Cul De Sac Chili

My favorite element of the fall season is how conducive it is to eating soup!  My other favorite thing in the fall is when we join our neighbors in a Halloween cookout, hayride, and trick or treating.  I don't have a white picket fence, but I do have one helluva cul de sac!  Each year, we rent a bouncey house that is great entertainment for all the kids - and for some adults too (me)!  Then my neighbor Kyle gets some hay from the co-op (his wife Stacy told me, as we wondered where that actually was).  Stacy and I could tell you more quickly where to find a pair of Toms for your kids than we could figure out where to get hay...The 4 homes on the cul de sac each get 2 bales of decorative hay, then the rest of the hay is placed onto a trailer that the children will sit on as Kyle drives them slowly through the neighborhood.  Everybody chips in a dish, extension cords come out, slow cookers congregate, and decorative styrofoam cups are shared.  Does that always mean that someone is enjoying an adult beverage?  If it's me holding one, then yes...

We had treats galore!  Also this year, we had an outdoor television viewing corner.  The Carsons have a downstairs theatre in their home, so it's understandable that they would set up an outdoor entertainment center for this outdoor occasion, especially since the Razorbacks played - and won - this day, thank goodness. 

My main dish was the chili con carne, but I was scared that a 6 quart Crockpot of chili would not be enough, so I made a backup pot of chicken chili.  The recipe for that is the same, except I used chicken.  I also added corn.

I was also worried that we wouldn't have enough hot dogs for the kids, so I also roasted some hoisin garlic chicken.  We seem to eat a lot of chicken legs in the cul de sac.  We joke with the Kims about it, but it's true - the kids will always eat these!  To make the Hoisin Garlic Chicken, marinate the chicken in fish sauce or soy sauce with hoisin sauce and garlic.  Really the fish sauce is a great brining agent that helps any meat stay tender and moist!  Don't forget to add black pepper.

Preheat the oven to convection roast 400 degrees.  When it's ready, put the chicken in for 20 minutes.  I had 10 drumsticks.  After 20 minutes, change the temperature to 325 degrees and cook another 30 minutes.  Let rest about 15 minutes, then they're ready.

Since I bought a new crockpot (my first one since Jereme's mom bought me one back in 1999?), I was able to share 2 different items in a slow cooker this year.  I thought the kids would enjoy some Italian style meatballs.  I didn't have time to cook all day, so I got a bag of the Italian meatballs from Sams and put them in the slowcooker for 3 hours on high with 2 cans of Cream of Mushroom Soup with Roasted Garlic and a cup of chicken stock.  They loved them!

Thanks to my friend Matt at AKC Party Rentals for the awesome bouncey house!!!  It's so much fun to jump in these things, no wonder the kids jump in them for hours and hours....while the grownups are inside cooking, cleaning, and paying the bills.  If only I could jump carelessly all day in one of these things!

Chili Con Carne

Ingredients:

• 2 Pounds of lean ground beef
• 2 Pounds of chuck roast, trimmed of fat and diced into bite sized pieces
• 2 Onions coursely chopped
• 5 Cloves of garlic
• 2 Packages Williams Chili packets (look for silver and black)
• 1 Can of roasted garlic diced tomatoes - Hunts has no high fructose corn syrup!
• 1 Can of Rotel Mexican diced tomatoes with lime and cilantro
• 1 Can of no salt added black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 Cup of water
• 1 beef bouillon cube
• Beef stock
• Ground Cumin
• Cayenne Pepper
• Shredded cheddar
• Sour cream
• Diced onion, raw

Directions:

1. Brown the ground beef in a large dutch oven or braiser.  Add a little salt and pepper.  Drain off fat, then add to a 6 quart slow cooker.  Brown the chuck roast cubes, drain off fat, and add to slow cooker.  Continue to season in layers with salt and pepper.
2. If needed, add more oil to the pan.  Then, add onions and cook until tender.  After about 10 minutes, add the finely chopped garlic cloves.  Drain off fat and add to slow cooker.
3. To the pan, add one cop of water.  Bring up to a boil, while whisking the browned bits on the pan.  When it boils, add the bouillon cube and stir to dissolve.  Add to slow cooker.
4. Next, add tomatoes, Rotel tomatoes, and black beans.
5. Add more beef stock depending on the consistency that you like your chili.
6. Heat on low with the lid on for 7 hours.
7. Taste the chili, and if needed, add salt or more cumin and cayenne, depending on how spicy you like your chili.

Cheddar Potato Soup

Today the temperature dropped again after warmer weather yesterday, so it was a great day for soup.  One of our favorite soups to prepare is Bear Creek Cheddar Potato soup mix found in the soup aisle.  Think of this recipe as an episode of Sandra Lee's semi - homemade! 

For a topping, I made some pancetta, which is an Italian bacon.  We like the light, thin crisp of these round pieces that crumble just beautifully.  I followed the instructions on the soup mix, topped it with some pancetta, then added some snipped chives and cheddar chips, cut into cubes then into slices.

A delicious soup to remind us of the times that the leaves started to fall to the ground, their colors changed, and we sat around as Sasha strummed the guitar, and the girls sang Taylor Swift songs together.

Broiled Ribeye

I grew up eating grilled, medium rare ribeyes.  My parents loved to prepare steak meals for our family of 7!  So this past weekend when I went home to Nashville (Arkansas, not Tennessee), I ate and ate and ate.  My parents love to cook!  See where I get it from?  Thanks to them for all the delicious food that they always prepare, and thanks to them for sending me home with 2 ribeyes!

They were about 8 and a half ounces each, almost an inch thick.  They almost look like a heart if you put them together - reminded me of the year that my husband Jereme bought a package of steaks from Kroger for Valentines Day where they intentionally made the steaks look like a heart for the occasion!  I marinated mine in soy sauce, garlic, and pepper for a couple of hours.

Pre-heat the broiler.  You do this by opening the oven door, leaving it cracked just a little bit, and on my oven I press "broil" then "start" then "start" again.  You leave the door open.  The first time my husband told me that you were supposed to leave the door open, I thought he clearly does not know how to cook.  Then we built a house in 2007, and I read the manual of our new double ovens.  Yes, it said that you leave the door open.  My parents never "broiled" so I didn't know!  No wonder the broiler would always turn off when I shut the door!  So let the broiler heat up for about 5 minutes, then add your steaks onto the top rack closest to the top of the oven.

Ingredients:

• 2 (8 ounce) ribeyes about 1 inch thick
• Soy sauce
• Garlic powder
• Black pepper

Directions:

1. Marinate the steak in the soy sauce, garlic, and black pepper for a few hours or overnight.
2. Pre-heat the broiler.  You'll know it's ready when the heating element is bright orangish red.
3. Line a pan with foil for easy cleanup.  Top it with a broiler rack.  Place the steaks on top.
4. After the broiler heats for about 5 mintues, add the steaks to the top rack closest to the oven.
5. Leave the oven door open.  Set timer for 5 minutes.
6. After 5 minutes, flip the steaks.  Set timer for 8 minutes.
7. The steaks will be medium rare.  Pull them out and let them rest for 15 minutes before serving.

I served the steak with edamame and garlic bread with provolone.  Here's Gianna's little loving plate.

Banh Xeo - Vietnamese Crepes with Shrimp

Sometimes making a great crepe can be tricky.  But if you have your pan really hot, you know just the right amount of oil to put in, you can swirl the oil around quickly, and you can add the thinnest layer of batter you can, then it's quite an accomplishment!  To make these savory Vietnamese crepes, it's also important to have all ingredients right by the stovetop, ready to be added.  Then eat them immediately while the outside is still crisp, with a lettuce leaf wrapped around it, dipped into delicious chili lime garlic sauce.

Ingredients:

• Prepared flour package (Bot Banh Xeo)
• 3/4 lbs. medium peeled and deveined shrimp
• 1/2 lb. ground pork or thinly sliced pork
• 1 onion thinly sliced in half moons
• Finely chopped green onions, about 1/4 cup
• Thinly sliced mushrooms
• Fresh herbs:  cilantro, mint, perilla
• Green lettuce leaves
• 1 Cup coconut milk
• 3 and 1/2 Cups of water
• Canola oil

Directions:

1. Prepare the batter by mixing the prepared rice flour mix with the provided turmeric.
2. Add 3 and 1/2 cups of cold water, 1 cup of coconut milk, and the green onions.
3. Mix well and let the mix meld together about 15 minutes.
4. Heat a large pan over high heat.  Add a thin layer of canola oil, about 1 teaspoon. Swirl to spread it around the bottom.
5. When hot, after about 5 minutes, add some white onion, shrimp, and pork.  After a couple of minutes, when the pork is almost done, ladle a thin layer of the batter into the pan.  Use your wrist skills here to swirl the batter evenly because you don't want it to set too quickly.
6. Cover the pan with a lid for 2 minutes.  Check the middle of the crepe to see if it's almost cooked.
7. Fold the crepe over, flip if needed, then slide out onto a plate.

   You can find the batter at an Asian grocer if you have one nearby.  My mom made these for me today.  It's always so much tastier when she makes them!!!  She uses the rice flour mix below.

Beef Tataki

Beef tataki is my favorite dish to order in a Japanese restaurant.  The beef is seasoned and seared briefly much like ahi tuna, then served with ponzu dressing and sesame seeds.  I recreated this dish in my home (as seen above), and I was pretty happy with what I had.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. beef tenderloin or strip or flat iron steak
• Soy sauce
• Ponzu (citrus soy sauce/dressing)
• Shiso or perilla leaves
• Snipped chives

Directions:

1. Marinate the beef in soy sauce overnight or for a couple of hours.
2. Remove from refrigerator for about 20 minutes before cooking.
3. Heat a pan on high with canola spray.
4. After hot, about 5 minutes, add the beef and brown on all sides just until cooked on the outside, leaving the inside rare.
5. Let rest for 15 minutes, then slice thinly and serve with the shiso or perilla leaf.  Top the meat with sesame seeds.  Add chives to the ponzu dressing and serve all together.



Bun Rieu Cua Spicy Crab Soup

The temperature in Arkansas just dropped.  It's a bit deceptive, though, when the sun is shining so brightly outside.  You step outside, and burrrr....I started to crave a little comfort food.  Vietnamese comfort food.  This is my favorite Vietnamese soup ever.  It can be a long process where you start by putting the blue crabs in the freezer to let them fall asleep to humanely prepare them, or you can just use the lump crab meat from a can.  When I was craving this soup, I did not want to wait long for it.  I found a few helpers so that the process wouldn't be as long. 

The rich crab flavor of the stock in this soup reminds me of a cioppino broth with an Asian flair.  Using the pre-made soup is a big help when you don't have all day to cook.

You can either use minced prawns in spices, or you can use minced crab in spices.  The spices in the can are the key flavor ingredient.  They give the spicy crab soup the red color that is so distinctive.

There are many different noodles used in Vietnamese cooking.  I love the slippery consistency of dried bean threads when they're cooked.  Because they are made of beans, these noodles have a low Glycemic Index, which is good for your body.

Most Vietnames dishes are served with a big plate of herbs.  In this dish, I like chives, cilantro, red onions, and perilla.  Perilla leaves are my favorite.  They belong to both the mint family and the basil family, but their fragrant flavor surpasses any traditional mint or basil.

Ingredients:

• 1 Can of preservative - free bun rieu cua spicy crab soup
• 1 can of minced prawns in spices
• 6oz. ground pork
• 2 beaten eggs
• 1 small can of lump crab meat
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• 2 bundles of bean thread
• herbs
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• Finely ground shrimp sauce

Directions:

1. Combine the pork, crab meat, eggs, and minced prawns. 
2. Heat the soup in the pan till it boils.
3. Add spoonfulls of the meat mixture into the boiling soup.
4. Lower the heat and let simmer lightly.  When the pork and crab dumplings float to the top, they are done.
5. After about 10 minutes, add the tomatoes.
6. Boil the bean thread noodles, drain and rinse.
7. Top the noodles with the soup, then add your herbs.  Flavor with fish sauce and shrimp sauce. 

Smoked Salmon Crostini

My daughter Gianna is 8 years old, but if you've ever talked to her, you've recognized her maturity immediately.  When she was in kindergarten, the PTA president at her school said to me, "Talking to Gianna is like talking to an adult."  When whe was in the 3 year old building at Miss Selmas, one of Little Rock's best preschools ever, her teacher told me that she could probably leave and let Gianna run the class.  That was how good she was.  Gianna also made me start this food blog because she insisted that my food is REALLY good....I think she's just a bit biased!  The entire reason for this food blog is because she wanted me to do it.  Quoting one of her favorite Taylor Swift songs, Gianna, although you always act so grown up,  "I wish you'd never grow up."

Gianna loves smoked salmon.  I get the Wild Alaskan (I wonder why) Sockeye Salmon that is applewood smoked.  This appetizer is on top of a few baguette slices.  I spread some light garlic and herb spreadable cheese on the slices, top with the smoked salmon, then add some capers.  Easy.  For my mature little 8 year old who insisted I start a food blog to chronicle our family's food.

Prosciutto Brie Pizza

We love creamy Parisian brie and tender Italian prosciutto, so we combined them to make a pizza.  

For the pizza sauce, we used crushed San Marzano tomatoes.  I hear the Italian chefs talk about them all the time on Food Network.

My friend Dan said the oldest pizza place in New York uses San Marzano tomatoes for their sauce.  I don't know for sure if he's right about that, but I decided that I would try the same thing.

I found them canned at The Fresh Market.  My husband and I both decided that our homemade sauce was far better than any store - bought sauce we'd ever had.

Ingredients:

• Pizza crust (I used Udi's gluten free) - it's a thin, cracker crust
• 1 can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
• Julienned basil and chopped parsley
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Chopped chives, as much or as little as you like
• Crushed red pepper
• Parmigiano Reggiano for grating
• 1 small round of brie
• 1 package cubetti prosciutto
• Thinly sliced red onions

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 
2. Heat the crushed tomatoes over medium heat in a small saucepan.  
3. Add the fresh herbs and garlic to the pan.
4. Continue to heat and stir, letting herbs simmer gently in the sauce.  After about 15 minutes, remove from heat and let cool.
5. Slice the brie into small, thin, rectangular slices. 
6. Spread the sauce onto 2 pizza crusts.
7. Top with brie slices, then sprinkle the prosciutto on top. 
8. Place the red onion slices on top next.
9. Bake for 8 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
10. Top with crushed red pepper and grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Another fun experiment in the red kitchen!

  

Shrimp Cous Cous

For a quick lunch today, I made the girls pearled cous cous.  For Gianna, she would have shrimp mixed in.  Not for Sasha.  I buy Near East Pearled Cous Cous with roasted garlic and olive oil.  This stuff is high in protein and has zero saturated fat.  The girls usually love food from the Mediterranean.  Also, the seasoning packet packs a lot of flavor!

Ingredients:

• 1 Package Near East Pearled Cous Cous mix (Roasted Garlic & Olive Oil)
• Cooked Shrimp - as much or as little as you'd like.

Directions:

1. Prepare the cous cous according to package directions.
2. Cut each shrimp into about 3 or 4 small pieces.
3. Combine.

Pho (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)

Pho is probably the most well - known dish of all the Vietnamese dishes.  All over the Dallas area, there are restaurants with the name Pho in it.  In Springfield, Missouri, there is a restaurant where they wear shirts that say "What the pho?!"  And Anthony Bourdain went all over Vietnam looking for the best pho.  I grew up eating this - probably weekly if not biweekly.  Mom made the best.  She still does!

My sister and I were talking about how it takes forever when you make pho from scratch.  There's grilling the onion and ginger, simmering the beef bones, skimming the broth.  Forget it!  Here's a shortcut to making pretty good pho.  Pho cubes can be found at Sam's Oriental on South University across from UALR.

I like the extra wide rice noodles.  You can also choose medium dried noodles or the fresh ones from the refrigerator section.  Prepare them as directed on the package.  If you can't find English instructions, just boil some water, add the noodles, and boil rapidly over high for about 4 minutes or until tender.  Drain, rinse, and set aside.

Next, bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Use the amount directed on the pho cube package.  You may have to Google the equivalent of cups to liters if you're bad at math like me.  The pho cubes are great because they are flavored with ginger, cinnamon, star anise, and onion.  Those are the main flavors of pho.  When the water is ready, add the cubes.  Once the cubes are dissolved, add the thinly sliced beef.  We usually use eye of round fot its tender quality.

I like medium rare beef, so I remove the meat pretty quickly.  Top your noodles with the beef, add some broth, then your herbs, and season with a little bit of Sriracha and some Hoisin.  We also add fish sauce because we add that to everything.  I saw an issue of Cooks Illustrated where they put fish sauce in their gumbo to add depth of flavor.

 I like Thai basil, cilantro, and onions in mine.  In place of grilling the white onion, I cooked some green onions in a grill pan.

Well, I saved a little time anyway.

Baked Sea Bass

I live in Arkansas; they call it a landlocked state.  That means most of the fish that I like has to be either flash frozen at sea or flown in fresh for quality.  I picked this Chilean Sea Bass filet up at The Fresh Market.  I asked him how old it was.  He said it had been flown in that day.

Chilean Sea bass is my favorite fish.  Ever.  Its texture is flaky, and its flavor is buttery.  Here's how I prepared it before I baked it in the oven.  I removed it from the fridge and flavored it.  I had an abundance of Cavenders Greek seasoning, so I used it.  Cajun seasoning would also be good.  Then I brushed the outside with some peanut oil so that it would not dry out.  I placed it onto a baking dish.

Next I preheated the oven to 400 and cooked the fish about 20 minutes.  I removed it from the oven, let it rest 10 minutes, then served it.  My filet was a pretty thick cut, so that can make a difference in how long you cook one of these.  I squeezed an abundant abount of lime on the fish also.  It was so good!