Fabulous Food

I made this without beans because a) I don't like beans, and b) we didn't have any. Of course you can add them after the meat is cooked if you like. This recipe makes a ton of chilli - can probably feed 10 people. Easy to make though and would be great for parties. You'll need: 2 onions (white or purple or a combination) 1 red pepper 1 green pepper 2 large celery stalks 1 pack/can of mushrooms 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 lbs of lean ground beef 3-6 sausages or sausage meat 2 tablespoons of chilli powder 2 teaspoons each of cumin, garlic salt, paprika, and oregano Hot sauce to taste (optional - not in mine) 1 large can of crushed tomatoes 1 small can of tomato paste 1/4 cup of ketchup 1/8 cup of brown sugar 1/8 cup of Worcestershire sauce 1/3 cup of red wine vinegar Brown and crumble the sausage and ground beef in a large pot. Drain the excess grease. Add all your vegetables, diced, and the spices. Add the remaining ingredients and summer for about an ...

I wanted to make some muffins for the kids at work, but we had no flour, so I decided to make pancake muffins for breakfast! To make 12 you'll need: 2 cups of pancake mix 1 egg 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil 1/3 cup of maple syrup or honey 2/3 cup of milk 1 apple 1 tablespoon of cinnamon Whisk the egg, vegetable oil, syrup, and milk together. Add your pancake mix and whisk until combined. Peel and core your apple and chop it into little squares. Toss them with the cinnamon until coated. Mix your apples into the batter and then pour into your muffin tin. Bake at 425 for 10-12 minutes. Drizzle some maple syrup on top and enjoy.

So I wanted to make banana bread the other day, but had no bread pan, so I decided to make muffins. The problem is, without chocolate chips, banana bread/muffins can be boring. SO I decided to add some apple and cinnamon to spice things up. They turned out FANTASTIC! Basically, you just make your batter like you normally would for banana bread. Before you put it in the pan, grab an apple, peel and core it, and cut it either into large chunks (one per cupcake) or small pieces that can be mixed into the batter. Put the apple pieces in a bowl and coat with cinnamon. If you went with small pieces, you can mix them into the better OR put half the batter in, add some apple, and then pour the rest (tedious if you ask me). If you are using large pieces, pour your batter in and then just press the apple into it. You'll want to press farther than I have in my pictures - the batter doesn't rise that much. Now you can bake as you normally would, for 10-12 minutes at 350. Eat whi...

Potatoes are pretty simple to make, and they can be either a snack or a side dish. These can be cooked a number of different ways depending on your preferences. If you are in a rush or just don't want to wait, you'll want to microwave the potatoes first. Otherwise, you will end up having to bake them for close to an hour. Just poke some holes in them with a fork and put in the microwave for two minutes. Once the potatoes have softened a little, cut them into bite-sized pieces. The next step can be done either in a frying pan or in the oven. For the oven : Place your potato pieces into a bowl Pour about 1 tbsp of olive oil into the bowl and mix until they are coated Add your spices and toss again until coated (paprika, garlic salt, cumin, salt and pepper) Put in the oven at 400 degrees and bake until golden brown For the frying pan : Place your oil in the frying pan and put on medium heat Add your potatoes and sprinkle with the spices Cook the potatoes until t...

This is another one of my leftovers creations. I had leftover ground beef from taco night (it has taco seasoning on it) and didn't know what to do with it. SO I decided to make a grilled cheese/panini with pesto mayo, and it turned out pretty well! For one sandwich you'll need: two slices of whole wheat (or other) bread 1/4 cup ground beef w/ taco seasoning 1/8 cup of pizza mozzarella or other cheese Pesto mayo 1.5 tablespoons of mayo 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1.5 teaspoon basil 1 tablespoon of olive oil Start by mixing the ingredients for the pesto mayo together.  Next, spread your mayo out evenly on both pieces of bread. Top with the cheese and ground beef. Squish the sandwich together a little to make sure nothing leaks out. Now, you can cook it a number of ways. If you have a panini grill, use that. If not, you can use any other type of grill or, like I did in this case, a frying pan with some olive oil. Simply heat...

This a good meal even if you're only cooking for one or two. I work nights, so single meals are important for me. I also LOVE teriyaki chicken. You can get teriyaki sauce at pretty much any grocery store in the international isle, or an Asian grocery store. You can also make it, if you're feeling ambitious. That recipe can be found via google or any of my previous teriyaki chicken recipes. What you need for one LARGE serving: 1 medium chicken breast (can be pre-cooked or left over) 1 cup of the rice of your choice (I like sticky rice) cooked accordingly 1/2 - 1 cup of teriyaki sauce A pinch each of garlic salt, ground cumin, and cayenne pepper seasoning 1.5 tablespoons of cooking oil 1/3 of a white onion, chopped or sliced 1 garlic clove, minced Any other veggies you enjoy in a stir fry Cook your rice according to the type of rice. While you're doing this, begin sautéing your onion and garlic in the olive oil until the onion is transparent. Cut the chicken brea...

I love love love love love shrimp. I could eat it all day every day. And the best part about it is that it's really low in calories so even when you deep fry it, it's not that bad! This recipe makes about 10-15 shrimp, depending on the size. You'll need: 10-15 shrimp - peeled and cooked 3/4 cup flour 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tbsp Parmesan cheese 2 tbsp olive oil 1/4 cup of water Mix together the flour, parmesan cheese, and garlic powder. Slowly add the water and mix until you have a batter-like consistency.  Coat the shrimp in the batter. Heat up your oil to medium-low heat in a deep skillet until the batter sizzles when dropped in. Add the shrimp to the skillet in a single layer. Cook the shrimp on each side until it is golden brown and crispy. Serve with some mayo or tempura sauce on the side.