Where's the Beef?
You know what's good?
Crock-pot vegetarian chili, with cornbread.
Grate some cheddar cheese and chop some onions for topping, throw a dollop of plain yogurt on that bad boy to finish it off, and you've got the perfect dinner for suckass Seattle weather.
You traditionalists will probably prefer sour cream in place of the yogurt, but traditionalists probably wouldn't touch chili that doesn't include ground cow muscles anydamnway, so whatever.
You know what I put in my chili that lots of folks think is weird? Cinnamon. I think it's an Ohio thing. Ohioans love some Skyline Chili out of Cincinnati. Cinnamon is their secret ingredient. Their chili has an entirely different taste from any other chili. You can buy a home seasoning packet in the grocery stores there, to make your own Skyline goodness at home.
These days, I just throw some cinnamon in with the cumin and chili powder, and call it a day. I may not like to cook, but what I do cook is damn good. Some folks would marry my ass for my macaroni and cheese alone.
Whoever invented the Crock-pot deserves a friggin' prize. In fact, whoever invented the Crock-pot is more deserving of a Nobel prize than certain Nobel winners, and you all know who I'm talking about. Asshat. But I don't have the energy to address that today. (Yes, I heard that sigh of relief. Whatever.) Anyway, I am all about some one-pot or one-skillet-meals. Less work, fewer dishes, tastes great, everyone wins.
Besides being fast, cheap and easy, the other thing I like about one-pot-meals is it makes a shitload of food, so you've got leftovers. And some foods, like chili, lasagna, and spaghetti, taste better the second day anyway. I love leftovers, because I hate to cook. Leftovers make the whole thing seem worth it. More bang for your buck. Or, more accurately, more bang for your kitchen efforts.
So tonight, I've got some hellacious chili and cornbread to go with my Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters, I've got lunch for tomorrow, and possibly tomorrow's dinner too. TV time packed full of protein, can't beat that.
35 comments:
"Some folks would marry my ass for my macaroni and cheese alone."
I've got the best recipe for 5 cheese macaroni with a gorgonzola crust. Amazing on a cold day (or what the hell, anytime!)
we should have a macaroni-off. might be some polygamy going on cuz my mac is so good it ends wars and balances budgets :) i'm with you on the plain yogurt too. people think it's nuts til they try it.
Living within spitting distance of Ohio (ain't that a lovely image), I can vouch for Cincinnati chili. another secret ingredient they sometimes add is chocolate, and it sounds weird, but it's great. Kind of a chili mole (not the rodent, the Mexican sauce). And I've just discovered the joys of Greek yogurt as a sour cream replacement; it's thicker than regular yogurt. Anyway, happy "Housewives"
Honey - love the one pot stuff. I'm the queen of casseroles - I know how you feel about one pot stuff. Okay, I have to mix the casserole in a bowl and then throw it into a backing dish - but two dishes ain't bad. LOL
damn woman (is that okay polictially as an exclamation - mind you I think the word is a compliment) you are making me so wanting some old fashioned North American comfort food. I know I can find the ingridents for a chilli here - probably under ethnic foods!
Macaroni and cheese - oh lord I'm getting homesick.
Funny thing about the crockpot.
I kinda remember when (Rival?) introduced this item back in the 'seventies. The idea was that a "working mom" could load up the slow-coocker before she left for work and by the time she got home, "dinnah is served!"
Seems like the slow-coocker has been supplanted by the fast-coocker, i.e. the microwave oven.
Which would I prefer:
*cowbell's slow-cooked chili
*microwaved frozen burrito
Oh and one more thing - deep fried Mac & Cheese. I can hear my left ventricle snapping shut right now. Mmmmmmmm....deep fried animal fat and carbohydrates....aaaarrrrllllggghhh
I'm not much of a beef fan, but I do make a kickass turkey chili, and have also used buffalo and ostrich. Safari chili if you will. I also like to add cocoa powder on occasion, as alluded to by Elizabeth. If you ever see any of the slow cooker cookbooks in the supermarket or at the local bookstore, chances are they have my work in them. Not the prettiest stuff in the world to shoot, but it's paid a lot of bills!
I'm subbing ground turkey breast these days for beef and it's pretty groovy. And speaking of chili and chocolate, try a pinch of chili powder in your next hot chocolate. Mmmmm.
Al/Monica: A macaroni-off would kick ass. And clog arteries.
E: I've heard that, with the chocolate, but haven't tried it. I had a friend once who added grape jelly to tomato sauces, to cut the acidity, instead of sugar.
RG: I'm so sure you are the queen of casseroles. I bet your tiara looks hot with your apron, too.
Willym: "Damn, woman!" is a wonderful exclamation. It makes me smile. And I so sympathize over missing "home cooking". When I lived over that side, we'd send people on road trips to the military commissaries up in Germany, with a list of ingredients for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. You don't realize how much you appreciate those things until you can't get them.
Craig: If you go with the burrito, we're going to have to thumb wrestle.
RG: Ohmyfuckinggawd, are you insane?!?
Tater: Ostrich? Buffalo?!? What next, baby seal? I'm going to look at the pics in my veggie crockpot book when I get home.
KA: You know, I once tried a dark chocolate bar with chili powder in it -- it was good!
Peanut butter is my secret Chili ingredient. Shhhhhh!
They were both in my local Whole Foods, and are supposedly much better for you than beef. Baby seal isn't in season right now, but even if they were, those sad little faces would leave me with the worst nightmares imaginable. It would be like eating a puppy. I'm not down with puppy steaks. One has to draw the line somewhere, after all...
I built a shrine to my crockpot.
And now I'm craving chili.
Hat: Really? Add that to the cinnamon and chocolate, and I'm thinking we're on to something with Cookie Chili.
Tater: Well, I'm sure Mr. Buffalo will be happy to hear you've drawn a line. Hmph.
Lorraine: If any kitchen item is worthy of a shrine, it's the Crock Pot.
You know, instead of the deep-friend Mac & Cheese, I might join-up with Tater and have myself an Endangered Species Kabob! Mmmmmm....Manatee on a stick...mmmmmm
And yes the Tiara looks fabulous. However, it tends to fly off when I'm kneading bread though.
This post is about cooking, and that makes me feel left out.
Quick, somebody throw food at JP.
Ok, now I'm really hungry.
That sounds so good!
RG: Oh you did not just use the words "manatee" and "kebab" in the same sentence on my blog! Manatees, along with Wombats, are among my very favorite animals. Also, guinea pigs. May a hungry goat eat your tiara.
JP: Welcome to my world. It is only by the wonders of the Crock Pot that I even dare blog about food. There, the Hat just threw some macaroni at you.
Whim: Wow, your culinary standards aren't that high, are they? I like it.
Chili and chocolate = mole.
I love vegetarian chili but have to use fat free cheese and the yogurt is good too.
I read the old MF house post. I will go to church and light a candle. This calls for serious action....God sees me going into a church....s/he will listen.
Cookie chili, Oreo Pizza, this is america after all!
How about Bear Paw soup? Maybe some puppy stew? I know - Kitten Kasserole! Bwaaa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha You realize, of course, I'm having a great deal of fun at your expense don't you?
Don't think anything beats that recipe for Brain Sauce I found in The Silver Spoon. Anything that starts: take one lamb's brain, membrane and blood vessels removed.
mmmmmm food!
We've been having a lot of chili and cornbread lately. I do put beef in it, but love it sans the cow as well. And don't tell anyone, but my secret ingredient for my stuffed pasta shells is nutmeg. Kind of the same concept as cinnamon in chili. I'm going to have to give that a try. And at this very moment, there is leftover chili in my fridge. Think I'll have that for dinner tonight.
You are so right about leftover lasagna, and I'm a big fan of leftover spaghetti, cold, for breakfast - right out of the tupperware while standing in front of the fridge, door open, of course. :) Only thing better is cold lasagna, or cold pizza.
BTW, did I mention that I still have my original, 70's era, burnt orange Rival Crock-Pot? It was a first wedding gift. I also have a much larger, 21st century version with removable crock, courtesy of The Daughter two Christmases ago.
Ever try chli-spaghetti?
Ladle some o' that delicious sounding vegetarian chili over angel hair pasta..YUMMY!
Holy Comments, I should blog about food more often. Damn. Y'all love you some food, don't you?
Rosemary: OK, you're scaring me now. And if you light a candle for me in church these days, I'm pretty sure that whole lightening bolt thing could happen.
E: yeah, what the hell is that oreo pizza thing? and the commericals with the beards and such? there's always gotta be a gimmick here, can't leave well enough alone. Thre are like, 58 kinds of oreos now. Why, in my day, an oreo was an oreo, and that was good enough for us. Hmph.
RG: You keep eating our animal friends like that, and you'll just be a plain old bitch as opposed to a skinny bitch.
Willym: I saw that - retch! Do let us know if you try it. Have Tums ready. And a bucket.
Mouse: I've got pumpkin pie now. It's like crack for Cowbells.
Gina: You actually stuff pasta shells? OK, that's too damn fancy for me. the nutmeg sounds good though. I got rid of my old crockpot because the family outgrew it years ago. I've got the big one w/ removable crock now, and even that joker could be bigger, IMHO.
Sling: Actually, Skyline chili (the Cinci chili) has "chili 5 ways" (or 4 ways, or 3, or whatever) The 5 ways, if I can remember is pasta, chili, cheese, onions, extra beans ... crap, I can't remember what the other things are. But anyway, you put it over pasta, pile some onions and cheese on top ... yum! My dad was huge fan of chili 5 ways. He used to go around saying it in this funny voice: "FIVE ways! I like my chili FIVE ways!"
Okay - just to make up for being snarky, I'm going to send you some delicious veggie crock-pot recipes - I hope you like curry.
See, you love me. And I love me some curry. A little hot spice is like a party for my mouth. Just like with Shaun Alexander.
Mmmm...A cinnamon stick is a nice touch, a seasonal seasoning...I put oatmeal in mine and it 'fleshes' it out surprisingly well.
My chili, I mean.
Late to the party again and you're talkin' foooood! I love to cook and crock pots rawk! Mine is the old avocado green version with the brown interior. Yeah...I'm that old.
Ever try a fried spaghetti sandwich? The perfect leftover and sure to stop your heart in just a few short years.
Of course these days I try to avoid frying, and most meats but every once in a while...
"My mac is so good it ends wars and balances budgets." Ha! Laughity laugh.
And you're right -- I am a traditionalist in that I'd reach for the sour cream, but a good veggie chili is always welcome on my dinner table!
Allen: Oatmeal? Hmm... that could work. I use TVP if I have it around.
Rodger: I'm pretty sure avocado green is back in style now. You're retro-chic. Fried spaghetti sandwich?! Can't you hear your arteries, mewling for help?
Eric: I'll remember that when you come out here. (shameless hint)
Post a Comment