Well another year has passed and I haven’t been hit by a bus, eaten by an escaped lion or evicted and forced to live in a cardboard box. Of course, since I started writing this cookbook and introduction in the middle of December 2009 it may be a bit premature for me to be writing this.
Much has changed in 2010 and much has remained the same.
In the change department: Daughter MaryAnne started college this fall at Appalachian State University and is living on-campus…and the house is bit quieter…just not the kind of quieter you hope for.
Colin changed schools and now attends Hanes magnet School in Winston Salem. It means getting up even earlier since he has a longer ride to school but we know it will be worth it.
Fox is still attending General Green Science and Technology school in Greensboro and, unlike me at that age, loves school and is doing well.
Much being done in and around the house. I’ve opened up whole areas in the side yards that were previously overgrown and gone wild and the upstairs remodeling is nearly completed. All that’s left to do is the common bathroom.
Of course, the downstairs is only half done…
In the remained the same department I am still happily married to my Starbuck (Laura) I am still a non-smoker (18 months) and I’m in much better shape than a year ago at this time. Laura is still working on her post-graduate degree but she’s getting closer to her Masters (and/or) PhD every day.
This year’s cookbook will be bit different since a larger percentage of the recipes here will be a bit healthier than in previous year’s cookbooks. Of course some recipes, such as the fettuccini Alfredo recipe, are so changed by making them low-fat that some might not feel the changes are worth it but that’s up to you. Any recipes that are low fat and healthier or those that can be made so are marked with ***.
As for cream substitutions there is always fat-free milk which can be thickened by using cornstarch. But do not use fat-free half-n-half for cooking. Something about it just doesn’t work and, while I would readily use it for coffee, it makes food taste really, really weird when used for cooking.
As for butter, there is always Promise-brand butter-spread which is fat-free. There is also the Smart-Beat brand butter substitute which comes in different blends. It is supposed to be healthier for you but be aware that it is not a fat-free spread. As for oils, some have more fat and cholesterol than others so read the labels. Olive oil, however, is an entirely different story. It is both delicious and profoundly good for you and I use it whenever possible. It helps reduce your “bad” cholesterol levels and increase your “good” cholesterol levels and it is probably part of the reason why Europeans have such a low level of heart disease as compared to Americans when so much of what they eat is if full of rich, fattening sauces. Of course, they also don’t gorge themselves on all of the processed garbage that we do… It is not good to fry with olive oil since it burns easily so use a good soybean oil or peanut oil (not so healthy) if the heat is going to be really, really high,
Laura’s intro 2011
I am a grad student at UNCG and I teach there as well. I don’t really have the time to write an introduction this year.
Loveyoumeanitbyebye.
My grated cheese rant.
Okay, here we go…let me start out by saying that there is no such thing as parmesan cheese! It’s true. Parmesan is a word made up by the Kraft Foods Corporation because they weren’t allowed to use the word Parmagiana or Parmagiano-reggiano which is actually the cheese you are thinking about. Parmesan is a cheep, mass-produced cow milk cheese that Americans have been trained to think of as Italian. It’s not! No more than Chow Mien is Chinese (it was invented in San Francisco)
Italian foods are strictly regulated by that nation according to quality and region of production so there is a huge difference between foods produced there and those which are not but only called Italian. Huge difference in price too. For example, Prosciutto (cured Italian ham) is available in grocery stores and is produce in America, Spain and many other countries. Parma Prosciutto is produced in the Parma region of Italy and is not only vastly superior in taste and quality but also costs 2-3 times as much. Same names, vastly different products.
Also, balsamic vinegar, the kind actually made in Italy, has no vinegar in it as it isn’t actually vinegar. I know that may be confusing but remember that a shoehorn it is not a musical instrument even though it has the word horn in it but .
Real balsamic vinegar is thick and syrupy and costs about $100 per bottle. That price may seem steep but it takes many years to make the stuff and it is transferred between several different barrels as it ferments, much like wines are made. Yeah, real stuff costs more but it’s almost always worth the difference.
Solutions:
A. Buy the real stuff, especially when it comes to cheeses. You cannot beat Peccorino Romano or real parmaggiano for taste and they don’t cost that much more than cheap cheeses.
B. Buy them in block and grate them as you need them. They retain their flavor much longer and the taste is fuller and more complex when freshly grated as compared to the cheaper, pre-grated cheeses which are just flat and salty.
Fettuccini Alfredo***
I put a new recipe for this in every year that we make a cookbook…oh well.
Fettuccini Alfredo is not actually Italian. It was invented, however, by an Italian restaurant owner in New York City who’s name was Alfredo. That’s not really important. What is important is that the “Alfredo” sauce you buy in a jar in the grocery stores is NOT Alfredo nor is it even Alfredo-like. I’m not saying that it’s not any good, it’s
just that it is actually a white cheese sauce while genuine Alfredo is almost all cream and butter with no cheese. Actually, genuine Alfredo has around four ingredients: butter, cream, salt, pepper with maybe a dash of parrmaggiano-reggiano cheese. That’s it. But this is the Alfredo I make so that’s what’s in this book. It’s basically genuine Alfredo with some extra seasoning. Just use the first three ingredients listed below with a garnish of grated Romano or parmesan if you want 100% authentic Alfredo sauce.16 ounces heavy cream
Salt & pepper to taste
1 stick Butter
A dash of garlic powder
1 teaspoon parsley for garnish
2 tablespoons freshly grated Romano cheese
16 ounces Fettuccine or rigatoni; cooked al dente‘& drained
In large saucepan heat butter until melted. Add garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Add cream and bring to a high simmer. Whisk almost constantly over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes until cream reduces and begins to thicken. Whisk in cheese stirring constantly until smooth. Sprinkle some parsley over just before serving
Toss pasta lightly with sauce, coating well and serve.
Low Fat Alfredo-Like Pasta Sauce***
Okay, this is just so wrong to me on so many levels. But without it, a lot of people won’t eat Alfredo for a very good reason-it is outrageously fattening. When your ingredient list is cream, butter and cheese, you’re asking for your heart to blow up by just looking at the dish.
So I made a low-fat version which actually isn’t bad. In fact, daughter Maryanne seems to like it better than the original. You simply can’t make this completely fat-free without it tasting like…well…nothing. And do not try using fat-free Half-n-Half either, it doesn’t work. It winds up with some weird, artificial sweet taste
3 cups fat-free milk plus some extra to mix with cornstarch
Cornstarch
½ cup low fat or fat-free grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
¼ cup Promise-brand spread or other butter alternative
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
1 pound pasta of choice cooked al dente’
Romano or parmesan grated cheese for topping.
Melt butter substitute spread in large sauce pan and add the garlic, basil, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and let simmer for a minute or so, stirring constantly. Add the milk and bring to a near boil. Simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes at a near-boil, whisking very frequently.
Prepare some thickener by mixing around two tablespoons of cornstarch with around ¼ cup cold milk. Mix thoroughly while the sauce simmers and set aside.
Add parmesan cheese to the pan and whisk in thoroughly over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Do not stop whisking. Stir up the cornstarch mixture with a fork to be sure it hasn’t all settled to the bottom of its cup and pour some into the sauce mixture. Keep whisking the mixture and add more cornstarch mixture until the sauce is at its desired thickness. Remember that you need to stop adding cornstarch when it is almost the right thickness since cornstarch will continue to thicken for a while after it has been added. If it gets too thick just thin it with a bit of milk.
Place pasta in a large, heated bowl and pour the Alfredo sauce over it. Mix thoroughly and serve immediately with grated parmesan or Romano cheese for topping and fresh Italian or French bread.
This sauce can also be the base for a tomato cream sauce, for a pasta carbonara-ish sauce (using fat-free bacon, of course) or even Magianno’s Rigatoni-D recipe from last year’s cookbook. In addition, it works reasonably well for the creamy veal and veal ala mare’ recipes, also from last year’s cookbook.
McDonald’s McRib Sandwich
Yup, you read right. Since McDonald’s sees fit to grace us with the McRib for only a short time every few years I decided to make an exact duplicate of the McRib so that I could enjoy the heart attack on a bun whenever I want to. The benefit is that it is much less fatty and lower in calories than the original.
Pre-formed pork patties
Pepperidge Farms hoagie rolls
KC Masterpiece barbeque sauce
Dill pickle slices
Onion slices
First, you need a box of the formed rib patties in barbeque sauce. The kind I use is the brand called “Family Buffet” at WalMart for about $2.00 for five patties. You also need a package of Pepperidge Farms hoagie rolls with sesame seeds, a bottle of KC Masterpiece barbeque sauce, dill pickle and onion slices.
Cook the box of pork-(ish) patties in the microwave until they are just warm and remove. Here’s where it gets strange; thoroughly wash all of the original BBQ sauce off the patties. You may even need to scrub them a bit with a brush…I’m not kidding.
When they are clean, set them aside. You then slice up the onion and pickles. Heat the patties in the microwave with a generous coating of the KC Masterpiece barbeque sauce, place the patty on the bun along with the pickles and onion slices and there you have your McRib.
Two bonuses of making your own McRib is that you can eat two or three for the same amount of calories and fat as one from McDonalds and that you can have them whenever you want.
Another bonus it that each sandwich costs about $1.20 so you can eat more for less…how’s that for great health advice-eat more pork!
For a more authentic dining experience, put way too much sauce on each sandwich so it gets all over everything within 10-feet of you.
Chocolate, strawberry, banana protein smoothie***
So when I started working out I found that I needed more protein and fewer calories to loose the massive quantity of weight I gained after I quit smoking. This shake is very, very health, tastes great and only has about 350-calories for a 40+ ounce shake and (depending on the protein powder you use) at least 50% of your RDA of protein. I toss a few blueberries into the mix just because they are so incredibly healthy for you.
½ Cup fat-free milk
½ Cup low fat strawberry or vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
Very Authentic Pasta Carbonara
This dish is considered to be a late-night staple in Italy…sort of like going out for breakfast after a night out is in America
1 lb spaghetti cooked al dente
8 slices bacon
4 medium to large eggs
1.2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Kosher salt to taste
Fresh ground pepper to taste
½ cup of the boiling water used to cook the pasta
Fry the bacon in a pan until a bit crisp but not crunchy. Remove from pan, drain on paper towels and cut across the marbling into thin strips.
Combine the cream, eggs, bacon, parsley and cheese in a large bowl.
Carefully scoop a quarter cup of water from the cooking pasta just when you are ready to drain it.
The cooking pasta should be timed to be ready just when the other ingredients are combined in the large bowl. Quickly drain the pasta in a colander, do NOT rinse and then quickly pour the pasta into the bowl. Add the ¼ cup of pasta water and quickly toss the pasta, coating it thoroughly with the mixture in the bowl. It is important that the pasta be as hot as possible when added to the bowl since the hot pasta “cooks” the eggs in the mixture.
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Serve with fresh French or Italian bread.
Basic Italian Bread
1 pound all-propose flour
1 cup warm water
1 ounce moist active cake yeast
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Mix yeast and warm water in a measuring cup with a fork until the yeast is broken up.
Sift the flour into a large bowl, mix the salt and sugar and make a hole in the middle of it. Pour the water/yeast into the middle, add the olive oil and mix it with your hand until it forms a dough-like ball. You can use an electric bread mixer or bread making machine for the first mixing.
Remove from the bowl and kneed on a floured surface for about two minutes.
Place large, deep pan on the bottom rack of an oven.
Heat oven to 250 degrees for about 5 minutes and then turn off the heat. Wait five minutes and then fill the pan in the oven with boiling water and close the door.
Place the dough on a large greased pan, spray a piece of aluminum foil with coking spray and loosely cover the dough with the foil and then place the greased pan in the oven
Let rise for about 30 minutes then remove from the oven.
Repeat the process of heating the oven and adding new boiling water to the pan while you kneed the dough on a floured surface for about a minute. Return the dough to the oven and allow to rise for another 30 minutes.
Pull the dough out and kneed it for another minute and cut into even pieces for rolls or form it into loaves or place in greased bread pan. Let rise again for 30 minutes in the oven, remove and set the oven to 350-degrees. Bake bread until golden brown.
Fresh fire-roasted Walrus
An international favorite that sounds weird but people in northern Europe have been eating various recipes with some or all of these ingredients for generations. If you cannot find fresh walrus you may substitute fresh killer whale.
1 fresh, large male walrus, 10-14 feet long. 1,200-1,600-lbs. Dressed and cleaned
1 large onion
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
One 16-oz ribeye steak
Salt and pepper
100 gallons water
1 metal bath tub
1 big metal grate
2 cords of fire wood
Using half of a chord of the firewood, build a fire under the bath tub filled with the water and bring to a boil.
Clean and dress the walrus remove the head and tail and chop into three even pieces. Drop it all into the bathtub one piece at a time along with the onion, garlic, salt and pepper bring water back to a boil and let cook for 2 hours. Replace water as needed as it boils off. Remove the head after 1 hour and set aside.
Remove all of the walrus and remove the tub from the fire. Keep the liquid remaining in the tub
Put the rest of the firewood onto the fire and let burn until reduced to hot coals. Place metal grate over the fire and put all of the walrus over the fire except for the head and tail. After two hours put the head on the grate. Cook for one more hour.
Remove all of the walrus parts from the fire and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Dig a large hole about 6-feet in diameter and 6-feet deep. Throw all the walrus into the hole, cover with dirt, go into the house and cook that 16-ounce steak. Eat that instead because walrus tastes like shit!
The second-best basic way to cook a steak.
Quite frankly, we make cooking steak too complicated. As long as you start with a reasonably fresh cut of quality beef, it shouldn’t be that difficult. You do have to remember that the flavor and tenderness of steak is often dependent on the fat content of the cut. The more fat that is marbled into the meat, such as in a rib-eye, the more flavorful it will be. You can make any cut taste like a steakhouse steak if you remember a few simple basics.
1. Do not fork or “tenderize” meat. Poking, cutting, stabbing or forking it will tear the muscle fiber in the steak, releasing moisture and actually making it tougher.
2. Searing the outside under high heat will seal in flavor and juices.
3. You don’t have to marinade meat for it to be tender. You can, but buying a good cut is more important.
You’ll need
Steak
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
Olive oil
Butter
Chopped garlic (optional)
Here’s the best (simplest ) way to prepare a steak.
First wash and dry the steaks. Place the steaks in a large glass, baking dish, drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle kosher salt all over the steaks and then rub it all in with your hands for a few minutes. Do the same with both sides then sprinkle fresh ground pepper on each side.
If you are grilling the steaks, sear them on both sides over high heat and then cook over medium heat a few more minutes until cooked how you want them.
If broiling, place in a preheated oven set on broil. Pour about 1” of water in the bottom of a broiling pan and place it in the oven under the heating elements so that it is about 2” away from them. Let the pan heat for about 4 minutes. Slide the rack out with the pan on it and, using tongs, drop the steaks onto the broiler pan. They should sizzle really loudly since the pan has been under the heating elements for a few minutes. Cook about 2-4 minutes per side and when you flip the steaks (again with a tong, not a fork) flip the steak onto a part of the broiler, the longer you cook, the more well done the steak. But be aware that it cooks faster under a broiler than you think it does so be careful not to overcook it.
If you want to use garlic, first wash and dry the steaks. Place the steaks in a large glass, baking dish, place a tablespoon of chopped garlic on them and rub the garlic into the steak with your hands for a few minutes. Follow the remaining steps above.
When your steaks are finished, place them on a heated plate, drizzle some melted butter and a pinch more of kosher salt on each steak and serve. Remember that a steak will continue to cook even after you have removed it from the heat so serve them quickly when they’re finished.
If pan cooking a steak use a cast-iron skillet and heat it very hot before dropping the steak in it as to sear the outside of the meat. Flip onto another part of the pan to sear the other side. Reduce the heat and continue to cook. For thicker cuts, place a smaller pan of hot water on top of the steaks to press them down onto the pan.
The best way to cook a steak EVER!!!!
This one may sound strange but it will be the BEST steak you ever had. The better the cut the better the steak but as with the recipe above, even cheaper cuts turn out great.
You will need:
Steaks
Salt and pepper
Ziploc bags big enough to hold one steak
A big pot of water
An accurate candy or cooking thermometer.
A propane torch (yeah, the kind used for plumbing repairs.)
Wash steaks and place in individual Ziploc bags (no cheap substitutes here)
Heat a large pot of water to exactly 120-degrees and drop the steak bags into the water.
Maintain the water temperature as best you can at 120-degrees for 30 minutes, then increase the temperature to 145-degrees for an additional 15 minutes. Reduce the times for thinner cuts, increase it slightly for thicker cuts.
remove the steaks from the bags and fire up the torch. Thoroughly sear every surface of the steaks with the torch. This will take a few minutes but you have to do it. Do not sear them under a broiler or in a pan as it will overcook the steaks.
when seared to your satisfaction, sprinkle on some Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, maybe some garlic-infused butter. Serve.
The reason to go through all this is that as beef cooks slowly with low heat, it releases an enzyme that softens the muscle fibers. This does not happen when you cook beef under high temperatures.
Trust me, go through this work and your reward will be amazing.
Spicy Garlic Shrimp Pasta
Sort of like a shrimp scampi with pasta but spicier! mmmmmmmmm
2 pounds fresh shrimp peeled and deveined
1 pound box spaghetti or fettuccini pasta cooked al dente’
1½ sticks butter
1 small julienned onion
1 tablespoon diced garlic
1 teaspoon dry chopped oregano
1 tablespoon parsley
2 teaspoons lemon juice
½ cup white wine
4-6 small dry Mexican red chili peppers, cored and cut in half lengthwise
1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
½ cup milk
Cornstarch/water mix
½ cup chopped green onions
Parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)
Peel, devein and wash shrimp and set aside.
Melt butter in a large sauce pan. Add garlic, salt, pepper flakes, black pepper and oregano and simmer over medium heat for two minutes. Add lemon juice and stir for one minute. Add wine and parsley stir until heated through. Add milk and stir until heated. Add shrimp to mixture, stir over medium heat until shrimp is cooked throughout. Do not overcook the shrimp. If mixture is too thin add a very small bit of cornstarch/water to it and stir.
Serve over pasta. Garnish with green onions and parmesan cheese.
Seafood Stuffed Mushrooms
12 large 2-3 inch diameter mushrooms
1 eight-ounce package cream cheese
1 can crab meat
1 small onion diced
2 teaspoon diced garlic
Mushroom stems finely diced
Kosher salt and pepper
½ stick butter plus 2 tablespoons butter
OR
2 tablespoons olive oil plus two tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
¾ cup breadcrumbs plus extra if needed
Remove the stems form the mushrooms and set aside. Trim the loose, rubbery edges off the caps so they make nice little bowls.
Dice the onion and the mushroom stems. Heat olive oil or melt the half stick of butter in a small sauce pan and place the diced stems, onions, garlic, salt and pepper in the pan and stir over medium heat until he onions get soft. Remove from the heat and let cool for 30 minutes.
Combine the crème cheese, bread crumbs, onion mixture and crab meat and mix thoroughly. The mixture should be firm enough to form into balls that hold their shape. If too moist, add more bread crumbs. If too dry, add a small bit of milk.
Press even amounts of the mixture into each mushroom cap and place caps in a buttered glass baking dish (mushroom side down) large enough for all of the mushrooms. Once the dish is full, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter and brush or drizzle some on top of the seafood mixture in each mushroom.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake in center rack of oven for 20-30 minutes at 325-degrees or until mushrooms appear cooked throughout.
Healthy substitutions:
Use low-fat cream cheese and low fat butter-spread
Coney Island Chili-Dogs***
Damned Yankee chili-dogs the way they are supposed to be. You serve them with chopped onions, melted cheese and chili sauce, not coleslaw. Coleslaw on a hot dog ?!?!?! That’s not right…that’s not a topping, that’s just missing your target when serving a side dish J
1 pound Ground Beef, Lean as possible or you may substitute ground turkey
1 Small Onion, Chopped
2 Tbls. Prepared Yellow Mustard
2 Tbls. Vinegar
2 Tbls. Sugar
1 Tbls. Water
1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 tsp. Celery Seed
1/2tsp. Tabasco Sauce
1/4 cup Catsup, Approximate (Use enough to keep mixture loose)
In salted skillet, over medium heat, brown ground beef with onion, breaking up meat with fork to crumble fine. Drain off fat.
Add mustard, vinegar, sugar, water, Worcestershire sauce, celery seed, and Tabasco sauce. Mix well. Add enough catsup to keep mixture loose.
Reduce heat to low, and simmer (uncovered), for 35 to 40 minutes. Makes enough sauce for six to eight medium wieners.
Healthy substitutions:
Use meat substitute such as “Crumblers” brand that you can find in the frozen section of your grocery store. You can also use a no-sugar added ketchup. When preparing the meat, sauté the onions in a small amount of olive oil plus a bit of water and add the meat substitute when the onions are almost completely cooked through.
Crab Cakes-II
This is supposedly the recipe from the famous Four Seasons Restaurant. They do not have the “bread” consistency of Maryland-style crabs cakes and are a different kind of eating experience if Maryland-style is what you are used to. You can save a bit of cash by substituting the artificial crab meat for some, or even all of the called-for amount of crab meat. but you should only do this if you have previously tried the brand you are going to use in other recipes and find the taste acceptable.
2 pounds fresh, frozen or canned lump crabmeat
½ pound fresh cod fillet
½ to 1 cup heavy cream
½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
2 tablespoons basil, finely chopped
4 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Olive oil for sautéing
Unseasoned bread crumbs (if needed)
In a food processor, grind codfish until pureed. Add 1/2 cup of heavy cream and puree until incorporated. Then add more cream if needed so that the mixture is smooth and shiny, yet firm enough to hold its shape.
Break the crab meat up into small pieces but do not tear it completely apart. If blending in artificial crab meat you may need to use a knife and cut it into smaller bits but afterwards, tear it into small chunks.
Place the mousse in a metal bowl, mix in the eggs and add the crab meat and other ingredients, except for the olive oil, and mix well.
If the mixture is too thin to hold together when formed into patties then add a small amount of bread crumbs. Mix them in just until they hold a patty shape.
Take a small portion of the crab-cake mixture and sauté in hot olive oil until golden brown. Taste to adjust seasoning.
Form the rest of the crab cakes into patties no more than 1” thick and sauté in hot olive oil over medium heat until golden brown on both sides. Finish by baking in a pre-heated, 450-degree oven for 5 to 6 minutes.
Baked Potato Soup***
You can make this delicious soup more healthy by the simple substitutions you‘ll find at the end of the recipe or make it just as it is.. Of course, you can also go the other way and add grated cheddar cheese and cooked, chopped bacon with a teaspoon of the bacon grease to make it completely unhealthy but still delicious potato bacon soup.
2 Cups potatoes, diced but unpeeled
¼ lb butter
2 Cups finely diced yellow onions
½ Cup flour
1 quart warm water
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ Cup chicken or vegetable bouillon
1 Cup potato flakes
2 Cups heavy cream
2 Cups milk
½ teaspoon Tabasco
1 teaspoon fresh chopped parsley plus more for garnish
Salt, pepper and dried basil to taste
Sauté onions in melted butter for 10 minutes in large kettle. Add flour to onions and butter and cook for four to five minutes, stirring until flour is absorbed.
In a separate container, combine water, bouillon, potato flakes, and seasonings. Stir until thoroughly mixed and no lumps remain. Add to onion mixture, one pint at a time.
Add milk and cream, stirring until smooth and lightly thickened.
Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
In a separate container, the potatoes should be covered with water, brought to a boil, and simmered for 20 minutes.
Combine the potatoes with the soup to complete.
Serve as is with French or Italian bread or garnish with crumbled bacon bits and/or grated cheddar cheese.
Healthy substitutions:
Substitute all fat-free milk for the cream and milk and increase the potato flakes to thicken the soup (or add cornstarch) and substitute a healthy butter-spread for butter.
Leak and Potato Soup
I love potato soups os almost any kind. I guess it’s the German mom who made me that way. This is a creamy soup that is actually not bad for you depending how you make it. You can go full-on cream and butter or substitute fat-free milk and butter-substitutes.
Five pounds pealed potatoes sliced thin
Four cups leaks sliced
One stick butter or ½ cup promise-brand fat-free spread
One cup light cream or one cup fat-free milk
One large carrot diced
3 stalks celery finely chopped
Two teaspoons black ground pepper
One tablespoon Kosher salt
One tablespoon chopped garlic
Two tablespoons parsley
Peel and slice the potatoes into thin slices. Clean and chop the white part of the leaks into small pieces and the green parts into thin rings. Keep the white and green parts of the onions separate. You should wind up with about 4 cups of leaks total.
Dice up the carrots and celery and combine with the potatoes, garlic, salt and pepper in a large pot. Fill the pot with hot water until the level is just above the vegetable. You will not be removing any water because the potato starch will act as the soup’s thickening agent. You can add more water if needed but not too much
Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and let cook for at least 20 minutes being careful that it doesn’t burn.
At the same time, in a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and add all of the white part of the leaks and half of the green leeks. Sautee until the leaks are just getting soft. Add the rest of the leeks, mix well, remove from heat and set aside.
When the thickest slices of potatoes are soft, allow to simmer a few more minutes. Add the cream or milk and use a hand blender to blend up the potato mixture until it is absolutely smooth. If you find that the mixture is too thin you can add some instant mashed potato flakes to thicken it up. If too thick you can add milk or water.
Once you are satisfied with the consistency of the soup, add the leek and butter mixture and the parsley. Stir well and serve with French bread.
Reduced-fat Key Lime Cheesecake***
I have a very unhealthy love of cheesecake but it is just too fattening. I made this basic recipe so I could have a lower fat version of it without eating something that tastes like foam rubber and crackers. My Starbuck likes key lime cheese cake so…
Two 8-oz packages fat-free cream cheese, room temperature
One 8-oz package reduced-fat cream cheese
½ cup key lime juice
3 eggs
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup fat-free sour cream
½ cup sugar or Splenda
Two 9” pre-made graham cracker pie crusts
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Allow the cream cheese packages to come to room temperature for at least one hour. Place cream cheese in a large bowl and blend with an electric blender for a few minutes.
Add the eggs, sugar and sour cream and blend thoroughly until all the cream cheese is mixed and there are no lumps.
Add the flour, vanilla and key lime juice and blend well until the mixture is smooth and uniform.
Pour even amounts into the tow pie shells and place in the 375-degree oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 250-degrees and continue baking for an additional 30 minutes.
Cakes will still be slightly giggly when done and will continue to firm up as they cool.
Remove from oven and allow to cool on racks.
Creamy Italian Dressing***
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ cup mayonnaise
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Crumble the oregano, basil, thyme and rosemary into a medium bowl. Stir in the salt, pepper, vinegar and lemon juice. Whisk in the mayonnaise and then the gradually whisk in the olive oil. Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Transfer to a jar with a tight-fitting lid and store in the refrigerator. Shake well before using.
Healthy substitutions:
Substitute ½ cup fat free mayonnaise for the regular kind and reduce the olive oil to ¼ cup and add ¼ cup water. Use fat-free grated parmesan instead of regular.
Sweet Tartar Sauce***
This tastes just like the tarter sauce at Red Lobster…mmmmmm.
1/3 cup Miracle Whip Salad Dressing
2/3 cup Sour cream
¼ cup Confectioner's Sugar
3 Tablespoons sweet white onion, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons sweet pickle relish from jar with the relish juice
3 Teaspoons carrot, finely chopped
¼ Teaspoon salt
Chop the sweet white onion in food processor, put in small container and set aside. Chop carrot in food processor, and add to onion.
Mix in remaining ingredients and stir to blend thoroughly. Do not use electric mixer. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight to let flavors blend.
Healthy substitutions:
Substitute fat-free sour cream and fat-free Miracle Whip for the regular kinds. Substitute Splenda “Spooners” for sugar
Baked Tomato Alfredo Ricotta Pasta***
Okay, you can cheat a bit on this recipe by using the grocery store “Alfredo” sauce in a jar. The Alfredo and the red sauce layered together make an interesting presentation and taste great. If you want to go to the trouble of making the real Alfredo feel free to do so but the store-bought stuff isn’t really Alfredo, it’s a white cheese sauce.
Two tablespoon olive oil
1 jar store-bought “Alfredo” sauce of you choice
One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
One 14.5 ounce can tomato puree’
½ cup onion, diced
1 tablespoon garlic, finely diced
1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely diced
1 teaspoon diced oregano
1 teaspoon diced thyme
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt
¼ cup finely chopped bell pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
½ cup white wine
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon grated Romano cheese
16 ounces ricotta cheese, reduced fat
Heat olive oil in large saucepan. Add garlic, onions, green pepper, oregano, thyme, ground pepper and salt and sauté over medium heat, stirring constantly, until onions begin to soften.
Add basil and stir in for about 1 more minute.
Increase heat and add wine to deglaze the pan. Stir continuously until nearly at a boil and wine is nearly evaporated. Add chopped tomatoes, puree and sugar and stir well.
Continue to stir mixture until it is all hot and begins to bubble and then reduce heat to low.
Cover tightly and let simmer over low heat for at least 20 minutes, stirring very frequently. Do not let sauce stick or burn while simmering.
While the sauce is simmering, cook 16 ounces (dry) of ziti until al dente’. It is important that the pasta not be overcooked. In fact, it is best if it is somewhat undercooked since it will be going into the oven to cook further.
Heat oven to 325-degrees (cont…)
When sauce is finished remove from heat and ladle some into the bottom of a large glass baking dish. Drop about 8 dollops of ricotta cheese (one tablespoon at a time, about 4-ounces of the cheese) onto the bottom of the dish and then cover with ½ of the pasta. Ladle some of the Alfredo sauce over the pasta until well-covered and then drop more dollops of ricotta all over the pasta evenly with a spoon (about 8-ounces of the cheese.) You should have used about ¾ of the ricotta so far. Do not mix the sauces, just layer them all around each other.
Pour the remaining ziti over the pasta and sauces in the dish, cover with more sauces and then drop the remaining ricotta all over the top of the dish evenly and using small dollops. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and Romano cheeses, cover with aluminum foil and (cont…)
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Place on the center rack of the oven and bake for about 25 minutes or until the sauce can be seen bubbling in the dish.
You can also cut a bunch of meatballs in half or in quarters and include them in the layers. You can even use vegetarian meatballs to keep this a meatless dish.
Serve with grated cheese of choice for topping and fresh Italian or French bread.
Healthy substitutions:
Use low-fat or fat-free ricotta and parmesan where available and Splenda instead of sugar.
Meatless Chili***
Not too bad for meatless chili. I will never ever be a complete vegetarian but recipes like these make it a whole lot easier to cut red meat out of your diet. Unfortunately, the meat substitute is a bit on the pricy side.
Like regular chili, this dish tastes better the longer it simmers.
4 bags “Crumblers” veggie hamburger substitute
28-oz can chopped tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
3 cans kidney beans, drained
½ cup chopped green peppers
1 cup chopped onions
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2-6 tablespoons chili powder (to taste)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat oil, sauté onions and peppers until they just become soft. Add other seasonings, beans and “meat.” cook until heated.
Add tomatoes and sauce and cook all over medium heat for at least an hour.
Serve with grated cheddar and fresh bread.
Pan-seared Center-cut Cider Pork Cops
This is a great way to prepare pork chops. They come out a bit sweet and a bit sour ant the same time. Too bad Laura won’t eat piggy…but that does leave more for me…heh, heh.
4 center cut pork chops 1” thick
2-oz. cider vinegar
4-oz apple cider
8-oz chicken broth
½ cup finely chopped fresh shallots
2 tablespoons cold butter
3 fresh thyme sprigs
Fresh thyme leaves for garnish
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Pepper
Heat a small amount of olive oil in a large frying pan. The pan should be hot enough to sear the meat but below the temperature that would make the oil smoke.
Sprinkle kosher salt and pepper on both side of the pork chops and press it in with your hand.
Drop the pork chops into the pan and let them sear for about 3 minutes. Do not repeatedly lift the chops to check on them or they won’t get the medium-dark brown seared color or crispness. Make sure the pan is large enough to give good spacing between the chops as crowding them together will steam the chops instead of searing them.
Turn the chops over and let them sear for about 3 minutes on the other side. Then turn the chops on their edges (fattiest edges first) and stack them together so they sit upright. Let the ends sear for about 3 minutes on one side and then flip them over and repeat on the other edges. This will leave some additional fat in the pan which you need to for the sauce,
When the chops are finished searing, remove them along with the thyme sprigs and set it all aside. Make a small cut in the center of the thickest cut to check doneness.
Add half of the butter to the pan and stir until melted. Add the thyme sprigs and shallots and stir until all is coated by the butter.
Add the vinegar to the pan to deglaze, stirring constantly, and let it and simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed by the shallots and evaporated.
Add the apple cider and chicken broth and simmer until it is all reduced by about half, stirring frequently.
When reduced by half, add the cold butter to the mixture and stir constantly until melted. The butter must be cold so it emulsifies and thickens the mixture and adds the proper texture.
As soon as all the butter has melted, add the pork chops back to the pan and let them reheat for 30 seconds or so on each side.
When done place the chops on a heated plate, spoon the sauce over the chops, garnish with the cooked thyme sprigs and a sprinkling of fresh thyme leaves.
Goes great with garlic mashed potatoes and fresh buttered asparagus.
Pasta Rustico
This is the name of a dish at the Macaroni Grill but it is definitely NOT a copycat recipe.
We went to dinner at the Macaroni Grill one evening and the dish I ordered was called Pasta Rustico, a tomato-cream sauce pasta with grilled chicken breast and shrimp. I ordered some Italian sausage added. When the dish arrived it was so salty that it actually hurt my throat to swallow it. That’s saying a lot since I can sometimes tend to be a salt junky. So I sent it back and the replacement dish (which was probably loaded with a generous portion of spit) was almost as salty. I had Starbuck try it and she agreed…so it wasn’t just me.
I left hungry and not a little pissy.
Well we go home and I decide that I’m going to take those same basic ingredients, pasta with cream-based sauce, shrimp, chicken and Italian sausage and try to make my own version of it. Well it was turned out to be one of the best recipes I’ve ever come up with. I couldn’t stop eating it. I also call it Pasta Rustico as a kind of culinary flip-off to The Macaroni Grill and their bowl of sodium hell.
As a side benefit, this can also be made as an extremely health version compared to the restaurant version and can have very little fat.
2 vegetarian Italian-style sausages
Or
2 Italian sausages
One 14-oz cans chopped tomatoes
½ cup chopped green peppers, fresh or frozen
1 medium chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
½ tablespoon Old bay seasoning
2 chicken breasts
16-24 medium peeled raw shrimp
1 large handful fresh basil leaves (whole leaves, not chopped or cut up)
Olive oil
¼ cup sweet white wine
8-oz sliced mushrooms (canned is actually ok here)
2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
1/3 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 cup fat-free milk
Cornstarch
One pound dry penne pasta cooked al dente
Salt and pepper to taste
Slice the chicken breast across the grain into strips. In a large sauce pan over medium-high heat, add some olive oil, chicken breast strips, crushed red pepper, a bit of salt, the Old Bay seasoning and the chopped garlic. Brown the strips until about half cooked through and then add the onions. Reduce heat and add the green peppers and some more olive oil and sauté’ until the onions are mostly soft. (cont…)
Add the can of chopped tomatoes, wine and sugar and simmer the whole mixture for about 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring almost constantly. When the tomatoes begin to soften, mash them down a bit with a spatula while stirring.
Cook the link sausage in a pan until thoroughly cooked and slice up. Add the sausage and stir in well.
When most of the liquid from the tomatoes is evaporated, add the milk with a bit of cornstarch for thickener and all of the basil. Add to the sauce pan along with the shrimp and stir over medium heat until the shrimp are cooked through and the milk mixture has thickened. If too thick, add more milk. You can also just add more milk and thickener if you want more sauce.
While making the sauce, cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. The pasta and sauce should be finished about the same time.
Drain pasta and place in a heated bowl. Pour sauce mixture over pasta, sprinkle with a tablespoon of freshly-grated Romano cheese and parsley and toss well.
Serve with freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese on the side and French or Italian bread.
Serves 4
Pepper Chicken
A peppery chicken dish which is the picture of simplicity. I first had something like this at restaurant called the Panda Inn which had the best Chinese buffet of all time but has long since gone away. (because the landlords decided to triple the rent on the building…bastards!)
2-lbs chicken, dark or light meat or both
Fresh ground black pepper
½ tablespoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon white pepper
Cornstarch and water
½ cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Kosher salt to taste
Chop chicken into cubes about ½” to ¾” square. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and add the chicken. Brown chicken, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and sauté over medium heat until almost completely cooked through.
Mix a small amount of cornstarch and water together and have ready to use.
Add chicken stock, garlic, black and white pepper and stir into chicken. Let simmer until chicken is cooked through. Add some cornstarch/water mixture to the chicken and stir well until it thickens up just a little bit. The peppery sauce should be thin, not runny but also not very thick.
Stir well and serve.
PIROGUE***
Pronounced “Pier-OH-ghee“ this Eastern European dish is a traditional dish in the Northeastern United States. Immigrants from Germany, Poland and Slovakia brought the recipe with them when they came to the States. When I was growing up in Youngstown Ohio, pirogues were very frequently made by large groups of women in large batches since they were so labor intensive. Sort of like pirogue-making parties where everybody got together and spent the weekend in the kitchen of the local Catholic church just churning out a huge quantities of pirogues assembly-line fashion.
Since pirogues freeze very well for months at a time it was a pretty god idea. You still see pirogue sales going on at churches of civic clubs throughout Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York as well as many other states of the Northeastern U.S.
They are a labor-intensive dish but they are so delicious. They are generally boiled (my favorite) like one would boil ravioli but you can also pan fry or deep fry them and you can fill them with just about anything you like. The potato cheese filling below is for the traditional pirogue but you can experiment with any filling you like.
If it turns out that you like pirogues, go ahead and make a massive bunch of them all at once and freeze the uncooked ones that you don’t use right away. It is best to freeze them by laying them separately on a towel so they don’t stick together. After they are completely frozen, remove them from the freezer, wrap them individually with wax paper then aluminum foil and then place in a zip-loc bag for long-term freezer storage.
Filling
3 pounds of peeled and sliced potatoes
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Milk for mashing
Peel, clean and slice the potatoes and cook in a large pot as you would if you were making mashed potatoes. If you prefer to not peel them so that they are a bit more healthy, just make sure to cut them up very finely before boiling them. When softened, drain them and return them to the pot, add salt, pepper, garlic powder and just a bit of milk and mash up by hand with a potato masher until a thick and very firm but smooth consistency is reached. It should not have hunks of un-mashed potatoes in it but should not be as creamy like mashed potatoes.
Add the cheeses and mash until well mixed and set aside to cool.
Pirogue dough
If you have a favorite ravioli dough recipe you can use that as it is basically the same thing. Just roll it out a bit thicker than you would if making ravioli.
Flour
Eggs
Water
Flour for kneading
Divide dough into several manageable chunks. Roll out a piece of dough on a floured
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surface with a rolling pin until it’s about 1/8-inch thick. Using a glass, a cup or a cookie cutter about 3” in diameter, cut out circles of dough. Place the cut-outs on a towel until it is covered, lay another towel on top and lay more cut-outs on that, and continue rolling and cutting out circles until all of the dough is used up.
Scoop about a tablespoon of potato mixture out and place in center of a disc. Fold it in half, brush some of the egg mixture on the edges to seal them and press all around the edges with the tines of a fork (tines pointing towards the center of the pirogue. Place the pirogue on a towel and continue filling/pinching until all of the dough and filling is used up.
To prepare, drop the pirogues into a large pot of boiling water. Cook for about 4-6 minutes or for a minute or two after the pirogues begin to float on top of the boiling water.
Topping
2 large sweet yellow or Vidalia onions
2 sticks butter, margarine or mix of the two.
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Sour cream as garnish (optional)
Melt butter/margarine in a large sauce pan. Add garlic, salt and pepper. Skin, clean and slice onions about as thick as you would for onion rings. Add the onions to the pan with the butter and sauté until the onions are soft and translucent. Adjust salt and pepper to personal tastes.
Make dough
Serve 6-10 pirogues per plate (they are VERY filling) Ladle the onion butter mixture over the tops of the pirogues and serve immediately. Garnish with sour cream if desired.
Healthy substitutions:
Use fat-free or low fat cheeses and butter-spread instead of butter. Use Egg Beaters instead of regular eggs
Roasted Turkey Injection Marinade
After they are completely frozen, remove them from the freezer, wrap them individually with wax paper then aluminum foil and then place in a zip-loc bag for long-term freezer storage.
1 stick salted butter
1-1-2 cups water
½ cup sweet white wine
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Combine all ingredients in sauce pan, bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer until mixture has reduced by 1/3.
Let cool and use a cooking injector to inject into the poultry of choice. Move the needle in and out and in in different directions as you inject the solution.
Shepherd pie
I have never been a fan of shepherd pie so I decided to play around with the traditional recipe just a little bit. It now ranks as one of my favorite dishes. The Angus ground beef is not absolutely necessary but it does make a difference.. If you don’t use the Angus beef, use the lowest fat percentage ground beef you can find.
1 lbs extra lean ground beef
1 lbs Angus ground beef
3 lbs potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon worsteshire sauce
¼ cup frozen or fresh peas
1 medium carrot, coarsely diced
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
Parsley flakes
Butter
Milk or half-n-half
cornstarch
Peel, slice and cook potatoes in large pot as you would to make mashed potatoes. Use the milk or half-n-half and butter with salt and pepper to taste. Mash and set aside.
Break up the ground beef with a spatula in a large pan over high heat. When about halfway cooked add the onions, garlic, carrots, worstershire sauce., salt and pepper.
Continue to stir mixture and break up ground beef until the onions and carrots just start to soften. Make a small amount of cornstarch and water and add to the mixture so that the liquid forms a sauce. There won’t bee much liquid but you don’t want a watery mixture so use just enough cornstarch to thicken it all up.. Add peas and stir well.
Pour the beef mixture into a large rectangular glass baking dish so that is fills it up about half way or less. Spread it out evenly and then spread the mashed potato mixture evenly on top and sprinkle with parsley. Place in an overheated to 375 degrees and bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until the beef mixture is bubbling up around the sides.
You can turn the oven on broil for a few minutes if you want a slightly browned top.
Serve hot with fresh French or Italian bread.
Serves 4-6
WING SAUCES
Special note: Scoville rating for hot sauces.
Hot sauces (and I think pepper sprays) measure the hotness of pepper-based products by the Scoville rating system which measures caspasin, the ingredient which makes hot peppers hot. The scale goes from the low end of 0 (no hotness, of course) to the high end of over 150,000 (Earth catches on fire and falls into the sun)
They typical bottle of hot sauce (like Durkee’s) has a Scoville rating of about 2500 which is actually fairly low on the scale. The higher the rating, the hotter the sauce. I have the approximate ratings in parenthesis next to the recipe name in the sauces listed below.
PARMESAN PEPPERCORN SAUCE (1000)
1 cup margarine
2 tablespoons Franks or Durkee’s hot sauce
2 tablespoons dry white wine
¼ cup canola oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh peppercorns
6-oz shredded parmesan cheese
Two or three lbs deep fried chicken wings
Melt the margarine in a sauce pan then add remaining ingredients. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.
Fry wings and drain on paper towels. Ladle some sauce into a large Tupperware-like container with a lid, add wings and shake until thoroughly coated with sauce. Continue until all wings are coated. There should be enough sauce for 2-3 lbs of wings.
Sprinkle shredded parmesan over wings. Serve with celery sticks and baby carrots and Ranch or Bleu Cheese Dressing.
Healthy substitutions for wing sauce recipes:
Sorry folks, you’re on your own for this one. The best suggestion I can make is to use cut up chicken breasts instead of wings since the wings have so much fat in them. The taste is not quite as good (if you ask me) but if you deep fry the breast meat it’s fairly close. Also, deep frying plain old skinless chicken breast adds very little in the way of fat or calories since the meat doesn’t absorb much oil like breaded chicken or chicken with fatty skin does.
About the only substitutions you can make are fat free butter spread in place of the margarine and fat free cheeses (won’t make much difference since so little cheese is used)
GOLDEN GARLIC WING SAUCE (2,000)
a.k.a the second greatest wing sauce in the history of the Earth
2 cup Frank’s hot sauce
3/4 cup soybean oil
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon vinegar
4 tablespoons breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon celery seed
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese
1/2 cup white wine
Oil for frying
Mix all together in a sauce pan and heat to a simmer. Simmer over medium heat for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Let cool and store in a jar in refrigerator. Keeps in refrigerator up to 3 months.
Deep fry wings until brown and crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels.
To serve, place wings in a large bowl that has a lid. Pour sauce over all, cover and shake to coat the wings. Serve with celery sticks and baby carrot and Ranch or Bleu Cheese Dressing.
Hot Chicken Wing sauce (Scoville rating 5,000-10,000)
1/4 Lb. Margarine (do not use butter!)
8 Oz. "Frank's" Hot Sauce (also labeled as
Durkee Hot Sauce. NO SUBSTITUTIONS!!!)
4 habanera peppers
Oil for frying
Melt margarine in sauce pan until barely liquid.
Add hot sauce to food processor, Clean and core peppers and add to processor and cover tightly. Turn on and blend until smooth.
YOU SHOULD (A.) DO THIS OUTSIDE AND (B.) WEAR EYE PROTECTION AND LATEX GLOVES.
I’M NOT KIDDING.
As the processor puree’s the peppers, small particles of them become airborne and can act like pepper spray.
Add hot sauce to margarine, mix, and put aside.
Deep fry wings until brown and crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels.
To serve, place wings in a large bowl that has a lid. Pour sauce over all, cover and shake to coat the wings. Serve with celery sticks and baby carrot and Ranch or Blue Cheese Dressing.
Atomic Chicken Wing sauce (Scoville rating 30,000-100,000+)
The hotness of this sauce is no joke. Depending on the hotness of the peppers you use, it can actually injure you. The Quaker Steak and Lube restaurant chain makes you sign a legally-binding waiver relieving them of responsibility if you want to eat these wings. These wings are so hot that they can hurt you just by being around them. Many years ago, my son (about 4 years old at the time) and I were at the Lube and somebody on the other side of the room ordered 6 of these wings. Though the wings never came within 25-feet of us, my son started crying since his eyes were burning so badly, as were mine. That’s just from being in the same room!
The hotness of peppers available in retail grocery stores varies wildly. If you want really, really hot peppers you may have to grow them yourself, order them online or you may find them at a small Mexican shop or grocery if you have one nearby. (cont…)
1/4 Lb. Margarine (do not use butter because it will catch on fire….kidding. But use margarine)
8 Oz. "Frank's" Hot Sauce (also labeled as
Durkee Hot Sauce. NO SUBSTITUTIONS!!!)
12 Habanera peppers (buy the hottest peppers available when making atomic sauce
Oil for frying
Melt margarine in sauce pan until barely liquid.
Add hot sauce to food processor, Clean and core peppers and add to processor and cover tightly. Turn on and blend until smooth.
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YOU SHOULD (A.) DO THIS OUTSIDE AND (B.) WEAR EYE PROTECTION AND LATEX GLOVES.
I’M NOT KIDDING.
As the processor puree’s the peppers, small particles of them become airborne and can act like pepper spray. The more peppers you puree’ the worse it is.
Add hot sauce to margarine, mix, and put aside.
Deep fry wings until brown and crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels.
To serve, place wings in a large serving or storage bowl that has a cover. Pour sauce over all wings, cover, go outside and shake to coat the wings. Serve with celery sticks and sliced or baby carrots and Ranch or Blue Cheese Dressing.
The ingredients that will make almost everything
When you look at most foods, you’ll see that only a few ingredients make up most of the dished served out there. Here are my go-to ingredients that I can’t live without in the kitchen.
Garlic
Kosher salt
Pepper
Basil
Oregano
Thyme
Olive oil
Rosemary
Parmesan or Romano cheese
There you go…eight ingredients in various combinations and quantities make up the majority of dishes that come out of my kitchen. It’s like Taco Bell…eight ingredients, a bazillion different items)
Cajun shrimp and rice.
This recipe is one based on a dish I had at the Village Tavern restaurant. It’s not a great restaurant but it tries to be up-scale and expensive and draws a crowd consisting primarily of old white guys who shop for golf shirts at Belks and their Bo-toxed Stepford wives…picture the crowd at Bushwood country club from the movie “Caddyshack” and you’ll get the idea. It’s not a laugh-a-minute crowd but at least this dish is very good.
1 pound medium-large shrimp. Peeled and deveined
1/3 cup light cream
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/3 stick butter
Kosher salt
1-½ cups lo-fat milk
1 teaspoon shrimp boil
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon paprika
1 shake Tabasco sauce
2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
Cornstarch for thickening
2 boxes rice pilaf (I use Zatarain brand)
Melt the butter in a large sauce pan and add the garlic and simmer for two minutes. Add the cream bring to a high simmer over medium heat and stir almost constantly for about 5 minutes. Add the roux and all of the seasonings and simmer for about five more minutes over reduced heat.
Add shrimp and stir until the shrimp is cooked through.
Serve over rice with French bread.
Serves 4
Orange honey baked chicken
This is one of our friend Wood’s recipes. Next I’m going to hit him up for some of his cookie recipes.
1/4 c. frozen orange juice concentrate
1 tbsp. lemon juice
3 tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp. finely grated orange peel
1 lb. (4) skinless, boneless chicken breast fillets
2 tbsp. orange marmalade
Orange slices for garnish.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a baking Pyrex dish, mix together orange juice concentrate, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons honey, orange peel and ginger. Add chicken pieces, turning to coat all sides. Let chicken marinate for 10 minutes.
Bake chicken uncovered at 400 degrees F. for 8 minutes, baste with pan juices. Bake an additional 8 minutes, baste again. Glaze chicken with a mixture of marmalade and remaining 1 tablespoon honey. Continue to bake 8-10 minutes or until done. Transfer chicken to serving plate. Garnish with orange slices.
Genuine Low-Fat Italian Wedding soup (as genuine as a low-fat recipe can get)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
16 vegetarian meatballs
1 small can of chicken breast meat
3 packages frozen chopped spinach-square packages
1 medium onion, diced
12 cups low fat or fat-free chicken broth
1/2 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
½ tablespoon dried chopped Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon chopped basil
1-2 teaspoon ground black pepper
½ cup Acini di Pepe pasta
Grated parmesan or fat-free parmesan
Brown the vegetarian meatballs in a frying pan with one tablespoon olive oil. Remove and cut meatballs into quarters.
Drain can of chicken and dice into small pieces.
Combine all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a heavy simmer and cook for at least 1 hour.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with a garnish of 1 or 2 teaspoons of grated parmesan cheese
Serves 6-8
Broccoli and cheese soup
Ingredients
One 16-oz package frozen cut broccoli floret’s and stems) or---
One average grocery store-sized bundle of fresh broccoli
Four 14-oz cans chicken or vegetable broth
Three cups 2% milk
8-12-oz grated sharp cheddar cheese or---
12-oz Velveeta-type cheese log, cubed
¼ stick butter
½ cup diced onion
¼ cup sweet white wine
One teaspoon Italian seasoning
One teaspoon chopped garlic
½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons of grated Romano cheese
cornstarch
Kosher salt and ground pepper to taste
Defrost frozen broccoli or wash fresh broccoli bundles. Cut the florets off of the broccoli and dice up the large stems. Set both aside separately.
Combine butter, olive oil, onions, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning in a sauce pan and stir over medium heat until onion starts to soften. Add balsamic vinegar and stir mixture an additional 2-4 minutes.
Pour chicken broth into large pot and heat to a near boil. Add broccoli stems and simmer over medium heat until the stems start to soften. The fresh will take longer than the frozen to soften. Once the stems start to soften, use a hand blender to pulp them in the broth. You should not use the blender until the stems are completely pulped. There should still be chunks of stems in the soup.
When finished, add onion mixture, milk, wine and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add remaining broccoli and cheese and stir well and let simmer until the cheese is melted and the broccoli is at the desired tenderness.
Use 8-oz sharp cheddar or up to 12-oz if you like a lot of cheese.
Increase the heat and bring the soup to a near boil, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Make up a small quantity of milk and cornstarch and add to the soup until it thickens up a bit.
Serve hot. with French or Italian bread
Wild mushroom tagliatelle with thyme
1 pound tagliatelle pasta
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound assorted wild mushrooms (shiitakes, creminis, oyster, porcinis, chanterelles), washed and sliced
3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped for garnish
Set a large saute pan over high heat. Add olive oil and when hot, add onion and garlic. Saute until onions are just translucent then add mushrooms. Cook over high heat with minimal stirring until golden brown and crispy around the edges - 3-4 minutes. Add thyme leaves and allow them to toast and become fragrant. Season with salt and pepper then add cream. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes until it is slightly thickened and coats the back of a spoon.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Drop pasta in and cook until al dente - about 5 minutes. Using tongs or a strainer, remove the pasta from the water and add directly to mushroom pan. Add a little of the pasta water to thin the sauce if desired. Using tongs gently fold the tagliatelle to coat in the sauce.
Serve pasta in shallow bowls and use a large spoon to serve mushrooms and sauce over the top. Garnish with a sprinkle of chopped fresh flat leaf parsley.
Stuffed sausage and ricotta manicotti
12 x 4.5-inch manicotti (1 1/2 pound box)
Kosher salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
FOR FILLING:
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound loose Italian pork sausage
3 cups lightly packed baby arugula, roughly chopped
1 1/2 cups good quality ricotta
2 large eggs
1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus 1 cup for topping
1/2 cup shredded packaged mozzarella, for topping
FOR TOMATO SAUCE:
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked
1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
1 28-oz can San Marzano tomatoes
Begin by making a quick tomato sauce: Set a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and saute onion and garlic until just translucent. Add thyme leaves, basil leaves then pour in canned tomatoes and juice. Break up tomatoes into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Make filling: Add olive oil to a large saute pan over medium heat. Once hot, add sausage and start to brown. Break it up into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Once browned, add arugula to pan and cook until just wilted. Add extra olive oil as required. Season with salt and pepper. Spread out onto a plate then place in the refrigerator so it cools quickly.
In a large bowl add ricotta, eggs and parmesan. Stir well to combine, then add cooled sausage and arugula mixture. Set aside.
To assemble, spoon half the sauce into the bottom of an 8x11 baking dish. Arrange manicotti in rows and top with remaining sauce. Shower with grated parmesan and shredded mozzarella. Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes until golden and bubbly. Finish under broiler for 2 minutes until slightly golden.
TOMATO SAUCE #3
This is another variant on a tomato pasta sauce. It is delicious and very much reminds me of the fresh-made sauces you find in restaurants in N.E. Ohio. This sauce has a very smooth texture and is my favorite. The key is thoroughly blending the ingredients.
One 28-oz can for Italian crushed tomatoes
One 14.5-oz can diced or cut Italian tomatoes
½ small chopped yellow onion
½ cup chopped green peppers
1 medium carrot grated
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon chopped basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 tablespoon sugar
½ cup sweet white wine
2 tablespoons olive oil
Fresh grated Pecorino Romano
Sauté onion, carrot, green peppers and garlic in olive oil in a large cast iron sauce pan over medium-high heat. until just they just start to get soft Add the basil leaves and other seasonings plus slat and pepper and wine. Stir well and continue to cook the mixture until the vegetables are very soft. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Pour the tomatoes with liquid into a blender and blend until completely puréed and smooth. Add the cooled vegetable and seasoning mixture and blend again until it is all completely smooth with no chunks at all.
Pour the mixture back into the sauce pan and heat over medium heat. Simmer sauce for at least 30 minutes, stirring frequently, making sure the sauce does not burn. The longer it cooks the better it is. Add more salt and pepper to taste if desired plus the parsley and one tablespoon of the Romano cheese. Stir well and serve over pasta of your choice with more Romano cheese for topping.
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