CHOWDA this world, Or the Time I Resigned Myself to Chicago Winter

Guys. It's not summer anymore. No matter how misleading your produce section might be.

It's not even glorious autumn.  I always feel so gypped by how short the fall season seems but no more so than this year. I've been pretending not to see the snow outside the window for too long.  It's time to accept that I live in the Illinois and it's winter.  What is there left to do than eat my feelings in the form of a hearty stew full of potatoes and cheese and bacon and stock up on stretchy clothes?  I feel like a true Midwesterner now.  

Recipe #43: Smokey Corn Chowder with Bacon and Cheddar

Choice of libation: Tears that have frozen into icicles.  Also, coffee.

Choice of music: tUnE-yArDs. You know.  That experimental folk project? Never heard of it? I hadn't either, until yesterday, but today they were giving me life. Also they have a weird track "Why Do We Dine on the Tots?" which made me like them even more.  It reminded me of a Barrel of Monkeys adaptation. But for a good dance-it-out session, listen especially to the songs "Hey Life" and "Water Fountain."

Butter and flour and potatoes. We are already off to a good start.

Also, as you can tell, this is one of those recipes that will look disgusting until it is time to eat it.

Mmm. Smoked paprika and a touch of chili chipotle pepper.  

At this point, the kitchen is already smelling good, but probably that's...

...THE BACON. That's right.  My home once again smells like pork and I am not at all mad at it.

A thing of beauty.  But wait.

Ah. A familiar sight on this blog. Me, grasping a handful of cheese.

Just enough smoke and salt and sweetness.  

You guys.  This is a bowl of comfort.  

stolen and adapted from lecremedelacrumb.com

½ pound red potatoes, chopped into ½ to 1 inch pieces

1 large russet potato, chopped

4 tablespoons butter

2 cups water

¼ cup flour, I used whole wheat

½ cup sweet onion diced

2 teaspoons chicken buillon

5 teaspoons minced garlic

½ teaspoon onion salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

1-2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1-2 teaspoons chili chipotle pepper

1-2 cups corn, canned or frozen

½ cup shard cheddar cheese, shredded

8-10 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled

INSTRUCTIONS

Add potatoes to a large pot with enough water to just cover the potatoes. Boil about 10-15 minutes until tender. Remove from heat, strain out water and put potatoes in a bowl, set aside.

Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add flour. Stir until mixture thickens. Add water, chicken buillon, and garlic. Stir 1-2 minutes, then add potatoes. Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes tip potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.

Stir in diced onion, onion salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika. Cook about 5 minutes, then stir in corn, crumbled bacon, and shredded cheese. Stir until cheese is melted. Add water, one tablespoon at a time, to thin to desired consistency. Top with additional bacon and cheddar cheese if desired.

Winning at Tech Week: Part Two

When tech week gets really dire, I have been known to live off of giant cups of coffee the size of my head, protein bars I picked up at CVS and whatever booze I can find in my house at midnight or whenever I get home.  The only whole foods I digest on those days can sometimes be the ingredients of  one or two LARABARS.* Compared to the other "nutritional" bars out there, these only contain fruits, nuts and spices, nothing scientific sounding at all. But at $1.79 before tax, one or two of these tiny bundles of nutrition can add up to empty pockets.

*It was important to note that my computer doesn't recognize the term "LARABAR" and wanted me to replace it with "Barabbas."

Also. When are people coming over to my house to watch Billy Zane in this movie?  Easter, 2015? Great. Thanks.

Recipes #41 and #42: Ripped Off Gingersnap LARABAR 
and Ripped off Apple Pie LARABAR

Choice of libation:

I know. Bourbon purists are probably upset with me right now, mixing a very good bourbon with anything.  But a Good Earth Tea hot toddy with Bulleit Bourbon is not a sin. I promise.

Choice of music:

I am ashamed of how long it took me to find this album. If you are a fan of Nina Simone, if you are a fan of Meshell Ndegeocello, IF YOU HAVE ANY GOOD SENSE OR TASTE AT ALL, listen to this immediately.  Also cool people like Lizz Wright, Valarie June and Sinead O Connor are featured.  And Meshell's cover of Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood is EVERYTHING.

What I want you to understand about this recipe is IT IS SO FRIGGIN EASY.  The hardest part was grating fresh ginger while slightly inebriated.  

Mmm. Cloves.  

50 seconds of pulsing in the food processor, and you're basically done.

You can't eat them RIGHT away, they have to set in the fridge for at least an hour.

But look! My very own gingersnap fake LARABAR!

But one is not enough! I wanted to make an apple pie one too!

Dump stuff in a food processor! Pulse for 60 seconds! Set in fridge!

Snacks for a week!  Seriously, this is so simple. And aside from the stupid food processor clean up, really cost efficient and delicious. I can't imagine not making this all the time. I think next time I will try dried cherries and dates with dark chocolate and pecans. Nom nom nom. Happy whole food grazing!

stolen and adapted from budget101.com

Ginger Snap LARABAR

1 cup mixed almonds and pecans

1 cup dates

2 tbsp fresh ginger

1 tbsp mixed cinnamon and cloves

Apple Pie LARABAR

1 cup mixed almonds and pecans

1 cup dates

1 cup mixed raisins and dried apple

2 tbsp cinnamon

1 tbsp grated ginger

1. Dump everything in food processor

2. Pulse for about a minute

3. Line a loaf plan with saran wrap and pour mix in

4. Press the mixture firmly into the pan's form and cover with the saran wrap for about an hour (or overnight)

5. Cut it into about 6 pieces.  They freeze well too!

Winning at Tech Week: Part One

Ever have one of those weeks where each and every one of your meals comes from Starbucks? Or, if you're downtown, a combo of Starbucks, then Freshii, then late night McDonalds? I heard your head drop in shame. But friend, know you're not alone.  The plastic cartons you throw into your overflowing messenger bag, the receipts you refuse to look at because you totally could have put the contents of that stupid protein box together for half the price at home, I know. I've been there. And usually it is during what people in my industry call "tech week." The week before opening when you go home to sleep and change clothes but otherwise live on public transportation or in the theater.

I always start the day off so well-intentioned, so I grab pre-packaged things that have greens and proteins and whole grains because inevitably I'm going to get home at midnight and want greasy thai food from the place near my house that's open till 2am.

The Starbucks Hearty Veggie and brown rice salad bowl -- $6.95 

Freshii Mediterranean brown rice bowl - $8.99 + $0.99 extra for chicken, 

WHICH THEY TOTALLY SKIMP ON.

Dude.  If I were to do that for 5 days in a row, in addition to the giant coffees the size of my head throughout the day, I would go broke.  Which is actually what happens almost every single time I'm in a show.  So, this time I decided to do what was economically correct and make giant vats of things that I would normally order at corporate chains. Like a chump. 

Recipes #39 and #40: Ripped Off Starbucks Rice Bowl and Ripped Off Freshii Rice Bowl

Choice of libation:

Crabbie's, the alcoholic ginger beer for horses. And Filipino-American actresses.

Choice of music:

Yeah.  So? What.  

Don't tell me this didn't make you immediately type this into your Spotify account.

First of all, YES. These are my hands despite the lack of chipped off blue nail polish.  

Also, this is a trick I learned from Rachael Ray. I know. I can hear your judgement all the way from Ravenswood. But listen: She taught me that if you have a bunch of little tomatoes, instead of chopping them in half one at a time, put a bunch of them under a plate or tupperware lid to trap them and cut them all at once. MAJOR TIME SAVER. Just watch her show on mute. It's totally worth it.

The Starbuck's rice bowl has a lemon tahini dressing. 

Slightly pretentious? Yes. Delicious? Yes. 

You guys, I love roasted squash.

All those beautiful colors going into my giant salad vat!

Not a euphemism!

Now that's an impressive salad!

Still not a euphemism!

This is everything that I like, ever. I mean. Outside of booze.

I DID NOT SKIMP ON CHICKEN.

$60 worth of meals for $40 worth of groceries and a very enjoyable evening of ginger beer and Ace of Base at home? I would call this winning at tech week.  Hooray!

Hearty Veggie Rice Bowl

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup tahini

1/3 cup lemon juice (juice form about 3 lemons)

4 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 tsp Siracha

4 cups broccoli (save 2 cups for the next recipe)

1 cup shredded red cabbage

2 cups halved cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup pickled sliced beets

2 cup cubed butternut squash

2 cup garden peas

1 bunch of baby spinach (they were out of good kale at the store)

4 cups brown rice (save 2 cups for next recipe)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Cook the brown rice as you would normally - I used a rice cooker

3. Lightly coat cubed butternut squash, tomatoes and broccoli with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 35 minutes or so

4. Stir the tahini, lemon juice, siracha and soy sauce together.

5. Put salad ingredients in a big mixing bowl. Mix that salad.

6. Put the dressing in a tiny container.  They sell these really cool tupperwares now that come with tiny containers already. THEY'VE THOUGHT OF EVERYTHING!

Mediterranean Rice Bowl

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup goat cheese

1 small jar artichoke hearts

2 red bell peppers, diced

1 cup roasted cherry tomatoes (leftover from above)

2 cups broccoli (leftover from above)

1 bunch of baby spinach 

2 cups of diced cooked and seasoned chicken

2 cups brown rice (leftover from above)

1. MIX EVERYTHING IN A BOWL. 

THE END.

(I may be tipsy right now)

(Shhh....)

(Don't turn around)