Chili Sin Carne & Rustic Bread

I'm not going to lie: I'm not a football fan, or a watcher of sports in general. But there is something about championship games that reels me in just about every year, especially when New England's finest are on the field. It is in these moments that I get to feel like a true New England-ah, even if I get more excitement out of analyzing the debut of top-dollar commercials than the plays making (or breaking) a home-state win.

What better to go with the Game Day of Game Days than a bowl of hot and spicy chili? It's hearty texture and robust flavor can be relished by omnivores and herbivores alike with the following recipe. Though meatless, subtle accents from cocoa and beer add a depth of flavor that is hard to resist. Serve with a fresh loaf of dense and chewy bread (fret not; it's likely the most hands-off recipe you'll ever come by) and you've got yourself two healthy and delicious homemade creations to add to your Game Day spread.


Chili Sin Carne
Serves about 6-10 (depending on portion size)

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1-3 tbsp hot peppers, finely chopped (I used jalapenos)
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp cocoa powder
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 28 oz diced tomatoes (reserve liquid)
• 6-8 oz beer (I used a lager)
• 3 cups cooked kidney beans, drained
• 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, drained
• additional salt to taste
• 1 lime, sliced for squeezing (optional)

Directions:

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sweat onions, carrots, celery, peppers, and garlic until soft and glossy, or about 10 minutes. Add hot peppers, oregano, cumin, chili powder, paprika, coriander, cocoa, sugar, and salt, stirring to incorporate. Add tomatoes; also add about 4 cups of liquid, including the tomato water, beer, and additional water if needed. Simmer gently, uncovered over low heat, for 45 minutes. Add beans; simmer gently for an additional 30 minutes or until desired consistency is achieved. Serve immediately with slices of lime or portion into pint containers. Keep in the fridge for about a week or in the freezer for 2-3 months.


Rustic Bread
Makes 1 loaf (about 1 1/2 lb)

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour (I used a 2:1 ratio of whole wheat and white AP)
• 1/4 tsp active yeast
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 5/8 cup warm water (110-115 degrees F)
• extra flour, cornmeal, or wheat bran for dusting

Directions:

In a large bowl combine flour, yeast, and salt. Add water and stir just until incorporated; it will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees F.

Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees F. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.


Rebekah

Images by Rebekah Carter (2012). Chili recipe adapted from Whole Foods. Bread recipe from Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery via the New York Times.

Garden Vegetable Soup

For sometime, it seemed like Old Man Winter wasn't going to pull his usual tricks this season in eastern Massachusetts. A glance out the window today proves otherwise. Warm up your body and soul with this simple and quick tomato-based soup loaded with nutritious vegetables. It's also a great way to include any summer favorites you put up, whether canned, dried, or frozen.

Garden Vegetable Soup
Makes about 9 pints

Ingredients:
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 scant cups carrots, chopped into rounds
• 2 scant cups diced potatoes (I used an unpeeled Russet)
• 2 cups green beans, broken or cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 2 quarts (64 oz) chicken or vegetable stock
• 4 cups tomatoes, chopped or crushed
• 1 can tomato paste (no or low sodium)
• 2 scant cups corn kernels
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4+ tsp dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup packed, chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1-2 tsp lemon juice
• salt and herbs to taste (I used dried tarragon and basil)

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in large, heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt and sweat until they begin to soften, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Add the carrots and potatoes and continue to cook for 4 to 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, corn kernels, green beans*, and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the vegetables are fork tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and add the parsley and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and herbs, if desired. Serve immediately or store in the fridge (about a week) or freezer (2-3 months) in pint or quart containers.

This soup can be as simple or complex as you would like. Consider additional or different veggies- whether fresh, frozen, or canned- and herbs for an individualized dish. Some particulars I had in mind were mushrooms, English peas, hearty greens like kale, collards, or even Swiss chard, reconstituted dry beans like cannellini or kidney, or winter squash.

*Unlike the original recipe, I recommend leaving out any tender green vegetables, like fresh green beans, peas, or chard, until the last five or so minutes of cooking for brighter colors and flavors.

This recipe is NOT intended for canning.

Rebekah

Image by Rebekah Carter (2012). Recipe adapted from Alton Brown's Good Eats.

Ginger-Garlic Lentil Soup

For Massachusetts residents, the month of April brings about many simple pleasures: continued seed starting (or visits to seedling sales like those at Waltham Fields), garden bed preparation and planting, the return of Red Sox-everything, the blossoming of trees and perennial flowers, Marathon Monday, and those few, sporadic days of unseasonably warm weather that tease us with visions of summer. Much as those days entice many to throw on tank tops, shorts, and sandals long before it seems truly appropriate, warm April days still leave us with chilly evenings and nights, never mind the more frequent rain showers we tend to experience. And so I share with you my recipe for a bold and delicious lentil soup, featuring freshly-grated ginger and garlic to help keep you in good health during our seasonal transition from the cold to the warm.

Ginger-Garlic Lentil Soup

The Ingredients:
(approximations for 6-8 servings; adjust to your needs and tastes)

• 1/2+ c carrots, diced
• 1/2+ c celery, diced
• 3/4+ c onion, diced
• 1 1/2 tbsp garlic, finely grated
  
• 1 1/2 tbsp ginger, finely grated
• 1/2 c cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 c fenugreek, dry or fresh, chopped
  
• 2-3 tbsp preferred fat (I recommend chicken schmaltz if you have it; butter or oil work fine, too)
  
• hot red pepper flake (optional)
• 3+ tsp curry powder
• 1/4 tsp cumin powder
  
• 1/4 tsp coriander powder
  
• 1 1/2 c dry brown lentils (more or less depending if you want a thick/thin soup)
• 1 bay leaf (if not used in your stock)
• 1/8-1/4 c vinegar (white, red, or apple cider work well)
  
• 2 1/2+ quarts (80 fl oz) chicken or vegetable stock (click here to learn how to make your own)
• 1/4-1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• dash of white pepper
  
• salt to taste
  

How to Make it:

In a large stock pot over low heat, sweat your mirepoix veggies, garlic, ginger, cilantro, and fenugreek in your preferred fat (you should barely hear your veggies hissing as they are cooking). After your veggies have softened (about 8-10 minutes), add your hot red pepper flake (if using), curry, cumin, and coriander powders, mixing well; cook this mixture for 2-3 minutes. Add your dry lentils and cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Add your bay leaf, vinegar, mustard, pepper, and stock; give the pot a good stir and check if you need to add more salt. Cook over medium-high to high heat just until the soup begins to boil; reduce heat to low and simmer until the lentils become tender, about 30-40 minutes. Garnish with some fresh scallion and enjoy!


My Two Cents, in no particular order:

When making this soup, I had an open bottle of pinot noir on hand, so I did half red wine vinegar and half straight-up red wine (a good splash of each, about a 1/4 c total). Beer might work well, too, but I haven't tried it for this soup! For the garlic and ginger, I used a grater-zester, which results in a paste; if you like to have little garlic and ginger chunks in your soup, by all means forgo this step and simply mince these ingredients. An easy way to remove the skin from ginger is to scrape it off with a spoon. Mustard is a great flavor-enhancer for most soups, but should be used with discretion; you really shouldn't be able to taste the mustard! So add it little by little, say a 1/4 tsp at a time, giving the pot a good stir and tasting the soup as you go. And as with all dishes and soups, it's recommended that you add salt with each new ingredient (or group of ingredients) to best draw out their flavors. However, depending on the saltiness of your stock, you may want to add less or more. It's a good idea to taste the stock before starting your soup if you are unsure of its sodium content. If you couldn't tell by now, continuous sampling is an essential part of preparing successful meals!

Rebekah

Recipe and images by Rebekah Carter (2011).

Vegetarian Borscht

Borscht is popular soup of Eastern and Central Europe. Served both hot and cold, the term "borscht" is used for several varieties of beet-based soups; most traditional recipes include ingredients such as cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, and/or beef, in addition to beets. The recipe below is a vegetarian* take on this classic soup. We recommend serving it with a dark bread such as rye or pumpernickel and a dollop of sour cream or plain greek yogurt.

*Make this dish vegan by replacing the butter with olive oil and omitting the sour cream/yogurt garnish.

The Ingredients:

• 5 tbsp butter
• 3 medium onions, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed & minced
• 1 1/2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
  
• 2 tbsp dried fenugreek, chopped
  
• 2-3 stalks of celery, diced
• 2 large carrots, one diced, one sliced into rounds
• 2-3 cups beets, small or medium sized, peeled & sliced
• 1 cup potato, sliced or diced
• 1 cup turnips, peeled & sliced
  
• 1 small cabbage, sliced into ribbons
• 6 cups of vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
  
• 4 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
  
• Salt, according to taste (at least 1 tsp)

How to Make it:

Prepare all produce and ingredients as instructed. In a large pot over medium heat, melt your butter and add your onion, garlic, parsley, thyme, fenugreek, celery, diced carrots, and a sprinkle of salt; saute this mixture for about 3 minutes, stirring often. Next, add your beets, potato, carrot slices, turnips, and another sprinkle of salt; saute this mixture for 20-25 minutes or until the root vegetables are slightly soft. Add your vegetable stock and bring to a boil; reduce the heat and add your vinegar, dill, cabbage, and salt to taste and simmer for 20-25 minutes. You can enjoy this soup immediately but the flavor really develops a day or so after its original preparation! Consume within a week.


Media (text and images) created and published by Rebekah Carter 2010.