Superbowl Chili

Well I told my husband the world must be ending when the Cards made the Superbowl. In all honesty, though, I'm pumped. For the first time in my life, when I go out I see Cardinals shirts every where! Someone in my neighborhood even made a Cards mailbox.

We're going to our favorite Superbowl party this year at an old family friends'. They've hosted one my whole life and it'll be the first time in five years we've made it, thanks to living out of state and last years flu! Between that length of anticipation and the local boys playing in it, I think this is the most excited I've ever been for a Superbowl. There's no point in pretending, I don't like football at all. I'm always up for a good party, though, and the Dolan's are amazing cooks. They even have two adorable dogs to keep my little guy entertained. So while I'm (happily) only bringing cookies tomorrow, I know this chili would totally hit the spot for girls and guys alike. I love that I have almost all of the ingredients in my pantry at any given time, which is especially important if your Costco looks anything like mine did this afternoon. I was there just to buy Turbo Tax for my smarty pants husband who can't wait to do our taxes and oh boy, I should have waited until Monday! Go Cards!

Smitten Chili
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen (from Real Simple Magazine)
I've made this several times and I think I got the flavors down just right for my family this time. I used a little less chili powder and added a touch of brown sugar for the molasses flavor. It was a hit.

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (or turkey, if you don't have a husband like mine who would never forgive you)
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup beef broth
3 tablespoons chili powder
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
2 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 small can of tomato sauce
1 can green chilies
2 15 1/2-ounce cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 1/2-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 1/2-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons cider vinegar

To taste:
Sriracha chili sauce
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne
1 to 2 tablespoons chipotle en adobo puree

Toppings and sides:
Sharp Cheddar
Sour cream
Minced jalapeno
Corn bread

Place a large Dutch oven or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until browned, about 5 or 10 minutes. Add the onion, stirring well, and cook until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Gradually add the broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven. Stir in the chili powder, brown sugar, cumin, cocoa, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and green chilies. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and let simmer for 10 minutes. Add the beans, salt, and vinegar, stirring well. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes more. Adjust flavor with your spices of choice. Stir in the frozen corn and garnish with the cilantro, Cheddar, sour cream, and jalapeno, if desired. Serve hot in a bread bowl or with cornbread. ♦

TWD- White Chocolate Gingerbread

I'll admit that this weeks Tuesdays with Dorie choice, Fresh Ginger and Chocolate Gingerbread, found me less than excited. Naturally, the photo in the book is gorgeous and the ingredients sound delicious. However, I'm not too big of a ginger girl, and my husband can't have chocolate. So, I subbed in white chocolate chips in the cake and in the frosting and only used the fresh and powdered ginger. I loved how the flavors came together- like my favorite gingersnap recipe.

We're also, like everyone else, trying to eat healthier at the start of the year. So, I used white whole wheat flour I just got from King Arthur to make the cake "feel" a little healthier. You can't taste the difference and with the color of the spices, I think I'll just use regular whole wheat next time. I think my testers are being desensitized to that wheat-y flavor (mwa hahaha!)

Since my pan was smaller than Dorie specified, I also made six mini bundts in my cathedral pan I just reclaimed from storage (can you believe I've had it almost three years and never used it?) I drizzled a thinned white chocolate ganache on top for a quick finishing touch.

We loved this cake- I couldn't get enough of the texture, it was perfect (even though I accidentally added the dry ingredients all in before I realized I'd forgotten to put in the liquid in alternating batches! My mom said it was like a "good spice cake" (uh, thanks mom?) and my brother couldn't stop asking who that was going to and if he could have more. I think he's getting used to having the food photographed and doled out, poor guy. Thanks Heather for the fun choice- everyone loved it! (Don't forget to stop by for the recipe on her blog!)

Barefoot Bloggers- Puff Pastry Sticky Buns

One of the recipes I tried first out of the Barefoot Contessa book was these sticky buns. I did hear they were a little hard to remove from the muffin cups so I baked them on a sheet pan. Of course, I cut out most of the butter and just made these like a regular cinnamon roll. They had a different texture with the puff pastry and seemed a bit like an appetizer- crunchy, easy finger food. I know my husband loved them but I still prefer my cinnamon rolls gooey and creamy. Either way, these will satisfy for your sweet tooth in a hurry! Thanks Melissa for the great choice and make sure to see all the other Barefoot Blogger's takes on this fun recipe.

Puff Pastry Sticky Buns
adapted from Ina Garten
1 package (17.3 ounces/2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted
4 tablespoons butter, softened
2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat and set aside.

Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold one sheet of puff pastry with the folds going left to right. Brush each sheet with two tablespoons softened butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of the chopped nuts. Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down.

Trim the ends of the roll about 1/2 inch and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, on the prepared sheet. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns.

Bake for 20 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. Allow to cool a few minutes before glazing. To make glaze, combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla and stir until smooth.

No cake- news instead

It's Tuesday, and I've been looking forward to this cake for a long time and even dreamed about it last night, but alas, I didn't make it(sorry Mary Ann!). I'm happy to report that my little one willingly ate all the blueberries I bought for it. I hope to make it soon. For excuses, well, let's just say my counters are coming next week (early I hope) and as soon as they appear everything else will slide into place- including that sink I've been missing like crazy- and I will have a kitchen again.

I do have a new gadget I'm excited about, though I haven't tried it yet. This baby was on clearance at Kohl's for $101.99 during the morning special. I went to Bed Bath and Beyond, had them price match (did you know they did that?), used a 20 percent off coupon, and even got a $20 rebate, bringing this pretty down to less than $70 after tax. Now I'm itching to make some pastry, some pesto, or anything. I've been using a Cuisinart (my Mom's) and wanted to keep with that brand, but I figured with the price I couldn't resist. Plus, I love my KitchenAid stand mixer so much I thought I couldn't go wrong with the brand. Do you have a preference or experience with both? Let me know! Stop by Thursday for Ina's Easy Sticky Buns and next Tuesday for Fresh Ginger and Chocolate Gingerbread (maybe from my own kitchen?)

TWD- Spicy Southwestern Cornbread

I love cornbread and was excited about this week's Tuesdays with Dorie selection (although I have to admit it's one of the least photogenic so far!) My grandmother used to make hers out of yellow cake mix so I like it sweet or spicy. I have to say, a little pepper goes a long way in dressing it up. This recipe features freshly ground pepper, chopped bell pepper, and canned green chilies. Dorie suggests jalapenos but for the sensitive stomachs around I opted for the milder chilies. I think I kind of over did it by adding lots of pepper jack cheese, but it was gooey and delicious. I added the chili powder she recommended but didn't love it, so I'll leave it out next time. I think the color will be better and the flavor, too.

Being the new year and all, I subbed in some whole wheat flour. No one was the wiser. That's how I like it. Check out the fabulous Ezra Pound Cake for the original recipe or see my version below. Either way, there's plenty of options for substitutions and preferences- I love it!

Spicy Southwestern Cornbread
adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup buttermilk (or 1 tablespoon vinegar plus milk to fill one cup, allowed a few minutes to curdle)
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
1 can mild green chilies
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
3 slices pepper jack cheese, chopped into 1/2 inch squares

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter an 8 x 8 baking dish and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, pepper, and baking soda.

In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, melted butter and egg yolk together until well blended.

Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don’t worry about being thorough – the batter will be lumpy, and that’s just the way it should be. Stir in the corn kernels, cilantro, bell pepper, chilies, and pepper jack cheese.

Bake for about 25 minutes or until the top is golden and a thin knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.