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.

Assorted Scones

I actually don't have the recipes for the scones with me since I'm at Dave's, and I can't remember where I got them from. For all the supervisors, as presents of thanks for their (patience and) help and appreciation through my transition, I made batches of scones and put them in decorative christmas tins. I had a lot of leftovers, so I left them for my girls coming in to do teardown on Friday (since I really appreciate them doing it without my help, lol).

Alltogether I made cranberry white chocolate scones, pumpkin spice scones, and walnut chocolate fudge scones. I'll post the recipes after the holidays when I'm back home. I never got a picture of my walnut chocolate ones though (bad memory). They looked pretty damn yummy though.

Cranberry White Chocolate Scones.

Pumpkin Spice Scones.

Holiday Baking Part 4 - Last Batches of Cookies

Assorted Last Batches

My camera was determined to not get a clear picture of these. On the left, what I like to call peanut butter nipples (but are actually called peanut butter blossoms), and the ginger molasses cookies I made a few months back (so I won't repost that recipe). I remember making the blossoms years ago and them being these big round balls with the kisses. This year, for whatever reason they kept flattening out before the kiss even went on. I thought it was the butter vs. shortening issue, but using either/or yielded the same results. Bah. If you have any idea why, please pity me and let me know.


Peanut Butter Blossoms

Ingredients:

48 chocolate Kisses
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.

2. Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

About 4 dozen cookies.

Holiday Baking Part 3 - Assorted Mini-Cookies

Mini-Cookies

Each of these are about 1.5-2 inches in diameter and easily consumed in (one) two bites. Starting from the left: mocha pinwheels, reverse mocha pinwheels, chocolate mint wraparounds.









Chocolate Mint Wraparounds By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen
Servings: 60

Ingredients:

2 oz (60 g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup (150 mL) butter, softened
1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp (2 mL) peppermint extract or vanilla
2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp (2 mL) each baking soda and salt
2 tbsp (25 mL) imitation chocolate sprinkles
Green paste food colouring
1 egg white, beaten

Preparation:

Line 2 rimless baking sheets with parchment paper or grease; set aside.
In bowl over saucepan of hot (not boiling) water, melt bittersweet chocolate; let cool to room temperature.

In large bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy; beat in egg and peppermint. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and sa< stir into butter mixture in 2 additions, using hands when stiff. Scrape half into separate bowl; stir in melted chocolate. Stir sprinkles into remaining dough and tint green (will be paler when baked).

Between waxed paper, roll out half of the chocolate dough to 12- x 4-inch (30 x 10 cm) rectangle; brush with egg white. Shape half of the green dough into 12-inch (30 cm) log. Place log lengthwise on centre of rectangle. Bring chocolate dough over log to meet; press edges together and roll log to reshape if necessary. Repeat with remaining dough. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. (Make-ahead: Freeze in airtight container for up to 3 weeks.)

Cut roll into 1/4-inch (5 mm) thick slices. Arrange, 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart, on prepared pans; freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Bake in top and bottom thirds of 350°F (180°C) oven, rotating and switching pans halfway through, until firm to the touch and bottom is light gold, about 12 minutes. Transfer to racks; let cool. (Make-ahead: Layer between waxed paper in airtight container and store for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month.)


Mocha Pinwheels


1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter
2 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 (1-ounce) square unsweetened baking chocolate, melted, cooled
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
Water

Combine sugar, butter, egg and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. In a second bowl add flour, baking powder, and salt. Reduce speed to low for butter mixture; add flour mixture. Beat, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Divide dough in half, in separate bowls.

Combine water and espresso powder in small bowl until dissolved, add to melted chocolate. Add to one half of dough; beat until well mixed. Divide each half into 3 parts, then roll out each part into a 5x5 square. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours.

Roll out each square of dough between two sheets of lightly floured waxed paper to 12x7-inch rectangle. Place white dough on top of chocolate dough (or vice versa); gently press doughs together. Roll up, jelly-roll fashion, starting with 12-inch side. Wrap in plastic food wrap. Refrigerate until firm (at least 2 hours).

Heat oven to 350°F. Cut rolls with sharp knife into 1/4-inch slices. Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until set. Remove from cookie sheets; cool completely.

Makes 10 dozen cookies.