Tori’s Writing Hole

I have gotten raves before about my cooking. My pasta with homemade marinara has rated a "yum" factor of about 4 out of 5 stars I figure, and my baked goods are gobbled in about the same time it takes to make them.

I have never had so many compliments for these delights, however, as I have for my chili. An evolved recipe passed down and modified for three generations (my grandfather, my mother and now me) - my chili may not be "authentic" or typical, but it is delicious. I’ve never written it down before, but here goes (the more organic ingredients used the better):

Tori’s Turkey Chili

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 large can crushed tomatoes
• 2 cans ROTEL (or similar) diced tomatoes with green chilis
• 2 c water
• 1 tbsp (or more to taste) chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp celery salt
• 1/4 tsp oregano
• few grinds freshly ground black pepper
• 2 c (15 oz) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 c whole wheat elbow macaroni
• grated sharp cheddar cheese to garnish

Combine tomatoes, spices and water in a large crock pot. Rinse and drain beans and add to tomato mixture. Brown turkey and onions in small frying pan (spray with a little non-stick spray before cooking). Drain any remaining liquid from onions and turkey, and add to crock pot. Stir thoroughly and set to cook - about 4 hours at "low" heat. 30 minutes before serving, add macaroni and stir. Cook for remaining 30 minutes, then serve with cheddar cheese on top.

Enjoy!

Tags: chili, beans, tomatoes, crock pot, cooking

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Well, here in the north (New York), days are getting shorter and it’s becoming the sort of weather that makes you burrow under your covers and avoid facing the world. Of course, to me, it also means oatmeal time.

It’s a lot easier to get out of bed knowing that a warm, hearty breakfast is waiting for your, and one way to assure this is to make oatmeal in a slow cooker. I am a huge advocate of the slow cooker; I think that every household should have one. From chili to soup to even dessert foods, slow cookers rock! You can also make yourself a great breakfast overnight.

A basic recipe for slow cooker oatmeal starts with 2 cups of oatmeal (I prefer steel-cut organic oats - bought in bulk at our local food co-op - but rolled oats will also work). Be sure not to use "instant oatmeal" for this, it won’t cook correctly. Add a pinch of salt, and cover with 6 cups of water (modify according to your slow cooker’s size). Set the temperature to low, and allow to cook overnight (about 8 hours). In the morning, add 1 1/2 cups half and half cream (or full-fat soy milk). Sprinkle brown sugar and a bit of cinnamon on top. Of course, your favorite dried fruit is also a good idea.

It’s a great way to wake up to a wholesome yummy breakfast!

Tags: oatmeal, breakfast, slow cooker

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Lately, I’ve been cooking with ingredients that are not typical. For instance, I recently had a hankering (yes, hankering!) for rice pudding. I had some organic arborio rice (creamy, short-grained, perfect for making a consistently textured pudding), organic cinnamon, raw sugar… I took out all of these ingredients and plunked them on the counter. Unfortunately, as I went through the ingredient list (from a recipe I found online - I won’t post it here as I didn’t think much of it) I realized I didn’t have an essential ingredient: milk. Since J is lactose intolerant, she drinks soy milk, and me and the hubby were trying to drink rice milk. So, with no moo juice currently residing in our fridge, I tried making rice pudding with vanilla Rice Dream rice milk. Not recommended. While the flavor was pretty nice (I do love vanilla), there was not enough fat in the rice milk to give the pudding a dreamy, delicious, fattening taste.

I had the same problem a few days later, when I went to make some yummy tilapia fillets for dinner. I usually poach tilapia in a garlic/dill/white wine mixture, after drizzling the fish with a bit of olive oil. But I didn’t have white wine - just champagne. That’s right, champagne. So I tried it as a substitution - this one worked! The sweetness of champagne, mixed with the firm flesh of the tilapia and a bit of extra salt, really did seem to do the trick.

The moral of this cooking story? Sometimes substitutions work, sometimes they’re an utter failure. If you’re not opposed to throwing out your inedible mistakes, then go for the subs - if you are more of a safety nut, be sure to check all your ingredients before beginning to prepare a dish!

Tags: cooking, rice, pudding, tilapia, champagne

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One of my husband’s favorite foods is macaroni and cheese. I’m not talking about the boxed variety, made with tiny elbows, fluorescent orange powder and tasting like, well, like it’s already been eaten once. I’m talking about the baked, homemade variety. Bubbling at the edges, crusty where the pasta has peeked through the protective layer of cheese - cohesive to the point where you can cut a slice of it.

Perfect mac and cheese eluded me, however. I tried several recipes; each of these came out in one of three ways: flavorless, dry or just plain icky. Making a white sauce was out (I’m a mom! I don’t have time to cook a white sauce.) so I persisted in looking for the perfect casserole.

I found that recipe (at allrecipes.com); but a few tweaks made it my own. J loves her Mom’s macaroni and cheese as well, which makes me so happy; her approval is better than any favorable review from an adult!

The Best Mac and Cheese

• About 5 oz macaroni (I prefer whole wheat, Bionaturae is great because of the ribbing)
• 2 1/2 c shredded cheese (either a blend of Monterey Jack and Cheddar, or my favorite, the Classic Melts blend from Kraft) (divided)
• 1 c milk
• 2 tbsp butter (divided)
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1 dash Tabasco sauce
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 c seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 small tomato

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a small (8"x8") baking dish. Boil pasta (about 1 minute less than directions on package). In small saucepan, heat milk combined with Worcestershire, Tabasco, mustard and salt, until warm. Melt 1 tbsp of butter and mix with bread crumbs, then stir in 1/2 c of cheese with the buttered bread crumbs. In large bowl, combine pasta, 2 c of cheese and 1 tbsp butter. Pour hot milk mixture over this and stir to combine. Put the mac and cheese into the baking pan, and top with bread crumb mixture. Slice tomato and place slices on top of bread crumbs. Bake in oven (uncovered) for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Tags: mac, cheese, casserole, baking, cooking, eating

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It’s harder than I thought it would be. It’s not that I enjoy eating animals so much that I can’t stop (by no means am I a flesh addict), but then again, I’m not trying to eat semi-veg style because of principle. I just want to eat healthily - keep that colon clean! But the siren song of grease, fast food and pork has caused me to slip again. Mmm… Chinese food… how I love you!

While I started out not planning to eat anything non-green, I buckled and took a bite of the crispy, fried wontons. Smothered in duck sauce (I know, not good), it was just too much to resist. But, get thee behind me, pork!

Today was better. I made black bean soup from my favorite quick recipe, which I’ll share with you now.

Simple Black Bean Soup

• 2 (15 oz) cans of black beans (I prefer Eden Organic), drained and rinsed
• 1/2 jar really good salsa (medium hot is best)
• 2 c vegetable broth (or 2 c water with 1 cube vegetable bullion, dissolved)
• 1/2 tsp cumin

  Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Heat over low heat in saucepan for 20 minutes or until thoroughly warm. Top with shredded cheese (sharp cheddar is my favorite!).

Enjoy! Be careful to rinse the beans well, because this soup can get a bit salty from the vegetable broth.

Tags: vegetarian, veggie, soup, chinese food

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