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Rick's Super Easy Flat Bread

September 14, 2008 in Bread, Extra's by siweld | No comments

1   Bag   Bridgford Frozen Bread  (3 Loaf pack)

              Pam or any other pan spray.

Method:

Take the bread from the package and put it on a spray coated backing sheet and spray the frozen loaves as well.  Let the bread sit until it is soft enough to cut then cut the loaf into 6 even portions.   Place the bread pieces back on the baking sheet with the coldest side up and spray it again to keep the bread from getting a crust.  Cover the dough pieces loosley with plastic wrap and let them set until they rise.

Take a risen dough ball and press it out on the back of an oiled dough sheet, spreading out the dough evenly.  When you have the dough pressed out flat, spray it.

Heat a large skillet to a medium high heat.  Pick up the bread dough by the edges and place it, spray side down into the skillet.  Spray the top of the bread and press it down with a spatula.  Check the bottom of the bread, if it looks good, flip it over and press it one more time. If it looks good, turn the bread out onto a plate or serving platter.

This all goes very quick once you have the method down but you will still burn a few.   I cook them last so that they are hot and VERY fresh.

Suggestions:

Spread toppings on the hot bread, like Pesto, Garlic Butter, Tomato Sauce, you name it!

You can serve these with tappas or an assortment of spreads.  

They also make great pizza crusts!!

Makes  18 Portions

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Rick's Hamburger Gravy in Minutes

September 9, 2008 in Entree's, Red Meat by siweld | No comments

I make this all the time at home and I have it down to a 20 minute meal!  I keep turkey burger patties in my freezer and they thaw in 2 minutes in the microwave.

Ingredients

2   Lrg            Russet Potato

2   4 oz          Burger Patties  (thawed & broken up)

1   Sm.           Onion  Diced

1    Ea            Carrot Diced

2   Rib            Celery Diced

1   Cup           Baby Peas

1/4 Lb            Mushrooms sliced

1/2 ts           Thyme

1   Tbs           Worcestershire or A-1 Sauce  (or both)

1   Cup           Stock

1   ts              Corn Starch  (In a slurry)

1  Tbs             Oil

Method:

Place the potatoes in the Microwave over and cook till tender about 10 minutes.  Keep turning the potatoes so they cook evenly.

In a hot saute pan add oil, onion, celery, and carrots, sweat the vegetables and add the burger.  Saute this mixture till the meat is cooked and add the mushrooms, cook this mixture for a couple minutes and add the thyme.  Pour  the stock and Worcestershire into the pan and bring it to a rapid boil.  When the vegetables are tender , add the peas, turn down the heat and add the corn starch slurry.  Stir the mixture together and cook until the sauce is hot and thick.  Check the flavor and add Salt & Pepper to taste.

Cut the baked potatoes into cubes on two plates and divide the sauce over both potatoes.

Try adding more vegetables, Tomato or Wine!

Makes 2 portions

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Rick's 5 minute Tomato Alfredo Sauce

September 9, 2008 in Extra's, Sauces by siweld | No comments

You can make this sauce in less time then it takes to cook the pasta!

Ingredients

1   Jar                   Your favorite Prepared Pasta Sauce

1  Sm.  Carton      Heavy Cream

1 5or6 Oz Tub      Asiago Cheese (grated or shredded)  You can sub Gorganzola for Asiago!

Method:

In a 2 Qt. sauce pan add pasta sauce, cream and cheese.  Cook the mixture over medium high heat, (stirring the whole time), until the cheese has melted.

Serve over 1 pound of any cooked pasta you wish!

To make this sauce deadly, add Baby Peas and Diced Ham!

Try it with cooked Sausage, Chicken or Seafood as well.

Garnish with fresh Basil!

I call this a Blushing Alfredo Sauce as well.

Serves 6

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Rick's Carnitas

September 9, 2008 in Entree's, Red Meat by siweld | No comments

Ingredients

3  Lb      Lean Pork Shoulder or Butt   (Cut into large pieces.)

1  Can    Orange Juice Concentrate

3 Tbs     Ground Cumin

3  Tbs    Oregano

1  Doz    Cloves Garlic  Chopped

4  Ea       Bay Leaf

2  Tbs    Chef Spice = Equal Parts of Granulated Garlic, Granulated Onion, Pepper & Salt

3  Cups   Water to use as needed to keep the roasting pan from drying out!

Method:

Set aside Pork and Chef Spice.

Place the Concentrate & Herbs in a large bowl or zip-lock bag and mix well.  Add to this marinade the pork pieces and toss together well.  Let the marinated pork sit for several hours or over night.

Remove the pork pieces from the marinade to a roasting pan and set the remaining liquid aside for later.   Place the pork uncovered into a 375 oven with 1 cup of water and cook it for one hour.  When the meat is brown, turn it over, pour the marinade over it and sprinkle the meat with half the Chef Spice.  Put the meat back into the oven and cook it for another half hour.  Turn the meat again, making sure to baste it with the pan drippings( add water if needed) and add the remaining Chef Spice.  Cover the meat tightly, with foil and place it back in the oven for one hour.  Don't let the pan cook dry; check it from time to time and add water if needed the bottom of the pan the keep it from burning.

Remove the meat from the oven and check it for tenderness, it should be fork tender.  If the meat is not tender return to the oven for more cooking.   When it is tender, place the meat in a warm place to rest about 10 to 15 minutes.  Remove the meat to a bowl and shred it by using a masher, a fork or your hands and keep it warm.  Place the roasting pan over the burner, discard the bayleaf and make a quick pan sauce by reducing the juices.  Make sure to scraping the pan and add water if pan it is too dry dried out.  Pour the reduced pan drippings over the meat and toss the mixture together.

Serve the Carnitas with fresh salsa and hot tortilas or as a taco filling!

Makes 2 Lbs cooked meat or 8 portions.

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Osso Bucco & Potato

September 7, 2008 in Entree's, Red Meat by siweld | No comments

Osso Bucco is basicly a pot roast made with a cut from the leg bone.  It can be made with Veal, Beef or Lamb and it should cook for hours.  This is the richest most flavorfull meat dish there is.

Ingredients

4  Large Veal Leg Cuts ( substiuite Lamb or Beef but it must have the bone with marrow exposed)

1  Med Onion  Large Dice

3  Carrots         Large Dice

3  Celery Ribs   Large Dice

2  Cup  Port Wine

1  Cup  Demi Glase  substituite  Ox Tail Soup Mix

2  Bay Leaves

8  Red Potato or Yukan Gold cut into wedges

1/4  Bunch of Fresh Thyme or 1/2 Tsp Dry

1/2  Cup Tomato Paste

Salt & Pepper

Olive oil

Large Braising pan with a lid!

Method:

Sprinkle salt & pepper on the meat and set it aside.  Place a large, heavy braising pan on high heat and when pan is hot add about 2 Tbs Olive Oil.   Place the meat in the pan and brown  it on both sides then remove the meat to a plate and set aside.  Add the vegetables to the hot pan and more oil if needed.  Reduce the heat and cook the vegetables till they begin to sweat.  Remove the vegetables to the meat plate and add wine to the pan.  Add wine to the pan and reduce it by half, add Demi Glace and Tomato Paste, bring to a quick low boil and pour the sauce into a container and set aside.

Place the meat in the pan, add Bay Leaf & Thyme to the bottom of the pan.  Place the potato's in the pan and cover with the vegetables.   Pour the sauce over the whole thing and cover with a lid.  Place the pan in a 350 oven and bake for 2 hours.  Check the meat with a fork, it should be very tender, if not cook it longer.

Serve one leg cut along with vegetables and potatoes.   I suggest a side dish of baby peas.

You can add mushrooms if you like and baby vegetables for a more upscale dish.

Garnish your plate with the left over Thyme!

Makes 4 portions!

This can be cooked up to a week before and reheated in the same pot in only half an hour!

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Rick's Cream of Mushroom Soup

September 2, 2008 in Soup by siweld | No comments

Ingredients

 

  • 3 LB Mushrooms
  • 1 Lb Carrots chopped Course
  • 1  Large Onion chopped course
  • 1  Bunch of Green Onion sliced thin, Seperate the White from the Green
  • 1 Large Red Bell Pepper chopped course
  • 1 Stick Butter
  • 1 Qt. Stock, Chicken or Vegetable
  • 1 Cup Heavy Cream
  • 4 tbs  Flour

Method

 

  1. Slice 1 LB Mushrooms and set aside.
  2. In a 6 Qt pot add Butter, Onion, Carrots and Peppers.
  3. Sweat the vegetables in the pot over a medium high heat until they are tender.  Add the remainder of the Mushrooms and Sweat the Mushrooms.  When mushrooms are cooked down, cover them with stock and bring to a low boil.
  4. In a Saute Pan add half a stick of Butter and saute the White Part of the OInion.   When onions are slightly browned, reduce the heat and add flour to make a roux.  Let the Butter, Onion and Flour cook together and then set aside.
  5. After the Mushrooms, Vegetables and Stock are cooked through they need to be pured.
  6. You can use a submersion blender right in the pot or a regular blender.  To use a regular blender, first strain the vegetables from the stock , (reserving the liquid) and put them in the blender.   Add some of the liquid to the mixture and blend well.  Cover the blender with a towel to prevent hot liquids from spilling out!  You might not need all the liquid when you pure' the mixture.
  7. Now!  Add the Mushroom Mixture to the pot along with the Onion Roux, all remaining liquid, the Cream and the Sliced Mushrooms.  Stir together over a medium high heat until the Sliced Mushrooms have cooked down.  Adjust the flavor with Salt if needed.
  8. Just before service, stir in the Green Onion and serve.

Makes  8 portions

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Rick's Best 15 Minute Pea Soup You Ever Ate!

September 2, 2008 in Soup by siweld | No comments

Read this recipe first, it should only take about 15 minutes to make ,  30 if you are not a chef!

Ingredients

 

  • 3   LB   Frozen Baby Peas
  • 2   Cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth ( 1 Can )
  • 3  TBS Butter
  • 1  Carrot  Diced Small
  • 4   Ribs Celery Diced Small
  • 1   Small Onion Diced Small
  • 4   Tb Corn Starch
  • Liquid Smoke
Optional:
  • 1/4 LB  Diced Ham, Brown Sugar or extra Butter

Method:

 

  1. In a 4 quart pot and add butter, place the pot over medium heat.
  2. Add the vegetables to the pot and sweat them over a medium high heat.
  3. When the vegetables become tender add broth and bring to a low boil.
  4. Once the vegetables are tender set them aside.
  5. While the stock simmers place the peas in a strainer and place it in a  big bowl of hot water from the tap, big enough to submerge the peas.  Take the chill off of the peas by repeating this step.
  6. Strain the warm peas and place them back into the warm empty bowl.  Now strain the broth and all the vegetables into the bowl of peas.  Put the vegetables back into the pot and put it back on the stove
  7. Now you need to pure' the peas!  You can strain them again (retaining all the liquids) and put them in a blender or you can use a submersion blender right in the bowl or another pot.  Be careful, It's "HOT"!
  8. Once the peas are pure'd, add them and any remaining liquids back to the pot containing the vegetables.   Bring the soup to a low boil and check to see if it is thick enough.  To thicken the soup make a slurry by mixing the corn starch and  some water.  Stir the slurry a little at a time to the soup until you have the right texture.
  9. If you use ham add it here!
  10. Taste the soup and add Liquid smoke to taste as well as salt if needed.  You may try a small bit of brown sugar to make it a little sweeter or you can stir in more butter to make the soup richer!
  11. Soup is done!   I once made 5 gallons of this soup in 15 minutes because the cook burned the soup of the day and the customers thought it was the very best Split Pea they ever eat.  I was not going to tell them that is was 15 minute Pea Soup.

Makes 8 - 8 oz  portion!

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