Collard Greens Ramen

 

Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

• 1 (1 1/2-pound) bunch collard greens
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 bacon slices
• 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced (about 5 cups)
• 4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 pound smoked ham hocks, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) bourbon or other whiskey
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 8 cups cold water
• 4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup lower-sodium soy sauce
• 12 ounces uncooked instant ramen noodles, cooked
• 4 large hard-cooked eggs, peeled and halved
• 8 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 2 teaspoons shichimi togarashi

Directions

Instructions Checklist

• Step 1

  Using a sharp knife, remove stems from collard greens. Cut leaves into 2-inch squares (about 14 cups), and rinse in cold water.

• Step 2

  Heat olive oil in a 4-quart stockpot over medium. Add bacon; cook until crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain, reserving drippings in pot. Crumble bacon, and set aside.

• Step 3

  Add onions and garlic to hot drippings in pot, and cook over mediumv, stirring often, until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Add ham hocks, and cook until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes, turning ham hocks every 45 seconds. Add bourbon and vinegar, and cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits on bottom of pot, until liquid is reduced by half, about 30 seconds. Add 8 cups cold water; bring to a simmer.

• Step 4

  Add salt and pepper to soup. Add collards in large handfuls, stirring each addition until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes, before adding next handful. Return to a simmer; cover and cook until collards are tender, about 1 hour.

• Step 5

  Remove ham hocks; cool slightly. Pull meat from bones, and chop meat. Discard bones and skin.

• Step 6

  Divide soy sauce evenly among 4 serving bowls. Ladle 1 1/4 cups liquid from cooked collards into each bowl. Divide noodles evenly among 4 bowls, and stir noodles twice in broth to combine.

• Step 7

  Top bowls evenly with ham hock meat, collards, eggs, bacon, scallions, lime wedges, and shichimi togarashi.

White Cheddar and Bacon Risotto

Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

• 4 cups unsalted chicken stock
• 2 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 bacon slices
• 1 ¼ cups diced onion
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• ½ cup dry white wine
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
• 3 ounces white cheddar cheese,shredded (3/4 cup)
• ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions

Directions

Instructions Checklist

• Step 1

  Bring stock and thyme sprigs to a simmer in a saucepan over medium; keep warm over low.

• Step 2

  Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium for 4 minutes or until crisp. Remove from pan; crumble. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes. Add rice; cook 1 minute, stirring to coat. Add wine; cook 2 minutes or until liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently. Stir in 1 1/2 cups stock; cook 4 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring frequently. Add 2 1/4 cups stock, 3/4 cup at a time, stirring frequently until each portion is absorbed before adding more. Reserve remaining 1/4 cup stock; discard thyme sprigs. Stir in salt and pepper.

• Step 3

  Stir in peas, chopped thyme, and cheese; cook 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat; stir in reserved 1/4 cup stock. Divide rice mixture among 4 bowls; top with green onions and bacon.

Drunken Chicken Soup

 

Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

• 8 cups water
• 1 (750-ml) bottle Shaoxing wine or dry sherry (not cooking wine)
• 4 ounces fresh ginger, peeled and sliced (about 3/4 cup) (from 1 [7 1/2-inch] piece)
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 6 whole scallions
• 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 (3 1/2-pound) whole chicken
• 1 pound kohlrabi, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
• 3 baby bok choy, trimmed and sliced (about 4 cups)
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 cup thinly sliced scallions
• Ground Szechuan peppercorns, for serving (optional)

Directions

Instructions Checklist

• Step 1

  Stir together 8 cups water, wine, ginger, sugar, whole scallions, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large Dutch oven. Remove giblets from chicken; reserve for another use, if desired. Add chicken to Dutch oven, and bring mixture to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until a meat thermometer inserted in thickest portion of thigh registers 165°F, about 1 hour and 30 minutes, skimming foam from surface of soup occasionally.

• Step 2

  Transfer chicken to a work surface; let cool slightly. Remove and discard ginger and whole scallions from broth, and add kohlrabi and mushrooms. Cover and cook over medium-low until kohlrabi is tender, about 30 minutes.

• Step 3

  Meanwhile, remove and discard skin from chicken; pull meat off bones. Discard bones. Shred meat into bite-size pieces.

• Step 4

  Stir shredded chicken, bok choy, and sesame oil into soup. Cover and cook until chicken is heated through and bok choy is crisp-tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in sliced scallions and remaining 2 tablespoons salt. Ladle soup into bowls, and serve with ground Szechuan peppercorns, if using.

Suggested Pairing

Dry amontillad

Smoked Pork Butts

 

Preparing your BBQ for cooking

I always inject pork butts. This helps get moisture and flavor on the inside of the meat that Dry Rub alone cannot accomplish. You can get a cheap injector at the grocery store and it will get the job done.

I use a mixture of:

• 1 cup Apple Juice
• 1 cup Water
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 cup Salt
• 1 TBS Soy Sauce
• 1 TBS Worcestershire Sauce

This injection is enough to use for two 8-10lb Boston butts.

Place the meat in an aluminum pan and begin injecting. Insert the injection needle into the meat and press down on the plunger. Dont pull the needle all of the way out of the injection site. Instead, go in at a different angle and inject again.

I do this 3 times at each injection site and move it around the entire butt. There will be some injection that seeps out. This is normal.

Once you get the butts injected, place them in a large zip-lock bag, pour any injection that seeped out over the butt, and place in a refrigerator or on ice. You want the butt to marinate for at least 4 hours. (Overnight is preferred).

Take the butt out of the zip-lock bag and place on a working surface. Drain it completely and pat dry with paper towel and let it come up to room temp for about 30 - 45 minutes.

The next step is to apply a good quality dry rub

First, coat the butt with a couple of tablespoons of plain ole yellow mustard. This will create a means for the rub to stick to the meat. Then liberally sprinkle the dry rub over the meat and gently massage it into the meat.

Proper Smoke Technique

Get your smoker up to proper temperature. I cook butts at 225 degrees and use seasoned Cherry Wood chunks for the smoke.

The length of cooking can be a little tricky to figure out, but a good rule of thumb is 1 to 1 (hours of smoke per lb of meat). But I like to always have a meat thermometer handy and strictly go by internal temperature. You are shooting for an internal temperature of 195 degrees for perfect pulled pork.

Once you have your butt on the smoker, its time to make your mop. The mop consists of a mixture of:

• 16 oz Vegetable Oil
• 16 oz Cider Vinegar
• 32 oz water
• 1 cup of dry rub
• 2 TBS Worcestershire
• 2 TBS Soy Sauce

Whisk all of these ingredients together. (I use very hot water to dissolve the dry rub).

Mop this baste on the butts after 2 hours of smoking. Then mop again after every 2 hours.

After 6 hours of smoke and basting, check the internal temperature. It should be around 165 degrees. At this point you have enough smoke now its time to get them tender.

The Tenderization Process

You want to remove the butts from the smoker and wrap them in aluminum foil. Place the aluminum foil on the work surface, sit the butt on the aluminum foil, mop the butt with baste and reapply a light dusting of the dry rub. Wrap the butt up tight in the aluminum foil and place it back on the smoker.

It is helpful to use a digital meat thermometer with a probe to monitor your internal temperature the entire cooking time. This is one piece of equipment that is extremely useful, and it keeps you from having to constantly open up the door to check with a manual thermometer.

And if you are constantly opening the door, then your meat will not achieve the proper tenderness. Every time the temperature in your smoker drops, your meat begins to lock back up resulting in a product that is tough. You have to keep the temperature steady to keep the meat cooking. This is exactly why they say, If youre looking, youre not cooking.

If you have a thermometer with a probe, place it inside the meat (careful not to get it against the bone or youll get a false reading) and wrap the aluminum foil around the butt. Place the meat back on the smoker and continue cooking.

Your meat has enough smoke, so adding more wood to the fire is not necessary at this point. Now you are simply rendering the tough connective tissue of the butt and producing tender, mouth watering meat.

The butt needs to go to 195 degrees internal and this will take some time.

Typically, it will hit a plateau or stall at about 175 and will sit there for what feels like an eternity. It is important to keep a constant pit temperature during this process. Dont open the smoker door and dont unwrap the butt - not for any reason - no exceptions! This is the method will produce the best BBQ youve ever cooked and it is what wins contest.

The Final Steps

Once the butt has climbed to an internal temperature of 195 degrees you are ready to pull it off the smoker.

BUT BE CAREFUL. it will be extremely hot and there will be a lot of au just that has cooked out of the meat. Transferring the butt to an aluminum pan will make this process easier and allows you to catch the liquid.

Open the aluminum foil very carefully and allow some of the steam to escape. Drain off as much liquid as possible from the butt, re-rap it in aluminum foil and place it in a dry cooler for resting. It will keep hot for up to 4 hours.

Seafood Pasta with Sherry Tomato Cream Sauce

 

Ingredients
Salt
1 pound penne rigate or bow tie pasta
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
2 large shallots, chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
A pinch or 2 crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup dry sherry
1/2 cup chicken stock or seafood stock
1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 pound shelled, cooked or raw bulk lobster pieces
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup cream
A handful chopped chives or parsley or both

In a large saucepan boil water for the pasta. When water begins to boil add salt liberally, let water return to a boil and cook pasta to al dente. Drain.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat with olive oil, 3 turns of the pan. Add mushrooms, shallots and garlic, red pepper flakes and saute 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with sherry, stir in stock and tomatoes and bring to a bubble. If using raw seafood, season with lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Raise the heat a bit then add the seasoned seafood and heat through or cook until just about firm and opaque, a couple of minutes. If using cooked seafood, season the seafood when you add it to skillet with lemon zest, salt and pepper.

Stir in heavy cream and toss hot pasta with sauce and chives and/or parsley, adjust seasoning and serve.

Seafood Ravioli w/ Chesapeake Style Sauce (Costco)

 

Garlic wine cream sauce

Ingredients

1/3 cup butter
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
3 tbsp garlic, finely chopped
2 cups dry white wine
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1.5 cups shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Melt butter in heavy saucepan. Add mushrooms and cook over medium heat until browned. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds. Add wine and let reduce by 3/4.

Slowly add heavy whipping cream while stirring. Reduce heat to medium-low, and let come to a gentle simmer. Gradually add in cheese while stirring. Remove from heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately over hot pasta.

Amazing Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
2 cups low-fat (2%) milk
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons low-fat cream cheese
1.5 cups grated parmesan cheese
0.25 cups chopped parsley

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and lemon zest and cook until the garlic is slightly soft, about 1 minute. Add in the flour and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and salt and cook, whisking constantly, until just thickened, about 3 minutes.

Add the cream cheese and parmesan cheese; whisk until melted, about 1 minute. Stir in the chopped parsley.

Serve with pasta (1 pound) of your choice.

Instant Pot Pasta with Sausage

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound Italian chicken sausage (see notes)
1 small onion chopped
2 bell peppers chopped
3 cups water
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
12 ounces whole wheat penne pasta about 4 ½ cups dry
25 ounce jar marinara sauce
3 cups fresh spinach coarsely chopped
2 ounces (½ cup) mozzarella cheese shredded

Turn on saute mode on the Instant Pot and add the olive oil to the pot.

If using sausage that is already cooked, slice it and add it to the Instant Pot. If using uncooked sausage, remove it from the casings and add it to the pot.

Add the onion to the pot and saute the onion and sausage for 2-3 minutes, or until sausage is browned (for uncooked sausage, break it up into smaller pieces as it cooks). Press cancel to turn off saute mode.

Add the bell peppers, water, Italian seasoning and 1 cup of the marinara sauce. Stir, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pot.

Add the penne pasta to the pot and do not stir. Press the pasta down into an even layer. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the top of the pasta; do not stir.

Close the Instant Pot lid and turn the steam release valve to the sealing position. Set the cook time to 2 minutes at high pressure. (This 2 minute cook time is for whole wheat penne pasta with a stovetop package cook time of 9 minutes for al dente. You can adjust your pasta cook time as needed, see my tips in the post above.)

The Instant Pot will take about 18 minutes to reach pressure and then the cook time will begin counting down. As soon as the cook time ends, do a controlled quick release of the pressure by turning the steam release valve towards the venting position, a little bit at a time. I like to use the handle of a long spoon to carefully move the valve. When all of the steam has escaped and the pin drops down, carefully open the Instant Pot lid. You may see a little bit of extra liquid in the pasta, but this will be absorbed as the pasta rests.

Stir the pasta and then stir in the spinach, followed by the shredded mozzarella cheese. Serve.

Notes

1. I usually make this recipe with fully cooked Italian chicken sausage, which I slice into rounds and add to the Instant Pot. To use uncooked chicken, turkey or pork sausage, remove from casings and add to the Instant Pot, crumbling and browning the sausage on sauté mode.

2. I have found 2 minutes of pressure cooking to be perfect for whole wheat penne with a package cook time of 9 minutes. Follow these guidelines for other pasta types: Pressure cook 2 minutes for package cook time of 6-9 minutes, pressure cook 3 minutes for package cook time of 10-12 minutes, pressure cook 4 minutes for package cook time of 13 or more minutes.

Instant Pot Butter Chicken

 

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion chopped
5 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 tablespoon garam masala
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon turmeric
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
28 ounces tomato sauce
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup full fat coconut milk

For serving: cooked rice, naan bread, chopped fresh cilantro as desired

Turn the Instant Pot on saute mode and add the butter to the pot. Once the butter has melted, add the onion.  Saute for 2-3 minutes, until softened.  Add the garlic, ginger and bell pepper to the pot and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.  Stir in the garam masala, cumin, smoked paprika, turmeric and salt. Press cancel to turn off saute mode.

Pour in the 1/4 cup water and stir, scraping up any bits that may be stuck to the bottom of the Instant Pot.  Add the tomato sauce and the chicken to the pot.

Close the Instant Pot lid and turn the steam valve to the sealing position. Press the Pressure Cook/Manual button and set the cook time to 10 minutes at high pressure. The Instant Pot will take about 15 minutes to reach pressure and then the cook time will begin counting down.

When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes by leaving the Instant Pot alone. Then, carefully move the steam valve to the venting position to release any remaining steam and pressure. When the pin drops down, open the Instant Pot lid.

Remove the chicken to a clean cutting board and let it rest for a few minutes. Meanwhile, stir the coconut milk into the sauce in the Instant Pot.

Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and return it to the Instant Pot.

Serve chicken and sauce over rice, with naan bread and chopped cilantro if desired

Marinated Grilled Chicken Thighs

Ingredients

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

Juice of 1 Lemon

Juice of 1 Lime

2 teaspoons Garlic Powder

2 teaspoons Onion Powder

1 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper

1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard

2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce

1/3 Cup Packed Brown Sugar

2 Pounds Bone in Skin on Chicken Thighs about 8 total

 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lime juice, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, mustard, soy sauce, and brown sugar.

Trim fat from the chicken as necessary. Add the chicken thighs to a large zip-top bag and pour in the marinade. Seal the bag and massage the marinade into the meat for a few seconds to make sure the meat is coated.

Refrigerate the chicken in the marinade for at least 6 hours before grilling. After marinating, allow the chicken to sit, covered in the bag of marinade for 15-20 minutes while the grill preheats.

Preheat the grill to settings for medium-high heat on one side, or if using charcoal, arrange pieces into a two-zone fire with briquettes underneath half of the grill grate.

Sear chicken thighs over lit side of grill 2-3 minutes per side until skin turns golden brown, taking care not to char.

Move chicken pieces to unlit side of grill and cook, covered, until internal temperature reaches 165°F.

Let chicken rest 5-10 minutes before serving

Instant Pot Middle Eastern Stew

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil, butter or ghee
1 ½ –1 ¾ pounds lamb or beef stew meat, cut onto 1 ½  inch cubes

1 onion, diced

4–6 garlic cloves, rough chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon chili flakes ( Aleppo Chili flakes are nice) and more for garnish

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (or red wine vinegar)

2 tablespoons honey or brown sugar

1 1/4 cups chicken stock or broth

1 15 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Turn the Instant Pot on and set it to the Sauté function. Heat the butter or oil and saute the onions for 3-4 minutes until fragrant. Add the lamb/beef, garlic, salt and all the spices.  Then sauté for 5 more minutes until fragrant. Add the vinegar, tomato paste, honey, stock, chickpeas and raisins and stir until combined.

Cover and set the Instant Pot to pressure cook setting for 50 minutes on normal/high. Naturally release.

Let the pressure release and give a stir. The meat will be tender and break apart easily. If you prefer it less juicy, return to saute function and cook off some of the liquid. ( Note that it will thicken a bit as it sits)

Serve over quinoa or rice with fresh cilantro or parsley as garnish.

Moroccan Spice Salmon with Lemon Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients

4 (6 oz) skinless salmon fillets

1 1/4 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground paprika

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup fat free plain Greek yogurt

2 Tbsp heavy cream or whipping cream

1/4 tsp lemon zest

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp minced fresh garlic

1 Tbsp finely minced fresh cilantro, plus more for serving

In a small mixing bowl whisk together yogurt, cream, zest, juice, garlic and cilantro, season lightly with salt and pepper. Let rest at room temperature while preparing salmon.  Can be prepared ahead of time.

Let salmon rest at room temperature 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl whisk together coriander, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, nutmeg and cayenne pepper.   Heat olive oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.   Season both sides of salmon with salt and pepper then sprinkle and rub both sides with the spice mixture.

Cook salmon in skillet about 3 - 4 minutes per side. Plate and top with lemon yogurt sauce and garnish with cilantro.