JBug's Kitchen Antics

Portobello Mushrooms with Italian Stuffing

I'm one of likely very few people who have a love/hate relationship with mushrooms. Some days I love 'em and others I hate 'em. I didn't hate this dish but let's just say I was under impressed. It has nothing to do with the stuffing and everything to do with the mushrooms; however that is personal opinion only. The Big Guy thought it was all quite delicious.

In this case gi-normous meaty portotello mushrooms get a quick wash and dry then are relieved of their gills. I use a melon baller because the edges are sharp and make short work of the task. By the way, you can make 2 large stuffed mushrooms, or 4 smaller ones - whatever you prefer. As you can see, we're of the opinion bigger is better.

Place the 'shrooms on a shallow baking sheet and fill them with a mixture of ricotta, chopped spinach, ground beef, garlic, onion, shredded mozzarella and parmesan. Spiced up with plenty of salt and coarse ground black pepper, along with Italian seasoning, basil and red pepper flakes, top the monster mushrooms with grated fresh parmesan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes in a 400 oven.

The stuffing would be fabulous filling some gorgeous sweet bell peppers or even topping a hollowed out partially baked eggplant too. You could serve the stuffed veg's on top of a ladle full of marinara sauce or even a bechamel, but in our case we simply had them along side a crisp everything but the kitchen sink salad. It made for a tasty and calorically responsible dinner - a rare and wonderful thing coming from JBug's Kitchen!

Portobello Mushrooms with Italian Stuffing (Adapted from Dairygoodness.ca)

2 large Portobello mushrooms or 4 medium sized

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

6 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

6 ounces extra lean ground beef

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 onion, minced

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese

Rinse and dry Portobello mushrooms. Remove and discard gills by using a sharp spoon or melon baller. Place mushroom caps on a shallow baking sheet and set aside.

For stuffing combine ricotta, well squeezed spinach, ground beef, garlic, onion, mozzarella and dried herbs. Season well with salt and coarse ground black pepper. Pile loosely into mushroom caps. Top with grated parmesan cheese. Bake in preheated 400 F oven for 30 to 35 minutes until mushrooms are tender and the meat is cooked through. Serve with green salad. Download Portobello Mushrooms with Italian Stuffing

A year ago - Moroccan Serpant Pie

Meatballs in Tomato Sauce (Keftedes me Saltsa Domata)

Remember the Neil Diamond recording titled "Love at the Greek"? Well, for the longest time I thought it was love the Greek and if anything can do it for you, this'll be it! Leave it to the Greeks to come up with something so simply delicious, so much so I can't wait for a repeat performance. Moist, incredibly tender and the opposite to labor intensive, these little oval torpedoes are absolutely bursting with flavor. No wonder!

Loaded with olive oil, dried mint, oregano, cinnamon, nutmeg and cayenne pepper along with a finely minced red onion, the lean ground beef is almost an after thought - necessary but secondary to all the other ingredients. Shaped into flat ovals, coated in flour and fried quickly they take absolutely no time to make and would be wonderful as a filling for pita or part of selection of appetizers (meze) along with a glass of red wine.

As for the tomato sauce, it is a simple reduction of whole canned tomatoes, sans their juices along with lots of garlic, and beef consomme - oh and a few more herbs of course. Reduced to a thick sauce, garnished with lemon juice and parsley just before serving, it's absolutely wonderful on top of some grilled eggplant.

I can't wait to make it again with ground lamb and maybe even ground turkey. We all know ground turkey can be incredibly dry and flavorless unless it has a bunch of modifications and I can't think of a better way to modify a sawdust like turkey ball than with the fixin's from these meatballs. Just imagine it inside flatbread along with some cucumber and sweet onion or maybe a tzatziki dip. Wow!

Greek Meatballs in Tomato Sauce (Keftedes me Saltsa Domata) (adapted from Food & Wine Magazine)

Meatballs:

1 tablespoon dried mint

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 medium red onion, finely minced

1 egg, beaten

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon milk

1 pound ground beef

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Oil for frying

In bowl combine mint, olive oil, oregano, cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne and onion. Add egg, season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle in breadcrumbs and stir well to incorporate. Add ground beef and mix together (mixture will be very soft and moist). Form into 20 oval shaped balls and refrigerate for minimum, one half hour. To cook – heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil to depth of a quarter inch and heat until shimmering. Coat meatballs in flour and fry until brown on each side – approximately 5 to 6 minutes, total. Cook meatballs in batches so they brown easily and do not crowd the pan. Remove to a paper towel lined tray to drain. Set aside.

Tomato Sauce:

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 – 28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and pureed

1 – 10 ounce can beef consommé

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped parsley for garnish

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook briefly, stirring constantly for about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and cook stirring for 2 minutes. Add bay leaves, oregano, cinnamon, nutmeg, pureed tomatoes and consommé. Simmer stirring occasionally for 15 to 20 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required. Stir in lemon juice. Return meatballs to pan and heat. Garnish with parsley. Serves 4 to 6 Download Greek Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

A year ago - Kung Pao Chicken

Pork Tenderloin Salad with Spicy Asian Dressing

You know the old saying - " ya gotta' be careful what you wish for". Well, I wished for more happenings happenin' around this place and darned if my dreams didn't come true. Yesterday not one but two of our little muttlings ended up in sick bay; Max hurt himself jumping off the bed and as for Finnigan, he's got a tremendous case of travellers revenge. Is that too much information?

They both kept me hopping yesterday so last night's dinner was once again something quick, easy and as it turns out, rather caloric-ally responsible. The Big Guy even did the happy dance when he hit the scale this morning. Isn't that something?

Lean pork tenderloin soaked in a kicky asian flavored marinade and grilled tops a tossed salad of epic proportions. Instead of adding the whole batch of marinade to the pork, some of it is added to store bought mayo to make a kicky creamy spicy sauce. The original recipe suggests a salad of romaine, avocado and orange slices, but I made a "kitchen sink" salad instead. Whatever you decide, the flavors of the pork tenderloin will marry well with almost anything you want to serve it with. The pork would even be wonderful in a wrap along with some rice noodles. Its a great light dinner for yet another another hot summer night.

Pork Tenderloin Salad with Creamy Spicy Dressing (adapted from High Plains, The Joy of Alberta Cuisine)

1 pound pork tenderloin, cleaned of silver skin

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

1 teaspoon Asian chili sauce (I used Sambal Olek)

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

 

½ cup mayonnaise

Coarse ground black pepper

Salad ingredients: your choice of lettuce along with sliced peeled oranges, avocado, cucumber, broccoli slaw, grated carrots, sweet onion, or cilantro - whatever you wish.

Combine garlic, chili sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar and lime juice in a jar and shake well to mix. Place pork tenderloin in a zip bag and pour all but 1/2 cup of the marinade into the bag. Zip closed and refrigerate a minimum of 2 hours. Add one half cup of mayonnaise to the remaining marinade and shake well to combine. Refrigerate until serving time.

To cook pork – spray a grill pan with cooking spray and heat over medium high heat. Cook pork tenderloin for 20 minutes turning every 5 minutes. Set on cutting board, cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice thinly on the diagonal and serve on salad with dressing on the side. Serves 4. Download Pork Tenderloin Salad with Creamy Spicy Dressing

A year ago - Imperial Rolls and Chicken Sate

 

Pan Seared Halibut with Roasted Pearl Tomatoes

We went out for dinner last night to our favorite sushi place so I thought it was a good opportunity to fill you in on the halibut dinner that was eclipsed by the maltaise sauce the other night.

Coated lightly in flour (I used Wondra) and pan seared quickly in a small amount of vegetable oil mixed with butter, as soon as the fish is firm to the touch it gets a shot of fresh basil followed by the juice of a lemon, and another 30 seconds worth of heat. Of course the cooking time depends entirely on the thickness of the fish and as I had some rather skinny little tail ends of halibut, it was a brief 4 minutes from start to finish. By the way, while halibut is lovely in this I would imagine almost any white fleshed fish would be delicious prepared in this simple manner.

Promptly removed to rest, the hot pan gets some company in the form of fresh mini tomatoes (I used pearl), garlic and more lemon juice. A minute or two later as soon as the skins start to pucker the sauce is finished with a touch of parsley and basil and joins the fish.

Simple you bet. Delicious - you have to believe it never mind rather light in the calorie department too. We had our fish on top of Trader Joe's wonderful creamy polenta found in their freezer section. The bag looks like this! I'm determined to come up with my own recipe for this wonderful mix of spinach, carrots and creamy cornmeal mush so stay tuned but meanwhile head on out to your local Trader Joe's and give it a try. It is downright fabulous - and no they didn't pay me to say that. Heck they don't even know I exist. That's rather humbling you know!

Pan Seared Halibut with Roasted Pearl Tomatoes (adapted from Aaron McCargo Jr, Foodnetwork.com)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 – 6 ounce halibut fillets

Sea salt and coarse ground black pepper

2 tablespoons Wondra instant blending flour

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped (divided)

Juice of 1 lemon

1-1/2 cups pearl or cherry tomatoes cut into halves

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

Heat a sauté pan over medium high heat. Add oil and butter and heat until butter is melted and bubbling. Meanwhile season fish fillets well with salt and pepper. Dredge lightly in flour, shaking off excess. When pan is hot, add fish filets and depending on thickness cook for 2 to 4 minutes on each side, flipping over when lightly golden. Add 2 tablespoons chopped basil and half the lemon juice. Sauté for 30 second, and remove fish to a platter. Add pearl tomatoes and garlic to sauté pan and cook until tomatoes skins start to pucker – about 2 minutes. Add remaining lemon juice, parsley and remaining 2 tablespoons basil. Toss to combine well then serve over fish fillets. Makes 2 servings. Download Pan Seared Halibut with Roasted Pearl Tomatoes

A year ago - Mahi Mahi in Tomato Olive Sauce

Two years ago - Steak Salad with Chimichurri Dressing

Grilled Adobo Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Black Bean Pico de Gallo

Is there anything quicker to cook or easier than pork tenderloin? Last night's version was particularly easy on this cook since the barbecue was put into use in a lovely summer dinner that was a true team effort. I really lucked out because the Big Guy's back from New York and I wasn't the one that had to do the grillin' during another hot summer night.

In this case, pork tenderloin's butterflied and given a rubdown with a super adobo spice mix and cooked quickly on a medium hot charcoal grill. Accompanied by a fresh spicy bean salsa aka pico de gallo without a speck of added fat, it's all delicious and easy on the calories too. One tenderloin easily makes 3 servings which is perfect when you've a lunch to pack the next day AND more importantly you're wanting that bathroom scale to go an unaccustomed direction (down).

By the way, check out the link here for another great grilled pork tenderloin recipe and instructions on how to butterfly a tenderloin.

Adobo Rubbed Pork tenderloin with Black Bean Pico De Gallo  (adapted from epicurious.com)

1 pork tenderloin, butterflied

 

3 tablespoons paprika

1 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper

1 tablespoon sea salt

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine spice mix and rub into both sides of pork tenderloin. Refrigerate covered for several hours but allow to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before grilling. Grill 8 minutes per side over medium hot coals. Allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with pico de gallo.

Pico de Gallo

1 16 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups mini pearl tomatoes, quartered

1/2 cup diced red onion

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 large jalapeno, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder

Salt to taste

Combine ingredients together and chill until serving time. Download Adobo Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Black Bean Pico De Gallo

A year ago - Clams Casino Casserole with Lemon Pasta

 

Clams Casino

I know we've had these before in casserole form but how can you not do a repeat when the Big Guy's been a clammin' fool. He's been bugging me forever to make them again and I've held out.

I grew up on a farm about as far from the ocean as you can get so I'm more into other forms of protein but not so the man of the house as evidenced from this plate. He ate 15 of them - nothing else mind you. He was rather proud of himself too never mind happy...very happy.

I'm a little more into moderation - I had mine with pasta and while there's 2 in the picture, I handed one back to him. After all, I didn't want him to be short.

Clams casino are not difficult to make but much like our pizza version, they're just a tad time consuming to put together. I prefer building them by steaming the clams first, then shuckin them, removing the meat, chopping it and returning the clam to it's little shell bathed in a touch of white wine. Topped with sauteed onion, garlic and red pepper along with some crispy bacon and finished with a crusty topping of grated parmesan and crumbs, they cooked briefly in a 500 oven just to warm 'em and crisp up the topping.

Clams Casino (adapted from Giada de Laurentis)

18 to 24 fresh clams, steamed till open

3 slices bacon, chopped fine

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

1/2 red pepper, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup white wine

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup dried Italian flavored bread crumbs

Remove meat from steamed clams, and reserve shells. Chop clams until fine. Return meat to shells and top with a teaspoon white wine. Set aside. Meanwhile in a large sauté pan, cook bacon until crisp then remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Remove all but 1 tablespoon bacon fat from pan. Add butter to pan and sauté onion, red pepper and garlic until vegetables are softened – about 5 minutes. Add Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Place a small amount on top of clams on each shell (approximately 1 tablespoon), and top with crispy bacon pieces. Combine parmesan cheese with dried bread crumbs and sprinkle on top of bacon. Bake in a preheated 500 oven for 5 minutes or until crumbs are browned and clams are hot. Watch carefully during last minute of cooking because the crumbs burn easily. Serve as an appetizer or with pasta and/or a green salad for dinner. Download Clams Casino

Korean Barbecue Short Ribs

Flanken ribs, kalbi or cross cut beef short ribs - it all adds up to the same thing and last night we tried cooking them for the first time. They're awesome. 

You see we spotted the ribs in Newport's Fred Meyer when we were there last week and after seeing them in this month's Bon Appetit, of course we had to try them. Just so you know, I didn't use their recipe because the ribs we ended up buying were already marinated. Thank goodness because I wasn't about to part with $5 for a little iddy biddy bottle of sesame oil, and another $4 for soy sauce when I have a ton of it in Tucson that I bought for a fraction of the cost at Lee Lee's Supermarket. Just sayin'.

Anyway, I added a little more teriyaki to the ribs along with 3 tablespoons of minced ginger and a couple cloves of smashed garlic and we let them percolate all afternoon. The Big Guy cooked them over a medium hot charcoal fire for about 6 minutes total - just until they're done. Be sure to bring the ribs to room temperature before cooking so you get a quick sear.

We had them on a little broccoli slaw dressed with some teriyaki and a touch of toasted sesame seeds and boy were they tender tasty little morsels. So incredible are they that when I wanted more there was just a pile of bones left. My bad - the Big Guy eats at the speed of light and me much less so, particularly with that broken crown I'm nursing.

All it means is that we'll have to enjoy them again in the very near future. Wouldn't that be a terrible thing?

Minty Lamb Patty Pita Pockets

I'm leading you down the garden path with this one or at least to the herb garden which in most cases should be absolutely booming by now. Unfortunately ours is dying off at a rather alarming rate from all the heat and in the case of the rosemary too much watering, but thankfully the basil's going ballistic which is OK with me.

Some of it went into last night's lamb patties, along with mint, cilantro, minced sweet onion and a touch of yogurt. What resulted, with kudos to Rachel Ray, is an incredibly flavorful, lower calorie version of a perfect summer burger, spiced up further with some mango chutney and garnished with more sweet onion, cucumber and the rest of the mache from the other night.

We had our pita pockets along with some crudite' just so we could polish our halos and brag a bit. Believe me it was shortlived because I also made a rather brag worthy dessert, but I'll tell you about that one later.

By the way, if you're watching your carbs, load your lamb patties into some crisp lettuce leaves to make a wrap. Believe me it'll be delicious and you won't feel deprived - not one bit!

Minty Lamb Patty Pita Pockets (adapted from RachelRay.com)

1 handful each cilantro, basil and mint

1 pound lean ground lamb

1/2 cup minced sweet onion

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon steak grill seasoning

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons sour cream

Pita bread

Mango chutney

Lettuce, sweet onion, cucumber slices

Place cilantro, basil and mint in a food processor and pulse until well chopped. Add to ground lamb along with onion, cumin, steak seasoning, garlic powder, pepper, salt, yogurt and sour cream. Divide and form into 8 small thin patties.

Spray large heavy skillet or flat top grill with cooking spray. Heat to very hot. Add lamb patties and cook for 4 minutes total or until no longer pink inside, flipping half way through. Heat pitas. Cut tops off the bread and fill with patties. Garnish with lettuce, sweet onion, cucumber and mango chutney. Serves 4. Download Minty Lamb Patty Pita Pockets

A year ago - Buffalo Chicken Chili

Mache Salad with Apple, Dried Cherries and a Shallot Vinaigrette

When the heat's on in the desert, we tend to eat lighter at least for a while. Knowing we're heading for cooler climates and comfort food helps in that respect, never mind the incentive to drop a couple of pounds before vacation begins just so we can have the fun of gaining it all back.

Last night's dinner was a light and flavorful salad made of mache lettuce, slices of Granny Smith apple, tart dried cherries and toasted walnuts all drizzled with a creamy shallot vinaigrette.

Mache lettuce, also known as lamb's lettuce, is a sweet nutty mild flavored green that's gaining in popularity in these parts; however, the salad would also be wonderful made with mixed greens particularly frisee which also has a nutty although slightly peppery flavor.

The salad would stand quite nicely on its own at least in another household where there isn't a resident carnivore with very strong opinions. I chose to add some pork tenderloin medallions to the mix. Coated in honey mustard then dipped into seasoned crumbs and fried briefly, it was a perfect marriage. After all, what goes better with pork than apples?

By the way, if you decide to call the salad dinner without the pork, add a little chevre' or even some mild feta to up the satiety value.  It'll keep you out of the ice cream for at least another hour.

Mache Salad with Apple, Dried Cherries & Toasted Walnuts (adapted from Epicurious)

Shallot Vinaigrette:

6 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup minced shallot

2 tablespoons honey

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine ingredients in a blender and pulse until well mixed. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required. Set aside.

 Salad:

1 package Mache lettuce, washed and dried

1/2 cup dried tart cherries

1 medium Granny Smith, cored and thinly sliced

1/2 cup walnut halves, toasted

Plate Mache lettuce and arrange apple slices on top. Sprinkle with cherries and walnuts. Drizzle with shallot vinaigrette. (Serves 4 as appetizer or 2 for dinner)

Honey Pork Tenderloin (optional)

1 small pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat and silver skin

1/4 cup honey mustard

Seasoned dry breadcrumbs

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Slice trimmed pork tenderloin into half inch pieces and pound between sheets of plastic wrap to a quarter inch thickness. Coat with honey mustard then dredge in dried crumbs, being sure to pat both sides of tenderloin to be sure crumbs adhere. Heat vegetable oil in a heavy pan over medium heat. Cook tenderloin for 3 to 4 minutes, flipping half way through cooking period. Drain on paper towels. Serve on top of salad. Download Mache Salad with Apple, Dried Cherries a Shallot Vinaigrette

A year ago - Great Northern Bean Salad with Country Style Ribs

 

 

Prosciutto Crusted Burgers

Darn, if I didn't go and do it again last night! That's 2 nights in a row - count 'em people 2 nights that I've cooked for a solitary me and the box of Cheerios has  remained untouched. Aren't I special?

Just imagine some lovely lean ground lamb, flavored with sun dried tomatoes, basil and Italian parsley, moistened with asiago cheese and a few crumbs, then formed into patties and gift wrapped all cute and neat in prosciutto. Cooked quickly in a hot cast iron pan, the proscuitto is all crispy and crunchy and the lamb moist and oh so delicious and oh my goodness, why oh why haven't I made this one before?

Per Giada's instructions, I topped the crispy crunchy golden brown luscious thing with some sliced tomato, fresh basil, a drizzle of olive oil and good balsamic and served it with a side of mixed veggies, including peas and green beans. Gotta' sneak those veggies in while the Big Guy's away don't ya' know. 

By the way, if you're not a lamb fan I think ground chicken or turkey would work wonderfully well for these burgers and the proscuitto will keep 'em nice an moist too.  It would be great with a side of pasta salad, that is if you're not watching your expanding hips for any reason...like maybe too much homemade ice cream.

Prosciutto Crusted Burgers (adapted from Giada via Food Network)

1 slice fresh bread made into crumbs (I used Texas Toast)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 large egg

3 tablespoons freshly grated asiago cheese

2 tablespoons chopped sun dried tomatoes

1/2 pound lean ground lamb

Salt and pepper

4 large  thin slices prosciutto

1 tablespoon olive oil

Fresh basil, sliced tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil and balsamic for garnish

In a small bowl combine bread crumbs, parsley, basil, asiago cheese, sundried tomatoes and lamb together. Season with salt and pepper and form into 2 patties. Wrap each patty in prosciutto and set aside.

Heat heavy sauté pan (I used cast iron) over medium high heat. Add olive oil and heat until shimmering hot. Add burgers and cook covered for 4 minutes per side or until prosciutto is browned and burger feels firm to the touch. To plate – top each burger with sliced tomatoes and fresh basil. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic. Serves 2   Download Proscuitto Crusted Burgers

A year ago - Vegetarian Samosa Pie and a Summer Berry Pudding

Chicken Paillard with Lemon Dijon Sauce

Imagine...dinner prepped, cooked and on the table in 19 minutes including a salad and entree.  Sometimes I surprise myself.

What might be even more amazing is it happened last night without the presence of my reason to cook. He's out of town and in that case I'm often happy with toast or cereal. What can I say, except I peeked in the freezer to see if there was any ice cream hiding in it and low and behold a solitary little piece of skinless, boneless chicken breast waved and said... "listen you low life...take me, take me!"

I have to admit to being somewhat inspired by the Gorgonzola sauce the other night on the pork chops, but whatever, the true lesson is that anyone can cook a delicious dinner in absolutely no time flat when there's the right stuff hanging out in the pantry.

What did I do, you ask? I gave the mini potatoes a quick wash and dry then started them in the microwave for 40 seconds before throwing them into a hot cast iron pan with a little oil. Covered, they cooked in 5 minutes while I prepped the chicken.

The cluck was pounded to approximately a third of an inch thickness, dusted with herbs de provence, a touch of marjoram, some lemon pepper and sea salt then dredged in flour. It hit the hot pan as soon as the potatoes were removed and cooked covered for 2 minutes on one side and 3 on the other.

While the chicken cooked the sauce ingredients including vermouth, chicken broth, Dijon mustard, a touch of lemon rind and some heavy cream were assembled. Immediately after the chicken was out of the pan and resting on a plate, the vermouth deglazed the hot pan, then joined by Dijon and chicken stock, it all reduced for 5 minutes during which time I prepped the salad.

Heat the plate in the microwave, stir the cream into the sauce, put the potatoes on the plate, pile on the chicken, add the sauce, dress the salad and voila' ...dinner!

Rachel...30 minutes meals? Pffft, that's nothin'. Now sing along with me everyone..."anything you can do I can do better, I can do anything better than you. No you can't...yes I can...no you can't...yes I can, yes I can, yes I can!"

Chicken Paillard with Lemon Dijon Sauce (adapted from Idaho a la Carte)

1 whole chicken breast cut in half with skin and bone removed

2 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon Herbs de Provence

1/4 teaspoon marjoram

Lemon Pepper

Sea Salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup dry vermouth

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind

2 tablespoons whipping cream

Wash and dry chicken breasts and pound between 2 sheets of plastic wrap to a third inch thickness. Season both sides with Herbs de Provence, marjoram, lemon pepper and salt. Dredge in flour. Heat oil over medium high heat in heavy sauté pan (or cast iron) and add chicken. Cook covered for 2 minutes on one side and 3 on the other. Remove from pan and keep warm. Add vermouth to pan and stir, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Let reduce (about 30 seconds), then add chicken broth, Dijon mustard and lemon rind. Cook until reduced and thickened (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and add cream. Serve chicken with sauce on top. Serves 2 Download Chicken Paillard with Lemon Dijon Sauce

A year ago - Andouille and Shrimp Gumbo

Bolognese with Panko Crusted Eggplant and Zucchini

Bolognese is absolutely the best way to use up any kind of ground meat you've hiding in your freezer. This particular recipe is one we've shared with you before, adapted from Nick Stellino's book Mediterranean Flavors. 

This time instead of using beef, I used some ground lamb as well as roughly ground pork and the combination was quite delicious. Of course I also managed to sneak in some of our home smoked bacon which really upped the flavor quotient by a ton and a half.

The big bonus is that a hearty meat sauce doesn't have to go on top of pasta. For something different we could have had ours on crusty buns with bunches of cheese, or on a nice creamy polenta but instead I chose to serve it with some eggplant and zucchini, lightly floured, dipped in an egg wash then breaded in panko and fried quickly. Along with a glass of vin d'ordinaire, why last night's dinner was almost gourmet! By the way, if you're watching your carbs, simply grill the veggies instead and save yourself some calories.

Sorry for the short and sweet post today, but I've got to fly. I had an oogie taken off my arm 8 days ago that turned out to be nothing thankfully, but the stitches come out this morning and I don't want to be late. Hope you all have a fabulous second day of May!

Bolognese Meat Sauce Adapted from Nick Stellino’s Mediterranean Flavors

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste)

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1/2 cup finely chopped carrots

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

4 cloves garlic, sliced

1 large bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon ground sage

2 teaspoons dried basil

3 slices bacon, diced or 1 oz. diced prosciutto

1 pound ground meat - I used lamb and pork

1/3 cup red wine

8 oz. can tomato sauce

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

2 cups chicken stock or beef stock

salt & pepper to taste

Heat olive oil until sizzling – add red pepper flakes, celery, carrots, onion, garlic, bay leaf, sage and basil and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium low and cook additional 10 minutes. Increase heat to high, add bacon (prosciutto) and beef and cook stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add wine and cook until almost evaporated – about 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce, paste & stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Remove cover and simmer until sauce is thick – additional 15 minutes.  Add cream and taste for seasoning. Download Bolognese-meat-sauce

 

Quick Chicken Piccata

Wednesday night dinners usually involve a last minute rush because dinner is served later than normal. Last night's main course included a simplified chicken piccata that took exactly 6 minutes to cook and best of all, it really is fit for company or a candlelight dinner.

There are more advanced versions of chicken piccata but this one merely involves butterflied chicken breasts coated in flour and fried in butter until golden brown with a sprinkle of lemon juice to make them delicious. Garnished with more lemon they're moist and tender - what could be easier than that?

 
We were into the color orange last night as you can see and served our chicken beside some roasted butternut squash as well as roasted Manchurian cauliflower that's loaded with Garam Masala, garlic and black pepper. Believe you me, it transports the lowly cauliflower into a realm all its own!

Quick Chicken Piccata (adapted from Gulfshore Delights, Junior League of Ft Myers)

2 chicken breast halves, skinned, boned and butter flied

Sea salt and coarse ground black pepper

4 tablespoons all purpose or instant blending flour (Wondra)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Juice of 1 lemon

Lemon slices for garnish

Season skinned, boned and butter flied chicken breasts with salt and pepper and coat with flour on both sides. Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat and add butter. When butter stops foaming and starts to brown, add chicken and sauté until golden brown – about 3 minutes per side. During cooking sprinkle lemon juice on chicken breasts. Garnish with lemon slices. Serves 2 Download Quick Chicken Piccata

Roasted Manchurian Cauliflower (adapted from Cooking Light)

5-1/2 cups cauliflower florets (about 1 large head)

2 tablespoons Garam Masala

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Cooking spray

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

8 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cup ketchup

1/2 teaspoon Sriracha

Preheat oven to 425. In a large bowl coat cauliflower florets with oil. Add Garam Masala and sea salt and toss well to combine. Remove to a casserole dish that has been well sprayed with cooking spray and bake for 20 minutes. Meanwhile heat a small sauté pan over medium heat and add vegetable oil. When oil is shimmering add black pepper and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, stirring constantly to prevent garlic from burning. Add ketchup and Sriracha  and cook until mixture is very thick – about 3 minutes.

After cauliflower has roasted to 20 minutes, remove from oven and place in a large bowl. Combine with garlic/ketchup sauce and toss well. Return to casserole dish and continue to roast for additional 20 minutes or until cauliflower is tender. Stir once during cooking. Makes 4 large servings. Download Roasted Manchurian Cauliflower

Crispy Pork Carnitas with Avocado and Tomato Salad

We're still working our way through Birthday week in this household so I'm cooking things that are on the top of the Big Guy's yum list. Pork is up there in his book, right next to beef!

We've shared a version of this crispy pork with you before, but it is one dish that can be changed in a myriad of ways, all to do with what kind of citrus one uses. This time I braised a lovely piece of pork butt in a combination of fresh orange, lime and lemon juices along with lots of garlic. After a long slow simmer on top of the stove, the pork is shredded, doused in a good glug of brandy and fried in a hot pan until crisp. Topped with the remaining cooking juices it is just about as fabulous as you can get all stuffed inside a nice warm tortilla.

We had our pork filled soft tacos topped by some Avocado and Tomato Salad made of cubed avocado in a basic vinaigrette along with crisp bacon, little plum tomatoes and red onion. Its fresh flavors complimented the pork in a very nice way and adding a little crunch from the bacon too. After all one there's no such thing as too much pork, is there.

Crispy Pork with Citrus  

2-1/2 pounds pork butt

1 cup water

Zest of each 1 orange, 1 lemon and 1 lime

3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Juice of 2 lemons

Juice of 1 lime

5 large garlic cloves, peeled and left whole

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1/3 cup brandy (or apple jack, or bourbon)

Cut pork into large 2 to 3 inch cubes, removing some but not all of the fat. Place into a large heavy pot (I used a cast iron Dutch oven), add water, citrus zest, orange, lemon and lime juice as well as garlic and sea salt. Bring to a boil, cover pot and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook pork for 1-1/2 hours until very tender, adding liquid as needed to keep meat semi submerged. Remove lid, increase heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes to reduce liquid by approximately one half. Remove meat from pot, reserving liquid and using two forks, tear into strips.

Heat a large heavy skillet over high heat until almost smoking. Add slivered meat and brandy. Cook until meat is crisply caramelized but not dry – about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and add reserved cooking liquid. Serve warm inside flour or corn tortillas along with avocado salad, guacamole, refried beans, assorted salsa, chopped jalapeno’s and sour cream. Download Crispy Pork with Citrus

Avocado and Tomato Salad (adapted from Jackson Hole Cooks)

5 slices bacon, diced and cooked until crisp

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Coarse ground black pepper

3 drops hot sauce

2 medium avocados, peeled and cubed

1-1/2 cups grape tomatoes, cut in half

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

Salad greens (optional)

Combine oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and hot sauce in a medium bowl. Whisk well. Add avocado and toss to coat. Add tomatoes, red onion and crisp bacon. Toss, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to blend flavors. Before serving place on salad greens. Download Avocado and Tomato Salad

Chicken Paillards with Pancetta and Asparagus

I've figured something out finally and it has to do with chicken breasts. In my book, the only way to cook the darn things so they aren't dried out, ossified and lacking in flavor is to pound the heck out'a them and cook 'em quick. This is adapted from a Nick Stellino recipe in his book Mediterranean Flavors for Chicken Scallopini with Ham and Asparagus although I have to admit I did some "adjusting" which may or may not have been a good thing.

 
For one thing my scallopini was a paillard rather than scallopini because I left it large and certainly a lot thicker than scallopini should be. I also used pancetta instead of ham because I forgot to buy the darn stuff and vermouth instead of white wine because I had a little "pinot" hangover from Friday night and didn't want to crack a bottle of wine. In hindsight I should have used marsalla instead because it would have matched the pancetta's flavor better. Have I rambled enough?

It was tasty though and one of those quick get it over with on a Saturday night dinners after a hot 90's day. It's hard to go wrong with mashed potatoes with any kind of sauce really and I'd do it again some time - just differently if you get my drift.

Here's what I did and I've noted my recommended changes in italics. Regardless it's all rather "spring like" and about as far as you can get from dry, boring and bland. Honest!

Chicken Paillards with Pancetta and Asparagus Adapted from Nick Stellino’s Mediterranean Flavors

1 whole chicken breast, with bone and tenders removed and reserved for another use

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon butter

4 ounces diced pancetta

3 garlic cloves, thickly sliced

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 pound asparagus, cut into one inch pieces with tips left intact

1/2 cup dry vermouth “dry marsala would be a better choice”

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 tablespoons Wondra instant blending flour

Place chicken breasts in a large zip bag and pound to approximately a quarter inch thickness. Season both sides with salt and pepper and coat with flour, shaking off excess. In a large sauté pan, heat oil until shimmering over medium high heat. Add butter and when melted add chicken paillards. Cook for 3 minutes on one side and two on the other (5 minutes total). Remove chicken to a plate and keep warm. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of fat from pan and add pancetta. Cook for approximately 3 minutes or until pancetta just starts to crisp up. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, thyme and asparagus. Sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent garlic from burning. Add vermouth “marsala” and cook until slightly reduced. Mix chicken stock with Wondra and add to pan. Bring to a boil to thicken sauce. Return chicken to pan to warm slightly and coat with sauce. Serves 2. Download Chicken Paillards with Pancetta and Aspargus

Meatloaf on the Barbecue

The computer's off to a slow start this morning and I'm hoping that's not an indication of how the day's going to pan out. There's just so darn much to do and so little time!

After the beautiful much needed rain cleaned the dust off Tucson on Saturday and the wind blew the rest of it away yesterday, this morning's shaping up to be an absolutely beautiful day, made even better by the presence of some of the  Big Guy's leftover meatloaf in the refrigerator. Yes, people, contrary to popular belief you can make meatloaf on the barbecue - at least my Big Guy can and he's ready to share some of his secrets with everyone.

He loads these little football shaped beauties up with ground beef, ground pork and hot Italian sausage, moistens 'em with chopped fresh mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes, adds spice in the form of jalapenos, red pepper flakes and a lot of garlic, then shapes them into 12 ounce ovals and heads out to the barbecue. An hour later after his usual magic, we're enjoying this! Just look at that smoke ring?

Now when I said the Big Guy's sharing "some of his secrets" that's absolutely the truth. He's prepared to divulge his meatloaf recipe but his homemade barbecue sauce is another secret entirely.

By the way, if you're not all that fond of spicy food, I'm tellin' ya, just lower the amounts of jalapeno and red pepper flakes, but don't leave them out entirely. It wouldn't be a Big Guy recipe without 'em. Course that was news to me when we were just starting out. This is the first thing that darling man of mine ever cooked for me and at the time my tastebuds had yet to be indoctrinated into the Big Guy way of doing things. He didn't make 'em in front of me so I had no clue there was anything incendiary in them. The first bite was so hot, it darn near blew my roof off but now I don't find 'em spicy at all but then again, he may have changed his recipe just a tad. It just proves what a pansy I was. 

The Big Guy’s Meatloaf Barbecue (an original from JBug’s & The Big Guy’s Kitchen)

These fabulous individual sized meatloaves freeze very well and are fabulous to have on hand either sliced cold in a sandwich, or warmed and served with creamed corn or your favorite veg. You’ll notice there’s not a spec of salt in it and it doesn’t need it either.

2 pounds ground beef (chuck or 80/20’s great)

1 pound ground pork

1 pound hot Italian sausage (loose without the casings)

1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms

1/2 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes (drained of oil)

1/3 chopped pickled jalapenos

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons coarse ground black pepper

2 tablespoons red pepper flakes

3 eggs

2/3 cup panko crumbs

Barbecue sauce of your choice

Mix all ingredients except for barbecue sauce together by hand and form gently into loaves about 12 ounces each. Cook for 40 minutes using indirect heat on the barbecue (400 degrees). You may have to rearrange the loaves about half way through depending on how they are cooking. Brush heavily with barbecue sauce and continue cooking for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

 

Slow Roasted Chicken with Lemon

Procrastination doesn't have to be a bad thing ya' know. Point in fact, we purchased some beautiful little chicken halves at Sprouts on Saturday and I was going to roast them with olives, chorizo, raisins and tons of garlic, then shred the meat and put it inside pastry to make empanadas. Well I didn't.

During my daily trip to the food porn sites, I saw this slow roasted chicken by Sauce and Sensibility  and just had to give it a try. Afterall, we had a storm blow through yesterday and cooled everything down to the 70's which feels mighty good after you've been living with 90 degree heat. Having the oven on for 2 hours was a good thing.

I made some slight adjustments to the original recipe, so be sure to head to Susan's blog for her version and drool over her mouthwatering pictures. While you're there be sure to check out more of her fabulous posts. I for one will be heading back for a visit PDQ because I see a smoked oyster dip that'll likely be on the big guy's birthday week wish list!  

As for the chicken, it is wonderfully moist flavorful bird, loaded with lemon, garlic and Cajun seasoning and fabulous served with some potato salad made from Idaho potatoes (procrastinated about cooking those too) as well as a salad of mixed greens, beets, goat cheese, minced sweet onion and crunchy sunflower seeds. It was kind of "summer on a plate", but I imagine the chicken would be equally delicious served on a bed of croutons or with rice to soak up some of the delicious juices. Mmmm, wonder how soon I can make it again!

Slow Roasted Chicken with Lemon (adapted from Susan at Sauce and Sensibility)

4 assorted chicken quarters (wings/breasts and legs/thighs)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 teaspoons Creole seasoning

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (I used Meyer lemon)

Coarse ground pepper and sea salt

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 300. Wash and dry chicken quarters well and place in an oven proof roasting pan (I used a cast iron skillet). Season with coarse ground black pepper. Combine olive oil, thyme, Creole seasoning and lemon juice in a blender and whiz until well mixed. Pour over chicken and roast skin side down for 1 hour. Remove from oven, flip chicken over to skin side up. Baste well with pan juices, top with fresh rosemary sprigs and return to oven for additional hour, basting twice more during that time.

 

Pepper Steak with Port, Zinfandel and Mushroom Sauce

Last night's dinner held particular appeal since it combined almost everything we love into one meal - lovely tender peppery steak with a fabulous sauce, horseradish mashed potatoes and asparagus with a bacon garnish. Overkill on a Tuesday night you ask? Not one bit I say.

The sauce, a combination of shallots, mushrooms, port and zinfandel, at first taste seemed rather harsh in my opinion, but once married with the peppery steak the whole shebang became rather addictive. As for the steak - Sprouts called it top sirloin, but it was marbled more like a hunk'a rib eye and once pounded down to a half inch thickness and cooked in a screaming hot cast iron pan for a total of 3 and a half minutes, it was perfectly done for my taste. Too bad Big Guy - I know you like yours more rare.

Sliced up and surrounded with the sauce, it was absolutely melt in the mouth lick your plate tender. In hindsight it would be over the top with a slice of creamy gorgonzola on top. Sure do wish I'd thought of that last night!

Pepper Steak with Port, Zinfandel and Mushroom Sauce Adapted from Bon Appetit

Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter

1 large shallot, chopped

8 ounces mushrooms, thickly sliced

1-1/2 tablespoons Wondra instant blending flour

1 cup Zinfandel

1/2 ruby Port

1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock

Melt butter in sauté pan and cook shallot for 2 to 3 minutes, until soft. Add mushrooms, cover pan and cook for 5 minutes, then remove lid from pan and cook until liquid has evaporated and mushrooms are golden brown (about 10 minutes). Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring often, then add chicken stock, zinfandel and port. Bring to a boil, lower heat and cook until sauce is slightly thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.

1 – 1 pound top sirloin steak about 1 inch thick

1 tablespoon butter

Coarse ground black pepper

Sea Salt

Heat heavy skillet over high heat until almost smoking. Meanwhile using a meat mallet, pound steak down to approximately a half inch thickness (I put my steak inside a large plastic zip top bag, left it open and pounded away). Season steak well on both sides with freshly ground black pepper and coarse salt. When pan is well heated, add butter then steaks. Cook for approximately 2 minutes per side for medium rare (I cooked ours for 2 minutes on the first side, then 1.5 minutes on the second).  When steak is cooked to desired doneness remove from pan, cover and let rest for a few minutes. Add mushroom sauce to skillet scraping up browned bits from bottom. Taste sauce for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required. Slice steak thinly and serve sauce over top. Makes 4 servings. Download Pepper Steak with Port, Zinfandel and Mushroom Sauce

 

 

Grilled Lamb Riblets and a Warm Veggie Salad

There's a first time for everything and last evening's dinner was our first foray into the world of lamb ribs. I'm not sure what is normally done with these little beauties because as far as I know I've never seen them at our local butcher or supermarket but thanks to the U of A Meat's Lab, our ribs came with the lamb we ordered a while ago.

Much like almost everyone I know, I would have boiled the ribs first before slapping them on the grill but the big guy poo poos the idea that in order for this particular cut of meat to be tender they need that step in the first place. He simply slathered them with a dry rub made up of sea salt, coarse ground pepper and garlic powder, then cooked them over a charcoal alder wood combination using the indirect method. After 40 odd minutes, he glazed them with some Kumquat Habanero Marmalade then slapped the veggies for the salad right next to them. Before you could say "pour me another limoncello lemonade, would you please" dinner was on the table.

The ribs were tender and succulent, though small and less meaty than pork ribs. As for the veggie salad, how can you go wrong with grilled eggplant, stop light peppers (red, yellow and green), and sweet onions slathered in a touch of vinaigrette and a garnish of feta cheese. Sorry, I can't give you an exact recipe for the ribs, but here's the salad. Download Warm Grilled Veggie Salad

Warm Grilled Veggie Salad (a JBug’s Kitchen Original)

1 small eggplant

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1 sweet onion

Vegetable oil

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

2 to 3 tablespoons of vinaigrette of your choice

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Black olives (optional)

Wash and dry eggplant, and slice into half inch pieces leaving skin intact. Sprinkle with salt and place on a sheet pan or cutting board between sheets of paper towels. Cover with another sheet pan and weigh down with a heavy pan. Let sit for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, clean membranes and seeds from peppers and cut into quarters. Cut sweet onion into half inch slices and run a metal skewer through them to keep them intact while on the grill. Place all vegetables into a bowl and toss with approximately 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on hot grill and cook, turning often until vegetables are softened and have grill marks. Remove to a bowl. Toss with a few tablespoons of vinaigrette and garnish with feta cheese, parsley and black olives if desired. Makes 4 servings.

Herb Vinaigrette

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1-1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon honey  

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme or 1-1/2 teaspoons fresh chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

Combine ingredients in a jar with a tight lid and shake until well combined.

Baked Jamaican Jerk Flavored Chicken Wings

Ever make something that, although good, could have been great with a little more effort. That's kind of what I thought about these jerk flavored wings. We even used some of that fabulous Raspberry Habanero Jelly I told you about yesterday to try and take them to a higher level. Darn, they should have been wonderful.

Marinated in a slurry made of onions, scallions, garlic, jalapenos, citrus juice and island spices including allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon then oven roasted, one would think the wings would fairly fly from the platter to the tummy via very happy happy tastebuds. If you remember or maybe you don't, the last time we made jerk chicken we could hardly believe how good it was - moist, flavorful, tender bird with a kick of spicy heat.

In my opinion this recipe didn't quite live up to its predessessor. It might be that one must use larger pieces of bird, as in thighs or drumsticks, and more importantly grill them outside to get a more authentic flavor. What was missing with this version was the crunchy, crispy surface area normally associated with chicken wings and you're just not going to get that with these oven roasted, marinade coated bird appendages. Just sayin'. It's not that they're bad, but they could be better. You be the judge, OK? The big guy says I'm just too darn picky.

Jamaican Jerk Flavored Chicken Wings (adapted from Gourmet via epicurious.com)

3 pounds chicken wings, tips removed and discarded

1 onion, chopped

2/3 cup chopped green onions (scallions)

3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

2 jalapeno peppers, chopped (or to taste)

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1-1/2 teaspoons ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon black pepper

6 drops Tabasco

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Juice of each 1 lime and 1 lemon

Combine all ingredients except for chicken in a food processor and blend until finely pureed. In a large shallow glass dish arrange wings in single layer. Cover with marinade, rubbing into surface of wings. Marinate covered in refrigerator preferably overnight or for several hours.

To cook, preheat oven to 450. Arrange wings in single layer on oiled rack set over foil lined broiler pan or sheet pan. Spoon some of the marinade over them and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until well cooked through. Serves 4 to 6 Download Jamaican Jerk Flavored Chicken Wings

Ginger Mint Lamb Chops and Cauliflower with Pine nuts and Raisins

Talk about a crust that was the antithesis of Saturday's and you've got it right here. I'd say this particular combination of fresh breadcrumbs, fresh mint, ginger and butter would be great on just about anything including pork tenderloin, but on last night's lamb chops it was superb.It just proves that you don't have to go to a lot of fuss and bother to make a Sunday worthy dinner. See what I mean?

 And as for the side dish, well picture slices of cauliflower, spiced with red pepper flakes and garlic, sweetened with raisins and tomatoes and a pine nut crunch. Honestly, I know it sounds kinda' weird, but this quick saute was really delicious and something different for a change. Dare I say, one could use broccoli instead of cauliflower in fact, that's what the recipe from Idaho a la Carte called for, but I figured if it was a rave with broccol, it would be great with cauliflower too. What makes it darn near perfect for a buffet or picnic is that it can be made in advance and is just as delicious at room temperature. Bonus!

By the way, check out the chops. The big guy cut them from a Rack of Lamb Rib Roast and frenched the bones beautifully while I whipped up the herby crumb crust. Isn't he somethin'?

Double Lamb Chops with Ginger Mint Crust (adapted from Bon Appetit)

4 ounces crusty French bread or baguette, cut into half inch cubes

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint

1/4 cup minced peeled fresh ginger

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick butter (1/2 cup) room temperature

8 double lamb chops, well trimmed and bones frenched

Preheat oven to 450. In a food processor, combine bread, mint, ginger and salt. Pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped. With motor running add butter and process until a paste forms. Top chops with a layer of crumb paste and press firmly so breadcrumbs stick to the chops. Roast 25 minutes for medium rare or until done to your preference. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Serves 4 Download Double Lamb Chops with Ginger Mint Crust

Cauliflower with Pine Nuts and Raisins (adapted from Idaho a la Carte)

1 small head cauliflower, trimmed and sliced into quarter inch slices

1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup pine nuts

1/2 cup raisins

8 cherry tomatoes, halved

Heat oil in a large sauté pan and add pepper flakes and garlic. Cook until garlic is aromatic – about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add pine nuts, cauliflower, and raisins. Cook stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until pine nuts are toasted and cauliflower is cooked but still crisp. Add tomato halves and toss. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Serves 4 to 6. Download Cauliflower with Pine Nuts and Raisins

Stuffed Anaheim Peppers

When this Canadian says "get stuffed", it doesn't mean get lost but rather just head on out and hit your local markets to pick up some peppers to stuff this weekend. I don't know what it's like in your particular geographical location but there seems to be a plentiful supply of peppers in our neck of the woods at the moment and they're darned reasonably priced too.

They're perfect for stuffing, and contrary to popular belief, you're not limited to sweet bell peppers or ground beef and rice when you're making stuffed peppers.

This specialty of the house came about due to our love of two things - the big guy's fabulous rotisserie chicken and anaheim peppers, and I do believe this is one of the better ways to use up some leftover chicken. Now, if you're not inclined to rotisserie your own bird, just hit your local supermarket and pick one up. As for the Anaheims - well, if your taste buds don't do spicy heat, then you may want to just move right along and/or substitute the Anaheims for those pansy sweet green, red, yellow, orange or purple bell peppers.

Actually we don't find these stuffed peppers hot at all but then again we've rather developed a tolerance for all lovely shiny capsicums and their scoville levels while we've been living here. As to Anaheims, if you check out this scale you'll see they're second only to bell peppers so be brave little soldiers and just give 'em a chance OK? By the way be sure to wear gloves and remove all the seeds and membranes from inside of them and you'll rid them of most of their kick. Of course I've been known to leave a lot of the innards intact just to add to the satiety level for us. I mean you can always cool 'em down with a touch of sour cream, ya know!

Stuffed Anaheim Peppers (an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

Remember to wear glove and wash your hands well after handling peppers. Also, use a melon baller or a sharp measuring spoon to remove the seeds and membranes from the Anaheims.

8 large Anaheim peppers

½ cup minced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

2 cups cooked chicken, cut into quarter inch pieces

3/4 cup prepared red enchilada sauce, divided

1/2 cup prepared salsa (I used hot)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup grated pepper jack or cheddar cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray and place 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce on the bottom. Set aside.

Wearing gloves, wash and dry peppers well. Leaving stem end intact, use a knife to split pepper down the length of one side. Do not cut all the way through. Carefully scoop seeds and membranes from peppers. Discard seeds and members and set peppers aside.

Heat oil in a small sauté pan and cook onion and garlic until vegetables are soft. Remove to a medium sized bowl and add chicken, one half cup enchilada sauce, salsa, salt and heavy cream. Mix well to combine. Stuff Anaheim peppers with mixture and place in prepared casserole dish. Mix grated cheese and sour cream together. Place evenly down center of stuffed peppers. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until peppers are soft and filling is bubbling. Serves 4 to 6. Download Stuffed Anaheim Peppers

Hint - for a lower carb version, check the labels of the salsa and enchilada sauces and buy the ones with the least amount of carbs (sugar).

 For more stuffed peppers, check out the following:

Stuffed Green Chiles  

Braised Lamb with Bacon and Marsala

Boy talk about a surprise package! Yesterday I'd planned to make an Asian stir fry using some of our glorious U of A lamb for dinner, but the package I'd removed and defrosted from the freezer held some  rather unexpected cuts. It kind of looked like osso buco but from the neck instead of the shank with muscle best suited to cooking low and slow instead of in a stir fry.

Quickly dredged in flour and browned, the meat was set aside while I built the flavor components...bacon, garlic, onion, mushrooms, marsala wine, thyme, rosemary, Herbs de Provence...it all came together quite well if I do say so myself. Of course how can you lose when there's bacon and booze involved?

Served on a cloud of cheesy grits, we were oh so happy campers. By the way, the braising liquid would be great with just about any kind of meat so if you're not into lamb that much, give it a try with chicken, pork, veal or beef. You won't be disappointed.

Braised Lamb with Bacon and Marsala (a JBug’s original)

5 one inch slices of lamb neck (horizontal slices with bone in – approximately 1.50 pounds)

Salt, pepper and flour for dredging

3 slices bacon, diced

1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic minced

2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon Herbs de Provence

Salt and pepper

3/4 cup dry Marsala wine divided

1-1/2 cups chicken stock

Wondra flour as required

Garnish with fresh chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 325. Season lamb pieces with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Set aside.

Heat a medium sized Dutch oven over medium high heat and fry bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and set aside. Brown seasoned and dredged lamb in bacon drippings on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside. Add onion, garlic and mushrooms to pot and sauté stirring often until vegetables are softened. Add thyme, rosemary, Herbs de Provence, salt and pepper and cook for additional minute. Stir in 1/2 cup of the Marsala and cook until liquid is reduced by half. Return lamb and bacon to pot, add chicken stock. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, cover pot and place in oven for 1 hour.

Remove cover from pot after 1 hour and continue to cook for another 15 to 20 minutes, until meat is very tender. Remove from oven and add remaining quarter cup of marsala. Thicken gravy as necessary. Serve garnished with chopped parsley. Download Braised Lamb with Bacon and Marsala

Hint - To create a lower carb version of this dish, serve on steamed cauliflower, brussels sprouts, or turnip rather than on a bed of grits. 

Roast Pork Loin with an Apple Crown

Yahoo and cowabunga. There was actually something cookin' in JBug's Kitchen last night and I have to admit it was a tremendous relief. I've always had a fear that if I didn't cook often enough I'd forget how but it must be like riding a bike or mastering a hoola hoop. You never forget!

This easy way to roast a pork loin was certainly without stress to the cook, but perfectly wonderful in its simplicity and yields a fabulously moist roast which can be a challenge these days since they've bred the fat right outa' the pig.

The roast was dredged first in a mixture of sugar, flour, dry mustard, caraway seeds and sage then hit the oven for a while before receiving its crown of sugar cinnamon flavored apples. The juice from the apples soaked through the roast as it finished cooking and made for perfectly cooked "poik" with an unbelievable pan sauce at the finish. Obviously I wasn't thinking because it would have been delicious on a bed of succulent red cabbage. Alas we had it with a cauliflower gratin instead, with little pearl tomato jewels and a cheddar sauce. I'll tell you about that one some other time. It needs a little more "work".

Nevertheless, dinner was all perfectly respectable and will make for some pretty darn yummy leftovers too. I mean really, what's better than pork with apples?

Roast Pork Loin with an Apple Crown (adapted from Best of Bridge Series Cookbooks)

Rub:

1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground sage

 

4-5 pound pork loin roast

Topping:

1 large granny smith apple, peeled and grated

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon mace (or use pumpkin pie spice)

1/4 teaspoon salt

Water and/or Apple Jack

Preheat oven to 325. Combine above ingredients and rub onto all sides of pork roast. Place fat side up in a small roasting pan and bake for 1-1/2 hours.  Meanwhile combine topping ingredients and spread over roast. Add a small amount of water to the pan (and/or apple jack or apple brandy)…return roast to oven and roast for 1 hour longer until roast reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Allow roast to rest covered for 15 minutes before carving.

Hint - for a lower carb version, eliminate the sugar in the apple topping. It may not brown but it will still taste wonderful!

 

Tourte Poulet Indienne

Don't get all worried this is something too fancy for you! Dinner last night was just a glorified chicken pie with curry but it sure sounds important doesn't it?

This little goodie inspired by dairygoodness.com, Canada's Dairy Counsel, is a great way to use up leftover roasted chicken although I admit I chopped up chicken tenders and gave 'em a quick saute' to construct last night's dinner. Oh another confession... hold on to your hats...I used packaged puff pastry too.

This rather yummy little pie is loaded with mushrooms, celery, green pepper, shallots and apple and finished with a creamy sauce with just a hint of curry, all topped with a pre-baked puff pastry crust. I pre-baked the crust because I find puff pastry on top of a casserole often becomes rather soggy from the steam of the filling and that issue can be avoided by baking the crust separately. It doesn't take but a minute but if you want to avoid the pastry all together, you could certainly serve the filling on toast points or even in a hollowed out baked potato.

We enjoyed our individual pies along with some Mango Chutney and steamed carrots with a little butter 'n honey. Yummo!

Tourte Poulet Indienne (Inspired by dairygoodness.com)

 1 pound chicken tenders, cut into one inch pieces

1/4 cup butter, divided

1 cup mushrooms sliced

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1 small shallot, minced

1 teaspoon curry powder

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

1-1/4 cups milk

2/3 cup chicken stock

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1/2 cup frozen peas (optional)

1/2 package frozen puff pastry thawed per package directions

Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large sauté pan. Salt and pepper chicken tenders and add to hot pan. Cook for 5 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from pan and add remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Add mushrooms, celery, green pepper and shallot and cook until vegetables have softened. Add curry powder and cook, stirring for 1 more minute. Sprinkle flour on top of vegetables and stir well to incorporate. Cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Gradually add milk and chicken stock, stirring constantly and cook until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Return chicken to pan, add peas and stir in mayonnaise and heat through. Place in individual casseroles and top with pre-baked pastry or spoon onto toast points or into baked potato boats. Serves 4

Pastry – preheat oven to 400. Cut pastry to fit shape of casserole dishes and place pieces on an ungreased sheet pan. Decorate as desired. Bake for 15 minutes. Download Tourte Poulet Indienne

 Hint - for a lower carb version, eliminate the puff pastry and top it with mashed sweet potatoes and serve with a green vegetable, like broccoli or green beans instead.

Bowlegged Chuck

The name of last night's dinner is actually Cowboy Chuck but the big guy gave it a new moniker to best suit the additional pickled jalapenos he added to his portion and the effect they'd have on him in the morning. Too much information?

Another braise, this chuck roast with beans is plum easy to put together and made to suit a Dutch oven, but if you'd rather you can certainly leave out the beef stock and cook it all in your slow cooker for 6 or so hours on high. In either case, be sure to brown the meat really well before adding tomatoes, jalapeno, onion and spices. A couple of cans of beans go in during the last half hour of cooking and topped with pickled jalapenos and a little sour cream to cool the palate, the whole shebang was rather lovely with a giant latke made of sweet potatoes. More on that some other time as I just threw it together and didn't measure a darn thing. Sorry!

We enjoyed every bite and will love the leftovers even more adorning a burrito or loaded into a cheesy quesadilla.

Cowboy Chuck (Inspired by Southern Living Magazine)

1 – 2 to 3 pound chuck roast

Coarse ground pepper and salt

Flour for dredging

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 – 14 ounce can diced tomatoes

1 10 ounce can Rotel tomatoes with green chiles

1 cup low sodium beef stock

1 large onion, cut into 8 wedges

1-1/2 tablespoons chile powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 large jalapenos, sliced (leave seeds in for extra heat)

1 – 14 ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 – 14 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

Garnish with pickled jalapeno peppers and sour cream

Preheat oven to 325. Season roast well with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour and shake off excess. Heat oil in a medium Dutch oven until almost smoking. Add roast and brown very well on all sides – about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, Rotel, beef stock, onion, jalapenos and chili and garlic powder. Bring to a simmer, cover and place in preheated 325 oven. Cook for 2 hours or until roast is fork tender. Add drained beans, cover and cook for additional half hour. To serve, pull chuck roast apart in pieces and serve with beans. Garnish with pickled jalapeno peppers and sour cream. Great with cornbread! Makes 6 servings. Download Cowboy Chuck

Hint - for a lower carb version, do not dredge roast in flour before browning. Also reduce the amount of beans by eliminating the black beans. Be sure to rinse and drain the canned pinto beans well before adding them.

Chicken Paillards Cordon Bleu

Being a fairly frugal soul, I'm always looking for ways to save a buck or two. There's some that wouldn't believe it but I've changed significantly since I married the big guy and actually save denero on a regular basis as compared to my single days when I spent way more'n I made; however, my incentive now is an annual vacation on the Oregon coast and when you live in hell, believe you me a month in heaven a year is something major to strive for.

Last night's dinner was a dual effort that made darn good use of a scant half pound of chicken breasts to feed two hungry people and there's leftovers to boot. How'd we do that, you ask?

Take 8 ounces of chicken breasts, pound the heck out of them until they're about a third of an inch thick, season 'em with salt and pepper, dredge in flour and brown in a little butter for about 3 minutes a side. Top with a few thin slices of ham and some Swiss cheese (Madrigal in our case), and keep 'em warm while a sauce of mushrooms, shallots, white wine, pearl tomatoes and cream is constructed.Pour it on top of the chicken and not only do you have a cheap cheep chicken dinner, but it's mighty tasty too.

Best part... it's FAST. Course I can say that because the big guy cooked but with the ingredients prepped in advance and instructions left for him on the counter by the time I got home from an appointment, the big guy had the potatoes in the oven, chicken cookin' on the stove and drinks ready to pour. Gotta' love that!

Chicken Paillards Cordon Bleu (Inspired by Gourmet Magazine)

1 – 8 ounce chicken breast cut in half

4 thin slices of cooked ham

4 thin slices of Swiss cheese (I used Madrigal from France)

Flour for dredging

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

 

3 tablespoons butter, divided

1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

3 tablespoons white wine

1/2 pound pearl tomatoes cut in half

1/2 cup heavy cream

Pound chicken breasts until approximately one third inch thick. Dry well, season with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour shaking off excess. Set aside for 5 minutes to set coating. Heat large skillet pan over medium high heat and add one tablespoon butter. Cook chicken paillards until browned on both sides and cooked through – about 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and place on sheet pan. Cover paillards with cooked ham, and place cheese on top. Cover sheet pan with foil and keep warm. 

Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in skillet.  Add mushrooms, shallot, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Sauté until mushrooms are softened – about 5 minutes. Add white wine and cook until wine has been absorbed. Add pearl tomatoes. Cook till tomatoes are warmed through and start to wrinkle …2 or 3 minutes. Add cream, increase heat and simmer until sauce is of desired consistency. Plate paillards and serve with sauce on top. Serves 2 Download Chicken Paillards Cordon Bleu

Hint - for an even lower carb version, do not dredge chicken in flour before browning, and cut the pearl tomatoes and cream in half. While it's certainly far from calorie free, this is quite low in the carb department. Serve with a green vegetable like sauteed spinach or a salad instead of potatoes.

Indian Lamb Chops with Curried Cauliflower

So people, here's the scenario. You've got 20 minutes to put dinner on the table before you have to leave for choir practice. Your resident carnivore isn't going to be a happy camper if he gets a mere sandwich for dinner and you fed him an extra piece of pineapple carrot cake earlier so dinner needs to be something that isn't just tasty, but calorically conscientious as well. Have I got a deal for you!

Gorgeous 1-1/2 inch thick lamb loin chops, seasoned with coarse sea salt, freshly ground pepper and curry, sauteed for 4 minutes a side for a perfect medium rare and served with steamed cauliflower with the mother of all curry sauces.  Now I know you're thinking - geez, is she nuts? Dinner ready in twenty minutes and what about the calories in the sauce - after all there's cream in it isn't there? Per serving - 489 calories. Count'em and weep!

By the way, if you've a few extra minutes to spare, roast the cauliflower in the oven for additional nutty yummy flavor...oh and double the sauce. You won't be sorry!

Indian Lamb Chops with Curried Cauliflower (adapted from Bon Appetit))

4 1-1/2 inch thick lamb loin chops

2 teaspoons curry powder, divided

Sea salt and coarse ground black pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 teaspoon all purpose flour

1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons mango chutney

2 large green onions, chopped & divided

2 cups cauliflower florets

Steam cauliflower until tender crisp (3 to 4 minutes) or alternatively roast in a hot cast iron pan in the oven until just tender. Set aside.

Sprinkle lamb chops with salt, pepper and 3/4 teaspoon curry powder. In a medium cast iron pan, heat oil until shimmering. Add lamb chops and cook for 4 minutes on each side till medium rare (or alternatively 3 minutes for rare). Remove from heat and set aside to keep warm. Pour oil from skillet. Add 1-1/4 teaspoons of curry powder to the skillet as well as the flour and cook for 15 seconds, stirring constantly. Add cream, chicken broth and chutney. Boil until slightly reduced and thickened – approx. 1 to 2 minutes. Add half the green onions. Plate lamb and spoon cauliflower over top. Top with sauce and garnish with remaining green onion.  Serves 2 Download Indian Lamb Chops with Curried Cauliflower

Check out these links for a little more somethin' somethin'!

      

Mango Chutney                        Roasted Manchurian Cauliflower

Cod a la Cajun

If Cajun Cod sounds like an oxymoron, read on because there's more! Suffering from a week of beans, peas and more beans, we were craving something different last night so when I came across a recipe in my Legal Seafoods Cookbook that looked interesting I figured I'd found just the ticket. I mean what's better for you than fish anyway?

This one's over the top with a sauce made of Andouille sausage, shrimp, and a touch of heavy cream over a crispy crunchy fillet of fish. While the original recipe called for catfish (makes sense, I know) believe it or not it was a fair bit more expensive than cod so I just used cook's license and changed up the fish. Course it also meant a change in cooking method too - ah darn I got to experiment. Don't ya love when that happens?

I won't bore you with the details but when you check out the recipe, you'll see that almost any fish would be stellar with a sauce like this one. Heck you don't even have to limit it to fish - try the sauce with some chicken paillards for a whole new twist and while you're at it, you might want to double the sauce. Shoulda' woulda' coulda' ...didn't. 

We enjoyed our Cajun cod on a bed of flavorful braised leeks but believe you me a cup of fluffy rice to soak up some of the sauce would be amazing. By the way, you know what made our dinner really interesting...other than the fact that the kids next door left their trampoline and gave us a moment of peace? The bottle of Louisiana Hot Sauce didn't even make it to the table. Score!

Cod a la’ Cajun (inspired by Legal Seafood’s Cookbook)

2 – 6 ounce cod fillets

1/4 cup mayonnaise (light is fine)

2 Tablespoons Louisiana hot sauce

1/4 cup dried Italian flavored bread crumbs

1/4 cup cornmeal

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

Vegetable oil

 

1 tablespoon butter

4 ounces smoked andouille sausage, diced

4 ounces medium shrimp cut into half inch pieces

1/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon fresh parsley

Fresh ground black pepper

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

 

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

 

Really Good Stew

OK here's the scene. We were supposed to have left over hanger steak from Sunday night but there was one rather large problem - there wasn't any. Oh pishaw...now what?

A review of the freezer, fridge and pantry and a look at the temperature in the house convinced me a stew would be a great idea. You see we don't turn on the furnace and with the temperatures on the low side lately, having the oven on for an extended period to warm up the kitchen seemed like a capital idea. How's that for female logic? The result...a hearty bowl of wholesome deliciousness (is that a word?).

Of course I had to do the "eeny, meany, miney, moe...what kind of meat with this would go". Just in case you've ever wondered, you're not limited to beef when making stew. Chunked up pork butt works wonderfully well or even lamb ...which is what I used because we happen to have a lot of it at the moment, but certainly in this case with the spices included - any kind of stewing meat would work great.

I simply seasoned the meat, coated it in flour and browned it well, before adding onions, garlic, some dried herbs, and mushrooms with a little red wine which was reduced slightly before Campbell's Company joined the party. Hey using good products instead of scratch made is certainly not beneath this home cook, so in went a can each of Golden Mushroom Soup, and French Onion. Finished with baby cut carrots and pearl onions courtesy of Trader Joe's, the pot hit the oven and 2 hours later, dinner was on the table.

Really Good Stew (an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

1-1/2 pounds stewing meat, beef, pork or lamb in 1-1/2 inch chunks

Salt & pepper

Flour for dredging

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

6 large mushrooms, quartered

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 cup dry red wine

1 can Golden Mushroom Soup

1 can French Onion Soup

1 can water - approximately

16 ounce package frozen pearl onions, thawed

1 cup carrots

Fresh thyme & parsley for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 325. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add oil and heat until shimmering. Season meat well with salt and pepper, dredge in flour and shake off excess. Brown well in batches without crowding pan – removing browned meat and adding more oil as required. Set aside browned meat. Add onion and garlic to pot and cook until onion is softened. Add mushrooms, thyme and rosemary and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until mushrooms have given up any liquid and liquid has evaporated. Add red wine and cook, stirring to loosen any browned bits from bottom of pot. Cook until wine is slightly reduced, then return meat to pot. Add golden mushroom and French onion soups and stir well to incorporate. Add water to almost cover meat (approximately 1 can). Bring mixture to a boil, add pearl onions and carrots. Cover pot and move to the oven to cook for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, or until meat is very tender. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired. Serve with biscuits or mashed potatoes. Makes 6 servings. Download Really Good Stew

Hint - for a lower carb version, eliminate the carrots and be sure to use low fat soups whenever possible. Serve with vegetables rather than biscuits or potatoes.

 

Marinated Grilled Hanger Steak

The big guy put this marinade recipe from Anne Burrell together yesterday morning while I was working out on the elliptical. It's not unlike the coating that went on the lamb a week ago and honestly would be fabulous on just about anything.

Made up of Dijon mustard, lots of garlic, red pepper flakes, fresh rosemary and lemon juice it coated a normally tough hanger steak and hung out in the refrigerator for the better part of the day. Grilled in the outside kitchen in a screaming hot pan, the steak was crispy on the outside and tremendously rare on the inside....but tender, holy smokes was it tender. Thankfully he was able to provide me with a couple of more medium rare slices (end pieces...yum), but as you can see, his were blood blue rare just the way he likes 'em. I asked the big guy how long the steak needed to cook for a medium rare and his response "I don't know - I've never cooked 'em that long".

Pretty darn nummy stuff along with a horseradish sauce made up of sour cream and mayonnaise and some roasted veggies hot out of the oven. Delish! By the way, a surefire way to end up with perfectly roasted veggies is to heat a cast iron pan while you're pre-heating your oven to 425. When the oven buzzer goes to tell you it's reached temperature, carefully load your assortment of veggies into the hot pan - in our case parsnips, carrots, brussels sprouts and onions, drizzle them with a little olive oil, add a couple sprigs and fresh thyme, some coarse salt and a dash of pepper and 20 minutes later - they're ready.

The big guy had a busy day yesterday! Coincidentally, he also rescued Georgie from the neighborhood kids who were trying to put her into a box and kidnap her. I'm not sure that he didn't actually rescue the kids as she's not exactly the most social cat in the world, but she did let a 3 year old pick her up...is that incredible or what? She may end up being singularly responsible for "giving peace a chance" in the neighborhood...more on that some other time. Wonder what's on our little fur ball's agenda today - the chow down the street?

Marinated Grilled Hanger Steak (adapted from Anne Burrell via Foodnetwork.com)

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

4 cloves garlic, minced

Dash crushed red pepper

Juice and zest of 1 Meyer lemon

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary – finely chopped

Sea Salt and Coarse Ground Pepper

-----

1-1/2 pound hanger steak, well trimmed with silver skin removed

In a small bowl, combine marinade ingredients until well mixed. Dry steak well then coat in marinade. Place in a zip top bag and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours or preferably overnight. Cook in a screaming hot grill pan to desired doneness (3 minutes a side for rare). Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing very thinly.