Day #255 - Chili

The weather is getting cooler. Autumn is on the way.   Today I saw a few different posts on Facebook about friends & acquaintances making chili for supper, and it sure sounded like a good idea to me!   So I swung into Target on my way home from work, so I could grab some of the missing ingredients.

I started by cooking about 1/2 cup of diced yellow onion in some olive oil.  I then added half of a package of frozen Boca Soy Crumbles (which imitate ground beef), and let it cook until thawed.  I  took the leftover hamburger from my fridge, crumbled it up, and tossed it into the pot as well.    Once the meats were warmed, I added a can of red kidney beans, 1/2 can of white beans (leftovers from the fridge), 1 can of regular diced tomatoes, and one can of Rotel tomatoes.   I sprinkled in a package of Chili seasoning, added 2 cups chicken stock,  2 cups of V-8 tomato juice, and a little water (until I was happy with the consistency), and stirred everything together.   I covered the chili and let simmer for about 20 minutes until hot. 

Topped my bowl with some shredded mixed Mexican-blend cheese. 

Perfect for a cool damp autumn evening.

Day #254 - Bacon'Bleu Chicken

Oh my goodness.  This was delicious!

I started with a large boneless, skinless chicken breast.   I cut into the breast from the side, butterflying the breast open (without cutting it through the other side).  I pulled back the top half of the breast, stuffed in about 1/4 cup of bleu cheese, then closed the breast back up.  I seasoned the breast with a little crushed black pepper, then wrapped 3 large strips of turkey bacon around the breast and stuck in a few toothpicks to hold it in place.   I put the chicken breast on my stoneware baking pan, along with some sticks of zucchini and yellow squash that I had tossed in olive oil.   This roasted in a 400F degree oven for about 25-30 minutes, until I no longer saw pink in the breast when I slit into it.

As soon as I cut into the chicken, it oozed melted bleu cheese, or at least whatever cheese hadn't soaked into the chicken!  The turkey bacon crisped up nicely around the chicken without being overly greasy.  But the chicken...the chicken was so juicy and flavorful!  It was delicious.  I savored each bite.

Day #253 - Bunless Burger

Burger night!!    I took a package of ground beef and formed 3 large burger patties, each around half of a pound.  These were mega burgers!   I seasoned them with a little salt, pepper, and espresso steak rub, then grilled them on my stovetop grillpan.   When they were fully cooked, I plated them with a lettuce leaf, a dollop of BBQ sauce, sliced tomato and onion, and a slice of swiss cheese.  With a large dill pickle on the side.  I grabbed my knife & fork, and dove into the burger.

Day #252 - Steakhouse Salad

Earlier today I went to the Cardinals baseball game with my mom.  The Cardinals won!!   After spending the afternoon at the stadium, I wanted something quick and easy for dinner.

My steakhouse salad consisted of chopped green leaf lettuce, mixed field greens, green & yellow bell pepper, yellow onion, diced sirloin steak (leftovers from Thursday), blue cheese crumbles, balsamic vinaigrette, and chopped pecans.

Day #251 - Baked Ham & Mixed Vegetables

Tonight I baked a ham steak and vegetables in the oven.

I found the ham steak in my freezer, so I defrosted it in the microwave, seasoned it with a little Jamaican Jerk Rub, and placed it in the center of a large stoneware pan.    I chopped some broccoli, cauliflower, yellow onion, and zucchini, coated them with a little extra-virgin olive oil and crushed black pepper, and scattered them on the pan around the ham steak.   I baked everything in a 375 oven for about 30 minutes, flipping everything about halfway into the cooking time. 

Day #250 - Veggie Soup, part 2

Tonight for dinner I simply reheated a bowl of vegetable soup from Tuesday night, and added some shredded Romano cheese on top.  Still tasted just as delicious as leftovers!

Day #249 - Sirloin Steak with Cauliflower Mash

After having that delicious sirloin steak at Malone's on Monday night, I decided I would attempt cooking a decent one for myself.

I bought a sirloin steak at the grocery store, put it in a Ziploc freezer bag with 3 cloves of garlic (halved), crushed black pepper, a couple tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, and a couple dashes of Chipotle rub (from Pampered Chef).  I zipped the bag, and rolled it around in my hands, coating the steak in the marinade.   This sat in my fridge while I was at work all day.

When it was time to cook dinner, I pulled the steak out and let it come to room temperature while I heated my stovetop grill pan.  When the pan was nice and hot, I threw the steak into the pan and let it sear about 5 minutes on each side.

While the steak was cooking, I used my microwave steamer to cook some cauliflower florets and reheat some Great Northern white beans.  I mashed these two vegetables together with a little splash of milk.   I then stirred in some finely chopped chives and crushed black pepper.

Once the steak was grilled, I let it rest for a couple minutes on a cutting board before I sliced it.  (It wasn't the best cut of beef, so the middle had some "knots" of gristle that I had to work around.  But the large sections of the steak that I was able to enjoy were juicy and flavorful.)   And I was very pleased that I hadn't overcooked the steak!