Chili

Ingredients

 

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 lbs kielbasa, quartered lengthwise, then cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 onions, chopped (about two cups or so)
1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
4 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained
1 (14 ounce) can low sodium chicken broth
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 small bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin

 

Directions

 

Heat olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add kielbasa; sauté until beginning to brown, about 12 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer kielbasa to bowl. If necessary, add enough oil to pot to measure 2 tablespoons (or discard all but 2 tablespoons drippings).

Add onions, both bell peppers, and garlic. Sauté until beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.

Add beans, broth, tomatoes with juice, chili powder, sugar, vinegar, bay leaves, oregano, and cumin.

Bring chili to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Return kielbasa to pot.

Reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, until chili is thick, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly; cover and chill. Rewarm before serving.).

Ladle chili into bowls. Top with sour cream and green onions if desired.

Orange Brocolli Beef with rice

This recipe took longer than I thought it would to make, it ended up taking me about an hour and a half to do all the prep, cook & serve. I used 2 small hot red peppers which gave it some kick. To save some prep time I used pre-minced ginger available from the produce section at the grocery store. I also used clementines instead of oranges. I particularly liked how the beef turned out, it was simple to coat the beef with the cornstarch & it fried up nicely.

Things I would do differently next time: I would add bell peppers to the veggie stir fry. The broccoli got too soggy the way that the recipe said to cook it, next time I would briefly steam the broccoli, set it aside & then mix it in at the very end so that it still retains some crispness. I would also make this dish when citrus fruit is more in season, the clementines were not as sweet as usual & I suspect this is because they are not in season.

Overall this recipe was very tasty. The fusion of citrus and spice worked well in this dish and added a lot of flavor. The fried orange peel provided interesting texture to the meal too. I thoroughly enjoyed this dish and would make it again.

Orange Beef

This recipe was tasty! I was nervous about it being too spicy but took the chance and put as much in as they told me. I was disappointed to find that it didn't have any heat at all. would go so far as to call it mild. So if you want the heat, I might double the red pepper.

I bought pre-cut broccoli to save myself at least one step, but the chopping of the fresh garlic and ginger ate up a lot of time. I think I am going to buy the stuff that is pre-chopped to save myself 20 minutes! 

I used a wok, and I really should have used the pan they suggested because it all blobbed together and I ended up over cooking the meat.

The oranges were juicy, but we ended up supplementing with juice from the carton. If only I had bought the extra orange! (Also, I peeled the orange after getting the rind- which was a mistake and we had to squish the orange to the the juice...)

I think I will make this again, it was fairly easy and good.

Spicy Tangerine Beef

This looks really good. I think a side of rice will complete the meal.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 25 min

4 Tangerines or 3 medium navel oranges
1 Large bunch broccoli (1.5 pounds)
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 boneless beef top sirloin steak (12 oz) thinly sliced crosswise
2 tbsp plus 1/2 tsp cornstarch
2 tbsp water
3 green onions, cut on diagonal into 2" pieces
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp minced, peeled fresh ginger
3 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

Cut peel  and white pith from 1 tangerine. Holding tangerine over small bowl to catch juice, cut on either side of the membranes to release each section, allowing fruit and juice to drop into bowl; set aside. With vegetable peeler, remove 8 strips (3"x 3/4" each) peel from remaining tangerines. With knife, remove any remaining pith from peel. Squeeze 3/4 cup juice; set aside.

Cut broccoli into small flowerets. With vegetable peeler, peel broccoli stems, cut into 1/4" slices.

In 12 " skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over high heat until very hot. Add strips of peel and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer peel to large bowl.

On waxed paper, toss beef slices with 2 tablespoons cornstarch, coating evenly. Add half of beef to skillet to cook, stirring frequently (stir-frying), until crisp and lightly browned on both sides, about 5 minutes, using slotted spoon to transfer beef as it is browned to bowl with peel. Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and remaining beef.

Add broccoli and water  to skillet. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook 2 minutes. Increase heat to high. Remove cover and add green onions and red pepper; cook, stir-frying, 2 minutes. Add garlic and ginger; stir-fry 1 minute.

Meanwhile, in cup, combine tangerine juice, soy sauce, crushed red pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch. Stir until blended. Stir cornstarch mixture into skillet. Stir-fry until sauce has thickened and boils.

Return beef to skillet. Add citrus sections and juice in bowl; toss to combine. Makes 4 main-dish servings.

Another meat version of the roasted vegetables

My husband is also a meat lover so I decided to add some beef stripes to the veggies. I also use non skinned cherry tomatoes. It was already a lot of cutting so not to have to peel the tomatoes was a big plus.


Instead of adding the cilantro & parsley to the couscous I added it directly to the vegetables. It would have been too green for my hubby and so it mixed with all the other colors.

I loved all the spices. My kitchen smelled so good. Especially I really enjoyed the saffron. To bad that this spice is so expensive, I really like the taste.

Roasted Vegetables with Couscous & a twist

This recipe required an impressive pile of veggies. I decided to mix it up a bit and substituted one of the zucchinis for a yellow squash and added a red bell pepper to the veggie mix. I also decided to leave the skins on the cherry tomatoes -- I like that subtle smoky flavor of a roasted tomato. I couldn't get cardamom or saffron, so the saffron got left out & I substituted 1/2tsp clove + 1/2tsp nutmeg for the cardamom.

All in all this recipe took about an hour, I chopped the root vegetables first & got them sauteeing while I finished chopping up everything else that came later in the recipe. I didn't have a roasting pan, so I did the sauteeing in a large pan on the stove & then tranferred to a baking dish to go in the oven.

I thought it was strange that the recipe said to sautee the cilantro & parsley in butter -- I did as the recipe said but in hindsight I think it would have been better to just mix it in fresh with the couscous. I also added some lemon juice to the couscous to give it some extra flavor.

It was beautiful going into the oven. I went ahead and added 1/2C water before going in the oven so that it wouldn't get too dry.

It worked well to make the couscous & chop the cilantro and parsley while it was baking.

As my husband is an avid meat-eater I made some spicy Italian sausage to go with the dish too.

All in all it turned out well & was quite tasty. I was a little disappointed in the blandness of the couscous but having such flavorful veggies helped balance the meal.

Roasted Vegetables with Couscous: Review

Wow, this was worth the work.

It took about 40 minutes to get everything chopped by myself. For the first step it says to use the roasting pan to brown the vegetables, but I think it would be easier to use a large saute pan and then transfer to the roasting pan.

Also, instead of a hot red pepper I used a jalapeño (without the seeds) and that seemed to work well- although not hot at all.

I enjoyed the flavors of this dish, the aromas filled the house. The cinnamon and cardamom flavors were surprisingly present.

Realized as I was writing this that I forgot the balsamic vinegar. Oops. It was really good without it, but will try to remember it next time. 

Roasted Vegetables with Couscous

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

4 tbsp Olive Oil
2 Onion, cut into wedges
3 Carrots, Cut into chunks
2 Parsnips, cut into chunks
2 Shallots, peeled
3 Garlic Cloves, chopped
1 Red Chile (hot), seeded and finely sliced
1 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Coriander Seeds, crushed
4 pods Cardamom, crushed
1 pound Plum Tomatoes, peeled
2 Zucchini, thickly sliced
Saffron, large pinch
To Taste Sea Salt
To Taste Freshly Ground Pepper
14 oz Couscous
Bunch Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped
Bunch Cilantro, chopped
Dash Balsamic Vinegar

Notes / Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed roasting pan directly over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, parsnips, and shallots and cook for about 10 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, chile, paprika, cinnamon, coriander, cumin and cardamom and stir well, coating the vegetables with all the spices. Cook for a further 4 minutes, then remove from heat and stir in the tomatoes, zucchini, saffron, salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven to roast for 40 minutes. Check after 30 minutes, adding a little water if needed.

Place the couscous in a large bowl and cover with boiling water to a level of 1 inch above the grains. Mix well and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan, add the chopped parsley and cilantro, and cook for 1 minute. Pour over the couscous, mix well and season it.

Take the vegetables out of the oven, drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and serve them on top of the couscous.

Invitation

I want to find inspiration to cook. I propose that once a week there is a recipe that we all make and then everybody can post a short review with images of what you made - showing everyone how tasty it was! Feel free to change the recipe to suit your needs. Additions, substitutions or any alterations should be mentioned so that if we want to make it again there are thoughts on what that looks and tastes like.

I want this to be fun and without pressure.

I will start by posting a recipe a week. If any of you out there have a recipe you want to share, email me and I will work it into the rotation. I look forward to seeing the creations and variations on the same recipe.

Happy Cooking!