STEAK CUTLETS CAPRESE

Author: Claudia Lamascolo

STEAK CUTLETS CAPRESE

INSTRUCTIONS:

4 to 5 thin slices of beef, veal or lean pork ( I used rump roast sliced for my cutlets) you can also use chicken, turkey or even cube steaks

Pound them with a mallet meat tenderizer covering the cutlets with wax paper

2 cups Italian bread crumbs seasoned with 1 teaspoon each: salt, pepper, paprika, granulated garlic powder

1 egg beaten with 1/4 cup water 

Garnish freshly thin sliced plum tomatoes

thick sliced mozzarella cheese (whole milk)

fresh basil leaves

good grade olive oil, balsamic vinegar to drizzle over the tops you can also use lemon juice

canola or vegetable oil for frying

Tenderize the meat. Place the meat into the egg mixture. Dip the meat into the bread crumbs. Fry in hot oil on both side until brown.

Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella. Add the tomatoes and mozzarella to the top of the meat. Garnish with fresh basil. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar if desired. I also like some oregano on mine.

Chicken Wings Bulgogi

This is not the sticky wings I have made recently. This is an older recipe with notes from Charlie's mom.

BULGOGE FOR BEEF   OR CHICKEN WINGS notes from Jung Ja

1/4 cup sesame seeds toasted

2 cups soy sauce

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce

3/4 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1 tablespoon garlic minced

1/4 cup sesame oil

1 tablespoon corn starch

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Notes 1 T. pineapple juice. Grind onions with soy sauce. Add a couple packs mushrooms. use 1 T soy sauce & 1 T. water. use hot sauce for chicken, not beef.  Use meat cut for Shabu shabby because it is thin and tender so you don’t have to marinate tougher meat over night.  Blissfully wed also adds Caro syrup (1T) and 1/4 C. coca cola. Sesame seeds.

     MIx cornstarch and water; dissolve brown  sugar in water.  Add all other ingredients and simmer in pan briefly to thicken slightly.  Store, refrigerated in covered glass container until ready to use.

Cut beef into very thin slices or cut wings into sections.  Pour sauce over meat and mix until well coated.  Let stand 10-15 minutes. sauté, cook in wok or grill until done but not browned.

 Bake chicken wings @ 305º 45- 60 minutes.  Cover with foil if they begin to brown too much.

Creole Style Shrimp Jambalaya

Creole-Style Shrimp Jambalaya

I used medium grain rice because that is what I had and I know it would have been fluffier if I had used long grain rice but all the Korean side of my son's family hates long grain rice and I was afraid he'd not like it either but it probably would have been better if I had used it. Another reason I hesitated was because my ex #2 made it with long grain rice and I hated it.  It was probably her recipe though and not the fault of the rice.

By Poppy Tooker Fine Cooking Issue 121
A creole-style (red) jambalaya always includes tomatoes. I like using tomato paste instead of canned or fresh tomatoes because it adds deeper flavor and gives the finished dish a rich hue. The shrimp are cooked for a long time, which may seem odd, but this method yields a flavorful jambalaya with tender—never mushy—shrimp. If you can find head-on shrimp, this is the place to use them; just remove and discard the heads at the point in the recipe where you peel and devein the shrimp.

Ingredients

6 scallions, thinly sliced (about 1 cup), trimmings reserved

3 medium stalks celery, finely chopped (about 1 cup), trimmings reserved

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup), trimmings reserved

2 lb. large (31 to 35 per lb.) shrimp, preferably wild-caught

2 oz. (4 Tbs.) unsalted butter

1 medium green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped (about 1 cup)

1/4 lb. ham, cut into 1/4-inch dice

3 Tbs. tomato paste

1 dried bay leaf

1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

1/4 tsp. cayenne

1/8 tsp. chili powder

1/8 tsp. ground allspice

Pinch of ground cloves

Kosher salt

2 cups long-grain white rice

1 tsp. sweet paprika

Hot sauce, preferably Crystal (optional)

Preparation

In a 4-quart heavy-duty saucepan, combine the scallion trimmings, celery trimmings, and onion trimmings with 5-1/2 cups of water; bring to a boil over high heat. Add the shrimp, let the water return to a boil, and cook until pink and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit for 3 minutes. Strain through a sieve set over a large glass measuring cup, reserving the stock. You will need 4-1/2 cups of stock, so add water if necessary. When cool enough to handle, peel and devein the shrimp. Discard the shells and trimmings.

Melt the butter in a 5- to 6-quart enameled cast-iron Dutch oven (or other heavy-duty pot) over medium-high heat. Add the celery, onion, and bell pepper and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the ham and the reserved shrimp and cook, stirring often, until any excess moisture evaporates and the ham and vegetables begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until a shade darker, about 3 minutes. Stir in the bay leaf, thyme, cayenne, chili powder, allspice, cloves, and 1-1/2 tsp. salt. Stir in the rice. Add the reserved stock and bring to a boil. Cover, lower the heat to maintain a simmer, and cook, undisturbed, just until the rice is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Check the rice for doneness in several places.

Remove the pot from the heat. Sprinkle the paprika over the jambalaya and, using a fork, gently fluff the scallions and paprika into the jambalaya. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes to let the flavors meld. Serve with hot sauce, if you like.

Joanne posted a recipe today that I tried

I was going add some chicken to the veggie pot pie but instead made a side with a meatball recipe from Hispanic Kitchen except it said to roll the meatballs in finely chopped pork rinds but I could not find any and don't much care for them anyway so I rolled them in bread crumbs instead.  The biscuits are from a Shirley Corriher recipe using White Lily flour.

Slow Cooker Veggie Pot PieServes 4 to 6 posted by Joanne Feb 2018

Cooking spray

2 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and diced

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 medium carrots, peeled and diced

2 medium stalks celery, diced

6 to 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 sprigs fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen corn kernels

1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh chives

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 (8-count) tube flaky refrigerator biscuits

Lightly coat the insert of a 6-quart or larger slow cooker with cooking spray.

Whisk 1/2 cup of the vegetable broth and the cornstarch in a small bowl until well-combined; set aside.

Place the potatoes, onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper in the slow cooker. Pour in the cornstarch mixture and remaining 2 cups of broth, and stir to combine. Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender and the sauce has thickened, about 6 hours on the LOW setting.

In the last 30 minutes of cooking, stir in the peas, corn, chives, cream, and vinegar. Prepare the biscuits according to the package directions.

Stir the pot pie filling once more. Remove and discard the thyme stems and bay leaves. Top with the biscuits and serve warm.

Georgia Touch of Grace biscuits. 10 biscuits light and fluffy

"Cream is the KEY to flaky biscuits. This recipe makes a feather light biscuit."- Shirley Corriher.

Non-stick cooking spray

2 C. Southern self-rising flour (Or 1 1/2 C national self rising flour plus 1/2 C Wondra

-or 1/2 C. cake flour- plus 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4C. sugar

4 Tbs. shortening

2/3 C. heavy cream or whipping cream

approximately 1 C. buttermilk, or until dough resembles cottage cheese

1 C. bleached all purpose flour for shaping

2 Tbs. melted butter

1. pre heat oven to 425ºF. and spray 8 or 9-inch round cake pan with non stick spray

2. Combine the self rising flour, salt and sugar in a small mixing bowl. With fingers or pastry cutter, work shortening into flour until there are no lumps larger than a large pea.

3. Stir in the cream and buttermilk and let stand 2 or 3 minutes. This dough is so wet that you can not shape it in the usual manner. It will look like cottage cheese. (YOU do NOT want it to be stiff enough to shape)

4. Pour the cup of all purpose flour onto a plate or pie tin. flour your hands OR spray a 2-inch ice cream scoop with non stick spray and gather a biscuit sized lump of dough and place it the flour. Roll to coat. shake off excess flour. The dough is so soft it will not hold it's shape so place them tightly side by side so they will rise up, not out as they bake. Continue until all dough is used up. 

5. Bake just above the center of the oven until lightly browned. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 to 20 minutes, then brush with melted butter. Cool 1 or 2 minutes in the pan, then dump them out, cut them apart, split and butter while hot. Eat!

Note: you do not want to make a biscuit with self rising flour that you can shape because the outside of the biscuit will likely be bitter from the leavening used.

Chicharrón Meatballs

Hispanic Kitchen

BY SANTIAGO GOMEZ DE LA FUENTE

Prep Time: 10 minutesCook Time: 20 minutesYields: 16 - 18 meatballs

Ingredients

• 1 POUND GROUND BEEF LEAN

• 1 POUND GROUND PORK LEAN

• 1 CUP OLIVE OIL

• 2 EGG

• 2 CUPS PARMESAN CHEESE GRATED

• 2 CUPS PORK CHICHARRONES CRUSHED (Pork rinds)

• 1 CLOVE GARLIC MINCED

• SALT TO TASTE

• PEPPER TO TASTE

Chicharrón Meatballs: where Italy meets crunchy, chicharrón heaven!

Every cook has a go-to meatball up their sleeve - I do too! But I took the basic recipe and gave it a Latin twist with this chicharrón meatballs combination that is SO deliciously crunchy on the outside, but soft on the inside.

Before I prepared this meatball recipe for the first time I was sure it would taste great, but I didn't think it would become my favorite meatball. It most certainly did.

Chicharrón is a dish popular in Spain and Latin America and very similar to pork rinds. It's fried pork skin or pork belly cut into crispy, crunchy, mouthwatering pieces. This chicharrón meatball recipe, however, calls for the chicharrón that you find in a bag, already prepared at your local Latin grocery store - just look for "Fried Pork Skins" and you're ready to go.

Even the most advanced meatball aficionados become fans!

Directions

1 In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, salt, pepper, eggs, cheese, and garlic clove. Knead with hands until evenly mixed. Make 16-18 small balls of equal size.

2 Crush the pork chicharrones until fine and set on a plate. Roll the meatballs over the crushed chicharrón, as if you were breading, and reserve.

3 Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat and fry each meatball until they're golden in color, for approximately 5 minutes.

4 Transfer the meatballs to a plate lined with paper towels to get rid of the excess oil.

5 Enjoy with your favorite side dish!

Balinese Chicken from Moveable Feast

Spicy Balinese Roasted Chicken

By Pete Evans From Moveable Feast Season 1, Ep.2

Dinner tonight was this recipe with rice seasoned with Sazon Goya Con Azafran and a salad.  Charlie had a macaroni salad.
                          

Servings: 6lips

If you can’t find wild (aka kaffir) lime leaves (an essential in Thai and Indonesian dishes), a bay leaf is a fine substitute.

10 medium cloves garlic, peeled and halved

One 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped

3/4 cup coarsely chopped shallots

3 small red Thai chiles or serranos, coarsely chopped

2 tsp. ground turmeric

2 Tbs. coconut oil

6 chicken thighs (about 1-1/2 lb.)

6 chicken drumsticks (about 1-1/2 lb.)

4 medium limes, quartered

6 fresh wild lime leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fresh parsley leaves for garnish

Preparation

Combine the garlic, ginger, shallots, chiles, and turmeric in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is finely chopped.

Melt the coconut oil in a 10- to 12-inch heavy frying pan over medium heat. Add the chile mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and softened, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and let cool completely.

Place the chicken pieces in a 3-quart baking dish. Squeeze the limes over the chicken and toss to coat. Add the cooked chile mixture, the whole lime leaves, 2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper, and using your hands, rub the mixture into the chicken until well coated. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Arrange a rack in the top third of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Bake the chicken, uncovered, until tender and an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of a thigh (without touching the bone) registers 180°F. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Remove the lime leaves and garnish with parsley leaves before serving.

Lasagne

This lasagne got high marks and praise from the person posting it... see below.  I was not all that impressed. I like another recipe better and it is posted below this one.  This one took all afternoon to make. The one I like better has a rich bechamel sauce.

 If there were central casting for casseroles, this one deserved the leading role. But its beauty was more than cheese deep. This was the best lasagna I had ever eaten. The sauce was intensely flavored, the cheeses melted into creaminess as if they were bechamel, the meat was just chunky enough, and the noodles put up no resistance to the fork. Most important, the balance of pasta and sauce was positively Italian.

At last I could understand why my neighbor Geoff had told me, as I dragged home more bags in our elevator, that all-day lasagna is the only kind worth making.

I might even do it again.

LASAGNA

Time: About 4 hours

For the sauce:

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 medium red onions, finely diced

2 large cloves minced garlic

8 ounces pancetta, diced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups good red wine, preferably Italian

2 28-ounce cans Italian plum tomatoes

3 tablespoons tomato paste

3/4 pound ground sirloin

1/4 cup freshly grated pecorino Romano

2 eggs

10 sprigs fresh parsley, leaves only, washed and dried

2 large whole cloves garlic

1/2 cup flour

1 pound Italian sausage, a mix of hot and sweet

Cooking

Daily inspiration, delicious recipes, and other updates from Sam Sifton and The New York Times, right to your inbox.

For the lasagna:

1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese

2 extra-large eggs

2 cups freshly grated pecorino Romano

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1 pound mozzarella, grated

16 sheets fresh lasagna noodles, preferably Antica Pasteria.

1. For the sauce, heat 1/2 cup oil in a large heavy Dutch oven or kettle over low heat. Add the onions, minced garlic and pancetta, and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes, until the onions are wilted. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Raise heat slightly, add the wine and cook until it is mostly reduced, about 20 minutes. Crush the tomatoes into the pan, and add their juice. Add the tomato paste and 2 cups lukewarm water. Simmer for 1 hour.

2. Combine the sirloin, cheese and eggs in a large bowl. Chop the parsley with the whole garlic until fine, then stir into the beef mixture. Season lavishly with salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix until all the ingredients are well blended. Shape into meatballs and set aside.

3. Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dust the meatballs lightly with flour, shaking off excess, and lay into the hot oil. Brown the meatballs on all sides (do not cook through) and transfer to the sauce.

4. In a clean skillet, brown the sausages over medium-high heat. Transfer to the sauce. Simmer 1 1/2 hours.

5. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, eggs, pecorino Romano, parsley and all but 1 cup of the mozzarella. Season well with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.

6. Remove the meatballs and sausage from the sauce, and set aside to cool slightly, then chop coarsely. Spoon a thick layer of sauce into the bottom of a 9-by-12-inch lasagna pan. Cover with a layer of noodles. Spoon more sauce on top, then add a third of the meat and a third of the cheese mixture. Repeat for 2 more layers, using all the meat and cheese. Top with a layer of noodles, and cover with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle reserved mozzarella evenly over the top. Bake 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

Norm’s variation on Patsy’s lasagna 

Bechamel sauce for Lasagna

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups chicken stock

           4T butter

           4T flour

           Coarse salt

Melt butter and stir in flour, cook a couple of mintues.  Add chicken stock a littl at a time, then add cream.  Let thicken. Add Wondra if too thin, some more cream or stock if too thick. Let cool to room temperature.

 MEAT FILLING FOR LASAGNA

 1medium onions, finely chopped

 3 cloves cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 1/2 pounds sweet or mild bulk Italian sausage Don’t use Eckridge

 1 1/2  pounds ground beef

  3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano

 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

 Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Olive oil, for frying

Heat oil and add onions, garlic and cook until soft. Add meats and cook until done but not browned.  Remove from heat and set aside.  

Cheese filling for lasagna

 1 1/3 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese

 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, ( used 1/4 C. dried)

 1 package Philadelphia/ mozzarella,

 30 oz Kroger whole milk  ricotta cheese

...............................

 1  package lasagna sheets (4 inches-by-8 inches) or two boxes store bought, cooked according to package directions........ Coarse salt

1 bottle Barelli marinara pasta sauce

    Bring a large pot of water to a boil; season with salt. Add lasagna sheets, and cook until pliable about 10 minutes

 Preheat oven to 400°. Pour 1/4C. sauce into a shallow baking dish

Like bottom with three or 4 sheets lasagna noodles

add half of meat sauce to top of noodles, add 1/3 of cheese mixture, 1/2 of white sauce and 1/3 of remaining tomato sauce.

Repeat layers ending with noodles, top with remaining cheese mixture, remaining tomato sauce and a full package of regular mozzarella cheese