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Category: Main Dish
Have you ever thought about cooking something based on a concept? Well, that is where this recipe comes from. One day I was watching an old Western movie (I think it was Red River with John Wayne) and during a scene at the chuckwagon, I thought about what the cook would have available to make a dinner for the cowboys. Thinking they would not be able to use many fresh ingredients, I began to formulate a recipe from what may be available on a chuckwagon – dry beans, dried chilis, dried or preserved meats, dried herbs, etc. Now… I will admit I did not research this topic at all. There may actually be a website or book that contains a list of what a chuckwagon carried and…
Tonight I decided to enjoy the grill like many people do on this long Labor Day weekend. I decided to go with grilled steak and prawns on a bed of orzo and grilled corn on the cob. But let’s face it, it needs to be kicked up a bit. So… the steak is grilled with Montreal Seasoning, the prawns marinaded in orange, ginger and garlic then grilled with the marinade as a glaze, the orzo has red pepper, shallots, and garlic, and the corn on the cob is buttered and seasoned with shichimi togarishi. For this dinner, I am going to create dedicated posts for each part (main, side one and side two.). Are you ready to get cooking? Surf and Turf Ingredients: 8 oz…
Tonight, let’s have some fun with rice flakes. I don’t know many people that do not enjoy pad see ew, pad kee mao, drunken noodles, etc but I also don’t know many people that cook with rice flakes so they can enjoy these type of meals at home. Well, we are going to change that with this recipe! Asparagus Beef with Rice Flakes Ingredients: 6 oz thin sliced beef, sliced into strips 1/2 lb asparagus spears, cut into 1 inch sections 1 carrot, peeled and sliced on a bias 1 stalk celery, cut on bias 1/2 red pepper (diced or sliced, your preference) 2 tsp garlic, minced 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil togarishi shichimi 4 oz rice flakes white…
I know… a chicken dinner can be boring. Or bland. Or both. Let me show you one way to simply reinvigorate this dinner staple. Pan Seared Chicken Breast on Cheesy Browned Butter Farfalle with Sauteed Balsamic Brussel Sprouts Ingredients: 1 boneless and skinless chicken breast Drizzle of olive oil 1 1/2 cups brussel sprouts, cleaned and halved 1 cup of farfalle pasta 4 cups of water 1 1/2 tbsp Rosemary Garlic Seasoning 1/2 cup shredded 3 cheese mix (Asiago, Parmesan, Romano) 4 tsp olive oil, divided 4 tsp butter, divided 4 tbsp dry vermouth, divided 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 tsp chopped parsley salt and pepper to taste Preparation: In a medium saucepan, heat water to boiling for the pasta. Lightly coat the chicken…
OK, I know many do not know what the sous-vide method of cooking is (or do not understand or trust it) and it can seem scary… but only if you don’t follow good practices. Basically, sous-vide is cooking foods placed in a vacuum in a water bath that is kept at a stable temperature. And those are the keys… the vacuum and stable temperature. Now you may be thinking, I want a crust or grill marks on my steak… not just a hunk of pink or gray meat on my plate. I agree with you and that is the beauty in this process. Sous-vide cooks the meat to the desired doneness (and no further since the meat can never be…
Back in the What? Prepare a weekly menu! Are you crazy? post, I mentioned using pulled pork and kimchi leftovers for a pork kimchi fried rice. For those of you that have been waiting (or wondering if I would make that dish!), your wait is over. Today I made this recipe for lunch – I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Pulled Pork and Kimchi Fried Rice 1 1/2 cups of pulled pork, cut as desired 1 cup of kimchi, cut (using scissors in a glass bowl to save your cutting boards!) 1 egg, whisked 2 dashes Ichimi togarishi 1/2 red pepper, diced 1 stalk celery, sliced 1 tsp garlic, minced 1 tbsp peanut oil 1 tsp sesame oil 2 tsp Tabasco spicy…
Tonight’s dinner is simple and fast – and has a little bit of kick from cooking with tequila and lime! Margarita Fajitas Ingredients: 6 oz thin sliced beef, cut into strips 1/2 onion, sliced radially 1/2 green pepper, sliced lengthwise 1 stalk celery, sliced (and/or 1 carrot julienned, sliced mushrooms, quartered broccoli flowerets, etc) 1 1/2 tsp garlic, minced 1 lime, zested and juiced 1 tbsp chili powder 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp dried cilantro 1 – 2 oz silver tequila 3 – 4 flour tortillas 2 tsp vegetable oil salt and pepper to taste Shredded cheese (optional) Preparation: Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat. Place the sliced beef into a bowl, add salt and pepper and oil. Toss…
Ok, for tonight’s dinner I cheated… a little. I had a hankering for pizza, but did not want to make one from scratch. Ordering in or going out was an option, but I wanted to share this little trick with everyone instead. (By the way, I promise to visit my favorite place with pizza soon, I swear!) Rather than get the delivery version of the pizza you want – why not start with the basics and build your own! That’s right… I used a take and bake basic pizza (Papa Murphy’s $5 fave pepperoni for this pizza) and added some seasonings (basil, oregano, red pepper flakes), fresh mushrooms, green peppers, and additional cheese. What I started with: What I created…
With the summer weather continuing here (which is awesome!), I again decided to cook using the grill. Tonight is an experiment – paella on the grill. It is an experiment for 2 reasons. First time for me for using the grill to cook paella, obviously. But second, I am using a new seasoning – ‘Paellero’. I will comment on the flavor after trying the results! Simple paella Ingredients: 3/4 cup of pearl rice (or arborio if pearl is not available) 3 oz of chorizo, linguiça, or andouille sausage 5 -6 extra large prawns (16/20 per pound) 1 tsp garlic, minced (about 1 medium clove) 1 small shallot, minced 1 cup frozen peas 2 tsp olive oil 1/2 pkg of Paellero seasoning 2…
Well, I started the pulled pork with brining in yesterday’s post. Today, I am going to hot smoke it on my barbecue grill. Preparation: First, remove the pork shoulder from the brine, rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Place the meat in a medium bowl and drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with more Smoky Mesquite seasoning and fresh cracked black pepper on all sides. Prepare the smoker with chips, the grate and light the grill and leave on high. When the grill and smoker box are hot, place the meat on the grate. Cover the box and and close the grill top. Cook/smoke approximately 40 minutes, checking halfway through and turn the meat over. When finished, remove the meat to a large…