Chicken and Dumplings - a two part saga in deliciousness!

CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS!!

This comfort food has always been a standbye standard in my repertoire. Over the years I've experimented with many variations that have all been delicious, though some recipes can be quite precarious. Sometimes the fat content is too high, sometimes the soup can burn too easily, sometimes your dumplings just get TOO fluffy and fall apart (that's a real disappointment!). This most recent recipe has proven to hold up quite well, even to reheating, plus it's a simple go-to that combines a little bit of gourmet and a little bit of "store-bought goodness" with a lot of love. Plus it's a healthier alternative for those of us who need less of that goodness in our lives! I hope y'all can try it and let me know how successful it was for you!

CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS...

• 
  
  4 T unsalted butter


• 
  
  3 T all purpose flour


• 
  
  1 cup diced celery


• 
  
  1 cup diced carrots


• 
  
  2 cups diced small redskin potatoes (skins on is fine)


• 
  
  4-6 cups stock (your choice, veggie or chicken...use your store bought favorite)


• 
  
  have additional stock on hand...you'll need about 3 cups to cook your


• 
  
  dumplings in


• 
  
  3-6 pounds boneless skinless chicken of your choice


• 
  
  In my recipe, I used chicken tenders. They're easy to work with, cook


• 
  
  quickly and you can pretty much pull out 3-4 per person. Also, when


• 
  
  you're dishing this up, you don't have to try and cut your chicken into


• 
  
  smaller pieces, you can just create your serving with the whole


• 
  
  tender. You could also just use whole chicken breasts, allowing them


• 
  
  enough time to cook down so you can easily "break" them into pieces


• 
  
  in your soup. You could add some boneless dark meat as well for some


• 
  
  extra special flavor, or as a less expensive option to your white meat.


• 
  
  PS...I USED FROZEN CHICKEN TENDERS. STRAIGHT FROM THE


• 
  
  FREEZER AND RIGHT INTO THE SOUP. IT TAKES A LITTLE LONGER


• 
  
  FOR IT TO COME UP TO TEMPERATURE AND BEGIN TO BOIL, BUT


• 
  
  IT'S A QUICK AND EASY SHORT CUT!


• 
  
  1-3 cans of small buttermilk biscuits (you can buy larger biscuits and cut them into smaller pieces, too. I find that the small biscuits come in counts of ten and that usually serves two hungry people)

THE VELOUTE (a fancy word that means a soup made with stock and a blonde roux)

This is going to be the base of your chicken and dumplings. Plus, once you've learned to make this soup, you've conquered one of the three main base soups from which all the greats are derived.

Melt your butter in a large pot. (I used 5 quart and had plenty of room...make sure it has a lid!) Add the flour and whisk in to combine and creat your roux. Allow this to bubble up and start cooking together for a good 5-7 minutes. Throw in your celery and cook another 4-5 minutes before adding your carrots.

Season this concoction with salt and pepper and continue cooking about 10 minutes altogether, stirring constantly. Throw in your potatoes and stir them into the mix. You might need to season a little more for your potatoes...salt and pepper. Continue cooking a couple of minutes.

You're now going to start adding your stock....

Add about 1/4 cup stock (room temperature if you can so there's less clumping, meaning less work for you!) and stir or whisk in thoroughly to break everything down. Once you have a nice thick soup working, add about 4 more cups of stock and stir together thoroughly. You just want to cover the vegetables and give them a little room to move around. Throw in a couple of bay leaves and any herbs you might have on hand. Bring this up to a boil, and then lower your heat to a med-low for a good simmer. Cook covered until your potatoes are fork tender; about 15-20 minutes.

NOW! If you have an emulsifier you'll need it now. If you don't, you just need your standard blender. Here's what I did....

Strain the contents of your soup into a large bowl, separating your veggies and herbs from your soup base. Pick out the bay leaves and whole herbs. Blend the veggies in batches with your soup base until smooth and creamy, returning each batch to your original pot. You'll end up with a gorgeously smooth and delicious veloute (of sorts).

Add another cup or so of stock to loosen things up a bit and throw in your chicken. If it's frozen, like mine was, add it and some additional seasoning to the pot. If it was not frozen, you can season it ahead of time. Stir everything up and allow the heat to come back up to a boil. Drop your heat to that low simmer again. Cover the pot and let the chicken cook for about an hour. This part of the process is what is going to take the longest.... Add the end of that hour, stirring your pot occasionally, your chicken will be very tender and you'll be able to easily break it up with a wooden spoon. That's when you know you're ready to serve. You can let this hang out on the stove if you like. It just gets better with more time.

In a separate and smaller pot, with a lid or some covering that can act as a lid, bring your reserved chicken stock (2-3 cups depending on how big your pot is...you want it deep enough for your dumplings to swim in) up to a boil. Drop the biscuits in one by one into the boiling stock. Cover and drop your heat to low simmer (again) and allow the biscuits to cook for 10 minutes. Uncover and check on them, turning each one with a spoon, and continue to cook for about another 3-5 minutes.

Keep the dumplings separate until everyone's been served. You can throw all the extra dumplings and stock into your chicken soup when you're done. It re-heats like a dream over low heat. Enjoy this wonderful stand-by comfort food and enjoy without too much guilt because we did it a little healthier by omitting heavy cream or half-and-half!

I hope you all try this one out and let me know how it works for you!

May your eats be delicious and your dinners divine!!

Ashley

Baked Ziti.......yummmmmmmmmm

We're heading into Fall...that means cold. Cold means comfort! I've been craving mac and cheese for several days now, but have not made the commitment to actually move forward on this craving. Last night, I came close with baked ziti. I picked up a box of the tiny, tubular pasta at the store the other day and let the recipe start stewing. After a few days of thinking on it, here's where I went...... The outcome? A deliciously rich, creamy, cheesy pasta bake, perfect for a 45degree Fall Cleveland evening.



For starters, I had to make an italian sausage bolognese. This is a very simple sauce, the recipe for which I've posted on my Facebook cooking page. Let me know if anyone needs this recipe!



BAKED ZITI

• 3-4 cups Italian Sausage bolognese

Preheat oven to 425degrees.

You'll also want to pull together your bread topping and let it sit for a few minutes. The bread will soak up all the goodness and bake beautifully over your pasta....

• 1/4 cup of milk


• whisk together with


• 2 large eggs and a pinch of salt


• fold in


• 3 slices of fresh bread, diced


• 2 cups of grated cheeses (I used mozzarella and mild cheddar...try out some different flavors. You're going to use the same cheeses in a sauce for your pasta, below...)

1/2 pound ziti (1/2 a box...boiled in heavily salted water to al dente...about 6 minutes)

• once your pasta is drained, throw it in a big bowl and add a splash of milk

Add 1 1/2 cups of your bolognese to your pasta. Make the following cream sauce and add to the pasta as well....

• 3 T butter


• 2 T flour


• whisk these together to form a roux and then slowly add the next group of ingredients, whisking in one by one and bringing up to heat...


• 1/2 t cayenne


• 1-1 1/2 t nutmeg


• 1 1/2 cups milk


• 1 cup salted water, reserved from your pasta


• allow to cook until thickened and reduced, then whisk in....


• 1/2 cup creamy cheese (like a cream cheese or mascarpone...or even a goat cheese!)


• 2 cups of assorted other grated cheeses (I used mozzarella and mild cheddar...parmesan or romano would work great, too)

In a deep well oiled casserole, layer 1/2 cup or so of your bolognese to just cover the bottom, top with the pasta concoction you've made above, another layer of sauce over the pasta, and then top with the diced bread mixture. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden and crusty on top. (I put my casserole on a cookie sheet in case of overflow...it did overflow a little!) Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes and serve hot! Sprinkle with some freshly chopped basil and more sauce and cheese if you're feeling especially in need of some extra comfort....

May your eats be delicious and your dinners divine!!

Ashley

An experiment in frozen broccoli

Note: I will not call this a casserole...there's a stigma attached to this word that really weirds me out. Don't get me wrong. Anything smothered in cheese and baked for 45 minutes has got some real potential at being delicious! I do have reservations, however, when "A CAN OF..." anonymous-soup is included in the ingredients.



This was also an entry into experimenting with frozen vegetables. Budgets being tight, I'm trying out some new ideas to make our grocery budget stretch. I do believe that given proper treatment, the frozen veggies have their place at any dinner table. Fresh is always great, but not always economical, especially with the fall and winter months upon us.



What I came up with last night, we'll call a BROCCOLI CHEESE BAKE. The flavors were outrageously good, balance was spot on, and it complimented the slow roasted pork I had been cooking all day beautifully well. I hope some of you will try this EVER-so-EASY recipe!!



BROCCOLI CHEESE BAKE

• 1 large bag frozen broccoli


• 1/2-1 cup crumbled cornbread (I had this leftover...you could use any old bread you want to make breadcrumbs out of, but the cornbread provided a sweet and delicious binding agent. I used the equivalent of 2 smallish pieces.)


• 3/4 cup sharp cheddar


• 1/4 cup parmesan (or other white cheese)


• 1 cup rice


• 1 T salt

Mix all of the above and pour into a prepared (sprayed with Pam) 2" casserole dish, with lid.

• Mix together 1 can evaporated milk and 1 cup stock (I used chicken) and pour over the contents of your "non"-casserole.

Bake in a preheated 350degree oven for 30-40 minutes covered. Uncover and continue to bake an additional 10-15 minutes, or until golden on top. (Your rice is probably going to need at least 45 minutes to completely cook.)

Let me know if you try this recipe or come up with any clever variations!!

May your eats be delicious and your dinners divine!!

-Ashley

Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder

Pictured here are two pork shoulders that I roasted and shredded for CSU Summer Stages opening party. I set up a Taqueria party complete with several fresh salsas, roasted corn on the cob, and various tortillas and cheeses. It's an easy set up that requires very little maintenance and therefore, allows you to fully enjoy the party at hand! We duplicated the buffet a couple of weeks later in Texas for my dear neices graduation and this pork is a HUGE hit!

This recipe takes time but has very minimal prep for a huge payoff. Leftovers can be used in a chili (see post from a few weeks ago) or rolled into delicious enchiladas, especially if you've set up the whole taqueria. I love rolling the shredded pork with some queso blanco and rosted poblano peppers into corn tortillas (my preferred tortilla for enchiladas) and then baking the enchiladas in a salsa verde for about 45 minutes (30 minutes covered, 10-15 uncovered).

SLOW ROASTED SHREDDED PORK

• 4-6 lb pork shoulder (skin on or off...the above has skin on, which when slow roasted, becomes crisp, delicious chiccarones)
• your favorite dry rub or seasoning (TexJoy BBQ seasoning is my favorite on this recipe)
• 4 bunches of cilantro
• 1 head of garlic
• juice of two medium limes
• olive oil (enough to bring together your wet rub; the previous three ingredients)

PREP: I recommend using a disposable pan for this. It gets messy and I don't like to scrub. I have used a lasagna pan (as pictured above) with 2-3 layers of heavy duty foil lining it to make clean up a little easier. Drizzle a couple of tablespoons of oil into your pan and swirl around to coat the bottom. You can use a non-stick spray if you prefer. Just make sure your pan is deep enough to allow for the drippings that your shoulder will exude...at least 2".

SHOULDER PREP: If your shoulder has the skin on, you will need to separate it from the meat. You're going to leave the skin partially attached as it will keep your meat moist while you're roasting the shoulder. It's very simple...don't be intimidated! Using a small paring knife, start away from the shoulder joint and start cutting under the skin, separating the layer of fat and skin from the meat below. The skin will fold back like a big "flap". Once you've completed this, stab the shoulder liberally working out all your frustrations from the week. Use your dry rub and cover the shoulder on all sides.

WET RUB: Add cilantro (just chop the tops off the bunches...don't worry about any stems you might get, they're just going to get chewed up in the food processor), garlic cloves and lime juice to a blender or food processor. Start your equipment of choice and slowly stream in 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to pull everything together. You're essentially just making a pesto. When you've completed this step, apply your pesto over the dry rub on the pork. Fold your skin flap over, cover with foil, and refrigerate overnight to let all those flavors settle in and start working on the pork.

ROASTING!!

Pull the pan with your pork out of the fridge and turn your oven on to 375degrees to pre-heat. This allows your shoulder to come closer to room temperature and relax a bit before you shock it with the heat of the oven. You have two options at this point:

• If you have shoulder with skin on and you plan on consuming the chiccarones later, you will want to roast uncovered the entire time. This will ensure crisp chiccarones.
• If your shoulder does not have skin attached, or if you're concerned about it drying out too much and don't really want to eat the chiccarones, keep it covered with foil throughout the roasting.
• As a side note, if you do choose to leave it uncovered, you can always cover it later in the roasting process. Just keep in mind you will not get the crispy skin and you should try this at least once in your lifetime...seriously.

Put your shoulder in your pre-heated oven and roast at the high temperature for 35-45 minutes. You'll begin to smell the garlic just starting to over-cook. Reduce the heat in your over to 200degrees and let the pork cook for anywhere from 6-10 hours. The time required will depend on the size of your shoulder.

When is it "done"??? The pork is ready when a fork will easily shred the outer layer of the meat. Last weekend, for instance, I had roasted the pork about 7 hours. When I checked with the fork it took some effort to shred off the outer layer of meat. I was a little concerned about the moisture content in the pan, there weren't very many drippings, so I covered the pan with foil and returned the shoulder to the oven for another 3 hours or so. TRUST ME when I say, you'll know the difference when your fork easily shreds away the outer layer of the meat and is truly ready to enjoy.

This recipe is so easy. It only requires time. As I said before the payoff is SUBLIME!

Until my next post...

May your eats be delicious and your dinners divine!!

Ashley

Blended Mushroom Dirty Rice Risotto

I have been promising this side dish (also would be a great main dish) for about a week now...I thought it was about time I actually type it up!!



I came up with this two weeks ago Friday when we had dinner with our dear friend Holly Holsinger. She is on faculty at CSU with Michael and heads the Acting department. She is an amazing actor and professor, and she is also a pescatarian (mostly vegetarian but eats fish). It is because of our dear friends like Holly, that I changed my cooking philosophy a few years back. Growing up in the South and learning to cook with a Southern sensibility, I was always taught that no vegetable was complete with bacon...or ham hocks...or chicken stock. This meant that when we had guests who were vegetarian I had to either eliminate the meat in the side dishes or create completely new dishes. It stretched me as a cook and foodie and while I love bacon, and I truly do, I've found that fresh vegetables and herbs with proper seasoning and care just don't need it.



For Holly's dinner, we had this side dish, Mushroom Dirty Rice Risotto, with blackened catfish and the okra and tomatoes from a couple of blogs ago. This recipe takes some time, but is well worth the effort. Once you've gotten the knack of a basic risotto you can add any number of ingredients to compliment your meal.



MUSHROOM DIRTY RICE RISOTTO

• 2 T olive oil


• 1 cup rice (I use inexpensive Carilla parboiled long grain rice, but you can certainly us something more exotic like Arborio. Arborio is what is traditionally used in risottos and is a small pearl shaped rice.)


• 4 cups (or one large container) vegetable stock, brought to a simmer


• 1 small onion, diced


• 3-4 cloves garlic, diced


• 16 oz of various mushrooms, cleaned and sliced into even pieces (I buy a "Gourmet Blend" that's pre-packaged in the vegetable section of the market. You can use absolutely any kind of mushroom. The prepackaged also come sliced and chopped up so they're ready to go.)


• 1/3 cup finely chopped olives (Again, any olives you choose. I used manzanita pitted olives stuffed with pimiento, quick chopped with the brine in a small food processor.)


• 2 T butter, plus more for browning mushrooms


• 1/2 cup milk


• coarse salt, to taste


• cayenne pepper, to taste

*I use a heavy cast iron skillet to make the risotto. It distributes heat evenly and you can use just one pan for the entire recipe.

Heat olive oil with about 1/2 T butter in skillet. Brown mushrooms in batches and drain on paper towels. To get a really great carmelized color on the mushrooms, don't crowd the pan. Set mushrooms aside.

Bring another 1-2 T olive oil up to medium-low heat and melt 1 T of butter into the skillet. Use both for two reasons: the olive oil will keep your butter from burning and turning brown, and it adds less fat while still giving you the flavor of the butter. Add onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and cook until you start to get a slight color. Add rice and olives and mix well. Season with cayenne, to taste. BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT ADDING ANY SALT: if you're using a boxed vegetarian stock, they tend to be a little on the salty side; also, remember that you're adding the olives which should add more than enough salt to flavor the dish.

At this point, you'll start adding the simmering stock. By having it simmering alongside your skillet, you speed up your cooking process. The stock cooks into the rice more readily. Start adding the stock 1/2 cup - 1 cup at a time. More in the beginning will help get things going, but if you add too much at a time, the rice will overcook and start to become mush. Slowly but constantly, stir the rice and stock mixture. The rice will gradually begin to absorb the stock. When you're stock is completely absorbed, or almost, add the next 1/2-1 cup of stock and repeat until all your stock is stirred in. Add the last bit of stock with milk and the remaining 1T of butter. Put the mushrooms on top of the risotto, cover and drop the heat to low.

Just prior to serving, stir the mushrooms into the risotto. If serving as your main dish, top with a little grated parmesan and some chopped herbs. With a loaf of crusty bread this would make a deliciously satisfying late night supper. And as I said before, once you have the basics down, you can make absolutely ANY kind of risotto you like!

May your eats be delicious and your dining divine!

Ashley

Summertime means okra...and tomatoes, of course

Summertime means many things to many people. For me it means a little break from the regular craziness of life, lazier mornings, lemon meringue pie, heirloom tomatoes and other gloriously fresh vegetables...like okra! Being from Southeast Texas, cajun foods were as much a part of growing up as Mexican/Tex Mex and Southern specialties. One of my favorites, any time of year, but especially in the summer, is okra and tomatoes. This is a great staple to have in your repertoire and makes an amazing side dish or a filling sumptuous dinner. (Last night we ate it like a stew over steamed rice.) (PS...if you've read this far, there's a HUGE secret I'm going to share in this recipe....read on....)

Now, all this talk of fresh vegetables is great, but I do have to complain about the okra this year. It's terrible here in Ohio. I passed on offerings at the West Side Market and the generic grocery store and opted for frozen okra this time around. Frozen vegetables add convenience to any meal and when you throw in fresh market finds with them, it's very hard to tell the difference.

If you live in an area where the okra is a beautiful bright green and nice and firm, not shriveled up and all brown, try making it fresh and see if, after you've prepped the okras, you don't wish you hadn't just used the frozen in the first place. The main problem that most people have with okra is the slimy texture that occurs when it is cooked. You can eliminate this sliminess if you prep the fresh okra by slicing and blanching (boil in salted water for 3-4 minutes and submerge into an ice water bath to stop the cooking). Your slime will be left behind in the water. You can also spread your slices on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake the okra at 325degrees for 10-12 minutes. This will slightly dehydrate your okra and prevent it from sliming up on you. Of course, if you want to forgoe all of that, you can just buy frozen like I did a few days ago.

Your basic okra and tomatoes is just that with a blend of trinity and a few choice seasonings. When I make this dish, I try to use as much color as possible: red onion and gold bell pepper for instance. The intensity of flavors comes right out with the acidity of the tomato and the dish just looks that much more attractive. Many add meat to their okra and tomatoes such as andouille or any smoked sausage. If you have access to tasso (a beef roast seasoned with cajun spices, smoked down to about 1/4 its original weight to intensify flavors), it would make a great base starter, but the secret I share below adds as much flavor and keeps your dish vegetarian.

OKRA AND TOMATOES!

STEP 1:

• 1-2 T cooking oil (I like canola...EVOO works just as well)
• 2-4 T tomato paste (about half a can...and here's a huge secret to my flavor base that adds an exceptional layer to ANY sauce...especially tomato based sauces)
• In a medium to large saucepot (with lid) bring the oil up to a medium high heat. Add your tomato paste, being very careful of the hot oil, and whisk it around. Leave it alone and you're going to almost let it burn to the bottom of the pot. I can't tell you how long to cook it exactly because your pot and heat source are going to vary from mine, but you want the paste to darken in color and start to break down. You'll also find an AMAZINGLY GLORIOUS smell coming from the kitchen. If you go too far with it, you will start to get a slightly burning smell. It's just before THAT POINT that you want to drop your heat to a medium-low.
• THIS SECRET IS GOOD FOR ANY TOMATO BASED SAUCE. IT WILL ADD DEPTH AND ENORMOUS FLAVOR.

STEP 2:

• 1 medium red onion (diced)
• 2-3 cloves of garlic (diced)
• 2-3 ribs of celery (finely diced)
• 1 large yellow bell pepper (coarsely chopped)
• Add the onions to the tomato paste base and mix well, stirring up all the beautiful color and flavor. Give the onions 2-3 minutes to cook down, and add your garlic. Cook until the garlic just starts to smell aromatic (about a minute). Add the celery and bell pepper together. Stir together and season with about 1T of your favorite seasoning blend. (I prefer TexJoy: low sodium/no MSG). Allow the blend of vegetables to cook for 3-5 minutes and while they are cooking....
• Coarsely chop up a large red tomato. This is a great use of tomatoes that have become a little soft and over-ripe. Add this tomato to your pot. If you have several large tomatoes to use and they have a great intense flavor with a summer sweetness, keep chopping and adding until you've balanced your pot equally with tomatoes and trinity. If you don't have the fresh tomatoes, the canned ones work just as well. I usually use one large can of diced tomatoes. (You'll have the option with the canned tomatoes of selecting chopped with assorted herbs, onions, etc. Use whatever you think is going to work best for you. This past week I used chopped tomatoes with peppers/onions/basil already chopped in. It adds another layer of flavor and you have the chunks of fresh tomato to help brighten the intensity of the flavor.)
• Allow these flavors to blend and come together for 5-7 minutes.

STEP 3:

• Add your okra. In a 5 quart pot I use 2 pounds (or 2, 16 oz bags of frozen okra)
• Stir well to blend everything together. Cover and drop to a low heat. You want things to simmer together over the coarse of an hour or so and you want them to simmer slowly. If you give it too much heat, things will begin to stick to the bottom of your pot and you'll end up burning everything. (Good thing to note when reheating this dish, too...heat low and slow.) If you should accidentally burn the okra and tomatoes you have two options: You can try to placate your guests with biscuits and liquor to kill the burned flavor, or you can lie and tell them it's "blackened 'cause it's cajun" and that it's supposed to taste slightly burned, but trust me and try not to burn it in the first place.
• Allow the pot to simmer over low heat for an hour or longer. With a dish like this you can walk away and let it get better with time. Visit it occasionally to stir and savor the beautiful smells coming from the pot.

A successful pot of okra and tomatoes is rich and satisfying! Try it over steamed rice with a big chunk of cornbread or as a side to any meat dish. It has the intesity to stand up to beef and a brightness that will add flavor to fish and chicken. Just make sure you have biscuits to sop up all the goodness that's left on the plate!

May your eats be delicious and your dining divine!!

Ashley...XOXO

Chili...Texas Style...at least in my part of Texas

TEXAS CHILI!! Great to warm you up and keep you thinking of home and all the ones you love during the long winter months, but absolutely IMPERATIVE for hot dog weather. Summer is upon us and I will usually have a pot of chili in the fridge ready to go at a moment's notice. Last night we enjoyed it with spaghetti (Cincinatti style...this picture isn't a great representation but it was pretty good.)

Now, why chili on the first blog?? I've given my first post lots of thought. This post is dedicated to a couple of things: first, my heart really does belong to Texas and the food of Texas; secondly, this first post is dedicated to my eldest niece Abigail who is venturing out on her own for the first time in her life. Abi, who just moved into new apartment, is not the cook in the family. She once called her mother because she was trying to boil water and was afraid she had burned it. With the fear that she would starve first and foremost, or even worse, burn down her new apartment, we discussed that she needed to learn how to cook SOMETHING and that chili was a great staple to have in one's repertoire. A pot of chili can be thrown together in little time with great results, and usually with things you have on hand. It's a great way to get rid of leftovers, and as Michael will tell you, I HATE LEFTOVERS! I've also never really written down the actual recipe I use for chili so I thought it was a good way to take care of that, too.

Two big questions arise in the arena of chili: how thick do you like it? and do you add beans? As I enjoy mine topping hot dogs, brats, and Fritos I like it very thick, full of flavor and YES, I like to add beans. I usually add 3-5 different beans depending on what I have on hand and how much room there is in the pot.

The basics begin with your meat. I love to use leftover anything to base my chili. The end cut of a slow roasted brisket, shredded pork, chicken... you name it. Ground beef is a good basic and a staple that most people have in the freezer. I recommend an 80/20 mix for flavor. I do have to say of all the pots of chili I have made, the end cut of a brisket with whatever leftovers there might be shredded with it has made for a delicious blend of flavors.

To your base meat goes the trinity (basic blend of chopped onion, celery and bell pepper), a couple cans of beans, canned tomatoes and a blend of seasonings or dry rub heavy on the chili powder. That's about it. Here, for Abi and all of you, a basic and very simple chili.

TEXAS STYLE CHILI...at least from my kitchen....

• 1/2 - 1 pound ground or shredded meat...any meat you choose, as noted above
• 1 medium onion, finely diced...cheap yellow or white onion unless you need to impress someone, then you can use red
• 1 - 2 cloves of garlic, finely diced (or 2 teaspoons of garlic powder)
• 2 - 3 ribs of celery, finely diced
• 1 medium green bell pepper, finely diced
• 4 - 6 cans of assorted beans, I usually use 2 of each black and pinto, and 1 each of light and dark red kidney beans
• 1 large (28 oz) can of tomatoes in any form but crushed is the easiest and least amount of work...the others need to be chopped up or pureed in a blender
• 4 - 6 T chili powder (you'll add this over the course of making the chili to flavor every element you add)
• 2 - 4 T cumin, add more if you like the flavor
• course salt to taste (to your taste that is)
• 2 - 4 T cayenne pepper (depending on how much heat you enjoy)
• Speaking of heat, a chopped jalapeno can be added if you have one, or any peppers for that matter
• I usually keep an open beer on hand for deglazing the pan and breaking up your ground meat if you're using fresh but this is completely optional

Your chili pot should be larger than you expect. I use a 5 quart dutch oven and get very close to being in real trouble when I've got all my ingredients added. It does, and should, cook down, but always go bigger when you're starting out. You can always transfer to a smaller pot!

If your meat is cooked, you just need to finely dice or chop it, or shred it for a great texture. If your meat is not cooked, follow this next step. Place your ground meat in a small bowl and cover with about half a bottle of beer. This will help you break up the lumps of ground beef. Heat a tablespoon or so of cooking oil in your chili pot at a medium to low-medium heat. You just want it to cover the bottom of your pot and we're just trying to cook the meat off a bit. Add your ground beef to the pot (beer and all if you used the beer) and season immediately with a healthy pinch of salt, 2 T of the chili powder and about 1 T of the cumin. Adding the seasoning now really gets it cooked into the meat. Cook until your meat is lightly browned and your beer is cooked off. If you are a meticulous cook, at this point you can remove the meat and strain the grease out of your pot. I'm a lazy cook so I just leave everything in the pot. And for heaven's sake, leave the grease...all that fat adds beautiful flavor and prevents you from adding more oil later on.

Add your onion cooking 1-2 minutes until "translucent" (or until they really start to smell good). Follow up with the celery (2 minutes or so) and finally the bell pepper. This would be when I would add any other peppers you might want to throw into the mix. Season the vegetables with salt, chili powder and cumin and let them come together. If things start to stick a little, add a couple of tablespoons of the beer, if you haven't drunk it by now.

SIDE NOTE: If you're using the raw meat and cooking it in the pot, add your trinity SECOND. If you're using meat that's already cooked and shredded up, cook your trinity FIRST. This gets everyone on board going at the same pace so you don't dry out your beautiful shredded brisket. Once you've added your pre-cooked meat, allow it to heat through and bring everything up to temperature.

Drop your heat to a low-medium at this point and add your beans. If you've got lots of time to let the chili cook down, or if you prefer your chili a little looser, only drain and rinse half the beans you're using. To speed things up, I usually drain and rinse all the beans. You can add whichever beans you like. I find the blend of pintos, black, and double colored kidneys adds a nice colorful palette and texture. SIDE NOTE ON THE CANNED BEANS: if you store them upside down and open them from the bottom, it's easier to get the cans clean for recycling...just something I've learned over time. SEASON THE BEANS BEFORE YOU STIR THEM IN!!! Healthy pinch of salt, 2-3 T of your chili powder, cumin. Slowly stir them into the mix.

If using crushed tomatoes, you can add them into the pot at this time. If your tomatoes are whole stewed, peeled, etc., give them a rough chop before you add them, or throw them into a blender and puree until smooth. Pour your tomatoes in and, once again, season before you stir them in. Salt, remaining 2 T of chili powder, remaining cumin.

Bring all of this up to a medium low heat. You just want a slight simmer. If you bring your heat up too quickly, your beans will stick to the bottom of your pot and you will burn everything. This is also important to remember when you're re-heating. When you've got everything up to temperature together and are stirring frequently, drop your heat to a low simmer and vent your lid. Your chili is now together and just needs to sit and cook down for an hour or so. If it feels a little thick, thin it out with your choice of liquids: more beer, water, stock. Add any liquids sparingly a little at a time. The elements of your chili are going to keep releasing liquid as you cook them.

Once you've cooked to a consistency that you enjoy, serve on top of hot dogs, brats, rice, spaghetti, or just in a big bowl. We traditionally ate this with long grain white rice, shredded cheddar and crackers. A note on re-heating: SLOWLY is the best way. If you only need one or two servings, you can re-heat in a smaller pan to speed up the process.

If any of you have tips that make your chili especially delicious, or if anyone tries this recipe, please post and let us all know! Since this recipe has gone a little longer than I anticipated, I'll close for now. Keep an eye out for updates though! I'm going to post the spaghetti chili from Friday night soon!!

May your eats be delicious and your dinners be divine...

Ashley