Easy Homemade Beer Chili Recipe

This recipe is something I’ve eaten my whole life.  My strongest memories of it are on winter days, sitting at the tile table my dad built, after my mom came home from teaching skiing.  I’m not entirely sure of the accuracy of this memory, but that doesn’t really matter.  What matters is that this is my comfort food.  And it’s really easy.

Beer is key.  I love the subtle beer flavor that this chili recipe has.  It really makes it taste like chili to me.  I’ve made it before when we didn’t have beer to add, and it just wasn’t right.  This time, we had some Baltika 6 hanging around, so I threw that in.  This is a fun beer because it is a throwback to our time in Peace Corps, Azerbaijan.  I was even able to find all the ingredients to make this chili while we were in Azerbaijan.  I digress…  So without further ado…

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 Tbs chili powder (more or less to taste)
• salt and pepper to taste
• Beer – 1 can, or bottle, or half a 20, or however much you want to use.  I usually just use whatever we have around
• 1 cup beef broth (I use a bullion cube and a cup of hot water)
• 1 large can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 small can (14.5 oz) tomato sauce
• 1 extra-small can (4 oz) diced green chilies
• 1 small can (14.5 oz) red kidney beans, drained

Directions:

1. Brown and drain ground beef over medium-high heat.
2. Add onions and saute until they begin to get soft.
3. Add cumin seeds, chili powder, salt, and pepper and saute until aromas start to smell good.
4. Pour in beer and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot.
5. Add the rest of the ingredients except the beans, and simmer for at least 1/2 hour to let the flavors meld and develop.  The longer the better on this.
6. Stir in beans when almost ready to serve.

When I was little, we would eat this chili with wheat crackers, so that’s what tastes right to me.  My husband prefers cornbread, so we have that sometimes.  Enjoy!

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Eggnog Pancakes

Here’s a really good recipe for you to try!  It feeds one toddler and one mommy.  Maybe more if your toddler doesn’t eat spoonfuls of the flour mixture.  You can double it if you have another parent or toddler who will be eating with you.

Here are the directions (more detailed directions and ingredients can be found at the end of the post):

Mix ingredients.  These are pancakes, so it doesn’t really take a lot a skills.

Pour batter onto a hot griddle.

Flip pancakes.

Realize this would be easier (and safer) if you put the baby down in her bouncy seat.  Put baby in her bouncy seat (that doesn’t look super safe on the table, but know if your heart that it is).

Finish cooking and eat.

Make sure baby falls asleep while you and your toddler enjoy your pancakes.

Done!

Now here’s how you really do it…

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp sugar
• 3/4 cup eggnog (I used light eggnog, but I suppose you could use regular)
• 1 egg
• 1Tbs oil

Directions:

1. Get a toddler.  You can skip this step if you want.
2. Mix dry ingredients together.
3. Try to stop your toddler from eating spoonfuls of flour and baking soda and salt.  Gross.  You can also skip this step, especially if you skipped step one.
4. Mix wet ingredients.
5. Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir well.
6. Cook pancakes on hot griddle until bubbles form and pop.
7. Flip and finish cooking.
8. Eat.  We ate them plain, but I bet they would be good with your favorite pancake toppings.  Especially whipped cream and a little nutmeg.

Enjoy!

 

Summer List

1.  Read 5 Books (at least).  Here’s what’s at the top of my list:

These are the five books I have on hold for my Nook through the public library.  Gotta love free reading! I’ve also just joined a book club, so we’ll see what that will bring me!

2.  Read Alma all her books.  I seem to be in a rut with Alma’s books.  She was given so many books when she was born and we haven’t gotten to many of them.  I tend to read a couple of my favorites over and over to her, but I’m sure she’d enjoy some variety.

3.  Sew 3 dresses + some.  I am making three dresses for a secret project, but I also want to try some of the many dresses I’ve pinned on Pinterest.

4. Do push-ups and sit-ups ALL.  THE.  TIME. Jesse and I tried to do 100 Pushups a couple summer ago, but I don’t think we made it.  Time for the second attempt.  I also want to do 10 minutes of ab work every other night.

5.  Take Alma to the coast.  Can it be true we still haven’t done this?  Terrible, I know.

6.  Write 4 letters.  I got this idea from Elizabeth and thought it was a lovely idea.  I’ve really been meaning to write more letters anyway.

7.  Swim ALL.  THE.  TIME.  Wherever I can, whenever I can.  I’m hoping to get to the pool a few times this summer, and to spend some time in a river or a lake.  I love swimming more than being on land.

8.  Hike a mountain.  Luckily I am surrounded.

9.  Try 10 new recipes.  Another Pinterest challenge.  I’m going to try to focus on using whole foods and cutting refined and processed ingredients.

10.  Blog whenever I do any of these things.  This might be the hardest of all.

Quick and Easy Salmon and Brussels Sprouts

I love salmon and Brussels sprouts.  Separately, they are good, but together, they are amazing!  Here’s my quick, easy, foolproof method for preparing both.  I had dinner on the table in under 25 minutes, start to finish.  That’s a win in my book.

Last night we had our salmon and Brussels sprouts with coleslaw from our fish market.  They make the best coleslaw, it’s hard to pass up when we go buy fresh fish.  I suppose this meal would be better with a nice rice pilaf or fingerling potatoes, but it’s good with coleslaw, too.

The salmon couldn’t be easier to cook.  I used to be totally intimidated by cooking fish, but then I discovered this method.  Rub olive oil on both sides of salmon, put on a baking sheet with parchment paper, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Here’s the key:  put in a cold oven then set the oven temperature to 400 degrees.  In about 20-25 minutes (depending on the size and thickness of the fish) it’s done!   I have never overcooked our salmon using this method.  A-maz-ing.

While the salmon is cooking, chop up some Brussels sprouts.  I usually quarter them, unless they’re really big, then I cut a little more.  It’s not a science.

Heat up some olive oil over medium/ medium-high heat and throw in the sprouts.  Stir occasionally while you get your relish ready for the salmon.  It usually takes 10-15 minutes total to cook the sprouts.  Turn the heat down if it seems like they are browning too quickly.  Throw some pepper in, if you feel like it.  Or some herbs.  I put herbes de Provence in pretty much everything, but you don’t have to.  Again, it’s not a science.

I love this relish, because it tastes like a summer day.  Seriously.  It’s seriously easy, too.  Chop up some herbs.  Last night I used parsley and chives because that’s what I have growing right now.  I’ve also used dill and cilantro.  Use whatever you like.  Throw in some capers, some olive oil and the juice of a small lemon.  Add pepper, but not salt (the capers have enough salt!).  Taste a little and see if you like it.  If you don’t, add more of whatever you think would make it better.  Not a science (do you sense a theme yet?).

When the sprouts are almost done, pour in a little balsamic.  Yum.  Stir it all together until the vinegar has reduced and everything looks good and done.

Take the salmon out of the oven, put it on plates, add some of the relish on top, throw some sprouts on the plate and whatever else.  Done!  So quick!  So easy!  So yummy!

Salmon

• Fresh salmon (about a half pound per person)
• Olive oil
• Salt & pepper

Relish

• Quarter cup of chopped herbs (parsley, dill, cilantro, chives, whatever)
• Juice of a small lemon
• Quarter cup capers
• Tablespoon or so olive oil
• Pepper to taste

Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

• Brussels sprouts (about a half pound per person?  Cut up however much you think you would eat)
• Olive oil for cooking
• Pepper
• 1/8th – 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (just pour it in and see how it looks)

Novruz Preparation – Making Plov and Dovga

When I lived in Azerbaijan, I got to try a lot of the traditional foods.  I guested at a lot of people’s houses, but I have to say my host mother was the greatest cook of them all.  When we left, Jesse and I made sure we got some of Bibi’s recipes.  Two that I make every Novruz are her plov and her dovga.  Plov is a rice pilaf with chicken, dried fruit and saffron.  Dovga is a warm yogurt soup with greens.  Yum.

While I have to admit that my plov doesn’t hold a candle to Bibi’s, I think it gets better every year.  I think the key (that I have somewhat neglected in the past) is copious amounts of butter.  It just doesn’t get that true Azeri flavor if you skimp on the butter.  This year we used a lot, and it was much better!

While my plov doesn’t measure up, my dovga is awesome!  Dovga is one of the things that volunteers either loved or hated.  I hated it.  Until I tried Bibi’s.  Seriously, I could barely get dovga down most times, but when Bibi made it, I couldn’t get enough!  I don’t know what it was, but I’m so glad she shared her recipe with me!

Jesse also made cutlet, which you can see in the following photo.  This isn’t really a traditional Novruz food, but it’s an American pleaser since it’s just ground beef, lamb, herbs and onions pan fried in patties.  Good stuff!

Bibi’s Plov:

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 1 – 2 hours

• 4 Chicken pieces
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 1 pound white rice
• chestnuts (I can never find this, and the canned ones are gross, so I leave chestnuts out)
• 1/2 cup yellow raisins
• Dried fruit: apricots, plums, etc
• Butter – a couple sticks
• Saffron 10-15 strands
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup yogurt

Prepare rice like normal.  While rice is cooking, prepare the chicken in a frying pan.  When rice is almost done,   strain, put in a bowl, add 2 ounces butter and set aside.  Mix eggs and yogurt in a bowl and spread on the bottom of a large pot.  Sprinkle with about a cup of the rice.  Pour chicken juices over the rice, arrange the chicken in a single layer.  Put onion slices over the chicken and top with remaining rice.  In a small bowl, dissolve the saffron in 2 tablespoons hot water.  Pour this over the rice.  Cut 1 or 2 sticks of butter over the rice.  Seal the pot tightly with a towel, put pot over low heat for 1-2 hours.  Add raisins and dried fruit 5-10 minutes before plov is done cooking.

Bibi’s Dovga:

Prep time/ cook time: 30 minutes

• 1 quart plain yogurt
• 2 cups water
• 3 Tbs flour
• 1/2 cup white rice
• 1 egg
• 1/2 bunch Italian parsley
• 1/2 bunch cilantro
• 1/2 bunch spinach
• 1 small bunch dill

Cut up greens and set aside.  In a small bowl, mix rice and egg.  In a large bowl mix yogurt, water and flour.  Add rice to yogurt mixture and put on stove.  Bring to a bowl, stirring constantly.  When rice is soft, add greens and keep stirring.  When greens are soft serve in small bowls or glasses, with or without spoons.

Oh my gosh, my mouth is watering!

Novruz Preparations – Part 1

It’s that time of year again.  Actually, it’s a little after that time of year, but hey, we were busy!  It’s Novruz!!  Novruz is my second favorite holiday of the year (Christmas is just slightly better).   Jesse and I first learned about and celebrated Novruz while we were in the Peace Corps in Azerbaijan.  It celebrates the new year that begins on the first day of spring.  You can read more about it here.  Alma and I spent about an hour today working on our first preparations for our 3rd annual Novruz party.

Alma helping me make chocolate syrup, Novruz eggs and empty the dishwasher.

To keep up with my goal of using my time in the kitchen wisely, while the eggs were cooking, I also made a batch of chocolate syrup and worked on cleaning up some of our dishes.

Women in Azerbaijan work very hard to provide an amazing feast for their families.  These feasts might happen on each Tuesday before the equinox and an ever bigger feast on the equinox.  Like I said, Azerbaijani women work very hard.  I started my prep by hard boiling 10 eggs and dying them.  Not too hard for the first round of prep.

I love that eggs are part of this Islamic celebration.  It really reminds me how truly connected and similar Islam is to Christianity.  If only everyone could see it that way.  Like Easter eggs, Novruz are dyed various colors.

While Easter eggs are hidden and found, Novruz eggs are part of a different game.  Each person picks an egg, then people go around the table trying to break each others’ eggs by tapping them together.  The person who has the unbroken egg in the end is the winner!

An experiment with beans

Last week I tried my hand at making an easy cassoulet.  I didn’t like how it turned out, so I’m not sharing the recipe quite yet.  I might try to tweak it so it’s more to my taste, then again, maybe I won’t.  I did get to use some of the beans I prepared last Monday.  I also got to use some of the carrots that are still in my garden from last summer.

Unfortunately, I had to dig them out as they were covered in snow.

I had my trusty assistant, again!  This is kind of blurry, but she was so cute and happy I had to include her!

The cassoulet looked pretty and tasty, but it was lacking something.  The flavors weren’t very strong, so I might try a spicier sausage or really amp up the herbs next time.

It’s always fun to try new recipes, even when they don’t turn out!  It just makes me want to figure out what went wrong and try again!

Cooking Day With Alma

Last week I went to a talk given by Jami from An Oregon Cottage and was inspired.  She talked about living frugally and cooking from scratch.  A couple years ago I baked all our bread for a year, I have made lots of things from scratch over the years, we were semi-vegetarian for about a year.  Most of that flew out the window when I got pregnant last year.  All of it was out the window when Alma was born in January.

So, here I am, giving it all another go!  With a 2 1/2 month old… wish me luck!

Today I followed Jami’s advice and tried to multi-task in the kitchen.  Alma was my sidekick for most of the process and we were able to make granola, bread, salad dressing, peanut butter bites and beans to freeze and use this week.

I made all of this in less than two hours!  Hard to believe, isn’t it?

Alma spent some of the time watching me from her bouncy seat.

She was also amazing enough to take a small nap in her crib.  We are working hard on getting her to nap in her crib.  She’s getting better and better every day!

We finished up with her in the Ergo.

Not bad for my first attempt at this kind of thing with a new baby!  I’m excited to do more!