fancy-pants bean chili

I adapted David Lebovitz's Chocolate Chili to a) use an InstantPot to cook the beans and b) not have beef (though I did end up using beef bouillon). Recording my modifications here because it's something I'd happily make again:

Chocolate Bean Chili

• 2 pounds (900g) dried red or variegated heirloom beans (I used a mix of pinto, red, and kidney beans)
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 glug oil

• 3 teaspoons smoked salt 
• 2 to 4 dried chiles (I used chipotle, with seeds)
• about 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 2 medium onions, peeled and diced
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 teaspoons chipotle chile powder
• 2 teaspoons ancho chile powder (if available otherwise use an additional teaspoon of red chile powder)
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 cups (50cl) beer (I used an IPA)
• 2 cans (15oz, 200g each) crushed or diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 ounces (55g) unsweetened chocolate (or 3 ounces, 85g, bittersweet chocolate, in which case skip the brown sugar)
• 4 teaspoons bouillon
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar or lime juice (I forgot about this....)

First, the beans: soak them overnight, then drain, rinse, and add to instantpot. Add 8 cups of water, a few smashed garlic cloves, and a glug of oil. For this particular mix of beans, I used 8 minutes at high pressure, natural release. It is a lot of beans!

Prepare the dried chiles by chopping them up (remove the seeds if you don't want it to be spicy) and pouring boiling water over them (just enough to cover). When they've softened, drain them.

When you're ready to actually make chili, saute the onions in the oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat until they turn translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the drained chiles, salt, garlic, chile powders, oregano, cumin, and paprika, and saute for another minute, stirring continually to avoid burning.

Add the beer, tomatoes, and chocolate (plus sugar if you're not using bittersweet chocolate). Stir and add the beans, plus as much cooking liquid as seems necessary. Bring to a gentle simmer and add the bouillon, if using. Simmer for 45-60 minutes, until the flavors have melded. If it seems like you need it, add the vinegar or lime juice.

serves: 10-12

my first lentil soup

I've been making this soup since I was in college. It's easy, cheap, and filling, thus hitting all my requirements from that period. I still really like it, for those reasons but also because it's healthy and freezes well (and of course, I wouldn't have made it many times if I didn't think it was tasty, too).

Lentil Soup
(adapted from Help! My Apartment Has a Kitchen)

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 3 carrots, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• olive oil
• 1 cup dried lentils
• 15 oz can diced tomatoes
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried marjoram

Saute onion, celery, carrots and garlic in some olive oil in a large pot until soft (5-8 minutes).  Add lentils, tomatoes, broth and other spices.  Bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to low and simmer for at least 25 minutes, until lentils are soft.

As written, this recipe is vegan, but I often add a parmesan rind with the broth (remove when the lentils have finished cooking).

serves 4

A dish for a cold spring day

This recipe - Victor's grandmother's - is one of the most beloved and oldest in my original orange binder. It's written on the back of a Dean's List letter from my college days and shows its pre-binder origins in the large grease stain that covers much of the writing. I'm not sure how many the casserole is supposed to serve, but it disappears with a speed that probably isn't terribly healthy. I did serve it with a green salad, though.

Eleanor's Bean Casserole

• 1 can B&M beans
• 1 can pork & beans
• 1 can kidney beans, drained & rinsed
• 1 can lima beans, drained & rinsed (if you can't find these, just use an extra can of butter beans)
• 1 can butter beans, drained & rinsed
• 1/2 lb bacon, either thinly sliced before cooking or crumbled afterward
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 C chopped onions
• 1 tsp mustard (whether this should be "prepared" mustard or the ground mustard is a matter of much debate - the recipe tastes good with either)
• 2/3 C packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp vinegar (I usually use apple cider or white)
• 1/2 C ketchup
• 1/3 C molasses

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the beef and onions in the bacon fat; drain off excess liquid. Mix the remaining ingredients with the beef, onions, and bacon in a large casserole dish. Cook, covered, in a 325 F oven for one hour; remove lid and cook an additional hour.  (If you save a tiny bit of the cooked bacon and crumble on top, it will be very very slightly fancier...)

Simple Ham-Bone Soup

We had a ham bone left after we ate our Easter dinner (I used this recipe for the ham, though with cider in place of the juice and my own homemade blackberry jam). It's been sitting unlabeled in our freezer, looking less and less like anything I'd ever want to eat. Today started out beautiful, but has turned cold and rainy, so what better time for an impromptu soup? I wasn't planning to make it, so it was all things scrounged from the pantry/fridge/freezer - finally, the ham bone has a chance to shine.

Split Pea Soup
adapted from Charleston Receipts

• a meaty ham bone (ours was frozen, and I just chucked it in without defrosting it)
• 1 package green or yellow split peas (presumably this is supposed to be a 1-pound package; I just added the split peas I had in a jar - a little shy of 2 C of yellow ones)
• 3 quarts water
• 1/2 C chopped celery
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Add all ingredients other than salt and pepper to large pot. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to simmer. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally until peas have disintegrated (2-3 hours; time depends on freshness of peas and whether you've pre-soaked them). Add salt and pepper.

serves 8

multi-ethnic stew in search of a good home

On Serious Eats, this dish is listed as a braise, but when I was making it I didn't feel like it actually was braised at all. It ended up thick and curry-like, though with sun-dried tomatoes, coconut milk, and cilantro, I'm not quite sure what kind of curry it would be. The original recipe also called for spinach, but our farmer's market just has kale this time of year. No matter - it was delicious and hearty, and we love kale!

Chickpea & Kale Coconut Curry
adapted from Serious Eats

• 2 teaspoons oil
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 4 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger, from a 3-inch piece
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1 large lemon, zested and juiced (about 2 tablespoons juice)
• 1 dried hot red pepper or dash of red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 large bunch kale, cleaned, center ribs either removed or diced
• 1 14-ounce can coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• dash of lime juice (optional)
• Cilantro leaves, to garnish
• Toasted unsweetened coconut, to garnish

In a large sauce pan, heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until soft and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, tomatoes, lemon zest, and red pepper, if using. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, 1-2 minutes. (Don't worry if some of the spice mixture sticks to the bottom of the pan!)

Turn the heat to high and add the chickpeas, toasting for 3-4 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent burning.

Add the kale, lemon juice, coconut milk, salt, and ground ginger. Stir vigorously to deglaze the pan. Turn down the heat to low and simmer until the kale is very soft and the chickpeas are tender, 10-15 minutes. Season to taste with more salt and lime juice as needed (the lime juice will "brighten" the dish if necessary).

serves two very generously

where crispy = caramelized

Friday: Fragrant Lentil Rice Soup with "Crispy" Onions; fresh-baked bread

(Originally planned for Thursday; foiled by my own tiredness and desire for take-out.)

A lovely soup, even though it turned out that I didn't have any greens to stir in near the end. I don't know why she calls the onions crispy, as they're clearly caramelized (and she calls them that in the head notes). But whatever - it is indeed fragrant, and we both enjoyed it.

Fragrant Lentil Rice Soup with (optional) Spinach & "Crispy" Onions (adapted from Cook This Now)

For the caramelized onions:

• 3 medium onions, halved from root to stem & thinly sliced
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• pinch kosher salt
• pinch sugar

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Melt the butter and heat the oil, then toss in the onions with the salt. Cook until they release their juices (5 min), then sprinkle with sugar, raise the heat to medium-high, and cook until golden (7 more minutes). Turn heat to high, and cook, stirring only a few times, until they are deeply caramelized (5-10 more minutes). If you're me, you won't be able to resist adding a few tablespoons of water and deglazing the pan at this point. Either way, set aside the finished onions.

For the soup:

• 2 Tbsp oliv oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped*
• 2" piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped*
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped*
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3/4 tsp ground cumin
• pinch ground allspice
• a bay leaf
• 6 C stock (chicken or veggie)
• 3 C water
• 1/2 C brown long-grain rice
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt more to taste
• 1 1/2 C red lentils
• 5 C baby spinach leaves (~ 4 C) or equivalent amount chard or kale (just be sure to cook less-tender greens a bit longer)
• lime (or lime juice), optional

Heat a large pot over medium heat; warm the oil in it. Add the aromatics (if you didn't puree them together, add the onion first; just add the ginger & garlic with the other spices) and saute until they begin to smell cooked - about 4-5 minutes. Add the spices and cook until very fragrant, about another minute. Add the stock, water, rice, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the red lentils and cook until the rice is done and the lentils are meltingly soft, about 30 more minutes. Stir in the greens (if using) and let them completely wilt. Tast, and add more salt if necessary. If the dish tastes flat, add a little lime juice.

To serve, spoon into bowls and top with a bunch of caramelized onions, a bit of flaky salt, and maybe a tiny squeeze of lime.

serves 6

* I cut the aromatics into chunks and pureed them in a mini-food processor.

well, that worked out pretty well

Sunday: Braised White Beans; sauteed greens; bread. Apple Sharlotka for dessert.

I made all the recipes pretty much as-written.

For the braised beans: It took about 45 minutes on medium-high before I was satisfied with the beans' caramelization. They smelled amazing - the finished recipe was good, but wasn't quite able to live up to their initial aroma. I added about 1.5 Tbsp strong Dijon mustard, lots of salt, a bit of better-than-bouillon (chicken flavor), and a bunch of pepper. I ended up simmering the beans for just under two hours (I started with the saddest looking bag of discount beans from the grocery store, but then soaked them for two days. YMMV.)

The greens were a bunch of semi-random greenery that had been floating around the fridge - a half-bag of Trader Joe's prewashed greens that I picked up in a moment of panic on Christmas Day and a bag of greens from last week's farmer's market excursion. I cut up a single strip of bacon, fried it 'til crispy, and then cooked two garlic cloves a bit before adding the greens, some smoked paprika, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. I added some water to steam, and kept cooking 'til we were ready to eat.

Because we decided (somewhat last minute) to have someone over for dinner, I made Smitten Kitchen's Apple Sharlotka as well. I LOVE this recipe, and I don't even know if I cooked it enough. Was it really supposed to be creamy in the center and crisp around the edges? Does it matter? It was delicious, and I'll definitely be making this again. But for the time it takes to cut up the apples, it's very low-effort, and the ingredients are minimal.

I can't speak for my dinner companions, but for me, this meal was a total success.

I have a strong suspicion that this whole "blog" thing would be more useful if I were less lazy. Oh well.

Monday: Sweet-and-Sour Lentils; whole-wheat couscous

Sometimes when I revisit an old recipe, one I used to make frequently, it's great and I wonder why I ever stopped making it. And then there are recipes that I wonder how the hell I ever thought it was worth my time to either make or eat. This one falls somewhere in between, although as I was reading it over to type up for this post*, I noticed that the header says "if you would like the dish sweeter, add a small amount of brown sugar or honey." Why, yes, I would like it sweeter. D'oh. So maybe I'll make it again, add some sweetener, and see if I can move the recipe firmly into the first camp.

Sweet-and-Sour Lentils
adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites

• 1 1/2 C brown lentils, rinsed
• 2 C apple juice
• 1" piece ginger, peeled and grated
• 2 C water
• 1 C chopped onions
• 3 garlic cloves, grated or minced
  
• 1 C diced carrots
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 small zucchini, diced
• 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
• 1/2 can crushed pineapple
• 1/8 C brown sugar
  
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• chopped scallions (garnish)

Combine lentils, juice, ginger, and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer (uncovered) 30-40 minutes. Keep an eye on them near the end, and add some of the excess pineapple juice if they seem to be getting too dry.

Meanwhile, saute onions, garlic, and carrots in oil over medium-high heat until onions begin to soften (~5 minutes). Add pepper, squash, tomatoes, pineapple, and brown sugar. Cover and cook on low for another 10 minutes until just tender. Stir in soy sauce and vinegar. Garnish with scallions and serve.

serves 4-6

*I have a small, highly curmudgeonly pet-peeve about the word "blog." Seasonal Menus is my blog, the individual entries are "posts" or "blog posts," not "blogs." I know it's standard usage at this point, but I feel strongly on this issue. At least, strongly enough that I had to get it off my chest here, in this tiny footnote.

beans, beans

Wednesday: Pasta Fazool; Garlic Bread

I love beans, so I was excited when I started hearing about Rancho Gordo and their Heirloom Beans cookbook. I gave myself the gift of a whole bunch of cookbooks this year, and am just now starting to try out recipes from them.

There are a few farms that have dried beans at the farmer's market we go to (though not the heirloom varieties Rancho Gordo specializes in, sadly), so I substituted a non-heirloom but relatively fresh dried cannellini for the more exciting marrow beans called for in the recipe. I was amazed at how quickly the beans cooked up, and at how creamy they were. I'm planning on making similar substitutions as I try out the other recipes in the book (unless some enterprising local farmer wants to work with more heirloom bean varieties... hint, hint).

For the garlic bread, I pulled out my trusty copy of the Help! My Apartment Has a Kitchen Cookbook (which I turn to every time I look at my other cookbooks and think "Help! I can't be the only person on earth who needs a recipe for this!"). They recommend slathering your bread with butter and chopped garlic, plus a little oregano (I also added some salt), wrapping tightly in foil, and baking at 375F for 15 minutes. I was feeling tired, and out of sorts, so I didn't really appreciate this meal quite the way I probably should have, but it was very good.

Pasta Fazool
adapted from the Heirloom Beans cookbook

• 4 slices bacon, diced
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 4 C chicken broth
• some oregano, fresh (or, if you don't have any, some dried - this is what I did...)
• 1/2 lb cannellini, marrow, or cellini beans, soaked and drained (they recommend just starting the soak the morning you'll be cooking, as fresh(er) dried beans only need about 4-6 hours soaking time)
• 1 14-oz can crushed tomatoes
• salt and fresh pepper to taste
• 1 C tiny pasta shells, tubes, or orzo
• 1/4 C chopped parsley
• fresh parmesan to grate over pasta for serving

Saute the bacon in your soup pot over medium heat, until the fat is rendered, ~ 10 min. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain. Pour off most of the bacon fat and add the olive oil. Over medium heat, saute the onion, celery, garlic, and carrot until soft and fragrant, also about 10 min. Add broth, oregano, and beans. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Continued simmering until the beans are tender, about 45 min if using "fresh" beans and about twice that for the grocery store variety.

When the beans are done, add the tomatoes. Taste, and add salt & pepper as needed. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the pasta. Cook until the pasta is al dente, adding water if necessary. Stir frequently, as the mixture should now be pretty thick and will burn if you let it.

Once the pasta's cooked, add the bacon and the parsley. Stir, taste, and add more salt and/or pepper if needed. Let sit for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld, then serve sprinkled with Parmesan and maybe a drizzle of olive oil.

serves 4

Addictive Red Lentil Soup

I've been making this recipe for a long time - it's good enough that once, when I made it for my dad while he was in town on a visit, I got him hooked. He lived in rural Pennsylvania, though, so I ended up sending him red lentils from our co-op, because he couldn't buy them locally.

That was years ago, and I'm pretty sure that red lentils are more readily available these days. I hope so, anyway, because this soup is mighty tasty and it won't work with green or brown lentils.

Portobello and Basil Lentil Soup
(adapted from a recipe published in Shape Magazine many (many) years ago)

• 1 T. Olive Oil
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1 small green pepper, chopped
• 2 cup diced portobello mushroom
• 3 garlic gloves, minced
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. white pepper
• 6 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
• 6 oz. tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cup red lentils
• 1 bunch basil, coarsely chopped (reserve a few small ones for garnish)
• 1/3 cup dry sherry (optional)

In a soup pot over medium-high heat, saute the garlic, onion, green pepper, salt, pepper, and mushrooms until mushrooms are tender (about 5 minutes).

Add the chicken broth and tomato paste to soup pot and completely blend together.

Stir in the red lentils and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.

Add the basil and simmer (with pot covered)15 minutes longer.

Add extra salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the stew in individual bowls and float one tablespoon sherry on top of each bowl.

Garnish with remaining basil leaves and serve hot.

yield: serves 4-6