A Big Pot of Chili

Tonight we had chili.  I will try my best to give you my chili recipe.  Every pot is different.  I just add a little of this and a little of that.  It always turns out great.

Chili
6 servings


Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp thyme
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 can pinto beans, drained
2 cans diced tomatoes, with their juice
1 large can of tomato sauce
2 tbsp hot sauce
Directions
Brown the ground beef.  Add the onions, garlic, and spices to the ground beef and cook until onions are softened.  Add all of the remaining ingredients ans simmer.  You can simmer this for as long or as little as you want.  I find that 2-3 hours gives the best flavor.


A nice warm cinnamon roll always goes really well with a pot of chili.

Craving Mardi Gras

March 8th is Fat Tuesday this year.  I have been polishing up my Cajun culinary skills in preparation.  A couple weeks ago I made a giant pot of gumbo.  Yesterday, I made shrimp etouffee.  This is my variation of a recipe that a friend gave me years ago.  I hate most one pot dishes, but I loved this shrimp etouffee.  My only problem was that I didn't make enough to have any leftovers for another meal.

Shrimp Etouffee
4 servings

Ingredients

4 teaspoon Hot Sauce
1 Small Bell Pepper, Diced
1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
1/4 cup Flour
1 Onion, chopped
2 Clove Garlic, Minced
2 stalks Celery, Diced
2 Tomatoes, Chopped
1 cup Clam Juice
1 cup Chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon Dried Basil
1/4 teaspoon Dried Thyme
1 Bay Leaf
to taste Pepper
1 pound Shrimp, Cleaned & Peeled
1/2 cup Scallions, Chopped
Instructions
To make the roux, heat oil in a heavy skillet until hot. Then gradually stir in the flour and stir constantly until the mixture turns brown but does not burn. If you burn the roux, start gain. Should just be slightly brown. Add the onions, garlic, celery, and bell pepper to the roux, and sauté for about five minutes until vegetables are soft. Add the tomatoes, clam juice, stock, basil, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring the roux mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and simmer for fifteen minutes or until it thickens to a sauce. Add the hot sauce, shrimp, and scallions and simmer for an additional five minutes or until the shrimp are cooked. Remove the bay leaf and enjoy over white rice.