Mom's Chili

One of may favorite chili recipes and better still because it is Mom's.

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef 
1 large can whole tomatoes
1 can kidney beans
1/2 onion, chopped
1 small can tomato sauce
2 tsp. chili powder

Brown the beef and drain. Add all the other ingredients and cook for 10 minutes.

Roasted Cauliflower Salad

Anytime salad that is so easy to make. I prefer to use the orange or purple cauliflower you can sometimes find in the grocery store.  Colors for me are always a fun way to add more vegetables to my diet.

Roasted Cauliflower Salad

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower, leaves trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch-think slabs
3 tbsp. olive oil
salt to taste
fresh-ground black pepper, to taste
2 oranges, zested and supremed
1/4 cup Kalamata olives
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
Extra juice squeezed from the orange cores
2 tbsp. flat leaf parsley, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 400º Arrange cauliflower slabs on a baking sheet. Brush 2 tbsp. olive oil on the cauliflower and season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 15 minutes, then flip the slabs and roast another 10 minutes or until the cauliflower turns golden.  Remove from oven and arrange on a serving platter. Distribute the orange segments and olives over the cauliflower. Whisk together the vinegar, zest, extra juice from the orange cores and 1 tbsp. olive oil. Drizzle the dressing over the cauliflower salad. Top with parsley to serve.

Almond Berry Tart

Make this tart when berries are in season or when they are priced right.

Serves 6-8

Crust

1/2 cup almonds, ground, unblanched
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 sticks cold, unsalted butter cut into small pieces
1/4 cup ice water

Filling

2 cups blueberries
1 cup raspberries
1 cup blackberries
Zest of one lemon
1/2 lemon juiced (2 tbsp.)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

Combine the ground almond, flour, salt and sugar in a food processor, pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until pieces are the size of peas. With the machine running, add water until mixture begins to come together.  Remove the dough and knead once to twice to be sure it is well mixed. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

In a medium bowl, combine the filling ingredients and mix well.

Preheat over to 375 degrees. On a well-floured surface, roll the dough and place in a 14-inch tart pan.
Place the filling in the tart pan and distribute evenly. Place in the oven for 45 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Let cool for 1 hour before serving.

Arugula Salad with Pears, Percorino and Pinenuts

This delicious salad recipe I found on the Saveur web site. It is from the wine bar  Enoteca l'Alchimista in Montefalco, Italy.  If you like arugula, you're bound to appreciate the added flavors that enhance this salad.  Serve with a crusty warmed bread.

Serves four

• 1 cup boiling water
• 3 tbsp. raisins
• 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 2 ripe pears, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• 5 oz. baby arugula
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 oz. Pecorino Romano or Parmesan 
• 3 tbsp. pine nuts, roasted
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 olive oil

Combine water and raisins in a bowl; let sit 20 minutes and drain. Toss lemon juice with pears in a bowl. Arrange arugula on a serving platter; season with salt and pepper. Top with pears and shave pecorino over top; sprinkle with raisins and the pine nuts. Whisk balsamic, salt and pepper in a bowl. While whisking, slowly drizzle in oil until emulsified; drizzle dressing over salad.

Sauteed Fish with Olives & Cherry Tomatoes

Sometimes I make a recipe and it becomes a "favorite" yet I don't get around to making it again for awhile.  Such is the case with this one which I last made in August of 2003.  "What took me so long?" I wondered as were savoring the flavors last night.  I guess it was in the book of past recipes and...well..they are many others that I need to revisit as well.

Serves 4

1/4 cup olive oil
2 lbs cod, red snapper, orange roughy or tilapia fillets
1/2 cup of chopped fresh parsley
2 cups of cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup Kalamata olives chopped
6 garlic cloves, mined

Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper and sautéed until just opaque, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer fish to platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Add parsley, tomatoes, olives and garlic and sauté until tomatoes are soft and juicy, about 2 minutes.  Season sauce with salt land pepper and spoon over fish.