Pumpkin Chili for Halloween Night

Starting with an online recipe and making it a bit healthier, maybe spicing it up, using what you have on hand, is a great way to try new foods. Admittedly, I'm not a big chili fan, but today IS Halloween, and I just happened to have some canned pumpkin in the pantry in preparation for the November treat, Pumpkin Pie Cake Dessert. In fact, I had everything on hand. So here you go - make this for your little trick-or-treaters tonight. The pumpkin adds a creamy stick-to-your-ribs thickness and the spices makes it unique. Your whole family will love it.

PUMPKIN CHILI

1 lb ground beef or bison
1 jumbo onion, diced
1 green and 1 red bell pepper, diced
2 398ml (15oz) cans black beans, drained
1 398ml (15oz) can red kidney beans, drained
1 946ml (32oz) jar veggie juice cocktail (or more)
1 796ml (28oz) can diced tomatoes in juice
1 398ml (15oz) can pumpkin
1.5 T pumpin pie spice (or 2 t cinnamon, 1 t ginger, 1/2 t each nutmeg and allspice)
2 T chili powder
4 T sugar
1 T hot sauce (I use Frank's Red Hot - still mild enough for children)

In large pot (Dutch oven or spaghetti pot) over medium heat, brown beef and drain if needed. Add onions and peppers. Cook another 5 minutes. Stir in beans, juice, tomatoes and pumpkin. Combine spices in small bowl then add to pot. Simmer for 30 minutes then check seasonings. If needed, add:

1 t salt (or to taste - will depend on the salt content of your canned goods)
cayenne or hot sauce to taste

Serving with a dollop of sour cream on top would be amazing. Sprinkle with chives and it will look as good as it tastes. Have a bottle of hot sauce handy for those who like more heat.

Notes: I used grass-fed beef and actually added a bit of olive oil because it's quite lean, so there was no need to drain. Also, I used organic fresh and canned veggies and beans. Knudsen's Very Veggie juice is my choice of veg cocktails. You could just use tomato juice as the original recipe calls for. I used a total of 2 T hot sauce, and would consider it just right - mild, but on the upper edge of mild.

Adding more beans and cutting out the beef, will give you a vegetarian masterpiece. Don't serve with sour cream and it's even vegan. Plus, it goes together quickly for friends who came to the door for treats and decided to stay, or you could put it all together in the crock pot this morning if you brown the meat first. All in all, a very versatile recipe.

What to do with Leftover Potatoes

My husband got home from sea a few days ago, and I had defrosted the remainder of that fabulous brisket and the sauce to go with it for his 'welcome home' dinner. To go with it we had broccoli, prepared in the steamer earlier and turned on just ten minutes before we sat down to eat, and a casserole I'd prepared that morning of sliced potatoes layered with butter and cheese. Yum. Actually, it would have been better had I made a cheese sauce, but it was a busy day and I was trying to cook quick and easy dishes, no recipes needed and  few pots and pans to dirty. Baked potatoes would have been even faster, but the potatoes I had on hand weren't the best type for baking.

Being thin-skinned, I didn't even have to peel them for this dish. Thinly sliced onions are good in this casserole, but I didn't think of it at the time. In fact, with onions, you can leave out the cheese. Anyway, I had a lot of these potatoes, and they'd gotten damp, so I needed to go ahead and use them. So I made a 9x13 pan of potatoes with butter, cheddar, salt and pepper. We had tons left over. They were good reheated in the steamer, which kept the cheese from getting tough, but I still had a bunch left.

So I chopped them all up today and scooped them, cheese, butter and all, into a large saucepan. I added a pint of half-and-half and regular milk for volume. It needed more salt and a little additional cheese. I warmed it on low, and had a lovely bowl of very chunky, cheesy potato soup. It was good, but there was something missing. Then I remembered the fresh chives outside and wondered if frost had gotten them yet. They were still alive. The chives really made the difference. The second bowl was amazing.

I was actually surprised that the potatoes kept their shape and didn't just go to mush. But every type of potato is different. And every type of potato works for soup-making.

When my husband came in later, the pot had just been sitting on the stovetop, turned off, for a couple of hours. I gave him a spoonful. He declared it extraordinarily good and hoped it was tonight's dinner. There wasn't enough left for that, but I did manage to give everyone a cup as a first course. It was so very good that even I enjoyed it after having pigged out on it just a few hours earlier.

And if you have leftover mashed or baked potatoes? Make Creamy Potato Soup! A stick blender would be excellent for incorporating it enough that the potato hopefully wouldn't sink to the bottom and scorch.

Here are a few good add-ins for making soup from your leftover cooked potatoes of any type:

bacon
chives, onions, leeks, chives, green onions
any cheese
sour cream
dill
cooked cauliflower - a good veggie to hide in, or substitute for, potatoes
italian sausage and kale - make Zuppa Toscano
beef or chicken stock instead of a straight dairy-based soup
bits of leftover steak

What about either mushroom or beef stock or a french onion soup base, add leftover cooked potatoes, possibly onions and/or mushrooms, plenty of pepper and garnish with blue cheese crumbles. Let's call it Steakhouse Soup. Maybe I shouldn't have made that leftover steak and brisket into sandwiches this week. I'll try this soon and post the recipe I come up with. Give me a couple of weeks, though - we've had way too much red meat lately.

Also, you can make cold potato soup - Vichyssoise - with leeks and cream.

Obviously, without the meat add-ins, potato soup is fine for vegetarians, just not vegans, though I suppose you could use rice milk or something on that order if that's what you're used to. Also, soups just get better sitting in the fridge for a day, so they're great for making ahead. Let's face it - it's hard to go wrong starting with potatoes.

Low & Slow Oven-Barbecued Brisket

Here it is - the recipe you've been waiting for since my guys got back from their Harley road trip and this post. We've made this recipe several times and it never fails. Make it when you're expecting weekend guests or a large crowd, share with neighbors; making this recipe is a good excuse to have a dinner party!

Or - good to know - it freezes well. That includes the sauce, though I will tell you, the sauce seemed spicier after being frozen. Maybe it's just that I cooked it down more when reheating. I opted to warm the defrosted cooked brisket in my steamer, so as not to dry it out.

This recipe is directly out of The Food Network Favorite Recipes cookbook, but I will give you my commentary.

The recipe calls for pimenton - Spanish smoked paprika. That's been hard to find, particularly where I live. I have found Spanish paprika and smoked paprika (in the city) but have yet to hit the nail on the head. I also have yet to make this recipe and it not be delicious, so not to worry. Same with the Ancho chile powder - I'll just buy the one that says Mexican until I come across what the recipe specifically calls for. As to the cooking time, it may be my oven, but 6-7 hours has always been enough. So try this recipe for the first time when it's not important that you take it out of the oven and serve it immediately.

Brisket:
1 T Spanish smoked paprika (pimenton)
1 T ground coriander
1 T dried organo
1 T kosher salt
2 t cayenne
2 t ground cumin
1 t ground allspice
1 8 lb point-cut brisket

Sauce:
1/4 medium onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T chili powder, preferably Ancho
2 c canned whole peeled tomatoes in puree
1/2 c firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 c white vinegar
1/4 c whole grain mustard
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

For the brisket: preheat the oven to 250F. Comine the spices in a small bowl. Put the brisket in a shallow roasting pan and rub both sides with the spice mixture. (Note: leave the layer of fat on one side.) Slow-roast (fat side up) until the top is browned and crusty and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 200F, about 10 hours (see note above - mine took much less time). You don't need to turn or baste the brisket - just leave it alone. After a few hours, once a good amount of drippings and crispy bits have pooled in the pan, spoon them off and reserve 1/3 c - with the bits - for the sauce.

For the sauce: Heat reserved drippings in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and chili powder and stir until onions and garlic are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes with puree, brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper to taste and bring to a simmer. Whisk occasionally until sauce is deep red and thicker, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the brisket to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil, and let it rest for 15 minutes. Slice the brisket against the grain and arrange the slices on a serving platter. Serve with the barbecue sauce.

North African Flavors for an Easy Crockpot Chicken

You can throw it together in no time, yet it's impressive enough for guests. I consider it a one-pot meal, but if you want to serve it over or with something, particularly if you do have guests coming, the ethnically correct starch would be couscous. That's good news, as it's the quickest and easiest of all starches to prepare. This is my version of a recipe posted by KCOOPER78 on allrecipes.com.


CHICKEN CASABLANCA

1 jumbo yam, peeled and cut into large chunks
2 large carrots, peeled & thick-sliced
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, or equivalent dried
1 15oz can chick peas, drained & rinsed
2 pounds skinless chicken thighs, boneless or bone-in

Place above ingredients into crock pot.



Mix the following together in a small bowl.

1 1/2 t salt
1 t black pepper
1 t cumin
1 t turmeric
1/2 t cinnamon
1/8 t cayenne

Sprinkle spices over crock pot contents and toss. Add:

1 14oz can diced tomatoes, or a few diced fresh tomatoes

Stir again and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or longer on low (preferred) until yams are tender and sauce has thickened.


Large green olives, stuffed or marinated, are a good garnish for any North African dish. Chicken tagines (basically stews) in Morocco often include olives and preserved lemons - available in specialty stores, or you can make your own if you fall in love with Moroccan cooking. Earlier, I mentioned serving this with couscous; you could make extra of the spice mix above and use it to season the coucous, but try using whole peppercorns instead of the black and red ground pepper.                

A lovely finish to this meal would be dates and fresh fruit or simply a delicious cup of mint tea.

Interestingly, Moroccan cooking can be so 'good' it literally blows your mind - some of their desserts and spice mixtures contain ingredients such as hashish, cannabis and spanish fly! Like Indian cooks and their curry blends, Moroccan cooks all have their own version of the traditional spice blend known as 'ras el hanout'. A basic version still contains a few more ingredients than the blend above, but you can certainly substitute it for the spices (other than salt) in the recipe above to achieve a more authentic flavor. See the blend explained here. Have fun with it!

Moroccan Spice Blend - Ras el Hanout

Like Indian cooks with their curry blends, Moroccan cooks and spice merchants pride themselves on their ras el hanout, which may contain over a dozen spices - even more than a hundred! The name literally means 'top of the shop', meaning a mixture of the best spices a vendor offers.

According to wikipedia, ras el hanout blends usually start with cardamon, clove, cinnamon, chili peppers, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, peppercorn and turmeric. Sometimes it also contains spices some of us in the Western Hemisphere have never even heard of.

You can make your own blend by combining ground spices, or by grinding the whole spices, leaves and roots in a mini food processor or coffee grinder (preferably one set aside for this purpose.) Though you may not always take the extra step, you'll get even more depth of flavor by toasting the spices first, whether whole or ground, in a hot, dry skillet.

Use this aromatic blend as a rub for grilling, or to season couscous and tagines (fairly dry stews). There may be other uses too; it's traditionally considered to be an aphrodisiac. No wonder - some blends contain hashish, cannabis or spanish fly!

This basic recipe is from the website whats4eats and makes about 1/2 cup. Add any of the suggested variations according to your taste to create your own custom blend. I'll also post about.com's version below. Store in an airtight container up to six months. Amazing as a steak rub. Also, see the post on this blog for an easy North African crock pot chicken recipe you can use this for (and also to season the accompanying couscous), here.


Basic ras el hanout:

1/4 c crumbled cinnamon sticks
2 T turmeric
1 T peppercorns
2 t ground ginger
2 t nutmeg
2 t cardamom seeds
2 t cloves
1/2 t cayenne

Suggested Variations

Allspice
Anise
Coriander
Cumin
Dried galangal (a relative of ginger, often used in Southeast Asia)
Fennel seeds
Lavender
Mace
Orris root (also used for drying pomanders!)
Saffron
Dried rosehips


Another ras el hanout blend:

2 t ground ginger
2 t ground cardamon
2 t cinnamon
1 t ground allspice
1 t ground coriander seeds
1 t ground nutmeg
1 t ground turmeric
1/2 t ground black pepper
1/2 t ground white pepper
1/2 t ground cayenne pepper
1/2 t ground anise seeds
1/4 t ground cloves

Happy Turkey Day - Super-Easy Holiday Desserts + What to do with Leftover Cranberry Sauce

Today is Thanksgiving in Canada, and with the husband out of town, the kid and I had dinner with friends.  It was great. And I made a discovery that I'm going to share with you today. You Canadians can make use of it with your leftovers, Americans can use it next month.

As a preface, you'll probably want some homemade cranberry sauce for this. It can be made ahead and is the easiest thing in the world to make. I blogged on it last year; find it here. Basically, it's just fresh cranberries cooked down with sugar and enough water to get them to the consistency you like. A little orange peel &/or orange juice is a good addition, and some pecan pieces can be thrown in at the end if you'd like some additional texture and flavor. Make lots - I'm going to give you new uses for it.

Jessica, our host for Thanksgiving Dinner, did a wonderful job of cooking all that food on her own in between work and all she does that's above-and-beyond for the local youth center and friends. Her dinner was a great example of how to bring it all together in today's hectic pace. She had each family that attended bring one side dish, and the desserts were store-bought. At the wholesale club, she had purchased a huge, delicious pumpkin pie and a package of frozen creme puffs, along with Redi-Whip. It's real dairy and a great timesaver.

So, vizualize a piece of velvety pumpkin pie with a dollop of whipped cream on your dessert plate, and a cup of coffee. The perfect ending to a perfect turkey dinner, right? Well, yes, most people would think so. But a flash of inspiration struck. Add a bit of holiday color and flavor to that vignette by adding another topping - leftover cranberry sauce! It was delicious, tasted even more like the holidays, and was so very appealing, visually.

Alternatively, serve several creme puffs in a puddle of homemade cranberry sauce then drizzled with chocolate syrup. You could also serve them in a bed of whipped cream or custard with either cranberry sauce or chocolate sauce, or both.

Now, if you still have leftover cranberry sauce, it's absolutely delicious on turkey sandwiches with cream cheese. See the turkey sandwich post here.

And if you STILL have leftover cranberry sauce, I bet it'd be scrumptious mixed into orange jello.

Homemade cranberry sauce - one of the many things I'm grateful for.