stiffwillichili

CHILI SAUCE

Here's an amazing chili sauce recipe that you'll love to use for chili cheese dogs or your favorite Tex-Mex dish. The recipe is super easy, though it will require a couple hours of cooking time to get the flavors and consistency just right. But after you crank out this bad boy, I'm pretty sure you'll agree it was worth the wait.

This recipe makes enough chili sauce for about 40 hot dogs, so if you don't need that much just cut the recipe in half. One note, however: This recipe calls for only 1/8 tsp. of all-spice with the option to add more to taste, because too much can cause the chili sauce to become a little bitter. So if you're halving the recipe, just go with a couple dashes to start and taste to adjust from there.

INGREDIENTS
3 lbs. ground chuck
1 cup (1 bottle) T-Rev's Stiff Willi Chili Spice Mix
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
10.75 oz. can Hunt’s tomato puree
2 cans Swanson's beef broth
2 cups water
1/8 tsp. Jamaican all-spice (regular all-spice will also do)
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 pinches nutmeg
1 tsp. Kosher salt, more to taste
Vegetable oil to cook

DIRECTIONS
Brown beef in a large stock pot over medium high heat with 2 tbsp. oil. Drain fat and add 1 tsp. Kosher salt.

Stir in tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce, broth, and half of the spice mix and bring to boil. Reduce immediately to simmer, cover pot, and cook for one hour, stirring occasionally and taking care not to allow the sauce to bubble too rapidly.

Add second half of spice mix along with all-spice, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and taste to adjust for salt. Simmer for another half-hour, stirring regularly. Begin adding water slowly, about half a cup at a time, and taste once again for additional salt.

Remove from heat after 30 minutes and allow chili sauce to cool. Enjoy with chili cheese dogs, burgers, or nachos, or refrigerate until ready to use.

Yield: A little more than half a gallon.

T-REV'S STIFF WILLI CHILI SALSA

My salsa recipe went over so well at both of my promotions this past weekend that I started to wonder why I ever gave away samples of my chili! I kid, of course, but I was very pleasantly surprised at the reception it got because summer spice mix sales will probably be largely contingent upon the delectability of non-chili dishes.

Hey, I don't know why so many people discriminate against chili when the weather gets warmer, but it is what it is. If you live outside the Sun Belt, it's probably important that I provide as many cool, refreshing recipes as possible for the summer months, so with that in mind here's one of the best.

This salsa recipe is the same as the one I provided for my fish tacos, only I added a couple teaspoons of my spice mix to it, which really gave it a nice Southwest/Tex-Mex kick. So decide which one's better for you, but this is a fantastic fresh, cold treat in the heat!

INGREDIENTS
1 ripe tomato, small dice
1/2 red bell pepper, small dice
1/2 red onion, small dice
1 ripe avocado, pitted and diced
1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fresh cooked corn (canned corn will also work)
2 tsp. T-Rev’s Stiff Willi Chili™ Spice Mix
2 tbsp. whole cilantro leaves
Juice of 1/2 lime
Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS
Combine all salsa ingredients in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and pop it in the fridge for at least one hour. Let the flavors of the fresh ingredients do the rest.

Serve with corn chips and watch hungry guests indulge.

T-REV'S FISH TACOS

Looking for a great use for T-Rev's Stiff Willi Chili Spice Mix when it's just too hot out for chili? Give my refreshing fish tacos a try! This cool, fresh, and delicious treat is just what you need when you're looking to chill in that hot summer heat.

Prep time will take anywhere between 30 and 45 minutes, but this is a super-easy recipe that even you beginners will be able to whip up effortlessly. So gather your friends or family and prepare to reap the accolades!

INGREDIENTS
4 tilapia fillets
8 small soft taco shells (warm prior to serving)
2 cups green cabbage, thinly sliced

Marinade
Juice of 2 limes
1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil
1 tbsp. T-Rev's Stiff Willi Chili Spice Mix
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped (measure prior to chopping)
1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, finely diced

Cilantro Yogurt Dressing
16 oz. plain yogurt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped (measure prior to chopping)
1/2 cucumber, seeded and small dice
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Kosher salt, pepper to taste (I like 2 pinches salt and 1/4 tsp. finely ground black pepper) 

Salsa
1 ripe tomato, small dice
1/2 red bell pepper, small dice
1/2 red onion, small dice
1 ripe avocado, pitted and diced
1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fresh cooked corn sliced from the cob (canned corn will also work)
2 tbsp. whole cilantro leaves
Juice of 1/2 lime
Kosher salt, pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Whisk fresh lime juice, oil, spice mix, cilantro, and jalapeno pepper in large mixing bowl. When ingredients are thoroughly combined, add tilapia fillets to the bowl, taking care to coat them evenly with marinade. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in fridge for 30 minutes to an hour. Once all other prep is complete, fish will be ready to cook.

Next, prepare yogurt dressing by combining yogurt and sour cream in large bowl and stirring in the rest of the ingredients. If you really want to go crazy, you can add some spice mix to this sauce as well. By the way, you want make the yogurt dressing before the salsa because the flavors really meld well the colder it is, so you want to get it prepared and refrigerated as soon as possible.

Preparing this fantastic salsa couldn't be easier. Just combine all the ingredients in a bowl, pop it in the fridge until dinner is served, and let the flavors of the fresh ingredients do the rest. The recipe says salt and pepper to taste but I find that a pinch of Kosher salt and a quick shake of pepper does the trick. I mean, seriously, just look at this salsa! Make double and serve with chips before dinner!

Once your accoutrements are prepared, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove tilapia fillets from fridge and arrange neatly in a large baking dish. Pour marinade over the fillets and cover dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove and cut the fillets into manageable portions for tacos on a serving plate.

Assemble fish tacos on soft shells with salsa, cabbage, and yogurt dressing. Top with your favorite hot sauce (which will soon hopefully be T-Rev's Stiff Willi Chili Pepper Sauce -- we're heading for production as we speak!)

 
 
Servings: 8

T-REV'S TOO-EASY TACOS

Here's a great recipe for taco night that couldn't be easier (or more delicious). I like to clean and prep all my condiments prior to cooking my taco meat and set them aside in the fridge or on the table. This way once the taco filling has finished cooking, everyone can sit down and assemble their tacos while the meat is still hot.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb. ground beef
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 tbsp. jalapenos (from a jar), minced
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. T-Rev's Stiff Willi Chili Spice Mix
Kosher salt to taste

For assembly:
8-10 taco shells
2 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tomato, diced
1-2 cups sour cream
Taco sauce to taste

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven and heat taco shells according to directions on box.

Cook onion in large skillet with 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil and a pinch of salt on low heat until soft. Turn heat to medium high, add ground beef, add a couple pinches of salt, and cook until brown. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss to combine.

Transfer taco filling to serving bowl and assemble tacos to your liking. I don't have any pictures of the cooking process, but I did manage to take this one as my son was devouring his taco. And parents, if your small children will eat the food you cook for the rest of the family, you know you've got a winner!

Wild West Chicken Fajitas

I know I've been slacking on posting recipes to this blog, so I made some chicken fajitas with T-Rev's Stiff Willi Chili spice mix tonight. I started to take pictures so I could post a photo demonstration of each step in the cooking process, but they turned out pretty crappy. Turns out it's hard to cook dinner, take pictures, and chase a 2-year-old around the house all at the same time.

Anyhow, here's the recipe if you'd like to try it at home. I love the versatility of this spice mix -- it allows you to cook with simplicity yet still attain a complexity of flavor.

WILD WEST CHICKEN FAJITAS

2 chicken breasts, cut into julienne strips
1 yellow onion, julienne
1 green bell pepper, julienne
3 tbsp. T-Rev's Stiff Willi Chili Spice Mix
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup water
Kosher salt to taste (1/4 tsp. worked for me)

Extras:

4 flour tortilla shells
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup taco sauce

1.) Brown chicken strips with 2 tbsp. oil over medium heat in frying pan until half-cooked, about 5 minutes. Add onions and peppers and toss to combine.

2.) Add salt, Worcestershire sauce, and spice mix and combine. Turn heat to low and add water. Stir mixture until spice mix dissolves in water, and cover with lid to steam until chicken is fully cooked. Hint: If you don't have a lid for your pan, simply turn a same-sized pan upside down and place on top.

3.) Transfer chicken mixture from pan to serving bowl and prepare fajita shells according to directions on packaging. Assemble fajitas and pick and choose from extras as desired. Wrap and enjoy!

Serves 4.

Recipe: T-Rev's Black Bean Beer Brew

Sorry for the alliteration.

This soup recipe goes out to my boys up north (north of me, anyway) in Buffalo and Pittsburgh. This black bean soup will keep you warm when you're tailgating in the snow. And the recipe will only take you about an hour from start to finish, so it's great in a pinch.

INGREDIENTS:

2 14½ oz. cans black beans, strained
1 14½ oz. can diced tomatoes
2 tbsp. olive oil
½ red onion, small dice
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 cups chicken broth
1 bottle Labatt Blue or other good lager
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tbsp. cumin (NOT cayenne,* Erik!)
2 sprigs fresh oregano
2 bay leaves
1 cup fresh corn sliced from cob (canned corn isn't as good, but it will also work)
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash cayenne for heat

1. Sweat red onion in olive oil in stockpot set to low heat. Season lightly with salt and pepper and stir sporadically for 5 minutes.

2. Add garlic, diced tomatoes, garlic and onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, and another dash of salt and pepper. Stir once and cover for five minutes to simmer. Check halfway to be sure ingredients aren't sticking, and give a quick stir.

3. With flame or burner still set to low, add chicken broth, beans, beer, fresh herbs, cumin, and corn. Stir to combine and cover pot, leaving a small vent with lid for steam to escape. This will allow soup to reduce to a thicker consistency. Once soup starts to boil, set heat to simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Once soup has thickened a bit, close lid completely and allow soup to simmer for another 15 to 20 minutes. Remove bay leaves before serving.

5. Ladle soup into four individual bowls and garnish with a dollop of sour cream. Serve hot with a side of nacho chips.

Note: By the time the soup has finished cooking, the oregano likely will have fallen apart throughout the soup. I prefer this more rustic feel, but if you'd rather remove it before serving, you can wrap it in cheese cloth before adding it to the pot so it can be easily retrieved.

This recipe makes 4 perfect servings, so if you want to increase the quantity you can easily double or triple the ingredients across the board.

I also apologize for failing to include at least a couple photos, but if you try this out feel free to snap a few yourself like my man Wolf did for T-Rev's Cajun Schmearwich, and I'll be sure to post them.

* One day my brother called me for my chili recipe. I ran down the ingredient list and told him to add between two and four tablespoons of chili powder, a few dashes of hot sauce or cayenne to taste, etc. I called the next day to see how he liked it and he told me everyone loved it, but it was so spicy they could barely eat it.

He said it gave them all an excuse to drink more beer with it (even though milk works better, but that clearly isn't manly), but I asked why it was so hot. He said, "Well, you said to add two tablespoons of cayenne!"

What I really said was a couple tablespoons of chili powder, but yeah, that amount of cayenne will do it. I felt sorry for his ass the next day.

Recipe: Chicken Fajitas

Here's a fast and delicious recipe for chicken fajitas, guaranteed to rival your favorite Mexican restaurant's.

INGREDIENTS:

2 boneless chicken breasts, sliced widthwise into ½" thick strips
4 flour tortilla shells
1 white or Spanish onion, julienne
½ green bell pepper, julienne
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ tsp. kosher salt (more to taste)
½ tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. cumin
Cayenne pepper to taste
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Olive oil to cook

Condiments:
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups Romaine or iceberg lettuce, shredded or chopped
1 cup sour cream
Taco sauce to taste

Note: When cooking, you want to be sure to season every layer of ingredients as you add them. Therefore, you don't need to add all of your salt, pepper, etc., all at once. The amounts included in my recipes indicate the total, but you should always season with fractions of those amounts as you add ingredients until you reach the total. 

1. Bring non-stick frying pan to medium high heat, add about 1 tbsp. olive oil, and add chicken. Season with half of your salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Saute for about 5 minutes, turning once, or until chicken begins to brown on each side.

2. Add onions, peppers, and garlic. Season this layer with remaining salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and add cumin, cayenne, and Worcestershire sauce (I would add some hot sauce at this point to kick it up a little more, even though it's not listed in the recipe). Turn heat to low, stir or toss ingredients together, and let simmer uncovered for a few minutes.

3. After chicken, onions, and peppers are nicely combined, cover and let simmer for an additional 5 minutes. This will allow the ingredients to steam, as moisture from the onions and peppers will be released and contained within the pan.

Hint: An easy way to cover the pan if you're not using one that comes with a lid is to flip a same-sized pan upside down over top.

4. Once chicken is fully cooked, taste for additional seasonings (you don't want to do this while chicken is still raw, as you'll risk salmonella poisoning). When everything is finished cooking, it should look like this:

5. Transfer chicken, onions, and peppers to a serving bowl. At this point, steam fajita shells in the microwave for 1 minute (you can leave them right in the plastic bag (slightly opened), or place them on a plate between two moistened paper towels). This will soften them, which will allow them to be folded into fajitas.

6. Gather your chicken, fajita shells, and condiments and arrange them on countertop. Add fillings as you like to individual fajita shells and wrap.

Serves 4.

Recipe: Tortilla Soup

INGREDIENTS:

¼ cup olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes (or your favorite chunky salsa)
5 cloves crushed garlic
4 quarts water
16 chicken bouillon cubes
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. cumin
Fresh cilantro to taste (start with 8 to 10 leaves)
1 (silver dollar-size) chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped
½ bag white or yellow corn chips
½ bag blue corn chips

1. Bring large stockpot to low heat and sweat onion in olive oil for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring regularly.

2. Add diced tomatoes, fresh garlic, lime juice, chipotle pepper, cilantro, and spices and seasonings. Cover pot and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Note: You may decide to add more salt at the end, but because the corn chips are salted it's best to take it easy at first.)

3. Add water and bouillon cubes and turn heat to high to bring soup to a boil. Stir, and reduce heat to low. Cover (lid slightly ajar) and simmer another 20 minutes.

4. Add corn chips and stir until soft, about five minutes. Turn off heat and use an immersion blender to blend and thicken the soup until creamy. Add extra chips as necessary to achieve desired thickness.

5. Taste for any additional spices. Serve in individual bowls and garnish with fried tortilla strips (or crumbled tortilla chips) and plenty of shredded Monterey Jack cheese.