Quirky chili
I didn’t think about cooking until 5pm today – and the kids are almost done with dinner and it’s just a few minutes after 6pm!! With stuff in the garden coming in and our CSA starting this week I’ve really been into “Chopped” cooking. I am big fan of Chopped on Food Network. Four chefs are given a “mystery basket” with a set of ingredients that they must use – plus access to a well-stocked pantry and only 20-30 minutes to come up with each course. It’s supercool to see what great cooks can come up with with a limited set of ingredients.
Using this philosophy I’ve been clearing out my freezer and pantry. And with the addition of all of my fresh veggies it’s even more fun!
Today I decided to make a chili using the zucchini and onions from my CSA basket. Instead of rice I used some orzo that’s been hanging out in the pantry for a while. I added some vegan “beef” crumbles and kidney beans. I also realized rather quickly that I had no canned tomatoes – problem! Rooting around in my pantry I found a jar of roasted red bell peppers – probably bought to go into a dish I never made. And in the fridge I had some fancy italian tomato paste (in a toothpaste-like tube). Perfect! I used garlic, cumin, and chili powder for seasoning, added a skosh of BBQ sauce leftover from our BBQ beans a few days ago and BAM! Dinner!!
I’ve found that in a reasonably stocked kitchen you can almost always find something to substitute for a missing ingredient. Yesterday I wanted some more crunch in my pasta primavera sauce. I would normally use celery for that but, with no celery to be had, I used the reserved stalks of swiss chard from the night before. An excellent substitute!! The lack of tomatoes today seemed pretty bad – but I could have used tomato sauce as well if the roasted pepper/tomato paste thing had not worked. Beans are reasonably interchangeable – and the “wrong” bean can sometimes add an unexpected color or texture twist on a dish. Greens are another thing that are easy to exchange – although cooking times will vary. And keeping a variety of grains – quinoa, millet, rice, bulgur, barley – is a great way to keep things interesting. Have everything for tabbouleh – except for the bulgur – cook off some quinoa instead. It’s the twists that make cooking fun!
And here’s my tip of the day for scattered cooks. I start most of my saucepan/skillet dishes with olive oil, garlic, and onions. One problem I have is forgetting about the pan with the oil in it as I focus on chopping/prepping. My first step in almost any meal is to pull out my saucepan, turn on the burner, add my olive oil, and garlic. Then I begin my chopping. When the pan heats up I can begin to hear the garlic sizzle – which let’s me know it’s time to cook!! Otherwise I can get caught up in the prep and before you know it we’re eating at 9 o’clock at night! Peace!
