Surprise center.

I may cook with a lot of butter (and by now my readers know I'm not shy when it comes to dessert). My cooking and nutrition philosophy revolves more around balancing the "good" and "bad," focusing on flavor and variety, and eating real, natural food.

Few know more about natural food than Heidi Swanson, the culinary genius behind the blog, 101Cookbooks, and a 2012 James Beard winner. Her new book, Super Natural Every Day, is filled with healthful, delicious recipes using all-natural ingredients. The beautiful photography and writing inspire even the most white-flour chefs among us to try her recipes.

Her post about Sesame Almond Brown Rice Balls was so cute that I immediately searched high and low for black sesame seeds (not an integral part of the dish by any means, but a cute addition I had to have). Specialty food store after supermarket failed me, and I was only rescued by my mom bringing me a little pouch of black sesame seeds from home on one of our whirlwind-weekend New York trips.

Sesame seeds in hand, I made the rice and started rolling. As Heidi says, you can put pretty much anything in the center of these little munchkins. I chose avocado for one batch and marinated cubes of tofu for the other. (See? Her recipes inspire me to use tofu.) In the end, they hand-rolling wasn't quite as tedious as I feared they would be, and they tasted even better after a couple days in the refrigerator.


Two tips: I would try to minimize the amount of rice for each ball while still covering the secret center, as they were quite filling. Also, take care with the seasoning -- you don't want to put too much salt in the ball itself because the dipping soy sauce will be quite salty. Do give the avocado a dash of salt when you're tossing it with the lemon, though, since it takes a while for the soy to hit the center when eating them. I ate two or three of these at a time with some Chinese vegetables in soup, which made for a light and delicious meal.

*

Sesame Almond Brown Rice Balls
(101 Cookbooks)

Makes 2 dozen

2 c (when measured raw) brown sushi rice, cooked (I used a rice cooker, and it worked perfectly)

3 c water

1/2 t sea salt

1/4 c sesame seeds (white/black mix)

3 T toasted almond slices/slivers, chopped

1/4 c minced green onions

In the center: avocado cubes tossed in lemon juice and salt; tofu marinated in my "Hero" sauce

After rice is cooked, remove from heat/unplug the rice cooker and let rest, covered, for at least 15 minutes, preferably a bit longer. Fluff with a fork, then gradually add and incorporate the sesame seeds, almonds, and green onions. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt if needed. Let the rice cool quite a bit before shaping.

To form the rice balls, line a small cup/ramekin with plastic wrap, then fill with 1 1/2 - 2 T of the rice mixture. Place your "surprise center" in the middle, then gather the plastic wrap at the top and twist to seal the center inside the rice ball. Using your other palm, shape the rice into a ball. Carefully remove plastic wrap and set the rice ball in a parchment lined container or on a plate. Repeat with the remaining rice. Serve with a dish of soy sauce.

Heidi's tips: If your fingers get sticky, dab with water. And if you run out of steam making rice balls, just cook up a couple eggs into a thin omelette, cut into shreds, and toss with the rice.

Ready, set, cook!

A few weeks ago, my department held its annual Chili Cook-Off. There are usually two categories: vegetarian and meat, and this year we added a cornbread category (I just wanted as much bacon in the competition as possible, and I planned to make a bacon cornbread).

I hadn't originally planned on making chili (just my baconbread), but the weekend before our competition, I just so happened to see a fabulous looking recipe on the Food Network (Barefoot Contessa, of course; side note, am I the only person who DVRs the Food Network?) and decided to try it out. Ina's friend Devon guest starred in the episode and presented her "award-winning" chili. What makes it particularly good is hand-cut chunks of beef, rather than using ground beef. I modified the recipe slightly, as it was a game-time decision the night before to finally go ahead and make an entry. So I was a bit more limited in choice of ingredients, forced to make a few substitutions I'm actually quite happy to have made: I  used chuck instead of brisket, and I used all pepper flakes for heat instead of pepper flakes, cayenne, and chili powder. Inspired by my forced modifications, I also added some bacon (of course) and mashed up the tender cubes at the end so they had even more surface area to absorb the flavorful goodness. Fresh basil adds a springy green note to the final product. But the flavor-boosting secret ingredient: strong, black coffee, which lent a subtle smokiness and richness.

At the end of the day, I suppose Devon's "award-winning" recipe earned its name, because I took home first prize.

(Devon's Award-Winning Chili is delicious all by itself, with chips, or served over pasta. You'll notice the recipe takes several hours. I think it could be re-engineered to work in a Crock Pot, but I don't have much experience with slow cookers.)

~

(Bev's) Award-Winning Chili
(adapted from Devon's Award-Winning Chili)


2-4 strips thick-cut bacon or pancetta

3-4 lb beef chuck, cut into 1" cubes

1/4 c olive oil

2 c chopped yellow onions

6 large garlic cloves, minced

2-3 T red pepper flakes, crushed

2 T ground cumin

2 green peppers, seeded and diced

1 bay leaf

6 c tomatoes, chopped with their liquid

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 c strong coffee

2 (15-oz) cans kidney beans (I used one dark red and one light red, for color variation)

2 T chopped basil leaves

Grated cheddar cheese for serving

Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot (I used a Dutch oven) on medium heat. Render bacon until crisp, then remove from oil. Pat beef cubes dry (this is essential) and cook in batches, not crowding, until browned all around. Lightly salt and pepper beef as it cooks. Reserve oil after sautéeing beef, and sauté onions until soft, about 10 minutes. Add garlic half way through (to prevent from burning at the start). Then add red pepper flakes and cumin and sauté for 1 minute (toasting spices brings out their flavor). Add green pepper, bay leaf, tomatoes, and reserved beef to pot, and bring to a boil. Season with 1 T salt (you would be shocked) and 1 t pepper, cover, and reduce to simmer for 2 hr., stirring occasionally. It may look as though there's not much liquid to simmer, but the tomatoes and pepper will release plenty of juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary. Add coffee and simmer for another hour. Add beans, basil, and then warm through. When everything is cooked, take a fork or large spoon and "mash" the meat so it more closely resembles a traditional chili.

Top with grated cheddar cheese and serve.

The Versatile Blogger Award - For Me?

So as you know, I'm brand new to the world of blogging...but the lovely Miss Anna of Living & Learning with a New Last Name has most generously passed on to me the Versatile Blogger Award! A gorgeous site full of beautiful photos, fantastic recipes, and other good reads, this -- dare I say, lifestyle? -- blog is one of many recent discoveries since I entered the blogosphere (and reconnected friends from music camp way back when).


To accept the award you must do the following:

1. Thank the person who passed on the award to you and link it back to them.
2. Share seven random facts about yourself.
3. Pass the award on to fifteen new or newly discovered blogs! (and let them know!)

As I said, I'm new to blogging...so allow me two really lame excuses: 1) I can't list fifteen blogs yet, and 2) most of the blogs I read now are relatively well established and/or professional, and my newness to blogging makes me a bit award-giving-shy (especially to the strangers/Major Players out there). But here are a few excellent (and diverse) reads I've recently been introduced to, and I hereby pledge to find and share at least fifteen awesome blogs over the course of my blog journey:

Not So Humble Pie
Christina EATS
A Cup of Jo
Miss Moss
Kittitas
Thin Thighs & Sweet Potato Fries
Bloglicious

(Suggested reads welcome!)


Seven Random Facts about Me:

1. I hate pants -- like, truly hate them. Besides jeans and a single pair of white capris (which I spent two years finding before cutting down a pair of pants), I pretty much avoid pants like they're all on fire. And not in a good way. I can never find a pair that fits right. They are either too short to sit down in without feeling an awkward temperature contrast with the rest of my leg, or are too long and drag through dust, dirt, or -- the worst -- rain and puddles.
2. I have the most handsome and luxuriously soft ginger cat named Oliver. He actually belongs to my boyfriend, whose roommate is allergic to cats. Moving to D.C. and living alone for the first time, I thought he'd be the perfect companion. And I was right.
3. My secret splurge desire: a Meyer lemon tree.
4. I can't burp.
5. My worst vices: bad (most notably Josh Schwartz's) TV series, instant ramen, and unnecessary ceramics from Anthropologie.
6. On a dare, I have eaten one bowl of chicken noodle soup every single day in the year 2011.
7. I miss the Midwest, where I grew up -- I miss Kroger and Schnuck's, a strip of grass between the sidewalk and the asphalt, stars in the night sky, driving, and non-regional diction.