Yes! You have a waffle iron!

NOTE: I may be skating on thin ice here, regarding copyrights, but I give all the glory to the Food Networks. As noted below.

I have no idea why the type face changes, but remember, I'm a novice blogger. Expect improvement.



So, I just figured out that the George Foreman Grill makes stellar waffles. The recipe I use is from the South Beach cookbook, but it calls for whole wheat flour and needs an awful lot of baking powder to make it fluff up. This is the easiest sounding recipe I could find online. [If you have your George cookbook, check out the recipe in there. I've lost mine.] Get all your ingredients and your measuring stuff out on the counter and just put it together. When you start to open up the waffle iron see if it resists opening. That may mean it hasn't cooked long enough. Be sure to spray between waffles -- and, of course, the waffle irons go right in the dishwasher. You'll probably have leftover waffles. Let them cool on your counter or a rack if you have one.] Separate them with a sheet of waxed paper and freeze them in a freezer bag. Toaster oven. No problem. Quick. I made two batches today for when I don't feel like making breakfast, but feel like having breakfast. Someday very soon, I'll send you the pancake recipe. It's a no-brainer and can also be frozen and warmed in the microwave.

Very Easy Waffles From Food Network Kitchens

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup rolled oats [That's regular oatmeal. Not quick cooking. It's easy to fix as just oatmeal, too, takes five minutes, and delicious with brown sugar, maybe a dash of cinnamon, too.]
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons wheat germ
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch fine salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup peanut or walnut oil
Maple syrup

Preheat the George with waffle irons in place, top & bottom, to high. Spray with PAM each time you make a waffle.

Whisk the flour with the oats, sugar, wheat germ, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. In another medium bowl, lightly whisk the eggs, then add the milk, butter, and oil.

Gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon [or whatever], to make a batter. Take care not to over work the batter, [this is important. If you bludgeon the baking powder it loses its oomph. And you need that oomph.] it's fine if there are a few lumps. Pour 1/2 cup of batter per waffle on left and right sides, and cook until the outside of the waffle is crisp and inside is cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. (The time varies depending on the size and spread of a waffle iron. I think 5. Don't peek too soon or the waffles will rip apart in the middle. I've had no problem at all with sticking.) Repeat with remaining batter. Serve warm with with maple syrup. Copyright 2005 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved
Shopping List:

All purpose flour
Regular Quaker's Oats A jar of wheat germ [keep it in the fridge.] It should be close to the oatmeal.
Light Brown sugar
Baking powder
A can of original flavor PAM. Butter flavor would be good, too.
Pancake syrup
Canola oil.
Cinnamon, if you don't have it.
Waxed paper

Except for the wheat germ, this is stuff you'll use up on other things. Canola oil is a good, neutral-flavored oil to use when olive oil would had too much olive oily taste. And except for the waxed paper which is with the sandwich bags and stuff, all this should be located kind of in the same general area of your store.

Beef Stew

This basic recipe is from the South Beach diet. It’s not very different from other Beef Burgundy recipes I’ve made. HINT: I find it to be really time- and effort-consuming to brown three pounds of beef. It always seems to require at least two batches at 7 or 8 minutes each. (If it's three batches and it takes eight minutes, each ... you get the picture. So, when I make this for your dad and me I use a pound or a little more. And keep the rest of the recipe the same. The meat gets really nicely browned in one batch. You get rich broth and great carrots & mushrooms and tomatoes in a delicious sauce. It should feed you three or four times.

Here’s the skinny on browning stuff: The bad thing that can happen is that whatever you’re browning – beef, chicken, fish, veggies, like mushrooms – doesn’t brown. It boils. It steams. If there’s too much oil...if the meat gives up too much juice...if the pieces are too close together so that moisture builds up, you don’t get seared, caramelized crusts. You get soggy. Bleah. So always, always make sure whatever you’re browning is nice and dry, the pan is heated, not too much oil (you can always add more if things start to stick.) Don’t let stuff touch each other. That’s how things start to steam.

Beef Burgundy Serves 8 to 10 Ingredients 3 pounds lean top-round steak trimmed of all visible fat, cut into 1 to 2-inch chunks Salt and black pepper 3 tablespoons canola oil [I use olive oil], divided [Beware the dread divided.] 1 cup dry red wine 2 medium white or yellow onions, chopped [I use one large] 2 1/2 cups reduced-sodium beef broth [I use one can and make up the difference with water.] 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes 1 dried bay leaf 5 large carrots, peeled, halved length-wise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 carton (8 ounces) small white button mushrooms, halved or quartered if large Fresh parsley leaves, minced Instructions Pat beef cubes dry with paper towel. (I put a couple of tablespoons of flour in a Ziploc bag and shake the meat in there until it’s coated. Then you know it’s dry! ) In large bowl, toss cubes with salt and pepper. Warm 1 tablespoon of the oil in large Dutch oven or heavy soup kettle over medium-high heat. Add half [ or all if you don’t have so much] of the beef in a single layer; brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer seared beef to platter. Stir wine into empty pot, scraping up any browned bits that have stuck to pan. Pour off any remaining wine and beef bits into beef platter. Stir remaining 1 tablespoon oil and onions into pot. Cook 5 minutes, until onions are golden, stirring often. Return seared beef and any accumulated cooking liquid to pot. Stir in broth, tomatoes, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and cook for 1 hour 20 minutes. Add carrots, mushrooms and up to 1/2 cup water if liquid is not covering ingredients. Cover, cook 45 minutes, until meat and vegetables are tender. Ladle hot soup into serving bowls; garnish with parsley. Tip from the South Beach Cookbook: Adding wine after searing the beef loosens the browned bits of meat stuck to the bottom of the pan. This technique, called deglazing, further increases the rich flavor of the stew.

That's it! The first recipe.

As I go along, I'll add some pictures and some more interesting stuff. I think this will work. You'll be able to access recipes easily and I can make changes if we find mistakes.

Insanely Simple Chili

This is the part where you find out it's just a mix. Buy a packet of chili seasoning. I usually go for the spicy ones. Texas in the name is a good bet. Follow the ingredient list. (The packet can be your shopping list if you get to the store without one.] You'll most likely need:

1 lb. ground chuck
1 can kidney beans [Substitute canned black beans or pinto beans if you like.]
1 can (14 1/2 oz. or so) diced tomatoes

Ignore the instructions on the packet. Just do this. It works fine.

Brown the ground chuck. I usually let the big hunk get nice and brown before I break it up in the pan. I also throw in a paper towel for a minute at the end of browning or so to soak up the extra fat. (Take it out when you're done. Don't laugh. I served paper towels to John and Karan on one occasion. Your guests will mock you for it. For years.)

Add the contents of the seasoning packet and let it get warm and toasted for just minute. Don't scorch it. Have the beans and the tomatoes open and ready to go before you add the seasoning. Throw them in. Stir. Bring back to boil. Put lid on; lower heat and simmer at least 10 and as much as 20 minutes. Add hot pepper flakes or Tabasco if you want it hotter. Done.

To double recipe: Double the ingredients.

Lately, as you know, I've been making my own chili from the South Beach Diet Cookbook. It's really delicious. And it's easy. The hardest part is slicing the small onion and mincing the garlic. You can use a better quality chili seasoning -- like the ones you got me at Legacy.

Beef and Bean Chili

Top this hearty chili with chopped scallions, reduced-fat sour cream, or grated low-fat cheddar cheese.

Prep time: 5 minutes Start to finish: 25minutes

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound lean ground beef
11/2 teaspoons chili powder, divided [This means don't throw it all in at once. Can trip you up.]
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove
28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
(15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained [I've been adding two cans of beans. It tastes great and you get more chili!]
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add beef, 1/2 teaspoon of the chili powder, and cumin; sauté until browned, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a plate. Add onion, garlic, and remaining chili powder to the same saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice and beans; cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover, add cooked beef, and cook an additional 5 minutes, until liquid thickens slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve hot.

Recipe from The South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook. For information on the book, click here.