Ground Beef Chili Recipes

The weather here in PA is telling me it’s time for some Chili. For anyone who is not familiar with the cuisine of the Southwestern United States, this stew-like dish called Chili may be a bit puzzling. Yes, it does usually contain green hot peppers as well as chili powder. The Chili has meat in it and it could be ground beef, pork, chicken, or turkey, but Chili can be a vegetarian dish too. You can replace the ground meat with tofu cubes. There are Chili recipes with or without beans, but if you use beans any type of bean will work, including red beans, black beans, white beans, pinto beans, and more. This is an easy, healthy, hearty and inexpensive meal and everyone will love.

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef
1 large onion - chopped
4 cloves garlic – chopped
1 green bell pepper – diced small
1 can 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes
1 can red beans – rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 beef stock cube
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cayenne powder
2 tbsp Worstershire sauce
1 -2 cups water
1 tsp sugar
Salt to taste

1. Heat up about 2 tbsp olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add in chopped garlic, onions and bell pepper. Cook and stir for 5 minutes. Add in beef, cook and stir until beef is done. If there access
2. Transfer the beef mixture to a heavy stock pot and add in all the remaining ingredients. Add in enough water to cover the meat. Stir thoroughly, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Check seasoning.
3. Serve warm with some corn bread, crackers or bread.

Happy Halloween! - Dairy Foods

I love this Crisp Autumn Countryside inspiration board created by Snippet and Ink.  It is the perfect board to wish you all a happy and safe Halloween. 

My husband and I will be hanging out with good friends this weekend.  I am roasting a sage and parmesan turkey for a dinner party on Saturday along with pumpkin soup, garlic mashed potatoes, lots of wine and some type of pumpkin dessert that is still TBD.  The weather is supposed to be in the high fifties so we'll probably sit around a bonfire.  It will be the perfect way to end the month of October.

What are your weekend plans? Are you dressing up in a funky costume or chilling at home with red wine and fondue?  Leave a comment and share!

Almond Pandan Cookies Recipes

It has been a long while since I bake any cookies. The last cookies I baked were Chocolate Chips, Cranberry and Macadamia Nut Cookies and that was in May. I baked this batch this batch of traditional pandan flavor cookies during our Hari Raya celebration and gave some to Zue.

Ingredients:

200 grm butter
120 grm sugar
200 grm flour
50 grm ground almond
80 grm cornflour
1 pinch of salt
1 tsp of pandan paste

1. Sieve flour, cornstarch and salt together. Add in the ground almond, mix well and set it aside.
2. Cream butter, sugar and pandan paste until soft and well combined. Add in the flour mixture and mix till well combined. Roll out to about 0.5cm thick and cut into your favorite design.
3. Place the cookies in a lined baking sheet and bake in a pre-heated 325 degree F oven until lightly brown on the edges.
4. Keep in airtight container once it is cool.

Note: If the dough is too soft keep it in the fridge for half an hour before rolling it.

Real party: a lovely ice cream parlor birthday - Dairy Foods

It seems that almost overnight fall has exited Minnesota and winter is creeping in.  Winds were howling and temps were in the 30's when I left the house this morning.  Maybe that's why I am so drawn to this ice cream parlor party, sent by Suzanna of Mon Tresor...it has me dreaming about the summer. 

Would you like to hear a fun fact about Eat Drink Pretty?  A bunch of my readers are from Australia, including Suzanna, who submitted this fabulous party.  I am continually amazed at the awesome parties that get submitted from my Australian readers.
Suzanna designed this party for her son Maddox's 3rd birthday party, the theme was an ice cream parlor with a soft color palette featuring neopolitan ice cream colors (vanilla, strawberry and chocolate) with a dash of pale blue.
Highlights of this party include a gorgeous dessert table with a ribbon wall and a build your own ice cream bar.

As told by Suzanna:

"Features of the dessert table include Rosanna Inc cake stands, apothecary glass jars featuring salt water taffy, colour coordinated m&m's (which i had to import from the USA!), cake bunting by the glorious Kikilaru, ice cream sundae cookies made by  Hello Naomi. Individually wrapped chocolates and kraft brown boxes for the party treats. Cake pops made by myself and inspired by Bakerella, white retro milkshake straws in mini glass bottles and I attached flags made from printed paper to tie in with the colour palette. The blue ruffled /tiered tablecloth was styled on the dessert table and I used coloured ribbons to create the  backdrop.

The party theme was chosen because of my son's love for ice cream! It is his favourite sweet treat so thought it would be fitting to style my first dessert table along this theme. The guests were able to create their own ice cream sundae or ice cream on a cone, using a range of different toppings and flavours. The ice cream table featuring ruffled chocolate table cloth had a vintage and shabby chic feel, with a white shelf where I placed the liquid toppings in glass bottles wrapped with twine and a  lace trimming. A mini chalkboard was used and the icecream was placed in white pails, complete with ice cream scoops adorned with pale blue ribbon."
























Chocolate bar wrappers by Candy Soirees.

Thanks so much to Suzanna for sending this party my way.  Be sure to check out her shop, Mon Tresor, which specializes in handmade accessories for children and party goods.

Herbs Fried Rice Recipes

I think everyone knows how to make good plate of fried rice. I’ve fried tons of it my life using different type of ingredients and by far I think this is my favorite. My friend Richard told me one day he uses herbs like kaffir lime leaves and curry leaves from his garden to make his fried rice and it turn out really good. What a great idea for a change from our regular fried rice. Inspired by his fried rice this is something I came up with. I hope you try this out as I am sure you are going to like it too.

Ingredients:

3 cups of cooked rice – overnight rice prefer
1 piece of chicken breast – cut into small cubes
10 pieces of shrimps – peel and deveined
2 eggs - beaten
2 shallots – sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic – finely chopped
1 tsp finely chopped ginger
1 lemon grass – removed the hard outer layers and slice thinly
3 bird eye chilies – cut small
1 sprig of curry leaves – remove rib, roll it up and sliced thinly
3 kaffir lime leaves – remove the rib, roll it up and sliced thinly
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat up wok on high heat and add in 2 tbsp of olive oil. Put in shallots, ginger and garlic and stir fry until fragrant. Add in chilies, lemongrass, curry leaves and kaffir lime leaves. Continue to stir fry until you can smell all the spices.
2. Add in the chicken and continue to stir fry until the chicken changes color. Add in shrimp; stir fry until the shrimp is slightly pink.
3. Push all the meat to the side of the wok, add in another tbsp of oil, and pour in the eggs. Scramble the eggs for a few second or until half cook, add in the rice and all the seasoning.
4. Continue to stir fry for another 3 minutes. Check seasoning, dish out and serve warm.

A heartfelt thank you - Dairy Foods

This post is a bit overdue...it is a thank you post.  I've been meaning to say a simple thank you for quite a while and though now I am writing the words, I know I won't be able to fully convey the appreciation I feel to each and everyone of you for visiting Eat Drink Pretty. 

Thank you for your sweet comments that make my day. 

Thank you for following Eat Drink Pretty on Twitter and for all your mentions and retweets. 

Thank you for "liking" my Facebook page.  

Thank you for your sweet emails that inspire me and this blog everyday.

Thank you for your amazing submissions of kid's parties, bridal showers, recipes, weddings, etc.

Thank you to all the wonderful companies that have hosted giveaways. 

Thank you to Tiny Prints for being Eat Drink Pretty's very first sponsor.

Thank you to my honey for putting up with me blogging every evening.

and finally...

Thank you to my sister for being my hugest supporter and fan.

I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday!

Pumpkin whoopie pies - Dairy Foods

My sister-in-law Nikki of Lovely Scribbles and my brother made these adorable pumpkin whoopie pies for my mom's birthday a couple weekends ago. They were moist, full of delicious pumpkin flavor...and I won't even get started on the cream cheese frosting. Nikki is super crafty and creative, she made these adorable little flags to decorate the whoopie pies.

Wouldn't these be perfect for your upcoming Halloween parties or fall gatherings?  If you aren't a huge fan of pumpkin flavor check out the chocolate whoopie pies I recently made.
Pumpkin whoopie pies with maple cream cheese frosting (recipe adapted from Brown Eyed Baker)

Ingredients

For the Whoopie Pies:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
3 cups chilled pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Maple-Cream Cheese Filling:
3 cups powdered sugar
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 ounces (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger and nutmeg. Set aside.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, the dark brown sugar, and the oil together. Add the pumpkin puree and whisk to combine thoroughly. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined.

4. Gradually add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and whisk until completely combined.

5. Use a small cookie scoop or a large spoon to drop a rounded, heaping tablespoon of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart.

6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, making sure that the cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie comes out clean. The cookies should be firm when touched. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool completely on a cooling rack.

7. To make the filling, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth with no visible lumps, about 3 minutes. Add the cream cheese and beat until smooth and combined, about 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, then add the maple syrup and vanilla and beat until smooth.

8. To assemble the whoopie pies: Turn half of the cooled cookies upside down. Pipe or spoon the filling (about a tablespoon) onto that half. Place another cookie, flat side down, on top of the filling. Press down slightly so that the filling spread to the edges of the cookie. Repeat until all the cookies are used. Put the whoopie pies in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm before serving.

Thanks to Nikki of Lovely Scribbles for letting me share these delicious treats!!!

Roasted Pumpkin Soup Recipes

Weather is getting cold and the day is getting shorter. What is it that makes the fall such a beautiful season? Is it the cooler air or the shades of red, yellow, orange and pink coloring the world around you just come to life? And the pumpkins!! Who can miss that? With so many pumpkins all around me I just have to cook something with it. In the cold weather what can be better than a bowl of sweet hearty soup. The different with this soup is that I roasted the pumpkin first. Roasting the pumpkin for the soup encourages the natural sugars to caramelize and enriches its flavor creating a more complex soup.

Ingredients:

1 ½ pound of pumpkin – remove skin, seeds and cut into chunks
2 cloves garlic - whole
1 small onion – peels and cut into chunks
4 cups chicken stocks
Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish:

Some croutons
Pumpkin seeds or pine nuts
Some chives
Some fresh cream

1. Line a baking pan with some foil. Place the pumpkin chunks, garlic and onion into the pan. Sprinkle some salt and pepper and drizzle it with some olive oil.
2. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree F oven until soft and lightly brown. Put everything in the blender, add in one cup of chicken stock and blend it until smooth and creamy.
3. Pour everything into a heavy saucepan, add in the rest of the chicken stock and bring it up to a boil. Let it simmer for 5 minute. Taste for seasoning and adjust it to your liking.
4. Serve warm with some croutons, pine nuts, chives and drizzle on some heavy cream.

Note: You can make this soup into vegetarian. Just replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock.

A fall-inspired dinner party - Dairy Foods

My friends Maija, Brooke and I got together for a dinner party on Saturday night. We created a menu inspired by fall, comfort food. The three of us were in need of a fun girl's night with plenty of wine and good conversation. There was no shortage of any of the above. Thanks for a great night ladies!

Menu

Apple cider punch (pictured above)
Carmelized onion tart
Pumpkin soup with sage and gruyere croutons
Macaroni and cheese with butternut squash

The tart was easy and delicious.  Puff pastry is such an awesome item to always have on-hand.  I've used it a lot lately for parties and fast meals. 

Caramelized onion tart (recipe adapted from Pepperidge Farm)

Ingredients

1 sheet puff pastry
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese OR bag Swiss cheese (6 ounces)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Preparation

Thaw the pastry sheet at room temperature for 40 minutes or until it's easy to handle. Heat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with vegetable cooking spray.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 15 minutes or until golden, stirring often. Season to taste and let cool.

Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 12-inch square. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the edges of the square with water. Fold over the edges 1/2 inch on all sides, pressing firmly with a fork to form a rim. Prick the pastry thoroughly with a fork.

Spread the onion mixture over the pastry crust. Top with the Gruyère and Parmesan cheeses and sprinkle with the chives.

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack. Cut into approximately 3 x 2-inch rectangles. Serve warm.

This pumpkin soup was my favorite part of the meal.  It is savory and velvety smooth.  I purchased the sugar/pie pumpkin at the farmer's market.  Peeling and dicing pumpkins is a bit of a process but so worth it.  I used one medium sized pumpkin to get 6 cups.

Pumpkin soup with sage and gruyere croutons (recipe adapted from Fine Cooking)

Ingredients

2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
6 cups 1-inch-diced peeled, seeded pumpkin
2 medium cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
8 medium fresh sage leaves
4 to 6 cups lower-salt chicken broth
2-1/4 cups packed grated Gruyère
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 slices rustic bread (each about 6x2 inches and 1/2 inch thick)
1 tsp. minced fresh sage

Preparation

Melt the butter in a heavy-duty 4- to 5-quart pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin and garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Add the wine and the sage leaves and cook, stirring, until the wine evaporates, about 5 minutes. Stir in 4 cups of broth, cover, and simmer, adjusting the heat as needed, until the pumpkin is very tender, about 25 minutes.

Add 1/4 cup of the Gruyère and using a handheld or standard blender, purée the soup (in batches, if necessary). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Return to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly and adding more broth as necessary to achieve a thin soup with the consistency of heavy cream.

Position a rack about 6 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler on high. Arrange the bread on a baking sheet. Toast under the broiler, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Sprinkle the croutons with the remaining 2 cups cheese and the minced sage and season with pepper. Broil until the cheese melts and is bubbly, about 2 minutes. Ladle the soup into warm bowls and serve with the croutons.

A gorgeous bouquet made of kale from the St. Paul farmers' market
This mac and cheese was good, but I wouldn't say it was great.  Maybe by this time I was too full to really enjoy it but the dish wasn't quite as creamy and cheesy as I would like.  If I made it again I may substitute some of the milk for heavy cream, reduce the amount of noodles and add a bit more cheese.

Macaroni and cheese with butternut squash (recipe adapted from Martha Stewart)

Ingredients

1 small butternut squash (about 1 pound) , peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
1 cup homemade or low-sodium canned chicken stock, skimmed of fat
1 1/2 cups nonfat milk
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound elbow macaroni
4 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated (about 1 cup)
4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, finely grated (1 ounce)
2 tablespoons fine breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon olive oil
Olive-oil cooking spray
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine squash, stock, and milk in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Mash contents of saucepan; stir in nutmeg, cayenne, and salt, and season with black pepper. Stir to combine.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles; cook until al dente according to package instructions, about 8 minutes. Drain, and transfer to a large bowl; stir in squash mixture, cheddar, ricotta, and 2 tablespoons Parmesan.

Lightly coat a 9-inch square baking dish (4 inches deep) with cooking spray. Transfer noodle mixture to dish. In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan, and oil; sprinkle evenly over noodle mixture.

Cover with foil, and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil, and continue baking until lightly browned and crisp on top, 30 to 40 minutes more. Serve immediately.

Did you make anything delicious this weekend?  I'd love to hear about it, comment and share!

Classic Yellow Cake with Dulce De Leche Frosting Recipes

I made this cake for Carlos birthday a few weeks ago. I asked him what cake he likes for his birthday and all he wants is a simple yellow cake with Dulce De Leche Frosting. Carlos (from Argentina) grew up eating DDL with all his dessert so it is his all time favorite. But for me when I heard DDL I already can imagine how sweet the cake will taste which I am not a big fan of, but since it is his birthday I can’t say no to his request. Then I remember seeing Wendy made frosting out of fresh cream and DDL and decided to use that.

As for the yellow cake it is just a simple yellow cake recipe which I used often but the highlight of this cake is the frosting. Let me tell you the frosting is to die for. The cake was not too sweet and has a great flavor of DDL. I will definitely use this frosting again for his birthday cake next year. For the frosting recipe you can refer to Wendy’s posting here.

Here are a few pictures I took of the cake. It is not the best looking cake as I hardly decorate a cake. If you are a regular reader of this blog you will notice that most of the cakes here are bare. Nevertheless Carlos was happy with it.

Ginger shrimp potstickers with spicy peanut dipping sauce - Dairy Foods

Sometimes a birthday is just another day. And sometimes birthdays are really special. That was the case for my mom's birthday last weekend. My immediate family got together as we always do; casually, we cook my mom's favorite meal (mock chow mein, which is sort of like a casserole) and sit around the kitchen table.

This celebration was a little different though...my entire family is in this really happy state-of-mind. We kept toasting to all the things to be thankful for and celebrate; my promotion at work, my sister's recent wedding, my younger brother's raise. It just went on and on. Then my dad stood up and gave a speech...yes, the kind you would hear at a wedding or anniversary party. So the nine of us just sort of looked at each other like "what the hell is he going to say"?

Well, I won't remember word for word, but he basically told my mom she was the best thing that ever happened to him and how much he appreciates her for many reasons but especially because she gave up working outside of the home to raise his children and how we all turned out to be happy, respectful, successful adults and how proud he is of our family.  Ok, he said it much more eloquently than that.  But you get the idea.  And by the end of it my mom was crying, I was crying, even my sister was crying (who is not really a cryer, by the way).

So like I said, it was a special day.  And it made me realize how amazing my family is and how lucky I am.  

My mom loves shrimp and ginger so when I found this recipe for ginger shrimp potstickers it sounded perfect for her birthday celebration.  These are fairly easy to make, it takes a few steps to get there, but the end result is totally worth it.  Don't forget about the dipping sauce, it's the best part.

Ginger Shrimp Potstickers with Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce (recipe adapted from Cooking Light)

Ingredients

3/4 cup shredded green cabbage (I used purple)
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup matchstick-cut carrots
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound cooked peeled small shrimp
Dash of hot sauce
24 wonton wrappers
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
1 cup water, divided

Sauce:

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons chile paste with garlic (such as sambal oelek)
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Preparation

1. To prepare pot stickers, combine first 10 ingredients in a food processor; pulse 4 times or until coarsely chopped. Working with 1 wonton wrapper at a time (cover remaining wrappers with a damp towel to prevent drying), spoon about 1 1/2 teaspoons shrimp mixture into center of each wrapper. Moisten edges of dough with water; bring 2 opposite corners to center, pinching points to seal. Bring remaining 2 corners to center, pinching points to seal. Pinch 4 edges together to seal. Place pot stickers on a large baking sheet sprinkled with cornstarch.

2. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 12 pot stickers to pan; cook 2 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown. Slowly add 1/2 cup water to pan; cover and cook 4 minutes. Uncover and cook 3 minutes or until liquid evaporates. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil, 12 pot stickers, and 1/2 cup water.

3. To prepare sauce, combine 1/4 cup water and next 5 ingredients (through sugar) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Serve sauce with pot stickers. Garnish with chopped green onions, if desired.

Thank you so much for stopping by Eat Drink Pretty on your busy Friday.  I hope you have an amazing weekend!