Feels like Fall

Sorry for the hiatus, friends!  I'm back today with a quick and weather-appropriate recipe for everyone's favorite fall dish:  chili!

There are so many ways to make chili, and we usually never make ours the same way twice.  A few things remain constant, though.  We prefer ours to be more like soup and we like using more beans than meat.  The best part of about chili is that it is customizable and the longer it cooks, the better it tastes!

Rom Family Chili, serves 8

10oz or 1lb ground bison, turkey, or lean ground beef, browned and drained
2 15oz cans chili ready tomatoes
2 15oz cans beans, rinsed--we like dark kidney beans and white beans, but any will do!
1 onion diced
1 TB minced garlic (or more!)
1 small can diced green chiles
2 bay leaves
2-3 TB chili powder
1 TB oregano
salt & pepper
3 cups tomato juice (not sauce) or V8
3 cups water

Add all ingredients to large pot.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes or longer.  Stir occasionally.

Serve with diced red onion and fat-free greek yogurt.

Tostada Nachos

This dish has a long history for Gary and me.  In high school, we would go on dates to South Bend and often ate at TGI Friday's.  Our favorite thing on the menu was the tostada nachos:  Crispy tortillas loaded with refried beans, seasoned ground beef and melted cheese. Served with salsa, sour cream, house-made guacamole and jalapeños.  But these just aren't a pile of chips with toppings piled on--these are individual chips each with its own toppings. For several years, these were my favorite dish in general.  

Eventually we figured out the key to recreating these at home and they became a staple in our meal rotation. They were quick, easy, and delicious.  We ate them once a week in law school, usually made with tons of cheese and ground beef.  In the past year or so, we've lightened this dish up and it's still a staple in our rotation, but we can eat it with less guilt!  We're also including Gary's guacamole method and our favorite salsa recipe!  

Tostada Nachos, serves 2 (with leftover filling)

1 can refried black beans
1lb lean ground turkey
1/4 cup of your favorite taco seasoning (lately we're using Wildtree)
4 small corn tortillas
1/2 to 2/3 cup shredded cheese (highly recommend buying a block and shredding yourself)

optional toppings:
pickled jalapenos
onion-cilantro-jalapeno-lime salsa (recipe below)
roasted salsa (recipe below)
guacamole (recipe below)
0% fat Greek yogurt as yummy and low-cal substitute for sour cream

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Place 4 corn tortillas on baking pan and bake in oven 5-7 minutes.  Flip tortillas and bake another 5-7 minutes or until browned and crispy.  Sprinkle lightly with salt.   Set aside. 

Brown ground turkey in skillet.  Add taco seasoning and 2/3 cup water.  Heat on low heat until water is absorbed.  Meanwhile, heat refried beans in small saucepan.  When the beans are heated through and the turkey is fully cooked and seasoned, combine half of the beans and half of the turkey in a small bowl.  

Preheat your oven's broiler to high.  Spread equal portions of the turkey/bean mixture onto the tortillas (now crispy tostadas).  You will likely have a little of this mix leftover.  Top with shredded cheese.  If choosing to add pickled jalapenos, add them at this point, too.  

Place assembled tostadas in oven under the broiler.  Keep a close eye and remove from oven when cheese is completely melted.  Transfer tostadas to cutting board and cut in half.  Top with favorite toppings and enjoy!  Lately, we've decided these really don't even need cheese.  Next time, we're going to leave them off, which means we can skip the broiler step.  

Now, let's talk toppings!

Guacamole
2-4 ripe avocados
fresh cilantro
minced garlic
red onion
fresh jalapeno
lime juice
salt & pepper

This is more of a method rather than a hard-and-fast recipe.  Your individual tastes should direct how you season your guac.

Slice avocados in half and remove the pit.  The best way to do remove the pit is with a large knife--very carefully sink the knife's blade into the pit.  Turn the avocado and pull away from the knife/pit.  To remove the pit from the knife, pinch the blade and pit between your fingers to pop it off.  Spoon the avocado flesh into a bowl.  Lightly mash.

Dice desired amount of red onion by pre-slicing half an onion as shown in picture.  Then dice into small chunks by cutting perpendicular to the slices you just made.

Chop desired amount of cilantro and jalapeno pepper.  Be sure to remove the innards of the jalapenos.

Add all of the ingredients to a bowl, including desired amount of minced garlic.  Blend ingredients and add lime juice to taste.  Taste the guac and season as needed with salt & pepper.  Gary will often add some juice from the roasted salsa described below.

Fire Roasted Salsa adapted from Rick Bayless

1 can fire roasted tomatoes
2-3 whole cloves of garlic
1 Anaheim pepper (for mild to medium) OR 1 jalapeno (medium to hot)
diced onion (red or white)
salt & pepper
lime juice 
cilantro

Heat cast iron skillet over high heat.  Add unpeeled garlic cloves and pepper.  Dry roast the garlic and pepper until the outside is charred blackened.  Keep an eye on these and use your sense of smell--usually when you start smelling pepper or garlic, they need to be moved around/flipped.  

Once roasted, let sit to cool down.  Cut the top off the pepper and remove the seeds.  For mild salsa, also de-vein the pepper. Peel the garlic cloves.  Rough chop both. 

Add can of tomatoes (do not drain), garlic, and pepper to bowl of food processor.  Pinch off cilantro leaves from bunch and add to processor.  Add salt & pepper.  Pulse ingredients until blended to desired consistency; it won't take long!  Transfer to bowl.  Add desired amount of diced onion.  Taste the salsa and adjust the seasoning level by adding a touch of lime and additional salt and pepper.

Onion-cilantro-jalapeno-lime salsa
2 TB diced red onion
1 jalapeno, cut into rings
1 TB chopped cilantro
2 tsp lime juice (or less)
pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients in small bowl.  Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.


We hope you'll enjoy this meal as much as we do!  

Easy Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Salad

We like to pack our lunch 4, if not 5, days a week.  It's better on our budget and our waistlines.  It's easy to get stuck in a lunchtime rut, and I've never been mentally satisfied by lunch meant sandwiches or basic salads, so we have to get creative sometimes.  While this recipe is not the most creative, it hits all of our criteria--it's quick, flavorful, filling, healthy, and has repeat potential.  It utilizes one of our favorite shortcuts, which is buying a grocery store rotisserie chicken, pulling off all the meat--discarding all the skin--and using throughout the week.  I hope you'll enjoy this as much as we do!

Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Salad, serves 4 

1.5 cups dry quinoa
3 cups water/chicken stock
12oz rotisserie chicken, diced
1/2 cup diced red onion
8 baby carrots cut into thin circles
2 TB chopped cilantro
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped(or baby spinach)
3 TB yogurt-based Ranch dressing
1.5 TB water
Frank's Red Hot sauce


Rinse/drain quinoa in mesh collander and add to small saucepan with lid. Add 3 cups water or chicken stock (we add chicken base to water). Bring to a boil while covered, then reduce to simmer. Let simmer for 20 minutes. Check the moisture content of the quinoa with a fork. If quinoa is still wet, close lid and let sit for 10 minutes off the heat. If quinoa is dry, transfer to bowl and let cool.

Chop 12oz of rotisserie chicken and add to bowl with Frank's Red Hot sauce--the amount is your preferred heat level. Let sit.

Once quinoa has cooled, add chopped spinach, carrots, onion, cilantro. Salt & pepper lightly. Add more Frank's to taste. Mix in chicken.

Put ranch dressing and water in small bowl to thin out. Separate into 4 1TB servings to add to salad--you could do this now or when serving. **I can't stand thick dressing.  I also don't want to waste calories on it.  Thankfully, brands are now selling Greek yogurt based ranch dressings with less than half the calories of original ranch.  Because I find that still too thick for my liking, we add water.  It still packs big flavor and coats salads much more evenly.  Bonus: even less calories!**

We always prepare this the night before and pack into containers. This can be eaten cold or hot, and I do it both ways!  Warming in the microwave with a lid helps the spinach to wilt, and I like that variation.  For more texture, eat cold and keep your spinach crunchy.  If you like more veggies (or less, the pictured version is missing carrots--I ate those on the side), get creative and add what you like!

Let's talk breakfast: Oatmeal Pancakes & Zucchini Scramble

It is not often that we eat a big breakfast considering we drink Shakeology for breakfast on a daily basis and Eliza usually has a waffle, banana, and milk--she is a creature of habit like us!  But when we do, or on the odd night we decide to have breakfast for dinner (aka "brinner"), we always turn to this recipe: vegan oatmeal pancakes.  Now, before you let the word vegan scare you, know that you don't have to make them vegan, depending on the type of milk you use.  It is an egg-less pancake and you can choose to use regular milk or almond milk, like we prefer to do.  The original recipe (which I will link below) also gives suggestions to use gluten-free flour, which means this is a great option for those with food allergies.

While I love standard pancakes, and my brother can make a mean pancake, these are such a nice change.  There is no sugar and the maple and cinnamon flavors combine to make a perfect taste of breakfast.

This recipe is adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie.  Her pictures are way better than mine, but here I'll walk you how we make pancakes in our kitchen.  

Vegan (optional) Oatmeal Pancakes, serves 4 (adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie)

3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp whole wheat white all purpose flour
6 tbsp rolled oats 
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp pure maple syrup
scant 1 cup almond milk (or regular milk if preferred)

2 tbsp oil
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Grab your favorite helper.  Combine dry ingredients into small bowl.

I can't remember where we got this flour, a standard supermarket I believe, but it is great for all-purpose baking.  I love the resealable bag feature!

Combine wet ingredients in larger bowl, then begin adding dry ingredients to the wet.  Stir until well blended.  If the batter seems too thin, add a little flour.  If it seems too thick, add a touch of milk.

I like to use a nonstick skillet for pancakes, but use your vessel of choice.  I wipe it down with canola oil (we still haven't replaced our broken oil spritzer) and heat over medium-low heat.  Spoon your pancake batter into skillet, as big or small as you like!  

When I was little and would visit my Grandma Troutman, we'd often make breakfast.  My favorite was French toast, but my sister loved pancakes.  I've never forgotten her concoction for French toast batter or her tip for knowing when to flip a pancake.  You have to wait until the wet top starts bubbling.  The thickness of this batter with the oatmeal sometimes prevents big time bubbles, but you can see them here! 

Can you also see how the outer edge looks set and not so liquidy?  That's how you know it's time to flip.

For me, it doesn't usually take as long on the flip side, but it might--I honestly never set a timer but just stand there and wait about 2 minutes and check.  When appropriately golden, remove from pan.  Before cooking my next one, I wipe the pan down with oil again (I dip a paper towel into the oil).

Topped with Brummel & Brown yogurt based butter and some more syrup (ended up with more than pictured here!).

_______________________

While I cook pancakes, Gary usually cooks our sides.  Turkey sausage is a standard accompaniment, and also eggs.  Our pancakes may be vegan, but our meal isn't!  On this particular night, we had a zucchini left to be used up.  Gary found a simple and yummy way to combine the two ingredients.

Shredded Zucchini Scramble

1 zucchini

3 eggs

1/2 TB olive oil

salt

pepper

fresh Parmesan cheese

Shred zucchini--we have a food processor attachment that makes this a breeze.  If you don't have one, cut thin matchsticks as described in our zucchini salad post.  Go as thin as you can.  Put in paper towel and squeeze out excess moisture Saute zucchini  in olive oil over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes stirring regularly.  

Whisk three eggs in bowl.  Pour over zucchini and reduce heat.  

Let sit for 2 minutes before beginning to scramble.  

To scramble, Gary pulls a section of egg back from the edge of the pan and tilts the pan so raw/liquid egg fills the newly created space.  Repeat this process around the edge of the pan.  Continue this process until there is no liquid left and then continue to stir eggs until fully cooked.  Properly scrambled eggs, according to Michael Ruhlman, should glisten and not be completely dry. 

Salt and pepper eggs to taste.  We then grated a little fresh Parmesan cheese--but not too much--to deepen the flavor.

Whether you enjoy breakfast, brunch, or dinner, I think you will enjoy these recipes!

Raw Zucchini Salad

With summer nearing an end, run out to your local farmer's markets and pick up some fresh zucchini or yellow squash to make this next recipe: a crisp and light zucchini salad. It pairs nicely with just about any protein, especially white fish.

The recipe is from writer and chef Michael Ruhlman's cookbook, "Ruhlman's Twenty." It ranks at the top of Gary's list for informative books that do more than just provide a list of recipes. The book instructs on twenty techniques or ingredients and includes background information and tips to modify recipes. If you want to know more why about cooking, this is a great place to start. It has become an indispensable resource in our kitchen! 

Zucchini Salad, serves 4 as a side dish (adapted from Ruhlman's Twenty)

2 zucchini (yellow or green, or both!)
kosher salt
1 TB minced shallot or red onion
1 minced garlic clove
1 TB lemon juice
1 TB olive oil
freshly ground black pepper or white pepper
 optional: slivered toasted almonds and fresh herbs

After washing the zucchini, cut it on the bias--that is, cut it at an angle and don't make just circles. The slices should be between a 1/4 inch and 1/8 inch thick.

The idea is to make the slices as long as possible. 

The next step is to stack the slices and cut the slices into thin juliennes (or matchsticks). The proper kitchen tools are important. A santoku knife or a chef's knife with the thinnest blade will make better, more consistent cuts.

Put the matchsticks of zucchini in a colander over a bowl. Sprinkle evenly with 1 tsp salt. Toss and sprinkle with another 1 tsp of salt. Let stand for 10 to 20 minutes. At the 10 minute mark, bite into one. The goal is have the zucchini be slightly limp, but still some bite or resistance. Toss the zucchini around to redistribute salt and shake off some of the moisture. You can see the salt pull moisture out of the zucchini, see?

While waiting on the zucchini, in a small bowl, combine lemon juice, onion/shallot, and garlic.  *side note* We use so much minced garlic that we buy it pre-minced in the giant jugs at the grocery store.  That way we always have minced garlic ready to go.  We still do use fresh garlic in some recipes, but by and large, this is our go-to solution.  Because we realllllly like garlic, we usually end up using 1/2 TB per 1 clove, though a better comparison is probably 1 tsp per clove. Also, prepackaged garlic is not as strong as fresh garlic. *end side note*

After achieving optimal texture (or you remember to check), shake the zucchini again to drain excess moisture. Taste the zucchini. If it seems overly salty, rinse under cold water and pat to dry. Then transfer to fresh bowl and toss with 1 TB of olive oil. Then add lemon juice mixture and toss. Add freshly ground black pepper to taste or if you want to make it look fancy--add white pepper so the salad looks very clean (this is what we do). Taste the zucchini and add more salt or lemon juice as needed. Add nuts and fresh herbs (such as parsley, basil, cilantro) if using. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Let us know what you think!

Turkey Bruschetta Burger

Our first recipe to share was truly "love at first bite"! Neither of us will eat raw tomatoes on sandwiches or salads, but marinate them in some balsamic vinegar, garlic, olive oil, red onions, and basil and we'll get on board! This dish is perfect for summer and using up home-grown tomatoes (which we didn't do, but would've been even better!). We've made this dish in a cast iron skillet and on the grill and much prefer the cast iron to give the burger a nice sear and extra flavor. We inherited our cast iron skillet from my grandmother Troutman.  It's well-seasoned and well-loved.  It gives us amazing flavor to burgers.  YUM.

Open Face Bruschetta Turkey Burgers, serves 4 (adapted from SkinnyTaste)

 INGREDIENTS

Bruschetta
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 TB extra virgin olive oil
2 TB balsamic vinegar
kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
4-5 medium vine ripe tomatoes
2 TB minced garlic (or less if you aren't garlic lovers)
4 TB fresh basil leaves, chiffonade (see picture below)

Turkey zucchini burgers
1.25 lbs lean ground turkey
1 small zucchini, grated (1 cup, or 5 oz)
1/4 cup seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs (we buy plain and throw in our own Italian seasonings)
1/2 TB garlic powder
1 TB red onion, grated
salt and fresh pepper
Oil for the pan

To serve
4 cups arugula
Fresh tomato slices (optional)

Preparation
For bruschetta, de-stem the tomatoes, cut in half, and remove all the seeds. Chop tomatoes, place in bowl.  Next you will dice your red onion and do a chiffonade of your basil.  To do this, roll a bunch of the leaves and cut through to get something that looks like this:

 Add the diced red onion, garlic, basil, olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper to the bowl with chopped tomatoes. Mix and taste. Adjust salt and pepper, to taste and set aside.

For turkey burgers, squeeze the excess moisture from the grated zucchini in a paper towel. In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, shredded zucchini, breadcrumbs, garlic, onion, salt and pepper. Form into 4 equal sized patties about 6 oz each.

(we only made 3)

Preheat large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. To oil the pan, I like to dip a paper towel in canola oil and carefully rub the skillet. We successfully used an oil spray can (you can buy them and put in your own oil to avoid the yucky chemicals in products like PAM), but it recently broke. Oil spray works great, too, and you can spray the actual patties rather than the skillet if you like.

Place turkey patties in skillet. Cook turkey burgers until browned, about 5 minutes, then flip and cook another 5 minutes. The amount of time your patties take to cook will vary! Be sure to cook through.

cast-iron goodness

To serve, place 1 cup arugula on each plate and add tomato slices if using. Place turkey patty on top. Top with bruschetta mix. We served this with grilled zucchini rounds (lightly oiled and sprinkled with Mrs. Dash) and whole wheat orzo. We just put all the ingredients in a pile and enjoyed!

This is hands-down the best turkey burger I've ever eaten! We hope you'll try it and enjoy it! 

Welcome to In Our Kitchen!

Welcome to our new blog, where we will document and share our love affair with food. In the fall of 2012, we made a conscious choice to be more thoughtful about our eating habits and to experiment more in the kitchen. Since that time, we have lost weight and feel lighter and healthier. We don't always make perfect choices when it comes to food, but we do our best to give our bodies the best. We also love trying new restaurants, frequenting our favorites, and indulging in quality ingredients cooked by amazing chefs. This blog will touch on all of these things!

First, let's find out a little about each of us. We did not collaborate on these answers. :)

Abby
Best Dish I've Eaten at Home:
Steamed Chilean Sea Bass with soy, ginger, and garlic  

Favorite food to cook:
Pizza
Favorite restaurant for fine dining (local):
Bluebeard or Recess
Favorite restaurant for casual dining (local):
Napolese
Favorite dessert:
Chocolate souffle or my banana cake 



Gary

Best Dish I've Eaten at Home: 

Christmas 2012: roasted duck with pan sauce and chocolate souffle (those were the 2 best dishes)

Favorite food to cook:

No idea. Anything with garlic because it makes the kitchen smell so good!

Favorite restaurant for fine dining (local): 

Recess, Bluebeard

Favorite restaurant for casual dining (local): 

Napolese, La Margarita

Favorite dessert: 
I have a hard time saying no to creme brulee


Again, welcome to In Our Kitchen and we look forward to sharing with you!