rob's amazing chili

i was never a big fan of chili (maybe because i don't really like beans) until i tried rob's chili!  just typing out this recipe makes my mouth water!  rob based his recipe on guy fieri's chili recipe, but used less beans and added key ingredients like green onion :)  this recipe is perfect for football season!  GO TROJANS FIGHT ON!!!!

ingredients:

- 3 tablespoons butter

- 3 tablespoons canola oil

- 2 red bell peppers, diced 

- 2 jalapenos, minced

- 3 Anaheim chiles, roasted, peeled, chopped

- 3 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, chopped

- 2 yellow onions, diced

- 1 entire garlic, minced

- 1 pound boneless chuck, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

- 2 pounds ground beef, coarse grind

- 1 pound spicy Italian sausage, removed from casings

- 4 teaspoons granulated garlic

- 3 tablespoons chili powder

- 2 teaspoons paprika

- 2 teaspoons ground cumin

- 2 teaspoons ground coriander

- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

- 2 teaspoons salt

- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

- 2 cups tomato sauce

- 1 cup tomato paste

- 12 ounces lager beer

- 1 cup low sodium chicken stock

- 2 15.5-ounce can pinto beans, with juice

- 1 15.5-ounce cans kidney beans, with juice

- 2 bunches green onions, thinly sliced

- 1 cup shredded cheese

- dallops of sour cream for garnish

directions:

- in a large stock pot, add butter and oil over high heat

- add bell peppers, chiles, onion and garlic and cook for 5 to 6 minutes

- add cubes of beef and brown; then add ground beef and sausage and brown for about 8 minutes

- add granulated garlic, chili powder, paprika, cumin, coriander, cayenne, s&p 

- as you stir the ingredients for a couple minutes, make sure you get the good stuff on the bottom of the pot for extra flavor

- add tomato sauce and paste and stir for another couple minutes

- slowly add in beer, chicken stock, and beans, gently stir again, lower heat and simmer for about 2 hours

- serve hot with green onions, cheese and sour cream on top!  enjoy and fight on!

xoxo,

kara

japanese sukiyaki

for those of you who don't know what sukiyaki is (other than that 90s song), it's one of my favorite japanese dishes.  sukiyaki is a delicious one pot meal that is usually cooked at the table (like shabu shabu), and the flavors from the beef and vegetables mixed with soy sauce and mirin are out-of-this-world delicious.  and the best part is the leftovers!  i love piling the leftovers on top of a warm bowl of rice...yummy!!

ingredients:

- 1.5 pounds thinly sliced beef, cut into large bite-size pieces

- 1 package shirataki noodles, washed and drained

- 10 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed then halved

- 1 package enoki mushroom, bottom trimmed

- 3 stalks green onion, washed and sliced into 2 inch pieces

- 1/2 napa cabbage, washed and cut into 2 inch wide pieces

- 1 package of grilled tofu or firm tofu, drained then cut into 1 inch pieces

for sukiyaki sauce:

- 1/2 cup mirin

- 1/2 cup sake

- 1/3 cup soy sauce

- 5 tablespoons brown sugar

- 3/4 cup water or chicken stock

directions:

- mix mirin, sake, soy sauce, brown sugar and chicken stock in a bowl

- heat a japanese style hot pot or a le creuset type of casserole over medium-high heat (or on a table-top stove)

- add a tablespoon of oil

- add half of the beef slices and saute for a few minutes until browned

- add the sukiyaki sauce mixture to pot

- move the beef over to one side of the pot, then add the vegetables, tofu and noodles in neat sectons

- let the broth come to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes

- reduce heat to a simmer; once all the ingredients are softened, it's ready!

- serve with rice (if you want to be super traditional, also dip ingredients into a bowl of raw beaten eggs).  enjoy!

xoxo,

kara

cioppino seafood stew

i love seafood, especially when it's served raw (sushi, ceviche, poke) or in velvety stews (cioppino, bouillabaisse, chilpachole).  since it's still super cold everywhere else in the country, i thought i would share another cold-weather recipe this week (and one of my personal faves), my amazingly delicious cioppino.  although purchasing all the ingredients might be a bit pricey, trust me, this recipe is well worth it!

ingredients:

- 1/2 cup butter

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- 1 large onion, chopped

- 2 shallots, chopped

- 4 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

- 1 bunch fresh flat parsley, chopped

- 1 small bunch basil, chopped

- 1 32oz can diced or crushed tomatoes in juice

- 4 cups of organic chicken broth (a box)

- 2 cups dry white wine

- 2 bay leaves

- 1 pound clams, scrubbed

- 1 pound mussels, cleaned and debearded

- 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined

- 1 1/2 pounds scallops

- 2 pounds cod, sea bass or halibut fillets, cut into 1-inch cubes

- 1 sourdough baguette, cut into thick slices and toasted

- s&p

directions:

- melt butter and olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat

- add onion and shallots. saute slowly, stirring until both are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes

- add garlic and red pepper flakes, stir gently for 3 minutes

- add parsley, basil, can of tomatoes with juice, chicken stock, white wine and bay leaves; stir well

- cover pot and simmer for 30 minutes

- add clams and mussels, and cook for 5 minutes until they slightly open

- then gently stir in shrimp, scallops and fish; cook for an additional 5-8 minutes until shrimp and fish are just cooked through (shrimp should be pale pink; fish should be slightly firm)

- remove bay leaves and any clams or mussels that have not opened yet (just in case!)

- season with some s&p, ladle into soup bowls, and enjoy with some toasted sourdough bread

xoxo, 

kara

sage-infused butternut squash soup

during this last fall/winter, rob asked me to make butternut squash soup almost everyday...so i finally made it for the holidays with a twist.  infused with sage, this recipe is SO easy to make with only 6 ingredients (+ s&p).  enjoy!

 

ingredients:

- 2 (2-pound) butternut squash, halved lengthwise

- olive oil (1/2 cup + few extra drizzles)

-1/4 bunch fresh sage with the stems removed

- 1 medium brown onion, sliced thin

- 4 cups chicken stock

- pinch of grated nutmeg

- salt and freshly ground pepper

directions:

- preheat oven to 375 degrees

- use a small spoon to seed the butternut squash halves, saving around 40 or so seeds to the side

- grease a 13x9 glass baking dish with olive oil and place squash halves cut side up in the dish

- with a fork, pierce each squash half several times

- bake 45 minutes until the squash is tender

- meanwhile, in a large pot, heat 1/4 cup of olive oil until almost smoking

- quickly cook the sage leaves until crisp, then remove and set aside on a paper towel

- sprinkle crisp sage leaves with salt

- in the same pot, saute the sliced onion until softened over med-high heat, about 4 minutes or so

- when the squash is done, scrape squash into the pot with a large spoon; discard peel

- add 4 cups of chicken stock and nutmeg and stir gently

- puree the ingredients in the pot until smooth with a handheld blender

- season with s&p, and stir soup over medium heat until heated through

- ladle soup into bowls and garnish each bowl with a sage leaf 

xoxo,

kara

ps - did you know butternut squash provides about 400% of the daily value for vitamin A in every 100g serving, 

contains antioxidants such as beta carotene (super good for your heart) and vitamin C,  and is an amazing source of fiber :)