From our kitchen to yours, cooking is like breathing in our home and want you all to love cooking just as much as we do. Nothing is better than good food, family, and friends, and to share good with others, we hope ya'll enjoy.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Renfro Italiana: Penne with Fennel & Sausage


In an attempt to only spend my money on good tasting produce, I purchased the Capay Veggie Box check it out at Capay Organics, it comes once a week and delivers delicious veggies and fruit locally grown and perfect tasting. A new veggie came upon me in the experiment: fennel bulbs. Fennel grows like a weed in Frisco and smells and taste of licorice.  I have never dabbled in eating the weed. With a little inspiration from Saveur (check out the original recipe), I have rendered a licorice tasting vegetable into an edible delight. 

Penne Pasta with Fennel & Sausage:
1 bag penne pasta
3/4 lb. italian sausage
3/4 lb. fennel bulb, chopped fine and thin
1/4 of an onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1/4 cup red wine, I used Syrah
1/2 cup chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
red pepper flakes
1/4 cup heavy cream

In a large skillet, brown italian sausage on medium-low heat, add onion and continue to brown about ten minutes total. Add garlic once sausage is browned, cook for one minute. Stir in wine, fennel, chicken stock, and cook until fennel is tender about 10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper

While your making the sauce, begin to heat up a large pot of boiling water for the pasta. Once water boils, cook pasta until al dente and drain, should be about 8-10 minutes. Once pasta is ready, stir pasta and heavy cream into sauce, mixing and coating pasta in sauce. Serve hot.

I also steamed some broccoli for about 5 minutes and served it with the pasta. 

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Crabby crab crab...


The only time in life when it is good to have crabs is when you get to eat them. Unfolding before you is a new take on Sunday night dinner: Fresh crab meat on warm polenta cakes drizzled with an herbed gruyere cream sauce. Budgetary discipline forces us to enjoy food within our means, so eating out at place like Gary Danko on a regular isn't within our means,  but that doesn't mean we can't eat five star.


Boiled crab:
2 live dungeness crabs form local market
sea salt or kosher salt
Old Bay seasoning (optional)
1 pair of metal tongs
1 big pot of water







First things first, fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil, you can add salt or Old Bay seasoning to water.
Meanwhile, fill your sink with cold water and 1/4 cup salt. Get some tongs to hold crabs and say a prayer for your crabs for giving their lives and submerge them in salt water, you can add a dash more salt to them for good measure. Salt water purges the impurities, let them purge in the water for about 15-20 minutes. When the water is boiling, place crabs in boiling water.
Once the crabs are in, cook crabs on high for about 10 minutes or until crabs turn red, be careful not to overcook crabs, tastes nasty!! Remove crabs from water once red and let sit on a plate until cooled and ready to clean. Clean crab and set meat aside.



If your a novice, here's a helpful video from the Sacramento Bee:
How To Clean & Crack Crab

Herb Cream Sauce Crab:
1 cup organic chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram, chopped fine
1 tablespoon fresh parsley , chopped fine
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teapsoon pepper
1/2 cup Gruyere reserve cheese, shredded
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon cornstarch

In a saucepan on medium-low heat add chicken broth, butter, garlic, herbs, salt, paprika, and pepper. Let simmer together for 3 minutes to infuse flavors. Then add heavy cream and mix well, stirring alot. Add gruyere, then add teaspoon cornstarch to thicken, cook for 3-4 minutes until thickened.

Fried Polenta:
1 tube polenta, slice 1/2 inch thick slices
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter

 In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium heat. Cut polenta in 1/2 inch thick slices and once pan is hot place polenta slices flat side down in the skillet.


Fry polenta 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Once golden, remove and place on paper towels to absorb oil and cool.







Plate the polenta on a plate, top with crab meat and drizzle warmed crab sauce on top. We steamed asparagus with ours, but you can eat it plain all on its own for a good time too.

Renfro Loaded Potato Bake


This potato bake is a universal meal. It is a dinner that also can count as a breakfast and vice versa. It is one of those rare meals that suffices flavor, sophistication and ease into a single pan. After trying this potato chorizo fusion, I have discovered a new love for the spicy Mexican sausage that will now hold a new place in my stomach and kitchen. For those of you seeking a new way to transform your side of potatoes into a full fledged meal give it a try. This is our new twist on a comfort food that takes little effort with maximum pay-off; little cook and prep, cheap, and you can munch on it for days in a variety of ways.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. spicy chorizo sausage
1-2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, cut in even bite sized pieces
2 strips bacon, diced
1 green pepper, cleaned and cut in strips
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 onion, cut thin
1/2 cup Gruyere cheese shredded
1 cup crumbled Goat cheese
salt and pepper to taste
green onions, chopped for topping


First prep the potatoes, by preheating oven to 400. Chop potatoes in even sized chunks, season with salt and pepper. Butter the bottom of a large casserole dish and add potatoes making an even layer. Bake in pre-heated oven for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a large cast-iron skillet to medium. When hot, add bacon, when fat starts to cook out and bacon begins to brown add garlic, onions, peppers. Cook until onions are translucent. Add chorizo to mixture and cook until browned. Optional to take some of the spice fat from the chorizo and pour it on top of roasting potatoes, continue to cook for 30 minutes.

Remove potatoes from oven, layer the meat and veggie mixture on top of potatoes. Sprinkle goat cheese over the meat and veggies, sprinkle gruyere on top of that. Top with chopped green onions. Bake in over for 15-20 minutes until cheese melted, and can also broil for 5 minutes if want an extra crunch.




Serve hot with sour cream and hot sauce.

We ate ours with asparagus on the side to get our dose of fibrous ruffage.