Eggs Benedict

This is my all time favorite breakfast. Its another one of the seemingly easy classics that most every restaurant doesn't do right. Its the little details like how to cook the egg and the muffin that make a world of difference in taste and texture. I also made the hollandaise sauce from scratch which is easy but quite the arm workout. I was out of Canadian Bacon so I used some sliced deli turkey breast I had leftover. This feeds 2 people for under $10. Here we go.


Hollandaise

2 eggs, yolks only
2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice (or 1 teaspoon vinegar)
1 teaspoon of hot sauce (or a pinch of cayenne pepper)
1 teaspoon warm water
pinch of sugar
pinch of salt
1 stick of butter, melted in the microwave

Start a small sauce pan with 2 cups of water, bring it to a boil and turn it to simmer (low). In a metal mixing bowl add all the ingredients except the butter. Whisk the ingredients for 3 minutes or until the mixture doubles in size. Now place the metal mixing bowl over the top of the sauce pan (rest it on top) and whisk for another 2 minutes. Have someone else (a lot easier) slowly pour in the butter while you continue to whisk the mixture. Whisk for 5 minutes once the butter has been incorporated. Place in a warm area, like near the stove top, and whisk every few minutes until you use it so that it doesnt seperate.

Poached Eggs
4 cage free eggs
1 tablespoon white vinegar

Fill a medium sauce pot with water and bring to a boil. Add 1 tablespoons of white vinegar. This helps the egg white stay together. Crack the eggs into a ladle and slowly lower the ladle in to the water, wait 30 seconds and turn the ladle over. Repeat this process with all 4 eggs, place the first egg in the pot at "6 o'clock" and the second at 9 o'clock, 3rd at 12 and 4th at 3. This way you know which was the first egg you put in. 4 minutes after first egg was put in, scoop it out with a slotted spoon and place it on a flat side plate. Grab the rest of the eggs, in order and one at a time and place them on the side plate. Put a few spoons of hot water on the the plate to keep the eggs hot and moist, cover with a pot lid for a few extra minutes of holding time.

English Muffins and Meat
2 English muffins
2 tablespoons of butter

Remove the 2 muffin from the package and DO NOT split them. Bake the whole english muffins in a toaster oven or conventional oven at 350 for 10 minutes. Start a medium sauté pan with the butter. Take the muffins from the oven and open them, careful they will be hot. Place them face down in the saute pan until they get golden brown. At this point I added the turkey to the pan to get it some color and bring out the flavor, let it cook about 1 minute on each side. Turn the english muffins over and let them brown up a bit on the bottom while the meat cooks.


To plate place each side of the muffin on a plate, top that with the turkey. Place a poached egg on each muffin and top with the hollandaise. I added a bit of basil for color and because the pictures weren't as delicious looking without. SO now you know my favorite breakfast, what is yours??

Handmade Fettuccine in Garlic Alfredo Sauce

When I made the spaghetti the other night I also rolled out some fettuccine as well. For that recipe see the previous blog post. Like the previous post, fettuccine alfredo is often done at cheap restaurants but when done properly it is one of my all time favorite dishes. Its also super quick and simple to make so this was done in under 30 minutes and feeds two.

Alfredo Sauce
4 medium garlic cloves, smashed and finely chopped
1 oz extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
1/2 stick of salted butter
1/2 cup of finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon chopped parsley (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh cracked black pepper

Start a medium saucepan on low (2 of 10) and add the garlic and olive oil. Let that cook until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the cream and cook and reduce for 5 minutes. Add the butter slowly whisking it in to incorporate it, cook for 10 minutes. Add the cheese slowly by whisking it in as well. Once the sauce is combined add the parsley and black pepper.

Cook the fresh pasta, about 1/2 a pound, for 4 minutes (hard pasta for 2 minutes less then the box says). Scoop the pasta out of the water and put it directly into the Alfredo sauce. Let the two cook together for 5 minutes and plate it up. Top it with some fresh shaved Parmesan cheese and fresh cracked black pepper.

Good cream, cheese and butter make a big difference since they are the major ingredients. Buon Apetito!

Handmade Spaghetti in Fresh Tomato-Basil Sauce

Spaghetti and tomato sauce are as standard issue as it gets for culinary creations, however when you make all the ingredients precisely and from scratch you get a truly magical combination that whisks you away to a bustling trattoria somewhere in Tuscany... I would go right now, but I can't so I have this recipe to hold me over until I can get that trip planned.

This takes about 2 hours from start to finish and feeds 4 people. About $15 total cost.

Handmade Spaghetti

2 cups semolina flour
2 cups all purpose flour
6 large eggs
2 oz extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of salt

Thoroughly sift together all-purpose flour, semolina flour, and pinch of salt. On a clean surface, make a mountain out of flour mixture then make a deep well in center. Break the eggs into the well and add olive oil. Whisk eggs very gently with a fork, gradually incorporating flour from the sides of the well. When mixture becomes too thick to mix with a fork, begin kneading with your hands.
Knead dough for 8 to 12 minutes, until it is smooth and supple. Dust dough and work surface with semolina as needed to keep dough from becoming sticky. Wrap dough tightly in plastic and allow it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Roll out dough with a pasta machine (I left it thick at level 4) and use the spaghetti cutter to shape the of noodles. Toss with a bit of flour and let dry while you prepare the other items. It only needs a few minutes to cook so leave that until last.

Fresh Tomato-Basil Sauce (Pomodoro)

12 to 15 roma tomatoes, peeled and seeded (concase)
1 clove of garlic, peeled and rough chopped
1/4 of a white onion, diced
1/2 a roasted orange bell pepper (optional)
1/2 cup of basil loosely packed, torn (not chopped)
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, torn
3 oz of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of kosher salt

HOW TO CONCASE TOMATOES - This is an important technique to learn because tomatoes concase are used in many types of cooking. Start a large pot of water on high, salt heavily. Core each tomato and cut an "X" on the bottom point of each tomato. Toss the tomatoes into the boiling water and let them cook 5 minutes or until the skin starts peeling. While they cook get a large mixing bowl and fill it 1/4 with cold water and 1/4 with ice. Remove the tomatoes from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and plunge in the ice bath. Once cooled, peel the skins from the tomatoes and squeeze them over a clean bowl to get the excess water and seeds (this is why you cut the X in the bottom). Chop the remaining tomato bodies and put aside. Strain the seeds and water into a separate bowl to get tomato water, which I use for salad dressings and gazpachos.

Start a medium sauce pan on low (1 of 10) and add garlic, onion and olive oil. Let that cook at about 25 minutes or until garlic and onion are soft. Now add the chopped tomatoes concase. Let this cook for about 20 minutes, add the oregano, roasted pepper and salt. Let cook 5 more minutes and then puree the mixture with a stick blender or in a food processor. Add fresh basil.


Cooking the Pasta

Again technique is the difference between chef boyardee and chef Rick, so pay attention. Add the fresh pasta to boiling and heavily salted water (I used the water I boiled the tomatoes in). Let cook for 3 minutes, it should be slightly undercooked. Using a pasta spoon or tongs, add the fresh pasta directly into the fresh tomato sauce and mix thoroughly, let some of the water get into the sauce, its ok. Let that continue to cook on low for 5 minutes. Plate it up and top it all with Freshly Shaved Parmesano Reggiano cheese. Wow, simple perfection. I owe the inspiration and technique for making this dish to my Chef, Scott Conant. Buon Apetito!!

Spice Rubbed Pork Chop with Wilted Arugula and Apple-Thyme Butter

This quick and tasty dish take less then 30 minutes to make and hits all the right taste buds. Plus it feeds two people for about $10. So today I made this for lunch instead of overpaying at a bad restaurant.

Spiced Rubbed Pork Chop

2 bone-in pork chops (about 8 oz with bone)
1 teaspoon of Agave nectar or honey
1 teaspoon of Chinese 5 spice powder (or garam masala)
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon of coriander
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
2 oz vegetable oil

Start the oven at 350. Put a large frying pan on medium high heat (7 of 10) and add the oil. Coat the chops in the agave or honey and coat with the spice rub. Once the oil is hot place the pork chops in the pan, bone side to the center. Let cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until the pork gets a little charred. Turn the chops over and place the whole pan directly in the oven. Let that cook for 12 to 15 minutes depending on the thickness of the chop. Remove from the oven and let it rest at least 7 minutes before serving.

Apple-Thyme-Butter Sauce
1 red delicious apple skinned, cored an diced
1/2 stick of salted butter
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 pinch of 5 spice powder (or garam masala)

Start butter in a small saute pan on medium low heat (4 of 10). Once the butter has melted and started to brown, add the diced apples and let them cook together for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and add thyme and 5 spice powder.

Wilted Arugula
2 big handfuls of arugula, about 10 oz
1/4 onion, diced
1 oz olive oil

Start a medium sauté pan on low add olive oil and onions. Let that cook for at least 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the pork has finished resting and the apple sauce is done, addthe arugula to the pan and toss with the oil and onions for about 1 minute. Remoive from the heat and add directly to the plate.


The plating is simple with the pork on the plate and the sauce over the top. Fill the greens on to the bone side of the chop and it looks better then anything else you would see from a restaurant for lunch today.

Caprese Salad (Tomatoes, Mozzarella and Basil)

This is my wife's favorite appetizer/salad. It probably America's favorite too by the sheer number of different restaurants that have one version or another on their menu. Here is my take on this amazingly popular and delicious dish. As always, quality ingredients are imperative.

Caprese Salad

2 fist sized heirloom tomatoes (beefsteak or garden tomatoes are great too)
2 balls of fresh mozzarella
1/4 cup fresh basil, torn (not chopped)
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, torn
2 oz extra virgin olive oil
1 oz balsamic vinegar
1 oz white balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

Tear up the basil and oregano, I prefer tearing to chopping because by gently tearing you retain more of the delicate flavors of the herbs. Remove the core from the tomato. Slice each tomato into 5 equal size slices. Salt and pepper both sides of the tomato slices liberally. Slice each mozzarella ball into 4 equal sized slices. Alternate the tomatoes and mozzarella adding a bit of the fresh herbs on each layer. Top the stack with some fresh basil. Slowly pour the vinegars and olive oil over the whole stack with a spoon, making sure you hit each layer. Top with some more salt and pepper and serve.


This is a fast and reliable opener to any meal. It take under 15 minutes to make and requires no cooking. Also it always tastes amazing. What more can I say, Italians know how to eat. Buon Apetito!

Country Fried Chicken with Rick's Famous Mash Potatoes and Green Beans

This dish has classic simplicity but I added some important techniques that make it taste extraordinary. These techniques are more important then the recipe itself. Once you learn the various cooking techniques you can apply them to any protein, vegetable, starch or sauce making new and unique dishes everyday. You start by using a base technique to create a familiar item and then set the stage by surrounding that item with the components that you enjoy. Edible art. Sometimes you make an great dish, other times you make a horrible dish, but you always keep refining your technique and changing the outcome. Anyway, enough of my cooking philosophy and on to the food...

This serves recipe 4 people

Country Fried Chicken Breast

4 free range chicken breasts, trimmed of the fat
2 cups buttermilk (or heavy cream)
2 cups of AP flour
2 eggs, scrambled and heavily seasoned with salt and pepper
2 cups of whole wheat bread crumbs
1 cups Panko bread crumbs (sub white or Italian)
3 oz of vegetable oil

Soak chicken breasts in buttermilk (or cream) for at least 10 minutes up to 1 day.

Then get set up for the breading process by laying out three large baking dishes, i like to use 9" round or square baking pans. Put them next to each other and fill the 1st pan with the flour, the 2nd pan with the eggs and the 3rd pan with the breadcrumb mixture. Put a baking sheet at the end, covered with wax paper for your completed chicken breasts.

Take the chicken breast from the buttermilk and let it drain off the excess liquid. Dredge the chicken breast in the flour and shake off the excess, dip it in the egg mixture and let, then place it into the bread crumb mixture making sure to press the breadcrumbs firmly into the chicken breast. Set aside on the baking sheet and finish the remaining breasts. Start a large frying pan on medium high heat (6 of 10) and add the oil. Once the oil is hot add the chicken breasts one or two at a time so you do not over crowd the pan. They are ready quickly, about 5 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown. Place on a paper towel on the baking sheet.

Rick's Famous Mashed Potatoes

3 large baking potatoes, peeled and large diced
1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled and diced (1 jarred roasted red pepper, diced)
1/2 vidallia onion, sliced
8 medium cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
3 oz olive oil
1 stick of butter
1/8 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons of salt
1 tablespoon fresh black pepper

It works best if you do all the chopping first and then start all of the three steps in order because they all take about 30 minutes each to complete.

STEP 1 - Add the olive oil, 1/2 of the butter, the onions and smashed garlic to a small sauté pan and turn to low(1 of 10). Let that cook for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the onion and garlic start caramelizing. Add the heavy cream and some salt & pepper and let cook 5 minutes.

STEP 2 - Fresh Roasted Red Pepper - Turn your oven on broil with the rack at the top. Slice the red bell pepper in half and remove the seeds and white core. Place the halves cut side down on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and place the pepper under the broiler. Cook for about 15 minutes or until the pepper skin has blackened. Put the two halves into a medium mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it sit for 15 minutes then open and peel the skin off of the pepper, it should be easy. It is worth the time and effort to do these fresh.

STEP 3 - Place the peeled and chopped potatoes in a large pot with cold water and 2 tablespoons of salt. If you put them in warm or boiling water you will ruin the texture. Turn the potatoes on high and bring them to a boil. Turn to medium and let boil for another 10 minutes or until fork tender. Drain them and add to a large mixing bowl with the cream-onion-garlic mixture and the chopped roasted red pepper. Add the 2 tablespoons of salt, 1 tablespoon of black pepper and them remaining 1/2 stick of butter. Mash together thoroughly or mix with a hand blender for an even smoother texture. YUM!

Green Beans

1 lb of green beans, trimmed or the ends and washed
1/4 vidallia onion, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 oz olive oil
2 tablespoons of butter
salt & pepper to taste

Blanching Green Beans (or any vegetable)- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt. Once the water is boiling add the green beans. Make an ice bath - get a large mixing bowl and fill it 1/4 with water then another 1/4 with ice so the bowl is now half full. After the green beans have cooked for five minutes, drain them and place them in the ice bath. Mix with your hands until the green beans are cooled. This sets the color and makes any vegetable crisp and colorful. AT HOME TIP: I add the green beans to the boiling water from the potatoes so I don't have to do another pot of boiling water, I just pick them out with tongs because they float to the top.

Start and sauté pan on low and add the butter, olive oil, onions and garlic. Let that cook for 20 minutes or until the onion start to get color. Turn up the heat to medium and add the green beans, mix well. Cook for about 5 to 7 minutes until the green beans get heated through, add salt and pepper to taste.


It sounds like a lot to do for one meal but if you do all the cutting prep work first, then go in this order it all happens very fast; Start the 3 step potato process, blanch the green beans, bread the chicken, mash the potatoes, fry the chicken and then sauté the green beans everything will be done at around the same time. Practice makes perfect. The three techniques to take from this recipe are blanching vegetables, making homemade roasted red peppers and frying up breaded chicken. Three basic but very important techniques. Good luck.

Middle Eastern Plater

Some of the best tasting and healthy food comes from the middle east. I make many variations on this platter depending on what I have around the house and can get fresh that day. This one includes homemade hummus, homemade tabbouleh, Greek style yogurt, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, fresh mint and olive oil.

Hummus
1 can of chickpeas
3 medium cloves of garlic, smashed
3 oz of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of tahini (sesame seed paste)
1/2 a lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Add 2 cups of water to a saucepan and add the chickpeas and the garlic, turn to medium high and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes and turn it off. Add the chickpeas to a food processor with a few tablespoons of water from the pot. Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor and blend until smooth. Chill and serve.

Tabbouleh

1/2 cup cooked bulgar wheat (1/4 cup uncooked #2 bulgar)
1/2 cup of fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
1 roma tomato, seeded and chopped
1/8 cup cucumber, seeded and chopped
1/8 cup of onions, diced
3 oz of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 a lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1/4 teaspoon of cumin

Start 1 cup of water on high in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add bulgar wheat and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir and then turn of the heat and cover. Let it sit for 30 minutes. Drain with a strainer. Mix bulgar wheat and all of the other ingredients. Stir to combine well. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.


I plated up two servings of tabbouleh, hummus and yogurt, then chopped some cucumbers, tomatoes and onions. I finished the platter off with fresh chopped mint, paprika lemons and extra virgin olive oil. Finally I toasted up some whole wheat pita breads and had a healthy and delicious dinner.

Turkey "Picadillo" with Coconut Cilantro Rice

Picadillo is a popular Cuban style dish, normally made with ground beef. I substituted turkey because its healthier and has less saturated fat. This is a great 1 pan meal that you can make in mass quantity because it is even better the next day.

Picadillo

1 lb ground turkey
1/2 cup white onion, diced
1 jalapeño pepper, diced
1/4 cup of green bell pepper, diced
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 small can of diced tomatoes
1/2 cup of vegetable stock or water
1/3 cup of raisins
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of chili powder
3 cloves
3 bay leaves
1/3 cup of Spanish olives with pimentos, halved
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh oregano, chopped
salt & pepper

Start a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add ground turkey and cook until all the pink is gone. Add onions, jalapeño, bell pepper and garlic, cook for five minutes. Next add the canned tomatoes, stock, raisins, cumin, chili powder, cloves, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Once that gets heated through, turn the heat down to low and cover. Let this cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and add the olives, cilantro and fresh oregano. Turn off the heat, stir to combine the ingredients and let stand for 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Coconut Cilantro Rice

1 cup long grain white rice
2 oz coconut oil
1 tables spoon of salt
10 cilantro stems

Follow my fool proof rice method listed here. Add oil and salt to the rice before starting the cooking process. Right before you cover it and put it to low add the cilantro stems.

Put it together and you have a traditional Latin style meal. I topped it with some fresh avocado, you can add plantains if you have them to complete the trifecta. I am writing this while eating the leftovers and they are awesome. Enjoy!

Chicken Milanese

This is another one of those fast, cheap and delicious recipes that never gets old. You should be able to go from start to finish in under 45 minutes, an hour if you take your time. You can substitute pork, veal or turkey for the chicken and it remains just as awesome.

Chicken Breasts

4 free range chicken breasts, trimmed of the fat
2 cups of AP flour
2 cups Panko bread crumbs (sub white or Italian)
2 eggs, scrambled and heavily seasoned with salt and pepper
1 cups of Italian bread crumbs
3 oz of vegetable oil

First get set up by laying out three large baking dishes, i like to use 9" pie rounds or squares. Put them next to each other and fill the 1st with the flour, the 2nd with the eggs and the 3rd with the breadcrumbs. Put a baking sheet at the end, covered with wax paper for your completed chicken breasts.

Then, place a single chicken breast on a large cutting board and cover with a piece of plastic wrap. Lightly pound the chicken breast with the smooth side of a mallet, starting at the center and working outward. They will be about 3 times bigger then when you started, or about 1/2" thick. Don't hit it to hard or it will start to break up, practice makes prefect on this one.

Dredge the chicken breast in the flour and shake off the excess, dredge it in the egg mixture and drain off the excess, then dredge it in to the bread crumb mixture making sure to press the breadcrumbs firmly into the chicken breast. Set aside on the baking sheet and finish the remaining breasts. Start a large frying pan on medium high heat (6 of 10) and add the oil. Once the oil is hot add the chicken breasts one or two at a time so you do not over crowd the pan. They are ready quickly, about 5 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown. Place on a paper towel on the baking sheet.

Balsamic Viniagrette

3 oz good aged balsamic vinegar
3 oz extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon fresh marjoram or other aromatic herb (basil, thyme, oregano)
salt & pepper to taste

This is the best and easiest salad dressing to make ever. Mix all of the ingredient except the oil and whisk together. Slowly add the oil and keep whisking. Thats it, perfection is easy sometimes.

Salad

5 roma tomatoes, cut into 1/8 sections lengthwise
4 hand fulls of arugula or Italian salad blend (I prefer to use a blend of treviso, endive and arugula but this is what I had)
1/2 sweet vidialia onion thin sliced

Make the balsamic vinaigrette in a large salad bowl. Cut the tomatoes and onions and add them to the balsamic vinaigrette and let them soak at least 15 minutes. Once the chicken is done, add the salad mix to the tomatoes and toss. Place one piece of chicken on each plate and top it with your salad. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to the whole thing and garnish with a lemon wedge.

This recipe feeds 4 people and costs under $20. Add a few bottles of your favorite wine and you have a perfect double dinner date. I want to give a big thanks to Josue, for kitchen work, and Laura & Nicole for clean up. Good Times!

Lemon Chicken with Brussel Sprouts

My wife loves lemon, hence she loves the lemon chicken that I make. This time I added some more of her favorite ingredients (cilantro, ginger, large amounts of black pepper) to my standard way of making this dish to make her even happier, if at all possible (notice the sarcasm). The results were excellent, which goes to show that creativity doesn't have to be in creating a new dish, it can be simply tweaking a standard to get a new twist on familiar flavors.

Lemon Chicken

4 pieces of thin sliced chicken breast (boneless skinless thighs work good also)
1/2 cup flour
1/2 a red onion sliced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, fine dice
1 tablespoon of lemon peel, fine dice
1 cup of vegetable or chicken stock (or water)
1 lemon, juiced
1 handful of cilantro, chopped
salt and lots o black pepper (1 salt to 2 pepper ratio)

Start a large sauté pan on medium high (6 of 10) and add some vegetable oil to coat the pan. Season the chicken breasts liberally with the salt and pepper, then dredge them through the flour on both sides. Add them to your hot pan making sure you DO NOT OVERCROWD THE PAN. As they get golden on each side flip and cook for 4 minutes on the other side. Once all of the chicken is cooked and moved aside we can start the sauce. In the same sauté pan add a tablespoon of butter and then your onions, cook them for five minutes or until the start browning. Then add the lemon peel and ginger and cook for 3 minutes. Now add a tablespoon of flour to the onion mix and stir constantly until no more white flour is visible and the flour mix starts to brown a bit. Now add you stock to the pan and mix well. Let that cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until reduced to a sauce consistency. Now add the lemon, cilantro and some salt and pepper to taste. Stir and let cook for 3 more minutes. Add the already cooked chicken back to the pan and turn off the heat. Let it sit for a few minutes and then serve.

Brussel Sprouts

1 package brussel sprouts, halved and trimmed
1 tablespoon of butter
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
salt and pepper

Brussel are easy to make using this method. Start a large frying pan on medium heat. add the butter and olive oil. Once melted add the brussel spouts cut side down in the pan. Cover and cook for ten minutes or until they get a bright green color. Uncover and turn up the heat to medium high. Let then cook for about five more minutes and then add the salt and pepper and lemon juice. Turn off the heat and recover them for 3 minutes to let the salt,pepper and lemon juice to soak in. Thats it.

Thanks babe for the idea of adding the new ingredients to our old favorite. This was all done in under 45 minutes and the dish scales to serve many people real well. Plus its a crowd please! Buon Apetito

Pancakes 3 Ways with Apple Compote and Homemade Banana-Nectarine Ice Cream

Breakfast for dinner is always a welcomed change. Especially when it consists of pancakes. My boy DRock was over the house and he gave me the idea to run with.

Pancake Mix
2 1/2 cups AP flour
4 tablespoons sugar
3 eggs
2 cups of almond milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3 teaspoonsbaking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt
3 tablespoons of veg oil

Stir all dry ingredients together then add the wet. Whisk together until smooth and let sit for at least 20 minutes.

Toppings
Blueberries
Peanut Butter
Sliced Bananas
Toasted Walnuts

I made three pancakes of each of the three styles. First was blueberry-banana, second was peanut butter-banana and the thrid was walnut-blueberry.

Apple Compote
2 red delicious apples
1 cup water
1/8 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
cinnamon, nutmeg and salt to taste

In a saucepan add apples and 1 tablespoon of butter on medium low. Let that cook until the apples are softened and get some color. Add sugar and water and turn to medium heat and let cook for 15 minutes or until reduced to a simple syrup. Add vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt and turn to super low (simmer).

Homemade Ice Cream - Banana Nectarine

1 nectarine, frozen, pitted and chopped
1 frozen banana, sliced
1/2 cup almond milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons of sugar

This is a fast way to make dessert without the struggle of churning the old fashioned way. Place all the items in a strong blender (I use a vitamix) and spin the ingredients. Stop every 30 seconds to manually push the unblended ingredients to the bottom. Repeat until you have a smooth mixture. Put it in an airtight container like a tupperware and cover the surface of the ice cream with plastic wrap to prevent ice crystals from forming. Take it out and serve after 20 minutes or when mix has rehardened.

Stack one of each of the pancakes, butter each one and put apple compot and ice cream on the side. Shot out to DRock for the idea. I will have to put in a few extra minutes into the morning excercise but it was defiantly worth it.

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Steak and Taleggio Omelet with Breakfast Potatoes Confit

Labor Day weekend is here! I decided to kick it off with a dip in the ocean and an awesome breakfast. I had a bit of left over steak from the other nights dinner and some Taleggio (a soft Italian chesse) from when friends came over last week. Here is how I put it all together.

Breakfast Potatoes Confit
3 medium russet potatoes, large dice
1/2 a large vidallia onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 finger hot pepper, sliced
2 teaspoons fresh chopped oregano
1/8 cup duck fat
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste

Start the pan on medium and add the vegetable oil. Add the potatoes and let them cook for 15 minutes stirring every few minutes so they cook evenly. Then add the onions, garlic and hot peppers and let that cook for 7-10 minutes or until the onions get some color. Now add the duck fat and let it all cook together for 15 more minutes or until the potatoes are soft and golden. Add the fresh oregano(dried if that what you have), salt and pepper and remove it from the heat. Let it sit for 5 minutes,stir and serve

Steak and Taleggio Omelet
3 eggs
1 oz heavy cream
1/4 mined red onion
2 oz of skirt steak
2 oz Taleggio Cheese (sub anything you like here)
1 teaspoon fresh chopped marjoram
salt and pepper

Start the oven on 350. Whisk eggs and cream together until airy. Start a medium pan on medium low (4 of 10) and add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes, add the steak and cook for two more minutes. Then add your eggs. Let that cook for 3 minutes then remove it from the heat, top half of it with slices of the Taleggio cheese and add the fresh marjoram. Put the pan in the oven for 5 minutes or until the top is no longer runny. Remove it from the oven and fold it in half.

I put the two together with a toasted and cream cheesed english muffin and some fresh sliced roma tomatoes. I think this is going to be an awesome Labor Day weekend!

Skirt Steak with Chimicurri and Portobello "Fries"

This whole dish takes less then one hour from start to finish.

Diner went really well last night, all three elements of the dish were spot on. Also this is my first time making Portobello fries and they are now my new favorite thing. They are awesome tasting and have almost no saturated fat or cholesterol, plus they are easy to make. The skirt steak, or churassco, is inexpensive, quick to cook and it is a forgiving cut of meat. By forgiving I mean that it stays tender and juicy from medium rare to medium well so overcooking is not as big an issue as a filet or ribeye. Chimicurri is a classic Argentinian steak compliment that has many different variations, below is my style. So here is how it all went down. Serves 2 or 3 people.

Portobello "Fries"

6 medium portobello caps
3 eggs
3 cups of breadcrumbs (Italian, plain or panko: I used Italian)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Pre heat the oven to 375 degrees. Rinse and de-stem the caps and let dry. Slice the caps in strips about the size of a large steak fry or about 1/2 and inch. Scramble up the eggs in a large shallow dish and toss in the mushroom strips to coat with the egg. Combine the Parmesan and the bread crumbs in a large mixing bowl and then toss in the mushroom strips. Get them well coated with the bread crumbs and lay them flat in a single layer on a baking sheet, make sure they are not touching. Bake for 25 minutes and you have the best new side dish ever.

Chimicurri

1/2 cup of cilantro
1/4 cup parsley
3 cloves of garlic crushed and chopped
1/8 cup white vinegar
1/8 cup olive oil
1/8 cup of vegetable oil
teaspoon of red crushed chili flakes
salt and pepper

Put all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until all of the herbs are chopped. Do not leave it on for because it will emulsify, just pulse it about 20 times. Thats it.


Skirt Steak

1 pound skirt steak or churassco (i like the thicker cut, but if you like well done go with the thinner ones)
2 tablespoons of seasoning mix
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt (1 teaspoon table salt)

Liberally season the steak with the seasoning mix. After much trial and error this seasoning mix is my favorite for steaks. It doesn't over power the steak it just brings out the natural good flavors of the meat. Start a large sauté pan or flat top skillet on medium high heat (7.5 of 10). Once the pan is hot put in a teaspoon of oil and then the steak, it should sizzle when it hits the pan. Brown the meat on both sides until you get a nice crust. Then move the steak to a foil lined baking sheet and put it in the same oven with the portobello fries. 10 minutes for medium rare (for a thick cut), 13 minutes for medium and 17 minutes for medium well. If you have a thinner cut it will take shorter in the oven. Let the steak rest for at least 10 minutes before you cut it. Otherwise the juices will run all over and the steak will not be as moist and juicy.

Put it all together and you have a relatively quick dinner that is all made from scratch, different then the norm and under $20. Get some.

Classy Egg and Cheese on a Bagel

Egg and cheese sandwiches are probably the most popular breakfast food on the go. I decided to take this classic and move it up the class scale to get a new take on the old standard. I used 1 egg and about the same amount of pure egg whites and scrambled them into the size and shape of my bagel. The cheese is Brillat-Savarin (brie would be an easy sub). I toasted a whole wheat bagel, hit it with a little creme fraische and topped the whole thing with some tomato, fresh marjoram and arugula. From ordinary to extraordinary in the same amount of time as the ordinary. Yum breakfast!

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Seafood Thai Green Curry

Thai green curry is a flavor packed meal, thats becuase there are so many ingredients to work with. For beginners, I recommend buying the green curry paste and then graduating to making that paste when you have the other parts of the dish down.

Green Curry Paste
1/2 cup basil (thai if you can find it)
1/2 cup cilantro
6 green chilis (thai if you find)
1 tablespoon ground ginger (galingol)
1 tablespoon ground garlic
1 shallot or 1/4 red onion
3 green onions chopped
1 piece of lemon grass
juice from 1/2 a lime
1 bay leaf
cumin, coriander, salt and pepper

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. I used finger hot, Anaheim, habanero and jalapeño chillies because they didn't have Thai chilis.



Once you have the green curry paste you can begin making the rest of the dish. The curry paste will last about a week in the fridge if you want to make extra to save.

Seafood Vegetable Thai Green Curry

1 pound peeled deveined shrimp (u24 is a good size)
1/2 pound bay scallops
8oz jumbo lump crab meat (any crab meat will suffice)

1 thai eggplant, chopped large
1 cup broccoli and cauliflower mix
1/2 cup carrots, julienned
1 green bell pepper, julienned
1 can of bamboo shoots, julienned

1 cup of Thai green curry paste
2 cans lite coconut milk

1 handful of unsalted cashews (I had salted so I rinsed them in cold water)
1/2 cup of basil
1/2 cup cilantro

Garnish
Sliced Avocado
Green onions
Cilantro
Basil
Lime wedges

Start a large cooking vessel or wok on medium high heat. Add vegetable oil to coat the bottom and add you vegetables, cover. After 5 minutes remove the veggies and add your seafood. Stir to cook evenly, after 5 minutes remove and set aside, they will cook through in the curry. Add green curry paste to the pot and let it cook for 1 minute, do worry they will bring out all of the flavor. Add the coconut milk and mix it through, let it cook for 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and add the veggies and the seafood. Let cook for twenty minutes. Turn off the heat and add the cashews, cilantro and basil.



I also boiled up some nice jasmine rice and added a little coconut oil and salt. The lump crab meat made the dish so rich and coated all of the other items in the mix. We had our friends Sean & Dana over for dinner. They both know their Thai food well and we all cleaned our plates so I was happy with my first try at Thai Curry from scratch.

Shrimp and Vegetable Risotto

Risotto is my favorite dish to make when I have a lot of company but don't want to spend too much money. I had 7 people to feed and a bag of Arborio rice in my pantry. I picked up a pound and a half of peeled and deveined shrimp (u30) for $9, so it would be a big meal for under $20 out of pocket. I also bought a box of Kitchen Basics brand vegetable stock (way better than canned stuff), a red bell pepper, parsley, a vidallia onion, a leek, baby carrots and a loaf of Italian bread.

When cooking risotto you have to dedicate yourself to the kitchen. It is not possible to multi task and cook a good risotto, so don't even try. Next you need to have all your food chopped and cookware in place. Start by getting these things ready; a large Cast Iron pot (LeCruset)or high sided frying pan for cooking the risotto, a large stock pot (6 or 8 qt), a medium sauté pan, a heat proof spatula or wooden spoon and a ladle. Then chop all of the vegetables to a fine dice and season the shrimp with salt pepper and olive oil. Get out 3/4 of a stick of butter, 1 cup of white wine and 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.

Start by pouring the box of stock into the large stock pot and adding 6 cups of water, put the pot on medium low heat. Start the large pot for risotto on medium low heat (4 of 10) and add enough olive oil to cover the bottom. Add the chopped onion and leek and stir, let cook until the onion is translucent. Now add the bag of risotto, about 3 cups. Stir the rice until it begins to toast a bit, about 4 minutes. Turn the heat down to low (2 of 10) then add the wine and stir, let all of the wine cook off. Then add three ladles of warmed stock. Stir the rice well until all of the liquid is almost all absorbed. Add three more ladles of stock and stir it in again. Stir the pot every 2 minutes or so, don't walk away. Keep adding the three ladles of stock every time the liquid is almost gone. It should take about 30 to 40 minutes for the rice to stop absorbing the liquid rapidly and begin to get tender. Once the rice is tender but still has some firmness it is ready for the next step. Turn off the heat and add the butter and Parmesan cheese. Fold it in and start the medium sauté pan on medium high. Quickly sauté the remaining vegetables in olive oil for about 3 minutes then add the shrimp. Cook for about 3 more minutes or until the shrimp are light pink, DO NOT over cook the shrimp, they will cook through in the rice. Now add the cooked shrimp and veggies to the risotto and fold it all together, being gentle not to beat up the rice in the risotto. Finish it off with some parsley, fresh Parmesan cheese and hot garlic bread.


This fed 8 people all having seconds and I ate the rest for lunch today. You can do thousand of variations of ingredients which is why risotto is an important dish to learn how to cook. Once you get the skill you can literally have a different risotto every day if you don't die of heart disease first. Boun Appetito

Slow Cooked Polenta with Leek Ragu

This is a vegetarian dish that could be made vegan as well. Polenta can be cooked many ways and today I wanted to experiment. I started a medium pot on medium heat with 1 cup heavy cream, 1 cup milk, 2 cups vegetable stock and 2 cups water until it began to steam. I slowly poured in 1.5 cups of polenta (corn grits) into the pot while stirring constantly. It is kinda like rubbing your belly and patting your head at the same time, so go slow. Once all of the polenta has been added, stir the mixture for 3 minutes. The turn the heat to very low and stir every 3 to 5 minutes for 1 hour or until polenta is soft. To finish, add 2 tbsp of butter, a handful of Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste. It is very important to stir, stir, stir the polenta. Setting a timer really helps, I just do it every time the song changes on Pandora.

For the leek ragu I chopped leeks, onions, red bell pepper, tomato and garlic at put them in a medium saute pan on medium high. I cooked them until tender then added a teaspoon of tomato paste and let that cook for 2 minutes. Then I added a shot of marsala wine and splash of balsamic vinegar. I let that cook for five minutes until the liquids were absorbed. It was finished with fresh parsley, salt and pepper.

I spooned the polenta into the bowl, cut an opening in the center and poured in the ragu. This polenta is a simple and filling Italian style dish. This is probably not the healthiest way to cook it but it was the best tasting polenta I have ever made.

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Chicken Tikka, Cucumber Raita, Basmati and Naan

Here goes another attempt at getting serious about Indian food. Chicken Tikka, which is similar to Tandoori chicken, is made many different ways and there are hundreds of recipes on the internet. I looked at many of these and decided on taking different aspects of the best ones and added my own style. I don't have a tandoor oven, which is the traditional way of cooking this dish so I used my indoor grill.

Start by making the spice mix by combining 1 part coriander, cumin, salt and garam masala with 2 parts turmeric, cayenne, and paprika. Then puree the onions, ginger, garlic, hot peppers and lemon juice in a food processor and blend it with the spice mix, this mixture is known as Tandoori Masala. Combine the Tandoori Masala and the yogurt together to make the marinade for the chicken.


Chop boneless chicken breast (or thigh) into medium chunks, about 4 pieces per breast. Lay out the chicken in a single layer in a shallow baking dish and pour in the marinade. Poke the chicken with a fork to tenderize and then refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 24. Turn every 4 or 6 hours for the best results. Remove the chicken from the marinade, shake of the excess and put them on a hot grill. Turn as necessary to cook through and get a nice color.

FOOL PROOF RICE: This is the easiest and most fool proof method to making any rice. It works every time. Just do not touch it. It works for any amount of rice in any size cooking pot.

Put the rice in the pot and cover with cool water. Mix it around with your hand a few times and then drain by slowly tilting pot. Refill with cool water. The perfect water level is when the water is one thumbnail above the rice (half and inch). Put your thumb in the water and check to see the level. Add salt or oil if desired at this point. FROM THIS POINT ON DO NOT STIR THE RICE - AT ALL. Put the pot over med-high(7 of 10) until the the water boils off and the top of the rice is almost at the water level. Turn the heat to low (1 of 10) and cover the pot tightly by using a piece of aluminum foil over the pot then putting the lid on. Let the rice cook undisturbed for 12 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE LID. Take it off of the heat and let it rest for at least 5 minutes but it can sit for up to a half hour. Remove the lid and the aluminum foil and fluff with a fork. You will have perfect rice every time, no measuring and no sticky mess.

Cucumber Raita: Puree a clove of garlic, same amount of ginger, a handful of cilantro and a handful of mint with 1 whole peeled seedless cucumber in a food processor. Mix it with 2 cups of yogurt and the juice from half of a lemon. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate at least half an hour.

I bought the Naan bread and heated it in the oven, fluffed my basmati rice, and got the raita out of the fridge. The chicken was off the grill finally (indoor grill is no outdoor grill I assure you) so I put everything together family style because we were having friends join us for this awesome feast. Everyone was pleased with how it all turned out, I can see this dish being a staple and one I continue to work on. Namaste

Sunnyside Up with Breakfast Potatoes

The fastest and easiest of all decent breakfasts, eggs and potatoes. Sunnyside up eggs can be tricky because if they are over cooked they are like rubber and if they are undercooked they have this nasty slime on top that is really offputting. Most restaurants mess them up to one side or the other, that is why I usually make them at home with this easy method.

Sunnyside Up Eggs:
Start the oven on 350. Start a medium sautee pan, non stick is best, on mid-low (4 out of 10) and put just enough oil to coat the pan. You can use any oil or spray of your choice. Then crack the eggs by striking it on a FLAT surface like the countertop. Hitting the egg on the edge of a bowl or pan increases the chance of breaking the yolk. Crack the egg open just above the preheated pan. Cook the egg for about 4 minutes or until white starts to set up. Then place the whole pan in the oven for 5 mintues or until the top of the egg is stiff, fluffy and the white is opaque. Perfect every time.

For the breakfast potatoes I diced up a left over baked potato from last nights' dinner. I started a sautee pan on medium with oil and butter then added some chopped red onion and red hot pepper and let cook for 5 minutes. I then added the diced potatoes and let it all cook together for about 15 minutes. I finished with parsley, salt and pepper.

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Cold Lentil Salad

Its the end of the week so I don't have much food to work with. I always look at my dry storage at these times, it helps get rid of older dry goods and forces me to think outside the box. For this dish I saw that I had some lentils from.... who knows when, could be years ago, and decided to make them.

I do not have that much experience with lentils but I figured a cold lentil salad would be a nice change of pace. I also had a few little veggies I needed to use as well so here we go.

I picked through the lentils for stones and bad lentils. I then rinsed them and put them in a saucepot with cold water. I brought the pot to a boil over medium high heat and let it boil for 3 minutes. Turned it down to a simmer and let cook for 20 minutes or until tender. The age and dryness of the lentiles will determine how long it takes to get tender, could be 10 min or an hour. Then I drained the lentils and cooled them off in an ice water bath and drained them again letting them sit in a strainner to drain well (overly water lentils wont make as good a salad). I then chopped my remaining carrots, green onion, red pepper and spinach. I blanched them in some boiling water for 3 mintues to get the rawness out and then added the drained veggies to the lentil mix. To finish I added a splash of extra virgin olive oil and white vinegar, a lot of salt & pepper, fresh basil and a squeeze of lemon juice. I mixed it up carefully as not to break the lentils, covered it with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for a few hours. You can eat this a side to any meal or as a healthy main course. Bon appetit!

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Poached Eggs over Spinach

The concept of this blog is to work with what you have. I don't have time to go shopping everyday for specific items so I buy a bunch of stuff and make up dishes based on what needs to be eaten before it spoils. This carbless breakfast was great. I sauteed some spinach then squeezed out all of the excess water. I then poached some eggs (see fool proof method below). I still had a small amount of the tomatillo hot pepper salsa, so I softened a big spoon a cream cheese in the microwave and mixed it half and half with the salsa. I topped the eggs and spinach with the sauce and sprinkled some paprika over the whole thing. Love Breakfast

Foolproof poached eggs - bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling add some salt and 2 teaspoons of white vinegar (you can use any vinegar but the less taste the better). The vinegar is crucial to success. Next crack the egg into an oiled laddle. Slowly lower the laddle into the boiling water, hold it for 10 seconds and then turn the laddel over dropping the egg into the water. Repeat dropping each egg in a different location (preferably in a circle so you know which is done first. Wait 3 to 4 minutes then take a slotted spoon and start retrieving the eggs in the order you put them in. Shake off the excess water or blot with a paper towel. Yum!

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Egg Whites and Spinach in a Tortilla

This is the last tortilla dish, because I have finally run out. This is a tasty and fast way to start the day. Sautee some spinach and onions, pour in some egg white (from the carton in the egg section) and top with some cheese and left over tomatillo hot pepper salsa.

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Chili Rubbed Chicken with Tomatillo Salsa and Radish Salad

I love Mexican food. It has fresh and clean flavors with a nice kick of heat. The dish I made tonight was chili rubbed and shredded chicken, roasted tomatillio and hot peppers salsa, a radish and cilantro salad, seasoned rice and hot corn tortillas. I served it family style so that we could make our own mix and because Mexican food is traditionally family style food.

Spice Mix:
Chipotle Powder
Cayenne Pepper
Crushed Red Chili
Chili Powder
Black Pepper
Coriander
Cumin
Oregano
Salt
touch of garam masala (mexicans traditionaly use many of the spices in garam masala in mole sauces)
I mixed this with a mortar and pestal


Chili Rubbed Chicken:

Lightly coat 2 boneless chicken breasts with agave nectar. A spoonful should do it. Add a few scoops of the spice mix and coat the chicken breasts completely. Place them on a baking sheet and cook in the oven for 15 minutes at 375. Let it rest and then shred it with a knife or fork. They should look like this.

Roasted Tomatillo and Hot Pepper Salsa:
Anaheim Pepper
Habenero Pepper
Hot Finger Pepper
Garlic
Green Onion
Tomatillo
Lime Juice
Cilantro
Spice Mix

Roast all of the ingredients in a 375 oven for 15 minutes. Let it cool and put it all in a blender with some of the spice mix, then add salt, fresh cilantro and fresh lime juice. Puree this until smooth in my food processor. It was definatley spicy and hot. Take out the habenero if you want to bring down the heat level.


Radish Salad:
Red Radishes
Chopped Cilantro
Agave Nectar
Lime Juice
Veg Oil
Salt & Pepper

Thinly slice the radish then add all the ingredients and mix in a small bowl.

Toast the corn tortillas in a sauté pan with a touch of oil, they are raw when you buy them. If you over cook them they will get hard like a tortilla chip.

For the rice, just add some chopped up veggies and the spice mix. I used carrots and green onions for this go around.

It was absolutely delicious, I don't always compliment my own food but this one was very deserving of my self praise.

New School Bangers and Mash

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This is my take on an old classic, plus its what I had in the kitchen/fridge. For those who do not know, bangers and mash is the famous Irish Pub combination of sausages and mashed potatoes. It goes great with a cold pint of your favorite ale, trust me.

For my version I started with Hot Italian Style Chicken Sausages. I seared them on all sides over medium heat, once browned I turned the pan to low and let them slow cook all the way through. This technique will give you good color and crispy casing on the outside and juicy tender sausage on the inside.

My mashed potatoes were a mix of sweet potatoes and purple Peruvian potatoes. I started them in cold water and then put them over high heat until fork tender. I added butter, brown sugar, lemon juice, a splash of orange juice, coriander, nutmeg, salt and pepper then mashed it all together. I have never made this before, but it is what I had for potatoes and it worked out very well with the hot sausage.

I added some sautéed spinach to the dish for color, taste, health and the fact that my big bag of spinach needed to be eaten asap. I sautéed some chopped vidallia onion in butter and olive oil over medium heat until tender. I then added the spinach, salt and pepper and tossed for about 4 minutes.

I plated it up all together and made this unique dish. My great grandmother is Irish, she probably would not approve of what I have done to this classic but thats OK, it was delicious.

Orange Apple Carrot Smoothie

Blending fruits and veggies together is a way to get good flavor and all of your needed vitamins and minerals in one glass. This blended concoction has frozen apple, pear, banana, papaya, a bit of fresh ginger, a handful of baby carrots and some orange juice. It is much tastier then it sounds and is packed with all kinds of good stuff. To your health.

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Scrambled Egg and Turkey Sausage Two Ways

This is a quick way to feed the beast and get to eat two different styles of breakfast with minimal work. I made an omelete as I demonstrated on a previous blogpost. This one had jalepeno, red onion, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, green onion, swiss and basil. I used a ring mold to cut a perfect sized circle and put the egg circle on a toasted honey wheat english muffin. I chopped the leftover egg and put it into a toasted corn tortilla. I cooked off some turkey sausage patties (trying to keep it healthy where possible) and put some on the sandwich, I then chopped the remainder and added it to the totilla. I topped both with sour cream, choula sauce and fresh spinach.

It is very easy to make lunch and breakfast foods two different ways and people (me) enjoy it more as well. I will do more duos soon...stay tuned.

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BBQ Tostadas

This was a quick dinner made of our leftover bbq takeout from the other night. The meats were dry rub ribs, beef brisket, pulled pork and roasted chicken which I reheated by baking. I pulled the meat from the bones and chopped it all together. I then added some bbq sauce and choula pepper sauce to the meat and mixed it through.

I chopped some tomatoes, green onions, cucumber, jalepeno pepper, red onion and cilantro together and mixed it with salt and pepper. I then cooked off some corn tortillas (they are raw when you buy them and need to be cooked for a few minutes on each side).

I added the meat mix, topped with fresh veggie mix and leftover spicy bbq sauce. Serve with your favorite cold beverage, mine is in the picture, what is yours?

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Potato and Eggplant Curry with Basmati Rice, Spouts Salad and Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce

Wow, where to start. I have been trying to make my own curries (dry and wet, green and red) recently and after a lot of research I have made some progress. Since it is Saturday, I was able to go to the weekly organic farmers market in Coconut Grove and pick up some key ingredients.

After the market, Nicole and I went to our friends Josue and Laura's house to try to make some serious vegetable curry. We chose eggplants, white sweet potato, baby sweet potato, vidallia onion and purple potato for the vegetables. I chopped all of the potatoes uniformly about a 1/2 inch square. I also chopped the eggplant and onion uniformly at 3/4 inch square. I laid the veggies out on a sheet tray and baked them for 25 minutes at 315 or until cooked but still firm.

In the meantime I went about making the curry. For the wet green curry I mixed chopped garlic, ginger, Serrano chillies, jalapeño peppers, habanero peppers, coconut water, fenugreek, coriander, salt and black pepper together with a mortar and pestal. For the dry curry I mixed powdered coriander, cumin, cayenne, red chili, mustard seed, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, clove, star anise, nutmeg, bay leaf, thyme and turmeric in a dry sauté pan. I turned the pan on low and waited until the spices became fragrant. I then added the seasoning mix to the wet curry and belended it all together.

We chose to go classic and use basmati rice. Rinse the rice twice in cold water. Then add new water and bring the rice to a boil. Let the rice cook on medium heat until the rice has risen to the water level. Cover the pot using a piece of aluminum foil first the put on the pot lid , this will create a very tight seal. Turn it to low and let it cook another 7 to 9 minutes, set a side and let it rest for at least 5 minutes before fluffing.

I also made a cucumber yogurt condiment which consisted of: sliced cucumber, yogurt, olive oil, curry seasoning, salt and black pepper.

To finish the curry we started a large pot on medium heat. We added the curry and stirred it until fragrant. We then added a can of coconut milk and some coconut water. We let this cook for 10 minutes and then added all of the vegetables. We let that cook for another 10 minutes to get heated through and to allow the flavors to meld.

I served this with a sprouts salad that was a mix of organic sunflower, broccoli and buckwheat sprouts with a sprouted bean mix of 6 different beans. I tossed that with an herb-lime vinaigrette and some vidallia onions.

It turned out pretty good and I enjoyed it as well. I think this curry road is going to be a long a interesting flavor adventure. One I willingly will travel.

Swiss Omelet with EXTRA Crispy Bacon and Toast

Perfect omelets are easier then many people think. This is a fool proof way to make a perfect omelet every time.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sauté red and green bell peppers, green onion and white onions. Start a separate, large non-stick pan on medium heat, once it is hot add equal parts butter and olive oil to coat pan. Add the scrambled eggs and let them set for 2 minutes. Then add the cooked veggies and top that with your favorite cheese and herbs (I chose swiss and cilantro). Place the whole pan in the oven and cook for about 7 minutes or until the top is firm. Remove from oven and let cool.



Extra Crispy bacon is literally the best thing since sliced bread. To get perfect bacon you need to get bakin. Use a large sheet pan lined with aluminum foil. Lay bacon on the tray close but not overlapping. Cook for about 30 minutes at 325 degrees, half way through blot the bacon to suck up the excess fat. Let sit for 10 minutes and blot again. Best Bacon Ever!

For the best timing you would start the bacon, then sauté the veggies. At fifteen minutes left for the bacon you start the omelet and finish it all about the same time

I also toasted a sandwich thin, buttered it and cut it into fours. I made it into a circle for fun...I guess. More likely it was for you guys. Enjoy!

Chicken and Steak Fried Rice

Hungry - check
In a rush - check
Leftover rice, chicken and steak - check

Fried rice is one of my favorite leftover creations. Come to think of it, this is probably how the dish was invented. I can see the chinese guy now, sitting around with the same check list and suddenly having the stoke of genius to make one of the world's favorite dishes. Here is my quick version, feel free to substitute the veggies and protein to your liking.

I fine chopped some garlic, ginger, carrots, green beans and scallions. Then I diced up the left over chicken from last nights dinner and chopped the small piece of leftover steak from two nights ago. I started my largest sautee pan on med-high and added some sesame oil. Then added the all the veggies and sauteed rapidly. Once they were cooked (about 3 minutes) I added the meat and stirred that with the veggies until heated through (about 3 more minutes). I then added the leftover rice from last night and let that heat through and get a little crispy, another 3 or 4 minutes. I added one scrambled up egg and mixed again as fast as possible so that the egg coated all of the ingredients with out coagulating. I finished it all off with some soy sauce, 5 spice powder and black sesame seeds.

Now I can be out the door in time to hit The Gansevoort rooftop pool on time and with a happy stomach.

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