Sunday, October 18, 2009
The problem with Facebook is, you let everybody know your business. And most of the time, I am fully aware of this, so I don’t post anything I don’t want my 392 “friends” to know. But, today, it put a little pressure on me. Here was the status update that got me “…homemade bread, pumpkin muffins, chili (with PUMPKIN secret ingredient), and cornbread… it’s been a pretty productive day!” That got one of my friends interested, and she INSISTED I publish the chili recipe TODAY! TODAY!?! Doesn’t she know I’m like a week or two behind on all my posts?!? So… I had to work in WARP speed to get the photo taken, edited, and then get this written. It’s all for you Kristen!
Now, to tell you about this chili. It was SUPER delicious! While I usually use beer as a secret ingredient in my chili, I understand not everyone wants to do that. This is an awesome, very healthy twist on chili. And don’t worry, the pumpkin flavor is very subtle. In fact, The Boy (who is wary of all pumpkin goods) did not even notice it was there! He thought the chili was very good, good enough to eat two helpings of it. I could taste the pumpkin, but then again I knew it was there, and I have a more sensitive palate to the most wonderful ingredient in the universe. Pumpkin is not just good in baked goods people! If you’re looking for a way to add extra nutritional kick to your chili, or just ready to try something new, this is a route I highly recommend!
If you’re still not convinced, go here and read some of the health benefits of pumpkin!
Print
Turkey Bean Pumpkin Chili
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground turkey
2 14.5oz can diced tomatoes (one of mine was fire-roasted)
1 14.5oz can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups (1 14.5 ounce can) pumpkin puree
1 8oz can tomato juice
1 12oz dark beer (such as Star Hill Pumpkin Porter, Yazoo Dos Perros, or Negra Modello, and if you don't want to add beer, just add more tomato juice)
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 tablespoon cumin
cayenne pepper to taste
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
fresh cilantro
shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)
Directions:
Heat oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Saute the onion, green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, jalapeno, and garlic until tender, about 10 minutes. Make room in the center of the skillet, add turkey, and brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, beans, pumpkin, beer, and juice. Season with chili powder, cumin, pepper, salt, and cayenne.
Reduce heat and simmer at least 20 minutes. Stir in fresh cilantro (again, not in my house!). If preferred, serve topped with Cheddar cheese and sour cream, and a hearty slice of Beer Bread.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Recently an annual family reunion was coming up. I think I was feeling guilty over the decision to bring not one but TWO desserts (cupcakes, to appear on the blog later; and these INCREDIBLE Caramel Cocoa Crispy Bars), and I felt the need to come up with a healthy side.
I had a butternut squash remaining from my most recent CSA box, and I was determined to do something with it. I wanted to find some kind of healthy salad that would showcase the squash. After much recipe searching, and some discussion with an incredibly talented and nice blogger, I decided to make this recipe I found on TheKitchn. The Kitchn has yet to steer me wrong. It was there I found the recipe I adapted for my much-loved Broccoli Slaw, as well as these super yummy Ginger Glazed Pear Muffins.
I was unsure of a couple things. First I wasn’t sure how good this recipe would turn out. I mean, I thought it would be good… but I didn’t know it would be THIS good! Even after I discovered how delicious this was, I still wasn’t sure if my family would like it. It’s a little out there from the kind of stuff we usually eat at the reunion. But I am happy to report that every seemed to love it! (Well.. technically my mother thought it had too much orange zest…) Lots of people inquired about all the different flavors in this.
The squash and cranberry are both traditional, seasonal fall flavors. The dressing you mix together then combine with the cous cous, squash, beans, and berries. It has such a welcoming autumn flavor, with an extra kick from the cumin and coriander. The orange gives it a surprising, refreshing zip; and the white wine vinegar gives it a tang. This went over so well, my mother requested I bring it to her side of the family’s Thanksgiving potluck! I was bummed there was barely a single serving left when it was time to go. I had been anticipating lots of leftovers! In fact, I quickly snapped these photos before we left for the potluck because I was assuming I could do a photoshoot after we got back. Perhaps next time I make this I can get photos that are up to my standards! I just wanted to hurry and get this posted, because YOU might want to serve it for Thanksgiving too!
Print
Cous Cous Salad with Butternut Squash and Cranberries
Ingredients:
1 medium butternut squash (or other hard winter squash), peeled* and cut into 1-inch chunks
3/4 cup uncooked cous cous
1 cup water
1 onion, diced
4-5 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
Zest of one orange
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cumin
1-3 teaspoons salt--to taste
1 can garbanzo beans--drained
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss squash with a bit of olive oil and spread on a baking sheet. Roast squash, stirring occasionally, until tender - -about 30 minutes. Allow to cool before combining with other ingredients.
Heat water in sauce pan to boiling. Add cous cous and stir. Remove pan from heat, cover with a lid, and let sit for about 15 minutes until the cous cous has absorbed all the water. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
Saute onion in a skillet over medium-high heat until translucent. Set aside and allow to cool
In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, olive oil, zest, spices, and 1 teaspoon of salt. In a large bowl, combine squash, cous cous, onions, garbanzo beans, and cranberries. Pour on the vinegar-oil dressing and stir to combine. Taste to check seasoning and add salt if needed. This salad can be served room temperature or cold.
*Wanna know a secret? I sliced my butternut squash in half, scooped out the seeds, and roasted it like that. THEN I sliced and cut it into chunks. As you may or may not know, the skin on an uncooked butternut squash is quite thick! This made it MUCH easier, and I’m definitely doing it like that again!*
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
We don’t eat pizza often, and we especially don’t order pizza often. If I’m going to indulge a little I still like to exert some control over it. That’s why I’d prefer to make my own pizza, and top it with WHATEVER I want! Not only do I like the health benefits of a wheat crust, I prefer a good wheaty pizza crust. I’ve tried a couple other recipes, but this one is definitely the best one so far. This recipe is from All Recipes, and I read a couple of the reviewers’ advice and used all whole wheat flour. I actually used white whole wheat flour, as I’ve found I really like the flavor and texture of it for bread recipes. I also split this dough into two balls. One I wrapped and froze for later use, and one I baked immediately. Both made delicious Sunday dinners!
Because I split them into two portions, I was able to roll them out thin. These baked up perfectly on my pizza stone. The crust was crisp on the outside but definitely still chewy. You could always not separate this, and use it for one pizza if you want a thicker crust. First I’ll give you the dough recipe, then I’ll explain the various toppings I’ve done.
Print
Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon honey
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons italian seasoning
1 tsp fennel seeds (optional)
Directions:
In a large bowl, dissolve honey in warm water. Sprinkle yeast over the top, and let stand for about 10 minutes, until foamy.
Stir the olive oil and salt into the yeast mixture, then mix in 3 cups of flour, italian seasoning, and fennel seeds until dough starts to come together. Tip dough out onto a surface floured with the remaining 1/2 cup flour, and knead until all of the flour has been absorbed, and the ball of dough becomes smooth, about 10 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover loosely with a towel, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
When the dough is doubled, tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide into 2 pieces for 2 thin crust, or leave whole to make one thick crust. Form into a tight ball. Let rise for about 45 minutes, until doubled.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Roll a ball of dough with a rolling pin until it will not stretch any further. Then, drape it over both of your fists, and gently pull the edges outward, while rotating the crust. When the circle has reached the desired size, place on a well oiled pizza pan. Top pizza with your favorite toppings, such as sauce, cheese, meats, or vegetables.
Bake for 16 to 20 minutes (depending on thickness) in the preheated oven, until the crust is crisp and golden at the edges, and cheese is melted on the top.
And here are some different flavor combos I’ve done:
Fennel Pancetta Pizza
(pancetta and fennel sauteed until soft, along with Roma tomatoes and provolone cheese)
Eggplant and Goat Cheese Pizza
(Eggplant sliced and roasted, along with soft goat cheese. I used a local, peppercorn goat cheese from Noble Springs, the same I raved about in this post.)
Pepperoni and Cheese
(A basic pizza to suited for The Boy’s tastes. Pepperoni, mozzarella, and tomato sauce.)
Monday, October 12, 2009
This recipe came in the weekly newsletter for my CSA. But, it didn’t come in MY weekly newsletter. One of my twitter friends and I discovered that while we are both members of Delvin Farms CSA, we have different pickup dates and locations, which leads to different boxes and newsletters! While I received mushrooms and beets, she never got those; and much to my displeasure, I never received the okra and radishes she has. This really made me aware of how seasonally I like to cook. I had been looking forward to okra so much this summer. And while I’m not a huge fan of radishes, I have a couple dishes I love to make each year involving them. I just couldn’t bring myself to purchase them. The majority of the vegetables I’ve eaten since this season’s CSA began, have been from my box!
Luckily we have both been fortunate enough to get sweet potatoes. When she twittered that she was making sweet potato hummus*, I asked for the recipe. That’s when we discovered that our newsletters are different too! Luckily she was nice enough to share the recipe with me. I’m SO glad she did! This was a really different way to prepare sweet potatoes. It may just look like mashed sweet potatoes, but it’s taste is definitely something special. There is a touch of sweetness from the brown sugar and surprise ingredient orange marmalade; but it still has a savory, filling taste. Of course, this tasted awesome with crackers and tortilla chips, but it’s also great with lower carb options like carrots and celery.
**This recipe was originally called Sweet Potato Hummus, but because there are no chickpeas in it, I’ve been informed it should technically be called a dip. The tahini and garlic really help make it similar to a hummus.**
Print
Sweet Potato Dip
adapted from Delvin Farms CSA newsletter, recipe source "Heather"
Ingredients:
3 lbs sweet potatoes
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 Tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup. tahini
1/2 cup olive oil
1 Tablespoon orange marmalade
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
Directions:
Roast sweet potatoes until they are soft. Scrape out from skins and combine in a large bowl with remaining ingredients. Mash well with a fork. Alternatively you can use a food processor to combine the ingredients. (I don't have a food processor, but you can see I was still able to get this to combine pretty well.)
Bookmark/Share
Subscribe to RSS Feed
Subscribe via Email
Follow Me on Twitter