Tag Archives: food

Game Day / Party Food Roundup

Posted on January 28, 2013 by | 9 Comments

There’s a big day coming up soon in the US for football enthusiasts.  We rarely watch sporting events, but we appreciate any excuse to graze through party food and make a meal of appetizers.  I’m not sure what we’ll be feasting on this year, but here’s some ideas from our archives.

eggplant pepper dip

You can’t have a party without dip – but skip the sour cream and ranch dressing mix for something more interesting (and nutritious) like this Roasted Eggplant and Sweet Pepper Dip.  It’s a little like baba ghanoush with the sweetness of roasted peppers thrown in.  Serve it with crackers, pita triangles, or as a dip for vegetables.

Multi grain cracker wm

Speaking of crackers, these gluten-free Crispy Nutty Crackers are just the thing to serve with cheese or spreads.  There are six kinds of nuts and/or seeds in every bite, so they have lots of flavor.Crispy cheesy crackers

However if just sitting down with a bowl of cheesy crackers is more your thing, these 3-Cheese Crackers are addictive and will really hit the spot.  You can’t go wrong with Cheddar, Parmesan and Jack cheese!  They are SO much better than the kind that come in a box, and are surprisingly simple to make.  Try to share…

cheeseball jalapeno 691

If you’re a cheese lover, you will enjoy this Jalapeno and Pimento Cheese Ball.  This kicked-up version of pimento cheese, with smoked Gouda, Monterey Jack cheese and roasted jalapeno peppers  is sure to be a hit.  Roll it in roasted pumpkin seeds for a more spectacular presentation.

Stuffed mushroom in tin

What’s a party without bacon?  These Mushrooms Stuffed with Cream Cheese and Bacon are quick and easy.  Bake them in mini-muffin tins to keep them from falling over, and serve ‘em hot, right out of the oven.

Grilled lemon pepper wings wm

Ready for something a little more substantial?  Chicken wings are practically a requirement for game-day eating, and these Lemon-Pepper Wings are a good no-fuss choice.  I like all varieties of wings with gooey sauces, but if you invited people over, you probably don’t want lots of sticky fingers around your sofa.  Whether you grill them or bake them, these are crispy and delicious.

Candied Rosemary Walnuts (1)So…what have we left out?  A big bowl of mixed nuts?  Something sweet?  How about a little of both, with Candied Rosemary Walnuts?  I made these previously to go with Honey Walnut Shrimp, but they are irresistible all by themselves.  They will go fast, so you may want to double the recipe (if you do, you may need to cook in two batches).

Candied Rosemary Walnuts (makes 3 cups)

  • 3 cups whole walnuts (or a mix of nuts if you wish)
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1/3 cup coconut palm sugar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
  • sea salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 350F.  Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes.  Remove from oven and set aside.  In a large skillet, melt the butter.  Stir in the coconut palm sugar, honey, and rosemary until well blended and the butter is foamy.  Add the walnuts and cook over medium-high heat, tossing continuously, until the walnuts are well-glazed with the sugar mixture (3-4 minutes), being careful not to burn the walnuts.  Spread the walnuts back out on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet to cool.  Sprinkle with sea salt while hot.  Toss them around occasionally to keep them from sticking together.  The sugar-glaze will harden and will not be sticky when they are cool.  Store in a sealed container at room temperature.

Enjoy!

agYeah, not big sports fans around here, but hey, always up for a party! Kick off Super Bowl Sunday with the hysterical routine by Andy Griffith “What It Was, Was Football” on Wit & Wisdom of Andy Griffith. Funny!

gingaMaybe you think of football in another way, like the rest of the world? We gotcha covered with Ginga – The Sound Of Brazilian Football about the worlds most popular sport, soccer! Can’t go wrong with the music here, including Jorge Ben…footie!

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Pot Roast with Balsamic Onion Gravy

Posted on November 26, 2012 by | 20 Comments

Recipe modified from For the Love of Cooking

There were more important things to tend to than spending long hours in the kitchen – for that afternoon we were picking Brian up at the airport to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with us.  It was also his first visit to what we hope will soon be our full-time home in New Mexico, and we wanted him have a good impression of this place that his father and I love so much.

What simple dinner might be comforting to a traveler after a long day of changing planes and cramped flying?  Pot roast seemed to be the answer – not too fancy, not time-consuming.  However it was a special occasion, so  I decided to veer a little from my basic recipe and add balsamic vinegar to the braising liquid.  Balsamic vinegar enhances the flavor of beef, and when reduced, the  gravy has more of a sweet-and-sour zing to it than plain onion gravy.  I planned on serving this with roasted carrots and bleu cheese polenta triangles.  It turns out that bleu cheese is too “melty” for making crisp polenta shapes…but it makes nice polenta pancakes.  Although this meal lacked in presentation, everyone enjoyed it as we sat around the table, relaxing and catching up with where life has taken us.  Mission accomplished!

Ingredients:

  • 3 pound chuck roast, preferably grass-fed
  • Kosher or sea salt, freshly ground black pepper
  • 1-2 tablespoons oil, for high-heat cooking (I use coconut oil)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 sweet onion, sliced thinly
  • 1 shallot, sliced thinly
  • 4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
  • ~ 2 cups beef broth
  • 2 bay leaves

Preheat oven to 325F.  Heat the high-temp oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Sear the chuck roast deeply on both sides until well-browned.  Place the roast in a bowl; set aside.

Pour off the hot oil and add the olive oil to the pan, with the onions and shallot.  Cook for a few minutes, until the onion is softened (but not browned).  Add the garlic and tomato paste and stir for about a minute, until aromatic.  Add the balsamic vinegar and broth; use a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan (scrape up the delicious browned bits from the bottom of the pan).  Bring to a boil.

Return the chuck roast to the pan.  Add the bay leaves.  If needed, add more broth or water so that the roast is at least half covered in liquid.  Cover the pan and place in the oven.  Cook for 3-4 hours until the meat is tender enough to cut with a wooden spoon.  (During the last hour or so, partially uncover the roast so some of the liquid will cook off.  Flip the meat over to keep one side from drying out.)

Remove the roast to a serving dish; cover and keep warm.  While the meat is resting, remove the bay leaves from the balsamic onion sauce, and skim as much fat as possible from the top.  Puree in the onions with a stick blender.  (Alternatively, you can strain the sauce if you would like it to be ultra-smooth.) Place on stove over medium high heat and reduce sauce to desired consistency.  Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed.

Slice the pot roast and drizzle with the balsamic onion gravy.  Serve additional gravy on the side.  Enjoy!

A special occasion indeed, and the pot roast was a hit! As was LP shopping in Santa Fe…always find some good stuff. First up, John Hammond’s Country Blues, a early album from the renown blues guitarist. Just him on guitar and harp, doing Blind Willie McTell, Robert Johnson and more. Stellar stuff!

Any day you can pick up more Albert King is a good day, and I found King of the Blues Guitar, a compilation on Stax with great cuts like “Crosscut Saw” and “Born Under A Bad Sign”. Albert, like the pot roast, don’t fool around!

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Posted in Beef, Entrees, Sauces, Marinades, and Rubs

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Kefta Kabobs

Posted on August 20, 2011 by | 16 Comments

aka Ground Beef with Moroccan Spices on a Stick

Recipe adapted from Flavors of Morocco (by Ghillie Basan) and The New Book of Middle Eastern Food (by Claudia Roden)

Kefta Kabobs (2)

It’s been a while since we added a post to our ever-popular series, “Meat on a Stick” – this time we looked to North Africa and the Middle East for inspiration.  Ground meat kabobs are a popular street dish in Morocco, according to the cookbooks referenced above. Anything served as street food can automatically be considered delectable in my book!  After all, vendors would not make much money if their only draw was “hey, eat this, it’s good for you!”  Street fare should pull you in with enticing aromas, look appetizing, and also be easy to eat out of hand.   These kabobs are all that.  The ground meat, from grass-fed beef, was seasoned with onion, garlic, a variety of herbs and spices, plus a spice mixture known as Ras-el-Hanout, then was allowed to chill for a couple of hours so the flavors were well infused into the meat.  As a result, the kabobs looked and smelled irresistible as they cooked on the grill!

Keeping the meatballs stuck on the skewers proved to be a little tricky, so I made small burgers out of about half of the meat mixture.  Either way made for a delightful dinner.  Typically these kabobs would be served enveloped in a warm flat-bread (yum), but we served them with a lemony cilantro-yogurt sauce, alongside grilled red bell peppers and eggplant (also yum).

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds ground beef or lamb (use meat with a higher fat ratio, as lean meat will tend to dry out)
  • 1 onion, grated onto paper towels to adsorb excess moisture
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon Ras-el-Hanout (I ordered mine from The Spice House, but you can also blend your own.)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • several grindings black pepper
  • a small bunch of cilantro, finely chopped (about 3 tablespoons)
  • a small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (about 3 tablespoons)

Mix the ground meat with all the other ingredients; knead vigorously, until very smooth and pasty.  Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.

Wet your hands and divide the meat into golf-ball sized balls.  This will make 24-30 balls.  Alternatively you can shape the meat into mini-burgers (tangerine-sized balls).

Press the meat balls firmly around square-bladed skewers, and mold into a sausage-link shape.  (If your meat balls are too large, they will just fall off.  Trust me.)

Prepare a grill for direct cooking at around 400F.  When the coals are ready, grill the kabobs for 4-5 minutes each side, turning once or twice, until browned.  Be careful not to overcook or the meat may dry out.

Serve immediately.  These kabobs were perfect with grilled peppers and eggplant, but would also be great with couscous or rice.

Jeff Buckley called him “my Elvis”, Peter Gabriel performed with him. He was Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the most legendary Qawwil musician of them all. Qawwil, a devotional form of Sufi, is prayer put to music, and his six octave range and extraordinary intensity made every recording hypnotic. Here are a few to start you off.

Last Prophet is a good latter period work, done pretty much straight.

Mustt Mustt, produced at Peter Gabriel’s studios, mixes elements of Western music and beats into a something that sounds both new and old. Essential.

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Posted in Appetizers, Beef, Entrees, Meat on a Stick

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Chipotle-Lime Marinated Pork Kebabs

Posted on February 28, 2011 by | 1 Comment

Marinated Pork Kebabs

It was one of those first days of near-spring when it felt great to be outdoors.  Sunny, but with enough chill in the air to sit around the chiminea on the patio and indulge in some crossword puzzles while James stoked the fire with pinon wood, supplemented by fallen branches from the yard.  It was also a great day to grill some kebabs on the Big Green Egg!

Chipotle, lime, cilantro and garlic remind me of the flavors of the Southwest and pork tenderloin really soaks them up.  You could also use chicken breasts, and I promise you will be impressed by how great they turn out.  This marinade works as a brine, keeping the meat from drying out during the grill.  Every bite was juicy and jumping with flavor and a bit of heat from the chile.  Every bite was also gone at the end of the evening!

Enjoy this with a margarita for the ultimate experience!

Marinade Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 chipotle chile, from canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
  • 4 T fresh lime juice
  • 1 T honey
  • 2 T water
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 t kosher salt
  • 1/2 t ground cumin
  • Cilantro leaves from 4-5 stalks (small handful)

Kebab Ingredients

  • 16-20 ounces pork tenderloin, cut into ~ 1 1/2 inch cubes
  • 3 zucchini, cut into 1 inch rounds
  • 1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper, cored and sliced into ~ 1 1/2 inch strips
  • Extra virgin olive oil, Kosher salt and pepper
  • Limes and chopped cilantro

Place marinade ingredients in a small food processor bowl and process until garlic and chile are well blended.

Put pork cubes in a gallon-size, resealable bag and pour marinade into bag.  Mix together well and refrigerate from 2-6 hours.

Place zucchini and peppers into a large bowl and toss with enough olive oil to coat. Season with salt and pepper and toss again.

Fire up the grill and bring it to a medium high temperature (around 400F).  Spread coals around to produce as even as heat as possible.

Although mixed meat and vegetable skewers are pretty, I think it works best to put them on separate skewers for grilling since the cooking times may differ.  Thread the meat on skewers, pushing the skewer in against the grain of the meat.  On separate skewers, thread the zucchini and peppers.

Marinated Pork Kebabs and Vegs

When the grill is ready, spray the grill with oil and arrange the vegetable skewers on the grate.  Close the grill and cook for around 15 minutes, turning every 5 minutes, until vegetables are tender and slightly charred.  Remove the skewers to a baking dish and keep warm in a 150F oven, if desired.  (Also good at room temperature.)

Now arrange the meat skewers on the grill and grill for 15-20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes, until meat is cooked “medium” to “medium well”.  Cooking time will vary grill to grill – these times worked on The Egg.

To serve, garnish with some chopped cilantro and give it a good squeeze of lime juice!

This guy goes good with everything…the one, the only Willie! This record, his breakout Shotgun Willie launched Willie into the mainstream, giving us “Whiskey River”, “Devil in a Sleeping Bag” and his incredible version of Leon Russell’s “A Song For You”. Don’t get much better to my ears than Willie, and you gotta love a album that starts with Shotgun Willie sits around in his underwear…”. I wouldn’t advise that with the kebabs however…hot!

willie

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Posted in Entrees, Meat on a Stick, Pork, Sauces, Marinades, and Rubs

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Bacon-Bourbon Jam (with Bangers)

Posted on February 16, 2011 by | 5 Comments

The Jam of the Gods

Grilled Bangers…not the most photogenic of foods.

I ran across this recipe on Serious Eats and thought it sounded pretty good….but this was soooo beyond good!  This bacon jam is unbelievably tasty – so amazing that James said it was “slap your momma”-good (adding not my momma, no one would ever want to slap her).  Bacon is great on it’s own, but this is bacon-on-crack.  The aroma is heavenly and may cause drooling…then there’s the first taste.  All the smoky, chewy goodness of bacon with sweet caramelized onions and garlic, melded with hints of maple syrup, coffee, cider, and bourbon … candied bacon perfection!  I can’t think of a thing it wouldn’t be good on!  We proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is awesome with grilled pork banger sausages, grilled red bell peppers and Waldorf salad.

I made the tragic mistake of making only a half-recipe, which was about one cup of jam.  Here is my modification of the recipe, omitting the brown sugar because it really is sweet enough without it!  I also used less bacon than the original recipe because a pound and a half of bacon seemed to be a bit much (and I’d rarely say something has too much bacon in it). Feel free to add the full amount of bacon if you wish!

I think the quality of the bacon is important since it is the star ingredient, so pick a good one!  I used Wellshire Dry Rubbed Peppered Uncured Bacon.  I think the pepper rub on the bacon really added to the flavor of the jam, so I would highly recommend this brand.  It is available at Whole Foods (of course).

Ingredients

  • 20-24 ounces of good quality bacon, cut crosswise into ~1-inch pieces
  • 2 medium onions, sliced thin (Vidalia onions hit the spot!)
  • 4 or 5 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 cup cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup, plus 1 T (REAL maple syrup, not fake syrup-like substances)
  • 6 T brewed coffee
  • 6 T bourbon (I didn’t have bourbon, but Irish whiskey worked just fine)

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until fat is rendered and bacon is lightly browned and slightly crispy.  You may have to do this in a couple of batches.  Note:  If you have an oven-proof skillet with a lid, use that and you won’t need to transfer the mixture to another dish later…less to clean up!

Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.  Pour off bacon fat from skillet, leaving about 2 T.  Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and translucent.  Add garlic and cook, stirring, for about a minute.  Add vinegar, maple syrup, coffee, and bourbon.  Bring to a boil and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring and scraping browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.  Add bacon and stir to combine.

Here, the original recipe calls for the mixture to be transferred to a slow cooker and cooked on high, uncovered, until the liquid is reduced and the bacon is a deep burnished brown, 3 1/2 to 4 hours.  I did not do this.  My alternative was to place the skillet, partially covered (lid slightly pulled aside) in a 300 degree oven.  Stir occasionally, and cook until the liquid is reduced and the mixture is that beautiful, deep burnished brown.  I think it took a couple of hours – it needs to cook slowly to achieve the caramelization, so adjust the oven temperature accordingly.  You’ll know it’s done when you see it….but take care not to burn it!  That would be a shame and a waste of bacon!

Let cool somewhat, then transfer the mixture to a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped and it all starts clinging together.  It’s ready to serve!  The recipe states that it can be stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight jar for up to one month, but I don’t think
it will last that long!

Bangers and bacon…and rats? Well, the good kind anyway!

rats The Boomtown Rats are one of the most memorable groups from back in the day, and 1978′s Tonic for the Troops might be their best moment. Punchy, witty and sounds great on LP. Perfect soundtrack to sneaking bits of bacon jam when the cook isn’t lookin’!

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Posted in Entrees, Pork, Side dishes

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Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Kale

Posted on February 13, 2011 by | 1 Comment

Sweet potatoes and kale, served with salmon (this version without dried fruit)

I promised to post a recipe for butternut squash and kale, but my friend Ed says he doesn’t care much for butternut squash.  Hopefully he likes sweet potatoes!  I don’t see how anyone could not like either one, since they both roast-up to be creamy inside with a sweet, caramelized crust on the outside.

I changed this up in another way from the recipe I previously posted on facebook.  Since this batch accompanied a delicately seasoned crabmeat-stuffed salmon (purchased prepared at the seafood counter), I omitted the 2 cloves of garlic and replaced it with a bit of dried cherries and cranberries.  That does add more carbs to this dish; my sweet tooth seems to be getting the better of me lately!  However, the sweetness blends well with the kale, and complements the salmon and crabmeat stuffing.

I promise to post a non-orange vegetable without dried fruit in the near future!

Ingredients:

  • 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ~3/4-inch dice
  • Bunch of kale, stems removed, coarsely chopped
  • butter/bacon fat/coconut oil (or your fat of choice)
  • 2 T dried cherries and/or cranberries (optional)
  • salt and pepper
  • balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400F. In a small roasting pan, toss the sweet potatoes with salt, pepper and enough coconut oil to coat potatoes and pan.  Cover with foil and roast 15 minutes; remove foil and continue to cook until potatoes are tender and slightly browned (shaking pan occasionally, about 10 minutes).  Remove from oven.  [This step can be done in advance and the sweet potatoes set aside until dinner time.]

In the meantime, heat ~2-3 T of butter/bacon fat in a frying pan over medium high heat.  Start adding handfuls of kale and toss in pan until wilted.  Keep adding kale until you have the amount you’d like, cooking until wilted and to desired tenderness.  Add the dried fruit and a dash of balsamic vinegar and mix well.

Add the sweet potatoes to the kale and toss until heated throughout and well mixed.  Adjust seasoning and serve!

Does a Texas troubadour go with sweet potatoes and kale? Heck yes!

jm

James McMurtry is a songwriter in the style of Joe Ely, Guy Clark, Butch Hancock or a more rockin’ Townes Van Zandt. This 1992 release Candyland
was produced by John Mellencamp, and is a perfect example of McMurtry’s weary, jaded and world-wise art.

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Posted in Entrees, Side dishes, Vegetarian

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Eggplant Casserole

Posted on February 11, 2011 by | 2 Comments

I’m not sure what to call this…it is based on moussaka, but is also similar to lasagna sans the noodles.  Instead of topping the casserole with a cheesy cream sauce, to avoid the use of flour I decided to include a Parmesan-ricotta layer between the eggplant layers.  Also in my version, the eggplant slices are roasted in the oven instead of breaded and fried. This recipe has lots of steps, but at the end it comes together easily and it can be prepared ahead of time…leaving you free to enjoy a nice adult beverage while it cooks!

Ingredients:

  • 3 medium eggplants
  • Extra-virgin olive oil (EVO)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pound ground lamb
  • 1 pound ground beef (grass-fed)
  • bunch of fresh basil
  • 1/2 t dried oregano
  • 1/2 t dried marjoram
  • 1/2 t ground cinnamon
  • 1 t kosher salt
  • 2 cups tomato sauce
  • Dried red chile pepper flakes, optional, to taste
  • 16 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg
  • Salt and pepper

Roasted eggplant slices

First, preheat the oven to 400F and prepare the eggplant.  I like to peel them in stripes, lengthwise.  The peel is ok to eat, but personally I think hunks of it can get chewy…so I’ll leave this to your personal preference.  Slice the eggplants crosswise in approximately 3/4 inches rounds.  Prepare 2 baking sheets with oiled parchment paper or light non-stick coating.  Place the eggplant rounds on the baking sheets; brush with EVO.  (Eggplant really soaks up the oil, so don’t get too heavy-handed!)  Lightly season with salt and pepper and place in the oven.  Cook for 6-7 minutes, then remove from the oven, turn over the slices, brush oil on the top side, and return to the oven.  Continue to do this until the eggplant is tender and browned on each side (20-25 minutes or so).  Remove from oven and set aside.  Reduce the oven temperature to 350F.

Meat sauce with basil

Now for the sauce!  In a Dutch oven, saute the onions in EVO over medium high heat until tender (about 5 minutes), then add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds.  Add the ground lamb and ground beef and cook until done, stirring to break up the clumps of meat.  While that is cooking, roll up several leaves of basil (like rolling a cigar), then thinly slice.  Or chiffonade…if you want the fancy instructions.  You’ll want a nice handful of basil, so keep going until you have it.  Drain off the excess fat from the meat.  Add oregano, cinnamon, majoram, salt, and tomato sauce.  If you want a little bite to it, add some red chili flakes too.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in a good handful of basil chiffonade.

Ok…we’ll get the cheese together and then we can assemble the casserole.  In a medium bowl, lightly mix up the egg.  Add all of the ricotta cheese and one cup of Parmesan cheese.  Season with salt and pepper and mix it up well. If  you want you can throw some basil in this too.  Can’t have too much basil…

Take a breath here, because most of the hard work is done!  I took a little break to check my email, look at facebook updates, and make sure no one faxed me any real work… whew, they didn’t.

Eggplant layered over creamy ricotta cheese

Lightly coat a lasagna pan or large casserole dish with oil.  On the bottom of the dish, make a layer using half the eggplant slices.  Cover this with about half the meat sauce.  Add all the Parmesan-ricotta mixture, spreading each layer evenly over the dish.  Then add a second layer of eggplant followed by the rest of the meat sauce.  Sprinkle the remaining cup of Parmesan cheese over the top.  Bake, covered, for 30 minutes.  Remove the cover, then bake an additional 10 minutes or so until the top is bubbly and lightly browned.

Remove from oven, but be sure to let it cool down for at least 10 minutes or you’ll burn the bejesus out of your mouth.  Trust me on that.

A bit of acoustic music for the eggplant prep…time well spent, I can assure you!

hedgesFirst, if you like guitar music and haven’t heard Michael Hedges, you’re in for a treat. His Breakfast in the Field is a funky, acrobatic masterpiece that earned him the honor of “the Eddie Van Halen of acoustic guitar”. Gorgeous creations with one man, one guitar.

Are you down with the Dawg, David Grisman?

dawg Legendary mandolin player, he’s worked with Jerry Garcia, Old and in the Way, and runs the most successful acoustic label around.  The aptly named Hot Dawg is a great introduction to the skills of the Dawg.

Now, time for some eggplant leftovers!

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Red Grouper with Chili Lime Glaze

Posted on February 9, 2011 by | Leave a comment

This is more of a product review, perhaps, than a recipe.  When I was shopping for fish, I noticed that Whole Foods had grouper that was already covered in a marinade of some type…and it looked pretty tasty.  Since I wasn’t buying to cook on the same day, I asked what they used for the marinade so I could do it myself later.  They were using Cindy’s Kitchen Sweet Chili & Lime Marinade…conveniently placed right there in the produce section beside the fish counter.  I had already discovered Cindy’s Roasted Garlic Caesar Dressing (which is way yum), so I picked up a bottle of the marinade to take home.

Cindy's Kitchen Marinade, pictured here with Big Louie

Once home, I had to taste it (5 second finger-in-the-bottle rule) and it was spicy, sweet and citus-y as you would expect from the name, plus had a nice ginger flavor.

Here’s what we put together with it -

  • 1 1/3 pound of red grouper filets
  • Cilantro for garnish
  • Lime wedges, for serving

Around 2 hours before dinner time, I put the fish in a glass baking dish and poured around 1/3 a cup or so of the marinade over the fish.  I coated the fish well with the marinade, then covered it with cling wrap and stuck it back in the refrigerator.

When ready to cook, take the baking dish out of the oven and set aside while the oven preheats to 400F.  Stick the dish in the oven (uncovered) for around 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fish.  Check on it occasionally and shake the pan to keep the sauce from burning.  Bake until the fish flakes easily.

Remove from the oven…sprinkle some chopped cilantro around, give it a good squeeze of fresh lime juice, and there you have it!

Here is the finished product right before consumption, served with oven-roasted carrots.

Verdict: Delicious!!!

If you can have music to cook by, how about music to marinate? Indeed!

In the past few years I’ve become a big fan of old time and jug band music, and just got a great collection of it:

jugMemphis Jug Band with Gus Cannon’s Jug Stompers. This is some seriously wonderful stuff, urban blues featuring guitar, kazoo and yes, a guy blowing on a jug. Bizarre and completely original, jug bands have provided material to everyone from Pete Seeger to the Dead.

Now, for music from this century, we spun this lovely 70s live recording from house favorite Nina Simone:

It Is Finished features the best version of ninaSteppenwolf’s “The Pusher” you’ll ever hear, as well as a great interpretation of the Everly Brothers “Let It Be Me”. I had the good fortune to see Nina live not long before she passed, and records like this bring back good memories. Like the delicious grouper, Nina Simone is spicy at the same time as being oh so tender…

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Sticky Superbowl Wings

Posted on February 7, 2011 by | 4 Comments

James and I watched the Biggest Event on T.V. in our solitary, annual attempt to be Real Americans (TM) and partake of the popular culture.  Thankfully that is over!  The occasion is, however, a good excuse to pig out on chicken wings with sticky, delicious sauce.  Yes, only 4 posts into this blog and this recipe almost completely abandons our primal food guidelines!  I did what I could to reduce the sugar in the recipe, but by my calculations the sauce comes up to a whopping 285 gms of carbs.  There were 18 wings on the grill, so that’s about 15 gms per wing – although I like to think it’s less, accounting for how much sauce ends up on the grill itself!  No matter how you look at it, a moderate helping of these wings is above our carb allowance for the day…but it was a Special Day, wasn’t it?

Sticky, yummy wings as photographed by tipsy, hungry cook.

I stole modified this recipe from Dave’s Food and Fire blog.  Here’s the link if anyone would like to see the original.  I didn’t have the exact ingredients, plus I wanted to use less sugar, so this is what I came up with.  Otherwise I followed Dave’s cooking instructions, because he’s my go-to-guy for grilling on the Big Green Egg.

Ingredients:

  • Family tray of whole, fresh chicken wings (4-5 pounds)
  • 1 (15oz) jar Polaner Allfruit Apricot Spreadable Fruit (sweetened only with fruit juice)
  • 1/4 cup Honey
  • 1 1/2 t Red Curry Paste
  • 1 T Fish Sauce
  • 1 T Rice Vinegar
  • 2 T Miso Tamari sauce
  • 1/2 t crushed red chile peppers (or more, to taste)
  • 1/2 t Chinese Five Spices
  • toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Combine all the ingredients (except wings and sesame seeds) in a heavy sauce pan over medium heat.  Bring to boil, then simmer until everything is well-combined.  Keep warm over very low heat.

Set up the grill for indirect cooking at 325-350F.  Place a pan under the grate to catch drippings.

Naked wings on the Big Green Egg

Grill wings with the tips down for 30 minutes, then flip over and cook another 30 minutes until they are golden brown.

Mop wings with the sauce, flip, and cook for another 15 minutes.  (Flip the wings…you may not want to be doing flips near the fire.  Har.)

Keep mopping and flipping the wings until they have a nice sticky glaze on them.

Take ‘em off the grill, sprinkle with some toasted sesame seeds, and proceed to chow down!

It’s Super Bowl Sunday…it’s a party, right? Indeed! Here’s the highlights of the soundtrack. Just add margaritas!

First, found a mint German pressing of the Stone’s Aftermath,

aftermath The Stones fourth album, with one of my favorite early cuts, “Out of Time”, which I imagine the Steelers are humming about now.

We’re big blues fans, so what would a party be without the legendary Muddy Waters?

mw

The best of the records Muddy made with Johnny Winter near the end of his life, the classic I’m Ready. While I did have the good fortune to see quite a few blues legends, Muddy sadly wasn’t one. But he sure sounds alive and kicking on this release.

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The Devil’s in the Eggs… and the details

Posted on February 6, 2011 by | 5 Comments

I like deviled eggs, but rarely make them because I just cannot peel the suckers without ripping off chunks of egg white.  More on that later…

This is just your basic Southern Deviled Egg recipe.  These are a great snack or appetizer for primal eating – no carbs to speak of!

Ingredients:

  • 5 large eggs
  • approximately 2 T mayonnaise
  • approximately 1 T Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 t apple cider vinegar
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper – to taste
  • Cayenne pepper, onion powder, granulated garlic – to taste
  • Paprika (sweet, or try smoked paprika…both are good)

Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water.  Bring to a full boil, then remove the pan from heat and let the eggs stand for 18 minutes (covered).

This is where I run into trouble.  Someone out there please send me your suggestions on how to peel hard-boiled eggs!  This is what I did, and the photo below is pretty much what resulted.  I drained the eggs, shook the pan so that the egg shells were cracked a little, then covered them with cold water to cool.  After they cooled some,  I tried to remove the eggshell, and it chips and chips…I get frustrated and eventually start yanking off the shell and parts of the egg white.  Heck, I don’t even like the egg whites!  I would be happy eating the yolk mixture with a spoon…but that’s hardly party food unless you’re by yourself.

Bad Egg!

So, back to the recipe.

Peel the eggs, then cut each egg in half.  Transfer the yolks to a small bowl and mash with a fork.  Stir in the remaining ingredients (except paprika) until smooth, and season to your taste.  (I like mine a little zippy!)

Distribute the yolk mixture to the egg whites, covering the tops.  [Note: I just spoon it on, but if you want to get fancy you can pipe the filling into the egg whites like frosting.]  Sprinkle the eggs with paprika and voila!  If making ahead of time, refrigerate until ready to serve.

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Posted in Appetizers

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