Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Turkey Italian and Left Over Rice

Brown turkey Italian sausage in a Dutch oven. Regular Italian works well, too.

Remove, drain some of the rendered fat and saute onions and red peppers until wilted.

Add back sausage, tomato sauce, stock, and a left-over starch. We had some rice.

Add oregano and crushed red peppers to taste.

Let flavors meld and dish to thicken, about 30 minutes.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Greens and mother liquor

Trim the stems off of your favorite greens and wash thoroughly.

Put a couple of inches in a pot and add something smoked such as turkey legs or smoked butt. If you're want a lot of meat, go with the butt, but turkey has an excellent flavor.

Add the greens and bring to a simmer for 40 minutes or until greens are tender. We sometimes toss in another vegetable such as broccoli at the end.

Cut the meat into bits and serve with greens and plenty of the mother liquor. That's where the flavor is!

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs, pilafed arborio rice with carrots and onions

Brown well-seasoned thighs well in a Dutch oven. Remove to a platter.

Saute onions and carrots until tender, about 6 minutes. Add rice and garlic and brown until nutty, a couple of minutes.

Return chicken and accumulated juices to pot. Add chicken stock (about 2:1 by volume of rice) and bring to a simmer.

Cover and put into a 350 oven for 15 minutes. Remove and keep covered for another 15 minutes.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Chicken breasts with pesto & pasta

Prepare boneless-skinless chicken breasts in uniform pieces. Either pound them to a uniform thickness or cut off the tenderloin and slice in half the flat way.

Coat with your favorite rub - I used 'Tosa City Blend. Dredge in corn meal. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat and saute breasts, about 3min/side. make in several batchs so as not to crowd the pan.

Laurie makes the pesto with basil, garlic and pine nuts (I think).

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Pasta with meat sauce w/ fritatta leftovers

Brown 1lb of Italian sausage. Drain meat in a colander.

In same pan, saute an onion. Return meat to pan, add tomato sauce. Add herbs and spices of your choice - oregano and red pepper flakes is nice. Simmer for about one hour. Serve over pasta.

Frittata:
Mix eggs with leftover pasta. Press into a non-stick pan, and heat on cook top for about ten minutes. Put pan in oven pre-heated to 350. Cook for 15 minutes.

Turn over on cutting board and let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Friday, November 9, 2007

Pork Roast and potatoes

Liberally season an pork roast with a rub. Brown well on all sides. Cook in an oven pre-heated to 375F to an internal temperature of 160F. I use a temperature probe because I can. Let rest for 10 minutes. Deglaze the pan on cook top with chicken stock. I usually toss in some dried shallots. The roast cooks quickly, maybe 30 minutes.

Peel and cut potatoes to a medium dice. Add a couple of table spoons of oil to a saute pan and cook until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Sometimes I add onions.

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Ribeyes, broccoli, and squash

Cut the broccoli and cauliflower into florets. Steam for about 8 minutes.

Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds and other stuff from the cavity. Bake for bout 45 minutes or until tender.

Season the ribeye steaks with salt and pepper to taste. I much prefer bone-in steaks. Turn the oven on broil. Heat a cast iron pan on the cook top until very hot, about five minutes. Sear the steaks on both side, about 1 - 1.5 minutes.

Place steaks in broiler. Turn steaks after 2-3 minutes and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Use the "thumb & finger" test to check for doneness, or use a thermometer.

Place blue cheese on steaks and tent with foil for 5 minutes.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Sauteed Spinach

Clean and stem the spinach.

In a very large sauté pan, actually I use a wok, add a little chicken stock and heat. Add the spinach and stir. A tongs will work nicely. The spinach will reduce in volume tremendously. Add a little grated nutmeg (a little goes a long way) at the end.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Monday, November 5, 2007

Blaise's Pot Roast and Mashed Potatoes

This was fun to make. Brother Dan has the recipe from Cook's Illustrated posted here. I only used about a 3lb roast as there were just the two of us and no dog.

Laurie specialized in mashed potatoes. Normally she puts bleu cheese in them, but we didn't have any. The potatoes we get from our farm are delicious in this!