Potatoes, Greens, and Goat Cheese Quesadillas

The great thing about goat cheese is that it's an incredibly strong taste. You can add it to any dish, and in the end, the dish tastes like goat cheese. If your ratios are wrong, if you haven't chosen flavorful compliments, it doesn't matter: the goat cheese saves you. This recipe is especially great because the spiciness of the chili powder is cooled by the goat cheese. The recipe was featured on Epicurious.

Potatoes, Greens, and Goat Cheese Quesadillas

1 1/3 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2 medium)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/3 cups (packed) coarsely grated hot pepper Monterey Jack cheese (5 to 6 ounces)
1 1/3 cups jarred salsa verde (tomatillo salsa)
4 2/3 cups coarsely chopped stemmed mustard greens (from 1 bunch), divided
4 8-inch-diameter flour tortillas
3 ounces chilled fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled
Olive oil

Place baking sheet in oven and preheat to 275°F. Steam potatoes until tender, about 8 minutes. Place in large bowl; sprinkle with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Toss to coat. Cool potatoes 15 minutes. Mix in Jack cheese. Meanwhile, blend salsa and 2/3 cup (packed) greens in mini processor until greens are finely chopped.
Arrange tortillas on work surface. Divide remaining greens between bottom half of each. Top greens with potato mixture, then goat cheese and 2 tablespoons salsa mixture for each. Fold plain tortilla halves over filling, pressing to compact. Brush with oil.
Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place 2 quesadillas, oiled side down, in skillet. Brush tops with oil. Cook until quesadillas are brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to sheet in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining 2 quesadillas.
Cut each quesadilla into 3 or 4 wedges. Serve with remaining salsa.

This recipe took some time to complete (though truthfully, I get a bit exasperated when recipes last more than 15 minutes). Also, it was maybe a bit too spicy? Maybe I should cut it down to 1 Tsp. of chili powder next time.

Chana Masala

I asked a friend of mine, who is Indian, for some cooking tips after he once served me a delicious meal. He gave me the recipe below via e-mail. My assumption was that his mom had given him the recipe, as she is also an excellent cook and usually throws delicious things together on the fly. In preparing this post, I decided to double-check by running a search for one of the lines in the recipe; a match popped up on The Vegan Forum. I was slightly surprised to see that it wasn't a home-generated concoction, but a stock online recipe. the surprise didn't elicit more than a shrug though, because no matter the origins, the dish is good.

Chana Masala
2 onions
4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 440g cans chickpeas, drained
1 440 g can tomato pieces
1 teaspoon garam masala


1. Slice onions, crush garlic. Heat oil in a medium pan. Add onion and garlic to pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until soft.
2. Add the chili powder, salt, turmeric, paprika, cumin and coriander. Stir over heat for 1 minute.
3. Add chickpeas and undrained tomatoes, stir until combined. Simmer, covered, over low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in garam masala. Simmer, covered for another 10 minutes.

Two Types Of Chili

It's been quite some time since I've updated this, and in that time, I've googled "all recipe chili" more times than I'd like to admit. The impetus for starting this blog was two-fold: remind myself what I like to cook (and what I'm good at cooking), and to warehouse the recipes so I don't have to chase them all over the internet each time I intend to cook them. In that spirit, I present two popular recipes: Allrecipes's Vegetarian Chili and Epicurious's Espresso and Black Bean Chili.

Vegetarian Chili

2 (15 ounce) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (16 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can yellow hominy, drained
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies
2 small zucchini, halved and thinly sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Directions

In a large kettle or Dutch oven, combine the first 15 ingredients; mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese.

This is great because all you do is just dump everything in a pot. It's relatively quick, easy, and dirt cheap. It tastes pretty good, too! This is nothing that would necessarily surprise anyone, but it is a solid "normal chili" recipe.

Black Bean and Espresso Chili

1/2 cup olive oil
5 large onions, chopped
1/4 cup instant espresso powder
1/4 cup chili powder
1/4 cup ground cumin
1/4 cup dried oregano leaves
2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes with added puree
1/3 cup honey
6 large garlic cloves, minced
7 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed, drained
2 cups water
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder or chili powder
Large pinch of ground cinnamon

Assorted toppings: sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped green onions, shredded cheese, sliced jalapeños, and shaved bittersweet chocolate

This dish was made for me by a friend, and it was so delicious that I asked for the recipe. I tried to make it once, and I don't think I went to the lengths with toppings that he did (I didn't use any bittersweet chocolate, for one). Also, I couldn't find espresso powder and instead used an espresso ground. I figured they'd be the same thing, but apparently, they're not. The chili I made had a distinct grit to it, which was unappealing. You know what, though? It was still good. It does have a distinct taste, so it's something more for special occasions, but a nice one to have in your back pocket.