January – Turkey Chili

January – Turkey Chili

Okay, I know there are about a million recipes out there for chili. I have a whole Pinterest folder full of them. Why do you need one more? Well…what about easy, almost fat free, delicious, full of healthy vegetables, suitable for both phase 1 and phase 3 of the Fast Metabolism Diet, and lastly an insurance policy in the freezer. Chili is the answer for the question “what shall we have for dinner?” frequently posed at 6 pm when everyone is tired, hungry, and grumpy. That’s the kind of insurance I’m talking about. It’s good with rice, with cornbread, poured over a baked potato, garnished with cheese or avocado or chips or cilantro or chopped onion or sour cream, use it in a burrito bowl or rolled in a taco. Whew! And it is delicious just as is, perfect for lunch or dinner on a chilly day. You have lots of options.

This recipe makes a big batch, four quarts of chili. Enough for to put a quart or two in the freezer.

2 cups of chili are a phase 1 meal, garnish with half a sliced avocado for phase 3. Because of the large amounts of legumes, it counts as a starch as well as a protein.

Turkey Chili

4 quarts of Turkey Chili

Turkey Chili

Makes 4 quarts – 8 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 pounds of ground turkey
  • 1 large red onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro or parsley
  • 1 heaping tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon of cumin
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes (depending on how spicy you like your chili)
  • 2 cans of black beans
  • 1 can of pinto beans, drained
  • 4 cups of chopped zucchini
  • 2 red peppers, chopped
  • 1 32 ounce can of chopped tomatoes with juice
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt plus more to taste

Directions:

  1. Brown the turkey over medium heat in a large heavy bottomed pot, add a tablespoon or two of water if it sticks.
  2. Add the onion, herbs, chili powder, cumin, garlic and red chili flakes to the pot. Cook on until the onion softens, about 10 minutes.
  3. Add the 2 cans of black beans with their liquid, the drained pinto beans, and the tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and turn down the heat. Simmer 40 minutes.
  4. Add the zucchini, red pepper and salt, simmer for another 40 minutes to an hour.
  5. Taste for salt.
  6. Garnish with chopped cilantro, thinly sliced cabbage, avocado, sour cream, cheese, etc.

    Turkey Chili

    Turkey Chili

This recipe is adapted from one in the Fast Metabolism Diet.

 

January in the Kitchen – Vegetarian Chili with Beer and Butternut Squash

January in the Kitchen – Vegetarian Chili with Beer and Butternut Squash

Vegetarian Chili with Beer and Butternut Squash

Even non-vegetarians will love this chili! Our son, a definite carnivore, said it was his favorite of the three. The chili is better the next day once flavors meld, perfect for a party since it can be made ahead. Reheat gently before serving. party food. This recipe will feed 8 hungry hikers.

The recipe is adapted from the vegetarian-cooking app by Lukas Volger. I used Magic Mineral Broth for the vegetarian stock; you’ll need about 4 cups. If you are gluten free, consider using dry cider in place of the beer.

Start by soaking the beans the day before you intend to make the chili.

  • 1 pound of dried beans of medium size 

    Pinquitos

    Pinquito beans

  • 4 guajillo or ancho chiles, dried 

    Dried Guajillo Chili

    Dried Guajillo Chili

  • 1 large onion, roughly chopped
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 8 cloves of garlic
  • 2 small fresh chilies such as Serrano, stemmed and seeded
  • ¼ cup of vegetable oil such as canola or sunflower
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
  • 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
  • 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1 – 2 teaspoons of kosher salt
  • 2 cups of dark brown ale
  • 1 28-oz can of chopped or crushed tomatoes
  • 3 tablespoons of brown sugar
  • 4 cups of vegetable stock, such as Magic Mineral Broth
  • 4 cups of cubed winter squash, (1/2 inch cubes) 
  1. Soak the beans the night before you intend to make the chili. Start by rinsing the beans and picking them over to remove any stones. Cover them with plenty of cool water and leave overnight.
  2. Briefly toast the cumin and fennel seeds in a dry skillet until golden brown. Crush in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
  3. Cover the dried chilies with hot water and soak for about 10 minutes, until softened. Drain, reserving the soaking water. Stem and seed the chilies, chop them coarsely.
  4. Combine the onions and carrots in a feed processor and chop finely.
  5. Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the carrot-onion mixture, cook on medium until soft, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  6. Add the soaked chilies, garlic, and fresh chilies to the bowl of the food processor. With the motor running, pour in a few tablespoons of the chili soaking water. You want to puree the contents into a smooth paste. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
  7. Add the chili paste to the onions and carrots in the pot. Add the crushed cumin and fennel seeds, paprika, cocoa powder, and salt. Cook about 5 minutes until thick.
  8. Add the beer and scrape up any browned bits.
  9. Add the drained beans and stir
  10. Add the can of tomatoes and the stock.
  11. Bring to a boil, partially cover the pot, and cook for 60 minutes or until the beans are almost tender.
  12. Add the cubed squash and cook for another 30 minutes until the beans and squash are cooked. Taste a few beans to make sure they are done.
  13. Add additional stock or water as needed if the chili seems too thick. If you reheat the chili you will probably need to add more stock or water.
Vegetarian Chili

Vegetarian Chili

Serve with rice. Garnish with sour cream, chopped onion, shredded cheese, and cilantro.

January in the Kitchen – “In My Kitchen”

January in the Kitchen – “In My Kitchen”

January In My Kitchen

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you had as marvelous a holiday as we did. I wish you all a joyous, healthy, and love filled 2015.

This post is part of a fascinating monthly series about what is new in kitchens around the world, visit “In My Kitchen” hosted by Celia of Fig Jam and Lime Cordial for the January 2015 update. The holidays have been good to cooks and foodies.

In my kitchen today are the clean platters and wine glasses to be put away after our annual New Year’s Day party. I need the step stool to get into the tallest kitchen cabinets and haven’t gotten around to it. Meanwhile the dishes are happy reminders of a lovely party and time spent with good friends.

I will also be reminded of the party by the leftovers, now safely stashed away in the freezer, of three kinds of chili…all beef (A Bowl of Red), Chicken with Sweet Potatoes, and Vegetarian Chili with Beer and Winter Squash. Those quart containers of chili are a safety net for busy winter days.

Beef Chili

Chili Con Carne

Chicken Chili with Beans and Sweet Potatoes

Chicken Chili with Beans and Sweet Potatoes

Vegetarian Chili

Vegetarian Chili

Under our Christmas tree I found two new cookbooks and a book of the best food writing of 2014. There will be lots of reading by the fire, and new recipes to try once I have lost my holiday bloat. There is a lovely recipe in the a.o.c. cookbook for a pudding using cornbread, I will put my leftover cornbread to good use.

New Cookbooks - Jamie Oliver Comfort Food, A.O.C. Cookbook, Best Food Writing of 2014

New Cookbooks – Jamie Oliver Comfort Food, A.O.C. Cookbook, Best Food Writing of 2014

I’m looking forward to posting my first entry for the Cookbook Guru, a monthly cookbook book club for bloggers and cooking enthusiasts. My copy of the 2015 January and February choice, “Jane Grigson’s Vegetable Book”, was delivered today. It will be fun to decide which recipe to write about. My husband’s first comment when he saw the book was “No pictures!” it made me realize how much cookbooks have changed since her book was published in the 70’s. Would a Julia Child without pictures sell today? At the moment, photography seems almost more important than recipes.

Jane Grigson's Vegetable Book

Jane Grigson’s Vegetable Book

In my kitchen is a jar of ghee, a gift from my friend Suzanne who does a lot of Indian cooking. New to me was the fact that it does not need to be refrigerated. I need to find a special recipe for using it. Do you readers have any favorites?

Ghee

Ghee

Simmering on the stove is a stockpot of duck soup (isn’t there a movie with that name?). We had roast duck for Christmas dinner and I froze the carcasses until I had the energy to tackle the stock. The weather has been dipping into freezing and it is definitely soup time.

Duck Stock

Duck Stock

Also in my kitchen are some new spices, Sumac and dried Black Lemons (Omani limes). I haven’t used either of them before but have been reading about them in Yotam Ottolenghi’s cook, “Plenty More”. I’m envious of those of you in the UK; I’d love to visit his restaurant.

Sumac

Sumac

Black Lemon Omani (LIme)

Black Lemon Omani (LIme)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And lastly in my kitchen are the last of the holiday cookies.

Raspberry bar cookies

Raspberry bar cookies

My husband likes them for breakfast with a cup of coffee.

 

January in the kitchen – A Tale of Three Chilies

January in the kitchen – A Tale of Three Chilies

Chili Time – A Bowl of Red

I have a confession; I don’t like New Year’s Eve. My idea of a great New Year’s Eve is snuggling in bed at 10 pm with my hubby and a good book. But, New Year’s Day is an entirely different story. It’s the beginning of a new year and I can’t think of anything better than taking a long hike in the redwoods with the dogs, and being surrounded by good friends. That’s how our annual New Year’s Day hike and chili party got started. The first year there were only two of us hiking, but it was magical. Shrouded in fog and a light drizzle, we walked through an empty forest while the moisture dripped from the trees while the dogs ran joyfully up and down the ravines. We repeat that same 6-mile hike every year with a changing cast of characters. Who would believe this beautiful park is just minutes from downtown Oakland!

But, hike or not, everyone is invited back to the house for the annual chili feast.

There will be a chili for every dietary need, gluten free, vegetarian, and paleo. My chili recipe research starts the day after Christmas; each year they are different.  I make a lot to satisfy appetites sharpened by the walk, but still have leftovers to stock in the freezer for busy winter evenings. Chili is the perfect cold night meal. In Tex-Mex cooking it originally was eaten over hot dogs or hamburgers at a BBQ, and it’s good that way. My favorite is over baked potatoes.

Did you know that the inspiration for chili came from the Canary Islands? Real Texas chili has its roots in North Africa. I had never thought about this until I read a fascinating history of chili and Tex-Mex cooking in a book called “The Tex-Mex Cookbook: A History in Recipes and Photos”.

How did this come about? The Canary Islands were a Spanish possession, as was Texas originally. In 1731 Islanders were encouraged to relocate to San Antonio (Texas) because settlers were in short supply and few Spaniards were interested in living in such a wilderness.

It turns out that the aboriginal inhabitants of the Canary Islands were the Guanche, believed to be related to the Berber people from Morocco. According to the American Spice Trade Association, the “lavish use of spices” characterizes Berber foods. The cuisine’s “flavor imprint” is made up of “cumin, coriander, saffron, chili, ginger, cinnamon, and paprika.” The Canary Islanders brought a taste for cumin to Texas in amounts that Spaniards would have found overwhelming.

Outdoor socializing was also part of the Canary Island tradition; the Islanders started the San Antonio chili stand, an informal outdoor restaurant. Their original location was around Military Square. The chili stands were popular tourist and late night destinations until closed in the 1930’s for sanitary reasons. But chili had already become an essential part of the Tex-Mex food scene.

Our family’s traditional New Year’s Day hike and chili feast has its roots in Texas (where my father was born and I still have family) and California, where the weather is perfect for a New Year’s Day hike through the redwood forest.

I spend the week between Christmas and New Years making at least three kinds of chili, perfect party food. It is much improved by sitting in the refrigerator for a couple of days, and freezes well.

Let’s start with authentic. Real Texas chili does not contain tomatoes or beans. This “Bowl of Red” is true to tradition. The recipe is adapted from “The Tex-Mex Cookbook: A History in Recipes and Photos”.

A Bowl of Red

A Bowl of Red

Texas Red Chili AKA Chili Con Carne

Serves 6-8

  • 3 ½ pounds of beef stew meat cubed into ½ inch pieces and dried (chuck preferred)
  • 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil, more if needed
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic minced
  • 3 tablespoons ground Ancho chili powder (or other mild chili powder)
  • 2 tablespoons whole cumin seeds
  • 1-2 tablespoons medium to hot paprika (depending on your desire for heat)
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 4-6 cups of beef broth
  • 2 – 3 tablespoons of corn flour (masa harina)

 

Beef Chili

Chili Con Carne

  1. Toast the whole cumin seeds in a dry skillet until golden, remove to a small plate to cool. Once cool, grind to a powder in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
  2. In the same skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat.
  3. Add the beef (you will need to do this in several batches) and brown on all sides. Once browned, remove the meat to a bowl. Add more oil if needed for the next batch.
  4. Once all the meat has been browned, add 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan, add the chopped onion and cook on medium for 10 minutes until soft.
  5. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional minute.
  6. Return the beef to the pan, include any juices in the bottom of the bowl.
  7. Add the ground cumin, chili powder, paprika, oregano, and black pepper. Mix to combine and coat the meat with the spices.
  8. Add the beef broth and bring to a gentle simmer.
  9. Cook on low heat, covered, for 2 hours until the meat is tender.
  10. Combine the masa harina with ¼ cup of cold water and stir until a thin paste forms.
  11. Add the cornmeal mixture to the simmering chili and stir until it dissolves.
  12. Cook on simmer for an additional 10 minutes to blend flavors and thicken the chili.
  13. Taste for salt.

Traditional garnishes are sour cream (to cool it down), chopped red onion, cilantro, pickled jalapenos (if you want more heat), and shredded cheese.

The other chilies on the menu are chicken with sweet potatoes, and a vegetarian chili with butternut squash. Look for more posts and pictures of the hiking group on New Year’s Day.

Beef Chili from Texas

Chili Con Carne – A Bowl of Red

I’ll be taking this to share on Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen’s, and Fiesta Friday at the Novice Gardener.

fiesta-friday-badge-button-i-party-1

I wish you the happiest of New Year’s, and a 2015 filled with joy and love. Thank you for visiting. Y’all come back.

October in the kitchen – Hot Green Chili Spread

October in the kitchen – Hot Green Chili Spread

IMG_0133

The Saturday farmer’s market down the street from me in Oakland has been bursting with produce. They still have an abundance of vegetables I consider the product of high summer such as summer squash, peppers, basil, and tomatoes. But, in addition, the stalls are filling with bright colored winter squash and pumpkins. The colors are intoxicating. I couldn’t resist buying a bunch of different peppers to make a recipe I saw on-line for Hot Green Chili Sauce. This sauce is thick and spreadable, not watery at all. I’m thinking of using it with scrambled eggs this coming Sunday morning, on a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch this week, and with tostadas for dinner on Tuesday night. This sauce could quickly become a staple at our house! I plan to make a large batch next weekend and stock it in the freezer for the middle of winter.

The following is adapted from a recipe on the blog “Tasty Plan”. If you haven’t had a chance to check it out, you should do so. They have the most amazing photographs; I’d like to literally eat the screen of my computer!

Feel free to change this recipe to match the peppers you have on hand, or may still have in your garden. Ideally you want a mix with hot peppers and sweet peppers. But, there is no reason you couldn’t use mostly sweet. The mix of flavors from a variety of peppers is what makes this sauce interesting.

Hot Green Chili Spread (makes about 2 cups)

Hot Green Chili Spread

Hot Green Chili Spread

  • 2 jalapeno peppers
  • 2 serrano peppers
  • 10 shishito peppers
  • 1 habanero pepper
  • 1 anaheim pepper
  • 5 small green, yellow or red sweet peppers – mix is fine
  • 6 cloves of garlic
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • salt – kosher or sea
  • 2 cups of cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon of sugar

Wash and dry the peppers. Cut off the stems and remove the seeds. If you have sensitive skin you may want to consider wearing gloves while you handle the hot ones; be careful not to touch your eyes. Slice the peppers and garlic thinly.

Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a skillet. When hot, add the peppers, garlic and about a teaspoon of salt. Sauté for 5-10 minutes until the peppers are just beginning to soften, you want to keep some of the freshness of the chilies and garlic. Add the sugar and vinegar to the pan, then the cilantro; remove the pan from the heat.

Put the contents of the skillet into a food processor and pulse until smooth. IMG_0136

Although smooth-ish, my food processor doesn’t produce an entirely smooth puree. That’s ok, a little texture is nice.

Brunch - Scrambled eggs with kale, sausage, parmesan and Hot Green Chili Spread

Brunch – Scrambled eggs with kale, sausage, parmesan and Hot Green Chili Spread

See my next post for Tostadas Three Ways with Hot Green Chili Spread.