Tag: how to make

Delicious Three Meat Texas Chili

I love chili and one of my favorites is three meat Texas chili. Texas chili is unique in that it doesn’t contain any beans. Instead you have a meat based chili that is made with bacon, steak and ground beef and a delicious mix of paprika, ancho chili, and chipotle chili. If you have never eaten Texas chili you need to give this recipe a try. I guarantee you will love it.

Ingredients:
3 cups beef broth
4 strips center cut bacon
1 pound ground beef
1 pound chuck steak
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
1 medium onion
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 large garlic cloves
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp. cumin
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tbsp. ancho chili
1 tbsp. chipotle chili
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
1 1/2 tsp oregano

Directions:

  1. Cook ground beef in your pot, don’t break up the ground beef too small. It is nice to have larger chunks of ground beef. When the ground beef is done cooking remove it and place in a bowl.
  2. While the ground beef is cooking cut up your onion and set aside in a bowl.
  3. Cut up the steak into 1 inch pieces that would fit on your spoon when eating the chili.
  4. Cut up the bacon into small pieces.
  5. Cook the bacon in your pot and cook until browned, but not crisp. Remove cook bacon and place in bowl with ground beef.
  6. Cook onions in the pot with the bacon grease. Cook until translucent, but before removing the onions add in your chopped garlic and cook for 30 seconds with your onions. Remove the onions and garlic and add to your bowl of ground beef.
  7. Add your steak to the remaining bacon grease and sear your steak in the same pot that you cooked your onions in.
  8. Add the beef broth to your seared steak.
  9. Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato puree to the pot.
  10. Add your salt, pepper, brown sugar, cumin, paprika, ancho chili, and chipotle chili to the pot.
  11. Add cinnamon stick and bay leaves. Cover and let simmer on low for 2 – 2 1/2 hours.
  12. When done cooking stir in the oregano, remove bay leaves and cinnamon stick and serve.
  13. Serve with cheddar cheese, sour cream, jalapenos, and Frito chips.
  14. Enjoy.
Delicious Three Meat Texas Chili

How to make pumpkin puree

It’s that time of year when we make everything we can that is pumpkin flavored and to do that we need pumpkin puree. Unfortunately with the pandemic it seems a lot of stores have a hard time keeping enough pumpkin puree in stock. Have no fear, because we can make homemade pumpkin puree, it is super easy and you only need a pie pumpkin to make it.

Ingredients:

Pie Pumpkin also known as a sugar pumpkin

Directions:

  1. Cut pumpkin in half and remove the seeds
  2. Lay pumpkin halves on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
  3. Cook in a 400 degree preheated oven for 35 minutes
  4. Remove from oven and let cool
  5. After pumpkin has cooled remove the skin and then slice into chunks
  6. Place chunks in a food processor and run until pumpkin is a smooth puree
  7. Remove and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
How to make pumpkin puree

How to make granola at home

You never know what is in your store bought granola. Although we think of it as a healthy snack it can be packed with excessive fats, sugars, and preservatives. When you make granola at home you control exactly what goes in it. You can make healthy, great tasting granola at home that is easily customizable made with superfoods, such as honey and coconut oil, and can include a multitude of foods such as fruits, nuts, chocolate, m&m’s, coconut and so much more. Join me as I show you how to make delicious granola at home.

Ingredients:

3 cups rolled oats (oatmeal)

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cranberries

1/4 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup cinnamon sugar

1/2 cup shredded cococunt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. almond extract

pinch of salt

Directions:

  1. Pour the oats onto a baking sheet.
  2. mix the coconut oil, honey, vanilla extract, and almond extract together and stir.
  3. Mix raisins, cranberries, sliced almonds, coconut, cinnamon sugar, and pinch of salt with the oats.
  4. Pour the coconut oil/honey mixture over the oats and mix all together.
  5. Bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Make sure you check it every 10 minutes and stir the granola during the time to allow it to brown evenly.
  6. Enjoy.

To get the recipe for homemade vanilla extract go to: https://mylowcountryliving.net/how-to-make-homemade-vanilla-extract/

How to make granola at home

Homemade Pineapple Sorbet

Sorbet’s are like ice cream, but they are dairy-free. That is important for people like me who are lactose intolerant. From time to time I will indulge in classic ice cream, but I can only have it in small quantities. However, I can eat sorbet whenever I want. Sorbet’s are very simple and traditionally they are made from just fruit and sugar (or simple syrup). My take on pineapple sorbet does contain one extra ingredient to make it smoother and more ice cream like and that is coconut milk. Follow along with me as we make a delicious creamy pineapple sorbet.

Ingredients:

1 pound frozen pineapple

1 cup simple syrup

1 cup coconut milk

1 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

Directions:

  1. Pour pineapple into your food processor and start processing on low.
  2. Add the simple syrup, coconut milk and lemon juice to the food processor and continue to mix until you have a soft smooth mixture the consistency of soft serve ice cream.
  3. Place sorbet into a container to store and freeze for 1-2 hours before use.
  4. After 1-2 hours remove from freezer and enjoy!

Note: If you freeze your sorbet too long and it is harder than you would like you can let is sit on counter to defrost for 5-1o minutes to soften up before you scoop it.

Homemade Pineapple Sorbet

To get the recipe for simple syrup go to: https://mylowcountryliving.net/how-to-make-homemade-simple-syrup/

How to make homemade Simple Syrup

Simple Syrup is super simple to make and it is a staple in bartending. Simple Syrup can also be used when baking to keep cakes moist and also used to make sorbets. Follow along to see how easy it is.

Ingredients:

1 cup water

1 cup white granulated sugar

Directions:

Mix the sugar and water together in a saucepan and simmer over low heat for 2-3 minutes until all the sugar granules are dissolved. When the sugar is dissolved and the simple syrup is clear without any cloudiness from the sugar it is done and you can pour it into a container to store. A mason jar works well for storage and it can be stored in the refrigerator up to one month.

Note: The ingredients are in a 1:1 ratio and 1 cup water mixed with 1 cup sugar will yield 2 cups of simple syrup. You can increase the recipe to make any amount of simple syrup you need, just keep your ingredients at a 1:1 ratio.

How to make Simple Syrup

How to make home made Philly Cheesesteaks

My favorite sandwich is are Philly Cheesesteaks, I order them at any restaurant that I go to that serves them. In Charleston my favorite places to eat Philly Cheesesteaks are at the Southside 17 Bar & Grill, and also YE OLE FASHIONED CAFE & ICE CREAM in West Ashley.

They are a classic sandwich and loved by so many people. Follow along to make an amazing Philly Cheesesteak with chopped steak, gooey cheese, onions, and peppers.

Ingredients:

2 pounds steak
2 onions
4 cloves garlic
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
3 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Sliced Mushrooms (Optional)
Hoagie Rolls
slices of provolone cheese

Directions:

  1. Slice the onions so that you have long slices of onion. Place in a bowl.
  2. Slice the red and green peppers into long strips and place in a bowl.
  3. Dice up the garlic and place in the bowl with the onions and peppers.
  4. Chop steak into small pieces. You can do this by slicing the steak into slices and then rotate the cut slices and cut again into smaller pieces. Rotate the cut slices again, and cut again. Keep repeating until the steak is cut into tiny pieces about 1/4 inch in size or smaller. Set aside the cut meat.
  5. Melt 2 tbsp of onion into your pre-heated pan. Pour the sliced vegetables into a preheated pan and cook until the vegetables are soft and cooked through.
  6. Add chopped meat to the pan of vegetables and continue cooking.
  7. Add the salt and pepper to the meat and vegetables.
  8. When the meat is about 2/3 cooked you can add mushrooms if you want. This is optional since not everyone likes mushrooms.
  9. Cook until all liquid from the vegetables has evaporated form the pan and the meat is cooked through.
  10. Once meat is cooked through remove the meat and place in a bowl and set aside.
  11. Rinse the pan and add melt 1 1/2 tbsp butter in the pan. Once butter is melted add your hoagie buns and cook on both sides until lightly toasted. Then remove hoagie buns and set aside.
  12. In the same pan, add enough meat and vegetables back into the pan to fill one hoagie bun. (Approximately 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the meat and vegetable mixture). Then add slices of provolone cheese on top of the mix mixture and cook until the cheese is melted.
  13. Once the cheese is melted you can remove the meat mixture from the plan and place on top of the hogie buns.
  14. Enjoy your philly cheesesteak!
How to make home made Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

Smoked Pulled Pork

Smoking a pork roast to make pulled pork is simple. Follow along with me and I will show you how.

Ingredients:

Pork Roast – Either a pork shoulder or Pork Butt roast

Yellow mustard

Dry Rub

Directions:

  1. Coast entire pork roast with yellow mustard on all sides.
  2. Generously apply dry rub to all sides of the pork roast, cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.
  3. Remove from refrigerator and put onto your smoker for 10-12 hours at 250 degrees. You want to smoke for 1.5 hours per pound of roast.
  4. After you remove from smoke and the internal temperature is at 200 degrees then wrap in tin foil and then wrap a towel around tin foil and place in a cooler for one hour to allow the meat to cool slowly.
  5. Remove meat from cooler and unwrap. The bone should slip right out of the meat. Using 2 forks you can pull the meat apart.
  6. Serve with your favorite BBQ sauce and ENJOY!
Smoked Pulled Pork

Olive Garden Breadsticks copycat recipe

Ingredients: 

¼ cup white sugar

1 package active dry yeast (2 ¼ tsp of yeast from the bottle)

1 cup of warm water (divided)

3 cups all purpose flour

3 tbsp olive oil

1 egg

½ tsp salt

½ cup melted butter

½ garlic salt

¼ parmesan cheese

Directions: 

1.In a bowl mix ½ cup warm water (95 degrees) with yeast and 1 ½ tsp sugar.  Let dissolve and sit and proof for 5-10 minutes.

2.Add in flour, remaining sugar, oil, egg, remaining water.

3.Mix in a mixer and then kneed for 3-5 minutes until the dough is smooth and stretchy.

4.Place the dough in a bowl with olive oil.  Cover all the outside of dough all over the dough to prevent the dough from drying out while rising.  Cover with a damp kitchen cloth and let sit for 40 minutes to double in size.

5.Pound the air out of the dough and place on a floured work area, flatten and cut into approximately 12 pieces.

6.Roll the pieces into long sticks, place on a pan lined with parchment paper and then cover back up to sit and rise for 25 mins.

7.Remove towel and place in oven at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

8.While breadsticks cook add garlic salt to the melted butter and set aside.

9.After breadsticks are done cooking add the garlic butter to the tops of the breadsticks and then sprinkle on the parmesan cheese.

10.Serve and Enjoy!

Zuppa Toscana Soup Olive Garden Copycat Recipe

Whenever I go to the Olive Garden my favorite meal there is the unlimited soup and bread sticks. The very best soup they have is Zuppa Toscana. This Tuscan style soup is delicious and easy to make. Join us as we show you how.

Ingredients: 

6 slices of thick bacon chopped up

1 pound Italian sausage (preferably hot sausage)

6 cloves of garlic

1 medium onion

8 cups of chicken broth

4 russet potatoes

1 cup of kale

1 cup of whipping cream (or heavy cream)

Directions: 

1.Dice up the onion, set diced onions aside in a bowl.

2. Chop up the garlic cloves and add to the onions.

3. Dice up the bacon and add to the onions.

4. Sauté the onion and bacon mixture in a pot over low heat until the bacon is cooked and the onions are translucent.  Once done removed from pot and set aside.

5. Using the same pot, add your Italian sausage and chop up into small spoonful size pieces and cook until brown.

6. While sausage cooks, wash potatoes and cut in half long ways, then slice into half circles, leaving the skin on the potatoes. 

7. Add the onions and bacon mixture to the cooked sausage, add the chicken broth and potatoes.  Simmer for 30 minutes, then remove from heat to cool for 5 minutes.

8. Add the heavy cream and kale. 

9. Serve and Enjoy!

How to make roasted chick peas

In my household we love anything that is ranch flavored, and one of my go to snacks is homemade roasted chick peas that are ranch flavored. This is one of the easiest recipes ever. You literally need only 3 indredients!

Ingredients:

1 can of chick peas (15 ounces) – drained

1 tbsp olive oil

ranch seasoning mix

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 370 degrees. You can use a conventional oven, or a Ninja Foodi Grill in the bake mode.
  2. Open you can of chick peas and drain them.
  3. Place chick peas in your oven, or Foodi grill and cook for 30 minutes. Check after 15 minutes to stir to make sure they are heated evenly and don’t burn on one side.
  4. After the 15 minute mark check your chick peas approximately every 5 minutes to see if they have reached your desired crispiness. My chick peas cooked for 27 minutes in my Ninja Foodi Grill.
  5. Remove baked chick peas and coat with olive oil.
  6. Add tbsp of ranch powder mix. You can use store bought mix or a homemade mix.
  7. Enjoy!