Sunday, June 3, 2012
Monday, December 19, 2011
Vegetarian Chili 2.0
I wanted to move away from using fake meats in my chili, so I came up with a new version that doesn't call for any. It's got a few more spices to fill in the gaps. I think it's even tastier. Feel free to add or subtract any peppers to suit your taste. Last time we made it, we couldn't find any habenero peppers, so we threw in a ghost pepper instead. Yummy!
Updated Vegetarian Chili
6-10 servings
3/4 cups dried (or 1 one can) each Kidney, Great Northern, and Small Red beans, or whatever beans ya like
3 Tbsp butter
1 poblano pepper
1 red onion
1/2 head garlic, about 5 big cloves
1 bell pepper (any variety but green, because green peppers are for chumps)
1 jalapeno
1 serrano pepper
1 habenero pepper
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 c dry, spicy red wine; I used tempranillo
1 - 28oz can diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp arbol pepper powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp spicy steak seasoning
1 tsp Sriracha
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp cilantro
1/2 lime worth of juice
salt and pepper to taste
First, soak the beans by whatever means you like and set aside. Keep the soaking liquid.
Next, heat the butter in a large saucepan. Coarsely chop the veggies and saute. I throw them in in the order above, waiting for one to cook down a little before adding the next, but I doubt it matters much.
When handling the hot peppers make sure to wear some gloves. Trust me when I say you do not want to get that oil on your hands. I have learned that mistake first hand and, let me tell you, it is not pleasant.
Add salt and pepper to taste and let simmer, stirring frequently, until veggies seem really nice and tender about 20-30 minutes. Once all the veggies have cooked down, add the wine and reduce.
Once the veggies are cooked, add the tomatoes, the beans, and enough of the bean soaking water to cover. Add the arbol powder, cumin, steak seasoning, soy sauce and the sriracha and stir it all up. Simmer the chili until it's good and thick, about an hour to an hour and a half. If the flavors need more time to come together, add another cup of bean water and simmer until thick. Repeat as necessary, until suitably delicious.
Stir in cilantro and lime juice and serve over rice, cornbread or, my personal favorite, mac and cheese. Top with sour cream and avocado and get ready for a delicious meal.
Updated Vegetarian Chili
6-10 servings
3/4 cups dried (or 1 one can) each Kidney, Great Northern, and Small Red beans, or whatever beans ya like
3 Tbsp butter
1 poblano pepper
1 red onion
1/2 head garlic, about 5 big cloves
1 bell pepper (any variety but green, because green peppers are for chumps)
1 jalapeno
1 serrano pepper
1 habenero pepper
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 c dry, spicy red wine; I used tempranillo
1 - 28oz can diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp arbol pepper powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp spicy steak seasoning
1 tsp Sriracha
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp cilantro
1/2 lime worth of juice
salt and pepper to taste
First, soak the beans by whatever means you like and set aside. Keep the soaking liquid.
Next, heat the butter in a large saucepan. Coarsely chop the veggies and saute. I throw them in in the order above, waiting for one to cook down a little before adding the next, but I doubt it matters much.
When handling the hot peppers make sure to wear some gloves. Trust me when I say you do not want to get that oil on your hands. I have learned that mistake first hand and, let me tell you, it is not pleasant.
Add salt and pepper to taste and let simmer, stirring frequently, until veggies seem really nice and tender about 20-30 minutes. Once all the veggies have cooked down, add the wine and reduce.
Once the veggies are cooked, add the tomatoes, the beans, and enough of the bean soaking water to cover. Add the arbol powder, cumin, steak seasoning, soy sauce and the sriracha and stir it all up. Simmer the chili until it's good and thick, about an hour to an hour and a half. If the flavors need more time to come together, add another cup of bean water and simmer until thick. Repeat as necessary, until suitably delicious.
Stir in cilantro and lime juice and serve over rice, cornbread or, my personal favorite, mac and cheese. Top with sour cream and avocado and get ready for a delicious meal.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Delicious Dal Saag Recipe
It's so nice to be able to make a solid Indian dish at home especially since the place we order from is at least $60 a shot. This recipe is easy to make and super cheap once you own all the spices. Plus, like most Indian dishes, this one gets better when you reheat it. All those delicious flavor meld together even more.
Serve it over rice or with naan. I haven't tried yet, but it would be delicious to whip up some raita to throw on top.
Dal Saag
Serves 4
1 1/2 c red lentils
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp red pepper
1 tsp veg bouillon
2 tbsp butter
1 large onion
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp garam masala
2 cloves garlic
1/2 lb spinach
1/2 c coconut milk
Rinse lentils and soak for 20 minutes. Strain, setting soaking water aside.
In a small saucepan, bring 3 cups of soaking water to a boil. Stir in lentils, salt, turmeric, chili powder, and bouillon. Cover and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until lentils are soft. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, heat butter and saute mustard seeds until the pop. Add cumin and garam masala. Thinly slice the onion, mince the garlic, and add to the pan. Cover and saute for 10 to 15 minutes or until onions are soft.
Add spinach to onion mixture and saute until incorporated. Add lentils and coconut milk. Simmer uncovered until the everything thickens up, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Serve it over rice or with naan. I haven't tried yet, but it would be delicious to whip up some raita to throw on top.
Dal Saag
Serves 4
1 1/2 c red lentils
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp red pepper
1 tsp veg bouillon
2 tbsp butter
1 large onion
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp garam masala
2 cloves garlic
1/2 lb spinach
1/2 c coconut milk
Rinse lentils and soak for 20 minutes. Strain, setting soaking water aside.
In a small saucepan, bring 3 cups of soaking water to a boil. Stir in lentils, salt, turmeric, chili powder, and bouillon. Cover and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until lentils are soft. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, heat butter and saute mustard seeds until the pop. Add cumin and garam masala. Thinly slice the onion, mince the garlic, and add to the pan. Cover and saute for 10 to 15 minutes or until onions are soft.
Add spinach to onion mixture and saute until incorporated. Add lentils and coconut milk. Simmer uncovered until the everything thickens up, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Yarn Bombing in the Hood
On our trek to the store, we passed by this super awesome yarn bombed truck! Check out those wiper blades and that sweet bull's head. Whoever owns this vehicle is my hero.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Upcycling Idea #1: Old Bike Wheel
Last year, Chad had a minor run-in with a bridge that left his front wheel out of commission. I absolutely hate throwing things away, so I decided to reuse it as a picture frame. It's a ridiculously easy project.
All you need is a bike hook to hang it and a one of those little plastic hub guards so the axle won't bang up your wall. His new wheel shipped with a couple, but I imagine that any bike shop would have some on hand if you asked nicely. Once it's all hung up, you can start sticking pictures in the spokes and you got yourself an interesting (and cheap) picture frame!
Friday, June 10, 2011
Back in the Habit
I'm back! I might post some back-dated updates to share some of my travels this summer, but right now I'd like to write about a short life tip. Recently, I watched this TED talk about the merits of smiling:
In all honesty, I was probably doing laundry at the time, so I don't remember too many of the details. But I do remember the take away message: Smiling can actually make you happier.
I bike as my main mode of transportation, which means that I lament the irregular and reckless acts of drivers, pedestrians, and other bikers on the daily. As a result, I can get pretty worked up which only hurts myself.
Recently, I've tried to put the advice of the TED talk into practice. Whenever I notice myself getting angry on the road, I smile. It feels ridiculous and unnatural, but it prevents me from getting angrier and actually makes me feel better. For some reason, it seems a lot more difficult to dwell on the bad stuff while you are smiling, even if it's forced. Give it a try and see what you think.
In all honesty, I was probably doing laundry at the time, so I don't remember too many of the details. But I do remember the take away message: Smiling can actually make you happier.
I bike as my main mode of transportation, which means that I lament the irregular and reckless acts of drivers, pedestrians, and other bikers on the daily. As a result, I can get pretty worked up which only hurts myself.
Recently, I've tried to put the advice of the TED talk into practice. Whenever I notice myself getting angry on the road, I smile. It feels ridiculous and unnatural, but it prevents me from getting angrier and actually makes me feel better. For some reason, it seems a lot more difficult to dwell on the bad stuff while you are smiling, even if it's forced. Give it a try and see what you think.
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