Baked Brussel Sprouts

I made these brussel sprouts this weekend and they were fantastic. When I was a kid I remember absolutely detesting brussel sprouts, I thought they tasted nasty and mushy. However, baking them keeps them crisper, a texture I prefer over mushy. :)

Yum!

Baked Brussel Sprouts
Brussel Sprouts
Splash Red Wine Vinegar
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Olive Oil
Halve brussel sprouts and spread out onto a 15x10 inch pan. Sprinkle with salt, red wine vinegar, pepper, and oil. Toss together and bake at 425 for about 20 minutes and serve.

Roasted Green Beans

Yummy Green Beans

All vegetables taste better roasted, as far as I can tell. Now that I have started to roast veggies I eat them so much more often! These green beans are so yummy I could just eat them for dinner and nothing else. Also, super easy.

Roasted Green Beans
About 1 lb. Fresh Green Beans (obviously you can use more if you want)
Balsamic Vinegar
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
Rinse green beans and snap them (snap off the ends, this will get rid of any strings too). Then snap in half so they are easier to eat. Put green beans on a large cookie sheet (10x15). Shake balsamic vinegar onto the beans to taste (I think I used about a 1/4 cup). Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle on salt and pepper. Toss the green beans until coated and roast in the oven at 425 for about 20 minutes turning the green beans over once or twice. The beans should be starting to get a little browned and be just starting to soften when they are done.

Chili

Yesterday I made a huge pot of chili in preparation for the group of friends about to descend upon my apartment. They are all coming down from the great white north (Michigan, where I and my partner are from) for New Years and I am so excited! However, they are all guys and they eat like pigs, hence the chili.

I love chili, it is probably my favorite food with meat in it. It is so spicy and complex, perfect for a cold day. I have been making chili forever and continually tweaking my process - I won't say recipe, since the closest thing I have to that is a list of spices I always put in to it. When I made chili yesterday, I thought about trying to write down the amounts of everything for this blog but in the end I just couldn't. It is one thing I am really not sure how to write a recipe for. It is the kind of food where you start with the base ingredients and then you just add shit in from there. Tasting along the way until its right.

So, I am going to give a partial recipe and let you explore the rest (i.e. the spices) until you find a combination you are happy with. That is pretty much what I do with everything I cook and I really encourage you to do it with any recipe of mine you try because everyone's tastes are different - you may discover you have a favorite spice that you like to see in your cooking that i don't use or something.

Chili
3 lb Lean Ground Beef
2 15 oz cans Kidney Beans
3 15 oz cans Diced Tomatoes
6 (or more) Jalapeno Peppers diced
3 Onions diced
1 tablespoon chopped Garlic
1 bottle Chili Sauce (should be in the isle with ketchup and such)
2 packets Chili seasoning (Consider going with the name brand for this as it usually has less filler)
1-2 teaspoons powdered Mustard (can use prepared mustard instead)
1-2 tablespoons Cumin
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
Couple shakes of Tabasco Sauce
1-2 tablespoons Brown Sugar (it balances the spiciness)
All spice measurements are approximate
Put kidney beans, diced tomatoes and chili sauce in a large pot and put on medium heat. Meanwhile brown ground beef and add chili spice packets to it along with the chili powder, cumin, and mustard. While beef is browning chop up the onions and peppers. Once beef has browned add to the pot then saute the onions, peppers, and garlic until clear and browned; add to the pot. Put in brown sugar, tabasco sauce, and worcestershire sauce into the pot. Taste and modify to your liking. Continue cooking for at least an hour, preferably two or more as the cooking really enhances the flavors and makes a thick chili. FYI, if you decide not to use the spice packets you should add salt, but if you use the packets you don't need any salt as they have plenty.

Easy Roasted Vegetables

The vegetables before they went into the oven

These vegetables go with everything and I probably make them at least once a week. My boyfriend loves these veggies and will eat an entire tray of them if I allow it. This is such a simple and healthy recipe - two qualities in recipes that I always enjoy seeing paired up.

Easy Roasted Vegetables

2 Summer Squash thickly sliced

2-3 Zucchini thickly sliced

Lowry’s Seasoning

Cracked pepper

Olive oil

Toss summer squash and zucchini with olive oil and seasoning to taste. Lay vegetables out in a single layer on a large cookie sheet (10x15) and bake at 430 for 20 minutes turning once (or until slightly crispy and browned on edges).