Try This: Turkey Chili

May 29, 2013

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Try This

We are expecting a mini heat wave here in Boston over the next few days (think typical May in Houston), but today is gray and rainy. It makes for some good chili weather. This recipe is a little spicy, and a definite comfort food. I mix in sour cream at the end to tone down the spiciness, add less if you like a kick. Top with cheese, and enjoy with crackers.

Ingredients

1 lb. ground turkey
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 serrano chile, seeded and minced
1 large jalapeño, seeded and sliced
2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced
2 1/2 tbsp. chili powder
1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
2 cans (15 ounces) black beans, half drained
1 tbsp. white vinegar
sea salt

sour cream
shredded cheese

Directions

1. Brown the turkey on the stove top, adding 1 1/2 tbsp. of the chili powder to the meat
2. Saute onions on stove until they are translucent
3. Add tomatoes, turkey, onions, garlic, chiles, and the jalapeño to the slow cooker
4. Let the mixture warm for an hour (or longer)
5. Add the black beans, white vinegar and remaining chili powered
6. Salt to taste
7. Let the chili sit for an additional 30 minutes
8. Dish out chili, and mix in a tbsp of sour cream (to tone down spiciness)
9. Top with cheese

Sources

Adapted from Everyday Food, March 2013

By Nicole

In Food & Drink, Try This

Try This: French Martini

March 27, 2013

Nicole

1 comments

Try This

We don’t have drinks often around here, but when we do my go to is a French Martini (which is also my favorite shade of lipstick). This isn’t a gin and vermouth drink, instead its made with vodka and a black raspberry liqueur. I’ve included the amount of lime juice noted in the recipe, but we generally add about half. Just do a taste test to decide what you like.

Ingredients

2/3 oz. (4 tsp.) Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur
2 oz. Vodka, Chilled
2 oz Pineapple Juice
Juice of a Lime

Directions

Add ingredients and a few ice cubes to a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously until the drink becomes frothy. Pour into a chilled martini glass and serve. Fills one glass.

Sources

This recipe can be found in Peace Meals, a book written by the Junior League of Houston

By Nicole

In Food & Drink, Try This

Try This: Cheese Enchiladas With Tomatillo Sauce

February 27, 2013

Nicole

2 comments

Try This

Tex-Mex does not exist here in Boston. We’ve found a pretty good restaurant substitute thanks to our friends, but it has more of a cajun influence. So, when we are craving some authentic Tex-Mex, we make it ourselves and this is our go to recipe. I prefer flour tortillas, instead of corn and I found the perfect recipe in Lisa Fain’s Homesick Texan Cookbook. I’ve mentioned it before, but it is one of my absolute favorites. Her recipe for Red Chile Rice is the perfect compliment to these enchiladas. The tomatillo sauce is adapted from one of our favorite Tex-Mex Restaurants. It’s not your normal
Chile Con Carne Enchilada, but it’s amazing and the perfect fix for our cravings.

Ingredients

Tortillas
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
3/4 cup milk
1 tbsp. canola oil
2 cups all purpose flour (extra for kneading)
1/2 tsp. salt

Tomatillo Sauce
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 cup cilantro (divided)
1/4 cup green onions
1/8 cup jalapeño slices with juice
2 lbs. tomatillos
3 cups water
1 pinch sugar
5 tbsp. cornstarch
3 tbsp. vegetable bouillon
8 oz. sour cream
1/4 tbsp. garlic salt
1/4 tbsp. salt
1/4 tbsp. black pepper

Enchiladas
1. Tortillas
2. Tomatillo Sauce
3. 16 oz Mozzarella

Directions

Tortillas
1. Heat butter and milk on stove until butter is melted
2. Turn off heat, and add oil
3. In a separate bowl mix salt, baking powder, and flour
4. Stir in warm milk mixture, and form a sticky ball
5. Knead dough for 2 minutes
6. Cover and let rest for 1 hour
7. Divide into 8 pieces, cover and let rest for 1/2 hour
8. Roll out dough into 8 inch tortillas (don’t overwork it)
9. Cook each tortilla in a cast iron skillet for 1 minute on each side
10. Wrap cooked tortillas in a cloth

Tomatillo Sauce
1. Wash and cut green onions, 1/4 cup cilantro, and tomatillos
2. Add these items slowly to a food processor and blend
3. Add jalapeño slices/juice and lime juice to food processor
4. Blend until pureed
5. Into a large stock pot add butter and melt
6. Add tomatillo mixture to the stock pot
7. Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until it stops foaming
8. In a separate pot prepare vegetable bouillon according to directions
9. In a third separate pot add water and corn starch
10. Once the water and cornstarch are mixed add in bouillon, salt, garlic salt, sugar, and pepper
11. Once thoroughly mixed add cornstarch mixture to tomatillo mixture
12. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring constantly until it thickens
13. Pick leaves off remaining 1/4 cup of cilantro and add to pot
14. Add sour cream and mix
15. Season to taste

Enchiladas
1. Dip tortilla in sauce until it is bends without cracking
2. Add tortilla to large baking dish, and fill with cheese
3. Pour tomatillo sauce into tortilla (about a small ladle worth)
3. Roll and place crease of tortilla on bottom so it stays together
4. Repeat until baking dish is full
5. Pour more tomatillo sauce over enchiladas and top with cheese
6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until cheese is light brown and bubbling

Sources

Tortilla recipe from the Homesick Texan Cookbook adapted from a recipe found in The Border Cookbook by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison.

Tomatillos Sauce adapted from the Chuy’s Deluxe Tomatillo Sauce recipe

By Nicole

In Food & Drink, Try This

Design Curiosities: Kobi Benezri Studio

January 29, 2013

Steven

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Design Curiosities

Kobi Benezri’s design for Where Chefs Eat: A Guide to Chefs Favourite Restaurants is seriously ambitious. This enormous volume is over 700 pages, catalogs about 2,300 restaurants, and was printed using only one ink. The entire book is composed solely of type and cartography.

By Steven

In Books, Design Curiosities, Food & Drink, Graphic Design, Typography

Have a Lovely Weekend

December 21, 2012

Nicole

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(Allandale Farm)

What are you guys up to for the holidays? We are looking forward to relaxing, and enjoying time together! This is the last post for 2012, so I did something a little different. Normal Friday links, but I’ve also included a few things we are looking forward to finishing and sharing next year. We will be back Monday the 7th! See you then.

Typographic posters with an art deco feel by Ruth Vissing

The Urban Grape. Tons of wine, great space (photo by Justine Hand).

A look behind the scenes at Hill-Side.

A great app to wake up to.

Really good type out of Norway by Monokrom.

Silk-screen poster in the works.

Finishing up our first piece of furniture from the ground up.

Trying out a dimensional poster.

Starting our second furniture project.

Big things happening, site up soon for Steven and Matt’s company.