Must Be the Weather----

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OK, even old feminists have to eat. And besides, the 17-yo grandson gave this one an "Oh, my God, this is so-o-o-o good!" And the 62-yo room-mate declared, "Hey, this is tasty."

I ate leftovers the next day, zapped in the microwave for lunch. Still remarkably good for something so easy. Some crunchy, chopped ice-berg lettuce would be nice with.

Exploded Enchilada Skillet

1 lb extra-lean ground beef
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 packet taco seasoning mix (recipe below for homemade--no strange additives)
4 to 6 burrito-sized flour tortillas
1-15oz can pureed or crushed tomatoes (about 2 cups if homemade)
½ to 1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack/Cheddar cheese
½ cup salsa

Garnish (all items optional):
Salsa
Sour cream
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 to 6 green onions sliced, white & green portion
6 to 10 sliced radishes
Cilantro, roughly chopped


1) Slice tortillas into 1-inch squares. A pizza cutter or scissors works well for this. Set aside. (This is seriously the hardest part of this recipe.)

2) Heat a large skillet over high heat until hot. Spray skillet with a good spritz of oil. (Or, hey, drizzle some oil in the bottom of the skillet.) Add ground beef, garlic and taco seasoning. Cook until beef is barely browned, breaking it into small pieces with the side of a large spoon and mixing everything together.

3) Add tomatoes, ½ cup of salsa, cut-up tortillas to skillet and cook on low for 5 minutes. If it seems dry, add a little water or beer. Once it is heated through, sprinkle cheese over top, cover and remove from heat. Once the cheese is melted, it is ready to serve.

4) Garnishes can be sprinkled on top or served along side in individual dishes so that each diner can garnish to taste. Tortilla chips are also a nice thing to serve along side.

Note: I had only 12oz of ground beef so I added 3 or 4 big, heaping soup spoons of cooked Anasazi beans with the tomatoes, etc. Didn't miss the beef and the beans added a creaminess.

Taco Seasoning Mix
(Equivalent to 1 packet, 1.25oz)

1 Tablespoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
slight ¼ crushed red pepper (cayenne)
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon paprika
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt, medium grind
1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

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If I were the Pioneer Woman, I would have pictures. I am not. I don't.
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Again with the Domesticity

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Because I can not stand even to think about "current events" right now, I give you another tasty, easy, really good thing to eat. I guess when the soul aches (and there seem to be no good outcomes on the horizon), the body needs sustenance. So, here it is. Make the body happy and maybe the soul will come along for the ride. And this will make your body happy.


Beer Braised Beef Short Ribs

Serves 2 (Easily scaled up)

2 lb Beef short ribs
¼ cp all-purpose flour
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp sea salt
¼ tsp dry ground mustard
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

• Combine flour & spices in a 1 gallon close-able, plastic bag.
• Add the ribs.
  
• Shake. Shake. Shake. Shake again. Shake some more.
  
• Set aside.

1 medium onion, quartered and sliced
1 clove garlic, minced

• Put into the crock pot.
  
• Dump the ribs on top of the onions. Arrange ribs so that the bones are to the walls of the crock pot.
  

6-7 oz good, high-point beer (Little Kings makes a 7oz bottle that works really well)
1 Tblsp tomato paste

• Stir together beer & tomato paste
  
• Pour beer mixture into crock pot around the ribs.
• Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Meat should be very, fall-off the bone, tender.

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About the last hour to hour-and-a-half, I usually throw a big handful of baby carrots or regular carrots cut into 1-1½" rounds or diagonals on top of the ribs. Sometimes I also add a zucchini sliced 1" on the deep diagonal, on top of the ribs & carrots.

Yummy, yummy.
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The Old Feminist Goes Domestic Goddess, Again

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One of my all time "dump-it-all-in" recipes. It is on my mind because this is what I cooked for supper tonight. I can freeze the left-overs and serve another evening (no cooking -- Hurray!). This is always a hit at those pot-luck suppers, too. The men really like it.

Okie (or Texican) Beef Dump

1. In large, heavy skillet, brown 1lb xtra lean ground beef; 1 chopped onion; 1 chopped stalk of celery.
   
2. Dump into a 3-qt casserole--

• the meat mixture;
• 16oz can beans drained (red kidney, pinto, or 2 cups of those delicious home done Anazi beans);
• 12oz can vacuum packed corn (or 1 1/2 cup frozen corn);
• 4oz can drained chopped green chilies (more if you like it hotter);
• 2oz jar drained chopped pimento;
• 8oz can tomato sauce;
  
• 1tsp granulated sugar;
• 1 garlic clove, well-minced or crushed;
  
• 1 tsp freshly (this is important) ground cumin seed;
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper;
• 1tsp salt.

Stir well; cover loosely; microwave at HIGH for 4-6 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes.

Let rest for 5 minutes; reset microwave to MEDIUM; cook for 8 minutes; let rest for 5 minutes. This can be repeated as long as necessary and this dish only gets better the more it is reheated.

To serve: spoon each serving into a large flat soup "plate;" make a ring around the edge of slightly crushed corn chips (Fritos) and top with grated Mexican blend cheese (or cheddar); cover & wait for the cheese to melt or microwave at MEDIUM HIGH until cheese melts; hit with a dollop of sour cream and serve.
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OK, All Together Now

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I just read that it now costs 3 times--that is 3 times--as much per meal to eat out as it does to cook the same meal at home. Now, keep in mind that includes transportation to and from (hey, if you walk, that would be $0), tips, etc.

With that in mind, break out that old crock pot. Look for the cheap cuts of meat on sale at the grocery store. Sign up for daily or weekly recipes into your email inbox from sites like Better Homes and Gardens, or all recipes, or my recipes.

Don't forget that you can just google whatever recipe or ingredient you are wanting to use and all sorts of recipes will just pop up there.

And now for my best, all-time, guaranteed man (and woman) pleasing pot roast of beef.

Best-Ever Pot Roast

4-6 or maybe 7 servings

3-4 quart crock pot/slow cooker
3-4 pound chuck roast
1 packet dry onion soup mix
5-10 whole pickled pepperoncini
1 or 3 healthy splashes pepperoncini pickle juice
12 oz Dr Pepper -- not diet
1 bay leaf
2 - 4 oz left-over coffee, opt--put it in if you got it, leave it out if you don't

Throw it all in the crock pot. Cook on low 8-10 hours. Remove bay leaf and pepperoncini. Meat will fall apart and, in the words of a good friend, "smell like home-cookin'," but best of all, it tastes great.

If you want potatoes and carrots or other veggies, start another slow cooker a couple of hours before you want to eat. Put your veggies in, dip some cooking liquid from the pot roast to add to the veggies, add water to almost cover. Cover, cook on high until potatoes are done.

Use the leftovers for roast beef sandwiches or shred, throw back into a crock pot, add barbecue sauce to cover, stir, warm. Mound onto warmed or grilled hamburger buns: Really, really good Barbecue Beef Sandwiches.

OK, OK, way too much domesticity for the old feminist. Tomorrow another rant.
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Cheap Food for the Coming Depression

Brie Cannon over at "divine caroline" has "The 20 Healthiest Foods for Under $1." There are even links to recipes to use the cheap food. Great reading.
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I have been serving a lot more dried beans as main dishes and combined into sides.

The crock-pot is great for dried beans. And you don't have to soak the beans overnight. The only draw-back is that you must watch the beans. They must remain covered with water and not be allowed to cook dry or they get tough.

Use no salt nor salt-laden meat in the cooking process. To do so, also, causes the beans to be tough. Salt and/or meat can always be added after the beans have cooked.

Best Cheap Beans

• 1# dried beans (any variety)
  
• 1 or 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  
• 1 large garlic clove crushed/pressed
  
• water 2" over top of beans
• 2 1/2 qt (or 3 qt) crock-pot/slow cooker

1. Pick over dried beans; give them a quick rinse under cool water.
   
2. Put into crock-pot.
3. Add brown sugar, garlic, water (filtered is better than tap because of the chlorine content).
4. Cook on high for about 2 1/2 - 3 hours.
   
5. Watch carefully: this is one recipe where taking the lid off is required. Check about every half hour.
   
6. Add more water--about 1" each time--when water level drops to top of beans.
   
7. Beans are done when they are very soft.

Use the cooked beans just the way you would any canned variety & because they contain no salt, you don't need to rinse.

• Small red beans go into Red Beans & Rice and, also, make chili scrumptious; much better than canned kidney beans. Be sure to add the "juice" as it enhances the chili even more.
  
• Navy beans (with juice) can be used for baked beans that will make any Bostonian weep with joy.
  
• Anasazi beans have become my personal favorite to eat as a main dish with cornbread and greens. Yum, yum.
• Black beans add flavor and texture to bean salads and Cuban dishes.

I know, I know. Cooking doesn't seem to be very "feminist"-y, but, hey, a body has to eat. And I like good food, well prepared. And as for the "liberal" part. If I cook cheaply (but well), I have more time, energy and money to put toward making a better world and reducing my carbon footprint.