Game Day Chili Con Carne

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I laughed when I realized I inadvertently chose a red bowl with a red and gold napkin for the picture of my Chili Con Carne.  When I chose the bowl, I knew the 49ers (red and gold) were in the playoffs, but I didn’t think they would go very far.  I couldn’t believe the 49ers won their nail-biting game last week!  And, I can’t believe they will be playing this weekend for a place in the Super Bowl!  The 49ers haven’t been in the playoffs for nine years, and they haven’t been to a Super Bowl since 1994.  You have to understand, when I moved to northern California, the 49ers were in the middle of a winning streak earning playoff spots in 14 of the 17 years between 1986 and 2002.  Don’t tell anyone, but I believe in the sports motto of, “If you can't be with the team you love, love the team your with.”  And it was easy to do when I moved to a place with a winning team!  But, the last few years have been hard on die hard 49er fans.
Me?  I chose to ignore the fact my team wasn’t winning by immersing myself in planning and executing the perfect Super Bowl party food.  I was, also, happy not to have to cheer against my team in order to win the football pool.  You know, “Come on 49ers! Just take a safety, and I could win 100 bucks!”  It just seems wrong to cheer that way.  I’m better off concentrating on the food.
I have brought countless snacks and appetizers to Super Bowl parties in the last 10 years.  And, last year my chili even won second place in a chili cook off!  I don’t know what I’ll make this year, but if we are invited to another chili cook-off, this recipe for Chili Con Carne might win 1^st place!  This chili is spicy and meaty, and I really like what the fresh poblano and jalapeno do to the flavor.
I’m not sure how the 49ers will do in their game on Sunday, but I know I’ll be in the kitchen with the food, trying not to hope for a safety in order to win the football pool!
Chili Con CarneAdapted from Fine Cooking’s One Pot MealsPrintable Recipe 2 pounds beef chuck, trimmed of all visible fat and cut into ½ inch cubes2 Tablespoons canola oil, separated 1 medium yellow onion, chopped1 medium poblano chile, seeded and chopped1 large jalapeno chile, seeded and diced3 medium garlic cloves, minced1 Tablespoon ground ancho chile1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin1 teaspoon ground coriander1 teaspoon ground chipolte chile1 ½ teaspoons dried Mexican oreganoKosher salt1 14½ ounce can petite diced tomatoes2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice, separated2 15 ounce cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
ToppingsShredded cheddar cheeseCubed avocado Diced red onionChopped fresh cilantro
Season the cubed meat with ¼ teaspoon of salt.  Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add half the meat, and cook until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes total.  Remove the meat to a plate.  Repeat with another two teaspoons of oil and the other half of the meat.  Transfer the second batch of meat to the plate, and set aside.  Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil to the Dutch oven, and add the onion, poblano and jalapeno, and cook until softened, about 4 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add the ancho chile, cumin, coriander, chipolte chile, and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Return the beef to the Dutch oven with any juices, and add 2½ cups of water, the tomatoes and their juices, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, and 1 teaspoon of salt.  Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered for 1½ hours.  Uncover and continue cooking for another 30 minutes, or until the meat is tender.  Stir in the beans, and raise the heat to medium high.  Cook until the beans are heated through, about 5 minutes.  Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of lime juice, and season to taste with salt.
Top with cheddar cheese, avocado, red onion and cilantro, and serve.

Apple-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

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In celebration of my 3-year blog anniversary, I am sharing a cake recipe with you.  I’m not much of a cake lover (you know, cake with thick frosting and flowers), so I haven’t spent much time perfecting my cake making techniques.  Though, while I was flipping through cake recipes for inspiration the layer cakes intrigued me.  I have to admit layer cakes have intrigued me since I saw Pollyanna eat a 3-layer mile-high slice of cake at the town fair (Do you remember that scene in the movie with Hayley Mills?).  I’m still searching for a layer cake to love like the one Pollyanna ate.  The Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Cake from Rose’s Heavenly Cakes looked like a layer cake I could love, but her description of the frosting as, “…tricky to apply, requiring the patience of a craftsperson.” frankly, scared me.
The cover recipe of Southern Living’s September issue has called to me for months.  Apple-Cream Cheese Bundt cake is right up my alley.  I like more homey rustic cakes, and this cake is amazing!  I wanted to eat the praline frosting straight out of the saucepan, and if I wasn't worried about how much frosting the recipe made, I would have eaten more.  From the look of the cake in Southern Living, it had at least a double recipe of frosting.  Next time I will triple the frosting, so I can eat more out of the saucepan, and still have frosting dripping all the way down the sides of the cake.
I wanted to have a beautiful layer cake to celebrate my blog’s anniversary, and though Apple-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake isn’t beautiful, it is a homey, moist spice cake that tastes like fall, but is perfect in January too.  I hope I’m invited to dinner somewhere soon.  I’ll bring dessert!

Apple-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake Adapted from Southern Living Printable Recipe
Cream Cheese Filling
1 8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
¼ cup butter, room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla

Apple Cake Batter
1 cup finely chopped pecans
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground allspice
3 large eggs lightly beaten
¾ cup canola oil
¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups peeled and finely chopped Gala apples

Praline Frosting
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
¼ butter
3 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar

Prepare the Cream Cheese Filling:  Beat the cream cheese, butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until blended and smooth.  Add egg, flour and vanilla, and beat just until blended. Set aside.

Prepare the Apple Cake Batter: Preheat the oven to 350F°.   Bake pecans in a shallow pan until toasted, about 8 to 10 minutes.  In a large bowl, mix together flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, and allspice.  Make a well in the dry ingredients, and add the eggs, oil, applesauce, and vanilla.  Stir just until all ingredients are moistened.  Stir in the apples and pecans.

Grease and flour a 14-cup Bundt pan.  Spoon half the batter into the pan.  Make a trough in the apple cake batter, and spoon the cream cheese mixture into the trough.  Swirl the filling through the apple cake batter using a paring knife.  Spoon the remaining apple cake batter over the cream cheese filling.  Bake at 350F° for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool cake in pan for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack until cooled completely (about 2 hours).

Prepare the Frosting:  Bring ½ cup of brown sugar, ¼ cup butter and 3 Tablespoons milk to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk constantly.  Boil mixture of 1 minute.  Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.  Gradually whisk in powdered sugar until smooth.  Stir the mixture gently for 3 to 5 minutes, or until frosting begins to cool and thickens slightly.  Pour frosting immediately over cooled cake.
 

Mediterranean Layer Dip

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What are you doing for Super Bowl?  I know I’ve mentioned I love going to Super Bowl parties.  The parties combine someof my favorite things: socializing, eating, watching football and talking aboutfood (talking about food might be unique to my group of friends, I don’t know).  We were invited to two different SuperBowl parties this year.  We areheading over to Joanne and Todd’s so, I’m not going to compete in Tammy andTom’s pizza cook-off this year.  Iam excited to hear what Sandy and Brian come up with, since they usually win.
I’m not competing in a food competition, but I know we willbe eating well!  Joanne and Toddare great hosts, so no one goes home hungry, and I’m excited to bring MediterraneanLayer Dip with me to share.
I made Mediterranean Layer Dip to enjoy while watching thePro Bowl last weekend.  I have toadmit that the Pro Bowl, though meaningless, is a fun to watch.  The players are having such a goodtime, and their joy in being there is a blast to see.  This layer dip was great to nosh onwhile we watched the game.
I have a soft, comfortable spot in my heart for traditionallayer dip.  I love the salty chipsand the creamy dip, so when I saw this creative take on layer dip in Bean byBean a Cookbook by Crescent Dragonwagon, I had to try it.  I’m glad I did.  The flavors are fresh and lively, andthe combination is unique.  I madethe hummus from scratch, but you can easily use store bought hummus for thislayer dip.  I do have to admit thehomemade hummus really shines in this layer dip, and is so easy, I have to askmyself why I don’t make hummus from scratch all the time.  Les and the kids liked the layer diptoo.  We ate about half of itSunday, and we were all happy to polish it off Monday before dinner.
Mediterranean Layer dip tastes lighter than traditional layerdip, so it is perfect to serve when there are plenty of other heavier appetizersaround.  If you are looking forsomething light and unique to bring to your Super Bowl party, try MediterraneanLayer Dip.
Mediterranean Layer DipAdapted fromBean by Bean a Cookbook by Crescent DragonwagonPrintable Recipe1 English cucumber, peeled and chopped6 to 8 radishes, tops and tails removed, well washed andchopped1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped¼ teaspoon saltJuice of 1 lemon2 bunches green onions, white and light green portions only,chopped¼ cup chopped parsley2 Tablespoons chopped dill2 ½ cups hummus (recipe follows)½ cup feta cheese, crumbled1 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt2 large tomatoes, chopped1 cup kalamata olives, chopped
Pita chips
In a medium colander with a bowl underneath, stir togetherthe cucumber, radishes, jalapeno, lemon juice and salt.  Let the cucumber mixture drain for atleast 20 minutes.
In a small bowl, stir together the green onions, parsley,and dill.  Set aside.
Spread the hummus on the bottom of a glass pie plate.  Sprinkled drained cucumber mixture overthe hummus, and add the green onion mixture on top of the cucumbermixture.  Add the feta cheese, andtop with the sour cream.  Sprinklethe sour cream with the tomatoes and the kalamata olives.  Serve immediately with pita chips.
HummusAdapted from Bean by Bean a Cookbook by Crescent Dragonwagon2 15-ounce cans reduced sodium garbanzo beans (chickpeas),drained, liquid reserved3 tablespoons tahini2 Tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oil4 cloves garlic, peeled and quarteredJuice of 1 to 2 lemons, or more to tastekosher saltfreshly ground black pepper
Combine the garbanzo beans, 2 tablespoons of the reservedbean liquid, tahini, olive oil, garlic and the juice of one lemon in the bowlof a food processor.  Pulse untilvery smooth.  Add more bean liquidand lemon juice until the hummus is the consistency of sour cream or a littlethinner.  Taste and add salt andpepper.  Refrigerate forat least 2 hours to let the flavors combine.

Surfer Soup

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We are having a beautiful, mild winter herein Northern California.  I would enjoy the weather more if the specterof drought wasn’t hanging over our heads, but we have had beautiful days to hike,bike and enjoy the outdoors.  January and February are usually gray anddrippy, so we don’t plan many camping trips or outdoor activities.  Theweather in October is a different story. 
Northern California beaches are best in thefall.  The summer fog is gone, and the ocean water is a little warmer thanin the spring, although less cold is probably a better description.  Withthe good weather of fall in mind, Sandy and Brian plan a beach camping trip forthe beginning of October every year.   My son loves this trip! We head to the beach campground on Friday, set up our tents, and hike down thecliff to enjoy the sand, water and a beautiful sunset before heading back up toour campground.  The kids go up without complaint because they know theywill be spending all day Saturday in the water.
Then on Saturday, while I’m sitting on thebeach under my umbrella, our friends Janet and Tony are usually decked out inwetsuits riding the waves on boogie boards with the kids.  This year,though, they roared into camp with surfboards strapped to the roof of theirYukon.  This raised their cool factor enormously. I’m sure my son wisheshe had parents like Janet and Tony!  Never mind we never actually sawJanet and Tony surf.  They used the excuse that the waves were better atanother beach, blah, blah, blah, but they allegedlysurf.
Janet was in charge of dinner on Fridaynight, and she brought—you guessed it—Surfer Soup!  Janet’s soup wasperfect for camping.  She calls the soup Surfer Soup because she makes thesoup in the morning before they head to the beach.  When Janet’s familyreturns from surfing, they have a delicious dinner to help warm them up after aday in the ocean.
I made a double batch of the soup a couplemonths ago, so I stashed the leftovers in the freezer. I pulled the soup outfor a quick dinner last night.  The soup tasted just as good, and maybe alittle better out of the freezer than it did the night I made it.
Surfer Soup is a hearty, healthy, low fatsoup perfect for when you’ve spent the day surfing the waves, or if you’ve onlyspent the day surfing the net. 
SurferSoup PrintableRecipe 1 teaspoon olive oil1 pound ground turkey½  yellow onion, chopped1 garlic clove, minced2 teaspoons Italian seasoning½ teaspoon kosher saltFreshly ground black pepper1 tablespoon tomato paste1 15-ounce can petite cut diced tomatoes4 cups chicken broth1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained andrinsed1 6-ounce bag of baby spinach, choppedParmesan cheeseTabasco sauce
In a large saucepot or Dutch oven, heat theolive oil, add the onion and cook until the onion is soft.  Add the turkeyto the onions, and cook until the turkey is no longer pink.  Stir in thegarlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, and cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, tomatoes, cannellini beans, and chicken broth and bringto a boil.  Turn the heat down to simmer, and simmer the soup for 15minutes.  Taste the soup and add more salt and pepper if needed.  Addthe spinach and cook for another 5 minutes.  Serve with Parmesan cheeseand Tabasco sauce.

Happy Valentine's Day!

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Yeah, I know. Nothing says Valentine’s Day like Barley Kale Salad!  I did have visions of posting cookies,cupcakes or something else sweet and gooey, but after thinking aboutValentine’s Day as the day to celebrate love, instead of a day to gorge onsweets, I decided to take a different path.  The love of my life, the one I’ve been married to foralmost 20 years, has been battling high cholesterol for most of his adult life.I’ve made changes in what we eat to help with his cholesterol, so we are now eating more fish,whole grains and good fats, and less meat, white flour and saturated fats.  Some weeks are better than others, buton the whole we have been making progress, and his numbers have been lookinggood!
So, with my Valentine in mind, I decided to share my friendBeth’s Barley and Kale salad.  Beth served this salad to go with my beans, and barbequed tri-tip for acamping trip last June (We eat really well on our camping trips!).   I made her salad this Sunday, so Lesand I could bring it for lunch during week.  I packed Les some for his lunch Monday, and as I was sittingdown to eat my bowl, I received a text from him saying he really liked thesalad, and he hoped there was more for Tuesday.   Awh, how sweet! I’m glad he liked it!
Barley and Kale salad is low fat, tasty and filling.  The dressing adds a tartness thatblends nicely with the kale, the edamame adds a nice amount of protein, and the cranberries are just plain yummy.  Happy Valentine’s Day!  
Barley Kale SaladPrintable Recipe 1 10-ounce bunch Lacinato (sinosaur kale), washed, leavestrimmed from stem and chopped½ cup chopped parsley, one bunch½ cup chopped red onion½ cup good quality balsamic vinegarJuice of two lemons½ teaspoon kosher saltGenerous grinding of freshly ground black pepper3 cups cooked barley2 cups shelled edamame½ cup dried cranberries
In a large bowl, combine the choppedkale, parsley and red onion.  In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamicvinegar, lemon juice, salt and black pepper. Add the vinegar mixture to thekale and toss together.  Stir the barley, edamame and cranberries into thekale mixture. Taste, and add salt and pepper if needed.  Refrigerate for 1hour to let the flavors combine. Serve.

Portabella Mushroom Fajitas

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Last year for Lent, my daughter wanted to give up all meat, dairy and other animal products. She decided to become vegan for Lent; unfortunately, she decided this onAsh Wednesday.  I flailed aroundtrying to come up with something she could eat, but I was ill-equipped and ill-prepared for her to become vegan with such short notice. I think she starvedfor a couple of days before I convinced her to give up something else.  I promised I would do some research, soshe could be vegan for this year’s Lent.
True to my word, I have been adding vegan recipes (or recipes easilymade vegan) to my arsenal, like Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Black Bean Chili,  Winter Vegetable Stew with Moroccan Flavors, and Barley Kale Salad.  I’ve beendoing research and testing recipes, and about a month ago, I was testing arecipe for red lentil burgers.  Igave one to my daughter, and she said she liked the burger, but she wanted a “real”hamburger.  I explained I wastrying out recipes for her vegan Lent this year.  She looked at me and said, “Oh yeah, about that, I’vedecided to give up soda this year instead.”
I walked away stunned. Really?  Really!?! I had toregroup after her declaration, but when I came out of my shockeddisbelief, I realized all my work could still be used.  Les and I would cut out meat and dairyfor Lent!  Les was on board, so Icontinued with my plans.  And, withher dad and me as good role models (yeah, right!), our daughter has decided tojoin us in our Lenten sacrifice (our son is another story).  So, for the next 40 days, I will beposting mostly vegetarian/vegan recipes. I’ll let you know how it goes!
I tested these Portabella Mushroom Fajitas last weekend, andI will be making these quick and easy fajitas again.  The fajitas are moist, flavorful and have nice meaty bite.  I might add a little non-dairy sourcream or guacamole to the fajitas next time I make them.  Yum!
Portabella Mushroom FajitasPrintable Recipe ¼ cup extra virgin olive oilJuice of two limes1 tablespoon tequila½ teaspoon ground cumin½ teaspoon ground coriander½ teaspoon kosher salt1 small Serrano pepper, seeded and chopped2 tablespoons chopped cilantro3 large portabella mushroom caps, washed, stemmed.½ yellow onion, sliced1 sweet bell pepper, sliced (I used ½ green and ½ red bellpepper)
Corn tortillas, warmed
In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the oil,lime juice, tequila, cumin, coriander and salt.  Stir in the Serrano pepper and cilantro, and set aside.
Gently remove the gills from the portabella mushroom with aspoon.  Slice the mushroom into ½ inchslices.  In a large bowl, add themushrooms, onions and bell pepper. Pour marinade over the mixture, and stir gently.  Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to distribute the marinade.
Heat a scant teaspoon of olive oil in a large skillet orDutch oven, and add the mushrooms, onions and peppers in batches, so you don’tcrowd the pan.  Cook until themushrooms are browned and the onions and peppers are soft.  Pour any remaining marinade over the hot mushrooms and peppers.  Serve in warmed tortillas.

Chai Tea (Indian Spiced Tea) Recipe

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from Cook Wild by Susanne Fischer-Rizzi.....

I got to know and love chai during my time in India. Despite the hot weather there, the spiced tea had a stimulating and strengthening effect. Later, when I was trekking in Nepal, I appreciated this delicious drink again: it warmed not only my cold fingers but also my entire body, and gave me strength for the mountain trek. The milk for the drink had been taken from a water buffalo shortly before and gave the chai a particularly creamy flavor. Instead of water buffalo milk I like to add a dash of cream to my chai. As soon as winter starts, I drink my chai with galangal root to prevent colds.

Recommended Equipment:
a pot with a lid or a hobo oven
a sieve

Ingredients:
6 1/2 cups water
1/2 cinnamon stick
2 cardamom pods, squashed
1 slice fresh ginger, about 1/2 cm thick
2 cloves
1 generous tbsp black tea leaves (Darjeeling or English tea)
2 tbsp sugar
3/4 cup milk or milk-cream mixture

Preparation:

1. Put the cold water and spices in a pot with a lid. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes.
2. Add the tea leaves and sugar and simmer without the lid for a further 2 - 3 minutes; if necessary, stir until the sugar has dissolved.
   
3. Finally, add the milk and bring to a boil. Strain and drink hot.

Tip:
Instead of ginger you could use galangal root (also called laos and available in Asian food shops). Both ginger and galangal root stimulate the body's defense mechanisms, protecting it from colds and flu.

Fire:
Fire with low flames or a Swedish log fire.

Recipe courtesy of Cook Wild by Susanne Fischer-Rizzi

India [ print this recipe for Chai Tea ]