Child of the Wild Blue Yonder: October 2016

Smokey Chicken and Cauliflower White Bean Chili

The leaves are changing, carved pumpkins are out on the front porch of almost every house, it's starting to get really cold at night. It's fall -- and chili season. Josh and I have come up with a wacky recipe that'll spice up your fall and keep you warm all night long. This chili is slow cooked so the flavors are thoroughly absorbed. It's a white bean chili that looks a bit unconventional, but has flavors that will not disappoint. It's smokey, has heat that packs a punch, and a combination of fresh and savory flavors.
Okay, so maybe cauliflower chili doesn't sound so appealing, but I hope this recipe can change your mind.

I will say, there is a lot of prep work that goes into this recipe, so I wouldn't go into this thinking it's just going to be a quick-dump slow cooker recipe. It's not, but if you're looking for a damn good chili, all the prep is worth it.

What You'll Need:

-A blender and Crockpot

for the Roasted Cauliflower:

-Half a head of cauliflower, chopped into florets.

-1 Tbsp Olive Oil

-1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

-1/4 tsp Onion Powder

-1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika

-1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper

-1/4 tsp Cumin

-1/4 tsp Salt

-1/4 tsp Pepper

-1/2 Cup Vegetable Stock

for the Chicken:

-2 Large Chicken Breasts

-1 7 Oz can of Chipotles in adobo, removed from sauce and rinsed

-1 small Clove Garlic

-1/2 tsp Molasses

-1 tsp Worcestershire

-a Squirt of Lime per Chicken Breast

-1/4 tsp Pepper

-Pinch of Salt per Breast

for the Veggies:

-1/2 White Onion

-1/2 tsp Olive Oil

-1 small Clove Garlic

-1 tsp Brown Sugar

-1 Poblano Pepper halved and roasted in the oven

-you'll need less than a 1/4 tsp per pepper, and salt and pepper for each half

for the Crockpot:

-1/2 tsp Olive Oil

-1 15 Oz Can Corn

-1 15 Oz Can Great Northern Beans

-1 Cup Chicken Stock

-1 Large Clove Garlic

-1/4 tsp Cumin

-1/2 tsp Chili Powder

-1/2 tso Smoked Paprika

-1/4 tsp Salt

-1/4 tsp Pepper

for the Garnish:

-1/2 Lime

-1 Tbsp Cilantro

-Tortilla Strips (you can either buy these or bake your own using fresh tortillas)

-1/4 Cup White Cheddar shredded

I know this sounds like a lot, but managing all your prep work makes the whole process pretty manageable.... so, here goes nothing:

1. Start off with chopping: mince all the garlic, the onion, and half the poblano pepper. If you bought a head of cauliflower, cut it into florets. Set everything aside. Remove the chipotle peppers from the can and rinse them off. Bring out the crockpot, and set it to low. You'll end up periodically adding ingredients throughout the recipe.

2. Pre-heat the oven to 400º F, you'll be using it to roast a lot! Prepare your chicken by placing it in an oven safe dish and seasoning it with salt, pepper and a small clove worth of garlic. Sprinkle the chicken with lime, and cover it with the Worcestershire, and molasses. Make sure both sides of the chicken are covered, and put the chipotle peppers in the same dish. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until you are ready to cook it.

3. Put the cauliflower in a bowl and mix it together with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, crushed red pepper, cumin, and salt and pepper. Rub the poblano with oil, salt and pepper. Place both the cauliflower and poblano in the oven on a baking sheet, and bake for 15-20 minutes or until slightly browned. Be sure to keep an eye on the veggies, flipping them at least once.

4. Heat 1/2 tsp of oil in a pan, and add a pinch of garlic. Once fragrant, add the onions and brown sugar. Coat the onions and stir frequently till the onions have caramelized.

5. Add 1/2 tsp olive oil, garlic, onions to the crockpot. Add the full can of corn, and beans, the chicken stock, and all the spices. Leave it uncovered. Remove the cauliflower and poblano from the oven and set aside to cool until they have cooled enough to be handled.

6. Cut the poblano into half inch cubes and add it to the crockpot. Put the roasted cauliflower, and vegetable stock in a blender, pulse until it is pureed. Add this to the crockpot as well.

7. Heat another pan over medium-high heat and sear the chicken. Once both sides have been charred transfer the chicken back onto the oven safe dish and put in the oven for about ten minutes, until it's cooked all the way. When the chicken is totally cooked pull or shred it into bite size pieces and add it to the crock pot. Put the chipotle peppers in the crockpot as well for added smokey flavor, but remember to pull them out before serving!

8. Stir everything together and cover the crockpot, allow to sit for 4-5 hours. Add the garnish before serving. As always, enjoy! :)

Roasting the veggies added a lot of flavor to the chili. I recommend not skipping out on this step!

Cauliflower Puree.

Add everything to the crockpot, let sit, stirring occasionally for about 5 hours.

Before the garnish...

And the finished product!

Smokey Chicken and Cauliflower White Bean Chili

2:00 PM

What You'll Need:

-A blender and Crockpot

for the Roasted Cauliflower:

-Half a head of cauliflower, chopped into florets.

-1 Tbsp Olive Oil

-1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

-1/4 tsp Onion Powder

-1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika

-1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper

-1/4 tsp Cumin

-1/4 tsp Salt

-1/4 tsp Pepper

-1/2 Cup Vegetable Stock

for the Chicken:

-2 Large Chicken Breasts

-1 7 Oz can of Chipotles in adobo, removed from sauce and rinsed

-1 small Clove Garlic

-1/2 tsp Molasses

-1 tsp Worcestershire

-a Squirt of Lime per Chicken Breast

-1/4 tsp Pepper

-Pinch of Salt per Breast

for the Veggies:

-1/2 White Onion

-1/2 tsp Olive Oil

-1 small Clove Garlic

-1 tsp Brown Sugar

-1 Poblano Pepper halved and roasted in the oven

-you'll need less than a 1/4 tsp per pepper, and salt and pepper for each half

for the Crockpot:

-1/2 tsp Olive Oil

-1 15 Oz Can Corn

-1 15 Oz Can Great Northern Beans

-1 Cup Chicken Stock

-1 Large Clove Garlic

-1/4 tsp Cumin

-1/2 tsp Chili Powder

-1/2 tso Smoked Paprika

-1/4 tsp Salt

-1/4 tsp Pepper

for the Garnish:

-1/2 Lime

-1 Tbsp Cilantro

-Tortilla Strips (you can either buy these or bake your own using fresh tortillas)

-1/4 Cup White Cheddar shredded

I know this sounds like a lot, but managing all your prep work makes the whole process pretty manageable.... so, here goes nothing:

4. Heat 1/2 tsp of oil in a pan, and add a pinch of garlic. Once fragrant, add the onions and brown sugar. Coat the onions and stir frequently till the onions have caramelized.

6. Cut the poblano into half inch cubes and add it to the crockpot. Put the roasted cauliflower, and vegetable stock in a blender, pulse until it is pureed. Add this to the crockpot as well.

7. Heat another pan over medium-high heat and sear the chicken. Once both sides have a nice char, transfer the chicken back into the oven safe dish and put it in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until it is cooked all the way through. When the chicken is done, pull or shred it into bite sized pieces and add it to the crock pot. Put the chipotle peppers in the crockpot as well for added smokey flavor, but remember to pull them out before serving!

8. Stir everything together and cover the crockpot, allow to sit for 4-5 hours. Add the garnish before serving. As always, enjoy! :)

Roasting the veggies added a lot of flavor to the chili. I recommend not skipping out on this step!

Cauliflower Puree.

Add everything to the crockpot, let sit, stirring occasionally for about 5 hours.

Before the garnish...

And the finished product!

Roasted Tomato Soup with Open Faced "Grilled Cheese"

1:25 PM

If you've made our beer bread recipe and are looking for something to do with it, look no further!

What is comfort food if not a grilled cheese with tomato soup. As a child, going over to my girl friends' homes for sleep overs, we always hoped that our lunches would consist of tomato soup, grilled cheese, and Goldfish Crackers. It was the best, and even better if bacon was involved. The recipe below has no bacon involved, but with a soup as flavorful as this, and a combo of white cheddar, and asiago cheese on beer bread, it's not even necessary.

Adding basil makes this soup a little bit different from the grilled cheese and tomato soup I was used to as a kid. But it isn't too overwhelming and remains a kid friendly soup. I'm sure it would pair well with Goldfish Crackers :)

What You'll Need:

-A blender/food processor

-5 Medium Sized Tomatoes cut into wedges

-2 Cloves Garlic minced

-1 Tbsp dried Basil

-A Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper

-1/4 tsp Black Pepper

-1 tsp Salt

-1 tsp Oregano

-2 tsp Olive Oil

-1/2 Cup Fresh Basil

-1/2 Cup Vegetable Stock (I always go for organic)

-Salt and Pepper to taste

-1/2 Cup White Cheddar

-1/2 Cup Asiago Cheese

-1/2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

--A sprinkle of Paprika per sandwich

-Your bread of choice -- if you've made our beer bread recipe use it here! :)

1. Preheat the oven to 400º F. Start off by prepping everything as usual. Cut the tomatoes into wedges and place into a bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, garlic, oregano, and dried basil. Mix together until the tomatoes are coated.

2. Arrange the tomatoes onto a baking sheet, and bake for about 20 minutes. Wait till the edges of your tomatoes are kind of browned.

3. While the tomato cooks, chiffonade the basil, and shred the cheese. Set everything aside.

4. When the tomatoes are finished cooking, pull them out and let them cool for at least 10 minutes, until you are able to handle them. Then put the tomatoes in a blender or food processor and pulse until the tomatoes have come to a nice puree.

5. Pour the tomato puree into a medium stock pot, add vegetable stock and fresh basil. Stir everything together, and bring the mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover for 20 minutes. Stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

6. While the soup simmers prepare your sandwiches. Top off the slices of bread with both of the cheeses, and sprinkle with paprika for garnish. Grill the sandwiches however you like best, just spread a little butter on the pan and heat each sandwich till the bread is crispy and the cheese is melty :) Serve alongside soup, and enjoy!

If you're interested in adding a bit more heat to your soup, consider adding more crushed red pepper, or throwing a dried chili pepper in!

(The nutrition facts above only include the tomato soup)

Sour Beer Bread

10:52 AM

Josh and I are really into making our own bread; I couldn't tell you the last time we actually went out to buy a loaf of bread. We've even made bagels, and I'll tell you what, homemade bagels are wonderful!
The trouble with bread is how long it takes, especially since Josh and I don't have a mixer, so everything is done by hand. After mixing and kneading, waiting for the dough to rise is an impatient experience for the both of us. Luckily, with our version of beer bread you don't have to worry about waiting for your dough to rise before you start baking. This recipe should only take about an hour and a half.

What You'll Need:

-3 Cups All Purpose Flour

-1/4 Cup Sugar

-1 Tbsp Baking Soda

-1 tsp Salt

-12 Oz Beer (We used a sour beer)

-1/4 Cup Melted Butter

(If you plan on using self-rising flour, omit the baking soda!)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375º F, while the oven is warming up mix together all of your dry ingredients: Flour, Sugar, Baking Soda, and Salt. Sift the flour to ensure that it is a light and fluffy mixture!

2. Add the 12 Oz of beer to the dry ingredients, and mix everything together until a runny dough mixture forms. You should be able to use a spoon to mix the ingredients the entire time, no need to get your hands gooey!

3. Grease a small loaf pan, mine is about 8 x 4 x3. I used butter, but you can also use oil. Then spoon in your dough mixture into the loaf pan, and spread evenly. Take the 1/4 Cup of melted butter and brush the butter onto the top of the loaf.

4. Bake the loaf from anywhere between 45 minutes to an hour. Until the crust of your bread is browned, and crispy. Check to make sure that the loaf sounds hollow by flicking the center of the loaf, this is an indicator that your bread is finished. Allow the loaf to sit out for at least a half an hour before you dig in.

When you're mixing the dry ingredients, seriously remember to sift the flour! Josh and I don't even have a sifter, so we used a handheld mesh strainer to sift it.

After your dry ingredients are mixed, add the beer!

We used Upland's Hopsynth, a dry hopped sour ale. The flavor of the hops showed through in our bread, the sour-ness, not so much. With the buttery crust, this turned out to be a really tasty, quick, bread recipe.

Apple Cider Cocktail and Boozy Pumpkin Seeds

9:41 PM

Leaves started changing here in Carbondale. The colder months in Southern Illinois usually take there time to creep in, which I'm very thankful of! However, by night, lately the temperatures have been hitting 50 steadily, and Josh and I started binge watching scary movies. Inevitably we are feeling the giddiness of Halloween approaching. In light of this, we spent our entire night watching more scary movies, carving pumpkins, concocting a cocktail, and munching on pumpkin seeds.

We made a hot and cold version of our drinks. Super simple and pretty darn tasty.

Hot Honey Jack n' Cider

-2 oz Honey Whiskey (we used Jack Daniels Honey)

-2/3 Cup Hot Apple Cider

-1/4 to 1/2 tsp Brown Sugar

-Cinnamon Stick

Warm the cider either on the stove top or in the

microwave. Once heated, dissolve the brown sugar.

Mix in whiskey and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Jack n' Cider

-2 oz Honey Whiskey
-2/3 Cup Apple Cider
-Ice
- A splash of carbonated water, or lemon lime soda
-Green Apple slice for garnish
-Brown Sugar for garnish
-Cinnamon Stick for garnish

First wipe the rim of your glass with the

wedge of the green apple until it looks

wet. Add ice, and rim the glass with brown sugar. In a cocktail shaker, add the liquids and shake. This does not necessarily have to be done over ice. Pour into the serving glass and garnish with an apple slice and cinnamon stick.

These drinks were a blast to sip on while carving pumpkins. Not only did this drink get us into the spirit of things, it was super easy to throw together. When we finished carving our pumpkins, we headed to the kitchen to roast some pumpkin seeds. After all the hard work of scooping them out, we weren't about to just let the seeds go to waste!

Honey Bourbon Caramelized Pumpkin Seeds

-2 oz Honey Whiskey

-1.5 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

-2 Tbsp Brown Sugar

-1/2 tsp Maple Syrup

-One Pumpkins worth of Seeds

1. Pre-heat your oven to 375º F, while the oven is heating, prepare your seeds. Make sure you've run the seeds under water to get any of the stringy goop of the pumpkin off. Once the seeds have been rinsed, set them out on a drying rack on some parchment paper to try out a little. When the oven has warmed roast the seeds for about 15-20 minutes, or until the look slightly browned and crispy.

2. Bring a pan to medium heat and add the butter, allowing it to start to melt. Add in the brown sugar, whiskey, and maple syrup. Once everything is combined, add in the seeds and coat.

3. Pull the seeds off the heat and layout on parchment paper to dry and cool. I store my pumpkin seeds in the fridge, if you like a warm house, I suggest you do the same. These tend to get sticky when warm... but never the less, still pretty tasty.

(The nutrition information listed above only includes the pumpkin seed recipe!)

Chipotle Sloppy Joe "Totchos"

2:16 PM

When I think of sloppy joes, I immediately think of tater tots; I consider it the ultimate side for sloppy joes.
Josh and I really freaking love Mexican food. We like to try to put a Mexican flair on as much as we possibly can! We took an American classic and put a little bit of Mexican twist on it to create a slightly spicy, and super delicious dish.
Sloppy Joes without the bun, on a bed of tater tots. Topped off with cheese, and an array of nacho toppings, putting these items together in one delicious pile is the ultimate quick fix dinner.

What You'll Need:

-1 Bell Pepper

-1 Small Yellow Onion

-4 Leaves of Romain, shredded

-1 Tomato

-3 Cloves of Garlic

-1/4 Cup of Cilantro

-1 lb of Ground Beef

-4 Strips of Bacon, sliced

-1/2 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

-1/2 Cup of Ketchup

-1/2 Cup Chipotle Sauce

-2 Tbsp Mustard

-1 Tbsp Worcestershire

-1 tsp olive oil

-2 tsp Brown Sugar

-1 tsp Oregano

-1 tsp Cumin

-1/4 tsp Chili Powder

-Salt

Pepper

-1 Bag of Frozen Tater Tots (cooked according to package instructions)

We used this amazing Worcestershire sauce that Josh and I have been picking up every time we visit his mom in Nashville. We've found so many different things to use this in... even good for a

"bourbon-ey"twist on a Bloody Mary :)

1. Prep all the vegetables: dice the onion, bell pepper, and tomato. Put these off to the side in separate containers. Mince the cilantro and garlic.

2. While prepping the vegetables, cook the bacon over medium-low heat (if you are cooking your bacon while chopping, make sure you don't forget about it!) Once the bacon is cooked to a nice crispy texture put it off to the side on a paper towel. Then slice the bacon. Cook the tater tots according to package directions.

3. Cook the ground beef in a large frying pan with tall edges until browned. Drain the pan of grease. Add in the ketchup, Worcestershire, chipotle sauce, mustard, half of the minced garlic, brown sugar, half of the cilantro, and all of the spices. Add 1/2 tsp of Salt, and Pepper to taste. Stir everything together, bring to simmer and let it sit covered for about 10-12 minutes.

4. While the sloppy joe simmers, in a separate pan, bring the olive oil to a hot temperature and add the rest of the minced garlic. Stir constantly until the garlic becomes fragrant, and add the onion. When the onion is cooked, lastly, add in the bell pepper. Add the contents of the pan into the sloppy joe mixture and stir everything together. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes.

5. Arrange your cooked tater tots on a baking sheet so that you can't really see the baking sheet. Layer the sloppy joe mixture on top, and sprinkle the cheese on top of the meat.

6. Shred the lettuce and top off the sloppy joe tater tots with lettuce, diced tomato, bacon, and the fresh cilantro that you have left over!

As always, enjoy! :)

Any Hour Breakfast Grilled Cheese

9:49 AM

Breakfast for dinner is something I crave at least once a week, at least. Sweet or savory, you name it, as long as breakfast comes with bacon, I'm usually a happy camper. This sandwich is seriously satisfying no matter what the time of day, and such a quick fix. In this recipe I've included directions to make crispy and delicious hash browns, and assemble an easy, hearty, and tasty sandwich.

What You Need:

(This recipe makes two breakfast sandwiches, just add to it to make more food!)

-4 Red Potatoes, skin on and shredded

-1 tsp Olive Oil

-4 Slices of Bacon (I always use thick cut, because yum)

-2 Large Eggs

-1 tsp Olive Oil (1/2 tsp oil for each egg)

-1/2 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

-4 Slices of Sourdough Bread

-1/2 tsp Olive Oil

-Salt and Pepper (to taste)

So the first bit of direction I'd like to include is for the hash browns; you're more than welcome to go and get a frozen bag of hash browns and cook according to package directions if you'd like, it'll take time out from prepping considering the potatoes are really the only ingredient that requires any sort of prep.

Hash Browns:

1. Wash the potatoes, and dry. I like the keep the skin on because I love red potatoes. Use a hand held grater to shred all of the potatoes.

2. Once all of the potatoes are grated, grab a dish towel (I recommend using a dish towel that has been well loved, this next step usually ends up dyeing the dish towel some funky potatoey colors.) Place the shredded potatoes in the center of the towel, twist the loose ends up, and squeeze out as much moister from the potatoes as you can muster.

3. Once the moisture has been squeezed out of the potatoes, they are ready to be fried! Add 1 tsp of Olive Oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the potatoes so they make an even circle in the frying pan. Cook this until both sides are browned and crispy!

4. While the hash browns are cooking, on a flat pan or griddle cook the bacon, and set aside, dabbling off the excess grease when ready.

5. Next, cook the eggs. Add 1/2 tsp olive oil to a small round pan, allow oil to heat up over low/medium heat. I like to cook my egg sunny side up for sandwiches, but I've also gone with scrambled, or over-easy so just go with your preference! Once the egg is almost completely fried add salt and pepper to taste.

6. Grab the slices of sourdough and evenly portion out the cheese between all 4 slices. Add the last 1/2 tsp of Olive Oil to a pan and grill your sandwiches, open faced on the pan. Put a lid on it, this will retain moisture and the cheese will melt faster!

7. Once the cheese is melted, assemble the sandwiches! The order I chose to put together my sandwich: Sourdough, hash browns, bacon, fried egg, topped off with the other piece of cheesy sourdough.

Enjoy~ :)