Fall is Coming Tamale Pie

We planted butternut squash in our garden this year. I was a little frightened when I saw that it had been taking reproduction cues from bunnies and zucchini. For a while, it looked like we were going to have a 20 year supply of hard winter squash. But then most of them lost the will to live and withered on the vine and we ended up with just enough to satisfy my Autumnal needs . (Is Autumnal even a word? Well, it should be.) It was sort of a relief. What kind of gardener am I? Why is it a relief when my crops fail? It's because sometimes I wish that my garden would produce like a grocery list- a pound of green beans one week, a bunch of broccoli the next, a few ears of corn and a ripe tomato every couple of days. A generous bounty means labor, toil, and elbow grease right the minute the vegetables say they are ready-despite the fact that you have papers to grade, classes to teach, meetings to attend, etc. I'm not complaining, I'm just, well...complaining. Enough of that! At least my butternut squash came out just right. I've got enough for one per week, and it's going to keep just fine without any attention. I love the golden, buttery stuff. I've been tossing in a little here and there to add a flavor of Fall-is-Coming. It is coming, you know. And that means it's time for chili and cornbread and all of it's variations, like good old fashioned Tamale Pie. Here's my latest version with a little bit of that buttenut squash tossed in. I brought it over to my parent's house for a family dinner, and they've been raving about it all week. My mom even made a tamale pie to take over to the neighbors the next day. And don't worry if you didn't grow your own butternut squash. Head over to the grocery store; they've got plenty. Notes: You can leave out the meat for a cheaper, vegetarian version. If you want to double the batch, you can bake extra miniature pies in ramekins. If you're pressed for time, you can use a cornbread mix and a pepped up can of chilli. I won't judge.
Fall is Coming Tamale Pie

Estimated Cost: $7.00 for six servings

Notes: If you are pressed for time, use a cornbread mix.

1 lb ground beef

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, minced

1 bell pepper, any color, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, minced (optional)

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

2 cups cubed butternut squash or other hard winter squash

1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained

1 (14 ounce) can chili beans, or 1 cup fully cooked beans

1/2 cup beef broth or water

Cornbread Topping:

1 and 1/4 cups cornmeal

3/4 cup flour

1 scant tablespoon baking powder

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup milk

1 and 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

In a large 10 or 12 inch ovenproof skillet, cook ground beef breaking up with back of spoon. After five minutes, add garlic, onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno. Cook until beef is browned and vegetables are softened. Add chili powder and cumin and cook for thirty seconds. Add squash, tomatoes, beans, and broth. Reduce heat and simmer until squash is tender, about ten minutes. Meanwhile, prepare cornbread topping and preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. I a smaller bowl, combine eggs, oil, and milk. Pour wet ingredients over the dry and stir gently, just until combined. Pour over meat mixture in skillet and bake until cornbread is browned and set, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and return to the oven just to melt.
Next Up:

Dutch Oven Apple Crisp

Brace Yourself for Three Bean Vegetarian Chili in the Crockpot

I hardly notice the change, but then she looks up and smiles at me, and I see train tracks. Pink train tracks on a face that is changing. We had to watch that Brady Bunch episode when Marsha gets her braces. Twice. Marsha managed to get several dates to the school dance even with her braces on. Not that I want that for Sailor. But I'm just saying, I think if it's OK for Marsha, it's going to be OK for Sailor too. So far, only one person has called Sailor "BRACE FACE." And it was me. But I said it nicely, as in, "Aw, come here, my little brace face." Her brother, in a rare moment of compassion, said, "Sailor, I think you look even prettier with braces on. I wish I could get braces, too." But then, he felt embarassed by his heartfelt admission, and hid his face in a zorro mask for the rest of the afternoon. I wish I had a zorro mask that I could hide behind whenever I embarass myself. But then, I might not ever come out. I could save a lot of money on mascara.

But I digress. I wanted to make a big pot of comfort for my little Marsha Brady. The January copy of Cooking Light had a stunning display of chilis (not to mention some very tempting carrot cake pancakes), and I fully intend to make them all. I started with Three Bean Vegetarian Chili, and I made the whole durn thing in the crockpot. Fantastic, friends-truly fantastic. And maybe even ultra-fantastic the next day. You know what else is fantastic? All of your kind comments about Sailor's braces. You are just the kind of people that I love to count as my friends. You made Sailor feel like a million bucks, so that's how much I owe you. Have a great weekend, everybody.

Money Saving Tips:

Use dried beans of any variety, soaked over night in this recipe to save a few bucks. You might need more liquid, but you won't need to alter the cooktime. You can swap the butternut squash with canned pumpkin.
Three Bean Vegetarian Chili in the Crockpot

Slightly Adapted from January Cooking Light
Estimated Cost: $6.00 for six servings

2 bottled roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
1 large minced onion
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups organic vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups pureed butternut squash (I used frozen)
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

Preparation:

Add all ingredients to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours. Garnish with sour cream and green onions before serving.
PS Don't forget to vote for my crazy kid in the Jif Peanut Butter Contest. Just follow the link over to cast your lot for West's More Rockin' Moroccan Peanuty Pitas.

Next Up: Carrot Cake Pancakes? Or one last Crockpot Soup?

Roasted Tomato and Corn Vegetarian Chili in the Slow Cooker

I really shouldn't qualify chili. Yesterday I said I was making my favorite vegetarian chili. And while this is cross-my-heart true for today, I can't promise anything for tomorrow. I'm like a star struck teeny bopper with a Hollywood magazine when it comes to chili-I want it all. Vegetarian, meaty, filled with beans or without, with a pinch of chocolate, with a spoonfull of hot pepper, I do not descriminate against the homemade of any variety. But here's my current heart-throb favorite. Not only is this chili roasty-toasty, delicious and spicey, but it's also incredibly healthful and easy to make. You'll simply roughly chop some vegetables and roast them in the oven in olive oil and chile powder. Mix the roasted veggies with a few cans of this and that in the crockpot and walk away for a few hours or even all day. Voila! If you're serving chili on Halloween night, always be sure to include a vegetarian option for non-meat eaters. You'd be surprised how many carnivores will opt for the veggie brew also. I've learned to hide it in a corner of the kitchen. Happy Halloween Eve!

Money Saving Tips: Cook and freeze your own beans from dried to save money. Shop case sales for canned items. You can get canned beans and canned tomatoes go for 50 cents a piece by buying a case. Any color of bell pepper will work here; I chose green since the were two for a dollar this week. You can use broth, a bouillion cube with water, or even a can of V8 for your liquid.

Roasted Tomato and Corn Vegetarian Chili in the Slow Cooker

Estimated Cost: $5.00 for four servings

Notes: Chili powder heat varies greatly, so let your tastebuds guide the quantity you use.

1 (14 ounce can) Mexican style diced tomatoes

1 large onion, chopped

1 large bell pepper, chopped

1 and 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

2-4 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 minced hot pepper, such as serrano, if desired

2 cans (14 ounces) undrained beans, any variety such as pinto, black, or kidney, undrained

1 cup vegetable broth or V8

Drain the tomatoes, pouring the juices directly into the slow cooker. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil. Place the tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, corn and garlic on the cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with chili powder and salt and pepper to taste. Roast in the oven until vegetables are softened and speckled with brown, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Combine vegetables and remaining ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8. TASTE FOR SEASONING BEFORE SERVING. Add salt, pepper, or more chili powder if needed. Serve with sour cream and green onions if desired.

And here's a sneak peek at my Sailor girl's Belle Costume, as she's on her way out the door to voice lessons. I think I should rename it "Get Down and Groovy Disco Belle", since the gold glitter fabric is a teensy bit over the top, but hey, I'm trying to compete with Disney here. Please try to ignore the crooked homemade slip that is hanging out of the bottom on one side. And those "antlers" coming out of her head are really just my swirly front door. Tonight she'll join her brother, Jedi Master Obi Wan Kenobi, in the Halloween Spooktacular Concert with the Southwest Symphony. I wish you could see them up there, getting my money's worth out of all the violin lessons.

Coming Tomorrow:

Halloween Hot Chocolate

And how my little sister convinced me to sew costumes with just one sentence....

Halloween Supper-Upper-Upper

Growing up, my generous parents would host an open-to-all front lawn Halloween party, complete with grilled hamburgers and hotdogs, chili, cinnamon rolls and the like. Trick or treaters would march up in hordes to our house on the hill for a savory break from their sacks of candy. It didn't matter if they knew my family are not. There were some people that we only knew because of the Halloween party. Everyone, strangers and kin alike, was welcome. (You can read more about our Halloween party here on my Rachael Ray blog project. Click on Timely Traditions.) When I grew up and had a house of my own, we hosted a Halloween party too. But now that we live across the street from my parents, well, I'll just do what comes naturally and let mom and dad take charge. Actually, this year's will be a bit bigger than usual, since the Halloween night party is being combined with a church trunk or treat activity, all right across the street from my house and right in front of my parent's home. My dad is still going to grill his burgers, but this year they are stepping up to popcorn and cotton candy machines as well. I'm not even sure what to pass out to trick-or-treaters, since I'm pretty sure they will be getting all that they could possibly want across the street. King Sized Candy Bars? Quarters? Fruit Roll Ups? Nintendo DS for all? Maybe I should just give up and pass out chewable vitamins and toothbrushes.

I'll be conjuring up a few different versions of chili for the party, like this yummy chicken and green chile slow-cooker version. I credit a Martha Stewart recipe for the idea of using dried beans and a little flour for thickening in the slow cooker. It works like a charm. Since the kids are not even remotely interested in eating dinner before trick or treating, an easy crock pot recipe is ideal, since dinner is hot and ready now or later.

Chicken and Green Chile Slow Cooker Chili

Estimated Cost: $6.00 for 4 servings

Money Saving Tips: This one relies on dried pinto beans so it's budget friendly already, especially if you've got chicken and canned green chilies on hand. Green salsa is also called salsa verde, but you can also use canned green enchilada sauce.

1 and 1/2 cup dried pinto beans

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup chopped green chilies, or 1 (7 ounce) can

1 cup green salsa (Herdez is my favorite) or green enchilada sauce

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried cumin

3/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken

if desired sour cream, chopped cilantro, tabasco for serving

Coat the inside of your slow cooker with cooking spray. Combine beans, broth, flour, chilies, salsa, onion, and cumin. Place chicken on top. Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours, or low for 8-10 hours. Remove lid and reach in to the crock pot and shred chicken with fork. Stir into chili taste for seasonings and add salt and pepper if needed and serve.

Give the kids some tortillas and scissor and let them cut Halloween shapes. Sprinkle with a little chili powder and bake until crispy.

And one more kid friendly lunch idea.: Let your bigger kids cut the shape of a Jack-O lantern out of a slice of cheddar cheese. Place it on a toasted English muffin and smear it with a smidge or barbecue sauce. Broil until cheese is melted and add a little green onion stem.

And a little peek at last night's activities: Here's my little cowboy and his goblin pumpkin...

And here's my Sailor-girl. She's dressed in a very old Snow White costume (not her Halloween costume-just an old dress-up number) and holding a Snow White Minnie-doll to carve her Snow White pumpkin....

Disney pumpkin carving kits give you little translucent eye and lip inserts. They look eerie in the day time, but at night they really work. You can see them a little better below....

Coming Tomorrow:

More Halloween Dinner: My Favorite Vegetarian Chili

Corniest Corn Muffin and Slow Cooker Beef Chili

Want to hear a corny jokc?

A man walked into the Dr.'s office. In his ear he had a carrot, in his nose an ear of corn, and in his eye a wedge of cucumber. He complained to the Dr. that he wasn't feeling his best. "Well," the Dr. replied, "The trouble is you're not eating properly....."

Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk.

If you're going to make a recipe named "CORNIEST" corn muffin, then you'd better have some corny jokes to go with it.

Like this one: What did the kernel say to the other kernel? My pop's bigger than your pop.

Ooh, boy-that's pretty corny.

Or if you prefer that no one roll their eyes, serve up your corniest corn muffin with a less obnoxious partner, like William Sonoma's Crock Pot chili. Both recipes are part of my Fall Kick Off Menu, which also includes:

Pear and Walnut Salad with Honey Dressing (coming tomorrow)

Spicy Pumpkin Vegetarian Chili

Caramel Apple Wedges (coming soon)

Brown Sugar and Oatmeal Crumbly Apple Bars

Corn bread is particularly delightful baked in a muffin tin, since it provides lots of crispy surface area. Besides having fresh corn kernels in the batter, these are extra corny with a high ratio of cornmeal to flour. Serve these up with loads of honey butter to bring out that natural sweetness.

Money Saving Tips: Cut any corn off a leftover cob for this recipe. If you don't have buttermilk on hand, just put 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar in a 1 cup measure. Pour in milk to the top and let stand for five minutes. If you're out of cornmeal, you can grind popcorn kernels in a wheat grinder or powerful blender to make your own.

Dorie Greenspan's Corniest Corn Muffins

Estimated Cost: $2.00 for 12

Notes: For picky eaters, you might want to make some without corn kernels. Just pour some batter into the tins before you add the corn, and add a bit less corn to the batter to compensate.

1 cup flour (I used half whole wheat)

1 cup cornmeal

6 tablespoons sugar

2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

3 tablespoons melted butter, cooled

3 tablespoons corn or vegetable oil

1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk

1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen or even canned

Preheat oven to 400. Thanks for the the reminder, Cat!:) Grease a 12 cup capacity muffin tin. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, butter, oil, egg and yolk. Gently stir wet ingredients into dry just to blend. Stir in the corn kernels. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes.

William Sonoma's Slow Cooker Chili

The convenience of slow cooker chili is chief among its virtues. In fact, I first made this recipe about five years ago on The Quiet Man's birthday which also happened to be the day that we were running a marathon. How do you host a party (or do anything that requires movement at all) after a 26.2 mile run? I made the chili the night before and stuck the whole crock pot in the fridge, plugged it in the morning, left for the run and came back to scrumptious birthday dinner.

Money Saving Tips: Buy your ground beef in bulk during chili season. (Albertson's and other supermarkets frequently have it on sale for about $2 per lb.) Divide it into 1 lb. portions and freeze it for easy dinners. Cook your own beans from dried for an even cheaper meal.

Slow Cooker Chili, adapted from William's Sonoma

Estimated Cost: $8.00 for 8 large portions

2 lbs. ground beef

3 cloves garlic

1 medium onion, chopped

1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juices

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

3-4 tablespoons chili powder

3 tablespoons corn meal

1 cup beef stock

2 (14 ounce) cans beans (I use almost any variety I've got on hand.)

In large frying pan, brown the ground beef. Transfer to crock pot with a slotted spoon, leaving behind the fat. Add remaining ingredients to crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve with shredded cheese, onions, and sour cream.

Coming Tomorrow: Pear and Walnut Arugula Salad with Honey Dressing

Spicy Pumpkin Vegetarian Chili

I'm beginning to wonder if I'm ever going to get my full and complete "Fall Kick Off Dinner" Menu out there to share with you all. Between Tuesdays with Dorie and Thursdays with Ina, and give aways, and mix ups and my actual real life, I'm getting a little behind. Thank goodness the season lasts three months since it just might take me that long to kick it off. I'll keep patiently posting menu items one by one until we've made our way through dinner and dessert. Starting with this Fall-flavored, intensely delicious and satisfying pumpkin chili. A gorgeous vibrant deep reddish orange color, you might not even guess it has pumpkin at all. So spicy and satisfying and healthful, piquant and bright with fresh garlic and ginger, this one pot wonder has a silky smoothness from humble canned pumpkin. For parties, I always make two kinds of chili; one with meat and one without. I've learned my lesson to make big batches of both, since the carnivores will love this one too. Even my super-manly, Big Stuff dad couldn't get enough of this one. You might have to hoard it in the kitchen.
Fall Kick Off Dinner:
Today's Offering: Spicy Pumpkin Vegetarian Chili
Crock Pot Meaty Chili
Corniest Corn Muffins
Crumbly Oatmeal Apple Bars
Caramel Apple Wedges

Money Saving Tips: If you don't have canned pumpkin, you can swap it for pureed winter squash or even sweet potato, but you may have to add a little extra water to compensate. You can use your own cooked dried beans to save money. 2 cups of pinto beans will cook overnight on low in a crockpot without any presoaking or fuss.
Spicy Pumpkin Vegetarian Chili
Estimated Cost: $4.00 for 8 servings
Notes: You can make this chili a day ahead of time and store it in the fridge. It'll taste even better.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced, divided
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1 large bell pepper, chopped (I used some red, some yellow)
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
2 tablespoons chili powder (less if yours is hot)
1 teaspoon cumin
pinch of cayenne
2 (14 ounce) cans pinto beans, drained
1 (14 ounce) can Mexican style diced tomatoes with juices, blended in the blender
1 cup canned plain pumpkin puree
shredded cheese and chopped cilantro for serving
In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, 2 cloves garlic, ginger, bell pepper, and carrots. Cook for five minutes, stirring often, or until vegetables begin to soften. Add chili powder, cumin, and cayenne and cook for 1 minute. Add beans and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until all vegetables are softened. Stir in remaining garlic and pumpkin; warm through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with shredded cheese and cilantro, if desired.
Coming Tomorrow:
A Brief but Delicious Break from our Fall Menu
Barefoot Thursdays
Lightened Up Cream of Mushroom and Brown Rice Soup