The BEST Ever Chili

1 lb. ground beef 

3 stalks celery, chopped 

1 green pepper, chopped 

2 medium onions, chopped 

1 28 oz. can crushed Italian style tomatoes (or any can of crushed tomatoes) 

1 (28 oz.) can of water (fill the tomato can with water to measure) 

1 (16 oz.) can kidney beans, undrained 

1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste 

1 Tbsp. chili powder 

2 tsp. salt 

1/2 tsp. pepper 

2 tsp. sugar 

***(optional pinch of cayenne)

Cook the ground beef in a Dutch oven until browned. Drain off pan drippings. 

Stir in the celery, peppers and onions and cook for 5 minutes. 

Add the next 8 ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmering low and cook chili for 1 1/2 hours, uncovered. Stir occasionally during the 1 1/2 hours. 

Excellent alone or served at a Baked Potato Bar. This is definitely the greatest ever. I make this and serve it in a bowl with homemade bread. It’s also excellent when we have a baked potato buffet bar. We serve baked potatoes with all the toppings available, such as sour cream, butter, chives, green pepper, cheddar cheese, bacon, onions, chili and ham toppings. The choice is yours as to how you want your potato topped. The men in our home like to have their chili served over a nice, piping hot serving of buttered pasta. (I believe this is called Cincinnati Style Chili, but don’t quote me, for I don’t know anything about Cincinnati, but am willing to learn). When my husband Duke ran a December Road race years ago, the restaurant sponsor treated the entrants to a chili lunch afterwards. The whole family indulged in helpings of spaghetti with chili and all the toppings. We were told it was Cincinnati style chili, so we went along with it. What a tasty treat! We repeated that race several times, just for the chili.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!

Gelatin Squares

Another oh-so easy recipe!

1 small package any flavor gelatin
1 package unflavored gelatin
1 cup boiling water

Mix all 3 ingredients together until gelatin is dissolved. Pour into a 5" by 5" or a 5" by 4" plastic sandwich container. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Cut into 1” squares and watch them disappear.

I bought these 5" by 4" sandwich containers at one of those home “plastic ware” parties and guess what? I don’t use them for sandwiches! Four containers came in the set and I make four different flavors of gelatin. What a quick and easy dessert with no fuss! No matter how full you are, these bite size squares go down easy and taste oh so yummy.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!

Caraway Soup (Sick Soup) Kimmel Leves

8 cups water
4 Tbsp caraway seeds
1/4 Cup butter
1/4 Cup flour
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp onion powder

Bring the 8 cups water and the caraway seeds to a boil. When boiling, reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer with the lid on the pot for 20 minutes. Turn off the burner and allow the seeds to steep in the water at least an hour. (However, you can let it sit longer for added flavor...up to two hours.)

While the broth is steeping you can make the spaetzle.  Make the spaetzle according to directions and set aside.

When ready to serve up the soup, you make the roux. First, strain seeds out of the broth and turn onto medium heat. Now onto the roux.

Roux:

Melt butter in small saucepan. Add flour, salt, pepper and onion powder. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until golden brown. After the roux is golden add 4 or 5 ladles of broth to the roux, and cook until the roux is incorporated and thickened.

Now pour all of the roux into the pot of caraway broth. 
Heat broth to boiling add the spaetzle noodles that have been prepared. 

ENJOY!

This soup is a recipe from my grandmother Chick (Csik). It is an old Hungarian recipe that was handed down to my mother. I know my mother would make this for any reason and not just because someone was sick. We just enjoyed the unique taste. When serving this to someone that is not “up to par” or “feeling under the weather,” first serve them just the broth.

As the day goes on and they start feeling better, add a little spaetzle at a time until they start to feel better. They will usually start asking for more spaetzle rather than the broth (That’s when you know they are feeling better, and their appetite is returning).


Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!

Grandma Chick's Green Bean Soup

1 (15-16 oz.) can cut green beans (do not drain)
4 C. water
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 tsp. onion powder
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
*1 medium onion, sliced (optional)*
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
2 Tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Bring first 6 ingredients to a boil (green beans, water, bouillon , onion powder, potatoes, and onions) in large saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, simmer for 20 minutes. Combine the butter, flour, salt, and pepper in a medium saucepan to make a roux*. Cook over medium heat until brown. Ladle 1 1/2 -2 cups of soup broth into roux and mix well. Pour roux into green bean pot, and cook over high heat for 20 minutes.

*I find that after making the roux, you should take it off the heat and let it cool for 2-3 minutes. Then, add the soup broth and return to medium heat. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Now proceed to add to soup.

***For 1 pound of fresh green beans double all the above ingredients and omit the can of green beans. Your first step will be to snap your beans into bite size pieces, wash and place them in the water alone and cook for 20 on their own. Then place your potatoes (and onion slices if using) and proceed as above.

Enjoy! Élvez! Piacere! Gustirati! Radosť!

What Is Roux?...and How To Make It Simple

A roux is made up of equal amounts of flour and butter and is used to thicken sauces and soups. Making roux is easy. First, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour all at once and stir constantly until the roux is golden brown.

As you continue to cook roux, the color becomes darker, the smell becomes nutty and the thickening factor lowers as the color darkens. Do not over-cook. Go for medium golden brown for thickening soups, not brown or dark brown. Cook no longer than 12-20 minutes over medium heat while constantly moving with a spatula. Make sure to keep an eye on it, because all medium heat sources are different!

After the roux is the correct color, I like to remove it from the heat for 5 minutes. Add enough broth (usually around 2 cups or more), and whisk together to remove lumps. Now, you can add this mixture to the main pot. After all is incorporated, cook over medium heat for approximately 20 minutes. This may sound difficult at first, but when you do it a few times, it is very simple.