Winter Warm - Fireplace Cozy - Big Game Chili

Yup, its that Chili time of the year. Frosty and Blustery outside, inside warm and cozy. Chili time...

The last couple years I've started a new tradition. A new chili recipe for the big game AND the cold weather. Everyone has to have a chili recipe for the Super Bowl, and what's better than chili when you're chilly? (Sorry, couldn't resist the cheezy joke)

This year, I decided to really shake it up by using chopped mushrooms in my chili. I promise! That if you don't tell, I won't. The texture and flavor of these mushrooms mimic ground meat perfectly. And they are so easy to make. If you were making a ground beef or ground turkey chili, wouldn't you sauté the meat first? Exactly what we are going to do in this recipe, too!

Big Game Chili (With a Secret) 

3 TB Grapeseed or Canola Oil, divided

2 Cups Chopped Red Onions

2 Cups Chopped Peppers - Your choice of anything you like. If you want it mild, choose bell peppers, spicier use jalepeno, serrano, banana peppers, etc. How bout a combo?

2 TB Chili Powder

1 TB Smoked Paprika

1 TB Turmeric

1 Tsp Sea Salt

1/2 Tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1/2 Tsp Hot Sauce - your choice.

4 Grated Garlic Cloves

2 (28 OZ) Cans Fire Roasted Tomatoes

4 Cups Cooked or Canned Beans - your choice. I used red beans and black beans, but anything is up for grabs like pinto or kidney beans, navy beans or even chickpeas!

1 (12 OZ) Can Stout or Dark Beer - or veg stock 

3 (16 OZ) Packages Baby Bella Mushrooms

Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Garnishes like cilantro, chopped onion, avocado, cheese, pumpkin seeds, lime wedges, salsa etc.

Step One Heat 2 TB of oil in a stockpot and add the onions and peppers, chili powder, smoked paprika, turmeric, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Cook and stir over medium heat until the onions and peppers are very soft. Add the grated garlic and cook until aromatic about a minute.

Step Two Add in the tomatoes, beans and beer. Bring to simmer and cook over medium heat for about thirty minutes.

Step Three While the chili is cooking, chop the mushrooms finely in a food processor, filling the processor only half full and using the pulse feature to chop the mushrooms. When all are chopped, heat the remaining 1 TB of oil in a large sauté pan, and sauté the mushrooms, (seasoned with salt and pepper), in three batches until all the liquid is absorbed and the mushrooms are browned. Add the cooked mushrooms to the simmering pot of chili and cook for an additional 15 minutes, or until all the flavors are incorporated and the chili is warm. Serve the chili with your desired garnishes.

Kicking the New Year Off Right - A Bright and Refreshing Salad Dressing and Ways to Use it!

Happy New Year! If you are thinking about better-for-you eating, I have an incredibly delicious way to get excited about it. The way I see it, the only way to continue past the first few weeks of this resolution time of the year is to make the food you eat absolutely "craveable".  One way to do it - BIG FLAVOR. That's what citrus brings. Stand in the produce section of any store this month and you'll see big bags of roly-poly clementines, fat oranges and gi-normous colorful grapefruit. All perfect to pair with warm comfort food favorites like stews and soups and casseroles.

I developed this recipe for a favorite meal full of protein-packed goodies like beans, quinoa and mushrooms. All that heavy food needed a lift. That's where this dressing comes in! Drizzled over a platter of citrus and frozen, (or fresh) berries it adds a kick of fresh flavor - not to mention color.

Once I served up the dressing on a salad, I knew it was a hit. Later, when thinking about an appearance on Atlanta and Company, (a TV show on 11 Alive here in Atlanta), I knew I had to share the recipe - it is THAT good. I wanted to brainstorm a new way to use it - the show was all about better-for-you appetizers.

Eureka! Playing with a bag of clementines gave me my answer. Two tiny segments, the fresh taste of basil, and a little salty prosciutto wrapped around the bright tangy fruit made an excellent bite. To make it better? A drizzle of the dressing.

Below are two totally different ways I've used the easy-to-make bright and refreshing dressing. I'm still coming up with more ideas - like using the dressing as a quick marinade for white fish, or as a dip for grilled shrimp. How good does that sound? But I know that there are still lots of ideas - what are yours?

The recipe is SO good - when I passed it on to a friend she made it for New Years Eve and posted this picture to her Facebook page!

Tart and Sweet Orange, Berry and Pomegranate Salad

4 Navel Oranges

2 Cups Blueberries (Can be Frozen)

½  Cup Pomegranate Arils

DRESSING

1 TB Maple Syrup

1 TB Honey

Juice and Zest of a Lime

¼ Tsp Ground Cardamom

¼ Tsp Cinnamon

Baby Lettuces

Radicchio

¼ Cup Chopped Toasted Pistachios

Step One Peel the fruit and cut in rounds over a bowl.

Step Two Drain any excess juice from the fruit into a sauté pan. Add the syrup, honey, lime juice and zest, cardamom and cinnamon to the saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer for a minute or two and then remove from heat and let cool. Pour over fruit mixture and toss until all the fruit is coated. Serve on a bed of baby lettuce and radichio and sprinkle with nuts.

Clementine and Prosciutto Skewers with Lime Honey Drizzle

Seasonal fruit, wrapped in a basil leaf and a little Prosciutto and drizzled with a little dressing – served on a skewer.

DRESSING or DRIZZLE

1 TB Maple Syrup

1 TB Honey

Juice and Zest of a Lime

¼ Tsp Ground Cardamom

¼ Tsp Cinnamon

4 Clementines, Separated into 2-segment wedges

1 Bunch Basil, in Julienne Strips

4 OZ Thinly Sliced Prosciutto

Step One Add the maple syrup, honey, zest and juice and lime, cardamom and cinnamon to a jar and shake well.

Step Two Wrap a piece of the basil, and then a strip of Prosciutto around each 2-segment wedge of clementine. Skewer, and then drizzle with the lime honey dressing.

WHATS that fruit under the skewers? Its a POMMELO. A citrus fruit from Southeast Asia that is juicy and sweet - kinda like a sweet grapefruit. Isn't it gorgeous - I found it at the regular grocery store. Not only is it delicious, its also glamorous when used with the pretty skewers!

Bourbon Sweet Potato Pecan and Quinoa Stuffed Mushrooms

It started with a Facebook post... When the offer from Four Roses Bourbon popped up on our Atlanta Food Bloggers page, I knew there was bourbon in my future.

If you check out my profile and discover that I'm an Ole Miss alum, I don't have to tell you I'm a bourbon fan. Every tailgate in the Grove, (some say the original site of tailgating), came with a side of bourbon. Straight up, on the rocks, with ginger ale, club soda or Coke, it didn't matter how you "took" your drink, you always had bourbon in your glass.

Fast forward, and I am still a bourbon lover. Now, I prefer to drink bourbon in a mixed drink, or a special cocktail like a mint julep. But bourbon's more than just for drinking, I love to cook with it too. With the promise of a bottle arriving in the mail, I started thinking about how to incorporate Four Roses in a "Healthy Chef Partyologist" recipe.

I quickly discarded ideas that were tried and true, I needed to give this recipe a special twist. We are heading into the holidays, so I wanted it to be yummy, versatile and healthy for both family and friends. One of my favorite ways to make a delicious side for Thanksgiving dinner uses bourbon, butter, orange juice and orange zest that I stir into a batch of creamy baked sweet potatoes.

Why couldn't I take that same idea and make it into an ancient grains pilaf. Stuff it into mushrooms as an appetizer? Scoop it onto portabellas for my veggie friends - or just pile into a big bowl and slice up a lot of roasted mushrooms as a topper. I headed into the kitchen, and the results are awesome.

You can make a double batch and munch on it all week. Make it portable by spooning it into a whole wheat pita pocket, adding some shredded kale and you have a filling lunch, full of protein and flavor!

Bourbon Sweet Potato Pecan and Quinoa Stuffed Mushrooms

24 Baby Bella Mushrooms, or 12 Portabella Mushrooms
3 TB Soy Sauce or Tamari
1 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 Cups Prepared Quinoa
2 TBs Unsalted Butter
2 TBs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Cup Finely Chopped Red Onion
1 Tsp Sea Salt and 1/2 Tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
3 Cups Finely Chopped Sweet Potato
1/4 Cup Four Roses Bourbon
2 TB Water
1 Cup Roasted Chopped Pecans
2 TB Fresh Thyme Leaves
2 TB Chopped Fresh Sage
2 TB Chopped Parsley

Step One
Remove the stems and gills from the mushrooms. Don't throw them out - use them for veggie stock!
Ten Tips to Make Veg Stock on the Taste and Savor Blog, Friday January 9, 2015 (I use a melon baller to scoop out the stem and gills.)

Step Two
Put the soy sauce and oil together in a bowl large enough to hold the mushrooms. Put the mushrooms in the bowl, and coat them with the mixture. Remove and place them "hole side up" on a sheet tray that has been lined with parchment or aluminum foil. Place in a 400F oven for 15 - 20 min or until they are nice and brown.

They will have released a great deal of liquid, turn them over to drain.

Step Three
While the mushrooms are roasting, melt the butter with the olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add the red onion and season with the salt and pepper. Over medium high heat, cook the onions until very soft, about 7-8 minutes. Add in the sweet potatoes and cook and stir for another 5 minutes or until the potatoes are starting to soften and acquire a little deeper color.

Step Four
Remove the pan from the heat and add the bourbon and water. Return to the stove and cook until the potatoes are soft and the bourbon and water have evaporated, about 6-8 minutes.

Step Five
Turn off the heat and add in the quinoa, pecans, thyme and sage. Stuff into your prepared roasted mushrooms and garnish with a sprinkle of parsley. (If you are serving it as a side dish, simply mound the quinoa mixture into your bowl, slice your mushrooms and top with the mushrooms and parsley.)

Bourbon Sweet Potato Pecan and Quinoa Stuffed Mushrooms

24 Baby Bella Mushrooms, or 12 Portabella Mushrooms
3 TB Soy Sauce or Tamari
1 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 Cups Prepared Quinoa
2 TBs Unsalted Butter
2 TBs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Cup Finely Chopped Red Onion
1 Tsp Sea Salt and 1/2 Tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
3 Cups Finely Chopped Sweet Potato
1/4 Cup Four Roses Bourbon
2 TB Water
1 Cup Roasted Chopped Pecans
2 TB Fresh Thyme Leaves
2 TB Chopped Fresh Sage
2 TB Chopped Parsley

Step One
Remove the stems and gills from the mushrooms. Don't throw them out - use them for veggie stock!
Ten Tips to Make Veg Stock on the Taste and Savor Blog, Friday January 9, 2015 (I use a melon baller to scoop out the stem and gills.)

Step Two
Put the soy sauce and oil together in a bowl large enough to hold the mushrooms. Put the mushrooms in the bowl, and coat them with the mixture. Remove and place them "hole side up" on a sheet tray that has been lined with parchment or aluminum foil. Place in a 400F oven for 15 - 20 min or until they are nice and brown. They will have released a great deal of liquid, turn them over to drain.

Step Three
While the mushrooms are roasting, melt the butter with the olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add the red onion and season with the salt and pepper. Over medium high heat, cook the onions until very soft, about 7-8 minutes. Add in the sweet potatoes and cook and stir for another 5 minutes or until the potatoes are starting to soften and acquire a little deeper color.

Step Four
Remove the pan from the heat and add the bourbon and water. Return to the stove and cook until the potatoes are soft and the bourbon and water have evaporated, about 6-8 minutes.

Step Five
Turn off the heat and add in the quinoa, pecans, thyme and sage. Stuff into your prepared roasted mushrooms and garnish with a sprinkle of parsley. (If you are serving it as a side dish, simply mound the quinoa mixture into your bowl, slice your mushrooms and top with the mushrooms and parsley.)

Seven Things You Don't Know About Serbia

ONE

Serbia is beautiful, with a continental climate that means warm sunny summers and lots of sun in the winter. So much sun that there are places like these in the pictures below - right in the middle of Belgrade, Serbia’s largest city.

And ski resorts like Kopaonik in Southwest Serbia, the country’s winter playground, are only a five or six hour drive from Belgrade.

 TWO

It’s very European-feeling. If you are comfortable walking the streets of any major city in Europe, you will be fine strolling in Serbia’s largest city center in Belgrade. Another bonus? Many people speak English. Well… not fluently. And not everyone speaks up quickly. But you will be surprised at how many can help you find your way in the busy area of shops and restaurants. You’ll hear music you can sing along to - American pop songs - in all the “trendier” places in town.

If you want a coffee or a glass of wine, you can pause at any number of cute cafes or bistros, with a décor that feels international, hip and clean. Don’t be surprised to see celebrities enjoying their drink, too. Belgrade is a popular spot to shoot films and TV shows.

I WAS the only person taking pictures of my plate before diving in. Do make sure that you ask before taking pictures. With Serbia’s past still looming large in many people’s minds, they often don’t want their pictures taken. But to my delight - I found they love the pictures of their culinary efforts.

THREE

The traditional food is irresistible. Yes, it’s a little heavy on the meat-centric side. But if you are a fan of Mediterranean cooking, you’re going to find a lot of delicious med-style dishes full of peppers, onions and garlic.

And OH! The cheese!

I could find my way right around the grocery store, its similar to our familiar layout. Just like my local Kroger, the good stuff was pretty much on the perimeter of the store. The produce section was large, and the meat section big, too. And the dairy section was huge, with lots of different cheeses and yogurts. I wanted to try them all.

Of course, one of my first stops upon arrival was a large green market in Belgrade. Local farmers sell their wares every day, with especially large participation on the weekends. Their food was gorgeous and displayed beautifully.

FOUR

The wine has been getting lots of international attention. Serbia has more than a few indigenous varieties of both red and white, but many international varieties are grown. Wines are made from grapes like Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Here’s a short and good intro to Serbian wines

Wine and spirits are sold everywhere! And there are big wine departments in the grocery stores. Great sections of Serbian wine, of course, but the rest of Europe was well represented, too. Wines from the “good old USA”? Not so much. I did find Woodbridge Zinfandel and Chardonnay in a couple of stores.

And speaking of spirits, the national drink of Serbia is rakia (ROCK-e-ah). (I am convinced that is the Serbian word for jet fuel!) Although it's a popular alcoholic drink in the Balkans, Serbia is the world's largest rakia producer and drinks more rakia per capita than any other country. If you’ve ever tasted a French eau-de-vie or a Grappa from Italy, you have an idea of the flavor of rakia.

The 40% alcohol drink is made from the whole fruit, the flesh and seeds, instead of just pits and pomace like grappa. This means it has more fruit flavor. I enjoyed apricot, quince, plum, wild pear, and grape rakia. At a very upscale restaurant, I was even served a chamomile tea Rakia – made with grapes and tea!

Rakia is served as an aperitif, throughout the meal and as a “digestif”. I loved the different presentations of the drink, from the traditional small bottle in a glass of ice to a shot glass, or even in a pretty little after dinner drink glass.

Hey, I bet you didn’t know that there’s even a Serbian Wine Route!

FIVE

There’s lots of fun activities and sports in Serbia. Biking is BIG! The Danube Bike Trail (DBT) passes through Serbia and bears the designation EuroVelo-Route 6 which means that it lies on the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) Atlantic – Black Sea route.

For exploring, Serbia has five national parks that are members of European EUROPARC national parks federation.  Serbia also has a great tradition of spas and wellness, with a large number of health resorts located near cold and warm mineral springs. I experienced a relaxing facial, mask and mani-pedi. AHHHH…

There are lots to see and do. The people of Serbia are SO proud of their country. They are happy to see tourists and anxious to guide you to their favorite spots.

Beautiful old buildings surround you in Belgrade, along with poignant reminders of the turmoil Belgraders have experienced in the past 100 years. For site seeing - there are UNESCO World Heritage Sites to visit like the Studenica monastery, Stari Ras and Sopoćani, and the Mediaeval Monuments in Kosovo and Gamzigrad – Romuliana.

SIX

You’ll find everything familiar in hotels and houses. The kitchens are equipped much like ours in the USA. I found the refrigerators to be almost full size, although not everyone has a dishwasher. Coffee makers, (Nespresso machines most often), toasters, waffle makers and microwaves are all used. You will often find a washer and/or dryer or combo in the kitchen or bathroom - they don’t usually have separate laundry rooms. Many people even in the swankiest neighborhoods still hang their clothes and linens to dry. I’d forgotten how divine it feels to fall into a bed with air-dried sheets. Wow…I am all for a comeback of that tradition! Bathrooms are big and spacious with showers and very euro-centric showerheads and nozzles.

SEVEN

It’s inexpensive! I was wowed by the quality of food and service for the cost. You can count on prices for most tourist activities to be a third to a half of the cost of other European countries or the US. The currency is the Dinar, and Euros or Dollars are easy to exchange in the major cities. I used my Visa card, (with a chip), almost everywhere in Belgrade.

And did I mention, I did a little dental work while I was there? Oh yes. I even got my American dentist on board before I went. She was encouraging – and sent my xrays to me – I took them with me and was extremely pleased with the results! When I arrived in Serbia on a Saturday, I had my first appointment with the dentist. He even called in the technician that made my three new porcelain crowns. ON Saturday! I left the following Saturday with three beautiful new teeth and two new fillings. All that dental work for less that the cost of a single crown in the USA. Needless to say, I’m now a fan of “Dental Tourism”!

And the bonus is...

Serbia is easy to fly to from the United States. I took Lufthansa to Frankfurt Germany, and then on to Belgrade. The Belgrade airport was easy to maneuver and easy to find my friend, Biljana, who was there to greet me when I arrived.

I was so lucky to have a fabulous hostess for my first visit to Serbia. (If you read this Biljana – I can’t wait to host you in the states.) But, I’m ready right now for a return trip to explore more of your fascinating country, its culinary and wine traditions and lovely and warm people.