Stanek Eats

TIP: Keeping Fresh

2012-03-04T11:13:00.001-06:00

Any time that I want to keep a sauce or dip fresh in the fridge, I use plastic wrap. The trick is to press the wrap into the sauce, not just over the top of the bowl, to minimize the oxidation. I kept the Salsa Verde above in my fridge for four days before I took that picture. Everything is still green, including the avocado chunks.

Pork-Ginger Potstickers with Fire Sauce

2012-03-03T14:14:00.000-06:00

Homemade Potstickers take some effort to prepare, but the flavor and texture are superior to anything I've ever had at a restaurant, and a lot cheaper too. The advantage to homemade is in the texture: ground pork with little nuggets of ginger, garlic, and water chestnuts wrapped in a bite-sized won-ton with a salty/spicy dipping sauce create a flavorgasm of deliciousness.

When selecting a mixing bowl, I stand by my rule that you should always grab one size bigger than you think you need. Remember to cook the pork until crumbly, drain the grease, and allow it to cool before you add it to the mix. You can use a big spoon to stir, but I prefer to use my hands for that task.

Wrapping the potstickers is the time-consuming part of the preparation. Kate can usually crank out about 60 in an hour. We prefer the square won ton wrappers, but the round ones would work just as well. Make sure to try and squeeze out all the air when you fold the wrapper over the filling.

The Fire Sauce is just a simple mix of three ingredients: Soy Sauce, White Vinegar, and Mongolian Fire Oil. It will separate if it sits too long, so give it a vigorous stir before you eat.

Before you start cooking, preheat the skillet over medium-high. Add a dollop of oil and as many potstickers as will fit without touching, and let them brown for 2-3 minutes. I like to use a metal spatula to gently separate them from the pan before I add the water to steam.

When you think they are ready, pour in the water and immediately cover the pan. Wait until very little steam is still escaping (about 2 minutes), then remove the lid and remove the potstickers. Kate and I like to eat them as they cook, but you could prepare them all before serving.

For the Potsticker Mixture:

1 lb Ground Pork
1/3 Head Cabbage, finely chopped
1/4 C Green Onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp Ginger Root, finely chopped
4 oz Water Chestnuts, drained and chopped
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1/4 C Carrot, grated
1 Egg
1/2 tsp Sugar
2 tsp Sesame Oil
1 Tbsp Cooking Sherry
16 oz Won Ton Wrappers

Cook Pork in large skillet over medium-high heat until brown and crumbly. Drain fat and allow to cool.
In a large bowl, thoroughly mix all ingredients excepts wrappers. Chill for at least one hour.
Spoon approximately 2 tsp of mixture onto won ton wrapper. Fold wrapper and seal edges with moistened fingers. Freeze potstickers in parchment-paper lined ziploc bag.

For the Dipping Sauce:

1 Tbsp Mongolian Fire Oil
2 Tbsp White Vinegar
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce

Mix ingredients in a small bowl, then pour into individual dipping bowls.

For the Potstickers:

6-12 Potstickers per person
Vegetable Oil
Water

Heat 2-3 Tbsp of Oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Put 6 potstickers in skillet and cook until GBD on bottom.
Pour 1/3 C water into skillet and cover, steaming for 2-3 minutes. Remove potstickers from skillet and repeat.

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

2012-02-29T22:25:00.003-06:00

This is one of the fastest and easiest enchilada dishes I know how to prepare, especially when I use the Rotisserie Chicken shortcut. Most of the flavor comes from the onion, green chiles, and cilantro, but I like to add some jalapeno slices on top for a little more kick.

The filling and the sauce are nearly identical. The filling has the chicken chunks and the sauce has some milk. I find that each enchilada needs about two tablespoons of filling.

This is the arrangement that worked best for us. Just make sure that you have one flat layer that fills whatever pan that you choose. I don't care what the recipe says, be sure to use enough cheese to really cover the enchiladas and sprinkle a bit of chopped cilantro to add some color. We finished cooking the dish by broiling it for two minutes so that the cheese was golden, brown and delicious.

4 ozs Green Chiles, diced
1 Can Condensed Cream of Mushroom (or Chicken) Soup
1/2 C Sour Cream
1/2 C Green Onions, chopped
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1.5 C Chicken, cooked and cubed
1 C Cheddar Cheese
14 6" Flour Tortillas
1/4 C Milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease large baking dish.
Mix Green Chiles, Mushroom Soup, Sour Cream, Green Onions, and Garlic Powder in a medium bowl.
Put 1/4 of mixture into large bowl. Add Chicken and 1/2 of Cheese and stir to mix.
Roll chicken mixture into each tortilla, about 2 Tbsp per. Arrange in baking dish in flat layer.
Add Milk to remaining mixture in medium bowl and stir to mix. Pour over top of enchiladas and spread remaining cheese over top.
Bake for approximately 30 minutes, until cheese is GBD and bubbly.

Health Department Raid

2012-02-29T16:39:00.000-06:00

Please read the following link: http://www.adistinctiveworld.net/?p=6091

As a foodie and an amateur chef, this story disgusts me. I care deeply about the food I eat, and if you are following this page, I suspect that you do as well. The kind of food that I like to eat is adventurous. I know the risks that I assume when I prepare sausage or eat beef carpaccio. The idea that serving such food to friends and family could even conceivably subject me to law enforcement contact is beyond the pale.

How do you feel about this story?

Rotisserie Chicken

2012-02-17T19:40:00.002-06:00

I know this isn't rocket science, but one of my favorite shortcuts when a recipe calls for cooked chicken is to buy a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and break it down at home. The time saved by not cooking a whole chicken at home is worth the extra buck a pound.

Fifteen minutes of work, and I have perfectly cooked chunks of chicken and some bones and cartilage in a bag in the freezer for making stock. But that's a different day...

Cured Beef

2012-02-13T21:12:00.000-06:00

Creamy and soft on the palate, with a rich, primal taste that finishes with a hint of rosemary, this is exactly what answers the call of the refined carnivore. I wish my photo did justice to the ruby red color and white marbling, because a slice of this is art on the plate. And it is effortless to make.

Total prep time for this is less than five minutes, plus a couple of days in the fridge to cure. I used an electric knife to slice it thin, and fanned it on my plate. My comment to Kate after eating my first slice: "This is what beef jerky aspires to."

(The Whole Beast, pp 36-37.)

1 Beef Tenderloin Filet
2 C Kosher Salt
4 C Sugar
Rosemary, bunch
Black Pepper, finely ground

Mix Salt, Sugar, and Rosemary in a small bowl. Pour 1/3 into a plastic container with an airtight lid.
Put Meat on salt cure. Pour remaining cure on top to cover, then seal and refrigerate for 2-3 days.
Remove fillet from cure and rinse under cold water. Dry and rub with pepper all over.
Slice thinly across the grain and serve. Leftovers can be wrapped in plastic and kept refrigerated for about a week.

Cornish Game Hens

2012-02-13T10:39:00.002-06:00

Cornish Game Hens with an Apricot Glaze stuffed with Apricot and Pistachio Couscous. This receipe is found in the Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer. I discovered that my oven wasn't working after I had these little guys ready to go in, so they were actually made in the toaster oven!

I served the hens with a salad of mixed greens, avacado, green onions, glazed pecans, dried cranberries or "Craisins" in the supermarket, grapes and gorgonzola crumbles with french vinagrette.

Beef Carpaccio

2012-02-12T12:13:00.001-06:00

Beef Carpaccio is a household favorite. It's actually pretty simple to prepare, and the flavor of the raw beef, lightly seasoned and served with an aggressive spring mix salad, fresh shaved Parmesan, and a few Caperberries is a treat that we reserve for special occasions. If you can overcome your fear of raw beef, you won't be disappointed by the texture and flavor of this dish.

Start by slicing a filet of beef as thinly as possible. You will have better results if the meat is almost frozen when you begin. I find that using an electric knife really helps with this step.

In order to pound the meat as thinly as possible and not destroy it when you move it to the serving dish, make sure to put a layer of plastic wrap on your cutting board, then arrange the meat slices so that they are almost touching, then put another layer of plastic wrap over the top. Gently pound the meat until it forms a single thin piece, then carefully remove the top layer of wrap. Put your serving plate upside-down on top, and carefully flip the whole thing over. Leave the (now) top layer of wrap on until you are ready to serve.

When tossing the salad, use the best olive oil and balsamic vinegar that you can afford. Simple preparations like this demand the highest quality ingredients to really shine.

(Inspired by Alton Brown, 2005.)

Beef Tenderloin filet
2-4 C Arugula or Spring Mix
Balsamic Vinegar
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Lemon Juice
Salt
Black Pepper, finely ground
Parmesan, shaved
Caperberries

Slice meat as thinly as possible. Arrange between layers of plastic wrap and pound until paper thin. Remove top layer of wrap and arrange meat on plate in one flat layer.
Lightly drizzle Balsamic Vinegar over beef. Add salt and pepper.
Toss salad in a light mix of Olive Oil and Lemon Juice, adding salt to taste. Mound on top of beef.
Shave Parmesan over top and garnish with Caperberries. Serve immediately.

Lobster Bisque

2012-02-12T11:47:00.000-06:00

Lobster Bisque is the second part of our Valentine's Day tradition. The sweet chunks of lobster tail swimming in the rich broth paired with a crisp white wine make for a perfect second course, especially when the weather turns cold. Start to finish it takes a few hours to make, but a lot of that time is downtime while the soup simmers on the stove, so it doesn't feel like a chore.

I use kitchen shears to cut the tails in half. One cut along the back shell, one along the belly, and the third cut through the meat keeps it all intact without too much mess. Once the meat is steamed, I use tongs to pull the steamer basket out, let the meat cool, and use my hands to gently separate the meat from the shells. And save the liquid from the pot!

We are always surprised by how much flavor we get from sauteing and deglazing with wine, so be sure to give this step enough time to develop all the lobstery-goodness you're looking for. We let the wine reduce until just a puddle was left before we added the stock.

We cheated a little here by using ketchup instead of tomato paste. Once everything had simmered and we removed all the bay leaves, I used our immersion blender until the soup had a smooth glossy appearance. The recipe calls for some cream, lemon juice, and salt to taste to finish the soup. We always go a step further and throw in a splash of Worcestershire sauce and a few hits of Tabasco to really pull the whole thing together.

The final step is mostly for presentation, but it's also another opportunity to add a bit of flavor to the soup. After you lightly saute the tails, deglaze the pan with a bit of brandy or cognac and pour the pan-sauce into the soup. Since you'll be eating this with a spoon, be sure to cut the meat into bite-sized slices, and sprinkle a little paprika and fennel frond over the top for garnish.

(Cuisine at Home: Holiday Menus, pp 40-41.)

For the Stock:

2 Lobster Tails, halved
4 C Water
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 C White Wine
3 C Chicken Broth

Steam Lobster Tails in covered pot over 4 cups boiling Water until firm and opaque, about 5-7 minutes.
Remove from steamer basket and allow to cool. Reserve water in large measuring bowl.
Gently remove meat from tails and refrigerate.
Saute shells in Olive Oil over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, tossing occasionally.
Deglaze with Wine, and reduce until less than a cup remains, about 10-15 minutes.
Add Broth and reserved water to pot. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low, simmering until reduced to about 6 cups, about 20-30 minutes.
Strain stock and set aside.

For the Bisque:

1 C Fennel, chopped
1/2 C Shallots, chopped
4 Tbsp Butter, unsalted
1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
1 C Tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped
2 Tbsp Brandy or Cognac
2 Tbsp White Rice
1 tsp Paprika
1/4 tsp Cayenne
1 Bay Leaf
1 Thyme Sprig or 1 Tbsp Thyme
1/2 C Heavy Cream
1 tsp Lemon Juice
Salt to taste
1 Tbsp Butter, unsalted
Fennel Fronds, chopped

Saute Fennel and Shallots in Butter until soft, about 5 minutes.
Stir in Tomato Pasted and cook 1 minute.
Deglaze with Brandy, then add Rice, Paprika, Cayenne, Bay Leaf, Thyme, and reserved stock. Simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes. Remove Bay Leaf and Thyme Sprig.
Puree soup, in batches if necessary, in blender, until smooth. Return to pot and add Heavy Cream, Lemon Juice, and Salt to taste. Keep warm over low heat.
In a small skillet, saute Lobster Tails in Butter over medium-high until lightly browned and warm. Remove from skillet and slice into bite-sized pieces.
Ladle soup into shallow bowl, then add lobster pieces and garnish with Fennel Fronds.

Black Forest Tartlets with Chocolate Cherries

2012-02-12T11:44:00.000-06:00

Chocolate-dipped cherries + cherry-cream filling + chocolate cup = tasty morsel. They were fun to eat, but they took some time to assemble. Worth it for a Valentine's Day dessert, but I don't think we'll be making these again anytime soon.

The first step was painting chocolate layers into little foil cups. Kate did the first round and I did the second. We made a dozen, and I promise that the one in the photo at the top is the best of the bunch.

The second step was dipping cherries in the same chocolate. Easy enough, but I haven't learned the trick to cooling them without a flat puddle of chocolate attached to the bottom.

The third step was making the cherry filling. It starts by dissolving gelatin in cherry preserves over low heat. Then I whipped heavy cream until it had stiff peaks. The tricky part is folding the mixture into the cream without losing the fluffiness. My final product, as you can see, wasn't nearly as uniform or appetizing as the photos in the magazine. Luckily, it still tasted good.

Once everything was chilled, I started assembly by using tweezers to remove the foil from the chocolate cups. I then spooned a dollop of the cherry filling into the cup and topped it with a cherry. Three to a plate and our holiday dessert was ready!

(Cuisine Lite, p 96.)

1 1/2 C Chocolate Chips
4-6 tsp Vegetable Shortening
12 Maraschino Cherries
1/2 C Cherry Preserves
1 Tbsp Maraschino Cherry Juice
1/2 tsp Gelatin, unflavored
1/4 C Heavy Cream
12 Small Foil Candy Cups

Microwave Chocolate Chips and 4 tsp Shortening in a bowl on high for 1 minute. Stir, then repeat microwaving for 30 seconds until chips are melted. Add remaining Shortening as needed.
Brush sides and bottom of Foil Cups with melted chocolate, then freeze for 1 hour. Repeat, paying special attention to the sides. Freeze until ready to assemble.
Dip Cherries in chocolate to coat and freeze on wax paper until ready to assemble.
Heat Preserves, Cherry Juice, and Gelatin in a saucepan over low heat until gelatin dissolves, stirring frequently, around 3-5 minutes. Cool before adding to cream.
Whip Heavy Cream until it forms stiff peaks, the fold cherry gelatin into cream.
Gently remove foil from chocolate cups, then add a dollop of cherry filling and top with a cherry. Serve immediately.

TIP: Seeding a Tomato

2012-02-11T22:16:00.000-06:00

Anytime a recipe calls for a seeded tomato, just remember to cut it across the equator, then use a finger to scoop out the seeds from each pocket. I usually hold the tomato over the sink while I'm scooping.

Baklava Butter

2012-02-11T10:54:00.002-06:00

This is something we whipped up last night in about five minutes: Baklava Butter. It's sweet and nutty, and tastes great with just about anything.

Just add everything to your food processor and chop until it looks like the photo above. Can't get easier than that!

(Cuisine at Home, Issue 91, February 2012, p 39.)

2/3 C Almonds, slivered and toasted
1/3 Cashews, roasted
1/3 Pistachios, shelled
1/4 C Honey
1/4 C Water
1/2 tsp Cinnamon

Add all ingredients to food processor. Pulse rapidly 20-30 times until butter is gooey and crumbly. Store in refrigerator.

Mussels with Smoked Sausage

2012-02-10T21:28:00.001-06:00

For me, this is a perfect dish: it's fast, simple, and incredibly tasty. The briny-sweet taste of the mussels, the smoky bite of the kielbasa, and the fragrant spicy broth combine to make a meal that always ends with me drinking from the bowl and sopping up the last with a bit of bread while I look for seconds. Always.

To clean the mussels, I usually start by plugging up a sink and filling it with ice and cold water. I also set up a bowl with a colander in it next to the sink and grab a pair of needle-nose pliers. Then, one at a time, I grab a mussel, check to make sure it's closed and undamaged, give it a scrub, and remove any beard with the pliers by gently tugging until it tears free. I typically only need to toss 1-3 bad mussels per pound.

Cooking this dish couldn't be simpler. Brown the meat, add the aromatics, deglaze with wine, and add the pepper and mussels to steam. Wait ten minutes, uncover and toss any mussels that are still shut. Garnish with parsley and serve with a hunk of bread. This is one of my all-time favorites.

(Cuisine at Home: Smart Carb Cooking, January 2005, pp 74-75.)

2 lbs Mussels, cleaned and debearded
1/2 lb Kielbasa, sliced into 1/4" rounds and quartered
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/3 C Shallots, minced
1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
1 C White Wine
2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1/4 C Parsley, chopped

Immerse Mussels in cold water. Scrub and debeard, discarding any that are cracked or open. Put good ones in a colander to drain.
In a large pot, cook Kielbasa in Oil until browned over medium-high heat.
Add Shallots and Garlic. Cook until soft, about 2-3 minutes.
Add White Wine and Red Pepper Flakes, scraping up any fond in pan.
Gently add Mussels, give pot a shake and cover to steam for 10 minutes.
Add Parsley and stir gently. Serve in bowls with plenty of broth and a hunk of bread, discarding any mussels that are not wide open.

POLL: Favorite Protein

2012-02-10T12:01:00.000-06:00

What is your favorite protein to eat?

Pork Nuggets with Mojo Glaze

2012-02-09T20:55:00.000-06:00

We were feeling ambitious tonight when we decided to make this. It took nearly an hour before the food hit the table, so we've classified this as "weekend only". That said, it's a fun riff on chicken nuggets, with the Mojo Glaze giving a tangy flair to the breaded pork.

If you decide to do the Maple-Jalapeno Sweet Potato as a side, be sure to get them in the oven before you get to work on the Pork.

The breading in this dish doesn't have too much flavor, so be sure to really season the meat first. The only other trick is to crush the corn flakes in a plastic bag until they are almost completely crumbled. This will help to ensure a complete coating when you bread the meat.

Anytime you are going to cook meat, it's important to make sure that everything is completely thawed before you begin; otherwise your meat will have a tendency to undercook in the middle and overcook on the outside. Our pork was a little too pink for my taste when we first pulled it from the oven, so we dropped the temperature by 50 degrees and put it back in for another 3 minutes.

The Mojo Sauce is a simple creation, but full of flavor. It's similar to an asian sweet-and-sour sauce, but a little less thick and sweet. Be careful any time you heat a sugar on the stove. The contents of the pan can reach a temperature exceeding that of boiling water, and the stuff is sticky, so it can leave a nasty burn if it gets on your skin. It'll be cool enough to eat once you spoon it over the Pork.

(Cuisine Tonight for Two, pp 70-71.)

For the Pork:

1 Pork Tenderloin, trimmed
Garlic Powder
1/2 C AP Flour
2 Eggs, beaten
3 C Corn Flakes, crushed
4 Tbsp Butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil to help with cleanup later.
Cut Pork into 3/4" thick medallions. Season with Garlic Powder, Salt, and Pepper.
Put Flour, Eggs, and Corn Flakes in shallow bowls. Dredge Pork nugget in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in Egg bath, then roll in Corn Flakes until coated. Arrange on baking sheet.
Brush Pork nugget with Butter. Bake until GBD, from 8-12 minutes. Let rest two minutes before serving.

For the Glaze:

2 Tbsp Red Onion, minced
1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/4 C Orange Marmalade
1 Tbsp Lime Juice
1 tsp Chives, minced

Saute Onion and Garlic in Olive Oil until soft, about 2 minutes.
Stir in Marmalade and Lime Juice. Simmer until glaze thickens, about 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in Chives. Serve over Pork Nuggets.

Maple-Jalapeno Sweet Potato

2012-02-09T20:54:00.002-06:00

I'll admit that the first time I read this recipe, I was a little put off by the combination of sweet potato, maple syrup, sour cream, and jalapeno. I'm glad I overcame my reservations, because this thing is delicious! It has the perfect combination of hot and cold and sweet and salty, and you can dress it up with any toppings you like. Although it takes about an hour to prepare, most of that is oven time, so it makes it a perfect side dish for a more involved main course.

(Cuisine at Home, Issue 32, October 2002, p 17.)

2 Sweet Potatoes
Vegetable Oil
Kosher Salt
1/2 C Sour Cream
1 Tbsp Maple Syrup
2 tsp Jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 tsp Lime Juice
Salt and Tabasco, to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees with a rack in the center.
Scrubbed and dry Sweet Potatoes. Poke with a fork a couple of times, then rub with Oil and Salt. Bake directly on center rack until soft when pierced, about 40-50 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix remaining ingredients and chill.
Once potatoes are cool enough to touch, cut in half and serve with a dollop of mix and other toppings.

Cooking Wine

2012-02-08T18:30:00.000-06:00

Hands down the best choice for cooking wine is Franzia. It stores perfectly at room temperature for months on end and has a convenient pour spout for measuring. I know that every chef on TV swears that you shouldn't cook with wine that you wouldn't drink (and we won't drink Franzia), but that's just ridiculous. The moment wine hits a hot pan for deglazing or gets stirred into a broth, it loses all the subtlety and nuance that you paid for. Franzia has neither, so you don't lose a thing!

TIP: Taco Shells

2012-02-08T08:53:00.000-06:00

Hang your taco shells from the top rack of your oven when you heat them up. One less pan to clean!

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Butter-Sage Sauce

2012-02-06T21:01:00.001-06:00

One of our favorite tricks is to dress up packaged food with a homemade sauce. Tonight's dish is a perfect example: store-bought frozen ravioli and a brown butter-sage sauce with prosciutto. The whole meal took twenty minutes to prepare, and most of that time was spent waiting for the water to boil.

Making brown butter, or beurre noisette, is simple enough: cook butter until it's burnt just enough to taste good. I started by crisping some sliced prosciutto in a bit of oil, set that aside, and melted about a stick of butter in the pot with some crumbled sage. I gave it a stir every minute or so until it looked like the photo above. Then I added some wine and sugar to deglaze (which put out a lot of steam, so be careful), added the ravioli, prosciutto, parsley, pepper, and tossed it to coat. Kate suggested that we crumble some Amaretti Cookies over the dish, which added a nice crunchy texture.

(Cuisine at Home, Issue 65, October 2007, p 46.)

4 servings Pasta, any variety
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 slices Prosciutto, cut into ribbons
5 Tbsp unsalted Butter, cubed
1-2 tsp dried Sage, crumbled
2 Tbsp White Wine
1 tsp Sugar
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1/4 C Parsley, chopped
Black Pepper, ground

Cook Pasta according to directions. Drain and set aside, discarding water.
Heat Olive Oil in pot over medium-high.
Add Prosciutto, cooking until crisp, about two minutes. Remove from pot and set aside, leaving as much oil as you can.
Reduce heat to medium and add Butter. Once melted, add Sage and cook until butter is golden brown.
Deglaze with Wine and Sugar, scraping up any cooked on bits, about one minute.
Add Lemon Juice, Parsley, and Pepper, remove from heat and add Pasta. Toss to coat.

Assistant Dishwasher

2012-02-06T20:11:00.000-06:00

He only helps when I load the dishes. Unloading, not so much.

Bacon Saves Lives

2012-02-05T09:32:00.000-06:00

From the article:

Cured salted pork crafted as a nasal tampon and packed within the nasal vaults successfully stopped nasal hemorrhage promptly, effectively, and without sequelae … To our knowledge, this represents the first description of nasal packing with strips of cured pork for treatment of life-threatening hemorrhage in a patient with Glanzmann thrombasthenia.

Is there anything that bacon can't do?

Maple-Brined Chicken with Wild Rice Pilaf

2012-02-05T00:05:00.003-06:00

As a rule, I do not like to eat grilled chicken breasts. I think they are the most boring and unimaginative protein to prepare and the taste is consistently underwhelming. This dish breaks that rule. With a little advanced prep, this dish can be prepared in fifteen minutes and results in the best chicken breast I've had in years, a tasty and healthy side dish, and a cranberry chutney that gives the whole thing a little zing.

The first secret to this dish is the brine. This technique ensures that the entire breast is infused with flavor and still moist after grilling. We brined the chicken breasts for two hours and then let them rest for another few hours before lightly seasoning them and firing up the grill. You could leave them in the solution for up to four hours to give the chicken even more taste, but any longer might make the meat too salty.

The second secret is using a package mix for the wild rice. If we were preparing this for company, we would of done it the old-fashioned way with natural ingredients, but tonight we were looking for a fast, low-key meal. Brown and Wild Rice would normally take about forty-five minutes to prepare; this was ready in about five. I don't feel too bad about our shortcut, because we used fresh ingredients for both the chutney and the wild rice mix.

(Cuisine Lite, pp 20-21.)

For the Chicken:

12 C Water
1 C Maple Syrup
1/2 C Kosher Salt
1/2 C Brown Sugar
3 Bay Leaves
1 Tbsp Black Peppercorns
1 Cinnamon Stick
3-6 Chicken Breasts
Black Pepper, ground

Pour 6 cups boiling water into a large bucket. Add Maple Syrup, Salt, and Brown Sugar, and stir until dissolved. Add 6 cups cold water, Bay Leaves, Peppercorns, and Cinnamon Stick. Chill thoroughly, add Chicken Breasts, and store in refrigerator.
After waiting 2-4 hours, discard brine and rest Chicken in refrigerator another 1-2 hours.
Season breasts with Black Pepper and grill 3-4 minutes per side. Allow chicken to rest for about 5 minutes before slicing.

For the Chutney:

1 C Cranberry Juice Cocktail
1 C Cranberries (frozen or fresh)
2/3 C Dried Apricots, sliced
1/3 C Sugar
1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

Simmer all ingredients in a small saucepan until mixture is syrupy. Allow to cool before serving.

For the Wild Rice Pilaf:

1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 C Onion, diced
1 C Carrot, diced
1 C Green Beans, 1/2" pieces
1/4 C Water
8.5 oz Uncle Ben's Ready Whole Grain Medley, cooked
1 Tbsp (fresh) or 1 tsp (dried) Thyme

Prepare rice according to package directions.
Saute Garlic in Oil in saucepan over medium-high heat, about 1 minute.
Add Onions, Carrot, and Green Beans to pan and saute for 1-2 minutes.
Add Water and Thyme to pan, cover and reduce heat for 5 minutes.
Uncover and stir in rice.

POLL: Home-Cooked Meals

2012-02-03T15:47:00.000-06:00

How often do you cook during an average week?

Pork Scaloppine with Mom's Coleslaw

2012-02-01T21:17:00.000-06:00

Thin meat, breaded like this, is one of our favorites. And you can't go wrong with my mother's coleslaw. The scaloppine takes a little effort to prepare, but the crunchy/juicy combination of breaded pork with lemon-butter sauce is worth a little extra time and mess in the kitchen.

Making coleslaw is incredibly easy. There are only two secrets: cut the cabbage as thin as you can, and no matter what size bowl you grab, you'll wish you had grabbed a bigger one. When you add the salt and pepper, remember that moderation is the enemy of flavor. Toss everything thoroughly between (frequent) tastings, and you can't go wrong.

The sauce is fairly straight-forward to make. Be sure to really whisk and cook the flour before you continue to the next step. You only need to stir it occasionally after you've added the other ingredients. You'll know it's ready when it has a nice sheen and a tart lemon flavor. Reduce heat to low and give it a final stir when you're ready to plate.

When it comes to pounding meat, I learned everything I know from Alton Brown on Good Eats. A ziplock bag and a bit of water makes this an easy and tidy task. Slosh a bit of water in the bag and pour it out, then add the meat a piece at a time. Press the air out of the bag and lightly hammer it with your mallet until you're happy with the thickness. Gently remove the meat and repeat.

Normally when you bread meat you start with a coat of flour. In the interest of making this dish (slightly) healthy, we've omitted that step. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure that I can taste a difference. Some recipes season the egg bath or the bread mixture with salt and pepper, but it always seems like the flavor gets lost when I do that, so make sure you season the meat before you begin.

With the above set-up, I use my left hand to grab a cutlet, dip it in the egg bath, and drop it into the bread crumbs. Then I use my right hand to scoop some crumbs on top of the meat, give it a good pat and gently shake loose the extra crumbs before I arranged it on the pan. This method helps me to avoid the "club hand". Do it differently and you'll see what I mean.

Using the broiler instead of sauteing the cutlets in butter is faster, cleaner, and a bit healthier. I still prefer the flavor of the full-fat method, but Kate and I agreed that this was a fantastic dish.

(Cuisine Lite, pp 46-47.)

For the Scaloppine:

1 lb Pork Tenderloin, sliced into 12 rounds
1-2 C Panko Bread Crumbs
1/3 C Parmesan, grated
1-2 Eggs
1 Tbsp Water
1 Tbsp Butter, unsalted
1 Tbsp AP Flour
1 C Chicken Broth
2 Tbsp Capers
1 Tbsp Lemon Zest
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp Sage, chopped

Preheat broiler on high with rack 6-8" from top. Pound Pork into 1/4" thick cutlets. Spray non-stick oil on broiler pan.
Mix Panko and Parmesan in shallow dish, and whisk Egg and Water in another shallow dish. Dip Pork in Egg mix, then toss Pork in bread crumbs, shaking off excess before arranging on broiler pan. Spray lightly with non-stick oil.
Broil 3 minutes, flip cutlets, and broil 3 more minutes. Remove from oven.
Melt Butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add Flour and cook 1-2 minutes, whisking constantly.
Whisk in Broth, then add Capers, Zest, Lemon Juice and Sage. Cook until sauce begins to thicken, 8-10 minutes.
Arrange cutlets on plate and spoon sauce on top.

For the Coleslaw:

1/2 Head of Cabbage, thinly sliced
1 C Carrot, shredded (optional)
1/2 C Mayonnaise
Lemon Salt
Onion Salt
Black Pepper

Mix Cabbage, Carrot and Mayonnaise in a large bowl.
Add generous scoop of Lemon Salt, Onion Salt and Pepper.
After tossing to coat, taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Korean-Style Tuna with Cilantro Noodles

2012-01-31T22:28:00.000-06:00

This one is fast, simple, and has loads of flavor. We topped it with a Wasabi Compound Butter, but you could reserve some of the marinade before you add the tuna and use it as a dipping sauce. This is a great example of the "less is more" philosophy of cooking: a few ingredients, properly prepared, will result in a bold and satisfying meal.

Adding Red Pepper Flakes to the Marinade

I find it easier to mix the marinade in a measuring bowl and give it a vigorous stir before it goes in the bag with the tuna.

Grilling Tuna

Make sure that you don't over cook the steaks. Tuna cooked well-done might as well be cardboard. I prefer my tuna to be seared on the outside and nearly raw in the middle. Kate likes hers more towards medium-rare. We agreed that the rule of thumb in our house will be "two-minute tuna", and no more.

Ramen in the Wok

When you make the noodles, be sure to have all of your ingredients ready to go. This dish cooks in a hurry, and you won't have time to measure and cut once you start. This might be my favorite preparation for Ramen Noodles.

(Cuisine at Home Weeknight Grilling, pp 58-59.)

(Cuisine at Home, Issue 84, December 2010, p 9.)

For the Tuna:

1/2 C Soy Sauce
1/3 C Rice Vinegar
1/4 C Brown Sugar
1/4 C Scallions, diced
2 Tbsp Sesame Oil
1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
4 Tuna Steaks (6-8 oz each)

For the Noodles:

2 pkg Ramen Noodles (discard spice packet)
2 tsp Oil
1 tsp Sesame Oil
2 Tbsp Shallot, minced
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 C Cilantro, chopped
1/2 C Scallions, chopped

Combine Soy Sauce, Vinegar, Brown Sugar, Scallions, Sesame Oil, Garlic and Red Pepper Flakes in a bowl. Add Tuna Steaks and marinate 10-20 minutes.
Cook Noodles in boiling water according to package directions, about 3 minutes. Drain and shake dry.
Heat Oil and Sesame Oil in wok over medium-high heat. Saute Shallots until soft, about 2 minutes.
Deglaze wok with Soy Sauce, then remove from heat and add Noodles, Cilantro and Scallions, tossing to coat.
Grill Tuna Steaks on hot grill until rare (1 minute/side) to medium-rare (3 minutes/side). Plate Noodles first, then Tuna.