III. Paint Chips

It's finally time for your second challenge!  Do you dare accept?  I have an inspiration in mind and it could drive you crazy with all of the endless possibilities!

Are you ready?

Your challenge for this week is...paint chips!

Challenge Details:
Inspiration: Colorful paint chips
Medium: Whichever you choose
Deadline: Sunday, November 4th @ 11:59 p.m.

Good luck!  If you google paint chips you get a plethora of great ideas, so don't make that mistake or you will be so insanely overwhelmed that you will probably be making paint chip projects for the rest of your life!

You are not limited to any color range.  GO WILD!  Also, you can use any medium that you would like.  I briefly thought about limiting you to making a piece of art, but I will let your creative juices flow into something spectacular all on their own.

II. Apple Challenge Results

I know what you are thinking, yes, I did wait until the last days to complete this challenge.  We have been so busy that we haven't even had a chance to enjoy fall this year, much less apple picking at the orchard!  Ironically, apples aren't my favorite fruit and when I think of them, I see that infamous scene of temptation from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (I might also have witches on my brain because of Halloween...).

 For whatever unknown reason, I am obsessed with Mexican food right now!  Tacos, nachos, rice and beans, etc... and  I didn't want to make a dessert, because lets be real, I  could have created thousands of apple desserts, but I wanted to go spicy, so let me introduce you to:

Spicy Apple Nachos!

Ingredients (everything is a guesstimate, because I don't measure when I cook):

• 1 Jonagold apple
• 1 Fuji apple
• 1 1/2  Granny Smith apple
• 1 sweet potato
• 1 can of black beans
• Ground turkey
• 1 red onion
• 1 white onion
• 1 roma tomato
• Brick of apple smoked cheddar cheese
• 4 corn tortillas
• 4 flour tortillas
• 1 jalapeño pepper
• Splash of cranberry juice

Steps:

1. Wash and peel the sweet potato.  Dice and place in pot of water and bring to a boil.  Cook until soft or easily pierced with a fork.
2. While the potato is boiling, preheat the oven to 450˚ quarter 4 corn tortillas and 4 flour tortillas. We had to use two kinds because I'm trying to avoid wheat and Jamin can't eat corn tortillas because, "they don't taste right."  I spritzed with water and sprinkled cinnamon between each layer of tortilla.  Place on baking sheet with an oven safe plate on top (it stops the tortillas from curling) and bake for 8-10 minutes or until chips are crispy.
3. Slice 1 jonagold, 1 granny smith and 1 fuji apple in half.  Remove core and seeds.  Place on baking sheet, we actually don't have a baking sheet so I placed them in a muffin tin which actually worked better.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and bake in 450˚ oven with the tortilla chips.
4. Slice the jalapeño pepper, onion and tomato.  Grate cheese, drain and rinse the beans and set all aside.
5. Brown turkey and season to taste.  I had to enlist a helper.  I have the worst time with cooking meat, I simply do not know how to tell when it's done... it's weird, I know.
6. If chips are crispy, take them out of the oven and set aside as well.  If the potatoes are soft, drain and set aside.  If the apples are baked and mushy take them out of the oven!
7. Combine apples (I used one half of each baked apple), half a can of beans, sliced jalapeño and roughly 6 chunks of sweet potato in a food processor.  Blend until all ingredients are mixed.  Because I used black beans, it is an unattractive color, but sample it, it tastes amazing!
8. Layer the chips onto a platter.  Spoon healthy heaps of your spicy apple dip, sprinkle onions, tomatoes, pork and some black beans on your chip spread.  Finally, top with cheese, the more the better ;).
9. Place into a warmed oven to melt.  While in the oven, thinly slice a granny smith apple for garnishment.
10. Remove from oven, top with apple slices, pour a glass of wine, serve and ENJOY!

 It was extremely tasty!  Adding the whole jalapeño pepper gave it the right spicy kick and the apples were sweet enough to balance that heat.

Try it... I dare you!

Here are more cooking pictures, for those of you who are visual.

II. Apple Challenge

Whether red, green or yellow – Skinned, Diced, Pureed, Juiced or Mashed your first challenge, if you choose to accept, is…. APPLES!!

One thing that I do miss is being able to have the option to go to the apple orchard in the fall. There’s just something about hayrides, picking your own bag of assorted apples, looking at scarecrows and being amongst friends or family that makes going to the Apple Orchard something that I truly miss being able to do.

Apples have always been one of my favorite fruits. Honey Crisp apples especially. You can mix them with peanut butter, caramel, or cinnamon. Or you can eat them plain. You can juice them and make fresh cider. You can dice them in salads, and as I learned last week, you can put them in pumpkin soup. But what else can you do with an Apple???

Since fall is in full swing, and the apple orchards shedding their fruits it only makes sense to make your challenge item: APPLES. You may reflect other recipes for ideas, but must create one of your very own. With over 2,500 varieties of apples grown in the United States, you’ll have a challenge inside its self of picking the fruit that will become a part of your new recipe.

Challenge Details:

Inspiration: Apples

Medium: Recipe

Deadline: Sunday, October 29^th @ 11:59 p.m.

How about them apples??

I. Pumpkin Challenge Results: SUCCESS

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED: RESULT A SUCCESS

So when I think of pumpkins, I think of carving them. I think of seasoned pumpkin seeds fresh out of the oven, and pumpkin bread! But all in association with fall. And when I really think of fall, I  think of the crisp smell in the air, the leaves changing and falling to the ground and the aroma of cinnamon coming from my freshly warmed up cup of apple cider, with a little bit of pear liquor as I watch it from inside a warm house!!!

So as I sat in the grocery store looking at the pumpkins today, trying to figure out which one was going to be the victim that i would take home to my cutting board, to cut up into pieces, to cook, beat, puree, chunk, to destroy, I couldn't help but be inspired to also incorporate apples, pears and cinnamon as well. I just had a feeling the slightly sweet crispness of the fruits would be a perfect touch, and oddly I was right!

Now out of eagerness and excitement to try my challenge, I really didn't have much time to look up recipes as reference. However with the power of a smart phone, and typing into Google  "what goes good with pumpkins?" -- I shortly learned Coconut milk as a popular choice. The wheels started turning, with it only being 37 degrees out, and snow sprinkled on the ground the light bulb turned on -- "AH HA," I literlly said out loud-- I'll try a soup!!!

So I gathered ingredients like a squirrel gathering nuts for hibernation -- 2 apples, 1 pears, 4 jalapenos  2 habaneros,  1 sweet onion, 1 orange pepper, cinnamon, coconut milk, chicken broth, white beans, cilantro, brown sugar and my challenge ingredient A PUMPKIN!! Although I didn't know what I was doing, or how it was going to turn out, I felt like I was a pro in the Kitchen and could have totally passed it off as a recipe that I had made millions of time! With that being said its a plus to know that this is for the most part an easy recipe to make!!!

The soup turned out phenomenal. A complete fall delight. It was sweet with a touch of spice. Although most snarl at the idea of fruit in soup, it was a pleasant surprise that paired extremely well with the pumpkin and coconut milk mixture! All three taste testing roommates approved!!! 

So here is my recipe, my measurements are estimated. I really did not measure anything except for the white beans.  I know this one will find a way into my personal cook books! Of course as a seasonal soup option, but still totally worth it!!!!!!! Of course not everyone likes spice the way we do, so I'd suggest leaving out the Habanero, however, I would not suggest losing the Jalepeno. The recipe strives as a Sweet and Spicy mixture.

FINAL PRODUCT!!!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Red Sweet Onion

1/4 cup Orange Pepper

1 Jalepeno

1 Habanero

1 Small Pumpkin

1 Cup White Beans - Soaked

2 - 12oz cans Coconut Milk

2 - Cups Chicken Broth

1/4 - Cup Brown Sugar

1 - Small Apple diced up in chunks(I used Gala)

Halve of a Pear diced up in chunks

Cilantro (for topping)

Cinnamon

Salt and Pepper 

Directions:

1. Start with gutting the pumpkin, and slicing it into smaller chunks to warm up faster. Drizzle olive oil across the pieces on a pan and sprinkle with cinnamon. Place in oven set to 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, flipping at 10 minutes. This is just to soften up the pumpkin so you can easily peel it from the skin and puree it. Once soften enough, remove skin and puree it with 1/2 a can of coconut milk.

2. Dice up Bell Pepper, Onion, Jalepeno, Habanero, Apples and Pears.

3. Place apples and pears in small bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with cinnamon to sit. 

4. Warm up 2 cups of chicken broth, and 1.5 cans of coconut milk in soup pot. Add in Orange Bell Pepper, Red Sweet Onion, Jalepeno, Habanero, and white beans. Bring to a simmer. Add in Pumpkin Puree. Season with salt, pepper and (1 tablespoon) cinnamon, and return to a light simmer. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes to cook white beans until soft. Stir in 1/4 brown sugar to give it a sweet extra kick.

5. Once beans are almost done, add in Apples and Pear Chunks to soften up a little bit. Because these don't take long to soften up, watch them so they don't get mushy. 

6. Serve with Cilantro and a dash of Cinnamon added for a last flavor boost.

THIS RECIPE MAKES ABOUT 6 CUPS OF SOUP! Serves 4 - 5 people!

I. Pumpkin Challenge

Your first challenge, if you choose to accept, is... PUMPKINS!

I love the spicy flavor of  pumpkin in the fall.  I think that I have become a fan as I have gotten older.  I don't recall enjoying it as much as I do now, then when I was little.  I alone have spent hours browsing pumpkin recipes, but I can't wait for your twist on the fall classic. The only rule, you can't use a recipe already made!  You can use other recipes for reference only!  Luckily, you have two roommates who get to sample your tasty treat!

Challenge Details:
Inspiration: Pumpkins
Medium: Recipe
Deadline: Sunday, October 21st @ 11:59 p.m.

Happy Cooking!

Let the Games Begin...

Cheers! This is the beginning of "The Creative Distance." The purpose of this blog is for my sister and I to "challenge" each other of sorts by selecting a new inspiration each week and sharing what we come up with. This is a way for us to grow closer together, which we need to because we are 3,147 miles apart! But, I'm not going to sugar coat it, we are competitive and creative foes and this is a way express our thoughts, ideas and inspirations.

I love my sisters (yes Mel, that means you too!) and this is just the beginning of an exciting adventure that spans "The Creative Distance" between us!

Sisterly love, Christmas Eve 2011