Chili Braised Short Ribs with Polenta and Grilled Corn

I actually made this some time back, and it was phenomenal. I had been looking for short rib recipes after I bought some on sale from the store, but it seemed I didn't have all of the ingredients for a single recipe...so, I figured I'd combine them. The result was sweet, smokey, and spicy fall-of-the-bone meat. These are great served over polenta, with grilled corn.

To start:
One package of short ribs usually contains 3-4 pieces of meat, bone-in. This is PLENTY for two people-- it doesn't seem like a lot of meat, but it's a very rich cut so it's very filling.

-lightly dredge the meat in flour, brown in a dutch oven on medium heat. Add 2-3 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped.

After that...it's pretty much throwing a bunch of stuff in a pan. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. In the dutch oven, add:
-1 can of black beans, undrained
-1 1/2 cup beef broth
-1 tsp ground coffee
-2-3 sliced chilis in adobo, about 1/2 tsp of paste included. These can pack a lot of heat, so if you're adventurous, go for 3.
-1 1/2 tsp cumin
-1 tsp cayenne
-1 yellow onion, diced
-1/8 tsp cinnamon
-1/8 tsp smoked paprika (regular is fine, too)
-2 tsp molasses

Mix it all in with the meat and garlic; cover and simmer in oven for about 4 hours. Keep an eye on it-- if it starts to look dry, add a little bit of broth. About 25 minutes before serving, put corn on grill over medium heat. Leave the husks on-- just throw the whole thing on. These take about 20 mins to cook, but are VERY hot after, so give them a little time to cool.
Enjoy! --Tory

Cold Crab, Avocado Soup - souper easy, a sure hit this summer!

I have made this cold summer treat several times in my cooking classes, and it is always a hit!  It is "souper" simple to make - no cooking involved, and it only takes about 20 minutes to make.  Very tasty, and unusual enough to catch your guests attention!  Try it this summer!

 Ingredients

2	Ripe Avocados
1 tsp	Lemon Juice
2 Tsp	Canned Diced Green Chilies
2 Tbs	Diced Onions
2 Cups	Chicken Broth
1 Cup	Half and Half
½ Tsp	Kosher Salt
1	6 oz pkg fresh crab
1 Tbs	Chopped Chives (optional)

Serves Six
Directions

1.       Peel the avocados and cut into 1-inch cubes.

2.       In a blender or food processor, purée the avocado cubes with the lemon juice, green chilies, onion, and broth.

3.       Pour the avocado mixture into a bowl or airtight container. Stir in the half-n-half, salt and the crabmeat.

4.       Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

5.       Ladle chilled soup into bowls, and garnish with fresh crab, and or chives.

Bon Appetit!

Fool Proof Risotto

I just did a team building cooking class at the Gray Goose Cookery,  and one of the things we made was risotto.  It was a huge hit, and I was asked to post the recipe.  I had posted this last winter with my Osso Bucco recipe, but I thought I would re post it as a single post as well.

Risotto is a wonderful thing - creamy, decadent, and only 160 calories per serving.... yup thats right - only 160 calories - and yet it tastes SOOOO fattening!  Throw some shrimp and spinach in it and you have a yummy main course for only about 250 calories per serving - and trust me, a serving will fill you up!

The trick to this rice is to keep stirring.  Yes, you will be chained to the stove for about twenty minutes, but get over it - the reward is totally worth it!  Do NOT make it like regular rice, and just add water, cover and forget it.  The stirring is essential to release the starches in the rice, which is what gives it it's creamy consistency. 

I add shrimp, crab or lobster for a seafood risotto ( some peas or spinach as well )  or you can make mushroom risotto, veggie risotto - the combinations are endless, and delicious!  So stir away, and ENJOY!

Fool Proof Risotto

1 Shallot minced

3 Cloves garlic, minced

3 tbs butter

1 large can chix broth

3/4 cup Risotto rice

About 25 minutes of uninterrupted stove time, stirring!



Stir till liquid is absorbed

In a 3 qt sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter, and sauté garlic and shallots till translucent – do NOT brown! Add rice, stirring CONSTANTLY for about 2 minutes, till liquid is absorbed – again, do NOT burn!   A wisking tip - hold it like a pen, and use wrist action to stir in tight circles.... MUCH easier.

Time to add liquid

Finished consistancy

Add chicken broth about ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly with a wisk.  Only add more liquid when the prior batch is almost completely absorbed.  Should take about ¾ of the can, and about 40 minutes.  The trick to this is to stir CONSTANTLY – and only ad the liquid a little at a time. 

As it gets really creamy, taste occasionally to check doneness – should be firm, but not crunchy.

Bon Appetit!

Linguini with ham, peas, baby bella mushrooms and an amazing cheese sauce

Finished Product.... Yum!

Well, we had some leftover ham from Mothers Day, and a box of peas in the freezer, so I decided to make a pasta dish for dinner.  Chopped up some baby bella mushrooms, some grape tomatoes, and onion, a couple of cloves of garlic – added some parmesan cheese, some blue cheese, half and half, white wine – and WOW, had an amazing pasta dish!  This is kitchen sink cooking at it’s best – a little bit of whatever you have kicking around to make something that tastes awesome!  So, here is the skinny:

Ingredients:

1 small onion, diced fine

1 cup ham, diced fine

¾ cup sliced baby bella mushrooms, diced rough

½ cup ¼’d grape tomatoes

½ box 10 oz frozen box of peas

¾ cup half and half

1 tbs butter

1 tbs olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

¼ tsp each, basil, oregano, thyme

¼ cup blue cheese

½ cup parmesan cheese

Instructions:

In 3 qt sauce pot, cook 2 servings pasta, with ½ tsp powdered garlic, and ½ tsp basil in the water.  Cook till al dente, and save ½ cup water for sauce.  When pasta is done, add 1 tsp ground pepper, and ½ tsp parmesan cheese, and 1 tbs olive oil – stir well.

In sauté pan, after pasta has been in the water for about 6 minutes,  heat olive oil and butter till sizzling.  Add onion and garlic, and sauté till translucent.   Add ham, and cook till warm, about 4 minutes.  Add mushrooms, and white wine, and sauté till cooked.  Add peas, and cream, and both cheeses.  Simmer till thickened, about 6 minutes.  Add tomatoes, and stir frequently till sauce thickens.  Add ¼ or so of pasta water to sauce, and whisk until thick.   Both the pasta and the sauce should be done approximately the same time.  Serve immediately, topped with parmesan cheese.

Italian Style Pan Fried Pork Chops, with Sautéed Cauliflower - with an awesome Chardonnay

An Unusual Cali Chard - well worth
the $11 bucks!

This was an adaptation of a recipe from Cooks Illustrated – a few additions basically, couple of subtractions... the usual menu editing I go through..  My oven is a bit screwy – the 475 degree temp seemed a bit high to me, but my oven runs a good 50 degrees cooler than it should, so I had to run the chops under the broiler for about 2 minutes to finish browning them.  Other than that, they were excellent, crunchy, salty, tasty.  I had some leftover olive/mayo mix from the chops, which I added to the cauliflower for a little extra kick.  Served it with a really good Chard for about 11 bucks…. Overall a great meal, and super simple!  Here you go:

Ingredients:

1 cup panko bread crumbs

¼ cup pan toasted slivered almonds (roast in dry skillet over med heat till brown)

5 tbs lite mayo

3 garlic cloves minced

1 tbs parmesan cheese

1 tsp basil

1 tsp oregano

2 tbs olive tapenade ( I used some muffaletta mix I had in the fridge – diced green olives)

salt/pepper to taste

2 bone in pork chops

1 tbs regular olive oil

Instructions:

1: Place rimmed baking sheet on middle rack of oven, heat to 475 degrees.

2: In food processor, pulse panko, almonds, 1 tbs mayo, garlic, parm, basil, and oregano until coarsely ground, place in a shallow dish.

3: Whisk remaining mayo and tapenade mixture in a small bowl

4: Pat chops dry with paper towel.  One at a time, coat chops with mayo olive mixture, and dredge through bread crumb mixture.  Place on separate plate.  Remove pan from oven, brush with olive oil.  Transfer chops to pan, place on middle rack of the oven – bake for 12 – 15 minutes until brown and crunchy.

I served these with ½ head of fresh cauliflower, sautéed with a shallot, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 tbs of butter and 2 tbs olive oil for about 10 minutes.  I added 8 cherry tomatoes, halved, the remaining mayo/olive mix, a skosh of blue cheese and served.

We drank a 2008 Geyser Peak Chardonnay with the meal – a vineyard we have been to, and a quite nice wine for the 11 bucks.  It was a smooth, spice (kind of a pear/nutmeg hint to it) with a really long, buttery finish.  Definitely not your usual Cali Chardonnay – would have been awesome with Thai food as well!

Well, enjoy!  Sorry I have been a little delinquent in posting recently – I will get back to several a week from now on – promise! 

Bon Appetit!

Quick, easy foolproof recipe for Guacamole

This is a great recipe - I sometimes add a jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced to it - but it needs to sit for an hour or so.   Press plastic wrap right up against the top of the finished product when refrigerating it so it doesn't discolor...

Ingredients

·                                 3 avocados - peeled, pitted, and mashed

·                                 1 lime, juiced

·                                 1 tbs zest from lime

·                                 1 tsp kosher salt

·                                 1/2 cup minced shallot

·                                 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

·                                 2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced fine

·                                 1 teaspoon minced garlic

·                                 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions

1.                       In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice and zest, and salt. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir in cayenne pepper. Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavor, or serve immediately.