Monday night it was FREEZING. I started having flashbacks to Nebraska and what Nebraskans would eat during this kind of weather. It sprung to my mind instantly. CHILI and.....CINNAMON ROLLS
I laughed at this tradition because it seems so random, BUT it's a tradition there, the cafeterias all serve it and it's the basis for all community dinners in the winter.
So, it's been a year since I made chili and I burned it for some reason at that time so I haven't made it again, even though it's one of my favorite meals
Here's the chili I made Monday. Unfortunately, it was a little soupier in the bowl than it was meant to be.
Here's what I did:
Jen's Chili
1 onion (finely chopped)
3-5 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 bell pepper (would have liked more than one, but only had a yellow one, chopped)
2 cans (15oz) chopped tomatoes
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 small can (8 oz?) tomato paste
2-3 cans beans, drained unless they are chili beans (black beans, pinto, white, etc can be used or mixed)
1/4 chili powder or enough to darken it and add flavor
1 tube Gimme Lean veggie burger (by lightlife)
salt to taste
pepper to taste
In a large stock pot, saute onion, garlic, bell pepper in pan with small amount of water. Add both cans of tomatoes, with juice, and the other cans of tomato sauce and tomato paste into the bowl. Put around 1-3 cups water into the pot depending on how thick you want it. Let it be just slightly soupier than you want it. Add drained beans and veggie burger. Break up the veggie burger well, using a wooden spoon. It's kinda sticky, just so you know. Add the chili powder, salt and pepper. It really depends on how much flavor you want as to how much you add.
Simmer anywhere from 1-5 hours on very low heat so it doesn't start to scorch. Stir every 20 minutes or so. The longer you cook it, the longer the flavors meld together and taste amazing.
Serve with cornbread (I'll make that soon and post a recipe) or...cinnamon rolls. 
I didn't post a pic of the cinnamon rolls because the picture I had taken....well...I noticed something about it as I was going to put it on here and I just don't think I can put it on. You can PM me if you REALLY have to see the rolls and I'll send you a pic.
Today, I made a Thai peanut noodle dish.
Here's a pic...
Thai Sauce:
Peanut butter (natural)
Balsamic vinegar
Lemon Juice
Soy Sauce
Maple Syrup or Honey
Water
Okay, here's how I make this. I start with peanut butter, maybe 1/2 cup. Add a few splashes of balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, maple syrup, and lemon juice. After mixing all that together, add small amounts of water, a few tablespoons at a time until it's a smoother blend. If it's too sweet, add more vinegar/lemon juice. If it's bitter, add a bit more maple syrup. This is really a taste thing so just add each ingredient a tsp to a tbs at a time. Always start with peanut butter.
So, I slathered that on angel hair spaghetti and added green onions, tomatoes, and some of that baked/marinated tofu (I had rolled this batch in sesame seeds to give it crunch while baking) and EAT it all up :lick
You might notice that I often don't include amounts in my recipes. When I met DH, he had a fascinating book called "How To Cook Without A Book" and it really taught me a lot about winging it. Now, when I am making something new, I will usually follow the recipe fairly carefully but once I've made it once or twice, I start playing with it. If it's something that isn't precise (aka: baking), it's easy to do. My DH often jokes that if I actually follow a recipe, it's a miracle. Granted, not all of my foods have been all that great and I don't have time to make stuff so much anymore, but I used to play around with homemade raviolis and different fillings as well as sauces.
So, to learn this way of cooking, each time you cook, for each ingredient on a recipe, think of three or four other ingredients you can use instead. For example, recipe calls for sugar, you can use honey, molasses, maple syrup, sucanat, agave and stevia. If you look at each recipe as a starting point and you understand basic cooking and baking (as in how baking powder and soda work) you can start to mess around.
If you have any other questions about this cooking, let me know.
Jen D.
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