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Chili Corn Muffins Green Salad with Ranch Dressing Mocha Brownies
This menu is a more sophisticated version of my Chili and Cornbread for College Students menu. It is designed for cooks who want to take the trouble to make it from scratch. Both menus are delicious.
You will need to prepare the brownies earlier in the day. Once that is finished, you can prepare this menu from start to finish in under an hour. This menu serves 6-8.
2 pounds lean ground beef 4 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, chopped 5 cloves garlic, chopped 3 tablespoons ancho chile powder 1 tablespoon pasilla chile powder 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon oregano ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste 1 teaspoon Kosher salt 3 15-ounce cans tomato sauce 1 12-ounce beer 2 28-ounce cans kidney beans or black beans, or 4 15-ounce cans
Condiments 2 cups shredded cheddar-jack cheese 1 red onion, chopped 1 pint sour cream 1 cup or so of chopped cilantro
Brown ground beef in a sauté pan. Set aside. Heat a large pot. Add olive oil and chopped onions. Cook until onions are soft and starting to caramelize. Add garlic and cook 1-2 more minutes until garlic is fragrant. Add chile powders, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper and salt and cook 2 minutes more. Add tomato sauce and beer. Simmer slowly for 30-45 minutes.
While chili is cooking, chop the red onion and cilantro and put all condiments into small serving bowls so guests can help themselves to whichever ones they like. Taste chili and adjust salt to taste
Drain beans and add to chili. Cook another 10 minutes to heat through and blend flavors. Serve in bowls and let guests help themselves to whatever condiments they would like.
1½ cup flour 1 cup cornmeal ½ cup sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder ¾ teaspoon salt 2 eggs ½ cup milk 1 stick butter, melted
1 stick butter for spreading
Set one stick of butter on the counter to soften to room temperature. Melt the other stick of butter and cool to lukewarm.
Preheat oven to 400º. Whisk eggs and milk together in a small bowl. Set aside. Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add egg and milk mixture and melted butter. Stir just until blended.
Spray muffin cups with cooking spray or line with paper liners. Fill cups about 2/3 full with batter. Bake 15 minutes, or until top is golden and springs back with pressed lightly with finger.
Green Salad with Ranch Dressing You could use Ranch Dressing from a bottle or jar if you like, but once you taste the kind you make yourself from a packet, you will become a convert. There are two kinds – one is made with buttermilk, one is made with regular milk. They taste the same, so get whichever one is easier for you. Don’t try to use regular milk with the buttermilk packet or vice versa – it won’t work.
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix (Milk recipe - not buttermilk - is easiest) 1 cup milk or buttermilk, depending on your mix 1 cup mayonnaise A 2-cup jar or plastic container for storing the dressing
1 large head romaine lettuce or 2 small heads 4 carrots 1 cucumber ½ green pepper 1 package salad croutons
Whisk together the milk, mayonnaise and packet of dressing mix. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to thicken. Wash and cut lettuce into bite-sized pieces. Wrap in a damp towel and store in the refrigerator. Peel and slice carrots. Peel cucumber. Cut in half lengthwise, scrape out seeds with a spoon, and cut into thin slices. Cut green pepper into matchsticks.
Toss lettuce, carrots and cucumber with several tablespoons dressing. Add croutons and toss just the top portion gently to coat the croutons, but without letting them fall to the bottom of the bowl.
4 ounces premium unsweetened chocolate, chopped 1 stick butter 2 tablespoons Kahlua 1 teaspoon Medaglia d’Oro instant espresso powder 2 eggs 1 ¼ cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla ¾ cups flour ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350º. Spray an 8” square pan with cooking spray. Bring 1” of water to a simmer in a small saucepan. Melt chocolate, Kahlua, and butter in a heat-proof bowl over the simmering water. Stir in instant espresso powder. Set aside to cool to lukewarm.
Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla in an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until thick and pale, about 5 minutes. Beat in chocolate mixture. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Stir into the chocolate mixture just until combined. Pour into baking pan. Bake 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center has moist crumbs sticking to it. Cool. Cut into squares for serving.
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Copyright © 2008 by Charlotte Rose. All rights reserved. |
