Taking the chill off. . . . . .

It's early afternoon as I write this and I've yet to get out of my flannel pj's - they're 

just too warm and cozy to remove on such a cold day! 

But I will, and soon, and then I'll be back here to share an easy recipe.

OK here I am again, showered, dressed and ready to make chili. I'll even roast 

some veggies in the oven later - it will warm up the kitchen.

It's chili weather for sure. Bob is busy making his chili with meat 

version - and I'm rustling up my own easy veggie version.

I love this chili recipe because I can make two more special dishes with the leftovers.

Add a little more water or vegetable stock, swirl a spoonful of sour cream through it 

and turn it into a hearty soup for another cold and blustery day, or simmer it longer 

until thickened then spread on warmed crispy corn tostada shells along with 

guacamole, grated cheese, shredded lettuce, and a dash of good fire-roasted salsa.

I love bowls. Even more I love bowls like these from Anthroplogie.

I love the uneven shape, the vintage looking glaze, 

and the unusual figurative numbered illustration of the basket. It's different. 

It's perfect for a rib-sticking bowl of chili and rice on a cold night.

Veggie Black Bean Chili (Frijoles Negros)

4 - 15 oz cans black beans

2 large onions, peeled and chopped

5-8 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

1 carrot, peeled and diced 

1 red pepper, deseeded and diced 

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1-2 vegetarian stock cubes

1 rounded teaspoon mild chili powder

1 rounded teaspoon paprika

1/2 rounded teaspoon ground cumin 

2 -10 oz cans RO-TEL diced tomatoes 

with lime and cilantro

5 heaped teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro

Salt to taste

Saute onions, garlic, carrot and pepper in the oil
over medium heat until softened - about 8 mins.
Sprinkle in the stock cubes, chili powder, paprika and 
cumin and cook for a minute or two longer stirring.
Tip the beans into a fairly large saucepan and using 
a potato masher just gently crush about a quarter of 
them. Stir onion mixture into the beans, along with 
the tomatoes. Simmer uncovered for about 30 mins. 
until beans are flavorsome and have thickened.
Stir in fresh coriander and season with salt to taste.
For soupy black beans add water, for thicker continue 
to cook down.
Serve alongside white or brown rice accompanied
by taco chips and guacamole.

Buen provecho!

Winter Kitchen. . . . . . .

I made Irish soda bread from a mix, just to give it a try thinking it might be 

good to make another later for St. Patrick's Day!

 It was good warm straight from the oven, but much too crumbly and dry the next day. 

The garden birds are loving the remains!

Some people say not to feed birds bread and baked bits from the kitchen, to 

stick to that very expensive bagged seed. We do both and hope the birds

are picky enough to know what's good for them.

Do you throw out leftover bread for your garden visitors?

Now these carrot raisin muffins I will not be sharing with the wildlife, sorry sweet 

birds and voracious grey squirrels, you aren't getting a single crumb! 

There are never any leftovers after we eat our share, give away a few, and stash 

some in the freezer for next week!

Must admit I've been baking them often - a big batch every couple of 

weeks - because they are delicious and healthy. 

What are you whipping up in your Winter kitchen?  If, like me, you have a rather 

large stash of cookbooks, it's just a matter of picking a recipe where you have 

the ingredients at the ready - or make a special trip to the store if you're not 
buried in snow - here we've not had a flake all Winter.

I find so many great sounding dishes I want to make, however a lot of these 
new-fangled cook books, although stunning in presentation and full of creation, 
just have too many ingredients most us don't keep on our shelves as basics. 

Anyway, today I do have my basics on hand to cook up a nice pot of black bean 
vegetarian chili for the very cold night ahead. I'll serve it thick over rice today, 
then add more broth to turn the leftovers into a delicious liquescent black bean 
soup for another meal.

Happy Winter kitchen days. . . . . . the best, warmest, room in the house, right?