Kitchen Conundrum

Ari’s Smokin’ Chili Reicpe

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The Northeast has been just slammed with one snow storm after the other and we have all been basically trapped in our houses for days on end. During this forced hibernation, we’ve sought warmth and comfort, whether it be a cup of tea and a warm duvet, or hanging out in fuzzy slippers and pjs while playing the Wii with the kids. It’s just those kinds of days.

We’ve also been cooking things that are comforting and warming. There has been Irish Oatmeal and Popovers for breakfast, homemade Macaroni and Cheese for lunch and soups and stews of various varieties for dinner. Anything to just keep us warm on the inside and fuel us while we shovel out a path to the rest of the world.

Last weekend, during yet another snowstorm and a day inside, we were glued to the TV in hopes that our home football team, from NY*, would win and take us on to the big game (otherwise known as the Super “Bleep”**). That didn’t quite happen, but we really enjoyed the chili and cornbread we ate while rooting them on.

*Rhymes with lets, pets, and bets. **Apparently only officially licensed sponsors can use the real name. And did you know, that you can’t actually say the Team Name? It’s true. You can only refer to their cities of origin but not by their official NFL monikers. I’m not even sure if you can say NFL. Opps. Said it twice! (And yes, I know, I probably can say their names because I am not actually advertising or selling anything. I just didn’t want to.)

 

Ingredients

2 tbs vegetable oil

2 lbs ground beef

Salt and pepper to taste

1 large onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 Jalapeno diced, (remove ribs and seeds for less heat)

1 can diced tomatoes (14 oz.)

2 chipotle peppers, canned variety with a some paste, diced

1 can red kidney beans, drained

1 cup water

1 can tomato paste (6 oz.)

1 tbs cayenne pepper

½ tsp Spanish paprika (Pimentón de la Vera- Dulce, a sweet, smoky paprika)

1 tbs red pepper flakes

1 tbs ground cumin

1½ tsp oregano

1½ tsp thyme

½ tsp ground coriander

Method

In a large Dutch oven or other large pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Season the ground beef with salt and pepper and add to the pot. Cook the meat, turning frequently with a wooden spoon or spatula until browned through. Once cooked, remove the meat with a slotted spoon from pot and set aside in a bowl, leaving the liquids in the pot.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion, green bell pepper, garlic, Jalapeno and sauté until tender. Add the canned tomatoes, the chipotles and the beans. Cook for 5 minutes more.

Return the meat to the pot and add the water and tomato paste. Combine well and reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.

At this time, remove the cover and add the cayenne, paprika, red pepper, cumin, oregano, thyme and coriander and mix well. Let cook, continuing to simmer, uncovered for an additional half hour.

Add additional salt and pepper to taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking. You may also add additional cayenne pepper if you prefer a hotter spice.

Spoon into large bowls and serve with corn bread or tortilla chips. You can also add toppings such as grated cheese, sour cream, chopped onion or chopped jalapenos.

 

However you like it, enjoy and may it keep you warm!

Meatloaf Recipe, Revisited and Refined

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Nothing says comfort food like meatloaf and potatoes. Except, that there is really nothing comforting about a flavorless slab of dry ground beef sitting on a plate. There just isn’t enough gravy to make that palatable. So, meatloaf was never a favorite in our houses growing up (no offense to our moms, who are truly great cooks otherwise, just for some reason not the meatloaf) and the memories of those meals haunted us until several years ago when a good friend sent me an amazing, flavorful recipe called Market Street Meatloaf.

While the original recipe is incredible, it is long, with a lot of steps and includes several ingredients that aren’t typically considered a staple in my house.  It is also very time consuming.  So, I’ve been tweaking the recipe for years now and it never fails to please, no matter how I change it up. Even my pickiest of eaters cleans her plate every time.

One of the things I love about this recipe is how versatile it is. I don’t always have celery. It’s true. And it’s absence is hardly noticed. If I’m feeling daring, I will dice up a jalapeno and throw it in to give it an extra kick. I’ve even been known to grab some frozen spinach or dice some fresh squash and zucchini and toss it into the mix. It’s virtually no fail.

We usually make a double recipe so we can freeze one loaf to have for a future week when it’s just too busy to cook.

This is my base recipe and I try to stick to it, but like I said, sometimes, I don’t have celery, or maybe I don’t have a green pepper. I just keep going. You can add a little more red pepper, or any other color pepper. You can even use celery salt, if you happen to have it in your cupboard. If not, don’t fret. It’ll still be tasty.

Meatloaf Recipe, Revisited and Refined

 

Ingredients Pt. 1

3/4 cup onion, minced
1/2 cup celery, minced
1/2 cup carrot, diced fine
1/4 cup green bell pepper, diced fine
1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced fine
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine or EVOO
Note: Here’s where you can add any additional vegetables you want as well as the jalapeno.

Ingredients Pt. 2

1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup half-and-half (I use non dairy creamer)
½ cup ketchup + some to pour on top
2 eggs, beaten (You can also use Egg Beaters)
2 lbs lean ground beef
1/2 -3/4 cup dry plain breadcrumbs

Method

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees F.

Add the butter/margarine/EVOO into a large pan. Add all of the Ingredients from Pt 1. Sauté until cooked through and tender. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl add the Pt 2. Ingredients with only ½ cup of the breadcrumbs. Mix together well.

Add the sautéed vegetables.

You may now need to add more breadcrumbs to get it to the texture where it will bind together and not be too mushy.

Shape the meat and place in a loaf pan (or two). Create a well down the middle of the loaf and squeeze a generous line of ketchup down the line.

Bake uncovered for 1 ½ -2 hrs at 375 degrees F. It should be brown on top but not burned. There may be a lot of liquid (extra fat) in the pan after it’s cooked. Remove the meatloaf from pan to a plate with a slotted spatula, drain the liquid and put the meatloaf back in the pan for easy serving and cleanup.

The original Market Street Meatloaf recipe comes from California’s 72 Market Street Restaurant which closed in 2000 but it can be found in the Silver Palate New Basics Cookbook.  My recipe is an adaptation of the original Market Street Meatloaf Recipe.

Enjoy!

 

Beef Wellington’s With No Yelling Involved

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We have been wanting to make Beef Wellingtons for a while. Being rather big fans of Hell’s Kitchen and seeing them served nearly every week (for the past few seasons, they have been making lamb wellingtons, not beef) and laughing at Chef Ramsey’s disdain with his troops while he screams at them “The Wellington! Where’s the, curse word, curse word, Wellington!” Only to find out they are “RAW!!! RAWWW!!!”  It totally cracks us up. And makes us want to try and make them ourselves! They really can’t be that difficult, can they?

Our version is really simple. It doesn’t include ham or mustard like Chef Ramey’s Wellington but it is very flavorful and delicious. And really, very easy to make for even a weeknight dinner.

 

Ingredients

1 lb beef tenderloin cut into two 8oz. steaks

4 tbs vegetable oil

1 medium shallot, chopped very fine

1 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped very fine

2 sprigs of thyme leaves, chopped fine

2 ounces liver pate

2 tbs butter, softened

salt and pepper to taste

1 (17.5 ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed

2 egg yolks, beaten

1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth

¼ cup red wine

1 tbs flour

1  tbs butter

Method

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Heat 2 tbs of vegetable oil in a large sauté pan over high heat.  Season the beef with salt and pepper and sear until browned on all sides. Remove from pan to a plate and allow to cool completely. Reserve pan juices.

In a large sauté pan over medium heat add the remaining 2 tbs vegetable oil. When hot, add the onion and mushrooms stirring for 5-7 minutes until soft and all the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat, add the thyme leaves, salt and pepper and let cool.

Mix together pate and 2 tablespoons softened butter.  Set aside.

Roll out the puff pastry dough into a square large enough to fold around the meat into little packages.

Spread a thin layer of the mushroom mixture in the middle of the dough as a landing spot for your beef.

Place a piece of beef in the center on top of the mushrooms. Spread a layer of pate (about 1 ounce) over the beef and cover with additional mushrooms.

Brush the edges of the dough with the egg yolk.

Fold the dough around the beef like a package and seal all the edges, making sure the seams are not too thick.

Place the beef on a baking tray, seam side down and cut a few slits in the top of the dough for venting. Brush the entire package with the egg yolk.

Bake at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 425 degrees F and cook for another  10 to 15 more minutes, or until pastry is a rich, golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to rest on a plate before slicing.

Place all reserved juices in a small saucepan over high heat. Stir in beef stock and red wine; boil for 10 to 15 minutes, or until slightly reduced. Wisk in the flour and softened butter to thicken the sauce and continue cooking until desired consistency.

Spoon some sauce onto the bottom of the plate. Slice the wellingtons in half. Place each half on the plate surrounding the sauce and serve with a vibrant vegetable such as roasted asparagus.  The moment of truth!

PERFECTION!  Crispy on the outside and pink and juicy in the inside, just how we like it! Ok, the sauce could have been plated differently, since it seems that the Wellington’s juice and the sauce combined, but it tasted amazing!  The meat was soft and buttery while the pate and mushrooms were rich and earthy. And it was all enrobed in a crispy, crunchy crust!

 

This dish, when paired with a nice bottle of Pinot Noir makes a great Fall dinner.  It’s rich and hearty and just feels luxurious. The earthiness of the Pinot Noir with it’s own mushroom and truffle notes, works beautifully in tandem to create even higher levels of complexity with the liver pate and the mushroom coated beef.  This meal will make your stomach happy!

Enjoy!