Stir the Pot

One thing that always brings people together is cooking.  People like to help, and when they ask, sometimes one of the easiest things to do is hand them a spoon.  Contrary to cautionary tales, "stirring the pot" is very rewarding! 

Yesterday I made chili - and I wanted to experiment with using ground turkey instead of ground beef, pork instead of steak, and some farmers-market-purchased Italian sausage.  One thing I do fairly well is chili, and experimenting is always so much fun.  There are certain essentials to good chili flavor, and other than that, my only rule is "no beans".  I use fresh herbs instead of dried whenever possible, and since I've picked up a few herb plants from the Royal Oak Farmers Market recently, I had fresh thyme, oregano and rosemary on hand.  That is a wonderful thing, in the dead of winter!

So what are the essentials?  At the top of my list are cumin and chili powder.  Beyond that, I always include onions, fresh garlic, sea salt, pepper, Morton's Natures Seasons (I'm a huge fan of this seasoned salt) and crushed or diced tomatoes.  I like spicy chili, so I generally add chopped jalapenos or pepperoncini (and if jarred, some of the liquid from the jar), and I love chunky chili, so I have chopped celery and  green pepper in addition to the chunks of steak.  Here's where the fun comes in - going through the refrigerator and my spice cabinets to add everything else!  In no particular order, I add some of these to get an explosion of tastes: basil, parsley, thyme, oregano, marjoram, sea salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper, barbecue sauce, ketchup, mustard, V-8 juice or Bloody Mary mix, beef bouillon, onion soup mix or onion powder (even though I already have chopped onions in the recipe), garlic powder, apple cider or red wine vinegar, chocolate syrup (or if I use baking chocolate, then I also add some brown sugar), Frank's hot sauce or Tabasco (especially if I'm short on hot peppers) and tomato paste.  Chances are there are even more ingredients I've added in the past that just aren't coming to mind now.

The formula is always the same - saute the onions and garlic in olive oil in a large stockpot, then add the ground meat and chunks of meat to brown.  Drain the fat, and start adding the tomatoes and other liquid ingredients, then add any other vegetables, then the seasonings and spices.  Allow to simmer for at least an hour before adjusting any seasonings, stirring occasionally to keep meat from sticking to the bottom.  After two hours I usually add 1/2 can of beer (and then let someone drink the other half), and let the chili simmer at least another 1/2 hour.

This is a work in progress - I will add two chili recipes shortly!

Chives

Nothing is more fun than cooking in a kitchen with friends.  This past weekend found me in the great province of Ontario, in Camlachie on Lake Huron, visiting our friends Cary & Ned, making an asparagus side dish with heavenly lemon caper sauce, and yummy appetizers with prunes (yes, really), blue cheese and prosciutto.  They were both delicious, however I'm going to focus on the asparagus side dish because a whole new world opened up to me when I discovered the beauty of fresh chives. And I mean beauty.  The recipe called for 1 tsp. of chopped fresh chives - so Cary told me to open the back door and snip off a few stems.  I know, I'm such a neophyte.  But there they were - the prettiest plants with purple flowers - and simple to grow, I'm told.  The recipe calls for freshly picked CANADIAN asparagus, but giving the Canadians credit, I think we can safely substitute freshly picked American asparagus.  By the way, since I've returned to American soil, I have sought, with no luck, chive plants to grow in my garden.  Everyone is out of chives!  I think we all discovered at the same time that the plant has pretty purple flowers (which are also edible, I'm told).  Here is the recipe - pay strict attention to the grilling time.  Thin spears will need no more than 5 minutes, thicker spears might need a minute or two longer.

Grilled Asparagus Spears with Lemon Caper Mayonnaise

1 clove garlic,
1/3 cup  olive oil
Pinch each salt & pepper
1 to 1 1/2 lbs. asparagus

Crush garlic; mix with oil, salt & pepper in small bowl.  Set aside.  Wash and trim asparagus spears; pat dry.  Brush with garlic oil.  Grill, turning often, until just tender and lightly browned, about 5 minutes  Transfer to serving platter.  Serve with Lemon Caper Mayonnaise for dipping or drizzled over top.

Lemon Caper Mayonnaise

1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1 1/2 tbsp. minced capers
2 tsp. to 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. each grated lemon zest, minced fresh parsley, and finely minced fresh chives
Salt & pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients, can be made ahead.  Not only delicious with Grilled Asparagus, but also with grilled chicken or fish!

Parsley - Not Just a Pretty Thing!

Curly leaf parsley, with it's bright green color, is often used as a garnish.  There is also flat leaf, or Italian, parsley and a lesser known (in the U.S.) root parsley.  Many recipes containing garlic also call for parsley because it is commonly thought to offset the odor of garlic after eaten. Whether that's true or not, who knows?  Try a test on your friends - they'll tell you!  Parsley's fresh taste is mild, and goes well with potato and rice recipes, and in soups, stews and meat dishes.

Parsley is difficult to start from seed if you wish to grow it because germination takes from 3-6 weeks, then it needs at least 5 hours of sunlight per day.  I'm trying it for the first time this year, and while my chives, thyme and basil have already sprouted, I haven't seen anything from the parsley yet.  However, whether you start it from seed, or buy plants from a nursery, parsley is a wonderful addition to your garden.  It is attractive, can be planted with flowers, and is especially nice planted near tomato plants because the parsley nectar attracts wasps which kill damaging tomato hornworms. 

Parsley is the main ingredient in a popular Lebanese dish called Tabbouleh (Tabouli), often found prepared in the deli section of grocery stores near another popular dish, hummus.  Here is the link to a good tabouli recipe:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/AUTHENTIC-LEBANESE-TABOULI-1219893

Below, I am posting a recipe for Stuffed Acorn Squash which is good any time of the year, but particularly in the fall and winter.  I would give credit to the originator if I knew who it was, but I don't.  It's delicious!

Wild Rice Acorn Squash

1 acorn squash, cut in half, seeds removed by scooping out
1 tbsp. olive oil
4 oz. mushrooms
2 cloves garlic
3/4 tsp. ground dill seed
4-5 green onions
3 cups cooked wild rice
1/2 cup toasted walnuts or almonds, chopped coarsely
2 tbsp. fresh parsley
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
1 egg, beaten lightly

Place acorn squash on lightly greased baking dish, cut side down.  Bake at 350 degrees F. until tender, about 25 minutes.  Meanwhile, chop mushrooms, onion and parsley.  Mince garlic.  Heat oil in skillet, add mushrooms, garlic and dill seed.  Stir in green onions, rice, parsley, and 1/3 cup of the nuts.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in beaten egg.  Spoon stuffing into baked squash, divided evenly.  Arrange squash in baking pan and sprinkle with remainder of nuts.  Bake at 350 degrees F. until squash is steaming and nuts are lightly toasted.  Arrange on platter and serve.  Makes 2 servings as entree, or 4 servings as side dish (cut each half in half).