Tag: Comfort Foods

Beef · Daily Thoughts · Meats · Soups

Cincinnati Chili

Chocolate CastlesLeave a comment

Why am I looking at a soup cookbook and for some reason thinking that chile sound good? I’m not really a chile person, but when I saw this recipe it reminded me of a really great day when Randy & I went to a chile place in Burbank, CA that everyone out there had told us we needed to go. It was called Chile John’s. and the only reason I agreed to go was that I figured that if I went there for him, he would go to Stein Mart for me. So we found Chile Johns, which has been there since 1946, and waited for a place at the counter to await the famous chile. You can get it served over spaghetti, which is something that was so foreign to me. But thinking that anything served on spaghetti must be good, I ordered the mild and ate every bite. It was simply delicious. When I saw this recipe for Cincinnati Chile, it brought back a great memory of that day. It is always so much fun to go out and experience some of the places that towns are known for and this was no exception. The chile was really good and it was fun sitting on stools around the counter, talking to the guys dishing up different types of chile.

I know it is summer, but some nights are just meant for “comfort” foods, no matter what temperature it is outside. Just turn down the thermostat and dig in.

FYI….he did take me to Stein Mart but after eating all the chile, I wasn’t in much of a mood to buy clothes…found that I would be needing a little larger size after that lunch. Does he know how to plan our my shopping days or what?

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground pork

4 medium onions, chopped

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 cans (16 oz each) kidney bens, rinsed and drained (I will use pinto because I simply don’t like kidney)

1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup vinegar

1/4 cup baking cocoa

2 tables chile powder

2 tables Worcestershire sauce

4 teas ground cinnamon

3 teas dried oregano

2 teas ground cumin

2 teas ground allspice

2 teas hot pepper sauce

3 bay leaves

1 teas sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Hot cooked spaghetti

Shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, chopped onions for topping as desired

In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, cook beef, pork, onions and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Drain. Add the beans, tomatoes, vinegar, cocoa and seasonings; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 2 hours.

Discard bay leaves. Serve over spaghetti or in bowls. Garnish with toppings to your liking.

Serves 6 to 8

Beef · Breads · Meats

Comfort Food For Dinner

Chocolate CastlesLeave a comment

IMG_1289IMG_1288

Last evening we had some dear friends over for dinner. Knowing that they had had a very emotional week,  I wanted them to really feel wanted and loved. When trying to decide what to make, I began to think of how I used to love walking in the door when I was growing up to the smell of a roast baking in the oven and the comfort I received at sitting down to a table that had all my favorites, roast and gravy, mashed potatoes, carrots, green beans and hot bread. So that’s what I made last night. I tried something a little different with the roast and the bread and because both were scarfed up quickly, I knew I needed to share the recipes today.

Chuck Roast

1 (2-4 pound) chuck roast

1 tables oil

1 onion, sliced

1 package of brown gravy mix

1 regular size can cream of mushroom soup

1-2  tables (use 1 for a 2 lb but 2 tables for the 4 pound) Kikomon Soy Sauce

Preheat oven to 300. Heat the oil over medium heat in an oven proof baking Dutch oven and brown your roast on both sides. Sprinkle garlic powder (not salt) over each side of the roast before browning. Sprinkle 1 teas pepper over roast, after you have flipped it from browning on one side. Add 1 tables dried parsley over top of roast.  Place the sliced onion over the roast. Then sprinkle the Kikomon sauce over the top. Spoon the cream of mushroom soup over the top and then mix the brown gravy packet with 1 1/2 cups water; stir until blended, then pour over roast. Place in preheated 300 degree oven and bake for 4 hours. The last 2 hours, I cut up 5 carrots and placed in the pot.

When ready to serve, remove the meat and carrots and if gravy needs anymore thickening, add 1 tables cornstarch to 1/2 cup water, stirring until it is blended. Allow gravy mixture to get to a boil, over medium heat and stirring constantly, slowly pour cornstarch mixture into gravy and stir until thick. Pour into serving bowl. The gravy that this makes is so rich and oh so good.

Bread

Using 1 large can of Grand Biscuits, cut each biscuit into 4th’s. Melt 1/2 package of Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs Cheese with 1/2 stick butter in the microwave for 30 sec, or until melted. Stir to blend. Take each biscuit piece and roll in butter mixture; place in a lightly greased baking dish (I used a 11×7″  baking dish) and bake at 350 until the tops are golden brown. Serve immediately.

Am posting a picture of the cheese so you will know what to look for. It is found in the specialty cheese section of the grocery stores.