Chislic

Wikipedia says Chislic is a traditional red meat most commonly localized in the state of South Dakota.  I first had it in Junction City,  Kansas about 45 years ago.  A fellow teacher from South Dakota had it at a party he threw. He served it as skewered lamb that he got by the case at a butcher shop in his home town.  He said it was a popular bar food there.  A few years later he bought a couple acres outside of town thinking he could earn some summer money by growing vegetables.  Another teacher with a tractor dug a pond for him.  It was doughnut shaped because he piled the extra dirt up in the middle.  The vegetable idea didn't work out but Don started having his chislic parties out there.  He build a bridge to the island in the middle of his pond then started building stuff there with stone he got from an old farmhouse and wall being torn down.  He didn't build a live-in castle. Basically it was an upper and lower patio.  The lower one had a pool with a fountain and water fall coming down from where the upper one where he built some towers and a wall.  Over the years, he added to it and people donated stuff like stain glass windows and flags. With stoneware pottery, I made some gargoyles, a moat monster, a bridge troll and a plaque that said Schloss  Insel (Castle Island).  I have not seen him in the seven years I have lived in Kansas City and I hear the castle is closed and his health is not good.

I saw some lamb at the store and decided I'd give a try to doing some chilsic.  I marinated it in olive oil, onions, lemon juice and red pepper.  While grilling it I sprinkled it with Creole seasoning.  Charlie said it was delicious and tasted just like Dons.  I also made some corn. First I grilled them, then cut off the cob and heated with evaporated milk, honey and butter.  The snow peas where cooked with olive oil, garlic, ginger and soy sauce.

One of my gargoyles at the castle.

Pork Chops with a recipe from Beth

This recipe was recently posted by a friend got it from a now defunct food site. I opted to do it with pork chops instead of chicken. The Melting Potatoes were good.  I cut it in half and reduced the cooking time a little. It was good.  The mac and cheese was Charlie's contribution.  It went well with the meal. 

Chicken in Red Wine Vinegar Sauce Posted by Beth Apr. 2019 originally from Chef June

I include this divine Lyonnaise dish in a class I have taught many times featuring four (and sometimes five!) chicken dishes from different parts of France. Many of my students are put off by the title of the recipe, but when the class is over, they almost unanimously declare this dish to be their favorite!

makes 6 servings

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

one whole chicken (about 4 pounds) cut into 10 pieces—you could use all breasts or all leg portions if you prefer, but the meat should be on the bone)

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 shallots, finely chopped

1 cup top quality red wine vinegar (I use Heinz!)

1 cup crème fraîche (or heavy cream, preferably not ultrapasteurized)

finely chopped fresh (flat-leaf) parsley for garnish

1. Mix salt and pepper together in a small bowl. 

2. Heat the oil and melt the butter in a deep-sided 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat. (If your pan isn’t large enough to hold all the chicken in a single layer, use 2 smaller pans, and put half the chicken, oil, and butter in each one.) Rub the chicken pieces with the salt and pepper mixture. When the oil is hot but not smoking, use tongs to add the chicken, skin side down. Brown on both sides until the skin becomes beautifully golden brown, and the chicken is thoroughly cooked, about 12 minutes on each side.

3. Remove the chicken to a serving platter and cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm. Pour off about one-half the fat in the pan. Add the shallots to the remaining oil and brown over medium high heat. Slowly add the vinegar to the skillet and boil until reduced by half. (The fumes will definitely clear your sinuses—great for a cold!!) Add the crème fraîche and cook until the mixture is well blended and has turned a nutty brown color, about 5 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan to coat thoroughly and heat briefly in the sauce.

PS It's also delicious to sub pork chops for the chicken. 

Melting Potatoes 

Hands-On Time10 MinsTotal Time50 MinsYield4 servings

By Grace Elkus February 2019

These potatoes live up to the hype promised on Pinterest and then some: creamy, caramelized coins that melt in your mouth. Here’s how to make melting potatoes at home.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1-inch thick 
• 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or chopped fresh rosemary 
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock 
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed

How to Make It

Step 1

Preheat oven to 500°F with the rack in upper third. Toss potatoes with butter, thyme, salt and pepper. Transfer to a 13-by-9 inch metal baking dish and arrange in a single layer. (Don’t use a glass pan, which can burst under such high heat.)

Step 2

Bake 15 minutes, flip the potatoes, then bake 15 minutes more. Remove the dish from the oven and add chicken stock and garlic cloves. Return to the oven until most of the stock is absorbed, about 15 minutes more. Transfer to a serving platter and pour any remaining liquid in the pan overtop. Serve warm.

Smoked sausage with cabbage and egg noodles

This is always a hit with Charlie.  In the recipe I substitute a package of slaw mix for the cabbage because a whole head of cabbage is too much and we like to add egg noodles. These noodles were the rest of some I made previously for another recipe.

Kielbasa and Cabbage  

Recipe by:  allrecipes

"This smoked Polish sausage dish is great for company, but quick enough for a weeknight! It is super good and easy, and can be prepared well in advance. Complete your meal by adding a baked potato, fruit salad, and bread.”

Ingredients  

6 slices bacon

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 onion, chopped

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt

3 teaspoons caraway seed

1 large head cabbage, cut into small wedges

1 pound Polish kielbasa

Directions Prep10 m Cook 30 m Ready In 40 m

• In a large skillet, fry bacon over medium high heat until browned, turning once. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings, and place on paper towels. 
• Stir water, sugar, onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, seasoned salt, and caraway seeds into drippings. Add cabbage, and gently stir. Cover, and cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes. 
• Add kielbasa to the pan. Cook, covered, for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Crumble bacon over top, and serve hot.

Swedish Meatballs and egg noodles

Charlie requested this dinner and I was happy to oblige. 

Egg Noodles

"This is your basic old fashioned recipe for egg noodles, just like grammy used to make! Try making them next time you prepare your favorite soup or stew. Don't forget that fresh pasta cooks much quicker than dried! You may use a dough hook attachment on your electric mixer or your hands to make the pasta dough." 

Ingredients

7 servings

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
  1/2 cup milk
  1 tablespoon butter
  
  Directions
• In a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Add the beaten egg, milk, and butter. Knead dough until smooth, about 5 minutes. Let rest in a covered bowl for 10 minutes. 
• On a floured surface, roll out to 1/8 or 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired lengths and shapes. 
• Allow to air dry before cooking. 
• To cook fresh pasta, in a large pot with boiling salted water cook until al dente. 

The Best Swedish Meatballs

Prep time 10 min  Cook time 20 mins  Total time 30 mins

  

The Best Swedish Meatballs are smothered in the most amazing rich and creamy gravy. The meatballs are packed with such delicious flavor you will agree these are the BEST you have ever had!                 Author: Alyssa

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• ¼ cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ cup onion, finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
• ⅛ teaspoon Pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 5 tbsp. butter
• 3 tbsp. flour
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• In a medium sized bowl combine ground beef, panko, parsley, allspice, nutmeg, onion, garlic powder, pepper, salt and egg. Mix until combined.
• Roll into 12 large meatballs or 20 small meatballs. In a large skillet heat olive oil and 1 Tablespoon butter. Add the meatballs and cook turning continuously until brown on each side and cooked throughout. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil.
• Add 4 Tablespoons butter and flour to skillet and whisk until it turns brown. Slowly stir in beef broth and heavy cream. Add worchestershire sauce and dijon mustard and bring to a simmer until sauce starts to thicken. Salt and pepper to taste.
• Add the meatballs back to the skillet and simmer for another 1-2 minutes. Serve over egg noodles or rice.

Notes

Recipe inspired by Taste of Home magazine

Crispy Peppercorn Chicken Wings

The recipe said to let them char a little but I think I left them in about 30 seconds too long. They were good though. Probably a keeper. 

Crispy Peppercorn Chicken Wings 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon Morton kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1½ teaspoons garam masala or Chinese five-spice powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 3 pounds chicken wings, flats and drumettes separated, patted dry with paper towels
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 scallions
• 1 lime

Place peppercorns in the center of a large rimmed baking sheet. Crush peppercorns with bottom of a saucepan, working a few peppercorns at a time and pressing down firmly until you can hear and feel the crunch of peppercorns breaking apart. Transfer to a large bowl.

Cover sheet you just used with a double layer of foil; set aside.

Add salt, coriander, cumin, garam masala, baking soda, and sugar to bowl with peppercorns and mix with your hands to make sure all spices are intermingled.

Add chicken wings and oil and toss with your hands until wings are evenly coated.

Arrange wings on prepared sheet, spacing evenly apart. Chill, uncovered, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.

Remove wings from refrigerator and let sit until they’ve lost the chill of the fridge and are as close to room temperature as possible, at least 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place racks in the top third and center of oven; preheat to 425°. You’re going to bake and then broil the wings so they get extra crispy. If your broiler is in a drawer beneath your oven, ignore the part about the top rack.

Bake wings on center rack, removing sheet halfway through and turning wings over with a pair of tongs, until browned and crisp in spots and cooked through, 30–40 minutes.

Remove baking sheet from oven and turn on broiler; let heat at least 5 minutes. Broil wings on top rack (or in drawer) until browned and crisp all over and nubs on ends of drumettes are just a little charred, 3–4 minutes. Remove from oven and turn wings again.

Broil until second side looks as crisp and lightly charred as the first, about 3 minutes. Let rest about 5 minutes.

While the wings are resting, thinly slice scallions and cut lime into wedges.

Arrange wings on a platter and scatter scallions over. Serve with lime wedges alongside.

Shrimp and smoked sausage on the grill.

I left out the pineapple and bacon. I used maple syrup in place of corn syrup and maple extract and I left out the ketchup. I used a ketchup and molasses based BBQ sauce. I added a little oil to the sauce.  I dried the shrimp and tossed them and the sausage with a little oil then sprinkled some dry rub for chicken on them.   I tossed the BBQ sauce mixture together with the vegetables before skewering them and I just used the oil and rub on the shrimp.  I felt that 10 minutes might be too long for the shrimp and not enough time for the mushrooms so I put them on different skewers and didn't put the shrimp and sausage on until the mushrooms were done on one side.

GRILLED SHRIMP AND SAUSAGE KABOBS

• Prep Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 10 mins Total Time: 35 mins Yield: 8 kabobs 1x

INGREDIENTS

• 1 can (8 oz) pineapple chunks in juice
• 8 strips of bacon
• 16 fresh mushrooms
• 16 large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed
• 12-oz smoked sausage, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 large sweet onion, cut into chunks
• 1 large green bell pepper, cut into chunks
• 1/2 cup prepared barbecue sauce
• 1/3 cup corn syrup
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon maple extract
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground coriander

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat an outdoor grill to medium heat.
2. Drain the pineapple, reserving the juice in a medium bowl.
3. Cut the bacon strips in half. Wrap the bacon pieces around each mushroom. On 8 metal or soaked wooden skewers, alternate threading the pineapple chunks, bacon wrapped mushrooms, shrimp, sausage, onion, and bell pepper.
4. In the bowl with the pineapple juice, add the barbecue sauce, corn syrup, ketchup, soy sauce, lime juice, maple extract, garlic powder, ground ginger and ground coriander. Whisk to combine. Reserve 2/3 cup for serving. Baste the top side of the kabobs with some of the remaining sauce.
5. Lightly oil the grill and transfer the kabobs to the grill, basted side down. Baste the opposite side of the kabobs, then close the grill. Cook until the vegetables are tender and the bacon is done, turning and basting occasionally with the sauce, about 10 minutes.
6. Serve with the reserved sauce.

Appetizers for dinner

There were a couple of appetizer recipes I wanted to try before putting them on a list of things to make for company.  These were OK but probably won't make the list.

Beer Chicken Appetizer

Chicken breast, cut bite pieces, salted and peppered

3 1/2 oz. beer

1 egg

3 1/2oz flour

1 T. ea. salt and pepper

1/2 T. baking soda

Potato chip crumbs

dip chicken in batter, roll in crumbs, fry.

Walnut Stuffed Mushrooms

18 Large Mushrooms 

2 tablespoons melted butter 

garlic salt 

2 tablespoons minced fresh onion 

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 

1 tablespoon mayonnaise 

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 

1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

1. Clean mushrooms, remove the stems and set aside.

2. Brush the caps with melted butter and sprinkle with garlic salt. Chop and saute the stems with the onion and remaining butter. Add all the other ingredients and fill the caps with this mixture.

3. Bake at 400 degrees F for about 10 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and tops are browned.