kbecker57

Vegetarian black bean chili

Mise en place

It seems that every recipe for vegetarian chili insists on using zucchini. While I have made peace with the zucchini, it is not likely that I will go out of my way to buy them or cook with them. So here’s my version of the recipe, sans zucchini. The original recipe called for zucchini and carrots, but I like to buy a “Coastal blend” of frozen veggies from Whole Foods that has corn, carrots, broccoli, and edamame.

For toppings, I added cheese, diced avocados, sliced black olives, and grape tomatoes. Two lucky coworkers got a free lunch the day after I made this, and they gave it two thumbs up!

Toppings

Vegetarian black bean chili
Source: adapted from Everyday Food, October 2007
Serves: 6

Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

Yummy!

1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes

1 package (16 ounces) frozen corn or corn blend

1 jalapeño, diced (optional)

Toppings, such as tortilla chips, sour cream, shredded cheese, diced avocado

Directions

1. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add chili powder and cumin.

2. Add beans, tomatoes, corn, and 1 cup water. Simmer until slightly thickened, 8-10 minutes more.

3. Serve in individual bowls and top with your favorite toppings.

Pumpkin chocolate chip bread

Pumpkin bread!

It was a perfect morning for baking, especially something pumpkin-y. I tried to use the baking attachment on my Ninja, but since the recipe made two loaves, the bowl of the food processor only had the capacity for the wet ingredients. It made quick work of mixing those up, and then I mixed the wet and dry ingredients the old-fashioned way.

I only have one loaf pan so I made one loaf of bread and 12 muffins. For the bread, it was hard to tell when it was done. The edges looked a little overdone while the middle was still undercooked. My oven tends to run a little hot, so I was checking on it periodically and ended up pulling out at just around 60 minutes. I really hope it’s not overcooked because I’m giving it as a birthday gift.

On a side note, my place smelled amazing for hours!

Ninja, pre-mixing

Pumpkin chocolate bread
Source: adapted from My Baking Addiction
Makes: 2 loaves or 24 muffins

Ingredients
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
3/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup water
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 cups sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cloves
1 (12-ounce) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

Ninja, post-mixing

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 8.5 x 4 x 2.5 inch loaf pans or two 12-cup muffin pans.
2. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, eggs, oil, water, vanilla, and sugar. Mix with electric mixer (or use stand mixer) until well blended.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.
4. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture and stir until just blended. Fold in chocolate chips.
5. Pour batter into the prepared pans and bake for 60-70 minutes (bread) or 17-20 minutes (muffins) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Boston magazine’s 50 best restaurants (Where to eat. Right now)

November 2013 issue

Hello November! I haven’t had much time to cook lately (thank goodness for a subsidized café at work and a Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods within a few blocks of home). So let’s chat about one of my other favorite hobbies, eating out. I was excited to see the new “list” when the November issue of Boston magazine arrived in my mailbox. This year it’s called: Where to Eat. Right Now.

Last year, my number started at 26 and ended at 32. I had some very delicious meals at Bistro du Midi, Bondir, Erbaluce, The Gallows, Menton, and Via Matta. Even though 22 restaurants fell off the list this year, my new number is still 32. What’s yours?

It was interesting to see both a food truck (Mei Mei Street Kitchen) and a pop-up (Whisk) this year. Clio and Uni were combined into a single entry and Ming Tsai’s Blue Ginger did not make the cut (neither did Blue Dragon). Ceia in Newburyport fell off, but Brine (which is across the street) is representing Newburyport this year.

The 32 restaurants I’ve been to on the 2013 list are (the asterisk denotes an RC pick!):

Area Four
Bergamot*
Bistro du Midi
Bondir
The Butcher Shop
Central Kitchen
Craigie on Main
East by Northeast*
Erbaluce
The Gallows*
Highland Kitchen*
Hungry Mother
Island Creek Oyster Bar*
jm Curley*
Journeyman
The Kirkland Tap & Trotter*
Menton
Oleana*
Puritan & Company*
Rendezvous
Ribelle
Scampo
Shojo*
Sportello*
Strip-T’s*
Sweet Cheeks
Tavern Road*
Ten Tables J.P.*
Toro
Trade
Tres Gatos
West Bridge

October RC – Tavern Road

Thanks to Jerel Calzo for writing this month’s RC post!

Kara missed the first half of RC this week because of a midterm, so I kindly agreed to write this month’s RC blog. This month I chose Louis and Michael DiBiccari’s Tavern Road in Fort Point after reading some of the online reviews and seeing some of my favorite restaurant catch-phrases: locally-sourced ingredients; charcuterie with meats cured in-house; creative cocktails.

The restaurant itself was pretty empty when we arrived (uh oh), but the bar was very full. The cocktails were, indeed, delicious. I had a Down & Brown (rye based) that hit the spot after a difficult day at the office. After being seated I saw that the diners have a clear view of the kitchen. This allowed us to see the chef instagramming some of his creations. (KCaE note: Instagram username is tavernroad)

We avoided the small plates and opted for some of the bites and the charcuterie. While we waited for our bites to arrive the server surprised us with a cheddar roll (Red Lobster, anyone?). Tasty, but oddly chewy.

Down & Brown and cheddar roll

The whipped goat’s milk feta was good, but the fried chickpea bites were the clear favorite — crispy on the outside and surprisingly very creamy. For the charcuterie we sampled the lamb salumi (delicately flavored), the duck prosciutto (delightful with the toasted hazelnuts!), and the chicken liver mousse (since all but one of the RC members present are running for the American Liver Foundation next April). I loved the mousse so much I happily availed myself of the extra homemade crackers they gave us to finish it off. Kendrin told me I might die if I eat that much liver.

Charcuterie and bites

I had the whole branzino for my entrée. It was a gorgeous dish, cooked perfectly, and melting in the mouth. Also represented at the table was a burger with cheddar, bacon, and sriracha aoli (A+!), a perfectly al dente house-made pappardelle, and a roast chicken (didn’t taste that one). The entrees were served alone and the sides were shared family-style. Two of the sides were tasty (brussel sprouts and beets), but the späetzle was, in my opinion, the low point of the meal — too salty and oddly seasoned.

Branzino

Siracha burger

House-made pappardelle

Roast chicken

Beets

Sprouts and späetzle

We ordered three of the desserts while we waited for Kara to arrive. The flourless chocolate cake was dense and satisfying. We all enjoyed the pepitas on top of the pumpkin ice cream, and remarked on the yonic appearance of the pear/frangipane dessert (which wasn’t almond-ey enough). (KCaE note: dessert first for me, then the cauliflower soup and chickpea fritters)

Chocolate cake

Pear tart

Pumpkin ice cream

Although we were all happy with the food, we were a bit surprised by the bill. The damage: $83/head. This was largely because of the sides. They recommend 1.5 sides/person (um, we love to eat, and even we thought this is overkill). Good business model for them, but I don’t think it was worth the dent in our pockets (especially when you know that Blue Dragon is just around the corner).

The rundown

Tavern Road

343 Congress Street, Boston

@tavernroad

KCaE note: they change their menu often, so you might not see these exact dishes on the menu

CSA Week 20

Week 20

My half

This was the last week of this year’s CSA, so rather than trying to use everything up I am trying to spread out what’s left! Some of those zeroes from last week are on purpose, though I did finally start to eat some of the potatoes I’ve collected over the season…I heart potatoes, but apparently I don’t cook them very often. This week I discovered a quick and easy way to make them: a couple minutes in the microwave then finish it with a few minutes on “bake” in the toaster oven, and top with shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Yum. Here’s how I did last week:

Tomatoes: 100%
Mesclun mix: 75%
Apples: 50%
Watermelon: 25%
Carrots: 25%
Potatoes: 0%
Sweet potatoes: 0% (mashed sweet potatoes coming soon)
Kohlrabi: 0%
Turnip: 0%
Beet: 0%
Kale: 0% (but I found a new kale recipe I want to try)
Brassica greens: 0%
Lettuce: 0%

Here’s what I’ll be eating for as long as this stuff lasts! The cute little pumpkin is going to make a great Halloween decoration.

Apple cinnamon oat muffins

I finally had some time to bake something apple-y, which was a perfect rainy weekend activity. These have been great to grab in the morning for breakfast. I even brought a couple to my boss…he liked them but said they “seemed too healthy”.

Mixing up the batter

Apple cinnamon oat muffins
Source: adapted from The Goodie Plate
Makes: 12 muffins

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Ready for the oven

1/4 cup brown sugar, plus more to sprinkle on top of muffins
1 large egg
1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped into small pieces

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil a muffin tin (or use muffin liners).

2. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

Ready to eat!

3. In a large bowl, mix together canola oil, sugar, and brown sugar. Add egg and vanilla and mix again. Then add yogurt and mix thoroughly.

4. Slowly add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix just until the flour gets incorporated, then fold in apples. Do not over mix.

5. Divide batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle some brown sugar on top of each muffin.

6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes, then turn down the heat to 300 degrees F for another 5-8 minutes, until they have a deep golden crust and a toothpick comes out clean.

7. Remove from oven, allow to cool, and enjoy!

CSA Week 19

It’s the second to last week…I am sad that another season is almost over. Red Fire Farm does offer a winter share, which consists of two pick-ups in November and two in December. We opt not to do this because the pick-ups can be tricky (Friday evening) and it’s usually a LOT of potatoes. I guess I will really have to start going to the grocery store again. Most of the summer I’ve been able to get away with a quick stop after work to pick up a few things.

It was a little strange to be eating peaches in October, and to be honest, they didn’t taste quite as good as those late summer ones…but that may be a psychological thing. Seems like there’s a lot I didn’t quite get to this week:

Chard: 100%
Corn: 100%
Tomatoes: 100%
Apples: 100% (made apple cinnamon oat muffins, recipe coming soon)
Lettuce: 75%
Mesclun mix: 75%
Peaches: 50%
Yellow onions: 0%
Garlic: 0%
Bok choy: 0%
Sweet peppers: 0%
Hot peppers: 0%
Braising greens: 0%

How are we still getting watermelon in October? I’m crossing my fingers for a yellow one! I’m also excited for sweet potatoes.

Week 19

My half

Chicken tomatillo stew

I got both tomatillos and cilantro in my CSA last week, and they were just asking to be put together in something yummy. And I decided I wanted to use my slow cooker. I recall donating many of the tomatillos I’ve gotten in previous years, so I didn’t have a “go to” recipe.

After some searching on Pinterest and the internet, I found an interesting recipe from Food and Wine recipe for a Slow Cooker Mexican Pork and Tomatillo Stew, which became the inspiration for what I actually made. I really liked what I made, but it did not come out very stew-like. As written, this recipe would be great with rice or tortillas…or a can of diced tomatoes might make it a little stew-ier.

Chopping the tomatillos, onion, garlic, and jalapeño ahead of time makes this pretty quick, since you are just dumping everything into the slow cooker. The only can of hominy I could find in Whole Foods was industrial-sized, so I opted for frozen corn. And actually, I used a bag of mixed corn, edamame, carrots, and broccoli…but mostly corn. I’m also not convinced that the browning of the chicken step is really needed. It’s a nice way to give it some color and flavor, but could easily be skipped if you don’t have the time or don’t want to deal with the stove and another pan.

Mise en place

Chicken tomatillo stew
Serves: 4

Ingredients

Cooking spray
2 cups frozen corn
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 Tbsp canola oil
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound tomatillos – husked, rinsed, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp coarsely chopped cilantro
Toppings as desired, like sour cream and shredded cheese

Directions

Ready to eat

1. Spray the bottom of your slow cooker with cooking spray. Spread frozen corn in a layer on the bottom of the pot.

2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat the oil on medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken breasts and cook until browned, about 3-4 minutes. Turn chicken over and cook an additional 3-4 minutes until browned. Transfer chicken to slow cooker (it does not need to be fully cooked).

3. Add the chicken broth to the skillet and bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Pour the broth into the slow cooker.

4. Layer the tomatillos, onion, garlic, and jalapeño on top. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour, then turn to low for another 5ish hours, until the chicken is cooked and the tomatillos have broken down and formed a sauce.

5. Remove chicken from slow cooker, shred, and stir it back into the slow cooker. Cover and cook for 30 minutes to 1 hour longer. Stir in cilantro and top individual servings with sour cream and shredded cheese as desired.

Roasted shrimp and broccoli

Before I get started, I just have to take a moment to say YAY to my 150th post! It has been fun cooking and eating with you all! Also, feel free to chat with me on Twitter (@kbecker57) and Instagram (kbecker57).

This is another recipe via Pinterest (thanks Claire Blay-relli) which turned out pretty yummy, and got a seal of approval from my parents who were visiting last weekend.

I like to keep frozen (raw) shrimp in stock, but I did have to buy the broccoli (can’t believe I had to buy vegetables with all my CSA goods). The day before I planned to make this, I pulled the shrimp out of the freezer and let it defrost in the refrigerator, in its bag, in a colander, in a bowl. When I was ready to start cooking, I tried to pat the shrimp dry before tossing with the olive oil and lemon zest (step 3 below).

The original recipe suggested cooking the broccoli alone for 10 minutes, then cooking the shrimp with the broccoli for 10 minutes. I think the shrimp got a little overcooked, so I’d check on them around 8 minutes or so.

I was planning to use ground coriander and cumin, but I discovered that I had whole coriander seeds and whole cumin seeds in my spice rack. I had no idea! These spices gave it a really nice and interesting flavor. I would definitely make this again.

Roasted Shrimp & Broccoli

Broccoli ready for the oven

Source: adapted from the Amateur Gourmet (via Pinterest)

Serves: 4

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh broccoli florets

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp whole coriander seeds (or 1/2 tsp ground)

1 tsp whole cumin seeds (or 1/2 tsp ground)

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp chili powder

1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined

1 Tbsp lemon zest (from 1 lemon)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F.

Ready to eat!

2. On a large cookie sheet, toss together broccoli, 2 Tbsp olive oil, coriander, cumin, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and chili powder. Spread into a single layer and pop into the oven for 10 minutes.

3. While the broccoli is cooking, toss shrimp with 1 Tbsp olive oil, lemon zest, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper in a large bowl. When the broccoli’s been in the oven 12 minutes, add the shrimp to the broccoli and toss (carefully).

4. Roast another 8 minutes, tossing once halfway through, until the broccoli is “tender and golden around the edges.”

CSA Week 18

Week 18

My success this week was partly due to consumption and partly due to donation. Either way, I’m still taking credit!

Lettuce: 100% (donated)
Kale: 100% (donated)
Tomatillos: 100% (made chicken tomatillo stew)
Cilantro: 100% (used in stew mentioned above)
Green: 100%
Peppers: 100% (one was donated)
Tomatoes: 100%
Apples: 75%
Radishes: 50%
Onion: 50%
Carrots: 25%
Potatoes: 0%
Cabbage: 0%

Wow I didn’t think I’d see any more corn or peaches this season…it’s like summer again!

My half

I *might* have had a mini red velvet cupcake and an ear of corn as an evening snack tonight. #dontjudge. Without looking at the photo above, can you guess all of the green veggies in this photo?

If you guessed lettuce, Swiss chard, bok choy, corn, mesclun, green peppers, and tomatoes – you were right! Only two apples this week, but they are huge. This may be the week I bake something apple-y.