Saturday, November 15, 2008

'SPICY AUTUMN SMELLS' ~ PUMPKIN CHILI / WHITE CHEDDAR SCALLION MUFFINS

"The spirits of the air live on the smells
Of fruit; and joy, with pinions light, roves round
The gardens, or sits singing in the trees.
Thus sang the jolly Autumn as he sat;
Then rose, girded himself, and o'er the bleak
Hills fled from our sight; but left his golden load."
- William Blake
( To Autumn)


PUMPKIN CHILI
~ An adventuresome autumn twist on traditional chili, rich in flavor and ... the simmering smell ... simply divine!
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2 lbs. lean ground beef
2 large chopped onions
1 chopped red pepper
1 chopped green pepper
4 cans (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes with juice
2 cans rinsed black beans
1 large can pumpkin puree
1 can sliced black olives (optional)
1 bottle (12 oz.) Pumpkin Ale
(e.g. America's Original Pumpkin Ale - Buffalo Bill's Brewery
or Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale)
2 heaping Tbsp. chili powder (or more)
2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 pinches of brown sugar
coarse salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
sour cream
chopped green onions
  • Cook beef in large stockpot until well browned. Drain excess fat.
  • Add onions and peppers and cook until soft. Add tomatoes and juice, beans, pumpkin, black olives, beer, spices, brown sugar, salt & pepper. Bring to boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour. Adjust seasonings. Serve or refrigerate (even better).
  • Ladle hot chili into bowls and, if desired, top with dollop of sour cream and chopped green onions. Warm White Cheddar Scallion Muffins are delicious on the side.
Note: Easy make ahead treat for Thanksgiving house guests.
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WHITE CHEDDAR SCALLION MUFFINS
~ Tasty muffins are a favorite clipped from Food & Wine Oct. 2006
__________________
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
4 cold Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1/4 cup very finely chopped scallion greens
3 oz. (1 cup) shredded extra-sharp white cheddar cheese
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. cold milk
  • Preheat oven to 375-degrees. Lightly grease two 12-cup mini-muffin tins.
  • In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and cayenne. Using 2 knives, a pastry blender or fingers, work in the butter until mixture resembles coarse meal with some small pieces of butter still visible. Add scallion greens, cheese and milk. Stir with wooden spoon just until dough comes together.
  • Scoop dough into prepared mini-muffin tins. Bake for about 25 minutes, until muffins are lightly browned on top. Transfer to wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm. (2 dozen mini-muffins)

11 comments:

Amy said...

Mmmmm you always publish the most divine sounding recipes :)

marmee said...

joey ,
this could be my favourite compilation of images you have made. i love, love, love it.
orange is a colour that stands on it's own. it always makes a statement.
do you make all your recipes?
i am amazed at all the unique foods you come up with. i have never heard of pumpkin ale, lol. but is sounds so good. i would like to try this chili.

joey said...

... and these are divine, Amy! Perfect smells in the kitchen for a chilly autumn day.

Thanks Marmee. Orange certainly says autumn, doesn't it? Yes, I do make all my recipes and only publish my favorites, having tons since I've always had a passion for preparing seasonal foods and enjoy trying new ones. I made a huge batch of Pumpkin Chili for today, and trust me, it's delicious! You should easily find pumpkin ale this time of year. We are at the lake with my sister and this is a perfect meal on this blustery, snow shower day ;)

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Joey .. you have made me CRAZY with these recipes girl !
It all sounds absolutely delicious ! .. and I don't like cooking .. so how did you do that to me ?? LOL
Thank you for stopping by my blog .. I appreciate the comments : )
Joy

joey said...

Joy ~ we are all blessed with unique God given talents (I just happen to love to cook). Your name suits you to a tee, bringing 'joy' to those you touch.

Unknown said...

Joey, I am completely drooling over here... but I am also laughing a bit, too. This reminds me of how I used to sneak "good for you" foods into dinners for my husband. And I would just sit there and smile as he raved about how good the chili was, and how he was soooo glad that I didn't "mess it up by adding all of those veggie things like you usually do." Needless to say, I ALWAYS took the labels off of the cans, and buried other packaging in the trash, so as to hide any incriminating evidence of pumpkin puree and lean ground turkey breast having made it into his chili! *GRIN*

I think that I could eat these white cheddar-scallion muffins every day in the winter, btw. YUM.

joey said...

Dearest Kim ~ always a gal after my own heart, in many ways! I raised my children slipping 'goodies' into their diet and have introduced spinach, squash (pumpkin), red peppers, legumes, etc. to many who once hated and now love these healthy 'goodies'. Chock full of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants, this pumpkin chili fits the bill (you can't taste the pumpkin but indeed makes the broth rich). Instead of lean beef, ground turkey can be substituted as well as making the recipe and finishing with cooked shredded chicken.

Cindy said...

I am so intrigued by this chili. I am going to be trying it as it sounds like the perfect wintery day food.

joey said...

Hi Cindy ~ do hope you give this delicious healthy autumn recipe a try. Like any good chili, the flavor improves when reheated.

Gina said...

Hi Joey, I came by yesterday but unable to leave a comment..hope this works.
We don't have pumpkin ale down here but it sounds amazing..these are 2 recipes I'd love to try soon, even though we are approaching summer!
Warm wishes, Gx

joey said...

I've been lonesome, dear Gina! Delighted to hear from you but ... this is definitely an autumn recipe so tuck it away. Because it is seasonal, fall is the only time we find pumpkin ale here and if you can't find it, substitute any good ale. Now ... here you are in your bathing suits and we are donning our woolies ;)