On developing recipes

People always ask me "how do you come up with these dishes?" and I honestly think everything comes from being so immersed in food culture.  I read food magazines, food books, I have a bookmark folder with about 200 foodblogs, I read menus for restaurants every day no matter where they are, I read only the food portion of local magazines and newspapers.  It just rules my life.  So, yeah, when you tell me "I have this and this and this" in my fridge I will have at least four variations and dishes for you to do.  If you knew how often I'm thinking of food, you would expect nothing less.

I love reading recipes, too.  I read them for technique and ideas and then I almost 99% of the time make up my own version, subbing for things I don't want to buy (read: i'm super cheap) and things I don't want to do (read: i'm lazy).  This brilliant soup came out of a white bean &chicken chili recipe I saw somewhere along the way.  I thought, hmm, I want chili but I don't want the acid burn from the tomatoes or the gas pains from the kidney beans... voila vegetarian white bean chili on the cheap and lazy side.  Hey, if you wanna stew your own beans for this, be my guest.  Roast the poblanos and peel them?  Awesome.  Throw in some ground turkey or chicken to start it?  Get it.

Sort of White... Mostly Green Chili

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large white onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced (not too small)

2 jalapenos, diced (one seeded, one not)

4 poblanos, seeded, diced

6-7 tomatillos, chopped (you can just do this in a processor)

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons fresh ground coriander

2 quarts chicken or veggie stock

2 cans diced green chilis

1 can pinto beans

1 can cannellini beans

about 2 teaspoons salt - taste for after adding canned ingredients

garnish:

squirt of lime

fresh chopped cilantro

sour cream dollies if you're so inclined

1. Heat olive oil in dutch oven over medium heat, add in onion and saute for about 8 minutes until beginning to lightly brown. 

2. Add in garlic and peppers, saute for additional 5-6 minutes until fragrant.  Add in tomatillos and spices, toss and cook another 5 minutes until bubbly.

3. Pour in stock, make sure to scrape up all the flavor bits and bring to low boil then reduce to simmer.

4. Add in chilis and beans and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or really however long you want.  

Obviously this is much better the next day, but right now you're cold and comfy and definitely gonna eat this on the couch.