Thursday, April 23, 2015

Mediterranean Zucchini

Zucchini has never been a favorite of mine....but as my grandmother used to say..You can season anything up and make it taste better...Here is proof positive that you can..Check this recipe out..Zucchini, tomatoes, and beans make a tasty topper for rice or egg noodles.

Makes/Yield6 servings
Duration1 hr
Prep Time10 min

INGREDIENTS:
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup long grain white rice
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
  • 3 cups finely chopped zucchini
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained

  • DIRECTIONS:

    1.Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan, and stir in the rice. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

    2.Heat oil in a separate medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion, red bell pepper, and garlic, and cook until tender. Mix in tomatoes and zucchini, and season with oregano, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
     
    3.Stir cannellini beans into the tomato and zucchini mixture, and continue cooking about 10 minutes. Serve over the cooked rice.

    Try this...Let me know how it turns out!

    Enjoy!  Eat Well My Friends!

    Wednesday, April 22, 2015

    Roasted Prime Rib

    Ouuuu, it's that time of year again...Time for nice prime ribs....That's what time of year it is...Time for Roasted Prime Rib with Sauteed Mushrooms and Mom's Creamy Horseradish Sauce...

    INGREDIENTS:

    For the Meat-

    • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
    • 3 teaspoons ground black pepper
    • 3 cloves garlic
    • 2 medium shallots
    • 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
    • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
    • 1/2 cup olive oil
    • 1 ( 8lb) standing rib roast, trimmed (to multiply or divide the recipe,this translates to roughly 1 rib for every 2-3 people)
    •  
       For The Horse Radish Sauce: 
       
    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • 6 tablespoons lemon juice
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
    • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • 4 tablespoons grated horseradish
    • FOR THE SAUTEED MUSHROOMS:
    • 2 lbs mushrooms, washed, dried, and if large, chopped
    • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1-2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
    DIRECTIONS:


    • 1.MARINATE: In a food processor, place salt, pepper, garlic, shallots, rosemary, thyme, and olive oil. Pulse until combined. Place the roast bone-side down in a large pan and pour the marinade over it. Rub as much as you can into every crevasse. Cover and refrigerate 4-24 hours.
    • 2.ROAST: Remove the meat and let it come to room temperature, about 1 hour before you plan to put it into the oven. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 550 and place the rack in the center. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the roast. When the oven is ready, place the roast, uncovered, into the oven. Immediately reduce the oven temperature to 350. Cook until the thermometer registers 125 degrees, about 15-20 minutes per pound, or 2 1/2 hours for an 8 lb roast. Check the temperature of the meat in several other places. A range of 125-155 will give you a good variety of doneness. Cover the roast with foil and let it rest on the counter at least 15 minutes before carving.
    • 3.MAKE THE SAUCE : You can do this while the meat cooks. In a medium bowl, beat cream until stiff. With the mixer on, add lemon juice, salt, paprika, cayenne and horseradish. Chill until ready to serve.
    • 4.SAUTE THE MUSHROOMS: Heat a large skillet over HIGH heat. Add the butter and olive oil. When the butter foams, give the pan a shake and then add the mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic. Toss the mushrooms until brown, about 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss with parsley and then place in a serving dish.
    • 5.CARVE: Slice the first piece between the ribs, close to the bone. Cut the second piece half way to the next bone and so on and so on giving each person basically half of the meat between the ribs.
    • 6.SERVE: Top with sauteed mushrooms and whipped horseradish sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley.
    This was rather long I know, but worth every mouth watering drop... May I suggest a red wine with this?

     Enjoy! Eat and Drink Well My Friends

    Friday, April 17, 2015

    Pan Roasted Pork Chop


    Heyyyy, I'm back!!! Pan Roasting a pork chop with brown butter as seen in the photo above makes them moist, tender, and seasoned throughout, and the sugar helps create a dark, caramelized sheen...Check it out-

    INGREDIENTS:

    • /2cups of kosher salt
    • 1/2 cup of sugar
    • 1 teaspoon juniper berries
    • 1/2teaspoon of whole black peppercorns
    • 1 head of garlic, halved crosswise, plus 2 unpeeled cloves for basting
    • 2 large sprigs thyme
    • 12-inch-thick bone-in pork chop (2 ribs; about 1 1/4 lb.)
    • 2 tablespoons of grape seed or vegetable oil
    • 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
    • Flaky or coarse sea salt
    DIRECTIONS:

    • Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add kosher salt, sugar, juniper berries, peppercorns, halved head of garlic, and 1 thyme sprig; stir to dissolve salt and sugar. Transfer to a medium bowl and add 5 cups ice cubes. Stir until brine is cool. Add pork chop; cover and chill for at least 8 and up to 12 hours.
    • Preheat oven to 450°. Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Remove chop from brine; pat dry. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large cast-iron or other oven-proof skillet. Cook chop until beginning to brown, 3-4 minutes. Turn and cook until second side is beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Keep turning chop every 2 minutes until both sides are deep golden brown, 10-12 minutes total.
    • Transfer skillet to oven and roast chop, turning every 2 minutes to prevent it from browning too quickly, until an instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally into center of meat registers 135°, about 14 minutes. (Chop will continue to cook during basting and resting.)
    • Carefully drain fat from skillet and place over medium heat. Add butter, 2 unpeeled garlic cloves, and remaining thyme sprig; cook until butter is foamy. Carefully tip skillet and, using a large spoon, baste chop repeatedly with butter until butter is brown and smells nutty, 2-3 minutes.
    • Transfer pork chop to prepared rack and let rest, turning often to ensure juices are evenly distributed, for 15 minutes. Cut pork from bones, slice, and sprinkle with sea salt.
     (Special thanks to Brian Leth for this wonderful recipe)

    Enjoy!  Eat well my friends!

    Sunday, April 5, 2015

    Apple Cinnamon Monkey Bread

    I know, I know,I know...This title sounds wacky...but this is a nice Easter Brunch recipe that will be a sweet treat for everybody in the household...

    INGREDIENTS:

    • 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
    • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
    • 1 8-g pkg quick-rise instant yeast
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1/2 cup hot milk (120F to 130F)
    • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
    • 1 egg, at room temperature
    • 1 apple, grated (not peeled)
    • 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
    • 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
    • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
    DIRECTIONS:

    • Whisk 1 cup flour with granulated sugar, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in hot milk, 2 tbsp butter, egg and apple. Stir in 11/2 cups flour, using a wooden spoon, and continue stirring until dough starts to come together.
    • Scrape dough onto a floured counter. Knead dough until smooth and not sticky, adding some of remaining 1/2 cup flour as needed, 3 to 4 min. Spray a medium bowl with oil and transfer dough into bowl. Cover with a damp tea towel and let rest in a warm place until dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
    • Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 10-in. Bundt pan lightly with oil.
    • Pour 1/3 cup melted butter into a shallow dish. In a medium bowl, stir brown sugar with cinnamon. Shape dough into 1-in. balls. Dip each ball in butter, then coat in sugar mixture. Layer balls in prepared pan, staggering each layer like bricks. Pat down. Sprinkle any remaining butter and sugar over dough.
    • Bake in centre of oven until deep golden brown, about 25 min. Transfer to a rack. Let stand 5 min, then flip onto a plate.
    • Place icing sugar in a medium bowl. Stir in apple cider, 1 tbsp at a time, until smooth. Drizzle glaze over warm bread. Serve immediately.
    Originally published in the Today’s Parent March 2015 issue, this recipe has a triple-tested guarantee from the Chatelaine Kitchen powered by GE.

    You can have this with your morning cup of coffee...or with a glass of cold milk-


     Enjoy!  Eat and drink Well My friends!

    Food Safety Tips
    Protect yourself against food-borne illnesses.


    1. Use a "refrigerator thermometer" to keep your food stored at a safe temperature (below 40 degrees fahrenheit).

    Cold temperatures slow the growth of bacteria. Ensuring that your refrigerator temperature stays at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or colder is one of the most effective ways to reduce your risk of food-borne illness. You can buy a refrigerator/freezer thermometer at appliance stories, home centers (i.e. Home Depot), and kitchen stores including online ones, such as Cooking.com.

    2. Defrost food in the refrigerator, the microwave, or in cold water... never on the counter!

    Perishable foods should never be thawed on the counter for longer than two hours because, while the center of the food may remain frozen, the outer surface may enter the Danger Zone, the range of temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees fahrenheit, in which bacteria multiply rapidly. If you’re short on time, use the microwave or you can thaw meat and poultry in airtight packaging in cold water. Change the water every half-hour so it stays cold and use the thawed food immediately.

    3. Always use separate cutting boards for raw meat/poultry/fish and cooked foods/fresh produce.

    Bacteria from uncooked meat, poultry, and fish can contaminate cooked foods and fresh produce. An important way to reduce this risk is to use separate cutting boards for raw meat/poultry/ fish, and cooked foods/fresh produce.

    4. Always cook meat to proper temperatures, using a calibrated instant-read thermometer to make sure.

    One effective way to prevent illness is to use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of meat, poultry, and egg dishes. The USDA Recommended Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures are as follows:

    * Beef, veal, and lamb (steaks and roasts), fish - 145 degrees fahrenheit

    * Pork and ground beef - 160 degrees fahrenheit

    * Poultry - 165 degrees fahrenheit.

    Cook meats like roasts and steaks to lower temperatures, closer to medium-rare, so that they retain their moisture. It is recommended that those who are at high risk for developing food-borne illness (i.e. pregnant women and their unborn babies, newborns, young children, older adults, people with weakened immune systems, or certain chronic illnesses) should follow the USDA guidelines.

    5. Avoid unpasteurized/raw milk and cheeses made from unpasteurized milk that are aged less than 60 days.

    Raw milk is milk from cows, sheep, or goats that has not been pasteurized (heated to a very high temperature for a specific length of time) to kill harmful bacteria that may be present. These bacteria, which include salmonella, E. coli and listeria, can cause serious illness and sometimes even death. The bacteria in raw milk can be especially dangerous to pregnant women, children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems or chronic illnesses. Raw milk cheeses aged 60 days or longer are okay, since the salt and acidity of the cheese-making process make for a hostile environment to pathogens.

    6. Never eat "runny" eggs or foods, such as cookie dough, that contain raw eggs.

    Even eggs that have clean, intact shells may be contaminated with salmonella, so it’s important to cook eggs thoroughly until both the yolk and the white are firm. Casseroles and other dishes containing eggs should be cooked to 160 degrees fahrenheit and you can use an instant-read food thermometer to check. Eggs should always be cooked fully and those who are at high risk for developing foodborne illness (pregnant women and their unborn babies, newborns, young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems or certain chronic illnesses should follow the USDA guidelines. If you can’t resist runny eggs or sampling cookie batter, use pasteurized eggs. They’re found near other eggs in large supermarkets.

    7. Always wash your hands in warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds before handling food and after touching raw meat, poultry, or eggs.

    You can pick up a lot of bacteria out in the world, so it’s important to always wash your hands before you eat or prepare food. You should also wash your hands after touching any uncooked meat, poultry, fish, or eggs, as the bacteria from these foods can contaminate cooked foods and fresh produce. Use soap and warm water and wash thoroughly for at least 20 seconds.

    8. Always heat leftover foods to 165 degrees fahrenheit.

    The USDA recommends heating all cooked leftovers to 165 degrees fahrenheit in order to kill all potentially dangerous bacteria.

    9. Never eat meat, poultry, eggs, or sliced fresh fruits and vegetables that have been left out for more than two hours or more than one hour in temperatures hotter than 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

    If you leave perishable foods out of the refrigerator or freezer for more than two hours they may enter the Danger Zone—the unsafe temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, in which bacteria multiply rapidly.

    10. Whenever there’s a food recall, check products stored at home to make sure they are safe.

    You should discard any food that’s been recalled because it’s associated with the outbreak of a food-borne illness. But, according to a survey conducted by Rutgers University during the fall of 2008, only about 60% of Americans search their homes for foods that have been recalled because of contamination. For more information on food recalls, visit the website Recalls.gov






    Cavier & Vodka
    Courtesy of The Lady (Bug) of the Household