Ed's Baked Chili (Work in Progress)

 Folks-

I was struck with the idea of making a fairly different chili at work a few days ago, so I started with my dad's chili recipe, and just went to town with it. I know my dad will look at this and say "It's too complicated," and I don't care.

What makes it especially different is instead of simmering on the stovetop for hours, I decided to bake it in a Dutch Oven for even longer than his recipe. In addition, this one is more of a stew, with beef chunks and stewed vegetables.

This is very much a work in progress, but I didn't want to lose my place, so here's the current status.

Ingredients:

1 lb dry pinto or black beans

1 bay leaf

1 lb stew meat, or chopped up chuck roast or similar, fat left on

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 fresh Jalapeno pepper 

2 fresh chili peppers 

1/2 onion, chopped

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup diced celery

3 cloves garlic, crushed, or 1 teaspoon minced garlic

3 strips bacon

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3 tablespoons Chili powder 

1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric 

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 15 oz cans tomato sauce

Up to 8 cups water

1 cup diced yellow squash

1 cup chopped broccoli 

1 cup frozen corn

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

The night before: rinse and clean the beans, picking out any pebbles, then soak them for an hour with at least 2 inches of water covering them. Drain the beans, rinse them, then soak them overnight with at least an inch of water covered them.

The next day: drain and rinse the beans again, and soak them again for at least an hour. After the final soaking, drain and rinse the beans, then put them in a big pot covered with at least an inch of water, throw in the bay leaf, and bring them to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and stir them every 15 minutes while doing all of the prep work for the rest of the recipe.

Set the broiler to 450-500 degrees and set the rack to the top position. Place the Chili peppers and jalapeno on a baking sheet and roast them just until black blisters from, about 5 minutes. Move the rack down low in the oven and reduce the temperature to 350 degrees in a baking mode to preheat the oven.

While the peppers are cooling, pat the stew meat dry and season it with the salt and pepper, then set aside. Chop the onion and crush the garlic and set aside. Measure out the seasonings and set aside. Chop the carrots and set aside. Chop the other vegetables and set aside. Chop the parsley and cilantro and set aside. Chop the peppers and set aside (remove seeds for a milder chili.)

Bring out the Dutch Oven, set it over a medium heat, and heat the vegetable oil. Just before it smokes, stir-fry the carrots until they just start to get a bit tender, then add the onion and stir-fry until it starts to turn glassy, and add the garlic until it becomes fragrant. Remove the stur-fried vegetables and set aside. Bring the heat under the Dutch oven to high, then when it just hits the smoke point, fry the bacon until crispy and the fat renders. Remove from the pot and immediately add the stew meat and brown it. 

By this time, drain the beans but save about 2 cups of the water.

Stir the seasonings into the stew meat, and add the reserved water from the beans, stirring to form a roux. Add the beans, two cans of tomato sauce, stir-fried vegetables, crumbled bacon, and just enough water to make it a little bit soupy. Cover the pot, and move it to the oven.

Check it at least every hour. At the 2 hour point, add the remaining vegetables and peppers, and return to the oven, baking for another hour before removing the cover of the Dutch Oven, and baking for another hour uncovered. Stir in half the fresh herbs and bake for another 30 minutes before removing from the oven.

Garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream, and the remaining fresh herbs.

Onion Flower and Lentil Soup

My dad used to try to grow onions in his garden from seed, but he had a problem: before growing a good bulb, they would flower, and when an onion flowers, the bulb becomes fibrous and inedible.

His solution was to make onion flower salsa.

I'd forgotten about this until recently. My mother-in-law planted some onions that had sprouted, and they were flowering in my backyard. Around this time, someone on Reddit posted a question on a gardening thread about what to do if their onions flowered. I told them to eat them. They asked how they tasted, and, well, I decided to find out that night. I fixed a baked potato with Icelandic yogurt instead of sour cream, and used scissors to sprinkle the top with onion blossoms.

It was freaking fantastic. Best potato ever. I shared with my family and ended up making several more!

Onion flowers taste strongly of onions, but are also sweet. You can sautee them and used them as a garnish on steaks, mix them raw into salads, or dang near anything you would put sliced or green onions into.

I got curious about recipes out there, and didn't find many. I guess not many people know about onion flowers being edible. One I decided to try was an Onion Flower and Lentil Soup. Really, I hated the recipe the minute I read it, so I changed it a lot before even making it. There are elements of it still in here, but this is functionally a new recipe.

Here it is! My Onion Flower and Lentil Soup!

Ingredients

4 Tbsp olive oil

4 tsb minced garlic

1 sausage, sliced, bratwurst, Italian sausage, or similar (optional)

1-2 onion flowers, blossoms sheared off, or about 1/2 cup chopped green onion

4 celery stalks, finely sliced

1 cup sliced carrots

1 bell pepper, cored and chopped, reserve half for serving

4 tsp minced garlic

1/2 Tsp ground paprika

1/2 Tsp ground black pepper

1/4 Tsp ground white pepper

1/4 Tsp turmeric

32 oz broth (any)

3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 cup dry lentils, washed

Drizzle the olive oil into the bottom of a medium sized pot and sautee the sausage until cooked through. Add the onion flower, celery, carrots, garlic, and seasoning and stir-fry until tender. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the lentils and vinegar and simmer for 20 minutes. Good served with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt, avocado chunks, and/or chopped bell peppers.

Chef John's Black Lentil Soup-Vegan Style

I ended up in possession of a bunch of black lentils a few months back, and had no idea what they were or what to do with them.

Being me, I pulled up Google and got about looking for a recipe. I modified it for my sister, who is vegan, to serve at our Christmas dinner.

If you want the original, check here at Allrecipes, because this is my vegan version that my sister asked me to post here, and the original recipe is decidedly not vegan.

Ingredients:

• 4 teaspoons olive oil

• 2 cups chopped yellow onion

• 2 cups diced carrots

• 2 cups diced celery

• 2-1/2 cups black lentils

• 10 cups vegetable broth

• 1 Teaspoon cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 Teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• Salt and black pepper to taste

• 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke

• 1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley

In a large pot, sautee onions, carrots, and celery in the olive oil just until onions are softened and translucent. Season with thyme, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper and stir in. Add lentils and stir to coat thoroughly in oil and seasonings at the bottom of the pot. Add vegetable stock and bring to a simmer, then add the liquid smoke and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. Stir in half of the parsley and serve in bowls with a dash of the parsley on top.

Creole Red Beans and Rice

 I took my oldest on a "food trip" last Friday, and after stopping at Gizdich Ranch, Corralitos Market and Sausage Co, and Gayle's Bakery, we had a terrific spaghetti dinner.

Today I found i still had a couple of links of Corralitos Andoulle sausage, and figured I needed to do something with it. Luckily I found a recipe for Cajun Red Beans and Rice at Damn Delicious that I was able to twist to my needs.

Heres my Creole version of the recipe!

Ingredients:

    1 cup rice

    1 tablespoon vegetable oil

    1 (12.8-ounce) package smoked andouille sausage, thinly sliced or ham, diced

    1 medium sweet onion, diced

    1 bell pepper, any color, diced

    2 celery ribs, diced

    2 tablespoons lemon juice

    2 tablespoons tomato paste

    3 cloves garlic, minced or 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

    1 1/2 teaspoons Creole seasoning

    3 (15-ounce) cans red beans, drained and rinsed

    3 cups chicken stock

    1/4 teaspoon hot sauce

    Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

    2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions:

    In a large saucepan of 2 cups water, cook rice according to package instructions; set aside.

    Heat vegetable oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Working in batches, add sausage, and cook, stirring frequently, until sausage is lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes; set aside.

    Add onion, bell pepper and celery. Use the lemon juice to deglaze the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.

    Stir in tomato paste, garlic and Cajun seasoning until fragrant, about 1 minute.

    Stir in red beans, chicken stock, hot sauce, and sausage; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Uncover; continue to simmer until reduced, an additional 15 minutes.

    Using a wooden spoon, mash beans until slightly thickened, if desired; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

    Serve immediately, topped with rice and garnished with parsley, if desired.

Ham and Cheese Soup

Folks-
I decided late last year that I needed a new ham soup recipe. I found a good one online at "A Taste of Home," and as usual, spent time modifying it until it was perfect from my families perspective.
By 2017, my daughter had convinced me to try chopped broccoli instead of the shredded carrots. She's right, it's better. I'm including that variation here.
Pro tip: make this using two pots that are much larger than you expect you'll need. It seems to somehow end up being a much larger recipe than you'll think it will.

Here's my version:

Ham and Cheese Soup

2 Cups peeled diced potatoes

2 Cups water

3/4 Cup shredded carrots or 3/4 to 1 cup chopped broccoli, frozen or fresh

1/3 Cup chopped onion

1/4 Cup cubed butter

1/4 Cup flour

2 Cups milk

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 Cups shredded cheese (cheddar, sharp cheddar, jack, or a blend)

2 Cups cubed fully cooked ham

In a pot, combine water, potatoes, carrots and/or broccoli, and onions. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until tender. After covering the potato mixture, melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Gradually add the milk, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, and stir for two minutes or until thickened. Stir in cheese until melted. Add cheese mixture to undrained potato mixture. Add ham and heat through.

Modified from a recipe at:http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Cheddar-Ham-Soup

Chicken Soup

Folks-
I finally sat down and wrote out my chicken soup recipe, the one I first mentioned when I posted my moms egg noodle recipe. There are a bunch of variations that I have come up with that I'll mention after the main recipe.
Here it is! Enjoy!

Chicken soup

1 lb raw skinned chicken, diced

1 batch noodles (or 1 package egg noodles)

3 carrots, sliced

3 celery stalks, sliced

2 T olive oil

1/4 onion, diced

1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 clove garlic, crushed or minced

8 cups water and 8 teaspoons (or 8 cubes) chicken bouillon, or 8 cups chicken stock

In a large pot, sauté the chicken and garlic in the olive oil until the chicken is cooked thoroughly. Add the vegetables and stir-fry until tender. Throw in the Italian seasoning, then add the water and bouillon and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to medium, add noodles and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Variations: You can use commercial dry egg noodles instead of the homemade noodles if time is an issue, but you run the risk of the soup tasting a lot like a commercial soup. I recommend frozen noodles over dry. Frozen noodles can be found in many supermarket frozen food sections by the frozen breads or pastas. Look for frozen ravioli, it'll probably be on the bottom shelf if they carry them. You may need two bags. Experiment and have fun!

You can use already cooked chicken, such as rotisserie chicken (yay Costco!), leftover fried chicken, or canned chunk chicken breast, or leftover turkey. Simply skip the step of browning the chicken and stir-fry the veggies instead.

I usually don't make a single batch of this soup. Usually I buy enough eggs, chicken, celery, and carrots for at least two batches, cut it up, and freeze the veggies in a ziplock bag, freeze the chicken in another (smaller) bag, and the noodles in another bag, and put the seasonings in a sandwich bag. I end up putting the various bags together in the freezer and then up to a month later, stir-fry the chicken and veggies, add the water and seasonings, bring to a boil and add the noodles and boil 10 minutes for a quick dinner.

Dublin Coddle

Folks-
I guess it's time for my annual post!

I discovered recently that the link I had to Meemo's Kitchen for the Mrs. Knott's Biscuits has gone dark. As a result, you may see me converting some of my bookmarks into posts here. After all, there's little chance that Google will dump Blogger since they still have their RSS reader (right?) ;)

Well, all kidding aside, with St. Patrick's day so recently passed, I figured I'd post the recipe I make annually this time of year. Not Corned Beef and Cabbage, I don't do that. I make a nice, hearty soup popular in pubs around Dublin. I first had it there over 20 years ago. It's called Dublin Coddle, and here's my variation:

Dublin Coddle

1 lb Breakfast Sausage, Sliced

1-1/2 lb Sliced Bacon, Cut into pieces

2 lbs Potatoes, Peeled and Diced

1-1/2 Large Onion, Diced

4 C water

1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper

Chopped Parsley

Place all ingredients except parsley into a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Serve in a bowl garnished with the parsley.

Seafood Chowder

Folks-
This is another "Zap 190 Cookbook" recipe. This one came from my sister, Tammy Barbre. This one is distinct from the Clam Chowder recipe I posted some time ago, so don't confuse the two!

Ingredients:
1 Can Morton's Clam Chowder (for base)
3 Cups Milk or Half and Half
1/2 lb Prawns, any size
1/4 lb small Scallops (optional)
1/2 lb boneless Chicken breast, cut into 1/2" pieces
1/4 lb Ling Cod or Snapper
1 Cup chopped Potatoes
Splash of Soy Sauce
1/4 Cup dried green onions

Saute each of the meats and the potatoes separately, then put the clam chowder, milk, and potatoes in a large pot. Cook on medium heat for a few minutes, then switch to low heat and add all other ingredients. Cook 15 minutes on low heat. Serve with pepper and green onion sprinkled on top.

15 Bean Soup

Folks-
Time for another ZAP 190 Cookbook recipe. This time it's from my mom's assistant at Live Oak School back in the day. With no further ado, here's Sheril Gomes's 15 Bean Soup Recipe.

Ingredients:
1- 20 oz bag 15 Bean Soup Mix
2 T Salt
Chopped Ham, Ham Hocks, or 1 Ring Smoked Sausage
1 Large Chopped Onion
1 Large Can Tomatoes
1 Red Pepper or 1 t chili powder
Juice of 1 Lemon
1 Clove Minced Garlic

Directions: Wash beans thoroughly. Place beans in a kettle, cover with water and add salt. Soak overnight. On the following morning, drain and add 2 quarts water. Add ham or sausage. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Add other ingredients and salt and pepper to taste and simmer for another 30 minutes.

Broccoli Soup via Zap 190 Cookbook

Folks-
I know you're thinking: What, two posts in as many days? Yep. I noticed I had a couple of recipes from my old "Zap 190 Cookbook" that I had transcribed, but not posted. In case I haven't mentioned it yet, Zap 190 was our interoffice mail address at the old Pacific Western Bank Proof Department where I worked in the late '80's and into the late '90's. My friends, family, and co-workers, as well as those of my mom at Live Oak Elementary School, and one of my dad's at the Pajaro District of the State Department of Parks and Recreation submitted recipes for the thing. I'll be posting them on this site over time, and I'll be sure to give credit where it's due.

This recipe comes from my sister. I haven't tried making it myself, but I do remember it being tasty.

Broccoli Soup- Jocelyn Swenson
Ingredients:
3 Fresh Broccoli Crowns, Chopped
1 Large Onion
1 Cup Chopped Mushrooms
2 Celery Stalks, chopped
2 Cans Cream of Celery Soup
1 Cube Butter
1/2 lb Bacon, cooked and crumbled (Optional)
4-8 Cups Milk

Directions: Mix broccoli, onion, mushrooms, celery and butter in a large saucepan and simmer until vegetables are soft (add water if necessary.) In a large pot, mix together soup and milk. Boil to desired thickness. Mix vegetables in with soup and top with crumbled bacon.