Chili Week: Dragons Breath Chili

There has to be like 10 billion chili recipes out there. So naturally I was quite overwhelmed when I began my search for the best chili recipe I could find. After skimming through what seemed like hundreds of recipes I was discovered a recipe with an awesome name "Dragons Breath Chili". Sounded right up my alley. I love peppers and the spicier the better. I could not have picked a better chili recipe as this is the best I have ever had (aside from the white chili).

When I was making this I accidentally added maybe triple the beer that the recipe calls for and of course Shawn's response was something like "how can that be bad?"...and it wasn't...in fact it was quite awesome. But I can almost guarantee that if I added the correct amount of beer it would have been 100 times better. I cant really imagine it getting much better but I've got a hunch. We served this over homemade low-fat cornbread.

Dragons Breath Chili
Adapted from Foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 red bell peppers, diced (about 2 cups)
2 jalapenos, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
3 Anaheim chiles, roasted, peeled, chopped
3 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, chopped
2 yellow onions, diced (about 2 cups)
1 head garlic, minced (about 1/4 cup)
1 pound boneless chuck, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
2 pounds lean ground beef, coarse grind
1 pound turkey sausage
2 teaspoons granulated onion
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons hot paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup tomato paste
12 ounces lager beer
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken stock
2 (15.5-ounce) cans reduced-sodium pinto beans, with juice
2 (15.5-ounce) cans reduced-sodium kidney beans, with juice
Saltine crackers, for garnish (whole wheat)
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup reduced-fat shredded Cheddar

Directions:

In large stock pot over high heat, add butter and bacon grease. Add bell pepper, jalapeno, chiles and onion and cook until caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute a minute longer. Add chuck and brown. Add ground beef and sausage to brown and stir gently, trying not to break up the ground beef too much. Cook until meat is nicely browned and cooked through, about 7 to10 minutes. Add in granulated onions, granulated garlic, chili powder, paprika, cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add in tomato sauce and paste and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in beer and chicken stock. Add beans, lower heat and simmer for 2 hours.

Garnish with whole wheat saltine crackers, green onions and reduced-fat shredded Cheddar.

Bierock Casserole

Bierocks are a traditional German dish. They're usually pastry or rolls stuffed with beef and sauerkraut or cabbage. I noticed a recipe once that was a bierock casserole and I loved that idea but noticed the recipe seemed bland and needed more oomph. So I took the idea and ran with it and decided to make it for my German potluck where I made the German Pumpkin Cheesecake and Pumpkin Cream Puffs.

I think it is safe to say that a lot of people are turned off by sauerkraut. I know it does not smell the best but I love it. I think it is delicious, especially on a brat with brown mustard and onions. I expected that my potluck guests would be reluctant to try this dish because of the sauerkraut but they all tried it and proclaimed that they actually liked it and barely noticed the sauerkraut. Yay! I love surprising people with food!

Some fun facts about German food and drink (for fun thats why!)

You would have to try one kind of German bread per day for almost a whole year in order to be able to taste them all! There are over 300 different kinds of bread in Germany.

Germans really do love beer; they rank second in world-wide beer consumption per person after Ireland.

Betcha didn't know one of those! ;)

Bierock Casserole

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

3 (8 oz) cans refrigerated reduced-fat crescent rolls
3/4 cup chopped yellow onion
1 lb lean ground beef
1 lb turkey sausage
2 cups sauerkraut, drained
1 (1 oz) package dry onion soup mix
2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/2 cup dark german beer (such as becks or st paulis girl)
1 1/2 cups pepperjack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Brown onion, ground beef and sausage in a large skillet over medium high heat. Drain fat then stir in beer, sauerkraut, onion soup mix, caraway seeds, and garlic powder and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Press one and a half packages of crescent roll dough in the bottom of a lightly greased casserole dish (9x13). Spread the meat and sauerkraut mixture on top. Sprinkle with pepperjack. Then layer the rest of the crescent roll dough on top of the beef mixture, overlapping just a little. Sprinkle with the parmesan.

Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Chili-Rubbed Steak Tacos

Me and Shawn were both in the mood for steak one night (mmm red meat) and as we all know by now, I love me some mexican-style food. I found an interesting recipe online for steak tacos. Not only did they look good but they were healthy...I also had some shrimp in the freezer and decided to grill some to add to the tacos. Gotta love some surf and turf!

The only thing I did not like about these was the strong cinnamon flavor. I was worried about it so I halved what the recipe origionally called for and still found the flavor overwhelming. I wouldn't want to leave it out because it gives the steak a nice hint of warmth, so I guess it depends on your personal taste preferences how much to put in. Also, I really need to get more experience in working with meat...the meat was a little tough but I think it was my fault...perhaps the way I cut it or cooked it influenced the toughness. Other than that, these weren't bad at all, especially the cucumber avacado salsa, its so refreshing and delicious!

Chili-Rubbed Steak Tacos
Adapted from Foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon chili powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or less)
1/4 teaspoon salt
A pinch cayenne pepper
1 1/4 pound top sirloin steaks cut 1-inch thick
12 small corn tortillas (5 to 6 inches in diameter)
3 cups shredded red cabbage
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 lime, cut into wedges
2 cups Avocado Lime Salsa, recipe follows

Directions:

In a small bowl stir together chili powder, garlic, cinnamon, salt and cayenne pepper. Rub spice mixture on both sides of steaks.

Grill or broil steaks for 5 to 6 minutes on each side for medium rare, turning once. Remove from grill and let meat sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Carve into thin slices.

Warm tortillas by placing them on the grill, for about 30 seconds, turning once. Or place 6 tortillas at a time between 2 moist paper towels and microwave for 45 seconds. Wrap in cloth napkin or place in a tortilla warmer to keep warm. Place the carved steak, warm tortillas, cabbage, cilantro, lime and Avocado Lime Salsa in serving dishes and let diners make their own tacos at the table.

Avocado Lime Salsa:

1 large cucumber peeled, seeded and cut into chunks (about 2 cups)
2 avocados, cut into chunks
1/2 red onion, diced
2 limes, juiced (about 1/4 cup)
Salt
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
2 jalapeno chiles, chopped, plus more to taste

Place cucumber, avocado and onion in a large bowl and add lime juice and salt. Add cilantro and chiles and toss gently.

Yield: 2 cups (1 serving is 1/3 cup)

Easter Dinner for Two

So neither my boyfriend (Shawn by the way) or I could make it home for Easter. So I decided to take it upon myself to whip up something special for the sake of the holiday. Because lets face it, there is nothing more I'd rather be doing on a beautiful sunday afternoon than cooking up a big meal in my kitchen with the windows open and with the Food Network on in the background (sometimes when I'm feeling extra cheery I'll put on some Joss Stone or Christina Aguilera to sing along to. But that's when I really know what I'm doing and am completely comfortable with it).

We collaborated on the menu and came up with what I thought to be very satisfying and a very home-cooked eastery type of meal. Instead of the traditional ham or lamb we both decided pot roast sounded IDEAL! Along with that we had a roasted potato salad, garden pea salad, homemade pretzel rolls, stuffing and of course Easter cupcakes!

Pot Roast (I combined two of Paula Deans Recipes for this and added a few vegetables in myself)

Ingredients
1 (3-pound) boneless chuck roast
1 1/2 teaspoons House seasoning, recipe follows
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 bay leaves
1/2 cup beef stock
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup red wine
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1/2 bag baby carrots
2-4 stalks of celery, chopped

Directions:

Sprinkle roast on all sides with house seasoning. Using a skillet over high heat, sear roast until brown in oil. Place roast in a slow cooker, and layer onions, bay leaves, garlic, and cream of mushroom soup. Add the red wine, worcestershire and beef stock and cover with enough water to cover all of the ingredients. Cook on the low setting for 8 hours. (After about 2-3 hours throw in the vegetables and stir)


House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months

SUGGESTION: There is a lot of liquid leftover so I made a gravy out of it. All you do is put the excess liquid in a saucepan and heat on medium. Then you mix in a bit of cornstarch mixed with water. Mix and stir slowly until you reach your desired thickness.

Roasted Potato Salad (from Food Network)

This is a great potato salad when you want something different than your origional mayonnaise-based potato salad. The only change I made to the origional recipe is I used red potatoes instead of russet potatoes. I think they are taster and prettier :)

Ingredients:

11 tablespoons olive oil, divided
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
Handful chopped fresh thyme and rosemary leaves
3 pounds red potatoes, cut into large dice
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1 cup chopped basil leaves
Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix 6 tablespoons of olive oil, the garlic, salt, pepper and herbs. Add potatoes and toss. Spread out onto a baking sheet and bake for 55 minutes, stirring occasionally. When potatoes are golden brown remove the pan from the oven and let cool. When potatoes are cool, place them in a bowl and scrape the pan drippings into a measuring cup. Add enough oil to the drippings to measure 6 tablespoons of oil. Whisk the vinegar and mustard in a small bowl. Gradually add the oil and then mix in the shallots. Pour the dressing over the potatoes and combine. Season with salt and pepper, if needed. Add chopped basil. Let stand for 1 hour at room temperature. Serve.

Garden Pea Salad (This comes from Paula Dean...who else would I go to for home-cookin!?)

Ingredients:

1 (15-ounce) can very young early peas (recommended: Lesueur)
1/4 cup chopped onions
2 boiled eggs, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
Chopped pimento, optional

Directions:

In a colander, drain peas very well. Place drained peas in a medium bowl. Add the onions, crumbled eggs, and mayonnaise, tossing to combine and coat peas. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add pimento, if using. This recipe is easily doubled or tripled.

Pretzel Rolls (I wanted to make pretzel rolls because at one of my favorite restaraunts called Tip Top they serve a pot roast sandwhich on a pretzel roll with swiss and mustard. I get it EVERYTIME and it is DELICIOUS! I wanted to do something similar, so I handmade these rolls and had Shawn bring over provalone cheese and a-1 sauce and we made our own pot roast sandwiches...yum! If only we had Tip Tops sweet potato fries with spicy mayo to go with! OH! also, I got the recipe from recipezaar.com)

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups warm water
2 tablespoons warm milk
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
4 cups all-purpose flour
kosher salt or pretzel salt
2 quarts cold water
1/2 cup baking soda

Directions:

In a small bowl if using a bread machine, or in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix a 1/3 cup of the warm water (105-115 degrees) with the yeast and let stand until foamy.

Add the remaining cup of warm water along with milk, sugar & melted butter and swirl to dissolve the sugar. (If using a bread machine add mixture to bread machine at this point and continue). Add flour and mix on dough cycle or med-low speed. Remove dough from bread machine once it forms a nice a firm, pliable dough ball. Add more flour if necessary.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured table and knead for 2 minutes. Roll into a 2 foot long log and cut into 12 even pieces. Cover dough with plastic and a damp cloth and let sit for 10 minutes.

Pat dough into rolls or form knots and arrange on a lightly floured surface about an inch apart and cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap. Let the pretzels rest for an additional 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425°. Lightly oil 2 baking sheets.

In a large stockpot, bring the cold water to a rolling boil and add baking soda.

Drop two rolls into the boiling water and boil for no more then 30 seconds, turning once. Carefully remove with tongs or slotted spoon and hold above pot and let drain. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Repeat with the remaining rolls.

Arrange rolls on the oiled baking sheets and bake on the upper and middle racks of the oven for about 8-10 minutes, or until browned all over; shift pans from top to bottom and back to front halfway through, for even baking.

Let rolls cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a rack.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

SIDENOTE: I know this recipe looks overwhelming (in fact, I was kind of terrified) but it is actually VERY easy. You feel a great sense of accomplishment when all is said and done and you have a decent roll!

The stuffing I made was some cranberry stovetop boxed stuffing that was actually pretty tasty and only took 5 minutes to make!

I already posted the Easter Cupcakes but linked them for convenience :)

Hope everyone had as good and as filling an Easter as I did!