Wednesday, July 27, 2011

5 Bean, 4 Pepper, 3 Meat Chili

So I was just gonna call this 5 bean...but then I realized the 4 and 3 parts...I could have popped in 2 and 1, but it would have been forced. Anyway, this is a good recipe for when you wanna have leftovers all week, and maybe some to freeze too. Also a fantastic way to use up hot peppers if you have a million on the bushes on your back patio...I digress. I will record here what I used...but the great thing about chili is YOU CAN PUT WHATEVER YOU WANT IN THERE, and as long as there's some kinda bean, you're usually within the legally accepted bounds. Oh, also, I split this in half so I could make one batch really spicy...and one batch edible. :)

5-4-3 Chili
Big can kidney beans
Small can black beans
Small can Northern beans
Small can Garbanzo beans
1 lb bulk sausage
1 lb hamburger
1 lb cut up chicken breast
1 large onion
5-7 cloves garlic
1 can tomato sauce (not pasta sauce, tomato sauce)
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 lb fresh green beans, cut into bite-size pieces
Handful of fresh basil and parsley,
For edible spice: 1 serrano del sol pepper, 1 cherry bomb pepper, 1 jalapeno
For hotness: 12-15 of the above, assorted
1 bell pepper, chopped
Big carton of beef broth

1. Chop and saute the garlic and onion in some olive oil.
2. Cook the meats with the garlic and onion until everything is done.
3. Dump everything in the pot. (Remember to halve everything into two pots if you're making two batches)
4. Cook on high until the chili is bubbling. Turn the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 2 hours.

Yum!

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Stuffed Peppers of Greatness

These are delicious. If you've never made stuffed peppers before, you may think they sound kinda boring. You would be wrong. Let me run that by you again. Peppers. Stuffed with meat. And rice. And tomato sauce. Etc. I mean, they're so cute! Just trust me.

Stuffed Peppers of Greatness
8 medium bell peppers
1/2 lb Jimmy Dean sausage
1/2 lb hamburger
1 onion
4 cloves of garlic
1 cup of rice
1 can of tomato sauce
1 can of tomato paste
Handful of fresh basil and parsley

1. Prepare the rice according to package directions. Or...cook on low. Leave the lid on. For 15 minutes or so. 1.5 cups of water to each cup of rice.

2. Chop up the onion and garlic and saute them a bit in a pan. Add the meats. Cook until the meats are done.

3. Mix together the rice, meat mixture, and fresh chopped herbs.

4. Cut the tops off the bell peppers, clean them out, and be sure to save the tops.

5. Stuff each pepper with the mixture. Place the peppers in a cupcake pan. If you don't have one of those...lean them against each other in a cake pan, or bunch up foil on a baking sheet to hold them upright. Overstuff the peppers so the tops will perch prettily on top.

6. Bake at 300 degrees for about an hour. Really, whenever the peppers are done to your liking, they're ready.

Note: If you have too much filling, bake it as a meatloaf, or make little cupcake-sized filling thingies.

Cuuuute! And impressive. And delicious.