Even eggs that have clean, intact shells may be contaminated with salmonella, so it’s important to cook eggs thoroughly until both the yolk and the white are firm. Casseroles and other dishes containing eggs should be cooked to 160 degrees fahrenheit and you can use an instant-read food thermometer to check. Eggs should always be cooked fully and those who are at high risk for developing foodborne illness (pregnant women and their unborn babies, newborns, young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems or certain chronic illnesses should follow the USDA guidelines. If you can’t resist runny eggs or sampling cookie batter, use pasteurized eggs. They’re found near other eggs in large supermarkets.

7. Always wash your hands in warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds before handling food and after touching raw meat, poultry, or eggs.

You can pick up a lot of bacteria out in the world, so it’s important to always wash your hands before you eat or prepare food. You should also wash your hands after touching any uncooked meat, poultry, fish, or eggs, as the bacteria from these foods can contaminate cooked foods and fresh produce. Use soap and warm water and wash thoroughly for at least 20 seconds.

8. Always heat leftover foods to 165 degrees fahrenheit.

The USDA recommends heating all cooked leftovers to 165 degrees fahrenheit in order to kill all potentially dangerous bacteria.

9. Never eat meat, poultry, eggs, or sliced fresh fruits and vegetables that have been left out for more than two hours or more than one hour in temperatures hotter than 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you leave perishable foods out of the refrigerator or freezer for more than two hours they may enter the Danger Zone—the unsafe temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, in which bacteria multiply rapidly.

10. Whenever there’s a food recall, check products stored at home to make sure they are safe.

You should discard any food that’s been recalled because it’s associated with the outbreak of a food-borne illness. But, according to a survey conducted by Rutgers University during the fall of 2008, only about 60% of Americans search their homes for foods that have been recalled because of contamination. For more information on food recalls, visit the website Recalls.gov






Cavier & Vodka
Courtesy of The Lady (Bug) of the Household