West Texas Chili Recipe

2 large onions, diced

1/4 cup lite Olive or canola oil

 5 garlic cloves, finely minced

2 pounds ground chuck (okay, I use 1.25 pounds of organic hamburger)

 1 tablespoon table salt

 2 to 3 tablespoons ancho chili powder (I have used Chipotle chili powder lately) 

 2 tablespoons ground cumin

 1 tablespoon paprika

2 (14.5-oz.) cans diced tomatoes

1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste

1 (12-oz.) can amber ale beer

2 tablespoons masa harina (corn flour)

 

Step 1

Sauté diced onions in hot oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high 7 minutes or until translucent. Add minced garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Add beef, and cook, stirring often, 6 minutes or until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings in Dutch oven; return beef to Dutch oven.

Step 2

Stir in 1 tablespoon salt, 3 tablespoons ancho chile powder, 2 tablespoons ground cumin, and 1 tablespoon paprika; cook 2 minutes. Stir in diced tomatoes and tomato paste.

Step 3

Add 3/4 cup beer and 1 cup water; simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining 3/4 cup beer and 1/2 cup water; simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 4

Add masa; cook 10 minutes. Add additional water to reach desired consistency.

Serve with sour cream, avocado, and Mexican Cheese blends.  Some cornbread would be nice as well.  

Rachel's Pesto Pasta Salad

2 boxes of rainbow veggie pasta (boil)

2 packages chicken italian sausage (cook and chop)

2-3 packages cherry tomatoes (cut in half or 1/4)

1 medium block mozzarella cheese (cut into cubes)

2 handfuls of baby spinach (small package)

2 cans artichokes hearts or bottoms (chop into salad pieces)

2 small jars pesto or one big jar

mix and serve

Servings: 8-10

 

Lemon Shortbread Cookies

From Nanci Zombro

Do not preheat oven- dough must chill before baking.

Ingredients:

2 cups melted butter (4 sticks, 1 pound)

2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp lemon extract (orange works well too)

1 Tb lemon zest (or orange zest)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cream of tartar (critical)

1 tsp salt

4.25 Cups Flour (regular or gluten free)

½ cup granulated sugar in a small bowl (for later)

Instructions:

Melt butter in microwave for 3 minutes.  Add sugars and mix.  Let mixture cool to room temperature before adding eggs.

Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.

Add the lemon extract, zest, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt.  Mix well.

Add the flour in half cup increments, mixing after each addition.

Chill dough for at least 1 hour (overnight is fine too)

Preheat oven to 325.  Use your hands to roll dough into walnut sized balls.  Roll each ball in the sugar.  Place on cookie sheet and flatten.  (I use the bottom of a glass)

Bake at 325 for 10 to 15 minutes – should have a tinge of gold on the top.  Cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes then transfer to a rack to finish cooling.

 That’s all I did for the lemon ones.  If you want, you can dip each cookie in melted chocolate and place them on waxed paper to dry.

                Chocolate Dip = 2 cups chocolate chips and 1 stick of butter – melted together in the microwave.  Stir to make sure the chips are melted.  I use a half and half mixture of milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate.

Original recipe is for the orange shortbread with half of the cookie dipped in chocolate – called Sun Moon Cookies

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 large egg yolk, at room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt or 3/4 teaspoon regular table salt

3 cups semisweet chocolate chips

 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line several cookie sheets with parchment paper, or lightly grease with non-stick vegetable oil spray.

Beat together the butter and sugars until smooth.

Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla one at a time, beating well after each.

Whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and add to the butter mixture in the bowl.

Mix until everything is thoroughly incorporated. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, and mix briefly.

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Decide what size cookies you want to make. A muffin scoop (1/4 cup) will make 20 large, palm-sized cookies. A tablespoon cookie scoop (4 teaspoons) will make 50 medium (2 3/4" to 3") cookies; and a teaspoon cookie scoop (2 teaspoons) will make 100 small (2 1/2") cookies.

Scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 1/2" to 2" between cookies.

Bake the cookies for 12 to 17 minutes, until they're a light golden brown, with slightly darker edges. Their middles may still look a tiny bit shiny; that's OK, they'll continue to bake as they cool on the pan.

https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/chocolate-chip-oatmeal-cookies-recipe

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

4 ounces unsalted butter, softened

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

 In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer. With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar a cup at a time until smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract

 

AMISH CINNAMON BREAD

 2 loaves

No kneading, you just mix it up and bake it!

Batter:

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 cups buttermilk or homemade buttermilk--- 2 cups milk plus 2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice

4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

 Cinnamon/sugar mixture:

2/3 cups sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

¼ cup nuts

 Directions

Cream together butter, 2 cups of sugar, and eggs.

Add milk, flour, and baking soda.

Put 1/2 of batter (or a little less) into greased loaf pans (1/4 in each pan).

  Mix in separate bowl the 2/3 c sugar and cinnamon.

 Sprinkle 3/4 of cinnamon mixture on top of the 1/2 batter in each pan.

 Add remaining batter to pans; sprinkle with last of cinnamon topping.

Swirl with a knife.

  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 min. or until toothpick tester come clean.

 Cool in pan for 20 minutes before removing from pan.

Lacy Cornmeal Pancakes

1 ½ cups buttermilk

1 ½ Cornmeal

¾ tsp baking soda

¾ tsp Kosher salt

2 large eggs

4 Tbsp butter (divided)

Directions

Whisk cornmeal, soda and salt together in a bowl.

Whisk eggs and milk together and then add to dry ingredients.

Combine vigorously.

Add a teaspoon and a half to your hot skillet and pour in some batter.

Cook on one side and then flip.  Take out when cooked through and golden brown.

Repeat as you go.

No buttermilk?  Take regular milk and add 4 tsp of apple cider vinegar and let it stand for a minute as a substitute.