Chili con Carne

This recipe is adapted from Rick and Lanie's Excellent Kitchen Adventures by Rick Bayless. It's simple, relatively quick, and not too spicy. I felt the recipe needed a lump of sugar, to balance out the acids from the tomato, but taste, and season to your liking.

Serves 4-6

3 tablespoons pure ground ancho chile powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves
1- 15 ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1- 15 ounce can kidney beans, drained
lump of sugar
salt
2 tablespoons corn meal

grated Monterey Jack cheese, and sliced green onions for serving


In a large saucepan or dutch oven, brown the beef and onion in the olive oil. Break up the meat as it cooks and browns, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. If a lot of rendered fat is present, drain off.

In the bowl of a food processor add, chile powder, garlic, tomatoes with juice, and cumin. Process until smooth. Pour the seasoning over the meat, return to medium-high heat, and cook the chile mixture for 5 minutes. Stir in 2 cups of water, and a good dose of salt. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 45 minutes.

Sprinkle in corn meal for thickening, and stir in drained beans. Taste for seasoning, and add in lump of sugar, if using. Ladle into bowls, and top with grated cheese and green onion.

Roasted Parsnip Soup with Bacon and Fried Parsnip Curls

A recipe for a simple winter time soup that is both hearty and homey. Roasting the parsnips gives this soup an additional sweetness, and intensifies the flavor. Making the parsnip curls adds a crunch to this soup, and detailed instructions are on the Nosheteria homepage.

2 - 2 1/4 lbs. parsnips, peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 strips bacon
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
1 stalk celery, sliced thinly
6 cups broth
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
salt and pepper

In a preheated 400 degree oven, roast the parsnips, tossed in olive oil, and seasoned with salt and pepper, until golden brown, about 45 minutes.

In a large saucepan or dutch oven, over medium heat, fry the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon, and reserve, leaving the additional rendered pork fat in the pan. Add the leeks, garlic, and celery to the pan, and saute until volume has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the roasted parsnips, broth, bay leaf, and thyme, turning the heat up to high. Once a boil has been reached, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer partially covered for 30 minutes. Once 30 minutes have elapsed, taste, and season with salt and pepper. Turn heat off and puree with an emulsion blender, or in small batches with a regular blender. Soup should be pureed, but not entirely smooth. Return soup to pot, and taste for seasoning.

Serve each bowl of soup with crumbled bacon bits and additional parsnip curls. (Instructions on Nosheteria.) Enjoy!

Apple Pear Sauce

This makes a ton of Apple Pear Sauce, but this delicious sauce stays, refrigerated, for a couple of weeks. The recipe is easily reduced by half, if you are looking to make a smaller batch.

6 sweet tart apples, like Jonathan, or Jonah Golds, peeled, cored, and cut into
chunks
5 pears, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
2 cups water
2 tablespoons butter

In a large pot, add the apples and pears. Scrape the seeds from a vanilla bean, and add both the seeds and the pod to the fruit. Pour in the water, and add the butter. Place over high heat, and bring to a boil. When brought to a boil, turn the heat down to a simmer, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 25-30 minutes. After time has passed, fruit should begin to fall apart and soften. If need, with a large fork, or potato masher, break down any remaining cooked pieces of fruit. Sauce will be slightly chunky, with only a little bit of liquid remaining. If sauce has too much liquid for your tastes, turn up the heat, and cook out some of the water. Discard vanilla bean pod, and enjoy.