MAYA: I’m delighted to welcome New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Lynn Cahoon as today’s guest. She’s sharing a recipe perfect for chilly weather and offering an e-book giveaway of her latest Farm-to-Fork Mystery A Fatal Family Feast. To enter the giveaway, leave a comment with your email address at the end of this post by midnight Wednesday, January 26th. Take it away, Lynn!
A chilly winter’s night…
When Maya asked me to guest post on Mystery Lovers Kitchen, I was ecstatic. I love coming and talking about my two favorite subjects, food and cozy mysteries. Then I started thinking about what recipe I could bring on a cold January day. After a couple of months of holiday eating. And desserts, a lot of desserts.
I’m still in cookie mode as I write this, but my body is screaming for a little lighter fare. On the other hand, who wants to read about a dinner of roasted chicken breast over a salad with a light vinaigrette? Okay, yes, it sounds good, but a little plain for this crew. I started thinking about what I love about cold weather and the food I crave.
So I’m posting about chili. My mom’s woodstove chili to be exact. The problem is, I don’t like or eat things with (dried) beans in the mix. I know, they’re a great (and cheap) source of protein, but I just couldn’t deal with the texture for a long time. I said no to cheesecakes for years for the same reason. But I love this chili, sans the beans. When I was a kid, I’d just pick the beans out of the bowl. Now that I’m in control of what goes into the pot, I just don’t add them. I did leave them in the recipe for your use.
I loved my mom’s chili. Especially the first day. She’d make up a pot in the iron dutch oven on the wood burning stove in the living room and it would simmer all day, making the house smell amazing. As I was making the recipe for you, I made up a batch of corn bread to go with the chili. It was as good as I’d remembered.
Great dinner for a cold night spent reading in front of a roaring fire.
Woodstove Chili
Ingredients
Chopped medium size onion
1 lb. of hamburger
Salt and pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper (sprinkle to taste)
1 can of chopped green chilies
1 large can (28oz.) stewed tomatoes
1 15 oz. can of chopped tomatoes and green chilies
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 large can chili beans (optional)
In a large (heavy) soup pan, sweat a chopped onion in a tbsp. of vegetable oil.
Add the hamburger, cook until browned, but don’t drain the grease.
Add the remaining ingredients.
Cook slowly over low heat. 30-60 minutes. The longer you cook it, the more the flavors will meld together.
Serve with cornbread fresh out of the oven.
Is there a food you don’t like that everyone else does?
Comment below for a chance to win an e-copy of A FATAL FAMILY FEAST
Angie Turner’s Idaho restaurant, the County Seat, is the perfect site for a picturesque country wedding, but the party planning skids to a halt when the groom-to-be is implicated in a murder investigation…
When Angie’s best friend and business partner, Felicia Williams, picks the County Seat to host her upcoming nuptials, Angie wants it to feel like a family affair--especially since Felicia is set to marry the farm-to-fork restaurant’s talented sous chef, Estebe Blackstone. Unfortunately, the bride’s actual family is far less enthusiastic about the union. They’re pulling out all the stops to cancel the couple’s wedding, even arranging for a surprise visit from Felicia’s ex-fiancé (and her father’s current lackey). But when her ex is killed days before the ceremony and Estebe is framed for the crime, Angie and the County Seat crew must scramble to solve the murder and save the wedding . . .
No matter where the mystery is set, readers can expect a fun ride. Find out more at her website.
For a chance to win an e-book of A FATAL FAMILY FEAST, leave a comment below and include your e-mail address.
