Okay, this is the most recent Recipe Thread

[glatt]

Knowing my audience, I think chili or stew won't be well received. I think of them more as winter foods anyway.

But pasta is a safe bet. It's a good idea.

Thanks for the ideas, everyone.

[Clodfobble]

3 medium onions, chopped
1 large russet (baking) potato
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups heavy cream
2 roma tomatoes, diced
2 cups corn
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 a chipotle in adobo sauce, minced fine (about 1 teaspoon)
1-2 smoked (i.e. pre-cooked) chicken breasts, chopped.


In a soup pot, cook the onions in a few tablespoons of oil (I use olive oil, but whatever you like) over medium heat until softened. Peel and cut the potato into a very fine dice, preferably about 1/4 inch. Add potato and garlic to the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in flour, and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Whisk in broth and cream, and bring to a boil, still stirring. Add tomatoes, corn, Monterey Jack, chipotle, and chicken, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until potatoes are fully softened. For a more kid-friendly version, I just use about a tablespoon of the adobo sauce instead of an actual chipotle pepper.

[Cloud]

oh yum, thanks!

[Clodfobble]

And here's the chili recipe for Ducks:


Turkey Chipotle Chili

2 lbs. ground turkey
1 med. onion, chopped
1 Tbs. chili powder
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 chipotles in adobo, finely chopped
2 cups chicken stock
1 can chopped stewed tomatoes
1 can red kidney beans (drained)

In large soup pot, brown turkey in oil for about 3 minutes (it will not be done yet.) Add onion, garlic, chili powder, and chipotles and cook another 5 minutes, until turkey is completely cooked. Add stock, tomatoes, and beans, and simmer until chili is desired thickness, about 30 minutes. Add a tablespoon or so of tomato paste if necessary to thicken faster. Top with cheese (any will do, but IMHO pepper jack is the best choice.)

This goes exceedingly well with corn cakes--just a standard box of Jiffy Corn Muffin mix, prepared according to package directions (optionally with 1-2 cups pepper jack cheese added) and cooked on a griddle into pancakes.

Can you tell I like chipotles?

[DucksNuts]

I dont know what chipotles are....muahahaha...off to google.

[Cloud]

chipotles are smoked and marinated jalapenos, I think.

[Clodfobble]

Yes, they are, though many people are under the mistaken impression that they are an entirely separate species of pepper. But anyway, I imagine any spicy pepper would reasonably do in either recipe.

[Sundae]

Oh jeez

I thought it was another word for chipolatas (sausages about the size of a thumb usually roasted with turkey)

[Shawnee123]

Must be a States thing. Everything is chipotle these days. It's the hot (pun intended) food ingredient. Chipotle chicken. Chipotle shrimp. Chipotle salad. Chipotle ice cream. Chipotle dog bones. Chipotle sandwich.

That's...that's about it.

[Clodfobble]

Don't forget the actual restaurant chain named Chipotle (which does not actually have anything with chipotles on the menu.)

[Cloud]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

(which does not actually have anything with chipotles on the menu.)

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Good burritos there at Chipotle. The chipotle (smoked dried jalapeno) peppers are in one or two of the salsas.

The peppers can be found canned or dried. Useful-looking page here:

GourmetSleuth.com

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Quinoa One Skillet Meal, or, Garlic Chicken Stir Fry with Quinoa, Peppers, and Basil

Had some quinoa in a box, and there was a recipe on the back of the box. It's pretty flexible, turns out. I substituted beef strips for chicken, and didn't have any bell peppers.

Prepare quinoa in saucepan:

1 cup quinoa grains
2 cups chicken broth or stock

Soak quinoa in two or three times the volume of water to rinse away bitter flavor.
Simmer quinoa and broth together in saucepan until all of broth is absorbed.

While this is going on, prep everything else:

1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless Chicken breasts, cut in 1" pieces
4 TBSP Garlic Olive Oil, or increase garlic from amount below
1 sm Onion, sliced thin
1 red Bell Pepper, 1 yellow Bell Pepper, seeded and sliced thin
5 or more cloves Garlic, sliced thin or minced
20 leaves fresh Basil, julienned
Parmesan Cheese, grated
Salt & Pepper to taste.

With everything sliced and readied, heat skillet, add Oil. Saute Chicken 5 minutes or until golden. Add Onions and Peppers, sauteing one or two additional minutes; add Garlic and saute until Peppers are slightly limp but still bright (adds to dish's looks), a minute or two more. Season with Salt and Pepper.

Remove skillet from heat; add prepared Quinoa and julienned Basil, toss until Basil is well wilted. Garnish generously with Parmesan. I served it in soup plates.

For variation, add tomatoes, or use another meat, sliced thin the way you'd prep meat for stir frying. Beef or pork could stand to be marinaded for this recipe in something acidic and tenderizing. Some may like a little drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

Quinoa can be fixed in a rice cooker without trouble: one volume of quinoa to two volumes water or stock. With stock it comes off very like a pilaf.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

This is ratatouille by the classic, slow technique, but ratatouille can be cooked entirely on top of the stove and more quickly without peeling or seeding. It can be left chunky or cooked to a puree. Add cheeses such as feta, goat cheese, mozzarella or Parmesan at the end.

Ratatouille can be an all-vegetable entree, a side dish or a filling of crepes and pita sandwiches. It may be served cold, and ageing in the fridge improves it.

If you really don't want to peel the eggplant, take a very sharp knife and lop the skin off in six or eight pieces; you won't lose much flesh to this. Chop the zucchini and any other squash the same size as the tomatoes, about 1-inch cubes. With the eggplant it matters little if it is chopped so or simply sliced as it will meld into the tomatoes.

Ratatouille

1 Eggplant, 1 1/2 to 2 lb, peeled/trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes
About 1/2 c Olive Oil, divided
2 Zucchini, cut in 1/4" slices
1 large Red Bell Pepper, cored, seeded, sliced
1 large Green Bell Pepper
1 large Onion, sliced
2 c Tomatoes, chopped, seeded
1 TBSP Tomato Paste
1 TBSP Minced Garlic
1/2 c minced fresh Basil leaves (or 2 tsp dried)
1 tsp dried Thyme}
1 Bay leaf ...........}optional: Herbes de Provence herb blend may be substituted (rosemary, marjoram, basil, bay leaf, thyme) -- basically whichever you've got on hand. Try a little extra Thyme too.
Salt and fresh ground Pepper

Equipment other than oven: colander, skillet, casserole

In a colander, toss Eggplant with salt, let sit to draw bitter juices out, pat dry.
Preheat oven 350 F.

In large skillet over medium heat, warm 2 TBSP Oil until hot, add half of Eggplant, stirring occasionally cook for 5-7 minutes or until soft. With a slotted spoon, transfer eggplant into casserole dish. Repeat process with remaining Eggplant and same amount of oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes and transfer to casserole.

In 2 more TBSP Oil, saute Bell Peppers 5 min until softened and add to eggplant in casserole.

In same skillet, saute Onion in 1 TBSP Oil for 7 min or until golden, transfer to casserole.

Add Tomatoes to ingredients in casserole dish, and the Tomato Paste, Garlic, Basil, Thyme, Bay Leaf, Salt and Pepper to taste; stir to combine. Cover casserole and bake 30 minutes.

--The Best of France, Evie Richter

Serve with lamb, roast pork, grilled shrimp. Pairs with oven-browned potatoes or crusty bread. Red wine. Keeps well, and improves some with fridge ageing.

Originally Posted by Urbane Guerrilla

This is ratatouille ...Ratatouille can be an all-vegetable entree,...

This reminds me of something I used to do from time to time.
I used to do a mix of a lot of great spices cornmeal, cornflour, and flour and put it in the processor then coat-dredge-coat-fry; green tomatoes, eggplant (preferably Asian), zucchini, summer squash and anything else that is seasonal and good fried. All very young and cross cut and on the same large platter when done.
That way you don't know what you are getting.
There were always good dipping sauces too.
It was a fave with friends and family, I miss doing it.