Smoke Under Pressure

Pressure Cooker Red Salsa

noreply@blogger.com (Wanda) — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 15:38:00 +0000

This morning I was looking through the fridge and found that I had a few things that were soon going to expire if I didn't use them up. Handily, they were the perfect ingredients for making a red salsa - vine ripened tomatoes, jalapeno peppers and some leftover onion. Since I wasn't exactly prepared to have red salsa with anything specific, I thought I would opt for a cooked version which can be saved versus a fresh version which needs to be used up right away.

I prefer to make cooked salsa like this in the pressure cooker. This is mostly because it allows you to significantly reduce the amount of water required, which in my mind means you save on flavour that may go to waste in excess water. It also makes for a super easy and fast method of cooking.

I popped the tomatoes, jalapenos, and some garlic into the pressure cooker, along with the requisite 1/2 cup water (pressure cooking wisdom advises, that no matter what you are cooking, 1/2 cup of liquid is required - the picture below is an attempt to show how much liquid comes out - about 3/4 cup). I cooked as I outline below, then finished in a blender with onion, cilantro and salt.

This sauce is so delicious and versatile. Depending on the heat of your jalapenos (you really don't know how hot until it's done as jalapenos can vary), it may be a super spicy dish or just an even jalapeno flavour. The onion and cilantro bring a fresh flavour.

You can use this sauce straight up with nacho chips, use it to top eggs or other dishes, or as a sauce for enchiladas. It also freezes well to pull out at some future date when a craving sets in.

Pressure Cooker Red Salsa
This recipe isn't an exact science in terms of proportions and is completely scaleable - so feel free to mix it up ingredients and quantity require.
*No matter what quantity, the 1/2 cup water remains the same - don't scale it up as there'll be too much liquid if you do.

6 small-medium sized vine ripened tomatoes
2 jalapeno peppers
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup water*
1/2 medium onion
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1 tsp salt

Place the tomatoes, jalapenos, garlic and water into the pressure cooker. Secure the lid, set to high pressure (15 psi), and bring to pressure over medium-high heat. Once pressure is reached reduce the heat to medium-low, but not so low that you lose pressure. Cook for 10 minutes. You can let the pressure drop on it's own or use a quick method.

One the pressure has dropped, use a large spoon (large so that the ingredients don't break apart on you) to scoop the ingredients into a blender. It's good to take a bit of the water with your on this, but don't take it all otherwise your sauce will be too runny.

Once in the blender add your onion, cilantro and salt. Blend until smooth. Voila!

Triple Smoked Ham with Jam Glaze

noreply@blogger.com (Wanda) — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 17:36:00 +0000

Don't let the name fool you, this recipe is not a lot of work where you have to cook something three times over. In fact, it's just the opposite, it's a super easy way to spruce up your usual ham roast.

I started with a double smoked ham roast from the grocery. Traditionally you just reaheat these in the oven, maybe with a brown sugar glaze and cloves. This is fine, but lacks the depth that an extra round of smoking brings out.

I didn't trim the ham as keeping the fat serves two fantastic purposes: i) it prevents the ham from drying out; ii) it forms a delicious crackling crust upon extra smoking. I mixed together some jam -a mango/peach blend - with some mustard powder and allspice. A rubbed the jam glaze on the roast and voila it was ready for smoking.

I prepared the smoker with pecan pellets (you could use any light-medium smoked wood, but I wouldn't go for the stronger options on this one). Heated it on high for 15 minutes then reduced it to 250F and plopped the ham on.

Three hours later I returned to a gorgeous ham roast. This likely could be done in 1-2 hours, but I like the extra bit of time to really form that crackling crust.

When I make this roast I make sure I have lots left over, I've even done two at a time just for the extras. I never buy the processed ham anymore. The leftovers are great for sandwiches, pizza, quiche, you name it. They also freeze nicely (I vacuum pack them into smaller portions for meals).

Triple Smoked Ham with Jam Glaze

1 - 6 lb double smoked ham roast (I'm sure single smoked would work just fine)

For Glaze:

1 1/2 cups mango, peach, or apricot jam

1 tbsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp allspice

Pecan pellets (or apple, cherry, alder)

Place the ham on a large cutting board or baking sheet. (This is just to catch juices and help carry it to the smoker. Mix all glaze ingredients in a small bowl and slather all over the ham.

Prepare your smoker with pecan pellets. Preheat your smoker on high for 15 minutes then reduce to 250F. Place the ham on the smoker and let cook for 3 hours.

Smoked Turkey

noreply@blogger.com (Wanda) — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 19:52:00 +0000

Although we had turkey on Christmas day, we opted to make turkey again. But we didn't want a repeat of the same meal, but rather something different, and what better way than to smoke it. This a no frills, straight up smoked turkey. We didn't try spicing it or anything different so that we could compare it to roast turkey. In the end I would have to say that if you are ever juggling items in an oven when roasting a turkey, this makes a perfect substitute for cooking the turkey without tying up your oven.

We've made smoked poultry before (chicken, duck), but never a turkey. When I researched recipes there weren't a heck of a lot. So I figured I'd wing it (pun intended) using my knowledge of birds of Christmas past. For this round I have a 16 pound turkey.

Step1 - thaw the bird (if not fresh). I mention this step only because it's not your usual procedure when dealing with a large bird. It's one of those times when the auto-microwave feature falls short. The main trick with thawing a large bird is keeping it cool enough so that no bacteria forms. The optimal way is to thaw it in the fridge, but that not only requires lots of pre-planning, but lots of fridge room (which particulary at Chrismtas, tends to be a premium entity). Instead I went with the cold water method where you keep the bird in cold water. My preferred way for this is to use a cooler. I have a perfect coleman sized one for this task. Note, you should be using a proper cooler and not a foam cooler as it will not keep the bird cold enough. You put the bird in the cooler and fill with cold water, then cover with the cooler lid. Check the bird every few hours to make sure the water is very cold. You can add ice to keep cold, however, if you have a good quality cooler you'll be surprised how cold it keeps the bird especially because the bird is frozen. I didn't have to add any ice for this step. Either way, keeping it very cold is imperative to ensuring no bacteria forms.

Step 2 - Brine the bird. I only started brining turkies about a year ago and I am converted. It really makes a difference in terms of flavour and a juicer texture. Again, I use a cooler for this step. Again, you should be using a proper cooler and not a foam cooler as it will not keep the bird cold enough. Place 2 cups of salt and 2 cups of brown sugar into a cooler. Remove any wrapping and inside packets from the bird. Add the bird to the cooler and fill with ice cold water (you can also add some ice cubes to ensure very cold) and cover with the lid. Let the turkey soak in the brine for at least 12 hours. Check the bird occasionally to make sure the water is very cold. You can add ice to keep cold, however, if you have a good quality cooler you'll be surprised how cold it keeps the bird. I added ice at the start with ice cold water and didn't have to add more ice for 12 hours. Keeping it cold is imperative to ensuring no bacteria forms. Note: if you have just thawed your turkey using the cold water method, do not use the same water for brining - start fresh.

Step 3 - Smoke the bird. I decided to do a heat combination for smoking the bird - first some higher heat, followed by the traditional low and slow. Here is my process:

Prepare the smoker with apple pellets. I find anything heavier can overwhelm poultry and make it taste more like ham than turkey. Then heat the smoker on high to 400F.
Place the whole bird, breast side up, on the smoker. Let smoke on high for 45 minutes.
Becaues we all know that poultry can easily dry out while smoking, employ extra resources in the form of a cheesecloth. Prepare a four-layer piece of cheesecloth, large enough to cover the breasts of the bird, by soaking it in 1/2 cup melted butter.
After 45 minutes on high heat, cover the bird with the cheesecloth then turn to low or 250F (see picture below - it's not pretty, but it is efficient). Finish the bird on this temperature. 3-4 hours.
About an hour before the bird is ready remove the cheese cloth so that the top can brown. The meat will be cooked, it just won't be the lovely brown. If needed, turn the heat up higher, or even do a quick hit under the oven broiler - no one like an un-golden bird.
The turkey is ready when an thermometer stuck in the thickest part of thigh between the leg and body registers 170F.

Stinchetti di Maiale Arrosto - Italian Pork Shanks adapted for the Pressure Cooker

noreply@blogger.com (Wanda) — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 15:39:00 +0000

The air has the cool bite to it. Although I'm not thrilled with the prospect of several winter months ahead, it does inspire comfort food. What better than slow cooked pork shanks. Or, if you don't have time for the slow cooking, the perfect alternative is to do them in the pressure cooker.

I'm not familiar with the Italian name in the title, but had found this recipe and thought it would adapt well to the pressue cooker. It reminds me a lot of my pork osso buco in the pressure cooker recipe but without the tomatos. What I really like about this one is that you can use your bounty of fresh herbs from the garden (as long as you still have them). In this case, rosemary, thyme, parsley, sage.

It's quite simple, you use pork shanks, trimmed of the thick skin and seasoned with salt and pepper. Brown them along with the rosemary. Add veggies, wine, more herbs, bouillion. Bring your pressure cooker to pressure and 25 minutes later you have a delicious comfort food dinner.

Italian Pork Shanks - in the Pressure Cooker

4 meaty pork shanks, trimmed of fat
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 sprigs rosemary

1/2 cup dry white wine (pinot grigio)
1/2 cup chicken boullion
2 large carrots, 1/4" slice
1 stalk celery sliced
1 onion, diced
2-3 sage leaves
2 sprigs thyme, stem removed
1 small bunch parlsey, chopped

Heat the olive oil in the pressure cooker. Season the meat with salt and pepper then sear on all sides alongside the rosemary. Remove the rosemary and add the remaining ingredients to the pot. Secure the lid and bring to pressure, reduce heat enough to keep pressure. Cook for 20 minutes and then let the pressure drop on its own.

Hearty Sausage and Beans in the Pressure Cooker

noreply@blogger.com (Wanda) — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 00:44:00 +0000

I love reading food magazines. In fact, I don't recycle each issue (unless its truly boring) but rather save them for re-reading in the same season each year (not in a hoarder sort of way, I do have limits). So with fall upon us with all of its brilliant, leafy splendor, I pulled out my small stack of issues from seasons gone by. In the Bon Appetit, October 2009 issue, I re-found several recipes that I immediately was compelled to dive into, but the one that took off was the White Beans with Sausage recipe.

I didn't follow the recipe exactly stated as it was one that requried several hours of time. Instead I modified it and employed the pressure cooker to expedite the process.

First I prepared the dried white beans suing a quick soak method by adding them to a lot of water and bringing them to pressure for two minutes followed by an hour of sitting to absorb. Finally you drain them.

Meanwhile I prepared the sausage by browning it with garlic.

I put the drained beans; sausage, garlic and drippings; along with red wine, canned tomatoes, more garlic, sage leaves, salt and pepper. Brought it all back to pressure for 20 minutes, then let it drop pressure on its own.

When I took off the lid it smelled fantastic - spicy, homey, delectable. The sausage didn't look as attractive as when it is when fully sauteed or roasted, but the taste was brilliant. It's best meaty flabours came through along with the sage and garlic. The beans and tomato sauce were also amazing and flavourful. The beans I think would have been better (softer vs. al dente) if soaked overnight in traditional fashion, but still tasted great.

Final verdict: comforting, tasty, great smell.

Hearty Sausage and Beans in the Pressure Cooker
adapted from Bon Appetit, October 2009

1/2 pound dried white beans
5 cups water

1 tbsp olive oil
3 links sweet Italian sausage
2 large cloves garlic
1/4 cup water

3 sage leaves
1/2 cup red wine (California merlot)
2 cloves garlic, peeled
14 oz canned diced tomatoes with their juice
1 tsp kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper to taste

Prepare the beans using the fast method in the pressure cooker as described above or soak overnight. Drain.

Prepare the sausage by sauteeing with the oil and garlic until browned, but not cooked.

Put the beans, sausage along with garlic and any browned bits, and remaining ingredients in the pressure cooker. Bring to high pressure and let cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let reduce pressure on its own.

Serve with a crusty break for mopping up sauce.

Smoked Stuffed Turkey Breast

noreply@blogger.com (Wanda) — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 01:26:00 +0000

I stumbled upon this recipe in the Barbecue Queens "Big Book of Barbecue" cookbook. It's an interesting one as it's basically a modified Saltimbocca recipe. Italian meets turkey meets smoker. It screamed try me (or perhaps it gobbled try me)!

It's an embarrasingly easy recipe for a terrifc product - right up my alley. You take a whole turkey breast and cut a slit lengthwise through the middle. This is nice and easy to do with a turkey breast compared to a chicken breast and also makes for much better stuffing potential.

You then put into the slit a good slice of brie (you could substitute another cheese such as fontina) and a couple of sage leaves. Then wrap the whole thing with thinly sliced prosciutto. Easy pleasy.

Preheat your smoker on high for 15 minutes, then reduce to smoke or 275F. Put the prepared turkey breasts directly on for 1.5 - 2 hours.

This looks like a gourmet dinner. Each bit has a smoky taste which seems to mostly to come from the prosciutto vs. the turkey. Also, unlike other smoked poultry, the poultry meat doesn't turn pink from smoking. The brie doesn't melt in a messy way (due to the proscitto wrapping) and stays nicely contained. The only thing I would change is to chop up the sage so that it's better distributed.

I served this dish to a girlfriend who had joined me for dinner and she loved it so much we were concocting how to replicate this without smoker. You certainly wouldn't duplicate it, but it would be worth the try as it was so delicious.

Smoked Duck

noreply@blogger.com (Wanda) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 01:47:00 +0000

I've only made a whole duck once before. It wasn't a particularly good experience. This was a few years ago, before we had access to some quality duck, so I had bought a frozen imported one that was exceedingly small. I roasted it, trying an a l'orange recipe, but I think that duck was not destined for success from the get go.

Fortunatley, this time, was a much better experience. I had an absolutely gorgeous, proper sized duck from Mariposa Farms about 45 minutes outside of Ottawa. As an aside, Mariposa Farms is a lovely farm that raises a variety of animals. They provide their meats to many of the best restaurants in the area. They raise their animals in a wonderful environment. When we went there, I had the pleausre of meeting one of the owners (originally from Saskatchewan) who showed us around. You could tell that the animals are a priority and extremely well treated. This, to me, should be a consideration for all carnivores.

As you know, duck is a fatty bird. This can be beneficial for getting a crispy skin, but only if done right. One method that I found that I thought would be perfect for the smoker, was to pour a good amount of boiling water over the bird, before putting it on the smoker. First you cut several tiny slits in the skin, then pour at least 1.5 - 2 litres over the bird. This starts to melt and reduce the fat.

I opted to go for a more Asian style duck for the smoker. I prepared a standard teriyaki sauce, spiked with five-spice powder. This would be used for basting the bird while it cooked.

To cook the bird I employed the "beer can" method. I didn't actually use beer as my liquid, just some watered down orange juice (keeping with the teriyaki recipe). I like this method on the smoker as it seems to cook the bird quite evenly and the liquid helps to keep it moist. In addition to the baste, I also sprinkled a bit of five-spice powder on the skin of the bird.

I smoked the duck with cherry pellets for 5 hours. I think it didn't need this long, but other obligations prevented me from taking it off sooner. Fortunately my husband was available to assist as the official baster. He basted the bird every hour.

When done, the whole bird isn't the prettiest sight. I think the beer-can format has something to do with it. Fortunately, this isn't an indicator of taste.

The duck had crispy skin as it should. I actually don't think it would have achieved this as well without the boiling water part of the recipe. The flavour was well balanced. The teriyaki glaze came through but was not overpowering. The meat was tender - not too juicy, not too dry.

Bonus: Although I had to freeze my leftovers, my plan is to use the extra meat to make Mesa Grill's duck quesadillas.

Smoked Teriyaki Duck
4-5 pound duck
1.5 litres boiling water

1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup soya sauce
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup sherry
juice of one orange
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 knob of ginger, minced
1 tsp five-spice powder, plus extra to shake on the bird

Extra orange juice for beer can cooker

Make several small slits in the duck with a sharp knife. Place the duck breast side up in a clean, disinfected sink and pour the boiling water over it slowly. Let drain. (be sure to clean and disinefect the sink again once you remove the duck)

Prepare the sauce by mixing the oil, soya sauce, honey, sherry, orange juice, garlic and ginger in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and let reduce 2-3 minutes. Let cool.

Place the duck on a beer can cooker filled half-way with orange juice. Baste with sauce, then sprinkle with five spice powder.

Prepare the smoker with cherry pellets on a high heat for 15 minutes, then reduce to 250F. Put the duck on its beer can cooker onto the smoker. Baste every hour and cook for 3-5 hours until the internal temperature (measure at the thigh) is 160F - 170F.

Sunday Gravy in a Pressure Cooker

noreply@blogger.com (Wanda) — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 16:53:00 +0000

You will see at No Smoke No Pressure that I got a very cool pasta press for my Kitchenaid mixer. When I first went to use it I was so excited about the pasta, that I forgot about the sauce, so when it came time to get the sauce ready I was short on time, but didn't want to compromise. The pessure cooker came to the rescue.

Sunday Gravy is a traditional Italian term to describe a sauce that was usually made on Sundays. It was primarily based with several meats and would simmer all day and fill the house with terrific aromas. You can find all sorts of Italian-American recipes for this dish. Don't worry about exactness, use what meats you might have on hand including bracciole and meatballs. It's more about combining great ingredients and feasting with friends and family.

For my Sunday Gravy I went with on-hand ingredients. I coarsely chopped some carrots, garlic and onions and sauteed them in the pressure cooker. I then added my meats: hot Italian sausage, meatballs, cut-up pork spareribs. I also added 1/2 cup water. I sealed the pressure cooker, turned to med-high heat and let it come up to pressure - at that time I reduced the heat to med-low (high enough to sustain pressure) and let it cook for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes I used the quick-release method to release the steam (where you open the vent - be sure its pointed away from you). I then added tomatoes and my seasoning. I re-sealed and brought to pressure againa and cooked an additional 10 minutes.

This sauce was a gorgeous meat based sauce. Each meat provided its own texture and flavour. The tomatos and seasoning weren't prevelant, but played a strong supporting role. Topped on my homemade rigatoni it was a hearty, delicious, comforting meal.

Sunday Gravy - Pressure Cooker
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, large dice
1 large carrot, large dice
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 lb meatballs
1/2 lb spareribs, chopped up
1/2 lb hot Italian sausage, chopped
14 oz tin of tomatoes
14 oz tin of tomatoes
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried basil
4 leaves fresh basil (if available) plus some for garnish
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper

Heat oil in the pressure cooker and saute the onions, carrots and garlic for about 2-3 minutes until softened. Add all the meats at once along with water. Secure the lid and turn heat to medium-high. Once it meets pressure, reduce heat to medium-low and cook at pressue for 20 minutes. When ready, use the quick release method (release steam away from you).

Add the remaining ingredients to the pot. Resecure the lid and bring back to pressure and cook for 20 minutes. Use the quick release method again and serve.

Garnish with chopped fresh basil and grated parmesan.

Easy Smoked Salmon

noreply@blogger.com (Wanda) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 23:04:00 +0000

I don't mind salmon. In fact I quite like it. But I have to say that when it's prepared on the smoker, it's a new beast (or fish I guess) that I absolutely adore.

This round is an easy smoked salmon. A real no fuss no muss recipe.

Although the low and slow method of smoking can produce fabulously tender results, depending on the meat, it can also leave it quite dry. Spritzing during cooking helps this, but sometimes I don't want that level of commitment in my cooking adventure. That's where this recipe comes in.

You simply mix some mayonnaise and dijon mustard and rub it onto the salmon evenly. This not only provides a nize glaze on the salmon, but also seems to help prevent it from drying out. I'm using a skinless fillet of salmon, so I've placed it on a heavy duty piece of foil. To be extra sure it doesn't dry out, I turned up the edges of foil and added a bit of white wine.

I prepared the smoker in usual fashion using apple pellets - turn to high for 15 minutes then reduced to about 250F. I put the salmon on foil right on the grill and let it smoke for 2 hours.

The final product was a lovely browned piece of salmon that wasn't too dry, but had a delicate flaky texture. The mayo/dijon spread provided a mild, creamy flavour. The aplle smoke wasn't overpowering, but provided a subtle smoky flavour.

Bonus: the cold leftover salmon proved to be both an excellent addition to eggs benedict, as well as an appetizer with cream cheese and crackers.

Easy Smoked Salmon
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 tbsp dijon mustard
1/2 cup white wine
Skinless salmon fillet

Prepare a large piece of heavy duty foil (or double a piece of regular foil) sized big enough to hold your salmon fillet. Fold up the edges of the foil. Mix the mayo and mustard and spread generously and evenly over the fillet. Pour the wine around the salmon.

Prepare your smoker and smoke the salmon, on foil, for 2 - 2.5 hours at 250F.

Cherry-Smoked Chicken Thighs

noreply@blogger.com (Wanda) — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 02:34:00 +0000

The thing about smoker cooking, and I think I've said this before, is that it's not exactly a quick method of cookery. So if you find yourself craving something smoked for dinner just an hour or two ahead of eating time, the smoker may not be able to deliver.

This was Sunday night's predicament. I was craving something from the smoker, but only had about 1.5 hours - all in - to make it happen. So I reckoned I'd give chicken thighs a try. Why chicken thighs? Well they are not overly large for short time cooking (short in smoker world being 1 hour) and they tend not to dry out as quickly as, say chicken breasts, which is a bonus on the smoker.

I went for the easy option of doing a simple sweet rub and letting them stand for 15 minutes while the smoker preheated on high. After sitting, I turned the smoker to 275F and put the thighs on. I'd like to say that I did some wacky and tricky in-between cooking stuff here. But I didn't. I came back an hour later, checked the internal temperatture of the chicken and dinner was served. Easy pleasy.

Cherry-Smoked Chicken Thighs
2-3 chicken thighs per person, boneless and skinless
Rub of your choice

Coat the the thighs with your choice of rub. Let stand 15 minutes while the smoker preheats on high using a mild wood such as cherry or apple. Reduce the heat to low or 275F and let the thighs cook for 1-1.5 hours. When the internal temperature reaches at leaszt 165F they are ready to serve.

These taste just as good, if not better, the next day.

Smoking in Cuba

noreply@blogger.com (Wanda) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 01:44:00 +0000

No, I'm not talking about Cuban cigars. And, it's not exactly smoker cooking, but awfully close. Close enough to be worthy for a post.

We recently embarked on a family trip to Cuba. For me, when travelling , no matter where, I'm always intrigued with the cuisine. Unfortunately, Cuba isn't a culinary powerhouse . I had read this on many websites prior to our trip, so didn't have high expectations. This actually surprised me because of their location. They have a climate that would support lots of tasty plants year round. They are also very close to other regions with amazing food (Mexico to name one). I find it fascinating how food really does take on characteristics in rather narrow geographic settings.

Anyhoo. One highlight on our trip was a backcountry excursion where we got to dine along the shores of a tropical river. At this place there was a large hut for cooking meat (typically pork, chicken, lobster). I couldn't resist snapping a few shots of the operation as it seemed to capture the best of Cuban cooking. I also reveled in the notion that although food cultures are geographically narrow, some techniques are primal and similar everywhere. The basics.

Here are a few snaps of the operation. The lobster is definitely being grilled, but the other meats are being done more in a low and slow barbecue style. The fuel in both instances is a lovely hard charcoal. Indeed a delicious form of cooking.

Grown-up Lasagna

noreply@blogger.com (Wanda) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 00:19:00 +0000

The thing that I love about lasagna is that there are no hard rules on its composition. I'm sure in some family/household traditions there are hard and fast rules, but what I'm referring to is the fact that you won't find a repertoire of common methods on how to make lasagna. The possibilities are endless.

Tonight's lasagna is comprised of a form of a Bolognese sauce (another recipe with countless variations), spinach, cottage cheese (in lieu of ricotta), and of course cheese to top it with. Why on this blog vs. my other one? Because I used the pressure cooker for the sauce.

You see, a good Bolognese sauce, needs at least 45 minutes of simmering for the flavours to meld. Although this is a comforting process, when you want to get on with the rest of the meal it can be daunting. So a speedy approach brings a new form of comfort.

For the sauce, I sautéed a smoky alder bacon in the pressure cooker. This is the grown-up part. The smoky bacon imparts a flavour that is quite distinct from traditional meat sauces. It's obvious and subtle at the same time. After just cooking the bacon (not crisp though) I finished the sauce in the pressure cooker via the instructions below.

Note, I used an unneccesary amount of mushrooms, only becaue I had to use them up. The end result was still yummy so I wouldn't deter from using a large amount.

Pre-Pressure Cooking Picture:

10 Minutes Later - a finished sauce!

I assembled the lasagna in usual fashion (again, have a gander at the instructions) and baked for 35 minutes.

This was delicious. A grown-up meal as the smokiness lent a stronger flavour.

It was kitty-licking good (note we generally don't allow our cat to eat any human food, let alone lick our plates, but this was so funny, we took time out to take a picture).

Grown-up Lasagna
Bolognese Sauce in the Pressure Cooker

6 strips alder smoked bacon, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
8 large mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 large carrot grated
1.5 lbs ground beef
2 cans tomato paste
1 tbsp bouillon powder
1 cup water

Cottage Cheese Filling - mix all together:
2 cups cottage cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup grated parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste

4 cups spinach, steamed and seasoned
Lasagna noodles prepared according to package directions.
Grated cheese (mozzarella, marble, jack or mixture).

Bolognese Sauce:
Heat the pressure cooker over med-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until cooked but not browned. Add the onion and mushroom and cook until softened. Add the grated carrot and mix through. Add the ground beef and stir to mix. Cook until there is no more pink in the beef, stirring occasionally. Add the tomato paste and bouillon powder and stir to mixed. Add the water. The water is important to ensure enough liquid in the pressuer cooker for cooking under pressure.

Secure the pressure cooker and keep on medium-high heat until it reaches pressure. Once at pressure reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the pressure reduce on its own.

Assemble the Lasagna, adding layers as follows:
Line the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of the bolognese sauce.
Lasagna noodles.
Bolognese sauce.
Lasagna noodles.
Cottage cheese filling.
Spinach.
Lasagna noodles.
Meat Sauce.
Cheese to top.
Sage leaves to garnish.

Bake at 350F for 30-40 minutes until bubbling and browned.

Smoked Chicken Wings

noreply@blogger.com (Wanda) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 02:15:00 +0000

The Canadian Foot League (CFL) recently had the big game - the Grey Cup with the Saskatchewan Roughriders (Go Riders) vs. Montreal Allouettes. Although I'm not a football fan, I'm a bandwagon fan, so this was the perfect opportunity to put together some football party fare.

The star of the show: chicken wings.

But not any chicken wings. Smoked chicken wings.

Now there are many schools of thought on the chicken wing. From super hot, tears in your eyes, blowing your nose, taste not the issue wings to sticky and sweet wings with a multitude of options in between. Of course, if you want to go into sauces (blue cheese dip?) and accompaniments (carrot and celery sticks) just adds to the list and dimension of chicken wings.

For the "Game" my husband requested hot wings - specifically, Louisiana hot sauce wings. So the challenge was on (beyond the Grey Cup).

I have made wings on the smoker before, but not of the hot wing variety. I figured I'd apply some of the same principles from previous. I also didn't want the super hot for the sake of hot wings, but hot with some taste wings. Here's how it went down.

I figured I would want the wings to smoke awhile without any sauce - as any chile based or tomato sauce will char and make a bitter flavour. So I brought in a trusty sweet spice rub for the initial job.

Once the wings were close to being cooked, I added sauce. To get flavour and not just heat, I determined to combine the Louisiana hot sauce (1 part) with some French dressing (2 parts). The dressing would add flavour, but temper the full-on heat.

The end result was terrific. Fall off the bone wings, with good flavour, but good heat. Mmmm. Would I change anything? Next time I would try doing the sauce as a baste instead of a pan sauce, to ensure extra crispiness of the wings (but that’s just personal preference).

Smoked Corn Casserole

noreply@blogger.com (Wanda) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:16:00 +0000

This was an experiment. But I'm happy to say that it was a rather successful one. I've made hashbrown/potato casseroles before, but I wanted something different. I also wanted something with a bit of spice to complement other Southwestern dishes I had on the go.

Corn. Jalapenos. Leftovers. All the fixin's for a brilliant corn casserole - but done on the smoker.

What I did was throw a bunch of stuff together. Literally. This became a bit of a "using up the leftovers" dish (or eating down the fridge as it were), but with enough thought to ensure tastiness . I also wanted flavours that would take smoke well.

I started with some frozen corn. Then I chucked in some chopped ham - not the icky processed stuff, but some ham that I had actually previously smoked (but that's another blogpost). From there a last chipotle chile in adobo sauce that I had leftover, 1/2 jalapeno pepper that I had leftover, some green onions (just on hand, not leftover), and a tex mex blend of cheese (semi-leftover) . I mixed all these great ingredients together, then finished with a blend of cream and eggs.

I topped with additional cheese and put on the smoker. This was a bit tricky as the heat was first at 275F for another dish for 1 hour. But when that was done the corn didn't' look quite ready, so I cranked the heat to 400F and let it finish for 1 hour. Perfect.

This was yummy. I find that some veggie dishes really take smoke well, and corn is definitely one of them.

My new leftover go to dish.

16 Spice Smoked Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Wanda) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:14:00 +0000

I've gotta be up front, right from the start. This was actually 15 spice smoked chicken, not 16. It's not that I have anything against 16. In fact, I would have been more than happy to have truly been 16 spice, but the sad fact is that I was unable to locate one of the spices, hence 15.

It begins with Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill cookbook. Actually, that's not right. It begins with a dinner at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill in August.

You see, I've not watched a lot of Bobby Flay's Food Network shows, and up until that point I had only flipped through his cookbooks - from a design perspective they didn't do much for me, so I never bought one, despite my ever increasing collection of cookbooks with celebrity chefs.

But after eating at Mesa Grill New York in August and delighting in the incredible spice blends (subtle, spicy, interesting) I had another look at the book. Again, the look didn't entice me, but actually seeing the recipes I had tried drew me in. IN the end, a quick visit to Amazon.com and I was the proud owner of the Mesa Grill Cookbook.

I've made several dishes from this book, but this was the first on the smoker. You see, I was looking for a recipe that would lend itself to the smoker, but have that southwest, spicy feel (I should admit here that I may be addicted to spicy, Mexican food, and the southwest varietal is supporting this habit).

Another interesting fact is that in preparation for this blog, I had a looksee on the web to see if any site had posted this spice blend recipe. Indeed they did, including Bobby Flay's own website, but with a noticeable difference. Instead of the 3tbsp of cinnamon called for in the actutal cookbook (which I had no intention of using as it seemed extreme to me) it called just for one. I'm assuming a correction - likely much needed.

One more tidbit, the spice I didn't' have on hand was chile de arbol. After doing a quick check on the spiciness of the chile de arbol (15000-30000 scoville units) I determined that this one was more about the heat than the flavour, so I substituted additional cayenne in place.

I basically prepared the chicken in usual smoker fashion, but substituted the 16 (actually 15) spice blend as my rub. So quick rundown:

• Spatchcock chicken, rinse and pat dry

• Rub with spice blend

• Meanwhile prepare smoker - put in a light smoke varietal (apple, maple, alder) - heat to high

• Wait 15 minutes

• When chicken is ready to go on reduce temp to 275F

• Put the bird on

• Sprtiz every hour with apple juice until ready (depends on size)

• Mmmmm

The end result was a wonderfully smoked chicken (as usual), with an entriguing taste. The spice rub reminded me of 5 spice rub, but a bit more complex (likely the additional 10 spices contributed to this).

I served topped with a roasted red pepper sauce, and a rendition of Sophie's Salad, both from the Bobby Flay Mesa Grill cookbook and a yummy smoked corn casserole (but that's another blogpost).

Gourmet Magazine Closes

noreply@blogger.com (Wanda) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 02:20:00 +0000

It's not about smoking. It's not about pressure cooking. But it is significant in the world of food.

Gourmet magazine, published since 1940, is closing. A sad day indeed.

Smoked Mixed Nuts

noreply@blogger.com (Wanda) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 14:02:00 +0000

Ever since we got out smoker, I've been wanted to try smoked nuts, but just never got around to it. But faced with a fast approaching cocktail hour with friends - I figured it would be the perfect time to try.

A bit of background.

We have a few friends coming over for cocktail hour. Knowing the players, I thought it would be fun to try to do a traditional type one where instead of the usual beer and wine we opt for some classics like bourbon manhatten's (one of our friend's favourites) and cosmopolitans or the like. Of course beer and wine would also be availalbe.

So with these classic drinks I thought some proper accompanients would be in good order. Although the drinks have that 60s flair, I wasn't quite in the mood for appies with toothpicks in them. I figured cocktail nuts with a twist would be good.

I've made nut appetizers before, but not on the smoker. I'm not crazy about nut recipes that use melted butter as they get a bit greasy and for nibblies and that's not convenient. So I went with a trusted eggwhite recipe.

The trick here is two fold (no egg white pun intended).

One: Proper egg white beating,

Two: Yummy spices. The latter is the funnest part as you can be super creative or just use what you have available. Today's line up included sugar, chopped fresh rosemary, chile

powder, cumin and garlic powder.

I won't go into details as it's easy pleasy and the recipe is below.

What I will tell you is that these were delicious. Not super smoky, but more of a hint of smoke. And did I mention easy?
Smoked Mixded Nuts

2 egg whites
1/3 cup white sugar
2 tsp chile powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp garlic powder
4 cups mixed nuts such as walnuts, pecans, almonds

Preheat your smoker to 300F.

Beat the egg whites until frothy in a large bowl (as you'll be adding the nuts to this bowl later). You're not aiming for stiff peaks here, but you don't want any clear eggy goo either. Then you mix up your spices in a separate bowl and fold them in with the egg whites.

Add your nuts and mix well. Note, I used slivered almonds instead of whole and this worked very well. When you mix you will find that the egg whites are almost stringy - that's ok.

Pour into a disposable aluminum pan and spread around evenly. Place on the smoker and cook 15-20 minutes. Mix about. Reduce heat to 250F and cook another 10-15 minutes.

Remove from heat and cool before serving (although you can cheat and taste while warm as they are good then too).

Smoked Beef Finger Ribs

noreply@blogger.com (Wanda) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:35:00 +0000

I am finally back at home for a stretch where I can resume some cookery of the smoker and/or pressure cooker variety! On the menu, smoked beef finger ribs

At this juncture I would like to give you some details on what Beef Finger Ribs are in terms of cut, but I can't as I just don't know. I tried to look online, but didn't find any further details, and many items discussed "boneless beef finger ribs" which these aren't - they have bone. I would like to say that the obvious is that they are a product from the cow that comes from the ribs, but then using that logic one may also think that they are a cow fingers product as well. What I can confirm based on visual (vs. the logic scenario) is they are definitely a rib product. But not the usual large ribs, so likely from a different area or a different trim.

I approached the ribs in usual smoker fashion. Dry rub marinade; sprtizing, basting with sauce. Here's the rundown.

I first used a plain basic (lazy) dry rub of salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. (In hindsight, I should have used something more zesty and less salty such as my ancho dry rub or spicy dry rub which I make in supply so I always have it on hand). I let the dry rub absorb for about 1/2 hour.

I used a grapvine wood pellet and let the ribs cook at 225F for about 4 hours. I would normally suggest sprtizing with apple juice every 1/2 hour for the last 3 hours, but we ended up going for a motorcycle ride and I was able to only sprtiz for a couple of hours.

Finally, I made a yummy Chipotle Raspberry bbq baste/mop type sauce which I mopped the ribs with 3 times during the last 45 minutes of cooking. I also served a bit on the side for extra dipping (if you do this, be sure you aren't using any that's had the potential of cross-contamination).

The result. Pretty delicious. Served with some corn on the cob and beets with fresh dill all from the farmers market. Does it get any better?

Chipotle Raspberry Mop Sauce

14 oz can tomatoes with sauce
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
4 cloves garlic minced
2 cups frozen raspberries
3/4 cup ketchup
3 tbsp molasses
1/4 cup raspberry vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp onion powder
2 tsp celery seed
2 tsp black pepper

Process the tomatoes and chipotle peppers together until smooth and pour into a large saucepan. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil stirring often. Reduce heat, and let simmer for 30-60 minutes.

Up-State New York n' Smokin'

noreply@blogger.com (Wanda) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 23:08:00 +0000

No I'm not being lazy and avoiding posts. I've been travelling through New England/Up-State New York / and the Mid-West for all of July and blog-posts haven't been at the top of my to-do list (they fall short of lobster rolls, incredible architecture, and tall ships).

Although I plan to jump back into smoker recipes and pressure-cooking recipes, I thought I'd do a quick blurb on smoker cooking during my travels.

When you think of smoking, you don't normally think of Up-State New York and/or New England - you'd be more apt to think of Kansas or the deep south. But let me tell you, smoking is alive and well in the North East.

We passed many a smoker places - in hindsight I should have taken pictures of all that I saw as it truly is surprising. But what I will tell/show you is the place where we did stop and partake of a delicious smoker meal.

The Tail o' the Pup is a smoker joint just north outside of Lake Placid. We had seen it a couple of years ago when driving through, and always regretted not stopping. On this trip, we made it our initial destination (shortly followed by Lake Placid).
The Tail o' the Pup not only does smoked foods, but also seafood boils. Very cool. It's not upscale, but it is delicious, and the perfect outdoor eatery. The outdoor space (which is much larger than the indoor space) is perfectly designed for some laid-back hanging out while chowing down on big food. Since we were there around 2:00 p.m. we didn't see it, but they do have live entertainment on an outdoor stage.

In order to maximize our tasting of all things smoked, we shared the meat platter. Complete with pulled pork, beef brisket, chicken, and ribs. All were tasty, and had a delicious charcoal flabour. If I had to pick the pulled pork would be my fav (my husband voted for the beef brisket).

Apart from that, I should mention, Lake Placid is a beautfiul place.

We stayed a few nights at this great hotel called High Peaks resort which is right on the main street and overlooks Mirror Lake. Fantastic. The little townsite is very nice with all the essentials (Starbucks). Also, the roads around the area are amazing, particulary if you have a motorbike or a sports car (twisty, smooth and scenic).

I should also mention this fantastic side-trip we did to Burlington, Vermont where we had a smoked meat sandwich at Leunig's downtown. It was beyond amazing.

So there it is boys and girls. A quick update.

Pressure Cooking in Jamaica (Curried Goat)

noreply@blogger.com (Wanda) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:41:00 +0000

I'm currently on vacation in Jamaica mon and had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I wouldn't be doing any posts as I wouldn't be doing any cooking. But as fate would have it, a pressure cooker appeared on the scene and I reckoned a post was order.

We're on this amazing holiday in Jamaica in June. Not your usual time for a "hot holiday" if you're from the northern hemisphere, but our travel companions are from the southern hemisphere (Australia) and it indeed is winter there.

We're staying at a gorgeous estate called Hammerstein's Highland House (HHH). It's a private estate so it's just us eight friends (old and new) here. We have incredible amenities, including all of the meals prepared for us at the times we specify. In fact, they ring a bell when a meal is ready - which we all love. It actually makes you conditioned to start salivating when you hear it and wander zombie-like to the dining area. I can now relate to my cat and why she gets so excited at the sound of her food jar coming out.

The food has been exceptional - and we haven't had any desire to seek out other eating establishments. In fact, we tend to plan everything around our meals, and often spend a good chunk of our time talking about what we've eaten or what's coming next!

Back to the pressure cooker.

We were all sitting on the Terrace enjoying cocktail hour and the gorgeous view of Montego Bay.

Steve slipped into the kitchen and came back to announce that a pressure cooker was going. As any normal person would do given such news, I grabbed my camera and ran to the kitchen. Sure enough, a pressure cooker was toiling away. Even more exciting it was a Fagor brand 6 qt. - almost like what I have at home.

We enquired what treasure trove simmered away in this vessel. Just as I suspected, it was the curry goat that was one of the dishes on this evening's menu. The chef, Sherry-Anne, said it helps to keep it tender .

When we sat to dinner, the curry goat not only looked fantastic, but also smelled and tasted fantastic.

It was served alongside broccoli, cho cho (a local squash-type vegetable which is very good) and rice. I must confess though, I pretty much focused on eating the yummy curried goat and didn't dabble to much into the side dishes! Dessert was a delicious and perfect lemon soufflé!

I will definitely be trying to recreate this curried goat recipe in the future using my pressure cooker at home!

OMG - Pulled Pork Tinga

noreply@blogger.com (Wanda) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 02:08:00 +0000

UPDATE: See the end of this post for another instalment of using up the leftovers - smoked pulled pork pizza. This is a teaser photo right below - it's not pork tinga!

This would be an instalment in my using up the leftovers of the "Cheap Ass Monday" Smoked Pork Picnic Roast. Although I've been using up the pork, I'm pacing myself on the postings. (Pacing=lazy)

Oh my god.

That was my first reaction to my first bite of this recipe.

After mulling over my leftover options, I decided to text one of my girlfriends from Mexico to get an idea. A simple text saying "I've got a bunch of left over pulled pork - any Mexican recipes for using it up" led to a flurry of texts for Tinga. And baby, it was so worth piecing together the multiple texts.

In fact, making this dish was thrilling on so many levels - and I can honestly say that doesn't happen every day in general cookery.

My first thrill was using a brand new All-Clad 3 quart cassoulet that I added to my collection. What the hell a cassoulet is for, I don't know (surely not just cassoulet), but it was a thrill to use. So I started by sautéing some diced onions until just starting to brown then added some of the pulled pork leftovers.

Meanwhile, thrill number two arose, when I used a food processor to puree 2 large tomatoes, a large clove of garlic and 2 chipotles in adobo sauce. This was a thing of beauty. The resulting sauce was such a deep luscious colour, I knew I was onto something good.

I added the puree to the pork mixture, along with 1/2 cup of orange juice and salt and pepper and let it simmer. Again, it just looked completely fantastic. Thrilling, in fact.

I had zipped to the grocery after work to buy tostadas (actually Wal-Mart - a store which is a negative thrill, but they actually carry proper tostadas) so after the Tinga had simmered for 1/2 hour I was ready for assembly.

My girlfriend is travelling right now, so I can't confirm the proper, traditional way to serve Tinga. So I simply put some pork on a tostada, added lettuce, cheese and sour cream. I would have added avocado but the one I had on hand wasn't quite ripe.

Then I had a bite. Oh my god. It was amazing. I couldn't believe the flavours. To coin a phrase from

Moe the Bartender on The Simpsons "It's like a party in my mouth and everyone's invited". That Moe, he knows how to call it.

Pulled Pork Tinga Recipe
1 tbsp oil
1/2 large onion diced
2 cups pulled pork (leftovers)
2 large ripe tomatoes, cored
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (with sauce)
1 large clove garlic
1/2 cup orange juice

To serve: Tostadas, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, chopped avocado, sour cream

Heat the oil in a large saucepan (or cassoulet pan if you have) until just starting to brown. Add the pulled pork and mix. Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, peppers and garlic in a food processor. Add to the pork along the orange juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer a 1/2 hour until somewhat reduced.

LEFTOVER UPDATE:

Smoked Pulled Pork and Pineapple Pizza

I won't go into the prep details for this (I'll save that for another blog - but I used more of the smoked pork picnic roast to do a smoked pizza. The result was pretty good. I really liked that it didn't have the processed flavour of bought pork product, but it wasn't exactly like ham and pineapple pizza either. It was pretty much unto its own.

"Cheap Ass Monday" - Smoked Pork Picnic Roast

noreply@blogger.com (Wanda) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 01:22:00 +0000

You may be wondering why the "Cheap Ass Monday" bit in the title. Well it's to flag that this post is intended to be a submission to Michelle over at Thursday Night Smackdown for her "Cheap Ass Monday" (formerly "hobo Mondays") monthly event - where a dinner for six can cost no more than $13.

It is pure coincidence that I'm making a smoked pulled pork dish on the heels of Michelle's recent smoke-a-thon. You see, I was at the grocery yesterday and they had these pork picnic roasts (hock removed) on sale. How could I resist. It was screaming "smoke me" I'm cheap!

Usually when I make pulled pork, I use a pork blade shoulder roast . But when I saw these big pork shoulder picnic roasts, I figured I should throw all caution to the wind and give it a whirl.

I began by trimming the excess fat from the roast. EXCESS fat, not ALL. This is critical to the end product. Not only does it keep the meat tender during its long cooking process, but it also creates the most amazing crispy crust on the outside that is worth the whole dinner in itself.

I slathered one of my favourite spicy dry rub recipes. This is a concoction I created by picking and choosing things I liked from different recipes. I make it in bulk and use it on various meats/cuts including chicken and pork ribs. I've even contemplated packaging it as a gift for friends and family at Christmas, but the lazy side of me always interferes.

I wrapped the rubbed roast in plastic wrap and let it sit for an hour to "marinate." I should note that it was 9:00 a.m. as this is one of those low and slow recipes. Then it was smoking time. I preheated the smoker, filled with maple pellets for 15 minutes. I then put the rubbed roast on (plastic wrapped removed- in case you are silly enough to think it stay) and turned the heat to 225F. A bit of basting and 8 hours later you're ready to eat!

For sides dishes I made a smoked potato casserole (yes I just made this last week, but it was so delicious I was craving it and had to make it again), and a simple tomato salad (yayyyy - I finally have productive basil in the yard to do this).

When the pork roast was ready it looked amazing, and tasted even more amazing. I had originally planned to drench it with a bbq sauce, but it was so good on its own I didn't - turns out this was an opportunity. . . .

As for the pork picnic roast - I will choose it over the pork blade roast from now on for pulled pork. It was much better for "pulling" and had tonnes of meat.

This was originally a dinner for 6 (that's what the math is based on), but the pork roast turned out to be so big that I've got enough leftovers to get me through numerous meals. A Challenge! I plan to use the leftovers in various meals for the next few days (i.e. Before I get sick of eating pork or before it starts to grow some crazy bacteria that will make me sick).

Stay tuned. . . .

The Math:
for Cheap Ass Monday, Smoked Pork Picnic Roast for Dinner for 6 per instructions
Pork Roast $6.00Potato Casserole Ingredients ($1.59+$.59+$1.5+$1.89+$.25)
Tomato Salad ($1.15 + $1.5)
Total: 14.47 CDN - converted to USD $13.29*
*yes its slightly over the limit, but if the CDN dollar hadn't strengthened this last week it would have been well over

Spicy Dry Rub for a Plenitude of Purposes
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon thyme
Mix all ingredients together. If making the bulk mix using a strainer to remove any lumps. Store in airtight container.

Smoked Pork Picnic Shoulder Roast
1 6-8 lb pork shoulder picnic roast
1 recipe dry rub mix (above)

Trim the roast of excess fat - but not all. Be sure to leave a thin layer to keep the roast moist during cooking and create a delicious crackling whilst cooking. Rinse with water.

Rub the roast all over with the dry rub and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Let sit for one hour to "marinate." 15 minutes before it's ready prepare the smoker by heating it on high with maple wood. Turn the heat to low or 225F and put the roast on. Baste with Raspberry baste every hour for 8 hours until the roast is cooked.

Once cooked, remove from smoker. Let rest for 5-10 minutes. Pull the pork into strip using a fork and a knife. Be sure to remove excess fat, but keep the crispy crackling (you may even want to snack on it as you go).

Raspberry Vinegar Baste
1/2 cup raspberry vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup salt
Mix all ingredients together.

Quick Smoked Ribs and Smoked Potato Casserole

noreply@blogger.com (Wanda) — Sun, 24 May 2009 20:17:00 +0000

We are finally having some decent spring weather. It's been a crappy one, to say the least, that when we got a hot sunny day, the only thing that needed to be done (apart from a swack of yardwork) was to smoke something.

After finding out that both my neighbour and I were each baching it this weekend, we decided to do a girls dinner. We each had been working for hours in our respective yards, that by the time we were ready for supper we were exhausted, starving, and did I mention exhausted.

I figured ribs would make for a good supper, but I hadn't planned ahead to get them on for a long, low and slow event in the smoker. At 4:00 p.m. I figured, ribs were still the desired grub, but would have to be creative to make them work - that is cooked in such a way that they would still be tender and have some smoke flavour in under two hours.

Because ribs have a tendency to dry out on the smoker if they are not spritzed, I figured I would start them out in foil so that they wouldn't lose all of their steam. After coating the ribs in a ancho chili dry rub, I wrapped them in foil and placed them in the smoker for 1.5 hours, at which time I removed them from the foil and placed them back in the smoker and dowsed with raspberry bbq sauce.

Now you might be thinking, what a waste to have something in the smoker wrapped in foil, unable to soak up the smokiness and flavour. All was not lost , as I put together a potato casserole to smoke alongside of the ribs. Plus, because the ribs were finished outside of the foil on the smoker, they did get a bit of smokiness.

I love this potato casserole for two reasons. First of all, its actually made from hashbrowns - which I know come from potatoes, but I'm not fully convinced they have the same nutritional value as a real potato and I always feel like they're trying to pull one over on me. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't prevent me from making it, it just cracks me up. I also love it as it reminds me of a 1960s housewife recipe which should be served alongside a bunch of hors oeuvres - each stuck with a toothpick. Again, this isn't a criticism, it's endearing.

Sticking with the lack of planning for this dinner, I quickly realized I didn't have all of the ingredients for this recipe, so I stared ad libbing. With a bit of improvisation and some borrowed cheese from my neighbour, I got a yummy potato casserole. In fact, it was so good, I'm going to replace the former recipe in my repertoire with this one.

So there it is, some quick smoked ribs that were super tender and tasty and an extra yummy smoked potato casserole.

Quick Smoked Ribs
2 racks meaty baby back ribs
1/2 cup ancho chili dry rub*
3/4 cup raspberry barbecue sauce*

Coat the ribs with the dry rub and let sit until tacky, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the smoker with cherry or apple pellets on high heat. Wrap the ribs in a double layer of foil and place on the smoker. Adjust the temperature to 325F. Let cook for 1.5 hours. Remove the ribs from the foil and place directly on the smoker. Glaze generously with the barbecue sauce.
*I use recipes for the rub and bbq from this book.

Ad Libbed Smoked Potato Casserole
6 cups hashbrowns, frozen
1 medium onion diced
1 can cream of celery soup
1 1/2 cup 1% cottage cheese
1 cup grated marble cheese, divided
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix the hashbrowns, onion, celery soup, cottage cheese, and 1/2 cup of grated marble cheese. Place in disposable tin. Cover with remaining grated marble cheese. Smoke at 325F for 1.5 hours.

Sous Vide Spring Meal

noreply@blogger.com (Wanda) — Sun, 17 May 2009 23:53:00 +0000

I admit that chicken seems to appear much more often than other foods on this blog. It truly is a coincidence. Although I do like chicken, I don't rate it any higher than steak, baby back ribs, lamb chops or the like.

Today, the chicken had a purpose. It was my first foray into the world of sous vide. Time and location have not permitted me to blog on smoker cooking or pressure cooking, but given that sous vide is a form of cooking under pressure, I deemed it a reasonable substitute.

I'll begin first by telling you the menu - as that's how I'm going to group this post, and each has its own merit. Even if you aren`t interested in sous vide cooking, the other recipes are must tries.

1. Sous Vide Chicken with Wild Mushroom Sauce - a new form (for me at least) of pressure cooking.
2. Caramelized Asparagus - it's all about the cut and the taste makes it a whole new vegetable - a must try!
3. New Potatoes in Cream and Dill - it's spring and this is the dish you have to splurge on to make it so.

Sous Vide Chicken with Wild Mushroom Sauce

Sous vide is a relatively new term to me although its been percolating around North America for a few years. In Europe its been in practice much longer, just like traditional pressure cooker. Coincidence? It think not. The folks in mainland Europe seem to be several steps ahead in cookery preparation if you ask me.

I won't go into details on the concept, as there's lots on the web, and Thomas Keller recently published a cookbook that is exclusively dedicated to this process Under Pressure: Cooking Sous Vide. I can't say that what I prepared is anywhere in this league, but it was my first kick and it tasted pretty good.

I took two bone-in, skin on chicken breasts and vacuum packed them into a foodsaver bag. I then heated a large pot of water to 150F and dropped the bags in and let them cook for 35 minutes. You could see the chicken cooking in the bags. The water wasn't boiling, but warm enough to do the trick. I did have trouble maintaining the temperature as part of tonight's cooking adventure was a coil-ring stove - I think a gas cooktop would be much easier to maintain a consistent temperature at.

After the chicken cooked 35 minutes, I cooled it in cold water and then placed in the fridge. This part is important as you don't want the food to stay warm in the bag too long as it will fester with bacteria in this perfect environment. (Again, refer to some of the good details out there on this).

When I was ready to get the chicken ready (about 1/2 hour later), I put it under the broiler for about 10 minutes to get the skin very crispy.

Wild Mushroom Sauce

While the chicken was cooking I prepared the mushroom sauce. Yummy. I had found some fresh shitake and trumpet mushrooms at the grocery. I cleaned them and sliced them up. I sautéed them until just starting to brown and added a bit of gravy mix (yes you heard me, gravy mix, I cheated, but it was well worth it and I make no apologies), and white wine. It was yummy.

Caramelized Asparagus
There are a few vegetables that have surprised me over the last few years as whole new creatures when cooked an alternative way. In the queue already were beets, cabbage and cauliflower. Today, asparagus entered the realm.

I like asparagus, but prepared in a new way created a whole new veggie. I sliced the spears on an angle into thin strips. Unfortunately the bunch I had in hand were somewhat wilty at the the tops (damn you commercial grocer) and I had to dispose of many of them. Normally this would be quite distressing if you were serving the whole spear (topless asparagus! unheard of), but for this rendition it works. You simply sauté them in a bit of olive oil and butter, season with salt and pepper, and let cook until starting to brown slightly.

New Potatoes with Dill and Cream

I never had this dish until I met my husband and his sister and aunt taught me to make it. And it is unbelievable. It has to be with new potatoes and it has to be with cream. I figure, new potatoes only come around once a year for a short time so splurge.

For this version I mixed it up a bit with the addition of garlic. First, you boil the potatoes until just starting to soften, then drain them. Then, almost in fettuccine alfredo style you melt some butter, add some garlic, then the cream and mix. Return the potaotes and a bunch of fresh dill and let simmer to thicken.

The key is to not serve right off the burner. Let the dish rest for a few minutes. The cream thickens more and the whole dish has a much sweeter, spring flavour.

All of these recipes are for two people.

Sous Vide* Chicken
2 chicken breasts, bone-in and skin on
Salt and pepper to taste
Rinse the chicken breasts and pat dry. Vacuum pack*. Bring a pot of water to 150F. Put the vacuum packed chicken breasts into the pot and let cook for 35 minutes. Try to keep the temperature constant. When done, if not finishing them off immediately, plunge into a ice water bath to cool down and then put in the refrigerator. This is important for food safety .

To finish: Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, and broil until the skin is crispy. If they are completely chilled, you may have to bake for a bit to get them warmed through.

If you don`t have a vacuum pack machine, or to learn more about sous vide, read this post at blog

Pork is my Friend.

Wild Mushroom Sauce
1 .5 cups mixed wild mushrooms (e.g. trumpets, shitake)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
.5 cup water
2 tbsp brown gravy mix (see comments above)
1 cup white wine

Clean and slice the mushrooms. Heat oil and butter in a frying pan. Cook the mushrooms until just turning brown. Add the water and gravy mix. Stir to mix. Add the white wine and mix. Simmer until thickened.

Caramelized Asparagus
1 lb asparagus
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter

Slice the asparagus into thin strips at an angle. Heat the olive oil and butter in a pan. Add the asparagus and season. Sauté until the asparagus just starts to turn brown.

New Potatoes with Dill and Cream
6-8 new potatoes (they are naturally rather small)
2-3 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup cream
1 bunch dill, chopped
Salt and pepper

Slice the potatoes in half and boil until just tender. Drain. In the same pot heat the butter and add the garlic. Sauté for 1 minutes. Add the cream and stir. Add the potatoes and dill and swirl to mix. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes to let sauce thicken. Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Chicken Tacos with Mole Sauce, Pico de Gallo and Guacamole

noreply@blogger.com (Wanda) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 02:14:00 +0000

Do you ever find that those last-minute, spontaneous get-togethers often turn out better than the long-planned gatherings?

That's what happened a few nights ago. And in the end it turned into a pressure cooker Mexican extravaganza - with the pressure cooker participating in no less than three dishes!

A girlfriend of mine and I had determined that we would get together, but didn't know where or when. When she called in the late afternoon we determined to have dinner at my place. It was a good thing as I had been pretty lazy all day and it got me off my but.

My friend is originally from Mexico (not to be confused with my other friend from Mexico). She had a rough week and was feeling a bit blue and homesick, so I decided to make a Mexican dinner for her (with her assistance of course). I ran to the store and got some kitchen essentials including tomatoes, avocados, cilantro, jalapenos, and limes. Does that grocery list not scream Mexican????

I also got some tortillas. I've mentioned before that I live some distance from Mexico. I think the search for tortillas is one of the more telling sure signs. It's hard to find corn tortillas here. You can find wheat, flax, three cheese, and pesto. But corn tortillas are a little more challenging. I suspect that this is a sign that the wrap-sandwich folks have a corner on the market. I did manage to get a package of jalapeno corn tortillas - a sure substitute.

I prepared a guacamole dip and a pico de gallo salsa so that we could have those as appetizers with nacho chips (corn nacho chips to be specific) and set the scene. I didn't have any specific Mexican music so opted for Buena Vista Social club music to add Latino charm.

I then set out to make refried beans. A simple, yet complex dish with 3 steps.

I employed the pressure cooker first to assist with a "quick soak" of some dried pinto beans so that we would be able make refried beans. To do this you bring the beans to a boil for 2-3 minutes in a good amount of water. You then turn off the heat and let them sit in the heated water for a good hour. Of course, if you are able to plan ahead, you would just soak them overnight instead of going through this step - but that would require much more than 2 hours notice like I had tonight.

You then go onto cook beans in the pressure cooker, then finish them on the stovetop (the "refried" portion of their name I assume).

I did a quick cleanup of the pressure cooker and then prepared two large, bone-in, skin on chicken breasts in the pressure cooked. I've done this before, so I won't bore you with the details apart from the fact of the great smell. Also, for this evening's meal, I kept the reserved stock from cooking them for the mole sauce.

It was roughly at this point that my friend arrived. Although I had done quite a bit of prep work, there was still lots to do so we divided the tasks. She finished the refried beans and prepared the mole sauce. I shredded the chicken and then used the pressure cooker, again, to cook white rice.

The final step before sitting down to our feast was to prepare the tortillas. I learned something new.

In other cooking demos I've been shown the method where you sauté each tortilla in oil to soften it and make it pliable. Tonight, my friend took advantage of the natural gas flame and cooked them right on the flame - flipping often. It was fantastic, no mess and less fattening. You don’t want to get distracted though lest you burn your tortilla.

As we were in the final steps of preparation we invited another girlfriend to join. She arrived just in time to partake of the meal and get a demonstration on how to assemble the chicken tacos.

Salut!

Pico de Gallo

1 large tomato diced
1/2 onion diced
1 jalapeno minced
1 small bunch cilantro chopped
Juice of 1/2 lime
Salt to taste
Combine all ingredients. Let sit for at least 1/2 hour for flavours to absorb. If you don't have time, dig in.

Guacamole
2 avocados peeled and pit removed, chopped
1 clove garlic
1 small bunch cilantro chopped
1/2 jalapeno minced
Juice of 1/2 lime
Put all ingredients into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade and process until desired smoothness.

Refried Beans
Step 1:
1 cup dried pinto beans
6 cups water
Bring beans to a boil in the water. Let boil 2-3 minutes. Then remove for heat and let soak at least 1 hour.

Step 2:
The absorbed pinto beans, drained
6 cups water
1/2 onion
1/2 jalapeno pepper
2 cloves garlic
Put all ingredients into a pressure cooker and secure the lid. Bring to pressure over med-high heat. Once at pressure, reduce heat (not so much that you lose pressure) and cook 6-8 minutes. Use a quick release method to reduce pressure. Discard, onion, pepper and garlic and drain beans. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Step 3:
1-2 tbsp oil
1/2 onion diced fine
1 cloves garlic minced
The cooked pinto beans, drained
Reserve bean cooking liquid
Salt and pepper to taste
In a sauté pan heat the oil and add the onion and garlic. Sauté until soft. Add the beans and mash. Add enough bean cooking liquid to make to a chunky-smooth texture. Salt and pepper to taste.

Mole Sauce
1/2 jar prepared mole sauce
45 grams unsweetened Mexican chocolate
1/2-3/4 cup chicken broth
Heat the mole sauce in a small saucepan with enough broth to make a thick liquid. When smooth, add the chocolate and stir until melted.

Chicken
See the recipe and method here to prepare and shred the chicken.

White Rice
1 cup white rice
2 cups water
Put the rice and water into the pressure cooker. Secure the cover and bring to high pressure . Reduce the heat, but don't lose pressure. Cook for 7 minutes and use a quick release method to reduce pressure.

Tortillas
Prepare by heating in oil in frying pan or over an open flame on the cooktop. On open flame keep rotating every 20-30 seconds so they don't burn.

Sour Cream
Thin with milk to make a more fluid consistency.

To assemble the Tacos add shredded chicken, mole sauce, guacamole, salsa and sour cream. Roll up and devour.