Pork roast with gastrique

Not everything is pictured.  I took a quick snapshot before I left for the airport and i had not finished everything at that time. I finished the other stuff when  Charlie and Cassie got back home from their vacation.

Pork Shoulder sans BBQ sauce  oven at 300 degrees

10 lb pork shoulder

salt and pepper

carrots

1 yellow onion,

3 stalks of celery all rough chop

10 cloves garlic, smashed

2 bay leaves

6 thyme sprigs

2 Tbsp. peppercorns

place in roasting pan, meat on top, fat side up. cover with foil and roast 6 to 8 hours until pork is tender and bone removes easily.  Keep covered and cool to room temperature.

to prepare gastrique, put

1/2 C. bourbon in small pan over medium heat and reduce by 1/2

In a separate pot over medium heat reduce 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water for 10-15 minutes to produce a dark amber caramel.

add bourbon, 2 cups red wine vinegar, 1 vanilla bean pod (split in half) and 2 pounds pitted fresh or dried cherries.  Reduce by half for 10-15 minutes. or until gastrique coats back of spooon.  Strain and serve on pork shoulder.

Tavern in he Village at 3901 Prairie Land, Prairie Village, Kansas.

Make yellow rice with Sazon seasoning and coconut milk instead of water.

Mimosa sorbet  Recipe for sorbet follows, or you can just get orange sorbet from the grocery store. 

• 2 1/2 c. water
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. orange marmalade
• Zest from 2 large oranges
• 1 c. fresh squeezed orange juice (about 2 large oranges)
• 3 tbsp. lemon juice
• Champagne

1. Combine the water, sugar, marmalade, and zest in a large saucepan.  Heat over medium heat until it bubbles.  Simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
3. Mix in the orange and lemon juice and process in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer directions.  Transfer to a container and freeze until set.
4. Scoop sorbet into champagne flutes and pour champagne over the top.  Serve immediately.

Stuffed Mushrooms  Pre heat oven to 375 degrees

16 mushrooms

1/4 lb. butter or more

1/2 C. dry bread crumbs(freshly made, please)

1 T. chopped parsley

1 Tblsp. chipped chives or onion

1/4 tsp Tabasco

1 tsp salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese

small amount of broth

Clean mushrooms, remove stems and chop fine. Melt 4 T. butter and cook bread crumbs, onions, parsley and seasonings. Brush mushrooms with melted butter, Cool stuffing; stir in eggs and stuff mushrooms.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, arrange

on parchment lined baking pan and bake about 15 minutes or until browned and tender. You may baste with additional butter if you like.

Note I added about a T. or two of chopped real bacon bits. 

Note serve with toothpicks

I also made Parmesan chips: Take left over grated Parmesan and place a pinch at a time on parchment paper lined baking sheet and place in heated oven for two or three minutes, until melted.  Let cool.  They will be crisp like chips.

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Eggplant for lunch

Eggplant cut 3/4". 

1 Tblsp. each of garlic,

ginger and 

fresh hot chili,or about 1 tsp.red chili flakes.

 Stir fry veg's. for a few seconds than add eggplant and fry until it begins to soften-probably 3-4 minutes-

add 1/2 cup chix broth-

lower heat cover wok and simmer until eggplant is soft-maybe 5 minutes-uncover wok-raise heat and stir in 

3-4 Tblsp brown bean sauce,or 2-3 if using black beans-stir and toss until mixture has thickened-

Dinner for two?

I ate it all myself.

Buffalo & Asian chicken wings.

I had some chicken wings and Cassie mentioned maybe I could do a Buffalo style cook with them. I thought I might do it with some Asian seasonings mixed in.  I just winged it= pun intended. Charlie and Cassie insisted i write it down since they thought it was really good.  I was just playing around with the flavors and didn't take any pictures.  Also they got a little charred on the grill so next time, I need to watch them a little closer.  Here is the recipe.

1/4 C. Tamari
1/4 C. Ponzu
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 C. sugar
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
2 very large cloves garlic, chopped, minced then mashed into a paste with a little salt.
A generous sprinkling of Cholula hot sauce to taste, I guess. we like it spicy

Marinate chicken wings in sauce sealed in a ziplock bag for 30 to 40 minutes, spread on a foil lined sheet pan and place on grill.  Grill, top closed for 8 to 10 minutes.  Check to keep from burning.  Baste, turn and grill until done.  Boil remaining marinade sauce and pour over wings.  If desired garnish with green onion or toasted sesame seeds. Serve with Ranch or blue cheese dressing and rice.

meat loaf

The oven in this house which I moved into three months ago seems to overcook everything.  I tested the temperature the other day. I found that we I set the oven at 350, it was heating to 410.  I turned it down 50 degrees and it went down 65 degrees. I turned it up 20 degrees and it went up 35.  today I made a meatloaf with some bacon woven across the top. I put it in at 40 degrees less than the recipe and took it out 15 minutes early and it still overcooked.  the bacon weave will have to be tossed but the meatloaf under it is still good.  Looks like I am going to have to replace this 25 or 30 year old stove soon.

PS We ate the bacon. I scraped off the burnt brown sugar and it was OK. It is bacon after all. :)

    4 stale hamburger buns,  trimmed of the crusts  

    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. ground sirlion 

   4  beer bratwurst, skinned 

    2 large eggs (I forgot to add the eggs this time) It was a little crumbly but still good.

    1/4 c. roughly chopped parsley 

    2 tblsp. Dijon mustard, the grainy kind

    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

    1/2 c. brown sugar, packed 

    1 tblsp. Coleman's yellow ground mustard 

    1 tsp. 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.

Serve with potatoes or mash them coarsely  and make peas and gravy. 

Moussaka was dinner tonight

Kinda sorta a Greek version of lasagna

Jetfan27, a person of Greek ancestry gave me this recipe.

MOUSSAKA

4 medium eggplants

salt

4 Tbs. butter

2 lbs. ground beef or lamb

3 large onions, chopped

2 Tbs. tomato paste

1/4 C chopped parsley

1/2 C red wine

salt and pepper

1/2 C water

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2-3 egs beaten

1/2 C grated parmesan cheese

1/2 C bread crumbs

6 Tbs. butter

6 Tbs. flour

3 C hot milk

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 tsp nutmeg

4 yolks lightly beaten 

Olive oil

FILLING

Remove 1/2 inch wide strips of peel lengthwise from egplants.

leave a 1/2 inchspace between peels.

cut into thick slices and sprinkle with salt.

Put eggplant between two heavy plates and let stand while browning the meat and making the sauce.

In frying pan, melt 4 Tbs. butter and saute meat and onioms until meat is browned. Add tomato paste, parsley, cinnamon, wine, salt and pepper an water.

Simmer until liquid is absorbed.

Let cool down and add eggs, cheese and half the bread crumbs.

SAUCE

In a sucepan, melt 6 Tbs. butter over medium low heat.

Add flour and make a roux.

Gradually, stir in milk and stir until quite thick.

Add salt and pepper to taste and the nutmeg.

Combine yolks with a little of the sauce to temper and stir into sauce and cook ove rlow heat for a few minutes, stirring constantly.

Brown egplant slices on both sides in olive oil. Grease an ovenproof casserole or a roasting pan and sprinkle with remaining bread crumbs.

Put a layer of egplant, then a layer of meat and continue until all is used up. Finish with a layer of eggplant. Cover with the beschemel sauce you made and sprinkle grated parmesan cheese over it.

Bake in a 350 oven for an hour. Enjoy!

Cobb Salad for lunch today.

We had our first home grown tomatoes today. It was too hot to cook so i grilled some chicken breasts outside, nuked some bacon and made a Cobb salad.  Cassie made some yummy garlic bread.

Williams Sonoma version of Cobb Salad

Once little known outside Hollywood, where it was one of the stars on the menu of the Brown Derby restaurant, Cobb salad is now served everywhere as a deceptively light lunch. Heaped with blue cheese, bacon, chicken and avocado, it’s a hearty meal that guarantees you won’t be hungry until suppertime.

Ingredients:

1. 2 eggs
2. 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
3. 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
4. 1 clove garlic, crushed
5. 3/4 cup plus 1 Tbs. olive oil
6. Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
7. 3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 6 oz. each)
8. 2 Tbs. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
9. 2 tsp. minced fresh thyme
10. 4 thick slices applewood-smoked bacon, chopped
11. 1 avocado
12. 2 romaine lettuce hearts, chopped
13. 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
14. 1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola or other mild blue cheese

Directions:

To hard-boil the eggs, place them in a saucepan just large enough to hold them. Add cold water to cover by 1 inch and bring just to a boil over high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and cover. Let stand for 15 minutes. Drain the eggs, then transfer to a bowl of ice water and let cool. Peel the eggs and cut into quarters.

To make the vinaigrette, in a blender, combine the vinegar, mustard and garlic. With the blender running, slowly add the 3⁄4 cup oil through the vent in the lid, processing until a thick dressing forms. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into a serving bowl.

Using a meat pounder, pound the chicken breasts until they are a uniform 1⁄2 inch thick. Season them with salt and pepper. Mix together the parsley and thyme, and sprinkle evenly over both sides of the breasts, pressing the herbs to help them adhere. In a large nonstick frying pan, heat the remaining 1 Tbs. oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until the undersides are browned, about 5 minutes. Turn and cook until the second sides are browned and the breasts are opaque throughout, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and let cool.

Add the bacon to the frying pan and fry, stirring occasionally, until crisp and browned, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to