Thursday, March 31, 2011

Mexican Chicken Meatball Enchilada Soup - 4/1/11

An easy soup to prepare even on a weeknight.  Especially after a miserable, rainy, stormy, headache-inducing weekday.  Like today.

1 pound ground chicken (not all white meat)
1 egg
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon McCormick's Montreal Chicken Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon dried cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1-32 oz. carton chicken broth
1-32 oz. carton chicken stock
2-10 oz. cans mild green chile enchilada sauce
1 cup diced fresh tomato
1 large onion, diced
1 large carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, with leaves, chopped

In a medium pot, bring the chicken broth to a steady simmer.  Combine the first 10 ingredients and make very small meatballs, not more than an inch across.  Place the meatballs into the simmering broth and poach gently.  When they are all poached - there should be no more pink color showing - add the enchilada sauce, and the tomato, and turn off the heat.

In a large pot, heat a small amount of corn oil, and add the onion, carrot, and celery.  Season with a little salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and a pinch of sugar, and saute' until the onions are just beginning to color.  Add the chicken stock and bring up the heat.  Then very carefully transfer the meatballs and cooking liquid from the medium pot into the large pot, and bring to a simmer. Adjust the seasoning.  I used salt, pepper, garlic, a small amount of cumin, and a sprinkle of the cilantro leaves.  Cook the soup partially covered for about 15 more minutes. 

There is a small amount of heat from the 'mild' enchilada sauce. I recommend that you stir in a spoon of sour cream into your soup bowl, and garnish with tortilla strips.  This soup is both light and filling.  Please enjoy.

Serves 8-10


Cook like there's nobody watching, and eat like it's heaven on earth.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Miniature Braciole with Capocollo and Roasted Red Pepper - 3/29/11

1 to 1 1/4 pounds of eye round steak, thin sliced
kosher salt
coarse black pepper
granulated garlic
Italian seasoning
Six Cheese Italian blend, or any grated Italian hard cheese
panko bread crumbs
capocollo, thin slices (I used the 3 oz. package of Daniele brand, which I found in Walmart, of all places)
1 roasted red pepper, from a jar, drained and patted dry, and cut into even pieces (see the photos, below)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2/3 cup white wine
1 - 24 oz. jar marinara sauce (I used Bertolli Fire Roasted Tomato Marinara with Cabernet Sauvignon)

You will need kitchen twine and a Dutch oven that can be used both on top of the stove and in the oven.

The package of "steaks" I picked up were already sliced very thin, not more than one-quarter inch.  I pounded them with the flat side of the meat mallet, just to flatten a bit and insure they were rollable.


I have a very bad habit of overstuffing ingredients, and so I resolved to stuff the braciole with a very light hand.  Each little steak was sprinkled lightly with the salt, pepper, garlic, Italian seasoning, and the Italian cheese.


A slice of the capocollo is placed on top of the cheese, and then a piece of the red pepper.  I used regular, rather than hot capocollo, but if you want to blow the top of your head off, who am I to stop you?

The steak is rolled up from the short end, encasing the roasted red pepper.  For each roll, I cut two pieces of kitchen twine, and tied the rolls closed.  Season the rolls with salt and pepper, and then -


In the Dutch oven, heat the olive oil.  Start browning the little rolls, seam side down, and cook on all sides until browned but not done all the way.  The meat will continue to cook in the sauce.  Pour in the wine, bring to a boil, pour in the sauce, stir, lower the heat, and then partially cover the pot with aluminum foil.  Place in a preheated 350 degree oven.  Baste with the sauce after 30 minutes, then again after another 30 minutes.  Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning.  Place back in the oven for another 30 minutes, for a total of 90 minutes, or until the meat is very tender.  Serve the little braciole whole, 2 or 3 to each person, spooning over some more of the sauce.  The sauce is really tasty from the meat and capocollo as well as the added wine, so don't forget the pasta.


Cook like there's nobody watching, and eat like it's heaven on earth.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Inspiration Nation Very Cherry Raisin Bread Pudding - 3/23/11

As I mentioned over at the main blog, I picked up two loaves of Pepperidge Farm Raisin Swirl Bread, with the intention of making some bread pudding.  I was trying to think of a way to incorporate fruit cocktail into the mix, kind of recreating a noodle pudding recipe I was particularly fond of.  Turns out I did not need to get too creative, as I already had this in my recipe archives, from back in the day when Sara Moulton ruled five nights a week over at Food Network:

1 1/2 loaves white or wheat bread (day-old bread works great)
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup melted butter or margarine
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 eggs, beaten
16-ounce can fruit cocktail
8 1/4-ounce can crushed pineapple
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup dark raisins


Preheat 350 degrees F.
Tear each slice of bread into about 5 or 6 pieces and place in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, place the milk, sugar, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and eggs. Mix well, until the sugar dissolves. Add the fruit cocktail, pineapple, pecans, and raisins, and then gently fold in the torn bread, making sure it soaks up the liquid ingredients. Pour the mixture into a greased 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Bake for 40 minutes, stirring once after 15 or 20 minutes. Stirring helps rich bread pudding bake evenly. Serve cold or hot, depending on the season and your mood.


Still, I feel the need to tinker and tweek a bit, so I'm headed over to Publix for chili ingredients and bread pudding inspiration.  More to come ...


Inspiration Nation Very Cherry Raisin Bread Pudding


2 loaves Pepperidge Farm Raisin Cinnamon Swirl Bread 
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup sugar
1 - 15 ounce container whole milk ricotta cheese
3/4 cup melted butter (1 1/2 sticks) + 2 tablespoons
2 cups half and half 

2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

16-ounce can "Very Cherry" fruit cocktail , drained
1/2 cup lightly toasted pine nuts (Fisher brand pine nuts are already toasted)

1/2 cup dark raisins, chopped
1/2 cup cherry infused dried cranberries, chopped
1 - 12 ounce jar of Smucker's Orchard's Finest Tart Cherry Preserves (optional)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut or tear bread into 6 pieces.  Place bread in a very large mixing bowl and set aside.


Add the sugar to the eggs and whisk until the sugar is dissolved.  Add the ricotta, melted butter, half and half, and vanilla, and whisk together.  Add the spices.  Carefully stir in the fruit cocktail, then add the nuts, raisins and cranberries.  Pour the liquid over the bread cubes, fold everything together gently, and let sit until the bread is well soaked.


Place the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into a 9x13 baking dish.  My preference is disposable aluminum, but make sure you support the bottom.  Put the baking dish into the oven until the butter is melted, but do not allow to brown.  Take the dish out of the oven and carefully tip so that the butter coats the pan.  Immediately pour the bread mixture into the hot pan, place the dish into the oven and bake for 40 minutes, stirring once halfway through the baking.  If you are using the cherry preserves, spoon them carefully over the top of the hot pudding and spread gently with the back of a spoon.  Return the pudding to the oven for the last 20 minutes of baking or until the pudding is done.  Let this cool down before eating.  I like it best at room temperature.  Store in the refrigerator, and while you can eat it cold, it's best if you nuke it a few seconds in the microwave to take off the chill.


Cooking like there's nobody watching, and eat like it's heaven on earth.

Chili Rules - 3/26/11

"Old Faithful" - My Favorite Chili Recipe


4 large onions, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves, crumbled
2 pounds ground sirloin
½ cup chili powder
1- 28 ounce can tomatoes, undrained
3- 20 ounce cans light red kidney beans, undrained
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon crushed hot chili peppers
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


Saute onions and garlic in the oil in a large heavy kettle over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes until golden.  Add oregano, bay leaves, and the ground sirloin and sauté, breaking up meat, 10 minutes until beef is no longer pink.  You shouldn’t have excess fat to drain off if you used the sirloin or another lean ground beef.  Add ¼ cup of the chili powder, the tomatoes, two cans of the kidney beans, and simmer, uncovered, over low heat, stirring occasionally, 1 ½ hours.  Add the remaining chili powder and kidney beans along with the salt, vinegar, red peppers and black pepper.  Simmer, stirring, 15 minutes longer.  Taste to adjust the seasoning.  This is one of those dishes that tastes best the next day.


Now that I am doing the actual cooking, I played with the ingredients just a bit, as I think you can tell from this picture.  Also, I realize there is a little sumpin' sumpin' I always do, and never include in the actual recipe, and I think it's time to reveal my secret**.

Here is the list of ingredients I am using today:

1 very large sweet onion, chopped
1 very large red onion, chopped
1 poblano chili, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
¼ cup olive oil + 2 tablespoons corn oil

2 big pinches kosher salt
1 big pinch regular sugar
coarse black pepper
granulated garlic
smoked paprika
sweet paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 bay leaves, crumbled
½ cup chili powder, divided
2 tablespoons cumin, divided
2 pounds ground sirloin
2 - 15 ounce cans dark red kidney beans, undrained
1- 28 ounce can San Marzano tomatoes, undrained
2 packets Sazon Goya sin achiote

2 - 15 ounce cans light red kidney beans, undrained
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon crushed hot chili peppers
A few drops of Tabasco sauce

Heat the oils together in a heavy pot.  Add the onions, poblano, and onions, then before stirring, sprinkle over the salt, sugar, pepper, granulated garlic, smoked paprika, sweet paprika.  Stir and then saute over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes until golden.  Add oregano, bay leaves, and the ground sirloin and sauté, breaking up meat, 10 minutes until beef is no longer pink.   Add ¼ cup of the chili powder, 1 tablespoon of the cumin, two cans of the dark kidney beans, and stir so that the beans are evenly seasoned.  Add the undrained tomatoes, breaking them up with the side of a wooden spoon, then add the Sazon Goya, stir everything together (gently so as not to mash the beans), and then simmer,  partially covered, over low heat, stirring occasionally, 1 ½ hours.  Add the remaining chili powder, cumin and the light red kidney beans along with the vinegar, red peppers, and Tabasco.  Simmer uncovered, stirring, 15 minutes longer.  Taste to adjust the seasoning. 


**My secret?  When sauteed vegetables are part of a recipe, I always season them with kosher salt, black pepper, a pinch of sugar, and whatever else strikes my fancy.  Sometimes this is granulated garlic, and/or sweet paprika, while other times it might be a spice blend, like Emeril's Essence, seasoned salt, or one of the Cajun blends I have in my pantry.  This technique creates a layer of flavor, and helps the vegetables to carmelize, adding even more flavor.

A couple of other secrets - I always use that pinch of sugar when sauteing onions.  The dish won't taste sweet, but it will taste better.  Same thing with those few drops of Tabasco - like salt, it enhances the flavor of the dish without necessarily creating heat.  Obviously, you want to add these seasonings with a judicious hand, as you will have the opportunity to taste and re-season after the dish has cooked for a while And whenever the recipe calls for fresh garlic, I add some granulated garlic as well.  Why?  Well, they really aren't the same thing.  Unlike herbs, which can almost always be swapped out dried for fresh, granulated garlic or garlic powder cannot be substituted for fresh.  Instead, it adds it's own unique flavor to a dish, and enhances the fresh garlic taste.  By the way, if you are swapping out dried herbs for fresh, use just one-third the amount.  There are times, however, when only fresh will do, or when I use both.

My personal favorite way to eat chili is with some grated sharp cheddar and a spoonful of sour cream.  As far as I am concerned, everything else is already in there, but your mileage may vary, so dress it up anyway you like.  When I'm serving it to company, I set out all sorts of toppings and sides. 

 
Cook like there's nobody watching, and eat like it's heaven on earth.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Citrus Teriyaki Pork Loin and Whole Baked Cauliflower - 3/23/11

The pork loin did come out moist and tasty, and if you can find one of those nice 4 or 5 bone loins, I recommend this highly.

Citrus Teriyaki Pork Loin

1-11.8 oz. bottle of Kikkoman Teriyaki Baste and Glaze
1 cup orange juice
grated peel of one large orange, grated on a microplane.  Reserve the orange.
3 cloves of garlic, either grated on a microplane or smashed and minced
kosher salt, coarsely ground black pepper, granulated garlic powder, all to taste
1/2 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice Powder (I think next time I will increase this)
a few drops of Tabasco sauce, or to taste, or not at all

Place all of the above ingredients into a jar with a screw top lid, and shake until combined.

1 - 2 1/2 lb. bone in pork loin (4 to 5 bones, each about 1 inch)
orange segments ("supremes") from the reserved orange

Place the pork into a ziploc freezer bag, and pour 1 cup of the marinade over.  Add the orange supremes, zip the bag closed, and place into the refrigerator overnight.  Turn the bag occasionally.

The next day, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Remove the pork from the bag and place it on a rack in a baking dish or roasting pan.  Pour some of the marinade over the pork, then place in the oven and roast for about an hour, or until internal temperature reaches 140 - 145 degrees.  Take it out of the oven and cover loosely with a piece of aluminum foil while the meat rests.  Slice between the bones for 4 or 5 lovely chops.

Remember to discard any unused marinade.

Now about the cauliflower ... I love all cruciferous vegetable, included the dreaded Brussel sprout.  Cauliflower is one of my favorites, but it has to be fresh.  Frozen broccoli is pretty good, but cauliflower does not, in my opinion, keep it's texture once frozen.  Mushy cauliflower is not very appetizing.

I usually break apart the florets and then steam them just until done, but I got it into my head that I wanted to bake or roast a whole head of cauliflower.  I roast vegetables all the time, with uniformly positive results.  The recipes I came across on line were all pretty similar.  Some called for briefly steaming the cauliflower head first, and then putting it in the oven, while others were oven all the way.  Before the oven, all of the recipes called for a little olive oil to be rubbed onto the outside, which is also standard for roasting vegetables.  Different recipes recommended different seasonings.  I decided to go whole hog and did a riff on bagna cauda, a butter - olive oil - garlic - anchovy sauce that is often used as a warm dip for vegetables.  The sauce was rather tasty, and the cauliflower came out of the oven perfectly tender, but the flavor from the sauce just did not permeate the vegetable. 


So if you want to roast the cauliflower and add a sauce or vinaigrette afterwards, here's the basic recipe:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Remove all the green stems and leaf, and shorten the core.  Then using a thin sharp knife, like a boning knife, to remove a piece from the center of the core.  Place in a baking dish, core-side down, and drizzle over some olive oil.  Season with a little salt and pepper.  Because of the high cooking temperature, I wouldn't use any herbs, fresh or dried, as they will start to burn.  Same thing for the bagna cauda.  Bake for 45 minutes, then check for doneness.  Don't cook more than an hour or it will get overdone and mushy.  Once done, it breaks apart rather neatly.  Serve the cauliflower with butter, or more olive oil, maybe a little lemon juice, and more salt and pepper.  The simpler the better.  I tried to get too fancy, and it didn't work.  I was able to salvage the cauliflower with just a little outside carmelization, and it is pretty tasty.  Try it, and enjoy.

Cook like there's nobody watching, and eat like it's heaven on earth.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

St. Patrick's Day Green Velvet Cupcakes - 3/20/11

I am running late on baking.  I had hoped to have these green velvets ready to present on St. Patty's Day, but time was not on my side.  I had also hoped to have my Purim hamantaschen ready this weekend, but that didn't work so well either.  Hamantaschen, while traditional for Purim can be eaten any time - we eat them ALL the time, albeit pretty decent commercial versions.  I still want to make them at home, and when I do, I'll record the event for posterity and the blog.


I was able to bake the Green Velvet Cupcakes today, and I think they are a success, although I am still my own worse critic.  Anyway, I used Chuck Hughes' recipe for Red Velvet Cupcakes, substituting green food coloring for the red, as suggested by blogger Michelle Buffardi.  I am going to follow her lead and use a traditional cream cheese frosting instead of the marscapone cream (have you checked the price of marscapone lately?  I have!) and then add one fillip of my own, lemon curd, as a filling.  A filling fillip.  Ouch.

What I like about the cupcake recipe is that Chuck puts the whole thing together in a food processor.  I used to use my food processor quite a bit for baking everything from bread to cheesecake, but for some reason I kind of forgot about it.  Michelle decides to stay true to Chuck's vision by using the food processor for the cupcakes, but then chickens out and switches over to her stand mixer for the frosting.  Ha!  But I know that cream cheese frosting works up like a dream in the food processor, so that's what I'll be using.

Green Velvet Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling and Cream Cheese Frosting

1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups canola oil
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons green food coloring (the entire contents of a 1 ounce bottle)
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 jar prepared lemon curd (available with jams and jellies)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a food processor, mix the sugar with the eggs, oil, yogurt, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla. Add flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Blend until just incorporated.

Place paper cupcake liners into a muffin pan, and divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, pouring only halfway so the batter doesn't overflow. Bake, rotating halfway through, for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the cupcakes, place them on racks and let cool.  When cool, place some of the lemon curd in a piping bag fitted with a tip with a large, rather than small, opening.  Or use a plastic freezer bag instead of the piping bag.  Insert the tip straight down into the center of the cupcake, about halfway down, and gently pipe in lemon curd as you withdraw the tip.


Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

To make the frosting: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the chopping blade, add the cream cheese,  butter, and vanilla extract and process until completely combined. Add the confectioners’ sugar then blend until thick and creamy.

At this point you can choose to pipe the cream cheese frosting onto the cooled and filled cupcakes, or do the dollop method, just taking care not to smear any lemon curd.  I think I did enough piping today, so I'm going to dollop instead.

I think I overbaked the cupcakes just a tad, but because they are so small, a few extra minutes made a difference.  To my taste they were a little bit drier than I would have liked, but of course the lemon curd and cream cheese frosting took care of that.  Next time I will bake only to the lower end of the time range, 25 minutes, and I think that will correct it.

There's always a story ... the first time I baked green cupcakes for St. Patrick's Day was when I was a freshman in high school, so that would have been March, 1967.  Ninth grade was the start of a new school for me, and I made some great new friends at the high school.  Junior high school sucked, but in all honesty, despite an occasional bump in the road, I really enjoyed my four years at Lawrence High.  One of the best friends I made was a lively, pretty girl named Margarita Hassan, and whom everyone called Peggy.  Peggy and I were in freshman algebra together, and our teacher was the ultimate Irishman, Mr. O'Neil.


We were inspired to bake green cupcakes in honor of his big day, and so the day before, we met at Peggy's house and baked cupcakes from a mix, which we then topped with dayglo green frosting, which I vaguely remember as also being made from a mix.  I don't remember how many batches we made, but there were plenty to be handed out to all of our favorite teachers as well as our friends.  I am pretty certain we repeated this for every St. Patrick's Day until graduation. I am convinced that these baking days were the beginning of my enjoyment in cooking for others. 

These are destined for my office, but since none of them read my blog (yet) it will still be a surprise.  Happy belated St. Patrick's Day, everyone.


Cook like there's nobody watching, and eat like it's heaven on earth.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Vicki's Hawaiian Chicken and Kielbasa Lentil Soup - 3/19/11

Vicki's Hawaiian Chicken

This is it, the original easy company dinner for new marrieds! 
Still as good today as it was in 1975.

1 chicken, cut up into 4 to 8 pieces
1 jar apricot preserves
¼ cup soy sauce
a dash of onion powder

Mix preserves, soy sauce and onion powder in a baking dish.  Place chicken in the dish skin side down.  Bake at 375 degrees for one hour, turning halfway through baking time.  Baste occasionally after turning.  Chicken should be nicely glazed.  Move to a serving dish, remove excess fat from the sauce, and pass additional sauce on the side.  Serve with rice and a green salad.

The easiest way to remove the fat from the sauce is to let it chill for a while.  The fat will rise to the top and harden and come right out.  The cooled sauce will become very thick, so reheat it carefully.



The only other recipe I've seen that is similar is this Apricot Glazed Chicken dish from Dave Lieberman.  It's very good, but I still like Vicki's version a little bit better.  Maybe it's the soy sauce ...  incidentally, when I make Dave's recipe, I like to add a can of well-drained apricot halves, but your mileage may vary.  You can kind of see my Apricot Glazed Chicken along the back of the stove in the picture above.  Vicki has been known to add some canned pineapple to her chicken, and I like that version too, but my son is "no-go" on pineapple.

Kielbasa Lentil Soup
This is actually an update of a Weight Watcher's recipe that Vicki and I shared over 30 years ago. Those were the days when Weight Watchers made muffins with ground up bread crumbs and dry powdered milk, but this recipe was straight forward, real ingredients. It is homey and delicious and filling. The original recipe used knockwurst, but what's available in the markets today is a pale imitation of the garlicky knockwurst of my chubby youth, and so I've switched to kielbasa.  Today I used the new polska kielbasa made by Nathan's - like the hot dog - and it is leaner and smokier than Hillshire Farms.  Very good.

Read this recipe through all the way before starting to cook.  Start your lentils cooking before anything else.

2 medium onions, chopped
4 medium carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, with leaves, chopped
4 large cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
2 Knorr chicken bouillon cubes
3 packets Sazon Goya Sin Achiote
1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1-28 oz. can crushed tomatoes with basil
pinch of sugar

Combine the above ingredients in a large stockpot and cook for 20 minutes, stirring to make sure it doesn't scorch on the bottom.  If needed, add a little of the reserved cooking liquid (see below), bring it back up to heat, and continue cooking till done.

1-1 lb. bag lentils, cooked according to instructions on bag using 8 cups of water
Reserved lentil cooking liquid
2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
2 bay leaves
1- 1 lb. ring kielbasa or smoked sausage
kosher salt, coarse black pepper
Tabasco sauce

To the reserved cooking liquid, add enough water to equal 4 1/2 cups.  Then add this liquid to the pot along with the cooked lentils, wine vinegar, and bay leaves.  Season with the salt, pepper and a few drops of Tabasco to taste. Taste and adjust seasoning.  I usually add a little more granulated garlic and thyme at this point.  Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, then add the kielbasa, cover and simmer 20 minutes more.  Remove the kielbasa and cut into any size slice you like.  I halve the sausage the long way, then cut 1/2 inch slices.  Return the kielbasa to the pot, and adjust the seasoning if needed.  Heat gently another 5 minutes, then serve.  There are at least 12 servings in there.  All you need is bread and butter and maybe a bib.


Cook like there's nobody watching, and eat like it's heaven on earth.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Auto da fe' Friday Soup - 3/17/11

An excellent soup for a pre-Inquisition repast!  This was one of my mother's recipe, which is appropriate as life with Mom was one long auto da fe' .... seriously, this is good.  Enjoy.

QUICK CORN CHOWDER


1 10 ½ ounce can Campbell’s Cream of Potato Soup
1 15 ounce can creamed corn
1 soup can milk
Butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Stir all the ingredients together in a saucepan over medium heat, then top with a lump of butter.  Salt and pepper to taste.  If you like, garnish with a few whole kernels of cooked corn from can or freezer, or some leftover grilled corn cut off the cob, and chopped fresh parsley or chopped fresh chives.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Kasha Varnishkes, Deep Dish (It's not really) Pizza, and Texas Pete Extra Mild Buffalo Wings - 3/13/11


My Grandmother's Kasha Varnishkes

1 cup of coarse kasha (buckwheat groats - I use Wolff's brand)
1 beaten egg
2 cups boiling water
4 chopped onions
1 - 7 oz. bag large egg bows (Manischewitz brand - yes, like the kosher wine)
kosher salt and pepper

Boil the noodles and drain well.  Put the kasha in a heavy skillet.  Stir in the egg, coating each grain.  Turn on medium-low heat and stir the kasha until just dry, with each grain separate.  Pour in the boiling water.  Cover and cook on low until all the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.  Fry the onions in oil (vegetable, canola, corn) until soft and golden brown.  To assemble:  in a very large pot or bowl, mix the egg bows and the kasha together.  Add in the onions and all of the cooking oil.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Mix everything together.  If the mixture seems dry, drizzle in a very small amount of additional oil.  Heat through and serve. 


Inspiration Nation's Deep Dish (It's Not Really) Pizza

2 lbs. fresh pizza dough (I get mine at the bakery in Publix)
6 slices Canadian bacon
8 slices sandwich size pepperoni
1 lb. hot bulk sausage (I like Publix own brand best)
8 slices provolone
6 slices mozzarella
1 large onion, cut into slivers
1 large green pepper, cut into slivers
6 large cloves garlic, cut into slivers
2- 3.5 oz. boxes shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and discarded, caps sliced
2 Italian "baby"eggplants, sliced
1 green tomato, sliced
1/2 cup self-rising flour
1-6 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts (I use Vigo brand), drained
1-14 oz. can "salad cut" hearts of palm (Vigo brand, again), drained
Half of a 6 1/2 oz tub of Italian seasoned large ripe (black) olives (Lindsay brand), drained, each olive halved the long way 
1 jar spicy marinara sauce (I use Barilla brand)


The day before, take two packages of pizza dough, punch down and combine them into one large ball.  Lightly grease a large mixing bowl with some olive oil, place the dough ball in, rotate to coat with some of the oil, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Cooking day:  take the mixing bowl with the dough out of the fridge and let sit on the counter while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.  First, cook and sausage in a large frying pan, breaking up the pieces (don't worry about crumbling).  Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon.  Reheat the sausage fat in the pan and add the onion, green pepper, and garlic.  Saute just until slightly softened.  Set aside off of the heat.

In a ziploc plastic bag, place the slices of eggplant and green tomato, the flour, and a big pinch of kosher salt. In a separate frying pan, heat olive oil and then brown the eggplant and tomato.  Do this in two batchs, then remove to a dish and set aside.  Let the pan cool, and discard any of the browned flour and oil.  Wipe it out, then add about 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil, and saute the shiitake mushroom slices until softened and slightly browned.  Take the pan off the heat and set aside.

Look, I know it sounds like a fussy pain in the tuchis, but it is worth it.  You can do all of the prep work the day before, and just let everything come to room temperature before assembling:

If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven, then preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  You will need one of those large deep dish pizza pans.  Hopefully you bought one before you got to this point.  Grease the pan lightly with olive oil and then start working on the dough:  punch it down and remove to a board over which you've sprinkled some yellow cornmeal.  Oil your fingertips, and start spreading out the dough, turning it over so there is cornmeal on both sides.  At some point you are going to have to use a rolling pin to work the dough to the size you need.  Place the rolled dough in the pan, and continue to work with your fingers to spread it out, while working around to create the sides.  Relax, this will take a while ... I watched RED with Bruce Willis while I worked the dough - it will take you about 15 minutes to get the dough the way you want it - watch the whole movie if you get a chance, it was awesome.

Start filling the dough, carefully placing the ingredients in this order:
Canadian bacon
pepperoni
mozzarella
cooked sausage
1/2 jar of the spicy marinara
artichoke hearts
black olives
hearts of palm
peppers and onions
shittake mushrooms
remaining sauce
eggplant and green tomato
provolone

Place carefully on the pizza stone in the oven and bake for one hour or until the center is hot.  I did rest a piece of aluminum foil over so the cheese and crust would not burn.  Remove and let rest at least 15 minutes.  Makes 12 servings.



Testing Texas Pete Extra Mild Buffalo Wing Sauce

3 lbs. frozen chicken wings (wingette and drumette pieces) defrosted overnight in refrigerator
garlic salt with parsley
black pepper
Emeril's Original Essence
1- 16.5 oz. bottle Texas Pete Extra Mild Buffalo Wing Sauce

Rinse and pat dry the wings.  Sprinkle both sides with garlic salt with parsley, black pepper, and Essence, and place on a plate.  Cover with a paper towel and let rest in the refrigerator at least one hour.  Then place the wings into a ziptop plastic bag, pour over the entire contents of the bottle of wing sauce, and place back in the refrigerator to marinate at least one hour - longer is better.  Shake the bag of chicken gently a few times while marinating.  When you are ready for the wings, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the wings on a rack set over a rimmed backing sheet and brush with some of the sauce. About 10 minutes before the wings are done, brush with some more of the sauce if you like.  Discard any sauce that you do not use.  Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the wings are done and a little crispy.

The results of the test were excellent, and the feedback very positive.  These are delicious, possibly the best buffalo wings I've ever had.  There is a very faint "bite" and warmth to the sauce, but these are not really spicy, just very flavorful.  I'm no chili head, and I simply cannot eat a buffalo wing that is coated in a sauce designed to make the top of my head pop off.  Even so-called "mild" wings are too spicy to my taste - this extra mild sauce is perfect.  Do not be put off by the color ... honestly, it is really, really good.

Texas Pete Extra Mild Buffalo Wings and My Grandmother's Kasha Varnishkes

Cook like there's nobody watching, and eat like it's heaven on earth.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Hungarian Noodle Pudding - 3/12/11

My cousin Gary - actually my husband's cousin-in-law, if there is such a thing - was over on Facebook reminiscing about "Aunt Jeanne's Noodle Pudding" - Aunt Jeanne being his wife Sheryl's aunt, and my mother in law, a fabulous cook and, as I've explained over on the blog post, Noodles on the Brain, a very nice person.  I love her dearly.

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Gary and Sheryl - Cinco de Julio celebration at my house

This is Mom's recipe for noodle pudding, which is different than how I make noodle pudding, which might have to do with the fact that I'm not Hungarian.  Lucky for me, when I married her oldest son, my cooking horizons were widened 180 degrees.

HUNGARIAN NOODLE PUDDING
1 lb. broad noodles
3 eggs, beaten
pitted prunes mashed with sugar
crushed walnuts mixed with cinnamon and sugar
¼ lb. butter

Boil noodles according to package directions.  Drain; add butter and beaten eggs, a drop of salt and a little sugar.

Butter a baking dish or spray with Pam.  Then put a layer of noodles in the pan, then a layer of prunes, another layer of noodles, a layer of walnuts mixed with the cinnamon and sugar, and top with a layer of noodles.

If there are any mashed prunes left, put some dabs of it on top, or top with extra nut mixture.

Bake in a 350 degree oven about 45 minutes to an hour.

Mom in the kitchen - one of my favorite pictures of her

I realize the recipe does not give precise amounts on the prune and walnuts, but this is one of those times you can use your imagination.  Try using a whole package of prunes (I think the food police came along and renamed them "dried plums") to start.  It should be enough.  As to the walnuts, add those to taste.  Some people love a lot of nuts in their food and baking while others (like me and my boys) are willing to go "WW" - without walnuts.  I like to use a little more sugar than Mom does, but that's because I'm Russian, and we like to put sugar in everything.

Whether you are Hungarian or Russian ... wherever your ancestors hailed from - you will enjoy this.  So start mashing those prunes and crushing those walnuts.

Cook like there's nobody watching, and eat like it's heaven on earth.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Smoked Brisket, Messy Turkey Legs, and the ever popular Chicken Ratatouille - 3/6/11

Sweet But Messy Turkey Legs

Ingredients:
3 small turkey legs
garlic salt (with parsley)
lemon pepper
1 large Spanish onion, rough chop
2 medium carrots, cut crosswise into thirds, then lengthwise into sticks
1-14 oz. can whole berry cranberry sauce
1/2 can duck sauce (use the cranberry sauce can to measure the duck sauce)
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Sprinkle the turkey legs all over with the garlic salt and lemon pepper and set aside while you prepare the onions and carrots.  In a small (smaller rather than large) crockpot, put the onions and carrots in first.  Sprinkle a little bit of kosher salt over the vegetables.  Then add the turkey legs to the crockpot.  Combine the cranberry sauce, duck sauce and soy sauce, and pour over the contents of the crockpot.  Cover and cook on the low setting for eight hours.  Remove the lid, turn off the heat, and let the contents cool so the sauce will thicken.  I recommend serving this with mashed potatoes and a green vegetable like broccoli or brussel sprouts.



Emeril's Texas-Style Smoked Brisket  - The recipe at Food Network

Let me make a few comments - Emeril's recipe presumes you are using a certain kind of smoker.  There are many different ways to smoke meat, and I recommend you follow your manufacturer's instructions.  I will be using the smoker box of a gas grill.  The important thing to remember is that old barbecue mantra "low and slow."  Your patience will be rewarded.

I do not make the barbecue sauce from scratch.  I like to use Sonny's sweet sauce, which is available for sale all over.  After the beef is sliced, I like to pour some sauce on it to warm through, and then place slices of the saucy beef on top of a slice of Texas Garlic Toast (make your own or from the freezer section).  This is serious good eats.  Add this to your list of manly comfort foods, suitable for the Super Bowl.  Or a backyard barbecue with homemade cole slaw, macaroni salad, and hot German potato salad as accompaniments.

UPDATE:  I've got the best-smelling backyard in Central Florida.  Just sayin' ...


The brisket is sliced up, so let me critique the final result:  next time, I will only use enough of the spice rub to season the outside, rather than coat it in a crust. The crust is too heavy and too spicy, and I think it  prevented the formation of a nice smoke ring.  Also, I may try to periodically spray the meat with beer or some other liquid.   That is how I've done it in the past, and I think I was rewarded with a moister piece of meat.  I also think this brisket was too closely trimmed by the butcher.  I like a thicker layer of fat, because it drips down on the meat as it cooks, acting as a natural baste. Having said that, it was still pretty tasty and it sliced up like a dream.

The Ever-Popular Chicken Ratatouille
This is going to look like a lot of work, but you can work at a relaxed pace, finishing the vegetables, then sitting down to watch Howard the Duck, then the sausage, then more Howard ... you get the idea.

Ingredients:
Vegetarians, Take Heart:  The Oven-Roasted Vegetables portion of the recipe
1 pound fresh mushrooms, any combination.  Remove stems if you are using shittakes, and cut larger buttons  and criminis in half
6 small yellow squash, cut into chunks
3 large zucchini, cut into chunks
2 green peppers, cut into large strips or chunks
1 red pepper, cut into large strips or chunks
4 medium carrots, cut crosswise into thirds, then lengthwise into halves or quarters
2 large Spanish onions, cut into chunks
10 or more garlic cloves, sliced thin
Extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
Emeril's Essence
Herbes de Provence (dried)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Combine the vegetables and distribute into metal baking pans.  I used 4 pans to ensure the vegetables would roast rather than steam.  Drizzle a little oil over the vegetables, and with your hands mix to make sure they are coated.  Then sprinkle some of the salt, Essence, and the dried herbes de Provence (I buy Badia brand in the Hispanic foods section) and again mix with your hand to evenly distribute.  Put the pans in the oven and roast the vegetables about 30 minutes.  If there is a lot of liquid from the mushrooms, increase the temperature to 425 for just five more minutes.  Combine all of the vegetables into a very large roasting pan with deep sides, and set aside.
"Before" and "After"
Carnivores of the World, Unite:  The Chicken and Sausage portion of the recipe
1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian-style sausage (I used pepper and onion) - about 5 sausages
10-12 chicken thighs, with skin and on the bone
kosher salt
black pepper
Emeril's Essence 
granulated garlic
Herbes de Provence
2-26 oz. jars of chunky vegetable pasta sauce (I used Ragu's super vegetable primavera and super chunky mushroom)

Time to drag out that electric frying pan again.  Set the heat on about 250 degrees, no higher.  Add a little bit of oil to the pan, then prick the sausages all over and add them carefully to the pan.  Cook them very slowly, turning every 4 minutes, until done throughout.  This will take around 30 minutes.  While the sausage is cooking, rinse and pat dry the chicken, then sprinkle both sides with the salt, pepper, Essence, and herbes. When done, remove the sausages from the pan and set aside to cool.  Add a little more oil if needed, increase the temperature to 325 degrees, and brown the chicken on both sides, turning occasionally.  While the chicken is cooking, cut each cooled sausage in half, crosswise.  Remove the browned chicken,  let the pan cool, then remove all of the excess oil and discard.

Pour one jar of sauce into the pan.  Place the chicken and sausage back in the pan.  Pour the remaining jar of sauce over the chicken and sausage.  Cover the pan, set on simmer and let cook about 15 minutes.
Carefully place the chicken and sausage pieces on top of the vegetables.  With a really big spoon or ladle, pour the sauce evenly over the dish.  Heat together in a 350 degree oven until the sauce starts to gently bubble, and just before serving top each piece of chicken with a slice of mozzarella or provolone cheese.  Return to the oven for a few minutes until the cheese starts to bubble and squeek.  You can eat it without any starch, but I recommend cooking up some pasta and ladling the sauce and vegetables over that.  Serve this pasta alongside a piece of chicken and some sausage.
Placing the chicken and sausage over the vegetables and the finished dish

Louisiana Crab and Corn Bisque - Chef Patrick Mould's Recipe Here

No way can I get this done today ... I've used up all my free time, my limited stock of energy, and every micron of sink space.  I promise to try it sometime this week ... I've got no soup in the house, and that is a sad state of affairs.  Like my sink.


Cook like there's nobody watching, and eat like it's heaven on earth.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Scarfing - 3/3/11

Today's recipe is ...

A knitting pattern.  Recipes and patterns have a lot in common.  They instruct you how to perform a certain task to achieve a certain goal.  They tell you what items you need to accomplish that.  They expect you to read the entire thing, start to finish, before charging off into disaster.  They both utilize specialized instruments.


"Twins" Scarf, using the "thick and thin zigzags" pattern from The Big Book of Knitting Stitch Patterns

You will need:
1 pair of size US #11 straight knitting needles.  I prefer bamboo.
2 skeins of Sensations "Angel Hair" yarn, available at JoAnn's, or another bulky plush yarn.  Angel Hair is a wool-acrylic-nylon blend and comes in 120 yard skeins.  Pick any color you like; my scarf was done in "Berry."

Cast on 22 stitches.  Follow pattern and knit until the scarf is as long as you want or you run out of yarn.

Row 1 - K1, P3, *K2TOG, YO, K1, K2TOG, YO, P4*, repeat from *to*, end last repeat P3, K1

Row 2 and all even rows - work each stitch as it appears on that side, so you knit the knits and purl the purls, and also purl the YO loops, to last stitch, K1

Row 3 - K1 P2, *K2TOG, YO, K1, K2TOG, YO, P4* repeat from *to*, to last stitch, K1

Row 5 - K1, P1, *K2TOG, YO, K1, K2TOG, YO, P4* repeat from *to*, to last 2 stitches, K2

Row 7 - K1, P3, *YO, SKP, K1, YO, SKP, P4* repeat from *to*, end last repeat P3, K1.

Row 9 - K1, P4, *YO, SKP, K1, YO, SKP, P4* repeat from *to*, end last repeat P2, K1

Row 11 - K1, P5, *YO SKP, K1, YO, SKP, P4* repeat from *to*, end last two stitches K2

Row 12 - Same as Row 2

Abbreviations:
K - knit
P - purl
YO - yarn over
K2TOG - knit 2 together through the front loops
SKP - slip one stitch from left to right needle, knit next stitch on left hand needle, pass slipped stitch over knit stitch

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Meat Loaf: The Man, The Myth, The Recipe - 3/1/11

Gather your ingredients, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, find your biggest mixing bowl and a 9x3 loaf pan, and prepare to get your hands dirty.  Trust me, it's worth it.

2 pounds ground beef  (I like what Publix calls "market" beef.  Tasty.)
1 pound ground pork sausage.  (I use the store brand "hot".  It's not really hot, just tasty.)
2 eggs
4 oz. can fire-roasted diced green chiles, undrained
1 cup of Sabrett Pushcart Style onions in sauce (from a 16 oz. jar)
1 cup matzo meal
Montreal Steak Seasoning, to taste

For the top of the loaf:
1/4 cup of the remaining Sabrett onions
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar


In a large mixing bowl, combine the first seven ingredients.  I like to start out using a wooden spoon to distribute the eggs and seasoning, but always switch to the best cooking tools in the kitchen - my hands.


Besides, who doesn't like to play with their food?  Once the meat is well combined, transfer the mixture into a 9x3 loaf pan, patting it down as you go to fill all the corners and edges.  Now, in a small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup of Sabrett onions with the balsamic vinegar.  Spread over the top of the meatloaf.


Bake in the preheated oven until cooked throughout, 75 to 90 minutes.  Cover with a little aluminum foil and let rest around 20 minutes. When the meatloaf has cooled enough to handle, pour off the fat and juices into a small cup. You can make a little bit of gravy, or keep the juices to add to the meatloaf when you are warming it up.  You can slice it at this point, or refrigerate it until tomorrow.  Meatloaf, like stew and pot roast, improves with an overnight stay in the fridge.

Cook like there's nobody watching, and eat like it's heaven on earth.