Chili

Jesse James (1847-1882), outlaw and desperado of the old American West, refused to rob a bank in McKinney, Texas because that is where his favorite chili parlor was located.  

It is said that Will Rogers judge a town by the quality of its chili. He sampled chili in hundreds of towns, especially in Texas and Oklahoma and kept a box score. He concluded that the finest chili (in his judgment was from a small cafe in Coleman, Texas. 

Mrs. Lady Bird Johnson had “chili pangs” for President Lyndon Johnson’s, 36th President of the United States, “Pedernales River Chili” and had cards printed with the LBJ chili recipe. “It has been almost as popular as the government pamphlet on the care and feeding of children.” 

We have a love affair chili. You can’t pick up a recipe book without a couple of chili recipes in it. I acquired my recipe in 1990. It’s a traditional chili recipe with tomatoes, beans, beef, onions and peppers.

Hope you enjoy and Happy Cooking~                                          

Vonnie

 Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef

1 TBSP. shortening

1 1/2 cup onions, diced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 cup green peppers, diced

2 large can tomato sauce

2-14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

4 TBSP. chili powder

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. sugar

2 TBSP. Worcestershire sauce

2 cans red kidney beans, drained

 Directions:

Brown ground beef in shortening. Add garlic, onions, and green peppers. Cook until onions are transparent. Drain off fat. Add tomato sauce,  diced tomatoes, chili powder, salt, sugar, Worcestershire sauce. Mix well. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.

Italian Vegetable Pie

This week I chose a dinner which I love to make. This is a go-to recipe that comes out perfect and satisfying every time. I also love how versatile it is. You can substitute the vegetables to whatever is your liking.  Also, if you want, you can substitute ground beef, ground sausage, a combination of both, or ground turkey for the tofu. When I make it with meat, I use 1/2 pound ground beef and a 1/2 pound of ground hot Italian sausage. Brown and drain before adding to the vegetables.  Also, a nice add-in is a couple of handfuls of washed and chopped fresh spinach. Stir in after simmering and before assembling. Round out your dinner with a nice tossed salad and fresh bread.
Enjoy and Happy Cooking~
Vonnie 

                                                                                                                                         

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 (12.3-ounce) package firm tofu, drained and crumbled * 
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 (25.5-ounce) jar fat-free marinara sauce
6 cooked lasagna noodles, cut in half crosswise
Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* Substitution for tofu: 1 pound ground beef, 1 pound ground Italian sausage, 1 pound ground turkey, browned and drained

Preparation:

 
Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper, chopped onion, mushrooms, tofu, and garlic; sauté 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in tomato paste, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, crushed red pepper, and marinara sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes.

Arrange the noodles spoke like in the bottom of an 8-inch round baking dish or 9 inch deep dish pie plate coated with cooking spray. Spread 3 cups tomato mixture over noodles. Fold ends of noodles over tomato mixture, and top with the remaining tomato mixture and cheeses. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes.

Italian Vegetable Pie for Meatless Monday

This week I chose a  meatless dinner which I love to make. This is a go-to recipe that comes out perfect and satisfying every time. I also love how versatile it is. You can substitute the vegetables to whatever your liking.   If you want, you can substitute ground beef, ground Italian sausage ,or a combo of the two for the tofu.  Also,seasoned ground turkey works nicely. When I make it with meat, I use 1 pound ground beef and hot Italian sausage. Brown and drain before adding to the vegetables.  I also like to add  a couple of handfuls of washed and chopped fresh spinach.  Stir in after simmering and before assembling. Round out your dinner with a nice tossed salad and fresh bread.
Hope you enjoy.  Let me know your dinner stories. I love hearing them all.
As always….Happy Cooking,                                                                                          

                                                                                          

Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 (12.3-ounce) package firm tofu, drained and crumbled
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 (25.5-ounce) jar fat-free marinara sauce
6 cooked lasagna noodles, cut in half crosswise
Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded  mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper, chopped onion, mushrooms, tofu, and garlic; sauté 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in tomato paste, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, crushed red pepper, and marinara sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes.

Arrange the noodles spoke like in the bottom of an 8-inch round baking dish or 9 inch deep dish pie plate coated with cooking spray. Spread 3 cups tomato mixture over noodles. Fold ends of noodles over tomato mixture, and top with the remaining tomato mixture and cheeses. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes.