Sweater Weather Musings

Every autumn, I fall in love with the Northeast all over again. 

The dwindling light of the afternoon casting shadows, and highlighting textures that normally go unnoticed. The crispness of the air, the way it smells of earth, and sleep, and smoke. The languid sounds of summer give way to the rush of people hustling, heads down to their destinations. No longer having the luxury of late days filled with sunshine, they are propelled by chill to accelerate. Autumn adds a solemnity to the world. Much like life, it is that added gravitas that allows the colors to pop in brighter contrast to the greying world around it. 

Would beauty be appreciated without ugliness? Would pain be tolerable without joy? Is it not the pervasive presence of opposites that make life so rich? Maybe it is the fleetingness of this season that makes us so crazed for it. 

I know autumn makes me quiet, it makes me reflect on what is, and what I want to be. Autumn makes me consider the fragility of our temporal surroundings; the constantness of change. Change, with its certainty, a dual tragedy and miracle, that nothing will ever be as it was before, nor will it ever again be as it is now. 

"Taco" Cannellini Chili

Post Taco-Tuesday I was left with extra taco meat and some of the fixings. I used these left overs to make chili. 

I added 1 1/2 cups of chopped tomatoes with 1 tsp. of garlic and 1 tsp of olive oil.

I then added the left over taco meat (2 cups) that I had left over and one cup of water. 

When I prepared the taco meat originally I used 3 lbs. of lean ground beef, 2 large caramelized onions, and a package of taco seasoning. 

I allowed that to cook down for about 20 minutes and start to reduce. 

I took the leftover shishito peppers that I had prepared as a snack and added them to the chili along with 1 can of strained cannellini beans. 

I allowed this to cook for an additional 15 minutes. 

About 5 minutes before I was going to serve the chili, I added 2 cups of baby kale to the chili. 

Shishito Peppers

I had Shishito peppers for the first time this summer at a cocktail party in the Hamptons.

Mostly sweet, the sign warning against the occasional spicy pepper resulted in a Russian roulette-esque game among the guests that was a great icebreaker. 

I've been trying to clean up my diet, so, when I saw them at the market I knew they'd make the perfect snack!

1 Teaspoon coconut oil

Shishito Peppers (2 cups)

Himalayan Salt

Wash your peppers, leave the stems on, pat dry. 

The stems will serve as a handle to eat the rest of the pepper. 

If you plan on serving them at a party, be sure to have a container for the discarded stems. 

Heat your pan to a medium heat and add your coconut oil. 

Do not allow your oil to start smoking! 

If your oil is smoking your pan is way too hot. 

Add your washed shishito peppers, sauté over medium heat tossing them every so often until they develop a nice char. 

The smaller the batch of peppers the faster they will cook. A large batch of peppers would require more oil and take longer to cook. 

Finish with some Himalayan sea salt and enjoy!

Taco Tuesday with Zach's Refried Bean Dip

Every other week I have my brothers over for dinner. They requested that we have tacos this week and I happily obliged. 

The boys love tacos. 

For one of them in particular, I'm looking at you L, I think tacos actually qualify as a food group. 

In order to make the meal a little special I made my mom's bean dip recipe, "Zach's refried bean dip."

This dip has been a staple in our house at almost every family party.
We never did learn who this Zach character is, but we owe him... big time.

It's not the most glamorous appetizer, but the ooey-gooey deliciousness cannot be denied. 

During dinner, the boys decided to add it to their tacos and a whole new level of scrumptiousness was discovered. 

Preheat the oven to 375° F.

Zach's Refried Bean Dip: 

1 16 oz. can of refried beans

1 package of taco seasoning

1 8 oz. bar of Philadelphia cream cheese 

1 4 oz. can of diced jalapeños 

1 4 oz. can of chopped olives

1 8 oz. package of shredded Mexican cheese

[Optional: 1 8 oz. container of sour cream]

Mix all of the ingredients together. Pour into a baking pan, bake at 375° F until bubbling, usually about 45 minutes. I then like to broil it for a few minutes to get the top crispy. 

Serve with chips and enjoy! 

Or, as the boys did, add to your taco for an additional pop of flavor. 

Butternut Squash Soup

This butternut squash soup is a game changer. 

It’s simple, delicious, fast, hearty, and easily modified to fit dietary restrictions.

Butternut squash soup with pan-fried salad turnips

Butternut Squash Soup with pan-fried apple sausage, shallots and escarole

You will need:

2 large yellow onions

1 shallot

1 tbsp. olive oil

The flesh of 2 butternut squash

36 oz. Chicken Stock (or Vegetable stock)

1 tbsp. Garlic

1 tsp. Turmeric

1 tbsp. Ginger

1 tsp. Paprika

1 tsp. Cumin

1/2 tsp. Sage

Himalayan Salt

Pepper

Optional: Curry Powder

Cut the squash into chunks approximately 1 inch long. 

If you are in a bit of a rush, a lot of grocers are now selling butternut squash already prepared (peeled and cut).

You do not need to cook your squash before adding it to the pot.

Caramelize the onion and shallots with about 1/2 tsp. of salt in the olive oil over medium heat until almost translucent. 

Add the butternut squash chunks, spices, and the chicken stock. 

Cook for approximately 20 minutes until the squash is tender. 

Turn the heat to low, use your emulsion blender to puree the mixture; season with salt and pepper to taste. 

I like to top the soup with additional protein or sautéed vegetables in order to make it feel heartier. 

This time around, I decided to pair the soup with pan-fried apple sausage, shallots, and escarole.