Update – We just finished dinner, and this is our new Carnita recipe that will stick around in the Gafford household. I’ve posted a pic of the taco that we made, and we are incredibly happy with the results. It has the flavor of deep fried since it’s seared before it’s put into the CrockPot, and it’s at least a tiny bit healthier than deep fried. To quote McDonalds, “Ba Da Da Da Da, I’m lovin it.”
Today I took my first stab at a Chimichurri sauce and marinade. Based on a bunch of herbs and spices blended into a fine paste, it’s an easy way to make something tasty out of chicken or beef. I made this last night, and marinated the chicken for about 20 hours before grilling this afternoon. You could probably make this and marinade for 3-4 hours, but I feel like the big payoff comes from overnight. We cooked up some green pepper, onion, and poblano peppers along with the chicken, and it was Yum.
Ingredients:
1 Cup of Flat Leaf Parsley
4 Cloves of Garlic
8 Green Onions (Whites & Greens)
1/2 Cup of White Wine Vinegar
3/4 Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 TB Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 TB Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
Ok, i’ve been avoiding the topic of food on my blog but i’ve had just enough friendly prodding that i’m going to give it a whirl.
Disclaimer: I’m not a chef, nor do I claim to have any formal training in the culinary arts. I sat at the feet of some incredible women who cooked as I grew up, and I learned that cooking is more of an art than a science in our family. I watched my Grandma Pearl just throw in a dash of this and a smidgen of that into every dish she cooked, and boy were those some amazing eats.
Tonight, we threw together a batch of “everyday chili.” We don’t usually search for a recipe for chili unless we’re competing in some type of a chili cookoff. (which lets be honest, that’s been twice in my lifetime maybe?) We have some of the standard ingredients always on hand, and then peruse the fridge for anything we don’t plan on using in a future recipe.
Here’s the version for September 17th.
“Normal” Ingredients:
1lb. Ground Beef
2 15oz. cans of Chili Beans
1 30oz. can of Diced Tomato
1 15oz. can of Tomato Sauce
1 7oz. can of Tomato Paste
1 Large Onion
Chili Seasoning to taste
Tonight’s Fridge finds:
1 Poblano Pepper
2 Jalapeno Peppers
1/2 Can of Dr. Pepper
“Bread Crumbs” created from a hamburger bun and about 7 pretzel rods used to thicken.
A couple of dashes of Emeril’s Essence
As for the directions, get the pot all hot and bothered and throw the onion, jalapeno, and poblano in and let them caramelize. Add the rest to the pot and the magic happens once you let it simmer for about an hour.
