Big Pot of Chili and Jalapeño Beer Bread

As part of my preparation for my raw experiment in January, I'm trying to cook everything that I will most likely crave in the wee weeks of the year. One of those things is a steaming hot bowl of meat-ful chili and a thick slice of toasted bread.

Also, I wanted to try out my shiny new Cuisinart. Formerly when I wanted ground beef, I'd pick up the cut of meat I wanted then have the butcher grind it down for me (I have a very serious aversion to pre-packaged ground beef....I mean, really, who knows what is put in there?). With the powerful new processor on my counter, I can grind my own meat. Yay! These are the things that make me happy....

So here it is....a HUGE pot of chili. I wasn't thinking clearly when I decided to grind one pound each of chicken and beef (instead of total). The result is enough chili to feed a small army....or just my family for two nights.

The bread was a vehicle to help me get rid of an insane number of jalapeños from my parents' garden. I still have quite a few, but at least this made a dent!

Big Pot o' Chili

Ingredients:

1 lb chuck roast, placed in freezer for about an hour

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, placed in freezer for about an hour

4 tbs butter

1 tbs dried marjoram

1 tbs dried savory

1 tbs mustard seed

1 tbs caraway seed

1 tbs peppercorns

1 tsp salt

1 tbs chili powder

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium carrots, thinly sliced

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

1 6oz can tomato paste

4 15oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained

2 c water

2 15oz cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 tbs Chipotle Tabasco sauce

additional salt and pepper

greek yogurt and fresh parsley, to garnish

Directions:

Cut the beef and chicken into 1" cubes. In a food processor, pulse until ground to desired consistency.

Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a large stock pot. Add the ground meat and allow to brown. In a spice grinder, combine marjoram, savory, mustard, caraway, and pepper; grind into powder. Add ground spices, salt, and chili powder to the browning meat and stir to combine.

Once the meat is mostly brown, add onions, garlic, carrots, and celery. Allow to cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the tomato paste and stir to coat ingredients. Pour in the diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Add water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add kidney beans and Tabasco. Stir to combine, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Allow to simmer 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

If needed, add additional salt and pepper to taste. To serve, ladle into individual bowls and top with a spoonful of greek yogurt and some chopped parsley. Makes a whopping 16 servings of chili!

Jalapeño Beer Bread

Ingredients:

3 c unbleached all-purpose flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 c sugar

1/2 c roasted jalapeños, diced

1 c shredded smoked cheddar

1 12oz bottle beer

1/2 c butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F degrees.

Combine the dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Add the jalapeños and cheese. Pour the beer into the mixing bowl and stir until blended. Pour mixture into a greased 9" loaf pan and pour melted butter over the top of the loaf. Bake one hour or until golden brown. Cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan, then remove from pan and cool an additional 10 minutes before slicing. Makes one spicy loaf of bread that is perfect for dipping into soup or sandwiching for grilled cheese with a kick.

Vegetable and Pasta Carbonara with Italian Beer Bread

I don't know that there is anything more comforting than a big bowl of pasta, and pasta carbonara definitely tops my list for comfort food. The summer weather demands a lighter dish, so I added fresh veggies to balance out the heaviness of the sauce and pasta.

The bread is just a basic beer bread with the addition of herbs and cheese. I used a dark beer in the bread, but any beer will do.

If there are leftovers, make sure to reheat the pasta low and slow, otherwise you might end up with pasta and scrambled eggs! I put it in the microwave for 2-3 minutes at 30% power and stir frequently.

Vegetable and Pasta Carbonara

Ingredients:

1/2 lb bacon, chopped

2 c asparagus, cut into 2" lengths

1 c carrots, julienned

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 c dry white wine

1 c grape tomatos

5 large eggs, room temperature

2 tbs heavy cream, room temperature

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lb pasta, cooked al dente

1 c grated Romano cheese

1 tbs finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions:

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the bacon grease.

Saute asparagus and carrot in the bacon fat for 2-3 minutes, until asparagus turns bright green. Add garlic and saute another minute. Return bacon to the pan. Stir in wine and tomatoes; allow to simmer 2-3 minutes.

Beat eggs and cream together, then season with salt and pepper. Remove the pan from heat and quickly whisk in the egg mixture with the vegetables until the eggs thicken. Add hot pasta to the vegetable and egg mixture and toss to coat. Stir in cheese and parsley. Season to taste and serve. Makes 8 servings.

Italian Beer Bread

Ingredients:

3 c unbleached flour

1 tbs sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tbs baking powder

1 tbs each fresh rosemary, oregano, and thyme, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 c grated parmasen cheese

12 ounces beer

1 egg

2 tbs water

Directions:

Heat oven to 375F. Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, herbs, garlic, and cheese in a large mixing bowl. Slowly stir in beer and mix just until combined (batter will be thick). Spread in a greased 8-inch loaf pan. Beat the egg and water together and brush onto the top of the loaf. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool 10 more minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Banana [choose Carrot or Pumpkin] Bread

I don't know how it is that no matter how few bananas I buy, I end up with three that are over-ripe. As a result, I make banana bread fairly often. Never one to leave well enough alone, I started experimenting. The addition of shredded carrot came about from a partial bag of carrots that was in severe danger of going bad very soon; the pumpkin, because I had half a can leftover from my latest Cookies for the Dark Side venture.

I've listed the recipes separately for ease of reading, since I adjusted the spices for each version.

Banana Carrot Bread

Ingredients:

2 c flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cardamom

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c butter, room temperature

1 c packed dark brown sugar

2 eggs

1 c banana, mashed (3-4 bananas)

1 c grated carrot

1/2 c chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.

In large bowl cream butter with sugar until fluffy. Mix in eggs and bananas. Add flour mixture a little at a time and blend well. Stir in grated carrots and nuts.

Pour batter into greased 9x5x3 loaf pan and bake 50-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool, slice, and serve.

Banana Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

2 c flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c butter, room temperature

1 c packed dark brown sugar

2 eggs

1 c banana, mashed (3-4 bananas)

1 c canned pumpkin

1/2 c chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.

In large bowl cream butter with sugar until fluffy. Mix in eggs and bananas, then add pumpkin and mis well. Add flour mixture a little at a time and blend well. Stir in nuts.

Pour batter into greased 9x5x3 loaf pan and bake 50-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool, slice, and serve.