JBug's Kitchen Antics

Our First Shot at Paella

We're such risotto fans around here, we thought we'd go another direction and visit Spain to see what all the curfuffle's about with their famous rice dish, never mind that Big Guy bought me a coveted paella pan for my birthday this year and it needed a test drive.

Inspired by a recipe I found on the web at La Tienda, The Best of Spain, I followed the method but cut the quantities in half so we wouldn't be eating leftovers for the next month. Of course I had to make some adjustments based on the availability of ingredients too - nixed the chorizo and used fresh linguica instead, jarred pimentos instead of piquillo and left out the lobster entirely, but hey isn't that what cooking's all about?

The paella flavor party began with extra strength chicken stock seasoned with smoked paprika and saffron reducing on the stove top and chicken browning in the pan and moved on to slices of fresh linguica sausage browned up till crispy too. Garlic, yellow and green onions, and pimentos add to the layers of flavor followed by arborio rice, parsley, bay leaves and wine.

Now, if you're thinking there's a ton of prep involved - uh, you'd be right. It is far from an easy on the cook effort, and a word of warning - it makes a tremendous mess of your stove top, but the end result is all rather impressive if I do say so myself. We topped our paella with shrimp, mussells, awesome huge cherrystone clams and snow crab claws too. It was absolutely delicious, not perfect, but delicious!

In this particular case, the paella's finished in the oven which made it much easier to deal with; however, I goofed up and added a little more liquid to the rice because I was afraid it would be dry but as a result, the dish didn't get the lovely crusty bottom common in a perfectly made paella. It was certainly more than passable however, as a first effort. 

I can't wait to make it all again using nature's bounty from the Pacific Northwest. It really is a perfect way to showcase fresh seafood never mind it'll make tremendously delicious party food, cooked outside in the outdoor kitchen while guests mill around getting sloshed on sangria. That's quite the scenario isn't it? 

Chicken and Seafood Paella (adapted from La Tienda.com)

3 cups low sodium chicken stock

3 packages chicken concentrate (like Flavor Boost)

1/2 large yellow onion

1/4 teaspoon saffron

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 cup good quality olive oil

1 pound assorted chicken pieces – I used 2 wings, 2 small thighs, and 2 drumsticks with “knuckle” removed

2 links fresh linguica, sliced into quarter inch pieces

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 green onions, chopped

1 small jar pimentos, drained

1/2 pound large shrimp, deveined but shells left intact

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 bay leaf, crumbled

1-1/2 cups Arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine or vermouth

1/2 cup frozen peas (optional in our case)

9 large clams

9 mussels

4 ounces fresh snow crab claws (optional)

Lemon wedges for garnish

In a small pot over medium heat, heat broth with saffron, smoked paprika and onion. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the onion and measure broth. You will need 2-3/4 cups exactly – return broth to pot to keep warm.

Preheat oven to 325.

Heat olive oil in paella pan until almost smoking. Meanwhile wash and dry chicken pieces well and sprinkle with coarse salt. Add chicken to hot pan and fry until golden brown on all sides. Remove to a platter and keep warm. Add linguica and cook until browned and crisp – about 5 minutes. Add onion, garlic, green onions and pimento and cook, stirring constantly until onion is softened. Add the shrimp and sauté just until they start to turn pink – about 1 minute. Remove shrimp from pan and keep warm along with the chicken. Add parsley, bay leaf, and rice to the pan and cook, stirring to coat the rice with oil. Stir in white wine and add hot broth. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered over medium high heat for 10 minutes. Add peas. Bury the shrimp and chicken in the rice. Add clams and mussels with the edge of the shell that will open facing up. Decorate top of pan with snow crab claws. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and cover with foil for 10 minutes. Serve garnished with lemon wedges and more chopped parsley. Makes 6 servings.

A year ago - Bloody Mary Shrimp Sauce with Lobster Ravioli

Two year's ago - Cheater Chili

Three year's ago - Creamy Tortellini Primavera

Baked Polenta with Bechamel and Spicy Meat Sauce

It's amazing the ideas that present themselves when a woman's enduring sleep deprivation due to the joys of growing older. The early hours of the morning - like from 1 through 4 or until the alarm goes off at 5 are spent contemplating a multitude of things including but not limited to the state of the economy and world peace.

Take last night's dinner for example. We really loved Anne Burrell's Hard Polenta Cakes that we cooked up a while ago and I've been trying to think up a way to have a repeat without it being an identical to what we had before. Since I also happened to have a container of leftover meat sauce hiding in the freezer from a week ago and the kitchen held the makings for a bechamel sauce, I figured I'd just combine them all into one casserole. We've had gnocchi this way, and pasta too so why not polenta? Do ya' follow?

Behold the results - smooth and creamy on the inside and crispy fried on the outside rounds of polenta on a bed of rich, creamy, cheesy bechamel sauce topped with spicy meaty tomato sauce, garnished with sliced hot Italian sausage and circles of fresh mozzarella baked until hot and bubbling. Food for the hungry masses, wouldn't ya say?

Baked Polenta With Bechamel and Spicy Meat Sauce (an original from JBug’s Kitchen, inspired by Anne Burrell and Biba Caggiano)

1 recipe hard polenta cakes (see below)

1 recipe prepared béchamel sauce (see below)

2 cups spicy meat sauce (reheated)

1 link hot Italian sausage, sliced into coins and browned

4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a shallow casserole dish well with butter. Place 2/3 of béchamel sauce on bottom of casserole, spreading evenly. Arrange crisp fried polenta cakes on top of béchamel. Top with remaining béchamel sauce followed by spicy meat sauce. Arrange sausage coins on top and add sliced mozzarella. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes until casserole is hot and bubbling.  

Hard Polenta Cakes

1 cup whole milk plus additional 2/3 cup

2 cups water (and more as needed)

Pinch cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt (more or less depending on taste)

1 cup polenta

1/4 cup cream cheese

4 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese plus additional for garnish

Olive oil for frying

In a medium saucepan heat 1 cup milk, water, cayenne and salt over medium heat until boiling. Whisk in polenta and lower heat to medium low then using a wooden spoon, stir polenta until thickened. Slowly incorporate additional 2/3 cup milk, stirring constantly and continue to cook until polenta thickens again and is very smooth. If the texture is grainy, add more liquid and continue to cook until smooth and thick. (Takes about 15 minutes).

Remove from heat and stir cream cheese and parmesan. Move to 9 x 13 sheet pan lined with plastic wrap and spread evenly. Cover well and refrigerate until firm (about 2 hours).

To serve, remove from plastic and cut into 2 inch rounds. Heat approximately a quarter inch of oil in a heavy skillet until very hot. Carefully add cut polenta and cook in batches without crowding the pan and without moving for 3-4 minutes or until browned and crisp on one side. Flip over and continue to cook until browned on other side. Move rounds to a paper towel and hold until needed.

Bechamel Sauce:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 cups whole milk, heated

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

Coarse ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook stirring constantly for 2 to 3 minutes. Do not allow flour to brown. Slowly whisk in hot milk and add nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cook, whisking constantly until mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheese. 

A year ago - Coconut Lime Shrimp with Peanut Sauce

Two year's ago -  Bittersweet Chocolate Sour Cherry Bread Pudding

Risotto Carbonara

We took a page out of Lorraine's book at Figs and Artichokes and made our version of Risotto Carbonara for dinner last night. We loved the idea when she first gave it a try way back in early September and have been talking about it ever since. Don't ask me why the procrastination because it was just plum stupid to wait so long. 

If you like the flavor of Fettucini Carbonara, then no doubt this'll make your skirt fly up and your socks go up and down. A J'Bug's Kitchen team effort, we used bacon... a lot of bacon rather than pancetta, and onion and garlic rather than shallots even though I had shallots in the cupboard. Oh well. Guess I wasn't thinking when I did the prepping. The rest of the ingredients are standard risotto fare - arborio rice, butter, a little wine, warm chicken stock, parmesan cheese, a touch of heavy cream and lots of coarse ground black pepper. 

Tradition rules that Big Guy's the risotto cooker in this house, so all I had left to do was sit back and throw in my two cents every once in a while. As usual, he did an amazing job including but not limited to tuning me out.  How do guys do that? 

Anyway even without a parsley garnish or a pretty plate it is simply divine. Rich, creamy and full of bacony and eggy goodness, the key is to make sure the risotto is very hot so the golden yolk cooks as you mix it in. Soul satisfyingly delicious, there's no doubt we'll be making it again.  

Risotto Carbonara (from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Lorraine at figsandartichokes.blogspot.com)

1 cup diced bacon

2 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 cups Arborio rice

1/2 cup white wine or dry vermouth

4 cups low sodium chicken stock, warmed

1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

3 tablespoons heavy cream

Coarse ground black pepper

4 egg yolks * See Note

Parsley as garnish

In a large sauté pan, cook bacon until crisp. Remove to a paper lined plate and set aside. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat. Add butter to the pan and return to medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion has softened – about 3 to 4 minutes. Add Arborio rice and cook, stirring constantly until rice is coated and slightly translucent – another 3 or 4 minutes. Lower heat to medium low, add white wine and cook stirring until rice has absorbed the wine. Add chicken stock a half cup at a time, stirring constantly and continue until rice is creamy and al dente – about 17 minutes total. Stir in cream, parmesan cheese and reserved bacon. Cook, stirring for another minute or two until risotto is very hot and cheese has melted. Season with coarse ground black pepper and salt if necessary. Ladle onto warmed bowls. Top with an egg yolk. Garnish with parsley and additional parmesan cheese. Serves 4.

Note - It is important to use the freshest possible eggs you can find. The heat of the risotto should cook the egg when stirred into the rice before eating; however if you have concerns about serving raw egg yolk, add the yolks at the same time you add the cream and cheese to the risotto in the pan and heat slowly, stirring constantly, to prevent curdling.  

A year ago - Cuban Pork Picadillo

Two year's ago - Chicken and Mushroom Casserole with a Biscuit Top

Grilled Shrimp and Sausage with Red Rice

JBug's kitchen antics have included a lot of combinations of shrimp and sausage. We've had sausage and grits, shrimp and grits, gumbo with both shrimp and sausage, as well as red beans and rice but we'd yet to try red rice with either shrimp or sausage until last night. 

     

Another recipe from Williams Sonoma, this dish may look like it goes together in a flash but unfortunately there's a fair bit of prep to it, most of which can or must be done in advance so don't be thinking it is something you can throw together on a whim. I guess the important issue is whether or not the effort is worth it though, huh. 

1. First gorgeous red peppers are roasted, relieved of their seeds, skinned, chopped and sauteed after green onions as well as garlic and shallots in my case and nice smokey hot chipotle chile powder. The whole shebang is then pureed into a nice rich flavorful sauce. By the way, that would be the red.
2. Then the marinade for the shrimp is concocted. Apricot preserves, oil, lemon juice and Dijon mustard are combined and boiled then cooled and coat some huge wild shrimp after their shelled and deveined. The shrimp hit the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours so they can soak up all the yummy flavors before being skewered and grilled. 
3. The next step is all about steaming the rice. 
4. As the rice is cooking, sweet Italian sausage get a little start in some white wine in a covered saute pan before they're finished on the grill. 
5. The rice is combined with the warmed red pepper sauce and joined by the sliced sausage and grilled shrimp with a garnish of chopped fresh basil and parsley; in fact, the recipe called for mixing the whole thing together kinda' like a deconstructed jambalaya...well sort of.

Is it worth the time and effort?

Oh, the rice is darn tasty - enough so that I'd likely make it again as a side dish for almost any meat, fish or poultry. Of course the sweet Italian sausage are only as good as the butcher who made 'em and in our case Sprouts does a bang up job...but the shrimp - ah the shrimp are amazing. Sweet from the apricot preserves and subtly flavored of Dijon mustard with a caramelized finish, they are absolutely without question the true hit of the dish.  

As for the number of pots, dishes and utensils needed to put this dinner together ....uh not so great. The kitchen looked like a bomb hit it and the cook was done for. The good news is the lovely man on KP duty did not utter one word of complaint during the clean up process. That's a true indication he enjoyed dinner enormously; therefore, the whole song and dance must be worth it. Right?   

Grilled Shrimp and Sausage with Red Rice (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Williams- Sonoma.com)

Pepper Sauce:

2 large red sweet bell peppers

2 tablespoons butter

4 green onions, white part only, chopped

2 small shallots, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 teaspoons Chipotle chile powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup low sodium chicken stock

Roast red peppers slowly until charred on all sides (I do it directly over a gas flame). Place into a tightly covered container and allow to steam for 15 minutes, then remove skin and seeds and coarsely chop flesh. Set aside. In a small pot, melt butter over medium low heat and add green onions, shallots, and garlic. Sauté until vegetables have softened. Add chopped roasted red peppers, chile powder, salt and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, cover and cook until peppers are softened. Puree with an immersion blender or transfer into a food processor and pulse until mixture is relatively smooth. Set aside.

Marinade:

1/2 cup apricot preserves

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Combine mixture and place over medium high heat. Bring to a boil while whisking ingredients together. Remove from heat. Cool and set aside.

Shrimp:

1 pound large shrimp

Peel and devein shrimp. In a zip top bag, combine shrimp and cooled marinade. Seal and refrigerate for a minimum 3 hours. Twenty minutes prior to grilling, remove shrimp from bag and place onto skewers. Grill over medium hot fire, turning once, until cooked through – approximately 3 or 4 minutes.

Rice:

1-1/3 cups long grain white rice

2-2/3 cups water

Combine rice and water in a medium sized pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit covered for 5 minutes.

Sausage:

3 sweet Italian sausage links (1 pound)

1/2 cup white wine

In a sauté pan just large enough to hold the sausage, bring wine to a boil over medium high heat. Prick sausage in several places with a fork then add to pan. Cover and cook for 4 minutes, turning once.

To finish – grill sausage over medium hot coals for 5 minutes or until cooked through. Combine rice with warmed red pepper sauce. Slice sausage and serve with rice and grilled shrimp. Garnish with fresh parsley and chopped basil. Makes 4 servings. 

 A year ago - Pumpkin Cake with Rum Cream Cheese Frosting

Two year's ago - Brats with Onions, Apples & Sauerkraut

 

 

Sausages and Peppers and Cheesy Grits

It's a challenge to put new items on the menu every day so you all don't get bored with me, but sometimes you have to go with what you know. We know the simple things in life as well as on the table are often some of the best and I'd put last night's dinner high on the list.

Mild Italian sausages browned till golden in a pan and cozied up with assorted mini peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes and a smidgen of spices makes for a pretty amazing entree. Put it on a bed of pasta or rice or cheesy grits and you've the whole meal deal.

Now there's all kinds of ways to make grits with cheese but it's ever changing in this household because I happen to think it's a great way to use up the end pieces hiding in the cheese drawer. In this case I threw in a half brick of cream cheese, some extra old cheddar, and an end piece of asiago along with a pinch of cayenne, a little garlic powder and lots of salt and black pepper. Had I a piece of gorgonzola, I'd have thrown that in too. 

Creamy, rich and comforting - I darn near packed Big Guy a PBJ sandwich for lunch today instead of the leftovers but my conscience didn't allow it. Darn that thing - sometimes I just wish it would keep its yap shut.

Sausages, Peppers and Cheesy Grits (an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 sweet Italian sausage links – about 1.25 pounds

All purpose flour

1 large onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

6 ounces assorted mini sweet bell peppers, quartered and seeds removed

1 – 14 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs

Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high. Dust sausages lightly with flour and shake off excess. When pan is hot, brown sausages carefully on all sides until golden. Remove from pan and set aside. Add onion, garlic, and sweet peppers to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables start to soften. Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, and Italian herbs. Heat to a simmer then return sausages to the pan. Cover pan, lower heat to a slow simmer and cook for 20 minutes, or until sausages are cooked through. Uncover and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened. Serve over cheesy grits. Makes 4 servings.

Cheesy Grits

3 cups water

3/4 cup old fashioned grits

1/2 cup half and half

3 ounces sharp cheddar, grated

1 ounce asiago or parmesan cheese, grated

4 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Dash cayenne pepper

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

Heat water until boiling. Slowly whisk in grits and continue to whisk for 1 minute. Lower heat and cook grits for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Watch pot carefully so grits do not burn. Stir in half and half, lower heat to low, cover pot and cook additional 10 minutes or until grits are not grainy. Stir in cheeses, herbs and spices. Taste for seasoning and add salt as required. Cover pot and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until grits are very smooth and cheese has melted. (It may be necessary to add more half and half as required for the right consistency). 

A year ago - Tomato Cobbler

Two year's ago - Oxtails Braised in Red Wine

Hard Polenta Cakes with Bolognese Meat Sauce

When you're looking for a menu that can be made entirely in advance and reheated in a flash, this would be it.

Creamy polenta cooked until perfectly smooth and luscious, flavored with sage and bay, ramped up with mascarpone cheese - have I got your attention now? 

Thanks to Anne Burrell, this polenta is darn near perfect as it is, but it gets better. Moved to a square pan then refrigerated and when cold, cut into rounds and fried until crisp just before serving ...well you can't get much better than that! Oh but it does - get better that is.

Imagine those perfectly creamy inside and crispy outside parmesan topped cakes perched on a version of Nick Stellino's Bolognese Meat Sauce, loaded with chopped veggies, fortified with marsala and flavored with sage and pancetta. Now, that my friends is perfection. It just doesn't get any better.

Hard Polenta Cakes(from JBug’s Kitchen Antics adapted from Anne Burrell, Foodnetwork.com)

1 cup whole milk plus additional 2/3 cup

2 cups water

Pinch cayenne pepper

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon salt (more or less depending on taste)

1 cup polenta

1/4 teaspoon dried sage

1/4 cup mascarpone cheese

4 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese plus additional for garnish

Olive oil for frying

In a medium saucepan heat 1 cup milk, water, cayenne, bay leaf and salt over medium heat until boiling. Whisk in polenta and lower heat to medium low then using a wooden spoon, stir polenta until thickened. Slowly incorporate additional 2/3 cup milk, stirring constantly and continue to cook until polenta thickens again and is very smooth. If the texture is grainy, add more liquid and continue to cook until smooth and thick. (Takes about 15 to 20 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in sage, mascarpone cheese and parmesan. Move to an 8 inch square pan lined with plastic wrap and spread evenly in pan. Cover well and refrigerate until firm.

To serve, remove from plastic and cut into rounds (I used a glass). Heat approximately a quarter inch of oil in a heavy skillet until very hot. Carefully add cut polenta and cook without moving for 3-4 minutes or until browned and crisp on one side. Flip over and continue to cook until browned on other side and hot in the center. Garnish with more parmesan cheese and serve over Bolognese sauce. Serves 4 to 6.

 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

½ 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 pancetta

3/4 pound ground beef or pork (I used pork)

1/3 cup dry marsala wine

8 oz. can tomato sauce

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

2 cups beef stock

1/4 cup whipping cream (optional)

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 (pancetta) and ground meat 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.

A year ago - Beer Braised Turkey Thighs with an Island Twist

Two year's ago - Hanger Steak with Mushroom Madeira Gravy

Risotto with Pancetta and Duck

Risotto is the "go to" dish around here when we're looking to eat something that's purely delicious and rather elegant too. In my mind it gets a bad rap because of the 20 minutes or so that it takes to get on the plate but personally I think that's just a good excuse to stand at the stove and stir and drink a glass of wine at the same time. Just be sure to prep everything before you start cooking and you won't have to worry about a thing.

Using the same basic recipe, the great thing about risotto is that it can be made from darn near anything you have in your pantry or freezer. As you can see, last night's effort included some of our homemade pancetta along with duck and roasted garlic I'd saved in the freezer from the braised duck with sour cherries we had last Sunday night. I also threw in a handful of dried cranberries just because I thought it would be a good idea. 

Next time you're in the mood for some Italian soul food, conjure up a pot of blissfully creamy risotto and knock everyone's socks off. Here's some links to some of our other favorite versions to give you ideas:

Basil Risotto                                              Lemon Risotto

   

Bacon & Tomato                                    Mushroom with Duck

    

 

Basic Risotto

4 cups good quality, low salt chicken stock

4 Tablespoons butter

1 onion, finely minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 cups Arborio rice

1/2 cup white wine

Salt & pepper

2 Tablespoons heavy cream

1/2 cup to 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Chopped fresh parsley

 

Heat broth in small saucepan and keep warm over low heat.

Melt butter in large flat bottomed saucepan over medium heat. When butter foams, add onion and cook stirring until onion is transparent (approx 4-5 minutes). Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add Arborio rice and stir to coat well, approximately 1 minute. Add wine and cook, stirring, until wine has is almost all reduced.  Add a ladle full of broth (approx. ¾ cup) and cook, stirring until broth has been absorbed almost completely. Continue cooking and stirring, adding broth a bit at a time until the rice is tender but firm to the bite (approx. 15 minutes).

Taste for seasoning. Add cream and 1/2 cup parmesan. Stir to combine. Rice should have a moist, creamy consistency. Serve sprinkled with additional parmesan.

For RIsotto with Pancetta and Duck –

Cut 4 ounces of pancetta into small cubes and saute until brown. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Discard any accumulated fat and wipe pan out before commencing with basic risotto recipe. Add 1-1/2 cups chopped cooked duck approximately 3 minutes before serving, just to warm it through, along with cooked pancetta and 1/2 cup dried cranberries.  

A year ago - Pork & Squash Pot Pie with White Cheddar Crust

Two year's ago - Green Chile Chili

 

Seared Scallops with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce and Basil Risotto

One thing we need to consider when we're planning our menus is how the individual ingredients will match the other things on the plate - or in the bowl as was our case last night. It's not just about appearance although we all know the eye holds the trump card as far as our taste buds are concerned, but it's also about flavor profiles. Last night's dinner was about as good as it gets - in fact, Big Guy said it "sung" or is that "sang".

Lovely juicy perfectly tender scallops seared briefly in a hot cast iron pan in a mix of butter and olive oil, topped with a roasted red pepper and basil sauce tinged with garlic and a touch of balsamic vinegar, spiced with red pepper flakes - all served on a bed of creamy basil flavored risotto. There you have it! See - the basil the held the whole dish together.

Present in the roasted red pepper sauce, it was front and center in the risotto too. I suppose if truth be told, there isn't much that screams of summer more than fresh basil and for sure, there isn't anything that goes better with roasted red peppers either, so it's really a no brainer. 

Trouble is this brain's served these lovely scallops before on a bed of creamy grits but I won't be doing that again. Oh, in case you're wondering, we had small side salad of refreshing honeydew and english cucumber to cool the palate. The fresh ginger and jalapeno in the salad set the old tastebuds up beautifully for the rich flavors that followed. Oh, we also enjoyed slices of ooey gooey cheesy garlic bread. Hit the link for the salad as we've had it here before, but I'll have to get back to you on the cheese bread. It's so good it's worth a post of its own.

As for dessert, you'll have to wait a bit for that one too! Let's just say it was tantalizingly cool and rather seasonal too.  

Scallops & Roasted Red Pepper Sauce (from JBug’s Kitchen Antics adapted from Taste of Columbus)

2 red peppers

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil

3/4 cup olive oil

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 pound large sea scallops

Salt and pepper

1 Tablespoon oil

2 Tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes

Roast red peppers until blackened. (I do it directly over the flames on my gas stove). Place in zip bag and close bag. Let rest until just warm to the touch. Remove seeds, peel and core.

In food processor, blend together peppers, salt, pepper, garlic, pepper flakes and basil leaves. Slowly add olive oil and vinegar. Blend until smooth. Set aside.

R inse and scallops and dry very well. Season with salt and pepper. In heavy skillet, pan fry scallops in olive oil until seared on one side. Do not move around in pan, just let them do their thing for about a minute and a half. Turn scallops over and dot with butter pieces. Cook until desired doneness (just firm to the touch – approximately another minute). Be careful not to overcook.  Serve with red pepper sauce on a bed of basil risotto.

Basil Risotto (from JBug’s Kitchen Antics adapted from my recipes.com)

1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped shallots

1-1/2 cups Arborio rice

3/4 cup dry white wine

6-1/2 cups low sodium chicken stock, heated to a slow simmer

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

1 Tablespoon cold butter

In bowl of a food processor, combine basil, garlic and olive oil. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Add parmesan cheese and pulse until finely ground. Set aside.

Over medium, melt butter and olive oil in a large flat bottomed pan. Add shallots and cook until transparent – about 3 or 4 minutes. Stir in Arborio rice and cook for 2 or 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Lower heat to medium low and stir in white wine. Cook, stirring until wine is incorporated into rice. Set timer for 20 minutes. Slowly add chicken stock a cup at a time, stirring constantly. Continue to add stock a cup at a time as it is absorbed by the rice, while stirring constantly. At the 18 minute mark (rice should be almost al dente’) stir in basil, garlic mixture. Cook 2 minutes longer – rice should have a slight texture when bitten into and look creamy. Stir in cold butter. 

A year ago - Pork Tenderloin Salad with Spicy Asian Dressing

Two year's ago - Imperial Rolls with Hot Chinese Mustard

Orange Sesame Albacore Tuna with Hoisin on Curried Rice Salad

Peanut butter and jelly; thunder and lightening; horse and carriage. What do these things have in common? Are you stumped?  They go with each other beautifully - I mean who has a peanut butter sandwich without the jelly?

That's what we thought about our dinner last night. Everything went together beautifully - from the fish to the curried rice salad right on down to the shredded spinach and grilled peach. It was a perfect marriage of flavor, texture, color and taste. Modest aren't we?

 

The recipe for the tuna came from the Oregon Albacore Commission which is rather fitting since the tuna came fresh off a boat at dock in Newport, Oregon. We brought the fish home to Tucson in a cooler loaded with other precious Oregon products all on dry ice. If I'd known how darn tasty it was going to be, we'd have come home with another one too - ya, think I can talk Big Guy into going back for one? It's only 1435.7 miles - 23 hours and 51 minutes. Heck, we could go there and back in a weekend but who on earth would want to leave that quickly. It is beautiful there!

The loin is marinated in a mixture of orange juice, sesame oil, mustard, fresh tarragon and sesame seeds for a few hours then grilled for about 9 minutes total. Brushed with hoisin during the last few minutes of cooking, it almost glows when it comes off the grill. 

Allowed it to rest for a few minutes, then sliced and perched on top of a curried rice salad that I threw together with ingredients hiding in the pantry and fridge, darned if it wasn't just the most perfect thing you can imagine.

If you're lucky enough to find fresh Albacore tuna, you've absolutely got to give this one a try. Albacore is way more than just a fish you find in a can and totally different in texture and flavor than sushi kind (Ahi). The marinade and hoisin glaze would work well with shrimp or halibut or even cod too. Just don't marinate them for too long otherwise the juice will "cook" the fish and you'll have something resembling ceviche which is really a whole other thing!

Hit the link and head to the Oregon Albacore Commission's site to see the recipe. We discarded the marinade rather than brushing the loin with it as it cooked - I kind of have a thing about doing that, but the flavor is not to be believed. By the way, don't forget the fresh tarragon either. The mildly sweet anise flavor is amazingly present in the tuna and definitely not in a bad way. It's a real keeper!

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

2 cups cooked basmati rice, chilled (I used leftovers)

5 assorted mini sweet bell peppers, seeded and chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup toasted almonds

2 tablespoons candied ginger, finely chopped

4 tablespoons olive oil

1-1/2 tablespoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/3 cup prepared mango chutney

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large bowl combine rice, peppers, onion, raisins, nuts and candied ginger. In a small jar with a tight fitting lid, combine olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, chutney, garlic and curry powder. Cover jar and shake well to mix. Pour over rice mixture in a bowl and taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as required. Refrigerate until serving time. 

A year ago - Maple Ginger Pork Medallions and Salad with Creamy Maple Dressing

Two year's ago - Teriyaki Salmon on Spicy Thai Noodle Salad

 

Three year's ago -  Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie

 

 

Artichoke Chicken Salad

When you've a very hungry man to feed or even a gaggle of ladies from the bridge club, then here's a super solution to have on hand for a quick summer spread. 

Not your usual chicken salad, this one's extended by using that old San Francisco treat - Rice a Roni. Not something I ordinarily have in my cupboard, when I saw this recipe in a Junior League Cookbook, Saint Louis Souvenirs, I was intrigued enough to give it a go.

Prepared Rice A Roni is spiced up a touch with marinated artichoke hearts, green onions, red and green peppers and roughly chopped black olives and chicken of course. 

The recipe called for poached chicken, but I figured a little flavor boost was in order so kicked ours up a notch by grilling the butterflied breasts for more even cooking, then brushing them with some of our kicky kumquat marmalade. While that may be a stretch for some of you, I figure the same flavors could be achieved mixing orange marmalade with a little triple sec and a chopped up habanero pepper. Brushed on the chicken at the very end of the grilling time, I also mixed some of the marmalade into a mixture of mayonnaise and sour cream to dress the salad. 

We were both surprised by how delicious this salad is; in fact it's so tasty, it had my hungry man going back for seconds and there's a bunch left for lunch today too. It makes a ton, so be prepared to enjoy some leftovers but I don't think they'll hang around for long. 

Incidentally if you're stuck at the thought of using a whole habanero pepper for the glaze, they're really not as hot as you think they are. Carefully remove the seeds and ribs and you'll lose a huge part of the fire in the pepper. As well, the smaller the mince, the hotter the glaze so leave bigger chunks and you'll cut the heat even more. Of course if you're really worried about your glaze being too spicy, you can always substitute jalapeno or serrano's too but I'll have to call you a pansy if you do. Just sayin'. 

Artichoke Chicken Salad (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Saint Louis Souvenirs)

The Salad:

1 package chicken flavored Rice a Roni

1 – 12 ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained

4 green onions, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1/2 red pepper, chopped

1 large can large pitted black olives, roughly chopped

Cook Rice a Roni according to package directions and cool. Combine with artichoke hearts, green onions, green and red pepper and black olives and refrigerate until needed.

Glaze:

2/3 cup orange marmalade

2 tablespoons triple sec (optional)

1 habanero chopped pepper, seeds and veins removed

Combine ingredients in a small bowl and heat in the microwave until marmalade has melted and mixture is hot. Set aside. Reserve 3 tablespoons of mixture for salad dressing.

The Chicken:

3 large chicken breasts washed and dried

Salt and pepper

Butter flavored cooking spray

Butterfly chicken breasts or pound to an even thickness. Season well with salt and pepper on both sides and spray liberally with cooking spray. Heat gas grill until very hot and carefully place chicken on grill. Lower temperature to medium low, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Flip chicken over, cover and cook for additional 4 minutes. Brush chicken with glaze and cook for an additional minute or until chicken is done. Remove to a plate and refrigerate until cold.

Salad Dressing:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

3 tablespoons orange/habanero glaze

Mix ingredients together and refrigerate until needed.

To serve – pile salad on plate and arrange sliced chicken over top. Top with a couple of spoonfuls of the dressing. Serves 6 to 8. 

A year ago - Sausage Meatloaf with Lemon and Parmesan

Two year's ago - Ziti with Pancetta and Fresh Tomatoes  

Chicken Risotto with Sun Dried Tomatoes, Olives and Capers

Risotto is our "go to" meal when we're needing something exceedingly delicious and relatively quick, never mind it is a dish than can easily be accomplished with a drink in hand. Drinks were a definite requirement last night, although I'll admit I was doing the drinking while Big Guy whipped up the risotto.

Flavored with pancetta, onion and garlic along with fresh and oil packed sun dried tomatoes, salty Greek olives and capers, the real picker upper in this one is the last minute addition of fresh mint. Now one would naturally think basil would be the herb of choice but believe me the mint is a great addition that really perks up the flavor of this bowl of creamy deliciousness.

The recipe's adapted from John Ash's "From the Earth to the Table" Cookbook although his version is vegetarian. You know in our house we must have meat so you'll see our adaptation below; however, don't shy away from picking up the cookbook if you've a chance. It's a real cook's book with not a photo to be found - just fabulous examples of wine country cuisine. (No, I wasn't paid to say this as Chef John Ash has no clue who the heck I am. Big Guy picked up the treasure for me on his last trip to Napa Valley.)

To update you on our "progress" here, that darn Murphy with his law was back to haunt us yesterday although after the weekend we endured it could be argued that he never left. The granite was installed yesterday on our kitchen counters but there were a couple of major screwups.... and if you're smart and thinking I'm still without a sink, you'd be absolutely 100 percent correct. 

The largest piece that was to include the undermount sink just happened to break when it was being installed and so the saga continues. The hunt was on to find another slab that matches what was already in place. If you're not up on granite, from what I can gather in my recent education, it comes in "blocks" that are cut into slabs. Of course among the blocks, there are no two pieces the same because it is a natural stone so color and pattern vary a lot. Needless to say, I was rather particular about the slabs I selected for our kitchen, so the destruction of one is a real tragedy never mind that it's not like bamboo. It doesn't grow on or like trees and the likes of it will never come again. 

The other of the 2 "bookend" slabs I picked had a large starburst pattern of quartz that was unbelievably beautiful and the main reason I had picked that particular stone in the first place. Naturally I requested the slab with the quartz  "star" receive place of honor on the new 8 foot island. That didn't happen either even though the request was marked on the paperwork and I had been VERY explicit in my instructions with the template guy.

To say I'm disappointed is putting it mildly - disappointed, frustrated and worried because we're less than 3 weeks away from a BIG party here (our turn to host the end of season class bash) and I'm still without a fully functioning kitchen. Join me if you will please in a resounding chorus of "Que Sera, Sera - whatever will be, will be..."

Chicken Risotto with Sun Dried Tomatoes, Olives and Capers from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from The Earth to the Table Cookbook Revised Edition, by John Ash)

4 ounces pancetta, finely diced

4 ounces chicken tenders, cut into bite sized pieces

2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil

1 large onion, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup Arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 quart good quality low sodium chicken stock, heated

1 cup mini plum tomatoes, halved

1/3 cup chopped oil packed sun dried tomatoes

1/3 cup kalamata olives

1 tablespoon capers

Small handful mint leaves, torn

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Fresh ground pepper & salt to taste

Heat large sauté pan over medium high heat and cook pancetta until crisp. Remove from pan and set aside. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to sauté pan. Cook, stirring until chicken is cooked through – about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Add oil to pan and when hot, add onion and garlic, cooking until onion is transparent. Stir in Arborio rice and sauté with onions, stirring to coat rice. Set stove timer for 17 minutes, and slowly start adding hot chicken stock a ladle full at a time. Continue stirring risotto, adding stock until rice no longer absorbs stock and is cooked to an al dente stage. Return chicken and pancetta to the pan, along with plum tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, kalamata olives and capers. Stir in white wine and add more stock as necessary for creamy rice. Finish with mint leaves and parmesan cheese. Makes 4 servings. 

A year ago - Chicken Paillards with Asparagus and Pancetta 

Two year's ago - White Chocolate Carousel Cake

Cajun Jambalaya

Big Guy's been after me for a month now to make something with his homemade smoked Andouille sausage so last night I tried it out in a pot of jambalaya. I've got to tell you the sausage is really superb so he's going to have to make another batch and write down his secrets so I can share it all with you.

As for the jambalaya, an Emeril Lagasse recipe via foodnetwork.com, this version starts with the usual trinity of onion, celery and green pepper, and includes copious amount of garlic and bay leaves too along with shrimp and chicken as well as the Andouille sausage I bragged about above.

I know there's at least a b'zillion recipes for jambalaya but I have to say this may be one of my least favorite versions. I should have gone with my instincts and deviated from the recipe but hesitated to do so because after all this is EMERIL; however, the flavors would have been much better had I browned the Andouille pieces till they were kinda' crunchy on the outside and coated the chicken in seasoned flour and browned it too, never mind that I overcooked the darned rice to begin with. Perhaps I'm just being overly picky since Big Guy didn't seem to have an issue with any of his servings.

Anyway - here's the link to the recipe if you're so inclined. Personally, I'd much rather have a big pot of gumbo so I'll be putting it on the menu very shortly. In the meantime, it could very well be that I'm suffering from kitchen renovation "itis" so reservations may be the order of this day and several to follow. Oh well - I guess even food blogger's hit a funk every once in a while. 

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!  

A year ago - Meatloaf Panini with Crunchy Broccoli Salad

Two year's ago - Sloppy Joe's

Kumquat Honey Butter Roasted Chicken with Curried Apple and Sweet Potato Pilaf

I consider myself extremely lucky to be sharing the kitchen with someone who loves to cook as much as I do and we make a rather incredible team if I do say so myself. Normally the barbecue/grillin' guru, my big guy's plans to spit roast a chicken were kiboshed due to a blustery stormy day so he oven roasted his first bird and did a heck of a job too.

He mixed butter with slivered kumquats, fresh thyme and rosemary along with about a tablespoon of honey and slathered it beneath the skin of the breasts and thighs of the bird. Then he stuffed the inside with about 8 more kumquats and additional rosemary before trussing it all up. Resting on a bed of onions, it hit a 400 oven for an hour and came out perfectly cooked and incredibly moist on the inside with a really crispy perfectly colored skin. Amazing! 

While my alter ego was resting on his laurels, I hit the kitchen and made a curried rice pilaf, loaded with onion, garlic, sweet potatoes and granny smith apples. Seasoned with curry powder and cumin, I added some raisins and cranberries for additional color and sweetness.

Then Big Guy returned to the kitchen to toast some gorgeous man sized croutons as a bed for the wonderful chicken and "sopper upper" of all the glorious juices and I shared the stove with him and steamed some fresh asparagus. Before we knew it after a lot of laughter and the odd stolen kiss too, dinner was on the table and I have to say, we enjoyed it immensely. 

By the way, I know we're lucky being able to pick fresh kumquats off our trees to enjoy, but if you're unable to find the little gems, substitute an orange, a tangerine or even a few cuties instead. The flavor will the slightly different, but the idea's the same. 

Oh and for heaven's sake, don't forget to hit the kitchen with your significant other. It's a great way to enjoy time together and create a fabulous dinner you can both be proud of. 

Curried Apple and Sweet Potato Pilaf (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from The Best of the Best, Best of Bridge Series Cookbooks)

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 green onions, chopped (including green part)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup uncooked long-grain rice

2 cups low sodium chicken stock

1 medium sweet potato or yam, peeled and diced

2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and diced

1/4 cup seedless raisins

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat olive oil in a medium sized saucepan over medium high heat. When oil is shimmering add onions and garlic and cook stirring constantly until slightly softened – about 2 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring for another minute. Add chicken stock and sweet potato. Bring pot to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Add apples, raisins, cranberries, curry powder, cumin and salt and toss well to combine. Cover and simmer briefly over low heat until heated through. Serves 4 to 6.

By the way, not only did Big Guy cook most of dinner, he also made the most glorious Sunday morning breakfast out of our shamrock day leftovers - see crispy outside and moist inside potato cakes made from colcannon along with crispy corned beef pieces with two perfectly poached eggs on top. It was absolutely incredibly wonderful! Now see why I brag about him all the time?

 

Lemon Risotto with Seared Scallops

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

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

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

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

Lemon Risotto (inspired by Nigella Lawson)

4 cups low sodium chicken stock

Water (if needed)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large shallots, finely chopped

1 cup Arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth

3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Juice and rind of 1 large lemon, or 2 small

2 tablespoons fresh basil chopped

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Salt and coarse ground pepper to taste

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

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

Sauteed Scallops:

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

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

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

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

Butternut Squash Risotto with Pancetta

It's hard to believe that you can start with a rock hard vegetable, add butter and heat along with a few other ingredients, throw in patience and love and end up with a luscious soul satisfying bowl of warm comforting golden goodness, isn't it?

There's no doubt in my mind that I'm the luckiest woman I know because not only was I spoiled absolutely rotten all day yesterday, but the The Big Guy cooked up a bowl of golden sunshine for dinner last night too. The fact that he holds the patience of Job means he's at his best when cooking fiddly things like risotto and he actually takes pleasure in standing at the stove stirring rice for 20 minutes straight. Imagine that!

Although he's well versed in the art of risotto making, this is his first adventure making a butternut squash version, and it certainly won't be the last if I have anything to say about it. He "chucked" up the squash (his word, not mine) topped it with a few pats of butter and roasted it in a cast iron pan in the hot oven for 40 minutes until beautifully colored and perfectly cooked then used the immersion blender to break it down, along with some chicken stock.  That golden squash "soup" was the basis of his pot of autumny bliss.

Flavored with sauteed home cured pancetta (hit link for directions on curing your own) and onion he upped the anti at the end of the cooking time with a splash or two of sherry, a touch of cream and the last 1/4 cup of squash/stock mixture. Seasoned with salt and pepper, it was a true labor of love and absolutely incredibly delicious too.

Butternut Squash Risotto with Pancetta (inspired by Cooking Light October 2011)

1-1/4 pound peeled butternut squash, cut into pieces

2 tablespoons butter

3-1/2 cups chicken stock

4-1/2 ounces pancetta, diced

1/2 medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1-1/2 cups Arborio rice

1/4 cup dry sherry (or more to taste)

1/4 cup heavy cream

Salt and coarse ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Arrange squash pieces in heavy pan (we used cast iron) and dot with butter. Roast for 40 minutes or until squash is cooked and golden brown in color. Remove to a medium sized pot. Add chicken stock and using an immersion blender, puree until smooth. Bring squash/stock mixture to a boil, remove a quarter cup of mixture and set aside, then reduce pot to a slight simmer.

Heat a flat bottomed sauté pan over medium and cook pancetta until crisp. Remove to a bowl leaving drippings in pan. Add onion and sauté until onion is softened and transparent. Remove to bowl with pancetta pieces and set aside. Add oil to sauté pan, and return pan to heat. When oil is hot, add rice and stir to coat. Lower heat rice to medium low and slowly add squash/stock mixture, three quarters of a cup to a cup at a time, stirring constantly. Note rice/stock mixture in your sauté pan should be barely bubbling as it cooks. Continue to add stock until the rice no longer absorbs the liquid and is al dente in texture (about 18 minutes). Add back the pancetta/onion mixture along with the sherry. Continue stirring mixture to incorporate new ingredients. Add cream and reserved quarter cup of squash/stock mixture. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and coarse ground black pepper as required. Serves 4. Download Butternut Squash Risotto with Pancetta

A year ago - Blueberry Roly Poly Pudding

Grilled Chicken Margarita on Green Chile Rice

Picture tender chicken pieces, marinated in lime, sugar, salt, a touch of coriander and a kiss of garlic, grilled to perfection and presented on top of a creamy cheesy green chile rice, all surrounded by grilled vegetables. I'm talkin' about last night's dinner.

It comes to us courtesy of Taste of the Territory, a wonderful cookbook put out by the Service League of Bartlesville Oklahoma and all I gotta' say is thank goodness for ingenuity. I only wish I'd taken a video because while all of this was coming together we were experiencing an unbelievable monsoon thunder storm which resulted in over 2 inches of rain in about a 2 hour time frame. Of course true to Murphy's Law, the storm hit right at the time we were supposed to be grilling our dinner in the outside kitchen, but no matter. We switched to grill pans and the Big Guy came through once again.

The result - gloriously tender kabobs of sweet, salty, lime flavored bird that really taste like a margarita sans the tequila although I'm not quite sure that the addition of a shot or two wouldn't be a good idea. The chicken would be wonderful on its own with the grilled vegetables but we went a step beyond and whipped up a casserole style rice dish, loaded with creamy ricotta, sour cream, cheese and roasted Hatch green chiles just because ya' gotta' have starch ya' know.

Grilled Margarita Chicken (Adapted from Taste of the Territory) 

1 pound chicken tenders or chicken breasts cut lengthwise into 3 pieces

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

3 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Whisk together lime juice, sugar, salt, coriander, garlic and vegetable oil. Place chicken pieces into a zip bag and pour marinade over top. Seal and refrigerate for a minimum 1 hour. Thread onto skewers and grill until done. Serve with grilled zucchini, onions and tomatoes. Serves 4 Download Grilled Margarita Chicken

Green Chile Rice Gratin (Inspired by Taste of the Territory)

3 cups cooked rice

1 cup sour cream

1 cup ricotta cheese

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

Salt and pepper to taste

1-1/4 cups grated 4 cheese blend (or Monterey jack)

Spray a gratin dish with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350. Combine cooked rice, sour cream, ricotta and green chiles. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required. Place half the mixture into prepared gratin dish. Top with half the grated cheese. Repeat. Place casserole into preheated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until hot and bubbling. Serves 6. Download Green Chile Rice Gratin

 

Chicken with Maple Mustard Glaze and Curried Rice Salad

There was plenty of kitchen witchin' going on yesterday in our house and much like a good marriage last night's two dishes truly completed each other.

Skinless boneless chicken thighs, marinated in a mixture of maple syrup, Dijon mustard, soy sauce lemon and garlic then grilled until perfect juicy little morsels all shined up with more maple glaze and sittin' pretty on top of a rice salad with plenty of attitude - well the whole thing was a meal made in heaven and once again the result of perfect teamwork.

The Big Guy's last business trip to Saratoga race track in New York resulted in another cookbook for my collection and he sure knows how to pick them! This one's the "Maple Syrup Cookbook" by Ken Haedrich and you'll be hearing about it a lot during the course of this coming week as I've planned menus that include the liquid gold he specifies.

So head on out to your favorite market and pick up a bottle of the good stuff - no substitutions please. We prefer Grade B dark maple syrup because of its intense rich flavor, but a Grade A amber either light, medium or dark will do just as well. Just don't be thinkin' about using Mrs. Butterworths because although it's a fine product it won't cut it this week. Capiche?

Chicken with Maple Mustard Glaze on a Curried Rice Salad

Maple Mustard Chicken (adapted from The Maple Syrup Cookbook by Ken Haedrich)

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

5 tablespoons Dijon mustard

4 teaspoons soy sauce

Juice of one lemon

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

2-1/2 to 3 pounds chicken pieces (I used skinless boneless thighs)

Combine maple syrup, mustard, soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic and pepper in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat a cool to room temperature.

Rinse and dry chicken well. Place in a large zip bag with half of the maple mustard glaze, reserving the other half for use when grilling. Refrigerate chicken for minimum 2 hours, turning bag half way through to distribute marinade.

Grill chicken over medium hot coals, basing with the remaining sauce until juices run clear when meat is pierced with a fork (about 20 minutes for skinless boneless thighs). Watch carefully so chicken doesn’t burn. Makes 4 servings.

Curried Rice Salad (adapted from simplyrecipes.com)

1 cup basmati rice cooked per package directions

2 tablespoons Madras or Trinidad curry powder

1/4 cup olive oil

Dash cumin and cayenne

1 large onion, chopped

3 stock celery, diced

1 green pepper, diced

3 green onions, chopped

1 cup raisins or currents, or a combination of the two

1/2 cup dried cranberries (optional)

1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chopped parsley

2 tablespoons honey or to taste

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Cook rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a medium sauté pan. Add curry powder, cumin and cayenne and cook for 30 seconds. Add chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally until onion is transparent. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with cooked rice. Cool to room temperature. Add remaining ingredients and chill until serving time. Download Chicken with Maple Mustard Glaze on a Curried Rice Salad

A year ago - Viva Italia!

  
  Antipasto Platter        Lasagne Bolognese        Profiteroles

Bacon and Tomato Risotto

A creamy bowl of filling fabulous risotto can include almost anything your heart desires and ours desired bacon and tomotoes last night. We have the Italians to thank for this incredibly versatile dish and last night's version was whipped up by none other than the Big Guy.

Our wonderful homemade bacon along with onions, garlic and fresh basil joined the arborio rice, chicken stock and freshly grated parmesan to complete this one bowl dinner. As you can likely tell by now, it's our favorite "go to" meal when we're stressed out, busy or the cupboard's almost bare. Keep some arborio rice and chicken stock in your cupboard, and you'll be guaranteed a wonderful meal.

Here's the recipe for our Basic Risotto. Use your imagination and you can come up with a multitude of different varieties - all good I might add. Last night's version may have lacked the cream and there's no way I'd let the cook touch my white wine, but the finished product was no less delicious.

Basic Risotto

4 cups good quality, low salt chicken stock

4 Tablespoons butter

1 onion, finely minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 cups Arborio rice

1/2 cup white wine

Salt & pepper

2 Tablespoons heavy cream

1/2 cup to 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Chopped fresh parsley

Heat broth in small saucepan and keep warm over low heat.

Melt butter in large flat bottomed saucepan over medium heat. When butter foams, add onion and cook stirring until onion is transparent (approx 4-5 minutes). Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add Arborio rice and stir to coat well, approximately 1 minute. Add wine and cook, stirring, until wine has is almost all reduced.  Add a ladle full of broth (approx. ¾ cup) and cook, stirring until broth has been absorbed almost completely. Continue cooking and stirring, adding broth a bit at a time until the rice is tender but firm to the bite (approx. 15 minutes).

Taste for seasoning. Add cream and 1/2 cup parmesan. Stir to combine. Rice should have a moist, creamy consistency. Serve sprinkled with additional parmesan.

For Bacon & Tomato Risotto –

Prior to cooking rice, cook 5 slices of coarsly chopped bacon until crisp. Remove from pan.Make basic risotto recipe. Prior to adding cream & parmesan, return bacon to pan and add 2 chopped tomatoes and two tablespoons chopped fresh basil. Add cream & parmesan. Cook & stir until just warmed through. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Other variations of Risotto made from the same basic recipe!

   
Italian Sausage & Mushroom                  Asparagus & Shrimp    

    
Risotto with Bolognese                          Pancetta & Artichokes

A year ago - Mahi Mahi Tacos

Grilled Lamb Chops with Wheatberry Salad

It was a good grillin' day yesterday and what's better on a hot windy desert spring day than a "cool" easy on the cook dinner of lamb chops and salad.

Our lamb loin chops got a significant head start in the flavor department thanks to a bath in a marinade made of olive oil, white wine, lots of lemon juice, garlic, parsley, rosemary and mint. They looked almost like ceviche when they went on the grill but came off looking and smelling rather wonderful.

The flavors were all there - unfortunately neither the prep cook (me) or the butcher cleaned them up enough from the start so quite honestly, other than the little tenderloin the rest of them were quite sinewy. For some reason I'm always a little hesitant to remove fat from extra lean loin chops before they're cooked, but the 8 minutes the chops spent on the grill coupled with their extra thickness meant the fat really didn't have a chance to break down anyway and it was really hard to remove from the chops at the dinner table. My bad - I should have done a better job!

As for the Wheat berry Salad - well it was a first for me cooking these little pellets of winter wheat and it certainly won't be the last. For darn sure if you're looking for a little "movement" in your life, this fiber rich grain is the one to add to your diet. In a salad filled with crunchy pistachios, fresh ginger, raisins and green onions in a lemon honey dressing, it's about as good as it gets. I added some slivered apricots and forgot the goat cheese, but I'm putting it in the recipe so you don't make the same mistake although the salad was plenty good without it.

I figure this chewy flavorful side dish will be lovely with just about anything off the grill this summer, be it chicken, fish, pork or beef, or just fine on it's own as a vegetarian dish but pretend I didn't say that OK. After all,the master of the house is a dyed in the wool carnivore. Hmmm, that was rather appropriate after a big feed of lamb chops wouldn't you say?

Grilled Lamb Chops with Herb Marinade (adapted from Canadian Living Barbecue & Summer Foods Cookbook)

Pour this marinade over a boneless leg of lamb if you prefer, then grill until medium rare and slice very thinly.

4 – 1-1/2 inch thick lamb loin chops

Marinade:

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup white wine

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

Grated rind of 1 lemon

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup chopped minced onion

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Place olive oil, white wine, lemon juice, lemon rind, garlic and onion in a deep container and whiz with an immersion blender or alternative place in a food processor and pulse until mixture emulsifies. Add salt, pepper, parsley, rosemary and mint.

Trim, wash and dry lamb loin chops and place in zip top bag. Add marinade and refrigerate 4 hours. Remove from marinade and blot slightly with paper towels. Place over hot coals on grill and cook to desired doneness (8 minutes for medium rare). Download Grilled Lamb Chops w Herb Marinade

Wheat Berry Salad with Raisins, Apricots and Pistachios (adapted from Today’s Food and Wine, MSNBC)

1 cup uncooked wheat berries (hard winter wheat)

Water to cover by 2 inches

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon honey

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

2 tablespoons peeled minced fresh ginger

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup slivered dried apricots

1/2 cup toasted pistachios

3 green onions, sliced thinly

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese (optional)

Place wheat berries in a medium sized saucepan and cover with water at least 2 inches above wheat berries. Bring to a boil, lower heat to simmer, cover and cook for 1 hour. Drain. Add remaining ingredients except for goat cheese to hot cooked wheat berries and toss well to mix. Sprinkle with goat cheese just before serving. Serve at room temperature or cold. Makes 6 servings. Download Wheatberry Salad with Raisins, Apricots and Pistachios

 

Lemon Risotto

Holy rissoley Batman - are we on to something here! With the big guy MIA for dinners this week, it means I'm cooking for one and it's always a challenge to come up with something other than a PBJ. When the incentive to cook has waned, risotto is always a great choice.

Not only is it easy to make but a splash of wine is required which means if ya' gotta' crack the bottle, ya' might as well enjoy a glass while you're cooking right? In keeping with our lemon theme, last night's risotto dish was the epitome of simplicity and darn near meatless except that I used chicken stock.  A shallot, some Arborio rice, a splash of wine, juice and rind of a lemon, a touch of fresh rosemary, a knob of butter and a little parmesan - 25 minutes and half a glass of wine later dinner was ready.

The resulting creamy concoction is tangy indeed and wonderful on its own even though I could hear a deep echo in my head saying "where's da' meat?" It would be lovely as a side with grilled chicken, or with scallops on top, or a hunk of grilled or smoked salmon or even just a couple of spears of fresh asparagus or maybe some lamb chops...guess I'm sayin' it'll be great with darn near anything. Warning...you'll be seeing it here again very, very soon!

Lemon Risotto (inspired by Nigella Lawson)

4 cups low sodium chicken stock

1 cup water (or more as needed)

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 large shallots, finely chopped

1 cup Arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Juice and rind of 1 large lemon, or 2 small

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary needles, chopped

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Salt and coarse ground pepper to taste

Heat stock and water together in a medium pot. Keep at a simmer.

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

 

Mushroom Risotto with Duck

I don't know about you but I get a little tired of all the rich excesses of the holiday season and crave some uncomplicated food every once in a while. Of course that said, I'd probably give away my left arm for a piece of that Cranberry Cheesecake right now. Ha. Christmas Eve we cooked a lovely duck on the rotisserie because the last one was darned tasty so last night's dinner made use of some of the leftovers.

The big guy makes magic with arborio rice and whipped up a batch of creamy risotto filled with onion, garlic, crimini mushrooms and duck of course. He added a little white wine for zing and a glug of cream just because, then spiced it with coarse ground pepper and a touch of sea salt and did all of this while I languished in front of the television watching an NCIS re-run.  He even brought me a glass of wine and cleaned up the kitchen after dinner. Hey, it's my birthday week and I'm milking it for everything I'm worth! Am I lucky or what?  Download Basic Risotto

Basic Risotto

4 cups good quality, low salt chicken stock

4 Tablespoons butter

1 onion, finely minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 cups Arborio rice

1/2 cup white wine

Salt & pepper

2 Tablespoons heavy cream

1/2 cup to 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Chopped fresh parsley

Heat broth in small saucepan and keep warm over low heat.

Melt butter in large flat bottomed saucepan over medium heat. When butter foams, add onion and cook stirring until onion is transparent (approx 4-5 minutes). Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add Arborio rice and stir to coat well, approximately 1 minute. Add wine and cook, stirring, until wine has is almost all reduced.  Add a ladle full of broth (approx. ¾ cup) and cook, stirring until broth has been absorbed almost completely. Continue cooking and stirring, adding broth a bit at a time until the rice is tender but firm to the bite (approx. 15 minutes).

Taste for seasoning. Add cream and 1/2 cup parmesan. Stir to combine. Rice should have a moist, creamy consistency. Serve sprinkled with additional parmesan.

For Mushroom Risotto with Duck –

Half way through rice’s cooking period, add 2 cups coarsely chopped mushrooms and continue cooking Arborio as above. Add 1-1/2 cups chopped cooked duck approximately 3 minutes before serving, just to warm it through.  Serves 4 to 6.

Duck with Pomegranate Chile Sauce

Thanksgiving is but a whisper away which means Christmas is just around the corner. Yikes. I don't know about you, but I've been wondering what the heck I'm going to cook for Christmas dinner now that I have our Thanksgiving menu all sewed up. Well, the big guy may have come up with the perfect solution.

Saturday he took a "dead duck" and gave it the hot water treatment - pricked the skin, hung it up and poured several pots of hot water over the bird to loosen the skin and dissolve some of the fat underneath it. After it hung over the sink to drip dry, it spent the night in the refrigerator, uncovered, on cooling racks over a sheet pan so air could circulate and dry the bird further. If it seems like a lot of trouble to you, it's worth it because the end result will be wonderfully crisp skin. Really, what in the world can be better than that?

 Late yesterday afternoon the bird was stuffed with fresh oranges and placed on the Weber rotisserie over charcoal and a hunk of alder wood for an hour and a half to get happy. The big guy babied his duck and basted it during the last 20 minutes or so with an unbelievable glaze, recipe courtesy of none other than last December's Bon Appetit.

Made from our home grown pomegranates, the sauce included reduced pomegranate juice, chicken stock, dried chiles and a little adobo sauce from canned chipotles. Further reduced to a syrup consistency, the end result was a beautifully colored, perfectly moist bird, with a crisp skin and just the right touch of sweetness from the pomegranates and heat from the chiles. The ultimate palate pleaser!

Served with our favorite fruit and nut filled wild rice salad, Download Fruity Wild Rice Salad wouldn't you agree it looks like Christmas on a plate?

 

Duck with Pomegranate Chile Sauce (adapted Bon Appetit, December 2009)

Sauce:

1/3 cup sugar

½ cup water

2 cups pomegranate juice

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

3 large dried New Mexico chiles

1 large dried Pasilla (Ancho)

1-1/2 teaspoons adobo sauce from canned chipotles

1-1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

Coarse salt and fresh ground black pepper

Stir sugar and water together in a large heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves.  Increase heat and boil until syrup is a deep amber color – about 8 minutes. Add juice, broth and chiles. Boil until sauce is reduced to 1-1/2 cups (about 25 minutes). Set aside to cool. Puree in blender until smooth. Whisk in adobo sauce, vinegar and cumin. Season with salt and pepper.  If you’d like a thicker sauce return sauce to a pot and cook over medium high heat until it is of the desired consistency. Cover and chill – rewarm before using.

Duck:

One 6 pound duck, defrosted

1 large orange, cut in quarters

Salt & pepper

Fresh pomegranate seeds for garnish

Remove any excess fat from inside duck and discard giblets. Prick skin of duck being careful not to cut into the flesh. Hang duck up over kitchen sink, and pour a quart of boiling water over the outside on all sides. Repeat boiling water process 3 times. Let duck hang for 30 minutes to drip dry, then place on cooling racks over a sheet pan and refrigerate uncovered overnight.

Next day salt and pepper inside of duck and stuff with orange sections. Place on rotisserie and roast until internal temperature reaches 165. Approximately 20 minutes before duck has finished cooking, brush several times with sauce. Remove from heat and let rest 15 minutes before carving.  Serve garnished with pomegranate seeds and more sauce on the side. Download Duck with Pomegranate Chile Sauce

 

Bacon and Tomato Risotto

The big guy cooked again last night, and that was after spending the day tooling around town getting groceries, taking our elliptical in for repair and looking after me. Yes I'm sick again, having finally succumbed to the cold that's been making the rounds. Darn thing is the gift that just keeps on giving but I'm being VERY well cared for including but not limited to great food, hot bourbon toddies and cuddles. Now if I can just talk him into ironing his shirts I'll have it made. LOL

The big guy's the master risotto maker around here as I've mentioned before and last night's effort included bacon, onion, lots of garlic, tomatoes and more BACON! I mean honestly how can you go wrong with that? Truly quick and easy, risotto takes 10 minutes to prep, 20 minutes to cook and about 5 minutes to inhale.

It is so incredibly delicious and very simple to make - just think of it as the Italian version of fried rice and don't be intimidated by the 20 minutes of stirring it takes. The time goes by very quickly and the bonus is you get to watch the miracle of dry separated rice morphing into a creamy mass of tummy warming goodness.

Here's the recipe for our Basic Risotto. Use your imagination and you can come up with a multitude of different varieties - all good I might add.

Basic Risotto

4 cups good quality, low salt chicken stock

4 Tablespoons butter

1 onion, finely minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 cups Arborio rice

1/2 cup white wine

Salt & pepper

2 Tablespoons heavy cream

1/2 cup to 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Chopped fresh parsley

Heat broth in small saucepan and keep warm over low heat.

Melt butter in large flat bottomed saucepan over medium heat. When butter foams, add onion and cook stirring until onion is transparent (approx 4-5 minutes). Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add Arborio rice and stir to coat well, approximately 1 minute. Add wine and cook, stirring, until wine has is almost all reduced.  Add a ladle full of broth (approx. ¾ cup) and cook, stirring until broth has been absorbed almost completely. Continue cooking and stirring, adding broth a bit at a time until the rice is tender but firm to the bite (approx. 15 minutes).

Taste for seasoning. Add cream and 1/2 cup parmesan. Stir to combine. Rice should have a moist, creamy consistency. Serve sprinkled with additional parmesan.

For Bacon & Tomato Risotto –

Prior to cooking rice, cook 5 slices of coarsly chopped bacon until crisp. Remove from pan.Make basic risotto recipe. Prior to adding cream & parmesan, return bacon to pan and add 2 chopped tomatoes and two tablespoons chopped fresh basil. Add cream & parmesan. Cook & stir until just warmed through. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Other variations of Risotto made from the same basic recipe!

   
Italian Sausage & Mushroom                  Asparagus & Shrimp    

    
Risotto with Bolognese                          Pancetta & Artichokes

Mediterranean Style Stuffed Peppers

I was chatting with our sweet Sophia the other day and she mentioned she was cooking stuffed peppers for dinner. That was just the nudge I needed to add peppers to our menu this week. The supply is certainly plentiful this time of year and the prices go down accordingly so it seemed like a no brainer.

Although I'd just as soon have made a version that we've posted here before, I thought I'd give 'em a different twist and try a Mediterranean translation, adapted from Cooking Light. I known, I know - I can hear you now. What exactly constitutes a Mediterranean style stuffed pepper anyway? I don't know about you but when I think of Mediterranean, I think of lamb and therefore mint. The stuffing for these giant orbs holds true to that theory with couscous replacing the usual rice, along with lots of onion, garlic, lemon and fresh parsley too.They're light, summery and not at all like our usual stuffed peppers.

Did we like 'em? Well, I thought they needed more seasonings along with some kind of sauce. I really should have kept my opinion to myself because the big guy took it to heart and used the better part of a bottle of hot sauce on them. But that's just us and you all know subtle isn't a word in our vocabulary. You give 'em a try and tell me what you think, OK?

Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers

4 red, yellow or orange bell peppers or a combination

1-1/2 cups chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh mint

1 Tablespoon olive oil

8 ounces ground lamb

5 Tablespoons lemon juice, divided

1 – 2/3 cups low sodium chicken broth

1-1/4 cups couscous

1 cup chopped fresh parsley

Salt and pepper

2 Tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

Wash and dry peppers well. Cut in half lengthwise through stems, and remove seeds. Place cut side down onto basing sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 450 for 13 to 18 minutes or until lightly browned and tender. Remove from oven and set aside. 

In a large pan over high heat, heat olive oil. Add onions, garlic, thyme, mint and rosemary and cook until onions are soft and just beginning to brown (5 minutes). Add ground lamb and cook crumbling until lamb is browned (2 to 3 minutes). Add half of the lemon juice.  Stir in broth and couscous. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, cover and set aside for 5 minutes. Stir in parsley, remaining lemon juice and taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper as required.

Turn cooked pepper halves over and fill with lamb/couscous mixture. Top with sprinkle of feta cheese. Bake for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.   Serves 4.

 

Cornish Hens with Orange Pistachio Wild Rice Salad

There's poulet and there's poussin and there's pullets. Confused? Oh good! Last night's dinner was all of the above. Cornish Game Hens are just regular chickens only they meet their Waterloo when they're young and supposedly tender. Quite honestly I've never been much of a fan but that is likely due to the fact that I didn't know how to cook the darn things. The big guy took care of that little problem and hold onto your shorts - he's actually going to share his secret. 

He cut the backbone of each bird out using kitchen shears, then spread it out spatchcock style. That's not the end of it though. The big guy takes it a step farther and actually removes the bones from everything but the wings and the legs. Now imagine your big guy deboning an iddy biddy cornish game hen? Mine does...neener, neener.LOL

Then he sprinkled both sides of each bird with lemon pepper, salt and granulated garlic. Removed to a large zip bag they marinated for an hour in a combination of the juice of one half lemon, juice of one and a half limes and the juice of a clementine - you could use an orange (he was just showing off). He also added a quarter cup of olive oil to the bag, zipped it up and let'em get all happy. 

He cooked them over charcoal, skin side down on direct heat for 8 minutes, flipped them over on direct heat for another 7 minutes then slid them over to the cooler side of the grill, slathered them with a mix of my homemade Kumquat Tangelo Marmalade and a little water and cooked them for another 2 minutes. They were perfectly tender, moist and flavorful with very crispy wonderful dark skin thanks to the marmalade glaze - just the way we like 'em. (We love our carcinogens.)

While he was prepping the bird, he also helped prep the Orange Pistachio Wild Rice Salad that we served along side the cluck. This salad is adapted from Ellie Krieger at Food Network and combines wild and brown rice with orange, basil, red onion and toasted pistachios. We also added 8 beautifully ripened seeded and sliced kumquats from our trees. The trees are just getting ready to bloom again so we cleaned 'em of the last golden orbs and before Thanksgiving we'll be enjoying a bumper crop.

My critique about the salad - now I could have said nothing and let you reach your own conclusion, but after all wild rice ain't that cheap so I'm going to be dead honest. I didn't like the salad much - it was mushy and kind of milquetoastesque...now there's a word for the week. Instead if you're going to make a wild rice salad, try the one we made last August or even a combination of the two. My favorite is full of wild and white rice, cooked separately so they don't turn to mush and then combined with toasted pecans,apricots, and dried cranberries in an orange and balsamic vinaigrette. It is absolutely bar none - THE BEST! Just sayin'. See?  Now honest, tell me...which one would you rather eat?

 
I'll send you to Ellie's but honestly and you can reach your own conclusions, but have I ever lied to you before?  Here's the better one.  Download The BEST Wild Rice Salad

Pork Chops with Balsamic Reduction and Red Pepper Grits

Before I go into telling you about last night's dinner, I've got to give myself 20 lashes with a wet noodle. You see I tried something yesterday that I've never done before and now I'm wondering what took me so darn long.

As you all know the pork we buy these days is so incredibly lean it's very difficult to cook in a way that will leave it moist and flavorful. Last night's chops were cut from a pork loin roast I bought at Fry's on Monday - hey their loin roasts were on sale, but the chops were an unbelievable price so I figured I'd just cut 'em myself from the loin roast. Instead of planning ahead, the chops came out of the freezer to thaw yesterday noon and at 4 bells I figured I'd look into brining them. I know...I shoulda' thought about it sooner, but honestly 2 and a half hours in the brine really did the trick - in fact from what I gather, chops need a minimum of 30 minutes and a maximum of 8 hours. Download Pork Chops with Balsamic Reduction

Before cooking, I dried the center cut loin chops off with a paper towel then dusted them with pepper and sauteed them in a very hot cast iron skillet for a total of 8 minutes - 4 minutes a side. They were removed from the pan and kept warm while I deglazed the pan which took a whole 30 seconds or less. I took the pan off the heat, added a balsamic/honey combination and all hell broke loose. Don't be an "idjut" like I was - for heavens sake step back when you do it and don't breathe in. I darn near asphyxiated myself. Rest assured I made a VERY quick recovery once dinner was on the table.

Those balsamic glazed chops were amazing - moist, I mean really really moist and full of flavor. I know I should have taken a picture of the chop after a bite to show you just how juicy it was, but we were too darn busy chowing down what turned out to be an incredible dinner to even think about taking another picture. Best pork chop I've ever cooked! No kidding!

As as for the grits - picture creamy, cheesy grits with a touch of garlic,and loaded with roasted red peppers. Do I need to say anymore? Download Roasted Red Pepper Grits

Braised Short Ribs with Polenta

The big guy's hunting side kick, John, was here yesterday so I planned "man" food for dinner. John left after breakfast this morning and the big guy's off Thursday after class for their annual javelina huntin' trip. I usually spend the next 10 days praying the hunt is less than successful and quite honestly I think for the guys it's just an excuse to get away from the women anyway.

Last night's dinner was a send off of sorts with these fabulous braised short ribs flavored with pancetta, onions, and red wine. Adapted from The Pioneer Woman's recipe, it's chock full of flavor and certainly filled the neighborhood with a sweet aroma. I know that for a fact because we sat outside on the patio and enjoyed the sun for the three hours it was cookin' and believe me, we could smell it plum good from there. I pretty much followed Ree's recipe, but added quartered mushrooms, beautiful little fresh pearl onions, garlic, a bay leaf and canned consomme as well as the beef broth. I find using consomme really adds depth to a beef braise.

I also cooked up Ree's recipe for creamy polenta with goat cheese to go with the braised short ribs and believe me, they're a great "with" to sop up the wonderful gravy. The big guy said he really liked them too, but had a hankering for some biscuits and mashed potatoes. Oh well, maybe next time right babe? Rounded out by some roasted parsnip and brussels sprouts, it was a perfectly delicious Sunday night dinner - maybe not so healthy, but perfectly delicious!

Today I'm going to get my kitchen back in order after this marathon cooking weekend and then maybe take a long nap with the Maxer dawg. I think I'm gettin' too darn old for this stuff because I'm exhausted. Boy, that's sure hard on the old ego. Oh one more thing - after being on this moderation plan for a month I'm convinced one can get really sick of food when you have too much of it. That's kind of where I'm at today, but trust me round about 6 tonight I'll be back in the kitchen cookin' dinner. 

Lamb Shank Ragu with Cheesy Grits

Yesterday was a wild day - just wild. Guess I live such a quiet life, that when busy hits I just don't know how to handle the stress. The big guy's away this week living the high life in a fancy hotel. The only thing is, that fancy hotel's in Tucson and no, I'm not going with him. It's impossible to find someone to take care of an epileptic dog, so Max and I get to stay home. Hey, we'd get bored with all that high class food anyway!

As well as having to do some shopping yesterday morning, with 6 stops on our grand tour of Tucson, Max and I also put together a bunch of goodie bags for the big guy and packed suitcases for his week hob nobbing with the mucky mucks. Ya, my Eastern Oregon cowboy's gotta' get fancy this week - he hates it, but I think he looks darned handsome in all his finery. Of course, he would normally have helped with all this, but he spent the day in meetings so I wanted to welcome him home after a hard day with a dinner that would smell and taste incredible. You know...so maybe he'd miss us tons while he's gone!

This recipe for Lamb Shank Ragu is from October's Gourmet Magazine and it certainly lived up to its billing. After reading the comment section in Epicurious, I decided to double the number of lamb shanks knowing the size of our appetites, and I cooked them in a 350 oven rather than on top of the stove.The house was filled with the incredible aroma of bourbon - yup, there's a whole cup of it in addition to red onion, garlic, sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms, fennel and some great spices. That certainly got the big guy's attention when he opened the door! As for the grits - well I admit I used my own recipe that I kind of made up as I went. That way I got to taste test as I was creating them - good heavens, I love those things! The big guy wrote down the quantities as we went along so here's the result - creamy, cheesy and fabulous ...I promise I'll try and work on the modesty. Download Cheese Grits JBug Style

The verdict - we quite liked it. In fact it's almost a toss up between this one and another recipe in this blog for Lamb Shanks. You decide which one you like best but be sure you let me know what you think OK? 

Risotto With Asparagus And Shrimp

The big guy's the one that cooks risotto in this house, so last night I'm the one that watched and drank wine while he did all the work. Course it wasn't without constant nagging on my part - hey the inside kitchen's my domain so I should get to express my opinion, right?

For all my comments, hints, nagging and "don't ya' think you shoulds", the big guy makes a mean pot of risotto all by himself. In fact, before we were married it was his "go to" dish of choice - that is when steak wasn't on the menu, so he can make it blindfolded or otherwise impaired.  He starts by sauteing onions, garlic and shallots in olive oil until soft, then adds the arborio rice, gives it a good stir and lets it cook until it starts looking a little transparent. At this point he sets the timer for 20 minutes and starts adding the heated stock in half cup increments, stirring continuously. By 8 minutes on the clock, the arborio rice has slowed its absorption of stock, and at this point he adds some white wine. At the 5 minute mark, the asparagus which had been sliced into coins hit the pot followed by the raw shrimp at 3 minutes. At the buzzer, he adds the butter, then the cream and parmesan cheese. Voila', like magic the rice is cooked in all it's shiny, creamy glory. Download Risotto With Asparagus And Shrimp

The big guy swears by the use of the timer to make consistently good risotto - and believe me, he does make it that way ALL the time. No matter what the additions - bacon, italian sausage, chicken or whatever's in the pantry, his risotto always turns out perfectly, with or without my "help" I might add.