Vegetarian Chili Cockaigne (with a tad of cheating)

I'm lucky to live in an area of Southern California that has an awesome variety of grocery stores. For example, there are 7 markets within 10 minutes of our place that I shop at on a fairly regular basis. I can get pasilla peppers, nopales, quail eggs, Icelandic yogurt, red bean buns, oyster mushrooms, Welsh cheddar and black quinoa with ease. I am spoiled.

Sometimes, though, I feel like getting super classy, and simply opening a can of chili. Fresh & Easy makes a wicked good vegetarian version. Unfortunately, one can doesn't exactly feed two people properly, so Paul and I experimented one weekend, and came up with a pretty darn tasty version of chili cockaigne.

Vegetarian Chili Cockaigne (2-way)

Serves 2

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat.
Add:
6 oz dry spaghetti (I usually use two handfuls)
Cook for approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check for desired doneness by biting into a piece.

Meanwhile, put 1 can vegetarian chili into a small pot over medium heat.
Stir in:
2 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlics, minced (or 1 teaspoon jarred minced garlic)
1/6 oz grated Mexican hot chocolate
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin
3 ground peppercorns
3 ground cloves
3 ground allspice (for the ground ingredients, I use a mortar and pestle)

Heat, stirring often, for about 5-7 minutes.
Remove from heat, and serve over spaghetti. You can also make this
3-way by grating cheddar cheese over everything.

We came to the conclusion of using approximately 1/6 oz of the Mexican hot chocolate disc by dividing down the recipe in the book. I often will just use half of one wedge of the Casero or Abuelita tablet. Feel free to experiment, I imagine 1/6 oz of powdered cocoa mix could work, if you can't find the tablet kind.

Pan Boxty!

My utterly awesome boyfriend made me pan boxty over the weekend. AND he wrote up the recipe, AND he offered to have me take pictures and share it here. I likes him.

Pan Boxty

Serves 2

Water
1t Salt
3 Smallish Medium-sized Potatoes
1/4 c Finely Diced Onion
1/4 t Minced Garlic
1 1/2 T Flour
1t Old Bay Seasoning
Frying Oil

Peel and shred potatoes.
Nearly cover with water and mix in salt thoroughly.
Put in freezer for 10-20 min.


Dice onions and mix with garlic, set aside.
Mix flour and Old Bay Seasoning, set aside.

Squeeze liquid from potatoes.
Let liquid rest until starch settles out, approx 10 min.
Pour off water.
Mix starch back into potatoes along with flour and Old Bay.
Line a plate that is approx size of pan with wax paper and press potato mixture into a flat patty.
Freeze for approx 30 min.

Heat a 9" cast iron pan on high with enough frying oil to leave a small pool in pan, approx 1/16" to 1/8" deep.
The hotter the oil the better, 5-10 min is good.
Add potatoes and press into bottom of pan.
Cook about 4 min or until browned.
Flip and cook another 4 min or until browned.
Divide and conquer serve.

With all of the activity in the kitchen, Buford got a bit miffed that no one left the fridge open for him so he could lick the crisper drawer.