How to Make Perfect Thin and Crisp French Fries

I love good french fries (pommes frites) & have made them at home on a couple of occasions.  It’s not as easy as you would think!  Kenji Lopez over at the Serious Eats Burger Lab has an in depth article explaining how to make the prefect french fry.

While I’m on the subject, you can get a great batch of pommes frites at the Brugge Brassary in Broad Ripple.

Herbed Mushrooms with White Wine

This is a great side dish for chicken or beef dishes.  It’s quick, simple & delicious!

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 pounds fresh mushrooms
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place mushrooms in the skillet, season with Italian seasoning, and cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Mix the wine and garlic into the skillet, and continue cooking until most of the wine has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with chives. Continue cooking 1 minute.

Beef and Horseradish Salad

Flank Steak is one of those universal pieces of beef that can perform many duties.  It can be used as a substitute for shirt/hanger steak when making Fajitas and it takes marinade very well.  The only caution about Flank Steak is it gets tough the longer you cook it.  If you like your meat well done, Flank Steak is not the cut for you…

1 pound flank steak
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups julienne red onions
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
3 tablespoons chopped green onions
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup grated horseradish
Juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco
4 cups assorted baby greens
2/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons chopped chives

Preheat the grill. Season the flank steak with salt, peper and olive oil.

Place the steak on the grill and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare.

Remove the steak from the grill and slice into 1-inch slices.

Toss the beef with the red onions, parsley and green onions. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, garlic, horseradish, lemon juice, Dijon, Worcestershire, and Tabasco. Mix thoroughly.

Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate the dressing for 1 hour.

Toss the greens with the dressing and mound in the center of the plate. Arrange the steak and onions around the greens.

Garnish with the cheese and chives.

Roasted Chicken and Vegatables

You can’t go wrong with chicken.  Fried, Grilled, Poached or Roasted , it all hits the spot!  I love fixing a big Sunday Dinner and enjoying it with family and friends.  One of my favorite chicken recipes is a simple roasted chicken dish.

Each part of the chicken cooks differently and has a different flavor.  For my money I don’t think you can go wrong with legs and thighs.  I know breast meat is “leaner” but it’s also lacking a lot of flavor, dries out easily and is over priced…

Give me a nicely roasted thigh any day!  Be sure to brine the meat for even more flavor.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup kosher salt
2 TB of Adobo Seasoning
2 TB of your favorite dried herb (I like Thyme)
2 TSP Onion Powder
2 TSP Garlic Powder

Chicken leg quarters (one per person) or individual legs/thighs.

2 medium Onions quartered
3 pounds Fingering Potatoes washed (or larger potatoes quartered)
8oz Mini-Bella mushrooms quartered
5 Carrots peeled/roughly chopped
2 Bell Peppers chopped & seeded
(Substitute any vegetable you prefer)

Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

PREPARATION:

  1. Mix the brine well. Soak the chicken in the brine for 4-6 hours in a non metal container covered in the fridge.
  2. Pre-heat your oven to 400-degrees and prep the vegetables.
  3. Combine your vegetables with a little oil.  Add salt/pepper to taste & set aside.
  4. On your stove heat a small amount of oil in a dutch oven or other heavy pot.
  5. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry with paper towels.
  6. Once the oil begins to smoke place the chicken in the pot skin side down.  This will enhance the browning process of the chicken and add more flavor the roasting vegetables.
  7. Brown the chicken on both sides and remove to a plate.
  8. Add the mixed vegetables and place the browned chicken pieces on top.
  9. Please in the 400-degree oven (uncovered) for 35-40 minutes or until the chicken juices run clear.
  10. Let rest for 10 minutes and enjoy!

Google’s Top 10 Recipes of 2009

From Restaurants & Institutions:

  1. Chili
  2. Meatloaf
  3. Cheesecake
  4. Banana bread
  5. Pancake
  6. Salsa
  7. Hummus
  8. Lasagna
  9. Apple pie
  10. Meatball

Some of these I can agree with.  Surprised that Chili is number one as this is usually one of those personal choice dishes where everyone has a different method (same thing with salsa)…

The Top 5 food pages of 2009 on Indyscan.com were:

  1. French Baguettes
  2. Herb Crusted Standing Rib Roast (Prime Rib)
  3. Applewood Smoked Turkey
  4. Japanese Ginger Salad Dressing
  5. Onion-Braised Beef Brisket

Luck & Prosperity in 2010!

If you’re looking for good luck, etc in the new year be sure to try our our Hoppin’ John recipe.  Legend has it eating this on Jan 1 will bring you good luck in the new year.  We’ve eaten it in the past few years & I’ll have to admit it sure didn’t hurt!

If you can find them pre-soaked (not canned) beans will speed up the process considerably!

Apple-Brined and Smoked Turkey

hickory-smoked-turkeyApple-Brined and Smoked Turkey

Adapted from The Virtual Weber Bullet.

Ingredients:

  • 2 quarts apple juice
  • 1 pound brown sugar
  • 1 cup kosher salt
  • 3 quarts cold water
  • 3 oranges, quartered
  • 4 ounces fresh ginger, unpeeled and thinly sliced
  • 15 whole cloves
  • 6 bay leaves
  • 6 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
  • 1 natural turkey
  • 2 to 3 small chunks of apple wood

Directions:

Combine the apple juice, brown sugar, and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve. Boil for one minute, remove from heat, let mixture come to room temperature, then refrigerate to 40°F. Continue reading “Apple-Brined and Smoked Turkey”

Cream Biscuits with Dill

BiscuitsThese go really well with Chicken-and-Sausage Gumbo.  Easy to make and something for the kids to do!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped dill
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk the 2 cups of flour with the dill, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add the cream and mix with a wooden spoon just until a dough forms.

2. On a lightly floured work surface, gently knead the biscuit dough just until it comes together and pat it into a 3/4-inch-thick disk. Using a floured 2 1/4-inch round cookie cutter, stamp out as many biscuits as possible. Combine the scraps and repeat to make more biscuits.

3. Transfer the biscuits to the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 22 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until lightly golden on top.

Serve hot or warm.

Chicken-and-Sausage Gumbo

gumbo-lIt’s getting to be that time of year where we start making soups & stews.  The smell of this dish is intoxicating and it really hits the spot as the temperature  dips below the magical 60-degree mark.

Pair this gumbo with Cream Biscuits with Dill and you have a dish that is sure to be a hit!

Ingredients:

  • 1 whole, bone-in chicken breast with skin (about 1 1/2 pounds)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 pound andouille sausage links
  • 2 celery ribs, cut into 1/3-inch dice
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 3 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 2 cups cooked white long-grain rice
  • Tabasco sauce, for serving

Directions:

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a heavy pot, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook over moderately high heat until browned on the bottom, 5 minutes; turn over and cook until browned on the second side, 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and discard the skin. Continue reading “Chicken-and-Sausage Gumbo”