The Great Chili Kill-Off

by Livia J. Washburn

  2 tablespoons honey

  1/4 cup milk

  1/4 cup grated carrot

  1/4 cup peeled and grated apple, thoroughly blotted dry

  Directions:

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray.

  Place oats in a small blender or food processor, and pulse until reduced to the consistency of a coarse flour.

  In a large bowl, combine ground oats, baking powder, and baking soda.

  In a medium-large bowl, combine all remaining ingredients except apple and carrot. Stir until uniform.

  Add contents of the medium-large bowl to the large bowl, and mix until well blended.

  Fold in apple and carrot. Evenly fill muffin pan with batter.

  Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 20-22 minutes.

  Makes 12 muffins

  Phyllis’s Ginger CitrusTea

  Ingredients

  1 quart water

  1/2 - 1 cup granulated sugar

  1 tablespoon of grated ginger

  4 tea bags or 1 family size tea bag (4 tablespoons loose leaf)

  juice of 1 lime

  juice of 1 lemon

  Directions

  In a medium sauce pan, add the water, sugar, grated ginger. Bring to a boil on medium heat. Stir occasionally.

  Once boiling, add the tea bag(s) and remove from heat. Allow tea to steep for 5 minutes. Strain tea to remove tea leaves/bag(s) and ginger pieces.

  While the tea is brewing, juice the lime and lemon.

  In a pitcher, combine the tea, lemon juice, and lime juice. Stir.

  Served chilled or over ice.

  Serves 4

  Note: Ginger has a lot of health benefits, but it can be difficult to grate with a box grater. It’s best to use a microplane grater that is designed to be used with ginger. Freezing ginger makes it more solid and easier to grate.

  Spicy Corn Waffles

  Ingredients

  1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal

  1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

  1 teaspoon Gebhardt chili powder

  1 tablespoon baking powder

  1 teaspoon sugar

  1 teaspoon salt

  2 cups milk

  3 tablespoons vegetable oil

  2 large eggs

  1/2 cup chopped jalapeño peppers

  Sam’s Smokin’ Red Chili

  shredded cheddar, for garnish

  sour cream, for garnish

  chopped green onions, for garnish

  Directions

  Preheat waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions.

  In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, chili powder, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add milk, oil, eggs, and jalapeño peppers, stirring until smooth. Pour batter onto hot waffle iron and bake in batches. Set aside and keep warm.

  Serve with Sam’s Smokin’ Red Chili. Garnish with shredded Cheddar, sour cream and chopped fresh green onions. Note: To keep the waffles from soaking up too much of the chili, put grated cheese on the waffle, and then add chili.

  10 to 12 servings.

  Chili Gluten Free Lasagna

  Ingredients

  12 no‐boil gluten free lasagna noodles

  2 cups left over chili

  1 egg

  1 3/4 cups ricotta cheese

  4 cups cheddar cheese, grated

  3 cups chunky salsa

  1 tablespoon green onions, chopped, optional

  sour cream, optional

  1 bunch fresh chopped cilantro, for garnish

  Directions

  Preheat oven to 350º F and lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.

  In a medium bowl, mix egg with ricotta cheese until well combined. Set aside.

  Place 4 lasagna noodles in bottom of baking dish. Spread 1/3 of ricotta over noodles, then evenly spoon 1/3 of chili over ricotta. Evenly spread 1/3 of salsa over chili, then layer 1/3 of cheddar cheese over salsa. Repeat steps, finishing with cheddar cheese.

  Cover with foil and bake for 30‐40 minutes, or until lasagna is heated through. Take off foil and bake for 10 more minutes.

  Let cool 5‐10 minutes, top with sour cream and fresh chopped cilantro, ﴾optional﴿, serve and enjoy!

  Serves 6‐8

  Cheesy Chili Shepherd’s Pie

  Ingredients

  6 large potatoes, peeled and quartered

  1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

  1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

  1/2 cup sour cream

  1/3 cup chopped onion

  1 large egg

  2 teaspoons salt

  1/2 teaspoon pepper

  3 cups of chili

  1 can pinto beans drained and rinsed

  additional shredded cheddar cheese, optional

  Directions

  Place potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with water, add lid and bring to a boil. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until tender;. Drain.

  In a bowl, mash potatoes. Add cream cheese, cheddar cheese, sour cream, onion, egg, salt and pepper; beat until fluffy.

  Mix chili and beans and put in the bottom of a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Cover with the cheesy mashed potatoes. Cover casserole and bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with additional cheese if desired.

  Serves 6

  Chili Potato Cakes

  Ingredients

  4 potatoes par-boiled (barely soft) diced in small cubes

  1 teaspoon salt

  1 teaspoon sugar

  1/2 teaspoon chili powder

  1/8 teaspoon black pepper

  1/3 cup flour

  2 tablespoons skim milk powder

  1 teaspoon butter softened

  1 beaten egg

  1 cup chili

  1 cup grated cheddar cheese

  Directions

  Combine all ingredients except chili and cheese in a bowl until mixed.

  Freeze mixture for half hour to firm it.

  Place potato mixture between two pieces of wax or parchment paper and roll out to 1/4 inch.

  Freeze until solid.

  Cut into squares or other shapes, and fry in hot oil.

  Add chili on top of hash brown and garnish with cheese.

  Serves 4-6

  About the Author

  Livia J. Washburn has been a professional writer for more than thirty years. She received the Private Eye Writers of America Award and the American Mystery Award for her first mystery, Wild Night, written under the name L. J. Washburn, and she was nominated for a Spur Award by the Western Writers of America for a novel written with her husband, James Reasoner. Her short story “Panhandle Freight” was nominated for a Peacemaker Award by the Western Fictioneers, and her story Charlie’s Pie won. She lives with her husband in a small Texas town, where she is constantly experimenting with new recipes. Her two grown daughters are both teachers in her hometown, and she is very proud of them.