Grammie Vee's Chili

Grammie says - This actually sounds like more work than it really is - much of it can be started the night before so all you have to do is mix it all together in the morning. I have been making chili like this for over 40 years and everyone that eats it loves it. The recipe makes a lot of chili so make sure to freeze or can it for quick meals later!

The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

Grammie Vee's Chili

Ingredients:

2 pounds dry beans (you can use your favorite or a combination of varieties).
1 Quart beef broth or stock
2 32 oz cans diced tomatoes
4 Medium to large yellow onions (what we call cooking onions) diced
1 Garlic head seperated and finely chopped
3 Packages 6 Gun Chili Mix
2-3 Pounds extra lean ground beef or extra lean beef (like round steak) cut in small cubes. I usually just use the ground beef because it is easier.
1-2 T Cumin or to taste
Johnny's Seasoning Salt to taste

Options:

Peppers - hot or sweet chopped up
Olives
Celery
Anything else you think of you like in chili

Directions:

I usually set the beans to soak the night before I plan to start the cooking (i.e. if going to cook the chili on Saturday, I will start the soaking Thursday night then wash and rinse Friday morning and put to cook Friday night).

Open all three packages of the chili mix and throw the package with the directions on it away.

Soak the beans for a day rinsing and washing about every 8-12 hours.

In VERY LARGE crockpot (I have a 7 quart and usually run it over) put in soaked, washed and rinsed beans, the beef broth/stock (add enough water so beans are well covered - you may need to add more water before going to bed as the beans will absorbe a lot of it), 1/2 the garlic, 1 Tablespoon Johnny's Seasoning Salt, 1-2 Tablespoons cumin (I love cumin and usually make a well rounded tablespoon full) and all three red packages from one of the chili mix package. The littlest red package is cayenne and gives the chili just a little bit of a "back taste" but not that bad. For people that can't take even that much heat sour cream and cheese will tone it down. If you do not want any heat at all, just don't use any of the littlest packages. The only cayanne I use is what I put in the beans, I don't use the other two little packages of cayenne. Some of the guys will add to the other two little packages to their personal bowls or other foods; so it doesn't go to waste. Turn on high for 2-3 hours until bedtime. At bedtime turn down to low.

I usually get my meat mixture ready the night before so I can just throw it in before going out the door to work. Brown the beef with a little salt (not too much though as the seasoning packet has salt), add in the balance of the garlic and all four chopped onions and countinue to brown until onions are nice and carmelized. Add in the two larger red packages from the other two chili mix packages (total 4 red packets) and stir to distribute evenly. Then add all three white packets (masa) and stir until evenly distributed.

Assembly - The best thing to do is use a HUGE roaster pan or steel bowl to mix everything up. Pour in the beans, stir in the meat mixture, then empty the two cans of diced tomatoes in and stir until well mixed. Refill the crockpot as much as you can and put the balance into a container with a lid and refrigerate until after your dinner. After you and your family have eaten 1/2 the pot for dinner, you can add the reserved chili cook for an hour or two more then put into a covered container and refrigerate. OR... If you are going to can your chili, you can just go straight from this point into the jars and pressure canner. The chili also freezes quite well.

Richard's Black Bean & Corn Relish

I've had Richard's terrific relish a number of times and finally got him to share the recipe for his simple but fantastic relish! I love it scooped with chips, but it is also awesome as a condiment or side dish. In fact, I think it would make a great starting point for a Southwestern Pasta Sauce...or under polenta...infinite possibilities.

Make it as hot or mild as you like and enjoy it often. The nutrition facts can be found at Calorie Count.

Black Bean & Corn Relish

Ingredients:

2 cans Bush's Black Beans - well drained
2 cans Green Giant Shoepeg Corn - well drained
1 can RoTel Diced Tomatoe3s with Lime Juice and Cilantro - well drained
1 can RoTel Diced Tomatoes with Habaneros - well drained
1 large bunch of fresh cilantro - chopped



Directions:

Combine all ingredients. Mix well.

CRITICAL: Let sit over-nite in the refrigerator. Stir from time to time. The "aging" really lets all the flavors mature and mingle. This relish is better the second day, or even the third day!

Notes:

Make it hotter or milder by using either 2 cans of hot RoTel or 2 cans of the regular RoTel. Also you can change the amount of cilantro to suit your tastes.

This makes a big batch. The extra amounts beyond party dipping use we serve as a side dish with meals for a couple of days after or just go back and snack on it some more.

Michael's Speckled Puppy Beans

Speckled puppies or speckled beans? Ok, make this great dish with speckled beans and pet the speckled puppy on that cute belly.

The nutrition facts can be found at Calorie Count!

Speckled Puppy Beans

12 servings

1 lb. dried navy beans, sorted and rinsed
1 lb. dried black-eyed peas, sorted and rinsed
1-14 oz. can low sodium chicken stock
1-10.5 oz. can cream of celery soup
4 oz. good white wine
1/4 cup butter or margarine
2 cups diced Canadian bacon or smoked ham
2 cups white or gold potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2” squares
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. ground thyme
1-1/2 tsp. dried rosemary leaves
1 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup finely grated carrots
1 cup chopped onion
2 tsp. brown sugar
2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced
2 or 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
salt, to taste

Place sorted beans and peas into a large pot. Add chicken stock, wine, butter, and cover well with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to warm. Add ground pepper, cayenne, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf. Cover and let sit for an hour or so until beans begin to swell. Add water as necessary, but do NOT over-water.

When the beans and peas begin to soften, add all the other ingredients and bring to a simmer until the beans are tender. Serve with warm cornbread.

Notes:

If you don't want to use the Canadian bacon, GOYA makes a ham-flavored bouillon that's quite good. Use two or three packets of that, about a tsp. each.

Polo's Indian Lentil Soup

This is another recipe from one of the wonderful calorie counting members of Calorie Count! Check out the fantastic nutrition analysis!

Indian Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

1 tsp olive oil

¼ tsp mustard and/or cumin seeds (to your tastes)

curry leaves to taste
1green chili, sliced
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 Roma tomato, chopped
1/4 Tsp chili powder and/or coriander powder
pinch turmeric powder

3 cups water

1 cup squash*

1 cup carrots*

1 cup spinach*

1-2 cups lentils, cooked

½ Tbs tamarind paste (optional)

Cilantro as garnish

Directions:

Saute the onion until golden brown in the olive oil, add the garlic and sauté one minute, add the chopped tomato and sauté one more minute.

Add the spices and stir another minute.

Add 3 cups of water

Mix well and then add the vegetables.

Cover with lid and cook for 10 minutes, taste and add salt if you use it.

Add the cooked lentils and mix well. Add the tamarind paste if you wish and finally garnish with cilantro.

Notes:

* add any vegetables that you love and that are seasonal for you.

Crazypotato98's Lentil and Sausage Stew

This dish is a cinch to make. It's also the perfect opportunity to test Calorie Count's Conversion Tool in the sidebar! Hmmm...grams to ounces? Click here for the nutrition facts as analyzed at Calorie Count!

sausages!

Lentil and Sausage Stew

Ingredients:

108 grams Collards or other greens

1 cup Lentils

8 cup Chicken Broth
224 grams Polish Sausage (or your favorite fresh sausage), cooked and sliced

1/4 Onions, chopped

1 clove Garlic, minced

3 cup Fresh or Frozen Broccoli

1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:

saute garlic and onion in olive oil. Add chicken broth (or bouillon and water), lentils, and sliced sausage. Bring to a boil; add vegetables except greens and simmer until lentils are tender. Add collard greens at the end and let simmer a couple minutes.

Notes:

Get creative with the vegetables for this soup!

Janice's Spicy Experimental Hummus

I love spicy hummus and eat it all the time, but I've never made it before. The following recipe is still in the experimental stage, and is a combination of several interesting recipes that I found on line. I liked how some of the cooks used a variety of oils instead of tahini. I've never owned a tahini, but I usually have both sesame and olive oil so I'm going with that. As I improve it, and with suggestions from you all, we'll make this recipe the best spicy hummus around!

Woop! Let's get our collaborative cookery game on! Tell me how to make spicy hummus!

The nutrition facts (thus far) can be found at Calorie Count!

Spicy Experimental Hummus

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) cans garbanzo beans, drained

1 lemon juiced
1/8 cup sesame oil
1/8 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions:

In the bowl, combine the garbanzo beans, lemon juice, sesame and olive oil, garlic, jalapenos. Season with black pepper, cayenne, cumin and oregano.

Mix using the stick blender or a mixer on low speed until the ingredients start to blend, then turn the speed to medium, and blend to your desired consistency. 

Cover and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to blend.

Notes:

Adjust the proportions of liquids to suit your taste. 

 Beat it thoroughly or use a blender if you like creamy hummus and not so much if you like it to have more texture.

Jane's Hummus in a Blender

The nutrition facts for this delightfully easy hummus can be found at Calorie Count!

Hummus in a Blender

Ingredients:

8 oz chickpeas
juice of half a lemon
1 good tablespoon tahini (or to taste)
1 garlic clove, crushed
6 oz water (approximately)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper...use plenty
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Directions:

Place all the ingredients with the exception of the water, oil and
paprika into a blender and switch on.  Gradually add the water and
keep blending until you have the right consistency... should be that
of thick cream.   Turn into a bowl, drizzle over the olive oil and
sprinkle with paprika.