Author: Robert Andrews

Tomatillo Salsa

tom-salsaINGREDIENTS

  • 1 lb tomatillos . husked and washed
  • 1 TBL salt
  • 1/4 white onion (cut into pieces)
  • 2 jalapeños or serrano (halved with seeds removed)
  • 3 cloves of garlic (halved)
  • Lots of cilantro
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 avocado
  • Zest and juice from 2 limes

STEP BY STEP

  1. Put whole tomatillos in a pot
  2. Cover with water plus 1 TBL salt
  3. Boil for 15 minutes
    ALTERNATELY you can quarter the tomatillos and brown them in a hot cast iron skillet OR bake them at 350º for about ten minutes
  4. Remove tomatillos
  5. Add onion and garlic
  6. Remove water so they are just barely covered
  7. Let onion and garlic blanche in boiling water for about 5 minutes
    ALTERNATELY if you are using a cast iron skillet, put your onion and garlic in with the tomatillos
  8. Whatever the method you use to cook your tomatillos, garlic and onion, continue to step 9 and proceed till the end of the recipe
  9. Meanwhile, put quartered tomatillos and put into a blender
  10. Add onion and garlic to blender
  11. Thin blender contents as necessary (only to blend) with onion water or chicken broth
  12. Add cilantro and cumin and pulse to break apart (but not to puree) cilantro
  13. Add squashed avocado tossed with lime juice and zest
  14. Mix by hand until incorporated
  15. Let rest for about an hour to completely meld

Serve with chips or pork cracklings.

Seven Layer Burrito

Rachael Ray

Refried Beans . Reheat with warm chicken stock
. Add a touch of cumin and hot sauce

Guacamole
1 Avocado . If not ripe, put in bag overnight and set on counter
Do not use knife to remove pit
1/4 red onion soaked in Salt and Lime juice 15 min
1 clove grated garlic
1 jalapeńo

Pico de Gallo
Onion, jalapeno, cilantro, tomatoes, salt, a bit of mint

Char flour tortilla
Spread with beans
Top with cheese
Add guacamole
Add pico de gallo
Add lettuce
Add sour cream
Add olives and pimentos

Empanadas

You can create flowers, pockets or balls.

Sweet Empanadas

Savory Empanadas

If you are making Chicken Empanadas, START HERE. Use the back button on the Poached Chicken page to return to this recipe.

  • Outside is essentially pizza dough (although a bit of sour cream in your dough is a really good touch) so I am not going to focus on the dough, but rather the fillings.
  • You can also use puff pastry or pie dough for a flaky dough
  • If you are using puff pastry, let it come up to room temperature before you unfold it and roll it. An egg wash before you fold it will cement it shut.
  • You can have a sweet empanada or a savory empanada, depending on your audience.
  • An empanada is usually about 8-10 inches.
  • A small dinner plate works great as a template.  Squares are good too, cause you end up with no leftover dough, as you would if making rounds.
  • Roll the dough out flat to about 1/8 inch
  • I have two recipes here for you

Sweet Empanadas

Savory Empanadas

Or use this button:

ALTERNATE FILLINGS

Cheese
Green olives
Black olives
Raisins
Chopped red bell peppers
Shredded carrots

Empanada Pockets

  • Use egg roll wrappers or Goya wrappers
  • Use 1 TBL each
    • cooked and shredded brisket
    • sauteed diced onion
    • BBQ sauce
    • bell pepper – chopped
  • Roll wrapper up, sealing with egg wash
  • Fry in pan with just a bit of peanut oil

Lemon Mousse

Martha Stewart

1 TBL cold water
1 tsp gelatin to dissolve or bloom
1 C granulated sugar
1/2 C lemon juice
Heat until all sugar is dissolved
Zest from one large lemon

Cool in ice bath

Beat 7 egg whites to soft peaks
Slow speed, pour in gelatin mix
Fold in 1 C whipped cream

Spoon into cups
Refrigerate 3-4 hours
Garnish with mint leaves

Braised beef rolls

Adapted from Lydia’s Italy

Get a fairly low and cut of meat like beef butt or shoulder
Cut large thin sheets against the grain
Use the tip of your knife to cut apart any large pieces of sinew
Hammer with meat tenderizer
Pound flat and roll filling into the meat
Sticks of mozzarella
Roll and seal with toothpick
Heat evoo in braising pan at 350°
Season outside
Sear in hot cast iron skillet

FILLING
Day old Bread . Soaked in buttermilk
Boiled eggs . Chopped
Parsley
Parmesan Cheese
Salt

SAUCE
Remove rolls
Put into hot pan – Onion, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper
Deglaze with a splash of white wine
Add whole tomatoes . Crushed
Boil, then simmer
Season
Put back in rolls, and simmer an hour
remove toothpicks
Serve next to pasta and top with sauce

Crème Brûlée

  1. Heat 2 C Half and Half (cream) up to 180º
  2. Prepare egg mixture
    • 5 egg yolks
    • 75 gm (or 6 TBL) confectioner sugar
    • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  3. Temper 1.5 C hot cream slowly into egg mixture
    • Alternately, use  1/2 C milk and 1 C cream
  4. Whisk GENTLY with no foam or bubbles
  5. Strain through a sieve
  6. Add 1/2 tsp lemon zest
  7. Taste and adjust
  8. Pour into personal baking ramekins
  9. Put baking tray into oven and preheat to 300º
  10. Pour 2 C boiling hot water into tray
  11. Put ramekins onto the tray, and into the water
  12. Bake for 35 minutes
  13. Cool to room temperature, then chill 1-3 hours
  14. Sprinkle liberally with granulated sugar or pulverized brown sugar
  15. Use brule torch to caramelize sugar until it starts to bubble
    • Use torch from the outside and move inward

BASIC CUSTARD

This base recipe can be used alone, or for Bread Pudding, Pumpkin Custard, Personal Custards, and much more. It is a recipe that you MUST know, because you will use it throughout your life so often.

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 Eggs
  • 2 additional egg yolks
  • 1 C Sugar
  • 1/2 Brown Sugar
  • 1/4 C whiskey or rum
  • Dash Vanilla
  • Grandpa’s CinnaSugar®
  • Merest dash of salt
  • Zest and juice from one orange
  • 1 C whole or lowfat milk – NOT skim, because you need the fats to gel properly
  • 1/2 C Cream (Traditionally you should use just cream * I substitute 1/3 milk instead of cream to keep it healthier)
  • Optional:  Mix in 1/2 C dried fruit

You can also use Half and Half rather than the milks listed on the previous two lines.

  • Optionally:  grated orange peel and/or ginger

STEP BY STEP

  1. Cream together eggs and sugar
  2. Mix in vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and orange
  3. Mix with milk and cream
  4. If you are using this as part of another recipe that uses custard, you will probably add whatever those ingredients are right about here.
  5. Pour into greased ramekins
  6. Optional: top with dried cherries or raisins
  7. Bake at 350º for 35-45 minutes.  For a creamier custard, bake at 325º for 1.5 – 2 hours.  Internal temperature should be about 170º

Optional Topping . Crème Anglaise or Brandy Cream Sauce

 

Halibut

To buy: Shiny, but not milky

Nice thick pieces
Sear on a skillet about 3 minutes top and bottom
When seared on all sides cover and turn off heat
Let set about 10 minutes

Vinaigrette
Grapefruit juice
Whisk in 1 tbl evoo
Diced shallot
Parsley
Cilantro
At end add back in grapefruit pieces

Beets and avocado love citrus
Roast beets . Red and yellow
Avocado

Serve over salad greens
Top with Vinagrette

TOZapping.com

I just discovered a site from a new FB group I joined.. Recipes in pictures! They are from Italy. I do not speak Italian. They don’t speak too much English. The answer…

A picture is worth 1000 words.

Give it a visit if you like to cook!

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Canadian Cauliflower Cheddar Cups

Canadian bacon
2 cups cauliflower florettes
2 tablespoons light sour cream
1 tablespoon parsley
1 tablespoon green onion
1/2 to 1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 Fahrenheit
Lightly grease mini muffin pan
Line each cup with a slice of Canadian bacon

Steam cauliflower until very soft
Transfer to mixing bowl and mash cauliflower
Mix with sour cream, parsley, green onion
Add salt and pepper to taste

Fill Canadian bacon cups with cauliflower mixture
Top each cup with cheddar cheese
Bake 15 minutes

.

Cauliflower tips

When selecting cauliflower at the store look for nice white florettes, avoiding dark or brown spots

At home store in vegetable drawer in refrigerator

You can use cauliflower as a substitute for potatoes or rice. It has a similar texture but no starch

Add steamed mashed cauliflower to mashed potatoes or pizza crust

Pomodoro Sauce

This sauce (everything before the eggplant) can be used for many things.  It is good on pizza, on bread, in lasagna or spaghetti, and much more.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 Onion – chopped
  • 2 TBL EVOO
  • 4 cloves garlic – chopped
  • 2 TBL sugar
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 1 C chicken stock
  • Several basil leaves
  • 1 eggplant – peeled
  • Mozzarella cheese
  • Parm Reggiano cheese

STEP BY STEP

  1. Cook chopped onions, butter and EVOO over medium low heat for 30 minutes.
  2. Add chopped garlic and sugar and cook for another two minutes
  3. Add one can diced tomatoes and 1 CUP chicken stock, and simmer for another 30 minutes
  4. Add thin strips of basil and cook for another minute
  5. Cut eggplant into thin strips, spray each side lightly with Pam, and cook over medium high heat in a stainless steel or cast iron skillet for a minute or two
  6. Create a lasagna of Eggplant, sauce, Mozzarella, Parm Regg, and then repeat.
  7. Finish with cheese on top and bake about 12 minutes at 350 degrees

Quick Shortcake

If you have just a LITTLE bit more time, I highly suggest GRANDPA’S SHORT ANGEL CAKE – which is a combination of shortcake and angel food cake. Really good.

Shortcake

Quick Shortcake

Grease baking ramekins

Sift together
1 cup AP flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 TBL sugar

Cut in 1 TBL cold butter

Alt: Sub Bisquick for above. See lower photo.

Mix with 1 egg
1/3 cup milk
Zest and juice from 1 lemon
Dollop vanilla
Scant salt

Bake about 15 minutes at 350°
Top with blueberries and strawberries

image

Gluten Free Deep Dish Pizza

Sauté sausage . Set aside
Add mushrooms to pan
Add thyme, garlic

Line springform cake pan with cooked polenta
Add parm reg cheese
Press flat with some edges

Fill shell with some ricotta cheese
Add a layer of sausage
Add mushrooms
Top with mozzarella
Sprinkle with sausage and mushrooms
Put in oven until cheese starts to brown

Opt: spinach

Canned Squash Personal Custards

Start with Grandpa’s recipe for BASIC CUSTARD

Cynthia and I canned about four dozen jars of squash that we grew in our garden. www.urbanfarm.info – this is a fairly easy recipe that will allow you to make custard for breakfast throughout the year.

Basic crust . Makes 1 9-inch pie crust or four ramekins
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1/3 cup white sugar

Directions

Mix crumbs, butter, and sugar in a bowl.
Press mixture into individual ramekins.
Use a spoon to press the crumbs to the bottom and sides
Refrigerate at least 1 hour before filling.

Since our pieces of squash were pressure cooked at 10 psi for 90 minutes, it is soft enough that it doesn’t need any more processing.

One jar squash, about 2 cups
Mash squash into purée
Use Basic Custard recipe, MINUS 1/4 C milk – because of the liquid contained in the squash.

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Mix all dry ingredients
Mix in all other ingredients

Cook at 400° for 30 minutes
Reduce heat to 300 and bake 30 minutes
Let cool on wire rack for one hour at least
Serve immediately or refrigerate. Do not freeze.

For a Breakfast Custard you don’t need a pie shell. If you want to use this for something similar to pumpkin pie, just use a pre-made 9 inch deep dish pie shell and process as above.

Chicken Barley Soup

Shredded poached chicken
Poach in pot of water for a hour with
. Carrot
. Celery
. Onion
. Leak
. Garlic
. Parmesan rind
. Dark leafy greens
. Bay leaf

Cooked pearled barley or faro
In pot of water with salt, whole onion, bay leaf
Strain while still al dente

Mushrooms wiped, not washed
. Rubbery and tough
Saute in hot oil
Add celery, carrot, onion, shallots, thyme, garlic, salt
Deglaze with sherry or marsala wine
Add chicken stock
Add back barley
Add spinach, basil, kale at the last second

Robert@RobertAndrews.NET

Sweet Potato Soup

Grandpa’s Sweet Potato Soup

  • 1 large sweet potato
  • 1 whole sweet onion – chopped
  • 2 TBL butter
  • 3 C Chicken stock
  • 1/2 C Half and Half
  • 1 tsp Fresh grated ginger
  • 1 lime
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Cayenne pepper and black pepper to taste
  1. Chop onion into 1 inch pieces
  2. Soften onion in butter
  3. Cut sweet potato into 1 inch squares, and add to pan
  4. Grate about 1 tsp ginger
  5. Add milk and broth
  6. simmer for 30 minutes
  7. Add cayenne
  8. Blend using immersion blender
  9. Squeeze in juice of one lime (no zest this time)
  10. Serve and garnish with black pepper and a sprig of cilantro

Whitehouse Recipe

This recipe was adapted from “The Whitehouse Cookbook” published in 1887 by Fanny Lemira Gillette & Hugo Ziemann. Grover Cleveland was President of the United States at the time.

  1. Cut apart two leaks and wash them well.
  2. Dry them in a salad spinner, and sautee in olive oil in hot pan
  3. Throw in 1/2 inch chunks of sweet potato
  4. 1 diced apple
  5. 2 cloves minced garlic
  6. 1 minced onion
  7. 1 can (or two cups) Chicken stock
  8. Whole cloves and a Bay leaf in bouquet garnis – so you can remove them later
  9. Heat together until soft and then, remove bouquet garnis
  10. Blend and strain

(white house)

Here is another recipe:

Pear and Sweet Potato Soup

Grandpa’s Fried Chicken

Create Chicken Marinate

  • 2 C low fat buttermilk
  • 1 TBL Grandpa's Thunder Powder or Arghhh Powder
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp ground garlic
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp dry mustard
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 C honey
  • 1/4 C slivered onion or shallot
  • 2 dashes Tabasco sauce

Pallard chicken between two plastic sheets spritzed with water
Marinate chicken breasts overnight in buttermilk mixture

When ready to drain, dredge and fry

  1. Mix together dredge in a large bowl or a bag:  1/2 C AP flour, 1/2 C crushed corn flakes or Special K cereal, 1 tsp salt, 1 TBL confectioner sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, 3/4 C cornstarch, 1 TBL Grandpa's Thunder Powder or Arghhh Powder
  2. Whisk together
  3. Drain chicken well and pat dry.
  4. Dip into a bowl with plain flour
  5. Dip into mixture of 2 egg whites and 1 TBL water
  6. Put into flour mixture, pressing the dredge into the chicken.
  7. Put onto baking tray (skin side up) and let rest an hour in the refrigerator
  8. Heat Canola to 365° in cast iron
  9. DO NOT put too much chicken in the oil. Keep temp between 350° and 365°  – Let temperature recover before adding more chicken.
  10. Flip about every 4-5 minutes . Fry till golden brown – total about 12-18 minutes (larger pieces take longer)
  11. Drain 10 seconds PER SIDE on clean newspaper or paper towel and sprinkle with salt while still hot
  12. Move to wire rack to finish draining
  13. For extra crunch, let cool, then return to fry pan for an extra four minutes.

CHICKEN DIP

Here is an option if you like spicy wet fried chicken.

  1. Combine 1 C Franks Red Hot Cayenne Pepper Sauce, 1/4 C Worcestershire Sauce, 1/4 C peanut oil, 2 TBL molasses, 1 TBL apple cider vinegar
  2. Heat in microwave for 60 seconds
  3. Roll the chicken in the sauce and set each piece aside on a serving plate

Here is another fun option that went over well with our grand kids

Fried Chicken on a Stick:  Mostly the same as above, but fry the chicken in pieces, then thread the chicken pieces on skewers with tomato, chunks of iceberg lettuce, and pieces of cheese. 

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REVAMP

Deep Fried Chicken

Broiler/Fryer chicken – Free Range – Whole chickens keep longer than pieces

  • Piece your chicken
    • Grab a wing, pull from the body, and cut between the joint
    • Trim the legs at the depression, flip, and pop the socket
    • Separate the thigh and the drumstick at the joint
    • Cut the breast just on side of the keel to the ribs, and peel the breast off the ribs – Repeat on other side
  • Put chicken on a rack and sprinkle both sides with GTP
  • Let rest in refrigerator uncovered on the counter for 4-16 hours minutes
  • Next day put 2 C AP flour in large mixing bowl and add 1 TBL GTP and 2 TBL cornstarch
  • In another bowl add 1 beaten egg and 1 C buttermilk and 1 TBL sumac
  • Dip your chicken in the egg, then in the flour, then put on a greased rack
  • Put 1 QT peanut oil in a heavy baking pan
  • Heat oil to 350
  • Fry for about 12-14 minutes
  • Internal temp about 155-160º or AS SOON as bubbles stop
  • Put onto rack to drain
  • Dark meat will hold longer than breast meat

 

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