2 Recipes From Dan Souza: Vegetrian Chili, Perfect Scrambled Eggs

Dan Souza, of America's Test Kitchen, stopped by WCCO Thursday and shared some recipes.

They come from the book "100 Recipes: The Absolute Best Ways to Make the True Essentials."

Best Vegetarian Chili

We recommend a mix of at least two types of beans, one creamy (such as cannellini or navy) and one earthy (such as pinto, black, or red kidney). For a spicier chili, use both jalapeños. Serve the chili with lime wedges, sour cream, diced avocado, chopped red onion, and shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese, if desired.

1 pound (21/2 cups) dried beans, picked over and rinsed
Salt
2 dried ancho chiles
2 dried New Mexican chiles
1/2 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms, chopped coarse
4 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
1 (28‑ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained with juice reserved
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1–2 jalapeño chiles, stemmed and chopped coarse
3 tablespoons soy sauce
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 pounds onions, chopped fine
1 tablespoon ground cumin 2/3 cup medium-grind bulgur
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Bring 4 quarts water, beans, and 3 tablespoons salt to boil in Dutch oven over high heat. Remove pot from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour. Drain beans and rinse well. Wipe out pot.
2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Arrange anchos and New Mexican chiles on rimmed baking sheet and toast until fragrant and puffed, about 8 minutes. Transfer to plate and let cool, about 5 minutes. Stem and seed anchos and New Mexican chiles. Working in batches, grind mushrooms, oregano, and toasted chiles in spice grinder or with mortar and pestle until finely ground.
3. Process walnuts in food processor until finely ground, about 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl. Process drained tomatoes, tomato paste, jalapeño(s), soy sauce, and garlic in food processor until tomatoes are finely chopped, about 45 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
4. Heat oil in now-empty Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions and 11/4 teaspoons salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until onions begin to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Lower heat to medium and add cumin and ground chile mixture; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add rinsed beans and 7 cups water and bring to boil. Cover pot, transfer to oven, and cook for 45 minutes.
5. Remove pot from oven. Stir in bulgur, ground walnuts, tomato mixture, and reserved tomato juice. Cover pot and return to oven. Cook until beans are fully tender, about 2 hours.
6. Remove pot from oven, stir chili well, and let stand, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Stir in cilantro and serve. (Chili can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

Recipe Details

Timeline
1 1/4 hours to brine beans (prepare chile powder, grind walnuts, and puree tomatoes with other ingredients while beans are brining)
10 minutes to sauté ingredients
3 hours to bring chili to boil and cook in oven (almost completely hands-off)
20 minutes to stir chili and let it thicken

Essential Tools
Spice grinder for making homemade chile powder (or mortar and pestle)
Food processor to grind walnuts and puree tomato mixture
Dutch oven with lid to cook chili

Substitutions & Variations
We prefer to make our own chile powder from whole dried chiles, but jarred chili powder can be substituted. If using jarred chili powder, grind the shiitakes and oregano and add them to the pot with 1/4 cup of chili powder in step 4.

Perfect Scrambled Eggs
Serves 4

It's important to follow visual cues, as skillet thickness will have an effect on cooking times. If using an electric stovetop, heat a second burner on low and slide the pan to the cooler burner for the final cooking time over low heat.

8 large eggs plus 2 large yolks
1/4 cup half-and-half
Salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, chilled

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Place 4 heatproof plates on rack.
2. Beat eggs and yolks, half-and-half, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper with fork until thoroughly combined and mixture is pure yellow; do not overbeat.
3. Melt butter in 10‑inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat (butter should not brown), swirling pan to coat. Add egg mixture and, using heat-resistant rubber spatula, constantly and firmly scrape along bottom and sides of skillet until eggs begin to clump and spatula leaves trail on bottom of skillet, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and gently but constantly fold eggs until clumped and slightly wet, 30 to 60 seconds. Immediately transfer eggs to warmed plates and season with salt to taste. Serve immediately.

Perfect Scrambled Eggs for Two

Use 4 large eggs plus 1 large yolk, 2 tablespoons half-and-half, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 tablespoon butter. Cook eggs in 8‑inch skillet for 45 to 75 seconds over medium-high heat and then 30 to 60 seconds over low heat.

Perfect Scrambled Eggs for One

Use 2 large eggs plus 1 large yolk, 1 tablespoon half-and-half, pinch salt, pinch ­pepper, and 1/4 tablespoon butter. Cook eggs in 8‑inch skillet for 30 to 60 seconds over medium-high heat and then 30 to 60 seconds over low heat.

Smoked Salmon Scrambled Eggs with Chive Butter

Mash 3 tablespoons softened unsalted butter with 3 tablespoons minced fresh chives. Toast 4 (1‑inch-thick) slices rustic white bread, then spread with 2 tablespoons chive butter. Cook eggs as directed, first melting remaining chive butter in pan. Immediately spoon eggs on top of buttered toasts, top with 3 ounces smoked salmon, and serve. Garnish with extra chives if desired.

Recipe Details

Timeline
5 minutes (including prep)

Essential Tools

10‑inch nonstick skillet
Fork
Heat-resistant rubber spatula

Substitutions & Variations

If using extra-large eggs, reduce the number of whole eggs to seven.

If using jumbo eggs, reduce the number of whole eggs to six.

If you don't have half-and-half, substitute 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons milk plus 4 teaspoons heavy cream.

Most electric stovetops do not react quickly enough for the change in heat level (from medium-high to low) as directed in the recipe; instead, preheat a second burner on low and slide the skillet onto the cooler burner at the appropriate time.

If you like, dress up these eggs by folding in 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, chives, basil, or cilantro, or 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill or tarragon, after reducing the heat to low.

Use the recipe with smoked salmon as a template for turning scrambled eggs into a hearty meal. Replace salmon with sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onions, sautéed peppers, crisp bacon, or browned sausage rounds.