Homemade Chili

Who doesn't like warm chili on a cold winter's day?  It can be made with meat or vegetarian style.  I made Emily's Chili con Carne with Beans.  One of the most interesting things about it was starting out frying hamburger in peanut oil.  I thought, "Will the peanut oil make that much of a difference?"  OH YEAH!  It was delicious!!!  Add onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, canned tomatoes, green pepper (I left this out since it doesn't agree with me), and your choice of beans (Frugal Gourmet used dry beans soaked overnight, but I cheated and used canned beans).  Add salt to taste and simmer until all flavors are melded together and your apartment (or house) smells good enough to eat!

Thanksgiving Leftovers

Sorry it's been so long since I posted a blog.  Holidays took over my free time.  I hope to be more consistent now that the winter humdrums have set in.

I used leftover turkey to make Turkey with Mushrooms and Marsala.  Really easy.  Sautee mushrooms in butter or olive oil then add leftover gravy and wine of choice.  I didn't have any leftover gravy, so I made milk gravy and added some dry red wine.  I have also made this with champagne.  Yummy!  Add turkey right before serving over potatoes, rice, noodles, etc.

I had leftover canned cranberries from my solo Thanksgiving dinner.  Of course the Frugal Gourmet even had a recipe for canned cranberries!  I made a Cranberry Cheddar Sandwich.  The recipe called for French bread, but since I didn't have any I used an English muffin.  Put butter on the bread and then put a layer of cranberries topped with a slice of cheddar cheese.  Broil until warm and bubbly.  Now I am not a fan of putting cheddar cheese on apple pie or anything sweet, so I was a little skeptical of this recipe.  Now this sandwich isn't going to be my new favorite, but it wasn't too bad.

Leftovers don't have to be a pain; sometimes they can be better than the original meal!