JBug's Kitchen Antics

Maui Chile Verde - well kinda' verde

Much like the Maui taco's we told you about some time ago, this isn't what you think. We had a ton of the pork carne adovada filling and grilled pineapple leftover from a recent family event and put the leftovers in the freezer for another time. 

While we could have gone ahead and repeated what we had the last time ...you're lookin' at it, I decided to use some imagination and make a batch of green chile verde instead. The only problem is it turned out a little more red than green because of all the spice mixture already mixed into the pork. It may look a little strange but it sure doesn't taste that way.

A base of sauteed onions, anaheim and green peppers, and garlic along with cumin, coriander and Mexican oregano make up the spicy basis of this bowl of yum. Add chicken stock, salsa verde and a single bottle of Mexican beer as well as some simmering time and this was the result. 

We loved the spicy pork flavor and the sweetness of the pineapple which really cut the heat down, in fact just enough that a garnish of pickled jalapenos and some sour cream was the perfect thing. 

So next time you're having a bunch of people over, serve some Maui taco's and make sure you make extra. Then you can revamp the dregs into a delicious pot of chile becauuse believe me, there's no way this lives up to what we normally thing of as the leftovers. It's so delicious you'll want leftover leftovers. 

Maui Chile (an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 large Anaheim pepper, diced

3 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 tablespoons dried Mexican oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 bay leaf

1 cup salsa verde (I used Herdez)

1 – 14 ounce can low sodium chicken stock

1 – 12 ounce bottle Mexican beer (I used Modelo)

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

2 pounds prepared maui taco filling – see recipe below

Garnish with sour cream, pickled jalapenos

Heat oil in a large dutch oven until shimmering. Add onion, bell and Anaheim peppers and cook until onion softens. Add garlic and cook another minute, then stir in flour. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, then add oregano, cumin and coriander. Stir in salsa verde, chicken stock and beer. Drop in bay leaf. Cook stirring until mixture comes to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and add maui taco filling. Simmer slowly for 45 minutes. Cover pot if you find the mixture is getting too thick and/or add more chicken stock.  Serve garnished with sour cream and pickled jalapenos. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Maui Tacos

Meat – Carne Adovada

30 dried chile de arbol, stems removed

2 dried New Mexico chile’s stems removed

1 cup water

1/4 cup canola oil

1 tablespoon garlic powder

10 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 teaspoons cumin

1/4 cup red chile powder (mild)

2 teaspoons coarse salt

2 pounds pork loin, cut into half inch cubes

In a spot pot, boil water. Add chiles, cover and let soften for 20 minutes. After they’ve softened, drain chiles reserving liquid. Place chiles into a blender along with canola oil and 2 tablespoons of reserved liquid and blend until completely pureed. Pour over cubed pork; add garlic powder, garlic, cumin, red chile powder and salt. Mix well. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for a minimum 4 hours or overnight.

Maui Tacos:

Add to above meat mixture:

1/2 cup chopped Maui sweet onion

1 – 14 ounce can pineapple chunks, drained

On a large flat top grill or cast iron pan, heat 2 tablespoons canola oil over medium high heat.  Add meat and cook for 5 to 7 minutes.  If using large skillet – cook meat in batches so pan is not crowded. Cook until meat is browned and onion and pineapple have caramelized.

Serve with warm flour tortillas. Garnish with Pineapple Salsa, fresh chopped cilantro, queso fresco cheese, guacamole and sour cream and a squeeze of fresh lime.  

 

BBQ Turkey on a Bun

Late night dinners are a whole different ball game around here. I don't know about you, but I have a hard time eating a heavy meal then going to bed and expecting to sleep. Of course sleep is rather fleeting around here this week anyway with the Maxer doing his seizure dance, but if I were going to catch some zzz's, I'd be hard pressed to do it after a heavy meal. 

 
Last night's dinner sure wasn't rocket science but it filled the void, was quick to make and filling but not the stuff kind of filling and rather tasty too. This sandwich is simply shredded leftover turkey, moistened with chicken stock and slathered in barbecue sauce on a grilled bun. That's it, that's all - except for the red onion, red cabbage slaw of course.

No mayo in this one - just the sharp bite of red wine vinegar and a 2 hour room temperature marination  and the crispy relish was ready as a true crowning glory on our sandwiches. Accompanied by some cold crisp crudites and sweet potato chips, we were sufficiently suffcified. 

In case you're wondering what's happening with the kitchen renovations, the new granite was installed  with a couple of hitches that need to be resolved which may mean the third time we go through this exercise. Believe me, it's not that I'm fussy ...just the guy that cut the granite must have been into the tequila because it's out almost a half inch on one side meaning there's a big enough gap between the granite and the wall that our backsplash tile isn't likely to cover.

The plumber has also been and gone. We've a new sink with actual running water in the kitchen, except the water is also running UNDER the sink so of course the plumber will have to come back to fix it and to pick up the faucet wrench he left behind. Oh, speaking of faucets, the faucet is too tall so we can't open the plantation shutters or the window for that matter so it's safe to say our string of bad luck is still rolling along. When I picked the darn thing I took that into account but apparently when they supply measurements, they only include the distance to the top of the faucet, not including the handle.

If you think that's all, you'd be wrong. Our precious wine fridge that has the dual duty of curing pancetta and storing wine was built into the island - in fact, the island was designed around the darn thing. The only problem is the fridge doesn't like its new location, even though the manual says it can be used as a built in or stand alone refrigerator. Needless to say, we now need to purchase a new wine cooler or find something else to do with the huge gap in the island. 

Oh and update on Max, he still doing the shaky dance - 14 and counting since Sunday night and we're working hard to get them under control but failing miserably. He's had enough valium to sink a battleship and if he's not careful his Momma will be stealing some ... I might have thought about it before now if it weren't for the fact they're suppositories. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Do I hear anyone laughing?

I can honestly say if I didn't know any better, one would think there's a curse on us. On a positive note - I love our new kitchen especially the cabinets and really love the pot drawers we added to replace cupboard doors. They're absolutely amazing and make the kitchen much more efficient!

BBQ Turkey Sandwiches (adapted from Bon Appetit)

Slaw:

1 small red onion, cut into very thin slices

1 cup shredded red cabbage

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Combine ingredients in a small bowl and store at room temperature for a minimum 2 hours, then chill until serving.

 

Sandwiches:

4 panini rolls

Butter

1 pound cooked turkey

1 cup barbecue sauce ( I used honey flavored)

1/4 cup white wine or low sodium chicken stock

Tear or cut turkey into small shreds and place in a sauté pan along with barbecue sauce and wine. Heat slowly to a simmer, stirring often. Cut Panini rolls in half and butter well. Toast buttered side down on a hot grill. To serve arrange a generous amount of turkey mixture on grilled bun and top with slaw mixture. Makes 4 servings.

A year ago - Bacon and Blue Mac and Cheese 

Turkey Noodle Casserole with Artichokes

The leftover turkey from Easter dinner's been a real godsend this week as there's nothing that's more versatile than leftover poultry. This quick casserole makes good use of chunks of white or dark meat mixed with artichoke hearts, black olives, green pepper and pimento for color and onion for flavor and some quick cooking wide egg noodles. 

It's a pretty basic recipe from my Wall Drug Cookbook that had not one other spice or herb in it, so I took the liberty of adding garlic, tarragon and lots of salt and pepper. Slathered with grated parmesan cheese, it held admirably in the refrigerator until I got the call that Big Guy's late class was over. Forty minutes later he was home and the casserole was almost ready. 

So what did we think about it? Big Guy said it was OK which means "it's OK but you don't have to put it on the make again list". Me ....I thought it was boring as heck and was much better with a half bottle of Arizona Gunslinger hot sauce slathered over top. OK, so that's an exaggeration, but let's just say it needed more than a few drops to jazz it up.

If you're making lunch for your great aunt Sylvia and the rest of the bridge gang, then this might be just the thing for a ladies who lunch kinda' dish, but I'd be inclined to leave the noodles out of the equation, add some mushrooms and serve the turkey/artichoke/olive/green pepper/pimento/onion mixture in some puff pastry shells instead, garnished with toasted almonds for crunch. Just sayin'. 

For those of you that just dropped by for a look see at JBug's Kitchen Antics, I must apologize for the fancy dinner ware you see in the photograph but we're in the midst of renovating our kitchen and we're without a kitchen sink (among other things). Believe me using disposable plates while the kitchen's being renovated is becoming a life saver ....or should I say wife saver! 

Turkey Noodle Casserole with Artichokes (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Wall Drug Cookbook)

2-1/2 cups cooked turkey or chicken cut into bite size pieces

1 – 14 ounce can artichoke hearts, well drained

1/2 cup sliced black olives

1/2 cup finely diced green pepper

1 small jar pimento

1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup sour cream

Salt and coarse ground black pepper to taste

6 ounces wide egg noodles, cooked to al dente and well drained mixed with 1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl mix together turkey, artichoke hearts, black olives, green pepper, pimento, onion, garlic, and tarragon until well combined. In a small bowl whisk together chicken soup, white wine and sour cream. Fold into turkey mixture. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

Place half the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Layer buttered noodles on top then add remaining turkey mixture. Top with grated parmesan cheese. Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes. Serves 6.

A year ago - Zippy Chicken and Rice Soup

Two year's ago - Two Potato Salad with Mustard and Bacon

Curried Turkey Salad and Sour Cream Scones

Other than the turkey sandwich I had for lunch yesterday, the next best thing I wanted to put together from the leftover Easter turkey is this curried turkey salad we had for dinner last night.

Thrown together without a recipe, it's got all the usual bird salad ingredients in it like celery and red onion, but in addition I loaded it up on dried cranberries and slivered almonds too just for a different crunch. What really gives this one a step up is the curry flavored mayo based dressing I concocted.

I added 4 teaspoons of curry powder to a 1/2 cup of mayo and a 1/4 cup of sour cream, then realized I might have gone a tad overboard with it. Curry can be a little bitter if it isn't mellowed in a hot pan first which of course I didn't do, so I added a half cup of our homemade kumquat marmalade to sweeten it up a bit. Any orange marmalade will do just fine, but there's something special about one that you've fashioned yourself out of kumquats from your own trees. Anyway, it was just what was needed to put this salad up there with one of our best. By the way, the salad would be wonderful with more fruit added to it in addition to the dried cranberries. Try mango chunks, or green grapes or some diced up apple and see what I mean.

I knew the plate needed one more thing and since I didn't have any dinner rolls hiding in the freezer, I went to the internet and found Paula's Sour Cream Scone recipe online at foodnetwork.com. They came together in the food processor in a flash but I left out the heavy cream/raw sugar finish she recommends and the top was perfectly golden and crunchy anyway, thank you very much.

The only thing I didn't do was work them a little more when the dough came out of the processor so if anything, the finished scones were a little too light and fluffy. Imagine having such a problem when often they can be like dry hockey pucks instead of the moist tender morsels they ended up as. I should make that mistake again soon! Thanks Paula!

Hit the link here to head directly to Paula's Sour Cream Scone recipe, and see the Curried Turkey Salad recipe below. 

Curried Turkey Salad (an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

1/2 cup dried cranberries

3 cups diced cooked turkey (or chicken if you wish)

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

3 to 4 teaspoons curry powder

1/2 cup orange marmalade (I used our homemade kumquat)

Salt and coarse ground black pepper to taste

Salad Greens

In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, curry powder and orange marmalade and mix well. All to sit for 5 minutes, then taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required. Add celery, onion, cranberries, turkey and almonds to the dressing and toss well to combine. Refrigerate well covered for a minimum 1 hour to blend flavors. Serve on bed of mixed greens. Makes 4 servings.

For those of you that just dropped by for a look see at JBug's Kitchen Antics, I must apologize for the fancy dinner ware you see in the photograph but we're in the midst of renovating our kitchen and we're without a kitchen sink (among other things). Believe me using disposable plates while the kitchen's being renovated is becoming a life saver ....or should I say wife saver! 

Two year's ago - Maui Tacos with Seared Pineapple Salsa

Cheater Chicken Pot Pie

I'm sure you've noticed we've been eating rather simply the past week and this chicken pot pie is no exception. I've been making it for years and years when I want a quick no fuss but tasty pie and while I enjoy one made with freshly cooked chicken with assorted cubed fresh veggies in a roux based gravy of chicken stock and cream, this version really does in a pinch.

Adapted from a recipe in my old tried and true original Purity Cookbook, it makes use of pre-cooked chicken -  I used Trader Joe's grilled version found in their freezer section, a small package of frozen mixed veggies, a cubed cooked potato and a can of cream of chicken soup jazzed up with sherry and other spices to form the base. Rest assured, I very patiently hand picked all the peas out of the frozen vegetables so I wouldn't hear a groan from you know who.

The pie was topped with a flaky cap made from puffed pastry I happened to have hiding in the freezer. The pastry was baked separately on a sheet pan so it wouldn't get all soggy on the bottom, and decorated appropriately with some chicken shaped cut outs and an ax. Yup, that rather morbid suggestion was Big Guy's idea so don't think I've gone over to the dark side on you. By the way, if you want your puff pastry to puff all over, don't do what I did and slash cutouts in it, but even with the goof, it came out looking rather interesting. 

It was all ready in no time with limited mess and delicious served with a coleslaw loaded with dried cranberries and toasty almonds.  

Cheater Chicken Pot Pie (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Purity Cookbook)

1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted per package instructions

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon butter, room temperature

1/4 cup minced sweet onion

2 cups cooked cubed chicken

1 small packaged frozen mixed vegetables

1 medium potato, peeled, cubed and boiled for 5 minutes then drained

1 – 10 ounce can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup dry sherry

Dash each poultry seasoning, rosemary, sage

Coarse ground black pepper

Unfold puff pastry onto a floured board and roll slightly to remove creases. Cut into shape of casserole dish and move to a parchment lined sheet pan. Decorate as you wish and place pastry into freezer to chill until needed.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400. Grease a medium sized casserole dish with softened butter and add onion, chicken, mixed vegetables, and potato to the casserole. In a small bowl combine cream of chicken soup, sherry and seasonings. Pour over chicken/vegetable mixture and using a fork, fold it into the veggie/chicken mixture. Cover casserole with foil and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes (45 minutes total).  Remove pastry from freezer and brush with egg/water mixture. Bake for 15 minutes or until puffed and golden.  Take casserole from oven and remove foil. Carefully place cooked pastry on top and serve. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

A year ago - Bacon Blue Burger with Bourbon Onions

Two year's ago - Basque Chicken with Chorizo

Duck Carnitas

There's something amazing about leftovers, especially when it is leftover braised duck legs. There's at least a b'zillion things you can do with it, assuming of course that you haven't gorged yourself on the original like we wanted to do on Sunday night. 

Thankfully we held ourselves back because I knew this week would be a challenge, so last night we simply warmed up our little red Coleman grill, replaced the grates with griddle pans and made short work of crisping up the meat for soft tacos. I merely chopped up the meat, sprinkled it with fresh lime juice and the Big Guy fried it up till it was perfect. I warmed flour tortillas on the other side of the grill and dinner was ready.

Thank Trader Joe's for the peach salsa that adorned our duck carnita tacos along with shredded cabbage, slivered sweet peppers and a touch of chopped green onions. Delicious!

For more inspiration in the leftover quack department, just hit the links for 

Duck and Mushroom Risotto   or my personal favorites  Duck PIzza with Caramelized Onions and Brie or with Figs, Pancetta and Brie

   

In case you're curious about what's happening around here - well, the AC guys finished at noon yesterday and it is absolutely amazing how quiet and efficient the new unit is. They did a fabulous job for a very reasonable price.  Today American Kitchen Cabinets arrives to start the kitchen reno and I can't wait to see the results!

A year ago - Turkey Casserole with Apple Raisin Slaw

Two year's ago - Mexican Cowboy Beans 

Are You Wondering What To Do With Leftover Corned Beef?

It's been a few days since St. Patrick's Day and if you're anything like I am, you've been wondering what on earth to do with that piece of corned beef hiding in the depths of your refrigerator.

We solved part of our problem with last night's dinner and enjoyed what has become an annual tradition around here - Reuben Sandwiches. I have a pet peeve with the things when the inside's cold and the cheese hasn't melted either, so this time I drained and rinsed the sauerkraut then warmed it slightly in the microwave before putting it on the sandwich. I also sliced the corned beef and warmed it as well before constructing the sandwich with Thousand Island dressing, provolone and swiss cheese. Buttered on each side then placed on a medium hot griddle, the rye bread toasted nicely on one side then I flipped 'em over, placed a sheet pan on top along with a cast iron skillet to weight it down and the result was nicely melted cheese and appropriately warm innards. MMM 

I've plans for the rest of the corned beef too. We'll be enjoying another breakfast like the one Big Guy made for us on the weekend. There's absolutely nothing that starts a Sunday morning off quite like corned beef hash on a crispy potato cake, topped with poached eggs. In fact, I may not wait until Sunday and have it tonight for dinner, since Big Guy won't be home. I love breakfast for dinner but he's not so hot on it.

Oh, how about making some Cornish Pasties with some of that gold? Just substitute corned beef for the pork in this recipe , eliminate the half cup of gravy and add a little wine or beer to moisten the filling. Believe me, it will be delicous. 

Of course if that doesn't turn your crank, you could always make a lovely quiche like pie using hash brown potatoes for the crust like we did here with this one. Just substitute corned beef for the chicken and leave out the green chiles and you'll have a fabulous new creation to enjoy. 

Failing that, dice some leftover corned beef up and throw pieces into a batch of cheesey buttermilk scones. Open a can of soup to go with them or make something like the Winter Vegetable Chowder we had the other night or our Roasted Tomato Soup and you'll have a meal fit for a king. 

Just for heaven's sake, don't let it go to waste. It's just too darned delicious, don't ya' think?

Twice Cooked Pork aka Leftovers

We make this sandwich around here called "Southern Illinois Barbecue". It's an old family recipe all the way from Marion, Illinois and basically thinly sliced leftover pork loin roast, browned up till crispy on a flat top grill. Normally served on a plain burger bun that's been slapped on the grill to toast up a tad and topped with a mustard flavored slaw and barbecue sauce, it's drippy, crunchy and awesomely delicious. We've had it here before - see?

Last night's version left the bread out of the equation just because we were trying to cut some carbs - at least I was. The Big Guy apparently had a HUGE sandwich for lunch that I didn't know about until dinner was plated, otherwise I would have just made the darned sandwiches and left it at that. It was still mighty delicious but blast it all anyway, now I'm craving a real sandwich. 

Good thing I packed the rest of the roast pork, leftover compote and the slaw with you know who for his lunch today, otherwise I'd be dipping into it right this very second. I know it's not even 7:00 AM yet, but the Maxer dawg had us up at 3:30 this morning doing the seizure watusi and my stomach thinks it's lunchtime right now. It's got another think comin', don't ya' know. 

A year ago - Pasta with Sausage, Artichokes and Sun Dried Tomatoes

Two year's ago - Sausage, Roasted Red Pepper and Spinach Torta

Poblano Peppers Stuffed with Chicken and Cheddar

I've been meaning to make stuffed peppers for a while but just never seemed to get around to putting them on the menu until last night. Sure wish it hadn't taken me so long!

A Poblano pepper is a mild chile often used for making ooey gooey cheesy chili rellanos but they're certainly more than just a one note wonder. They're great in salsas and sauces, particularly in mole and can be stuffed with darn near anything. Roasted to impart more flavor and remove the skin, most of the heat of these babies is in the inner membranes and seeds so I removed both last night when I stuffed the beauties.

As for the stuffing, you can use almost anything like shrimp, ground beef or pork or even leftover chili. Inspired by a recipe on finecooking.com, in this case shredded cooked chicken mixed with cooked brown rice and cheddar cheese is bound together with a fresh tomato, onion, garlic and spice puree. I made a few changes to their recipe and added a little heavy cream and a touch of hot salsa for more moisture and to round out the flavors. A squeeze of fresh lime completes the dish. Stuffed and warmed briefly in a hot oven, I finished them off with a little more grated cheddar on top that melted down for a pretty and tasty finish.

Served with guacamole and sour cream on the side, we were really happy with the final result, particularly since I managed to absolutely destroy the kitchen while I was making them. An unexpected trip to the veterinarian with Max put the kibosh on the usual organized chaos of dinner preparations so I had some cleanin' up to do. 

Max is still fighting hard to win the war against his latest illness, pancreatitis. Just when we think we've our feisty little schnauzer back and he's on the up and up, he takes another downturn but he's fighting hard to recover and we're not ready to give up yet.

Poblano Peppers Stuffed with Cheddar and Chicken (from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Fine Cooking.com)

4 large poblano peppers

3 roma tomatoes, chopped

1/2 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon cumin

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups shredded cooked chicken (I used chicken tenders)

1-1/2 cups cooked brown rice

2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup hot salsa

Juice of half a fresh lime

 

Garnishes - Sour cream, salsa and guacamole

Wash and dry poblano peppers well and cut a slit down one side from stem to tip. Place directly onto gas flame and roast until blackened all over (or alternatively place under broiler). Cool until easy to handle, then remove skins and using a spoon or melon baller, remove seeds from inside along with membranes. (Leave some if you want a hotter pepper). Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray and arrange poblanos leaving plenty of room in between each. Set aside.

Using an immersion blender or food processor, puree tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper until smooth. Heat oil in a large skillet until shimmering, and then add puree and cook down for 5 minutes or until almost all of the moisture has been removed.

Preheat oven to 425. Remove puree to a bowl and add chicken, rice, cilantro, cream and hot salsa. Stir to combine and add half of the cheddar cheese. Fill peppers mounding filling up well and wrapping the sides of the peppers up over the filling. Sprinkle peppers with lime juice. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until peppers are hot. Remove from oven and sprinkle with reserved cheddar, then return to oven until cheese is melted (about another 5 minutes). Serve garnished with sour cream and guacamole. Pass the salsa too. Serves 4.

A year ago - Chicken and Andouille Gumbo  Two year's ago - Ground Hog

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

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

 

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 or beef consomme'

1 or 2 pounds 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

Duck Pizza with Figs, Pancetta and Brie

One of the major pluses of cooking for two is that a lot of recipes are made for 4 servings which means that fabulous dinner of braised duck we had night before last got a reworking for dinner as the most incredible pizza ever made.

Now we've made duck pizza before but honestly I'm thinking it was just a prelude to an even better version this time. A perfectly thin and incredibly crisp crust is the basis as always, but last night's seemed thinner and crisper and absolutely more delicious than any before which makes not one bit of sense because it is the same recipe we always use.

A creamy sauce made from heavy cream and the white rinds of the brie is reduced and tops the crust, followed by leftover braised duck, pancetta pieces, juices and all and some of the figs all sliced up nice and evenly. Topped with golden brown onions jazzed up with some dry sherry and guilded with slices of brie, it all hit the pizza stone in a 500 oven for exactly 12 minutes.

Garnished with some pomegranate arils that cut some of the richness of the other ingredients just perfectly it was amazing, particularly served with a rather incredible bottle of 2006 Sagrantino di Montefalco we sprung $9.99 for at Trader Joes - which to be honest is an absolute fortune for us cheap under $6.00 a bottle winos. Heaven in a glass to go with heaven on a plate.

The bonus - I lifted barely a finger to help and I even tried to keep my "advice" to a minimum. It was the Big Guy's labor of love. Lucky, eh?

Duck Pizza with Figs, Pancetta, Grilled Onions and Brie from JBug’s Kitchen Antics inspired by Emeril Lagasse

Crust:

1 cup water

1 package active dry yeast (Rapid Rise is fine)

2-1/2 to 3 cups all purpose flour

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

In bowl of food processor with metal blade combine 1-1/2 cups flour with warm water and yeast. Mix well. Add 1 cup four, olive oil and salt. Combine well until dough forms into one ball and rides on top of the metal blade (about 20 seconds). If dough is very sticky add more flour; however dough should be very soft. Remove ball of dough from processor and place in lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise for 1 hour. After dough has risen remove to a floured board and cut in half. Form into 2 balls and cover with bowl. Allow to rest for 20 minutes before shaping. Makes 2 – 12 inch pizzas

 Sauce:

2/3 cup heavy cream

Rind from 8 ounce piece triple cream brie cut into small pieces

Combine rind and cream in a small pot. Heat over medium heat, whisking from time to time to dissolve cheese into cream. Bring to a simmer and cook until cream has reduced and sauce is thick – about 10 minutes. Watch carefully so you don’t reduce it too much!

 

For the pizza:

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons medium dry sherry

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat heavy skillet over medium heat. Add butter and when melted, add onions. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally until onions have caramelized and turned a rich amber color (about 30 minutes). Remove from heat and add port. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

1-1/2 cups chopped or slivered cooked duck leftover from Braised Duck

2 ounces of diced pancetta with juices leftover from Braised Duck

6 precooked leftover figs from Braised Duck, thinly sliced

8 ounce piece of triple cream brie sliced, (rind removed as above)

Pomegranate arils

Salt and coarse ground black pepper to taste

Place pizza stone in oven and preheat oven to 500. Shape crust into 12 inch pizza. Top with half of Brie sauce, and half of the duck, pancetta, figs and brie. Transfer to pizza stone and bake for 12 minutes. Garnish with pomegranate arils. Repeat for second pizza.

A year ago - Pomegranate Gelato   Two year's ago - Shaker Lemon Pie

 

Roast Beef Sandwiches with Grilled Onions and Gorgonzola

This is the second in the leftover roast beef series and we're not tired of it yet, although the Big Guy sliced up the rest of it yesterday for various other purposes and stuck it in the freezer. He kept out enough for these lovely sandwiches, as well as a repeat in the next day or so. Lucky us!

He cut the slices so perfectly thin they only have one side, piled them all together and put them inside some soft buns, grilled on the inside. Topped with some of the horseradish sauce that was the star of our Christmas dinner, the sandwiches were finished with golden brown grilled onions, ripe juicy halved mini-plum tomatoes and slices of creamy gorgonzola cheese. If these are leftovers, bring 'em on!

As for today - the Big Guy's working his way through his honey do list and yesterday, did some remodeling in the laundry room, moving cabinets and installing shelving. It looks fabulous, functional and I love it. Today he's re grouting the master bedroom shower and then retiring to the garage to work on the bow he made. As for me, I've a mountain and I do mean a mountain of ironing to do. Woe is me!

A year ago - Lamb Stew with Trinidad Curry

Leftover Prime Rib Roast

We'll be starting a series of what to do's with the rest of our humongous prime rib roast over the next couple of days; however, if you can think of anything better than a beef pot pie, please let me know. Personally I think it'll be a tough one to top.

Last night's version is one first posted way back in 2009 and I've been waiting for the perfect opportunity to showcase its powerful flavors again. Other than potatoes, carrots and one solitary monster sized parsnip, this one's a real winner with the addition of some maple smoked bacon. Mushrooms cooked in the bacon drippings until all golden and lovely become the cornerstone of a deep rich gravy courtesy of a can of Campbell's French Onion Soup and some sherry. Finished with a touch of sour cream believe you me if I could sell that gravy by the bottle, I'd make enough money to buy myself an island in the Pacific Northwest. Don't laugh ...the Caribbean can't hold a candle to it as far as I'm concerned.

Topped with what's become my new favorite pastry made from butter and shortening, the pie's about as class A as you can get. Needless to say it was HOT too when it came out of the oven, and since my Big Guy's not the most patient eater you've ever seen ... meaning he shovels it all it at the speed of light - he dumped that pretty pie upside down on his plate so it would cool off quicker and he could get the job done more efficiently. The mess he created darn near broke my heart, but hey I guess after it leaves the kitchen it's no longer my concern anyway. Is it? Next time I'll add some green peas to the mix. That ought to slow him down a bunch.

Incidentally, we've other plans for that leftover prime rib roast like sandwiches, or a big pot of beef and barley soup, or absolutely the best chili you'll ever, ever eat, or more of those lovely little cornish pasties like we've made before so stay tuned.  We promise there will be more!

Beef Pot Pie with Sherry Gravy

Pastry:

2 -1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons powdered sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3.5 ounces butter, cut into cubes

4 ounces shortening

1 egg beaten with 6 tablespoons cold water

Whisk together dry ingredients to mix well. Cut in cold butter and shortening until mixture has a uniform crumb about the size of small peas. Using a fork toss in the egg/water mixture and combine until must moistened. Form into a disc and chill thoroughly.

Pot Pie

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 onion minced

2 cloves garlic minced

2 carrots, quarter inch dice

1 potato, quarter inch dice

1 large parsnip, quarter inch dice

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup water

Sprinkle of salt

1 cup frozen peas (optional)

1/4 cup parsley, minced

3 cups cooked beef, cubed (I used left over prime rib, but steak or beef purchased from deli with do)

1 slice bacon, minced

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup mushrooms, quartered

2 tablespoons flour

1 can Campbell’s French Onion Soup

1/3 cup water

1 tablespoon catsup

1/3 cup dry sherry

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/3 cup sour cream

Sauté onion in olive oil until transparent. Add garlic and cook another minute. Add diced carrots, potato, parsnip, thyme, salt and pepper and sauté for 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup water, cover pan and cook over medium heat for 8 minutes, until vegetables are just tender.  Remove from pan and place into 4 individual ramekins. Sprinkle each ramekin with 1/4 cup of frozen peas and 1 tablespoon of parsley. Divide cubed beef evenly between 4 ramekins.

Cook bacon in sauté pan until fat renders and bacon is almost crisp. Add butter to pan, then add mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are browned. Add flour and stir to combine well. Cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Add onion soup, water, catsup and stir to combine. Cook stirring until gravy thickens. Cook for 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and add Worcestershire sauce, pepper, sherry and sour cream and stir well to combine.  Divide evenly among ramekins.

Roll out pastry to 1/8 inch thickness and cover ramekins. Decorate as desired. Brush with beaten egg yolk. Cook in 400 oven for 35 to 40 minutes until pastry is golden and filling is bubbly.   

Red Beans and Rice

I know I've been MIA the last couple of days as I've been under the weather, but for those of you that are under the blizzard and never ending cold kind of weather, have I got a great solution for you.

Red Beans and Rice is a common Monday meal in the south, although a different part of the south than we're currently living in and given the beautiful ham bone that came with all that gorgeous meat from Sunday night, I knew I had to do something special with it. Since the Big Guy's not into split pea soup, I figured I'd make something I knew he'd love and Monday night's dinner suited him to an absolute "T".

Loaded with tiny little red beans that soaked for 8 hours and then cooked for another 4 along with garlic, onion, celery and green pepper this perfect pot of low maintenance energy food is a great use not only of that meaty ham bone, but also of those fiber rich pellets of musical fruit. Spiced up with worcestershire sauce and creole seasoning along with a bay leaf and a touch more cayenne cause we love that extra spice, the finishing touch on this glorious pot of stick to your ribs grub is surely the Andouille sausage, fried up all crisp and lovely. 

It's absolutely the perfect way to use up that holiday ham bone and guaranteed to warm your family from sole to soul!

Red Beans and Rice (adapted from simplyrecipes.com)

1 pound small red beans, washed well and soaked overnight

1 large meaty ham bone

3 cups low sodium chicken stock

2 cups water

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 sticks celery, chopped

1 large green pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Zatarains Creole seasoning

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 bay leaf

Fresh ground black pepper

Salt if required

1 – 12 ounce package Andouille sausage

White rice, cooked per package directions

Drain and rinse soaked red beans and place in a large Dutch oven. Add chicken stock, water, garlic and onion and ham bone. Bring pot to a boil then reduce heat to low simmer and cook for 2 hours or until beans are tender.  Remove bone from pot, cool until easy to handle, then pick meat away from the bones and return meat to pot. Discard bone. Add celery, green pepper, Worcestershire sauce, creole seasoning, cayenne pepper and bay leaf. Return pot to a boil, then cover and simmer for 1 to 1-1/2 hours until mixture is very thick and beans are extremely tender. Taste for seasoning and add black pepper and salt if required. Just before serving slice Andouille sausage and fry until brown on all sides. Serve beans garnished with Andouille and rice on top.  Makes 6 to 8 servings.

 A year ago - White Chocolate Bread Pudding

Cheater Mac and Cheese with Pulled Pork

OK, so let's get this perfectly clear. I've been a plum lazy cook during the past couple of weeks that my alter ego's been away. Thank goodness it is about to change since he'll be home about midnight tonight but as my second last hurrah I whipped up a cheater bowl of mac and cheese for dinner last night. Hey a girl's gotta' eat somethin'.

There's no reason to purchase one of those ready made containers with heaven knows what's in it when in exactly 15 minutes flat, you can whip up your own stove top version especially when you've a brick of processed cheese in the refrigerator. I mean it's not rocket science but simply elbow macaroni cooked until al dente' then drained and loaded up with said cheese, dijon mustard, and a touch of half and half.

Now there was a time I would have been content with just that, along with a quart of ketchup but the  problem is I guess I've been with the Big Guy just long enough to crave some meat with my pasta, so I shredded the rest of a country style pork rib from the other day and threw it into a little gratin dish along with the cheesy mac, topped it with a bit of grated cheese and finished it under the broiler.

I know for a fact this isn't going to win me any gourmet food prizes but let me tell you it wasn't bad. In fact I may just be surprising the Big Guy with the same casserole next time we have a load of leftover pulled pork. Of course with him in mind I'll add a little barbecue sauce to the mix, along with some pickled jalapeno peppers because we all know he loves the things - oh and I'll likely ramp up the cheese a bit more to make for a creamier pasta. What I'm really trying to say in a round about way is that with a little work, it could be a lot better so I'll post a recipe when I'm happier with the results.

As for today, well obviously the party's over. I won't be lying in bed with the pooches, a purring wannabe feral feline, coffee and a good book till 7 bells or so every morning. It'll be back to the salt mines - up at 5, packing you know who's lunch, cooking him a hot breakfast and shoving him out the door by 6:20. I  absolutely cannot wait. Life's the pits without my Big Guy!

A year ago - Mexican Hot Chocolate

 

Chicken and Stuffing Casserole

Last night's dinner requirements were speed, comfort and taste and not necessarily all in that order. You see the Big Guy arrived home totally and completely exhausted - I mean a running on adrenaline only kind of exhausted. What it meant was a good martini, a good dinner and a great night's sleep.

I can't give you a perfect martini recipe because perfection is really a matter of personal taste and as for sleep, well it's a relative thing isn't it? Just ask any menopausal woman and they'll tell you all about what constitutes a good night's slumber, but about the "good" dinner - that I can help you with.

We've bragged about this casserole before using leftover turkey as the key ingredient, but believe me it works just as well with leftover rotisserie chicken. Stuffing on the bottom of the casserole, moistened with sherry in this case, followed by chunked up chicken topped with a dusting of shredded cheese, then dressed with spiced up sauteed onions, celery and mushrooms and topped with a can of Campbell's cream of chicken soup. Garnished with a more stuffin' crumbs followed by 35 minutes in the oven yields of richly flavored, quick and easy dinner entree.

Accompanied by a vegetable and a nice crisp salad, it made my favorite guy a very happy camper; however, what made him plum ecstatic at 7 bells was a soft mattress, an extra blanket and dreamland. Ya, I hear ya'. Only the very young and the very old hit the sack at 7:00 pm, right? 

Chicken and Stuffing Casserole (Adapted from Idaho a la Carte)

1 12 ounce package stuffing mix (Stove Top)

1/4 cup dry Marsala or sherry

2-1/2 cups diced cooked chicken or turkey

4 ounces shredded cheese, Swiss or cheddar (optional)

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

2/3 cup chopped celery

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

Coarse ground black pepper to taste

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons melted butter

Sauté chopped onion, celery and mushrooms in vegetable oil until onion is soft – about 5 minutes. Stir in poultry seasoning and rosemary. Season with black pepper. Mix together cream of chicken soup with water and milk. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350. Spray casserole dish with cooking spray. Reserve 1/2 cup dry stuffing mix and spread remainder of  on bottom of casserole. Sprinkle with Marsala or sherry, and then spread cooked poultry evenly over top. Top poultry with cheese then add sautéed vegetables. Top with soup mixture and sprinkle with reserved stuffing mix. Top with melted butter. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until casserole is hot and bubbling. Serve immediately. Makes 4 to 6 servings. Download Chicken and Stuffing Casserole

A year ago - Apple Fritters

Creamy Turkey Enchiladas

We're coming to the end of our Thanksgiving turkey stash with last night's dinner likely the favorite of all the leftover gobbler creations and without question our favorite enchilada recipe.

It would be afterall. It's loaded with green chiles, hot salsa, whipping cream and cheese and topped with a mixture of cream of chicken soup and sour cream along with a ton of cheese. Originally a recipe from Idaho a la CArte, it's a perfect way to channel leftovers into something fabulous. I've made it enough that I can honestly say it is now mine with with extra onions, garlic, and Tex/Mex heat. Perfect garnished with more salsa and some of Jen's fabulous jalapeno jelly, it is quintessential comfort food in a creamy spicy form and perfect for, dare I say, a COLD winter evening.

Yes people, winter has finally arrived in the desert and I swear when the Big Guy and I were out walking the dogs last night before bedtime, the precipitation falling looked suspiciously more like snow than rain. Yahoo! I wait all year to haul out my silk longjohns and fleece and it's finally here. Today's the day I finally get to turn the self cleaning switch on the oven and revel in the fact the kitchen's warm instead of doing it when it's 115 outside and feels like double that inside.

Creamy Turkey Enchiladas (adapted from Idaho a la Carte)

 1 cup chopped onion

3 cloves garlic minced

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2-1/2 cups leftover roast turkey (or chicken) chopped into small pieces

4 roasted green chiles, skinned, seeded and chopped (or 1 6 ounce can)

3/4 cup spicy hot salsa

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon hot chile powder (optional)

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

3/4 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup shredded cheddar or pepperjack cheese

8 large flour tortillas

1-1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar or Mexican cheese mix

1 – 10 ounce can cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add oil and when shimmering add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is softened. Remove from heat and transfer to a mixing bowl. Cool to room temperature. Add turkey, green chiles, salsa, salt, pepper, chile powder, red pepper flakes and whipping cream.

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside. Spoon approximately half a cup of turkey mixture onto a flour tortilla and sprinkle with cheese. Roll to enclose the filling and place seam side down into casserole dish. Repeat until all filling is used. Sprinkle cheese on top of rolled tortillas in casserole dish. In a small bowl whisk together cream of chicken soup and sour cream. Spread on top of enchiladas and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake additional 20 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with additional salsa or guacamole. Serves 6 to 8.

A year ago - Curried Turkey Pot Pie

Irish Potato Cakes aka Boxty

I don't know whatever possessed me to cook 5 huge russet potatoes on Thanksgiving day to make mashed. I mean 5 of them and there's only 2 of us? Was I crazy? Everything happens for a reason though because I've been meaning to make these Irish potato cakes for a long time but never seemed to have any leftover mashed potatoes hanging around. I love my taters!

These are not at all like the crisp, light and lacy potato latkes that we all know and love made from grated potato, flour or matzo meal and egg. Oh no, these are pancakes in every sense of the word. Created from mashed as well as grated potato, self rising flour and buttermilk, they're a heavy duty, stick to your ribs won't be hungry for a week kind of pancake and boy are they tasty.

I snitched the recipe from Mary at One Perfect BIte and as usual she can always be counted on to provide a recipe that she's tested and worked out all the kinks; however, saying all of that I think I need to practice making them a few more times. (Darn, ha,ha) Mine were on the heavy side and kind of doughy, likely due to the fact that I mixed 'em too much before cooking them and it could also be that I didn't cook them long enough, or maybe they're just supposed to be that way. Hit the link and head to Mary's site to read what she has to say about them and collect her recipe!

We had our boxty with Italian sausage of all things that I browned in a pan before adding sliced onion, green pepper, garlic, mini pearl tomatoes and a little tomato sauce then braised for 25 minutes. Nothing like mixing the Irish with Italian, but darned if those spicy sausage weren't the absolute bomb!

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German Potato Pancakes                       Mashed Potato Pie w Bacon

 

Bacon and Potato Mushroom Soup

The first thing I ever cooked for the Big Guy way back when was my infamous mushroom soup. Loaded with mushrooms and laced with brandy, I figured it would surely get his attention. After all, isn't the sure way to a man's heart through his stomach? 

Little did I know at the time I'd be making the same mushroom soup for him many times since that fateful day - obviously it piqued his interest enough that he married me. I just wish I'd thought about adding bacon and potatoes to the brew a lot sooner. Now that really is a pity!

The Big Guy just finished making another batch of maple smoked bacon and gave me a bag of little iddy bits and pieces. It's absolutely about the best bacon we've ever made (we tweaked the recipe and I'll tell you about it later). I just had to add some of its crisp flavorful goodness to the pot before I sauteed the onions and mushrooms.

Of course after a quick look at the refrigerator I also zeroed in on the big container of leftover mashed potatoes from Thanksgiving dinner and couldn't leave 'em out either. Their addition makes for a heartier bowl of bacon mushroom flavor but of course the crowning glory is a drizzle of Meukow cognac on top. What can I say except excess is better than the opposite - ya know what I mean?

Realizing we needed another touch of homey decadence on a lovely relaxing Sunday evening, I threw a piece on raclette on a cast iron pan and shoved it in the oven to melt while the ciabatta rolls were warming up. Traditionalists are likely to fall off their chairs when they see the way I served this little wedge of gooey crispy wonder so if you really want to get the down and dirty on "real" raclette go to David Lebovitz here and he'll tell you all about it in his usual witty and wonderful way; however, for our purposes the nutty gooey melted cheese spread on crisp rolls hot from the oven was about as good as it gets - next to the soup of course.

Bacon and Potato Mushroom Soup (an original from JBug’s Kitchen, inspired by Sable & Rosenfeld)

4 ounces side bacon, diced

2 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 pound mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

4 cups low sodium chicken stock

1 cup mashed potatoes

1 cup half and half

1 cup milk

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup brandy or Cognac

Heat large soup pot over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until bacon is slightly crisp. Remove from pot and set aside, leaving drippings in pot. Add butter and when melted, add onions. Cook until onions are softened. Add mushrooms and garlic and cook, stirring until mushrooms are soft – about 5 more minutes. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Whisk in mashed potatoes and return bacon to the pot. Add half and half. Whisk together milk and flour until smooth and add to the pot, stirring constantly. Bring pot to a simmer and cook stirring often until soup is thickened. Do not boil.  Ladle soup into bowls and top with a drizzle of brandy or cognac. Makes 6 servings. Download Bacon and Potato Mushroom Soup

A year ago - Turkey and Mushroom Bread Pudding

Turkey and Stuffing Handpies aka Cornish Pasties

We have the Brits to thank for last night's dinner but before we get to the meat of this post I need to clear something up; that's as in Cornish "pasty" and it's pronounced like "nasty" people. It absolutely nowhere near resembles the falsies used to accent what God didn't give all the A cups, if you know what I mean, and neither is it nasty in any way, shape or form.

Now, I've made these little leftover filled wonders before only in a pork version that we absolutely loved but I have to tell you the turkey kind's even better, if it's possible to beat anything pork that is. Filled with chopped raw carrots and parsnip along with leftover turkey, gravy and stuffing all in a nice neat little flaky pastry package, there's no way it should be called a "leftover".

Plated with two kinds of cranberry sauce and some coleslaw it was a meal made in heaven. So, why two kinds of cranberry sauce you ask? Well, in truth, I'm adding these to the blog so I'll know where to find them next time I'm making cranberry sauce because either one's a real keeper and I don't see myself making any other kind in the future. If you know me at all, you'll know I don't settle for making the same thing twice very often so you've gotta' imagine just how perfectly sublime the sauces are, although the pictures do them no justice.

Chunky Apple Cranberry Sauce courtesy of Country Home Magazine has cranberries and apples cooked in apple cider, sweetened with a touch of sugar and real maple syrup and spiced with a whole cinnamon stick. Finished with a touch of vanilla, it takes all of 10 minutes to whip up and is worth every second of time. It makes darn near a quart of wonderful tart but sweet, perfectly spiced sauce to jazz up any kind of poultry but I have to say it would be fabulous with pork too.

Raspberry Habanero Cranberry Sauce is a take on the Raspberry Cranberry Sauce in this month's Cooking Light Magazine. Remember about a year ago the BIg Guy whipped up some Raspberry Habanero Jelly - well, I added some to a mildly sweetened version of the recipe on the Ocean Spray package and added a cup of frozen raspberries just for good measure. The result is a supremely delicious kinda sweet, kinda' tart, raspberry flavored cranberry studded ruby colored sauce with the kick of a mule. Holy cow is it good! I can't wait to try it on a Turkey and Brie Panini which may or may not be on our list for tonight's dinner. Just sayin'.

Turkey n Stuffin’ Hand Pies aka Cornish Pasties (inspired by Emeril Lagasse, Food Network)

Pastry:

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3.5 ounces cold butter cut into cubes

4 ounces cold vegetable shortening cut into pieces

1 egg yolk beaten with 6 tablespoons ice cold water

 In a large bowl combine flour, sugar and salt. Using a pastry blender cut in butter and shortening until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Using a fork mix in egg yolk/water mixture just until mixture holds together. Remove to a board and knead slightly until mixture holds together. Flatten to a disc, wrap well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Filling:

1-1/2 cups diced leftover roast turkey

1/2 cup diced peeled raw carrots (quarter inch dice)

1/2 cup diced peeled raw parsnips (quarter inch dice)

1/2 cup leftover turkey gravy

1 cup leftover cold stuffing

Mix roast turkey, carrots, parsnip and turkey gravy together in a small bowl. Set aside.

1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water

To make pasties, roll cold pastry out on a well-floured surface until about a quarter inch thick. Using a plate as a guide cut pastry into 6 or 7 inch circles. Brush edges of pastry with egg yolk/water mixture. Place approximately a half cup of filling onto middle of pastry. Add a spoonful of stuffing on top of filling, and then fold pastry up to meet at the top of the stuffing and crimp edges together well. Re-roll remaining dough pieces as required to make 6 pasties. Place on a parchment lined sheet pan and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 400. Brush pasties with egg yolk/water mixture and cut slits in top so steam can escape. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce oven heat to 350 and bake for additional 25 to 30 minutes until pasties are golden brown and cooked through. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving. Makes 6 large pasties.

Chunky apple Cranberry Sauce (adapted from Country Home Magazine)

1 cup apple cider

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 real maple syrup

3 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4 inch dice

1 12 ounce package fresh or frozen cranberries

1 stick cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Combine apple juice, sugar and maple syrup in medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Add apples, cranberries and cinnamon stick. Cook, stirring occasionally until cranberries have popped and apples are tender – about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool to room temperature. Remove cinnamon stick. Store in glass container in refrigerator. Makes 3-3/4 cups.

Raspberry Habanero Cranberry Sauce (a creation from JBug’s Kitchen)

12 ounce bag of fresh or frozen cranberries

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup water

1 cup frozen raspberries

1 cup Raspberry Habanero Jelly

Place sugar and water into a large saucepan and heat over medium high stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved. Add cranberries and cook until cranberries start to pop – about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in frozen raspberries and cook another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in raspberry habanero jelly, stirring until jelly has dissolved. Cool to room temperature then place in a glass jar and refrigerate.

Potato Crust Chicken and Green Chile Quiche

OK so here's the deal. That fabulous roasted chicken from night before last has left us with some great munchin' alternatives. I mean not even WE can't finish an entire 5 pounder in one sitting, and I know you're surprised to hear that.

I did a little research looking for new ideas on what to make and have come up with a couple, one being a great suggestion from my friend Lea that I'll be putting to use PDQ after I do a little grocery shopping. As it happens I had all the necessary ingredients available for this new fangled chicken pie so it made the top of the list.

Thawed hash browns are dried off and pressed into a pie plate then coated with butter and baked. The resulting crisp potato crust is topped with chicken, roasted Hatch green chiles, shredded sharp cheddar and dried onion flakes then topped with the usual egg and milk combination. Forty minutes later we were chowing down on this fabulous creation and enjoying every morsel. It is every bit as delicious as a traditional quiche with a pastry crust - maybe even more so.

Who would have ever thought one could make a pie crust out of shredded hash brown potatoes, but the Big Guy kept saying over and over - "boy is this good". He's right (but don't tell him, OK?). It is good and a perfect solution too for anyone with a wheat or gluten intolerance too. Just thought I'd give that a mention since last weekend we were entertaining a couple that can't eat wheat, dairy or refined sugar.

Potato Crust Chicken and Green Chile Quiche (adapted from Taste of Home)

4 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed

3 tablespoons melted butter

1 cup shredded leftover roast chicken

1/2 cup chopped roasted green chiles

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

4 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

Coarse ground black pepper

1 tablespoon dried onion flakes

Salsa to garnish

Preheat oven to 425. Spray a pie plate with cooking spray. Using paper towels blot moisture from thawed hash browns and place into pie pan. Using a flat bottomed cup or large spoon, press hash browns up sides and onto bottom of dish to form a crust. Brush well with melted butter. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and lower temperature to 350. Spread shredded chicken, green chiles and cheddar on top of crust. Beat eggs, milk, salt, pepper and onion flakes together until well combined. Pour onto other toppings in crust and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack. Cool for 5 minutes before cutting. Garnish with salsa. Serves 6. Download Potato Crust Chicken and Green Chile Quiche

A year ago - Clam, Corn and Basil Cakes

Shepherd's Pie with Mashed Taters 'n Snips

My Big Guy's been under a lot of stress lately. He has a heavy load of classes this semester and he's been working darn near non stop. As a matter of fact, he's marked papers every weekend except one and since he's the guy that sets his own course work, he has nobody to blame. Bummer eh? I'm powerless to help except for making him the odd martini and keeping the home fires burning so it's one less thing for him to worry about.

He loves simple home cookin' though it's likely he doesn't get much that's simple around here, he does get a lot of home cookin'. I decided to indulge him a tad and last night's dinner included some of his favorite things, ground beef and mashed potatoes both married to a couple of my favorites - gravy and parsnips.

Yup, they all went into this fabulous casserole. The gravy was actually leftover from the swiss steak we cooked last week but you could use jarred or canned beef gravy if you want; however, that swiss steak gravy is so darn tasty I couldn't part with it, so dumped it into a container and put it in the freezer with the thought I'd make something wonderful with it. Good recycling huh?

By the way, if you've never tried parsnip and potatoes mashed together now's your chance. The sweet nutty flavor of parsnip really elevates the lowly mashed potato to a higher level - add a little horseradish if you dare and you'll really be on to something!

Shepherd’s Pie with Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips (a creation from JBug’s Kitchen)

1 tablespoon canola oil

1-1/2 cups finely diced yellow onion (approx. 1 large)

1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Coarse ground black pepper to taste

2 cups prepared beef gravy

1/2 cup dry red wine

2/3 cup carrots, shredded or finely chopped

2 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced

2 large parsnips, peeled, woody core removed and diced

2 tablespoons butter

1/3 to 1/2 cup milk

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish (optional)

Heat large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and when shimmering, add onion. Cook until onion has softened. Add ground beef, crumbling well and cook until browned. Add garlic powder and coarse ground black pepper. Stir in prepared gravy and red wine. Transfer to a casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle top with shredded carrot.

Meanwhile, boil potatoes and parsnip together in well salted water until cooked. Drain well then mash with butter and milk. Stir in horseradish. Top casserole with mashed potato mixture, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake in preheated 350 oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until casserole is bubbling hot. Serves 4 to 6

A year ago - Cheesy Cauliflower Soup

Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel and Italian Meat Sauce

There's leftovers and then there's LEFTOVERS and with the current economic times, we all need to make good use of them. Unfortunately when someones says the word "leftovers" to me it brings back memories of Mother cleaning out the refrigerator and making a hash of all the little odds and sods left in the back. It was usually burnt, looked like something the cat dragged in and honestly Heinz didn't produce enough catsup to make it palatable in my book. The thought of it still gives me shivers.

The point I'm trying to make in a round about way is that while tough times call for tough measures, a little imagination can go along way in making something delicious out of the dregs in our freezers and cupboards.

That was the case last night when I discovered a container of leftover Italian meat sauce. Now I could have added another tin or so of tomato sauce to top our pasta and called it dinner, but I figured that would be kind of boring. Instead, I cooked up a pot of rigatoni and while that was burping on the stove, made a simple bechamel white sauce and loaded it up with grated romano cheese. Then I tossed the al dente drained pasta into the bechamel and topped it off with the meat sauce and the casserole hit the oven.

Twenty five minutes later dinner was on the table - hot tubes of pasta oozing creamy cheesy white sauce, covered in spicy tomatoey meat. It barely deserved to be called anything but delicious! Leftovers - surely you jest. MMMM

Baked Rigatoni with Béchamel and Italian Meat Sauce (a creation from JBug’s Kitchen)

Béchamel:

1/4 cup unsalted butter

3-1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1-1/2 cups grated Romano cheese

Melt butter in a medium sized saucepan. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly for 2 to 3 minutes until roux is slightly golden in color. Whisk in milk and seasonings and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in grated Romano cheese.

8 ounces rigatoni, cooked to al dente and well drained

Béchamel sauce

2 cups Italian meat sauce  (hit link for recipe)

Crushed dried chile peppers

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a casserole or gratin dish with cooking spray. Mix cooked pasta with béchamel and transfer to prepared casserole dish. Top with meat sauce. Sprinkle with crushed dried chile peppers. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until casserole is bubbling hot. Serves 4 to 6.

A year ago - Pecan Crusted Rack of Pork

 

Beef and Barley Soup

I recently had an epiphany thanks to my friend Pam over at Sidewalk Shoes. You see, our habit was to have a fairly substantial Sunday night dinner, a throwback to the old days when I was growing up and Sunday night dinners often meant something special. The trouble is Sunday afternoons around here involve a lot of R & R and that means I get lazy and cooking's the last thing on my mind. Enter "Soup Sundays". (Thanks for the idea Pam. It's brilliant!)

Last night's pot of comfort needed to be just that. The Big Guy's sick with a cold and I'm still hacking and snorting my way through October's allergy season so what's better for that than a hearty bowl of hot vegetable laden soup.

This one made great use of the last of the leftover Tri-tip, along with lots of carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms, potatoes and barley. Naturally because I was using pre-cooked meat, I didn't bother with browning it so I "beefed" up the flavor by adding canned consomme and lots of beef stock. Garnished with packaged French fried onions along with Ritz crackers, it was just what the doctor ordered.

Beef and Barley Soup (a JBug’s original)

Note: if you’re using raw rather than pre-cooked beef, round or chuck steak works very well. Cut into half inch cubes and brown very well in oil. Remove from pan and set aside, then continue with recipe.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)

2 ribs celery, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Coarse ground black pepper

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup dry Marsala wine

2 10 ounce cans beef consommé (undiluted)

4 cups low sodium beef stock

1/2 cup barley

1 pound leftover Tri tip or roast beef cut into half inch cubes (see note above)

1 large Russet potato, peeled and cut into half inch cubes

2 large carrots, peeled and cut into half inch cubes

Salt as required

French fried onions for garnish

Heat oil over medium high heat in a large Dutch oven. Add onion, celery and carrots and cook until vegetables are softened – about 5 minutes. Add garlic, black pepper and flour and cook, stirring constantly for another 3 or 4 minutes. Add Marsala wine and cook, stirring to loosen any bits from the bottom of the pot (1 minute). Add consommé, beef stock, beef and barley. Bring pot to a boil, stirring constantly, then reduce to a slow simmer, cover pot and cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add potato and carrots and cook for additional 20 minutes or until they’re just tender. Taste for seasoning and add salt as required. Serve soup garnished with fried onions.

Before I let you go - can you believe how many meals we got out of that fabulous little 2 pound Tri-tip roast? Not only was it good for us, it was good for the budget too. We'll be doing that again for sure!

 

A year ago - Maple Soy Glazed Salmon

Beef and Roasted Pepper Panini Sandwiches

Remember the tri tip roast we cooked up recently? Being the frugal soul that I am, I divided and froze the leftovers in zip bags with some grand ideas for its future. Good thing I'm such a planner.

We celebrated Pink Mountain Friday last night with a couple of knock out sandwiches. Fresh panini rolls slathered with mayo and horseradish, topped with thinly sliced and slivered medium rare tri-tip, roasted red and yellow peppers, pickled jalapeno slices and an assortment of cheeses including bits of fontina, sharp cheddar, Italian 4 cheese blend, fresh mozzarella and a smidge of gorgonzola. 

Slathered with butter and cooked till crisp in a hot panini grill, not only was it a great way to use up some tri-tip leftovers, it did short work of all the bits and pieces that collected in the cheese drawer over the past week or so. Rather brilliant, don't ya' think!

Sorry there's no recipe because we just threw them all together. Does it give you some ideas?

Pulled Pork Pizza - Deep Dish Style

Remember the oven roasted pulled pork we made a little while ago that I bragged about being the best? Well, it resurfaced from the freezer last night to form the basis for this Chicago style deep dish pizza.

Our usual pizza dough whizzed up in 30 seconds flat in the food processor morphed into the perfect crust to fill a 12 inch spring form pan. Barbecue sauce formed the next layer, followed by pepper jack cheese, golden brown onions, sauteed mushrooms with a touch of garlic and lots of black pepper, followed by that perfect pulled pork. Pickled jalapeno topped it along with fresh mozzarella and a little more pepper jack. Our mouths were weeping with anticipation!

Twenty minutes in a 500 oven while we celebrated Pink Mountain Friday and there you have it ....dinner! We spoil ourselves don't we?

Speaking of spoiled, the Big Guy's off to enjoy his usual Saturday bowl of menudo followed by grocery shopping. I'm off the hook on that today because the Maxer dawg picked midnight to dance the seizure jig and it doesn't look like he's quite finished yet. We're certainly not complaining though because he made it 9-1/2 weeks between jigs, and that's almost a record. As of this moment he and Finnigan are enjoying the morning sun, watching the world go by from the den window.  It's a good life Charlie Brown!

Pulled Pork Pizza – Deep Dish Style

Crust:

1 cup warm water

1 package active dry yeast

2-1/2 cups bread flour (or all purpose)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

In bowl of food processor with metal blade, combine 1-1/2 cups flour with warm water and yeast. Blitz to mix well. Add 1 more cup of flour, olive oil and salt. Blitz until dough forms into one ball and rides on top of the metal blade – about 20 seconds. If dough is very sticky add more flour and mix again, however the dough should be very soft. Remove dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (about 1 hour). After dough has risen, remove to a floured board and punch down lightly, cover with bowl and allow to rest for 20 minutes.

Filling:

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion

2 cups sliced mushrooms

2 cloves garlic, minced

Coarse ground black pepper and salt

1/3 cup barbecue sauce

1-1/2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese

1 cup pulled pork

1/4 cup sliced pickled jalapenos

8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced

Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium high in a large sauté pan. Add onions and cook until softened and just starting to turn golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside. Add remaining oil to pan, heat and add mushrooms. Sauté until browned. Add garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook for a minute more. Remove from pan and cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 500. Spray a 12 inch spring form pan with cooking spray and place all of dough into center. Working with a small roller or your fingers, spread dough evenly onto bottom and up approximately 1-1/2 inches on the sides of the pan. Spread barbecue sauce over dough on bottom of pan and sprinkle 1 cup of pepper jack cheese on top. Add onion and mushrooms followed by pulled pork and jalapenos. Finish with mozzarella cheese and the remaining pepper jack. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until crust is browned and filling is bubbling. Remove from oven to a board. Remove sides of pan and slide pizza from bottom disc onto board. Slice and serve. Download Pulled Pork Pizza

A year ago - Braciole, Italian Stuffed Beef Rolls

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

Boy, are we behind the times. About a year ago Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese was incredibly popular in the blogosphere and being the planner that I am, the idea was tucked away for future reference. Thankfully last night the future finally met up with the present.

What can I say except this one's a real keeper! Rich creamy cheesy saucy mac and cheese married to the flavors of buffalo chicken with lots of hot sauce, crisp celery and a top hat of crunchy blue cheese flavored panko ...well, it's about as good as it gets.

Following the recipe from Food Network Magazine, I cut the whole thing in about half so we wouldn't be eating it for the next month and used some leftover chicken breasts the Big Guy grilled on Sunday night. I also threw in a 2 ounce chunk of Velveeta along with the cheddar and pepper jack cheese and used whole milk rather than half and half in the sauce but other than that, I pretty well followed the directions.

We loved it!

Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese (Adapted from Food Network Magazine)

Chicken:

2 tablespoons butter

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 cups diced cooked chicken

1/4 cup hot sauce (I used Franks)

Melt butter in sauté pan over medium heat. Add celery and onion and cook until softened. Stir in garlic and cook 1 more minute. Remove from heat and add chicken and hot sauce. Stir to combine and set aside.

Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter

1 heaping tablespoon flour

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1-1/2 cups whole milk

1/4 cup hot sauce

2 ounces Velveeta cheese, cubed

6 ounces sharp cheddar, cubed

4 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded

1/3 cup sour cream

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and mustard and stir well to combine. Cook, stirring constantly for 1 or 2 minutes, then slowly whisk in milk and hot sauce. Cook until thickened, whisking constantly. Lower heat and whisk in cheeses and stir until cheese is melted. Remove from heat and whisk in sour cream. Stir until smooth.

8 ounces elbow macaroni cooked to al dente and drained

1/4 cup panko crumbs

2 tablespoons melted butter

1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 2 quart casserole with cooking spray.  Place half the cooked and drained macaroni on bottom of casserole and top with a cup of sauce. Place the chicken on top and finish with remaining macaroni. Pour remaining sauce over top. Combine panko, butter and crumbled gorgonzola. Sprinkle on top of casserole. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until top is browned and casserole is bubbling. Serves 4 to 6. Download Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese

A year ago - Creamy Buffalo Chicken Salad