Feelin’ Chili

Two things keep you warm during a polar vortex. Chili and dogs (chili dogs are good too – technically that's three).

I didn't get a great picture of this week's ez prep turkey and bean chili, so I'm attaching a picture of two of the dogs.

I will also include the recipe full of pantry staples. It is low fat, high protein and gluten free. I will also say watching this pot is a waste of time. I went out for a meeting, had a teen stir it once or twice and kill the heat after an hour. Assembly took about 15 minutes. Chop your veg in the food processor to save time. Ingredient measurements are benchmarks.

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground turkey

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic chopped

14 oz can black beans, rinsed & drained

14 oz can chopped tomatoes, puréed to shield them from tomato hating teen eyes

2-ish tablespoons cornmeal

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon cumin

1/2 tablespoon coriander

1/4 tablespoon cayenne

Salt, pepper

Veg oil

2-ish cups chicken stock or water (I used water)

Add about a tablespoon of oil to large skillet over medium flame. Add turkey, season with salt and pepper and cook thru, breaking up chunks (5-10 min). Remove. Return pan to flame. Add 1-2 teaspoons oil and the chopped onion & garlic. Cook until soft. Add cornmeal and spices, plus salt & pepper, stirring to cook a minute or two. Add tomatoes, beans and turkey, plus up to 2 cups of water or stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook uncovered for 45 minutes to an hour. Plates to adjust seasonings. Stir occasionally. Cooking band aids: Add liquid if it dries, turn up heat if too soupy.

Eat – B

 

Not Fried Rice for Dinner

I'll be making this again for 3 reasons. It takes 5 ingredients, it takes 5 minutes, and it takes leftover rice noodles to an awesome new level.

Ingredients

2 eggs, whisked up

3 scallions, sliced

A quart of cooked rice noodles or spaghetti

Soy sauce

Veg oil

Heat an 8 inch fry pan and coat with veg oil. Pour in egg as if making an omelette. When the egg is set remove from pan, roll it and slice. Add noodles to pan (warm in microwave first if you want, but briefly). Toss till hot, add scallions, soy sauce to taste & egg.

Enough for one teenage boy or two moderate adults

Eat-B

Additions: red pepper flake, peas, mushrooms & just about any veg you can slice 🙂

 

Last Minute Butter Cookies

These are so quick to pull together, and so foolproof, they will become a baking staple. Proves the Land O Lakes test kitchen really knows what it's doing.

I even made the cookies, formed them into balls and baked a couple of hours later when I had room in the oven. Watch for overtaking – you don't want too much color on the bottom. Click here for the recipe.

BTW this counts for meat free any day!

Eat – B

 

New Year’s Day Ribs…or Any Day!

Sticking with a theme that packaged food is better than mom's food, my son asked that the ribs I was making to welcome 2014 be smothered with bottled sauce. And I almost did it! But with my hand poised on 2 (!) overpriced condiments, I figured out a last minute compromise.

A good friend gave me Ina Garten's “Barefoot Contessa Foolproof”. The barbecue sauce recipe (click here for recipe) uses a combination of pantry staples and fave bottled condiments. It is now a family favorite. As suggested by Ina, I used St. Louis ribs – I think they're meatier anyway. I also had no desire to start a midwinter grill, so I cooked them covered, and smothered in sauce, at 350 for 1 3/4 hours. Then mopped and broiled for a nice crunch.

Eat – B

(The recipe makes plenty of sauce for dipping and making BBQ chicken at a later date!)

 

The I Don’t Feel Like Going to the Store Frittata (with bacon!)

I did a happy dance after figuring out I could avoid the Sunday supermarket rush. Plus the bacon didn't hurt. Frittatas have saved me on many occasions for breakfast, lunch, dinner and sometimes for entertaining. Don't share the ingredients with pickier eaters unless you really do want to go to the store. 🙂

Ingredients

6 eggs (I used the 5 I had. Six are better)

6 strips of bacon cooked and chopped

3 russet potatoes, peeled, quartered and steamed till tender

1-2 ounces meltable cheese of choice, chopped

Butter

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 375. In medium non stick pan melt a knob of butter with a small pour of olive oil over medium heat. Don't be stingy, it helps release the eggs later and adds flavor. Slice the potatoes and give them a good stir around with salt and pepper. While they take some color, whisk the eggs with 1/4 teaspoon salt, a few grinds of pepper, bacon and cheese. Add eggs to potatoes, redistribute the lumps and bumps, then let set and pop in oven. When cooked through (10-15 min), broil so cheese bubbles on top.

Serve with salad and bread.

Eat -B

Optional add-ins: sautéed onions, shallots, mushrooms, peppers. It's all good.

 

I Found the Challah!

Here's what you do when you find the challah that your mother brought to celebrate on Friday night but that you forgot to set out because you hid it from thieving dogs.

Make French toast.

It seems particularly appropriate that the Medieval reference in France to stale soaked bread fried up in fat is “pain perdu” or “lost bread”.

It's really a no recipe recipe but I shall list the ingredients anyway.

1/2 – ish loaf of challah or stale bread of choice sliced 3/4 inch thick

3 eggs

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste or vanilla

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Juice from 1/2 clementine

Pinch of salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Whisk everything but the bread. Soak bread slices, both sides. Melt butter in the skillet. Fry bread both sides. Serve with jam, syrup, honey or Nutella!

Good for breakfast, lunch or dinner – B

 

Go Buckeyes!

Another big game this weekend so as requested: The buckeyes recipe! For the un-initiated, they are creamy, sweet, stern clogging, peanut buttery deliciousness. Also no cooking, no baking, no frying. Just blending and shaping (and dipping in chocolate ;-).

I find all the recipes are basically the same. I reduced this one (click here) by a third and still had leftovers from an 18 person celebration.

 

Eat – B

 

When You’re Sick of Green Beans

My dad stopped by for dinner. When he left all the green beans were gone, and EVERYONE ate them (the roasted potatoes too, but that's not exactly a hard sell). Here's the recipe. Feel free to sub another Asian supermarket selection. We've rarely met one we didn't like (if it's spicy, add with care).

1 pound-ish green beans, ends trimmed

2-ish teaspoons hoisin sauce

Couple big pinches garlic powder

Tablespoon-ish sesame seeds

Veg oil

In large skillet add 2 teaspoons oil over medium heat. Add green beans, stirring for a couple of minutes. Add hoisin sauce & garlic powder, stir it up. Add maybe 2 tablespoons water to steam beans. Put a lid on it for 2-3 minutes. Remove lid and raise heat if necessary to get rid of excess liquid. Add sesame seeds and finish cooking beans to taste.

The whole thing takes less time to make than explain.

Eat – B

Btw chopped fresh ginger is a great add in, fresh garlic too – unless you're lazy 🙂