Posts Tagged ‘recipe’

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Stewed okra with Lemon Shrimp

August 9, 2008

I’m a lover of okra.  Fried is of course my favorite, but I also love it pickled, stewed, boiled, gumbo’ed… whatever.  Viva la slime!  This is an extremely easy way to make a side of stewed okra become a main dish.

½ lb jumbo gulf shrimp, peeled and deveined
juice of one lemon
zest of one lemon
kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper

1½ cups okra, sliced
28 oz canned tomato with juice
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
kosher salt, black pepper

Marinate cleaned shrimp in  lemon juice, zest, salt and pepper in the refrigerator for at least one hour.  In a medium sized pan combine okra, crushed tomatoes with their juice, and seasonings.  Simmer until the okra is soft and the flavors have combined.  About 5 minutes before serving, drop drained shrimp into the simmering okra mixture.  Cook just until the shrimp has pinked up and curled.

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Black Bean Cheese Enchiladas

July 26, 2008

Black beans:
1 lb dry black beans, soaked
1 medium white onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 Serrano peppers, seeded and diced
1 tbs cumino
salt and pepper to taste

Saute the onion until soft with a bit of olive oil in a large dutch oven.  Add garlic and peppers and stir until softened.  Add beans to the pot and cover with water.  Add seasonings.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for at least two hours until the beans soften.  Add hot water as necessary to keep the liquid level constant.  Adding cold water will split the beans and make the broth mealy.

Enchiladas:
2 cups prepared black beans with liquid (or canned)
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
8 oz canned hatch green chiles
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tbs cumin
3 tbs chili powder

Combine the above and simmer on medium until reduced to desired consistency.  It should be just thick enough to spoon over the casserole.

15 corn tortillas
½ cup canola oil
2 cups shredded colby jack cheese (I’m using reduced fat)
1 large white onion, diced

Dip each tortilla, one at a time in hot grease.  From the grease, place the tortilla on a surface lined with paper towel.  Blot the tortilla with additional paper towel. Move the tortilla into a 9X13 inch baking dish. Roll cheese and onions into corn tortillas. Place the roll seam side down in a baking dish. (Rubber gloves would help if your fingers aren’t made of asbestos)  Ladel the bean mixture over the enchiladas. Use only enough of the beans to cover the rolled enchillads liberaly.  Bake at 350ºF for about 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Top with additional shredded chesse and onions.  Bake until cheese topping melts.

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Roasted duck.

July 20, 2008

I came up with this to be the first recipe made in the beautiful Le Creuset dutch oven Andy gave me for my birthday.

1 dressed duckling, brined overnight in salt water,
2 large white onions, sliced
4 large oranges (reserve ½ orange, juice 3½)
1 tbs orange zest
2 tbs orange liqueur
½ cup chicken broth
kosher salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes
1 head of garlic, peeled
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh lavender
1 sprig fresh sage

Remove duck from broth.  Trim fat pad from main cavity, and set it aside.  Pat duck dry, rub with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Stuff cavity with ½ white onion (sliced), garlic, ½ orange (sliced), and herbs.  Set stuffed duck aside.

In a gorgeous, cobalt blue Le Creuset dutch oven, render the duck fat slowly over medium heat.  If the fat is not available, just use olive oil.  Saute remaining onions in the duck fat.  Add orange zest and stir until fragrant.  Add orange juice, liqueur, broth, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.  Stir to combine, and simmer until reduced by about half.

Wiggle the duck into the orange liquid and onions.  Spoon some of the mixture on top of the duck.

Raw duck in roasting pan.

Raw duck in roasting pan.

Cover tightly and cook at 350ºF for 1.5 hour until the bird reaches an internal temperature of about 150ºF.  Remove lid, crank heat to 500ºF and brown for approximately 15 minutes. The final temperature should be around 170ºF before resting.  Remove from heat, cover, and allow to sit for around 10 minutes before carving.

I’m serving this with seared brussel sprouts and basmati rice.

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Grilled Lobster

July 12, 2008

Yep. I grilled some lobsters.  I maintain that this was fantastic eating.  Andy thinks it was a little difficult to liberate the cooked meat from the crustacean.

2 live lobsters, about 1½ pound each
1 big drizzle garlic olive oil
Kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper
Melted butter

Garlic Olive Oil:
1 head of garlic, skinned and smashed
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
zest of two lemons

Simmer the cilantro, lemon zest, and garlic in the olive oil on medium for about 20 mintues until the oil has picked up the flavor of the herb and the garlic.  Strain into an air tight container and refrigerate the oil for future use.  (Side note: after cooking, the mashed up garlic is great on toast)

Obtain two fresh live lobsters as close to cooking time as possible.  Stick the lobsters in the freezer for about 15 minutes to slow them down. Place a sturdy cutting board on a moist cup towel to prevent slipping.   Remove the lobsters from the freezer.  One at a time, place the lobster on its back on the cutting board.  Use another cup towel for grip.  Force the tip of a large chefs knife into the thorax of the lobster where it meets the tail and then quickly cut down through the thorax and head with the body of the knife, bisecting the upperbody and head of the lobster in one move. (You will be cutting longitudinally between the eyes)  The lobster will continue moving as the nerves begin to die.  Split the lobster completely in half.  Break off both claws, crack them with the back of the kinfe or a mallet. Set them aside.  Rinse the viscera from the lobster under running water.

Drizzle the exposed meat with garlic olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper. Squeeze over the juice of one lemon.  Place the claws on a grill heated to about 400°F and cover with a pie plate.  Wait about 5 minutes.  Place oiled lobster bodies on the grill, flesh side down.  Cook for about 7 minutes.  Flip and cook another 4-5 minutes.  Remove from heat. Serve with clarified butter and lemon.  I also did some grilled asparagus and grilled Texas Peaches.  Yurm.

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Cornbread Mush

July 6, 2008

1 cup milk
1 tbs butter
Yesterday’s cornbread
Buttermilk
Maple Syrup

Combine milk and butter, scald.  Crumble yesterday’s cornbread into the scalded milk mixture until it reaches desired consistency of mush.  Drizzle on some buttermilk (approx ¼ cup) and maple syrup to taste.  Eat.  Yum.

This would probably be better cooked in a pan that had just fried bacon. If you ate bacon, that is… which I don’t.    *Sob*

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I just made banana pudding,

June 26, 2008

and I’d kind of like to stick my head in it.

Does this even count as a recipe? I didn’t bother to make it from scratch because sometimes, a gal just wants the processed crap of her childhood.

2 packets instant banana pudding
4 cups milk
1 can eagle brand (sweetened condensed milk)
4-5 bananas, sliced
‘Nilla Wafers
1 large tub cool whip.

Whisk the milk into the pudding and allow it to thicken. Whisk in the eagle brand. Fold in half the container of cool whip. In a big serving bowl: Cover the bottom with wafers. Glob on some of the pudding mixture. Top with sliced bananas. Continue layering wafers, pudding, and bananas until you run out of pudding. Cover the top with remaining cool whip. Make a decorative edge by poking additional Nilla Wafers half way into the pudding (standing vertically) all the way around the edge against the side of the serving bowl. Refrigerate until it sets up.

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Peanut Butter Banana Choclate Chip Pancakes

June 20, 2008

For the record, I didn’t eat these. My Weight Watchers tracker just wouldn’t stand for it (4 points a piece). I did have a bite though, and that bite was just fine.

1 banana, peeled and mashed
½ cup smooth peanut butter (would have used chunky if I had it)
1 egg, beaten
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup bisquick
½ cup dark chocolate chips
Stir together all ingredients until just smooth. Pour onto greased griddle at medium heat in about ¼ cup dollops. Heat on one side until bubbles form and set around the edges. Flip, and cook until done. Makes 12 small pancakes. Eat.

*I froze the remainder of these.  I’m told by Andy that they are perfectly good when removed from the freezer and stuck in the oven on a cookie sheet at 350 till warmed.

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For the vegetable haters.

June 19, 2008

A good friend of mine claims to dislike vegetables, and not have time or inclination to cook. Yet, she wants to start a healthier diet.   I plan to blog “recipes” for vegetables in her honor.  This will include stuff that isn’t really a recipe, just a prep method. I guess these things aren’t written down to be found if you don’t actually cook.  I hope to convince her that veggies don’t come out of a can, and can have flavor.  Anybody have vegetable advice for a non-believer?

Sauted green beans:
2 cups fresh green beans, ends removed (these even come ready cleaned in baggies 🙂 )
¼ cup diced onions (also available pre-cut)
2 cloves minced garlic (ditto)
½ red bell pepper, sliced (this  you might need a knife for)
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
½ cup water or beer
kosher salt and cracked pepper to taste

Saute onions in a non stick pan or regular pan w/ a tiny bit of olive oil.  Add garlic and cook until tender.  Add beans, red pepper, ginger.  Stir until heated through.  Add seasonings.  Add liquid, then clamp the lid on and simmer until the beans are tender.  Done.

This would be fine without the red pepper and the ginger.  Even more basic, just saute the beans in the olive oil, add salt and pepper, then add water and put the lid on until tender.  Easy.  Only takes moments.

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Tuna Noodle Casserole.

June 11, 2008

This is my knock off of a recipe I had at a friend’s house. It’s yum.

1 lb whole wheat penne pasta, prepared
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 cups crimini mushrooms, sliced
6 oz chunk light tuna, drained
2 tbs capers
kosher salt
ground black pepper
red pepper flakes to taste
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
½ cup breadcrumbs

White sauce:
¼ cup butter
¼ flour
2 cups reduced fat milk

Melt butter in a heavy sauce pan. Whisk in flour and continue whisking until roux browns slightly. Add milk while whisking. Heat slowly until the sauce thickens. Season with kosher salt and dash or two of fresh nutmeg.

Saute mushrooms and pepper in a non-stick pan. Combine sauteed vegetables, tomatoes, cooked pasta, tuna, capers, seasonings ½ cup Parmesan, and white sauce. Stir until pasta is coated well with sauce, and ingredients are combined. Scoop into casserole dish. Top with remaining parmesan and bread crumbs. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes covered. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes.

*Please, nobody tell me how many points this is on Weight Watchers.

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Liver Treats

June 6, 2008

This is maybe the nastiest thing I’ve ever made, so I made it in Andy’s kitchen. He locked himself in the office at the point that the liver paste exploded onto the wall.

2 lbs chicken livers
½ cup molasses
1 cup whole wheat flour
½ cup corn meal
½ chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp garlic powder

Boil chicken livers in just enough water to cover, until they turn grey. Drain. Puree livers. I used a stick blender for this. My mistake (for the record: Andy told me so.) was in not using the blending cup that came with it.

Add remaining ingredients to puree. Stir until combined. This will be an extremely thick paste. Spread into a greased 13X9 inch baking dish. Bake at 250ºF for 30 minutes. Cut into bite sized squares. Bake an additional hour. Turn out of pan and allow to cool. The treats will be extremely dense, but not totally dry, so they won’t keep forever. Freeze.

Both dogs seem to like them a lot. I tried one myself, but I’m not yet ready to discuss the experience.

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