Chicken Chili & Cauliflower Gratin

First up to bat has to be the chicken chili. Unpretentious, pure soul-food chili. It's so good to have a few recipes like this one on hand that can bring you back down when life gets too complicated. Chili, sauerkraut and German sausage, quiche, scalloped potatoes... those are just a few of the hand-me-down family recipes that I love to make. Common themes between all of those foods? Gooey, cheesy, warm from the inside out... The definition of soul food and definitely the key to my heart. What's really surprising about this chili recipe is that it's actually....healthy. I know! You usually associate soul food with sin, right? But really, no Judgement on this one (pun intended). And even better? It takes absolutely no effort on your part to make. Put everything in a slow-cooker on low and just walk away. Go to work, go to class and know that when you come home, that fantastic chili aroma will be waiting.

How to describe the magic that chili creates......imagine a crowd of competing ingredients. The chili brings everyone together under one roof and talks them into sticking around, for just a little while. Slowly, it breaks down each one's resistance and works to mix flavors with textures. Then it takes control with a last ending note of intense heat, just to remind you who's boss. What other dish can be described that way? Ok, that was probably a bad question to ask since I could probably go on and on about several of my favorite foods. Don't look, but I think I created an entire blog about them all....



Sorry, what was next again? My love affair with chili almost made me forget the cauliflower gratin.....

,,,,a dish with a very under-appreciated main character that will hopefully change your mind about using the less common produce. But even if you don't want to use cauliflower, this recipe is useful. Gratins are like galettes (see previous post about one filled with mushrooms and sauteed onions) in their versatility. Gratins use the basic idea that anything takes fantastic when baked with a rich cream sauce and topped with crunchy bread crumbs. You can serve them as a side dish or entree, with potatoes and ham, zucchini, regular broccoli or macaroni. Substitute cheese and flour for sour cream, breadcrumbs for brown sugar and granola, and you could even make a sweet gratin with fruits in season. But, personally, I went with cauliflower because I just couldn't resist these two brightly ones at the farmers' markets on Sunday.

So close to being Cal colors, right? Football season just started and, Go Bears, I even want my vegetables to show some pride.

Stop. That's about where the healthy part ends. At this point, a whole block of Gruyere and a pretty big wedge of Parmesan went missing. There was some milk thickened with butter and flour and things got a little carried away as that cauliflower turned into something sinfully delicious. Funny how the vegetables turned out to be the bad influence.

Sometimes, you just have to stop for temptation.


Chicken Chili
From Own Recipe
With Food Network guidance
Serves 12 (or lunch for a week)

Ingredients

• 1.5 - 2 pounds ground chicken
• 15 oz can kidney beans
• 15 oz can white beans
• 28 oz (2 cans) diced tomatoes
• 15 oz can chicken broth
• 1-2 individual chipotle chilies with adobo sauce
• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1 medium onion
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 stalk celery
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 tbsp, plus 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• Optional: 3/4 cup lager-style beer
• For toppings: sour cream, shredded cheddar or jack cheese, diced scallions or jalapenos, or finely chopped parsley

Directions

1. Coarsely peel and dice onion, garlic, carrots, sweet potato, celery and chipotle chilies.
2. Put into large slow-cooker (Crock Pot) or pot on the stove along with all of the other ingredients EXCEPT: 2 tsp chili powder, beer (optional) and toppings.
3. If using a slow-cooker: set on low heat and let cook for 3-6 hours. If using a regular stove pot, set on low heat and cook for 1-3 hours, making sure to stir occasionally to ensure that chili is not burning on the bottom.
4. Optional: 1/2 hour before taking chili off of the heat, pour in beer.
5. Once chili has thickened and all of the vegetables are cooked through (the longer you allow the chili to do its thing, the better it will be), take off of heat and stir in the remaining 2 tsp of chili powder to brighten up the chili. Serve with various toppings.

Cauliflower Gratin
Adapted from Ina Garten
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower
• 2 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk (full fat is better, although skim will work)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 3/4 cup grated Gruyere
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• Note: Don't go with the pre-grated Parmesan in a package. If you can't get a fresh wedge of Parmesan, substitute with mozzarella
• 1/2 cup fresh or Panko bread crumbs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
2. Cut cauliflower into 1'' diameter florets. Place in a pot of boiling water and cook for 5-6 minutes until al dente tender. If you are using colorful cauliflower like I did, add a splash of vinegar and some salt to the boiling water in order to limit the amount of color that the cauliflower lose during the cooking process. Drain cooked cauliflower and set aside.
3. Grate cheeses and set aside.
4. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add flour and stir constantly with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, heat milk in the microwave. Add hot milk to the butter-flour mixture and raise temperature to medium-low. Whisk occasionally as milk comes to a boil. Once boiling, whisk constantly for 1 additional minute while the mixture thickens.
5. Take mixture off of the heat and stir in salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup grated Gruyere, and Parmesan.
6. Pour 1/3 of sauce on bottom of an 8x11 baking dish. Arrange cauliflower on top and pour the rest of the sauce evenly on top of the cauliflower. Sprinkle remaining Gruyere and breadcrumbs over the gratin. Spray breadcrumbs with cooking oil, or drizzle with 1 tbsp additional melted butter, in order to ensure that top will be nicely browned in oven.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes until top is golden brown and sauce is bubbling in the pan. Serve hot with a salad, bread, as a side dish or entree.

Note: I just ordered the cutest mini camera tripod from Amazon. I'm told that using it with a longer exposure will make my photos infinitely more professional looking. We'll see when it comes in the mail!