White Bean & Chicken Breast Chili – A Change of Pace, Change of Pace

I love a hearty beef chili as much as the next guy, but once in a while there’s nothing wrong with going over to the light side, and enjoying an equally comforting bowl of white bean and chicken chili. I’ve always used thighs for my chicken chili, which of course have more fat and flavor, but after a bunch of requests for a chicken breast version, I decided give it a go, and I was very happy with the results.

The key is to not overcook the chicken when you sear it. You want it slightly undercooked, maybe about 150 degrees F. internal temp, since it will cook all the way when we add it back in. You’ll notice when I slice mine, there’s a little bit of opaqueness to the flesh, which is what you want.

This is intended to be a relatively quick and simple weeknight meal, so I didn’t add much in the way of extras, but things like peppers, squash, and mushrooms are always welcomed additions. 

I know you’re probably missing those long, warm summer days right about now, but one of the great things about this season’s cold, wet weather is that it begs for recipes like this. I hope you pour yourself a beer, grab a chunk of bread, and dig into a bowl of this soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

2 tsp vegetable oil

2 or 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 1 1/4 lbs

salt and pepper to taste

1 large onion

4 cloves garlic

1 tbsp ancho chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp flour

about 3 cups chicken broth or stock, divided

1 tsp fine cornmeal
2 cans (15oz) white beans

cayenne to taste

1/4 tsp sugar or to taste

1/3 cup chopped green onions

sour cream and cilantro to garnish

View the complete recipe

Warming Up with Beef Merlot

The weather just turned cold and wet here in San Francisco, and when that happens I always crave something hot and comforting, ladled from a steaming pot. I do have a brand new video to post for Friday that fits the bill nicely, but due to circumstances beyond my control, it will not be up until late in the day. 

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this video recipe for beef merlot that I posted a few years ago. It’s an easy take-off on beef bourguignon, and one of my all-time, cold-weather favorites. Be sure to read the original post here, to find out why the heck I used merlot. Enjoy!

Lemon Berry Tartlets – Puff and Stuff

About 30 years ago, I made puff pastry from scratch in culinary school. It came out really, really well, and I haven’t made it since. Why? Because frozen puff pastry is so readily available, so consistently perfect, and so easy to work with, that the thought of going through all the time and trouble to make my own seems kind of crazy.

Of course, that’s a poor attitude for a cook, and one I’ve been fighting against all these years as I convince people that making your own bread, dressings, cheese, crème fraiche, etc. is a worthwhile pursuit. So, eventually I will show you how to make puff pastry, and hopefully somehow reconcile this obvious hypocrisy, but for now, we defrost.

By the way, I realize that berry season is probably over where you live, but fresh California blackberries were still around a few weeks ago when I filmed this video, and so I’m posting it anyway, seasonality be damned. This is really about the technique for making little puff pastry tart shells anyway, and I’m very confident you’ll figure out how to fill them.

Speaking of which, don’t limit your brainstorming to sweet treats. These lovely little cups make for a stellar base for all kinds of savory bites. I’ve filled these with sautéed mushrooms, chicken salads, and smoked salmon, just to name a few. Regardless of what you fill them with, they will be very well received. I hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 12 tartlets:

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, partially thawed (you should get 12 tartlets if you use a 2-inch cutter like I did)

1 beaten egg

1/3 cup lemon curd, vanilla custard, chocolate mousse, whipped cream, or other appropriate filling

12 fresh blackberries

powdered sugar, as needed

*Bake puff pastry at 400 degrees F. for 13-15 minutes, allow to fully cool before filling.

View the complete recipe

Go Vote!

If you follow me on Twitter, it's fairly obvious who I'm voting for, so I'm not doing any kind of recommendation here, but simply wanted to encourage you to vote. 

Whether you're voting for the President, or the talking haircut who agrees with 3% of the world's climate scientists, the important thing is to get out to the polls and make your voice heard. Enjoy!

Make-Ahead Turkey Wing Gravy, Because You Have Better Things to Do

I’m not a big fan of “make-ahead” recipes, but when it comes to Thanksgiving, the less we have to do before dinner, the better. This turkey wing gravy will not only free up valuable kitchen time, but chances are it will look and taste even better than those frantic, last-minute versions.

A world-class gravy, while not a difficult procedure, does require a little bit of finesse and attention to detail. Of course, screaming kids, chatty relatives, and alcohol consumption are the natural enemies of finesse and attention to detail, so for that reason I’m a big fan of this alternative technique.

By the way, as I mentioned at the end of the video, just because you’re making this ahead of time, doesn’t mean you’re throwing away all those amazing pan drippings. While your turkey’s resting (should be at least 30 minutes), pour off the juices, skim off the fat, and add it to your gravy.

For this reason, I’ll generally make the gravy a little thicker than I want, knowing I’m going to dump another cup or so of liquid in later. Speaking of thickness, as with all the sauces we do, you are in complete control. If you want thicker gravy, use more roux and/or reduce further. If you want something a bit lighter, use less roux and/or more stock.

Either way, making the turkey gravy ahead of time is just smart logistics, and frees you up for more important things, like watching football and fishing for compliments. I hope you give this a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

For the stock:

1 large onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

2 tsp vegetable oil

2 large turkey wings

10 cups cold water (1 or 2 to deglaze the pan, and 8 to add to stock)

4 springs thyme

2 cloves garlic, optional

For the gravy:

2-3 tablespoons reserved turkey fat

3 tbsp butter

1/2 cup flour

about 6 cups reserved, strained turkey stock

salt and pepper to taste

pinch of cayenne

View the complete recipe

Tabbouleh Sogomonian

Tabbouleh is another one of those popular recipes for which I’ve received hundreds of food wishes for, and yet inexplicably I’ve still not posted one. Why not? I have no idea. I’m as mystified as anyone. In the meantime, I wanted to share this fine version from friend of the blog Robert Sogomonian (aka @psyrixx). You can check out his original post here. Enjoy!

Lemon Curd “Lite” Not Light

I’m calling this lemon curd “lite” because it does have less fat than most traditional recipes, but that doesn’t mean it’s a “light” recipe. Calling this recipe “lite” is kind of like calling thin-crust pizza, “low-carb.” It’s all relative. 

Speaking of relative, as I mention in the video, this would make a great holiday gift, so even if you’re not a big fan of lemon, pay attention nonetheless. 

Above and beyond the nominally fewer calories, I really like the appearance and texture of this style lemon curd better anyway. Recipes that contain all yolks instead of whole eggs, and up to twice as much butter, are just too rich and heavy for my taste.

Since this is typically served as a sauce for things like gingerbread and scones, or as a filling for cakes, I don’t see the advantages of an overly heavy concoction. The one exception for me would be pies and tarts, where you probably do want the more hardcore variations.

I know a lot of you get nervous when whisking eggs over heat is involved, but as you’ll see, this is really simple to do. Besides, if tragedy does strike, and you get a few pieces of overcooked eggs in the mixture, simply put it through a strainer before adding the zest and butter. No one will ever know! With the holidays right around the corner, I hope you give this easy, old-fashioned lemon curd I try. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 1 1/2 cups Lemon Curd:

3 whole large eggs

3/4 cup white sugar

2/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 1/2 tbsp freshly grated lemon zest

5 tbsp unsalted butter, room temp, cut in 3 or 4 pieces