Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Posted in Recipes by Annie T

On Sunday we didn’t feel like going grocery shopping so we decided to improvise a dinner using the ingredients that we had in the fridge. It just so happened that we had poblano peppers and turkey chorizo sausage, so we created this yummy Tex-Mex style recipe for peppers stuffed with sausage, beans and rice!

Poblano Peppers Stuffed with Chorizo, Beans, and Rice

You will need…
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 Yellow Onion, finely chopped
1/2 Jalapeño Pepper, seeds discarded and finely chopped
2 fresh Chorizo Sausages, casings removed
10 oz. cooked White Rice
10 oz. (about 2/3 can) Black Beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup Frozen Corn
1/2 teaspoon Chile Powder
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon Cumin
1 teaspoon Mexican Oregano
Salt and Pepper to Taste
3-4 Poblano Peppers, halved lengthwise with seeds and ribs removed
Shredded Cheese (we used a mixture of Mexican blend and Mozzarella)
Sliced Green Onion, for garnish
Chopped Cilantro, for garnish (we didn’t have any but it would be a nice addition!)

Directions:
Heat the Olive Oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add in the onion and jalapeño and saute until the onion softens slightly, about 2 minutes. Use a spatula to push the onion mixture to the sides of the pan, then add the sausage and saute until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Stir the sausage while it cooks to break it up into crumbled bits.

Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the rice, beans, and corn. Sprinkle in the seasonings (chile powder thru salt and pepper) and stir well to combine. Taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning to taste if desired.

Meanwhile, cook the poblano pepper halves in the oven or on a grill. (Although we did not do this when we made the recipe, we later concluded that softening the peppers slightly before stuffing them would improve their taste and texture in the final dish.) To do this in the oven, place the peppers on a baking sheet and broil until the flesh softens but still holds its shape (it’s OK if black spots appear). To do this on a grill, place the peppers over direct medium heat and grill until the flesh softens but still holds its shape Place the cooked peppers on a baking sheet and spoon the rice and sausage mixture into each pepper. Top liberally with shredded cheese, then bake in a 375°F oven for 20 minutes or until the cheese begins to brown.

Transfer the baked peppers to a serving dish and garnish with green onion and cilantro. Enjoy!

15Apr2013

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Posted in Recipes by Annie T

We are at the point in the wedding process where glorious wedding gifts are occasionally waiting for us by the garage when we get home from work. (Thank you friends and family!!!) One gift that’s had an immediate impact on our cooking habits is our amazing Zojirushi rice cooker. This countertop gadget cooks every type of grain imaginable and it’s incredibly easy to use. It’s also so satisfying to pop open the top at the end of the cook time and find perfectly cooked, fluffy, steaming hot rice. Yum!

In addition to cooking the perfect pot of rice, the Zojirushi can cook quinoa, a protein-packed ‘superfood’ that, according to wikipedia, is actually more closely related to beets and spinach than grains. Quinoa can easily be substituted in for grains in a well-rounded meal so, armed with our new rice cooker, Matt and I decided that we’d try our hand at a nice summery quinoa salad. I found a great looking recipe on Garnish with Lemon and, after a few small tweaks (because I never follow recipes exactly), we ended up with a delicious, healthy salad that we’ll continue to enjoy all week for lunch.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad (adapted from Garnish With Lemon)

You will need…
1 1/2 cups raw Quinoa (or about 6 cups cooked Quinoa)
1/3-1/2 cup Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Red Onion, finely chopped
1 Red Pepper, chopped
1 Cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 pint Cherry Tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup Kalamata Olives, halved
1/2 – 1 cup Crumbled Feta Cheese
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
Juice of 1/2 – 1 Lemon

Directions:
Cook the quinoa on the stovetop according to the package instructions or, if you have a rice cooker, cook it in the rice cooker on the normal white rice setting with a 2:1 water to quinoa ratio. When cooking is complete, transfer the quinoa to a large bowl, cool for 5-10 minutes and stir in the vinegar and olive oil.

Allow the quinoa to cool completely to room temperature, then gently stir in the next 6 ingredients (onion thru feta). Season with salt and pepper (add more to taste if needed). If you have the patience, chill the salad for 2 hours (we ate it immediately and it was still good) and “garnish with lemon” just before serving.

10Apr2013

Pork Carnitas Tacos

Posted in Recipes by Annie T

Yesterday Matt and I had our Engagement Photo Session with our wonderful wedding photographer, Melissa Hassey. Prior to the shoot Melissa suggested that Matt and I just relax and do what we normally would be doing on a Tuesday afternoon so we embraced that advice and decided to cook a big meal. That’s pretty much a typical weeknight, after all!

Corn Tortillas, fresh off the grill!

Pork Carnitas

Mojito Limeade

Pork Carnitas Taco… yum!

Slow-Cooked Pork and Grilled Tortillas

Jalapeño-Lime Slaw

Grilling the Tortillas

Our engagement session meal!

Matt shows off his carnitas taco.

Our “Engagement Session Meal” consisted of slow-cooked pork carnitas tacos with lots of yummy sides including jalapeño-lime slaw, avocado crema, and fresh cilantro. We also enjoyed a pitcher of mojito limeade and a few cold beers. Yum!

I can’t wait to see how Melissa’s photos turn out. She actually snapped some of me taking pictures of our food before dinner while Matt waited patiently for me to finish which, once again, is a pretty normal part of our daily life together! (Update: You can view one of Melissa’s photos of me taking photos of our carnitas here.)

Slow-Cooked Pork Carnitas Tacos (serves 2 with LOTS of leftovers for 2-3 lunches each!)

For the Pork…
3 ½ – 4 lbs. Bone-In Pork Butt, fat mostly trimmed off and discarded
Salt and Pepper
3/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Cumin
1 teaspoon Chile Powder
1/4-1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
3 teaspoons Mexican Oregano

Corn Tortillas (approx. 3 per person)

Toppings/Sides…
Jalapeño-Lime Slaw
Avocado Crema
Chopped White or Yellow Onion
Fresh Cilantro
Guacamole
Rice (or, better yet, Cilantro-Lime Rice!)
Lime Wedges
Tortilla Chips

Directions:
Generously salt and pepper both sides of the pork butt and place the meat into a slow cooker. Pour the vinegar into the slow cooker, cover, and cook on high for 8-10 hours.

When pork is finished cooking, remove the pork from the slower cooker and transfer to a large bowl. Pull the pork apart with two forks (or your fingers!) and discard the bone. Stir in the cumin, chile powder, cayenne pepper and more salt and pepper — feel free to adjust the seasonings to taste. Spread the seasoned meat out on a large baking pan and broil in the oven for 5-6 minutes until the edges start to get crispy.

Pour the cooking liquid from the slow cooker into a large measuring cup and then return the broiled pork to the slow cooker. Mix in the oregano, then pour some of the cooking liquid into the slow cooker and stir until the pork absorbs it. Keep adding more liquid and stirring until the pork reaches your desired moisture level. (We skipped this step yesterday and thought that our pork was a little dry but we’ll definitely do it next time!) Discard any leftover liquid and keep the pork warm until you are ready to serve it.

Meanwhile, prepare your toppings and sides as per their respective recipes. Just before serving, heat up the corn tortillas to make them pliable and yummy. Either microwave them in a damp paper towel for approx. 30 seconds or have fun with the grill and grill the tortillas over indirect high heat for 2-3 minutes.

To assemble your pork carnitas taco layer the pork, slaw, crema, onion, and cilantro onto a tortilla and enjoy!

5Mar2013

Oven-Roasted BBQ Spare Ribs

Posted in Recipes by Annie T

Matt and I are eagerly awaiting the arrival of spring. Until then, we’re attempting to brighten the last few days of winter with summery meals like tacos with lime-jalapeño slaw and pasta tossed with garlic and fresh veggies. Last weekend’s summer-inspired food was a new one for us: oven-roasted pork spare ribs with homemade barbecue sauce!

Spare ribs are a thicker, meatier (and, in my opinion, more cartilage-filled) cut than the ‘baby back ribs’ that you’re likely to see in restaurants. Spare ribs are an inexpensive cut (just $2.99/lb at Acme), so they were a good starting point for our first rib-roasting experience. Nevertheless we agreed that next time we make ribs we’ll opt for the pricier and more tender baby backs.

From start to finish this recipe took about 6 hours but most of that time was hands-off oven-roasting. The most time consuming part was making the barbecue sauce but if you don’t have time to do that you could easily use bottled sauce instead. When you serve the ribs, make sure to have plenty of napkins on hand… these are juicy, saucy, and delicious!

Oven-Roasted Pork Spare Ribs (from The New Best Recipe)

Ingredients for the Dry Rub:
1/8 cup Paprika
1 tablespoon Chile Powder
1 tablespoon Cumin
1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
1 tablespoon Salt
1 1/2 teaspoons Dried Oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons Sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons Ground White Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Ingredients for the Ribs:
1 rack Pork Spare Ribs (approx. 3-4 lbs.)
Dry Rub (above)
1 1/2 cups Barbecue Sauce (homemade or bottled)

Directions:
Mix the dry rub ingredients together in a bowl. Place the rack of ribs on a large rimmed baking sheet and, using your hands, spread the dry rub over the entire surface of the ribs (top and bottom). We found the rub to be a little overwhelming so next time we make this I’ll probably only use about 3/4 of the rub. Position the rubbed ribs meaty side up and allow to sit at room temperature for 1.5 hours. (If desired, you could also cover and refrigerate the rack for up to 24 hours which will produce a very strong rub flavor.)

After the ribs have rested, cover the baking sheet tightly with foil and place in a preheated 300°F oven on the middle rack. Allow to roast for 1 hour, then remove the foil and continue roasting for another hour. Remove the ribs from the oven and liberally apply about half of the barbecue sauce over the top (meaty side) of the ribs with a brush. Return the ribs to the oven for another 1 1/2 hours.

When the ribs are done roasting, remove them from the oven and wrap the ribs (without the pan) completely in foil. Place the foil-wrapped ribs in a paper bag and fold/crimp the top of the bag shut. Allow the ribs to rest at room temperature in the bag for 1 hour.

After resting, unwrap the ribs and cut them between the bones with a sharp knife. Serve with the remaining barbecue sauce and enjoy!

9Feb2013

Pozole Rojo

Posted in Recipes by Annie T

Back in November Matt and I were pleasantly surprised when we made Pozole Verde, a Mexican-style pork stew with cilantro, tomatillos and jalapeños. The Verde recipe appeared as a riff on the chili-based Pozole Rojo in our The New Best Recipe cookbook so we immediately vowed to make the Rojo as soon as we got the chance. Well, that chance came yesterday afternoon and the resulting “red” stew with pork, hominy and ancho chilis was wonderful!

This hearty stew is warm, flavorful, and perfect for a cold winter evening. It’s fairly healthy and you can top it with a wide variety of bright, crisp garnishes including cilantro, avocado, radishes, onion, and, Matt’s favorite, quesco fresco. Yum!

Pozole Rojo (Pork and Hominy Stew with Ancho Chilis)
Serves 8-10; from Cook’s Illustrated – The New Best Recipe

Pozole Ingredients…
1 bone-in Pork Picnic Roast or Shoulder Roast, approx. 4-5 lbs.
Salt and Pepper
2 tablespoons Canola Oil
2 White Onions, coarsely chopped
5 cloves Garlic, minced
6 cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
1 15oz. can Diced Tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried Mexican Oregano
3 dried Ancho Chilis (2 oz.), stems and seeds removed
1 1/2 cups Boiling Water
3-15 oz. cans Hominy, drained and rinsed

Garnishes…
1/4 cup Pureed Ancho Chilis (prepared with stew)
1/2 White Onion, finely chopped
1 Avocado, sliced
Cilantro, coarsely chopped
6 Radishes, thinly sliced
1 Lime, sliced into wedges
Mexican Oregano
Quesco Fresco, crumbled
8-10 Corn Tortillas, warmed and sliced into strips
Tortilla Chips

Directions:
Trim excess fat off of the pork roast and cut along the muscle into several large pieces (approx. 8-9 pieces for a 4 lb. roast). Reserve the bones. Season the pork generously with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large (8 qt.) oven-proof dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for approximately 4 minutes until the onions have softened and released moisture. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Add the pork and bones to the onion mixture and stir frequently for approximately 8 minutes until the outside of the meat is no longer pink. Add the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, oregano and another 1/2 teaspoon salt and increase the heat to high. Bring the mixture to a simmer on the stove, then cover and cook in a preheated 300°F oven for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, soak the ancho chilis in 1 1/2 cups of boiling water for 20 minutes. (I microwaved the water in a pyrex measuring cup and soaked the chilis in the cup — no need to keep the water boiling for 20 minutes.) Transfer the chilis and soaking liquid to a blender and puree. Pour the blended chilis through a strainer; you should end up with about one cup of puree.

After 2 hours, remove the pork mixture from the oven and return to the stove. Remove the pork and bones and place on a plate to cool. Stir the rinsed hominy and 3/4 cup of the pureed chilis into the broth mixture and bring to a simmer. Cook, covered, for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

Once the pork is cool, shred the pork with your fingers (or with two forks). Pull any remaining meat off of the bones and discard the bones. Stir the shredded meat into the stew and simmer for approximately 10 minutes until the meat is hot. Serve in a large bowl with a liberal helping of the garnishes on top.

25Jan2013

Spaghetti Squash with Italian Sausage

Posted in Recipes by Annie T

Shortly after Thanksgiving I bought a big yellow spaghetti squash at the grocery store with absolutely no plan or recipe in mind. Luckily squash keeps well so I had a few weeks to figure out what to do with it. By Christmas I decided that it needed to get eaten so I searched around online and found this beautiful, simple and delicious baked spaghetti squash recipe from Todd at White On Rice Couple.

This dish is basically a fun twist on spaghetti and meatballs that uses squash and sausage instead of pasta and ground beef. The result is a tasty one-skillet dish that allowed me feel like I was eating a relatively healthy meal… it’s mostly squash, after all! 🙂 Add some freshly grated cheese and oregano and you can’t go wrong!

Before you read my version of the recipe, I strongly recommend that you check out the original recipe at WhiteOnRiceCouple.com. Todd’s photos are amazing!!

Spaghetti Squash with Italian Sausage, Parmesan and Oregano

You will need…
1 Spaghetti Squash, halved lengthwise with seeds removed
Olive Oil
5-6 Shallots, thickly sliced
3 cloves Garlic, crushed
3/4 lb. Italian Sausage, uncooked
1 cup Grated Parmigiana Reggiano cheese
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh Oregano
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
Drizzle approximately 1 tablespoon of olive oil onto a large baking sheet. Place the squash halves face-down on the olive oil and bake in a preheated 375° oven for about 45 minutes until the squash flesh easily separates into strands. Allow the squash to cool slightly, then use two forks to separate all of the flesh into spaghetti-like strands.

While the squash cools slice open the casing on one end of a sausage and use your fingers to pinch about an inch of the sausage meat out of the casing. This will give you a small sausage “ball.” Repeat this process with the rest of the sausage and discard the casing.

Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and saute until soft, about 30 seconds, then carefully add the sausage in a single layer. Allow the sausage balls to cook, undisturbed, until the bottoms are browned and then continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is cooked through. Add the squash into the sausage mixture and stir well to combine. When the squash is reheated remove the skillet from heat and toss in the grated Parmigiana Reggiano, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with a spring of oregano and some extra grated cheese and enjoy!

30Nov2012

Pozole Verde

Posted in Recipes by Annie T

After (finally!) finishing our Thanksgiving leftovers Matt and I decided that we wanted to make a meal that featured tons of flavor, fresh veggies, and oh… NOT turkey! 🙂 We pulled out our trusty The New Best Recipe cookbook and found Pozole waiting for us in the stews chapter. Pozole is a traditional Mexican soup made with shredded pork and hominy (a type of corn) and it is DELICIOUS! We enjoyed our Pozole for dinner on Sunday and then happily ate it for lunch the next four days (and I’m still not tired of it!).

There are different types of Pozole including Rojo (made with chiles) and Blanco (made without any added sauces). This recipe is for Pozole Verde which includes a liberal amount of blended tomatillos, jalapeños, and cilantro. Make sure not to skimp on the garnishes – although Matt preferred the Pozole without any added flavors, I really enjoyed the freshness that the chopped onion, avocado, radish and tomato added to the finished dish!

Pozole Verde (Pork and Hominy Stew with Tomatillos, Cilantro and Jalapeño)
Serves 8-10; from Cook’s Illustrated – The New Best Recipe

Pozole Ingredients…
1 bone-in Pork Picnic Roast or Shoulder Roast, about 4-5 lbs.
Salt and Pepper
2 tablespoons Canola Oil
2 1/2 White Onions; 2 coarsely chopped, 1/2 quartered
5 cloves Garlic, minced
6 cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
1 pound Tomatillos, husked and quartered
3 Jalapeño Peppers, seeded and roughly chopped
1/2 cup Water
2 bunches (5 cups) Cilantro Leaves and Stems (thin parts)
3-15 oz. cans White or Yellow Hominy, drained and rinsed

Garnishes…
1/2 White Onion, finely chopped
1 Avocado, sliced
1 Jalapeño Pepper, finely chopped
6 Radishes, thinly sliced
1 Lime, sliced into wedges
8-10 Corn Tortillas, warmed and sliced into quarters or strips
1-2 Fresh Tomatoes, chopped
Tortilla Chips

Directions:
Trim excess fat off of the pork roast and cut along the muscle into several large pieces (approx. 8-9 pieces for a 4 lb. roast). Reserve the bones. Season the pork generously with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large (8 qt.) oven-proof dutch oven over medium heat. Add the 2 coarsely chopped onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for approximately 4 minutes until the onions have softened and released moisture. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Add the pork and bones to the onion mixture and stir frequently for approximately 8 minutes until the outside of the meat is no longer pink. Add the chicken broth and another 1/2 teaspoon salt and increase the heat to high. Bring the mixture to a simmer on the stove, then cover and cook in a preheated 300°F oven for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, place the tomatillos, jalapeños, water, and the quartered 1/2 onion in a blender. Blend for 2-3 minutes until smooth. Add the cilantro and blend for another 2 minutes. Set this brilliant green mixture aside.

Pozole Verde with Pork and White Hominy (pre-garnishes)

Pozole Verde with Pork and White Hominy (before we added garnishes)

After 2 hours, remove the dutch oven from the oven and return to the stove. Remove the pork and bones and place on a plate to cool. Stir the rinsed hominy into the broth mixture and bring to a simmer. Cook, covered, for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

Once the pork is cool, shred the pork with your fingers (or with two forks). Pull any remaining meat off of the bones and discard the bones. Stir the shredded meat and the green tomatillo mixture into the stew and simmer for approximately 10 minutes until the meat is hot. Serve in a large bowl with a liberal helping of the garnishes on top.

Liked this Pozole Verde recipe? You may also enjoy my post on Pozole Rojo!

23Nov2012

Candied Yams

Posted in Recipes by Annie T

Happy Thanksgiving! Matt and I ate our Thanksgiving meals separately at our parents’ houses but we still got to do some cooking together before the big meal. For the second year in a row we were responsible for making my mom’s traditional side dish of candied yams and, for the second year in a row, they were a hit! We joke that this is a “healthy” vegetable side full of brown sugar, butter, and marshmallows but, like so many of the delicious foods that we eat during the holidays, the extra calories are totally worth it! The brown sugar caramelizes between the layers of soft, moist sweet potato and the melted marshmallows form a crunchy, sugaring topping. Yum! Matt’s sister made a similar dish at his family’s dinner and he tells me that she added toasted slivered almonds to her marshmallow topping with delicious results… maybe we’ll have to try that next year!

Candied Yams (aka Sweet Potatoes with Brown Sugar and Marshmallows)

You will need…
7-9 Sweet Potatoes (Yams), washed
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) Butter
Approx. 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
Approx. 1 1/2 cups Miniature Marshmallows

Directions:
Place the potatoes in a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Boil for 25-30 minutes until potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork. Carefully remove the potatoes from the water and place in a colander. (You can drain the entire pot into the colander but I used tongs to transfer the potatoes individually since the pot was so big.) Allow the potatoes to cool before moving onto the next step. If you are doing this step a day ahead of time like we did, transfer the cooling potatoes into large ziplock bags and store in the refrigerator overnight.

Peel the cooked potatoes by cutting off 1/2 inch on each end and scoring each potato lengthwise. The skin should peel off easily with your hands. Slice each potato into 3/8 inch thick disks. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9×13 casserole pan with butter and layer the potatoes in the pan. Place a small amount of butter between and on top of every few potato slices and sprinkle the brown sugar over the potatoes as you go.

Sprinkle the marshmallows on top of the layered potatoes and bake for 24 minutes in a preheated 390° oven. Enjoy as part of a delicious holiday meal!

28Oct2012

The Perfect Storm Food – Five Bean Chili!

Posted in Recipes by Annie T

It’s October in Pennsylvania which means that leaves are changing color, geese are flying south, pumpkins are being carved into jack o’lanterns, and we’re filling up the bathtub with water in preparation for a hurricane. Wait, what?? That’s right, we’re about to receive a direct hit from a real live hurricane in October!

The storm, billed as Hurricane Sandy, “FrankenStorm,” and, most dramatically, “The Perfect Storm,” is forecasted to take a sharp left turn in the Atlantic Ocean and sweep up the Delaware Bay tomorrow. If the Weather Channel is correct, we’ll experience 6-10 inches of rain, hurricane-force winds, and extended power outages. That brings me back to the bathtub. Since our water is pumped into the house from our well, we lose our running water when the power goes out. That tub full of water will allow us to flush the toilet and have clean water available for washing hands and faces. For drinking water, I filled up several pitchers and glass bottles with water from the kitchen sink. (I didn’t want to join the mobs at the grocery store for “real” bottled water!)

That little yellow star is where we are. Eek!

I’m mildly worried about the 70mph winds and rushing floodwaters, but I think that right now my biggest concern is actually that the food in our freezer might go bad. We have about $50 worth of wonderful fresh Maiale sausage along with yummy frozen pastas, vegetables, and fish and I am having nightmares about it all thawing out and going bad during a long power outage. In order to give the freezer a fighting chance I reorganized all of the food so it is tightly packed together in the bottom drawer. I also put ice packs in the freezer along with a big ziploc bag full of water and a reused gallon jug filled with water. These are all frozen solid now and should help to keep our food cold. (Watch, after all of the preparation the power isn’t even going to go out… but better to be safe than sorry!)

Anyway, all of this stormy and cold weather has me thinking about warm stews and soups! A nice five bean chili would really hit the spot right now, but we are going to try to use up some food in our fridge tonight so I think I’m going to have to wait until after the storm to get my chili fix. But, without further ado, here’s my chili recipe along with some photos from our last batch a few weeks ago…

Five Bean Chili (serves 5-7 and makes great leftovers!)
Note: I revised this recipe on 10/29/14. The original recipe had chick peas (visible in the photos) which were yummy but in my most recent batch of chili I removed the chick peas and added a third can of kidney beans and second can of tomatoes with delicious results. I also added fresh minced garlic, upped the ground beef from 1 1/2 to 2 pounds, and adjusted a few of the spice measurements. Oh, and I added another half bottle of beer to give the chili a little more liquid consistency… feel free to drink the remaining beer as you cook!

You will need…
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
2 pounds Lean Ground Beef
1 White Onion, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, minced
5 tablespoons Chili Powder
1 1/2 tablespoons Paprika
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
2 teaspoons Cumin
1-15oz. can Pinto Beans, rinsed & drained
1-15oz. can Black Beans, rinsed & drained
3-15oz. can Kidney Beans, rinsed & drained
1-15oz. can Corn, drained; or 1 cup frozen corn, rinsed
2-10oz. can Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies (not drained)
Salt and Pepper, to taste
18 oz. (1 1/2 bottles) Dark Beer

Directions…
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook the ground beef. When it is almost browned, add the onion and stir. Once the onion has started to soften add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Stir in the powdered ingredients and then, when the meat is completely browned, add the beans, corn, and tomatoes and stir. Simmer the mixture for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 20 minutes, taste the chili and add salt and pepper as needed. (You can also add more chili powder and paprika at this point if you want more of a kick.) Add the beer, stir again, cover, and allow the chili to cook over low heat for 60-90 minutes. Serve with a generous slice of fresh cornbread.

22Oct2012

Poblano Sausage Tacos with Lime-Cilantro Slaw and Avocado Crema

Posted in Recipes by Annie T

Most people visit their local Farmer’s Market for organic fruits and vegetables but here in Newtown Square, PA we are a little different: we go to our Farmer’s Market for freshly made sausage! The sausage is made by Maiale in nearby Wilmington, Delaware and it’s available in mouth-watering flavors like Chicken Sausage with Spinach and Sharp Provolone, Wild Boar Sausage with Apples, Caramelized Onions, and Blue Cheese, and Thai Curry Sausage with coconut milk, curry powder and cilantro. Yum! (Check out the full offering here.)

We picked up some Fire-Roasted Poblano and Corn Sausage last week and decided to do something fun to play off of the sausage’s Southwest flavors. After a little experimentation we ended up with a wonderful dinner of delicious tacos with a tangy slaw and creamy sauce that complemented the spiciness of the sausage perfectly. Here’s the recipe!

Poblano Sausage Tacos with Lime-Cilantro Slaw and Avocado Crema (serves 2)

You will need…
1 1/2 cups Bagged Cole Slaw Mix
2 tablespoons Cilantro, finely chopped
Juice from 1 Lime (for the slaw)
½ Jalapeño Pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped
½ cup Guacamole*
1/2 cup Sour Cream
Oil Spray for the grill
2 Fire-Roasted Poblano and Corn Sausages, grilled
6 Corn Tortillas
½ Red Onion, chopped

Directions:
Make the lime-cilantro slaw first by mixing the cole slaw mix, cilantro, lime juice and jalapeño in a large bowl. Cover the mixture and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This will allow the flavors to develop while you are making the rest of the meal.

Create the avocado crema by combining the guacamole and sour cream. If your guacamole is chunky or if you are making your own from scratch, you could try combining the guacamole and sour cream in a food processor. We tried this and only succeeded in splattering the sour cream all over the inside of the food processor bowl so we ended up scraping the ingredients out of the food processor bowl and stirring the mixture together by hand instead. If desired, thin the crema with a bit of water so that it will be easier to drizzle over the tacos.

Grill the sausages until they are cooked through and then slice them into bite-sized pieces. While the sausages are grilling, oil the grill and heat the corn tortillas. Be careful not to overcook them – you still want them to be soft and pliable, not crispy! Place the heated tortillas on a warmed plate and cover with a towel to keep the heat and moisture in until you are ready to use them.

Assemble your Poblano Sausage Tacos by putting several pieces of sausage on a warmed tortilla and topping with the slaw and red onion. Drizzle a generous amount of avocado crema over the taco. Serve with a cold beer and enjoy!

*If you don’t have pre-made Guacamole you can make your own by mashing together 1 peeled avocado (pit removed), 1 clove of minced garlic, juice from ½ lime, 1 tablespoon of minced yellow onion (optional) and salt and pepper to taste.