Goat Cheese & Sun-Dried Tomato Meatloaf

When temperatures are chilly and the sun seems to show itself for just a few hours a day, the winter starts to take its toll on me.  Its during these long winter months that I really begin to crave comfort foods.  One of my all time favorite cold weather comfort dishes is meatloaf.  It's one of the first things I taught myself how to cook after I got married.  It just seemed like a "newlywed" kind of thing to cook to impress my hungry husband.  I've read a lot of recipes and tried dozens of different versions over the years before settling on one we like the best.  I switch up the ingredients a bit from the standard run of the mill meatloaf because I find that regular ground beef is just too greasy and heavy for our taste. Instead I opt for a combination of ground turkey and ground veal combined with sun-dried tomatoes and goat cheese that makes for a meatloaf that is luxurious and tender.  I hope you will give it a try and let me know what you think!

Dice up the bread into small pieces.  

To keep the meatloaf super moist and flavorful, the first step is to cube up some crusty bread and soak it in some milk or cream.  You will want to season the bread mixture with a good amount of fresh cracked black pepper and kosher salt.  As you have heard me say many times before, you want to season every layer while you assemble the meatloaf to ensure it turns out super flavorful.  Use a bowl for soaking the bread that is large enough to fit all the remaining ingredients in the recipe.  That way you won't have a lot of dishes to wash and assembly goes quickly.

While the bread soaks in all that goodness, you can get the other ingredients ready to go.  Mince the garlic, chop up the sun-dried tomatoes and parsley and dice the onion.  You'll want to keep the pieces pretty small so you don't end up with any large bites of the ingredients in the finished product and they can cook through completely.  Some people cook their onions before adding them to the mixture but I find that added step unnecessary. Besides, it will just dirty another pan - - and who wants that?

All the ingredients set out and
ready to get cooking

As you get ingredients cut up, go ahead and add them right to the bread mixture.  Everything else in the recipe, except the meats, gets added to the bowl at this point. Add in some more kosher salt and pepper to the mixture now to be sure it is well seasoned.  I use Herbs de Provence because it has so many great herbs combined together, but if you don't have that on hand (or don't want to buy it) you can use a mixture of dried thyme, basil, rosemary, fennel seeds and/or marjoram.  While variations of Herbs de Provence can be different, I like the ones that contain lavender as it adds a depth of flavor and a sweet floral aroma to dishes.  It is an ingredient that can be used with so many different recipes that I think it is worth giving it a shot if you have never used it before.

Minced garlic, chopped sun-dried
tomato and diced onion

You'll notice I didn't put an amount next to the goat cheese in the recipe because that ingredient is really up to personal taste.  My husband doesn't care for the goat cheese as much so I go lighter with it but if you like that flavor (I adore how well it works with the sun-dried tomatoes and veal!) go ahead and add it in higher quantities.  It adds a creamy texture and consistency that I really like.  It is important that you taste the goat cheese you are using though so you know how salty it is because that will affect how much additional salt you should add.

All the ingredients mixed
together (before the meat)

At this point you want to get everything really well mixed before you add in the meat.  The less you have to handle the ground meat, the better texture the final product will have.  Add the veal and ground turkey to the bowl and mix it gently until just combined.  The only tools to use for this step are the best ones in the kitchen - your hands!  It is a messy job but it is the best way to get the meat combined without over-mixing.  In my opinion, nothing is worse than a super dense meatloaf, regardless of how good the flavor is.  Think hockey puck...   Over-mixing the meat is one of the most frequent mistakes people make when making meatloaf, meatballs, burgers, etc - - basically anything with ground meat that you mix together before cooking.  The key is to just get the ingredients incorporated and then stop fussing with it!

The mixture after the meat is
added, ready to become meatloaves!

Using a large sheet tray covered in foil, place 1/3 of the meat mixture on the pan and gently shape it into a small loaf.  Make sure it is about the same size all the way from one end to the other so it cooks evenly.  Repeat this step, creating a 2nd and 3rd loaf.  Evenly space them on the pan making sure there is room between each of them.

I like making these smaller meatloaves rather than making one large one for a couple of reasons.  First, it takes a lot less time to cook the smaller ones so you go from prepping to eating in about 30 minutes.  That is a huge timesaver when you want to make this meal during the week.  Second, and perhaps more importantly, my favorite part is the crispy, crunchy crust that forms on the outer layer of the meatloaf.  By cooking three small ones, you ensure that almost every bite has a little bit of that crispy goodness.  :)

Shaped meatloaves on the sheet pan, ready for the oven!

Drizzle a little bit of olive oil on top of the meatloaves before you put them in the oven.  That will help give you that yummy crust and help it to brown in the oven.  For this batch, I also sprinkled some of my Maldon Sea Salt over the top of each loaf before I put it in the oven.  Just as I had hoped, it added an even tastier layer of salty, crispy goodness to the final product.  (I'm am becoming seriously addicted to this finishing salt!)

Meatloaf right out of the oven

Cook the meatloaf at 400 degrees until a meat thermometer reads 155-160 degrees.  (Since you are using ground turkey you want to make sure it is cooked all the way through.)  For mine, that took about 30 minutes but it will depend on how you shape your meatloaf, how well your oven is calibrated, etc.  Never trust a meatloaf recipe that gives you a specific time.   Using a thermometer takes all the guess work out of it and ensures a perfect doneness every time.

Take that cabin fever!

Otis was particularly helpful
while I made the meatloaf.  

Plated meatloaf with
roasted veggies! Yummy!

Roasted Cauliflower and Carrots
make a perfect side for the meatloaf

[Note: I also like using this higher temperature to cook the meatloaf because besides helping speed up the overall cooking time, it means I can roast vegetables while the meatloaf is cooking.  For this particular dinner, I chopped up some carrots and cauliflower and added them to a sheet pan with olive oil, salt and pepper.  They were the perfect compliment to the meatloaf and got done cooking in the same amount of time. Perfection!]



Goat Cheese & Sun-Dried Tomato Meatloaf
Ingredients:
2 dinner rolls or small pieces of crusty bread
2/3 of a pint of cream (or whole milk)
2 Tbs Parsley, finely chopped
Sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbs Tomato Paste
1 1/2 Tbs Worcestershire  
1 Tbs Herbs de Provence
1/2 a small Onion, small dice
2 Eggs
Crumbled goat cheese
Kosher Salt and Pepper
1 lb. ground veal
1 lb. ground turkey

Friends Help Friends Stock Their Freezers!

I've been talking quite a bit to my friends and family lately about how I prepare food, what techniques I use to save time in the kitchen, and how I put fast healthy meals on the table after working a 9 hour day.  Even for someone who loves to cook like I do, coming home and relaxing on the couch and catching up on the day's events with my husband is much more valuable to me than slaving over a hot stove or a perfectly prepared dinner.  So in an attempt to maximize the return on my time, and ensure  we still have great food to eat during the week, I have started to prepare certain dishes on the weekend that I know will freeze well.  That way I can make larger batches or quantity and turn to them as my surefire solution to getting dinner on the table fast.

As a somewhat hilarious side note, my husband also really enjoys this pre-planning as well, but for a whole different reason than you might think.  He is a huge zombie fanatic so I'm pretty sure he looks at our freezer full of ready to go meals as the best way to be prepared for the impending zombie apocalypse!  In his mind, you can never be too prepared in case we have to make a stand! Ah, silly husbands....if we didn't love them so much! :)

Mary Beth and I are
cooking up a storm!

On a more serious note - I had been discussing these pre-planed meals and dishes quite a bit with my good friend Mary Beth.  She also wants to come home and have a meal on the table quickly without much hassle, not to mention that cooking for one person can certainly be a challenge.  She is single and works full time so I have been talking to her about how much time it could save her, not to mention the fact that it is healthier than ordering a pizza or eating prepackaged foods.  While Mary Beth thought the recipes sounded great, she was a little hesitant to try them out on her own.  Like I was saying in a previous post, not everyone likes to cook; let alone experiment in the kitchen like I do.  Crazy, right?  :)

So I decided we would get together and I would show her just how easy it would be to make all this delicious food right in her kitchen, and with her own hands!  And thus the plan was set into motion and Mission: Stock The Freezer was born!  

Ready to pour in the eggs for
Cheddar & Bacon Sandwiches

To start, I first sent Mary Beth several dishes and recipes I thought she would like to consider and let her choose 4 of them we could make in the course of one afternoon.  She chose Breakfast Egg Sandwiches (2 varieties), Veggie Burritos, BBQ Pulled Pork, and Chili.  Once she had dishes selected, I customized them to her tastes and dietary needs.  Since Mary Beth is very sensitive to lactose (poor thing!) she can't eat as much of certain cheeses and dairy so we tweaked the recipes to make them work for her. My next step was to go through each of the recipes and compile the list of ingredients she would need and then I sent her the grocery list of what to buy.  I also made a list of what cooking equipment (large rimmed sheet tray, saute pan, colander, tongs, etc.) she should have on hand, just in case she might need to borrow anything from me for our cooking extravaganza.  With all the planning done, all that was left was to set the date and time and prepare to Get Cooking! 

In the course of only 4 1/2 hours we made all the dishes, cleaned up the kitchen and portioned all the meals out for her to easily use.  In the end her freezer (with even some additional servings in the fridge for immediate enjoyment!) was packed full of delicious meals ready for when she needed them. (Note: I gave Mary Beth the BBQ Pork recipe in advance and she prepped the pork butt and started the slow cooker that morning so the meat was ready for us to put on the finishing touches 8 hours later).

Mary Beth portions out the chili
into ziplock bags using my "extra
set of hands" trick which you can
learn about in my 4x4 blog!

For the Chili, we lightened it up a bit from my 4x4 Chili recipe and went with just ground turkey.  She didn't want it too spicy so we just used onions, regular red and green bell peppers and one absolutely gorgeous poblano for some richer layers of flavor.  MaryBeth discovered that she loves cumin! She just hadn't known what the spice was called.  What a fun discovery! Now she can use it in more recipes and she has broadened her cooking repertoire which was also a goal of mine as we worked through the various dishes. Knowing it was a flavor she liked, we made the chili nice and smokey with lots of cumin, chili powder, and dried oregano.  I like to use fresh herbs when I make any kind of soup or stew that simmers for a long time to help freshen up the flavors so we also added in lots of fresh basil.  

Perhaps the most fun we had all day was when we got to squish up the cans of whole tomatoes into the pot of chili.  MaryBeth truly enjoyed the task and I think she might start putting whole tomatoes into more of her dishes just so she can squish them!  Unfortunately, I don't have any good photos to share of that part because she took me out with flying tomato juice from across the room! In fact, you might have noticed that she is wearing a different colored shirt in some of the photos.  Thankfully she changed into the darker shirt before we started having our tomato-palooza!  

BBQ Pulled Pork Goodness simmering
away in the crockpot!

The BBQ Pulled Pork recipe we used could not be simpler and it really makes for a wonderfully tender, fall apart pork that can be used in any number of preparations.  You will find the recipe at the bottom of this blog.  It is so straightforward I would be willing to bet you have everything you need in your pantry right now (minus the pork butt of course!) I haven't done much experimenting with the recipe because it turns out pretty great but I am going to work on a homemade BBQ sauce and see if that has any great impact. For a day of cooking like we had planned, being able to use a high quality bottled sauce (she chose Sweet Baby Rays) was a valuable time saver.  

Oh, and one other thing to note, while the recipe says to shred the meat with two forks, MaryBeth prefers her pulled pork chopped so that is what we did.  After all, there are not many hard and fast rules when it comes to cooking.  Do what you like, and make the food meet your needs.  Well, needless to say, it turned out great, and I think I may have created a new crockpot addict!  After all, what could be easier then setting the crockpot to high and coming back 8 hours later to all that tasty goodness?!  And at the end of the day, Mary Beth prepared this dish almost completely on her own.  

Filling and wrapping the
Veggie Burritos goes very quickly

I will share the recipe for the Veggie Burritos in a future blog the next time I stock up my freezer with the tasty treats.  You can see in the foreground of the picture the first bag of burritos that we already completed - - wrapped up, labeled and dated and ready for the freezer.  A great thing about this dish, besides the ease of reheating them whenever you need them is that they take up very little room in the freezer because you can stack them up into ziplock bags. 

You can find the recipe for my Breakfast Egg Sandwiches by reading the blog under that same name.

But let's take a look at what we ended up with after all that cooking.   She had quite the stash indeed:

The lower half of her freezer
stocked up and ready to go!

• 24 Breakfast Egg Sandwiches: 12 sausage and cheddar & 12 Pepper, Onion and Bacon - - One tasty sandwich had to be sacrificed in the name of quality control and taste testing but that is the price we have to pay for cooking tasty food.
• 3.5 lbs of BBQ pulled pork:  We portioned it out into single servings so she could defrost and reheat the portions as she wanted them.  They are also perfect when you have unexpected house guests who you need to feed! 
• 16 Veggie Burritos - About 8 servings if you figure you'll eat two of them at a sitting.   
• 8 Servings of Turkey Chili 

Mary Beth has reported back that all the food tastes great, and she wants to get together again in a few months to do it again, so I am extremely happy with those results.  Who knows, I might have a cooking convert on my hands!  

I want to thank my friend MaryBeth so very much for sharing her home and kitchen with me and for trusting me to help her create these fabulous dishes.  I had an absolute blast teaching her the recipes, talking about food and cooking techniques and most of all spending quality time with a good friend.  If you have the opportunity to cook with a friend and take advantage of planning ahead and making pre-made meals for those busy weekday dinners (and breakfasts!), I encourage you to do so.  There is nothing quite like that feeling you get when you open the freezer and see all the tasty meals just waiting to be enjoyed....

Mission Accomplished! 


BBQ Pulled Pork Recipe:
Ingredients: 
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
4 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (4-1/2- to 5-pound) boneless or bone-in pork shoulder (pork butt), twine or netting removed
2 cups of your favorite BBQ sauce (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:
Place the onions and garlic in an even layer in the slow cooker and pour in the stock or broth. Combine the sugar, chili powder, measured salt, cumin, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork and place the meat on top of the onions and garlic. Cover and cook until the pork is fork tender, about 6 to 8 hours on high or 8 to 10 hours on low.

Turn off the slow cooker and remove the pork to a cutting board. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium heatproof bowl. Pour the onion mixture from the slow cooker through the strainer and return the solids to the slow cooker. Set the strained liquid aside.

If the pork has a bone, remove and discard it. Using 2 forks, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces, discarding any large pieces of fat.  Return the shredded meat to the slow cooker, add the barbecue sauce, if using, and mix to combine. If you’re not using barbecue sauce, use a spoon to skim and discard the fat from the surface of the strained cooking liquid, and then add 1/4 cup of the liquid at a time to the slow cooker until the pork is just moistened. Taste and season with salt as needed.

Valentine's Day Cherry-Poppy Seed Muffins

Even though baking isn't usually my thing, there are times when I break away from my normal comfort zone and do some baking.  This time when I broke out the flour and measuring cups it was to surprise Andy with some Cherry-Poppy Seed Muffins for breakfast.  I don't bake very often so around here it is a good way to make something, even as simple as these muffins, seem more special.

The recipe was so quick and easy that I wanted to share it with you guys in time for you to try it and surprise the "someone special" in your lives for Valentine's Day.  I got the recipe out of one of my Tyler Florence cookbooks called real kitchen.   I was looking for some fun Superbowl recipes to try out this year when I came across this one.  A quick scan of the short list of ingredients told me that I was in luck and had everything I needed - - complete with some cute heart cupcake liners to make them even cuter!  :)

Getting all the ingredients ready!

The great thing about this recipe is that it just has one bowl of dry ingredients and one bowl of wet, and then you mix them to combine.  For someone like me who doesn't love to bake, I enjoy recipes like this that keep things simple.  If I don't have to break out my mixer or beaters all the better!

Batter mixture before
I added the cherries

So first, I tackled the dry ingredients and measured out the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt and mixed them to combine.  Then, in a separate bowl, I beat together the eggs and milk, zest of one medium size orange and the poppy seeds.  The zest is the very outer peel of the orange (minus any of the white pith which can be bitter) grated finely.  All the essential oils are in the zest and it adds a real kick and amazing aroma to the muffins.  You can find a zester (or microplane) at just about any cooking store.  That tool will double as a way to grate your nutmeg, garlic and a myriad of other ingredients so its a good tool to have in your kitchen.

This recipe also calls for melted butter to be added to the wet ingredients - - and since I read the recipe all the way through first, I had that on my stovetop melted and waiting for me.  You don't want to add that while it is too hot or you will scramble your egg mixture!

Lightly flour the dried cherries to keep
them from sinking in the batter.

To bring the two sets of ingredients together, I followed the recipe by making a well in the dry ingredients and poured the wet ingredients in, folding to combine.  As the name of the recipe indicates, there are dried cherries in the mix as well, but to make sure they don't all sink to the bottom of the muffin tins while they bake you need to dust them lightly with flour before you add them to the batter.

Rather than worry about buttering the muffin tins, I used some cute heart paper liners to make it clear that these were meant to be a Valentine's Day treat.  And even though the recipe says to fill the wells about 3/4 full with the batter, I found that they didn't rise as much as I would have liked so go ahead and fill them all the way up if you like fuller more rounded muffins.

Cute heart paper liners
make these extra special!

After you have the batter spooned into the cups, sprinkle them with some sugar to help create a sweet crust for the top of the muffins.  Bake them at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes until a wooden toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center muffin.  Every oven is different so keep an eye on them.  If you use larger than average muffin tins you will need to bake them longer.

If you want the finished product to be a little sweeter you can be a more heavy handed with the sugar dusting before you bake them.  The batter doesn't make a super sweet muffin and the addition of the orange zest and dried cherries lend a bit of a sour tang so I will probably add a little more sugar on tops the next time I make these.  I went ahead and made a note to that effect right in the cookbook so the next time I go to make these I will remember what I wanted to do differently.  Don't be afraid to do that because it is an easy way to help yourself improve recipes and make them your own as you experiment with various dishes.  Don't trust your memory, because you will forget!

After you take the muffins out of the oven be sure and let them cool completely (unless you plan to eat them right away!) before you store them in tupperware.  You don't want the warmth to create any condensation and make the muffins soggy or ruin that great sugary crust.

All together I think it took me about 10 - 15 minutes to get everything measured, mixed together and spooned in the tins.  It actually took my oven longer to pre-heat than it did for me to get the muffins ready to bake!   I hope you enjoyed learning the recipe and will give these a try for your Valentine.

Happy Valentine's Day!
XOXO

Cherry-Poppy Seed muffins cooling

Recipe (courtesy of Tyler Florence's real kitchen cookbook)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 cups all purpose flour (plus more for dusting the cherries)
1 cup sugar, plus more for dusting the top of muffins
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk (I used skim)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
zest of 1 orange, finely grated
1 cup dried cherries

Sharpening Those Skills!

Since starting this blog just about a month ago, I have had several people ask me questions about the various different cutting techniques that you find when you read through recipes.  I heard, "How do you know what a recipe means when it says something should be "chopped"?" and "How is cubed different than minced?" and, my all time favorite, "Why are recipes so darn confusing?!"

I figured if they had questions, you might too!    So, low and behold, there is now a new tab on Burnt Toast called, Cutting Techniques Demystified!  This way you don't have to search back through the archives when you want to reference the techniques again - - it will be right at your fingertips at the top of the page.  I will be adding to it as I get requests for new terms or come across some of my own in recipes.

I also provided photographs of the types of cuts to show you what it should look like because just describing them in writing isn't nearly as helpful as seeing the finished product.  I also tried to talk a little about why recipes might call for ingredients to be cut a certain way in recipes, and also how it impacts flavor and cooking time.

My knives have a place of honor on the wall
in my kitchen.  Magnetic strips cost less than $20
and keep knives from getting dulled in the drawer.

On a related note, aside from the cutting techniques themselves, probably one of the best lessons I learned about cooking early on was to be sure you had good sharp knives.  If it seems like the famous chefs on television have an easier time than you do, it likely has a lot to do with the fact that their knives are always sharp!  You don't have to spend a ton of money to get a really decent knife and it will make cooking so much easier.  I was absolutely amazed when my husband bought me my first good Chef's knife (Thanks Honey!) at how much better at cutting I became.  It might not seem like it would matter that much, but having a sharp knife made all the difference.


Please send your ideas, suggestions and inquiries to: framework1005@gmail.com. I will try and answer as many of them as I can!  

4 x 4 Chili

With the weather finally starting to act like January in Chicago, I thought this would be the perfect weekend to make my chili.  (As I type this, it is 6 degrees out with a real feel of -20!)  I usually make a huge batch every winter and freeze portions to use throughout the rest of the year.

I've been tweaking my recipe for years, and have affectionately named it '4x4 Chili' because it has 4 types of meat and 4 types of beans.  So, for those purists out there who don't think beans belong in chili, you are going to want to skip over this particular blog! :)

Habaneros from my garden

With my garden suffering from the extremely hot temperatures this past summer I didn't have any home-grown tomatoes or sauce to use, but I did harvest and freeze a few habaneros so those made it into the mix.  It actually doesn't make the chili super spicy, but rather adds a floral and "quiet heat" to the end product that I just love.

So to get started, I gather up everything I need and start prepping.  Having a well prepared 'mise en place' is the key to staying sane when you are making large quantities of something.  In fact, it actually makes cooking in general a lot more enjoyable and helps ensure a successful end result.

All the veggies are chopped and ready!

All that fancy french really just means having everything in its place - - Get all the veggies that you are going to use chopped, all the spices set aside, and find and lay out any equipment the recipe calls for.  In this case, that was the pot I was using to make the chili, a can opener, colander, tongs, a knife and a few bowls that I planned to use as I cooked the various meats. I also use this time while I am preparing the ingredients to read through any recipe in its entirety.  You never want to just read it as you go, even if you have made it a dozen times.  Take the few minutes and read through it to see if you are forgetting anything you might need (or as a reminder to preheat the oven which I would invariably always forget if I don't follow my own advice!)

One of the perks of having a husband that home brews is that he likes to upgrade his equipment, so I was quick to grab onto his "used" brew kettle when he bought a new one.  It is the perfect pot to make huge batches of chili and stews.  Of course, you don't have to cook such a large batch, or have a brew kettle to make chili but it sure is a lot of fun if you do!

Mexican-style chorizo

So I mentioned that the name of my chili was penned due to its 4 different meats and beans.  I like the variety it gives the chili; each of meats add something unique to the dish.  I used sweet italian sausage (taken out of the casing and browned), Good 'ol Wisconsin brats (cooked through and sliced into 1/4 'coins'), ground turkey (much less greasy than beef with all the same texture), and finally, Mexican chorizo.  If you haven't used chorizo before I recommend seeking it out.  It provides great flavor and spice.  For all the times I have made this chili and entered it into friendly cooking "competitions" it is always the brats that people say they like the best.  The different texture of having the larger pieces of bratwurst is a really great contrast against the other ground meats.

Garlic infused olive oil!

Another trick I use to amp up the flavor profile is using garlic-infused olive oil.  I make it in advance by lightly simmering the olive oil with a couple whole garlic cloves.  I discard the used cloves, let it cool completely and then keep the batches in small Weck jars so it is always at hand when I need it.  The price of speciality olive oils is crazy and for something as straightforward as this it pays to just do it yourself at home.  Just a few tablespoons in the bottom of the pot to saute the veggies really adds flavor into the base of this dish.

Which vegetables go into my chili really depends on what I can get my hands on.  Like I said earlier, if I have the tomato sauce from my garden that is preferable but there is nothing wrong with buying canned.  In fact, I've found that using a mix of ingredients really adds to the texture of the chili.  To that end, I use tomato puree, tomato sauce, diced tomato, tomato paste and whole peeled tomatoes which I crush up with my hand and add into the pot as well.  It might sound like overkill but trust me it is as easy as opening up cans and dumping them into the pot so why not go that extra step and think about including a variety of textures and flavors?

I love my chili to have some kick so when it comes to the peppers, I use red and green bell peppers, poblano and the habaneros you saw earlier.  The habaneros I just place into the pot whole and fish them out when I am done.  If I want it to be even spicier I add in jalapeños or a can of chipotle in adobo (roasted jalapeños), but this time I kept it on the milder side.  Along with the peppers, I chop up onions and slice garlic as well.  All of that goes into the pot with the Salt and Pepper, Chili Powder, Ground Cumin, Red Pepper Flakes and some Dried Oregano.  Give the spices a little bit of time to toast before you start adding in the tomato products.  It gives the chili a greater depth of flavor and also helps to flavor the veggies which will be cooking in the sauce for a long time.

All the beans in the pot - you can see the habaneros too!

For the beans, I use cannellini beans, garbanzo beans, black beans and red beans.  Again, thinking about texture, overall flavor and appearance, each of the beans brings something tasty to the table.  The cannellini beans are creamy in texture and also stand out and lighten up the color of the chili.  The garbanzos are a heartier bean and stay firm throughout the long cooking process.  Black beans happen to be my husband's favorite so those go in by default and the red beans are a more traditional 'meaty' choice.  I dump them all into a large colander and give them a good long rinse.  Using canned beans is perfectly fine but you do have to rinse them well.

You will want to let the tomatoes cook down and give them a taste to see if you need to add sugar.  Sometimes the acidity of the tomatoes really makes that a necessity.  Tasting as you go is the only way to ensure it will taste good in the end!  After I have browned off the meats, and sliced up the brats I add them to the pot as well.  I give it time to warm through and check on salt and pepper levels, and other spices as well at this point.  Depending on what kind of sausage you got, or the brand of chorizo you may want to up the spices or temper them.

Sriracha Hot Sauce!  Yummy!

Since both my husband and I love spicy food, I also added in some Sriracha this year.  I am absolutely in love with this product so I wanted to give it a try in my chili.  I think it added more depth of flavor and just the kick I was hoping for.  We use it on tacos, nachos, stir fry and even on baked potatoes for some added heat.  It does pack a punch though so use it judiciously!

At this point you can turn your attention to cleaning up whatever pans you have used, wipe down your cutting board and let the chili get happy on the stove on a low simmer.  The longer you let the flavors meld together the tastier it will be.  Like most stews and soups, they are usually better the next day.

I usually plan to eat at least one meal right away when I make chili so I start a pot of water for boiling the pasta I serve with it.  I don't put the pasta into the chili because it would just get overcooked and soggy when you reheated it.  It also doesn't freeze very well so I make fresh pasta each time I want to serve the chili.  Of course this isn't a requirement if your family doesn't prefer "chili mac" like we do.   There are plenty of other tasty accompaniments that go well with chili too.  Just a few I like include, avocado or guacamole, sour cream, shredded cheese, diced raw onions, and jalapeños.  It is really up to your tastes and what you and your family likes to eat.  It makes it fun to let each person customize their bowl and level of heat.

Storage & Freezing
One of the best things about making this in large batches is that I get to store it and eat it the rest of the winter.  I can warm up the chili after work for a quick meal, or use it for last minute dinner guests with just a quick prep for the toppings.

Place the bag in the colander
for an easy hands free assistant! 

To freeze the chili, the best method I have found is to place it into zip lock baggies.   To make it easy to fill the bags, I place a dish towel into a colander, and set a zip lock bag inside.  That way you can scoop the chili into the bag without making a huge mess.  Its like having 2 extra hands!

Lay baggie flat and remove
the air before sealing it

Once you have it filled to the desired quantity - - I freeze them in servings for 2 adults for just my husband and I - - you simply lay it flat on the counter and press out the extra air.  You can stack them up in the freezer this way and they take up very little space.   To serve it, you just take the bag out of the freezer and let it thaw overnight in the fridge.

I hope you have found some of these tips and suggestions helpful and let me know how it turns out if you decide to make some chili this winter.

Get Your Spoon Ready!

Finished Chili Ready To Eat!

Breakfast Egg Sandwiches - - Yes, Please!

In order to stay ahead of the game, I love to prep meals in advance.  The beauty is you can make enough to freeze extra portions freeing up your time during the busy work week.  One of my favorites is doing various riffs on egg sandwiches for breakfast.  There are countless iterations of these and I think there might be more blog entries for making egg sandwiches than there are eggs in the world!

But seriously, there are only a few rules you need to follow in order to get these to turn out.  And if you are like me, I love breakfast.  The fact that the ingredients can be changed up to make them fit your family's preferences, dietary restrictions, or whatever they are craving just makes them all the more fun.  So they are a perfect go to for a picky family that has everything from vegetarians to meat lovers....

Scramble Those Eggs!
Of all the renditions I've read, the consensus seems to be that if you are going to freeze these for future use, you are better off scrambling the eggs instead of just cracking them into the wells.  The short explanation is that you can better control the overall doneness of the eggs this way which makes for a more consistent result.  I use one egg per sandwich I am making and add just a little bit of skim milk to even out the consistency.

Butter, Baby!
If you aren't going to use the silicone muffin cups, then you definitely need to butter your muffin pan.  Not cooking spray, actual butter.  For someone who likes to do things quickly in the kitchen, it is a supreme pain to spend time coating each little well but you will thank me when it comes time to remove them from the pan.  And as an added bonus, I think it adds to the crispy browned flavor on the bottom of each egg cup.


Season Like You Mean It!
One of the things you will hear from me over and over again is season your food!  Probably one of the easiest things you can do to make your food taste more like restaurant fare is to season your food properly and thoroughly. That means seasoning each layer as you assemble them.  Eggs aren't particularly flavorful so don't be afraid of the pepper and herbs to get all the flavor-packed punch you are looking for.  That also goes for the English muffins I use.  You would be amazed at how big of a difference it makes to sprinkle the muffins with S&P - - even if you don't lightly butter them to cut down on the fat.

Variations To Try:
I haven't found a version of these I didn't like., but here are some of my most successful (and tasty!) versions.
- Italian Sausage, Spinach & Mushroom (w/Colby Jack)
- Canadian Bacon, Smoked Gouda & Chive
- Bacon, Onion and Bell Pepper (w/Cheddar)
[I did warn you that cheese was a food group to me, right?!]

Like I said, the different combinations are limitless and these are the perfect way to use up extra eggs you have (instead of always hard boiling them!) as well as some goodies from the fridge -- think left over chicken breast, roasted potatoes, even grilled steak from the night before would be good in these if you dice it up and add some herbs.

Time To Bake!
Once you have the ingredients all set in the muffin tin (only fill them about 2/3rds of the way), use a spoon to ensure that all the ingredients are evenly distributed.  Try and cut your ingredients around the same size so the heavier items don't sink to the bottom.  You want to get bites of all of the toppings throughout the muffin.  Then, you just bake them off at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.  Keep an eye on them and remove them when they are slightly browned and firmed up.  I find when I use the spinach it tends to be more watery and needs a bit more time to firm up, so every combination is a little different.

Canadian Bacon, Chive & Gouda 

Assembly! 
Putting these together is pretty straightforward once you have the eggs baked off.  Just take a muffin (I prefer mine untoasted) and place one of the eggs on top.  Add any extra cheese (if desired) and top with the second half of the muffin.  You will want to wait at least 15 minutes after they come out of the oven so that the steam doesn't condense and make your muffins soggy.  Plan to eat at least one or two of them while you are prepping.  It is just inevitable - so embrace it! :)

Wrap It Up! 

Wrapped and ready for freezing! 

To keep these sandwiches fresh and ready for when you are, just wrap each one in aluminum foil and place them in ziplock bags that are labeled with the varieties so you know which kind you are reaching for.  I like to take them out and put them in the fridge the night before so they thaw.  Then all you need to do is preheat your oven to 350 and let it reheat while you get ready for work, drink your coffee or do whatever it is you need to do in the morning.  After about 25 minutes you have a perfectly warmed tasty egg sandwich.  If it is frozen, it takes much longer to heat up so I don't recommend that option.

Finished product (minus a little quality control!)

Of course, if you want a super speedy breakfast they do reheat in the microwave, just be sure to take them out of the foil first! (An important tip I keep repeating to my hungry husband each time I make these!) They turn out ok - - a little rubbery in my opinion, and the english muffin doesn't get toasted but rather warms through instead.  Still not a bad option for a quick breakfast on the go!




I hope you enjoy checking out this recipe and if you give these a shot please tell me what combinations you have tried.  I'm always looking for new and fun variations.

Get Crackin'!

Fish Sticks & Cheese Curds!

I'm pretty sure I was at least 22 before I realized that brats, fish sticks and cheese curds weren't food groups.  But having been born and raised a Catholic with German heritage in the state of Wisconsin it was probably just inevitable. I did get some exposure to baking from my sister though who at an early age proved she was a force to be reckoned with - - think 4H Blue Ribbon in baking for her Snickerdoodle recipe! To this day, I am much happier doing the cooking and leaving the baking to people with patience for measuring and precision.  But back to the things I do know about...

Since graduating from college, I've been on a mission of sorts to discover foods and cuisines I never got a chance to experience growing up.  I slowly tackled working through cookbooks I got as gifts (before the time of websites and blogs!) and tried to make anything I saw on television that sounded good to me.  From all of that cooking, I learned that I've never met a recipe I couldn't tweak in some way.

This journey also taught me that my outlet for relaxation is cooking and entertaining.  No matter how stressful work is, or how frustrating things get in my day job, I can come home and make a delicious risotto or tinker in my garden and all is forgotten.  The smell of fresh cut rosemary or finding that perfectly grown habanero in my garden that is ready to be picked just makes me smile.

What I have more recently discovered, is that not a lot of people consider cooking, gardening or entertaining all that much fun!  (*gasp!*)  So I thought this blog might be a good way for me to share my passion, help others and show people that with just a few tips and tricks up your sleeve this whole "cooking thing" isn't as hard as it first seems.    

Stay tuned!