Chicken, Plaintain and Peanut Stew (with or without Pretzel Dumplings)

Another summer, another box of mystery ingredients exchanged...it's time for another mystery box reveal!  This year, I received a box of ingredients selected by Matt from Nomageddon that contained a bottle of Sweet Baby Jesus Chocolate Peanut Butter Porter, a package of Boardwalk Craft Beer Pretzel Mix, and a container of Aurora Natural Plantain Chips. These were all amazing ingredients and I couldn't wait to combine them to make one delicious dish.

First of all, next to homemade plantain chips, these are the best I've ever tried. I had to make an effort not to just snack them all away. Loved the beer on its own, as well. I couldn't get the idea of a Caribbean-inspired stew of sorts that featured plantains and peanuts, but the pretzel mix threw me for a loop there, so while that was the inspiration behind my dish, my finished dish wasn't very Caribbean.

Mixed Seafood Risotto and a #FeastoftheSevenFishes Menu

I don't remember exactly when I first read about the Feast of the Seven Fishes, but this Christmas Eve tradition with roots in Southern Italy has been on my mind for a few years now. Served in Italian households on Christmas Eve (or La Vigilia), the meal typically consists of seven seafood dishes. Although nothing I've read has given the exact reason for there being seven dishes, it is said to stem from the seven being the most repeated number in the Bible, appearing over 700 times.

Other theories are that it represents the seventh day (when God rested), that the number represents the seven hills of Rome, or the seven sacraments of the Roman Catholic church. But then, there are also families who tend to serve upwards of twelve or thirteen dishes or courses, which could represent the twelve apostles (or the twelve apostles plus Jesus).

Quick Turkey and Hominy Chili

My hunt to add more easy weeknight meal options to our dinner rotation is ongoing. If I don't actively experiment and look for inspiration, I find myself in a rut, making the same things over and over again. Every once in a while, I head to the library and come home with a giant stack of magazines. I've been known to spend hours scouring the pages, ripping my library receipt into little strips to mark the pages that inspire me. I actually find the process calming and productive at the same time.

I was doing just that a few months ago when I came across a recipe for a simple, hearty chili in the June 2015 edition of the Food Network Magazine. It was actually the first thing that I made from all of the recipes I tagged that day, adapting it slightly by adding more hominy (because I love the chewiness and earthy flavor), more spices (because I love flavor), and some masa harina to accent the hominy.

This isn't chili in the way that I normally think of chili, like a warming stew, it's actually closer to the meat sauce variety. Aka, there's not a whole lot of liquid. But they recommended serving it over rice, and that was right on. The little bit of liquid that it does have soaks in and adds some flavor to white rice. Oh, and it was on the table in 30 minutes.

Quick Turkey and Hominy Chili

Spiced turkey and chewy hominy are the stars of this easy, hearty weeknight meal.

by Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Keywords: turkey hominy entree

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped pickled jalapeños + more to garnish
• 1 tablespoon brine from pickled jalapeños
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 pounds ground turkey
• 2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon masa harina
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 (25 ounce) can of hominy, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups chicken stock (or turkey stock or water)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, smoked or regular
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• big handful of roughly chopped cilantro
• 2 cups hot cooked rice, to serve

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, jalapeños, garlic, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Cooking, stirring, until onion is tender, ~5 minutes.

Add turkey, masa harina, chili powder, smoked paprika, and cumin; cook for another 5 minutes or until turkey has browned, breaking it up as it cooks. Add tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes to start to break down the tomatoes. Add hominy, chicken stock, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and cook until thickened, ~10 minutes.

Stir in the jalapeño brine and half of the cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Serve over hot rice, garnished with extra cilantro and some more pickled jalapeño, if you wish.

-slightly adapted from Food Network Magazine, June 2015

Lamb and Butternut Squash Stew {12 Weeks of Winter Squash}

Is there anything more comforting in the middle of winter than a big bowl of stew? I'm thinking, not a whole lot. From the heady aroma escaping through the cracks of the oven door, to each hearty stick-to-your-bones spoonful, stew is the embodiment of comfort food.

This particular stew came about when I found two carefully wrapped packages in my freezer that I'd sort of let slip my mind. A month and half or so ago, I found a nice little (and I do mean little) lamb shoulder at the market. I can't remember what I thought I was going to make with it, but I took it home and separated the meat from the bone. Chunks of deep red lamb meat went into one freezer bag, and the bone went into another.

I remember them sitting in the fridge for a couple of days, and then I must have gotten busy or decided not to make whatever it was I had in mind, because I transferred them to the freezer.  They were pushed to the back of both the freezer and mind mind in short order.

Beef and Guinness Stew ...Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Irish eyes are definitely smiling on me today.  Skies are bright and clear with temps near 60° and heading upwards for tomorrow!  I'm armed with a case of Guinness and a six-pack of Smithwick's...a pot of Beef and Guinness Stew...a half a loaf of rye...homemade corned beef...and spuds and cabbage galore.  I'm off to track leprechauns and pots of gold...explore sparse patches of grass for four leaf clovers...dance a jig.  I can feel that trickle of Irish blood that flows through my veins pumping hard today.

Beef and Guinness Stew
makes ~6 svgs.

 ~2 lbs. beef chuck, cut into 2" cubes
 2 Tbs. flour (or potato starch)
 kosher salt
 freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. butter
 good pinch of piquin molido (or another ground hot chile powder, such as cayenne)
 2  onions, chopped
 3 garlic cloves, peeled & crushed
 2 Tbs. tomato paste
~1 Tbs. dried thyme
~1/2 Tbs. dried oregano
12 oz. Guinness, at room temp.
2 c. beef broth/stock
1-2 large carrots, sliced thickly on the bias
1-2 large parsnips, peeled & cut thickly on the bias
1-2 large russet potatoes, peeled & cubed
2 bay leaves

chopped parsley, to garnish

Preheat oven to 300° F.

Combine flour with a few good pinches of salt and grinds of pepper and the chile in a gallon zippered baggy.  Toss in the beef cubes, seal and shake it all around to coat.

Heat oil and butter in a Dutch oven, over medium-high.  Pour in the contents of zippered baggy.  Let the meat brown, and then stir it around and brown all sides.  This process will take ~10 minutes.  Add the onions and garlic, and cook for another few minutes, stirring every now and again.  Add the tomato paste, thyme, and oregano and stir all around to coat the meat and veggies.  Cook out for about 2 minutes.

Carefully pour in the Guinness, scraping the beautiful bits of fond from the bottom of the pot.  Add beef broth and bay leaves and bring the whole thing to a simmer.  Cover and slide into preheated oven.  Cook for 1 hour.  Remove pot and add prepared carrots, parsnips, and potatoes...stirring them in quickly and replacing lid.  Continue to cook another 1-1½ hours, until everything is tender and stewy.  Adjust seasonings, as necessary and serve with chopped parsley.

The scent is died-and-gone-to heavenly...and it tastes even better the following day.

May the luck of the Irish be with ya...because remember, we're all Irish today!* 

*Yes, I know that St. Patrick's Day isn't actually until tomorrow.  But I'm heading out to get an early start.☺

Moqueca (Brazilian Fish Stew) ...inspired by Woman on Top

The movie we're currently using for culinary inspiration over at Food 'n Flix is Woman on Top starring Penelope Cruz.  It's fun...it's a chick-flick...it  has sexy men and (dare I say) even sexier food! With her cooking, Isabella can mesmerize palates...and men...wherever she goes.  Fleeing from her cheating husband and their restaurant in her native Brazil, she lands in San Francisco to start over from scratch.  Isabella strives to find balance between her need to control (hence, woman on top) and the passion in her heart. 

Isabella finds a position teaching a cooking class, which leads to her own cooking spot on a local television station.  She infuses San Francisco with tempting dishes that stem from her fiery, passionate, colorful Brazilian roots! 

I wanted to make something bursting with color and flavor!  With sunshine and passion!  This pot of Moqueca is a layered fish stew that consists of colorful vegetables, milky-white fish, salty-briny shrimp, and delicate coconut milk that are laced with a hit of spice.  It's far too easy to close your eyes, take a bite, and imagine you're on a sunny beach.  Just what I needed in the depths of winter.

Moqueca

(Brazilian Fish Stew)

adapted from Our Brazilian Home to Yours

makes ~6-8 svgs.

2 lbs. Tilapia, each fillet halved crosswise on the bias

1 lb. shrimp, shelled & deveined

juice of 1 lime

1½ Tbs. smoked Paprika

1 tsp. crushed red chile flakes

1 tsp. sea salt

½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbs. olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 roma tomatoes, sliced into rounds

2 medium red onions, sliced into rounds

2-3 bell peppers in various colors, sliced into rounds

8 oz. coconut milk

1 tsp. sea salt

big handful fresh cilantro

brown basmati rice (cooked) for serving

Combine fish and shrimp with the next 5 ingredients in a large dish.  Toss to coat well.  Cover and let sit for ~30 minutes to marinate.

In a large, deep, wide pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add garlic and sauté for ~1 minute.  Turn heat down a bit and layer half of the veggies in the pot. Arrange the fish and shrimp and any of their juices over this layer of veggies.  Finish with the remaining veggies.  Pour in the coconut milk and salt.

Raise heat and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce to a very low bubble and cook for ~30 minutes.  Remove lid and scatter cilantro over top of everything.  Cover again, then turn off heat and let sit for ~10 minutes.  The seafood and veggies should be cooked, but not mushy.

To serve, spoon hot rice into serving bowls and top with a few spoonfuls of Moqueca.  Be sure to give everybody a few chunks of fish and some shrimp and some veggies...and spoon the broth over everything.

Now.  Close your eyes and clear your mind.  And pretend you're in the Tropics.  Unless of course you really are in the Tropics.  In that case.  You suck and I'm jealous.

Submissions for food inspired by Woman on Top are due on Friday, February 25th...I hope you'll join us over at Food 'n Flix!

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Lazy Girl's Cassoulet + Roasting a Whole Duck & Liquid Gold

Traditionally named after the vessel it is cooked in (a deep, earthenware pot with slanted sides), a Cassoulet consist of beans and meats that have been slow cooked into glorious, comforting harmony.  From its peasant food origins comes a history of containing tougher cuts of meat and offal and pantry staples such as dried white beans.  Like most dishes, it has evolved over the years and in different regions

Legend has it, that once a pot of  your stew was finished cooking, you would then deglaze the pan to get a good base for your next pot of cassoulet.  Over time the offal and mutton were replaced by duck, sausages, and perhaps partridge.  And eventually people began to include pricier meats like pork, goose or even duck confit.  Today you can even find version of cassoulet that use lamb or even seafood.  But no matter the version, they are all rooted in the same tradition.

So, a traditional cassoulet is cooked for long period of time allowing tough meats to turn tender and dried beans to become plump again.  Hours of lazy bubbling draws flavor hidden deep inside the bones and develops thick, rich juices that coat your belly just as well as they coat the meat and beans.  But often we don't have to wherewithal to foresee a sudden urge for the comfort that comes from hours of waiting.  Too bad, you say?  Perhaps. But perhaps not.

Encouraging fortune in the New Year with a bowl of Hoppin' John ...and reinforcing it with Skippin' Jenny

Thinking back to New Year's eve, what I remember as a kid is Dick Clark, the giant ball, and live music.  Well, live from the telley, at least.  We always cheered and toasted and enjoyed just being home to welcome in a new year.  We never went out to parties or even visited anybody, I don't think.  If memory serves and occasionally it does, I think I spent New Year's of my senior year at a friend's house.  And then there was college.  Well, now.  That is a whole 'nother story in itself.  But once that was out of my system, it was pretty much back to in-house celebrations for me.  Not always at my house, though until marriage and a slew okay, three of kids came along.  We pretty much just hang out at home and re-create the Dick Clark evenings of my past.  Only now I can drink as much as I choose.  Honestly though...I like it that!  I don't have to brave the crazies and drunk drivers. 

But anyway...my whole point of talking about New Year's of years past was to ponder the fact that we never had any New Year's food traditions growing up in my house.  So, I just went ahead and made some of my own.  I suppose I didn't really make some of my own...I borrowed them from other people...but you know what I mean.  One I basically credit myself with is drinking Mimosa's all day on the first of the year.  That's a fun one.  As a matter of fact, I'm drinking one right now ☺.  The popping of a cork at midnight is an age-old tradition...but I like to make sure that I have another one or two to pop throughout the day, as well.

I also love the tradition of eating twelve grapes with the twelve strokes of the new year.  Make a mental note of any sour ones, as those may be an indication of tougher months.  But one I've grown to love is making Hoppin' John on New Year's Day.  People usually associate it with the Southern states...but I think it's spread pretty far and wide over the years.

It is traditionally eaten on New Year's Day...and of course there are variations, but for the most part it is a stew-like dish that consists of black-eyed peas, greens, and a smoked pork product.  Mmmmmm...smoked pork.  The black-eyed peas are symbolic of coins and symbolize good fortune in the new year.  By mixing in the greens, you're adding more wealth (green=money) to the pot!  By leaving three beans in the bottom of your bowl, a person can ensure luck, romance, and fortune in the new year*. 

I've tried a few different recipes, but I think I've found one I'm sticking with in the future...it's a slow-cooker recipe (did you see my review a few days back?) which I love because I just had everything ready to go in the slow cooker and flipped it on low before we went to bed in the wee hours of New Year's morning.  It was ready for brunchin' on when we woke up!  I adapted it a bit and may change it around a little in the future, but it's a fantastic base recipe!

Hoppin' John {slow-cooker recipe}

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 10 minutes + overnight soak fo

Cook Time: 8-12 hours

Keywords: slow-cooker entree beans greens sausage New Year American Southern winter

Ingredients (serves 10)

• 1 lb. dry black-eyed peas, soaked overnight
• 1 lb. smoked sausage, sliced on the bias
• 1 lg. onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled & smashed
• ½ c. brown rice
• 1 (10.5 oz) can diced tomatoes w/ green chiles
• 12 oz. collard greens, washed and chopped
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 5 c. chicken broth or rich chicken stock
• crushed red chiles
• balsamic vinegar

Instructions

Place the soaked black-eyed peas in the bottom of a 6 qt. slow-cooker. Add the sausage, onion, garlic, rice, tomatoes w/ chiles, and collard greens. Add salt, pepper, and some crushed red chiles to taste; pour the stock/broth over the whole thing.

Cover and cook on low for 8-12 hours, or until beans are soft and tender. Stir well. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

Drizzle a bit of balsamic vinegar over each bowl at service.

inspired by and adapted from More Make it Fast Cook it Slow by Stephanie O'Dea

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Don't forget to eat a second serving on the day after New Year's.  By doing this, you're demonstrating your fantastic frugal sense... and hey, it never hurts to have an added layer of prosperity in your corner in my opinion.  Oh, but don't call it Hoppin' John anymore...because on the second day, it's called Skippin' Jenny (okay, I don't know if this is true...just heard it this year, I thought it was a fun piece of food lore)*.

How 'bout you?  Do you and your family have any foodie New Year's traditions?

*source: Wikipedia