"I am Saddam Hussein al-Majid, president of the Republic of Iraq," the jailed dictator said haughtily as he greeted the head of an Iraqi tribunal, who talked him through his upcoming hearing.
As you enjoy the 4th of July festivities and celebrate our freedom, never forget that Saddam Hussein would still be in power if Al Gore were President today.
We must re-elect George Bush in order to insure democracy continues to unfold in Iraq and the Middle East. Every Wednesday, I ask my readers to volunteer and/or donate to the Bush 2004 campaign.
If you've already donated and volunteered for the Bush campaign, then talk to your friends and enlist them in this battle to keep Iraq on the path to freedom.
If you're a blogger, you can join Wictory Wednesdays simply by putting up a post like this one every Wednesday, asking your readers to volunteer and/or donate to the Bush campaign. And do e-mail wictory@blogsforbush.com to be added to the Wictory Wednesday blogroll, which will be part of the Wictory Wednesday post on all participating blogs.
Today's Recipe is perfect for sharing with family and friends this weekend.
Feste's Dyn-o-mite Chili:
3 - Pounds boneless pork or boneless chicken breast cubed, 1/2 - inch pieces
3 - Tablespoons oil
1 – Medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 Cup celery, coarsely chopped
4 - Cloves garlic, crushed
3/4 Cup - roasted Anaheim chili peppers, diced (canned is fine)
1 - *Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1/2 - *Teaspoon Oregano
1 - *Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1/2 - Teaspoon salt
1 – Small Bay leaf
1 - 14 0z. Can diced tomatoes
3 - Cups Chicken stock
8 0z - Beer
1 - 14 0z. Can red kidney beans
1 - 14 0z. Can black beans
1 - 14 0z. Can pinto beans
1/2 - cup salsa (see Pico de Gallo recipe)
Place the meat cubes in a mixing bowl and add Cumin, Oregano, Cayenne and salt, toss to mix. Set aside.
Pour the chicken stock into a 4-quart stockpot, cover and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat while you brown the meat.
Heat a heavy frying pan, and add the oil. Add the meat, turn to brown evenly. Remove the meat to a clean bowl and set aside. Add the onion, garlic, celery to the frying pan and sauté over medium heat until tender and clear. Add the diced chilies and sauté for 5 minutes; stir gently if canned chilies are used as they are softer than freshly roasted chilies.
Add sautéed veggies to the liquid in the stock pot. Return the frying pan to the heat and add the beer to deglaze the pan, stir to scrape all the tasty brown bits up and add to the stock pot, add the tomatoes, **bay leaf, meat and cover.
Open the canned beans and empty the contents into a large colander, gently rinse with cold water and drain well. Add the beans to chili stockpot. Return the stockpot ingredients to a slow boil, (8-10 minutes). Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for an hour. Then add the salsa, gently stir, and simmer uncovered for an additional half hour.
Serve in bowls or scoop into warmed soft tortillas, offer a selection of toppings: sour cream, finely shredded lettuce, grated Cheddar cheese, sliced jalapenos, red onion rings, avocado slices, quartered limes, freshly chopped Cilantro and Pico de Gallo.
* You may use 2-3 Tablespoons of your favorite chili powder mix in place of these ingredients if you prefer.
**Remove the Bay Leaf before serving.
Pico de Gallo
2 - Medium tomatoes, finely chopped
1 - Medium red onion, finely chopped
2 - Jalapeno chilies, finely chopped
2 - Garlic clove, minced
1/4 - cup cilantro, chopped
3 - Tablespoons vegetable oil
3 - Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 - Tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 - teaspoon salt
In a large glass bowl, mix tomatoes, red onion, jalapenos, garlic, cilantro, vegetable oil, vinegar, lemon juice and salt. Mix well lightly, but do not stir, you want it chunky, not mish-mashed together. Let stand for 30 minutes.
enjoy!
Posted by feste at June 30, 2004 01:12 PM | TrackBack