Dan’s Lentil Chili

This vegetarian chili is quick and simple. The recipe comes from the kitchen of Dan & Salley, long time friends.

DAN’S LENTIL CHILI
Ingredients:
1 lb bag lentils
1 15 oz can tomatoes
1 chili powder to taste

Cook lentils as directed.
Add tomatoes and chili powder. Add salt & pepper to taste.
Stir well.
Allow to heat through and serve.
Of course I had to mess with it.

I added sauted onion and garlic, and shredded fresh zucchini when the tomatoes went in.

Extra cumin is well appreciated in my kitchen, too. If you can’t smell the cumin in a chili pot, it’s simply not acceptable to the family.

There’s a lot of texture in this chili, both in the original recipe and in my version. As with any chili salt, pepper, sour cream, shredded cheese, picante, and/or hot sauces are all optional toppings.

Enjoy!

–Ann Cathey
P.S. My apologies for the lack of photos.

More GypsyJoynt – Galveston, TX

We covered a little place called GypsyJoynt in Galveston previously. We enjoyed it so much, we have gone again a few times.

It turns out they add new things to the menu all the time, usually in the form of specials. They also still have hidden gems for us to discover and rediscover all over the regular menu. We’d like to share a few we recently ran across.

Muffeletta Pizza – olive oil base, olive relish, mozzarella, salami, ham, mortadella, Provalone and Parmesan. We thought it sounded good and decided that it tasted better than it sounded!

 

Big & Sloppy – burger smothered in housemade chili, and cheddar, sweet potato tots and housemade pickles on the side. Normally this is on a beautiful bun, but it was ordered bunless for a lower carb experience.

 

Nola Rays – Cajun BBQ shrimp and crawfish tails on Focaccia, mixed greens, tomato, and avocado sauce, with house fries on the side. The lid was lifted for this photo to give you an idea of the stuffing inside.

 

Vita Viva – Focaccia burger with bacon, cheddar, mixed greens, tomato, onion, housemade pickles and mayo, with house mac-n-cheese on the side.

 

On the 1-5 scale, Gypsy Joynt still gets:
Cleanliness – 4.5
Service – 3
Quality of food – 5
Flavor – 5
Pricing – 3.5
Overall experience – 4.2

Gypsy Joynt
2711 Market Street
Galveston, Texas 77550
409-497-2069

— Ann Cathey

Foodie Fights!

Foodies find the silliest things to argue over. I mean, really – they’re foodies. They should
be open to new experiences, right?

These are some of the things I’ve recently seen hotly debated on Facebook and other places on the web, with my personal opinions:

1. Cornbread: sweet or not sweet?

Personally, I’m nto a fn od sweet cornbread, though I will make it upon request. The sweet
tends to cloud savoury flavors from dishes like chili or beans. I can see a certin attraction
for sweet cornbread for beans cooked with a hamhck, or as a treat with butter and honey.
2. Chili: beans or no beans?

Who cares? Chili was originally a dish created to serve the worst cuts of met, and meat that
had just started to turn. It’s been turned into a gourmet delight with everything but the
kitchen sink added to recipies from all over the world.
3. Does pineapple belong on pizza?

Why not? Unless, of course, you are allergic to pineapple or are overdosing on vitamin K.
Again, it’s a personal preference, like anchovies.

 

4. Chocolate (cocoa): sweet or savoury?

Yes! Cocoa was not origianlly a confectioner’s device. It’s earliest use was as a spice and
thickening agent. Europeans found it tasty and began the practice of chocolate as we know and love it now. It’s still a valuable spice, being an excellent additive for chilis and stews,
savoury breads, and coffee – without all the sugar.
Share your thoughts with us!

— Ann Cathey

What’s Hiding in Your Freezer?

Have you peeked into your freezer or deep freeze, lately? If you are like me, no matter how organized you try to keep it, things will hide away from you. You mgiht be surprised at the wonderful potential that’s hiding in there, too.

Burger patties are good for more than just burgers. Whether they are beef, turkey or veggie, they can always be cooked up and made into wraps for a quick meal. Simply cook the patties in your preferred method, slice them up, and wrap them in tortillas with wil lettuce, guacamole, pico de gallo and shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese. With the side of beans and rice, you have a quick and hearty meal.

With the colder weather imminent, soups and stews are always a good meal plan. A variety of meats and veggies that are likely hanging out in your freezer can be utilised towhip up lovely dishes such as chicken noodle soup and beef stew.

Chili if also a great way to warm up your family and meats may be mixed in this dish traditionally made fromt he poorest cuts of beef. Diced or ground venison, lamb, fowl, pork, and beef are all great starts for a big pot of chili. Have onion and chili powder? You’ve got the start to an awesome one pot dinner.

Frozen tortellini, tortelloni, ravioli, and other pasts provide a basis for numerous dishes including traditional pastas with sauce, pasta bakes (layered like lasagne but with different pasts varieties), and even soups. Chicken broth and three cheese tortellini with a bit of garlic and spinach turns into a lovely soup that’s a fun twist on chicken noodle.

Frozen meatballs on hand? Stuff them into bell peppers with a bit of pasta sauce (tomato based or Alfredo), top with cheese and bake. Serve with a small side of pasta and a green salad for a convenient meal.

For a quick side to many of these menu choices, try this:

Romaine Salad with Apples and Walnuts
Prep time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
1 bag Romaine lettuce
1 apple
3 oz Swiss cheese
1/4 cup walnut pieces
1 tbsp fresh chives, rough chopped
Your favorite vinaigrette, for serving

Wash and core the apple. Cut into 1/4 inch slices.

Dice cheese into 1/4 inch cubes.

Toss the lettuce into a large salad bowl. Add apples, cheese, walnuts and dressing. Toss to distribute dressing.

Sprinkle chives on top and serve.

 

Enjoy!

–Ann Cathey