JBug's Kitchen Antics

Mixed Greens and Herb Salad with Figs and Walnuts

I'm as guilty as the next person in sticking to the usual tried and true mixed green salad so I'm here to tell you about a new kid on the block. 

Imagine the impact on the old taste buds of fresh herbs including parsley, mint, dill and chives tossed with fresh mixed greens and topped with tiny slices of dried figs, crunchy toasted walnuts and shaved pecorino romano cheese. Add a jar of rich and creamy dressing, sweet with maple syrup and tart from balsamic to the equation along with a touch of garlic and a hint of mustard. Pretty darned amazing! 

We took it a step farther last night. I left out the cheese and topped the salad with a piece of broiled salmon garnished with crisp and salty bacon. Sublime? You bet! Perfect after a day spent on the Alsea River fishing for Chinook on a not so typical 80 degree day on the Oregon coast. OK  - now I'm bragging! 

So shoot me. 

Mixed Greens and Herb Salad with Walnuts and Figs (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Food & Wine; Dressing from Maple Syrup Cookbook by Ken Haedrich)

 8 cups mixed greens

4 ounces sliced dried black mission figs

1/2 cup toasted walnuts

1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves

1/4 cup torn fresh mint leaves

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives

1 ounce shaved pecorino romano cheese (optional)

In a large bowl, toss together greens, walnuts, and herbs. Top with cheese. To serve, pass dressing on the side.

Maple Balsamic Dressing:

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Juice of 1 lime

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup canola or peanut oil

Salt & coarse ground black pepper

Combine vinegar, maple syrup, lime, garlic and mustard in a blender. Pulse well. With motor running add oil slowly until dressing is emulsified. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Makes 1-1/2 cups. Store tightly covered in refrigerator. 

Catching Up

We've had friends visiting for the past couple of days and when it comes to summer entertaining and this type A personality, planning ahead is the key to keeping life rolling along as it should. It certainly kept J'Bug semi sane although Max and Finnigan's varying degrees of social skills or lack thereof darn near put me over the edge. Anyway, here's the low down on some of our menus during the past week.

Korean Barbecue Flanken Ribs is a perfect summer night dinner because the meat marinates for a minimum 24 hours before it hits a super hot grill for a grand total of 2 minutes per side. The combination of hoisin sauce and sugar in the marinade never mind lots of minced garlic and fresh ginger make for a fabulously caramelized crunch on the outside and fork tender juiciness on the inside of the ribs. 

Along with a made in advance Spicy Noodle Salad chock a block full of colorful veggies such as carrots, green onions, julienned mini sweet bell peppers and and snow peas and a crunchy ramen noodle slaw, dinner was super easy on the cook. 

 

Of course we also had to take advantage of the riches Neptune bestows and enjoyed crab caught by you know who, roasted in the oven accompanied by a rich and buttery orange sauce perfect for dipping bread fresh from the oven. I know I've bragged about this particular dish before but it is one of our favorite ways to prepare our local Dungeness crab. Along with a salad, it makes for another easy on the cook dinner. Here's the link the recipe for Oven Roasted Crab with Orange Butter Sauce and I'm telling you, it is amazing. Just be sure to keep the cool white wine flowing and a roll of paper towels on the table and you'll have a bunch of happy people. 

When you're looking for something quick and easy, you don't have to look any farther than bonless chicken thighs on the grill.

In our case we enjoyed a re-run of the Mustard Maple Marinated Chicken from way back in 2011, grilled up all crisp and crunchy and accompanied by a curry flavored orzo salad - same as the recipe on the link with orzo pasta instead of basmati rice for no other reason than I just wanted to give it a try, particularly after the fabulous cold lemony orzo and asparagus combination we had a while ago. 

Just so you know, I whipped up the sauces, marinades and salad dressings all in advance and stored them in the refrigerator until they were needed. Some of the veggies were pre-prepped as well and that means I got to spend less time in the kitchen and more time with the wine bottle(s) and the guests. 

 

 

 

 

 

Ritzy Crispy Halibut

I'm not sure who started the rumor that tuna is chicken of the sea because in our house halibut holds the honor. Now there are tons of ways halibut can be cooked although I have to admit it is the one fish I have difficulty with because it goes from being barely cooked to tinder dry in less than a minute. Last night's creation is definitely going on our keeper list because it makes me look like I know what I'm doing. 

Last week when Big Guy's buddy John was here crabbing I cooked up a mess of oven fried chicken to take to them on the boat for their dinner. It got me thinking how fabulous halibut would be treated to a buttermilk/hot sauce bath followed by a roll in equal parts crushed crackers and flour finished by a short trip in a saute pan. 

I was right too. Don't you love when that happens? Moist and flaky meaty fish in a crisp but light coating - heck the 9 minutes cooking time was darn near perfect. It had Big Guy insisting we follow up with a repeat in the very near future. That's high praise from the guy that caught the fish in the first place. 

Buttermilk Ritzy Halibut (an original from JBug's Kitchen Antics inspired by myrecipes.com)

1 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoons hot sauce (I used Franks)

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or lemon pepper

2 - 6 ounce pieces halibut - approx 1-1/2 inches thick

Whisk together buttermilk, hot sauce, onion powder, salt and pepper. Pour into a  zip bag and add halibut pieces. Marinate in refrigerator for 30 to 45 minutes. 

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup cracker crumbs (I used crushed Ritz)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 425. Mix together flour, cracker meal, salt and pepper in shallow bowl. Remove fish from marinade (discard marinade) and coat one piece of fish at a time with flour/cracker meal, shaking off excess. Place onto a wire rack and allow to sit for 10 minutes before continuing. Heat butter and oil in a large oven proof skillet. Add fish and cook until golden brown 3 of 4 sides over medium heat - about two minutes per side. Flip halibut onto 4th side and immediately place into preheated oven for 2 to 3 minutes or until fish is just cooked. Remove from oven and allow to rest (uncovered) for a minute before serving. 

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

OK so summer may not be offical yet at least as far as the calendar goes but the air is scented with the first sign of the season - at least in our house it is. We've a dehydrator full of ruby red Hood strawberries on the go and believe you me, you can't beat the aroma of those beauties.

That, along with 8 one quart bags of the gems in the freezer and this pie took care of two flats of the juicy sweet berries to say nothing of our Saturday afternoon. Talk about a labor of love. 

Now I don't know about you but the combination of rhubarb and berries, just about any berry, is definitely high on my list of personal favorites and while I'm known to mix rhubarb with rapsberries as a first choice, strawberries come in a very close second. I love the color, the flavor and the appearance of a fruit pie particularly when granulated (aka instant) tapioca and cornstarch are used as thickeners because the juices stay clear and the color true.

That's what I did here and believe you me, this pie's a real winner. Just remember to let the fruit filling mascerate for at least 15 minutes with the sugar/tapioca mixture before it goes between the crusts and for heaven's sake, let the pie burp a bit before you remove it from the oven. Afterall, that's what makes it beautiful. Just sayin'. 

JBug’s Strawberry Rhubarb Pie an original from JBug’s Kitchen Antics

Pastry: (adapted from Ina Garten)

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter

1/3 cup very cold shortening

1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water

Place flour, salt and sugar in food processor with steel blade and pulse a few times to combine. Add butter and shortening cut into cubes to dry ingredients and pulse processor 10 to 12 times or until butter is the size of peas. With motor running gradually add ice water and pulse until pastry comes together. Place pastry into a large zip bag and form into a flattened disc. Press all the air out of the bag and seal. Refrigerate for a minimum half hour.

Pie Filling:

3 cups sliced rhubarb (frozen, slightly defrosted is fine)

3 cups fresh whole strawberries

1-1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup granulated tapioca

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon butter

In a large bowl whisk together sugar, tapioca, cornstarch, vanilla and salt.  Add rhubarb and berries and fold together. Let sit for minimum 15 minutes before continuing.

To make pie – Preheat oven to 400. Divide pastry disc in half and roll out on a well floured board. Line bottom of deep pie tin leaving a 1 inch overhang. Fill with fruit and dot with butter. Roll out top crust and arrange over fruit filling. Seal edges and flute. Decorate as you wish and cut slashes in top crust to allow steam to escape. Place pie tin on lower rack of oven and put a baking sheet underneath to catch any drips. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until crust is golden and juices run clear. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature before cutting. Refrigerate any leftovers. 

Roasted Lemon Chicken with Croutons

You know we've made this before, several times in fact, but why deprive yourself right? That's the reason I created a category under "JBug's Favorites". This Ina Garten recipe for lemon roasted chicken is beyond compare I swear but there is a secret to it. The results are all in the pan. In other words if you use a different pan, you'll get different results. Check this out.

Case Number 1 - way back in December 2010, I made this recipe for the first time. I used a shallow very large cast iron pan and the results are clear to see. Plump bird sitting on a bed of dark and crispified onions and very little pan juices to speak of. Cast iron cooks hotter so there's no chance for the juices to accumulate.

Case Number 2 - on November, 2011 we enjoyed this beauty again and if you see a pattern, you'll know it is because this was the time of year in Tucson that our Meyer lemon tree was overloaded with fruit. On this occasion, the bird was cooked in a large 2 inch high roasting pan and while the use of Meyer lemon's with their additional sugar content may account for the color of the onions and lemons, it is also due to the use of a larger pan with more surface area and consequently more evaporation of the juices. 

Now, if you're looking for a plump juicy bird like the others, but want a saucier version with tender braised onions and sweet/sour roasted lemons then put it in a pan that fits the bird like the one I used last night.

      

A vintage graniteware "Savory" roaster given to us as a wedding gift back in 2000, you can imagine the number of birds this speckled beauty has cooked over the years. Obviously beautifully engineered, you'll notice it has a hollowed out bottom and a double walled construction. They just don't make 'em like that anymore so if you can find one, snap it up.

It is totally responsible for last night's perfectly cooked golden colored juicy, lemony bird sitting in a puddle of richly flavored juices with braised onions and sweet/sour roasted lemons. Not a charred anything in sight and perfect spooned onto crisp croutons and moist tender bird. Kinda' makes me want to make it all over again. Just sayin'. 

Roasted Chicken on Croutons (from JBug's Kitchen Antics adapted from Ina Garten)

1 – 3 to 5 pound chicken

2 medium yellow onions, sliced

Olive oil

Coarse sea salt, pepper, thyme, oregano

2 lemons, quartered

2 tablespoons butter

6 cups 3/4 inch bread cubes (I used Italian bread)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Place onions on bottom of roasting pan. Wash and dry chicken inside and outside. Season inside the bird with salt, pepper and sprinkle with thyme and oregano. Stuff with one lemon. Tuck pieces of butter under the skin over the breasts and slather rest of butter over bird. Season with more salt and pepper.  Tie bird’s legs together with kitchen twine, tuck wings under and place on top of onions. Spread remaining lemon pieces around bird. Roast for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 40 minutes depending on size of the bird or until juices run clear when pierced between the leg and thigh.

Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat to shimmering. Add bread cubes, lower heat to medium low and cook cubes, tossing often until golden brown and crisp. Sprinkle with coarse salt and fresh ground black pepper. Place croutons on plate and place sliced chicken on top, along with pan juices, onions and lemon pieces.  Serves 4 to 6.

Two years ago - Shrimp, Andouille and White Bean Stew 

 Three years ago - Hoppin' John

 

 

 

Pot Roast with Sweet Bell Peppers

When the winds are howling, the seas roaring and it is raining like a banshee, there's nothing better than a sweet smelling pot roast in the oven. 

Another of JBug's favorites, this one includes sweet bell peppers (assorted mini sweet peppers in my case), onions and lots of garlic in a beefy red wine and tomato sauce. Flavored with red pepper flakes, dried thyme and bay leaves, the pot roast hit the oven covered and braised for a full 1-1/2 hours before I removed the lid.

A half hour later the sauce was the perfect consistency and the meat nicely tender - perfect with a knob of chunky red potato mash, or as Big Guy prefers, on a bed of buttery flakey biscuits (or both). Put this one on your list of must haves because I'm pretty sure you won't be disappointed. 

Bell Pepper Pot Roast (Recipe adapted from Nick Stellino’s Mediterranean Flavors)

3 lb. chuck roast, well tied

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

3 Tablespoons flour

 

4 Tablespoons olive oil

5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

12 to 15 assorted mini sweet bell peppers, tops removed

1 large onion, cut into 1-1/2” pieces

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons dried thyme

2 bay leaves

1 cup dry red wine (I used Merlot)

3 cups good quality beef stock

1 cup tomato sauce

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

Heat large Dutch oven until hot over medium heat. Add 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Season roast with salt & pepper. Coat with flour on all sides. Sear in hot oil until well browned on all sides. Remove from pan & set aside.

Heat remaining 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Add peppers, onion, garlic and sauté for 5 minutes. Add red pepper flakes, dried thyme, and bay leaves. Stir in dry red wine and cook until wine is reduced by half. Add roast back to pan along with beef stock, tomato saucce and paste. Bring pot to a boil.

Place pot in 325 Oven for 1-1/2 hours. Remove lid and cook additional 30 minutes or until roast is done and liquid has thickened. Stir in parsley & serve.

Two years ago - Creamy Turkey Noodle Soup With Cranberry Sour Cream Biscuits

Three years ago - Really Good Stew

Pasta with Chicken, Mushrooms and Tarragon

Dinner last night was ready in no time and darned tasty it was too and if you're thinking we've been eating a lot of pasta lately, you'd be right. You know what happened when we cut out the carbs last time? We both got the flu so to heck with that noise. Carb city here we come. 

Nothing out of the ordinary here. Chunks of chicken breast seasoned and lightly dusted with flour hit a frying pan until golden followed by sauteed cremini mushrooms, minced garlic and dried tarragon. A few good glugs of white wine (my precious FlipFlop Chardonnay to be exact, but any good quality dry white would be fine), a little heavy cream, a splash of pasta water and some chunky pasta and you're almost done. A handful of chopped fresh parsley, a sprinkle of grated parmesan and it's chow time.

Add a crisp salad and a glass of wine and you'll think you're celebrating. Why not, right?

 

Pasta with Chicken, Mushrooms and Tarragon (an original from JBug’s Kitchen Antics)

1 pound skinless boneless chicken breast cut into 1 inch pieces

2 tablespoons instant blending flour

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons butter, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

3/4 cup dry white wine

3/4 cup heavy cream

Reserved pasta cooking water

8 ounces pasta, cooked to package directions and drained

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Heat 1 tablespoon each butter and olive oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and dust with flour. Cook in sauté pan until golden brown on all sides – about 5 minutes. Remove to a bowl and keep warm. Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil and butter to the pan and when melted add mushrooms and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are golden. Add tarragon and cook another 30 seconds. Add white and cook for a minute. Return chicken to the pan along with heavy cream. Cook until bubbling, and then add cooked pasta. Toss pasta with chicken and sauce, adding reserved pasta cooking water to achieve a creamy consistency. When pasta has absorbed the sauce and mixture is hot, add parsley and cheese. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.  Garnish with additional cheese. Makes 4 to 6 servings. 

A year ago - Individual Pulled Pork Pies

Two years ago - Ham and Swiss Quiche

Chocolate Raspberry Brownie Truffle Torte

Brownie's are kind of a crap shoot in JBug's Kitchen. There's just some things I can never get right, ya' know what I mean? I love a dense chewy brownie but unfortunately mine often turn out dry and cakey and edible only if topped with a half inch thick layer of chocolate buttercream and a scoop of vanilla with a drizzle of chocolate sauce. Darn!

At least that was the case until this recipe adapted from The Best of Bridge Ladies came along. Now I use it all the time whenever I'm craving brownies or want to come up with a special dessert, particularly since Big Guy's absolutely nuts about chocolate raspberry anything. Who doesn't like that combination, right?

Picture if you will, a torte with a chewy chocolate brownie base loaded with dark cocoa, butter and raspberry jam.  Baked until it still has a little "jiggle" in the middle, the base is cooled before it is topped with a layer of chocolatey cream, then finished with a disc of chocolate raspberry flavored "fudge". Ooo la la. I'm tellin' ya, it is to die for.

You're looking at our Christmas dessert and the best thing about it ...it took us the whole of Christmas week to finish it off. Oh my gosh my golly who needs mistletoe and holly. I'll be making it again PDQ!

Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Torte (a JBug's Kitchen original adapted from Best of Bridge Series Cookbooks)

Base:

9 level tablespoons good quality unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces

1/4 cup raspberry jam (I used seedless)

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup flour

Preheat oven to 350. Line 8 inch round pan with removable bottom with parchment paper. Spray with cooking spray. Set aside. Combine cocoa, butter and jam in a small saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring constantly until butter has melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and set aside. Using electric mixer, beat eggs until light and foamy. Add sugar, vanilla and chocolate mixture and beat well to combine. Stir in flour mixing just until blended (be careful not to over mix at this point). Spread batter into prepared pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or just until cake has set and has a little “jiggle” in the center. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Remove from oven and place on a rack. Run a sharp knife around the inside of the pan but do not remove cake from pan. Cool completely.

Chocolate Cream:

8 ounces semi sweet chocolate pieces

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup hot milk

Place chocolate, egg and vanilla into blender container and pulse until chocolate is chopped. With the motor running, pour in hot milk and blend until smooth. Pour over cooled brownie layer. Refrigerate for 45 minutes.

Topping:

2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 tablespoons raspberry jam

2 tablespoons butter

4 ounces semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped (do not use unsweetened)

Combine cream, jam and butter in a small pot and heat over medium low heat stirring constantly until butter is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and add chocolate, stirring until chocolate has melted. Cool until just starting to thicken – about 30 minutes.

Pour topping into middle of the cake onto partially set chocolate cream and spread slightly to within 1 inch of the edge. Return to refrigerator until set. (Takes about 3 hours).

Slice cake into small wedges and top with whipped cream. Garnish with fresh raspberries

 A year ago - Hash Brown Casserole

Two years ago - Pan Fried Tilapia with Romesco Sauce 

Three years ago - Chocolate Gelato

 

 

 

Brats and Sauerkraut

Those of you who regularly visit JBug's Kitchen know by now that I tend to tell it like it is. I'm the first to criticize something I've concocted and constantly looking for ways to improve a recipe to achieve better results. Seldom can I admit that something's the "best". Well, not this time.

This is absolutely the BEST sauerkraut dish I've ever made. It's better than chocolate, almost better than caramel and head and shoulders above any other sauerkraut laden bratwurst dishes you'll find on this blog. It gives a whole new slant to the prepared sauerkraut you'll find in a jar on your grocery store's shelves and in fact is so darned delicious it has driven me to add a section to the index called "JBug's Favorites". How about that? 

Check out the recipe, make your list and head out to your closest market post haste. Trust me. You won't be sorry in the least.

Bratwursts and Sauerkraut (from JBug’s Kitchen Antics adapted from Cast Iron Cooking by Joanna Pruess)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

6 slices thick sliced bacon, cut into cubes

2 large yellow onions, peeled and sliced

12 ounces beer

1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated

10 juniper berries, bruised

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons caraway seeds

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

1 large jar sauerkraut, drained, rinsed and squeezed dry (I used Libby’s Crispy)

8 bratwursts

Coarse grained mustard (I used Trader Joe’s coarse grained Dijon)

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add bacon and oil and cook until bacon is crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add onions. Reduce heat to low, partially cover pot and cook until onions soften and start to turn golden brown – approx... 15 minutes. Add beer, apple, juniper berries, bay leaves, brown sugar, caraway seeds and sauerkraut. Increase heat to medium and bring mixture to a boil. Add approximately a half teaspoon of salt and a lot of freshly ground black pepper. Cover; reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally for 40 to 45 minutes. Remove cover, add bacon and discard bay leaves.

Meanwhile, prick sausages in several places with a fork and cook in a sauté pan sprayed with cooking spray for approximately 10 minutes or until browned on all sides and no longer pink inside. Serve on sauerkraut with coarse grained mustard.  Makes 4 to 6 servings.