WHITE BEAN TURKEY CHILI (or chicken, or pork)

Well y'all know that chili is a tradition to serve for the Super Bowl, and the Super Bowl is just around the corner.  I asked Billy which chili I should make; the red chili with red beans, beef, tomatoes, and red chili peppers or white chili with white beans, turkey and green chilies?  He said the white chili, and I was so glad because I have a thing for green chili pepper; I looooove them, and the green chilies definitely shine in white chili.

The Super Bowl is like a national holiday, so the chili needs to be special, ya gotta make an effort.  I start with soaking my own beans, the texture and flavor is superior to canned bean (I do use canned beans when I make a week night chili, but not for my special chili).  I also roast my own chili peppers for this recipe; but if you really don't want to you could add a couple of cans of green chilies, it' your chili!

Here's what you do.

 Soak the cannellini beans the night before, according to the package directions.

The next day, when you are ready to make the chili, drain and rinse the beans, set them to the side until its time to add them to the chili.

Add some olive oil to the pan along with the turkey (or chicken, or lean pork) and the sausage and brown over medium high heat.

When the meat is about 3/4 of the way browned, add the onions, jalapenos, garlic and some salt and pepper.

When the onions are translucent add the cumin, allspice and oregano, cook for 3 to 5 minutes more; this allows the spices to toast a little.

I don't drink tequila, so I bought a couple of these little guys, it's probably way cheaper to buy the big bottle.  Add the tequila and cook until it's evaporated.

  

Now add the drained beans...

...The chicken stock (low sodium please) and the water...

...Toss a bay leaf in for good measure.

Bring the chili to a simmer, then partially cover the pan with a lid and turn the heat down to medium low.

To roast the poblano peppers, rub the skins all over with oil.  I know there are 3 peppers in the photo, but I only used two in the recipe.

Roast the peppers for about 15 minutes, turning them half way through.  See how charred and blistered the skins get, that's good.

Put the hot, roasted poblano peppers into a bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap.  This creates steam which facilitates in removing the skin.

Use the back of a knife or your fingers, to pull the skin off of the poblanos.

  Remove the seeds as well and cut the peppers into about a 1/2 inch dice.

After the chili has simmered for an hour, season with salt and pepper if necessary...

...Add the diced poblanos and the corn meal.  Put the lid back on the way it was, an simmer for another 30 to 45 minutes, until the beans are soft.

Add some cilantro before serving. 

Serve White Bean Chili with tortillas, corn bread or rice.

If you like you can top it with a little Monterey Jack, or cheddar cheese.

Serves 6 to 8

½             lb.           Dry cannellini beans

                              Olive oil 

20            oz.           Ground turkey, chicken, or lean pork

½             lb.           Turkey, chicken, or Italian sausage; removed from the casing

1                             Medium onion, medium dice

2                            Jalapenos, diced fine (with or without seeds it’s up to you; the seeds are hot)

2              cloves       Garlic, minced

4              tsp.          Cumin

1              tsp.          Allspice

1              Tbsp.        Oregano, preferably Mexican

1                             Bay leaf

1/3           cup          Tequila

4              cups         Chicken stock, low or no sodium

2              cups         Water

                              Salt and Pepper to taste

2                             Poblano peppers

3              Tbsp.        Corn meal

1/4           cup          Cilantro, chopped

  1.        The night before; soak the beans according to the package directions.

  2.       When you are ready to make the chili drain and rinse the soaked beans, set to the side.

  3.       Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to the bottom of a 6 quart pot or Dutch oven, along with the turkey (or chicken or pork) and the sausage to brown over medium high heat.

  4.       When the meat is about 3/4 of the way browned, turn the heat down to medium and add the onions, jalapenos and garlic, season with a little salt and pepper. Do not add the poblano peppers.

  5.       When the onions are translucent, add the cumin, allspice, and oregano, stir and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes longer.

  6.       Add the tequila, and cook until the tequila has evaporated.

  7.       Add the drained beans, the chicken stock, water and bay leaf.  Bring the liquid up to a simmer, check for seasoning, add more salt and pepper if needed.  Then partially cover the pot with a lid, and turn the heat to medium low.

  8.       Meanwhile; preheat oven to 400 degrees.

  9.       Wash and dry the poblano peppers.  Rub the skin all over with a little olive oil.  Lay the poblanos on a sheet pan.  Roast in the hot oven for about 15 minutes, turning half way through.  The skin should blister and char.

  10.   When the poblanos have roasted, remove them to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 10 to 15 minutes.  Remove the skin and the seeds from the poblanos.  Cut the poblanos into about ½ inch dice.

  11.   After the chili has simmered for an hour, stir in the roasted poblano peppers and the cornmeal.  Return the lid, and simmer for another 30 to 45 minutes, until the beans are soft.

  12.  To finish, stir in the chopped cilantro.

Serve White Chili with corn bread, tortilla chips or rice.  Top with cheese if desired.

White Chili freezes well.

CHRISTMAS BREAKFAST

I can hardly wait for Christmas morning, the stockings will come down, gifts will be opened, Christmas carols will be blasting and breakfast will be relished...because calories don't count on Christmas!  I've already posted a few breakfast recipes that would be terrific for Christmas morning.

This sweet, salty, and tangy Bacon and Maple Stuffed French Toast is filled with cream cheese and bacon, topped off with maple syrup and blue berries.  Sounds crazy right?  Well it's crazy good!

 Meatapalooza Breakfast Hash well I think that the name says it all.

 And Huevos Rancheros will have you singing "Feliz Navidad".

Enjoy y'all!

STUFFED PORTABELLAS STACKED WITH GRILLED VEGGIES, and PESTO AND GOAT CHEESE CROSTINI

I’m back in Victoria visiting Little Mama, and Big Daddy (Mom is 5’ 2” and Dad is a big ol’ 6’ 2”, a whole foot taller than my mom, hence the titles).  So, I don't really call my mom Little Mama, I thought it was cute for the sake of the story, but I do call my dad Big Dadddy. Billy had to return home to earn the bacon, so Little Mama and I are shopping for dinner.  We like to eat vegetarian, she suggests portabella mushrooms.   I’m gonna be straight up with you, the Portabella rarely appeals to me as a vegetarian meal.  So often restaurants offer Portabellas as one of the few options for Veg-Heads, and they come out limp and over cooked, and quite frankly, bor-ing.  I’m about to brush her off when Little Mama declares, “Let’s stuff the mushroom”.   Now Little Mama hates to cook, but when she does cook, she’s pretty good, and she comes up with some pretty good ideas.   I’m loving this one… but ya know who’s doing the cooking. 

Now my wheels, they be a turnin’.  I’m thinking grilled veggies to place on top, making a pretty veggie tower.   We walk past the refrigerated section and I spy “Yves” vegetarian meat products (it’s pronounced Eves, those silly Canucks).  I’m marveling at all the choices when “Ground Chicken” jumps out at me.  That will be perfect for stuffing the portabellas…and I know there is a jar of pesto and some goat cheese at home.  I was going to add goat cheese to the veggie stacks, but then decided to make a pesto and goat cheese crostini intsead.

Big Daddy is a meat and potatoes kind of man, so we have devised a plan to get him to eat this healthy vegetarian dish.  We’re not gonna tell him that it’s vegetarian until he has gobbled up his entire meal.

*Make this dish omniverous by adding real ground chicken, gournd turkey, or mild Italian sausage...I'm not here to judge.

This is the Yves Veggie Ground Chicken.  It is by far my favorite brand of veggie “meat” products.

Sweat the onions, green bell pepper, celery and garlic in a medium skillet with a touch of olive oil.*If you are using real ground chicken, ground turkey, or mild Italian sausage, add that to the skillet as well.

Meanwhile to prep the portabella remove the stem.  Using a spoon gently remove the gills.

Add the Veggie Ground Chicken, bread crumbs, Italian season, sage, salt and pepper.  Stir on the heat for a couple of minutes just to heat the ingredients a little (Veggie Ground Chicken is already cooked).

Oops forgot the ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese, add that and mix well.

Brush olive oil on the outside of the mushroom.

Stuff the mushrooms with the filling.

Brush oil on the zucchinis and bell peppers, season with salt and pepper.

Place the stuffed portabellas and the veggies on the grill over medium to medium-low heat.  Remember to keep that lid closed.

When the portabellas and veggies are done remove them to a sheet pan, use one that you don’t mind putting on the grill. 

Place two slices of zucchini over the stuffed mushrooms.  Spoon a little pesto and sprinkle Parmesan over the zucchini.

Cut the peppers in half length wise, so that you have eight 1 1/2 inch strips.

Lay two strips of bell pepper over the zucchini and sprinkle with more parmesan.

**You could add some goat cheese between the layers of veggies.  I didn’t because I made a Pesto and Goat Cheese Crostini.

Leave the veggie stacks on the sheet pan, and put the pan on the grill for about 5 minutes, just to warm up.

Remove the veggie stacks to individual plates, or a platter.

Drizzle with balsamic glaze.

I decided to serve “Chicken Stuffed Portabella and Grilled Veggies with Pesto and Goat Cheese Crostini.  Look how easy...

Just slice a loaf of Ciabatta bread, or a baguette, spoon on a little pesto,

top with crumbled goat cheese,

 

and bake in a 375 degree oven for about 5 minutes, or toss them on the grill for a few minutes.

So Big Daddy ate every bite, then we told him our little secret.  He didn’t miss the meat at all.

Be it vegetarian or omniivorous (I’m pretty sure I just used ominivorous incorrectly), this portabella is so not boring!

Serves 4

½         cup       Onion, minced

1/3       cup       Green pepper, small dice

¼         cup       Celery, small dice

1                      Garlic clove, minced

12        oz.        Veggie Ground Chicken (about half of the package), *or ground chicken, ground turkey, or mild Italian sausage

1/2          tsp        Italian seasoning

¼         tsp        Sage

¼         cup       Fresh bread crumbs (1 slice of sandwich bread)

½         cup       Grated Parmesan cheese, divided into two

4                      Portabella mushrooms, stems and gills removed

1                      Large bell pepper, red, yellow or orange, cut each bell pepper into 4 strips.  If the bell peppers are small, use 1 1/2 peppers.

1 1/2                Zucchinis, cut the zucchini length wise ¼ inch thick slices, then cut the slices cross wise to get 8 slices.  Cut the peel off of the outside slices.

1/3       cup       Olive oil

                        Salt and pepper to taste

3          Tbsp    Pesto, store bought is fine

                        Balsamic glaze for garnish

1. In a medium skillet over medium heat, sweat the onion, green pepper, celery and garlic, in a couple of teaspoons of olive oil for about 3 minutes.*If you are using real ground chicken, ground turkey, or mild Italian sausage, add that to the skillet as well.
2. When the veggies are soft and the onions translucent, add the Veggie Ground Chicken (Veggie Ground Chicken is already cooked, so you just need to heat it), Italian seasoning, sage, salt and pepper to the skillet, stir in the bread crumbs and ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese. 
3. Brush olive oil on the portabella mushrooms, bell pepper and zucchini, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Fill the mushrooms equally with the stuffing.
5. Grill the stuffed mushrooms, bell pepper and zucchini over medium to medium low heat.  The stuffed mushrooms will grill about 10 minutes just on the one side.  The bell peppers and zucchini should be turn after about 3-5 minutes and cooked about 3-5 minutes more.  The veggies should still have grill marks and still be firm.  Remove the mushroom and veggies to a sheet pan.  Cut the peppers in half lengthwise to get eight 1 1/2 inch strips.
6. To stack the veggies on the stuffed mushrooms, first place 2 slices of zucchini on top of each the stuffed mushroom.

    **    You can add some crumbled goat cheese between the layers of veggies it you like.

    7.  Top the zucchini slices with the pesto and ½ of the remaining Parmesan cheese.

    8.   Place 2 strips of bell pepper on top of the zucchini sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese.

    9.   Leave the veggie stacked mushrooms on the sheet pan and put that back on the grill for about 5 minutes, just to heat through.

   10.   Remove the mushrooms carefully to individual plates, or to a platter, and drizzle with just a little Balsamic glaze.

Serve with Pesto and Goat Cheese Crostini.

PESTO AND GOAT CHEESE CROSTINI

1    loaf       Ciabatta bread, or a baguette, slice about ½-3/4 inch thick

                  Store bought pesto

                  Goat cheese, crumbled

1. Spoon just a little pesto over each slice of bread ( don’t over do it, pesto is quite strong in flavor)
2. Sprinkle the crumbles of goat cheese over the pesto. 
3. Either bake in a 375 degree oven for 5-7 minutes, or put on the grill for 3-5 minutes.