Cheesburgers In Paradise

Cheesburgers In Paradise

"...I like mine with lettuce and tomato, 

a big fried egg and french fried potatoes.

Big kosher pickle and a cold draft beer
Well good God almighty which way do I steer for my
Cheeseburger in Paradise"

A man who can sing about my two favorite things...cheeseburgers and margaritas...is okay in my book! Anyway, this post isn't for a recipe. Something that rarely if ever happens here but it's Friday, my brains feel like scrambled eggs (that may already be apparent to you) and I just wanted to post something fun to get us to the weekend. It's my blog, I'm allowed.

I haven't been able to figure out exactly where or when topping a burger with a fried egg began. I've ascertained that the French do this but also people in the Philippines and Malaysia do too. Honestly, this is such a delicious thing to do to the All-American burger that it's origins don't really matter. If you like burgers and can handle a sunny-side up egg you must try this at least once before you pass from this life!

The first time I experienced this was about a year or so ago when Manly and I went back back to Madison, WI to see some old friends and cure our homesickness. A new restaurant had opened on the downtown square called The Old Fashioned and I had been reading really good reviews of the place so we had everybody meet us there to have a few adult beverages and catch up.

That's one heck of a Bloody Mary, right there!!!

For four of us happy hour turned into dinner hour and one of our friends (that guy with the sinister smile) suggested that I try this burger/fried egg combo. I looked at him like he was crazy but since I'm willing to try just about anything once I decided  to go for it. First bite...HOOKED! The egg yolk ran down into the center of the perfectly prepared pink, medium-rare Black Angus burger and added a richness and almost creaminess that I really can't describe with words. It's not a flavor thing as much as it is a mouth feel thing. Heaven!

I hope you all have a happy, fun safe weekend. I'm heading to Margaritaville around 4, meet me there?

"Wasted away again in Margaritaville
searching for my lost shaker of salt..."

"If life gives you limes, make margaritas." -Jimmy Buffet. Wise man.

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Chiles Rellenos with Tomato-and-Avocado Salsa w "Refried" Beans

Chiles Rellenos with Tomato-and-Avocado Salsa w "Refried" Beans

These two recipes, one from Food and Wine, the other from Ms. Stewart turned an otherwise high-fat-battered/refried-in-lard meal into a dinner that was light, fresh and flavorful. The beans are not fried or even refried for that matter. They're the ones that get made first and then the leftovers are mashed and refried in lard. The recipe does call for you to mash them but I left mine whole and let them swim around in the delicious pool of sauce. They have a whole head of garlic in them! How bad can they be? Manly likes his Mexican beans anyway he can get them but he really loved these (I had to sleep on the couch that night if you catch my drift).

As for the rellenos and the star of this dinner...the first time I made this recipe I followed the ingredient list given here. This time I used cheddar and tossed in a little bit of cooked chorizo. DON'T DO THAT! While they were very good it kind of mucked up the fresh flavors of the pepper and the salsa. Speaking of fresh...where have all the grape tomatoes gone? Four grocery stores and all I could get were those things they call "vine-ripened". Vine-ripened my butt! They were mealy and tasteless. Hold out for good tomatoes for this. It will look and taste much better if you do. Oh summer, oh summer. Where for art thou, summer? *sigh*

One last note, the rellenos here are baked in the oven but they are even more fantastic if you lightly grill them and let the cheese get all melty. Not neccesary at all but it does give them yet another flavor component that is most enjoyable. Enjoy!

Recipe: Chiles Rellenos with Tomato-and-Avocado Salsa

Food And Wine Magazine; January 2010

Ingredients

Rellenos

6 medium poblano peppers (about 3 ounces each)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 small onion, minced

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 small jalapeño, seeded and minced

6 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Salt

Salsa

1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, quartered

1 Hass avocado, finely diced

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1/2 small jalapeño, seeded and minced

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Make the Chiles Rellenos: Roast the poblanos directly over a gas flame or under a broiler, turning occasionally, until they are charred all over. Transfer the poblanos to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let cool. Peel the poblanos. Using a small, sharp knife, make a small lengthwise slit in each one, near the stem end. Using kitchen scissors, carefully cut out the core and seeds, then remove the core and seeds without tearing the poblanos or enlarging the opening.

Preheat the oven to 425°. In a small skillet, heat the vegetable oil. Add the diced onion, garlic and jalapeño and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Let the vegetable mixture cool, then stir in the Monterey Jack, Parmigiano-Reggiano and chopped cilantro. Press the cheese filling into 6 logs.

Lightly season the insides of the poblanos with salt. Carefully stuff the cheese filling into the poblanos and press the poblanos closed. Place the stuffed poblanos on a baking sheet and roast in the upper third of the oven for about 12 minutes, until the cheese is melted.

Meanwhile, Make the Salsa: In a bowl, combine the grape tomatoes with the diced avocado, onion, cilantro, jalapeño and lime juice and season the salsa with salt and pepper.

Transfer the chiles rellenos to plates, spoon the salsa on top and serve.

Recipe: "Refried" Beans

Martha Stewart's Living Magazine; June 2009

Ingredients

1 pound dried pinto beans, soaked overnight in cold water, rinsed, and drained

1/2 medium white onion

1 head garlic, halved crosswise

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 smoked ham hock (about 4 ounces)

2 jalapeno chiles, halved lengthwise (optional)

1 tablespoon coarse salt

2 teaspoons paprika

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions

Combine soaked beans, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, and ham hock, and jalapenos if desired, in a heavy 6-quart pot, and cover with water by 3 inches. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until beans are tender, adding more water if needed to keep beans covered, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Remove onion, garlic, and jalapenos from pot; discard. Remove ham hock, and reserve for another use. Ladle out cooking liquid and reserve, until it covers beans by only 1/4 inch. Add salt, paprika, and pepper. Using a potato masher, mash beans into a coarse puree, adding reserved liquid if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Reheat in a 350-degree oven in a skillet (preferably cast-iron), adding water if needed, about 20 minutes.

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Quinoa Salad With Almonds, Coconut, Apple and Asian Flavors

Quinoa Salad With Almonds, Coconut, Apple and Asian Flavors

Quinoa is cooked in carrot juice to give this healthy grain a huge boost of vitamin C and beta-carotene. The original recipe comes from Eating Well magazine and was far too sweet for my taste so I gave it an Asian flair by adding garlic, a fresh red chile, some green onion and a drizzle of sesame oil. The end result was light, flavorful and more balanced. A very welcome change from all of the heavy winter braises and gravies that I've been making.  Here's to Spring! Enjoy!

Recipe: Quinoa Salad With Almonds, Coconut, Apple and Asian Flavors

Adapted from Eating Well; March 2010

Ingredients

1/3 cup of slivered almonds (1-1/2 oz.)

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1/2 cup onion, diced

2 tablespoons ginger, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 fresh red chile, finely diced (optional)

1 cup quinoa

2 cups 100% carrot juice

1 cup frozen peas

1 medium apple, diced

1/3 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened

Directions

Toast almonds in saucepan over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes, or until fragrant and beginning to brown, stirring often. Cool.

Wipe out saucepan; add oil and onion. Saute onion 2 to 3 minutes, or until translucent, stirring occasionally.

Stir in ginger and garlic and chile (if using),  and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add quinoa and carrot juice. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, or untill all of the liquid is absorbed.

Remove from heat, and scatter peas over cooked quinoa. Cover and let stand 10 minutes, until peas have thawed.

Stir in apple, coconut, almonds, green onion into salad. Drizzle with toasted sesame oil. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Jameson Whiskey-Braised Pork Shoulder With Irish Colcannon

Jameson Whiskey-Braised Pork Shoulder With Irish Colcannon

I clipped this from the Chicago Tribune last year and it turned out to be voted reader's favorite recipe of the year from their food section!  It was created by chef Dirk Flanigan of The Gage restaurant in Chicago and is it ever wonderful. Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish with buttery creamy mashed potatoes folded into a mix of tender savoy cabbage, leeks and onions that have been sauteed. Divine! This would be an excellent side dish whether you put it with corned beef or the pork shoulder.  The pork shoulder is braised in Jameson whiskey and the sauce is later reduced for a very intense and flavorful sauce to be drizzled over the pork. Manly said I was hereby released from making the obligatory boiled dinner for St. Patrick's Day but now must make this recipe instead. I will be very happy to do just that. Enjoy!

Recipe: Jameson Whiskey-Braised Pork Shoulder With Irish Colcannon

Originally published March 11, 2009

Prep: 40 minutes

Cook: 3 hours, 35 minutes

Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 pork shoulder (3-4 pounds), boned, tied

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper plus more to taste

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 each, chopped: yellow onion, carrot

3 sprigs fresh thyme

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1 1/4 cups whiskey

2 quarts chicken broth

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Colcannon:

1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cooked, peeled

3/4 cup whipping cream

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 small savoy cabbage, very thinly sliced

2 leeks, sliced

1 yellow onion, diced

10 sprigs parsley, chopped

Directions

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Season the pork with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add meat; brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove meat to plate. Add onion and carrot to the Dutch oven. Cook until vegetables are lightly caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add thyme, garlic, bay leaf and dry mustard; cook 1 minute. Add whiskey; cook, stirring up browned bits, until liquid reduces by half, about 5 minutes. Stir in broth, brown sugar, nutmeg and black pepper to taste. Add meat; cover. Roast until the meat is tender, about 3 hours.

2. Meanwhile, for colcannon, mash potatoes in a large bowl. Mix in the cream and half of the butter. Season with pepper and salt; set aside. Melt the remaining butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add cabbage, leeks and onion. Cook until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 8 minutes. Fold vegetables into potatoes; stir in the chopped parsley. Keep warm.

3. Remove braised pork from oven; cool 10 minutes. Transfer meat to cutting board. Strain liquid into a fat separator (or skim off fat); return liquid to pan. Cook over medium-high heat until reduced by three-quarters, about 15-20 minutes; set aside. Cut pork shoulder into thick slices. Spoon colcannon onto dinner plates. Place pork slices on the colcannon; spoon reduced juices around the plate.

Nutrition Information

Per serving: 898 calories, 55% of calories from fat, 54 g fat, 24 g saturated fat, 228 mg cholesterol, 37 g carbohydrates, 62 g protein, 2,161 mg sodium, 5 g fiber

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Paula Deen's Loaded Oatmeal Cookies with Brown Butter Icing

Paula Deen's Loaded Oatmeal Cookies with Brown Butter Icing

I was delighted when Chefmikey (see end of post) came out to visit us on Tuesday. With his culinary classes and his full-time job we don't get to see him as often as we'd like these days. Anyway, when ever he comes out this way he likes to stay up late and bake cookies (and trash my kitchen). But the last couple of times he did this the end result wasn't very good and I ended up tossing them after he left. So when he wanted to make cookies this time I asked him nicely, in that way that mother's have, not to and explained why. And he said, in that way that cocky young way culinary students have, "That sounds like a challenge to me mom". Uh boy. My response? "Don't trash my kitchen!" So after much bluster and fury he brought a warm batch of these to Manly and I and we flipped! The brown butter icing is what really takes these over the edge. To die for and these will not be getting tossed into the trash (and he more or less cleaned up after himself). The only amendments he made to this recipe was to use craisins instead of the raisins and he added chocolate chips because, why wouldn't you? One warning about the icing: Don't make it until all the cookies are baked. It is very hard to keep it at the right consistency if you try to ice each batch as you go. If you've been looking for a knock out oatmeal cookie this is definitely it. Enjoy!

Recipe: Paula Deen's Loaded Oatmeal Cookies with Brown Butter Icing

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
Makes about 5 dozen

Ingredients

    * 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
    * 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
    * 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
    * 2 eggs
    * 1/2 cup buttermilk
    * 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
    * 1 teaspoon baking soda
    * 1/2 teaspoon salt
    * 1 teaspoon baking powder
    * 1 teaspoon ground ginger
    * 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
    * 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    * 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
    * 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
    * 2 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
    * 1 cup raisins
    * 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
    * 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    
    * Brown Butter Icing, recipe follows

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease 1 or more cookie sheets. Using an electric mixer, cream together butter, shortening, and sugar in a bowl until fluffy. Add eggs and beat until mixture is light in color. Add buttermilk. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice; stir into creamed mixture. Fold in oatmeal, raisins, walnuts, and vanilla, blending well. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Drizzle with Brown Butter Icing.

Brown Butter Icing:
    * 1/2 cup butter
    * 3 cups sifted powdered sugar
    * 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    * 3 to 4 tablespoons water

In a small saucepan heat the butter over medium heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in 3 cups sifted powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in enough water (3 to 4 tablespoons) to make an icing of drizzling consistency. Drizzle on warm cookies.

Yield: enough to ice 5 dozen cookies

P.S. This is Chefmikey at 2 years old after he pulled a bag of flour of the kitchen counter onto himself! Ah sweet irony!

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Pan-Grilled Pork Chops with Grilled Pineapple Salsa and Poblano-Cilantro Rice

Pan-Grilled Pork Chops with Grilled Pineapple Salsa and Poblano-Cilantro Rice

Manly saw a lovely looking package of pork chops while he was at the grocery store and couldn't resist them. Pork chops are probably my least favorite part of the pig but I decided to make the best of it and made them with this grilled pineapple salsa to counteract the boringness of said pork chops. The salsa was phenomenal and really perked up this dinner and gave me an excuse to make my all-time favorite Mexican rice. I've been making it for years and it goes so perfectly with anything Mexican you'll never make that sticky, tomato sauced "Spanish" rice ever again. The salsa can be served over some pork tenderloin, chicken, fish or just with some tortilla chips. The poblano-cilantro rice as the side dish will make you very happy indeed. Enjoy!

Recipe: Pork Chops with Grilled Pineapple Salsa and Poblano-Cilantro Rice

Cooking Light, MARCH 2010

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chop and about 1/2 cup salsa)

Ingredients

4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice, divided

4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices pineapple

1 medium red onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

1 tablespoon minced jalapeño pepper

Combine pork and 1 tablespoon juice; let stand 10 minutes. 

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pineapple and onion; cook 4 minutes on each side or until onion is tender. Coarsely chop pineapple and onion; combine in a medium bowl with remaining 2 teaspoons lime juice, jalapeño, and 1/8 teaspoon salt.

Sprinkle pork with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Heat grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done.

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 215 ; FAT 7g (sat 2.5g,mono 3.1g,poly 0.5g); CHOLESTEROL 70mg; CALCIUM 42mg; CARBOHYDRATE 10.9g; SODIUM 416mg; PROTEIN 26.4g; FIBER 1.4g; IRON 1mg

Recipe: Poblano Pepper-Cilantro Rice

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2005

Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil

* 1/2 cup chopped white onions

* 2 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, stemmed, seeded, and coarsely chopped

* 2 teaspoons chopped garlic

* 1 teaspoon ground cumin

* 1/2 teaspoon salt

* 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish

* 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley leaves

* 1 3/4 cups chicken stock

* 1 cup long-grain white rice

Directions

In a medium saucepan, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and chiles and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, salt, cilantro and parsley, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and transfer to a blender with 1/2 cup of the stock. Process on high speed until smooth.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the pan over medium heat. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until translucent, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the puree and cook, stirring, to evaporate most of the liquid, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining stock, stir and cover, and lower the heat to medium-low. Simmer without stirring, until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit without stirring for 10 to 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve, garnished with additional cilantro.

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Asian-Style Braised Sticky Short Ribs with Kumquat-Scallion-Chile Rice

Asian-Style Braised Sticky Short Ribs with Kumquat-Scallion-Chile Rice

I always thought this recipe was an example of the Chinese cooking technique called Red Cooking but it turns out that that is only partially true. I think the term has become loosely associated with braised meat. Red Cooking, in fact, involves two critical steps. The first is indeed slow braising which this dish involves and where the similarity ends. The second is the making of a sugar syrup that spices are then added to create a sticky and flavorful glaze usually including a selection of whole spices such as star anise, black cardamom, cassia cinnamon or fennel seeds. For this recipe sugar and star anise are included in the soy braising liquid then when the short ribs are done the liquid gets reduced, poured over the ribs and then the ribs are put back in the oven until they are nice and glazed. So technically not the same but the end result is pretty close and darn good!

I have made this recipe so many times I can't even count. There are a couple of suggestions I would like to make that I think would be helpful. This dish can be made all on the same day which is usually how I do it but making it the day before has two advantages. The first being that you're giving the flavors a chance to meld and mellow. The second, is that all of the considerable amount of fat will harden allowing you remove close to all of it. Good for health reasons yes but also by removing the fat the sauce will reduce faster and more properly. The original recipe stated that the reduction time was about 15 minutes. Mine always takes anywhere from 30-60 minutes. My other suggestion is to use a lower sodium version of a naturally brewed soy sauce like Tamari because it will give you a great depth of flavor without the reduction becoming too salty. This recipe can be put together in about 15 minutes and put in the oven for 3 hours during which time you can watch TV and eat Bon Bons if you like or come back here and catch up on my latest recipe :). Enjoy!

Recipe: Asian-Style Beef Short Ribs 
Adapted from Emeril Lagasse

Serves 4

Ingredients

* 5 pounds beef short ribs, cut into 4-ounce portions

* 1 cup low sodium Tamari or soy sauce

* 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

* 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

* 3 (5-inch) stalk lemongrass, halved and smashed
* 4 whole star anise
* 1 3-inch cinnamon stick

* 2 tablespoon peeled and minced ginger

* 1/2 cup light brown sugar

* 1 quart water

* 1/2 cup sliced green onion bottoms, white part only

* 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

* 1/4 cup fresh orange juice

* 1/4 cup hoisin sauce

* 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

* Jasmine Rice, for serving (see below for an alternative)

* 2 teaspoons finely grated orange rind, for serving

* Sliced green onion tops, sliced kumquats and/or Chinese chive blossoms, optional for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a wide stockpot or Dutch oven, combine the short ribs, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, brown sugar, water, green onion bottoms, crushed red pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the orange juice. Make sure that the stockpot is deep enough so that the short ribs are submerged in the liquid.

Bake the short ribs, covered, for about 3 hours, or until the meat is tender and falling off the bones. Remove the short ribs from the braising liquid and cover to keep warm. Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F.

Drain the fat off of the cooking liquid and discard. Place the remaining braising juices in a medium saucepan with 1/4 cup of the hoisin sauce and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the liquid until only about 1 1/4 cups remain. Strain through a fine-meshed strainer, discarding the solids. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of orange juice and the lemon juice.

Return the short ribs and the reduced sauce to the stockpot or Dutch oven, coating the short ribs well with the sauce. Bake for 10 minutes, until the short ribs are heated through and slightly glazed. Serve hot over jasmine rice. Season each portion with the orange zest and garnish with the green onions if desired.

After 10 years of making this recipe with plain white rice I decided to ratchet it up this time and I met with amazing results. I wanted to emphasize the orange citrus flavor from the sauce and add a little heat for contrast. I have never even eaten a kumquat until about a week ago and was truly shocked by the complex flavor of them. If you are unfamiliar, the whole fruit is eaten with the peel having a sweet orange flavor and the flesh being sour-salty. Very intense and quite wonderful! I threw a handful of them into a food processor and chopped them up very fine then added a couple of handfuls of finely sliced scallions and a diced hot chile pepper. This was added to the rice a few minutes before it was done. Dynamite with the short ribs!

"And the funniest word of all...? Kumquat!" -George Carlin. So true. So True.

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Grilled Sweet Potato-Poblano Salad with Honey, Lime, Cilantro and Pepitas

Grilled Sweet Potato-Poblano Salad with Honey, Lime, Cilantro and Pepitas

February was Beet 'N Squash You Battle: Sweet Potato. If you are unfamiliar, Leela of She Simmers and Mel of Gourmet Fury host "a monthly food fight wherein the stupendous virtues of vegetables are extolled".  My Sweet Potato Empanada dough was certainly unique but I like to try to prepare brand new recipes for these friendly contests as I believe that to be the whole point. I used my indoor grill pan for this so I didn't have to save making it until Summer. This is great on it's own for a satisfying lunch but can also be a side dish for simply prepared chicken or pork chops. If you will notice in the picture there are no pumpkin seeds strewn atop my colorful salad. It was one of many changes that I made to this recipe yet I still somehow forgot all about them. I was sorry really sorry I had because the salty, crunchy qualities of those little pepitas would have been a welcome contrast to this delicious salad. Oops. I hope you fancy my challenge entry as much as we did. Enjoy!

Recipe: Grilled Sweet Potato-Poblano Salad with Honey, Lime, Cilantro and Pepitas

Great Liberty was taken from Bon Appétit | July 2009 issue

by Fred Thompson

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons honey

Zest of 1 lime

1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon minced shallot (about 1 small), or red onion

1/2 teaspoon New Mexican Chile Powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 cup olive oil (I used macadamia nut oil)

2 1/2 pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams), peeled, quartered lengthwise

Canola oil or vegetable oil (for brushing)

1 fresh poblano chiles (about 8 ounces total),* seeded, diced

1/2 each red and yellow bellow pepper, chopped

1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced diagonally (about 2)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

A handful of pepitas (pumpkin seeds), toasted

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Whisk first 7 ingredients in small bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cook sweet potatoes in large saucepan of boiling salted water until just barely tender (this is important otherwise the potatoes will fall apart on the grill or when you toss them in the salad), about 6 minutes. Drain; run under cold water to cool. Cover and chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.

Preheat barbecue (high heat). Brush potato wedges with canola oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill potatoes until grill marks appear, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer potatoes to work surface. Cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces. Place potatoes, poblanos, bell peppers green onions, and parsley in large bowl. Drizzle dressing over; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.

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Pistachio Baklava with Orange-Cardamom Syrup and Dried Lavender

Pistachio Baklava with Orange-Cardamom Syrup and Dried Lavender

The history of baklava is a long one indeed. A variation of this delightful fragrant pastry is believed to have been created by the Assyrians as far back  as the 8th century BC using a thin bread dough instead of the paper thin phyllo that we know today. Phyllo sheets were the Greek's contribution to the development of this dish and thus named because in Greek "phyllo" means "leaf". Up until the late 18th century this was a dessert of the regions royal palaces and wealthy estates as pistachios and honey were believed to be aphrodisiacs. The addition of cinnamon for women and cardamom for the man (added to mix by the Armenians) augmented this belief. For a more detailed history and a wonderful YouTube video of how to make Turkish Phyllo by hand and amazing looking baklava click here. I really wanted to put the video on this page but don't know how to embed it. It's in Turkish but you will adore the enthusiasm and pride of the, I'm assuming, owner who proudly shows the beauty and craftsmanship of this amazing tradition.

When I did my Greek Mezethes for The Daring Cooks Challenge last month I had no time left to prepare a dessert to end the wonderful meal I had created (as is often the case around here) but had clipped the following version of baklava from Bon Appetit in January and was determined to make it even if it meant that there would be no dinner on the table that night!

The following was contributed to Bon Appetit by Molly Wizenberg, creator of the Orangette blog and author of "A Homemade Life". I believe Molly really outdid herself with this recipe. It is by far the best baklava I have ever eaten. With toasted nuts and a beautifully fragrant orange and cardamom syrup that is much lighter and cleaner tasting than the cloying honey syrup that is usually used. I revved up the orange flavor by adding some orange peel to the syrup. I had to augment the pistachios with some whole almonds because I didn't have enough despite Manly spending an hour in front of the TV shelling them for me. He's my rock star. The only other addition was a generous sprinkling of lavender flowers over the top to add some color and a subtle perfume to the mix. The lavender is not at all critical to this recipe and a sprinkling of powdered sugar would more than suffice. You will truly be transported to another place and time with this ancient dessert made anew. Enjoy!

Recipe:Pistachio Baklava with Orange-Cardamom Syrup and Dried Lavender

Makes about 30 pieces

Adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine; January 2010

Original recipe by Molly Wizenberg

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups plus 8 tablespoons sugar, divided

1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest

1 1/4 cups fresh orange juice

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom

2 cups shelled pistachios, toasted

1 cup whole almonds, toasted

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

30 14x9-inch sheets fresh phyllo pastry or frozen, thawed (from one 16-ounce package)

Dried Lavender Flowers (optional)

Directions

Simmer 1 3/4 cups sugar and orange zest and orange juice in saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil over medium heat until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 8 minutes. (This really foamed up on me and might have gone over had I not been watching so be careful). Add cardamom. Cool syrup.

Place nuts and 2 tablespoons sugar in processor. Using on/off turns, process until most of nuts are finely ground (the largest pieces should be the size of small peas). Mix nuts, 6 tablespoons sugar, and cinnamon in medium bowl.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish with some of melted butter. Place 1 phyllo sheet on bottom of dish. Brush lightly with melted butter. Repeat 9 more times with phyllo and melted butter. Sprinkle half of pistachio mixture (about 1 1/2 cups) evenly over phyllo. Place 1 phyllo sheet over nuts; brush lightly with butter. Repeat 9 more times with phyllo sheets and melted butter. Sprinkle remaining pistachio mixture evenly over. Place 1 phyllo sheet atop nuts; brush with butter. Repeat 9 more times with phyllo sheets and melted butter.

Using sharp knife, cut diagonally through top phyllo layer from top left corner to bottom right corner. Cut top layer of phyllo into 1-inch-wide rows parallel to both sides of first cut. Turn pan and cut rows about 2 1/4 inches wide, forming diamond pattern.

Bake baklava until golden brown and crisp, 50 to 55 minutes. Drizzle syrup evenly over hot baklava. Cool in pan on rack. Recut baklava along lines all the way through layers. DO AHEAD Baklava can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

Garnish with dried lavender flowers, if desired.

Nutritional Information

One serving (1 piece) contains the following:

Calories (kcal) 222.0

%Calories from Fat 50.4

Fat (g) 12.4

Saturated Fat (g) 4.6

Cholesterol (mg) 16.0

Carbohydrates (g) 25.0

Dietary Fiber (g) 1.7

Total Sugars (g) 14.4

Net Carbs (g) 23.4
Protein (g) 3.7

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Mexican "Aztec" Hot Chocolate Ice Cream

Mexican "Aztec" Hot Chocolate Ice Cream

For my first submission to Gourmet Unbound I chose to make a Mexican Chocolate Ice Cream using Gourmet's wonderful version from February 2003 as a starting point and combined it with some ideas from David Lebovitz' variation for Aztec Hot Chocolate Ice Cream from "The Perfect Scoop". What resulted was an ice cream that had multiple layers of flavor all playing around together inside a rich creamy dark chocolate base. Heavenly!

You can use all half-and-half if you would prefer. I don't think the end result would suffer much. The Mexican chocolate used here is the kind that is used to make Mexican hot chocolate and of course if you don't have Mexican vanilla by all means use regular. One more note: the use of the chile powders is optional but I do think you will lose some of the complexity. I started my adding a teaspoon of ancho powder at a time until I was happy. I then started with an 1/8th of a teaspoon of the chipotle powder and upped it to 1/4. I should have stayed at an eighth. It didn't ruin it by any means but it got spicier as it chilled and froze and was just a hair too much but it sure amplified the chocolate flavor and added an amazing contrast. Enjoy!

Recipe: Mexican "Aztec" Hot Chocolate Ice Cream

Ingredients

2-3/4 cup half-and-half

1 cup heavy cream

11 oz. Mexican chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla

pinch of salt

2-3 teaspoons ground ancho chile powder

1/8-1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle powder

2 tablespoons bourbon or brandy

Directions

Heat half-and-half and heavy cream in a sauce pan until it starts to foam. Add chocolate and whisk until its completely dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, salt, chile powders and bourbon.

Carefully pour mixture into a blender and blend for 30 seconds. Chill mixture thoroughly. Pour into your ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions for your machine.

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Pork Loin with Apples-Prune Mustard Sauce, Browned Butter-Caraway Noodles and Sweet -Sour Red Cabbage

Pork Loin with Apples-Prune Mustard Sauce, Browned Butter-Caraway Noodles and Sweet -Sour Red Cabbage

I recently discovered a series of Swedish crimes novels that I'm really enjoying. I like crime novels for their intrigue and suspense but have read all of latest and greatest American authors and have grown quite tired of them. They've become formulaic, predictable and in may cases could be understood (or even written) by a third grader. Are there exceptions? Of course. My commentary is a gross generality only expressed here to highlight my love of this particular series. The Millenium Series by Stieg Larsson (1954-2004) and published posthumously are by far the best crime novels I've read since Michael Connelly's "The Poet". There are three novels in the series and unfortunately that is all there will be. I had just finished the second only to discover that  I now have to wait  for the US release of the third book until May! Arrrgh!

All of this romping around Sweden solving murders makes a girl hungry! Pork loin stuffed with apples and prunes can be found in one form or another in most Scandinavian countries and I like to think that Mr. Larsson supped on this very thing to feed his mind and his soul while writing these fantastic books.

  

I put these three separate recipes together for dinner a couple of nights ago and they went together famously! The pork roast was juicy, the sauce had a light sweetness from the fruit with a mild tang from the mustard. The noodles were warm and fragrant and the more sweet than sour red cabbage balanced the meal out perfectly. Njuta av! (Enjoy!)

Recipe: Pork Loin with Apples, Prunes, and Mustard Cream Sauce

Gourmet magazine; February 2004

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

1 (4-lb) boneless pork loin roast, tied by butcher

1 3/4 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 Granny Smith apples (3/4 lb total)

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 cup packed dried pitted prunes (4 1/2 ounces), quartered

1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (12 ounces)

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons coarse-grain mustard

1/2 cup dry white wine

Directions

Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.

Halve pork loin crosswise, then pat dry and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper(total). Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown pork, 1 piece at a time, turning occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes per piece. Transfer to a small flameproof roasting pan as browned (do not clean skillet) and roast pork until thermometer inserted diagonally at least 2 inches into meat registers 150°F, 40 to 50 minutes.

While pork roasts, peel, quarter, and core apples, then cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet, then cook onion in skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add apples, prunes, broth, and water and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until apples are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in cream and mustard and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and keep sauce warm, partially covered.

Transfer pork to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes. Add wine to roasting pan and boil over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir pan juices into cream sauce along with remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 3/4 teaspoon pepper and heat sauce over moderate heat, stirring, until hot.

Discard string from pork and cut each half crosswise into 4 slices. Serve pork with sauce.

Recipe: Browned Butter Caraway Noodles

Bon Appetit; November 1995

Serves 8

Ingredients

8 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

2-1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds

16 ounces fettuccine

Directions

Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. When butter foams, add caraway seeds. Reduce heat to low and cook until butter is light brown, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Cook fettuccine in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Return pasta to same pot. Add browned butter; stir over low heat until coated, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and serve.

Recipe: Red Cabbage with Onions and Apples

Serves 8

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

2 medium sized onions, peeled and thinly sliced

1 medium head red cabbage, quartered and thinly sliced

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4-1/2 cup currant jelly, to your liking

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a deep casserole sauté the onions in the butter over a medium heat until translucent. Add the cabbage and sauté until slightly wilted (about 15 minutes). Add apples, lemon juice, vinegar and currant jelly and mix well. When this mixture comes to a simmer cover loosely and place in the oven. Cook for 2 hours.

Can be made two days ahead and reheated in the oven. (Actually it gets better after one day.)

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Flank Steak with Sauerbraten-Style Sauce, Potato Gnocchi and Red Cabbage with Apples and Onions

Flank Steak with Sauerbraten-Style Sauce, Potato Gnocchi and Red Cabbage with Apples and Onions

As a family of Germans (mostly) we love the rare occasion to make a big fuss and marinate a beef brisket for days to make the meat insanely sour and then spend half a day trashing the kitchen and getting flour everywhere making Kartoffelkloesse (potato dumplings) the size of baseballs. Oh and the gingersnap gravy! Heaven. German comfort food. {Sigh}...it is to make one weep. Unfortunately we no longer live near any of our family and are new to the Chicago area so it's totally impractical to go through all of that work and mess for two people (maybe three if Chefmikey comes for a visit). Besides, sometimes you just want your comfort food and you want it now! All of that said, I was really excited when my mom told me about this recipe that she discovered of Rachel Ray's a few years ago. Is it as fabulous as the real deal? Of course not! Is it close enough to make you happy and want to lick your plate when no one is looking? Yep! The queen of the 30-minute meal really outdid herself on this one. I'm not a big fan but I have to admit that every once in a while she comes up with a doozy.

I made this recipe even simpler and at least a little more realistic by boiling gnocchi instead of making the mashed potatoes. I have made these mashed potatoes and they are wonderful but we prefer the little dumplings. I also generally play with the vinegar/gingersnap ratio toward the end of making the gravy. A weeknight trip to Germany, what could be better? Guten Appetit!

Recipe: Mockbraten (Flank Steak with Sauerbraten Style Sauce), Smashed Potatoes with Horseradish and Chives, Red Cabbage with Apple and Onions

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

 Ingredients

* 2 dried bay leaves

* 1/3 cup cider vinegar, eyeball it

* 3 tablespoons sugar

* 2 tablespoons grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning)

* 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, eyeball it

* 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 pounds flank steak

* 2 medium onions

* 4 tablespoons butter, divided

* 1 large green apple

* Salt and pepper

* 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated or ground, eyeball it

* 3 pounds red skin potatoes, quartered

* 1 cup sour cream

* 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

* 3 tablespoons chives, chopped or snipped

* 1 (18 ounce) jar cooked red cabbage, available on specialty foods aisle

* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

* 1/2 cup dry red wine

* 1 1/2 cups beef stock, about 1/3 of a 1 quart box

* 1 rounded tablespoon Dijon mustard

* 6 gingersnaps, finely crumbled

Directions

Mix bay, cider, sugar, grill seasoning and vegetable oil in the bottom of a large food storage bag, squish it all together until evenly combined. Drop the meat into the bag and move it around to evenly coat it. Let stand 10 to 12 minutes. Preheat a grill pan or indoor/outdoor grill to high.

Thinly slice 1 1/2 onions and reserve 1/2 onion whole but peeled. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter and melt it. Add the sliced onions to the pan. Peel, core and slice the apple and add it to the onions. Season the apples and onions with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cook the apples and onions 5 or 6 minutes, then add cooked red cabbage and combine then reduce heat to low. Set aside and keep warm.

Place meat on grill and let a bay leaf remain stuck on each steak. As the meat cooks, the heat will infuse the flavor throughout the meat. Cook steaks about 6 minutes on each side. Then, let meat rest. Discard leaves.

While meat cooks, place potatoes in a pot and cover with water, bring water to a boil then salt it. Cook potatoes 10 to 12 minutes or until tender. Drain potatoes and return to the hot pot. Mash them with sour cream, horseradish and chives and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Potatoes will be thick and spicy. If you like looser mashed potatoes, add a little milk or stock, continue to smash.

While potatoes cook, remove the red cabbage to a serving bowl and cover with foil. In the same skillet that the cabbage was cooked in, add 2 tablespoons butter. Melt butter then grate the reserved 1/2 onion with a hand held grater into the butter. Cook the grated onions 2 minutes then add flour and cook a minute more. Whisk in red wine and cook off a minute then whisk in stock and bring to a simmer. Stir in mustard and gingersnaps and season the sauce with salt and pepper. Let sauce thicken a couple of minutes.

Thinly slice the flank steak on an angle against the grain. Place a mound of potatoes on each dinner plate. Lay out some sliced flank steak along the edge of potatoes and dress with a ladle of sauer-sauce. Serve red cabbage, apples and onions alongside or in small side dishes.

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