Cuban style chuck eye steak with rice, chimichurri sauce and Latin salad

Dinner tonight, Feb 21, 2011 Cuban Style Beef Chuck Eye Steak 4 lbs chuck eye steak, 1-inch thick, beef 2 tablespoons garlic-flavored olive oil ( or mix some olive oil with garlic powder or fresh minced garlic) 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning 2 tablespoons adobo seasoning ( with or without pepper) 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper Preheat broiler (or grill). Place in oven safe baking dish (I have a special glass one). Pour garlic oil over top of steak, coating the top. Sprinkle on the spices, any order. Broil about 20-25 minutes, depending on the thickness of your steak. about 25 minutes. Chimichurri Sauce yield: Makes about 1 cup This garlicky sauce from Argentina is great spooned over beef or chicken. 1 cup (packed) fresh Italian parsley 1/2 cup olive oil 1/3 cup red wine vinegar 1/4 cup (packed) fresh cilantro 2 garlic cloves, peeled 3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon salt Puree all ingredients in processor. Transfer to bowl. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.) Salad dressing 1/4 C. fresh squeezed orange juice 1/4C. fresh squeezed lime juice 1/3 C. olive oil 1/4 C. red wine vinegar 1 tsp minced garlic 2 tsp. sugar 1/3 C finely chopped fresh oregano Salt and pepper to taste Salad 2 ears corn, or equal frozen, thawed 2 avocados peeled, pitted and dice large 8 or 9 cherry tomatoes 1 red onion, large dice 1 C. cooked, drained red beans and a handful of mixed herbs greens rice: cooked in rice cooker with Sazon Goya Con Azfran seasoning.

BBQ chicken with white sauce and coleslaw

Today was nice enough to grill outside. Windy though. I had never used Alabama white BBQ sauce before so I gave it a try today.  Chicken was grilled with charcoal and hickory chips on the Weber.  Sweet/sour coleslaw from Cooks Country was a big hit. I also made some Noodles Stroganoff from a Knorr mix but it was not very good and the serving size was very skimpy.   Recipes follow.

From Southern Living

Ingredients

1 1/2  cups  mayonnaise

1/4  cup  water

1/4  cup  white wine vinegar

1  tablespoon  coarsely ground pepper

1  tablespoon  Creole mustard

1  teaspoon  salt

1  teaspoon  sugar

2  garlic cloves, minced

2  teaspoons  prepared horseradish

Whisk together all ingredients until blended. Store in the refrigerator up to 1 week.

From Me

For Chicken Mix together 

1 teasp. salt

1 teasp black pepper

1/2 teasp cayenne pepper

Sprinkle over halved chicken and refrigerate overnight. Next day light charcoal, separate  on either side of grate, add some hickory chunks,  place pan under center, place well oiled grill over coals, place chicken skin side down in center of grill cover with vent holes open on bottom and half open at top. Grill/smoke 35 minutes, turn, refresh hickory, cover and cook another 15 minutes. 

During last minute on the grill brush with white sauce, remove, cover with foil and let rest.  Brush more sauce on chicken and put sauce on the table for more brushing or for dipping.

TANGY APPLE-CABBAGE SLAW

From the episode: Southern BBQ, Cooks Country

In step 1, the salted, rinsed, and dried cabbage can be refrigerated in a zipper-lock bag for up to 24 hours. To prep the apples, cut the cored apples into ¼-inch-thick planks, then stack the planks and cut them into thin matchsticks.

Serves 6 to 8.  

INGREDIENTS

1	medium head green cabbage , cored and chopped fine
2	teaspoons salt
2	Granny Smith apples , cored and cut into thin matchsticks (see note)
2	scallions , sliced thin
6	tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2	cup cider vinegar
1/2	cup sugar
1	tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4	teaspoon red pepper flakes

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Toss cabbage and salt in colander set over medium bowl. Let stand until wilted, about 1 hour. Rinse cabbage under cold water, drain, dry well with paper towels, and transfer to large bowl. Add apples and scallions and toss to combine.

2. Bring oil, vinegar, sugar, mustard, and pepper flakes to boil in saucepan over medium heat. Pour over cabbage mixture and toss to coat. Cover with plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 1 day. Serve.

Tossed salad with romaine, iceberg, pepperonici, carrots, geen onions, cherry tomatoes, craisins and cheese crisps

playing with food

I didn't cook today but I did play around with some onions, carrots and cabbage leaves.

Dinner tonight Feb13. 2011

Dinner tonight was Louisiana Shrimp, French bread, salad, spicy cocktail sauce and nottartar sauce.

Louisiana Killer Shrimp Nancy from MD 

Recipe from: Sherrybeth 

Servings: 4 to 6 

2 tablespoons rosemary

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon black pepper

5 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

1 teaspoon celery seeds

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 quarts chicken broth

3 ounces tomato paste

½ cup butter

1 ½ pounds shrimp, peeled, tails on

1 loaf French bread, toasted

Crunch up the rosemary and thyme using fingers. Place all ingredients, except shrimp and french bread, in a large pot. Simmer this mixture for 2 ½ hours.

Five minutes before serving add shrimp and cook about 3 to 4 minutes or until shrimp is done. Serve shrimp with broth and toasted French bread for sopping the broth.

French or Italian Bread

Makes:

4 small baguettes, 3 larger baguettes

2 round loaves or 1 huge round loaf

The basic European bread, which requires more patience than work. t's eminently flexible, because at any time you can refrigerate the dough and retard the process for hours, even overnight. Many people, in fact, believe the slower you go with bread, the better. So it's not only acceptable but preferable to make the dough at night, leave it in a cool place to rise for 8 or 10 hours, then proceed with the recipe, taking all day   -  if you like  -  to finish it.  So, this recipe is written as if you will proceed from start to finish, but you don't have to.

3 cups all-purpose flour, or bread flour, plus more as needed

2 teaspoons instant active dry yeast, such as SAF (this is right, 2 tsps)

2 teaspoons coarse kosher or sea salt

1.  Combine the flour, yeast and salt in a food processor. Turn the machine on and add 1 cup of water through the feed tube.

2.  Process for about 30 seconds, adding more water, a little at a time, until the mixture forms a ball and is slightly sticky to the touch. If dry, add another tablespoon or two of water and process for another 10 seconds.  (In the unlikely event that the mixture is too sticky, add flour, a tablespoon at a time.

3.  You can simply cover the food processor bowl with plastic wrap (remove the blade first) or turn the dough onto a floured work surface and knead by hand a few seconds to form a smooth, round dough ball.  Put the dough in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let rise until the dough doubles in size, 1-2 hours.  (You can cut this rising time short if you're in a hurry, or you can let the dough rise more slowly, in the refrigerator, for up to 6 or 8 hours.)  Proceed to step 4 or wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to a month.  (Defrost in a covered bowl in the refrigerator or at room temperature.)

4.  When the dough is ready, form it into a ball and divide it into 2 or more pieces if you like; roll each piece into a round ball. Place each ball on a lightly floured surface, sprinkle with a little flour and cover with plastic wrap or a towel.  Let rest until the balls puff slightly, about 20 minutes.

5.  To make baguettes, pat each piece into a rectangle, then fold it over onto itself, the long way, twice; seal the resulting seam and, using your hands, roll the dough into a long snake; use only as much flour as you need to keep the dough from sticking. Spread a large, heavy piece of canvas or cotton (you can use a large, heavy piece of canvas or cotton (you can use a large tablecloth, folded into quarters to give it extra stiffness) on a table or countertop and sprinkle it very lightly with flour. Or use baguette pans, sifting a little flour into them. Place the loaf, seam side up, in a fold of the cloth (this is called a couche, or bed), or seam side down in the baguette pan. When all the loaves are formed, cover with a cloth and let rise for about 1 hour at room temperature. To make boules, shape the loaf or loaves into a round ball, pinching the bottom to seal the seam as well as you can.  Sprinkle all over with flour and let rise on a well floured (or use cornmeal) bowl or baking sheet, covered, for at least one hour and preferably longer, up to 2 hours.

6.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. For the baguettes, sprinkle each loaf very lightly with flour and slash the top several times with a razor blade. If the dough has risen on a cloth, slide it onto floured baking sheets or gently move it onto a peel (or just a piece of wood), then slide the bread directly onto a baking stone set on a rack low in an oven. If the dough has risen in baguette pans, place them in the oven, with the rack set in the middle. For the boules, slash the top several times with a razor blade (you can make a pattern if you like).  Put the baking sheet directly into the oven or slide the dough onto a pizza stone.

7. Bake until the loaves are beginning to brown, 15 to 20 minutes, then lower the heat to 375 degrees.  (If necessary, adjust the oven heat so the breads brown evenly.)  Bake until the crust is golden brown and the internal temperature of the bread is at least 210 degrees, 30-40 minutes for baguettes, 40-60 minutes for boules (or longer if the boule is very large).  Remove and cool on a wire rack.

Belated Chinese New Years

Continuing to atone for missing the day because it was too cold and slick to get out on Chinese New Years so this meal is late and I didn't follow the directions exactly.


I used half the chicken stock, added a tablespoon each of corn starch and water to thicken at the end. I used snap peas instead of carrots because, well just because I wanted to. I used shitake mushrooms because there weren't any of the other kind at the store.

CHICKEN AND CELERY WITH EGG NOODLES                                         Serves 6

3/4 teaspoon fine salt

3/4 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 1/2 pounds skinless and boneless chicken breasts, sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch strips

1 carrot, peeled 

4 ribs celery, peeled 

1 pound Chinese egg noodles, fresh or dried

2 tablespoons plus 

1 teaspoon corn oil, plus more for coating noodles 

1 tablespoon dry sherry 

4 cups homemade or low-sodium canned chicken stock

1 tablespoon thin soy sauce

3 teaspoons oyster sauce

1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon white pepper1 four-ounce can straw mushrooms, drained and halved 

1. In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 teaspoon fine salt, 1/4 teaspoon sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, and 1/4 cup water. Add chicken; stir to coat. 

2. Score carrot, and thinly slice into rounds. Cut celery at an angle into 1/4-inch slices. (The celery and the chicken should be approximately the same size.) Set aside. 

3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles, and cook according to package instructions. Remove noodles, and place in a colander, reserving water in pot. Rinse noodles under cold water, and return to boiling water for a few seconds. Remove again to a colander. Drizzle with a little corn oil, and toss to coat to prevent noodles from sticking. Transfer noodles to a serving platter. With a pair of scissors, cut noodles several times to make serving easier.

 4. Heat wok over high heat. When wok is hot, add 2 tablespoons corn oil. Add chicken, and stir-fry until half-cooked, about 3 minutes. Add carrot and celery. Stir in sherry, chicken stock, 1/2 teaspoon fine salt,1/2 teaspoon sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper. Continue to cook until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

 5. Combine 5 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water. Slowly add to chicken mixture; stirring until thickened. Add straw mushrooms. Drizzle with remaining teaspoon corn oil; stir to combine. Serve over noodles.

Chinese New Year. Year of the Rabbit.

Chinese New year... sort of. It was a day late and only the vegetable dumplings are actually chinese. They were purchased at the Asian market and steamed about 8 minutes. Chop Che and bean sprouts are Korean. 

CHAP CHE- CHOP CHE 3 Small carrots, diced  1/2 Lb Beef, sliced thin, diced, 1 Med. onion, dicedED.   2 T. oil and Salt to taste 1 Bunch spinach  15 1/2 Oz bean thread noodles  4 T. Soy sauce 1 T. Sugar  2 T. Sesame oil Heat oil, saute onion until tender, remove, saute carrots, remove, cook meat., combine with onion and carrots.  Cook bean threads 8 minutes boiling water,  drain, cut up with scissors, add remaining ingredients: 4 T. soy sauce, 1 T sugar, 2 T. sesame oil. toss to combine, chill. SPINACH, may substitute bean sprouts      Korean style 2 servings 10 oz. spinach  1 T. Sesame oil 2 T Soy sauce  1 T scallion, minced 2 tsp Sugar  1 tsp vinegar (optional) 1 1/2 tsp sesame salt salt & red pepper (optional) Blanch spinach or bean sprouts in boiling water 2 minutes Plunfw inro cold water, squeeze excess water out of spinach or drain sprouts. Mix remaining ingredients and toos. Serve immediately or chill up to several days.

Spare Ribs and kraut dinner Jan 31, 2011

We are in the midst of a winter storm.  I went to get some 'stock up' stuff, saw a bag of kraut and suddenly got hungry for this dinner.

SPARERIBS AND SAUERKRAUT 6 to 7 lbs. "Country Style" pork ribs or boneless pork 1/2 tsp. pepper1 tsp. salt3 lbs. can sauerkraut or deli plastic bag style 1 shredded carrot ( you may use a cup or so of diced apple) 3/4 c. chopped onion 2 tsp. ground clove 1 tbsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. nutmeg 1/2 c. brown sugar 1/4 c. dark molasses 1/4 tsp. black pepper 1 1/2 c. chicken broth Preheat oven to 350.  Pat ribs dry and salt and pepper, In heavy dutch oven add some oil and brown all sides of ribs  Drain sauerkraut. Place on top of browned ribs. Mix spices, carrot or apples, onion, sugar and molasses and place on top of sauerkraut and ribs. Pour chicken broth on top. Cover and bake 2 hours. Serve topped with sour cream. Salad was just some greens, carrot, green and black olives, orange sections, pepperonici pepper and bottled dressing.