Quick and Easy Chili

This recipe for Chili is the one I use when I am in a hurry or when we are camping. It is quick since you used canned beans. When camping I put all the dry spiced in a zip lock bag so I don't need to pack so many ingredients. It is a simple recipe to make vegetarian by just leaving out the ground beef. I also like to use different kinds of beans. The day I made this batch I used one can each of kidney, pinto and black beans. It is great with all black beans. This recipe is another one given to me by a dear friend. Irene just turned 90 and is amazing.

Easy Chili

1/4 cup chopped onions
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 pound lean ground beef (I also like to use ground venison)
2 cans tomatoes
3 cans beans (drained & rinsed)
1/2 cup salsa (my add in, optional)
1/2 cup barbeque sauce (my add in, optional)
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin (my add in, optional)
 Fry onions and ground beef in oil until done, add tomatoes, beans and seasonings. Thicken with cornmeal. I start off just adding about 1/4 cup, adding more until the right consistency is made. Simmer about 30 minutes.
This is not a hot chili, so I usually set tabasco sauce on the table for those who like it with more kick to it.

There is a history to this recipe....it was used by Irene's husbands family in their restaurant on East Wood Street in Decatur about 1917.

Greek Yogurt Pound Cake

 

What do you do when you have an abundance of Greek yogurt...You bake of course! Well at least I do. After all most baked goods freeze well.  So I took my favorite sour cream pound cake recipe and switched it up. What I came out with was a very refreshing treat. 

So here is my fun and very versatile recipe...

 

Greek Yogurt Pound Cake        

1/2 cups flour  

2 tablespoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt                                                                                                                                      4 ounces of Greek yogurt, any flavor                                                                                                   

1 cup sugar                                                           

3 eggs, beaten                                                   

1/2 teaspoon vanilla                                         

1/2 cup vegetable oil                                       

zest and juice from 1 lemon or lime        

optional: food  color                                                                 Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease and flour a loaf pan. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add yogurt, sugar, eggs, zest and vanilla. Stir together. Slowly fold in the oil. If desired add a few drops of food coloring that matches your yogurt, I just swirled mine for a fun look. Pour batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.



 

 To make a glaze for the top, in a small sauce pan add the juice from your lemon or lime to an equal amount of sugar...for example if you have 1/4 cup of juice add 1/4 cup of sugar. Over medium heat, cook until sugar is dissolved.  When the cake is done, allow to cool for 10 minutes, remove from pan  and while the cake is still warm pour the glaze on top and let it soak in.





The Flavors I made were Strawberry yogurt with Lemon, it reminded me of strawberry lemonade! a I also did lime yogurt with lime zest and juice. I think blueberry lemon would work...the combinations are only limited by your taste buds! Let me know what combinations you come up with!

Recipes from Family & Friends

 

I love to collect recipes from my friends and family. Whenever I open up my cookbook and use a recipe that was given to me, I feel once again close to that person, I think about them and sometimes I might even say a little prayer for them.  Sometimes a family recipe will bring me closer to an ancestor I have never met. Some might think I have to many recipes, but to me, I could never have to many. And besides each one is a memory of someone whom I love and respect.                                                                

One recipes I am sharing today is for my basic

dough recipe. If I need something quick and easy, this is the one I use. I use it for cinnamon rolls, pizza crust, sloppy joe bread, just about anything I need a quick dough for.

I needed a dish to take to a potluck, and this is what I came up with. I had saw a bread bowl on Pinterest, and wanted try my had at making one. I didn't like the recipe so I used my recipe instead.  These reminded me of the salt dough baskets made in the 70's, but I wanted it edible. The recipe made one large basket, or two small ones.

Pizza Dough/Cinnamon Roll Recipe

 

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 tsp. sugar

1 Tbls. yeast

1/4 cup oil

1/2 salt

4 cups flour

 

Stir sugar into warm water. Sprinkle yeast over water. Let sit until bubbly...DO NOT STIR. 

When bubbly stir in remaining ingredients. Knead until smooth and elastic. Let rest for 15 minutes. Form into pizza crust or rolls. Let rise 15 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.  For cinnamon rolls add 1/2 sugar.

 



 To make bread baskets, spray an oven safe bowl liberally with oil. I like Pyrex bowls best, they come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Place on a sturdy baking sheet.

Roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness. cut into strips, 1/2 to 1 inch wide. Following pictures lay dough strips on bottom of the bowl and then begin weaving.  Over under over under...
Make sure the dough strips touch each other. Continue until bowl is covered. for the rim, take two long strips and twist them together, OR three  and braid together. Place rim  piece around bottom of bowl and press to edge.


Make an egg wash from one egg and brush over dough.

While letting rest for 15 minutes, place a piece of
wax paper on bottom of the bowl and then place a
heavy object on top of paper to help the bowl remain flat.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20- 30 minutes.  Because the dough thickness and size of bowl vary.  Watch closely until golden brown.

The following recipe comes from my Family Recipe Book. We all call it Michaele's  Spinach Dip. It is the same recipe that comes on the package of Knorr's Vegetable soup mix, but since Michaele introduced our family to it, it has become Michaele is my former Sister-in-law. Although she is no longer my sister-in-law, she is still the mother of my wonderful niece and nephew. So the recipe will always remain in my family cook book, and gratitude for her will always be in my heart

Michaele's Spinach Dip

1 package Knorr's vegetable soup mix

1 box frozen chopped spinach thawed and well drained)

1 can water chestnuts, chopped

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

    
Mix well and chill, serve with bread, crackers or vegetables.