Kiwi tacos

1 red onion                        1 Poblano pepper

1 Roma tomato                 1 kiwi

1/4 ounce cilantro             1 lime

4 Tb sour cream                1 Tb. Mexican spice blend

10z ground pork                1 chicken stock concentrate

1.5 ounce tomato paste      flour tortillas

Wash and dry all produce. Halve, peel, and thinly slice onion. Mince a few slices until you have 2 Tbs. Core, de seed, and finely chop Poblano. Finely dice tomato. Peel and finely dice kiwi. Roughly chop cilantro leaves and stems. Cut lime into wedges. In a small bowl, combine sour cream and a squeeze of lime juice. Stir in water 1 tsp at a time until mixture reaches a drizzling consistency. Season with salt and pepper. In a medium bowl, toss together tomato, kiwi, minced onion, half the cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a large drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add Poblano, sliced onion, and half the Mexican Spice. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly charred, 3-4 minutes. Add pork, another large drizzle of oil, and remaining Mexican Spice to pan. Cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until pork is browned and cooked through, 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat under pan to medium low. TIP: If there’s excess grease in your pan, carefully pour it out. Stir in stock concentrate, ¼ cup water (⅓ cup for 4 servings), and tomato paste. Cook, stirring, until everything is coated in a thick sauce, 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Wrap tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave until warm and pliable, about 30 seconds. Divide pork filling, salsa, and crema between tortillas. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro. Serve with remaining lime wedges on the side.

Firecracker Meatballs

• 2 green onion
• 1 thumb Ginger
• 2 Tbs. Mayonnaise
• 2 Tbs. Sour Cream 
• 2 tsp. Honey 
• 2 Tbs. Soy Sauce 
• 1 tsp. Siracha 
• 1 Tbs. Sesame Seeds 
• 1/2 C. Jasmine rice 
• 10 oz. Ground Beef 
• 1/4 C. Panko Breadcrumbs 
• 6 Oz. Greenbeans 
• 1 tsp. Korean Chili flakes 

Adjust rack to top position (top and middle positions for 4 servings) and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry all produce. Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens; mince whites. Peel and mince ginger. In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, honey, 2 tsp soy sauce (4 tsp for 4 servings; you’ll use the rest later), and sriracha to taste. Set aside. Heat a drizzle of oil in a small pot over medium-high heat. Add half the sesame seeds (save the rest for serving); cook, stirring, until golden brown, 1-2 minutes. Add rice, ¾ cup water (1½ cups for 4 servings), and a big pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a low simmer. Cook until rice is tender, 15-18 minutes. Keep covered off heat until ready to serve. While rice cooks, in a second large bowl, combine beef, panko, ginger, scallion whites, remaining soy sauce, salt (we used ½ tsp; 1 tsp for 4 servings), and pepper. Form into 10-12 (20-24 for 4)1½-inch meatballs. Place meatballs on one side of a lightly oiled baking sheet. On empty side, toss green beans with a drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper. Roast on top rack until meatballs are cooked through and green beans are browned and tender, 14-16 minutes.Fluff rice with a fork; season with salt and pepper. Divide between bowls or plates. Carefully add meatballs to bowl with sauce; toss to coat. Top rice with meatballs and drizzle with any remaining sauce. Serve green beans to the side. Garnish with scallion greens, remaining sesame seeds, and chili flakes to taste.

Stew

Guinness Style Beef Stew

2 tbsp olive oil

2.5 lb stew beef, I got a whole package of cheep meat for $5. It cooks a long time, and is a good choice

3/4 tsp each salt and black pepper 

3 garlic cloves, minced 

2 onions , chopped 

6 oz bacon ,  diced 

3 tbsp flour

14.9 oz Guinness Beer (I just used a nut brown ale) 

4 tbsp tomato paste 

3 cups chicken stock/broth

3 carrots , peeled and cut into 1/2" thick pieces 

2 large celery stalks, cut into 1" pieces 

2 bay leaves

3 sprigs thyme

 

• Cut the beef into 5cm/2" chunks. Pat dry then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in a heavy based pot over high heat. Add beef in batches and brown well all over. Remove onto plate. Repeat with remaining beef.
• Lower heat to medium. If the pot is looking dry, add oil.
• Cook garlic and onion for 3 minutes until softening, then add bacon.
• Cook until bacon is browned, then stir through carrot and celery. 
• Add flour, and stir for 1 minute to cook off the flour.
• Add Guinness, chicken broth/stock and tomato paste. Mix well (to ensure flour dissolves well), add bay leaves and thyme. 
• Return beef into the pot (including any juices). Liquid level should just cover.
• Cover, lower heat so it is bubbling gently. Cook for 2 hours - the beef should be pretty tender by now. Remove lid then simmer for a further 30 - 45 minutes or until the beef falls apart at a touch, the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly.
• Skim off fat on surface, if desired. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaves and thyme.
• Serve with creamy mashed potatoes!!

 

Leg of lamb

Deboned leg of lamb, grilled over medium low for about 40 minutes.

Shawarma

• 1/4 cup ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup ground allspice
• 1/4 cup garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons ground cloves
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons ground cardamom
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon salt 

To marinate the shawarma meat you'll need 2 tablespoons olive oil + 1 tablespoon white vinegar + 1/2 teaspoon salt. Allow chicken to marinate for 10-20 minutes and 1 hour to 24 hours for beef.  This is enough spice mixture for 20 lb of meat. Scale accordingly.

 

Ramen Upgraded

Barbeque sauce pork tenderloin and sautéed shitaki and crimini mushrooms make this beef Ramen very special.

Memorial day

Memorial day is usually celebrated with grilling in the park. I don't know what the difference has been this year, but all the parks are full of people. July 4th was downright miserable with the heat and humidity. Maybe people felt cheated, and tried to make it up? We managed to find an unoccupied spot, deep in the valley, but our presence alerted other people to the hidden area. The bugs weren't too bad, only got bit twice.

Steak Gremolata

.25 oz parsley (maybe a third of the amount that you usually buy at the store)
1 oz sliced blanched almonds (baking aisle)
10 oz Heirloom cherry tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
a lemon
olive oil
10 ounce New York strip steak (not individual sandwich steak slices like I found)

Finely chop half the parsley; pick leaves from other half and reserve for garnish.  Mince garlic. Halve tomatoes. Halve lemon.  Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add almonds to (dry) pan and toast, tossing frequently until gold. Remove from pan and then finely chop once cool, leaving a few larger pieces.  In a small bowl, mix chopped parsley, almonds, a pinch of garlic, a squeeze of lemon, and 2 Tb. olive oil.  Season with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice to taste.  Mixture should have a pesto like consistency.  Add another drizzle of olive oil if needed to correct it. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in your pan over medium-high heat.  Add tomatoes and remaining garlic.  Cook, tossing until tomatoes soften, 2-3 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper. Remove from pan and cover to keep warm.  Add more olive oil to the same pan and continue over medium high heat. Pat steak dry with paper towel, season with salt and pepper.  Cook in the pan to desired doneness, 3-6 minutes per side.  Remove from pan and let rest 5 minutes then thinly slice against the grain. Plate your dinner. We had smashed cauliflower as our base.  Next lay steak strips down, then top with tomatoes.  The gremolata goes on top like a relish.

Super Burger

Hamburger with lettuce, feta cheese, tomato, avocado, jalapeno, sauteed mushrooms, barbecue sauce, and a fried egg.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Pickling Spice
2 Tb. black peppercorns	2 Tb. mustard seeds
2 Tb. coriander seed	2 Tb. crushed red pepper flake
2 Tb. allspice berries	1 Tb. ground mace
2 small cinnamon sticks crushed	3 bay leaves, crumbled
2 Tb. whole cloves	1 Tb. ground ginger

Toss the peppercorns, mustard seeds, and coriander seeds in a small dry skillet and place over medium heat until the spices are lightly toasted. Dump them on a cutting board and smash them with the side of a chef’s knife to crack them, being careful so the seeds don’t roll all over your counter and onto the floor. Scrape the cracked spices into a large plastic container or glass jar or other nonreactive container and add the remaining ingredients. Stir until completely combined. Cover tightly.

Brine
1 gallon water	2 cups kosher salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar	1 ounce (5 teaspoons) pink salt*
3 garlic cloves, minced	2 tablespoons pickling spice
One 5-pound well-marbled (first-cut) beef brisket

In a pot that’s just large enough to hold the brisket, combine the water, salt, sugar, pink salt, garlic, and 2 tablespoons pickling spice. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the salt and sugar dissolve. Remove the pot from the heat, let the brine cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate until the brine is completely chilled. Place the brisket in the chilled brine and weight it with a plate to keep it submerged. Refrigerate for 5 days. Remove the brisket from the brine solution, discarding the brine. Rinse the brisket thoroughly under cool running water. (Don’t worry, you’re just rinsing the the brine solution from the surface of the brisket. The brine will continue to permeate the beef and work its considerable magic.)

Cook the corned beef

Gouda Stuffed Chicken

Butterfly chicken breast. Open, and pound flat until uniform thickness. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Fill breasts with garlic, broccoli, and Gouda cheese. Pin chicken shut with toothpicks. Brown both sides of stuffed chicken in a skillet, then transfer to an oven and bake at 350* until center is 165*.

Pork Chops

Sliced pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon, brushed with 1/4 C. brown mustard, 1 Tb. brown sugar, 1 Tb. garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Heat 1 Tb. oil in cast iron, sear all three outer edges of slices. Bake at 350* until pork reaches 150*.

Happy 10 Year Anniversary

Happy Anniversary to Dave and I on ten wonderful years of marriage. In celebration, in addition to taking a week off of work and sharing a new walk location each day, we have been cooking dinner together. Tonight I made petit filet mignon. I started with two fillets, wrapped the outside in two strips of bacon, and secured the meat with a piece of butcher's twine. I made an compound butter with roasted garlic, fox point seasoning, finest herbs seasoning, and fresh ground black pepper and kosher salt flakes. The butter was allowed to chill in the freezer for about 30 minutes until it was firm. To cook the steaks, I preheated the oven to 400*. I used my small cast iron skillet. Generously season both top and bottom of fillets with salt and pepper. In the skillet over medium high heat, melt 4 Tb of butter and 2 Tb olive oil. When melted, add steaks and sear for two to three minutes per side until a crust is formed. I also cooked the bacon exterior in the same way. At this point I added the roasted garlic and mushrooms. Transfer pan to the oven and bake for 6-10 minutes. Steak will be ready when it is approximately 135 degrees in the center, or when you push lightly on the top center of the steak and it gently and slowly bounces back. Watch carefully especially if your steaks are thinner. Top with compound butter

Dukkah chicken

Sauteed Brussels sprouts with citrus sour cream, jalapeños, and toasted hazelnut topping

Deconstructed kebobs

Grilled chicken, brussels sprouts, cherry tomatoes, and Colby cheese.

Lard

Pure lard contains no trans fats, and in terms of its fatty acids, it’s better than butter: Lard is 60 per cent monounsaturated fat, which is associated with a decreased risk of heart disease. Butter is 45 per cent monounsaturated fat.  Most of lard’s monounsaturated fat is oleic acid, a heart-healthy essential fatty acid found in olive oil and associated with decreasing LDLs, thus lowering “bad” cholesterol. Lard contains about double the amount of oleic acid found in butter.  Lard’s smoke point is high, about 375F, making it the ideal frying oil, offering lighter, fluffier, flakier and crispier battered chicken and pie crusts fried in a shorter time, without burning and turning carcinogenic.  Lard and butter have the same trace amounts of cholesterol — about 95 milligrams per 100 grams of fat.  Lard is a source of linoleic acid, an omega 6 fatty acid most North American diets get too much of, but also associated with our body’s normal inflammatory response.  Lard is fattening. Like any fat, it boasts about nine calories per gram. Lard is healthier if you compared it to partially hydrogenated vegetable oils like Crisco. But that's not to say that lard is better than highly unsaturated omega-3 oils, like olive oil, which are considered the healthiest fats out there.  The big question is quantity!  My grocery store is now carrying exotic fats in the baking aisle.

Dukkah Chicken

Chicken	Dukkah Seasoning
1 Tb. Dukkah seasoning	1/2 C. toasted hazelnuts
6 oz. snap peas	1/2 C. toasted sesame seeds
4 Tb. sour cream	2 Tb. coriander
whole lime	1/2 tsp. cumin
1 Tb. olive oil	2 Tb. ground black pepper
	1 tsp. salt

Begin with making the citrus sour cream. Zest a lime into a custard cup; top with sour cream and just a little sprinkle of salt. Cut and squeeze lime juice into sour cream mixture. Stir until smooth and a little on the thin side. Butterfly chicken breasts and pound to uniform thickness. Season both sides of breasts with salt, pepper and dukkah seasoning. Heat olive oil in your skillet. Cook chicken for about 7 minutes per side. Set chicken aside to rest while you cook snap peas. Wash skillet and re-oil. Cook snap peas for about 3 minutes tossing constantly until they turn a brilliant green color. Serve chicken with side of peas and drizzle of citrus sour cream on top.

Happy 4th

Pork tenderloin chop grilled and served with broccoli and sea salt.

Chicken Picatta

2 skinless chicken breasts, butterflied and cut in half
salt and pepper
all purpose flour for dredging (I used coconut flour)
6 Tb. unsalted butter
5 Tb. olive oil
1/3 C. fresh lemon juice
1/2 C. chicken stock
1/4 C. brined capers, rinsed
1/3 C. fresh chopped parsley

Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.  In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 Tb. of butter and 3 Tb. olive oil.  When they come to a sizzle, add two pieces chicken and cook for three minutes each side.  Remove chicken and transfer to a plate.  Melt more butter and olive oil. Cook remaining two chicken pieces same way. Remove chicken from pan.  Add lemon juice, chicken stock and capers. Gently scrape up the burnt bits from the pan for extra flavor.  Check for seasoning.  Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter.  Add remaining 2 Tb. butter and whisk vigorously.  Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.

No Bread Stuffing

3/4 pound turkey sausage (you may use pork breakfast sausage)
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 eggs
2 cups coarsely chopped cauliflower
1/2 cup diced mushrooms
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves
3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Full Recipe Here