Chili and Cornbread

Chili and corn bread is the ultimate in comfort food meals for me. So when a slight wind picked up in the Bay Area, I immediately wanted to make chili. I wanted to make a different version of this comfort food than I usually do, so I looked to Moosewood for help. Their version of chili turned out to be not so different than mine, but their cornbread included additions that I had never thought of. When in need of a warm, comforting meal, this one is sure not to disappoint.

Chili with Tofu or TVP (Moosewood Restaurant New Classics, The Moosewood Collective)

3 Tbs. olive oil
1 Spanish onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 Tbs. ground cumin
1 Tbs. ground coriander
1 to 2 tsp. chili powder
1 medium zucchini or yellow summer squash, diced
1 large red or green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1 cake tofu, frozen, thawed, and ground, or 12 to 14 oz. prepared textured vegetable protein
3 cups diced tomatoes with juice (28-oz. can)
2 cups cooked pinto beans with liquid (15-oz. can)
2 cups cooked red kidney beans with liquid (15-oz. can)
2/3 cup tomato paste (6-oz. can)
2 Tbs. minced fresh parsley
your favorite salsa and/or Tabasco sauce or other hot sauce to taste
salt to taste
shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, or sour cream

1. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute on medium-high heat until soft. Add the cumin, coriander, and chili powder and stir well. Mix in the diced squash and peppers, cover, and continue to cook for about 3 minutes. Stir in the ground tofu or textured vegetable protein and cook for several more minutes until heated through.
2. Meanwhile, in a soup pot, heat the tomatoes and beans on medium heat. Stir in the tomato paste. Transfer the hot skillet ingredients to the pot and stir well. Add the parsley and season with salsa or Tabasco sauce and salt.
3. Serve in bowls or mugs, topped with sprinklings of cheese or dollops of sour cream.


Blue Cornmeal Muffins (Moosewood Restaurant New Classics, The Moosewood Collective)

I could not find blue cornmeal at my local grocery store, so I just used yellow cornmeal.

1 cup blue cornmeal
1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. sugar
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, lightly packed
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups milk
1 1/2 cups minced red bell peppers
1 fresh green chile, seeded and minced

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Prepare a standard 12-cup muffin tin by either lightly brushing the cups with oil or lining them with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Stir in the cheese. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Stir in the oil, milk, peppers, and chiles. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid mixture. Stir just to combine without overmixing. Spoon about 1/3 cup of batter into each muffin cup.
3. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and a knife inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool on a rack.

Bananas Fosters Bread

Apparently, I haven't been eating my bananas fast enough. But, that's ok because this month's issue of Cooking Light has several recipes for banana bread. It must be fate. I always remember my dad making bananas foster as an ice cream topping for special occasions, so I was immediately drawn to the Bananas Foster Bread. The bread didn't retain the true bananas foster taste, but it's definitely a nice way to use ultra-ripe bananas in a slightly different way.


Bananas Foster Bread (Cooking Light, October 2010)

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana
1 cup packed brown sugar, divided
6 Tbs. butter, melted and divided
1/4 cup cognac or dark rum, divided
1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
2 large eggs
6.75 oz all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
cooking spray
1/3 cup powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine banana, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 5 Tbs. butter, and 3 Tbs. cognac in a nonstick skillet. Cook over medium heat until mixture begins to bubble. Remove from heat; cool. Place banana mixture in a large bowl. Add yogurt, remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, and eggs. Beat with a mixer at medium speed.
3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through allspice) in a small bowl. Add flour mixture to banana mixture; beat just until blended. Pour batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan; place on wire rack.
4. Combine remaining 1 Tbs. melted butter, remaining 1 Tbs. cognac, and powdered sugar; stir until well blended. Drizzle over warm bread.

Salad Suggestions

This isn't so much of a recipe as a suggestion for salad toppings. Adam's parents had come for a visit and we ended up buying way too much food for our fondue night and picnic in wine country. We had to be creative in finding ways to use the food in new and interesting ways. The first of these was a salad. We topped salad greens with apple pieces, sliced watermelon radish, blue cheese, steamed asparagus, and homemade croutons. I had a little bit of cubed tofu on my salad for some protein while Adam had sauteed shrimp. Adam sauteed the shrimp with minced garlic, then added a splash of white wine and chopped parsley. The croutons were made in a similar way by placing cubed bread in a saute pan with olive oil and a pad of butter, a bit of garlic, a splash of white wine, and parsley. All I can say is that the options for salad are endless, and here are just a few more suggestions that you may want to add to your repertoire.

The Best Banana Bread

On my day off to celebrate Veterans' Day, I decided to take advantage of my extra time and my extra ripe bananas. The only way to properly do that is to make banana bread. This slightly unconventional banana bread is so delicious and a great change to the norm. Instead of chocolate chips and nuts, this banana bread is full of coconut and topped with a sugary-lime glaze. So next time you look at your fruit bowl and see some browning bananas, think about this recipe. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze (Cooking Light, September 2007)

2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 oz.)
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
3 Tbs. dark rum
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut
cooking spray
1 Tbs. flaked sweetened coconut
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 Tbs. fresh lime or lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.
3. Place granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, rum, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Stir in 1/2 cup coconut. Spoon batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with 1 Tbs. coconut. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Combine powdered sugar and juice, stirring with a whisk; drizzle over warm bread. Cool completely on wire rack.

Housewarming

Since we've recently moved into our very own condo, we had to warm it up with a party. With a party, comes great food (at least I think so in my house). We made a smorgasbord of tasty treats, including chicken, steak, and mushroom satays with peanut sauce, bruschetta with roasted tomatoes as well as bruschetta with bean dip, deviled eggs with chiles and cilantro, pepper-masa cheesesticks, dates stuffed with goat cheese and walnuts, and ice cream sandwiches for dessert.

The satays were made by marinating the protein in soy sauce, garlic, lime juice, and olive oil, skewering onto water-soaked wooden skewers, then grilling on a cast-iron grill until done. They were served with a peanut sauce that was made by combining peanut butter, garlic, soy sauce, and splashes of milk until the desired consistency reached over medium-low heat.

The roasted tomato bruschetta were made by roasteing quartered plum tomatoes in a 250 degree oven for about 2 hours, until beautifully roasted, placing the tomatoes on slices of slightly toasted baguette, and placing a basil leaf and shaving of Parmesan cheese on top. The bean bruschetta were made by pureeing cannellini beans, basil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper together, spooning the dip over the slices of toasted baguette, and placing a basil leaf on top of each one.

To make the deviled eggs, I simply just amended the original deviled egg concept of mayonnaise, mustard, and paprika by eliminating the mustard and paprika and adding slivers of red chiles and an abundance of freshly chopped cilantro.

The pepper-masa cheesesticks were the one item we used a recipe for, so let me continue the list of recipes we concocted out of our heads and finish up this entry with the cheesestick recipe.

The dates stuffed with goat cheese and walnuts were completely my mom's idea (yes, she was here for our housewarming party, and she made it absolutely perfect!). She slit dates along the side and simply stuffed a wedge of goat cheese and a half a walnut in each one. They were a hit! Perfectly sweet and succulent. This would be a good option as an appetizer or a little dessert.

For dessert though, my mom really out-did herself. She bought these little chocolate wafer cookies and put chocolate, vanilla, and coffee ice creams in them to make perfect little ice cream sandwiches. The only bad thing about these were that they were all gone at the end of the night and I didn't have any more for the next day.

All in all, the party was a huge success! It was so wonderful to have so many family and friends come over and enjoy our new place. If only we could actually get everything together....


Pepper-Masa Cheesesticks (Vegetarian Planet, Didi Emmons)

Not everybody was a huge fan of these snacks, but my mom and I couldn't get enough of them.

1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1 cup masa harina
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. fresh-ground black pepper
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 lbs. (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
1 egg, beaten

1. Preheat oven to 400. Combine the flour, masa harina, salt, baking soda, pepper, and Parmesan cheese either in a bowl for hand mixing, or in a food processor.
2. If you're mixing by hand, stir until the ingredients are well mixed. Chop the butter into tiny pieces, and, with a pastry blender or two forks, work the butter into the flour mixture. Add 1/2 cup very cold water, and stir until a mass forms, adding more water if necessary.
If you're using a food processor, turn the machine briefly on and then off until the ingredietns are thoroughly mixed. Chop the butter into 15 to 20 pieces, and add them. Turn the machine on and off until the mixture has a sand-like consistency. Add 1/2 cup very cold water to the mixture. Turn the machine on and off again until the dough begins to come together.
3. Transfer the dough to a clean, floured surface. Form the dough into a ball. With a rolling pin, roll it into a large rectangle, about 10 by 24 inches. Brush the entire surface with egg (you won't need all the egg). Cut the dough into strips 3/4 inch wide and 10 inches long. Cut the strips in half crosswise. Carefully lift them one by one, and place them on an ungreased baking sheet.
4. Bake the sticks for 10 minutes, or until they are golden but not brown. They are best served while they are still warm, but they will keep for at least a week in a sealed container, to be reheated or eaten at room temperature.

Cooking Light Does It Right

This meal comes a complete menu suggestion in Cooking Light. I cannot take any credit for putting it together, but I will take credit for making it delicious! We had a lot of leftover herbs in the fridge, so we went on a search to find herbaceous recipes. And that we did. The main recipe calls for shrimp, but we used scallops and tofu as the proteins instead. The simple tomato bruschetta and grilled asparagus served as the perfect accompaniments. Way to go, Cooking Light!


Italian Herbed Shrimp Kebabs (Cooking Light, July 2008)

1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs. water
1 garlic clove
4 tsp. extravirgin olive oil, divided
24 peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp (about 1 1/2 lbs.)
1 zucchini, cut into 20 (1/2-inch-thick) slices
cooking spray
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

1. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.
2. Place first 6 ingredients in a blender or small food processor; add 2 tsp. oil. Process until smooth. Transfer basil mixture to a medium bowl. Add shrimp; toss well to coat. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes.
3. Thread 6 shrimp and 5 zucchini slices alternately onto each of 4 (12-inch) skewers. Drizzle kebabs evenly with remaining 2 tsp. oil. Place kebabs on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side or until done. Sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper.


Tomato Bruschetta

Grill 4 (1 1/2-oz.) slices country-style sourdough bread 1 minute on each side or until lightly toasted. Remove bread from grill; rub one side of each bread slice with cut sides of a halved garlic clove. Combine 3/4 cup chopped tomato, 2 Tbs. chopped fresh basil, 1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar, 2 tsp. extravirgin olive oil, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Top each bread slice with about 3 Tbs. tomato mixture.

24 on the 24th!

faFor my birthday, I decided that it would be extremely fun to have a wine tasting. Everyone brought a bottle of wine to share. We created a score sheet and rated the wines on a 1 to 5 scale. At the end of the night, we chose the best red and the best white and awarded them prizes. To go along with all of the wine, we made some spectacular hors d'oeuvres. All in all, a pretty perfect birthday celebration!


With a wine tasting, you must have cheese. We created a simple cheese plate with a stilton, blue cheese, brie, and pepper jack along with crunchy crackers and crispy grapes.


We also made deviled eggs with capers and parsley. Simply boil the eggs for 15 minutes, drain, and place in ice-cold water. Peel, then scoop out the yolks. Mix the yolks with a healthy portion of mayonnaise, a bit of mustard, capers, chopped parsley, and salt and pepper. Once the yolk mixture is mixed together, transfer the mixture into the egg whites and sprinkle with more chopped parsley.


A bean dip with crudite is always a good idea. It's simple to make and delicious to eat (not to mention nutritious). Puree 1 can white kidney beans, with a 1/2 cup basil, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt to taste. Serve with pita chips and fresh vegetables.


Creamy Mushroom Phyllo Triangles (Cooking Light, December 2007)

These are super yummy and great to make ahead of time (if only I had). They can even be frozen and baked directly from the freezer, just add 7 minutes onto baking time.

3/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms (about 3/4 oz.)
1 lbs. button mushrooms
1 large onion, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 8 oz.)
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. dried oregano
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
6 oz. 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
24 (18 x 14-inch) sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
olive oil-flavored cooking spray

1. Cover porcini mushrooms with boiling water in a bowl. Let stand 1 hour. Drain well, chop.
2. Place half of button mushrooms in a food processor; pulse 8 times or until finely chopped. Remove from processor. Repeat procedure with remaining button mushrooms. Add onion to processor; pulse 8 times or until finely chopped.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion to pan; saute 5 minutes. Add button mushrooms; cook until mushrooms are tender and liquid evaporates (about 10 minutes). Stir in porcini mushrooms, oregano, salt, pepper, and nutmeg; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cheese; stir until cheese melts. Stir in parsley.
4. Preheat oven to 375.
5. Working with 1 phyllo sheet at a time (cover remaining phyllo to prevent drying), place phyllo sheet on large cutting board or work surface. Cut sheet in half lengthwise; lightly coat with cooking spray. Fold phyllo piece in half lengthwise to form a (3 1/2-inch wide) strip. Spoon a level tablespoon of mushroom mixture onto 1 short end of strip, leaving a 1-inch border. Fold 1 corner of edge with 1-inch border over mixture, forming a triangle; continue folding back and forth into a triangle to end of strip. Place triangles, seam side down, on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat tops with cooking spray.
6. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.


Fig and Goat Cheese Bruschetta (Cooking Light, September 2008)

These were definitely the hit of the party. We were completely out of these (and most everything else) when the party ended. We are continuing to use the remaining fig preserves on toast. It is best with goat cheese though.

1 1/4 cups chopped dried Mission figs (about 9 oz.)
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup coarsely chopped orange sections
1 tsp. grated orange rind
1/3 cup fresh orange juice (about 1 orange)
1/2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
40 (1/2-inch-thick) slices Fresh bread baguette, toasted (about 8 oz.)
1 1/4 cups (10 oz.) crumbled goat cheese
5 tsp. finely chopped walnuts

1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until figs are tender. Uncover and cook 5 minutes or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature.
2. Preheat broiler.
3. Top each bread slice with 1 1/2 tsp. fig mixture and 1 1/2 tsp. goat cheese. Arrange bruschetta on a baking sheet; sprinkle evenly with walnuts. Broil 2 minutes or until nuts begin to brown. Serve warm.


Vietnamese Summer Rolls (Cooking Light, August 2008)

The recipe has shrimp in the rolls, but I omitted them to make it vegetarian. You could certainly add tofu or avocado for an added punch. I think these were slightly underappreciated at the party. But that's just fine with me, because I got to eat all the leftovers!

Rolls
1 cup thinly sliced Bibb lettuce
1/2 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup cooked bean threads (cellophane noodles, about 1 oz. uncooked)
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup chopped green onions (about 2)
1/4 cup thinly sliced basil
1/4 cup chopped mint
6 oz. cooked peeled and deveined shrimp, coarsely chopped
8 (8-inch) round sheets rice paper

Dipping Sauce
2 Tbs. rice wine vinegar
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
1 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. chile paste with garlic (such as sambal oelek)
1 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce

1. To prepare rolls, combine first 8 ingredients in a bowl.
2. Add hot water to a large, shallow dish to a depth of 1 inch. Place 1 rice paper in dish; let stand 30 seconds or just until soft. Place sheet on a flat surface. Arrange 1/3 cup shrimp mixture over half of sheet, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Folding sides of sheet over filling and starting with filled side, roll up jelly-roll fashion. Gently press seam to seal. Place roll, seam side down, on a serving platter (cover to keep from drying). Repeat procedure with remaining shrimp mixture and rice paper sheets.
3. To prepare dipping sauce, combine vinegar and remaining ingredients; stir with a whisk. Serve with summer rolls.

Strata

This is my first attempt and actual eating of strata. I have to say that it isn't my favorite dish I've made. The consistency of the bread is not ideal, but it is an interesting and different way to incorporate vegetables, protein, and carbohydrates into one dish. I recommend giving this a shot if you have some time to prep the day or morning before you want to serve it, as it does need to rest in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.

Caramelized Onion, Swiss Chard, and Fontina Cheese Strata (Cooking Light, July 2007)

cooking spray
3 cups thinly sliced Vidalia or other sweet onion
8 cups coarsely chopped Swiss chard (about 1 lbs.)
1/2 tsp. salt, divided
1 1/3 cups fat-free milk
1 cup egg substitute
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper
dash of ground nutmeg
12 oz. French bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 10 cups)
3/4 cup drained, crumbled water-packed firm tofu
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded fontina cheese

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion; cook 12 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently. Add chard; cook 5 minutes or until chard wilts, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in 1/4 tsp. salt.
2. Combine 1/4 tsp. salt, milk, and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl; toss well to coat. Place half of bread mixture in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top evenly with tofu, half of chard mixture, and 1/2 cup cheese. Top evenly with remaining bread mixture, remaining chard mixture, and 1/2 cup cheese. Cover with foil coated with cooking spray. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350.
4. Remove strata from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Bake strata, covered, at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Banana Bread with Flare

Adam needed something to bring into his company's international potluck. I had been eying this banana bread recipe in Cooking Light that my sister had told me was amazing and it had some Caribbean flare, so I thought it might work for Adam's potluck. Even better was that we had all the ingredients at home! Adam got two thumbs up from his co-workers with this one.


Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze (Cooking Light, September 2007)

2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 oz.)
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
3 Tbs. dark rum
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut
cooking spray
1 Tbs. flaked sweetened coconut
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 Tbs. fresh lime or lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.
3. Place granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, rum, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Stir in 1/2 cup coconut. Spoon batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with 1 Tbs. coconut. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Combine powdered sugar and juice, stirring with a whisk; drizzle over warm bread. Cool completely on wire rack.

Holy Mole!

A few weekends ago, Adam was cruising online looking for a recipe to make with the Cornmeal, Jalapeno, and Fresh Corn Scones we found in Cooking Light and started to salivate for. He ran into this recipe for Pueblo Chicken, which peaked our interest. It contains nuts, dried fruit, a fresh banana, and even chocolate. A seemingly weird combination to put over chicken (or the portabella mushroom and potatoes I had), but it was actually fantastic! The taste is very similar to a mole sauce, and, if thinned out, could definitely be used as such for enchiladas or any other Mexican dish. Even though this recipe may seem a bit too odd, give it a try; you might be pleasantly surprised.

Cornmeal, Jalapeno, and Fresh Corn Scones (Cooking Light, September 2007)

Instead of using a pastry blender, as advised in the recipe, we used a food processor up until adding the corn and jalapeno into the mixture when we transferred the dough into a medium-sized bowl. The food processor makes scone-making a breeze.

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 7 3/4 oz.)
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
4 1/2 Tbs. chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels (about 1 ear)
2 Tbs. finely chopped seeded jalapeno pepper
1 cup nonfat buttermilk
cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in corn and pepper. Add buttermilk, stirring just until moist (dough will be slightly sticky).
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 2 or 3 times with lightly floured hands. Pat dough into a 9-inch circle on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Cut dough into 12 wedges, cutting into, but not through dough. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.


Pueblo Chicken (www.cooks.com)

The recipe measures the ingredients in ounces, so we just estimated the proper amount and made it proportionate. In addition, the recipe calls for stewed chicken, but Adam simply butterflied a whole chicken by taking out its backbone and grilled it for about 40-50 minutes. I steamed some potatoes and grilled a portabella mushroom for the base of my meal.

3/4 lb. chiles (include some hot, med. & mild)
2 oz. pasa (raisins)
2 oz. almonds
3 1/2 oz. other nuts
3 1/2 oz. ciruela pasa (prunes)
3 1/2 oz. peanuts
1/4 slice white bread, broken in pieces
1/2 plantano (banana), cut up
1/4 tsp. each ground cloves, black pepper, cinnamon & anise
2 oz. ajonjoli (sesame seeds)
2 tbsp. lard
1 oz. (1/2 tablet) bitter chocolate
3/4 tbsp. sugar
2 chickens, cut up & stewed

1. Cut chilies in half, remove seeds and veins and fry in a little oil or lard, stirring with wooden spoon. Remove chiles from pan and then add fruits, nuts, bread and spices to the pan and fry them. Remove from pan. Brown the sesame seeds in the pan and set aside.
2. Grind the above ingredients except sesame seeds into a paste. Put the paste in a casserole with the 2 tablespoons lard, heat and stir to combine. Stir in the sesame seeds, chocolate, sugar and enough broth from the cooked chicken to make a sauce. Heat chicken in the sauce.

January Comfort

For Christmas my sister gave us beautiful soup crocks and a handful of soup and stew recipes from Moosewood Restaurant. Ever since Christmas day, I've been itching to make one of the delicious recipes, so I finally did. We decided to make the Pepperpot stew, which has a perfectly seasoned combination of potatoes, peppers, and mustard greens. We paired this tasty stew with flaky biscuits to make for a fabulously cozy meal.


Pepperpot Stew (Moosewood Restaurant Soups and Stews Deck)

Eventhough there are quite a few ingredients in this stew, most of them are probably in your pantry already. Plus, all of the preparation steps don't take too long, so this could definitely be made to comfort and soothe even the busiest of people during the week.

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 small fresh chile, minced, seeds removed for a milder "hot"
1 cup diced celery
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 cup diced red bell peppers
1 cup diced green bell peppers
1 cup cubed potatoes (1/2-inch cubes)
4 cups water or stock
1 1/2 cups undrained, canned diced tomatoes (14-oz. can)
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 Tbs. unsulphered molasses
4 cups chopped mustard greens, loosely packed
salt to taste

1. In a nonreactive soup pot on medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onions, garlic, chile, celery, thyme, cinnamon, and salt. Cook, stirring often, for about 10 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add the bell peppers and potatoes, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until the bell peppers are just tender.
2. Add the water or stock, the tomatoes with their juice, the black pepper, and the molasses. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes or until all of the vegetables are tender. Add the mustard greens, cover, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until just wilted. Add salt to taste.


Featherlight Blue Mountain Biscuits (Moosewood Restaurant Soups and Stews Deck)

2 1/4 cups unbleached white pastry flour or 2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat the oven to 450. In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the oil and buttermilk. Using a fork, stir just until mixed--overmixing will make the biscuits tough.
2. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead 5 or 6 times, adding more flour if necessary. Pat or roll out the dough to a 1/2-inch thickness. Cut out 10 to 12 rounds with a biscuit cutter or a glass and arrange them on an unoiled baking sheet. When you place the biscuits touching one another, they seem to rise better.
3. Bake on the top shelf of the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown. Serve immediately.

A Meal to Warm the Soul

While browsing through some of my cookbooks, I found this recipe for Cottage Cheese-Dill Bread and was immediately intrigued. Adam and I are pretty much obsessed with cottage cheese, always having it in the house. It's getting a little colder here in Oakland, so I figured I would pair this bread with a hearty bean and green tomato-based soup. The bread and the soup turned out perfectly, warming the body and soul, head to toe.

Cottage Cheese-Dill Bread (The New Enchanted Broccoli Forest, Mollie Katzen)

Mollie Katzen suggests eating the bread with a thin spread of cream cheese and cucumber or of raspberry jam. Both are absolutely delicious. Adam and I had several breakfasts of an egg and the bread with raspberry jam.

a little butter or oil for the pan
2 cups unbleached white flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
a scant 1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup cottage cheese
2 eggs
6 Tbs. milk
1/4 cup honey or sugar
4 Tbs. melted butter
3 Tbs. minced fresh dill (or 1 Tbs. dried)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a medium-sized loaf pan.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium-large bowl. Make a well in the center.
3. Combine the cottage cheese, eggs, milk, sweetening, and melted butter in a separate bowl and beat well. Add this to the dry ingredients along with the dill, and mix just enough to thoroughly blend. The batter will be fairly stiff.
4. Take your time as you spread it evenly into the prepared pan. Let it bake for 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted all the way into the center comes out clean. Remove from the pan after about 10 minutes, and cool on a rack for another 30 minutes or so before slicing.


Collard and Chickpea Soup

I had originally wanted to make this soup with kale, but there was none to be found at Safeway when I went shopping. So, I settled for collards instead, and the soup turned out wonderfully. Any green you have on hand could be substituted if you don't have any collards available. One of the great things about this soup is that you most likely have all of the ingredients in your pantry or fridge already!

1/2 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 (24-oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 cups collard greens, chopped
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste

1. Saute the onion and celery in olive oil in a medium-large pot on medium heat. When the onion is translucent add the tomatoes and chickpeas. Add approximately 24 oz. of water to the soup. Add the collards and spices; allow greens to wilt and the soup to come to a simmer.
2. Taste the soup and adjust the spices to your liking. Serve piping hot.

Chili and Cornbread

Things have been quite busy around here, so sorry for the delay in new recipes and postings. This meal here, though, is a great way to sit back, relax, and enjoy the comfort of food. I've always found chili to be a hearty, homey, soothing meal. And, the best part is that it's super easy. Paired with a side of homemade cornbread, nothing could be better on an autumn night.


Three-Bean Chili

This chili recipe is based off of what I remember my mom and dad making when I grew up. I don't know if it's an exact replica of their recipe, but it's pretty close. Come to think of it, it's not an exact replica of itself any time I make it. Make this recipe your own by adding more or less of the spices or switching up the types of beans and toppings. The whole point of chili is to warm your soul, and who knows how to do that better than you?

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bell pepper, any color, chopped
1 (15-oz.) can black beans
1 (15-oz.) can pinto beans
1 (15-oz.) can kidney beans
3/4 cup frozen corn kernels
1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes
4 dried chiles, chopped
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cayenne
1/2 tsp. salt

scallions
jalapeno, diced
avocado, chopped
cheddar cheese, grated

1. In a dutch oven on medium to medium-high heat, saute the onions in a bit of olive oil until nearly translucent. Add the garlic and bell pepper, continuing to saute until the peppers have softened.
2. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, chiles, and spices. Bring the chili to a simmer, allowing the flavors to meld. Taste to ensure your liking of the spice mixture.
3. Top with the scallions, diced jalapeno, and cheddar cheese.

My Mama's Cornbread

From the title, I'm sure you gathered that this is my mom's recipe for cornbread. I don't know where she got it from, but she gave it to me a few years ago and I've been making it ever since. With a pad of butter (and a dollop of honey for Adam), a slice of this cornbread brings me right back to my parents' kitchen table.

3/4 cup corn meal
1 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1 egg, well beaten
2 Tbs. melted butter

1. Sift the dry ingredients (corn meal through salt) together in a large bowl.
2. Mix in wet ingredients.
3. Spoon into a cast iron skillet. Bake for 20 minutes at 425.

Farmers' Market Perfection

This past Saturday Adam and I went to the Oakland Farmers' Market on Grand and Lakeshore Avenues. I've been inspired by the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle to eat more locally produced foods. Going to the Farmers' Market was the first step. At the market, we found a bunch of beautiful leeks and a sack of potatoes. Instantly, we decided to make Potato Leek Soup--and tonight was the night. To accompany our soup, I strayed from our usual bread recipe to cookbook No Need to Knead's Kalamata Olive Filoncino. Each component of the meal was spectacular, as was the pairing. The meal takes a bit of time to prepare, but it's absolutely worth it.


Kalamata Olive Filoncino (No Need to Knead)

There is no need to have a bread maker to prepare this wonderfully delicious bread. And, best of all, it's pretty easy. I used a combination of all-purpose and whole wheat flour, but you could certainly use your preference of whole wheat and white flours.

1 1/4 cups lukewarm water (85 to 95 F)
2 tsp. active dry yeast
4 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup chopped Kalamata olives (or leave some whole, if you like)
2 Tbs. olive paste (olives pureed in a blender until mostly smooth)
3/4 cup Kalamata olive brine (if there is not enough brine in the bottle add water to the full 3/4 cup measure and add 1/4 tsp. salt)
2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. kosher or sea salt

1. Measure the water into a large bowl. Sprinkle with yeast over the water and stir to dissolve. Stir in 2 1/4 cups of the flour, salt, olives, and paste, and stire until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 2 1/4 cups flour and the brine and stir. The dough will be fairly wet, the consistency of a very thick batter. If the dough seems too wet, add an additional 1/4 to 1/2 cup of flour.
2. Same day method (what I used): Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, 30 to 45 minutes. With a scraper or spatula, fold the dough by gently lifting it up from underneath and turning or folding it over on itself three or four times. Let the dough rise a second time in a warm place until doubled in volume, 30 to 45 minutes. Proceed with shaping instructions.
or
Overnight Method: Cover the dough and refrigerate overnight. The dough will rise in the refrigerator and acquire flavor from the slower yeast action. Remove the dough from the refrigerator 2 hours before shaping and let stand, covered, in a warm place. The dough will rise for the second time. Proceed with the shaping instructions.
3. To shape into loaves: Preheat the oven to 500. Spray a three-loaf baguette pan with nonstick spray or rub with olive oil. [I just heated the pizza stone in the oven and baked the bread on that.] With your left hand (or right hand if you are left-handed), hold the bowl and tip it over the opening of a groove and pour the dough along and into the groove by loosening the dough with a spatula. Carefully move along the groove as the dough pours, keeping it as inflated as possible. With the spatula, cut the dough off at the rim of the bowl as it falls into the groove. The dough should form a nice, rounded cylinder that fills the groove and stands about 1/2 inch above the rim of the pan. Fill the other two grooves. Brush the tops of loaves with the olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt.
4. To bake loaves: Place the pan in the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 400. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is browned and the loaves sound hollow when tapped. Remove baguettes from the pan and cool on wire racks.


Golden Potato-Leek Soup with Cheddar Toasts (Cooking Light, October 2006)

This recipe calls for topping the soup with broiled cheddar toasts. We left this part of the recipe out to accommodate for the olive bread. I'm sure it would be delicious with the toasts, but the soup is flavorful enough to be eaten on its own. It's so easy and takes so few ingredients yet tastes absolutely amazing. Literally, Adam is commenting on how wonderful it was as I am typing this.

Cheddar Toasts
8 (1/4-inch-thick) slices diagonally cut sourdough French bread baguette
cooking spray
1/2 cup (2-oz.) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper

Soup:
1 Tbs. butter
3 cups thinly sliced leek (about 3 medium)
6 cups cubed peeled Yukon gold potato (about 2 1/4 lbs.)
2 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
2 (14-oz.) cans organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson Certified Organic)
2 thyme sprigs

Remaining Ingredients:
1/3 cup whipping cream
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
thyme sprigs (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. To prepare Cheddar toasts, place baguette slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 7 minutes or until toasted. Turn slices over; coat with cooking spray, and sprinkle 1 Tbs. cheese over each slice. Bake 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Sprinkle evenly with red pepper.
3. To prepare soup, melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add leek; cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally (do not brown).
4. Add potatoes and next 4 ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes or until potatoes are very tender.
5. Remove pan from heat; discard thyme sprigs. Partially mash potatoes with a potato masher (or beaters, if you don't have one, like us); stir in cream. Sprinkle with black pepper. Serve with Cheddar toasts. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.