Tangy Turkey and Black Bean Chili

The Junior saga continues…

Wes and I rescued our little gem six months ago now and I can’t even fathom my life without her. It’s hard to look at her now with all the purring and snuggling and friskiness and remember the wide-eyed, hissing terror that she once was.

The past few months with her have been nothing but smooth sailing. Sure, she rips apart the carpet on the stairs like its her own personal scratching post, but it’s a small price to pay for my fluffy bundle of joy.

Last Sunday, after a few days of intense cooking and partying with friends and family, Wes and I opted for take out Thai and our couch for dinner.

When Wes returned with two bags full of food from our local favorite and left the gate and door open because he had his hands full.

And yes I’m purposely not telling you the name of the Thai place. It is as busy as a whole in the wall can be and I’m not trying to increase my wait time.

We have encouraged Junior to explore by taking her outside with us or just leaving our door open to the patio so she can check out the garden. But she took us both by surprise when she sauntered out the front door, out the open gate and out into the wild.

Slowly, Wes wandered after her trying to coax her back in the house since it was late and there are much bigger wild creatures in our area. But that little squirt did as she normally does when playing with Wes and ran she ran out of reach.

After a few hours of calling for her, we decided to call it a night but left the gate and the front door cracked for her when she was ready to come home.

At 4:30 in the morning we were elated when we heard her out on the patio munching on her food. Wes, excited his little buddy was home ran to the screen door to see her only to discover this in her place…

Oh yes. That is a baby possum that wriggled it’s way through our lattice barrier while Junior was out on her adventure.

Don’t worry, no opossums were harmed before, during or after the filming of this video. And yes, that is Wes hissing at the opossum like he is a giant cat. We should all let it slide since it was 4:30 in the morning.

After the traumatic incident with our unwanted visitor, Junior sauntered her way back home and all is right with the world again. Although we have no purchased chicken wire to cover the lattice so we don’t have any more rodent visitors.

While this was a major event in our little home, I do not want it to overshadow the awesomeness of this chili.

I’m always testing out recipes that will be on my future restaurant and this is for sure making the cut.

We had to fight mom for the leftovers. Of course she won.

You will need…

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ lb dark meat ground turkey

½ lb white meat ground turkey (you can always just do 1lb of either kinds of ground turkey if only one is available or you prefer one to the other)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium onion, diced

1 medium bell pepper, diced

2 tablespoons ancho chili powder

1 tablespoon New Mexico chile powder

1 teaspoon cumin

2 tablespoons pineapple juice

14 ounce can of fire roasted diced tomatoes

15 ounce can of tomato sauce

15 ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed

Corn tortillas for serving and dipping

Shredded cheese of your choice for garnish

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating the oil in a large, heavy pot. When the oil is hott, add in the turkey and season well with salt and pepper. Stir, breaking the meat up into smaller pieces until the turkey is white throughout. About 4 minutes.

Stir in the garlic, onion, chili powders and cumin and cook until the onions start to soften. About 5 minutes.

Pour in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, pineapple juice and 1 can full of water and stir well. Season well with salt and pepper.

Bring the chili to a boil then lower it to a simmer. Cover the pot and simmer, stirring occasionally until the chili has thickened. About 45 minutes.

Add in the beans and continue to simmer for about 15 minutes more.

Once the beans are in, warm your tortillas on the grill, stove or in the oven.

Serve chili hot topped with your favorite cheese or any of your favorite chili fixings with a side of warm tortillas for dipping.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Tangy Turkey and Black Bean Chili

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ lb dark meat ground turkey

½ lb white meat ground turkey (you can always just do 1lb of either kinds of ground turkey if only one is available or you prefer one to the other)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium onion, diced

1 medium bell pepper, diced

2 tablespoons ancho chile powder

1 tablespoon New Mexico chile powder

1 teaspoon cumin

2 tablespoons pineapple juice

14 ounce can of fire roasted diced tomatoes

15 ounce can of tomato sauce

15 ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed

Corn tortillas for serving and dipping

Shredded cheese of your choice for garnish

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating the oil in a large, heavy pot. When the oil is hott, add in the turkey and season well with salt and pepper. Stir, breaking the meat up into smaller pieces until the turkey is white throughout. About 4 minutes.

Stir in the garlic, onion, chili powders and cumin and cook until the onions start to soften. About 5 minutes.

Pour in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, pineapple juice and 1 can full of water and stir well. Season well with salt and pepper.

Bring the chili to a boil then lower it to a simmer. Cover the pot and simmer, stirring occasionally until the chili has thickened. About 45 minutes.

Add in the beans and continue to simmer for about 15 minutes more.

Once the beans are in, warm your tortillas on the grill, stove or in the oven.

Serve chili hot topped with your favorite cheese or any of your favorite chili fixings with a side of warm tortillas for dipping. 

Yellow Squash and Cilantro Soup

Greeting from thirty-thousand feet above you.

These days the only down time I have seems to be floating above the clouds to some distant city. I’ll pop in, sell some clothes like a trained monkey, and fly back home for a quick recharge and laundry.

Don’t feel too sorry for me. I do manage to slip in a trip for pleasure every now and again.

Regardless of the reason, somehow I’ve found myself in a constant state of packing and unpacking.

With all that time in silence on airplanes coupled with some deep conversations with family and good friends, my priorities have really started to come into focus.

Gone are the days when I could do it all. Goodbye days when I could be the perfect friend, sister, daughter, girlfriend, community member. Farewell making it to all the pivotal events that are important to those important to me.

Reality has set in and the time has to come to really figure out what is important to me and MY life.

Lucky for all of our taste buds, cooking is at the top of the short list. It is actually up at the tip top with spending time with immediate family, best friends, Wesley and my cat.

Basically, it is refocus time. Twenty-eight is fast approaching and there is no better time than now to go after what I really want.

So I’m finally starting to work on recipes for my future little eatery. It may be a bit of time until it’s all ready to go. Ya know, cause I need to find a large sum of money, a space, permits, partners. All that jazz.

But in the mean time, menu testing has commenced.

This is for sure the first winner and potentially a summer seasonal menu item.

You be the judge.

You will need…

2 lbs yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large sweet yellow onion, diced

2 tablespoons cilantro, roughly chopped plus extra 2 tablespoons for garnish

32 ounces chicken stock (4 cups)

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating the butter and oil in a large pot.

When the butter has melted, add in the onions and sauté until translucent. About 5 minutes.

Toss in the garlic and cook until fragrant. About 1 minute. Season well with salt and pepper.

Add in the squash and cilantro and stir until the mixture is combined well. Continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Pour in the stock and bring the soup to a boil. As soon as it boils, reduce the soup to a simmer and continue to cook for 20 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper.

Remove the soup from the heat and use a food processor or hand emersion blender to puree the soup. Puree until very smooth.

Serve hot topped with a sprinkle of cilantro and your favorite crusty bread.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Yellow Squash and Cilantro Soup

2 lbs yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large sweet yellow onion, diced

2 tablespoons cilantro, roughly chopped plus extra 2 tablespoons for garnish

32 ounces chicken stock (4 cups)

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating the butter and oil in a large pot.

When the butter has melted, add in the onions and sauté until translucent. About 5 minutes.

Toss in the garlic and cook until fragrant. About 1 minute. Season well with salt and pepper.

Add in the squash and cilantro and stir until the mixture is combined well. Continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Pour in the stock and bring the soup to a boil. As soon as it boils, reduce the soup to a simmer and continue to cook for 20 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper.

Remove the soup from the heat and use a food processor or hand emersion blender to puree the soup. Puree until very smooth.

Serve hot topped with a sprinkle of cilantro and your favorite crusty bread.

Balsamic Roasted Heirloom Carrot Soup

Lately, I’ve been getting really bold at the grocery store. Sounds enthralling right?

On Tuesdays, five minutes before I’m supposed to leave for the grocery store, I scour the internet for inspiration, throw together ideas of what to get at the store, call my mom to know what we have at the house and then frantically print my grocery list as I run for the door.

But lately I’ve thrown my lists out the window. Not literally. I don’t litter.

Now when I head to the market, I wander the produce aisles and protein counters until I figure out what might work out when I get home. Sure… this new method does cause some misses.

However the successes are great.

Yesterday the heirloom carrots were just screaming to me (they usually are) and I couldn’t resist their sweet, sweet cries.

They inspired this soup that is sure to warm your bones and stomachs during these late winter days. Or if you’re in California and it hasn’t been cold since December, it will just tickle your taste buds.

You will need…

2 bunches heirloom carrots, chopped into 1 inch pieces and tops reserved (about 12 medium carrots)

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 medium onion, diced

1 Yukon gold potato peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes

1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh sage

6 cups chicken stock

¼ cup half and half

Salt and pepper to taste

Good crusty bread for dipping

Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, toss together the carrots, vinegar and 2 tablespoons of oil and season well with salt and pepper.

Spread out the coated carrots on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes.

About 10 minutes before the carrots are roasted, heat the remaining olive oil in a large pot and add in the onions.

Cook the onions just till they begin to soften. About 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and sage and cook until the garlic is fragrant. About 1 minute.

Add in the potato, roasted carrots and chicken stock and bring to a boil.

Reduce the soup to a simmer and cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Just until the potatoes are tender.

Remove the soup from the heat and using an immersion blender or a food processor working in batches, blend the soup until smooth.

Pour in the half and half and blend until it is completely combined.

Wash the remaining carrot tops well and finely chop.

Top the soup with chopped carrot tops and some tasty bread and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Balsamic Roasted Heirloom Carrot Soup

2 bunches heirloom carrots, chopped into 1 inch pieces and tops reserved (about 12 medium carrots)

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 medium onion, diced

1 Yukon gold potato peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes

1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh sage

6 cups chicken stock

¼ cup half and half

Salt and pepper to taste

Good crusty bread for dipping

Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, toss together the carrots, vinegar and 2 tablespoons of oil and season well with salt and pepper.

Spread out the coated carrots on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes.

About 10 minutes before the carrots are roasted, heat the remaining olive oil in a large pot and add in the onions.

Cook the onions just till they begin to soften. About 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and sage and cook until the garlic is fragrant. About 1 minute.

Add in the potato, roasted carrots and chicken stock and bring to a boil.

Reduce the soup to a simmer and cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Just until the potatoes are tender.

Remove the soup from the heat and using an immersion blender or a food processor working in batches, blend the soup until smooth.

Pour in the half and half and blend until it is completely combined.

Wash the remaining carrot tops well and finely chop.

Top the soup with chopped carrot tops and some tasty bread and serve hot.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Crispy Prosciutto, Green Onions and Homemade Croutons

Well, I somehow managed to survive and thrive during the polar vortex. I have never experienced cold like that. Nothing slaps you in the face like negative eleven-degree wind chill.

A drop of my coffee spilt while I was getting out of a cab and it froze instantly. INSTANTLY.

So regardless of the fact that I am now at home in southern California (one of the only places in the US that was unscathed by the icy freeze) and it was at one point eighty-six degrees today, I’m still in the mood for soup.

For my first update of the New Year, I decided to tackle one of my all time favorite soups.

I don’t care how much you hate cauliflower, this soup will still tickle your fancy.

All the ingredients are simple and straight forward, but together they sing.

You will need…

2 medium sized heads of cauliflower, stems removed and cut into florets

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided (truffle oil if you can get your hands on it)

1 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

6 cups chicken stock

Salt and pepper to taste

2 green onions, finely chopped

1 cup homemade croutons

4 thin slices prosciutto

Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F.

While the oven is preheating, toss together the 2 tablespoons oil and cauliflower and season well with salt and pepper.

When the cauliflower is lightly coated, spread it out on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes. Until golden brown.

As the cauliflower is roasting, heat the remaining oil in a large pot.

Add in the onions and toss to lightly coat. Cook until they start to soften, about 5 minutes.

Toss in the garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant. About 1 minute.

Pour in the roasted cauliflower and chicken stock and bring the mixture to a simmer. Season well with salt and pepper.

Simmer the soup until all the veggies are very tender. About 20 minutes.

In batches in a food processor or with a hand emersion blender, puree the soup until very smooth.

While the soup is simmering, lay the proscuitto slices on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, until very crispy. Remove to a paper towel and pat off the grease. 

Break into bit sized pieces and set aside for serving.

Serve the soup hot topped with green onions, croutons and crispy prosciutto.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela 

Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Crispy Prosciutto, Green Onions and Homemade Croutons

2 medium sized heads of cauliflower, stems removed and cut into florets

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided (truffle oil if you can get your hands on it)

1 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

6 cups chicken stock

Salt and pepper to taste

2 green onions, finely chopped

1 cup homemade croutons

4 thin slices prosciutto

Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F.

While the oven is preheating, toss together the 2 tablespoons oil and cauliflower and season well with salt and pepper.

When the cauliflower is lightly coated, spread it out on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes. Until golden brown.

As the cauliflower is roasting, heat the remaining oil in a large pot.

Add in the onions and toss to lightly coat. Cook until they start to soften, about 5 minutes.

Toss in the garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant. About 1 minute.

Pour in the roasted cauliflower and chicken stock and bring the mixture to a simmer. Season well with salt and pepper.

Simmer the soup until all the veggies are very tender. About 20 minutes.

In batches in a food processor or with a hand emersion blender, puree the soup until very smooth.

While the soup is simmering, lay the prosciutto slices on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, until very crispy. Remove to a paper towel and pat off the grease. Break into bit sized pieces and set aside for serving.

Serve the soup hot topped with green onions, croutons and crispy prosciutto.