Category: PROTEINS

HOT ITALIAN SANDWICHES

HOT ITALIAN SANDWICHES
1 package King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls
1/2 cup QUALITY mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Classico tomato pesto
6 slices provolone cheese
6 slices Tavern ham
6 slices Hard Salami
6 slices oven roasted turkey
6 slices Pastrami
1 cup giardiniera, chopped small
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup FRESH basil leaves
1/2 SMALL red onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup River House Parmesan Herb dressing (or a zesty Italian)
Pepperoncinis, garnish
Giardiniera, garnish

  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • Slice the rolls horizontally in half.
  • Lightly spray a 11×7 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Whisk together the mayonnaise and pesto until well blended.
  • Spread mayonnaise mixture over the cut rolls.
  • Place roll bottoms in baking dish.
  • Layer the provolone cheese followed by the meats in an even layer.
  • Add basil in a single layer followed by the red onion slices and giardiniera.
  • Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
  • Place roll tops over the ingredients.
  • Gently press to flatten.
  • Bake 10 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and and brush with dressing.
  • Bake another 5 minutes.
  • Cool slightly before slicing.
  • Serve with pepperoncinis and giardiniera.

BEEF STROGANOFF on a BUDGET

When I was a kid I was served beef stroganoff on a fairly regular basis. NO ONE told me it was the middle class version of stretching a dollar. It was pretty good in my opinion, but I was a kid, what did I know? 😀

When I grew up and read the recipe in a “real” cookbook, I was amazed to find that it wasn’t actually made with ground beef LOL 😀

Taking the budget a step farther, my folks used canned mushrooms. I didn’t even know what a FRESH mushroom was until many years later. I will tell you I have NEVER EVER liked canned mushrooms. They also used them in chop suey YUCK!!!!! They also used dehydrated onion and garlic.

This version with REAL veggies and a QUALITY ground beef is really good though. It may not be a great picture, but the flavor made up for it.

BEEF STROGANOFF on a BUDGET
3/4-1 pound QUALITY ground beef
1 cup sliced FRESH mushrooms
1 LARGE shallot, FINELY chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 + 3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons WONDRA flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup sour cream
3 cups prepared egg noodles
1/2 cup chopped parsley

  • In a large skillet brown the ground beef until crumbly.
  • Drain off excess fat and set aside for the moment.
  • Melt 1 tablespoon butterin the same skillet.
  • Add shallots, garlic and mushrooms, sauteing until soft.
  • Remove veggies with a slotted spoon adding to the meat.
  • Melt the remaining butter in skillet.
  • Whisk in flour salt and pepper, whisking until golden.
  • Remove from heat and whisk in milk.
  • Add meat and veggies back into skillet.
  • Return to heat, reduce heat and cook, constantly stirring until smooth and slightly thickened.
  • Fold in sour cream, prepared egg noodles and parsley.
  • Serve immediately.

PISTACHIO CRUSTED ROCKFISH or HALIBUT

PISTACHIO CRUSTED ROCKFISH or HALIBUT
1/2 cup roasted pistachios
1 shallot, minced
1/2 teaspoon sugar
FRESH ground black pepper
2 tablespoons FINE breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Juice of 1 LARGE lemon
4 skinless halibut fillets (or white fish of choice like a rockfish)

  • Preheat oven to 400°.
  • Coarsely chop pistachios, shallots, black pepper and sugar in a small food processor.
  • Add breadcrumbs, butter and lemon zest pulsing JUST until combined, but before it becomes paste.
  • Season to taste with additional FRESH ground salt and pepper.
  • Line a baking sheet with greased parchment paper or SILPAT.
  • Dip fish in lemon juice and shake off excess.
  • Gently pat pistachio mixture onto each fillet arranging in a single layer on the baking sheet.
  • Bake 8-10 minutes until center is cooked and fish is opaque and flaky.

PORK TONKATSU with WATERMELON TOMATO SALAD

TONKATSU basically means breaded with seasoned Panko bread crumbs and fried – traditionally deep fried though I pan fry.

PORK TONKATSU with WATERMELON TOMATO SALAD
PORK
4 boneless center cut pork chops, pounded thin
4-6 tablespoons avocado oil (or other neutral oil)
2 cups Panko bread crumbs
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
2 LARGE eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon mayonnaise

  • Whisk together the eggs and mayonnaise in a shallow bowl.
  • Add Panko crumbs to a similar shallow bowl.
  • Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in large skillet over medium heat.
  • Season egg mixture with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.
  • Season pork chops with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.
  • Dip each pork chop in egg mixture and then dredge in Panko crumbs.
  • Add pork chops to skillet and cook on both 2-3 minutes per side until golden, adding more oil as necessary.

SALAD
2 cups 1/2″ watermelon cubes
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup CHOPPED, FRESH Italian leaf parsley
1/4 cup avocado oil
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Juice of 1 LARGE lemon
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste

  • Toss the watermelon cubes, tomato halves, red onion pieces and parsley together. Set aside.
  • Whisk together avocado oil, mayonnaise, vinegar and lemon juice.
  • Season to taste with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper. Set aside.
  • Just before serving pour dressing over the salad and gently toss.

PAN SEARED CHICKEN with WINE HERB PAN SAUCE

This is a recipe I’ve made repeatedly over the years with whatever I had on hand. Then a few months ago I ran across one of those antique recipe boxes with a bunch of OLD handwritten recipes in them and was surprised to find a recipe ALMOST identical to mine so I had to try it! And you know what I think I like it almost better. 😀 I ended up mixing a bit of mine with a bit of theirs and now have the PERFECT recipe.

PAN SEARED CHICKEN with WINE HERB PAN SAUCE
6-8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup WONDRA flour
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons avocado oil
1/2 pound THINLY sliced mushrooms
1-2 cups sour cream
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Frank’s Original Hot Sauce
Prepared egg noodles
Minced green onions, for garnish

  • Pound chicken breasts to even sizes.
  • Generously season chicken breasts with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.
  • LIGHTLY dredge chicken in flour.
  • Heat avocado oil in large cast iron skillet over medium heat.
  • Saute’ chicken breasts 2-3 minutes per side until golden.
  • Add 1/2 cup of the wine, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 20 minutes.
  • Remove chicken to plate and keep warm.
  • Add mushrooms to pan along with remaining wine and simmer 5 minutes.
  • Blend in sour cream and hot sauce, stirring constantly.
  • Adjust seasoning and serve over prepared noodles.
  • Garnish with green onions for color.

BEER BRAISED CHUCK ROAST with GLAZED RED ONIONS

BEER BRAISED CHUCK ROAST with GLAZED RED ONIONS
2 tablespoons butter
2 LARGE red onions, sliced thick
3 pound chuck roast (marbled with plenty of fat)
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper (at least 1 teaspoon per pound as a general rule)
12 ounces AMBERBOCK beer

  • Preheat oven to 300°.
  • Melt butter in large enameled cast iron pot.
  • Add onions and saute 2-3 minutes.
  • GENEROUSLY season roast on both sides.
  • Add roast to pot on top of onions.
  • Pour the beer around the roast making sure not to wash the salt and pepper off the top of the roast.
  • Cover with lid.
  • Place in oven for 5 hours undisturbed except to check periodically to make sure you still have liquid. If too much has evaporated add beef bone broth as necessary. Your goal is to have 2 cups of braising liquid when the roast is done.

ROAST CHICKEN with HOT BUTTER SAUCE

The original recipe called for St. Germain liqueur. What does St. Germain taste like you ask? I had to google it myself. It’s a combination of tropical fruits, peach, pear, citrus, and even a hint of honeysuckle. I couldn’t even find it anywhere locally so I goggled it for another substitution.

ROAST CHICKEN with HOT BUTTER SAUCE
SAUCE
10 habanero chiles, halved and seeded
1 orange bell pepper – halved, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons orange zest
4 tablespoons Peach Schnapps
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
2 cloves garlic, FINELY minced
1 cup Champagne vinegar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons water
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • Puree chiles, bell pepper, orange zest, garlic, 2 tablespoons of peach schnapps, FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper in a small blender.
    Transfer mixture to a small bowl.
  • Cover with saran and let sit overnight or 12 hours at room temperature to ferment.

 

  • After fermented and while chicken is baking, puree again with vinegar, remaining peach schnapps.
  • Strain through a fine sieve into a small saucepan.
  • Heat over medium heat.
  • Whisk together the water and cornstarch until smooth.
  • Whisk cornstarch mixture into the hot sauce. Simmer 2-3 minutes until thickened, whisking constantly.
  • Whisk in 3 tablespoons of butter.
  • Adjust seasoning.

CHICKEN
3 pound chicken thighs or leg quarters or combination of thighs and legs
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper

  • Preheat oven to 450°.
  • Generously season chicken pieces.
  • Melt 1 tablespoon butter in cast iron skillet over medium heat.
  • Cook chicken skin side down 5 minutes until golden.
  • Flip chicken and cook another 5 minutes.
  • Remove chicken pieces to a plate.
  • Serve with sauce.

KANSAS CITY BBQ CHICKEN

KANSAS CITY BBQ CHICKEN
CHICKEN
2 1/2 pounds chicken (I like to use thighs)
2 tablespoons Pampered Chef Kansas City style BBQ rub
2 teaspoons baking powder

  • Preheat oven to 425°.
  • Toss the chicken with the rub and baking powder.
  • Arrange in a single layer on a large stone or stainless sheet pan.
  • Bake 30-35 minutes until cooked through, flipping chicken pieces midway.

SAUCE
1 cup jalapeno ketchup
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon Pampered Chef Kansas City style BBQ rub
2 tablespoons QUALITY honey

  • Whisk together the ketchup, water, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, molasses and Kansas City style BBQ rub in a saucepan until well blended, bringing to a simmer 8-10 minutes until thickened.
  • Remove from heat and whisk in honey.
  • Add baked wings to a large bowl.
  • Pour sauce over chicken and toss to coat.

PEPERONCINO CHICKEN

PEPERONCINO CHICKEN
6-8 skin on chicken thighs
10-12 peperoncinos
1/2 cup peperoncino brine
2 + 2 tablespoon QUALITY avocado oil
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
3 stalks celery, sliced thin
1/2 red onion cut root to tip, sliced thin
4-6 cloves garlic
1 pound baby potatoes, halved
2 tablespoons FRESH chopped thyme leaves**
2 tablespoons FRESH chopped parsley**

  • Preheat oven to 425°.
  • Coat a large cast iron skillet (I like my enamel covered cast iron) with 2 tablespoons of QUALITY avocado oil and heat over medium heat.
  • Generously season chicken with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.
  • Place chicken skin side down. Cook undisturbed 10 minutes or until chicken skin is browned.
  • While chicken is browning toss the potatoes, peperoncinos, remaining oil, peperoncino brine, garlic, half the red onions, half of the celery, a generous turn of ground sea salt and black pepper.
  • When chicken is browned, turn the pieces over onto a plate.
  • Add potato mix to pan and stir to combine well.
  • Nestle chicken thighs skin side up into the potato mix.
  • Transfer pan to oven and roast 45-50 minutes until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender.


**NOTES:

  • I like to use herb mixes that my local store carried to make my dollar go farther.
  • After plating the chicken and potatoes you can also make a gravy out of the juices if you’d like.

BEEF VEGGIE SOUP

This is one of those soups that everyone of a certain age has had! During a simpler, more frugal era this type of soup was a staple on the dinner table, especially in the fall/winter months.

Ground beef was the lesser expensive meat choice and the soup was a great way to use up veggies at the end of the week. Once the flavors meld together no one cares that they were the former beauty queens that were now the  less than pretty wilting ones from the crisper bin.

BEEF VEGGIE SOUP serves 6
1 pound ground beef
1 LARGE Vidalia onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, diced
1 LARGE carrot, diced
1 can Green Giant white shoepeg corn
2 cups frozen green beans
15 ounce can stewed tomatoes, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons FRESH chopped Basil
2 tablespoons FRESH chopped Parsley
FRESH ground sea salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup DRY red wine
8 cups beef bone broth**
1 cup diced potatoes, optional
1 cup prepared pasta, optional
1/2 cup raw rice, optional
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced, optional
Grated cheese, as a topping

  • Brown ground beef over medium high heat in a large soup pot.
  • When beef is just about browned, drain off most fat and add onions, carrots and celery, sweating for 4-6 minutes.
  • Add garlic, garlic salt and onion salt, stirring to blend.
  • Add chopped stewed tomatoes with their juice, Basil, Parsley and FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper. Simmer 3-4 minutes.
  • Add broth, wine and potatoes or rice if using.
  • Simmer for 1 hour.
  • Add corn, green beans and mushrooms if using, simmering for 15-20 minutes more.
  • If using pasta add prepared pasta and simmer 5 minutes until heated through.
  • Serve with Honey Beer Bread.

**I made this broth with beef bone marrow bones and end of the season tomatoes.

DADDY’S ROAST CHICKEN aka CAFETERIA CHICKEN & GRAVY

I recently purchased a few new cookbooks. When cookbooks arrive at my house, I read them like a novel, cover to cover. I use colored tabs to mark the recipes I want to try soon. I ran across a recipe called Cafeteria Chicken whose name sounded so interesting that I marked it with a tab to read in depth at a later date.

Well, that date was a few days ago. As I read I was intrigued by how similar this recipe sounded to my great grandmother’s recipe for Chicken and Noodles that my dad taught me to make when I was VERY young. It is a family favorite to this day.

I found this in Danielle Kartes’ Rustic Joyful Food: Generations cook book. She told a story of a favorite Holiday Lunch Option for her hot lunch when she was in the fourth grade and how that transpired into her chicken gravy and potatoes recipe that her mother requested when she was going through chemo years later.

My recipe, like hers is rooted in family and memories. One meal that becomes two SEPARATE meals. My dad has since passed, but his memory is alive every time I cook. 😀 The base of these meals is a really good mirepoix to begin your flavor base.

A mirepoix is a flavor base made from cooked diced vegetables cooked. They are usually sautéed with butter, oil or other fat like bacon fat for a long time on a low heat without coloring or browning. When the mirepoix is not precooked, the vegetables may be cut to a larger size, depending on the overall cooking time for the dish.

There are similar flavor bases all across cooking. The Italians call it a soffritto, the Spanish and Portuguese call it a sofito/refogado and it consists of a braised onion, garlic and tomato base. The Turkish version uses a tomato paste instead of fresh tomatoes. The German as well as the Polish version include leeks and/or celery or parsley root. The Russian version includes beets or peppers and the French include mushrooms as well as shallots and herbs that have been reduced to a paste. Here in the United States we have the holy trinity Cajun/Creole version of onions, celery and bell peppers that is a favorite.

The traditional vegetable mixture is onions, carrots and celery in a 2:1:1 ratio. Mirepoix is the flavor base for a wide variety of  stocks, soups, stews and sauces. My version adds mini peppers and garlic making my ratio 2:1:1:½:½.

The leftover chicken was then picked from the bone and chopped up to add to the leftover gravy. The leftover potatoes were mashed and then the gravy with chicken pieces was served over the mashed potatoes.

DADDY’S ROAST CHICKEN aka CAFETERIA CHICKEN & GRAVY

1 LARGE onion, halved root to tip, sliced thin
3 stalks celery, diced
2 LARGE carrots, diced
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 mini peppers, seeds & ribs removed, sliced
5-6 pound WHOLE chicken
1 stick butter, melted
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
3-4 cups chicken bone broth

  • Preheat oven to 300°.
  • Alternately layer the onions, celery, carrots, peppers and garlic in the bottom of the roaster.
  • Add chicken on top of the veggie layer.
  • Coat chicken with melted butter, reserving any extra.
  • GENEROUSLY season the chicken with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.
  • Whisk the remaining melted butter into the bone broth.
  • Pour the broth mixture around the chicken over the veggies.
  • Cover the chicken with a foil tent, sealing the edges.
  • Roast 3 hours without peeking!
  • Transfer chicken to platter and tent to rest while you prepare the gravy.
  • Drain the veggies through a sieve to accumulate the cooking juices.

GRAVY
3 cups of reserved cooking juices
3 cups chicken bone broth
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup WONDRA flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
FRESH ground thyme or poultry mix herbs

  • Melt the butter in large saute pan.
  • Whisk in flour 2 minutes until golden.
  • Slowly whisk in chicken stock and reserved cooking juices.
  • Add thyme or herbs.
  • Bring to a simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes or until thickened, creamy, but still pourable consistency.
  • Whisk in cream.
  • Fold in chicken pieces.
  • Serve over mashed potatoes.

CAFETERIA CHICKEN & GRAVY
Leftover roast chicken taken from the bone and diced small
Leftover gravy if there is any
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons WONDRA flour
4 green onions, sliced thin
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
3 cups homemade bone both
1 cup half and half

  • Melt butter in a stock pot over medium heat.
  • Whisk in flour until golden and smooth.
  • Add green onions and saute 30 seconds.
  • Add bone broth and stir until smooth, simmering 5-10 minutes.
  • Season with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.
  • Blend in half and half.
  • Fold in chicken pieces.
  • Adjust seasoning and simmer until creamy and desired consistency.
  • Serve over mashed potatoes.**

**NOTE: I use the remainder of the potatoes from the original meal. I dice half of them and mash the rest. Then I fold them together to make a rustic mash.

CHICKEN CORN CHOWDER

Ever wondered what the difference is between a soup, a stew and a chowder?

A soup is usually made with stock or broth and can have vegetables, meat or fish as ingredients and is generally not very thick.

A chowder may have the same ingredients as a soup or even a stew, but is more chunky, creamy and thick. It is often prepared with milk or cream and thickened with broken crackers, biscuits, or a roux. A chowder is also usually made with fish and corn.

A stew is committed by sweltering in a covered pot.

When I make bone broth I use the carcass of the rotisserie chicken and often use whatever vegetables I have around in the bin that a wilted or such. This time I used a bone broth made with end of the season tomatoes which added a GREAT flavor to the chowder.

CHICKEN CORN CHOWDER
4 tablespoons butter
1/3 pound bacon, diced
1 LARGE yellow onion
3-4 cloves garlic, FINELY minced
3 stalks celery, halved and thinly sliced
1 LARGE carrot, diced
3-5 small mini peppers, sliced thin
3 cups FRESH or frozen white corn
2-3 cup diced rotisserie chicken pieces
3 1/3 cups chicken broth (preferably homemade bone broth)
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups half and half
3 cups grated cheese of choice (I used FACE ROCK sharp cheddar)
Frank’s Original Hot Sauce, optional – see note

  • Melt butter in large stock pot.
  • Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic, sauteing 5 minutes or so until carrots are starting to soften.
  • Add bacon and continue to saute 10 minutes until bacon is browned.***
  • Add peppers, corn and 3 cups of the chicken broth, bring to a simmer10-15 minutes.
  • Season to taste with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.
  • Whisk the remaining chicken broth with the cornstarch until smooth.
  • Add roux to pot and blend in well. Simmer a few minutes more.
  • Add half and half, stirring well.
  • Add cheeses and stir to melt.
  • Fold in chicken pieces and simmer 5-10 minutes more.
  • Season to taste.
  • Serve.

***NOTE:

  • If bacon has a high fat content, trim some of the fat off to prevent your chowder from becoming too greasy.
  • A splash or two or three of Frank’s original hot sauce can really amp up this chowder.