Three Bean Chili

RG dished out this mouth-watering vegetarian three bean chili at the superbowl last month. It was so delicious, that even I, a self-confessed meat lover, had to have the recipe.

This recipe, she says, is straight out of Rachael Ray's collection on Food Network: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/veg-head-three-bean-chili-recipe/index.html

Ingredients
2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan) olive or vegetable oil
1 medium yellow skinned onion, chopped
1 large red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 large green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
1 cup pale beer or vegetable stock/broth
1 (32- ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (14-ounce) can black beans
1 (14-ounce) can dark red kidney beans
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cayenne hot pepper sauce, several drops
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup spicy vegetarian refried beans

Toppings:
8 ounces (2 cups shredded) spicy monterey jack or smoked cheddar
Chopped scallions, whites and greens
Diced fresh seeded plum tomato
Blue and red corn tortilla chips or black bean tortilla chips, for dipping
Directions
Over moderate heat, add oil to a deep pot and combine onion, peppers, and garlic. Saute for 3 to 5 minutes to soften vegetables. Deglaze pan with beer or broth, add tomatoes, black beans, red kidney beans, and stirring to combine.

Season chili with cumin, chili powder, hot sauce, and salt. Thicken chili by stirring in refried beans. Simmer over low heat about 5 to 10 minutes longer, then serve up bowls of chili and top with shredded cheese, scallions, and tomatoes. Place bowls on charger plates piled with assorted tortilla chips.

It was super-spicy so anyone with a low threshold for heat tolerance should scale back on the cayenne hot pepper sauce.

Alongside is a picture of the chili, simmering in the crock pot.

Can't wait to try this out myself, or maybe I should pop back at RG's!

Eggplant Stroganoff

This is G jn's recipe. The pretty picture with the stain-glass background is also hers.
Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant
1/2 lbs mushroom
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 tablespoon pepper
1 cup cooking wine
Method:
Cut the eggplant and mushrooms into thick chunks. In a cup mix the cooking wine, salt, pepper Once they release their juices stir in the soup mix. Add some water if needed. Cook 5-6 minutes until sauce has thickened and veggies are heated through. Do not overcook.

Serve over rice.

Thanks G.

Vietnamese Spring Roll

This recipe is courtesy SR. It’s a cold spring roll, made from tofu and I think it would make an excellent accompaniment to some spicy lo mein.

Ingredients :for the spring rolls - 1) lightly fried firm tofu or rice noodles 2) fresh basil leaves - cut finely 3) julienne cucumbers 4) julienne carrots 5) cubed green pepper 6) mung sprouts 7) waterchestnuts sliced thinly 8) rice paper wrappers - available in asian stores.

Sauce: soy sauce mixed with chilli garlic paste.

Method :
Dip rice sheet in luke warm water, until entire sheet is soft.
Spread over a plate
Add little of all the above veggies and tofu/rice noodles
Fold from top to bottom, left to right

If the picture is anything to go by, I'm sure it's going to be one heck of a spring roll!

Guest Posts

You know, I just realized that the last couple of blog posts are all guest contributions. I've been eating some real yummy stuff at people's places and have been asking them for the recipes.

Here's the list
- SK's Martini
- D's BBQ Paneer
- R's Mango Kulfi
- SB's Green Pepper Sabzi (coming soon)
- SR's Vietnamese Spring Rolls (coming soon)
- Uncle V's Fish Fry (coming soon)

I'm loving it. It saves me the effort of experimenting and typing recipes and of course adds tons of character to my blog!

Cosmopolitan - Shaken Not Stirred

This is SK's first contribution to my blog. No surprise, it has alcohol involved. This is a Cosmopolitan - Shaken Not Stirred. (The phrase is a James Bond original and is usually used with a Vodka Martini.)

1 oz vodka 1/2 oz triple sec 1/2 oz lime juice 1/2 oz cranberry juice
Shake vodka, triple sec, lime and cranberry juice vigorously in a shaker with ice. (don't stir it). Strain into a martini glass, garnish with lemon peel or olive.

SK made a frozen olive cube for this drink (see image). He inserted a toothpick into an olive and set it in water, in an ice tray. I thought it was pretty neat and the technique can be used with cherrys, limes and others garnishes as well.

The martini was strong but smooth. Good job mister.

BBQ Paneer

Last week-end we had an impromptu BBQ at Dunwoody Station, my home for 3 years and what was once know as Post Dunwoody. True to our barbeque tradition, it was last-minute and of course, we had a cloudy sky. I think that's what makes it so special. So here's a recipe courtesy D whose contribution was a delicious BBQ Paneer.

Ingredients:
Paneer cubes
Nanak or Swad paneer tikka masala1 Tbs ginger garlic paste1 Tbs chilli sauce2 Tbls tomato ketchup1 Tsp Tandoori masala

Method:
Mix all the ingredients and toss in the diced paneer.
Marinate for 1 hour.
Grill or bake in oven.


We had fun. The only thing missing that day was the sing-song ice-cream van.

Tiramisu

I have a glorious Tiramisu recipe; I've had it in my inbox for a couple of weeks actually. The recipe is courtsey A; it was her contribution to the Tapas Night that we'd organized a month or two ago. Here goes..

Ingredients:
EGGS, 8, with yolks and whites separated
SUGAR, 1/3 cup
MASCARPONE, 1 pound
HEAVY CREAM, 1 cup
ESPRESSO COFFEE, 2 cups cooled
MARSALA WINE, 2/3 cup else BRANDY, 2/3 cup
LADY FINGERS, 30
BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE, 2 ounces grated
COCOA POWDER, Dutch process, sifted, for garnish

Directions
Mix the sugar into the egg yolks, blending well.
Add a little Mascarpone at a time to the egg yolk mixture, and mix until smooth. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, beat the whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Set this aside as well.
In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Fold the whipped cream into the egg yolk mixture, then fold in the beaten egg whites.
Spread about 1/3 of the cream mixture of a 4-6 quart glass baking dish or serving bowl.
Place expresso coffee in a large mixing bowl, and combine with the brandy.
Dip a lady finger into the expresso, lay it in baking dish on cream mixture.
Top with grated chocolate.
Continue in this manner, laying lady fingers side by side to cover the bottom.
Place another 1/3 of cream mixture on top of soaked lady fingers.
Cover this with another layer of expresso-soaked lady fingers.
Top with remaining cream mixture and grated chocolate.
Dust final layer with grated chocolate and cocoa powder.
Chill overnight or a minimum of 2 hours to set.

Tip: You can cut down on the eggs and whipped cream for a more calorie-friendly portion and you can use regular instant coffee instead of espresso. The ladyfinger can be substituted by a regular sponge cake if necessary.

Thanks A. I have yet to try it and when I do I sure hope it turns out as yummalicious as yours.

Pancakes

This is G Jns recipe...one she got her hands on during a 'Breakfast Exchange' at school!

Ingredients:
1 ½ Tbs flour
1½ tbs sugar (if salty pancake add pinch of salt instead of sugar)
1 egg
½ Tbs veg oil
About 1 cup milk/water

Method:
Mix the flour, eggs and veg oil together. Little by little add the milk till a smooth free flowing mix is obtained. Add sugar or salt and mix in.
Pour a large spoonful of the batter onto a hot pan and cook evenly on both sides.
Add toppings of choice.

Suggested topping:
Salty
Cheese and Ham
Mushroom and onions (stir fried with salt and pepper)
Bolognese sauce
Stir fried vegs of choice
Smoked salmon with cream cheese

Sweet
Lemon and sugar
Strawberry Jam
Nutella
Cinnamon with butter
Different flavors of syrups
Fruits with whipped cream

You can invent your own toppings and enjoy for breakfast, lunch, dinner or just a snack.

Tapas Night

Last weekend marked the much awaited Tapas Night, perhaps the last pool party of this year. We had a smorgasbord of some very delectable food. The idea was for each of us to choose a country and prepare a tapas unique to it. I think it’s safe to say that yet again, we outdid ourselves!

The Menu:

1) Caribbean - Fried Plantain & Black Bean Salad
2) Mexican - Seven Layered Dip and chips
3) Medditerranean - Stuffed portobello mushrooms
4) Lebanese - Frankie Wraps
5) Italian - Tiramisu
6) Indian - Kebabs
7) French - Mini Quiches
8) Chinese - Cauliflower Manchurian
9) Native American - Cornbread and Fondue

The drink menu was even more scintillating, maybe I'll leave that for another post.

Breakfast for a King

Breakfasts, for me, have long since become a thing of the past. While I do, on occasion, question the sanctity of this decision, for the most part; time or the lack of it simply prevents me from indulging in breakfast. Labor-Day, for this reason, and so many more, was such a beautiful, welcome and refreshing change.

Of all the meals we prepared, I think our breakfast was my favorite. There’s something to getting up to a dewy morning and nursing a cup of coffee on the front deck that makes breakfast-time even more inviting. Of course, the fact that we prepared it together, amidst a lot of laughs and bustle, laid out the wooden bench with matching napkins and silverware and sat down together to eat made it so much more enjoyable.

Poha with thokku, pancakes with bananas and syrup and OJ; all while surrounded by the North GA wilderness and the Brasstown Bald mountains. Heaven!

Veggie Delight

We had a 'Girl's Night In' a couple of weeks ago. D & S asked each of us to bring a 'surprise ingredient' for the Veggie Lover's Pizza. So as you can see for the picture above, the pizza was a rich medley of flavors; pesto sauce, capers, black olives, caramlized onions, sun dried tomatoes and feta cheese.

And who says Pizza goes with beer only? We paired it with Sangria, a great combination.

Pizza in Pisa

All smiles, G jn. at a little bistro beside the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Tarte Au Chocolat

This post, like my previous, is grace a G junior. Both the recipe and the pretty visual are hers; and it comes to me directly from France!

Crust:
200 g four
100 g butter @room temperature
50 g sugar
Mix ingredients together until it gets crumbly (sand) texture. Add 1 Tbs of water to obtain dough. Leave in plastic film and keep for about 1 hr.
Roll pastry as thin as possible and put in a baking dish.
Make holes in the base of the paste with a fork.
Bake for about 15 minutes in an oven at 200 c.

Chocolate Mix:
200 g dark chocolate
200 ml of whipping cream
20 ml of milk
1 egg

Method:
Put whipping cream and milk in sauce and heat together until it starts to boil (little bubbles). Incorporate the chocolate cut into pieces to the cream and milk mixture. Mix until a perfectly smooth texture is obtained. Add 1egg and whisk energetically to obtain a smooth mix. Pour this chocolate mix into the precooked crust. Cook in an oven at 200 C for 10-20 minutes, depending on the size of the tart. Garnish with fresh strawberries.

I haven’t tried this recipe as yet. I’ve never made a pie crust from scratch actually; from what she says, it wasn’t that bad. We shall see, until then, Bon Appetite.