slow cooked beef chili

mood: punctilious
listening to: jk flesh :: devoured/earthmover

so, if you look back over the course of this blog, the first recipe i ever did was chili, but i admit to myself now that i cheated when i made it that time. i used a chili seasoning packet, which i'm extremely mad that i did now, so i decided to retry this dish without any mix packets and use a slow cooker that i was given as a gift. this slow cooker made this one of the easiest things that i've ever made and allows for a lot of creativity.

Ingredients: 2 15 oz. cans of red beans, drained 2 15 oz. cans of tomato sauce 6 oz. can of tomato paste yellow bell pepper, diced red bell pepper, diced 4 roma tomatoes, diced 2 jalapeno peppers, diced 2 lbs. ground beef, cooked and drained medium onion, diced 1/4 cup of cilantro, diced

6 large garlic cloves, sliced 1 tsp. of cumin 1 tsp. of coriander 2 tsp. of chili powder 1/2 tsp. of cayenne pepper 1 tsp. lemon juice 1 tsp. worcestershire sauce 1/4 cup of white vinegar 3 tsp. salt

Preparation:
- slice and dice all vegetables and place into a slow cooker
- pour beans, tomato sauce and paste as well as spices into slow cooker
- brown meat, drain and put into slow cooker
- cook on low heat for 6 hours, mixing every once in a while.

the ingredients in the recipe are enough for 6-8 people.

kung pao tofu and shrimp

mood: contumelious
listening to: animals as leaders :: tempting time/the price of everything and the value of nothing

i've always loved kung pao chicken... i mean who doesn't. i've tried kung pao beef and pork before, but it just didn't compare. pf changs introduced me to kung pao scallops which are amazing, but i wanted to see if there was a way to infuse something different that i hadn't seen before. i decided to try working with tofu as i've done some stuff with it before, but it's never quite come out the way that i've wanted. the same can be said for shrimp, but one thing that i saw in the store that i've never used before was bok choy. i have to say that i'm a fan and going to finding some more uses for it in the future.

Ingredients: 2 bok choy, stem cut off and rinsed 1 red bell pepper, long slices 1 orange bell pepper, long slices 1/2 medium onion, long slices 4 green onions, sliced 1 tbsp of fresh ginger, minced 4 large garlic cloves, sliced 1 small can of water chestnuts 4 tbsp of cilantro, diced pinch of fennel handful of peanuts 3 tbsp of canola oil sriracha sauce salt

Marinade: 2 tbsp white cooking wine 2 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp sesame oil 2 tbsp of cornstarch mixed with water extra firm tofu, 1 in. cubes cooked/peeled shrimp, tails removed Kung Pao Sauce: 3 tbsp white cooking wine 3 tbsp soy sauce 3 tbsp sesame oil 3 tbsp of cornstarch mixed with water 3 tbsp distilled white vinegar 1 tbsp brown sugar 2 tbsp of garlic chili paste

Marinade Preparation:
- mix cooking wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch/water mixture together
- put tofu and shrimp in a medium size bowl and coat with marinade
- mix all items, cover and place in the fridge for 30 minutes

Kung Pao Sauce Preparation:
- mix cooking wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, brown sugar, chili paste and cornstarch/water mixture together and set aside.

Main Dish Preparation:
- preheat oven to 350°
- cut bottom stem off bok choy and rinse under water
- remove tofu from bowl with slotted spoon and place on a baking sheet
- place tofu into oven for 10-12 minutes
- remove shrimp and put into a pan and cook on medium-low heat
- in a large wok, heat canola oil and fennel seed on medium
- add in garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds
- add in peppers, onions, bok choy, water chestnuts and cilantro and cook for a few minutes
- pour in kung pao sauce and peanuts and then add in baked tofu (which should be slightly browned) and shrimp and mix together
- cook and mix for another 5 minutes
- add salt for taste and serve with brown rice

cilantro and garlic infused salsa

mood: catalytical
listening to: meat beat manifesto :: luminol/mnemonic

the slacker in me has come out again, but this time it was due to a lack of creativity. i couldn't think of anything to make and nothing sounded inspiring. there are a ton of recipes that i've wanted to try out that my father is quite the proficient master at, but i needed to know a little more about the creation process. finally, i have some insight into a fantastic one and i'm re-purposing it, courtesy of pops.

this salsa is not for the meek... it's easy to make, inspires creativity and is fully customizable to your tastes!

Ingredients: 2 cans, tomatoes 2 bunches of green onion, sliced 1.5 bunches of cilantro, sliced 8 large garlic cloves, sliced	8 thai chilis, sliced lemon juice chili powder salt

Preparation:
- after all vegetables are sliced, begin to mince tomatoes by hand in a large bowl, leave juice in can.
- add in cilantro, green onions, garlic and chilis, mix ingredients together by hand.
- add lemon juice, salt and chili powder to taste

mexi-turkey pasta salad

mood: asphyxiated
listening to: the blood of heroes :: chains/salute to the jugger

as i've been working on different culinary masterpieces and some not-so-masterpieces, i realized that almost everything if not all of the things that i've posted here have been warm recipes. well, i decided to change things up with a recipe that could be either warm or cold, but personally... it takes a lot better cold. this is meant to be an appetizer and something to be shared by many people. it's easy, rather quick and can be adjusted to your particular fancy.

Ingredients: 16 oz. of fusilli pasta 1 tbsp, olive oil 1.25 lbs, ground turkey taco seasoning mix 24 oz. jar of salsa 8 oz. bottle of ranch dressing

1 green pepper, sliced 1 red pepper, sliced 8 green onions, chopped 4 jalapeno peppers, sliced sm. can of black olives, sliced 8 oz. of cheddar cheese

Preparation:
- in large pot, add 12 cups of water, olive oil and bring to a bowl on med-high heat; when boiling, add in fusilli and cook pasta till malleable
- in a separate pan, brown turkey meat and drain; add in taco seasoning mix; set aside and let cool
- in a large bowl, mix together salsa, ranch dressing, green onions, green/red/jalapeno peppers, cheddar cheese and olives
- when pasta is ready, drain and put pasta under cold water
- stuff cheese mixture into shells and set aside
- in large bowl or pan, mix together salsa mixture, turkey meat and pasta
- cover and place in refrigerator for an hour before serving