Sweet Potato Chili

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, thinly sliced
2 bell peppers (green, red, orange, whatever color you like), chopped
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 - 2 lbs orange fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks (4 cups)
1.5 cups unsalted roasted peanuts (or any other nuts)
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes in juice
1 6 oz can tomato paste
2 4 oz cans diced mild green chilies with liquid
4-6 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste
red pepper flakes to taste

In a large heavy pot, heat oil over med. Saute onion, carrots and bell peppers around 8 minutes. add garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds. Stir in potatoes, nuts, tomatoes and juice, tomato paste, chilies and liquid, and spices.

Bring to boil, reduce heat to low immediately and simmer 15-25 minutes, stirring occasionally until potatoes are tender.

This is a very satisfying vegan chili. I've always made it with peanuts in the past but now that they're on the no-no list, I'll probably try almonds or walnuts. They give it a nice crunch. This recipe makes a lot, I often halve it.

Out with the old... in with the new!

I've been cooking with my mom's old Club set for years now:






























These have been great over the years and have stood up to a lot of abuse. They also turn the water metallic in color when I scrub them with steel wool. Eh, maybe not so good. I'm guessing they are cast aluminum and I've read up quite a bit about using aluminum for cooking. Some are definitely against it (may cause dementia, especially when cooking with fluorinated water, like we have here) and some say aluminum is everywhere and it's no big deal.

So, better safe than sorry! Welcome my newest addition to the kitchen: my new set of All-Clad!!















I chose All-Clad because it seemed to be the only set made in America (besides the lids - made in china - grrrr). Plus, they rock. Stainless steel, aluminum core (doesn't touch food) and oooh, so shiny!

Now... if I only new how to cook with them :) (First time using non-nonstick)

Baked Chicken Stuffed with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto and Goat Cheese

I found this recipe over at Kalyn's Kitchen via Food Blog Search

If you haven't used Food Blog Search yet, go there immediate. Or, at least after dinner. I use that site to search for recipes instead of a straight google search. It's cuts down on the number of annoying sites with popups and ads.

My friend, Louie, was over while I was preparing and gave me a couple of ideas. The first is, when pounding the chicken, use the flat edge of the meat tenderizer instead of the pointed end. It flattens the chicken without breaking it up. Second, I added a "pinch" of red pepper flakes to the pesto-goat cheese mix and it gave it a subtle kick. This is an impressive dish for guests that is pretty easy to do. See Kayln's site for detailed description of rolling and dredging the chicken.


Baked Chicken Stuffed with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto, Basil, and Goat Cheese
(6 servings, recipe created by Kalyn)

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup 100% whole wheat pastry flour
3 eggs, beaten well
2/3 cup 100% whole wheat bread crumbs
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
6 oz. goat cheese (log type, such as Chevre)
6 oz. Sun-dried tomato pesto
1/2 cup fresh basil, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F. Trim all visible fat and tendons from chicken breasts. Put chicken breasts, one at a time, inside a heavy plastic plastic freezer bag and pound with meat mallet or other heavy object until 1/4 inch thick. (This is where I used the flat side of the mallet)

Put pesto (I threw together a quick pesto in the food processor and left it there for this step), goat cheese, and chopped basil in food processor and buzz a few times until mixture is combined but not completely blended. (This is where I added a pinch of red pepper flakes) Spread 1/6 of pesto/basil/goat cheese mixture on each chicken breast. Roll up chicken, starting with smallest end, tucking in loose pieces and securing with two toothpicks. (I got away with not using the toothpicks)

Put flour, beaten egg, and bread crumbs combined with parmesan cheese into three separate flat dishes. Roll each chicken breast, first in flour, then in egg, then in bread crumb/parmesan mixture.

Oil the glass casserole dish and arrange chicken so pieces are not touching. Bake at 350 F for about 50-60 minutes, or until chicken is slightly browned and firm, but not hard to the touch. I recommend you start checking it after 40 minutes (for me, it was done in 40), and remove from oven as soon as the chicken feels firm and is slightly browned.

Braised Kale with diced tomatoes

6-12 kale stalks

1 fresh tomato, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1-2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

2-4 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Wash the kale thoroughly. There is no need to dry, just shake excess water off. Remove stalks and tear into bite size pieces. I hold the end of the stalk with one hand and run a knife down each side to remove the leaf. Works like a charm.

Heat a large pan on medium and add olive oil. Add red pepper flakes and let oil heat up. Add garlic and kale. Toss the kale to coat. Add the red wine vinegar(start with a small amount first) and then salt.

Turn heat down to low and put lid on pot. Braise gently for about 15-20 minutes, turning the kale gently now and then.

When the kale is tender, turn off the heat and add the diced tomatoes. Let sit for another 5 minutes.

I have now made this dish 3 times this week! I can't get enough of it. I've been using Red Bor Kale - it's purplish with really curly ends and so GOOD! This is such a nutritious side and pretty easy to make. Tonight I subbed lime juice for the red wine vinegar and put them in chicken and black bean burritos.

Recipe slightly altered but borrowed from: http://mzkitchen.blogspot.com/2007/04/healthy-braised-kale.html

Meatballs!

1 pound ground beef
½ pound ground italian pork sausage
2 egg yolks
½ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
4 cloves of minced garlic (or chop 1/2 and mince 1/2)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons of dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste
3-4 slices Italian bread, crust removed
1 cup milk
olive oil

Break bread into chunks and put in a bowl and cover with milk. Let sit for 5 minutes as you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Put into a large bowl the following: beef, sausage, eggs, cheese, garlic and spices. Squeeze some of the milk out of the bread but leave fairly soaked. Add this to the bowl and mix everything together with your hands (the fun part). Shape into medium sized balls and set on a plate.

Cover the bottom of the skillet with oil and heat on medium. I used a 10" cast iron fry pan and it worked great! Once Put the meatballs in and brown on all sides. You can also bake them in an oven at 350 for 20 minutes or so or simmer them in marinara sauce for 40 minutes.

If you fry them, place on paper towels and pat to remove excess oil.

When Dave and I visit his parents in Buffalo, we usually have spaghetti and meatballs. Real, authentic Italian spaghetti and meatballs. I've never had anything like it but these come pretty close. At least, they'll do until my next trip east. I served these over spaghetti squash tonight with a really good pasta sauce I got at the store: Nana's. It's locally made by a family here in Shoreline.

Split Pea Soup

3 cups green split peas
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 large chopped onion
2 large chopped carrots
1 leek - rinsed well and chopped
1 small lemon
1 bay leaf
4 cloves garlic - minced
1 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups water
2 cups Vegetable Stock

Rinse peas and sort out irregulars and stones. Cover with water to 2 inches above peas and set aside. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large pot. Saute garlic to release aroma. Add onion, carrot, leek, paprika and bay leaf; saute 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add water, stock, juice from lemon, salt and pepper to pan. Drain peas and add peas and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer at least 1 hour, stirring often. Discard bay leaf. Place half of soup in blender or food processor; process until smooth. Return to pot and stir.

Ladle into bowls and enjoy with crispy bread or cheese and crackers!

I lied earlier when I said the Tom Yum soup was the first I perfected. I forgot that this is actually the first soup I ever made and I made it before ever having tried split pea soup before. That's how I roll. When I made this last night, I added Alder-Smoked salt that I got at the market (the Greenwood Market). It is very strong smelling and adds a great smokey flavor to this soup in place of using ham hocks. This soup freezes really well so I make a lot and enjoy it for months (if it lasts that long).

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcake Recipe

1 1/2 cups (360 mL) brown sugar
1/4 cup (60 mL) melted butter
3/4 cup (180 mL) vegetable oil (hs note: I used unrefined, scented, all-natural coconut oil)
3 eggs
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
1/2 cup (120 mL) buttermilk
2 cups (480 mL) grated zucchini
1 cup (240 mL) chocolate chip
2 cups (480 mL) unbleached flour
1 cup (240 mL) cocoa, sifted
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) salt
2 tsp (10 mL) baking soda
1 tsp (5 mL) allspice
1 1/2 tsp (7.5 mL) cinnamon

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease large muffin pans and line with muffin cups.

In a medium bowl mix together the sugar, butter and oil. Beat in eggs, one at a time until well Incorporated. Stir in vanilla, buttermilk, zucchini and chocolate chips.

In a separate bowl mix together all of the dry ingredients. Add the liquid ingredients and mix until well combined. Spoon batter into large muffin pans. Bake in the center of the oven for about 20-25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack, while preparing the icing (hs note: I made these without the icing, also - don't overcook them or you will lose all the moist goodness - you want them to look almost done in the oven - they will continue to cook for a few minutes after you pull them from the oven from the residual heat).

Yields 9 large cupcakes or 20 standard cupcakes.

from Rebar: Modern Food Cookbook by Audrey Alsterburg & Wanda Urbanowicz (Big Ideas Publishing, 2001)


These turned out DELICIOUS! So moist and rich. I made 18 normal size and 24 mini size and I think the mini size is perfect. It's so rich and just a little bite of heaven! I didn't cook them as long as the original recipe called. They were done way before so check on them. A great way to get rid of that HUGE zucchini that got away from me in my garden.