Surprise Snow and a Batch of Chili

Sunday afternoon began with what could only qualify as a blizzard. Huge snowflakes cascaded from the heavens. If it were early December, I would have been in heaven.

IF it were December.

But it's not. It is late March and all I want is sunshine and spring time and dresses.

Nevertheless, I recognized that it was likely (hopefully!) my last chance to make chili for the season. So I raided the cupboards and threw everything into the crockpot before heading to work on Monday.

When I returned, this awaited me.

It was a good batch, if I do say so myself. The right level of spicy without making me breathe fire. I put butter beans in, which are some of favorites. And it provided the perfect warming touch for such a surprising snowy day.

With my chili? You might think cornbread. Or crackers. Or sour cream. And you would be wrong.

Peanut butter sandwich. I thought that this was completely normal, but maybe it's a Freeport, Illinois thing. Or a Beach family thing. I have since been told that this is weird and unheard of. Hmm. Don't knock it 'til you've tried it people.

I don't really follow a recipe for chili-making. It involves whatever I have on hand and unmeasured spices. That being said, I did my best to sum it up for any curious invisible internet friends. Enjoy!

Surprise Snowstorm Chili
2 lb. ground turkey (or beef)
1 onion, chopped
1 can tomato sauce
1, 4 oz. can tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can kidney beans
1 can butter beans
2 T. chili powder
1 T. cumin
1/2 t. cayenne pepper

Brown up your ground turkey or meat of choice. Toss it into the crockpot with everything else and let simmer on high for an hour, then low another 3 hours or so. Serve with peanut butter sandwiches if you're feeling adventurous.

Health(ier) Veggie Mac & Cheese

Recipe adapted from The Comfort of Cooking.

Tonight we were in the mood for something comforting and cheesy and delicious. But I went to the gym and didn't want to completely waste it. This mac and cheese let me meet in the middle. It's chock full of vegetables, olive oil instead of butter, uses extra sharp cheddar, and has just the tiniest touch of heat to keep things interesting.

Cast of Characters

Start by chopping up your veggies. I used zucchini, red pepper, and broccoli. But you could use whatever you wanted. Yellow squash, carrots, 'shrooms, etc. Toss them onto a lightly greased pan and into a 400 degree oven to roast for about 15 minutes.

While the healthy stuff is roasting, shred your sharp cheddar. You could also buy shredded cheese, but I think that the old fashioned way leads to better results. The cheese incorporates better into the sauce.

Also, get some water boiling. Also, freak out when your phone rings because you can't do that many things at once. Also, learn to multitask.

If you can get more things done at once than me and you want to do more dishes, you can get the oil and garlic started for the roux. Or, you can wait until your pasta is cooked, drained, and waiting in the wings and use that pot.

Heat your olive oil over medium, throw in the minced garlic for about 30 seconds. Then start whisking in the flour. Slowing add milk, all while whisking, and stir until sauce thickens up. Remove from heat and add your shredded cheese. Then toss in red peppers flakes, cayenne, S&P, and any other seasoning you are feeling. Stir in veggies and macaroni.

Right about now, it will look good enough to gobble up. Resist. Transfer into a greased casserole dish and top with some panko. Put under the broiler for about 3 minutes, or until breadcrumbs are starting to brown.

Don't be like me. Watch your broiler.

Serve a heaping portion and enjoy! And remember, veggies negate cheese. No calories were consumed.

Mmm cheesy broccoli! iPhone photos at their finest. 

Ingredients
2 cups penne, macaroni, twirls, spirals... (We used hidden veggie pasta. Whole wheat's healthy, too!)
1 red pepper, diced
1 medium zucchini, cubed
1 head of broccoli, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic
3 T. flour
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese (about one block)
1 cup milk
panko breadcrumbs
1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Chop veggies and lay on a greased baking sheet. Roast for about 15 minutes. Start boiling water for pasta and shred cheese. When pasta is cooked, drain and rinse with cold water and set to the side. In the same pot you used for pasta, heat olive oil and cook garlic for :30- 1 minute. Sprinkle in flour and whisk in milk. When sauce starts to thicken, remove from heat and mix in cheese. Then seasonings, veggies, and pasta. Drop this mix into a greased casserole dish and top with panko. Put under the broiler for ~3 minutes or until browning on top. Serves 4 as a main dish, 6 as a side.

Welcome (and buffalo chicken potato skins)

I am *sigh* graduated and gainfully employed. And really missing food writing. So I am going to give a food blog another shot. I will try to post a couple times a week. This blog is called "Bite Me!" because I want confrontation between the normal and the new. I hope to post culinary delights that give you a kick. While you are probably scared of the wasabi and ghost peppers in your future, I mean more than just spicy food. I mean any food that strikes you. Anything that makes you pause, for a moment and think "Wow. That was good." Or any food that takes you to a new corner of the world. Or something that is good every time.

Pretty much, whatever I want to write about.

I love to eat. I love trying new things. I hope this is clear from my writing. And I hope it brings you a little joy, too.

Buffalo chicken potato skins

I found the base of this recipe here. If you want to see a really pretty picture, look at that one. If you want to see an iPhone picture, look at this one.

My favorite part of the meal was the cornmeal-crusted chicken. It was a little different and provided great crunch. We used Frank's hot sauce, buffalo version. It was pretty good for straight out of the bottle.






Next time, I will get some green onion and cilantro to sprinkle on top. And I will clean the plate before taking the picture :\.

Overall, this was a great weeknight meal. I did some cleaning while the potatoes were baking, I have homemade bleu cheese dressing for a salad, and potato innards for another night. What should I make with those? Potato pancakes? Au gratin?