Vegetarian Chili with Corn and Winter Squash

Nothing warms the soul on a blustery day quite like a bowl of hearty chili.  This vegetarian version hits the spot with a little sweetness from winter squash and corn, and a little smokiness from chipotle peppers.  I used a combination of butternut and kabocha, but any winter squash will do. Garnish with some plain yogurt instead of sour cream and some fresh avocado slices for a savory, creamy dinner.  Serve with corn bread for a new family favorite.

Vegetarian Chili with Corn and Winter Squash

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 large bell pepper, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 T chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 4 cups peeled and diced (about 1-inch pieces) winter squash
• 1 can kidney beans, drained and well-rinsed
• 1 can black beans, drained and well-rinsed
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes
• 1 7 oz can green chiles
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced (please note that it is one pepper, not one jar!)
• dash of nutmeg
• dash of freshly cracked black pepper
• plain yogurt (optional)
• avocado slices (optional)

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Spray with cooking spray and add onion, bell pepper, and garlic.   Sauté for five minutes or until lightly browned.
2. Combine onion mixture with cumin, coriander, and chili powder in a large slow cooker (at least 5 qt).  Add squash and remaining ingredients except yogurt & avocado and stir to combine.  Cover slow cooker and cook on low setting for 8 hours.  
3. Divide chili into bowls and garnish with plain yogurt and avocado, if desired.  Serve with cornbread.

Yield:  6-8 servings

Crock-pot Porridge

Happy New Year!!!

Starting a brand new year calls for a great breakfast to kick things off.  I love breakfast.  In fact, I cannot function without a well-balanced breakfast.  But there are days when there is absolutely no time to cook anything.  Most breakfast cereals just don't cut it for Bryson and I-- we are literally famished just a couple of hours later.  So a nice solution is getting everything prepped the night before and letting the slow cooker work its magic.  All of the hearty grains in this yummy porridge will keep your energy levels high throughout the morning hours.  If you like a little more protein with your breakfast, just add a little yogurt on the side and you're good to go!


Crock-pot Porridge

1/2 cup cracked wheat
1 1/2 cup steel-cut oats
1/2 cup quinoa flakes (you can substitute regular oatmeal here if you wish, although you may want to increase the liquid a bit)
1/2 cup brown rice
1/4 cup wheat germ
4 cups rice milk
2 cups low-fat milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 chopped dates
2 tbsp vanilla extract
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Pinch ground cloves
Pinch ground ginger

1.  Spray medium-to-large crock pot with cooking spray.  Stir to combine all ingredients.  Cover.
2.  Set on lowest setting for temperature and cook overnight.
3.  Spoon into cereal bowls in the morning with a little extra milk.  If you would like it even sweeter, try a little applesauce instead of reaching for the sugar bowl-- yum!


Yield: 8 servings


Adapted from a recipe by Tosca Reno
 

Harvest Apple Æbleskiver

 

This is a seasonal adaptation of the basic æbleskiver recipe that I posted yesterday.  By substituting some of the buttermilk with apple cider, and adding some cinnamon and nutmeg, this makes a heavenly autumnal breakfast.  Since I rarely have buttermilk on hand when I get the whim to make these, I use the substitution described in the previous recipe.  For this particular version, I use a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar combined with milk to get a buttermilk-like result.  I think the best way to enjoy these is with some warm apple butter and a little plain yogurt, but they can also be served with butter and maple syrup.

Harvest Apple Æbleskiver

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, plus enough milk to make up 1 cup of liquid

6 egg whites

6 egg yolks

1 cup apple cider

2 cups flour (I use whole wheat)

2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Oil or cooking spray

Powdered sugar (optional)

1. Combine vinegar and milk and let stand at least ten minutes.
2. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Set aside.
3. Beat yolks until lemon-colored.  Mix in milk, cider, flour, honey, spices, baking soda, and salt.  Gently fold in beated whites.  
4. Heat æbleskiver pan over medium heat.  Place small amount of oil or cooking spray in each cup of pan. Fill each cup about 2/3 full with batter.  Cook until batter bubbles up a bit and is set around edges.  Turn puffs with a toothpick or wooden skewer and cook until completely set.  (This will vary depending on your pan-- one of my pans takes a few minutes longer than the other, so you'll have to experiment with what works best for you.)  Roll finished æbleskiver in powdered sugar, if desired.

Yield: 75-80 puffs

Danish Æbleskiver

After posting my Grandma Taylor's bread recipe, I started thinking about my other paternal great-grandmother, Grandma Adeline.  

Really, it's only natural.  

You see, the two of them were the best of childhood friends and remained close throughout the years.  I'm sure they were tickled pink when my grandparents began courting and eventually married.  Adeline's family came to the United States from Denmark.  Ever since I was a little girl, my family would make æbleskiver for breakfast on special occasions to honor this heritage.  Now that I have a family of my own, I happily continue on the tradition-- which has become a special treat for my kids.

Æbleskiver are basically pancakes, except that they are spherical and puffy-- kind of like a popover.  You bake them in a specialized cast iron pan, which is fairly easy to find.  Sometimes they are marketed under the very Americanized trademark "Puffy Pancake."  I've seen them regularly at Bed, Bath, and Beyond in addition to stores that specialize in cast iron ware, such as Dutch ovens.  It is also worth the investment to purchase two pans if you are going to be making æbleskiver for more than just a couple of people.  As you can see from the picture, a pan only makes seven puffs at a time.  And believe me, when you have a hungry crowd clamoring for more, seven at a time just doesn't fly.

You can serve æbleskiver just like American pancakes if you wish, with butter and maple syrup.  That's actually how my kids prefer them.  B and I like them with some homemade jam and a little bit of plain yogurt.  If you want to get authentically Scandinavian with this dish, a wonderful treat is lignonberry jam.  You can find it at IKEA and various online shops.

This recipe calls for buttermilk, but if you don't have any handy there is an easy substitution that works pretty well.  Simply add 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice plus regular milk to make up 1 cup and let stand ten minutes.  1 cup of this mixture will equal 1 cup of buttermilk.   

Danish Æbleskiver  

6 egg whites

6 egg yolks

2 cups buttermilk

2 cups flour (I use whole wheat)

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Oil or cooking spray for pan

Powdered sugar (optional)

1. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
2. Beat yolks until lemon-colored.  Mix in milk, flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.  Fold beated egg whites gently to mixture.
3. Heat æbleskiver pan over medium heat.  Place small amount of oil or cooking spray in each cup of pan. Fill each cup about 2/3 full with batter.  Cook until batter bubbles up a bit and is set around edges.  Turn puffs with a toothpick or wooden skewer and cook until completely set.  (This will vary depending on your pan-- one of my pans takes a few minutes longer than the other, so you'll have to experiment with what works best for you.)  Roll finished æbleskiver in powdered sugar, if desired.

Yield: 75-80 puffs


Adapted from a recipe handed down from my Aunt Karen. 

The Marv 'n' Joe

After posting my grandma's homemade bread recipe, it was only natural that I follow that post with my favorite way to enjoy it. 

Back during our university days at Utah State, Bryson and I would often meet at Hazel's Bakery in the Taggart Center to grab a Marv n' Joe.  These melt-in-your-mouth open-faced sandwiches are the stuff of legend, and after we left Logan we started to go through withdrawal without our beloved snack.  So naturally, we set out to recreate them in our home kitchen.  During peak tomato season we enjoy these with great gusto and fanfare.


The Marv 'n' Joe

• thick slice of whole wheat bread 
• sliced tomatoes
• sliced provolone cheese
• extra virgin olive oil
• balsamic vinegar
• garlic powder
• salt
• pepper

1.  Preheat broiler.
2.  Brush whole wheat bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar to taste.  Layer tomatoes on slice, sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.  Place sliced provolone on top of sandwich, and place in oven.
3.  Broil on pizza stone or cookie sheet until hot and cheese just starts to bubble and brown.

Grandma Taylor's Whole Wheat Bread

Awhile back, my mom decided to take a look at my great-grandmother's whole wheat bread recipe and modernize it for our benefit.  Growing up, it was a staple in our home and nothing was quite as soothing as the smell of the homemade loaves baking in the oven.  My dad loves this recipe in particular because it uses honey-- rather than sugar or some other sweetener-- to get the yeast happy and bubbling.  It also adds a wonderful flavor to the finished product. 


I typically use this recipe as a jumping off point for whatever I feel like making at the time.  I frequently add oats and ground flaxseed to mine, and you can experiment as well.  Just make your additions with the dry ingredients and as long as your dough has the right texture after kneading-- pliable and elastic, you should be golden.


Enjoy one of our family's heirloom recipes!


Grandma Taylor's Whole Wheat Bread

• 3 cups very warm water
• 1/2 cup oil (I use canola or grapeseed)
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoons instant yeast
• 8-10 cups whole wheat flour (It will vary slightly each time)
• 3/4 cup powdered milk
• 1/4 cup gluten

1.  Stir oil, honey, salt in warm water in a large mixing bowl to combine.  Add yeast and stir gently.  Let rest for about 10 minutes as the yeast activates.  (I grind my wheat while during this time.)
2.  In a separate large bowl sift 6 cups flour, powdered milk, and gluten.  After yeast has started to activate, stir in flour mixture, a few cups at the time.  (I use my stand mixer's dough hook to combine.)  After flour mixture is combined with wet ingredients, add additional flour in 1/2-cup increments until ideal dough consistency is achieved.  Knead dough for 10-12 minutes.  Scrape sides of bowl and cover with cloth and let rise until double, about 1 hour.  
3.  Punch dough down and separate into 3 portions, kneading each briefly.  Form into loaves and placed in greased bread pans.  Cover with cloth and let rise until double, 45-60 minutes.  Place in preheated oven and bake.  After baking, let rest in pans 5-10 minutes, then remove and allow to cool on racks.

Depending on your type of bread pan (metal, glass, etc.) and oven you may have to experiment with the baking temperature.  I have metal pans and bake my loaves in a 325 degree oven for 30 minutes. 

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

This time of year we pretty much have zucchini coming out of our ears. For awhile I've been searching for the perfect chocolate-zucchini bread, but haven't been particularly thrilled with any of the recipes I've stumbled upon. So I decided to get creative and make it up as I went along. Keeping the ingredients fairly healthy for the most part allows this yummy treat to be an indulgence without the guilt attached to the typical sour cream-laden quick bread. Also, since quick breads freeze fantastically, go ahead-- make a bunch! You'll thank me when the weather turns cold.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 1/2 cups sucanat (or substitute with regular sugar)
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup grapeseed oil (or substitute with canola oil)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 c plain yogurt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder (if you don't like your chocolate on the dark & rich side, you may want to scale this back to 2/3 or 1/2 cup)
• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips
• powdered sugar (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease three 8x4 loaf pans well.
2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar well for several minutes. Add eggs, one at a time and mix until combined. Add oil, applesauce, zucchini, and vanilla, blending well. Fold in yogurt.
3. Combine cocoa, flour, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons of this mixture in a small bowl. Mix the dry ingredients (the larger portion) with the wet ingredients, stirring just until combined. Mix the two tablespoons of reserved dry ingredients with the chocolate chips, stirring to coat. Fold in chocolate chips to batter. Pour batter into prepared loaf pans.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let loaves rest on a cooling rack in pans for 15-20 minutes before removing. Cool completely on rack. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.