Garden Chili

Because I'm doing the Daniel Fast I was reminded of another vegetarian dish I made. A while back a friend of mine asked me to make her some chili. She requested the vegetarian version of this one, but I didn't have the ingredients for it so I concocted a new one. It was inspired by the diner style garbage plates, it may be a California thing so I'll explain. A garbage plate is when you take whatever's in the fridge that's about to go bad, dice it up in scrambled eggs and serve with or on top of potatoes (hash browns or home fries). Its to die for! Same thing with this chili. I thought about naming it garbage chili, but garden sounded more appetizing, ha ha.

Ingredients

2 cans of pinto beans
2 cans of dark red kidney beans
2 cans of black beans
1 large can of diced tomatoes
1 box (32 oz) of vegetable stock
3 small poblanos (diced)
1 medium onion (diced)
1 large zucchini (diced)
1 large carrot (diced)
1 bag (10 ounce) frozen corn
2 tbsp of chili powder
2 tbsp of cumin
1 tbsp of garlic powder
1 tbsp of onion powder
1 tsp of cayenne pepper
2 tsp of pepper
1 tsp of Adobo
1 tsp of paprika
Seasoning salt

Directions

1. Dice all the veggies before starting to cook
2. Saute onions in a dash of oil until translucent
3. Pour in the vegetable stock and add tomatillos and poblanos
4. Add spices and season to taste with salt
5. Bring to a boil. Cook for 15-20 minutes
6. Add beans and veggies.
7. Lower heat and stir occasionally
8. Simmer as long as you like, but at least 30 minutes

Daniel Fast: Portuguese White Bean Soup

This recipe I followed exactly and of course it follows the running theme of this fast: I found it on pinterest. So good even my picky and carnivorous bf had a bowl!

Ingredients

1⁄2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1⁄2 cups chopped onions
2 garlic cloves coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground fennel seeds
1 small fennel bulb, diced (about 2 cups)
1 cup diced carrots
1 1⁄2 cups diced potatoes
2 teaspoons dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh
1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 cups chopped fresh tomatoes or one 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
3 cups cooked white beans (two 15-ounce cans drained)
4 cups water or vegetable stock
5 or 6 cups loosely packed chopped kale
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preparation

In a covered soup pot on medium-low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onions, garlic, and salt and cook for about 5 minutes.

Add the ground fennel and diced fennel bulb and cook for about 3 minutes. Stir in the carrots, potatoes, thyme, and black pepper and cook for 3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, beans, and water or stock and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are just tender. If the soup is too thick, add another cup of water.

Add the kale and sun- dried tomatoes to the pot. Simmer for about 10 minutes, until the kale is tender. Stir in the lemon juice. Season with more salt and black pepper to taste.

Daniel Fast: Mexican Red Lentil Soup

Fast is still going quite well although I have a craving for breads and pastries. I don't usually want bagels, croissants, or garlic Texas toast, and I don't keep them in the house, but suddenly that's all I want. A cheesy bread from Papa John's would be heaven right now. Or a meat lovers pizza . . . Mmmmm (in my Homer voice). Okay I digress. My willpower is strong.

I will say that this soup was extremely hard to photograph, but delicious. The fresh cilantro and lime made it pop for my Daniel fast lunches. Oh and its another pinterest find!

Ingredients

1 c red lentils, rinsed
1 T oil
1 small red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 celery stalk, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 roasted red pepper, diced
2 t chili powder
1/4 t chipotle powder
1 t cumin
1 t Adobo
1 t black pepper
1 28oz can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 quart vegetable stock
1 c chopped cilantro

Directions

Add rinsed lentils to a small pot and cover with water. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat leaving cover on pot. Set aside.

In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat and saute onions celery, and carrots.

When the veggies soften a bit add garlic, spices, and roasted red pepper. Cook another 1-2 minutes.

Dump in the whole pot of lentils along with the vegetable stock and tomatoes. Stir everything well, cover and let simmer for 15-20 minutes. Stir in cilantro and serve with fresh lime wedges.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Daniel Fast Snacking: Dried Fruit

Dried fruits were an easy option for snacks during my fast. The problem is finding fruit that doesn't have added sugar. Even at Trader Joe's I found my favorite dried fruits, cherries and cranberries, had extra sugar so I opted for apricots and apples. Fasting doesn't mean you have to be hungry!

Daniel Fast Breakfast: Sweet Quesadilla

Now that the secret is out about my love of almond butter, I'll share my breakfast recipe for the week. Pick your favorite fruits, spread any nut butter of your choosing on a whole grain tortilla, heat and serve. It's so good! And here I thought I'd be sick of eating the same thing for 7 days straight. My favorite combination thus far is bananas and dark chocolate. The combination of saltiness of the almond butter with the sweet bananas and rich chocolate is to die for. Since strawberries are not in season (sorry Florida I don't care that it's warm enough to harvest your strawberries in January, they're just not as good as California's so I'll wait til April) the top recipe wasn't as sweet as it could have been but still good and worth another shot when strawberries are in season. Tomorrow I'm trying apples and cinnamon! Have a good day all!

Daniel Fast: One Pot Pasta

Week one of my fast is over. So far no outrageous cravings. I found another awesome  recipe on Pinterest. It was quick and easy for a weeknight meal and very tasty. You can basically add anything you want to it. Enjoy!

Ingredients

12 oz. whole wheat or brown rice spaghetti (I used Trader Joe's)

1 (14-oz.) jar artichoke hearts, chopped

1 large white or yellow onion, sliced or diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pint can cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 (8-oz.) can basil, garlic, oregano tomato sauce

1 tsp. dried oregano

4-6 leaves fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes 

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1 quart vegetable broth, low sodium or no salt added

Instructions

Add the pasta to a large, deep pot or skillet

Add the rest of the ingredients, minus the broth, to the pan on top of the pasta

Pour the vegetable broth over everything.

Cover the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a steady simmer (medium to medium-low heat) and, keeping covered & stirring occasionally, cook for 8-10 more minutes, or until pasta is done through.

Daniel Fast Snacking: Cashews

You know what I've learned in my 4 days of fasting? I love nuts! I know its not exactly the epiphany you might have expected since I'm supposed to be building my relationship with God, but it's true. I am thoroughly enjoying the cashew packs I picked up from Trader Joe's as well as roasted sunflower seeds and almond butter. OMG almond butter! Why didn't anyone tell me how delicious it is? Anyway nuts are rich in protein and super satisfying. Snack on friends!

Daniel Fast: Curried Vegetable Stew

Another Pinterest find. I can't reiterate enough how much I love curry. I mean it might be the best seasoning in the world. It goes with everything curry chicken, curry goat, curry shrimp. . . ok let me stop before I go into Bubba mode. Anyway I already decided (with this recipe) that chickpeas, curry, and kale belong together, so without further ado: 

Curried Vegetable Stew

Serves 8 - 10

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 large onion, dice

2 all-purpose potatoes, diced

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon curry powder

1-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated (about 1 tablespoon)

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups vegetable broth

2 (16-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 green bell pepper, sliced

1 yellow pepper, sliced

1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

4-5 large kale leave, torn into bite size pieces

6 cups water

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion and bell peppers with one teaspoon of salt until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and remaining spices and sauté until fragrant. 

Pour in water and chickpeas. Bring to a boil. Season to taste.*

Add potatoes and cauliflower. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for 30-45 minutes.

Stir in the kale just before you think the potatoes are done. Cover with lid for 1 minute to allow the kale to wilt. 

I meal prepped this stew for lunch. The original recipe calls for coconut milk which I didn't have, but will definitely add next time for that creamy effect and bit of sweetness.

*Note: This step is important because your potatoes and cauliflower will not be able to absorb the flavors after they are cooked. 

Daniel Fast: Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili

Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili

I scoured Pinterest for my Daniel Fast recipes. I searched vegetarian and vegan as well as sugar-free recipes. I love chili so this one was a no brainer. Plus I happened to have all the ingredients already on the house. For this recipe just make sure your canned tomatoes do not have added sugar.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small red bell pepper, diced

1 small green bell pepper, diced

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1½ teaspoons Mexican chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

1 jalapeno pepper, sliced

2 medium sweet potato, diced

2 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes 

1 quart vegetable stock

Salt

Directions:

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a dutch oven or large pot. Add the diced bell peppers and onions. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the peppers soften and the onions become translucent. Add garlic and saute another minute.

Stir in the chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, garlic and onion powder and cook for about 2 minutes until fragrant.

Add the diced tomatoes and vegetable stock and bring your chili to a boil over medium-high heat. Add sweet potatoes, black beans, and jalapeno. Add salt to taste (I didn't need to add salt because the broth I used was not low sodium and was supper flavorful, from Trader Joe's) and return chili to a boil.

Lower to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 30 minutes until the sweet potatoes are tender. 

Remove the lid and simmer for 10 more minutes or until the chili has thickened slightly.

Ladle chili into bowls and serve with toppings of your choice.

Suggested toppings:

Scallions or green onions

Avocado

Radishes

Cilantro

This chili came out absolutely delicious. All the flavors worked so well together. I love beans so next time I'll probably add another can and some cilantro. Feel free to jazz it up anyway you like. Add some cocoa powder, substitute poblano peppers for green bell pepper, or different beans perhaps? That's the great thing about chili, the possibilities are endless; it doesn't really matter what you add, it will still taste good. Enjoy!

Daniel Fast

Hey all! Happy New Year! I hope your year is going well thus far. This year I decided to partake in the Daniel fast. It's a religious fast that takes place at the beginning of the year. I've been hearing about it and watching others participate for years. It lasts 21 days. 

The time is to be spent praying for specific things that you need or want in your life (e.g. better job, a raise, better relationships). One of the churches I used to attend in Georgia proclaims this the year, the year of increase. So I'll be praying for increase in finances, in assets ( I plan to buy a house), in strength (physical and mental), in health, and in love. The fast is a great way to strengthen your relationship with God while dropping a few pounds from the healthy way of eating. I'm super excited about this undertaking! 

The nutritional part of the fast entails the following:

Eat!

All fruit – fresh, frozen, dried, juiced, or canned.

All vegetables – fresh, frozen, dried, juiced, or canned.

All whole grains – amaranth, barley, brown rice, oats, quinoa, millet, and whole wheat.

All nuts & seeds – almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds; unsweetened almond milk. Nut butters are also included.

All legumes – canned or dried; black beans, black eyed peas, cannellini beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), great northern beans, kidney beans, lentils, pinto beans, and split peas.

All quality oils – canola, coconut, grapeseed, olive, peanut, and sesame.

Beverages - distilled water, filtered water, and spring water.

Other – unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk, rice milk, or soy milk; herbs, spices, salt, pepper, unsweetened coconut flakes, seasonings, Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, soy products, and tofu.

Avoid!

All meat & animal products – beef, buffalo, fish, lamb, poultry, and pork.

All dairy products – butter, cheese, cream, eggs, and milk.

All sweeteners – agave nectar, artificial sweeteners, cane juice, honey, molasses, raw sugar, syrups, stevia, and sugar.

All leavened bread & yeast – baked goods and Ezekiel bread (if it contains yeast and honey).

All refined & processed food products – artificial flavorings, chemicals, food additives, preservatives, white flour, and white rice.

All deep-fried foods – corn chips, French fries, and potato chips.

All solid fats – lard, margarine, and shortening.

Beverages – alcohol, carbonated drinks, coffee, energy drinks, herbal tea, and tea

I will be chronicling my journey and menu here on the blog! You can also follow me on Instragram!

Picadillo

This recipe is excellent. I've made it several times and it tastes better every time. I found the recipe on allrecipes.com a few years ago. Its the ultimate comfort food and we all know how I feel about comfort foods. It can be served over rice or used as filling for empanadas. The cinnamon and bay leaf make the recipe so don't leave them out! I leave out the tomatoes and just add tomato sauce, cayenne, and sofrito.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

7 cloves garlic, chopped

1 medium-large onion

1 medium-large green bell pepper, chopped

2 pounds ground beef or chuck

5 ounces pitted olives, halved

5 ounces capers, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup white vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

2 dried bay leaves

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1 can tomato sauce

1/2 cup cilantro sofrito

1. In a large stock pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Saute onion and green pepper until onions are transparent. Add sofrito and garlic, saute another a minute or so. Remove from heat. In a separate saucepan, brown the ground beef.
2. Add the olives, capers, vinegar, salt, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, cayenne, bay leaves and tomato sauce to the onion-sofrito mixture. Return to heat and let simmer over low heat for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally.

*Note: You can do this in one pan/pot. Start by browning the ground beef in the pan. Remove it and set aside. Then use the beef drippings in place of olive oil and follow the recipe from there.

Albondigas

A delicious Mexican comfort food. 

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey (beef is used traditionally)

1 lb Mexican chorizo (uncased)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon peppercorns, crushed

1 cup onions, diced and divided

¼ cup long grained rice, divided

7 cups water

32 ounces chicken broth

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 roma tomatoes, diced

3 large tomatoes, roasted and blended

2 small russet potatoes, cubed

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

2 celery stalks, chopped

¼ teaspoon coriander, crushed

1 handful of cilantro, chopped

¼ teaspoon whole safflower

Directions

In a large mixing bowl combine turkey and chorizo with garlic powder, salt, crushed peppercorns, 2 tablespoons of onions, and 1/8 cup of rice. Mix all ingredients together and roll out 1-inch meatballs.

Arrange three tomatoes on a baking sheet. Place your oven rack as close to the broiler as possible. Broil the tomatoes for about 20 minutes until softened, turning over after 10 minutes. If the skin has blackened remove it. In a blender or food processor, puree the tomatoes until smooth. Set aside.

In a large pot boil water, chicken broth, and minced garlic. Lower heat to medium and carefully add meatballs to the liquid. Cook meatballs for about 10-15 minutes or until the meatballs float to the surface and lower heat to simmer.

In a medium skillet sauté the remaining onions and diced roma tomatoes in olive oil.

To the pot of broth add the sautéed onions, tomatoes, fresh tomato sauce, remaining rice, potatoes, carrots, celery, coriander, cilantro, and safflower.

Cook over medium heat for an additional 30 minutes. Ladle soup with about 5 albondigas per bowl. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, lime wedges, and serve with warn corn tortillas. If you would like your soup spicy add a spoonful of your favorite homemade salsa.

Italian Dessert

I'm totally and utterly in love with Vaccaro's Italian Pastry Shop. The gelato (try the snickers flavor) is great and I've never had a baked good that I didn't like. The cannolis are my favorite. This was my first time at the Little Italy location, I usually go to the one in Canton and I take my goodies to go. This time I was on a date so we dined-in. (Side note: parking is atrocious so plan accordingly.) The quality and taste of the product is excellent at both locations, but the service is slow because there's only one waitress even on a busy Saturday night. 

I ordered apple strudel, which wasn't particularly sweet on its own (I didn't mind because I don't really have a sweet tooth) but was sprinkled with cinnamon, drizzled with caramel sauce, and topped with whipped cream. Yum! I also ordered my usual cookies and cannolis to-go. Perfect ending to my night!

Baltimore Winter Restaurant Week 2014: Steakhouse

I went to Sullivan's Steakhouse for lunch during restaurant week. The space is very large with a generous bar and dinning room. The kitchen is semi-open and wall of windows make it bright. I had a reservation but probably didn't need it. 

I ordered the Maryland crab soup and NY strip. The soup was good in terms of flavor but could have used some more crab. The steak would have been perfect if I had ordered it medium-well or well done, but I didn't so it was overcooked. It reminded me of a plated dinner at a conference or wedding. A mediocre steak with pretty good potatoes and sauce. My friend has invited me to happy hour here many times and I may go but I don't think I want to try for lunch or dinner again.

Melting Pot

My sister and I came here the day before Thanksgiving. It was her treat "for a foodie like me" as she put it. I had never been to this location or any other in the franchise. To be honest I wasn't completely sure about the concept. Anyway, I'm so glad that I finally made it. This was the best dining experience I had in a long while. The food was fantastic, but the service was even better! Our waitress was attentive, knowledgeable, and a down right sweetheart. 

We ordered the spinach and artichoke fondue for our first course. It was just as good if not better than the dip I usually make at home, which is has never been the case at any other restaurant I've been to. Next was the salad course. Lettuce is lettuce.

We chose the court bouillon for our main course. I got The Classic, so I could sample a variety of things and my sister got the French Quarter. My entree came with Angus sirloin, Memphis-style BBQ pork medallion, Pacific white shrimp, herb-crusted all-natural breast of chicken, and teriyaki-marinated sirloin. It also comes with vegetables and red potatoes. It sounds like a lot of food and it was! It also includes six delicious sauces/condiments. The green goddess sauce made with sour cream, cream cheese, and herbs was so good I plan to recreate it at home. The curry yogurt sauce was light and refreshing. 

We ended the meal with the Flaming Turtle fondue which is swirled with caramel, sprinkled with candied pecans, and flambeed with 151! I'm not the biggest chocolate fan but it was to die for. We dipped banana (we asked for more), strawberries, rice krispy treats, brownies, blondies, marshmallows, and pound cake until we thought we'd burst.

At the end of the night we left a hefty tip, gave to St. Jude's, and waddled out stuffed and happy. I cannot wait to go back. We received a gift card for giving so, soon and very soon!

Burgers: Burger Bros.

Came here for lunch a couple weeks ago based on proximity to work and other reviews. The burgers are fresh made like most places (that aren't fast food) and I've come to expect that. I am no burger connoisseur, but the burger was good. I've had better and I've had much worse. It's comparable to Five Guys, which is down the street. The burger patty itself is larger (thicker), but the toppings are just as fresh and delicious. I will say that I AM a potato connoisseur, especially french fries and these have nothing on Five Guys, Kooper's, or even GrrChe food truck. I can't say that I am a fan yet, but I will go back.

Alexander's Tavern

Alexander's Tavern is so cute and cozy. There's a lively bar on one side and a quaint dining room on the other. My date and I got a little table in the window. The waitress was very attentive and sweet.

I'll start this by saying if you don't order anything else get TOTS. As much as I love potatoes I am not a fan of tots at all. My date and I ordered the Buffalo Chicken Tots and BBQ Sweet Potato Tots; both were fantastic! I could have used a little more spice in the buffalo sauce but the flavor was great. The combination of the sweet potato with tangy BBQ sauce and savory pulled pork was to die for. I want to replicate it at home! Even though I was completely satisfied after the tots I ordered the Maryland burger. It was cooked as I requested and the crab dip on top was delicious! I can't wait to go back. They have happy hour right? Because tots and beer sounds like the perfect combo after a long day of work.

Reading Terminal Market

I wish I lived in Philly just to go to Reading Terminal Market regularly! Baltimore has 6 public markets and though I've only been to 3 of them, I'm going to overgeneralize and say this one is better than them ALL (debate is welcome lol)! There's so much to taste and see you need at least a couple weeks daily visits to try it all. I love that there's ample seating to enjoy the goodies you buy.

This was my first visit! I got breakfast from the Dutch Eating Place and baked goods from the adjacent bakery. Everything was delicious from the fresh churned butter on my french toast to the thick cut turkey bacon. I took home wheat and oatmeal bagels, cinnamon rolls, sticky buns, and crumb cake for less than $10! I love the Amish!

I'm with my fellow yelpers, if you're in Philly and don't stop here you're totally missing out. I CANNOT wait to go back!

Baltimore Winter Restaurant Week 2014: SoBo Café

I went to SoBo Cafe for restaurant week a few weeks back. I had a reservation but was late due to traffic. When I arrived I was informed that my table was reserved for someone else soon after mine but I could sit at the bar for a more leisurely meal. I chose the bar.

The atmosphere is extremely welcoming. I felt as if I had visited a friends home for a dinner party. My coat was taken at the door and hung on hooks near the entry. The restaurant is two renovated rowhouses so it was fitting. 

I ordered mac n cheese for an appetizer. It was pretty good; creamy and flavorful. It was a venture from the traditional southern baked mac n cheese because it had tomatoes, but I was pleasantly surprised and I'd definitely order it again. For my entree I chose the Korean chicken fried steak with kimchi collard greens. I LOVE Korean food and it was the PERFECT fusion of Asian and southern comfort food. I wish they would package up and sell the kimchi. It was amazing! Everything kimchi should be: crisp, refreshing, spicy, and sweet. Dessert was parsnip cake with a caramel sauce. I love a good root vegetable so I was pleased.

All in all great experience, so go try it! If I didn't live across town I'd be a regular for sure!

Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups Flour
1 1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 can Pumpkin

3/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Ground cloves
1/8 tsp Ground ginger
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Baking soda
4 oz Applesauce
1/4 cup Oil
1/3 cup Water
2 Eggs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 5x9 inch loaf pans.

2. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.

3. Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaf is done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.