Suburban Gourmet

Garlic Noodles, w/Heirloom Tomatoes, Zucchini, Mushrooms, Sprouts and Chicken Sausage

2009-08-13T07:46:00.000-07:00

Garlic Noodles, w/Heirloom Tomatoes, Zucchini, Mushrooms, Sprouts and Chicken Sausage. What’s that all about? Simplicity. Ease. Flavorful. Fast. Just the perfect recipe whipped together after a days work; did I mention simple too?

I read about this recipe and I guess some rapper owns a restaurant where they serve “garlic noodles” and then there was a basic recipe. Anyone, it sounded great with an Asian flair. I love Asian food!

You might think there’s a lot of butter (about 4-5 tablespoons) but when you factor in the amount of servings, and really probably isn’t that much. And of course I had to put my own spin on it. It’s tough to follow recipes because when your mind starts the cooking process immediately the thoughts pop in your head, what about this or what about that, would this ingredient work, or this one, or this one?

Anyway, the big kicker with this recipe, what really makes it is finding a good chicken sausage. I actually like this product from Coleman Natural. It works great!

Ingredients:

1lb Egg Noodles
3 Hans All Natural® Roasted Red Pepper & Garlic Chicken Sausage
1 lb Mushrooms, Sliced (sounds like a lot, but they’ll cook down, they’re mostly water)
1 Small White (light light green) Zucchini
2 to 3 Green or Yellow Tomatoes cut into eighths (red works fine too)
8 Cloves of Garlic, Minced (trust me, it’s not too much)
1 Jalapeno, seeded, membranes removed, minced (omit if you don’t want the spice)\
5 Tablespoons of Butter, Divided
Fresh Spinach, a good handful. (Seriously, it will cook down.)
½ Soy Sauce (I used low sodium)
½ Bag of Bean Sprouts
Salt & Pepper to taste
Olive Oil

Directions:
1) Start a stock pot boiling with water, and a couple tablespoons of salt (season the water) and then add the noodles.

2) Add a 2 count of Olive Oil to a sauté pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage to give it some color. It should turn dark brown. Color = Flavor. Also add the garlic, tomato and jalapeno at this time. The Olive Oil will infuse with the Garlic and Chicken with some heat.

3) When the Garlic starts to darken (but not burn) add 2 tablespoons of butter, wait until melted and then add the mushrooms, spinach and zucchini. Toss. The spinach will wilt and the zucchini and mushrooms will shrink but also absorb the liquid in the pan.

4) When the vegetables seem cooked add the bean sprouts (don’t want to add too early or else they’ll lose their crunch). Remember to be seasoning throughout this entire process.

5) Add the rest of the butter along with the soy sauce. Toss well.

6) Add the egg noodles to the skillet, toss, or with a spoon stir carefully to combine. Remove from heat and serve.

Habanero Mango Garlic Compound Butter

2009-08-09T13:39:00.000-07:00

What is this green gold you say? Well, let's put it this way. If you love corn on the cob or even like corn on the cob, this will elevate it to another level. Skeptical? Give it a shot. The goal here was to combine the sweetness of butter and mango with the trailing heat of a habanero. No, the habanero is not over-powering - it provides a nice trailing heat leaving you a craving for wanting more. Still skeptical? Just try it. It's cheap and simple to make. Then post if you like it, hate it, or love it here.

Ingredients:

1lb Butter, Softened but NOT melted, divided into about 8 chunks.
1 Mango, Peeled and cubed (discard the skin)
2 Habaneros (membrane and seeds discarded, keep for more heat)
1/2 Cup of Chives, sliced thin. (could also used green onions)
1 Bunch Cilantro, Leaves and small stems only.
8 Cloves of Garlic
1 Tbsp Honey
Salt & Pepper to taste (after everything is combined, very important)

Tools Needed:

Food Processor

Directions:

Add garlic to a food processor and pinch of salt, pulse until the garlic is minced.
Add cilantro, chives, and mango, pulse until finely chopped
Sliced up the habanero on your own, outside the food processor. Mince it fine. Then add to food processor. Note, 2 habaneros adds a MILD heat. It's not hot by any means. So if you want it hot, use 4 habaneros.
Turn on food processor, add small chunks of softened butter a little at a time. When half the butter is gone, add the honey, finish adding butter
Start seasoning with about 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper, pulse, taste. Adjust as needed.
When seasoning is perfect, pull out about 1.5 feet of plastic wrap, place the butter compound near the end of the wrap, place in center. Fold over to form a cylinder shape (think 2 soda cans stacked). Roll. Twist sides and refrigerate for a couple hours or over night.

Enchilada Verde, Fresh Salsa, Avocado Creme Fraiche

2009-06-29T10:48:00.001-07:00

Using my older salsa recipe I changed it up a bit using canned San Marzano tomatoes. Yeah, canned tomatoes for salsa? Trust me. San Marzano.

So I used the other chicken from my Beer Can BBQ chicken recipe for these enchiladas. Great decision. If you don't want all that work, just go buy a rotisserie chicken from your local grocery store - they're packed with flavor too.

So what you'll need:
Corn Tortillas
Shredded Chicken (use a food processor and pulse or just pick apart with your hands)
1lb Monterrey Jack Cheese
1 Avocado
1 Small container, Creme Fraiche

For the Avocado Creme Fraiche:
Add a soft, ripe avocado to a food processor
Add the Creme Fraiche
Good pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper.
Pulse until chunky-smooth. Taste, and adjust seasoning as needed.

To assemble Enchiladas:
Tortilla
Verde Sauce
Chicken
Cheese
Roll

Repeat.

Once all done, top off with the remaining cheese. Cook at 350 for about 15-20 minutes.

Green Sauce/Salsa Verde:

1 pounds green tomatillos
1 green pepper
1 or 2 jalapenos
3 large garlic cloves
1/2 cup water, more might be needed
1 tablespoon salt

For the sauce, clean the thin dry skins off the tomatillos. Broil all the peppers until the skins are charred. About 10 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes then, peel the skins, puree in a food processor. This should yield about 3 cups; if sauce seems too thick, thin with chicken stock or water. Set aside.

Beer Can BBQ Chicken!

2009-06-27T07:58:00.000-07:00

Beer can chicken. Boom! Looking for a super moist flavor packed chicken that's SUPER easy to prepare and cook? Here you go.

Considering you can buy whole all day roasted chicken from the store for near the same price as buying whole chickens, you might think, why bother? For pride! No seriously, those rotisserie chickens are great and packed with flavor but not BBW Beer Can Chicken Flavor! And this is super simple to make.

I used a Weber charcoal grill, since making the switch from gas. There's a little learning curve, but it's worth it, I think... So far, so good.

To start, I recommend these beer can holders which you can get from your local Bed, Bath & Beyond (I've seen them there). It's much easier to keep the chicken stable while cooking, as opposed to just popping a beer in the cavity and attempting to balance them yourself.

Technique:

Start up your gas grill on high heat and if you're using charcoal, fill up a chimney starter full of coal. Light it. When the charcoal has fired up about 60%, pour the coals in one side of the grill. You'll use the other side of the grill for indirect heat. Keep the lid off while you sear. I'll explain more in the instructions.

For the beer can, pop them up. Any kind of NON-LIGHT beer. Then poke some extra holes around the upper sides where the lip starts to bend. Why? My moisture to release!

For the rub:

1/2 Cup Lowry's seasoning

1/4 Cup Garlic Powder (not garlic salt)

1 Tbs Smoked Paprika

1 Tbs of Onion Powder

1 Tbs of White Pepper

1 Tbs Cracked Pepper

Good Pinch of Thyme

Good Pinch of Smoked Sea Salt. If you don't have this, I highly recommend it, but don't worry about it if you don't have it. It just has this awesome smokiness to it.

Soaked Mesquite Wood Chips if you've got them.

Other ingredients:

1 Cup Dry White Wine

2 Cans of non-light Beer

2 Chickens!

Technique:

1) Start the grill

2) Mix all ingredients with your fingers

3) Also with your fingers, separate as much of the skin from the breast and other areas as you can. Don't worry, you can be surprisingly strong attempt to separate. Slip your hand on the meat and separate the skin.

4) Season the chicken with the rub. Inside and out. Liberally.

5) 1 Cup Dry White Wine

Meanwhile, pour out the charcoal. About 60% of it should be fire up, leaving the remaining to ignite later. Put the grate on. Let it heat up. About 1-2 minutes. Clean your grates!

Sear the chicken, breast side down. Let it get crusty! About 3-5 minutes. Be careful not to burn, but if you, don't worry, it's just the skin. Flip, repeat.

Remove from the grill, put in an pan or something similar, pour the white wine over the chicken and in and out.

Set in the beer in the beer holders, and mount the chickens. Add a grill pan or something to catch the drippings on the side of the grill that doesn't have the charcoal (put the pan near the charcoal).

Pop in a mesquite wood ship, make sure the holes on the bottom AND top of the grill are open, and cover. Come back in 30-45 minutes to add more wood chips, etc... Let it cook for about 1.5 - 2 hours. Seriously.

Once done, it should look like the picture. Remove from grill, be careful, and let sit for about 15 minutes to retail all its moisture.

Ravioli stuffed with mushrooms, scallions, mild italian sausage, mozzarella and artichokes with an Olive Oil and Pea sauce

2009-06-25T06:06:00.000-07:00

A pea sauce? Hey, when you've got kids and you're trying to get vegetables in them you try anything. And if you don't have kids, you probably think I'm crazy, and if you do, you probably know all too well what I'm talking about. The sauce was simple. Peas, some butter, some olive oil, and definitely a lot of salt and pepper to bring up the level of seasoning.

As for the ravioli's, well, I have a lot to learn. I ended up making about 20 and these are the few that turned out OK. I really enjoy eating ravioli and now I have a great respect for anyone that can and/or has mastered making these from scratch. The pasta is simple. And actually when made all the ravioli's they looked great, but after cooking, that's when about 25% of them just fell apart. Why? Technique I assume. First time for everything and this time it's clear that I have a lot to learn! Oh well, practice, practice, practice, and the bottom line is? The kids devoured it and I should I found this BEFORE I attempted it on my own!

Score 1 for the parents trying to get some good stuff in their kids!

For the filling:
4 Large Mushrooms, sliced, chopped
7 Artichoke Hearts
2 Medium Italian Sausages (medium heat) about 1/2 lb
4 Scallions sliced thin
1 Garlic Clove, Crushed, Sliced
1/2 Cup Dry White Wine
1/2 fresh Mozzarella, chopped, into small chunks
Drab of Olive Oil to help the sausage cook
Salt
Pepper

1) Start with the sausage. Remove the casing, crumble and heat in a saute pan with a drab of olive oil. Once the browning occurs add the mushrooms and garlic with some salt (to draw out the moisture of the mushrooms), and then add a good amount of pepper.

2) Once the mushrooms start shrinking due to lose of moisture, add the scallions and wine. Reduce until the wine is gone. About 5 minutes on medium-high heat. Once the moisture seems so be gone (tilt the pan, any liquids?) remove from the heat and add to a food processor.

3) In the food processor, pulse the ingredients until consistency reduces into small bits - NOT a paste!

4) To assemble, mozzarella, and then spoon some of the mixture on top. Cook the ravioli's in boiling water for 3-5 minutes.

For the Pea Sauce:
1 small bag frozen peas
2 tbls Butter
1/2 Cup of Olive Oil
1 Cup of the Water that cooked the peas

1) I took 1 small bag of frozen peas and cooked them through, reserve some of the water, about a cup, that they're cooking in.

2) Add to a blender along with 2 tablespoons of butter, and 1/2 cup of olive oil. Add 1/2 the reserve water and blend. Check the consistency. Make it what you like. Add a lot of salt and pepper to taste.

Not the most complex sauce (lol) but my kids ate it - score!

Dinner & And a New Asparagus Recipe

2009-06-22T07:37:00.001-07:00

So yesterday was a big day of cooking. Yeah, I know, on Father's Day. It started off with my new pasta rollers where proclaimed I'd never buy store bought pasta again, you know, the boxed stuff. Then I pulled out the TriTip and grilled it up, along with, you-gotta-have garlic bread and some grilled asparagus.

Now with asparagus, I've seen it done where they actually take out the peeler and use it on the outer skin of the asparagus. And I have to say, if you're going to be doing any sort of marinating of the asparagus - do this! It seems to hold more of the flavor of whatever you're trying to infuse as a result of the thicker skin being removed.

Ingredients:
Asparagus
1/2 Cup of Olive Oil
Juice of 1 Fresh Lemon
1 Tablespoon of Mayo
Salt
and a Lot of Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Method:
Peel the Asparagus

Add all ingredients in a small mixing bowl except the olive oil, and then drizzle and whisk in the olive oil. Taste for seasoning.

Pour over the asparagus, marinate for at least 30 minutes. Grill on Medium-High turning once for about 3-5 minutes.

I Will Never Buy Store Bought Pasta Again!

2009-06-21T11:38:00.000-07:00

So I was fortunate enough to get this pasta roller attachment set by KitchenAid for Father's Day, and wow, am I impressed at how easy it is to make and roll pasta, but even more amazed at how much better it taste than the hard, store bought stuff, no matter the brand. This stuff is amazing. The pasta itself is light and fluffy and you're not left over with a hearty heavy feeling. It's really the only way to enjoy a pasta, marinara, carbonara, fettuccine, etc., etc... The ONLY way. If you have a KitchenAid stand mixer that can take attachments, please give this a shot. You will not be dissapointed.

Total time until we ate was about 45 minutes, and that includes the 20 minutes you need to let the pasta dough rest.

Try Mario Batali's pasta recipe.

Just note, I did modify this every so slightly... I added about 1-2 tablspoons of water and about 1/2 tablespoon of salt.

The sauce is just San Marzano tomatoes (Canned), some ground beef and salt and pepper, and onions...

I also HIGHLY recommend this sauce, which can be bought at Kowalski's.

Pan Seared Halibut with Bearnaise Sauce, Lemon Roasted Baby Potatoes, and Lemon Garlic Cucumber Salad

2009-06-17T17:20:00.000-07:00

Bearnaise sauce with halibut? Yeah, it works. Trust me. The sauce, typically served along side a succulent piece of tender beef also seems to work with this meaty fish.

I'm not really a big fish eat and neither is my family, but we need to be. For one, the Omega 3 fatty acids it offers are great for our hearts and help prevent in heart disease and reduce cholesterol levels. Yeah, that piece of fish. The Bearnaise sauce on the other, probably offsets the benefits of the halibut just a little bit. ;)

I'm a big proponent of simple ingredients, namely because, I'm not a culinary educated person - but would love to be. Cooking fish can be intimidating and truth be told this was my second time. My first attempt was fresh salmon. This turned out great. It was juicy and the sauce added a great element.

So give it a shot and don't let the Bearnaise sauce scare you.

Recipe for the bearnaise sauce, follow Tyler Florence's direction. It turned out great. I even minced up a couple cloves of garlic for some added punch.

Ingredients:
4 Pieces of Fresh Halibut, or as fresh as you can get. Avoid the frozen fish.
1lb baby potatoes (sometimes referred to as "new potatoes.")
Juice of 1 Lemon and the Zest of 1 Lemon
1 Large cucumber, sliced thin (like circles). I used a mandolin.
Olive Oil to coat the potatoes
Salt and Pepper

Method:
1) Combine some olive oil (to coat all the potatos), the juice of 1 lemon and the zest of one lemon, add salt and pepper and toss. Cut the potatoes length wise in half. Add to a baking tray. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and roast for 45-60 minutes. Roast.

2) Start the bearnaise

3) Season the fish, both sides, salt and pepper. Start a skillet on medium high heat, add some olive oil and cook approximately 4-5 minutes on each side. Just watch the fish. You'll start to see it cook. It's going to turn more white than it already is. Flip and do the same. If you stop hearing the sizzle, this is bad, add a little more olive oil - or worst case, you dried it out. ;)

4) Set the fish aside when cooked, plate however you wish! Just pay close attention to that bearnaise sauce!!!

Carbonara with Hickory Smoked Bacon, Onions, Crispy Garlic, Parmesan and Lemon Artichokes

2009-06-16T17:21:00.000-07:00

So I'm on a carbonara streak and I can't help it. I like the stuff. Check that, love the stuff. It's just a different type of pasta most probably aren't accustom to and the idea of putting eggs in a pasta dish may not seem all that appetite-appealing. Last week I made a pancetta carbonara dish that turned out pretty good, and I learned a couple lessons while making that version of a carbonara. This one was a little different, no heating and continously beating eggs. And instead of milk or cream, I used some of the oil that the artichoke is stored in - that was a great decision.

Ingredients:
1lb Spaghetti cooked Al Dente
2 Cups of Artichoke Hearts
6 Cloves of Garlic, Sliced
Zest of 1 Lemon and 1/4 of it for the juice
1/3lb Good Bacon, cubed
1/2 Cup Chopped Onions
1/2 Cup Oil used to store Arichokes
4 Egg Yolks
1 Cup Finely Grated Parmesan
Salt and Pepper
Italian Parsely, Finely Chopped for Garnish

1) Start a pot boiling, add about 2tbls of Salt. The water should be salty, like the sea. Trust me. That's the difference between good pasta and great pasta.

2) Start the bacon rendering in a saute pan over medium. When the fat starts melting add the onion and garlic. Continue to cook until the onions are wilted and even a little brown and the bacon and garlic is crispy. Don't burn the garlic. It can be light brown. Burning it will make it bitter, but the light brown will add a nice texture and crunch to the dish.

3) Once done, get a plate, cover it with a couple sheets of paper towel and dump the mixture from the saute pan over.

4) Separate the yolks from 4 eggs. Add to a bowl and whisk.

5) Add the parmesan in with the eggs and wisk some more. Then add the artichoke oil and stir to combine well. It will be thick. Don't worry. Now add the lemon zest and the juice of about 1/4 lemon, stir again.

6) Once the pasta is near done, start tempering in some of the pasta water into the egg and parmesan mixture, about 1/4 cup at a time to a total of 1 to 1.5 cups. The hot water will help to melt the cheese. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and go crazy with the peppermill. Seriously, add a nice amount of pepper

7) Now add the artichoke to the saute pan with the garlic, onion and bacon. Stir to combine. Add the drained pasta. Now pour over the egg, artichoke oil and parmesan mixture.

8) Combine well. Finish with more finely grated parmesan and some italian parsely for garnish

Pancetta Carbonara

2009-06-11T17:11:00.000-07:00

So I really don't have much to add here. This is Pancetta Carbonara and it's GOOD! Very good. Ok, very, very good! I found the recipe from my buddy, Tyler Florence. Check out his picture. Yeah, my photo depicts a family style dish and as you can see, my sabayon was slightly overdone, but it still tasted great (sabayon can turn into a custard and be used in a lot of desserts). The reason it was over done? I didn't trust what Tyler wrote in the instructions for sabayon. He said, "It should be frothy and creamy when done." But I couldn't get it out of my head thinking, there's no way, it's not thick, it needs to be thick. Follow the instructions and learn from my mistake!

I used freshly made spinach noodles. Why? Since the kids are having a difficult time eating vegetables - now they're embedded in the noodles! And man were they better than the stuff out of the box. The pancetta adds a saltiness to the dish, but not enough for my taste, so I added some to the sabayon, to taste. Also, keep in mind that the parmesan will add salt too to the dish.

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Yield: serves 4

Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

2 recipes of fresh pasta dough, rolled out and cut as spaghetti

extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 lb pancetta, cut into thin strips

7 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 bag (about 3 cups) baby spinach

1/4 cup grated parmesan

Parmesan Sabayon:

6 large eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup grated parmesan

plenty of freshly ground black pepper

Begin by rolling and cutting the fresh pasta into spaghetti. Toss in a little flour to stop the noodles from sticking together and spread out on a sheet tray to dry while you prepare the dish.

Set a large pan over medium heat, add a splash of olive oil and fry the pancetta, stirring occasionally until crispy. About halfway through, add the thinly sliced garlic and cook until golden. Drain pancetta and garlic on a paper towel. Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook until tender yet firm (“al dente”, as they say in Italian) 2 to 3 minutes for fresh pasta. Drain, and put the pasta into a big pasta bowl.

Make the parmesan sabayon. In a large mixing bowl, add eggs, milk and cream. Set over a double boiler and vigorously mix with an immersion blender until it just starts to thicken and suspends a little – about 7-8 minutes. It should be frothy and creamy when done. Add plenty of freshly ground black pepper and parmesan and mix once more to combine. Pour the sabayon over the noodles and mix gently with tongs so the pasta is well coated. Portion out amongst bowls, top with a spoonful of crispy pancetta and garlic and a small handful of baby spinach. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil, a few turns of freshly ground black pepper and some grated parmesan.

The Master Sandwich, Part II

2009-06-10T15:54:00.000-07:00

So here's version II of the Master Sandwich but this one is actually by a master, Thomas Keller. Now, if you claim to be a "foodie" and don't know who Thomas Keller is - well - you don't know all that much - I'm just sayin... (kidding, relax)

The sandwich is very rich due to the runny egg, rich smoked bacon, and crazy awesome havarti cheese. The cheese is actually a Horseradish Dill Havarti that I bought from the local gourmet grocery store, Kowalskis.

The title should really be called, The Ultimate Bacon Lettuce Tomato Cheese sandwich, but I'm sticking with, The Master Sandwich II. Because if you could taste it, you would definitely know what I mean. I combined that with a tangy garlic-lemon vinaigrette with frisse greens - the seemingly perfect combination because the frisse tends to be a tad bitter whereas the acid and salt seem, at least to me, to balance it out.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3-4 Slices Thick Smoked Bacon (good stuff, go to the butcher)
2 Slices of Peppered Havarti Cheese (Keller used Monterry Jack - both rock)
2 Slices of great bread. Seriously. Not Wonder bread.
1 Tablespoon of Mayo
4 Slices of Thick Tomatoes
1 Slice of Red Onion
Butter Lettuce
1 Teaspoon of Butter (I used European Butter, seriously, try it. Insanely good!)
1 Egg

Method:

1) Start the bacon crisping on medium heat turning as needed. Be careful not to burn.

2) Spread the butter on one side of both pieces of bread. Toast the buttered side until golden brown

3) Slice up the Tomatoes. Slice the Red Onion

4) Once the bread is browned, flip it, add the cheese, and melt. Cheese should ooze.

5) Remove the bacon when done set on a papertowel

6) Remove the bread, buttered side down now and spread the mayo

7) Fry the egg, crack it whole, and cook until the whites appear solid, then flip. Cook a little more. You don't want the yolk cooked through.

8) Add the tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper

9) Add the bacon, butter lettuce, onions, and add the egg.

10) Slice it down the middle and enjoy!

Update in Progress...

2009-06-10T10:02:00.000-07:00

As you can see, there are some changes coming... And some kinx to be worked out. :)

Chicken Burgers with Garlic-Fresh-Basil Mayonnaise

2009-06-03T09:35:00.000-07:00

So here’s a recipe I saw on TV by Giada De Laurentiis, Chicken Burgers with Garlic-Rosemary Mayonnaise, but the thought of combing Mayo and Rosemary didn’t do it for me that evening. It is a good combination but at the time, I wasn’t in the mood for the powerfulness that is Rosemary, so I thought, change it up and combine Garlic, Basil, Mayo, and some scallions in addition to the chicken mixture – now we’re talking. The recipe itself seemed a little boring, lacking texture so I change it up by adding the white parts of scallions and some celery, which you really couldn’t taste, but it added a nice crunch.

So my recipe evolved from hers. Still her recipe, but change is good!

Ingredients

Mayonnaise:

1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped fresh Basil leaves
1 clove garlic, minced, crushed
2 Scallions, just the green parts (slice up the white parts for the burgers)
salt and pepper to taste – very important!
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (seriously awesome stuff)

Burgers:

1 pound ground chicken. I actually took whole chicken breasts and put them in the food processor. Worked great.
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 ciabatta rolls or burger buns
2 scallions, white parts, sliced
1 celery stalk, chopped fine
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup arugula, divided

Directions

For the mayonnaise: In a small bowl, combing the mayonnaise ingredients and fold; set aside.

For the burgers: Preheat a gas or charcoal grill or place a grill pan over medium-high heat. In a large bowl, add the ground chicken, celery, scallion whites, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 of the mayonnaise mixture. Using clean hands, gently combine the ingredients and form the chicken mixture into 4 patties. Place the burgers on the grill and cook for about 7 minutes on each side. Transfer to paper towels and let rest for a few minutes.

Brush the cut side of each roll with the olive oil and 1 teaspoon of the mayonnaise mixture. Grill for 1 to 2 minutes until slightly golden.

To assemble the burgers: Spread a dollop of the remaining mayonnaise mixture on the tops and bottoms of the toasted buns. Place the chicken burgers on the bottom halves of the buns. Top each with 1/4 cup of arugula and finish with the top half of the bun

Simplicity!

2009-05-28T19:36:00.000-07:00

What's more simple than garlic sauce, grilled chicken and a tomato/avocado salad? Not much! Well, ok, the garlic sauce can be quite intimidating but if you don't succeed, try, try again!

Here's a simple grilled chicken, consisting of a marinate of olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon, salt, pepper, and my favorite herb concoction called, herbes de provence. It's awesome on grilled chicken. Trust me. Then I found some great firm yellow and orange tomatoes and big avocado's at the grocery store. I know, I know, I need to hit the farmers market - truth be told, they're not quite near me just yet, but soon come June.

For the Chicken:
5 Chicken Breasts, butterflied - thin is cook. They'll cook faster!
4 Cloves of Garlic, Crushed
1 teaspoon herbes de provence
1 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Add all ingredients in a marinating dish and add the chicken. This marinate will work great in 30 minutes, but for best results, overnight.

For the Salad:
3 Orange Tomatoes
3 Yellow Tomatoes
1 ripe Avocado
1 Lemon, Juiced
2 Cloves Garlic, Crushed
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
Salt to Taste
Pepper To Taste - You've got to season!!!

Combine the liquids, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl, season with salt and pepper. Make sure it's tasting good, and just a tad salty or lemony, why? Because you're going to get a lot of liquid from the tomatoes and you don't want them dilluting your salad!

Add the remaining ingredients. Note, once the avocados are prepared add them to the dressing - if you don't do this right away, they're turn brown. You need the acid to hit them.
Slice up all the tomatoes, remove the avocado from its shell, slice it up.

Tritip, Garlic Bread, and a New Asparagus Recipe

2009-05-18T07:39:00.000-07:00

So yesterday, I whipped out one of the Tritips I bought from Costco. I have to say, this particular Tritip was tough. That normally doesn't EVER happen. It's rare to get a tritip that's tough, at least in all the years I've been eating it. I think I've come across 2, this being the second.

As I was whipping through my Food & Wine magazine I came across this Asparagus recipe that looked insanely good, so I checked the fridge, yep, we're stocked up on Asparagus so time to start the recipe!

The Asparagus? Check.
The Tritip? Check
Bread to make Garlic Bread? Check.

Since I've made the other items here before (click on their links) I'll speak to the Asparagus. And no, you don't need to boil them first. Let the grill do the work. The taste is tangy with a slight bitterness of the lemon zesy but has the tang of the lemon juice and mustard. It was great. I really liked it. Note, the bitterness, at least in this case, can be overcome by offsetting it with a little more salt - that will balance out the flavors, in my humble opinion. Definitely don't be afraid to try this. It is really good!

Ingredients

1. 1/4 cup mayonnaise
2. 1/4 cup grainy mustard
3. 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4. 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
5. 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
6. 1 garlic clove, crushed
7. 2 teaspoons kosher salt
8. 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
9. 1 pound thick asparagus, trimmed

Directions

1. Light a grill. In a shallow dish, whisk the mayonnaise with the mustard, oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the asparagus and turn to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

2. Grill the asparagus over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until the spears are tender and lightly blistered in spots, about 6 minutes. Serve the asparagus hot or at room temperature.

Chicken Parmesan

2009-05-12T19:43:00.000-07:00

Why recreate the wheel? Right? I actually made this and then watch an episode of Guy's Big Bite featuring basically the same recipe. So why bother re-typing it all up? The following is Guy's recipe, earily similar to mine... Hhhmmm... Only real differences? I used Angel Hair Pasta and if I could add one thing, make sure to use FRESH Mozzarella. No, you don't have to make it, but get it from your grocer freshly made. Normally a day or 2 old. Big difference in flavor and texture. Also, use Panko bread crumbs. HUGE difference there is texture. It's more crunchy.

I personally don't understand brining chicken breasts when you're in the mood for a fast meal just getting home from work. This took me about 45 minutes total to throw together.

4 (5-ounce) boneless, skinless, trimmed chicken breasts
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups dried bread crumbs
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
1/4 pound Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus extra for garnish, grated
Olive oil, for frying (about 2 cups)
1 pound penne rigate, cooked al dente
Tomato Sauce, recipe follows
1/4 cup minced Italian parsley, for garnish

Lightly pound the chicken breasts to 1/2-inch thickness. Combine the kosher salt, sugar, and 1 quart of water in a 1-gallon size resealable plastic bag; shake until dissolved. Add the chicken breasts and soak at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Place the flour in a medium bowl. Remove the chicken from the brine. Shake off excess moisture and, with tongs, lightly dredge the chicken in the flour. Shake off the excess flour and transfer to a large plate.

Mix the eggs and milk in medium bowl and whisk thoroughly. In a separate bowl combine the bread crumbs, oregano, basil, parsley, sea salt, and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the egg and milk mixture with tongs and let excess mixture drain off. Now dredge the chicken into the bread crumb mixture, and lightly pat down in the bread crumbs to adhere.

Preheat the broiler.

Let the breaded chicken sit for 5 minutes before frying. In a medium saucepan on medium-high heat, add enough olive oil to come 1/3 up the side of the chicken. Cook the chicken in batches until golden brown on both sides. Remove from the pan when cooked and place on a sheet tray. Repeat with remaining chicken.

When all the chicken is cooked, sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the top. Place under the broiler until the cheese melts and is golden brown.

Serve chicken over pasta and ladle tomato sauce on top. Garnish with additional Parmesan and parsley.

Tomato Sauce:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, minced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
6 cups peeled and diced Roma tomatoes
1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a saucepan. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and cook until almost brown, then add tomatoes. Saute for 30 minutes over low to medium heat. Add the basil and oregano and continue to cook for 30 minutes longer. Puree in a food mill or let cool and puree in a food processor. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

The Burger

2009-05-10T18:38:00.001-07:00

Made this burger for mother's day on the Weber and here's all I'm going to say about the burger:

It's good.
It's great.
It's freakin really good.
You should make it.

Nuff said.

Matt

Recipe
PS: Cook it medium well. Season the beef and mix it up!

Sun Dried Tomato, Chicken Sausage, Artichoke Summer Pasta

2009-05-07T17:03:00.000-07:00

1lb Pasta

1 Cup Sun Dried Tomatoes, Sliced
2 Cups Artichoke Hearts, and about 2 Tablespoons of the oil they're packed in
2 Cups Chicken Stock
3 Chicken Sausage Links (mine actually had sun dried tomatoes in the sausage)
1 Cup Heavy Cream
2 Shallots, Sliced Thin
3 Garlic Cloves, Minced
3 Scallions, Sliced Thin
3 Tablespoons Parsley, Chopped

1/3 of a Fresh Lemons Juice!

Salt and Pepper to Taste! Very Important!

This is one of those dishes where you just start throwing things together in a pot and it slowly comes together. A little of this a little of that. Batta bing batta boom. We were in the mood for pasta and something with artichokes and sun dried tomatoes, speaking of which, is anything better than sun dried tomatoes on a nice warm day? Didn't think so. If you can think of something, let me know... ;)

Normally for these types of dishes I'd use olive oil, and good olive oil at that, but something spoke to me, the artichokes and sun dried tomatoes are stored in an olive oil base and that's packed with big time flavor. So use it!

First things first, get your water boiling and add about 3 tablespoons of salt to it. Season it. The pasta will come out perfectly seasoned, and slightly salty - a good thing. Once the water comes to a boil, drop the pasta.

In a saute pan. Slice up the chicken sausage, or really, any kind of sausage you prefer. Add a little of the sun dried tomato oil and/or artichoke oil to the saute pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add the sausage slices and caramelize all over. A few minutes of cooking ought to do it.

Next add the shallots and garlic and sweat them. What's that mean? Cook them until they're soft. Now add the sun dried tomatoes, caramelize them a bit (they'll get a little brown, but not burnt). You're just bringing out more of their sweetness. Then add the artichoke hearts and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. This will reduce and concentrate in flavor. Oh, about 5-8 minutes.

Meanwhile, you're pasta is boiling away... Let it go.

So back to the saute pan. Reduce the heat, add heavy cream, slowly incorporating it and slowly bring back to a simmer. This will thicken the liquid more but because not to let it get to a boil! Otherwise you'll be left with a crummy separated mixture - blah!

Remove the pasta once it's al dente. Don't rinse it! Add it back to the pot it was boiling in OFF the heat. Now squeeze the lemon into the saute pan. What's that going to do? Add a layer of bite! Now add the entire mixture to the pasta and toss. Serve.

Pan-Seared Chicken Breast, Creamed Spinach with Hickory Smoked Bacon, Creamy Mashed Potatoes, and Pan Sauce

2009-05-06T22:28:00.000-07:00

Surprise! I'm making a slow come back... As I make up new recipes and try new recipes, I'll try to share them all here. This one just happens to be all mine. Pan Seared Chicken Breast, with Hickory Smoked Bacon Creamed Spinach, Creamy Mashed Potatoes, and a Riesling Pan Sauce. Blam!

Ok, ingredients.

4 Chicken Breasts, Pounded Thin.
Some All Purpose Flour for Dredging
1 Bag of Spinach, Not Frozen
2 Shallots, Sliced Thin
2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
1/4 Pound Good Smoked Bacon
3 Pounds Baby Red Potatoes
1/2 Stick of Butter
About 1 cup of milk
1 Cup Heavy Cream
2 Cups Chicken Stock
2 Cups of Riesling
Few Tablespoons of Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste, on everything, duh

Start your potatoes in boiling water. Cook until done.

Start by pounding out the chicken breast. Make them all the same thickness. This way, they could all the same time. Get about 1 maybe 2 cups of all purpose flour and add a big pinch of salt and just as much pepper to it, mix it up. Add and coat the chicken breasts shaking off the excess.

Add the bag of fresh spinach to a sautee pan, something with a cover, add the shallot and garlic, spinkle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Check on it continuously stirring.

Get the bacon rendering in another pan/pot/whatever. Medium heat. Don't burn it. You want it crispy, so be patient.

In a large skillet (thick bottomed) heat some olive oil on medium heat and then add your chicken breasts. Don't over crowd the skillet. If you don't hear a sizzle, the pan is NOT hot enough. Cook until through, maybe 5-7 minutes total. Don't over cook or else it will be dry!

Continuously check on the spinach! It should be at medium heat. And it will render down to about 1/8 it's original size. So by now your bacon should be done. Take it off the heat, cut it up or use your hands and sprinkle it in the spinach. Add about 1/2 cup heavy cream, and reduce heat to a simmer. It will thicken up.

So now you have the spinach almost done.
Chicken breasts done.
Potatoes? Remove, strain, add back to the pot, add the butter and remaining heavy cream. Mash! Season!!!!!

So for the pan sauce! Same pan the chicken was in! Medium heat! Add the wine, scrap up the bits on the bottom - those are yum yums. Once that reduces about in half, add the stock, season GOOD with salt and pepper and let it reduce. That's about it!

Matt's Ultimate Spaghetti & Meatballs!

2009-03-16T18:29:00.000-07:00

Ok, ok, ok, ok, this recipe is derived from my good friend, Tyler Florence and I made some subtle changes to mold it as my own. The biggest change? The addition of 1/2lb of chopped and rendered panchetta and then using that liquid gold to saute your produce - all of it!

By the time this was done the family wouldn't let me plate it for a nice presentation shot - yes - it's that good!

Recipe

Note: Use "San Marzano" tomatoes. You need to get them at an italian deli or good grocery store like Whole Foods, Bylerly's, etc... Trust me. Don't complain that the tomatoes are 2x or 3x more expensive just use them. They are the best tomatoes I've ever consumed for a pasta sauce.

Ingredients

Extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, smashed
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 cup milk
4 thick slices firm white bread, crust removed
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 1/2 pounds ground pork
1 large egg
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups heated Pomodoro Sauce, recipe follows, or good quality jarred tomato sauce
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, cut into chunks
Leaves from 3 sprigs fresh basil
1 pound spaghetti

Directions

Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil for the spaghetti. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and parsley and cook until the vegetables are soft but still translucent, about 10 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let cool.

Pour enough milk over the bread in a bowl to moisten and let it soak while the onions are cooling. Combine the meats in a large bowl. Add the egg and Parmigiano and season generously with salt and pepper. Use your hands to squeeze the excess milk out of the bread and add that to the bowl along with the cooled onion mixture. (Hang onto the pan - you'll need it to cook the meatballs.) Gently combine all the ingredients with your hands or with a spoon until just mixed together. Don't overwork or the meatballs will be tough. Divide into 10 equal pieces and shape them into 10 nice looking meatballs.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat a 3-count of oil in the frying pan over medium heat and brown the meatballs on all sides, about 10 minutes. Put them into a baking dish and spoon about half of the tomato sauce over. Shower with the mozzarella and drizzle with olive oil. Put the meatballs in the oven and bake until the meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in the boiling water until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and put it onto a large serving platter. Pour on the rest of the sauce and mix well. Spoon the meatballs on top of the spaghetti and garnish with basil leaves. Serve immediately along with extra cheese.

Pomodoro Sauce:

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, drained and crushed by hand, liquid reserved

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the vegetables are soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully add the tomatoes (nothing splashes like tomatoes) and about 1/2 cup of the reserved liquid and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the sauce is thick, about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring for a few minutes with a wooden spoon to further break up the tomatoes. Reduce the heat and let simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in the fresh basil and season again.

Yield: 4 cups

Everyone Needs a Pressure Cooker!

2008-11-14T09:16:00.000-08:00

So I made this roast for dinner the other night. Insanely good. Imagine taking a 4lb roast, cooking it in 40 minutes, and it falling apart when you take it out of the pot. Insanely good. If you do try this recipe, I highly recommend cutting the roast into 4-6 smaller chunks, like I did. I should have taken a picture but we were so hungry we didn't have time!

Tomatoes Provençal

2008-07-31T07:34:00.000-07:00

Before!

After! Deliciousness!

The Recipe

Guess who I met today?

2008-05-11T18:59:00.001-07:00

Chicken in Riesling

2008-03-11T12:41:00.001-07:00

(photo by: Marcus Nilsson)

Made this last night and it was AMAZING!

Recipe here:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/photo/241725

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (about 3 1/2 pound), backbone discarded and chicken cut French style into 8 pieces (see cooks' note, below)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
4 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only), finely chopped (2 cups)
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
4 medium carrots, halved diagonally
1 cup dry white wine (preferably Alsatian Riesling)
1 1/2 pound small (2-inch) red potatoes
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup crème fraîche or heavy cream
Fresh lemon juice to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Pat chicken dry and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and a rounded 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat oil with 1 tablespoon butter in a wide 3 1/2- to 5-quart heavy ovenproof pot over medium-high heat until foam subsides, then brown chicken in 2 batches, turning once, about 10 minutes total per batch. Transfer to a plate.

Meanwhile, wash leeks and pat dry.

Pour off fat from pot, then cook leeks, shallot, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in remaining 2 tablespoons butter, covered, over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until leeks are pale golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Add chicken, skin sides up, with any juices from plate, carrots, and wine and boil until liquid is reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes. Cover pot and braise chicken in oven until cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes.

While chicken braises, peel potatoes, then generously cover with cold water in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan and add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer until potatoes are just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain in a colander, then return to saucepan. Add parsley and shake to coat.

Stir crème fraîche into chicken mixture and season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice, then add potatoes.

Cooks' note: A chicken cut French style yields 2 breast halves with wings attached, halved crosswise for a total of 4 breast pieces, 2 drumsticks, and 2 thighs. If you don't want to cut up a whole chicken, you can use 3 pounds chicken parts.

Fish & Chips

2008-01-26T12:04:00.000-08:00

Recipe courtesy, Tyler Florence

Vegetable oil, for deep frying
4 large russet potatoes
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 (12-ounce) can soda water
1/2 cup rice flour, for dredging
2 (8-ounce) cod or haddock fillets, cut in 1/2 on an angle
Malt vinegar, for serving
Tartar Sauce, recipe follows

Heat 3-inches of the oil in a deep fryer to 325 degrees F. Alternately, heat 3-inches of oil in a deep pot.

Peel the potatoes and cut them into chips, about the size of your index finger. Put the potatoes in the oil. Fry the chips for 2 to 3 minutes; they should not be crisp or fully cooked at this point. Remove the chips with a spider strainer or slotted spoon, to a paper towel-lined platter to drain.

Crank the oil temperature up to 375 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and egg. Pour in the soda water and whisk to a smooth batter. Spread the rice flour on a plate. Dredge the fish pieces in the rice flour and then dip them into the batter, letting the excess drip off.

Put the chips in the bottom of the fryer basket and carefully submerge in the hot oil. Carefully wave the battered fish into the bubbling oil before dropping them in on top of the chips. Fry the fish and chips for 4 to 5 minutes until crispy and brown. Remove the basket and drain the fish and chips on paper towels; season lightly with salt. Serve wrapped in a newspaper cone with malt vinegar and/or tartar sauce.

Tartar Sauce:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chopped capers
1 tablespoon chopped cornichons
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 lemon, juiced
Dash hot sauce In a small mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Chill before serving to let the flavors marry.

Yield: about 1 1/4 cups