Bet-You-Won’t-Miss-the-Meat Chili!
(Hearty Chili with Wine-Marinated Mushrooms)
To Prepare Wine-Marinated Mushrooms:
Ingredients
8 ounces Cremini mushrooms, washed, dried, and coarsely chopped
1 Tablespoon + 1 ½ teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon + 1 ½ teaspoons red wine such as a Cabernet or red Zinfandel
1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (available at the market from by locally made Warners Foods)
¾ teaspoon Vadouvan
½ teaspoon Za’atar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Directions
Wash the mushrooms. Drain the excess water and then wrap the mushrooms in a dishtowel to absorb moisture.
While mushrooms are drying, make the marinade by combining the red wine, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, Vadouvan, Za’atar, kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper in a medium bowl.
Coarsely chop the dried mushrooms. Add the chopped mushrooms to the marinade and stir gently to blend.
Use plastic wrap to cover the bowl containing the mushroom mixture. Place the bowl in the refrigerator and allow the mixture to marinate 4 – 6 hours or overnight.
To Create the Chili:
Ingredients
1 recipe Wine-Marinated Mushrooms
1 Tablespoon butter, for sautéing
1 tablespoon (heaping) dried, minced onion
1 can black beans, with liquid
1 can dark red kidney beans, with liquid
1 can great northern beans, with liquid
1 can corn, with liquid
1 can petite diced tomatoes, with liquid
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon low sodium Worcestershire sauce (available at the market from by locally made Warners Foods)
½ cup hearty red wine, such as a zinfandel or cabernet
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese for garnish
Directions
Melt the butter in a medium skillet. Add the wine-marinated mushrooms and remaining marinade. Sprinkle the dried, minced onion over the mushrooms. Sauté the mushrooms and minced onion until softened and amount of cooking liquid is reduced, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, approximately 8 – 10 minutes.
Add all the canned ingredients to the sautéed mushrooms, including the liquid from each can. Stir in the spices, Worcestershire sauce, and red wine. Simmer, covered, for approximately 30 – 45 minutes, then remove from heat to allow the soup to “rest” for a few minutes before serving. Serve hot, sprinkled with shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
Confetti Chili
This recipe is unbelievably easy to make…your can opener does most of the work! The variation in the colors of the ingredients will remind you of confetti…so this hearty soup will please the eye, as well as the palate. Please note that there is no salt listed in this recipe. The sodium found in the canned vegetables used in the chili provides sufficient salt to lend outstanding flavor.
Makes 4 – 6 servings
Ingredients
½ pound (8 ounces) lean ground sausage (I use Meadow Farm sausage, purchased at the Greensboro Farmers Curb Market)
1 can black beans, with liquid
1 can dark red kidney beans, with liquid
1 can great northern beans, with liquid
1 can corn, with liquid
1 can petite diced tomatoes, with liquid
1 tablespoon (heaping) dried, minced onion
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon low sodium Worcestershire sauce
½ cup hearty red wine, such as a zinfandel or cabernet
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese for garnish
Directions:
Brown sausage in a 4-quart pan or Dutch oven, then wrap the browned sausage in a paper towel to absorb the excess fat. Using another paper towel, blot the fat from the soup pan, but allow the browned bits of sausage which might have “stuck” to the pan to remain, as they will add flavor to the soup. Add all the canned ingredients, including the liquid from each can and then stir in the spices, minced onion, Worcestershire sauce and red wine. Simmer, covered, for approximately 30 – 45 minutes, then remove from heat to allow the soup to “rest” for a few minutes before serving.
Serve hot, sprinkled with shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
Note: I recommend allowing the flavor of the soup to “mature”, so I make the soup one day and eat it the next….or perhaps you could make it early in the morning and enjoy it for dinner that night.
Note: This is an original recipe, developed by Ninevah Wood Murray for use by Make This Yours Teaching Studio. Please credit the source when mentioning or sharing this recipe.
Irish Soda Bread
adapted from Bread, ©2014, Publications International, Ltd., p.134
Ingredients
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (flours available at the market from by locally milled Old Mill of Guilford)
1 ¼ cups whole wheat flour
¼ cup sugar
4 teaspoons (1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon) baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
½ – 1 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)
1 cup currants
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 – 2 ¼ cups buttermilk (available at the market from by locally made Homeland Creamery)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover a baking sheet or a line a 9 x 12 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
Combine the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, caraway seeds (if desired) and currants. Using a pastry blender or two knives cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the buttermilk to the mixture and use a spatula or wooded spoon to blend ingredients into a slightly sticky dough. Transfer the dough to your choice of pan and use a spatula to shape the dough. If using a parchment-covered flat baking sheet, the dough can be shaped into a 10 – 12 inch round; in the rectangular baking pan, spread the dough evenly, reaching all corners of the pan.
Bake the soda bread 50 – 60 minutes or until golden brown and crust is firm. Cool on the baking sheet or pan for 10 minutes. Use the parchment paper to lift the bread from the pan and place the bread on a cutting board to slice. Transfer any remaining bread to a wire rack to cool completely.
Servings: In the rounded form, the soda bread can be cut into 12 – 15 pie-shaped servings. When baked in the rectangular pan, the bread can be cut into approximately 18 – 20 servings.
Note: Warm soda bread cuts best with a “light hand” using a sharp, serrated knife in a gentle, sawing motion. Cooled soda bread can be stored in an air-tight container for up to 5 days. Reheat the bread by wrapping a serving in waxed paper and placing in microwave for approximately 10 – 15 seconds.