(wiping sweat off brow)
What a few weeks it's been! I have had the 'rents-in-law in town, future siblings-in law stay-over, family wedding fun, road trips, plane trips with road trips, wedding planning for hours, it goes on and on!
(I actually started this post on November 9th! I promise to be a better blogger from now on!)
Cooking for the in-laws can be a scary thing. You, obviously, want them to like what you make, and you would be absolutely horrified if they got sick from something you fed them - there's so much at stake! The dinner was planned for the Tuesday before Amy and Greg's BIG DAY, so we battled it out for the perfect time to meet up. This person was flying in at this time, this other person need to pick up x, y and z, someone else had something else to do...it was going to be difficult to keep a hot meal from getting icky, so I turned to my trusty crockpot.
Since the in-laws are from the Midwest I knew something hearty and simple would be best, and since it was October and the chilly San Francisco nights continued through our "summer," I knew something warm and toasty was in order. Chili in the crockpot it was!
The chili was a big hit, it was easy to make, it stayed warm in the crockpot for each incoming guest and it was delicious! In fact, not to toot my own horn or anything, they all came back the next day for leftovers! YAY! Feeding-the-future-parents-in-law SUCCESS!!
I served it with cornbread (Marie Callender's mix is the best), honey butter, and my favorite Autumn Salad.
Amazing Autumn Salad With Pumpkin seeds and Cranberries
(From Cooking Light)
Prep: 10 minutes
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon whole-grain Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
One 5-ounce package fresh baby spinach
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup salted pumpkin seed kernels, roasted
2 ounces thinly sliced Manchego cheese
Instructions:
1. Whisk together first 5 ingredients (through pepper) in a small bowl until smooth. Add the vinegar, 2 tablespoons water, and olive oil, whisking until well-combined.
2. Combine the spinach, cranberries, and pumpkin seeds in a large bowl. Add the vinaigrette, and toss until well-coated. Divide the salad evenly among 4 plates. Arrange the Manchego slices evenly over each salad; serve immediately. (Serving size: about 1 cups salad)
**The salad dressing is a little watery, but coats the spinach well. If you like thicker dressing add less water.
Weeknight Slow Cooker Chili
(America's Test Kitchen)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 chopped onions
1 chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup
chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
salt
6 minced cloves of
garlic
2 lb 85% lean ground beef
1-28 oz can tomato puree
1-28 oz can
diced tomatoes
2-15 oz cans red kidney beans, rinsed (I added 2 cans of white kidney beans to this, half of the can with juice, half of the cans rinsed. If you like super thick chili, pour all of the the can-juice out)
Saute the onions, red pepper and oil in a large pan. When the onions are translucent, add the spices and saute for another 3 minutes or so. Then add the beef and start to break it up. Cook until there are no red beefy parts left. Transfer it all to the crockpot and pour in the rest of the ingredients, but NOT the beans.
Cook on low for 4-5 hours.
Wait until the last hour of cooking to add the beans.
(I think my iPod photography is getting worse!)
