Award Winning Chili

This is my mother's chili recipe. Some people in our family rave about it while others find it too spicy for enjoyable consumption. When the company my husband worked for announced an upcoming chili cookoff for charity, we decided to enter this recipe (with a little tweaking). My husband named it "Medina's teeth-kicker" and it won in the hot category and second place overall. I am actually not certain of the exact rankings, but I do recall an award. That's all that is required to call this an "Award Winning Chili". I think it is best served with a moist, sweet cornbread. Here's the recipe:

1 pound ground chuck
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
minced garlic (to your taste)
3 cans of Brooks brand chili beans (preferably hot & spicy)
2 cans Rotel brand tomatoes (diced tomatoes w/ green chilies)
Chili powder (to your taste)
Salt and pepper or a seasoned salt

Brown the ground chuck, pepper and onion. Drain off any grease. Add garlic and salt and pepper. Simmer about 10 minutes. In a large pot, add the beans, tomatoes and chili powder. Stir then add remaining ingredients. Heat to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 to 45 minutes.

MY NOTES: I add a couple of freshly chopped jalapeno peppers (with seeds) to the meat mixture as well as chili powder. Also, depending on the level of spiciness desired, I sometimes add cayenne pepper to the bean and tomato mixture.

Father's Day #2

Here's the recipe for the creamy, cheesy potato casserole that accompanied the steak sandwich in the Father's Day feast:

Potato Casserole
1 1/2 cups fat-free sour cream
1 1/4 cups (5 oz.) finely shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons minced fresh onion
5 teaspoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (30 oz.) package frozen hash browns, thawed
1 (10.75 oz) can reduced-fat cream of chicken soup
cooking spray
1 cup coarsely crushed cornflakes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine first 10 ingredients in a large bowl; spread evenly into a 13x9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle cornflakes over potato mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until bubbly. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.

My Notes
With the exception of a couple of changes, I followed this recipe exactly. I forgot to crush the cornflakes so they were whole and didn't settle into the casserole as much as I would have liked. I also forgot to sprinkle the casserole with fresh parsley. I specifically went in search of fresh parsley at the farmer's market yesterday with this casserole in mind and then I forgot it. Oops! The casserole turned out great and was a big hit. I think everyone went back for seconds. The recipe is supposed to yield 10 servings and I think that is pretty accurate. We had four people and after the meal we had a couple servings leftover.

Father's Day

My parents came over for lunch today and in honor of father's day I cooked a meal that would make any man's mouth water. It involved meat, potatoes, cheese and butter. 'Nuff said. On the menu today was a steak sandwich and potato casserole. I have to give credit to The Pioneer Woman for the steak sandwich recipe. Over there she calls it "Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich". I call it delicious. Here's the recipe copied exactly from The Pioneer Woman with my notes to follow:

Steak Sandwich
2 to 3 pounds cube steak
1 large onion OR 2 small/medium onions
4 French/deli rolls
butter,man
Lawry's seasoned salt
Worcestershire sauce
tabasco

Slice onions and cook in 1/4 stick butter until soft and light brown. Remove and set aside. Slice cube steak against the grain. Season with Lawry's. Heat 2 tbsp butter over high heat (in the same skillet) until melted and beginning to brown. Add meat in single layer. Cook one side until brown, then flip and cook until brown, about a minute on both sides. Add 1/2 (at least) Worcestershire sauce, 5 to 6 shakes Tabasco and 2 tbsp butter. Add cooked onions. Stir to combine. Butter halved rolls and brown on skillet. To assember, lay bottom half of roll on plate. Place meat mixture followed by a spoonful of juice from the pan. Top with other half of roll, cut in half and devour!

My Notes
I used salt, cayenne pepper and garlic powder in place of Lawry's and I used 4 small onions. I chose hoagie rolls for the bread and I toasted them under the broiler instead of browning them in a skillet. A little mayo on the bread took the sandwich up a notch. My dad and my husband (and myself) love this sandwich. It's always a big hit and worth the extra time in the gym.

Back in the Kitchen

Since we began our weight loss journey back in October, I have lost 53 pounds and my husband has lost 77. If someone tells you that weight loss is easy, they are lying. It is very hard work and a daily struggle. Now that we have returned to the land of making choices about food again, I have been experimenting with healthier recipes. One of our favorites is the following recipe:

Chicken & Vegetable Lasagna

9 no-boil lasagna noodles

1 jar (large) marinara or any ol pasta sauce

1 rotisserie chicken "savory" (remove skin and pick off the bones)

1 lb. bag frozen mixed vegetables

1 bag of low fat mozz cheese (or shredded parmesan if you're not worried about the fat)

pepper

nutmeg

In a 9x13, layer sauce, noodles, sauce, chicken, veg, cheese, noodles, sauce, chicken, veg, cheese, noodles, sauce, cheese, black pepper & nutmeg on the top. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and cook another 10 minutes to brown the cheese. Easy and tasty.

Eating healthy is not only about making good content choices, but also about portion size. That has been key to our success. When I make a dish, I immediately portion it out in storage containers; otherwise, I would eat until I was stuffed and then put away the leftovers. I also do this with fruit and vegetables. When I get home from the grocery, I wash and prep the f & v and then put them into 1 cup size storage containers in the fridge. This makes it very convenient to grab & go. Another plus is that we don't waste produce anymore. I don't know why, but I know this happens to everyone. You bring home produce from the grocery with the best intentions, but when you go to the fridge for something to eat and the grapes are sitting in the drawer still on the vine and not washed, you grab something else that is more convenient and leave the grapes to rot. I find that if I just go ahead and wash and prep everything immediately, I am more likely to eat something healthy when I'm feeling the munchies.

Cooking hiatus

It saddens me to announce that I will not be cooking again until the first of next year. This week my husband and I started a 13 week weight loss program and all of our food is provided. The only things we will buy from the grocery are fruits and vegetables. I am very excited about the possibility of being thinner and healthier at the end of this, but I will miss cooking. See ya'll in 2008.

Corny Cakes

It's been a while since I posted a recipe; not because I haven't been cooking, but because I haven't taken the time to sit down and post. Last night we had dinner with my husband's family in celebration of Father's Day. We had steak, green beans, salad and corn fritters with chili lime mayo. All of the food was delightful and quite tasty, but I will only be sharing one recipe with you, the scrumptious corn fritters and the zingy, tangy chili lime mayo (ok, so two recipes). Enjoy!

Corn Fritters with Chili-Lime Mayonnaise

3 cups corn kernels
1 cup flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup finely grated Romano cheese
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 large egg, plus 1 yolk
1-1/2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup chopped green onions, green part only
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 limes
1-1/2 cups mayonnaise
1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeno pepper

Timesaver: If you don't have time to cut kernels from the cob, you can substitute frozen corn kernels.

1. Make the fritters. Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water, and bring to a boil. Add the corn, and cook until just tender - 2 to 3 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, and set aside. Combine the flour, cornmeal, cheese, baking powder, salt, and chili powder in a medium bowl. Beat the egg, yolk, and buttermilk together in a small bowl. Whisk the egg mixture into the flour mixture until well combined. Stir in green onions and 1-1/2 cups cooked corn. Heat 2 tablespoons oil and 1-1/2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spoon 3 tablespoons batter for each fritter. Cook until golden - about 3 minutes each side. Repeat using remaining batter, oil and butter.

2. Make the chili-lime mayonnaise. Zest and juice a lime. Stir the mayonnaise, juice, zest, and jalapeno together in a small bowl until well blended. Slice the remaining lime into wedges. Serve the fritters warm with chili-lim mayonnaise, and garnish with remaining corn kernels and lime wedges.

Nutrition per serving - protein: 7g; fat: 31g; carbohydrate: 31g; fiber: 2g; sodium: 550mg; cholesterol: 55mg; calories: 430.

My Notes: Yum Yum Yum! These corn fritters are so delicious and scrumptious, it's hard to only eat one. And the chili-lime mayo, my oh my is it tasty. The zesty bits of jalepeno mixed with the creamy mayo and the tangy lime juice pair perfectly with the corn fritter. I did make a few changes to the chili-lime mayo that, in my opinion, greatly improved this already delectable dish. I could barely taste the lime juice so I added more. I don't know the exact measurements; I just tasted until I found the right combination. I also added chili powder, sea salt and a dab of chili paste to the mayo mixture. Perfecto!

Southern Comfort

These recipes come to you all the way from Savannah, Georgia from the kitchen of Mrs. Paula Deen.

Chicken Breasts in Sour Cream Sauce

8 slices dried beef (in a jar)
8 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (7 oz. each)
4 slices bacon, cut in half
1 cup sour cream
one 10 3/4 oz. can condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Lay one piece of dried beef on each chicken breast and wrap with a half slice of bacon. Place in a 13x9 inch casserole dish, seam side down. Mix sour cream, soup and mushrooms together. Pour over chicken breasts. Cover and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Serve with rice.

My notes: I used uncured bacon and low-sodium cream of mushroom soup to cut down on the salt in the dish and I left out the fresh mushrooms. I like my bacon crispy and the bacon in this dish was quite the opposite of crispy. I didn't care for the flavor or the texture of the dried beef/bacon/chicken combination. I served the chicken with the following rice dish:

Savannah Red Rice

1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped bell pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup diced Hillshire Farms sausage
One 14 1/2 oz. can crushed tomatoes with juice
1 tablespoon Texas Pete or red hot sauce
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup water
3 chicken bouillon cubes
Pepper to taste; add salt to taste if desired
1 cup uncooked white rice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan over medium heat, saute' onion and bell pepper in butter. Add sausage; heat until mixture is slightly browned. Add tomatoes, hot sauce, tomato sauce, water and bouillon cubes. Season with pepper and salt as needed. Stir in rice. Pour mixture into a greased casserole dish and bake for 45 minutes.

My Notes: I used brown rice instead of white rice and I did not add salt to this dish. This dish could be a meal in itself. It was full of flavor and very filling. Yum!