So, as I said Gramma Choo Choo was a professional Cook -- and good enough to create menu's for the upper classes travelling by train -- back in the 1940's and 50's there was not much travel by plane and train travel was quite elegant, apparently.
ANYWAY. Gramma House was just a regular family cook, mind you for 10 children and a husband!
I cook more like Gramma House than like Gramma Choo Choo... In fact I doubt that I am even close to being as competent as either, but I try, sort of...
I know that Gramma House had very few recipes, most of her cooking was meat, either roasted or boiled or fried along with potatoes -- I don't think she ever made any kind of noodles or rice. But she did love beans, Beans in everything and every kind of beans she could find. Fresh Green Beans, fresh yellow string beans, dried white beans, kidney beans!
Well, last night I decided to cook like Gramma House. I got out the slow cooker and checked out the pantry and freezer. I am calling it Meatball Chili...
The Men thought it was one of those GREAT meals! Tho you must take into consideration that they both worked a 8 hour day at their job and a pot of hot and ready food is number one on their list when they walk in the door at 6pm...
So.
Meatball Chili (in the slow cooker)
dump each ingredient in the slow cooker and turn on LOW for 6 hours. Eat
20 frozen Turkey Meatballs - thats what I had but I am sure beef, pork or chicken would work quite as well... and it is 20 because I get 4 meatballs and the men each get 8 -- if you have a different count, go ahead and put in what you need -- same as the carrots, I make them eat a carrot for every meatball!
20 baby carrots, whole
1 middling size zuchinni chopped up, skin on.
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 medium onion chopped fairly fine
2 tablespoons honey garlic BBQ sauce, your favourite brand
1 can kidney beans rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes 14 oz or 400 gr
2 big tablespoons chili powder
1 tsp cumin
a few drops tabasco, depending how much "heat" you like
And I know the consensus is to add salt and pepper, but i am supposed to watch the salt intake and my son doesn't like salt on things, so each person in my house adds their own salt as desired...
Now, I know that when writing about a recipe you should show a lovely enticing photo of the food, just before you serve it up. BUT. I didn't expect it to be quite so appreciated! And I must add, tho, there is a problem with having Meatballs in Chili....
They picked out all the meatballs! So the few spoonfulls left at the bottom of the pot doesn't have a meatball in it... It is a good thing that in my house, THE COOK always gets first dibs on the food or I would have been eating vegetarian chili!
Thanks to Gramma House and her style of improvisational cooking I can create my own masterpieces (and terrible failures too)!
