This chili, a recipe from Tyler Florence, is unlike any other chili I’ve had before. The spices are pretty typical, for the most part, but the texture is totally different. Instead of using ground beef, this chili uses beef shoulder that braises for 2-plus hours until it’s falling-apart tender. Then you mash it up until the pot is full of tender shreds of beef coated in richly spiced sauce. If it’s possible, this chili is even heartier than the usual ground-beef version.

I made a few adjustments for what I had on hand, which I’ll note in the recipe. Otherwise, I followed Tyler’s words to a T. This was a big hit at our football party yesterday, and is even better the next day. (How do I know, you ask? I ate it for breakfast. No big deal.)

Not Your Average Beef Chili
very loosely adapted from Tyler Florence
serves 4 to 6

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 pounds beef shoulder, cut into large cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons good-quality chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon hot paprika
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 small/medium onions, diced
10 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 jalapeno, seeded and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
Garnish: sour cream, pickled jalapenos, and shredded cheese

Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle beef shoulder all over with salt and pepper. Add to the pot and brown it. As it’s browning, stir in the chili powder; cumin; coriander; regular, hot and smoked paprikas; oregano; and cinnamon. Stir to combine. Lower the temperature to medium. Place the onions, garlic, jalapeno, and tomato paste in a food processor, and puree. Add puree to the pot. Stir to combine, and cook for 3 minutes or so, stirring often to keep mixture from scorching.

Add enough water to cover by 1 inch, and add tomatoes with their liquid. Bring to a boil, skimming off the foam that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the meat is completely tender and comes apart with no resistance, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. As it cooks down, add more water to keep the consistency loose but not soupy. Use a potato masher and mash the beef so it comes apart in shreds. Taste, and add salt and pepper, if needed. Serve with cheese, sour cream, and pickled jalapenos.

*Post Script

Making in a Slow Cooker
My friend Lainie asked in the comments whether this could be done with a slow cooker, and I think it could. I’d probably brown the meat first in a large skillet, for the added flavor. But if you don’t have time, it would still be fine. If you did brown the meat first, add the spices to the skillet to toast them. If not, then add the spices to the food processor with the onion mixture.

Place the meat (browned or not) in the slow cooker, and add the pureed onion mixture, tomatoes, and enough water to cover by about 1 inch. Cover, and cook on low for 8 hours, or until the beef falls apart when mashed. Uncover for the last 1/2 hour or so to thicken it up just a bit. Mash, and serve!

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Today’s healing recipe is along the lines of warm, creamy comfort food…but without the heavy cream or cheese that often comes along with thick soups. Red lentils, unlike their green and black cousins, almost melt when you cook them. They lose all sense of the little hard rusty red discs they once were and become lush, soft orangey goodness with a creamy texture that’s oh-so comforting.

Full of fiber, protein, and iron, lentils are a perfect food to eat when you’re not feeling 100%. This soup also has turmeric in it, which has lately been the darling of health scientists who believe the marigold-hued ground root can ward off myriad ailments from melanoma to arthritis to Alzheimer’s. Impressive, no? Plus its vivid color pumps up the color of the soup, taking it from sun-faded orange to the gorgeous gold of a fiery sunset. (The addition of saffron does the rest.)

A drizzle of cool harissa-spiked yogurt gives this soup an added creamy-salty-spicy kick that I think completes it. When you deliver this soup to your ailing friends, place the yogurt in a separate container and leave a note about what to do with it.

Healing Red Lentil Soup with Harissa Yogurt
serves 6

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 large shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon hot paprika or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pinch saffron threads
1/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1 quart organic chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups red lentils
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon harissa*
Juice of half a small lemon
2 teaspoons water

Heat oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add shallot, and cook until it’s soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, and cook until it’s fragrant and tender, about 2 minutes. Add spices and salt, stirring well, and cook 1 minute. Add stock, water, and lentils.

Increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium-low, and simmer until lentils are soft and falling apart, about 30 to 40 minutes. Taste, and add more salt if needed.

In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, harissa, lemon juice, and water. Add more water if needed to reach a drizzle-able consistency.

To serve, ladle soup into serving bowls and drizzle with yogurt.

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Perhaps it’s because of this mastery she has in the kitchen, but I have been intimidated by the comforting, spicy dishes that Jason (and now I) crave. I’m generally up for anything in the kitchen, attempting dishes from various nationalities, undaunted. But I had yet to try an Arabic dish until yesterday.

Msakkhan (roughly prounonced “im-sohcken” with a throaty second syllable) was traditionally regarded as peasant food. Its origins are Middle Eastern, but it’s basically one version of a casserole that’s made around the world (the Greek version, moussaka, is more well known).

There are lots of recipes for this around the web. When I made it yesterday, I made a few missteps that I’ve corrected using my mother-in-law’s technique. I followed the online recipes and baked the whole thing together. The bread stuck to the pan and got pretty sogged in chicken broth, which was still tasty, but not like Jason’s mom’s. Come to find out, she bakes the chicken and the onion bread separately, then combines them at the end. So that’s what I’m recommending here and how I’ll make it next time.

Though extremely simple, this is a somewhat time-consuming dish, but really, the long cooking spans are largely hands-off. Reddish-purple sumac, the predominant spice here, lends a slight sweet-tanginess while the cinnamon and nutmeg add a warm aroma that’s comforting and perfectly balanced. If you can’t find sumac at your grocery store (and I’m doubting you will be able to), look for it in Middle Eastern or Mediterranean markets, or online at Penzey’s.

Msakkhan (Arabic Chicken on Onion Bread)
serves 4

1 1/2 generous tablespoons finely ground sumac
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small chicken, quartered
3 large red onions, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons chicken stock
4 to 6 small pita bread rounds

Combine sumac, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper, and salt in a medium bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the mixture in another bowl, and set it aside. Squeeze the lemon juice over the rest of the mixture, and use a fork to combine. Add 2 tablespoons oil, and stir to combine.

Trim the chicken parts to remove excess skin and fat. In a large resealable plastic bag or a large bowl, combine the spice marinade and chicken pieces, and turn chicken to coat it really well in the marinade. Cover, and refrigerate for 3 hours.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and reserved spice mixture, and stir to combine. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until onions begin to soften. Add chicken stock, and stir. Turn heat to low/medium-low, and cover pot. Cook onions, stirring every so often, until they are meltingly soft and have turned a nice purple color, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400º. Spray a large roasting pan with nonstick spray. Remove chicken from marinade, and shake off excess. Place chicken in the pan skin side up, and roast until the internal temperature reaches 165º on an instant-read thermometer, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Spray a large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Place pita bread in one even layer on the pan. Brush lightly with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Spoon onions evenly atop bread, leaving a 1/2-inch border all the way around. Bake for 25 minutes, or until bread is deep golden brown. Top each piece of onion bread with a chicken quarter, and serve remaining pita on the side.

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When I wrote a twitter update recently about wanting a butternut squash soup recipe, my friend and fellow food lover Lytle (great name, huh?) suggested her creative recipe for butternut squash bruschetta instead. Apparently it’s based on dishes served at Urban Flats, a chic, fun, Florida-based restaurant, and ‘Ino in New York, which I have written about before. Though it took me a second to warm up to the idea, as soon as I saw the ingredients, I knew it would be something delicious, and Lyt assured me the dish had been a huge hit when she’d made it before.

I tweaked it a bit, adding things (plain garlic, not roasted) and taking things out (dried cranberries) to suit our tastes and what I had on hand, but I’ll include Lytle’s original ingredients, too, so you can decide how you want to make it. Everything she listed sounded like they’d be perfect additions. Jason and I had this for dinner with a simple green salad, and it was just perfect…but it would be a delicious appetizer, just served on smaller pieces of bread. (I cut mine into giant hand-size slices since it was dinner. And since I take any excuse I can to eat hand-size crostini.)

I also added some goat cheese at the last minute, after my first bite, because I thought the cool creaminess would be a nice accent. I was right—it was fabulous. So add some in, or not…it’s pretty darn good any way you make it. I’ll definitely make this again with the squash we get in our CSA box…and I imagine this would be delicious with any winter squash, including pumpkin. I have to give major props (in the most old-school R&B way possible) to miss Lytle for showing me an addictively delicious way to enjoy this seasonal favorite.

Butternut Squash Bruschetta
serves 2 dinner, 4 or 6 as an appetizer

2 cups peeled, seeded, and diced butternut squash, diced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 to 2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
Pinch of black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced OR 1 head roasted garlic, cloves removed and roughly chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries (use more or less, depending on your tastes, or leave them out altogether)
10 toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons cooked and crumbled bacon (optional — but do it. Trust me.)
French baguette, cut on a bias into as many slices as you’d like
1/3 cup arugula, chopped (optional, but recommended)
Balsamic vinegar, for drizzling
4 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese

Preheat oven to 400º. In a medium bowl, toss squash with olive oil honey, mixing gently to combine. Add pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, stirring to coat. Add raw garlic, if using. Spread the squash mixture evenly on an ungreased baking sheet. Roast 10 minutes, then gently stir ingredients, then roast 10-15 minutes more, checking with a fork to see when squash are tender and slightly browned. Remove from oven, and let cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, brush baguette slices lightly with olive oil, and toast in the oven until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the cooled squash mixture with roasted garlic (if using instead of raw), cranberries, walnuts, and bacon. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, as needed. Arrange the toasted baguette slices on a platter and scatter the chopped arugula over the bread. Scoop a generous helping of the squash mixture onto each baguette slice, and garnish with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, and top with goat cheese. Serve immediately.

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One of my greatest loves in the kitchen is a roast chicken. But I’ve already told you this, haven’t I? It’s perfect right out of the oven, but it’s also great to have on hand for later meals. The meat is so tender and moist, the leftovers store well in the fridge just waiting to be used in sundry delicious dishes. I roasted a chicken on Sunday for dinner, and we ate the dark meat, leaving the succulent breast meat for tonight. As a side note, the chicken was a Publix Greenwise chicken, and it was really great. Hormone and antibiotic free, and humanely raised…when we can’t afford the locally raised chickens at $15 apiece, this is a great second option.

I’ve used plain leftover roast chicken in tacos before, but tonight I wanted a little more oomph going on, because I didn’t have any fresh tomatoes for salsa or avocados for guacamole. We were pretty much condimentless, but we both were in the mood for tacos. So. I crafted an easy little sauce and tossed in the two breasts from our roast chicken (shredded), for a perfect, if untraditional, taco filling. I topped mine with crumbled goats milk feta from a local dairy, which added a lovely, salty layer of flavor.

On the side were refried black beans that were so easy to make I decided I’d probably never buy prepared refried beans again. This one’s a keeper. (But an unattractive photograph, so just use your imagination…) Oh, and p.s., I didn’t get a very good picture tonight…the lighting in our kitchen is lame and it’s dreary outside. Sorry for the blur!

Saucy Chicken Tacos with Refried Black Beans
serves 2 with leftovers

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
5 green onions, finely chopped (white and light green parts)
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
2 big pinches coarse salt, divided
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 to 1 cup chicken broth, divided
2 cooked chicken breasts, skin and bones removed and discarded
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 lime, cut into wedges
Corn tortillas, warmed
Optional toppings: crumbled cotija (or feta), shredded Monterey jack, sour cream, sliced avocado, shredded lettuce

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a deep-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the green onions, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until fragrant and softened. Add the garlic, spices, and a generous pinch of salt, and stir to combine. Cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add tomato sauce and a splash of chicken broth (maybe 1/4 cup). Stir to combine, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the beans, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add a splash of chicken broth (maybe 1/4 cup) and mash the beans with a potato masher until creamy. Turn heat to medium-low, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding chicken broth to maintain the creamy consistency.

Shred the cooked chicken, and add it to the tomato sauce. Add more chicken broth, if needed, if sauce seems too thick. Cook for 5 minutes. Taste, and add a second pinch of salt, if desired. Stir in the cilantro.

Spoon chicken mixture into warmed corn tortillas. Add the toppings you like, and serve immediately with lime wedges. Serve with refried beans on the side.

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When I got to choose a special meal for my family birthday dinner, I thought about things I don’t often make myself. I landed on the perfect celebratory, once-a-year kind of dinner: New Orleans-style Cajun barbeque shrimp. If you’ve never had it, trust me: you’re missing out.

Shrimp (head-on, mais oui!) are slowly cooked in a bath of Cajun-spiced butter. Rumor has it, it was created at an Italian/Cajun restaurant called Pascal’s Manale in New Orleans. Served with a hunk of fresh French bread and a simple green salad, it’s one of the most decadent, delicious meals ever. And even though it seems rich, it’s truly not too heavy.

Be ready to get messy. This isn’t the meal for your finest linens. Spread some newspaper on the table and set out a roll of paper towels for napkins. Serve the shrimp in a big bowl with empty bowls for the discarded shells. Serve with a simple green salad, lots of French bread and cold beer or a crisp white wine, turn the music up, and enjoy.

Cajun Barbeque Shrimp
serves 6
4 pounds shrimp, heads* and shells on
1 pound butter
1 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
3 tablespoons black pepper (the stuff in the can is just fine here)
1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tablespoon salt
Juice from 2 lemons

Rinse and dry shrimp and set aside. Combine butter and oil in a large saucepan or stockpot over medium-low heat. When butter melts, add spices, Worcestershire and salt, and stir to combine.

Add shrimp. Toss to make sure shrimp are completely coated and cook until pink and firm. Off the heat, stir in lemon juice and serve.

*Though they’re kind of hard to find, shrimp with the heads still on are crucial for the flavor of the dish. Also, whenever possible, I look for wild American shrimp. The flavor is incomparable.

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