Cold Outside, Chili Inside

On a day where snow is falling and piling up outside, there is little I find as comforting as good bowl of chili.  I had never really ate chili before, but tried it when I first went skiing about 4 years ago.  After a very long day of a lot of falling down, all I wanted to do was sit in the lodge and have a beer.  It seemed as if everyone was eating chili out of a bread bowl and it looked so good, so I ordered it.  It was delicious, and as I swore I would never ski again, I also decided I need to start eating more chili.  The following year my friends were planning another ski trip, so I went and opted to try snowboarding.  I fared better on a board than on skis, but it was still a long day of falling down and again, I found comfort in the ski lodge's chili (and beer).  Since then, I've actually gotten pretty good at snowboarding, now very little falling down, but I still look forward to that warm, comforting bowl of chili when I'm done. 

This year, since it seemed to get so cold so early into winter, I tried and succeeded in making my own turkey chili.  It was perfect for when we were snowed in after Christmas and lasted a few days.  I had looked up a bunch of recipes and decided to start with one that was posted on the Food Network website and then add in a few things that I saw in other recipes.  At the time when I made my first batch, I did not own a crock-pot, so I had to make it in a regular pot on the stove.  Since then, I now have a crock-pot and have made the same recipe in it, and it comes out just as good.  The crock-pot is a bit easier because I didn't stir it or constantly walk over there to make sure it didn't get too hot or boil.  And also in the crock-pot, once it was done, I was able to keep it on the warm setting for quite some time, which was nice.  I'd like to also add that while this recipe calls for ground turkey, I one time substituted it with ground chicken and it came out just as good, so if your grocery store, like mine, is lacking in meat department, feel free to switch it up. 

Everytime I have made this chili it comes out delicious and is also very cheap to make.  Once you have the all spices/seasonings, your biggest expense is buying the meat.  What I like to do is see when ground turkey or chicken is on sale and buy a few packages of it.  I then keep them in my freezer so I have them on hand and feel great knowing I saved money on them.  If you have the meat, spices/seasonings, you can make a whole batch of chili for about $5 (depending on your grocery store).  Again, especially with canned goods like tomatoes and kidney beans, if you buy them on sale and have them in your pantry, it's a great way to save money and make quick, cheap meals.  Here's the recipe I ended up using (adopted from the Food Network recipe):

Ingredients
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 c. Yellow Onion - chopped
1 Tbsp. Garlic - minced
1/4 c. Green bell pepper - chopped
1 lb. Ground turkey
1 (28 oz.) Can of crushed tomatoes, undrained
1 (16 oz.) Can of red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1 Tbsp. Chili powder
1 Tbsp. Sugar
2 c. Low-sodium chicken stock
1/2 tsp. Garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. Sea salt
1 tsp. Dried basil*
1/2 tsp. Cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. Paprika
1 tsp. Hot sauce (optional)

Directions
1. In a large skillet (or I use the large pot I plan to cook the chili in), saute the onions, minced garlic and bell peppers in the olive oil on medium heat, until the onions are translucent.
2. Add the ground turkey and cook until browned.
3. If using a crock-pot, transfer the contents of the skillet to the crock-pot and add all remaining ingredients.  Set the crock-pot on low and stir well to combine.  If you are not using a crock-pot, reduce heat to low add all remaining ingredients to the skillet/pot and stir well to combine.
4. Let simmer on low for 1 hour.
5. This is optional but you can top each bowl with some shredded cheddar cheese and/or sour cream if you like.  Enjoy!

Here's a picture of mine in the pot (once with flash, once without flash):

*Instead of using dried basil, I keep some frozen "fresh" basil leaves that my mom grows in her garden.  She, very kindly, picks them for me and puts them in a ziploc bag that I keep in my freezer.  It's great to have on hand!

Eat Your Greens!

My new favorite lunch salad

Two of my 2011 new year's resolutions were: (1) be able to run the Warrior race wearing shorts & a sports bra (so really: eating healthy and working out) and (2) save more money/become better at managing my money.  One way I hope to accomplish both of those goals is by bringing a healthy lunch to work everyday.  I'm actually one of the few people I know my age that brings my lunch to work.  Working in Times Square, buying lunch can cost anywhere from $5 (Subway footlong) to $15, and it's crazy to think of what you can spend if you buy it everyday.  So usually, I brown bag it - either leftovers from dinner, a salad, a sandwich, and sometimes, when I overspend on the weekends, a good ol' pb&j.  And usually, I'm satisfied with that.  But sometimes I get bored with that and just feel like having something different, which is how I felt last Monday - the very first day I was putting my resolution into effect.  Also, I hadn't gone food shopping, I was too busy celebrating 2011!  So I had to go buy my lunch.

I went to Pret A Manger near my office and got my favorite wrap, the spicy shrimp and cilantro wrap.  It's delicious and is only 290 calories!  I kept thinking that the wrap is so good and does not have a lot of calories, so it's worth buying.  But it's about $8, which is more than what I would like to spend daily on my lunch.  So I decided, I will take this wrap and make a salad inspired from it.  Then I can have it for lunch or even with my dinner if I desire.  So that's what I did.  And I've eaten about 3 times for lunch so far (not bad for 6 days!). 

Making the shrimp for this salad is what took me the longest time to do.  I, in a rush, bought the frozen shrimp that was on sale, with out really realizing that it was still shelled and raw.  Usually, I prefer the one where they're all ready to go and just have to be defrosted (which is what I would recommend).  So I removed the shells from my shrimp, and then seasoned them with some salt and pepper and tossed them into a frying pan.  I simply used a non-stick frying pan, so I didn't add any oil/butter/spray to it.  I let them cook on the stove on a med-low to heat until they looked done (all pink, shaped like a "C"), not too long.  I then let them cool.  In the mean time, I gathered my other items: baby spinach, cilantro, a red pepper and a cucumber.  The baby spinach I simply opened and took out the amount I needed (I trust that it was washed, but give it a rinse if it looks suspect).  I then rinsed and chopped my cilantro.  I didn't chop it too well, because I wanted some bigger pieces in my salad, but you can use your discretion.  Then I cut the cucumber and red pepper into bite size pieces.  What I like to do, to save time during the week, is cut up everything and put them in separate tupperware.  Then when you're making your salad, you simply have to just reach into different containers and throw them in your bowl - super easy!  For dressing, I was able to find sweet chili sauce in the Asian section of my supermarket.  I found that even though it's not a dressing, you can use a tablespoon or less (depending on the size of your salad) and it will lightly coat everything.  I pack my dressing separately from my salad, so I just brought a lot the first time and I brought my salad to work and leave it in the refrigerator here.  It makes it much easier and then I can put some on right before I eat. 

This salad is my new favorite lunch to eat.  It's delicious, refreshing and healthy - perfect for keeping up with resolutions! 

Santa Delivers

I'm lucky/spoiled enough to still receive great Christmas presents from my parents. I'm not quite sure how my mom and dad do it, but they always manage to not only get me things I love, but they do the same for my 4 siblings, and even our boyfriends and girlfriend! Anyway, this year they did it again and I'd like to share (brag about) some of my food related gifts because they're awesome.

One gift I knew was coming (I just happen to send my mother the Amazon link) was a Lodge 13" cast iron skillet. She even got me the brush to clean it and a pot holder for it - she thinks of everything. I can't wait to make some Steak au Poirve in it - and you can bet I'll post pictures after. My parents also knew enough to get me this great Crock-pot, which was perfect, especially since I was snowed in a day later! I was able to make a double batch of turkey chili (recipe to come soon) for Doug, myself and our friends who were also snowed in at our place. Also, the red color looks great in our kitchen, even though my new pot set has orange it. Oh, did I not mention my new pot set? Well, that was my gift from Doug and I love it! We had talked about getting this set almost 2 years ago and then decided we didn't need it, so it's something we can hold off on buying. I had no clue what to expect when it arrived in the mail, but I was pleasantly surprised! I've been cooking up a storm with it and the non-stick, hard anodized surface is fabulous. I would definitely recommend these pots, they clean so easy too!

As if all that stuff wasn't enough, my parents also got me some great new cookbooks and my brother got me a set of ramekins that I had been going crazy trying to find! And some new fun pans, like this one, also from my brother and this one, compliments of my cousin Danielle. My cousins Nicole & Rocky even got my Bakerella's book, Cake Pops and The Pasta Bible (I'm still reading it, there's a TON of info in there). My Aunt Connie got me this great cookie press, which I am anxiously awaiting an opporunity to use! I am so thankful for all of my wonderful gifts and for the people who gave them to me. Like I said, I'm lucky/spoiled :)

Here's one final gift that wasn't quite food related, but I love it and think it's so cute, the Pandora bracelet with a pocketbook & cupcake charm! I've been wearing it everyday since Christmas and I still think the bag & cupcake are the cutest!

The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry

"The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry: Love, Laughter, and Tears at the World's Most Famous Cooking School" is a great memoir written by Kathleen Finn. I read this book and then immediately chose it for my book club selection, so all my girlfriends would read it too. I chose this book even though I knew not all of the book club ladies are as passionate about food as I am - to 'get' this book, you don't have to be. On top of the excellent writing, this book is inspiritional, funny and has a great love story to boot.

Kathleen Finn was a journalist, who then fell into a job in as a software executive working in London. Despite being very good at what she did, her position was eliminated and she was let go by the company. Faced with the task of finding another job, she decided instead, she would pursue her passion. She cashed in her savings and moved to Paris to attend Le Cordon Bleu. Without speaking French (outside of basic terms) or having any culinary training, Ms. Finn made her dream come true. Deciding to enroll in the degree program, she embarked on her food journey, that would take her about three years to complete. During these years, you learn a bit about her childhood, for example, why living in Paris had been her dream, a lot about food & French cooking, and about her love life. Also examined in the book is the role of friends in your life, especially when sometimes you are "competing" against them. There is one scene in the book where they are cooking duck (if I recall correctly), one class member burns their duck badly and needs another one. However, there are none left, except one of their friends has an extra. Instead of giving her friend in need the extra duck, she quietly ignores her, since she wants to be the top student in the class. When I read this book, I, sadly, could relate to having friends that are competitive, even when there is no need to be. It's stories like those that make this book so relatable, although I am still stuck at my job that I happen to be good at and not living my dream.

Aside from the great story, part of the reason I enjoyed this book so much is (obviously) the food. I read this book shortly after taking Techiniques in Fine Cooking 1, at the Institute of Culinary Education. The course I took taught me all the basics of French Cooking, so reading this re-inforced all of those lessons, and since I had known them, it made me feel pretty good about my cooking techniques. On top of the great techinique tips thrown in there, Ms. Finn goes above and beyond and includes recipes as well. In fact, she's so great, she included a whole section for book clubs, which can also be found here. Her inclusion of this section made this blog very easy to write and hosting book club a joy. The hardest part was deciding which of her recipes to make! After much debating, I ended up making the Golden Onion and Roasted Tomato Quiche and the Provencal Spread*. My good friend Madeline brought us some apples, a baguette, and cheese so we mastered Ms. Finn's cheese tray. And all of my other friends were kind enough to bring along some delicious French wines, to play with the theme in the book. All in all, it was a great book and made for a deliciously great book club.

All my onions in my saute pan:

My finished quiche:

A slice of the quiche (not as pretty as I would have liked, but oh well):

*Both of her recipes linked are from her old website since I could not find them on her new website, which is here.