(slightly adapted from ‘Secrets to Cooking TexMex’ cookbook recipe found online at http://www.texmex.net/Recipes/texasred.htm)

Ingredients:
6 cups water
3 ancho chili pods
3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 # coarse ground beef OR
2 # chuck roast, cut into 1/4” pieces OR
2# stew meat, cut into 1/4” pieces
1 large Texas yellow onion
1 large green bell pepper
3 heaping tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin (comino)
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh garlic, chopped fine
1 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 green pickled jalapeño pepper

Directions:
Heat the 6 cups of water in a saucepan. While this is heating,
roast the ancho chili pods under a hot broiler for 10 seconds on
each side. Remove the pods and when cool enough to handle,
remove the stem and shake out any seeds inside. Place the
pods in the water that has come to a boil, cover and remove
from the heat. Let ‘steep’ until later in the recipe.

In a large ‘stew’ or ‘chili’ pot, add the oil and butter. When
hot, add one of the meats listed above. Brown the meat on
on a medium high heat, stirring often. While the meat is
cooking, peel the onion and dice into 1/4” pieces and remove
the stem, seeds, and membrane from the bell pepper. Also
dice the remaining outer skin into 1/4” pieces.

When all the pink has disappeared from the meat, add the
onions and bell peppers and stir in well. Add the chili powder,
cumin, salt, garlic and black pepper. Again stir well.

Add the flour, a little at a time and stir to mix well. Reduce the
heat to medium and let cook for 5 minutes. It will be normal
for some of the flour to stick to the bottom of the pan. Add the
broth that has the ancho chili pods in it SLOWLY. Scrape the
bottom of the pot with a spatula and now add the tomato sauce
and the jalapeno pepper (remove seeds for less heat).

Stir to mix well, reduce to medium low and cook uncovered
for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the meat is very tender. Check and
stir every 30 minutes, making sure to scrape the bottom of the
pan with a spatula to keep from burning. Remove and serve
in a large ‘soup’ bowl with crackers and/or jalapeno cornbread.

Optional toppings are sliced jalapeños, finely grated, longhorn cheddar cheese and
fresh, raw, chopped yellow onion.

Note from suze: this served 8 people with nothing left over, but 3 of those were large, hungry twenty-something males. If you have a bigger crowd, make more, I wished I’d doubled the recipe.

Let me see…We actually went to three gatherings on Christmas Eve:

We went to my sister’s house first. We enjoyed a very nice evening with friends and family. We did not do the traditional turkey dinner either. Heavy h’orderves and drinks. We played dirty santa and had a great time.

Then on to my boyfriend’s sister’s house. We made in in time to sing Christmas carols and the children took turns reading “Twas the night before Christmas.”

Then we finished the night off at my neighbors house. It was so cute to listen to their little boy talk of Santa and how he had to get in the bed early.

We returned home exhausted but had a great evening!

Cranberry Poached Pears

Serves 8

* 8 small pears, such as Seckel or Forelle, peeled, stems intact
* 2 tablespoons superfine sugar
* 1 cinnamon stick
* 1 large strip (4 to 5 inches) orange peel
* 1 large strip (4 to 5 inches) lemon peel
* 5 tablespoons honey
* 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
* 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (I used 1tsp of vanilla extract)
* 2 3/4 cups (10 ounces) fresh cranberries
* 1 tea bag, such as green tea or fruit tea

1. Place pears in a saucepan large enough to hold them snugly. Add enough water to barely cover them (about 4 cups). Add sugar, cinnamon, citrus peels, honey, and lemon juice. Using the tip of a paring knife, scrape vanilla seeds into pan, and toss in pod. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Reduce heat, and simmer gently until pears are tender, about 10 minutes.
2. Add fresh cranberries, and simmer until cranberries are soft but not mushy, about 3 minutes more.
3. Use a spoon to transfer pears to a dish. Spoon cranberries and syrup around pears. Add tea bag and dried cranberries if using. Let cool for 15 minutes. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.
4. Before serving, remove vanilla bean, cinnamon stick, citrus peels, and tea bag. Transfer pears to plates with some of the cranberries, syrup, and a dollop of yogurt, creme fraiche, or cheese (I used whipped cream).

There was so much of the juice/syrup and cranberries left over, so we poured some over vanilla ice ice cream Oh man! It was superb if I do say so myself.

Happy New Year Everyone

xoxo
Jerry

I still want to SEE what everyone did. Send me your pictures.

Hey!!! You guys have the same spice rack in your kitchen that I have in mine!!! LOL!!

i celebrate hanukkah and christmas so i get to take place in celebrations for each holiday

My family and I opened presents, and we cooked oyster cakes (think crab cakes), and made shrimp cocktails. Not your normal holiday feast, but it was yummy!