Sausage Sampler Kabobs

3     slices bacon

1/3 c. chopped onion

¼ c. chopped green pepper

1 tbs. flour

2 tsp. sugar

Dash pepper

½ c. beer

¼ c. water

2 tbs. vinegar

8 small new potatoes

2       fresh bratwurst links

       3 fresh Italian sausage links

3      fresh or smoked kielbasa links

For sauce, partially cook the bacon in a skillet. Drain bacon, reserve drippings in skillet. Crumble 
bacon and set aside. Add onion and green pepper to skillet and cook until onion is tender but 
not brown. Stir in flour, sugar, and pepper. Add beer, water and vinegar. Cook and stir til 
thickened and bubbly. Reserve.

Peel a strip from the middle of each potato. In a saucepan, precook the potatoes, covered, in enough boiling water to cover, for 5 min. Drain and set aside.                                                            

Cut each sausage link crosswise into 4 pieces. On 4 skewers alternately thread potatoes and sausage pieces. Place on a grill and cook 20-25 min or until sausage is done and potatoes are tender, turning once and brushing with sauce halfway through grilling time. Add bacon to the remaining sauce, heat through and pass with kebabs. You can use any combination of sausage of your choice. We always double the sauce so we have enough!

Kansas Fried Steaks with Milk Gravy

3     eggs

3       tbs. milk

     1 1/2 c Flour

4     cube steaks 

1 tsp. Creole Seasoning

Salt and pepper

2      tbs oil

     2 tbs butter

       
In a shallow dish beat eggs with milk. Dip steaks in mixture and coat with flour seasoned with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium high heat, saute the steaks in oil and butter, turning once after two min and then cooking another 2 minutes. Remove to serving platter.

Milk Gravy

Discard all but 2 tbs of fat from the skillet. Sprinkle with 2 tbs. flour, and 1 tsp Creole seasoning. Whisk over medium high heat until smooth. Stir in 2 cup of milk until thickened and smooth. Taste for seasoning, add salt and pepper to taste and serve over the steaks. If you are serving mashed potatoes with the meal, double the gravy recipe. 

Dan Dan Noodles

Peter Chang's great recipe!

·         8 ounces Shanghai-style noodles (cu mian) or udon

·         2 tablespoons vegetable oil

·         12 ounces ground pork

·         Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

·         2 tablespoons chopped peeled ginger

·         3/4 cup chicken stock

·         2 tablespoons (or less) chili oil

·         2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

·         2 tablespoons soy sauce

·         4 teaspoons tahini (sesame seed paste)

·         1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns

·         Pinch of sugar

·         2 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts

·         2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions

Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water until just tender but still firm to the bite. Drain; transfer to a large bowl of ice water and let stand until cold. Drain well and divide between 2 bowls.

Heat vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add pork, season with salt and pepper, and stir, breaking up pork with a spoon, until halfway cooked, about 2 minutes. Add ginger; cook until pork is cooked through and lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in chicken stock and next 6 ingredients; simmer until sauce thickens, about 7 minutes. Pour pork mixture over noodles; garnish with peanuts and scallions.

Grilled Chicken with Arugula, Black Olives, and Tomatoes

 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)                  Extra-virgin olive oil                                                                                     1 lemon, cut in half                                                                    

      Salt                                                                                                                 Freshly ground black pepper                                                                     2 large, ripe tomatoes, cored and diced                                                   1 bunch arugula, stemmed, and torn into small pieces                         1/4 cup chopped red onion                                                                       1/2 cup pitted black olives

Place the chicken breasts between 2 pieces of parchment or waxed paper and pound thin with a rolling pin. Put them in a shallow bowl; add enough olive oil to cover (1/2 to 3/4) cup), the juice of 1/2 lemon, and salt and pepper, and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes.

Place a large grill pan on 2 burners over medium-high heat, or preheat an outdoor gas or charcoal grill.

Stir together the tomatoes, arugula, onion, olives, 1/4 cup of olive oil, the juice of the remaining lemon half, and salt and pepper; set aside while you cook the chicken.

Fold a few paper towels into a thick square. Blot some oil on the paper towels and then carefully and quickly wipe the ridges of the gill pan or the hot grates of the grill to make a nonstick surface. Remove the chicken from the marinade and season with salt and pepper. Lay the chicken on the hot grill and cook 3 to 5 minutes on each side until charred and firm. Transfer to plates and spoon the tomato mixture over. Serve hot.

Korean Style Beef Tacos

1/3 c sugar

5 tbs low sodium soy sauce

1½ tbs sambal oelek

1 tbs dark sesame oil

4 cloves minced garlic

1 lb flank steak, slice against the grain into thin strips

1/8 tsp salt

Cooking spray

Eight 6-inch corn tortillas

Quick pickled cabbage

2 tbs sliced scallions

Combine first 6 ingredients in a Ziploc bag. Add steak and sip. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Preheat grill to med-hi heat.

Remove meat from marinade and skewer. Place skewers on grill rack coated with spray. Grill 2 min per side.

Grill tortillas 30 sec until lightly charred and keep warm.

Place meat in tortillas and top with the cabbage mixture, sprinkle with the sliced scallions.

Quick Pickled Cabbage

(to be served with Korean Style Beef Tacos)

Place 4 cups of sliced Napa cabbage in a medium bowl with two minced garlic cloves.

In a small saucepan, bring the following ingredients to boil:

 ½ c rice vinegar

2 tbs low-sodium soy sauce

1 tbs sugar

2 tsp sambal oelek

Pour hot vinegar mixture over cabbage and toss. Let stand at least 30 min.

Tomato-Basil Soup

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 - 14 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes

1 - 14 oz. can of whole tomatoes

2 cups of stock (chicken or vegetable)

1 tsp of sea salt

1 tsp of sugar

1/2 tsp of fresh ground black pepper

1/4 cup of heavy cream

3 tablespoons of fresh basil, julienned

parmesan cheese

In a saucepan, saute garlic in olive oil on medium heat for 1 minute - being careful not to burn the garlic.  Add the crushed tomatoes.  Add the whole tomatoes one at a time, squeezing them into the pan to break them up.  Add the juice from the whole tomatoes, as well.  Add chicken stock, salt, pepper and sugar.  Cook the soup on medium at a simmer for 10 minutes.  

To finish, reduce the heat to low and stir in heavy cream and basil.  Serve topped with a little parmesan cheese and a grilled cheese sandwich. 

Keftedes

Yield = 23 to 25 small or 12 to 14 large

1 lb. ground lamb*
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon oregano plus more for sprinkling
1 small red onion, finely minced (about 1/3 cup or more to taste)
2 heaping tablespoons mint, chopped
2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoons olive oil
½ c bread crumbs
2 tablespoons red wine
1 eggs, lightly beaten
red wine vinegar for sprinkling (optional)

* If you can’t find ground lamb, buy a piece of lamb (shoulder is nice) and grind it yourself or have the butcher grind it for you at the market.

Put the ground lamb in a large bowl and spread out to create a thin layer. Season all over with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the onion over the meat. Top with the herbs and the olive oil.

Moisten crumbs with the wine, then add to the meat bowl. Add the egg to the meat bowl and then gently mix all of the ingredients together being careful not to over mix.

When the consistency is such that a ball holds together, place it on a sheet pan. Season with a pinch more salt, pepper and oregano. Broil 4 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool, then taste it. Adjust meat mixture accordingly with more salt, pepper, oregano, onion or herbs. Broil another one, taste it, etc. — repeat process until you’re happy with the flavors. Chill your meatball mixture for at least an hour. This mixture can be made up to a day in advance, too.

Roll meatballs into pan and season with a pinch more salt, pepper and oregano. Microwave for 7 min at 50% power. This might be a Greek tradition, but we sprinkle the just-broiled meatballs with a little bit of vinegar. Try it. You might like it, too. Erve with roasted cabbage wedges.

Roasted Cabbage

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Toss cabbage wedges with olive oil and kosher salt on a sheet pan. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes. Test with a knife — they should be tender.

Slow Cooker Three Envelope Pot Roast Sliders

Roast:

1 3-4 lb beef roast
2 cup water
1 cup salsa

1 envelope onion soup mix
1 envelope Italian dressing mix
1 envelope Au Jus mix

Whisk together water, salsa and seasoning packets. Place roast in slow cooker. Pour seasoning mixture over roast. Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or high for 4-5 hours.

If you want to make sliders:

Three Envelope Pot Roast recipe (above), shredded

1 pkg. King's Hawaiian Rolls

Sliced Swiss cheese (1 slice per slider)

Creamy Chipotle Sauce (recipe below)

Cut each roll in half and place on a baking sheet. Place a slice of Swiss cheese on the bottom half of each roll. Place baking sheet in oven with broiler on low. Broil for 1-2 minutes or until edges of the rolls are golden and cheese has melted (be sure to watch them closely so they don't burn!). Remove baking sheet from oven.

Place a spoonful of shredded beef on top of each roll with Swiss cheese on it. Spread Creamy Chipotle sauce on the top half of each roll. Assemble each slider by placing the top half of the roll on top of the bottom.

Creamy Chipotle Sauce:
1/4 cup sour cream (I used fat free)
2 Tbsp chili sauce or 2 tsp chopped chipotle in adobo

2 tsp creamy horseradish sauce (I used Kraft)

Potato Gnocchi

1 pound russet potatoes, about 2 large ones

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 - 3/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

Prick the potatoes a few times with a fork. Bake in a preheated 400F oven until tender, about an hour. Scoop the inside out of the potatoes and mash them.

Mix in the egg and enough of the flour to form a soft dough that is not too sticky to work with. Knead the dough for a minute and then roll it out into 4 long thin rolls about 1/2 inch thick.

Cut the rolls into 1/2 inch pieces and then roll the pieces in flour lightly shaking off any excess. Roll the pieces over a gnocchi board or a fork to give them the ridges.

Cook the gnocchi in boiling water in small batches until it floats to the surface, about 2-3 minutes, remove and set aside to drain.

Sesame Slaw

Created this after playing around with a great but bland recipe.

1  tbs red wine vinegar

2 tbs water
1 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp toasted sesame seed
2 tbs vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 16 0z bag shredded coleslaw mix

In a large bowl whisk all ingredients except for cabbage mix. Toss with vegetables and check for seasoning, adjusting salt and pepper as needed. Let stand at least 30 min in refrigerator. Re-toss and serve.

Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef

Makes enough meat to stuff 30 tacos

4 chipotle peppers (from a can) plus all the adobo sauce it sits in
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 red onion, peeled and cut into large chunks 
1 head garlic, peeled and cloves smashed 
5 dry bay leaves
2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Juice of 4 limes
1/2 cup cider vinegar
5 to 7 pounds beef brisket
4 to 6 cups beef or chicken stock

Stir together chipotle peppers and sauce, cilantro, red onion, garlic, clove, salt, lime juice, and cider vinegar in the insert of a slow cooker (if you have a food processor, pulse till combined first before adding). Place the brisket on top of this mixture. (I like to cut my brisket in two pieces so it fits better in the slow cooker.) Add stock to cover the meat and place bay leaves on top. Use tongs to move the meat around gently to combine everything and put the lid on.

Cook on HIGH for 4 hours. Once finished, turn crock pot to WARM and let sit for 6 to 8 hours.

I like to make mine before bed and then let it sit on WARM overnight. This allows the meat to cook fully and then come to a point where it can be shredded easily and will essentially fall apart when pulled with a fork. If you don't have overnight to accomplish this, another hour of cooking on HIGH will get the job done. The meat will not be as tender, but will still be tasty.

Remove meat from slow cooker and place on rimmed baking sheet. Use two forks to pull the meat apart. Discard the fat, if desired. If you plan on frying it again before use, the small fat bits are extra tasty and should be kept! Place shredded beef in large bowl and ladle cooking liquid over the top a few scoops at a time. You want the meat to hold the liquid but not swim in it.

To keep it warm for guests you can return it to your slow cooker after you have removed the remaining liquid. That liquid is extra tasty and can be frozen into ice cube-sized portions to be used in other dishes later, if you so desire. Serve with fresh tortillas, onion, cilantro, and salsa.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2 cups cooked and chopped chicken

½ c finely chopped celery

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup Ranch dressing

1/2 cup Buffalo wing sauce (such as Frank's Red Hot, not to be confused with their pepper sauce)

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

½ c blue cheese crumbles (optional)

½ tsp old bay seasoning

Heat chicken, celery, and Buffalo sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through. Make sure to break up the chicken so there are no big chunks. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm. Mix in shredded cheese, blue cheese, and old bay.  Pour into a shallow dish or pie pan and bake or place in mini crockpot. 

Spicy Dr Pepper Shredded Pork

·         1 whole Large Onion

·         1 whole Pork Shoulder ("pork Butt") - 5 To 7 Pounds

·         Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper

·         1 can (11 Ounce) Chipotle Peppers In Adobo Sauce

·         2 cans Dr. Pepper

·         2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

·          

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Peel the onion and cut it into wedges. Lay them in the bottom of a large dutch oven.

Generously salt and pepper the pork roast, then set it on top of the onions in the pan. Pour the can of chipotle peppers over the pork (include the sauce.) Pour in both cans of Dr Pepper. Add brown sugar to the juice and stir in.

Place lid tightly on pot, then set pot in the oven. Cook for at least six hours, turning roast two or three times during the cooking process. Check meat after six hours; it should be absolutely falling apart (use two forks to test.) If it’s not falling apart, return to the oven for another hour.

Remove meat from pot and place on a cutting board or other work surface. Use two forks to shred meat, discarding large pieces of fat. Strain as much of the fat off the top of the cooking liquid as you can and discard it. Return the shredded meat to the cooking liquid, and keep warm until ready to serve. (You can also refrigerate the meat and liquid separately, then remove hardened fat once it’s cold. Then heat up the liquid on the stovetop and return the meat to the liquid to warm up.

Hearty Mushroom Barley Soup / Stew

1 tbs olive oil

½ medium onion, slivered (about 1¼ cups)

½ c quick cook pearled barley, rinsed

2 minced garlic cloves

1 tsp dried thyme

8 oz sliced button or cremini mushrooms

4 c  beef broth

1 tbs tomato paste

1 Teaspoon Balsamic Vinegar

1 Bay Leaf

¼ -1 Teaspoon Salt to Taste

1 Teaspoon Miso Paste (or simply more salt to taste)

Freshly Ground Black Pepper to Taste

Heat the oil in a stock pot over medium heat. Add the onions, and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until they are translucent. Reduce the heat just a touch, add the barley, garlic, and thyme, and sauté for another 3 to 5 minutes.  Stir in the mushrooms, followed by the broth, tomato paste, vinegar, bay leaf, and I would start with ¼ teaspoon of salt and the miso if using. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and allow the soup to simmer for at least 1 hour, or until the barley is nice and tender.  Season to taste with additional salt (see my notes in the post above) and black pepper to taste.

Yields 2 hearty, meal-sized servings

Creole Shrimp and Sausage Stew

2 tsp olive oil

1 c chopped green bell pepper

½ lb c thinly sliced smoked sausage

1 tsp minced garlic

2 c. chicken broth

1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained

½ lb medium, peeled and deveined shrimp

1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

2 tbs chopped fresh parsley

Hot sauce for serving

Heat a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add oil to pan, swirl to coat. Add bell pepper, sausage, and garlic to pan and sauté until bell pepper is tender, stirring occasionally. Add broth and tomatoes, bring to a boil. Stir in shrimp and beans; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 6 min or until shrimp are done. Sprinkle with parsley. Serves 4. Serve with crusty bread and hot sauce on the side.

Chicken Stew

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 stalks celery, cut into bite-size pieces
1 carrot, peeled, cut into bite-size pieces
1 small onion, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
1 (14-ounce) can low-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 chicken breast with ribs (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
1 (15-ounce) can organic kidney beans, drained (rinsed if not organic)

Serving suggestion: crusty bread, chianti

Instructions
Heat the oil in a heavy 5 1/2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the
celery, carrot, and onion. Saute the vegetables until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the tomatoes with their juices, chicken broth, basil, tomato paste, bay leaf, and thyme. Add the chicken breasts; press to submerge.

Bring the cooking liquid to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently uncovered until the chicken is almost cooked through, turning the chicken breasts over and stirring the mixture occasionally, about 25 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the chicken breasts to a work surface
and cool for 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Add the kidney beans to the pot and simmer until the liquid has reduced into a stew consistency, about 10 minutes.

Discard the skin and bones from the chicken breasts. Shred or cut the chicken into bite- size pieces. Return the chicken meat to the stew. Bring the stew just to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Ladle the stew into serving bowls and serve with the bread.

Tagliatelle with Mortadella

To serve 6:

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/3 pounds (600 g) freshly made tagliatelle or fettuccine (dried will work if you must)
• An 8-ounce (200 g) slice of Mortadella di Bologna
• 1 pound (400 g) blanched, peeled, seeded and chopped plum tomatoes (you can if need be use plain canned tomatoes)
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar (if the tomatoes are tart)
• 2/3 cup milk
• Unsalted butter
• Freshly grated Parmigiano
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

PREPARATION:

Dice the mortadella and brown it in a pot with a tablespoon or two of butter, stirring gently to expose all sides of the cubes to the pan. Add the tomatoes and the sugar if necessary, and cook for about 20 minutes.

When the sauce has thickened gently stir in the milk, season to taste with salt and pepper, and continue simmering over a low flame.

In the meantime bring pasta water to a boil, lightly salt it, and cook the tagliatelle. If they're fresh they should only require about three minutes. Drain them, season them with another pat of butter, the sauce, and serve, with grated cheese

Runza

• 2 loaves bread dough

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2 small onions, chopped
• 4 cups chopped cabbage
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

1.     Thaw two loaves of frozen bread dough or make the equivalent amount using your favorite bread recipe.

2.     While dough thaws, make the filling.

3.     Brown the hamburger and drain, then return to pan.

4.     Add cabbage and onion and cook down.

5.     Salt and pepper to taste (1 tsp pepper recommended).

6.     Let dough rise, then punch down and roll a portion to 1/4" thickness.

7.     Cut into 4" x 8" pieces and add about 1/2 cup meat mixture to each.

8.     Fold dough pieces over and seal the edges, then place seam-side-down on a greased cookie sheet.  

9.     Let rise 20-30 minutes, then bake in pre-heated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until brown.

Mini Greek Lamb Burgers

Serves 4. FOR TZATZIKI 1/2 English cucumber, peeled, seeded, and grated (3/4 cup) 1/2 cup plain yogurt, preferably whole milk yogurt 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint 1 small garlic clove, minced Salt and pepper FOR LAMB BURGERS 1 1/2 pounds ground lamb 1/2 small onion, minced (1/4 cup) 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried Salt and pepper 4 pieces pita bread (6 inches each) Iceberg lettuce, for serving 2 medium beefsteak tomatoes, sliced, for serving

Directions

1.     Heat grill or grill pan to high. Make tzatziki: In a medium bowl, combine cucumber, yogurt, lemon juice, mint and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.

2.     Make burgers: In a medium bowl, use a fork to gently combine lamb, onion, parsley, and oregano; season with salt and pepper. Gently form mixture into 16 small patties, about 3/4 inch thick. Grill until medium-rare, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

3.     To serve, warm pitas on the grill or directly over a gas burner, turning occasionally. Halve pitas, and fill with lettuce, burgers, tomato, and tzatziki.

Great with Greek Pasta Salad

Ham and Bean Soup

Cook Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

·         8 cups water

·         1 pound Great Northern beans or navy beans

·         2 cups cubed ham

·         1 ham bone or ham hock, optional

·         1/2 cup chopped onion

·         1/4 teaspoon pepper or to taste

·         1 bay leaf

·         3 carrots, chopped

·         3 ribs celery, chopped or sliced thinly

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

Bring water and beans to a boil; boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand 1 hour.

Stir in ham, ham bone or hock, pepper, bay leaf, carrot and celery. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer until beans are tender (skim foam from top), about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. If soup is too thick, add a little water.

Remove ham bone or ham hock (if used) and trim meat from bone. Return meat to soup with tomato sauce and salt; simmer for about 15 minutes longer. Remove bay leaf.
Ham and bean soup serves 6.

Mini Chicken Tikka Burgers with Mint Chutney

For the Burgers:

1 tbs tikka paste or ½ tbs curry powder

1 tbs. plain yogurt

½ tsp cumin

½ tsp ground cardamom

1 tbs chopped fresh cilantro

¾ “ piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1 crushed garlic clove

14 oz ground chicken (I use 1 pkg which is 18 oz)

For the Mint Chutney:

1 small bunch fresh mint

¾ “ piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1 small green chili-chopped

Juice of half a lime

½ tsp. sugar

1 tsp. ground coriander

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

1/3 c. plain yogurt

S/P- to taste

To assemble: Cooking oil, 4 small Naan (Indian Flatbread) toothpicks

In a large bowl, combine the burger ingredients. Mix well. With wet hands, mold the mixture into 12 small patties. Place the patties on a plate and refrigerate for 1 hr. Make the chutney. In a blender, combine the chutney ingredients. Pulse to produce a thick sauce. Season to taste with S/P. Set aside. Heat a grill or grill pan over med-hi. Brush the burgers with cooking oil, and then grill for 5 min/per side until cooked through. Set aside. Cut each Naan bread into 3 wedges and toast or grill until crisp. Top each wedge with a burger, then spear with a skewer. Spoon a bit of chutney on each burger.

Served with curried chick peas or curried vegetables.