A new twist on a Cuban favorite...

Picadillo con Frijoles Negros, Arroz Amarillo, y Aguacate

Pasta de Picadillo

One of my favorite, and oh so easy Cuban dishes is Picadillo...think of it like a Latin American sloppy joe or meat sauce, and it can be used as is, or as a filling for empanadas or chiles rellanos.  Normally we have this with white or yellow (saffron) rice, black beans, and avocado, but we had just had rice the night before, and while I was desiring the salty and sweet flavors of the dish, I felt like mixing things up a bit, so I tossed it with a whole wheat farfalle (bow tie pasta, Christopher's favorite shape)...no rice or beans, and the avocado was on the salad served on the side.  Either way you make it, this is an easy and wonderfully tasty dish that you should really try...

Picadillo

1 lb. lean ground beef (I use turkey)
1 tbs. olive oil
1 med. onion, chopped fine
1 med. green bell pepper, chopped fine (I've made it without too)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup raisins
coarse salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 6oz. can tomato paste
2 cups beef broth
1/2 heaping cup small Spanish olives, halved (pimento stuffed or not)

Cook the onion and bell pepper in the olive oil over medium high heat until softened and just starting to turn golden; add the garlic and cook another minute or two.  Add the ground meat and brown it, breaking it up into small bits.  Add the remaining ingredients, except the olives, mix well, reduce heat and simmer for a half hour or so...it will be nice and thick...taste it for seasoning and stir in the olive halves.  If you really like a salty bit, you can stir in a few tablespoons of drained capers.  Use in what ever manner you wish and say yum.

The soup time of year...

Minestrone

 The chill in the air signals that it is time to start making soup...I know, I know, there are all kinds of warm weather, usually chilled, soups, but to me, soup belongs to fall and winter, and as much as I may try to like the "summer" soups, they just don't do much for me.  I have made this minestrone recipe for years and it is most certainly a family favorite...make it a meal with some crusty bread and a salad (and pat yourself on the back for a job well done)...

Minestrone
adapted from Williams Sonoma Soups

1 med. onion, diced
1 tbs. olive oil
2 cloves garlic. minced (2 tsp.)
1 large carrot, diced small
1/4 small cabbage, sliced thin
1 med. zucchini, diced small
coarse salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1 bay leaf
1 tbs, sugar
1 15oz. can diced tomatoes
6 cups beef (or vegetable) broth
1 15oz. can cannellini or great northern beans
1/2 cup elbow macaroni or small shells (I used whole wheat)
3 tbs. balsamic vinegar
Parmesan cheese, shredded, for serving

Sweat the onion in the oil over medium heat until softened; stir in the garlic, cabbage, zucchini, and seasonings, cook for a few minutes more.  Add the undrained tomatoes and broth, bring to a boil, cover and reduced the heat to simmer for 20 minutes.  Add the pasta and beans (drain if you wish, I don't), bring to a boil, and cook uncovered just until the pasta is cooked al dente.  Stir in the balsamic vinegar and top each bowl with a sprinkling of shredded Parmesan.

My second product review...

Well, what is it...

It's a 4-pack of Cholula Hot Sauce!!

Let's see...we have Original, Chili Garlic, Chipotle, and Chili Lime...

 I love this unexpected perk of food blogging...being asked to cook with and write about food products, things I love to do anyway.  It does, however, mean that I need to get back to some original and creative cooking...I've still been cooking, but mostly from my quick and easy repertoire...this calls for some recipe creating (and I still have seven bottles of Jarritos waiting in the pantry too!!)...

Funny...there seem to be more peanuts than BEFORE I took out the bottles...

The end of summer...

The last of Christopher's tomatoes...

 The end of summer...its enough to make me cry...soon enough it will be cold and miserable here (at least for me).  This October has been full of crazy weather, high 80's on some days, followed by low 60's, and some of the nights have been in THE THIRTIES...but, this is Ohio and we really can't expect to be consistent...

With the unpredictable weather, Christopher and I harvested the last of our container crops last week.  I pickled more jalapeños, dried herbs, and have been cooking with the bell peppers...but that last basket of cheery red tomatoes?  Tomato Pie!!  This simple pie is one of my favorite treats of summer and a fitting way to end the summer tomatoes.  Give this a try if you have any (good) tomatoes lying around and try to make summer last just a bit longer...

Tomato Pie

2 lbs. ripe tomatoes (summer tomatoes are the best)
2 tbs, cornstarch
1 prepared pie crust (purchased or homemade)
1 cup light mayo
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shreds (I used 2%)
a big handful fresh basil (we grew this too)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Cut the tomatoes into smallish chunks, no need to peel, if there is a lot of the wet, seedy pulp, go ahead and let that fall out; let the tomato rest in a bowl while you prepare the crust, basil, and mayo.  Prepare the crust in a pie plate, sprinkle a handful of the cheese on the bottom and set aside; mix the mayo and the remaining cheese; julienne the basil.  In this time some liquid has accumulated around the tomato chunks...pour that off and toss the pieces with the cornstarch.

Layer 1/2 of the tomatoes in the pie plate, sprinkle on 1/2 of the basil, and drop a bit less than 1/2 of the mayo-cheese mixture in tiny spoonfuls across the top.  Take your fingertips and spread out the mayo a bit for better coverage.  repeat the layer with the remaining ingredients.  Place the prepared pie on a cookie sheet to catch any drips and bake for 10 minutes.  reduce the heat to 350 and bake for an additional 40-45 minutes, or until the juices are bubbly and thick, and the mayo-cheese topping is nicely browned.  Remove from the oven and let rest at least 20 minutes before serving.  Best warm or at room temperature.  This is a wonderful light lunch or dinner served with a green salad, or it makes a great breakfast all on its own...I should know, I ate this for the rest of the week.

Tomato Pie Perfection...

Now that's better...

Jersey Breakfast

Long time no read 8-(   This whole school thing has left me thinking that there just are not enough hours in the day, but after this past week (don't ask), I feel the need to spend some time here...so let's see if I can pick up where i left off (and maybe bank a few posts too)...

After our experiment with The Lipitor Special, I still had better than half of the Taylor Pork Roll left, and not being one to waste anything (not intentionally, anyway), I decided to make the Jersey Breakfast sandwich mentioned in the Wiki post I had read to find out what the blasted thing was in the first place. 

 

I sliced the roll thin, no more than 1/4", slit the edges to keep it from curling, and browned it nicely on both sides.  The pork roll actually crisped up nicely and had a taste (somewhat) reminiscent of bacon.  I layered this on toasted English muffins with fried eggs (no runny yolks) and the remaining white American cheese, which wasn't so bad on its own without the offending Miracle Whip.  These weren't too bad, and while I won't be in a hurry to buy the pork roll again, this was truly the better way to prepare it...and hey, if its on sale, I might just buy it again just to make these...

The Lipitor Special...

The Lipitor Special (and if you eat it all, you'll need a Lipitor)

Ben and I were shopping again at Jungle Jim's (International Market) when we found a package of Taylor Pork Roll.  I had never heard of this product before, but Ben was reminded of a Michael Symon recipe he had read online and quickly pulled out his PDA to look it up (good use for a smart phone if you ask me :-).  The recipe is for a sandwich/burger called the Lipitor Special and was touted as a "Hangover Helper".  I'm always up for trying new things, even those ungodly bad for us things that Ben finds, so we bought the roll.

My burger...2 slices of bacon, egg cooked through

We both love Michael Symon, so much that we are planning to road trip to Cleveland sometime JUST to dine at one of his restaurants, so I followed the recipe exactly as given (despite the use of  Miracle Whip and American cheese).   The "burgers" were pretty good,but a bit on the sweet side and terribly difficult to eat...I ended up pulling out my slice of pork roll and feeding it to the dog, not that she minded.  We decided on some changes that might encourage to make this again...a smaller roll, or perhaps an English muffin...a 1/2 rather than 1 inch thick slice of pork roll...reduce the bacon to 2 slices...extra sharp cheddar instead of the American...and finally, mayo instead of the Miracle Whip.  I'll be sure to let you know if we make this again.

One very good thing that came from this was the pickled onions.  I used Symon's recipe from his cookbook, Live to Cook, and they were fabulous.  We will be topping many things with these, especially considering how easy they were to make.

Pickled Onions
adapted from Michael Symon

 1 lb. red onions, sliced
white vinegar
sugar
Kosher salt
1 tbs. mustard seeds (I used 1 tsp. ground mustard)
1 tbs. coriander seeds ( i used 1 tsp. ground coriander)
1/2 tbs. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbs. black peppercorns
2 garlic cloves (I halved them lengthwise)
1 bay leaf

Place the onion slices in a clean jar and add enough water to just barely cover; por out the water into a large measuring cup and replace 1/2 of it with vinegar.  Pour the liquid into a non-reactive saucepan and add the remaining seasonings, using 2 tbs. of sugar and salt for 3 cups of liquid; bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.  Pour the liquid over the onions (they will wilt some), screw on the cap and refrigerate (I did let mine cool first) for up to one month (they won't last that long).

The Lipitor Special

1 good quality brioche hamburger bun
4 slices smoked bacon
1 one-inch-thick slice of Taylor pork roll
2 slices white American cheese
1 egg
 pickled red onions
1 tsp. Miracle Whip
pickled jalapeños (I used mine)

 Cook bacon till crisp in a medium sauté pan over medium heat.  Set the bacon aside but reserve fat in pan to fry the pork roll for 1 minute per side (I did spoon off a lot of bacon fat before proceeding).  After flipping pork roll, top it with cheese to melt. Remove pork roll and set aside.  Cook egg over easy (I cooked Ben's this way, but cooked mine till the yolk was set).  Drain excess fat from pan and toast bun in the pan—it’ll still soak up that good bacon grease.   Place Miracle Whip on bun, top with pork roll, bacon, egg, jalapeños, and pickled onions, and eat immediately.  Ben dipped his O rings in the runny yolk like it was ketchup and declared it delicious.

I love Mario (Batali, not the brothers)...

Pollo alla Diavola

Ben and I recently had two weeks sans children, leaving us able to eat what ever we wanted, how ever spicy we wanted it.  One night we had Mario Batali's Devil Chicken made with an incredible amount of crushed red pepper, flavored with sweet smoked paprika, and finished with spicy smoked paprika.  The taste was incredible (we especially liked that final dusting with the spicy paprika), deep and smokey; if you don't like things quite so hot, just cut the amount of crushed red pepper but leave the smoked paprikas, they completely make this dish.  The leftovers made delicious sandwiches, requiring only crusty rolls and a slice of provolone.


Pollo alla Diavola
adapted from Mario batali's Italian Grill

 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 oz. orange juice
6oz. lemon juice
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
5 tbs. crushed red pepper flakes (yes, 5)
2 tbs.  pimentón dulce (sweet Spanish smoked paprika)
kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper 
Pimentón picante, for serving (hot Spanish smoked paprika)

Several hours before cooking, and up to the day before, mix the juices, olive oil, pepper flakes, sweet paprika, and a generous amount of salt and pepper in a gallon zip-lock bag; add the chicken and refrigerate until needed.  Grill the chicken until just done and let rest.  Serve with a generous sprinkling of the hot smoked paprika.

Pasta alla Diavola

We had this chicken with a nice pasta that was very easy to put together and continued that flavor profiles of the chicken. 

reserved marinade from above
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock
6 (or so) cups chopped veggies (I used yellow zucchini, onion, and green bell pepper)
olive oil, as needed
1 lb. cooked pasta of choice (I used whole grain penne)

Drizzle the veggies with a bit of olive oil and roast or grill to your desired doneness, remembering that the longer you cook them, the sweeter they will become...I cooked ours on the grill in that grill basket that has become one of my favorite cooking tools.  In a medium saucepan, boil the marinade with the wine and stock until it becomes syrupy, but at least for 5 minutes (think food safety).  Toss the pasta, veggies, and sauce together and serve.

More sauerkraut...

German Sundae

First the potatoes...

I STILL had some of that jar of sauerkraut left, along with three small boiled potatoes I had reserved from making the German Potato Salad.  As I won't be able to attend the Ohio Sauerkraut Festival in my hometown of Waynesville this year, I thought I would recreate one of my favorite eats, one that I get every year that I go, the German Sundae.  This dish is comprised of (very, very) buttery roasted potato slices topped with sauerkraut, shredded cheese, bacon bits, sour cream, and an olive on top.  I know, you're thinking that that sounds gross, but really, it is delicious and I wouldn't lie to you about that!

then the kraut...

Since I was in charge this go around, I thought I would construct a better for me "Sundae" while I was at it.  I took the three small red potatoes (warmed) and broke them up into chunks; I used these as the bottom layer, like the original, but omitted the (ton of) butter.  On top of this I layered my leftover kraut (warmed), and topped that with a handful of 2% extra sharp cheddar cheese shreds, a sprinkling of (real) bacon bits, a dollop of fat free sour cream, and a nice ripe olive...yum, yum, yum.  Be adventurous and the next time you have a bit of leftover kraut, be sure to give this a try ;-D

then every thing else and eat it up yum...

I can make that!!

Reuben with Homemade German Potato Salad

 I had leftover sauerkraut and bacon from last weekend's Pretzel Burgers.  The German potato salad we had purchased from the deli had been pretty good, but I knew I could do better...and for the sauerkraut?...some deli corned beef and I was ready to make Reubens, the perfect companion for the potato salad.  We will occasionally buy Read German Potato Salad in the can as an easy side, but no more, this salad was just too easy, and too damn tasty to ever buy the can again.


German Potato Salad

2 lbs. small red potatoes
1/2 lb. bacon (I used thick cut peppered bacon)
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tbs, good quality mustard (I used German mustard)
1 tsp. coarse salt
1 bunch scallions, green and white parts, chopped

Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water; bring to a boil, salt generously and cook until tender, about 20 minutes.  Drain the potatoes and set aside until cool enough to handle.  While the potatoes are cooking, dice the bacon and cook in a large saute pan over med-high heat until crisp; remove to a paper towel lined plate and set aside, reserving the drippings in the pan.  Over medium heat whisk in the vinegar, sugar, mustard, and salt; cook until bubbly and starting to thicken (this will not take long).  Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice into thin rounds or cut into small cubes (your preference) and toss in the pan with the vinegar mixture.  Toss in the chopped scallions and reserved bacon before serving hot, at room temperature, or cold (we had it at room temperature).

From a pretzel to a burger...

Brezelburger mit Sauerkraut, Speck und Senf

Okay, that would be a pretzel burger with sauerkraut, bacon and mustard (Ben is the German wiz in the house).  Last weekend we knew we wanted burgers and whilst shopping at Jungle Jim's (International Market) we set off seeking some nice buns (for burgers, of course).  What drew our attention were some very handsome pretzel rolls...and what do pretzels need but mustard and cheese (sauce)?  So off we went, now seeking mustard and cheese.  Well, one thing led to another, and in the search for a "good" mustard, we ended up with a German mustard, which lead to sauerkraut (Bavarian style), which lead to bacon, which lead to the creation of our "Pretzel Burger" (isn't it wonderful how our minds wander?).  We picked up some German potato salad at the deli and had that alongside our burgers with some additional sauerkraut.  While I could not finish mine (okay Ben, no more 1/2 lb. burgers), I can definitely say it was one of the best burgers I have ever eaten.

Since we are kinda nerdy, and like to match our beverage to our food, we also went seeking some German beer (Reisling just wouldn't cut it for a burger of this magnitude).  What we found was a Lithuaian triple bock (close enough, right?) by the name of Before and After, and coming in at a whopping 12% alcohol, this is a very apt name indeed.  This beer did not taste as strongly of alcohol as I had feared, and being a bit on the sweet (and dark) side, I quite liked this one, more so than Ben, the beer aficionado of the family.  Funny, I don't like sweet wine, but I like sweet beer (oh, well).

The recipe that follows isn't really a recipe so much as what we put on our burgers; which toppings you decide to use and in what quantities is entirely up to you, we just hope to provide a little tasty inspiration.

German Pretzel Burger

Honking 1/2 lb. patties ready for the grill

burger patties grilled to your liking (we used 80/20 chuck cooked to medium)
pretzel rolls, split and toasted
crisp, cooked bacon (we used thick cut peppered bacon)
extra sharp cheddar cheese slices
good quality mustard (please, something better than the cheap yellow stuff)
sauerkraut, squeezed dry and warmed through

Assemble your burgers, using as much. or as little, of the listed ingredients.  Ben put the bacon slices under the cheese on the grill and melted everything to a nice ooey gooey goodness.

The burger up above was Ben's, this is mine, not piled quite so high.