Author: Robert Andrews

Burger Salad

A low-carb option for a burger.
A low-carb option for a burger.

INGREDIENTS

  • 80/20 Ground Chuck or your own home-ground meat – Cooked to your liking
    SALAD FIXIN’S
    Salad Base:
  • Iceburg lettuce
  • Butter lettuce
  • Red sail lettuce
    Salad Toppings – Diner’s choice – Ordered on Top or Served on the side:
  • Onions – fresh or caramelized
  • Grated cheddar cheese or Swiss or Brie
  • Tomato pieces
  • Sliced jalapeños
  • Green chilies
  • Bacon
  • Mushrooms
  • Pickle or cucumber (optional)
    DRESSING – Can be made ahead in large amounts:
  • 3 parts Dijon mustard
  • 2 parts mayonnaise
  • 1 part ketchup
  • 1 part olive oil
  • 1 part red wine vinegar

 

Ginger Broccoli

INGREDIENTS – MIS EN PLACE

  • 3 TBL Safflower oil and 4 cloves of garlic
    – Heat to about 350º and put garlic cloves into it. Let rest 10 minutes
  • 1 Carrot – thinly sliced on the bias
  • Tofu ( for protein ) Firm
  • 1 Red bell pepper – thin slices
  • Ginger – peeled and about 1 inch in size
  • 1 large head Broccoli
  • 1/4 C Oyster sauce
  • 1/4 C chicken broth

STEP BY STEP

  1. When all has been prepped, heat wok to about 500º
  2. Add safflower oil
  3. Add pieces of ginger, and cook for about 60 seconds, then remove
  4. Add carrot and salt – stir to cover
  5. Toss tofu gently in corn starch
  6. Add broccoli
  7. Add tofu (or other protein) – Toss gently from here forward
  8. Add red bell peppers
  9. Add garlic
  10. Add oyster sauce
  11. Add chicken broth

Semifreddo

Ice cream without an ice cream maker.

Translates as “Semi Frozen”

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 C sugar
  • 3 whole eggs
  • Hot water bath
  • 1/2 C whipped cream

STEP BY STEP

  1. Cream together sugar and eggs
  2. Heat over hot water bath in double boiler
  3. It will turn color and increase in size
  4. Whip cold cream until it thickens
  5. Fold together whipped cream and eggs
  6. Crumble in crushed amaretti cookies ( or vanilla wafers )
  7. Pour into plastic lined mold
  8. Tap out air bubbles, then freeze overnight

Amaretti cookies

  • Almond paste, sugar and egg whites

 

Cast Iron Pizza

Get a large ball of pizza dough from your favorite pizza place.  About $5.  Yes Grandpa takes shortcuts some of the time.

  • 3 TBL butter
  • 1/2 C onion
  • Fontina cheese
  • Mozzarella cheese
  • Marinara pizza sauce
  • 2-3 types of mushrooms
  1. Roll pizza dough into COLD cast iron pan.
  2. Make sure dough is kind of up on the side of the cast iron skillet to hold ingredients in.
  3. Idea:  Cut thin logs of mozzarella and roll up into the crust for dipping.
  4. Lay mozzarella cheese as first ingredient
  5. Add onion and mushrooms
  6. Tops with a few spots of marinara (not too much)
  7. Put some tabs of butter and fontina cheese on top
  8. Optional:  Pepperoni or sausage
  9. Bake at 550º for 14-16 minutes.

Hush Puppies

This are approximate guidelines, ingredients and quantities.  I need to debug this later.

Cornmeal
AP Flour
Sugar
Salt
Garlic
Baking Powder

Buttermilk
Egg
Scallions

Lump Crab Meat

Fry in oil at 360º for about 2 minutes per side

Dipping Sauce
– Cilantro
– Jalapeño
– Salt
– Pepper
– Garlic powder
– Mayo

Simple but Elegant Desert Cup

Use a wine glass, sherbert glass or some other tall clear glass.

  1. Put blueberries in the bottom of the glass
  2. Cover with a bit of pudding
  3. Add a couple of table spoons of granola
  4. Add a different color/flavor pudding or yogurt
  5. Add a different type/color of fruit
  6. Add some crushed graham crackers
  7. Top with whipped topping
  8. Serve with a chunk of of chocolate

Breakfast or Lunch for a Dozen

Breakfast

Bacon on crinkled foil

  1. Preheat the oven to 400º
  2. Crinkle up a  sheet of aluminum foil and put onto a baking sheet
  3. Put bacon onto the foil
  4. Bake 12-18 minutes or until it turns crisp

Scrambled Eggs

  1. Break two eggs per person into a large mixing bowl
  2. Scramble until bubbly and yellow
  3. Scramble about 1 C at a time in a hot skillet
  4. Put into a serving bowl and repeat until all scrambled

Drop Biscuits

  1. Measure 1/2 Cup of Bisquick mix per person
  2. Mix Bisquick according to the directions on the box
  3. The dough should not be runny, but should be stiff
  4. Break off pieces in 1/4 Cup chunks
  5. Put onto a baking sheet
  6. Put baking sheet into the oven with the bacon
  7. Take out when biscuits start to brown
  8. Serve with butter

Lunch

Hamburgers

  1. Use about 1/2 pound of raw hamburger per person
  2. Preheat oven to 350º
  3. Roll into a ball, the squish flat
  4. Put into oven and bake 18 minutes
  5. Flip and add cheese, then bake 4 more minutes

Chicken and Pasta

chickenINGREDIENTS

  • Chicken breast
  • Bacon – cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • Wide pasta – pappardelle
  • 1/4 C dry white wine
  • 1 TBL butter – cold
  • Several basil leaves
  • Parmesan cheese to garnish
  • Select THREE of the following ingredients
    • Kalamata olives
    • Artichoke hearts
    • Bell peppers
    • Onions
    • Sausage
    • Sun dried tomatoes
    • Fresh spinach

STEP BY STEP

  1. Bring large pot of heavily salted water to a boil
    (about 1 gallon of water and 1 TBL of salt)
  2. Render pork belly till crispy
    – Set aside
  3. Cut chicken breast lengthwise
  4. Pallard the meat (squish it flat so it cooks quickly and evenly)
    – Put between two sheets of plastic
    – Pound till about 1/2 inch thick – using mallet, tuna can, or cast iron skillet
  5. Prepare three bowls:
    (1) flour, salt, paprika, pepper to taste or Grandpa's Thunder Powder or Arghhh Powder
    (2) 1 beaten egg and 1 TBL milk
  6. Dredge flattened chicken breast in the in egg, then in the flour
  7. Put pasta into boiling water
  8. Put chicken into hot pan with 1 TBL canola oil
  9. Cook chicken until heavily seared
    – Set aside
  10. Deglaze chicken pan with white wine
    (pour in wine and stir to remove the bits from the bottom of the pan)
  11. Add your three “personal” ingredients
  12. Add back in cooked bacon
  13. Finish with 1 TBL cold butter
  14. Add back in chicken and nestle into the gravy to reheat
  15. Toss pasta with 1 TBL EVOO and plate
  16. Cut chicken into strips against the grain
  17. Top pasta with cooked chicken
  18. Top chicken with your special mixture
  19. Garnish with basil leaves
  20. Shave Parmesan cheese on top

Cantaloupe Soup

cant-soupINGREDIENTS

  • 1 Cantaloupe – Peeled, deseeded and cubed
  • 1 C Philly Cream Cheese
  • 1/2 ± passion fruit puree
  • Small piece of peeled ginger
  • 1 dash Tabasco
  • A few mint leaves
  • OPTIONAL:  Thinly sliced Prosciutto
  • OPTIONAL:  A dollop of sour cream

STEP BY STEP

  1. Blend first five ingredients
  2. OPTIONAL:  Run through a sieve or food mill if you want a very smooth soup
  3. Chill at least 2 hours – overnight is better
  4. Put into bowl and top with sour cream, prosciutto and/or mint

Lobster Roll Sandwich

lobster-rollINGREDIENTS

  • 2 TBL Mayo or Miracle Whip
  • 1 tsp Brandy
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire
  • 1/2 tsp Prepared Horseradish
  • Scant Cayenne
  • juice from 1/2 lemon
  • 1 dash Tabasco
  • Rough chopped shrimp, lobster, crab or Krab
  • Italian sub roll
  • OPTIONAL:  Chives
  • OPTIONAL:  Butter lettuce
  • OPTIONAL:  Tomato slices

STEP BY STEP

  1. Mix first seven ingredients – whisk well
  2. Rough chop whichever meat you want to use
  3. Gently fold everything together
  4. Cut a narrow V out of the top of your Italian roll
  5. Pull out much of the internal bread, leaving more room for the filling
  6. Fill the bread with the meat mixture
  7. Sprinkle with chives

NOTE:  The mixture above is a version of Marie Rose Sauce.

Guacamole Deviled Eggs

Recipe mostly by TipHero, with a twist or two from Grandpa.

INGREDIENTS

  • Six eggs – About a week old
  • 1 VERY ripe avocado
  • Juice and zest from one lime
  • One deseeded jalapeño – minced
    TipHero prefers to use a serrano pepper
  • 1/2 tp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 2 TBL chopped Cilantro
  • Dried chives ( not mixed in, rather sprinkled over top )

STEP BY STEP

  1. Rather than boiling your eggs to hard boil them, TipHero bakes them at 350º for 25 minutes.
    It is absolutely critical to start with a preheated oven.
  2. In a large bowl, take 4 C ice cubes and put into 8 C water
  3. Take your eggs directly from the oven and put into the ice water USING A SPOON.
    Touching the eggs will raise a blister.
  4. Let set in water until the ice melts
  5. Peel the eggs, using the water to wash away pieces, and lubricate the egg as you peel.
    You can also peel under running water, but this wastes water.
  6. Cut egg in half using a piece of dental floss – yes… dental floss.
  7. Remove yolks and place in a mixing bowl.
    Place the whites on your serving plate.
  8. Halve your avocado, and scoop the meat out using a spoon.
    TipHero uses the entire avocado.  I prefer using only half.
  9. Add lime, jalapeño, salt, black pepper and cilantro.
  10. Put into a zip lock bag, and cut the tip off a corner
  11. Place your avocado mixture into the bag
  12. Pipe ( squeeze ) the mixture into your egg white
  13. Sprinkle your chives over top of the eggs, letting some spill onto the serving platter.

 

Raw Spaghetti Sauce

saladThis can be used for Spaghetti, Farfalle, Bucatini, Pappardelle… pretty much any pasta.

INGREDIENTS

  • PASTA of your choice
  • 4 C fresh tomatoes (deseeded)
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 6-8 basil leaves
  • Optional: 1 packet crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 C EVOO
  • Optional: 1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese
  • Optional: 1 C cubed fresh Mozzarella

STEP BY STEP

  1. Rinse tomatoes, dry and cut out the cores and seeds.
  2. Catch all of the juices.  We will use that later.
  3. Cut the tomato meat into approximately one inch pieces
    ( cherry tomatoes, just cut in half )
  4. Smash the garlic cloves with the side of your knife and remove the skins
  5. Mix with a bit of salt, and mash into a fine paste
  6. Toss the paste in with your tomato pieces
  7. Add your basil ( chiffonade strips ) cut into thin strips
  8. Sprinkle in your red pepper
  9. Drizzle in your oil
  10. Add your cheese if you choose to use it
  11. Gently toss to combine ingredients
  12. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate for about two hours
  13. Toss with your cooked pasta and serve.

Simple Crostini

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

INGREDIENTS

  • Baguette, bagel, or French bread
  • Cloves of garlic
  • EVOO
  • Very ripe tomato

See optional ingredients below.

STEP BY STEP

  1. Cut your bread into 1/4 – 1/2 inch slices on the bias (at an angle)
  2. Toast for 4 minutes in a toaster oven
  3. Rub with Garlic
  4. Rub with Tomato
  5. Drizzle with EVOO

OTHER TOPPINGS

The toppings are virtually unlimited.  Don’t be afraid to use your imagination.  Here is some guidance.

  • Put a thin slice of aged ham on top
  • Sun-dried tomato with a piece of cheese and a basil leaf
  • Oiled and cooked red pepper
  • Cream cheese and salmon
  • Salmon roe
  • Black olives
  • Radishes
  • Pickled onion
  • Avocado puree
  • Hard-boiled egg medallion with a dollop of mustard
  • Blueberries and raspberries
  • Olive Tapenade:  black, green, Kalamata, anchovy, salt, lime, capers, basil, garlic, and sundried tomato

Guajillo Chili Wings

chili-wingsINGREDIENTS

  • Hot corn oil in heavy sauce pan
  • Ten thawed chicken wings
  • Hot corn oil in saute pan
  • 6 dried guajillo chili peppers
  • 10 cloves garlic
  • 4 tsp butter
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp salt
  • zest and juice from one lime
  • white wine to deglaze – about 1/4 C

STEP BY STEP

  1. Soak dried chilies in boiling hot water for about 10 minutes
  2. Heat oil in sauce pan to about 365 – 375º
  3. Put wings into hot oil – Start the clock… You will be cooking the wings about 10-12 minutes
  4. Mince guajillo chili and put into saute pan (with a little bit of oil)
  5. Add butter and garlic to saute pan – stir to incorporate
  6. Add salt, pepper, oregano
  7. Add white wine to deglaze, and stir to reduce
  8. Add hot wings and toss to cover
  9. Plate hot wings, and cover with remaining sauce

This recipe is based on one by Jeff Smedstad, executive chef from the Elote Cafe here in Sedona, Arizona.

Tamale Taco

INGREDIENTS

  • Corn tortillas
  • Hot canola or corn oil
  • Shredded “Mexican Blend” Cheese
  • Arbol chilies

Optional toppings:  shredded chicken, shredded pork, lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeños, cilantro, etc.

STEP BY STEP

  1. Heat a small amount of oil in a pan
  2. Heat tortillas till they soften and barely start to brown
  3. Remove from heat and sprinkle with cheese
  4. Put on some chilies or other optional toppings
  5. Enjoy

First Watch – Poppyseed Dressing

poppyseedFirst Watch (a local eggery and diner here in Phoenix) has undergone a DRASTIC change.  As it turns out, First Watch was started by four friends, who had an idea.  And a great idea it was.  First Watch has been my wife and my favorite breakfast place for about 25 years.  Recently two of the founders died, and the heirs decided that restaurant management was not quite their thing.  They sold it to a corporate conglomerate, and while it is still an OK place to eat, the menu has changed dramatically.

One of the things they have stopped providing is their Poppyseed Dressing.  They offer a Lemon dressing, Ranch dressing, and a Chipotle Ranch dressing.  Since it is not a restaurant secret any more, I asked for their recipe for their famous Poppyseed Dressing.  Their recipe (created for a large batch) is at the bottom of this page.  My modified recipe (with a few substitutions) is immediately below.

Special thanks to First Watch Restaurant for providing the recipe.

First Watch – Poppyseed Dressing – Two servings

  • 3 TBL canola oil
  • 3 TBL Karo syrup or honey (personal taste)
  • zest and juice from one lemon
  • 1 tsp white vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp dry mustard
  • 1/4 C minced onion
  • 1/2 tsp poppy seeds
  • Scant salt to taste

First Watch – Poppyseed Dressing – small bottle

  • 1 C canola oil
  • 1 C Karo syrup or honey (personal taste)
  • zest and juice from 3-6 lemons (3 TBL)
  • 3 TBL white vinegar
  • 4 tsp dry mustard
  • 1/4 C minced onion
  • 2 TBL poppy seeds
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Original Recipe – Directly from First Watch – about 3/4 Gallon

  • 9 C oil
  • 9 C sugar
  • 1 C lemon juice
  • 1 C white vinegar
  • 7 TBL dry mustard
  • 5 C diced onion
  • 1/2 C poppy seeds

Alternate:  Beatitudes Poppyseed Dressing

  • 1 egg yolk with 1/2 C canola oil drizzled and emulsified together
  • Mix in 1 TBL Dijon mustard,
  • 2 TBL hone
  • scant garlic powder, salt and pepper
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1-2 TBL poppy seeds

Use in a salad or as a slaw dressing with apple, cabbage and craisins.

Pizza Scrap Frittata

INGREDIENTS

  • Left over pizza crusts – about 3 cups
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/4 C milk
  • 1 C shredded cheese (Mexican mix) yellow and white
  • 1 can Crushed tomatoes (drained)
  • Basil
  • 2 chopped cloves of garlic

STEP BY STEP

  1. Beat together your milk, eggs and cheese in a large mixing bowl
  2. Cut or tear your crusts into 1/2 inch pieces
  3. Combine pieces of pizza with tomato, garlic, basil and toss into the milk mixture
  4. Pour it all into a greased baking dish
  5. Bake at 350º for 40 minutes

Mozzarella Bordered Pizza

This is a pizza similar to the one served at Pequod’s Pizza in Chicago.

INGREDIENTS

  • Lots of slices of mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 C EVOO
  • Lots of salt and pepper – about 1 TBL each
    PIZZA DOUGH
  • 3 C Flour
  • 2 TBL yeast
  • 1/4 C very warm (not hot) water
  • 1 TBL sugar
  • 1 TBL EVOO
    TOPPINGS
  • San Marzano whole tomatoes (crushed)
  • Pecorino / Romano cheese
  • Oregano
  • Toasted garlic

STEP BY STEP

  1. Mix together yeast, warm water and sugar
  2. Let proof while you prepare all the other ingredients
  3. Pulse together the flour and the yeast mixture and the EVOO
  4. Drizzle ice cold water into the (running) food processor until the dough starts to ball up
  5. Remove to finish on floured surface – knead until it is springy and responsive
  6. Preheat your oven to at least 500º but 600º if you have that capability
  7. Set aside in a slightly warm space to rise for 30-45 minutes
  8. Warm cast iron skillet to about 200º
  9. Pour in EVOO, salt and pepper – brush bottom and sides with oil
  10. Turn out dough onto skillet and flatten it (roughly) by hand, but not quite to the edge/side of the pan
  11. Lay mozzarella cheese between the sides and the dough – all the way around
  12. Keep laying until the whole thing is covered from edge to center to edge
  13. Crush your tomatoes all across the cheese
  14. Add your romano, and other toppings
  15. Put into your super-hot oven for 16-24 minutes
  16. Serve in nice thick crunchy slices.

Mexican Pizza

This is a Blue Corn Chicken Enchilada similar to the one served at the Rooftop Pizzeria in Santa Fe, NM.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 C cornmeal
  • 1 C High Gluten Flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 TBL EVOO
  • ice cold water
    TOPPINGS to taste
  • Alfredo sauce
  • Shredded chicken
  • Asadero cheese
  • Green chilies
  • Cotija cheese
  • 1/2 onion – sliced thin

STEP BY STEP

  1. Pulse all dry ingredients in food processor
  2. With the food processor running, drizzle in EVOO
  3. While running, drizzle the the ice water until the dough starts to ball up
  4. Sprinkle cornmeal on the counter
  5. Take dough ball out of food processor and knead it by hand until it starts to become more elastic
  6. Wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest on the counter for ten minutes
  7. Roll out on an upside down cast iron skillet
  8. Bake 10 minutes at 350º
  9. Meanwhile, prepare your toppings
  10. Remove the pizza base and set on counter
  11. Turn up oven to 500º
  12. Put an Alfredo base on the pizza, then the other toppings
  13. Put back into the hot oven for 5-8 minutes
  14. Cut with pizza cutter and slide onto plates to serve
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