The Squirrel Can Cook - Chili

For me, nothing says "comfort food" like a big bowl of chili. Whether you like it hot and spicy or just flavorful and savory, chili is just good food. This is a milder chili, since Mrs. Squirrel (and certain sissy-mouthed regular readers of The Squirrel Can Cook) doesn't like it spicy. I'll note [recipe variations] for a bit more "burn" along the way, for the brave and adventurous types.

This recipe is for a large batch of chili, as I like a lot of leftovers when it comes to chili, soup, and stew. For a smaller batch, just half all the ingredients.


Our ingredients are:

2 pounds stew meat, cut small (1/4 inch pieces)
2 - large onions, chopped
[2 - Jalapeno chilies, chopped - leave seeds for more heat, remove seeds for less heat]
4-6 - garlic cloves, crushed
2 - tablespoons chili powder
1/2 - teaspoon salt
2 - teaspoons ground cumin
2 - teaspoons dried oregano leaves
[1 - teaspoon cayenne pepper]
1 - teaspoon Tabasco sauce
2 - 28-oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained
2 - 15-oz. cans tomato sauce
2 - 6-oz cans tomato paste
2 - 19-oz cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 - 19-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 - 19-0z can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in your cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef, onion, & garlic [& Jalapenos] and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is browned, about 8 minutes or so. Unless you used a really fatty cut of meat, don't drain the juices from your meat mixture, but transfer the entire contents of the skillet to a large stock pot.


Put the stock pot over medium-high heat and stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, the spices and the Tabasco sauce -- actually all the remaining ingredients except for the beans -- & heat just to a boil. then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer about an hour, stirring occasionally.


Turn the heat back up to medium-high and stir in beans. Return to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer covered about 30 minutes. You'll want to stir about every 6 to 8 minutes, and, if it becomes too thick, you may need to add some water. (It's a good idea to keep a hot tea kettle handy for that. But do not add too much water! Remember, we're making chili, not soup.)


After about 30 minutes, your chili is ready to serve. I like mine topped with cheese and raw onion. Dad always liked to crumble a few saltine crackers in his. Mom likes hers with cornbread. Enjoy!

The Squirrel shall not live by bread alone!

The Squirrel's Nut Cache - 7/30/09

The Nut Cache - a collection of recent things I found interesting, or amusing, or nutworthy.

"Oh, I wish I was an Oscar Meyer wiener..." Well, not in Hawaii, it seems. Some environmentalist group has filed an official complaint that the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile violates the state's advertising and billboard laws. Oh, please! These people just do not have enough to worry about at all! Good grief! It's the Wienermobile folks! It's an American Icon.

I had a discussion a few weeks ago with some folks about the fact that children are not born innocent. Here is a good example of the willfulness of a child. It seems that a 7-year old boy in Park City, Utah didn't want to go to church... so he stole the family car and led police on a car chase. Now, it is Utah, so chances are he was fleeing a cult and not a real church, but still...

The first of two Twitter stories - The British government has issued a 20-page report urging government agencies to use Twitter to keep subjects of the Crown informed of their nations doings. This isn't actually such a bad idea. I follow the NASA tweets because I like to keep up with the space program. Technology can be useful.

[h.t. Maty] I keep trying to tell you that squirrel's are smart. Well, it looks like scientists agree with me. Of course, looking at the undeniably atheistic bent of this website... I'm not sure I'm happy with the association, nor the unfair characterization of squirrels as thieves...

The rodent uprising hasn't abated, it seems. Something sure ticked this groundhog off! I would give this rodent the same advice I would give Professor Gates or anyone else who comes into contact with law enforcement; do what you are told and don't cause problems and make things worse.

The second Twitter story: Well, if you believe that prayers are magic, and that where the prayers are "postmarked" from is important, then here's a service for you. Your prayers can now be "tweeted" to the Western Wall in Jerusalem, so that, well, they'll get more attention from God? Bleh, bunch of high-tech pagans...

[h.t. Lockheed] When people began to push for "gay marriage" rights, those who opposed such unions warned that, if we allowed this, soon all bunch of different "weddings" would be demanded. And now, a Pennsylvania woman wants to marry a roller coaster... My question is, does this mean she gets free rides? Or does she have to pay to enter the park like everybody else?

That's the Nut Cache for this week! Stay Nutty!

Who Controls Salvation?

I've been doing a lot of reading, listening and watching as I research and prepare my series defending Calvinism. As I said, I'm no high-powered scholar, so I like to get all my ducks in a row. I probably take more time then I really need too, but I like to be well prepared.

Anyway, one thing I've been doing is listening to a lot of debates on the subject of Calvinism, including a debate between James White and George Bryson. I was particularly struck by Dr. White's closing statement, and I thought you might find it edifying as well.



Meanwhile, my post on Unconditional Election should be up first thing in the morning in the near future.

The Squirrel Can Cook - Steak Frittata

A few days before, I had made Philly cheese-steaks for Mrs. Squirrel and I for dinner. The piece of steak was much larger then I needed for two sandwiches, but I cut it up and cooked it anyway. I knew I’d find something to do with it. The following Saturday morning, I did. I decided to fix a Steak Frittata for breakfast.

A frittata is a type of omlette, and can be fixed with all kinds of different ingredients. As I've said before, breakfast is one of my very favorite meals. Growing up, Dad used to fix a ham & cheese frittata at least once a month. He would make his with ham, cheese, onion, & green peppers. I recall him fixing a bacon frittata as one of the last meals we had together before he went into the hospital for the last time.


Our Ingredients:

6 eggs
1/2 cup of cheese, shredded (I used a “processed cheese food product” that is too soft to grate well, so I cubed it)
1/4 pound of steak, cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces and cooked through
1 medium onion, diced
Some minced garlic (mince your own, or use from jar)
2 ounces of water
2 tablespoons of olive oil

Preheat your broiler. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and 2 oz of water, set aside.


Heat your cast iron skillet (you did buy one, right?) over medium-high heat, add oil, onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt, and sweat the onion until it is translucent, then stir in the steak and heat through. Then spread the mixture evenly through the pan. Add the eggs to the pan. DO NOT STIR! Add your cheese evenly throughout. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until the egg mixture has set on the bottom and begins to set up on top.


Place the pan under the boiler for another 3 to 4 minutes, until lightly browned and fluffy. Remove from pan and cut into 4 servings. (Need to feed more people? No problem, just add eggs and cook a little longer for a thicker frittata.) Serve immediately. I served ours with hashbrowns (and a little extra cheese found its way onto the hashbrowns!) Enjoy!


The Squirrel shall not live by bread alone!