Meat “Sauce”

Initially, I wanted to make pasta sauce, but when I started to cook, I changed my mind. Instead, I decided not to add tomatoes or pasta and to leave the grain as a decision for a different day. I got this ground beef at Grassway Organic Farm and was excited about the possible meal I’d make with it. So when I started cooking, I decided not to add the tomatoes so as not to hide the taste, and added veggies and some spices instead. Basically, you can use any veggies you like or have on hand.  The spices definitely added the warmth I was seeking without making the dish spicy.

Spices

Ingredients:
1 large onion, diced
1 lb of ground beef
Spices (salt, freshly ground black pepper, turmeric, sweet curry, ground chipotle, adobo, garlic powder, ground cumin; all spices and mixes are from Penzey’s but you can use what you like)
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 medium summer squash, diced
2 bell peppers (I used orange and red), diced
Olive oil

Steps:
1. In a large pan, heat olive oil and saute the onion.
2. Add the meat when the onion is soft and translucent.
3. Add spices, to taste. Cook till the meat is just about done.
4. Add the veggies.
5. When the veggies are just getting soft, reduce heat to low and let cook for a bit, until the veggies are done to your desired tenderness.

Beef, onions, and spices

Added the Zucchini and Summer Squash

Added the Bell Peppers

Done!

Chahohbili-inspired chicken stew

Chicken Stew

Where I live, stew and chili season is quite a long one, from about October to about end of April or so. Not really knowing how to make this Georgian dish (ex-USSR Georgia, not southern US Georgia), I searched online and found a few recipes. I got the general idea, but not having an authentic recipe, I didn’t want to attempt it. But the pictures looked so good, that they got me thinking. With that as inspiration, I made a pretty good stew, if I do say so myself.  This certainly hit the spot on a cold and rainy evening.

Ingredients:
Chicken (I used 3 bone-in thighs and 4 legs; season with salt and pepper all over, even under the skin)
1 large onion
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 peeled tomatoes cut into rounds
4-5 potatoes (I use Yukon Gold)
2-3 red bell peppers cut into bite-sized pieces
2-3 tb of ketchup (or tomato paste)
Beef stock (about 3-3.5 cups total, depending on how much sauce you want and how thick you want it)
Olive oil, salt, pepper, ground cumin, ground chipotle (optional, dash), paprika (a dash), fresh dill

Chicken Stew Cooking

Steps:
1. Saute the onion and when the onion starts to brown a little, add the garlic.
2. Brown the chicken. This won’t cook it, just make it look prettier.
3. Add the peppers and the peeled and sliced tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium. To peel tomatoes, place a small X on the bottom and pour boiling water over the tomatoes. Let them sit in the hot water for a few seconds. This will loosen the skin so you can peel it. Once peeled, slice in rounds.
4. Season everything (salt, freshly ground black pepper, ground cumin, chipotle, and paprika).
5. Add beef stock and ketchup (about 2 cups or so of stock, to start) and let come to a boil. Make sure the ketchup is well mixed and distributed in the pot.
6. Add the potatoes (I cut them up into bite-sized pieces). Let cook on low heat for about 20 minutes. Check the sauce. Add more stock and/or spices if you like. If you like things as they are, let cook another 20 minutes on low heat.
7. At the very end, add dill.

I served it over cilantro rice.  The sauce was great with the rice, the chicken was so tender it was falling off the bone, the veggies and potatoes were good enough to eat on their own.  Which I did the next day.  YUM!  Can’t wait to make this again.