Chili Tamale Pie

Yet another thing I love about chili is the possibilities for the leftovers. I usually keep it pretty simple--chili burgers, chili pot-pie, chili taco salad--but whatever it is, it's always delicious. What is it about chili that makes it taste even better a couple days later? Anyway, as much as I love my old standbys, it's always nice to try something different. So with my leftover Turkey and White Bean Chili I made Emeril's Chili Tamale Pie.

I often make something similar to this--chili casserole with cornbread topping--but the tamale topping is much softer and doesn't come together the way a bread does. It has a thick, creamy texture that doesn't really firm up unless you allow it to cool, and even then it's only slightly. The topping alone is a bit bland--I'll add extra salt and pepper next time--but, eaten together with the chili, it's very good.

I served this with a simple salad tossed in Tyler's vinaigrette (also very good, if you like your dressings a bit sweet) and lots of sour cream. There are certain things that I believe were not intended to be eaten without sour cream, and anything chili-related is one of them.

Turkey and White Bean Chili

I love chili. I love anything that comes together slowly in a big pot and that you can taste as you go, adding things, adjusting the flavor, mixing it up as you wish. Plus, you can do so much with the toppings. Sometimes I serve it with tortilla chips for scooping, sometimes over rice, sometimes with the works. This weekend I made Turkey and White Bean Chili from Epicurious, but I ended up changing it quite a bit. The recipe itself is fantastic, but, as in most things, I am particular about my chili. It can’t have big chunks of tomatoes, and it has to be thick, not soupy. Plus, I’m still on my andouille kick.

The original recipe is here, and my modified version follows.

Turkey and White Bean Chili
adapted from recipe at Epicurious

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 medium onions, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, minced
3 cloves garlic
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 pound andouille sausage, casings removed
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cinnamon stick
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 beef bouillon cube
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
2 19-ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed, drained
2 tablespoons parsley

Shredded cheddar, sour cream, and cornbread, for serving

Heat oil and butter in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat and sauté onions until translucent, then add jalapeno and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Tear sausage into bite-size pieces and add to pan; add turkey and stir. When browned, drain off grease. Season mixture with chili powder, oregano, cumin, bay leaves, coco powder, salt, pepper, and cinnamon stick. Add tomato sauce, beef broth, and bouillon cube. Bring mixture to a boil, then turn down heat and simmer for about 45 minutes.

As mixture cooks, taste for seasoning. When cinnamon has reached the desired intensity, remove stick (I left mine in for about half an hour). At the end of cooking time, adjust other seasonings if needed and stir in beans and parsley. Remove bay leaves and serve with the works.

Chicken and Dumplings

Tonight we had Rachael Ray’s Chicken and Dumplings. This recipe may not contain “authentic” dumplings, but it’s pretty darn good nonetheless. Plus, it’s so easy, and on a weeknight, I really need easy. I’ll be making these again. Here’s the recipe adjusted to thicken the sauce a bit and yield two big, delicious servings. Enjoy!

Chicken and Dumplings
adapted from Rachael Ray’s Chicken and Dumplings

3 chicken breast halves
salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 russet potato, peeled and diced
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 clove garlic
1 dried bay leaf
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup and 2 tablespoons biscuit mix (I used Bisquick)
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 cup frozen green peas

Cut chicken into bite-size pieces. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning, a thin layer of each. Set aside.

Heat oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a 5-quart pan over medium-high heat. Add potato, onions, carrot, celery, bay leaf, and garlic, and cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in remaining tablespoon of butter, and when it melts add flour to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to coat veggies evenly and ensure that flour doesn’t burn. Slowly stir in broth, add chicken, and bring to a boil.

Place biscuit mix in a bowl. Combine with milk, parsley, and thyme. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of prepared mix into the pan, spacing dumplings evenly. You should get about 10 dumplings. Cover pan tightly and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook dumplings for 5 minutes, remove lid and gently flip each one, then replace lid and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove lid and add peas; stir to distribute evenly. Taste for seasoning, and add salt and pepper as desired. To serve, ladle chicken mixture into bowls, top with dumplings, and sprinkle with parsley.

Fried Ravioli

Pasta is one of the easiest and cheapest things to make. On the other hand, if you’re not careful, it can get boring. When I was growing up, my mom made spaghetti with plain marinara about once per week, and, after so many years of this, I groaned (silently) every time we had it. Now, I can no longer eat spaghetti with plain red sauce. I have to do something to it. I’ve added sausage, chick peas, cream cheese—anything that’ll mix it up a bit.

Ravioli carries similar challenges. I’ve experimented with sauces, made casseroles out of it, but I’m still always looking for something new. Recently I saw Giada make fried ravioli, and I thought, Why didn’t I think of this before? I’ve seen fried ravioli on restaurant menus as an appetizer, but there’s no reason not to make a meal of it. Some fried ravioli, marinara for dipping, a big salad, and you’re good to go.

The full recipe is here, but this is so easy that you don’t really need it. Just get a package of fresh ravioli, some buttermilk, and some Italian breadcrumbs. Begin heating up some oil in a skillet (I used vegetable oil in cast iron). One at a time, dip ravioli in buttermilk, then dredge in breadcrumbs. When you’ve dipped and dredged your way through the ravioli, fry them in batches, 3-4 minutes per batch, tuning half-way through. Let drain on paper towels, grate some parmesan over them while they’re warm, and that’s it. Add a salad, and a not-so-boring dinner is served.

Cinnamon-Sugar Pecans

Like cinnamon and sugar? Like pecans? Try cinnamon-sugar pecans.

It’s really easy. Get 2 large zip-top bags. Fill one with 1 egg white and 1 tablespoon of water. Whisk briefly. Fill the other with 1 cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Add a pinch of salt. Combine thoroughly.

Add a pound of pecans to the bag with the egg mixture and shake to coat. Transfer pecans to the cinnamon-sugar bag, and shake to coat again.

Pour pecans out onto a baking sheet. If you have a silicone baking mat, this is a great time to use it. If you don’t, grease your pan well and stir pecans a few times during baking to make sure they don’t stick. Bake in a preheated 250-degree oven for 1 hour. Allow to cool completely, about an hour, on a wire rack before serving. Resist the urge to eat them as soon as they come out of the oven—they get better as they cool.

These are delicious, and the idea is a simple one that can be used in a hundred different ways. For instance, Barefoot Contessa recently made rosemary roasted cashews. I think I’ll try those next.