JBug's Kitchen Antics

Coney Island Chili Dogs for Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner

The resident carnivore's nuts about hot dogs, particularly chili dogs and for the sake of harmony in our marriage it behooves me to cater to him every once in a while. He's often claimed he could eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner so I took him at his word just to see if he'd ever get enough.

Of course the first go round was in the dinner category with the dogs nestled onto a warm soft bun (yup, trust me it is under there somewhere), loaded with double dogs and slathered with lots of sweet spicy Coney Island chili.

Not being totally familiar with such a thing and never having tasted an authentic Coney Island Dog, I can only tell you the chili's different from other kinds in that it is sweet, not the usual spiced up kind and the flavor of yellow mustard really comes through. Big Guy said it was great so we'll have to trust him on that. 

Breakfast brought crispy cornmeal waffles to the table, slathered in chili and cheese, topped with an octopus of fried weiners crowned with a sunny fried egg. A breakfast of champions to be sure and believe me, there wasn't a whole lot of conversation going on while the champ was chowing down.

The third and dare I say final version includes weinies rolled into corn tortillas and deep fried to a crunchy finish. Served with a spoonful of chili and spicy pickled jalapenos on the side, they weren't quite as successful as the other two choices. Could it be that someone had finally had his fill? Oh please!

 

Coney Island Chili for Dawgs from JBug’s Kitchen Antics adapted from food.com

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pound lean ground beef

1 large onion, finely diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 – 6 ounce can tomato paste

1 – 8 ounce can tomato sauce

1 cup water

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon yellow mustard (I used French’s)

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

Dash cayenne

Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat. Add beef and cook until no longer pink. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is softened. Add remaining ingredients and mix well to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low simmer and cook uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes or until chili is reduced to a very thick consistency. 

Pork and Mushroom Ragu

Some optimistic soul (like Big Guy) would say there's a plus to every minus which is all just fine and dandy but personally as a staunch realist I'd say it's more'n likely there's 2 negatives for every positive, except for this ragu of course. Then he'd be right! 

This totally made from imagination dish may not be the prettiest thing you've ever seen but holy smokes it sure is good. 

The other day I was remembering the pork chops my Mother used to make. She'd put the chops out on a rimmed baking sheet, cover them with onions, salt and pepper and drown the whole shebang in milk. Baked in the oven, they may not have been the best looking chops, but holy batman baby they sure were tasty tender moist morsels. I figured why not try making a ragu out of cubes of pork shoulder using the same idea but ramping up the flavors somewhat.

Well seasoned pork browned on all sides, flavored with sauteed onions, shallots, garlic, thyme, bay and rosemary, braised in a pan deglazed with vermouth then covered in milk and slow simmered in the oven is what this dish is all about. Finished at the last minute with a little sour cream for added richness, extra black pepper and freshly grated nutmeg, it's incredible on a pile of pasta garnished with shards of parmesan cheese.

The flavors are subtle, the meat incredibly tender and moist and it's all very filling particularly if you use a hearty style of pasta like the trottole I used or even rigatoni or bucatini. The only downside is the sauce's curdled appearance but what the heck - put enough cheese on it and you won't even notice. 

Pork and Mushroom Ragu an original from JBug’s Kitchen Antics

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon butter

2-1/2 to 3 pounds pork shoulder

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

All-purpose flour

2 large shallots, peeled and sliced

8 cloves garlic, smashed

1 small onion, finely chopped

8 oz. large mushrooms, quartered

1/2 cup white vermouth or dry sherry

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

3 to 4 cups whole milk

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 cup sour cream

Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 325. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Meanwhile remove excess fat from pork shoulder and cut meat into 1 inch cubes. Season very well with salt and pepper and dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Add oil and butter to hot pan and when shimmering, brown meat in batches on all sides, removing to a bowl when finished. Add shallots, garlic, onion and mushrooms to the pot and sauté until transparent, stirring constantly to prevent garlic from burning. Add vermouth or sherry to pan and scrape up browned bits from bottom. Cook until wine is almost completely reduced. Add thyme, bay and rosemary and season all liberally with additional salt and pepper. Return meat and any accumulated juices to the pot. Add milk until meat is covered. Bring to a simmer, cover pot and place into preheated oven. Cook for 1-1/2 hours or until meat is very tender (remove lid during last half hour to thicken sauce slightly).

Before serving, stir in nutmeg and sour cream. Serve over pasta garnished with parmesan cheese, additional grated nutmeg and black pepper. Makes 4 to 6 servings. 

Gingery Pork Meatballs on Chopped Salad With Peanut Dressing

We love meatballs around here. We're rather fond of Asian flavors as well and pork is on our favorites list too so last night we put 'em all together and came up with a real winner.

Big Guy whipped up the pork meatballs using a recipe adapted from Cooking Light although maybe I should say inspired by because he juiced up the spices by adding more ginger and garlic along with red pepper flakes for a little added bite.  

While he was in charge of the meatballs, I made a simple peanut dressing and opened up a bag of Dole's Asian Blend Chopped Salad ...hey we saw it in the grocery store and absolutely HAD to try it. I gave the greens a little extra somethin' somethin' by adding slivers of sweet onion, drained canned water chestnuts and another handful of snap peas to a salad already loaded with some of those sweet crunchy beauties along with red and green cabbage, broccoli slaw, kale and carrots. 

It was amazing!  Moist tender gingery meatballs garnished with a little sweet chile sauce on top of a crisp bed of good for you green stuff dressed with peanutty sauce...well, talk about a perfect no fuss Sunday night dinner! Darned fine teamwork too, huh!

Gingery Pork Meatballs from JBug’s Kitchen Antics inspired by and adapted from Cooking Light via myrecipes.com

1 pound lean ground pork

2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs

1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

1 large egg, beaten

Combine all ingredients together. Form into 1-1/2 inch balls. Preheat oven to 400. Spray a sauté pan with cooking spray and heat over medium high. When hot, add meatballs  and brown on all sides. When browned, place in oven and bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until cooked through. Serve on salad or with peanut dressing on the side for dipping.

 

Peanut Dressing:

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup hot water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon sriraccha (or to taste)

Combine ingredients together in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well. 

 Other pork meatball recipes you might like to try ...

Vietnamese Pork & Shrimp Meatballs     Asian Flavored Pork Meatballs

  

 

Stuffed Salmon With Bay Shrimp and Beurre Blanc

I've been working this week and Big Guy's been doing all the cooking so I haven't had anything to personally crow about until last night's effort. He's too modest to blog about his cooking so I'll just tell you we chowed down on chicken paillards with cranberry sauce on a bed of slaw, witches' brew aka hamburger soup, chicken breasts stuffed with spinach souffle, and bacon and blue burger patties on a wedge salad. All good...you bet'cha. 

        

Now on to last night's dinner. You're likely thinking two salmon recipes in a row...what is she doing? There's no such thing as too much of a good thing is there and believe me, last night's salmon stuffed with iddy biddy bay shrimp and brie cheese is a darned good thing.

Inspired by a recipe from Oregon's McCormick & Schmick Seafood Restaurants, I adjusted it somewhat because after all there's just the two of us never mind Big Guy and I are still participating in the "push-away" diet so I nixed the crab, cut back on the brie, left out the mayo because the cheese was extra creamy, exchanged dried tarragon for fresh dill and cut way back on the butter in the sauce. Hey, it all worked out just fine, tasted divine and made us feel like royalty but if you must, hit the link and check out the original recipe.

Other than making our salmon fillet unbelievably moist and oh so yummy, the real kicker to this one is the sauce - a fabulous Beurre Blanc silky smooth on the tongue and loaded with flavor (and calories). See you can still indulge without a guilty conscience as long as you limit the quantitites at least that's my story and I'm stickin' to it. Life's too short and I'm far too old for total deprivation. 

Next time you're entertaining or just want something special to serve for dinner, put this one on top of your list. I guarantee you won't be disappointed! 

Stuffed Salmon with Bay Shrimp and Beurre Blanc from JBug’s Kitchen Antics inspired by and adapted from McCormick & Schmick Seafood Restaurant

 Beurre Blanc

3 ounces white wine or white vermouth

1-1/2 ounces white wine vinegar

2 whole peppercorns

1/2 shallot, sliced

1/2 cup heavy cream

3 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

 In a small saucepan combine white wine, vinegar, peppercorns and shallots. Cook over medium heat until liquid has reduced to 1 tablespoon (watch carefully). Add cream and reduce sauce until mixture is thick and there’s approximately 2 tablespoons left in the pot. Remove from heat and whisk in butter, a cube at a time until butter has melted and sauce is emulsified. Put sauce through a strainer into a heat proof cup and keep warm in a hot water bath until ready to serve.

Stuffed Salmon:

2 – 5 ounce pieces salmon fillets

4 ounces bay shrimp

1-1/2 ounces triple cream brie, cut into small pieces

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

Salt and course ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Spray shallow baking pan with cooking spray. Check salmon fillets for bones, removing as necessary. Cut a horizontal pocket into each fillet. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine bay shrimp, cheese, tarragon, salt and pepper.  If mixture seems dry, add 1 tablespoon buerre blanc and mix well. Split stuffing into 2 parts and stuff each fillet - mounding stuffing on the side. Place fillets skin side down on a baking pan and bake for 12 – 13 minutes. Place salmon onto a plate and spoon sauce over fish.  Makes 2 servings. 

Salmon with Whiskey Barbecue Sauce

Not even crazy people like us had the inclination to barbecue yesterday although we could have as it was a beautiful sunny day here on the coast unlike other parts of Oregon that are digging out from 4 days of snow and ice. Anyway, with a surplus of salmon still in the freezer and a selection of whiskey in the booze cupboard, I thought I'd whip up an indoor style barbecue instead of an outdoor one.

I don't know about you but when I think barbecue the sauce is the main focus because I'm just a saucy kind of person. This one claims a cup of the good stuff (I used Canadian Mist because you know who would have had a coronary if I'd used his good bourbon), along with brown sugar, catsup, vinegar, lemon juice and lots of worcestershire and dry mustard. Seasoned with salt and pepper, I simmered it on the stove for a mere 5 minutes just to incorporate the flavors and then let it mellow for a while in the refrigerator.

As for the salmon, I preheated the broiler, dried the outside of a one pound piece of salmon fillet, cut it into narrow pieces, seasoned it with salt and pepper and slathered a few tablespoons of sauce over each. Placed close together but not touching on a pan under the broiler, 10 minutes later we were chowing down. 

Served on a bed of lemon risotto, the salmon was tender and bursting with barbecue flavor...and not a hot coal or gas barbecue in sight. Good for us, huh. When you get a chance, give this sauce a try on almost anything, but it'll be perfect with pork ribs or chops, or on chicken too. 

Whiskey Barbecue Sauce from JBug’s Kitchen Antics adapted from Jack Daniels Cookbook

1 cup whiskey (I used Canadian Mist)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup catsup

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 to 1 teaspoon dry mustard

Dash red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Transfer to a jar and refrigerate for a minimum 2 hours to allow flavors to develop.

Two years ago - Pudding Chomeur

Crispy Duck Legs with Apricot Sauce

What do you do when you've been eating mostly beef for nigh on a week and you're in dire need of a change? Why, bring on the duck of course!

We happen to love our duck around here, particularly thighs and legs because they have so much more flavor. A trip to the valley (Corvallis) a while ago and a search of "Market of Choice" yielded a supply of duck appendages for our freezer.

I have a favorite way of cooking them for a crispy skin and moist and tender meat and absolutely love saucing 'em up with fruit but I was out of dried sour cherries, didn't have any figs nor pears either so I did some Internet browsing for a solution and found this recipe to adapt.

Port & Cranberries     With Figs & Pancetta   Pinot Noir & Roasted Pears

Apricots won the draw and darned well too in a sweet sour sauce made from apricot preserves, rice vinegar and fresh thyme. A quick flash in a hot pan to brown and the duck was ready for a slow braise in Marsala wine and chicken stock on a bed of onion, garlic, carrots and celery.

Slathered in sauce and garnished with plump dried apricots, the result was everything it should have been and oh so much more. 

Crispy Duck Legs with Apricot Sauce  from JBug’s Kitchen Antics adapted from about.com

4 duck legs, trimmed

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

1 large onion, sliced

1 large carrot, peeled and sliced

1 stalk celery, sliced

4 cloves garlic, peeled and bruised

2/3 cup marsala wine

6 sprigs fresh thyme

1-1/2 cups chicken stock

8 to 10 dried apricots

Preheat oven to 350. Season duck legs with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high. Add duck legs and cook, skin side down until well browned. Flip over and cook other side for 2 or 3 minutes. Remove from plate and set aside.

Drain all fat off pan and set aside for a moment to cool slightly. Carefully add marsala wine and cook until wine is reduced by half. Add onion, carrot, celery, garlic and thyme to the pan. Place browned duck on top; add chicken stock and roast, uncovered for 1-1/2 to 2 hours until duck is very tender. Check liquid level during last half of cooking time and add more stock as required. Add apricots during last half hour of cooking. Serve duck with sauce, garnished with apricots. Serves 2 to 4.

Apricot Sauce:

1 cup apricot preserves

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Coarse ground black pepper

Combine preserves, vinegar and water in a small pot and cook over medium heat until simmering. Add thyme leaves and black pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

Pork Chops with Peppery Maple Bourbon Sauce

I don't know if you've noticed but JBug's Kitchen Antics seems to be undergoing a metamorphosis of sorts and it's all Big Guy's fault. Now that he's retired I seem to spend  a lot less time in the kitchen and working on this blog too for that matter. Gone are the days he'd have shaved, showered, shampooed, eaten a hot breakfast and be off to work by 6:30. I'd have my kitchen cleaned, dogs walked and blog written by 8:00 AM; house relatively immaculate by noon, dinner on the go by 4:00 and martini chilling for his homecoming at 6:00. 

Heck, now we're still having coffee in bed at 8:00 and by 4:00 we're sitting down with a libation and watching for the sun to set over the ocean. Nine times out of ten dinner's the last thing on my mind. That's why you're seeing so many quick, simple and kinda' ordinary meals on the blog; however, last night's dinner while quick and simple was more extraordinary than ordinary. Just sayin'.   

Imagine plump pork loin chops, seasoned, dusted with flour and sauteed to a rich brown before they're quickly finished in beef stock, maple syrup and bourbon. The thick and juicy chops are removed from the pan after 9 minutes and kept warm while the sauce is reduced and hit with a glug or two of heavy cream. Served on a bed of mixed mash - Idaho potatoes and ruby yams in our case, it truly is bliss on a plate.  

A note from the wise. Please use real maple syrup, not the phony stuff and DO NOT attempt to make this creamy whiskey sauce with your significant other's prized "Knob Creek" or heaven forbid "Blanton's" bourbon. I mean really. Talk about how to make a grown man cry. Use Buffalo Trace or Maker's Mark instead because they're good but won't break the bank and save the really really good, really expensive stuff for sipping. OK?

I'm telling you this only because we watched The Pioneer Woman over the weekend as she used a cup and a half of Blanton's in a peachy chicken dish that I thought looked utterly superb. Unfortunately I darn near had to call in the medics with emergency life support for you know who because he was "incensed" (not insensed...but incensed). Hey, at least he was paying attention.    

Pork Chops with Peppery Maple Bourbon Sauce from JBug’s Kitchen Antics adapted from Idaho a la cARTe

2 – 1-1/2 inch thick pork loin chops

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 cup beef or chicken stock

3 tablespoons bourbon (I used Buffalo Trace)

2 tablespoons good quality real maple syrup (I used Trader Joe’s Amber B Grade)

1/2 cup heavy cream

Heat a heavy skillet over medium high heat. Sprinkle both sides of the chops with salt and coarse ground black pepper and dust with flour. Add oil to pan and when shimmering, add chops. Cook for 2 minutes on each side or until richly browned. In a small bowl whisk together  stock, bourbon and maple syrup. Move chops to the side and add liquid to the pan. Turn chops into liquid to coat both sides, reduce heat to medium low, cover pan and simmer for 6 to 9 minutes or until chops are cooked. Remove chops from the pan and keep warm. Increase heat to medium high and reduce sauce slightly until it begins to thicken. Add cream and cook, stirring constantly until thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Serve over chops. Makes 2 servings. 

Two years ago - Braised Red Cabbage with Apple and Caraway

Cranberry Barbecue Sauce

This may come as no surprise but I love to collect things - dishes, cookbooks, spices, rolling pins, antique platters - well you name it. I'm a sucker for all of that stuff. I might have taken my collecting fetish a tad too far though because a look in the freezer says I've been collecting too many bags of cranberries.

I love the tart little bullets and they're really not a bad thing to collect since they're so hard come by during spring and summer but enough's enough. Yesterday I used a bag of my precious treasures to whip up this barbecue sauce. 

Totally different from any I've made in the past, this sauce includes frozen whole cranberries along with orange juice, tomato sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar and honey. I added kick in the form of habanero hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard because I'm smart enough to know a little spicy heat is guaranteed to make you know who happy. Thing is the flavor's rather deceiving but after a good whir with the immersion blender and a little mellowing time in the refrigerator, it was just perfect. It is kinda' tart, kinda' sweet, kinda' hot and definitely a hit on this Big Guy Sandwich. 

If you think it looks like he fried up some oysters, you'd be wrong although I'm pretty sure the cranberry BBQ sauce would make oysters sing too. During our shopping trip yesterday Big Guy cast a yearning eye on the some awful offal. That's what I call stuff I won't eat, like chicken gizzards and hearts. He's such a gem I couldn't deny him so he enjoyed the cranberry barbecue sauce on a ciabbata roll piled high with pan fried chicky hearts and had more as a dipper too with the boat load of extras.

Me? I had it with some sliced smoked chicken on a roll with sweet pickles and mayo. I might even have some later on a quesadilla, or with cold roast pork, or maybe slathered on chicken tenders and broiled, or in an apple butternut squash gratin, or spread on some halibut and grilled on the barbecue, or on turkey wings, or....I figure the choices are pretty well endless; however, I won't be having my cranberry barbecue sauce with any hearts or gizzards but you kinda' already knew that, didn't you.

Cranberry Barbecue Sauce (inspired by Jeff Mauro, Foodnetwork.com)

1 – 12 ounce package frozen whole cranberries

3/4 cup tomato sauce

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon Habanero hot sauce (I used Trader Joe’s)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon salt

 Combine all ingredients in a medium sized saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove from heat a cool slightly. Puree with an immersion blender until smooth. Place into a glass jar or container, cover and refrigerator for minimum 2 hours before using. Makes approximately 2 cups. 

A year ago - Oven BBQ Pulled Pork 

 

Two years ago - Chicken and Veggie Stew with Dumplings

Three years ago - New England Style Clam Chowder

Four Years ago - Lamb Ragu Over Vegetables

Bolognese Meat Sauce

Just in case you're tired of all the excesses the holiday season brings and craving something simple, here's a sure fire guaranteed to please solution.

This bolognese sauce starts with a saute of celery, onions, carrots and garlic, seasoned with red pepper flakes, crumbled sage and a bay leaf and nutured along for a good 10 minutes or so to get the absolute most flavor out of the mix before chopped bacon and ground meat hit the pan. A few minutes later several glugs of good red wine join the party followed by a mere hint of tomato in the form of a little sauce and a touch of paste then several cups of good beef stock. 

A 45 minute simmer and Bob's your uncle - minimal effort for fabulous flavor. As you can see, we enjoyed our meaty sauce on a bed of pillowy gnocchi, but almost any kind of pasta will do just fine. 

 

Bolognese Meat Sauce (adapted from Nick Stellino's Mediterranean Flavors)

¼ cup olive oil

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste)

½ cup finely chopped celery

½ cup finely chopped carrots

½ cup finely chopped onion

4 cloves garlic, sliced

1 large bay leaf

½ teaspoon crumbled dried sage

3 slices bacon, diced 

1 pound extra lean ground beef

1/2 cup red wine

8 oz. can tomato sauce

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

2 cups beef stock

salt & pepper to taste

Heat olive oil until sizzling – add red pepper flakes, celery, carrots, onion, garlic, bay leaf, and sage  and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium low and cook additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to high, add bacon and beef and cook stirring constantly for 2 minutes until meat is no longer pink. 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 thickened to desired consistency - approximately 15 minutes.  Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as required.

A Year Ago - Apple Bourbon Country Style Pork Ribs 

Herb Roasted Halibut with Lemon Caper Sauce

Remember the herb roasted salmon we had way back in October? I bragged about how exceptional this Ina Garten recipe is and even commented about wanting to try it with halibut. Well I did.

Halibut and I have a definite love/hate relationship. I love it, but hate that I can't seem to get the timing right. I either cook it to death so it is dry and tasteless or don't cook it enough but I swear by using this method even an idiot like me can get the job done right.  

Roasted Halibut with Green Herbs from JBug’s Kitchen Antics  adapted from Ina Garten’s “How Easy Is That?”

1 pound fish fillets, skin and bones removed (I used halibut this time)

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Juice of 1 small lemon (about 2 tablespoons)

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup chopped fresh dill

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup dry white wine

Lemon for garnish

Preheat oven to 425. Season fish with salt and pepper. Combine olive oil and lemon juice together in a container with a tight fitting lid and shake to emulsify. Place salmon in an oven proof stainless sauté pan and drizzle with olive oil/lemon juice mixture. Allow to stand for 15 minutes at room temperature.

Combine green onions, dill and parsley together and scatter over all sides of fish fillet. Pour wine around the fish. Roast for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove dish from oven, cover tightly and rest for 10 minutes. Serve garnished with lemon sauce. Makes 4 servings.

Lemon Caper Sauce

1/2 cup sour cream

Grated rind from 1 lemon

2 tablespoons capers

Dash of lemon pepper seasoning

Mix ingredients together and refrigerate for 15 minutes to allow flavors to develop.  

A year ago - Ina's Roasted Chicken on Croutons

 

Two years ago - Taco Salad

Eggs Benedict With Gravlax and Quick Hollandaise

I can't think of anything better on a foggy Sunday morning than coffee in bed with my Big Guy and two little fur balls followed by a late breakfast of rich and decadent eggs benny. 

We had gravlax left over from the other day and while I don't recommend keeping this particular salt and sugar cured fish on hand for very long, a couple of days in a very cold refrigerator meant it was perfectly fine loosely piled on a couple of toasted English muffins and topped with poached eggs. Just so you know, I poached the eggs in acidulated water which is just a fancy way of telling you I added a couple tablespoons of white vinegar to the salted water before adding the eggs. I also swirled the water with a spoon to get it moving in a circle which means the whites of the eggs stick to the yolks and poach beautifully. 

While I was showing off doing that, Big Guy whipped up quick blender hollandaise and made us each an absolutely perfectly spiced Bloody Mary. In less than 15 minutes, breakfast was on the table. Talk about a great combination - oh yah I agree, the two cooks are too but I really meant the menu.

Creamy buttery dill flavored dry cured salmon on crunchy sourdough muffins, topped with perfectly runny poached eggs and a streaming pool of rich lemony buttery slightly piquant hollandaise sauce paired with the absolute best of morning brunch drinks..ah, bliss!  Don't you love Sundays?

Here's your permission to wave goodbye to your whisk and double boiler and/or kick that packaged dry hollandaise mix to the curb because here's Big Guy's recipe for a perfect absolutely no fail sauce. Incidentally if you want a thicker hollandaise, just leave out the water and add an additional egg yolk along with another quarter cup of hot melted butter; however, we kinda' like a more pourable sauce. Just sayin'. 

Quick Blender Hollandaise (from JBug's Kitchen Antics adapted from Chatelaine Cookbook)

2 egg yolks

1 Tablespoon warm water

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)

 

1 stick butter (1/2 cup)

Combine egg yolks, water, lemon juice, salt, cayenne and mustard in a blender or narrow container and use an immersion blender. Melt butter in microwave until it is no longer solid and forms a nice foam on top. With blender running slowly drizzle in butter. Whirl just to blend completely (about 10 seconds). Serve immediately or keep warm in a thermos. Makes 1 cup

A year ago - Pork, Chorizo and Green Chile Burgers

Two year's ago - Roast Chicken with Apples and Rosemary

Three year's ago - Nasi Goreng

Caramelized Apples - Sweet or Savory

I can't believe I'm saying this already, but we're heading into our third season in our new home, at least I am. Big Guy's lagging behind a touch since he didn't get here until the beginning of summer but I can brag about spring, summer and now fall at the Oregon coast. It's blissful, especially with a stormy weekend on the way. I can't wait to batten down the hatches and cuddle in.

We really love exploring and last weekend we drove 16 miles upriver to Old Strawberry Farm  to take a gander at their running ducks, geese, sheep and such and to pick apples. What a fabulous place it is!

We came home with several different kinds of apples (a mystery all) and 3 went into last night's garnish on some panko fried thin cut pork chops. I simply melted a quarter cup of butter in a non-stick skillet, added a quarter cup of sugar and when it was all bubbling, threw in 3 apples, peeled, cored and cut into wedges. Medium high heat and 8 to 10 minutes of coaxing and there you go. After they cooled for a minute, I added a dash of vanilla, a touch of sea salt and that was it.

Their tart/sweet flavor and interesting textures really complemented the pork chops but you know, I could have changed 'em up a bit more by adding black pepper, or cinnamon or both instead of coarse salt and vanilla, and the very same preparation would be fabulous on ice cream, or topping a gingerbread cake or even in an apple galette.

Next time you've a hankering for apple sauce, go one up and caramelize some instead. The key to success is to make sure you've a variety of Eve's favorite fruit because they all cook differently. Some soften and almost disappear, some remain crunchy when cooked and some are sweet while others tart. Just experiment to find the ones you like best.  I got lucky with last night's version and can't wait to try it again.  

A year ago - Sausages, Peppers and Cheesy Grits 

 Two year's ago - Tomato Cobbler

Three year's ago - Oxtails Braised in Red Wine

Sour Cream Stroganoff Sauce

I hesitate to say that something is the "best ever" mostly because bragging like that can come back and bite you in the butt; however, in this case I have every confidence the claim will stand the test of time.

It is no secret we love our gravies and sauces around here so it never fails that I'm always coming up with an excuse to whip one up. Last night's mashed potatoes left over from the other night along with the second round of meatballs from the ones we made in bulk a few weeks ago for freezer fodder were the reasons to get the ball rolling on this one.  

Onion sauteed in butter until golden then made into a roux with a little flour followed by a can of beef consomme' (not stock but good old Campbell's) makes the basis of this one. Topped off with a little ketchup for color, worcestershire sauce for flavor and  sour cream because without it, the sauce wouldn't be "stroganoff" and there you have it.

Slathered over warmed meatballs and dinner was on.  Rich in beefy flavor with a creamy consistency,  I daresay you could use this sauce with pork chops, steak - either rich man's ribeye or poor man's salisbury, or even on slices of deli roast beef in a hot roast beef sandwich. Your audience will be slaves to your every wish.  Heck, I can even imagine it with a mess a' liver and onions. OK - I guess I might have gone a little too far on that one.  Just give it a try.  I bet you'll love it. 

Sour Cream Stroganoff Sauce (from JBug’s Kitchen Antics adapted from Best of Bridge)

 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 – 10 ounce can Campbell’s beef consommé (no substitutions)

1 cup sour cream

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onions, and cook stirring occasionally until golden brown. Sprinkle flour on top of onions and mix well. Continue to cook and stir for 1 minute. Add consommé, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce and cook stirring until mixture thickens and bubbles. Lower heat and whisk in sour cream. Heat slowly but do not allow to boil or mixture will separate. Serve. 

A year ago - Beef Nacho Casserole 

Two year's ago - Salmon Pot Pie

Three year's ago - Stacked PIzza and Fried Ravioli

 

Sauteed Halibut with Romesco Sauce

While most people consider pork to be the other white meat, here on the Oregon Coast the mighty halibut can claim the honor. I'm sure it's no surprise that the beauty and bounty of the land and sea's captured our hearts here in our new home.

Big Guy's having a blast with this retirement stuff and went out fishing on Friday with two of our friends. He came home tired, content and bragging about his great day on the water never mind glowing with pride about the catch. 

Last night's menu included some of our good fortune. Halibut this fresh needs very little adornment; however, as mentioned the last time we cooked some up, it can be overdone in a flash. Big Guy did the honors this time and sauteed the simply seasoned fish for 5 minutes on 1 side, and 2 on the other before he removed it from the pan to rest for a few minutes. Of course while he was doing this, he was also cooking up a perfect pot of Lemon Basil Risotto Sheesh ...and they say men can't do more than one thing at a time. Ha.  

My only contribution to dinner other than never ending advice also known as nagging was this very quick version of a Romesco sauce I whipped up earlier in the afternoon. Without the usual addition of bread crumbs and flavored with smokey chipotle chili powder, cayenne pepper and smoked paprika, it is a great use for the huge numbers of red peppers available in the markets these days.

The smoky flavor, crunchy from almonds texture and subtle heat is a perfect garnish for the moist fish on its creamy bed of lemon and basil rice. 

JBug’s Romesco Sauce an original from JBug’s Kitchen Antics

 

2 large red peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded

1/4 cup toasted almonds

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon Chipotle chile powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Salt & coarse ground black pepper

Place all ingredients together in a blender and combine until chopped to a coarse texture. Set aside for a minim 1 hour at room temperature to allow flavors to develop. Store leftovers in refrigerator. 

 A year ago - Grilled Shrimp with Lime and Red Pepper Aioli

Two year's ago -Drowned Beef Sandwiches

Halibut with Bay Shrimp and Hollandaise

There's a learning curve involved for doing almost everything and I'm no exception even though I'm a tad past the half century mark. Ouch - the confession kinda' hurt.

Anyway, there's so many things here on the Oregon Coast that require practice to perfect; for example, I fully admit to not being much of a gardener mostly due to the fact that I hate bees, creepy crawlies and slithering snakes and have been known to run from the sight of any and all. I don't fish either because while I love looking at water, I'm terrified to be in it plus fishing requires luck and heaven knows I don't have much of that except for the day I met my Big Guy, fell in love and let him reel me in. I am stubborn though and very determined which are both traits that will come in handy as I'm learning to cook halibut. Bet you were wondering where I was going with all this, weren't ya'?

Our friend Mike was telling me about a fabulous halibut dish his wife makes that involves bay shrimp and hollandaise and while it would have been so darned easy to just ask for a recipe, I thought I'd wing it instead. He was right too, because it is delicious for sure - I mean, it's hard to go wrong with tender little shrimp and buttery rich hollandaise topping a meaty firm chunk of halibut garnished with chopped fresh thyme, dill and parsley; however, go wrong I did. I overcooked the darned fish by about 3 minutes, or maybe even 4 or 5.

Consequently, I'm passing along the recipe for my "cheater" hollandaise, but I'll have to try the halibut again before you get the full goods on that. Oh darn!

Incidentally in case you're wondering what Big Guy's doing now that he's not putting in 10 hour days at the office - well, he's chopped and stacked about a half cord of wood; mowed the grass; trimmed some bushes; taken two trips to the dump's recycling center with a huge stack of deconstructed moving boxes that have been sitting on our front porch for months because I couldn't fit them into the Miata and cleaned and rearranged the storage shed. He's made several trips to Newport, passed his Oregon license test, put new plates on the Jeep and even taken me out for lunch and he's had time to hang around the kitchen. That's all happened in the last 2 days...wonder what's on the list for today. 

Quick Blender Hollandaise (from JBug's Kitchen Antics adapted from Chatelaine Cookbook)

2 egg yolks

1 Tablespoon warm water

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)

 

1 stick butter (1/2 cup)

Combine egg yolks, water, lemon juice, salt, cayenne and mustard in a blender or food processor. Melt butter in microwave until it is no longer solid and forms a nice foam on top. With blender running slowly drizzle in butter. Whirl just to blend completely (about 10 seconds). Serve immediately or keep warm in a thermos.

Makes 1 cup

A year ago - Rose Cottage and Five Hour Stew 

Two year's ago - Baby Back Ribs on the Grill

Three year's ago - Chile Cheese Sausage Balls

Chicken Paillards on Salad

I know I'm beginning to sound like a broken record about the trials and tributions of cooking for one but hey there's only 2 weeks left to complain before Big Guy gets here for good. Just think, then I'll have a whole other set of things to moan about.

Somehow time and effort to make something more complicated for dinner when there's just me at the table has gone the way of the do-do bird. I  mean really, simple, quick and easy is the order of the day so this more recent effort included a crispy cooked chicken paillard on top of one of my very favorite salad mixes courtesy of the local market's produce section. (No they didn't pay me to say that - I just happen to really like Taylor Farms' products.)

Now for those of you who don't know the term, a paillard is simply a small piece of chicken that is pounded flat and sauteed in a flash. We've had it here before several times as it is a quick and mighty tasty excuse for dinner never mind it can be jazzed up significantly by the addition of a sauce, relish or as in last nights case, a generous garnish of salsa. I was going to top it with avocado slices but the darn thing's still hard as a rock and there's nothing worse than under ripe avocado. Trust me, I know of which I speak. 

Anyway, before the cluck hit the plate, I lightly flattened a couple of chicken tenders, seasoned well with salt and pepper then gave 'em a quick coating in equal parts mayonnaise and Dijon mustard followed by a dredge in seasoned bread crumbs. A quick fry in a little butter in a non-stick pan and dinner was ready.

It was absolutely delicious and even better with a glass of Pinot Gris. What can I say, a good whine uh wine is a girl's best friend - ah heck, even a bad wine'll do the trick.  Here's links to other paillards we've enjoyed in JBug's kitchen. 

With Pancetta and Asparagus      On Roasted Manchurian Cauliflower

  

On Arugula Caesar Salad                           With Lemon Dijon Sauce   

  

A year ago - Grilled Citrus Chicken w Onions and Corn

Two year's ago - Bacon n Blue Potato Salad

Down Home Cookin'

I'm giving you fair warning people. Unfortunately this will be the last post for a little while, at least until we get to Oregon, hook up to internet service and most importantly, once we have a kitchen to cook in. From what I hear, the renovation's running a tad behind through no fault of the contractor I might add. He's been a true gem, and he's had a lot of unexpected issues to deal with. Buying a 40 year old house is kinda' like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna' get.

Because I won't be cooking for Big Guy for a while, I thought I'd make last night's dinner memorable for him so it included all the things near and dear to us - roasted brussels sprout, mashed potatoes, lovely nutty parsnip and more importantly fried pork chops with country gravy. You know the kind of gravy I mean, don't ya. The one that can be whipped up in mere minutes and tastes great with fried chicken, or smothering some nice flakey biscuits. In fact, if I'd had a pan to cook'em in, we would have had those biscuits too.

Anyway, I can't give you recipes for last night's dinner because it's all off the cuff, so I'll just tell you what I did, OK? The chops were lovely three quarter inch bone in beauties that I coated in flour seasoned with a little sage, thyme, marjoram and salt and pepper then fried in a hot pan in a smidge of butter. Ten minutes did the trick for the chops, then I kept them warm in the oven while I whipped up the gravy. A little more butter in the same pan, chopped onion sauteed until translucent, followed by a couple tablespoons of the seasoned flour made a nice thick roux. About a cup and a half of milk along with a package of chicken Flavor Boost (I know, I love the stuff so it's used a lot around here), a splash of water and a little more time on the element to bubble and dinner was ready. 

Big Guy's comments "it was good comfort food...just the way we like it". 

A year ago - Ideas for St. Patrick's Day

Two year's ago - Thai Chicken Curry

Three year's ago -  Dutch Baby Pancakes 

Roast Chicken With Meyer Lemon Shallot Sauce

OMG! I thought I'd found my new favorite roasted chicken method when I came across Ina Garten's plucky lemon flavored bird on croutons, but I'm here to say this version from Sunset magazine via myrecipes.com is every bit as delicious, if not better.

Salted and left to "dry brine" for 3 hours before cooking, lemon zest and thyme are placed under the skin and in the cavity along with sliced lemons and the bird is roasted along with a whole pound of shallots.

Now I know you're thinking how much of a pain it is to prep a whole pound of shallots, but the interesting thing is the shallots go into the pan unpeeled to roast and get all caramelized for an hour kinda' like you'd roast whole bulbs of garlic and when they're done, you simply squeeze the flavorful innards into a blender along with the pan juices and wine and stock and give it all a whizz. (I actually used my immersion blender). Returned to the roasting pan to warm up, all the good brown fond is scraped off the bottom and the shallots turn into an incomparable lemon flavored sauce.

I served our chicken along side yukon gold potatoes, parsnip and carrots all roasted in a cast iron pan in the oven during the last hour the chicken was cooking, and it was fabulous but honestly I'd be inclined to mash the potatoes and parsnip together next time so the sauce is put to its best uses. I mean really, what's better than chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy? 

Hit the link for the recipe and have at 'er. I only changed one thing - I didn't have any chicken stock in my pantry...I know, can you believe it...and the only wine I had was a blush, but I used a whole cup of it anyway and you know what? It was just fine, in fact it was a lovely kinda' pink tinged spoonful of bliss. 

 

Related articles

Chicken Quarters Roasted in Hard Cider Sauce

Nonna's Chicken Scallopini

Moroccan Chicken with Green Olives and Lemon

Panko Crusted Thin Cut Pork Chops with Gratineed Mustard Creamed Onions

You know those little thin cut bone in pork chops that people have no idea what to do with other than slap 'em on a breakfast plate? Well, here's the thing. They're perfect for busy people because they take mere minutes to cook and quite honestly, last night's version was darn near perfection. OK - it was perfection.

Adapted from a post on the blog "The Hungry Mouse", unfortunately Jessie neglected to name her source so I've no idea, but I will say we've done a take on this method before using egg and Dijon mustard with panko to create a fabulous crust on chicken paillards or even Japanese style pork katsu made simply with an egg wash and panko.

This time there's buttermilk, garlic powder and dried parsley in the wash, although I used Herbs de Provence instead. I also couldn't pass up the opporutnity to add a heaping tablespoon of Dijon to the mix for additional flavor. I marinated the chops in the mixture for approximately half an hour in the refrigerator before coating them with panko. They sat for 15 minutes so the coating had a chance to set before they hit a hot cast iron pan.

Fried in a small amount of oil for a scant 4 minutes total, they're golden brown, crisp , incredibly tender and particularly delicious topped with a drizzle of homemade sweet mustard.

To top off our plates, I served the leftovers from our Thanksgiving side dish of Gratineed Mustard Creamed Onions. From Gourmet via epicurious.com, this recipe really is the ultimate, although I'll admit I used Trader Joe's frozen pearl onions instead of going through the agony of peeling a bunch of 'em myself. I also cut the onion quantity in half (used just 1 package), but made the whole recipe of the sauce because we're kinda' saucy people if you know what I mean.

While we enjoyed them on Thanksgiving, they tasted a whole let better last night because I put them back into a buttered casserole dish, shaved big pieces of parmesan on top and baked 'em in a 400 oven for 30 minutes to reheat and get all browned on top. As you can see, it was mighty successful.

Panko Crusted Thin Cut Pork Chops (from JBug’s Kitchen, adapted from thehungrymouse.com)

6 to 8 thin cut pork chops, bone

2 eggs

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

Coarse ground black pepper

1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 cup Panko crumbs or more if required

Vegetable oil

Beat eggs with buttermilk, garlic powder, salt, pepper, Herbs de Province, and mustard until well combined. Place pork chops into a zip bag and pour in the egg wash. Allow to sit in refrigerator for a minimum half hour before continuing.

Remove chops from zip bag leaving as much liquid on them as possible. Coat chops on both sides with panko crumbs, patting down so crumbs adhere. Place on a wire rack over a sheet pan and allow to sit for 15 minutes to set coating before continuing.

Place enough oil into a heavy skillet to just cover the bottom and heat over medium high until shimmering. Fry pork chops on both sides for 2 minutes a side until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel to drain. Serves 4. 

 

Gratineed Mustard Creamed Onions (from JBug’s Kitchen, adapted from Gourmet via epicurious.com)

1 pound frozen pearl onions, defrosted & drained of any liquid

1/4 cup unsalted butter

2 tablespoons flour

1-1/2 cups milk

3 tablespoons cream Sherry (I used Harvey’s Bristol Cream)

1 tablespoon grainy mustard

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Salt & pepper as required

1/2 cup grated or shaved parmesan cheese

Spray a shallow casserole or gratin dish with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 400. In a small pot melt butter and when hot whisk in flour. Cook whisking constantly for 2 minutes. Heat milk in microwave until hot but not boiling. Whisk into flour mixture and cook, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Add pearl onions, sherry, mustards and nutmeg. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as required. Return mixture to a boil, and then transfer to prepared gratin dish. Top with parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 for 30 to 40 minutes or until onions are cooked through and top is golden brown and bubbling. Serves 4 to 6.

 A year ago - Double Chocolate Zucchini Spice Muffins

 

Beef and Carrot Ragu

Don't fall over backward but I actually cooked this sauce in the crockpot yesterday. What with worrying about having to leave the house for showings at a moment's notice and at the same time trying to get some pre-Thanksgiving grunt work done, it seemed like a good idea to make something in the appliance I have so little use of (for).

I made a couple of not so subtle changes to the recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens, the first being I browned the meat really well before adding it to the crockpot. In fact, rather than make a mess of the kitchen I'd just finished cleaning, I took the meat outside to Big Guy's bailiwick and gave the beef a good sear on the little red gas grill. A whole bulb of peeled garlic hit the pot followed by a pound of chopped fresh roma tomatoes, 8 ounces of chopped carrots and a glug of red wine along with a can of tomato paste. I added a chopped onion and spiced up the mixture with some dried Italian herbs and a good dash of red pepper flakes - too good a dash because the ragu ended up being so darned spicy, I had to add heavy cream at the end. 

So what's the verdict? I daresay I'm not the one to ask because as you know, I'm more than a little biased against slow cookers to begin with but let me admit it was convenient. I'm just sorry I didn't use the Dutch oven and pull double duty by cooking the ragu in the oven at the same time I browned off all the goodies for the turkey stock I also whipped up yesterday.

Oh, and should you want to know another truth, head on over to Fig's and Artichokes and take a gander at the ragu Lorraine posted yesterday. I'm absolutely positive I'd have been much happier with a bowl of her glorious flavor filled ragu instead of this one. Just sayin'.  

Beef and Carrot Ragu from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Better Homes (bhg.com)

2 pounds boneless beef short ribs

Salt and ground black pepper

1 bulb garlic, peeled and cloves smashed

1 medium onion, chopped

8 ounces peeled carrots, chopped

1 pound Roma tomatoes, chopped

1 6 ounce can tomato paste

1/2 cup red wine

1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)

1/2 cup water or beef stock (if needed)

1/2 cup heavy cream, optional

Season beef well with salt and pepper and brown in a hot non-stick pan. Cut into cubes and place into slow cooker. Add smashed garlic cloves, onion, carrots and tomatoes. Mix together tomato paste, red wine, Italian herbs, oregano and red pepper flakes. Pour over meat and vegetables, cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Stir well before serving, adding additional water as necessary to create a sauce. Stir in heavy cream. Serve over pasta.  Makes 4 servings.

 

A year ago - Cajun Poached Shrimp Linguini

Two year's ago - Curly Corn Dogs

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Pasta Purses with Meat Sauce

Lamb Ragu on Potato Gnocchi

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

Pasta Purses with Meat Sauce

I love buying odd shaped pasta which was really just my excuse to pick up more of Trader Joe's Proscuitto filled pasta purses. I had every intention of sneaking them by Big Guy in an almost meatless meal by making a sauce of sundried tomatoes, garlic, white wine and pine nuts but I chickened out at the last minute. I wasn't quite up to hearing "where's da' meat" from you know who.

Instead I fashioned a meat sauce inspired by Biba Caggiano in her book Trattoria Cooking and when I say inspired, I mean just that. It's definitely not Biba's. Made with ground pork instead of veal and Italian sausage, white wine instead of red and tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and a touch of tomato paste instead of the canned imported plum tomatoes she calls for as well as lots and lots of dried herbs and spices, it kinda' left me wondering why on earth I entertained the possibility of making it any other way. 

If you're not blessed with a Trader Joe's near by, by all means substitute another kind of pasta - rigatoni would be great or gnocchi or ravioli or elbow macaroni...whatever you wish. 

It’s Not Biba’s Meat Sauce (from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Biba Caggiano, Trattoria Cooking)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 large carrot, peeled and finely diced

1/2 cup finely diced fennel

1 pound ground pork

1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or less depending on how you like heat)

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

1 cup white wine

1 – 14 ounce can tomato sauce

1 – 14 ounce can diced tomatoes with juices

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in large sauté pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, garlic, fennel and carrot and cook until vegetables are softened, stirring often. Add ground pork and cook, crumbling until meat is no longer pink. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, oregano, red pepper flakes and season well with salt and pepper. Stir well to combine. Add white wine and cook for 1 minute until wine is slightly reduced. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes until sauce is thickened to consistency you prefer (use a splatter screen to save on clean up time). Stir in half the parmesan cheese. Serve with pasta of your choice. Garnish with remaining parmesan.

A year ago - New England Style Clam Chowder & Pear Upside Down Gingerbread Cake

Two year's ago - Cajun Shrimp

Chicken Quarters Roasted in Hard Cider Sauce

When you're craving a down home old fashioned kinda' meal, then chicken's the one to go to. Last night's version started with a whole bird that was earmarked for Sunday's dinner but the cook(s) ran out of steam. No matter, because it tasted darned fine last night.

I cut the chicken in quarters using my trusty kitchen shears because in my opinion they work much better than a knife for this particular job. I took the back bone right out by cutting down each side which isn't hard to do; however, remember to cut about a half inch away from each side of the spinal column or you'll end up with a bunch of little iddy biddy back bone bones in your chicken pieces. I should know because I didn't listen to my own advice but I will next time because it's pretty good advice (from a fairly reliable source). Ha. 

Anyway, the quarters were seasoned well with lots of salt and pepper, then dredged in flour and browned on all sides then removed from the pot. An onion, garlic cloves and thyme hit the pot until the onions were softened, then I added a bottle of Woodchuck Amber Cider along with a little chicken stock,  and re-introduced the chicken. After an hour uncovered in the oven, I flamed the bird with some warmed Apple Jack brandy and finished the sauce with a touch of instant blending flour to thicken it along with some cream for richness.

Served with a parsnip/potato mash and some broccoli slaw loaded with cranberries, pecans, Granny Smith apple and a maple mayonnaise dressing, it was a hit on the homefront. Don't you love when that happens?

Roasted Chicken Quarters in Hard Cider Sauce (from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Helen Brody’s New Hampshire: From Farm to Kitchen)

1 2-1/2 to 2 pound chicken, cut into quarters

Kosher Salt and coarse ground black pepper

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bottle hard cider (I used Woodchuck Amber)

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup apple brandy (I used Apple Jack)

2 tablespoons Wondra instant blending flour (more or less as required)

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Wash and dry chicken quarters and season well with salt and pepper. Place flour into a zip bag and add chicken pieces one at a time, shaking to coat and shaking pieces to remove excess flour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add butter and olive oil and when hot, brown dredged chicken pieces on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside. Add onion, garlic and thyme to pot and cook, stirring constantly until onion is softened – about 3 to 4 minutes. Add cider and chicken stock and return chicken to pot, arranging it in a single layer. Bring to a simmer then place pot in oven and roast chicken, uncovered for 1 hour or until very tender.

Remove pot from the oven and place on low heat. Microwave brandy for 5 to 6 seconds to warm slightly and carefully pour over chicken, lighting with a match. When flames no longer glow, remove chicken from pot to a platter and keep warm.

Increase heat to medium and whisk flour into sauce to thicken to desired consistency. Whisk in heavy cream. Taste for seasoning adding more salt and pepper as required. Serve sauce with chicken. Makes 4 servings. 

A year ago - Holiday Ideas for Turkey Phobics

Two year's ago - Lemon Chicken Wings

Steamed Mussels with Red Pepper Aioli

I've had a craving for mussels ever since our trip to Oregon this summer. They're kinda' hard to miss because of the way light catches the color of their shells in various locations along the coast. These little beauties thrive on the Oregon coast but are best harvested during the cooler months of the year so a feast of them wasn't in the cards this summer.

Our local Albertson's has an amazing seafood selection and we purchased a sackful beauties yesterday during our weekly shopping trip. Hat's off to the manager of the seafood department as she very carefully hand picked a couple of pounds of the best she had.

There's absolutely nothing complicated about cooking up a batch of mussels, particularly this recipe from Anne Burrell of Foodnetwork fame. Sauteed onions, lots of garlic, a touch of bay and thyme and a bottle of Soave (which was a perfect choice) minus a glass for the cook, make up the cooking liquid for our mollusks. Five and a half minutes from the second they hit pot and they were in our bowls, along with all that flavorful juice but that's not all people.

The thing that puts these beauties over the top is a roasted red pepper aioli with an incredibly smooth and luscious garlic flavor, spiced up in our case with a couple of good squeezes of Sriracha and drizzled over each glistening bowl.  It's the icing on the cake so to speak and the perfect excuse for devouring a loaf of crusty bread for dipping.

Incredible, mind blowing flavor and so simple too. Incidentally, the aioli recipe makes about two cups of glory so plan to utilize this lovely mayonnaise as a sauce for darn near anything you can think of. It'll make a perfect accompaniment to any vegetables, or shrimp, fish or chicken and will be darned incredible on pasta too.

I didn't change a thing - except to add a little more garlic, used Sriracha instead of Sambal Oelek in the aioli and snuck a glass of wine from the bottle, so hit the link above and head for the recipe.  Believe me, you won't be sorry.

 A year ago - Porc au Vin

Two year's ago - Red and Green Shrimp Enchiladas

Stuffed Pork Loin Roast with Cider Cream

If you should happen to be looking for a something different to serve to guests or have a craving for an old fashioned style Sunday dinner, this would be it. The fact we had it on a Thursday night is to give you a little heads up to make a trip to your favorite market and pick up all the ingredients. Not really but we'll say that's the case OK? I just had a bee in my bonnet for a pork roast. 

Inspired by our friends at Dairy Goodness and the Dairy Farmers of Canada, this dish is a real celebration of all that's good about autumn cooking, including but not limited to an unbelievable cider cream gravy that just made it onto my list of all time favorites.  Hit the link for the original version of the recipe and my version's below. Due to necessity, I made some rather significant changes to the recipe. I bought the wrong cut of pork loin, couldn't find fresh cranberries, didn't have enough dried ones and wanted to put my two cents into it all anyway.

The ruby colored stuffing in this fabulous roast of pork is a combination of sauteed shredded red cabbage and onion, as well as the aforementioned dried cranberries and sour cherries. It is spiced with thyme, moistened with cream and Apple Jack brandy and rounded out with some fresh French bread cubes, crust and all. It's about perfect in the flavor department and a great way to keep a center cut pork roast from drying out as it cooks. I also can't help but think what a fabulous stuffing it would make for a Christmas goose if you're into goose that is.

As you can see from the photo, while the recipe called for a butterflied single loin roast, by mistake I bought one that had been cut in two and joined into one piece, so I snipped the strings, cut a section of pork from the center of each half and retied the two pieces together so I had some room for the stuffing. The leftovers went into an aluminum foil package to be reheated during the last 45 minutes of cooking time and the pork pieces robbed from the roast are earmarked for some fried rice sometime next week. No sweat. 

As for the crowning touch, apple cider is reduced to concentrate the flavor, seasoned with finely chopped shallots, salt and pepper and enriched with half and half cream mixed with a touch of flour for thickening. Just because I couldn't let it go to waste, I added some of the drippings from the roast for a little more porky flavor. The sauce is absolutely amazing but you all know I'm a pushover for gravy anyway, right? It is amazing. You've just got to try and see for yourself! 

Stuffed Pork Loin Roast with Cider Cream Gravy (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from dairygoodness.ca)

Stuffing:

2 tablespoons butter

3 cups finely shredded red cabbage

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 teaspoon thyme

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup dried sour cherries

Salt and pepper

3 cups small cubes crusty bread (I used French bread)

1/4 cup half and half

1/4 cup Applejack Brandy

Heat butter in a large sauté pan over medium high heat and when hot add red cabbage, onion and thyme. Cook stirring occasionally under cabbage is softened and just starts to brown. Add cranberries, and sour cherries. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Stir in bread cubes, half and half and applejack.

1 – 3 pound boneless double loin pork roast, tied or 1 single loin roast, butterflied

1/2 cup apple cider

If using a tied double loin roast, snip string and separate pieces. Cut a wedge of pork out of the center of each piece, then re-tie roast together using butcher’s twine. Fill center of the roast with stuffing. (If using a butterflied single loin roast, pound pork to an even thickness using a meat mallet. Spread stuffing out onto roast, then roll roast from the short end and tie with butcher’s twine). Place any leftover stuffing into a foil package and seal well. Refrigerate until needed, and then place stuffing in the oven 45 minutes before roast is done.

Spray roasting pan with cooking spray and place roast fate side up. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of apple cider. Roast pork in a preheated 325 oven until it reaches an internal temperature of 155. Baste occasionally with more apple cider. Allow roast to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Cider Cream Gravy:

1-1/2 cups apple cider

1 large shallot, finely chopped

1-1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup half and half

2 tablespoons pan juices from roast

Salt and pepper to taste

In a small pot, combine apple cider and shallot. Boil over high heat until reduced by half. Lower heat to medium. In a small jar or container, shake flour and cream together until smooth. Whisk mixture into cider and heat until thickened. Season well with salt and pepper. Drizzle in pan juices from the roast and stir to combine.  

A year ago -  Pork, Pumpkin and White Bean Chili

Two year's ago - Beef and Cabbage Soup

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

 

 

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

Chicken with Green Mole

One thing we've discovered during our ten years in Tucson is that Mexican cuisine is a lot more than tacos and burritos. I've learned a tremendous amount about the diversity of the food thanks to the internet, some fabulous local restaurants as well as books by Rick Bayless and Diana Kennedy; however, we can thank Marcela Valladolid of Food Network's Mexican Made Easy for introducing us to a green pipian sauce also known as green mole. Watching her make it on her show made me really anxious to give it a try.

Of course, I'm never satisfied unless I do a ton of exploring before I try a new recipe and my research brought me to a recipe from New Mexico Magazine, so I combined Marcela's and Chef Fernando Olea's from Epazote in Santa Fe to come up with my version. 

I seasoned skinless boneless chicken thighs with sea salt, pepper and chipotle chile powder then dusted them lightly in flour before they hit my favorite cast iron Dutch oven and came out golden brown and glistening. Onions and garlic got a quick saute in all those lovely chicken juices before they hit the food processor along with par boiled tomatillos, a serrano pepper and unsalted roasted pumpkin seeds (pipian), that were lightly toasted until golden brown. Joined by a little chicken stock, I whizzed the ingredients resulting in a sauce with a relatively coarse texture.

The sauce returned to the pot along with the chicken and more chicken broth and simmered slowly for 45 minutes until the chicken was tender. Finished with chopped cilantro and served with rice, tortillas and a squeeze of lime, the end result is absolutely not to be believed.

The flavors are rich and nutty with a very subtle hint of heat from the serrano that just hits the back of your throat and says howdy...I'm here. It's so good, I can't wait to make it again... maybe with pork next time and I might even add some Hatch green chile to the mix! Man, don't ya' just love cooking?

Chicken with Green Mole (from JBug’s Kitchen Antics inspired by Chef Marcela Valladolid, Food Network and Chef Fernando Olea of Epazote in Santa Fe via New Mexico Magazine)

2 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs

Salt & coarse ground black pepper

1 teaspoon Chipotle chile powder

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons olive oil

Sauce:

1 pound tomatillos

1-1/2 cups unsalted roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

4 cloves garlic

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 Serrano pepper, with seeds (stem removed)

1-1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth or more as needed

1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh limes

Fill a medium sized pot with water and heat until boiling. Meanwhile remove papery outer husk of tomatillos and wash tomatillos well until no longer sticky. Add to pot of boiling water, lower heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, until color changes to a deep olive green and they are soft. Remove from pot and drain well. Cool slightly.

Meanwhile in a large nonstick skillet, toast pumpkin seeds over medium heat, stirring constantly until lightly browned. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Wash and dry chicken thighs. Cut each thigh in half and place into a large bowl. Season well with salt, pepper and chipotle chile powder and toss to coat. Sprinkle in flour and toss again so that chicken pieces are evenly coated.

Heat oil in heavy Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add chicken pieces and cook until browned on all sides. Remove from pot and set aside.

Add onion and garlic to pot and sauté until onion is softened. Remove to a food processor. Remove cores from prepared tomatillos and add to food processor along with Serrano pepper, toasted pumpkin seeds and a half cup of chicken broth. Process until sauce is fairly smooth (it will be slightly coarse because of the pumpkin seeds).

Return chicken to the pot and pour sauce over top. Add an additional cup of chicken stock, then season sauce with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, slightly covered for 40 minutes or until chicken is very tender. Add chopped cilantro during last 5 minutes of cooking. Serve with rice and garnish with lime wedges. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

A year ago - Homemade Hamburger Buns & Leftover Pork

Two year's ago -  Peach Crumble Pie

Herb Crusted Salmon with Dill Sauce

Every once in a while I worry about running out of recipes to try, but then Big Guy goes on another trip and brings me back a new cookbook and my worries are gone. Last night's gorgeous salmon is courtesy of Taste of the Territory, a fabulous addition to my collection from the Service League of Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

Covered in a layer of mixed fresh herbs including rosemary, tarragon, parsley and oregano, I simply pulsed the herbs in my mini chopper along with garlic cloves and olive oil and slathered the mixture on top of a couple of pieces of salmon. The sockeye fillets were placed skin side down in a hot cast iron pan in a combination of butter and olive oil and cooked for 5 minutes, then finished in the oven for 7 minutes more - just the amount of time it took to steam the broccoli. 

The bonus - incredibly crisp skin on the bottom, covered by perfectly cooked moist flakey flesh that's far from boring in all its herbie splendor. In fact, I changed up the recipe a bit and added lemon pepper seasoning with the herbs along with a top coat of buttered panko crumbs which meant the moist fish was sandwiched between two crispy glorious layers of goodness. There's nothing like a little crunch is there? 

The unsung hero of the dish is the sauce, and you all know how I love me some of that! This one's very easy to put together - a combination of mayonnaise and sour cream, along with a touch of honey, a little dijon, finely chopped onion along with dill, tarragon and basil - oh and garlic too. Jazzed up with worcestershire sauce, it hits the microwave to heat slowly for a minute before it hits the plate.

The result was almost total silence, if you don't count the blissful moans and groans coming from the audience. Try this one next time you find fresh and beautiful wild caught salmon at your local market. It's more than worthy of top billing at any 5 star restaurant, and so simple and quick to put together. It is a super week night dinner that tastes really special. I betcha it'll make you famous. Just sayin!

Herb Crusted Salmon with Dill Sauce (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Taste of the Territory Cookbook)

2 – 6 ounce salmon fillets

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup olive oil, divided

1 tablespoon butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning

1 tablespoon melted butter

3 tablespoons panko crumbs

Preheat oven to 350. Wash and dry salmon fillets. Check carefully for bones and remove them with pliers or tweezers. In a mini chopper or food processor, combine rosemary, tarragon, oregano, parsley, garlic and lemon pepper seasoning. Pulse briefly then add 2 tablespoons olive oil and pulse until combined. Divide herb mixture between the 2 salmon fillets, slathering on top of the fillets. Combine melted butter and panko crumbs and sprinkle on top of each fillet.

Place remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large heavy oven proof pan (I used cast iron) and heat over medium high until very hot. Place salmon fillets in pan, skin side down and cook for 5 minutes without touching the fillets, so the skin has a chance to brown. Move pan to the oven and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes or until salmon is just cooked through but flesh is slightly opaque. Remove from oven and place on warmed plates. Serve with dill sauce. Makes 2 servings.

Dill Sauce:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon liquid honey

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1-1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons chopped onion

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon

1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine ingredients together in a small microwaveable bowl and heat on low power for 1 minute, or until sauce is warmed through. Stir every 30 seconds.  

A year ago - Chicken in Cranberry Mustard Sauce 

Two year's ago - Chicken Pasta Salad with Pesto

Fish Baked in Fresh Green Salsa

Tomatillo's aren't something I was familiar with before we moved to the sunny southwest. They look like giant gooseberries on the outside, resemble green tomatoes inside their papery husk and I had absolutely no clue what to do with the darn things. Thankfully, those days are gone. 

Take this fresh green salsa for example from Sunset Magazine courtesy of myrecipes.com. Hit the link to see the official version but notice I've made a few changes just because I'm ornery (see recipe below). It's full of mystery tomatillos, poblano chiles and cilantro - all whizzed up in the food processor along with onion, sour cream and chicken broth. Thickened with a beurre manié  simply flour incorporated into melted butter, after the sauce is heated and allowed to bloom the tomatillos lose much of their tartness and the sauce becomes a perfect poaching liquid for firm fish fillets.

We used cod but feel free to use halibut as called for in the recipe, or salmon or tilapia or even shrimp!  As you can see, we had our fish with a side of rice to soak up some of the incredible sauce, along with a garnish of Matouk's hot sauce. Hey wouldn't you be surprised if we had a meal without the stuff. Yup, so would we. 

Incidentally in case you're wondering - the poblano pepper also known as pasilla, is a green pepper with a very mild flavor and almost no heat quotient so don't be worried about having 2 of them in the sauce. Honestly, you hardly know they're present as far as heat goes, but there's really no substitute for their flavor. 

(Note, photo's of tomatillos and poblano pepper aka pasilla are from Wiki)

Fish Baked in Fresh Green Salsa (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Sunset Magazine via myrecipes.com)

4 fish fillets approx. 6 ounces each (I used cod)

Salt and coarse ground pepper

Sauce:

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons flour

3 small tomatillos (3/4 cup chopped)

1/2 medium onion, chopped

2 fresh poblano peppers, stemmed, seeded and coarsely chopped

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro plus some for garnish

1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup sour cream

Juice of 1 lime

Salt and pepper as required

Melt butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Stir in flour, combining to form a paste then transfer paste to food processor. Remove husks from tomatillos, wash to remove stickiness on the outside and dry well. Roughly chop and add to food processor along with onion, poblanos, cilantro, chicken stock and sour cream. Process until sauce is smooth. Transfer to a microwave safe bowl, add lime juice and heat for 3 minutes, stirring often until mixture comes to a boil.

Meanwhile preheat oven to 375. Wash and dry fish fillets and place into a casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Season well with salt and pepper. Pour heated sauce over top and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with rice on the side. Garnish with cilantro.  Makes 4 servings.  

A year ago - Chicken with Maple Mustard Glaze and Curried Rice

Two year's ago - Viva Italia, Lasagne Bolognese

Three year's ago - Shrimp Cakes with Avocado Grapefruit Salad

Grilled Shrimp with Lime and Red Pepper Aioli

Saturday night dinners around here are normally on the easy side. It's the one day of the week that we spend almost totally together beginning with breakfast at our favorite Mexican restaurant, followed by shopping, errands and was the case yesterday, an afternoon marathon in front of the television catching up on recorded episodes of Covert Affairs that we missed while we were on vacation. Hey, it's darn hot outside so that's our excuse for playing it cool in the comfort of the AC.

Saturday also means JBug has help in the kitchen and as a result it took all of 15 minutes total to get dinner on the table. I peeled the shrimp, Big Guy deveined 'em and tossed them in olive oil and lime juice while I put the salad together. He grilled these garlicky, lime beauties on the little red gas barbecue using the grill pans so we didn't need skewers, while I cleaned up the kitchen and before you knew it we were chowing down with limited fuss and almost no cleanup after. 

Other than the shrimp, the extra bonus on the plate was the giant avocado half, filled with some of the red pepper aioli we made the other day. I had every intention of making Anne Burrell's version of mussels but while "residential" mussel season is back on at least in Oregon, the commercial season has yet to begin so I was unable to find the gorgeous sweet meaty little bi-valves thus the shrimp substitution.

Oh well - it just means that as soon as mussel season opens, we'll be enjoying a bowl along with more of this fabulous aioli. The wait will be worth it - most definitely. 

Grilled Shrimp with Lime and Red Pepper Aioli (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Foodnetwork.com)

1 pound extra large shrimp, cleaned and deveined

1 scant teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

Juice of 1 lime or half a lemon (we used lime)

Toss cleaned shrimp with salt, pepper, olive oil and lime juice. Grill on a gas barbecue or roast in a pre-heated 400 oven until just opaque – approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Serve with aioli.

Spicy Red Pepper Aioli

1 large red pepper

2 egg yolks

2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1 tablespoon Sambal Oelek or Thai Chili Garlic Sauce

1/2 teaspoon Sriracha (optional)

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup olive oil

Roast red pepper over a gas flame or under broiler until well blackened. Place in a zip bag or covered container and allow to steam for 10 minutes. Peel and remove seeds. Place pepper into food processor along with egg yolks, garlic, vinegars, sambal oelek and Sriracha. Process until very smooth. With motor running, add vegetable and olive oil very, very slowly, in a drizzle and process until very smooth and creamy. Refrigerate until serving. (Aioli will keep well refrigerated for 2 to 3 days). 

A year ago - Drowned Beef Sandwiches

Two year's ago - Rosti Potatoes