• 3 strips of bacon sliced into small pieces
• 1 large onion
• 2 medium carrots
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tsp thyme chopped
• 1 can diced tomatoes 14 oz
• bay leaf
• 1 tsp salt
• pepper
• 1 cup lentils washed (preferably lentils de puy)
• 4 1/2 cups broth
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/4 cup white wine

Method:
Fry bacon pieces until crispy. Put in diced onion and carrot into the pot and cook with the bacon, press garlic and let it cook for a few minutes. Add tomatoes and lentils, cook 8-10 min on medium low heat. Add wine, bring to a simmer, add broth and water.

Cook for 30 min on low heat, partially covered. When soup is cooked nicely, puree 3 cups of soup in a blender and add 1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar. Salt and pepper if needed, add fresh parsley and serve with a dollop of sour cream.

Creamy, hearty, flavorful: those are words that could describe this cream of mushroom soup. Simple in terms of ingredients and easy to make; this soup is perfect to serve next to a hot sandwich or a salad for lunch or a light dinner. Traditionally cream of mushroom soup doesn't contain much else other than mushrooms, onion, broth and cream and we have tried to stay authentic to that concept here. However, if you want to add some diced potatoes, or maybe some cooked barley then that would also be a nice addition.

We used traditional button mushrooms for this recipe, namely because they are the most affordable ones. However, for added flavor and texture you really can't beat adding a variety of mushrooms, so if you're fortunate enough to pick mushrooms yourself, or if you find a nice assortment at your local farmer's market or grocery store, then by all means don't limit yourself to one kind.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks diced
• 16 oz of button mushrooms (or a combination of various kinds)
• 1 bayleaf
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup white wine or dry vermouth
• 3 cups of broth
• 1 cup of heavy or whipping cream
• splash of balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper

Method:

Saute the onion and the celery for about 5 minutes in the butter. Then add the mushrooms, the bay leaf, thyme and oregano. Cook until the mushrooms brown and the onions and celery soften, about 15 minutes. At this point, add the garlic and the flour. Stir well and let cook for a minute or two, then add the wine and de-glace the pan.

Add the broth, let come to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Now add the cream.

At this point we blended about 3/4 of the soup. This is of course optional. For a completely smooth soup, blend it all. For a more chunky soup, blend only a cup or two.

Bring back to the pot, add a splash of balsamic vinegar and taste with salt and pepper.

This turned out to be a great vegetarian chili with tons of flavor from adobo sauce, poblano peppers, cumin, tons of garlic etc… There really is no such thing as a traditional vegetarian chili, as authentic chili basically consists of meat, chilis and... not much else. However, why not utilize these classic irresistible flavors but in a vegetarian version?

When you don't use meat in a chili it's important to use a variety of legumes to get the proper texture and bite. In other words, don't just go for black beans or the dish will end up tasting terribly bland and boring. We used lentils de puy which are great since they give a bit of a bite, red lentils because they help thicken up the stew as they break down a bit and lastly black beans because they simple feel like they belong in a chili. Of course a different combination could be used. We also added some yellow corn to the dish which adds a nice pop of color as well as sweetness to balance the heat from the chili peppers and spices.

Vegetarian Chili with Lentils, Beans and Adobo Sauce

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 8 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 fresh poblano pepper, seeds removed and finely diced
• 1 chili in canned adobo sauce, fincely minced
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 3/4 cup dry red lentils
• 3/4 cup lentils de puy (green or brown lentils would also work)
• 1 beer (light or dark, either is good)
• 1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
• 2 cups of water
• 1 cup of black beans (frozen or canned)
• 1/2 cup of corn (frozen ideally)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• salt

Method:

Saute the onion, carrots and celery in the oil for a few minutes. Add some salt, the garlic and the poblano pepper, saute for a few more minutes. At this point add the adobo chili, the chili powder, cumin, paprika, tomato paste, red lentils and lentils de puy. Saute everything for a minute, then add the beer and de-glace if necessary. Add the can of diced tomatoes and about two cups of water.
 
Bring up to a simmer, let simmer for about 15 minutes, then add the black beans, the corn, and the sugar and continue cooking for another 15 minutes or so or until the lentils are cooked through. Taste with salt.

Serve with queso fresco (grated cheddar or monterey jack would also work) and a nice dollop of sour cream to balance out the heat. Avocado on top would also be lovely.

• 1 1/2 lbs tomatoes - peeled, seeded & chopped
• tomato juice
• 1 cup cumcumber - seeded & chopped
• 1/2 cup red onion - chopped
• 1 jalapeno - seeded & minced
• 1 garlic clove - minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 lime juiced
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons basil

When you feel like having chili, but want to make it something special, then why not make a chili baked with cornmeal topping. It is a very tasty and comforting way to serve chili – the golden cornmeal topping bakes on top of the chili in a Dutch oven and provides a perfect meal in one pot.

Chili:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1.5 pounds beef chunks
2 onions, diced
8 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons sweet vermouth
2 14-oz cans of crushed tomatoes
1 cup water
1 ½ cups cooked black beans

Spices/Flavorings:

1 teaspoon dried coriander
6 teaspoons homemade chili powder
1 cardamom pod, bruised
2 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons Worcester sauce
Juice from ½ lemon

Cornbread topping

1.5 cup cornmeal
½ cup all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or cheddar cheese)

Method:

Start making the chili by heating up the oil in a large cast-iron pot (dutch oven). Sauté the meat in two batches in order to brown them properly. Once the meat is browned, remove from the pan and add the onions. Sautee the onions until soft in the same pan, then add the meat. Crush 6 of the garlic cloves and add them along with the tomato paste. Sauté for a couple of minutes, then de-glaze the pan with the dry vermouth, and make sure to scrape off any brown bits.

Add about half the amount of the spices (1/2 teaspoons coriander, 3 teaspoons chili powder, 1 cardamom pod, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cocoa powder). Sauté for a couple of minutes, then add the crushed tomatoes and the water. Let cook for a couple of hours on low heat – preferably 3-5 hours.

After a couple of hours, taste the chili, and add the cooked beans, press the remaining two garlic cloves and add the remaining spices plus the sugar, the Worcester sauce and the lemon juice. Add more spices according to taste and cook for another 30 minutes to an hour.

When the chili is done, make the cornmeal topping. In a bowl, mix together the cornmeal, the flour, the baking powder and the salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, the eggs and the oil. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, try not to over work the dough. Pour the topping on top of the chili and bake in a 425 F degree oven for about 20 – 25 minutes until golden brown. When it’s done, sprinkle the top with cheese and bake under the broiled for another minute or two. Serve with white onion, sour cream and fresh avocado.