Chili Con Carne

Photo from cookscountrytv.com

I am not a big fan of chili with beans. I'm not entirely sure why but it could be that I grew up eating beans for breakfast, lunch and dinner (pinto beans to be exact) and now I'm just not that into legumes. It's not just pintos, but even black beans, Navy beans and kidney beans. So when I saw this "chili" recipe sans beans, I just had to try it. I made it for my hubby and my brother-in-law. Although they both liked it, I think they were expecting the beans, but it was still very good and it has quite a TexMex flavor kick. This chili con carne tastes great served over steamed, white rice. I found that it tasted even better the next day.

INGREDIENTS (serves 6)

• 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
• 4 slices bacon , chopped fine
• 1 (3 1/2- to 4-pound) boneless beef chuck-eye roast , trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• Salt and pepper
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 1 jalapeño chile , seeded and chopped fine
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 garlic cloves , minced
• 4 cups water
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons yellow corn muffin mix, such as Jiffy Mix

DIRECTIONS

1. Process tomatoes and chipotle in food processor until smooth. Cook bacon in Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate and reserve 3 tablespoons bacon fat.
2. Pat beef dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon reserved bacon fat in empty Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of beef, about 8 minutes. Transfer to bowl and repeat with additional tablespoon bacon fat and remaining beef.
3. Add remaining bacon fat, onion, and jalapeño to empty Dutch oven and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in chili powder, cumin, oregano, and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in water, pureed tomato mixture, bacon, browned beef, and sugar and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Skim fat and continue to simmer uncovered until meat is tender, 30 to 45 minutes.
4. Ladle 1 cup chili liquid into medium bowl and stir in muffin mix; cover with plastic wrap. Microwave until mixture is thickened, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk mixture into chili and simmer until chili is slightly thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve. (Chili can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

Coq au Vin

This coq au vin recipe is supposed to be ready in 90 minutes, but it took me much longer than that. I made the wine reduction sauce first in the morning and let it get to room temp; by the time Matt got home from work in the evening, I finished off the recipe. The result: pure deliciousness. I served my coq au vin over egg noodles, but you can serve it with a side of mashed potatoes, or even over rice.

Make sure you use a medium-bodied, fruity red wine such as Pinot Noir or a Rhône Valley Grenache. Avoid bold, heavily oaked red wine varietals like Cabernet and light-bodied wines like Beaujolais.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4 to 6)

• 1 bottle fruity, smooth, medium-bodied red wine (I used Pinot Evil Pinot Noir)
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 10 sprigs fresh parsley leaves
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 ounces bacon , preferably thick-cut, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces
• 2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs , trimmed of excess fat and cut in half crosswise
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 24 frozen pearl onions , thawed, drained, and patted dry (about 1 cup) (see note above)
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms , wiped clean, stems trimmed, halved if small and quartered if large
• 2 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring all but 1 tablespoon wine (reserve for later use), broth, parsley sprigs, thyme, and bay to simmer in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced to 3 cups, about 25 minutes. Discard herbs.
2. Meanwhile, cook bacon in large Dutch oven over medium heat until browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper-towel-lined plate. Reserve 2 tablespoons fat in small bowl; discard remaining fat.
3. Lightly season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon reserved bacon fat in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of chicken in single layer and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and repeat with remaining chicken and 1 tablespoon bacon fat.
4. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in now-empty Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When foaming subsides, add pearl onions and mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and flour; cook, stirring frequently, until well combined, about 1 minute.
5. Add reduced wine mixture, scraping bottom of pot with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits; add 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Return chicken, any accumulated juices, and reserved bacon to pot; increase heat to high and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot, and simmer until chicken is tender, about 25 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking time.
6. Using slotted spoon, transfer chicken to large bowl; tent with foil to keep warm. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer sauce until thick and glossy and measures 3 cups, about 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter and reserved 1 tablespoon wine. Season to taste with salt. Return chicken to pot and top with minced parsley. Serve immediately.

Beef Burgundy

We made a trip to Minnesota for Thanksgiving, which by the way I am very proud of our little Stella. She was such a good baby flying for the first time and didn't fuss at all. While we were there visiting my husband's family, his tia Cindy Blaha had a gathering for us at her house. There was a lot of food, but to me the most memorable was the beef bourgogne. The meat was tender and the sauce just right. I found this Crock-pot recipe from America's Test Kitchen and it's actually quite simple and it doesn't have too many ingredients. I think the hardest part of this recipe is the waiting!

A tip about this recipe is to make sure to use the low setting on your slow cooker; the stew will burn on the high setting. Serve with boiled potatoes (the traditional accompaniment), mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or over toasted French bread.

INGREDIENTS (serves 6 to 8)

• 8 ounces bacon , chopped
• 4 pounds beef stew meat (preferably chuck)
• 1 large onion , chopped fine
• 2 carrots , peeled and chopped fine
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 1/2 cups Pinot Noir
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 tablespoons Minute Tapioca
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
• 1 package white mushrooms, sliced

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook bacon in large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate and refrigerate. Pour half of bacon fat into small bowl; set skillet with remaining bacon fat aside.
2. Dry beef thoroughly with paper towels. Season beef with salt and pepper; place half of beef in slow cooker insert. Heat skillet containing remaining bacon fat over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook remaining beef in single layer until deep brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer browned beef to slow cooker insert.
3. Add reserved bacon fat to now-empty skillet and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion, carrots, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until vegetables begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and stir until beginning to brown, about 45 seconds. Transfer mixture to slow cooker insert.
4. Return now-empty skillet to high heat and add 1 1/2 cups wine, chicken broth, and soy sauce. Simmer, scraping up brown bits, until pan bottom is clean, about 1 minute. Transfer wine mixture to slow cooker insert.
5. Stir bay leaves and tapioca into slow cooker insert. Set slow cooker on low, cover, and cook until meat is fork-tender, about 9 hours. About halfway through the cooking, add the sliced mushrooms.
6. When ready to serve, discard bay leaves and stir in reserved bacon. Bring remaining 1 cup wine to boil in large skillet over high heat and simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Stir reduced wine and parsley into stew and adjust seasonings. Serve.