Personal Interest

In my spare time I enjoy reading, cooking, swimming, playing video and board games, and hiking.

Below, find some of my favorite recipes I've created over the years.

And don't worry...I WILL NOT make you endure an endless scroll of death to get to the recipes. No long articles about these recipes. You're welcome.

Leising-style Chili

Growing up, I enjoyed the kind of chili my mom made: ground beef, crushed tomatoes, chili powder, and red kidney beans. This is the kind of chili a lot of Midwesterners grow up with and enjoy during the cold months. However, in recent years I found a deep love and appreciation for Texas-style chili, which is incredibly different. The beef is cut much larger, rather than ground; the liquid is made from stock and a paste of reconstituted dried chilies; and tomatoes and beans are nowhere near the affair. This chili tries to marry the two in a way that's hearty and makes the two stars of the dish, the beef and chilies, shine in the final product. This will become a favorite at any gathering, or just for when the temperatures drop and you need something to keep you warm. Great served with rice, crackers, Frito's, or other accouterments you like!

8-10 servings...or 4, depending on how hungry you are!

Ingredients:

  • 3 ounces of dried Ancho chilies

  • 1 ounce of dried guajillo chilies

  • 2-3 dried chilies de arbol (to taste, discard if you want it less spicy)

  • Boiled water or stock, approx. 32 fluid ounces

  • 2 large sweet onions, one diced and one quartered

  • 8 cloves of garlic

  • 2 tablespoons of cumin seed

  • 1 tablespoon of coriander seed

  • 1 teaspoon of dried Mexican oregano

  • 6-8 tortilla chips

  • 2 tablespoons of bacon fat or corn oil

  • 4 pounds of chuck eye roast, trimmed and cut into 3/4" cubes

  • 1-2 cans of Rotel tomatoes (or any other diced tomato with chilies)

  • 1 bottle of Shiner Bock or Dos Equis Ambar beer (NO. LIGHT. BEER.)

  • 32 ounces of beef stock

  • 3 cans of chili beans (or a large 32 ounce can)

  • 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

  • 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

  2. Stem and de-seed dried chilies and place in a skillet over medium meat. Toast until fragrant, being sure not to burn. Place toasted chilies in a large bowl and cover with boiled water or stock and re-hydrate, 30-45 minutes. SAVE THE STEEPING LIQUID!!!

  3. In the same skillet, toast cumin and coriander seeds until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

  4. Place re-hydrated chilies, toasted spices, garlic, quartered onion, and tortilla chips into a food processor or blender. Process with some of the chili steeping liquid until it forms a smooth paste (about 1/2 cup...or to your preference). Set aside.

  5. Pat beef dry and season with salt and black pepper. In a sauce pan, bring beef stock to a boil, reduce heat slightly, and reduce stock by half, about 2 cups.

  6. In a large Dutch oven over medium high heat, place one tablespoon of fat and heat until shimmering. Brown beef in batches and transfer to a plate or bowl. Set aside.

  7. Place last tablespoon of fat into same Dutch oven and cook diced onion, scraping up brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook onions until browned, about 8-10 minutes. De-glaze with bottle of beer, and cook out alcohol.

  8. Add chili paste, tomatoes, and reduced beef stock to the pot and stir to incorporate. Add beef (along with any accumulated juices in plate or bowl) and chili beans to the pot. Bring to a simmer.

  9. Place lid on the pot and transfer to the oven and cook for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove lid and increase heat in the oven to 325 degrees. Cook for an additional 1 hour or until the liquid is to your preferred consistency and the meat is fork tender.

  10. Season to taste, along with additional brown sugar to your preferred heat level. Finish by stirring in cilantro.

  11. Serve with sour cream, cheese, Frito's (or other corn chips), cheddar cheese, cilantro, limes, jalapenos, or other toppings on the side.

Masoor Dal

I first tried Indian cuisine in graduate school at a house party of one of my colleagues. Among the spread of food she had prepared was an unassuming pot of yellow soup-like deliciousness that was served over rice with Naan. It was delightful, and I will never forget the combination of flavors that a small-town Hoosier boy like me had never even tried before. Masoor dal literally means "red lentils," and they are an integral part of this dish, as well as a lot of Indian and vegetarian/vegan cooking. I love this dish, and love it any time of the year, especially with some flatbread and rice.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of red lentils, rinsed and picked through

  • 2 tablespoons of fat (vegetable or olive oil, or butter are fine)

  • 1 onion, diced

  • 1 carrot, grated finely

  • 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated

  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced

  • 1 jalapeno, diced with seeds and ribs removed

  • 1 can of diced tomatoes

  • 2 cups of water or vegetable stock

  • 1 tablespoon of butter

  • 1 teaspoon of cumin seed

  • 1 teaspoon mustard seed

  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika

  • 1 healthy pinch of Asafoetida powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon Garam masala

  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

  • Cilantro, chopped to preference

Directions:

  1. Heat fat in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and saute until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add carrot, ginger, and jalapeno to pot and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.

  2. Add lentils, tomatoes, and liquid and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until lentils are soft, approximately 30-40 minutes.

  3. Mash some of the lentils with a potato masher to thicken.

  4. In a small skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add spices and toast until fragrant, stirring constantly to make sure spices and butter don't burn, 45 seconds.

  5. Add to dal and stir to combine. Finish with lime juice and chopped cilantro to your preference. Serve with rice and naan or other flatbread.