Simple Chili

by madaise on Nov 11, 2008

Chili is so simple to make, a few basic ingredients and before long a big pot full to eat on for a couple days.  We eat chili plain, with spaghetti, over fritos with cheese on top (and sometimes sour cream), with crackers or bread and butter, topped on hotdogs and probably more ways I’m forgetting.

Here’s how I make a simple recipe that suits my whole (picky) family.

2 lbs ground beef
2 cans chili beans (we prefer mild)
2 cans tomato sauce
1-2 TBS Chili powder
1-2 cans water (after cans are open) maybe more, depending on your preference

Brown ground beef in a soup pot (I use my multi-purpose 6 quart pot).  When the beef has been browned, you may need to drain a bit of the fat and juice off.  If you want to leave it in, go ahead - my husband says it gives it more flavor! I like to add the chili powder as soon as the beef is done browning - after I drain it (unless I don’t drain at all).

Once the beef has been browned, add the beans and sauce.  Stir it up.

Add the water slowly so you don’t add too much.  It’s always easy to add a bit more… to get the consistency you like in your chili.

Let it cook so the flavors blend.  Once it’s hot throughout, eat it up.

With chili, there are many ingredients you can add to it… my recipe is super simple because of my family.  But many chili’s have onions and/or peppers.  I use to use lentil beans instead of ground beef.  Or try a package of mixed beans - cooked to package directions.

Chili is another yummmy soup for cold weather.  Enjoy!

Easy Homemade Beef Vegetable Soup

by madaise on Nov 11, 2008

Cold weather always brings with it cravings of soups and stews.  Hearty meals that fill our bellies and warm us up, inside out.  Vegetable soup is a big favorite around our house… kept on the stove to keep warm and we nibble on it all the cold day long.

2 bags frozen vegetable mix for soups
1-1.5 lbs cubed beef for soups and stews
1 large can tomato sauce or a can of V8 Juice
3-4 beef bouillon cubes (optional)
1-2 TBS flour
2 TBS Olive Oil, or other favorite cooking oil
water

You may wish to add a few extra veggies.
- I like to add a can of diced potatoes, or if I feel like it, I’ll peel and dice 1-2 potatoes.
- Extra corn, green beans or whatever veggies you like in your soup.

It’s your soup… add what you want!  If you want to add pasta, add it at the end of cook time.  The pasta will cook, but won’t get really large and mushy.  I prefer to keep my soup on the stove, on low, most of the day, so I don’t add pasta.

In a soup pot, add your oil and turn stove on medium or medium high.  Add beef to brown.

You could use a skillet to brown your meat.  But when I am making soup, I like to brown the meat right in the soup pot… one less pan to wash.

Once beef starts to brown, it will get juicy in the pot.  At this time, add your bouillon cubes and give them a bit of time to melt down.  Then add some flour.  Enough to coat your meat.  You may need to add just a bit of water so things to burn.. you want all browned to give it good flavor.

After the meat has browned and made the house smell yummmy, add a few cups of water and your veggies.  Pour in your tomato sauce (or juice).  How much water to add comes to personal preference… if you want it soupy, add a bit extra.. if you want it a bit chunkier, don’t add so much.

Bring to a boil then turn down to simmer - stir periodically to keep from burning the bottom.  It’s done when the meat and veggies are tender.  The longer is sits on simmer, the more blended and rich the flavor.

We gobble this up on cold days with lots of buttered bread.