Posts from — April 2009

Having company over?  In the mood for a Mojito, or maybe a Margarita?  Or maybe a Perfect Martini?  Whatever it is you are looking for, The Bar has it.  Check out this super chic website.  I thought it was really cool!

1. DO NOT BURN YOUR GARLIC!  Once you’ve burnt your garlic, you’re done, throw it away and start over.  Burnt garlic had a very unappealing bitter taste.
2. If your garlic sprouts before you use it, its ok, it just won’t be as aromatic or full of flavor.  It will just be slightly milder.
3. To get the smell of garlic off of your hands, rub your hands on something stainless steel, like your kitchen sink.
4. Fresh garlic or dried garlic is way better than that minced stuff in a jar.
5. Most importantly…Garlic is Good for You!

As of recent, I’ve begun working with Laszlo Marton of the Galena Garlic Company. One little trip to Galena, IL has opened up an opportunity to exercise my creativity in the kitchen. The best part of it all is that the primary ingredient is GARLIC! Garlic has many health benefits, but its one stigma is the odor. Once you get past the odor, you will come to realize its heavenly taste and health benefits. Garlic is said to lower your cholesterol and to prevent heart disease and cancer. I’ve also heard that is wards off Vampire too!

Stay tuned over the next few months. I’ll be posting some delightful recipes for the products that Laszlo has at the Galena Garlic Company. Anyone can become and instant chef with these affordable, easy-to-use, garlic products!

1 cup diced left over Ham

1/2-cup leeks

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 1/4 cups milk

1 cup grated Sharp Cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper

3 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced, (do not rinse)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sautee leeks in butter until translucent, add flour and cook for 2 minutes, whisking. Whisk in milk and cook until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and add 3/4 cup of cheese, stirring until melted; season with salt and pepper to taste. Layer half of potatoes and ham in a baking dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with half of sauce. Layer remaining potato slices and ham on top of sauce and season. Top with remaining sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, covered, for 30-45 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  For the last 10 minutes of cooking, remove lid so potatoes can get crispy.

In the mood for a sandwich?   Looking for something outside of PB&J, or your typical processed lunchmeat sandwich?  Well, try this…a Cajun Kicked Up Fish Sandwich!  It’s perfect for Lent (even though Lent is almost over).   This is no McDonalds Filet-O-Fish Sandwich; this is a healthy, tasty, hearty sandwich you can eat for lunch or dinner. 

Ingredients:
Tilapia Filet
Olive oil for pan-frying
Salt and Pepper
Fresh buns or fresh crusty bread
Lettuce or Alfalfa Sprouts
Tomato
Cajun Mayo (recipe below)

Over medium to high heat, place a drizzle of olive oil in your pan.  Once hot, place fish in pan.  Be sure that fish is dry when you put it in the pan or else you might get hot oil flying back at you.  Season fish with salt and pepper.  Cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side.  Once you flip the fish, be sure to season the other side with salt and pepper.  After cooking, take the filet out of the pan and let rest while you assemble you sandwich.  Grab your bread or bun.  Place a good amount of Cajun Mayo on both sides.  (Recipe below).  Stack your lettuce/alfalfa and tomato on bread and then add fish.  If you want to add a little more heat, put a few dashes of hot sauce on the sandwich.  I personally like to eat my fish sandwich with crispy, salty Lay’s Potato Chips and a cold beer!

Side Note:  Fish should never be served with cheese.  It masks the beautiful, fresh, simple flavor of this delicate protein.  But…if you are a cheese nut like lots of people I know, go ahead a try a piece of cheese on your sandwich.  I don’t have any suggestions as to what kind though. 

Cajun Mayo
½ cup mayonnaise
1½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 dash/squirt lemon
1-2 dashes hot sauce

The following are a few really easy mayonnaises that will make any sandwich better.  Give it a try, be creative!

Pesto Mayo
¼ cup Mayonnaise
1-teaspoon pesto
1-teaspoon Parmesan cheese
1 dash/squirt lemon juice

Tarragon Mayo
½ cup mayonnaise
1-teaspoon fresh chopped tarragon

Sun Dried Tomato Mayo
½ cup mayonnaise
1-teaspoon sun dried tomato pesto
1-teaspoon Parmesan cheese

Cajun Mayo
½ cup mayonnaise
1½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 dash/squirt lemon

This recipe by far is the best cream of mushroom soup I’ve ever had.  It is not my recipe, it’s actually Ina Garten from the Food Network’s recipe.  She is one of my favorite chef’s on the Food Network.  Follow this recipe exactly and you’ll wow your friends and family.  It pairs well with some lightly toasted sour dough bread.  Please comment back and let me know what you think.

Ingredients:

5 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms
5 ounces fresh portobello mushrooms
5 ounces fresh cremini (or porcini) mushrooms
(or just get the best variety you can find at the local super market)
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1/4 pound (1 stick) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 carrot, chopped
1 sprig fresh thyme plus 1 teaspoon minced thyme leaves, divided
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

Clean the mushrooms by wiping them with a dry paper towel. Don’t wash them! Separate the stems, trim off any bad parts, and coarsely chop the stems. Slice the mushroom caps 1/4-inch thick and, if there are big, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

To make the stock, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot. Add the chopped mushroom stems, the onion, carrot, the sprig of thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add 6 cups water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Strain, reserving the liquid. You should have about 4 1/2 cups of stock. If not, add some water.

Meanwhile, in another large pot, heat the remaining 1/4 pound of butter and add the leeks. Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the leeks begin to brown. Add the sliced mushroom caps and cook for 10 minutes, or until they are browned and tender. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and stir for another minute, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add the mushroom stock, minced thyme leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the half-and-half, cream, and parsley, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and heat through but do not boil. Serve hot.

Chicken and Dumplings

(video)

So some of you were asking for a chicken and dumpling recipe.  Well above is a clip from Chef Scott Peacock showing you how to make a delicious, decadant chicken and dumpling.  I originally asked my mom for the family recipe, but once I saw this, I realized our recipe was no secret.   Check it out!

Ingredients  (Serves 6)

1 large chicken (4 to 4 1/2 pounds), cut into quarters
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
8 cups Scott’s Chicken Stock (or regular chicken stock)
1 medium onion, halved lengthwise
2 ribs celery, preferably inner ribs with leaves attached
1 large egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

Generously season chicken with salt. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.
In a large Dutch oven, combine chicken stock, 4 cups water, onion, celery, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat Add the leg portions and the backbone of the chicken to the Dutch oven. Place the breasts, skin side down, on top of the legs. Reduce heat to just below a simmer. Cover partially, and cook, making sure the stock mixture does not come to a simmer, until breasts are cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove breasts, and set aside. Continue cooking legs until very tender and meat begins to pull away from the bone, 30 to 40 minutes more. Remove chicken and vegetables, reserving liquid. Discard vegetables and set chicken aside until cool enough to handle.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together egg, oil, 3 tablespoons cold water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in flour until well combined. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
When chicken has cooled, remove skin and discard. Remove meat from bones and tear into 1 1/2- to 2-inch pieces; set aside.

Turn dough out onto a generously floured work surface. Roll out dough until it is about 1/16-inch thick. Cut dough into 1 1/2-by-2 1/2-inch rectangles. Bring reserved stock mixture to a boil over high heat, and season with salt. Add dough rectangles to boiling liquid, shaking pot as necessary, but not stirring. Cook until, dough is cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Add reserved chicken and reduce to a simmer. Add sliced egg, butter, and heavy cream; season with pepper. Continue cooking 2 to 3 minutes more; season with salt and pepper.
Remove from heat and cover; let stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving in shallow bowl.

Greek Chicken

(video)

So above is a You Tube video with instructions on how to cook a chicken in the oven.  It is a very short, easy to follow video.  But I want you to scratch the Lawrey’s seasoning and try rubbing it with Greek Garlic blend from the Galena Garlic Company.  Rub about a tablespoon on the outside and additional teaspoon on the inside.  When rubbing the bird on the outside, lift up the skin (without tearing it) and rub under the skin too.   On the inside of the bird, cut a lemon in half and place it on the inside along with a half of and onion and about 3 large garlic cloves.   Place the bird on the cooking rack with about a cup of chicken stock on the bottom.  Cover with foil and cook as instructed in the video.   For the last 25 minutes of cooking, drizzle a little butter over the top of the chicken and keep the foil off.  This will make your chicken delicious and crispy.  Be sure to let your chicken rest for about 20- 30 minutes before cutting into it.  This will prevent it from drying out.

With the dripping that are left over, skim as much of the fat off as possible and serve on the side.  You may need to add a little more chicken stock if it is too salty.