Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Sausage, Peppers, and Onions

Ah... one of the best street foods.

Ingredients
1 pound hot Italian sausage
2 bell peppers (any color), sliced
2 yellow onions, sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 15oz can tomato sauce
1 15oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
4 to 6 fresh Italian sandwich rolls

Combine the first 8 ingredients (sausage through diced tomatoes) in a large pot.  Simmer over low heat for 1 hour or until sausage is cooked through and peppers/onions are tender.  Add water if sauce gets too thick.

Cut the sausages in half lengthwise. Add the sausage back to the pan and stir to combine.

Serve in bowls or as a sandwich.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Scallops Provencal


Ingredients
1 pound fresh bay or sea scallops
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup chopped shallots (2 large)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 lemon, cut in 1/2

If you're using bay scallops, keep them whole. If you're using sea scallops, cut each 1 in half horizontally. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss with flour, and shake off the excess.

In a very large saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter over high heat until sizzling and add the scallops in 1 layer. Lower the heat to medium and allow the scallops to brown lightly on 1 side without moving them, then turn and brown lightly on the other side. This should take 3 to 4 minutes, total.

Melt the rest of the butter in the pan with the scallops, then add the shallots, garlic, and parsley and saute for 2 more minutes, tossing the seasonings with the scallops. Add the wine, cook for 1 minute, and taste for seasoning. Serve hot with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Chicken & Pasta with a Mushroom Marsala Cream Sauce


Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into strips
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 tablespoons butter, divided
3/4 cup chopped onion
1.5 pounds cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup dry Marsala wine
1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
12 ounces dried fettuccine or penne

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook just until brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cool slightly.

While the chicken cools, melt 2 tablespoons of butter to the same skillet over medium-high heat, then add the onion and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and saute until the mushrooms are tender and the juices evaporate, about 12 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Stir in the mascarpone and mustard. Return the chicken to the skillet. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 8-10 minutes. Drain. Toss the pasta with 3 tablespoons of butter and season with salt and pepper.

Plate the pasta, top with chicken mixture, and garnish with parsley. Serve.

Chicken Piccata


Just as good if you substitute pork or veal.

Ingredients
3/4 cup all purpose flour, plus 2 tablespoons, divided
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 lemon, juiced, or more to taste, (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoon capers, drained
1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves, optional, plus sprigs for garnish
3 tablespoons water

In a plate combine 3/4 cup of the flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt and pepper and stir to combine thoroughly. Quickly dredge the chicken thighs in the seasoned flour mixture, shaking to remove any excess flour.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and cook the chicken until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Deglaze the pan with wine and bring to a boil, scraping to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. When the wine has reduced by half, add the chicken stock, chopped garlic, lemon juice and capers and cook for 5 minutes. Whisk in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the chopped parsley. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour with the 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl, whisk together, and use as a thickening agent if the sauce needs to thicker. Then return the chicken to the pan and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Garnish with parsley sprigs and serve immediately.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Shepherd's Pie


Ingredients
4 tablespoons salted butter
1 pound ground lamb
1/3 pound ground beef
1 cup chopped yellow onions
2 carrots, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 ounces button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 1/2 cups beef stock or broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2-2 pounds potatoes, skins peeled, and cut into chunks
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup white cheddar, grated

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Lightly grease a 6-cup baking dish and set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add the lamb and beef, stirring to crumble, and cook until starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the onions, carrots, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and bay leaf, and cook, stirring, until their liquid is almost all gone, about 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until starting to color, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Gradually add the stock and Worcestershire sauce, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until thickened, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a medium pot and cover with salted water by 1-inch. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and put in a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of butter, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper and whole milk. Combine with a hand mixer to incorporate.

Remove the pot with the meat from the heat. Remove the bay leaf. Spoon into the prepared dish and top with the mashed potatoes, smoothing the top. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and bake until browned and bubbly on top, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Beer Braised BBQ Pork Butt

For the dry rub:
2 tablespoons salt
About 40 grinds black pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground mustard seed

12 ounces good ale or dark beer, such as Bass or Newcastle
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 5-pound pork butt (shoulder of the animal)

Combine rub ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Rub all over pork butt. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (or at least 1 hour if you are in a hurry).

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Unwrap pork and place in a roasting pan. Cook 45 minutes until dark browned and even blackening in places. Remove from oven.

Lower oven to 325 degrees F. Pour beer over the top and add chopped garlic around the pork. Cover tightly with heavy duty aluminum foil, poke about 10 holes all over the top of the foil. Cook pork butt 3-4 hours longer until so tender that it comes away very easily from center bone. Cook longer if pork butt is bigger. I usually cook a 7.5 lb pork butt 5-6 hours.

When the pork is falling off the bone, it is done. Shred it using two forks.

At this point you can either eat the pork plain (it tastes great) or combine it with one of the following sauces:
If none of those sound good, here's an old standby that's guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser:

Pour the leftover pan juice into a saucepan. To the pan juices add:

1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons whole grain Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons Worchestershire sauce
1/3 cup dark brown sugar

Bring to a simmer until reduced by half and thick, about 20 minutes. Pour the sauce over the pulled pork and work through until fully absorbed.

Optional: To make BBQ spicier mix in 1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Chile-Cilantro Marinated Shrimp


Ingredients

Marinade
1 bunch cilantro, chopped coarsely
1 habanero chile, chopped
4 shallots, chopped
2 lemons, zested
2 limes, zested and juiced to 1/4 cup (juice more limes if necessary)
1.5 cups coconut milk
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 vegetable oil

28 large shrimp, cleaned, deveined
7 skewers
Marinade


Puree all marinade ingredients in a blender. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade.

Marinate shrimp in a bowl for 3-4 hours. Skewer shrimp (4 shrimp per skewer). Grill 3-4 minutes per side.

Server with reserved marinade for dipping.

Chef Jeff's Marinade (for steaks or chicken)

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning

Combine ingredients in a large zip-lock bag. Shake well. Add steaks to the bag. Marinate 1-2 hours.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Smothered Pork Chops


Ingredients
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoons garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon cayenne
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 pork chops, 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick, boneless
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup buttermilk
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Put the flour in a shallow platter and add the onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly. Taste to make sure seasoning is correct, if not then adjust it.

Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels to remove any moisture and then dredge them in the seasoned flour; shaking off the excess. Save the flour for the next step.

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and coat with the oil. When the oil is hot, lay the pork chops in the pan in a single layer and fry for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove the pork chops from the pan and add a little sprinkle of seasoned flour to the pan drippings. Mix the flour into the fat to dissolve and then pour in the chicken broth in. Let the liquid cook down for 5 minutes to reduce and thicken slightly. Stir in the buttermilk to make a creamy gravy.

At this point, if the gravy is not thick enough, dissolve a tablespoon or two of flour in a few tablespoons of water and add to the gravy.

Return the pork chops to the pan, covering them with the sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes until the pork is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Jambalaya Pasta with Penne, Chicken, Shrimp and Andouille


Ingredients
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound dry penne rigate
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound peeled, deveined large shrimp
5 teaspoons Emeril's Essence, divided
3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, 1-inch diced
3/4 pound andouille sausage, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup yellow onion, small diced
1/2 cup green bell pepper, small diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon freshly chopped thyme leaves
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving 3/4 cup of the pasta water, set aside.

While the pasta cooks, season the shrimp with 2 teaspoons of Essence and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute shrimp for 2 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.

Add another tablespoon of the olive oil to the saute pan and season the chicken with 2 teaspoons of the Essence and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Place the chicken in the pan and sear for 4 minutes, turning to ensure even browning. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside with the shrimp.

Place the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the saute pan and add the sausage, onions and bell peppers. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is lightly caramelized and the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and saute for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock to the pan and scrape with a spoon to remove any browned bits that have formed in the bottom of the pan, about 30 seconds. Add the diced tomatoes, fresh thyme, the remaining tablespoon of Essence and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook for 2 minutes. Add the heavy cream to the pan and cook an additional 2 minutes. Return the shrimp and chicken to the pan, as well as the nearly al dente pasta and the reserved 3/4 cup of pasta cooking water. Continue to cook the sauce and pasta, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp and chicken are cooked through, the pasta is al dente and most of the pasta cooking water has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add Parmesan cheese. Toss to combine and serve while hot.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Asian Sweet & Hot Pepper Chicken


Ingredients
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 1/2 pounds diced chicken thighs
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons minced ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons minced green onion bottoms
1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced
1 cup sliced yellow onion
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce and cornstarch. Whisk to blend well, and add the chicken to the sauce. Toss to evenly coat the chicken and set aside for 15 to 20 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the ketchup, stock, chili garlic sauce and sugar. Stir to combine and set aside until ready to use.

Place a wok over high heat and add the vegetable oil to the pan. Add the ginger, garlic, green onions, and jalapenos to the wok. Cook, stirring often until the garlic is fragrant, about 20 to 30 seconds. Add the chicken, bell peppers and onions to the pan and stir-fry until the chicken is no longer pink, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the sauce to the pan and bring to a boil, being sure to toss well in order to coat all the chicken and vegetables evenly, about 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle the sesame seeds and cilantro into the pan and toss to combine. Remove from the heat and serve on a platter with steamed white rice.

Veggie Pizza


From Jill.

Ingredients
2 cans of Pillsbury crescent rolls
1 16 oz container of WHIPPED Philly cream cheese
1 packet Hidden Valley ranch mix
Fresh dill
Various vegetables (I normally do tomatoes, broccoli and black olives - sometimes
I switch it up and include a green pepper and onion)

Lay crescent rolls out flat on cookie sheet - they will want to separate, but knead the separations with your fingers so you make one flat sheet of dough. Follow the directions on the crescent roll can to cook. Let cool.

Mix the full container of cream cheese with ranch mix.

Once dough is cooled, spread cream cheese mix on dough. It works best to use a rubber spatula and only spread one way (top to bottom) because the dough is flaky and it will be a mess.

Sprinkle cream cheese mix with dill - as little or as much as you want here.

Top with chopped veggies. It usually works best if veggies are chopped small.

Use a pizza cutter to cut into pieces - sometimes I cut the pieces BEFORE I put on the veggies - this might be easier.