Super Cheap and Ridiculously Tasty

I have a short story about this dish. A few years ago, the first time we went to a vegetarian, Indian restaurant, I said, "We may need to stop at McDonald's afterwards so I can get something to eat." I was skeptical! Being as picky as I am, I figured I would eat some bread and rice and call it a day. WELL...I couldn't have been more wrong. The food was amazing, we had a great time and I left thinking I wouldn't eat for days! Go Udupi!!!

This recipe is a bit of a recreation of the first thing I ate at Udupi. Channa Masala is highly seasoned chickpeas. YUM. Again, I think canned chickpeas by themselves are skeevy...gross...and they stink! But when mixed with garlic and tahini for hummus or with a variety of spices and curries...NICE!

This recipe is from Serious Eats. So let's get started!

Start with onions and butter. Cook until the onions just start to brown.

Add garlic and a variety of spices.

Stir in tomatoes.

Add some water to simmer and a further addition of spices.

Simmer for about ten minutes, until the liquid thickens and reduces.

Garnish with cilantro and serve on a fragrant rice; such as Jasmine or Basmati.

Channa Masala
serves 2

Adapted from Serious Eats

1 TB butter
1/2 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 TB ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground tumeric
6 TB canned diced tomatoes and their juice (about half a 14 oz can)
1/2 cup water
1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp salt
Juice of 1/4 lemon (fresh only and necessary!)
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
2 TB chopped cilantro

Toss butter in a skillet or pot over medium heat. When melted, add the onions and cook until soft and beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute.

Add the coriander, cumin, cayenne and tumeric. Stir until combined and cook for 30 seconds or so, or until it is very fragrant. NOTE: Tumeric can stain your cooking utensils. I have a spatula and wooden spoon that I use every time I make a curry based dish and they are stained flourescent yellow! So don't use anything you don't want to stain. Also, if you have pale or white colored kitchen counters, becareful, it can stain them as well. Nothing a little kitchen scrubber with bleach can't get out.

Stir in the tomatoes and cook for about two minutes.

Add the chickpeas and pour in the water. Stir until combined. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the paprika, garam masala, salt and lemon juice. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the cover and cook for another 5 minutes. NOTE: Of all the additions to the dish, I found the lemon to be the most exciting and vital. The citric acid in the juice pops in front and brightens the other flavors. Don't skip this ingredient if you can at all help it.

Stir in the ginger and half of the chopped cilantro. Cook for another 30 seconds. Season with additional salt if necessary. Serve over Basmati or Jasmine rice.



This was really satisying. The original recipe was really spicy, so I toned it down here. The recipe called for 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper and half of a jalapeno. I like heat, but this was starting to be distracting, so I removed the jalapeno and cut back on the cayenne. Adjust as you see fit.

The recipe uses butter, which is fairly commen and pretty authentic to Indian cooking; although they would probably use ghee, a clarified butter. If you don't want to use butter, or don't have any butter, I would go with a plain vegetable oil. I personally feel an olive oil would be too flavorful and could alter the final dishes flavor.

Also, I doubled the recipe. We got two large meals out of it for dinner and two smaller, lunch-sized portions. I will be having mine today, so we'll see how that goes!

Enjoy.

Gardening in 2009

Asparagus officinalis Jersey Knight Hybrid

Woot! I bought two pots of Asparagus plants yesterday. Next weekend they will go in the yard. No veggies this season, but next season we will get to harvest about half the crop. The following season, we will have a full bumper crop...as long as things work out for us and the squirrels aren't interested!

Asparagus, I can't wait to introduce you to my friend Hollandaise!

Spaghetti

I've had a spaghetti squash sitting on my pantry since late October or November. I finally cooked it up the other day. The sauce and final treatment wasn't very good, so I'm not going to share, but I wanted to share with you my technique for cooking a spaghetti squash.

To start you need to slice the squash in half from pole to pole (top to bottom). Scrape out the seeds and stringy membrane. Once cleaned, I like to brush or rub some olive oil into the squash and season liberally with salt and pepper. This time around, I wanted to try something extra. I smashed open a garlic clove and tossed it into the center of the prepped squash. The garlic will roast and the aroma will give a hint of garlic to the squash.


With the garlic clove inside, I flipped the squash halves over onto a parchment lined baking sheet and placed them in the oven (375 degrees) for 45-50 minutes, until tender.


The squash is tender when a knife slides easily and smoothly into the flesh. That's a little devilish. Where's Dexter when you need him? Anyway, allow the squash halves to cool for a bit, covered with foil.


When you can handle the squash, take a fork and start scraping out the cooked strands of the spaghetti squash. You can serve with butter, a lite tomato sauce, an herb flavored broth or any number of other pasta sauces. I like to keep the spaghetti squash topping on the lighter side. I wouldn't use most types of cream sauce or full bodied marinara sauces. I feel they would dominate the dish and you'd lose the subtle, lightly sweet flavor of the squash.

Enjoy!

I concur!

"Reading Mastering the Art of French Cooking
was like reading pornographic Bible verses."

--Julie Powell, author of Julie & Julia,
on which the new movie of the same name is based.

I've had the book on my shelf for a few years and decided now was as good a time as any to jump in. So far, so fun!

Cravings!

image source

I've been craving a salad like this!

A few weeks ago, we went to a French restaurant in Bethesda called Mon Ami Gabi and I ordered a frisée & bacon salad with a soft-poached egg and croutons. It was wonderful and I want it again...NOW.

Funny thing...this isn't something I've every had before and after one tasting, I dream about it. Those crazy French! Adding bacon and eggs to a salad, who knew...! Add bread made by the hand of g-o-d and dry white wine...perfect meal!

I need help...I can make this...but I don't know what kine of dressing to use. Anyone have a suggestion? Like I said, this isn't a salad I've had before and there was no listing for the dressing on the menu so I don't know what I would use. Help me! This is my current desire and addiction.

Not so much

Not sure I'll be having this wine again. Too much oak.

Calico White
Bergevin Lane Vineyards
Columbia Valley, Walla Walla, Washington
$18.99

We picked this up this weekend and thought we'd give it a try tonight. Sadly the oak was too much of a predominate flavor for us in this trio of blended grapes. And the alcohol was a little redonk...13.99%. I want to taste the grapes, not set my mouth on fire.

From the bottle:
Calico White is our delicious blend of Chardonnay, Viognier and Roussanne grapes. This is a crisp and fresh wine with enticing flavors of citrus, tropical fruits and apricots.

Depression Hurts, Comfort Food Helps!

For those of you who are addicted to a ton of different blogs like I am, you may have seen/heard of Ms. Clara, a 91 year old great grandmother who has taken to YouTube to share depression-era recipes for those of us who are unfamiliar with tight budget cooking. This video made my belly growl!

After watching Ms. Clara, I had to give the Poorman's Meal my own take. And it was delicious! Filling, flavorful and affordable! Ms. Clara's meal was potatoes, onions, hot dogs and tomato sauce. My take was smoked kielbasa, onions, potatoes and a can of diced tomatoes.

The kielbasa was on sale at Giant, two for one. So let's say $2 instead of $4. I used 3/4 of a link. I cut it into quarters, lengthwise, then into 1/4 inch pieces. Saute in a large pan until the sausage starts to brown. Add one medium onion, diced.

When the onion is just translucent, add your potatoes. I used three medium/small potatoes, diced into 1/4 inch pieces.

Stir the potatoes around until they get a little fat on them and are incorporated into the onions and sausage. Add one 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes, including their juice. Stir to incorporate. Bring to a simmer and cover. Stir every few minutes until the potatoes are tender. If the pan becomes too dry, add some water.

When the potatoes are tender, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and/or pepper, as needed. This recipe (3/4 smoked kielbasa, 1 onion, 3 small/medium potatoes, 1 can tomatoes), served two grown boys. All in all, I think the meal probably fell into the $4-5 dollar range, $2-$2.5 per person!!!

Thanks Ms. Clara!

Delicious

Indaba 2008
Sauvignon Blanc
South Africa
$9


This was a very nice, affordable bottle of wine! You'll be a winner if you open this bottle for friends. Light body, full flavor and crisp herbal notes with a hint of mint. I'm looking forward to many more bottles of Indaba!


From the bottle:
Refreshing gooseberry, citrus and tropical fruit flavors are backed by tangy acidity in this crisp, clean Sauvignon Blanc. Notes of bell pepper and fresh cut grass follow through on the zippy finish. It makes a great partner for salads, crab cakes, grilled vegetables and citrus-accented seafood dishes.

Hot Pockets

This week has been wonky. So I apologize for not getting everything up that I've promised. Here's another. Last night I made what can best be described as a Middle Eastern Hot Pocket--I need to come up with a name. They were tasty, filling and not all that bad for you.

What was supposed to be an Irish inspired treat ended up being ground beef, garbanzo beans/chickpeas, pine nuts, golden raisins, carrots, celery, onions, garlic and lots of redolent spices and wrapped and baked in a store bought pie crust. I'm very pleased and I think this will be a very versatile dinner. I'll work on the recipe and get that to you later...I promise.

No Bake Goodies

Here are the treats I made the other night! Very tasty, especially the next day...



No-Bake Chocolate and Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
from Martha Stewart Living

Makes 2 dozen.

Vegetable oil cooking spray
9 ounces chocolate wafers (about 40 wafers), finely ground (2 cups)
1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats
1 ¼ cups confectioners' sugar
¼ teaspoon coarse salt
5 ounces (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup chunky peanut butter
¾ cup plus 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
10 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
1 ½ ounces milk chocolate, melted

DIRECTIONS
1. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the 2 long sides.

2. Combine wafers, oats, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then add chunky peanut butter and ¾ cup smooth peanut butter, whisking until well combined. Add peanut butter mixture to wafer mixture, stirring until combined. Transfer to baking dish, and use the bottom of a measuring cup or an offset spatula to firmly press mixture into an even layer. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Pour melted semisweet chocolate over chilled mixture and, using an offset spatula, spread into a thin layer that covers the entire surface. Refrigerate until hardened, at least 15 minutes.

4. Heat remaining 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter in a small saucepan until runny. Drizzle peanut butter over chilled chocolate. Drizzle melted milk chocolate over peanut butter. Refrigerate until hardened, about 15 minutes.

5. Use parchment to lift out chilled block of bars. Run a sharp knife under hot water, dry well, and cut into 24 squares, wiping knife between cuts. Let bars stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. (Sliced bars can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month.)


Some notes on the recipe:

I didn't use any cooking spray in my baking dish, only parchment paper. I didn't see the need and had no need for it, when all was said and done!

Chocolate wafers? The best option I could find were chocolate graham crackers and they were wonderful! Whiz them in a food processor until finely ground.

Butter. I might add another tablespoon or two to the recipe. The oatmeal/sugar/graham mixture was very dry and sticky. I was thinking the little extra butter might make the batter a little easier to work with and might make for a bar that is a touch more moist. Just a thought.

I was tired and wanted to get these done, I kept putting the pan in the freezer until the bars were set, then the chocolate, etc. Don't serve them from the freezer. They will be dry and fall apart.

Overall, very tasty and they received high praises at the office.

Julia!

Did you blink? Did you miss it??? After the Oscars on Sunday, we were treated to a TINY clip of the new movie; Julie & Julia!!!!



OMFG!

And Stanley Tucci is playing Paul Child...what fun!

Thanks to Serious Eats for posting the You Tube clip.

Photo Updates

I wanted to share some photos with you...I'll be updating the recipes later when I have some more time to sit down...in the meantime...Click photos to embiggen, for full mouth-watering effect.

I have a dinner recipe coming up this week that calls for sun-dried tomatoes. I'm not a fan, so I decided I'd substitute some roasted tomatoes. Cut and seed the tomatoes, season with salt, pepper and herbs. Roast!

After the tomatoes are done, I put in a small bowl and covered with olive oil and plastic wrap. They are chilling the fridge until cooking time. They look really lovely! I'm looking forward to drying them in the recipe, I hope the substitution works.

Last night I whipped up a batch of balsamic vinaigrette to use as a marinade. It seemed overly sweet, but was still very pleasant and well rounded in flavors.

Oh snap. I made treats!!!

They are a no-bake bar. Very tasty. You'll like the recipe. Very easy!

And for giggles, here's another close-up after the chocolate and peanut butter firmed up. I love chocolate squiggles, they make me smile.


Stick around for the recipes over the coming days.

Friday Night Fish Fry

I was accidentally a good Catholic on Friday night with a good old fashion fish fry! It was tasty, fast and easy; if it was a little messy. This is another good recipe from Everyday Food.

First you need to make the coating for the fish. Cornmeal, flour, salt & pepper. I added some cayenne for a little extra impact.

The fish pieces are dipped in whipped egg whites, then into the cornmeal mixture. It's messy, but no more so than fried chicken. I covered my cutting board with a piece of plastic wrap to make clean up a touch easier.

The fish cooks in about 6-8 minutes. If you work in batches, the finished fish can sit in a warm over until you're ready to serve dinner.

This amount of fish sticks came from two tilapia fillets. It filled the two of us up. With a little more of our side dish, we could have shared the fish with a third person.

Fish with potatoes; the potato recipe will come later...super duper, OMG easy.

Good flavor, very light and super flaky. Amen.

Cornmeal Crusted Fish Sticks
from Everyday Food

4 large egg whites
Coarse salt & ground pepper
1 pound skinless tilapia fillets, cut into 1 by 3 inch pieces
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 250. Line a baking sheet with paper towel.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg whites with salt & pepper. Add the fish and toss to coat. In another large bowl, combine cornmeal and flour, season with salt & pepper.

Working in batches, lift fish from the egg whites; letting excess drip off, and dredge in the cornmeal mixture, patting to adhere. Transfer to a plate, sheet pan or cutting board.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high. Working in batches, cook fish until golden brown and opaque throughout, 4-6 minutes, turning once. If fish is browning too quickly, reduce heat. Transfer to the paper towel lined sheet. Keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.

Serve with ketchup, lemon wedges or tartar sauce.



**I used a cup of oil for my cooking, it wasn't very deep, so I had to rotate the fish a few extra times, so my cooking time was a touch longer than the 4-6 minutes recommended by the recipe. Otherwise this is it...

My Girl!!!!

I'm so frakkin' happy that Ms. Carla is in the Top 3 on Top Chef!!!!!! Goo Girl.

I don't remember cheering when watching Top Chef in the past, but I did when I watched part 1 of the Finale!

OMG I'm So Excited!

You want us to do WHAT?

I feel like dancin' dancing!!!
Wait...how did this photo get here?


Gurl, you don't nuttin' 'bout my peas!

Go Carla Go!

BTW: Thank Gawd Gail was back!

Turkey Version

Last night's dinner was another from the new issue of Everyday Food. A year ago, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, inc. purchased the Emeril Lagasse brand from the man himself. An interesting idea...BTW, if anyone wants to buy my brand...for the right price, we can talk.

Anyway, the reason I bring this up, last night's dinner was an Emeril recipe that was in MSLO's Everyday Food. A lighter version of the classic Bolognese Sauce using turkey instead of beef & pork. It was good and I ate a giant plate. But I didn't love it! I'd make it again. It's certainly a great alternative for folks who don't eat red meat or the other white meat, but I felt there was something, I don't know what, but something lacking in the depth of flavor, which I find odd considering the effort we put in to create those flavor layers and depth. This sauce builds on itself, layer after layer, you'll see when you read the recipe. So I find this odd and that something was missing...

Well, let's get started.

The dish starts by using turkey bacon and once crispy and rendered, carrots, onions and celery are added. They chill out for awhile, then you add the ground turkey. Let that cook, then add white wine and garlic. More chilling out.

About half way through the cooking, you add tomato paste and ultimately some chicken broth and some half & half.

Serve with some hearty pasta. But still, something was missing...

Awww, fresh Parmigiano Reggiano.

As I said, it's good, but I think I prefer a more classic Bolognese sauce. (Here is a really great recipe and a fairly good recipe).

Emeril's Turkey Bolognese
(serves 8)

10 slices turkey bacon, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 carrots, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
salt & pepper
2 pounds ground turkey
3/4 cup dry white wine, Sauvignon Blanc
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup chopped parsley

1) In a large, heavy pot cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Add onions, celery and carrots; season with salt & pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 8-10 minutes.

2) Add the turkey; cook, breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink, 8-9 minutes. Add the wine and garlic; cook until wine has almost evaporated, 10-15 minutes. Add tomato paste; cooking, stirring occasionlly, until lightly browned, 7-10 minutes.

3) Add broth and half-and-half; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until sauce is thick and creamy, about 30 minutes more.



I cut the recipe in half and intended to have 4 meals/2 evenings of dinner, out of it. I served a little too much last night and then I wanted some for lunch (I've eaten the same thing for lunch all week and need something new!), which left just a wee bit for another meal. So, not quite four full meals, but almost. So this full recipe could serve 6-8 for a big dinner.

Chicken w/Capers and Red Peppers

I mentioned in yesterday's post that I made dinner from a recipe in Everyday Food. What was listed as Chicken with Artichokes and Capers became Chicken with Roasted Red Peppers and Capers. It was very delicious, simple, filling and easy!

Let's get started.


I purchased the pre-sliced chicken cutlets from the store this time around because I knew that I wasn't going to have as much time to prep the chicken for this dinner. This is fine, but normally I like to save money and just buy a large pack of chicken breasts and slice them myself. But in a pinch this works.

You cover the cutlets in a light coating of flour and seasoning. This is done for two reasons. One, the flour provides a slight bit of protection to the chicken, from the heat of the pan. Two, and perhaps more important, the flour helps to create more fond in the bottom of the pan. If you look at the picture above, you will see where the previous cutlet was in the pan. It left some bits and pieces in the pan. When you add liquid to the pan, that fond will dissolve and help to create a lovely sauce. The bit of flour in the fond will provide a little bit of help in creating a sauce with a little more body.


This photo made me think that this recipe would work swimmingly with fillets of fish as well!


After the chicken has cooked, you add some chicken broth and simmer to reduce by half. The reduced sauce is then brought to life by the addition of capers and in my substitute version, roasted red peppers. The minute I got home from my grocery store, I started roasting my red pepper. If you aren't comfortable with roasting your own peppers, I suppose you can used jarred peppers. When you turn off the heat, you add some butter to enrich the sauce and a small handful of chopped parsley for more green flavor and garnish.


Serve chicken and sauce with angel hair pasta. Buttery and acidic with strong, bright flavors from the capers and sweetness from the peppers. Yum. I think I like this a little better than the standard Chicken Piccata. I'm not sure that's an argument that will win in our house, but it's is certainly a great dish that I will make again!


Chicken with Capers and Roasted Red Peppers
inspired by Everyday Foods Chicken with Artichoke Hearts and Capers

2-4 Chicken Cutlets
1/2 cup of flour
Salt & Pepper
1-2 TB olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
1 roasted red pepper (or 1/2 to 1 cup jarred roasted red peppers)
2 TB small capers, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Angel hair pasta

This recipe can move fast, so have all your ingredients prepped before you begin.

On a plate or in a small bowl, mix the flour with salt & pepper. You can use additional seasoning if you like (a pinch or two or dried thyme and/or cayenne pepper). Coat the cutlets in the flour and shake off excess.

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add one tablespoon of olive oil. Carefully place the cutlets in the pan. Work in batches if necessary. Leave the cutlets in the pan until they nicely browned on one side, then flip to the other. Remove to a warm plate and continue with the next batch if you need to.

At this point, I added the dried pasta to boiling water to cook. The pasta took five minutes to cook and the sauce cooked in about 6 minutes. Near perfect timing.

To the frying pan, pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil in the pan. Scrape up any browned bits (fond) in the bottom of the pan. Allow to reduce by half. Add the roasted red peppers and capers. Turn off the heat and add the butter and parsley. Stir until the butter is melted. Return the cutlets to the pan and coat in the sauce.

Plate your cooked pasta and serve the chicken and sauce. Enjoy, I certainly did!!!

A Way to Shop

Hello all,

A few weeks ago I was talking about the fact that I make a shopping list using Microsoft Excel and have it organized the way my grocery store is set up. I was asked to share a sample. So here goes.

The sample below was created two weeks ago. A new list is created every 8-10 days. I sit down and look at our schedules. Are there work events we need to be aware of? Happy hours? Or a night we plan to see a movie and might get dinner out. From that point, I start to look at various recipes and get a meal plan together. This shopping list, for the two of us, is pretty full and detailed. This past Saturday we were planning a birthday party for Jason, complete with plenty of sangria and a full Taco Bar. But I have to say, a party for 16 people and a weeks worth of meals (10), the planning was very helpful and our spending was very controlled ($6/meal/person). That doesn't include the cost of alcohol for the sangria though!!!!

I kind of feel like I'm sharing my deep, dark secrets by sharing this list...

Click to embiggen.

My grocery store is laid out with veggies first, then dairy, deli & bakery, then the middle aisles, then the meat counter, then the snacks and frozen stuff. With a list like this, I can get in and out in record time! The list I went with last night got me $100 in groceries in 20 minutes. Done and Done.

Speaking of this weeks meal plan; I recently received my new issue of Everyday Food. We both sat down and flipped through and I decided that each meal I make this week will be based off the recipes in the issue.

Here is the "Meal Notes" of my current shopping list:

Tues: Chicken w/angel hair and capers (pg 14)
Wed: On Our Own
Thurs: Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops (pg 111) & Caramelized Green Beans w Pine Nuts (pg 103)
Fri: Turkey Bolognese (pg 28)
Sat: Cornmeal Crusted Fishsticks (pg 49) & Rosemary Garlic Potatoes (pg 58)
Sun: Leftover Bolognese
Mon: Irish Hand Pies (pg 57) (freeze half) (Thaw frozen ground beef)
Tues: Baked Penne w Chicken (pg 77) w Roasted tomatoes

Page numbers are included for ease of looking the recipes up later.

I include the meal notes on my shopping list in case I forget what I'm making, which happens often. It also provides me opportunities to make smart changes while shopping. I may see green beans on the list, but can't find them in the store. If I can look at where they fit in the menu I can decide how best to substitute them. After the grocery shopping is complete and the food is put away, the meal notes are posted on the fridge as a reminder of what we're having and when. Sure, sometimes I'll flip some things around, but we'll know that for the next several we'll have that meal at some point.

If you have the current issue of Everyday Food, you might already start to notice some substitutions I've made to their recipes. I don't like artichokes, which were supposed to be in last night's Chicken Cutlets with Artichokes and Capers. I substituted one roasted red pepper. Stick around for those photos and that recipe!

So there you have it. The way I grocery shop. During the summer when we have the farmer's market, I'm off the list and make decisions based on what's available fresh. Sometimes I'm just not in the mood to cook and I'll fill the list with grubby stuff like tater tots and cans of soup. This technique works for us and really helps to keep us on budget. This technique also helps me try to plan some of my "Two from One" meal plans.

How do you shop?

Ultra Beefy Chili

On Wednesday night we had the second half of our most recent "Two from One" meal. Previously I had a large hunk of braised beef that was to serve as two unique meals. The first was the braised beef with vegetables. I thought I would take the leftovers and turn it into a pot of chili. It worked pretty well.

If you have chili powder, you can use it. I thought I did, but oops...I didn't, so I mixed up something that worked pretty well.


For one hour, I simmered the leftover beef in a can of diced tomatoes and the juice, plus half of a 8oz can of tomato sauce. I seasoned the whole pot with 5 teaspoons of my spice mixture. If the chili is too thick, you can thin it out with some broth (chicken or beef).


I served the chili over rice. It was really tasty, extra beefy and full of lots of fun flavors.

Here's my blend of chili seasoning. Like I mentioned above, use a chili powder you have, if not, this works really well. I recommend playing around to find a blend you like.

Scott's Chili Seasoning:
1 tsp each: cumin, paprika, oregano, parsley, salt
1/2 tsp each: chimayo chile powder, coriander
1/4 tsp each: ancho chile powder, onion powder, cinnamon, black pepper
1/8 tsp each: chipotle chile powder, garlic powder, cocoa