The Scents Coming From My Kitchen…

The sense of smell explores food before we eat it and the scents coming from my kitchen right now are amazing.

The chicken thighs simmer in a mixture of soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and brown sugar and at the same time chili – which has a dose of both cocoa and coffee - is cooking on another burner.The aroma of these two dishes cooking together at the same time on my stove is heavenly.

In this moment, I think I love the smell of food as much as I love the taste.

Bon Appetit!

Three Cups Chicken

1 pd chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces
1/3 cup sesame oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup rice wine
1 whole garlic, minced
1/2 thumb sized ginger, thinly sliced
2 pcs red peppers, thinly sliced
3 tbsp brown sugar
Handful of Thai basil

In a wok add sesame oil then sauté garlic, ginger and pepper

Add chicken and brown on all sides in high heat. (Make sure you use high heat. I cooked this too low and did not brown it long enough.)

Add soy sauce, rice wine and sugar then bring to a boil.

Turn heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, add water if the sauce dries out.

Turn heat to high then add Thai basil, cook for 3 more minutes until sauce nearly dries out.

Mark's Chili

If I had looked at this chili recipe I would have dismissed it for having way too many ingredients. Lucky for me I tasted it first.

This is not your ordinary chili. It has hidden flavors and some will come back and hit you the minute you’ve had a taste. I love the fact that there are so many things going on in this recipe. This is the first chili recipe I've seen that did not have chili powder in it.

If you like it spicy, just add a little more cayenne and chili peppers.

I ate it the way my mom use to serve it - over potato chips. That’s the way I got use to eating it growing up and just as I thought, everything tastes better the way mom use to make it.

Bon Appetit!

2 teaspoons oil

2 onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1.5 lb lean ground beef

1.5 lb beef sirloin, cubed (Filet Mignon.. Great substitute)

1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 can dark beer (Stout or Black Ale)

1 cup strong coffee

2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste

1 can beef broth

1/4 cup brown sugar ( Add more if desired )

3 1/2 tablespoons chili sauce

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon cocoa

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon salt

4 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans ( Mix and substitute favorite bean's Red, Black, etc. I also like fewer beans so I used 3 cans)

4 chili peppers, chopped

Heat oil.

Cook onions, garlic and meat until brown. (Drain off excessive moisture)

Add tomatoes, beer, coffee, tomato paste and beef broth.

Add spices and peppers, drain and stir in 2 cans of kidney beans.

Reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

Depending on thickness, drain and add 2 remaining cans of kidney beans and simmer for another 30 minutes.

French Toast with Ricotta

This recipe, published in People Magazine, came from one of Hollywood's top trainers Harley Pasternak.

What I loved about it - in addition to being low calorie - is that it was almost too good-looking to eat.

Bon Appetit!

French Toast with Ricotta

Makes four servings

1 ½ cups egg whites
1 ½ cups skim milk
2 tsp. granulated sugar substitute
½ tsp. salt
8 slices whole-grain bread
Ground cinnamon
½ cup reduced-fat ricotta cheese

Whisk together egg whites, milk, sugar substitute and salt. Pour into a shallow dish.

Dip two bread slices in egg white mixture, coating well. Remove bread from egg mixture; drain excess liquid.

Cook bread in a lightly greased large nonstick skillet over medium heat, about two minutes on each side or until golden. Repeat with remaining bread and egg mixture.

Sprinkle toast with cinnamon; top each serving with 2 tbsp. ricotta cheese. Serve immediately.

XOXOXOXO

Start collecting a stash for your favorite valentine. 

 10 days and counting.
 

 

Love You and Bon Appetit!

Roasted Chicken

It was too cold to roll out my grill today so I decided to cook a chicken indoors. 

There is a lot of debate about the roasting temperature when cooking chicken. After tasting this recipe, I am converted to the high temperature method to create crispy, well browned skin. The chicken was also super moist.

There are many chefs who cook chicken at higher temperatures than 400. One I know swears by 10 minutes per pound at 500 degrees. I’m not quite brave enough to try that one yet but the skin on that chicken was a lot browner than mine.

Chef’s who are trained in traditional French kitchens almost always opt for the high heat method. High heat seals in the juices.

No matter what your method, roasted chicken is a great cold weather dish and you can think of endless ways to use up the leftovers…if you happen to have any!

Bon Appetit!

Rapid Roast Chicken

1 3 pound whole chicken

2 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 1/2 tablespoons seasoning salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 whole lemon 

Rinse the chicken inside and out well under cold water, then pat dry. 

In a bowl mix lemon juice with oil and melted butter and then rub over the chicken.

Rub the inside and outside of the chicken with seasoned salt, garlic powder, black pepper and cayenne.

Place the lemon inside the cavity.

Place the chicken into a baking dish and use cotton string to tie the legs together.

Set oven to 450 degrees F.

Roast the chicken at 450 degrees for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 400 degrees and continue roasting for about 40 - 50 minutes.

Cover with foil and let sit for 15 minutes before slicing.

Making a Great Gumbo

The base for most New Orleans recipes is a good ROUX.

There is a real trick to making roux and take it from me, I made it wrong for years. It wasn’t until I took a cooking class in New Orleans that I learned how to make roux the right way…or should I say the right color.

You really have to be patient and don’t be tempted to turn up the heat. Remember, if the roux burns even slightly,  you need to throw it out and start over again. It takes at least 20 – 30 minutes of constant stirring to get the color up. I promise you the outcome is so good, it is a small penance to pay.

If you have any reservations, take a class. On second thought, go to New Orleans to take a class.

First you make a roux......

The fat used in roux can be butter, shortening, lard, oil, or bacon drippings.

Many cooks call for a little more fat than flour - 2/3 cup oil to 1/2 cup flour is a common ratio.

Melt the fat in a cast iron skillet over low heat. Slowly sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly until brown (this will take at least 20-30 minutes). Don’t ever stop stirring or your roux will burn. Immediately remove from heat.

Roux Colors:

White Roux: White roux is cooked for about 5 minutes before any golden color develops. This is used to thicken chowders and milk based sauces.

Blond Roux: Blond roux is cooked approximately 20 minutes to a light, golden-brown shade. Blond roux is a good roux for thickening stock-based sauces, soups, and stews

Brown Roux: Brown roux is cooked about 35 minutes until it reaches anywhere between peanut butter-brown and hazelnut. This roux is used for gumbos and beef based soups.

Dark Brown Roux: Cook dark brown roux for about 45 minutes until it is the color of melted chocolate. This roux is used as a flavoring agent more than for thickening.

Really GREAT Gumbo…

I hit the jackpot today. I found my old gumbo recipe tucked between the pages of an long forgotten cooking magazine.

I’ve tried a dozen or more off the internet since I lost this recipe but none of them tasted anything like this one. This is my favorite gumbo recipe from the New Orleans Cookbook. It’s one of those cookbooks you find once in a lifetime. You know, the one where every recipe you try is simply astonishing.

What makes this one a great recipe?

If you make the roux correctly and get it the color of dark hazelnuts, this gumbo has so much flavor. It also takes on the soft spot of chicken thighs, smoked sausage and the ham. That taste is really exceptional especially after they cook and connect for awhile.

Make this one and you’ll never look for another gumbo recipe again.

These is the essence that New Orleans cooking is all about!

Bon Appetit!

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

1 large chicken (young hen preferred), cut into pieces (I use thighs)
3 tsp. Salt
1 tsp.freshly ground black pepper

Season the chicken with salt, pepper and brown quickly in oil.

2/3 cup oil and ½ cup flour 

In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil and cook the flour in the oil over medium to high heat stirring constantly, until the roux reaches almost the color of dark hazelnuts.

1 ¼ pounds smoked sausage, cut into 1/2" pieces
½ pound lean ham, cubed
2 cups onions, chopped 
½ cup bell peppers, chopped
½ cup thinly sliced green shallots, chopped 
2 Tbsp.minced parsley

1 tbs. finely minced garlic
2 quarts cold water
3 bay leaves
1 ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves 

Add the vegetables and stir quickly. Cook for about 4 minutes.

Add the water, seasonings, chicken, sausage and ham. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.

Lower heat and cook for about one hour. I have also cooked this on low all day and added the chicken the last hour.

Serve over rice with a cold beer, lots of hot, buttery corn bread muffins and a bottle of hot sauce.