Modifications Are In Order

White bean chili is something I never really tried until Weston and I made some this January. I liked the recipe a LOT but now that I look back on it, the chili might have been a little on the runny side (Weston, I don't want to hear it...)

I used the same base recipe as before but made a few modifications:

1, 48 oz can Great Northern Beans

1, 15 oz can Kidney Beans

1 orange bell pepper chopped small

2 onions, and 3 cloves garlic chopped

1 tsp oregano

1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds

salt, pepper, garlic powder

36 oz chicken stock

1/2 cup crushed tomatoes or leftover spaghetti sauce

Saute the onion, potato, pepper, and garlic until cooked through, then add the rest of the ingredients.

Cook over medium heat for about 1 hour until it reduces by about an inch when you look at the side of the pot. Spritz with lemon before serving, if you wish.

Searching for the Best Indian Food In Richmond

Anokha in Short Pump is one of my friend's favorite restaurants. And since I'd been craving Indian for the past, oh, 3 months or so, she planned a little outing to Short Pump. It happened to be on the rainiest day I've ever experienced in Richmond, but that didn't stop us. A packed restaurant full of kids and family gatherings? Didn't stop us either. So the four of us arrived hungry and from my end, excited to find an Indian place in Richmond which matches the caliber of Shalimar in Ann Arbor.

For $9 (the lunch special) we got a starter of soup or salad, an entree, and a dessert. I chose the daal which I highly enjoyed. The flavor was great and the lentils weren't chunky, but nice and smooth.

I ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala, apparently their most popular dish. It was very tasty - the sauce was great and perfect for dipping naan into - which, but the way, they also add at no extra cost. I had heard the heat scale was a little high, so I ordered mild - next time I'll go for medium. Apparently I can handle my heat better than I thought :) The chicken was tender, too, and the flavor had gotten into the meat. It was sooo good - I could go for a few extra pieces, in fact. I bet the dinner portions are larger. One of the nice things about Anokha is that they'll refill your rice, too - which was really great since I like a high rice-to-sauce ratio. Oh! and the $9 includes a side dish Chef's special - our day was okra and sauteed onions. It was amazing and probably my favorite thing of the meal. Nice and spicy - I snagged Emilija's since she wasn't planning on taking it home and I knew a good place for it...my tummy.

For dessert we had a mango pudding which I didn't like very much - I am not a pudding person in general. But one of the girls who came is in LOVE with it, so it didn't go to waste!

If you have a Richmond Indian favorite, pass it along because I'd love to taste around!

Cowgirl Cookies for Breast Cancer

When I was home for Spring Break my sister pulled out a jar of cookie mix that my mom had bought for a fundraiser for Breast Cancer Awareness. They were absolutely wonderful - full of mixins and they baked up gooey in the center and crunchy on the outside. I mean, just looking at that picture makes me want to whip up another batch.

The ingredients were listed, but the amounts weren't so I had to guess at those. Here's an idea of what was inside so maybe you can play around with the recipe. I modified it to include what we found in our own jar.

Cowgirl Cookies:

1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cooking oats
3/4 cup butterscotch chips
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips - I also added about 1/2 cup of milk chocolate chips
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 – 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Mix in 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1 egg

Give a good stir and roll into walnut-sized balls. Place on a cookies sheet about 2 inches apart (make a tester tray to see how much they really spread) and bake for 11-13 minutes at 350 degrees.

Fiesta Time! (this isn't what you think it is)

Some of the best things I have ever eaten I never would have known about had it not been for word-of-mouth. Kuba Kuba, Tastebuds, and Bev's come to mind. Chicken Fiesta, on Broad Street, is my latest addition to the list.

I don't exactly know where to begin - let's start with a little back story. I heard about Chicken Fiesta from a friend in my program and so we, along with another food-loving friend, decided to plan a trip over after class one day. I owe my friends a lot, since I'd have no means of getting to these places without their offers of transportation.

Chicken Fiesta is in a little strip mall and a bit unassuming. To be completely honest, I would never have gone in had I not heard such good things; the chicken on the front looks a little, um, chain-store-esque... The place is super chill - wooden tables and benches and a food counter to order. When you walk in, there is a rotisserie chicken fire pit and this, my dears, is why Chicken Fiesta has such a great reputation.

I don't know what the spice rub is, but their chicken is sinful. The skin is crisp and flavorful and so is the chicken meat itself. It's not low-cal for sure, and your fingers turn shiny moments after you pick it up, but we all deserve a treat once in a while. I ordered a half chicken which came with 2 sides and it cost a little over $8. The sandwiches are about the same price and quite tasty - my friend let me try some of hers. Side note: Emilija, thank you so much for always letting me sample for blogging purposes.

So, as far as sides go, I got the pinto beans and yucca fries, which the reviews were raving about. They did not lie - I am hooked on yucca fries. So crispy on the outside, a nice soft interior, and more filling than you'd think. The beans had huge chunks of slow-roasted pork and were super flavorful. Chicken Fiesta is also known for a famous yellow sauce which comes in a tiny dipper container. It was really yummy, but I think it might have been mayo and Dijon - with a little citrus, maybe lemon. But who knows, it was delish. And they also gave a little green chili sauce which I was a HUGE fan of. We also got a side of plantains which were sweet and had a little crust, just the way I like them! I could have eaten a whole plate of them, but I contained myself.

So, I realized I basically just broke down a really, really good "fast food" restaurant, but hopefully I convinced you to try it for yourself - and feel free to take me with you ;)