Category: TOPICS & CATEGORIES

Creamed Spinach

  • In a skillet, combine
    • 2 TBL butter
    • 1/2 TBL EVOO
    • 1/2 finely diced sweet onion
  • Cook until onion is softened
  • Add 1/2 tsp nutmeg, a pinch of cayenne, garlic and 2 TBL AP flour
  • Add the liquids and cheeses
    • 1.5 C cream (or at least whole milk)
    • 1/4 C grated Parm cheese
    • 1/4 C mozzarella cheese
    • 1 oz cream cheese
    • salt and pepper to taste
  • Fold in 1 packages (1/2 pound) frozen-thawed and squeezed spinach
    • Remove as much of the moisture as possible
  • OPTIONAL:   Sprinkle panko crumbs on top
    • Bake at 400 till its golden brown – about 12 minutes

Dolmathes

The key here is to use leftover rice or rice that is not cooked all the way.  Once wrapped into the grape leaves, the liquid absorbs and plumps up the rice making the dolmathes nice and tight.

  • Blanche grape leaves if they are not already prepared
    You can also use collard greens
  • In a skillet, add
    • 1 TBL EVOO
    • 1/3 onion – diced small
  • Cook 6 minutes
    • Then add 1 clove of garlic – minced fine
    • 2 TBL parsley – chopped
    • 1 TBL dill – chopped
    • Zest from one lemon
    • 1 TBL chopped mint
    • 1/4 tsp Alspice
    • 2 TBL raisins,
    • 1/2 C basmati rice
    • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Cook for 8 minutes
  • Meanwhile, pat leaves dry and cut off stem if it has it
  • Let pan ingredients cool enough that you can work with them.
  • Remove to a bowl and wipe out your skillet – don’t need it to be spotless.
  • Fill leaf with 1-2 TBL filling
  • Roll to start, then roll the sides, then finish rolling
  • Put seam side down in your skillet
  • Drizzle with EVOO
  • Add lemon juice
  • Cover with water
  • Cover with parchment and pan cover, and let them simmer 30-40 minutes
  • Meanwhile, you can prepare the sauce
    • 1 C yogurt
    • lemon dill
    • salt and pepper
    • corriander,
    • evoo
  • Remove to a paper towel to drain a bit, then serve with the dipping sauce

 

Famous Dave’s Spicy Pickle Chips

This Copycat recipe was compiled between about a half dozen different copy cat recipes and the ingredients label from the jar, so it is fairly close to the original with a few modifications to make it how I like it.

NOTE:  I AM STILL WORKING ON THE PROPORTIONS, BUT FEEL FREE TO EXPERIMENT USING THIS AS A STARTING POINT.

Grandpa’s Close Enough to Famous Dave’s Pickles

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 English Cucumbers (fewer seeds and softer skin)
    Slice in medallions with a crinkle cutter
  • 1/2 Vidalia or sweet onion (slices)
  • 10 black peppercorns (whole)
  • 2 halved serrano peppers
  • 4 cloves of garlic (peeled and smashed, but otherwise intact)
  • 1/2 C granulated sugar
  • 1/4 C brown sugar
    (This, plus the honey below, seems like an odd assortment, but we are trying to eliminate the need for High Fructose Corn Syrup – which has been proven bad for you)
  • 1 TBL pickling salt
  • 1 TBL dill seed
  • 2 tsp celery salt
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
    Combine the following and heat in a microwave
  • 2 TBL honey
  • 2 C white vinegar
  • 3 C filtered water
    Separate step
  • One bay leaf and 1 slice of lemon for each jar
  1. Combine all of the non-liquid ingredients
  2. Put one bay leaf and one slice of lemon in the bottom of each jar
  3. Toss together, then pack into sterilized canning jars
  4. RESERVE any powdered ingredients remaining in the bottom of the mixing bowl – you will take care of those in a minute
  5. Heat the liquid for 4-5 minutes in the microwave
  6. Dump the remaining powdered ingredients (from Step 3) into the hot liquid and dissolve, then spread the liquid across all of the canning jars.  Top off jars with white vinegar if necessary.

FROM THE BACK OF THE JAR of Famous Dave’s Hot and Spicy Pickle Chips

Ingredients:

Ingredients: FRESH CUCUMBERS, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, WATER, VINEGAR, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF SALT, SPICES (CONTAINS MUSTARD AND CELERY SEED), DEHYDRATED ONIONS, CALCIUM CHLORIDE, DEHYDRATED RED BELL PEPPERS, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, POLYSORBATE 80, TURMERIC EXTRACT (COLOR).

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

 

Sticky Chicken with Broccoli

  1. Optional:  Prepare rice and let rest while you prepare the following recipe.
    –
  2. Pepare your broccoli
    • Cut into bite sized florettes and wash
    • Put into steamer basket with 1″ water in the pan
    • Do not turn on yet
  3. Prepare your sticky sauce.  Combine . . .
    • 2 TBL water
    • 1 tsp cornstarch
    • 1/4 C ketchup
    • 3 TBL honey
    • 3 TBL soy sauce
    • 1 TBL garlic chili sauce
      • or 1 tsp garlic powder and 1/2 tsp chili flakes
      • or 1 TBL Sambal Oelek
    • 4 whole cloves garlic (to be removed later)
  4. Cut chicken breast and/or thighs into bite sized pieces
  5. Turn the heat on under your broccoli – Total steam time 6-7 minutes.
  6. Heat 1 TBL canola oil and 1 tsp sesame oil in a large skillet
  7. Cook 1/2 of your chicken pieces until completely browned
    • NOTE:  This is to avoid over-crowding of the pan, so that they cook properly
    • Set aside
  8. Add more oil and cook the other half of the chicken
  9. Return first batch of the chicken to the skillet
  10. Season with salt and pepper
  11. Add your sticky sauce
  12. Bring to a full boil, then reduce heat and cook until thickened (about 5 minutes)
  13. Plate in thirds or halves
    • Rice, broccoli and chicken  -or-
    • Broccoli and chicken – Serve with won ton strips

Pork Buns

  1. Prepare 1/2 lb cooked pork  (Cook @ 350º for one hour, then let cool) or slice into 1/4 inch slices
  2. Shred the pork- or put into marinate overnight
  3. Sauce:  Mix with 1/4 C rice wine, soy sauce, honey, hoisin, 1 TBL corn starch, 2 TBL sesame oil, 1 tsp Thunder Powder, grated ginger and garlic
  4. Heat sauce on stove until it starts to thicken
  5. Toss shredded pork with the sauce created in Step 3
  6. Marinate for one hour
  7. Meanwhile create BUN dough
    • Proof 1 TBL each yeast, water and sugar
      • Proof / activate for 15 minutes
    • After proof, mix in 1/4 C cugar
    • Mix in 1/2 C milk and 1 egg
    • 1 C cake flour
    • 3/4 C AP flour
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 3 TBL canola
  8. Add new mixture to dry ingredients
  9. Mix all and set aside to rise for 45-60 minutes
  10. Create balls about the size of a lemon
  11. Roll flat to about 5 inches
  12. Bring together and pinch to close
  13. Place on pan folded end down
  14. Mix
    • 2/3 C AP flour,
    • 2/3 C powdered sugar,
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder,
    • 1/4 tsp salt,
    • 6 TBL butter and
    • 1 egg
  15. Pulse to blend
  16. Pipe over top of buns
  17. Bake at 350º for 20 minutes

 

Bananas Foster Upside Down Cake

  1. Mix the following dry ingredients
    • 1 1/2 C AP flour
    • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
    • 1/4 tsp baking soda
    • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  2. Put 8 TBL softened butter into mixer, then add
    • 1/2 C granulated cane sugar (not beet sugar)
    • 1/2 C brown sugar
  3. then add
    • 2 very ripe bananas
    • 2 eggs plus 1 yolk
    • 2 tsp vanilla
  4. Mix to combine
  5. Mix in 1/2 of your flour mixture and mix until you have a batter
  6. Add 1/4 C buttermilk powder and the rest of the flour
  7. Fold together until it is mixed,but be careful to not overmix
  8. In a sauce pan combine
    • 2 TBL butter
    • 2 TBL rum
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1 C brown sugar
    • 1 TBL Grandpa’s CinnaSugar
  9. Heat until sugar melts
  10. Pour some into the bottom of a cast iron pan
  11. Slice 2 aged bananas into long slices and put in bottom of pan
  12. Mix 1 tsp vanilla with 2 TBL more dark rum
  13. Top bananas with dark rum and more sugar
  14. Put onto heat until the rum starts to sizzle
  15. Pour in the batter, then bake at 350º  for 45-50 minutes
  16. Carefully remove the pan
  17. Loosen sides and invert onto a plate
  18.  Serve hot

Catfish with Collard Greens

Kelan Gilliam
Plaza Bistro Chef
Black History Month

  • Plan on at least 45 minutes
  • Clean 4-6 C collard greens and remove stems
  • Cut into fairly large pieces
  • Bruise the greens by crushing them a bit with your hand
  • Render 3 pieces bacon in large stock pot
  • Add onion
  • Soften for about 4 minutes
  • Add minced garlic
  • Add chili flakes
  • Add greens
  • Add chicken stock to submerge greens
  • Add salt and pepper
  • Stir and cook for at least 45 minutes
  • Meanwhile, heat oil in a cast-iron skillet
  • Create dredge with cornmeal seasoned with old bay and cayenne
  • Bread your catfish and add to a hot cast iron skillet
  • Lower heat to low, then reduce the heat
  • Cook 2-3 minutes per side
  • Cook till crispy, but not burnt
  • Plate your greens – A little juice, but not too much
  • Plate catfish next to your greens
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Dates

  • 1898 – Walter Swingle – brought back date palms from Algeria, North Africa
  • Crop was widespread in US by the 1920s
  • Types of Date Varieties
    • Adrawi
    • Saidi
    • Bahri
    • Khaisab
    • Black Abbada
    • Thory
    • Medjool – Typically pit IN
    • Deglet Noor – Typically pit OUT
  • Tamar State of Ripeness
    • Basically turned into raisins on the tree
    • Internet turns out to be better, but a bit more pricy
  • Life span
    • About 3 months at room temperature
    • 6 months in the refrigerator
    • About a year in the freezer
  • White powder on the surface is sugar crystals, not mold
  • The below recipes are for Party Trays.  For personal eating for two, the amounts are in {brackets}

Devil’s on Horseback

  1. Divide 60 {18} dates into three different batches of 20 {6} each
  2. Soak first in 1/2 C soy and 1/2 C water – {1/4 C each} 
  3. Soak second in 1 C dry sherry – {1/2 C} 
  4. Soak third in 1 C lager beer – {1/2 C}
  5. Soak all three batches for two hours
  6. Drain but DO NOT RINSE

Recipe One

  • 20 {6} Deglet Noor Dates that have soaked in sherry
  • Slices of thin cut bacon
  • 2 oz {1 oz} bleu cheese in a zip lock bag
  • Use scissors to trim the date opened
  • Pipe in a little bit of cheese
  • Wrap in bacon with seam down, and cut portion of date up
  • Put on your baking tray
  • Bake 15 minutes

Recipe Two

  • 20 {6} Deglet Noor Dates that have soaked in soy and water
  • Slices of thin cut bacon
  • 1/4 C {2 TBL} water chestnuts – chopped
  • Cut open and stuff with chestnuts
  • Wrap with bacon and put onto baking tray
  • Bake 15 minutes

Recipe Three

  • 20 {6} Deglet Noor Dates that have soaked in beer
  • Large pepperoni slices
  • 2 oz {1 oz} cream cheese mixed with 4 sweet gerkin pickles – chopped
  • and mixed with 1 tsp {1/2 tsp} Sriracha sauce hot sauce
  • Use scissors to trim the date opened
  • Pipe in a little bit of cheese
  • Wrap in pepperoni with seam down, and cut portion of date up
  • Put on your baking tray
  • Bake 10 minutes

Put larger amount on a party tray, or serve two people 3 of each set of dates (9 total) :: or three people 2 of each set (6 total)

Challah

    • Dry Ingredients
  • 4 C AP Flour
  • 1 C Sugar
  • Salt
    • Wet ingredients
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 TBL melted butter
  • Yeast and warm water
  1. Mix until it stops sticking to the bowl
  2. Let rise 1-2 hours in a lightly oiled bowl (covered)
  3. Pour out and divide into three ropes
  4. Braid
    • Start from middle – tuck ends under
  5. Let rise 30-60minutes
  6. Brush with egg and honey mixture
  7. Bake @ 375 35-45 minutes or until 190º internal temp

Cookies from Box Mix

Cake and Pancake mixes are simply flour, baking soda, salt and sometimes dried milk.  Making cookies from a box mix is easy, if you can measure ingredients, you can bake cookies from box mix. You can use any kind of pancake mix or cake mix you have on hand and one of your favorite cookie recipes.

  • 3/4 C box mix – Bistro sells Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix
  • 3 TBL butter, slightly softened
  • 1/4 C brown sugar – packed (or ¼ C granulated white sugar and 2 tsp molasses)
  • 1 medium egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • scant salt
  • OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS
    • ¼ C chunky peanut butter
    • ¼ C raisins or Craisins
    • ¼ C semi-sweet chocolate chips, chilled
    • ¼ C walnuts, chopped
  1. Mix together sugar, salt, butter, vanilla and egg
  2. Add optional ingredients (chocolate, nuts, etc)
  3. Stir in dry pancake mix with a spoon just until combined
    NOTE: Batter should be thick
  4. Cover and put into the refrigerator for 20 minutes
  5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  6. Cut dough into 4, 6 or 8 pieces, depending on how big you want your cookies.
  7. Form into balls with your hands
  8. Put 3 TBL CinnaSugar in a bowl
    (1/2 C each granulated sugar and cinnamon – scant nutmeg)
  9. Roll dough balls in CinnaSugar to cover.
  10. Place cinnamon covered balls 4 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet
  11. Optional:  Sprinkle with Maldon salt
  12. Press down only slightly
  13. Bake 10-12 minutes or until set.
  14. Remove hot cookies immediately from cookie sheet to cooling rack with spatula.
  15. Cool for at least 2 minutes before removing from baking tray, then enjoy.

Here is a combination as suggested by Arizona Your Life A-Z

  • 1 box 16 oz cake mix
    (or 15 oz mix plus 1/4 C flour or Bisquick for each ounce under 16)
  • 1/2 C Vegetable Oil
  • 2 Eggs
  • Plus sprinkles, chocolate chips, nuts, etc
  • 350º for 8-10 minutes

Tips: Sauces

  • Use the recipe as a guideline.  Taste and adjust as you proceed
  • Rely on your instincts
  • Add fresh herbs at the last minute.  Dried herbs can be added earlier
  • Keep the heat low.  Do not let the sauce burn
  • If it does burn, DO NOT scrape the burnt part off the bottom, pour the soup carefully into another pot, then proceed.  Taste to make sure it does not taste burnt.
  • Don’t cook fish stocks for more than 15 minutes, or ammonia taste may result
  • Continue to skim fat off, or they will dissolve and make your stock taste “dirty”

 

TIps: Knives

Full Tang gives your handle more strength over the years. The bolster should not extend all the way to the bottom of the heel, because as you sharpen it, over the years, and the cutting edge and the belly get smaller, the bolster will actually interfere with knife operation.

Comfort is important.  Get a knife that fits your grip

Metal Alloys used for Knife Blades

Steel plus a bit of iron
Carbon alloy helps make it hard
Chromium helps to harden and prevents corosion
Molybdenum allows a finer grain
Nickle adds to toughness + elasticity
Tungsten offers wear resistance
Vanadium
Silicon
Manganese

Choices for Cutting Boards

Wood Composite – good
Polyethelene – good
Rock Maple – good for Vegetables
Bamboo – good, but a bit slow surface – fibrous

Bad Choices

Glass
Metal
Granite
Marble

1. Use a Santuko Knife for delicate slicing, such as butterflying a breast. It is thinner than butcher knives. It’s not good for mincing though. Use a butcher knife for this.

2. When choosing a meat cleaver, get one with about 65% of the weight toward the front. A cheap option is a hatchet.

Knife Sharpening

Two things that you can do to a knife:
1. Sharpen
2. Hone

Sharpening:
Use only a professional knife sharpener
Sharpen for (1) long lasting or (2) sharpest edge
The BITE is the ability to hold an edgeHoning:
Use a sharpening steel to realign.
Does not actually sharpen
5 both directions, then 3, then 2, then 1

Really dull knives

1. Belt sander
2. Grinding wheel

Cutting board

 

Don’t use glass
Don’t wash in dishwasher
Do keep clean
Do use steel every time you use the knife
Do use wood or poly cutting board
Do store in a safe place

20º utility blade – not as sharp, but will not dull as quickly

15º sharp blade – very sharp, but will dull more quickly

Top knife sharpeners

 

Get one with a high guide hip – minimizes wiggle

  • #1 Chef’s Choice Trizor XV edge $150
  • #2 Chef’s Choice – Electric – Diamond 316 Asian Knife Sharpener – $80
  • #3 Chef’s Choice – Manual – Pronto diamond hone Asian Knife Sharpener – routine sharpener – $50

Three types of sharpeners

  • Carbide
  • Ceramic
  • Diamond

The Knife House

Having it done for you
This is actually advisable.  The job will be much better than you doing it yourself.
Here in Phoenix, us The Knife House near Indian School Road and 40th Street.

Rustic Rye Bread Dinner Loaf

  • 1/4 C warm milk
  • 2 TBL hot water
  • 2 TBL yeast
  • 3 TBL brown sugar
  • 2 TBL melted butter
  • 1 C rye flour
  • 1/2 C bread flour
    • Mix to combine
  • Add 1 tsp salt
  • Add bread flour (slowly) until it starts to combine
    • Mix to start combine
  • Pour onto counter and knead 5 minutes finally forming into a ball
  • Cover with about 1 TBL EVOO
  • Let rise for one hour or until doubled
  • Turn out and divide into 2 balls
  • Knead and form
  • Put onto greased baking sheet
  • Let rise another hour
  • Bake at 350º for 30 minutes or until 190 internal
    • DO NOT let temperature exceed 200
  • Honey butter
    • 1/2 stick softened butter
    • 2 TBL honey
    • salt

Bagel Breakfast

  • 1 everything bagel
  • 1 onion bagel
  • 4 TBL butter
  1. Cut bagels into 1/2 inch pieces and bake on a tray in the oven for 12 minutes at 350º
  2. Turn out into huge mixing bowl
  3. Toss in 1/2 C shredded cheese
  4. 4 slices of bacon broken apart
  5. 1/4 C chives
  6. In separate bowl mix 6 eggs and 1 C milk
  7. Add a few shakes of garlic, salt and pepper to the eggs
  8. Toss all together in large bowl, and let rest two hours.
  9. Put into greased baking dish and bake for 45 minutes at 350º
  10. Let cool 5 minutes before cutting

Pull Apart Cinnamon Soldiers (also Garlic BELOW)

Inspired by Bobby Flay’s Pull Apart Cinnamon Bread

INGREDIENTS and STEP BY STEP

  1. Start with a large rustic loaf of bread – about the size of a flattened-out soccor ball.
  2. Cut cross section both ways (almost through, but not quite) leaving 3/4 inch posts of bread
  3. Mix stuffing
    • 1 C softened butter
    • 1 C brown sugar
    • 1/2 C white sugar
    • 1 tsp vanilla
    • 2 TBL maple syrup
    • 1/4 C cinnamon
    • 1 tsp nutmeg
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • OPTIONAL:  Chopped pecans or walnuts
  4. Shove into all of the nooks and crannies between the posts (or soldiers)
  5. Wrap bread loosely in foil
  6. Sprinkle with Grandpa’s CinnaSugar
  7. Bake at 350º for 20 minutes

Pull Apart Garlic Soldiers

  1. Substitute Asiago cheese, garlic and Gruyere for sugars, cinnamon and nutmeg above.
  2. Reduce baking time to 15 minutes

 

General Tso’s Chicken

  1. Hoisin-Soy mixture for Overnight Marinate
    • 1/2 C Hoisin
    • 3 TBL soy
    • 2 TBL Rice wine vinegar
    • granulated sugar
    • salt
    • 2 TBL corn starch
    • ginger
    • garlic
  2. Cut up chicken thigh and put into a Zip Lock bag
  3. Put sauce into a pan and heat until it thickens
  4. Let cool then pour into the bag with the chicken and let marinate 2-14 hours
    – NEXT DAY
  5. Bowl 1:  1 beaten egg and 1 C buttermilk
  6. Bowl 2:  1/2 C corn starch,  3/4 C AP Flour dredge and 1 TBL GTP
  7. –
  8. FRY at 350º oil for 8-10 minutes or BAKE in the oven at 425º for 15 minutes
  9. Make sweet sour topping sauce
    • 2 TBL rice wine vinegar
    • 2 TBL soy sauce
    • 3 TBL hoisin sauce
    • a squirt of siracha
    • 1 TBL corn starch
    • 3/4 C chicken broth
  10. Add toasted sesame seed oil to a large hot sauce pan
  11. Add minced garlic and minced fresh ginger
  12. Stir for about 60 seconds, then add topping sauce into pan
  13. OPT:  Crushed red pepper flakes or GTP
  14. Simmer and thicken
  15. When chicken is done, put into the sauce pan and toss
  16. Serve over rice and top with chives

See also Sweet and Sour Chicken

 

Smashed Potato Hashed Browns

  • Clean a Russett potato and poke it full of holes
  • Wrap it in a wet cloth
  • Microwave it for 4 minutes
  • Cut into about 3 pieces, then let cool
  • At this time also preheat your cast iron skillet inside on the stove top
  • Melt 2 TBL butter and 2 TBL peanut or canola oil in a cast-iron skillet with a few whole sprigs of rosemary
  • Smash potatoes roughly with a fork – leaving big chunks
  • Put potato into the pan and press down to maximize contact
  • Sprinkle with salt and pepper
  • Let the potatoes crisp up, then remove to a paper towel
  • In a mixing bowl put the fried rosemary pieces with a few minced cloves of garlic, salt, parsley or basil, and grated cheddar
  • Plate potatoes and top with an egg
  • Garnish with grated Parmesan and a bit of basil

 

Waffle Pizza

  1. Flatten pizza dough
  2. Heat up waffle pan and put dough layer onto pan
  3. Add sauce, pepperoni, mozzarella, etc
  4. Add a pizza dough top
  5. Close waffle iron and cook 5 minutes
  6. Slice into sticks
  7. Serve with sides of ranch dressing dip and marinara sauce

 

 

Baigan Bharta (eggplant and spinach)

  1. Eggplant
    • Cut eggplant into 1/4 inch medallions
    • Cover heavily in salt
    • Let rest 30 minutes
  2. Onion – Diced
  3. Spinach – Destemmed, rinsed, spin
  4. Prepare Curry
    • 1 pepper
    • 1 clove
    • 1 cooriander
    • 1 cayenne
    • 2-3 cumin
    • 2 turmeric
    • 1 cardamom
  5. Rinse eggplant twice and pat dry
  6. Prepare clarified butter by heating over heat for about 20 minutes.  Pour off top, discarding the milk solids
  7. Toast mustard seeds
  8. In hot cast iron add clarified butter to smoke point
  9. Add the eggplant, but don’t crowd the pan
    • Sear and remove
  10. Add the onion to the emptied pan and caramelize – 10-15 minutes
  11. Add garlic and ginger and toss
  12. Add spices right after tossing, then cook about 2 more minutes
  13. Add 2 C water or broth and bring to a boil
  14. Add 1/4 C brown sugar and dried spinach
  15. Reduce liquid substantially, then add eggplant
  16. Cook 6-10 minutes
  17. Serve over Basmati Rice with a side of DAL (lentils), yogurt and tomatoes

 

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