Category: Entree

Cheese Pizza : A pull actually worth eating

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‘You hungry?’ I asked, one lazy Saturday afternoon, ruffling my kid’s messy mop. An innocent question, but not really. With a preteen, it’s Russian Roulette.
‘Yeah…’ Child replies, and then with an intensity that came out of nowhere, ‘But, like for pizza, you know? With a really good cheese pull.’
I blink. ‘Cheese pull?’
‘Yeah, you know …’ Child mimics biting into a slice of pizza and pulling away and there’s imaginary cheese dangling in the air.
‘Um…’ I literally had no idea what else to say. I’ve made a 1000 pizzas. This is not a brag or an exaggeration; I worked at my dad’s pizzeria for most of high school and college. What the beans is a cheese pull?
Hoping this wasn’t going to turn into a thing, I retreat to my office to do a little research. And that’s when the rage started. The cheese pull? Yeah, it’s a food stylist gimmick. Which turned into a Tic Tok meme. I HATE Tic Tok. And Memes.
‘Child!’ I yell from my office.
‘What?’ She pokes her head in.
I spin around, jabbing my finger at the screen. ‘It’s just a gimmick! It’s not a real thing.’
Child, not quite sure how hot the water is yet, sticks her toe. ‘Yeah, but that’s what I’m craving …’
My right eye twitches. Child tenses, squares shoulders, and sticks out chin. Child is brave.
‘You know what mimics good pull, Child? Elmer’s glue,’ I hiss. ‘You want I should make you THAT!’
‘Uh …’ But it’s too late. I’ve already swiveled around in my chair, muttering. It’s turned into a thing.
Child quietly retreats to the safety of the lair – double barriers this time – as I hear the distinctive click of the closet door.
So I did what any mildly unhinged, emotionally activated parent would do: I built a cheese pizza worth pulling. Not for the camera. For my sanity. And Child, too. I guess.

Cheese Pizza

Special Equipment

  • Pizza Screen
  • Parchment Paper
  • Box Grater (recommended)
  • Casserole Dish (recommended)

Ingredients

  • 1-12 inch Pizza Crust
  • 1/4 cup Rustic Tomato Sauce
  • 1 cup Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
    • *Brand Matters! Alert: Purchase a brand made in Italy, such as Galbani’s or Grande.
    • *Function Note: Milky, salty; gooey and stretchy when melted. The backbone of the cheese pull.
  • 1/4 cup Fontina Cheese, shredded
    • *Function Note: Nutty, buttery; softens the blend and adds creamy depth without overpowering.
  • 3 slices Provolone Cheese, torn
    • *Function Note: Mild tang, nut and butter undertone; bridge between mozzarella’s softness and parmesan’s punch.
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
    • *Function Note: Sharp, salty, and savory; finishes the pie with umami and browning power. Doesn’t melt – it punctuates.
  • 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preparation

  • Using your box grater, place it inside the casserole dish. Grate 1 cup of Mozzarella cheese. Next, grate about 1/2 cup of fontina.
  • Drizzle the olive oil on your pizza crust and spread around with a pastry brush, if you have one, or the back of a spoon.
  • Dump a cup of your mozzarella and fontina blend in the middle of the pie and spread outward with your fingers. Leave about a 1/4-inch edge of crust.
  • Grab your three slices of provolone and tear it with your hands. Layer it around the pie as evenly as you can.
  • Using a spoon, drop dollops of the rustic sauce on top of the cheese, again, trying to be even.
    • *Note: Don’t spread it! When I said dollops, I meant dollops.
  • Sprinkle the last of the shredded cheese over the pie to create a light seal over the sauce.
  • Bake the pie at 500 degrees in a traditional oven, or 450 degrees in a counter top oven with the convection setting on, for 10 minutes.
  • Pull the pie out, sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese all over the pie like an angel from heaven sneezing savory salt, and pop the pie back in for 1-2 more minutes to formally seal the deal.

Plating Notes

  • If ya broke, sprinkle some dried parsley.
  • If ya flush, rough-torn fresh basil leaves – fresh oil released from herbs is never not rad.

So I slide that in front of Child. The cheese pull was real, the flavor was there, and what turned into a thing? Yes. You want I should serve you that.

Nom On,

~Crunchy

The Angeleno: Sprawl, Pulse, Juxtaposition

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You know what Los Angeles and New York City have in common? You have to live there to get it. And in my case, ‘there’ is Southern California. Born, raised, never leaving. I don’t care how high the taxes get. Every once in a while, someone will say something to me, some out-of-state soul that’s from … not here, like, ‘California cuisine just means you guys add avocado to everything, right?’ This question betrays such a jaw-dropping level of cluelessness that I really think the creators of Baywatch owe every Southern Californian restitution for the reputation we now have to live with.

So, let me pull you in closer – so I can scream in your ear – ‘Southern California is fusion!’

Bright, alive, cars flowing through the arteries of Greater Los Angeles. Connecting people from all over the globe to the urban pulse; food trucks lined up and down the streets of DTLA, LBC, Inglewood, Koreatown, Hollywood, Pasadena, Glendale, and Santa Monica on a Saturday night, feeding us because you know we’re drunk and need something to soak up that booze, mamacita! Hell, yeah, I want extra kimchi on my pork belly tacos to go with my elote that I got from that other truck! Or, summoning talent from the world’s culinary capitals to spin up inspired dining scapes surrounded by the choreography of the Theater District or the curated calm of Beverly Hills.

But I get it, you are reading this from … not here. And that’s ok. You just make this little pie of mine, throw on a movie that pulls you deep into our vibe – Drive, Heat, LA Confidential, or Mulholland Drive – and taste the juxtaposition. And guess what? There ain’t one damn slice of avocado on it.

The Angeleno

Special Equipment

  • Pizza Screen

Base Recipe

Toppings

  • 1 lb Hot Italian Sausage, ground or in casings
  • 1 Anaheim Pepper, chopped
  • 1 Red Onion, sliced

Preparation

  • Follow the base recipe, everything is the same, including pulling the pie out and grating the parmesan cheese over the pizza and baking it for an additional 1-2 minutes.
  • Topping order does matter, believe it or not. You always start with the flat meats first – pepperoni, salami, ham, then move on to bulkier items – crumbles like beef or sausage, mushrooms, chopped peppers – and finish off with smaller, lighter toppings such as diced onions or sliced olives.

    Anchovies stay in the low boy and are placed on last while you try not to gag. Plastic forks, rosary water, and burning sage help. Or, just get friends that don’t like anchovies on pizza.

Plating Notes

  • Garnish with crushed red pepper, it pluses the whole thing. Scouts honor.

This post is dedicated to the victims of the Los Angeles Fires. To the families who lost homes, memories, and pieces of themselves in the smoke. To the neighborhoods that burned and the ones that held their breath. To the first responders who moved toward the heat while we fled. And to every Angeleno who looked up at an orange sky and still found a way to feed someone, comfort someone, or keep moving.

We are LA. Sprawling, pulsing, grieving, rebuilding. And still cooking.

Nom on,

~Crunchy

Pizza Crust: Surprisingly hard, until it’s not.

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I’ve been making pizza in one form or fashion for years. My first job was actually making pies at Round Table Pizza, so I felt like I knew what I was doing when my kid asked me for pizza a couple weeks ago. No problem, I thought, I’ll even go back to my roots and pick a pizza screen instead of using my beat up old baking sheet from IKEA.

And then the problems started. The first crust was fused to my pizza screen. More research. My second crust kept snapping back and wouldn’t stick to the parchment paper. More research. My third crust was unevenly distributed so it was undercooked in the middle. More research. And, finally, FINALLY, I nailed the bake. Jesus.

Pizza Crust

Special Equipment

  • Parchment Paper
  • Pizza Screen
  • Rolling Pin
    • *Note: I tried twice to stretch this dough with my hands. You know when I started to make progress with my bakes? When I started using my rolling pin. Don’t be a hero.

Ingredients

  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
  • All Purpose Flour
  • Store-bought dough
    • *Note: This post is about baking technique, but if you want to make your pizza dough from scratch, here’s the recipe I use.

Preparation

  • Drizzle 1 tbsp EVOO into a bowl.
  • Remove your dough from the package and plop (yes, that’s a technical term) into the oiled bowl. Roll it around to get your dough-baby nice and lubed up (also a technical term, just probably not this industry.)
  • Cover the bowl in plastic and let the dough rest at room temperature for no less than 30 minutes. Ideally an hour. Pour a glass of lovely, watch your stories. Relax. Everyone will eat … eventually.
  • Preheat your oven to 500 degrees.
    • *Note: If you have a convection oven, use the 450 degree setting with the convection fan on.
    • *Another Note: You can pre-heat earlier if you want, I just live in a warm climate so heating up my house is not rad.
  • Once the dough has rested, pour another glass – it’s ok, we know you finished the first one, gah-head – and sprinkle all purpose flour all over the counter.
  • Plop your dough onto the counter.
  • Sprinkle your spouse-wrangler, :::cough:::, rolling pin with flour as well.
  • Roll your dough out into approximately a 12-inch circle.
    • *Note: This isn’t your drafting class. Don’t focus on shape, focus on an even thickness of the rolled-out dough. About 3/4 of an inch will do.
  • Poke your dough with a fork in a few spots to prevent it from puffing up.
    • *Alert!: Do NOT do this step with your dough on the screen.
  • Spray your pizza screen with non-stick and cover with a piece of parchment paper.
  • Slide your rolled out dough on the screen.
  • Bake for 6 minutes.
  • Once the par-bake is complete you are ready to move on to the next step, pizza brilliance.
  • Slide the parchment paper out from under the crust, brush it with EVOO, cheese, sauce, top with ingredients, and slide that bad boy back in the oven for 12 minutes.

If you can nail the crust, I promise you that the rest is easy. You have a blank canvas awaiting your benevolence, or your revenge, depending on whether the chores were done without you nagging.

Nom On, Vino Goddess. You’ve got this.

~Crunchy

Santa’s Third Shift: Mint Cocoa Pancakes

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Do you even wonder if Santa work’s the night in shifts? If he’s got to make his rounds all over the globe in 24 hours, I’m thinking he must. Either way, I checked with Mrs. Claus and she assured me this is her main squeeze’s favorite thing to come home to after his busiest day of the year. Why not treat your own little elves (or gremlin’s) to this delicious stack of pancakes first thing in the morning? These pancakes blend three quintessential flavors into one, simple dish: Hot Cocoa, Peppermint, and Marshmallow. Coze-to-the-ee!

Mint Cocoa Pancakes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Bisquick
  • 1 package instant hot cocoa mix
  • 1 tsp white sugar
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup Mint White Chocolate Coffee Creamer
  • 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
  • 1/4 cup chocolate chips (Milk or dark chocolate works, your preference)

Preparation

  • Heat a small, non-stick skillet. Leave at the lowest heat setting while you prep the batter.
  • Mix all dry ingredients first and then add in the wet ingredients.
  • Once you have a thick batter, fold the chocolate chips in last.
  • Increase the heat and spray skillet with non-stick spray.
  • Add 1/4 cup of batter and heat through. Once the surface looks bubbly, slide spatula under the cake and test. If it comes up easily, it’s ready to be flipped. *Note: Don’t rush pancakes. A common mistake is to only look for bubbles, when really what you are looking for is the spatula to slide easily under the cake without it breaking or sticking to the spatula. When the bottom of the cake is cooked it just naturally unbinds from the skillet. If you are burning the bottom layer before it unbinds, lower your heat.

Optional Toppings:

  • Peppermint Whipped Cream topping
  • 1/2 cup crushed peppermint baking chips
  • 1/2 cup Mini Marshmallows
  • Smucker’s Marshmallow Topping

My ratios listed will make two servings of 2 medium-sized pancakes. I don’t have a large family to feed, but if you do, the quantities can be doubled.

Happy holidays, and Nom On!

~Crunchy

The Versatile Crepe: France’s anathema for anxiety

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I’ve been making crepes for many years and for some reason I have hesitated to write this blog post. I think my ‘piece de resistance’ was the year I made crepes stuffed with Rosemary Turkey Breast, smothered with Sherry Shallot Gravy and drizzled with Cranberry Coulis. The crepe, while a delightful pain in the ass to make, is at once both humble and elegant.

But, Crunchy, why would you call it an anathema for anxiety? That seems a little …. I don’t know … bombastic? A Hyperbole? Grandiose? Well, my love of my thesaurus aside, I’m not wrong. No matter how cranky and anxious I’m feeling, 45 minutes of highly focused, yet surprisingly ‘chillaxy’ ladling and swirling later, I hate the human race at least 40% less. The end result is a tangible batch of perfect crepes ready to be stuffed, folded, drizzled, and smothered in any number of other delicious and decadent ingredients.

The Versatile Crepe

Equipment:

Ingredients:

*Don’t be Cheap! Alert: The French live and die by the care, quality, and technique that goes into … well, just about everything they do. You will commonly find French recipes to have very few ingredients because every one of them count. For the Milk, please go organic. For the eggs, free-range organic. For the salt, it needs to be kosher. Finally, for the butter, choose a high-quality brand. Just do the best you can and remember that the money you spend on the ingredients will make a huge difference in the quality of your end result.

  • 420 ml or 1 3/4 cups Whole Milk. Reserve an additional 1/2 cup in case your batter becomes too thick. You may need to add a little more as needed.
  • 4 Large Eggs
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 190 g or 1 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
  • 1 Stick Unsalted Butter. Melt 6 Tbsps of butter for the crepe batter. Reserve the remaining 2 tbsps from the butter stick for greasing your pan.

Preparation:

As I have mentioned, I have made crepes many, many times. I distilled the essentials of the batter preparation in the order that you need to construct it, and it goes like this:

  • Milk, Eggs, Salt. Blend.
  • Flour. Blend.
  • Melted Butter. Blend.
  • Shove blender carafe into refrigerator for 60 minutes.

And now to let all your worries swirl away for 30 minutes:

  • Heat your crepe pan on low heat. You don’t want your crepes to burn so I suggest about a level 2.
  • Drop a sprinkle of water. If it sizzles you are ready to party.
  • Take your remaining 2 Tbsps of butter and grease a piece of paper towel.
  • Gently coat your crepe pan with the buttered paper towel. (Don’t be Lazy! Alert: If you just grease your pan with the stick of butter you will end up with too much and it will result in over caramelization.)
  • Quickly dip your soup ladle into the batter and pour a circle that covers 3/4s of the pan.
  • Immediately pick the pan up and rotate it in gentle circles, allowing the batter to spread and thin out to the outer edges of the pan. If you end up with any little holes you can dribble a little additional batter there.
  • The crepe will take less than a minute to cook. You are looking for the edges to just start to dry up. I like to gently test if I can slide my spatula underneath the crepe after about 30 seconds.
  • Flip the crepe over. Don’t be alarmed if you need to help it out a little with your hands. They are difficult to flip so don’t think of it like a pancake. I usually have to help the little dude out by readjusting it. Cook the second side for about 15 seconds.
  • Slide it onto a waiting plate.
  • Repeat the cycle for another blissful 30 minutes.

*Don’t be Distracted! Alert: Unless someone is bleeding or on fire and there isn’t another individual in the house who isn’t bleeding or on fire also that can deal with that situation, this is all you are going to be doing. Period. It’s just you, a heated crepe pan, carefully pouring, swirling, delicately flipping, sliding onto a plate. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

“Wait, why was I having a bad day again?” You’re welcome.

Ummm, What Should my Crepes Look like?
If you want to make a traditional crepe, it should be very thin and pale as the driven snow. Ok, maybe not the snow, but you get the idea. The reality is, butter browns. If your crepes have some color on them, fear not. They will still be delicious, I promise. But as you work your way through your batch, that is what you are looking for.

Nom On,

~Crunchy

Juicy Baked Pork Chops: Perfectly spiced and everything nice

You know how it is. You see that package of pork chops on sale and you’re like, ‘Oh, Dang! That’s a good deal! I can feed the 5th battalion with that! Word.’ And so you buy it and stick in the fridge and some days go by. You open the refrigerator door several times a day and those pork chops stare at you. And then, they start editorializing. ‘You know we are going to go bad soon, right?’ ‘SLAM!’ The next day … ‘You know you didn’t save any money if you just end up throwing us away, right?’ ‘Huff! SLAM!’

And then it gets really sad, because you start having a conversation with the hecklers. ‘We’re still here.’ You can’t take the pressure any more so you yell back, you know, at the pork. “The 5th battalion isn’t coming. I don’t even have a phone number! It’s just that thing you tell yourself when meat goes on sale!’

Well, fellow travelers. Here’s how to snatch those chops from the pearly gates and make something glorious.

Spiced Pork Chops

Equipment

  • 9X13 Inch Glass Baking Dish

Ingredients

  • 6 boneless pork chops
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Cayenne Pepper
  • Crushed Red Pepper
  • Ground Cinnamon

Preparation

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  • Coat a 9X13 inch glass baking dish with EVOO.
  • Place pork chops in the baking dish.
    • *Note: The pork needs to fit snuggly together to tenderize and conserve juices. If there is too much space between the chops, use a smaller baking dish.

Now, for the fun:

  • For my recipe I used EVOO liberally, salt, pepper, cayenne, crushed red pepper, and cinnamon. I measured nothing. It was all on a wing and a prayer and, lord have mercy did it turn out amazing.
  • Now that you have had fun bedazzling both sides of your pork chop and you have made sure they are all snugly tucked together, your oven should be ready!
  • Pop them in on the middle rack for 16-18 minutes, uncovered. You want to reach an internal temperature of 145. Let the pork rest for about 5 minutes.

That’s it. Seriously. 10 minutes of prep, 20 minutes of cooking while you pound pinot grigio and spoil your appetite, and dinner is ready.

Is this a main dish or a base recipe?

Both.

This pork turned out juicy, complex, and delicate all at the same time. So if you want, just pair it with a starch and a green and ring the chow bell.

Or, because my rub is spicy, with a hint of ‘what the hell?’ due to the cinnamon, you can lean in for a little Caribbean-inspired fusion. I made a pork-mango salad for the spousal unit, but you whip up a batch of habanero-mango salsa and …. swaying to calypsos, baby.

So there you have it, fellow travellers, on-sale pork redemption.

Nom on,

~Crunchy

Mole, Demystified

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Until a year ago mole was this dish I’d heard mentioned a few times, always with a certain amount of reverence from my Mexican friends and family. Considering my Latin Cuisine savvy didn’t get much further than some form of meat, beans, and salsa intersecting with tortillas, fried into some clever shape to get goods in my mouth, I wasn’t sure what the big deal was. When my daughter turned one my husband informs me with awe that the little princesa will have mole made from scratch for her party. I am a spicy food addict so when I tried it, I remember mostly being confused. I wasn’t sure what I was tasting exactly, it wasn’t sweet, it wasn’t savory, it wasn’t spicy. It was just … mole. Weird.

I forgot all about it until a few weeks ago when my salsa lady at the farmers market asks if I want to sample her mole. There’s that word again. Sure, I say, and imagine my surprise when she hands me a jar of … what I can only describe as goop. She proceeds to explain how to use it to make a sauce and off I go, more than a little freaked out. And now, after much research and experimentation I bring to you the simple, cheater-cheater-pumpkin-eater way to make both dark and green mole.

 Mole Negro Sauce

Ingredients 

  • 2 – 3 heaping tbsp of dark mole paste, depending on how thick you want the sauce
  • 2  cups chicken broth
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 disks Mexican chocolate
  • 1/2 cup almond butter

Preparation

  • Add 2 cups of broth to the blender. Add the dark mole paste, almond butter, cayenne pepper, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper to the blender as well. Break up the chocolate and add into the blender. Blend ingredients until you have a smooth sauce.
  • In a medium-sized pot add the mole sauce. Simmer on low for about 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
  • While the sauce is thickening and simmering, slice a red onion into thin rings. Cut the rings in half once. Put them in a bowl and squeeze one whole lemon and stir to coat. They need to marinate for about 30 minutes. 

Mole Verde Sauce

Ingredients 

  • 4 cups of chicken stock
  • 2 – 3 heaping tbsp of green mole paste, depending on how thick you want the sauce
  • 1 pd tomatillos, husks removed
  • Peppers:
    • Mild: 1 chopped passila
    • Medium: 2 chopped jalapenos
    • Hot: 2 chopped serranos
  • salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

  • In a large stock pot, add your husked tomatillos, cover with broth, and boil for 20 minutes, until soft. 
  • Add to the blender:
    • Tomatillos
    • 2 cups of the broth from the stock pot
    • 2-3 heaping tablespoons of green mole paste
    • Chopped peppers
  • Blend ingredients until you have a smooth sauce.
  • In a medium-sized pot, add the mole sauce. Simmer on low for about 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
  • While the sauce is thickening and simmering, slice a red onion into thin rings. Cut the rings in half once. Put them in a bowl and squeeze one whole lemon and stir to coat. They need to marinate for about 30 minutes. 

Notes: 

  • Traditionally, mole is served drenching a chicken quarter. Add Spanish rice and warn corn tortillas on the side with picked red onion and cilantro to garnish. You can also mix your shredded chicken into the sauce during the simmering period and use it in your favorite Mexican entree: Tacos, burritos, quesadillas…
  • Can I plus this? You know you can! Poach your own chicken breasts to create the stock for your sauce and use that instead of store bought broth.
  • Note a fan of chicken? That’s ok! Add cubed steak into the sauce during the simmering period instead, and sub the chicken broth for beef broth.  
  • If you want to get a little creative, you can actually use the green or dark mole sauce to make enchiladas. Just make your casserole as usual but your mole sauce is substituted for ranchera sauce. For dark mole, I would use a smokier cheese like gouda and for the green mole I would use pepper jack.

So there you have it folks, mole demystified. The process of making the mole paste from scratch is insane and, from what I am told, is something that even the most accomplished Mexican home cooks don’t bother with more than a few times in their life. Now I know why it was a great honor that my mother-in-law made mole poblano from scratch for her reina pequena.

Nom On,

~Crunchy

Chicken Cordon Bleu Panini

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Mmm….it’s Saturday again and we’re hungry. You know what that means…. Saturday afternoon lunch, ba-by! And on the board this time is a crispy, gooey, cordon bleu panini. Let’s do this.

Chicken Cordon Blue Panini

Chicken Cordon Bleu Panini

Special Equipment

  • Option One: Cast Iron Gridle + Cast Iron Skillet or Foil Wrapped Brick
  • Option Two: Panini Press

Ingredients (per sandwich)

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2  thin-cut chicken breast (at the deli, asked for a thin cut or find pre-packaged that is labeled thin cut)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 thick slices french bread per serving (from the bakery)
  • Butter or yogurt butter spread
  • 1 slice alpine lace swiss cheese (from the deli counter)
  • 1 slice black forest ham (from the deli counter)
  • 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbsp Mayo

Preparation

  • Slice your thin cut chicken breast into strips and then cut in half. Season with salt and pepper.
  • In a small pan, heat your olive oil over a medium flame and toss the chicken strips in there. Stir a few times to get a little sear and then cover the pan with a lid. Heat through about 3-4 minutes. Turn off the flame and transfer to a bowl. Set aside.
  • Butter bread slices and place one slice in a pan or on a cast-iron griddle, buttered-side down. Layer with swiss cheese, then ham, then chicken. Top with bread slice.
  • Heat the first side until you get nice grill marks, light brown or black, depending on how much crisp you want on your crust.
  • Flip over and heat the second slice until grilled and cheese is starting to melt.
  • Transfer to a plate or cutting board and remove the bread slice that doesn’t have cheese melted to it. Add either a tbsp of mayo, dijon mustard, or a tsp of each. Add back to your sandwich.

This is a dense and flavorful sandwich so you can just eat the hell out that on its own. Pair with pickles, salt and pepper dusted tomatoes, or even a little salad if eating a sandwich with no side freaks you out.

Nom On,

~Crunchy

3-Alarm Chili

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I’m at yet another potluck, and someone is staring down at my chili with a confused look on their face.

“This looks like chili.”
“Yeah,” I say, “it is chili.”
“uh….with pasta? How does that work?”
“It just does,” I assure them. 

I found the base recipe years ago in a Betty Crocker vegetarian cookbook and have been hooked ever since. Once people get over their confusion and try it, I always get rave reviews—and you’ll love it too. The dish has a great spicy heat that you can dial up to suit your taste. The cinnamon in the sauce makes it especially comforting and aromatic in colder months. It’s chili-licious.

3-Alarm Chili

Special Equipment 

  • Dutch Oven

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 large white onion, chopped
  • 1 medium pepper (Heat Control: Green bell pepper for mild, Pasilla or Anaheim for medium, 2 large jalapeño peppers for hot, or 2 Serrano peppers for sadists.)
  • 3 cups water
  • 1/2 cup taco sauce (Heat Control: The hotter the taco sauce, the hotter the dish. Just be aware that this is the tomato-based taco sauce, NOT a pepper sauce like Tabasco.)
  • 2 cans diced tomatoes and chilis, undrained (Heat Control: Ro-Tel sells 4 versions of heat – Mild, Original, Hot, and Lime.)
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 ground cinnamon
  • 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/4 box angel hair pasta

Optional Add-Ins:

  • Canned corn; adds a bright, sweet, crunchy contrast
  • Smoked Turkey Sausage; Adds fat, umami, savory notes, and checks the box if you prefer meat in your chili

Preparation:

  • In a dutch oven or a large, deep skillet, sauté the onions and bell pepper in EVOO until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. 
  • Add in the water, cans of tomato and chiles, sauce and seasonings. Just hold off on the beans and angel hair pasta.
  • Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium-low heat. Simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Add in the beans and pasta and return to boiling. Reduce back to medium-high heat. Simmer for 8-10 minutes.
  • Serve with garnish assortment so people can doctor their chili up as desired.

Garnish Assortment

  • Sour cream
  • Cilantro, roughly chopped
  • Sliced, fresh jalapeño
  • Pepper sauces: Franks, Tabasco, Tapatillo, and Sriracha
  • Shredded cheese: Cheddar, Pepper Jack (for added heat), or Gouda—because this dish is already kinda whack, so why not add nuttiness?

Serving options

  • Summer version: Increase the heat and serve with tortilla chips, Frito scoops, and Tostito bowls. Pair with ice-cold light beer to balance the spice.
  • Fall comfort: Keep the heat mild and serve with skillet cornbread. There are many styles to explore—buttermilk, bacon, Southern, Northern.
  • Sweet-savory contrast: Make the chili moderately spicy. Prepare cornbread with honey and maple syrup instead of sugar. Serve on the side for dipping and scooping.

What’s a Trencher?

A trencher is a thick slice of bread placed in a bowl and drenched with chili or stew. You can eat it with utensils or go full medieval and use your hands.

What’s a Dutch Oven?

When I first started cooking, I didn’t know what this was. I asked around and got conflicting answers. Here’s the correct one: a Dutch oven is a deep pot with a tight-fitting lid. Mine has a lid that doubles as a skillet. It’s economical, durable, and built to last.

Nom on, 

~Crunchy

Turkey Spinach Meatballs

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Meatballs are one of those versatile dishes that might seem mystifying or hard to make, but they don’t have to be. I will likely post more meatball recipes when we get back to the cooler, fall weather, but a turkey-spinach meatball has the right flavors for summer.

Spinach Turkey

Turkey Spinach Meatballs

Ingredients

  • 1 10-ounce package of frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 cup herbed or plain breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons grated onion
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1 pound ground turkey

Preparation

  • Mix the spinach, egg, breadcrumbs, onion, and garlic salt together in a medium-sized bowl.
  • Add the ground turkey into the mixture and mix with your hands.
  • Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees and place a rack inside a shallow baking pan.
  • Shape your mixture into 2-inch balls and place on rack. You should end up with about 14-16 meatballs.
  • Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. The center should no longer be pink and you want the internal temp to be about 160 degrees.
  • Drain on paper towels.

Ok, I have meatballs. Now what do I do with them?

Well, to be fair, you can eat them on their own, with a nice cherry-tomato salad or fat slices of seasoned beef steak tomatoes. It’s low carb, super healthy, and perfect if its summertime and you want hearty without the heavy. But here are some other options. My personal creation, Farmer’s Market Soup, is at the very end and also a fabulous option if you want healthy and hearty. Highly recommended as an alternative to chicken noodle soup if you have a household suffering from flu and cold season and your need to nourish them back to life!

Capellini and Meatballs

  • Simmer them in 2 cups of your favorite marinara sauce until the sauce is thick and bubbly. Reduce the heat to low.
    (Tip: The sauce can wait, but the pasta can’t. Always make your sauce first and reduce heat all the way down to low.)
  • Bring water to bowl and add a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil to the water, plus a little salt. Cook the pasta for 4-5 minutes and drain. Only do a very light rinse or you will lose all the oil.
  • Divide pasta and simmering meatballs into four bowls and serve with a little freshly grated parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper.

Meatball Subs

  • Simmer them in 2 cups of your favorite marinara sauce until the sauce is thick and bubbly. Reduce the heat to low.
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Cut open 4 sandwich rolls; crusty, french rolls from the bakery if you’ve got ’em.
  • Ladle meatballs and sauce into rolls. About 4 meatballs each.
  • Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese and crushed red peppers, then top with a slice provolone cheese.
  • Bake for 2-3 minutes at 400 degrees to melt the cheese and lightly toast the bread.

Swedish Meatballs

  • Prepare one package of egg noodles according to directions on package.
  • Combine 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, 1/4 cup milk, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 tablespoon dried parsley, and 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg in medium sauce pan and stir.
  • Fold in meatballs and simmer for about 5 minutes, until sauce and meatballs are all heated through.
  • Pour over egg noodles, garnish with a little fresh parsley for color and serve with salt and pepper to taste. Red pepper flakes can also be offered if your brood likes their meals with a little kick.

Farmer’s Market Meatball Soup

  • In a large pot of dutch oven, add meatballs.Step One Meatballs
  • In a cast iron or stainless steel skillet, add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and a BUNCH of fresh, chopped squash. There are so many types of squash in season during the summer and many farms just sell medley bags in their stalls with green, yellow, etc. Include one or two peeled and chopped carrots. Sauté for about 5 minutes, until a little tender. Don’t cook them all the way down as they need to survive the soup boiling process. Toss them in the pot with the meatballs.Step 2 Saute Squash
  • Next, in the same skillet, add more olive oil and pop in a head of roughly chopped spinach. If you can find a market stall that sells mixed bags of kale, spinach, and arugula (or other combo of dark, leafy greens) that is even better. Also add in a 1/2 basket of sliced white mushrooms. Sauté these gently, just until the leafy veggies wilt. Add them to the pot.Step 3 Saute Spinach
  • Take a moment to savor all that lovely color. Mmmm….Colorful Veggies
  • Next, add water to the pot, enough to just cover the top of all the veggies. I am guessing this is close to 8 cups. Bring to a boil.Step 4 Add Water
  • When the water is boiling, I add two large cubes of either chicken or vegetable bouillon to the water. This saves you the trouble of using broth (which spoils and is expensive) and adding a lot of salt.
  • Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Now, here you have a choice. If you just want a light soup, you can simmer for another 10 minutes and be done with it. If you want a little more bulk to the soup you can return to a boil and either add 4 tablespoons of rice, lentils, couscous, or quinoa to your broth.
  • Simmer with the lid on for 10-15 minutes.
  • At this point I do a few rounds of taste testing. I try a spoonful and if its a little bland I add salt and black pepper, about 1/4 teaspoon at a time. I just keep stirring, tasting, and seasoning until I hit the ‘oooohhhh yeaaaah’ flavor. This is totally your call.

I serve this soup piping hot in a huge bowl with a hunk of lightly toasted french bread. I also put out crushed red peppers, Sriracha, salsa roja, pepper sauces like Franks or Tabasco, salt, pepper, sour cream, and grated parmesan cheese. It’s a fun soup to doctor up and I like to provide all the options.

Nom On,

~Crunchy