Goblins in my Oven

Sedona Sunset Chili

2009-10-25T06:28:00.000-07:00

Sedona Sunset Chili

2 slices smoked bacon
1 1/2 lbs. ground round
1 large yellow onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium poblano chili pepper, chopped
1 heaping Tbs. chili powder
1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder
1/2 tsp. dried yellow mustard
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 (14.5) oz cans black beans, undrained
Salt to taste

Brown the slices of bacon in the bottom of a soup pot. Remove bacon and drain on a paper towel. Add the ground round, onion, garlic and pepper, and cook until hamburger is browned. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer, 15 to 20 minutes.

Loaded Nachos

2009-10-18T17:20:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make some nachos that were healthier than the usual restaurant or takeout versions that I am so fond of. I looked through the versions on the Cooking Light website and merged my favorite elements of each and came up with the following version:

Chips:

12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, quartered
Cooking Spray
Sea Salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange the quarters on baking sheets. Spray lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Bake for 10 minutes or until crisp.

Meat Filling:

1 lb. ground sirloin
1 medium onion, diced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and Pepper to taste

Brown ground beef and onions in a skillet over medium heat. Add spices and stir well to coat. Set aside.

Bean Filling:

2 slices bacon (I use the center cut that doesn't have the fatty ends on it)
2 (15-oz) cans pinto beans, undrained
1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice from 1 lime

Brown bacon in a skillet or the bottom of a medium saucepan. Remove bacon and crumble when it cools. Add remaining ingredients to the bacon drippings and bring to a simmer. Mash beans roughly with a potato masher. Add in crumbled bacon and stir. If the beans get too thick, add a couple of tablespoons of water and stir.

Additional toppings:

Reduced fat shredded cheese
Reduced fat sour cream
Minced green onions
Minced Anaheim peppers
Finely diced tomatoes
Shredded lettuce

Beef Picadillo (Ground Beef with Tomatoes and Potatoes)

2009-10-03T06:56:00.000-07:00

1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
1 medium-sized tomato, chopped
1 large potato, cubed in small pieces
2 Tbs. light soy sauce
1 c. water
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook lean ground beef in skillet. Season lightly with salt. Drain fat. Set meat aside. In a pan over medium heat, saute garlic in oil until lightly browned. Add onion, stir for 1 minute. Add tomato, cook until soft. Add cooked meat, potato, soy sauce, water, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until meat and potato cubes are tender. Correct seasonings to taste. Serve immediately.

Asian Peanut Salad Dressing

2009-10-03T06:53:00.000-07:00

3 Tbs. water
2 Tbs. rice wine vinegar
1 Tbs. chopped green onions
1 Tbs. reduced-fat peanut butter
1 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp. grated peeled fresh ginger
1 tsp. Sriracha (hot chile sauce)
1 tsp. dark sesame oil
2 tsp. dry-roasted peanuts

Combine first 8 ingredients in a blender; cover and process until smooth. Add peanuts; process 10 seconds.

Brat, Beer and Cheese Soup

2009-09-27T15:03:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe in a Penzey's Spice catalog. They described it as "Milwaukee in a Bowl". That is a very accurate statement, although it goes for many midwestern cities. It was a definate hit with my husband, who is from Chicago. It is definately not health food fare, so if you're on Weight Watchers you should probably pass. :)

Brat, Beer and Cheese Soup

5 beer flavored Bratwurst sausages, cooked and sliced
3 Tbs. olive oil
1 c. onion, minced
1 c. celery, minced
1 c. carrots, grated
1/4 c. flour
1 lb. potatoes, peeled and diced
6 c. chicken stock
1 can low-fat evaporated milk
1/2 tsp. mustard powder
1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 c. 2% grated sharp cheddar cheese

Heat olive oil in soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery and carrots. Cook about 15 minutes or until tender, stirring every so often to keep from sticking. Stir in flour; cook about 1 minute. Add potatoes and stock. Bring to a boil and cook 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add mustard powder, garlic, salt, pepper and chipotle. Combine milk and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl. Stir into the soup. Remove soup from heat. Add the cheese, stirring until the cheese is melted and smooth. Remove 2 cups of vegetables with some liquid and add to a blender or food processor. Puree. Stir back into the soup to give it nice body. Return to low heat and add sliced, cooked bratwurst. Cook until bratwurst is warm; 5 minutes should do it.

Steamed Bao/Sio Pao Dough

2009-09-26T06:46:00.000-07:00

This recipe was from Cooking Light and was part of a recipe for Caramelized Onion Bao. I didn't care for the onion filling, but the dough did turn out very good.

2 Tbs. sugar
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 tsp.)
3/4 c. plus 2 Tbs. warm water (100 to 110 degrees)
1 tsp. sesame oil
2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour, divided

Dissolve sugar and yeast in 3/4 c. plus 2 Tbs. warm water in a medium bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in sesame oil. Lightly spoon 2 1/2 c. flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add flour to yeast mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add enough of the remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel sticky). Lightly spray surface of dough with cooking spray; cover and let rest 10 minutes.

Divide dough into 8 equal portions, shaping each into a ball. Cover dough balls loosely with plastic wrap, and let rest 5 minutes. Working with one portion at a time (cover remaining portions to prevent drying), flatten dough with hand into a 3-inch circle. Place about 2 1/2 tablespoons of filling in center of circle. Bring up sides to cover filling; twist top of dough, and pinch to seal (bun will be very full). Carefully place bun, seam side down, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining dough balls and filling. Cover buns with plastic wrap; refrigerate, and let rise 2 hours or until slightly puffed (buns will not double in size).

Heat 1 teaspoon canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange 4 buns in a single layer, evenly spaced in pan; cook 2 minutes or until bottoms are crisp and golden brown. Pour 1 cup water into pan, and cover; steam 8 minutes or just until water evaporates. Transfer buns to a plate; cover and keep warm. Wipe pan with paper towels. Repeat with remaining 1 teaspoon canola oil, remaining 4 buns, and remaining 1 cup water. Serve warm.

Neely's Dry Rub Mix

2009-09-25T17:01:00.000-07:00

I love Downhome with the Neely's, and used to watch it a lot. I found this recipe on the Food Network website a while back and tried it out. Q really likes it and uses it quite a bit in cooking. I couldn't find it on Food Network now, I think maybe because they are selling it and took it down.

Neely's Dry Rub

1 1/2 c. Paprika
3/4 c. Sugar
3 3/4 Tbs. Onion Powder

Mix all ingredients and store for up to 6 months.

Minnesota Hotdish

2009-09-25T15:09:00.000-07:00

When I was going to high school at Mesabi East High School in Aurora, MN they served a tater tot hotdish in the cafeteria. For those not in the know, in Minnesota and other parts of the Midwest they are not casseroles, they are hotdishes. There are a lot of hotdish suppers at churches and community organizations around Minnesota. There was even a mystery book written that uses hot dishes as integral parts of the plot. This particular hotdish was very hearty and hit the spot on a cold winter day, which was a good part of the year living in Minnesota. ;) I recently started trying to find a recipe for it, and ended up going to allrecipes.com and cooks.com to sift through the huge pile of tater tot hotdish recipes and try to come up with something similar to the one that I remember. I think the one at the cafeteria had green beans in it, but peas are more popular with my family so I used them instead. What follows is the result, and it got rave reviews in my house. Cost per serving ended up being about $1.14, with 5 servings.

Tater Tot Hotdish

1 lb. ground sirloin, 90/10 mix
1 onion, finely minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can cream of mushroom soup, reduced fat
1 c. frozen peas, or 1 can of peas
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (2% reduced fat)
1/2 c. water
1 c. frozen mini-tater tots
Neely's Dry Rub

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch cast iron skillet with cooking spray. Saute hamburger and onion in skillet until browned. Season with salt and pepper as desired (just be careful with the salt, because the soup and cheese are both salty). If using frozen peas, heat them in water in a seperate pan while you are browning the meat. When the meat is done, add in the soup, peas, cheese water and stir to combine. Top the mix with tater tots, sprinkle with the dry rub mix and bake in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour.