tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74355884691305164552024-03-12T23:13:49.676-07:00Jake and Ed'sJake and Edshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972666225440520092noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7435588469130516455.post-22680090045110254172012-06-02T21:28:00.001-07:002012-06-02T21:28:56.312-07:00When Shrimp Travel to BrusselsWhatcha Need<br />
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10-12 medium shrimp (de-veined and shelled)<br />
4 cups whole Brussels sprouts<br />
1/2 package of bacon (Center Cut is really the way to go)<br />
6 cloves garlic, chopped<br />
1 package Couscous<br />
2 cups water<br />
1 tbsp olive oil<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
2 tbsp unsalted butter<br />
1 tsp tarragon<br />
Salt and Pepper<br />
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Whatcha Do With It<br />
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Fill a large saucepan with water, add a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook them for about 8 minutes. Remove the sprouts from the heat, drain, and then chill them in the refrigerator. Slice the sprouts in half when they have cooled.<br />
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While this is going on, boil 2 cups of water. Once it begins to boil, stir in your couscous, cover the pan and remove from heat.<br />
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Rough chop the bacon and render over medium heat until it is done. Discard all but 2 tablespoons bacon fat and grease from the pan, leaving the 2 tablespoons in the pan. Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes over medium-low heat until heated through. Season with salt and pepper.<br />
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<br />Jake and Edshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972666225440520092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7435588469130516455.post-50357634129873444052012-06-02T21:27:00.001-07:002012-06-02T21:27:17.194-07:00Roasted Sweet PotatoesThere are times when you want something sweet and something roasted. For those times I offer these little cues of delight. There's really something different when you roast sweet potatoes. They will give you that full feeling of potatoes with far less of that heavy carby feeling.<br />
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Process:<br />
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Preheat your oven at 425 degrees<br />
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Items:<br />
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2 medium sweet potatoes<br />
2 sprigs of rosemary, diced finely<br />
1 tbsp of olive oil<br />
salt and pepper<br />
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Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into equally sized cubes, roughly 1/2 inch cubes.<br />
Dice rosemary sprigs.<br />
Place in a bowl and add salt and pepper.<br />
Pour in olive oil and toss to coat completely.<br />
Spread this out evenly on a baking pan and place in oven for 45 mins.<br />
At the halfway point, use a wooden spoon or spatula to shuffle the sweet potatoes around.<br />
At the 45 minute mark check for doneness. They should have a light toasted feeling but will be easy to mush.<br />
Continue to back until this is reached.Jake and Edshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972666225440520092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7435588469130516455.post-55735073820649218022012-06-02T21:14:00.001-07:002012-06-02T21:14:50.550-07:00Carolina BBQ SauceGet a taste of the Carolinas with this ditty. This is a vinegar based creation that will bring in some bold flavors to any pork or chicken dish you have. I use this with shredded meats that have been roasted mainly. It's super simple and it lasts for over a month when refrigerated.<br />
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Ingredients and Process:<br />
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1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar;<br />
1/2 cup homemade <a href="http://jakeandeds.blogspot.com/2012/06/stop-buying-ketchup.html">ketchup</a><br />
1 cup Dijon or homemade mustard;<br />
2 garlic cloves, minced;<br />
1 tsp cayenne pepper;<br />
1 tsp sea salt;<br />
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper;<br />
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Combine in an airtight jar and chill. Use whenever you need to elevate the flavor profiles or your meats.<br />Jake and Edshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972666225440520092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7435588469130516455.post-68665591812876269692012-06-02T21:09:00.000-07:002012-06-02T21:09:00.056-07:00Stop Buying Ketchup!That's right. Just stop it now. Next time you want to have something to slather on your fries, burgers or whatever, just take a few minutes to make something that isn't processed nor abnormally red.<br />
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Just follow these steps to joy:<br />
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1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste;<br />
2 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice;<br />
1/4 tsp dry mustard;<br />
1/3 cup water;<br />
1/4 tsp cinnamon;<br />
1/4 tsp salt;<br />
1 pinch ground cloves;<br />
1 pinch ground allspice;<br />
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, optional;<br />
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Combine all of the ingredients in a blender, bowl, whatever and place in an airtight jar and refrigerate overnight. Done and done.<br />Jake and Edshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972666225440520092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7435588469130516455.post-14708615814578725232012-06-01T20:37:00.002-07:002012-06-01T20:37:41.057-07:00FrankenchiliI decided that I wanted some chili. This was odd for me as I like the idea of chili but normally wouldn't ever order it anywhere. There's something about the fake creaminess of some versions or the beans or something. So I peeked in the freezer and found that I had some hamburger, ground turkey and even some sweet Italian sausage.<br />
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Now this may seem ridiculous but I knew that these three meats needed to become a meat Voltron. Now know that this was my version of chili and it is glorious.<br />
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What's in it?<br />
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1 1/2 pounds of ground beef<br />
1 pound of ground turkey<br />
1 pound of sweet Italian sausage (casings removed)<br />
3/4 cup of chili powder<br />
2 small onions (diced)<br />
48 ounces of diced tomatoes (canned is fine)<br />
6 cloves of garlic minced<br />
1 tsp of ground oregano<br />
1 tsp of ground ground thyme<br />
1 tbsp of cumin<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
1 tbsp of clarified butter/cooking oil<br />
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Process<br />
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Toss in the butter/cooking oil with the onion over medium high heat in a high walled pot. Brown lightly. Place garlic in and cook for a few minutes. Place half the hamburger and half of the turkey in the pot and brown slightly. Add half of the cumin and other dried spices.<br />
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Continue to stir and brown the meat. Once the pink starts to go away, add the rest of the meat and the remaining chili powder. Once all of the meat has browned, lower the heat to a simmer and continue to simmer for another hour, continuing to stir it every five or so minutes.<br />
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At the end of the hour add the tomatoes and then continue to simmer for another 20 minutes. I'd take this time to taste the concoction as the juices from the tomatoes will have diluted the flavoring. Season to taste and serve.<br />
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This is great by itself. You can also pour this over rice if you feel like you need a starch or carb.Jake and Edshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972666225440520092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7435588469130516455.post-17287580729338009462010-03-02T20:35:00.000-08:002010-03-02T20:48:40.342-08:00You Say Fritatta, I Say Crustless Quiche<span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br />I can't think of a time where I don't want a quiche. The lightness of the egg, the freedom to throw whatever you'd like into it as long as there's dairy and something you naturally crave - simple ham and cheese, the shrimp and asparagus, the lobster and sour cream. I mean really, if you can make an omelet, you can make a quiche.<br /><br />Most of us always have the ingredients around. Walk over to your fridge and take a look. I bet you have everything that you'd ever want, well maybe except the crust. Well if you don't have a crust, then you have the makings of a fritatta!<br /><br />Stuff:<br />9 eggs<br />handful of thin asparagus ~1/2 cup<br />1/2 cup Black Forest ham, thinly sliced and diced<br />2/3 cup of whole milk<br />ground pepper<br />1 cup of grated sharp cheddar<br />1 tablespoon olive oil<br />2 tablespoons unsalted butter<br /><br /><br />Process:<br />Preheat your oven to 350.<br /><br />Clean and break your asparagus. For those that have never done this, hold the stalk in your hands and slowly bend it. It will break in the correct area and provide the best tasting portion for you. It may seem wasteful, until you try to cook the entire stalk and get some rather fibery parts. Really the last thing you need are overly chewy chunks of asparagus in this dish.<br /><br />Once you have broken apart these tasty treats, roughly chop them into smaller portions and set aside. Stack and dice the ham into very small pieces so that they will evenly distribute into the egg mixture.<br /><br />In a large mixing bowl, combine and whisk, eggs, milk, and half of the cheese together. Once everything is smooth, mix in your pepper and set aside.<br /><br />Heat the butter and oil in your ovenproof skillet on medium high. Just as the butter and oil begin to smoke, toss in your asparagus and cook for four to five minutes (or until bright green). Once you reach this point, toss in your diced ham and cook for another three minutes.<br /><br />Pour asparagus and ham into the egg mixture and lightly combine. Some people pour the egg into the hot pan, but I prefer this method to prevent as I find it easier to spread the meat and vegetable around in the bowl and away from the heat. Too much activity in the pan can scramble the eggs when you really just want them to set.<br /><br />Once mixed thoroughly, return to pan and reduce heat to medium low and pour remaining cheese on top. Allow the egg mix to cook for approximately another 10 minutes to set. As the mixture becomes somewhat solid, remove from the stove and place in the oven and cook for 20-5 minutes or until golden brown.<br /><br />As you remove the dish, the fritatta will puff up and look like it will break free from the confines of the skillet but have no fear. As it cools, it will reduce back to its normal size. This should take 5 minutes. Waiting will also allow the cheese to continue to melt and spread and allow you time to make a side salad or some garlic toast.<br /><br />Slice and serve.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY19EeVr0mX1lxUJOjhmp4w0ChgD3jLA_LrnRT1uZVFAd7JmLoMaN3ud8WoyaE_A-GQ4WBgYLgmoNLXajci2OPXCQvCb5TRhhSB9P8bWDuC738RglaabuR4MIX9tD0ozqFNWZV7Sx1L_me/s1600-h/IMG00163-20100302-1200.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY19EeVr0mX1lxUJOjhmp4w0ChgD3jLA_LrnRT1uZVFAd7JmLoMaN3ud8WoyaE_A-GQ4WBgYLgmoNLXajci2OPXCQvCb5TRhhSB9P8bWDuC738RglaabuR4MIX9tD0ozqFNWZV7Sx1L_me/s320/IMG00163-20100302-1200.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444264212352242018" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /></span>Jake and Edshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972666225440520092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7435588469130516455.post-64370497919796400152010-01-25T23:31:00.000-08:002010-02-17T22:11:22.588-08:00Apple, Cheddar and Thyme TurnoversStuff:<br /><br />1 tart apple<br />4 tablespoons of unsalted butter<br />1 package of frozen puff pastry -- thawed<br />1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese<br />1 tablespoon of chopped thyme<br />1 bowl of water<br /><br />Process:<br /><br />Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Peel, core and chop the apple into very small portions.<br /><br />Slowly melt butter in a small saucepan and set aside once it's thoroughly melted.<br /><br />Spread out the two sheets of puffed pastry and cut into 12 squares. If the puff pastry begins to get too doughy, place it back in the fridge for ten minutes. Place 1/2 teaspoon of cheese, 1 teaspoon of apple and a pinch of thyme in the center of each square, brush the edges with a scant amount of water and fold over into a triangle. Place on a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining squares.<br /><br />Brush the tops of the turnovers with the melted butter and if you have extra cheese you can sprinkle atop as well.<br /><br />Bake the turnovers for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve while they are still warm.Jake and Edshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972666225440520092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7435588469130516455.post-82725381039749932882010-01-25T23:08:00.000-08:002010-01-29T22:14:05.664-08:00Curried Butternut Squash SamosasWhat you need:<br /><br />1 butternut squash<br />3 tablespoons of olive oil<br />1 diced white onion<br />2 cloves of chopped garlic<br />1 tablespoon of curry power<br />1 tablespoon kosher salt<br />1 tablespoon of sugar<br />1 egg<br />1 package of wonton wrappers<br />canola oil for frying<br /><br />Optional Items:<br /><br />Sweet Thai Chili Sauce<br />Chinese Hot Mustard<br /><br />What you need to do:<br /><br />Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Cut your butternut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and filaments. You can certainly clean and wash the seeds and roast them in a light sprinkling of olive oil and salt. It really would be a shame to throw out this great protein snack. Lube up the squash halves with one tablespoon of olive oil and bake for 40 - 50 minutes or until the the flesh of the squash is easily punctured with a fork. remove from heat and let cool. Once you can handle them easily, scoop out the flesh into a large mixing bowl.<br /><br />Heat up the remaining olive oil in a medium sized sauce pan and saute the onions and garlic until they are soft. Shouldn't take more than seven minutes. be sure not to burn the garlic or everything will come out a bit too acidic. Remove from heat and stir in the curry powder. Once this is completely blended, add the butternut squash in sections. Continue to mix until smooth and then add in the sugar and salt.<br /><br />Let this mixture rest some and taste it. Gauge whether you need anything more to bring out the tastes you like. Too many cooks forget to taste things along the way and run into problems of over salting or sadly under salting. Now I like to let this rest in the fridge for an hour or two so that the mixture is completely cooled before I start assembling them in the won ton wrappers, but you can really just jump right in.<br /><br />In a small bowl, whisk the egg until it's blended completely. Take out your won ton wrappers and place roughly two teaspoons of the mixture in the center of the wrapper and seal it up. I've found that using a melon baller really does the trick with these items. Try to remove all of the air pockets with either the back of the spoon or your thumbs. Brush the edges with the egg batter and repeat until you've filled all of the wrappers.<br /><br />Now before you start frying, clear out in area where you can use a cookie rack with paper towels underneath. Fill a deep skillet with the canola or vegetable oil and heat on medium high until very hot. Work in small batches and remember to never toss anything into the grease and carefully fry each samosa for 2 minutes on each side. Remember to only turn them once.<br /><br />Once they begin to turn golden brown remove them for the grease and let them cool on the racks. Think of these just as you would when you are making bacon -- get them out before they are done and let them finish cooking on the rack. Cook the remaining samosas in this fashion and serve immediately.<br /><br /><br /><br />.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRMIOMZog7-b2Niikz_7p1FJq8xuyzS9Rpgc58f7bL-ASv8aPWSuyJGDMRt9ofLyHRPlHKaR_F8OlpkMhxCM0nGDVZ1WADI750Mu0z5qBc27pT3dhPzIZLcmf_HUrBuchxduJ0vVVmal3q/s1600-h/butternut+squash+samosas.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRMIOMZog7-b2Niikz_7p1FJq8xuyzS9Rpgc58f7bL-ASv8aPWSuyJGDMRt9ofLyHRPlHKaR_F8OlpkMhxCM0nGDVZ1WADI750Mu0z5qBc27pT3dhPzIZLcmf_HUrBuchxduJ0vVVmal3q/s320/butternut+squash+samosas.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432412096996835778" border="0" /></a>Jake and Edshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972666225440520092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7435588469130516455.post-2486995604932785692010-01-06T12:57:00.000-08:002010-01-06T13:04:21.216-08:00The Simple Pleasures Really are the Best<span style="font-family:arial;">Every now and again I remember to let the food dictate my process. Sometimes I get ahead of myself trying out a new recipe or process and forget what I'm even eating. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />This was not one of those times.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Simple, flavorful and unabashedly exactly what you'd expect it to be.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Roasted Pork Belly with Acorn Squash.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Few words would trigger an auto drool feature in the modern eater. Take some time to think about those six words. Let images of crackling and soft meat resting in its juices come to your frontal lobe. Think about your fork splitting up the tender meat and how it'll feel when you break through that slightly resistive coating and get to the moist meat within.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />What do you need to get here? </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Time.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">Three hours to be exact. Now this sounds like a long time, but really this is how you let the food speak and become the star. This isn't about the presentation, but know that liking the way something looks certainly increases the enjoyment of your meal.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Items:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">One pound of pork belly - split in two equal sizes</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Two tablespoons of olive oil</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br />One white onion - thinly sliced</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Half of bottle of white wine</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">- I prefer Sauvignon Blanc<br />Salt and Pepper</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br />One acorn squash</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Process:</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Examine your pork belly and trim off excess fat. You really do not need anything more than a centimeter on the top of either piece. You should also try to make sure that both sections are as close to identical for even cooking.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />With a sharp knife, slice thin lines down the fat of the bellies to allow for the juices to run away and rend down. Be sure not to cut all the way to </span><span style="font-family:arial;">the meat. This also makes the finished product look oh so nice. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Thinly slice your onion so that you have a series of rings. I prefer using a mandolin for consistency and ease. Place these rings on the bottom of your roasting pan. You can also use a aluminum foil lined cookie sheet if you'd like. Drizzle 1/2 tablespoon of your olive oil on the onions and lightly add salt and pepper.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Rub salt and pepper on the pork belly and then drizzle the remaining olive oil on the pork. Really massage the meat with the mixture as it will really make a difference in the end. Place the pork belly pieces on the onion and roast for fifteen minutes.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />You are cooking at this high heat initially to create a nice crust. After fifteen minutes reduce the heat to 325 and now we just settle in and wait. Once another 45 minutes has passed, carefully remove from the oven and drain the fluid from the pan. Return to oven and pour in wine but NOT on the meat. </span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Cook for another hour, drain and return to oven for final hour.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />While this is happening, slice and clean your squash into equal parts. There should be roughly 6 portions. Remove the seeds and strings from center and cover in remaining olive oil and salt. Place on a baking sheet and cook along with the pork bellies for the final hour.<br /><br />Remove the meal from the oven and cover the pork in foil and rest for ten minutes.<br /><br />Plate and enjoy. </span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbHYEgvH_RAolXQKuH-ghpGhGrI926Y2zB2a9ef5X9Gr4NXCtfqDMXvLZqSK3nm_dEMJNLzj0UydUWSkGQB_KQdM8VgiENZ4Lkwaaql4qmNRZdtCLgvLqVop4aaMFp0ZCN2Cw3tqMs72NK/s1600-h/roast+pork+belly.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbHYEgvH_RAolXQKuH-ghpGhGrI926Y2zB2a9ef5X9Gr4NXCtfqDMXvLZqSK3nm_dEMJNLzj0UydUWSkGQB_KQdM8VgiENZ4Lkwaaql4qmNRZdtCLgvLqVop4aaMFp0ZCN2Cw3tqMs72NK/s320/roast+pork+belly.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423735040865955810" border="0" /></a>Jake and Edshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972666225440520092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7435588469130516455.post-8759101218928960762009-11-30T22:41:00.001-08:002009-11-30T23:12:53.138-08:00Comforting ChickenAs it gets deeper into fall, I like to make straight forward meals that don't take much time to prep and toss in the oven. I want something that fights off the cold and lets you enjoy the soothing flavors, like grilled rosemary and olive oil, or the filling heartiness of potatoes.<br /><br />This chicken bake is quick and easy and hits all of those savory notes without much effort. You get the lovely feeling of crunchy chicken skin as well as the moisture of dark meat, the filling feeling of boiled and roasted potatoes mixing with tomatoes and olive oil. It's almost guiltless comfort food and you can (and should) serve the meal directly from the roasting pan on the table.<br /><br />All in all the meal takes 45 minutes to cook, but most of that time is waiting for the goodness to come out of the oven.<br /><br />6 chicken thighs - de-boned<br />2 pounds small potatoes<br />8 cloves of garlic<br />4 whole tomatoes or 2 14 ounce cans of tomatoes (drained and rough chopped)<br />4 sprigs of rosemary<br />3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil<br />Salt and Pepper<br /><br />Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<br /><br />Wash potatoes and boil in 2 quarts of water for seven minutes. Once you are able to squeeze and burst a potato with a pair of tongs easily, drain and roughly tear them up with your fingers and place in your 13x9 baking pan.<br /><br />Thoroughly wash and de-bone chicken thighs and pat dry. After all of the chicken has been cleaned and dried, roughly chop into chunks around two inches and place in a large bowl. Pour one tablespoon of olive oil over chicken and toss lightly with salt and pepper and set aside.<br /><br />Heat a skillet (I prefer stainless for a better browning process) and cook chicken skin side down for three minutes and then flip for another few minutes. You don't need to cook it all the way through, just create a good sear for the skin. Drain on a cooling rack. Once cooler to the touch place in your baking pan.<br /><br />With the tomatoes you have two options -- blanching or using canned.<br /><br />If you are using fresh tomatoes, blanch them to remove their skins. To blanch you will need to cut an "X" on the top of each tomato and place them in boiling water for one minute. Immediately remove the from heat and into a container of ice cold water. The skins should come right off. If they don't, use a paring knife and carefully remove the stubborn skin.<br /><br />If you're going the simple route, open the can and drain the excess juice out.<br /><br />With either approach you'll be roughly chopping them and placing them into you baking pan. Peel and coarsely chop your garlic and rosemary and also toss into the pan. Pour the remaining olive oil over the mixture and toss with your hands.<br /><br />Bake for 30 minutes and enjoy. Pair with a tossed salad or mixed greens.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_AKGXzAaRZgOlEVrxauOnG_9MIzcuuTfqXPtBdiks2fFvKtBJOiRASEBLP7-VIDx4OW4wBef7HvyL2qMAOiAfNYnlh_VLpEvdBVmzIYuFLdq5_66udVfr6mZyavK2DJ5eJBe7lpvW4QTQ/s1600/IMG_0426.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_AKGXzAaRZgOlEVrxauOnG_9MIzcuuTfqXPtBdiks2fFvKtBJOiRASEBLP7-VIDx4OW4wBef7HvyL2qMAOiAfNYnlh_VLpEvdBVmzIYuFLdq5_66udVfr6mZyavK2DJ5eJBe7lpvW4QTQ/s320/IMG_0426.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410159250869900546" border="0" /></a>Jake and Edshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972666225440520092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7435588469130516455.post-68868312916115911162009-11-25T19:38:00.000-08:002009-11-25T20:18:55.982-08:00Seared, Sizzling and SatisfyingWhen you think of a steak, what comes to mind? A seared top and when you cut into it, you see that warm and juicy pink center.<br /><br />Everyone says that they can make a steak but rarely does this come to fruition. It's really because people often try to add too many things and end up taking away from the meat itself. How many times have you seen something like this on a menu: rosemary infused, balsamic threaded or some other dreadful thing the chef came up with. In the end you spend the money and time to have a well prepared piece of meat cooked to your liking and paired with something that compliments the aforementioned steak.<br /><br />Simple is always going to be better. Remember this. If you go to a friend's house and they try to shove garlic in the meat, or pound the steak for "tenderness," walk away and save yourself the pain to follow. The only thing that should be asked is how pink would you like the steak.<br /><br />So how do you get to this magical place of meat bliss? You only need four food related items: a thick (an inch to an inch and a half) cut of NY Strip, olive oil, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and an oven proof skillet and tongs.<br /><br />List:<br /><br />3/4 pound NY Strip, roughly an inch and a half thick<br />2 tbsp Olive Oil<br />1 tbsp Kosher salt<br />1 tbsp freshly ground pepper<br /><br />Side Dish<br />1/2 pound of butternut squash, peeled and rough chopped<br />2 tbsp Olive Oil<br />Salt and Pepper<br /><br />Process:<br />Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<br /><br />Peel butternut squash and roughly chop into similar sizes for even cooking. Toss in olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in a roasting pan and cook for 30-40 minutes.<br /><br />After thoroughly defrosting your steak, lightly squeeze it together to create more height. This action will give you greater control of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">doneness</span>. Keep this in mind when buying your steaks as it's worth the money to go bigger not necessarily wider. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil on a plate. Sprinkle and press 1/2 tablespoon of salt and 1/2 tablespoon of pepper on steak and then repeat on the other side. It may look like too much seasoning but remember that some will fall off during the cooking process. Coat each side of the steak in olive oil and place in a preheated, oven proof skillet.<br /><br />Cook on each side for three minutes. Do not touch nor move it around. Just let it cook and create a good sear. Once you have seared the meat, place in the oven with the butternut squash. Cook for another 10 minutes for medium rare.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSs2LR6r21ShGG6Og3k78huFB8_T79GClPxMB1hX_6xUI78NLHEiTCVz8Z3FP0BqN4uy_HGYnw2vlhDhK-hOU7_WoXIOwzygoD4VdTqqyi7QWlKQUt_9j4Js-R5yY_0rHCeSrOA99wFQ1R/s1600/steak+plus+butternut.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 318px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSs2LR6r21ShGG6Og3k78huFB8_T79GClPxMB1hX_6xUI78NLHEiTCVz8Z3FP0BqN4uy_HGYnw2vlhDhK-hOU7_WoXIOwzygoD4VdTqqyi7QWlKQUt_9j4Js-R5yY_0rHCeSrOA99wFQ1R/s320/steak+plus+butternut.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5408251807023967074" border="0" /></a>Jake and Edshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972666225440520092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7435588469130516455.post-45980237277451676872009-11-15T11:02:00.000-08:002009-11-15T11:13:01.379-08:00The Beautiful Simplicity of FallAs we get deeper into fall, the food gets easier to cook as we all just want something filling, warm and savory to make us feel better. I love that really all it ever takes is a few ingredients and time. So with five ingredients and 45 minutes, I've put together a meal that recalls many of the things I love about this season -- crispy and savory skin on a moist bird, hints of heavy flavors with the herbs and the sweetness found in corn, oh and butter.<br /><br />Have a go at this recipe.<br /><br />Stuff<br />2 1 1/2-pound Cornish hens, rinsed and patted dry<br />3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened<br />3 tbsp crumbled dried sage<br />1/2 tsp salt<br />2 cups sweet corn<br /><br /><br />Preparation<br /><br />Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.<br /><br />In a small bowl mix 2 tablespoons of the butter with two tablespoons of sage and the salt. This is made far easier by letting the butter come to room temperature first. Resist the urge to pop the butter in the microwave or put it on the stove top. Believe me on this. The mixture should still have some resistance to it.<br /><br />Loosen the skin covering the breast meat on each hen by slipping your fingers under the skin and sliding them between the skin and the meat. It'll feel a bit weird to be lifting the skin up but its' all worth it once you get in there. Be careful when you're doing this because you don't want to tear the skin.<br /><br />Once you create some loose space under the skin of the hens, break up the butter mixture into equal portions and begin filling in the space underneath. Be sure to spread the butter out underneath the skin and get in as many spaces as you can. Afterwards season the hens with salt and pepper. If you'd like you can tie each hen's legs together with kitchen string. I don't find this step needed but some cooks really enjoy this presentation piece.<br /><br />There are two options at this point.<br /><br />If you have a large enough ovenproof skillet, you can heat the remaining butter and and sage sear the hens with the breast side up for one to two minutes and then place the skillet in the oven.<br /><br />If you do not, heat butter and sage in a skillet and brown the hens one at a time (depending on space restraints) for one minute and then transfer hens to roasting pans with all of the juices.<br /><br />Once the birds are in the oven, cook for 45 minutes. You should baste the hens in their juices every ten minutes. Continue to monitor the temperature until it reaches 180 degrees at the inner portion of the thigh.<br /><br />I prefer using a steamer to prepare vegetables. Just keeps everything moist and it's just easier. Pop that corn into a steamer and cook for 12 minutes. Once done, place on plate and cover in some of the juices from the hens. The sage butter will really boost the flavor of the corn.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfDZ82_hbQrTjMd0WOTJ2-FOtIRQ891etX9dLTTv7094c2gBcs_bncw6nQJrMrGxFBgYGuhm5yetM0_obdC3U9M0S79DaCAxD3u0PUARPQ_pFUVv3u4e5Gv1vlJ156r_uy9Tu8IiGs2hPw/s1600-h/IMG00045-20091113-1734.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfDZ82_hbQrTjMd0WOTJ2-FOtIRQ891etX9dLTTv7094c2gBcs_bncw6nQJrMrGxFBgYGuhm5yetM0_obdC3U9M0S79DaCAxD3u0PUARPQ_pFUVv3u4e5Gv1vlJ156r_uy9Tu8IiGs2hPw/s320/IMG00045-20091113-1734.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404410041503325682" border="0" /></a>Jake and Edshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972666225440520092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7435588469130516455.post-42982516925491197992009-11-13T11:20:00.001-08:002009-11-13T11:22:26.536-08:00Bringing Back the BrusselsThought it was time that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Brussel</span> sprouts made an appearance on the table but I know that many don't really fond memories of them. What to do? Well I figured why not cover them in nature's elixir? BACON! You know when I think about it, there's nothing I wouldn't eat if it were coated in bacon grease and cooked again.<br /><br />I also needed something to pair with these morsels of goodness but didn't want to take away from the this star side so I balanced it out with shrimp in a butter tarragon sauce over couscous.<br /><br />It's a great meal and isn't too heavy.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Whatcha</span> Need<br /><br />10-12 medium shrimp (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">de</span>-veined and shelled)<br />4 cups whole Brussels sprouts<br />1/2 package of bacon (Center Cut is really the way to go)<br />6 cloves garlic, chopped<br />1 package couscous<br />4 cups water<br />1 tbsp olive oil<br />1/4 tsp salt<br />2 tbsp unsalted butter<br />1 tsp tarragon<br />Salt and Pepper<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Whatcha</span> Do With It<br /><br />Clean and shell the shrimp. If you can find fresh shrimp in your area, all the power to you but if not, you know that frozen is just as good. Actually it's better as most fisheries freeze them right off of the boat and seal in the freshness and you can use the amount at your leisure, but I digress. Once cleaned, place in a bowl, cover and place in fridge.<br /><br />Fill a large saucepan with 2 cups of water, add a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook them for about 8 minutes. Remove the sprouts from the heat, drain, and then chill them in the refrigerator. Slice the sprouts in half when they have cooled.<br /><br />While this is going on, boil 2 cups of water. Once it begins to boil, stir in your couscous, cover the pan and remove from heat.<br /><br />Rough chop the bacon and render over medium heat until it is done. Discard all but 2 tablespoons bacon fat and grease from the pan, leaving the 2 tablespoons in the pan. Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes over medium-low heat until heated through. Season with salt and pepper.<br /><br />Heat a skillet or wok and then melt 2 tbsp of unsalted butter with tarragon and toss in shrimp until done. This should take roughly 7 minutes. Fluff couscous and place shrimp atop with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Brussel</span> sprouts on the side.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCfOLvPLnI52OJelHBdY2a1mZGkiMYPtSERlymdjRB55PjkcFIciaJFon16iB52qQULpaCRfp4mI_zIsqZmGe07tZD7nLpPUawIWLjgJ-cJqy0fiawpeSi0XR3bIJ99dLUR1_M7RSYV28f/s1600-h/IMG00038-20091112-1749.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCfOLvPLnI52OJelHBdY2a1mZGkiMYPtSERlymdjRB55PjkcFIciaJFon16iB52qQULpaCRfp4mI_zIsqZmGe07tZD7nLpPUawIWLjgJ-cJqy0fiawpeSi0XR3bIJ99dLUR1_M7RSYV28f/s320/IMG00038-20091112-1749.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403670389806865570" border="0" /></a>Jake and Edshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972666225440520092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7435588469130516455.post-8686249894898477822009-10-31T08:52:00.000-07:002009-10-31T09:19:17.496-07:00Feeling a bit like FallThe temperature decided it was time for a change and let us all know by blowing out the badness of the late summer heat and left us with the briskness of Fall. With each degree drop, i thought oh yes it's almost that time again. The time when butternut and pumpkins come out and beg to be roasted, chopped, mixed into tasty treats to fill you right up.<br /><br />Get ready to make your home smell like the holidays!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Essentials</span><br />14oz butternut squash, skin on, deseeded and roughly chopped<br />2 1/4 cups light soft brown sugar<br />4 large free-range or organic eggs<br />sea salt<br />2 1/2 cups plain flour, unsifted<br />2 heaped teaspoons baking powder<br />2 teaspoon ground cinnamon - I prefer grinding down a stick in my coffee grinder.<br />3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil<br />Optional<br />A handful of walnuts<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Frosting</span><br />zest of 1 lemon and juice of ½ a lemon<br />1/2 cup soured cream<br />2 heaped tablespoons icing sugar, sifted<br />1 vanilla pod, split lengthways and seeds scraped out<br /><br />Get your oven preheated to 350°F. You can either go with pre-lined muffin/cupcake cups or a muffin tin. I also love using mini muffin pans for parties as these bite sized portions are really irresistible.<br /><br />Pulse the squash in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the sugar, and crack in the eggs. As I don't have an commercial size processor, I transfer this my mixer. It makes things far easier in my opinion. Add a pinch of salt, the flour, baking powder, walnuts (if you want), cinnamon and olive oil and whiz together until well beaten. You may need to pause the machine at some point to scrape the mix down the sides with a rubber spatula. Try not to overdo it with the mixing – you want to just combine everything and no more.<br /><br />Fill the paper cases with the cake mixture. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Check to see whether they are cooked properly by sticking a wooden skewer or a knife right into one of the cakes – if it comes out clean, they’re done. If it’s a bit sticky, pop them back into the oven for a little longer. Remove from the oven and leave the cakes to cool on a wire rack.<br /><br />As soon as the muffins are in the oven, make your runny frosted topping. Place most of the clementine zest, all the lemon zest and the lemon juice in a bowl. Add the soured cream, icing sugar and vanilla seeds and mix well. Remember to taste this mixture and correct the mix accordingly. Set in your fridge to chill until your muffins are ready to bathed in this tastiness. <br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZZUTjkzzjnQx95EgHVbgVD5ZroPLLvyJ3-sXt66b5bhRgrPUlEA6WJFwFiE5IfsOUJdUoZs0ZubO1E0XsEbHSc3TqxHlLXS-1TaXQAY-S-Uq8f1aAYi-OcGfMnKOrLFC5c6Y8sfQMRHre/s1600-h/muffin+shot.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 190px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZZUTjkzzjnQx95EgHVbgVD5ZroPLLvyJ3-sXt66b5bhRgrPUlEA6WJFwFiE5IfsOUJdUoZs0ZubO1E0XsEbHSc3TqxHlLXS-1TaXQAY-S-Uq8f1aAYi-OcGfMnKOrLFC5c6Y8sfQMRHre/s320/muffin+shot.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398798747765794994" border="0" /></a>Jake and Edshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972666225440520092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7435588469130516455.post-72885293060961302122009-10-25T20:12:00.000-07:002009-10-25T20:48:20.635-07:00Thai'ing One OnMy wealthy and beautiful benefactor wanted something light on the menu and I suggested the nice combination of a hot and spicy Thai soup. She smirked and challenged me to see what I could come up with without heading out to the store for more supplies.<br /><br />Thankfully I'd already made a run and came back with my trusty weapon against colds -- Tom Yum paste. If you don't have any, you need to head out to your local Asian market and grab some. You'll be hard pressed to find any in the "Asian" section of your local grocer as they tend to stock those "Thai Dinner" blends and well these work for some; I just choose to go with something a bit closer to the core of the dish I'm trying to create.<br /><br />Just so you know, this sop cooks up in less than ten minutes and actually takes longer to prep than to make.<br /><br />Once you start making this, you may never get sick nor order it at a restaurant again!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Products</span><br /><br />2 tbsp vegetable or peanut oil<br />10 shrimp, de-veined, shelled with tails removed<br />1 onion, diced<br />2 garlic cloves, diced finely<br />1 large carrot, cut into sticks or grated lengthwise<br />1 zucchini, cut into sticks<br />1 cup of broccoli, cut into florets (small pieces)<br />2 tbsp of Tom Yum paste<br />3 cups boiling water<br />1 cup of coconut milk<br />2 ounces wide rice noodles<br />2 limes sliced in halves<br />3/4 cup of bean sprouts (optional)<br />4 tbsp cilantro (optional)<br /><br />(Substitute for Tom Yum paste - 2 tbsp Thai red curry paste with 4 cups of vegetable broth.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Method</span><br /><br />Start by cleaning shrimp. Anyone that knows me, already is reaching for that bag of frozen shrimp and setting them in a bowl of room temperature water. For everyone else, you can either clean the little fellas from the grocery store and set them aside.<br /><br />For the veggies -- I like grating the carrots into long strands as opposed to chopping them into sticks as I've found that they cook faster this way and really this soup doesn't need a firm texture/feeling. This is all about subtle spice and comfort with all of the items being slightly firm but not crunchy. I like using a mandolin to slice the zucchini into ribbons to keep everything small yet uniform. I also rough chop the broccoli to ensure that everything cooks quickly.<br /><br />I prefer using two woks. I have a smaller one for the majority of my stir frying and a larger one (with a handle) for soups. This may sound excessive but anyone that's been using a wok for awhile can attest to the heat levels being higher when cooking and plays well with these soups and grilling methods.<br /><br />In the larger wok (or pot) get the three cups of water going to a boil. While this is happening, heat oil and cook the onion and garlic in the other wok for ~ 2-3 minutes.<br /><br />Once the garlic starts to brown, add the carrot, broccoli and zucchini and cook for another 3-4 minutes.<br /><br />As the water reaches a boil, stir in 2 tbsp of Tom Yum paste in and combine well. Once the paste has mixed completely, add rice noodles and coconut milk. Simmer for another 2-3 minutes.<br /><br />Combine vegetables into broth and shrimp. Cook for another 3 minutes or until done. Be sure to remove from heat just as the shrimp turn pink as prolonged cooking will make the shrimp too tough.<br /><br />Here you can decide to toss in cilantro and/or bean sprouts just before serving or serve as is.<br /><br />Provide limes to cut the spice of the soup and enjoy!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilVAcvQPkSzc16K-pdARUA0gmRkFPGrriavHqNkniFhKVgDu_rQcl6zWYRVMtA2gI_gkLI9Fu0Kv1o-2R81fpWncXOgKp4IIjVnwTpDCvbTQokYc51QPXYc9QHTGyukalw8ZxuVCme6V_7/s1600-h/thai+soup.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilVAcvQPkSzc16K-pdARUA0gmRkFPGrriavHqNkniFhKVgDu_rQcl6zWYRVMtA2gI_gkLI9Fu0Kv1o-2R81fpWncXOgKp4IIjVnwTpDCvbTQokYc51QPXYc9QHTGyukalw8ZxuVCme6V_7/s320/thai+soup.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396748164707063682" border="0" /></a>Jake and Edshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972666225440520092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7435588469130516455.post-9439285561683198882009-10-16T10:23:00.000-07:002009-10-16T11:09:37.246-07:00Everything's Better With Bacon1 Package of Wheat Angel Hair<br />1/2 Pound Shrimp<br />1 Pound <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Swiss Chard</span><br />1/2 cup mushrooms - diced<br />1/2 Pound Bacon<br />2 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">tbls</span></span> of Unsalted Butter<br />2 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">tbls</span></span> Olive Oil<br />1 tsp Garlic Powder<br />Kosher Salt<br />Fresh Ground Pepper<br /><br />Last week, I'd jumped back in the kitchen and whipped up a fresh and easy pasta dish with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">bok</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">choy</span> and bamboo. It was good, filling and yet I knew that it needed something. It needed extra flavors to take it to where it really needed to be. Enter my two favorite things in the refrigerator - bacon and shrimp.<br /><br />Normally all that's needed is one of these heavyweights, but when you bring them both to the party, it's like well bacon and shrimp. No need to get all pretty with language. It's frigging shrimp and bacon. Since i was dressing this up, I also decided to swap out the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">bok</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">choy's</span> delicate flavors for something that wanted to take part in this forbidden dance -- Swiss Chard. I know, I know the Swiss are known for not wanting to get involved in disputes, but should not forget that what they do, they do well. Chocolate, banking, watch making and chard.<br /><br />The bitterness of the chard is a welcome compliment to the rich flavors of the shrimp, bacon and butter and we also need some foliage to assist in digestion so it's a win win!<br /><br />So off we go.<br /><br />Method:<br />Boil pasta to package specifications.<br /><br />Clean and shell shrimp. I often grab big bags of frozen shrimp from the mega mart. They are flash frozen and really who has the time to run off to the store all the time? So run these under cool water to defrost. Shell them, cover and set aside.<br /><br />I admit that this sounds strange but when I saw my idol, Alton Brown, do this the other day I couldn't do anything but laugh and shake my head. If you happen to have a waffle maker, you'll get a kick out of this -- cook your bacon in it. That's right. You take that half pound of bacon, slice those long strips in half and place them in the waffle maker. It's just like using a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">panini</span> press except smaller. Turn it on medium, toss those bad boys on and wait for the sizzle. It should really only take three to four minutes to cook.<br /><br />Once done set on a paper covered plate to drain. One great thing to appreciate about this method is the lack of grease flying everywhere and the easier clean up. Roughly chop once all of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">the</span> pieces are cooked and dry. Set aside.<br /><br />Now grab your chard, lay the leaves on top of each other, cut off the stems at the base of the leaf, roll into a cigar and then slice thinly (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">chiffonade</span>) and throw into your salad spinner to clean. It could take a few whirls to get all of the dirt out so be patient. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Pre</span>-heat a wok or large skillet and insert butter, olive oil, mushroom, greens and garlic powder.<br /><br />Toss together until greens wilt and soften, roughly four minutes. Remove from heat and place in a bowl for later. using the same wok/skillet, cook shrimp with a bit of salt and pepper. There should still be reside of butter and olive oil in the pan to help with the browning process. Throw in bacon pieces and toss again and then add greens and thoroughly combine.<br /><br />By <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">this</span> time the pasta should be ready to go. Again, plating <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">is up</span> to you but I prefer to have the majority of the creation atop and in the middle of the pasta.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZ-KKg_Jd8NVj-72km4OZpQCyig0C-B9y7Cq-wHHrvP-Cpi-BvujUjtrTM1pQPkEwaX9KMWYjZEehg2RubKdv1NoTf88sp6tIENgWPxd7POKBGBg0WVIWICjYtkqp_wEmYDMCqF_twetu/s1600-h/IMG_0293.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZ-KKg_Jd8NVj-72km4OZpQCyig0C-B9y7Cq-wHHrvP-Cpi-BvujUjtrTM1pQPkEwaX9KMWYjZEehg2RubKdv1NoTf88sp6tIENgWPxd7POKBGBg0WVIWICjYtkqp_wEmYDMCqF_twetu/s320/IMG_0293.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393259780042638354" border="0" /></a>Jake and Edshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972666225440520092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7435588469130516455.post-4325319593302273272009-10-07T19:38:00.000-07:002009-10-07T20:10:12.992-07:00Keeping It SimpleIt seems like it's been forever since the kitchen's been open. We've had a lot going on with the loss of one the inspirations for the restaurant on the whole. We are almost back to getting the place open everyday again but it'll take some time. Tonight thought, I wanted to keep things even more simple than i normally do and also wanted to cook something I know that she'd love.<br /><br />Stuff:<br />1 Package of Wheat Angel Hair - any thin or small, ribbon pasta would work<br />1 Pound <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Bok</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Choy</span><br />1/2 cup Bamboo Shoots - Normally found canned in the Asian section of your grocery store<br />3 Cloves of Garlic - diced<br />Kosher Salt<br />Fresh Ground Pepper<br />1 Baguette - Sliced on a angle and roughly an inch wide<br />2 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">tbls</span> of Unsalted Butter<br />2 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">tbls</span> Olive Oil<br />1 Cup of Freshly grated <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Parmesean</span> cheese.<br /><br />Method:<br />Boil pasta to package specifications.<br /><br />Melt 1 tablespoon on unsalted butter. I use a microwave but you can just as easily use a small pot. Dice one garlic clove and mix into melted butter. Slice your baguette and drizzle the melted butter and garlic mixture. One teaspoon is more than enough. Cover each piece with Parmesan and set on either your broiler pan or on your toaster oven pan. Broil for 10 - 12 minutes. Be watchful as it only takes a second to go from tasty goodness to charcoal.<br /><br />I love using <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">bok</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">choy</span> as it's as versatile as spinach and basil put together. Instead of steaming or grilling it, I decided to pull the individual stalks from the base, lay them on top of each other and then roll just the leafy portions together and slice them into ribbons. If you want to use the white stems feel free, but I prefer to get the crunch from the thin bamboo shoots.<br /><br />Doing this allows for more freedom to use this vegetable going forward but I just tossed these into my salad spinner and set aside. Dice two of the the garlic cloves and saute them lightly in a wok (or large non stick pan) with a tablespoons of butter and the olive oil. Just as the garlic begins to brown, carefully introduce the bamboo and freshly washed and dried <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">bok</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">choy</span>. Toss together until greens wilt and reduce to a third of original size.<br /><br />By now your pasta should be just about done. Drain it and decided what you'd like to next. You have two real options from here -- toss the mixture and pasta together or go for presentation by placing a serving in the middle of the plated pasta.<br /><br />Either path you choose, it'll be loved by your patrons.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJHnUX2I-xCdHTjTUo1vITbzkU6TKEaUZCtOEUUwDgkHt6zlJAVREBTA6x3jszVv1YcmCfPdbCJbISEXJNwPEx0lAggEeITRyktIrxEbcADNKH01AkBkh-B8OXrJA5lFYlM_uUj4A7w4It/s1600-h/IMG_0278.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJHnUX2I-xCdHTjTUo1vITbzkU6TKEaUZCtOEUUwDgkHt6zlJAVREBTA6x3jszVv1YcmCfPdbCJbISEXJNwPEx0lAggEeITRyktIrxEbcADNKH01AkBkh-B8OXrJA5lFYlM_uUj4A7w4It/s320/IMG_0278.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390060895947070226" border="0" /></a>Jake and Edshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972666225440520092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7435588469130516455.post-75031368102429115462009-08-13T21:06:00.001-07:002009-08-13T21:11:29.550-07:00Feeling FishyFor some reason, people are always afraid of fish. I don't get it. You rarely do you need a lot of ingredients to make a tasty meal and it's normally healthier and faster to make.<br /><br />Maybe it's the smell or texture that throws people off but here's a simple recipe with a fish that is thick like a steak and doesn't really have that smell.<br /><br />What's Needed:<br /><br />2 5oz Yellowtail Steaks<br />1 medium cantaloupe, peeled and seeded<br />1 cup yellow sweet corn<br />Salt and Pepper<br />2 tablespoons Olive oil<br /><br />What Do You Do?<br /><br />Wash and clean Yellowtail steaks and pat dry. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides and lightly spray with olive oil. Set aside. Cut cantaloupe in half and slice into thin slivers, 1/4 inch if possible.<br /><br />Steam corn for 7 minutes. Do not boil or you will lose a majority of the crunch and sweetness of this wonderful vegetable.<br /><br />While you are steaming, heat your skillet with olive oil. Just before it begins to smoke, place steaks in pan. Do not touch them once they are down. Just let them be. I know you may be tempted to check but no, let them cook for 4 minutes on each side.<br /><br />Plate and serve.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK3KGo-tzXuB-RZ-7ZUISQpvsjI8RtNidPvn6PRVPx-JF7gYKdh1FPE0cS927ZyLSFDs_jMisNHMQXN92rv_PfBKMOcNwsdNDvxRxFpFNq7JTIv6Z7UhDHNFGM280LsDeEpPu0EvtWK4R9/s1600-h/yellowtail+steaks+with+cantaloupe+and+corn.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK3KGo-tzXuB-RZ-7ZUISQpvsjI8RtNidPvn6PRVPx-JF7gYKdh1FPE0cS927ZyLSFDs_jMisNHMQXN92rv_PfBKMOcNwsdNDvxRxFpFNq7JTIv6Z7UhDHNFGM280LsDeEpPu0EvtWK4R9/s320/yellowtail+steaks+with+cantaloupe+and+corn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369666128403076162" border="0" /></a>Jake and Edshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972666225440520092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7435588469130516455.post-45028066023006659532009-08-13T20:19:00.000-07:002009-08-13T20:29:15.356-07:00A Bit of SweetnessWith the summer upon us, I thought why don't we break out something special for one of Jake and Ed's favorite patron's birthday? So I went to the cupboard looked around and then it happened. Well really I heard some D'Angelo on the radio and for those that know all he said was "Brown Sugar babe, I gets high off your love/I don't know how to behave."<br /><br />Well that locked it down for me. What more can you can say about love and cooking. And thus we all enjoyed the beast that this wonderful mix of sugar, a bit of butter and a whole lot of love.<br /><br /><br />Parts:<br /><br />Pound Cake<br />1 cup softened butter, plus 2 tablespoons melted<br />2 1/3 cups of firmly packed light brown sugar<br />6 eggs<br />3 cups of sifted flour<br />1/4 teaspoon baking soda<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />1 cup of yogurt<br />2 teaspoons of vanilla extract<br />1/3 poppy seeds (optional)<br /><br />Peach Frosting<br />1/2 cup softened butter<br />1/4 cup peach preserves<br />1/4 cup peach yogurt<br />1 pinch of salt<br />2 1/2 cups of sifted powdered sugar<br /><br />Process:<br /><br />Preheat your oven to 325. Grease up a 10" bundt pan with the 2 tablespoons of melted butter.<br /><br />In your mixing bowl, cream 1 cup of softened butter and add sugar. Continue to mix this until it becomes lift and fluffy. This should take about ten minutes on high. Don't forget to keep scraping down the sides to allow for thorough mixing. After everything is light continue to mix and add 1 egg at a time. Continue until all eggs are mixed.<br /><br />In another bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add 1/3 of flour mixture to batter at a time. After first portion, add 1/2 cup of yogurt. Alternate portions until flour and yogurt are completely mixed. Stir in vanilla and poppy seeds if you choose to use them.<br /><br />Pour batter into your greased pan and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Check for doneness with a knife. If it comes out cleanly, then you're good to go. Remove from heat and allow to cool.<br /><br />While cooling, it time to make the frosting.<br /><br />In a small bowl cream 1/2 cup of butter until smooth. Add the 1/4 cup of preserves, 1/4 cup of peach yogurt and salt. Beat on high until smooth. Reduce speed to low and begin adding powdered sugar in sections until all of it is blended. Spread it on over a cooled cake.<br /><br />For those purists, go without the frosting. Actually the frosting itself is wickedly tasty, but you would be fine going without it. So save this frosting recipe for something else, maybe a lemon cake! Either way, just make this and you'll know exactly what D'Angelo meant.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNfqWMa0ewvO4E4vvQ07TguTKLgg505gsmwjjIEucvVHHRL2SxL21ZLhfn-oYXIYe-7pe0i9aJDGA7Dsif3ZzSp4YU4mhFvpVgwUSNkIBctuIsYojocfxel0y2RnOCGzLDvi-n2J9HZQU/s1600-h/Brown+Sugar+Pound+Cake+with+Peach+Frosting.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNfqWMa0ewvO4E4vvQ07TguTKLgg505gsmwjjIEucvVHHRL2SxL21ZLhfn-oYXIYe-7pe0i9aJDGA7Dsif3ZzSp4YU4mhFvpVgwUSNkIBctuIsYojocfxel0y2RnOCGzLDvi-n2J9HZQU/s320/Brown+Sugar+Pound+Cake+with+Peach+Frosting.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369654119930792786" border="0" /></a>Jake and Edshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972666225440520092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7435588469130516455.post-52688829544804058452009-06-30T09:14:00.001-07:002009-06-30T09:14:30.515-07:00Quick Pasta SaladIngredients<br /><br />1/2 pound of pasta (Half a box) - I prefer Rotini or Fusilli<br />2 garlic cloves<br />1/2 container of extra firm tofu<br />3 zucchini<br />Olive Oil<br />Salt and Pepper<br />Feta cheese (optional)<br />Green and Black Olives (optional)<br /><br />In a large pot, season water with olive oil and salt and bring to a boil. Cook pasta roughly 7-8 to al dente, drain and set aside.<br /><br />While this is going on, thinly slice the garlic into chips. No need to dice the garlic as you want the pieces to crunch nicely in the salad. Also scrub and rough chop the zucchini and tofu into sizes roughly the same size as the pasta you're using.<br /><br />In a skillet, drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil and bring to medium high heat. Once the oil is ready, slowly introduce the zucchini and toss until cooked through. This should take no more than three to four minutes. Remove from heat, place in a large mixing bowl.<br /><br />In the same skillet, place another tablespoon of olive oil in and heat with the slivers of garlic. Once the garlic starts to darken, slowly introduce the chopped tofu and cooked for four mintues. At this time return the zucchini to the skillet and mix everything together. Cook for another couple of minutes.<br /><br />Blend this mixture into the cooked pasta and drizzle with olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste.<br /><br />Options for this meal are the inclusion of feta cheese and/or chopped olives. If you chose either route, reduce the amount of salt.<br /><br />Can be served warm or cold.Jake and Edshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972666225440520092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7435588469130516455.post-90775691829804270892009-06-19T18:03:00.000-07:002009-06-19T18:16:02.261-07:00Fridays are More Fun with DipAfter a long week, some of my patrons just said that they needed something comforting to start the weekend or they'd be forced to open too many bottles of their weapon of choice. At the very least I could provide something to coat their stomachs before the madness began.<br /><br />Ingredients<br /><br /> * 1 cup thawed, chopped frozen spinach<br /> * 11/2 cups artichoke hearts - I prefer the jars of marinated artichokes<br /> * 6 ounces cream cheese<br /> * 1/4 cup light sour cream<br /> * 1/4 cup light mayonnaise<br /> * 1/3 cup grated Parmesan<br /> * 1/4 teaspoon salt<br /> * 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder<br /> * 1 Sourdough bread bowl<br />* tortilla chips (if desired)<br /><br />Directions<br /><br />Boil spinach and artichokes in 1 cup of water until tender and drain. Discard liquid. Heat cream cheese in microwave for 1 minute or until hot and soft.<br /><br />Pulse in rest of ingredients in food processor and serve hot.<br /><br />I prefer inserting a small bowl in the center of the bread to allow for easier heating.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg17idqD7TLH2NFYhULBqk-ZvPQhkzAb6dgNSJk_5mzHZTkZoTeVNb2pSztoweOwNybtVATZV5STGDzWnerVIQM9e6vToP1uNv8PCyAZMwCh9bVe2mDbmYBCOiEKg_mjxAhkHi_5xN9_jmQ/s1600-h/IMG_0145.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg17idqD7TLH2NFYhULBqk-ZvPQhkzAb6dgNSJk_5mzHZTkZoTeVNb2pSztoweOwNybtVATZV5STGDzWnerVIQM9e6vToP1uNv8PCyAZMwCh9bVe2mDbmYBCOiEKg_mjxAhkHi_5xN9_jmQ/s320/IMG_0145.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349211822296207346" border="0" /></a>Jake and Edshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972666225440520092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7435588469130516455.post-59272356640775147692009-05-28T19:04:00.001-07:002009-05-28T19:37:24.784-07:00Handheld FunSometimes dinner is just meant to be fun and that's all it was today. Gliders, sliders, whatever you'd like to call them, I made handheld goodness made from ground turkey. No need to act like it's anything more than that. Let's get to it!<br /><br />parts<br />1 pound of ground turkey<br />1 bag of King Hawaiian dinner rolls<br />2 teaspoons of garlic salt<br />1 small onion<br />1 1/2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs<br />1 tablespoon of unsalted butter<br />salt and pepper<br />sweet relish<br />lettuce<br />mozzarella cheese (optional)<br /><br />how they came together<br />Dice onion and place in a small skillet with butter. Slowly grill onions until slightly brown. Remove from heat and set aside.<br /><br />In a large bowl, place turkey meat, garlic salt, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper together and knead together. Lightly pat meat into three inch wide patties and cook for two to three minutes on each side. One thing to remember when cooking these or any burger...do NOT press down. No matter how much you want to hear that sizzle, just don't do it. The more you do the drier the meat will be.<br /><br />Once the meat is done, you can begin the meat delivery system. Take your dinner rolls and tear them in half. On the bottom half place one spoonful of grilled onions and then place patty on top. On the top portion, place one spoonful of sweet relish and lettuce.<br /><br />Bring it together and enjoy!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXyFSiRWNmiOpQRaiEIap5v7NwTBTyqPuO2l7X7r5LZcjyg5Ehqe9ojqyNglQB-pFGdmW9OuEQibQqS4LpvbYlRGVBqbEBqyhMYR3SFTDG4xHEcs4AYDFBerAe16_r5jcLnSkWgzeC2fR/s1600-h/IMG_0078.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXyFSiRWNmiOpQRaiEIap5v7NwTBTyqPuO2l7X7r5LZcjyg5Ehqe9ojqyNglQB-pFGdmW9OuEQibQqS4LpvbYlRGVBqbEBqyhMYR3SFTDG4xHEcs4AYDFBerAe16_r5jcLnSkWgzeC2fR/s320/IMG_0078.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341068854444957938" border="0" /></a>Jake and Edshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972666225440520092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7435588469130516455.post-39335010852926346342009-05-25T19:08:00.000-07:002009-05-25T20:57:56.974-07:00Feeling EggyI went to the market and for some reason these wonderful brown eggs caught my eye. I mean really, how many times do eggs get noticed for anything other than something that comes out of a chicken's butt? Especially when it's not breakfast time but they called to me today.<br /><br />I started looking around and saw my usual suspects of bell peppers (I'm so in love with their sweet crunch that I would marry them if i weren't already spoken for), potatoes and cheese. I held them in my loving arms and they said Gerro...do something different with us. We don't want to just be used in big tortilla or a quesadilla.<br /><br />I looked down and thought, why the fugg are these vegetables talking to me, but I knew that they were right. They deserved more than the same ol same ol and so did my customers. So back I went to the kitchen with my booty and tried to come up with something different but all I kept hearing was tortilla, tortilla, tortilla. I wasn't going to break out anything flour nor corn related and then I understood....Spanish tortilla is what I was hearing.<br /><br />Simple and still palatable to my customers. I knew that this would be a success but I still needed something else cause I bought far too many eggs (they were talking to me and said that they didn't want to be at the market anymore). I decided to go with something I hadn't made in years..."deviled" eggs, but since I'm an Atheist I call them simply "Eggs & Cheese."<br /><br />ingredients<br /><br />olive oil<br />4 cloves of garlic, crushed and rough cut<br />4 scallions<br />1 green bell pepper, diced<br />1 red bell pepper<br />1 yellow bell pepper<br />6oz potato, boiled , peeled and diced<br />3.5 oz of sour cream (you can easily use light as the cream is more for texture)<br />6 large eggs<br />6oz cheese - I prefer Parmesan<br />Salt and Pepper<br /><br />method<br /><br />Preheat your oven to 375 and grab your baking pan (7x10) and line it with foil and then with brush olive oil and set aside for a bit.<br /><br />Drizzle some olive oil in your skillet and toss in your garlic. Let this crisp up and just as it's turning brown put your bell peppers in with the scallions. Slowly cook these down, roughly ten minutes . Please remember to toss lightly or stir to avoid burning. Once the peppers and onions have softened, remove from heat and let cool.<br /><br />In a large bowl the eggs, sour cream and cheese together. Stir in the cooled vegetables and pour into your baking pan. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until golden brown on top. Once puffed and set in the center, remove from oven and let cool.<br /><br />This is what's wonderful about using foil as a base...place a cutting board on top of the pan and invert. Peel off the foil and cut in two inch squares.<br /><br />Serve either on toothpicks as an appetizer or with a green salad or tossed greens as a meal.<br /><br />Eggs & Cheese<br /><br />6 hard boiled eggs<br />3 tbsp of grated Manchego or cheddar<br />2 tbsp of light mayonnaise<br />2 tbsp snipped chives<br />salt and pepper<br /><br />Straight forward comfort food.<br /><br />Slice hard boiled eggs in half lengthwise and use a spoon to remove in a bowl with the mayonnaise, chives and cheese. Place egg white halves on a plate and mix yolk mixture. Salt and pepper to taste. Spoon mixture back into egg halves and serve immediately or chill.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU03bM4ZDzTaCgwNPDV1CFvws-yvWBKmdnHEe5_1XRZ108UyCqMEZdWZ_qR98xQBKTS6ZIBFaTKkH2io8TZHr7h0WTh580f9XAoy0Z5WX6fgNekazGQEo_m_sL5R7sBgP-s_onHseglyss/s1600-h/IMG_0073.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU03bM4ZDzTaCgwNPDV1CFvws-yvWBKmdnHEe5_1XRZ108UyCqMEZdWZ_qR98xQBKTS6ZIBFaTKkH2io8TZHr7h0WTh580f9XAoy0Z5WX6fgNekazGQEo_m_sL5R7sBgP-s_onHseglyss/s320/IMG_0073.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339953882955974274" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8A3wH9PeXS2KfuWwdJKYE_Nb-Zose42guncZoLBhoYc7_K3JfdrdCKD35aXMOde-9HSBLe585e0-4XNyxl1v-JH2eKe-Z671bFvglj6TIcG4L_iyQRkLP4L0bfPYHLVI6VW9bWlU1PnfY/s1600-h/IMG_0063.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8A3wH9PeXS2KfuWwdJKYE_Nb-Zose42guncZoLBhoYc7_K3JfdrdCKD35aXMOde-9HSBLe585e0-4XNyxl1v-JH2eKe-Z671bFvglj6TIcG4L_iyQRkLP4L0bfPYHLVI6VW9bWlU1PnfY/s320/IMG_0063.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339954134514808450" border="0" /></a>Jake and Edshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972666225440520092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7435588469130516455.post-66997871102187194302009-05-01T21:51:00.000-07:002009-05-01T23:01:02.095-07:00<h2 class="clrbt"><span id="ctl00_ctl00_MainContent_MainContent_RecipeRightColumn1_lblRecipe">Cajun Shrimp Skewers<br /></span></h2>After an up and down week in the kitchen (Monday was a seared beef with Chinese spinach, Tuesday ended up a wash, Wednesday was a mussels kinda day and Thursday was Flamenco Eggs) I had to close the kitchen down with something in line with my philosophy. Good and simple.<br /><br />Paired down food that does exactly what food should in my opinion -- delight and comfort you. So I decided that I would go with a meal that has simple ingredients that don't need a lot of attention but if you give it to them, they sing arias in your honor.<br /><br />Enough talk....<br /><br /><br />Ingredients: <!--concordance-begin--> <ul class="recipe-ingredients" style="z-index: 3000;"><li class="ingredient">3/4 cup canola oil</li><li class="ingredient">1 medium onion, finely chopped</li><li class="ingredient">2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning</li><li class="ingredient">6 garlic cloves, minced</li><li class="ingredient">2 teaspoons ground cumin</li><li class="ingredient">1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary</li><li class="ingredient">1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme</li><li class="ingredient">2 pounds uncooked large shrimp, peeled and de-veined</li></ul>CAJUN BUTTER:<ul class="recipe-ingredients" style="z-index: 3000;"><li class="ingredient">1 cup butter, cubed</li><li class="ingredient">1 teaspoon minced fresh basil</li><li class="ingredient">1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon</li><li class="ingredient">1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning</li><li class="ingredient">1/2 teaspoon garlic powder</li><li class="ingredient">3 drops hot pepper sauce</li></ul> <!--concordance-end--> <h4>Directions: </h4>Before you even think about dealing with the ingredients, check if you are using metal or wooden skewers. If metal move on, if wooden is your skewer of choice then grab 8-10 and inspect them for breaks.<br /><br />After you gently run your fingers over them and find them to your liking, soak them in water. I'm talking completely submerge them and set them aside.<br /><br />Now you can <span id="ctl00_ctl00_MainContent_MainContent_RecipeRightColumn1_lblMethod">combine everything but the shrimp in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Place the shrimp in a large resealable plastic bag; add half of the marinade. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade for basting.<br /><br />There is another way to approach this if you're like me and don't always plan one to two hours ahead. Instead of the long marinades, I just </span><span id="ctl00_ctl00_MainContent_MainContent_RecipeRightColumn1_lblMethod">go with my FoodSaver and force the action when and where I can.<br /><br />This cuts the time needed from 1 -2 hours to 20 minutes.<br /><br />In a small saucepan, combine the Cajun butter ingredients; heat until butter is melted. Keep warm.<br /><br />Drain and discard marinade from shrimp. Thread shrimp onto eight me</span> <span id="ctl00_ctl00_MainContent_MainContent_RecipeRightColumn1_lblMethod">tal or soaked wooden skewers. Grill, uncovered, over medium heat for 2-4 minutes on each side or until shrimp turn pink, basting once with reserved marinade. Serve with Cajun butter.</span><br /><h4><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0wbEQCDXCaN3N3ce1Jx3gMYr-TnXJVKBIHj8RheQx4ewKqGjG32NK-04kKRDiP8Iie4geB0yQATKkAQl9qBMURJn8CfWCiGTTZGwi6xiea-7Y84b1r9Ntf2pmaFuZcCEyCpFYSoGK_Dxp/s1600-h/IMG_0058.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 269px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0wbEQCDXCaN3N3ce1Jx3gMYr-TnXJVKBIHj8RheQx4ewKqGjG32NK-04kKRDiP8Iie4geB0yQATKkAQl9qBMURJn8CfWCiGTTZGwi6xiea-7Y84b1r9Ntf2pmaFuZcCEyCpFYSoGK_Dxp/s320/IMG_0058.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331089109108830754" border="0" /></a></h4>Jake and Edshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972666225440520092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7435588469130516455.post-23069421293163331512009-04-15T19:57:00.001-07:002009-04-16T09:37:46.045-07:00Jake and Ed's Does French Bistro DaySometimes you get an idea in your head that you'd like to try something and in your heart you know that you can fail miserably or possibly pull it out. This was one of those days. I don't know why I thought that this was a good idea earlier in the week, but hell the worst thing that could happen was that I could make my Managing Business Partner violently ill and we'd have to really close up shop for a few days.<br /><br />And really from all of the times that I've had this dish, I never thought it could be that hard to make...and I trust other places so why shouldn't I trust my own cooking.<br /><br />I sat there with that nagging doubt of am I really gonna do this or no? So I just decided to grow a pair ventured off to my local fishmonger and said "Give me two and a half pounds!"<br /><br />"Of what" was the answer, slightly perplexed but amused.<br /><br />I realized that I hadn't said anything but rather had been pointing at those lovely beauties sitting on ice just waiting for a fool like me to come by.<br /><br />"Oh Black mussels."<br /><br />I looked up and the fishmonger knew I had the fear. That fear that all cooks get, especially with a new seafood item.<br /><br />She nodded, and got her bag ready and said, "Oh they're a bit sandy today, be sure to really get in there and wash em up good."<br /><br />I'm thinking yeah uh OK. It's not like I already didn't have the fear but now sand?!?!<br /><br />Either way I took the bag and headed on out and began the joy. The wonderful feeling of anticipation and wonder. I filled up a massive bowl with cold water and let those bad boys soak it up.<br /><br />I gathered up my ingredients, started chopping, drinking copious amounts of water, and set everything up knowing that my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">MBP</span> would be in for the night's tasting soon.<br /><br />So I said well it's now or never -- cleaned up the mussels, got my broth ready in the stock pot and went for it.<br /><br /><br />Here's what she had.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwSFnvYqZA-Fk1rTzViRp0QDsYNxooCmz6go3XvArdr_P1Mw4p7RBzsDD4VSIu14zqcCU4nZU0D7Ht_JY1m4bMmEWfkffCJnVf-CyzfqStH5ONtGdL13YNy7YciMGaGN7tug_YAhPO4N3H/s1600-h/IMG_0053.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwSFnvYqZA-Fk1rTzViRp0QDsYNxooCmz6go3XvArdr_P1Mw4p7RBzsDD4VSIu14zqcCU4nZU0D7Ht_JY1m4bMmEWfkffCJnVf-CyzfqStH5ONtGdL13YNy7YciMGaGN7tug_YAhPO4N3H/s320/IMG_0053.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325124068750334162" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Here's how I got there:<br /><br />Ingredients:<br /><br />2 tablespoons unsalted butter<br />2 tablespoons olive oil<br />half a medium onion diced<br />4-six cloves of garlic - diced<br />1 1/2 cup white wine -- I prefer <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Sauvigon</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Blanc</span><br />2 teaspoons Kosher salt<br />1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper<br />2-2 1/2 pounds mussels<br />2 tablespoons heavy cream<br /><br />Method:<br /><br />When you return from the store, remove your mussels from the plastic and paper wrapping and place in a large bowl. If you aren't going to use them immediately, then place the bowl in the fridge. If you plan on throwing down, then take them to your sink, fill up a bowl and soak them for 20 minutes.<br /><br />That's right just let them sit. As the mussels soak they will begin filtering the water in and out and are helping you expel all of the sand that they may have inside them.<br /><br />After 20 minutes, come back to them and take them out one by one and scrub the outside to remove any barnacles and dirt. If there is a beard still attached hold the mussel and pull the beard towards the shorter end.<br /><br />Check each mussel and do NOT use any cracked or damaged ones. Additionally, if you see any mussels that are opened, toss it out. It's not worth you getting sick.<br /><br />Once you've cleaned them all and placed them in a different container move on to the broth.<br /><br />In a stock pot melt butter and onions. Just as butter finishes melting, stir in onions. Cook for 5 minutes and then add garlic and continue cooking for 3 to 4 minutes more.<br /><br />Once the onions become slightly translucent, slowly pour in the wine, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Slowly bring to a boil.<br /><br />Add mussels, stir and swirl mixture over mussels and cover. Cook for 8-10 minutes. You should stir the mixture every couple of minutes to prevent sticking.<br /><br />Scoop out the mussels into a bowl with a slotted spoon. Once everything has been parsed out return to stock pot and taste the broth. Some people enjoy this just as it but I prefer adding two table spoons of heavy cream to round out the taste before pouring on the mussels. Others throw in two tablespoons of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">bleu</span> cheese for a stronger compliment to the mussels. This final bit is entirely up to you.<br /><br />Thinly slice up French bread and have at it.Jake and Edshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11972666225440520092noreply@blogger.com3