Chili

I previously mentioned my son's former inability to eat like a normal human being. So soft mushy foods and lots and lots of soup--it was. I am now convinced that soups, stews, and chili are all great ways of introducing kids to vegetables, lean proteins, beans, and legumes, as well as different flavors.

There has been a bit of a trend towards "hiding" vegetables in your children's food, which I partly agree with. Yes, I always add spinach to our smoothies, but I also want to get my guys to KNOW and like vegetables. I also believe that starting by putting a floret of broccoli on a plate is not the way to achieve my aforementioned goal. The great thing about soup is that they SEE the foods in them. When we eat it, I usually say toolish things like "Wow, that is a carrot. It's orange. Isn't it pretty?" At that point I generally feel pretty awesome about myself even though my 2 year old looks at me like "Yeah whatever. Keep it comin." Then he insists on spooning it into his mouth himself but ends up tipping the bowl onto his lap. This is when my husband (Princess) and I break into Phil Collin's famous song..."OHHHHH, think twice...its just another day for you and me in paradise."

Joking aside, since I love food so much, it was really important to me that my guy love it too. He does, thank goodness. I hope I will be just as lucky with my second guy.

So today's post is for Chili. Chili is a great item to throw into the dinnertime rotation because it is as healthy as it is hearty.

Three reasons this chili is awesome:

1. It is relatively inexpensive.
2. It can easily be doubled or tripled, therefore stretching it into 2-3 meals.
3. You can add/subtract any ingredients This recipe is simply a blueprint. You may be surprised that I use cinnamon but I swear it is AWESOME!

My chili does not take all day. I up the heat and add lots of spice so it doesn't need a lot of time.

Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 Jalapeño pepper, diced (optional)

1 lb lean (93% lean) ground beef

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups beef broth (look for low sodium)

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder (optional)

1 teaspoon kosher salt



Heat olive oil on medium low heat in a large saucepan or dutch oven. Add the onions, garlic, red pepper, and jalapeños (if using) and sauté until softened, about 7-10 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook until you no longer see any red, about 10 minutes.
Add tomatoes, beef broth, spices, and salt. Turn up the heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium low and cook for about one hour, or until most of the broth has been absorbed.

Serve with sour cream and cheddar cheese.

My life, Virginia Tech Cookbook, and Soup

Dang its been a long time....had another child, so it's been busy. My bad. Sorry about that!

Lately, many of my friends have said, "remember when you had your blog?" Yikes. Barely. I honestly had such a fun time writing this blog, so I offer no better excuse than to say I was busy with two miserable pregnancies, a full time job, writing a cookbook, working out to lose the baby weight, keeping my house clean to Danny Tanner's standards, cooking dinner every night, and being a good wife and mom. Oh and did I mention I get into bed around 8:30 pm? Errrr...sometimes 8:00 pm. So, I wasn't committed enough to give up any of the aforementioned to post on my blog.

Fortunately, life has sort of started to calm down. Actually, I think I've become better at time management. Well at least before I discovered Pinterest.....that dirty dirty slut. Anyways...I am writing today because I just want to write. Both boys are napping so I am trying to make the most of these few short hours and update everyone on the latest and greatest...

My life...
I had my sweet baby Jack in early November. It was the easiest delivery of all life. I was induced, had an epidural, and literally facebooked (new verb?) the entire time. It was ideal. Then we came home. Homeboy was not interested in sleeping and needed A LOT of help in that department. Five weeks later I checked into rehab. Not really--it was a hotel 5 minutes away. My amazing husband, "Princess" insisted I take a night off and booked me a lovely hotel room. I ordered a molten chocolate cake and a glass of wine and worked on my cookbook. It was sheer bliss. Now 3 months out, baby Jack is sleeping through the night. Booyah! I'm a new woman. I've made working out a big priority. I have about 7 lbs to go. You know... to get to the weight that I wasn't happy with before I got pregnant! I'm not too terribly hard on myself though. It will take time, lots of toolish comments from Tony as I work my way through P90X, spinning classes that have most likely made me infertile (fine by me!) and discovering new healthy ingredients to cook with (kale, quinoa, and almond milk). Even though I'm not where I want to be, making simple changes have left me feeling stronger and more energetic. And no, I have not and will not give up chocolate.

The cookbook...
My heart and soul is "A Taste of Virginia Tech." After several years, a couple mini hiatuses, and a few bouts of self-doubt, it will finally be on bookshelves in late August/early September. In July, I made the BEST decision. After seeing a post on my friend Kris' blog, Young Married Chic, about following your dreams and pushing through the fear of them, I had a hard hitting, gut instinct, holy wow this is what I need to do, "a-ha" moment. Kris loved food as much as I did. Her writing "voice" was similar to mine. She was an AWESOME photographer, and she loved Virginia Tech. She could help me stalk these restaurants for their recipes and help develop our own recipes. Duh, duh, and duh. I wrote her an email immediately and she excitedly said that "yes" she would co-author the book with me. Yay! We have had so much fun working together on this project. And partnering with our publisher, Mascot Books and its owner, Naren, has been amazing. Their enthusiasm for this cookbook is thrilling. I just can't wait for this Fall. CAN. NOT. WAIT.

Soup...

I've done lots of things wrong as a mom. But if there is one thing I've done right, it is that I have exposed my son to a wide variety of healthy foods. And one of the ways I've done that is through soup. Little dude has an extra piece of cartilage on his epiglottis (that flap in the back of your throat). The medical term is layrngomalacia. It is, for the most part, a benign condition. But for him it caused many issues. First, his acid reflux as a baby was pretty bad. Then there was the choking. Homeboy couldn't eat a Cheerio until he was about 14 months old. We used to give him the Heimlick about 3x/day. Even the smallest bits of food he'd choke on. Then came his first Christmas, just days before his first birthday. I'll spare you the gory details but bottom line, we ended up in the hospital and the doctors thought (based on his symptoms) he had epiglottitis, a potentially fatal condition. He was rushed into the OR to be intubated to prevent his throat from closing up. Afterwards, he would be transferred to the PICU at Georgetown.Everything happened so fast. From the anesthesiologist explaining the risks and signing a consent form, to the ENT doctor explaining what could happen if they didnt act fast, to whisking our sweet boy away, My husband and I sat there and cried and cried and cried. I felt like I had taken a bullet. We prayed and prayed and prayed. A half hour later we had a nice surprise. A resident came out and told us about how it was NOT epiglottitis, just a piece of cartilage, which was a bit inflamed and that it was just croup. OMG. Praise the Lord!

Well no wonder he couldn't eat like a normal human being! I still really wanted him to be a good eater, so I started making foods he could swallow easier---like soups, stews, chlli, and even a baby bolognese. He has since graduated to the normal bolognese. I would never expect him to pick up a stalk of asparagus, take a bite, and then eat again. But I didn't want to "hide" the vegetables either. So I made the foods taste good and now am proud to say he has such a healthy, but tasty, diet. I'm sure there will come a day when he discovers certain foods he doesn't like, but for now...the soups are working. Here are some of my "go-to's":

Lentil soup (leeks and carrots)
Broccoli and cheddar soup (carrots)
White bean soup
Black bean soup
Chicken tortilla soup (carrots, chicken, tomatoes)
Greek Yogurt Smoothie (frozen peaches, frozen blackberries, spinach, yogurt is high in protein)
Chili (lean protein, red peppers, red kidney beans)
Bolognese (lean protein, tomatoes, carrots, celery)
Ribolita (kale, white beans, tomatoes, carrots)

Well this has been therapeutic. Thanks for listening! You have my commitment to post a recipe this week! Check back soon!

Grandad's Pecan Rolls

My Grandad was the bomb cook. I can't help but cringe when I use the word "was" to describe him, because he is still living, but the "was" represents his life before Alzheimer's disease. His cooking is the number one thing I miss about him. Grandad is the simplest man I've ever known. He's a man of few words--except when opening a Christmas present. He'd go on FOREVER--telling you just how great the particular item was and how he'd put it to use. I used to joke that he'd find pleasure in an 8x11 piece of paper. When I'd ask him "how are you?" his answer is always the same: "can't complain" and a big grin on his face. When you ask how he likes the food he's eating, its always, "Oh boy...my favorite!" in a slow drawl. I've never once heard him raise his voice or quite frankly, share a strong opinion on anything. Besides driving an oil truck for fifty-some years, his cooking was what he was most loved and known for. Breaded veal, fried chicken, turkey soup, apple pie, strawberry crepes, and his ridiculous salads were some of my favorites.

Every Christmas, Grandad made homemade pecan (sticky) rolls and I would house them like it was nobodies business. Thankfully, I wrote down the recipe back when I was in college. I say "thankfully" because this week I asked my Mimi if she kept a collection of his recipes and she just giggled. I was perplexed. He just made them up and never wrote them down. Guess that's how that generation rolled...

While there are many adjectives that describe these rolls, I'd rather avoid all cliches and just tell you that the day you make these, you will be completely unproductive for the remainder of the day.

There are two secrets to making these rolls with success. One--activating the yeast with WARM water and letting it foam for five minutes, and two--allowing the rolls to rise in a warm, draft-free spot.

Grandad's Pecan Rolls

For the dough:

1 cup warm water (105-110 °F)

3 teaspoons active dry yeast (not rapid rising)

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

3 1/4 cup bread flour

1/4 cup sugar

For the topping:

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

2/3 cup pecan halves

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

In a bowl of an electric mixer with a dough hook, place yeast and water. Let sit five minutes, until the yeast is foamy. Add the butter, 3 cups flour, sugar, and salt and mix on low speed until combined. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of flour and mix until combined. Continue on low speed for 7-10 minutes and add more flour if needed to produce a soft dough that is not too sticky.

Remove bowl from stand. Cover with a clean kitchen towel place in a warm, draft-free spot and let rise for 1 to 1.5 hours or until doubled in size.

After dough has risen, grease a 9x13x2 rectangular pan. In a medium sized bowl, mix melted butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and pecans. Spread in prepared pan.

In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough so it is 12x12 inches. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture. Gently roll dough to form a log. With a sharp knife, cut log in half. Cut each half into three equal pieces. Place rolls in prepared pan. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for one hour. Preheat oven to 375.

Bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and immediately (and carefully) invert onto a clean platter.

Greek Chicken Pitas

WOW. Life has most definitely changed--so has my grocery list and most meals I make. I still keep true to my use of fresh ingredients and am proud that I have yet to make a desperate move for that canned cream of mushroom nastiness. Motherhood has made me redefine a lot of things in life, easy meals and expectations of myself included. That being said, I will not sacrifice flavor.


I made this simple, healthy, TASTY meal for my mom the other night and she said that it was the "best chicken" she's ever tasted. Never mind the fact that my mom is no joke my greatest fan and only dog's can hear her when I've done something truly amazing (not that I've ever done something truly amazing) but when it comes to food, I think she's got some street cred.

Chicken tenders are first marinated in a Greek yogurt sauce. Ever tried Greek yogurt? It's the s@#. And its high in protein too. I then transfer the chicken to a grill pan until they are blackened.

1 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup olive oil
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 1/4 pound chicken breast tenders
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red bell pepper. sliced
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
whole wheat pitas, halved
1/2 cup Tzatziki, homemade or store bought

In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt, olive oil, lemon zest and juice, rosemary, salt, pepper, and cumin. Add in chicken and stir to fully coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 200.

In a medium skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add red bell pepper and onion slices and cooked until tender, about 7-9 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; remove from heat.

Place pitas on a sheet pan and keep warm in the oven.

Brush a grill or grill pan with a little olive oil. Heat on medium-high until pan is almost smoking. Take a fork and remove chicken tenders from the marinade and carefully place on grill or pan. Cook for about 3-4 minutes, or until blackened, then flip and cook an additional 3 minutes on the other side, taking care not to flip multiple times.

Transfer to a clean cutting board and cut tenders into bite-sized strips.

Fill pitas with a couple teaspoons of tzatziki sauce, a handful of chicken pieces, and as many peppers/onions as you'd like. Serve warm or at room temperature.

A Taste of Virginia Tech

A couple years ago I was driving down Connecticut Ave in Washington DC, thinking, "I have this great hobby of cooking; what can I do with it?"

I could go to culinary school. Helllll to the no. I'm not going back to school.

I could work in a restaurant. Nights and weekends? My bedtime is 9 pm.

I could teach cooking classes. Like the ones I used to take at the YMCA down at Virginia Tech, where I was the only non-Medicare recipient. Gosh I loved the food at Tech.

And then it hit me like a Mack truck. Virginia Tech has THE BEST food, both on and off campus. Why not write a cookbook dedicated to it?

I'm a dream chaser, so writing a cookbook was what I decided to do. Since I have a full-time job, it has a been a long work in progress. In January 2009, I fake lost my job (major layoff followed by a rehiring from a regional manager who I will forever be appreciative) and took those two months I didn't work and completed a 35 page cookbook proposal, edited by my oldest friend Sara.

Soon after that I became pregnant. In between the vomiting and trips to the urination station I researched publishing companies. I had my baby boy. About a month after he was born, I made some great contacts that helped me develop a relationship with the University and gain their support for the project and also connected me to my now publisher. The owner of the publishing company is a VT alum and I am so thankful for his excitement in this cookbook. Every person I have come into contact with has been so supportive.

I want to document my journey of writing a cookbook from its infancy through publication, so every once in awhile, I will post about my passion project, "A Taste of Virginia Tech."

GO HOKIES!!!

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things....

Of course my favorite part of that famous song from "The Sound of Music" was "warm apple strudel." I love food. Don't judge.

These are some of my recent favorite things:

1. Lake Champlain's 5 Star Chocolate Bar (Caramel)--this is truly the perfect name for it; it is 5-star. The only other name I might use is "The best F'ing chocolate bar you'll ever eat and it may have similar addictive qualities when compared to crack cocaine." A colleague of mine introduced me to this chocolate bar a few weeks ago, and my life hasn't been the same since. There is a layer of perfect, not too sweet milk chocolate that hugs thick, buttery caramel. Last, there are chopped almonds, but not too many. I buy these at Whole Foods. They are $2.69.

2. HINT Water. I first tried this water at Starbucks, where I was intrigued by the crisp label and the gorgeous blackberry (fruit not phone). It lived up to its marketing potential. It is exactly how the name describes it. It is a "hint" of fruit essence, so it is not sweet, nor is it sparkling. My favorite is the blackberry, but it also comes in lime, cucumber, pear, etc. I buy this fab water from Starbucks or Whole Foods.

3. Awesome white wine in green bottle. I don't know what it says, how to pronounce it, or what kind of wine it is. I do know, however, that its not expensive ($6.99) is white, and its freaking delicious. All signs point to "Yes I Will." Here is a link. It is the second one down, the Hugues Beau...something. I buy it at Whole Foods or Wegmans.

4. Williams-Sonoma pizza sauce. This stuff is serious business and it makes Friday homemade pizza night much quicker. It is made with sweet San Marzano tomatoes and gets a helpful "kick" from red pepper flakes. I buy this in the store.

5. Fresh herbs from Wegmans. My fave store now offers herbs that come in small packages. How often does a recipe call for a small amount of "thyme" or "dill" so you buy a bunch and you end up with a lot leftover? All the time! This has definitely solved that problem for me.

VANILLA COGNAC MILKSHAKE...YES I WILL

So here's how it used to go down....

I pour myself a nice glass of wine. I start to cook, play some music, bask in the flavors, sip some more. I take my time. We sit down at the table and have a delicious meal that sometimes leaves us (Princess and Me) talking hopes/dreams/movie quotes/misc. nonsense for up to two hours. After dinner was digested, I'd pour some more wine and start to serve dessert.

My new reality....

Bath time followed by feeding followed by placing my sweet son in the crib while simultaneously "shushing" him to sleep. I rush off to the kitchen and begin to cook. Fortunately for me, cooking is cathartic, so it does not seem like a chore to me, but homegirl's gotta be in bed by 9:00 pm, so I no longer "bask in the flavors." I may occasionally pour myself a glass of wine, but I definitely don't have time for dessert. I can count on one finger the number of times I've made dessert since my water broke on December 30th. I have discovered that becoming a mom has mean't that I need to perfect my multitasking abilities. The following recipe has helped me streamline my nighttime routine. I'll submit to the fact that I will just have to wait for the weekend to do my gourmet cooking. Until then, my Vanilla Cognac Milkshake is the RIGHT ANSWER!!!

VANILLA COGNAC MILKSHAKE
Serves 2

1 pint vanilla bean ice cream or gelato (I prefer Ciao Bello, but recently Princess surprised me with delicious frozen custard from The Dairy Godmother. Side note: I'll take ice cream over flowers any day )
1 1/2 shots Cognac, or other brandy
2 Tbsp milk

In a blender, process all ingredients until combined and smooth. Serve immediately.