Main Dishes
Chili
Who doesn’t love a good pot of Chili????
I’ll eat it anytime of the year, but there is something about a nice hot bowl of Chili when the air outside is cool and crisp and leaves are starting to fall…….
Ok Esther! Stop watching one of your “Chick Flicks”.
But, seriously….
How could you say no to this?!?
Well, I bet you can’t.
SO!
Because I love you . . . . . .
Very, very much . . . . . . .
And because I meant to do this last week, but couldn’t because my house got TORE UP AGAIN . . . . . .
I shall now give you the Recipe to this Wonderful thing called, CHILI!
(Please hold your applause until the end)
It goes a little something like this,
Recipe: Chili
Ingredients:
– 2 lbs. Ground Beef
– Nonstick cooking Spray
– 1 Large Onion
– 1 Green Bell Pepper
– 2 cups Chopped Celery
– 2 (28 oz.) Cans Diced Tomatoes
– 1 (28oz.) Can Whole Peeled Tomatoes
– Ground Cumin (to taste)
– Chili Powder (to taste)
– 1 Packet Chili Seasoning (I use reduced Sodium)
– 1 (14.5 oz) Can Black Beans, (drained and rinsed)
– 1 (14.5 oz) Can Light Red Kidney Beans, (drained and rinsed)
– 1 (14.5 oz) Can Pinto Beans, (drained and rinsed)
– Toppings: Shredded Cheddar Cheese, Sour Cream, Chopped Green Onions
Directions:
– Brown beef in skillet, drain and set aside.
– Spray large pot with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat.
– Add onion, green bell pepper, and celery and saute for 10 minutes or until vegetables start to soften.
– Stir in diced and whole tomatoes. Break whole tomatoes up just a little bit so they aren’t too big and bulky.
– Add cumin and chili powder, to taste, and allow to cook for 10 more minutes.
– Add the beans, reserved brown meat, and chili seasoning packet.
– Partially cover and let simmer for 2 hours.
– Serve with cheddar cheese, sour cream, and green onions.
NOTE: If you want, make 1 day ahead. Chili gets even better the day after!
Enjoy!
AND……
Happy Monday!
-Esther
Build your Own Pasta
My kids love it when I do “Build Your Own Pasta Night”.
It allows them to put exactly what they want in their bowl almost like being at a Buffet. Except, I don’t own that much food.
You can use absolutely anything you want. Everyone has different tastes.
I just happened to use what I had on hand.
I used some olives, capers, feta, roasted tomatoes (not pictured), and fresh basil (also not pictured).
For the roasted tomatoes, I just took some grape tomatoes, drizzled a little extra virgin olive oil over them, and a little salt and pepper. Then I roasted them at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, or until the tomatoes start to burst.
Afterwards, I sprinkled fresh chopped basil over them.
These things are so yummy. When you roast them, they become sweet and tangy and they start to produce their own juice. So, instead of doing a tomato sauce, I decided to just use these in place of it.
I chopped up extra fresh basil to sprinkle over top at the end if anyone wanted to.
A drizzle of olive oil and ………
a splash of lemon juice is always a great option when you are trying to keep it lighter instead of the typical heavy feeling pasta can take on sometimes.
That’s exactly what I did. : )
AND it was soooooooo good.
It’s a great chance to get creative and try all kinds of different toppings. This would be great for a Get Together also! Especially if you have picky eaters.
Enjoy!
Chicken Piccata
My husband loves Chicken Piccata. He also loves ANYTHING with capers. I hadn’t fixed it in a little while and the other night, I happened to have everything on hand that was needed.
Well,
ALMOST everything. Usually, the recipe I do calls for white wine. Since I didn’t have any of that, I used chicken stock. All that meant was that it would be a good substitute for the wine and my children wouldn’t be walking around bumping into things. J/K
It is actually a really easy, fast meal.
All you need is a some lemons, capers (which taste like mini olives and can be found right next to them in the grocery store), butter, spaghetti noodles, chicken stock, chicken breast and a little flour.
I guess you could call it a 30 minute 20 minute meal.
If you love lemons and olives, you will love this dish.
Recipe: Chicken Piccata
Ingredients:
-4 skinless and boneless thin cut chicken breasts
– Salt/Pepper for seasoning
– All-purpose flour, for dredging
– 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
– 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
– 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
– 1/2 cup chicken stock
– 1 small jar of brined capers, rinsed
– 1 lb. Thin Spaghetti Noodles
– lemon slices for garnish
Directions:
– Cook Thin Spaghetti Noodles according to package instructions.
– Salt/Pepper chicken breast and dredge in flour. Set aside.
– Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
– Cook chicken breast for 3 to 4 minutes on each side.
– Remove from pan and set aside.
– To the same pan, add lemon juice, chicken stock , and capers. Bring to a slow boil, scraping up any loose brown bits from chicken.
– Return chicken breast to pan and allow to simmer for 5 additional minutes.
– On a platter, layer spaghetti noodles.
– Remove chicken from sauce and layer on top of noodles.
– To the sauce, add butter and whisk until smooth.
– Throw in lemon slices and pour sauce over chicken.
Enjoy!
Z’s Yummy to my Tummy Ribs!
Let me just start by saying we love RIBS! We are definitely in the “carnivore” family. I tried it once….. LITERALLY ONCE in the “herbivore” family and I think it lasted all of 24 hours and that is stretching it.
I have nothing against Vegetarians. In fact, I eat A LOT of veggies, but I just can’t cut out meat.
So! I find it only fitting to showcase, what I like to call my hubby’s “Yummy to my Tummy Ribs”!
I feel like they are perfect for a Southern Cookout!
I really love these things!
He tries to give me all the credit, but the truth is….. I PREP…… HE COOKS!
Here is what WE do:
Take a pack of baby back ribs. I shop at Sam’s Club a lot, so I always find a pack of 3 slabs there. › Continue reading
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