Sauces

Tomatilla Salsa

8-10 tomatillas, peel off the paper and rinse in a colander, rough chop
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
juice of 1 lime
1 clove garlic
salt and pepper

Process in a food processor and serve with chips. Tart, with a hint of heat aftertaste.

Gravy and basic stock

3 Tb butter
3 Tb flour
2-3 cups broth or stock-stock tastes much better. if you're going to use broth at least take the time to reduce it so it tastes like something other than yellow water
cooked meat from giblets
salt and fresh ground pepper

Separate the fat from the pan juices and reserve both. Leave the little chunks that are stuck to the pan in it.
In the pan put back around 2-3 tb of the fat and add the same amount of flour and make a roux. Let it cook for a couple of minutes to get rid of the flour taste.
Add the reserved cooking juices and around 2-3 cups of stock to the pan. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil while stirring constantly.
Remove from the heat and add the chopped giblets and season and serve.


For chicken or turkey stock
½ stick unsalted butter
3 or more ribs of celery with leaves
1 yellow onion, skin on and quartered
3 or more carrots, unpeeled, trim off stalk end chopped in ½
2 cloves garlic
giblets
I like to keep chicken pieces in the freezer to put into stock later-wing tips, backbone etc
Whole chicken cut up if you have one
various herbs in a bouquet garni, parsley, thyme etc
bouquet garni is just some fresh herbs tied up in cheesecloth for those who don’t know
bay leaf
½ cup or more dry white wine
water
salt
peppercorns

In a very large stockpot melt the butter and add the giblets, chicken pieces, veggies and sauté until they start to carmelize.
Add wine and reduce by ½
Add bouquet garni and water and wine until covered
Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer
Let stock simmer for at least 4 hours. I like to simmer mine for at least 6 hours
You’ll need to skim off the foamy crap and the fat from the top periodically
You want to reduce the stock by at least ½ to get any kind of good flavor from it
After the stock cools remove all of the veggies and discard
Remove the bones and take off all of the meat and save for the gravy
Skim the fat off as the stock cools
One quick way is to add some ice cubes to the stock and remove quickly. The fat will cling to the cubes.
You’ll need to strain the stock. I use a large fine mesh strainer and then line the same strainer with paper towels and strain it some more
If you’re going to use the stock in the next week or so you can keep it covered tightly in the fridge.
If it’s going to be longer than a week freeze it in ice trays and store in a freezer bag

To make beef or veal stock, get some bones and chop them in half so the marrow is exposed. Place them on a roasting pan and put tomato paste on them. Roast them in the oven unit they are brown. Use those in place of the chicken pieces and substitute a good red wine for the white.
If you want to make a demi glace you’ll need to cook all of this down to almost nothing and then reduce it further until it’s a paste.


Hollandaise Sauce

Yolks from 3 large eggs
2 sticks unsalted butter, clarified
1-2 lemons, juiced
hot sauce
white pepper


Heat water in sauce pan to high simmer
Add yolks, lemon juice, pepper and hot sauce to a stainless steel bowl and whisk
Add two tb of heated water to yolks and whisk until frothy and doubled in volume
Heat bowl over water
Whisk so that mixture turns frothy, don’t let mixture scramble
Remove from heat
Slowly drizzle in clarified butter while whisking vigorously to thicken


Remoulade

3 heaping tb mayo
1 tb ketchup
1 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire
1 tb lemon juice
1 tb chopped fresh parsley
1 tb chopped green onion
Cajun seasoning to taste
Salt and pepper


Mix in processor and chill for at least 1 hour

Great on shrimp, crab cakes, burgers etc.


Port Wine Rosemary Sauce


1 tb butter
½ cup minced shallots
1 cup red wine
¾ cup ruby port
1 cup beef broth
1 sprig fresh rosemary
3 tb cold butter
1 tsp chopped rosemary


melt butter in saucepan and add shallots
cook for about 3 minutes
add wine and boil for 5 minutes
add broth and rosemary sprig
reduce to about 1/3 cup
strain and cool
add to pan after cooking steaks and heat
add butter one pat at a time and blend into sauce
add chopped rosemary and season with salt and pepper
serve over steaks


Quick Lemon Butter Sauce


¼ cup white wine
juice of 2 lemons
1 bay leaf
8 or so peppercorns
½ tsp chopped fresh thyme
¼ cup heavy cream
8 oz butter cubed, cold
salt and pepper


Reduce white wine and juice with seasonings by ½
Add cream and reduce again by ½
Whisk in butter a cube at a time to thicken
Strain and season with salt and pepper
I also like to dice up some boiled shrimp to put in the sauce
If you have an aversion to heavy cream you may omit it and just follow the recipe otherwise

Serve over grilled or sautéed fish or the citrus crusted fish


Onion and Apple Sauce for Pork

2 tb butter
1 yellow onion sliced
1 cup apple juice
2 tb brown sugar

Heat a sauté pan over medium heat and add butter
Add onions and season with salt and pepper
Sauté onions until caramelized
Add apple juice and stir in brown sugar
Reduce by ½

Serve over pork


Alyssa’s(mti) Horseradish Sauce for Prime Rib


1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
3 TBLS whole grain mustard
3-5 TBLS of horseradish (depending how hot you like it)
salt and pepper

Meet the meat

Grilled, seared, sauteed, pan fried. It's all meat and it's all good.

Basil Crusted Veal Chops


¼ cup minced basil
¼ cup plus 2 tb fresh breadcrumbs
¼ cup packed grated Parmesan
2 tb butter at room temp
2 tsp coarse grain mustard


2 8oz veal chops, 1 ½ inches thick
1 tb olive oil


Preheat oven to 450
Mix basil, ¼ cup breadcrumbs, Parmesan, mustard and butter in small bowl
Season with salt and pepper

Season chops with salt and pepper
Heat oil in large ovenproof skillet over high heat
Cook veal 1 minute per side
Press basil mixture into top of chops
Sprinkle remaining breadcrumbs onto chops
Place in oven and bake for about 15 minutes for medium rare


Beef Stroganoff

1 pound round steak, cut into thin 1” long strips
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
flour for dredging
1 Tb paprika
salt and fresh ground pepper
1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
sour cream
1 can low-sodium beef broth
¼ pound unsalted butter
1 Tb extra virgin olive oil
1 bag large egg noodles

Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Put flour with paprika and salt and pepper to taste in a large plastic bag.
Put meat into seasoned flour and coat.
When butter is melted and hot sauté onions and meat, stirring
It’s ok if bits of flour stick to the pan. More on that later.
After about 10 minutes add the minced garlic
Cook for about 5 more minute or until meat is cooked through
Deglaze the pan with the wine and broth, stirring to mix
Turn heat to low and simmer for about 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly
Add sliced mushrooms to mixture and cook for about 10 more minutes
Taste and adjust seasonings with s and p
Cook egg noodles in boiling, salted water. Make sure that you add the salt to the water before you heat it up. The salt slows down the boiling process, but adds lots of flavor to the noodles. Don’t put oil in the water. The sauce won’t stick to the noodles if you do. That’s a rule for all pastas.
Add sour cream to sauce and mix well. I usually add about 2-3 Tb’s at first and taste. Sauce should be kind of a gray-mocha color
Rinse noodles thoroughly in a colander under hot water.
Arrange in bowls and spoon sauce over.
If you want sprinkle on fresh, chopped parsley for garnish


Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin

½ cup fine, dry breadcrumbs
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
3 Tb olive oil
1 Tb fresh ground pepper
1 tsp salt
3 Tb chopped fresh thyme
2 pork tenderloins, trimmed of fat (1 ½ pounds)
chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 425.
Stir together breadcrumbs, basil, oil, salt and pepper and thyme.
Press mixture over pork and place on rack in roasting pan.
Roast for about 25 minutes, thermometer should register 160.
Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before carving.


Tenderloin Louisianne


Got this recipe from a chef friend in New Mexico

2 6-8 oz beef filets trimmed of all fat and silver skin
2 pats unsalted butter
Cajun seasoning
Fresh Hollandaise sauce

Preheat oven to 350
Melt butter in a heavy pan
Coat filets with melted butter and then coat with seasoning
Turn up heat to med high
Blacken steaks on all sides
Transfer to baking sheet and cook for about 2-3 minutes for med rare
Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes
Slice each filet into threes and arrange on plate
Spoon Hollandaise onto meat and garnish with chopped parsley


Roasted Pork Loin with Green Pepper Sauce


7 lb bone in pork loin roast, Frenched and tied
2 tb olive oil
1 tsp ground fennel seeds
1 tb salt
1 ½ cups unsalted chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 tb flour
½ cup white wine
1 tsp Dijon
2 tb green peppercorns


Let roast stand at room temp for 30 minutes
Preheat oven to 400
Rub pork with oil and season with fennel and salt
Place in rack in large roasting pan
Cook pork 1 ½ hours until thermometer reads 140 for medium, 160 for well
In small saucepan bring stock and bay leaf to a simmer
Remove from heat and let stand 30 minutes
Remove bay leaf
Transfer pork to a cutting board and cover with foil
Remove all but 2 tb of oil from pan
Set over medium heat and add flour and scrape up browned bits
Add wine, stock, mustard and peppercorns
Bring to a boil to thicken
Season with salt and pepper and serve in gravy boat

Sugar Highs

OH GAWD


I guarantee that when you take your first bite of this, you will moan, “Ohhhh, gawd,” like a cat in heat. There is no way to cram more fat calories into a single food item.

Blind bake two single pie crusts or make your own. You can use Oreo pie crusts, too. The crust is hardly the point.

Then mix together 8 oz. whipped cream cheese, a can of Eagle sweetened condensed milk, and 16 oz. Cool Whip. It should be really well mixed---use the whisker thing on the Kitchen Aid. You can stop right here, or you can shoot the moon and add powdered, unsweetened chocolate until it looks & tastes the way you want. Pour this into the two pie crusts.

Then mix together 7 oz. coconut shreds, ½ melted stick of butter, and a cup of pecan or salted almond pieces and spread out on one layer on a cookie sheet. Stick it in the oven at 350F and toast it, tossing it every so often and watching it closely so it doesn’t burn. Cool it a little and load this onto the pies. Then get a 12 oz. jar of caramel sauce and some white chocolate bits and pour and sprinkle these artfully over the tops of the pies. That’s it. Refrigerate them for as long as you can stand it or freeze them a little before you try to cut them. Or you can just sit down in the middle of the floor with a pie and a spoon and have at it. Make sure to give the other pie away or you will be too fat to walk.

Yvette's Chocolate Mousse via Alton

2 cups whipping cream (separated into 1 3/4 and 1/4)
12 ounces quality semi-sweet chocolate chips (ghirardelli works great for this)
3 ounces espresso or strong coffee
1 tablespoon dark rum 4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon flavorless, granulated gelatin
Chill 1 3/4 cups whipping cream in refrigerator.
Chill metal mixing bowl and mixer beaters in freezer. (I didn't chill the bowl/mixers, came out fine)
In top of a double boiler, combine chocolate chips, coffee, rum and butter. (add the rum after things have started to melt, it preserves the rum flavor a bit better)
Melt over barely simmering water, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat while a couple of chunks are still visible.
Cool, stirring occasionally to just above body temperature.
Pour remaining 1/4 cup whipping cream into a metal measuring cup and sprinkle in the gelatin (sprinkle slowly and stir constantly while doing so). Allow gelatin to "bloom" for 10 minutes (it gets a thicker consistency but it doesn't set).
Then carefully heat by swirling the measuring cup over a low gas flame or candle.
Do not boil or gelatin will be damaged (heat until it looks like the gelatin has dissolved and the solution is a liquid again, not grainy).
Stir mixture into the cooled chocolate and set aside.
In the chilled mixing bowl, beat cream to medium peaks.
Stir 1/4 of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Fold in the remaining whipped cream in two doses.
There may be streaks of whipped cream in the chocolate and that is fine. Do not over work the mousse. (fold carefully, it keeps the light and fluffy tecture).
Spoon into bowls or martini glasses and chill for at least 1 hour.
Garnish with fruit and serve. (If mousses are to be refrigerated overnight, chill for one hour and then cover each with plastic wrap)
I think next time I make it I'll add a bit of peppermint extract.
It's delicious, takes less than a half hour, and is soooo good.
Ooh, to chill the chocolate mixture down before adding the whipped cream, I had to float the bowl in a sink of icy water- just make sure to keep stirring the chocolate so that it doesn't chill/solidify too much.
It makes it chill to body temp in about 1-2 minutes, as opposed to the 10 or so it would take otherwise.

I bet Grand Marnier would also be a welcome addition or that rasberry liqueur, Frambord or something like that-abs


Raspberry Cool Pie


1 chocolate crumb pie shell, or if you want get some chocolate graham crackers and grind them up and mix them up with some melted butter and put them in a 9” pie tin
1 bag of frozen raspberries, not the kind with syrup-way too sweet
1 cup sugar
½ cup heavy cream, whipped until peaks form
juice of one lemon

thaw out raspberries
put raspberries, sugar and lemon juice in processor or blender and mix together well
fold raspberry mixture into whipped cream and pour into pie shell and freeze


if you want to whip up 1 cup of cream to make the pie lighter
serve with bittersweet chocolate shavings and whipped cream

Salads and Dressings and Other Green Stuff

VIJAY'S CHICKPEAS

INGREDIENTS

~4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp black mustard seed
1 tsp cumin seed
1.5 tsp minced fresh ginger
0.25 - 1 tsp minced hot green chili (Thai or Indian) (optional)
0.25 - 0.5 tsp foenugreek seed (optional)
1 medium-large yellow or red onion, chopped to ~1.5 cm squares
1 tsp turmeric
1.25 tsp coriander powder
0.25 - 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper (to taste)
1 tsp salt
2 cans of chick peas (~16 oz each), drained and washed once
2 cans whole peeled tomatoes (~14 oz each), crushed thoroughly by hand
0.5 cup chopped fresh cilantro (with stems)

PROCESS

Note: do not allow any ingredient to burn or get stuck to the pan.

Put large pan or pot to high heat.
Add olive oil, and allow to become hot.
Add mustard seeds, cover pan. Seeds should pop. Once they start
popping, remove pan from heat and wait until popping stops.
Add cumin seeds, re-cover. Put pan on low heat.
Add green chili, ginger and foenugreek; allow ginger to brown slightly.
Add onion, bring heat to medium.
After about 2-3 minutes, add half the turmeric, half the coriander powder.
Allow onions to caramelize, mixing frequently.
Mix in chickpeas, and some liquid from the tomato can and a little
water, bring heat up slightly.
Allow chick peas to cook for ~5-10 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally.
Mix in tomatoes, add salt.
Add remaining turmeric, coriander powder; add cayenne pepper.
Allow to cook for ~5 minutes covered, stirring occasionally.
Uncover, and allow to cook ~5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally - boil
off excess water.
Allow to cool ~5 minutes, stirring occasionally, add salt and cayenne
pepper to taste.
Immediately before serving, mix in cilantro.

Et, voila. This is best served with a little yogurt or bread (or both

BROWNDOG'S CORNBREAD

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Coat 9-inch baking pan or iron skillet with margarine or cooking spray. Place pan in oven and pre-heat it for at least 10 minutes.

Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and cayenne in large mixing bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon. Add buttermilk and egg, stir well to blend.

Pour batter into the preheated pan. Bake 25 minutes. Should be light golden brown.

BROWNDOG'S CORNBREAD STUFFING WITH SAUSAGE

I prefer Andouille, but you might want to do what all the other Rhode Island people do and use Linguica. But the Portagee stuff has a lot more fat than Andouille so you'll need to drain some of it off. Also, be prepared to serve orange-colored stuffing.

2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1/2 pound sausage, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped green bell peppers
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pan cornbread
3 slices white bread, torn into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne
2 eggs, beaten
1 to 2 cups chicken broth, as needed

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish with butter.

Cook the sausage in a large sausage until brown and fat renders (5 minutes).

Add onions, celery, bell peppers, and garlic, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from stove, empty into large bowl to cool.

Crumble corn bread into the bowl. Then add white bread pieces, green onions, parsley, and thyme. Mix well.

Add salt, pepper, cayenne, and eggs. Mix well.

Add enough broth, 1/4 cup at a time, to moisten the stuffing. Stir well. Be careful not to add too much or it will get soggy.

Transfer to greased baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake 25 minutes, remove foil, and bake another 15 minutes until browned.

If dietary restrictions prevent you from using pork, you could use turkey sausage. You could also eliminate the sausage altogether, but you'll lose all that awesome flavor. You'll also have to come up with a way to replace the fat in the recipe. I'd suggest a half-stick of butter.

Makes about 8 servings, so adjust accordingly.

Now for the traditional stuff. Only the charlatans and heretics hate fruit in stuffing, so here goes...

BROWNDOG'S APPLE AND HERB STUFFING

16 cups hearty white or whole wheat bread in 1-inch cubes or pieces
4 Tbsp butter (1/2 stick)
2 cups chopped yellow onion
2 cups chopped celery
2 Granny Smith apples, unpeeled, cored and chopped in 1/2-inch pieces
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
1 tsp fresh sage, minced
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup chicken stock

Preheat oven to 300 F. Put bread cubes on a cookie sheet, bake for 6-7 minutes.

Melt butter in a large saute pan. Add onion, celery, apples, parsley, rosemary, sage, salt, and pepper. Saute for 10 minutes, until mixture is soft.

Combine the bread cubes and saute mixture in a large bowl. Add chicken stock 1/4-cup at a time. Stir well. Be careful not to add too much or it will get soggy.

As an option, try adding 1/2 cup of toasted almonds. It's awesome.



TURKISH SALAD by Meems (Kosher)


1 diced onion
1 bunch chopped scallions
2 cloves minced garlic
2 cans whole peeled tomatoes, drained (save the liquid for something else)
1 can tomato paste
1 diced yellow pepper
1 diced orange pepper
salt and pepper
cayenne pepper, if desired

olive oil

Heat the olive oil and add the onion, scallions, and garlic until fragrant. Lower heat and simmer about 10 minutes. Add the peppers and simmer another 5 minutes.

Take the tomatoes out of the cans, and break up with your hands. Add the paste and the simmer uncovered for about 20-30 minutes, until thick. Add salt and pepper.

Cool and add cayenne as desired. Don’t add the cayenne while it’s hot, or you won’t get a correct taste of the heat.

Serve on a plate with hummous, tabouleh, and black olives.

Stazz' Bean Salad

1/2 C. barley
1/2 C. long-grain brown rice
1 C. canned black beans, drained
1 C. canned kidney beans, drained
1 C. corn kernels, cooked
1/2 C. chopped green onions
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 C. chopped fresh cilantro

Dressing:1/4 C. red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 C. olive oil

In a large saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil.
Stir in barleyand reduce heat to medium-low.
Cover and simmer for 40 to 45 minutes,or until tender.
Cool.In another saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil; add the rice.
Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, or untiltender.
Cool.
In a large bowl, combine barley, rice, beans, corn, onions, red bellpepper and cilantro.
Mix well.
Make dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, garlic, chilipowder, salt, black pepper and pepper flakes.
Whisk in oil.
Pour over salad and toss well.
Serve.
Serves 6.

- stazz


Caesar Salad

2 or 3 heads of romaine lettuce roughly torn into pieces
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
6-8 anchovy filets, drained and minced
1 ½ tsp dry mustard
2 Tb lemon juice
1 egg
½ cup fresh grated Parmesan
fresh ground pepper to taste

Croutons
2 TB extra virgin olive oil
French bread, crust removed and cut into pieces
2 cloves(or more) garlic, crushed

For croutons.
In large sauté pan heat 2 Tb of olive oil over low heat. Add garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. Don’t let the garlic turn brown. Remove garlic and turn heat to medium. Add bread and coat with oil. Brown bread while shaking pan. Drain over paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.


Dressing
In a glass bowl combine garlic, anchovies, mustard, lemon juice, egg and pepper and 2 tb of Parmesan.
Slowly drizzle in oil while whisking until emulsified.
Add 2 Tb of Parmesan.
Toss romaine with dressing.
Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and croutons.


Lemon Pepper Dressing


3 Tb lemon juice
1 egg, beaten
2 Tb chopped parsley
1 Tb pepper
1 Tb Dijon
½ tsp salt
3/4/cup olive oil

In food processor mix together all ingredients except for oil. With processor running, slowly drizzle in oil until an emulsion forms. Serve over mixed greens.


Pepper Cream Dressing


2 cups mayo
¼ cup water
1 tsp fresh grated Parmesan
1 ½ tsp dry mustard
1 ½ Tb Worcestershire
1 ½ Tb A-1
1 Tb pepper
1 ½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt

Whisk together and serve over Romaine.

Randy’s Dressing


1 clove garlic
1 tsp coarse salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tsp Dijon
1 egg, beaten
2 TB extra virgin olive oil
2 Tb red wine vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Mash garlic and sat together on a paper bag to make a paste. In a bowl mix together all ingredients except for ¼ cup oil. While whisking, slowly drizzle in ¼ cup of oil until dressing emulsifies. Serve immediately.


Bleu Cheese Dressing

1 ½ cups mayonnaise
1/3 cup buttermilk
¼ cup sour cream
2 Tb lemon juice
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp Tabasco
5 oz Bleu Cheese, crumbled

In bowl stir in all ingredients, except cheese until smooth. Stir in Bleu Cheese and salt and pepper to taste.


Creamy Roasted Garlic Dressing

1 head of roasted garlic
2 tsp mild olive oil
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1 Tb white wine vinegar
¾ tsp fresh ground pepper
½ tsp salt

In medium bowl stir together sour cream and mayonnaise. Add roasted garlic. Mash well with spatula. Stir in other ingredients. Will keep for 1 week.

Roasted Red Pepper Dressing


2 cups mayo
1 cup sour cream
juice of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 Tb chopped fresh parsley
pepper
2 cups roasted red peppers
2 Tb Parmesan
1 Tb Dijon

Mix together in processor. Serve over Romaine.

Fowl

Cornish Hens with Mushroom Sauce

2 Cornish hens, rinsed, dried and split in half
2 cloves of garlic split, or garlic powder
1 yellow onion, chopped
salt and pepper
½ pound mushrooms, washed and sliced
1 stick unsalted butter
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup sour cream
1 tsp dried basil or 1-2 good size fresh basil leaf chopped. If you use fresh basil do not put it in until the meal is almost ready to be served

Preheat oven to 350
Rub garlic cloves over the hens or sprinkle with the powder
Season with salt and pepper
Place in a greased metal baking dish, cut side down
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes
Remove foil and bake another 30 minutes
During this time sauté the onion and sliced mushrooms for about 5 minutes
Add the wine and season with salt
Pour mixture over the hens and bake 30 minutes
Place the hens on a serving platter over rice
Whisk in the sour cream into the pan juices over medium heat on the stove
Taste and adjust seasonings
Add basil
Pour over the hens and rice

PEARL’S GALCIANER GARLIC CHICKEN by Meems (Kosher)


My husband’s family is from Lublin, so I learned how to make this from my father-in-law, who learned it from his mother, Pearl Beilin.

It’s best to start this the night before, so the herbs have a chance to release their flavor, but if you don’t have time, or forget, an extra 40 minutes or so is needed for marinating.


1 whole head of garlic, broken into cloves with peel left on
1 chicken (3-4 lbs.) cut into 8’s
salt and pepper
sprigs of fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage (or any other combination, but the rosemary is crucial), enough to make a nice handful
¾ c. vegetable or olive oil (you can reduce this)

Smash about half the garlic cloves with a heavy knife and rub into the chicken pieces. Rub some salt and pepper on the chicken, and place the chicken pieces with the herbs in a plastic bag. Add 2-3 T. oil and refrigerate overnight (or 40 minutes), turning once.

The next day (or 40 minutes later), take the chicken bag out while the oven heats. Remove the herbs and smashed garlic and reserve.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Heat the remaining oil until shimmering in a heavy, ovenproof skillet. Place the chicken carefully in the oil, skin side down and cook at a slow steady simmer for about 30 minutes. You don’t need to turn it. You may need to do this in batches so it’s not crowded.

Once all the chicken pieces have been fried, you can pour off the oil (although Pearl certainly did not) and place the herbs at the bottom of the skillet. Put the chicken back in and scatter the garlic cloves artfully around. Place in the oven and bake about 30 minutes until crisp and the dark sections are done.

Serves 6 normal people or 2 Galicianers.

TABYEET by Meems (Kosher)

Tabyeet is an overnight Sabbath dish that appears, with variations, throughout the Middle East. This is the Iraqi version. Tabyeet means “shelter” and the dish lives up to its name. You don’t have to cook it overnight, but then the house doesn’t smell like heaven by lunchtime. Serve with appetizers like hummous and baba ganoush and a green salad. Don’t admit how easy it is; just accept the compliments graciously.

3T. oil
1 t. ground turmeric
1 chicken, 3-4 lbs.
6 c. water
1 can tomato paste
6 whole cardamon seeds
1 t. ground cinnamon
salt and pepper, to taste
3 c. basmati or jasmine rice
2 cans chickpeas, drained
6 eggs, optional

Heat the oil in an 8 qt. pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the turmeric and brown the chicken on all sides. Add the water, tomato paste, cardamon, salt, pepper (I use a lot of pepper and not very much salt) and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the chicken.

Return the cooking liquid to the boil and add the rice. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. If the rice is dry, add a little more water. Take the rice off the stove and cool for a few minutes, uncovered.

Mix the chickpeas into the rice mixture and the spoon a cup or so of rice into the chicken’s cavity. Make a well in the rice, and nestle the chicken, breast side up, into the rice. If you are using the eggs, carefully prick a hole in the round part of the eggshell (to let air escape) and then bury them carefully in the rice around the chicken. Make sure they are not touching the bottom of the pot. Explosions are not good.

Cover with tinfoil and then cover tightly with the pot’s cover and bake in a 200F oven overnight. Or, you can bake it at 350 for 2 hours, reduce the heat to 250 and cook for 2-3 more hours.

To serve, remove the chicken carefully and de-bone it. Arrange on a serving platter with the rice mounded around it. Scrape up all the crusty rice from the bottom of the pan—it’s the best part. Arrange the eggs, in their shells, on top of the rice. Serves 6-8.

THREE VINEGAR CHICKEN by Meems (Kosher)

1 three-to-four pound chicken, cut in 8’s*
7 T. oil
1/3 c. white vinegar
1/3 c. cider vinegar
1/3 c. balsamic or rice-wine vinegar**
2 shallots or 1 sweet onion, minced
1 can tomato paste
1 ¾ c. chicken stock
1 c. tofutti sour cream or soy milk***
salt and pepper to taste
chopped parsley for garnish

Heat the oil and add the chicken skin side down and brown to an even color. Turn and brown on the other side. Depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to do this in batches. Remove with tongs and transfer to a platter.

Pour off the fat, and OFF THE HEAT (I mean it!!) add the vinegars to deglaze the pan. Stand back, because the fumes can be pretty intense. Add the shallots and cook covered over low heat for about 2-3 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken pieces to a warmed platter and cover with foil.

Add the tomato paste and stock to the pan and stir to blend thoroughly. Heat the sauce to a low simmer. Add the sour “cream” and warm uncovered in the sauce. Return the chicken and cook over low heat, turning the pieces from time to time to absorb the sauce for about 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning and correct with salt and pepper or a little more vinegar. Plate and garnish with parsley.

* You can also use chicken cutlets
** You can use some dry white wine if you like. The sauce comes out
a sort of weird color; I usually add a drop or two of red food coloring
or a few drops of gravy color to make it look a little more palatable. The parsley helps, too.
*** The rest of the world—the non-kosher part---can use sour cream or crème
fraiche. Just make sure it doesn’t boil.

This is very good served with rice or pasta to soak up the sauce. It also makes great leftovers.


URI's Chicken Burritos

8 burrito tortillas
1.5-2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breast
Yellow rice (see below)
1 cup Mexican blend cheese
1 cup Cheddar Jack cheese
Hot sauce
Olive oil
Paprika, Cilantro, chili powder, kosher salt, black pepper, and cumin to taste.

Remove all the excess fat from the chicken and cut it into 1” cubes. Add oil to a no-stick skillet and bring to temperature using medium-high heat. Add chicken and all the spices. Toss chicken in the spices while cooking. When the chicken is cooked through, set aside.

Warm the tortillas in the microwave. To each tortilla, add in 1/8th of the rice mixture down the middle. Spoon chicken in the middle and cover with cheese. Add a few drops of hot sauces (best is Frank’s Lime and Chili). Fold bottom quarter of the tortilla up, and roll the sides to make a cylinder.

Makes 8 burritos.

Yellow Rice
2 cups long grain rice
4 cups water
2 smashed garlic cloves
1 teaspoon tumeric
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Pepper to taste

Put all the ingredients in a 2 quart saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce to a simmer until the water has been absorbed. Remove from heat and cover for 5 minutes. Throw out the garlic and set aside.

Serves 8


Tom's Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe should make four servings of two enchiladas each. Multiply the amounts for larger amounts.

1.5 - 2 Pounds of boneless skinless chicken breast
3 Tablespoons olive oil (rough estimate)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Large onion, diced
1 Green or red bell pepper
2 Cloves of garlic, minced
1 large or 2-4 small fresh chilles, diced (I use one large Pablano (looks like a dark green bell pepper) or jalepenos. You can substitute on small can of diced jalepenos to make this easier)
1 12 oz. can of diced tomatos (non-seasoned)
8 corn tortillas
1 8 oz. package of Mexican cheese (I use the finely shredded Sargento stuff)
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 32 oz. container of chicken stock - only use half!! (I use College Inn in the aseptic packages)
Juice from one lime
1/2 cup of Dry Rub mixture

Dry Rub Mixture

1 Tbsp salt
1 Tsp black pepper
1 Tsp onion powder
1 Tsp garlic powder
1 Tsp chili powder
1 Tsp paprika
1 Tsp ground cumin
1 Tsp

Remove any skin or fat from the chicken breasts. Rub 1/2 Tbsp of olive oil on the chicken breasts with your hands so that they are just lightly coated with the oil. Sprinkle the dry rub on the chicken so that they are fully coated. Put a large pot on the stove at medium high heat and add 2 Tbsp of oil when hot. Cook the chicken in the pot (in batches if necessary) for 5 minutes per side until the chicken is just turning firm when you press on it with your finger. When the chicken is cooked, put it aside to rest for at least 20 minutes.

In the same uncleaned pot, add the onions, peppers and chiles. Lower heat to medium. Stir the mixture occasionally for 10 minutes, until the onions turn translucent. Add tomatos and continue cooking for five more minutes, adding the garlic and half the cilantro in the final two minutes. Add the chicken stock and lime juice to the pot, scraping the bottom of the pot to losen any carmelized chicken bits. Lower heat to low, until the the sauce is simmering and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the cooking is done, run the sauce though a food processor or blender to smooth it out.

Slice the chicken thinly and combine with half the cheese and the remaining cilantro in a bowl.

In a small frying pan over medium high heat, add enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom. Cook each tortilla for 10-20 seconds per side and dry them on paper towels when done. Be sure not to brown the tortillas - just soften them up a bit.

Take a tortilla and add a Tbsp of sauce to one side. Add the chicken mixture, then roll it up and put it in a baking dish. Continue this process with the remaining tortillas. Top the tortillas with the sauce (just to coat them, not soak them). Top the dish with cheese and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes

My Chicken Enchiladas

red or green chile which can be found in the soups portion of the program

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts trimmed of all fat and rough diced about 1/2"
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, diced
3 green chiles, roasted peeled and chopped or one small can of diced green chile, and you can not use bell peppers as a substitute rev
a little olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tsp leaf oregano
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp of chipotle powder
corn or flour tortillas
grated cheese. I use the 4 cheese Mexican blend. not the seasoned crap. you can use queso blanco, cheddar or mozzarella

heat oil in a large pan over medium heat
season chicken with the spice/herb mixture
add onions, seasoned chicken and chiles
cook till done

you can serve these rolled or flat
for corn you'll need to heat up some vegetable oil in a pan and heat up the corn tortillas quickly so they are pliable and not crispy
you can stack these or roll them
if you use flour you'll roll them
for rolled of either kind you'll need a pyrex rectangular baking dish

preheat oven to 350

rolled:

after the chicken is cooked fill as many of the tortillas that will fit in the pan as you can and place in the greased baking dish
ladle over the chile to cover
sprinkle grated cheese on top
heat in oven for 15 minutes or so

stacked:
place a corn tortilla on an oven safe plate
pile on some of the chicken
tortilla
chicken
tortilla
chicken
tortilla

ladle on some chile
sprinkle on cheese
heat in oven till cheese melts

I usually serve them with some sour cream, you can use Mexican crema, fresh guacamole and fresh salsa and chips




Grilled Lime Chicken Breasts

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts trimmed of all fat
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
juice of 3 limes
1/3 cup chopped, fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste


Mix garlic, lime juice, cilantro and s & p.
Slowly drizzle in olive oil while whisking constantly.
Let stand on counter for 30 minutes.
Place chicken breasts in a plastic bag and pour in marinade.
Place in fridge and let marinate for about 1-2 hours.
Cook on hot grill or under broiler in oven until done.
Serve with rice.

A couple of shots of tequila work well in this
I will also use this recipe for chicken fajitas and add some Mexican beer to it for a different flavor. Also a little ground cumin and 3 or 4 chopped jalapenos

Marinade is also very good on shrimp. Only marinate for about 30 minutes.


Chicken and Poblano Pinwheels



4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of all fat
4 roasted poblano chile peppers, stemmed and seeded and halved-kitchen sink for how to
fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced thin
fresh guacamole
sour cream
flour tortillas cut into ½ “ strips
red chile-without pork chunks-recipe is in the bowl section



Flatten out chicken breasts between 2 sheets of wax paper or in a freezer bag with a meat mallet or rolling pin to even thickness
Place poblano pepper on inside of breast
Place a slice of cheese on pepper
Roll up breasts and secure with toothpicks
Season with salt and pepper
Saute in oven-proof skillet with olive oil
Turn once
Place in 350 degree oven and bake for about 7-10 minutes

Heat vegetable oil in large pot over medium high heat
In batches, fry the tortilla strips for 1-2 minutes
Drain on paper towels and season with salt and pepper

On plate evenly spread red chile
Place 5 dollops of guacamole around sides of plate
Place some sour cream on guac
Remove chicken from oven
Remove toothpicks and cut chicken in half across the middle
Cut ends off of the cut pieces so that the pepper shows
Place 2 pieces of chicken upright in center of plate
Put some tortilla strips on and serve

This is a lot easier than it looks

Beer Can Chicken


Two whole chickens, washed and patted dry
2 ½ cans beer
seasonings


Bring chicken to room temperature
Prepare large amount of charcoal in grill
While coals burn down wash and dry chicken
Drink ½ can of beer x 2
Season chicken inside and out with favorite seasonings, I usually do one Cajun and one with lemon pepper
After coals are ready place chickens on cans and arrange over coals with the legs and can acting as a tripod
It will take about 1 ½ hours to cook chicken
Check temperature with a thermometer
Temp should be 170-175 in meatiest part of thigh. Make sure the thermometer is not touching bone
Bring chicken inside and let rest under foil for about 15 minutes
Serve


I strongly recommend drinking more of your favorite libations while chicken cooks

Fishes

Shrimp Tacos

1lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
juice of three limes
1 tb olive oil
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jicama root, peeled and cut into matchsticks
powdered chipotle to taste
small flour tortillas
salt and pepper

mix lime juice, cilantro, jalapeno garlic and olive oil and marinate shrimp for 15 minutes
heat saucepan with a little more olive oil to medium
saute shrimp and season with chipotle powder to taste
build tacos with jicama sticks and add shrimp with a little more chopped cilantro
serve with some tomatilla salsa


Crusted Grouper

4 grouper filets 8-12 oz
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
grated fresh Parmesan
fresh Italian parsley, diced
salt and pepper
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 pound of pancetta, diced

Render the pancetta
Mix together the cooked pancetta along with some of the grease, breadcrumbs, lemon juice and parsley tobether in a glass bowl and season with salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 350
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
Place filets on paper and cover the filets with a layer of the breadcrumb mixture about 1/4" or so thick
Bake for about 10-15 minutes
Serve

Greek Pasta With Shrimp
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 tsp minced garlic
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 ½ cups canned artichoke hearts, chopped
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 cup chopped, seeded tomatoes
3 tb lemon juice
3 tb chopped, fresh parsley
2 tb chopped, fresh oregano
2 tb chopped olives for garnish
12 oz angel hair or linguine
Cook pasta in salted water
While pasta is cooking heat oil in large pan over medium heat
Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds
Add shrimp and sauté for 2 minutes
Add remaining ingredients and sauté for an additional 2 minutes(reserve some chopped parsley for garnish)
Season with salt and pepper
Pour over cooked pasta in a large serving bowl
Toss and serve with olives and remaining parsley as garnish
You can also add some dry white wine before you add the shrimp.
Let it boil off for a minute or so before adding shrimp


Snapper with Citrus and Capicola Crust


Zest of 2 lemons
Zest of 2 limes
Zest of 2 oranges
8 oz Capicola, chopped
1 ¼ cup plain breadcrumbs
Olive Oil
Cajun Seasoning
4 snapper (or other firm white fish) filets
4 6” cedar planks-or you can cook them on parchment paper on a baking sheet

Blanch the citrus zest in salted, boiling water for 1 minute
Shock in iced water in a glass bowl and dry off
Place zest in a large glass bowl
Render Capicola and drain on paper towels
Cool and place in bowl with zest
Mix in bread crumbs, Cajun seasoning and olive oil to moisten
Preheat oven to 400
Oil planks or parchment paper
Place filets on them and season with Cajun seasoning
Press breadcrumb mixture on filets and bake for about 15 minutes

Serve with lemon butter sauce


Low Country Shrimp Boil


2 # large, white or pink shrimp, shells on
4 ears sweet corn
12 or so small new potatoes
4 links of andouille sausage, cut in half-substitute kielbasa or some other smoked sausage if you can’t find andouille
1 or 2 beers
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 onion, quartered
2 lemons, halved
1 bag Zatarain’s crab boil
hot sauce
Worcestershire sauce
6 -8 whole black peppercorns

In the largest stockpot you have empty beers, and add garlic, onion, juice lemons and put in halves, crab boil, some hot sauce, some Worcestershire and peppercorns
Add water until about 2/3 full
Turn heat on low and let steep for about 1 hour or more
Increase heat to high
When water boils add potatoes and sausage
Add corn when potatoes are still a little firm, after about 15 minutes
When corn and potatoes are done add shrimp and cook for 2 minutes
Drain in colander
Pile everything on a large platter and put in the middle of the table and dig in

I serve this with cocktail sauce and remoulade sauce for the shrimp


Shrimp Cakes


20 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tb butter
Cajun seasoning
2 green onions, diced
1 tsp minced shallots
1 rib celery, minced
¼ cup chopped celery
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
1 tsp Creole mustard
1 cup mayo
1 egg, beaten
oil for sautéing

Sauté shrimp seasoned with Cajun in butter and cool
Dice shrimp and mix with remaining ingredients
Cover and chill for 2 to 4 hours
Heat oil over medium heat
Form mixture into patties and sauté until golden brown
Serve with Remoulade, chardonnay cream sauce or red pepper sauce


Crab Cakes with Chardonnay Cream Sauce

1 ¾ cups chardonnay
1/3 cup chopped shallots
1 cup heavy cream

Boil wine and shallots until reduced to ½ cup
Add cream and reduce to sauce consistency
Season with salt and pepper


1 ½ # lump crabmeat
1 ½ cups fresh breadcrumbs
1 jar roasted red peppers, coarsely chopped
1 /2 cup chopped green onions
2 eggs
2 tb chopped fresh dill
1 tb Dijon
1 tb Creole mustard
1 tb mayo
vegetable oil for frying

Mix all ingredients together
Cover store in fridge for 2-6 hours
Will make 16 small or four large cakes
Heat oil over medium-high and fry until golden brown
Spoon sauce around plates and serve

Pasta & Rice

Low Country Gumbo

Serves 4-6

¼ lb chicken thighs, skinned and bone removed. Dice into ¼” pieces

½ lb sausage, andouille or breakfast. Not Polish. Cooked.

4 tb butter

1 onion, diced

1 tb minced garlic

2 stalks celery, diced

1 red and 1 green bell pepper, diced

2 tb flour

1 tb Low Country seafood boil seasoning. substitute Old Bay or Cajun

2 cups good chicken stock

2 cups diced tomatoes, can or in the box-Pomi

2 tb fresh thyme, chopped

2 bay leaves

2 tb sugar, if needed

8-10 fresh okra, chopped or diced zucchini

1 cup corn

Worcestershire

Crystal hot sauce

1 bunch scallions, diced for garnish

2 cups of Basmati rice, cooked. Regular white rice will do

Melt the butter over medium in a large non-reactive pot or pan

Cook onions, with a healthy pinch of salt until translucent

Add chicken and brown on both sides

Add garlic and celery and cook 1 minute

Add peppers and cook another minute

Add flour and seafood seasoning and cook for 2-3 minutes

Turn heat to high. Add stock, thyme, bay leaves and sausage

Deglaze and bring to a simmer.

Cook for 5-7 minutes

Add okra and corn and remove from heat

Season with hot sauce, Worcestershire, salt and pepper

Serve over rice and garnish with chopped scallions**

** remove bay leaves first

Greek Pasta With Shrimp

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 tsp minced garlic
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 ½ cups canned artichoke hearts, chopped
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 cup chopped, seeded tomatoes
3 tb lemon juice
3 tb chopped, fresh parsley
2 tb chopped, fresh oregano
2 tb chopped olives for garnish
12 oz angel hair or linguine
Cook pasta in salted water
While pasta is cooking heat oil in large pan over medium heat
Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds
Add shrimp and sauté for 2 minutes
Add remaining ingredients and sauté for an additional 2 minutes(reserve some chopped parsley for garnish)
Season with salt and pepper
Pour over cooked pasta in a large serving bowl
Toss and serve with olives and remaining parsley as garnish
You can also add some dry white wine before you add the shrimp.
Let it boil off for a minute or so before adding shrimp


Cajun Chicken Pasta

Cajun Spice Rub

1 tb kosher salt
1 tb black pepper
1 tb onion powder
1 tb garlic powder
2 tb cayenne pepper
2 ½ tb paprika
1 tb dried oregano
1 tb dried thyme

don’t’ use ground for the thyme and oregano

Mix well and store in an airtight container away from light. Goes well on everything

Cajun Chicken Pasta


4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat, 1” dice
extra virgin olive oil
green bell pepper, diced
red bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 green onions, tops only, diced
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
parsley, chopped for garnish
black olives, chopped, for garnish
green onion tops, diced for garnish
penne pasta
Cajun seasoning
Salt for pasta water

Season water for pasta and bring to a boil. Do not add oil. The sauce won’t cling to the pasta. Cook pasta. While pasta is cooking heat 1 Tb oil in large heavy skillet over medium to medium high heat. Coat chicken pieces with Cajun seasoning and cook until done. Remove cooked chicken to large bowl. Add 1 Tb oil to pan and add peppers, garlic and shallots. Cook for about 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes and green onions and cook for 1 minute. Remove vegetables to bowl with chicken. Turn down heat to medium low and add cream. Reduce by 1/3 while stirring. After cream has reduced add some Parmesan to thicken. Return chicken and vegetables to sauce and heat through about 2 minutes. Spoon sauce over well drained pasta and garnish with remaining Parmesan, olives, parsley and green onions.

Serves 4

Soups

If you can put it in a bowl and eat it, this is the place you'll find it.

BROWNDOG’S SWEET HOT CHILI

Yes, this is my personal recipe. Tested, tried, and true. The aromatics hit you first, then the flavors of the pork and beef, followed by the slow steady heat in your chest. Makes around 4 gallons. If you use a slow cooker, split up the recipe as needed.

1 lb Ground Sirloin
1 lb Ground chuck
1 lb Ground Hot Italian Sausage
2 Large 28-oz cans Tomato Puree
1 can (12 oz) Black Beans, rinsed
1 can (12 oz) Dark Kidney Beans, rinsed
1 12-oz Porter or Stout
½-cup Red Wine
1½ cups Chopped Green/Red Bell Pepper
1 cup Chopped Onion
½-cup Frozen Corn Kernels (optional)
6 to 8 Chopped Garlic Cloves
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
¼-cup Chopped Jalapeno Peppers
½ small can Smoked Chipotles in Adobo Sauce
½ cup Chili Powder
1 tsp Cayenne
¼ cup Masa Flour
½ cup warm water
1 Tbsp salt
2 tsp Tobasco
2 Tbsp Cumin Seed
2 tsp Fennel Seed
2 tsp Whole Cloves
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
½-tsp Ground Nutmeg
½-tsp Ground Ginger
¼-cup pure maple syrup
¼-cup brown sugar
3 oz Shaved Dark Chocolate
Shredded Cheddar & Pepper Jack cheese (optional)
Sour Cream (optional)
French Bread (optional)

Sautee 2 choped garlic cloves in olive oil until sweated. Add beef & pork. Brown and drain.

To meat mixture, add tomato puree, porter, wine, maple syrup, brown sugar, salt, chili powder and cayenne. Bring to low simmer over medium heat. Add beans, bell pepper, jalapenos, chipotles/sauce, onion and remaining garlic. Cover & simmer 1 hour over low heat, stirring often (or 3 hours in slow cooker)

Combine cumin, fennel and cloves in spice mill, grind to medium-fine. Stir into chili. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, tobasco, corn and chocolate. Cover & simmer 30 minutes over low heat (or 1.5 hrs in slow cooker).

Combine water and masa flour slowly, and stir well to form a paste. Add ½ of paste to chili (1 Tbsp at a time, stirring chili well after each) and cook in for 10 minutes (20 in slow cooker). Add more paste in 1-Tbsp increments and cook in until desired thickness and consistency.

Serve with warm French bread, shredded cheddar and pepper jack cheese and sour cream.


NOTE – If you’re concerned about the heat, you can cut back on the jalapenos. Another option is to seed them before chopping, since it's the oil in the seeds that carries the majority of the heat. Always wear plastic or rubber gloves, or put plastic sandwich bags over your hands. Halve the peppers, and run your covered index finger down the inside of each half removing the seeds. Covering your fingers is critical, because no matter how well you wash your hands and fingers, some oil always remains. If you unconsciously rub your eyes later on, even for a second, you're screwed. Throw the gloves away and wash your hands well just in case any oil seeps through them.

TURKISH RED LENTIL SOUP by Meems (Kosher)


4 T. margarine, or butter
½ c. grated onion
1 minced clove of garlic
6 c. water
2 c. chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 c. red lentils
2 T. short grain rice, like Arborio
1 ½ T. tomato paste
salt and pepper
4 slices day-old bread, cut into cubes and crusts mostly removed
2 T. flour (Wondra is best—about the only thing it’s good for)
2 T. crushed red pepper (optional)
1 t. dried spearmint

Melt 1 T. of the margarine, and add the onion and garlic, stirring until softened. Add the water, stock, lentils, rice, and tomato paste. Cover and bring to a gentle boil. Skim the soup, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils dissolve, about 45 minutes. Pass the soup through the fine disk of a food mill. Season with salt and pepper, return to the pan, and bring to a simmer.

Preheat the oven to 375F. Spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet and toast for about 8 minutes, until golden and crisp.

In a small skillet, melt 2 more T. of margarine. Stir in the flour and cook over moderate heat, whisking constantly, until a smooth brown roux with the scent of hazelnuts forms. Remove from heat, and whisk the roux into the simmering soup. Wipe out the skillet.

Melt the final tablespoon of margarine in the small skillet and briefly sauté the red pepper and spearmint. You can certainly add more red pepper if you like, but keep the ratio of pepper to mint about the same.

Ladle the soup into warmed serving bowls and sprinkle with the croutons you’ve made. Spoon the margarine-mint-pepper mixture on top of the croutons. This makes 4 generous servings. The soup can also be refrigerated overnight, and then heated and garnished at serving.

Great cold soup

Gazpacho


1 cup chopped, peeled and seeded fresh tomatoes. If you don’t use fresh try to find POMI brand chopped tomatoes. They are in a vacuum packed container. Not a can.
½ cup each finely chopped:
bell pepper
seeded cucumber
seeded zucchini
celery
¼ cup finely chopped onion, red or yellow
2 tb chopped cilantro or parsley
1 tsp chopped chives
1 clove minced garlic
2 tb olive oil
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 cups V-8 juice
hot sauce to taste
juice of 2 limes


Combine in a glass bowl and chill for 4 hours
Serve with a dollop of sour cream or crème fraiche

One kind of gumbo

Chicken, Oyster & Sausage Gumbo

1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup oil
1 large onion, chopped
½ cup chopped bell pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
black pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
4 cups hot broth
1 # boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into pieces
1# andouille sausage, halved and cut into slices
1 pint shucked oysters, drained******
file powder

In a heavy pot stir together flour and oil to make a roux.
Cook, stirring constantly until reddish brown.
This will take about 15-30 minutes. You have to stir it or it will burn.
If it burns throw it out and start over
Add vegetables and peppers and cook for about 5 minutes.
Gradually add the stock.
Bring to a boil and simmer for 40 minutes.
Add chicken and sausage and simmer for 20 minutes.
Skim off fat.
Rinse and drain oysters and add to pot.
Cook for about 5-10 minutes.
If desired add file powder to help thicken.
Serve over rice.


******substitute shrimp if you want or crawdads/crawfish, but only the ones from LA. If they are already cooked just add them at the very end for about 1 minute to heat

I make a couple of different kinds of chile that I learned about while living in New Mexico. Very simple and great on enchiladas or in a bowl with melted cheese and warm flour tortillas for dipping. Also good on huevos rancheros. The green is excellent for a hangover.

Red Chile (Chile Colorado)

3 tb oil
1 lg yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb cubed pork or beef, seasoned wioth salt and pepper
3 tb flour
5 cups low sodium beef broth
1 cup powdered red chile(also called molido) New Mexico or Aneheim are the best for this. Badia is a good brand and it's in the Mexican food aisle
1-2 tsp ground cumin to taste
1 -2 tsp dried, leaf oregano to taste

Combine the broth and powdered chile in a bowl and mix

Heat the oil in a large saucepan
Add the onion and meat and cook for about 5 minutes
Add the garlic
When the meat is done add the flour and make a roux and cook for a couple of minutes
Add the broth mixture and oregano and cumin
Increase heat and stir until it thickens
Reduce heat and let simmer for about 30 minutes
Season as needed with salt and pepper
If you want it very hot add a couple of chipotle chiles while simmering


Green Chile (Chile Verde)

Same ingredients as above except substitute low sodium chicken broth for the beef broth and use 3-5 small cans of the chopped green chile, if you don't have fresh roasted on hand, instead of the powdered red chile

Start the recipe the same
When the roux is ready add the broth and thicken
Add the chiles and oregano and cumin
you can also add chopped potatoes
Cook for about 30 minutes and serve

I will post the recipes for the enchiladas and some othet dishes when I start a Viva Mexico! section.


Southwest Chicken Soup

1 tb extra virgin olive oil
½ pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed ½ inch
¼ cup chopped yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp salt
½ tsp powdered red chile*, or to taste
2 cups frozen corn kernels
2 cans low-sodium, reduced fat chicken broth
1 can stewed tomatoes, Mexican style (Ro-Tel original)
corn tortillas, cut into strips and baked until crisp, or just use the store bought chips
1 tsp chopped fresh cilantro**
sour cream

Heat oil in large heavy saucepan.
Add chicken and cook for 3 or 4 minutes.
Add onion, garlic, salt, cumin and chile and cook until fragrant.
Stir in broth, corn and tomatoes and bring to a boil.
Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Stir in ½ tb cilantro.
Garnish with tortilla strips, sour cream and remaining cilantro.

You can also add some black beans (drained), or some other type, to this when you add the corn

*powdered red chile is sold in the Mexican food section at Publix (where shopping is a pleasure and they don’t inject crap into the meat they sell) and differs greatly from chile powder. I believe the brand name is Badia. I would recommend the powdered New Mexico or Anaheim variety. it’s not hot, it just adds a nice flavor

**if you use dried cilantro just add a tsp to the soup as it cooks. don’t use the dried as a garnish


Potato Soup

½ stick butter
2 cups chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped celery
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp cayenne
1 bay leaf
2 tsp chopped garlic
8 cups chicken broth
2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
¼ cup heavy cream

Melt butter in large heavy soup pot and add onions, celery, salt and cayenne and cook for about 5 minutes. Add bay leaf and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add broth and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and remove bay leaf. Puree with immersion blender, leaving some chunks of potato if desired. Add cream and blend. Adjust seasonings and serve. Use parsley and some bacon as a garnish if so desired.

Grilling and 'cueing

Grilling and barbecuing are two totally different things. Barbecuing/smoking is the act of flavoring meat with smoke and usually takes at least 6 hours or more. I cook with either charcoal or wood or a combination of both, depending on what I'm cooking. Hickory and applewood are great. Mesquite is very good as well.

Smoked Brisket by BaghdadJamie

Just put your rub on the fat side and place it on the grill (fatside up). Cook at 225 for about 6-8 hours. I usually take it off atthat point , wrap it in foil and put it back on for another 3-4 hours.Low heat for a long time gets best results. You can put water in smokechamber if you want, but if you cook low enough you won't need to. Cooking brisket is not much more than a drinking opportunity, an all day drinking opportunity. I was told by a good friend to also use both hickory and mesquite wood, rule of thumb, mesquite for heat, hickory for flavor. 3 hickory logs to 1 mesquite, too much mesquite will give it a bitter taste. If you can't find the logs, and odds are you can't, buy some of the wood chunks at the store and soak them in water for 30 minutes before you use them. Make sure you are smoking the brisket with indirect heat.

10-12 pound brisket

BBQ Sauce for Brisket:
I usually don't measure but if I did ,this is more than likely what it would be

3 cups of Ketchup
1/2 cup mustard(yellow)
1 cup of apple cider vinegar
1 finely diced onion
crushed red pepper (up to you how much)
Cayenne pepper (up to you how much)
1 cup of brown sugar

Sweat onion in sauce pan with about 2 tbsp of unsalted butter
Add rest of ingredients and simmer on low heat for about 45-1 hour

Brine and rubs by doza

BRINE:3/4 cup molasses12 ounces pickling salt (do not use table salt! Kosher salt can be used here)2 quarts waterI use this as a base for my pork brines (ribs or boston butt).
You can add anything you want to this.
The way a brine works is that the salt get pulled into the meat and replaces the natural salt thats there. The best part is, is that the flavor comes along with it.
This will not increase the salt content if you make sure of the total amount you are adding.
Things to try in substitution of molasses:brown sugar peppercorns cider vinegar garlic
\RUB:Base of my dry rub is the following parts -
5:3:3:2
5 parts light brown sugar
3 parts salt (not table salt)
3 parts chili power
2 parts flavors of your choice
You can use anything here:cumin, onion powder, sage, whatever, as long as it makes up two parts.


Applewood Smoked Pork Tenderloins

Marinade:
1 cup apple juice
yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup dark rum - not Meyers
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

2 pork tenderloins, trimmed of fat and silver skin


Prepare marinade and place in plastic bag/glass bowl with meat seasoned with salt and pepper for 4 to 8 hours
Prepare charcoal for grill and let burn down
Soak applewood chips in water for 30 minutes(if using fresh wood there is no need to soak)

Place some chips on charcoal and let the smoking begin. I like to sear the meat a little and then move it opposite the heat to get the smoke flavor with low heat
Reserve marinade for basting
About every 15 minutes or so replenish the wood chips and baste the roast and turn.
It should take about 1 hour or so to cook. Make sure you check the temperature of the meat after the first 30-45 minute. It's done when it reaches 170. I like it closer to 150-160.
You will have a nice sweet crust on the meat from the marinade and wood smoke.
Let sit for about 15 minutes and and slice and serve
If you want to make a gravy with the rest of the marinade heat and reduce to concentrate the flavors.




Smoked ribs-Southern style
Pork rules. Always remove the membrane from the back of the ribs.
If you are going to smoke the ribs I would recommend either spare ribs or St Louis style, which are spare ribs with more trimming done to them. Baby backs are ok, but IMO don't have enough meat or fat for proper smoking.
I recommend brining the ribs for at least 24 hours in advance. This will add moisture and flavor. A basic brine is 1 cup sugar and 1 cup of salt dissolved in a large enough quantity of water to cover the meat. To the basic brine you can add almost anything. I like to add beer, peppercorns, garlic cloves and a bayleaf. Make sure you rinse off the meat with water.
I like to put a dry rub on the ribs a couple of hours before I put them in the smoker.
For ribs mine is 1 tb salt, 1 tb black pepper, 1 tb garlic powder, 1 tb onion powder, 2 tb dried sage, 1 tb paprika, 1 tb brown sugar, 1/2 tb cayenne, and 1/2 tb white pepper.
Get a bag of hickory chunks and soak them in water for at least 30 minutes. Light the charcoal. Do not use that match light shit or any lighter fluid.
After the coals are going put a couple of chunks of hickory on the coals and place the ribs at the opposite end with the vent open above the ribs and the vent closed next to the fire.
About every hour you need to put more chunks of hickory in the coals.
This will take about 5 hours or more to do right. Turn them occassionally.
After the ribs are properly smoked wrap them up in foil and put them back on the grill for at least 1 hour maybe even 2. This will get them to the fall off the bone stage.
In the South we do not put sauce on the ribs while they cook since all it does is burn.
This same process can be used for pork butt/shoulder to make pulled pork sandwiches. It takes about 2-3 more hours to smoke a pork butt properly.


Beer Can Chicken


Two whole chickens, washed and patted dry
2 ½ cans beer
seasonings


Bring chicken to room temperature
Prepare large amount of charcoal in grill
While coals burn down wash and dry chicken
Drink ½ can of beer x 2
Season chicken inside and out with favorite seasonings, I usually do one Cajun and one with lemon pepper
After coals are ready place chickens on cans and arrange over coals with the legs and can acting as a tripod
It will take about 1 ½ hours to cook chicken
Check temperature with a thermometer
Temp should be 170-175 in meatiest part of thigh. Make sure the thermometer is not touching bone
Bring chicken inside and let rest under foil for about 15 minutes
Serve

Kitchen Sink-the catch-all for info, tips, spices, etc.

Unless otherwise noted:

Olive oil is always extra virgin.
Butter is always unsalted.
Herb measurements are always for fresh. Conversion to dry below.
Always use Parmesano Reggiano and grate it fresh

A note on shrimp: tiger shrimp is not very good. They are commercially raised and harvested in Thailand and other countries in SE Asia. You can spot them because they have grey bands on them when the are raw. Always buy pink or white shrimp. Most shrimp is frozen on the boat when caught. I like to put shrimps in some cold, salted water for about 15 minutes before I cook them. Rinse off and pat dry before cooking.

Crawdads/crawfish/crayfish/mudbugs: When buying these always try to get the ones from Louisiana. A lot of them come from China and are cheaper, however, they are mushy and just don't taste good.

I use either sea salt or kosher salt in my recipes.
I always use fresh cracked pepper except in some of the dry rubs.

Any food containing acid should always be cooked, mixed and stored in non-reactive containers and cookware such as glass, stainless steel, anodized aluminum, non-stick cookware and/or plastic. It should never touch exposed aluminum. It will react and turn bizarre colors and taste bad.

Foods with acid are tomatoes, anything citrus, vinegars, etc.

TB = tablespoon
Tsp = teaspoon
3 Tsp = 1 Tb

You can convert dried to fresh for herbs/spices using 1/3 dried to 1 fresh ratio.

Don’t put dry spices containing salt on foods until you are ready to cook them. The salt will suck the moisture out of them. And as we all know it’s easier when it’s moist.

Tools of the trade advice:

Always buy the best knives you can afford and keep them as sharp as possible.
You will not cut yourself as much with a sharp knife as you will a dull one. And when you do cut yourself, and you will, it doesn’t hurt as much either.

Basic knives to have are a good 8” chef knife, a paring knife and a good slicing knife with serrated edges. Also useful are a bread knife, a boning knife and a cleaver. I also have a diamond encrusted and a ceramic sharpening steel and a medium/fine stone to keep the knives sharp.

Buy the highest quality cookware that you can afford. It will last longer and it is much easier to cook with. Look for cookware that has an even thickness from the bottom thru the sides. The food will heat more evenly and cook faster.

I also highly recommend having at least one large skillet that isn’t non-stick to use for food where you will be making a sauce in the pan. The brown bits that stick to the pan will come up easily when you deglaze the pan and add tons of flavor to the sauce.


Rubs

Cajun Rub
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 ½ tsp paprika
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
don’t’ use ground for the thyme and oregano
Mix well and store in an airtight container away from light. Goes well on everything

‘cue Rub
I use variations of this when I smoke some ribs or butt

These are all approximate
1 tb kosher salt
1 tb black pepper
1 tb white pepper
2 tb paprika
1 tb sage
1/2 tb cumin
1 tb brown sugar
1 tb onion powder
1 tb garlic powder

Sometimes I'll add a little cayenne or some jalapeno powder if I want them spicier

Southwest Rub
¼ cup red chile molido (powdered chile) 1 Tb onion powder
1 Tb cumin 1 tsp salt
1 ½ tsp oregano 1 tsp garlic powder
good on beef and pork

Pork Rub
1 tb salt 1 tb pepper
1 tb rubbed sage 1 tb garlic powder
1 tb onion powder


Roasted Garlic

1 large head of garlic
olive oil
fresh ground pepper

Peel paper off garlic, leaving head intact. Cut tips of garlic off of cloves.
Place root side down on sheet of foil.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Season with pepper.
Bundle and seal foil.
Bake at 350 for about 1 hour or until garlic turns golden.
Let cool and squeeze out garlic into bowl.
May be covered and refrigerated for 2 days.

This is excellent in mashed potatoes or mixed together with butter and served with hot bread and anything else you can think of.

Roasting Peppers

I prefer to roast them on the top of the burners on a gas stove or on a grill. You can also put them on a baking sheet under the broiler in the oven.

I use this for roasting chile peppers and bell peppers.

Turn the burners on medium to medium-low.
Place the peppers right on the burners
Turn to blacken and blister all sides of the peppers
Place charred peppers in a paper bag, freezer bag or a bowl with a cover to steam and loosen the charred skin more
Peel off the charred skin and wipe off any black bits remaining.
Use immediately or wrap well and freeze.

If roasting in the oven cut in half and place cut-side down on a baking sheet and roast under the broiler. Check to make sure they don’t burn too much.
Steam using the method above.

You can also roast tomatoes this way.