May 22nd - Chipotle and Cinnamon

Another slow start to our day... another brief stress-out moment wondering if I'd get dinner on the table on time. This time, we started with breakfast at the Little Grill Collective. Then we headed out to the Dayton Farmer's Market and the Shenandoah Heritage Market, where we essentially impulse bought random food. It was a good idea to go, though, because I picked up some ingredients for Cafe Davis that I forgot to otherwise purchase - roasted pepitas and herbs de provence. Next up on the agenda - a cave! We headed north to Endless Caverns. I had never been those particular caverns before, and I really enjoyed the tour. The only problem is that we didn't start it until 1:30, which put us back above ground at 3:00-ish.

Of course, again, the boys decided that they needed to pre-game Cafe Davis with a late afternoon snack. So at 3:30 we rolled into the BBQ Ranch. Forty-five minutes, a grilled-cheese sandwich and some fries later, we headed home so I could start cooking.

The ingredient of the evening was a chipotle-cinnamon combo. The menu was chipotle sweet potato soup; baked cinnamon chipotle catfish with sweet pepper slaw;
chipotle-glazed apples; and roasted asparagus. Now I have to come clean.... The guests were Mitch, Brian and Jen Kaylor, and Melissa Aleman and her son V. Melissa suggested the ingredient in the first place, but she also chose the night because V is going through a picky stage and apparently likes catfish. I knew that when I went to the grocery store, but catfish was double-digits per pound and tilapia was much less expensive. I decided to go with the tilapia, with the hopes that V's fish taste buds were not particularly sophisticated. He ate all of his fish, so I think the ol' switcheroo was okay. V, if you're reading this, please forgive me for tricking you. But at least now you know that you like tilapia, too!

As far as recipes to share go, I really liked the soup and the apples for tonight. The soup would be great as a main course with some crusty bread, and I think the apples would be great with pork. Recipes are below, and here are our happy guests:

Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup
From the blog HomesickTexan
Serves 8

Ingredients:
2 pounds of sweet potatoes (about 2 large or 3 skinny ones), peeled and cubed
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 medium onion, diced,
4 cloves of garlic, minced
4 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
2-4 chipotles in adobo (depending on your heat tolerance), chopped
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Juice of one lime
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
Sour cream

Cinnamon-chipotle pecans (recipe to follow)
1 cup of chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of chipotle powder
Salt to taste

Directions:
Heat the olive oil on medium low in a large soup pot, and cook the onions, celery and carrot for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute.

Add the sweet potatoes, broth, chipotles, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to the pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender.

Let the soup cool, and then in batches, puree it in the blender. If you prefer, you can use an immersion blender in the pot instead.

Once the soup has been pureed, stir in the lime juice and add salt and black pepper to taste.

Serve topped with a dollop of sour cream and some of the chopped cinnamon-chipotle pecans.

Cinnamon-Chipotle Pecans
Melt the butter in a skillet on low heat. Add the pecans and stir them until they are covered in the butter. Add the cinnamon and chipotle powder and stir to coat. Cook the pecans, stirring occasionally, for ten minutes. Salt to taste.


Chipotle-Glazed Apples

Serves 6 as a side-dish (From www.epicurious.com)

- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 4 medium Red Delicious apples, peeled, cored, sliced
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chilies

Preparation:
Line baking sheet with waxed paper. Mix sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl. Toss 1/4 of apple slices with cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil with 1 teaspoon chipotle chilies in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add coated apple slices. Cook until coating caramelizes and apple slices are heated through, turning often, about 4 minutes. Transfer apple slices to prepared sheet. Using paper towels, wipe skillet clean. Repeat with remaining apple slices, cinnamon-sugar mixture, oil and chipotle chilies in batches, wiping skillet clean between each batch. Serve warm or at room temperature.