Beer 'n' Black Bean Chili

I've had a couple absolute dinner disasters lately, so you may have noticed my lack of posting. The hustle and bustle of the holidays makes for some hurried dinner-making and inevitable recipe fails. I try to take shortcuts and some work out, but some don't. I totally ruined a pork recipe from a trusted source last week...so badly that my family couldn't barely choke it down. UGH! (I think I will try it again in a few months--when life is less hectic--and see if I can salvage the dish.) I almost suffered the same fate with this chili, to where I ended up not paying close enough attention to the instructions and rushing through it. Thankfully, this recipe was virtually goof-proof and this chili turned out to be pretty darn awesome. Whew! I think I'm gonna set a new rule in my house to only make dinners that I can pretty much just "phone in" during the holidays. The stress of trying (and failing) at something new is just not worth it. Hopefully, I will learn my lesson and remember this decree for next Christmas. In the meantime, here is the chili that restored my confidence in my cooking-off-the-cuff abilities...mistakes and all.

Beer 'n' Black Bean Chili
Adapted From: The Food and Flavors of San Antonio cookbook, by: Gloria Chadwick

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 lb. of beef stew meat (see notes)
1 large onion, diced
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can of red kidney beans, rinsed and drained (see notes)
1 (4 oz.) can of green chiles (see notes)
1 can of tomato paste
1 cup of beer (see notes)
1 (15 oz.) can of beef broth (see notes)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tablespoons of corn starch
tortilla chips, for topping
shredded cheddar cheese, for topping
sour cream, for topping

Directions:
Heat oil in large pot, over medium-high heat. Add beef cubes and brown on all sides. Remove beef to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside to rest. If more oil is needed, add a little more (no more than a teaspoon or so). Add onions to pot stirring to incorporate all the beef drippings and oil. Add a pinch of salt and cook onions until they are soft and translucent. Push onions off to the side of the pot, and add tomato paste. Cook tomato paste until it starts to brown and caramelize on the bottom of the pot. Add beef broth, beer, green chiles, beans, all the spices, and meat back into the pot. Using a wooden spoon, scrape all the brown bits of the bottom of the pan and incorporate them into the chili. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for half an hour. Remove some of the cooking liquid to a bowl (about a 1/2 cup) and whisk in the corn starch until liquid starts to thicken. Add thickened liquid back into the chili and stir to incorporate. Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes or until chili is thickened to a desirable texture. Serve chili by placing in bowls and topping with some crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheese, and sour cream.

NOTES:
I did not have two cans of black beans, so I substituted one can of kidney beans. Pinto beans would also work in a pinch; or use all black beans since the recipe is written as a "black bean chili". ;)

I only had one lb. of stew meat, so I cubed the meat into smaller pieces before browning. You could add another pound of stew meat if needed, but I didn't have it on hand so I stretched what I had stocked.

Also, I think our chili could have used more liquid. Adjust the liquid quantities based on the number of people you are serving. Next time, I'll probably use a full bottle of beer and a cup more of beef broth. We had enough to serve two adults and three kids, but the leftovers were scarce.

For the green chiles, I used some frozen Hatch chiles I roasted over the summer. My chiles were super-spicy so I cut the quantity way down for this application (probably by at least half). Follow the recipe quantity if you are using a mild green chile, but consider cutting it back if you are using a really spicy chile pepper.

The Result:
No photo, sorry. This was a delicious and satisfying chili. So different from my normal chili, and we all really loved the new twist. I love hearty stews and soups on a cold day, and this recipe totally hit the spot!

Jen's Bean Tostadas and Homemade Flour Tortillas

I know I said earlier that I had to nix tostadas, but I changed my mind. I did a "quick" soak on my beans and I am going to try and make flour tortillas for the first time. Nothing else sounded as good as bean tostadas, so I think I will just make it work. Hopefully, it will turn out well.

Jen's Bean Tostadas

Here is the flour tortilla recipe I am using. It is from one of my cookbooks, Food and Flavors of San Antonio by Gloria Chadwick. (Gloria also has daily updates about her Tex-Mex recipes on her blog titled Food and Flavors of San Antonio as well.) So far, I have prepared the dough and it is currently resting. It was surprisingly easy to whip up, and I can't wait to have fresh, homemade flour tortillas on hand!!!

Flour Tortillas
Courtesy of: Gloria Chadwick, Food and Flavors of San Antonio

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
4 T vegetable oil
1 cup warm water

Directions:
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the vegetable oil and water. Mix with your fingers until well blended.

Turn the mixture out onto a floured surface and knead for 3 to 5 minutes or until the dough is soft and no longer sticky. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and set aside for 20 to 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into 18 balls about 1-1/2 inches in diameter. Keep them covered with a damp cloth.

Roll out each ball on a floured surface with a rolling pin into a circle about 6 inches in diameter and 1/8" thick.

Cook the tortillas, one at at time, on a hot comal or skillet until they are lightly browned on each side. Yields 18.

Jen's Notes:
I am ashamed to say I have a hard time rolling out dough with a rolling pin. It never comes out the perfect round shape for me, but instead looks like an amorphous blob. I think I will just use my tortilla press instead of rolling these out by hand, and see what happens.

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Many thanks to Gloria Chadwick and her publisher, Pelican Publishing for allowing me to re-post her flour tortilla recipe.



The Result:
These tortillas were really yummy! The only issue I had was that I could not get them thin enough with my tortilla press alone. I used the tortilla press to make them the right (round) shape, but then I really needed to use a rolling pin to make them thinner. I did not figure that out until the end of the process, so most of ours were a little thick and doughy...which is not a bad thing by any means. They were still freakin' delicious!!! I will make them again, I just won't skip the rolling pin step next time...it is imperative to make the tortillas the right texture.

Monterey Pepper Jack Chicken

I have been looking forward to making this recipe all week! It is from my new cookbook, Foods and Flavors of San Antonio by Gloria Chadwick. The cookbook has an array of authentic, San Antonio family favorites that capture the flavor and essence of Tex-Mex cuisine. Many of the recipes are easy enough to tackle on a busy weeknight, and most of the ingredients are items that you would already have in your pantry (or could get on a fast trip to almost any grocery store). The book is completely geared toward the home cook, and is full of accessible and yummy-sounding recipes. Each dish features a little bit of the regional sites, tastes, and history of San Antonio. It is almost like going on a little weekend getaway!
Tex-Mex cuisine is one of my favorites, so I knew that this cookbook would be right up my alley. I actually had a really hard time deciding which recipe I would make first, since I have at least a dozen recipes marked with post-its to try out. I ended up narrowing it down to this dish, since I have all the ingredients in my stores. I think I will serve this meal with a side salad and call it good. I will let you know how it all turns out!

Monterey Pepper Jack Chicken
Copyright 2008 by Gloria Chadwick

Ingredients:
2 large eggs
2 T water
1 cup cornmeal
2 T Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 cups salsa
1 cup shredded Monterey pepper jack cheese
3 cups cooked white rice, hot
1 (8 oz.) container sour cream, for topping

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly spray a 13x9" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and water until frothy. On a dinner plate, combine the cornmeal, Parmesan cheese, cumin, chili powder and cayenne pepper. Dip the chicken breasts in the egg, then dredge in the cornmeal mixture, coating evenly. Shake off the excess. Place the chicken in the prepared baking dish and cook for 30 to 35 minutes or until the juices run clear when pierced with a sharp knife. Remove the chicken from the oven and pour the salsa over. Sprinkle with the cheese. Return to the oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese melts. Serve over rice with sour cream on the side. Serves 4.

Jen's Notes:
Gloria also has a blog by the same name; Foods and Flavors of San Antonio that I visit on a daily basis. You can purchase a copy of her cookbook through this link to the Pelican Publishing website. I heart this book, and I can't wait to make more recipes from it soon.

A big thank you to both Gloria Chadwick and Pelican Publishing for allowing me to post this recipe!!!





The Result:
Oh man! I think my photos speak for themselves!!! This dish was purely Tex-Mex; that is for sure! The chicken was filling and all the components of the dish melded together nicely. I garnished the chicken with a little chopped cilantro, and some avocado slices that were salted, and then soaked in a lemon-lime juice mixture. I loved the blend of the citrus-flavored avocado slices, with the spicy pepper jack cheese, creamy sour cream, and crunchy cornmeal coating on the chicken. The best part was that my 3 year old ate all of his chicken and rice without much guff. Hooray!