Kate's Chili Fusion

Kate's Chili Fusion

I love chili in just about every style and presentation.  Cook it all day over a wood fire, put beans in it, leave the beans out of it, put it over a hotdog, or serve up a Skyline 5-way (if you know what that is, I love you), and I am in heaven.  Chili is a wonderful amalgam of flavors, and yet it is one of the most hotly debated (no pun intended) culinary rituals in the country.  I mean, really, how often do you hear someone say, “If it doesn’t have carrots, it ain’t beef stew?”

But with chili, every detail of its contents is a deciding factor for whether or not it should truly be considered chili, and depending on whose mom made it or what part of the country you are in, the same ingredient may be the pro or the con.  I say enough with the fighting!  Can we all please just agree that chili is yummy?

I can be a little devil in the kitchen, and in a “thumb the nose at territorial chili” spirit, I have built my chili to celebrate the symphony of regions and local colors from which I have enjoyed its many forms.  If you believe that chili is not chili without the beans, or that chili is just spicy stew with the beans, or that chili should never be cooked indoors, you may want to avoid this recipe.  But if you are an adventurous spirit with an open mind, enjoy!  My family certainly loves it!

Estofado de Chile

(Chili Stew)

Ingredients

1½ pounds – Beef Stew Meat

1 large – Onion, chopped

3 large cloves – Garlic, minced

2 fresh – Jalapenos, chopped

2 cans (14.5 oz.) – Petite Diced Tomatoes

1 can (15 oz.) – Tomato Sauce

1 can (6 oz.) – Tomato Paste

3 cans (15.5 oz.) – Light Red Kidney Beans (liquid drained halfway)

2 cans (15 oz.) – Black Beans (liquid drained halfway)

2 Tablespoons – Chili Powder

2 Tablespoons – Cocoa Powder

2 teaspoons – Black Pepper

2 teaspoons – Salt (or to taste)

1 teaspoon – Ground Cumin

1 teaspoon – Ground Cinnamon

1 teaspoon – Crushed Red Pepper

Preparation

• Trim the beef to remove excess fat and insure bite size chunks
• Place all ingredients in slow cooker (yes, add the meat raw)
• Cook on low heat for 6 – 8 hours, stirring occasionally
• Taste after about 4 hours and add additional seasoning if desired 

Serve

• Top a piping hot bowl with some shredded cheddar cheese
• Add a few dashes of your favorite hot pepper sauce for a little extra kick
• Goes great with a cold Dos Equis!
• Oyster crackers are a fun addition for the kids (or the kid in you!) 

Tips

• Do not brown the beef beforehand; cooking it in the chili from its raw state makes it incredibly tender and delicious.
• This recipe has a subtle heat.  You may not notice it at first; it won't make you sweat, but it builds to sinus clearing level by the end of the first bowl.
• For a milder chili, remove the seeds from the jalapeno and reduce the amount of red pepper.  For spicier, add more.
• Like all my favorites, this recipe keeps wonderfully for days, and even freezes for later use.
• My favorite addition to chili is Cholula Hot Sauce, because it has a wonderful flavor as well as nice spice.  But use what you like.

As always, happy cooking!  I would love to hear how the recipe turns out for you.

Peace and Culinary Delight,

Kate

Beef Stroganoff, A Winter Time Favorite

Beef Stroganoff is one of my favorite comfort foods, and it is a fairly simple dish to prepare.  Even better, the recipe is very forgiving, so you can add or subtract amounts and ingredients to achieve your desired taste.  Below is my rendition of this classic dish.  The flavors are mild and satisfying, perfect for a cold winter night; and you’ll have enough to share… not that you’ll want to!

Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients

¼ Cup – Olive Oil

2 lbs. – Sirloin Steak, thinly sliced

1 Medium Size White Onion, sliced

8 oz. – Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced

1 tsp. – Garlic Powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 Cans – Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 Cup – Sour Cream

4 oz. – Cream Cheese, softened

1 to 1½ Cups – Milk

Preparation

• In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat
• Add steak, onions, mushrooms, garlic powder, and salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until all ingredients are well done.
• Pour contents into strainer and let drain
• In the same skillet over medium low to medium heat, combine mushroom soup, sour cream, cream cheese, and about 1 cup of milk.  Stir until ingredients are well blended and smooth.  Bring sauce to a slow boil, stirring constantly.
• Add steak mixture to sauce, cover and let simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally.  Add more milk as needed to achieve desired consistency.

Serve

• Plate the stroganoff over extra wide egg noodles.
• Serve with your favorite green vegetables (I like Brussels Sprouts) and a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, or your favorite red wine.

Tips

• You may want to tenderize the meat with a marinade prior to preparation.  Sirloin can get tough, though simmering in the sauce does loosen it up considerably.
• When slicing the beef, do your best to slice across the grain and no more than ¼ of an inch thick.  This will help with the tenderness.
• I add a little more salt and pepper (more pepper than salt) to the pan after everything is combined, just to kick the flavor up a bit more.
• You can speed up the blending process by throwing the cream cheese in a food processor or blender with 3 or 4 tablespoons of milk.  Not necessary for a good mixture, but it will save you a little stirring.

Enjoy, and happy cooking!

Kate