It's March. It was forecast to be 68 today, snow tomorrow. So, even though we're anxious for asparagus and strawberries, we still need something warm and cozy to nourish us through the storm. This hearty meal does the trick. Obviously this is a really good food storage recipe. You can tell by my dusty lids that most of the cans came from storage! :)

Vegetarian Chipotle Three-Bean Stew

Dave Lieberman, Young & Hungry

Makes 12-15 healthy servings (This makes a ton! After three adults and two kids dined on this recipe, I had three quarts left over! Freeze some for another meal or feed the masses!)

Serve with Corn Bread (Oooo! I'll have to put that recipe up soon!)

¼ c extra-virgin olive oil (extra light)

2 medium onions, diced (You'll notice I used one huge Vidalia onion.)

One 1 lb bag “baby-cut” carrots (I think those are too big for one bite. I could cut them up, but I'd rather just peel some carrots and cut them into big chunks.)

5-6 garlic cloves, pressed (I always have bottled minced garlic in the fridge. I really prefer using that because sometimes the quality of the fresh garlic is not so great.)

One 26 oz can chopped tomatoes (Since the kiddies don't like chunks of tomatoes in their food, I pour the tomatoes into a jar and puree them using a stick blender.)

Two 15 oz cans pinto beans

Two 15 oz cans red beans (kidney)

One 15 oz can pink beans (white)

Two 15 oz cans vegetable broth

One 12 oz can dark beer (ginger ale)

4 canned chipotle chilies packed in adobo sauce, finely chopped almost to a puree, plus 2 tablespoons of the adobo sauce (I only use the 2 tablespoons of sauce. Then I remove all the peppers, pour the rest of the sauce in a jar and freeze that for future use.)

1 teaspoon salt

The next ingredients are added near the end of the process!

One 11 oz can sodium-free whole kernel corn (I usually only have regular corn.)

1 small bunch Italian parsley, roughly chopped (I usually use dried.)

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the onions and cook, stirring until they start to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots and garlic, and cook for a few minutes. Strain and rinse the beans. Add them and all the remaining ingredients except the corn and parsley. Add enough water to cover ingredients by an inch or two, about 2 cups. Bring to a boil and then adjust the heat so the liquid is simmering. Simmer for about 1 hour, until the chili has reduced and thickened and the beans are barely covered by liquid. Stir in the corn and parsley, and turn off the heat.

You can make this up to a few days in advance without adding the corn and parsley. Keep it in the fridge and the flavors will really develop, and the chili will taste even more amazing. Just remember that before you put it into the fridge for storage, it needs to come to room temperature—at least a few hours of sitting after it has finished cooking.

Cheese Ball

We make this every year at least once between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is a slightly altered version of the one in the Better Homes and Garden New Cook Book, 1981 Edition.

Cheese Ball

1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream*
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 Tablespoons finely chopped roasted red peppers
1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley or 1 Tablespoon fresh, snipped parsley
1 teaspoon grated onion (Really. That's all you need.)

1/3 cup finely chopped nuts

Combine cream cheese, sour cream, and butter; beat with electric mixer till fluffy. Mix in red peppers, parsley, and onion. Chill. Shape into a ball and coat with nuts.**

Makes about 1 3/4 cups.

*This used to say 1/2 cup sour cream, but we decided we wanted a little stiffer cheese ball.  If you keep it at 1/2 cup sour cream, it would fill celery quite nicely though.  Also, to keep this cheese ball from getting watery, store leftovers level.

**Lately I just chill it in a bowl and sprinkle the nuts on top. Easy peasy.

Asparagus with Lemon Butter

Ingredients

• one bunch (about 1/2 pound) fresh asparagus
• salt
  
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

Rinse asparagus. Trim asparagus by picking up each stem, holding it in the middle and at the bottom end. Bend until it snaps.

In a large skillet, bring about 1/2 inch of salted water to a rapid boil. Add asparagus and cook for 2-3 minutes or until bright green and just tender. Drain the asparagus by pouring into a strainer. Add butter to the skillet to melt. Stir in the zest and juice. Return the drained asparagus to the skillet and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Notes:

If you don't have the patience for bending each stem, here's a shortcut for trimming asparagus. Or just cut a couple of inches off the bottom.

How long you cook asparagus really depends on how thick it is. Use a fork to test for doneness. Underdone is better than overdone. Overdone is slimy.

Variation: After the asparagus is drained, stop the cooking by submerging it immediately in a bowl of ice water. This will help the asparagus to retain the bright green color. Serve the asparagus cold with a vinaigrette instead of lemon butter.

Asparagus with Lemon Butter

Chocolate Honey Almond Tart

The third gift of chocolate was a Chocolate Honey Almond Tart I saw made on "Giada at Home" on Food Network TV. It was delicious and the crunchy crust was perfect with the rich, smooth ganache filling. What you see pictured here is the single tiny slice I had left when I realized I never took a picture of the final product. And while I do suggest small slices, because it is very rich, this may seem a bit stingy. Then again, you could justify a second helping that way. :) Also, I thought this could have been enhanced by some fresh raspberries and whipped cream, or a raspberry sauce. But like I said, by the time I got to this third round of chocolate--I was beggin' for something else! If you'd been in a chocolate desert, it would absolutely quench your thirst!


Chocolate Honey Almond Tart

• 1/2 stick (2 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, at room temperature, plus extra for coating the pan
• 9 chocolate graham crackers, 5 1/2-ounces total
• 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup honey
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan.

Place the graham crackers and almonds in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the mixture forms fine crumbs, about 15 to 20 seconds. Add the butter and pulse until incorporated. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 12 minutes. Cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.

In a small saucepan, whisk the cream and honey together over low heat until the honey has dissolved. Increase the heat to medium and bring the mixture to just below a boil. Place the chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until the mixture is smooth. Pour the chocolate filling over the prepared crust. Refrigerate for at least 5 hours or preferably overnight.

Loosen the tart from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the edge. Unmold the tart and transfer to a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve.

Fabulous Frosting with Truffles left over

The next chocolate gift was truffles. These are as easy to make as fudge, except you have the extra work of rolling each truffle. I just use my Fabulous Frosting recipe--I don't remember where I got the recipe originally. I think it's an amalgamation of a bunch of frosting recipes I have tried. Here it is:






Fabulous Frosting with Truffles Left Over!
1 c whipping cream
1/4 c honey
3 T butter
12 oz mini chocolate chips

(Okay, mini chocolate chips seem to melt completely, while the regular chips always seem to have tiny pieces of chocolate running through it--not that tiny pieces of chocolate running through it is bad! Seriously, I could say I meant to do it and everyone would think I was genius! So if you want everything totally smooth--which I usually want for frosting, use mini chocolate chips. But if you want my favorite flavor, use half 60 percent cacao Ghiradelli chocolate chips half Ghiradelli semisweet chocolate chips--and tell everyone you had to cook everything just right to have those delicious bits of chocolate running through it!)

In a small saucepan, whisk the cream, honey and butter together over low heat until the honey has dissolved and the butter has melted. Increase the heat to medium and bring the mixture to just below a boil. Remove from heat and add the chips. Stir until chips are melted and the frosting is smooth and beautiful! Let cool to frosting consistency.

I've also used the double boiler method and just thrown everything together until it melts completely. This is good for when you have distractions. :) Now for the truffles. I'll use instructions from Giada De Laurentiis' Balsamic Chocolate Truffles Recipe--which is also really goood:

Cool the chocolate in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Remove from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours, until firm but moldable. (If you're impatient, you can roll them straight out of the fridge--they just won't be perfect little balls--which some say makes them look more like real truffles.)

Use a teaspoon to scoop out chocolate. Use your fingertips to shape into balls about the size of a cherry. Set the chocolate balls on a parchment-lined tray. Place the cocoa powder in a small shallow dish. Place 6 truffles at a time in the cocoa powder and roll the truffles around to coat, and return the coated truffles to the baking sheet. Continue with the remaining truffles. Place the truffles in a serving dish or airtight package. (I also like to use finely chopped nuts or Nilla Wafer crumbs.)

Cinnamon Chocolate Fudge

My entire presidency's birthdays were in the past few weeks and I wanted to give each a small gift. The first was this delicious fudge. The cinnamon makes it unique and gives it warmth. I saw it made on Food Network's Giada at Home. The recipes shared on that show are delicious and family friendly. It has inspired Kathryn as well. I'll post her adventure making an Italian soup and crostini soon.  Anyway, here's my review:

Ingredients

• Butter, for greasing the pan
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 pound (about 2 cups) bittersweet (60 percent cacao) chocolate chips (recommended: Ghiradelli) see Cook's Note (I used 1-1/2 cups 60% and 1 cup semisweet [Ghiradelli--most excellent, dude])
  
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, at room temperature
• Kosher or flake salt, optional

Directions

Butter the bottom and sides of an 8 by 8-inch baking pan. Line the pan with a sheet of parchment paper, about 14-inches long and 7-inches wide, allowing the excess to overhang the sides. Set aside. (This makes it really easy to lift out the fudge--it's worth the effort.)

In a medium glass or stainless steel bowl, combine the condensed milk, cinnamon, and vanilla. Stir in the chocolate chips and butter. Put the bowl on a saucepan of barely simmering water and mix until the chocolate chips have melted and the mixture is smooth, about 6 to 8 minutes (mixture will be thick). Using a spatula, scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle with salt, if desired. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until firm. (Someone I gave this recipe to said her salt dissolved--maybe because she didn't store it in the fridge?--Confirmed!  It's true!  So keep them chilled!  They taste better that way anyway.)

Run a warm knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the fudge. Remove the fudge to a cutting board. Peel off the parchment paper and cut the fudge into 1-inch pieces. Store refrigerated in an airtight container or freeze.

Cook's Note: The fudge can also be made using 1 pound (about 2 1/2 cups) of semisweet chocolate chips.   

I've made these a few times without using cinnamon.  It's still excellent fudge, and if you are giving any to Grandma Carlene, she actually prefers it that way.

Waaaaaaaay Better Irish Soda Bread!

4 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 tablespoons frozen unsalted butter, grated
1 3/4 cups cold buttermilk, shaken
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 cup dried raisins, tossed in 1 Tablespoon flour

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

 Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is thoroughly mixed into the flour.

Lightly beat the buttermilk, egg, and orange zest together in a liquid measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Combine the currants with 1 tablespoon of flour and mix into the dough. It will be very wet.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and knead gently into a round loaf. Place the loaf on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut an X into the top of the bread with a serrated knife. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. When you tap the loaf, it will have a hollow sound.

Cool on a baking rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

To make half-loaf*:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons frozen unsalted butter, grated
7/8 cups cold buttermilk, shaken**
1 small egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 cup dried raisins, tossed in 1/2 Tablespoon flour

Follow the directions as stated above, but bake for 35-40 minutes.

*Why would you want a half-loaf? Well, other than maybe you don't need a giant loaf, you may want to make one loaf with raisins, and one loaf without.

**The easiest way I have found to measure this is to just eyeball half-way between 3/4 cup and 1 cup.

Based on this recipe.

Corned Beef and Cabbage (twi ways)

Now we come to the Corned Beef and Cabbage. For years we did it this way—the boiled method:

Corned Beef and Cabbage with Horseradish Sauce

1 onion
4 whole cloves
4-lb. Corned beef
2 sprigs parsley
8 whole peppercorns
1 head cabbage, 2½ to 3 lbs.
1 cup sour cream
1 T prepared horseradish

Peel onion and stick with cloves. Put corned beef, onion, parsley and peppercorns in a large pot and cover with water. Cover, bring to a simmer and cook gently until tender, 2½ to 3 hours. Cut cabbage into wedges and core. Add to the pot, cover and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes. Combine sour cream with horseradish. Serve the meat and cabbage with some of the broth ladled over all the horseradish sauce on the side.

But this year, I tried a baked corned beef and sautéed cabbage recipe. It’s a slight variation from one posted on simplyrecipes.com, which did a great job comparing boiled and baked/sautéed. We really liked it, and I think we’ll be making a permanent switch.

Corned Beef (baked)
Corned beef (in package)
10 whole cloves

Mustard topping
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 T yellow mustard
2 T honey
Pepper
2 Tbsp brown sugar

Preheat oven to 300°F. Drain the corned beef from the package and discard the spice packet. Line a 13x9 baking pan with foil. Put in the corned beef, fat side up. Poke cloves into the top of the meat—I needed to pierce it with a sharp knife first, then the cloves would go in. Spread half of the mustard topping on top of the meat. Sprinkle brown sugar over the top.

Take another piece of foil and tent it over the top and seal the sides. Try to leave space between the top of the meat and the foil. Bake 1 hour per pound of meat.

Remove from oven and move rack up and turn to Broil. Take off the top piece of foil (or just tear it off) and spread the rest of the mustard (or however much you want) on top. Broil for 2-3 minutes, until the top is bubbly and lightly browned. Rest 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Cabbage (Sautéed)

1 T Olive oil
1 T butter
½ Vidalia onion, chopped
1 clove minced garlic
½ head cabbage, thinly sliced, then chopped to bite-size pieces
Salt

In a large sauté pan, on medium high heat, heat the oil and butter and cook the onions for about 5 minutes (don’t let it brown). Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add a third of the cabbage, sprinkle with salt, mix well. When the cabbage begins to brown, add another third of the cabbage, sprinkle with salt, mix well. When it again begins to brown, add the last batch of cabbage, sprinkle with salt, let it brown a little, and then you’re good to go. Add more olive oil if it gets things get sticky.

Champ

Champ

3 lbs boiling potatoes
8 scallions
6 T butter
Salt and Pepper
6 T milk

Cut potatoes in chunks. Put in a large pot with salted water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 25 minutes. Slice scallions, including green tops. Melt butter in pan you cooked potatoes in. Cook scallions. Mash potatoes with butter, salt and pepper, and milk. Combine with scallions.

Champ is just mashed potatoes with green onions mixed in. Don’t ask me why they call green onions scallions, but the picture showed green onions in the potatoes. We like smashed (cooked, but not peeled) red potatoes at our house, and kids don’t like the onions mixed in, so I just sprinkle some on top for looks.

Irish Soda Bread

Irish Soda Bread
(Before you make this one, check this one out.)

3 c flour
1½ t baking soda
¾ t salt
½ t baking powder
1¼ t whole caraway seeds
6 T butter
1¼ c plus 1 T buttermilk
1 egg

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, soda, salt, baking powder and 1 t of the caraway seeds. Cut in butter until it is the size ofg peas. Stir in 1¼ c of the buttermilk until ingredients are well-moistened. Turn dough out onto a work surface and knead until smooth, about 1 minute. Form dough into a ball and put on an ungreased baking sheet. Beat egg with remaining 1 T butermilk and brush dough with some of this glaze. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ t seeds. Cut a ¼"-deep cross in the top. Bake until golden, about 1 hour 15 minutes. After 1 hour, brush with more glaze. Cool completely before serving.

Per Slice: Cal. 219; Pro. 6g; Fat 8g; Sod. 330mg; Carb. 30g; Chol. 41 mg.

Green-Pea Soup with Mint

Green-Pea Soup with Mint

1 onion
3 T butter
2 T olive oil
3 10-oz pkgs frozen peas
4½ c chicken stock or broth
1 c water
1 t salt
¼ t pepper
2 t chopped fresh mint or ¾ t dried mint

Chop onion. Melt butter with oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add peas, stock, water, salt and pepper. Simmer 20-25 minutes. Add mint and puree soup in a blender or food processor, in batches if necessary. CAUTION: When blending hot mixtures, always leave an opening at top for air to escape! If possible, let soup cool before blending. When ready to serve, simmer until heated through.

Prep Time: 45 min.
Number of Servings: 8
Per Serving: Cal. 171; Pro. 7g; Fat 9g; Sod. 425mg; Carb. 16g; Chol. 12mg

I really try to make this a day ahead. I also use an immersion blender to puree the soup—one of the best tools out there. Fun Fact: This is what David asked for when someone very nice asked him what dish from home he'd like for Christmas Dinner.

Pie Crust

You feel like a real cook when you make a successful pie crust. And my handsome nephew, Alex, knows the essential ingredient--lard--real lard, not the shelf stable kind--the kind that needs to be refrigerated or frozen. Where do you get that from Alex? Uncle Curt always picks it up for me. Anyway, here's how:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 sticks very cold unsalted butter, small dice

1/3 cup very cold lard, small dice

6 to 8 tablespoons (about 1/2 cup) ice water

Whisk the flour, salt, and sugar in the large bowl*. Add the butter and lard. With your fingers (or a couple of knives, or a pastry cutter) break the fat into pea-size portions. Add ice water a tablespoon at a time, mixing until the dough forms a ball. Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Makes 2 crusts. Roll out on a well-floured board with a well-floured rolling pin, turning and flouring the dough as you go. Fold the dough in half before placing in the pie pan to avoid ripping.

*If you're lucky enough to have a large food processor, load it up with the flour, salt and sugar, and pulse until mixed. Add the butter and lard and pulse again until they are the size of peas. Then turn on the machine and pour the ice water down the feed tube one tablespoon at a time until the dough forms a ball. I'll do this in my little food processor if I cut the recipe in half. It works pretty slick.

Update: You can get lard at Circle V Meats in Spanish Fork--thanks Alex!