Quick & Easy Beef/Venison Chili

I found this recipe more than ten years ago on the back of a can of Progresso kidney beans. It looked so simple I just had to try it. It has since become my base for many fun chili dishes. Everyone should make chili their own... This recipe is a good jumpstart and you can add just about anything you like to suit your flavor pallet! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lb ground beef or venison
• 2/3 cup chopped yellow onions
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 15oz cans dark red kidney beans, undrained
• 1 28oz can whole tomatoes in puree, cut up
• Tomato paste (if needed)
• 3 tsp chili powder
• 1.5 tsp Chef Michael's The Good Stuff Seasoning 

(2 parts kosher salt, 1 part black pepper, 1 part garlic powder, 1 part onion powder, 1 part smoked paprika)

• 2 tsp or 2 cubes instant beef bouillon
• 1 tbsp dried parsley
• fresh ground black pepper to taste
• Scallions for garnish

In chili circles this one is flavorful, but considered quite mild. Add seasonings of your choice for more heat.

Preparation:

1: Brown chop meat with onions and garlic over medium heat with a bit of olive oil until meat is fully cooked. Drain.

2: Stir in all remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.

3: Simmer over medium low heat for 20-30 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally.

4: Serve with pearl barley cooked in beef stock and garnish plates with scallions or any of the fun things you enjoy. Parsley, cilantro, cheese, sour cream, avocado… In other words, make this dish your own. 

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Stuffed Peppers with Meat & Barley

This is a diabetic friendly version of stuffed peppers I used to make years ago using a slow cooker. There is still quite a bit of prep work so allow yourself more than an hour to get this dish on the table. The end result is absolutely worth the effort!

The main change is the swap to barley instead of rice. I use venison in my stuffed peppers but you can absolutely use lean beef as well. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 12 oz lean ground venison or beef
• 1 cup pearl barley - long cook
• 2.5 cups beef stock
• 1 cup yellow onion - chopped
• 3 cloves garlic - minced
• 3 oz baby portobello caps - chopped
• 1 scallion - cut to 1/4" pieces
• 1 tbsp The Good Stuff - Click here for recipe
• 1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 bell peppers - your choice of color - choose flat bottoms
• shredded mozzarella - as needed
• 3 medium tomatoes - cut up
• salt & pepper - to taste

Preparation:

Bring the beef stock to a boil. Thoroughly rinse the pearl barley, add to boiling stock and simmer for ~40 minutes, covered, until almost all liquid is gone. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet and fry the meat in a bit of olive oil until cooked through. Add The Good Stuff and blend well. Remove meat from pan and set aside... keep warm.

Add more oil to the pan and saute the garlic, onion, scallion & mushrooms, adding ginger, parmesan and salt & pepper to taste. Cook until onions are just translucent.

Add the meat back, blend well and adjust seasoning to your liking.

Cut the tops from the peppers and remove insides as best you can.

At this time add the barley to the pan with the meat mix. You will not need all of the barley. The quantity made allows you to gauge how much to add to the pan so you'll have enough to comfortably fill your 3 peppers.

At this time start a gentle saute on the tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper and some garlic powder. Cook for a minute or two and transfer to the pot you will use for steaming.

Fill the peppers with meat mixture, gently pressing mix to make sure the pepper is fully filled. Place upright into pot on top of tomato base.

Simmer/steam over medium low, covered, for ten minutes. Add mozzarella to tops of each pepper and cook for another 10 minutes.

Give each person a whole pepper for plating beauty. Have them cut the pepper in half and then top each half with some of the tomato base.

Serve with a green vegetable of your choosing.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Minestrone Chili

My plan to empty the fridge to make room for groceries for a large holiday gathering brought about this wonderful chili that Carolyn decided should be called Minestrone Chili. As you know, a minestrone was originally put together with all of the week's leftovers in Italian families so nothing went to waste. Paired with some coarse ground venison as a special treat, this chili turned out so good that it deserves a spot on the blog. Feel free to use beef, of course, if you're not a hunter. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Except for the base of beef or venison, tomatoes and my seasonings, the composition is largely dependent on what is in your fridge. I will list the things I added, but I really just grabbed what was there without regard for quantity. Rule of thumb: just cut everything to bite size as this will be a spoon dish. 

• 1.5 lbs lean ground venison or beef
• 2  28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes in thick puree
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp Chef Michael's "The Good Stuff" Seasoning - click link or see below 
• 1 red bell pepper
• couple stalks celery
• asparagus
• 1 leek stalk - dismantled and thoroughly washed
• broccoli
• 2-3 scallions
• 1-2 shaved carrots - I just use the veggie peeler

One tablespoon “Good Stuff”:

• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Preparation:

Fry the chop meat in a bit of olive oil. Add the canned tomatoes. Carefully break each one open and then coarsely mash with potato masher. Leave them chunky. :-)

Next add red bell pepper and celery, and then the asparagus. Blend.

Take your time cleaning the leek to remove all dirt. Cut up and add to the pot.

Next up I found some broccoli and a few scallions, so they went in.

I was on a roll so I decided on some shaved carrots just for fun.

Finally one can plus some leftover cannellini beans were blended into the mix along with the "Good Stuff" and the chili powder. I let it all simmer for about an hour before serving.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Colcannon for Diabetics

Colcannon is a wonderfully earthy meal that is often served on Samhain, the Pagan holiday more widely known as All Hallows' Eve. It is a dish that celebrates the last of the harvest of fresh vegetables before winter sets in. My version includes the last of my stored venison to honor the Ancient Antlered One before this year's hunting season commences. 

Carolyn had a wonderful idea and suggested I use my cauliflower mash with caramelized onions instead of the potatoes. I ran the flavor pallet through my mind and smiled...... I could already taste the diabetic friendly version and will now be able to enjoy one of my favorite dishes with zero guilt!

I think you will love this amazing comfort food with or without the venison, or feel free to add your own choice of meat. Diced or shredded fresh ham is a wonderful alternative.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 - 2 lbs venison chop meat (beef, turkey or chicken works, too)
• Salt as needed
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1 head of green cabbage, cored and shredded
• 1 lge head cauliflower - cut into florets
• 4-5 tbsp butter for cauliflower mash
• flavored breadcrumbs - as needed for mash consistency
• olive oil
• 2 onions - one minced, one chopped
• 1 10oz pkg baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
• 1 bunch scallions, cut into 1/2" pieces
• 1 handful fresh parsley, barely chopped
• 1-2 carrots, shaved into thin ribbons

Preparation:

Fry the venison in a little olive oil and set aside.

Cut up the cauliflower and use your preferred cooking method until the florets are moderately soft. I simmer/steam in my Guardian Service - lid on.

While the cauliflower is cooking, mince the onion and saute in a bit of olive oil until translucent and nicely browned. Set aside for later, including saute oil for flavor.

Once the cauliflower is cooked, use a potato masher to break up the florets.

Add butter and puree the cauliflower using a stick blender. Add salt, pepper, olive oil if needed and maybe flavored bread crumbs until you achieve a consistency and flavor to your liking. Remember you're looking for the mouth feel to be that of good mashed potatoes.

Finally add the sauteed onion to the pot and blend well. Set the mash aside and keep warm.

Now that the mash is set, saute the chopped onion, mushrooms, scallions and parsley in a bit of olive oil.

Add the meat to the saute and blend well.

Add the shredded cabbage to hot water and

simmer for 8-10 minutes until tender.

Drain cabbage in colander and add cauliflower mash to the Dutch Oven.

Add the drained cabbage and gently blend. 

Add the sauteed items, blend, and finally fold in the shaved carrots.

The carrots should go in just before serving so they retain a little crunch.

Serve with your favorite white wine...

I find a nice dry Pinot Grigio pairs very well here. Enjoy!

Blessed be... and happy cooking!