Three Bean and Beef Chili

This is a very tasty chili recipe from Ellie Krieger on Foodnetwork.com. It had a ton of flavor, and even my little girls loved it.

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, diced (1 cup)

1 red bell pepper, diced (1 cup)

2 carrots, diced (1/2 cup)

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 pound extra-lean ground beef (90 percent lean)

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

2 cups water

1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, seeded and minced

2 teaspoons adobo sauce from the can of chipotles

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15.5-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the oil in large pot or Dutch oven over moderate heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and carrots, cover and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the cumin and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the ground beef; raise the heat to high and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until the meat is no longer pink. Stir in the tomatoes, water, chipotle and adobo sauce, oregano and salt and pepper. Cook, partially covered, stirring from time to time, for 30 minutes. Stir in the beans and continue cooking, partially covered, 20 minutes longer. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Mini Italian Club Sandwiches

This recipe came from Giada De Laurentiis from the Foodnetwork.com website. I made them for a book club group, and they were a hit. Derrick loved them as well. They seriously are fantastic, and now I want to go make them again!

INGREDIENTS:

3 large eggs

2 Tablespoons whipping cream

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 Tablespoon (about) unsalted butter

10 slices bacon

2 (8-ounce) round loaves focaccia bread (7-inch diameter)

8 ounces thinly sliced turkey

4 ounces thinly sliced provolone cheese

1 cup purchased pesto (I actually did 1/2 pesto, 1/2 mayonnaise, as some reviewers of the recipe thought the pesto flavor was a bit too much)

DIRECTIONS:

Whisk the eggs, cream, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl until well blended. Heat a 6-inch-diameter nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Brush the skillet with some butter. Pour 1/4 cup of the egg mixture into the pan, swirling to coat the bottom of the pan evenly. Cover and cook until the egg crepe is just set, about 1 minute and 30 seconds. Invert the skillet over a plate, and allow the egg crepe to drop into the plate. Repeat to make 4 crepes total, brushing the skillet with melted butter as needed and stacking crepes on the plate.

Cook the bacon in a heavy large frying pan until crisp. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain.

Preheat a griddle or grill pan over medium-high heat. Cut the focaccia horizontally in half. Place the focaccia cut side down on the griddle and cook until the focaccia is heated through and golden brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Spread the pesto over the toasted sides of each halved focaccia. Cover the bottom halves of the focaccia with the egg crepes, turkey, provolone and bacon, dividing equally. Cover with the top halves of focaccia, pesto side down. Cut the sandwich into bite-size wedges. Arrange the sandwiches on a platter and serve.

Roasted Asparagus

Simple and delicious! I love asparagus!

INGREDIENTS:

Asparagus

Olive Oil

Kosher salt

Freshly Ground Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Break off tough ends of the asparagus. Lay out asparagus on baking sheet, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for approximately 20-25 minutes, until tender.

Horseradish Sauce

This is Emeril Lagasse's recipe off of Foodnetwork.com

INGREDIENTS:

2 Cups Sour Cream

1/4 Cup prepared Horseradish, drained

1 Tablespoon minced Chives

1 teaspoon Champagne or white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

Dash hot red pepper sauce

DIRECTIONS:

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and blend well. Adjust the seasoning, to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.