Bean Dip

Bean dips are fantastic appetizers. They're full of protein and fiber yet because they're dips, they feel decadent. Put out some pita slices or sliced veggies like cucumbers and carrots and dig in!

Here's how to make it:

1. In a mini food processor, combine:

• One can drained organic garbanzo beans
• One clove garlic
• One half lemon squeezed
• A quarter cup of olive oil (add more if hummus is too thick)
• A tablespoon tahini paste
• Paprika, salt and pepper

Voila! You've got a delicious bean dip!

The great part about this recipe is that you can mess around with it. For a creamier texture, use canellini beans. If you'd rather go woodsy than warm, sprinkle in Italian seasoning instead of paprika. Or if you have fresh rosemary, use that instead.

The bean is your base. You can flavor it however you want. What would you add to your bean spread blend?

Suzie

Awesome Artichoke Salad

Looking for a special summer salad? Here it is. Perfect for a BBQ crowd, lunch or dinner - it's cheap and easy to make.

1. Boil a pot of salted water.

2. Cut ends off a half pound of string beans.

3. Blanch string beans until they become bright green. No more than three minutes. Pull them out of the water immediately and drop them in an ice bath to stop the cooking.

4. Once cooled, pat the string beans dry and put them in a bowl.

5. Add three cans organic artichoke hearts.

6. Add sundried tomatoes (packed in oil) to bowl.

To make dressing, in a blender, combine:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove
• a bunch of basil leaves
• salt
• pepper
  

7. Pour dressing over artichokes, beans and sundried tomatoes. Then mix it all up.

Not only is it delicious, it's gorgeous! Enjoy!

Suzie

Nachos Supreme

If you're going to make nachos, you might as well do them right. They may not be the healthiest treat, but they are a treat!

This great appetizer is party perfect, although making the chips is very time consuming. But it's totally worth it. Here's how to make delicious nachos:

1. Buy pre-made corn tortillas and cut them into quarters.

2. Heat about an inch of canola oil in a deep frying pan over medium high heat.

3. Drop the tortilla quarters in the oil. Once they are golden, lay them on paper towels.

4. Salt them immediately so the salt sticks to the oil.
5. Break out a large baking sheet, spread your chips on them and add your favorite toppings. Mine include:

• Tomatoes
• Black beans
• Green Onions
• Jalapenos
• Cheddar Cheese

6. Pop the tray in the oven for about 5-8 minutes at 425 degrees.

7. When the cheese is melted, take the tray out and drizzle with sour cream.

What are some of your favorite appetizers?

Suzie

Grilled Salmon

Nothing says summer like grilling up fish. But before I tell you how incredibly simple it is to make, I need to tell you why it's important to eat.

Salmon is low in calories and saturated fat, yet high in protein, and omega-3 essential fatty acids. As the name implies, essential fatty acids are essential for human health, but because they cannot be made by the body, they must be obtained from foods.

In addition to being an excellent source of omega-3s, salmon is an excellent source of selenium, a very good source of protein, niacin and vitamin B12, and a good source of phosphorus, magnesium and vitamin B6. Which are all good for heart health and brain function. And if you eat salmon with those tiny bones in it, it's a great source of calcium too.

So now that you know why it's good for you, here's a simple way to make it:

1. Heat grill to high.

2. Coat salmon filets in olive oil.

3. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. (I believe fish should taste like fish. You don't need fancy marinades or rubs ot make a great piece of grilled fish.)

4. Grill skin side down for 5 - 8 minutes. When you slide a spatula under it and the skin peels off you know it's ready to flip.

5. Flip it and cook the other side for another 5 to 8 minutes.

6. Pull it off the grill. Let it sit for 2 or 3 minutes, serve with mixed greens and enjoy!


How easy is that?

Suzie

No Ordinary Eggs

The best part of summer is the garden. At least for me, it is. I love to experiment with whatever's bountiful and come up with new combinations.

Right now, basil is booming. So the last time I made eggs, I yummied them up. Here's how to make No Ordinary Eggs:

1. Beat two eggs in a bowl with a dash a of milk, salt and pepper.

2. Drop a slice of butter in a small pan.

3. Sprinkle sundried tomatoes in the pan.

4. After the tomatoes are well heated, add the eggs to the pan.

5. Scramble up the eggs. Then rip up some basil leaves and add them to the eggs.

6. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.

Enjoy delicious basily garden goodness for breakfast!

Suzie

Roasted Turkey Salad With Fresh Herbs

Wondering what to do with your leftover turkey? Here's what I did:

1. Slice up a couple tomatoes and the leftover roasted onions.

2. Cut leftover turkey breast into chunks.

3. Add mixed greens to a bowl.

4. Since the garden is popping up sweet yummies everywhere, I picked some fresh basil and parsley and added to the mix. If you have the herbs, use them. They give salads the freshest kick!

5. Sprinkle with crumbled blue cheese.

6. Make dressing:

• Put one tablespoon balsamic vinegar in a bowl
• Add two teaspoons dijon mustard
• Add salt and pepper
• Toss in Italian seasoning or fresh herbs (if you have them)
• Mince one clove of garlic
• Whisk in two tablespoons olive oil
• Adjust to your taste

NOTE: Making your own dressing has a couple benefits. Number one, it's cheaper than buying bottled dressing. Number two, you know what's in it. Have you ever read the label on salad dressing? Lots of partially hydrogenated high fructose-y stuff. Not what you want to put in your body.

7. Sprinkle the dressing on your salad, toss and enjoy!

Suzie

PS - For other great ideas on how to Stretch Your Food Dollar head over to the Krazy Kitchen for Stretch Your Food Dollar Wednesdays.

Pan Roasted Turkey Breast

Let's talk turkey. It's not just for Thanksgiving anymore. And you know why? Because it's a SuperFood.

Turkey breast is one of, if not the leanest, meat protein sources on the planet. It offers a rich array of nutrients, particularly niacin, selenium, vitamins B6 and B12, and zinc. These nutrients are heart-healthy and are also valuable in helping to lower the risk for cancer.

Plus it's SuperCheap. I purchased a 2 lb split turkey breast for $3.14. Then I pan roasted it, ate some, and will enjoy more in a salad today. And more leftover with some veggies tomorrow. I will get three meals in one $3 turkey breast. Pretty cool, huh?

Here's how to cook a delicious, juicy turkey breast:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place a metal handled frying pan over medium high heat on the stove. Coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil.

3. Salt and pepper the turkey breast.

4. When the oil smokes, place the turkey breast, skin side down, in the pan. Brown it.

5. After it's nicely browned, turn off the heat. Add some cut veggies to the pan. Whatever you have will work. I used onions, mushrooms and carrots.6. Toss in a woody herb like rosemary or thyme.

7. Insert a meat thermometer into the breast - away from the bone. Put pan in the oven for approximately 45 minutes. When it reads 170 degrees, pull the breast out. Put it on a plate and let it stand for 10 minutes. (It will continue to cook and the juices will redistribute.)

8. Slide a knife between the bone and the meat and remove meat from the bone. Then slice meat into thick slices crosswise.
9. Enjoy!

Do you already incorporate turkey into your diet? If so, how do you prepare this SuperFood?

Suzie

Panini

Panini. A fancy word for grilled cheese. And there's nothing better than grilled cheese. And you can make it with anything. All you need is bread, cheese and some goodies to go inside. For example, the other day, after rummaging through my fridge, I came up with the following panini:

1. I drizzled olive oil on a grill pan.

2. I laid out two pieces of bread and put two slices of provolone cheese on each of them.

3. On one side, I added:

• A couple slices of turkey
• Artichoke hearts
• Sliced red onion

4. I topped that with the other slice of bread and the cheese, pressed down hard on it and then put it on the grill pan.

5. I plopped a heavy pan on top. You can use a brick covered in foil or anything that will smoosh your sammy.

6. Then I flipped it.

When it was done, it was ooey gooey cheesy delicious inside.

The choices are endless. But what would you stuff inside your dream panini?

Suzie

Grilled Shrimp

It's grilling season! Time to fire up the fun and enjoy the summer sizzle. Instead of going with the same old burgers and dogs, put a twist on a boring old BBQ and grill some delicious shrimp. Whether you serve them up as an appetizer or a main course, your guests will be impressed. Just:

1. Peel and de-vein a pound of shrimp.

NOTE: You can also grill your shrimp in the shells and serve them peel and eat style. The shells definitely rev up the shrimpy flavor, but the peeling can be messy. It's up to you.

2. Chop four garlic cloves and put the garlic in a bowl.

3. Add olive oil and red pepper flakes to the bowl.

4. Pat your shrimp dry with paper towels. Salt and pepper them.

5. Chop parsley or cilantro (whichever you have fresh) and add it to the mix.

6. Pour marinade over shrimp.


7. Marinate for at least a half an hour.

8. Start grill. When you have a high heat, put shrimp on grill.

9. Once they turn pink and curl up, flip them. Should only be about 2 or three minutes.

10. Cook on other side until pink and firm.

11. Remove from grill and enjoy!

So, what's your favorite summertime food to grill?

Suzie

Joey's Favorite Salsa

Looking for a dip with a twist? A chunky salsa with a kick? Try Joey's Favorite Salsa. It's soooo easy, delicious and good for you too.

1. Rinse one can of black beans and dump them in a bowl.

2. Add one can (same size) of diced tomatoes to bowl. If you have Rotel tomatoes in your area, use those. Rotel are canned tomatoes with lime juice and chilis.

3. Add one can corn. If you have fresh corn, just slice the kernels off the cob. They're super sweet and deliciously fresh.

4. Chop half a red onion and add it to the mix.

5. Mince two garlic cloves and blend them in.

6. Dice a jalapeno, add it to the pool.

7. Chop a handful of cilantro and add it for a fresh zing.

8. Squeeze one lime over the bowl.

9. Add salt and pepper and mix up the creation.

Scoop up some of this fabulous salsa on a tortilla chip and enjoy the fresh zesty spicy kick!

What's in your favorite salsa?

Suzie

Huevos y Frijoles

My lust for black beans is making me do crazy things with them. This morning I made a black bean omelet that made me salsa dance all over the kitchen. Try it:

1. Defrost a pack of your single serving vacuum sealed black beans. Add a little chopped jalapeno to your beans. Warm them in a little pot over medium heat.

2. Beat two eggs in a bowl with a splash of milk.

3. Chop up a little fresh cilantro.

4. Drop some butter in an omelet pan on medium heat. When it melts, pour in the egg mixture.

5. Cover the pan.

6. When the egg mass is no longer runny, spoon beans onto one half of omelet.

7. Sprinkle with cilantro and jack cheese.

8. Flip the other half of the omelet over the delicious bean mixture.

9. Wait for the cheese to melt.

10. Eat the heavenly omelet.

Can you think of a more delicious omelet? What's your favorite type of omelet?

Suzie

Black Beans

Psst...I have a secret. A secret crush - on black beans.

A great source of protein, antioxidant rich black beans are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber, as are most other legumes. In addition to lowering cholesterol, black beans' high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, making these beans an especially good choice for individuals with diabetes, insulin resistance or hypoglycemia.

They're also super filling and ridiculously delicious. They're my new BFF. Well, maybe even BF.

I have not taken any pictures while cooking them. I'm sorry. You're going to have to envision these black beauties on your own.

1. Soak a bag of black beans over night per directions on the bag.

2. Chop one onion, one jalapeno and three garlic cloves.

NOTE: This veggie trio is also known as a sofrito. It's a great base for all kinds of soups, stews, etc. Often, the jalapeno is replaced with a bell pepper, depending on what you're going for.

3. Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pot over medium heat.

4. When the oil is hot, add your sofrito, salt and pepper.

5. When veggies are soft, after about five minutes or so, add the beans stir them around and heat them for about two or three minutes.

6. Add water according to the directions on the bean package. Usually about 8 cups per lb.

7. Let beans simmer over medium heat with the lid open a tad for two hours. Longer if beans are still hard or there's two much liquid left.

Now, you're probably wondering what the heck you're going to do with all these beans. That's where your food saver comes in. Cut single serving sized bags, and vacuum seal and freeze single servings. Then heat them up as a small meal or side dish at any time.

Enjoy!

Suzie Black Bean Lover

Stromboli

Having a party? Stromboli is a great and easy appetizer that's bound to please the masses. Just roll it up, bake it and slice it up. Its cheesy, yummy goodness brings on big smiles.

You can make the whole deal easier on yourself and use store bought pizza dough. I'm not going to tell you not to, but I'll give you the tools to go fresh, just in case you want to roll old school:

1. Sprinkle the yeast into a medium bowl containing 1 1/4 cup warm water and stir until yeast dissolves.

2. Add 2 cups sifted flour and stir until blended.

3. Add another 1 1/2 to 2 cups flour and blend until too stiff to stir with a spoon.

4. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it for 10 to 15 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic.

5. Place the dough in another bowl greased with a small amount of oil. Turn the dough once so that the top is oiled.

6. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm place for about 45 minutes--until the dough rises to about double its original size.

7. Once it rises, roll it out on a floured surface. (Dough on an unfloured countertop = mess.)

8. Then layer your filling in it. It can be anything you want. For example, you can use pepperoni and cheese or spinach sauteed with garlic and cheese.

9. Once you stuff it, roll it up.

10. Whip up one egg and a little water then paint it on your stromboli. This will give it a nice, glossy, hard crust.

11. Pop it in the oven and let it bake at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the crust looks brown.

11. Slice it up and enjoy!

So what will you stuff your stromboli with?

Suzie

Goat Cheese and Sundried Tomato Spread

On Easter, I realized that I didn't have enough appetizers for the friends who were coming over for dinner. So I dug into my freezer and pulled out a hunk of goat cheese left over from a party and waited for it to soften.

When it did, I rummaged through the pantry to see what I could add to it. I found sundried tomatoes and a sleeve of crackers.

Then I went out to the garden and cut some parsley.

I chopped the sundried tomatoes and parsley, mixed them in with the goat cheese, added some cracked black pepper and set it out on the table with the crackers.

I figured you can't go wrong with sundried tomatoes and parsley, can you?

The empty bowl was proof. Try it for an easy and different kind of cheese and crackers!

Suzie

Suzie's Mac and Cheese

WARNING: THIS MEAL IS NOT HEALTHY.

Aren't disclaimers fantastic? No, seriously, this meal contains processed foods and is totally not good for you. But since yesterday was a holiday and the people beg for it, I made mac and cheese.

You can too. Here's how:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Empty 4 cans cheddar cheese soup in a pot on medium heat.

3. Add about a cup of milk. Stir.

4. Squirt about three tablespoons brown mustard in the cheese sauce. Stir.

6. Add one package (two cups) shredded sharp cheddar cheese to the sauce.

7. Boil two lbs large elbows until they are al dente.

8. Drain noodles.

9. Butter large baking dish.

10. Add half sauce mixture to baking dish. Stir in half the noodles. Repeat with second half.

11. Top with another package shredded sharp cheddar cheese (2 cups).

12. Bake about 30 minutes until top is cheesy crunchy.

13. Enjoy! Because you should only eat it once a year. ; )


What are your once a year favorites?

Suzie

Granny's Meatballs

Oh yes, here it is, the holy grail of recipes. And I'm sharing it with you. These meatballs are swoonworthy, drool inducing, crave causing little pockets of wonder. Try them for yourself.

First, heat some marinara sauce in a large pot on the stove.

1. Put equal parts ground beef, pork and veal in the biggest bowl you can find. I suggest using 1 lb of each for about 30 meatballs.

2. Smash two bags of store bought seasoned stuffing (in the bags) with a mallet. (Okay, I will admit, Granny did not use stuffing. She used day old bread. But my day old bread meatballs never taste as good as hers, so I've twisted the recipe a bit.) Pour them over the meat.

3. Add one egg per lb of meat.

4. Chop a bunch of fresh parsley and add it. I mean the whole bunch. Parsley is the secret fresh zing in these meatballs.

5. Add about a half a cup of shredded parmesan cheese.

6. Chop eight garlic cloves. Toss 'em in.

7. Finely chop one onion. Throw it in the mix.

8. Add salt, pepper and dried Italian seasonings.

9. Moosh it all together with your hands. Then form the mixture into balls.

10. Heat oil in a pan on medium high on the stove top and brown meatballs.

11. Plop them in the sauce.

12. Let them cook about an hour and a half.

13. Enjoy!

How is this recipe different from how you make meatballs?

Suzie

PS - For other yummy recipes check out Simply Delicious Sunday.

Carrie's Favorite Cauliflower

This weekend, I catered a birthday for my friend Carrie. When planning the menu she said, "Ooo....can you make some of that awesome cauliflower?"

Why yes, yes I can.

Cauliflower is a totally underated vegetable. Like broccoli, it's a cruciferous vegetable, full of cancer fighting abilities, vitamin C and fiber. We should eat it by the pound.

I know what some of you are thinking. Cauliflower can be bland and watery if you steam it. Fear not. Carrie's Favorite Cauliflower bursts with flavor and crunch.

1. Mix olive oil, a couple chopped garlic cloves, red pepper flakes, some dried Italian seasonings and salt in a bowl.

2. Cut the cauliflower head in half. Cut the core out of each half and break the head into florets.

3. In a gallon sized ziplock bag, mix the cauliflower with the olive oil, garlic and spices.

4. Put the bag in the fridge and let it marinate for at least a half hour.

5. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Then roast the cauliflower for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

By the time I got the camera, the cauliflower was half eaten.

6. Enjoy!

Suzie

Tasty Tomato Sauce

My Granny was an amazing cook. And I had the pleasure of spending lots of time in the kitchen with her. She taught me how to mix and match flavors and confidently toss ingredients in a pot, as if measuring tools didn't exist.

Today I'm making tomato sauce. She, like a lot of Italians, called it "gravy." I'm not making her recipe. It's more like a combo of both of ours. The savory scents from my kitchen are bringing back great memories, so I thought I'd share:

1. Finely chop a large onion, four garlic cloves and two carrots.

2. Heat olive oil in a big heavy bottomed pot on the stove on medium heat.

3. When the oil is hot, toss in the carrots and onion. Let them soften about five minutes. Make sure they don't brown.

NOTE: Some people put sugar in their "gravy." I don't. It's bad for you and those extra calories are a serious waste. Carrots do a great job of naturally sweetening the sauce and balancing the acidity of the tomatoes.

4. Add the garlic. Let it soften a few minutes. Be sure it doesn't brown. (It will taste awful.)

5. Salt and pepper your veggies. Then add dried Italian seasonings and some red pepper flakes.

6. Add four 28 oz cans of crushed tomatoes. Or you can use whole tomatoes and smoosh them up with your hands.

7. Stir it up. Season to taste.

8. Simmer on low heat with the lid cracked for about an hour. Stir occasionally.

9. Pour over pasta.

10. Top with a chopped fresh herb like parsley or basil. (This gives it such a fresh zing!)

Enjoy!

Suzie

Suzie's Caesar

I'm crazy about Caesar Salad. But I'm picky about them. So I tweaked and tweaked until I came up with this:

1. Press one large clove raw garlic into a small bowl.

2. Add four anchovies. (I LOVE anchovies. I add extras into my salad at the end. Four will suffice for a normal person. But if you're scared of anchovies, this is not the recipe for you.)

3. Add kosher salt and ground black pepper.

4. Mash all those ingredients together with a fork.

5. Boil a small pot of water. Drop an egg in it and let it boil for 30 seconds. (You just want to bring it up to room temp.)

6. Crack the egg into the bowl and beat everything.

7. Add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard.

8. Drop in a tablespoon or more of Parmesan cheese.

9. Shake in two squirts of Worcestershire sauce.

10. Squeeze in half a small lemon.

11. Beat the mix with a whisk.

12. When blended, slowly pour in about a quarter cup of olive oil while continuing to whisk. When there's a nice thick consistency, it's done.

13. Adjust the taste. If you want more anchovies or pepper or lemon or whatever, add it.

14. Toss it with romaine lettuce, croutons and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

NOTE: I like to make my own croutons. Not so sure what's in the boxed kind, you know? Just thinly slice a baguette, spread the pieces on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle them with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake them at 350 for about 8 minutes.



Enjoy!

Suzie

Pan Roasted Chicken Breast

I love chicken. Maybe because as a kid, my stepfather would roast chicken on Sundays and make the best gravy on the planet and serve it up with roasted onions and mashed potatoes. It was the ultimate Sunday dinner.

When I want a quick and dirty version of his delicious baked chicken, I go for a bone in, skin on, chicken breast. I sear it, skin down, for the ultimate savory crunch, toss in some mushrooms, quartered onion, fresh herbs and shove it in the oven.

This is a great one pan meal for one person. You can also add as you go, get a bigger pan and add a chicken breast per person.

Here's what you do:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Salt and pepper both sides of your chicken breast, a handful of mushrooms and half a quartered onion. (Add more onion and mushrooms if you're making more than one chicken breast.)

3. Coat the bottom of a metal handled pan with olive oil. Heat it on medium high.

4. When the oil is hot, sear your chicken breast, skin side down. This should take about five to eight minutes. Make sure it's nice and golden brown.

5. Once it's brown, turn off the flame.

6. Drop the mushrooms, onion and a fresh woody herb like parsely or thyme in the pan.

7. Put the pan in the oven for anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the size of the breast. For smaller chicken breasts, check after 15 minutes. If juices run clear and meat is firm to the touch, take it out. Check large chicken breasts around 22 minutes.

NOTE: The more chicken breasts you make, the longer they'll take in the oven. For example, if you put two breasts in the pan you may want to cook them about 30 minutes.

8. Remove pan from oven. Plate food and let it rest for 5 minutes so the juices can redistribute.

And that's it. Sunday dinner in less than a half hour. Easy, right?

Suzie

Holy Guacamole!

All right, maybe it's not holy, but it's the best guacamole I've ever had. Hands down.

1. Halve, peel and pit four avocaodos. Put them in a bowl.

NOTE: The easist way to peel avocados is to halve them and then scoop the fruit out with a spoon.

Add the following to the bowl:

• Half a small chopped onion


• 3 cloves minced garlic


• 1 chopped jalapeno


• 1/2 a lime's worth of juice


• Salt


• Chopped cilantro

2. Cut it all up into chunks. Mix it all together. Then mash with a potato masher.

3. Taste it. If you want it hotter, add more jalapeno. Saltier? Toss in some more salt. Need a little more zing? Squeeze in the other half of that lime. You get the idea..

4. Enjoy the heavenly guac with chips, or have it as a side dish with chicken or fish.

Let me know how it goes!

Suzie

Crunchy Organic Carrots

Look what I picked today! The first carrots of the season. Straight from the garden. Organic, delicious and made by me.

Growing your own veggies is great for a lot of reasons:

1. It's a fantastic way to save money. The package of carrot seeds I grew these from cost $1.99. They will keep me crunching carrots for the next two months.

2. You know where your food comes from. When I plant my own veggies, I know that they're grown in organic soil, fed organic fertilizer and that they're not sprayed with pesticides. It gives me great peace of mind to know that I'm not eating all kinds of scary chemicals. I'm eating pure, organic carrots.

3. It's so much fun! When you plant your own food you get to watch it grow. Every morning something new pops up. Vines grow a little longer, zucchinis get bigger, tomatoes get redder. It's amazing to watch the metamorphosis.

4. It's easy. All you need are some seeds, organic soil and sunlight. If you don't have a big backyard, you can plant veggies in pots. On my deck, potted parsley is scattered amongst gerbers, rose topiaries, aloe and mandevillas. People probably think they're just plants, but they're food!

So why not give green gardening a try?

Suzie

Salsa Worth Salivating Over

This salsa is crazy easy, deliciously spicy, low in calories, high in licopene and vitamin C and super cheap to make.

1. In a blender, combine:

• One 16 oz can diced tomatoes (preferably organic)


• Half a jalapeno pepper
  
• Quarter of an onion
  
• Two garlic cloves
  
• A handful of cilantro
  
• Half a squeezed lime

2. Blend it up!

And there you go! Salsa worth salivating over.

By the way, if you enjoy more of a kick, drop in some more jalapenos. How do you like your salsa? Mild? Spicy? En fuego?

Suzie

Granny's (Super Cheap and Yummy) Chili

All right. You should know by the "Granny" that this one will be good. I catered a party last night and all the guests were gushing about how good the chili was. I giggled to myself knowing that it was ridiculously cheap and easy to make. Let's do the math:


3 lbs ground beef = $11.77
2 28 oz cans red kidney beans = $3.78
2 28 oz cans organic diced tomatoes = $5.78
Total to feed 20 people chili = $21.33

I already had the garlic, onion, olive oil and spices. If you don't have them, it could cost you a few dollars more, but seriously, 20-something bucks is nothing to kickstart a fiesta.

So here's what you do:

1. Cover the bottom of a heavy bottomed pot with olive oil. Heat it at medium.

2. Dice an onion. Toss it in.

3. After onion softens a bit, add three chopped garlic cloves. Let them soften, but be careful that they don't brown.

4. Meanwhile, in another pan, brown your ground beef on high.

5. When it's browned, toss it in with the veggies.

6. Add your diced tomatoes.

7. Slip a couple bay leaves in the mix. Then add cayenne pepper, paprika, chili powder and cumin to taste. If you like extra spice, spike it with some tobasco.

8. Cover it and simmer on low for about an hour.

9. Drain the beans and add them to the chili.

10. Simmer for another 20 minutes or so.

11. Serve and enjoy your guests "Mmming" like crazy.

What do you serve at parties that gives you huge "Mmms" for minimal cost?

Suzie