Winter Hardy Bean Chili

This chili uses ingredients from my garden. Add glass of milk and a cold winter day to appreciate.

Winter Hardy Bean Chili

You can make this recipe either with, or without meat. You can also top this with a variety of delicious additions.

I recently met someone who has quite an array of ingredients she offers as chili toppings, from the standard sour cream, grated cheese and crackers to shredded chocolate, peanuts and crumbled potato chips. My personal favorite was fresh diced red onions but then I love red onions on practically anything, especially the ones I grow myself out of my refrigerator crisper. It’s more like liberating those poor things that tend to sprout before I have a chance to use them in salads.

I have a lot of creative fun with my favorite chili recipe, a derivative from one a friend shared from her days in Washington D.C. Over the years, I have simplified her fancy recipe so that it is ready to eat as soon as it is made, and still flexible if you want to get creative and add other ingredients. It also can be cooked longer by adding liquid - tomato paste, red wine, more tomatoes. For example, if you first saute garlic with onions and green peppers, this will be sweeter. If you put the garlic in with the tomatoes and beans, it will be more salty.

If you should be invaded by a herd of teenagers, or want to just make it with beans, add an extra can of beans to extend the recipe with a dash of extra seasonings. I once only had extra canned tomatoes and added those and that made this into a delicious thick soup. As I said earlier, very versatile.

This makes 6-8 half cup servings if you’re not adding more to it:

Charlotte’s Chili Recipe

1 cut up medium yellow onion

1 cut up medium green pepper

2-4 cloves of garlic to taste

1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 lbs ground chuck

1 can red pinto beans

12 oz defrosted or canned tomatoes, or 1 can stewed tomatoes

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp salt

Mix red pinto beans and tomatoes in a pot with chili powder; set aside.

Cook onions in extra virgin olive oil until clear; add green peppers, garlic and ground chuck. Cook on low until brown. Strain to remove extra grease. I use a colander inside a mixing bowl and let it drain. Mix with beans and tomatoes until warm. Add salt to taste.

Serve as is or add a few saltine crackers or a handful of oyster crackers. Wait until it cools to dig in.

This is the fourth winter for this pot of parsley to winter over inside. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

I also get a kick out of harvesting fresh parsley to add as both a garnish and breath freshener when I’m finished with the meal. I have had this pot off parsley for four years now, wintering it over inside. Nothing quite like some fresh herbs to brighten up a plate.

Enjoy!

Charlotte

Basic Homemade Biscuits

Basic homemade biscuits cooling off on cookie rack. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Basic Homemade Biscuits

This is one of those must have basic recipes that takes less than 5 minutes to make and, once baked, can be frozen for later use.

I like these in winter but I keep a supply handy in the freezer all year for visitors who want to share a cup of tea with really fresh honey and strawberry jam.

Basic Homemade Biscuit Recipe

Sift together:

2 cups all purpose flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Add 1/4 cup shortening and use two knives to cut it into small pieces.

Add 3/4 cup milk.

Mix gently, then roll out onto floured board. Cut into 3/4” biscuits.

Bake at 400F for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.

Allow to cool on cookie rack.

To freeze, I place the biscuits on cookie rack in freezer. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Place cookie rack in freezer to individually freeze biscuits. Store in freezer bag.

To defrost, place in microwave for 30 seconds or allow to defrost at room temperature.

You can turn these biscuits into breakfast if you like gravy, or make your own breakfast sandwich with an omelet or scrambled eggs.

Or so I hear. I haven’t moved past adding honey from my apiary or strawberry jam from our local farmer’s market.

These basic recipes are the foundation of cooking. You will find others in our American Cooking Illustrated Encyclopaedia.

Maybe I will get adventurous this winter.

Charlotte

Winter Hardy Chili

This chili uses ingredients from my garden. Add glass of milk and a cold winter day to appreciate.

Winter Hardy Chili

Do you have a favorite, secret chili recipe?

There are people who do, even places that hold chili cook-offs where winning dishes have top secret ingredients such as chocolate, beer, peanut butter or – well, if I told you it wouldn’t be a secret any more.

I recently met someone who also has quite an array of ingredients she offers as chili toppings, from the standard sour cream, grated cheese and crackers to shredded chocolate, peanuts and crumbled potato chips. My personal favorite, which I haven’t tried yet, was fresh diced red onions but then I love red onions on practically anything, especially the ones I grow myself out of my refrigerator crisper. It’s more like liberating those poor things that tend to sprout before I have a chance to use them in salads.

I have a lot of creative fun with my favorite chili recipe, a derivative from one a friend shared from her days in Washington D.C. Over the years, I have simplified her fancy recipe so that it is ready to eat as soon as it is made, and still flexible if you want to get creative and add other ingredients. It also can be cooked longer by adding liquid - tomato paste, red wine, more tomatoes. For example, if you first saute garlic with onions and green peppers, this will be sweeter. If you put the garlic in with the tomatoes and beans, it will be more salty.

If you should be invaded by a herd of teenagers, add an extra can of beans to extend the recipe with a dash of extra seasonings. I once only had extra canned tomatoes and added those and that made this into a delicious thick soup. As I said earlier, very versatile.

This makes 6-8 half cup servings if you’re not adding more to it:

Charlotte’s Chili Recipe

1 cut up medium yellow onion

1 cut up medium green pepper

2-4 cloves of garlic to taste

1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 lbs ground chuck

1 can red pinto beans

12 oz defrosted or canned tomatoes, or 1 can stewed tomatoes

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp salt

Mix red pinto beans and tomatoes in a pot with chili powder; set aside.

Cook onions in extra virgin olive oil until clear; add green peppers, garlic and ground chuck. Cook on low until brown. Strain to remove extra grease. I use a colander inside a mixing bowl and let it drain. Mix with beans and tomatoes until warm. Add salt to taste.

Serve as is or add a few saltine crackers or a handful of oyster crackers. Wait until it cools to dig in.

Charlotte

Honey Butter Cinnamon Icing

Honey butter cinnamon icing almost ready to use.

Honey Butter Cinnamon Icing

I like to use honey in cooking but only if I don't heat it up . Heat destroys the beneficial enzymes in honey so that tends to limit how I can use it in my kitchen. 

When I was asked to bring a desert to a function, I decided to try to find something that could incorporate a little honey from my hives and I came across this interesting recipe for an icing. The cinnamon tempered the sweetness and the honey is used at room temperature.

The confectioner's sugar has an interesting reaction to adding the honey. At first it appears the mixture needs additional moisture. Once the honey is incorporated into the confectioner's sugar, it starts to smooth out against the bowl sides so be patient.

Honey Butter Cinnamon Icing Ingredients

·       1 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

·       1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

·       1 tablespoon honey

·       1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Mix at first on low in a bowl with a hand beater until incorporated and smooth.

Spread on cupcakes, cookies or cakes.

Honey butter cinnamon icing-covered bite size cupcakes ready for a Christmas party.

Nice way to use some of my honey in a little holiday baking!

Charlotte

Fall Pea Salad Recipe

Fall Pea Salad Recipe

This is an easy to make and delicious pea salad and side dish. It reminds me of some of the recipes in one of my favorite recipe books, In the Kitchen with Rosie.  I make it several times a year with different added ingredients. For fall, I use my last of the season cherry tomatoes, which ripened inside and have a little tang to them.

Here is the basic Fall Pea Salad Recipe:

1 can of peas

1 hard boiled egg

1 stalk of celery

1 tablespoon of mayonnaise

a dash of salt

To make, drain the can of peas and place in a container.

Cut up the stalk of celery into small pieces. I cut the celery stalk in half, then cut the halves yet again but chopping up the first halves works well, too. It's a matter of preference.

Divide a washed celery in half before chopping into smaller pieces.

Personally I prefer the crisp celery pieces to be in larger pieces because I like the crunch but if you want them smaller, go for it.

Celery pieces can be any size you like, I like mine big enough to enjoy the crunch.

Also chop up one hard-boiled egg into smaller pieces and mix with the peas and celery.

Leave the hard boiled egg pieces in larger chunks so you can still see them in the salad.

This is my stash of the last of my cherry tomatoes. Most were green when I brought them in, and some are past their prime. I like to add them to this salad for color and the little bite they add to the other ingredients.

These are the last of my cherry tomatoes, picked the night before the first hard frost.

I cut the cherry tomatoes in half, then slice them once more and mix them with the rest.

Add a dash of salt, mix again, and then add the tablespoon of mayonnaise. The less you use, the better, this only needs a little bit of mayo so if you want to cut back, start with a teaspoon and add if you want more.

Finished fall pea salad with the last of my cherry tomatoes. So good the next day, too!

If you need to stretch the servings, you can add another can of peas, more celery and eggs. Mix the added ingredients before you add more mayonnaise, you may not need any extra.

Once all mixed, you can serve or store in refrigerator for later use. I also like this fall pea salad the second day, when all of the flavors have had time to mix.

This is also a refreshing summer salad or side dish, and in spring I add a few native violets, that version is very pretty. Great little salad to throw together when you have last-minute visitors, too. Enjoy!

Charlotte

Cucumber Onion Salad

Cucumber Onion Salad Recipe

Of all of the things I have in my garden, ladybugs and cucumbers are a must. One of the summer flavors from my teenage years was a cucumber salad my mother used to make. It was so refreshing, especially on hot Illinois summer days!

I decided to try to replicate that recipe only adding my homegrown onions to the dish. This time, i measured the ingredients, trying to remember the combination of sweet and savory. Here are the marinade ingredients that should be mixed in a pan prior to boiling:

1 cup apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

Mix in a pan and bring to a boil.

While the marinate is cooling, slice cucumbers and onions. For this recipe, 3-4 cucumbers will work, depending on the size of the cucumbers.

One medium regular yellow onion will work, or maybe a sweeter red onion would also be a good choice to add color.

Pour the marinade over the sliced cucumbers and onions; mix. Let sit overnight.

I like to give it a toss every once in awhile. Don't know how much of that was out of curiosity or hope that this would turn out well.

And the verdict?

It was delicious, said several friends who came over for a working dinner. Guess my 40-year old memory isn't so bad after all!

Charlotte

PS You can also re-use the marinade for several days. Just keep adding cucumbers and onions as you deplete the supply.

Simple Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe

Simple Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe

Every kitchen should have as standard issue an ice cream maker. Not the old-fashioned kind with a hand crank that requires adding ice, it should be one with an electric motor that produces ice cream in 20 minutes so one can finish another chapter of that great book. Don’t look at me, those are my niece Rachel’s requirements for an excellent home ice cream maker.

Since I was given one as a gift, I haven’t had to go shopping for one but I have felt grateful the machine passed Rachel’s standards. This is our favorite chocolate ice cream recipe and yes, we have tested several, all of course in the interests of achieving a higher culinary standard.

You’re welcome. 

Simple Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe

 Ingredients:

*¾ cup sifted cocoa powder

½ cup sugar

**1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

A pinch of salt

***1 cup whole milk (or skim or powdered milk)

2 cups heavy whipping cream

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Other Possible Recipe Alterations

Miniature chocolate chips

Spearmint flavoring

Fresh strawberries

Fresh bing cherries

This special dark Hershey blend is usually only available in summer so get an extra one for Christmas time baking. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

*Rachel and I have experimented with a variety of cocoa powders, our favorite is Hershey Special Dark Chocolate, “a blend of natural and Dutched cocoas.” It has a paper red ribbon towards the bottom of the container, usually only available at a big box grocery store.

**You can also use either dark or light brown sugar; the darker brown sugar gives the ice cream a richer flavor.

***We experimented with cutting calories with the milk, substituting skim milk and prepared powdered milk. The lighter milks made the ice cream not as rich, which was fine with me. I preferred something lighter for at least summer.

Other Possible Flavor Alterations

 In terms of alterations, we have also tested adding miniature chocolate chips and substituting a spearmint flavor for the vanilla to make a mint chocolate chip ice cream. I was told by Rachel’s father that it was delicious, I never made it to the tasting step.

I did, however, taste test adding chopped Bing cherries in one batch and cut up fresh strawberries in another batch and would recommend those combinations.

My niece Rachel refreshing her ice cream-making skills whipping up a chocolate ice cream batch.

How To Make Simple Chocolate Ice Cream 

In a medium bowl, sift together the cocoa, sugars and salt. Add the milk and ,using a hand mixer on low speed, or a whisk, beat to combine until dry ingredients are dissolved.  

Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla, or add another flavoring at this point.

Cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours or overnight.

Turn ice cream maker on; pour the mixture into the frozen freezer bowl and let mix until thickened, 15-20 minutes. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture.

Chocolate ice cream is ready when it starts shaping into mounds.

Add chocolate chips in the last minute or so. If you are adding fresh fruit, add that by hand and mix with a wooden spoon.

If you want a firmer consistency, transfer ice cream into an airtight container and place in freezer for a couple of hours. Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving.

 Makes about 5 cups (10 ½ cup servings) 268 calories per ½ cup serving, not counting anything else you may add.

Oh, don't worry, you will!

Charlotte

Rabbit Rolls Recipe

Here is my Rabbit Dinner Rolls recipe, which I understand is an old-fashioned angel biscuit recipe, replete with instructions on how to make the rolls look like rabbits. These will be lighter if made with all white flour but I mixed half white and half wheat.

Rabbit Dinner Rolls

2.5 cups *white all purpose flour

2.5 cups *whole wheat flour

*you can use all white flour, I mixed them to give the bunnies a little color. Wheat flour makes the rolls more dense.

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tablespoon salt

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup chilled vegetable shortening

2 cups buttermilk

2 ¼ tsp active yeast (one package)

1/4 cup warm water

1 egg, beaten (optional)

Directions:

Empty active yeast into warm water. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Mix dry ingredients together.

Cut in shortening with two knives until shortening is in tiny pieces and dissolves into the mixture.

Add buttermilk and yeast mixture. Mix until all ingredients are "mushed" together into one big ball of dough.

Cover. Chill for 1 hour.

To Make Rabbit Rolls:

Liberally dust a cutting board with flour and knead 4-5 times until dough is easy to handle.

Roll into a biscuit-size oblong shape with a narrow end for a face. Roll smaller round dough piece and attach withdab of milk as a tail.

With kitchen scissors, cut two long “ears” and shape to remove the pointed tip. Using a toothpick, add a line inside each ear. Add two holes in the front for eyes. Brush with egg for a golden finish.

Bake at 400F for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. These freeze nicely.

How do you eat your rabbit rolls – ears or tails first?

Charlotte

Rabbit Rolls

The picture of the “easy to make” rabbit rolls was too cute to quickly be thrown together. The idea, however, stuck with me long enough that I had to try.

As a bunny lover going back to my first stuffed toy, a little music box rabbit, the idea that I could nestle a yeast roll that looks like a rabbit in a pile of salad made me smile. I also know that a number of do-it-yourself online projects and recipes are made by professionals with years of experience and a good half dozen or more assistants. Few things are as easy as they are made out to be.

Sure enough, this bunny roll recipe making the rounds started to collect disclaimers. These are made by an experienced professional chef, the first one said, suggesting we really should not be attempting to do this at home. I looked at the picture again. This may mean it will take a few dozen tries to even come close to having rolls have a shape, let alone look like a rabbit.

The second disclaimer was that it takes more than cutting the dough with kitchen scissors to make the rabbit ears. I noticed that the first time I saw the recipe, cutting the ears only made the rolls look more like cats than rabbits. The key was in the length of the cut and adding a center indentation so that they look more like rabbit ears.

The last disclaimer was that even though the picture of the rolls was with a particular recipe, the recipe was not the one the professional chef with years of experience had used to make the sample bunny rolls. The rabbit rolls in the original picture had been made out of an, as of yet, unidentified pastry dough recipe.

I will share my Rabbit Dinner Rolls recipe, replete with instructions on how to make the rolls look more like rabbits than cats although cat rolls will come in handy around Halloween.

Charlotte

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Homemade Taco Seasoning

There's something about grey rainy days and tacos. And taco salads. Or wonderful summer days with family and friends, where everyone gets to make their own tacos.

Ever since we moved to North America, making homemade tacos was as nostalgic as leafing through old favorite vintage recipe books. I make my taco salad without a shell using lettuce as the vessel that holds all ingredients in one place. And the best part, taco seasoning.

One morning, by mistake, I shook some taco seasoning into scrambled eggs instead of onion flakes. I prefer fresh onions but that particular morning I was out, or maybe I wasn’t awake enough to go outside and pull an onion out of my garden.

Today taco seasoning is a kitchen staple. It nicely seasons ground beef including meatloafs and gives chicken and fish a little happy dance.

When I toss the homemade taco seasoning together, I triple the recipe. That’s how much fits in the recycled glass seasoning jar. I suppose I could make more but the last couple of times I was out of one or another ingredient. If I ever get everything I need in hand, I will easily make a generous helping and store it in an air tight jar.

Taco seasoning ingredients lined up and ready to be mixed together. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe

1 TBSP chili powder

1.5 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp dried oregano

If you want a little more heat, add 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes. I sometimes make this without the red pepper flakes since spicy doesn’t agree with me.

If you mix in a square container, you can easily pour the mixture into a jar. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Mix. I use a plastic container with a corner so I can easily pour the mixture into a glass jar.

To fill a standard repurposed spice jar, I tripled the recipe.

Using Homemade Taco Seasoning

If using to season 1 lb of browned ground hamburger, use 1/4 cup of taco seasoning. Cook on low with 1/2 cup of water for about 10 minutes.

Cool enough to use in taco shells or on a taco salad.

And to think of all of the years I purchased a serving for around $3 in a little sealed envelope...

Charlotte

So Easy Moist Baked Chicken

Here's where you can make a nice dent in your shopping bill and have something ever so delicious without even glancing at a recipe book:

• I added cut up yellow onions and celery; sprinkled with my BBQ rub, and covered with an olive oil. You can use any seasonings of your choice.

• Cover with aluminum wrap with shiny side up, away from chicken, or cook in a pot with a lid. About 1 hr at 350F. The onions caramelize with the celery and become a delicious topping or side dish; I never make enough. Keeping the chicken covered helps keep chicken moist.

• After pulling out of the oven and letting it rest for 10 minutes, I had to check my cabinet for what olive oil I had used. It was a basil-flavored Olive Oil, which added a scrumptious taste!

• Once cool, you can remove from bone and either cut up to freeze, add to soups or serve just as it is.

• Store in juices to keep chicken moist when you heat it back up before serving.

Note to self; cut up more onions and celery next time!

Charlotte

Secret Chili Recipe Ingredients

At national cook-offs, the ingredients are guarded like a national secret. Some will hint at the special ingredient, others will claim they will go to their graves before they even hint at what gives their chili its special flavor.

Over the years, I have heard of a variety of "secret" chili recipe ingredients, and tried a few myself. One of my favorites is baking cocoa; it helps to balance the acid in the tomatoes.

I have also tried a couple of tablespoons of honey from my beehives. If you like tang, use a couple tablespoons of lime juice, it gives the chili a little spanish twist.

Want a little nutty taste? Try peanut butter. I experimented with both regular and light and couldn't tell a difference so I would pick the lighter version.

Don't forget cooking with beer. Cooking removes the alcohol leaving the taste of the different hops. Try different beer varieties until you find one you like. In the chili, I mean, and not all together!

What is your secret chili ingredient?

Charlotte

Homemade Chili Recipe

For those of you who have canned, frozen and otherwise preserved summer produce from your garden, now is your chance to shine - and be inspired to gardening even more. There are few dishes that chase away bone-chilling winter than homemade chili.

Over the years, I have tried a range of recipes from vintage to modern. I have also tried a number of combinations but forgotten to write most of them down - well, except for this one. I was making it at one of my brother's homes and my sister-in-law insisted I write it down as I was throwing it together.

One of the nice things about chili is there are a only a few basic ingredients; after the basics, you can customize to your own taste.

I start with fresh tomatoes when I can, or a jar of canned tomatoes. When you start adding other preserved garden produce like green peppers, zucchini, squash, and whatever else you may have handy, this chili recipe becomes a culinary adventure.

Do you also have a secret chili ingredient? Every chili maker has one!

Charlotte’s Homemade Chili Recipe

For this recipe, you will need:

• 16 oz. can pinto beans; 16 oz. can red beans or 32 oz. of one kind of beans

• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef (optional)

• 1 large cut up yellow onion

• 1-3 cut up garlic cloves

• 2 cups water

For seasoning:  

• 2-3 tablespoons chili power

• 1 teaspoon fresh-dried oregano from garden

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon baking cocoa

• 1-2 teaspoons salt

• Bay leaves

Instructions: 

• Add and brown ground beef.

• In a larger pot, mix tomatoes and beans.

• Add seasonings and 2 cups water. Cook on low.

• Drain browned hamburger and onions; add to simmering pot.

• Taste test.

• Add salt if necessary. Add 2-3 bay leaves. Cook for 15 minutes longer.

• Remove bay leaves.

• Serve, or store in small containers to freeze for later use.

Charlotte

Pancakes Rachel

During my niece's summer visit, one morning she asked for pancakes.

To celebrate, we popped a few chocolate chips while the cakes were cooking.

With the chocolate, she said no need to add syrup or honey.

Would you like a bite?

Charlotte