Three Bean Chili

Every time I make chili it's always a little bit different. This time, I added corn. I also added black beans instead of my usual favorite, chickpeas. The reason it's my staple is because it's so flexible ... and I like flexible. And easy. Chop veggies, add to pot, open cans, add to pot. Simmer long time.

Three Bean Chili

2 cans (28 oz. each) diced tomatoes
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
1 can (19 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed
1 can (19 oz.) black beans, rinsed
1 can (14 oz.) baked beans, maple style
1 can (12 oz.) peaches and cream corn, kernels, rinsed
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 sweet red pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
5 large mushrooms, chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
Crushed red chili flakes, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste

Chop vegetables and add to slow cooker pot along with canned contents. Add spices, and cook on high for 2-3 hrs until vegetables are cooked through. Lower temperature to low and adjust spices to taste.

Edamame Vegetable Soup

I'm not a humongous tofu fan. However, it's the first ingredient I devour in this soup. I -love- it. This soup is super protein packed (18g per serving) and very soy-rich since edamame are (essentially) soybeans.



Edamame Vegetable Soup

By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
3 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried thyme
1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper
4 cups (1 L) vegetable stock
1 red-skinned potato (unpeeled), cubed
Half pkg (454 g pkg) medium-firm tofu
1-1/2 cups (375 mL) frozen shelled soybeans (edamame)
Dash hot pepper sauce
1 tbsp (15 mL) minced fresh chives or green onion


Preparation:
In large saucepan, heat vegetable oil over medium heat; fry sliced carrots and celery, onion, garlic, thyme and pepper, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.

Add vegetable stock and potato; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until carrots and potato are tender, about 15 minutes.

Cut tofu into 1/2-inch (1 cm) cubes. Add to soup along with soybeans and hot pepper sauce; heat through.

Serve sprinkled with chives.

Triple Berry Crisp

Berries were on sale, and I've been itching for some comfort food for the last few weeks. So along with making some more scones tonight (for some people at work), I decided to throw together a berry crisp. I had some leftover pecans that I toasted for the chocolate scones, so I decided to throw them into the crumble (traditionally, I usually throw in slivered or ground almonds).

Triple Berry Crisp

Berry Mix:
1 pint raspberries, washed
1 pint blackberries, washed
1 cup fresh cranberries, washed
1 tbsp white sugar

Topping:
¼ cup oats
¼ cup flour
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup pecans, toasted and crumbled
¼ cup butter
½ tsp cinnamon

Combine washed berries with sugar, tossing to coat all evenly. Pour into baking dish.

In a bowl, combine oats, flour, brown sugar, pecans, and cinnamon. Add butter, mixing with your fingers to break it down into pea-sized bits until the entire mixture crumbly. Sprinkle oatmeal mixture over top of berry mixture in dish.

Bake in the center of the oven at 375F until crumble is turning a deep brown color, about 45 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Five Onion French Onion Soup, and Smoked Gouda with Scallion Scones

I think this is probably the best batch of french onion soup I've ever made. Ever. It was sweet, and you could taste the difference to sherry and wine makes. Yum! The only thing to note is that it's very thick due to onion to broth ratio. To make it less thick, add double the amount of wine and stock.

Five Onion French Onion Soup

3 tbs butter
1 sweet Vidalia onion, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1 white onion, chopped
3 shallots, chopped
2 leeks, washed and chopped (only white/yellow portion)
2-3 tbs cooking sherry
¾ cup white wine
4 cups vegetable stock
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Paposeco roll, sliced and toasted (any tough/hearty bread will do)
Smoked gouda, shredded or sliced thinly

Add butter to large pot, swirl until melted. Add onions and leeks, stir and cover pot, cooking over medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are lightly carmelized. Add sherry to deglaze bottom of the pot. Add the wine and vegetable broth, stirring until mixed. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to allow soup to simmer for 20 minutes uncovered.

Pour soup into an oven-proof bowl, then top with toasted bread and cheese. Broil in oven until cheese is just melted.

Makes 4 appetizer portions or 2 larger meal portions.

Smoked Gouda and Scallion Scones

Scone:
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ tbsp sugar
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ cup butter, cold
½ cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 scallion, chopped
½ cup smoked gouda, shredded

Topping:
1 egg
¼ cup smoked gouda, shredded

In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Using a pastry cutter, cut in butter until thoroughly mixed.

In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and the egg; add to flour mixture. Sprinkle in cheese and onions and stir with a fork.

Press dough into a ball and move to a floured surface. Knead the dough gently about 10 times, then pat into a rectangle. Cut into 3 squares, then half each square diagonally. Place onto a cookie pan covered with parchment paper.

Beat other egg for topping and brush the tops of each scone with it. Sprinkle with additional cheese and bake in the center of the oven at 400F until golden around edges and on top (about 20 minutes). Allow to cool on a rack.

Makes 6 scones.

Below is a picture of the soup alone -- fuzzy but gives the general idea of how much onion was involved.