Fall Food Projects

This is not complete. I am excited to make some old favorites, and learn some new tricks.

1. Muesli-making party
   
   
   
   
2. Borscht and Autumn Squash soup
   
   
   
   
3. Cooking with edible lavender and making refreshing beverages with Monin lavender syrup
   
   
   
   
4. Buying a cast-iron skillet
   
   
5. Doughnuts at the Doughnut Plant and brunch at Balthazar(not in the same day)
   
   
   
   
6. Roasting vegetables and chicken
7. Nameless cake
8. Chicken and dumplings with Leek
9. Lemon drizzle cake
   
   
   
   
10. Lots of pots of tea in my beautiful new Brown Betty:
    
    
    

Andreae's "Chili For All"

I can't believe I haven't mentioned this. Andreae's chili recipe is one of my new favorite recipes of the year, and quite easily one of my most frequently-made dishes. Easy, cheap, friggin' delicious. I really recommend using the quinoa--the flavor it adds is tops. And don't forget the sour cream. I also am a sucker for the corn chips shaped like scoops when it comes to this.

CHILI FOR ALL

Makes 8 servings. I make this fairly mild to suit a certain four-year-old's palate, but feel free to bump up the chili powder and crushed chilies to taste.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 - 1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 - 1 teaspoon crushed chilies
1/2 teaspoon cocoa (unsweetened, not hot chocolate mix!)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup strong brewed coffee
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup peeled, chopped sweet potato (1/2 - inch dice)
1 540-ml tin black beans, rinsed
1 398-ml tin dark red kidney beans, rinsed
1 796-ml tin diced tomatoes
1 cup tomato juice (or v8 if you've got it)
2 cups cooked quinoa (or 2 cups cooked brown rice, or about a pound of ground beef, browned and drained)
juice of 1/2 lime

In a rather large pot over medium heat, sauté onion in olive oil until nearly translucent. Add garlic and sauté a few minutes more, stirring. Reduce heat to low and add spices, cocoa and salt. Stir until nicely fragrant, then add coffee and stir it all into a paste. Add chopped vegetables and beans, then tomatoes and tomato juice. Stir in your quinoa (or rice, or ground beef) and bring everything to a gentle simmer. Cook on low until sweet potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes. Chili burns easily; make sure you stir the pot frequently, and keep the heat as low as possible. Before serving squeeze in the lime juice.

Serve topped with sour cream or yogurt, or with grated cheese, or with diced avocado and toasted pumpkin seeds.

To cook quinoa:
Rinse 1 cup quinoa well to remove the bitter coating on the grains – I use a colander lined with a cotton napkin. Put the rinsed grains in a small, covered pot and add 2 cups cold water. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cook, covered, for about 15 minutes.

Borscht Again!

This blog has been woefully inactive! I will change this. Because I am so, so psyched about this invention of mine!

Before those without a food processor. If you choose to use a chand grater, I salute your spunk. That sounds really dirty.

Almost-Raw Borscht

One bunch 3-5 small/medium beets (including greens)
One carrot
One cup chopped cabbage (aprox)
One small, sweet-ish onion
One Clove garlic
Two cups vegetable broth
1 tsp vinegar (I used apple cider)
1 tsp sugar or other sweetener
1 tsp salt
Dashes of black pepper
Two cups water
about a half of another onion, diced
Fresh Dill

Wash, peel and puree beets and greens, carrot, first onion and garlic in food processor, in batches if necessary. Transfer to blender, adding broth, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Blend til well incorporated. Transfer to large bowl or storage container. Stir in water, diced onion and however much fresh dill you have and/or want. Chill at least one hour before serving. Serve plain or how I prefer, over a boiled potato and topped with sour cream.

NOTE: This is an outline. Go ahead and futz with it. Adjust the amount of liquid to your preferred consistency, season to taste, throw some olive oil in the blender, sautee the onion and garlic before adding, use leftover boiled cabbage, eliminate the suger (uncooked beets are pretty sweet)...I really make this a little differently each time.