Cilantro smells wonderful!

 

Cilantro smells wonderful!

 

I made some really yummy soup last night.  There, I told you how it turned out. Brett ate it, he’s still alive.  Seriously, it was pretty good. Needs some tweaking – it resembled turkey hash to me and it was supposed to be soup, but of course I had to add extra rice, so yeah. More rice – more stock. I feel like some kind of chemist or pharmacist or something.. Mad scientist.. that is more like it. Food is the drug of choice – I think I am enjoying this way to much. Portion control is the name of the game.

Tonight I had Bon over – I know she was wary – I told her I was making chili mac – and I understand the hesitation. Even I was hesitant when I made this the first time earlier this week – I really didn’t want to bring back bad memories of cardboard served in a school cafeteria.. I read this recipe carefully – another failure is not an option!

Lets just say it’s a keeper – This is the first recipe I’ve made since I started this crazy experiment that I haven’t tweaked at all! Now the picture of it in the pot isn’t exactly a pretty sight – I am sure everyone knows what chili mac looks like so no pic for you.  Besides I don’t want to be responsible for anyone’s nightmare!

I will leave you with a picture of the aftermath of my evening with Bon, and of course the recipe. Really, eat this – it’s yummy and I am delighted I found it.  I take no credit for this recipe – I find these, tweak them and cook them – I don’t invent them.

That wine tasted wonderful tonight. Sometimes things are just *right* dontcha think?

Homemade Chili Mac
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 ¼ pounds ground beef (organic if possible)
Salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder for seasoning beef
1 onion, diced
1 Tablespoons chili powder
1 Tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with roasted garlic
1 (4.5 ounce) can chopped mild green chiles
8 ounces (2 cups) elbow macaroni
2 cups water
2 to 4 Tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro to taste
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
½ cup Tillamook Vintage White cheddar or other favorite cheddar
Freshly ground pepper
Sour cream & parsley for garnish (optional)

1. Heat oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat and add ground beef and diced onion. Season with a dash of salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Once the meat is no longer pink, strain off the grease in a colander and place the meat mixture back in the pan.

2. Add chili powder, cumin, onion powder, coriander, 1 teaspoon salt, minced garlic and brown sugar and cook over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.

3. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes with roasted garlic, can of green chiles, elbow macaroni, and 2 cups water. Stir to combine, cover and keep at a high simmer for about 14 minutes or until juices are absorbed and macaroni is tender.

4. Stir in pepper jack, vintage cheddar, and cilantro and season with freshly ground pepper. Taste for salt and add if needed. Garnish with sour cream and parsley if desired.

Recipe by Laura Flowers. http://www.thecookingphotographer.com

The other thing I need to mention here is this is a wonderful tasty replacement for that MSG laden thing known as Hamburger Helper. I didn’t use organic beef for this recipe as I didn’t feel it was necessary – any taste of the meat is hidden by the spices.

Enjoy – Happy cooking!