Author: Robert Andrews

Strawberry Bites

INGREDIENTS

  • 12 large strawberries
  • 1/3 C cream cheese
  • 1/2 C confectioner sugar
  • 1/2 C chocolate flakes or pieces

STEP BY STEP

  1. Mix together cream cheese, confectioner sugar and chocolate
  2. Cut out stem and center of a large strawberry
  3. Cut off the tip so they can be set flat on the tray.
  4. Pipe the mixture into the center
  5. OPT:  Sprinkle with Turbinado Sugar or colored sprinkles

NOTE:  You can use a baggie with a TINY snip off the corner as a piping bag.

 

Meatloaf Burger

  1. Saute 1/2 chopped onion for five minutes
  2. Add 1/2 stalk chopped celery and cook for four more minutes
  3. Add one clove chopped garlic and stir for 30 seconds
  4. Remove from heat and set aside to cool
  5. Combine 3/4 LB ground beef, 1/2 LB ground pork and 1/2 LB ground veal
  6. Mix in 2 TBL Dijon mustard, 1/4 C sour cream, 1/4 C bread crumbs and your sauteed onion mixture
  7. Form 4 patties
  8. Salt and pepper to taste
  9. Cook about 6 minutes per side on high heat

Smashed Baby Potatoes

Most people smash them whole. I prefer to halve them. I like the pattern the fork makes, and I can make twice as many in almost the same amount of time. Here are some Google images: CLICK HERE

  1. Boil small baby potatoes with skins on for 10-12 minutes
  2. Remove and cut in half while still hot
  3. Smash with a glass or ramekin on a baking tray.
    Press with a fork to create parallel lines on the top.
  4. Sprinkle a little shredded cheese on top
  5. Bake at 350º for 5 minutes
  6. Sprinkle with shaved salt
  7. Top with chives
  8. Garnish with a Kalamata olive

Onigiri Rice Balls

Start here:   GOOGLE IMAGES

Start with bags labeled “long-grain sticky rice,” “sweet rice” or “glutinous rice.”  If it isn’t on the shelves of your local grocery, check the ethnic foods section.  If it’s not there, visit a nearby Asian or international grocer.  Still no luck, here is a link from Amazon.  CLICK HERE

Sticky rice gets its stickiness from starch;  that is amylopectin (not so much amylose) While it does contain a little bit of amylose, it’s an insignificant amount. It’s the amylopectin, that creates the stickiness of sticky rice.

  1. Cook short grain sticky rice
    1. Measure 1/2-3/4 C rice and 1 C water into the pot.
    2. Let the rice soak for at least four hours or overnight.
    3. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and stir.
    4. Place the pot over high heat and bring the water to a boil.
    5. Turn the heat to medium low and cover the pot, leaving the lid slightly off on one side to vent.
    6. Cook for 10 minutes – Stir once, and once only at 2-3 minutes.  DO NOT stir the rice again while cooking!
    7. After 10 minutes, check to see if the rice has absorbed all of the water by pulling the rice away from the center with a fork to create a hole.   If there is still water, continue cooking for 5 more minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed.
    8. Remove the pot from the heat and place the lid on securely.
    9. Allow the rice to stand for 10 minutes before serving or using.
  1. Decide what will be in the center of your balls:
    1. Salmon:  Sear 8 salmon strips for 30 seconds per side.  Sprinkle with salt.
    2. Plums:  Pit 8 plums
    3. Sausage:  Cook Smokey Links
  2. Put 1 1/2 TBL rice in the center of your palm
  3. Create a hole in the center
  4. Fill the hole with your filling
  5. Form into a ball, enclosing the filling
  6. Shape into a triangle (for appearance)
  7. Tightly press to hold the shape, but not too tight
  8. Put a strip of wet seaweed around the ball – shiny side out

Serve with soy sauce

Lemonade Copycat Recipes

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 1/2 C lemon juice (fresh squeezed)
  • 3 C water – add to lemon juice
  • 1/2 C water in measuring cup
  • 4 C ice in a pitcher
  • 1 C sugar
  • OPT:  Sprigs of mint

STEP BY STEP

  1. Heat 1/2 C water in the microwave until it is hot to the touch, but not boiling (about 45 seconds)
  2. Add sugar and stir to dissolve
  3. Pour hot water into pitcher over ice
  4. Add lemon (seeds removed) and 1 C water
  5. Refrigerate at least 1 hour to chill
  6. You can serve with strips of lemon peel in the glass, or even better a sprig of mint.

Braided Pastry

  1. Thaw out Puff Pastry
  2. Roll to approx 8 x 20
  3. Put onto a piece of parchment paper for easy moving
  4. Cut one third of opposite sides
    First Side:  ////////
    Other Side: \\\\\\\
  5. Put jam or pie filling in the center
  6. Starting to the bottom fold left side up, then right, then left, then right…
  7. Brush top with egg wash
  8. Put on baking sheet
  9. Let rise 30 minutes
  10. Bake at 450º for about 10 minutes – rotating halfway
  11. Drizzle with 1/2 C confectioner sugar, 1 tsp instant coffee, and 1-2 TBL hot water

Microwave Jam

  • 1 C Strawberries
  • 1 C Blueberries
  • 1/2 C Raspberries
  • 1/2 C Blackberries
  • 1 C sugar
  • 1 TBL lemon
  1. This will quadruple in size.  Be sure to use a large microwave safe bowl or an 8 cup measuring cup – or cut recipe in half and use a 4 cup measuring cup.
  2. Remove all non-edible parts of the berries
  3. Toss all berries with sugar and let rest 30 minutes
  4. Microwave 5 minutes, then remove and stir
  5. Microwave 5 more minutes, then remove and stir
  6. Continue to microwave in 2 minute segments stirring between each segment
  7. Repeat until it starts to look syrupy – even if it looks a little thin, that’s OK
  8. If you feel it is still not quite ready to gel, cook an additional minute.
  9. Don’t overcook though, or it will crystallize.
  10. Transfer to canning jars and keep in refrigerator for up to three months.  Once jar is opened, use within three weeks.

Variations

You can use peaches too, but you will have to add 1 TBL pectin.  Strawberries have natural pectin.  So do the peels of Seville Oranges (aka Ornamental Oranges)

 

Simple Dumplings, Potstickers, etc.

  • This is good for a Sunday Evening light dinner.  This recipe is geared to 10-20 or so dumplings.
    –
    Wrappers
  • Use commercial potsticker, dumpling, won ton wrappers or eggroll wrappers.  You can make your own… but why?  Buy Gyoza wrappers; they are the best.
    –
    Stuffing / Filling
  • 1/2 C Shredded Napa cabbage
    • Toss with 1/4 tsp salt and put in a bowl for 15 minutes, then rinse well
  • 3 oz protein:  Leftover meatloaf, hamburger, stir fry, Reuben, even chopped sausage, etc.
  • 2 TBL chopped scallion
  • 2 TBL chopped red bell pepper
  • 1 egg – lightly beaten
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp light brown sugar
  • 2 tsp butter
  • 1 tsp rice wine
  • 2 tsp Hoisin sauce
  • 1 tsp grated ginger
  • scant salt
  • scant Grandpa’s Thunder Powder

Step by Step

  1. Prepare egg wash – 1 egg and 1 TBL water – Mix and set aside
  2. Pulse proteins and cabbage together three times in a food processor to mix, or just mix with a fork
  3. Squeeze all the excess water from your cabbage mixture and put it into the food processor – don’t run yet
  4. Add soy, toasted sesame oil, butter, Chinese rice wine or dry sherry, Hoisin, grated ginger, salt, Thunder Powder
  5. Pulse only 6 times in food processor – You want them mixed, but not pulverized
  6. Chop 1 scallion into 1/4 inch pieces and add to food processor
  7. Now you can pulse them together 2 more times
  8. Ball up 1-2 tsp of filling
  9. Place filling in the center of the ball and egg wash the border
  10. Bring opposite sides together and pinch to secure – leaving the ends open
  11. Bring one side over top of the hole and secure to the middle of the other side.
  12. Do that with the other end as well.  Shape into a crescent.  This will create the traditional dumpling shape.
  13. Or heck… just fold them and press lightly with a fork to seal
    –
    NOTE:  These balls freeze really well.   Just be sure to thaw them out overnight in the refrigerator before cooking.  You can also complete the dumplings and freeze them after assembly.  In that case, you will cook them from frozen – just add one extra minute in the skillet.
    –
    WHEN YOU ARE READY TO COOK
    –
    TRADITIONAL
  14. Spread 1 TBL oil and 1 TBL butter around on the bottom of a cold large skillet – one with a lid
  15. Nest the dumplings (pot stickers) around the pan and turn the heat to medium.  Once that you start to hear or see a sizzle, start timing four minutes.
  16. After four minutes, add 1/2 C chicken stock to the skillet, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to medium-low heat.
  17. Simmer/steam for 4 minutes.
  18. Remove lid, turn heat back to medium, and let the rest of the water evaporate – about 1-3 minutes.
  19. Carefully remove from the pan, and serve with the browned side up.
    –
    ALTERNATIVE
  20. Spread 1 TBL oil and 1 TBL butter around on the bottom of a cold large skillet 
  21. Turn heat to medium
  22. After butter has melted, put the dumplings into the pan and cook for 40-60 seconds per side
  23. Keep flipping until they start to brown
  24. Serve with grated parm and some EVOO

Here are some dipping sauce options:

  • Soy sauce (chk ingredients: No Hydrolyzed Vegetable Proteins)
  • Black vinegar
  • Sichuan chili oil

Here are a couple of GrandpaCooks recipes that you can use for your dipping sauce.

A Mexican Empanada is essentially a potsticker.

Ethnic Chicken

This was inspired by Chef Todd – yes… one of those infomercial chefs.  Please note:  These recipes have been created, but have not yet been tested.  Anyway, the idea is valid:

  1. Sear your chicken in a hot skillet with 1 TBL butter, 1 TBL safflower oil, and 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.
  2. Set chicken aside and add Step 3 ingredients to the skillet.

French Chicken

  1. Add 1 TBL butter and 1 TBL flour and stir to mix
  2. Add 1/2 Vidalia onion, sliced thinly, and continue to stir to create a roux
  3. Add 1/4 C chicken stock and stir until your roux is smooth
  4. Add 1 C white wine and stir until simmering
  5. Add 1/4 C thin egg noodles
  6. Stir until the noodles are nearly done
  7. Add a splash of cream (about 1 TBL) and stir to mix
  8. Nestle your chicken back into the pot, bring back to a simmer, then serve

Spanish Chicken

  1. Add 1 TBL butter and 1 diced potato to the pan
  2. Optionally, you can add 2 TBL uncooked rice and 1/2 C chicken stock
  3. Cook until potato starts to color, then add one sliced red onion
  4. While that cooks, slice one red bell pepper
  5. Optionally add mushrooms
  6. Add 1/2 C chicken stock and stir to combine
  7. Nestle your chicken back into the pot, bring back to a simmer, then serve

Hawaiian Chicken

  1. Deglaze your pan with 1/4 C each soy sauce, brown sugar, and pineapple juice
  2. Bring up to a simmer and cook to reduce to about half.
  3. Meanwhile, add 1 tsp ground ginger and 1 TBL ketchup
  4. When the mixture starts to get thick, add 1 C chopped pineapple
  5. Nestle your chicken back into the pot, bring back to a simmer, then serve
  6. Garnish with chopped cilantro

Italian Chicken

  1. In a separate pot, boil water and add 1/2 C penne pasta – cook al dente then strain and set aside
  2. Deglaze your pan with 1/2 C white wine
  3. Add 1 can tomato sauce (or canned spaghetti sauce)
  4. Add 1 TBL scallions and 1 TBL dried oregano
  5. Add 1 can (drained) diced tomato or tomato pieces
  6. Optionally put in thin slices of Italian sausage
  7. Nestle your chicken back into the pot, and distribute your pasta around the chicken in the juices.
  8. Sprinkle grated Parmesan across the meat and pasta
  9. Bring back to a simmer, then serve
  10. Garnish with chopped parsley

Asian Chicken

  1. In a separate pot, cook rice and set aside
  2. Deglaze your pan with 1/4 C soy sauce and 1/4 C sake, rice wine or mirin
  3. Add 1/4 teriyaki sauce, 1/4 C brown sugar, 1 TBL fresh grated ginger and more sake or mirin
  4. Add 1/4 C each small broccoli florets, sliced red bell pepper and Shitake mushrooms
  5. Cook to reduce, meanwhile, cut fresh chives in 1/2 inch pieces on the bias (whites and greens) – set aside
  6. Nestle your chicken back into the pot, and bring back to a simmer
  7. Plate on top of cooked rice
  8. Garnish with sesame seeds and chives

Chicken Stroganoff

  1. Add 1 TBL butter and 1 TBL flour and stir to mix
  2. Add 1/2 Vidalia onion, sliced thinly, and continue to stir to create a roux
  3. Add 1/4 C veal or beef stock and stir until your roux is smooth
  4. Add 1/2 C more stock, 1/2 C water, and add 1/4 C thin egg noodles
  5. Stir until the noodles are nearly done
  6. Add a splash of cream (about 1 TBL) and stir to mix
  7. Cut your chicken into strips AGAINST the grain
  8. Nestle your chicken back into the pot, bring back to a simmer, then serve

 

Shrimp and Bacon Roll

  1. Add 6 C water to a pot
  2. Add 3 bay leaves, 2 tsp salt, 2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning, 1 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 TBL sugar and juice from one lemon
  3. Bring a pot of water up to a boil
  4. Thread 5-6 shrimp onto skewers – skins off, tails on
  5. Put into the hot water for three minutes only, then onto a bed of ice (not ice water)
  6. Crisp up two slices of bacon in a pan.  Start with a cold or warm pan – NOT HOT
  7. After cooking, put shrimp spread onto a soft roll
  8. Put on a layer of Bib lettuce
  9. Add shallots, celery, shrimp and bacon

Shrimp Spread

  • 2 TBL mayonnaise
  • 1/2 Old Bay Seasoning
  • 2 dashes Grandpa’s Thunder Powder
  • juice from one lemon

 

Savory Tart

Pie dough – either make your own USING THIS RECIPE or use THIS ONE if you want a sweeter dough, or buy one at the grocery. Pepperidge Farms makes a good dough.

  1. Slice thin and caramelize one onion in 1 TBL butter and 1 TBL EVOO.  Cook low and slow.
  2. Add 1 TBL sugar, 1 TBL balsamic vinegar and a bit of rosemary and black pepper.
  3. Add 2 cloves minced garlic and stir 15 seconds.
  4. Add in one can drained tomato pieces and kalamata olives
  5. Toss all to combine, then top with pieces/slices of brie
  6. Bake at 350º for 10-15 minutes
  7. Serve with a side of olive taponade and chopped chive on top.

Cochita Pibil

  • Cut off much, but not all of the fat.
  • Cut meat into 2-3 inch cubes
  • The key is to marinate the pork overnight in bitter orange juice.  In Arizona, we know that as Seville Oranges or Ornamental Oranges.
  • Next day, pat the pork dry and sear all sides
  • Once you finish the prep, use THIS RECIPE.

Marigold Salad

In a large mixing bowl, combine

  • 1 C baby rocket leaves
  • Toss with 1 tsp EVOO and put onto a plate
  • Top with
    • 3 figs – cut with WWW so it creates a flower
    • 1/4 inch slices of goat cheese
  • Drizzle honey on the cheese
  • Squeeze lemon juice all over
  • Sprinkle with Maldon salt
  • Top with freshly grated black pepper
  • Add a few mint leaves
  • Sprinkle 6-12 marigold petals (yes, they are edible)

 

Orange Drink

INGREDIENTS

  • Two oranges
  • Potato Peeler
  • 1 TBL Karo Syrup
  • Blender
  • Strainer

STEP BY STEP

  1. Peel the orange off an orange, but leave the white pith.
  2. Cut up and remove as many seeds as possible, but not necessary to get them all, since we will be straining it.
  3. Add 1 Tablespoon of Karo syrup
  4. Put into a blender, and then run through a food mill or strainer
  5. Serve over ice

Retirement Smoked Pork Chops

  1. Lay two pork chops on a shallow bed of salt.
  2. Sprinkle salt over top of them as well.
  3. Put chops into the refrigerator
  4. Take a cup of hickory wood chips and soak them in bowl of water
  5. Refrigerate chops overnight uncovered, and let the wood chips soak up water on the counter also overnight
  6. The next morning, wash off the salt from the chops
  7. Dry them well with a paper towel
  8. Pour the water from the wood chip bowl, and place the chips on the used paper towel.
  9. Bring a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven up to about 500º
  10. Put in 1 TBL safflower oil and spread it around
  11. Put the chop onto the high heat for about three minutes
  12. Turn the chops over and surround them with wood chips, so that the wood chips are in contact with the hot cast iron
  13. Put the cover on the Dutch oven, and as soon as you start to smell smoke (3-5 minutes) set the pan on the patio on a cooling rack for another 5-10 minutes
  14. Plate while out on the patio so that you don’t get smoke in your house

If you are up to it, make your own Birch Syrup.

  1. Collect the sap and bring to a simmer.  You will need a lot of sap, as it reduces by about 85% after about ten hours.
  2. Five liters (21 cups) of sap will become about 1/3 of a cup.

Avocado Salsa

Ají de Aguacate

  1. Prepare and set aside 3 hard boiled egg
  2. Wash and combine the following and pulse in a food processor
    • 6 scallions
    • 2 Anaheim chiles (seeds out)
    • 1 habañero chili (seeds out)
    • 1 C packed cilantro
    • 2 TBL white vinegar
    • 1 tsp salt
  3. Remove, roughly chop and combine the following
    • 2 avocados
    • 2 TBL lime juice
    • 2 hard boiled eggs
    • 2 chopped Roma tomatoes
  4. Combine everything and crush together
  5. Plate in a large family-style serving bowl
  6. Roughly chop the third egg and put it on top along with some of the chives and cilantro

Lomo Saltado

  1. Cut meat
    • 1 1/2 LB beef – flank or skirt steak – sliced against grain in 1 inch strips
  2. Prepare marinade
    • 1 tsp cumin
    • 1 tsp salt and pepper
    • 1 tsp Thunder Powder
    • 2 TBL soy
  3. Marinate meat for 10 minutes
  4. Cut up red onion in thin slices
  5. Mince 2 cloves garlic and 2 jalapeño
  6. Cut russet potato into thin French Fry strips
  7. Cut tomato in sections
  8. 1 TBL safflower oil in cast iron pan – high heat
  9. Put potato into the pan to cook while everything else cooks
  10. Sear meat for 2 minutes per side
  11. Remove meat – set aside
  12. Rotate potatoes
  13. Turn pan heat to low and put in onion with 1 TBL butter
  14. This will cook about 2 minutes
  15. Add garlic and jalapeno and cook 1 minute
  16. Deglaze with 1/4 C red wine vinegar – it’s OK if potatoes are still in the pan
  17. Add 3 TBL soy sauce
  18. Add tomato sections
  19. Bring up to a simmer and reduce slightly
  20. Put meat back into pan and bring all up to heat
  21. Serve with rice and drizzle pan juices over top

Croissants

Here is a link to a recipe from AllRecipes.com

It is a bit quicker than the following recipe, so I am linking to their page as well.

http://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/6916/croissants/

#############

Here is another recipe

  1. Combine the following ingredients
    • 3 3/4 AP flour
    • 2 tsp salt
    • 1/3 C sugar
    • 2 TBL yeast
  2. Blend dry ingredients, and drizzle in 1 cup cold milk
  3. 1 C milk – more if required for flour to start pulling into a ball
  4. Wrap dough ball in plastic wrap
    Let rest at room temperature for 60 minutes,
    Then refrigerate overnight (at least 8 hours)
  5. Flatten out to about 1/2 inch thickness
  6. Five sticks of butter – Wrap butter in plastic and beat with rolling pin till flattened and one large sheet
  7. Refrigerate the butter, along with the dough, overnight
  8. Next morning, roll the flour into a square
  9. Flatten the cold butter to cover half of the square
  10. Fold sides of dough in
    – stretch if necessary to cover butter (1 butter layer)
  11. Flatten the “dough sandwich” till it is about twice its current size
  12. Fold in thirds, and pound to flatten again (3 layers)
  13. Use pastry brush to remove excess flour
  14. Fold in thirds the other way, and pound to flatten (9 layers)
  15. Use pastry brush to remove excess flour
  16. Fold in thirds, the other way, but don’t pound yet (27 layers)
  17. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate  for one hour
  18. Remove from fridge, and pound to flatten
  19. Fold in thirds again, and pound to flatten  (82 layers)
  20. Fold in thirds again, but do not pound yet (243 layers)
  21. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for another hour
  22. Remove from fridge, and pound to flatten
  23. Fold in thirds again, and pound to flatten  (729 layers)
  24. Roll out flat into a square approx 20 x 15 inches
  25. Using a pizza cutter, cut the square in half to make two 10 x 15 pieces
  26. Cut the 10 x 15 pieces into 5 x 5 squares
  27. Cut at an angle across the points of each square, to make a crosshatch with the outside edge being about 5 inches wide and the point being 5 inches high
  28. Stretch gently to make a triangle about 5 x 20 inches
  29. Roll the triangle up, starting with the wide end, and ending at the point
  30. Put on a baking sheet leaving space between each piece
  31. Brush with egg wash (1 egg plus 1 tsp water plus 1/2 tsp salt)
  32. Let rise about three hours
  33. Preheat oven to 40 and bake 12-15 minutes, rotating at the 10 minute mark

 

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