Chicken Tacos
I said yesterday that I wasn't going to throw away a $14.00 chicken even if I did burn the hell out of it. So... if you have something that is charred and smoky... add something charred and smoky and make it look as if it was supposed to be that way all along. Like Chipotles!
Yes... chipotles. In adobo. I love 'em.
While I was first thinking a nice Mexican chicken salad, tacos sounded even better.
I had tossed the burnt skin and charred bones, but there was still the majority of a chicken left. And it wasn't exactly cooked all the way, either. I finished cooking it all in a skillet and put it away...
Tonight, it went back into a skillet with bell pepper, onion, chopped green chilis, sofrito sauce, canned diced tomatoes, and the aforementioned chipotles in adobo. I simmered it all up and served it in corn tortillas with lettuce, shredded cheeses, black olives, salsa, sour cream...
There were big chunks of chicken that just made a perfect mess when eating. Everything was sliding all over the place and we went through numerous napkins.
It was a successful meal!
Victor's in the kitchen working on tomorrow night's dinner... Life is good.
Dinner FAIL
It happens once in a while. Even after taking the proper precautions, it happens once in a while.
I had a lovely organic, free-range, $14.00 chicken that I was going to grill tonight. I made a lovely Mexican-style rub for it, and then set it on the upper rack - well away from the fire. I wanted a nice, slow cook. It was a nice, meaty chicken and a slow cook would just do it wonders.
Since it was up out of harms way, I let it go for about 20 minutes while I waited for the bread to finish baking. I had already had issues with it, but... even bad homemade bread is good.
The timer went off for the bread. I took it out - not impressed - but... even bad homemade bread is good. I kept my sense of humor.
And then I looked out of the kitchen window and saw billowing clouds of smoke.
Blocking-the-sun-billowing-clouds-of-smoke. And flames.
Smoke and flames are generally not a good sign when one is cooking dinner. And they weren't this time, either.
Outside I went... I turned off the gas and carefully opened the grill. Daddy was a fireman. I try to pay attention now and again...
Even with the gas off, the four, formerly-beautiful chicken quarters were all in flames. I took my tongs and picked each one up to try and extinguish them and then set them back on the grill and went into the house for the camera. What the hell. Photo-Op.
I saw Victor in the living room and said I had just burnt dinner to a crisp. He said "Want me to get pizza?"
It's why I love the man. No what happened, how stupid, no recriminations. Just a simple "You put out the fire and I'll take care of dinner." Love it.
So... instead of pizza we decided on Ping Pong - the new Chinese place in the Gateway Shopping Center. I had a menu, so we called for a take-out order.
Service was quick. Food was "meh." Not bad. Just not what I was hoping for.
I'm spoiled. I grew up with excellent Chinese restaurants on every other corner. Yank Sing for dim sum, Andy's for some of the best chow mein ever.
And I expect something labeled "Hunan" or "Szechuan" to have a little heat. I picked out two items with the red pepper supposedly denoting spiciness - and Nothing. Zero. Zip. No heat or spiciness at all. It was disappointing because the menu looks as if it has some very authentic items. It could have been the most bland Cantonese cooking around.
To be fair, I know from experience that black pepper is an exotic spice to a lot of people around here. But there should have been something...
I think I'll give it another chance, but do an eat-in instead of take-out and try to convince the staff that I really do like spicy.
Really. Like. Spicy.
Oh... And that burnt chicken? Stay tuned for a southwestern chicken salad. I ain't throwing away a $14.00 chicken.
Hunter's Recipe Wild Game Rubs
I found out last night that a coworker of mine has a spice rub company. The company is Hunter's Recipe and I have to tell ya - I'm impressed!
Many of his rubs are geared towards wild game - it's called Hunter's Recipe for a reason - but besides the venison rubs, there are also rubs for turkey, duck, goose, beef, salmon, chicken... There truly is something for everyone!
I was the fortunate recipient of a sample pack of his Classic Montreal Steak rub - and I have to tell ya... It Rocked!
At any given moment I probably have 40 or 50 different herbs and spices in the cupboard. One would think that the last thing I need is a spice blend of things I probably already have.
One would be wrong.
I picked up a full tenderloin the other day and just happened to have a couple of filet steaks in the freezer. I thawed them, and, following the instructions on the spice packet, coated them with oil and then liberally coated them with the spice mixture. I let them marinate for about 2 hours before grilling them on the gas grill.
I mean it. They rocked!
It was a really unique blend of flavors that made the steaks just explode with flavor. Let's face it... a filet mignon is an extremely tender piece of meat but it's one of the most bland-tasting there is. There's a reason why they're wrapped in bacon or topped with Béarnaise sauce. They can use a little help.
Hunter's Recipe Classic Montreal Steak rub took a great cut of meat and elevated it to Outstanding. I could individually pick out some of the flavors - fennel, red pepper, black pepper - and something playing in the background that I finally found out was coriander seed - but they blended together perfectly. All of the flavors were there in perfect proportion and in perfect harmony. Having made a few spice blends of my own in the past, it's not an easy task to get that perfect balance. Chef Jeremy did.
And now I want to try even more of them!
So... I just ordered a 12-pack sampler pack. $35.95 - with free shipping!
I'm looking forward to seeing what fun things I can come up with!
Thanks, Jeremy!
Easter 2012
I love holidays. I love getting together with everyone and I love the excessive amount of food.
We eat well at our house, but it takes a crowd of people to have a dozen different foods out at any given moment. And a dozen different foods is so much fun.
It's even more fun when it's down the road at Marie and Steve's... An impeccable table - of course - and a bountiful array of creative culinary creations that would please the palate of the most discriminating diner.
I love it!
We started off with a table of appetizers... Victor made Uncle Rudy's Easter Pie, but made it in a tart pan this year instead of the traditional pie plate. It really was good. Extraordinarily good. Stellar.
Uncle Rudy's Easter Pie
Makes 2 pies
- 3 Lb Ricotta
- 8 eggs
- 1/2 cup grated cheese
- 1/2 lb ham, diced
- 1/4 lb prosciutto, diced
- 1/4 lb pepperoni, diced
- To Taste;
- Garlic Powder
- Pepper
- Italian Seasoning
- Parsley
Blend eggs and ricotta. Add diced meats and seasonings. Pour mixture into prepared pie crust and top with second crust. Crimp edges.
Bake at 375° for 45 minutes to 1 hour – the crust should be nice and golden brown.
The photo above shows a 12" tart pan. The recipe made one traditional 10" deep-dish pie and the 12" tart.
Earlier in the week I had received an email recipe from La Cucina Italiana magazine. The email title was "An Adorable Polenta Dumpling." How could I pass that up?!?
"Canederli" di Polenta allo Speck
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup whole milk
- 14 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Fine sea salt
- 1 1/4 cups coarse polenta
- 1/4 pound speck, finely chopped
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese
- 1 tablespoon roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
In a large saucepan, combine water, milk, 3 tablespoons butter and ¾ teaspoons salt; bring to a boil over high heat. Slowly add polenta in a thin stream, whisking; reduce heat to medium and cook, whisking constantly, 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until polenta is thickened and tender, 40 to 45 minutes. (Because it uses less liquid, this polenta is thicker than usual.)
Remove polenta from heat; stir in speck, egg yolks, cheese and parsley. Let stand until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes.
Line a large platter with parchment paper. With damp hands, form 1-tablespoon portions polenta into 40 (1-inch) balls and place on prepared platter.
In a small saucepan, heat 8 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat until butter becomes lightly browned, about 13 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large non-stick skillet, melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. In two batches, cook dumplings until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch.
Divide dumplings among 4 bowls, spoon brown butter over the top. Serve immediately.
So... I used a small scoop and made about 65 little balls. I started frying them in the butter as described in the recipe. but they decided to make a mess of my skillet. I ended up putting them on a buttered sheet pan and sticking them under the broiler. I then drizzled them with the browned butter.
They came out great! Victor's mom - who always says she hates polenta - had one not knowing what they were and loved it! Them. She had more than one. So much for hating polenta.
And things only got better.
A cold pea salad with mint, onions, feta... awesome.
And a marinated Shrimp Pasta Salad with just the right amount of everything.
Marie's Pineapple Bread Pudding that I absolutely love...
And roasted asparagus, grilled lamb loin chops, and a spiral-cut ham.
Stupendous.
After feasting on all of this, the table was cleared, the coffee was made, and the desserts arrived.
Desserts. Plural.
I totally forgot to take any pictures of the Apricot Crostata, the Lemon Cream Tart, the Chocolate Mint Brownie Cake, the Platter of Fresh Fruits, or the half-dozen varieties of homemade cookies at Marie's, but we did bring a bit of a dessert plate home with us...
I felt it my duty to try some of everything.
And it was all wonderful.
We got the recipe for the Lemon Cream Tart from Victor's friend, Jenni. It's quite simple, but really packs a lemony wallop!
Creamy Lemon Pie
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1 (8- or 9-inch) baked pie crust or graham cracker crumb crust
- whipped cream. for added flavor, fold some lemon curd into the whipped cream just before serving
- Lemon zest (optional)
Preheat oven to 325°. Beat egg yolks, gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice. Pour into crust.
Bake: 30-35 minutes, until set. Cool for about 1 hour and then chill at least 3 hours before serving.
I made this in a 10'" tart pan with a graham cracker crust. I also added lemon extract to the whipped cream and folded in about 2/3 cup lemon curd to the cream before piping it on top.
I wish I had taken a picture of the whole tart - it was really pretty.
Oh well...
Tortellini with Raw Asparagus Pesto
This was a surprise treat. Raw Asparagus Pesto. Who woulda thunk?!?
The latest issue of Fine Cooking magazine had 10 asparagus recipes in it - and the asparagus pesto really intrigued me. Between it and La Cucina Italiana, I've been on a bit of an asparagus kick. I love seeing those fat stalks of green goodness. And yes, I buy the fatter asparagus. For the longest time I always bought the thin pencil asparagus, but I've seen the light. The fatter asparagus definitely has more flavor and there's no need to peel it. Love it!
So... The recipe in the magazine gave me my starting point, but I didn't follow it. Like making traditional pesto, I just wing it.
Raw Asparagus Pesto
- 1 bunch asparagus (about 12 ounces)
- 1 cup shredded cheese (I used a combination of parmesan, fontina, and asiago)
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 3/4 cup good olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Chop asparagus into smaller pieces. Add everything but oil to food processor and process until chunky-smooth. Add olive oil and process until of desired consistency.
Cover and refrigerate until use.
I didn't use any garlic. Strange, I know... I must have just spaced it out, but it definitely wasn't lacking. I might add it next time. Or not.
I mixed the pesto with freshly-cooked spinach tortellini. It rocked! It was really fresh tasting. it had that earthy Spring flavor that just can't be beat.
I can see this on a sandwich - or a burger... It made a lot so we're going to have several opportunities to use it up!
Oh... and Flank steak with a red wine mushroom sauce. Can't forget that!
Peeps
Peeps. One of the most gawd-awful products ever created.
I seriously don't understand the appeal. To eat, anyway... they are fun to play with.
This year, we have a PeepTree Centerpiece. They're glued onto styrofoam with meringue. I even used meringue powder. I didn't want to waste perfectly edible eggs on this.
Since they're practically indestructible, we should have this around for years...
Happy Easter.
Rice Cakes and Lamb Chops
The lamb chops were a given for dinner tonight. i had picked them up Monday and actually planned to have them last night. The soup trumped the chops for one meal, but I don't like keeping raw meats in the 'fridge more than a day or two.
So lamb chops were a given. The side dish wasn't.
Staring blankly in the cupboard - hoping for inspiration or Divine Intervention - I saw five different kinds of rice. But plain ol' rice with grilled lamb chops just didn't seem right. The wheels started turning and the next thing I knew, Rice Cakes were being born!
I had thought of a risotto rice cake that I've made in the past and, not wanting to make risotto, just came up with a recipe on the fly. I used a whole grain mahogany rice but you can use what you like. I definitely had to refrigerate the rice balls before making them into patties. If I had used a stickier rice they probably wouldn't have been as fussy.
Rice Cakes
- 1 1/2 cups cooked rice, cooled
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 1/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- sat and pepper, to taste
Mix all ingredients and scoop into equal-sized portions. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
Lightly press down to form patty. Carefully dredge in more panko bread crumbs and fry in skillet until browned. Carefully flip and continue cooking until browned and heated through.
I do have to admit that these were pretty good. They had a great crunch, the rice was creamy, and the walnuts gave another nice texture. The recipe made 8 cakes. I froze four of them for a later date.
The lamb chops were marinated in olive oil, garlic, red wine, and rosemary before being grilled.
A reasonably simple dinner.
Cream of Asparagus Soup
Last week I received an email recipe from La Cucina Italiana. It was a Spring soup - asparagus with an over-easy egg floating in it. It looked like gastronomic heaven on earth. And it was almost 80° outside. I saved the recipe, thinking I might make it in the fall - with frozen asparagus. All the while, I kept spying beautiful bunches of fresh asparagus at the store.
And then the culinary gods smiled down upon me. It went to 28° last night. Time to make soup!
I used the magazine's idea and my own recipe for the soup. Soups are one of those things that I just instinctively throw together. They really are one of the easier things to make. But while the soup itself is easy to make, the accoutrement is another story...
I've done eggs over several different dishes, but seeing a fried egg floating upon a sea of asparagus soup was pure genius. Any good cook will tell you that it's the details that make a good recipe great. The finishing touches that turn ordinary into extraordinary. This was one of those moments.
And pure gastronomic heaven.
Cream of Asparagus Soup
- 2 bunches asparagus (about 2 pounds)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- salt and pepper, to taste
Remove tips from one bunch of asparagus and set aside. Cut remaining asparagus into 2" pieces.
Saute onion and garlic in a pat of butter. When translucent, add asparagus. Saute a few minutes and then add broth and water. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 20 minutes or until asparagus is cooked through and very soft.
Using an immersion blender, cream soup. Add cream and sour cream and mix well. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper, to taste.
Meanwhile, blanch reserved asparagus tips and set aside.
Ladle soup into bowls and top with a single fried egg. Add asparagus tips to garnish.
The magazine called for little toasted baguette slices. I sliced up a fresh semolina loaf.
The hot soup continues to cook the egg, so don't be afraid to add it a bit underdone for your normal taste.
Victor raved. He said it was the best soup I have ever made. I'll take the compliment, but there are a few I've liked better... But it really was good. So good that I'm not going to care what the weather is next time I make it.
Yum.
Chicken on the Barbie
So the first official day of Spring was in the mid-70's today. I say official, because it's pretty much been spring around here since October. One of the warmest winters in recorded history. It's supposed to hit 78° tomorrow and 80° on Thursday and Friday. It's definitely making me nervous about summer...
But regardless of the time of year, hot weather means firing up the grill. Cold weather means firing up the grill, also, but we don't get nearly the weird looks when it's nice out as we do when it's snowing... Go figure.
Tonight's dinner was as basic as basic can be... bone-in chicken breasts with bottled bbq sauce, grilled asparagus with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and roasted red potatoes. The chicken cooked for about 35 minutes and was just perfectly done. Bone-n chicken just has so much more flavor than its boneless-skinless counterpart. And all it takes is one fresh off the grill to remind me that I really need to buy more...
And to top it all of, we had ice cream for dessert - because it's still 70° at 8pm.
I really could get used to this weather. No heat, no air conditioning... Windows open... Slight breeze...
Did I mention I'm slightly worried about the coming summer?!?
A Cross-Cultural St Paddy's Day
Ah... St Paddy's Day... A truly Irish-American holiday. And my grandfather's birthday! He was born March 17, 1896. Happy Birthday, Grandpa!
The Irish never celebrated St Paddy's Day as we do here - and they most certainly didn't eat Corned Beef and Cabbage! They still don't. You'll now find it in tourist restaurants, but it has never been an Irish staple. Corned beef has been produced in Ireland for hundreds of years - but it wasn't for the Irish. it was all owned and exported by the British. The cattle industry actually played a huge role in the potato famine. The best land was owned by the English and used for grazing. The people were forced onto marginal lands where not much would or could grow. The potato became the sole crop and food - and when it failed... well... we know the history...
Big parades and celebrations for St Patrick are a relatively new thing in Ireland, as well. So many people would come to Ireland expecting a huge celebration that they finally gave in and started having one.
And that brings us back to Corned Beef and Cabbage.
The closest Irish dish would be bacon and cabbage - not the same bacon we have with our eggs in the morning - but in America, corned beef was a lot less expensive. It was more than likely introduced by Jewish butchers, since the Irish and the Jews shared a lot of ghettos in those early years. We have a long history of not being very nice to immigrants.
But fast-forward many years and the concept of Corned Beef and Cabbage on St Patrick's Day is firmly entrenched in our culture. It's everywhere.
Except our house.
Victor really doesn't like cooked cabbage. I've made it and he's eaten it, but it really was more back in those early days of the relationship when people will just do anything for the other. Closing in on 18 years later, we're a little more open and direct.
So what does one do on St Patrick's Day?!? Make Reuben's and Corned Beef Specials!
Victor won't touch a Reuben, either. Sauerkraut?!? He'd rather put pins in his eyes. And a Corned Beef Special is lost on me. Cole slaw on a corned beef sandwich sandwich?!? Meh.
So we ended up with vastly different sandwiches that were both comprised of the same four main ingredients: rye bread, Russian dressing, cabbage, and corned beef. To his I added the aforementioned cole slaw. Raw cabbage is not an issue. For mine, I added swiss cheese and sauerkraut - and then grilled it to a crusty-crunchy golden-brown.
The Corned Beef Special has its roots in Philadelphia. It's an east coast thing. The reuben, on the other hand, probably traces its roots to the Blackstone Hotel in Omaha. A defunct deli in New York also claimed ownership, but my father was from Omaha. I'm going with the family connection.
Dinner was fun. Both of us were in gastronomic heaven with our favorites.
A great - if slightly non-traditional - St Paddy's Day, indeed!
Spring Salads
By the time March hits, I'm usually craving salads. Usually, the weather isn't cooperating and I'm still making soups and stews.
Today, the weather is cooperating. It's 72° outside. I'm making salads.
I love big ol' salads for dinner. Fresh vegetables, juicy red ripe tomatoes, and something off the grill - chicken, beef, pork... It really doesn't matter - they're all good.
Tonight's gastronomic delight started with a bed of romaine lettuce. Onto it went grilled asparagus and broccoli florettes that had been marinated in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and garlic. Very basic, very simple, very tasty. Next was an avocado half and half a New York tomato. (No Florida tomatoes in this house!!) Next went a grilled chicken breast that had been marinated in red wine, garlic, and olive oil. Again, very basic, but also very good.
And it was topped with a homemade 1000 Island dressing. We generally don't buy bottled dressings. Even the "good" ones generally have more ingredients than I need. Tonight's was mayo, ketchup, dijon mustard, chopped pickle, and a bit of cream to thin. Salt, pepper, garlic powder. The other nice thing about making your own dressing is not having numerous science experiments growing in the 'fridge. Make just what you need with ingredients already in the house and it's always fresh. And less expensive!
It actually looks like we're in for a couple more days of Spring-like weather, so I'll have to see what other warmer-weather ideas come to mind.
Unusual Meals
Around here, "unusual meals" are more the norm than the exception. It's great to be able to play and not worry about finicky eaters. We both can just go for it, knowing that something may not always work as planned, but no matter what, it's only one meal. Worst case scenario is toss it out and call for pizza. In all of these years, we've never called for pizza.
So I had taken some Alaskan Cod out of the freezer Thursday night to thaw for a Friday dinner with no clear idea of what it was going to be. I had a few ideas floating around, breading it with almond meal, making a picatta, but I came across a recipe for making potato pockets and knew I had found my dish!
The recipe I found was a bit convoluted, so while it gave me the idea, the concept I came up with was based more upon a classic Pommes Anna.
Using my trusty mandoline, I thin-sliced potatoes and layered them in 6" skillets. I then thin-sliced carrots and added a layer atop the potatoes, drizzled them with butter and placed them on the stove over medium heat. I added the cod fillets, sprinkled them with salt, pepper, and just a wee bit of French herbs, and added another layer of potatoes. I drizzled a bit more butter over the tops, covered them and placed them in a 400° oven for about 20 minutes.
Oh my goodness gracious! These came out great! The potatoes were crunchy-crispy tender, the carrots, perfectly cooked, and the fish perfectly tender and flaky. Who knew a carrot, a potato, and a piece of fish could come together so well in one pan?
Of course, there was homemade bread to go along with it...
And last night, I had a rope of sweet Italian sausage I wanted to do something different with. I came up with a baked-in-the-oven Italian Sausage Paella.
I chopped a medium yellow onion and sauteed it in a bit of olive oil. I added about 3/4 pound of Italian sausage that I took out of the casing. When it was fairly well cooked, I added a cup of arborio rice and stirred it around.
Next went in a half-cup of white wine. I scraped up all the good bits in the pan and added a jar of artichoke and red pepper tapenade. Into that went 2 cups of beef broth. i stirred it all together, covered it, and placed it into a 375° oven for 20 minutes.
I pulled it out of the oven and topped it with a sliced non-Florida tomato and a handful of shredded cheese. Back into the oven it went for another 5 minutes.
Another winner! Creamy rice, sausage, tomatoes, red peppers... cheese... The flavors all came together really well in another non-traditional way.
Today I'm cleaning out the freezer and reclaiming tupperware. I had 3 containers of turkey stock and 1 turkey gravy that are now simmering to become turkey soup. There was also plenty of turkey meat and other odds and ends.
It's gonna be good.
I'm also trying my hand at some knotted egg rolls. I haven't made them in years - and years. If they come out well I may make them for Easter.