Chili and Cornbread

I'm always up for trying a new chili recipe, and this vegetarian one is great! It comes together in a flash, and has lots of flavor.

Chunky Vegetarian Chili

Cooking Light

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 (16-ounce) cans stewed tomatoes, undrained
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell peppers, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add sugar and remaining ingredients, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.

8 servings

I also tried a new cornbread to have with it:

Double Corn Bread

Cooking Light

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
4 tablespoons butter or stick margarine, melted
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425°.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (flour through baking soda) in a large bowl, and make a well in center of mixture. Combine buttermilk and next 4 ingredients (buttermilk through egg) in a bowl; add to flour mixture. Stir just until moist. Spoon batter into an 8-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes.

9 servings

Chicken Shawarma

This recipe is a favorite in our house. I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs because they are a lot more moist, and serve it with a store-bought tahina sauce. I also broil it instead if grilling it (I don't bother to skewer them), and, when possible, I marinate it for several hours.

(I'm sorry the picture is not so great. I had a long day and was just trying to get the picture done quickly.)

Chicken Shawarma

Cooking Light

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 16 (3-inch) strips

Cooking Spray

4 pitas

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add chicken to bowl; toss well to coat. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes.

Thread 2 chicken strips onto each of 8 (12-inch) skewers. Place kebabs on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 4 minutes on each side or until done.

Place pitas on grill rack; grill 1 minute on each side or until lightly toasted. Place 1 pita on each of 4 plates. Top each serving with 4 chicken pieces.

4 servings

I served it with this salad:

Chopped Vegetable Salad

Cooking Light

2 cups chopped cucumber

1 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 cup chopped tomato

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

I saw this recipe on another blog (smittenkitchen.com) and I had to try it. I liked it a lot, and even the kids gobbled it up, but it reminded me how much I hate the tedious job of cleaning mushrooms (it's really not fun to wipe 2 lbs. of cremini mushrooms!)

Mushroom Bourguignon

smittenkitchen.com

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons butter, softened, divided

2 pounds portobello mushroom caps, in 1/4-inch slices (you can use cremini instead, as well)

1/2 carrot, finely diced

1 small yellow onion, finely diced

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup full-bodied red wine

2 cups beef or vegetable broth (beef broth is traditional but vegetable to make it vegetarian; it works with either)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup pearl onions, peeled (thawed if frozen)

1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Egg noodles, for serving

Sour cream and chopped chives or parsley, for garnish (optional)

Heat the one tablespoon of the olive oil and one tablespoon of butter in a medium Dutch oven or heavy sauce pan over high heat. Sear the mushrooms until they begin to darken, but not yet release any liquid — about three or four minutes. Remove them from pan.

Lower the flame to medium and add the second tablespoon of olive oil. Toss the carrots, onions, thyme, a few good pinches of salt and a several grinds of black pepper into the pan and cook for 10, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for just one more minute.

Add the wine to the pot, scraping any stuck bits off the bottom, then turn the heat all the way up and reduce it by half. Stir in the tomato paste and the broth. Add back the mushrooms with any juices that have collected and once the liquid has boiled, reduce the temperature so it simmers for 20 minutes, or until mushrooms are very tender. Add the pearl onions and simmer for five minutes more.

Combine remaining butter and the flour with a fork until combined; stir it into the stew. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 more minutes. If the sauce is too thin, boil it down to reduce to the right consistency. Season to taste.

To serve, spoon the stew over a bowl of egg noodles, dollop with sour cream (optional) and sprinkle with chives or parsley.

4 servings

Artichoke & Tuna Panini

I did not feel much like cooking tonight, so this sandwich was perfect - and delicious!

Artichoke and Tuna Panini with Garbanzo Bean Spread

Giada's Kitchen, Giada De Laurentiis

Garbanzo Bean Spread:

1 (15 1/2 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

2 garlic cloves

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Panini:

1 cup pitted black olives, finely chopped

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil (next time I would use less)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 (5 1/2-ounce) cans Italian tuna in olive oil, drained (I used chunk light in water)

1 (13 3/4-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained

8 mini baguettes, halved lengthwise

2 cups arugula (I used baby spinach)

For the spread:

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

To make the panini:

Combine the black olives, olive oil, salt, pepper, tuna, and artichokes in a bowl and toss gently to mix.

Lay out the sliced baguettes. Spread both halves of the baguettes with the garbanzo bean spread. Spoon the tuna mixture onto the bottom half of each sandwich and top with the arugula. Close up the sandwiches. Wrap one end of each sandwich in parchment paper to make it easier to eat, if you like.

8 servings

White Bean, Spinach, and Barley Stew

Somehow I ended up with 5 cans of white beans in the pantry (quite a few unmade recipes, I guess). Wanting to use some of them I searched the 'net and found this recipe for White Bean, Spinach, and Barley Stew. It was really good, and great for the (slightly) cooler, rainy weather we had today.

White Bean, Spinach, and Barley Stew

http://vegetablewithmore.com/

1 cup uncooked pearl barley

3 cups water

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 cup chopped yellow onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

3/4 cup small fresh mushrooms

1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper

2 tablespoons white wine

1 (15-ounce) can white beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes

2 cups fresh spinach leaves

1 pinch red pepper flakes

Bring the barley and water to a boil in a pot. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes, or until tender.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, and cook the onion and garlic until tender. Season with rosemary. Mix the mushrooms, yellow bell pepper, and wine into the pot, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked barley, beans, tomatoes, and spinach. Season with red pepper flakes. Continue cooking 10 minutes, or until spinach is wilted. (I also seasoned it with salt.)

6 servings

Country Captain Chicken

This is a great quick & healthy recipe. I served it with basmati rice and mango chutney (and in typical "me" fashion, I toasted the almonds, put them to the side, and then forgot to add them to the bowls).

Country Captain Chicken

Cooking Light

1 tablespoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 cups vertically sliced onion (about 2 medium)
3/4 cup thinly sliced green bell pepper (about 1 medium)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2/3 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup dried currants
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with jalapeño, undrained
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Combine curry powder, salt, and black pepper. Sprinkle chicken with curry mixture.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken mixture to pan; sauté 5 minutes. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Add broth, currants, 1 tablespoon thyme, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon thyme; cook 1 minute. Sprinkle with almonds.

4 servings

Beef and Guinness Pie

I am not much of a drinker. When I was at a pub in San Diego a couple weeks ago, and I drank a pint of Guinness, it was a Really Big Deal. Seriously. Even Chaim couldn't believe it - and he was there.

But I love the flavor that alcohol gives to food, whether it's red wine in a stew, beer in a chili, or whiskey in a marinade. Or this recipe, which is first marinated, and then cooked, in Guinness:

Beef and Guinness Pie

The Irish Pub Cookbook, Margaret Johnson

*note that this recipe has to be started the day before you plan to cook it.

Filling:

2 pounds stewing beef, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

4 cups Guinness stout, divided

1 clove garlic

2 bay leaves

1 cup beef stock

2 stalks celery, sliced

2 large carrots, sliced

1 large onion, sliced

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 bouquet garni (a cheesecloth bag containing 3 sprigs fresh parsley, 1 sprig fresh thyme, 8 to 10 black peppercorns, and 1 bay leaf)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 cup cold water

3 to 4 large mushrooms, sliced (optional)

Pastry:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

Pinch of salt

1/3 cup solid vegetable shortening, such as Crisco

1/3 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1/3 cup ice water

1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water

To start the filling: In a large bowl or nonreactive pot, combine the beef, 2 cups of the Guinness, the garlic, and the bay leaves. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. Drain the marinade and discard the garlic and bay leaves.

In a stockpot or large saucepan over medium heat, bring the marinated beef, the remaining 2 cups of Guinness, and the beef stock to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender. Skim off any foam that rises to the top. Add the celery, carrots, onion, salt, pepper, parsley, and bouquet garni and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are slightly tender. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch with 1/2 cup cold water, and whisk until smooth, Stir into the filling, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the liquid is thickened.

To make the pastry: Combine the flour, salt, shortening, and butter in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse 4 to 5 times, or until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle in 4 tablespoons of the ice water, pulse 4 to 5 times, and if needed, add the rest of the water and pulse again. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to a circle 12 inches in diameter.

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Remove the bouquet garni, and transfer the filling to a 10-inch deep-dish pie plate. Stir in the mushrooms, if using. Cover with the pastry, crimp the edges, and cut a few slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Brush the top with the egg wash. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top is golden and the mixture is bubbling.

4-6 servings