Author: Emily Gautreaux

Sunday Chili Recipe

This perfect “Sunday Chili” recipe from Pinch of Yum that’s designed to be quickly prepped, set on the stove on low, and essentially forgotten about until it’s time to serve is the perfect addition to any Sunday menu.

Chili is such a versatile dish that is guaranteed to satisfy the hungriest of appetites. While it’s a great dish served fresh, a proper pot of chili almost lives a longer second life as a week of leftovers due to the flavors becoming stronger and more distinct in a tight container in your fridge. Similarly, if you have a Sunday afternoon free, be sure to set up this recipe around lunchtime and expect to have that pot simmering all afternoon long for a truly impressive dinner.

Sunday Chili Ingredients: 

2 teaspoons of salt

1 ½ pound of ground beef

6 slices of bacon, (cut into small pieces)

Half of an onion (diced)

4 cloves garlic (minced)

1 jalapeno (minced)

4 carrots (minced), optional

2 ½ tablespoons of chili powder

2 tablespoons of cumin

1 tablespoon of oregano

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

3-4 tablespoons of tomato paste

1 28-ounce can of fire-roasted crushed tomatoes

2 14-ounce cans of black, red, or pinto beans (rinsed and drained)

2 ¼ cups of beef or chicken broth

Suggested Toppings for Sunday Chili:

Avocado (carved)

Cheddar cheese (shredded)

Sour Cream

Tortilla Chips

Red Onion (sliced)

Fresh cilantro

Sunday Chili Recipe:

  1. Begin your chili as you always should, by seasoning your ground beef with salt. If you like spice, sprinkle some black and cayenne pepper into the seasoning mix as well. Using a wooden spoon or gloved hands, mix the seasoning into the beef and set it aside while you prep the other ingredients. Slice your uncooked bacon strips into quarter to half-inch pieces, and place them in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crispy. Take out the pieces with your spoon, and drain the excess oil on a folded paper towel, leaving 1-2 tablespoons in the oven for sautéing.
  2. Add your diced onion, minced garlic, and minced carrots into the oil, and brown them in the bacon oil, sautéing them until they are soft and fragrant. After they’re properly browned, add your ground beef and measured spices, mixing it all together. Continue to stir it all together until the beef is fully cooked, and add your tablespoons of tomato paste. Sauté the chili for two to three minutes.
  3. Next, add your fire-roasted tomatoes, preferred beans, and bacon pieces to the pot, mixing it all together. Bring the heat on your dutch oven down to a low simmer, and cover it. Keep it cooking on low heat for at least 30-45 minutes, though it’s always preferred to cook it for two hours or more. After all, this is called a “Sunday Chili” for a reason, and that reason is to have the pot simmering on low all afternoon to develop a fine-tuned flavor. When the chili begins to thicken, you can thin it out with water or any additional broth until the consistency is to your liking. Additionally, you can alternate between the pot resting over low heat or merely resting in the hot dutch oven.
  4. Once it’s done or it’s dinner time after the chili has been cooking in the background all day, it’s time to serve the chili into bowls and top it with you and your guest’s preferred toppings.

Notes:

  • You can certainly substitute canned diced tomatoes for the crushed-tomatoes, if you prefer the thicker consistency.
  • While it’s delicious, the bacon is (of course) optional, as you can also sauté your vegetables in reserved bacon fat.
  • If you need to save time, chop your vegetables in a food processor or add your ingredients into a pressure cooker after it’s all sufficiently browned and the meat is cooked.

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American Bucket List Activities

International travel is assuredly enticing, unforgettable, and unique, but it has a tendency to be expensive, which is why many are turning to their “own backyard,” as it were, and rediscovering the once-in-a-lifetime wonders of the United States. One such company is the premium email-subscription service, Scott’s Cheap Flights, which had its extensive survey results of the “Most Popular Bucket List Activities in Each U.S State” featured recently on Travel Pulse’s blog.

The list is a culminating result of a sample size of 3,000 people who answered the question: “what activities and experiences are at the top of your USA bucket list?” Predictably so, the results revealed some obvious “greatest hits” of California and Hawaii topping the list, but the data set also gave interesting insight such as approximately 70% of all bucket-list activities chosen by travelers taking place outdoors, whether it be exploring the Denali National Park in Alaska national park in or visiting the white-sanded beaches of Georgia’s Jekyll, Cumberland, and Tybee Islands.

Lastly, before diving into a small sampling of the enticing events, it should be remembered that a “bucket list destination” is special because it’s a trip that’s unique to the area that it’s located in for one reason or another while also teeming with memories that could last a lifetime. The bucket list aspect doesn’t need to be grim or morbid, but it should be seen as a goal in which you can perceive some of the more exquisite and spectacular sights, activities, and wonders of nature or man that this world has to offer, while we’re here.

Gazing at the Wild Ponies of Assateague Island National Seashore

Located in close proximity to Ocean City, Maryland & Chincoteague Island, Virginia is a 37-mile beach, inland pine forest, and salt marsh that has stood as a National Park and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service refuge and State Park for several decades. Besides being stunningly gorgeous, this beach is unique due to its over 300 free-roaming wild ponies and horses that have been trotting down the beach and surrounding areas since the 17th Century. Locals believe that the ponies originally came to the island from a sunken Spanish Galleon ship, which was recently discovered offshore, but no matter the cause, the free-roaming ponies are a truly rare sight that one should demand to see with their own two eyes.

Traversing Nevada’s Valley of Fire

Survey respondents placed experiencing Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park ahead of touring Las Vegas and all its commercial wonders, so that tells you that there’s something special about the breathtakingly panoramic landscapes. Named for its 40,000 acres of strikingly red Aztec sandstone found alongside limestone, the Valley of Fire is also home to ancient, petrified trees and petroglyphs that date back over 2,000 years ago. The landscapes that make up the crimson valley serve as the ideal backdrop for your outdoor excursion, as the State Park is home to dozens of trails for walking, viewing, biking, and hiking. Make it a point to drive down the winging Valley of Fire Highway the next time you need a color compliment to the monotonous, dull hues in your neck of the woods.

View the Natural Wildlife of South Dakota’s Badlands

Reconnect with the early settlers and take in unforgettable sights in the “Land of Stone and Light,” found in the rugged topography of the Badlands. This National Park is home to geological formations that resemble mosaic paintings, one of the world’s richest fossil beds, and approximately 244,000 acres to explore. What’s special about this area is that it is not only home to untold beauty but also countless species of wildlife unique to the area. From Wild Turkey to Buffalo to Kangaroo Rats, the expanse of the Badlands has a unique sight for every visitor on every visit.

For more travel-related news and information, click here.

 

Rabbit Island Restoration Project Aims to Save the Pelicans and Coast

Louisiana engineers are banding together to restore the portion of Calcasieu Lake known as Rabbit Island and save dozens of brown pelican eggs in the process, as reported by The Daily Advertiser.  Details on the Rabbit Island restoration project are below.

Set forth as one of six projects by the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group (LTIG) in January 2017, the Rabbit Island Restoration Project aims to add more land to the Cameron Parish island and ensure that the march island’s brown pelican population continues to thrive.

Reports indicate that since 1955 at least 89 acres of land have been lost, and the 200 remaining acres only consist of either open water or land that is at or below sea level. The excessively low elevation is a result of tidal effects from nearby shipping channels and wind-driven waves.

As a result of this continual land loss, the population of Louisiana’s official state bird, the brown pelican continues to lose half of its laid eggs annually. This is highly concerning considering that Rabbit Island is Southwest Louisiana’s only brown pelican rookery or dense nesting colony. In 2018 it was reported that the island hosted a population of over 1000 pelicans, but that number has since shrunken to a mere 400. Accordingly, this not only causes detrimental environmental effects, but the symbolic significance and implications of losing the state’s official bird cannot be understated.

The total effect of the project, which is spearheaded by the Lafayette company, Royal Engineering, will raise the island’s elevation from 1 foot to 3.5 feet, giving the pelican population more area for building nests. The process of raising the elevation consists of dredging 606,300 cubic feet of sediment from the nearby Calcasieu Shipping Channel and transporting it to Rabbit Island. The engineering team expects to add 88 acres back to the marsh island, which includes vegetation such as native grasses, shrubs, and plenty of room for the State’s official birds.

The $16.4 million Rabbit Island Restoration Project officially began in August 2020 with funds received from the BP oil settlement from the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The settlement gave the state of Louisiana $5 billion in natural resource damages with $220 million set aside specifically for bird restoration projects.

The restoration of Rabbit Island is the first rebuilding of a waterbird colony since the restoration of Queen Bess Island in early 2020. That project successfully restored 31 of the island’s total 36 acres available for pelican nesting. Located in Jefferson Parish, Queen Bess Island is the state’s fourth-largest Brown Pelican rookery, as it supports approximately 18% of Louisiana’s pelican nesting. The project was a resounding success, as it saw a dramatic increase in nesting activity since the project concluded just on the onset of the traditional nesting season for Brown Pelicans, mid-to-late February.

In light of Louisiana’s recent storm season, the effort to restore Rabbit Island had picked up considerable support from Louisiana officials. State Representative Ryan Bourriaque stated, “last year’s storm season was devastating for the people of Cameron Parish. As we continue to rebuild, I applaud the state for taking on this timely restoration project and for their continual investment in this region.”

Jack Montoucet, a secretary for the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, the group who initially announced the Rabbit Island project, said of its impact and importance: “by combining the habitat expertise of Wildlife and Fisheries and the restoration abilities of CPRA, we are making a big difference that will allow our native species to flourish as we continue the mission of restoring and protecting coastal Louisiana.”

As of early April 2021, the restoration of Rabbit Island is nearly complete, thus wrapping up a restoration effort years in the making and ensuring the flourishing of our state’s bird for many years to come.

For more Louisiana-related articles, click here.

Tulane to Purchase Electric Shuttle Buses with Awarded Grant

Soon Tulane University will introduce five electric shuttle buses to their campus transportation fleet, as reported by the University’s press.

The United States Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) approved the initiative that was presented by Tulane University. The EERE awarded the school and its partners $737,500 to make the enterprise a reality, and as a result, Tulane will be purchasing five Grande West Vicinity transit buses equipped with electric vehicle technology (EV) along with five private charging stations.

One of Tulane’s partners in this innovative effort is the Southeast Louisiana Clean Fuel Partnership, which works with local fuel providers, vehicle fleets, community leaders, and other stakeholders to not only save energy but also promote the use of advanced vehicle technologies and domestic alternative fuels when it comes to transportation.

The SLCF Partnership’s director, Courtney Young, said of the school, “Tulane was one of the first universities in the region to install EV charging stations on campus for students, faculty, and staff. Similarly, the electric shuttle bus project is the first of its kind in our area, so we’re looking forward to understanding and showcasing results to comparable fleets as a potential replicable solution to replace the older model, highly polluting diesel shuttles in our communities.”

The project is set to begin with the five EV shuttle buses joining Tulane’s existing university shuttle route that links together the school’s affiliate programs with its uptown and downtown campuses. Though the approved project is set to last three years, the ultimate goal is for the University’s staff to monitor the efficiency, operating performance, and general costs of the EV shuttle buses and share their findings with public transportation fleets across the Crescent City and other Universities.

The wide-accepted notion is that clean, electric vehicle technology-equipped transportation is more environmentally healthy and cost-efficient than traditional means; therefore, the project team at Tulane will test that hypothesis to see if using electric vehicles as public transportation would be a more viable option for other campuses and the larger New Orleans area.

Tulane’s initiative to purchase and incorporate the five Grande West Vicinity EV shuttle buses was one of 55 research and development projects accepted by the EERE. All of the selected projects aimed to further advance vehicle technologies in exciting and innovative ways with assistance from the EERE’s Vehicle Technologies Office.

This total collaborative project is between Tulane’s ByWater Institute and University Campus Services as well as local partners, the Alliance Bus Group, Entergy, and the Southeast Louisiana Clean Fuel Partnership. The Southeast Louisiana Clean Fuel Partnership. Shelley Meaux and Liz Davey of the Tulane Bywater Institute are the principal investigators of the project, and Davey expects the project’s short-term effects to involve the elimination of air pollutants that cause local health issues such as heart and lung damage. Additionally, according to Davey, “In the longer term, especially as electricity generation moves to more clean and renewable sources, the use of electric vehicles will also reduce our carbon footprint.”

While the project is still in its early stages by being awarded this opportunity, it’s obvious that Tulane University and its partners have their eyes and well-intentioned perspective set on the future of New Orleans and the planet at large. Tulane University’s Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Patrick Norton shared his hopes, saying, “This is an exciting opportunity for Tulane as we work to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that result from university operations. Tulane’s shuttles are highly visible in the greater New Orleans area and [w]e are confident that the impacts of this project will extend beyond the boundaries of our physical campuses. By sharing our operational, financial, and environmental impact experiences and data, we hope to serve as a blueprint for other institutions in our region.”

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Easily Prepared Baked Pasta Dishes

A nice pasta dish is an outstanding culinary staple of any dinner table, but often the amount of preparation and constant pot-watching has a tendency to intimidate once-interested chefs, resulting in them opting for the store-bought and frozen variants. If that sounds familiar, then look no further than the versatile, baked pasta dish, as provided by Martha Stewart’s cooking blog.

The benefits of a ceramic dish or large casserole container of baked pasta, such as lasagna, are plentiful. The fact that they fill up their cooking container makes them ideal for the average dinner entree that’s expected to be enjoyed by many at the next holiday party you’re hosting. Aside from absolutely satisfying any hearty appetites on the night of preparation, baked pasta dishes are also famous for reheating well in their second life as leftovers. With that being said, the full list of suggested baked pasta recipes can be found here, but here are some outstanding favorites of the bunch.

Squash Lasagna with Spinach

This recipe is perfect for those wanting a more vegetable-based lasagna, as it combines the textures and complimenting flavors of roasted kabocha squash, finely-tuned bechamel sauce, and a filling that is made up of the cheese trio that is fresh ricotta, gruyere, and parmesan. It’s sure to please anyone who tends to avoid baked pasta due to their tendency to “fill up” the stomach, and it’s tasty as can be!

Tuna-Noodle Casserole with Cauliflower

This is a dish straight from mom’s oven. The classic casserole recipe is made even better with the inclusion of wide noodles such as pappardelle, and the addition of cauliflower to the classic creamy consistency compliments the fresh parsley garnish in spectacular ways.

Baked Mac & Cheese with Broiled Tomatoes

The classic, last-minute supper dish that is mac and cheese is always a reliable crowd-pleaser. Though, you simply don’t have to only include the titular ingredients in the pot for it to impress. Make it ornate by following this guide to a stunning mac and cheese with a recipe that calls for an additional topping of cheese, panko breadcrumbs, and sliced roma tomatoes. By placing this spread atop a gorgeously prepared mac and cheese for additional time in the oven to achieve a golden-brown trim, it’s sure to impress the mac and cheese traditionalists at your table.

Salmon Noodle Casserole

Swap out the classic tuna casserole for a one-pot meal that packs in more protein with this recipe’s inclusion of salmon. This mouth-watering pasta dish is best-served with shortened pasta for its base, such as cavatappi, as it allows you to get a piece of the garnishes as well as the resident peas, dill, and scallions onto your fork alongside a small salmon bit. Not to mention, this is the ideal dish for any busy chef, as all the ingredients can be assembled a day ahead of time, leaving you with a quick primetime saver for that busy evening you surely have around the corner.

Spinach Manicotti in Creamy Tomato Sauce

While it’s traditionally reserved for those with more time on their hands due to its fine-tuned texture, nature, and flavor, the dish known as manicotti can also be versatile when you need it to be. For example, this less-of-a-hassle recipe takes advantage of the grocery store’s convenient staples of marinara sauce, frozen spinach, and manicotti shells to give you a dinner that can be prepped in under half an hour. Of course, if you find yourself with more time on your hands, you can substitute freshly cooked ingredients for the store-bought suggestions as well as substitute deveined shrimp for spinach if you need more protein.

For more delicious recipes, click here.

Prestigious CAREER Award Presented to 3 UL Faculty Members

The National Science Foundation has recently presented three University of Louisiana at Lafayette faculty members with the prestigious CAREER Award, according to a press release from the University.

Considered to be one of the NSF’s most prestigious honors bestowed, the CAREER award is presented by the Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development Program, and it is presented to early-career faculty members who “have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department,” according to the NSF’s description.

Dr. Nicholas Kooyers, Dr. James Nelson, and Dr. Mohsen Amini Salehi are the recipients of the distinguished award, and they are all faculty members of UL Lafayette’s Ray P. Authement College of Sciences. Dr. Azmy S. Ackleh is the dean of the college, and he remarked on the prestige of the award by saying, “this is one of the most prestigious funding awards early-career faculty can get. It shows the caliber of faculty we have in the College of Sciences. They are leaders in their respective disciplines and their ideas make them competitive at the national level.”

The National Science Foundation first presented the CAREER award in 1995 as a way to support the outstanding efforts of junior faculty members who epitomize the role of a teacher-scholar in their education and research. The award is presented annually alongside a federal grant for research and education activities, both of which are dispersed over five years. The NSF is an independent federal agency that provides funding for nearly 25 percent of federally-supported research that is conducted by American colleges and Universities.

Dr. Kooyers and Dr. Nelson are each assistant professors in the University’s Department of Biology and Dr. Salehi is an assistant professor in the School of Computing and Informatics.  Each CAREER award is accompanied by an NSF grant that is given to award recipients to further their research. Dr. Nicholas Kooyers will receive $997,269 to examine whether or not the effects of climate change can be countered through a process known as assisted migration. Dr. James Nelson will receive $688,849 to research climate change’s effects on coastal marsh ecosystems, specifically those in Louisiana. Dr. Mohsen Amini Salehi will receive a $513,000 grant to research the development of a domain-specific cloud platform for enhanced multimedia streaming.

Dr. Ramesh Kolluru, associate provost and vice president for Research, Innovation, and Economic Development at UL Lafayette remarked, “with the addition of Drs. Kooyers, Nelson, and Salehi to this roster of exceptional academic talent, our faculty members have now received the CAREER Award eight times since 2004. That’s undeniable evidence of the continued strength of our research mission and the dedicated faculty whose work animates it.”

While the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s College of Sciences has had five CAREER Award recipients before 2021, this year makes it the first time multiple NSF honors were bestowed to faculty members in a single year. UL Lafayette’s past recipients were Dr. Sheng Chen, a 2018 honoree; Dr. Danella Zhao, 2011; Dr. Miao Jin, 2009; Dr. Dmitri Perkins, 2005; and Dr. Hongyi Wu, 2004.

Receiving the honor that is a CAREER award from the NSF is a highly-respected achievement by educational leaders in their respective schools, and it has a history of building a firm foundation for a career marked by leadership and the integration of both education and research. Recipients of the award are selected for the honor early in their career, making them the ideal academic role models of their respective educational institutions, and with three UL Lafayette faculty members receiving the honor this year, the future is looking bright.

For more education-related information, click here.