Spinach Goat Cheese Salad with Blood Orange Vinaigrette

Blood orange season is here.  The delicious ruby fruits are only available for a short time.  Blood oranges are sweet and fruity; they also have less of an acidy bite than normal oranges.

I've been experimenting with and eating these blood oranges since I found them in the grocery store last week.  Stay tuned for blood orange curd with panna cotta, and blood orange and dark chocolate scones.

I love fruit in spinach salads; the blood oranges pair so well with the tangy goat cheese and the bright happy blood orange vinaigrette tops it all off. I might have eaten this salad for lunch every day this week.  And I will probably be able to keep eating this salad until the blood oranges disappear again.

Spinach salad is infinitely adaptable, and this one is no different.  Add some nuts (candied walnuts would be great), more cheese, different cheese, different fruit.  Experiment and play until you're super happy with what you're eating.  But don't skip the blood orange vinaigrette--it's the best part.

Spinach Salad

2 cups spinach leaves
1 blood orange
1/2 slice of goat cheese
blood orange vinaigrette

1. Wash your spinach leaves and pile them on a plate. 
2. Peel your blood orange slice it into quarter inch rounds.  I peeled it normally and ate the outer membrane, but you can peel it with a knife if that floats your boat. Place blood orange on top of spinach leaves.
3. Use your fingers to pull small chunks of goat cheese and scatter them around your salad.  
4. Dress with the blood orange vinaigrette on top and enjoy!

Blood Orange Vinaigrette 

2 tablespoons blood orange juice (from about 1 orange)

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

squeeze of honey

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup of olive oil--good quality and tasty

1. In a mason jar combine blood orange juice, lemon juice, mustard, honey, and olive oil.  
2. Tightly place a lid on your jar, and vigorously shake to combine all the ingredients.  
3. Taste your vinaigrette and add salt and pepper.  Shake and taste again.  It is sometimes easier to taste dressing if you dip a lettuce leaf into it.  Add more salt or pepper if necessary. 
4. Drizzle over your favorite salads and try it on the one above!

This salad is so delicious, and it's full of vitamins and minerals which are totally helping me get over the winter doldrums. 

What's your favorite winter fruit? What are you cooking that's helping beat the winter blahs?

Cheddar Jalapeno Bacon Cornbread Waffles

That title is just ridiculous, but it really does say it all.  Cornbread waffles are loaded with  big chunks of cheddar cheese, bites of spicy jalapeno, and crispy bacon.  The waffles are the perfect side for your chili, but of course you could also pile chili on top, throw on even more cheese, and cook under the broiler to make the cornbread waffles the base of an epic chili tower.

I made the cornbread waffles to dip in my chili, because I like to dip my food.  The waffles are slightly crunchy and crispy and filled with bites of gooey cheese.  The jalapenos and bacon add a contrast to the cheese and make chili even more tasty and delicious.

I could also see these being used as a snack on game day, or even for a very adventurous breakfast--topped with an over easy egg. Gosh that sounds good...

Try these loaded cornbread waffles the next time you have chili.  They really were the perfect pairing!

Cheddar Jalapeno Bacon Cornbread Waffles
makes 6-8 waffles

1 3/4 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
5 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

2 jalapenos

1 block (8 ounces) cheddar cheese

6 pieces crispy bacon

1. Finely dice the jalapenos. Chop or roughly crumble the bacon.  Cube the cheddar cheese into ¼ inch cheese cubes.
2. In a glass measuring cup whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, and butter.
3. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add the cheese cubes to the dry ingredients.  Mix them in a handful at a time to keep them from sticking together.  Add the bacon and jalapenos and mix them in.
5. Gently mix the wet ingredients into the mixing bowl with a silicone spatula.  Mix until the dry ingredients have just disappeared. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes. This allows the cornmeal to absorb moisture and soften.
6. Heat your waffle iron and coat with nonstick spray.  Scoop 1/3 cup of batter into waffle iron.  It will be thick and sticky. Use a silicone spatula to gently spread the batter into the waffle iron.  Close your waffle iron and cook until the waffles' edges are crispy and lightly browned.  Remove waffles to a plate and cover with aluminum foil until all the waffles are cooked. 

Would you try cornbread waffles with your chili?  I would highly recommend these! 

Behind the Scenes

Delicious pizza at Bazbeaux in Indianapolis.  I was very nostalgic about all the times we went in college. 

Boomer and I enjoying the sunshine! All that snow is gone now.

After tearing out my parents' kitchen floor Dad and Magoo demonstrated how to turn a wheel barrow into a seat. 

Dustin's Valentine's Day surprise for me. I loved it!

5 minute long thunder storm. Long enough for Boomer to need his thunder shirt...

I hope everyone had a good Monday!  The week has started.

Spicy Turkey Chili Soup

Turkey Chili is my favorite cold weather food.  I'm pretty sure I could eat it every week if Dustin would let me.  Especially because of all the different ways you can eat it; I like having it served with pasta, over a baked potato, with nachos, in a bowl with lots of cheese. 

I love my chili spicy but you can totaly adjust the spice level without losing any of the flavors.  Because of the combinations and layers of spices this chili is flavorful and delicious--and it sure can be spicy.  

First I like to gather all my ingredients.  It makes it much easier to put the chili together quickly when I don't have to dig for spices in the middle of cooking.  

Dice your onion, mince the garlic, and finely dice the jalapeno.  If you would like less heat make sure to remove the seeds and white membrane out of the inside of the jalapeno.  But don't leave the jalapeno out; it adds a fresh bright flavor to the chili, and once it's cooked the spiciness is distributed throughout the chili. 

Heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add onions and cook until softened--about five minutes.  Add garlic and jalapeno and cook for two more minutes.  

Increase heat to medium-high.  Add ground turkey and use a wooden spoon to bash it into crumbles. Cook the turkey until it's browned.  

Add the chili powder, salt, and pepper.  Mix in spices and stir for 30 seconds on the heat to toast the chili powder. 

Add tomatoes, juice, beans, and remaining spices.  If you want thicker chili omit the tomato juice--your chili will be more of a chili sauce and less of a chili soup.  Stir everything together.  Cover and bring chili to a simmer.  Allow chili to simmer for at least a half hour.  Taste and add more salt or pepper if necessary.  Serve your chili with cooked pasta noodles, with a baked potato, or in a big bowl with cheese. 

Spicy Turkey Chili Soup

serves eight

4 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon oregano

1/4  teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 large onion

1 garlic clove

1 jalapeno

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound ground turkey

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1 28 ounce can whole tomatoes

2 cups tomato juice

1 bay leaf

1 15 ounce can hot chili beans

1. Heat oil in dutch oven over medium low heat. 
2. Combine the spices except the bay leaf in a small bowl.
3. Dice onions, garlic, and jalapeno.
4. Add onions and cook until soft--about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and jalapeno and cook for 2 minutes more.
5. Add in turkey, one tablespoon of the seasoning mix from the bowl, and lots of salt and pepper. Use the ground meat spatula to break it down into crumbles. Cook until just barely cooked. It’s honestly better to stop a little early than over cook.
6.  Add the rest of the spices from the bowl. Toast the spices for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
7. Add the whole tomatoes; use the ground meat spatula to break them down into tiny pieces. Use caution—they can squirt!
8. Add in the tomato juice and beans. Stir all together and bring pot to a simmer.  Cook for at least 30 minutes—the longer it summers, the more the flavors will meld.

What's your favorite way of eating chili?  My dad always fills his with crackers and one of my friends swears by peanut butter sandwiches.  I'm more of a pasta with lots of cheese kinda girl!