Baby, it's chili outside!

Last night I wanted to make some chili that I saw a recipe for, but didn't have all the ingredients, so I made my own. It turned out pretty dang delicious and I thought I would share it with you all. Some of the best chili I have ever had. And pretty darn healthy too! No added mixes or additives. Just good fresh ingredients.

1 can of kidney beans
1 can of pinto beans
1 can of Great Northern Beans
7-10 garlic cloves (sounds like a lot, but once cooked, can't hardly tell they are there)
4 large Roma tomato chopped into inch sized squares
2 Serrano Peppers (optional)
1-2lbs of ground beef
1 can of Tomato Paste
1 can of olives
2 TBSP of Chili Powder (more if you like it spicier)
1 TSP of Cumin
1 TSP of Oregano
1-2 TSP of salt
1-2 cups of water to thin out the chili to the consistency you like

Start out by cooking your beef on the stove before you start anything else, because this takes the longest. Open the cans of beans and rinse thoroughly. Add to crock pot or pan. I used a crock pot and it works great! Take a garlic press and press all the cloves right into the pot on top of the beans. Put in your chopped up Roma Tomato's. Chop up your olives however you prefer and add them to the pot as well.  Add in all of your spices, tomato paste, cooked ground beef and water. Mix well. Cook for about 20-30 min or until it starts to boil a little; stirring occasionally. Once cooked you can add your favorite chili toppings like cheese and sour cream! For a lighter choice, choose a plain yogurt to top your chili instead. It will taste just as good. I promise :)Once it is done, it should look just like the picture below.




Enjoy!

The Classic Chef

Garlic Fries

Good Friday afternoon to you all! I was inspired to make some garlic fries after seeing a friends picture of some garlic fries at the Garlic Festival she was at. So here you go.

Measurements are all dependent upon how many people you are serving and if these are your main dish or just a side dish and how big your potatoes are.

I used about 10-15 potatoes, but most were pretty small. If you use the larger ones meant for baked potatoes, then you probably would need 2-4 of those depending on their size. I chopped them up lengthwise and I made them to the thickness I wanted them to be. Again, it is all up to you and how you want your fries to look.

I took about 1/2 cup of olive oil, I added about 1/4 cup of bread crumbs, about 1 tsp of salt, a few sprinkles of cayenne pepper, about 1/3 of a cup of shredded parm and about 4-6 garlic cloves crushed with a garlic press. I had that all in a large ziplock bag and I mixed it all up before I added the potatoes. Once it was mixed, I added the potatoes and then I transferred them to a large bowl to mix it a little more evenly since there was so much in the bag (I only did it that way because I didn't realize how many potatoes I had, so you can skip that step and just do it in the bowl or do it in the bag). Then I put some foil on a half sheet pan and put the marinated potatoes on the pan. I sprinkled a little more parm on top of the tatters before I stuck them in the oven and then I cooked them on 400-425 until tender for about 35-40 min. This too will vary depending on your oven. After they were done, I broiled them a little to make them a little crispy.

Before 

After

The fries turned out really good! They are great paired with a tuna or a salmon fish sandwich. 

Enjoy!

The Classic Chef

Strawberry Ice

Happy Summer to you all!! I hope you all had a great 4th of July! I sure did. We had a BBQ at home and enjoyed family time.

I thought I would post a simple Summer treat. It is a healthy refreshment for those hot days we have to endure laying out by the pool or sunbathing :)

All you need is a blender, some ice, strawberries and some Stevia.

(Stevia is just an herb that tastes like sugar, but it is good for you! Regular sugar effects your Pancreas, but Stevia just goes through the body like other herbs. Stevia is also a part of the Sunflower family. You can usually find it in your nutrition section in your local grocery store or in Super Supplements.)

I don't have any measurements for this one because it is all up to your own taste buds. The consistency you are looking for is like that of a soft Sorbet. Any strawberries will do. I used the ones I picked from my garden. Fresh vs. frozen strawberries is the better option, but if frozen is all you have, then make it work.

                                                           My Garden Strawberries :)

                                                                  The stems I cut off

                                                                   My stemless strawberries :)

                                                        Strawberries, Ice & Liquid Stevia

                                             This is what it should look like when you are done.

Enjoy!

Until Next Time, 

The Classic Chef

Lemon Almond Rice Pudding

I was thinking, something to share that is refreshing for summer would be nice for everyone. And what better refreshing thing to share than Lemon Almond Rice Pudding! If you are not a lemon fan, you might as well stop reading right now lol, but if you are up for trying new things, here is a recipe for you!

Lemon Almond Rice Pudding

4 cups of whole milk
1/2 cup of Borio Italian Rice found in Fred Meyer
1/2 cup of sugar
pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean
-----------------------------------------
3 lemons zested
1/2 cup of lemon juice
1/4 cup of Amaretto
-----------------------------------------
1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
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Sliced almonds-amount is up to you

Take the first 5 ingredients and add to a pan. With the vanilla bean, make a slit down the middle to scrape the seeds from the inside out so you can add the vanilla bean seeds to the pot. I find that it can be easier to cut the ends of the bean off so they are not in the way of getting the pod all the way open. Once you've scrapped out the vanilla bean seeds, put the vanilla bean pod into the pot as well to get the most flavor out of your little bean. Bring ingredients in the pot to a boil and simmer for 35 min. Stirring occasionally.

Once simmered for the 35 min, take your lemon zest, juice and amaretto add to the milk mixture and cook for another 10 min just above simmer, but do not boil.

After the 10 min, stir in the heavy whipping cream and then put in fridge to chill.

Toast some sliced almonds to use for garnish.

This pudding is yummy hot or cold, but traditionally it is served cold. Try it both ways and enjoy!

                                                   The first 5 ingredients cooking in the pot

I know this looks like cheese, but this is the lemon zest :)

This is the finished product! 
Quite the tasty treat! I enjoy making this and it is something the whole family can enjoy after a nice summer meal. I would love your feedback on this dessert once you've had the chance to make it. Stay cool, Stay Fresh, The Classic Chef

Just some fun pictures

It has been quite a while since I last posted. I just haven't had much motivation to. I did, however, want to share some more pictures with you all of some recent creations of mine. I hope you enjoy!

The Classic Chef

                                                       Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cake

                                                                          Plum Tart

                                                                          Plum Tart

                                                                  Blood Orange Cake

Toasted Coconut Amaretto Cake

Creme Brulee

Spicy Italian Bread

It took me two times to get this to taste good. I think it was the new spice I was using, so next time I won't use that one. I'm not entirely sure what I did to the first loaf, but it didn't rise at all and it was pretty nasty! The second one was way better. Ok here is the picture

This was the second loaf. I didn't even bother to take a picture of the first one. I made some roasted garlic butter to go on the bread once it came out of the oven and it was to die for! I made the dough in the bread machine we have, so if you have one I suggest using it. They do all the messy work for you and while it is kneading you can clean the little mess you made putting the ingredients into the machine. I followed the bread machine recipe for Italian bread, but I added my own twists to it because I think it needed something more than what it called for. There wasn't enough water with the recipe they give you and so I added more water to it and I also added some butter to help is be a softer bread. I also added some Italian seasoning you get at the grocery store, but I also added some pepper flakes and a spice mixture purchased at a local Natural Foods store near my house. I think next time I will omit the spice mixture and just do the Italian seasoning with the pepper flakes and see how the flavor of that is. If you want the actual recipe of this I will give it to you. Just let me know. 

The Classic Chef 

The Cookie Diaries

Ok, so I finally got the Gingersnaps made, but I will not post the recipe this time. I need to tweak it a little before I do. The flavor is just a little off. But until I fix the recipe, here are the pictures from todays cookie project. Enjoy!

The Classic Chef

Roasted Garlic

Since everyone has had their fill of requesting my recipes, I will post a recipe I want to share. It is super easy. Even a bachelor could do this. 

Take one bulb of garlic to start, you don't have to have 2 like the pictures below. Make a little bowl of foil for the garlic. Before you put the bulb in the foil, try to peal off as much of the outer layer as possible without taking the garlic off (be gentle). Then place your garlic in the foil bowl like what is shown below. Cover with olive oil about 1/4 to 1/2 of the way up the bulb, but make sure you get the oil all over the top of the garlic as you pour it. Then sprinkle with a little salt about 1/4 of a tsp and sometimes a little more than that and I like to add cayenne because it gives it a nice little kick, but not too spicy. You can use black pepper if you are afraid of cayenne or it is just too spicy for you :)

Next, make your bowl into a little tent for the garlic, but don't close it up too much. See picture below. 

It is now ready to bake! I like to use my toaster oven and I set it at about 375 for 45 min to an hour. In a regular oven I would probably do 350 or 325 because it tends to burn easier in the bigger ovens I have found. Once it is baked, the shell should come off pretty easy and your garlic should be nice and tender and ever so tasty! Since I don't like to waste, I reuse my oil I baked the garlic in. It has a great garlic flavor and is less expensive than having to buy garlic oil in the stores. It goes great on salads or you could even use it to cook your eggs with or even to flavor meat you are cooking. Enjoy :)

The Classic Chef

Sticky Buns Recipe (Sorry this is so long!)

Sticky Buns

The recipe I came up with for this was basically a guess. I was at a friends house and I didn't have my recipe book in front of me so I just improvised. They turned out amazing, but they were not as they should have been. So I am going to give you a similar recipe with a few more ingredients in hopes that they turn out better than these did. I am not sure how much this makes, so scale accordingly. You can cut the recipe in half or quarter it and see how that works for you. 

Sweet Roll Dough

Water 8.5oz

Milk Powder 1oz

Eggs 3.2oz

-------------------------------

Butter 4oz

Sugar 4oz

--------------------------------

Bread Flour 17oz

Pastry Flour 4oz

Salt 6g

Yeast .53oz

1. Mix the wet together in one bowl. 2. Mix the Dry together in a separate bowl. 3. Cream butter and sugar. 4. In mixer, mix wet into dry a little at a time until ingredients are combined. Add butter in chunks until combined. Let dough rise until doubled in size. Roll it out long enough and wide enough for the filling to be spread all over it. When incorporating dry ingredients such as flour and sometimes certain types of sugar like brown sugar, it is always best to sift those ingredients once or twice to make sure all the unwanted lumps are gone.

Cinnamon Filling

Butter 1 cup

Brown Sugar 2 cups

Cinnamon 4 TBSP 

Cream the butter and sugar together until it is smooth and then add the cinnamon and mix in. I just found this recipe because I can't seem to find mine. The butter to sugar ratio seems off to me, but who knows. The cinnamon I actually cut in half for this recipe. It called for 8 tablespoons!! To me that just seems like a little much. Maybe it isn't, but feel free to play with the recipe and see what works for you and your taste buds. 

Pan Spread

Brown Sugar 4oz

Butter 1 1/2oz

Cream together until smooth. Ok, now the fun part. Time to SPREAD!!!

Take the pan you are going to use. I recommend a half sheet pan with about a 1 in. side all the way around. I tried to upload a picture of the pan, but blogger wouldn't let me for some reason. Take your pan spread and smear it all over the inside of the pan. You can do the sides a little as well if you would like. Take chopped pecans and sprinkle all over the pan spread as little or as much as you wan. Once that is done move onto the Cinnamon Filling. 

Spread the cinnamon filling all over the rolled out dough, but leave about 1 inch at the bottom unfrosted so you can seal once you roll the sticky buns up. After it is spread evenly on the dough, start rolling evenly from the top down towards yourself. When you come to that 1 inch unfrosted part, use either a very soft brush or your finger and some water and lightly brush some water over that part of the dough and then finish rolling the dough together and rub the seam closed. In the rolling process, try to not do it to tightly because it will cause the buns to pop up from the middle. 

Once the rolling is finished, place on a sheet and stick in fridge to chill for about 20 min. Once it is chilled, cut roll into 1 1/2 to 2 inch slices. Place them on the pan with 1/2 to 1 in space between each bun. There should be about 4 buns in each row. Once you have finished placing them in the pan, cover and let them rise until doubled in size. This can take anywhere from 20min to 40min depending on how warm the kitchen is. Once they have doubled in size, bake on 350 for about 15-25 min. After they are baked, you need to flip them out of the pan right away so it is best to have 2 of the same 1/2 sheet pans. When they come out of the oven, place the unused 1/2 sheet pan over the top of the pan with the sticky buns and flip really quick and set on counter. It may cause a big mess and so it is best to have something under the pans like a towel to catch the excess pan spread that may fall out. It is very hot so if you have them, you may want to wear some type of glove. Once flipped, slowly remove the pan they were baked in and enjoy!! 

The Classic Chef    

Mouth Watering Pictures

Ok, so I have a few pictures from previous projects of mine. I'm putting them all into one post because from now on, I will post the recipe and picture of what I've made. I don't know what is on the menu next, but I can assure you that it will be tasty! So stay tuned for what creations are to come...

                   These are my Almond Fruit Tarts that I made last Spring I believe.

                                                 This is my Beef & Veggie Dip. Always a hit!

Ahh yes, my Blueberry Walnut Streusel Muffins. 

Chocolate Chip & Cinnamon Cookies. The best I have ever had or made!

Chocolate Pumpkin Bunt Cake. I was told by a fan that it was one of the best pastry breads he had ever eaten. What a flattering compliment! 

Cream of Broccoli Soup. One of my favorites. 

Apple Cider. Always great in the colder seasons.

My Margarita Pizza Cooked (The Uncooked is further down)

Vanilla Bean Cream

Shepherds Pie

Toffee Butter Cake w/Homemade Caramel Sauce drizzled on top.

Biscuits

My Caramel Sauce

Chocolate Almond Bark. Lovingly called "Bark Bark" :)

Cream Cheese Brownies (My weakness!)

My Margarita Pizza Uncooked

Mini Double Chocolate Muffins

Pumpkin Walnut Bread

Sticky Buns. And boy do they stick to you!

And last but not least, my Tomato Mac & Cheese. 

For liability reasons, I will tell you, I did not come up with all these recipes on my own. This is just how they looked when I created them and some of them I have taken a recipe I found and made it my own by doing different things to it. Regardless, I still love to make the food and take its picture before it is devoured. I hope you have enjoyed the start of Food for the Eyes. 

Thanks, 

The Classic Chef