So we got a ton of fresh local tomatoes in today and I just couldn't leave them all for customers so I did what any self respecting foodie would do and bought a bunch. Once the beauties were home I had to figure out what I wanted to do with them, and the first thing that came to mind was a raw sauce, or in my case Kinda Raw Sauce.
You will want to begin this sauce at least a half hour before you serve it so that the flavors have time to meld together. Saute two quarter inch, diced slices of pancetta, one medium onion and two cloves of garlic until slightly caramelized and let cool slightly. Dice up about a pound of fresh plum and cherry tomatoes, quarter cup each of fresh basil and parsley, one tablespoon of capers, salt and pepper. Mix in the onion mixture and let everything sit for a while. Cook your favorite shape of pasta, and serve hot with the sauce and some diced fresh mozzarella.
Leaving the tomatoes and herbs uncooked really make their flavors pop. In a true raw sauce the onions and garlic would be left raw also but I wanted to mellow out their tang by sauteing them.
Kinda Raw Sauce
2 slices pancetta, diced
1 med. onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb tomatoes, mix of plum and cherry, diced
1/4 cup basil, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp capers
2 balls fresh mozzarella, diced
Saute pancetta, onion and garlic about 7 min and let cool. Combine tomatoes, parsley, basil and capers with salt and pepper to taste. Mix in the onion mixture and let sit for at least a half hour. Serve over pasta with the mozzarella mixed in.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
What Summer Tastes Like
When I was a kid I hated tomatoes! It all started when I was a toddler and my parents left me with my aunt and uncle while they went and lived it up in Hawaii. While they were gone I was forced to eat my tomatoes and thus my total hatred of the fruit was born. Now understand this dislike was reserved only for the raw fruit because I would eat the crap out of ketchup and spaghetti sauce. Well by the time I reached my late twenties I had gotten over that childhood grudge and began consuming tomatoes again.
Now that I am an adult with a fairly distinguished palette I have become a bit of a tomato snob. I tend to shy away from them in the off season because I find them to taste like pink softballs. But in the summer...watch out I will eat them everyday! I truly enjoy the simplicity of a fresh Caprese salad made with just off the vine tomatoes...mm mm. I even broke down and bought a tomato plant which is right now as I write producing a bunch of what I hope to be yellow pear tomatoes. They are still green but I have high hopes to one morning go outside and see a whole bunch of yellow tomatoes. Anyway, if given the choice I will choose a yellow or orange heirloom tomato over the red ones and that is just what I did yesterday at the grocery store for an Heirloom Tomato Tart.
Begin by thinly slicing about 2 pounds of heirloom tomatoes of different colors, lightly (and I mean lightly) salt them and drain them in a colander for at least thirty minutes. A few years ago I impulsively bought a tart pan, even though I do not bake I just had to have it, and this recipe is the first time I used it but a shallow pie dish would work also. Liberally spray down the pan with Pam and unfold your pie dough into it. I used a store bought one but if you want to make your own, more power to you. This crust needs to be blind baked and the conventional way is to cover the dough with tin foil filled with dry beans; but seeing that I have never done this before I forgot the beans, so instead I forked the crap out of the dough, covered it tightly with the foil and prayed it wouldn't bubble as I baked it at 350 degrees for twenty minutes, and then uncovered for another ten to fifteen minutes. FYI my crust came out perfect; I got lucky. So for the filling you need to saute a thinly sliced onion and two thick cut and diced slices of bacon in olive oil and then combine that with about three quarters of a cup of both reduced fat shredded mozzarella and shredded Gouda (I found a Gouda goat cheese that was really tasty), a quarter cup of reduced fat mayonnaise, three tablespoons of whole wheat bread crumbs, roughly about a quarter cup each of chopped chives and parsley and about a teaspoon of dried thyme. Mix all of this well and spread it into the bottom of the cooled crust then layer all of the tomato slices over it. The tart then needs to be baked at 375 degrees of about fifty minutes.
This tart was originally a vegetarian dish but seeing that I am a carnivore I had to add some bacon to my version. Besides what isn't better with a little bacon? Also seeing as you will have the oven on for about an hour and a half do not follow my lead and make this dish on a super hot day!
Heirloom Tomato Tart
2 lbs heirloom tomatoes, different colors, sliced
1 roll pre made pie crust
1 lg onion, thinly sliced
2 slices bacon, thick cut & diced
3/4 cup Gouda cheese, shredded
3/4 cup reduced fat mozzarella
1/4 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
3 Tbsp whole wheat breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chives, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
Lightly salt the tomato slices and let drain in a colander for at least 30 min. Cook the crust in a tart pan sprayed with Pam covered with foil for 20 min. Remove foil and bake another 10-15 minutes until golden brown, let cool. Saute onions and bacon until golden and slightly crisp. Combine this with the remaining ingredients, spread into the bottom the the cooled crust, layer tomatoes on top and bake at 375 for 50 min.
Now that I am an adult with a fairly distinguished palette I have become a bit of a tomato snob. I tend to shy away from them in the off season because I find them to taste like pink softballs. But in the summer...watch out I will eat them everyday! I truly enjoy the simplicity of a fresh Caprese salad made with just off the vine tomatoes...mm mm. I even broke down and bought a tomato plant which is right now as I write producing a bunch of what I hope to be yellow pear tomatoes. They are still green but I have high hopes to one morning go outside and see a whole bunch of yellow tomatoes. Anyway, if given the choice I will choose a yellow or orange heirloom tomato over the red ones and that is just what I did yesterday at the grocery store for an Heirloom Tomato Tart.
Begin by thinly slicing about 2 pounds of heirloom tomatoes of different colors, lightly (and I mean lightly) salt them and drain them in a colander for at least thirty minutes. A few years ago I impulsively bought a tart pan, even though I do not bake I just had to have it, and this recipe is the first time I used it but a shallow pie dish would work also. Liberally spray down the pan with Pam and unfold your pie dough into it. I used a store bought one but if you want to make your own, more power to you. This crust needs to be blind baked and the conventional way is to cover the dough with tin foil filled with dry beans; but seeing that I have never done this before I forgot the beans, so instead I forked the crap out of the dough, covered it tightly with the foil and prayed it wouldn't bubble as I baked it at 350 degrees for twenty minutes, and then uncovered for another ten to fifteen minutes. FYI my crust came out perfect; I got lucky. So for the filling you need to saute a thinly sliced onion and two thick cut and diced slices of bacon in olive oil and then combine that with about three quarters of a cup of both reduced fat shredded mozzarella and shredded Gouda (I found a Gouda goat cheese that was really tasty), a quarter cup of reduced fat mayonnaise, three tablespoons of whole wheat bread crumbs, roughly about a quarter cup each of chopped chives and parsley and about a teaspoon of dried thyme. Mix all of this well and spread it into the bottom of the cooled crust then layer all of the tomato slices over it. The tart then needs to be baked at 375 degrees of about fifty minutes.
This tart was originally a vegetarian dish but seeing that I am a carnivore I had to add some bacon to my version. Besides what isn't better with a little bacon? Also seeing as you will have the oven on for about an hour and a half do not follow my lead and make this dish on a super hot day!
Heirloom Tomato Tart
2 lbs heirloom tomatoes, different colors, sliced
1 roll pre made pie crust
1 lg onion, thinly sliced
2 slices bacon, thick cut & diced
3/4 cup Gouda cheese, shredded
3/4 cup reduced fat mozzarella
1/4 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
3 Tbsp whole wheat breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chives, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
Lightly salt the tomato slices and let drain in a colander for at least 30 min. Cook the crust in a tart pan sprayed with Pam covered with foil for 20 min. Remove foil and bake another 10-15 minutes until golden brown, let cool. Saute onions and bacon until golden and slightly crisp. Combine this with the remaining ingredients, spread into the bottom the the cooled crust, layer tomatoes on top and bake at 375 for 50 min.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Hmmm Wonder How This Will Be
Okay so this evening I decided to have shrimp scampi for dinner but as I was making it in my usual way I was feeling like that wasn't going to hit the spot. So I went and stood in front of the open refrigerator and looked for inspiration. Sitting there was a small portion cup of a dill and chive chimichurri sauce that was just begging to be added to the scampi.
For the chimichurri recipe just refer to my last blog but substitute dill and chives for the oregano and thyme and omit the garlic. My scampi is made from garlic, red pepper flakes, and capers sauteed in butter with the shrimp. Then add the juice on one lemon, a splash of chicken stock and white wine. At this point I added the chimichurri and reduced the sauce a bit.
I am finding many different combinations of herbs for that versatile sauce and even more uses for it, yeah me!
For the chimichurri recipe just refer to my last blog but substitute dill and chives for the oregano and thyme and omit the garlic. My scampi is made from garlic, red pepper flakes, and capers sauteed in butter with the shrimp. Then add the juice on one lemon, a splash of chicken stock and white wine. At this point I added the chimichurri and reduced the sauce a bit.
I am finding many different combinations of herbs for that versatile sauce and even more uses for it, yeah me!
Friday, May 13, 2011
Herb-a-licious
When spring finally rolls around and the herbs in my sad little garden start peeking out I grow anxious to start cooking with them. Of course the only thing really usable are the chives so I am reduced to buying herbs at the grocery store. The good thing is that my store usually has a really nice selection of herbs to choose from.
The other week I tried a new recipe that at first I wasn’t sure I would like; but thankfully I was wrong. Spring Pesto with Pancetta and Peas was a fresh twist on the classic. Begin by filling your food processor with about a cup of parsley, half a cup of each mint and tarragon, a quarter cup of each toasted macadamia nuts and Parmesan cheese, the zest of one lemon, and a quarter cup of olive oil. Process this all until it is finely chopped and well blended. Sauté up about a half-pound of diced Pancetta until crisp, add one diced shallot and cook until soft and slightly browned. Add about one and a half cups of frozen peas and sauté until they are heated through then add half a cup of white wine. Cook this until the wine is reduced and then add one cup of fat free half and half and the pesto; cook until the sauce begins to thicken. Serve this over rainbow fettuccine with a little more grated Parmesan. I know that the mix of tarragon and mint sounds a little weird, but the pesto has a bright fresh taste that really must be tried.
I enjoyed this pesto so much that I made a second batch and froze it individually so that I could enjoy it at a later date. I will tell you that it is pretty good in an omelet and with shrimp.
Another use for herbs that I have really come to love is Chimichurri Sauce. This is an Argentinean sauce or marinade predominantly used on beef; but I think that it is good on almost all meats. Once again get out your food processor and grind up 2 cloves of garlic, one cup of parsley, about 2 tablespoons of fresh oregano, one tablespoon of fresh thyme, about two tablespoons of red wine vinegar and salt and red pepper flakes to taste. Stream in about a third cup, or less if you prefer the sauce to be thicker, of olive oil until the mixture is well blended. I have also made this by substituting chives and basil for the oregano and thyme for a zippier version. Incidentally this also freezes well so that you can enjoy it at any time.
Spring Pesto with Pancetta and Peas
1 cup parsley
½ cup mint
½ cup tarragon
¼ cup macadamia nuts, toasted
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 lemon, zested
¼ cup olive oil
½ lb Pancetta, diced
1 shallot, diced
1 ½ cups frozen peas
½ cup white wine
1 cup fat free half &half
Food process the first 7 ingredients until smooth. Sauté the Pancetta until crisp, add shallot and cook until soft and slightly browned. Add peas and warm through before adding wine and cooking 2-3 minutes to reduce. Lower heat and add the half &half and pesto, cook over low until reduced, about 5 minutes. Serve over rainbow fettuccine.
Chimichurri Sauce
1 cup parsley
2 Tbsp oregano (chives and basil can be substituted)
1 Tbsp Thyme
2 garlic cloves
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and red pepper
Food process all of the ingredients until smooth and well blended.
The other week I tried a new recipe that at first I wasn’t sure I would like; but thankfully I was wrong. Spring Pesto with Pancetta and Peas was a fresh twist on the classic. Begin by filling your food processor with about a cup of parsley, half a cup of each mint and tarragon, a quarter cup of each toasted macadamia nuts and Parmesan cheese, the zest of one lemon, and a quarter cup of olive oil. Process this all until it is finely chopped and well blended. Sauté up about a half-pound of diced Pancetta until crisp, add one diced shallot and cook until soft and slightly browned. Add about one and a half cups of frozen peas and sauté until they are heated through then add half a cup of white wine. Cook this until the wine is reduced and then add one cup of fat free half and half and the pesto; cook until the sauce begins to thicken. Serve this over rainbow fettuccine with a little more grated Parmesan. I know that the mix of tarragon and mint sounds a little weird, but the pesto has a bright fresh taste that really must be tried.
I enjoyed this pesto so much that I made a second batch and froze it individually so that I could enjoy it at a later date. I will tell you that it is pretty good in an omelet and with shrimp.
Another use for herbs that I have really come to love is Chimichurri Sauce. This is an Argentinean sauce or marinade predominantly used on beef; but I think that it is good on almost all meats. Once again get out your food processor and grind up 2 cloves of garlic, one cup of parsley, about 2 tablespoons of fresh oregano, one tablespoon of fresh thyme, about two tablespoons of red wine vinegar and salt and red pepper flakes to taste. Stream in about a third cup, or less if you prefer the sauce to be thicker, of olive oil until the mixture is well blended. I have also made this by substituting chives and basil for the oregano and thyme for a zippier version. Incidentally this also freezes well so that you can enjoy it at any time.
Spring Pesto with Pancetta and Peas
1 cup parsley
½ cup mint
½ cup tarragon
¼ cup macadamia nuts, toasted
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 lemon, zested
¼ cup olive oil
½ lb Pancetta, diced
1 shallot, diced
1 ½ cups frozen peas
½ cup white wine
1 cup fat free half &half
Food process the first 7 ingredients until smooth. Sauté the Pancetta until crisp, add shallot and cook until soft and slightly browned. Add peas and warm through before adding wine and cooking 2-3 minutes to reduce. Lower heat and add the half &half and pesto, cook over low until reduced, about 5 minutes. Serve over rainbow fettuccine.
Chimichurri Sauce
1 cup parsley
2 Tbsp oregano (chives and basil can be substituted)
1 Tbsp Thyme
2 garlic cloves
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and red pepper
Food process all of the ingredients until smooth and well blended.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Kinda Kid Friendly
I do not have any children; thank God because would you really want a mini Tricia running around. And even though we make the most adorable babies in my family and she would be fabulously dressed, the world is just not ready for her. Seriously though kids just don’t fit into my lifestyle, I have too short of an attention span to deal with a child full time, drool completely disgusts me and don’t even get me started on the diapers. Don’t get me wrong I like kids, well most of them, okay only the well behaved ones (get that Josh?). And it’s not like I avoid them like the plague; I have two young nephews that I simply adore, and honestly they couldn't’t ask for a better auntie.
Now just because I don’t have any kids of my own doesn’t mean that I don’t know how to cook for them, whether they are three or thirty-something. The only thing that annoys me is picky-eaters. When my nephew tells me that he doesn’t like something I can deal with it because he is five, but when a grownup is a psychotically picky eater I just think that someone’s mommy babied him too much and probably still does. My younger nephew is a pretty good eater because he is not given a choice on what goes on his plate because my sister does not run a restaurant. My mother always told us that if we didn’t want what she made for dinner we would get nothing, hence the reason my sister and I are not picky eaters. I have over the years found a few recipes that I deem kid-friendly but also like to make for myself. Ironically they are all hamburger based which makes them cheap and easy, always a plus when cooking for kids.
The first recipe came off of a soup can and is super fast and easy to make, Hamburger Taco Skillet. Start by browning one pound of ground beef, then stir in one can of condensed tomato soup, half a can each of water and salsa and six cut up flour tortillas. Bring this mixture to a boil and then turn the heat back to low and cook for about five minutes. Finally top this with shredded cheddar cheese and serve. Literally this takes between fifteen and twenty minutes, and what could be better than that. I tend to play with the flavors in this meal by mixing in different salsas; my personal favorite is Peach-Mango Salsa.
Next I want to share a recipe that my brother-in-law thinks is perfection; by the way he is the second pickiest eater I have ever met. The magazine called them Barbecue Beef Cups, but I have a much more colorful name for them, Trailer-Park Muffins. (Not very PC I know, but it fits). Once again brown up your ground beef about three-fourths of a pound, to which you are going to add half a cup of barbecue sauce, remove this mixture from the heat and break out your muffin tin. Okay now comes the fun part, open one of those refrigerator pop cans of biscuits and into each muffin cup form one piece of dough into the form of a cup. Fill each of these cups with the beef mixture, top with shredded cheese and bake at 400 degrees for ten to twelve minutes. You can switch up this recipe by making a taco meat mixture for the biscuit cup and garnishing it with lettuce, tomatoes, salsa and sour cream.
I know very few kids who don’t like pizza or cheeseburgers so the next two recipes should be well received, Cheeseburger Meatloaf and Pizza Meatloaf. For the Cheeseburger version combine one and a half pounds ground beef, one finely chopped onion, two-thirds cup each of ketchup and breadcrumbs, two eggs, half a cup of chopped pickles, two tablespoons mustard and eight ounces diced cheddar cheese. I always cook my meat loaf in a, go figure, loaf pan; but if you prefer to cook it free form knock yourself out. Bake this at 400 degrees for at least thirty-five minutes or until the center registers 160 degrees on a meat thermometer. I know that you are probably thinking, “eww pickles in meatloaf!” I thought the same thing, but actually it works and tastes great and I use dill, but if you prefer use sweet pickles.
Moving on to Pizza Meatloaf, a recipe that incorporates all the flavors of pizza without all that extra fat. Start by combining a small-diced onion with one sixteen-ounce can of tomato paste, a cup of water and a fourth teaspoon of salt. Bring this to a boil then reduce the heat to simmer and cook for about twenty minutes. While the sauce is cooking combine one and a half pounds ground beef, one cup of breadcrumbs, one and a half teaspoons salt, one teaspoon oregano, a fourth teaspoon each of basil and pepper, one minced garlic clove, one egg and half a cup of the finished sauce. Form this however you want and cook it at 375 degrees for about an hour. Finish it off by topping the loaf with the remaining sauce, one tablespoon Parmesan cheese and one cup of mozzarella cheese, cook this about ten minutes more or until the cheese is all melty and bubbly.
So there you have it, four kid-friendly meals that didn’t come out of a can or the freezer. Now don’t get me wrong I fondly remember getting the occasional TV dinner when I was a kid; it was a super special treat to eat off of that partitioned tin foil tray. But to do it regularly makes me understand why there are so many overweight kids in this country. Besides the recipes I just gave you there are tons of cookbooks out there that are devoted to feeding our kids healthy meals, so there really is no excuse to trade quality for convenience. Honestly if my sister can make homemade dinners for her family after a full day of work and hour commute anyone can.
Hamburger Taco Skillet
1 lb. Hamburger
1 can Condensed tomato soup
½ cup Water
½ cup Peach-mango salsa
6 Flour tortillas, cut up
½ bag Shredded cheddar cheese
Brown the hamburger, drain and stir in the next three ingredients. Once boiling stir in tortillas and cook 5 minutes. Top with cheese and serve.
Trailer Park Muffins
¾ lb. Hamburger
½ cup Barbecue sauce
1 can Refrigerator biscuits
½ bag Shredded cheddar cheese
Brown the hamburger, drain and stir in the barbecue sauce. In a muffin tin press each biscuit to form little cups. Spoon in the beef mixture into each cup and top with a small amount of the cheese. Bake at 400° for 10-12 minutes.
Cheeseburger Meatloaf
1 ½ lbs Hamburger
1 Onion, finely chopped
2/3 cup Ketchup
2/3 cup Breadcrumbs
2 Eggs
½ cup Pickles, chopped
2 Tbsp Yellow mustard
8 oz Cheddar cheese, diced
Mix all of the ingredients together and press into a loaf pan. Bake at 400° for 35-40 minutes.
Pizza Meatloaf
1 small Onion, diced
1 16oz can Tomato paste
1 cup Water
¼ tsp. Salt
1 ½ lbs. Hamburger
1 cup Breadcrumbs
1 ½ tsp Salt
1 tsp Dried oregano
¼ tsp Dried basil
¼ tsp Pepper
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 Egg
1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
1 cup Mozzarella cheese
In a small pan combine the first 4 ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 29 minutes. Combine the remaining ingredients plus half a cup of the finished sauce. Press the beef mixture into a loaf pan and bake at 375° for about an hour. Top the loaf with the remaining sauce and cheeses and bake 10 minutes.
Now just because I don’t have any kids of my own doesn’t mean that I don’t know how to cook for them, whether they are three or thirty-something. The only thing that annoys me is picky-eaters. When my nephew tells me that he doesn’t like something I can deal with it because he is five, but when a grownup is a psychotically picky eater I just think that someone’s mommy babied him too much and probably still does. My younger nephew is a pretty good eater because he is not given a choice on what goes on his plate because my sister does not run a restaurant. My mother always told us that if we didn’t want what she made for dinner we would get nothing, hence the reason my sister and I are not picky eaters. I have over the years found a few recipes that I deem kid-friendly but also like to make for myself. Ironically they are all hamburger based which makes them cheap and easy, always a plus when cooking for kids.
The first recipe came off of a soup can and is super fast and easy to make, Hamburger Taco Skillet. Start by browning one pound of ground beef, then stir in one can of condensed tomato soup, half a can each of water and salsa and six cut up flour tortillas. Bring this mixture to a boil and then turn the heat back to low and cook for about five minutes. Finally top this with shredded cheddar cheese and serve. Literally this takes between fifteen and twenty minutes, and what could be better than that. I tend to play with the flavors in this meal by mixing in different salsas; my personal favorite is Peach-Mango Salsa.
Next I want to share a recipe that my brother-in-law thinks is perfection; by the way he is the second pickiest eater I have ever met. The magazine called them Barbecue Beef Cups, but I have a much more colorful name for them, Trailer-Park Muffins. (Not very PC I know, but it fits). Once again brown up your ground beef about three-fourths of a pound, to which you are going to add half a cup of barbecue sauce, remove this mixture from the heat and break out your muffin tin. Okay now comes the fun part, open one of those refrigerator pop cans of biscuits and into each muffin cup form one piece of dough into the form of a cup. Fill each of these cups with the beef mixture, top with shredded cheese and bake at 400 degrees for ten to twelve minutes. You can switch up this recipe by making a taco meat mixture for the biscuit cup and garnishing it with lettuce, tomatoes, salsa and sour cream.
I know very few kids who don’t like pizza or cheeseburgers so the next two recipes should be well received, Cheeseburger Meatloaf and Pizza Meatloaf. For the Cheeseburger version combine one and a half pounds ground beef, one finely chopped onion, two-thirds cup each of ketchup and breadcrumbs, two eggs, half a cup of chopped pickles, two tablespoons mustard and eight ounces diced cheddar cheese. I always cook my meat loaf in a, go figure, loaf pan; but if you prefer to cook it free form knock yourself out. Bake this at 400 degrees for at least thirty-five minutes or until the center registers 160 degrees on a meat thermometer. I know that you are probably thinking, “eww pickles in meatloaf!” I thought the same thing, but actually it works and tastes great and I use dill, but if you prefer use sweet pickles.
Moving on to Pizza Meatloaf, a recipe that incorporates all the flavors of pizza without all that extra fat. Start by combining a small-diced onion with one sixteen-ounce can of tomato paste, a cup of water and a fourth teaspoon of salt. Bring this to a boil then reduce the heat to simmer and cook for about twenty minutes. While the sauce is cooking combine one and a half pounds ground beef, one cup of breadcrumbs, one and a half teaspoons salt, one teaspoon oregano, a fourth teaspoon each of basil and pepper, one minced garlic clove, one egg and half a cup of the finished sauce. Form this however you want and cook it at 375 degrees for about an hour. Finish it off by topping the loaf with the remaining sauce, one tablespoon Parmesan cheese and one cup of mozzarella cheese, cook this about ten minutes more or until the cheese is all melty and bubbly.
So there you have it, four kid-friendly meals that didn’t come out of a can or the freezer. Now don’t get me wrong I fondly remember getting the occasional TV dinner when I was a kid; it was a super special treat to eat off of that partitioned tin foil tray. But to do it regularly makes me understand why there are so many overweight kids in this country. Besides the recipes I just gave you there are tons of cookbooks out there that are devoted to feeding our kids healthy meals, so there really is no excuse to trade quality for convenience. Honestly if my sister can make homemade dinners for her family after a full day of work and hour commute anyone can.
Hamburger Taco Skillet
1 lb. Hamburger
1 can Condensed tomato soup
½ cup Water
½ cup Peach-mango salsa
6 Flour tortillas, cut up
½ bag Shredded cheddar cheese
Brown the hamburger, drain and stir in the next three ingredients. Once boiling stir in tortillas and cook 5 minutes. Top with cheese and serve.
Trailer Park Muffins
¾ lb. Hamburger
½ cup Barbecue sauce
1 can Refrigerator biscuits
½ bag Shredded cheddar cheese
Brown the hamburger, drain and stir in the barbecue sauce. In a muffin tin press each biscuit to form little cups. Spoon in the beef mixture into each cup and top with a small amount of the cheese. Bake at 400° for 10-12 minutes.
Cheeseburger Meatloaf
1 ½ lbs Hamburger
1 Onion, finely chopped
2/3 cup Ketchup
2/3 cup Breadcrumbs
2 Eggs
½ cup Pickles, chopped
2 Tbsp Yellow mustard
8 oz Cheddar cheese, diced
Mix all of the ingredients together and press into a loaf pan. Bake at 400° for 35-40 minutes.
Pizza Meatloaf
1 small Onion, diced
1 16oz can Tomato paste
1 cup Water
¼ tsp. Salt
1 ½ lbs. Hamburger
1 cup Breadcrumbs
1 ½ tsp Salt
1 tsp Dried oregano
¼ tsp Dried basil
¼ tsp Pepper
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 Egg
1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
1 cup Mozzarella cheese
In a small pan combine the first 4 ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 29 minutes. Combine the remaining ingredients plus half a cup of the finished sauce. Press the beef mixture into a loaf pan and bake at 375° for about an hour. Top the loaf with the remaining sauce and cheeses and bake 10 minutes.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Soup Nazi - Part Two
I’m going to be perfectly honest with you; this has been a killer winter for me! I swear that there was not a day in January that I didn’t shovel either at work or home and I have been very diligent in keeping to my New Years resolution of working out five days a week. Consequently I have been very lax in my blogging due to the fact that I am tired at the end of the day. But that doesn’t mean that I have not been cooking; actually I have become a huge fan of homemade soup!
In an earlier post I gave you my recipe for homemade tomato soup; which until this year I had never eaten. I know, I know how could I have made it thirty-some-odd years without eating tomato soup; well it can be blamed on my Aunt who forced me to eat tomatoes when she babysat the three year old me while my parents were in Hawaii. It has taken me a long time to get over that childhood scar, but I am glad to report that I will eat tomatoes anytime they are fed to me.
This time I want to talk about my favorite kitchen appliance, my fabulous immersion blender! Two years ago my sister gave me this miracle gadget for Christmas and I am constantly looking for an excuse to blend something. FYI do not use it to whip cream cheese because the stuff will end up all over your kitchen! This gadget eliminates transferring your soups into a standing blender and creating a rather big mess, just put the thing in the pot and vrrrrr away!
My second favorite soup to make this year has been a Butternut Squash Soup. Begin by sautéing four diced up thick cut strips of bacon in the bottom of your soup pot, once cooked remove and reserve the drippings to cook the rest of the soup in. Now get out your big knife and chop up one onion, pear, leak and potato; dump all of this in a large soup pot with salt and pepper. If you are feeling ambitious you can peal and chop up a butternut squash but I am perfectly content to use the frozen diced stuff that they sell in the grocery store. Add this to the pot and cook everything until soft, about ten to fifteen minutes. (I don’t usually defrost the squash so it takes a little longer.) Once everything is soft add about three cups of chicken broth and one cup of skim milk and bring the soup to a gentle boil. When I made this last week I brought the soup up to a boil too fast and it ended up breaking; this is not a huge problem because you will be blending it so know one will know. Now comes the fun part, put your immersion blender in the pot and blend away until everything has been pulverized. Once smooth add about one cup of shredded cheddar cheese and stir until melted, add the bacon bits that you made into the soup and enjoy.
You can easily make this a vegetarian soup by omitting the bacon and using vegetable stock, but personally I enjoy the bacon in it. Of course I enjoy bacon in everything, but we will talk about that in a later post. Oh yeah and if the Pope asks you, the bacon in this soup was used purely for season; I did not eat meat on Ash Wednesday.
Butternut Squash Soup
4 slices thick cut bacon, diced
1 med onion, diced
1 pear, diced, skin on
1 lg potato, pealed & diced
1 leak, white and light green parts only
1 ½ cups butternut squash, frozen & diced
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup skim milk
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Sauté the bacon until crisp; remove from pot reserving the drippings. Add all the vegetables, season with salt and pepper and sauté until soft. Add the liquids and bring up to a gentle boil slowly. Blend the soup either with an immersion blender or in a standing one until smooth. Add the cheese, stir till melted, add the bacon back in and serve.
In an earlier post I gave you my recipe for homemade tomato soup; which until this year I had never eaten. I know, I know how could I have made it thirty-some-odd years without eating tomato soup; well it can be blamed on my Aunt who forced me to eat tomatoes when she babysat the three year old me while my parents were in Hawaii. It has taken me a long time to get over that childhood scar, but I am glad to report that I will eat tomatoes anytime they are fed to me.
This time I want to talk about my favorite kitchen appliance, my fabulous immersion blender! Two years ago my sister gave me this miracle gadget for Christmas and I am constantly looking for an excuse to blend something. FYI do not use it to whip cream cheese because the stuff will end up all over your kitchen! This gadget eliminates transferring your soups into a standing blender and creating a rather big mess, just put the thing in the pot and vrrrrr away!
My second favorite soup to make this year has been a Butternut Squash Soup. Begin by sautéing four diced up thick cut strips of bacon in the bottom of your soup pot, once cooked remove and reserve the drippings to cook the rest of the soup in. Now get out your big knife and chop up one onion, pear, leak and potato; dump all of this in a large soup pot with salt and pepper. If you are feeling ambitious you can peal and chop up a butternut squash but I am perfectly content to use the frozen diced stuff that they sell in the grocery store. Add this to the pot and cook everything until soft, about ten to fifteen minutes. (I don’t usually defrost the squash so it takes a little longer.) Once everything is soft add about three cups of chicken broth and one cup of skim milk and bring the soup to a gentle boil. When I made this last week I brought the soup up to a boil too fast and it ended up breaking; this is not a huge problem because you will be blending it so know one will know. Now comes the fun part, put your immersion blender in the pot and blend away until everything has been pulverized. Once smooth add about one cup of shredded cheddar cheese and stir until melted, add the bacon bits that you made into the soup and enjoy.
You can easily make this a vegetarian soup by omitting the bacon and using vegetable stock, but personally I enjoy the bacon in it. Of course I enjoy bacon in everything, but we will talk about that in a later post. Oh yeah and if the Pope asks you, the bacon in this soup was used purely for season; I did not eat meat on Ash Wednesday.
Butternut Squash Soup
4 slices thick cut bacon, diced
1 med onion, diced
1 pear, diced, skin on
1 lg potato, pealed & diced
1 leak, white and light green parts only
1 ½ cups butternut squash, frozen & diced
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup skim milk
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Sauté the bacon until crisp; remove from pot reserving the drippings. Add all the vegetables, season with salt and pepper and sauté until soft. Add the liquids and bring up to a gentle boil slowly. Blend the soup either with an immersion blender or in a standing one until smooth. Add the cheese, stir till melted, add the bacon back in and serve.
Monday, March 14, 2011
There's No Cat In Here
Mmm, Chinese food. This is the only take-out fast food that I will eat, but I don’t do it more than three or four times a year. Why you ask, well even though I love this cuisine I refuse to ingest all that fat and sodium on a regular basis. So in order to satisfy my cravings I make my own Chinese dishes at home; and honestly you can get pretty close in your own kitchen. Of course it will taste a bit different unless you are using MSG and cat meat and chances of that are pretty damn slim.
Of course what we Americans think of as Chinese food is so far from the authentic dishes that it’s not funny. Authentic Chinese cuisine emphasizes the use of vegetables as the main ingredient, this is because Buddhists do not eat meat and there are a ton of Buddhists in China. Over here we are served a plate full of deep fried, heavily sauced meat and about three ears of baby corn, oh so healthy! But have no fear American Chinese restaurants can not legally serve dog or cat meat due to animal rights laws, or so they protest. (China has no such laws).
So how did this change occur? Well back in the nineteenth century Chinese restaurants opened up in America to cater to the immigrant railroad workers, but soon white people discovered these restaurants and began to take a walk on the wild side and patronize the establishments. (There were no animal rights laws back then so it actually was risky chance to take). In order to keep the American customers coming back Chinese cooks adapted their traditional dishes to accommodate local tastes and ingredients. These cooks invented new Americanized dishes such as Chop Suey (leftovers), Beef and Broccoli (a vegetable not available in China), and General Tso’s Chicken (no such man in Chinese history). They also upped the cook time by frying meat to accommodate the faster paced American lifestyle. And by the way, fortune cookies were invented in San Francisco.
In true American tradition let’s start with the meat in our meal, Barbecued Pork. I use a broiling pan when I make this dish that I line with tinfoil to facilitate an easier cleanup. Originally this recipe called for a boneless pork butt, but I usually use country style ribs, because, well that’s what I have at the store. Begin by getting your aggressions out by stabbing four pounds of ribs with a fork on all sides then place them in a large resealable bag or plastic marinating container. Then combine half a cup each of sugar, soy sauce, a quarter cup dry sherry, quarter teaspoon of white pepper, one teaspoon Chinese Five Spice powder, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, two medium minced garlic cloves, about five tablespoons of grated ginger, and six tablespoons of Hoisin sauce. (This is Chinese barbecue sauce. It is a thick mixture of soybeans, sugar, vinegar, garlic and chilies). Save about half a cup of the mixture (for dipping the finished pork in) and pour the remaining marinade into the bag with the pork. Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least thirty minutes but no longer than four hours. Pour about a quarter cup of water in the bottom of the broiling pan and place the pork on the top slotted part, cover tightly with more tinfoil and cook at 300° for twenty minutes. Then remove the foil and cook twenty more minutes. While the ribs are cooking combine a quarter cup ketchup and a third cup of honey in a pan and cook over medium heat until it reduces and becomes syrupy, about four to six minutes. After the second twenty minutes turn on the broiler and baste the ribs with the glaze broiling about two to three minutes each side, basting all sides as you go along. This may take a long time to cook, but it is worth it. The pork has a great sticky sweet taste. The only downside to this recipe is that the clean up is a toal bitch!
For those of you who want an easier main dish try Orange Beef, a modified Rachael Ray recipe (actually the rest of the recipes are modified versions of RR recipes). Begin by making a marinade out of the grated peel of one orange, juice of two oranges, two and a half tablespoons of sesame oil, and one tablespoon each of soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. Slice one pound of rib eye steak into thin bite-size pieces and mix into the marinade; let this sit in the refrigerator for at least thirty minutes. Actually I tend to put together this together in the morning to marinade and when I get home it is ready to go; I’m not very patient. Remove the meat from the marinade, reserving the liquid, and cook over high heat, do this in small batches if the pan looks crowded because if there is too much in the pan the meat will boil not sear. Once done remove and replace with the reserved marinade, bring to a boil and then let it reduce by half before adding one tablespoon of brown sugar to make a glaze. Stir the meat back into the glaze and serve with plain brown rice.
The next two recipes can be used as side dishes or complete meals, and you can choose which vegetables to use because you may not like the same ones as me. All you need to remember is to cut all meat and vegetables into small bite-size pieces to ensure quick cooking. (Also small pieces are easier to pick up with chopsticks if that is your desired utensil).
Let’s start with fried rice. Cook as much rice as you want or need in chicken stock not water, this will add more flavor. When done fluff it with a fork and spread onto a baking sheet to cool. If you decided to make this dish with meat cook it now over high heat, otherwise cook your chosen vegetables. While these cook scramble up two eggs and add to the finished vegetables. While still over high heat stir in the rice and let it cook for a few minutes so that it can crisp up a bit, and then stir in about a half cup of soy sauce.
Moving on to Lo Mein, this is a recipe that I make quite often and I switch up the vegetables and meat according to what I either have on hand or feel like eating that day. The actual recipe calls for spaghetti but if you want to use authentic Asian noodles go ahead. So, cook the pasta till al dente, drain and set aside. Once again if you want to add meat to the dish season it with salt, pepper and sear it over high heat before adding the vegetables. In a separate pan scramble two eggs, when all the individual ingredients are cooked mix them all together. Finally pour in a sauce made from three tablespoons each of Hoisin sauce and soy sauce and a teaspoon of hot sauce. Be aware you will dirty quite a few dishes making this meal; I tend to have this when I need to run my dishwasher.
So there you have it, homemade Chinese food that not only tastes good but also is fairly healthy. Well that is if you actually use vegetables as the main ingredient. One of the plusses for me in making my own take out is that I know exactly what is on my plate; I know that we have those laws pertaining to animal rights, but I have noticed that there are a lack of animals in the general vicinity of Chinese restaurants. Hmm makes you kind of wonder.
Chinese Barbeque Pork
4 Lbs. Boneless pork ribs
½ cup Sugar
½ cup Soy sauce
¼ cup Dry sherry
¼ tsp. White pepper
1 tsp. Chinese Five-Spice Powder
1 Tlbsp Sesame oil
2 cloves Garlic, minced
5 Tlbsp. Ginger, grated
6 Tlbsp. Hoisin sauce
¼ cup Ketchup
1/3 cup Honey
Tenderize the ribs with a fork and place in a resealable bag. Combine the next nine ingredients in a bowl, reserve about half a cup of this mixture and pour the remaining into the bag, marinate the pork for at least 30 minutes but no more than 4 hours. Pour about a ¼ cup of water in the bottom of a broiling pan, place the marinated pork on the slotted top, cover with tin foil and bake at 300° for 20 minutes. Remove foil and cook 20 more minutes. On the stovetop combine ketchup and honey and cook over medium heat until syrupy, 4-6 minutes. Remove ribs from the oven and turn on the broiler. Baste the ribs with the syrup and broil, repeat this for each side. Serve with the reserved sauce.
Orange Beef
2 Oranges, 1 zested & 2 juiced
2 ½ Tlbsp Sesame oil
1 Tlbsp Soy sauce
1 Tlbsp Rice wine vinegar
1 lb. Rib eye steak, sliced bite-sized
1 Tlbsp Brown sugar
Make a marinade from the first four ingredients and pour over the sliced steak, marinate for a few hours. Remove the meat from the marinade and reserve the liquid. Sauté the meat over high heat until browned, remove from pan and replace with the marinade. Bring it to a boil and add the brown sugar to make a glaze. Stir the meat into this glaze and serve over white rice.
Make-It-Your-Own Fried Rice
1 cup Brown rice
1 ½ cups Chicken stock
Assorted vegetables
2 Eggs
½ cup Soy sauce
Bring the chicken stock to a boil and add the rice, cook about 40 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Spread it out on a cookie sheet to cool. Sauté your chosen vegetables over high heat, in separate pan scramble the eggs. Combine everything and sauté a little to crisp up the rice. Add the soy sauce and serve.
Anything Lo Mein
1 Lb. Pasta, traditional or rice
Assorted vegetables
2 Eggs
3 Tlbsp Hoisin sauce
3 Tlbsp Soy sauce
1 tsp. Tabasco sauce
Cook pasta according to box directions till al dente, drain and set aside. Sauté your chosen vegetables over high heat, in a separate pan scramble the eggs. Combine everything and mix in a sauce made from the remaining ingredients.
Of course what we Americans think of as Chinese food is so far from the authentic dishes that it’s not funny. Authentic Chinese cuisine emphasizes the use of vegetables as the main ingredient, this is because Buddhists do not eat meat and there are a ton of Buddhists in China. Over here we are served a plate full of deep fried, heavily sauced meat and about three ears of baby corn, oh so healthy! But have no fear American Chinese restaurants can not legally serve dog or cat meat due to animal rights laws, or so they protest. (China has no such laws).
So how did this change occur? Well back in the nineteenth century Chinese restaurants opened up in America to cater to the immigrant railroad workers, but soon white people discovered these restaurants and began to take a walk on the wild side and patronize the establishments. (There were no animal rights laws back then so it actually was risky chance to take). In order to keep the American customers coming back Chinese cooks adapted their traditional dishes to accommodate local tastes and ingredients. These cooks invented new Americanized dishes such as Chop Suey (leftovers), Beef and Broccoli (a vegetable not available in China), and General Tso’s Chicken (no such man in Chinese history). They also upped the cook time by frying meat to accommodate the faster paced American lifestyle. And by the way, fortune cookies were invented in San Francisco.
In true American tradition let’s start with the meat in our meal, Barbecued Pork. I use a broiling pan when I make this dish that I line with tinfoil to facilitate an easier cleanup. Originally this recipe called for a boneless pork butt, but I usually use country style ribs, because, well that’s what I have at the store. Begin by getting your aggressions out by stabbing four pounds of ribs with a fork on all sides then place them in a large resealable bag or plastic marinating container. Then combine half a cup each of sugar, soy sauce, a quarter cup dry sherry, quarter teaspoon of white pepper, one teaspoon Chinese Five Spice powder, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, two medium minced garlic cloves, about five tablespoons of grated ginger, and six tablespoons of Hoisin sauce. (This is Chinese barbecue sauce. It is a thick mixture of soybeans, sugar, vinegar, garlic and chilies). Save about half a cup of the mixture (for dipping the finished pork in) and pour the remaining marinade into the bag with the pork. Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least thirty minutes but no longer than four hours. Pour about a quarter cup of water in the bottom of the broiling pan and place the pork on the top slotted part, cover tightly with more tinfoil and cook at 300° for twenty minutes. Then remove the foil and cook twenty more minutes. While the ribs are cooking combine a quarter cup ketchup and a third cup of honey in a pan and cook over medium heat until it reduces and becomes syrupy, about four to six minutes. After the second twenty minutes turn on the broiler and baste the ribs with the glaze broiling about two to three minutes each side, basting all sides as you go along. This may take a long time to cook, but it is worth it. The pork has a great sticky sweet taste. The only downside to this recipe is that the clean up is a toal bitch!
For those of you who want an easier main dish try Orange Beef, a modified Rachael Ray recipe (actually the rest of the recipes are modified versions of RR recipes). Begin by making a marinade out of the grated peel of one orange, juice of two oranges, two and a half tablespoons of sesame oil, and one tablespoon each of soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. Slice one pound of rib eye steak into thin bite-size pieces and mix into the marinade; let this sit in the refrigerator for at least thirty minutes. Actually I tend to put together this together in the morning to marinade and when I get home it is ready to go; I’m not very patient. Remove the meat from the marinade, reserving the liquid, and cook over high heat, do this in small batches if the pan looks crowded because if there is too much in the pan the meat will boil not sear. Once done remove and replace with the reserved marinade, bring to a boil and then let it reduce by half before adding one tablespoon of brown sugar to make a glaze. Stir the meat back into the glaze and serve with plain brown rice.
The next two recipes can be used as side dishes or complete meals, and you can choose which vegetables to use because you may not like the same ones as me. All you need to remember is to cut all meat and vegetables into small bite-size pieces to ensure quick cooking. (Also small pieces are easier to pick up with chopsticks if that is your desired utensil).
Let’s start with fried rice. Cook as much rice as you want or need in chicken stock not water, this will add more flavor. When done fluff it with a fork and spread onto a baking sheet to cool. If you decided to make this dish with meat cook it now over high heat, otherwise cook your chosen vegetables. While these cook scramble up two eggs and add to the finished vegetables. While still over high heat stir in the rice and let it cook for a few minutes so that it can crisp up a bit, and then stir in about a half cup of soy sauce.
Moving on to Lo Mein, this is a recipe that I make quite often and I switch up the vegetables and meat according to what I either have on hand or feel like eating that day. The actual recipe calls for spaghetti but if you want to use authentic Asian noodles go ahead. So, cook the pasta till al dente, drain and set aside. Once again if you want to add meat to the dish season it with salt, pepper and sear it over high heat before adding the vegetables. In a separate pan scramble two eggs, when all the individual ingredients are cooked mix them all together. Finally pour in a sauce made from three tablespoons each of Hoisin sauce and soy sauce and a teaspoon of hot sauce. Be aware you will dirty quite a few dishes making this meal; I tend to have this when I need to run my dishwasher.
So there you have it, homemade Chinese food that not only tastes good but also is fairly healthy. Well that is if you actually use vegetables as the main ingredient. One of the plusses for me in making my own take out is that I know exactly what is on my plate; I know that we have those laws pertaining to animal rights, but I have noticed that there are a lack of animals in the general vicinity of Chinese restaurants. Hmm makes you kind of wonder.
Chinese Barbeque Pork
4 Lbs. Boneless pork ribs
½ cup Sugar
½ cup Soy sauce
¼ cup Dry sherry
¼ tsp. White pepper
1 tsp. Chinese Five-Spice Powder
1 Tlbsp Sesame oil
2 cloves Garlic, minced
5 Tlbsp. Ginger, grated
6 Tlbsp. Hoisin sauce
¼ cup Ketchup
1/3 cup Honey
Tenderize the ribs with a fork and place in a resealable bag. Combine the next nine ingredients in a bowl, reserve about half a cup of this mixture and pour the remaining into the bag, marinate the pork for at least 30 minutes but no more than 4 hours. Pour about a ¼ cup of water in the bottom of a broiling pan, place the marinated pork on the slotted top, cover with tin foil and bake at 300° for 20 minutes. Remove foil and cook 20 more minutes. On the stovetop combine ketchup and honey and cook over medium heat until syrupy, 4-6 minutes. Remove ribs from the oven and turn on the broiler. Baste the ribs with the syrup and broil, repeat this for each side. Serve with the reserved sauce.
Orange Beef
2 Oranges, 1 zested & 2 juiced
2 ½ Tlbsp Sesame oil
1 Tlbsp Soy sauce
1 Tlbsp Rice wine vinegar
1 lb. Rib eye steak, sliced bite-sized
1 Tlbsp Brown sugar
Make a marinade from the first four ingredients and pour over the sliced steak, marinate for a few hours. Remove the meat from the marinade and reserve the liquid. Sauté the meat over high heat until browned, remove from pan and replace with the marinade. Bring it to a boil and add the brown sugar to make a glaze. Stir the meat into this glaze and serve over white rice.
Make-It-Your-Own Fried Rice
1 cup Brown rice
1 ½ cups Chicken stock
Assorted vegetables
2 Eggs
½ cup Soy sauce
Bring the chicken stock to a boil and add the rice, cook about 40 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Spread it out on a cookie sheet to cool. Sauté your chosen vegetables over high heat, in separate pan scramble the eggs. Combine everything and sauté a little to crisp up the rice. Add the soy sauce and serve.
Anything Lo Mein
1 Lb. Pasta, traditional or rice
Assorted vegetables
2 Eggs
3 Tlbsp Hoisin sauce
3 Tlbsp Soy sauce
1 tsp. Tabasco sauce
Cook pasta according to box directions till al dente, drain and set aside. Sauté your chosen vegetables over high heat, in a separate pan scramble the eggs. Combine everything and mix in a sauce made from the remaining ingredients.
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