Showing posts with label beans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beans. Show all posts

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Soup Weather: Super Secret FvF Family Chili


As much as I give Mr. FvF a hard time about being a picky eater, I used to be one too. I still am in some capacities. When I was little, I hated onions. I'd really only eat them when they'd cooked down over several hours, in my mom's soups and my dad's famous chili. Turns out, that's a great way to get my husband to tolerate them, too.

This chili is one of the many comfort foods from home that I craved when I lived on my own. I learned how to make the basic recipe, then tweaked it a bit to my own liking. Once the air starts to cool down in the Gem City, I start craving it again. When I was single and had the recipe firmly cemented, I'd make a big pot of it and invite all of my dude friends over. Then, naturally, they started craving it, too.

Now, this chili is not Texas chili, not Cincinnati chili, and above all, it's not complex - it's very basic. It has what, for some people, is an unexpected element that gives the chili it's own unique flavor: brown sugar. Here's what you'll need:

3 lbs ground beef
1 large yellow onion, diced
5+ tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
1/2 C brown sugar
2 tbsp salt
1 large can tomato juice
2 10 oz cans dark red kidney beans

In a large stock pot over medium heat, start browning your ground beef. About halfway through, add your diced onion. By the time the meat is cooked, your onion should be soft and translucent. Here's a tip - if you like your beef super-granulated (a la Skyline), use a higher fat content and cook it in a little beer. It'll just fall apart. If you like bigger chunks of ground beef in your chili, use a leaner meat and don't stir as often to break up the beef.

Drain any fat and liquid from the beef and return to the stove on mid-low heat. Add your spices, salt and brown sugar, stir and cook for a few minutes. Now, add your kidney beans and your tomato juice, increase the heat and bring to a low boil. Once it's started bubbling, reduce the heat a bit and simmer for at least 2 hours. About 1 hour through, it's safe to have a taste test and check it for seasoning levels. Adjust any way you like it, for heat, salt or sweetness. As with most soups and chilis, the longer it simmer, the better it tastes. Don't make the mistake of trying to taste test it any sooner than one hour, though. I did that the first time I made it, then called my dad in a panic because it tasted like rancid V8. The flavors have to cook and jive together for a good while before the flavors started to meld.

This chili is more than hearty enough to eat on its own, but we Southern Ohioans like to serve it over spaghetti with heaps of shredded cheddar.


Sunday, June 13, 2010

Tuscan Wedding Soup

I was always pretty spoiled as a kid, having very resourceful parents who could cook up a storm. I never had store-bought soup, beans, or preserves until I moved out after high school. As anyone else who's been this privileged and spoiled will tell you, your first can of of soup or jar of jam is a severely rude awakening. Nobody makes it like mom does. If you're smart, you'll learn to make it like mom does, from scratch. I've pretty much mastered all of those homemade soups that I crave by now - from Pa FvF's chili to Ma FvF's devilishly rich and creamy potato soup. I figured it's time to make my own soup from scratch with no recipe and no help. I wanted something involving cannelini beans, spinach and sweet sausage, and probably some tiny pasta for the Mister. It's a lot like Italian Wedding soup, with the addition of white beans and using straight sausage instead of meatballs. Hence, Tuscan Wedding Soup. Here's what you'll need:

1 lb sweet (or mild or hot, if you prefer) Italian sausage*
2 cups chopped spinach**
1 yellow onion, finely diced
3 cloves minced garlic
1 32 oz carton chicken broth
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp salt
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
2 cups small pasta (I used shells), cooked and drained
*I used links and cut them up, but you could just as easily used bulk and crumble it.
** Use fresh, not frozen. You can thank me later.


Cook your sausages however you normally cook them. I added about 1/4 inch of water to a dutch oven and let them brown for about 15 minutes over medium heat, then sliced'em up. Add a little olive oil to a small stock pot over medium heat, then add your onions and garlic. Once they start to soften, add the chopped spinach and beans, then throw the sausage back in the last few minutes to get it a nice, rustic brown. Plus, the fat will help the veggies cook down. Add all of your chicken broth, then seasonings and give it a good stir. Bring it to a near-boil, then back down to simmer and let it simmer for at least one hour. Add your cooked pasta and let it all come to temperature, then you're all set. Like most soups, the longer you can let it simmer, the better the flavor will be.

I don't mind patting myself on the back here, this was fantastic. Even for all the veggies in it, it got a 9 out of 10 from Mr. FvF - an esteemed list which normally only includes steak and stromboli. I topped it with an asiago-romano-parm blend, but it's absolutely fine on it's own. Also, if I had it to do over, I think I might go with a harder, aged parmesan.