Category: Recipe

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”

Carbonnade: Beef and Beer Stew

carbonnadeEnjoy this dish over fresh egg noodles and a glass of Chimay Red beer.  It’s rich and very flavorful.  I like to start this on Sunday around noon & enjoy for dinner later that day.  Leftovers reheat very well.  Never had enough left to freeze!

Ingredients:

  • 3 1/2 lbs chuck roast, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 Tbsp butter
  • 3 medium yellow onions sliced about 1/4 inch thick (about 8 cups)
  • 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken or beef broth
  • 1 1/2 cups (12 oz bottle) Belgian beer (Chimay Red works very well here)
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 Tbsp whole grain mustard
  • 1 Tbsp brown sugar

Directions:

1 Pat beef dry with paper towels, then season well with salt and pepper. On the stove top, heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large heavy bottomed dutch oven over medium-high heat until hot, almost smoking. Working in batches, brown the meat, without stirring, about 3 minutes on each side (do not stir, give the meat an opportunity to brown well). Transfer browned beef to a separate bowl.

2 Add 2 tablespoons butter to dutch oven; reduce heat to medium. Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon of salt; cook until onions are browned, about 15 minutes. Add flour and stir until onions are evenly coated and flour is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth, scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits; stir in beer, thyme, bay, browned beef with any of the accumulated juices, and salt and pepper to taste. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a full simmer. Reduce heat to low, partially cover, let cook for 2-3 hours until beef is fork tender. (Alternatively can cook in the oven at 300°F.) Stir occasionally, scraping up anything that is sticking to the bottom of the pan. About half an hour before it finishes cooking, add the mustard and brown sugar. Adjust seasonings to taste.

3 Discard thyme and bay leaf. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper to taste and serve. Can serve plain, with potatoes, over noodles, or over French fries.

Tuna Salad

Tuna-and-crackersI’ve had a love/hate relationship with tuna salad over the years.  It all boils down to the quality of the fish.  I get a craving for this every once in a while & like to eat it on crackers.  Our son really likes this when I make it and usually eats as much as I do (sometimes more!).

Ingredients:

2-Cans of QUALITY tuna fish (drained well)*
3 TBL Mayo
1 TSP Dijon Mustard
1-TSP Chopped pickle (sweet or dill, your choice)
1 TSP Shallot (grated with a micro-plane)
Hot Sauce to taste
Salt/pepper to taste

Directions:

Mix everything but the tuna until well incorporated.
Taste for seasoning.
Add the (well drained) tuna and mix as little as possible to combine.

Chill for 30-min and enjoy!

*I really like the water packed BumbleBee Solid White Albacore (in the gold can).
I’ve been trying to find some European canned tuna packed in Olive Oil.  Anyone have a good source?

Fried Green Tomatoes

fried_green_tomatoesA true southern classic that’s really easy to make at home!  If you grow your own tomatoes you know how productive those little plats can be.  This will help you enjoy the bounty from your garden while you wait for the big ones to ripen up!

Ingredients:

3-4 lbs green tomatoes
2-Cups Bread Crumbs
2 Cups AP Flour
3 Eggs beaten well
Canola Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
Dipping Sauce (see below)

Directions:

Wash and dry tomatoes and set aside
Season flour in a bowl
Season Eggs in a bowl
Put breadcrumbs in a bowl
Heat canola oil to ~400-degrees in a deep (heavy) pot o skillet
Slice tomatoes, dredge in flour and set aside
Once all of the tomatoes are coated in flour dip in egg and dredge in breadcrumbs
Fry in small batches until golden brown and drain on a cookie sheet layered with paper towels

Dipping Sauce:

1-part Prepared horseradish
3-parts Mayo
Hot sauce to taste
Salt/pepper to taste

Blend all ingredients and keep chilled until tomatoes are ready to eat.

Onion-Braised Beef Brisket

braised-brisket

Made this a few weeks ago & the family is still talking about it!  We ended up with a slightly more tender product than I expected but it tasted great nonetheless.  Mashed potatoes were the starch of choice the first time around but the egg noodles sounded great too!

From America’s Test Kitchen

This recipe requires a few hours of unattended cooking. It also requires advance preparation. After cooking, the brisket must stand overnight in the braising liquid that later becomes the sauce; this helps to keep the brisket moist and flavorful. Defatting the sauce is essential. If the fat has congealed into a layer on top of the sauce, it can be easily removed while cold. Continue reading “Onion-Braised Beef Brisket”

Hoppin’ John

Hoppin’ John

Legend has it that eating this soup on News Year day will bring you luck throughout the year.  I’m not sure I really believe it but we’ve fixed this on January 1st the past several years just in case!hoppin_john

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large ham hock
1 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 pound black-eyed peas, soaked overnight and rinsed
1 quart chicken stock
2 Bay leaf
1 teaspoon dry thyme leaves
3 tablespoons finely chopped green onion (garnish)
3 cups steamed white rice (serve Hoppin’ John over this)

Heat oil in a large soup pot, add the ham hock and sear on all sides for 4 minutes.

Add the onion, celery, green pepper, and garlic, cook for 4 minutes.

Add the black-eyed peas, stock, bay leaves, thyme, and seasonings.

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 40 minutes, or until the peas are creamy and tender, stir occasionally.

If the liquid evaporates, add more water or stock.

Adjust seasonings, and garnish with green onions.

Serve over rice.

Potato, Leek & Kielbasa Soup

Potato, Leek & Kielbasa Soup

This soup begs for a crusty loaf of rye bread (or a Baguette).  We have also sprinkled some mozzarella on top for a potato-leek-soupchange of pace.  Toasting the fennel is NOT optional.  It really makes the difference in this soup!potato-leek-soup

1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, lightly toasted
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups sliced leeks, white part only, rinsed and drained
5 cups chicken stock
2 medium boiling potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 pound kielbasa, diced
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup thinly sliced arugula, optional
1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper, for garnish, optional

In a small skillet toast the fennel seed over moderate heat until very fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes.

In a large saucepan melt the butter and cook the leek until very soft, about 5 minutes.

Stir in stock and potatoes and bring to boil.

Simmer the soup until the potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes.

Stir in the toasted fennel, kielbasa, cream and salt and pepper, to taste.

Before serving stir in the arugula. Garnish with red bell pepper.

Red Wine Sauce

This sauce is totally worth taking the time to make.  We serve it with our Herb Crusted Standing Rib Roast at Christmas time and it really completes the meal.red-wine-sauce

Red Wine Sauce

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 med yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 med carrot, roughly chopped
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
5 medium garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp tomato paste
3 cups beef broth
1 cups dry red wine
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 tsp Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Kosher salt, to taste

In a large saucepan over med-high heat, warm the olive oil.

Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are browned, 6 to 8 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes more.

Reduce heat to medium; add the tomato paste, and cook, stirring often, for about 2 minutes more.

Add the broth, wine, vinegar, rosemarry, bay leaves and pepper.

Simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve into a medium saucepan, pressing down on the solids with the back of a spoon.

Continue to simmer until about 3/4 cup liquid remains, about 45 minutes more.

Add butter 1 Tbsp at a time whisking to melt completely befpre adding th next piece.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat.

Serve with your favorite beef dish & enjoy!!

Blueberry Topping

Blueberry Toppingblueberries

This quick sauce is just the thing for ice cream or Cheesecake.  You can substitute frozen berries if fresh are unavailable.

2 tablespoons butter
2 pints blueberries
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 lemon, juiced

Combine all ingredients in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring up to a slow boil and stir gently until the berries breakdown and release their natural juice. The consistency should remain a bit chunky. Cool to room temperature and serve on top of cheesecake or any other sweet desert. Yield: 2 1/2 cups