OT: recipe questions

Thanks for the recipe. I have many relatives with food allergies/intolerances, so a good recipe everyone can eat is a prize.

Jane in NO Ohio

Jane asked, "How do you make chili with no tomato?"

"rusty" replied:

Here's how (g). I've already sent it to a couple of people by individual emails, but this give me an excuse to post it :). My family loves it and you'd never know it has not a trace of tomato in it! rusty

Spiced Chili - Army Times, Albuquerque NM, 1968

2 lbs coarsely ground beef ¼ cup olive oil (I never use this) 1 cup minced onion 1 tbsp minced garlic 1 large green or red sweet pepper 1 large bay leaf 1 tsp oregano 1 tsp ground cumin ¼ tsp cayenne pepper ½ tsp grated black pepper 1 tbsp paprika 2 fresh chili pods (or chopped canned) 3 tbsp flour 1-1/2 qts beef or chicken broth 2 tsp sugar ¼ cup cracker crumbs 1 can kidney beans (avoid those in tomato sauce) Chili powder to taste

Heat olive oil over low flame in large heavy saucepan. ( I skip the oil-just heat heavy Dutch oven), add meat, stirring frequently until it loses its red color. Add onions, garlic, minced sweet pepper, bay leaf, oregano, chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, black pepper, paprika, and chili pods-skinned and minced-or a small can of chopped green chilies

Stir ingredients well, then cover pan and cook five minutes. Stir in flour, blending well, add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce flame and simmer for at least one hour. (I leave it simmering until I get around to completing it?)

Stir in sugar and cracker crumbs, drain beans and add them. Simmer at least ten minutes more, adding salt to taste (and more chili powder if necessary). Discard bay leaf and serve. 6-8 servings.

Note: This recipe is hardly worth the trouble unless you at least double it. A good name for it around our house was 'Disappearing Chili'.

No job yet, foot healed mostly, and boo hiss to sweet cornbread. :)

--pig, of the school of "iffen I'd'a wanted cornCAKE, I'd'a ordered cornCAKE.... :)

And/or tortilla chips with pico de gallo.....

Simple pico de gallo:

Two parts of chopped onion (preferably a sweet like vidalia, but any will do) Three parts chopped tomato One part chopped cilantro Couple of dashes of lime juice Salt and fine minced de-seeded jalapeno peppers to taste.

(If serving a group of people whose taste for heat is unknown, you can serve two bowls, one with a moderate amount of peppers, and one with none.)

The ingredients *do* need to be fresh, though; pico de gallo doesn't work with canned tomatoes or dried cilantro......other fresh hot peppers can be substituted, if that's all you can get.

If you can get corn tortillas but not tortilla chips, cut your tortillas into six wedges and deep fry for 2-3 minutes then salt lightly while still warm......

--pig

Howdy!

My best friend & her husband are part of a large group of chili cook-off nutz. Ground beef in chili? They scream at the idea. Never-never-never would we suggest including kidney beans or some kind of "mix". They are very, very picky about their chili. Acceptable recipes are something like this:

My husband uses venison (found at H.E.B. Central Mkt & Whole Foods) for the con carne part. Sometimes we add a can of beer. Never rice or pasta (we've been in Tx. too long for that ).

As for adding nachos to Hanne's dinner party: more starch. Avocadoes (sliced, chopped, smashed), something cool to balance the heat of the chili.

Good luck!

R/Sandy - all this talk of food, while I sandwich the next quilt ;-P

how about more than one dip. for those who cant take the heat of peppers/chili, something made with yogurt will help that. maybe an indian raita (sp?)...yogurt, cucumber, mint dip. i love celery cuz it holds on to the dip nicely. just adding to the fiesta, j.

"Sandy E" wrote... Howdy!

My best friend & her husband are part of a large group of chili cook-off nutz. Ground beef in chili? They scream at the idea. Never-never-never would we suggest including kidney beans or some kind of "mix". They are very, very picky about their chili. Acceptable recipes are something like this:

My husband uses venison (found at H.E.B. Central Mkt & Whole Foods) for the con carne part. Sometimes we add a can of beer. Never rice or pasta (we've been in Tx. too long for that ).

As for adding nachos to Hanne's dinner party: more starch. Avocadoes (sliced, chopped, smashed), something cool to balance the heat of the chili.

Good luck!

R/Sandy - all this talk of food, while I sandwich the next quilt ;-P

Maybe we all need to have our own chili party. It is good for us here to be starting to think of food for cooler weather. You guys are making me hungry. Dad's freezer is full of venison and elk and other neat stuff from my hunter brother. Yummo!

Taria, first ac free day here in a long while but we can here the fire super tanker come and go from the local airport where it flies out of.

That's how I make them too....although I've never tried the olives! Sometimes my husband and I will eat these for dinner! Heck, they've got dairy, grains, veggies, and protein!

What is the name of the chain? Pat in Virginia

Steak ''n Shake

rusty

I always like a nice big salad to go with my chili. And as for cornbread - look for a "johnny cake" recipe for one that's easy to make. (I'm not near my cookbooks or I'd copy out my well-used recipe for you)

Allison

After all this, I am disappointed in the non-heat of both the fresh chillies and the dried powder I bought :-( Not Good!

Hanne > I've got company coming for dinner on Tuesday - usually only cooking

Most peculiar. Why, do you think? Polly

wrote >

After all this, I am disappointed in the non-heat of both the fresh chillies and the dried powder I bought :-( Not Good!

Or Greek tzatziki sauce (also yogurt & cucumber, along with garlic & dill)

Julia > how about more than one dip.

Polly, Are you joking?

I guess either (1) chillies were not very hot (seemed fairly hot raw when I tested) (2) I didn't put in enough (3) the chilli powder sold in DK is not very hot (this is true, I tested it), my paprika is hotter than that. (4) or maybe I'm only disappointed because I expected too much :-)

I'm reheating the chilli tonight, will it work to add more fresh chillies (finely chopped) at that point, or will that taste not spread throughout the dish?

Otherwise, it is fine.

Thanks.

Hanne > Most peculiar. =A0Why, do you think? =A0 Polly

No. I wasn't kidding. Just wondered what could be the problem. Do you have any: Tabasco? red pepper? or, you know what? a hefty splat of just plain old black pepper will make it a little hotter as well as enhance the flavor. However . . . reheating usually changes flavors so you'll want to give it a taste before you go to correcting the seasoning. Good luck! Polly

I guess either (1) chillies were not very hot (seemed fairly hot raw when I tested) (2) I didn't put in enough (3) the chilli powder sold in DK is not very hot (this is true, I tested it), my paprika is hotter than that. (4) or maybe I'm only disappointed because I expected too much :-)

I'm reheating the chilli tonight, will it work to add more fresh chillies (finely chopped) at that point, or will that taste not spread throughout the dish?

Otherwise, it is fine.

Thanks.

Hanne > Most peculiar. Why, do you think? Polly

A couple of years ago someone sent a message on the way restaurants carve turkeys. Does anyone have those instructions?

Lurker Ray

Can't help you there, Ray. Mine always looks like it's been hacked by a serial killer on too much caffeine. But - Welcome. It's about time you entered in here. Got chocolate? Polly

I wasn't sure about the joking part - maybe a wimpy chilli was my punishment for planning too much carb with the dinner :-)

I think part of it is that this is DK and fewer people eat really hot stuff, and so even the chillies listed as "hot" are not as hot as what I am used to. Just another adjustment I will have to make, I guess.

I'll check again as I reheat, certainly I can do black pepper, or another red chilli. I'll also have finely chopped chilli that people can add themselves, if they want.

Thanks aga> No. =A0I wasn't kidding. =A0Just wondered what could be the problem. =A0D= o you

The dinner is done (except for the mountain of dishes!), and everyone loved it! I didn't do a starter, not the cornbread - I ran out of time for everything. But I did serve various "sprinkles" with the chilli, and it all went down very well. Including the raspberry and liquorice icecream, and Italian cookies with the coffee/tea.

Thanks to all of you for your suggestions and advice.

Hanne in DK

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