Simple. Leftover steak, cold. Asparagus, roasted with olive oil, garlic salt, pepper. Yellow squash, cooked in a pan under a lid with olive oil, butter, garlic salt, pepper. All eaten with hands, no utensils. Beer on the side.
Man meal!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Dinner #2
Dinner 2 turned out to be a rush job, as I realized late in the game that I had to hustle or else I wasn't going to be on time to meet up to see Star Trek. (for the second time. yes I've seen it twice)
I had already pulled out the 1/2 pound of ground turkey we had in the freezer, though it was still pretty frigid. I sauteed onion and mushroom for awhile, then added the turkey and a diced tomato. When I added the turkey, I squeezed a lime in. When I don't have time to marinate (or haven't planned adequately) I like adding lime to raw meats while they are in the pan. The lime flavor comes through so much better than if you wait til the end. At that point it is meat plus lime, not delicious, limey meat. Next, I added chili powder, garlic salt, pepper, a little cayenne. I let this all cook up and when it was cooked, but still liquidy in the pan, I had a thought: we have masa harina (the flour used to make tamales). So, I added a tablespoon of this and stirred.
The masa flour was a solid addition to the mix. I will do this again, no doubt. It gave an authenticity of both sight and taste that I am happy to be seeing coming from my kitchen. The liquid turned to delicious gravy and I had myself the perfect filling for a burrito.
Achieving the burrito involved 11 seconds in the microwave. Then I added grated cheese and put it back for 11 more seconds. I added chopped cilantro and put the filling in. Start to finish, this thing took me about 12 minutes.
Goodness.
I had already pulled out the 1/2 pound of ground turkey we had in the freezer, though it was still pretty frigid. I sauteed onion and mushroom for awhile, then added the turkey and a diced tomato. When I added the turkey, I squeezed a lime in. When I don't have time to marinate (or haven't planned adequately) I like adding lime to raw meats while they are in the pan. The lime flavor comes through so much better than if you wait til the end. At that point it is meat plus lime, not delicious, limey meat. Next, I added chili powder, garlic salt, pepper, a little cayenne. I let this all cook up and when it was cooked, but still liquidy in the pan, I had a thought: we have masa harina (the flour used to make tamales). So, I added a tablespoon of this and stirred.
The masa flour was a solid addition to the mix. I will do this again, no doubt. It gave an authenticity of both sight and taste that I am happy to be seeing coming from my kitchen. The liquid turned to delicious gravy and I had myself the perfect filling for a burrito.
Achieving the burrito involved 11 seconds in the microwave. Then I added grated cheese and put it back for 11 more seconds. I added chopped cilantro and put the filling in. Start to finish, this thing took me about 12 minutes.
Goodness.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Dinner #1
In the week Misty is in the great state of Maine, I am chronicling my dinner solutions. Part one is easy. I went to the store tonight after racquetball to find myself enmeshed in a desire to do something new. That something new came quickly as I hit the greens area. I have been big on greens lately, focusing most of my energies on spinach, baby to be exact. This stuff is great. Put in a pan with butter, garlic, salt, and pepper, and you win in about 2 minutes. Every time. Winner.
Tonight's greens aisle trip found me atop some collards. I have only ever eaten others' collard greens and tonight, I made my own. These are not hard to make. I haven't researched their nutritional value as compared to other greens, but they sure were good. They are also easy to make. Rinse the hell out of them. Roughly chop your green, removing the thicker parts of the stalk. Mince [] cloves of garlic and start them to sautee in about 2 tsp oil/butter. Your greens will still be a little wet, which is fine. Drop them in. Salt and pepper them. The collard does not seem to lose its color like spinach, staying a reasonably bright green. I tasted continually as soon as I thought they might be done and you are well-advised to do the same.
Oh, and I had a t-bone and some mushrooms cooked down in Burgundy for my other dishes. That all paired with the '06 Beringer Founders Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Word.
Night one is done.
Tonight's greens aisle trip found me atop some collards. I have only ever eaten others' collard greens and tonight, I made my own. These are not hard to make. I haven't researched their nutritional value as compared to other greens, but they sure were good. They are also easy to make. Rinse the hell out of them. Roughly chop your green, removing the thicker parts of the stalk. Mince [] cloves of garlic and start them to sautee in about 2 tsp oil/butter. Your greens will still be a little wet, which is fine. Drop them in. Salt and pepper them. The collard does not seem to lose its color like spinach, staying a reasonably bright green. I tasted continually as soon as I thought they might be done and you are well-advised to do the same.
Oh, and I had a t-bone and some mushrooms cooked down in Burgundy for my other dishes. That all paired with the '06 Beringer Founders Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Word.
Night one is done.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Shrimp & Grits
Low Country cuisine is something of an anomaly. Not quite Southern or Soul Food, and not quite Cajun or Creole -- it's somewhere in between. I've been thinking about Shrimp & Grits for a week or so now and finally got an opportunity to cook some last night.If you're asking yourself "Shrimp & Grits, what the hell?" Don't feel bad. Many people asked me the same questions as I was eating the leftovers for lunch at the office. It used to be a breakfast thing, in the shrimping towns of the
Shrimp -n- Grits
1lb raw shrimp -- peeled (I used 26-30s, cause they look nice on the plate)
6oz breakfast sausage, or bacon, or chorizo [for that Mexican flair]
1 Can Rotel
1 Can Chicken Broth
1 Cup Grits (yellow, white, quick -- doesn't matter)
1 Cup shredded cheese
1 Onion, diced and divided
1/2 Cup water +-
1 .5 tsp Thyme, divided
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1/4 tsp Cayenne
2 Lemons
Chicken/Shrimp stock – maybe a cup or so
S&P to taste
Flour
Take 3/4 of your diced onion and add it to a two quart sauce pan over medium-high. Sauté the onion till it’s translucent and beginning to caramelize. While this is going down, start browning your breakfast sausage/bacon/whathaveyou in a large skillet. As the onion becomes golden, add the turmeric, 1 tsp of the thyme, the can of Rotel -- with juice, the can of chicken broth and the water. Bring this to a boil.
By this point, your sausage/bacon should be browned. Remove it from the pan, and sauté the rest of the onion in whatever leftover grease you have. When your stock/Rotel/onion mixture comes to a boil, add your grits and cook as the directions on the package dictate.
I used quick grits, so there wasn't really a whole lot of waiting for me. Basically you want your shrimp gravy to be done at the same time as your grits. If the grits are done first, that's ok -- they'll stay warm. As the grits finish, stir in the 1 cup of shredded cheese.
So, now that you've got some onion browned in bacon grease in the skillet, add some flour (roughly the same amount as fat you estimate to be left in the pan) and make a roux. Cook the roux for a couple of minutes to get the raw taste out of the flour. Then, add a few cubes of the frozen shrimp/chicken stock I'm sure you have at your disposal, Loyal BeefRobot Reader. Your goal is to make enough gravy to poach all the shrimp. As this thickens, add the cayenne and the sausage back in and your raw shrimp. I poached the shrimp in the gravy for 3 minutes or so -- just till they've turned pink and are opaque in the center. Add the last 1/2 tsp of thyme and turn off the heat.
Spoon your grits into the bowl, top with a few shrimp and some of the gravy, and enjoy. A toasty piece of crusty French bread might be nice, for a starch on starch component, but, I served mine with roasted broccoli.
--BeefRobot
Monday, April 20, 2009
Domaine de Canton
Ever taste something and wonder how you never craved it before?
This is what happens when you taste the gingery sweet Domaine de Canton. Holy cow. The first time we had it, it was straight, as an digestif. Hells yes!
Then, we had to go buy a bottle. The guy in the store said they had a tasting of it a few days prior, and the woman poured it with sparkling lemon water. We did not have this at home, though we did have club soda and lemons. You can imagine what followed. If you try this, note that you must just 2 shots of the liqueur to make your drink. It needs a lot of the Canton to really shine. Otherwise, the soda overtakes it and you have a watery version of a delicious cocktail.
A brilliant idea occurred to me as I sipped my cocktail: what if I add my other favorite liquor, bourbon? Despite the look on Misty's face (and, no doubt, on some of yours right now), I moved forward with the work of discovery. "Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it. - Buddha" "Every man takes the limits of his field of vision for the limits of the world. - Arthur Schopenhauer "
Ok, whatever, I went about 2:1, Canton to Bourbon, and it was unbelievable. This drink, properly shaken and poured into a martini glass (or a plastic cup, whatever you prefer), will make your life better. Get to work...
Grill+Meat
Yo one, yo all:
This past Saturday night followed a gloriously sunny and temperate day, which meant meant had to find its way onto my grill. Local grocery store X (aka Harris Teeter) provided the meats: 1 rack of beef back ribs (not baby backs, regular backs), some italian sausages, and some chicken thighs.
I took my beef ribs, which I had to cut in half because there was no container I have that would contain them for the dry rub process I was about to have them undergo. That process was short and sweet, as follows: (1) add lime juice; (2) add tons of BBQ 3000 spice; (3) let sit in Ziploc bag for 1 day. (Did you hear that, yea, that's right, I said Ziploc. Not zip-top, zipper bag, or any other lame, generic, and non-brand specific names that they have to use on Emeril and Rachel Ray. )
The chicken met with some Northwoods Fire rub, and the sausages stayed naked.
After seeing ribs several times at the store, I decided it was my prerogative, even my responsibility, as a good Texan to know how to make ribs right. So, I started these bad boys off in some foil packets so as to keep in their juices while they cooked in my low temperature oven. I let them sit for about 2 hours in the 220 degree oven, and pulled them out about half an hour before I was ready to let them hit the grill.
Keeping them in their foil packets, I added a little worcestershire sauce to one half of my rack. I honestly am not sure if it added much, but that one was looking a tad dry and I felt the need to add moisture other than either water or bottled barbecue sauce.
I let the ribs grill over indirect heat (push 1/2 your briquets to one side and the other 1/2 to the other) for a good 30 minutes as we had a beer to start things off. The rules say, if you are grilling you must have a beer. I know because I have read them. On this particular night, it was a Newcastle, which goes surprisingly nice with 60 degrees, no mosquitos, and a quiet night.
The chicken thighs, as I am sure I have mentioned before, got their fill of sitting right on top of the fire, as did the sausage. I pulled the sausage off after about 15 minutes, as it was starting to get a tad too dried out. For the chicken, I know that the thigh will take a lot of heat before it gets dried out, so I let it go for about 18-20 minutes. This made for delicious chicken. Also, I keep the lid on my grill for most of the time I am cooking. I will pull it off to check things and turn my meats every 10 minutes or so, especially with the chicken/sausage combo working up. This also allows oxygen into the fire, which brings back the flame to where it should be.
All said, this grilling experience was a winner.
Oh, yes, there were 2 salads, of Misty creation: 1--potato salad (quartered small red potatoes, coated in olive oil, salt, and pepper, and oven-roasted til brown and crispy in a 350 degree oven; let cool; add the dressing [olive oil, grey poupon, rice wine vinegar, chopped green onion, paprika]); and 2--greek salad (diced cucumber, onion, red pepper, tomato, feta, olive oil -- done!)
This dinner rocked your world!
This past Saturday night followed a gloriously sunny and temperate day, which meant meant had to find its way onto my grill. Local grocery store X (aka Harris Teeter) provided the meats: 1 rack of beef back ribs (not baby backs, regular backs), some italian sausages, and some chicken thighs.
I took my beef ribs, which I had to cut in half because there was no container I have that would contain them for the dry rub process I was about to have them undergo. That process was short and sweet, as follows: (1) add lime juice; (2) add tons of BBQ 3000 spice; (3) let sit in Ziploc bag for 1 day. (Did you hear that, yea, that's right, I said Ziploc. Not zip-top, zipper bag, or any other lame, generic, and non-brand specific names that they have to use on Emeril and Rachel Ray. )
The chicken met with some Northwoods Fire rub, and the sausages stayed naked.
After seeing ribs several times at the store, I decided it was my prerogative, even my responsibility, as a good Texan to know how to make ribs right. So, I started these bad boys off in some foil packets so as to keep in their juices while they cooked in my low temperature oven. I let them sit for about 2 hours in the 220 degree oven, and pulled them out about half an hour before I was ready to let them hit the grill.
Keeping them in their foil packets, I added a little worcestershire sauce to one half of my rack. I honestly am not sure if it added much, but that one was looking a tad dry and I felt the need to add moisture other than either water or bottled barbecue sauce.
I let the ribs grill over indirect heat (push 1/2 your briquets to one side and the other 1/2 to the other) for a good 30 minutes as we had a beer to start things off. The rules say, if you are grilling you must have a beer. I know because I have read them. On this particular night, it was a Newcastle, which goes surprisingly nice with 60 degrees, no mosquitos, and a quiet night.
The chicken thighs, as I am sure I have mentioned before, got their fill of sitting right on top of the fire, as did the sausage. I pulled the sausage off after about 15 minutes, as it was starting to get a tad too dried out. For the chicken, I know that the thigh will take a lot of heat before it gets dried out, so I let it go for about 18-20 minutes. This made for delicious chicken. Also, I keep the lid on my grill for most of the time I am cooking. I will pull it off to check things and turn my meats every 10 minutes or so, especially with the chicken/sausage combo working up. This also allows oxygen into the fire, which brings back the flame to where it should be.
All said, this grilling experience was a winner.
Oh, yes, there were 2 salads, of Misty creation: 1--potato salad (quartered small red potatoes, coated in olive oil, salt, and pepper, and oven-roasted til brown and crispy in a 350 degree oven; let cool; add the dressing [olive oil, grey poupon, rice wine vinegar, chopped green onion, paprika]); and 2--greek salad (diced cucumber, onion, red pepper, tomato, feta, olive oil -- done!)
This dinner rocked your world!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Worst Dinner
Because we are a food blog, and an equal opportunity one at that (see our vegetarian contributor), I will now tell you about the utter piece of shit that my dinner tonight turned out to be.
It all started with a craving: egg salad. Some of you may already be grossed out, but this is a dish I enjoy about twice a year. So, I had a sour cream based mixture in my fridge (lots of chili powder, lime, garlic salt - this was for fajitas the other night). Boiled up my eggs and cooled them down. Then, chopped up some green onion and red bell pepper. I mixed these things together and hacked off a couple of slices of bread from my garlic loaf.
This was, quite simply, the worst egg salad I have ever had. Thin (blame the sour cream and lime), not so flavorful (not enough salt?), and none of that goodness that the mixture of mayo and egg yolks gives you. Also, I probably failed by adding no mustard. Anyways, this was just a horrible dinner, and if it hadn't've been from the incredible guacamole I had beforehand, tonight would have been a total culinary failure.
I am not really sure what the lesson learned here is; perhaps it is, never make egg salad without mayo. Anyway, I really just want to eat something good to wipe this taste out of my mouth, but the worst part is that I am full and can't think of eating anything else. This sucks.
It all started with a craving: egg salad. Some of you may already be grossed out, but this is a dish I enjoy about twice a year. So, I had a sour cream based mixture in my fridge (lots of chili powder, lime, garlic salt - this was for fajitas the other night). Boiled up my eggs and cooled them down. Then, chopped up some green onion and red bell pepper. I mixed these things together and hacked off a couple of slices of bread from my garlic loaf.
This was, quite simply, the worst egg salad I have ever had. Thin (blame the sour cream and lime), not so flavorful (not enough salt?), and none of that goodness that the mixture of mayo and egg yolks gives you. Also, I probably failed by adding no mustard. Anyways, this was just a horrible dinner, and if it hadn't've been from the incredible guacamole I had beforehand, tonight would have been a total culinary failure.
I am not really sure what the lesson learned here is; perhaps it is, never make egg salad without mayo. Anyway, I really just want to eat something good to wipe this taste out of my mouth, but the worst part is that I am full and can't think of eating anything else. This sucks.
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