So the Iron Chef competition was great on many counts.
I didn’t have to eat all that meat and bread, just some, thereby maintaining diet protocol.
The main point was to feature the wine pairings, so I was seriously commanded to sneak a little hooch during the workday.
Those regional managers were so eager to please that they kept telling me how nice my hair looked–I don’t care how cheaply I can be bribed–flattery always works.
Although I was nervous my tasting skills weren’t as sophisticated as the other wine country born folk, I found I agreed with the other judges. It’s always nice to have confirmation that one is not a freak.
The burger that won the competition was a cabernet burger with cheese and fried onion strips over a portabello mushroom.
The burger that lost had chili powder mixed with the meat and bacon and avocado on the top. Although it wasn’t part of the competition, I can see I wrote on my score card, “No Cheese?!”
The winning team made the burger with the wine mushed into the meat. If I ever have a burger + wine tasting party, I definitely know tactic I’ll employ.
(Also, we meet another dog this weekend. She and her foster mom are coming to our house and James and I are a little nervous and a little nervous.)
As January was getting-things-done-month around here, we are thrilled to now have new car insurance, originally written songs, gym memberships, cardio-induced lung health, savings accounts, credit card progress, thank you cards, yoga-induced flexibility, wine country friends, Cakebread discounts and have perfected our own Whitish Chili.
The recipe follows:
Whitish Chili
1 lb Northern beans
1 large or two medium chopped up onions
4 minced garlic cloves
1 lb ground turkey
4 cans of chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 thick tablespoon cumin
1 thick tablespoon coriander
2 thick tablespoons oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 can chopped jalepeno peppers (I prefer to buy ‘em whole and chop my own but I’m sure you can buy the diced kind and it’s just as good)
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
salt and pepper
Garnishments:
sour cream
hot sauce
chopped cilantro
chopped green onions
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese.
The night before:
Dump the beans into a big bowl and cover with water–maybe two or three inches over the top of the beans.
Take out your crock pot and put on the counter.
Chop the onions.
Mince the garlic.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan over medium high and add the onions and dried oregano. Stir and saute for about 4 minutes.
Add the turkey. Brown turkey for about oh, 6 or 7 minutes–you know–until it’s brown. Add garlic and saute for a minute more.
Place mixture into a bowl, bring to room temperature and put into fridge for the night.
Cuddle up with your bad self and some trashy movie and think lewd thoughts about Mark Ruffalo and Jude Law.
Before you leave for work:
Plug in the crockpot and push the 8-10 hour button
(whichever one you have, my crockpot runs hot so I always choose the 10 hour button)
Drain the beans and put into the crockpot. Open the chicken stock and pour in.
Add cumin, coriander, cayenne and bay leaves.
Add the jalepeno peppers.
Add the bowl of turkey/onion/garlic/oregano mixture from last night.
Cover the crockpot and let it do its thing while you’re at work.
When you come home, stir up the chili, taste and add any extra hot sauce, salt or flavorings you might think it needs. Remove the bay leaves while you’re at it.
Now chop up all your Garnishments and put those on the table.
Stir 1 cup of the shredded Monterey Jack cheese into the chili just before serving and voila! Whitish chili!
It’s good, it’s good for you (also, with reduced fat cheese, okay for South Beach Diet Phase 1), it cooks while I’m at work, James likes it and did I mention it’s an excellent cheese vehicle?
Also, good to package up and freeze for many lunches to come.
