Tex-Mex Chili

                             

                             Tex-Mex Chili

This Chili is soooooo good! Try it on a cold day, it will warm you to your bones.  :D

Ingredients:
Saute oil of your choice- I use Olive and Grapeseed
3 lbs. Chunk Chili Meat
1 lb. Ground Beef
4 tbsp. Chopped Garlic
1 large Sweet Yellow Onion
4 Jalapenos
6 tbsp. Chili Powder
1 tbsp. Ground Chipotle Chile Pepper
2 tbsp. Smoked Paprika
2 tbsp. Ground Cumin
2 tbsp. Mexican Oregano
Salt
2 (15oz) cans Crushed Tomatoes or Rotel
2 (2 oz) bottle beer- I use Shiner Bock
3 cups Beef Stock
2 packets dry Ranch mix
Optional: 2 cans of Kidney Beans
A thickening agent: I use 2 tbsp. Ground Flaxseed and 1 tbsp. Masa Harina. You can use 3 tbsp. Masa Harina only if you don't care for the Flax, I try to hide a little something healthy wherever I can. 

In a large pot, heat the oil and meat over medium-high heat. Stir and break up pieces until the outside has a light brown color. About 5 minutes. I put the Garlic, Onion and Jalapenos in my food processor and chop. You can seed and de-vein the Jalapenos if you want it more on the mild side. 

Add the Onion Garlic Jalapeno mixture, Chili Powder, Chipotle Chile Pepper, Paprika, Cumin, Oregano, 2 packets of Ranch and Salt. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes, just long enough to soften the onions. Add the Rotel or Canned Tomatoes, Beer and Stock. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium-low and simmer, UNCOVERED, until the meat is tender and the liquid has cooked down about half. Usually 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Stir occasionally. If you want to add beans, do that after about an hour. Mix the Masa in a bowl with a small amount of water. It should be a thick paste. Add to the chili and stir in thoroughly. Cook an additional 30 minutes on low. Serve hot topped with some Sour Cream, Grated Cheese and Fresh Cilantro. Enjoy!

This is the before and after cooking. You can see how much the liquid will cook down.

I have been doing alot of cooking lately so I am going to just spend the next few days adding some of my most recent recipes. Today is salsa. My daughter and I did Hot Salsa and Peach Salsa. I love using fresh peaches in mine but this day I had a can of peaches that I needed to do something with so we used that instead. It was still very good and saves alot of time slicing and peeling. 

                             PEACH SALSA
Ingredients:
1 can of Peaches in 100% juice
1 Serrano pepper
2 Jalapenos
4 large Tomatoes
2 yellow Chiles
2 tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
1 can fire-roasted Tomatoes
1 (or to taste) Chipotle Peppers in Adobo
1/2 bag frozen Peaches
2 sweet yellow Onions
1 Shallot

Put everything except the Peaches in your blender or food processor. If you want your Salsa on the mild side slice and clean all of the veins and seeds from your Jalapenos and Serrano. I usually clean half and leave half intact. If you like your Salsa EXTRA spicy add a Habanero Pepper. Chop to the desired consistency and then add the Peaches. Pulse just enough to break them up and mix without turning them to mush. You can add a pinch of salt if desired but I usually dont because any chips used for dipping are plenty salty.

                                   HOT SALSA

Ingredients:

1 large yellow Onion

1 Shallot

1 can Fire-Roasted Tomatoes-diced
1 Serrano Pepper

8 large ripe Tomatoes

2 large yellow Chiles

2 large Jalapenos

1 lime

1 (or to taste) Chipotle Peppers in Adobo

1 bunch of Cilantro

Salt to taste

If you like EXTRA SPICY add a whole Habanero Pepper and if you like it more on the mild side you can de-vein and seed half of your Jalapenos and Serranos. For EXTRA MILD de-vein and seed ALL of your Jalapenos and Serranos. 

Put the Onions, Shallot, Serranos, Chiles and all of your Peppers in the food processor. Pulse to your desired consistency. Add everything else and squeeze in your lime. Chop. If you like your Salsa a bit chunkier just put all ingredients in together and pulse til its chopped enough for your liking. This Salsa has a great flavor and we keep a constant supply of it around here!

Loooong Few Weeks!

Hello again! Im sure some thought I had gotten tired of this 'blogging' thing and moved on. Sorry to disappoint but I am back! Its been a long few weeks and we have had many adventures but I am not going to fill this day with catch-up stories. I am going to fill today with things that I am thankful for! I have such a great life and I feel I need to say that more often. So today is BE THANKFUL day.......

I have 5 wonderful and healthy children! A beautiful 21 year-old daughter that is smart and creative and striving everyday to be a great mom to my awesome, precious grandson! A gorgeous 18 year-old daughter that is such a kind and caring person, it makes me proud to be her mom! A sweetie-pie 9 year-old daughter that just wants to experience life to the fullest and I love watching her bright eyes light up when she has new experiences or discoveries! My dear angels, the boys that we never expected, my 18 month-old twinies that brighten each and every day and have restored my belief that Faith is trusting even when you don't know the plan! And lastly, my man, that tells me everyday how much he loves me and that I am a wonderful mother and a beautiful person! I couldn't want for anything more. I truly am a fortunate person. And in appreciation for the life that I have, I try to be positive and a good example everyday. I recently heard a woman by the name of Brene Brown speaking about ways to improve ourselves as women. She has a question she asks herself every night. "AT THE END OF THE DAY, DID YOU CONTRIBUTE MORE THAN YOU CRITICIZED?" What a world it would be if more people would think this way.