Killer Crock Pot Chili

Have I mentioned that I love fall? Here's a recipe to warm your bones as the cool weather rolls in.

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef
1 can tomato paste
1 can black beans
1 can browned beans in tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup corn, frozen or canned
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 medium Spanish onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
2 jalapeño, seeds removed, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
1 large portabella mushroom, cut into chunks
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp cumin seed
2 tbsp chili powder
Salt and cracked pepper to taste
2 bay leaves
3 cloves of garlic, minced
¼ cup combined, cider and malt vinegars
¼ cup brown sugar, not packed
1 tsp Tabasco
Vegetable oil

Method
Turn on the crock pot to high and add the diced tomatoes, corn, beans and mushrooms. Sauté the beef, onions, peppers, celery, zucchini and garlic until they are half way cooked, then add them to the crock pot. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the tomato paste, vinegar, sugar, spices and Tabasco. Stir the mixture into the crock pot along with the bay leaves. Cover and bring the pot to a bubble. Then reduce to low and let cook for at least 6 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve in bowls and garnish with extra old, shredded cheddar cheese.

~ you're welcome ;o)

Soupe D'Aubergine

Along with the tomato, the aubergine is actually a fruit and not a vegetable. More commonly known to North Americans as eggplant, this versatile food is not only misunderstood but strangely unpopular. Perhaps it's the name eggplant? Certainly sounds frumpy and dull. But with a name like aubergine, who could resist? It' s gorgeous: supple, smooth and richly coloured. Or maybe it's all that natural beauty which makes it so intimidating to the average house chef. In fact, aubergine is one of the more forgiving foods an untrained hand could choose. It takes on the flavours of the rest of the dish and enhances them. Aubergine can be rich or refined depending on how it's handled. For complexity and flair, roast it and add it to a rich sauce. For subtlety, salt, rinse and grill it. Although it is best enjoyed cooked, because when raw it can be bitter, try marinating and adding it to a salad; Aubergine loves oil and will absorb most marinades and sauces with ease. Today I have paired my aubergine in a soup with mushroom and tarragon. The gentle aromatics of the tarragon and the subtle earthy tones of the mushroom are quietly enhanced by the strength of the aubergine. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Getting Started
1 large aubergine, peeled and sliced into small quarter inch strips (So they look like french fries)
1 medium Spanish onion, peeled and diced
2 baby portabello mushrooms, rinsed, destemmed and then thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp flour
6 cups vegetable stock or broth
1 tsp dried tarragon or 20g of fresh and chopped
1/8 tsp thyme
pinch celery seed
1 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
cracked pepper and salt to taste
1/4 cup stelline pasta (little tiny stars)


Keep it Simple

Heat the olive oil in a stockpot. Saute the onions and garlic until the onions are translucent. Stir in sliced eggplant and add the butter. Let heat for several minutes. Sift flour in and stir, creating a roux. Add your stock immediately. Then add the mushrooms, seasonings and pasta. Bring to a boil then reduce and let simmer for 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste. Great as a prelude to a Pork or Lamb entree. Or enjoy it for lunch with some toasted caraway rye.

you're welcome ;o)

The Rumtopf: Preserving Summer Sweets For Winter Treats

The Christmas season has always been a time for tradition, brim with anticipation and many hours of thoughtful preparations. Embodying both of these, from its first spring harvest to its final winter dishing, is the German tradition of a rumtopf: a dessert made of rum, sugar and berries aged to perfection in a clay pot.


Gather the Goods

a german clay pot
a cool place for storage
white sugar
dark rum
fruit in season


Patience is Potent

Start your pot with strawberries. They are usually the first to come into season, followed by cherries, raspberries, red currents, apricots and peaches, plums and pears. Try to avoid fruits that are sour, high in acidity or water content or which may turn mushy like bananas. Once the berries are washed and dried place them in a bowl and coat in sugar. The ratio is 2 to 1, fruit to sugar( for example 2 cups of fruit and 1 cup of sugar). Let it marinate for about an hour then add it to your topf with enough rum to cover the fruit. Cover the topf with plastic wrap and an elastic band, then replace the lid. Store it in a cool dark place until the next fruit is in season. Repeat the process until your pot is either full or fruit seasons are over. It is important to check on your pot to make sure the fruit is always submerged and fermenting nicely as opposed to drying up or spoiling. As the Christmas festivities begin you can serve your rumtopf over ice cream, waffles, French toast or pound cake. Make it potable by straining the fruit from the liquor, warming it up and serving it in a snifter with a cinnamon stick.

Smokey Potato Soup

~Shopping List~

8 yukon gold potatoes, washed and cubed (reserve 2 cubed potatoes)
1/2 cup of cooked and diced Virginia smoked ham
100g shredded, smoked Gouda (about 3/4 cup)
100g shredded, extra old Cheddar (about 3/4 cup)
6 cups of chicken or vegetable broth/stock
1 cup of heavy cream (*warning* you can substitute lesser cream or milk but it just won't be as tasty)
4 shallots, diced
2 clove of garlic, minced
20g fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
1/2 tsp each of mustard powder, onion powder and white pepper
6 tbsp butter


~Chopping Block~

Dice Potatoes
Dice Ham
Shred Cheese
Dice Shallots


~Stove Top~

In a non-stick skillet- melt 3 tbsp of butter and begin to saute the 2 potatoes that you set aside from the rest of the pile. Make sure you do this on a low heat so as not to brown them too fast. We'll come back to this pan.

In a stock pot- melt the remaining butter and add shallots and garlic. Saute on medium heat until shallots are caramelized (golden). Add remaining potatoes, rosemary, stock and seasonings. Bring to a soft boil. Cover and let bubble until potatoes are soft.

Back to the skillet- Once the potatoes are browned, add the ham and turn the heat up to med high. This should only take several minutes. Remove from heat and turn off the burner.

Back to the pot- Remove the pot from the burner but leave the burner on. Using a hand mixer (if you don't have one use a blender or Cuisinart) blend the mixture until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings. Slowly stir in the cream and then the cheeses. Add the sauteed potatoes and ham. Heat for several more minutes then serve.
Garnish with a few shreds of gouda and a sprig of fresh rosemary. Serve with cracked pepper flat breads.

You're welcome ;o)

Red Wine Lip

A dear friend of mine was having an issue with red wine lip. Although it may seem like an embarrassing experience, it's nothing more than a robust wine. Want someone to blame for your distinguishing shade of black lip? Look no further than the tannin. That's right, this simple little colour and flavour enhancer found in most fruits including red wine grapes is the dirty culprit. Does your wine pack a robust punch? Make your tongue tingle? If so, then I'd advise you to take a trip to the rest room because likely it has left a tar-like mark on your lips. Fear not wine lovers, for your messy lip is merely a mark of a 'leggy' batch. Drink on!

Summer Salads

Here are a few summer salads to keep you cool around the bbq.

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

1 seedless, English cucumber, cut in half lengthwise and very thinly sliced
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
2 cups Balkan style yogurt (5%)
dash each of herbal seasoning (or salt), onion powder, garlic powder and mustard powder

Method

Place ingredients in a bowl. Stir and cover. Refrigerate until ready to serve.



Chick Pea Salad

Ingredients

1 can chick peas, washed and drained
1 medium red pepper, diced
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1/4 cup feta cheese
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp red pepper flavoured vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
onion powder, salt and cracked pepper to taste

Method

Combine ingredients in bowl. Cover and refrigerate. Goes great along with the cucumber salad and whatever you've got cookin' on the grill.