Recipe - Three Bean Chili

Three Bean Chili (in a slow cooker)

Ingredients:

2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef, chicken or pork
1 sm. onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 (16 oz.) can red kidney beans
1 (16 oz.) can black beans
1 (16 oz.) can white beans
1 (15 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes (no skins)
2 tbsp. hot sauce (this can be left out if you’re cooking for kids)
1 tbsp. oregano
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. chopped jalapenos

Preparation:

Drain and rinse all beans. Brown ground beef with vegetable oil; drain. Add remaining ingredients to slow cooker. Cover and stir occasionally. Put on low heat, can be fixed ahead and left on all day.

Recipe - Jalapeno Corn Bread

Jalapeno Corn Bread

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil for the pan
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 tablespoons sugar, optional
Dash ground chipotle chile pepper or cayenne pepper
1/4 cup fresh finely chopped jalapeno pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Mexican blend of cheeses, Cheddar Jack, or sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup canned corn kernels, optional
8 ounces sour cream
3/4 cup milk
1 large egg, beaten
4 tablespoons melted butter

Preparation:

Coat a heavy 10-inch skillet or 9-inch square baking pan with vegetable oil and set aside. Heat oven to 400°.
In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, soda, salt, sugar, chipotle or cayenne pepper, chopped jalapeno peppers, and corn kernels.
Heat the skillet or pan in the oven or on the stovetop.
Whisk together the sour cream, milk, egg, and melted butter. Stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Spread in the hot greased skillet or baking pan.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until set and lightly browned around the edges. Cool in the pan on a rack; cut into squares or wedges.

Vive le chili!

I love spicy food. To me if you want to make something better add some pepper. Any kind of pepper will do: chilis, jalapenos, poblanos, just as long as they have a kick. Last nights dinner was no exception. I had Jalapeno cornbread with three bean chili. It was absolutely great. For the kiddies, I just omitted the jalapenos from their cornbread. So I thought that I would share the recipes, maybe you’ll try it tonight.

Recipe - Pina Colada

For those nights when you just want to feel tropical, this is the perfect drink. Put this concoction into a tall glass, add a paper umbrella and a slice of pineapple and you are set. You can make them either virgin or ‘slutty’ depending on your mood and your company. :0)

Ingredients:

4 oz. pineapple juice
1 1/2 oz. coconut cream
1 1/2 oz. gold rum (if you want to make it slutty)
Pineapple slice

Mixing instructions:
Mix all ingredients (except pineapple slice) with cracked ice in a shaker or blender. Pour into a chilled tall glass.
Garnish with fruit

Recipe - Lemon Tarts

Since Meli means honey in Greek, I thought that I would share a honey recipe with you. This one is fairly easy to make, and with some creative plating, you can make them look very fancy.

Let me know what you think…

Ingredients

1 egg

1/4 cup honey

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons butter, melted

2 (2.1 ounce) packages frozen mini fillo shells

Garnish: 1 can aerosol whipped cream24 maraschino cherries, halved or 24 fresh raspberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with non-stick cooking spray.Beat egg until fluffy. Continue beating while adding honey. Beat in brown sugar, lemon juice, zest, nutmeg, salt and melted butter. Put mixture into a measuring cup for easy pouring.Place fillo shells on a baking sheet and fill with lemon mixture almost to the top.Bake 12 minutes or until filling is bubbly and golden brown. Remove to rack to cool. (Can be prepared early in the day.)Just before serving, pipe a swirl or whipped cream on each tart. Top with half a maraschino cherry or a fresh raspberry.

Yields: 24 tartlets

Restaurant Review - Juniors

Juniors - Most Famous Cheesecake & Desserts


http://www.juniorscheesecake.com/



I would like to start off by saying, I am not a cheesecake fan. I tend to go for other types of desserts but cheesecake was never very high on my list. This was until I went to Juniors.

I am not sure how Juniors make their cakes, but they are phenomenal!!

Their flavours range from the traditional; cherry or New York Cheesecake, to the ultimate in decadence; chocolate mousse or black forest. They combine flavours to produce a treat that is just heavenly.

Recipe - Poutine

In honour of Canada Day, I decided to post a truly Canadian recipe.

I love poutines. They are french fries covered in gravy and cheese, nothing could be better.

POUTINE

Ingredients
1 quart vegetable oil (for frying)
1 (10 1/4 ounce) can beef gravy
5 medium potatoes, cut into fries
2 cups cheese curds

Directions

1. Heat oil in a deep fryer or deep heavy skillet to 365°F (185°C).


2. Warm gravy in saucepan or microwave.
   
3. Place the fries into the hot oil, and cook until light brown, about 5 minutes.
   
4. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
   
5. Place the fries on a serving platter, and sprinkle the cheese over them.
   
6. Ladle gravy over the fries and cheese, and serve immediately.