Texas Beef and Beer Chili

By Bryce Eddings

Leona from TopChili.com shared this Texas beef and beer chili recipe with me. She says, "I love chili, and it's the perfect food for a picnic, heat it up at home and put in an insulated container to keep warm and it goes great with beer. Here's a favorite chili recipe of mine."

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours, 00 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 lb. beef chuck or shin, cut in 1/2 cubes
• 8 Tbsp olive oil
• 5 Tbsp med-hot chili powder
• 1 lb. Spanish chorizo sausage sliced 1/4 thick
• 3 medium onions, chopped
• 8 garlic cloves
• 1 Tbsp oregano, preferably Mexican, crumbled
• 2 tsp cumin, ground
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 4 lb. canned Italian plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
• 24 oz. beer, Dos Equis or other Mexican beer
• 6 oz. tomato paste

Preparation:

Toss meat with 3 Tbsp olive oil and 2 Tbsp chili powder in non-aluminum bowl. Let stand in refrigerator overnight.

Heat 3 Tbsp oil in large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the meat in batches (do not crowd) on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large pot, using slotted spoon.

Add chorizo to skillet and brown well. Transfer to pot using slotted spoon.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Add more oil to skillet, if necessary. Add onions and cook until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. Stir 3 minutes then transfer to pot.

Stir tomatoes, beer and tomato paste into the other ingredients in the pot. Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Cover and simmer until meat is very tender, stirring occasionally, about 3 hours. Uncover during last hour if necessary to thicken liquid into sauce. Some good accompaniments are pinto beans and salsa as side dishes.


Source
http://beer.about.com/od/soupandstew/r/TexasBeefChili.htm

Roasted Vegetable Risoni

By Syrie Wongkaew

Roasted vegetable risoni is a great alternative to risotto and it takes just a fraction of the time to prepare.

Risoni is small rice-shaped pasta that is also used in salads and soups.

In this recipe is it cooked with a marinara sauce topped with roasted vegetables such as eggplant, zucchini, green peppers, onions, and a sprinkle of Parimigiano-Reggiano.

Ingredients:

• Risoni pasta for 2 people
• 1 large green pepper, quartered
• 1 Spanish onion, quartered
• 1 large zucchini, cut into 1 inch rounds
• 1/2 garlic bulb, wrapped in foil
• 1/2 large eggplant, cut into 5x5cm pieces
• 1 x 400ml can of whole tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1/2 white onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
• 4 sweet basil leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp of sea salt
• 1 tsp of chili flakes
• Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 4 Tbsp of olive oil

Preparation:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350F.
2. Place the green pepper, Spanish onion, zucchini, foil-wrapped garlic and eggplant in a large baking tray. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp of olive oil and then roast for 20 minutes.
3. Heat the remaining oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Fry the white onion until it's translucent for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chili flakes and salt and fry for 1 minute.
4. Add the roughly chopped canned tomatoes and stir well. Simmer for 10 minutes and reduce the heat to low.
5. Bring some water to boil in a pot - this is for the risoni. Cook risoni according to packet instruction.
6. Check You may need to remove the zucchini at this stage as they cook the fastest.
7. Drain rissoni and place in a large mixing bowl. Ladle some of the marinara sauce on top. Add the roasted vegetables and a generous handful of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
8. Add the roughly chopped basil and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Source
http://australianfood.about.com/od/vegetables/r/VegeRissoni.htm

Authentic Spanish Allioli or Aioli

By Hank Shaw

This is a solid, authentic recipe to make the garlicky Spanish mayonnaise-like sauce known as aioli or allioli. This is an ideal sauce to serve with fried fish or seafood. Aioli requires a lot of garlic, a fair bit of olive oil -- and a ton of elbow grease. If you want, you can add a tablespoon of chopped fresh herbs, too; I often add oregano. It is best make in a mortar and pestle, but you can take the easy way out and use a food processor. This recipe makes about 2/3 of a cup.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 7 chopped garlic cloves
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 t. lemon juice
• 2 egg yolks
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 1 T. fresh chopped oregano (optional)

Preparation:

Put the garlic, salt and herbs (if using) into a mortar and pound into a paste. If you are using a food processor, buzz it well.

Add the lemon juice and egg yolks and pound some more, mixing and mashing well. With a food processor, buzz just to combine.

Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, mashing and mixing and stirring all the while -- it should take a good 5 minutes to get all the oil incorporated. Take your time. If you don't have time, slowly drizzle the oil into the food processor.

Why bother with the mortar? You get a far better texture and the mashing brings out more of the aroma of the garlic and herbs.

Keep in the fridge until needed. Cover, this aioli will last a week in the refrigerator.

Source

http://fishcooking.about.com/od/saucesforfishandseafood/r/aioli_sauce.htm

Allergy-Safe Gazpacho

By Victoria Groce

Gazpacho, a cold Spanish soup, is the epitome of summertime fare. It depends on vegetables that hit their peak in mid- to late-summer and should be made with the best-quality ingredients you can find, since the soup is raw. I prefer a mellow, very chunky gazpacho. If you like your soup smooth, blend all the tomatoes and add more tomato juice. Similarly, if you prefer a spicier dish, add some seeded jalapeno peppers.

This quick gazpacho, made without bread, is safe for all "big eight" food allergies (read labels on the hot pepper sauce) and most others, save tomatoes, onions, and peppers.

Prep Time: 0 hours, 20 minutes

Cook Time: 0 hours, 0 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 large ripe tomatoes
• 2 cucumbers
• 2 scallions
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 avocado
• 1/4 c tomato juice, or as needed
• juice of one lime
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• salt (to taste)
• cayenne pepper or hot pepper sauce to taste (Sriracha or Tabasco; optional)

Preparation:

1. Dice tomatoes. Core, see, and dice bell pepper. Cut cucumbers in half lengthwise, remove seeds with a paring knife, and dice. Slice scallions (all of the white parts and about half of the green).
2. Reserve a small handful of tomatoes. Using an immersion blender or standing blender, blend remaining tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, scallions, and tomato juice until you are satisfied with the texture of the soup. Add more tomato juice as needed or desired.
3. Taste soup for flavor and add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in lime juice, honey, olive oil, and cayenne or hot pepper sauce (if using). Taste again and adjust salt if necessary. Stir in the reserved tomatoes.

To serve: Serve cold, with slices or chunks of avocado to garnish. Serves four.

Source

http://foodallergies.about.com/od/recipes/r/gazpacho.htm

Roasted Red Cabbage & New Potatoes

From Bobby Flay Cooks American by Bobby Flay (Hyperion Press)

Red wine vinegar, port wine, and grenadine lend a sweet and sour flavor to this great combination of cabbage and potatoes. It is roasted on top of the stove in a Dutch oven.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large Spanish onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 medium heads red cabbage, shredded
• 2 cups red wine
• 1/4 cup ruby port
• 3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons cassis
• 1 Tablespoon grenadine
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1 pound small new potatoes, parboiled and halved
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Preparation:

Heat butter over medium heat in a large Dutch oven. Add onions and cook until soft. Add cabbage, stir to combine and cook for 5 minutes. Add wine, port, wine vinegar, cassis, and grenadine and season with salt and pepper. Place cover on the pot and cook until cabbage is wilted and very soft, about 1-1/2 hours.

Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add the potatoes and cook until golden brown and just cooked through, season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the potatoes to the pot with the cabbage, season with salt and pepper, if needed and fold in the parsley. Serve on a platter.

Yield: 8 servings

Recipe Source: Bobby Flay Cooks American: Great Regional Recipes With Sizzling New Flavors by Bobby Flay (Hyperion Press)
Reprinted with permission.


Source
http://homecooking.about.com/od/vegetablerecipes/r/blv299.htm

Honey Mustard Lamb Rack

By Syrie Wongkaew

The rack of lamb is one of the most prized and tender cuts of meat. Racks are relatively simple to prepare and quick to cook.

This recipe bakes the rack in a garlic-herb-honey-mustard crust. It a great-tasting show-stopper -- and so easy to prepare, you'll be embarrassed by all the praise.

With minimal prep time, this recipe is delicious and looks really impressive.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 pound lamb rack
• 5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs
• 1/2 Tbsp of olive oil for the lamb
• 1 /2 Tbsp of honey
• 1 /2 Tbsp of Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp of sea salt
• 1/2 tsp of rosemary, finely chopped
• 4 large Yukon Gold potatoes
• 1 large sweet potato
• 1 Spanish onion
• 1 bulb of garlic
• 2 Tbsp of olive oil for the vegetables

Preparation:

1. Heat the oven to 350F.
2. Cut the potatoes and sweet potatoes into 1 inch thick pieces. Cut the onion in half and remove the outer layer of skin.
3. Place 2 Tbsp of olive oil into a baking tray. Place the vegetables including the garlic bulb in the tray and coat them in the oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake the vegetables on the bottom oven rack for 45 minutes.
4. When the vegetables have been baking for 15 minutes add the chopped garlic, breadcrumbs, 1/2 Tbsp of olive oil, rosemary, salt, honey and mustard into a mixing bowl. Stir well until it forms a paste.
5. Spread the paste evenly over the lamb rack. Place lamb in the oven directly on the grill over the vegetables. This will allow for the drippings to collect with the vegetables. By now the vegetables should have been cooking for 25 minutes.
6. Roast the lamb for 20 minutes for rare meat or 30 minutes for well-done.

Source
http://australianfood.about.com/od/meats/r/LambRack.htm

Murcian Style Clams- Almejas a la Murciana

By Lisa & Tony Sierra

If you can buy fresh clams at the market, this is a simple recipe for Clams Murcian Style. Small clams are prepared in a wonderful sauce made of white wine, sweet paprika, garlic, onion and has a slight bite from the red pepper flakes. Fresh crusty bread is a must to soak up the sauce! It can be eaten as an appetizer or a first course.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. littleneck clams
• 1 cup (8 oz) white wine
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 4-5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium white or yellow onion
• 1 Tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 Tbsp flour
• pinch of Spanish sweet paprika (approx. 1/4 tsp)
• salt to taste

Preparation:

Serves 2-4 as a first course or tapa and 2 as a main course.

Inspect the clams and make sure that they are all closed. Clean (scrub) clams if necessary. Rinse under cold running water.

Peel the onion and chop finely.

Pour olive oil into large frying pan and heat on medium. Add the garlic clove to the pan and sauté on both sides. Remove garlic from the pan, place in mortar and smash.

Using same oil, sauté onions in pan. Once onions are transparent, add the clams, flour and sweet paprika. Keep stirring while adding the white wine. Reduce heat to low while you prepare garlic.

Add a few teaspoons of water to the mortar and garlic and crush into a paste. Add garlic to pan and stir. Cover and cook until clams open (about 4-5 minutes).

Source

http://spanishfood.about.com/od/tapas/r/almejasmurciana.htm

Simple Asturian Bean and Sausage Casserole - Simple Fabada Asturiana

By Lisa & Tony Sierra

"Fabada Asturiana" is a typical and very traditional dish from Asturias, made with beans, sausage, ham, meat and tomatoes. If you don't have the time or all the ingredients, try this simplified "fabada" recipe, which does not require overnight soaking, takes half the cooking time and only a few ingredients.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. dry lima beans
• 1 1/2 lbs. pork loin “country style” ribs
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, whole
• 1 bay leaf
• 6-7 oz. chorizo sausage, sliced
• 1 Tbsp spanish sweet paprika
• salt to taste

Preparation:

Serves 6.

Quick “Soak” Method for Beans
Instead of soaking the beans overnight before cooking, try this method: Pour beans into a large pot or bowl and cover with cold water. Turn burner on high until the water comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute and then turn off burner. Cover and let beans sit in the water for one hour.

Chop the onion into approximately 1/4-inch pieces. Cut pork into large pieces – about 2-inch squares.

Heat a pot with olive oil in bottom for sautéing. When hot, add onions, garlic and pork. Sauté until onions are transparent. Turn off heat.

Drain water from the beans. Place beans in the large pot where you sautéed the onions and pork. Add water to cover. Add the bay leaf, sliced chorizo and paprika. Place on stove and turn on high. When the water comes to a boil, reduce to medium. Water should be at a low boil. Cook until meat is tender. This takes approximately 1 1/2 hours.

Taste and add salt if necessary. Serve in soup bowls with bread.

Source

http://spanishfood.about.com/od/maincourses/r/fabadasimple.htm

Potato Nests with Eggs, Peppers and Mushrooms

By Lisa & Tony Sierra

Source
http://spanishfood.about.com/od/maincourses/r/potatonestsegg.htm

This modern dish, made with typically Spanish ingredients can be made as either a tapa or as a main course for a light dinner or lunch. If preparing it as a tapa, use quail eggs in smaller potato nests. Serve with a green salad and slices of Serrano ham and bread for a completely Spanish dinner.

Prep Time: 12 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 medium potatoes
• 24-32 oz olive oil
• 9 oz mushrooms
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper
• 8 green onions, cut into 2-inch lengths
• 4 large eggs
• 4 tsp chopped parsley

Preparation:

This potato nest recipe makes 4 servings as a main course or 8 servings as a “tapa.”

Peel and grate the potatoes. Immediately pour 1.5 to 2-inches olive oil into a 8 or 10-inch heavy-bottomed deep frying pan or electric fryer. Heat oil. When hot enough to fry, press one quarter of grated potatoes into bottom of a small sieve to form the “nest.” Put another small sieve on top to keep potatoes in place and fry in hot oil until golden. Remove and drain upside-down on a paper towel. Fry 3 more nests and drain.

De-seed and slice peppers into strips. Slice green onions into 2-inch lengths. Slice mushrooms. In another 8 to 10-inch frying pan, heat a few Tbsp of olive oil and sauté the vegetables until softened.

Fry the eggs one at a time. Turn over “nests” and fill each one with the sautéed vegetables and fried eggs.

Garnish with parsley.

Variations

• Tapa-Size – Make 8 smaller nests with the potatoes. Top each with a fried quail egg instead of a chicken egg.
• Potato Blanket – Instead of nests, simplify the recipe by making “pancakes” rather than “nests.” Make potatoes into 4 pancake-shaped mounds and flatten. Pour only a 1/4-inch of oil in frying pan and fry on both sides until golden.
• Ham and Egg Nests – Replace onions, mushrooms and peppers with slices of Spanish Serrano ham and top with an egg.

Spanish Onion Relish - Salsa de Cebolla

By Lisa & Tony Sierra

Source
http://spanishfood.about.com/od/sidedishes/r/salsacebolla.htm

This cool, slightly sweet salsa can be used to marinate vegetables like asparagus, accompany barbecued meats or to top toasted bread. It takes only 5 to 10 minutes to prepare.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 00 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 medium red onion
• 2 firm tomatoes
• 1/4 cup sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• 4-5 fresh mint leaves

Preparation:

This Onion Relish recipe makes 4 servings to accompany grilled meat or a bunch of asparagus.

Cut red onion and tomato into paper-thin slices. Finely chop mint leaves.

Place onion, tomato and mint into a bowl. Add vinegar and mix. Add additional vinegar if needed. Allow to marinate for an hour before serving.

Refrigerate if salsa will not be served immediately. May be stored for 3 days in refrigerator.