Author: Robert Andrews

Picante Roberto

Ingredients

1 sm can tomato paste
2 jalapenos
2 TBL cayenne powder
1 can green chile pepers
1 TBL (opt) red pepper flakes
1 MED sweet onion
1/4 CU white vinegar
1 head of garlic
1/4 CU brown sugar
1 TBL molasses
1 TBL lemon juice
1 TBL paprika

Instructions

1. Mix wet and powder ingredients
2. Chop all peppers and onion VERY small or put in food processor and chop lightly
3. Mix all together

Makes about 2 CU Picante

 

Phở bò – Ken Brown’s Beef Noodle Soup

Main Ingredients:

  • 16 oz bánh phở fresh rice stick noodles, quickly blanched (10 sec), drained
  • 1 large brown onion, very thinly sliced
  • ½ lb raw lean beef or water buffalo eye of round, sirloin, tenderloin, or other fat-marbled meats, sliced paper-thin, or, in a pinch, even shaved rare roast beef from the deli
  • ½ lb other cooked meats – leftover pot roast, VN meatballs, tripe, boiled beef tendon, etc.

Instructions Preparation:

  1. Slice the raw meat very thinly, “deli”-style. Beaucoup meat is needed. Partial freezing makes the task easier, as does a mandolin slicer. Set aside to come to room temperature.
  2. Briefly toast the dry spices in a large (about 4-qt) saucepan to bring up their aroma. Then combine the first twelve (12) broth ingredients, and bring to a boil. A tied cheesecloth or coffee filter bundle is recommended to contain the spices. Lower the heat (to reduce turbidity – we want a clear, delicate broth) and simmer the stock for ½ hour, or long enough to infuse the spices’ fragrance into the broth. (I’ve even microwaved it for Very Phast Phở!)
  3. Add the fish sauce last. The nước mắm provides saltiness as well as subtle, Southeast Asian background flavor. Check for seasoning. The broth should seem strong and slightly salty, since the noodles & herbs aren’t seasoned, but dilute with water if desired.
  4. On a platter, arrange the bean sprouts, chiles, limes, & herbs, family-style, and set out the three bottles of sauce.
  5. Divide the pasta among the four (4) 1½-quart-sized soup bowls. Layer in the sliced onion & meats, and ladle in the boiling broth to cover, plus 1 to 2 inches or so. Garnish with the green onion. Then, at the table, let each diner toss in some bean sprouts & torn-up herbs, add condiments as desired, stir it all up, and imagine dining in an exotic café in Hồ Chí Minh City!
  6. By the way, don’t forget the beer, French wine or champagne, and Vietnamese Iced Coffee!
  7. P.S. Once you fall in love with the beef/buffalo (bò) version, experiment with pork broth and Chinese roast pork, red BBQ pork, sausages, chitterlings, etc. or chicken broth and fowl meats, such as chicken, turkey, duck, etc. or seafood broth and shrimp, squid, cuttlefish, octopus, scallops, mussels, clams, crab, lobster, fishballs, etc. Just don’t forget nước mắm! It’ll be great!

Phở Bò Broth:

2½ qts beef stock, canned low-sodium beef broth or consommé, or Phở-in-a- can
4 tbsp sugar or brown sugar
1 pc ginger, 4”, unpeeled, microwaved on high for 4 min, then well crushed
2 medium white onions, microwaved on high for 4 min, then quartered
4 garlic cloves, microwaved on high for 2 min, then crushed
1 small cinnamon stick, broken
4 star anise, broken
8 whole cloves, crushed
1 tbsp whole black and/or white peppercorns, crushed
1 tbsp coriander seeds, crushed (optional)
1 bay leaf (optional)
2 pods cardamom, crushed, or 1/8 tsp seeds (optional)
¼ cup nước mắm or more, but be careful – depending on the brand, it can be salty!

Garnishes & Condiments:

4 finely sliced green onions
½ lb bean sprouts (Essential!)
+ sweet or Thai basil (Essential!) Sold by the bunch
+ fresh coriander/cilantro sprigs (Essential!) Sold by the bunch
+ other VN herbs, such as spearmint, sawtooth (culantro), purple perilla (shiso), etc.
2 Thai bird, serrano, or Jalapeño chiles – red or green, thinly sliced
2 limes, large, quartered into wedges
+ Chinese Hoisin sauce (bottled)
+ Sriracha or other hot red chili sauce (bottled)
+ nước mắm, to taste (bottled) (Yep, it’s Essential!)

Notes From an eMail recipe exhange from Ken Brown.

“I’m the Will Rogers of VN (or SE Asian or Korean) restaurants. I’m so glad to to get it, that I’ve never met a dish I didn’t like. I recall when Phoenix was a culinary desert in the 70’s. I have tested it and tweaked it many times, I’ve simplified the traditional dish over the years, so it’s a good starting point for those who want to jump into the Pho and experiment!

Notes This ethnic dish will certainly become both a family favorite and a great way to “wow” guests! The many Phở variations ensure recipe longevity though your improvisation!

Phở (~pronounced “fah” or “fəh”) is the quintessential breakfast meal in Vietnam, but it’s great any time! It’s nearly addictive! While it starts out as a basic bowl of pasta, around Sài Gòn, elegantly brightened by fresh herbs, the fragrant, spicy broth has emerged as the real star!

Get fresh Phở noodles from the many local Vietnamese (VN) or Asian markets, along with the Hoisin, chili, and fish sauces. Pre-cooked dry bánh phở is okay, too. Any other thin oriental noodles, or even linguine, can substitute in a pinch.

The fish sauce is essential! Use VN nước mắm, but others, such as Thai nam pla, will work well. If it sounds unappetizing, think again. Its sublime, je ne sais quoi, anchovy flavor is a key constituent of Worcestershire and most bottled brown meat sauces, such as A-1, Heinz, & HP. Start with some in the broth, allowing diners to kick it up at the table. It traditionally replaces soy sauce.

To present Phở as a main course, place the pasta in extra-large, individual serving bowls, add the meats & onion, and ladle in the hot spicy broth, which quickly cooks the raw beef & onion.

Then, at the diners’ discretion, a generous portion of garnishes can be added. Dumping in the sprouts and tearing up the herbs is half the fun! Enjoy with a large soup spoon in one hand and chopsticks in the other to slurp up the noodles! The Hoisin, chili, and fish sauces can be added by the diner directly to each bowl or, better yet, put in individual small bowls for dipping solid morsels fished out of the broth with chopsticks or a fork.

 

Phở bò – Traditional

Beef Broth:
3 lbs beef bones (ask your butcher to cut them into managable pieces)
1.5 lbs beef short ribs or beef brisket
16 c water (4 quarts)
1 large yellow onion, peeled and quartered
2 large pieces ginger, split horizontally, not peeled
10-12 whole star anise
6-8 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 tbs salt
1/4 c fish sauce
2 tbs sugar
Thinly sliced raw sirloin beef, if desired

Directions:

  1. Bring water to a simmer, add bones and beef, simmer with onion, ginger, fish sauce and sugar for 1.5 to 2 hours. Strain foam and fat frequently, but be careful to not stir too much as you don’t want to cloud the broth.
  2. Remove brisket/short ribs, shred meat and set aside for service. Add anise, cloves and cinnamon stick in a cheesecloth or spice bag.
  3. Simmer broth with spices for another 30-45 minutes. Remove spice bag, onion and ginger. Strain broth well, keep boiling hot.
  4. Place all accompaniments out on a platter, serve alongside Phở.

Phad Thai Noodles

Ingredients

Noodles: See recipe for Cold Sesame Noodles
Shrimp
2 eggs
Tamarind Sauce: see Next Recipe
Minced salted Japanese Asian radish
Shallots, Garlic, Scallions

From America’s Test Kitchen

Instructions

1. Mince 2 TBL Radish, Dice 2 TBL Shrimp, Mince 2 TBL Shallots
2. Press or Dice 2 Cloves Garlic
3. 2 TBL green part of scallions – diced
4. Cook above in 12′ rounded skillet, Flat bottomed Wok or Stir Fry Pan
5. Drain noodles
6. Heat 1 TBL peanut oil in skillet – just to start of point of smoking
7. Add 12 OZ Medium Sized shrimp – #31-35 pound
8. Cook in hot oil only 2-3 minutes
9. In another TBL of hot oil, add garlic and shallots
10. Cook 1 ½ minute on medium heat
11. Throw in 2 eggs scrambled and cook about 20 seconds
12. Remove while still barely moist
13. Add shrimp, radish, noodles
14. Turn to high, toss together
15. Pour in sauce and all the rest, including some bean sprouts
16. Cook 2 ½ minutes stirring constantly
17. Garnish – Serve hot

 

Tips: Chicken

Ingredients When buying chicken in the store, look for the following characteristics…

When storing, follow these guidelines…

Instructions

1. Tight seal on package
2. Keep on bottom shelf near back for up to 3 days
3. Avoid cracked packaging & any pink discoloration spots.
4. Pooled juice in bottom of styro container can mean it’s been on the self for a while.
5. Check expiration date.
6. White skin = grain fed… yellow skin = corn fed… taste is about the same.
7. Generally better to buy chicken with the bone in.

Use an instant read thermometer:
Chicken –e.g. 140 F = underdone, needs to be 165 F
Cook chicken to 160 F. If to 180 F it gets tough

Pork Kebabs in the Style of the Moors

Ingredients

Here is an example of Christian Spain adapting the flavors of Moorish Spain to their favorite meat. Originally made with lamb, these spicy pork morsels are served at tapas bars all over Spain.

To dress up this classic in summertime, brush peach halves with some of the marinade and grill them along with the kebabs. I like to use pork tenderloins for this recipe because they are a good size and are tender.

* 1/2 cup olive oil
* 2 tablespoons cumin seeds, toasted in a dry pan until fragrant, finely ground
* 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
* 1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot paprika
* 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed and steeped in 2 tablespoons hot water
* 2 teaspoons dried oregano
* Salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 2 pounds pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch pieces
* 2 tablespoons minced garlic
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
* 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
* Lemon wedges for serving

Instructions 1. In a small saucepan, combine the oil, cumin, sweet and hot paprika, saffron infusion, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper and warm over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes to release the aromas of the seasonings. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

2. Place the pork in a bowl and rub with the oil mixture, coating evenly. Add the garlic, parsley, and lemon juice and toss well. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature before cooking.

3. Soak bamboo skewers in water to cover for 30 minutes. Prepare a fire in a charcoal or gas grill, or preheat the broiler.

4. Drain the skewers. Remove the pork from the marinade, thread onto the skewers, and sprinkle with salt. Place on the grill rack, or arrange on a broiler pan and slip under the broiler. Grill or broil, turning once, until just cooked through, about 4 minutes on each side.

5. Serve the skewers with lemon wedges.

Notes This is like coming home to Spain — pure Spanish tapas bar food. If there is one dish I have to eat seconds of at a tapas bar, this pork — marinated in olive oil, sweet and hot paprikas, cumin, saffron and garlic — is it.

Although this dish requires thinking ahead by 24 hours because you need to marinate the meat, the payback is tenfold. Make extra marinade and freeze it for use later on fish, chicken, lamb, sliced eggplant and even onions for grilling. It is that good.

Joyce Goldstein, cookbook author and San Francisco chef, staked out her claim to the Mediterranean palate maybe two decades ago with some of the best tasting, most sure-footed recipes in the business. I think this will be a keeper.

From Tapas: Sensational Small Plates from Spain by Joyce Goldstein (Chronicle Books, 2009). (C) 2009 by Joyce Goldstein.

Pork Fried Rice

Ingredients

1 CU cooked brown rice
1 CU shredded pork (great using leftovers)
1/4 CU broth or stock (chicken, pork or beef)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 onion – roughly chopped
1 large egg
1/2 tsp Chinese mustard
2 scallion greens – chopped into 3/4 inch pieces
1/4 CU bean sprouts

Instructions

1. Heat peanut oil in pan and lightly saute onion and garlic
2. Dump onion and garlic in bowl with pork or rice
3. Gently scramble an egg in the hot pan with the Chinese mustard
4. Add everything into the pan except scallions and sprouts
5. Heat throughout
6. For presentation, spoon and compress heated mixture into small bowl or cup. Set plate on top of cup and invert. Remove bowl.
7. Sprinkle with scallions and sprouts
8. For heat, use chinese mustard or Sriracha Red Sauce drizzled around food
9. Also for presentation, you can sprinkle plate lightly with powdered red pepper

 

Poaching Eggs

Standard Poached Eggs

Egg on the left (of the photo on the right) was cooked for 2 1/2 minutes, and has a fully runny yolk. Egg on the right was cooked for three minutes, and has a soft yolk that is only slightly runny.

INGREDIENTS

Fresh COLD eggs
Large pot of simmering (nearly boiling) water (approx 200 degrees)
2 TBL white vinegar and 2 TBL salt

STEP BY STEP

1. Bring large pan of salted water to boiling, then reduce to the merest simmer
2. Add vinegar as a stabilizer
3. Break egg into a dampened bowl (just ran under the faucet and the water dumped)
4. Carefully stir the water to create a SOFT swirling motion
5. Gently slip the egg into the center of the vortex
6. Let cook 2.5 – 3 minutes and remove with a slotted spoon
NOTE: You can discard the loose membrane that floats free from the body of the egg.
7. After you remove it from the water, put it onto a no-lint tea towel to drain slightly.  This keeps it from getting your English muffin wet.
8. Serve on toast with a slice of avocado, some feta cheese, and salsa on the side

Poaching Eggs in the Shell

  1. Start with fresh and cold eggs
  2. Put eggs into room temperature water
  3. Heat water quickly over medium high heat
  4. When water reaches 170º turn burner down to simmer and keep temperature between 165º and 180º
  5. Let cook for exactly 12 minutes (for soft poached)
    Increase to 15 minutes if you like them just a BIT tighter.
  6. Remove to ice bath for 60 second
  7. Crack egg directly onto toast or English muffin.
    (The white that is retained in the shell is the part the floats around when you poach using the first method on this page.  Edible, but not attractive.)
  8. Optionally, serve with hashed browns

Poaching in a Custard Cup

  1. Put custard cups in the bottom of a large pot
  2. Add water so that water comes about one inch above rim of cup
  3. Add 1/4 C white vinegar and 1 tsp kosher salt
  4. Bring water to 205-210 degrees (almost boiling)
  5. Break eggs into a cup outside pot in case the yolk breaks
  6. Slip eggs into custard cups at 30 second intervals
  7. Start timing egg poaching cycle with the first egg.
    NOTE:  It might take extra time to poach your egg to your liking since it is “enclosed.”  Start with four minutes per egg.
  8. After removing the first egg, remove the next egg 30 seconds later
  9. Test this on yourself, before you expose your guests to it.

Commercial Egg Poacher

My wife prefers an Egg Poacher, and I am not covering that preparation here because it is very easy:  Put eggs into the poacher, add some water and press a button.  On the up side, you get nearly perfect poached eggs every time.

Here is the one she uses:   West Bend Egg Poacher  – – available from Amazon for about $35.  Very easy, and very consistent.  This can also be used for hard-boiling eggs, although she uses it just for poaching.

TIPS AND TRICKS

  • You do not need to refrigerate eggs IF they have not been cleaned and processed.  If you get them in a typical supermarket and there are no feathers or poop on them, refrigerate them because the protective coating is gone.
  • Don’t use raw eggs past the “marked date” from the package for anything other than fully cooked eggs.
  • The white of fresh eggs will stay more intact than the white of older eggs, which tend to spread out, so use fresh eggs for poached eggs.
  • Another tip is to break the egg into a colander, and allow the loose white to strain.  Poach only the remaining white and yolk
  • Carmelize onions and serve on English muffin, spinach, ham and cheese. Top with poached egg.
    COOKING FOR A LARGE GROUP?
  • You can par boil them ahead and put into ice water to store.  Cook for only two minutes, the remove to ice water.  To reheat them, just put back into boiling water for two minutes.  This is how cruise ships and hotels do their poached eggs.
  • If you are serving a large group all at the same time, after cooking put them into water at 150º until ready to plate.
  • To cook four eggs at a time, put four custard cups into a boiling pot of water.  Put eggs into each up at 15 second intervals.  Remove the first at 3 minutes, then the others at 15 second intervals.  Put into an ice bath to stop cooking.  Refrigerate up to 8 hours.  Reheat for two minutes in boiling water.

Another good recipe is poaching eggs in marinara sauce.  Heat your canned crushed tomatoes (San Marzano) to boiling.  Cook about three minutes.  Reduce to a simmer and put your whole eggs into the sauce.  Cover and cook for 2 1/2 minutes.  Scoop out tomato with egg in the center and put on toast.

Steaming Eggs

You can put eggs into the basket of a standard steamer.  8 minutes for soft, 10 for medium, and 12 for solid yolks.

 

Need to test and debug

  • Put water, enough to cover custard cups by 1/2 inch
  • Add 3 TBL vinegar and 1 tsp salt
  • Bring to boiling
  • Prep a bowl of ice and water
  • Use fresh eggs
  • Put egg into the custard cup
  • Add others 30 seconds apart
  • Set water to 205º
  • Cook 5 minutes each
  • –

Poached Pear

Ingredients

Two fresh Bartlett pears
2 CU Burgandy wine
1 CU water
1 TBL Cinnamon
1 TBL Rosemary
1 TBL Sugar
1 TBL Lemon Juice

Above liquid supports two pears. Increase ingredients as necessary to accomdate extra pears.

Instructions

1. LEAVE THE STEM IN THE PEAR
2. Peel pears carefully using long strokes
3. Simmer in mixture 30 minutes
4. Refrigerate overnight in the liquid (minus 1 CU)
5. Reduce the remaining liquid until thickened
6. Cool thickend liquid for presentation the next day
7. Set scoop of ice cream on plates until melted
8. Place carefully in freezer
———-
9. Cut bottom of pear so it sits flat
10. Serve on top of frozen ice cream plate
11. Drizzle plate with thickened liquid

 

Play Dough

Some kids eat Play Dough.  This is one that won’t hurt them if they eat it.

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 cup water
Food coloring

Instructions

1. Mix-knead 7-10 minutes.
2. Put in plastic bag.
3. Shape
4. Air dry
5. Bake at 325° for ½ hour for ¼” thickness.

Pita Chips

INGREDIENTS

4 eight inch pitas

Serve with  Grandma’s Greens Dip

STEP BY STEP

  1. Stack and cut into 8 wedges
  2. Gently separate the one wedge into two.
  3. Lay with the “ROUGH INSIDE” facing down
  4. Lightly brush with olive oil
  5. Flip and brush the Rough side with more oil
  6. Sprinkle with Maldon salt and/or Sesame Seeds
  7. For a sweeter treat, sprinkle with CinnaSugar
  8. For a savory treat, sprinkle with garlic, herbs and Parmesan cheese
  9. Bake @ 350 degrees for 12 minutes
  10. Use 2 pans – one on top rack, and one on the bottom.
  11. @ 4 minutes, switch pans
  12. @ 4 minutes, flip all chips over
  13. Serve with spinach dip, Nutella, baba ganoush or hummus

 

Pinot Noir Sauce for Beef Tenderloin

Ingredients

Carrot
Celery
Onion
Garlic
Parsley
Thyme
Bay leaf
1-2 CU red wine vinegar
—————
1.5 CU veal demi gloss ( a reduction of veal stock)

Instructions

1. Dice all ingredients (except bay leaf) really, really small
2. Heat and reduce till thick
3. Add veal demi-gloss, bring to simmer, then simer for 20 minutes
4. Strain through a fine mesh strainer

 

Puttanesca Sauce

Ingredients

1/4 CU minced garlic
3/4 CU diced onion
1/2 CU red wine
2 1/2 CU chopped tomatoes
10 Greek olives, pitted and julienned
1 tsp orange zest
1/4 tsp dried thyme
2 TBLSP tomato paste
6 TBLSP grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Lightly spray a medium skillet with nonstick vegetable coating.
2. Sauté garlic and onion until translucent.
3. Add red wine and let simmer until liquid is very thick and almost evaporated. Add tomatoes, olives, orange zest, thyme and tomato paste. Cook for 25 minutes or until slightly thickened.
4. Serve over pasta. Garnish with 1 TBLSP grated Parmesan cheese.

 

Pumpkin SOUPS

Pumpkin Soup #1

Ingredients

Squash or Pumpkin
4 TBL Olive oil
scant Salt
1 tsp White Pepper
1 tsp Clove
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Caramom
1 tsp Thyme
18 OZ Vegetable Stock
1 can crushed tomatoes
Sage Twigs
2 TBL maple syrup OR honey OR sugar
1/4 CU cider vinegar

Instructions

1. Cut and deseed your squash (see Toasted Pumpkin Seeds)
2. Cut into two inch cubes (leaving skin on)
3. Toss in bowl with olive oil and spices (excluding Sage)
4. Put on sheet pan, set foil over top, and cook @ 350 degrees for 45 minutes
5. Remove skin and puree soft meat
6. Mix with Vegetable Stock and tomatoes in large sauce pan
7. Add sage twigs and turn heat to high (time to move quickly…)
8. Add maple syrup OR honey OR sugar
9. After about 2 minutes from the time you turned heat up, remove sage twigs, add dolop of butter and serve

… OR mix melted butter into soup, and put milk into blender to create foam that goes nicely on top of pumpkin soup

Garnish with nutmeg

Special Steps
Squash should sound solid, not hollow.

Pumpkin Soup #2

Ingredients

Leek (white part only)
Pumpkin pieces
Nutmeg
Stock

Instructions

1. Sauté leek, add pumpkins pieces, nutmeg and stock to cover.
2. Bring to heat (done), blender. Crushed cookie on top.

Special Steps
Serve with ginger cookies

Pumpkins Soup #3

Ingredients

Pumpkin
Cloves
Olive oil
Salt
Cinnamon
Broth
Whole sage
Butter
Milk
nutmeg

Instructions

1. Toss pumpkin pieces with olive oil, salt, cloves, cinnamon.
2. Arrange down on sheet pan.
3. Bake at 325° for 45 min.
4. Puree broth, whole sage for 5 min – remove sage. Top with milk foam, butter, nutmeg.

Special Steps
Peel & deseed and cut into 1” pieces pumpkin

 

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients

Left-over pumpkin seeds from your Halloween Jack-o-Lantern
Salt
Other favorite spices
Olive Oil

Instructions

1. Remove most (not all) of the pumpkin guts from the seeds
2. DON’T RINSE THEM, the guts are some of the best flavor!!!
3. Put about 1 TBL of olive oil in a bowl
4. Stir seeds lightly coating all of the seeds
5. Spread evenly on a cookie sheet
6. Bake @ 350 degrees for 10 minutes
7. Stir and re-spread
8. Bake for ANOTHER 10 minutes
9. Stir and re-spread
10. Turn on broiler and broil for 2 minutes
11. Remove and let cool before putting into a small jar for later snacking

Variations
I like mine with garlic powder and chili powder

 

Pumpkin Custard

Here also is Grandpa’s recipe for BASIC CUSTARD

Ingredients

2 eggs, well beaten
1/4 CU white sugar
1/4 CU brown sugar
1 CU skim milk
1 CU pumpkin
1 TBL. flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Cook the FRESH pumpkin meat for 5-10 minutes in a microwave or use 1 canned pumpkin
2. Mix all ingredients together and blend well.
3. Pour into 4-6 custard cups.
4. Set cups into baking pan with 3/4 inches water in the pan.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes
6. Serve warm or chilled

 

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients

Ready made graham cracker crust, or see GRAHAM CRUST recipe

PIE BODY
10 OZ package of cream cheese
1 CU canned pumpkin
4 eggs
1/2 CU sugar
1 TBL brandy
1/4 tsp each of ground cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger
1/2 CU brown sugar

PIE TOPPING
1/2 CU sour cream
2 TBL powdered sugar
1/2 tsp brandy

Instructions

1. Soften (don’t melt) cream cheese in microwave
2. Combine with all Pie Body ingredients and mix well
3. Pour into 9 inch graham cracker crust
4. Mix pie topping ingredients and gently pour (float) over bottom filling
5. Bake @ 425 degrees for 15 minutes
6. Lower heat to 300 degrees and bake for 25 minutes more

 

Puerto Rican Pot

This is actually what they call it in Puerto Rico!

Ingredients

1 can Kidney beans
2 cups brown rice
1 onion (chopped)
1 large pork chop (cut into pieces)

Instructions

1. Saute onion in 1 TBL olive oil until they start to carmelize.
2. Add pork and stir until browned
3. Remove pork and onion and set aside
4. Put 2 CU water into saute pan and bring to a near boil
5. Add brown rice and stir for several minutes.
6. Lower heat to as low as possible and cover pan
7. After ten minutes add undrained Kidney beans and mix into rice.
8. When mixed, add pork and onion mixture
9. Let simmer another 5 minutes
10. Portion into four servings.

 

Provencal Sauce

Ingredients

1 TBLSP olive oil
1/2 CU diced onions
1 TBLSP minced garlic
1/4 CU burgundy wine
1 CU chopped tomatoes
1 CU peeled and diced eggplant
1/4 CU chopped black olives
1 TBLSP capers
2 TBLSP chopped basil
1 tsp chopped oregano
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

1. In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium. Add onions and garlic and sauté until onions are translucent, about 1 minute. Add wine, tomatoes and eggplant and cook until wine is almost evaporated.
2. Add olives and capers and cook over medium heat until eggplant is soft, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Mixture will become thicker, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and add herbs and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Serve 1/2 CU with 1 CU pasta.

 

Proper Cobbler

cobblerBEFORE WE BEGIN

  • Use fruit at the peak of ripeness
  • Peel and slice fruit
  • Measure out ingredients and set aside

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 cup golden raisins
  • 4 TBL Butter
    .
  • 3 1/2 pounds Gala apples (7 to 8)
    Alternately, use Nectarines, Peaches or Plums
  • 1/2 stick unsalted butter
    .
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 tsp corn starch
  • 1 TBL cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
    .
  • 1/4 C heavy cream
  • 1/2 C whole milk
  • 1 egg
  • Juice and zest from two lemons
  • .
  • 2 TBL Turbinado sugar for garnish

STEP BY STEP

  1. Preheat oven to 475º
  2. Simmer raisins and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat for about 4 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and set aside to macerate, covered, 30 minutes.
  4. While raisins macerate, peel and core apples, then cut into 1-inch pieces or thin slices
  5. Toss apples with lemon juice.
  6. Spread softened butter in cast iron skillet and sprinkle granulated sugar evenly over it. Put excess into your mixing bowl
  7. Cook apples over medium-high heat, without stirring, until juices are deep golden and bubbling, 18 to 23 minutes (don’t worry if juices color unevenly).
  8. Combine apples and raisins and butter (skillet will be full).
    SEE BELOW FOR AN ALTERNATE BISQUICK CRUST
  9. Stir together flour, sugar, cinnamon, corn starch, baking powder, and salt
  10. Add cream, egg, milk, and lemon – stir just until a dough forms.
  11. Gather dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly floured surface.
  12. Gently knead 6 times, then pat dough into an 8-inch round.
  13. Cut out as many rounds as possible with lightly floured cutter.
  14. Gather scraps and pat out, then cut out more rounds. (You will have about 12)
  15. Don’t re-press more than once because dough will begin to get tough
  16. Arrange biscuits on apples about 1/2 inch apart and brush tops with remaining tablespoon cream
  17. Sprinkle with Turbinado sugar
  18. Bake at 375° for about 35 minutes until biscuits are puffed and golden, about 18-20 minutes

OH, ONE MORE THING . . .

  • The cobbler takes its name from the biscuit dough crust on top – it is rough looking or ‘cobbled.’ It originated in the U.S. sometime in the early to mid 19th century.
  • For best results, use a well-seasoned 10-inch cast-iron skillet; and a 2 1/4-inch round cookie cutter
  • Accompaniment: heavy cream or ice cream

VARIATIONS

  • Like a classic tarte Tatin, this cobbler begins with apples being caramelized in a rich mix of butter and sugar, but we’ve upped the ante by adding raisins.
  • Tender biscuit rounds take the place of traditional pastry to create a true home-style dessert.
  • Cooks’ notes: Cobbler is best when freshly made but can be baked 3 hours ahead and reheated in a 350°F oven.
  • Add egg, sugar, and flour mixed together into your blueberries to create kind of a custard
  • ALTERNATE CRUST: Create a thick batter using the drop biscuit recipe from the Bisquick box, but add an extra 2 TBL of sugar to the box recipe.  Drizzle over top in place of circle toppings.  Then jump to Step 17.

 

 

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