Mini Taco Salads

We had Mexican Night on Sunday and everyone brought Mexican themed food. So we are going to continue on with that theme this week. Mini Taco Salads are a great appetizer that are easy to make ahead of time and keep in the freezer till needed.

Mini Taco Salads

Frozen Mini Pastry Shells
1 lb Ground Beef
Taco Seasoning
Small Can of Salsa
Water
Finely Diced Onion
Finely Diced Sweet Peppers
Shredded Lettuce
Sour Cream

Brown ground beef, and drain the grease. Season with Taco Seasoning, and brown a little more, add salsa and water, simmer for twenty minutes.

Finely dice the onions and sweet peppers, shred and dice the lettuce

Spoon taco meat into the shells, top with cheese, and bake in the oven for ten minutes at 350, or freeze for later use.

Take out of the oven, and top with the diced vegetables, a little sour cream, and serve. Never freeze the lettuce, peppers, and onions, always add them fresh when you are about to serve.

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Easy Chile Relleno's

Chiles Rellenos are made of Chile Poblano (Ancho) or Anaheim chiles, with skins removed, dipped in batter, stuffed with cheese, or meat, and covered with lightly spiced green, or red sauce. Blistering fresh chiles is one of the tricks of the Mexican food cooking, and it can be a major pain in the ass if you are making these in any type of quantity. You can however buy mild, whole, canned green chili's which makes putting these together a snap. You can find everything you need at any Super Mercado. I like to make this dish, and bring it to pot luck's, or dinner parties. They are easy to make and always a hit.

Easy Chile Rellenos

2 Large Cans Mild Whole Green Chili's
1 lb Chorizo Sausage
1 lb Grated Cheddar Jack Cheese
6 Eggs
Salt
Cayenne
1/4 cup Flour
1/8 cup Corn Meal
2 cans Salsa Verde

Cook the bulk chorizo until browned and crumbly. Blend with 1/2 the cheddar jack cheese and stuff into the peppers.

Seperate the yolks from the egg whites. Whip the egg whites with an electric mixer till peaks form. Beat the egg yolks with one tablespoon flour and salt. Mix the yolks into egg whites and stir until you have a thick paste.

Roll the chiles in 1/4 cup flour and dip each one in the egg batter. Coat evenly. Fry, seam side down on both sides until golden brown. Place on paper towels to drain.

Place the fried Chile Relleno's in a caserole pan, it's ok to stack if neccesary, and top with Salsa Verde, and the grated Cheddar Jack cheese. Heat in oven at 350 until cheese bubbles and serve.

Low Carb Variation

Substitute Low Carb Thickener for the flour in the egg batter. Substitute Soy Flour for the wheat flour and you cut out all the carbs.

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Grilled Flank Steak with Pesto

I like to marinate Flank Steak overnight before cooking with olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary, garlic, and either Red Wine Vinegar, or Balsamic. The Balsamic can be a little strong but is great when I am in the mood for it. Sometimes we roll, stuff, and grill it, other times we just grill it, and slice it on the bias, serve it with salad and grilled vegetables.

Flank Steak is incedibly simple, and it tastes great.

One Flank Steak
Red Wine Vinegar
Chopped Garlic
Olive Oil
Rosemary
Kosher Salt
Pepper

Marinate the Flank Steak overnight and grill on the BBQ till done to your liking. Flip only once, and once top with pesto. Slice on the bias, or against the grain.

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Northwest Oyster Stew

Oysters can be eaten half shelled, raw, smoked, boiled, baked, fried, roasted, stewed, canned, pickled, steamed, broiled (grilled) or used in a variety of drinks. Preparation can be as simple as opening the shell, while cooking can be as spare as adding butter and/or salt, or can be very elaborate.

Oyster Stew is a very simple dish to make, and in it's traditional form consisted of oysters, a little butter, salt, and pepper added to scalding milk. Our recipe is almost as simple, but we liven it up a little bit to make it interesting. It is truly more of a soup, than a stew since little cooking time, and no braising are involved.

It is traditionally served during the Winter months, especially during the holidays in the Midwest. Oysters were once shipped in by rail, in bushell baskets, on ice, and were an expensive luxury enjoyed during that time of year. Obviously the cold Winter temperatures aided in their shipment before the advent of refrigeration.

Oyster Stew

2 tablespoons butter
4 strips of diced bacon
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/4 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
2 dozen small Pacific Oysters, shucked, with their liquor
1 cup dry sherry
3 cups heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt

In a large heavy saucepan, brown the bacon and set aside, heat the butter over medium-low heat. Add the celery, bell pepper, and onion; sauté until softened but not browned, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the bacon, Worcestershire, Tabasco, Old Bay, Oysters with their liquor, sherry, and heavy cream. Serve with some oyster crackers, or sourdough bread.

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Cajun Chicken Stew

This isn't your average Chicken Stew because of the addition of the "Trinity", and Cajun seasonings. Chicken Stew can be boring to me, but the Cajun spices help it out.

Cajun Chicken Stew

1 chicken, about 4 pounds, cut up, or use parts
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 Red Bell Pepper chopped
1 large sweet or yellow onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 tbls Cajun Blackening Powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
6 cups chicken broth
2 carrots, sliced
3 to 4 medium potatoes, peeled, cut in cubes
1 cup pearl onions, peeled, or use frozen or canned, drained pearl onions
2 tablespoons butter
8 to 12 ounces andouille sausage
1/4 cup flour
kosher salt
freshly fround pepper

Wash chicken and cut up; pat dry and remove any excess fat. Season with a little olive oil and the Cajun Blackening Powder. Heat 1 tablespoon butter, and olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven; add celery,onion, bell peppers, and chicken and brown chicken pieces slowly on all sides.

Cajun seasoning, and black pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove chicken pieces and let cool slightly. Skim any visible fat from the broth. Meanwhile, add carrots, potatoes, and onions to the broth; cover and continue simmering.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat; sauté the smoked sausage until browned. Stir in 1/4 cup flour until well blended with the fat. Add the sausage mixture to the simmering stew.

Remove chicken from the bones; chop and add to the stew. Bring the stew back to a simmer; cover and continue cooking until vegetables are tender and stew is thickened. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

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Beef Stew

Braising (from the French "braiser") is cooking with "moist heat," typically in a covered pot with a small amount of liquid which results in a particular flavor. Braising relies on heat, time, and moisture to successfully break down tough connective tissue and collagens in meat. It is an ideal way to cook tougher cuts. Stews, and Pot Roasts are both styles of braising.

Most braises follow the same basic steps. The meat or poultry is first browned in hot fat. Aromatic vegetables are sometimes then browned as well. A cooking liquid that often includes an acidic element, such as tomatoes or wine, is added to the pot, which is covered. The dish cooks in relatively low heat in or atop the stove until the meat is fork-tender. Often the cooking liquid is finished to create a sauce or gravy.

Beef Stew

1 1/4 pounds stew beef, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup flour
6 large garlic cloves, minced
6 cups beef stock
1 cup of Guinness beer
1 cup of red wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups peeled baby carrots
Kosher Salt
Ground Pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Season and flour the beef and then brown on all sides. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add beef stock, Guinness, red wine, tomato paste, sugar, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, then cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

While the meat and stock is simmering, melt butter in another large pot over medium heat. Add potatoes, onion and carrots. Sauté vegetables until golden, about 20 minutes.

Add vegetables to beef stew. Simmer uncovered until vegetables and beef are very tender, about 40 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Tilt pan and spoon off fat. Transfer stew to serving bowl. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

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Beef Bourguignon

Beef Bourguignon is a retro dish that was very popular in the 50's, and 60's, in fact this recipe is based on one from Julia Child who helped make French Cuisine popular in this country.

Beef Bourguignon is a well-known, traditional French recipe. It is essentially a type of beef stew prepared with cubed beef stewed in red wine (preferably an assertive, full-bodied wine such as Burgundy), generally flavoured with garlic, onions, carrots, bacon, a bouquet garni, and garnished with pearl onions and mushrooms.

Blanching the Bacon to remove the smoke flavor is traditional, but sometimes I don't do it because I like the smoky flavor of the bacon even though it isn't technically correct for the dish.

Beef Bourguignon

6 oz of blanched bacon
2 to 3 Tbsp cooking oil
4 lbs trimmed beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes
Salt and
freshly ground pepper
2 cups sliced onions
1 cup sliced carrots
1 bottle of red wine
2 cups beef stock or canned beef broth
1 cup chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned
1 medium herb bouquet (tie 8 parsley sprigs, 1 large bay leaf, 1 tsp dried thyme, 2 whole cloves or allspice berries, and 3 large cloves of smashed garlic together in cheesecloth)

Beurre manié for the sauce: 3 Tbsp flour blended to a pasted with 2 Tbsp butter

24 small brown-braised white onions
3 cups sautéed quartered mushrooms

Blanch the bacon to remove its smoky taste. Drop bacon slices into 2 quarts of cold water, bring to a boil, and simmer 6 to 8 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water, and dry on paper towels.

In a large frying pan, sauté the blanched bacon to brown slightly in a little oil; set them aside and add later to simmer with the beef, using the rendered fat in browning. Brown the chunks of beef on all sides in the bacon fat and oil, season with salt and pepper, and turn them into a heavy casserole pan. Add the bacon to the casserole pan as well.

Remove all but a little fat from the frying pan, add the sliced vegetables and brown them, and add to the meat. Deglaze the pan with wine, pouring it into the casserole along with enough stock to almost cover the meat. Stir in the tomatoes and add the herb bouquet. Bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer slowly on the lowest heat possible, either on the stove or in a preheated 325 degree oven, until the meat is tender. Check at about 40 minutes.

Remove all solids from the sauce (except the beef) by draining through a colander set over a saucepan. Return the beef to the casserole. Press juices out of the residue into the cooking liquid, then degrease and boil down the liquid to 3 cups. Off heat, whisk in the beurre manié, then simmer for 2 minutes as the sauce thickens lightly. Correct seasoning and pour over the meat, folding in the onions and mushrooms. To serve, bring to a simmer, basting meat and vegetables with the sauce for several minutes until hot throughout.

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Shall We Dance or Walk the Plank?

Salsas are very handy, easy, healthy and economical. They can be served on fish, as a dip, garnish for a salad, on bread or eaten on its own. There is usually no cooking involved and allows you to parctice knife skills.

I must stress the importance of a sharp knife. Do not try and use a dull knife and make the excuse of being afraid of using a sharp knife because you don't want to cut yourself. Statistically
speaking, most people cut themselves with a dull knife because they are putting extra force and thus causing mishaps to happen.

This is a base recipe and following is one of many variations. Use the following salsa as a garnish for your next BBQ where you serve some grilled fish. This is yummy stuff! If you have never used a cedar plank on your BBQ before, follow the instructions on the package. I usually buy mine at hardware stores or major grocers. However, last time I checked, water has no flavour. So instead of a flavourless liquid, soak your planks in something that has some zing.

Tomato Salsa
4 Ripe Tomatoes, quatered, seeded, cut into small squares
1 Small Red Onion, finely diced (brunoise)
Drizzle of Olive Oil
1 Lime, squeezed
1 Bunch of Cilantro, finely chopped and dried
5 Drops of Tobasco
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a small bowl combine all ingredients and let marinate over 1 hour. Serve with tortilla chips and sour cream.

Serves 4.

Vodka Flavoured Salmon with a Pineapple Salsa
1 Side Salmon
200 ml Vodka
1 Pineapple, cut in small squares
Half of 1 Red Pepper, brunoise
Half of 1 Red Onion, brunoise
Half of 1 Green Pepper, brunoise
1 Bunch of Cilantro, finely chopped
1 Lime, juiced
Dash of Paprika and Chili Powder
Salt and Pepper to taste

Soak planks as per instructions. Remove planks and save vodka.

In a saute pan on high heat, drizzle some oil. Sear the pineapple and constantly stir. Add paprika and chili powder. When pineapple is caramelized, deglaze with vodka and reduce to one third. Remove from heat and let cool. In a bowl, combine pineapple, vodka, onion, pepper, cilantro, lime juice and seasonings. Let marinate in fridge for 1 hour.

Preheat BBQ. Place seasoned salmon on planks and put into BBQ. Cook approximately
for 10 minues. Salmon should be firm on all sides. Remove from planks and serve hot with salsa garnish.

Serves 6.


Serve this with a simple rice. There is plenty of colours and flavours here so there is no need to bombard this dish with any fancy starch.

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Country Captain Chicken

While living in the South I came across this recipe for an unusual curried chicken dish. It is pretty unique to the Southeast, so if you haven't lived down there for an exteneded time you probably have never come across it.

The chicken is browned and then stewed in a sauce of tomatoes, "The Trinity", garlic, and curry powder. At the end, golden raisins are added. The dish is served over rice sprinkled with toasted almonds. As with all chicken recipes in the South, Country Captain Chicken varies with the cook. Some prefer it with just boneless breast meat, while others like the whole fryer cut up into pieces. One thing is always certain about this dish; it is perfumed and spiced with curry.

This delicious dish, known throughout Georgia, dates to the early 1800s. It is thought that this dish was brought to Georgia by a British sea captain who had been stationed in Bengali, India and shared the recipe with some friends in the port city of Savannah, Georgia. Savannah was then a major shipping port for the spice trade. The dish was named for the officers in India called “Country Captains.”

Country Captain Chicken

1 Broiler Chicken cut into parts
1/2 cup flour
4 slices chopped bacon
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup celery chopped
1/2 large red bell pepper chopped
1/2 large green pepper chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28-ounce) can plum or Roma tomatoes, crushed
1 tablespoon curry powder or to taste
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 rounded tablespoon sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 325 . In a shallow dish, combine flour, salt, and pepper. Roll chicken pieces in flour mixture to coat all sides. In a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat, brown the bacon, and remove once brown. Add chicken pieces and cook 5 minutes per side or until light brown.

Transfer chicken to an oven-proof dish and keep warm in the oven; reserving drippings in frying pan.

Reduce heat to medium low. To the pan drippings, add onion, bell pepper, and garlic; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are transparent. Add tomatoes, curry powder, salt, pepper, and thyme; cover pan and simmer gently an additional 15 minutes. Add the browned chicken and golden raisins; cover and simmer another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is tender.

I like serving this with some Mango Chutney, on the side with some Rice.

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Italian Pot Roast

Pot Roast is right near the top of the list when it comes to comfort food, and it is really pretty easy to make. Pot Roast is a braised beef dish. Pot Roast is typically made by browning a roast-sized piece of beef (taken from the tougher chuck cut) to induce a Maillard reaction, then slow-cooking in an acidulated liquid in a covered dish. What you get is a very succulent, and tender cut of meat.

I have found that Gallo Hearty Burgundy does a great job as a cooking wine in braising dishes requiring a full bodied red wine. You can use whatever you like, but at around 6 bucks a bottle you don't mind dumping it in a stew, or roast. I don't mind sipping it either while cooking. A little bit for the stew, and a little bit for me, a little bit for the stew.... .

Italian Pot Roast

4 pound Beef Chuck Roast
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 carrots, peeled, thinly sliced
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
5 cloves garlic, smashed
1/4 all-purpose flour
1/2 cup red wine
1 (15-ounce) can chopped tomatoes,
2 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon Italian Spice Blend
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar


Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat a large Dutch oven, with a lid, over medium-high heat. Season the meat generously with salt, pepper, Italian Spice and flour. Add the oil to the pot, lay the meat in the pan and sear on both sides until brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer the meat to a plate. Pour off most of the fat but leave a little for the vegetables.

Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic to the pan, and cook until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Add the remaining flour, and with a wooden spoon scrape up any browned bits that cling to the bottom of the pot Add wine and tomatoes and cook until liquid has thickened, about 5 minutes more. Add broth, thyme, and bay leaves, bring to a boil. Return the roast to the pot, cover, place in the oven and cook about 2 1/2 hours. Remove the lid and continue to cook, uncovered until tender about 1 hour more. You can also add any vegetables you want to roast and serve with it at this time.

Low Carb Variation

Very simple, just leave out the flour, increase the seasoning while browning the meat so it crusts up well. Add ThickenThin not/Starch thickener which works like cornstarch instead of the flour before you put it in the oven. Roast up some squash, or cauliflower and avoid the starch.

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Seafood Gumbo

High on the list of favorites of Cajun cooking are the soups called gumbos. Gumbo exemplifies the influence of African and Native American food cultures on Cajun cuisine. The word originally meant okra, which is a word brought to the region from Western Africa. Okra, which is a principal ingredients of many gumbo recipes, is used as a thickening agent and for its distinct vegetable flavor.

A filé gumbo is thickened with sassafras leaves, a practice borrowed from the Choctaw Indians. The backbone of a gumbo is a dark roux, which is made of flour, toasted until well browned, in fat, or oil, not butter as with the French. The classic gumbo is made with chicken and the Cajun sausage called andouille, but the ingredients all depend on what is available at the moment.

Cajun cuisine originates from the French-speaking Acadian or "Cajun" immigrants in the Acadiana region of Louisiana. It is what could be called a rustic cuisine — locally available ingredients predominate, and preparation is simple. An authentic Cajun meal is usually a three-pot affair, with one pot dedicated to the main dish, one dedicated to steamed rice, skillet cornbread, or some other grain dish, and the third containing whatever vegetable is plentiful or available.

The aromatic vegetables bell pepper, onion, and celery are called by some chefs the holy trinity of Cajun cuisine. Finely diced and combined in cooking, the method is similar to the use of the mire poix in traditional French cuisine — which blends finely diced onion, celery, and carrot. Characteristic seasonings include parsley, bay leaf, "onion tops" or scallions, and dried cayenne pepper. The overall feel of the cuisine is more Mediterranean than North American.

Cajun cuisine developed out of necessity. The Acadian refugees, farmers rendered destitute by the British expulsion, had to learn to live off the land and adapted their French rustic cuisine to local ingredients such as rice, crawfish, and sugar cane.

Cajun Dark Roux

The Acadians inherited the roux from the French. However, unlike the French, it is made with oil or bacon fat and more lately olive oil, and never butter, and it is used as a flavoring, especially in gumbo and etoufée. Preparation of a dark roux is probably the most involved or complicated procedure in Cajun cuisine, involving heating fat and flour very carefully, constantly stirring for about 15-45 minutes (depending on the color of the desired product), until the mixture has darkened in color and developed a nutty flavor. A burnt roux renders a dish unpalatable. The scent of a good roux is so strong that even after leaving one's house the smell of roux is still embedded in one's clothes until they are washed. The scent is so strong and recognizable that others are able to tell if one is making a roux, and often infer that one is making a gumbo.

Ragin Cajun Gumbo

This recipe makes a big batch, but it easily scales down for smaller portions. Some people like Okra, some don't, so if you omit the Okra, or cut back on it, just add more vegetables of your choice, and some File powder so it thickens correctly.

The Stock

4 quarts Chicken Stock
4 Quarts Shellfish Stock
8 ounces onions, chopped
4 ounces celery with tops, chopped
4 ounces carrots, chopped
2 heads garlic, cut in half horizontally

Sachet d'épices

In a small cheesecloth bag or tea ball, place:

1 teaspoon or so black peppercorns, cracked
A few parsley stems
1 bayleaf
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves

The Roux

1-1/4 cups flour
1 cup oil

All the rest

2 cut up chickens
1-1/2 pounds sliced andouille sausage
4 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound can of Blue Crab Meat
2 pounds okra, sliced
3 onions, chopped
1 bunch green onions with tops, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
5 ribs celery, chopped
5 Cloves of minced garlic
3 bay leaves
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
Creole seasoning to taste
Salt to taste
Tabasco, or to taste.

Simmer the stock with the vegetables, and the Sachet d'épices for a couple hours to let the flavors meld. The longer it simmers the more character the stock develops,

Sprinkle the chicken pieces with Creole seasoning and brown in the oven. Slice the sausage and brown.

Sauté the onions, green onions, bell pepper and celery add them to the roux, then mix into the stock.

Add the Chicken and Andouille.

Add the bay leaves and Creole seasoning to taste and stir. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer; let simmer for about 45 minutes. Keep tasting and adjusting seasonings as needed.

Add the okra and cook another 30 minutes or so then add the shrimp. Give it another 6-8 minutes or so, until the shrimp are just done, turning pink. Be very careful not to overcook the shrimp; adding the shrimp should be the very last step. (Okra acts as a thickener, if omitted make sure to add some File Gumbo Seasoning.)

If there is any fat on the surface of the gumbo, try to skim off as much of it as possible

Low Carb Gumbo Alternative

This dish is anything but low carb because of the flour roux, and rice, but serving it over spaghetti squash rather than rice is a great low carb substitute.

When creating low-carb versions of your favorite dishes, you won't be happy unless the texture and thickness is close to what you expect. For example, with gravy - do you want it watery or do you want a nice thick gravy? If you can't have starch what do you do for thickening?

I came across this stuff while dieting to use as a substitute for flour, and cornstarch, it is called ThickenThin not/Starch thickener which works like cornstarch. It's easier than using starch. Just dump it in the Gumbo instead of the roux, and stir it in. It has more thickening power than flour so use half as much. Add a 1/4 cup of olive oil to make up for the oil that was omitted in the making of the roux. The product isn't a soy derivative, it is made up of various vegetable gums.

This product works great, but you will miss the nutty taste that is created with the traditional roux, but it allows you to cook with one cup less oil, no carbs from the flour, and when you are low carb dieting you will swear it is very close to the original.

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Spicy Southern Fried Chicken

The best Fried Chicken I have ever had at a restaurant was at Ezell's, which is a little hole in the wall in Seattle. Seattle isn't exactly a Soul Food capital, but Oprah Winfrey who also lives in Chicago is a big fan of Ezell's, and actually has it flown in on occasion when she gets the craving for Fried Chicken, and isn't watching her diet.

Fried Chicken is a very simple food, and it is easy to prepare, but it isn't exactly easy to make great Fried Chicken. Here are a few key's.

The first key to great Fried Chicken is marinating it in Buttermilk 12 hours, or more before cooking. If you like tender juicy chicken there is no substitute for doing it this way. I like my Chicken spicy, moist, tender, savory, and crunchy. This particular recipe achieves those goals every time.

The second key is those elusive, eleven herbs and spices. You will find a recipe for a Fried Chicken Seasoning mix below you can make up ahead of time. I am pretty sure you will like it much better than the legendary KFC recipe which is now just a shadow of the way Colonel Sanders' used to do it fifty years ago. He fried it in a pressure cooker which sealed the juices in, and most importantly cooked the chicken faster which is important in a restaurant.

The next key is putting together a dry batter mix that gives the chicken plenty of texture, and sticks to the chicken without falling off. We double dip our chicken using Buttermilk on the first dip, and Egg Wash on the second. If the recipe is too spicy for you just omit, or limit the Red Pepper Sauce.

The final key is cooking it correctly. Traditionally in the South most families have a large, deep, covered, black, cast iron pan from Lodge Cookware that has been in the family for a generation, or two, or in larger quantities it is simply deep fried outdoors. Whichever way you do it you want to make sure the oil is heated to 375 degrees which seals the chicken, and prevents it from becoming greasy,

Spicy Southern Fried Chicken

Soak the Chicken Overnight

2 1/2 pounds Frying Chicken
Buttermilk
1/2 cup Hot Sauce (optional)

Spicy Chicken Egg Wash

3 eggs
1/3 cup water
1 cup hot red pepper sauce (optional)

Fried Chicken Breading Mix

1 cup self-rising Flour
1/2 cup Corn Meal
1/2 cup Cracker Meal
1/2 cup Potato Buds
Fried Chicken Seasoning
Peanut, or Vegetable oil for frying

Fried Chicken Seasoning

2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon onion salt
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon basil leaves, crushed
1 teaspoon marjoram leaves, crushed finely
1 teaspoon thyme

Mix the buttermilk and the hot sauce, marinate the chicken overnight.

In a medium size bowl, beat the eggs with the water. Add enough hot sauce so the egg mixture is bright orange.

In another bowl, combine the Flour, Corn Meal, Cracker Meal, Potato Buds, and Fried Chicken Seasoning to make the breading mix.

Season the wet chicken with the Fried Chicken Seasoning. Dip the wet buttermilk soaked Chicken in the seasoned breading mixture, then dip the seasoned chicken in the egg, and then coat well again in the breading mixture.

Heat the oil to 375 degrees F in a deep pot, or fryer. Do not fill the pot, or fryer more than 1/2 full with oil.

Fry the chicken in the oil until brown and crisp. Dark meat takes longer then white meat. It should take dark meat about 13 to 14 minutes, white meat around 8 to 10 minutes. Fry the first couple of pieces, white, and dark, one at a time, and sample to make sure it is cooked long enough.

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"It Tastes Like Mushy Rice!"

Going with the theme of building flavours and recipes, the next stage is exploring different types of food to expirement with. For chefs, most (not all) dishes consists of a starch, veg, protein and sauce. Of course there are many exceptions but generally speaking this is usually the case. While proteins and veg are nearly limitless in possibilities starch often poses a problem: it can get very repetitive. Rice, potatoes, pasta. That's often it. Of course there are many alternatives like cous cous, quinoa, wild rice (which has no starch), yams (in the same family as potatoes) or whatever obsure shit you can find. Nevertheless, potatoes, pasta and rice are usualy the popular picks for chefs to have on their menu. It's being creative with those starches that can be challenging.

Risotto is a good alternative. This italian rice is relatively easy, cheap and most people like it - except my brother who always tells me "It tastes like mushy rice." There are different types of rice but arborio is usually the most common. There are some standards to making risotto and then after that, well there are whole cookbooks dedicated to risotto.

The three things critical to risotto are: the rice must be sauted, cooked slowly with a hot liquid, cheese must be added near the end to thicken the sauce and butter to taste for the glaze. The cooking liquid is often chicken broth but can be anything from veg. stock, cucumber juice, beet juice, duck stock, tomato broth, whatever. Parmaggiano cheese the preferred choice but not the required one: asaigo, grano padano, queso manchego to name a few alternatives.

My recipe spawned by accident (many of them do). I had leftover sage in my garden, leftover pears in my fridge, leftover turkey stock in my freezer. I can spend all day talking about risotto but that's enough chit chat. Here's my recipe.

Risotto with Rum Poached Pears and Prosciutto

150 g Arborio Rice
1 l Turkey or Chicken Stock, hot
1 Small Red Onion, fine brunoise
2 Ripe Pears, cut into 6 segments
6 Slices Prosciutto, jullienne
250 ml Rum
150 g Parmaggiano-Reggianno Cheese, grated
80 ml Butter, melted
5 Sprigs of Sage, chiffonade (save some for garnish)

In a small sauce pan, bring rum to a slight boil. Poach pears until cooked through, about three - four minutes. Remove pears from rum and keep warm.

In a large saute pan, melt 20 ml butter until frothy. Sweat onion until translucent. Add rice and stir constantly. Cook for about two minutes until rice becomes translucent. Deglaze with rum and stir until reduced by half. Add ladle of stock and stir until reduced by half. Repeat until stock has run out (approx. 20 minutes). If risotto is still hard, add boiling water and stir to cook through.

Add prosciutto and heat through. Add sage, cheese and 50ml butter and stir. The rice should be firm and sticky.

In a frying pan, use leftover butter to caramelize the pears and heat through. When serving, place pears on top for garnish with sprig of sage.

Serves 6.

Risotto itself can be simply a base that you can add anything to in the last minute to make your dish unique. Try mine as a variation with your turkey dinner.

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Stuffed Giant Tiger Prawns

Prawns are one of those things that freeze well when processed correctly. The best frozen prawns are caught, and processed within 15 minutes of catching. Giant Prawns are fun to play with because they are getting almost Lobster sized at this point. You can get them as large as 6-9 per pound, but you need to call around.

Stuffed prawns are easy to put together as long as you have a Prawn large enough to stuff. I wouldn't go any smaller that 14 prawns to one pound.

Prawns are very versatile and easy to prepare in only a few minutes. Make sure you don't overcook the Crustacean because there is nothing worse than a rubbery Prawn.

Prawns are produced all over the world in fresh, and salt water. Over half of the Prawns eaten today are produced in farms overseas. I prefer the wild Mexican Prawns, and they do grow to a quite a large size. The largest prawns I have ever seen come from off the coast in Chile.

Stuffed Giant Tiger Prawns with Basil Cream Sauce

12 Giant Tiger Prawns (9-1, peeled, deveined and butterflied)
12 oz. Dungeness Crab, or Blue Crab meat (flaked)
1 each red, yellow, and green Bell peppers (finely diced)
1 rib celery (finely diced)
2 Tbs. scallions (sliced thin)
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 cup fresh sourdough bread crumbs
2 whole eggs (beaten)
1 lemon (zested and juiced)
1 Tbs. fresh garlic (chopped fine)
1 Tbs. fresh basil (minced)
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
Kosher salt & milled pepper to taste
Tabasco sauce (to taste, several shakes recommended)
6 slices of bacon (cut in half)

In olive oil, sauté peppers, celery, and scallions to soften (no more than a minute). Remove from heat and add bread crumbs and crab meat, mixing well. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs and add remaining ingredients (except bacon slices). Mix thoroughly. Add crab mixture and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Heat oven to 400° F. On a cookie sheet, divide and shape stuffing into twelve walnut-sized portions. Press one portion into each butterflied prawn and wrap with bacon slice, finishing with the seam side down. Bake for eight to ten minutes until bacon is starting to crisp.

Basil Cream Sauce

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup diced onions
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 quart heavy cream
1 teaspoon chicken base
3 tablespoons Pesto,
1 teaspoon Roux

Heat butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, add garlic and onion and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add white wine and reduce by half. Add heavy cream and chicken base and reduce by half again. Add pesto and roux, bring to a simmer and heat until slightly thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes.

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Beef Stroganoff

I have always love Beef Stroganoff, and there is a place near Chicago by O'Hare Airport that does it for you right at tableside called Le Cave.

The place looks like it is straight out of a Sinatra movie, and he has actually been there a number of times when he was roaming the earth. The interior is designed to look like a cave, and it really does, sort of like eating in a French Wine Cellar. They do a lot of things well there, but they are known for there Stroganoff.

Beef Stroganoff, in its modern form, is dish of strips of beef filet with a mushroom, onion, dijon, and sour cream sauce. It is usually served over rice, or noodles. If you are on a low carb diet there are plenty of good lo carb pasta's out there.

The dish comes from Russia, but was adopted by the French, and became the rage in the 1950's when it was prepared tableside in continental restaurants.

Beef Stroganoff

1 lb Fillet of Beef
1 1/2 medium Onions
1 clove crushed Garlic
1 clove chopped Shallot
4 oz sliced Mushrooms
1 oz Butter
1/4 cup Beef broth
1/8 Pint Sour Cream
Dijon Mustard
Tomato Paste
Worcestershire Sauce
Cognac, Brandy, or Sherry
Salt
Black Pepper

Slice the Filet into thin medallions. Slice the Onions thinly. Cut the stems off the Mushrooms and also slice thinly. Over a low heat melt half the Butter (with a tad of Olive Oil) in a Frying Pan and add the Onions. Move around regularly until they are translucent. It is important that they do not burn. Add the sliced Mushrooms and toss around for a minute or so until they are soft and coated with the juices.

Spoon out the Onions, and Mushrooms into a dish.

Add the remaining Butter to the Frying Pan and allow it to get very hot - so that it froths. Drop in the Beef medallions and fry briskly on all sides. The Beef really needs only to be browned and not over-cooked in the middle. A couple of minutes at the most, and finish by deglazing the pan with the cognac, or sherry.

Tip the Onions and Mushrooms back into the Frying Pan. Season well with Salt & Pepper. Add Beef Broth, Tomato Paste, Dijon, the Sour Cream, and cook at the same heat for another minute so that the Cream reduces to a syrupy consistency.

Garnish with chopped scallions, and serve with pasta, or rice.

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Like Playing With LEGO

Cooking is building flavours. If you can grasp the concept then sky's the limit. This recipe is so simple, that I'm almost embarrassed to include it. However, I have been asked to add this side veggie dish by someone who enjoyed this dish and also because it is the perfect example of building flavours for a recipe.

This is such a simple recipe, I guarantee you will make this again and again. And I am willing to bet you will add the things you have leftover in your fridge until you have made your own signature side dish.

Maple Glazed Carrots
4 Carrots, Batonnet (or a bag of baby carrots to make life easy)
1 Medium Red Onion, Fine Brunoise (dice)
1 Orange, Squeezed
40 ml White Wine or Vegetable Stock or Water
40 ml Maple Syrup
1 Lemon, Squeezed
Pinch of Ginger Powder
Dab of Butter for Saute
Salt and Pepper to Taste

In a saute pan on medium heat, melt butter until frothy. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add ginger powder and carrots and cook for one minute. Deglaze with orange juice, wine and maple syrup. Bring to boil and cover and turn off heat. After five minutes, remove carrots and reduce stock until syrup. Add carrots back to glaze. Just before serving, add lemon juice and salt and pepper.

Serves 4.

Variations are too numerous to give. However, add anything from pineapple juice to lime juice to tequila to sesame oil to vanilla extract . . . whatever. Feel free to be adventerous with this simply because it is so simple!


When you are making this dish, try tasting the carrots as you go and notice how much they change in flavours. Ask your inner chef what can make this different and appealling to you. Add the ingredients one at a time if you like (the juice, wine, maple syrup, etc.) and concentrate how much flavours blend together.

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