A little (and I do mean little) history AND a new recipe!

Howdy!


Today's blogumentary goes out to Aaron ( see told ya I'd mention ya!).

I have been asked on several (many, many) occassions how I came up with my team name and my logo (isn't it adorable! It is... you can admit it... we know its true..)..well... here is the story... mostly...sorta...Oh and I have new recipe too!

A story AND a recipe?? Can you handle the excitement??? If it's too much, let me know...cause I will stop.... I don't want to overexcite anyone....

You're ok? Good.. here goes..

How did I get my team name? Easy, I was at my first chili competition and they asked me for a team name... shoot! I need a team name for chili??? I wish I knew that beforehand sigh....BUT luckily I was wearing the BBQ team shirt so I stole it from that (RioGrande RiverCats)..quick thinking right? right? sheesh just give me this one and say right....

Now, how did I come up with this amazingly adorable logo??? I don't know.... it just came to me one day.....
 
 

If I ever figure out the inspiration, I will let you all know......(and NO thats not the pot I use to cook chili!)
 
Ok New recipe.... this isn't one of my recipes and I have to give credit to the WeightWatcher's boards for it...but its tasty...and if you haven't learned by now....DO NOT subsitute chipotle chili tsp to tsp for chili powder....just a bad idea all around.... unless you aren't planning on eating it and are just serving it to others.... then have the video camera ready and a direct link to youtube >:)
 
 
 

Chili Rubbed Pork Chops

 

 

Ingredients:(what do I need to go out and spend money on?)

 

2 tsp Chili Powder (you had me at chili powder sigh)

1 1/2 tsp packed light brown sugar

1 tsp cumin (cuuuumin oooohmin)

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

20 oz lean pork loin boneless center cut chops ( a very looonngg way to say lean boneless pork chops)

a spritz of cooking spray

 

Instructions: (ok I gots some stuff what am I doin?)

 

1. In a small bowl, combine chili powder (sniff sniff ahhhhh), brown sugar, cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper (don't drool in it!)

 

2. Butterfly pork chops by laying them flat on a cutting board and slicing in half horizontally, stopping about a 1/2 inch from the edge to keep halves attached to each other. A picture would be awesome here but I don't have one so ummmm good luck.

 

3. Flatten them open on your work surface/cutting board/whatever you're using.

 

4. Rub spice mixture on both sides of each butterflied chop.

 

5. Place chops on a plate. cover and refridgerate between 1 and 24 hours ( i just toss them in a ziplock and "shake" then store them)

 

6. Spray the grill with some cookig spray so they dont stick....although its really funny when they do and someone else is trying to remove them...

 

7. Grill on side one for about 3 or so minutes the flip and grill for abouther 4 or so minutes until internal temp is about 160 ish.

 

Serve with seasoned cous cous and fresh salad... its really quick and easy... unless you don't understand how to butterfly the chops... then you may have an interesting time....google it.... its easy to do .... really... you are just cutting it in half ...mostly....

 

Oh and you can also fry them in a pan but why would you want to???

 

Ok unitl next time.....and nope... I dont know when that will be.... its part of my charm.....this is why you all love me so....

 

Howdy RoooOOOOooooOOOOoooooo!!!

Yes this is too a chili recipe.... sorta?

Real quick post today - especially for my friend Barry... ok, ok you too Brian :)

I made these for my work folk last week and they seem to go over well. At least I think they did. They kinda disappeared and I am not sure what happened...... one minute they were there and the next thing - only crumbs.... too bad new guy doesn't work Fridays. He would have liked them :)

Without any fanfare whatsoever because they really don't need them. Yes, they are THAT awesome!


Dark Chocolate Chili Cookies

What you should have

1 cup unsalted butter(2 sticks for the butterly challenged)and its very important its room temp! Hard butter makes crumbly cookies.
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup dark cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
bag of chocolate chips
1/3 tsp Chipotle powder- see why it fits on this blog?? Awesome cookie AND it has chili in it....I am in chili heaven now!

What you should do


Preheat oven to 350.

Mix all the dry in a bowl and set aside.

Beat together butter and sugar.. add eggs and vanilla then add in the dry in thirds.

If you add in the dry at once, you are totally responsible for cleaning flour off the ceiling... it happens... I won't say how I know ... I just know.

Mix in the chips by hand.

Drop by rounded tsp onto greased cookie sheet.

Cook for about 8-10 minutes until edges are a little bit crisp. And they really dont flatten and expand so keep an eye on them.

Makes 36-48 cookies depending on how big you make them.

Hide them from your friends and family and eat them when no one is looking

Howdyyyy RoooOOOOooo those are good cookies!!

(see what I did there... snuck in my howdy roo whoo hoo lol)


Coming soon- How I got the idea for my logo AND a new contest-promise!!!

Thanks for visiting!!

New Recipe!

Hey all!

Work is still crazy busy.. but I have a new recipe for y'all to try...ok, I don't really say y'all but maybe I should ;)

This week's chili recipe is an adaptation of a soup recipe I enjoy. I was at the farmer's market last fall and one of the vendors was offering purple hulled peas. Since I am a yankee, I had never heard of them so I thought I would give them a try...she tossed in a free onion and this recipe was born lol...the soup calls for 4 cups of broth if you want to try that.

Purple Hulled Pea Chili

Ingredients:

1 lb Purple Hulled Peas (rinsed)...frozen works great here
3 small peppers... close your eyes and grab some .. be adventerous!
2 beefsteak tomatoes.. smoosh 'em, dice 'em- whatever :)
1 cup tomato sauce
2 cups chicken broth.. or beef... or one and one...you get the idea.
1 diced clove of garlic.. good for flavor, mosquitos and annoying people.
1 TBS chili powder
1 TBS Chipotle chili powder and yes there is a BIG difference between the 2!
1 cup chopped onion...get the kids to chop it ... it will be fun to watch...
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1-2 lbs ground something or other...most people use beef... Brandon uses whatever he can hit with his car ;)

Ok got my pile- what do I do with it??

1. Brown the meat with the onion, peppers and garlic until the meat is mostly cooked and the veggies are mostly tender.... notice I say MOSTLY... if you let the meat and veggies cook all the way through you will have very dry meat and chewy veggies...

2. Toss it all in the crock-pot... oohhhh didn't see that spin coming did ya?

3. Add the rinsed peas, tomato substances and broth. Mix it well.

4. Toss in anything still left on the table....no, not the cat... put him down!

5. Set your crock-pot for 6 hours and go do the yard work... seriously, the neighbors are complaining....

6. Check on it every so often and adjust the liquid and spice as needed.


This stuff is good, easy and from me.... its a win all the way around!

I am working on the August contest and will post details soon!

Until next time - Howdy ROOooooOOOOOoooooOOOO!!!!!!!!!

(Didn't think I would forget that did ya?)

And the winner is......

GLENDA!!

Your chili is awesome..when you get back from your trip, let me know what size tee.

Thank you to everyone who entered!


Just a heads up - work is fixin to be a bit crazy for the remainder of this month so don't expect much by way of posts and recipes. I will still answer emails though :)

We will back in July with new recipes (still owe y'all the smoked chili recipe or you can email me and I will send it to you), new contests, new prizes and some CASI history ...oh and of course, ME! Yay!

Til next month....

Howdy ROOOoooooOOOOOoOoOOOOOO!

Contest Deadline..

Just a quick note to say if you haven't gotten me your chili recipe it's a little late :) Entry deadline was Monday at 11:59pm. Thank you to everyone who participated!!! We are currently rustling through our entries. We have some cool judges lined up ( a special thanks to Brian for volunteering)and will have the winner announced by June 12, 2010!

I tried out a new recipe over the weekend and folks say its pretty awesome so I will have that posted sometime between now and Sunday so check back for some amazing smoked chili!

ps- if you tried the recipe and are reading this blog.. don't be shy... let folks know what you thought ...awesome... right? right? right? :)

Night night and Howdy ROOOOooooOOOOOooooo :)

Scrap Chili recipe -Finally!

Sorry for the delay but at long last... the much anticipated...much hyped....SCRAP CHILI (yayayayayyayayay)!

Too dramatic? :)

What is scrap chili? Basically its chili made from whatever you have leftover in the fridge...its quick...its easy... and usually its yummy.

Anyway-here it is... especially for my buddy Brandon...the king of strange leftover meats..

Scrap Chili

What ya need:

2 cups either chicken or beef broth
2 cups tomato sauce
2 TBS chili powder (whichever one you like)
2 tsp cumin
1 small onion chopped
1 clove garlic minced
1.5 cups of black beans-rinsed
2 TBS olive oil
1 tsp salt
2 lbs or so of whatever isnt moldy in the fridge ( Even alligator Brandon)

Ok I have me this stuff... what do I do with it??

Heat the oil in a skillet (pan ..its a pan.. really).

Stir in the onion, garlic, cubed mystery meats and 2 tsp of the chili powder...if you're really adventurous, you can add a smidge of black pepper.

Cook, stirring constantly, until the onion and meat are tender.

Dump the whole thing into a pot along with the remaining ingredients.

Cook about 2 hours on low heat or less on a higher heat adding any additional spices you might have laying around.

OR

Toss the whole thing in the crock pot with some cubed eggplant and a little more liquid...just a suggestion...

Then eat and enjoy....it freezes really well for weekday lunches too!


Oh and dont forget- This months chili contest! (scroll down for details).. I have judges lining up drooling on my shoes... which is really gross since I wear sandals....

Howwdyyyyy RoooooooOOooOOooOoo!

New Contest (and a humble apology)

Howdy Roo Folks!!

Yes I am going to keep saying it .... its fun to say.... go head and try it.... you know you want to...all together now..howdyyyyy roooooooo...see. fun. so there.

First off, I am offering an apology for my neglect...been a little crazy at work so I haven't kept up with posting. Thank you to those who emailed me with your concern :) I promise to have my recipe for "Scrap Chili" tomorrow night.

Now onwards->

***May Contest Info***

It is time for our monthly contest yay!! (cue cheering crowds and adulations).

Submit your best chili recipe and you could win one of our fine Rivercat Chili Tees.

Contest is open from right now... right this minute..ding... until 11:59 pm on May 31,2010.

Winner will be drawn on June 12, 2010 (need time to try these chilis!) and announced right here!

Easy right?

Now for the fine print...

1. It must be your own recipe...no swiping one from your neighbor or some random dude on the internet!

2. One entry per person .. so make it a good one!

3. It has to be easily adjusted... can make it for one or two or twenty.

4. Anyone over the age of 16 can enter.. yes, even if you know me personally, or work with me or won last month's contest.

5. I will be testing these recipes so a little easy on the heat lol.. no 7 alarmers!

How to enter...

Easy peasy- just send me an email with your recipe. You can find my email under my profile (hint its under my picture on the profile page) or, if you're a facebook friend, just send me a message with your recipe.


If you have any question, post a comment or send me an email!

Howwwddyyy rrrrOOoooOOOoooo ... hehehe too much fun :)

A CASI Style Recipe!

Howdy :)

I really meant to get this out last night but sleep won so pardon the slight delay!

I am trying to decide if I want to compete in ribs at the Manchaca competition these weekend-opinions? Its been two years since I have done BBQ and I am a little bit rusty…;)

Maybe I will do chili too….decisions decisions decisions…
anyway…..


Also, new contest coming at the end of the month! I will have all the details soon! Congrats to Michelle for winning the last contest and lovely Rivercat Chili Tee!

This week’s recipe is a “CASI Style” recipe. It is a little heavier than my traditional chili and it is mostly red. I hope you enjoy it!

If you have a recipe, you would like to see here- shoot me an email from the link under my profile and I will get it on here.

Lightly brown (not cooked all the way through) 2-1/2 pounds of cubed beef chuck tender in 2 TBSP Olive Oil

Add :
1 Can - Beef Broth
1/2 Can - Chicken Broth
1 - 8 oz Can - Tomato Sauce
Float 2 Serrano Peppers

Bring to a boil and add the following:

2 TSP Granulated Onion
1/2 TSP Cayenne
2 TSP Beef Granules
1/4 TSP Salt
2 TSP Chicken Granules
1 TBSP Light Chili Powder
2 TBSP Red Chili Powder
Cover and cook 1 hour - squeeze peppers and discard pulp

I highly recommend using tongs to handle the peppers!

Add the following:

2 TSP Ground Cumin
2 TSP Granulated Garlic
1/4 TSP Hot Sauce
2 TBSP Chili Powder
1 TBSP Light Chili Powder

Adjust liquid with remainder of chicken broth, if necessary

Cover and cook 30 minutes

Then add:

1 TBSP Chili Powder
1 TSP Ground Cumin
1/4 TSP Granulated Garlic
1/4 TSP Cayenne
1/4 TSP Brown Sugar
Reduce heat to a slow boil
Cook 10 minutes

Adjust Salt, Cayenne, and Chili Powder to taste

Howdy Rooooooooo

Ok, so yesterday was the 39th annual Howdy-Roo Chili Cook Off in Marble Falls, TX. This is one of my favorite events and I look forward to it every year. It’s run by the Highland Lakes Pod who happens to be the nicest group of folks I have ever encountered in CASI chili. And I don’t just say that because I am a member of said pod lol.

What’s a pod? What’s CASI? Sorry, I should explain these things. CASI is an acronym for Chili Appreciation Society International and a pod is a group of folks who organize and help promote chili. Usually a pod is regional filled up with regional folks.

History lesson for this week is now over :) Next week we can talk about Terlingua and the rivalry between CASI and Tolbert Chili. Or the week after. We will see :)

Yesterday morning, we jumped into Jon’s car and headed on over to Marble Falls. It was a little weird going without the pop up or the pit or chili makings but we had a mission. No cooking for us …We were going to judge!

Oh and by the way, turn in time for chili is 2 pm not 12 pm…2 pm…sheesh.

We pull up, hop out of the car, and head over to the chili pavilion. I headed over. Jon headed to the BBQ pavilion because he was looking to judge BBQ. But we really don’t care because, well, it’s BBQ. Everyone and his brother does BBQ. Heck, even I have done it and placed pretty high. Got the trophies to prove it :).

My goal was to judge semi finals. Nope, not doing the preliminary rounds. No crappy chili for my taste buds! After speaking to Ruby (head honcho for the pod), I learned there was 126 teams competing and it was going to be a wait to judge for semi finals. She told me to come back at 2:30 ..which I did but nope not ready yet… or at 2:45….or at 3. Apparently judging 126 chilis is time consuming.

Finally, semi finals!!!! Whoo hoo. And I got to taste 3 really great chilis! I tasted 12 chilis but only three were good. It was over way too quickly but I did get the information on taste I was after so all is good.

So now I have lot to think about. Time to redesign my recipe and see where that leads me. I am open to suggestions….

Oh and I want to give a quick shout out to a terrific couple I met-Leslie and Ziev. They wandered into the competition out of curiosity and ended up being judges. Good folks and very pleasant to talk with. And friends, stop gasping out loud. Yes I socialized and it wasn’t awful. I blame the darvocet.

Next week, we are heading over to the Manchaca VFW post for a Tolbert cookoff and hopefully to judge again. I will try to interview some of the cooks, so if you have any questions you want me to ask, shoot me an email.

Also, if there is any chili topic you would like to see covered here or recipe posted, let me know.

Howdy-Roooooooo til next time!

Eggplant Chili Recipe

Ok- because a few folks have asked me nicely...here is a starter chili recipe :)

This recipe is for eggplant chili and can easily be made as completely meat free using soy crumbles (which is what I usually do) instead of ground meats.

Since chili is subjective, remember to taste often and adjust seasonings as needed.



Eggplant chili


3 medium eggplant, peeled and cubed

1 each chopped red and yellow peppers

1 14 oz can FF chicken or vegetable broth

2 8 oz cans of tomato sauce

1 can white beans drained and rinsed

1 lb ground turkey (or soy crumbles)

1 chopped onion

1 clove garlic diced

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 TBS Chipotle chili powder

2 TBS Red chili powder

1/4 tsp cumin( I list spices I usually use but spice to taste)

2 tsp olive oil

powdered onion and garlic to taste.




Saute peppers, onion, garlic and a tsp of chili powder in olive oil for about 5 minutes or until veggies are tender.

Add meat and cook until meat is brown.


Transfer meat mixture into a medium pot and add remaining ingredients.


Add remaining spices.


If you like a little bit of a Kick add some ancho chili powder.


If you like more of a kick, add more ancho chili powder.


Cook on low for about 2 hours, stirring occassionally.


Powdered spices tend to cook out easily so feel free to add more spices to taste and some extra liquid if needed.


Cook for about another 30 minutes until the eggplant and beans are soft.

If your chili is a little too soupy throw in a little cous cous ( a little goes a long way!)

Remove from heat an let sit for about 10 minutes so the flavors can soak in.



Enjoy!

How it began....

Several years ago, a drunk and obnoxious person told me I could never make good chili because I come from NY. Those who know me know never to tell me I can't do something. And so started my quest for the perfect chili recipe.

Ok the first few attempts may have been a tad bit hot. One guinea pig....umm neighbor referred to my attempts as "NASA Chili". He said it burned on re-entry to the atmosphere. Take from that what you will. And I swear I didn't know Josh had a heart problem or I never would have let him have some...

After much futzing, I came up with a recipe that is pure perfection. Those of you who have had my chili know this to be true. :) Armed with this recipe and high hopes, I entered in the Texas Ladies State Chili Championship for the first time.

Oh it was exciting too! All the people and festivities and the pots of chili cooking! I happily jumped into it fully confident I was going to place. Folks who have had my chili can tell you its damn fine chili.

So after a long day of cooking and merriment and after losing all feeling in my tongue (someone had to taste test), I settled in for the results. Boomer called the final table (20-11) then called 10th through second place...still not me..hmmm could I have won?? Then he called the numbers for first place...I don't remember all the numbers but he was calling mine! He announces the last number "fffffffffffffour!" Damn I was "ffffffffffive!". I didn't win. But that was ok. I must have made semis....a quick peek at the table listing showed I didn't even make it to quarters.

But but but my chili is gooooooood....turns out good doesn't matter....because its also orange not dark red....hmmmm

So began my adventures in CASI chili competitions. I can count on one hand the number of times I have competed in the three years since my first competition but that is changing now. I have researched and tested and researched some more. I have learned CASI chili is a beast all of its own but I will tame it... or not...or will...

So come on my adventure with me... sometimes this blog will be serious, sometimes funny but always an honest account...Pull up a spoon shaped paddle and let's go down this river together!