Really Good Chili

Nothing fancy; just really good chili. Great for doubling the recipe and freezing. One batch makes about 10 servings.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground beef (=1 kg)
• 1 L (2 500ml boxes) diced tomatoes (tomatostukjes) 
• 1 L (2 500 mL boxes) tomato sauce or sieved tomato
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 small green pepper, chopped (1/4 cup)
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/8 tsp cayenne
• 2 cans red beans, drained

Method:

Brown meat, drain, and set aside. Sauté onion, celery, and bell pepper until softened. 

Combine ingredients in large pot and bring to boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. 

Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

Delicious, quick, and easy. Modified from here.
Freezer modification: assemble all ingredients (including bouillon for the broth) except noodles and water for broth. Cut chicken into large pieces. Store in freezer bag, then put everything (including water) into crockpot.

Ingredients:

• 2 large chicken breasts
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 large carrots, sliced
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 3 - 4 cloves garlic minced (=1/2 tsp powder)
• 1/2 tsp rosemary
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tsp chicken base
• 8 - 10 cups chicken broth
• 8 oz (=250g) egg noodles

Procedure:

Place chicken breasts in crockpot. Cover with veggies & spices. Add chicken base & broth. Cook on LOW 6–8 hours or on HIGH 3–4 hours. Add egg noodles about 20 minutes before serving to allow to cook. 

Stoofvlees (Belgian Beef Stew)

An instant favorite! A homey beef stew served on top of fresh Belgian fries. The "herb bouquet” (kruiden-tuiltje) can be bought pre-made in Belgian grocery stores, or easily made by tying together the herbs listed with string or in a cheese cloth.

• 2 to 2 1/2 lbs (= 900~1125g) stew meat
• 2 large onions, cut in half then sliced in thick slices
• 16 oz (= 475 ml) dark Belgian beer (about 1 1/2 bottles)
• 2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1 packet stew spices (kruiden-tuiltje)
• 2 laurel leaves/bay leaves
• 3–4 sprigs rosemary
• 2–3 sprigs thyme
• 1 clove (whole)
• 1–2 slices brown bread, liberally spread with mustard
• 1 splash balsamic vinegar
• Butter & olive oil (for sautéing)
• Salt & pepper to taste

Cut the meat into 1-inch-cube pieces. Season with salt & pepper. Brown meat in olive oil in a large dutch oven. Brown meat in small batches to avoid overcrowding the meat—try instead to get a crispy brown edge on each side of the piece. Let the brown crusty “crud” build up in the pan—this is where the flavor is!

When all meat is browned, pour a splash of beer into the pan to loosen up what is built up in the bottom of the pan. Then add butter, sliced onions, and garlic, cooking until onions are translucent.

Add remainder of the beer, browned beef, herb packet, and brown sugar. Heat to a simmer. Add bread slices with mustard. Leave uncovered until stew reaches desired thickness, then cover. Simmer a total of 2–3 hours, until beef is tender.

Remove packet of herbs. Add splash of balsamic vinegar and stir. 

Serve with or on top of fresh Belgian fries.

Black Bean Soup

I love Panera's black bean soup, and this recipe came out tasting pretty close to it. Great served in a bread bowl!

Ingredients

• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbs cumin
• 2 cans of black beans, added separately
• 2 cups of chicken stock / bouillon cubes
• salt & pepper (to taste)
• dash of red pepper flakes
• Sprig of fresh cilantro (garnish)

Saute onion in olive oil until soft and translucent. Add garlic and cumin. 

Add the first can of black beans (save the other one for later). Add 2 cups chicken broth (I use bouillon cubes, and since I like my soup a lot thicker, I prefer to use about 1 1/2 cups of water or even a little less).

Bring to simmer, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, pour into a blender, and blend until smooth.

Pour blended ingredients back into pot. Add the remaining can of black beans and bring to simmer. If necessary, thicken with roux. Add red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper.

Serve in bread bowls, garnished with cilantro and shredded cheese or sour cream.

Bread Bowl

Easy bread bowl recipe made with artisan bread dough. 

Take a lump of dough for each bread bowl, slightly smaller than grapefruit-sized. Knead in flour for one minute (I'd like experiment with kneading longer, but usually I'm making these in a hurry!)

Form a ball using similar technique as with the artisan bread recipe, stretching the outside of the ball with the heel of your hand. Pinch the bottom of the dough together, forming a tight ball. Twist the pinched corners gently to keep them together.

Place on a greased baking sheet. Score the top with a serrated knife. Sprinkle top with sea salt. Using a spray bottle or your fingertips, sprinkle with water. Set to rise for 15 minutes. (If I'm using fresh dough, I skip this step.)

Preheat oven to 500º. Place in oven. The key to getting the bread bowl to rise straight up, apparently, is the water. In addition to the water sprinkled on the dough, I pour a cup of water on an old tray on the bottom rack of the oven to create a steam oven.

After 2 minutes, set oven temperature to 425º. Sprinkle bread bowls with water a second time, and allow to bake for about 18 more minutes.

Once they are golden brown, remove from oven. Using a serrated knife, cut down into the top, making a circle (this will create a cone-shaped "lid"). Remove lid and, if necessary, scoop out some of the bread to form a wide enough bowl.

Fill with black bean soup and enjoy!

Minestrone Soup

Serves 16.

Ingredients
3 cans canneline beans
3 strips bacon, cut into large chunks
11 cups chicken broth (separated)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 carrots (1 diced, 2 sliced)
5 cloves garlic, minced
fresh parsley
2 cans chopped tomato
2 handfuls fresh spinach
1 handful macaroni noodles
Parmesan cheese

Directions
Rinse canneline beans and add to large pot with bacon and 6 cups of chicken broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Cook gently for 1 hour.

In a separate large pot, heat 1/2 c. olive oil. Dice one carrot and add with diced onion, garlic, and chopped fresh parsley. Saute for 5–8 minutes before adding chopped tomato, spinach, macaroni noodles, the remaining 5 cups chicken broth, and the remaining two carrots, sliced. Simmer 40–50 minutes

Remove bacon chunks from beans. Dice bacon, and add to the vegetables. In blender, blend half of the beans to paste (be careful, they will be hot!!). Add blended beans to the vegetables. Add remaining beans and broth to the vegetables. Simmer 5 minutes

Garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Mushroom and Lentil Soup

A great winter or autumn meal, especially good with fresh-baked bread.

1 1/2 cup lentils

1 lb. mushrooms, chopped

4-6 green onions, chopped

2 large gloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup dry sherry or port

1 bay leaf

4 cups chicken stock

1 Tbs. lemon juice or lemon zest

1 bunch fresh spinach (optional)

1 cup sour cream/yogurt or mozzarella cheese (optional)

Cook lentils on stovetop in about 4 cups water until soft (about 30 min).

Chop mushrooms and sauté in olive oil or butter until browned. Add green onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. 

Add sherry or port and bay leaf. Cook for a few more minutes, then add chicken stock, lentils, lemon juice, and about 3 cups water.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 20 minutes.

If using, add spinach and stir until wilted. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.