JBug's Kitchen Antics

Braised Short Ribs with Mushrooms, Pancetta and Marsala

Boy it's hard to go wrong with pancetta and marsala wine! You've likely noticed we've used the combination a fair bit in the last little while but when you make your own pancetta it's so darn delicious you'll take any excuse to use it. The other point is a good bottle of marsala can go a long way - we have a hard time hanging on to red wine around here as it tends to disappear rather quickly but we don't have the same drinkability issue with marsala ... at least, not yet. 

I was inspired by a couple of sources, namely Food Network Magazine and Food and Wine in the creation of last night's low and slow braise. It's a perfect cooking method for cold weather comfort food or cooking something that will get better as it holds when you're not sure what time dinner's going to be, as was my case last night.

Loaded with the usual onion, garlic and pancetta after the meat was well browned, I added some tomato paste, thyme, bay leaves and then deglazed the pan with marsala before adding more along with a can of beef consomme. After the first two hours, I added some little frozen pearl onions to the pot and let it all brew for another hour in a 300 oven. It came out richly colored and full of flavor. 

The only point of contention is that the boneless "short ribs" I bought weren't really short ribs but what we think was rump, cut to look like short ribs. Rather than a tender end result, the meat was more firm to the bite with a shorter grain than a well braised short rib would have been. I guess I can't blame the butcher even though it was marked boneless short ribs because I'm the idiot that bought the meat. I thought it looked a little funny and should have gone with my instincts. Needless to say, I'll be more careful on Saturday when we're back at the Sprouts meat counter. 

Braised Short Ribs with Mushrooms, Pancetta and Marsala (from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Food Network Magazine)

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 to 6 short ribs

Flour for dredging, salt and pepper

4 ounces pancetta, cut into small cubes

4 cloves garlic

1 large onion, chopped

2 cups quartered mushrooms

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

2 bay leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup dry Marsala wine, divided

1 10 ounce can beef consommé

1/2 cup water

6 ounces frozen pearl onions

 

Cooked Noodles

Sour cream for garnish

Heat olive oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium high heat until oil is shimmering hot. Trim short ribs of excess fat then season well with salt and pepper and dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Cook on all sides until a deep rich brown. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add pancetta to pot and cook until crisp. Remove to plate with short ribs. Remove all but 2 tablespoons oil from bottom of Dutch oven and return pot to heat. Add onions, garlic and mushrooms. Cook until onion is softened. Stir in tomato paste, thyme and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper and allow to cook briefly; add half a cup of Marsala wine, stirring up any browned bits from bottom of pan.  

Cook until Marsala is almost completely reduced – 2 or 3 minutes, then add remaining Marsala, consommé, water and return meats to the pot. Bring to a simmer then cover and place in a preheated 300 oven for 2 hours. Check liquid level and add more water as needed. Add frozen pearl onions, then cover pot and cook for 30 minutes. Remove lid and allow to cook for another 30 minutes or until meat is very tender and sauce is reduced to the consistency you like.  Serve on noodles and garnish with sour cream. Serves 4 to 6.

A year ago - Salmon Chowder   Two year's ago -  Chicken with Orange Mustard Sauce

 

Lemon Risotto with Seared Scallops

Risotto is an incredibly easy and versatile dish to make for one, two or tons of people. While some cooks are put off by the amount of time it takes to make, I on the other hand look at it as an opportunity for greatness. I mean isn't that what cooking's all about - taking simple raw ingredients, adding a smidgen of imagination, a little time and love and coming up with a delicious result.

I'd made this lemon risotto before when the Big Guy was out of town so he hadn't had the pleasure of enjoying its subtle creamy lemon flavors before. Made the usual way, this one includes shallots, the juice and rind of a lemon, a little wine - vermouth in this case because we didn't have any white wine in the cupboard, good quality chicken stock and time. Finished with a couple of pats of butter and slivers of fresh basil and parsley, it is a sight to behold.

Of course I could eat it just as it is, but the resident carnivore would be complaining somewhat so I sauteed some scallops to garnish the bowl of creamy splendor. Simply sprinkled with salt and pepper, the key to getting a good sear other than a hot pan, is to make sure the scallops are dried off before you even begin. Left to their own devices a mere 2 minutes on each side is all it takes - and for heaven's sake don't touch em' before the two minutes are up. Just let 'em be. When I flipped these big beauties over, I dropped a tiny bit of butter on top of each scallop so it could melt through and add flavor and moisture.

They needed nothing - not even a squeeze of lemon because we'd taken care of all of that in the risotto. It's a superb combination and totally worth doing again. 

Lemon Risotto (inspired by Nigella Lawson)

4 cups low sodium chicken stock

Water (if needed)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large shallots, finely chopped

1 cup Arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth

3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Juice and rind of 1 large lemon, or 2 small

2 tablespoons fresh basil chopped

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Salt and coarse ground pepper to taste

Heat stock in a medium pot and keep at a low simmer.

In a large flat bottomed pan, heat olive oil. Add shallots and cook until softened – about 3 or 4 minutes. Add Arborio rice and stir well to coat with oil/shallot mixture. Sauté for about 1 minute. Set heat at medium low and add white wine and stir until evaporated. Set timer for 18 minutes - add stock a ladle full at a time, stirring constantly. Continue to add stock by the ladle, stirring constantly as rice absorbs the liquid. After 18 minutes, the rice should be cooked to al dente and will stop absorbing liquid. (If stock runs low, add hot water as needed). Stir in lemon rind and juice and butter. Add grated cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste, add chopped basil and garnish with additional grated cheese. Makes 2 main course servings.

Sauteed Scallops:

Spray a cast iron pan with cooking spray and place over medium high heat until almost smoking. Wash and dry scallops (I used 5 for the two of us) and remove and discard abductor muscle if not already done. Season lightly with salt and coarse ground black pepper. Place scallops onto hot pan and cook without touching for 2 minutes. Leave the scallops alone - do not touch! After 2 minutes they should be a deep golden brown - flip them over. Place a small "pearl" sized piece of butter on top and let them cook for another 2 minutes  - or until firm to the touch. Top serving of risotto with the scallops and dust lightly with freshly ground black pepper and garnish with basil and/or fresh parsley.

 A year ago - Tourte Poulet Indienne   Two year's ago - Braised Shortribs with Polenta

Almond Crusted Chicken with Lemon Aioli

Picture oven baked skinless boneless chicken thighs, spiced up with cumin, sweet paprika, garlic and cayenne, coated in olive oil and crusted in almonds. Have I got your attention yet?

From Food and Wine's annual cookbook way back in 2006, I've had my eye on this one for a while. Although they recommended using coarsely chopped almonds, I used some of the almond meal I purchased to make the fabulous gluten free Kumquat Cake a little while ago. I store the meal in my freezer because after all we're in the sunny south and with 75 degree temperatures in my kitchen the past few days, it can go rancid before you know it. Baked in a 400 oven for 50 minutes, the thighs came out moist, incredibly tender and really full of flavor.

Paired with a quick lemon aioli made using store bought mayonnaise, the juice and rind of a lemon as well as a tad more olive oil, the whole shebang was darn near perfect on top of some mixed salad greens garnished with red onion and dried cranberries. Best of all the left over chicken's going to make a heck of a sandwich on some of our homemade sandwich rolls. Just sayin'!

Speaking of greens, our lettuce pots are ready to harvest again - I know I'm bragging, but I can't believe I haven't killed 'em yet. 

Oven Baked Almond Crusted Chicken (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Food & Wine 2006 Annual Cookbook)

I used skinless boneless chicken thighs, but you could use darn near any cut – they recommended chicken wings which would be superb.

2 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs

1/3 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1-1/2 tablespoons dry sherry

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1-1/2 cups almond meal (or coarsely ground almonds)

Preheat oven to 400. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and set aside. Wash and dry chicken thighs. In a large bowl combine oil, paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, garlic, vinegar, sherry, salt and pepper. Add chicken and toss well to coat.

Place almond meal into a plastic bag. Toss chicken into bag a piece at a time and coat evenly with almond meal, pressing onto chicken to adhere well. Place chicken in a single layer onto prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes, or until cooked through. Serve warm or cold with aioli.

 Lemon Aioli:

1/4 cup prepared mayonnaise

Juice and rind of 1 lemon

1/4 cup olive oil

Place mayonnaise, lemon rind and juice in a blender or mini food processor. Pulse to combine well. With motor running add olive oil and a slow drizzle and process until smooth.

A year ago - Grandma's Apple Pie   Two year's ago - Strawberry Mousse Cream Cake

 

"Souper" Sunday - Italian Minestrone

I stole the idea of making soup for Sunday dinner from Pam at Sidewalk Shoes and it's been a great addition to our kitchen antics. There's not much that smells better than a pot of soup on the stove all afternoon and this one's no exception. Inspired by recipes in Celebrated Seasons, a Minneapolis Junior League cookbook as well as Sable and Rosenfeld's Elegant Entertaining, both from the late 80's, nothing about this pot of glorious flavor is out of date.

With only a smidge of meat in the whole thing in the form of smoked pork hocks and a single link of hot Italian sausage, for once in our carnivore driven lives the focus is on the vegetables - carrots, onions, leeks and cabbage in this instance, along with tomatoes and red kidney beans. You could certainly substitute spinach or kale for the cabbage and ham or bacon for the pork hocks if you wish. Also, I chose a toothy radiatore pasta to finish as the short, thick little fusilli like shapes hold up well in the pot but any short pasta would do, even elbow macaroni.

We passed the pepper mill along with some grated parmesan and enjoyed our bowl of comfort along with some hot crunchy garlic bread and the rest of the bottle of the red wine that went into the pot. It was all good and we've lots of leftovers to take care of lunches for the week.

Italian Minestrone Soup (from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Celebrated Seasons and Sable & Rosenfeld cookbooks)

I brewed this pot of glorious bliss over the course of the afternoon; however, you can certainly speed up the preparation time if you wish.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 leek, white and pale green part only, chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 tablespoon dried mixed Italian herbs

Coarse ground black pepper

1 quart low sodium beef stock

1 can beef consommé

1 cup water

1 pound smoked pork hocks

1 link hot Italian sausage, casing removed

1 – 28 ounce can diced tomatoes

1-1/2 cups dry red wine

2 medium carrots, diced

1/2 medium cabbage, chopped into half inch pieces

1 cup radiator pasta

Coarse ground black pepper and grated parmesan for garnish

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. When shimmering add onions, celery, and leeks and sauté, stirring often until vegetables are soft. Add garlic, basil, Italian herbs and coarse ground black pepper and cook for another 3 or 4 minutes, stirring often. Add beef stock, consommé and water to pot and heat to high simmer.

Meanwhile heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Remove pork hocks from bones and chop into 1 inch pieces. Add to skillet and cook until meat starts to brown. Add Italian sausage to pan and sauté until sausage is browned. Drain meat in a colander to remove excess fat and add to soup pot.

Lower heat to a slow simmer, cover pot and cook for 1 hour. Add diced tomatoes red wine, carrots and cabbage and cook covered for additional 40 minutes, or until cabbage has softened. Add pasta, cover pot and simmer until pasta is cooked – about 15 minutes. Garnish with coarse ground black pepper and grated parmesan cheese. Makes 10 servings.

A year ago - Bow Legged Chuck     

 

Maple Glazed Cedar Planked Salmon with Dijon Mashed Spuds

Boy sometimes I even surprise myself with my stupidity. Yesterday's shopping trip yielded some beautiful salmon steaks, all plump and glistening. The problem is I forgot how bony the darn things are even though the flavor's great. I really should have listened to the "look" I got from the Big Guy when I picked them up and bought fillets instead - but oh no. Sometimes I think I need to exert my independence but it's no surprise that I should have saved it for another time.

No problemo though because I'm thinking we'll be making this one again. Notice I use the term "we" - which is meant as a collective "we" since the Big Guy did all the work yesterday and cooked up the salmon. A recipe from Gourmet via Epicurious.com, the glaze is a combination of reduced maple syrup, lemon juice, soy sauce, fresh ginger and garlic. It's really simple enough but in combination with cedar smoke the end result is absolutely not to be believed.

The Mustard Mashed Potatoes, also from Gourmet via Epicurious are really the icing on the plate - creamy yet chunky unpeeled Yukon Gold potatoes, mashed along with butter, milk and Dijon mustard and paired with the salmon, it is without a doubt a match made in heaven. Who knew?

We changed not one single thing other than the Big Guy cooked the salmon outside on the Weber, so I'm sending you directly to the source of this blissful more than company worthy dinner. Hit the button here and you're on your way to Epicurious!

A year ago -  Chicken Paillards Cordon Bleu  Two year's ago - Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower and Bacon

Planning for Superbowl Sunday

Big Guy took me out for dinner last night so I'll admit JBug's Kitchen was dark but hopefully a night off from kitchen duty will inspire me somewhat over what the heck to serve for Super Bowl. I've got to get moving since it's only a week away.

I don't know about you but I seem to have a big problem planning a menu for the ultimate football Sunday. It never seems to be the right thing and because this year's bowl doesn't start until 6:00 PM Eastern the question remains "is it still OK to serve the usual munchie fare or is something more substantial - like say dinner required" ...or both. Yikes - what a canundrum.

One year the Big Guy and I made dim sum. Oh, don't get me wrong, it was wonderful but we made a huge assortment of buns, dumplings and eggrolls and cooked ALL day so by the time the game was on we weren't interested in either the food or the game. Another year we loaded up on assorted chips and one very rich, very calorically incorrect dip made with sausage and cheese.  We ate so much of it I didn't think I ever wanted to see it again which proves that variety is important. Now that was an "ah ha" moment - you've got to have more than one thing on the menu.

If you're leaning towards munchies, then here's a few of our past favorites and there's a possibility we'll resurrect a few of them next week. That is unless you all can give me a better idea. What, pray tell, are you cooking up for the big day?

Vietnamese Pork and Shrimp Meatballs - quite the combination don't you think? They're sublime especially placed on top of a cucumber round and/or served with a little Sweet Chili Sauce. 

 Buffalo Chicken Balls - bet you didn't know a chicken has such appendages, did you? Well they don't but if they did let me tell you they'd be blessed to be anything at all like these.

 

Clam's Casino - popular in the 70's, these little beauties are being re-introduced as the new "go to" appetizer.We'll just pretend they're in honor of the New England Patriots but I know better - ours are Oregonian.

Poppers in a Blanket - everybody loves a jalapeno popper but we love these even more because of the pastry. They're quick to whip up and oh so delicious.

 

Scotch Eggs - if you're looking for something a touch more substantial there's nothing better than these little beauties. They can be made entirely in advance and are really best served cold along with a brewski or two.

Lamb Sausage Rolls - what's is there to say about perfections. A manly kind of appetizer, as if by magic these disappear awfully quickly!

 

Italian Tomato Ragu = Unlimited Possibilities

When you whip up a big batch of Italian meat sauce honestly the sky's the limit as far as menu choices. It doesn't have to be reserved for pasta only although there's nothing wrong with a plate of the good stuff, or a big batch of lasagna but it's usefulness goes way beyond that.

Imagine a pot of hamburger soup with a cup or so of rich tomatoey goodness in it. Talk about elevate a lowly bowl to a higher level. How about stuffed eggplant, or chicken parmesan, or a zucchini gratin topped with a scoop of red glory. You can steam a pot of mussels in some, add cooked shrimp and serve it on rice or even poach eggs for Nova in Purgatorio.

Traditionally Eggs in Purgatory are cooked in a simple marinara sauce but as you know, we don't do meatless very well in this house. I was asked to make a batch of ragu for the great white hunters who will be heading out on their annual javalina hunt shortly, so while I was at it I thought I'd make enough for last night's dinner too.

Knowing they'll be expending a pile of energy walking the desert and that vegetables aren't high on their list, I loaded the sauce up with zucchini, mushrooms, onions and just a little finely chopped red pepper because John isn't much of a fan of it along with the usual hot Italian sausage, onions and garlic. I also cheated and used a 26 ounce jar of Trader Joe's marinara sauce too as well as some kinda' ossified but still OK for cooking roma and cherry tomatoes I had taking up space.

After the sauce had cooked down to a perfect consistency, I scooped a couple of cups out, put it in a saute pan and broke 4 eggs into little wells I'd made in the pan. Covered and cooked over low heat for 5 minutes, the eggs were perfectly done although I was afraid I'd put too much heat to them and they'd ended up like hockey pucks. Ya' gotta' be careful and not cook 'em too long!

Served with some crusty warm bread, it really was a meal fit for an Italian prince and for sure my Eastern Oregon cowboy was happy. The plus side is the rest of the sauce is in the freezer and that request is taken care of. Now I just have to make some old fashioned date filled oatmeal cookies and a bunch of little individual sticky toffee puddings for the guys and my job is done.

Veggie Filled Italian Ragu (from JBug’s Kitchen)

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 cup chopped mushrooms

1/2 red pepper, finely chopped

1 medium zucchini, diced

1 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 – 26 ounce jar prepared marinara sauce

1/2 cup water

1 pound ground Italian sausage (without casings)

Salt and pepper to taste

 

4 eggs

Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Freshly chopped basil

Crusty bread or toast

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, garlic, mushrooms and red pepper and cook until onions are transparent and vegetables softened. Add fresh tomatoes, red pepper flakes, oregano, basil and cook for 5 minutes stirring often. Add marinara sauce, and water. Bring pot to a high simmer, then reduce heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Meanwhile in a separate sauté pan brown sausage well, crumbling as it cooks.  Remove from pan and place in colander to drain fat. Add to tomato sauce and simmer uncovered until desired consistency. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as necessary.

Remove 2 cups of sauce to a shallow sauté pan with a lid and place over low heat. Break egg into a small cup. With a large spoon make a well in the tomato ragu and slide the egg into the sauce. Repeat with the rest of the eggs. Cover and cook on low simmer for 3 to 5 minutes or until eggs reach desired consistency. BE careful to remove pan from the heat when the eggs still have some “jiggle” in them because they’ll continue to cook. Spoon into bowls, sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan and serve with bread on the side.

Freeze remaining sauce in serving size portions.

A year ago - Croque Madame       Two year's ago - Chicken Divan

Buttered Rum and Raisin Rice Pudding

Our sweet treat of the week is inspired by a recipe in a very old cookbook (Purity) and brings with it memories of my Mother's version - without the rum of course. Mom would make it for me whenever I visited because she knew it was a favorite, although she cooked her pudding in a little double boiler and it seemed to take hours and hours.

This version is much quicker and without need for any special equipment but it doesn't suffer in any way shape or form for its simplicity. I used some cooked rice leftover from another meal earlier in the week Big Guy saved with a hint that it would be great in a pudding.

Mixed with a custard of sugar, whole milk and eggs, this stove top version of rice pudding makes for an extremely creamy result. Loaded with plump juicy raisins that have been soaked in rum for an hour or so and finished with a pat of butter, it's barely sweet, definitely delicious and gets better and better with time in the refrigerator - that is if it lasts long enough for you to be able to tell such a thing. If you prefer a sweeter pudding, feel free to increase the amount of sugar accordingly.

Alas, it wasn't our only sweet treat of the week although it really deserved to receive top billing. I made a meyer lemon version of the flourless kumquat cake.  I merely cut back on the cooking time of the fruit to 30 minutes because the lemons cooked a lot faster than the kumquats, but otherwise followed the same method and it was absolutely sublime. Notice the past tense? Yup - it's all gone too.

Creamy Buttered Rum & Raisin Rice Pudding (from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Purity Cookbook)

1/2 cup seedless raisins

2 tablespoons dark rum

1/2 cup sugar (increase to 3/4 cup if you prefer a sweeter pudding)

Pinch salt

1-1/2 cups whole milk

2 cups cooked long grain or Arborio rice

2 eggs

1 tablespoon corn starch

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Mix raisins and rum together in a small bowl and soak for minimum half an hour. Combine sugar, salt, milk and pre-cooked rice in a small pot. Place over medium heat and warm, stirring occasionally until hot – do not allow to boil. Meanwhile in a small bowl beat together eggs and cornstarch. When milk/rice mixture is hot, carefully and slowly whisk a third of it into the beaten egg mixture to temper the eggs, and then add the mixture back to the pot. Cook, stirring constantly over medium low heat until mixture is thickened and bubbles “blurp” on the surface. Remove from heat and stir in butter and reserved soaked rum and raisin mixture. Remove to a bowl and place a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto surface of pudding. Cool. Serve either warm or chilled with or without cream. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

By the way, in case you're wondering we had cheddar bacon burgers last night with a second batch of the homemade sandwich rolls I made the other day. Yup - I just HAD to do it all again because there's really no excuse. The rolls take limited time to prep and the payoff is incredible. Just ask the neighbors salivating on the sidewalk outside the kitchen window!

A year ago - Lemon Risotto    Two year's ago - Shrimp and Andouille on Grits

Perline Pasta Purses with Mushrooms, Pancetta and Marsala

I had to do some juggling with this week's menu. A couple of items I'd planned to purchase on our usual Saturday shopping got nixed because they weren't up to snuff quality wise. Like most everyone these days we're on a budget so I make up our menus for the week in advance along with a shopping list to include items I find in the sale flyers that come in Tuesday's mail. When the goods just don't look so good in the store, I sometimes need to come up with a plan "B".

I try not to hit the stores on impulse because I just end up spending way too much and often on something we can do without. I find it's better to follow a list and stick with the original ingredients just come up with something different. Unfortunately our house doesn't have a pantry in the kitchen and there's limited storage elsewhere so I really need to be organized and imaginative too.

Plan B last night included some Perline Pasta from Trader Joe's refrigerator section served in a fresh mushroom, onion, garlic and marsala cream sauce. I'd originally planned to use the pasta in a chicken meatball soup, but the market wanted the whopping price of $5.99 a pound for ground chicken and I wasn't about to part with the sheckles. Too lazy to grind my own, Plan "B" turned out to be a fabulous alternative - of course, how can you go wrong with any of the ingredients. I mean really!

Served with a tossed salad on the side, it made for a quick and tasty weeknight dinner. By the way, it really is all about the sauce, so just about any pasta will do. Try this with spinach ravioli, or penne' - it would be great!

As for today, I'm sitting here looking at this week's flyers and working on some new ideas to "wow" ya' for the next week. Trouble is I'm feeling rather uninspired at the moment, so I'm going to grab a cup of coffee and a couple of cookbooks and we'll see what happens. Hope you have a great day everyone!

Perline Pasta Purses with Pancetta, Mushrooms and Marsala (from JBug’s Kitchen)

Sauce:

4 ounces pancetta, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups mushrooms, cut into wedges

1/2 cup dry Marsala wine (or dry sherry)

3/4 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Coarse ground black pepper

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Pasta cooking water as needed

 

1 – 10 ounce package Perline Pasta or Tortellini, Ravioli or dry pasta cooked per package directions

Heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat and cook pancetta until crisp. Remove from pan, add olive oil and when shimmering, add onions. Cook until onions are softened, stirring constantly. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add mushrooms and sauté until just starting to brown. Stir in Marsala wine, decrease heat to simmer and cook until Marsala wine is almost completely reduced. Stir in cream and cook until starting to thicken. 

Add basil, parsley, black pepper, cooked pasta, parmesan cheese and reserved cooked pancetta and toss to coat pasta well with sauce for 2 to 3 minutes. Add pasta cooking water as needed to make a creamy consistency. Serve with additional black pepper and cheese.  Makes 3 to 4 servings.

A year ago - Lemon Gelato     Two year's ago - Oven Roasted Chicken on Croutons

Greek Style Broccoli Cheese Pie with Patio Chicken

Yesterday was National Pie day and while most people would think to celebrate with a sweet and delicious dessert, I thought I'd be different and serve a savory version. This broccoli cheese pie isn't anything like the usual quiche variety that most of us are used to. It has all the appearance and flavors of a giant Greek spanikopeta without the spinach!

It's made from broccoli, steamed and chopped up along with sauteed onion, lots of lovely feta cheese, fresh parsley, dill and garlic of course and it's all wrapped up in a nice little crispy phyllo blanket. It's the kind of thing I personally love to eat - hot or cold; however, I'll admit I made a slight slip up yesterday and added  lemon zest and juice just because I've got a ton of them around right now. A lighter hand would have been better, as the lemon commandeered the party, so you'll notice in the recipe below I've left it out entirely. It didn't make it inedible - just different. It would be perfect on its own with a tossed salad for lunch or dinner, but as you know we don't do meatless much around here and that's where the chicken comes in.

Don't ask me why it's called "Patio" chicken because I have no clue but this one's from Celebrated Seasons, one of my collection of Junior League Cookbooks and it's really very good. I used skinless boneless chicken thighs, covered them in a spiced up crumb crust and baked them in a 400 oven for 15 minutes, after which they're slathered in mayonnaise and returned to the oven to finish cooking. 

They're very tender, moist and really flavorful - in fact, it would be fabulous picnic food, well wrapped and in a cooler of course. It'll also make an awesome chicken sandwich with sliced tomatoes and maybe a slice or two of crisp bacon -- but we digress. That'll have to be a whole different story.

Greek Style Broccoli Cheese Pie (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Celebrated Seasons, A Junior League Cookbook)

10 to 12 sheets phyllo pastry

1 small onion finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

20 ounces broccoli florets, steamed until tender, drained and chopped

3 eggs, beaten

8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (I used one with Mediterranean Herbs)

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1/2 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350. Heat oil in a small skillet and sauté onion until transparent. Add garlic and cook an additional minute until garlic is fragrant. Move to a large bowl to cool slightly. Add broccoli, eggs, feta, parsley, dill, salt and pepper. Mix well to combine.

Arrange 6 to 8 sheets of phyllo pastry on a board, staggering layers and brushing lightly with butter between each layer. Place into a 9 inch spring form pan, allowing the sides to overlap the edges of the pan. Pour filling into the pan and fold overlapped edges toward center of pan to partially cover filling. Arrange 4 sheets of phyllo together on a board, brushing lightly with butter in between. Using a sharp knife, cut a circle to fit the top of your spring form pan. Place circle of phyllo sheets on top of filling. Using a sharp knife, score the top sheets into 8 wedges. Brush top with remaining butter.

Place spring form pan onto a baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake in 350 oven for 50 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes. Remove sides from pan and slide pie onto serving plate. Cut into wedges.

Patio Chicken (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Celebrated Seasons, A Junior League Cookbook)

2 pounds chicken – I used skinless boneless thighs

1 cup dry Italian breadcrumbs

1-1/2 teaspoons onion salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon summer savory

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 cup mayonnaise

Preheat oven to 400. Spray a sheet pan with cooking spray and set aside. Combine breadcrumbs, onion salt, pepper, garlic powder, summer savory and curry powder in zip top bag. Rinse chicken pieces and pat dry with paper towel, leaving a little moisture on them. Add pieces one at a time to the bag of spiced crumbs and shake to coat. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with mayonnaise, sprinkling any remaining crumbs on top. Lower oven heat to 350 and continue to bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until tender. Serve hot or cold.

A year ago - Gnocchi with Romesco and Italian Sausage   Two year's ago - Steak and Guinness Pie

New Mexico Style Pot Roast with Cornbread Griddle Cakes

Sunday's are kind of slow around here so what better to have for dinner than something that's best cooked low and slow like this New Mexico Style Pot Roast. 

It's a breeze to put together because after a quick sear to brown the meat, the rest of the work is done by the oven. Braised in a mixture of red enchilada sauce, beer and beef stock, it's a beautiful thing finished with sweet potatoes and hominy.

Hominy is something I'd never had before we moved to the sunny south and it really is an acquired taste/texture thing. It is simply dried corn that's been soaked in a mild lye solution which kills the kernal and makes the corn puff up. You can find it in the canned vegetable section of your local grocery store. Just remember to drain and rinse it well before adding it to the pot. It has a musty flavor with a very chewy texture so if you're not inclined to give it a try, just leave it out or substitute regular corn.

I figured the roast would be lovely with cornbread but wanted to change it up a bit so we cooked these griddlecakes instead. Adapted from a recent post by Ezra Poundcake, they looked too darn good to pass up. They're really just like a hunk a cornbread only much lighter and the bonus is the crispy crust on the outside - both sides!

Just be careful not to overcook them or you'll have hockey pucks on your plate instead of light moist little yummies. By the way, the original recipe calls for self rising cornmeal but darned if I could find the stuff, so I made my own - how's that grab ya?

New Mexico Style Pot Roast (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted epicurious.com)

1 – 3 pound boneless chuck roast, tied

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt & coarse ground black pepper

All-purpose flour

1 large onion, peeled and cut into wedges

2 cloves garlic

1 – 20 ounce can red enchilada sauce

1 -12 ounce light beer

1 cup low sodium beef stock

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1 – 28 ounce can hominy, drained and rinsed

Garnishes – pickled jalapeno peppers, sour cream, extra hot sauce

Preheat oven to 350. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add oil and heat until shimmering. Meanwhile season roast with salt and pepper and dredge in flour on both sides, shaking off excess. Brown meat very well on both sides in hot pan. When browned remove pot from heat and add onions, garlic, enchilada sauce, beer and beef stock. Stir well to combine ingredients. Cover pot and bake in preheated oven for 2-1/2 hours or until meat is tender.

Remove pot from the oven and add sweet potato and drained and rinsed hominy. Cover pot and return to the oven. Cook for half an hour, remove lid and cook additional 15 minutes or until liquid is reduced to thicken. Serve garnished with pickled jalapeno peppers, sour cream and pass the extra hot sauce. Serves 6.

Cornbread Griddle Cakes (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Southern Living via Ezra Poundcake)

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

1 cup flour less 1 tablespoon

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 tablespoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted butter

1 large egg, lightly beaten

3/4 cup milk

Butter

Whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and cayenne in a large bowl to combine well. In a small bowl beat together vegetable oil, egg and milk. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined. (It will be lumpy).

Heat a griddle over medium heat and brush lightly with butter. Spoon a quarter cup of batter onto griddle and cook until tops are bubbled and edges look dry – (just like you’re cooking pancakes). Flip over and cook other side. Serve warm.

A year ago -  Parmesan Cream Potatoes  Two year's ago - Oven Fried Chicken

Cod with Andouille and Shrimp Sauce

I'm reading a book by Erica Spindler that's based in NOLA and it seemed like as good an excuse as any to cook a dinner to fit that particular scenario. Hey, any excuse to enjoy Cajun flavors is the right reason in my book.

We've had this particular dish before although last night we'd intended enjoying it with halibut instead of cod. Unfortunately the halibut wasn't looking too great so we made the necessary adjustments and picked a fish that looked more appetizing.

Notice I say "we". This is a perfect dish to cook with your significant other - mine prepped the fish as I put the rice on to cook and got the sauce ingredients together, and in 20 minutes after much laughter we were sitting down to dinner. I'm darn lucky that my Big Guy loves to cook and likes my company too.

While the dish is supposed to be about the fish, in my opinion it's all about the sauce. Chunks of smoked andouille sausage, browned until crispy in a little butter, joined by a few gorgeous shrimp, a touch of Old Bay seasoning and finished with cream ...well, what can I say? It's absolutely to die for. Placed on top of a mound of rice, the sauce soaks down through it making every single solitary bite an explosion of flavor. There is absolutely nothing boring about it!

Cod a la’ Cajun (from JBug's Kitchen inspired by Legal Seafoods Cookbook)

2 – 6 ounce cod fillets

1/4 cup mayonnaise (light is fine)

2 Tablespoons Louisiana hot sauce

1/4 cup dried Italian flavored bread crumbs

1/4 cup cornmeal

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

Vegetable oil

 

1 tablespoon butter

4 ounces smoked andouille sausage, diced

4 ounces medium shrimp cut into half inch pieces

1/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon fresh parsley

Fresh ground black pepper

Wash and dry cod fillets. Combine mayonnaise and hot sauce and coat fish on all sides. Combine bread crumbs, cornmeal and Cajun seasoning. Coat fish, pressing crumbs onto all sides to adhere. Place fish on rack to dry coating mixture for a few minutes.

Heat cast iron pan over medium heat and add enough vegetable oil to just cover bottom. When shimmering add fish and cook for approximately 4 minutes a side, or until fish is firm to the touch. Remove from pan and keep warm (uncovered) in the oven. Wipe pan out and return to heat. Add butter and when melted add andouille sausage. Cook for 2 minutes or until just beginning to brown, stirring constantly. Add shrimp and old bay seasoning. Cook for 1 more minute or until shrimp is just opaque. Add cream and lemon juice and cook until cream is slightly reduced. To serve pour sauce over fish and garnish with parsley and fresh ground black pepper.  Serves 2

A year ago - Turkey and Brie Panini    Two year's ago -  Minty Lamb Meatballs

 

Beautiful Buns

Hey some of us have them and some don't. Mine are epic - softly dimpled, round with just the right golden color and if you're thinking otherwise just get your minds out of the gutter right now! I'm speaking of the sandwich rolls I made yesterday.

It never ceases to amaze me the pure simplicity involved in making great bread and buns. It is as easy as warm water, yeast, a touch of sugar, a little butter and flour - even the flour doesn't have to be fancy. I mean they don't call it all-purpose for nothin'.

Thanks to my trusty Kitchen Aid it all came together in about 15 minutes flat. After an hour's rise and a little shaping, the little balls of dough were nestled into my spankin' brand new whoopie pie pans and a half hour later they hit the oven and came out looking like this!

Perfect three and a half inch soft and delicious buns - absolutely the right size for what we had in mind last night. See it and weep!

Oh about the whoopie pie pans - well, if you follow JBug's at all, you'll know that traditionally in May I make a truckload of whoopie pies the Big Guy takes to one of his classes as reward for his students. It's a heck of a job coming up with 6 or 7 dozen of the things, so this year I bit the bullet and ordered a couple of pans from Amazon - my favorite source. They're amazing - no stick, perfectly sized, heavy guage and a baker's dream thanks to Wilton! I got them last week and immediately thought they'd be perfect for making sandwich rolls in addition to the job for which they're intended.

As for the sandwich - picture a lovely lean pork tenderloin, thinly sliced and browned quickly on a flat top grill until juicy and tender, topped with a mustardy coleslaw, some barbecue sauce, pickled jalapenos and crunchy onions. Is your mouth watering yet? In case you want to know, it's our retake on a classic Southern Illinois Barbecue Sandwich. Hit the link and hear about the original!

Oh, one more thing - neither Amazon or Wilton have compensated me in any way shape or form for commenting on their services/products. In fact, it's very much the reverse. I just like their stuff.

Easy Beautiful Buttery Sandwich Rolls (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Purity Cookbook)

1 cup very warm water

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon dry yeast

1 large egg

2 tablespoons softened butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3 to 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

 

2 tablespoons melted butter

Dissolve sugar into warm water in a small bowl or 2 cup measuring cup. Sprinkle yeast on top, stir lightly and set aside to proof for 5 minutes until foaming. Meanwhile in bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, combine egg, butter, sugar and salt together. With the motor running add proofed yeast and 1-1/2 cups of flour.  Mix on medium speed for 3 minutes until mixture has a soft stringy like consistency. Switch attachment to dough hook and with the motor running, slowly add another cup of flour and letting the dough hook knead the soft dough. Keep adding flour a tablespoon at a time until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl and starts to climb the dough hook – you’re looking for a soft but not sticky dough. This process should take approximately 5 more minutes. When dough is soft and elastic, remove from bowl and place into another container that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled in bulk (approximately 1 hour).

Gently deflate the dough and form it into a long cylinder on a lightly floured board. Cut into 12 equal pieces. Form pieces into round balls and place on a greased baking pan approximately 2-1/2 inches apart. Allow to rise for 30 minutes or until puffy.  Brush tops with half the melted butter, then bake buns in a preheated 375 oven for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and brush tops with remaining butter. Flip out onto cooling rack. Makes 1 dozen rolls.

A year ago - Apple Sausage Stuffing    Two year's ago - Old Fashioned Date Filled Oatmeal Cookies

Braised Red Cabbage with Apples and Caraway

There tends to be some repetition when you blog as much as we do since we're all about every day cooking and all so bear with me as I talk about the braised red cabbage we had last night.

We happen to love the stuff although it was one of the cooked veggies the Big Guy avoided before we tied the knot. He's come to realize there's hardly anything better for pure simple deliciousness than cooked cabbage, but even I admit it doesn't make the house smell particularly good the day after the night before.

This particular recipe is our favorite and includes cabbage, red onion and apples all braised low and slow for two whole hours in a mix of red wine vinegar, brown sugar, chicken stock and caraway seeds. You'd think it would be cooked to death now wouldn't you but it isn't. There's still some crunch left to the cabbage and it's absolutely silken in texture and full of the nuances of apples and caraway.

Served along with some lovely fresh pork bratwurst sausages from our local purveyor "Sprouts", it's a lovely incredibly easy and very delicious solution to a weeknight dinner. The best part about it, the cabbage can be prepared the night before and reheated because it only gets better. Try it next time you need a different kind of side dish. It's fabulous with any kind of pork, especially schnitzel and great with duck too.

Braised Red Cabbage with Apple and Caraway (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Sable and Rosenfeld, Elegant Entertaining)

1 large head red cabbage coarsely chopped into 1 inch pieces

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons butter

1 red onion sliced

2 apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons caraway seeds

Black pepper to taste

In a large non-reactive bowl (stainless steel or glass) combine cabbage, red wine vinegar and salt. Allow to sit for 5 minutes. Meanwhile heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large heavy Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sliced onion, apples, chicken stock, brown sugar, caraway seeds and cabbage/red wine vinegar mixture. Cover pot and reduce heat to low. Braise for 2 hours, stirring every half hour until cabbage is tender. Taste for seasoning and add black pepper as needed. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

A year ago - Pasta with Pancetta and Tomatoes   Two years ago - Pork Tenderloin with Rhubarb Chutney

Chicken Casserole in a Squash Bowl

There's the Fiesta Bowl, Orange Bowl, Sugar Bowl. Rose Bowl, and the Super Bowl. Of course there's also a bread bowl and low and behold now we can add the squash bowl to the list. That's what we had last night filled with a version of a Chicken Cordon Bleu casserole.

We had our version of Mags' casserole from Other Side of Fifty during our vacation this summer and absolutely loved it. Loaded with chicken, onion, red pepper, ham and swiss cheese it's darn near addictive. In fact it was so good we ate the whole darn casserole. That was then and this is now because we're really trying to cut back on our portions and I figured the way to do it may be to make a single serving sized entree and at the same time try and get some more veggies into our diet. Thus the squash bowl.

I simply cut a Kobocha squash in half, removed the seeds and brushed the innards with a touch of olive oil. Seasoned with salt and pepper, it roasted for 50 minutes in a 350 oven. Then I whipped up the casserole but I left out the rice, and filled the cooked squash with all that flavorful goodness. Dressed with a top hat of crumbs, the squash returned to the oven to bake for an addition 30 minutes until it was all browned and hot and bubbling.

Would I do it all again - you betcha, but next time I'll leave the pre-cooked rice in the mix because somehow the end result was missing a little je ne sais quoi. Oh, I also used leftover roast chicken, low fat mushroom soup and Jarlsberg cheese instead of the Swiss. Regardless, the use of a squash was rather fortuitous and I'd do it again too with all kinds of other fillings - say a lovely chunky vegetable chowder, or beef stew or even chili or curry would be wonderful. The bonus - it sure makes doing dishes a breeze!

Hit the link to head to Mag's site to see her original Chicken Cordon "Lou" casserole and see our version below along with a link to our original. Meanwhile, start thinking about using veggies in a totally different way and you'll be surprised what you too can do with great ingredients and a touch of imagination.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole (adapted  from Mags at www.othersideoffifty.com)

4 skinless boneless chicken thighs

2 tablespoons butter

All-purpose flour

Salt and Pepper

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning

1/2 teaspoon marjoram (optional)

1 cup chicken stock

1 can cream of mushroom soup

6 ounces grated Swiss cheese

1/2 pound cooked ham, cut into cubes

1-1/2 cups cooked rice

2/3 cup dry Italian flavored bread crumbs

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Melt butter in large sauté pan over medium high heat. Cut chicken thighs into 1 inch cubes and season with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Add to sauté pan and cook until golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside. Add onion, red pepper, garlic, and seasonings to pan and cook until vegetables are soft. Return chicken to pan, add chicken stock and simmer, covered for 10 minutes. Stir in mushroom soup and remove pan from heat.

Preheat oven to 350. Spray casserole dish with cooking spray and place cooked chicken with gravy on bottom. Sprinkle evenly with cooked ham. Spoon rice down center of casserole and sprinkle casserole dish evenly with grated cheese. Mix together bread crumbs with melted butter and arrange on top of casserole. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until bubbling and crumbs are browned. Makes 6 servings.

A year ago - Snickerdoodles   Two years ago - Polenta Lasagne

Crispy Eggplant with Meat Ragu

Say you've got a container of Italian meat ragu hiding in the freezer and a craving for pasta but your pantry is bare and you haven't the inclination to make pasta from scratch. Problem solved. Use eggplant instead.

Eggplant is really nature's sponge and when it's grilled or coated in crumbs and fried in just a little bit of fat, it becomes the perfect vehicle for a sauce of any kind. It's one of our favorite ways to enjoy the flavors of Italy and the bowl you're looking at satisfied this hungry munchkin last night. Of course, it could have been better with a ton of melted mozzarella on top, but we were saving calories so we could have another piece of that fabulous kumquat cake from the other day.

You know the most incredible thing? One small eggplant supplies enough goodness for 4 servings with a couple of crispy bits left for the cook. Brilliant, wouldn't you say?

Crispy Eggplant Coins (from JBug’s Kitchen Antics)

1 small eggplant

Kosher salt

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 eggs

2 teaspoons hot sauce

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1-1/2 cups panko crumbs

Oil for frying

2 cups Meat Sauce

Parmesan cheese & red pepper flakes

Wash and dry eggplant. Cut crosswise into half inch thick slices. Place slices on a board or sheet pan covered with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides of eggplant with salt and cover with another piece of paper towels. Place another sheet pan on top or a cutting board and weigh down with a heavy object – I use a cast iron pan. Allow to sit for 20 to 30 minutes.

Beat eggs together with hot sauce and red pepper flakes. Add a tablespoon of water and beat to combine well. Set aside. Set up a dredging station with flour in one container and panko crumbs in another. After eggplant has sat for 20 minutes, remove from paper towels and dredge in flour, followed by egg wash and finally panko crumbs, pressing crumbs onto eggplant pieces so they adhere. Set aside to dry briefly before frying.

Heat a no stick skillet over medium heat and add just enough oil to cover bottom of pan. Fry half of the eggplant pieces without crowding the pan until browned on both sides – 2 to 3 minutes a side. Remove from pan and place on a wire rack over a sheet pan to drain. Repeat with remaining pieces. Serve with Italian marinara or a meat sauce. Garnish with parmesan cheese and pass the red pepper flakes. Serves 4.

A year ago - Indian Lamb Chops with Curried Cauliflower  

Flourless Kumquat Cake

I know this site is all about every day cooking and every day for some of you means gluten free. I've been thinking about the people close to my heart that have had to drop gluten from their diets so Linda, Lea, Whitney, Scott and Susan this creation's for you!

I think most of us of are aware of flourless chocolate cake as a pretty good candidate for a gluten free diet, but with mountains of kumquats to deal with and limited shelf space for marmalade I've been on the lookout for something different to make. I found this on the Joy of Baking so hit the link and go there to see the original. 

Their version makes use of clementines rather than the little citrus gems I have available by the boatload so some changes were necessary. No matter - I simply cut a pound of kumquats in half, seeded and covered them in water and simmered for 45 minutes until they were tender and the peels transparent. Drained and cooled, they hit a food processor along with eggs before mixing with the dry ingredients. After it baked, I brushed the cake with triple sec as it cooled to give the end result a healthy glow - oh I do mean the cake, ya' know. 

By the way, be sure to check the label of your baking powder to make sure it's gluten free but if you'd rather make it yourself, you can find the recipe on this link. Also, in case you're wondering almond meal is simply ground up almonds, with or without the skins and it's perfect for baking cookies, cakes or muffins.  If you can't find it on the shelf, you can always make it yourself by grinding almonds in a food processor or blender but be careful because if you're over eager, you'll have butter instead of "flour". 

We had our cake with a yogurt mascarpone cream mixed with some kumquat marmalade because heaven knows we needed a little more calories - just kidding, but honestly the cake would be fine simply dusted with a little confectioners sugar. It has a fine light crumb and intensely orange almond flavor. Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy the intensified flavors and moist dense texture after it sits for a few days - if you can hold off that is. We couldn't.

Flourless Kumquat Cake (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Joy of Baking)

1 pound fresh kumquats

6 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2-3/4 cups almond meal

2 ounces triple sec or other orange flavored liqueur (optional)

Wash kumquats well then cut in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Place into a medium sized pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook uncovered for 45 minutes or until kumquats are tender and peel is becoming transparent. Drain in a colander and cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile preheat oven to 375. Spray an 8 inch pan with removable bottom with cooking spray and line bottom and sides with parchment. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, baking powder, salt and almond meal. Place cooked kumquats into a food processor and pulse until ground up. Add eggs and vanilla and pulse processor until mixture is fairly smooth – about 30 seconds. Pour egg/kumquat mixture into dry ingredients and whisk together until mixed. Move to prepared pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until tester inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. When cool enough to handle, remove cake from pan. Brush with triple sec as cake is cooling.

Store in an airtight container in refrigerator. Flavor intensifies as cake sits, but it is still delicious served on the day it is baked.  Serve with whipped cream or equal parts of mascarpone and yogurt mixed together and sweetened with sugar or orange marmalade.

Oh, in case you're wondering what we had for dinner before our fabulously delicious dessert, I pulled another recipe out of the archives from 2010 and honestly, I'm not quite sure why we don't include this one in a regular rotation. Spicy, sweet roasted manchurian cauliflower on a bed of crunchy chicken fillets - well, it's about the best way to cook cauliflower there is! Honest! Hit the link and check it out for yourself. You won't be sorry - not one bit!

Asian Glazed Salmon

Some things are worth having over and over and over. Such is the case with the Asian Glazed Salmon we had last night.  The glaze is made up of brown sugar, soy and hoisin sauces, fresh ginger and lots of garlic and it's sweet, salty gingery flavor is a perfect topping for a lovely salmon fillet.

The Big Guy cooked the salmon on a gas barbecue, but one could certainly achieve the same results using a broiler - particularly for those of you that would need to dig your barby out of a snow bank. Actually the glaze would be great on almost any kind of fish, and lovely on pork or chicken too so be adventurous and use your imagination.

We had our salmon on a bed of soba noodles topped with some Asian flavored veggies courtesy of Trader Joe's freezer, but it would be absolutely delicious on salad greens or a bed of fluffy rice or even some couscous.

So what's in store for today? The Big Guy has the day off work and is heading out shortly for a little fun at the shooting range. As for me, I'm going to give our little Maxer dog major cuddles because speaking of bullets, he dodged a bunch yesterday but seems to be recovering from his latest medical crisis - pancreatitus. He was one very sick puppy.

Asian Glazed Salmon (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Legal Seafood’s Cookbook)

Glaze:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons minced ginger

1 tablespoon minced garlic

Dash of dried red pepper flakes (optional)

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Combine all ingredients together in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture is thickened to a thick syrupy consistency – about 9 minutes. Watch carefully so it doesn’t burn.

1-1/2 pound salmon fillet

Check salmon for pin bones and remove as necessary. Wash and dry fillet well. Baste with half the glaze and let sit for 15 minutes. Preheat broiler. Broil fillet for 4 minutes, remove and coat with more glaze, then return to broiler for additional 4 minutes or until cooked through. Baste with remaining glaze before serving.  Serves 4.

A year ago - Cod a la Cajun

Shrimp, Andouille and White Bean Stew

Last night's shrimp and andouille filled stew has all the flavors of gumbo without the time and frettin' of making a roux. Loaded with the trinity including onion, celery and green pepper, the basics are gumbo's twin - fraternal of course because the addition of white beans takes it into a new realm entirely.

It's low on fuss, fairly moderate in calories and extremely filling which were all requirements after our busy Saturday. And there you have it! It's not very often that I'm at a loss for words at least not in the written form but today's one of those days, so I'll just head right to the recipe and leave you to enjoy your morning coffee.

Creole Flavored Shrimp and Sausage Stew (from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Cooking Light)

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 ounces smoked Andouille sausage, sliced

1 green pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

3 large cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons Creole seasoning

1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

1 teaspoon oregano

1-1/2 cups ounce can low salt low fat chicken stock

1 10 ounce can Rotel tomatoes, undrained

1 Tablespoon tomato paste

1 15 ounce can great northern beans

8 ounces peeled and deveined medium shrimp

Parsley

Hot sauce

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add sliced Andouille sausage and cook until browned. Remove from pot and add bell pepper, onion and celery. Cook until vegetables are soft. Add garlic, Creole seasoning, cayenne and oregano and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add chicken stock and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Remove cover from pan, return Andouille to pot and simmer additional 10 minutes or until desired consistency. Just before serving add great northern beans and shrimp. Cook for 4 – 5 minutes until shrimp are just cooked. Garnish with parsley and pass the hot sauce. Makes 4 servings.

A year ago - Hoppin' John

Frito Pie

What's better on a Pink Mountain Friday than Frito Pie. I mean really. I'm not sure why we haven't tried this before in one form or another but I've seen it on another couple of my favorite blog sites recently and figured I'd best put it on the list. Who knew that Frito Pie's really just a glorified form of nachos with more "goop" than chips which is really OK in our books, because we really like the goop.

I made a quick chili with extra lean ground beef, lots of onions and oodles of garlic along with the usual spices. A few ounces of tomato paste, a can of tomatoes with green chilies (Rotel) and some beef consomme, all cooked down for about 30 minutes made for a thick and flavorful meaty chili to crown a bowl of Frito's.

Topped with some fixin's including grated Mexi cheese blend from none other than Trader Joes, sour cream, diced red onions and the ever present pickled jalapenos, we called it dinner. It would have been perfect with a couple of giant margaritas, but the Big Guy's holding a grudge against tequila (some story about Jose Cuevo winning a round or two in a slugfest or somethin'), so he had a Martini, gin extra dry stirred not shaken and I stuck with a Cuba Libra. Life's tough around here on Friday's.

By the way in case you're new to this blog there's a saying here in Tucson "when the mountains are pink, it's time to drink". We call Friday's Pink Mountain days because we tend to save our alcoholic libations for the weekends, at least we try to.

Frito Pie (from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Frito Pie lovers everywhere)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound extra lean ground beef

1 large yellow onion, finely diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

2 tablespoons chili powder

Salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons barbecue sauce

1 can Campbell’s Beef Consommé, undiluted

1 – 10 ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained

1 tablespoon cornstarch combined with a little water

1-1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

 

Frito corn chips

Grated Mexican blend cheese or sharp cheddar

Diced Red onions

Pickled Jalapenos

Sour Cream

Heat oil in a medium sized Dutch oven until shimmering. Add ground beef and crumble and cook until beef is no longer pink. Add onion and garlic and continue to cook until onion is softened. Add cumin, cayenne and chili powder and cook, stirring constantly for 3 or 4 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, barbecue sauce, consommé, and diced tomatoes with green chilies. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Mix together cornstarch and water and add to pot, stirring until mixture thickens. Add apple cider vinegar. Taste for seasoning adding salt and pepper as required.

To serve, place a handful of corn chips in the bottom of a bowl. Top with a scoop of chili and garnish with cheese, red onions, jalapenos and sour cream. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

A year ago - Chicken with Chili Verde and Cornmeal Dumplings

Roast Chicken with Meyer Lemons and Root Vegetables

To steal a phrase from Jamie Oliver, last night's dinner was easy peasy although we can't credit Jamie with its inception. It's more like an Ina Garten bird but really we'll have to give JBug full credit because she didn't even use a recipe. Are you still with me?

I've spent the last several days "jammin'" with all those colored orbs of citrus so unfortunately dinner was kind of on the back burner - not literally. I took the ends off 3 of our Meyer lemon beauties, cut them in half and put them on the bottom of my roasting pan with a trussed up 5 pound chicken on top. Of course the chicken was filled with another quartered lemon along with garlic cloves and fresh rosemary, salt and pepper and hit a 425 oven for an hour after being brushed with a little melted butter and seasoned on the outside with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper.

An hour later a slew of root veggies hit the pan including parsnip, carrots, onion, and turnip along with some spare mushrooms I had hiding in the veggie drawer and more rosemary. Fifty minutes after that the bird was done and so were the veggies - all sugared up and caramelized partly thanks to the juices from the roasted lemons on the bottom of the pan. We called it dinner. It was all good - darned good.

Oh if you've never had a roasted or grilled lemon before, you don't know what you're missing. They're sweet delicious and completely addictive so the ones on the bottom of the pan you might think are fodder? Well, they're not! The pan however may have been a different story but magically the baked on goo slipped right off after a night's soaking in warm water and baking soda.

In case you're wondering what's happening around here today - I've got 2 more batches of marmalade on the go; one Kumquat Minneola Tangelo, and the other Meyer Lemon but I gotta' make a sugar run because I'm plum out of the stuff. I've also put barely a dent in the lemon tree so there's Shaker lemon pie filling in our future as well as other little lemon surprises, along with some kumquat flavored vodka and a new fangled recipe for a kumquat cake that's flourless...and.... Gosh almighty - ya' think I'll ever be finished?

A year ago - Peach Glazed Salmon with Orange Pasta Salad

Quick Creamy Turkey Noodle Soup with Cranberry Sour Cream Biscuits

Yesterday was a marathon day in the kitchen. Our kumquats and Meyer lemons are ready and need to be dealt with so I've been busy harvesting, planning and putting them to bed. It's funny but I was thinking the other day as I washed 5 pounds of bright gem like kumquats is that we women pay lots of money for fancy perfumes but there's nothing can compare with the smell of fresh picked fruit, no matter what kind.

Course the opposite is true when said fruit's being turned into marmalade and boils over on the stove. Now that wasn't something I'd particularly planned for. What a bleepin' mess!

Anyway, dinner last night needed to hold well since the Big Guy has a late Wednesday class and isn't home till sevenish and something that didn't require a lot of fuss and bother since I'd spent the day doing just that. A pot of turkey soup seemed to be the perfect choice.

This particular effort has a golden rue as a flavor base and includes the usual trinity of vegetables along with potatoes and noodles. There's two things that make it stand out - the addition of cream at the very end to smooth out the broth and flavoring agents such as garlic, oregano, thyme, and poultry seasoning. It's got body, soul and a lot of attitude and it's far from the usual milquetoast noodle soup.

As you can see I whipped up some biscuits to go with our soup, although you might think they look more like scones. Who says you have to cut biscuits into rounds? I simply whipped up the usual dough, but this time I added some dried cranberries and moistened the dry ingredients with a combination of yogurt and sour cream - just because I had the dregs of 2 containers in the refrigerator and wanted to get rid of them.

The resulting biscuits are exceedingly light, moist and flavorful, although likely more suited to afternoon tea than a super soup supper upper.

Oh, what you see on the plate is a little ramekin of Kicky Kumquat Marmalade, loaded with 9 (yup that's right NINE) chopped up Habanero peppers and a nice amount of Triple Sec. It's rather wonderful if I do say so myself. It has attitude but the sugar content of the marmalade really cuts the heat of the peppers so it doesn't burn your mouth. It just creates a mellow glow - ok a rather hesitant flame but not a roaring fire. That's my opinion and I'm stickin' to it.

Creamy Turkey Noodle Soup

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 celery stalks, chopped

3 large carrots, chopped

3 Tablespoons butter

1/3 cup flour

1 teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon poultry seasoning

1-1/2 teaspoons salt (may need more depending on stock)

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

6 cups strained turkey stock

4 cups diced peeled potatoes

2 cups diced turkey

3 to 4 ounces wide egg noodles

1 cup evaporated milk for half and half

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Medium Dry Sherry (optional)

Heat a large stock pot over medium high heat. Add olive oil and when shimmering hot, add onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Sauté until vegetables are softened – about 10 minutes. Move the vegetables over to one side of the pot and add butter to bottom of the pot. When butter has melted stir in flour. Cook stirring until roux becomes golden brown – 4 to 5 minutes.

Stir vegetables into roux and add oregano, thyme, poultry seasoning, salt and black pepper. Cook stirring constantly for another minute before adding turkey stock. Bring to a boil stirring constantly, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

Stir in potatoes and diced turkey, cover pot and cook for additional 15 minutes. Add noodles to pot, cover pot and cook additional 10 minutes or until noodles are softened. Stir often to prevent sticking. Add evaporated milk and chopped parsley just before serving. Drizzle each serving with a little sherry. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Cranberries and Cream Biscuits (an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

Note – I used self-rising flour; however if you wish to use regular all purpose, increase baking powder to 6 teaspoons (2 tablespoons) and add an additional 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

2 cups self-rising flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup sour cream

1 egg yolk

Additional sour cream and granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 400. In a large bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a pastry blender cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in dried cranberries. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. In a small bowl combine yogurt, sour cream and egg yolk, beating to combine well. Pour into well in center of dry ingredients and using a fork, incorporate liquid mixing just until barely combined. Transfer to a lightly floured board and knead lightly a few times to distribute wet ingredients into dry. Pat dough out into a circle about 8 inches in diameter.

Transfer to baking sheet and brush top with a little sour cream. Sprinkle lightly with sugar. Cut circle into 8 wedges, moving wedges apart approximately a half inch to allow for rising. Bake for 12 to 16 minutes or until toothpick inserted into biscuit comes out clean.

A year ago - Really Good Stew

Leftover Prime Rib Roast Final Round - Taco Salad

I admit I'm almost sad this is the last of the prime rib roast from Christmas day. It's more than paid for itself not only in taste, but convenience too and while we've had a great selection of different entrees from it including Chili, awesome Sandwiches with Grilled Onions and Gorgonzola, and a stupendous Beef Pot Pie with Sherry Gravy, I can think of at least 3 more. Ah shucks - we'll have to save them for another time.

Last night's dinner combined chunks of prime rib with sweet potatoes, black beans and a home made green chili sauce - a remake of the enchiladas we enjoyed a little while ago. Cozied up to cabbage slaw inside a baked flour tortilla shell all crispy and warm from the oven, we topped our salads with a choice of condiments including guacamole, salsa, pickled jalapenos, grated cheese, sour cream and red onions too.

If you're wondering how I made the shells - well I simply draped flour tortillas, briefly newked to be more pliable over a stack of upended ramekins on a wire rack on a sheet pan and baked them for 10 minutes in a 400 oven. Then I removed the shells and ditched the ramekins, placed the shells face up on the same wire rack, turned off the oven and returned them to the oven for another 5 minutes to crisp up the inside. This method is a lot easier than frying them in hot oil and much, much lower in calories too.

Course if you don't want to deal with making the shells, just load the filling into some tortillas, either corn or flour, and call it a soft taco or a burrito.

I for one have learned that leftovers have been getting a bum wrap and really deserve to be treated with more respect. In fact, when the Big Guy asks what we're having for dinner, I never have to admit that we're having leftovers since with a little imagination, they can be morphed into something totally unrecognizable from the original. Check out the category to your right "Leftovers" and you too may be convinced that leftovers are a heck of a lot more than just mould gatherers in the back of your refrigerator.

Taco Salad with Beef, Sweet Potatoes and Black Beans from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from the Gluten Free Goddess

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small yellow onion finely chopped

8 ounces leftover prime rib cut into half inch cubes

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder (I used spicy)

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

2 cups cooked diced sweet potato

1/2 cup chopped green chilies

1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

 

4 – 8 inch burrito sized flour tortillas

Cabbage slaw (purchased)

Assorted garnishes including guacamole, salsa, chopped red onion, pickled jalapeno, grated cheese, sour cream and/or lime wedges

Sauce:

1 cup roasted green chilies, skins and seeds removed (about 6 large)

1-1/4 cups vegetable or chicken stock

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

Place ingredients into blender and blend until smooth, adding more stock if necessary to make a smooth sauce with a fairly thick consistency. Set aside.

For Tortilla shells - Preheat oven to 425. Arrange 4 - 10 ounce ramekins, face down on a wire rack on top of a sheet pan, allowing as much room as possible between ramekins. Briefly microwave flour tortillas until pliable, then drape lightly over top of ramekins. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven, and carefully turn shells upright. Remove ramekins and place tortilla shells directly onto wire rack. Turn oven off and return tortilla shells to oven for another 5 to 10 minutes, until dried out and crisp.

For Filling - In a large sauté pan heat oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and sauté until softened. Add. Add cumin, chili powder and cook for additional 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add beef chunks, cooked sweet potatoes, chilies, cilantro and black beans, along with half of the prepared chile sauce. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required. Heat until bubbling, adding more green chile sauce if filling seems dry.

To serve – place taco shell on plate and fill bottom with cabbage slaw mix (about a half cup). Add hot filling and top with assorted garnishes. Makes 4 servings.

A year ago - Cranberry Pie with Tangerine Ice Cream

Ham and Swiss Quiche uh Pie

What ended up being our dinner last night wasn't exactly on the menu. You see I had planned to make a big pot of soup so the boys and I went all over our side of town yesterday looking for one simple item - yellow split peas. They had to be yellow because you can't make my favorite French Canadian soup (Habitant) without yellow peas and I couldn't use green ones because then the soup wouldn't be "Habitant" plus the Big Guy won't eat it because he can't abide green peas.

As it turned out I couldn't find the darn things in the 5 stores we hit so I had to go to Plan B. A large chunk of ham, a dearth of eggs and a hunk of emmantal cheese ended up filling this giant quiche pan with rich, creamy goodness. I daresay we've had Ham and Cheese Quiche here before because after all we're about "everyday" food and there's been well over 1,000 every day's in this blog's lifetime but there hasn't been a quiche quite like this one.

You see, my smaller ceramic pan cracked right in half a while ago and what I'm left with is a giant Bodum dish that I bought to make a rather large berry pie when we were entertaining a group of very hungry students. Said students have long since moved on but the two of us are here with a foot wide pan which takes some ingenuity to fill. I love it though!

Anyway, it was no problem because this particular recipe will do the trick nicely and the combination of eggs, half and half and yogurt yields a filling that is incredibly light and fluffy. Of course the trick to making any quiche that way, other than having the right proportion of ingredients for the custard, is to partially cook the crust before adding the filling then adding the scrummy stuff like onion, ham and cheese in the right order and dicing the cheese instead of grating it, so as it cooks and melts it's surrounded by soft creamy custard instead of forming a layer of melted goo with custard on top. (Is that one heck of a run-on sentence or what?)

So there's your lesson for the day and I'm sure you're left wondering what on earth two people are going to do with all that leftover quiche. Well, first - you'd be amazed how much two people can eat when something's as good as this is, plus it is fabulous cold right out of the refrigerator or newked briefly till warm to make a super lunch. It also freezes rather well but we won't have to worry about that in this house because I have the Big Guy convinced it's not a quiche. Since real men don't eat quiche and he happened to enjoy two pieces last night then it has to be a pie. Female logic rules again!

A Giant Ham and Swiss Quiche an original from JBug’s Kitchen

 Pastry for a 12 inch single crust pie

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon butter

1-1/2 cups ham cut into quarter inch cubes

1/2 pound Emmantal cheese cut into quarter inch cubes

6 eggs

1-1/2 cups half and half

1 cup plain yogurt

1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 425. Arrange pastry in a large 12 inch ceramic pie dish, flute edges and prick all over bottom of pie shell with a fork. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes until lightly golden brown. Remove to a wire rack and cool. Reduce oven temperature to 375.

Melt butter in a sauté pan and cook onion until softened and slightly golden. Cool. Whisk together eggs, half and half, yogurt, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and Dijon mustard until well combined.

Arrange ham cubes in bottom of cooled crust. Top with cooled sautéed onion and cheese cubes, spreading out evenly. Pour custard over top and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack and dust with freshly grated nutmeg. Allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

A year ago - Marinated Grilled Hanger Steak  Two year's ago - Balsamic Glazed Sirloin

 

Meaty Italian Ragu - aka Sunday Gravy

There's a Sunday tradition in many Italian households involving a huge pot of a meat filled tomato sauce on the stove and a house filled with the scents and sounds of a happy family gathering. They call the pot Sunday Gravy.

In honor of a cool Tucson Sunday afternoon coupled with the fact that I needed to redeem myself after Saturday night's dinner, I put a pot of gravy on the stove to simmer for the better part of the afternoon. Actually, I started the pot on the stove and finished it in the oven. That way I could enjoy the end result without having to stir the pot every 15 minutes - lazy cook, eh?

Now you can make Sunday Gravy out of a variety of meats. The Soprano version from their cookbook of the same name uses pork neck bones or spareribs, veal stew meat as well as Italian sausage and huge tennis ball sized meatballs. I'm pretty sure there's no right or wrong way to make it so my version starts with wonderful spicy hot Italian sausage followed by deeply browned beef shanks and some cubed up pork stewing meat to round out the flavors. Loaded with onions, garlic of course, fresh and dried herbs, canned tomatoes and wine - a lot of wine, my favorite Dutch oven full of glorious sauce was met with ooo's, ahhh's, holy cows and good gravy's when it came out of the oven.

As for serving this pot of rich red meat filled gloriousity (is that a word?) traditionally, the meats are removed from the sauce and dinner's first course includes just the sauce with pasta with the meats showcased as the second course. Naturally we're not strong on tradition around here, particularly since there's not an Italian gene to be found in any of us, so we left the meat in the sauce and served it all up on a bowl of al dente' rigatoni.

Word of warning - the recipe makes enough for a small army which is a good thing because it's incredibly delicious. Not only that - I see a huge casserole of lasagne coming our way along with maybe some baked pasta, a couple of stellar pizza's and lunches for the week. Oh yum!

Meaty Italian Ragu aka Sunday Gravy an original from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Soprano’s Family Cookbook

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed

1.5 to 2 pounds beef shanks with bone

1.5 pounds cubed pork stewing meat (butt or shoulder)

2 large yellow onions, chopped

4 large cloves garlic, chopped

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

2 bay leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1-1/2 cups dry Marsala wine

1-1/2 cups low sodium beef stock

2 – 28 ounce cans diced tomatoes with juice

3 ounces tomato paste

1/2 cup red wine

1 pound rigatoni cooked to al dente per package directions

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add Italian sausage and cook, crumbling with the back of a spoon or a potato masher until sausage is browned and fully cooked – about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove sausage to a bowl. Season beef shanks on both sides with salt and pepper and add to Dutch oven. Brown meat very well on both sides then remove to the bowl with the sausage. Season pork stewing meat with salt and pepper and add it to the Dutch oven, browning it well. Remove to same bowl to join other meats.

Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pot and add onions. Cook until onions are softened and golden brown, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot. Stir in garlic, oregano, basil, crushed red pepper and bay leaves. Cook, stirring well for additional minute. Add Marsala wine and allow to reduce slightly, scraping up fond (browned bits) from bottom of pot then stir in beef stock, tomatoes and tomato paste. Return meat to the pot along with any accumulated juices. Bring pot to a high simmer, cover and place in preheated 325 oven. Cook for 2 to 2.5 hours or until meat is fall of the bone tender. Check pot and stir once during cooking period.

Just before serving, stir in half cup of wine. Remove bones and bay leaf from pot. Serve with pasta and garnish with grated parmesan and additional pepper flakes. This will easily serve 6, with some sauce leftover. Sauce freezes very well.

A year ago - Common Ground  Two years ago - Steamed Marmalade Pudding

 

Pork Chops with Golden Apple Sauce

Following directions isn't just a challenge for some of the male species. This stubborn Capricorn sometimes has problems in that respect as well. Such was the case with last night's dinner.

A Rachael Ray recipe, this one has all the hallmarks of a quick and tasty dinner. That lady can cook! Unfortunately I figured I'd be a smarty and go one up and buy sirloin pork chops instead of the loin she indicated in her recipe just so I could braise the little beauties over time rather than do the quick instant dinner thing I tend to do during the week. 

You know what they say about the "best made plans"... they sometimes go awry. Such was the case yesterday because the day absolutely flew by full of fun, frolic and frivolity and I got a late start on dinner. In the interest in sitting down to it before breakfast time, like an idiot I cooked those darn chops too fast and consequently the muscle fibers shrunk and the chops were exceedingly tough. I mean I do know better but I obviously got bit by the "stupid" bug and once that happened dinner was downhill from there.

Braising anything typically requires one to brown the meat first - which I did, then cook it in liquid at a slow simmer over a longer period of time. Well I did the former but not the latter and therein lies the problem. It's really a shame too because my braising liquid was a rather delicious combination of pearl onions, garlic, applejack brandy and chicken stock. Blast it all anyway!

Thank goodness my wonderful Big Guy had better luck because he's the one that put together the apple sauce. Made from Golden Delicious apples, cider, raisins, minced ginger, brown sugar and the usual apple lovin' spices, the sauce is really stupendous. Thank goodness there's some left too because I can't wait to have it guilding a hunk of french toast this morning. I mean along with some maple syrup it will be fabulous!

Check out the link for Rachael's recipe and for heavens sake do what I say and not what I did. Buy the darn loin chops and follow her instructions. I guarantee you'll have a meal that's more than worthy of a cool winter's evening!

A year ago - Chicken Cutlets with Romesco  Two years ago - JBug's Baked Eggs

Chicken and Vegetable Stew with Dumplings

Light as air they are - absolutely light as air. I'm speaking about the dumplings people and thanks to Elise from Simply Recipes, I finally know the secret. Having made plenty that would easily have replaced those 5 pound weights in my exercise repertoire, these were float in the air fabulous.

Other than using a fork to mix the wet into the dry ingredients, the real secret is using cake flour instead of all-purpose. Oh that and not peeking in the pot until they've simmered in the stew for a full 15 minutes - but I already knew about that one.

As for the stew - well I had a little under a pound of skinless boneless chicken breasts to use along with a veggie drawer full of odds and sods, so I thought why not make a soup. Sure it would have been nice to have a whole chicken to use, but sometimes you've just got to go with what you've got. Of course I could have added some leftover turkey to the mix but I'm saving that freezer stash for another day.

The soup morphed into a stew and we're so glad it did. Chock full of pearl onions, carrots, celery, and parsnip I even threw in some turkey gravy I had hiding just to add a little more flavor, along with garlic, rosemary, a touch of dried thyme and some poultry seasoning. I admit it all tasted rather wonderful for a dish that was ready in a grand total of 45 minutes.

Sometimes it's easier to make dinner than it is to make reservations. Oh alright, that's a bit of a stretch- so shoot me but wait until after lunchtime OK. We still have a couple of bowls left!

Chicken and Vegetable Stew with Dumplings Inspired by and adapted from simplyrecipes.com

1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

All-purpose flour

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

 1 medium onion, chopped

1-1/2 cups diced carrots (1/2 inch dice)

3 stalks celery, cut in half inch pieces

3 medium parsnip, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

6 ounces pearl onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

4 tablespoons flour

1/3 cup medium dry sherry

3 cups low sodium chicken stock

1 cup turkey gravy (or add additional cup of stock)

Dumplings:

2 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons melted butter

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley plus 2 tablespoons for garnish

Melt butter and olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Cut chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes, season well with salt and pepper and dust lightly with flour, shaking off excess. Brown in Dutch oven until golden, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove browned chicken from pot to a plate and set aside. Decrease heat to medium and add onion, carrots, celery, parsnip, and pearl onions. Cook stirring occasionally for 5 minutes until vegetables start to caramelize. Add garlic, rosemary, thyme and poultry seasoning along flour. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat vegetables with mixture and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add to pot and when sherry has reduced, add chicken stock and turkey gravy. Heat to boiling stirring constantly until sauce has thickened. Return chicken to pot, reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Add parsley and toss together. Using a fork, make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, add butter and milk. Incorporate dry ingredients into the wet and mix carefully just until combined (barely). Using a small scoop, transfer dumplings to slowly simmering stew allowing space in between dumplings because they’ll expand. Cover pot and cook for 15 minutes. DO NOT PEEK. Serve stew in bowls with dumplings on top. Garnish with parsley. Serves 4.

A year ago - Clam Chowder   Two years ago - Lamb Ragu

 

Pan Fried Tilapia with Romesco Sauce

Sometimes simple needs a quick pick me up, which was the case with last night's dinner of fried fish. Tilapia is a warm fresh water fish that has become more and more available in our markets mostly because it is very fast growing which makes 'em rather popular and therefore lucrative to fish farmers. It is also one of the most affordable of the finny varieties for those of us who are on a budget.

Personally I find the flavor to be so mild as to be almost nonexistent, which can be a good thing if you're not into fishiness. It also makes it an ideal candidate when you want to showcase a particular flavor - like this Romesco Sauce.

To continue your edumacatin', Romesco is a sauce that's common to Catalonia, Spain and consists of toasted almonds, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar and roasted red peppers. In this instance it also contains fresh bread crumbs (for body), and a little spice in the form of chili powder and cayenne along with some sweet paprika. I whipped it up about an hour before we were due to sit down to dinner because as with most sauces that are uncooked, it needs a little time to ruminate so the flavors can develop. It's lovely made with fresh roasted red peppers but if time is a consideration, the jarred version work just fine too.

It's mildly spicy, kinda' sweet, definitely garlicky and wonderful with fish, chicken or pasta. It is also absolutely divine as a vegetable dip too, so don't worry about having some leftover. You can even use it as a "schmear" on a nice crisp crustini and serve it as an appetizer along with a glass of wine. 

We had our saucy fish along with an orzo spiced up with lemon, capers, dried oregano, basil, red pepper flakes and a touch of garlic and a nice green salad on the side. It was quick, satisfying and flavorful - what more can you ask for? By the way, that bright neon yellow wedge on the bottom right is one of our Meyer lemons and holy cow are they ever sweet this year. Sorry people - I just had to get that "brag" in!

Pan Fried Tilapia with Romesco Sauce An Original from JBug’s Kitchen Antics

Romesco Sauce:

1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs (I used 1 slice of Texas toast)

1 cup drained jarred roasted red peppers or 1 large red pepper roasted, skinned and seeded

1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Pinch salt & black pepper

3/4 teaspoon Hungarian paprika

In bowl of food processor combine all ingredients and process until smooth. Set aside for a minimum 1 hour at room temperature to allow flavors to develop. Store any leftovers in refrigerator.

Tilapia:

1 pound tilapia fillets, washed and dried

Kosher salt and Lemon Pepper Seasoning

All-purpose flour

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

Heat butter and olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat until shimmering. Season tilapia with salt and lemon pepper. Coat in flour and shake off excess. Fry for 6 to 7 minutes, turning fish half way through. Serve with Romesco sauce and garnish with lemon wedges. Makes 2 to 3 servings.

A year ago - Chocolate Gelato Two years ago - Roasted Manchurian Cauliflower

Pork Tenderloin with Red and Yellow Peppers

Pork tenderloin is a bit like chicken and no I'm not crazy. Other than the fact that pork is the "other white meat", it's really hard to get tired of it because there's so many ways you can cook the stuff. The other given is that pork tenderloin's always lean and it's incredibly fast to cook.

The people that wrote this recipe in the January 2011 Cooking Light magazine should have remembered that because the 12 minutes they recommend is far too long, at least in my humble estimation. Anyway, imagine the tenderloin cut into one inch medallions, seasoned with salt and pepper then browned quickly in very little oil in a hot pan. Add some yellow and red pepper slices along with anchovy, garlic and fresh rosemary and you've quite a different combination of flavors happening. The drizzle of balsamic vinegar at the very end is really the key.

I can picture a number of you shutting down as soon as you read the word "anchovies" and I have to admit I had my second thoughts too even though I happen to love the furry little fishes. Darned if they weren't right because In this case I should have listened to my second thoughts. The Big Guy liked it though, especially served on a bed of cheesy creamy grits but if you're not into anchovies, the recipe indicates you can substitute minced olives.

Personally, I won't bother making this one again, but I'll post the link so you can decide on your own. Apparently there were 31 people that thought it was worthy of a special occasion, so what do I know. Right?

A year ago - Ham Tetrazzini   Two years ago - Clams Casino in a Casserole

Ravioli in Sherry Mushroom Alfredo Sauce

We've kind of overloaded on meat over the last couple of weeks so I was looking for something that didn't leave it out entirely but made a vegetable the star. Last night's creation met the mark and satisfied the resident carnivore. After all, I had to show some kindness toward him since I still can't stop laughing about the events of the other night. It's remembering his cute little very surprised and sleepy admission -  "I fell out of bed" that cracks me up every time.

Last night's pasta dish married the flavors of pancetta, garlic, mushrooms and sherry with a little cream, grated asiago cheese and some fresh ravioli courtesy of Trader Joe's and really satisfied all the senses. It would have been fabulous with a nice glass of wine, maybe a pinot gris to cut the richness of the dish but unfortunately we're on the wagon at the moment. I mean obviously we're not giving up food, so we had to resist the calories somewhere.

Accompanied by a luscious pear and gorgonzola salad with the rest of the shallot vinaigrette leftover from Christmas, dinner was ready in a flash. By the way, feel free to substitute Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano for the Asiago but I happen to love the stuff. The flavor is much like the others but it's easier on the budget.

Also if you're short on time and tempted to substitute one of those jarred alfredo sauce concoctions, please don't do it. Alfredo sauce is about as easy to make as applying a little heat to cream in a pan, and there's none of those ugly sounding "unpronounceable" chemicals in it either. Just sayin'.

Ravioli with Mushroom Sherry Alfredo Sauce an original from JBug’s Kitchen Antics

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 ounces pancetta diced

1/2 large sweet onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup medium dry sherry

1 cup heavy cream

2 ounces grated Asia go or parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Grated fresh nutmeg if desired

1 – 12 ounce package fresh ravioli cooked per package directions

Heat a large sauté pan over medium low heat. Add olive oil and when hot, add pancetta. Cook until pancetta has released some of its fat and pieces are brown and starting to crisp. Remove from pan and set aside, leaving accumulated fat. Add onion and cook until onion softens, stirring constantly. Add garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Sauté for a minute until garlic starts to release its aroma, then add mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms soften and begin to brown. Stir in dry sherry and cook until sherry has completely reduced. Add cream and return the browned pancetta to the pan. Bring to a high simmer and cook until cream is reduced slightly and sauce thickens. Add parmesan cheese, parsley and cooked ravioli. Heat ravioli briefly so it absorbs some of the sauce. Serve garnished with additional chopped parsley, a dusting of nutmeg and more grated cheese.

A year ago - Leg of Lamb Provencal  Two years ago - Pork with Mushroom Madeira Sauce

The Ultimate Chili from Leftover Prime Rib Roast

For some reason we're programmed to make chili from fresh beef - ground, cubed or otherwise but there's a whole plethora of possibilities out there with leftover roast beef, brisket or pot roast. Beef aside, just think  what can be done with leftover turkey, chicken or pork roast too. 

Last night I rescued a pound's worth of cubed cut up Christmas prime rib from the freezer and morphed it into an absolutely fine and I do mean fine pot of red. It all started with 4 slices of smoky bacon, chunked up and cooked slowly so it released some fat (and flavor). Then I added a couple of huge yellow onions, all diced up along with a slew of minced garlic and let it saute until soft. Joined by a collection of spices followed by a can of lager beer, diced tomatoes, a touch of tomato paste, a cup of beef stock and the best kept secret which is a secret no more -  barbecue sauce. After the beef joined the party I let the pot simmer for 30 minutes before I added two cans of drained and rinsed pinto beans. Another 15 minutes of brewing time and a star was born!

It's addictive! The flavor is absolutely amazing - smoky bacon, tender beef, the sweet spicy taste of barbecue sauce and of course the bite of chile. It really is sublime.

Speaking of stars - the Big Guy was seeing 'em up close and personal last night. I'm not sure if the beans were doing a dance or whether he was climbing a mountain or some such thing in his sleep, but about the time the old REM's were at their peak darned if he didn't fall right outa' bed with a mighty crash. Of course after I made sure he was alright and he got himself re-situated and fell back to sleep the whole event tickled my funny bone big time and I just couldn't stop laughing.  Wonder what he's gonna' do after he has another bowl of chili.

The Ultimate Chili from Leftover Prime Rib from JBug’s Kitchen Antics inspired by Fine Cooking

4 slices smoky bacon, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large yellow onions, diced

4 large cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons mild chili powder

1 tablespoon hot New Mexico chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground Mexican oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 - 12 ounce can lager beer

1 – 28 ounce can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup prepared barbecue sauce (I used Kraft original)

1 cup beef stock

1 pound leftover prime rib roast, cut into half inch dice

2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Garnishes – cubed cheese, chopped sweet onion, pickled jalapeno

Lime wedges

Heat a Dutch oven over medium low heat. Add olive oil and bacon, and cook stirring occasionally until bacon has released its fat and pieces are starting to crisp. Add onions and garlic and cook until onions are very soft – about 8 to 10 minutes. Add chili powders, cayenne, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper and cook stirring constantly for another 3 or 4 minutes. Add beef, tomatoes, tomato paste, barbecue sauce and beef stock. Bring to a boil, and then add beef. Lower to simmer and cook uncovered for 30 minutes. Add pinto beans and cook additional 15 minutes, stirring often. Serve with garnishes and a squeeze of lime. Serves 4 to 6.

A year ago - Ham and Cheese Quiche