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

grilled corn and heirloom tomato salad with basil vinaigrette

i love grilled corn...and with fresh basil and heirloom tomatoes, it's an amazing combo!  this recipe is great for bbqs, get togethers and picnics; the flavors and fresh, bold and tasty.  enjoy!!

ingredients:

- 6 ears of corn in husks

- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or champagne vinegar

- 1 garlic glove, finely minced

- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

- 2/3 cup fresh basil, finely chopped

- 1 tablespoon soy sauce

- 1 pound of assorted heirloom tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2 in pices

- 1 10-ounce container of small heirloom cherry tomatoes

- s&p

directions:

- fill a large bowl with cold water and a teaspoon of salt; add corn and soak for 1 hour

- in a separate large bowl, whisk the vinegar, garlic and extra virgin olive oil

- mix in basil and soy sauce

- add in the tomatoes; set aside

- over medium-high heat, grill the corn in husks for about 30 minutes until the outside is charred and corn kernels are tender

- cool corn; remove husks, cut kernels off the cob then add to bowl

- toss the ingredients then season with salt and pepper...enjoy!

xoxo,

kara

perfect steak salad with grilled onions

sometimes the best weekday meal is a perfectly cooked steak, grilled onions and cherry tomatoes over a bed of mixed greens.  it's hearty and flavorful but nice and light, and it's great because rob loves it too!  as you can imagine, it's very simple to make...it literally takes about 10 minutes to put together!  plus, you can save the dressing in the fridge for a couple days.  this recipe is for two.  enjoy!

ingredients:

- bag of mixed greens

- ribeye steak (a pound or so), 1 inch thick

- 1 medium onion, cut into 1/2 inch slices

- handful of cherry tomatoes

- s&p

dressing:

- 1 small garlic clove, finely minced

- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

- 1 teaspoon sesame oil

- 1 tablespoon soy sauce

- 1 teaspoon brown sugar

- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

- 1/2 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger, optional

directions:

- heat a frying pan over high heat with some olive oil

- season the steak with generous amounts of s&p

- cook the steak on the frying pan for 4 minutes on each side for medium to medium rare

- meanwhile, mix all the dressing ingredients with a whisk; set aside

- remove the steak from the pan and let it rest; add onions to the same pan and cook until softened

- add cherry tomatoes to the pan to warm through

- slice the steak; add on top of mixed greens with onions and tomatoes

- finish with a drizzle of the dressing and some freshly cracked pepper

xoxo,

kara

meatballs & spaghetti

although i'm not the biggest fan of meatballs nor spaghetti, rob loves pasta...so as a great wife that i am (ha!) i make spaghetti and meatballs for rob whenever he wants.  after some trial and error, i have put together a pretty amazing spaghetti & meatball recipe that's super easy to make...it's easier than buying frozen meatballs from trader joe's, i promise!  enjoy :)

ingredients:

- 1/2 pound ground beef

- 1/2 pound ground pork

- 1 clove garlic, minced

- 1 egg

- 1/2 cup freshly grated romano cheese

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 1 teaspoon black pepper

- 1/2 cup bread crumbs and 1/2 cup panko (or just 1 cup of bread crumbs...but i personally like to do a combo for flavor and texture)

- 2/3 cup lukewarm chicken broth

- 1 cup olive oil

- spaghetti

- jar of annalise's homemade tomato sauce (or any simple tomato sauce :) )

- a handful of cherry tomatoes, optional

directions:

- in a large bowl, combine beef and pork

- add garlic, egg, cheese, s&p to the bowl and mix 

- add bread crumbs and mix until combined

- add 1/3 cup of chicken broth, gently mix, then add another 1/3 cup and mix

- shape into 1-1.5 inch meatballs

- heat olive oil in a large, cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat

- fry meatballs in small batches; turn just a couple times until brown then place on some paper towels to rest

- while cooking the rest of the meatballs, boil some water and cook spaghetti until al dente; drain

- once meatballs are all done, remove all but a couple teaspoons of olive oil from skillet, reduce heat, add tomato sauce and simmer for a couple minutes

- add spaghetti, cherry tomatoes, and meatballs back into the skillet; toss until everything is coated

- serve with a sprinkle of romano cheese on top and enjoy with some red wine!

xoxo,

kara

classic and delicious lasagna

i'm not a big lasagna person, but boy is this recipe out of this world!  just use my bolognese sauce recipe and follow the easy steps below!  you and your family are going to love this ultimate, super comforting and delicious lasagna dish! 

ingredients:

- 2.5 cups milk

- 4 tablespoons butter

- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

- 4 oz parmesan cheese, grated

- 4 oz mozzarella cheese (fresh or grated.  if fresh, tear into small pieces)

- 1 bolognese sauce 

- lasagna noodles (the no-boil kind)

- s&p

directions:

- preheat oven to 350 degrees

- to make the cheese sauce, put the milk, butter and flour into a medium saucepan

- place the saucepan over medium heat and whisk for 5 minutes until it comes to a boil and is thick and smooth

- add two-thirds of the parmesan cheese and nutmeg to the sauce and stir.  season with s&p

- grab a large ceramic or glass dish and add a layer of the bolognese sauce to the bottom

- spoon a little of the cheese sauce over it

- add a layer of lasagna noodles, snapping the sheets to fit the dish if needed

- continue to build the layers...bolognese sauce, then the cheese sauce, followed by lasagna noodles.  the final layer should be the cheese sauce

- cover the top with the remaining parmesan and mozzarella

- bake for 45 minutes.  let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes before serving.  enjoy!

xoxo, 

kara

bolognese sauce

rob LOVES italian food, and he constantly wants to eat pastas and pizzas.  bolognese sauce is the backbone to so many italian dishes...so here's an amazing recipe you can use as the main ingredient for things like lasagna, pasta, etc.  fyi - i recommend making this on a saturday or sunday, when you have a couple extra hours to cook.  enjoy!

ingredients:

- 1 tablespoon olive oil

- 1 pound lean ground beef

- 2 medium onion, roughly chopped

- 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped

- 1 carrot, roughly chopped

- 2 cloves of garlic

- 8 strips of thick cut bacon (not the flavored stuff though!), cut into 1/2-inch pieces

- 1 handful of fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces

- 2 tablespoons tomato paste

- 1 bay leaf

- 2/3 cup white wine

- 2/3 cup milk

- 2 (14.5 oz) cans chopped tomatoes

- 1/2 cup chicken or beef broth

- red pepper flakes

- s&p

directions:

- heat a large casserole (like a le creuset) or frying pan over high heat and add olive oil

- after about 30 seconds, add the ground beef (the meat should sizzle).  break up the meat with a wood spoon and cook for about 10 minutes until brown.  transfer the meat to a bowl.

- add the chopped bacon into the pan and fry for 10 minutes, until crisp and golden and the fat has run out of the meat

- meanwhile, put the onion, celery, carrot and garlic gloves into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped (note: if you don't have a food processor, just finely chop the vegetables by hand)

- add the vegetable medley to the bacon and turn down the heat to low-medium.  stir and cook for 10 minutes

- return the ground beef to the pan and add basil leaves

- stir in tomato paste, white wine and bay leaf; simmer for 2 minutes

- add the milk, canned tomatoes an water; stir carefully

- season with s&p, and if you want it a little spicy, adds some red pepper flakes

- partially cover the pan, then simmer for 1.5 hours until the meat is tender and the sauce is thick

- remove the bay leaf and season again with s&p if needed

- to make bolognese pasta, just add some cooked pasta to the sauce, toss and serve with some parmesan cheese!

xoxo, 

kara

ps- you can totally keep this sauce in the fridge for up to 4 days or so...perfect for easy weeknight pasta dinners!