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 SaladsFrozen Mini Pastry Shells1 lb Ground BeefTaco SeasoningSmall Can of SalsaWaterFinely Diced OnionFinely Diced Sweet PeppersShredded LettuceSour CreamBrown ground beef, and drain the grease. Season with Taco Seasoning, and brown a little more,...

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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....

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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 SteakRed Wine VinegarChopped GarlicOlive OilRosemaryKosher SaltPepperMarinate...

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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...

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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 Stew1 chicken, about 4 pounds, cut up, or use parts1 tablespoon butter1 tablespoon olive oil2 ribs celery, sliced1 Red Bell Pepper chopped1 large sweet or yellow onion, coarsely chopped2 cloves garlic, minced1/2 teaspoon thyme1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning1 tbls Cajun Blackening Powder1/8 teaspoon black pepper6 cups chicken...

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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...

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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...

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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. Statisticallyspeaking, most people cut themselves with a dull knife because they are putting extra force...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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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,...

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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,...

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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...

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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...

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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...

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