Spring Day Chili With A Kick

It's spring in Bend, but you'd never know it by the snow that is falling fast and furiously this evening. In the spring I like to create a lot of dishes using fish, chicken, and bar-b-que and serve them up with various kinds of salads. But today called for something a little heartier and soul warming, considering the weather. And if warm is what you need, this will do the trick.

Spring Day Chili With a Kick
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon Olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Medium sweet onion, diced
2 Stalks celery, diced
2 Medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 Medium zucchini, quartered and diced
2 Medium russet potatoes, washed with skin on and diced
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon ground oregano
3 cups beef broth
2 cup water
1 14oz can black beans
1 14oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 8oz can tomato sauce

In a large stock pot on medium heat add butter and olive oil. When butter has melted and mixture is heated, add garlic, onion, celery and carrots. Stir until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add ground beef. Cook until beef is no longer pink. Add salt, cumin, coriander, oregano, beef broth and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer about 10 minutes. Add potatoes, beans, tomatoes and tomato sauce. Cover and simmer an additional 10 minutes. Add zucchini, and cover loosely. Simmer for an additional 20-30 minutes. Serve with warm tortillas.

** This can also be done in the crock pot. After the beef has been cooked with the vegetables, combine all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low for 7-8 hours.

Layered Strawberry Shortcake

Yesterday was Jon's birthday and I made his favorite dessert, Strawberry Shortcake. I decided to do it a little differently and layer it into a trifle bowl. This recipe is amazingly easy to make and assemble and I promise that you will receive 'ooh's and ahhh's' over it.

Layered Strawberry Shortcake

1 Store bought Angel Food Cake
2 lbs Strawberries
2 Tsp Granulated Sugar
1 Pint Heavy Whipping Cream
2 TBSP Powdered Sugar

Wash strawberries, remove stems and slice into a bowl. Add granulated sugar and stir well. Pour whipping cream into a metal bowl and mix until nearly stiff. Add powdered sugar and mix until stiff. Cut up Angel Food cake into cubes. To assemble dish:

In a trifle bowl layer in order, approximately 2 cups Angel Food cake, 1/2 the strawberries (reserve a few for the top) and 1/2 the whipped cream. Repeat layer one more time. Top with a few sliced strawberries. Serves 10.

Franks and Beans in a Slow Cooker

My friend Katdish was over at Annie's site requesting kid friendly recipes. Her wish is my command. I think. It does kind of depend on your kids, don't it?

Franks and Beans in a Slow Cooker

2 16 oz cans of great northern beans, drained
1 16oz can of cut green beans, drained
1 8 oz can of tomato sauce (8 oz of salsa, your choice medium, mild, or hot, also works well)
1 chopped onion
¼ cup of sugar or sugar substitute
2 tsp of yellow mustard
A dash of black pepper
16 oz of frankfurters, cut into circles

Spray container with butter flavored cooking spray. Combine beans and tomato sauce in the container. Add onion, sugar, mustard, and pepper. Mix well. Stir in frankfurters. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Mix well before serving.

Enjoy.

Crepes Anyone?

Annie, this is my not so subtle way of asking, how do you make crepes?
I know one of this blogs followers has the Hungarian recipe for palacsinta, which are like crepes, and absolutely awesome.
Anyone else out there have any answers?

Prayerfully Pasta?

I am a Catholic (in case you didn't know). And a conservative one at that. I love the Church, and therefore couldn't resist an opportunity to share with you all Grace Before Meals. No, I don't own the book. YET! I am so planning on getting it though. I will even review it right here on this blog. (I heard the collective "OOOOOOOOO" as I typed that, so thank you). Until then, take a peek at these videos.






We are in the Easter season until Ascension Thursday, which is obviously forty days after Easter. That means you will want to be making the white sauce. Red sauce is for Pentecost.
I love the Easter Season!

Chicken Stir Fry

I know. Easter is a few days away. So why not traditional Easter recipes? Sorry folks. Helen is still doing Atkins, and while she shared a potluck recipe since SCL was commenting about potlucks, her heart isn't in sharing carbs with you just yet. She hopes you enjoy the stir fry chicken.

Chicken Stir Fry
You will need:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch
about 3 tablespoons of oil
1 teaspoon of chopped ginger
1 teaspoon of chopped garlic
pea pods
water chestnuts
baby corn
1/2 cup of stir fry sauce (purchased, not homemade)

Cut 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts into tin slices and stir in 1 egg white and 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch. Mix well.
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil over medium heat in a skillet. Add 1 teaspoon of chopped ginger and 1 teaspoon of chopped garlic.
Then add the chicken. Stir for 30 seconds and add 1/3 cup of pea pods, 1/4 cup of water chestnuts, and 1/2 cup of baby corn. Stir fry until the chicken is no longer pink. Then add stir fry sauce. Stir fry for about one minute.


P.S. If you were hoping for a ham recipe, Helen's only secret is baking it in a can of ginger ale (remember to pour it out of the can), and baste with the juices every so often. This year, Sherri at Everything In Moderation. has inspired Helen with her crock pot recipe to try the ginger ale in a crock pot instead of basting it in an oven. Let's wish her luck, and check out Sherri's blog as well. Let her know Helen sent you in her comment section. Then Helen can possibly win cool prizes. Hey, if you comment, it could be you winning instead. You never know unless you try.

Salami and Pasta Salad

Welcome to Paprika is Good, But Not In Coffee. Helen and Annie are regular SCL commenters who met there, became friends, and now share a recipe blog together. Please check out some of our other recipes.

Salami and Pasta Salad

1 8 oz package of pasta ( bow ties look prettiest, but I have made it with spaghetti when that is what I have handy)
1 8 oz package of hard salami
1 8 oz package of frozen vegetables, thawed
1 4 oz package of shredded mozarella cheese
1 bottle of of Kraft Light House Italian Reduced Fat Dressing
1 can of sliced black olives

Cook pasta as directed on the package. Cut salami into 1/4 inch strips. Separate the strips. Toss all the ingredients in a large bowl and cover. Refrigerate for at least one hour, or until ready to served. If you let it marinate a few hours, then stir, it is even better.


I made this recipe several times, and I really like it. More importantly, I have been asked for the recipe at potlucks, an important criteria in determining a repice's worth. The main reason I am choosing this recipe is that my printed copy is looking pretty bad, and I find that recipes which become illegible are usually the best ones. Have a great day!

Barbequed Camel and Friends

This is not a joke, this is an actual recipe. This is a genuine Bedouin recipe translated into English. Who knows, next time you want to have a "different" type of barbeque, why not go for it?

100 servings
½ day 2 hours prep
1 whole camel, medium size
1 whole lamb, large size
20 whole chickens, medium size
60 eggs
12 kg rice
2 kg pine nuts
2 kg almonds
1 kg pistachio nuts
110 gallons water
5 lbs black pepper
salt


Skin, trim and clean camel (once you get over the hump), lamb and chicken.
Boil until tender.
Cook rice until fluffy.
Fry nuts until brown and mix with rice.
Hard boil eggs and peel.
Stuff cooked chickens with hard boiled eggs and rice.
Stuff the cooked lamb with stuffed chickens.
Add more rice.
Stuff the camel with the stuffed lamb and add rest of rice.
Broil over large charcoal pit until brown.
Spread any remaining rice on large tray and place camel on top of rice.
Decorate with boiled eggs and nuts.
Serves a friendly crowd of 80-100.


I have never actually made this, so do let me know how it turns out.