Cold Weather Classics February 13, 2011

In the Summer I tend to grill out every night because I love simple meals that cook up in no time.  Not to mention how nice it is to sit outside and enjoy a  cold beverage after a long day of work.  In the cold months of winter I make a lot of stews, soups, and roasted dishes that are fairly inexpensive, filling, and warm.

I grew up with my Grandmother, Nana’s beef stew recipe.  She doesn’t use measuring cups unless she is baking.  Therefore, I have come up with my own version, using slightly different herbs and additional ingredients.

Prep: Peel & dice 3 large russet potatoes (or yukon gold & double the amount)

Peel & slice about 3-4 Whole carrots

Dice 1 Sweet onion

Mix 1-2 cups of flour with garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.

Heat enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom of a deep skillet or dutch oven -medium to high heat

Lightly Salt & Pepper the cubed stew meat & cover in flour mixture.  Brown.

Add about 1/2 T dried rosemary & dried parsley.

Deglaze the pan with about a 1 cup of red wine. Add 1 box of Beef Stock, 1 cup of water.  Bring to a boil then set to low-simmer for 45 minutes.

Add 1 large can of stewed tomatoes, onion, carrots, potato.  Simmer about 30-45 minutes until veggies are tender.

Serve with cornbread.  The JIFFY brand is my favorite. You can add jalapenos and cheddar cheese to jazz it up a bit.

This is not an original photo but this is similar to what the finished product looks like. Courtesy of “The Bite Me Kitchen”

Broccoli Cheddar Explosion December 6, 2010

Broccoli Cheddar Soup is BY FAR one of the “family favorites” in our house and my personal recipe never turns out the way I like it so I stole Panera Bread Company’s recipe and it is ‘practically’ fool proof.  I have made this recipe several times but have opted out on the last step of puree(ing) the soup to make a more smooth consistency.  After this past experience I have 100% decided that I prefer my broccoli cheddar soup a little chunky (and so does my kitchen….dun.dun.dun.)

Everything started out so beautifully.  So well, that I decided to double the recipe and freeze the rest (or give it to my two  hungry neighbors).  The cream sauce turned out perfect- (photos below)  And so on. 

                                                                                                                                        

And then, the final step of puree(ing) the mixture. You must wait for the soup to cool a little before blending it, and it’s always a good idea to place a kitchen towel over the top of the blender because hot soup+ friction from the blender= STEAM! It will blow the lid right of the top if you were to skip this essential step.  I followed my own advice and grabbed a kitchen towel, pulsed the mixture until I reached  my desired consistency.  While transferring the first “finished product” to the pot, all of a sudden IN SLOOOOWWW MOOOTTTIIIOOONNN the bottom of the blender flew off and there was an explosion of broccoli, cheddar soup ALL over my kitchen.  I must say that I feel somewhat experienced in the kitchen and was somewhat distraut that I made such a stupid mistake.  Thank goodness Martha Stewart is not my roomate because she would have nearly had a heart attack.  I must share the photo below so you can truly grasp the kitchen catastrophe.

My friend Tyler said that it resembled “The Jolly Green Giant Crime Scene” and I immediately thought of split pea soup from the movie, the Exorcist.  After an extensive wipedown of every crevice, and two rounds of the swiffer over the floors, Sal, Caity, and I were able to enjoy our “chunky” batch of Broccoli Cheddar soup that never made it in (or out) of the blender:)  And it was DELICIOUS-thank you Panera Bread Company for making the most bomb broccoli cheddar soup I’ve ever had.

PANERA BREAD COMPANY’s BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP

 1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half-and-half
2 cupschicken stock or bouillon ( I like using the stock & add a little more at the end)
1/2 pound fresh broccoli (I used 1lb of frozen broccoli florets)
1 cup carrots, julienned (if you have a cheese grater, that works too)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 ounces grated sharp cheddar

Directions:

Saute onion in butter. Set aside. Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and slowly add the half-and-half (this is called making a roux). Add the chicken stock whisking all the time. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender for 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. The soup should be thickened by now. Pour in batches into blender and puree. Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended. Stir in the nutmeg and serve.

**** WE LOVE CARBS IN OUR HOUSE AND I LIKE TO SERVE THE SOUP IN A BREAD BOWL (just like it comes at Panera)

California Lovin’ December 2, 2010

 

   I was so lucky to have my Dad and Stepmom intown for a week in November.  We did alot of eating, wine drinking, wine tasting, and guitar playing.  Well, he played the guitar and I cooked and drank wine:)  It was such a treat to have them in town during the holiday season.

My boyfriend, Sal and his parents, my brother, Jeff, my good friend Jasmine, and Sal’s roomate Stephen were able to join us for dinner and relax while I prepared a gigantic 7lb beef brisket, rosemary/chive roasted potatoes, and a fabulous last minute salad creation.  We munched on some yummy cheeses, an assortment of prosciutto and speck, and juicy grapes. The aged blue cheese was by far the favorite among the group.  If you are planning a dinner party, you should check out Trader Joe’s cheese and meat assortment.  Their selection is much smaller than other specialty food shops such as Whole Foods, but the quality and prices cannot be beat.

Although the meal itself turned out great, I must share the most humorous part of the evening.  The brisket takes about three to three and a half hours to cook through and I was already cutting it close considering it did not make it into the oven until about 6:00 pm.  Around 7:00pm I opened the oven to baste the brisket and the oven was OFF (somehow). We all laughed about it and were already pretty full anyway after all of the appetizers.  We figured, “what is one more hour?”  When the brisket was done, around  10:00pm it was like Christmas when that thing finally came out of the oven.  I let it rest for about 10 minutes, sliced it against the grain, then let it soak in the gravy before serving.  I SWEAR by this recipe and it was actually given to me by one of my stockbroker’s wives that works with me. Her recipe was featured in the AJC several years back and now I know exactly why!

 

 

“Reba’s Never Fail Brisket”

• 1 (5-7 lb.) Beef Brisket
• 1 package of Lipton French Onion Soup Mix
• 1 package of dry Ranch dressing mix
• generous sprinkling of paprika
• generous sprinkling of granulated garlic

** I chopped up a large sweet onion and carrots to surround the brisket.

Set oven to 350-Cook in a LARGE disposable aluminum pan, cover with  foil and bake for 3-3 1/2 hours based on the weight. Baste occasionally.

Assorted lettuce, Avocado, Granny Salad

• 1 package of prewashed Romaine hearts
• 1 package of Arugula
• 1 package of Endive (about 3)
• 1-2 diced Granna smith apples
• 1-2 ripe avacado
• 1 package of candied walnuts

**I whipped up a quick and easy salad dressing that consisted of EVOO, Vinegar, Shallot, paprika, pinch of sugar to taste, and salt and pepper.

Stay Tuned Folks….. November 16, 2010

Coming Soon:

Quick & Easy Beef Brisket

Endive, Avocado Salad

Rosemary Baked Chicken

Crock Pot- Pot Roast

Guest Blogger: Caity Brophy’s Italian Pasta dish

Homeade Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Better than Ever BBQ Ribs

“Ain’t life GRAND” October 25, 2010

My Grandmother which somehow turned into, “Grandy” when I was a small child, is an extremely respectable, Southern woman who has a knack for  many things; such as decorating, playing bridge, mastering crossword puzzles, dressing well, gardening and speaking with a slow, Southern drawl.  She is especially good at TELLING people what to cook.  If it were up to her, the kitchen would be entirely omitted from her home.  The space  would be  utilized as an extra sitting room, to entertain guests, or to store her silver.

I try to cook for her atleast once a month which gives us a chance to catch up and generally drink lots of red wine and laugh until our stomachs hurt. Not only do I enjoy cooking for her,  my Grandfather ESPECIALLY appreciates a homecooked meal, ever so often. 🙂

Normally, I prepare ahead of time and plan a menu a few days in advance.  Due to my busy schedule, last week’s dinner crept up on me.  I finally made it to the grocery store around 7:30pm and grabbed a random assortment of vegetables, cheeses, and bread.   My motto is, “when in doubt: make a pasta dish.”  I always keep dried pasta on hand and turn to it when I’m in a time crunch, a bad mood, a good mood, and, quite frankly….always.  I could eat it uncooked, cooked, with sauce,  without sauce, with butter and parmesan only, baked in the oven, or from scratch with my handy, dandy pasta maker. (compliments of my friend, Vanessa) This particular night, I settled on boiled Rigatoni with Chicken & Apple Sausage, Caramelized onions, Portobello Mushrooms, and softened goat cheese.   I am a sucker for all of the ingredients listed above.  I have to admit, I was not expecting it to be as delicious as it turned out!

As my mother always says, “Try it, you’ll like it.”

Random Rigatoni

. 1 lb Rigatoni pasta

-1 package of Chicken & Apple Sausage (casings removed, sliced, and sauteed)

-1 package of baby portabello mushrooms

-2 Sweet Onions, sliced

-4 oz chevre goat cheese

-1/2 cup freshly grated or shredded parmesan cheese

-1 bunch of flat leaf, italian parsley

1.  Remove Sausage casing, quarter, then brown in EVOO. Drain. Set aside.

2.  Boil a large pot of water, lightly salted. Add pasta 8-12 min while preparing other ingredients.

3. Slice sweet onions thinly.  Sautee with wiped (with a damp cloth) Portobello mushrooms, diced.  Cook down until onions are caremelized.

4.  Toss pasta with EVOO, salt, pepper, goat cheese (in dabs), parmesan cheese, flat leaf italian parsley (about 3 T for color), add browned sausage and onion mixture.  Add garlic if desired.

I served this with baked Ciabatta bread and french green beans.

Gyro Trip October 10, 2010

Sure has been a while!!  Now that I’m all settled in to my new place, I’ve been cookin’ up a storm.  One of my favorite dishes (and my friends) that I make are my Pork Tenderloin Gyros.  While I absolutely adore the traditional gyro, made with lamb, it doesn’t seem to make it on my plate as often as I would like. 

Anyone that attends or has attended Georgia State University probably knows about this little gem of a restaurant called Ali Baba’s.  The “restaurant” or “cube” as I like to call it could not be any larger than a lemonade stand.  There is ALWAYS a line out the door, but you don’t have to wait too long because they are super fast.  The first time I grabbed lunch there, I was very unfamiliar with most of the food items on the menu and ordered the gyro just to be safe.  So glad I did, because I was hooked after the first bite.  Not only is the serving size HUGE and the combo only runs you about $7.00, it comes with a heaping scoop of freshly made hummus and pita bread.  Now that I am not attending Georgia State, I came up with my own version because they are THAT good! 

**  This recipe is great for a large crowd, and you can adjust the quantity of each ingredient depending on how many mouths you need to feed.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin Gyros

1-2  lemon/garlic & herb marinated pork tenderloin

1  Bag of Arugula

1-2 Red onions

1  Bunch of Vine Ripened tomatoes

1 Large tub of Plain, non fat greek yogurt

1 cucumber

1 large bundle of fresh mint leaves

1 lemon (or lemon juice concentrate)

1-2 bags of Pita Bread

Tip:  Make your sauce first ,so that the flavors have a chance to “marry” while you prepare the rest.

-Dice 1 tomato, cucumber, mint, mix with greek yogurt.  Add lemon juice, salt & pepper to taste. (chill in refrigerator until ready to serve)

-Grill pork tenderloin until done.  Set aside on a cutting board to “rest” while you grill everything else.

-Slice red onion(s) semi thick, brush with EVOO and grill (put them on aluminum foil if your grill rack has large spaces in between)

-Brush pita bread with EVOO and place on grill to lightly brown.

I serve these babies on a large platter and let everyone build their own.  Set homeade “tziki” sauce off to the side for drizzling. 

Here are some photos I snapped from the last time I made these.

And, you can grill some veggies like eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini, squash, onion. Dice.  Make a plain( instant) Cous Cous. Add mozzarella or Feta Cheese, Fresh Basil, Balsamic Vinegar, and EVOO. Serve as  a sidedish.

Chili Willie September 16, 2010

Seriously, NO ONE makes chili like my Grandfather, Sat.  I joke that my life would be complete if I had his chili recipe.  When I say it’s good, I mean SO good, that for years, he would put on a party every Thanksgiving holiday and people would come to socialize, (but really it was really to stuff themselves with Sat’s chili:))   I have attempted to make my own version and it never satisfies my cold -weather craving like my Grandfather’s recipe.

With the fall season right around the corner, I was in the mood for a comfort food that was nearly effortless and delicious.  While shopping at Fresh Market, I came across this “beans in a bag” chili starter.  I substituted a few ingredients that I had on hand, and it turned out pretty good “if I do say so myself.”  Try this and I promise you will be ready for sweater weather.

I cannot find a photo of the exact brand and photo of the bag ,but it was the only starter kit I saw at Fresh Market.

First, I soaked the blend of beans overnight.  Rinsed them and strained them then  boiled the beans in  6 cups of water  for 3 hours. 

-Add 2-3 cups of chicken stock,  2-3 (8oz) cans of tomato sauce, 1 lb of browed ground beef ,1/2 of a diced sweet onion, 4 petit red & orange sweet peppers, finely diced, 1/2 carrot finely diced (sauteed in EVOO), and LOTS of Texas Pete hot sauce.  The starter kit comes with a spice packet you empty into the pot.  Simmer on low for 3 hours. Stir occasionally. 

I served it with tortilla chips, sour cream and cheddar cheese.

****the original recipe calls for 1/2 green bell pepper and celery (which I did not have on hand) and does not suggest adding hot sauce or ground beef.

Brussel Sprout Haters Move Over! September 10, 2010

{I “borrowed” this photo off of google images, but this is exactly what it looks like}

If you took a poll on the world’s  least favorite vegetable, brussel sprouts would undoubtedly be in the top ten most undesireable foods in an average household.  I, on the other hand,  LOVE brussel sprouts and have eaten them since I was a kid.  My mother likes to leave them whole (the way they come in the store) then she  steams them to death, douses them in butter, parmesan cheese, salt & pepper and lemon juice.  That is the way I have eaten them for years until I decided to change it up a bit and put my own spin on them.

Bessie’s Bacon Brussel Sprouts

• 1 Bushel of Brussel Sprouts
• 3-4 slices of center cut bacon, diced
• 1/4 sweet onion
• 2 T butter

I rinse the brussel sprouts in a strainer, remove the ends and roughly chop them.  The more rustic the better.  I then saute the bacon until it is slightly browned, then add the diced onion.  Saute until onions are translucent and bacon is getting crispy.  Add the brussel sprouts, season with salt and pepper, then stir.  I let them hang out for a while until they cook down a bit.  It’s up to you when you remove them from the heat.  I prefer them a little crunchy so I only saute them for about 5-10 minutes.

Try these and you might just change your mind 🙂

“Nacho Average Taco” September 9, 2010

I LOVE Mexican food!  Taco Tuesday night seems to be a popular one with my friends.  I could seriously live off of avacados, tomatoes, tortillas, and hot sauce.  Add queso, jalapenos, cilantro, refried beans, and mexican rice,  and I am in a food-like euphoria.   The options are entirely endless and just when I think I have discovered the ultimate combination, I discover a new recipe. 

I am an early riser on the weekends, ironically the time when I do not have to be up at the crack of dawn for work. Of course, when I am craving sleep the most. I love watching the food network and am hyptnotized through my first iced latte.   Tostadas were on the menu and at 8:30am I already knew what was on the menu for tonight.  I stuck to the recipe mostly and substituted a few ingredients to suite my own taste and try something a little different. This is what I came up with:

Chicken Tostadas {with} Chipotle, Lime and Cilantro Aoli

• 1 package pre-fried tostadas (in “Ethnic food section)
• 1 package boneless, skinless chicken breast boiled ( 10-15 min) then shred meat onto plate and season with a sprinkle of fajita seasoning.(you can use a  chicken pre-cooked and shred meat.)
• 1 can refried beans ( I heat in small saucepan with 2T butter)
• small wedge of iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 1/2 Sauteed sliced onion
• 1-2 Avacados, diced and drizzled with lime juice
• 2 vine ripened tomatoes, diced
• 1 jar of tomatillo salsa (or you can make your own)

-spread refried beans over tostada, top with shredded chicke sauteed onions, drizzle with salsa, top with diced tomatoes,diced avacado, iceberg lettuce, and drizzle with chipotle aoli.  Garnish with cilantro

Cilantro, Lime Aoli Concoccion

1 Cup mayo stirred well.  Add 1T chopped Cilantro, 1 juice lime, dashe(s) of Texas Pete (fave), and a little tomatillo salsa.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle over Tostada/

{Recipe Listed Below}

Mexican Made Easy : Marcela Valladolid : Food Network: Fresh Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa

• 8 ounces tomatillos, husked, rinsed and coarsely chopped
• 1 avocado, halved, pitted and peeled
• 1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 serrano chile
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

“Full Cup” September 1, 2010

Confession:  I normally grab lunch in the deli located at the bottom of the building where I work, solely because it is convenient.  But I have to be honest, it is far from coining the “Best of Atlanta” phrase.  While out running errands, I came across a cute little deli/giftshop called the “Full Cup.”  I have driven passed this place numerous times when going out at night, around the East Andrews area in Buckhead.   At first glance, it appears to be someone’s private home.  I stopped in for the first time today and ordered their  1/2 Roasted Turkey Sandwich and a side of Tomato Basil Soup.  While you wait, you can wander around the store into the freshly baked goods section or marvel at the cute gifts, mostly handcrafted by local artists.  I ordered my meal to go and was pleasantly suprised when I sat down at my desk to eat.  The brown paper sack contained my half  sandwhich delicately wrapped in parchment paper, sealed with a gold embossed sticker, and my deliteful tomato soup came with parmesan cheese and wheat croutons.  Simply delicious! I will definetely go back to try the white pimento cheese sandwich!