Baby Update!

BLOGGER: KATELYN

As we are approaching week 33 of my pregnancy, Tony and I are both very anxious and excited to meet “Baby B.” The baby continues to be very active and wakes me up several times throughout the night.  It has been fun taking pictures of my growing belly and seeing how drastically my body has changed and continues to grow still.  I’ve been told these last weeks are when you do the most growing…Yikes! I sure hope not.  I’m already planning my next shopping trip to buy more maternity clothes to get me through this last stage.  I am happy to report  “Baby B” and Tony and I are in good health… Tony’s back is slowly getting better just in time to get back upstairs and work on the nursery again.  We have a busy month ahead, but will try to keep up with the blog and of course good cooking!  Here’s a look at me now:

Hamburgers with Orange and Cumin Black Bean Chili

BLOGGER:  TONY

I knew someone once who knew someone who led a club called something like the “World Burger Tour.”  The point of the club (which had a rather loose membership) was to seek out and consume the best burgers wherever they were at.  I don’t disagree with the premise of the club.  There is a certain appeal to becoming an expert at one particular food.  That is, to have eaten (and perhaps made) enough of one food to really appreciate all of the nuances and variations.  It’s really no different than becoming an educated oenophile.  I was dedicated to one particular food once: meatloaf.  The remnants of that obsession can be found at meatloafsandwichclub.wordpress.com.  I am unaware of any word that describes meatloaf appreciation like oenophile describes wine snobs. 

But I digress.  The real point of the earlier paragraph is that there is something very satisfying about creating a new twist on an old favorite.  The point is not to create the best burger ever (but that certainly is not an unworthy goal) but to create something new, interesting, and delicious.  That’s what I think I did with my Hamburgers with Orange and Cumin Black Bean Chili.  The vegetarian chili was not only delicious atop my burger but also provided an interesting philosophical contrast.  Along with some freshly sliced jalapeños, the combination was devilishly good.  Here are the recipes, chili first:

Black Bean Chili with Orange and Cumin, from this recipe at Epicurious

1-2 oranges

2 T olive oil

2 cups chopped onions

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 tsp chili powder

4 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp cinnamon

3 15.5 oz cans black beans, drained

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes in juice

Hot pepper sauce, to taste

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Grate enough orange peel to measure 1 1/2 teaspoons. Juice oranges. Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté 5 minutes. Mix in garlic and spices. Add beans, tomatoes, and half of orange juice. Simmer over medium heat until heated through and flavors blend, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Mix in orange peel and remaining orange juice. Season to taste with hot sauce, salt, and pepper.

Hamburgers with Orange and Cumin Black Bean Chili

4 hamburger buns

16-20 oz ground beef (depending on how large you like your burgers)

1 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

1 cup Black Bean Chili with Orange and Cumin

2 jalapeños, sliced

Mayonnaise

Mix hamburger with salt and form into four patties.  Cook according to your favorite method to your desired doneness.  Meanwhile, slice buns in half and spread the bottom half with mayonnaise.  When done, place patty on the bun bottom and top with 1/4 up chili and a few jalapeños slices.  Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Spaghetti with Oven-Roasted Tomatoes and Caramelized Fennel

BLOGGER:  TONY

I’ll just be up front with you, this recipe is awesome.  Take a look:

Spaghetti with Oven-Roasted Tomatoes and Caramelized Fennel, from Saveur, Number 117

1 lb roma or plum tomatoes

4 T extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp each Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 bulb fennel, cut into matchsticks

1 red onion, sliced

3 fresno chiles, finely chopped

1/2 lb spaghetti

 2 T finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 cup toasted bread crumbs

Heat oven to 250 degrees F.  Halve tomatoes lengthwise and scoop out the seeds, leaving the middle “column” intact.  In a bowl, toss the tomatoes with the sugar, salt, pepper, and 1 T olive oil.  Arrange tomatoes on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, cut side down.  Rost until very soft, about 3 hours.

Heat 2 t olive oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat.  Add fennel and brown for 10 minutes.  Add onion, cook unti soft, about 8 minutes more.  Add chiles and cook for 2 minutes.  Chop and add tomatoes. 

Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook pasta until al dente.  Strain but reserve 1/2 cup pasta water.  Add pasta and the water to the tomato mixture, toss.  Put skillet over high heat.  Add the parsely and remaining oil.  Cook for 2-3 minutes and adjust the seasonings.  Sprinkle with the bread crumbs and serve immediately.

OK, not the easiest recipe in the world.  It takes a bit of time, a bit of knifework, and a good-quality skillet.  But, it is well-worth the effort.  If anything, it can introduce you to the wonderful world of roasted tomatoes.  The method in the recipe makes delicious tomatoes out of even the most out-of-season tomatoes by concentrating the natural flavors and adding some caramelization.  The culinary uses for such tomatoes are endless:  compound butters, salad dressings, spreads, sauces, etc.  If you haven’t, you should give them a try.  But I digress.

What makes this recipe really work is how well the ingredients complement each other.  The roasted, slightly caramelized tomatoes are a perfect match for the slightly sweetened fennel.  The sweetness of those two ingredients are tempered by the red onion and the chiles.  The bread crumbs add some needed crunch.  The end result is a little sweet, a little hot, a little crunchy, and very much complex.  It’s really some of the best pasta I have ever had.  Do yourself a favor and give this one a try.

A few other notes:  1)  We used English muffin bread  bread crumbs for this recipe and they were excellent.  2)  Don’t be too afraid of the 3 fresno chiles in the recipe for two servings.  With the cooking and their apparent mildness, there’s not an excessive amount of heat.  Enjoy!  Here’s the final product:

Blogging Again

BLOGGER:  TONY

I sincerely apologize for the very (very!) light blogging this past month.  I have been battling a bad back that has made it very difficult to sit for extended periods of time.  I think it has improved in the last few days after a fortituous purchase of a clearance priced electric blanket.  Hopefully, I will now be healthy and able to blog more frequently.  One other thing:  a very exciting event occurred in the past week.  My sister-in-law Breanna finally had a girl after having three boys.  Needless to say, she’s delighted with the outcome.  Here’s the two girls:

One cute story about her:  Katelyn was holding the little one and our future baby started to kick.  She (or he, we really don’t know) kicked hard enough so that the little one would feel it and start to fuss.  As a result, Katelyn had to reluctantly give the baby up.  Perhaps, our little one was jealous.

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

BLOGGER: KATELYN

I was visiting home this weekend and my mom had this great recipe for a quick bedtime snack.  We all  got into our jammies and huddled around the counter to put together this 5-minute delight:

We measured the ingredients and let my 3 year old niece do the mixing:

Then into the microwave for 3 minutes…

We jazzed the chocolate cake up a bit with caramel and whipped topping:

A bit of a messy face and a few dirty dishes later and  it was off to bed:

Here is the recipe for a yummy treat you can enjoy anytime of day.

It only takes 5 minutes – maybe you can have it twice!

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

4 tbl flour

4 tbl sugar

2 tbl cocoa

1 egg

3 tbl milk

3 tbl oil

3 tbl chocolate chips

a small splash of vanilla

1 large coffee mug

Add dry ingredients to the mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips and vanilla, and mix again. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don’t be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate.