Who doesn’t like chili, right? Everyone has a favorite style, and there are many styles out there. Maybe you like yours super spicy or vegetarian. Perhaps you only like your chili on a hot dog. In my house the question has always been: to bean, or not to bean? My other half loves a bean… any kind of bean. I grew up in a family of bean lovers, but I was not one of them. I don’t know why really, I was just never a fan. I have avoided them most of my life. Growing up in Texas you are taught that chili is beanless. Chili is meat, chilies, tomatoes, onions and spices. No beans. Even my bean loving family didn’t put beans in chili. I loved chili, specifically Wolf Brand chili with no beans. It was my favorite.
The first time my better half and I were going to make chili, she wanted to put several different kinds of beans in it. I thought… BLASPHEMY! I believe I even said, “Um. Why would you put beans in chili?” So, we had our first discussion on what made a proper chili. For her it included three to four different kinds of beans. For me not even one. We have come to a compromise. When I make our normal chili, I add some chili beans, just chili beans no other. I do reserve the right, on certain dishes, to exclude the beans but it doesn’t happen that often. Love can make you do crazy things and it has lead me to add beans where there should be no beans. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Just as I had to learn that no beans were a regional thing, I have learned that a chili dish I mentioned in my last post is more of a regional dish than I realized. I grew up eating Frito Pie at fairs, carnivals and at home. It is kind of a staple in this part of the south. I didn’t realize it was just a regional thing. Allow me to explain this southern delicacy. Around here you can even find it at some fast food restaurants. It is a fast dish that can be as simple or as complicated as you would like it to be. Generally, if you order it at a fast food place or at a fair, it will consist of: corn chips (Frito style), canned chili, chopped onions and shredded cheese. Quick to throw together and not expensive to make. You can feed a crowd without breaking the bank. When you make it yourself at home, you can make it a little more to your specific tastes.
First let me explain the structure of the dish. You construct it in your individual bowls. Corn chips (Frito style) at the bottom of the bowl, pour your favorite chili on top of that, add a little shredded cheese. Then, if you are so inclined, add some freshly chopped raw onion. That is a traditional preparation. You will find that all around this region. In our home we add a dollop of sour scream to finish out the dish, because I like sour cream with chili. You can add any kind of garnishes you would like. Some people add a little ketchup, because they like the flavor of chili and ketchup together. Some people add some freshly chopped cilantro and chopped tomato. You can really top it however you would like to make it your own. That is what is so great about it, it is super customizable. Each member if my family has something a little different in their bowl, and it tastes exactly as they like.
If you have never heard of it, give it a try next time you make chili. It is great on a cold night, or when you are craving some comfort food.
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Category: Uncategorized
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Frito Pie
Posted at 6:46 pm
Apr 18th -
What’s in your pantry?
Posted at 2:51 am
Mar 2nd
When I was growing up my mom was single with two kids. She was working to support the kids and putting herself through nursing school for a better future for the three of us. Money was tight. We might not have had a lot, but we always had food in the pantry. She made sure we were well fed. Every payday she would go to the store to stock the pantry and freezer. That is something that has stuck with me. I always make sure that there is food in the pantry and freezer. You can do without a lot of things in life, but food is not one of them. You gotta eat. When my budget is sparse, I may hit as many as five different grocery stores to get the best deals so I can to stretch my dollar as far as it can go. When my budget looks better, I try to stock up a little for when it dips back down.
As important as it is to have food to eat, having a full pantry can also give you a little freedom in meal options. When I grocery shop I usually get things that can work for a variety of meals. That gives me some freedom to play with the menu a bit. There are times we want something specific and I buy the ingredients for just that meal, but usually I try to keep a variety of proteins, veg, grains and pantry items. Those are the things I have to pick from for our everyday meals.
When I go into the kitchen to prepare a meal, I usually don’t have a full idea of what I will end up cooking. My first question is, “What protein are we going to have?’ Once I pick a protein I look in the fridge to see what fresh veg I have on hand and look in the pantry to see what else is available. That is when I start to build the meal. For example, we found a great sale on the ground beef we like to eat. Raised and butchered within 75 miles of our house. No antibiotics. It is lean, cooks up great and has a really good taste. It was a really good sale, so I stocked up. We have quite a bit of it right now, so it has been a go to protein for the last couple of weeks. I usually have a variety of beans in the pantry, both dry and canned. I pull the ground beef, grab a couple cans of beans, a can of tomatoes, luck out and see an onion on the counter. Boom, it’s chili time. If we are lucky and there are Fritos in the pantry too, it turns into Frito Pie night, a favorite at our house. We will get into the with or without bean discussion on a post for chili later. I am more of a fan of no bean chili, but my sweetie loves the bean… so I usually add beans to it.
However, with that same pound of ground beef I could have grabbed a can of tomatoes, a can of tomato sauce and a package of dried pasta to make something Italian. My pantry gives me freedom to play with the menu. It gives me options.
When you go to the grocery store… check out the clearance isle and look to see what’s on sale. The clearance isle is great! I have found a lot of things on clearance that I would never have thought to buy, usually because I didn’t want to pay full price for something that I might not like. When I see it for a fraction of the price, I grab it! I once found this box on clearance that said, “Restaurant Quality Plain Puppodums”, I had no idea what that was. It was marked gluten free and looked interesting so I picked up a box. We tried them and LOVED them. They are these crispy, crunchy things that I don’t even know how to describe. It is traditionally served with Indian food but oddly enough we love them with egg salad. Thinner than a wafer, kind of cracker like, but not really. Totally yummy. I went back and bought several more boxes! You really never know what treasures or deals you can find on clearance isles or on sale.
Buy a couple of extra cans of something you use a lot. It will come in handy to have that extra little something stashed in the back of the pantry. You don’t have to go broke stocking up, just a few extra things here and there. You’ll thank yourself later! -
Korean BBQ
Posted at 5:32 am
Feb 22nd
You never know where you may get inspiration for trying your hand at a new dish…
The Olympics have been on for over a week and we have been watching as many events as we can. It is great to watch athletes from all over the world, the best of the best, compete in their chosen sports with such passion. The strength, heart and determination really shine through. It is amazing to watch.
This year the Olympics are being held in South Korea. Truly by coincidence, I was not looking for it, I came across a spice blend for Korean BBQ at the grocery store. A lightbulb went off over my head. We should watch the PyeongChang, South Korea Olympics while eating homemade Korean BBQ. Why not? I’ve never made Korean BBQ before, but what better time to try it. I made sure the spice blend was marked gluten free, threw it in the basket and headed over to the meat counter for thinly sliced beef. I looked up the recipe recommended by the spice company that sells the blend. I made a few changes to the recipe (like I always do), added the marinate to the meat and waited. I kept thinking, “Oh this is gonna be good!” It was recommended to let the meat marinate for an hour but I let it sit for three to four hours to make sure the meat would be full of flavor. Also, one hour of marinating wasn’t in my schedule because I had about 3 hours of errands to run that day. I cooked it in a skillet, which I would not suggest. I didn’t add oil, because I can be dense, and almost killed one of my favorite skillets. Inside looked like charcoal. Seriously y’all… I had to let it soak for several days before it came clean. I would suggest you cook it on a grill pan or grated pan. If you use a skillet like I did, use a small amount of oil… especially if you like the pan. Meat turned out super tasty, I will be making it again!
I researched a little for something to cook with the meat. I saw a recipe for Oi Bokkeum (Stir-Fried Cucumbers) and thought it sounded good. I have heard of people eating cooked cucumbers but I have only eaten them cold. The recipe said to use a thin-skinned cucumber, so I picked up a few English cucumbers at the store and sliced both up. I don’t think it would have been as good with a thick-skinned cucumber, so I really would suggest using the English cucumbers for this. You should be able to find them at most grocery stores. If you can’t find them then I would suggest removing the skin. Toasting the sesame seeds really do add an extra bit of flavor to the dish. It is super easy to toast them! Add them to a warm pan. No oil, just the seeds. I did it on high heat, but… I like to live on the edge. Cook them the temperature you are comfortable with because if they burn they will turn bitter. Once you start to see them turning a little brown then they are done. See, that was easy! The dish goes together pretty quickly, as most stir-fried vegetables do. LOVED this dish. I will, without doubt, be making this again. It was refreshing and light. I think the cooked cucumber was a perfect complement to the heaviness of the meat.
I served it with a bit of Jasmine rice. This was a super tasty meal and a perfect accompaniment to our Olympic viewing that night! Go USA!Bulgogi (Korean BBQ)
Ingredients:
1 pound Flank steak, Skirt Steak or Eye of Round, sliced very thinly
4 Green Onions, chopped
4 T Gluten Free Soy Sauce or Tamari
3 T Packed Brown Sugar
2 T ‘The Spice Hunter’ Korean BBQ Global Fusion Rub
Garnish Toasted Sesame SeedsPreparation:
Combine half the green onions with soy sauce, brown sugar and Korean BBQ spice blend.
Pour sauce mix into a zip lock bag, add thinly slice meat and coat well. Refrigerate at least one hour.
Heat pan to high heat (if using flat skillet at 1 teaspoon of oil)
Add meat to hot pan, careful not to over crowd the pan. Cook in batches if needed.
Cook, stirring or flipping often until meat is well glazed and cooked through.
Garnish with remaining green onions and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Enjoy!Oi Bokkeum (Stir-Fried Cucumbers)
2 English Cucumbers
1 ½ t Salt
2 t Vegetable oil
½ t Garlic, minced
1 Scallion, finely chopped
1 t Sesame Oil
½ t Sesame Seeds, toastedPreparation:
Cut cucumbers in half lengthwise and then thinly slice (1/8 inch) them crosswise at a slight diagonally.
Toss cucumber slices with 1 ½ teaspoons of salt, stir to coat evenly. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Squeeze as much water out of the cucumbers as possible. Don’t worry about bruising them, they will recover when stir-fried.
Heat pan to high heat. This will cook quickly. Add ½ Tablespoon of cooking oil. Quickly stir in garlic, careful not to burn. Add cucumbers. Stir-fry for a minute, or until the cucumbers are slightly cooked. You still want them to be firm.
Turn off heat. Toss well with scallion, sesame oil and sesame seeds.
Enjoy! -
Food Traditions
Posted at 1:41 am
Feb 20th
Every household has some holiday food traditions. The big ones are Thanksgiving and Christmas. When we think of those holidays we have thoughts of sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, turkey and pumpkin pie. You have a special meal you cook for just those particular holidays. Many times, that is the only time of year you eat those foods.
In our household, we have started food traditions for smaller holidays too. For instance, we love to make sushi. Our homemade sushi is usually veggie rolls that include carrot, cucumber, avocado and cream cheese. We have fun with the whole process from the prep to seasoning the rice to rolling. We customize it to exactly how we like it. We started these additional holiday traditions because we found that as much as we love certain foods sometimes we forget about them. We would end up going a couple of years without having them. Then we came up with a plan. We decided to take some of our favorite meals that we rarely make and assign them to a holiday. So now every New Year’s Eve we make hand rolled sushi. Regardless of how crazy life may get, we know we are going to have our loved sushi at least once a year!
New Year’s Day we eat what many people in the South have: black-eyed peas (for luck), cabbage (for money & health) and pork (for luck). We do change it up, one year it may be boiled cabbage, another year it may be cabbage rolls. Regardless of their form, those three foods are included in every New Year’s Day meal.
Pictured above you see our traditional Valentine’s Day meal, fondue. I love me some cheese! Again, it was something we loved to eat but tended to just kind of forget about it. Depending on how busy life is I either buy a marked (gluten free) pre-made cheese packet or buy all the individual cheeses to make our own. This year I found a pre-made packet at Aldi. We do it up with all the goodies – sausage, bread (sliced Schar baguettes), grape tomatoes, broccoli, sugar snap peas and asparagus. There is something romantic about cuddling up with your honey while you eat creamy cheese mixed with a liberal amount of kirsch.
The good Irish girl in me makes sure we have cabbage, corned beef and potatoes on St. Patrick’s Day. To go with the meal, I make a pretty mean soda bread. I will post the recipe in March.
On holidays like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and birthdays, we let the person being celebrated pick the meal. For instance, my other half celebrated a birthday earlier this month. Her choice of meal was homemade lasagna and German chocolate cake. Tinkyada makes a very good gluten free lasagna noodle. Stay tuned for the German Chocolate Cake recipe, it’s a good one!
I love me some Julia Child. On Bastille Day I pull out one of her cookbooks and make a traditional French meal. Last year I made Boeuf Bourguignon, the year before that it was Steak Frites. The holiday reminds me to open her books and love them all over again.
Holidays that fall in the summer months like Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day usually tend to have a somewhat traditional cookout menu. Burgers, hotdogs, brats with sides like potato salad, curried coleslaw (LOVE it!), broccoli salad or pea salad. It changes up, but the same theme tends to stay.
No matter your level of cooking know-how or the size of the holiday, it is nice to spread your wings a little in the kitchen. Make something you really love or try to make something you’ve never cooked before. Cooking a holiday meal you and your family can enjoy is a great way to make lovely memories and eat some wonderful food. -
Gluten Free Potato Gnocchi
Posted at 11:37 pm
Feb 12th
Quick post today. This is to go with the Chicken Gnocchi Soup recipe from a few post back. Sometimes it is hard to find a good premade gluten free gnocchi. The brand I mentioned in the post is becoming harder to find these days, so here is a recipe to make your own. I love this recipe. They come out light and fluffy, like a good gnocchi should. It should be like biting into little clouds. So good! Obviously freshly grated Parmesan is better, but when I made this a few nights ago I used the stuff you find on the shelf in the grocery store, because that is what I had around the house. It worked just fine. Sometimes you just have to work with what you have in your pantry! Hope Monday has been treating you well! Enjoy they recipe!Gluten Free Potato Gnocchi
Dough
1 pound Yukon Gold Potatoes (peeled, cooked, mashed and completely cooled)
¼ cup Garbanzo Bean Flour
½ cup Potato Starch (not Potato Flour)
¼ cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 pinch Ground Nutmeg
2 Egg Yolks
¾ t SaltInstructions
In large mixing bowl add mashed potatoes, garbanzo bean flour, potato starch, Parmesan, nutmeg, egg yolks and salt. Mix until just incorporated. Pour mixture out on a counter lightly dusted with potato starch. Kneed the mixture to make very soft, but not sticky, dough. If it gets sticky kneed in more potato starch, a little at a time just until dough is no longer sticking to your hands.
Dust counter with potato starch again. Divide dough into four equal pieces. Take first piece and roll it into a long cylinder about as thick as your finger. Roll from the center of the cylinder to get an even tube shape. Cut into 3/4 inch segments. To make the traditional ribbed shape, lay a fork on the counter with the tines down. Roll each segment down the tines of a fork. Fork step is optional, if you are in a hurry. Repeat with other three sections of dough.
Lightly dust a sheet pan with potato starch. Place cut gnocchi on sheet pan, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook.
In batches, drop gnocchi in large pot of salted boiling water, careful not to over crowd the pot. As the gnocchi float to the surface, transfer with slotted spoon to strainer. When all gnocchi are cooked, add them to soup or sauce of your choosing. Enjoy! -
Casseroles
Posted at 6:50 am
Feb 10thI don’t know about y’all, but when I was a kid condensed cream soup casseroles were very popular. You know the kind, one of the many flavors of condensed soup mixed with a variety of things then put in the oven. A mixture of protein, veggies and condensed soup all poured into a lasagna pan then topped with cheese or breadcrumbs. I have had so many in life, at church functions or funerals, that have the texture of a thick paste and taste like salt has never even gone near it. When not seasoned, these blocks of goo can be the worst thing you have ever put in your mouth. Don’t get me wrong, some were/are really tasty. As an adult, I have come to really like some because they are quick and can be warm-the-bones good. Some, however, should be banished from the planet. I can just imagine thick, under seasoned bricks of casserole floating through space.
There were some of these casseroles that I liked, but when I started cooking gluten free those casseroles kind of fell off my radar. Condensed soups contain gluten. I could no longer just pick up a can at the store. It wasn’t really an issue until the holidays came around and I needed to find a new way to make the time honored green bean casserole. That’s one of them that I liked, but without using the canned soup I was not sure how to pull it off. I tried several different ways, but none lived up to the green bean casserole I was used to. Then I came across a recipe online that was supposed to mimic condensed soup. I gave it a try and was pleasantly surprised. It needed some adjustments, but it was a base for something good. Once I played with it for a while, I was able to make a green bean casserole that no one was the wiser about.
A few years ago, my other half, was wanting Tater Tot Casserole. I had never heard of it. She is from the Midwest and her mom used to make it for her when she was growing up. I called her mom up to ask for the recipe and was told it was the easiest thing to make. I followed the recipe and found I really liked it. It is a regular in our house and has become a comfort food for us both. I use the condensed soup recipe and Ore-Ida brand tater tots as they are marked gluten-free. It’s yummy!
Gluten-Free Condensed Cream Soup
1 cup Cold Milk
2 T Corn Starch
1 t Chicken Bouillon (gluten-free)
1 ½ T Butter
2 t Bragg Liquid Aminos*
½ t Salt
Dash Black Pepper
In saucepan whisk milk and corn starch together until well blended. Stir in butter, liquid aminos, bouillon, salt and pepper. Heat to boil, stirring frequently.
Simmer on medium-low for 2 minutes (or more if needed) to thicken.
** For Cream of Mushroom stir in drained can of mushrooms, diced
** For Cream of Chicken stir in ½ cup of diced cooked chicken
** For Cream of Celery stir in ½ cup sautéed chopped celery
*I use the Liquid Aminos to add umami (earthiness) to the mixture. I think it adds a great layer of flavor.
Tater Tot Casserole
1 recipe Condensed Cream of Mushroom recipe, already prepared
2 cans French style Green Beans, drained
1 pound Ground Beef, cooked
1 Bag Gluten-Free Tater Tots
In a mixing bowl mix together cream of mushrooms soup, beef and green beans, until mixed well. Pour mixture into baking dish. Cover top with one layer of tater tots. Cook at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Enjoy!
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Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Posted at 6:37 pm
Feb 8th
Winters are short here in the south. The few times we do have icy weather everything shuts down. We simply close our doors and wait for it to melt. If there is a hint of precipitation during a cold spell the list of school and business closures becomes quite long. People panic, like they will be shut in for months, and go buy everything in the grocery store. For some reason people here love to buy milk during a storm; I have seen people out in the worst of the storm buying carts full of milk. Not sure what one does with nine gallons of milk but it must bring them some kind of comfort. I am sure it gives our neighbors to the north quite a chuckle. It should, it is silly how we react, it just happens so infrequently here that we are ill prepared. Personally, I enjoy the cold and I enjoy the days where things are closed down because that usually means time at home cooking some of my favorite foods! When the cold sets in it is time to cook soups, stews, braised meats with think rich sauces. I love it.
There is nothing better on a cold winter day than a big bowl of hot soup. Here in our house we have really been on a soup kick lately. One of our favorites is Chicken gnocchi soup. It’s a cream based soup that I first had at a popular Italian restaurant chain. Their version is mostly a cream broth with little bits of vegetables, chicken and some gnocchi here and there. It’s good, but could be improved upon. I tend to like chunky soups, so my version has big chunks of vegetables and chicken with plenty of gnocchi! Best of all, it is gluten free. You can make your own gnocchi, or for a quick dinner you can get some pre-made boxed gnocchi. Not all gnocchi are gluten-free, so check ingredients. We found a brand called Delallo that has some great gluten free gnocchi, orzo and pastas. There are other brands on the market, but this is the one that we enjoy. One box is enough for one batch of soup for 4-6 people. When making soup you want everything cut to bite size chunks, it should fit on the spoon easily. Like I said I like chunky soups, so I cute large bite sized pieces that still fit on the spoon without hanging off.Chicken Gnocchi Soup (Gluten Free) serves 4-6 people
3 T Butter
2 T Olive Oil
¾ C Diced Onion
½ C Diced Celery
½ C Diced Carrot
4 cloves Garlic
4 C Chicken Broth
1 ½ C Half-N- Half
2 C Cooked Chicken (Shredded or Diced)
1 box Gnocchi
3 C Fresh Spinach
2 T Chopped Basil
1/3 C White Rice Flour
Salt & Pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese for garnishIn a large pot heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery and carrots. Season with salt & pepper. Add garlic. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes, stirring often.
Sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir. Cook 3 minutes, stirring often. Stir in chicken broth, one cup at a time. Add the half-n-half.
Add cooked chicken and bring to a simmer. Let simmer 20 minutes.
Season with salt & pepper.
Cook gnocchi separately according to package directions. Once cooked add to the soup along with the spinach, simmer until spinach is wilted. Stir in chopped basil. Cook two minutes.
Serve with grated or shaved parmesan cheese. -
The beginning…
Posted at 1:01 am
Jan 1st
When I was young all the women in my family would get together and cook during the holidays. Cookies, candies, cakes and pies… all the holiday goodies you could imagine. The room would be bright, warm and smell amazing. A room full of women talking, laughing, singing and cooking. I loved that. That fostered my love of cooking.
My Dad’s mom loved to cook and I always remember her in the kitchen. She passed when I was only seven, but sitting here I still have very vivid memories of being in the kitchen with her. My last memory of her is of us making animal crackers together. She used to make “magic popcorn”; she would throw just a few kernels of popcorn into her deep cast iron skillet and within minutes it would be overflowing with hot fresh popcorn. I didn’t realize until later in life that she already had kernels in the skillet, but I didn’t see because I was too short to see the top of the stove.
My Mom’s mom was also a hell of a good cook. I loved watching her and my mom in the kitchen, I learned to cook by watching them. I also loved eating what they cooked, tasting the way different food combinations went together. They never made cooking a scary thing, I was never intimidated by it. I enjoyed every part of it. Gathering ingredients, prepping them, cooking them and then watching people eat it and enjoy it. Food brings people together. It is so much more than just nourishment. It can bring you back to your childhood. It can bring joy. It can bring comfort.
As an adult cooking took a new spin when I moved to a farm and had truly fresh ingredients on hand. Due to some restrictions some love ones face, I also learned about cooking for different dietary restrictions, so they could have healthy and great tasting food to eat. Culinary school helped expand the food knowledge I learned when I was young. Who knew that watching those women cook would lead to a lifelong love of all things food oriented?
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