I love having a big breakfast on weekend mornings. When I was a kid my dad used to make pancakes, waffles, or omelets. It was a nice treat and felt like the ceremonial start to the weekend. Ryan and I try to do the same thing here and we sometimes make poached eggs, French toast and we were even on a short lived kick of making pancakes. And then I decided I wanted something different. I wanted something savory. I wanted something that would be ready all at once, instead of pancakes that are ready one by one. And then after a craving for Mexican food, I decided we should have a Tex-Mex breakfast casserole. 

Now, you might be thinking Tex-Mex for breakfast?! But I promise you, it’s a good idea. I mean, hello huevos rancheros are delicious.  And if I’m being really honest, I was inspired by the fast food restaurant Qdoba. Years ago when I worked at Ford’s Theatre I sometimes had to work on the weekends, and sometimes on those weekends I treated myself to a breakfast burrito from Qdoba. Not the healthiest way to start your day, but it was certainly delicious. Those burritos could have all kinds of things like beans, potatoes, cheese, cheese sauce…swoon. It was a really yummy and really hearty way to start the day. So I thought to myself, can I put all of that together in one casserole, that’s easy to make, and will give us a lot of servings?

I set to work, and the answer is yes, it’s totally possible and very tasty. What’s great about this casserole too is that it’s a protein power house filled with sausage, beans, and eggs. Eat a slice of this and you will be full and satisfied until well passed lunch. I actually took it to lunch a few times and I think it helped me blast through the mid-afternoon funk. You know that I mean, it’s 3pm and you’re snacky and want something sweet and/or caffeinated? We’ve all been there. But this, this is so filling and stating, you won’t need that unhealthy snack.

Anyway, this casserole is also great for serving to a big group for brunch. First, it’s good for a group because you’re making a big tray and everyone can be served together. But second, and possibly most important, you can make a lot of this ahead of time. All you have to do is make the filling the night before and set it in your baking pan. Then that morning, make the seasoned egg mixture, pour it over the filling, do some last bits of assembly, and then bake. How great is that?! Your friends will come over, you’ll be calm and organized,  like “oh yeah, I’m a hosting goddess I have it all together.” Because by making it ahead there won’t be a pile of dishes, or any stress, or any mess.

I used a recipe from Macheesmo as the base and then jacked it up with a lot of other ingredients and stuff.  However, Macheesmo had the idea for cutting up tortillas and letting them crisp on top. This idea is perfection and I wish I had made more. Ryan and I kept stealing pieces from other slices because the texture was so good and perfect for scooping up fallen pieces.  If you have extra tortillas cut them up and bake them along with the casserole. You will not regret it.

Messy level: Mildly messy. You will need one skillet to pre-cook some of the filling, you’ll need a bowl to beat the eggs, and you’ll need the pan to bake everything in. And of course there’s some amount of chopping and measuring to be done. So, there will be a fair amount of dishes but there will also be a ton of delicious food at the end so… win/win I think.

Tex-Mex Breakfast Casserole

 

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Prep time

40 mins

Cook time

35 mins

Total time

1 hour 15 mins

 

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 big red skinned potato (or 2-3 smaller ones), peeled and cut into bite sized cubes
• 1 pound package of chorizo or your favorite breakfast sausage
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
• 1 400g/14oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 large corn tortillas (use more or less to fit your taste and flour tortillas work too)
• 6 large eggs
• ½ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot add the onion and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the onion starts to soften.
3. Add the potatoes to the onion. Cook until the potatoes are browned on each side and softer on the exterior, 5-10 minutes. Don't worry though, you're not cooking them all the way through at this step.
4. Put the onions and potatoes into a large bowl and set aside.
5. Wipe out the skillet and put it back on the stove.
6. Remove the sausage meat from the casings. Add the meat to the skillet. Cook over medium to medium-high heat until the sausage is cooked through. Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat as you go. This should take 5-10 minutes.
7. Once the sausage is cooked, pat it with a paper towel to remove excess oil. Transfer the cooked sausage to the bowl with the potatoes and onions. If you have it, use a slotted spoon to make the transfer so you aren't getting so much grease in the bowl.
8. Add the red and green bell peppers, jalapeno, and black beans to the bowl with the potato and sausage. Stir until everything is all mixed up together.
9. Cut up your tortillas into thumb sized strips. Sprinkle about half of them on the bottom of a 9x13" pan.
10. Pour the sausage-potato filling on top of the tortillas. Use your hands or a spoon to spread the filling out and make sure it's evenly coating the pan.
11. In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, paprika, red pepper flakes, garlic, and cumin. Add salt and pepper if your desire.
12. Pour the egg mixture over the filling. Feel free to tilt your pan back and forth a bit to make sure everything is evenly covered by the egg mixture.
13. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the top of the egg mixture.
14. Sprinkle the remainder of the tortilla slices over the top of the cheese.
15. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. The eggs should be just set and the tortialls will be crispy.

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A few years ago I went to a wine tasting thing at Whole Foods. It was a good deal. For something like $5, I got a glass, tastes of 5 different wines, 5 bites of complementing foods, and booklet listing the wines and recipes. It was fun to try new things with relatively low risk – and of course anything I liked I could purchase while in the store. My favorite thing was a delicious carrot salad, which I’ve thought about many times over the years.

In fact, I mentioned this carrot salad two years ago when I made pici pasta. When I attempted it then, the carrot salad came out too soupy, I found the recipe unclear, and the amazing flavor I had remembered didn’t come through in the final product. Even so, I never forgot that carrot salad and I’ve thought of it from time to time when too many carrots lingered in the fridge.

Then recently, Pinterest showed me some beautiful pictures of carrot salads and I decided it was time to try again. I did a bunch of research, I made a list of the ingredients I’d like to include, and I started to create my own salad. Two years ago when I tried this I was put off by the idea that this was like coleslaw. I find coleslaw kind of unappetizing because it’s usually swimming in mayonnaise, and I’m not a great fan of things smothered in mayo. But, coleslaw doesn’t have to be in mayo! People, I looked it up.

Seriously, the English major in me went to the dictionary and here it is: coleslaw is usually made of shredded cabbage, but something also carrots and other vegetables, and those vegetables are dressed with mayonnaise OR vinaigrette. So yes, technically this is coleslaw because it is dressed with vinaigrette.

But this is so much better than your regular coleslaw. It’s got lots of ferocious crunch, a hint of sweetness, bright citrus and cilantro flavors, and just a bit of moisture from the dressing. Ryan and I had it as a side with some roast chicken, I had it as a late night snack, perfect to bring to lunch and add something healthy to your work day, and it would be great to bring to a picnic. And finally, as I said when I made roasted broccoli – I’m always looking for new and delicious ways to make vegetables and this will definitely do it.

Messy level: Fairly easy clean up. The messiest part is grating the carrots, but if you buy them already shredded then that’s one less tool to clean. Otherwise, it’s basically all chopping, measuring, and mixing. Once you add the vinaigrette the carrots will get a bit damp and some liquid will collect at the bottom of the bowl, but this is unlikely to create much of a spill or mess.

Raw Carrot Salad

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

Serves: 2.5 cups

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• juice from half a lemon
• 2 teaspoons agave or honey
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon salt
• pinch of pepper
• pinch of cinnamon
• 2 cups grated carrots (about 2-3 medium to large carrots)
• ¼ cup raisins
• ¼ cup chopped pecans
• ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro

Instructions

1. In a small jar with a lid, or in a bowl, add the olive oil, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, agave, cumin, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. If using the jar cover with the lid and shake until well mixed. If using a bowl, whisk all the ingredient together until well mixed. Set aside
2. In a medium bowl add the grated carrots, raisins, pecans and pumpkin seeds. Mix until everything is mixed and all the ingredients are spread through out.
3. Pour the vinaigrette over the grated carrot mixture. Stir so that everything is coated.
4. Add in the cilantro and mix gently.
5. Sprinkle a little extra cilantro on top if desired. Serve!

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I have a confession. I’m probably not going to watch the Super Bowl. Sure, I had fantasies of having friends over for a big American Super Bowl party with lots of delicious food. But the game starts at 11:30pm. On a Sunday. When I have to work the next day. Also, I don’t care about either team – and usually that’s no problem – because of the commercials. But I won’t even get to see the commercials! And also, I like sleep, so I’ll probably do my usual and be in bed by 10:00pm.

But, my friend Rachel asked for a chili recipe and I thought, “oooo, sounds good.” So I decided I can still eat yummy Super Bowl foods without watching the game. And chili is so lovely this time of year when it’s cold and dreary outside. Also, I’ve never made chili before and it felt like it’s one of those things I should try out. I couldn’t find any Fritos, although I didn’t look too hard, so it might not be the most authentic American chili. Or as my friend Charlotte said, “chili without Fritos is just kind of pointless.” But, maybe Fritos are pointless. Do you ever eat them with anything besides chili? I don’t. I’m starting to get off topic. Let’s get back to chili. 

I decided to  forget the Fritos, and step my chili up to the next level by putting it in a bread bowl. Obviously, bread bowls are awesome. Unless you’re gluten in tolerant, and then I guess maybe not awesome. But I love bread bowls. It feels so decadent to have so much bread. It also reminds me of Panera, which I know isn’t fancy, but I still kind of love it. Chili is also great in a bread bowl because if you rip the bread too much the chili doesn’t flow all that fast, and so won’t get everywhere. To me, this was a perfect stick-to-your-ribs, cold-winter-night, eating-in-front-of-the-television-underneath-a-blanket sort of food. And there’s totally a market for that kind of meal right?

I also made tiny bread bowls and gigantic bread bowls, which was fun and sort of hilarious. It looks like mama and baby bread bowls. But, if you were ever having a party you could also make small individual bread bowls and use that as a way to serve chili or soup. Also the bread bowl is really easy to make, but somehow feels really fancy. Cut off the top, about 2 inches down. Set the top aside. Scoop out the middle of the bread leaving an edge about 3/4″ thick. You can scoop it out with a spoon, your hands, or get things started with a knife and then some combination of those utensils. Just don’t make the edges of the bread too thin. Eat the bread insides or let them get dried out and turn them into homemade bread crumbs.

And while we’re talking recipes and methods, I want to say, don’t take the recipe too seriously. Taste as you go and adjust as you like. The way I’ve made it, there’s a little bit of a lip-tingling heat, but it’s not too spicy. I’ve also added a bit of barbecue sauce to counteract the spice and add just a tang of sweetness. You want more sweetness, and more barbecue sauce. More spice? Add more chilies or chili powder. You can also add beer, salt, different beans, combinations of beans. The world is your oyster, do what you like.

Final thought: if you are watching the Super Bowl this weekend, I want to know about the commercials. I can find out the score from Google, but I can’t gossip about the best commercials without you. So, please be a dear, and come back to the blog and post below your favorite commercials. Link to a YouTube video if you like. I wanna know what was hilarious, or awkward, or smart. I also want to know how often Budweiser brought out the Clydesdales, because you can always count on that commercial. I’ll be sure to give a shout out to everyone who shares a commercial with me. Thanks!

This recipe was inspired by the Pioneer Woman Cooks’ Frito Chili Pie.

Messy level: So easy and clean! Everything is in one pot and you basically just heat it and let it simmer. And you can let it simmer for however long you want. Couldn’t be more hassle free.

Chili in a Bread Bowl

 

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Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ cup barbecue sauce
• 2 14-15oz can of diced tomatoes
• 2 green chilies, minced
• 2 14oz cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• grated cheddar cheese, optional for toppings
• 1 red onion, minced, optional for toppings
• a roll of bread for each person you're serving

Instructions

1. In a large pot, over medium high heat, saute the onion and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the onion starts to get soft and translucent.
2. Add the ground beef to the pot and cook until browned.
3. Add the diced oregano, cumin, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, barbecue sauce, diced tomatoes, and green chilies. Mix well, then cover and lower the heat. Let it all simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Now add the beans. Stir to combine. Let it simmer again for at least 30 minutes - or until you're happy with it and are ready to eat.
5. While the chili is simmering, prepare your bread bowl. Cut horizontally across the bread roll, about 2 inches down. This is your lid.
6. Then using a spoon, a knife, or your fingers, carve out the middle of the bread. Be sure to leave an edge of about ¾ inch so that you don't have any seepage.
7. When the chili is done, spoon it into the bread bowl. Top with cheddar cheese and raw onion, if using.
8. Serve and watch everyone be satisfied and happy.

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When I made Greek salad, I told you that I’ve finally decided to use Twitter. I’ve been skeptical about using Twitter, but then I saw someone tweeted about starting a Cookbook Club and I thought, “what a good idea, I guess Twitter is useful.”

The method behind a cookbook club is that the group picks a book and throughout the month, or two, or whatever the time period is, the group cooks a few things from the book. Then on the meeting day everyone in the club has a potluck and brings a dish using a recipe from the book. I think this is awesome because it would force me to cook a few things from the book and it would also allow me to try other dishes without having to do the work. Sounds like perfection. Also, when I’ve done normal book clubs, we never talk about the book anyway.

The most recent addition to my cookbook collection, and the one I’m itching to cook through is the Thug Kitchen: The Official Cookbook. It was given to me as a Christmas present by my wonderful friend Charlotte. She is the kind of amazing and thoughtful friend who sends me flowers on my birthday and also when I’m having nervous breakdowns about being an adult. She sends me care packages with American candies and tiny models of ramen noodles. And I in turn, I send her boxes with no card inside and I buy British sweets and leave them in the bottom of my closet and forget to mail them. Anyway, when I got this book I was so excited and sent Charlotte this crazy picture.

This book is awesome. I’ve literally snuggled up in bed and poured through the book as my bed time reading. The writing is funny and they don’t take themselves too seriously. The recipes tell you when you can make substitutions, when to be precise, and when you can be a little messy. All the recipes are healthy and vegetarian – but they never come off snobby for being healthy or too much like hippies for adding chia seeds or tofu. The authors are really encouraging that anyone can eat healthy, they recognize when they’re asking you to use “scary” ingredients, and the recipes are so full of flavor you won’t miss meat.

Seriously. For example, today’s soup packs a real kick. It has a tomato based and chickpeas to cool it down, but there’s a kick of garlic, chili powder, and jalapenos. It’s a nice soup on to warm you up on a cold winter day. It would be even better for when you’re sick because it would clear your sinuses right out. You can definitely turn down the spice if you prefer, but as written – it’s really spicy. All in all, it’s packed with veggies and you won’t need unusual ingredients. Pair it with a corn tortilla on the side, and you’ve got a meal with some zip.

Messy level: This recipe is a hard one to rate. You’ll need one big soup pot, a knife, and a cutting board. If you have an immersion blender this is a lot easier, and cleaner. If you don’t, you’ll have to use a blender which takes more time and there might be spills.

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

 

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Author: Thug Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 bell pepper (I used red), chopped
• 1-2 jalapenos, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2½ teaspoons ground cumin
• 2½ teaspoons dried oregano
• 2½ teaspoons chili powder
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 1 14.5 oz (400g) can diced tomatoes
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 5 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 4-8 corn tortillas, cut into 1 inch squares (the more you use, the thicker the soup)
• 1½ cups cooked chickpeas or 1, 14oz/400g can of chickpeas
• chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, cook the onion in the olive oil. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until the onion is a little bit translucent.
2. Add the carrot and bell pepper to the pot. Cook for another 3 minutes, until everything started to get golden.
3. Add the jalapenos, garlic, cumin, oregano, chili powder, and salt to the pot. Stir for about 30 seconds. Everything will get pretty fragrant now!
4. Add the diced tomatoes and tomato paste to the pot and stir so that everything is well mixed.
5. Pour in the broth and bring everything to a simmer.
6. Once it is simmering, add the lime juice and tortilla squares. Let everything simmer for about 10 minutes to soften the tortillas. Stir occasionally.
7. Remove the soup from the heat. If you have an immersion blender, blend everything until smooth. If you don't, then use a regular blender and blend the soup in batches.
8. Pour some soup in a bowl, spoon some chickpeas in the center of the bowl, and sprinkle cilantro on top if you're using. Serve.

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I bought the corn when I made barley succotash and I’ve had the leftover bag ever since. When I need to add a vegetable for dinner, I often tell myself I’ll just heat up the corn, but I never do. I like corn on the cob, corn bread, and corn in things. But plain corn on the side isn’t very interesting to me and so the bag languished in the freezer. 

Then I saw a fairly recent post from Amateur Gourmet for corn chowder. I thought this would be perfect, but then he said it wasn’t worth doing with frozen corn. Sigh. It’s the end of the summer and corn season is over so I moved on.

Until it was Monday. On Monday nights I like to go to Zumba. I like to eat before Zumba so I don’t feel faint and famished but I can’t eat too much or I’ll feel sick. But, I also need to make something hearty enough so Ryan has a real dinner and not rabbit food. So I thought back to corn chowder, and advice be dammed, I was going to try it with frozen corn!

I’m so glad I did because this soup is freaking delicious! The soup is wonderfully flavorful. This is one of the best soups I have ever had. The corn gives it sweetness and the cayenne pepper (which is my personal addition) gives just the whisper of heat. And the cream makes it feel so rich, but with only one cup in the whole pot you don’t have to feel too guilty. It is hearty but not heavy (seriously, I went to Zumba and felt fine and thought about the soup the whole time). Ryan gave it a 9 out of 10. I kept loudly saying, “this soup is so good!” I was mad when I had to leave for class and couldn’t have a second bowl. Try it, this is a wonderful soup.

Adapted from Amateur Gourmet who adapted it from Jasper White.

Messy level: There is a lot of cutting prep work for this recipe, that’s the only reason I will give it a 2 spoon rating. Otherwise, it’s just dump it all in the pot and wait for it to get delicious.

Amazing Corn Chowder

 

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Ingredients

• 3-4 cups of frozen corn
• 4 oz of slab bacon, cut into ⅓" dice
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 5 sprigs thyme, leaves removed and chopped
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ⅛ tsp turmeric
• ¼ tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 1 lb Yukon gold potatoes peeled, and cut into ½" cubes
• about 5-6 cups of chicken stock (enough to cover everything)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbsp cold water
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp minced chives

Instructions

1. In a large heavy pot, cook the bacon over medium heat. Cook until the bacon is crisp. Spoon out all but a tablespoon of the bacon fat.
2. Add the butter, onion, bell pepper, thyme, cumin, cayenne pepper, and turmeric. Look at the pretty spices! They will make the soup pretty too. Add a pinch of salt. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring every so often.
3. Add the corn, potatoes, and stock. Turn the heat to high and bring to a vigorous boil. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Using a wood spoon, smash some of the corn and potatoes against the side of the pot. This will help thicken the chowder. Reduce the heat to medium and taste for salt and pepper.
5. Stir in the corn starch mixture.
6. Bring the soup back to a boil and stir until the chowder has thickened to your liking.
7. Turn off the heat and add the cream. Adjust for salt if you need to.
8. Serve and top with chopped chives.

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So, I was elated when my friend Lisa bought me the wonderful cookbook Melt
for Christmas. It’s a cookbook entirely about macaroni and cheese recipes. Cheese? Pasta? TOGETHER!?! Let me step up my pasta game. 

This recipe is so good. Of course, it’s decadently cheesy and creamy. But it also had a smoky and spicy flavor. Not spice like when your taste buds explode after eating some hot salsa. It’s a friendly spice that makes your palate tingle with a warm, lingering heat. Ryan and I were really taken off guard by how yummy and special this dish was. We had it for dinner two nights in a row. The second night, we both came home excited for more mac and cheese. When we had our first bites, they were more delicious then our brains and mouths had remembered. It was like a wonderful surprise that surpasses all expectations. This is the kind of meal that makes you say “mmmm” over and over.

This recipe calls for two kinds of cheese: cotija and Lincolnshire Poacher. I’ve found cotija easily at Whole Foods, although it may not be in every grocery store. I could not find Lincolnshire Poacher, a specific type of English aged Cheddar. I even went to the specialty cheese stand in Eastern Market, but no luck. However, what’s great about the book is it names a few alternative cheese suggestions. I showed the recipe to the cheese monger in Eastern Market and she helped me pick out a good aged-cheddar. In short, use aged cheddar if that is what is easiest for you to find. If you do find Lincolnshire Poacher, tell me where!

Finally, I won’t be blasphemous and say something stupid like “this is too cheesy.” Because that’s impossible. But this recipe does make a ton of cheese sauce. If you’re getting squeamish about the cheese level, I’d recommend following the instructions for making the sauce, then pour the sauce slowly over the noodles until you’re at a level where you feel comfortable.  The hard things with macaroni and cheese is that in  restaurant you can ignore the creamy level, but at home you’re directly responsible and so may feel guilty about how much cheese is in there.

But I say, don’t worry about it. Sometimes you gotta treat yo self. This recipe is worth it. And you’re worth it.

This recipe is adapted from Melt.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound of chorizo (I actually used a 12 oz package I bought from Whole Foods)

1 tsp olive oil

1 lb box of penne rigate (this kind of penne has ridges, so it can catch hold of the cheese)

4 ounces cotija, shredded

1 1/2 cups whole milk

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

1/2 tsp chipotle pepper flakes

1/8 tsp ground cumin

1 pound aged cheddar

Ground black pepper

Minced scallions for topping (optional)

Directions:

1. Cut the chorizo out of their casings. Break them into bite sized pieces. Don’t get too crazy about this, you can also smash them up once you cook them.

2. Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook the chorizo until well browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chorizo to a plate lined with paper towels, to absorb the oil.

3. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente (a little bit chewy, it doesn’t have to be fully cooked because it’s going to be baked later). Drain and set aside.

4. Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter a large casserole dish. I used a  2 1/2 quart dish, but I think my 9×13″ Pyrex would have given me more wiggle room.

5. In the dish, toss together the pasta, chorizo, and cotija.

6. Now to prepare the sauce! In a small sauce pan, heat the milk over medium heat. Heat just until it starts to steam and tiny bubbles form on the edge of the pan.

7. In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and stir. The authors of melt recommend using a flat-edged wooden spoon. This will help you scrape the bottom of the pan and keep the roux (fancy name for the butter and flour mixture) from burning.  Heat and stir until it takes on a light brown color.

8. Slowly pour in the milk, chipotle peppers, and cumin. Stir constantly until the sauce thickens. The sauce is thick enough when you can draw your finger across the spoon and it leaves a clear path.

9. Remove from heat and add most of the aged cheddar. Leave behind some cheddar for topping. Stir until the cheddar is completely melted. Season with pepper to taste. Add some salt if you like also, but the cheeses are pretty salty on their own.

10. Pour the sauce over the pasta. Stir a bit to make sure it’s all well mixed. Top with the extra aged cheddar. Sprinkle scallions on top, if using.

11. Bake for 25 minutes.

12. Let cool a bit before serving. Then eat ravenously.

Messy level: Three spoons, maybe verging on four spoons. This one made a lot of dishes, although some of it might be my fault. I used the food processor to shred the cheeses (although I guess I could have bought already shredded cheese). I had to use the mortar and pestle to smash the cumin seeds (because why go out and buy ground cumin for just 1/8 tsp?). But, also I needed a pan for the chorizo, a pot for the pasta, two pots for the cheese sauce, and a casserole for baking. Also, there’s always the danger of pouring the hot cheese sauce that could lead to a molten cheese mess on my floor and counter. Luckily no such spilling occurred. Although there’s a ton of dishes, I only give it 3 spoons because there’s lot of time in between steps to do some cleaning so your kitchen doesn’t have to look like a disaster if you don’t want it to.

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Now, back to cooking. For today’s post, I’m offering a recipe that is perfect for these cold days we’ve been having here in the DC area. This recipe is hearty, filling, and spicy. I guarantee this dish will warm you up. Now, I’ve told you about my tagine before but just in case you don’t remember, it’s a Moroccan earthenware slow cooker. As a kitchen appliance, it’s so pretty. It’s so pretty, I wasn’t sure I’d ever use it. And at first, I was having a hard time with the tagine, that is until my mom and I came across the cookbook Tagines & Couscous.

My mom and I were shopping at a Lecruest outlet store when I spotted the book. The lady who worked in the shop raved about it! She said it was so user friendly and they had made plenty of amazing dishes for their classes and taste tests. We were sold. Literally. Both us got a copy. Now I make this recipe (well, below is my adaptation of it) all the time. Honestly, I make this recipe almost every other week.

I have found some of the ingredients in the book hard to find (like rose water), but, when I really can’t find them, I’ve powered through with the recipe and it has still come out delicious. Also, please don’t be afraid of how many spices this recipe calls for. It’s an investment at first, but I’ve found them to be worthwhile and useful for other recipes. Additionally, If you don’t have a tagine, try this out with a dutch oven.

Finally, I heartily suggest making couscous as a side. You can find couscous in the same aisle as other grains. It’s such a great complement to this dish because it’s buttery and subtle and helps to balance the spiciness of the dish. And believe me, this dish does have some kick.

Ingredients: 

3 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp turmeric

1-2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 tbsp honey

2 cups carrots, cut diagonally into 2″ pieces

1 lb lean beef, cut into cubes (I use what Trader Joe’s packages as stew meat)

1 14oz cans of chickpeas, rinsed and drained (you can use up to 2 cans if you love chickpeas)

sea salt

chopped cilantro (optional, for garnish)

Directions:

1. If using a tagine, put the your heat diffuser over the burner. Put the bottom of the tagine on top. Pour in the oil and heat over medium-high until warm.

2. Add the onion and garlic. Saute until soft, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the turmeric, cumin seeds, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, and honey. Stir to coat the onions and garlic. Let the spices toast a bit, just for 1 minute.

4. Add the carrots. Saute for 4-5 minutes. Make sure they get coated with the spices.

5. Stir in the beef. Saute for about 3 minutes. Make sure you get the beef coated and it has started to brown. It’s ok if it’s 50% brown and 50% pink.

I’m sorry this picture is a little blurry, but I wanted you to see you don’t have to completely cook the meat.

6. Pour in enough water so everything is 50% covered. Bring the water to a boil. Place the cover on the tagine, and turn the heat to low.

7. Let everything simmer in the tagine for 40 minutes.

8. Add the drained chickpeas to the tagine. Stir everything together so the chickpeas also get some seasoning. Cook for 15-20 minutes.

9. Turn off the heat. Make sure the vegetables are tender and the meat is cooked through. You should have a nice stew-like meal swimming in some spicy broth. Season with salt, if desired. Garnish with cilantro, if you’re  using it. Serve over a bed of couscous.

Messy Level: I give this one three spoons because it is undercover messy. Yes, everything is in one pot and that makes it pretty clean. But turmeric is a sneaky nemesis! It makes the liquid yellow and everything that liquid touches will be dyed yellow. If you have cheap counter tops, like I do, you might end up with some stains so please be careful!

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Then, when I found a recipe for this beet dip I was really excited.  I think dip is wonderful because it’s a great excuse to eat crackers, bread, and cheese. Most importantly, this dip is easy to make and it is pretty. This recipe is just like hummus, only instead of chickpeas it has beets. I was excited for some new twists on old favorites. I served it when my friend Emily and her boyfriend Matt came over and it went over really well. It has the nice, sweet, earthy flavor of beets and the lemon juice gives it a nice bright, citrus flavor. It went even faster than the regular hummus!

Adapted from Food 52.

Ingredients

1 pound beets (about 2 large ones)

1/4 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted

2 tbsp lemon juice

3 tsp tahini

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 garlic clove

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 400°.

2. Scrub the beets clean, cut off the ends of beets. Wrap the beets in a foil packet. Roast for 50-60 minutes. Beets are done when you can easily stick a fork through it.

3. Take the beets out of the oven. Let cool enough so you can touch them. Use a paper towel (to keep your hands from getting red) and rub off the skin from the beets. Cut the beets into quarters.

4. If you didn’t buy toasted walnuts, heat a skillet over medium heat. Once it is hot, put the walnuts in dry. Stir occasionally. Heat until they smell toasty, about 2-5 minutes.

5. In a food processor, blend all the ingredients until smooth. Scrape down the sides as necessary.

6. Taste it, adjust seasonings as desired.

7. Serve with vegetables and crackers. I like it with goat cheese and a pita chip.

Messy level: This one is tough to rate because usually making something in a food processor is a 1-2 spoon. But, it’s beets. No matter how hard I try, I dye my fingers and I also worry about dying everything else. I’m giving at a 3 spoon, mostly as a warning to you, your floors, and your couch.

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