Garlic Pork Stew

Ahhh.. winter and snow. Let's curl up with a delicious bowl of stew to warm up with next to the fire. You'll love how easy and tasty this dish is. And, for you garlic lovers out there... this is your answer. Stoke the fire and let's get cooking!

This recipe will give you 6 generous servings. You may want to double it if you're having guests. Be sure to serve with crusty french or sourdough bread and sweet, creamy butter. Especially delicious with any leftover ale from the recipe.... be sure to buy enough to quench the thirst of all your guests!

One of the best things about this stew is that you don't need to add unnecessary starches, like potatoes, or serve it over rice. It is pretty low-carb - especially if you skip drinking the beer and eating bread along with it. Oh... what the heck, its winter time! You're not going to be in a swimsuit anytime soon!

Shopping list:

• 3 T olive oil


• 2 pounds boneless pork loin, chopped into 2-inch cubes


• 1 yellow onion, chopped


• 12 cloves of garlic (that's not a typo)


• 3/4 cup quality ale (reserve 1/4 cup for the cook) - best bets include amber ale, with some body, but not overly bitter or hoppy


• 2 pounds Roma tomatoes


• 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce


• 1/2 c sliced green olives (stuffed with pimentos)


• 1 can diced green chiles


• salt and pepper to taste

Optional: 1/3 c. fresh cilantro (chopped) and 2 T cumin powder

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Slowly add the pork and brown well. We've found that it works best to brown the meat in small batches and remove it as it is done. Set aside meat and add the chopped onion to the pot. Saute about 5 minutes, until your kitchen smells absolutely wonderful.

Use the ale to deglaze the pan - be sure to scrape in and stir pieces of cooked meat and onions. Add the meat back in, and now let's have fun! Next comes the garlic (peeled and halved), tomatoes, tomato sauce, olives and chiles.

Bring everything to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Simmer about 1-1 1/2 hours until tender. Then, remove the lid and raise the temperature to boil down the sauce and thicken it. Add additional seasoning if desired, and salt and pepper to taste.

Your family will be asking you to cook this at least once a week, if they're like mine. It freezes very well for leftovers. We've also found that a few days in the fridge allows the flavors to deepen and mellow. Delicious!

Gourmet White Chicken Chili

Is it getting hot in here? Whooo Eeeee! This chili has some kick, so be careful! The heat sneaks up on you too, so be sure to serve with ice cold water, beer or what have you.

I guarantee this is a crowd pleaser and people will be begging you for seconds and thirds. Nothin'....I say nothin' is better on a cold night than this chili. So round 'em up and get your family into the kitchen for some spicy fun.

Shopping List:

• 1-1 1/2 lbs Chicken Breast


• 2 (14 oz) cans Chicken Broth


• 3 (14 oz) cans great northern beans

2 cups (one medium) onion

3 cloves chopped garlic

2 tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp ground oregano

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. red pepper (flake if you like it really spicy)

2 Tbs. olive oil

3-4 (or more if you dare) dashes hot sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Bake chicken breasts in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. [Shortcut -- buy rotisserie chicken at market and slice up chicken breast into chili]. Cool and cut into bite size pieces. In a large skillet, cook onions in olive oil until wilted. Add everything else and cook over medium heat for 1 hour.

Ladle into bowls. You can serve with nacho chips, cheese, jalapeno peppers, sour cream or your favorite topping. I like to put the toppings in little dishes on the table and let everyone "create their own recipe" with the toppings.

I serve my chili with cornbread. For a super homemade cornbread shortcut, I buy the jiffy cornbread mixes. http://www.jiffymix.com/. To the mix, which requires milk and water, I add in a 1/2 cup of canned corn and a 1/4 cup of canned chopped jalapanos. You can also substitute the canned corn with creamed corn for a sweeter version.

Who's ready for a hearty winter meal? Whoooo heeeee!!!