The first thing my Mom taught me how to cook was Chili. I have been using (almost) the same recipe ever since. It is very simple. Here is what you will need:
1 Lb +/- Ground Beef
1/2 small onion
2 cans of Chili Hot Beans (Store brand of course!)
1 Lg can of whole tomatoes or Crushed tomatoes if you don't want to process* them. (Store brand of course!)
Salt, Pepper, Cumin, Cilantro
NOTE: Cumin & Cilantro are very important spices when making chili. Mom did NOT use these spices, but I discovered that they make the chili MUCH better! You can still make the chili without them, but it is just so much better with them. If you don't already have these 2 on your spice rack, I would highly recommend buying some.
Brown the ground beef and drain fat if any. Chop or process* the onion and add to the browned meat. In the meantime, open your can of tomatoes and, if you bought whole tomatoes, use your processor, wand or blender to liquefy them. Add the tomatoes and the beans. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, cumin and cilantro to your personal taste. Simmer for at least 30 minutes.
Meal stretcher - Mom used to serve the chili with rice. I never heard of eating chili any other way until I was an adult. She did whatever it took to stretch those meals with 11 mouths to feed! (9 kids, Her and Dad) You should try it, it's really good!
This feeds 4 with plenty of leftovers. Sometimes I mix the leftover chili with elbow macaroni to make chili-mac. Another trick Mom used was to have chili one night, then the next night, make tacos using chili in place of the traditional "taco meat" YUMMY!
Chicken & Dumplings
It took me a lot of trial & error to get this right. If you follow these directions, you should be able to get it right the 1st time. It looks like a long recipe, but if you read through it first, you will see that it’s really easy, I just wanted to explain certain ways of doing things that I had to learn the hard way.
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
6 bouillon cubes
3 cups bisquick (I use the store brand Baking & biscuit mix)
1 cup milk
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tiny dash of garlic powder
Wash the chicken and remove neck bone, etc. (inside the chicken). Place in a large pot*. Add enough COLD water to just cover the chicken. Put on stove on High and bring to a boil. NOTE: Just before it starts to boil, you will notice foamy stuff on top of the water. Take a slotted spoon and skim this off and discard it. Lower heat and put a lid on the pot. Simmer for a couple hours so the meat will almost fall off the bone. Let it cool a bit and then CAREFULLY remove the whole chicken to a big plate. (I use 2 sturdy egg turners to lift the chicken out.) In the meantime, add your 6 bouillon cubes to the chicken stock and sprinkle with salt & pepper and just a tiny dash of garlic powder. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and pull all the meat off the bones. Break it up a little and return to pot.
TIP: If you like your sauce a little thicker, you can mix a little flour & water together til it’s smooth and whisk** it into the broth before you add the meat back in.
Now, bring the chicken & broth back to a boil. In the meantime, mix the bisquick & milk together in a bowl. When the chicken & broth comes to a boil, give it a real good stir, turn the heat down to about 3 (or a little lower that medium), and CAREFULLY drop the bisquick mixture into the broth by small spoonfuls. (I use 2 spoons, 1 to scoop it up and the other to scrape it off into the broth.) Drop the dumplings in as fast as you can, because they will start floating to the top. Don’t make them too big or they won’t cook all the way through.
OK, NOW DON’T TOUCH THE DUMPLINGS! I repeat – DO NOT TOUCH THE DUMPLINGS!
Set your timer for 15 minutes and let it simmer. When the 15 minutes is up, put the cover on the pot and cook for another 15 minutes.
The dumplings should be ready now. I usually take a thin, sharp knife and cut in between the dumplings if needed. The dumplings should be fluffy like bread and they are fragile, so carefully scoop out a couple of the dumplings with a slotted spoon so you can get to the chicken and broth. YUMMY!! I usually serve this with green beans & corn.
And don’t let me hear that any of you cut up canned biscuits and tried to pass them off as dumplings! lol
*I put the chicken in my stockpot, because it’s easier to cook the dumplings later if the pot is not full to the top.
**This little gadget will save you tons of time in the kitchen. Remember, TIME is MONEY, so if you save time you are saving money. I use mine to chop onions, nuts, make cracker crumbs (instead of buying bread crumbs) I use the wand to make tomato puree out of whole canned tomatoes. I just stick it straight in the can. (The whole tomatoes are better because they are cheaper, require less processing and if you want to dice them you can.) I also use it to make milkshakes and to blend gravy and soup right in the pan. Anyway, when I find something good, I always try to share. My husband bought me a similar one at Wal-mart, but I couldn't find the exact one. Click on the picture to see more. If you decide to get one, remember, Wal-mart has FREE site to store shipping.
Thanks for the recipe Tish, I will have to try this one!
Tish Wrote:
Hey Nana!!!
How are you?! So, I am sooo excited to make meatloaf for dinner tonight, thanks to you!!!! I haven't shut up about it allll day!
Anyway, I have another cheap recipe you can put up on your page.
Man Mash
6 potatoes
2lbs. cube steak
1 family size can of Cream of Mushroom soup
Butter
Peel and cube potatoes and mix into a pot with soup. Cook on med heat while browning the cube steak (making sure to stir frequently).
After browning, cut steak into bite size pieces and mix into soup and potatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Cook for 5-7 minutes stirring frequently. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and serve. Makes 6-8 helpings (enough for left overs)
Mom used to make this for us.
I made it for Mark the other night for the first time and he absolutely loved it!!! Definitely a man's meal!
