Secrets of the City

Here’s a quick and easy one we like:

Bean & Tuna Salad

One can cannelli beans, drained
One large pouch/can Albacore tuna
3-4 green onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons basalmic vinegar
Add olives, sundried tomatoes, other items to taste

Make night before and refrigerate so flavors can mingle. Good as a side or main dish.

Mustard Seed Eggs

In a wok, stir fry some black mustard seeds until they start popping. Add diced onions and stir fry until translucent. Add your favorite vegetable (cauliflower, mushrooms, or cabbage work well). Add some garam masala and some garlic. Add some cooked rice and whisked eggs.

I have so many favorites!!!

Here’s a quick one.

4 fillets of a white fish (cod, talapia, orange roughy, etc)
3-4 cups of cherry tomatoes, halved
1-2 cups of kalamata olives, roughly chopped or halved
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 parsley
white wine or lemon juice
olive oil

In a pan, warm up some olive oil and cook the fillets of fish. It is good to get them a little brown on each side, you can coat them with flour first.

Remove the fish to a platter.

Deglaze pan with some white wine (about 1/4 cup) or juice from one lemon.

Sautee garlic and tomatoes until tomatoes are giving off juice.

Add in rest of the ingredients. Add a little more olive oil if you like it more runny.

Heat through.

Pour over fish and serve with crusty bread.

For those who want a good one-dish meal without a lot of time/fuss, stir-fry half a package of frozen peppers and onions until they carmalize. Set aside. Then brown sliced keibasa (I prefer the turkey) or other meat of your choice (or none, for tara and max). Set meat aside. In skillet, prepare one package of Rice a Roni red beans & rice. As sauce/rice begins to thinken, add peppers. onions and meat. Simmer until done, season to taste.

Makes a pretty fair facsimile of jambalya for working people who don’t have all day to cook or track down exotic ingredients.

Rat’s Chicken Dijon with potatoes

Cook potatoes and chicken breast in a skillet of Olive Oil. Set aside after about 15 minutes and keep warm.

In the same skillet stir in a clove or two of garlic quickly, Don’t let it brown.

Add Dijon Mustard, Chopped Tarragon and some white wine.

Let sauce reduce a little, whisk in a quarter cup of sour cream, or plain yogurt if you want something lighter and fewer calories.

Pour sauce over chicken and eat. Twenty-five minutes one skillet and fit for the Sun King himself.

Vegetarian Chili

1/3 cup red beans
1/3 cup pinto beans
1/3 cup kidney beans
1/4 cup lentils
3 Bell Peppers (I used 2 green and 1 yellow)
1 Anaheim Pepper
1 Pablano Pepper
2 Hungarian Peppers
2 Red Peppers
6 Jalapeno Peppers (This is a bit hot, so you may adjust to taste)
1 Onion
1 clove garlic
1 Tbls Chili Powder (Just a guess. Who measures?)
1/2 tsp salt (To taste…)
1 large can of crushed tomatoes.

Overnight, soak lentils and beans. Coarsely chop peppers and onions. Mince the garlic. You can add other things such as diced carrots, celery (ew!), mushrooms, or other vegetables. Put all the ingredients in a crockpot. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4. Serve over rice or pasta. Garnish with olives and cheese (if desired.)

This is what I ate last night. Mmmmm mmm good!

Baked Ziti with Fake (or real, I guess) Ground Beef

” 1 package fake ground beef (Morningstar Farms’ recipe crumble is our preferred fake ground beef, although the Boca version is perfectly fine, too. If you’re down with meat, you could always use a pound of lean ground beef)
” 1 medium onion, chopped
” 1 bell pepper, chopped; any color, although we like red.
” 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
” 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
” 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (you could use dried, but why? Life is short)
” 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
” 2 cloves garlic, minced
” 1 teaspoon salt
” 1/4 teaspoon pepper
” 8 ounces ziti, tubini, or penne; cooked and drained
” 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided into 2 1-cup portions

Saute the onion, and bell pepper in olive oil in a large skillet, adding the fake ground beef after a few minutes; cook until onions are tender and fake meat is thawed.

Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir well; stir in pasta and 1 cup of the cheese. Transfer this mixture to a 2 1/2-quart casserole. Spread the remaining cup of cheese on top, sprinkling with dried oregano and basil. Bake ‘er at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes.

I have a great recipie for a baked whole chicken with prosciutto, but it’s prep heavy and kind of complicated. E-mail me if you’re interested.

Oh, and I might make that tuna salad this weekend, bob. Looks awesome…as does the fish, kc!

Tuna wrap
6 ounces of tuna
Mayonaise
Lemon pepper
Chopped up dill pickles
Lettuce
Monterrey Jack cheese
Wrap

nom nom nom

Best Chicken Breast Ever – for one

Cook one slightly flattened chicken breast in a tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat until cooked through (6-8 minutes). Remove chicken and put on plate under tinfoil to keep warm. Deglaze the pan with a splash or two of white wine and a slightly larger splash or two of chicken broth/stock and throw in a minced shallot or onion. After the sauce reduces by about half, add in a blob (that’s an official measurement) of heavy cream and two-three more tablespoons butter, one at a time until sauce reaches desired thickness. Pour over chicken, try not to lick plate clean.

Re: seafood. I was chatting with Chuck yesterday about my days as a line cook for the Adam’s Mark restaurant in Indianapolis. One of the dishes I prepared — and loved to eat — was Coquilles St. Jacques. A reciepe.

Balsamic chicken breasts

Cook 2-4 chicken breasts in a couple Tbsp of olive oil or butter in a skillet till done. Set aside and keep warm. Saute a couple handfuls of sliced mushrooms, diced shallot, dried thyme, pepper, and garlic, in the same pan (add a little more oil if needed). Deglaze pan with a couple of splashes of chicken stock (about 1/3 c.) and a healthy splash of balsamic vineger. Reduce till slightly thickened. Add chicken breasts and turn to coat and warm. Serve with a side of pasta or rice pilaf.

This recipie can be played with (I usually leave out the shallot and go heavy on the balsamic).

Mmm… seafood. Here’s my seafood lasagna recipe.

Step 1: Cut a hole in the box

Ok, I found my roasted chicken recipie (it’s from Jamie Oliver’s Food Network show)

Fantastic Roasted Chicken

It calls for celeriac, which I have no idea what that is. I suppose you could use any type of root veg or even fennel. Also, the cooking time on this is approximate. The first time I made it, I had to roast it for twice the recommended time, the second time I didn’t fill the chix cavity too full and it came out perfectly in 45 minutes.

Another favorite around our house is so, so easy you won’t believe it.

Cook some basmati rice according to directions. If you have calories to burn, throw in half a stick of butter, it makes it better, but it isn’t necessary.

When done cooking, throw in a handful of chopped dill and a handful of pistachios. You want enough so there is each in every bite. Season with salt and pepper.

It is so, so good.

Quesadilla Haiku recipe

Warm up tortilla
Melt on some cheddar cheese
Serve with good salsa

One of our favorites is blackened chicken breasts (you could also use it on fish). Cut chicken breasts in half thickness-wise. Mix up garlic powder, onion powder, tyme, salt, pepper, cumin, and paprika (don’t have the proportions in front of me–less of the garlic and onion powders). Melt a few tablespoons of butter, brush each side of the chicken breast halves with melted butter and then coat with the spices.

Turn on your exhaust fan and/or open some windows. Over medium-high heat, melt some butter and cook the chicken breasts. Between the heat and the smaller thickness, they should cook quickly.

Andy’s Legendary Kentucky Sticky Bourbony Balls

My legendary sticky bourbony balls are easy to make, impress everyone, and don’t even require actual cooking. Make them for the Kentucky Derby, musical performances by Slint, genteel dinner parties, seersucker conventions, cotillions, UofL/UK basketball games, Hunter S. Thompson commemorative forums, picnics to Mammoth Cave, or viewings of the Owen Wilson portions of The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup finely crushed vanilla wafers
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 1/2 cup of confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa
3 tablespoons Knob Creek bourbon
1 1/2 tablespoons brown rice syrup
1 sprig of mint
a few tablespoons of chocolate syrup (cocoa powder, sugar, water, vanilla extract)

PREPARATION:
Combine vanilla wafer crumbs, chopped pecans, and 1 cup of the confectioners’ sugar. In a measuring cup, blend the Bourbon and rice syrup; stir into the dry mixture. When thoroughly blended, cover and refrigerate for an hour or more.

Sift about 1/2 cup of confectioners’ sugar onto a large piece of waxed paper. Shape small amounts of the dough into balls then roll in powdered sugar.

Place little Kentucky toothpick flags in each bourbony ball, and present on a ceramic plate with lightly drizzled chocolate syrup, a light dusting of powdered sugar, and the sprig of mint as a garnish.

Store tightly covered in the refrigerator. These can be frozen. Makes about 3 dozen.

You can switch out honey for the rice syrup, to positive effect.

Chilaquilas are a long standing tradition in my family and shoul dnot be taken lightly. I have had the verde ones at Chino and they are not bad, haven’t tried the rojas. But for those in the know, the only place for chilaquilas is in the home. There are so many variations on the recipe that it is hard to nail one down, and most of it goes by instinct, but some keys are:

Chips should be freshly fried from a good stack of stale tortillas. Buy a bag of them from Burrito Mercado or the Mercado Central on Monday and eat them as much as possible all week and then use the 20+ you have left to make so chips pn Saturday morning. They will be in just the right place. Store bought chips are generally too weak to handle the cooking process and create a mushy mess.

My grandmother swears by Velveeta (REALLY?!), but I have found that a good queso Fresco works the same way. You want it melty and sticky.

My version incorporates bacon as the base flavor that is then sprinkle throughout at the end. Also important is onion, good ones and a hot salsa in a small amount vs a weaker salsa in a larger amount. You want the consistency to be moist and chewy, not mushy.

Good finishing items include:
Cilantro
Green Onion
Poached Egg (grandma used to fry/poach them in Lard, I can’t get myself to do that)
Banana slices
Avocado Slices
juices (to drink, not to mix in)
Crumbled cheese (feta actually tastes pretty good on this)
Grape tomatoes sliced in half (make a difference to slice them)

Man, too hungry to be doing this to myself. I know what I will be doing this weekend.

Bourbon balls have been a Xmas tradition at Moffitt Manor for some years. My co-workers look forward to the day I bring in a batch.

We now use a 1/3 cup of bourbon, to possitve effect. Taste best after refrigeration overnight, then allowed to come to room temp.

Oh, yeah…I usually add a lot more bourbon than that. Three tablespoons is for when your pastor is coming over. You know that crappy old joke, right? “Protestants don’t recognize the pope as the Ruler of the Church.
Baptists don’t recognize each other in a liquor store.” Ha ha?

StandishCholo is right, you gotta fry old white corn tortillas until they’re a little brown. They stand up to the sauce, plus you get that extra toasty flavor when you bake them. I always make mine with plenty of salsa verde, though, heavy on the epazote. Top with sour cream and serve with eggs and chipotle black beans for breakfast. That’s how we roll on Sundays in my house.

You gotta fry old white corn tortillas until they’re a little brown…

Ouch! Good thing I’m made of yellow corn, not the white corn used in tortillas.

I have been known to “stand up in the sauce,” if you know what I mean…

I like my bourbon balls to be made with Oreo cookies. Nummy.

I’ve been sharing my favorite soup recipes. OK, I missed last Friday, but I have a new job so you need to cut me some slack. New recipe this Friday, I swear.

Firecracker Beef Noodle Salad

¾ lb. skirt steak
Marinade for steak (Mix in large bowl):
1 tsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
2 tbsp. chili garlic sauce
½ tsp. 5 spice
½ tsp. grated ginger
3 cloves of sliced garlic
Black pepper  to taste
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Add steak to bowl and mix well. I like it spicy so I usually add more chili sauce while Im mixing. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Make 8 oz. of rice noodles  follow package directions
Make sure you drain all of the water and the noodles are dried off
Add the following to the noodles:
2 tsp. fish sauce
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
1/3 cup shredded carrots

Refrigerate noodles

Heat frying pan or wok  need it to be really hot and dry
Sear beef on each side  roughly 2 minutes per side  remove and let cool at room temp

Take noodles out of fridge and add:
2 tbsp rice vinegar
¼ cup chopped peanuts
½ cup chopped cilantro  I like to mix Thai Basil in this as well
Toss and put onto plate

Slice beef into thin strips, put back into hot pan to heat through and place on top of noodles.

Seemed like a lot of steps to me when I first made it, but it’s really easy and it’s really supa yummy as it’s a spicy, salty, sweet combo.

Easy Pulled Pork Sandwiches.

Need:
3-4 lbs Pork Shoulder
salt
water
bottled BBQ sauce
buns

Cut the pork shoulder into cubes about 1in X 3in.
Place in heavy pot, I use my dutch oven, and cover with one inch of water. Add a teaspoon or two of salt. Bring to a boil.

Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cover tightly. Cook for one hour.

After one hour, take off cover and bring to a full boil. Boil off water until the meat starts to fry in its own fat. About 3/4 of an hour.

Drain off water/fat that is left.

Pour in half bottle or so of BBQ sauce (or make your own.) Serve on buns with coleslaw.

Bacon
——-

Put a few paper towels on a plate. Lay bacon on the paper towels. Put another paper towel or two on top.

Nuke for 5 minutes or so. Check often for optimal doneness.

Remove from microwave, discard paper towels, sit down and eat that plate of bacon. Option: eat standing up.

Enjoy the bacon aroma that will persist in your home for the next day.

Ahh, Bacon!
My fave latest bacon find: uncured peppered bacon. Good Gawd!
It never makes it to the table.

Easy Tostada Salad (copied from Cafe Latte)

1 can of black beans
1 can of diced tomatoes
chopped onions
garlic
spices (cumin, chili powder, cayenne, etc.)

Put all of that in a pan and heat it. If you’re feeling fancy, saute the onions and garlic in olive oil first.

When it’s done, spoon it into a bowl with spinach in it. The chili stuff will wilt the lettuce nicely. Then garnish with crushed tortilla chips, sour cream, cilantro, etc. Eat as you would a salad.

Bob, I made your tuna salad and it’s eagerly awaiting being consumed as a wrap tomorrow. Can’t wait.