Articles by misterdelicious
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I am sending you this recipe I found in a novel and made it tonight. I tweeked it a bit (as usual) and it was really delicious. -Moogie
Pre-prep
Find the beef marrow bone! We asked the butcher at Magruder’s and he said, “Sure – for a dog or to cook? I keep them in the freezer.” He brought out a marrow bone to show us and then took it back and cut it into 5 pieces for us.
Ingredients
- 4 lbs chuck roast
- 1 beef marrow bone (see above)
- Coarse sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 6 large shallots, whole
- 6 large cloves garlic, whole (I forgot to buy, so used a lot of the diced garlic I keep in the refrigerator instead)
- 1 carrot, chopped
- Zest of ½ navel orange, peeled in two long strips
- 1 16 oz can whole tomatoes
- 1 cup full-bodied dred wine
- 1 cup chicken stock (yes, chicken stock)
- 1 bouquet garni (6 sprigs parsley, 1 bay leaf, 8 sprigs thyme, tied w/string
- I confess I didn’t have the makings for bouquet garni. I had fresh parsley and used that, put in 2 bayleave, and 2 or so teaspoons of dried thyme, so I had to look for the bay leaves when it was done. The parsley melted into the stew!
- 5 carrots, cut into 1 ½-2 inch pieces
- 12 cremini mushrooms (I had Baby Bellas and used those)
- 1-2 red bell peppers, cut into large chunks
Directions
- In a large Dutch oven, brown the meat and marrow bone on all sides, sprinkling generously with sea salt and black pepper, 15 to 20 minutes (or less….). Remove the meat and bone, set aside.
- Add the olive oil, shallots, garlic, chopped carrot, and orange zest. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes (or less).
- Return the meat and bone to the pot and add the tomatoes (crush tomatoes between your fingers) with juice, wine and stock. The sauce should come about three quarters of the way up around the meat. Add the herbs. Bring to a simmer.
- Cover and put in the oven for 1 ½ hours. Turn the meat and cook for another 1 ½ hours. (I used chuck steak so It was thin. I didn’t need to turn It over).
- Add the carrots, mushrooms, and bell pepper. Cook for another 40 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked, but not mushy!, and the meat is fork-tender. Discard the bouquet garni.
- Cook a bag of extra wide egg noodles and time it so they are done when the vegetables are ready.
- I broke the beef up in the pot, took the bay leaves out, and emptied the marrow bone into the pot and removed the bones. I left the orange peel in and warned people not to eat them.
- Pour the egg noodles over the top and stir in. We ate it as a one-dish meal.
- Tastes even better the next day! Chill it in the refrigerator and reheat for dinner. If you need extra liquid, use equal parts chicken broth & red wind.
Tags: Beef
This is a great hit for a crowd! Perfect for those winter game days as it's very delicious, easy to make and inexpensive.
Ingredients
- 4 split chicken breasts, bone-in and skin on
- 3 medium onions, diced
- 4 Bell Peppers, any color but green(I like 2 reds, 1 yellow and 1 orange. But get what looks best) seeded and de-veined.
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 2-28oz cans of whole peeled tomatoes(I prefer the Italian San Marzano) - Crush the tomatoes in a blender or food processor into small chunks. Buy whole and crush yourself to ensure you get the best stuff.
- 1 can of Cantelloni beans
- 1 can of Artichoke hearts
- Fresh Basil
- ~2 Tbs Chili Powder
- ~1/2 Tbs Cumin
- Chili Flakes(great flavor and somewhat spicy, but not a barn-burner), as many as you want
- Cayenne Pepper(hot hot hot), as much as you can handle
- 1 Bay Leaf
- Olive Oil
- Small container of Chicken Stock ~8oz
Preparation
- Preheat oven 350o
- Sweat the diced onions over low heat and olive oil with a bay leaf till translucent ~10 minutes. Add the garlic and after a minute or two add the bell peppers and stir for a couple minutes.
- Add the Chili Powder and Cumin. I used estimated amounts, as I never measure the stuff. I would use a 4 parts chili powder to 1 part cumin ratio. If you wish your chili to be spicy add the Chili Flakes and Cayenne Powder. The Chili Flakes have a lower gradual heat buildup while the Cayenne packs a serious punch. Stir to incorporate and cook the spices almost like you would a roux for a minute or two. You could also add Tabasco, but I don't think it's needed. You can always add it later when correcting the taste.
- Deglaze with the chicken stock, return to a boil and add the tomatoes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir occasionally!
- Add the beans and the artichoke hearts. Make sure you drain the liquid from the cans, but pour about 1-2Tbs of the bean liquid into the chili.
- Cook the chili for about 20-30 minutes for the flavors to meld!
- While you were doing all the above you should have washed, dried, oiled and seasoned the chicken. Placed them on a baking sheet. When the oven is at temperature, cook the chicken for about 20-25 minutes. Just make sure you don't overdo the chicken!
- When the chicken has cooled after cooking, cut the chicken against the grain into small cubes. You can shred it as well, just don't make the pieces too small!
- Add the chicken to the chili and simmer for another 30 minutes. If you are feeling the need for deliciousness, add some of the chicken fat drippings from the sheet pan to the chili. Just don't tell anyone!
- Correct the seasoning with salt and cracked pepper.
- Serve immediately, or cool till needed. It's delicious re-heated. Serve with cheddar cheese, sour cream, chives or whatever suits your fancy!
You can also make the chili the day before and reheat to serve. In all honesty, it's better this way as you've given the chili more time to meld all it's flavors.
Tags: Bell Peppers, Chicken, Chili Powder
This recipe is inspired by one of my favorite Italian restaurants, Pastina's. Delicious chicken in a rich sauce served with either pasta or rice. It's savory, sweet and very comforting!
The idea here is to have just cooked chicken breasts in a savory sauce served over your choice of pasta or rice. Overcooking the chicken will make the chicken rubbery, so don't overdo it! This dish comes together at the last moment before serving, and is best served family style in a big deep platter.
Ingredients
-
4 chicken breasts
-
1 bunch Asparagus
-
1 32oz box Chicken Stock
-
About 1 to 2 cups Cream Sherry(the more you add the sweeter it'll be!)
-
1 large onion diced small/fine
-
1 package of baby bella mushrooms, sliced thin(about 1/4 inch)
-
5 cloves garlic, smashed and diced
-
Some Pancetta(it's an Italian bacon) diced small. About 1-2 Tbs when diced.
-
~1 Tbs Capers
-
2 Tbs AP Flour
-
Butter and Olive Oil
-
Some fresh curly parsley
-
1 Bay Leaf
-
Rice or Pasta (my preference is pappardelle pasta)
Preparation
- There is 4 components to this dish that will be put together right before serving. They need to be added at the very last minute so you don't overcook the chicken and the asparagus.
- Chicken Breasts
- Sauce
- Asparagus
- Pasta
- Wash and dry the Chicken. Using plastic wrap, pound the chicken breasts with a mallet so they become uniformly thick of about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch. Salt both sides and set aside. Heat a large skillet with a little Olive Oil enough to coat the bottom of the pan over medium high heat. Sear each side of the chicken to a nice crispy brown and just about cooked. Remove the chicken and wrap in tin foil on a plate. Carryover heat will finish cooking the chicken.
- Reduce the heat to a medium low and add the pancetta and cover. Let the pancetta render out for about 3-5 minutes making sure it does not burn. You might need to add a little more olive oil to help it out.
- Add the sliced mushrooms and the bay leaf and turn the heat up to medium high. Stir occasionally and when the mushrooms start browning add the garlic and stir for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add the finely diced large onion and reduce the heat to a low medium. Add the cream sherry to deglaze. Does it smell good yet? It should!
- Sweat the sauce on low heat till the onions are translucent and you've reduced the sherry by around half, around 5-10 minutes. At this point add the flour and stir to incorporate. Continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes on low heat.
- Add most of the box of the chicken stock and the capers. Crank the heat to high to boil. Once boiling reduce heat to simmer. (if you don't boil it for a couple of seconds the flour will not thicken the sauce)
- While you let the sauce simmer, Steam the asparagus till tender and then blanche in cold water. Drain and set aside for platting.
- While you were doing all that above, you were also bringing salted water to a boil for the pasta too.
- When your pasta is about halfway done, add some butter to the sauce. The butter will finish the sauce and give it that lip smacking texture and finish that it was missing before. How much to add? That's up to you....But I would do at least 2 Tbs.
- Once the butter is incorporated, add the asparagus and chicken to the simmering sauce to heat both through.
- Drain the pasta and toss with a dash of olive oil. Place in the bottom of a serving platter. With a tong, place the chicken on the pasta neatly and then pour the sauce all over it! Garnish with plenty of the fresh parsley and serve immediately!
Note: You can use another cooking wine if you prefer it over the cream sherry.
Tags: Asparagus, Chicken, Mushrooms, Pancetta, sherry
Deer mista delishush
Here is a modified but yummy for your tummy mmmmeatloaf - Ivy
Ingredients you will need to make this tasty comfort food:
- 1 pound of 80 something % lean ground beef ( or you can substitute the burger with ground turkey or chicken, the 90 something % lean is to dry for this )
- 1 1/2 tsp of Italian seasoning ( the all in one taste enhancer)
- 1- 2 tsp of brown sugar
- 1/8 - 1/4 cup of ketchup
- 1 cup of oatmeal or add until all the ingredients are cohesive.
- 3 oz of plain yogurt (365 brand from you local whole foods works best )
The original recipe actually calls for one egg but I didn't have any eggs one time I was making it and used yogurt for my binding agent.
The above is basically a host for additive ingredients and you can add what ever your taste buds desire. I.e. below.
- Half a red pepper cut into 5/16" squares.
- Celery if desired again cut into 5/16" squares.
Method:
- Mix all the ingredients in a medium size mixing bowl. Roll into a ball and place into a round 7" pyrex bowl about 5 - 6" deep. Press into baking bowl creating a mound shape loaf. Then squirt some ketchup on top and smooth out to cover the entire top and sprinkle oatmeal and press into the ketchup so that it also covers the entire top.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven uncovered for about 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven. Then remove from baking dish and place on serving plate.
- Let set for about 10 minutes and slice into 1/2" thick slices and serve.
- I know you're saying. Eee yogurt and ketchup. But trust me it's really good. Makes it nice and moist. Not dried out like an ala moogie meatloaf.
- My neighbor who is a fabulous gourmet cook and wouldn't even think of making meatloaf let alone eat it made it. And now it is one if her most requested recipes from her grandchildren.
Enjoy. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Tags: Ground Beef, Ground Chicken, Ground Turkey
Here's an easy way to make homemade Ravioli's without having to make the fresh pasta. Instead of using fresh pasta dough, this recipe calls for Wontons, making it the perfect size and shape to make wonderful Raviolis.
Ingredients
- 2 packages of Wonton skins(sold at your megamart)
- Mixture to put into the Ravioli, has to be cold! -( Duxelle is really good )
- Small bowl with water
- Small circle cookie cutter - 2.5 inches in diameter
Method
At first you will only want to do one at a time, till you get the hang of it. Your goal is to take two wonton wrappers and place a small filling in the middle. You will "glue" the two Wonton skins together by a little water. As you shape the ravioli's between your fingers squeeze out as much air as possible and make sure you keep the filling in the middle of the Ravioli.
- Start by making sure your filling is cold and you have a baking sheet sprinkled with flour ready for finished Ravioli's.
- On a clean, flat and DRY work surface place a 4 wonton wrappers in a horizontal line with 4 more directly above this line(so 8 in total). As you get better and quicker at this, you'll be able to do more at a time.
- Place 2 compressed teaspoons worth of filling in the middle of each wonton of the bottom row.
- With the first wonton, either with your finger tip or a small brush, wet the edges of the wonton wrapper around the filling.
- Take the first wonton of the top row, and place over the wonton with the filling on the bottom row.
- At this point you need to seal the top to the bottom. Everyone will have their own way of doing this that works for them. I recommend you try out different ways to see what works for you. And don't get discouraged when the first one is a disaster. It took me a couple try's before I got my method down. This is how I do it:
- Start by sealing the bottom right corner.
- Work each corner separately moving in a circle. I find it easier to do this while holding the ravioli in my palm.
- After the corners are placed, slowly squeeze out the air from the ravioli while keeping it's shape.
- Place the Ravioli on a flat surface and with a circle cookie cutter make your ravioli!
- Place finished ravioli on the baking sheet. Once the baking sheet is full, place in the freezer. When frozen, either use or place in a bag for future use!
As you can see, this is a labor of love. But it is well worth your time!
Tags: Wonton Skins
This pasta sauce is very simple and easy to make. It's always a hit at home and it there is always leftovers for lunch the next day. Because the ingredients are simple and few, it's important to get the best stuff.
Ingredients
- 1 - 28oz can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 - 15oz can of diced tomatoes
- 1 - 12oz can of to chicken broth
- 6 large cloves of garlic, sliced thin
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 medium carrot, grated fine
- 2 tbs flour
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1-2 tsp oregano (I never measure)
- 1-2 tsp basil (there about)
- 2 Tbs Olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
Steps
- Take a large pot and heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. When heated add the sliced Garlic and stir till starting to brown. Immediately take out all the garlic and set aside. This is important and will give your whole sauce fabulous garlic flavor.
- Add the onions, shredded carrot and bay leaf. Reduce heat to medium and sweat the veggies till translucent. Add back the garlic and continue to stir.
- Add the flour and stir till combined. You are making a roux here. Cook the roux-veggie mixture till it starts to take on a light brown color and then deglaze the pot with the chicken broth.
- Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil stirring continuosly.
- Add the oregano, basil, cayenne and cracked pepper at this point.
- Boil till the mixture gets really thick.
- Add the can of crushed tomatoes and the can of diced tomatoes.
- Cook for 30-45 minutes on very low heat uncovered.
- season to taste.
Notes
I've been known to add other ingredients to see how it'll affect the final flavor. Here are some good additions
- Tabasco
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Soy Sauce
- Capers
- Olives
- Wine, Red or White (switch out the chicken broth and add white wine for a really great flavor!)
- Parsley
If you have it in your fridge and you think the tastes go together, give it a try and see how it tastes. Your options are unlimited!
Tags: Garlic, Onions, Tomatoes
This recipe comes highly recommended from my uncle Jim. Asado Negro is a Venezuelan pot roast and what makes it so special is the bittersweet sauce. Very tantalizing. Sure to be a hit for the whole crowd!
Ingredients
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 2 cups white wine vinegar
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 lbs beef bottom/round roast
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 1 large Spanish onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 leeks, white and light-green parts only. Washed well and thinly sliced.
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 green & 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced.
- salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 375o.
- Combine white sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil sugar syrup without stirring till you reached the caramel stage(see making candy).
- At the caramel stage, add the brown sugar, vinegar and wine carefully. Cook until combined and set aside.
- Heat the oil and butter in a Dutch-Oven large enough to hold the meat on medium-high. When the fat is shimmering, sear the roast on all sides and set aside on a plate.
- Add the aromatics. Garlic, onions, celery, leeks and the bay leaves. Saute until softened and starting to take on a brown color. Deglaze with the worcestershire and soy sauce. Once incorporated, add the roast back to the pan and season with salt and pepper.
- Cover the roast with the bell pepper slices and caramel sauce. Lid, and place in the oven to cook for around 2 1/2 hours, or until fork tender. Baste and rotate the meat every 45 minutes.
- Remove the meat and place on a platter covered with tin foil. Rest for at LEAST 30 minutes.
- If the sauce is not think enough, remove the vegetables and place around the roast(discard the bay leaves). Then boil the sauce over med-high heat till thickened.
- When the sauce is ready, slice the roast against the grain. Return the meat and the vegetables to the sauce and re-heat to desired temperature.
- Check for seasoning and garnish with cilantro right before serving!
Tags: Beef, Sugar
Delicious and fresh Guacamole recipe. Very easy and ALWAYS a hit. Serve with some chips, or add it to a sandwich for a tasty twist.
Ingredients
- 4-6 ripe Avocados, diced chunky
- 1 medium Red Onion, diced small
- 1-2 medium Tomatoes, de-seeded and diced small
- 1 Bunch of Fresh Cilantro, Chopped fine
- 1 head of Roasted Garlic
- 1 lime, juiced
- Crushed Red Pepper, optional
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Assembly
- Start by roasting the garlic in the oven.
- Dice the Red Onion, Tomatoes and Cilantro and place in the serving bowl. Add the Lime juice and stir a little. Add crushed red pepper, if you want.
- Add the avocados and roasted garlic to the bowl. Mix until you get the consistency you want. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Lime juice is very important because it will stop the avocado from oxidizing and turning brown. Once made, it'll keep in the fridge for a day or two if you plastic wrap it leaving no air between the wrap and the guacamole.
Tags: Avocado, Cilantro, Crushed Red Pepper, Limes, Red Onion, Roasted Garlic, Tomatoes
These are delicious and easy to make. Just stick to a couple basic techniques and you will have fluffy biscuits each time! Plus they make the whole house smell fantastic!
The most important thing about making biscuits, is to keep the ingredients as cold as possible before putting them in the oven. The butter has to stay cold throughout or you wont get flaky biscuits!
Ingredients
- 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 Tbs Sugar
- 3/4 cup Cheddar, grated
- 1/4 cup Parmigian, grated
- 1 stick butter, cubed and kept cold
- 3/4 cup Buttermilk, kept cold
Directions
Preheat oven to 450F and line a cookie sheet with some wax paper.
Sift all dry ingredients into a large bowl(Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Salt and Sugar). If you have a Kitchen Aide mixer, that's the best. Add the cold cubed butter into the mixing bowl and mix with the Kitchen Aide wire mixer until the butter has been incorporated into the flour. It is very important that the butter is added cold and kept cold. After the butter has been cut into the flour, set aside in the fridge to keep it cool. If you don't have a Kitchen Aide mixer, you can cut the flour with a fork using some muscle.
Grate the cheddar and mix it with a little flour so that it wont stick together into a small bowl. Add the grated Parmigian into the bowl.
Combine the dry ingredients with the cheese and mix briefly with a wooden spoon. With the kitchen aide bread attachment mixer add the cold buttermilk to the dry ingredients until a bread ball forms. Or mix them together with a wooden spoon and again some muscle. You want to mix till it just until a bread ball forms. Do NOT over work the dough as it will melt the cold butter.
Take the ball and knead on a floured surface for just a minute or two. Roll the dough so the dough is evenly spread out about 1/2 an inch thick(no one is measuring). Then either cut it into squares or take a glass cup and make circular biscuits.
Place biscuits on the cookie sheet with the wax paper. Brush a little cold water on the top of each biscuit and sprinkle with a little bit of salt.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Take out and set aside for 10 minutes before serving. You can keep it warm by placing it in a hand towel lined bowl, covered.
Delicious.
Tags: Butter, Buttermilk, Flour, Parmesan
I originally got this recipe from Moogie to help feed a bunch of hungry fraternity guys. Over time I have tweaked the recipe to make it more and more my own and also make it more and more delicious. I've also had many people taste it and just love it. The dish may not be perfectly presentable, but I can't think of anything else that is such a comfort food. I recommend that you take this recipe and use it as a guide to making it your own.
All the ingredients here are not exact. It all depends on how big you want to make your enchiladas and how you want to stuff them. The basic idea is to stuff tortillas with goodness and then bake them. Simple. Depending on your desired spice level, you can add more cayenne or take it out all together. Chili powder is not spicy so you don't want to skimp on that!
Ingredients
- 1 package of 10 tortillas
- 1 roasted chicken(from grocery store) shredded. If I have the time I like to get fresh chicken thighs and grill it myself. It adds a ton of flavor when their grilled.
- 1 large onion, Julienned
- 1 Bell Pepper(pick a color), Julienned
- 4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
- Lots of shredded cheese. I prefer sharp cheddar and monterey jack.
- 1 8oz Heavy or ligh whipping cream
- Homemade Enchilada sauce. (It's ok if you get a can)
- 1 can black beans, drained
- 1 Pyrex Dish, 9x12
Small Extras
- A little Olive Oil
- Salt
- 1/4 tsp Cracked Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Cumin
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1 Tbs Chili Powder
First Steps
- Start by shredding the chicken using a fork. Set aside in a bowl, covered with tin foil.
- Sautee the Onion, Garlic and Bell Pepper in a cast iron skillet on high heat. Let the skillet heat up so you hear it sizzle. While you are constantly stiring so the veggies don't burn, add the chili powder, cayenne and black pepper. Don't add salt at this point as it will draw the water out of the veggies and we don't want that. Then add some olive oil and stir. Once veggies are crisply sauteed, set aside from the heat.
- Grate the cheese and set aside in a bowl, covered.
- Prepare you assembly line. I like to have a plate where I roll the enchiladas in, placing them in the pyrex dish afterwards. So have a plate and pyrex dish next to each other. All the ingredients need to be in a semi circle around it for easy acces.
- Time to make enchiladas! Follow assembly line below. But first preheat oven to 350F.
ASSEMBLY LINE
- Pour a dash of cream and enchilada sauce on plate, enough to coat one side of the enchilada
- Add 1 tortilla to the plate and swirl around so the outside is covered with the liquids
- Layer a small line of beans horizontally
- Add a layer of shredded chicken
- Add a layer of the sauteed veggies
- Add a layer grated cheese
- Spoon some enchilada sauce over all layers and sprinkle some salt over it all
- Roll up the enchilada and place in pyrex dish
- Repeat till pyrex dish is full
- Pour more cream and enchilada sauce over the top of all of them in the pan so the liquid comes up 1/3 of the depth of the pyrex dish
- Sprinkle some cheese on top for good looks
- You are done with the assembly
Cook and Enjoy!
- After you have assembled your enchiladas in your dish you want to put them in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Remember everything is already cooked, so you are just warming everything through and letting them "get to know" each other.
- Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.
- Garnish with a dallop of Sour Cream, a dallop of Guacamole and a dash of tabasco. Enjoy!!!
Tags: Bell Peppers, Black Beans, Black Pepper, Cayenne Pepper, Cheddar Cheese, Chicken, Chili Powder, Cream, Cumin, Enchilada Sauce, Garlic, Olive Oil, Onions, Tortillas
This is a great dessert dish! Creme Brulee's are so simple and easy to make that I'd do this whenever I have to make a a snazzy dessert without to much craziness. You can make this the day before you need to it too, which makes it much easier when cooking a big dinner.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbls all-fruit raspberry jam
- 4 oz white chocolate, chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream(or 3/4 cup cream and 1/4 cup milk)
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup sugar & 6 tsp sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla
- Fresh raspberries
- 4 tall Ramekins
Directions
- Pre-heat the oven to 300F. Put 1/2 tbs of the jam into the bottom-center of each ramekin and set aside.
- In a small saucepan melt the chopped white chocolate in the milk. Once the chocolate has melted and has been incorporated into the milk, add the 1/4 cup of sugar. Disolve the sugar and set aside away from the heat.
- In another small mixing bowl, mix the egg yolks, salt and vanilla for 1 minute. Then slowly add the cream mixture whisking well after adding each bit. This is to make sure the eggs don't get heated to quickly.
- Fill each ramekin with the mixture and place in a hot water bath. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the center of the custard jiggles slightly when bumped. Take the ramekins out and let cool to room temperature. Then place in the fridge for 2 hours minimum or up to 2 days.
- When ready to serve, and ONLY when ready to serve, sprinkle about 1 1/2 tsp sugar on each creme brulee and torch to a nice crackle. Place some raspberries on top and serve!
Tags: Cream, Eggs, Raspberries, Raspberry Jam, Sugar, Vanilla, White Chocolate
A Family Favorite! Great for summer parties.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch broccoli, raw
- 1 cup celery
- 1/2 cup green onions
- 1 cup green grapes
- 1 cup red grapes
Dressing
- 1 cup Mayonaise
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 Tbs Rice Vinegar or Apple cider vinegar(your choice)
Garnish
- 1/2 lb crumbled bacon(yum!)
- 3 oz cashew nuts
Mix the Ingredients and dressing and chill for at least 1 hour. Before serving add the garnish and mix.
Tags: Bacon, Broccoli, Cashew, Celery, Grapes, Green Onions, Mayonnnaise
Nothing better for the holidays then some homemade 'nog. Impress them with your holiday cheer and you'll have them come back for more!
Ingredients
- 12 egg yolks
- 12 egg whites
- 1&1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 quart bourbon
- 1 pint rum
- 1 quart heavy cream
- 1 quart milk
- nutmeg
Instructions
Beat 12 egg yolks until light. Gradually add 1&1/2 cups sugar and beat until mixture is thick and pale. Chill, then slowly beat in 1/2 quart bourbon and 1 pint rum. With a wire, beat in 1 quart each of heavy cream which has been whipped slightly and 1 quart milk. Fold in 12 egg whites, stiffly beaten, and sprinkle the surface of the eggnog with nutmeg.
Thick and rich like ice cream. Has a real Kick!
Tags: Bourbon, Cream, Eggs, Milk, Nutmeg, Rum
This is a greek sauce and is absolutely fresh and fantastic. The cucumber realy adds a great fresh flavor.
Ingredients
- 32 oz Whole Milk Yogurt, greek style if you can find it.
- 1 small yellow onion, peeled
- 2 cucumbers
- juice from 1/2 a lemon
- 2 or 3 cloves garlic minced as fine as you can
- 1/4 Tbs Coriander
- 1/4 Tbs Cumin
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Some chives(optional)
Instructions
- Start off by taking the onion and shredding it with the finest side of your grater, practically juicing it into the bowl that you will make the Tzatsiki sauce in. Then take 1 cucumber that is peeled and seeded and do the same.
- Put the yogurt into the bowl and add the lemon juice, garlic, coriander and cumin. Stir and mix.
- Peel and take the seeds out of the other cucumber as well. Cut the cucumber into small chunks and add to the Tzatsiki along with some chopped chives.
- Salt&Pepper to taste. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving so the flavors have time to come together.
Tags: Coriander, Cucumber, Cumin, Garlic, Lemon, Onions, Yogurt
This is such a comfort food dinner for my family. I serve it with fresh pasta, and the casti iron skillet looks great coming from the oven straight to the table. If you don't have a cast iron skillet you can use another oven-safe skillet.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs chicken breasts
- 1/2 cups flour
- 1 egg
- Bread crumbs
- Fresh basil
- Fresh Mozzarella
- Ground Parmigian
- 28oz Can Crushed Tomato
- spoonful of tomato paste
- 1 small onion diced
- 3-4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 bay leaf
- Dried Basil and Oregano
- Salt and Pepper
- Olive Oil
Directions
Sauce first
- Sautee garlic and onion in small saucepan until translucent with some olive oil.
- Add crushed tomatoes and spoonful of tomato paste.
- Add some basil, oregano, salt and pepper.
- Stir and let simmer with a lid.
Prepping the Chicken
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Take the Chicken and flatten it a little with a mallet. You don't want to make it super thin.
- Prepare the assembly train for the chicken. Flour, egg then bread crumbs. Add some of the ground parmigiana to the bread crumbs.
- Brown the breaded chicken on each side in the cast iron skillet with a little olive oil. About 2 minutes per side. Once browned set the chicken aside.
- Once the skillet has cooled, clean it a little with a paper towel and add the sauce into the skillet.
- Place the chicken cutlets into the sauce. Make sure they are submerged.
- Place basil leaves on top, then place some sliced fresh mozzarella on top of the basil. Then add some parmigiana above that.
- Place in oven for 30 minutes.
- Take out and serve over pasta!
Tags: Basil, Cheese, Chicken Breasts, Mozzarella, Parmesan, Tomatoes
This is a great drink that's got a small kick, depending on how much tabasco you add. I advise very little at first and then taste it to see if you personally want more. Once you add it....you can't take it back!
- 1 part White Tequila
- 1 part Vodka
- 2 parts OJ
- 2 parts Lemonade
- 2 parts Sprite
- 1-Dash Tabasco
Just stir and drink! The better the ingredients, the better the drink!
Salud!
Tags: Lemonade, Orange Juice, Sprite, Tabasco, Tequila, Vodka
This is a great dinner for camping. It's easy and tastes great! I like to cook this in a cast iron 7 qt dutch oven directly over your campfire, but you can also cook it on a stove.
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs Sirloin(sirloin tips work best) cut into small bite-size cubes
- 2 large onions, roughly chopped
- 2 Bell peppers(red, yellow or orange)
- 1 small package of baby carrots
- 1 8oz container of mushrooms, chopped finely
- 4 stalks celery, chopped into 1/2 long pieces
- 2 garlic bulbs(yes it's a lot...but you'll see)
- 1 qt Beef Stock
- 1 small can tomato paste
- 1 8oz can vegetable broth
- 1 stick butter
- 1-2 cups flour
Spices
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1 Tbs of Cumin powder
- 1 Tbs of Chili Powder
- 1 Tbs of Rosemary
- 1 Tbs of Thyme
- 1 Tbs of Paprika
- 1 Tbs Garlic powder
Note: I add spices to dishes as I see fit. I probably added more garlic powder than 1Tbs and added a little more than 1 Tbs of the Chili Powder. So adjust as you see fit. If you like Cumin, add more and if not, add less.
Directions
- Once you have a nice campfire going you will want to prepare the garlic bulbs for roasting in the fire. Also after washing the bell peppers you want to roast them on the campfire as well till slightly roasted. You don't need to get them completely black, but you can if you want. I like it with just a couple spots of charred skin.
- While someone in your camp group watches the peppers you want to prep all the other vegetable ingredients and set aside on a plate or bowl. That would be the Onions, Carrots, Mushrooms and Celery.
- At this point the peppers should be done. If you really charred the skin you want to wait till they are cool enough and remove the skin. If you didn't char the skin too much, you can just cut them into small strips and add them to your pile of veggies.
- Take your cast iron dutch oven and rub the inside with a little butter and place over the fire. If you fire pit does not have a grate you can place it on a rock in the fire and place coals around the dutch oven. You want to have easy access to your pot so don't place the pot in a part of the fire that will make it hard to get to.
- Once your pot has gotten hot add the beef cubes to it and brown the beef for a couple of minutes. De-glaze the pot with the beef stock and make sure that you get all the crunchy tid-bits on the bottom of the pot disolved.
- Add the rest of the veggies.
- Add the vegetable broth, tomato paste and about two full glasses of wine.
- Add ALL the spices and the roasted garlic cloves.
- Stir and let simmer for about 2-3 hours. Make sure you keep an eye on it because if the fire gets to hot the stew will boil too much.
- Once the stew is close to being done, around hour 2 you will want to make the Roux with the stick of butter(yes yes) and flour. I would use a small saute pan and use a stove instead of the campfire because you can better control the heat.
- When you are just about ready to serve the stew add the roux and stir well. Let the stew simmer for another 10-15 minutes.
- Take the pot of stew off the fire and let sit for 10 -15 minutes and serve. Be careful, it's HOT!
NOTE: When using beef in stew you either want to barely cook the beef or over cook it. Barely cooking the beef keeps it tender. But after it's been cooking for a while the meat will become very chewy , but as you continue to cook the meat the collagen in the meat(it keeps the musle strands together) will break down and make the meat very tender.
Tags: Beef, Beef Stock, Bell Peppers, Carrots, Celery, Mushrooms, Onions, Tomato Paste
These margaritas are a surefire hit. Loaded with good cranberry juice, these will get any party started. This recipe is really for about 1-2 drinks. I like to make a lot and put it into a big pitcher to serve when needed from the fridge.
Ingredients
- 2 parts good tequila
- 1 part fresh lime juice
- 1 part orange liquor(triple sec, grand marnier)
- 1 part 100% cranberry juice(do not use cocktails)
- 1/2 part simple syrup
- lime wedge for garnish
- lots of ice
Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake. Serve with or without ice and a lime garnish
NOTE: Do NOT use cocktail mixture for the cranberry juice. Use only those that say 100% cranberry juice. If the ingredients has corn syrup and you use it, you will be sorry.
NOTE: When making the simple syrup I recommend adding lime zest to it so that it enhances it's flavor. Just make sure to strain it before using.
NOTE: The more simple syrup you add the sweeter it will be. My advice is to test it out with a little and if you need more add more to your liking.
Tags: Cranberry Juice, Limes, Orange Liquor, Tequila
This recipe may seem long and complicated, but it isn't. It just takes some time to brine and to cook! In the end the time spent makes the turkey well worth the wait!
Ingredients
- 1 fresh or defrosted turkey - 12 lbs works well in standard weber grill
- 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
- 2 quarts Turkey or Chicken Stock
- 2 quarts Turkey or Chicken Broth
- 2 large yellow onions, quartered
- 4 large carrots, roughly chopped
- 4 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- palmful of black peppercorns, whole
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cherry wood chunks or 4 small handfulls, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes
- 2 quarts apple juice
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 2 Tbs dried Rosemary
- 2 Tbs dried Thyme
- 1 Tbs dried Sage
- 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
- 3 quarts cold FILTERED water
Hardware
- Standard Weber charcoal grill(22inches wide)
- Aluminum baking pan from grocery store(the kind that's $3 bucks and you can crush and throw away). This will be filled with water and used in the grill to help regulate the temperature. It will be directly next to the charcoal.
- Roasting pan with rack that fits inside your grill and can hold the turkey.
- Fat separator for liquids
- New trash bag that can hold your turkey
Instructions
Day before the BRINE
- Combine brine ingredients except water and mix until salt is disolved in a mixing bowl.
- Take turkey out of package and remove neck and giblets. Set those aside in the fridge for tomorrow.
- Wash turkey in cold water and place inside a NEW trash bag.
- Pour brine over turkey in trash bag and add the cold water. Tighten trash bag so turkey is submerged in the brine and you've taken out most of the air. NOTE: It is important that when you brine the turkey you keep the turkey breast-side down so that it will always be submerged in the brine. It's okay if the back is not completely covered by the brine.
- Place the trash-bag-turkey in a container that can fit in the fridge over-night. If not, put it in a cooler with A LOT of ice. If placing it in a cooler, you will need to check every couple hours to make sure that there is enough ice to keep the turkey cold.
Day of Dinner
- Remove the turkey from brine, wash and dray. Let it sit for at least 2 hours before cooking to bring to room temperature. This is vital in cooking a turkey, as it will help the turkey cook evenly.
- You will need to prepare your grill for indirect heating and you will want a large tin foil pan to fill with water to help regulate the internal temperature of the inside of the grill. You want the temperature of the grill to be between 300F and 350F. NO HIGHER. My method of indirect heating here is to have the tin foil pan in the middle of the bottom grate with the lit charcoal all by the top of the tin foil pan with some of the charcoal coming down each side of the pan.
- Place the chopped onion, celery, garlic, carrots, bay leaves and whole peppercorns into the bottom of the roasting pan. Also add the giblets and the neck to the bottom of the roasting pan. Place rack for turkey in roasting pan. Pour in all stock and broth into bottom of pan so that it comes a little over the bottom of the roasting rack.
- Place turkey breast-side down into the roasting rack that's in the roasting pan and baste with some of the melted butter. NOTE: Because the turkey legs take longer to cook we will cook the turkey with the breast-side down in the liquid to slow down the cooking of the breast meat. After an hour you'll flip the turkey over so that the back is in the liquid, exposing the barely cooked breast meat to the heat and smoke!
- Once your grill is ready for indirect heat at 300F-350F, add 2 of the soaked wood chunks to the coals. You will want to position the coals under the part of the grate that flips open for easy access later.
- Place the roasting pan on center of the cooking grate with the legs closest to the charcoal heat source.
- Cook the turkey with the lid closed for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, to maintain the heat you will need to add more charcoal(8-12 unlit briquettes). Also add the remaining soaked cherry chunks to the coals.
- At this point you will also very carefully turn the turkey over so the breast-side is face up. Continue cooking turkey with the lid on as before.
- After another hour baste the turkey with more butter! At this time you will also want to take the temperature of your turkey. The turkey is done when the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh(not touching the bone) reaches 175F and the the breast meat reaches 165F. NOTE: The turkey will continue to cook after taking it off the grill and the temperature will continue to rise another 5F-10F. Therefore you will want to take it OFF the grill before it reaches those "Finished" temperatures.
- Once the turkey is 5F-10F below the finishing temperatures take it off the grill and place the turkey on a carving board covered loosely with tin foil.
- Overall cooking times can vary depending on size of the turkey and how hot your grill is. I'd say for a 12lb turkey, you're looking at 2.5 to 3.5 hours. Or more if you cook at a lower temperature.
Lets make GRAVY
What to do with all that wonderful liquid? Oh man. That stuff is what dreams are made of! I recommend saving some of that liquid for soups later on, while using some of that liquid to make gravy!
- Strain liquid and remove all solids.
- Use the separator to remove the fat.
- Reduce the liquid you want for gravy in half to concentrate flavors. So start with double what you want to end up with!
- While reducing make a golden roux with a 1/2 stick of butter and enough flour(adding just a little at a time).
- When the liquid has reduced in half, lower heat and add the roux while stirring.
- Once the roux has been incorporated and it's boiled a little you will have GRAVY!
CARVE TURKEY AND SERVE WITH GRAVY!
ENJOY!
NOTE: It is important that when you brine the turkey you keep the turkey breast-side down so that it will always be submerged in the brine. It's okay if the back is not completely covered by the brine.
NOTE: Because the turkey legs take longer to cook we will cook the turkey with the breast-side down in the liquid to slow down the cooking for the breast meat. After an hour you'll flip the turkey over so that the back is in the liquid, exposing the barely cooked breast meat to the heat and smoke!
NOTE: The turkey will continue to cook after taking it off the grill and the temperature will continue to rise another 5F-10F. Therefore you will want to take it OFF the grill before it reaches those "Finished" temperatures.
Tags: Apple Juice, Carrots, Celery, Cherry Wood, Chicken Stock, Onions, Peppercorns, Turkey
