Southwest Chili

Since I made a commitment to making and blogging about those recipes I’ve tagged, put in binders, sticky noted, and paper clipped, I figured I’d better get on it!

I’ve never been a big fan of chili, because I’ve never been a big fan of beans. (Are you singing “Beans, beans, the magical fruit” right now? Because I am.) However, my kiddo and I went to a Halloween party recently (on Halloween, natch) and my friend Lorna Doone served up some chili with fixin’s. Kiddo, who will complain if he’s being served something other than pizza or burritos, ate it up like I hadn’t fed him in a week. (Don’t worry, he had eaten earlier that day. Breakfast, lunch and at least one snack. I promise.) The meat to bean ratio looked ok by me, so I had a bowl and was surprised how much I enjoyed it. I overheard Lorna telling another guest how she just kind of threw it together with a little this and a little that. Being an avid recipe follower, I knew that wouldn’t work for me. So, it's on. The quest for the Perfect Family Chili.

I’ve always known Big T (the husband) was a fan of chili, and had some recipes tagged with paper clips in a few cookbooks. It must have been from back when I was a much more adventurous cook and was still trying to impress him. The one I opted to make is from a Better Homes and Gardens, All-Time Favorites Slow Cooker Magazine from 2004. It had that meat to bean balance I was looking for, looked easy, and didn’t have the word “alarm” in it.

Southwest Chili
2 lbs ground beef
2 cups chopped onion
½ cup chopped green or red sweet pepper
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 ½ cups water
1 12-oz can tomato paste
1 15-oz can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 14 ½ oz can diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp yellow mustard
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp salt
½ to 1 tsp ground red pepper
½ tsp ground cumin

In a very large skillet, cook ground beef, onion sweet pepper, and garlic until meat is brown. Drain fat. Place mixture in a 4 ½-6 qt. slow cooker. Stir together the water and tomato paste. Add to slow cooker along with red kidney beans, Great Northern beans, undrained tomatoes, mustard, chili powder, black pepper, salt, ground red pepper, and cumin. Stir to combine.
Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours, or on high heat setting for 4 to 5 hours. Makes 8 servings.

Changes made: not much, just used about a cup of red peppers that I had in my freezer. Also put out shredded cheddar, sour cream and crushed tortilla chips for toppings.

I did photograph the chili both in the crockpot and in the bowl all fixed up, but my photography skills need a lot of work. This reminds me that I’m going to sign up for a Photoshop class this winter. Oh, yeah! It also reminds me that I need to use the good camera for these types of pictures.

Verdict: Kiddo loved it and ate two bowls, but Big T and I thought it was pretty bland. I was right about it being a good meat to bean ratio, so that’s a plus. I don’t know if I should have seasoned the meat while I was cooking it, or added more spices. If anyone has any ideas how to make this recipe better, let me know (or lemmeneaux as my friend Katy would say). In the meantime, I’ll keep looking for a good chili recipe that has bigger flavor but low heat for our sensitive PNW palate.

Chocolate Chai Spice Cupcakes

I found (or was sent) this recipe for Chocolate Chai Spice cupcakes at least 2 years ago, maybe more. And it sat in my bookmarks for those entire 2+ years without me trying them, partially because I didn't have cardamom, partially because they looked like a lot of work.

When knit night friend Selena was back in town in October, I had promised to make her some cupcakes. I didn't want to make the same ones I had done last time I went cupcake crazy, but wanted something special. I decided to break out this recipe and get down to business.

The day I was baking the cupcakes, I was looking over the recipe at work to make sure I had everything I needed to get started. My twitter status updates that day were about cupcakes, with such gems as:

(Please excuse the poor photochoppery here - I'm without photoshop as I write, so have to improvise).

There were also discussions on if I could use applesauce in place of some of the butter because, HOLY MOSES THAT'S A LOT OF BUTTER. And that was just in the cupcakes & did not include the 2 sticks in the frosting. In the end, though, I said "screw it" and just went with the recipe as written. With all 5 sticks of butter.

I bake things like this and wonder why I'm not on the weight loss train at the moment. Hmm. Let me think about that some more.

The cupcakes turned out fabulous - I think Mindy said they were her new favorite cupcake or something to that effect. It's been a month since I made them, I can barely remember my name at this point.

The recipe, lifted from Chockylit with my notes in italics:

Chai Spice Mix

• 2 teaspoons fennel, whole (I used ground because I could find it & don't have a food processor)
• 2 teaspoons cloves, whole (again, I used ground)
• 1 tablespoon cardamom, ground
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon, ground
• 2 teaspoons ginger, ground

1. With a small food processor, grind up the whole fennel and cloves.
2. Transfer to a small bowl and add remaining spices. Mix to combine. (Obviously I just mixed mine all together since I didn't have to use a food processor.)

The ones that aren't chocolate are a failed experiment in sweet potato cupcakes. Lesson: Don't try other recipes when you have a perfectly good one already.

Chocolate Chai Spice Cupcakes
24 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

• 200 gram bar of Valrhona 61% cacao (Ghiradelli works well if you can't find Valrhona easily).
• 3 sticks butter
• 2-1/4 cups sugar
• 8 eggs
• 1-1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 teaspoons chai spice mix
• pinch of salt

1. Chop chocolate and transfer into the bowl of a standing mixer.
2. Add butter to the chocolate and place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir until chocolate melts and butter is combined. Time to come clean - I don't have a real mixer, I have a hand held one. And until about 2 weeks ago, I didn't have a proper bowl for melting and mixing. So I just melt things directly over the heat on my gas stove and it works FINE as long as I don't forget it's there and keep stirring. Seriously.
3. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Let mixture cool for 10 minutes.
4. Beat in an electric mixer for 3 minutes.
5. Add one egg at a time, mixing for 30 seconds between each Or be lazy like me and add the eggs 2 at a time, then mix until they're blended in.
6. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, chai spice mix, and a pinch of salt into the mixture and mix until blended. Yes, I actually sifted it in. It was quite nice, too. Except that I don't have a real sifter, just one of the small wire strainer doohickeys, so it took a little longer to sift through that than it would with an old school sifter like this one. My parents had that sifter. It was fantastic.
7. Scoop into cupcake cups and bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

I think, other than the mixer issue, I did everything just like she says there.

I let my cupcakes cool overnight. My ironing board makes a great cooling rack since I lack counter space. I have no idea how I'm going to be able to bake for Christmas with no counter space.

Chai Spice Buttercream Frosting

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 4-5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/4 cup milk I may have forgotten the milk and used water instead because I was reading two recipes at once. I should not multi-task when baking. Or did I do that with a different recipe? I did it once and everything turned out fine. Now I think I did that with the peanut butter frosting, though. Hmm.
• 2 teaspoons chai spice mix I think I used at least 3 tsp, maybe more. I still have some of the mix left.
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger I did not use this.

1. Beat butter until creamy, scrape bowl.
2. Add 4 cups of sifted powdered sugar, milk, spice mix, and ginger. Beat until combined.
3. Add more powdered sugar as needed to get piping consistency.

Seriously, y'all, this frosting was amazing. I still have some in my freezer because I didn't use it all.

This recipe has definitely earned a place in my personal arsenal of baking. They turned out great, really weren't that much work, and were devoured almost instantly. YUM.

Cannellini and Pearl Barley Soup

It's getting to be soup weather around here.

Not too cold yet, but just right for simmering a pot of soup on the stove as I go about my day.  Or, better yet, pile everything in the slow cooker and head out the door.

I'm a really big fan of soups, and since a trip to town usually involves several hours away from the house just to make the trip worthwhile, I often turn to my well-worn slow cooker to do the cooking while I'm away.  In my world, it's the next best thing to having an actual cook!

When I was a kid, my parents made a wonderful, rich bean and pasta soup that is still one of my favorites.  Since perfecting that one years ago, I've been working variations on the theme.  This soup, hearty yet not too heavy, combines beans with tender, slightly nutty, pearl barley.  Bright carrots and leeks bring the earthy grains and legumes alive.  You can make this soup purely vegetarian, and it's wonderful.  But I also love the addition of the sausage for a rich, smokey quality that really warms and satisfies on a brisk fall day.  You can also omit the red pepper if you don't like spice.  While the small 1/8 tsp. amount won't set off any alarms, it does give it just a little kick that I really like.

Bright greens and orange illuminate...

photo by Annie

Cannellini and Pearl Barley Soup

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 large carrot, chopped
2 small leeks, whites and light greens, sliced in rounds
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 Tbs. dried parsley
1 tsp. dried sage
1 1/2 cups cooked cannellini beans (or any white bean)
1/2 cup uncooked dry pearl barley
2 1/2 cups each vegetable stock and water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 lb. smoked turkey or lamb sausage - optional


Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat.  Saute leeks, carrots, celery, thyme, oregano, and parsley until leeks begin to become tender.  Add the sage and cook another 30 seconds.  Remove from heat and transfer into the pot of a 5 qt. slow cooker.

Slice sausages in half and cook, in the same saute pan as the vegetables, until deeply browned on the outside.   Add to the slow cooker.

Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker, stir well to combine, and cook on low heat for 4-5 hours.

Serve with freshly shredded gruyere, parmesan, or your favorite cheese and fresh ground pepper.

Dried Apples: it must be autumn

Today I knew for sure it was autumn.

It was the apples.  They are everywhere, and I could not be happier, because folks, I love me up some apples!

photo by DeusXFlorida

CC 2.0

A couple weeks ago, my husband and I were put in charge of the apple pie contest at our town's first annual Fall Festival.  After the pies were judged, we opened up the booth and sold slices for $1.00 each.  We had a line down the street before they even announced it and a mad rush as soon as we started cutting.

Of course, my husband and I might not be the best choices to work at an Apple Pie booth, as we both, um, "tested" the pies more than a few times.  You know, just to make sure our customers were getting a quality product.

So, today, apples and autumn were on my mind.  I love dried fruit in general, but apples are pretty much the top of my list, with mangoes a very close second.  I made a batch of dried apples before our summer backpacking trip and the kids and I devoured them in the first day.  I knew I needed a substantial stash for this season, so 10 lbs. is just my first batch.

photo by Marmot

CC 2.0

Having made apple sauce in the past, and frequently using apples in my baking and cooking, I had had just about enough of hand peeling apples and trying to cut away the core then slice them uniformly.  I soooo coveted an apple peeler/corer/slicer, but could never get myself to spend the money on one.  But good fortune smiled on me this week and I found an unused one at a thrift store for $5!  I figured, heck, if it only lasted for this 10 lbs. of apples, it would still be worth it to me.  Besides, the name of this contraption "Apple Machine" (not just peeler/corer/slicer) was written on the box solely in French: La machine des pommes.  And of course, anything with the product name written in French must be a great product right?  Certainly better than simple "the machine".

So, how 'bout them apples?  Please do not even try to tell me that you could resist something that amusingly cute for just $5.

And, can I just say: stop being so damned frugal and buy yourself a machine des pommes, post-haste!  It is so, so very worth it.  I peeled, cored, and sliced 10 lbs. of apples in about 10 minutes, including fiddling with the first-use adjustments for la machine.  Even my exceedingly frugal husband was won over by it's awesomeness.  Plus, my kids think it's way cool to eat curly apple rings.

finished apples, polished off immediately after the photograph...

and la machine des pommes, a curiosity for my 9 year old, who is now enthralled with apple peeling

I love making apple sauce and apple butter as well, but dried apple pieces can't be beat for a snack.  What's your method for prepping and preserving apples?

How to Dry Apples

You'll need:
10 lbs apples, sweet variety

Method:
Wash the apples and allow to dry, or pat dry with a clean towel.  It helps if you can get apples without a waxy coating (i.e. not from the super market) as wax coating makes peeling more difficult, both by hand and machine.  If you've got a machine des pommes, your prep work will be surprisingly quick and easy, about 10 minutes for 10 lbs. of apples.  The slicer mechanism gave me slices about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.  The firmer the apple, the better the result too.  For uniform results, you'll want the slices to be about the same thickness.

The drying will likely take about 5-8 hours at 150-170 degrees, depending on your method.  I used a high capacity home dehydrator and it took about six hours.  I will probably use slightly less time the next batch I make.  While this one tastes great and worked out beautifully, I like a slightly more leathery, chewy dried apple and these are firmer.

Spread the apple slices evenly across your drying tray.  Pieces may be densely spaced, but not touching.  Center the rack(s) in the dehydrator and close the drying door.  Set the temperature to between 140 and 170 degrees for five hours, checking occasionally after three hours, until apple reach desired consistency.

Ten pounds of apples yielded about two quarts of dried fruit.  You won't likely need to worry about storing that much fruit for a long time.  You'll probably eat it long before it has a chance to expire!

Store your dried apples in an airtight container or zipper-top bag (with the air pushed out) in a cool, dark place.  They will keep for at least a couple of months, if not longer.  Alaternately, you can also vacuum seal them (such as "seal-a-meal") in smaller portions and keep the unopened portions in the refrigerator.  If you store them in the refrigerator, be sure they are tightly sealed so they don't absorb moisture from the refrigerator.

A new feature

I've been thinking about pursuing a project similar to the one Nupur at One Hot Stove has started, working through the recipes she's bookmarked online (the aptly named Bookmark Project). I had been thinking of ways to kick up the variety in the kitchen lately & remembered her project, although my recipes are often printed out and placed in a binder for me to cook later.

When I mentioned this idea, fellow Stonecutter Wiwwa said that she has a similar problem with the binder full of recipes to try, so we're going to collaborate on this project together.

For my part of the project, I'm going to try to work through the recipes I have printed, bookmarked, saved, or what have you. Since I'm really trying to be healthy, I'll be attempting healthier versions of most of my recipes*. This will also give me a reason to go through my cookbooks & mark the recipes I'd like to try, then force me to try them sometime.

*Unless they were healthy to begin with, of course.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Tart

photo by Annie

Oh autumn, how I love thee! Truly my favorite time of year, autumn is full of possibilities. I know that for many, autumn is a time for taking stock, hunkering down, and getting ready for the winter— literally and figuratively. There are leaves to rake, gutters to clean out, all the trappings of summer to be stashed away until next season. Not to mention mentally readying oneself for a season of cold, gloomy weather, with darkness descending at seemingly inhuman hours.

But for me, autumn is also a time of infinite potential. We haven't yet reached the shortest days of the season and though temperatures are dipping into the 30s and 40s at night here at the ranch, daytime is warm enough for a few hours at the beach or in the garden. The lazy days of summer have been swept off and children all over the Island are more active and involved. Tourist season is nearly over, and the sleepy little town I love is emerging from the hustle and frenzied pace of summer.

Autumn skies seem bluer than summer skies with a quality of light unique to the season as the sun creeps stubbornly southward. And miraculously, strange little comforts, like my lawn turning green again, and the native plants beginning to poke through the dry summer remains, rejuvenate me. Our Island is a desert isle in the truest sense, and being one not to try to conquer mother nature at every turn, I tend to let things take their seasonal course. That is, except of course for my edible garden. For that, I wage merciless battle. Alas, I lost the battle this year, so I've not late season crops to harvest. But I'm filled with anticipation for starting my winter crops: onions, garlic, and greens. I confess: Living in such a mild climate has it's advantages. Mild winters mean I can grow edibles nearly 10 months of the year.

Almost terrifying how unattractive my tart shell is, eh?  Don't worry, it was 

covered in roasted squash and onions, for a beautiful orangey disguise.

Some of my favorite foods appear in autumn as well. And while summer is too warm and free spirited for baking and ovens, autumn just begs for roasting and baking hearty root vegetables and squash. My favorite squash, above all others, is butternut squash. This recipe is for a savory tart, pairing butternut squash, roasted and pureed with sweet, rich caramelized onions. It's a tasty, surprising mingling of sweet, savory, nutty, and earthy, and sure to warm and satisfy.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Tart

Inspired by an old recipe from Gourmet Magazine, November 1998

Tart crust:

1 recipe tart or pastry dough.  I use this recipe from David Lebovitz's web site because it is crazy, ridiculously simple, and tastes wonderful.  And any pastry recipe that doesn't require rolling, I'm all over it.

Filling:

1 medium butternut squash, about 1 1/2 lb.

3 tsp. olive oil, divided

1 Tbs. unsalted butter, divided

4 springs fresh rosemary (about 1 inch long each)

1 tsp. thyme

1/2 tsp rubber sage

1 tsp fine sea salt

1/2 tsp ground white pepper

1 large yellow onion

2 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp. butter

1 tsp balsamic or white balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs water

1 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 cup cream

3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1/3 cup plain feta or crumbled goat cheese

1/3 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 tsp cayenne

salt and black pepper to taste

4 slices whole whet bread

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp paprika

Preheat oven to 450°.

Slice your quash in half and remove the seeds using a large spoon, scraping out any of the veiny center.  Place the sqash cut side up on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.  Using 2 Tbs. of the olive oil, drizzle oil over the squash and use fingers to coat the surface.  Divide the 1 Tbs. of butter evenly, and cut into thin pieces.  Dot the butter along the edges and in the center of the squash.  Place two sprigs of rosemary in each half and sprinkle the thyme, sage, and white pepper evenly over each half of squash.

Roast the squash in the upper third portion of the oven for about 40 minutes or until very tender when pierced with a fork.  When tender, remove from the oven and let stand until cool enough to handle.  Reduce oven temperature to 375°.

While the squash is roasting, prepare the onions as follows:

Slice onions into thin (1/8 inch) slices. In a large saute pan, heat olive oil and butter over medium-low heat. When oils are hot, add onions and cook slowly until they become very soft and the butter and oil begin to form a thick sauce on the onions. If they look slightly dry, add up tablespoon of water. Then, cover and let cook on medium-low heat until onions are soft, thick, and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to ensure against burning.

Add about 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar about 30 seconds before removing onions from the heat. Stir well to coat and cook off any excess liquid.

When the squash is cool enough to handle, discard the rosemary sprigs and scoop the tender flesh out of the shell.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine squash, caramelized onions, egg, cream, cheeses, cayenne, and salt & pepper to taste.  Process until well blended, about 20 seconds.  The mixture will be smooth with small bits of onion and cheese visible.

To make the bread crumb topping, process the bread slices, 1/4 cup parmesan, and 1/2 tsp paprika in a food processor until it forms a course meal.  Of course, in a pinch, pre-made bread crumbs work just dandy.

Spoon the squash and onion mixture into the prepared tart crust and evenly sprinkle the breadcrumbs across the top.  Bake at 375° for 35 -40 minutes or until set.

Let cool for 5 minutes before serving to fully set.

Growing and Preserving

Growing my own food is one of my greatest pleasures.  Sometimes it's a highly successful endeavor, while others it's an exercise is patience and tenacity.  But harvesting and eating something I've grown myself gives me such a sense of satisfaction, I keep coming back to the garden season after season.

Last year's sugar snap peas

I'm learning a great deal about what it takes to feed myself (and how very grateful I am that there are farmers who dedicate their lives to the vocation!) as I strive to grow more and more of my food myself.  I love that I know exactly what went into my food, where it came from, and that it was my hands, my heart, and those of my family who participated in the garden that coaxed a living, growing thing from simple soil and that it could actually feed us!

Whether it's a simple window-box herb garden or full kitchen garden, growing food is a deeply rewarding exercise.

Though we live in one of the easiest growing climates in the world, we by no means grow all our own food.  We try, each season to do better, grow more; that doesn't always work and some years, like this one, we end up cultivating the world's best wildlife-buffet.  The ravens ravaged our fruit trees while the squirrels, quail, and foxes devoured pretty much everything else.

Last year, not a thing was touched.  In fact, I had enough to give away at the local organic food co-op more than once.

Most of my harvests are relatively small and we eat the foods immediately.  There's nothing like a vegetable picked 10 feet from your kitchen to remind you of how delicious fresh food really is!  A carrot or zucchini plucked from the vine and eaten in just minutes can even win over a skeptical toddler.

Ahhhh, the yukon gold potatoes... such promise at this stage.  

And then, there were the squirrels.  Le sigh.

Whether I have a little extra from the garden or pick up extra at the market, I also love to preserve fresh fruits and vegetables.  I dry apples; pickle cucumbers; freeze corn, berries, and zucchini; dry, stew, sauce, and salsify tomatoes; and if I *ever* get a decent apricot crop before the birds get them, I'll be making jam as well.

Preserving foods is a great way to keep summer alive just a little longer, but it also saves nutrients, money, and time.  Most preserving can be as simple as drying or freezing, which takes just a small amount of active prep-time.

Gardening and preserving food is growing in popularity, and the resources available to those interested in trying it are numerous.

I've got several recipes and "how to" guides here already and plan to add more.  If you've got a wonderful technique, trick, or recipe for preserving food, I'd love to hear it.  What's your favorite thing to preserve?  Do you garden?  Is your garden big or small?  Thriving or, like mine, struggling?

Here are a few links to get you started:
Los Angeles Common Ground Garden Program
    Gardening tips, ideas, questions & answers
Watch Your Garden Grow
    Gardening answers from the U. of Illinois Master Gardeners.
Seed Savers
    Sharing and saving Heirloom seeds
Gardener's Supply Company
    Garden How-to guides
    Kitchen Garden Planer (good for beginners!)

Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving
Great resource for a variety of home canning techniques
National Center for Home Food Preserving
    Research-based canning & preserving info from the U. of Georgia