Texas Transplant Chili and Cheesy Poblano Cornbread!

My brother would be ashamed of me…really he would.  I put BEANS in his chili…. sigh… BUT it was SO good!  It warmed my Florida livin’ tummy to the core.

This cornbread…oh, the scent!  The crusty crust…the cheeziness, and corniness and poblanoness!

Did you know that “real” chili does not have beans?  It doesn’t have ground beef either…much less ground Turkey…it should really have chunks of beef….stew meat style… did you know that?   I did, but I rebelled anyway…. AND it was SO good.

Call me a rebel.  Go ahead.  I won’t cry. 
Click on these titles to get the easy smeasy printable recipes.
Texas Transplant Chili
Cheesy Poblano Cornbread
Do you smell that?  Oh, that’s the chili simmering while the cornbread cooks…oh dear…what a wonderful smell! 
Go fill your kitchen with that smell right now!


This chili was delicious!  AND quick and easy. … and a might bit better for you than the original award winning chili-cookoff recipe that my brother has shared with me (SSHhhhhhhh…don’t tell him, I did NOT use the entire package of bacon he calls for!)… I didn’t use any…I’m a rebel with a healthy heart.

One day I’ll make his recipe just for kicks and share it with you.  I might not be able to eat it myself because it will be KICKIN’ HOT…but I will have others taste it.  Until then…this is what’s for dinner…and it was SO good!


Go warm some tummies!!

Homemade Cream of Whatever Soup

There are soooo many recipes out there that call for "Cream of Chemical Soup"...ok, did you catch that? I just don't eat canned soups, don't like puttin' strange stuff in my food if I can help it, and in this intance,... I can. :)

Here is an easy-smeasy recipe for making your own "Cream of Whatever Soup". "Why?", you ask, "am I using the term whatever?". Because this is a base for cream of mushroom, chicken, onion, or whatever you want it to be.

If you want it to be mushroom or onion, chop up and saute some mush or onion, set them aside and stir them in at the end.

Here is what you need:

1 Tbsp. Butter

3 Tbsp. Flour

1/2 C. Broth (chicken, veggie or beef)

1/2 C. Milk (2% is a good choice)

Salt and Pepper

In a small saucepan, melt butter of medium heat. Remove from heat and whisk in the flour to form a roux...this is a roux...

Whisk in a very small amount of milk and broth, whisking all the time to keep it smooth. Slowly add the rest of the liquid and whisk to keep it smooth. Return to heat and bring just to a gentle boil, whisking all the time until desired degree of thickness.

Remove from heat and stir in salt and pepper and any other add-ins (mushrooms, onions, etc...)

Use immediately, or pour into a dish, cover and chill until you need it (up to 2 days).

There you have it...easy-smeasy Cream of Whatever Soup! No Chemicals, No MSG, No gunk.

I used this to make King Ranch Chicken! YUM!

Pasta E Fagioli Soup (Pasta n' Beans)

This soup is similar to the soup you might get at Olive Garden, it has a nice zesty broth, lots of veggies and tasty ground beef. If you'd prefer a vegetarian style soup, you can leave out the beef for a minestrone. Suit your tastes by leaving out veggies you don't prefer and adding your favorites. Use 1 Tbsp. fresh chopped herbs instead of dried.

What you're gonna need:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 medium sweet yellow onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves (minced or put through a press)

1 lb extra lean ground beef

2-3 good size carrots, coarsely chopped

3-4 celery stalks, chopped (use the leaves too!)

1 small bell pepper (any color), chopped

2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes (plain, garlic roasted or italian style)

1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)

1 (15 oz) can great northern beans (drained and rinsed)

1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce

2 cups organic beef broth

1 (12 oz) can low-sodium V-8 juice

1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar

1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt

1 tsp of dried oregano

1 tsp of dried basil

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 lb. ditali pasta (or any small size pasta) - cooked to al dente, tossed lightly in olive oil and kept warm

Heat olive oil over med-high heat in a large pot. Saute onion and garlic for a few minutes until soft, add beef. Brown beef, crumbling until cooked through. 

Add carrots, celery and bell pepper and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Add diced tomatoes and next 11 ingredients (tomatoes - thyme). 

Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer, cook 30 minutes. Cook the pasta during the last 15 minutes of simmer time, but keep it separate.

To serve: Scoop a spoon of pasta into bowl and top with soup, serve with a nice bread to soak up the juices!

I like to store my leftover soup and pasta separately so that the pasta doesn't soak up all the juice and bloat. When re-heating you may want to add a little water or broth to the soup.

Now grab a wooden spoon and get cookin! :)