Single Girls Eat... Chili

I know, you're thinking, chili? Really? Chili? Isn't that for fat old fire-fighters and other dudes with beer bellies and mustaches? Not really. Chili is a very healthy veggie-packed way to warm up on cold days.

I like to use lean turkey meat, because turkey is better for the environment, but lean beef is okay, and so is chicken. If you want to keep it vegetarian, use edamame in place of the meat. It'll blend in as another bean and add a ton of protein. I love tomatoes, specifically large chunks of stewed tomatoes, so I use those. If you're not as excited about big chunks of tomato use diced tomatoes.

I use mild peppers, because I'm a wimp. Use your favorite peppers, whether you like it hot or mild. Start with a little bit of olive or canola oil and sweat half a large onion with some garlic. Once the onion becomes limp and transparent, add your peppers, just to heat through. If you're using meat, add it now, salt and pepper to taste, cook thoroughly.

Season your chili with chili powder or any other spices you think would work. It's pretty mellow. If you want sweet chili, add some brown sugar. Next, add your beans. I like to use black beans and kidney beans, but use your favorites, I find that two regular cans work well. If you're using edamame instead meat, add it now, too. Stir everything together until heated thoroughly.

Gently add your tomatoes. I used one giant can of crushed tomatoes and two regular cans of stewed tomatoes (or one big can). Stir it all together and again, heat through. Taste and see if anything is missing, if it is, add it.

Now your chili is ready to eat. You can serve it over chips or pasta, but I like it with a bit of sharp cheddar sprinkled and melted over the top or a spoonful of sour cream.

This veggie-filled lean protein dish is great for a full meal, has the satisfaction of a cream soup and couldn't be better for you.

ENJOY!

Single girls eat quiche

Mmmmmmm, quiche. It made a splash in the '70s along with fondue, and is amazing. Quiche is a simple dish that looks fancy, and can be served for any meal. Basically, it's filling and egg baked in a pie crust. Its cousin is the frittata, which is the egg and filling without the crust and a few other modifications.

Why is quiche such a good single girl food? Because of it's simplicity and versatility! You can pretty much fill it with anything. I love spinach, feta cheese and mushrooms, but there really are no limits and it can be tailored to any taste.

• Pick your fillings, a good flavor base is onion and garlic sautéd in butter or olive oil.
• Cook the filling together on the stove in a large pan and make sure anything that needs to be cooked through is (like bacon), mix in anything you don't want to melt last (like cheese)
• Put your filling in a deep-dish pie crust. I use the frozen kind because pie crust scares me. You can use the pre-made roll-out kind in a tart pan or a round cake pan or make your own, but don't look to me for a recipe. Leave space to pour the egg over
• Take 1 cup of diary (milk, half&half, cream) and four eggs and whip them together with a balloon whisk.
• Pour the egg mix into the crust and place into a preheated 375˚F oven for 20 minutes.
• Top with your favorite melty cheese, like cheddar or mozzarella and bake for 30 minutes more. You actually want it to get crispy to create a crust.
• Let it set after you take it out of the oven for a bit and viola! a beautiful impressive meal.

The next time you want to impress someone, make them a quiche. It works for snobby friends as well as nit-picky parents and that new guy who wants a hearty breakfast after... well, you know.

Everything up until putting it in the oven can be done ahead of time, or assemble the filling, throw it in the fridge and put it together right before baking. It's one of those dishes that are hard to mess up.

"My Life In France"

I just finished "My Life In France" by Julia Child. Amazing read.

Growing up, Julia Child was that crazy lady with the silly voice on PBS that came on after Sesame Street. She's one of those people you always knew of, but never really knew why.

I never gave her much thought until she passed. Thinking of Julia Child reminds me of one of the few good memories I have of a roommate I was never too fond of. It was shortly after she passed, and somehow the conversation turned to her, and my roommate described how he remembered Julia: as a crazy old woman who would look at a red-hot pan, proceed to touch the pan and then exclaim, "Oh, my, that's hot!"

And that's exactly the type of woman she was. She need to experiment and see things for herself. We all could take a page from Mrs. Child's book(s).

Even though she was married most of her life, Julia Child is an inspiration to single girls everywhere. She didn't marry until she was 34, which, in 1946, was a feat in an of itself. Of course, she had WWII to thank for some of her independence, but she went through the nineteen thirties as a single girl in her twenties. She's one of the most recognized culinary figures in cuisine TV, but she didn't begin cooking school until she was 36.

What can the single girl learn from Mrs. Child? That your life is not decided until you are dead. There are days I'm terrified because I don't know what the future holds, but I'm learning that that's okay. She lived life with gusto; we all should.

Child is an inspiration for everyone, but single girls in particular.