JBug's Kitchen Antics

Venetian Shrimp and Scallops

Don't ask me what makes this dish "Venetian" because we just want to call it "good" as in plum good. A Rachael Ray original, it's loaded with all sorts of good stuff but it's the broth that elevates this fish stew to a higher level. Of course this being JBug's Kitchen I couldn't make it the way Rachael had it written, mostly because I didn't have some of the ingredients.  

I had excactly one half of the number of scallops she called for and my shallots were earmarked for another dish later this week, so I used white onion instead and added a red pepper to the mix. I also used the seafood version of Swanson's Flavor Boost (hey, that stuff's darn good) instead of the chicken broth  and threw in a tablespoon of Knorr's Tomato Bouillon (name dropping here aren't I) just for good measure.

I've gotta thank Marcela at Foodnetwork and Mexican Made Easy for introducing us to that miracle powder because it adds a huge burst of flavor and body to any dish that includes tomatoes...but I digress. Without fresh basil in my kitchen, I threw in some dried and added fresh chopped parsley for the green element. The old instincts were spot on.

In conclusion - this is a fabulous way to cook seafood, incredibly fast to put together even for yours truly and I'm known as a fast cook. I've been sewing drapes and just finished and hung 'em at 5:15 but still had all the sewing mess to clean up before dinner's at 6:00.  Yup, less than half an hour and this one's ready! It's delicious too. The lemon zest makes the whole dish sing...I mean really SING! In fact, as much as I love cioppino, this stew is better because it's much lighter and less tomatoey - oh and that little pinch of saffron makes a huge difference too. 

We can't wait to have it again ...with a hunk of grilled halibut in the middle, or fresh mussels or clams, all of it or a combination, or maybe just an exact replica of what we enjoyed last night. It is that good.

By the way, don't forget the bread and make it warm, crunchy and plentiful because you don't want to waste a drop of broth. No way, no how, no mam!

Venetian Shrimp and Scallop Stew (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from  Rachel Ray, foodnetwork.com)

6 sea scallops (or up to 1 pound)

2 tablespoons flour

Salt & coarse ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

3 cloves garlic

1/2 large white onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

¼ teaspoon saffron threads

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 cup dry white wine

1 package Swanson’s Seafood Flavor Boost

1 cup water

1 – 14 ounce can diced tomatoes

1 tablespoon Knorr Tomato Bouillon

1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Zest of 1 lemon

Crusty bread

Heat a large sauté pan over high heat. Dry scallops with paper towels and season well with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Add olive oil and butter to hot sauté pan and when butter has melted add scallops. Cook for about 3 minutes total or until golden brown on each side. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add garlic, onion, and red pepper to pan and cook, stirring for 2 minutes or until onion is just barely softened. Stir in red pepper flakes, saffron and dried basil. Cook for 30 seconds, then add wine – stirring to loosen any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring wine to a boil and when slightly reduced, stir in seafood flavor boost, water, tomatoes and bouillon. Return to a boil, then lower heat to medium. Add shrimp and cook until just starting to turn color – about 1 minute. Return scallops to the pan, and cook for another minute or two until seafood is cooked through. Serve in bowls, garnished with parsley and lemon zest. Serve with bread.  Makes 4 servings.

A year ago - Hawaiian Pork Chops

Two year's ago -  Brined Pork Loin with Port Sauce

Pork and Sweet Potato Chili

I'm always looking for ways to repurpose leftovers around here. Afterall when you cook as much as we do and there's just an audience of two, there's usually always something left over. As a result I've become rather creative, if you know what I mean. 

As an example, take Big Guy's slow cooker spicy country ribs that we had a while ago. I've been thinking about various ways to use the remains of them and pulled the container out of the freezer yesterday. Originally I thought about carnitas - crisping up the meat on the flat top grill and making tacos loaded with guacamole, salsa and slaw but then the wonderful gravy would have gone to waste. That would have been tragic because honestly, in my opinion that's where all the flavor is.

I could have put the whole thing into a casserole dish, added a few veggies, put a crust on it and called it a pot pie too and you all know how I love me some pot pie like this one, but something different was in the cards. 

Instead I sauteed some onion and garlic, added sweet potatoes and a couple of roasted fresh green Hatch chiles, some chipotle chile powder and a can each of drained pinto beans and diced tomatoes and the country ribs morphed into a pot of glorious spicy and totally satisfying chili.

So listen, are you wondering if it tasted like leftovers? Not on your life! 

Pork and Sweet Potato Chili (an original from JBug’s Kitchen Antics)

Half a recipe of Slow Cooker Spicy Country Ribs with Gravy

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder

1 tablespoon Knorr tomato bouillon (optional)

1 large sweet potato or yam, peeled and diced

2 diced roasted Hatch chiles, skin and seeds removed

1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice

1 – 14 ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

2/3 cup low sodium chicken stock

1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water

Sour cream, hot sauce and mango salsa as garnish

Warmed corn tortillas (optional)

Heat a large pot over medium high heat. Add olive oil and when hot add onion and garlic. Sauté until onion has softened. Stir in chipotle chili powder, bouillon if using, sweet potato, green chiles, tomatoes and chicken stock. Cook, covered for 10 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Add leftover country ribs with gravy and drained pinto beans. Heat to a simmer and taste for seasoning. If desired, thicken mixture with cornstarch/water slurry and cook for additional 3 or 4 minutes or until mixture boils. Serve with sour cream, hot sauce and salsa with corn tortillas on the side. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

A year ago - Chicken Parmigiana

Two year's ago -  Mac and Cheese

Cabbage Roll Soup

I've been on a bit of a cool weather food kick - not that we're having any cooler weather mind you. It's just that being a born and bred Northerner, I crave the change in seasons and the food that goes along with them. Here in Tucson, if we had to wait to have cool weather food, we'd be hanging in there at least until December; however, thank goodness for air conditioning because we needed it last night.

From Food Network, this soul warming hearty soup has all the ingredients and flavor of stuffed cabbage rolls but without the fuss and bother. Loaded with tomatoey goodness, the broth (if you can call it that), is fortified with sauteed onion and garlic and lots of carrot coins too. Once the vegetables have softened, the whole mess a' good stuff is smoothed slightly with an immersion blender (or food processor) before the rest of the good stuff hits the pot. That includes sliced cabbage and meatballs made from ground beef, uncooked rice, onion and spices.

Speaking of spices, I added more garlic along with oregano and red pepper flakes to our pot of glory, along with beef stock instead of the water they called for. I also threw in a couple of tablespoons of Knorr tomato bouillon powder too which is totally optional but really adds to the flavor profile of the dish. 

Finished with fresh lemon juice and lovely golden raisins for a touch of sweetness, we garnished our soup with a dab of sour cream just because we like it. This one's a keeper people - definitely hearty and oh so delicious. It'll be perfect for one of those crisp autumn evenings, or when you're feeding the crowd fresh off the slopes this winter.

Hit the link and head on over to see the official Food Network version but I've got my revised recipe listed below.  As an aside, the official version says the meatballs take only 25 minutes to cook in the broth but after 25 minutes simmering in my Dutch oven, the rice in the balls was still hard as a rock and took another 20 minutes on top of that to soften up. Next time I'll cook the rice first and cool it down before making the meatballs so it doesn't take so long to cook. It smells so darn delicious, you shouldn't have to wait that long. I've amended my recipe to show the change.

By the way, if you're looking to compare the soup to the real thing and have the inclination, check out the other versions of stuffed cabbage we've enjoyed in JBug's Kitchen and have at 'er. They're all rather tasty and well worth the effort. 

Pork Stuffed Cabbage Rolls                               Whole Stuffed Cabbage

Cabbage Roll Soup (from JBug’s Kitchen Antics adapted from Food Network)

Meatballs:

1 cup rice, cooked per package directions

2 pounds ground beef (I used ground chuck)

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup finely chopped onion

Combine ingredients together and form into 1-1/2 inch meatballs. Refrigerate until needed.

Soup:

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, chopped

2 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 -1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 – 6 ounce can tomato paste

2 tablespoons Knorr tomato bouillon (optional)

1-1/2 cups water

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup ketchup

1 – 28 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice

Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

3 cups low sodium beef broth (or more as needed)

1 bay leaf

1 medium head cabbage

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup golden raisins

Sour cream and parsley as garnish

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring for 30 seconds until it starts to give off its aroma, then add onion. Sauté, stirring frequently until onion is softened. Add carrots, red pepper flakes, oregano, tomato paste, tomato bouillon, water, brown sugar, ketchup and diced tomatoes. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook until carrots are softened – about 20 minutes. Remove pot from heat and allow cooling briefly, and then using an immersion blender, carefully blending until mixture is fairly smooth. Leave some chunks of carrot for texture.

Return pot to heat and taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper as needed. Add bay leaf. Cut cabbage in quarters, then remove core. Slice cabbage crosswise into quarter inch strips. Add to the pot and stir to incorporate into tomato mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes until cabbage is slightly softened. Stir in enough beef broth to bring the soup to the desired consistency (it is still a very thick soup). Add meatballs to the soup cover and simmer slowly for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Stir in lemon juice and raisins. Cook for additional 5 minutes until raisins are plumped. Serve in bowls and garnish with sour cream and chopped fresh parsley. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

 A year ago - Easy Dr. Pepper Shredded Pork

Two year's ago - Deviled Chicken Drumsticks

Braised Oxtails in Red Wine

There’s nothing quite like braising meat low and slow in the oven when the weather’s cool and a misty rain is falling. That was our excuse yesterday although I’ll admit we got peeks of sunshine throughout the day. It’s one of the reasons I love the Oregon coast so much – if you get tired of the weather, just wait a minute because sure as shootin’ it’s going to change.

I know we’ve been doing a lot of braising this month while we’ve been here at the beach but we’re just taking advantage of being here because back in Tucson where we live during the rest of the year it’s salad weather now.

As for the oxtails – considered by many to be merely a vehicle for making a pot of soup or stock, Big Guy has a fondness for this particular preparation that calls for the larger pieces braised in a vegetable laden red wine concoction and finished at the very end with a splash of cognac or brandy. Actually, I would have used some of his Knob Creek bourbon had he not been standing right beside me at the time. The richly flavored tender meaty morsels of the tail end of the bovine are perfect done this way; however, if eating this particular part of the animal gives you shivers just substitute short ribs but be sure to choose some that have the bones in them because that’s where a lot of the flavor comes from.

Served on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes, in our case loaded with horseradish and black pepper because we’re on a horseradish kick, along with a side of newly harvested locally grown carrots, it was truly the perfect dish for a perfect finish to another perfect day. You see, we happen to be entertaining “our” sweet Sophia, a true bonus that’s come into our lives as a result of the last ten years spent in Tucson. A former student of Big Guy’s, we couldn’t love her more if she were our own daughter …and that’s the honest truth.

Oxtails Braised in Red Wine (Adapted from Gourmet)

One 750 ml bottle good Bordeaux or Burgundy

2.5 pounds oxtails

Flour for dredging

Salt & pepper

1/4 cup unsalted butter

3 shallots

6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

2 medium carrots

2 medium leeks (white part only)

1 medium onion

3 small celery ribs with leaves

3 fresh thyme sprigs

3 bay leaves

1 bunch parsley stems

2 cans beef consomme’

Preheat oven to 325. Place wine in a heavy saucepan and reduce by half. Trim oxtails and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour. Heat butter in a heavy Dutch oven and brown floured oxtails over medium high heat. Remove from pot and set aside. Coarsely chop vegetables and add to pot and cook over moderately low heat until just softened. Place browned oxtails over vegetables, add wine, herbs and consommé to cover oxtails. Bring to a boil, then place in oven and cook covered for 3 to 3-1/2 hours or until meat is very tender. Remove lid from pot 30 minutes prior to finish to reduce liquid. If necessary you may thicken sauce with a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch to quarter cup of water). Stir in brandy or cognac just before serving. Serves 4 people.

 

Makai Wide Eyed Arizonafied Chicken Chili

In case you’re wondering about the name of last night’s pot of gloriousness, Big Guy named this one so that means it must logical, right?

To clarify, Makai is the name of the community where we’re staying on the Oregon coast …wide eyed’s for the fact the chicken we used was leftover from our previous night’s dinner when Big Guy butterflied, deboned and  cooked the bird outside on the gas grill, slathering the whole glorious mess a’ meat in some of our Kicky Kumquat Marmalade. The habanero peppers hidden amongst the sweet marmalade can cause one to be rather wide eyed if you know what I mean.

As for the rest of the moniker, this chili includes lots of green chiles along with a chopped jalapeno and other assorted herbs and spices and there’s absolutely nothing pansy about it.  Garnished with sour cream to tame it a tadd along with a quesadilla made with corn tortillas stuffed with pepper jack and cheddar cheeses and fried till crisp, it fills the requirement for quick easy no fuss utterly delicious vacation grub.

Makai Wide Eyed Arizonafied Chicken Chili (inspired by Best of the Best from Arizona Cookbook)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large shallot, finely chopped

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon oregano

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes

1/2 cup white wine

2 – 10 ounce cans Rotel tomatoes with green chiles 

1 – 14 ounce can whole tomatoes

3 packages Swanson’s Chicken Flavor Boost

2 cups water

1 6 ounce can diced green chiles

1 large jalapeno, finely chopped

4 cups chopped cooked chicken

2  16 ounce cans white beans, drained and rinsed

Sour cream as garnish

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add shallot, onion and garlic and cook until onion is softened. Add oregano, chili powder, cumin, coriander, black pepper and red chili flakes and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add wine and cook, stirring for an additional minute, scraping fond from the bottom of the pot. Add Rotel tomatoes, whole tomatoes, chicken flavor boost, water, green chiles and jalapeno as well as chopped chicken. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 20 minutes. Stir in rinsed beans and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls and garnish with sour cream. Serves 8.

 

Braised Country Style Pork Ribs with Cranberries and Cider

How can something so simple taste so darned good? It’s a question I ask myself on many occasions and it was repeated last night when this braised pork dish came out of the oven.

Another fabulous dish from one of my favorite sources, Idaho a la Carte, I made several changes to the recipe including substituting lovely meaty boneless country style pork ribs for the pork loin suggested, purely as an excuse to enjoy the aroma coming from the Dutch oven. I don’t know about you, but I happen to think anticipation’s about 90 percent of the enjoyment.

I seasoned the ribs with plenty of salt, pepper and dried thyme, then dredged them in flour and browned them well before adding sliced onion and smashed garlic to the pot. Finished with a combination of apple juice and chicken stock, the covered pot hit the oven for 1-1/4 hours before I added dried cranberries – dried instead of fresh or frozen because they’re almost impossible to find this time of year.

The uncovered pot hit the oven for another 20 minutes so the sauce could reduce to a perfect consistency and meanwhile I steamed some tiny red potatoes and lovely little onions we picked up at the Newport Farmer’s Market. Finished with a simple white sauce flavored with fresh dill, kosher salt and lots of black pepper, it was on the plate and down the hatch before you could say “delectably delightfully delicious”. 

Granted the potatoes and onions would have paired better with a hunk of salmon or halibut and rice or plain old mashed spuds might be a better side with the braised pork because the sauce is just about to die for, but it was all good. Who can resist fresh produce! After all, there’s nothing like down home comfort food after a hard day at the beach.

Braised Country Style Pork Ribs with Cranberries and Cider Inspired by Idaho A la Carte Cookbook

2 pounds boneless pork country style ribs, trimmed of excess fat

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 large onion, peeled, halved and sliced

3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

1 cup low sodium chicken stock

1 cup apple cider or apple juice (preferably unfiltered)

1 cup dried cranberries

Heat vegetable oil and butter in large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Preheat oven to 350. Cut ribs in half and season liberally on all sides with salt, pepper and dried thyme. Dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Brown well on all sides. Move to a platter when ribs are browned, lower heat to medium and add onions and garlic to the pot. Sauté until onions begin to soften. Add chicken stock and stir to release any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Return ribs to the pot along with any accumulated juices and add apple cider or juice. Bring to a simmer, cover pot and place in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until ribs are fork tender. Uncover pot and stir in dried cranberries. Return pot to the oven and cook uncovered for 20 minutes or until sauce is reduced to desired consistency. Makes 4 servings.

 

Welcome To Rose Cottage

As I write this, it is early morning and Big Guy’s off on his first clamming expedition. Max is sleeping on the sofa wrapped in his favorite fleece blanket, Finnigan’s gone back to bed wrapped in the feather duvet and here I sit in the bay window of the dining room looking out over a perfectly beautiful garden and the endless sky filled with cotton batting clouds kissed by the early morning sun. What can I say …surely I’m in heaven. Welcome to Rose Cottage. Are we lucky or what?

Located at Ona Beach about half way between Waldport and Newport, our little home for the month is a miniature palace. In fact, I have to pinch myself ( Big Guy’s already done it for me) because there’s absolutely nothing and I mean nothing that we don’t love about it.  Light filled, warm and truly comfortable with a lovely ocean peek from the living room, it sits high on a bluff in a neighborhood filled with incredibly warm and welcoming people.  It’s cozy, comfortable and most important; the kitchen’s very well equipped and definitely big enough for all of us.

We broke it in last night as we shared our traditional first meal at the beach with fellow blogger Lorraine from Figs and Artichokes. That's her in the pic with Big Guy...go visit her site now ya' hear. It's fabulous!

Now, if you’re a blogger you’ll understand me when I say there’s a sisterhood that develops over time in the food blogging community and I’ve been incredibly fortunate to make some fantastic friendships thanks to this thing I call a hobby.

While Lorraine and I had met only briefly last year in person, we’ve spent the past 365 days getting to know each other so when she arrived for dinner last night bearing a huge beautiful basket of wines, cheese and incredible locally smoked salmon and bacon (stupid me, I forgot to take a pic) it was as if greeting a long lost sista’ from anotha’ motha’ if you know what I mean.  We’re so blessed but enough or I’ll get all gushy.

As for dinner, our  menu included a simple salad of mixed greens, dried cranberries, crunchy almonds, creamy goat’s cheese and a purchased raspberry vinaigrette followed by our traditional first real cookin’ night entrée of 5 Hour Stew. Of course we got talking and I forgot to take a picture of the main course, but here’s the one from last year …oh and the year before too. Served on a bed of creamy horseradish mashed potatoes – it was a perfect way to initiate a new to us stove to fill the air with delicious smells and warm the soul of our little cottage.

Dessert  was simply a plum kuchen made with huge and incredibly tart red plums in one of our favorite sweet treats. We’ve made it here before; however, I had to do some quick thinkin’ and substituted sour cream for the heavy whipping cream the recipe asks for – so here’s last night’s “new” version. As you can see, it was crunchy on the bottom – or would have been if most of it hadn’t stuck to the pan…. But the creamy custard filling and crumbly top were darn near perfect. Along with a scoop of Umpqua’s finest vanilla, it was a tart, not too sweet and every bit satisfying end to a laughter filled evening.

Incidentally – as I mentioned yesterday the only thing missing at this perfect little place is internet service so posting won’t be as regular as it is the other 11 months of the year. Keep checking in though, OK because while you might be able to pry  JBug away from her computer, you sure as heck can’t keep her out of the kitchen.

Easy Five Hour Beef Stew (adapted from Slicing, Hooking & Cooking, Jackie Eddy)

2 to 3 pounds good quality stewing meat (I use chuck)

Flour, black pepper

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 large onions, coarsely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 large carrots, sliced

2 cans golden mushroom soup

1 cup red wine, plus more if needed

1 package dried onion soup mix

Cut meat into 1-1/2 inch cubes. Sprinkle liberally with black pepper. Dredge in flour and sauté in large Dutch oven until well browned. Work in batches so pan isn’t crowded and meat browns well. Remove to a plate and set aside. Add onions and garlic to casserole and cook until onions are softened. Scrape browned bits from bottom as onions cook. Add carrots, mushroom soup, red wine and dried onion soup mix. Return meat to pot and stir well to make sure meat is well coated with liquid. Cover pot and cook in 275 oven for 5 to 6 hours. Check pot after 3 hours to make sure there is enough liquid and add more red wine if needed. Serves 4 to 6.

Plum Kuchen

1 cup sugar

1-1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into pieces

6 large red or black plums, cut in half and pit removed

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup half and half

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla                                                                  

Whisk together sugar, all-purpose flour, salt, cinnamon and baking powder until well mixed. Add cubed butter and using a pastry blender or your fingers, rub butter into dry ingredients until crumbly. Reserve 2/3 cup of mixture then press remaining crumbs into the bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a 9 inch pan. Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 20 minutes until slightly golden in color.

Remove kuchen from the oven and maintain oven temperature. Place plums cut side down onto par baked crust. Beat together egg, sour cream, half and half and vanilla until well mixed.  Pour custard mixture over top of plus and sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.  Bake for an additional 30 minutes or until custard has set and top is golden brown. Cool to room temperature before serving.

 

BBQ Beef Chili

My apologies to my regular readers but there's nothing even close to being inspired coming from JBug's Kitchen at the moment. I'm trying to get the freezer contents down to a bare minimum so our house sitter doesn't have to worry about it next month in case the power goes out for any length of time as is normal during monsoon season. At least the freezer losses will be minimal.

One of my foraging finds was a 3 pound chunk of barbecued beef the Big Guy cooked up for our big party in May and since he's nutso about our chili created from leftover beef, he was a happy camper last night when he saw the big pot of red on the stove.

Hit the link and it'll take you to our original post, but in case you'd rather not read about chili created from leftovers that includes lots of onions, garlic, tomatoes, beef consomme and beer, never mind a good amount of barbecue sauce, I've re-posted the recipe below.  Just remember you can make a pot of this anytime you've leftover meat and that doesn't mean it has to be beef either. Try it with chicken, turkey or pork and I guarantee you'll be really happy with the outcome.

Incidentally, I added another can of tomatoes to the pot along with a little more beer because I had a lot more meat in this pot of chili than I usually do, never mind that I only had 1 can of beans in the pantry;  however, there were no complaints coming from the resident carnivore. None, nada, zilch...no siree!

The Ultimate Chili from Leftover Prime Rib from JBug’s Kitchen Antics inspired by Fine Cooking 

4 slices smoky bacon, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large yellow onions, diced

4 large cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons mild chili powder

1 tablespoon hot New Mexico chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground Mexican oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 - 12 ounce can lager beer

1 – 28 ounce can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup prepared barbecue sauce (I used Kraft original)

10 ounces of beef stock or a can of beef consomme'

1 or 2 pounds leftover prime rib roast, cut into half inch dice

2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Garnishes – cubed cheese, chopped sweet onion, pickled jalapeno, lime wedges

Heat a Dutch oven over medium low heat. Add olive oil and bacon, and cook stirring occasionally until bacon has released its fat and pieces are starting to crisp. Add onions and garlic and cook until onions are very soft – about 8 to 10 minutes. Add chili powders, cayenne, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper and cook stirring constantly for another 3 or 4 minutes. Add beef, tomatoes, tomato paste, barbecue sauce and beef stock. Bring to a boil, and then add beef. Lower to simmer and cook uncovered for 30 minutes. Add pinto beans and cook additional 15 minutes, stirring often. Serve with garnishes and a squeeze of lime. Serves 4 to 6.

A year ago - Cornbread with Pancetta and Beef and Chorizo Chili 

Two year's ago - Tres Leches

Shrimp and Andouille Gumbo

After a visit to the Parish for dinner the other night, I had a huge craving for gumbo. Funny how that happens - you go out for dinner and get inspired to make something. As luck would have it we still have a couple of packages of Big Guy's homemade andouille languishing in the freezer so the die was cast.

Along with a pound of shrimp and the "trinity" - celery, peppers and onion, it's about all that's needed for a pot of glorious Creole stew - Creole due to the addition of tomatoes. The fact that we had our first monsoon storm yesterday afternoon and the rain brought only slightly cooler temperatures was just a bonus. I mean, with all that steamy heat you'd swear you were in NOLA. Rather appropriate, don't you think.

Incidentally, if you're feeling insecure about making a roux which is a necessity when constructing a pot of gumbo, don't be. In this particular version, the roux is very quick to make, thanks to a very hot cast iron Dutch oven. It took a total of 4 minutes from start to mahogany colored finish so the key is to prep ALL your ingredients before you start because believe me, a roux waits for no-one.

My only complaint - hey you knew there had to be one, right? I sure wish I'd made a bigger pot!

Andouille and Shrimp Gumbo (from JBug’s Kitchen, adapted from Bon Appetit)

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup all purpose flour

2 stalks of celery, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne depending on taste

1/2 teaspoon garlic granules

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

20 ounces seafood or chicken stock (low sodium)

1 – 14 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice

1 pound smoked andouille sausage cut into 1/2 inch thick slices

1 pound medium sized shrimp, peeled & deveined

Freshly cooked long grain rice

Prep all ingredients before you start. Heat oil in heavy cast iron Dutch oven over high heat until almost smoking. Add flour, lower heat to medium high and stir being careful not to splash until dark reddish brown in color (takes 6 to 8 minutes stirring constantly). Do not under any circumstances leave the pot unattended. When the roux is a rich reddish chocolate brown, immediately add chopped celery, onion and bell peppers and stir well to combine. Lower heat to medium and cook until vegetables are softened – about 5 minutes. Add spices and cook for additional minute. Add stock, canned tomatoes. Boil for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to simmer, add sausage and simmer for 15 minutes. Just before serving, add shrimp to gumbo and simmer just until cooked through – approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Serve with rice. Makes 4 large servings.

A year ago - Pineapple Buttered Rum Bread Pudding

Two year's ago - Turkey Cutlets with Gravy on a Raw Stuffing Salad

Cheater Chicken and Dumplings

There's nothing difficult about making chicken and dumplings although if you're going to make it the way your grandma did, it'll likely take a while. This one takes no time at all and no doubt has a lot more flavor than plain old stewed chicken anyway.

One of those make it up as you go meals from JBug's Kitchen, this one includes skinless boneless chicken thighs, seasoned well, dusted in flour and browned in a hot pan. Once given that ultimate "golden glow", they're removed from the pot for a minute while onion, celery, anaheim pepper and garlic get a quick saute. Seasoned with the usual poultry herbs, I de-glazed the pan with sherry and then returned the chicken to the pot along with a can of golden mushroom soup and chicken stock. Topped with chunks of parsnip and carrots, the covered pot simmered on the stove for a mere 25 minutes until the chicken finished cooking and dinner was almost ready, except for the dumplings.

My problem - I couldn't make a decision about what kind to make. We're rather partial to the cornmeal dumplings we've had before on top of chicken chile verde and then again, we absolutely love the feather light version that graced the chicken and vegetable stew we had a while ago. While I was ruminating my conundrum, time kind of got away from me so in the interest of getting dinner on the table before bedtime, I thought "darn, I'm just gonna' think outside the box."

I simply boiled a big pot of water and cooked up some ready made gnocchi. Simple eh? Afterall gnocchi are just little Italian style potato dumplings anyway and although some people might be stumped on how to serve the little beauties, I'm not one of those people. Simply boiled till they float, drained and sauteed in browned butter, or topped with sausage and marinara or covered in bechamel and baked in the oven, I don't think there's a bad way to eat 'em but for certain, gnocchi couldn't taste any better than when covered in chicken and gravy. Them's good eats, especially since my serving including some lovely little green peas. 

Cheater Chicken and Dumplings ( an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

5 skinless boneless chicken thighs

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt, pepper

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

3 ribs of celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Anaheim pepper, chopped (optional)

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

1/3 cup medium dry sherry

1 can golden mushroom soup

2/3 cup chicken stock

1 cup carrots, peeled cut into large dice

1 large parsnip, peeled cut into large dice

1 cup frozen peas (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 package prepared gnocchi, cooked per package directions and drained

Chopped parsley, or fresh rosemary as garnish

Heat oil in sauté pan over medium high heat. Cut chicken thighs in half, season well with salt and pepper and dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Brown chicken on all sides until deep golden in color. Remove from pan and set aside. Add onion, celery, garlic and Anaheim pepper to pan and cook, stirring occasionally until vegetables are softened – about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir poultry seasoning, rosemary, and sage into vegetables and cook for additional minute. Stir in sherry, and when slightly reduced, add golden mushroom soup and chicken stock. Mix well to combine. Return chicken to pot and add carrots and parsnip. Bring pot to a simmer, cover, reduce heat to medium low and cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken is tender. If adding frozen peas, add during last 5 minutes of cooking. Taste for seasoning adding salt and pepper as required. To serve, place a spoonful of cooked gnocchi into bowl and scoop chicken, vegetables and gravy over top. Sprinkle with parsley or rosemary. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

A year ago - Mango and Spicy Shrimp Salad 

Two year's ago - Antipasti Platter

It's Not Manhattan

There was a time I much preferred Boston over Manhattan, at least in the chowder department because you all know how much I love cream in almost anything but that all changed with last night's chowder.

Feeling a little creative but having promised my alter ego a pot of clam chowder for dinner, I admit I emptied out the veggie bin a bit with this one but only after I got the meat out of the way. Bacon, rendered of its fat was joined in the Dutch oven by a single link of hot Italian sausage and that my friends is where the fun began.

Sauteed chopped onion, celery, green pepper, carrots, a tiny itsy bitsy serrano pepper and a little time made up the basics of this pot of stoup. Seasoned with a few red pepper flakes, some dried Italian herbs and a little basil, diced potatoes joined the party along with white wine, clam juice, skinned fresh tomatoes, a can of Rotel and some tomato sauce, although the sauce could be optional. I just wanted a little more body in the soup.

After the potatoes were cooked, I added 2 cups of chopped clams, turned off the heat, slapped on the cover and let the pot sit for 5 minutes. The result - a spicy, rich, subtly clam flavored chowder with all the nuances of Manhattan and a lot more attitude. Just wish I knew what to call it!

It’s Not Manhattan Clam Chowder (an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

4 slices bacon, cut into half inch pieces

1 link hot Italian sausage, casing removed

1 large onion, chopped

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1 small Serrano pepper, minced

1/2 cup diced carrots

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon dried basil

Coarse ground black pepper

2 cups diced peeled potatoes (I used Russet)

3 fresh tomatoes, blanched, peeled and chopped

1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies

8 ounce bottle clam juice

1 cup white wine

8 ounce can tomato sauce (optional)

2 cups chopped clams (I used frozen Gaper clams)

Kosher salt if necessary

Parsley for garnish

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium low heat. Add bacon and cook until fat is rendered and bacon is just beginning to brown. Crumble in Italian sausage and cook until no longer pink. Remove bacon and sausage from pot using a slotted spoon. Set aside. Increase heat to medium high; add onion, celery, green pepper, Serrano, diced carrots and garlic. Sauté, stirring often, until vegetables have softened – about 10 minutes. Stir in red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, basil and season liberally with coarse ground black pepper. Cook for additional minute, stirring constantly. Add potatoes, fresh chopped tomatoes, Rotel, clam juice, and white wine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 10 to 12 minutes or until potatoes are cooked but still slightly firm. Stir in tomato sauce. Bring pot back to a high simmer and add clams. Remove pot from heat, cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add salt as necessary. Serve garnished with chopped parsley. Serves 4 to 6.

A year ago - Grilled Steak with Chimichurri 

Two year's ago - Frozen Buttertart Cheesecake Bars

Maui Chile Verde - well kinda' verde

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

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

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

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

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

Maui Chile (an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 large Anaheim pepper, diced

3 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 tablespoons dried Mexican oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 bay leaf

1 cup salsa verde (I used Herdez)

1 – 14 ounce can low sodium chicken stock

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

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

2 pounds prepared maui taco filling – see recipe below

Garnish with sour cream, pickled jalapenos

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

Maui Tacos

Meat – Carne Adovada

30 dried chile de arbol, stems removed

2 dried New Mexico chile’s stems removed

1 cup water

1/4 cup canola oil

1 tablespoon garlic powder

10 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 teaspoons cumin

1/4 cup red chile powder (mild)

2 teaspoons coarse salt

2 pounds pork loin, cut into half inch cubes

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

Maui Tacos:

Add to above meat mixture:

1/2 cup chopped Maui sweet onion

1 – 14 ounce can pineapple chunks, drained

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

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

 

The Ultimate Chili - Second Time Around

I know I've shared this one with you before but I figured a reminder may be in order. Did you know you can make a great pot of red from almost any kind of leftover meat, using the same basic recipe? 

While in our house the argument's on about whether chili should including anything but beef, I happen to believe turkey or chicken or pork work just as well; however, when I married the Big Guy I promised to obey (ya, what was with that?), so beef chili it was last night.

We had a pound of leftover steak hiding in the freezer, so I chunked it up and threw it into the pot along with the usual onions and garlic. As you'll see from the recipe below, this particular version of chili makes good use of pieces of smoky bacon too and attains a whole new level of glory with the addition of beer and barbecue sauce. Different you bet and absolutely delicious I might add. 

We had our bowls of heart warming comfort along with a piece of the glorious corn casserole that we had last week too - see I'll freeze darn near anything I think I can recycle and believe you me, that casserole freezes like a dream.

Incidentally, should you decide to use turkey or chicken instead of beef in your chili, be sure to exchange the beef stock or consomme' with chicken stock so you keep the flavors in the same family. If you decide to use pork, it marries well with either so just use what you have on hand.  

The Ultimate Chili from Leftover Prime Rib from JBug’s Kitchen Antics inspired by Fine Cooking

4 slices smoky bacon, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large yellow onions, diced

4 large cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons mild chili powder

1 tablespoon hot New Mexico chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground Mexican oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 - 12 ounce can lager beer

1 – 28 ounce can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup prepared barbecue sauce (I used Kraft original)

1 cup beef stock

1 pound leftover prime rib roast, cut into half inch dice

2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Garnishes – cubed cheese, chopped sweet onion, pickled jalapeno

Lime wedges

Heat a Dutch oven over medium low heat. Add olive oil and bacon, and cook stirring occasionally until bacon has released its fat and pieces are starting to crisp. Add onions and garlic and cook until onions are very soft – about 8 to 10 minutes. Add chili powders, cayenne, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper and cook stirring constantly for another 3 or 4 minutes. Add beef, tomatoes, tomato paste, barbecue sauce and beef stock. Bring to a boil, and then add beef. Lower to simmer and cook uncovered for 30 minutes. Add pinto beans and cook additional 15 minutes, stirring often. Serve with garnishes and a squeeze of lime. Serves 4 to 6.

A year ago - Panko Crusted Oysters with Citrus Aioli

Two year's ago - Buttermilk Battered Calamari

Tex Mex Tostada Soup

Who says you can't cook without a stove? Last night's pot of soup was made in a crockpot minus the clay liner, took all of 15 minutes to throw together and included everything but the kitchen sink. It might have had that too, if we had one that is.

Made from darn near all canned goods, what you really need for this one is a good can opener, a large onion, a few small mini peppers or one big one, and a pound of ground beef or pork.

Spicy, hot and comfort food perfect for 2 very tired souls, it's really all about the toppings although we were limited in that respect. Meant to be topped with corn chips, shredded cheddar, shredded lettuce, avocado and sour cream, our refrigerator is a might bare at the moment so we scored only a few of the choices. Regardless, it's a great solution for a relaxed dinner, particularly with a Corona or ten.

If you're wondering how things are progressing, our new kitchen cabinets are installed and gorgeous, although I won't be posting a picture until everything's completed. The guys from American Kitchen Cabinets did an outstanding job and a tremendous amount of customization to make 'em exactly the way we wanted them. Roger and his co-hort are very professional, exceedingly patient and very particular which is exactly what you want when you're making a big purchase such as this one. 

Big Guy did some electrical work yesterday and installed power to the island. There's some touch ups needed before the stove goes back into place and we've some rather involved drywall repairs to do in the meantime. The stone fabricators will be here early in the week, or by Wednesday at the latest to do a template for the granite and by April 18 we should have counter tops and a kitchen sink so until then we'll be doing dishes in the bathtub. Hey, we're shower people anyway so that's no big deal. 

Meanwhile, JBug's Kitchen is back in business so dust off your grills, break out the sunglasses and margaritas for a week of grillin' and chillin' ...well maybe not the chillin' or then again maybe so, depending on your location that is.

Tex Mex Tostada Soup (from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Wall Drug Cookbook)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 min peppers sliced or 1 large pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound ground beef or pork

1 teaspoon onion powder

2 teaspoons taco seasoning

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 – 16 ounce can chili beans with sauce

1 – 16 ounce can diced tomatoes

1 small jar picante sauce (2 cups)

1 8 ounce can tomato sauce

1 cup beef or chicken stock (or water)

Garnishes: corn chips, grated cheese, shredded lettuce, diced avocado, sour cream

Heat oil in a Dutch oven until shimmering. When hot add onion and peppers and sauté stirring occasionally until onion is softened. Add garlic and crumble in ground beef and cook until meat is no longer pink. Add onion powder, taco seasoning and cumin and cook for another minute, stirring constantly, then add chili beans, tomatoes, picante sauce, tomato sauce and stock or water. Simmer covered for 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls and garnish as you wish.  Makes 6 servings.

Incidentally today's the third anniversary of JBug's Kitchen Antics! Can you believe we're still going strong? We've shared 1,095 meals with you all, some more successful than others I might add but at least they've all been relatively edible.

I definitely need to thank my darling Big Guy for always being so supportive, never mind such a willing guinea pig. He certainly keeps me grounded. He reminds me often when I'm sweating ALL the small stuff (...and I do mean ALL of it) that it'll all be OK, and when it is he only raises an eyebrow, gives me the look and never says "I told you so". Lucky aren't I?

Of course, I can't pass up this opportunity to say thank you to all my regular visitors and to the many great friends I've made during the past 3 years. You mean the world to me and I feel totally blessed, so I'm raising a glass in celebration and appreciation to all of you! Hey, when you're renovating the most important room in the house, any excuse to raise a glass is a good one, right? Thanks all and CHEERS!

Clam Chowder with a Blush

If you're a regular visitor here, you'll know we're kind of into clams, mostly because of the month we spend on the Oregon coast every year. Being a classic hunter/gatherer, the Big Guy digs enough clams during that period to keep us clammed up year round.

He cleans them, packs them all on dry ice and we transport a cooler full back to Tucson so we can make chowders such as this one. A JBug's original, I developed this one our first year on the coast and it's been a favorite ever since.

Loaded with bacon, potatoes and clams, the blushing color comes from tomato sauce and the spicy heat from a half cup of salsa although I'll admit I've revised the recipe's method since its development. I've discovered it's best to add the tomato sauce and salsa at the very end to prevent the chowder from curdling, but other than that it remains as is did the first time it was made in our little rental's kitchen in Yachats.

If you're on the fence about your favorite chowder and can't decide whether you prefer Manhattan style or New England, give this one a try because it's a cross between the two along with a little southwestern kick.  

Yachats Blush Clam Chowder Inspired by Pacific Northwest Cooking Secrets by Kathleen DeVanna Fish

4 slices bacon, diced

2 Tablespoons butter

6 Tablespoons flour

3 cups whole milk or half & half

1-8 ounce bottom clam juice

4 medium red potatoes, peeled and diced

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)

2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

1/3 cup white wine

1 cup tomato sauce

½ cup salsa (use either hot or medium)

2-1/2 cups chopped clams

Salt and pepper to taste

Fry bacon in large Dutch oven until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and set aside, leaving drippings. Add butter and decrease heat to medium low. Add flour to drippings and stir together well to make a roux. Cook roux, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Do not allow roux to brown beyond a golden color. Add chopped onion and garlic to roux and cook until onions are soft – 3 or 4 minutes. Add potatoes and cook for additional 3 or 4 minutes, stirring often. Add clam juice, milk, basil, chili flakes and Old Bay seasoning. Stir well to combine. Bring almost to a boil, cover, lower heat to medium low and cook until potatoes are done (approx. 20 minutes). Stir pot often to prevent sticking. Taste to adjust seasoning as necessary.

Add clams and white wine. Heat for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato sauce and salsa and reserved bacon. Serve with oyster crackers. 

A year ago -  Cranapple Oatmeal Cookies

Two year's ago - Pasta with Scallops and Shrimp

Creamy Winter Vegetable Chowder

I could have picked something more suitable to an 85 degree day than this pot of glorious soup, but I'm not sure a salad would have been quite as delicious. 

The chowder's a real keeper, loaded with vitamins from a host of winter veggies including parsnips, carrots, fennel, butternut squash and subtle herb flavors and a really creamy consistency from the bechamel sauce. I found I needed to do some tasting and adjusting by adding more herbs, lots of salt, pepper and nutmeg but it was pure pleasure having to try it all out a spoonful at a time to get the flavors just right. 

We have Rachael Ray to thank for this one and thank her we should. I changed a few ingredients - used sherry instead of wine, and dried herbs instead of fresh even though I have a ton of rosemary and thyme growing outside - hey I'm scared of bees and there's a lot of them buzzing around right now because absolutely everything is in blossom. 

Also I topped the bowls off with some freshly grated Madrigal, a French/Swiss cheese with a glorious nutty taste and incredible "meltability" and we enjoyed slices of rustic crusty bread, warm from the oven rather than Rachael's recommended parmesan cheese croutons. Changing recipes is a right of passage for all cooks, or at least it should be, so I don't feel guilty about adding my touch. Next time I whip up a pot, I might even add some bacon or sausage to the mix to appease my resident carnivore. 

Creamy Winter Vegetable Chowder (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Rachael Ray)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, finely chopped

3 carrots, thinly sliced

2 ribs celery finely diced

2 leeks, white and light green parts only, well washed, cut in half and thinly sliced

3 parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced

2 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 small fennel bulb, washed, and finely chopped

1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 large bay leaves

1/4 teaspoon each thyme, marjoram, rosemary (or more as needed)

1/2 cup dry sherry

2 cups chicken stock

Heat oil in bottom of a large Dutch oven until shimmering. Add garlic, onions, carrots and celery and cook until onion starts to soften and slightly brown. Add leeks and cook a minute more, stirring constantly. Add parsnips, potatoes, fennel, and squash. Season well with salt and pepper. Add bay leaves and herbs cover pot and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove cover and add sherry. Cook, scraping any browned bits off the bottom until sherry is almost entirely reduced, then add chicken stock. Return cover to the pot, lower heat to simmer and cook for 15 minutes until veggies are soft.

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

3 cups whole milk

Salt and pepper

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Melt butter in a medium pot and when melted add flour. Cook whisking constantly for 1 to 2 minutes or until roux is slightly golden in color. Whisk in milk and cook until mixture thickens and barely comes to a boil, whisking constantly. Add salt, pepper and freshly ground nutmeg. Stir béchamel sauce into chowder and simmer for 5 minutes.

Fresh parsley

Grated Madrigal or Swiss cheese

Serve soup garnished with chopped parsley and grated cheese.   Makes 6 to 8 servings. 

A year ago - Cottage (Shepherd's) Pie 

Two year's ago - Chicken Marbella

Saucy Butternut Squash Soup

Saucy as in apple sauce, this isn't just an ordinary butternut squash soup. Adapted from wholefoodsmarket.com, it's loaded with all manner of vegetables and takes a mere 30 minutes to make from start to finish. Now have I got your attention?

Sauteed carrot, celery and onion joined by lots of diced squash and cooked in low sodium chicken stock, it's simmering away on the stove in record time. As you likely know by now, it's unlike me to follow a recipe one hundred percent, so rather than using 4 to 6 cups of broth like the recipe asked for, I used the 3 cups I happened to have on hand.

After the vegetables were cooked and pureed with my trusty immersion blender, I added a cup of cream to thin the soup as well as a full cup of applesauce from a jar. Garnished with crumbles of blue cheese, the bowl of comfort went very well with the crisp Cuban style sandwiches adorning our plates, never mind the sweet potato chips courtesy of our friend Trader Joe.

By the way, don't forget to taste the soup before you serve it and salt it really well! It needs extra to bring out the subtle flavors. 

Saucy Butternut Squash Soup (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from wholefoodsmarket.com)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup diced carrot

2 stalks celery, diced

1 large onion, diced

2 small butternut squash, peeled, cleaned and diced (about 5 cups)

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 to 4 cups low sodium chicken stock

1 cup sugarless apple sauce

1 cup cream, half and half or whole milk

Blue cheese as garnish

Heat oil in large heavy bottomed pot. When shimmering add carrot, celery and onion and sauté until onions are soft. Add squash and thyme along with chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then lower heat cover and simmer for 25 minutes or until vegetables are very soft. Remove from heat and carefully puree using an immersion blender or food processor. Return mixture to pot and stir in apple sauce and cream. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper. Heat slowly until very hot, but do not allow to boil. Serve topped with crumbled blue cheese.  Makes 4 to 6 servings.

A year ago - Creole Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

Two year's ago - Lemon Chicken with Herbed Potato Salad

Poblano-Jalapeno Chili

Sorry I'm late again this morning everyone. I'm suffering through what I think is my semi-annual war with allergies so I'm not feeling quite as chipper as normal. It's a good thing The Big Guy's around to take care of us and take care of us he did yesterday with this fabulous pot of chili.

From March's Cooking Light magazine, it is part of a series on great things to make using marinara sauce as a shortcut and believe you me if I hadn't seen the recipe myself, I'd never have known there's marinara in it.

The Big Guy made a few changes to the recipe and added roasted green chiles we had hiding in our freezer instead of fresh jalapenos along with a can of beef consomme rather than using the chicken stock that was called for. Oh, he also topped the bowl of yummy spicy goodness off with some pickled jalapenos, something we always seem to have on hand.

Hit the link HERE for the recipe and put this one on your list as soon as you can. It is absolutely loaded with manly flavors including a ton of garlic, spicy chili and beer too, no less. 

A year ago - Crispy Snapper and Oven Fries

Beef Cooked in Beer (Carbonnade a la Flamande)

Another one of those "bin dere done dat's" last night's dinner is the perfect welcome home for my great white hunter. If there's one thing I know for sure, I'm bound to please him when there's beef on the menu and this just isn't your ordinary old everyday kinda' beef either.

Browned well in the drippings rendered from a quarter pound of bacon, this Belgian/Flemish method of braising is one of the first things I impressed him with before we were married - second of course to my winning personality and incredible wit. Loaded with golden browned onions, spiced with thyme, bay leaves and Dijon mustard the beef and bacon go back into the pot along with 2 bottles of amber beer, some consomme and a couple of tablespoons of red wine vinegar.

Braised in a 325 oven for 2.5 hours, it all comes out looking somewhat like this.  Notice I said somewhat. It can also come out looking like this - why the difference?

Well I know it's not rocket science but the key is the bigger the pot, the quicker it cooks because the heat is distributed over a larger area which means the liquid is reduced and the meat cooks faster. Last night's braise was accomplished in my favorite 7 quart oval Dutch oven in 2 hours 20 minutes while the second picture came from a smaller 4 quart pot that took 3 hours and provided a lot more gravy. Same amount of meat, same heat, same everything except for the pot. If I had to choose between the two I'm not sure which one's better because they're both delicious but for the Big Guy, he'd pick last night's version hand's down likely because the gravy didn't get in the way of all the meat. LOL

By the way, be sure to give yourself plenty of prep time to get this baby in the oven. It takes about an hour by the time the bacon's crisp, the meat's well browned in batches without crowding the pan, and the onions are a nice golden color before the liquid's introduced and the pot hits the oven, so be sure to plan accordingly. 

Carbonnade a la Flamande  (Beef cooked in beer) (adapted from Craig Claiborne)

3 lb boneless chuck, some fat removed & cut into 2" cubes

¼ lb lean bacon, diced

Vegetable oil if necessary

3 large onions, sliced (about 1-1/2 lbs)

3 tablespoons butter

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Flour for dredging meat

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

3 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 bottles  beer (I use amber…don’t use beer that is too dark as it will be too bitter)

1 can beef consommé (or broth)

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Salt & pepper to taste

In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, cook bacon until browned and crisp. Remove from pan and set aside. Reserve bacon fat. Flour, salt & pepper meat cubes and brown in batches in Dutch oven in reserved bacon fat. If the bacon was very lean, add oil if necessary. Do not crowd pan. Remove meat cubes from pan as they are done and set aside in a bowl along with bacon.

Preheat oven to 325. Add butter to Dutch oven then add onions & cook until lightly browned, scraping up “fond” from bottom of pan as onions sweat. Add garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, bay leaves, sugar and cook for 1 minute. Return browned beef and bacon to pot along with beer, consomme, red wine vinegar and mustard. Bring to a simmer. Cover closely and place in oven for 2-1/2 to 3 hours, or until beef is very tender. Remove lid from pot during last half hour of cooking to reduce liquid as required.  Skim fat from casserole. Taste for seasoning. Serves 6

A year ago - Pear and Apple Crumble Pie  Two year's ago - Stromboli Roll 

  

Easy Cheesy Chowder

In case you want to know, soup doesn't have to have fish in it to be called a chowder. An epiphany you say? Another point is that you can use almost any kind of meat in one, or none at all but chowder's are usually always hearty rich soups, normally containing some kind of dairy product and loaded with chunky vegetables and tons of flavor.

All of the above certainly applies to last night's effort because this "ain't" no pansy soup people. I admit I kinda' dug to the bottom of the freezer and came out with 1 lonely chicken breast and a package of chicken sweet Italian sausage to make it but you could use hot Italian sausage - pork or chicken, or chicken thighs or even lean ground beef and it will still be fabulous. 

By the way, if you're thinking the recipe's a tad ambiguous, then so be it. All I'm saying is that during the construction you'll have some choices to make but for sure it'll result in a bunch of smiles around the table and you'll likely need to come up with an answer for the question "ya' got any more o' that stuff?"

I rest my case.

Easy Cheesy Chowder (from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Taste of the Territory Cookbook)

1 large chicken breast plus 1-1/2 pounds bulk sweet or hot Italian sausage; OR 2 pounds lean ground beef; OR 2 pounds diced skinless boneless chicken thighs

Salt and pepper

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 large onions, chopped

4 medium carrots, peeled and diced

1 jalapeno minced (leave seeds and membranes intact if you want a spicier soup)

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (or 2 if you want a very thick chowder)

2 teaspoons mixed Italian dried herbs

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

2 teaspoons garlic powder

3 cups water or chicken stock or combination of the two

1 – 14 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice (optional)

3 Yukon Gold potatoes, with or without the peel cut into half inch cubes

2 cans cream of chicken (or cream of mushroom) soup

10 ounces Velveeta cheese, cubed

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add onions, and carrots and jalapeno and sauté until onions are softened. Move vegetables over to one side of pot. Add meat to the pot, season lightly with salt and pepper and sauté until no longer pink – about 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over all and stir to incorporate well. Add Italian dried herbs, chili powder, cayenne and garlic powder and cook, stirring constantly for 2 or 3 minutes. Add water or stock and diced tomatoes and stir well. Add potatoes, bring pot to a high simmer, reduce heat cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until potatoes are tender. After potatoes are cooked, stir in cream of chicken (or mushroom) soup and cheese. Cook stirring constantly over low heat until cheese is melted and soup is thickened. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required. Serve with crusty bread or crackers. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

A year ago - BBQ Beef Stuffed Potato  

Two year's ago -  Santa Fe Pork Stew

 

 

Braised Short Ribs with Mushrooms, Pancetta and Marsala

Boy it's hard to go wrong with pancetta and marsala wine! You've likely noticed we've used the combination a fair bit in the last little while but when you make your own pancetta it's so darn delicious you'll take any excuse to use it. The other point is a good bottle of marsala can go a long way - we have a hard time hanging on to red wine around here as it tends to disappear rather quickly but we don't have the same drinkability issue with marsala ... at least, not yet. 

I was inspired by a couple of sources, namely Food Network Magazine and Food and Wine in the creation of last night's low and slow braise. It's a perfect cooking method for cold weather comfort food or cooking something that will get better as it holds when you're not sure what time dinner's going to be, as was my case last night.

Loaded with the usual onion, garlic and pancetta after the meat was well browned, I added some tomato paste, thyme, bay leaves and then deglazed the pan with marsala before adding more along with a can of beef consomme. After the first two hours, I added some little frozen pearl onions to the pot and let it all brew for another hour in a 300 oven. It came out richly colored and full of flavor. 

The only point of contention is that the boneless "short ribs" I bought weren't really short ribs but what we think was rump, cut to look like short ribs. Rather than a tender end result, the meat was more firm to the bite with a shorter grain than a well braised short rib would have been. I guess I can't blame the butcher even though it was marked boneless short ribs because I'm the idiot that bought the meat. I thought it looked a little funny and should have gone with my instincts. Needless to say, I'll be more careful on Saturday when we're back at the Sprouts meat counter. 

Braised Short Ribs with Mushrooms, Pancetta and Marsala (from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Food Network Magazine)

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 to 6 short ribs

Flour for dredging, salt and pepper

4 ounces pancetta, cut into small cubes

4 cloves garlic

1 large onion, chopped

2 cups quartered mushrooms

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

2 bay leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup dry Marsala wine, divided

1 10 ounce can beef consommé

1/2 cup water

6 ounces frozen pearl onions

 

Cooked Noodles

Sour cream for garnish

Heat olive oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium high heat until oil is shimmering hot. Trim short ribs of excess fat then season well with salt and pepper and dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Cook on all sides until a deep rich brown. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add pancetta to pot and cook until crisp. Remove to plate with short ribs. Remove all but 2 tablespoons oil from bottom of Dutch oven and return pot to heat. Add onions, garlic and mushrooms. Cook until onion is softened. Stir in tomato paste, thyme and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper and allow to cook briefly; add half a cup of Marsala wine, stirring up any browned bits from bottom of pan.  

Cook until Marsala is almost completely reduced – 2 or 3 minutes, then add remaining Marsala, consommé, water and return meats to the pot. Bring to a simmer then cover and place in a preheated 300 oven for 2 hours. Check liquid level and add more water as needed. Add frozen pearl onions, then cover pot and cook for 30 minutes. Remove lid and allow to cook for another 30 minutes or until meat is very tender and sauce is reduced to the consistency you like.  Serve on noodles and garnish with sour cream. Serves 4 to 6.

A year ago - Salmon Chowder   Two year's ago -  Chicken with Orange Mustard Sauce

 

"Souper" Sunday - Italian Minestrone

I stole the idea of making soup for Sunday dinner from Pam at Sidewalk Shoes and it's been a great addition to our kitchen antics. There's not much that smells better than a pot of soup on the stove all afternoon and this one's no exception. Inspired by recipes in Celebrated Seasons, a Minneapolis Junior League cookbook as well as Sable and Rosenfeld's Elegant Entertaining, both from the late 80's, nothing about this pot of glorious flavor is out of date.

With only a smidge of meat in the whole thing in the form of smoked pork hocks and a single link of hot Italian sausage, for once in our carnivore driven lives the focus is on the vegetables - carrots, onions, leeks and cabbage in this instance, along with tomatoes and red kidney beans. You could certainly substitute spinach or kale for the cabbage and ham or bacon for the pork hocks if you wish. Also, I chose a toothy radiatore pasta to finish as the short, thick little fusilli like shapes hold up well in the pot but any short pasta would do, even elbow macaroni.

We passed the pepper mill along with some grated parmesan and enjoyed our bowl of comfort along with some hot crunchy garlic bread and the rest of the bottle of the red wine that went into the pot. It was all good and we've lots of leftovers to take care of lunches for the week.

Italian Minestrone Soup (from JBug’s Kitchen inspired by Celebrated Seasons and Sable & Rosenfeld cookbooks)

I brewed this pot of glorious bliss over the course of the afternoon; however, you can certainly speed up the preparation time if you wish.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 leek, white and pale green part only, chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 tablespoon dried mixed Italian herbs

Coarse ground black pepper

1 quart low sodium beef stock

1 can beef consommé

1 cup water

1 pound smoked pork hocks

1 link hot Italian sausage, casing removed

1 – 28 ounce can diced tomatoes

1-1/2 cups dry red wine

2 medium carrots, diced

1/2 medium cabbage, chopped into half inch pieces

1 cup radiator pasta

Coarse ground black pepper and grated parmesan for garnish

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. When shimmering add onions, celery, and leeks and sauté, stirring often until vegetables are soft. Add garlic, basil, Italian herbs and coarse ground black pepper and cook for another 3 or 4 minutes, stirring often. Add beef stock, consommé and water to pot and heat to high simmer.

Meanwhile heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Remove pork hocks from bones and chop into 1 inch pieces. Add to skillet and cook until meat starts to brown. Add Italian sausage to pan and sauté until sausage is browned. Drain meat in a colander to remove excess fat and add to soup pot.

Lower heat to a slow simmer, cover pot and cook for 1 hour. Add diced tomatoes red wine, carrots and cabbage and cook covered for additional 40 minutes, or until cabbage has softened. Add pasta, cover pot and simmer until pasta is cooked – about 15 minutes. Garnish with coarse ground black pepper and grated parmesan cheese. Makes 10 servings.

A year ago - Bow Legged Chuck     

 

New Mexico Style Pot Roast with Cornbread Griddle Cakes

Sunday's are kind of slow around here so what better to have for dinner than something that's best cooked low and slow like this New Mexico Style Pot Roast. 

It's a breeze to put together because after a quick sear to brown the meat, the rest of the work is done by the oven. Braised in a mixture of red enchilada sauce, beer and beef stock, it's a beautiful thing finished with sweet potatoes and hominy.

Hominy is something I'd never had before we moved to the sunny south and it really is an acquired taste/texture thing. It is simply dried corn that's been soaked in a mild lye solution which kills the kernal and makes the corn puff up. You can find it in the canned vegetable section of your local grocery store. Just remember to drain and rinse it well before adding it to the pot. It has a musty flavor with a very chewy texture so if you're not inclined to give it a try, just leave it out or substitute regular corn.

I figured the roast would be lovely with cornbread but wanted to change it up a bit so we cooked these griddlecakes instead. Adapted from a recent post by Ezra Poundcake, they looked too darn good to pass up. They're really just like a hunk a cornbread only much lighter and the bonus is the crispy crust on the outside - both sides!

Just be careful not to overcook them or you'll have hockey pucks on your plate instead of light moist little yummies. By the way, the original recipe calls for self rising cornmeal but darned if I could find the stuff, so I made my own - how's that grab ya?

New Mexico Style Pot Roast (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted epicurious.com)

1 – 3 pound boneless chuck roast, tied

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt & coarse ground black pepper

All-purpose flour

1 large onion, peeled and cut into wedges

2 cloves garlic

1 – 20 ounce can red enchilada sauce

1 -12 ounce light beer

1 cup low sodium beef stock

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1 – 28 ounce can hominy, drained and rinsed

Garnishes – pickled jalapeno peppers, sour cream, extra hot sauce

Preheat oven to 350. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add oil and heat until shimmering. Meanwhile season roast with salt and pepper and dredge in flour on both sides, shaking off excess. Brown meat very well on both sides in hot pan. When browned remove pot from heat and add onions, garlic, enchilada sauce, beer and beef stock. Stir well to combine ingredients. Cover pot and bake in preheated oven for 2-1/2 hours or until meat is tender.

Remove pot from the oven and add sweet potato and drained and rinsed hominy. Cover pot and return to the oven. Cook for half an hour, remove lid and cook additional 15 minutes or until liquid is reduced to thicken. Serve garnished with pickled jalapeno peppers, sour cream and pass the extra hot sauce. Serves 6.

Cornbread Griddle Cakes (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Southern Living via Ezra Poundcake)

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

1 cup flour less 1 tablespoon

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 tablespoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted butter

1 large egg, lightly beaten

3/4 cup milk

Butter

Whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and cayenne in a large bowl to combine well. In a small bowl beat together vegetable oil, egg and milk. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just combined. (It will be lumpy).

Heat a griddle over medium heat and brush lightly with butter. Spoon a quarter cup of batter onto griddle and cook until tops are bubbled and edges look dry – (just like you’re cooking pancakes). Flip over and cook other side. Serve warm.

A year ago -  Parmesan Cream Potatoes  Two year's ago - Oven Fried Chicken

Quick Creamy Turkey Noodle Soup with Cranberry Sour Cream Biscuits

Yesterday was a marathon day in the kitchen. Our kumquats and Meyer lemons are ready and need to be dealt with so I've been busy harvesting, planning and putting them to bed. It's funny but I was thinking the other day as I washed 5 pounds of bright gem like kumquats is that we women pay lots of money for fancy perfumes but there's nothing can compare with the smell of fresh picked fruit, no matter what kind.

Course the opposite is true when said fruit's being turned into marmalade and boils over on the stove. Now that wasn't something I'd particularly planned for. What a bleepin' mess!

Anyway, dinner last night needed to hold well since the Big Guy has a late Wednesday class and isn't home till sevenish and something that didn't require a lot of fuss and bother since I'd spent the day doing just that. A pot of turkey soup seemed to be the perfect choice.

This particular effort has a golden rue as a flavor base and includes the usual trinity of vegetables along with potatoes and noodles. There's two things that make it stand out - the addition of cream at the very end to smooth out the broth and flavoring agents such as garlic, oregano, thyme, and poultry seasoning. It's got body, soul and a lot of attitude and it's far from the usual milquetoast noodle soup.

As you can see I whipped up some biscuits to go with our soup, although you might think they look more like scones. Who says you have to cut biscuits into rounds? I simply whipped up the usual dough, but this time I added some dried cranberries and moistened the dry ingredients with a combination of yogurt and sour cream - just because I had the dregs of 2 containers in the refrigerator and wanted to get rid of them.

The resulting biscuits are exceedingly light, moist and flavorful, although likely more suited to afternoon tea than a super soup supper upper.

Oh, what you see on the plate is a little ramekin of Kicky Kumquat Marmalade, loaded with 9 (yup that's right NINE) chopped up Habanero peppers and a nice amount of Triple Sec. It's rather wonderful if I do say so myself. It has attitude but the sugar content of the marmalade really cuts the heat of the peppers so it doesn't burn your mouth. It just creates a mellow glow - ok a rather hesitant flame but not a roaring fire. That's my opinion and I'm stickin' to it.

Creamy Turkey Noodle Soup

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 celery stalks, chopped

3 large carrots, chopped

3 Tablespoons butter

1/3 cup flour

1 teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon poultry seasoning

1-1/2 teaspoons salt (may need more depending on stock)

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

6 cups strained turkey stock

4 cups diced peeled potatoes

2 cups diced turkey

3 to 4 ounces wide egg noodles

1 cup evaporated milk for half and half

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Medium Dry Sherry (optional)

Heat a large stock pot over medium high heat. Add olive oil and when shimmering hot, add onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Sauté until vegetables are softened – about 10 minutes. Move the vegetables over to one side of the pot and add butter to bottom of the pot. When butter has melted stir in flour. Cook stirring until roux becomes golden brown – 4 to 5 minutes.

Stir vegetables into roux and add oregano, thyme, poultry seasoning, salt and black pepper. Cook stirring constantly for another minute before adding turkey stock. Bring to a boil stirring constantly, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

Stir in potatoes and diced turkey, cover pot and cook for additional 15 minutes. Add noodles to pot, cover pot and cook additional 10 minutes or until noodles are softened. Stir often to prevent sticking. Add evaporated milk and chopped parsley just before serving. Drizzle each serving with a little sherry. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Cranberries and Cream Biscuits (an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

Note – I used self-rising flour; however if you wish to use regular all purpose, increase baking powder to 6 teaspoons (2 tablespoons) and add an additional 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

2 cups self-rising flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup sour cream

1 egg yolk

Additional sour cream and granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 400. In a large bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a pastry blender cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in dried cranberries. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. In a small bowl combine yogurt, sour cream and egg yolk, beating to combine well. Pour into well in center of dry ingredients and using a fork, incorporate liquid mixing just until barely combined. Transfer to a lightly floured board and knead lightly a few times to distribute wet ingredients into dry. Pat dough out into a circle about 8 inches in diameter.

Transfer to baking sheet and brush top with a little sour cream. Sprinkle lightly with sugar. Cut circle into 8 wedges, moving wedges apart approximately a half inch to allow for rising. Bake for 12 to 16 minutes or until toothpick inserted into biscuit comes out clean.

A year ago - Really Good Stew

Chicken and Vegetable Stew with Dumplings

Light as air they are - absolutely light as air. I'm speaking about the dumplings people and thanks to Elise from Simply Recipes, I finally know the secret. Having made plenty that would easily have replaced those 5 pound weights in my exercise repertoire, these were float in the air fabulous.

Other than using a fork to mix the wet into the dry ingredients, the real secret is using cake flour instead of all-purpose. Oh that and not peeking in the pot until they've simmered in the stew for a full 15 minutes - but I already knew about that one.

As for the stew - well I had a little under a pound of skinless boneless chicken breasts to use along with a veggie drawer full of odds and sods, so I thought why not make a soup. Sure it would have been nice to have a whole chicken to use, but sometimes you've just got to go with what you've got. Of course I could have added some leftover turkey to the mix but I'm saving that freezer stash for another day.

The soup morphed into a stew and we're so glad it did. Chock full of pearl onions, carrots, celery, and parsnip I even threw in some turkey gravy I had hiding just to add a little more flavor, along with garlic, rosemary, a touch of dried thyme and some poultry seasoning. I admit it all tasted rather wonderful for a dish that was ready in a grand total of 45 minutes.

Sometimes it's easier to make dinner than it is to make reservations. Oh alright, that's a bit of a stretch- so shoot me but wait until after lunchtime OK. We still have a couple of bowls left!

Chicken and Vegetable Stew with Dumplings Inspired by and adapted from simplyrecipes.com

1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

All-purpose flour

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

 1 medium onion, chopped

1-1/2 cups diced carrots (1/2 inch dice)

3 stalks celery, cut in half inch pieces

3 medium parsnip, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

6 ounces pearl onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

4 tablespoons flour

1/3 cup medium dry sherry

3 cups low sodium chicken stock

1 cup turkey gravy (or add additional cup of stock)

Dumplings:

2 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons melted butter

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley plus 2 tablespoons for garnish

Melt butter and olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Cut chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes, season well with salt and pepper and dust lightly with flour, shaking off excess. Brown in Dutch oven until golden, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove browned chicken from pot to a plate and set aside. Decrease heat to medium and add onion, carrots, celery, parsnip, and pearl onions. Cook stirring occasionally for 5 minutes until vegetables start to caramelize. Add garlic, rosemary, thyme and poultry seasoning along flour. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat vegetables with mixture and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add to pot and when sherry has reduced, add chicken stock and turkey gravy. Heat to boiling stirring constantly until sauce has thickened. Return chicken to pot, reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Add parsley and toss together. Using a fork, make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, add butter and milk. Incorporate dry ingredients into the wet and mix carefully just until combined (barely). Using a small scoop, transfer dumplings to slowly simmering stew allowing space in between dumplings because they’ll expand. Cover pot and cook for 15 minutes. DO NOT PEEK. Serve stew in bowls with dumplings on top. Garnish with parsley. Serves 4.

A year ago - Clam Chowder   Two years ago - Lamb Ragu

 

The Ultimate Chili from Leftover Prime Rib Roast

For some reason we're programmed to make chili from fresh beef - ground, cubed or otherwise but there's a whole plethora of possibilities out there with leftover roast beef, brisket or pot roast. Beef aside, just think  what can be done with leftover turkey, chicken or pork roast too. 

Last night I rescued a pound's worth of cubed cut up Christmas prime rib from the freezer and morphed it into an absolutely fine and I do mean fine pot of red. It all started with 4 slices of smoky bacon, chunked up and cooked slowly so it released some fat (and flavor). Then I added a couple of huge yellow onions, all diced up along with a slew of minced garlic and let it saute until soft. Joined by a collection of spices followed by a can of lager beer, diced tomatoes, a touch of tomato paste, a cup of beef stock and the best kept secret which is a secret no more -  barbecue sauce. After the beef joined the party I let the pot simmer for 30 minutes before I added two cans of drained and rinsed pinto beans. Another 15 minutes of brewing time and a star was born!

It's addictive! The flavor is absolutely amazing - smoky bacon, tender beef, the sweet spicy taste of barbecue sauce and of course the bite of chile. It really is sublime.

Speaking of stars - the Big Guy was seeing 'em up close and personal last night. I'm not sure if the beans were doing a dance or whether he was climbing a mountain or some such thing in his sleep, but about the time the old REM's were at their peak darned if he didn't fall right outa' bed with a mighty crash. Of course after I made sure he was alright and he got himself re-situated and fell back to sleep the whole event tickled my funny bone big time and I just couldn't stop laughing.  Wonder what he's gonna' do after he has another bowl of chili.

The Ultimate Chili from Leftover Prime Rib from JBug’s Kitchen Antics inspired by Fine Cooking

4 slices smoky bacon, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large yellow onions, diced

4 large cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons mild chili powder

1 tablespoon hot New Mexico chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground Mexican oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 - 12 ounce can lager beer

1 – 28 ounce can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup prepared barbecue sauce (I used Kraft original)

1 cup beef stock or beef consomme'

1 or 2 pounds leftover prime rib roast, cut into half inch dice

2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Garnishes – cubed cheese, chopped sweet onion, pickled jalapeno

Lime wedges

Heat a Dutch oven over medium low heat. Add olive oil and bacon, and cook stirring occasionally until bacon has released its fat and pieces are starting to crisp. Add onions and garlic and cook until onions are very soft – about 8 to 10 minutes. Add chili powders, cayenne, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper and cook stirring constantly for another 3 or 4 minutes. Add beef, tomatoes, tomato paste, barbecue sauce and beef stock. Bring to a boil, and then add beef. Lower to simmer and cook uncovered for 30 minutes. Add pinto beans and cook additional 15 minutes, stirring often. Serve with garnishes and a squeeze of lime. Serves 4 to 6.

A year ago - Ham and Cheese Quiche

Notes To Myself about Christmas

So here we are, the day after the day that warrants all the hype ... the day that makes sane people crazy and crazy people certifiable. The day of "good cheer", gifts that some people don't want and others can't afford to give anyway and the day that this foodie spent hours and hours preparing for, only to have it gone in a couple of 20 minute intervals. Gone, except for the fridge full of leftovers that is and the tell tale signs of disaster.

In case you're wondering, I hate the day after Christmas so it's a really good thing the guys left the house at 5:30 this morning to go bird hunting, although it's beyond me what kind of birds they expect to see when it's pitch dark outside until at least 7 bells. But good for them. By the time they roll up the garage door at 6:00 tonight, the Christmas mess will be cleaned up, all signs of the fire I had in the oven yesterday will be removed,the loads of laundry will be done and the floors washed. Does it sound like I'm feeling sorry for myself?

Well, since this is a food blog after all and not my journal, I'd best get on with telling you about at least a few of the things we ate yesterday and the grade they earned for all the effort. Course on the other hand if I'd waited until tomorrow when my sense of humor has been restored, I may not have been as harsh a critic.

Chocolate Chip Sour Cherry Muffins - a delicious combination, I might add. Lovely melted dark chocolate chips and sweet/sour dried cherries hiding in a moist cakey buttermilk battered vanilla kissed muffin. MAKE AGAIN - you betcha. These guys get an A plus. Download Chocolate Chip Sour Cherry Muffins

Bacon, Beer and Cheddar Soup - while we normally have a large breakfast on Christmas day then wing it through lunch and wait for the main event in the evening, with the Big Guy's huntin' partner arriving around noon, we thought lunch would be more appropriate.
This soup is courtesy of Food & Wine magazine and admittedly it is a manly kind of nosh. Loaded with some of our special homemade bacon, spiced with jalapeno and pilsner along with sharp cheddar and smoked gruyere, it's a heavy stick to your ribs kind of soup, that along with a loaf of sourdough bread kept the guys out of the kitchen for most of the afternoon. Personally, I didn't like it much but the Big Guy had 3 bowls and John had 2 which kind of tells you something. MAKE AGAIN: Not necessarily. I give it a C minus.

Sticky Toffee Pudding - Of course we had to have dessert at lunch, after all it's Christmas. We've made this one before and really, it is just an excuse to enjoy a moist, heavy, date filled, taste sensation of a sweet pudding slathered in a rich warm toffee sauce. I love the things - in fact there's one left hiding in the freezer for nuking at about 11:00 am. I'm gonna' call it lunch today! Sticky Toffee Pudding excels in the sweet department and definitely earns a superior in my books. MAKE AGAIN - ya man! Grade - A plus, plus. Download Sticky Toffee Pudding .

Because the soup filled the gap, I was unable to entice anyone to eat one bit of any of the appetizers we'd whipped up to pick at during the afternoon, so they've lived for me to tell you about them another day.

Our dinner menu included the following:

Riviera Pear Salad with Rogue River Blue Cheese, Toasted Pecans and Shallot Vinaigrette - The pears and cheese are courtesy of John and his Oregon home and honestly, there's nothing can compare with either. Juicy, perfectly ripe, incredibly sweet pears and a blue cheese that is creamy, sharp but easy on the palate - all on a bed of mache lettuce in a tangy shallot vinaigrette. I could easily call this salad dinner. MAKE AGAIN - Absolutely. Grade A plus plus. Download Pear-and-gorgonzola-salad-with-shallot-vinaigrette

Mustard Seed Crusted Prime Rib Roast with Roasted Balsamic Onions, and a Creamy Horseradish Sauce - this one's courtesy of Epicurious.com, normally a source I find to be quite reliable, especially if you study the comments about what people really think. They all passed this one with flying colors but I beg to differ. While the crust on the roast is lovely and flavorful, it's really hard to mess up a great prime rib roast. On the other hand, I give the onions a definite failing grade as a perfect waste of time. I mean whatever did roasted onions and shallots do to you that you'd treat them with such disrespect? Definitely disappointing, in my opinion they did absolutely NOTHING for the jus either. The real keeper is the horseradish sauce made with heavy cream, creme fraiche, horseradish and dijon mustard. It gets an A, while the roast gets a B but the onions are a definite, unequivocal F. MAKE AGAIN - uh NO.

Elsie's Make Ahead Potato Casserole - a perfect make ahead failure proof method of making mashed potatoes, and courtesy of the Best of Bridge series cookbooks, this casserole has been around for at least 30 years. Potatoes cooked and mashed with sour cream, cream cheese and butter, it goes with just about anything. MAKE AGAIN - Absolutely. Grade A.

Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts - our favorite green veg, we have and enjoy them often. It's not fair to name something as perfect, especially brussels sprouts, so we'll leave this one out of the grading scheme. Suffice to say if you're a regular visitor, you'll have noticed they're frequently shown on our plates.

Yorkshire Pudding - ah, the bane of my existence. As much as I love these things, they made a real mess of the oven and more importantly it's gonna' take me days to wash the smoke and soot off the ceilings in the house and get the smell outa' the curtains. Here's the link for the perfect method of making these beauties, but for heaven's sake be forewarned. While they rise to great heights every time, too much grease in the muffin pan can mean a smoky fire in the bottom of your oven so plan accordingly. I NEVER learn to put the muffin pan on a rack with a sheet pan below to catch the drips! Give the recipe an A plus, plus but give the cook an F for this one. MAKE AGAIN - yes, likely just so I can spend days cleaning up the mess.

Chocolate Caramel Tart - if I can say there was a perfect thing about yesterday's dinner, it would have to be this tart. A chocolate shortbread crust makes a crisp and tender base for a layer of rich, buttery caramel that is covered by a layer of bittersweet chocolate ganache. The key to this one other than making it all in advance, is to bring the tart to room temperature before serving for two reasons; you have to be able to cut the darn thing without having to use a hammer and chisel and you really want the caramel to string off your fork and land half way down your chin, just so you can dip into it later. It is really delicious. Don't forget the sea salt - we did when we took the picture, but it really adds a lot to the flavor of the tart. We have Saveur to thank for the recipe and Alexandra Guarnaschelli from Food Network for my inspiration to make it in the first place.  MAKE AGAIN - Without question. It gets an A plus, plus. 

So that's it people. I've provided the links for the recipes if you're so inclined and certainly if you've any questions or comments, don't be afraid to leave a note. Otherwise I'm off to wallow in my misery and no, this would not be a good day to pop in uninvited for drop of Christmas cheer. It's unlikely you'll find any cheer here, although there is something worth celebrating today. This is the 1,000 post on JBug's Kitchen Antics! Is that amazing or what?

 

Roasted Tomato Soup

What on earth could be better than a bowl of tomato soup when you're feeling cold and tired, or puny as is my case. This pot of red glory showcases gorgeous red Roma tomatoes that were halved then coated with oil, salt and pepper and placed on wire racks over a sheet pan.

They roasted in a hot oven for an hour before hitting a stock pot full of sauteed shallots, chicken stock and cayenne pepper. A recipe from the Neely's of Food Network fame, I added my touch by increasing the cayenne pepper a smidge and doubled the tomato paste too. I also took the liberty of throwing some dried herbs into the mix since my only surviving live ones at the moment are 2 kinds of thyme, rosemary, parsley and tarragon.  Come to think of it, the tarragon would have worked quite well too.

After the pot simmered for 15 minutes the Big Guy took over and used the boat motor to blend the soup into the lovely smooth elixir you see here, then he added a cup of cream to the pot, took it all of the heat and let it percolate a bit while he whipped up some Ham and Swiss Panini sandwiches to go with the soup.

It's so darn good it had us both moaning with delight. Who needs Campbell's when you've got the makings in your own kitchen. I mean really!

Roasted Tomato Soup (adapted from The Neelys at foodnetwork.com)

3 pounds fresh roma (plum) tomatoes, halved lengthwise

Olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons butter

4 large shallots, finely minced

1/4 cup tomato paste

4 cups low sodium chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon cayenne (I used 3/4 and it was quite spicy)

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place halved tomatoes into a large bowl and toss with salt, pepper and enough olive oil to coat well. Remove tomatoes to a sheet pan topped with wire racks, placing tomatoes cut side up. Sprinkle with sugar. Roast in middle of oven until tomatoes are brown and very tender – about 1 hour. Remove from oven and cool.

Heat butter in large stock pot over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until transparent. Add tomato paste, chicken stock, cayenne, basil and Italian seasoning and mix well to combine. Add roasted tomatoes, bring pot to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove pot from heat and using an immersion blender, puree soup until smooth. Return soup to a boil then remove from heat, stir in heavy cream. Cover pot and let sit to allow residual heat to warm soup without curdling cream. Serves 6.

A year ago - Lemon Creme Brulee

Sweet Spicy Ribs and Beans

The fact that I'm in the habit of showing you all what we've had a year ago on the bottom of each day's post is as much a reminder for me as it may be news for you, and thanks be to both because last night's dinner was a long overdue repeat of a dish that's perfect for this time of year. Truth be known, it's perfect almost anytime.

Fabulously meaty country style pork ribs browned to a rich mahogany cooked on a bed of pinto beans, onions and green pepper bathed in a sweet and spicy sauce - why, it might sound like a dish that takes hours to prepare but believe me, in the wink of an eye it's in the oven making its presence known with an incredibly tantalizing aroma. By the way, it's just the thing to make for a crowd because it'll double or triple perfectly and you'll really want to add more beans to the mix because they're just so darn wonderful.

I know I won't get tired of eating it over the next couple of days because woe is me the Big Guy left at 4:30 this morning on his way to Fargo, North Dakota for 5 days on a business trip. Now just imagine the trouble I had yesterday packing for a guy with a wardrobe filled with summer weight suits made for our sunny normally warm Tucson climate. I mean our current lows are equivalent to their current highs and toe rubbers and parkas are so not required here. He's gonna' freeze his derriere .... can I say that on-line?

Sweet Spicy Ribs and Beans

4 pounds pork country style ribs, trimmed of fat

Salt, pepper & flour

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

2 – 16 ounce cans pinto beans, drained (can be increased to 4 cans without adjusting recipe)

1 large onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped (optional)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 10.5 ounce jar red jalapeno jelly

1 18 ounce bottle hickory flavored barbecue sauce (I used Kraft)

1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)

Preheat oven to 300. In a small saucepan, heat together jalapeno jelly and barbecue sauce until jelly has dissolved.  Remove from heat, add garlic and hot sauce. Set aside.Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat. Dust ribs with salt, pepper & flour and in batches, brown well on all sides. Remove from pot and set aside. Continue browning meat in batches.  When meat is all browned, remove pot from heat. Add half of the chopped onion, and green pepper to the bottom of the pot. Cover vegetables with drained pinto beans, then spread one half of the jalapeno jelly/barbecue sauce mixture on top. Place browned ribs on top, add the rest of the chopped onion and green pepper. Top with the remainder of the jalapeno jelly/barbecue sauce mixture.  Cover pot and place in 300 oven for 2-1/2 to 3 hours.

A year ago - Ina's Roasted Chicken on Croutons

Mulligatawny Soup and Buttermilk Biscuits

There's not much better on a cold Friday night than a bowl of stick to your ribs soup, except maybe when it's on the same plate as warm from the oven biscuits as well.

I picked up a 5 pounder of self rising flour last week even though it's easy enough to make it yourself by adding half a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon and a half of baking powder to every cup of regular all purpose flour. I was just being lazy. Anyway, now I've got to use the stuff so buttermilk biscuits seemed like just the ticket and they're so blinkin' easy to make, I had no excuse.

Cuddled up all warm and cozy next to a bowl of spiced up chicken and rice soup, it seemed like just the thing to welcome my Big Guy home after a long day in the salt mines. Now, we've had this soup before a couple of times so I won't go into it much except to point you in the direction of a previous post but just so you know, it's not a pansy kind of soup at all. Loaded with curry, sweetened with an apple and finished with a touch of coconut milk, it is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

Chicken and Rice Soup with Zip (adapted from Jackson Hole Cooks)

This warm and wonderful soup is also known as Mulligatawny and is a perfect après ski or rainy day bowl of warm comfort. It freezes very well and like most soups, the flavors improve with time.

2 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

1-1/2 pounds chicken thighs or breasts, skinned, boned and cut into half inch pieces

3 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon Garam Masala

1 bay leaf

4 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup uncooked basmati rice

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and cut into quarter inch dice

1 teaspoon salt

Coarse ground black pepper to taste

Grated rind of 1 lemon

1/2 cup coconut milk (lite unsweetened)

Melt butter in large stock pot. Add onion, carrot and celery and sauté until onion is soft. Move vegetables over to one side of pot and add chicken. Cook until chicken is no longer pink. Add flour, curry and Garam Masala. Cook stirring for 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, bring to a boil stirring constantly then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add rice, apple, salt and pepper. Simmer for another 15 minutes, covered – stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Add lemon rind. Remove pot from heat and add coconut milk. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Serves 4 to 6. 

Easy Buttermilk Biscuits (adapted from Betty Crocker aka Gold Medal Flour)

2 cups self-rising flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup shortening

1 cup less 2 tablespoons buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and set aside. In a medium bowl mix together flour and baking soda. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until crumbly. Mix buttermilk into dry ingredients using a fork and stir just to incorporate ingredients together. Move to a floured board and knead lightly until mixture holds together. Roll out to a half inch thickness and cut with a 3 inch cookie cutter. Arrange biscuits with sides touching onto prepared pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. Makes  9 biscuits. Serve slathered in unsalted butter!

A year ago - Spaghetti and Meatballs

A Bowl of Red and the "Best" Cornbread

A bowl of red is what the natives call a classic Texas chili - no beans, no tomatoes - just pure unadulterated beef with red chile. Heaven knows this is the time of year we Tucsonites see trucks loaded with strings of dried chile ristras and wreaths lining the roads so that was my inspiration for last night's dinner. That along with the fact that a pot of chile once made can hold without harm on the stove until it's time for dinner; important around here this time of year because it's the last week of scheduled classes before end of semester exams start, so I never know for sure what time the Big Guy's going to darken the door.

Last night's Texas Chili was one of those throw it in the pot and pray creations. I'll pass what was in it along to you, but since I already had a quart of red chile sauce in the freezer, the recipe may be a bit of a pain for you to duplicate - at least it will until I can make another bunch of sauce and tell you exactly how I did it. You could though check out the version from epicurious if you're interested in making it sooner rather than later.

This particular bowl of chili definitely will satisfy the carnivore in your family and it's subtle heat is really warm and comforting too. Of course I say "subtle" heat rather tongue in cheek because it's subtle to us but likely a real butt burner for some of you!

Now - about the cornbread - I always hesitate to call anything the "best" because my idea of best may be entirely different from your idea; however, if you're looking for a cornbread studded with pancetta pieces, and moistened with corn kernels and chopped roasted green chiles, then this would be it. Crispy crusted on the outside and incredibly moist and flavorful inside with buttermilk and grated cheese thrown in for good measure, it's enough to give anyone who loves the stuff shivers of ecstasy.

JBug’s Version of Texas Chili

Note - the Red Chile Sauce is not the kind you'd find made by Heinz in a bottle in your market's condiment aisle. It is made from assorted roasted dried chiles that are reconstituted and cooked in stock and/or water. Everyone seems to have their favorite recipe and I'll share mine with you next time I make a pot of it. 

2 pounds beef eye of round or chuck roast cut into 3/4 inch cubes

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons chili powder (I used dried chipotle)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 quart prepared homemade red chile sauce

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon white vinegar

Salt if needed

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add oil and heat to shimmering. Season beef cubes well with salt and pepper and coat with flour. Brown in batches in hot oil and remove to a bowl. Add onion and garlic to pot and sauté stirring often until onion is softened. Add cumin, chili powder, and cayenne if using and cook stirring constantly for 1 minute. Return meat to the pot and add red chile. Bring meat to a high simmer, then lower heat, cover and cook stirring often until meat is very tender – about 1-1/2 hours. Remove from heat and stir in honey and white vinegar. Taste for seasoning, adding salt as required. Serve with sour cream and cornbread.  Makes 4 large servings.   

Cornbread with Pancetta and Green Chiles (adapted from Bon Appetit)

4 ounces pancetta, diced

2 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup grated pepper jack cheese (or cheddar)

1 cup buttermilk

1 large egg

1 small can chopped green chilies

1 cup canned or frozen corn, defrosted

Preheat oven to 400. Brown pancetta in 8 inch cast iron pan. Add butter, and when butter has melted set aside and keep warm. Meanwhile whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl. Fold in grated cheese. In a smaller bowl beat egg and buttermilk together. Add green chilies and corn. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, mixing with a fork only until just combined. Pour over hot pancetta and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Makes 6 to 8 servings. Download Cornbread with Pancetta

A year ago - Pork Medallions with Apples and Cranberry Chutney