Soup season is almost upon us! Chances are it will be upon you much sooner than it is upon me. It stays hot here in California’s Central Valley through October. But I try not to think about it.
The point is I want you to be prepared. I’ve made a lot of soup recipes over the years. So many that I thought I’d pull some of my favorites together so that you can easily access them.
Continue Reading…This simple slow cooker chicken is coated in savory spices and served with sweet apples and onions for the perfect fall meal.
This post is sponsored by Petaluma Poultry – Home of ROCKY® and ROSIE® Chicken.
Like many people, my introduction to poultry was in the form of the boneless, skinless chicken breast. Now, I have nothing against these chicken breasts. They still serve a purpose in my kitchen. Since I started this blog over eight years ago and got much more adventurous in my cooking, things have changed.
I’ve become more open to the versatility and the full flavor of other parts of the chicken.
I also didn’t mess around with graduating up to bone-in, skin-on parts. Nope. I jumped right into using the whole bird.
Soon, we’ll be frantically running out to the supermarket to get overlooked ingredients. Soon, we’ll forget what it’s like to shop during the holidays and find ourselves elbowing our way to a check-out line. Soon, we’ll be waiting in line at the post office (something we swore we’d never do again) to get gifts mailed before the last possible hour.
Soon, no matter how hard we try to stay in control, things are going to get crazy.
I love the holiday season, crazy or not. So I say bring it on! As long as I have some lights sparkling in the living room and cookies in the oven at some point throughout the season, I’ll take it.
I rarely identify with the term comfort food. I think it’s because, unless you are force feeding me steamed broccoli or those crunchy fancy green beans, I consider all foods comforting. I may be partial to carbs, but a salad or spring roll can bring about as much comfort and nostalgia for me as mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie.
But I get it, and if you wanted me to come up with some comfort foods, using the true sense of the word, one thing that comes to mind is the classic casserole.
This easy yellow split pea dal is loaded with the delicious flavors of coconut milk and garam masala. It cooks quickly in a Crock-Pot-style slow cooker for a super simple side dish.
I know what you are thinking. Really, Lori? Another recipe topped with an egg? Wait. I can explain.
You see, a few weeks ago I stocked up on lentils, dal and split peas of all varieties. Since then, I’ve thrown together some great Indian-inspired dishes. A few spices here and there, some stock, maybe some tomatoes and we’re good to go on the bean and legume group.
The problem? They are ugly. I mean, U-G-L-Y.
At the same time, though, they are super simple, and tasty with a capital T.
I’m sharing My 3 Words for the New Year along with a spiced up and spiked version of cabbage rolls!
It’s a new year. I keep repeating that to myself, but it doesn’t want to stick.
Most years, I feel this big sense of transition as we close one out and enter another. I’m big on the goals and resolutions, so I have those all lined up and I’m ready to jump right in the minute the ball drops.
This year feels different.
We spent the last two weeks of 2014 traveling. We visited Copenhagen, went to Berlin and explored the markets over the Christmas holiday, enjoyed a day in Malmo and returned to Copenhagen for New Years Eve. It was a blissful break filled with new experiences, people and foods.
I picked up a bag from Rancho Gordo a while back when visiting the CUESA farmers market at the Ferry Building. Then, on a recent visit I came across a recipe card that combined beer with beans. That recipe added the beer after the beans were cooked, but it sparked an idea for a slow cooker recipe for the Black Calypso beans sitting in my pantry.
I used a wheat beer in my beans because I wanted a lighter, citrus flavor to go with the cilantro and lime I would add later. I think a heavy, dark beer would work great, though, too.
The beans cooked up rich and creamy as expected with that familiar bite that comes from cooking with beer. We’ve been eating them all week with a side of fall vegetables and topped with a fried egg.
Inspired by Drunken Beans by Elianna Friedman, CUESA Market Chef
Serves: 6 to 8
Ingredients
1 lb. Black Calypso beans, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
1 small onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 slices thick-cut, pastured bacon, chopped fine
12 oz. wheat beer
5 cups vegetable stock or water (or a combination of the two)
1 to 2 tsp sea salt
¼ cup chopped cilantro
Lime wedges for serving
Prep
Place the beans, onion, garlic and bacon in the bowl of the slow cooker.
Pour in the beer. Add the stock or water (I used a combination of 2 cups of stock and 3 cups of water).
Stir all the ingredients and cook on high for 7 to 8 hours, or until the beans reach your desired tenderness.
Before serving, stir in the salt to taste. How much you need will depend on what type of stock and how much water you used. Stir in the cilantro.
Serve with lime wedges on the side.
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