DIY Dinners

[RadicalModerate]

One of the things that got me into "cooking" as a hobby was the look on the face of a semi-local "deprived" resident (a 20-year old friend of a friend of a kid of mine) who looked up from her plate (of latecomer leftovers, sometime in the winter, many years ago and after the postponed Holiday Family Gathering) long enough to say: "I think this is the best meal I have ever eaten.

I believe that good food, well prepared, is something worth doing and sharing.

[FoodFuser]

One of the things that got me into "cooking" as a hobby was the look on the face of a semi-local "deprived" resident (a 20-year old friend of a friend of a kid of mine) who looked up from her plate (of latecomer leftovers, sometime in the winter, many years ago and after the postponed Holiday Family Gathering) long enough to say: "I think this is the best meal I have ever eaten.

I believe that good food, well prepared, is something worth doing and sharing.

RM, I'm with you on sharing, as increases our bounty with folks in our scope. And accord to containers.

[RadicalModerate]

I used to hate even the thought of eating lamb. I always referred to it as "the Brussel's Sprouts of meat."
But that was only because I had been mislead into thinking that LAMB tasted like MUTTON.
It does not. It is tender and delicious instead of nasty and skunky.

I made this yesterday and it turned out really, really good. I based it on a recipe in an old issue of Bon Appétit and one of those Pioneer Woman--or Prairie Woman, whatever--"Flat Apple Pies". The next day I had a one-fourth-of-a-pie slice from the whole other pie that was left over from yesterday. I heated it in the microwave for one minute. It was just as good and tasty as the bigger slice from yesterday. In fact, maybe even a bit better. =)

I think the "make-ahead" suggestion on the time consuming part is a very good idea and wouldn't detract at all from the overall goodness of this dish.

Best of all it isn't really expensive to create!

Oh: And we froze the remainder of the brasing broth to use over some pasta sometime in the near future!

------------------------
Lamb Shank Pie
4 large servings (two pies). PREP: 1 hour TOTAL: 3 hours 15 minutes (includes braising time)
Recipe based on Braised Lamb Shanks by Restaurant Saveur Bailey's Harbor, Wisconsin, Bon Appétit October 2010

Ingredients
Lamb---3 meaty lamb shanks or 3 lamb shoulder chops (about 2.5 lbs.)
All purpose flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup peeled, finely chopped carrots (one carrot)
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped celery (one stalk)
1-1/3 cups low-salt chicken broth
1-1/3 cups low-salt beef broth
1 cup red wine
1 handful grape tomatoes
2 Tbs. honey
5 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed
4 whole cloves
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground allspice
4 sprigs each fresh thyme, rosemary, and Italian parsley
1 lemon, halved
3 or 4 small potatoes, 1/8" slice
2 carrots, cut in half crosswise then sliced lengthways at 1/8" thickness
4- 1/8" onion slices
1 pkg. refrigerated pie crusts

Preparation
Preheat oven to 325°F. Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper; coat with flour. Heat oil in large ovenproof pot over medium heat. Working in batches, if necessary, brown lamb about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to large bowl. Add carrots, onion, and celery to pot; sauté until light brown, about 10 minutes. Add both broths and wine; stir, scraping up browned bits. Add next 7 ingredients and herb sprigs. Squeeze in juice from lemon halves; add lemon halves and lamb. Bring to simmer, cover tightly, and transfer to oven.

Braise lamb until very tender, about 2-1/2 hours. Transfer to large plate and pull all the meat off the bones. Boil juices until reduced to 2 1/2 cups, about 25 to 30 minutes, stirring to break up the tomatoes. Parboil the potato and carrot slices in salted water for about 10 min. until fork tender. Fry the onion slices, seasoned with salt and pepper, in some olive oil until browned and tender.

Raise oven temperature to 350-deg. Unroll one of the (room temperature) pie crusts on a large hotel pan lined with parchment paper. Put a layer of potato slices in the center of the crust leaving at least two inches of crust to fold up later. Top the potatoes with a layer of lamb (about 1/4 of the amount available) and a ladle of the pan juices (try to remove the stems from the herbs and bay leaves). Add a layer of carrots, more lamb and more juice. Top with onions and more juice. Fold the crust up around the filling using overlapping pleats around the center, leaving an open area at the top. Repeat with other crust. Place in oven for about 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool. Slice in half (or in fourths) and serve with peas or other green vegetable on the side.
--------------------------

[ctchandler]

RadicalModerate,
I had never eaten lamb until our visits to England, and after about four months in England and Ireland, have learned to really enjoy it. Lamb shank is excellent by itself, but I haven't had your recipe of Lamb Shank Pie. I'm headed back over there shortly so maybe I will get a chance to try it.
C. T.

[RadicalModerate]

With hot weather just around the corner, it's nice to have some quick, easy and not too heavy. I've been working on perfecting this for years. I think I'm getting close. Just made it, again, the other day.

The (Almost) Ultimate "'Cajun' Seafood Pasta Salad"

1 pkg. pasta (med. shells)
1 can tuna (solid Albacore in water, drained)
1 can crabmeat (fancy white lump, or other, drained)
1 doz. medium shrimp (raw, shells on)
Red and green bell peppers (1" slice from top of pepper, cut around stem, then dice)
3-4 green onions, sliced
1/4" slice red onion, diced
2 stalks celery, sliced lengthwise then 1/8" to 1/4" cross-sliced
Green olives (a dozen or so), halved, lengthwise
Capers
Salt
Black pepper
Other seasoning(s)**
Dressing***
Grated cheese (optional, Pecorino Romano is good here. So is Parmesan.)
Grape tomatoes (optional)

Prepare pasta per package directions (try to stay on the "al dente" side), drain, toss with olive oil, season with salt, pepper, (other seasoning**) and refrigerate. Thaw and cook shrimp*, allow to cool, peel and refrigerate. Prep onions, peppers and olives. Drain tuna and crabmeat. Gently spread out tuna and season with seasoning** of choice. Add prepped vegetables and tuna to pasta, mix well. Be gentle and try not to break up the tuna chunks too much. Top mixture with the crabmeat (don't mix it in with the rest of the ingredients). Refrigerate until ready to serve.

*Cooking the Shrimp:
• Standard Boiling
• Alton Brown Oven Roasting
• Old Bay Steaming (1/2 cup vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 2 Tbsp. Old Bay, bring to boil in a saucepan, add shrimp, cover and cook for 3-5 minutes. 4 minutes seemed to work just fine).

**Seasonings:
• Chef Paul Seafood Magic (for the tuna and the pasta)
• Aunt Nellie's Cajun Blackening Seasoning (I used this on the tuna)
• Tastefully Simple Cajun Herb Seasoning (and this on the pasta)

***Dressing Notes:
• Mayo (or Miracle Whip) with some yellow mustard (the old standby, like for potato salad)
• Thousand Island (if you have some left over from last St. Reuben's Sandwich Day)
• Catalina (I think that this was what was on the first, basic, version of this I ever tasted)
• Russian (Or add some stone-ground Dijon mustard to that left over Catalina)
• Italian (Zesty or Hearty is pretty darn good)
• Greek Vinaigrette (My personal favorite)

This mixture is good without any dressing at all, so don't drown it in whatever dressing you choose. Put some dressing on a plate on in a pasta dish. Add a nice sized heap of the main mixture and top with some of the crabmeat. Add a little more dressing if desired. Toss on some capers and grape tomatoes (optional). Grate a little cheese over it.

Cornbread was good on the side.
Other types of toasted bread (like baguette slices) or crackers work well, too.

[RadicalModerate]

If you just aren't up to driving all the way to Custino's or Vito's or any of our other fine Italian Restaurants--including the soon to be open? Gabriella's At The County Line--here is a pretty good alternative . . .

Rustic Spaghetti and Sausage with Pomodoro Sauce

1 pkg. Johnsonville Sweet, Mild or Hot Italian Sausages (5 sausages)
Good quality olive oil (e.g. Colavita)
1 28 oz can good quality whole, peeled, Italian plum tomatoes (e.g. Cento/San Marzano)
1/2 (+) med. yellow onion, chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 - 3 tsp. tomato paste
Salt
Pepper
Dried oregano
Fresh basil
1 pkg. good quality spaghetti (e.g. Barilla)
Rustic Italian bread
Parmesiana Reggiano or Pecorrino Romano cheese.

Remove stems and "cores" from canned Italian (preferably [Cento] San Marzano) tomatoes.
Put "cleaned", slightly crushed, tomatoes in bowl along with juice.
Heat a small amount of oil in deep cooking pan and lightly brown sausages on all sides.
Remove sausages to the side or to another pan in warming oven.
Add 1/2 cup olive oil to pan and heat over medium heat.
Stir in tomato paste and onion. Season w/ salt and pepper.
Let onion cook for about two minutes.
Stir in garlic and cook for about one minute (don't let it burn).
Add tomatoes and juice. Mix well Add dried oregano to taste (1 or 2 tsp.+)
Add sausages back to pan and increase heat to med. high.
Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for thirty minutes,
stirring and turning sausages occasionally. (You can add sliced mushrooms to this.)
Tear fresh basil leaves into good sized pieces and add to sauce just before serving.

Boil spaghetti in salted water for minimum time recommended (very "al dente" but not "crunchy")
Drain pasta into colander and return to pasta pot.
Add about 1 cup of sauce to pasta and mix well.
Let sit, stirring occasionally until ready to plate.
(Spaghetti will continue to cook and will absorb sauce flavor)

Put some spaghetti on each plate, add generous amount of sauce and grate some cheese over it.
Put a sausage on the side and a nice slice of the bread that you have sliced, buttered and warmed/toasted in the oven.

Also serve vegetable of choice on the side.
Zuchini, broccolini, broccoli rabe, or just broccoli are all good options.

Marsala Mushrooms are also a good side for this.

[Kaye]

Yummy recipes! I will have to give them a try. The first will be the Cajun Pasta Salad. It sounds perfect for a warm day.

[RadicalModerate]

Trust me, Kaye: It is. =)
If the shrimp you pick up seem too big, a nice, decorative, touch is to cut them in half the long direction.

Oh! Regarding the seasonings/seasoning blends: Whatever you can find or have on hand will work fine as long as you like the taste and it has some sort of vaguely "Cajun" thing going on. Otherwise you would have to call it something other than "Cajun Seafood Salad." =)

Thousand Island Dressing with some stone ground mustard mixed in is also good in this connection.
(It's quite similar to the Crabcake Dipping Sauce at Outback =)

Tonight, I'm planning to do one of those "Flat Pies" using a little leftover pork, brisket and rib meat from Oklahoma Station BBQ. If it works out good, I'll post the Kwik-N-EZ instructions.

[Roadhawg]

I think I'm going to try that Cajun Pasta Salad also.

[Kaye]

I'll have to see what seasonings I have to choose from. And I probably will split the shrimp because what I have in the freezer is larger. This is definitely going on next week's meal plan. I'll also probably use your Old Bay steaming method. I've never cooked shrimp using vinegar before. I'm betting it'll add just a little hint of zip to be wonderful. I've got some seasoned bread sticks that I've baked and frozen. I think they'll go nicely with this.

[RadicalModerate]

The (YE) Old Bay Steaming Method is not "mine".
It is on the side of the container. =)

In fact, Old Bay Seasoning would probably suffice, throughout the seasoning process, of this dish hitting the plate.
(with minimal whining and complaints by the diners regarding "seasoning")
(refer to notes on "Dressing the Plate" as long as it is "prepared with love" =)

Although I am somewhat partial to The Chef Paul Blends . . . (Emeril Brand is OK, too . . . =)

The Alton Brown Oven-Roast Shrimp (ref. "Food Network" for further explanation) is good . . .
yet not the best method in my experience.

As long as you involve "The Trinity" (bell pepper, celery and onion) it would be fair to refer to it as "Cajun".
If you used carrots instead of bell pepper, you could call it "Seafood Pasta Salad 'Provincal ala MirePoix'" =)

Bon Appetit. =)

BTW: The "Oklahoma Station Barbeque Flat Pie" I "invented" last night (borrowing from the real chefs and leftovers) was semi-superb.
It would have been superb, except for it was a bit dry on account of a lack of gravy. =)

[Kaye]

Definitely will be using bell peppers. They're growing nicely in the mini-garden right now. This time of year I try to incorporate a couple of pasta salads, chef salads etc. into the meal plan each week.

[RadicalModerate]

So . . . The other day, I was sitting out on our modest, yet very comfortable, and recently redecorated patio. I was enjoying the peace, quiet, and train horns in the distance, when I noticed that our basil plants seemed to be struggling even though they have been getting plenty of water this year. I thought, "I need to cook something to use up some of that basil . . ." I dragged out my copy of what is perhaps the best single cookbook ever written ("Rao's Cookbook, Over 100 Years of Italian Home Cooking) Lo and behold!: Right next to the previously bookmarked (and actually once prepared) page for the recipe for "Sunday Gravy" was a simple recipe for "Fusilli with Fresh Tomatoes and Mozzarella." Fresh basil is a key component!

I thought, "That sounds quick, easy and tasty . . . yet . . . it needs some protein on the side." I thought of pork chops . . . I considered a couple of small beef filets . . . The thought of Johnsonville Italian Sausage crossed my mind . . . maybe even some tilapia or chicken? Then it came to me: Braciole!

If you look up "Braciole" on the Internet you might find this:
"Braciole (bree-zshole)...Italian stuffed & rolled flank steak." I've also seen its pronunciation shown as "brah-zshool" but that is sometimes used as a rude, Italian insultpun.) Regardless of pronunciation, "Braciole" is an optional addition to the very time and labor intensive, Soprano's/Goodfella's style, "Sunday Gravy" (along with the traditional meatballs, pork roast and Italian sausage).

The next evening, that is, the one following my concern for the condition of the basil, after a stop at the local Sonic (not The World's Worst Sonic over on 122nd . . . but one of the best Sonics: on Britton Road) and after enjoying their re-introduction, to the menu, of Designer Hot Dogs (plus exploring the intricacies of appropriately appreciative trip-charge tipping after underestimating the quality and quantity of the delicious French fries on our initial order) my wife and I motored over to Sunflower Market. They had everything I needed to prepare a modified version of The "Official Recipe" that follows and for a very reasonable price, by the way.

Note that I substituted Sunflower Market's very thin sliced pork chops for the traditional flank steak or round steak roast (both too tough for "quick cooking", in my opinion) and pounded them even thinner—in order to gain surface area for the filling and to facilitate rolling. Also note that we got whatever decent Parmesan, Prosciutto and Fresh Mozzarella they had on the shelves rather than those versions "specified" in the guidelines, below. I was glad to see that they had a "first-time (key ingredient) buy" for me—Arugula—on hand, and that they still carry that wonderful Ciabatta loaf to provide the bread on the side. (I'm a cook . . . not a baker. =) I also substituted No Salt Beef Stock for the "beef broth" and some Merlot for the "dry white wine." Plus I chopped up four remaining button mushrooms in the fridge to add to the criminis specified.

There was no appreciable difference in the quality of the finished product. Although, in retrospect, I may have overcooked the "pork rolls" in the braising liquid by maybe ten minutes (15 minutes, flip . . . go another 15 minutes . . . set aside to cool. Probably could have gone 10 plus 10.)

Please be advised: This thing is nearly as "fussy" to prepare as those Ina Garten Thanksgiving Turkey roll-ups. The prep time is more like AN HOUR and "15 min." if you don't have off-camera staff doing all of the prep. But I guarantee you that it is worth it.

My Mama's Braciole Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
Prep Time: 15 min Inactive Prep Time: -- Cook Time: 20 min Level: Easy Serves: 4 servings
Internet Page Link
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/...MATTER,00.html

Ingredients
8 slices beef braciole, beef very thinly sliced (or substitute pork)
Coarse salt and black pepper
8 slices Prosciutto di Parma (or other decent Prosciutto)
1 1/2 cups plain bread crumbs, eyeball it (I left out some Pepperidge Farm French loaves to dry)
1/2 cup milk, eyeball it (1/2 cup is almost too much)
2/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, 3 handfuls (or other acceptable Parm)
1 small onion, finely chopped (1/2 a small red onion was more than enough)
1/2 cup flat-leaf (Italian) parsley leaves, a couple of handfuls, chopped
1 cup chopped arugula
Plain round toothpicks
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
2 cloves, cracked away from skin
2 tablespoons butter
12 crimini mushrooms, finely chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup dry white wine (or red)
1 cup beef broth (or no salt beef stock)
1 rounded tablespoon tomato paste (a two-inch line of that tomato paste in a tube)

Directions
Season meat with salt and pepper. Top each slice of meat with a slice of prosciutto. In a medium bowl, moisten bread crumbs with milk. Add grated cheese, onion, parsley, arugula, salt and pepper to the crumbs and combine well. Spread a thin layer of stuffing down the center of each beef slice and roll tightly. Fasten rolled meat with plain toothpicks.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add oil to a hot pan along with garlic. Set meat into pan and brown on all sides, 6 minutes. Remove the meat from the pan. Add butter to the pan. Add mushrooms to the melted butter. Sauté mushrooms 5 minutes. Add flour to the pan and cook 2 minutes.

Whisk wine into the flour and mushrooms and scrape up pan drippings. Reduce wine 1 minute, then whisk in beef broth and tomato paste. Set meat back into sauce and reduce heat to medium low. Partially cover pan with a cover left ajar an inch. Simmer meat in sauce 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer beef rolls to a platter, removing toothpicks. Pour pan gravy down over the beef rolls and serve.

Oh! The Pasta Side for this: From Rao's Cookbook:
Heat some water for the Fusilli, add some salt when it's boiling.
Take about four Fresh Roma Tomatoes (extra ripe is OK here), parboil them for a couple of minutes, peel, core, seed and cut into big chunks.
Heat some olive oil in a skillet over very low heat; add some chopped garlic (and onion if you want). Let it cook for a couple of minutes. Toss in the tomatoes and a small handful of basil. (I max-blanched some very fresh, very thin, very delicious green beans from Sunflower Market until approaching al dente and tossed them into the pan with the tomatoes, garlic, onion and basil. Season with S&P, mix well. Remove from heat and let rest for about 15 minutes while you cook the fusilli.
Drain the pasta, return the pan with the veggies to the heat, and dump in the pasta.
Mix well and plate up.
Garnish with more basil and diced, fresh mozzarella.

Edited to Add: We dined al fresco (outside, on the patio) enjoying not only the food but the delighted squeals of the neighborhood children discovering, for the first time, the simple joys of the Slip-N-Slide in the park next door. And the train whistles in the distance. Ahh . . . Life's Simple Pleasures . . . In reality, it was "too hot" to dine outside, but we could have if we wanted to. =)

Should you be disposed to do so . . .
An "appropriate prayer/blessing" for the meal might be:
Thank you LORD, for the wonderful nourishment you have provided for us today.
Bless all of the hands that brought this to our table and bless it to the nourishment of our bodies.
In Jesus' name. Amen.

(of course, that prayer is optional.)

[RadicalModerate]

Adventures in Leftover Land: Quick Chicken Thighs Deluxo
(a.k.a. Kwik-Chicken Yummo) (a.k.a. Pollo Bueno y Facil y no mas dinero!)

After making Pan Seared Tilapia w/ Potato Salad the other day—and KC/(a.k.a.NY) Strip Steak w/Fusilli and Tomatoes, Basil and Fresh Mozzarella (c/o Rao's) (plus Asparagus on the side c/o Ina Garten) the day after that—I had some leftover "fresh" stuff to use up.

The Leftover List included (and please allow me to apologize, in advance, for any "unfamiliar formatting" here. Ignore all of The Italics should you choose to do so =):
3 Crimini mushrooms (a.k.a. "baby portobellos" . . . from the KC Strip "topping")
1/3 bundle asparagus (the nice, thin, tender type of asparagus)
1/2 bag "mini-gold" potatoes (a bit "spendy" up front, yet a very good value)
1/2 small red onion (again, leftover from the KC Strip "topping")
1 small head garlic (the other head, that I bought at the same time, was used up previously)
1 whole zested (a.k.a. "zestless"/a.k.a. "naked") lemon (from the "Lemon Butter" for the first-use asparagus garnish, c/o Ina Garten)
1 Ciabatta roll (Overpriced from Homeland . . . The Walmart "Ciabatta" product and the Sunflower product are both better and I'm still not over the discontinuing, by Homeland, some time ago, of the tried and true "Pugliese" loaf by the mental marketing "geniuses" . . . at Homeland =).

(Dammit, Jim . . . I'm a HOBBY COOK . . . not a BAKER . . . =)

On Hands (a.k.a. "From The Pantry" if you happen to be Ina Garten or Martha Stewart)
Olive oil (good quality, like Colavita or alt.)
Lots of seasonings and seasoning blends (too many to list, in this case I used some Kosher Salt/Coarse Ground Black Pepper plus a healthy shake of Chef Paul's Pork and Veal Magic. Chef Paul's Poultry Magic probably would have been more appropriate, but I didn't have any on-hand and I balked at using Chef Paul's Seafood Magic even though I was preparing "The Tuna of The Land". Go figure.)
Salted and Unsalted butter

Purchased
1 pkg. chicken thighs (I used to dislike chicken thighs but my wife's preferences corrected my opinion and these were only, like $3.50 for four of them)
1 container reduced salt chicken stock (chicken broth would have been perfectly acceptable)

Prep/etc. (a.k.a. "Mise en Place)
Finish processing the packaged chicken pieces; apply seasonings of choice, set aside.
Rinse the mushrooms and pat them dry, break off stems and discard, thin slice, set aside.
Slice onion, set aside (go for the type of slicing that produces those little crescent shaped pieces)
Peel about six cloves of garlic (to taste, it was a small head of garlic)
Rinse asparagus, trim off a bit of the hard stem ends and discard, snap stalks in halves or quarters.
Cut lemon into quarters

Cooking:
Heat oil in an oven-proof skillet that is large enough to hold all four thigh pieces. Sear chicken, skin side down, for 4 min., flip, add garlic cloves and lemon quarters, pour in a little chicken stock. Place skillet in pre-heated 400-deg. oven for about 35 min. or until done (undercooked chicken is a "no-no")

Put potatoes in high-sided skillet. Add enough chicken stock (or broth) to cover potatoes halfway. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat a bit, and cook for about 15 min. Remove lid, add 2T. unsalted butter plus herb/seasoning of choice. (I like "Herbes de Provence" here) Continue cooking, uncovered, until only enough liquid remains to serve as a sort of "sauce" for the potatoes that should now be tender.

Boil water in a small, high sided skillet. Add asparagus, boil for three to four minutes. Drain and set aside. Wipe out the pan. Add olive oil and heat over medium. Add the onions, season w/salt and pepper, let cook for about 15 minutes, over lowered heat, stirring frequently. Add 2T. unsalted butter, allow it to melt and foam, add sliced mushrooms. Increase the heat a bit and let mushrooms cook until tender and just beginning to brown.

At this point the chicken should be about ready to come out of the oven and the potatoes should be nearly finished. Place the sliced and buttered bread in the oven for maybe four minutes. Add the parboiled asparagus to the skillet and mix well. Allow it to heat through.

Remove the chicken and bread from the oven, plate up and enjoy.

This makes four servings (and there were only two of us) so we had two pieces of chicken and a good amount of potatoes left. Leading, naturally, to . . . =)

The Instant Re-Replay (the next day):
Thaw some frozen corn with a little water in the microwave.
Drain it, add a little salt and some butter. Stir in some extra flavoring. I went "Mexican": a couple of grinds from the "Chipotle Grinder" a couple of dashes of Chilula Hot Sauce and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Re-Nuke.

Plate up a piece of chicken with half the leftover potatoes and microwave until warmed through.
Repeat process for the second plate.
Place some corn on the plates and serve.

(A warmed-up tortilla on the side here wouldn't hurt . . .
but I didn't have any on hand. Sandwich bread was okay. =)

[RadicalModerate]

Beef and Vegetable Stir Fry (For two . . . almost certainly with leftovers)

The other day, my wife brought home some "Chinese" takeout that was waiting for me when I got in from work at the usual ungodly hour. It was from our favorite "Oriental" restaurant, Kim Wah over on Britton Road at May. Since it was late, and I wasn't especially hungry (plus I had to hit the sack so I could go back to work at about eight the next morning and didn't want to overload the digestive system) I just took a little sample from the "Go Box" container that was comprised of some meat and some veg. Dang it was good. Especially the tender, flavorful beef along with the gentle crunch of the water chestnuts and ultra thin carrot slices. I thought to myself, "It's been a LONG time since I've done any stir fry. I'm going to have to make a version of this." So that's what I decided to do today. Even though I know that I won't be able to achieve the same, indefinably good, nearly inscrutable, level of taste that even an average Chinese place seems to be able to present on a plate, I think that this will be passable. (So . . . Maybe they use fish sauce? Whatever.)

The first thing you may notice here is that I'm not showing any of the usual S&P/Lemon Pepper/Other Seasonings/ Worcestershire Sauce on the ingredient list. I'm also not getting into any marinades or marinating here. My thinking is that the bottled, pre-fab stuff, purchased at the grocery store, that I am going to try out for the first time, is going to take care of all of the required seasoning. You won't see the usual Garlic either, because the Wok Oil supposedly has it.

The second thing you may note is that I'm really sketchy on amounts of ingredients. This is the beauty of "stir-fry":
Just keep throwing stuff at the wok—or holding stuff back—until it looks right. This time I decided on noodles instead of rice.

Ingredients:
Steak, sliced very thin (this was one of a pair of sirloins that went for about $7.00 for both of them)
Ginger- about two inches, peeled, sliced very thin on a mandolin, slices halved
1carrot- sliced very thin on a mandolin
5 green onions- cut into 1/2" pieces, on an angle
Water chestnuts- (from a can) sliced very thin on a mandolin
Bamboo shoots- (from a can) what looks like enough, drained
Bean sprouts- (fresh) what looks like enough, rinsed
Broccoli- (fresh) one small crown, all the flowerets separated from the stalk, rinsed
"Wok Oil"- Bottled (a first time purchase for me)
"Classic Stir-Fry Sauce"- (another first time purchase for me)
1 pkg. Stir-Fry Noodles (ditto)
(A bottle of "Sirracha"/Rooster Sauce for backup in case it all seems too bland)

Mise en Place:
See above and do ALL the prep: When stir-frying it is especially important to have everything ready to hit the wok or skillet.

Procedure:
Boil 2 quarts of water for the noodles.
Blanch broccoli in water boiling for the noodles, remove, rinse w/cold water, set aside.
Boil noodles for 3 min. drain, rinse with cool water, drain, set aside.
Heat wok (or large skillet) over high heat (while you are doing steps 2 and 3).
Add 1-1/2 Tbsp. "Wok Oil" to heated cooking device
Stir fry thin-slices beef (or pork) for 2-1/2 min. (pull them if it looks like they are cooking too fast).
Add carrot, ginger, onions, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots and broccoli
Add 1/2 cup "Stir-Fry Sauce"
Stir fry for about 2 min. (add meat back if you had to remove it previously)
Add noodles to wok and toss together with meat and vegetables

Plate up and enjoy. I'm not showing bread because I don't think Chinese Bread exists. =)
However, a nice California Reisling does. =)

[RadicalModerate]

All the talk of "Authentic Mexican Food" on another thread got me to thinking about putting this post together . . .

After buying a package of boneless, skinless, chicken breasts for the purpose of preparing something we might call "Poulez en Papillote ala Martha Stewart" (basically an upscale "Hobo Dinner") I found that I had two of the three pieces of chicken, in the package, left over. They languished in the refrigerator for two or three days until I figured I had to cook them or would end up tossing them out. Please note that they had NOT started to "turn" . . . It's just that when the urge to do some cooking hit me, I knew I had to act on it because they wouldn't be any good in another two to three days. I also had a couple of unopened jars of Herdez Salsa Verde (along with a "secret ingredient") in the pantry, a leftover shallot and half an onion in the refrigerator plus all kinds of spices and seasonings in the cupboard. You could call the result "Pollo Verde" . . . Or you could just call it "30 Minute Easy Chicken" ("Treinta Minuto Pollo Facil" =)

Pollo Verde (El version beta)

Ingredients
Olive oil (three turns of an oven-proof skillet)
Kosher salt (to taste)
Coarse ground black pepper (to taste)
Ground New Mexico chiles (to taste)
Cumin (to taste)
2 large boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (rinsed, trimmed and cut into large chunks--about 5 chunks per breast)
1/2 onion, sliced
1 shallot, sliced
4 to 5 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1/2 jar Herdez Salsa Verde
1 can Tamarind Nectar (the "secret ingredient")

Instructions
Heat olive oil in an oven-proof skillet. Remember to start the pre-heating of the oven to 350-deg. Add onion and shallot, season with salt and pepper. Sauté over medium-high heat for about 5 min. while you prep/season the chicken with salt and pepper and prep the garlic cloves. Put the chicken chunks in the skillet (seasoned side down, moving the onions and shallots so the chicken contacts the pan.) Re-season the chicken with the ground chiles and cumin. Add the garlic. After about four minutes, flip the chicken pieces, add the Herdez Salsa Verde and place in the pre-heated oven. Cook for about 25 min. or until chicken pieces have an internal temperature of at least 161-deg. Flip the chicken at about the 15 minute mark. While the chicken is cooking, pour the can of Tamarind Nectar into a saucepan and reduce by 3/4 or more over high heat.

Remove the skillet from the oven, pull the chicken pieces and put them in the saucepan with the reduced Tamarind Nectar. Coat well, then pour the chicken and remaining liquid into a serving dish. Reserve the Green Sauce w/Onions, etc. to serve with the chicken.

I chose to use Goya Arroz Amarillo (yellow rice) as the starch for this presentation. (Cover about half the plate with rice, place some chicken chunks next to it, pour a couple of big spoonfuls of the green sauce around the chicken.) Some heated tortillas are good on the side. I would, of course have added some fresh chiles to the mix but didn't have any on hand.

This is so good it could be served with grits (polenta) or even Ramen Noodles. =)

[ljbab728]

RM, thanks for the recipe. It sounds very good. Please note for future reference that it is acceptable to freeze unused chicken for future use instead leaving it in the fridge to spoil if you don't have a current recipe waiting. I do that all of the time and it works very well.

[RadicalModerate]

RM, thanks for the recipe. It sounds very good. Please note for future reference that it is acceptable to freeze unused chicken for future use instead leaving it in the fridge to spoil if you don't have a current recipe waiting. I do that all of the time and it works very well.

Point taken on (re)-freezing the from-the-store chicken, but in this case, I actually had a plan in mind. I was just failing to get around to it.

BTW: I had a significant amount of the Green Onion/Shallot sauce and about half the rice left over. I also had the remains of a package of some wonderful "Pepper Bacon" in the 'fridge. So, I fried two strips of bacon . . . Drained the grease from the pan . . . Added the green sauce . . . trimmed most of the fat from the bacon strips . . . chopped them up . . . tossed them into the mix and poured it over the microwaved leftover rice. It wasn't bad at all. Well, maybe just a bit too salty for my taste.

Glad you liked the recipe! Feel free to make any changes you deem good. Any recipe is only an outline.

[RadicalModerate]

So . . . To Dream The Impossible Dream (and To Answer The Question Unasked =) . . .

Here is how I ended up with two large, leftover pieces of questionable chicken in the fridge . . .
(The Building Blocks of Pollo Verde . . . as an alternative to, say . . . Jiffy Okie-Mex Chicken Bake =)

Sub-Title:
Yet another(!) "30 Minute (m.o.l.) Meal" the actual prep/cooking time of which probably has something to do with the invention of "appetizers" "salad courses" etc. in restaurants to keep people from whining like babies and getting unruly and grumpy while waiting for their food. And this one has even tested on "young adults" who at one time were known to be rather picky about cleaning their plates. =)

(Sorry . . . Just watched an episode of the famous "New Tricks" on an actual BBC/Netflix programme and . . .

Poulez en Papillote ala Martha (et.al., etc. and so forth)
[Upscale Hobo Dinner at Home w/o The Charcoal! (ala "Cook" Jean aka Juan)]

Ingredients (and portion control suggestions):
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (one breast half, sliced appropriately, for two servings)
Fresh asparagus (or alt. green veg. if the produce rack aspargus offerings looks inedible: green beans, zucchini, whatever)
Kalamata olives (from a jar, pre-pitted, (sliced latitudinally--e.g. crossways . . . or happyways con su permiso)
Grape tomatoes (sliced longitudinally--e.g. the other direction)
Artichoke hearts (from a jar)
Fresh garlic!!! (optional, if you like it. I do.)
Salt and pepper
Vinegarette (she, Martha, had this whole, involved thing going on, including some Feta cheese. I was more than happy with that Kraft Greek Vinagarete.)
Parchment paper (it's not just for baking anymore! =)
Baking sheet
Oven (350-deg.)

Method:
Mise en Place (for two servings):
Rinse and trim the chicken. Do not allow cross-contamination to occur. Slice one piece (a half-breast) diagonally to provide two, approximately equal amounts. If you have to cut the smaller "half" into two separate pieces in order to remove that pesky "gristly-lookin' thing" in the thinner part, it's okay. Just do it. Season the chicken with a little salt and pepper.
Rinse, then snap/slice the aspargus to a length approximating the re-processed chicken parts
Slice the olives and tomatoes.
Chop the optional garlic.
Open the jar of artichoke hearts.
Open the bottle of Kraft Vinegarette Salad Dressing (after checking the expriation date)

Assembly:
Tear/Cut a piece of the parchment paper, about as long as the baking sheet is wide, from the convenient roll.
Fold it (the parchment paper) against the curve and flip it over in order to avoid unnecessary aggravation with the assembly process to follow.
(Note: Don't waste time cutting it into a circle based on overly fussy TV "chef" suggestions.)
Place 5 asparagus spears just to the right of the fold. (or vice-versa, depending on your "dextrous-preference")
Place a portioned chicken piece on top of them.
Arrange some olives, tomatoes, artichokes and (optional) garlic on top of and around the pile, trying to keep it all near the center of the sheet.
Drizzle an appropriate amount of [The Vinegarette] over the top. (Be frugal here.)

Fold the parchment parchment paper over the pile and, beginning at the end of one side or the other, start to crimp, fold, and press the edge of the paper creating a sort of "cooking envelope" for the food. At some point during the process, you might begin to wonder if maybe "The Circle Cutters" knew something you didn't but that thought will soon vanish as you twist the leftover paper into a sort of "decorative tail" looking thing. =)

Trust me: Once you have done this a couple/three times . . . you will have it down. Sort of like burritos.
Once you have all the packets assembled . . . (Remember: Doesn't leak/Provides a non-aluminum cooking vessel)
Place them in the oven for about 25 to 30 min.
Test the chicken with a thermometer, just to be sure . . .
If it is at 161+ it is done.

Primary Side Dish:
Potatoes ala Jacques Pepin (c/o Rachael Ray)
Small potatoes, chicken broth or stock to halfway up potatoes,
Bring to boil covered, reduce heat, simmer for 10 min.
Uncover, toss in some Herbs de Provance and a little butter
Allow to cook, uncovered, until liquid has turned into "sauce" and potatoes are tender.
If they seem "too tender" crush them a little and let them brown.
Otherwise set aside for plating if your timing is off.

Extra Starch/Whatever:
Sister Schubert Rolls (either the White Yeast Version or the New! Mini-Baguettes) are okay.
Other bread options--e.g. Panera/PrarieThunder/Big Sky/(schlotzki's) are also acceptible. Estimated Bread Time: c. 10 min.--not counting the planting, harvesting, milling and so forth.

To Plate:
Place a Packet on each plate. Place some potatoes and a slice/mini-loaf/whatever of bread on the side.
Warn the eater that it may be hot. (or not depending upon how "well-done" some schmuck at the table wanted his steak ruined =)

Provide the diner the opportunity to choose between ripping open the carefully prepared "FoodSnuggy" with their fingers or using the knife provided.

At all costs, avoid tearing it open, yourself, and dumping it all out on the plate.

Note:
It took three times longer to type this than to cook it.
You can do the same thing with fish.
Of course, totally fresh fish, especially Halibut or Trout, takes longer.
Yet it was a "labor of love" . . .
Enjoy.

[RadicalModerate]

After making "Maple/Soy/Ginger Glazed Salmon w/Bok Choy" the other night, I had about half of an expensive ($7.00) bundle of this "Chinese Cabbage" left over. No way was I going to let it go to waste. While I was at the store picking up odds and ends for that other meal, I picked up a container of a new product from Oscar Meyer: Pulled Pork. We had some other ingredients laying around the kitchen and in the pantry/fridge, so this is what I came up with:

Bok Choy Wraps (For two, Beta version, less than 30 min. total time.)

4 large bok choy leaves (rinsed and prepped, see below)
Oscar Meyer Pulled Pork (approx. one fourth to one third of a "Family Size" container)
Olive Oil (three turns of the pan)
Salt and pepper
Onion (about 1/8 of a small one, finely chopped)
Carrot (one small one, peeled and finely chopped)
Garlic (one or two cloves, finely chopped)
Tomato paste (about a two-inch squeeze from the tube)
Soy Sauce (a decent drizzle)
Apple cider vinegar (about 4 capfuls)
Brown sugar (two large pinches)
Spash of white wine (optional, near the end, if mixture seems too dry)

Heat oil, in a 10" skillet, over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and tomato paste. Season very lightly with salt and heavy with pepper. Sauté for two or three minutes. Add garlic and sauté for another minute or two. Add pork, soy sauce, cider vinegar and brown sugar. Mix well and further break up the chunks of pork as it warms. Meanwhile, cut the thick part of the stems of the bok choy from the leaves, keeping as much of the leaf as possible in tact. Rinse leaves and set aside. Remove the pork filling mixture from the heat. When it cools a bit, divide it evenly among the four leaves. Fold the tip of each leaf up over the filling then fold/roll the sides of the leaf around the filling to create a fairly well sealed packet (except for the end where the stem was cut away and doesn't really want to roll).

Carefully place the rolls in a steamer (or other device set up for steaming) for maybe five to six minutes (seven, m.o.l.?) until the bok choy looks tender and done without being mushy. (See note on steamer, below.)

Rinse out/wipe the skillet used for making the pork filling. Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add one package of Ramen noodles and cook for 3 min. stirring and breaking apart the "noodle block" as it cooks. Let them sit for about one minute, drain and place about half of them on each of two deep plates or shallow bowls. Place two of the "pork rolls" atop the noodles. Serve immediately.

Of course you could add mushrooms, Siraccha, or whatever else you may have on hand to this. And you could substitute some other from of pork. As I said at the top: This was the beta version.

Note on the "steamer" used: We have an interesting cooking device consisting of a pan with small holes in it that fits on top of another pan resembling a small skillet and has a lid. I think it is supposed to be some sort of "ricer"--like for potatoes or whatever--but I use it for steaming everything from green beans to broccoli to asparagus. In this case, I put about 3/4" of water in the bottom half of the pan and when it was gone I figured the bok choy was done enough.

[RadicalModerate]

Lately, I've been eating a bit healthier in order to lose some weight. It seems to be working: (285 to 245) since mid June. However, in the effort to lose some fat and calories, I'm not keen on sacrificing flavor. In that connection, I've been trying some new and different things. This is something I made last night that we are going to heat up and enjoy tonight with some No Yolks noodles, a little yogurt/mushroom/onion "stroganoff-style" sauce (with Greek yogurt for the sour cream) and some sort of nice salad.

Lo Fat (non-chinese) Meatballs

Ingredients:
1 pkg. ground turkey (about a pound or maybe a little more)
1 small handful fresh basil, finely chopped
1/4 to 1/3 cup onion (white, yellow or red), minced
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 big pinch sun-dried tomatoes (pre-softened), finely chopped
2 pcs. white bread, crusts removed, cubed
1/3 cup milk (m.o.l.--enough to soak the bread cubes)
1 egg white
Salt--to taste, in stages
Pepper--to taste, in stages
Cumin--start with about 1/2 tsp.
Curry Powder--start with about 1/2 tsp.

Method:
Prep the bread, basil, onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes.

Put bread cubes in a bowl, add milk, egg white, salt, pepper, cumin and curry powder. Mix well, allow to sit for awhile, then mix again with a fork to remove as many lumps as possible.

Put ground turkey in a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add onion, garlic, basil and sun-dried tomatoes. Mix. Add bread/egg/seasoned binder. Mix again until completely combined. Portion meat mixture using appropriately-sized scoop, placing the portions into a large baking dish. You should get about 16 to 17 portions. Manually form each portion into a ball and place back in backing dish. Put them in the refrigerator for awhile in order for them to firm up a bit.

Heat some oil in a skillet (olive oil or spray canola oil). Add half the meatballs to the skillet, one at at time, re-rolling each of them into a ball as you add them. Brown them, turning gently and constantly. Place them back into the baking dish as they are browned. Repeat the process for the other half of the meatballs.

Dust meatballs with paprika, drizzle with olive oil (optional) and place the baking dish in a pre-heated 350-deg. oven for about 20 minutes or until their internal temperature is at least 161-deg.

My SIL, who sampled a couple of these after they came out of the oven, couldn't believe they were ground turkey. They are loaded with flavor.

[Prunepicker]

Funny you should mention sharing, I purchased a 15+ pound Smithfield ham
about six years ago and fixed it for me and my single son for Thanksgiving.
It was excellent but in this case, still too much...C. T.

Too much ham? Is that possible? I'm thinking of the leftover meals. Ham
salad, ham and eggs, ham hash, ham & swiss samiches, ham & American
cheese samiches, grilled cheese samiches with ham, ham and cornflakes.
The possibilities are endless, at least until the ham runs out.

[Prunepicker]

Bulgogi (Korean Barbequed Beef that's not Barbequed. It's grilled.

Servings: 1 (I refuse to share this with 3 or 4 others)

Ingredients
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 clove garlic, minced (use 4 or 5 cloves)
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt or 1 teaspoon of Kosher
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound beef top sirloin, thinly sliced (any beef roast is acceptable)
1 carrot, julienned
3 or 4 green onion, chopped about 1" to 2" inches
1/2 yellow onion, chopped

Tip - have the butcher cut the beef for you or freeze the beef and let
it thaw a little. It's easier to cut into thin pieces than when it's
completely thawed.

Instructions
1. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine soy sauce, sesame oil,
sesame seeds, garlic, sugar, salt and black pepper. Place beef,
carrots, and onions in the bag; seal, and shake to coat the vegetables
and beef with the sauce. Refrigerate for at least 2 1/2 hours or overnight.
Why do they say 2 1/2 hours when they really mean overnight?

2. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. Remove meat and vegetables
from marinade, and place on a large sheet of aluminum foil; seal.
Discard marinade.

3. Place on grill, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or to desired doneness.
Cook about 2 or 3 servings at a time.

The Koreans whose homes I was invited would set up a Hibachi in
their living room and serve their guests from the grill. Be sure to
open the windows.

Serve with rice and Kimchi. Lot's of Kimchi!

[RadicalModerate]

Jacques "The Ultimate Master Chef" Pepin once said (to violin virtuoso and musical legend Itzhak Perlman), "Cooking is similar to conducting an orchestra: You must allow the instrument--that is, the ingredient--to declare itself." Good advice. This recipe--or more accurately, "meal plan"--does that. However, I also noticed that right at the end of enjoying this quick, easy and inexpensive dinner, at the point where all that remained on the previously "arranged" plate were little bits and pieces of the components of the meal (in a now totally mixed-together manner), that the combined flavors made me--and the other two diners--want to sop up every last taste with a piece of bread. I would say that this meal is "a symphony of tastes and textures" but that would be a bit pretentious. It is, however, definitely a Winner.

Chicken Thighs with Couscous and Salad (3 or 4 servings)

The Chicken (The Protein) (The Main Thing)

Ingredients:

1 pkg. boneless, skinless, chicken thighs (about six or so, trimmed of all excess fat, gristle, etc.)
Chef Paul's Poultry Magic (a very nice seasoning blend)
Greek Vinaigarette salad dressing (I know of two brands. I prefer Kraft, but I used Wishbone because the store was out of my favorite.)
1 shallot, peeled, sliced and rough chopped.
4 or 5 cloves garlic, peeled and rough chopped
5 or 6 mushrooms (Button or alt., rinsed and dried, quartered, any extra-large quarters recut)
Olive oil (as required)
Salt and pepper
Thyme (dried, a good pinch, to taste)
Marsala (a healthy splash)
Small handful of grape tomatoes.
Paprika
2 limes, quartered

Method:

Prep the chicken thighs and place in large baking dish. Season liberally with Poultry Magic, turn the pieces over, season lightly, then turn again. Pour a little Greek Salad Dressing on each piece, spread the dressing around a bit, then flip each piece a time or two to make sure both sides are coated. Allow to marinate at room temperature for about thiry minutes. If it will be awhile until you are ready to cook, cover with clear wrap and place in refrigerator. Remove from refrigerator about fifteen minutes to thirty minutes before cooking starts.

Preheat oven to 350-deg. Prep the shallot, garlic and mushrooms. Heat olive oil in a skillet (three turns of the pan) over medium to medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, season with some S&P, and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add the shallot and the thyme, sauté for a couple more minutes. Add the garlic, the Marsala and the tomatoes. Sauté for a couple more minutes.

Pull everything from the skillet to a medium sized bowl and set aside. Brown the chicken thighs, in the same skillet, for four minutes on one side. Flip them and let them cook for about two minutes on the other side. Place them back in the baking dish, "four minute side" up. If your skillet is too small to hold all of the chicken at one time, do this step in batches. It is not a problem. When all of the chicken pieces are back in the baking dish, distribute the mushrooms, etc. (from the previous step) around the chicken. Distribute the lime slices in the dish, dust the chicken with paprika and place in the preheated oven. It should take about 20 min. for the chicken to reach an internal temperature of 161-deg. or more. Pull the baking dish from the oven and set aside to cool just a bit before plating up.

The Couscous (The Starch) (The Primary Side Dish)

1 box Near East (brand) Pearled Couscous (Basil and Herb), prepared per package directions.
(A pot with a lid, some water, a little oil and about 15 min. total)

[Note: In my opinion--and that of my wife--the pearled (or "Israeli") version of couscous is FAR superior to the far grainier regular version. If you've never had it, couscous is essentially tiny orbs of pasta. This brand comes with a seasoning packet. My son-in-law, who had never had couscous before, asked, "What is this greenish caviar-lookin' stuff on my plate?" I told him it was basil eggs. It's so good he ate it anyway.]

The Salad (In this case, A "Super" Salad)

Packaged Lettuce Blend of choice (be sure to carefully check the date on the package)
Baby Spinach (ditto on the date-checking)
Fresh basil (if easily available)
Red bell pepper (thin-sliced, about seven or eight passes over the mandolin blade set at "3")
Green bell pepper (thin-sliced, seven or eight passes)
English cucumber (thin-sliced ten to twelve passes--or more)
Red onion (thin-sliced, seven or eight passes)
Baby carrots (a few, thin-sliced, some crossways, some lengthways)
Celery (thin-sliced, one stalk)
Radishes (optional, thin sliced)
Black olives (tossed into the mix just before tossing)

The Method

Prep the peppers, cucumber, onion, carrots, celery and radishes. Put all of them in a salad spinner basket, rinse well, spin dry and transfer to a large bowl. This can be done well ahead of time, the bowl covered and placed in the refrigerator.

[Note: It is nice to have a mandolin for the thin slicing but you can use a knife. The mandolin cuts the prep time by about 75%. Just be sure that you don't cut yourself (like I did the first time I used my simple little handheld version of this culinary tool). The blade is ultra-sharp.]

Nearly fill the salad spinner basket with lettuce and baby spinach. Tear up the basil, if used and place it in the basket. Rinse everything very well, then spin dry. It doesn't hurt to spin twice. Transfer the lettuce to the big bowl with the other vegetables, throw in the olives, and toss well.

The Plating/Presentation

Cover about half of a dinner plate with salad.
Place one of the thigh pieces in the middle of the plate.
Spoon some of the mushroom/shallot/tomato mixture (from the baking dish) over the chicken.
Put a nice spoonful of couscous on each side of the chicken.
Provide salad dressing of choice for the diner to add to taste.

Serve with some good bread and an appropriate wine or other beverage.
Any wine goes good with this. In fact, this combo probably makes any wine taste better than it actually is.

[MadMonk]

With the chill in the air lately, chili has sounded really good, as well as some good ole' pinto beans and cornbread.

Here's the recipe for the best chili I've ever had:

2 1/2 lbs lean ground chuck
1 lb lean ground pork
4 garlic cloves (or equivalent chopped garlic from a jar)
1 cup finely chopped onion
8 oz Hunt's tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 (12oz) can of good beer (Shiner Bock is excellent in this)
3 Tbs chili powder
2 Tbs instant beef bouilion (or 6 cubes)
2 Tbs ground cumin
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp Louisiana hot sauce (double it for more kick)
1 tsp cornmeal
1 tsp flour
1 tsp warm water
1 can of kidney beans (optional)*

1. In a large saucepan brown 1 1/4 lbs of the ground meat (beef and pork), drain the fat

2. Remove cooked meat and set aside. Brown the remainder of the ground beef and drain all but 2 Tbs of the fat and return to pan.

3. Add the garlic and onion, cook and stir until tender.

4. Add the rest of the cooked meat and the tomato sauce, water, beer, chili powder, bouilion, cumin, paprika, oregano, sugar, coriander, cocoa, and hot sauce. Mix well.

5. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 2 hours.

6. In a small bowl, stir together the cornmeal and flour, then add the warm water and mix well.

7. Stir into chili and cook, covered, for an additional 20 minutes, then serve.

*If you prefer your chili with beans, add the can of kidney beans at the same time as the dry ingredients.