Showing posts with label Recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recipes. Show all posts

9.18.2013

How to Make the BEST Darn Chili in Town...and Low Carb too!!

I've been making my chili for at least 9 years now, and every time I fall in love all over again! There are easy ways to make chili, and then there is this way to make chili! It's easy to make and oh-so-good! And the added bonus, it's low carb!!


My secret...simmering all day to infuse flavor into every morsel! All you need are a few ingredients!

Ingredient List:

  • Ground beef
  • Chili seasoning packet
  • Cumin
  • Chili powder
  • Paprika
  • Pampered Chef Chipolte Rub (optional)
  • Garlic powder
  • Meat Tenderizer
  • Onion (optional)
  • Green Pepper (optional)
  • Diced tomatoes (canned)
  • Canned beans (kidney, chili, white kidney - all optional)



And here comes the instructions on how to make the easiest, best tasting chili ever!!

Step One
Brown the ground beef. Make sure to thoroughly drain the grease. Use one or two packets of the pre-made chili seasoning (depending on how much ground beef used. For this go-round, I used 2 lbs of beef and two packets of seasoning.) Add additional seasonings to taste. It will still taste mostly like plain ground beef, but that is where the magic of the crock pot comes in! You can leave it on low on the burner to have some more grease, which will help to marry the seasonings.


Step Two
Add your diced tomatoes to the crock pot and turn on high. You can do this while browning the meat.

Step Three
Chop your onions and green peppers if you choose to add them. Make sure they are chopped small enough to "melt" into the chili. Too large and you'll be chomping on bits of pepper and onion instead!





Step Four
Put the peppers, onions, and beef into the tomatoes, keep the heat at high, and stir so that all blend together. Take a quick taste, and if you need more of any spice keep adding to taste! There is no method of measurement here...if you like spicy, go crazy with the chili powder! Or add crushed red pepper!


And that's it! Seriously! How easy was that!! Now, all you have to do is patiently wait while your mouth waters because the smell literally permeates the entire house!!

Be sure to keep stirring throughout the day, and after about 3-4 hours on high, switch to low. If you are leaving for the day, you can keep the heat on low all day. The longer you let the chili "merge" its flavors together, the better it tastes!! Once it's done, you'll salivate over the deep, rich color of the chili!


Serve it up and garnish with some shredded cheese, some sour cream, and a slice of avocado (which unfortunately, I didn't have on hand this time.) I promise, you won't be disappointed!! And if you aren't on a low carb diet like me, add those beans! Ever BETTER!

I'd love to hear your stories if you decide to give this a try!! Or, do you have a favorite chili recipe? Let me know!!!
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5.24.2013

Low Carb Living - Eat bread without the guilt!




I'm so excited!! I've earned my very first attempt at guest blogging!! Thanks so much to Jessica at Plucky's Second Thought for this amazing opportunity!!

I've been living a low carb lifestyle for almost a year now, and I've been trying to build up a recipe database of yummy meals that are easy to prepare, and most of all, cheap!!

The most "missed" food item in low carb living, has to be bread, and I've found the next best thing!!! Read more about my Low Carb Lovely over at Plucky's blog!!

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3.02.2013

Recipe to try - Ranch and Cream Cheese Sticky Chicken

I had a huge package of drumsticks that were defrosting in my fridge for about 5 days, and I needed to cook them as soon as I could!! My oven had decided to crap out on me and smolder to the point it would have caught fire, so I had to resort to the good ‘ol crockpot!

I have to admit, I don’t think I ever cooked drumsticks in there before. So, I scoured the internet and found this yummy-sounding recipe from About.com!!

I think it was this picture that caught my eye the most!! lol 



I never follow a recipe to a “t” so I doctored it up with my favorite low carb staples…Ranch dressing and cream cheese! Yum!

Hidden Valley Ranch...THE best, of course!
 
I'm all for Wegmans brand. Yum!


I omitted the thyme, white pepper, garlic powder, and onions. I added Pampered Chef’s Chipotle Rub, basil, oregano, and chili powder.



When I was ready to cook the chicken, I threw them in the crockpot, drizzled them with ranch dressing, and chopped up the cream cheese into squares.























I know the recipe called for a 10 hour cook time, but I forgot to put mine on until about noon, so I cooked them on high for about 5 hours, and let them sit for another hour or so.

So tender, juicy and creamy!! Oh my goodness they were so good!! I’m a very critical chicken eater. It HAS to be tender or I won’t eat it. That’s why I avoid breasts and eat the legs and thighs. Plus, being on a low carb diet helps, since I don’t have to worry that the dark meat is fattier!!!



I suggest trying this out for yourself! If you do, I’d love to hear your comments on how it turned out and if you tweaked it too or followed what I did!




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