Tonight’s dish is a request/challenge from a friend of mine. He told me this recipe for Chili Verde from Chef John is the best he ever tried and he thought I could ‘massage’ the recipe so it could be made for one. Well, I did some additional research and came up with the tweaked recipe below. Normally, chili verde is made with pork, but tonight I was feeling like chicken so that is what I used. Of course, you could substitute pork into this recipe and it would be great. Next time I will make this recipe with pork, maybe adjusted for sous vide to up the challenge. And since it is National Margarita Day, I paired this meal with a Mexican Mule…
Are you ready for another ‘comfort food’ dish? Tonight, I made spaghetti and meatballs. To fit the bill for comfort food and satisfy my hunger, I wanted the meatballs well seasoned and the sauce flavorful. For the meatballs, I used a mixture of beef and pork spiced with traditional Italian flavors of onion, garlic, parsley, basil and oregano. I then made a green pepper and fire roasted tomato sauce with sweetness from a grated carrot and a spicy hint of smoked paprika. This dish fires on all cylinders for me – tender and flavorful meatballs under a blanket of robust red sauce on a bed of thin spaghetti, accented with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese. To be honest, I should have made this dish on a…
As promised last week when I made kimchi, I came up with a radical new dish that uses it. I am taking liberties with my earlier Rouladen recipe by marinating some thin beef round steak in bulgogi marinade that will be wrapped around the kimchi and then seared. Served simply with steamed rice, more kimchi, and green onions as a garnish, I want this rouladen to be the star. Are you ready for a German/Korean fusion dish? I am… so let’s get cooking! Save Print Bulgogi Rouladen Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 15 mins Total time: 35 mins Serves: 1 Ingredients 1 6oz thinly sliced beef round steak, approximately ¼ inch thick 2 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp…
I know you all have a friend that reminisces about something from their childhood or neighborhood where they grew up. My friend from Chicago routinely grouses about not being able to enjoy a Chicago-style Italian Beef Sandwich. Being in the Pacific Northwest, he just has not found anything that claims to be Chicago-style Italian Beef compare to what he enjoys back home. So, after a lot of research I decided to take the challenge to silence his fussing and try to satisfy that taste of his hometown. Now I have never been to Chicago so I have no way to compare, but this sandwich was delicious, incredibly delicious, insanely delicious… so I think it was a success. His take on it… a solid thumbs…
Tonight I am making a simple, but tasty Hungarian bean and sausage soup – bableves kolbásszal. Since finding this gyulai kolbalsz at a local international market, I searched for recipes to try with it. This recipe is a mash-up of several I found on Hungarian blogs and web sites. I think the sausage is the star, but do not count out the supporting players, These supporting ingredients bring a wonderful depth of flavor – turnips, parsnips, carrots, onion, parsley, garlic and of course… bacon! Add sour cream and vinegar and this soup has pizazz! Give this hearty and flavorful soup a chance and you’ll be celebrating Hungarian cuisine like me! Save Print Bableves Kolbásszal Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: …
Do you ever get a hankering for a certain flavor or dish? Tonight, I really wanted a robust yellow curry but did not feel like going out. So… I made it for myself. I increased the variety of vegetables and flavors with two types of peppers, pickled galangal and ginger, and sambal. I paired it with jasmine rice, but I bet it would work just as well with thin rice noodles. The results were delicious, if I say so myself. This dish really satisfied my ‘hankering’ for yellow curry. I can’t wait until I get that hankering again! Save Print Yellow Curry Chicken Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 35 mins Serves: 1 Ingredients…
I know, you can get this soup from a can. Campbell’s Chunky, Progresso, etc… there are plenty of options. Most are tasty and make for a quick meal. Yet, making clam chowder at home is really easy. I challenge you to try this recipe and even tweak it as you desire. I am positive you will enjoy the results. Since this recipe makes enough for two as a perfect first course or appetizer, maybe you can use this dish to get your Valentine’s Day dinner started off on a delicious note! Save Print Clam Chowder Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 45 mins Serves: 2 Ingredients 6 oz chopped clams 1½ cups golden…
As promised, here is the post on how I use leftover sauerbraten and gravy to make a stew. The stew aspect of this recipe is pretty straightforward – cook potatoes, celery, carrot, and onion in beef stock/broth with a little seasoning of summer savory and thyme. Then simply add the cubed leftover sauerbraten and gravy to heat through and meld the flavors. Easy? Yes, indeed. Tasty? Oh you bet! I don’t always do leftovers, but when I do… I want them to be fantastic! Save Print Sauerbraten Stew Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 3 hours Total time: 3 hours 15 mins Serves: 2 Ingredients 8 oz leftover sauerbraten, cubed 1 cup (more or less) leftover sauerbraten gravy 1…
Have a hankering for carnitas? Well, let me tell you that cooking it sous vide style will blow your mind! When cooking for one, portion control is the toughest aspect. If you make too much, you either fall prey to over-eating or having to ‘enjoy’ that same dish numerous days in a row or eventually you end up throwing the extras out as waste. Carnitas is a dish that I have not typically made since it involves cooking a pork shoulder for a long time over moderate heat. The results are wonderful, but it makes too much for one person in my opinion. Today, I used sous vide to help me overcome that issue while using a lean cut of pork. And the results were…
As promised in my Friday post, here is the rest (and the best part) of the sauerbraten recipe. Today we will cook this flavorful beef roast and create a rich gravy from the marinade/cooking liquid. I paired this sauerbraten with butter fried porcini egg noodles and roasted cauliflower. Other possible sides for sauerbraten are roasted potatoes, sweet and sour red cabbage, spaetzle, mashed potatoes, braised cabbage, and a host of other tasty dishes. Are you ready to enjoy this delicious German roast beef dish? I hope so because I certainly am… Save Print Sauerbraten Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 2 hours Total time: 2 hours 10 mins Serves: 2 Ingredients 1½ 2 lbs of marinated beef bottom round roast…