Toasty Warm Dinner for a Cold Day

When the outside temperature doesn't break 17 degrees, you know you're better off inside...with a big ol' pot of chili. Which is exactly how my evening began.

But first, I'm happy to report that we're back in the hot water business at the Hungry Spoon household. The hot water heater installation was a success, so I can now resume a regular shower schedule. I'm sure everyone around me is just as happy as I am about this.

As a result of hanging out with the plumber all day, Adam was thankfully home to whip up a batch of Thai Coconut Curry Chili. It was teasing me with its delicious spiced curry aroma when I walked in the front door from work.

This Thai Chili recipe, featured in the most recent issue of Clean Eating Magazine, barely resembles the traditional chili you're accustomed to. This baby is loaded with sweet potatoes, bulgur, coconut milk, and curry powder, among other tasty ingredients. And although I don't like hot n' spicy foods, this recipe could easily be made hot n' spicy to your liking.

Now that my belly is full o' chili, I'm off to bake some Outrageous Brownies for a few holiday packages that need be mailed tomorrow. Is anyone else's stand mixer begging for mercy from all of the holiday baking?

Do you have a favorite chili variation?

Thai Coconut Curry Chili

(adapted from a recipe in Clean Eating Magazine)

The coconut milk adds a welcome creaminess to this curried chili recipe. As with most soups, the fantastic flavor in this recipe will certainly only improve with time, so this would a great recipe to make the day before serving.

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp. curry powder
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 4 cups low-sodium veggie broth
• 1/2 cup uncooked bulgur
• 1 cups of cubed, uncooked sweet potato
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 small onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 cans (15 oz. each) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup light coconut milk
• 2 cans (15 oz. each) diced tomatoes, drained
• Ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1) In a large soup pot, combine the spices, broth, bulgur, sweet potato, bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Set on high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes.

2) Add beans, coconut milk, and tomatoes to the pot. Stir and cook uncovered until the chili is thick and the bulgur is tender, about 10 - 15 minutes. Add ground black pepper to taste. (We found that the chili thickened even further after allowing it to sit, removed from the heat for about 10 minutes).

Chinese Food Re-Mix

Tonight's dish will remind you of a staple component of Chinese take-out: veggie fried rice.

Except nothing is fried. And I used bulgur instead of rice. And the sodium content won't land you on blood pressure medication by tomorrow.

So it's not anywhere near the same as veggie fried rice. But it tastes pretty darn close. Awesome.

When Adam was in college he occasionally treated himself to late night Chinese take-out with his buddies. Despite the man's small frame and feather-light weight, he could pack away cartons of veggie fried rice like it was his job.

Although he hasn't had the salt-laden dish in a few years, he got a random craving last week and suggested we "re-mix" the classic into a rockin' health-i-fied dinner.

Easy as pie: Prepare bulgur. Saute veggies. Mix together. Season with soy sauce. Reminisce about college (and your college metabolism). Smile...those were some good times, weren't they?

A Chinese take-out twist on Bulgur and Veggies

(Otherwise known as "Not-Fried Not-Rice")

(A Hungry Spoon Original)

This recipe will remind you of veggie fried rice, but won't leave your doctor lecturing you about salt-intake. Mmm..Mmmm..good :)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup bulgur, uncooked
• 2 cups of broth (veggie or chicken)
• a dash of olive oil
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 cup of frozen peas
• 1 cup frozen edamame
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• Low-sodium soy sauce to taste

Directions:

1) Prepare bulgur: Bring broth to a boil. Add bulgur, remove from heat, cover, and set aside for approximately 25 - 30 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed. When time is up, drain any excess liquid.

2) Heat a dash of olive oil in a pot. Add onion and carrot and saute until onion is translucent (about 5 - 7 minutes). Add peas, edamame, and garlic. Stir frequently until all veggies are softened, about 5 more minutes or so. Add bulgur to the dish and stir frequently, cooking until it begins to remind you of veggie fried rice (about 5 more minutes). Season with soy sauce. Serve, eat, enjoy.

Kitchen Cabinet Finds

On Tuesday evening I got the urge to clean out kitchen cabinets.

You know how it happens: you're searching for that single obscure item you know is hidden somewhere in your stash (in my case, a pouch of dried apricots). Before you know it, you've emptied the entire contents of your cabinet onto the counter, and you're re-discovering ingredients you had long-forgotten you purchased.

After discarding an expired box of prunes and an ancient can of sweetened condensed milk, I was left with the good fortune of two cabinet items I didn't even know I had: a bag of pistachios (score!) and a jar of roasted red peppers (super lucky).

Now the fun begins--what recipe could I create with these bonus delicacies hidden in my cabinet? When all else fails, I turn to a hearty grain as a base, add some unique mix-ins, and stir in a homemade vinaigrette. Voila! A healthy lunch for the next day was ready to go.

As a side note, I hope you all had a beautiful food-filled Thanksgiving! I enjoyed plenty of garlic mashed potatoes, apple-onion stuffing, sweet potatoes with pecans, and Chocolate-Pecan Pie. The best part of the day, however, was spending it surrounded by my family.

What is your favorite Thanksgiving memory from this year?

Bulgur with Roasted Red Pepper, Pistachios, and Cilantro Pesto

(Inspired by a Cooking Light recipe)

This is a super light and healthy vegan salad. Pack in tupperware for your lunch at work, or bring it to a holiday potluck--it's red and green colors will fit right in :)

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked bulgur
• 2 cups low-sodium broth (veggie or chicken)
• a little olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, diced
• 1 jar of roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped pistachios

Cilantro Pesto Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup fresh, chopped cilantro
• 3 TBSP fresh, chopped parsley
• 3 TBSP olive oil
• 3 TBSP fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• a dash of salt
• ground black pepper to taste
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

Directions:

1) In a small saucepan, bring the broth to a boil. Add bulgur, remove from heat, cover saucepan and set aside.

2) In a small skillet, heat a dash of olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and garlic and saute until just softened, about 4 minutes. Set aside.

3) Place all of the cilantro pesto ingredients in a food processor. Process until smooth, and season to taste.

4) In a large bowl, combine bulgur, onion, and bell peppers. Stir in pesto until evenly coated, then stir in pistachios.

Happy 100th

Tonight and tomorrow will be devoted to baking and cooking for the T-Day feast at my parent's house on Thursday. I can't bear to photograph the superb Chocolate-Pecan Pie by my pathetic night-time kitchen lighting (it just doesn't do it justice), so your pie recipe will have to wait 'til morning.

Instead, today's post (written in between rolling pie crust and chopping sweet potatoes), will highlight my favorite Hungry Spoon recipes. Why, you ask, am I copping out on the biggest food week of the year? Because, friends, today marks my 100th post.

How do I feel about hitting the hot 100? This about sums it up:

If you need five more recipes to make before 2010 ends, please add these to your list.

1) Bulgur-Apple-Almond Salad: Super simple, lots of crunch, awesomely healthy (pictured above). Undoubtedly this is my favorite bulgur recipe--it was also my first post :)

2) Peanut Butter Blondies with Milk Chocolate Frosting: Anything that comes from Joy the Baker is a winner. Joy literally made me a winner when I entered these puppies in our county fair. (The county fair? I know, totally dorky. But don't expect me to be sewing a quilt anytime soon.).

3) Garlic & Pine Nut Bean Dip with Homemade Flat Bread: Oh goodness. I initially made the flatbread for a burrito recipe. When we discovered how magnificent it was all on its lonesome, the burrito recipe was scrapped and Garlic & Pine Nut Bean dip was born. Make it. Eat it. Love it.

4) Barbeque Tempeh Sloppy Joe Sandwiches: It's no secret that hearty, sloppy fork n' knife vege-head sandwiches top my list of favorite entrees. Within the category of favorite entree sandwiches, the Tempeh Sloppy Joe wins first place, hands down.

5) Pumpkin Cookies: As noted in the post, my family was on the brink of a collective food coma after eating these. What can I say? I have a shameless, unbridled enthusiasm for pumpkin cookies.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, dear readers! I love sharing recipes with you, and I'm truly grateful for each visit you make to the Hungry Spoon kitchen.

Curried Bulgur with Roasted Veggies

It's no secret that I'm a bit of a bulgur fanatic. After discovering this gem of a grain last year, I've been singing its praises ever since. Quick to prepare, perfect for salads or main dishes, and it's flavor can vary vastly depending on the liquid you soak it in.

Who needs couscous when you've got bodacious bulgur (I'm only mildly embarrassed that I just used the word "bodacious.")

Tonight's dinner recipe screams simplicity (not an angry scream; a friendly, cooking-happy scream). Better yet, it highlights one of my favorite flavor combos: curry, fruit, and toasted nuts. You could boost the protein-punch in this one by adding a can of rinsed, drained chickpeas. Additionally, I recommend adding a chopped red bell pepper--unfortunately I didn't have one on hand tonight.

Alongside our Curried Bulgur with Almonds and Apricots, we served roasted cauliflower. From beginning to end, dinner was ready in about 40 minutes.

If you're looking for more creative grain salad ideas, you might want to check out my Ode to Grains. (I know, I can't believe I wrote an Ode to Grains either).

Finally, what are your favorite cookbooks right now? I would love to hear what cookbooks and cooking magazines you're running to the most lately. We've definitely been heavy on the Moosewood volumunes and my old Cooking Light recipes, but I'm seeking some creative inspiration!

Curried Bulgur with Almonds and Apricots

This curried grain dish serves perfectly with roasted cauliflower. I included a little of both in each bite I took :)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups broth (chicken or veggie)
• 1 cut uncooked bulgur
• 1/2 tsp. curry powder (or more if you're a curry fanatic)
• Dash of cinnamon (maybe around 1/4 tsp.?)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• a little olive oil
• 1 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds, toasted

Directions:

1) In a small saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Remove from heat; stir in bulgur, curry, and cinnamon. Cover and allow to sit until broth is absorbed (20 - 30 minutes).

2) In a small skillet, heat a little olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened and lightly browned, 6 - 7 minutes.

3) Add onion, apricots, and almonds to bulgur; stir until combined (You can also add chopped red bell pepper and chickpeas here, if desired.). Serve with roasted cauliflower (recipe below).

Parmesan-Roasted Cauliflower

(adapted from a recipe in The Biggest Loser Cookbook)

You haven't tasted cauliflower until you've tried this recipe. When I got this cookbook a few years ago, I made this recipe every week for quite some time!

Ingredients:

• Florets from one head of cauliflower
• a little drizzle of olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. (or more!) of garlic powder
• salt to taste
• sprinkling of dried parsley
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

2) In a large bowl, drizzle just a bit of olive oil over the cauliflower florets (about 1 tablespoon?). Stir pepper, garlic powder, salt, and dried parsley in. Sprinkle some freshly grated Parmesan in and combine well.

3) Bake for 15 - 20 minutes, or until lightly browned (stirring once halfway through the cook-time).

You're My Obsession

Don't you love when you find a new recipe that becomes an instant favorite? You begin craving this tasty new dish almost instantly--a dish you didn't even know existed yesterday. It becomes, well, an obsession.

Enter Bulgur-Apple-Almond Salad...my own latest obsession.

I stumbled upon a variation of this recipe in a Family Circle magazine at the dentist's office, and have already made it three times in two weeks! The sweet apples, crunchy almonds, and simply satisfying dressing make it the perfect salad to pack for lunch. A few notes to further entice you:

-Bulgur is a tasty, high fiber, easy-to-cook grain. Simply boil your liquid of choice,

remove from heat, add bulgur, cover, and let sit for about a half hour. (Measurement:

for one cup of bulgur, use 2 cups of liquid).

-I recommend using broth to cook with your bulgur. If you're a meat-eater, definitely go with chicken broth; veg-heads can reach for the vegetable broth

-Don't even think about making this recipe without toasting the almonds...the toasty

flavor makes it, my friends!

Bulgur-Apple-Almond Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked bulgur

2 cups (1 can) of veggie or chicken broth

2 chopped apples

1 cup chopped celery

1/3 cup (or more) dried cranberries

1/2 cup chopped, toasted almonds

2 TBSP honey

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 tsp. salt

3 TBSP olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1) In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a boil. Remove from heat, mix bulgur into hot broth, cover, and allow to sit for approximately a half hour (or until liquid is absorbed).

2) In the meantime, whisk the honey, lemon juice, salt, and olive oil together in a small bowl.

2) When the bulgur is ready, combine it with the apples, celery, cranberries, and almonds in a

large bowl.

4) Pour dressing over bulgur mixture and toss to coat evenly. Season with salt and pepper.

5) Enjoy your new obsession.