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

amazing autostrada panini

when i used to work at la brea bakery, my favorite panini was the autostrada because it was so intense in flavor, spicy and just so delicious with all my favorite cured meats.  since i no longer get the "kara gets everything free" discount at la brea bakery, i put together an autostrada recipe...so please try it and enjoy!

ingredients:

- 8 slices sourdough bread (i recommend la brea bakery's sourdough!)

- butter at room temperature

- 8 slices aged provolone 

- 8 slices mortadella 

- 8 slices coppa 

- 8 slices dry salami or soppressata

- 4 slices prosciutto 

- 3 jarred marinated cherry peppers, finely chopped and blended into a paste with a back of a wooden spoon

directions:

- preheat panini grill to medium

- generously butter each slice of bread 

- layer a couple slices of provolone, mortadella, coppa, salami and prosciutto on four slices

- spread the cherry pepper paste to the other four slices

- assemble the cherry pepper slices on top of the meats

- grill on the panini for about 5-8 minutes or until golden and crisp

- serve immediately and enjoy!

xoxo,

kara

amazing spicy tuna (for crispy rice, rolls and bowls!)

i'm a fan of good spicy tuna...sushi gen's spicy tuna, crispy rice at katsuya and definitely the spicy tuna bowl at teriyaki me in glendale (i miss teriyaki me!).  i feel like a lot of places make their spicy tuna too spicy so you can't taste the tuna or it's just really bland.  after experimenting and trying all sorts of variations of spicy tuna at home, here is a tried and true recipe for the best spicy tuna you'll ever have!

ingredients:

- 1 pound sashimi grade tuna

- 2 teaspoon mayo

- 2-3 teaspoon asian chili paste/sauce (ie: sriracha. i recommend the chili garlic sauce with the green cap and rooster)

- 1/2 teaspoon chili oil (ie: japanese rayu)

- dash of soy sauce

- 4 stalks of green onion, finely sliced

- 1 tablespoon smelt roe *optional

- 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil *optional

-  lemon *optional

- rice and nori (for rolls or handrolls; see below)

- 4 tablespoons of butter and rice (for crispy rice; see below)

directions:

- mix the mayo, 2 teaspoon chili paste, chili oil, soy sauce, sliced green onion and sesame oil in a bowl.  taste the sauce.  if you want it spicier, add another teaspoon of chili paste

- dice the tuna into small pieces; add the tuna to the bowl with the sauce

- mix carefully. add a spritz of lemon if you want to add some acidity to the taste.  refrigerate immediately

- use the spicy tuna mixture in a handroll (rice and tuna rolled up in nori), in a roll (you know...a sushi roll!), over a bowl of rice or over some crispy rice!

crispy rice directions:

- create rectangular blocks of rice (approximately 4"x1"x1")

- over a hot skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of butter and a couple dashes of soy sauce

- when the butter starts to bubble, add the rice blocks and cook on each side until the rice gets crispy; remove

- let it cool a tad then spoon some of the spicy tuna mixture on top (garnish with a slice of jalapeno if you'd like!)

xoxo,

kara

spicy grilled chicken, korean style

i'm overly obsessed with my grill, and throughout the year (since it's always sunny in LA), i get to create fun recipes and grill all the time!  here is an easy and delish spicy grilled chicken recipe korean style...plus, it's perfect with tacos too, like kogi truck!

ingredients:

- 1 cup soy sauce

- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar

- 2 tablespoons honey

- 1 tablespoon korean chili paste (kochuchang)

- 2 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

- 6 cloves garlic, chopped

- 1 green onion, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

- 1 teaspoon sesame oil

- 1.5 teaspoon sesame seeds, optional

- 1-1.5 pound chicken, i recommend chicken breast

directions:

- cut the chicken in half and pound slightly to flatten a tad

- mix the rest of the ingredients together

- marinate the chicken for 4-8 hours or overnight in the fridge

- grill the chicken for 10 minutes on one side on medium heat

- grill the other side of the chicken until done...and enjoy in a taco, sandwich, with rice, anything!

xoxo,

kara

korean-style spicy chicken

being half korean, i grew up eating korean food occasionally with my family.  one of my favorites was this spicy and super delicious chicken dish that my mom would make.  here is my take on my mom's spicy chicken dish; i've added various ingredients to add more "umph," and potatoes and onions to make it more hearty.  it's super super easy to make, and i think you're going to love it!

marinade ingredients:
- 2 tablespoon soy
- 2 tablespoon mirin
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame seed
- 1 tablespoon (or more if you want it spicy!) of kochuchang (korean style chili paste)
- 1 teaspoon chili pepper (korean style)
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon of crushed garlic, about 3 garlic cloves
- 3 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

other ingredients:
- 1 pound chicken thigh, cut into large bite-sized pieces
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 4 red potatoes or 2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 1 green onion stalk, sliced

directions:
- mix the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl
- add the chicken and onion to the marinade and let it sit for 10 minutes
- heat a large skillet with a dash of vegetable oil over high heat
- add the potatoes and cook for 3 minutes
- add the chicken, onion and some of the marinade to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes
- lower the heat to medium, gently stir the ingredients, cover and cook for 10-12 minutes or until the chicken and potatoes are cooked through
- once done, turn off the heat, add the green onion slices and transfer to a plate
- serve with some hot white rice.  enjoy!

xoxo,
kara