Burgers & Fries: Renfro Style

As the end of the year comes, I think it is time to reflect on the old and bring in new ways of life in the new year. This new belief is cooking at home to ensure consistently good food for the money. More and more these days I am finding an intolerance for badly cooked restaurant food, I find it more a reliable use of my money on food it to just make the food I crave at home with the family from scratch. I figured logically it would take just as much effort to go to the store and cook the food I wanted than take the time to go to a restaurant, find parking, and order food, pay leave and go home. The craving you might ask, burgers and fries. Meat, bun, a little onion, a dash of mustard and a slather of tomato gravy: aka ketchup tossed in your stomach with a side of well salted fresh french fries and you have something that verges on divine intervention inside from the complete encompassment of american flavors: good and greasy. Hope you all enjoy...

Renfro Stuffed Burgers :
(makes about 2 medium burgers)
3/4 lb. fresh and lean ground beef
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped jalapenos

Form two meat patties, create a cavity in the center with your thumb. Fill center with shredded cheese and jalapenos, close hole by pushing patty meat over hole. Grill on panini grill for about five minutes until done. Serve on a bun with condiments of choice. Delish

stuffing for burgers

burgers ready to be stuffed

the finished product, ready to be eaten...

fries like daddy used to make...

Homemade Fries:
1 single russett potato, cleaned, peeled, cut in even slices
salt for after frying
1/2 liter of shortening

Heat shortening on medium-low with thermometer reading 350 degrees. Soak cut potatoes in water to remove starch. Soak for about 5 minutes, drain and set aside for oil to get hot. When oil is at 350, drop fries into oil and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Put fries on a plate layered in paper towels to absorb oil. Sprinkle with salt, serve hot with ketchup. Goes really good alone or with a burger.

the aftermath...

Simple effort, Sophisticated and yet Christmas...

In the Renfro family we do it big, but we do it real simple at the same time. After spending Thanksgiving tied to the stove like a slave, we needed a neccesary revolt, we chose to do simple effort, yet sophisticated christmas dining style. Cocktails, bacon wrapped scallops, crab legs in butter, new york strip steak, escargots, butternut squash puree, chanterelle mushroom gravy, balsamic roasted brussel sprouts. This meal was made possible from the gift of a Barilla Panini Grill, the meat was all cooked on the grill and came out backyard style in the pouring rain on christmas day. God bless..

Supplies:

Cokteezy Drink:
ice cubes
mango juice
grapefruit juice
1 shot skyy vodka
mix ingredients well in a shaker, strain, and serve. Flavor vodka with juice according to tastes preferences of alcohol strength. Drink chilled..Hmm delish.

Foods:

Butternut squash puree:
2 butternut squashes, smalled sized
1/3 cup heavy cream
salt to taste
1 teaspoon ginger powder
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup water

Preheat oven to 400. Halve squash, clean out the guts, put faceside down in cooking pan, add about 1 cup water to bottom of pan and a dash of salt. Bake until fork goes easily through, about 30 minutes. remove from oven. Let cool. Scoop out squash into bowl. Add butter, ginger, cream, salt, blend until well smoothed as possible. Set aside and serve hot with rest of meal.

Brussels coming hot out the oven...

Brussell sprouts:
2-3 cups brussel sprouts
2 tablespoons butter
1 chopped thin cippolini onion
4 tabespoons balsamic vingear
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Halve brussel sprouts sprinkle with salt and pepper, pour melted butter and balsamic over sprouts, mix well. Pour onto baking sheet and bake until tops brown about 15 minutes in oven. Serve hot, goes good with mushroom gravy.

Mushroom Gravy (makes about 1 1/2 cup):
1/2 cup chantrelles chopped
3/4 cup trumpet mushrooms
1-2 garlic cloves, diced
1/2 small cippolini onion, chopped fine
1/4 cup bacon fat
1 heaping tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 heaping tablespoon fresh marjoram, chopped
1 cup water or so
1/4 cup flour

In a small cast iron skillet over medium heat, add water and mushrooms, garlic, onions, heat up, add bacon fat, flour, and herbs, stir well. Cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes, keep adding water to thickness and flavor liking, until becomes a creamy consistency.

Bacon wrapped scallops

Bacon-Wrapped scallops:
5 slices of black forest maple bacon
5 medium sized scallops (fresh not frozen)

Sear bacon first until browned, then wrap around scallop, sealing with toothpick, sear bacon wrapped scallop for about 2-3 minutes on a panini press on "sear" in remnants of bacon fat or over medium heat on stove. Serve immediately.

Steak sitting in salt and pepper

New York Strip:
salt and pepper to taste
1  10 oz. new york strip steak

Let steak sit for a minute at room temperature to absorb salt and pepper. On a panini press sear steak on sear setting for about 2-3 minutes on each side for a medium rare steak. Let rest out of panini press for 5-10 minutes, then cut and serve.

Crab Legs:
1 whole crab, cleaned, pre-cooked
3-4 tablespoons melted butter

Steam crab for about 2-3 minutes to re-heat. Serve immediatly with butter.

Escargots:
4 escargots, pre made
We bake them in a muffin tin at 350 for 5 minutes, serve hot with bread.

The trick is to get all the food hot at the same time. We suggest cooking the butternut squash first, make puree, meanwhile, prep steak with salt and pepper, begin cooking mushroom gravy, Prep brussel sprouts, clean and chop them, season and set aside. Sear bacon for scallops, then wrap around scallop, set aside. Roast brussel sprouts and pre-heat panini press. Cook steak, while steak is resting, after about 5 minutes steam crab and sear scallops, add escargots to the oven and cook. By the time you are done cooking the scallops and crab, the steak has rested, brussel sprouts and escargots are ready and just heat the butternut squash up and eat. Delish...

Christmas Cooking in 2010

Merry Christmas to all, may your belly's be warm and your hearts happy!!!

Christmas Giving: DIY Body Butter

Cold winters, dry skin, body butters become helpful gifts for the season. I made a variation of this many years ago and decided to have another try to give out in the spirit of giving. We did two variations; one lavender and feminine, one unscented gender neutral.

Supplies:
1-2 Cheesecloth or straining pouch
2 large pots (stainless steel)
beeswax (1 tablespoon per 8 oz container)
2 liters grapeseed oil
2 liters olive oil

the beginning stages....

essential oil of choice (we used lavender, lemon eucalytptus, juniper berry)
1cup green tea (osthmanthus fancy and jasmine pearls)
3 cups calendula flowers
2 cups chamomile flowers
1 cup lavender flowers
1/2 cup jasmine flowers
7 ounces vitamin e oil
18  8 oz. containers (used glass canning jars)

(makes about 18 8 oz. jars of body butter)



Lavender Body Butter:
Combine 1 liter grape seed and one liter olive oil in a stainless steel pot over low heat. Add 1 1/2 cup calendula, 1 cup chamomile, 1 cup lavender flowers, 1/2 cup jasmine, and 3 ounces of vitamin e. Stir and cook over low heat in oil for about 3-4 hours. Herbs will start to darken in color by then, strain oil in cheesecloth or straining pouch. Add 5 tablespoons of beesewax and 1-2 tablespoons lavender essential oil  to infused oil and dissolve beeswax with oil in a double boiler. When fully dissolved, pour into 8 oz glass jars, should fill about 3/4 of the way. Let cool. Oil will begin clear and darken to a green when fully settled. Use immediately for relaxing, dry skin relief.

Unisex Body Butter:

The butter cools....

1 liter grapeseed oil
1 liter olive oil
3 ounces vitamin e oil
1 cup green tea
1 1/2 cup calendula
1 cup chamomile

Combine  1liter of olive oil and 1 liter of grapeseed oil together. Add vitamin e, green tea, calendula flowers, chamomile, stir. Cook over low heat for about 3-4 hours. Once herbs and tea have browned, after 4 hours, strain oil in cheesecloth. Add infused oil back into double boiler on medium low heat and add 4-5 tablespoons beeswax to oil and dissolve. Once dissolved pour into glass jar, about 3/4 full. Allow to cool completly. Mixture will go from clear green to solid green. Makes about 8 8 oz jars of butter.

Will look like this when almost cooled...

Thanksgivin' Dessert 2010: Coconut Cream Pie

Coconut Cream Pie with Meringue 

Ingredients for Coconut Cream Pie:
frozen pastry pie shell
unsweetened coconut milk
whole milk
cornstarch
5 eggs
salt unsweetened coconut
vanilla extract
butter

There are many stages to this pie, follow in order for best results...

Pre-heat oven to 400, thaw frozen pie shell and bake until golden brown. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown, let cool.

For Coconut Cream:
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup unsweet coconut milk
1 1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 egg yolks
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup unsweetened coconut (optional if you want a custard)
2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon butter

Separate 5 egg yolks, set aside. In a saucepan combine sugar, coconut milk, and  1 cup of milk. Cook over medium heat until scalded, that is when it almost boils and it starts to foam. Meanwhile, combine remaining 1/2 cup of milk with cornstarch, whisk well until you make a mixture and let sit. Whisk egg yolks with salt. Slowly add 1/2 coconut/cow milk mixture to egg yolks to temper them. Whisk well. Add yolk and milk/cornstarch mixture to remaining pot of coconut and cow milk and whisk furiously over medium heat until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla, and butter. Whisk together until well mixed.

Pour filling into pie shell. Top with meringue.

For Meringue:
3 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
3 tablespoons sugar

Pre-heat oven to 350. Whisk egg whites and tartar until egg whites form stick peaks,  slowly sprinkle sugar into meringue, one tablespoon at a time until well whisked. Scoop meringue onto pie, starting in center and slowly spreading out meringue with spatula until it reaches over edges of pie shell. Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Pumpkin Pie like Mama used to make....

Mama's Punkin Pie aka Pumpkin Pie!

I love pumpkin pie, anytime of year, but the best is the one my mom used to make. Here is my recollected take on a delicious pie to sooth the soul and satisfy the tummy.

For the pie:

2 frozen traditional pie shells

For the filling:
2 large eggs
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Defrost pies, when thawed prick all over with fork tips. Warm in oven until golden brown about 10-15 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk 2 eggs thoroughly. Add pumpkin, yoghurt, heavy cream, white & brown sugars, cinnamon, grated ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt, and mix well.
When pie crust is golden, remove from oven. Pour filling evenly into pie crust. Reduce oven temperature to 375 and bake for 35-45 minutes until firm. Let cool completely and serve with whipped cream.

Delish!!!!

Weeble Pie

Weeble Pie

Renfro Family rendition of shepherd's pie, Weeble pie. A great all in one meal: meat, potato, and vegetable......

For Mashed Tatos:
3 large russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
4 tablespoon heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

For Top & Middle:
1 packet frozen peas, thawed

Named after the one & only Weeble!!!

1/2 cup shredded cheese ( I use a cheddar & parmesan mix)

For Meat:
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced
3-4 garlic cloves chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped in small rounds
1/2-1 lb. ground beef
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup chicken or beef biullion
1-2 tablespoons flour

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add potatoes, cook until tender, about 15 minutes, drain, mash in a bowl, add heavy cream, salt and pepper, mix well, and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat up olive oil on Medium. When hot, add onions, carrots, and garlic, salt and pepper to taste, cook until onions turn clear, then add ground beef and rosemary. Cook on medium until meat browns and stick to pan bottom somewhat. Add buillion to skillet and flour. Cook down for about five minutes until about half of buillion is absorbed.

Evenly spoon meat and veggies into bottom of casserole dish with the liquid. Top with cooked peas. Spoon mashed potatoes on top of peas so as not to smash the peas. Spread an even layer over peas and meat. Top with shredded cheese.
 Place pie into preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes until cheese top is golden on top and liquid is bubbly underneath. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Scoop onto plates and serve with ketchup, ketchup with sriracha if you want spicy. Enjoy!!

The Finished Product...

Meheranara Spicy Chili

My future husband gave me the Joy of Cooking for my birthday, only the best cooking book ever! This is my interpretation on a chili recipe they had in there, delicious with an evolving smoky spice. Dare your tastebuds to try it.


Meheranara Chili:

2 slices bacon, diced
5-6 garlic cloves minced
2 onions, chopped fine
1 jalapeno, sliced thin with seeds removed
1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 cup dark beer
28 oz. can of tomatoes, plus one cup water
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can kidney beans
3 tablespoon chili powder
 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
salt & pepper to taste

In a skillet, brown bacon. Remove bacon while leaving drippings. Dry and salt and pepper beef. Add beef, onions, jalapeno, and garlic to skillet and cook down until beef if browned and crispy on bottom. Add beer to mixture and cook down till it is not longer foamy and most of the liquid is gone. Add hot ingredients to pot and then add tomatoes, kidney, back, and pinto beans, chili powder, chili flakes, bacon crispies, taco seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for about 3 hours until thickened and dark. Serve with cornbread. Goes well with fresh chopped onions, sour creme, and shredded cheese on top.

Childhood Dinner Revisited: Artichokes, Wild Rice, and Snapper

Word to the wise, start rice first, it takes the longest to make.

Steamed Artichokes w/ Lemon butter

3 artichokes, cleaned and cut.

1 bay leaf

1 slice lemon

water

large pot with lid

Cut thorned edges off of artichokes. When leaves get to the top, chop off the dense leave section. Cut off end as well. Fill pot about 1-2 inch deep with water or until the steam collander and water are touching. Bring water to a boil with lemon and bay leaf in it. Add cleaned chokes with their tops down in the lid. Steam for about 35-45 minutes or until leaves come off easily.

Lemon Butter

3-4 tablespoons butter

juice of half a lemon (meyer preferred)

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh pepper

Melt butter and lemon together for about 30 seconds in microwave, add garlic salt and pepper. Mix well and serve warm with chokes as a dip.

Wild Rice goes good with it:

1 cup rice

2 cups water or broth

1 tablespoon butter

Combine all ingredients, bring to a boil. Stir, reduce temperature to low and cook for about 50 minutes. Serve with artichokes.

Chris’ Snapper

1 pound fresh snapper fillet

cast iron skillet

1 teaspoon Valle De Sole Dark Chili Powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 tablespoon butter

Heat skillet to medium-medium high, add butter, let it melt down. Once butter browns just a tad, add fish fillet and cook it for about 4-5 minutes on each side depending on size of fish, if small fillet cook for only 3 minutes on each side. Remove from skillet and serve with rice and artichokes.

Coconut Macaroons

These are really, really good. They are also super super easy to make. Nuff said.

Coconut Macaroons:
3 cups flaked coconut
1 1/2 cup sugar (eliminate if using sweetened coconut)
5 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/8 teapsoon salt
3 egg whites
4 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a bowl, combine the coconut, sugar, flour and salt. Stir in egg whites and vanilla; mix well. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 325 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Dip top in chocolate suace and cool on a wire rack.

Chocolate Sauce:

1/2 bag  of dark chocolate chips or chunks (about two cups)

2 tablespoon butter

Make a double boiler, using a ceramic or glass bowl that fits snugly on top of a pan, not touching the bottom. Add about 2 inches water and heat on stove at about medium temperature. Add chocolate to bowl on top, stir slowly as chocolate melts, it will get dry, when it does, add butter to make chocolate smooth and melted. Keep on a low temperature. Use to dip tops of macaroons in. Then place on a rack to cool. Refrigerate macaroons overnite to harden chocolate top.

s

2 tablespoons butter

Gran's Breakfast or Lunch Casserole

Every Christmas, my family dined on this delicious casserole. This is an original family recipe passed onto to me from the one who originally created it, my grandmother, who is 97 currently and still attempting to cook when needed. I have set out to reinvent it in my home, with a few touches of my own, for times other than holidays.


Sausage & Apple Breakfast Casserole:
1 1/2 pounds spicy ground pork sausage
6 slices bread, chopped in pieces with crust removed
2 apples, peeled and sliced
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon paprika
6 eggs, well beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
6 ounces of shredded cheese (grated)

Brown sausage in a skillet, breaking it up as you cook it. Then drain on paper towels. Reserve half of the drippings in the pan and saute the sliced apples in it. Put sausage in the bottom of a glass casserole pan (medium sized). Remove the crust from bread and cut into pieces. Combine the bread, apples, mustard, paprika, eggs, cheese, and milk and salt and pepper in a large bowl and mix well. Pour this mixture over the sausage and sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Refrigerate overnite, covered. Next morning, remove from fridge. Bake covered at 350 for 30 minutes, remove cover and bake another 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Thank you Grandmother Jean Wessell.

Essential Southernisms: Collards, Conebread, & Fried Fish

Essential Southernisms

After living in San Francisco for 7 years, my mouth gets homesick for southernisms, mostly food like the seafood and Bojangles chicken, the only way to get back to my roots, cooking food that fills me with comfort and memories.
When I was a kid, roadtrips with my mother always began with a pit stop at the local gas station. For $2 you get enormous fried fish pieces stuffed between 2 pieces of white bread with mayo, and hot sauce on the side. It followed by licking your fingers off of delicious fish grease and tartar sauce between picking out the fish bones. This meal is my travel back in time.

Don't it look good!

Fried Fish:
4 fillets of fish (we used Dovre Fish)
1 cup flour
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1 large ziploc storage size bag
1 quart oil (fill pan to about 1 1/2 inch deep with oil)
candy thermometer

Make egg wash: mix one egg well with the milk, soak fish fillets in it for a minute or so. Meanwhile heat oil to 350 (we use a candy thermometer), medium to medium low on a electric stove. Prepare batter by combining all dry ingredients together, mix well and reserve in plastic bag to coat fish. Once the fish have been soaked in the eggwash, coat fillet, one at a time in the bag, shake excess batter and place fillet in oil. Fry until golden in each side. By keeping the oil at 350, it will ensure well fried fish. Place on paper towels to soak up oil in fish. Serve immediately. Eat with tartar sauce or ketchup.

Collards, cooked and ready to eat!

Collards:
1 bunch of collards, chopped in 1-2 inch thick, with stems removed.
1/2 cup vinegar
2 cloves crushed garlic
2 cups water
add salt to taste
3 strips bacon, chopped and diced
1/2 onion, chopped and diced
hot sauce (Crystal preferred) to taste

In a pot heated to medium, add bacon and onions, cook down until the onions start to caramelize  in bacon grease. Add 2 cups water and vinegar. Let water heat up to a simmer (about medium to medium low) but not boiling, add collards and garlic to water and cook for an hour or until tender. Add hot sauce to you liking.

Cornbread:
1 pack Jiffy cornbread
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Follow directions on box for cornbread, whip batter well in an electric mixer. Pour batter into  greased iron skillet. Sprinkle top with brown sugar, bake until golden. Serve with butter.

New Family Traditions: Zucchini Muffins

Zucchini Muffins

Zucchini bread holds a memory in time for me. It was on my first trip to Texas and my first time to visit my man' s family that I tasted what would become a staple in my own home. It was my first dessert in Texas. After flying for 5 hours with 3 month old Sula, we touched down in San Antonio, we were swept up into his Grandma's home, and subsequently served Louisiana Gumbo, fried chicken and for dessert: zucchini bread. . Since tasting such deliciousness, I was prompted to ask for the recipe. When I returned home to San Francisco from Texas, we planted zucchinis in our garden to continue the family tradition. Zucchini bread became a staple breakfast or snack item, since morphed into zucchini muffins. You can make it however you like, it is still good. The recipe goes like this:

Zucchini Bread/ Muffins:

3 eggs

2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups grated zucchini with skins, drained

1 cup walnuts, chopped

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 cup melted butter

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 325. In an bowl with an electric mixer, beat the eggs until light and creamy. Add sugar, butter, vanilla, and zucchini and mix lightly, but well. Add in flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon to batter and mix well. Add walnuts. Pour batter into a well greased and floured bread pan. Bake at 325 for 1 hour or until knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

For muffins: scoop batter into paper muffin cups, filling 3/4 of the way full. Bake at 325 for 30 minutes or until muffins are golden and toothpick comes out clean in the middle.

Re Roast Beef

An $18 roast from Whole Foods gets tiring when you've been eating it for 3 days, but the budget is tight, so why not make something American more Mexican, and take Roast beef to a whole new level. Introducing roast beef tacos.

Roast Beef Tacos!

Roast Beef Taco Filling:
Left over roast beef
1/2 cup to 1 cup roast broth or gravy

Roast Beef Tacos in the making...

1/2 cup to 1 cup onions chopped
1/2 bell pepper chopped
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
1 tablespoon solidified fat from roast pan

Taco Toppers:
6-8 taco shells (warmed in oven)
sour cream (dollop per taco)
pickled jalapenos (optional)
1/2 cup shredded monterrey jack cheese (optional)
hot sauce of choice

Warm the taco shells like this in the oven...

Get out a skillet. Saute onions and bell pepper with taco seasoning in the roast fat until onions are translucent, add roast beef with broth or gravy
(amount added depends on how saucy you want it) from roast pan, cook all together for about 10 minutes until meat is warm enough. Scoop into taco shells. Top with cheese, sour cream, jalapenos, and hot sauce. Serve immediately!! Leftovers are soo good.

Mr. Renfro enjoying a taco.

The Cookie in a Cookie Cookie

A good motto for life: Eat dessert first, life in uncertain. I came across this cookie mix after falling short in chocolate chips in a hand to mouth craving involving the old fashioned chocolate chip cookie. The trick to this cookie is to have some big chunk of oreo in your batter, so don't over mix it. Also the baking soda with the hot water dissolved does something magic to the cookie texture. What happened next was unimaginably good, quite possibly the best cookie ever.

The cookie in a cookie 

Cookie in a Cookie Cookie
1 cup butter

the batter..

1 cup white sugar 
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon hot water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups broken oreo type cookies
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 350. Beat butter and sugars together. Beat in an egg, 1 at a time. Add vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water and add batter, add salt, then add flour. Mix well. Then mix in oreo pieces, chocolate chips, and walnuts, drop in dollops onto un-greased baking sheet and bake in oven until golden, about 10-15 minutes. ( makes 20-30 cookies).

Cookies in the making...

Viola!

Choppin & Gratin

Another meal to keep you warm in San Francisco on a Friday night....

Choppin & Gratin

Chris' Curried Chops

Daddy's Curried Chops
2 medium sized pork chops (organic preferred)
2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons crushed black pepper

Raw Chops

Rinse chops and pat dry on a plate. Coat one side of chop evenly with salt, paprika, garlic, and crushed black pepper. Lightly pat ingredients into chop. Turn over chop and sprinkle curry powder on this side. Lightly pat curry into chop side.  Marinate in fridge for one hour. Preheat oven to 400. Take chops outof fridge, let sit until room temperature, about ten minutes.
Use cast iron skillet or baking pan out, one with a safe handle. Put tablespoon of butter in skillet, smear both pork chops curried side up in buttered skillet. Cover skillet with aluminum foil. Let cook for 35 minutes in oven. Check to see if tender, or pink inside. Once this is done, remove foil and set oven to broil for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and enjoy.

Mama's Cheesy Squash Potato Gratin

7-8 medium sized creamer potatoes (or red potatoes) sliced sliver thin

Yeah, it looks this good when its done...

2  large zucchini sliced sliver thin

1 cup scalded milk

3 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon red chili flakes

2 tablespoon flour

1 teaspoon paprika and set aside

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground pepper

1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese

1/3 cup shredded cheddar

Pre heat oven to 400
Mix flour, paprika, chile flakes, pepper, salt, garlic powder and set aside.
In a small casserole dish, melt 1 tablespoon butter on bottom. Swish around so bottom is well greased.

Gratin in the making

Start with a thin layer of zucchini, sprinkle a touch of flour mixture on top of zucchini, add a potato layer, sprinkle super lightly with flour mix and gorgonzola, then add a squash layer, sprinkle a little more flour mixture on top of this zucchini layer, then continue with a layer of potato, top with remaining flour mixture, remaining gorgonzola cheese, and sprinkle shredded cheddar on top, lightly sprinkle some cracked pepper on top. Heat up milk and remaining butter until its hot. Pour over potatoes and cheese. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes with foil, after 30 minutes remove foil and golden brown top of gratin, its done when fork easily pokes through layers and is golden and bubbly on top. Let sit to cool for 5 minutes and eat.

From the oven to the plate...hmm.hhmm

Pigs in Purgatory

What better way to use up leftover breakfast sausage than to use it make spaghetti sauce?

Pigs in Purgatory

Spaghetti Sauce
1 container pasta sauce of choice (I used "classic" from 365 brand)

Spaghetti Sauce

1 1b. container of ground spicy pork sausage
1/4 onion chopped fine (reserve 1/3 for chard
1-2 sprigs fresh sage, chopped fine
1-2 sprigs fresh marjoram, chopped fine
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon red chile flakes

heat large cast iron skillet to medium low, add butter, when melted add in onions, season with salt, cook for about 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally until onions are lightly translucent, add in ground pork to onions, turn heat up to medium, start to brown sausage, add in marjoram, sage, and chile flakes, continue to brown sausage, after sausage is browned, add to pot with pasta sauce and heat up sauce

                                                                                    Sauteed Chard:

Sauteed Chard

1 head rainbow chard (well washed, leaves chopped thick, ends chopped thin)
remainder of onion
sausage drippings in skillet
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

After sausage is transferred to pasta sauce, turn heat on skillet down to medium low, add remainder of onions to skillet oiled by sausage drippings, season with salt and pepper and add in about a 1/3 of chopped chard ends (you can add all the chard ends, but I prefer to add only a little).

Choppin Chard

Cook this down for about 5-7 minutes until onions become clear, add chard leaves to skillet, lightly sprinkle salt over chard leaves so they sweat, stirring the concoction occasionally, sprinkle balsamic near the end of cooking over the chard and mix in well. Chard should cook down for about 15-20 minutes, when chard is done it will greatly shrink in size and will be tender when eaten.

Cooking Onion with Chard Ends

Pasta:

(can start while chard is cooking, so chard stays hot)
Pasta of choice, I used 4 egg pasta nests
water
1 tablespoon olive oil
Bring large quart of water to a rolling boil, add 1 tablespoon olive oil so pasta doesn't stick, cook until tender, strain and spoon on plate. Top with warmed purgatory sauce and can sprinkle goat cheese if you would like. Serve with chard on side.

 Dinner is served!