oh, beans!

around the end of october when the leaves are blazing vibrantly against a crisp blue autumn sky, there always seems to be a good week's worth of wind and rain that strips the trees bare and makes you wish you were taking a nap in front of a fireplace.

when this happens (and it inevitably does), i know it's time to make chili. it's easy, it's foolproof, it's easy to experiment with, and it makes so much that you don't have to worry about dinner for the rest of the week when it's too nasty outside to go to the store.

my recipe varies each time i make it, but here are the basics that go into mine.

recipe-less chili.

ingredients
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes
1 granny smith apple, cored and diced
1 large onion, diced
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, diced (although i always end up using about half...use more if you like heat)
1 bag frozen sweet corn
olive oil
1/2 c. red wine
cumin
chili powder
salt and pepper

method
dice the onions and garlic. in a large pot heat olive oil and add onions on a medium heat. sweat onions for 5 minutes until tender. add garlic and saute 5 minutes more.

add peppers and apple and saute while adding spices (to taste). then add red wine, tomatoes, and beans. bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and let cook until ready to serve. (keep adding spices to taste).

five minutes before serving, add corn. (if using frozen, the chili will cool slightly. wait until it is hot all the way through before serving.)

serve with whatever sides you like. shredded cheddar, warm bread, tortilla chips, rice. perect.

breaking the rules

only on very rare occasions do i break my no-pork-products-of-any-kind rule.

one is for north carolina pulled pork sandwiches from em-ing's, my favorite hometown spot.

the other is for the following recipe.

tuscan bean soup

ingredients

1 large yellow onion, diced

2-3 large cloves garlic, minced

4-5 tbsp. olive oil

1 lb. sweet italian sausage

2 quarts chicken broth (i use the low-sodium, msg-free kind)

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

2 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

3-4 handfuls spinach

oregano

rosemary

fennel seeds

salt and pepper

thyme

(all seasonings to taste)

method

bring a large pot of water to boil.  add sausage links, cook for 10 minutes.

as water boils, in a large soup pot, heat olive oil.  add onions and sweat for about 5-7 minutes.  

remove sausage links from water, slice into pieces, and add to the onions and oil along with the garlic cloves.

continue to saute, stirring regularly, until sausage is cooked through.  add broth and stir over a medium heat.  add drained tomatoes and seasonings.  bring to a boil.

add beans, then reduce heat to low.  let simmer about 10 minutes.  after 5 minutes of simmering, add spinach.  serve hot once spinach has wilted.

ladle into soup bowls and grate parmesan cheese over the soup.  serve with fresh bread.

leftovers!

it's day three of the pumpkin penne leftovers.  

although i used to be a leftovers snob and waste an extraordinary amount of perfectly fine food each week just because i wanted something new and different each night for dinner, the idea of having a meal already waiting for me when i get home after a long day at work is extremely comforting.

now if you'll excuse me, i have a beeping microwave and major t.v. catching-up via hulu to attend to.

pumpkin season

when i was sixteen i hosted my first dinner party.  it was summer vacation, i had all the time in the world, and had newly discovered my enjoyment of cooking and entertaining.

the menu?  homemade pumpkin pasta with blackberry spinach salad.  a little ambitious for my first serious attempt in the kitchen, i'll admit.  and it wouldn't have been a success without the assistance of my dutiful mother who prepared a good two-thirds of the meal herself while i chatted with my high school pals, sipping sparking apple cider from champagne flutes and chatting about driver's licenses and pre-season soccer practice.

seven (yikes) years later, my circle of friends has changed, i am (thankfully) no longer in high school, and i've honed the art of entertainment multi tasking.  but i still love cooking.  and pumpkins.  and when i can get the both of them together, it is especially delightful.  here's a beautiful, simple, and hearty autumn meal.

pumpkin penne primavera

(coincidentally, i am a sucker for alliteration in all things, including recipe titles.)

ingredients

1 box penne rigate 

1 yellow squash, diced

1/2 large red pepper, cut into 1" squares

handful grape tomatoes, halved

6-8 small white button mushrooms, brushed and sliced

1 small head broccoli, stems cut and diced

2 handfuls spinach, rinsed and drained

2 large cloves garlic, minced

5-6 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

sprinkling of pine nuts

2-3 tbsp. pumpkin (libby's...from a can...)

1/4 c. white wine

salt and pepper

nutmeg

method

boil a large pot of salt-seasoned water for the pasta.  as the water boils, heat a large cast iron pan and 2-3 tablespoons of the olive oil.  as oil heats, add pepper, broccoli and squash to the pan and begin to saute, stirring constantly.  add half the garlic and continue to stir.  

as the garlic softens, add the pumpkin and stir thoroughly.  add half of the quantity of wine and incorporate along with the mushrooms and tomatoes.  season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg and leave the vegetables to simmer for a while until they reach the desired texture.  add more wine as it cooks off, and more seasoning to taste.

at the last minute, throw in the spinach and pine nuts, stir until the spinach is wilted, then keep on a low heat.  as the vegetables finish cooking, boil the penne about 10-12 minutes.

drain pasta, spoon onto a platter and top with vegetables.  mmmmmmmmmm...

dinner party soundtrack provided by:

the beatles-rubber soul (in its entirety)

traffic-"empty pages"

the velvet underground- "oh sweet nothin"

kings of leon-"the bucket"

bob dylan- "4th time around"

spoon- "i turn my camera on"

the black keys- "psychotic girl"

jenny lewis- "it wasn't me"

the hollies-"long cool woman"

the jesus and mary chain-"drop"