Good (For You) Food : Three-Bean Turkey Chili

It is a stormy day here in St. Pete so it seems like the perfect time to share with you this recipe for a hearty but healthy chili I made weeks ago. (I know, I've been holding out on you!) The original recipe is endlessly customizable, in terms of what kind of beans you use and how you prepare them, your choice of peppers (spicy or mild), and even how you cook the chili itself (stovetop, slow cooker, pressure cooker). 

For my version, I capitalized on the convenience of canned beans and made the whole thing in my enameled cast iron pot. I diced up one poblano pepper, for just a hint of spice, and one bell pepper—actually, half of a red bell pepper and half of an orange one, for color. The original recipe is also vegetarian, but I added some lean ground turkey to make the chili extra filling and flavorful. I will urge you to pay a couple extra bucks for the fire-roasted tomatoes; they really do make a difference.

This one-pot wonder is perfect for a weeknight dinner—it's quick (if you use canned beans) and easy, you probably have many of the ingredients already in your pantry. Plus, it makes killer leftovers for lunch the next day. (See photographic proof below.) My husband was a fan and I'm not exaggerating at all when I say he raved throughout the meal—between each bite even—that it was the best chili he'd ever had.

Three-Bean Turkey Chili

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 40 minutes | Yield: Makes 4 to 6 large servings

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped small
1 to 2 peppers of your choice, finely chopped (I used one poblano and bell pepper)
20-ounces (1.25 pounds) ground turkey
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
3 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
3 teaspoons kosher or coarse salt, or 2 teaspoons table salt
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh-cracked black pepper
1 12-ounce bottle beer (I used Dos Equis but you can use whatever you like!)
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, fire-roasted if available
3 15-ounce cans of beans of your choice, drained and rinsed (I used low-sodium kidney, pinto and black beans)

Optional accoutrements: Lime wedges, sour cream, diced white onion, diced tomato, avocado, cilantro, hot sauce (like Cholula), warm corn or flour tortillas, or crispy tortilla strips (how-to below!)

Directions

Heat oil in the bottom of a medium-sized heavy pot or Dutch oven. Once warm, add onion and cook for 5 minutes, until translucent. Add fresh diced peppers and cook for 3 more minutes. Toss in the ground turkey, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Once the turkey begins to brown add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper and cook for a couple minutes, until everything is browned and deeply fragrant. Pour in the beer and scrape up any bits stuck to the pot. Boil until the beer is reduced by half.

Stir in the can of crushed tomatoes, put a lid on the pot, and let the mixture simmer for 20 minutes. Add the drained and rinsed beans and let simmer for 10 minutes more, until the beans are warmed through. If the chili looks too dry for your liking, you can add 1/4 cup of water and simmer for a few minutes longer. (We didn't do this, as we liked ours nice and thick.)

Serve as-is or with toppings.

Now, this chili would be good all on its own but I believe what makes chili so much fun to eat is the toppings! If given an array of choices, everyone can make their bowl just the way they like it. Personally, I go a bit wild with the toppings. I joked to the hubby that my bowl of chili looked like it was ready to go to Rio! (Um, see above.) I added diced white onion, extra tomatoes, creamy avocado, a dollop (or two) of sour cream, a squeeze of lime, a few dashes of hot sauce and some tortilla strips, for crunch. 

If you've never done it, it's easy to make your own restaurant-worthy tortilla strips at home.

To make tortilla strips: Lightly oil both sides of a corn or flour tortilla. Stack up a couple (one per person should be plenty) and cut into half-inch strips. Scatter on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and pop into a preheated oven set at 350 degrees. Mine took about 5 to 10 minutes to toast up; just keep your eyes on them. The strips are done when they are golden brown and crispy.

I hope you'll give this recipe a try! I have to agree with my husband, it also is the best chili I've ever eaten. And with so many ways to jazz it up, this recipe is sure to be a go-to whenever we're in the mood for something warm, cozy and satisfying, without any of that comfort food guilt.

Sunday Brunch : A Spring-Perfect Zucchini Frittata

Last week, at St. Pete's Saturday Morning Market, the hubs and I picked up some beautiful, fresh produce, including one seriously gigantic zucchini and a $3 container of squash blossoms—a steal, I thought, for such a unique ingredient. Once I saw them, hiding inconspicuously near the checkout at one of the farmer's market stands, I knew just what to make with them: a frittata. Now, while zucchini and squash are on constant rotation in our kitchen, I had never actually used squash blossoms before. But I had seen an episode of the Cooking Channel show "Extra Virgin" many moons ago where Debi Mazar's hunky Italian husband, Gabriele, used them atop a gorgeous, light and fluffy frittata. In our house, G is the one who whips up frittatas for breakfast on the weekend. So on Easter morn, I felt it was my turn to return the favor.

Apparently in Italy, frittatas are not so much a breakfast food as they are a snack or lunch, which makes it perfect for an American brunch! And this recipe is super quick and easy, which, if you're anything like me and you appreciate your sleep, means you don't have to wake up early to create a surprisingly delicious and pretty dish to feed your family—or, in my case, your husband. This recipe is also ideal if you are serving guests: Everyone will be impressed with how good such simple ingredients (zucchini and eggs!) can taste.

You may roll your eyes when you read this, but you'll understand when you try it: This frittata tastes like spring and sunshine.

Frittata with Zucchini and Squash Blossoms

Recipe from Extra Virgin

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes | Total time: 30 minutes

Makes 8 servings (or slices), or 4 if you're really hungry!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 medium zucchini (or 2 small zucchinis, or half of a gigantic one), diced small

6 eggs

2 tablespoons milk, or water (I used 2% milk)

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Pinch of fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 to 3 zucchini flowers (or more if you have them), cleaned, stamen removed and torn in half (optional)

Tuscan bread (any crusty bread will do), for serving

Directions

Heat the oil in an 8- to 10-inch nonstick sauté pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and zucchini and cook until just beginning to soften, 3 to 4 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs with the milk. Add the Parmigiano (a zester works great for grating) and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. (Remember, the cheese has a salty kick itself.) Stir until combined.

When the zucchini have softened, remove the pan from the heat and add the zucchini to the eggs.  Stir to combine. (Note: I let my zucchini cool for a few minutes, for fear of scrambling my eggs before they were even in the pan! Also, if you're wondering why you shouldn't just dump the eggs into the zucchini, it's because you need an empty pan for the next step.)

Add the butter to the same pan and swirl to melt. Add the egg and zucchini mixture and top with the torn zucchini flowers if you have them. I had more than just 3 flowers and I didn't feel like holding back—I decorated the top in a sunburst pattern, using as many squash blossoms as I could fit.

Cover the pan and cook over medium-low heat until the edges of the frittata begin to brown and the center has set and is puffed slightly, about 8 to 12 minutes. You can also throw the frittata under your broiler uncovered for a few minutes like I did to help speed up the cooking process and get the top nice and golden. But watch carefully to ensure it doesn't brown; you want those beautiful yellow blossoms to shine through. 

To serve, slide the frittata out onto a cutting board top side up. Or, simply slice it up in the pan. Eat with charred and buttered Tuscan bread. We had a loaf of rosemary sea salt bread and it was the perfect accompaniment. 

I also spooned some marinated cherry tomatoes (halved tomatoes tossed in a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper) onto our plates because I have a thing for zucchini and tomatoes. They're best buddies in my culinary world.

One last side note: The leftovers save well! Pop extra slices in tupperware and put in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave for a quick and tasty breakfast or lunch the next day.

[ Zucchini and shallot diced. Prepping the squash blossoms. ]

[ Unabashed usage of squash blossoms makes for a extra special, golden frittata. ]

[ The dogs and my hungry-but-patient hubby are always just out of frame in my food shots. ]

[ If you have leftover Parmigiano-Reggiano, make like snow and sprinkle on some extra. ]

[ The perfect bite. ]

As always, if you try out this recipe, I'd love to hear how you liked it! What's your favorite way to brunch? Are you a sweet or savory breakfast person? Savory always wins for me, hands down. I take care of the sweet factor with a mimosa. Cheers!

Simple Sweets : Brazilian-Style Truffles

Valentine's Day is the chocolate holiday. And while I would never turn down a heart-shaped box filled with candy, there is something infinitely sweeter about offering your love a plate of homemade truffles, don't you think? Especially when they are so quick and easy to make. I came across this recipe while watching Food Network last week and since they were so irresistibly simple to prepare, I decide I just had to make them for G. (And, let's be honest, for me!) 

While most truffle recipes I'm familiar with involve melting chocolate, this one utilizes sweetened condensed milk, which gives the truffles an ultra creamy and smooth texture that would be difficult if not impossible to replicate with any other ingredient. And did I mention it is super easy? No double boiler here.

The original recipe calls for coating the truffles in mini chocolate chips and sprinkles, but this is where you can get creative and play to the occasion (and theme) at hand. Desiring a variety of colors and textures, I added toffee bits and powdered sugar to my topping line-up. Colored sanding sugar, crushed freeze-dried fruit (such as strawberries) or a sprinkling of fine flaky sea salt would also be excellent. And you can't go wrong with the crowd-pleasing pair that is sure to be in your pantry already: cinnamon and sugar. Sweet and spicy. Just like my Valentine. 

Brazilian-Style Truffles

Recipe via Giada De Laurentiis

Cook time: 10 minutes | Total time: About 2.5 hours | Makes 16-20 truffles

Ingredients

One 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk

2 tablespoons butter, plus more for your hands

2 tablespoons unsweetened coca powder

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon fine salt

Toppings of your choice (I used mini chocolate chips, toffee bits, sprinkles and powdered sugar)

Directions

Combine the condensed milk, butter, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue stirring until the mixture thickens and, when stirred, pulls away from the bottom of the pan, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and pour the mixture into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely chilled, about 2 hours.

To form truffles: Prep toppings by pouring each into a dish or shallow bowl. Lightly butter your hands. Using a tablespoon or small cookie scoop, scoop some of the truffle mixture into your hands and roll into a bite-size ball. (Work quickly and gently, and don't roll too much, as to prevent the chocolate from melting!) Roll the truffle in your chosen topping, coating the exterior completely, and then place on a plate. Continue with the remaining chocolate. Once all the truffles are made, pop in the fridge for about 10 minutes to firm up again before serving. 

Truffles can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week—if they last that long. (Ours didn't!)

One word of warning: I would recommend using a tablespoon measure for scooping the truffles. I used our "small" scoop and ended up with 12 large, two-bite truffles. Not that either of us were complaining. They were still delicious. But if you want a larger yield, with one-bite truffles, try to exercise restraint when scooping your chocolate. (Or don't—no judgment here!)

Meatless Mondays : Eggplant with Buttermilk Sauce

All the sweets, carbs and booze of the holiday season have left me feeling weighed down, in more ways than one. Yes, my jeans are fitting a bit tighter than I'd like (eek!) but I just feel sluggish overall, like I need to hit the reset button on my body—and my habits. But it's near impossible to resist the urge to pour another glass of wine, or reach for cookies, candy, chocolate, all of the above, when you've been giving into that urge for weeks now, all in the name of celebration.

That's why the hubs and I have decided to focus, once again, on eating more healthfully, like we were before our wedding last May. Post-wedding, circumstances practically pushed us into poor eating habits: We honeymooned (lots of dining out). We made a big move, and had to drive across the country to get there (hello, fast food). We wanted to explore our new city (and one of our favorite pastimes is visiting new restaurants). And then we were a little lonely (cue emotional eating). Yep, we gave ourselves plenty of reasons to eat, drink and be merry. The holidays were literal icing on the cake—not to mention a more socially acceptable excuse to indulge.

Starting a new diet or exercise plan and losing weight is a top New Year's resolution for many, so G and I are in good company. But, to be successful, you have to be reasonable with yourself. Going to extremes might get fast results but it is not sustainable long term. Healthy living is a lifestyle so, as with anything, you've gotta cut yourself a little slack to keep from going insane. To that end, we're planning to cut back on eating out, to enjoy wine and cocktails in moderation just three days a week, to get our butts into the gym and ... to eat more vegetables. Which leads me to today's post.

I'm sure you've heard of "Meatless Mondays"—there's a whole website dedicated to it!—but when I proposed the idea to my hubby, he gave me a look and a smirk. "I'm not making it up," I exclaimed with a laugh. "It's a thing." I told him it would be good for us to commit one day a week to eating just fruits, veggies and whole grains. We're not big meat eaters, it's mostly fish and chicken in our house, but nevertheless. More veggies is always a good thing. To inspire our cooking, I picked up what is veritably one of the best all-veg cookbooks on the market: "Plenty: Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London's Ottolenghi."

Tonight, our first Meatless Monday, we will be making the dish that so beautifully graces the cover of Yotam Ottolenghi's critically-acclaimed vegetarian-friendly tome: Eggplant with Buttermilk Sauce. We stopped by St. Pete's Saturday Morning Market this weekend and picked up two gorgeous eggplants for the occasion. While I have no idea how it will all turn out, the recipe looks and sounds mighty delicious, so I'd love to invite you to cook along with us! I'll post our results on Instagram.

Eggplant with Buttermilk Sauce

Recipe from "Plenty" by Yotam Ottolenghi

Serves 4 as a starter or side, or as a light meal when accompanied by crusty white bread or pita

Ingredients

2 large and long eggplants

1/3 cup olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoon lemon thyme leaves, plus a few whole sprigs to garnish

Maldon sea salt and black pepper

1 pomegranate (handy how-to video on getting the seeds out)

1 teaspoon za'atar (if you can't find this Middle Eastern spice blend, you can make it at home, traditionally with thyme or untraditionally with oregano; the trick then is finding sumac)

Sauce

9 tablespoons buttermilk (you can also make this yourself, with milk and lemon/vinegar!)

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, plus a drizzle to finish

1 small garlic clove, crushed

Pinch of salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise, cutting straight through the green stalk (the stalk is for the look; don't eat it). Using a small sharp knife, make three or four parallel incisions in the cut side of each eggplant half, without cutting through to the skin. Repeat at a 45-degree angle to get a diamond-shaped (or crosshatch) pattern.

Place the eggplant halves, cut-side up, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush them with olive oil—keep on brushing until all of the oil has been absorbed by the flesh. Sprinkle with the lemon thyme leaves and some salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, at which point the flesh should be soft, flavorful and nicely browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

While the eggplants are in the oven, seed the pomegranate. (You can use the cut-and-whack method, using a wooden spoon to beat the seeds out of a halved pomegranate, or you can use the cut-then-pull-apart-while-submerged method, shown in this tutorial, which promises less mess.) Once you have all the seeds removed, sift through to remove any bits of white skin or membrane.

To make the sauce, whisk together all of the ingredients. Taste for seasoning, then keep cold until needed.

To serve: Spoon plenty of buttermilk sauce over the eggplant halves without covering the stalks. Sprinkle za'atar and plenty of pomegranate seeds on top and garnish with lemon thyme. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

As always, if you give this recipe a try I'd love to hear your thoughts. Fingers crossed we can find za'atar, or at least sumac, at the store this afternoon. If you have any favorite vegetarian recipes, please share—we need all the Meatless Monday inspiration we can get!

(Top photo taken by me at the Saturday Morning Market, 

Plenty book image via Chronicle Books)

Our First Married Christmas

[ Christmas Eve service in Tampa. ]

Have you fully recovered from Christmas? I'm not sure I have! These last few days were just a flurry of activity. Much more than I had expected, especially since I had initially thought we'd be spending our first married Christmas alone, as just us two. Instead, we were surrounded by people.

On Christmas Eve, the hubs and I went to an afternoon service at Grace Family Church in Tampa before heading over to Jen (of Letters & Pearls) and Matthew's house for dinner. I made an heirloom tomato bruschetta to share (we finally made use of one of the wood appetizer platters we received as a wedding gift!), G baked up a batch of cinnamon-y snickerdoodle cookies, and the Fricks put together a delicious meal of herb stuffed pork, green beans, and red velvet cake. Oh, and I can't forget to mention the incredible bacon-wrapped dates we noshed on before. I'm not even a big bacon lover, but those little morsels were so good. Jen's tablescape was lovely, too. 

[ Christmas Eve dinner. ]

But of course, even more wonderful was the company. While I had not yet met Matthew, and G didn't know the Fricks at all, we had an awesome time chatting about life, love, work, the military. It was a night of great conversation and lots of laughs. I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend Christmas Eve.

[ Christmas Eve at the Fricks. ]

Christmas Day was even busier. Not long after waking, I got to work making blueberry muffins (using this easy recipe) and slicing kiwi. When breakfast was ready, we settled in on the couch with glasses of bubbly (Amour de L'Orange from Wiens, our favorite Temecula winery) and opened gifts. First, our gifts to each other (the biggies: G got me a Kindle Fire and I got him a white Eric Weddle Chargers jersey), then the gifts from the hubs' parents, who we called to thank later. I FaceTime'd my bestie in California so we could open our gifts to each other together, and it was so nice to be able to see her face-to-face! Technology is amazing, isn't it? I wanted to Skype with my family but, alas, they don't have a webcam. So we settled for opening gifts while talking on the phone. Not as easy as it sounds but it was still nice to be able to hear their reactions as they opened their gifts. Because that's the best part about gift giving, right? Experiencing the receivers joy and surprise.

[ Christmas breakfast. ]

After all the gifts were open, the wrapping paper mess thrown away, I was back in the kitchen cooking rice pudding with raspberry sauce, the traditional Danish dessert I grew up eating every Christmas (stay tuned for the recipe!). For my first time making the dish, it turned out great, just like my mom's. We took it over in individual ramekins to Laura and Jeremy's house, who like Jen and Matthew had graciously invited us over for dinner. Again, it was such a treat to be able to spend the holiday with friends. We ate good food, had great conversation, and I even learned a new card game.

[ Christmas Day selfie, taken at Laura & Jeremy's house. ]

Friday we decided to give the pups some dedicated attention and play time. We took them with us to lunch at Cassis in downtown St. Pete, where they got much love and affection from strangers passing by, and then we spent some time walking around the waterfront parks.

[ The dogs exploring downtown St. Pete. In typical dog fashion, Cali chased a squirrel. ]

Sunday was, of course, dedicated to football, but we don't want to talk about that. (Long story short: the Chargers lost and kissed their playoff chances goodbye.) We did take Cali and Jasper with us again though, and they were mostly good as we hung out at World of Beer and then next door, at the Avenue. We looked like quite the Chargers family—G in his new jersey, me in my girly Chargers shirt, and the dogs in their Bolts bandanas (handmade by G's mom for Christmas). If only all our paraphernalia had brought the team a little luck. Hopefully we'll be better next season... In 2015!

[ G scored tons of Chargers gear for Christmas, in time for what would be the last game of the season. ]

I hope you had a wonderful, joy-full holiday as well! Can you believe the new year is almost here? Just a few days of 2014 left... let's make the most of it!

Entertaining Eats : A Chic & Simple Sundae

I don't know about you, but the holidays always seem to instill in me a sense of carte blanche when it comes to consuming copious amounts of sweets without worry for the aftermath (also known as the extra poundage sure to be tacked onto my frame come December 31). "The happiest time of the year" means calories don't count, right? Right. (That's what New Year resolutions are for.)

Well, I have one more recipe to add to your holiday must-eat list. It's not a holiday dessert per se, but it has booze, nuts and fresh whipped cream and that all screams holiday to me. Even better? It's super fast and easy to put together but the taste and presentation is impressive. The perfect thing to serve when entertaining company. This dish takes care of the requisite end-of-meal coffee service, too!

So what is this amazing dessert? A Hazelnut Affogato Sundae.

The recipe is from the cookbook "5 Ingredient Fix: Easy, Elegant, and Irresistible Recipes" by Claire Robinson, host of the eponymous Food Network show 5 Ingredient Fix (as well as various iterations of Food Network Challenge).

What I love about Claire's show and cookbook is that all the recipes are prepared with five ingredients or fewer, which doesn't just make for simple cooking but it also lets those ingredients shine. What attracted me to the Hazelnut Affogato Sundae was the nuts (and, related, the nutty liqueur). Hazelnuts are my favorite kind, without question, and I absolutely have an unhealthy addiction to Nutella. But my first encounter with hazelnuts was not within a decadent chocolate spread but actually during the holidays. At Thanksgiving and Christmastime, my mom always puts out a bowl of mixed nuts, still in their shells, for cracking and snacking. Hazelnuts are not the easiest to crack, for sure—almonds for the win—but if I could successfully manage to get a nut out whole I was rewarded with the most delightful little bite.

I'm not usually a fan of coffee-laced ice creams, but the combination of crunchy hazelnuts and freshly whipped unsweetened cream really round out the espresso flavor that on its own may otherwise be too strong. (The recipe also calls for amaretti cookies, but I got by just fine without them if you can't find any.) I take my morning cup with a generous splash of creamer and that's just how I like this sundae—with an extra helping of whipped cream.

Of course, this sundae is a play on a traditional affogato. A true affogato is when a shot of hot espresso is poured over very cold ice cream—and then eaten immediately! You can definitely turn this twist on an affogato into the real deal if you have an espresso maker.

Hazelnut Affogato Sundae

Recipe from 5 Ingredient Fix | Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pint heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 tbsp. Frangelico

1 pint espresso gelato (I used Ciao Bella's Caffè Macchiato gelato)

1/4 cup blanched hazelnuts, toasted

2 amaretti cookies (Claire suggests Lazzaroni cookies)

Directions

With a whisk or handheld mixer, whip the cream in a bowl until very thick but still liquid; while whisking constantly, add the Frangelico and whip until soft peaks form. (At this point I placed the whipped cream in the fridge, covered, to keep it nice and cold while I roughly chopped the hazelnuts. The skins are easy to remove after the nuts are toasted; just rub with your fingers or a nubby towel. But it was late in the evening and I just wanted my dessert, so I kept the skins on. Never fear, despite my laziness it was still delicious!)

To serve, place 2 scoops gelato into each of four dessert bowls. Sprinkle a tablespoon of hazelnuts over the gelato and top with a healthy dollop of flavored whipped cream. Rub 1/2 an amaretti cookie along a fine grater over the whipped cream to garnish. Serve immediately.

If you make this sundae, be sure to let me know what you think in the comments. Also, do you have any quick and easy entertaining recipes you turn to during the holidays? I'd love to hear!

(Cookbook image via Hachette Book Group)

Wedding Wednesdays : Dreamy but Practical Registry

When creating G and I's wedding registry, I did my best to choose practical, needed items but, of course, I ended up getting distracted by all the pretty things, especially in the kitchen and dining categories. Colorful bowls, plates and glassware. Countless appetizer trays in varying sizes perfect for hosting a cocktail party, even though they don't all necessarily match. Basically, beautiful stuff that we love but don't use vary often.

That's not to say we didn't ask for and receive some functional items. But Thanksgiving showed me that there are some cooking and entertaining basics we are still very much in need of, especially when we actually do host a holiday dinner for more than just the two of us.

So I did a bit of internet window shopping and put together this "dream registry" of real world items that every couple should put on their wish list.

Sturdy nonstick roasting pan and rack, with turkey lifters for cooking holiday birds and gravy, Sunday roasts and even weeknight veggies // Large baking dish with tight-fitting lid that can go from the fridge to the oven to the table beautifully

Simple white platters and serving bowls (not pictured) that go with everything and make food look good // White pitcher with subtle details and enough bling to make it feel special // Wooden trivet to protect surfaces from piping-hot dishes (a wire one would be handy too, and serve as a cooling rack) // Chic oversized serving set for family-style meals // A classic, go-with-everything butter dish, since even butter needs a place at the table // Small spouted serving bowl and gravy boat for sauces of all kinds

Pie dishes, white and ruffled or colorful and sweet, making your dessert look good even if you mess up the crust (or buy it pre-made) //  Rolling pin, for when you do want to try your hand at making the crust from scratch // A brownie dish that would work equally as well for making cobblers, bars and small cakes or cornbread  // Pastry brush for slathering baked goods with egg washes and glazes, or savories with butter and sauce // Pie and cake servers that make getting that first piece out a little easier (and look a lot prettier), in satin-finished or gilded stainless steel (matching cake knife not pictured)

Because every registry needs a splurge or two, a fancy carving set and matching serving duo

Married and engaged couples out there, I'd love to hear: What did you put on your registry?


(Top image via one of my favorite stores, Crate & Barrel)

(Fun) Weekend Goals

[ Christmastime in St. Pete. ]

Sightings of tinsel, twinkling lights and other festive holiday decor. Carols playing on repeat in my head. The fact that I've already begun my Christmas shopping. Attending St. Pete's tree lighting last Friday night. All of these things are making me feel like winter is here, and making me reflect on those fall bucket list items I have yet to complete. Luckily for me, the first official day of winter isn't for a few more weeks (Dec. 21, if you're wondering), not to mention it still feels like autumn here in Florida, so I still have some time to check those fun to-do's off my list.

A quick recap of what my fall bucket list entailed:

• Make a hearty soup from scratch. (Specifically, this chicken stew with butternut squash and quinoa.)

• Visit The Chihuly Collection. (I already have the tickets, just gotta go!)

• Explore the Tampa Bay area. Done, but we could definitely explore more! We attended Oktoberfest in Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, visited Oxford Exchange not once but twice (and even another time just for the delicious coffee), walked around the University of Tampa campus, and even went to a Buccaneers game.

• Pick our own fall veggies. (Unfortunately, we missed our chance and the farm is closed. We'll have to wait until spring.)

• Browse the St. Pete Indie Market. Done! I'd like to check out the much larger Saturday Morning Market in the heart of St. Pete next. And we can get fresh-from-the-farm veggies at the market; a good second to the above item.

• Bake an apple pie/galette/crostata. (I did make a pie for Thanksgiving that had apple in it, but this apple fan still wants to cook up the real deal, with no pumpkin or pecans competing with the Granny Smiths for attention.)

If the hubs and I are super proactive, we could probably accomplish the soup, the galette, and the visits to the Chihuly exhibition and Saturday Morning Market this weekend. But maybe that's too ambitious? I'll let you know how I fare on Monday.

Because we also need to get our own holiday tinsel and twinkle... before Dec. 21.

Do you have any fun plans for this first December weekend?

On Leftovers, Cooking for Two, and a Recipe

This week I have been actively committed to using up the massive amounts of Thanksgiving leftovers that took up residency in our fridge last Thursday evening. Considering we made enough food to feed at least six people, maybe even eight, that has proved quite the task. I've nuked plates of Turkey Day fixins' and gobbled 'em up as is for breakfast and lunch, but we've also remixed the leftovers into new recipes for dinner. I love leftovers, I do, but they are definitely starting to lose their luster.

First, since I had an extra frozen pie crust, I made Giada's Thankful Shepherd's Pie (subbing out whole milk for heavy cream, glazed carrots for fresh, and frozen peas and corn for celery). The recipe helped use up most of our mashed potatoes and gravy. Next, inspired by a Rachael Ray recipe, I winged my own version of a crustless, sweet potato-topped shepherd's pie, with green bean casserole as the base.

Both of these casseroles were good (the first better than the second), but they tasted just like Thanksgiving. In other words: a bit boring.

So the other day I turned to our new favorite cookbook for a recipe that required turkey but didn't mimic the flavors of our recent holiday feast, and found this: Turkey Chili! 

For his birthday two months ago, I ransacked Crate & Barrel and, among other things, got G a hefty (read: manly) 12-inch Lodge cast iron skillet along with "One Pan, Two Plates: More Than 70 Complete Weeknight Meals for Two" by Carla Snyder, and it has quickly become one of our go-to cookbooks. Besides the wonderful and varied gourmet recipes housed within, the beauty of this book is three-fold (and obvious by its title): each recipe is made in one pan/skillet, is the perfect amount for two people and, as such, leaves no (or very little) leftovers.

"One Pan, Two Plates" is perfect for couples and newlyweds, like G and I, but also roommates and empty nesters. No need for mathematics to cut recipes in half or thirds, or to dirty a bunch of pots and pans in the pursuit of dinner.

We absolutely loved (and devoured every last drop of) the turkey chili so I thought I'd share the recipe with you here. We lucked out and had most of the ingredients on hand. If you've succeeded in using up all your leftover turkey, don't fret, just pick up a package of ground turkey at the grocery store as the recipe suggests.

Turkey Chili with Poblano and Queso Fresco

Recipe from One Pan, Two Plates | Cook time: 20 minutes, Total time: 25 minutes | Serves 2

Ingredients

1 cup canned cannellini beans

1 tsp. ground cumin

Kosher salt

1/2 tsp. chili powder, plus more if needed

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Pinch of ground cloves

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 large poblano chile, seeded, deribbed and diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 lb ground turkey

1 1/4 cups chicken broth, plus more if needed

Kernels from 1 ear corn or about 1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed

2 tbsp. sour cream (and more for topping, if you're like me)

1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco or farmer's cheese (shredded Cheddar works, too) *note: we didn't use queso fresco since I'm not a big cheese fan

1 tbsp. minced fresh cilantro (we used parsley since it's what we already had on hand)

Directions

1. Drain the cannellini beans, rinse well and drain again. Put the beans in a bowl and mash lightly with the back of a fork. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine the cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, chili powder, cinnamon, cayenne and cloves and season with black pepper. Set the spice mixture aside.

2. Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil. When the oil shimmers, add the onion and poblano and sauté until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, spice mixture and turkey and cook, breaking up the turkey meat with a spoon, until the turkey is no longer pink, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and mashed cannellini beans and stir to mix thoroughly; the beans will thicken the chili. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the chili for about 5 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. If the pan gets dry, add a little more broth or water.

3. Stir in the corn and sour cream. Taste the chili and add more salt, pepper or chili powder if it needs it. If you like corn on the crunchy al dente side, remove the chili from the heat now, but if you like your corn soft, continue to simmer it for another minute or two.

4. Ladle the chili into shallow, warmed bowls and top with the queso fresco and cilantro. (I put an extra large dollop of sour cream on mine.) Serve hot.

Optional, if you're extra hungry: Serve with your favorite tortilla chips. Great crumbled on top or when used to scoop up the chili.

Every recipe in "One Pan, Two Plates" includes a wine pairing, which may be the other reason I love the cookbook so much. Here's the recommendation for the turkey chili:

There are a few directions you could go when pairing wine with this dish. There's Joseph Drouhin Beaujolais-Villages if you want to go red, and for the white lovers, a Chablis from the same producer would do just as well. Then there's always the classic beer and chili one-two.

Personally, we had an open bottle of Pinot Grigio in the fridge so we made do. The chili is spicy (but not overwhelmingly hot) so something light and refreshing, whether it be wine or beer, seems like a good choice to me.

The hubs and I look forward to cooking many more "One Pan" meals. This white chili was our fifth foray. Previously we had made the cover dish (above), Flank Steak with Chimichurri and Summer Squash Hash (the chimichurri was divine; I wished there was more!), Jambalaya with Chicken, Shrimp and Andouille Sausage (below), and Flash-Roasted Tilapia with New Potatoes, Peas and Pesto Mayonnaise. Also, G took inspiration from the cookbook's three frittata recipes one morning and whipped up a one-pan breakfast.

If you're part of a twosome and looking for a new cookbook, I'd highly recommend picking up a copy. Available online now at Barnes & Noble and Crate & Barrel (temporarily out of stock at Amazon).

Next, I'm thinking we should try the Prosciutto-Wrapped Salmon with Corn and Poblano Succotash (pictured below). Yum.

(Top image via The Kitchn, bottom image via Cleveland)