Shanee's Homemade Chili

We have a new recipe author! ShaneeS has graciously submitted her yummy Homemade Chili recipe! Keep them coming, folks! :)

Homemade Chili

1/3-1/2 kg dry kidney beans (rajma)

2 onions

2 green peppers

1-2 t. garlic paste

1 1/2 T. cumin seeds (jeera)

2-3 chili peppers

1/2 kg ground meat

6-7 medium tomatoes

850 g. tomato puree

3 t. salt

2 t. oregano

1/8 t. allspice

1 t. creole seasoning (or chili powder)

1/2 t. cayenne pepper (laal mirch)

5-6 c. drained, cooked rajma beans

Evening before: Soak 1/3 -1/2 kg dry kidney beans (rajma). (If you forget or don't plan enough ahead like me, you can do a "quick soak" by bringing water to boil, removing from gas, and placing beans inside and covering for 1 hour, says Megan).

Next day: Rinse beans; cover with water in pressure cooker and cook until done. Drain and set aside.

Sautee onions, peppers, garlic paste and cumin seeds in oil.

Add ½ kg (1 lb.) ground meat (I used chicken). Cook until done (but not too soft, b/c they will continue to cook in the chili).

Add remaining seasonings and beans. Simmer and add more spices to taste.

Serve with cornbread. Serves 6-8

Banana Nutella Crepes

From RachelR:

Nutella and Banana Crepes

Making a crepe is not as intimidating as one would think. Remember not to overmix the batter and letting the batter rest and you will be assured of a tender crepe.

I made these for my family yesterday, and Luke came and hugged me and said, “Mommy, those crepes were so good, I’ll never forget them.” I’m making them again next week! (I used the pan that we make our roti on…it’s not nonstick, not sure what kind of material it is.)

Ingredients
4 small or 3 large eggs
1 ½ cup milk
2 tablespoons rum (ok, I didn’t use rum, just substituted more milk for this)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
5 ripe bananas
½ cup Nutella (can be found at most stores that have imported items)
3 tablespoons butter
Powdered sugar

Directions
1. Preparing the batter: In a small bowl, beat the eggs. Gradually whisk in the milk and oil. Set aside. Into a blender/food processer, pulse once or twice flour, sugar and salt together to mix. Pour in the egg mixture and process about 8 seconds to make a smooth mixture. Stop when there are no more lumps. Never overmix. Let batter sit for 20 mins (preferably an hour) to let the gluten rest.

2. Preparing the filling: Slice bananas into ¼ inch disks. Transfer Nutella into small stainless steel or glass bowl and warm over a double boiler.

3. Preparing the melted butter: Melt the butter in a small pot over moderate heat until hot.

4. Cooking the crepes: Brush a 10-inch crepe pan with the melted butter on medium heat. When the butter begins to sizzle, pour ¼ cup batter into pan, and tilt the pan immediately to fully spread the batter around as quickly as you can. The crepe should not be too thin, about the thickness of a quarter coin. Cook until the batter is bubbly and edge is golden, about 1 minute.

5. Flip the crepe with a rubber spatula (or with your fingers) and cook the other side for 20 seconds. Fold the crepe into half, place some banana slices in the middle third of the half and drizzle on some warmed Nutella across the half circle. Fold the two sides over the bananas to make a triangle. The crepe should be well browned with a crunchy edge.
6. Transfer crepe to a waiting plate (or paper) and sprinkle with powdered sugar (using a sift). Serve immediately.

South Asian (Chicken) Pot Roast

When my husband is out of town, or I need a quick and easy dinner, this is a recipe I go to. It's not much of a recipe, it's so simple!

South Asian (Chicken) Pot Roast

1 T. oil

1 whole chicken (even frozen!)

4-5 potatoes, peeled and cubed

3 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch

1 onion, quartered

Salt and pepper to taste

1 c. chicken broth

Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Place whole chicken in the oil and brown all sides. Sprinkle with salt and pepper as you turn. Add chicken broth, potatoes, carrots, and stir a little to combine. Close the cooker and let it cook for 10-15 minutes, depending on the girth of your chicken.

Seriously, that's it. But you can get really creative with this. Change the vegetables. Substitute pasta for the potatoes. Use oregano and cumin with the salt and pepper. Or put an onion soup packet in there. I don't know. Get creative. :)

Enjoy!