Three-Bean Turkey Chili

After a month of silence, it feels great to finally have something nummy to share with you all today. This past month has been so busy I've hardly cooked or baked anything at all! I can't tell you how wonderful it felt to stand over the stove and give this chili a stir. It was good for my soul. 

I made this chili last year, using a vegetarian three-bean chili recipe as a guide. The result was outstanding, and I can't believe I haven't blogged about it until now! If you want to make it vegetarian, check out the original recipe which uses cubed butternut squash and veggie stock. Based off of the outstanding reviews, I'm sure it would be equally as delicious!! 

I chose to top the chili with shredded jack cheese, sliced green onions, and chopped cilantro. I think some avocado would be divine. Can you tell I'm a girl who loves her garnishes?? :)

I will be submitting this recipe to Souper Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen. There's always a great line up of soups, salads, and sandwiches every Sunday, so check it out!

Three-Bean Turkey Chili

Ingredients

2 red bell peppers

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 pound ground turkey (dark meat if you can find it!)

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups chicken broth

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained (no salt added)

1 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 15-ounce can great northern or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Garnishes (optional...I guess): sliced green onion, chopped cilantro, shredded jack cheese, avocado, whatever you like!

Directions

Preheat broiler. Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise. Remove and discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil 15 minutes or until blackened. Place pepper halves in a zip-top plastic bag, and seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel and chop peppers.

Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add onion and turkey, and cook until meat is browned. Stir in cumin and next 4 ingredients (through garlic). Cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add bell peppers, broth, and tomatoes, and bring to a simmer. Cook 20 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally. Add beans, simmer 25 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring occasionally. If you want a thicker chili, leave the lid off after you add the beans. I like it a little more soupy, so I just took the lid off for the last 15 minutes or so. Totally up to you!

When ready to serve, top with your favorite garnishes and serve with tortilla chips!

Recipe Inspiration: Cooking Light

Chana Saag

I can't believe summer vacation will soon be coming to a close. It's been a pretty busy summer, and I'm sure the school year will be even more crazy! Chris and I will be traveling to Louisville quite a bit in the coming months, so I decided I was going to start cooking meals now and freezing them, so when we feel too tired to make dinner we won't have to eat out. I'm calling it "The Freezer Project". *Cough*...I may or may not have a word doc on google drive with a list of things I'm planning on making. Yes...totally dorking out over here. What you see here are two things I can now check off my list. That's right, accompanying the saag is homemade naan (recipe coming soon!).

I've made this recipe before, but felt it was lacking in flavor. I loved the idea of using evaporated milk instead of cream and how simple and easy this dish is to pull off, so I gave it a second chance, changing the spices a bit. I'm so glad I did, because it makes for a wonderful meal, and I imagine it will taste even better tomorrow! It makes a fair amount, about six servings, which is perfect for us. We each had it for lunch today, lunch is taken care of tomorrow, and two servings are waiting for us in the freezer. That's what I call perfection! Stay tuned for my favorite naan recipe!

Chana Saag

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 inches fresh grated ginger

1 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon tumeric

1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper (I did a 1/4 tsp. and it wasn't too spicy)

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 large tomato, chopped

1 lb. bag frozen chopped spinach*

1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk

Directions

In a very large skillet, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add onion, garlic, and grated ginger (it's easiest to just grate it right over the pan). Saute for about 5 minutes, or until onion is soft and transparent. 

Add coriander, tumeric, red pepper, and garam masala. Stir and cook for about 1 minute. Add the tomato and salt, and continue to cook for another five minutes, or until the tomato starts to lose it's shape.

Add the chickpeas, spinach, and 1/2 cup of water to the skillet, giving it a good stir as to break up the spinach. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat, then continue to let it simmer until the mixture is heated through, about five minutes.

At this point, most of the water should have simmered away. Turn the heat down to medium low, and add the evaporated milk. Depending on how thick you want the sauce, you can just heat it through, or let it simmer until thickened. 

Once cooked, take a cup or so of the mixture and add it to a blender, blending until smooth. Add mixture back to the skillet, give it a stir, and serve with rice, naan or both!**

*Be sure the spinach you purchase is chopped, or you'll be stuck with long pieces of stringy spinach.

**This last step is completely optional, but I like the color and added thickness. Leave it as is if you wish!

Recipe Source: adapted from Budget Bytes

Cuban Black Beans

I'm going to be honest...I don't love black beans. I don't hate them either, but when given a choice I always go for pinto. I figured if I was going to like eating black beans, I was going to have to make them myself from scratch (isn't that how it always goes?).

This recipe did not disappoint. In fact, it's probably one of my new favorite beans and rice recipes. Though I must admit, I didn't love how the beans turned everything they touched purple. Maybe they should be called purple beans? 

Anyhoo, I stumbled upon the recipe on the New York Times site, and immediately knew this was the one to make. I had both the ham hock and the exact amount of bacon in my freezer, so hello spring cleaning for my freezer!! Also...ten cloves of garlic. That's what I'm talking about. Anything with that much garlic has got to be a winner. 

The original recipe called for 5 teaspoons of salt, and I thought it came out a bit salty. That didn't stop me and two of my girlfriends from licking our bowls clean. I've reduced the salt to 2 teaspoons in the recipe below, plus more to taste.

Ingredients

 

1 pound dried black beans, rinsed and picked over to remove any stones

1 1/2 green peppers, stemmed and seeded

10 garlic cloves

1 smoked ham hock

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste

4 slices thick bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 Spanish onion, diced

1 jalapeño, stemmed and finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground

black pepper

3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Chopped cilantro, to garnish

Directions

Soak beans overnight in a large pot of water (or 6-8 hours).

Cut 1 green pepper into 1-inch squares. Smash and peel 4 of the garlic cloves. In a large dutch oven, add the green pepper and garlic, with the beans, ham hock, bay leaves and 1 teaspoon salt. Add 2 quarts water and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and simmer until the beans are tender, an hour or more. 

Meanwhile, make a sofrito. Finely dice the remaining ½ green pepper, then peel and finely chop the remaining garlic. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the green pepper and onion and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeño (leave out the seeds if you don’t want it too spicy, though I thought the seeds added a nice heat), oregano, cumin, black pepper and remaining teaspoon salt and stir for another minute. Pour in the vinegar and scrape any browned bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. This is your sofrito.

When the beans are cooked, discard the bay leaves. Remove and set aside the ham hock and let it cool. Transfer 1 cup of beans to small bowl, mash them into a paste with the back of a fork and return to the pot. Add the sofrito, then the sugar. Pull the meat from the ham hock, leaving behind any white sinew or gristle. Chop the ham into ½-inch pieces and return it to the bean pot.

Stir the beans well and bring to a boil over medium heat, then lower to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes or so, skimming any foam from the top. Taste for salt and serve with white rice, topped with chopped cilantro.  

This makes a large pot of beans, but they freeze very well!!

Recipe source: seen on NYtimes.com, adapted from Tastes Like Cuba, by Eduardo Machado and Michael Domitrovich.

Lentil Soup with Sausage, Chard, and Garlic

There is just something so wonderful about a piping hot bowl of soup in the winter. I feel like I've really missed out on soup this past month, which is a shame because it's my very favorite thing. I've been eyeing this soup on Smitten Kitchen since it was first posted, and am so excited that I got around to making it. It. Was. So. Good. Simple, yet incredibly flavorful, this soup is a winner. It was also my first time trying swiss chard, and I really liked it. It's hearty like kale, though the flavor is more mild.

I agree with Deb about leftover greens in soup, and only added mine to the bowl instead of the pot, and let the hot soup wilt the greens. Leftover greens = blech. Add them when you need them, and they'll always be fresh! NUM!

Lentil Soup with Sausage, Chard, and Garlic

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil, divided

2 large links of sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

1 medium onion, diced

2 medium carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

4 cloves garlic, sliced (save half for later in the recipe)

Salt, to taste

A pinch of crushed red pepper

1 cup brown lentils, sorted and rinsed

1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes

6 cups water

Freshly ground black pepper

3-4 cups Swiss chard, shredded or thinly ribboned (you could also use kale)

Grated cheese to finish (she used Pecorino Romano, I used an Italian blend I had in the fridge..Num!)

Directions

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil (enough to coat bottom of pot) in a large pot on medium heat. When hot, add the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until it starts to brown, about five minutes. Add the onion, celery, carrots, first two garlic cloves, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cook with the sausage until the vegetables soften a bit, another 5 minutes. Add the lentils, bay leaves, tomatoes, water (6 cups is, conveniently, 2 empty 28-ounce cans, so you can get any tomato pulp you missed), more salt and black pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and allow to cook until the lentils are tender, about 40 minutes.

When the lentils are cooked, add the chard and cook until the leaves are tender, just a few minutes more. Discard the bay leaves.

To finish, divide soup among bowls, then add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and 2 garlic cloves to a small skillet and heat over medium until the garlic softens and hisses. Drizzle this over soup bowls, and top with cheese.

Recipe source: adapted from Smitten Kitchen who adapted it from this book.

Dal Nirvana

I am so excited about this dish. I have been craving Indian food for the better part of a year, and could finally wait no more. It is one of my favorite cuisines. You may be surprised, but when I was living in Cincinnati, I could get incredible Indian food at about 3 or more different restaurants within walking distance of my apartment. Incredible Indian restaurants in the midwest? Yes, I kid you not. I don't know why, but I never complained. Wow, just thinking about it is making me excited about being back in the Queen City.

My favorite dish is chicken tikka masala, and I order it every time. It's probably one of my most favorite meals on the planet actually. Though this isn't tikka masala, this dal nirvana is...well...nirvana. It completely hit the spot. It was just spicy enough, though could set your mouth on fire if you wanted it to, and was ever so flavorful. I also had barely enough lentils left in the cabinet, so this was perfect, as I'm trying to use stuff up since we're moving back to the states next month.

If you're not really familiar with Indian food, I urge you to give this dish a try. It was incredibly easy to make, and I just loved it. I wish I had more leftover! It fed me and Chris, and we'll probably have just enough for a meal tomorrow, or *ahem* maybe even dinner tonight. Also, see that beautiful stack of naan? Yeah...I made them (does happy dance). I want to play around with the recipe more before sharing, but for now, here is the recipe for this divine meal. Enjoy!

Dal Nirvana

Ingredients

1 cup dry brown lentils

2 gloves garlic

1 inch fresh ginger 

1/2-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (the amount depends on how spicy you want it...I used 1/2 teaspoon)

1/2 teaspoon turmeric (this spice isn't as common I guess, and is optional, but I loved the addition)

4 tablespoons butter

1 15oz. can crushed or diced tomatoes

1 cup water

Salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup cream

Chopped fresh cilantro, to garnish

Directions

Pick through lentils, and remove any stones if you find any (I've never found any until today!). Place lentils in a pot and cover with a couple inches of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, and boil until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the lentils in a colander.

While the lentils are boiling, mince the garlic, and peel and grate the ginger (using a small hole cheese grater).*

Over medium heat, melt the butter, then add the garlic, ginger, cayenne, turmeric, salt, and pepper, and cook for about 1 minute. Add the lentils, tomatoes, and water. Stir it all together. Bring it to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, and cover. The mixture should be soft and thick after a half hour. If it's not, continue to simmer, adding more water if it dries out. You want the end product to be thick, not watery.

Once cooked, remove from heat, and stir in the cream. Garnish with cilantro, and serve over rice or with naan for dipping. Or better yet, both like we did!

*I started keeping fresh ginger in the freezer, as I could never seem to use it all. Just pull it out, peel the amount you plan to use and you can grate it while frozen. When you're done, throw it back in the freezer for later use. Alternately, you could grate all the ginger, then freeze, pulling off chunks as you need it. No more wasted ginger! :)

Recipe Source: adapted from Budget Bytes

Chickpea Salad

We have been eating a LOT lately. Two nights ago it was pizza, and last night was extreme burger madness at our favorite burger place in Beijing, The Blue Frog. Their burgers are awesome, there are always tons of expats there, and on Monday nights the burgers are buy one get one free!! We hadn't been in about a month and a half, so I was looking forward to going last night. As we were ordering we were informed that the drinks were also buy one get one free...double score! I can't remember the name of the drink I got, but I do remember it having vodka, cranberry juice, and orange juice. Oh yeah..and the name started with an 'M'. It was a bit strong for me, but nevertheless delish (and pretty!).

And what burger did I order? I was super close to ordering the Portobello burger. It had hummus, watercress, peppers, and of course a large portobello mushroom. I thought it would be healthier, but you wanna know what I got? The mushroom. Yes..loads of mushrooms and Swiss cheese over beef. But hey..the bun was whole wheat! ;) I think next time we go though, I'll give the portobello a try, because it did look super tasty.                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

The thing is though, between pizza and burgers, my body was craving something light and green for lunch today. I wanted to make a chickpea salad for a few days now, and this one fit the bill perfectly. It was refreshing, crisp, and light, not to mention the vinaigrette was also wonderful. I ate about one large bowl full, and two kiwis for "dessert". After eating this salad, I’m starting to get super excited about spring, and can’t wait to eat all the fresh produce!

In a way it almost seems silly to write out a recipe for a salad, but at the same time, I would've never made this if I hadn't seen this recipe first. Therefore, try and think of this as a guideline, and get creative! My changes were using cherry tomatoes instead of Roma (they're a little sweeter..and easier to cut!), and adding cucumber. I LOVE cucumbers in salad. They're so crisp and fresh, I just adore them. If feta weren't so insanely expensive, I would've loved to have added some! In the end, I just loved this salad, and my body felt full and happy. Enjoy!

Chickpea Salad

Ingredients

For the Salad

2 hearts of Romaine lettuce (or one big one)

1 bunch of green onions

1 red pepper

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 large cucumber

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 large garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed

For the Dressing

1/8 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 ½ teaspoons brown sugar

A dash of salt

A dash of pepper

Directions

Wash and chop the lettuce, green onions, red pepper, cherry tomatoes, and cucumber. Add in the garlic and chickpeas and give it a toss.

In a small jar, add the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Give it a shake, and drizzle over the salad to lightly coat. Add freshly ground salt and pepper.

Recipe Source: adapted from Beloved Green 

Mujaddara-Lentils and Rice with Caramelized Onions

I love a recipe where three simple ingredients can turn into something special and delicious. In Mujaddara, caramelized onions give life to the rice and lentils. Up until this dish, I think I've only had lentils in soups, so I'm slowly learning how to incorporate this ultra healthy legume into my diet. The original recipe called for brown rice, which would be a little healthier, but I only had white rice, so I adjusted the recipe accordingly. If you would prefer brown rice, add it to the pan with the lentils. I found this recipe at one of my new favorite blogs: Elly Says Opa. Elly says that you could serve this as a vegetarian main dish, or as a side. We at it for lunch one day, but I think I would prefer it as a side to perhaps chicken or pork, with some veggies or a salad.

Mujaddara

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium yellow onions, cut in half and then into slices

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup lentils, rinsed and picked over

1/2 cup white rice

2 1/2 cups stock (I used veggie) or water or a combo*

Directions

Heat a deep saute pan or medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil. Once hot, add the onions. Cook for two or three minutes over medium heat and then reduce to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are a dark golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.

Stir in the lentils and bay leaf and saute for a minute before adding the liquid. Increase heat to bring to a boil, and then cover for 30 minutes. Add rice and 1/3 cup broth and simmer an additional 15-20 minutes or until rice and lentils are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

*Add more liquid as you are cooking the mujaddara, if necessary. I ended up adding about 1/3 of a cup more stock when I added the rice, but this amount may vary depending on your stove.

Recipe Source: adapted from Elly Says Opa

Black-Eyed Peas and Ham Soup

Happy New Year!  2011 was a complete whirlwind of a year.  I quit school and moved to China for a job, and boy has it been an adventure. I’m sure 2012 will be no different.  In fact, it will probably be 2011 in reverse.  I’ll most likely be leaving my job in June, and returning to school next fall to pursue a doctorate.  Though with this life I’ve chosen, I never really know where I’ll end up!  In the meantime, I’m just going to cook, eat, and be happy.  Now onto the food!

I adore soup.  Every year when the air outside starts to cool, I become obsessed.  I talk about it way too much and want to eat it almost everyday.  Give me a hot bowl full of awesomeness, a great piece of bread and I’m sold. Since I’m sort of from the south, and am totally crazy about soup, I thought of nothing better to make this New Year’s day than black-eyed pea and ham soup.  This is a traditional dish served on New Year’s day hailing from the southern United States.  Supposedly it will bring you good luck and prosperity for the coming year.  I will probably need some of that.  A lot of recipes I looked at had carrots, and celery, and tomatoes, and peppers, and collard greens, and and AND!  Though I’m of course not opposed to any of these things, and would like to try some variations, my mom made this for me once, and I remember it only had ham, onions, and black-eyed peas. Being a bit homesick, I ultimately wanted a taste of home, and I really liked it, just as it was. The peas have a meatiness to it that pairs perfectly with the ham. Like many soups, I’m willing to bet this will taste even better reheated. Some cornbread would’ve been a great pairing with this soup, but I’ve made corn bread two or three times in the past few weeks, so we just had a slice of French bread.  I have a feeling this will become a tradition of my own in the years to come, and I’m sure I will branch out a bit and try some new variations.  Here’s to 2012!

Black-Eyed Peas and Ham Soup

Inspired by Southern Food

Ingredients

16 ounces frozen black eyed peas

4 ounces cooked black forest ham, diced into small cubes

5 cups water

1 small to medium sized yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

A pinch of ground red pepper

1/8 teaspoon sugar

Salt, to taste (I used about ½ a teaspoon)

Directions

Place water and ham in a large pot, and bring to a boil.  Lower heat, and simmer for 30 minutes (now is a good time to prep the onions and garlic!).  Add remaining ingredients, and bring back to a boil.  Cover tightly and simmer for 45 minutes or until peas are tender.