Alan's Chili

I've made this chili a few times and each time it gets raving reviews.  It's nickname is "sex in a pot" because it starts of sweet then get hot.  LOL.  Here's the recipe for you to make it yourself.

Alan's Chili Ingredients

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup chili mix
• 1 can red beans
• 2 tbsp barbecue sauce
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 1 tbsp thyme
• 1 tbsp parsley
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 scotch bonnet pepper
• 1 cup of diced peppers
• 1/2 cup of onions
• 1/2 lb of ground beef
• 1 tsp Jerk sauce 

Steps:

1. Mix chili mix, oregano, garlic, thyme with the raw ground beef.  
2. In a large cast iron pot, cook the ground beef until fully cooked and the pot is dry (all the oil and seasoning is soaked up by the meat).  
3. Add in peppers, onions.  Cook with meat. 
4. Add beans to the pot.  Cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add tomato sauce, barbecue sauce, and jerk sauce to the mixture.  
6. Cover and cook on medium for 20 minutes.  

This recipe makes 4-6 servings.  Serve with your favourite topping.  

Alan's Chili

Southern Chicken Bites

Southern Chicken Bites

Going out to eat and getting served unflavoured and over-battered chicken strips made me decide that I needed to make chicken taste better.  So, I set out to develop a spice mix that would add flavour without compromising the texture.

These chicken bites are crispy and spiced just right to give them a bit of kick with each bite.

They're an ideal appetizer for any gathering.

Coco-nut Stacks

Coco-nut Stacks

The combination of rolled oats and sweetened coconut combined with pure coco creates this delicious and healthy treat.

These are really simple to make and very inexpensive.  Even  better: they're dairy free and wheat free.

Zucchini Bites

Vegetables don't have to be boring.  These zucchini pieces are spiced up with my garden blend and topped with cheese to give them a rich flavour that even my teenage niece liked.

These make a great appetizer for any event and are fast and easy to make.

Salad Cups

When serving appetizers, salad can be a challenge.  I found serving them in these tasting cups make salad servings easy for people to grab and go.

The salad featured in the picture is a signature garden salad topped with feta cheese.  It features a   blend of vegetables, and a hint of sweetness to balance out the savoury flavours.

Lamb Chops

 To celebrate my wife's promotion, I cooked her dinner:  lamp chops with wild rice and asparagus.  The lamb chops were marinaded in a special spice mixture.   Once the meal was plated, I topped it with a creamy mushroom sauce.   The dinner received great reviews.

Lamb chops with asparagus and wild rice

Lamb chops topped with cream sauce

Butternut Squash Soup

With the fall season comes a blast of new flavours that are readily available from your local grocery store.  Pumpkins, squash, and other root vegetables are a plenty this time of year in Canada.

To welcome the new season, I decided to make a simple squash soup.  The ingredients are simple (shown below).  Instead of heavy cream, I chose to use coconut milk to accomodate my wife who is lactose intolerant.

Ingredients:  coconut milk, squash, cinnamon, thyme, ginger, brown sugar, bay leaves

Once all the ingredients are cooks, the soup is pureed in a blender to give it the smooth, creamy texture.   Serve it as an appetizer or as a main meal with a side of bread or crackers.

Ready to serve butternut squash soup