For the Super Bowl I'm serving a simple meal of chili with corn chips and a green salad. Yes, I know it's not technically a soup!
Cincinnati’s 5-way chili is famous and many “fast-food” restaurants feature it. Skyline Chili is the best known and is no longer limited to Cincinnati. There is now an outlet on Clearwater Beach (right next to Mc Donald’s). Chocolate and spices make the flavor different from standard chili.
Serve it 3-way, 4-way or 5-way chili for hearty meal. Five way chili starts with meat sauce and is built with spaghetti, kidney beans, chopped onion and lots of shredded Cheddar cheese. In Cincinnati it is served with oyster crackers but I prefer corn chips or cornmeal muffins.
Cincinnati Chili
Serves 6 to 8
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cans (14.5 ounce) stewed tomatoes
1 can (15 ounce) tomato sauce
1 cup beef broth
1 to 2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon coarse salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
12 ounces spaghetti, cooked, drained and kept warm
1 (16 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
Chopped onion
2 to 4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Brown ground beef, onions and garlic in 5-quart Dutch oven. Stir occasionally to help browning. Pour off any fat. Add stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce and broth.
Combine chili powder, cocoa, cinnamon, salt and cumin small bowl. Stir into beef mixture. Heat chili to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Chili can be prepared ahead and refrigerated until serving.
Reheat chili if needed. To serve Cincinnati style, place warm spaghetti in pasta bowl or plate. Spoon hot chili over the pasta. Top with beans, onion and lots of Cheddar cheese.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Tough Beef Cuts for Tough Times
Because of our weak economy, it seems like everyone is working with a budget- a hamburger budget not steak! For celebrations most of us choose steak, but for family meals try less tender cuts of beef. In addition to costing less, they also have lots of flavor.
Try a chuck roast slowly braised in red wine with savory vegetables. I also have a recipe for a beef eye-of-round roast braised with tomatoes (lots of healthy lycopene)that I serve for two meals. The first meat, tender beef slices top polenta and later in the week the beef makes great sandwiches. Short ribs and stewing beef are other choices.
I think the secret to braising is to brown the meat thoroughly before adding the savory ingredients and liquid. There is a world of flavor developed as meat browns. I don't have a gas range that can simmer gently on low heat, so I find it easier to bake pot roasts at 325 degrees F. Use the pan juices to make a rich sauce to ladle over fork-tender slices.
Ground beef is the basis for many casseroles and of course, hamburgers. Dress up hamburgers with slices of tomato, bacon and avocado. Lately I have been buying ground beef (85% lean) from organic cattle and have been amazed with how good it tastes.
One of reason I favor these slow roasted one-dish dinners is that they bring back memories of my mom's pot roast, true comfort food for blustery and frigid winter weather.
Try a chuck roast slowly braised in red wine with savory vegetables. I also have a recipe for a beef eye-of-round roast braised with tomatoes (lots of healthy lycopene)that I serve for two meals. The first meat, tender beef slices top polenta and later in the week the beef makes great sandwiches. Short ribs and stewing beef are other choices.
I think the secret to braising is to brown the meat thoroughly before adding the savory ingredients and liquid. There is a world of flavor developed as meat browns. I don't have a gas range that can simmer gently on low heat, so I find it easier to bake pot roasts at 325 degrees F. Use the pan juices to make a rich sauce to ladle over fork-tender slices.
Ground beef is the basis for many casseroles and of course, hamburgers. Dress up hamburgers with slices of tomato, bacon and avocado. Lately I have been buying ground beef (85% lean) from organic cattle and have been amazed with how good it tastes.
One of reason I favor these slow roasted one-dish dinners is that they bring back memories of my mom's pot roast, true comfort food for blustery and frigid winter weather.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Vitamin D- The Sunshine Vitamin
It's a cold cloudy day today and so it seems like a good time to discuss Vitamin D. More and more research is showing that Vitamin D makes a difference in preventing cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis and other diseases. We think of it as the "sunshine vitamin" because our bodies produce it when our skin is exposed to ultraviolet light in sunshine.
On the other hand, because of skin cancer and the recommendation to use sunscreen, few people produce enough of this vitamin even on sunny days. In northern parts of the country such as Minnesota, it is impossible to get enough from exposure to the sun in the winter.
Few foods contain adequate amounts of Vitamin D but with fortification, good sources include dairy products, juices and breakfast cereals. Fatty fish such as tuna and salmon are also good sources but health professionals are suggesting Vitamin D supplements for everyone. Look for multi-vitamins containing 1000 IU's of Vitamin D.
On the other hand, because of skin cancer and the recommendation to use sunscreen, few people produce enough of this vitamin even on sunny days. In northern parts of the country such as Minnesota, it is impossible to get enough from exposure to the sun in the winter.
Few foods contain adequate amounts of Vitamin D but with fortification, good sources include dairy products, juices and breakfast cereals. Fatty fish such as tuna and salmon are also good sources but health professionals are suggesting Vitamin D supplements for everyone. Look for multi-vitamins containing 1000 IU's of Vitamin D.
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