One potato, two potato...

This month as an Allrecipes Allstar I teamed up with Ore-Ida, and was given the task to incorporate Ore-Ida products into my menu.  I am a fan of french fries, who isn't, but I decided to stick with my roots.

Dining In - Copykat recipe

Two years ago while visiting family in Oklahoma I went out to a restaurant in Norman, OK called "Saltgrass Steakhouse"  while there I ordered an entree that was simple, yet filling, and moderately priced.

Unfortunately there are only a few Salt grass restaurants nationwide, so the quest was on to re-create this entree: Beef Tenderloin tips sauteed in a cognac pepper sauce w/ mushrooms over garlic mashed potatoes.
What is "cognac pepper sauce"?  Well just imagine a savoury brown gravy that has black pepper and cognac in it...simple huh?!   You don't have to worry about the mashed potatoes, they're really not the super star. 
My version is as follows:  This will serve two people

8 ounces tri-tip sirloin cut into bite size pieces
2 Tbsp butter, divided
1 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Place flour, garlic salt, and black pepper in a ziploc bag.  Add the beef and shake to coat.
In a cast iron skillet over medium heat, melt 1 Tbsp of the butter.  Add the beef, and cook stirring frequently.
Add in the sliced mushrooms and remaining butter, stir until mushrooms are tender.

Cognac Pepper Sauce
2 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp kitchen bouquet browning and seasoning sauce
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
10 oz beef broth or beef stock
1 Tbsp Cognac
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

In a medium sauce pan over medium high heat, melt the butter.  Whisk in the flour until a blonde roux has developed.  Slowly pour in half of the beef broth, whisking to combine.  Add in the browning sauce, the worcestershire sauce, and remaining beef broth whisking to combine.  Add in the black pepper.  Stir to combine.  Continue stirring until slightly thickened.  Add in the cognac during the last minute of cooking, stir to combine.

Serve the beef tips, mushrooms and cognac pepper sauce over your favourite mashed potatoes. 

Chicken Kiev: updated culinary classic

Chicken kiev - I'll never forget the first time I made it, subsequently it was the last time I made it until I found a different way to make it.   Thanks to a recipe I found that made this classic extra easy to prepare!   Can you believe that I had everything pictured from oven to table in UNDER 45 minutes - including prep time?

Admittedly I strayed ever so slightly but I think my changes were on target w/ the goal of the recipe.  While the recipe initially called for some white bread to be pulsed in a food processor I figured there was no need to use white bread, and I substituted a mixture of panko bread crumbs and Italian seasoned bread crumbs using a 2:1 ratio. 

Most important part in this recipe - you'll need to use BUTTER!  Don't even think for a moment that you'll get the same results by using an oily spread!

Slàinte - so it's a little late

Slàinte (pronounced Slawn-cha) is a typical Irish toast which in translation means "good health".  For time sake this blog will not be so lengthy.   The month of March as an Allrecipes Brand Ambassador saw me taking a culinary adventure via the UK/Ireland Allrecipes page!  I not only had to obtain the products, but I had to figure out what some of the products were!  Fortunately I have a fabulous food market that assisted me in many of these items. 

First up Guinness bread!

 

This bread was very hearty, and very dense.  It tasted SO good fresh out of the oven, smeared w/ some butter and a drizzle of honey.  This is a bread you would want to eat warm - don't expect it will taste as good the day after.

What's for dinner? 

For the occasion I made Irish Steaks and Smoked Bacon and Irish Cheese Mash  I couldn't really detect the Jameson whiskey in the steaks at all.  I really wasn't overly impressed with this steak recipe and doubt I would make it again.  The mash -or as an American would call it mashed potatoes- were simply wonderful, my mouth is watering at the memory of the taste.  You can use camembert OR if you would prefer a milder cheese feel free to use a brie cheese. 

Ultimately when cooking via a non-US website there will be many ingredients that you will likely have to research - thankfully google is your friend.  You'll also have to learn your metric system -if you're not already familiar w/ it! 

Dinner is Done!

I'm finally back to my "cooking roots" or so it seems.  I'm really not a fan of assigned recipes.  I much prefer following my own ideas, and if not my ideas tweaking a recipe to suit my tastes. 


Dining in at home:


This was a yummy recipe I tried...and oh mamma mia this was something that made my tastebuds dance w/ delight!!


Chicken w/ Proscuitto Spinach Cream Sauce

This was amazing and absolutely delicious! My changes to the recipe (linked above) were minimal. You do NOT need to use that much milk for the egg milk bath. So I dropped it to 1 egg and 1/4 cup milk. I elected to use grapeseed oil as it has a higher heat tolerance. I used a mix of Italian seasoned Panko and Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, instead of all heavy cream (and to save calories) I used a mix of 1% milk & heavy whipping cream using a 3:1 ratio. I used a 6 cheese Italian blend and I left out the salt - the proscuitto is MORE than salty enough. Once the chicken was finished I kept it warm in the oven. Other than that there were no other changes. I used barefoot pinot grigio as it's a good quality white wine. Next time I'll toss in some fire roasted bell peppers. This is a "dining in" dinner and a keeper!


I'm a fan of Alfredo Sauce, and yes to some I know it's been called "heart attack on a plate" which I'm sure is sacriledge to those who are famous for it!


This is a delicious, quick and tasty Alfredo Sauce

It really needs no changes BUT for healthy eating I have used a fat free cream cheese and 1% milk. It makes a LOT of sauce as followed, so don't say I didn't warn you!




Crockpot Cooking:


One of the January assignments was for crockpot cooking - and the crockpot is certainly NOT a stranger in my kitchen!  I use my crock pot at least 10x's each month.  What's not to love about prepping your meal and then being able to walk away from the kitchen knowing that in a few hours dinner will be ready and you'll have gotten other things accomplished!


I tried a White Chili  recipe from Allrecipes.com and WOW!!! I was impressed!!!!

I'm a firm believer in good food w/ few ingredients, but admittedly I inwardly cringed and thought NO WAY will this even taste good b/c it had only FOUR ingredients!!!   I'll also say that I'm a self-avowed food snob and really didn't have much expectations for this recipe, but WOW it was creamy, hearty, and wholesome!  Naturally my addition of sour cream and some tortilla strips may have upped the calories a smidge, but this recipe is a keeper!






Dessert time!!!!  Always a good time right?  I got a jumpstart on Valentine's day...and made some Caramel Brownie Hearts

They're simple and semi-homemade, but if you're a busy working adult and don't have the time to do from scratch brownies, they'll work in a pinch!  These are definately "Gourmet at Home" - and if I had someone special in my life it's something I would have no hesitation making for a Valentine's day dessert or any other time I wanted a special dessert at home.  I could also see a dark chocolate brownie w/ a garnish of a raspberry coulis!




Ever go to the grocery store and see those "fluffy frosted sugar cookies" - and you think they taste SO good even if they have a funky chemical taste to them?  Well this is an amazing at home sugar cookie that if you try will have you thinking twice about buying any of those cookies again!

Fluffy frosted sugar cookies at home:

1 1/4 cup white sugar

1 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

3 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

Heat oven to 375°

Soften the butter at room temperature. Cream the butter w/ the sugar & add eggs one at a time.

Sift the flour to measure 3 1/2 cups - please note this is NOT the same as measuring then sifting.

Once you've sifted and measured the flour, add it to the creamed butter mixture 1/2 cup at a time, until thoroughly combined.  Next add the baking powder & extracts.

Using a small 1 Tbsp spring hinged ice cream scoop, scoop out the cookie dough and place it on parchment lined baking sheets.  Bake for approximately 12 minutes.  Let cool before frosting.

Frosting:

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

3 Tbsp butter, softened

1 tsp PURE vanilla extract (if you use imitation vanilla bump this to 1 TBSP)

1 Tbsp milk

Coloured sugar, sprinkles for topping

Combine confectioners' sugar butter, vanilla and milk, beating until creamy. Thin with a few more drops of milk (if necessary) to reach desired spreading consistency. Sprinkle w/ assorted decor topping. 

Bar Food:

You know those yummy potato wedges that often have cheese, bacon, sour cream, and other toppings?

Yeah the type that go straight from the lips to the hips if you're a woman?  Well these are a great at home rendition! 

To make you'll need the following:

2-3 large potatoes
2-3 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Chives
3 TBSP Olive oil
1 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp italian seasoning


Rinse off the potatoes, and slice into 1/4" thickness.  Add olive oil and seasonings to a gallon size ziploc bag, add in the sliced potatoes and toss to coat.


Line a rimmed cookie sheet w/ foil (non-stick foil works great!) Spread potato rounds on top of the foil.
Bake at 420°  for about 25 minutes, then drop the heat to 350° for another 15-20 minutes. Add the chopped bacon and cheddar during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Top w/ sour cream and chives if desired.

Gringo in the Kitchen!!!!
Haha - well I seem to have an affinity for food that's South of the border, but I'll admit I'm not Hispanic and thus any of my attempts to cook food from any of the Latin Countries will pale in comparison!  Having said that I made some Enchilada's.

I can see the cringing already.  Yes it's NOT an authentic recipe *hanging head in shame*  For a quick gringo made enchilada it wasn't bad tho!






Cocktail time:  I'm my own barista, bartender whatever you wanna call it.  My friends joke w/ me that I could open up a bar - but for all the liqueur, wine and alcohol I may have I seldom drink it as much as I cook w/ it!


This was a drink called a Paradise Cocktail

Pretty to look at and well I'll let you be the judge of the taste if you try it!

New recipes

Right now I'm playing catch up w/ my blog so I'm doing a buffet style on my blog again!  I got back from Biloxi, MS on Monday 26 Sept 2011 thus dinner was the furthest thing from my mind after having driven for 7 straight hours!

Tuesday night I was back in the kitchen and all three of the items are new recipes that I tried - two were incredible while one was only so-so.

Most of those who know me, know I cook w/ wine, beer, alcohol, and liqueurs.  Tonights meal was a pop of flavour for the palette. There's one reason why I chose this recipe, and it's b/c a charming lady I met at the Chefs of the coast said she didn't like rosemary...well this pork chop recipe is for you doll ;-)  Trust me if you like Kahlua you'll love the pork chops (consider this a baby step recipe). Kahlua herbed pork chops, Ginger lime asparagus, and Pastetnik potatoes ... okay okay, so I changed the names of the first two b/c it just sounded better...it won't change the taste I promise! 

Thoughts on the pork chops:  Ignore the recipe instructions first off.  Trim the fat from the pork chops! No way!  As a famous TV chef says "Pork fat rules!"  So we're going to leave the fat ON the pork chops!  Next you're going to season the pork chops BEFORE cooking them - b/c you want the seasonings to infuse into the pork.  After that, you're going to make the pork chops pretty w/ slices of lemon and orange, then pour the kahlua and water around the pork chops - you don't want to disturb the pork chops too much.  To make things easier, once the pork chops have cooked, remove them to a plate, and THEN blend the remaining water & cornstarch together, and whisk into the pan. Watch this baby carefully, you don't want it to burn...that would be a waste of alcohol, and we don't do that!

Onto the asparagus.  I love asparagus, but you've got to know how to cook it right.  You don't want it soggy or limp, you want it cooked and to have a slight crispness to it.  The sauce is what really makes the asparagus shine through.  In many ways the sauce makes me think it could be morphed into a ginger lime pesto - if you add in some nuts like pistachios.

Problems w/ the potatoes.  First of all they are not seasoned properly.  Salt & Pepper may be used to accentuate some dishes but they shouldn't be relied on for flavour, b/c face it it's just not gonna happen.

All in all the pork chops were amazing, and the asparagus was very good.

Tonights dinner:

Gateway-to-the-West Stuffed Chicken Breast, wild rice, steamed veggies, and Parmesan pesto bread.

As is this recipe is pretty good. I don't know that I like the egg and shallot used in the shrimp filling. I say this for many reasons but namely b/c the egg is going to run out of the shrimp filling before the egg will cook. I chose to cook this in the oven by cranking my oven to 375° and cooking it for about 35 minutes. I chose to chop up the shrimp to make it easier to close the chicken up. I think I'll make this again, but will tweak it to suit my preferences. 

Recipe Creation

This post is a touch behind, but better later than never right?

Last Thursday night I created a recipe - I guess I'll call it Peach Sage Sausage stuffed pork chops, and then I also made some Honey Curry roasted red potatoes, and some pearl barley w/ sugar snap peas and carrots (I'm needing to find recipes for my food ring molds).

Okay so how to make the Pork chops:

1 1/4" thick cut pork chops - cut a pocket into the pork chops

Stuffing:
3 oz cooked mild italian sausage
2 oz rice pilaf (Uncle Bens 90 second rice)
2 oz chopped peaches (fresh)
3 sage leaves, chopped
2 Tbsp Riesling wine
1/2 tsp minced garlic

Brown sausage breaking up pieces. Once browned, drain the grease.  Add 2 ounces rice pilaf, cook until softened. Add the chopped peaches, the sage leaves, minced garlic and Riesling wine.  Allow to cool slightly and stuff pork chops.

On the outside of the pork chops rub each side w/ granulated garlic and italian seasoning. I used
1/2 tsp granulated garlic and 3/4 tsp italian seasoning to coat BOTH sides of two pork chops.  I cooked them at 375° for about 30 minutes.

For the Honey Curry roasted potatoes, I used about 2 Tbsp of grapeseed oil, 1/2 tsp curry powder, and 1 Tbsp of honey.  Chopped up one medium red potato and baked at 375° for 30 minutes.

~~~

Washing it down...

I chanced making a spin off of a lemonade using a recipe for Mediterranean lemonade spritzers and doubt I'll make it again. It had way TOO much honey in it, and minus the menthol flavour, I thought I was drinking a liquid honey cough drop - blech!  I dunno, I guess if it's your thing go for it. 

~~~

Dinner tonight: 

I'm gonna retitle a couple recipes b/c of some subtle tweaks - so don't mind the name, just follow my changes if you want it to be quality food.  Cajun panko crusted chicken,  Asparagus w/ Mandarin Cream Sauce, wild rice, and parmesan pesto foccacia bread

First up - don't use the flour the cajun chicken calls for. Use Panko breading.  Second, add an egg to the milk wash - these two changes make all the difference. 

Asparagus - follow the recipe, except swap the orange for a little cup of mandarin oranges.  Perfection :) 

One Tequila, Two Tequila...

Today was perfect weather for grilling.  I also found a yummy new burger recipe to try!  Tequila Lime Burgers  If you're skeptical about it - don't be!  These burgers pack a yummy flavour and are amazing!

Granted my picture may not look so gourmet, but this meal is all about grindage!  The burgers didn't require any "extra" additions, and are a refreshing change of pace.

Off to the corn...yeah, yeah sue me I always remove the husks. I get that I use an unconventional method in grilling my corn, but it's what works for me.  In grilling my corn, I add unsalted butter - that's it.  The main reason for this is b/c it doesn't mask the corns natural sweetness, plus salt actually ends up drying out the corn.  Once I've got a THIN layer of butter on the corn I wrap it in a heavy duty foil - shiny side facing the corn, b/c this helps it cook faster on the grill b/c the dull side won't reflect as much heat. Once the corn is cooked and piping hot off the grill I peel away the foil and add a bit of granulated garlic, and parmesan cheese. Perhaps another time I'll try the normal method...I doubt it tho, I tend to never follow the trend.

Roasted potatoes...OH so simple!  Just a matter of quartering some baby reds and then tossing w/ some grapeseed oil....errr Grapeseed oil, yes!  A lot of reasons I like using grapeseed oil. It has a lighter flavour than EVOO (grr Rachel Ray! but it's such a shorter way of saying Extra Virgin Olive Oil) plus it has a higher smoking point - so it can w/stand those scorching oven temperatures. I use a ratio of 1 to .75 Meaning in this case if I'm making 2 servings of roasted potatoes I'll use 2 teaspoons of grapeseed oil and 1 1/2 teaspoons of seasonings.  I seldom use salt.  Salt is for people that don't own herbs, and lack imagination.  I used a mixture of thyme, granulated garlic, sage, paprika, rosemary, and chipotle chile pepper.  I roasted the potatoes at 450° for about 25 minutes.  Helpful hint...use the reynolds non stick foil ;)