Chili

Hands down, my absolute favorite thing to make in the autumn and winter months is a big, steaming pot of spicy, soul-feeding chili. Andrew and I were out running errands on Saturday, and I was craving chili, so I picked up everything I'd need. When we got home, I threw the chili together and let it simmer on the stove for about four hours. The smell permeated the house, and I can't recall the last time I was so excited for dinner time to arrive! This is my own recipe, and it's my favorite way to make chili. The beer adds a really nice tangy flavor, but if you want to leave it out just add more beef stock. What a way to say hello to the cooler months!

Cassie's Chili

1 pound ground beef
1 pound spicy sausage
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1 large onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped (leafy tops included)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bottle Mexican beer (I prefer Dos Equis or Corona)
Half a box of beef stock (or 1 can)
1 large can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can chili-ready tomatoes, undrained
1 can light red kidney beans, partially drained
Salt to taste
Red Hot to taste
Sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese, if desired

1. In a dutch oven, heat a small amount of vegetable oil. Add beef and sausage, breaking up with a wooden spoon until the meat mixture is very fine. Season with chili powder and cumin.

2. Add onion, celery and garlic and cook until onions are translucent. Add beer to pan, stirring constantly while the alcohol cooks out to pick up pan drippings.

3. Add beef stock, tomatoes and beans and heat to boiling. Taste for seasoning; add salt and Red Hot to taste and reduce heat to simmering. Simmer to desired thickness.

Szechwan Beef Stir-Fry

Let's be honest: Sometimes there's nothing that tastes as good as take-out Chinese food. Am I right, or am I right? Friday night's dinner was a MYOTO version of a traditional Chinese stir fry, and it was absolutely delicious. I can't rave enough about the sauce; it was perfectly sweet and salty and had the perfect tinge of sourness in the background. Joe and I both absolutely loved this meal. I don't think it'll replace my hankering for really good Chinese take-out, but it's a nice back-up for when I'm too lazy to go pick up the food from the restaurant!


Szechwan Beef Stir-Fry
Source: Our Best Recipes, also found on the Better Homes and Gardens website

12 ounces boneless beef top round steak or sirloin steak
3 tablespoons dry sherry or orange juice (I used orange juice)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons bottled hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (I used fresh)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 cup thinly bias-sliced carrot
1 14-ounce can whole baby corn, drained
1 red sweet pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup frozen broccoli florets
2 cups hot cooked rice
Thinly sliced green onions (optional)

1. For easier slicing, partially freeze meat. Trim fat from meat. Thinly slice meat across the grain into bite-size strips. Set aside.

2. For sauce, in a small bowl stir together sherry, soy sauce, water, hoisin sauce, ginger, cornstarch, sugar, garlic, and crushed red pepper (if using); set aside.

3. In a wok or large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat (add more oil if necessary during cooking). Add carrot; cook and stir in hot oil for 2 minutes. Add baby corn and sweet pepper. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove from wok.

4. Add meat to wok. Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until meat is slightly pink in center. Push meat from center of wok.

5. Stir sauce. Add sauce to center of wok. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Return cooked vegetables to wok. Stir all ingredients together to coat. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes more or until heated through. Serve immediately with hot cooked rice. If desired, sprinkle with sliced green onions.

Cajun Chicken Lasagna

I've had this recipe ear-marked in my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook for a long time. I can't believe I waited so long to make this! This lasagna was absolutely delicious -- so creamy and flavorful, and on top of that so easy to throw together!

My parents lost power for about a week due to a major windstorm that wreaked havoc on our entire state, so they had some meat that defrosted and had to be used up quickly. I used their thawed-out rotisserie chicken for this recipe, and it worked perfectly. When I make this again (and I definitely will!) I'll add some hot sauce in with the vegetables while they're sauteeing to provide a little more of a kick. If there's anything that can make an already delicious dish even better, it's Red Hot!


Cajun Chicken Lasagna
Source: Our Best Recipes (page 100), also found on the Better Homes and Gardens website

16 dried lasagna noodles
1 pound andouille sausage or smoked pork sausage, quartered lengthwise and sliced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2 to 3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon dried sage, crushed
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green sweet pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
2 10-ounce containers refrigerated light Alfredo sauce
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Nonstick cooking spray
1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain; rinse.

2. Combine sausage, chicken, Cajun seasoning, and sage. In a large skillet cook meat mixture 8 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from skillet using a slotted spoon, reserving drippings in skillet. Set meat mixture aside; keep warm. In same skillet cook onion, celery, sweet pepper, and garlic in drippings until vegetables are tender. Stir in meat mixture, one container of the Alfredo sauce, and Parmesan cheese.

3. Lightly coat a 3-quart rectangular baking dish with nonstick spray. Arrange 4 noodles in bottom of dish. Spread with 2 cups of the meat-vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the mozzarella. Repeat layers, ending with noodles. Carefully spread remaining Alfredo sauce over the top (if sauce is too thick, heat slightly). Cover; bake 1 hour or until heated through. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes before carefully cutting.

Ground Beef Stroganoff

Ground beef stroganoff was one of my favorite meals growing up. I have a recipe for "updated," "healthier" stroganoff that I sometimes make, but last night I wanted something quick, comforting, and delicious, and I didn't really care how healthy it was. I had all the ingredients on hand for ground beef stroganoff, so I decided to whip some up.

This isn't one of Joe's favorite meals; he doesn't think it's anything special. But I love this meal. It tastes so creamy and comforting all the way down the throat. It's possibly the ugliest meal EVER, but it's so, so good.


Ground Beef Stroganoff
Source: Cassie

1 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
1 cup sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3 ounces Velveeta cheese, chopped
Cooked egg noodles

1. Season beef with salt, pepper and garlic powder and brown in a skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and cook until onions are translucent.

2. Add sour cream, soup and cheese to the beef. Cook until heated through, about 10 minutes.

3. Serve over egg noodles.

Monterey Jack, Corn and Roasted Red Pepper Risotto

When I was trying to find a side dish to go with last night's pecan chicken, I remembered a recipe for cream corn risotto I stumbled across in one of my cooking magazines. Unfortunately, I couldn't find that recipe, but a quick Google search brought up a Cooking Light recipe that sounded so delicious, I just knew I had to try it.

This was my first time making risotto, and I have to say that I'm pretty proud of how it turned out. The consistency was perfectly creamy with just the right amount of heat hitting the back of the tongue; the only problem was that it definitely needed salt, which the recipe doesn't call for. As soon as I tasted it, I flashed immediately on Gordon Ramsay on Hell's Kitchen, yelling at the chefs for bland risotto. I will definitely make this again, but next time I will be sure to add salt. I can cross risotto off the list of dishes that intimidate me!


Monterey Jack, Corn, and Roasted Red Pepper Risotto
Source: My Recipes, originally seen in Cooking Light

1 3/4 cups water
2 14 1/2-ounce cans vegetable broth
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup uncooked Arborio or other short-grain rice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander (optional) (I didn't use)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup thinly sliced green onions (omitted; I didn't have any)
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (I used 1/2 teaspoon)
2 cups frozen whole-kernel corn
3/4 cup chopped bottled roasted red bell peppers (I used fire-roasted)

1. Combine water and broth in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer (do not boil). Keep broth mixture warm over low heat.

2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add rice, cumin, coriander (if desired), and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in 1/2 cup broth mixture; cook 2 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add remaining broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of liquid is absorbed before adding the next (about 20 minutes total). Stir in the onions, cheese, hot sauce, corn, and bell peppers; cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated.