Gazpacho

I absolutely loved a chilled bowl of gazpacho in the Summer as a dinner starter or side. I always order it out when I see it on a menu but until this past weekend, I have never made it at home. After having a cup before dinner at a restaurant last week, I became obsessed with making it myself ASAP. 

This Gazpacho is everything and more. My friend Elizabeth said that this is one of the best gazpacho recipes and it did not disappoint. Alton Brown recipes are always so solidf! Many gazpacho recipes include bread and I really liked that this one doesn't. Prepping the vegetables takes a bit of time, but the end result is well worth it. The flavor is bold and just so fresh. I served ours in margarita glasses topped with a few shrimp and drizzle of olive oil. This soup is definitely better the next day. 

Gazpacho
recipe from Alton Brown

1.5 lbs vine ripened tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped red onion 
1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lime, juiced
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp toasted, ground cumin
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. fresh basil leaves, chiffonade

Fill a stockpot halfway with water, set on high heat and bring to a boil. 

Make an x with a pairing knife on the bottom of each tomato. drop the tomatoes into the boiling water for 15 seconds. Quickly remove them and transfer to an ice bath immediately, allowing them to soak for at least a full minute. Remove them and pat dry. Peel, core and seed the tomatoes. Seed the tomatoes over a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl to catch the tomato juice. Press as much of the juice through as possible. If you have less than a cup, add some bottled tomato juice if needed to total one cup. 

Roughly chop the tomatoes and transfer them to a large bowl with the juice. Add the cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, jalapeno, garlic clove, olive oil, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Transfer 1.5 cups of the mixture (I ended up adding about half of the entire mixture) to a blender or food processor and puree for 15-20 seconds on high until pureed. Return the mixture to the bowl and stir to combine. 

Cover and chill for two hours or overnight. Serve with basil, a drizzle of olive oil and a few shrimp if desired. 

The Return of the Le Creuset

I have a confession. After all of the hooplah over finally getting my beloved Le Creuset French oven, I have only used that thing once. Not three times, not even twice. Just once. What the what!? I am choosing to blame it on Joe. Summer is for grilling anyways, not French ovening. At least that's what I'm telling myself to make me feel better about the lack of use of that expensive pot. The good news is that Fall is here and cozy meals are a must. I have 100% faith that I will make up for lost time and be showing my French oven a lot of love over the next several months.

Mark and I celebrated the first Sunday of Fall doing some of the things we do best. Our day consisted of this; church, lunch, naps and football. A Sunday isn't complete without a fantastic meal and as we welcomed in the season, chili just seemed the most appropriate. I browsed some recipes online and when none of them seemed to tickle my tastebuds, I decided sprinkle my magic dust and come up with a recipe of my own. Normally I do not measure when I'm creating, but luckily for all of you, I kept track of what I was doing so that I could post this accordingly. I added Italian sausage for my "more meat please" husband and a little bit of cocoa powder and cinnamon for a slight sweetness. Ground espresso in chili may seem oh so wrong, but I promise you, this cozy bowl of goodness is oh so right in all of the best ways. I loaded it with fresh spices, vegetables, Italian tomatoes and my favorite surprise ingredient- pumpkin beer!

Sunday Chili

1 lb. lean ground sirloin

1lb. mild Italian sausage

1 Vidalia onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, chopped

1 large green pepper, diced

1 bottle Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale

1 28 oz. can stewed tomatoes

1 28 oz. can Italian crushed tomatoes

1 cup water

1 can light kidney beans

2 cans dark kidney beans

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. crushed red pepper

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. coriander

2 tsp. cocoa powder

1 tsp. ground espresso

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Olive oil

Salt to taste at end

Coat the bottom of a French oven (or large heavy bottom pan) with olive oil. Saute garlic and onion on medium heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add sirloin and sausage, cook all the way through. Once the meat is completely broken apart and cooked, add in remaining ingredients. Simmer on medium-low for at least two hours. If extra flavor is needed, add salt to taste when the chili is done cooking. (I hardly needed to add any)

Garnish with shredded cheese and sour cream.