Soup and Salad

There were two recipes in the newspaper that I wanted to try and decided to do both at the same time. One was a steak and salsa salad and the other one was for clam chowder.  I don't know if many people would think of having them together.  One is considered a New England dish and the other has elements of tacos in a salad.   They were both good and neither one was a full dinner, maybe a lunch though.  

Shortcut New England Clam Chowder

6 servings

4 slices bacon

2 T. unsalted butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, diced

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

3 T. AP flour

1 C. Milk

1 C. Veg. stock

2 (6.5 oz) cans chopped clams, juices reserved

1 bay leaf

2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced

1 C. half and half

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

2 T. chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

Hea large stockpot over med. high heat, Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6 to 8 minutes.  Transfer to paper lined paper plate, reserving  1T. fat in stockpot.

Melt butter, add garlic & onion, stirring frequently  until onions are translucent, about 2 to 3 min.  add & cook thyme until fragrant, about 1 min. 

Whisk in flour until lightly browned. Gradually whisk in milk and veg. stock clam juice and bay leaf. Whisk constantly until slightly thickened then add potatoes. Reduce heat and simmer potatoes until tender, about 12-15 min.

Stir in half & half and clams  until heated through.  Taste and adjust salt and pepper.

Serve immediately, garnished with bacon and parsley.

Notes: Canned clams are fully cooked so don’t add them too soon or they will become rubbery.  Storage:  Cool to room temp., refrigerate in air-tight container up to 3 days. Will improve in flavor the next day.

When re-heating, use low heat to avoid curdling the cream.  If the chowder thickens too much, add a splash of milk or stock. It does not freeze well 

Steak and Salsa Salad 4 servings

 1 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 lb boneless sirloin steak, sliced 3/4 inch thick after cooking

1/2 head of lettuce, halved.

1 c. fresh salsa + additional ( Used Pico de Gallo 

1 avocado’ pitted, peeled, cut into 3/4 inch chunks ( near-by Mexican grocery always                                                                                     has ripe ones, ready to use)

1/2 C. sour cream

lime wedges, optional

12-inch non stick skillet, sprayed cooking oil, add steak that has been rubbed-both sides, with chili- salt mixed together. Cook to desired donnas, slice as in ingr. list. Arrange over lettuce, top with salsa & avocado . + Dollop sour cream & optional lime juice. Additional salsa on the side.

 

This was good weather for a meatloaf

MEATLOAF 

    4 slices white bread, crusts removed 

   2-3 Tbs. milk

   2 tblsp. olive oil 

   1 large yellow onion, finely chopped 

  1 rib celery, finely chopped 

   2 cloves garlic, minced  (3 or 4 cloves)

 1/2 large red bell pepper,  finely chopped

 1 lb. hamburger

  2  hot bratwurst, skinned

    2 large eggs 

    1/4 c. roughly chopped parsley 

    2 tblsp. Dijon mustard  ( honey dijon_

    1 tblsp. coarse salt & more to taste 

    1/2 tblsp. freshly ground pepper & more to taste

    1/2 lb. thinly sliced smoked bacon 

    1 lb. of potatoes cut in 2-inch pieces, oiled, salted and peppered Substituted mashed potatoes & gravy & peas

    1/2 c. brown sugar, packed 

    1 tblsp. Coleman's yellow ground mustard 

    1 tsp. tomato paste  Or catsup, honey dijon mustard and brown sugar)

    Heat the oven to 375F. 

    Cut the bread into 1 inch cubes and place in a large 

    bowl. Pour milk over it & set aside for 5 minutes. 

    Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery & garlic; cook until 

    soft and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. remove from heat; let cool 5 minutes. 

    To bread mixture, add  meat, eggs, parsley, Dijon, salt, & pepper, onion mixture. Combine             well. 

    Place mixture in a large ungreased, foil lined baking dish or roasting pan. Shape into   a 5 X         12 inch loaf. Overlap bacon across the top, covering meat. Place potatoes

    around loaf. Season with salt & pepper. 

    In a small bowl, combine sugar, ground mustard & tomato paste to make a 

    glaze. Brush meatloaf all over with glaze. 

    Bake, until juices run clear when loaf is pierced with a 2 pronged fork & the bacon is    crisp, 1         to 1 1/4 hours. Let cool 10 minutes before slicing. 

 

Chicken Stir-Fry

This recipe was in the Kansas City Star and it had a Chinese restaurant secret for making chicken  juicy and tender.  It worked and it was juicy and tender 

 

Butter-Soy Chicken and Asparagus Stir-Fry

Yield 2 to 4 servings

Ingredients for the chicken

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast ( 10 to 12 oz) or two smaller

1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp. salt 

1 tsp. soy sauce

black pepper

1 T. egg white

For the stir fry

1 T. veg. oil

1/4 Lb asparagus (  to 5  med. stalks) cut to 1-inch pieces

6 large button mushrooms, quartered 

1/2 red bell pepper, sliced

S & P

3 T. butter

1 T. soy sauce

1 lemon wedge

Toasted sesame seeds, for serving, optional

Cooked rice

1. Combine marinade ingredients with the chicken and marinate at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. 
2. Remove chicken to colander and bring 4 cups water to a boil, add chicken  pieces with tongs to separate ( some egg whites may float to the surface)  Cook for 90 seconds, remove to colander, shake to remove excess water.
3. Heat oil in wok over med. heat.  When hot, add asparagus, bell peppers, and mushrooms. Stir fry until lightly browned, about 4 min.  Add chicken and a pinch of salt and pepper; stir-fry constantly one minute.
4. Push the chicken to one side, reduce heat and add butter, allow to melt and sizzle, add soy sauce and stir to combine, Push chicken and veggies back into sauce and stir to coat.
5. Transfer to platter, sprinkle with sesame seeds and squeeze lemon juice over top, serve with rice.

Báhn Mì Sandwiches

 Last night I cooked a small pork shoulder  roast and that was dinner with some corn and mac n cheese.  I don't think Charlie has ever had it like that before.  I always have turned it into pork bulgogi since I don't remember how long, but it is very good simply seasoned and roasted.  Charlie liked it a lot. I'll start making it more often now. Today I made Báhn mì sandwiches with the leftovers.

Roasted Pork Bánh Mì (Vietnamese Sandwich)

By John Mitzewich

Prep Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 10 mins Total Time: 35 mins Servings: 1 Yield: 1 sandwich 

Ingredients

1/4 c. diakon radish cut matchstick

1/4 c. carrots cut 2” matchstick

1 T.   seasoned rice vinegar

1/4 C. mayo

1 tsp, hoisin

1 tsp. Sriracha

1 crusty French sandwich roll

 4 oz. pork, thin sliced

2 oz thin sliced smooth pate

6 spears English cucumber

6 thin sliced jalapeño 

1/2 C cilantro

Directions

1. Gather all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. 
2. Toss radish and carrot with seasoned rice vinegar in a bowl until well coated. Let sit until veggies become slightly limp, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and set aside or refrigerate. 
3. Mix mayonnaise, hoisin sauce, and sriracha in a small bowl. Split French roll just enough so you can open it like a book. Pull out some of the bread from the top half to better accommodate the filling if desired. Spread the interior surfaces of roll liberally with mayonnaise mixture. 
4. Transfer roll, cut-side up, to the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until warm and crisp with slightly browned edges, about 7 minutes. 
5. Place sliced pork, paté, pickled radish and carrot, cucumber, jalapeño, and cilantro leaves in warm roll. Cut in half to serve. 
   

Yesterdays Pork roast.   Next time I'll cut back on the salt.

pork butt roast

• Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes Yield: 4-6 servings

The most tender, juicy and succulent boneless pork butt roast made  right in your oven. No special outdoor equipment needed

INGREDIENTS

• 3–4lb. boneless pork butt roast
• 1 tbs brown sugar
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp ground mustard
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne

1. Combine all seasoning ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.
2. Remove netting from pork if present. Trim any unwanted fat from pork butt roast. If it has fat cap, best to leave a little bit on, less than 1/4″ thick.
3. Apply seasoning rub over the meat. Massage and press into meat as best possible.
4. Place meat in a large zip-top bag, sealed, overnight to marinate.
5. Preheat oven to 350°(F).
6. Place seasoned pork but on wire rack of a roasting pan with the fat side up. Place in oven at 350°(F) approximately 3-4 hours. Monitor closely with an instant read meat thermometer. Remove from oven when center of meat reached 185°(F). (This is more important than the time and the indicator that it’s done
7. Remove roasting pan with pork butt from oven and let rest for at least 15 minutes before transferring meat to a cutting board to be sliced.

Korean Fried chicken

 

Charlie asked for Korean fried chicken. We had it with rice, kimchi and pork bulgogi left over from a meal a couple days ago.

I used 6 chicken legs instead of wings this time. You can probably find potato starch in the store with  Bob's Red Mill products or you can substitute corn starch. Rice Syrup is in Asian markets or you can use corn syrup.  This time the batter was too thick with just 2 eggs. I add a third on to get the consistency.

Sweet, sour, & spicy Korean fried chicken 

Yangnyeom-tongdak 양념통닭

Ingredients

For 3 to 4 servings

• 2 pounds chicken wings 
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ cup potato starch
• ¼ cup all purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

For the sauce:

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ⅓ cup ketchup
• ⅓ cup rice syrup
• ¼ cup gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• corn (or vegetable) oil for frying

For a side dish, pickled radish (chicken-mu), optional

Directions

Start the first fry:

1. Heat 2 inches of oil in a large heavy frying pan or pot over medium hight heat for about 10 to 12 minutes until the oil temperature reaches 330-350ºF. I used my 12 inch pan but if your pan is smaller, work by batches. If you don’t have a thermometer, test it by dipping one piece of chicken in the oil. If it bubbles, it is ready.While the oil is heating, combine chicken, salt, ground black pepper, starch, flour, baking soda, and eggs in a large bowl. Mix altogether well by hand. 
2. Add the coated chicken to hot oil one by one. Fry them for 12 minutes until the all sides of the chicken are golden brown and crunchy, turning over with tongs.Take out the chicken with tongs or a large slotted spoon to wire strainer over a bowl to remove the excess oil.

Make seasoning sauce:

1. Heat the 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Stir in garlic until light brown for about 30 seconds. Add the ketchup, rice syrup, gochujang, vinegar and stir well with a wooden spoon. 
2. Reduce the heat to low and stir until bubbling. Remove from the heat.Start the second fry:Let the oil heat up for 2 minutes over medium high heat until it reaches 330-350ºF.
3. Fry the chicken one more time, turning over with tongs for about another 12 minutes until very crunchy.
4. Reheat the sauce over medium high heat until it’s bubbling again. Add all the hot crunchy chicken and mix well with a wooden spoon and tongs.

Start the second fry:

1. Let the oil heat up for 2 minutes over medium high heat until it reaches 330-350ºF.
2. Fry the chicken one more time, turning over with tongs for about another 12 minutes until very crunchy.
   
3. Reheat the sauce over medium high heat until it’s bubbling again. Add all the hot crunchy chicken and mix well with a wooden spoon and tongs.

Finish and serve:

1. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and transfer to a serving plate. Serve with chicken-mu (pickled radish) if you have it.