Cooking with Love

with Gianna Conte    (Jan)

Almost done....needs to cook 5 more minutes.

Almost done....needs to cook 5 more minutes.

Beef chili with vegetables

This chili is hardy and satisfying. You can make it spicy or not spicy. You can substitute ground turkey or chicken for the beef.

Come on, let's cook:

Ingredients:

1 TBS vegetable oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 tsp minced garlic

1 lb ground round beef

16 oz can of tomato sauce

1/2 cup minced carrots

1/2 cup minced celery

1/2 cup green peppers

1&1/2 TBS chill powder

3/4 tsp salt

1 can red kidney beans, drained

Directions:

Saute onion and garlic in oil. Add beef and brown until no pink is visible. Drain fat. Add tomato sauce, *chili powder and salt. Simmer with cover for 20 minutes. Add cut vegetables and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add beans, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Serve with rice or crackers.

Enjoy!

*If you want to kick it up, add 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes or to your taste.

Browning beef. You can use turkey or chicken.

Browning beef. You can use turkey or chicken.

Here is a chicken version chili. I added a can of Mexican corn.

Here is a chicken version chili. I added a can of Mexican corn.



Let's get baking!


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees


 1 whole thin skinned orange, remove the stem and cut in quarters. Keep the skin on the oranges.

In a clean large food processor, add the orange quarters, 1 1/4 cups of sugar, three large eggs, 1 tsp of vanilla, 1 tsp of orange extract, 1 tbsp of Triple Sec liqueur, optional, 2/3 cup vegetable oil. 


Pulse all ingredients in the processor and then puree until mixture becomes a batter with specs of orange peel.


Add to the processor:


2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt


Process all dry ingredients until they are entirely incorporated into the batter.


Bake in a greased and floured spring pan, using a parchment paper circle on top of the greased bottom.*


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place in the center rack of the oven.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, depending on your oven.


Remove from your oven and let it cool down completely. Dust with powdered sugar or make a drizzle of 1/4 cup powdered sugar and fresh squeezed orange until thick and smooth.  Pour onto the cooled fresh orange cake.


*if you don't have a large processor, you can use a blender.


Enjoy with some espresso and close your eyes and it will feel like you're in Sicily.