Category: Grandpa’s Use Only

These recipes are for Grandpa and his family. This category includes recipes from magazines, TV shows, newspapers, and other sources where I don’t have permission to republish the recipes, but still feels they are recipes that he may want to cook for himself at a later time.

Basic Scrambled Eggs

Grading Eggs

  • AA is fresh
  • A is 1 to 2 weeks old
  • B is over two weeks old
  • In the United States, refrigerate eggs when you get home
    • In Europe, they sell eggs fresh out of the nest, which have not been washed.  This means that the protective coating preservative is still there.  In the US, we wash eggs before selling them.
  • One week in refrigerator is about the same as one day on the counter.

Ingredients

  • 3 Eggs
  • 2 TBL cold Butter – in pieces
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • Small nonstick pan
  • 1 TBL whole milk
  • 1 TBL water

Step by Step

    1. Beat egg until white and yolk is incorporated, but not completely homogeneous
    2. Bring temperature of pan up to 250°
       Small drop of water should gently start to boil
    3. Mix egg, water, and milk together
    4. Add in pieces of cold butter – BUTTER HAS BUILT-IN EMULSIFIERS
    5. Add egg and butter to hot pan
    6. Stir egg gently, slowly and continually with spatula
    7. As it begins to gel keep pushing it towards the center, bringing up from the bottom.
    8. Eggs should be cooked, but still moist. Not dry.
    9. AS SOON AS most of the liquid is gone, but egg is moist, serve.  It will continue to cook.
    10. Plate up, garnish with a sprig of parsley, and serve with toast.

NOTE:  If eggs are completely cooked in the pan, they are overcooked on the plate.

 

Beatitudes Slow and Easy Scrambled Eggs

  • Preheat a skillet to about 225 degrees (so that water lazily rolls across the pan’s surface, but doesn’t bounce or dance.)
  • Beat your eggs for about 50 strokes
  • Add a cold pad of butter to your eegs
  • Add just a dab of EVOO to your skillet
  • Add your eggs to the skillet and slowly (but continually) mix/agitate with a spatula
  • Plate when jelled, but not hard or dry
  • Optionally, add green onions, chives, crushed bacon, or cheese to your eggs at the last second before plating
  • Top with cheese if you wish.

 

How do restaurants make scrambled eggs taste better than homemade?

They don’t.

You can easily make scrambled eggs the way a restaurant does.

Here are the six common sins of scrambled eggs and how to avoid them:

  1. No milk. Use a splash of water instead.  The steam creates lighter eggs.
  2. Don’t whip eggs till frothy.  Just mix with a fork. You’re breaking and incorporating the yolks in with the whites, not trying to make a souffle.
  3. Easy on the heat. Medium-low heat (3–4 on an electric, 3 on a gas stove).  Never cook eggs over high heat.
  4. No oil. If you’ve just made bacon, put some bacon grease in the pan. If not, use a pat of butter. Note: If you use bacon grease, use less salt.
  5. Pay attention. Stir constantly and gently with a soft, flexible silicone spatula, constantly scraping the bottom of the pan to keep them from sticking while the eggs cook. Toss in a pinch of salt to taste just before the end.
  6. Watch the late exit. Take them off the heat before you think they’re done. They should be shiny, and still look a little wet. Don’t worry, they will continue to cook on the plate.

Tips: Meatloaf

Rachel’s meatloaf

Hamburger pork combination or lamb if that sounds good
Breadcrumbs soaked in milk and then run out
One egg
Green onions, garlic, minced, parsley, Celery, salt, pepper, LEMON zest
Drizzle olive oil then mixed with hand’s. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes

Leftover Meatloaf Tricks

  • Serve a warmed over slide with a fried egg on top for breakfast
  • Dip a slice in egg wash and then panko bread crumnbs and fry in a skillet till browned
  • Start on low heat – about 325º – and cook till internal temp reaches about 165º – glaze at about 15 minutes

The goal of a casserole is not to prepare a restaurant-quality showpiece, but is rather to feed the hungry and heartbroken.

  • Allow for drainage, or you could get a soggy bottom. There are meatloaf pans that have holes in them to let the grease drop to the bottom of the pan.
  • A casserole should have kind of a creamy mouth feel to it, have a crunchy top (traditionally Ritz Crackers) and you should be able to identify the individual components within the casserole.
  • Add a bit of cornstarch to your meat and it will gel some of the run-off.  Shredded Parmesan also does this.
  • The advent of soup make it unnecessary to start with a bechemel sauce or veloute sauce.
  • Many meatloaf recipes use stale bread crumbs. Try these options:
    – Use a fresh and hearty loaf such as French bread
    – Use dry oatmeal – not minute oats, but traditional rolled oats

 

Hot Wing Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce

Combine
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Miracle Whip
1/4 cup yogurt
1/4 cup Ranch Dressing
then add
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Kosher or sea salt, to taste
Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
3 chives/green onions sliced small
then
drizzle 1-2 tablespoons milk until desired consistency
gently fold in
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
Refrigerate for at least an hour to let flavors combine

British Chicken Wings

In a sauce pan
melt 1/2 cup butter
then add (in order, with 30 seconds between each add)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup Frank’s Red Hot or Durkee hot sauce
Cook 3 minutes, then set aside

Preheat vegetable oil (Canola or Safflower) to 375° for frying

2 pounds chicken wings, split, tossed with
Kosher or sea salt, to taste
Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging
Fry wings in small batches (8-10 minutes)
Serve warm with blue cheese dip

Chinese Chicken Wings

1/3 C water
1/3 C Sake
4 TBL Brown sugar
1/3 C naturally brewed soy sauce
3 TBL Mirin . Sweetened rice wine
3 TBL Oyster sauce
1-3 Tien Tsin chili
1 stick cinnamon
2 cloves Star anise
1 branch Ginger . peeled and sliced
3 Green onions

Pre heat large sauté pan with sesame oil
Brown wings in sesame oil
Meanwhile, combine all other ingredients
Add combined ingredients
Boil then simmer uncovered to reduce . about 30 minutes
Stir to coat with remaining glaze
Sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions

Crispy BBQ Wings

with Bleu Cheese Butter

Dredge wings and put into fryer
2 TBL melted butter to wet the wings
and for your dredge, in another bowl, mix 1 C flour with
1 tsp each of cumin, corn starch, paprika, salt
Fry wings

Put into a blender
Sauce:
cumin, salt, pepper, paprika, drained paiquillo peppers
Jack Daniels Number 7 BBQ sauce
Blend for 3-5 seconds
Spoon sauce over wings and toss to cover

Blue cheese butter – Dipping sauce – serve on the side
½ C blue cheese – ½ C (1 stick) melted butter

Onion Ring Hot Wings

Fry wings in a fryer: 350-370 degrees until golden brown: 12-14 minutes

Tossing Sauce
1 TBL EVOO
4 Chopped scallions
2 cloves garlic – minced
1 TBL prepared horseradish
½ tsp salt and pepper to taste
1 C juice – orange, pomegranate or cranberry
¼ brown sugar
1 C hoisin sauce

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until it reduces to about half
Pour over wings and toss to cover
Toss with crunched and smashed up dried onion rings – little can like what you put on top of green beans

Chilaquiles

A chilaquile is essentially corn chips tossed in a sauce base and then topped with your favorite ingredients. Here is one recipe.

  1. Cut a stack of corn tortillas into eight wedges (like a pizza)
  2. Fry them in canola oil at about 375 degrees
  3. When they are browned, remove using a spider strainer, and salt immediately.
  4. Alternately, you can use Doritos, Fritos, or other corn chips
  5. Set aside in a very large mixing bowl

SAUCE

  1. In a large fry pan, saute a sliced onion in vegetable or canola oil
  2. Add some halved or quartered cloves of garlic
  3. Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
  4. Optional jalapeños, serranos, poblanos – roasted and skinned
  5. Salt and pepper
  6. Add a small of crushed tomatoes, or two cups of salsa
  7. Bring to a light boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes.
  8. Let cool about 10 minutes then put into blender and blend until blended, but still a bit chunky
  9. Meanwhile, fry up one egg per person being served
    Alt:  Use some sort of protein: shredded chicken, pork, carnitas

HINT:  You can put one egg in a skillet with 1/4 C boiling water and cover.  Cook for 3 minutes. Dump water and return to heat just until water has evaporated.

FINISH

  1. Pour sauce over chips and toss just to coat completely
  2. Plate, and then top with your protein
  3. Drizzle Mexican Crema or warmed sour cream over the top
  4. Sprinkle with shredded cheese – Cotija is traditional
  5. OPT:  Put back in the oven to melt the cheese
  6. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and thinly sliced red onion.
  7. Optional: Add a dollop of creme fraiche
  8. Serve hot.

This CANNOT be made ahead, and must be combined just before serving, or the chips will be soggy.

Tips: Corn Bread

So, as I was writing this, I thought Corn Bread or Cornbread? I let Google decide. 8 million people say Cornbread, while 72 million say Corn Bread. So, now we know.

Special Steps:

Cast Iron- clean w/salt, seasoning-repeat yourself, wash, heat to sizzle, rub w/veg oil, repeat 5 times. Repeat every time you use it, do not drip dry-heat on burner.

Sprinkle a little red chili flakes in your corn bread for a spicy southwest version.

Cut back on the liquid and use creamed corn

Roasted Tomato Chipotle Salsa

Roasted Tomato Chipotle Salsa – My Adaptation

Ingredients

5 roma tomatoes
3 tomatillos
1 large sweet onion
2 chipotle peppers
3 jalapeno peppers
1 tsp salt
1 bunch cilantro
1/4 CU lime juice

Instructions

1.In a large mixing bowl, combine
 – Quartered tomatoes and  tomatillos
 – Thinly slice onion
 – Mashed garlic cloves
 – Peppers
 – Salt
2. Dump all onto abaking sheet
3. Broil 15-20 minutes or until charred and blistered
4. Put into food processor with all other ingredients
5. Pulse/chop lightly

Roasted Tomato Chlipotle Salsa (Every Day Foods)

Ingredients

1 ½ lb roma tomatoes
1 med onion (thinly sliced)
olive oil
salt & pepper
1-2 chipotle peppers
1 bunch cilantro
¼ cu lime juice

Instructions

1. Halve tomatoes and put on bake sheet, cut side down, tomatoes and onion.
2. Sprinkle around tomatoes & onions, spray heavily w/ oil, scant salt over top scant pepper over top.
3. Broil 15-20 minutes until charred & blistered.
4. Put into food processor w/ chipotle peppers, cilantro and lime juice and pulse till chopped, but chunky.

 

Rice Krispie Treats

This is one of the simplest best time-tested kid (and grown-up kid) treats ever to come along.

There are thousands of YouTube videos out there, but here is one that is the most popular

Original Recipe

Grandpa’s Version

Ingredients

  • 2 TBL full-fat butter
  • 1 TBL flax or canola oil
  • 2 TBL honey
  • 1 package (8 oz., about 40) Marshmallows
    OR
  • 4 cups Miniature Marshmallows
  • 6 cups puffed brown rice cereal
  • OPT:  3 OZ toasted and slivered almonds
  • OPT:  2 OZ dried cranberries – chopped
  • OPT:  1 OZ dried cherries – chopped
  • OPT:  1 oz dried blueberries – chopped

Directions

  1. In large saucepan melt butter, honey and oil over low heat.
  2. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted.
  3. Remove from heat.
  4. Add puffed rice cereal.
  5. Stir until well coated.
  6. Coat 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan with cooking spray.
  7. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into pan
  8. Cool.
  9. Cut into 2-inch squares.
  10. Best if served the same day.  Wrap in waxed paper, freeze, and they will keep for up to six weeks.  Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

Quick Queso Cubano

  1. Take a tortilla and put it on a plate
  2. Over half of it sprinkle grated cheddar cheese
  3. Over the other half, spread a few slices of ham and salami
  4. Microwave for 60 seconds
  5. Spread with mustard or mayo
  6. Put some pickle slices on the spread
  7. Fold,cut and serve

 

 

Fried Rice Balls

A good thing to do when you overcook your rice (and it becomes mushy) is to make fried rice balls.

  1. Place a tablespoon of rice in the palm of your hand
  2. Flatten it with the back of the spoon making an indentation
  3. Put in your filling (ham, chives, chicken, chorizo, cheese, pork, whatever)
  4. Get a second tablespoon of rice and flatten it (a bit) with your other hand.
  5. Moosh them together putting your filling in the middle
  6. Roll into a ball shape
  7. Roll in flour, then egg, then Panko bread crumbs
  8. Fry at 350 degrees until browned
  9. Serve with dishes of dipping sauce and toothpicks

 

 

Ramen Pot Pie

Par boil and blanche the ramen
Give it a light chop
Make a roux
As it starts to brown, add 1/4 C each heavy cream and milk
Stir until it starts to thicken
Add 1 C chicken stock
Dump in cabbage, peas, carrots and chicken (chopped/diced)
Fold in cooked ramen and fresh cut chives
Label into ramekin top with bis quick pie crust
Brush top with egg wash
Poke holes to let steam escape
Bake 425° about 30 minutes

Caramel Candies

Good

Fleur de Sel Caramels
(Salted Caramels)
  • 3/4 C C sugar
  • 1/4 C corn syrup
  • 1/4 C water
  • 3 OZ cream cheese
  • 1 C heavy cream

Stir and heat over a very big pan over medium high heat

  • Heat to 220º and simmer 6-7 minutes
  • At about 280º swirl to dissolve the crystals that may have formed on the sides.
  • Increase temperature to 250º without agitation
  • At 255º add 1/2 C heavy cream (prepare for a reaction)
  • 5 TBL butter
  • 1 TBL soy sauce

Caramel should be bubbling freely – somewhere between 220 and 240 degrees
Pour in heavy cream – prepare for a violent bubbling reaction
Stir with wooden spoon
Add in 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Bring up to exactly 250 degrees.  DO NOT let it exceed 255º
Less than 250 degrees, and it will be runny. Too high and it will be hard.

Line 8×8 inch pan with parchment paper
Brush it with oil
Pour 250 degree caramel into your greased pan
Sprinkle with Maldon Salt *
Set on a stone counter to cool (about 30 minutes)
Let it cool until the bottom of your pan is just warm to the touch

Treatment #1
•  Cut the slab into two equal rectangles
•  Roll each slab lengthwise into a rope, then cut in eight pieces
•  Sprinkle with more coarse sea salt
•  Wrap each piece in waxed paper

Treatment #2
•  Cool 3 more hours
•  Mark squares with the edge of a ruler
•  Cut using a greased pizza roller
•  Wrap in parchment paper or waxed paper

* Other optional finishing salts:

  • Maldon Salt
  • Coarse Sea Salt
  • Kosher Salt
  • Sel de Gris
  • Red Salt
  • Danish Smoked Salt
  • Pink Salt

Ragu – Meat Marinara Sauce

Trotters and Shanks were the original, and the best, but here is a recipe from Americas Test Kitchen that will be more accessible

2 Racks of Baby Back ribs
2 tsp ground fennel and salt and pepper – both sides
Heat up oil in a Dutch oven
Brown your ribs – just the meat side – about 6-8 minutes
Remove ribs and set aside, then add to Dutch oven
1 onion – minced
1 head fennel – minced
2 carrots – minced
2 TBL chopped sage
2 tsp rosemary – chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
Cook about 12-15 minutes

Add 1 C red wine to deglaze your pan and reduce – about 5 minutes
Add 1 large (or 2 regular) cans of crushed tomatoes
Add 3 C chicken broth and bring up to a simmer
Add ribs back into the pot, meat side down
Add an entire intact head of garlic
Cover and move to a 300 degree oven for about two hours

Remove ribs and garlic to a tray – set aside
Skim off fat from top of sauce
Shred the ribs – separate out large pieces of fat and gristle

Cook your choice of pasta – ATK used pappardella, which is a wide noodle

Add meat back to sauce base and stir to combine
Squeeze garlic head / cloves back into sauce
2 TBL sage
2 TBL red wine
Stir together
Add 1/2 of ragu into your strained pasta
Plate and top with more sauce, and then freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Dough – Notes from The Great British Baking Show

Fruit Pies

Butter should be cold
If fruit is overcooked, it releases liquid making for a wet bottom crust
Add orange zest for added flavor
Add a bit of polenta for a more grainy texture and takes up some of the moisture
Corn starch will also take up some of the liquid
If you put a dry frangipane (almond cream) in the bottom it will also soak up liquid
Apples and cinnamon are a classic combination
The key is making sure the pastry is baked through
Use a springform pan to let some of the liquid drop out… maybe ?!?

Custard Tarts

A British classic
Outer sweet pastry filled with egg custard, dusted with nutmeg, and baked
Insides cannot be runny or watery
– flour
– almonds
– chilled batter
Breadcrumb texture, then add an egg, then let it rest
Some thicken the custard before the bake,
– others pour it in raw and bake them
Let them cool an hour before removing from the tart pan

Filo Pastry Pie

Spanikopita, baklava, m’hanncha, etc
Combines water, a bit of EVOO and high gluten flour
Vinegar tenderizes the gluten strands which allows
The alchemy of baking
You need to overwork it
Is a food processor better than hand mixing?
Should be thin enough to read the paper through it
The dough should be rested to allow the fibers to relax
Roll as flat as possible
Once rolled you need to stretch it
– this can be in small sections, or one giant sheet
Once filled, it has to be rolled into a rope
The thinner the sheets, the flakier the end product
Fruits can release their liquids and make a soggy bottom if you are not careful

Green Chile Stew

2 Poblano peppers – cut in half and deseeded
1 onion – chopped
4 cloves of garlic
1 carrot – chopped small

Put veggies into skillet that was used to cook the chicken
Salt veggies

1 1/2 pounds chicken wings,legs and thighs – Brown in a pan, then set aside
1 potato – peeled, diced, and set aside

When veggies have softened, add
1 TBL ancho chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 small can green chilis
4 C chicken stock
– bring up to a boil

Add in chicken and potatoes
Simmer for 30 minutes

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