'Cacciatorre' is an Italian term for 'hunter's dish' and is kinda an inside joke. The story goes that the hunter goes out, charged by his wife to bring back something for dinner. He is a failure of a hunter and only manages to bring back a few wild mushrooms, making his wife use chicken for dinner that night instead. She, in stereotypical wife fashion, never lets him live it down.
Needed:
Package of chicken parts - I like using just the thighs
Can of diced tomatoes
1/2 box of chicken stock
3 sticks of celery
2 carrots
16 oz. mushrooms. Baby bellas are the tastiest, but regular white button work just fine
4 Russet-Burbank potatoes
1 small onion - somewhere between golf ball and baseball-sized
salt
pepper
oregano
basil
1/2c dry red wine (optional)
You can either cook this dish in a crock-pot or a heavy saucepan with a lid.
Remove the skin from the chicken parts (or just buy skinless) and trim any excess fat. Place in the bottom of the crock-pot
Cut the potatoes into cubes ~1 inch, place in crock-pot
Remove the paper from the onion, cut into ~1in slices and toss in pot
Peel the carrots, cut into rounds ~1/2 inch thick, add to pot
Chop celery, ~1/2 inch thick, add to pot
Dump the whole can of diced tomatoes into the pot, juice and all
Add 1/2 box of chicken broth (and wine, if you're using it)
Spices: 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp basil, 1 tsp oregano
Set the crock-pot to high and cook for about 4 hours. If you're using a covered saucepan, put the heat on medium low and cover for ~1 hour. Make sure to stir occasionally.
*NOTE* if you put wine in the cacciatorre, remove the lid from the crock-pot for the last half-hour of cooking (last 10 minutes, if you're using a saucepan).
Serve over white rice or egg noodles.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Chicken Picatta
This dish is a versatile Italian classic that can be made with chicken, turkey or (most commonly in restaurants) veal. Pork wouldn't be out of the picture either. In any case, make sure your cuts of meat are thin, 1/2 inch thick AT MOST.
Needed
6 thin-cut chicken breasts (a nice trick is to just take regular chicken breasts and cut them down)
1 box chicken stock
Juice of 1 lemon (1/4 cup if you buy it pre-squeezed)
1/2 bottle dry white wine. I like to use a chardonnay.
1 egg
flour
Olive Oil
capers - this is a specialty item you can find in most grocery stores in the condiment aisle. It's a type of berry that they pickle and preserve in brine
Crack the egg and mix it with 1Tbsp water. Beat the egg like you were making scrambled eggs.
Put about 1/2 cup flour onto a plate
Pour the olive oil into a medium saucepan so that it's 1/4 of an inch deep. Set the oil over medium-high heat
Dip the chicken breast into the egg, coating it.
Dip the eggy chicken into the flour, coating both sides. Lift the chicken and shake off the excess flour.
Put the chicken in the hot oil and cook for about 3 min. Flip and cook the other side for another 3 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the oil and place on paper towels to drain.
Once all the chicken is cooked, discard all but 1 Tbsp of the oil. It should be fairly cloudy and brown with the excess flour.
Add 1/2 bottle of white wine, 32oz of chicken stock and the lemon juice to the hot pan. If you want to be fancy, slice the lemon thinly and put the entire slice in the pan, instead of just the juice. Simmer this, reducing it down for about 20 minutes. *Note* this will make A LOT of sauce. If you want less, halve the wine, stock and lemon juice.
Add 2Tbsp capers to the sauce, simmer for 5 minutes.
Serve the chicken breasts on a plate, top with sauce and extra capers if you like. Goes well with a crusty bread to sop up the sauce. Wild rice or polenta are also both nice accompaniments.
Needed
6 thin-cut chicken breasts (a nice trick is to just take regular chicken breasts and cut them down)
1 box chicken stock
Juice of 1 lemon (1/4 cup if you buy it pre-squeezed)
1/2 bottle dry white wine. I like to use a chardonnay.
1 egg
flour
Olive Oil
capers - this is a specialty item you can find in most grocery stores in the condiment aisle. It's a type of berry that they pickle and preserve in brine
Crack the egg and mix it with 1Tbsp water. Beat the egg like you were making scrambled eggs.
Put about 1/2 cup flour onto a plate
Pour the olive oil into a medium saucepan so that it's 1/4 of an inch deep. Set the oil over medium-high heat
Dip the chicken breast into the egg, coating it.
Dip the eggy chicken into the flour, coating both sides. Lift the chicken and shake off the excess flour.
Put the chicken in the hot oil and cook for about 3 min. Flip and cook the other side for another 3 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the oil and place on paper towels to drain.
Once all the chicken is cooked, discard all but 1 Tbsp of the oil. It should be fairly cloudy and brown with the excess flour.
Add 1/2 bottle of white wine, 32oz of chicken stock and the lemon juice to the hot pan. If you want to be fancy, slice the lemon thinly and put the entire slice in the pan, instead of just the juice. Simmer this, reducing it down for about 20 minutes. *Note* this will make A LOT of sauce. If you want less, halve the wine, stock and lemon juice.
Add 2Tbsp capers to the sauce, simmer for 5 minutes.
Serve the chicken breasts on a plate, top with sauce and extra capers if you like. Goes well with a crusty bread to sop up the sauce. Wild rice or polenta are also both nice accompaniments.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Beef Stew
Needed
1 lb beef chuck, cut into cubes for stew. This is usually sold pre-boned and pre-cut
1 medium yellow onion (about the size of a baseball)
4 russet potatoes
2 carrots
2 tsp corn starch
Chicken stock (~32oz)
salt
pepper
4 cloves garlic
Sear the beef cubes. Use a medium saucepan and high heat to quickly cook the cubes on all sides. You'll want to cook each side of the beef cube for 30-45 seconds, until it's brown.
Transfer the seared beef to a crock-pot
Peel the onion and cut it into eighths. Add to the crock-pot
Cube the potatoes into ~1 inch pieces. Add to crock-pot
Peel the carrots and cut into rounds, ~1/4 inch thick. Put them.... in the crock-pot
Add chicken stock to the crock pot until the level is about even with the stuff you've put in it. This will be a little over two cans, or a full box.
Peel the paper off the garlic and either mince it or put it through a garlic press, add to crock-pot
1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper into the crock-pot and stir it around a bit
Set the crock-pot to medium and let it stew for 4 to 5 hours (or low for 10-12 hours, but honestly, who plans that far ahead?). The longer you cook it, the more tender the meat will get and it's pretty much impossible to overcook
Before serving, in a separate bowl, mix 2 tsp corn starch with 1/4 cup water and stir until smooth. Add this slurry to the stew. This will thicken the stew.
Serve over white rice or egg noodles.
1 lb beef chuck, cut into cubes for stew. This is usually sold pre-boned and pre-cut
1 medium yellow onion (about the size of a baseball)
4 russet potatoes
2 carrots
2 tsp corn starch
Chicken stock (~32oz)
salt
pepper
4 cloves garlic
Sear the beef cubes. Use a medium saucepan and high heat to quickly cook the cubes on all sides. You'll want to cook each side of the beef cube for 30-45 seconds, until it's brown.
Transfer the seared beef to a crock-pot
Peel the onion and cut it into eighths. Add to the crock-pot
Cube the potatoes into ~1 inch pieces. Add to crock-pot
Peel the carrots and cut into rounds, ~1/4 inch thick. Put them.... in the crock-pot
Add chicken stock to the crock pot until the level is about even with the stuff you've put in it. This will be a little over two cans, or a full box.
Peel the paper off the garlic and either mince it or put it through a garlic press, add to crock-pot
1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper into the crock-pot and stir it around a bit
Set the crock-pot to medium and let it stew for 4 to 5 hours (or low for 10-12 hours, but honestly, who plans that far ahead?). The longer you cook it, the more tender the meat will get and it's pretty much impossible to overcook
Before serving, in a separate bowl, mix 2 tsp corn starch with 1/4 cup water and stir until smooth. Add this slurry to the stew. This will thicken the stew.
Serve over white rice or egg noodles.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Apple Pie
Apple Pie is my specialty; I end up making it several times over the holiday season. Pie (especially apple) is a wonderful dessert to bring to any family gathering - It's simple to make, apples are still in season and widely available, and it travels *really* well.
It's also my chance to show everyone what I mean by "my apple peeler thingy":
This is my apple peeler. It is my favorite thingy in the kitchen and probably the most specialized piece of equipment that I own. The apple goes on the spike, you crank the handle and the peeler on the side peels it. Then the apple goes through the bladed ring, coring and slicing it into thin rings. It works amazingly well, is incredibly durable and makes it really, really easy to peel apple-shaped things (potatoes, I'm talking to you). You can find them in certain specialty stores, like Williams-Sonoma or online at Amazon.
Anyway, Apple Pie
Needed:
A pie plate: 9 inch diameter will make a very tall pie, 12 inch diameter will make a flatter one.
Crust: You *can* use a frozen crust in those disposable tins (look in your grocery's freezer section), which is really great if you're traveling. Just buy two and use one of them for the top. If you want better-quality crust, you really can't go wrong with Pillsbury pie crusts.
Apples: 3 Granny Smith apples, 3 Gala apples. If they don't have Gala, Golden Delicious will work just as well.
Sugar: White and brown
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Flour
Lemon juice
Milk (not a lot, a few tablespoons at most)
Butter (about a tablespoon)
Cinnamon-sugar mixture - yes, they actually sell this separately as a spice in the store. It's 2 parts white sugar to 1 part cinnamon. Or you can mix your own, since this recipe already calls for both cinnamon and sugar.
Preheat your oven to 375
Take your pie crusts out of the freezer and let them defrost while you work.
Peel, core and slice your apples. If you're doing it manually, aim for slices about 1/2 inch thick. If you're using the peeler-thingy, run it through the machine, take the spiral-cut apple and slice it into quarters.
All the apples go into a big mixing bowl with the following:
Add 1 Tbsp of lemon juice
Add 2 Tbsp white flour
Add 3/4 Cup white sugar
Add 1/4 Cup packed brown sugar. Brown sugar is really compressible, so you need to pack it down tightly when measuring it out or you won't get an accurate amount. Use your fingers or the back of a spoon - it should look and feel vaguely like wet sand when you're done.
Add 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Add 1/2 tsp nutmeg
Use your hands and toss the apples with the mixture. You want to make sure of the following:
Pie crust time. If you're using the Pillsbury pie crusts, *carefully* unroll them onto a floured surface (Throw about 1/4c white flour onto your counter and spread out so there's a thin dusting of flour anywhere the pie crust might touch. Get your hands too. I never said this was a neat process). Use a rolling-pin-like-object to spread the crust out a bit, evening out any seams in the crust. Gently lift the crust and place it in the bottom of your pie pan. It should be quite a bit larger than your pie pan - you want it to completely cover the bottom, up the sides and overhang the edge by 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch.
If you're using the frozen crusts in the aluminum tins, laugh at the people who just covered their kitchen in flour. Put your pie tin squarely in the center of your counter and be thankful you don't need to clean paste off of it later.
Pour the apple mixture into your pie crust. Use a scraper, a piece of apple or your fingers to make sure you get every last sugary drop of goo into your pie plate. Smooth out the apple pile, trying to get it as even as possible - make sure to fill the edges of the pie.
Take the butter and a small knife, cut little slivers of butter off and 'dot' the top of the apple pile with butter. You're going for a polka-dot effect, and should use about a tablespoon of butter.
Top crust time: Pillsbury crust users, roll out the second sheet of dough like you did the first. You may have to make it a bit thinner, depending on how monstrous your apple pile is. Gently lift the crust up and drape it over the top of the pie. It should completely cover the apple pile and hang over the edges by about 1/2 inch.
Frozen pie-crusters, delicate operation time. Gently loosen the edges of the crust from the second tin, and peel back the crust. (Note: Pie crust gets more fragile the warmer it gets. If you're having trouble working with it, stick it back in the freezer for 5 minutes) Turn the tin upside-down over the top of the pile and gently help gravity along. If you're lucky, the crust should drop out of the tin, neatly covering the top of the pie. Be patient and gentle and it will come out eventually.
Pie sealing time: take the overhanging edges of the crust and kinda roll and squish them together on the lip of the pie plate. Go around the whole pie, tucking the crust in neatly. Then take a fork and use the tines to squish the edges together. You'll get a nice line pattern along the edges.
Vent the pie: On the top of the pie in the center, cut four vents about 1/2 inch long. It should look kinda like a compass - north, south, east west. Take your fork and stab (gently! you're just trying to pierce the crust, not get your fork lodged in the apples below) the crust about 10 times in various places.
Take the milk (about 1 Tbsp) and 'paint' the top of the pie crust with the milk. There's specialty brushes, but your fingers work just fine. This keeps the crust moist.
Sprinkle about 1 Tbsp cinnamon-sugar mixture over the top of the pie.
Chef's secret: This will work with all your pies and keep the outer edges from burning! Wrap the very edge of the crust (the part you squished together with a fork) in aluminum foil before baking. Tear a narrow length of aluminum foil (about 2 inches wide), fold in half and mold it around the outside edge of your pie crust. A 9-inch pie will need 3 lengths, a 12-inch pie will need 4. It takes a while to get the foil to stick properly and not fall off, but it works wonders.
Bake the pie at 375 for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, reduce the heat of the oven to 275 and bake for another 35-40 minutes.
Take the pie out and let it cool on the stove for *at least* 3 hours. This gives the filling time to gel. If you want to serve the pie hot, stick it in a 350 oven for 10 minutes before serving.
It's also my chance to show everyone what I mean by "my apple peeler thingy":
Anyway, Apple Pie
Needed:
A pie plate: 9 inch diameter will make a very tall pie, 12 inch diameter will make a flatter one.
Crust: You *can* use a frozen crust in those disposable tins (look in your grocery's freezer section), which is really great if you're traveling. Just buy two and use one of them for the top. If you want better-quality crust, you really can't go wrong with Pillsbury pie crusts.
Apples: 3 Granny Smith apples, 3 Gala apples. If they don't have Gala, Golden Delicious will work just as well.
Sugar: White and brown
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Flour
Lemon juice
Milk (not a lot, a few tablespoons at most)
Butter (about a tablespoon)
Cinnamon-sugar mixture - yes, they actually sell this separately as a spice in the store. It's 2 parts white sugar to 1 part cinnamon. Or you can mix your own, since this recipe already calls for both cinnamon and sugar.
Preheat your oven to 375
Take your pie crusts out of the freezer and let them defrost while you work.
Peel, core and slice your apples. If you're doing it manually, aim for slices about 1/2 inch thick. If you're using the peeler-thingy, run it through the machine, take the spiral-cut apple and slice it into quarters.
All the apples go into a big mixing bowl with the following:
Add 1 Tbsp of lemon juice
Add 2 Tbsp white flour
Add 3/4 Cup white sugar
Add 1/4 Cup packed brown sugar. Brown sugar is really compressible, so you need to pack it down tightly when measuring it out or you won't get an accurate amount. Use your fingers or the back of a spoon - it should look and feel vaguely like wet sand when you're done.
Add 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Add 1/2 tsp nutmeg
Use your hands and toss the apples with the mixture. You want to make sure of the following:
- The clumps of brown sugar are broken up
- None of the apple pieces are sticking together
- The flour is all wet - you shouldn't be able to see any white when you're done
- The apples are well-coated in sugary-flour goo
Pie crust time. If you're using the Pillsbury pie crusts, *carefully* unroll them onto a floured surface (Throw about 1/4c white flour onto your counter and spread out so there's a thin dusting of flour anywhere the pie crust might touch. Get your hands too. I never said this was a neat process). Use a rolling-pin-like-object to spread the crust out a bit, evening out any seams in the crust. Gently lift the crust and place it in the bottom of your pie pan. It should be quite a bit larger than your pie pan - you want it to completely cover the bottom, up the sides and overhang the edge by 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch.
If you're using the frozen crusts in the aluminum tins, laugh at the people who just covered their kitchen in flour. Put your pie tin squarely in the center of your counter and be thankful you don't need to clean paste off of it later.
Pour the apple mixture into your pie crust. Use a scraper, a piece of apple or your fingers to make sure you get every last sugary drop of goo into your pie plate. Smooth out the apple pile, trying to get it as even as possible - make sure to fill the edges of the pie.
Take the butter and a small knife, cut little slivers of butter off and 'dot' the top of the apple pile with butter. You're going for a polka-dot effect, and should use about a tablespoon of butter.
Top crust time: Pillsbury crust users, roll out the second sheet of dough like you did the first. You may have to make it a bit thinner, depending on how monstrous your apple pile is. Gently lift the crust up and drape it over the top of the pie. It should completely cover the apple pile and hang over the edges by about 1/2 inch.
Frozen pie-crusters, delicate operation time. Gently loosen the edges of the crust from the second tin, and peel back the crust. (Note: Pie crust gets more fragile the warmer it gets. If you're having trouble working with it, stick it back in the freezer for 5 minutes) Turn the tin upside-down over the top of the pile and gently help gravity along. If you're lucky, the crust should drop out of the tin, neatly covering the top of the pie. Be patient and gentle and it will come out eventually.
Pie sealing time: take the overhanging edges of the crust and kinda roll and squish them together on the lip of the pie plate. Go around the whole pie, tucking the crust in neatly. Then take a fork and use the tines to squish the edges together. You'll get a nice line pattern along the edges.
Vent the pie: On the top of the pie in the center, cut four vents about 1/2 inch long. It should look kinda like a compass - north, south, east west. Take your fork and stab (gently! you're just trying to pierce the crust, not get your fork lodged in the apples below) the crust about 10 times in various places.
Take the milk (about 1 Tbsp) and 'paint' the top of the pie crust with the milk. There's specialty brushes, but your fingers work just fine. This keeps the crust moist.
Sprinkle about 1 Tbsp cinnamon-sugar mixture over the top of the pie.
Chef's secret: This will work with all your pies and keep the outer edges from burning! Wrap the very edge of the crust (the part you squished together with a fork) in aluminum foil before baking. Tear a narrow length of aluminum foil (about 2 inches wide), fold in half and mold it around the outside edge of your pie crust. A 9-inch pie will need 3 lengths, a 12-inch pie will need 4. It takes a while to get the foil to stick properly and not fall off, but it works wonders.
Bake the pie at 375 for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, reduce the heat of the oven to 275 and bake for another 35-40 minutes.
Take the pie out and let it cool on the stove for *at least* 3 hours. This gives the filling time to gel. If you want to serve the pie hot, stick it in a 350 oven for 10 minutes before serving.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Pumpkin Pot Pie
I know, I know, I missed yesterday. Was busy killing dragons... but on the plus side, all content cleared in Wrath! Woo! Anyway: Pumpkin Pot Pie.
Pumpkin Pot Pie
Ease 4
Needed:
1 small pumpkin or butternut squash. You're looking for something about the size of a volleyball
2 Russet-Burbank potatoes
1 sweet potato
2 carrots
8 oz chorizo sausage
2 Cups kale (about 5 large leaves)
salt
pepper
1 sheet puff pastry OR 1 package Pillsbury dinner rolls (the kind in the cardboard tube that pops open)
Heat your oven to 450.
If you're using a pumpkin, cut a hole in the top and scoop out the seeds and pulp, like you're making a jack-o'lantern, then cut in half. If you're using butternut squash, cut in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds and pulp.
Cover every exposed inch of squash with a light coating of oil (olive oil or vegetable oil). Place cut-side-down in a baking tray and roast in the oven for 45 minutes. The skin will start to brown/blacken and you should be able to easily pierce it with a knife. Turn the oven down to 350
Take the roasted squash out of the oven and let it cool. In the meantime, peel the sweet potato, chorizo (if you use the kind with casing) and carrots.
Chop the sweet potato, regular potatoes, carrots and chorizo into 1/2 inch sections. Put into a 9x9 baking dish.
The pumpkin should be cool enough to handle now, so discard the rind (it should be pulling away from the flesh easily at this point) and put the flesh into a food processor or blender. Add 1 1/2 cups water, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper to the pumpkin and puree until very smooth (it'll take about a minute).
Pour the pureed pumpkin into the baking dish.
Rise the kale and tear it into bite-sized pieces. You'll want to throw away the stems, they're really tough. Just keep the curly leaf bits. Layer the kale on top of the pumpkin puree.
Unroll the puff pastry/dinner rolls onto a floured surface (flour is much more needed for the puff pastry than the rolls). Roll it out gently, pinching together any seams in the dough.
Place the dough on top of the baking dish. It's ok if the edges hang over, just make sure they won't be touching the wire rack of the oven.
Put the baking dish into the 350 oven for 20 minutes. The dough should be cooked through and turning golden brown. Scoop into dishes and enjoy!
Pumpkin Pot Pie
Ease 4
Needed:
1 small pumpkin or butternut squash. You're looking for something about the size of a volleyball
2 Russet-Burbank potatoes
1 sweet potato
2 carrots
8 oz chorizo sausage
2 Cups kale (about 5 large leaves)
salt
pepper
1 sheet puff pastry OR 1 package Pillsbury dinner rolls (the kind in the cardboard tube that pops open)
Heat your oven to 450.
If you're using a pumpkin, cut a hole in the top and scoop out the seeds and pulp, like you're making a jack-o'lantern, then cut in half. If you're using butternut squash, cut in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds and pulp.
Cover every exposed inch of squash with a light coating of oil (olive oil or vegetable oil). Place cut-side-down in a baking tray and roast in the oven for 45 minutes. The skin will start to brown/blacken and you should be able to easily pierce it with a knife. Turn the oven down to 350
Take the roasted squash out of the oven and let it cool. In the meantime, peel the sweet potato, chorizo (if you use the kind with casing) and carrots.
Chop the sweet potato, regular potatoes, carrots and chorizo into 1/2 inch sections. Put into a 9x9 baking dish.
The pumpkin should be cool enough to handle now, so discard the rind (it should be pulling away from the flesh easily at this point) and put the flesh into a food processor or blender. Add 1 1/2 cups water, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper to the pumpkin and puree until very smooth (it'll take about a minute).
Pour the pureed pumpkin into the baking dish.
Rise the kale and tear it into bite-sized pieces. You'll want to throw away the stems, they're really tough. Just keep the curly leaf bits. Layer the kale on top of the pumpkin puree.
Unroll the puff pastry/dinner rolls onto a floured surface (flour is much more needed for the puff pastry than the rolls). Roll it out gently, pinching together any seams in the dough.
Place the dough on top of the baking dish. It's ok if the edges hang over, just make sure they won't be touching the wire rack of the oven.
Put the baking dish into the 350 oven for 20 minutes. The dough should be cooked through and turning golden brown. Scoop into dishes and enjoy!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Chorizo Paella
Chorizo is a type of Mexican sausage. You can get it either fresh or cured, in casings or not in casings. If you do get it in the casing, the casing itself is usually not very good to eat, so you can peel it off. Cut the tip of the sausage off with a knife, then peel the waxy paper away.
Ease: 2
Needed:
2Cups rice (not the quick-cook kind)
3 Russet-Burbank potatoes (the generic brown kind)
8oz chorizo sausage
1 can black beans
1 medium onion
1 cup frozen corn
4 1/2 Cups water (or, if you're feeling fancy, 2Cups chicken or beef stock and 2 1/2 Cups water)
Paprika
Cilantro - 1tsp dry, 1/4Cup fresh
Salt
Black Pepper
Chili Powder (optional)
Grated Cheddar Cheese (optional)
Sour Cream (also optional)
In your largest pan (or a medium pot) combine the rice and water (or water/stock).
Dice your potatoes into 1inch cubes and add to the pan
Peel your chorizo if necessary, cut into slices about 1/2 inch thick and add to pan
Peel the papery outer coating off the onion and slice in half top-to-bottom. Take each half (cut side down) and slice 1/2 to 1/4 inch thick slices of onion, and add to pan.
Open the can of beans, drain (but don't rinse) and add to pan
Add the frozen corn to the pan
Add 1Tbsp paprika, 1tsp cilantro, 1/4tsp salt, 1/2tsp black pepper and 1/4tsp chili powder. This makes a very mild paella - if you like hot foods, add more chili powder
Turn the stove on medium-high and cover. Cook the mixture for 20 minutes.
Serve, topping with grated cheese and sour cream, if that's your thing. I'm lactose-intolerant, so I skip them.
Ease: 2
Needed:
2Cups rice (not the quick-cook kind)
3 Russet-Burbank potatoes (the generic brown kind)
8oz chorizo sausage
1 can black beans
1 medium onion
1 cup frozen corn
4 1/2 Cups water (or, if you're feeling fancy, 2Cups chicken or beef stock and 2 1/2 Cups water)
Paprika
Cilantro - 1tsp dry, 1/4Cup fresh
Salt
Black Pepper
Chili Powder (optional)
Grated Cheddar Cheese (optional)
Sour Cream (also optional)
In your largest pan (or a medium pot) combine the rice and water (or water/stock).
Dice your potatoes into 1inch cubes and add to the pan
Peel your chorizo if necessary, cut into slices about 1/2 inch thick and add to pan
Peel the papery outer coating off the onion and slice in half top-to-bottom. Take each half (cut side down) and slice 1/2 to 1/4 inch thick slices of onion, and add to pan.
Open the can of beans, drain (but don't rinse) and add to pan
Add the frozen corn to the pan
Add 1Tbsp paprika, 1tsp cilantro, 1/4tsp salt, 1/2tsp black pepper and 1/4tsp chili powder. This makes a very mild paella - if you like hot foods, add more chili powder
Turn the stove on medium-high and cover. Cook the mixture for 20 minutes.
Serve, topping with grated cheese and sour cream, if that's your thing. I'm lactose-intolerant, so I skip them.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Perch in Tamarind Sauce
I know, I already posted a recipe for today, but I just made this for dinner and it was SO GOOD I wanted to post the recipe before I forgot it.
Perch and Tamarind Sauce
Ease: 3 (but time-consuming)
Need: 1/4 of a block pre-husked tamarind
Ginger
Allspice
Salt
Water
Perch fillets
Butter
Sugar - I used brown, but I bet white or raw would be fine. I think I'm going to try agave nectar next time
Sauce - seed the tamarind by putting the block in about 2Cups of water and swishing it around. You'll need to remove the seeds manually by tearing off the outer husks, but the water helps a lot.
Put the water-tamarind mixture into a saucepan on high heat. Add about 1Tbsp powdered ginger (or a bit of ginger root), 1/2 tsp allspice and 1/2 tsp salt. Add sugar. I think I probably used a half cup? Such are the woes of not measuring.
Boil down, testing and adding sugar as needed for 10 minutes or until the sauce is about the consistency of gravy, or a cream-of-whatever soup.
Pour sauce into a blender and blend until smooth
Saute the perch fillets in 1Tbsp butter for about 3 minutes each side.
Serve over wild long-grain rice and a side of broccoli
Perch and Tamarind Sauce
Ease: 3 (but time-consuming)
Need: 1/4 of a block pre-husked tamarind
Ginger
Allspice
Salt
Water
Perch fillets
Butter
Sugar - I used brown, but I bet white or raw would be fine. I think I'm going to try agave nectar next time
Sauce - seed the tamarind by putting the block in about 2Cups of water and swishing it around. You'll need to remove the seeds manually by tearing off the outer husks, but the water helps a lot.
Put the water-tamarind mixture into a saucepan on high heat. Add about 1Tbsp powdered ginger (or a bit of ginger root), 1/2 tsp allspice and 1/2 tsp salt. Add sugar. I think I probably used a half cup? Such are the woes of not measuring.
Boil down, testing and adding sugar as needed for 10 minutes or until the sauce is about the consistency of gravy, or a cream-of-whatever soup.
Pour sauce into a blender and blend until smooth
Saute the perch fillets in 1Tbsp butter for about 3 minutes each side.
Serve over wild long-grain rice and a side of broccoli
Baked Ziti - a lazy lasagna
Baked Ziti - a staple of buffets everywhere. You'll need a batch of tomato sauce - check out the side page for how to make that.
Ease: 2
Need:
Tomato Sauce - a three-can variation of the Tomato Sauce in the sidebar
An appropriate pasta - you'll want something tubular. Ziti, Mosticolli, Rigatoni, Penne all work just fine
Block of Mozzarella cheese
16oz Ricotta cheese
1 egg
Pre-heat oven to 350
In a medium pot, boil the pasta according to the directions. I like my pasta on the al-dente side (Italian for 'with bite'. It's slightly less-done than 'normal' and yields a bit more of a chewy texture), so I usually only cook it for 8 minutes.
Drain pasta in a colander.
You can use either an 8x12 or two 8x8 baking dishes. Either case, pasta goes in the baking dish. Ladle most of the sauce into the dish with the pasta, reserving about 1 1/2 cups for later.
In a separate bowl, crack the egg and beat slightly. Add the Ricotta cheese and mix thoroughly.
Add the Ricotta-egg mixture to the pasta and sauce and stir thoroughly.
Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 35 minutes. While this is cooking, grate about half the block of Mozzarella cheese.
Take the aluminum foil off the baked ziti and sprinkle the grated Mozzarella on top. Put back in the oven, crank the heat up to 400 and cook for 10-15 minutes. The cheese on top should get bubbly and start to brown.
Scoop onto a plate, top with extra sauce if you want and enjoy.
Ease: 2
Need:
Tomato Sauce - a three-can variation of the Tomato Sauce in the sidebar
An appropriate pasta - you'll want something tubular. Ziti, Mosticolli, Rigatoni, Penne all work just fine
Block of Mozzarella cheese
16oz Ricotta cheese
1 egg
Pre-heat oven to 350
In a medium pot, boil the pasta according to the directions. I like my pasta on the al-dente side (Italian for 'with bite'. It's slightly less-done than 'normal' and yields a bit more of a chewy texture), so I usually only cook it for 8 minutes.
Drain pasta in a colander.
You can use either an 8x12 or two 8x8 baking dishes. Either case, pasta goes in the baking dish. Ladle most of the sauce into the dish with the pasta, reserving about 1 1/2 cups for later.
In a separate bowl, crack the egg and beat slightly. Add the Ricotta cheese and mix thoroughly.
Add the Ricotta-egg mixture to the pasta and sauce and stir thoroughly.
Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 35 minutes. While this is cooking, grate about half the block of Mozzarella cheese.
Take the aluminum foil off the baked ziti and sprinkle the grated Mozzarella on top. Put back in the oven, crank the heat up to 400 and cook for 10-15 minutes. The cheese on top should get bubbly and start to brown.
Scoop onto a plate, top with extra sauce if you want and enjoy.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Scotch Eggs
Here we go - Scotch Eggs and Hash. I served this with a bit of oatmeal, but plain oatmeal is not very tasty
Scotch Eggs - serves 2
Hardboil 2 eggs: Fill a medium saucepan with water. Bring the water to a full boil. Using a slotted spoon, gently place 2 eggs into the water. Boil for 9 minutes. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon and stick in the refrigerator to cool.
Mix Sausage: 1/2 pound ground turkey, 1.5 tsp salt, 1.5 pepper, 2 tsp sage, 1 tsp onion powder. Dump in a bowl and squish around with your hands until thoroughly mixed.
Peel eggs: When they're cool enough to handle, tap gently on a counter to crack the shell. Peel the eggshell off and discard, then run under cool water to wash off any eggshell grit
Wrap eggs in sausage: Grab 1/4 of the sausage mixture and make a round patty. It should be about the thickness of your pinkie. Place an egg in the center of the patty. Take another 1/4 of the sausage mixture and shape it into a patty. Place it on top of the egg. Pick the whole thing up and gently mush the sausage edges together, wrapping the egg.
Dredge the monstrosity: Put 1 cup of flour onto a plate. Put 1 cup of breadcrumbs onto another plate. Crack an egg (raw this time!) into a bowl and beat with 1 Tbsp of water. Roll the sausage-egg thing in the flour, then dip in the egg, then roll in the breadcrumbs.
Fry 'em: Put a medium saucepan over medium heat. Fill it about halfway with oil (Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Canola) and wait for it to heat up (should be fine in about 8 minutes. If the oil starts to smoke, it's too hot). Make sure the saucepan is *completely* dry when you're doing this or the water will explode and splash boiling oil all over. Place the sausage-eggs GENTLY into the hot oil and fry for 3 minutes. If it's not a deep enough pan, rotate the sausage-egg and cook 3 minutes on each side.
Drain: Remove the eggs from the oil with a slotted spoon and set on paper towels to drain.
HASH
Potatoes: Put a small pot of water on to boil. Slice 2 Russet-Burbank potatoes into 1-inch chunks and dump in the water. Bring the water and potatoes to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. The potatoes should still be a bit on the firm side. Drain the water out.
Onion: Put 1.5 tsp of oil into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Slice a small yellow onion in half and take off the outer paper. Put the flat side down and chop into small pieces, about 1/4 of an inch thick. Put the onion into the oil and cook on medium-low for 5 minutes
Assemble the hash: Put the potatoes into the oil with the onion. Take half a cabbage head and chop into pieces about 1 inch. Add 1/4 cup water and the cabbage to the onion and potatoes, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
Hash goes on the plate, Scotch Eggs get sliced in half lengthwise (so you can see the pretty yellow yolk) and placed on top of the hash.
Scotch Eggs - serves 2
Hardboil 2 eggs: Fill a medium saucepan with water. Bring the water to a full boil. Using a slotted spoon, gently place 2 eggs into the water. Boil for 9 minutes. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon and stick in the refrigerator to cool.
Mix Sausage: 1/2 pound ground turkey, 1.5 tsp salt, 1.5 pepper, 2 tsp sage, 1 tsp onion powder. Dump in a bowl and squish around with your hands until thoroughly mixed.
Peel eggs: When they're cool enough to handle, tap gently on a counter to crack the shell. Peel the eggshell off and discard, then run under cool water to wash off any eggshell grit
Wrap eggs in sausage: Grab 1/4 of the sausage mixture and make a round patty. It should be about the thickness of your pinkie. Place an egg in the center of the patty. Take another 1/4 of the sausage mixture and shape it into a patty. Place it on top of the egg. Pick the whole thing up and gently mush the sausage edges together, wrapping the egg.
Dredge the monstrosity: Put 1 cup of flour onto a plate. Put 1 cup of breadcrumbs onto another plate. Crack an egg (raw this time!) into a bowl and beat with 1 Tbsp of water. Roll the sausage-egg thing in the flour, then dip in the egg, then roll in the breadcrumbs.
Fry 'em: Put a medium saucepan over medium heat. Fill it about halfway with oil (Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Canola) and wait for it to heat up (should be fine in about 8 minutes. If the oil starts to smoke, it's too hot). Make sure the saucepan is *completely* dry when you're doing this or the water will explode and splash boiling oil all over. Place the sausage-eggs GENTLY into the hot oil and fry for 3 minutes. If it's not a deep enough pan, rotate the sausage-egg and cook 3 minutes on each side.
Drain: Remove the eggs from the oil with a slotted spoon and set on paper towels to drain.
HASH
Potatoes: Put a small pot of water on to boil. Slice 2 Russet-Burbank potatoes into 1-inch chunks and dump in the water. Bring the water and potatoes to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. The potatoes should still be a bit on the firm side. Drain the water out.
Onion: Put 1.5 tsp of oil into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Slice a small yellow onion in half and take off the outer paper. Put the flat side down and chop into small pieces, about 1/4 of an inch thick. Put the onion into the oil and cook on medium-low for 5 minutes
Assemble the hash: Put the potatoes into the oil with the onion. Take half a cabbage head and chop into pieces about 1 inch. Add 1/4 cup water and the cabbage to the onion and potatoes, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
Hash goes on the plate, Scotch Eggs get sliced in half lengthwise (so you can see the pretty yellow yolk) and placed on top of the hash.
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