Jalapeno Popper White Bean Chili

Spring is such a tease.  I may not be very familiar with the concept of 'teasing' because I am not the most flirtatious person (unlike a certain, smiling spaghetti squash-sized baby flirting through the sonogram screen) but I can tell when I'm being teased with and spring is not being very subtle about it.  With just a couple 55+ degree days in the past month, and a high of 38 tomorrow (on March 25th), and the constant restoring/unstoring of my snow boots . . . I get it.  Spring is not to be trusted.  I only hope that in a month she will have proven me wrong and shown what a wonderful, magical season she can be before she hands the days off to the heat of summer.

Parallel these irritations with Duke's unfortunate early exit from the NCAA tournament on Friday (before 2:30 pm), and I am seeking comfort in some more hearty fare.  This chili is easy, full of fiber and protein, and incredibly filling.  I made this for a couple friends and their two-year-old son.  Everyone enjoyed it -- even the toddler.  He is a budding chef, I believe, because he took the chips and salsa I had put out as appetizers and dipped the chips in the chili.  Genius.  Future leftovers will be ladled profusely over a plate of tortilla chips, topped with crumbled bacon and sour cream -- then devoured in that manner.  

As with most slow cooker recipes, it makes a ton so hopefully, once you finish the leftovers, the temperatures outside will finally be a glimpse of the warmer months ahead.  

Jalapeno Popper White Bean Chili

Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

1 yellow onion, medium, chopped

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced 

1 bell pepper, diced

1 pound chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

12 ounces dry white beans, picked through to remove any bad beans/stones and rinsed (I used white kidney beans -- very important to rinse these!)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

8 ounces light cream cheese, cubed

1 cup frozen corn kernels

In a slow cooker, add all ingredients except the cream cheese and corn.  Cook on low for 7 - 9 hours (I actually ended up cooking mine for about ten - eleven hours and it was fine).  Remove the chicken and shred into pieces.  Return chicken to the slow cooker and stir in the cubed cream cheese and the corn. Cook for another 15 minutes or until the cream cheese is melted and the corn is cooked through.  Stir to make sure everything is incorporated.  Serve with desired toppings like sour cream, cheese, crumbled bacon, salsa, tortilla chips, etc.  

Black-Eyed Pea Stew with Sausage and Collards

Happy New Year!  

I hope everyone's holiday season was a relaxing and happy one.  I took two weeks off from work so got a lot of rest and relaxation in.  The first week I spent in Newton with my family and got to dote on my niece and nephew regularly.  The second week I spent in New York City where I purposefully took the time off so I could see what it felt like to have nothing to do in the city for an entire week.  It was glorious.

That being said, the time off made me realize how much I appreciate a routine.  I was ready to get back to work (rain, cold and crowded subways be damned).  It also didn't hurt that I had leftovers of this recipe to look forward to for lunch.  As is the New Year's custom in my family, I made a meal that included black eyed peas, collards and pork to bring us health, wealth and good luck in 2012.  This year I made a stew and it already exhibited its prosperity by bringing us a beaucoup of leftovers.  I am not sure many people in the city know about this tradition (I'm working on spreading the word) but if you were wandering around the 5th floor of my apartment building last week, you would've smelled the deliciousness going on and convinced yourself to partake. 

 

The original recipe did not call for any sort of leafy greens but I added them due to the theory that collards represent money.  Figured it couldn't hurt u$.  Plus, the word 'collards' immediately takes me back to the south.  You can't NOT say it without a southern accent.  I also used a mix of sausages (hot and mild) and instead of chopping a can of Italian tomatoes, I bought a can of already chopped Italian tomatoes (duh).  I also only had 1 cup of dried black-eyed peas (ironically left over from last year).  The original recipe calls for 2 cups but 1 cup was fine.  These changes should be reflected in the recipe below.  Here's to prosperity in 2014!

Black-Eyed Pea Stew with Sausage and Collards
Adapted from Food & Wine

1-2 cups dried black-eyed peas, picked over and rinsed  

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 1/4 pounds Italian sausages (about 8 links; I used 4 hot and 4 mild sausages)

1 onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeño, seeded and minced

One 14-ounce can chopped Italian tomatoes, drained 

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

3 cups water

1/2 a bunch of collards, stems removed and sliced in ribbons

1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus leaves for garnish (optional)

Please your black-eyed peas in a bowl and add enough water to cover them so they can start soaking (this will make them cook faster).  In a large soup pot, heat the oil until shimmering. Add your sausages and cook over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until they are cooked through (mine took about 20 minutes but the original recipe says 10 minutes). Transfer the sausages to a plate to collect all the delicious juices. Add your chopped onion, bell pepper, garlic and jalapeño to the pot and cook over moderate heat until just beginning to brown.  Add the tomatoes and cook until some, but not all, liquid is evaporated. Add the black-eyed peas along with the broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover partially and simmer until the black-eyed peas are just tender.  The original recipe says this takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes but it only took mine 45 minutes to an 1 hour. With about 30 minutes left, add your collards and stir.  They will cook in the final 30 minutes. Cut your sausages into slices or dices and add them to the stew along with the juices from the plate. Simmer the stew for 10 more minutes. Spoon into bowls and top with cilantro leaves if you so desire.

Creamy Curried Sweet Potato Soup

It’s Feast Week!  Actually, this kicks off ‘Feast (five) Weeks’ for me since I will be eating nonstop from now until New Year’s Day at which point I will hit the ‘reset’ button for a week or two before transitioning back to my attempts at balancing diet days vs. splurge days. 

We are travelling to Virginia to be with Robbie’s family over Thanksgiving so I will be able to relax and hopefully get in my southern food fixes like Firehouse Subs and Chic-Fil-A.  We have to get there first though.  We are flying in a prop plane out of Newark early Thursday morning . . . I hope no one is offended when I bring a turkey leg on the plane.   

Here’s a Thanksgiving fun fact about me – the sweet potatoes are my least favorite item on the Thanksgiving table.  I usually get just a small spoon full because I’ll feel like it’s not Thanksgiving without all seven food groups (turkey, gravy, stuffing, sweet potatoes, green beans, rolls, butter) but when I go back for seconds (and thirds) I usually leave the sweet potatoes off my plate. 

Earlier this month I stumbled upon a way that I will gladly devour them.  I made this soup because I thought Robbie would love it and I would get to play martyr by making something I dislike and then remind him of that fact while we ate.  However, I ended up loving it just as much as he did.  My annoyance turned to pride when I realized how adventurous I was being and my martyrdom speech turned into an ‘Aren’t-you-glad-I-made-something-risky-but-with-big-reward?’ conversation.  Poor Robbie.  It was incredibly easy to make but still required enough chopping and slicing so it makes you feel like you provided a solid home-cooked meal. (And could complain about all the chopping and slicing required to your loved ones.)

It’s also an excellent medium for ricotta cheese. 

Creamy Curried Sweet Potato Soup

Adapted from The Essential New York Times Cookbook

1 ½ tablespoons olive oil

1 cup coarsely chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon coarsely grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground coriander

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 

2 ½ pounds sweet potates, peeled and sliced about a quarter-inch thick

6 cups chicken broth (I made mine with bouillon cubes)

Ricotta cheese (the original recipe called for goat cheese which would be equally as delicious)

Heat the oil in a large stock pot.  Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until it begins to brown.  Add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds.  Add the spices (ginger through red pepper flakes) and stir well.  Add the sweet potatoes and broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer until the sweet potatoes are soft.  Puree the soup as you see fit (I used an immersion blender).  Top with a dollop of Ricotta cheese.

Beef and Sausage Stew

Another cold spell is coming!  Now that we are in the middle of February, I am making sure to milk all these cold days for what they are worth.  After last week's snowfall (9.5 inches!) and Sunday's high temperature expected to be below freezing, I am living it up. Before I know it I'll see nothing but double-digit numbers that begin with 8 or 9 in the forecast with equally as dismal humidity and air pressure numbers.  (I watch a lot of "Wake up with Al.")  And I'll be reminded of how gross the human body can be when one doesn't take a shower three times a day like I do between the months of May and October.

Speaking of how gross the human body is, apparently they get very disgusting on a cruise ship that's lost all power and is floating through the Gulf of Mexico.  Probably not the greatest vacation ever but I bet there was never a group of people more excited to see Mobile, Alabama in recent history.  Other wacky news includes the meteor that HIT. EARTH.  I should note that I am not, in any way, an expert on astral things other than my obsession with Van Morrison's Astral Weeks album but, knowing how big the universe allegedly is, this story scares the beejezus out of me.   Now I have to add 'meteor' to my 'things-to-watch-out-for' list when I walk out of my house every day.

Oh, and Duke beat UNC in basketball this week.  This was neither wacky, nor unexpected but I wanted to make sure I included it.

So let's have some stew!  This stew has half a dozen types of meat in it.

Not really, just two - but they are two substantial meats. Although it was delicious, I would leave out one of these next time and save my arteries the agony.  I would also use precooked sausage (as the recipe calls for but which I failed to notice).  I used homemade sausage that had not been cooked and this certainly added a richness to the stew that is probably not expected when you follow the original directions.  And in typical winter weather fashion, this is a slow cooker recipe.  

It will be a sad day when I put it up for the season.  Side note - I spy Newt.  

Beef and Sausage Stew

Adapted from Best-Loved Slow Cooker Recipes

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-puprose flour, divided

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

3 pounds beef for stew, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 can (16 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice, undrained

3 red potatoes, peeled and diced

1/2 pound smoked sausage, sliced

1 cup chopped leek

1 1/3 cup sliced white mushrooms (I added these, the original recipe called for a chopped onion)

4 ribs celery, sliced

1/2 cup chicken broth

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

3 tablespoons water

Put 1/2 cup flour, salt and pepper in a large sealable bag.  Shake so it is well mixed.  Add beef.  Shake again until beef is coated with flour mixture.  Put beef in your slow cooker.  Add remaining ingredients except the 2 tablespoons of flour and 3 tablespoons of water.  stir well.  Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 12 hours or on high 4 to 6 hours.  One hour before serving, remove the lid and skim of any excess fat should you have used uncooked sausage (like I did).  Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour with the 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl.  Stir until becomes a paste.  Add the paste to the stew and mix well.  Cover.  Turn slow cooker to High and cook until thickened.  

Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup

Things are slowly getting back to normal for the Apt. 1E crowd although I am still working from home due to ‘severe electrical damage’ to our office building.  Seeing the devastation that others in the area have experienced, and continue to experience, makes me thankful though.   And it reminds me to take advantage of the extra quality time with Newt (even though he sleeps in the closet all day). 

In light of last week’s storm, tomorrow’s election, and the pending Nor’easter off the East Coast, I am anticipating that many people will need some comfort this week.  That’s where this recipe comes in.  Your basic tomato soup kicked up a notch but still easy enough that comfort is only a short jaunt-in-the-kitchen away. 

Speaking of Nor’easters - using an apostrophe in the middle of a word is a very under-utilized tool.  A “Nor’easter” sounds a lot better than a “Northeaster.”  Therefore, I present to you an alternatively named, Roasted T’mato and Bas’l Soup.

Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup

Adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

2 ½ pounds Roma tomatoes

Olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 medium onion

4 cloves of garlic, minced

Red Pepper flakes

1 cup fresh basil, chopped

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes

4 cups chicken broth

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Slice your tomatoes lengthwise and arrange, cut-side up, on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour to desired roasted-ness.

Chop your onion.  In a large stockpot, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until tender.  Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes.  Cook for about 2-3 minutes.  Add the canned tomatoes, fresh basil and broth to the stockpot.  Stir in the oven-roasted tomatoes.  Turn the heat to medium-low and cook for about 30 minutes. 

At this point you can use either a food processor (and work in batches – but be careful, it will be hot!) or use an immersion blender (as I did) and puree the soup until slightly smooth (a few chunky tomatoes aren’t a bad thing in this soup). 

Creamy Mango Soup

One of the most surprising things for me in New York City was how much fresh produce is around.  When I look at a map, I am always fascinated by the compactness of the Northeast and the density of the population.  Starting in DC, it seems like it’s nothing but metropolis after metropolis with open country a rarity.  Yet, you can’t walk six blocks in New York without running into a Fruit Cart overloaded with fresh fruit and vegetables.  The bodega on my corner?  Frequently has coconuts.  Coconuts!  Very odd.

That’s why, in the midst of this hot town, summer in the city (Lovin’ Spoonful!), I didn’t blink twice when Robbie asked me to make this mango soup he’d seen in our favorite market.  Luckily, he did not taste it so there were no expectations to meet.  He just saw the words creamy, mango and soup put together into a phrase that exemplifies his favorite thing ever – Creamy Mango Soup.

 

I just bopped over to the fruit stand and picked up a few mangos and went to work.  In thirty minutes we had a refreshing bowl of not-too-sweet mango goodness.  It would have taken only twenty minutes if one of my mangos hadn’t been of the more fibrous variety and required me to do some creative sieving through a sifter. 

I am not going to lie, I was hoping for more of an ice cream flavor (I don’t know why, there was neither cream, nor frozen liquid in the recipe) so the savoriness of it took me by surprise on first taste.  But the richness of the yogurt combined with the subtlety of the mango was satisfying. 

Creamy Mango Soup
Adapted from The Wimpy Vegetarian

3 ripe mangos (I found that if you have a mango where meat isn’t pulling as cleanly away from the skin as it should, put it down and go buy another one.  This means it will most likely have fibers that will mix into the soup and not dissolve appropriately creating a less-than-smooth soup.)
1 seven-ounce container of plain, low-fat Greek yogurt
¼ cup light coconut milk
¼ cup low fat milk
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons lime juice
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons honey

Peel and slice the mangos, putting the meat into a bowl.  Add the rest of the ingredients and, using an immersion blender, blend until creamy.  A regular blender or food processor would also work.  Chill for at least an hour before serving, or, better yet, chill overnight.

Chili Blanco

Any good football on this weekend? Just kidding! Happy Super Bowl Weekend! Even though I am a resident New Yorker now, I am still pulling for the Patriots with, what I feel, are fairly legitimate reasons.

Reason #1 - Robbie's family is a staunch Washington Redskins family so I feel like I would be breaking their hearts if I pulled for the Giants.

Reason #2 - I want to be that person at the Super Bowl Party who pulls for the team everyone else is pulling against which is bound to happen when the hometown team is playing. I think that will make for a more exciting time.

Reason #3 - Tom Brady.

Oh and, Gisele - If you are reading this, I did receive your email this week and have been praying for a safe and successful Super Bowl for (y)our man.

So if you are looking for some yummy, Super Bowl chili, I recommend this recipe. First of all, it's a white chili so right off the bat you are not declaring allegiances to either team and therefore not taking my approach of being that guest at the party. Also, it lends itself to something heartier without being too heavy like those of the red variety can sometimes be. And who doesn't love a topping bar? Sour cream, chips, cheese, peppers . . . the options are endless.

So sit back, enjoy the game (or the commercials if that's your preference) and warm up to some good chili. Because, let's be honest, the number of times you crave chili is about to drastically drop until Fall rolls around again and football is back on your brain.

Chili Blanco

Adapted from www.weightwatchers.com (see, it's healthy too!)

2 chipotle peppers from a can that have been marinated in adobo sauce (usually in the aisle with the Latin food)

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves of minced garlic

1/2 Rotisserie chicken meat, shredded

1/2 pound fresh, white mushrooms, sliced

1 tablespoon cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

15 oz. can of white beans, rinsed and drained

15 oz. can of great northern beans, rinsed and drained

1 3/4 cup canned chicken broth

A squirt of fresh lime juice

Heat the oil in a nonstick Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is softened. Add the chicken, mushrooms, cumin, and coriander and cook until the mushrooms begin to soften (about 4 minutes). Add the beans, broth and chiles. Cover and cook until flavors are blended, about 8 minutes. Uncover, reduce the heat, and cook until thickened, about 7 minutes longer. Stir in the lime juice.

You won't have as much broth as you may expect from a chili - it's definitely more heavy on the solid ingredients than liquid ones but I found that it still made me feel like I was eating a bowl of chili due to the flavor.

White Bean Soup with Andouille and Kale

This past weekend I experienced several firsts -- my first ever New York snowfall (not the brown slush I have encountered on previous trips post-snowfall); my first October snowfall (I didn’t even know snow existed before Christmas time), and my first New York Halloween.

I learned several things with which I will now enlighten you:

1) The weathermen up here are legit. If they say it is going to snow in October, then it is going to snow in October. Even if a borderline for the snowfall is mentioned (as in “we may be on the line for some snowfall”) that should be understood as “get ready for three inches of snow.” If only they were this good with hurricane strength predictions. 

2) Evidently there are different types of snow. In NC, when a forecaster mentioned snow, I would immediately stop listening and stare at the sky in anticipation of the appearance of any white substance. It is so abundant up here that they categorize. This one was classified as ‘big and wet’ which I was excited about because I was expecting dog-like kisses falling on my head. Which leads me to my third realization . . . 

3) It is perfectly acceptable to use your umbrella in a snow storm. I went out without one in order to get the full effect of the dog-like kisses and instead, returned a drenched mess. Note to self - see realization #1 about the validity of weathermen. Big and wet means big and wet. I will take my umbrella next time. 

4) Halloween in NYC is still awesome with street-organized trick or treat routes of which you can opt in or out (Sadly we had none since they politely told us we were not needed after hearing we were on the 5th floor --I thought kids needed to be more active these days!) and various monsters/princesses/etc. riding on the subway as they head to various Halloween parties. Good luck determining if those green and red striped tights with the red heels on the 20-something next to you are part of a Halloween costume or just part of their Monday attire.  

5) Shops give out candy! Kids go from the deli to the food stand guy to the pet store to pick up candy. I got a mini-Snickers bar from my cleaners! I would have preferred a 40% discount but I’ll take what I can get. 

6) Evidently Halloween is one of my husband’s favorite holidays (I never thought to ask him this fact) and my plan to stay in and watch Twilight together was grudgingly accepted. So next year we are dressing up as Wall Street protesters and hitting the Village. I promise.

And so, with snow making its appearance before November, I am ready to hunker down for some winter cooking. Starting with this soup. I am SO glad I said ‘yes’ to packing my crock pot even though it is kept five feet above my head in our overhead closets and therefore a bear to get down and put back up because, even with the storage hassle, this soup was delicious and enough for the two of us to eat off of for a week - very handy for the inevitable snowfall that will make us want to stay in our (well-)heated apartment snuggling with Newt. 

Happy (snow!) Fall!

White Bean Soup with Andouille and Kale
From Real Simple

1 pound dried white beans (I used cannellini)

1/2 pound andouille sausage links, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise

1 large onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

4 sprigs fresh thyme or another appropriate herb (I used sage because they share a song lyric)

8 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 bunch kale, stems discarded and leaves cut into bite-sized pieces (about 8 cups)

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

In a 4 - 6 quarter slow cooker, combine the beans, sausage, onion, celery and herbs. Add the brother and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours until the beans are tender. Twenty minutes before serving, discard the stems from your fresh herbs and add the kale. Cover and cook until the greens are tender for another 15 to 20 minutes. Add the vinegar and salt and pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon each).