Chili and Cornbread

Chef had a few fireman buddies over last night to sit around a bonfire, have a few drinks and to enjoy some homemade chili. I think it did them some good to get together in a setting that was not job related, have a few laughs and relax. I had to retire to bed pretty early because I am still pretty congested from this week long respiratory infection... but I think that overall it was a great time!

Here is our chili recipe and man, it was good!!!!

In a heavy pot saute the following:

1 chopped onion
1/4 cup minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped jalepenos (we use the ones from a jar)
1/4 cup olive oil

Stir this around until onions are cooked through and then add your meat!

2 lbs ground deer meat
1/2 lb sausage
1 lb ground turkey

Now, you can use ground beef if you want...we just happened to have some deer meat and homemade sausage and it was REALLY good....

Cook all this meat up together and add the following:

2 BIG cans of crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
2-3 cups water
few dashes of Worcestershire

Spices:
Paprika
Cumin
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Chili Powder
Salt
Pepper

(I keep a combo of this spice already made up to season lots of things)

I use about 1/2 cup of the mixed seasoning.

Simmer on the stove for a couple of hours and you are good to go! This is a SIMPLE chili... Feel free to spruce it up with anything you can think of....

We served with fritos, cheese, minced onion, salsa and hot sauce....

And Cornbread:

This is my cheat recipe for cornbread:

3 boxes of Jiffy Cornbread mix, prepared according to directions
Add in 1/4 cup of those chopped jalepenos from a jar
Add in about 1/2 cup shredded cheese
A few dashes of garlic powder (not garlic salt)
1 tablespoon sugar

Mix Mix Mix

Now, get out your old cast iron skillet and get it hot on the stovetop with a little oil in it....
Pour the mixture in and cook until puffed up and golden. I like to cut up into nice hunks and put in a pretty little basket.


You can feed firemen or your momma this meal! Sure to please!

Let me know how you like it... we are having leftovers today.

Sick Soup

So I have been sick. REALLY SICK. I caught this respiratory stuff that is putting people down left and right... and it has totally messed up my whole entire week. I haven't been able to go to work because I work in Healthcare and we have the "24 hour fever free rule." Plus, my mother is the Chief Nursing Officer at the facility where I work- so I have to follow her commands. This is day 5. I am bundled up on the couch, it is quiet and I think we are expecting rain today... and all I can think about is SOUP. I want a thick, spicy, comforting soup. I think that I will drag myself in the kitchen later and at least tell my husband what to throw in the soup pot... if not he will chef it up and it will not be what I have envisioned....

This is a really inexpensive soup that is hearty and really fabulous with crackers or cornbread. I tend to favor crackers when I am under the weather... something about saltine crackers...can't you just eat a whole sleeve of them? I prefer Premium crackers.... the blue and white box. So please, don't bring me off brand crackers or Zesta... I just can't take it!

OK- here we go- get ready to be comforted... and your whole family will love this concoction!

1 lb Ground Hamburger (or turkey)
1 medium Chopped Onion
1 can Tomato Paste
2 cans Veg- All or Mixed Vegetables
2 cans Whole Kernel Corn
1 can Rotel Tomatoes
2 tbsp. Homemade taco seasoning
2 tbsp. Homemade ranch seasoning
(These Homemade seasonings are featured in my blog)
Dash of Salt
Dash of Pepper
2 cups of water

OK- so this is pretty basic.. but it turns into the most glorious, thick, yummy soup! If you like more veggies, add more... if you like noodles, feel free! But I like it just like this....

Brown the meat in a big ole soup pot with a little oil along with the chopped onion, drain excess grease and then start adding your other ingredients. Just go down the list... get your kids in there and tell them to just pour this stuff in the pot! Then just simmer on the stove for about 20 minutes and you are done! I tend to drain the water from my canned vegetables so that the soup doesn't get too thin... the tomato paste makes a nice consistency... and feel free to add crushed tomatoes too... I just happened to be out the last time that I put this together and it turned out great...

Then... cook you some  cornbread or get a sleeve of Premium crackers and go to town... this is just what you need to clear up those sinuses! Not too spicy, but just enough to help you breathe!

Let me know how you feel after you try this soup!

The Chef's Wife