End of Winter Eating: Chili and More

This entry is a snitched from a Facebook note of Lori Mertel Lenzer (yes, she of the lovely red lentil soup). I had been asking about chili recipes and she obliged with that and more.

I just came back from a wonderful walk (for the first time in about 2 weeks.) The sun is vivid and the snow is gently melting. The side walks were clear, which is a real treat for winter pedestrians. March and April tend to be difficult months for me. I am so eager for nice weather to finally find NE Ohio. Sadly, it never seems to get here until May.

But I am feeling a few signs of spring this week. And, belatedly, I am appreciating Winter Eating! I love to tear into heartier fare in the cold season. Our arctic temperatures seem to justify it. So, look at March (and probably April too...let's keep it real) as a last hurrah before the days of 'eating lite' completely overtake us as the mercury finally begins to rise.

Elizabeth asked me about a few recipes earlier this week. So here we go. It is still chile/chili (authoritative spelling on this?) season. And it is great to make your entire meal in one big pot. So, I have thrown in a recipe at Elizabeth's request. Also, I am posting a black bean and potato pie that I love to make in the winter time. (Although it is not bad in the summer either!)

CHILE

Here is the recipe I use for chile. I admit that I still like it best with ground beef. But we don't eat much of that at our house. So I make the beef version maybe once a year. You can easily substitute ground turkey (or chicken) for the beef. And substitute water or chicken broth for the beef broth. This will make it 'poultry-centric'. George likes it best when I leave the meat out altogether and make it with wheat bulgar. I use a cup and one half of the wheat bulgar combined with two cups of water.

3 hours (only about 30 minutes prep)

Ingredients (a lot!):

* 2 lbs. ground beef (or brisket if preferred)
* 2 cans kidney or chili beans
* 2 medium yellow onions (chunk chopped)
* 4 large garlic cloves (minced)
* 1 fresh bell pepper (red, yellow or green) -- chopped
* 1 tsp. salt
* 1/2 tsp. pepper
* 1 Tbsp. cumin
* 2 Tbsps. paprika
* 3 Tbsps. good quality chili powder
* dash cayenne pepper
* 2( 6 oz) cans tomato paste
* 2 (6 oz) cans mild diced chili peppers
* 32 oz. can tomato sauce
* 6 ripe plum tomatoes, halved down the middle and chopped
* 2 Tbsps. honey
* 3 cups beef broth
* 2 ozs. unsweetened chocolate, finely ground
* Assorted condiments if desired (shredded cheese, green onion, sour cream, banana pepper rings, etc.)

Directions:

1. Distribute cumin, salt, pepper, paprika and garlic over ground beef and saute in olive oil in Dutch oven until meat is browned/well done.

2. Drain excess fat and juices.

3. Add all of the remaining ingredients and bring to a high simmer.

4. Cover and allow to simmer on low for about 3 hours, stirring once per hour to mix and prevent burning on bottom.

If using the wheat bulgar, combine the cup 1/2 bulgar with about two cups water and let stand for about 15 minutes before adding to the mix. I generally put it in last and then allow the entire thing to simmer the rest of the afternoon.


SAVORY BLACK BEAN PIE (WITH POTATO CRUST)

This crust is awesome. It gets crispy and golden and delish! And you can make very tasty mashed potatoes following this recipe, which is from The Enchanted Broccoli Forest.

Mashed Potato Crust:

30 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to bake.

Butter a 9 inch pie pan.
Preheat oven to 375 F

2 large potatoes (the size of a fist at least)
2 Tbs butter
1/4 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup finely minced raw onion
a little extra oil for brushing on midway during baking

Scrub the potatoes. Cut them into chunks and boil them until soft (about 20 minutes). Drain and mash. Combine mashed potatoes with butter, salt, pepper and onion. Mix well. Using spoon and/or rubber spatula, sculpt a crust and edge in your pre-buttered pie pan. Bake 45 minutes. Halfway through the baking, lightly brush the entire tip surface with oil. It is not necessary to cool the crust before filling and re-baking.

BLACK BEAN FILLING

* 2 cans black beans (15 oz) can liquid retained
* 1/4 cup bean liquid (or water) as needed
* 1 - 1 1/2 TBSPs canola oil
* 1 cup finely chopped onion
* 2 large garlic cloves, minced
* 1/4 tsp turmeric
* 2 tsps cumin
* 1 -2 tsps seeded, chopped jalapeno
* ground red pepper to taste
* 2 large eggs, beaten
* salt to taste (approx. 1/2 tsp)
* 9" pie crust in pie plate (can use potato crust)
* chopped scallion for garnish
* parmesan cheese for garnish


Directions:

1. Reset oven to 350 F

2. Puree 1/2 cup beans & 1/4 cup bean liquid until smooth

3. Heat oil in a large skillet & saute onion until lightly browned (about 5 minutes) stirring often

4. Add garlic, turmeric& cumin & stir until evenly mixed

5. Add jalapeno & ground red pepper

6. Add pureed beans & bring to simmer

7. Add remaining beans, simmer covered 5-8 minutes

8. Transfer to large bowl & cool to room temperature

9. Add eggs and mix well

10. Season with salt to taste

11. Pour into crust & bake 10 minutes

12. Reduce heat to 325 degrees & bake another 15-18 minutes -- Garnish