Simple Beef Chili

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When the weather is cool, it is not hard for me to decide to make a nice big pot of beef chili. What is hard is trying to decide which recipe to use; there are just so many to choose from. This chili has been on our list for over twenty years, and it will stay this way for many more.

What really gives this chili a depth of flavor is adding the spices to the sautéed vegetables before browning the meat. This allows the spices to bloom, which is the key to unlocking their full flavor. 

This simple chili calls for a simple topping of freshly grated cheddar cheese, but you can certainly add topping that suits your tastes, like sour cream or chopped scallions. Sweet Cornbread on the side is a must to clean up every bit of goodness in the bowl. 

Looking for another beef chili recipe? Try this Mexican Beef Cocoa Chili. 

It is simple but with a twist. Happy cooking!

Sunday Dinner

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Tex-Mex Layer Dip (lightened up)

Green Chile Pork Posole

White Rice

Cinnamon Churros with Mexican Chocolate Sauce

I am sure many of you are familiar with the infamous Mexican Seven Layer Dip. Let me introduce you to my version of that spread, lightened up with fresh flavors and layers of goodness.  The bonus is that it is easier on the waistline and no cooking is required!

Let's talk about the layers...

Layer 1: Black beans, lime juice, chili powder and garlic

Layer 2: Creamy avocado and lime juice

Layer 3: Tangy light sour cream and chipotle chiles

Layer 4: Fresh tomatoes, jalapeños, scallions, cilantro and lime juice 

Layer 5: Scallion greens 

That's only five layers. To keep it light in calories, I forgo the other two layers of shredded cheese and black olives. I find that the cheese gets lost and the black olives overpower the other flavors. 

Try this updated version of a Tex-Mex classic. I am sure that it will not disappoint. Happy Sunday!

Marinara Sauce

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I am going to share the lasagne recipe, but before I do that, I need to share a few building blocks and add them to my recipe caché.

This is a pretty straight forward recipe that you can use on just about anything. I use it with pasta (no brainer- see Spaghetti and Meatballs), eggs (purgatory), toast (because I like it that way) and I have even added some chicken stock and called it tomato soup. 

Trust me, you are going to love this and need this.

Turkey and Black Bean Taco Salad

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Who grew up with taco salad consisting of ground beef, a taco seasoning packet, lettuce, cheese, Doritos and a dressing made with mayonnaise and ketchup? It pains me to admit how much I enjoyed that taco salad. Thankfully, my taste buds have matured and moved on.

I call this Turkey and Black Bean Taco Salad because I do have other taco salad variations depending on the protein used.  Having said that, feel free to use what ever ground meat you prefer in this recipe.  And speaking of preference, add or omit any veggies of your choosing.  This is a great salad to serve with the components set out separately so everyone can construct their own.  Any way you make it or serve it, your family or guests will be love it!  Taco-bout delicious🌮🥗!! Ok, I had to write that in😉.

Sunday Dinner

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Shrimp with Sauce Verte

Grilled Chicken Marinated with Herbs and Wine

Fresh Tomato Galette

Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Frozen White Chocolate Cream Cheese Bars with Blackberry Swirl

I've been playing in the kitchen today trying out a few new recipes, but this Fresh Tomato Galette has been a keeper for over a year now.  Fresh garden tomatoes, herbs and cheese all tucked into a buttery flaky crust? Yes, please!!  

It is a pretty straight forward recipe.  The only trick is to make sure the tomatoes are drained of excess juice in order to keep the crust from becoming soggy.  The sliced tomatoes are salted and drained in a colander, but I like to take it a step further and drain them on paper towels as well. The recipe calls for 1 1/2 pounds of fresh tomatoes and you can use any variety of tomato to your liking.  Tonight  I used a mixture of heirloom tomatoes from my garden; Brandywine, Big Rainbow, Green Zebra and Whopper.  I have also used cherry tomatoes when they are in abundance.  The herbs I use are fresh thyme and basil, but you can certainly use any herb of your choice.  Gruyère cheese is scattered on the bottom of the dough before baking, but a good sharp cheddar yields equally good results.  As I have said many times before, make it for you, make it your own.  Happy Cooking!

Thin-Crust Skillet Pizza

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What do you do when you are craving pizza, but you don't want to crank up the oven to 575° F because it is hot as blazes outside? You make Thin-Crust Skillet Pizza, of course!

This is the perfect pizza to make this time of year when fresh garden tomatoes are at their peak and you have an abundance of basil growing in the garden, Those are not secret ingredients for a great pizza, but in this recipe there is one.  Beer (I use a full-flavored ale, like New Castle).  I know,  this is not a traditional pizza dough, but let me tell you it works.  Haven't you heard of beer bread?  What about beer in a fry batter?  The beer is used in lieu of yeast to achieve that yeasty flavor.  The baking soda is used for leavening.  Some of you might already be asking, "What can I use other than beer?"  I cannot speak from experience, but I suppose you could use water, although you might want to add just a touch of dry-active yeast for flavor.  

The recipe makes two 9-inch pizzas and you'll need a 12-inch non-stick skillet.  Make sure that when you add the dough round to the hot oil in the skillet, gently lay the dough away from you to avoid oil splatter. The first side is cooked until deep golden brown and crisp, then the dough is flipped, the toppings are added, and the pizza is covered with a lid in order for the cheeses to melt.  (Watch your temperature so the bottom does not burn.)  Transfer to a cutting board, slice and serve.  😋🍕 Happy Cooking!

Grilled Steak Fajita Sheet Pan Pizza

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When you're working for the day and all you have is take-out pizza on the brain for dinner, but you're kind of craving Mexican food and you still have a leftover grilled strip steak in the refrigerator that you don't want to go to waste...what do you do?  You come home on break, do a quick search on one of your favorite cooking sites and then become inspired to make Grilled Steak Fajita Sheet Pan Pizza, of course! Doesn't everyone think like that??

The original recipe technique required pulling out the grill and grilling the steak, vegetables and the pizza.  But my steak was already cooked and I have several mouths that I need to feed, so I broke out my Sheet Pan Pizza recipe and got down to business.  While the dough was rising, I made the sauce. Oh my, the sauce is so good!  It's a South of the border adaptation to my traditional pizza sauce.  Just make sure you use chipotle chili powder and not regular chili powder for a nice smokey flavor. Instead of vinegar to brighten the sauce, I used pickled jalapeño juice that comes from a jar of jalapeño nacho slices. 

While the dough was still rising, I decided to broil the peppers and onion instead of dragging out the grill for a nice charred flavor.  Then I had my daughter, Mabelle, grate a mixture of Cheddar, Chihuahua, and Monterey Jack cheese for me before she went to soccer practice ⚽️ (she's such a good helper in the kitchen).  The only thing left was to chop some cilantro, stick my head in the oven 😉 and throw it all together!  

OMG y'all--this was mind blowing! It was like, stuff-your-face good! Or like, I can't-wait-to-have-leftover-steak-to-make-this-again good.  So, if you are celebrating Cinco de Mayo this week...make this pizza!! It has all Mexican-American flavors covered.

Sunday Dinner

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Hot Cajun Crab Dip

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

Creole Tomato Salad

New Orleans French Bread

Coffee and Chicory Crème Brûlée

Greetings and salutations from the absent GG!!  It's Sunday and I'm busy in the kitchen, so I'll keep the long overdue rhetoric to a minimum.  I've been recently updating my FB page with some Sunday dinner menus because I am trying to take baby steps back into the blogosphere and it was high time to do so here on my little space in the world.  Sooo, I'm just gonna cut to the chase and talk about the menu.  

Mardi Gras is just two days away and I have been sporting my Creole/Cajun pants the last couple of days 🎭.  This pre-Fat Tuesday feast combines my love for both said cuisines.   

Long time readers might recall one of my favorite creole salads/slaws.  This is a simple spin on that recipe where I use plump Campari tomatoes (they are pretty decent all year round and I had a craving for some sweet tomatoes) in lieu of the cabbage.  The tomatoes are sweet, the herbs and onions have a nice bite, and the dressing is bold in flavor without being over powering to the palate.  This salad provides a nice balance of flavor and texture to the meal.  Happy Sunday and "I'm glad for you ta be seein' me"- (said in my best Justin Wilson voice)!  

Sunday Dinner

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Asparagus and Goat Cheese Bites

Beef Daube with Mustard, Herbs, and White Wine

Parslied Potatoes

French Baguette

Chocolate Espresso Caramel Truffle Tart

I like to think of this dish as the Spring cousin to Beef Bourguignon.  It calls for white wine instead of red wine to braise the meat, making it a little lighter, but still full of rich flavor. Plenty of onions (never enough of those in my book), garlic and tomatoes help flavor the sauce along with a good Dijon mustard (by the way, I use Maille or Amora) and a few herbs.  I take it one step further by finishing the sauce with a little beurre manié which is a "kneaded" mixture of flour and butter.  It really makes the sauce velvety, smooth, and perfect for dragging through a crusty piece of bread.

One nice thing about this stew is that it is not as labor intensive as the Beef Bourguignon.  It's kind of a one pot meal which is perfect for me when there is a Sunday afternoon soccer game to attend. That's a score for me (and one for my little soccer player☺)!

Yikes! I need to clean my copper pot.

Sunday dinner one year ago

Sunday dinner two year ago

Sunday dinner three years ago

Homemade Pizza Sauce

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Continuing with the components for a great homemade pizza after a brief absence due to technical difficulty...

To achieve that pizza parlor taste (and smell), it is important to have a sauce that really delivers the flavor.  The keys to this homemade sauce are in the fresh garlic and the red wine vinegar.  The garlic delivers that parlor punch while the vinegar brightens up the somewhat flat and dull taste that can be found in canned tomatoes.  And speaking of canned tomatoes-- they all have different levels of saltiness, so adjust the flavor according to your own taste.  This sauce keeps well in the refrigerator for up to one week and it can be frozen for several months.  Plan ahead and stock your freezer with some homemade dough and sauce for a great tasting, crowd pleasing meal perfect for a busy weeknight.

Sunday Dinner

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Fire-Roasted Tomato Salsa and Tortilla Chips

Pork Carnitas

Onions and Cilantro

Tomato Habanero Sauce

Homemade Flour Tortillas

Guacamole

Mexican Red Rice

Homemade Refried Beans

Coconut Cream Cheesecake

This is the menu for my daughter's Sunday birthday dinner.  Twelve years flew by in a blink! She loves to enhance these flavors with a nice, spicy salsa. This recipe is adapted from one in Rick Bayless' classic Mexico-One Plate At A Time.  Who better to put your trust in for a solid recipe for Mexican food?

Sunday Dinner one year ago

Tomato Gorgonzola Pasta

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It has been quite some time since I have posted a pasta recipe.  It's odd because we usually have some sort of pasta dish about once a week. I like pasta dishes because they are quick and easy to get on the table during the busy week when the evenings are filled with taxiing the kids to and from practices and after school activities. This recipe is a good example of a quick and easy pasta dish. There are a few more ingredients than most simple pasta recipes, but it still comes together quickly and it certainly delivers the flavor.

Speaking of flavor-- one of the key flavor ingredients in this pasta is the creamy Gorgonzola. So please buy a quality brand and stay away from the pre-crumbled container. You can use any pasta shape to your liking, but I choose to stick with a medium size shell. I like the way the sauce and the tomatoes get stuck inside the shells and my kids love the shape:)

Tomato-Based Gazpacho

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It's H-O-T and I am not referring to the Tabasco in this recipe.  The temperature outside is climbing to the 100º F mark.  Definitely too hot to be turning on the stove, so a batch of this soup was in order.  It is nourishing and statisfying without weighing you down and it requires little effort.  It is also a great way to keep up your fluids and electrolytes in times of extreme heat.

Gazpacho is a chilled tomato-based raw vegetable soup that originates from southern Spain. There are many variations in color and flavor of the original gazpacho, which included fresh summer vegetables and stale bread.  Nowadays, one can find recipes for gazpachos that include fruit and seafood, as well as ingredients like avocado and cucumber that alter the color. This tomato-based recipe stays fairly close to the roots of gazpacho with the exception of the stale bread.  I keep the bread on the side for dipping.

The original recipe calls for green bell pepper and onion, but I much prefer the sweetness of red bell pepper and shallots.  I also use a few green onions for their mild onion flavor.  Fresh garlic adds a bit of a bite and fresh flat-leaf parsley lends a nice lemony note. The acidity from the tomatoes and vinegar is balanced by a good extra-virgin olive oil.  In terms of texture, make it according to your own liking.  Some prefer their gazpacho chunky and some like it smooth.  I prefer it somewhere in between with a garnish of finely diced cucumber for added crunch. Lastly, several good splashes of Tabasco will accentuate the flavor in this fresh vegetable mixture if a bit of heat is your thing.  If you can't stand the heat outside, try it in this bowl of summery goodness! 

Sunday Dinner

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Stuffed Italian Mushrooms

Sunday Sugo
Rigatoni

Braised Broccolini

Country Bread 
with Roasted Garlic and Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese

Affogato and Amaretti Cookies

Sometimes the anticipation of an experience can overshadow or even diminish its actual occurrence.  The lead up to eating this Sunday Sugo puts the experience of eating it in this form of peril.  The smell of this sauce on the stove all day reaches every corner of the house, causing many a premature stomach grumble.  After eating this sauce plenty of Sundays past, I can assure you that the taste delivers on all of that anticipation.  The pork and sausage bathe all day in the red sauce, each lending the whole pot the full depth of their flavors.  The sauce clings nicely to the rigatoni,  a bite of which can offer a delicious pause while you ponder the "pork or sausage bite conundrum".  Shake on some crushed red pepper flakes, grab a piece of warm, crusty bread and have at it.   

This is the perfect meal to serve to a large gathering of family and friends with bottles of  red wine flowing, though it is equally enjoyed by a small group with leftovers to be had for another weeknight meal.

Tomato, Leek, and Basil Soup

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After sharing the recipes for the Chocolate Budino and the Caramel de Lite Cookie Bars, I thought I should post something savory and nutritious.  With a chill lingering in the late weeks of winter, I figured that a soup would fit the bill. 

Tomato soup is like macaroni and cheese; you just can't have too many recipes.  There is cream of tomato, tomato and rice, tomato and bread, tomato bisque--the list goes on.  This recipe is one that I haven't made in a while.  It is also one of those that I need to write down before I forget the recipe.  

I like this soup thick and chunky, but you can thin it out with more chicken broth or purée it a little more for a smoother texture.  Served with some crusty bread and a dollop of crème fraîche,  this is a comforting bowl for a chilly night or rainy afternoon.

Mexican Rice with Tomatoes and Beans

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With three children and after school activities, there is one night a week where we don't sit down together as a whole family.  So, I need a meal that one can eat before practice and the rest of us can eat later without the food getting cold.  


This recipe solves that problem for me.  It is delicious all by itself, warm or at room temperature.  It is also a nice side to grilled meats, but the way we enjoy it on our busy weeknights is rolled in a flour tortilla with sour cream, cheese and toasted in a non stick skillet for a yummy burrito.  I even make a couple extra for school lunches.  Any leftovers makes a nice lunch for me the next day.  Serve with a simple salad, some sliced avocado, a good habanero hot sauce then dig in!  

You will find me saying this a lot, but please feel free to make this recipe your own.  If you don't like cilantro (I heard some people thinks it taste like soap) omit it.  If you like it spicy then add more jalapeños.  I had poblano peppers in the garden so I added them to mine.  Use water or vegetable stock to keep it vegetarian.  Just make it for you, make it your own.

Pasta alla Checca

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This is another quick and easy to put together weeknight meal.  It is a fresh, uncooked tomato sauce.  I normally wouldn't think of buying a tomato out of season, but this is a recipe where I make an exception.  Those little Nature Sweet Cherub tomatoes you find in the grocery store have a delightful sweetness to them even in the dead of winter.  


The original recipe calls for coarsely chopping the tomatoes in the food processor, but I have children.   As good of eaters as they are, they are not too fond of chunky tomatoes.  So, I puree the mixture until it resembles a creamy Italian salsa.  No chunks = happy kids!  The original recipe also serves it with thin strand spaghettini or angel hair, but since I puree my sauce I like using the twisted pasta called Gemelli.  The finer sauce clings nicely into the spriral shape.   Feel free to use whatever pasta your family fancies.  


For dinner we eat it warm with the mozzarella cheese all gooey and stringy, but my kids enjoy it so much that they ask for it in their lunch box as a cold pasta salad.  Healthy lunch = happy Mom!