Super Bowl of Turkey Chilli

Cousin Matt served us the perfect bowl of turkey chilli during the perfect season of college football that ever was.  It was the Fall of 2002.  The Buckeyes would go on to win the National Championship in Tempe at the Fiesta Bowl, and we (Mark, Beth, Dan and I) would be there for it.  But before we got to the National Championship, we had this chilli.  Thereafter, there was never a reason to try another chilli recipe.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey breast
1 can Trader Joe's marinated bean salad (undrained)
1 Jar Trader Joe's salsa (just the regular salsa).
Brown turkey, add the rest.  That's it.  Doesn't even have to simmer forever.

French Onion Dip Nirvana

In a moment of clarity, that comes only during about the third hour of a long road trip, I realized my true passion in life.  Chips and dip.  More specifically, just dip.  My Dad has always said that chips are nothing more than vehicles for dip.  Dip is in my blood; it is part of my soul.  The Lipton-onion soup mix dip we would make on Sundays for the Browns games.  Back when Clevelanders actually made it a priority to stop and gather together for the game.  The Hidden Valley Ranch dip that Cara and I would devour almost every Wednesday after school (shopping day).  Even as teenagers, when we went to separate high schools, Cara would get off the bus a stop early to come over for dip on Wednesdays.  I could probably tell ten more dip stories, one more enthralling than the next.  Crab dip, spinach dip with the cut out bread bowl, artichoke dip.  The list, and the possibilities, are endless.

Mark was the one who suggested it.  “Dip should be your life,” he said.  “It’s your true passion.”  He’s right.  We spent most of the rest of the eight hour drive to Wisconsin discussing our business plan.

So, my first step in becoming dip queen of the world, was to make the perfect homemade French Onion Dip. 

Here it is:

Homemade French Onion Dip

 Stew meat (See later recipe)

One large Vidalia onion, chopped

3 shallots, chopped

Olive oil

3 cloves of garlic, halved

Sherry

Kosher salt

Fresh ground pepper
Light sour cream

                                                                                                            I was making stew for our lunches – the world’s greatest stew ever, but more on that in a later post.  In the dutch oven in which I had just browned the stew meat (pre-tossed in cornstarch) in olive oil on medium high heat, I threw in the chopped onions and shallots, right in with the browned stew meat bits.  A vegetarian’s nightmare.  I sautéed the onions on medium with a bit more olive oil for a minute

or two, then splashed in some cooking sherry to deglaze the pan, scraping up all the browned bits.  I added the halved garlic cloves, probably a good teaspoon of kosher salt, and a pinch of pepper.  I carmelized the onion mixture for almost a half hour, tossing in a bit of parsley flakes near the end. I turned off the pot and let the whole thing cool.  In a separate bowl, I mixed together a full container of light sour cream with the onion mixture, and then added pinches of salt until it tasted just right.  Served with pretzels and carrot chips.  Unbelievably, it tasted like French Onion Dip.  But better (at least I thought so). 

New Year, New Pork Roast Recipe

We spent new year’s day on the farm with Beth, Greg and our newest family addition, Luke.  The occasion called for a new preparation of the classic New Year’s Day traditional meal for good luck:  Pork roast, sauerkraut and dumplings.  We decided to go crock pot aka slow cooker.  We liked it.  Well, all of us except Luke.  He just had milk.

New Year’s Day Dinner

1 pork roast (ours was probably about 3-5 pounds)

2 apples, cored and sliced

4 garlic cloves, halved

¼ cup brown sugar

1 T dijon mustard

1 T balsamic vinegar

1 jar Frank’s sauerkraut  (bought in Wisconsin, only to find it’s made in Fremont, Ohio.  Turns out, their website is http://www.sauerkraut.com/.  Obviously, the quintessential sauerkraut maker.)

1 large Onion, chopped and divided (or 2 small)

Olive Oil

1 C chicken stock

Salt and pepper

1 T butter

Sophie’s Choice Potato Dumplings (these are hard to find – I bought them at Heinen's in Rocky River the week before new years and hauled them up to Wisconsin.  They are made by Sophie's Choice Pierogi Company in Cleveland, Ohio.)

For the Pork Roast:

Toss the apples in the bottom the crock pot.  Trim excess fat from roast.  Rub all over with halved garlic (I am betting this will increase our luck in 2011; otherwise, I don't know that it makes a real difference).  Throw the halves in the pot.  Season roast liberally with salt and pepper all over.  Prick roast with a fork all over the place.  Place the roast in the pot atop the apples and garlic.  Mix together the brown sugar, mustard and vinegar and pour over the roast.  Slow cook, covered on low, for 6 to 8 hours.

The sauerkraut and dumplings are easy.  Drain the kraut.  Saute onions in oil on medium heat in a dutch oven or sauce pot.  Add the kraut, stock, and salt and pepper to taste.  Once heated through, reduce to a simmer.  We simmered for about 20 minutes, and the edges got nice and brown.  No need to add caraway seeds, as Frank’s did that for us.  May need to add more stock if it gets too dry.  You want it moist, not soupy.

In another pan, sauté onions in butter on medium heat.  When soft, add the dumplings.  Cook on medium low, turning a few times, until dumplings just start to brown.  Could always just boil them or throw them into the crock pot near the end for a lower fat preparation.

At the last minute, Beth said, “We need a vegetable!”  Excellent observation, which is sure to result in triple luck for us all (really, could we get any luckier, we thought?).  She sautéed spring peas that she had frozen fresh in a little bit of milk.  A trick she learned from Greg, she said. 

Happy new year!