Comfort Food: Hearty Buffalo Chili, Texas Style

In this house we love beef chili, but we now love buffalo chili even more. Although we only have it in the winter, Chili is one of the best dishes for warming up your body when you have a chill. (Lord knows the summer months in menopause are bad enough.) It's also a well used leftover when poured over the top of the tamales my housekeeper makes for us as well as on hot dogs and in Frito Pie. So, there is no possibility of throwing out the leftovers, unless you're the wasteful type. There are many other uses for it too.

Actually, this recipe is all about conforming it to your own taste and/or preferences. Have fun with it and try different things.

So, here I offer you my version of Chili con Carne:


Ingredients:

1 lb. of ground bison (buffalo), ground sirloin, or beef tips, whichever you prefer

1 large yellow onion, diced 

4-5 cloves of garlic, pulverized

1 can Rotel chiles and tomatoes

1 12-ounce can tomatoes, diced

1 12-ounce can tomato sauce

1/4 cup chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumino

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon red cayenne pepper (or to taste)

1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)

1/2 cup beef broth

1/2 cup of red wine


Directions:

1. Brown beef or buffalo in a dutch oven until just done. While there is still some fat left in pan, add onion and brown. Just before onions are cooked, add the garlic & cook a couple more minutes

2.  Add Rotel, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, ground cumino, paprika, cayenne, salt, and beef broth.

3. Simmer for at least 2 hours.

4. Add wine 10 minutes prior to serving.
 
5. If you must add beans, please do it separately.

6. Serve in bowls sprinkled with onions and cheese, with cornbread or saltine crackers.

7. If chili is too thin add some flour mixed with hot water. If too thick, add more beef broth.

8. All throughout cooking, be sure to taste, taste, taste!
 
9. Serve in bowls topped with chopped onions and grated cheese. Poof! Your chill is now gone.


Bon Appetit Pardner!

Bananas Foster.... A Trip Back In Time

Honestly, I had not had Bananas Foster since I was a young girl, but suddenly came down with the worst craving for them after seeing an e-magazine recipe for them. Suddenly, I had to have them and could not wait. Oddly enough, I was stuffed after dinner and not all that hungry. However, the bananas were beginning to turn brown and spotty, so I decided to go ahead and make it even though Mr. Snoots had already retired for the evening.


I cannot begin to tell you how absolutely divine they were. I ended up eating my portion as well as that of Mr. Snoots. You snooze, you lose, right? So, here is this divine recipe:


Bananas Foster:

Ingredients:


4 under ripe bananas (sliced in half lengthwise & those sliced in half)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground nutmeg (although it's fine to use the store-bought powder)

1 tablespoon banana liqueur

1/2 cup dark Jamaican rum

1/4 cup of cheap brandy

1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest


Directions:

Melt butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over low heat. Add brown sugar, allspice and nutmeg and stir until sugar dissolves. Add banana liqueur and bring sauce to simmer. Add bananas and cook for 1 minute on each side, carefully spooning sauce over bananas as they are cooking. Remove bananas from pan to a serving dish. Bring sauce to a simmer and carefully add the rum. If the sauce is very hot, the alcohol will flame on its own. If not, using stick flame, carefully ignite and continue cooking until flame dies out, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. If sauce is too thin, cook for 1 to 2 minutes until it is syrupy in consistency. Add orange zest and stir to combine. Immediately spoon the sauce over bananas and serve. Serve with waffles, crepes, or ice cream.

You can serve it over ice cream or cake or yogurt, but don't bother. It is absolutely fabulous all on its own. You can thank me later....