Jumbo Shrimp Stack with Mango Salsa Stack, Avocado Salad and Cocktail Sauce

Here's a Christmas dinner appitizer almost too beautiful to eat. This consists of layers of jumbo shrimp with avaocado, mango salsa, salsa fresca drisseled with cilantro oil and cocktail sauce. I was fortunate enough to be served this wonderful dish at Phyllis's house and thought it was so amazing I would post on the blog.

Recipe on request.

Tofu and Mushroom Udon Noodle Soup

I love udon noodles and they're great for a dish just like this one. Udon noodles are Japanese wheat noodles that have a great texture and can stand up to being in a soup without becoming mushy. This udon noodle soup is easy and fast to make and can be made with whatever vegetables you have on hand. The key to this dish's wonderful flavor and texture is the soy sauce and sesame oil in the broth and the green onions, cilantro and crunched nuts tossed on top.

Ingredients:

32 oz low sodium chicken stock
18 oz firm tofu
1/2 pound Udon noodles
1/2 pound sliced mushrooms
1/2 red bell pepper
2 tablespoons lite soy sauce
1tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon corn starch
Green onions
Cilantro
Crushed nuts

Preparation:

Cook the udon noodles according to the directions on the package and set a side. The noodles I use take 5 minutes and they're done.

Pour the chicken stock in to a large 3 quart sauce pan reserving 1/4 cup of the stock. Add the cubed tofu, sliced mushrooms, diced bell pepper, soy sauce and sesame oil. Bring the soup to a boil and and then simmer for 5 minutes.

Take the reserved chicken stock and mix in the corn starch. Add the mixture to the soup and this should thicken up the soup a little. Lastly, add the udon noodles to the soup.

To serve, ladle some soup into a bowl and top with green onions, cilantro and crushed nuts.

Grilled Salmon Served on Mashed Potatoes with Cilantro Oil

What I like about this dish is that the flavors all work so well together. Grilling salmon has always been my favorite way to cook salmon. The addition of the cilantro oil takes the dish to the next level and I would highly recommend making this dish for your next dinner party.



Ingredients:
2 8oz salmon filets
2 large russet potato's
1/2 cup 1% milk
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and pepper
1 cup canola oil
1 cup packed cilantro
1/2 romaine lettuce leaf

Preparation: Cilantro Oil

Add the canola oil, cilantro and romaine lettuce to a small blender and blend for 5 minutes. Take the mixture and pour into and small fine mesh strainer. Let the mixture drain into a small bowl while you prepare the rest of the dish. You should end up with a couple of tablespoons of clear green cilantro infused oil.

Preparation: Potato

Peel the russet potatoes, cut into pieces and boil for 15 to 20 minutes until completely cooked, no lumps. Remove the water and use a potato masher and mix until creamy smooth. Stir the milk, butter, salt and pepper to the potatoes. Cover the potatoes and set a side while  you cook the salmon.

Preparation: Salmon

Preheat a stove top grill pan to medium high. I use the stove top grill pan from Scanpan, see image. Brush a little olive oil on each piece of salmon and cook skin side up on the grill for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes turn the salmon 45 degrees and cook another 3 minutes. After the second 3 minutes of cooking, turn the fish over so the skin side is down and finish cooking, about 6 minutes. When cooking is complete, remove the salmon from the grill pan leaving the cooked skin behind. 




Scanpan Stove Top Grill

To plate, place a helping of the mashed potato's on a plate. Top the potato's with the salmon and drizzle a teaspoon of the cilantro oil over the salmon and on the plate. Serve the dish with your choice of vegetable.

Side Dish Suggestion:
Sautéed Asparagus

Garlic and Herbed Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast with Israeli Mushroom Couscous

I know, chicken chicken chicken, but this chicken is really something else. The chicken is so flavorful from the garlic and herbed goat cheese and moist as can be because it's cooked with the skin on. I top the chicken breast with some gravy I make from the pan drippings and chicken stock. This is a new favorite for sure.

Ingredients: Chicken
2 bone in chicken breasts with skin in tact
Trader Joe's garlic and herbed goat cheese

Ingredients: Couscouse
Israeli couscouse
Crimini mushrooms
Olive oil

Ingredients: Gravy
1/2 cup chicken stock
Pan drippings
2 teaspoons corn starch

Preparation:

Take the goat chesse and put into the freezer for 10 minutes. The reason you want the goat cheese really cold is that you are able to cut into slices, otherwise it would be too soft and crumbly and very difficult to stuff the chicken breasts.

Next, prepare the chicken breasts by cutting off the ribs. This makes a more narrow cut of meat and generally better a plate presentation.

On the thick end of the chicken breast take your finger and run it under the skin of the chicken breast making a pocket. Take the goat cheese which is really cold from the freezer and cut into 1/2" thick slices. You should be able fit 3 pieces of the sliced goat cheese under the skin.

Take the stuffed chicken breasts and place on a roasting pan. I like to spray a little canola oil on the chicken as it creates a more even browning while baking. Bake the chicken at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. When cooked remove from the pan, cover with aluminum foil and let rest 5 minutes.

Make the couscouse according to directions. Slice 1/2 to 3/4 pound crimini mushrooms and cook in a 10" saute pan. When thourowly cooked drain any water from the mushrooms and mix in with the couscouse. Add salt and pepper to taste and top with a drizzel of olive oil.

To make the gravy, mix up 1/2 cup chicken stock with the pan dripping from the chicken and 2 teaspoons cornstarch. Heat in a small saute pan until thick and serve.

Side Dish Suggestion:
Zucchini Especial

Beef Stroganoff

Straight up comfort food for sure. Typically beef stroganoff would be made with some sort of steak, but the steak always seems tough to me. I like to use beef stew meat and cook in a crock pot for 4 or 5 hours which makes a really tender piece of meat and a rich beefy broth.

Ingredients:
2 pounds cubed beef stew meat
 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 - 32oz low sodium beef stock
1 yellow onion
4 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons corn starch
1 cup light sour cream
1 pound egg noodles cooked

Preparation:

Take a large sauce pan and add the beef stock and bring to a boil. Once boiling transfer the beef stock to the crock pot. You never want to start with room temp stock in a crock pot because it can take an hour and a half just to get to a boil.

Take the cubed stew meat and toss on the flour and mix. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a 12" saute pan and brown the meat on all sides. Tranfer the meat to the crock pot. Dice the onion and garlic and add to the crock pot. Cook the beef for 4 hours.

When the beef is close to the 4 hour mark, take a cup of the broth out of the crock pot and let cool to room temp. When cool, add the corn starch and mix well. Add the broth and corn starch mix to the crock pot. This will thicken up the broth making a better stroganoff.

Cook the egg noodles according to the package. Place the egg noodles in a 12" saute pan and add the beef and broth from the crock pot. Mix in the sour cream, heat thoughowly and plate.

Side Dish Suggestion:
White Balsamic and Olive Oil Roasted Broccolini

Asian Style Eggplant

I was at the fair one year when our kids were young and we were looking at the animals. We came across a pot belly pig and I'll never forget what the guy next to me said. He said, you're the ugliest dam thing I ever saw, but you sure taste good. I think eggplant isn't far off that description, it's not an attractive dish, but it tastes so good.

If you're a fan of eggplant then you'll love this dish. Always buy eggplant when they're around $1.79 each. Never buy eggplant by the pound, it's way to expensive. The key to this dish is to cook the eggplant in a covered sauté pan, if you don't cover while cooking the eggplant will dry out and burn.

Ingredients:
 

2 large eggplants
2 tablespoon canola oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
Pinch red pepper flakes

Preparation:

Peel the eggplant and cut in half lengthwise, into 1/4's and then into 2" pieces . The eggplant really cooks down so you need to start with big chunks. Place the eggplant in a 12" sauté pan and add the canola oil, water and salt. Cover and cook the eggplant on medium to medium low, stirring every few minutes. As the eggplant cooks add a tablespoon of water if the eggplants looks like it's starting to burn and turn down the heat. The eggplant actually takes longer than you think cook, about 30 minutes.

After 25 minutes, add the crushed garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil and pepper flakes. Cover and continue to cook the eggplant for another 5 minutes till done and you're ready to serve.

Main Course Suggestion:
Grilled Garlic and Ginger Marinated Pork Chop



Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

This is a wonderful easy to make soup that tastes so good and fresh. The beauty of this soup is that it only has two ingredients, butternut squash and organic chicken broth. Don't let winter pass you by without trying this great tasting soup.

Ingredients:
1 package cut up butternut squash
32oz organic chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste

Take the package of cut up butternut squash, add to a baking sheet with some olive oil and salt and pepper and roast at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Remove from the oven when cooked and set aside while you take the chicken stock and put into a blender. Add the roasted butternut squash and blend until silky smooth. Lastly, add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crusty bread.







Side Dish Suggestion:
Tuscan Toast



Olive Oil Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan and Fresh Squeezed Lemon

This is my favorite way to cook asparagus, lightly roasted in olive oil and served with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon.

The key to this dish is to take a vegetable peeler and peel an 1 1/2" off the thick end. By doing this you allow the asparagus to cook quickly and evenly and tender from tip to tail.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds asparagus
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese
Lemon wedges

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Take a large baking pan and spray with olive oil. Place the asparagus on the baking pan in one layer and spray with olive oil. Lightly salt and pepper the asparagus and place in the oven for 7 - 8 minutes.

Place the cooked asparagus on a serving dish. Finish the dish with a grind of salt, pepper and a sprinkle of  Parmesan cheese. Place lemon wedges on the plate because some people like a lot of lemon and others not so much.

Main Course Suggestion:
Grilled Tri Tip with Chimichuri Sauce

Oven Baked Steak Fries with Organic Catsup

I was watching football over the weekend and saw a commercial that made me crave french fries, it' s not just me..is it? I don't typically eat fast food, let alone french fries so I made some of my own baked steak fries.

The key to making your own baked fries is that you have to coat them in corn starch right after you cut the fries. Second, you use just a touch of spray canola oil during the cooking process. The combination of the corn starch and spray canola oil is what makes these baked fries crispy on the outside and perfectly cooked on the inside. Yumm!

Ingredients:
Large russet potato's

Canola spray oil
2 tablespoons corn starch

Preparation:

Peel and cut the potato's into 1/2" x 1/2" thick and whatever the length of the potato happens to be. Take the cut potato's and put into a large bowl and sprinkle with the corn starch. All to the potato sides should be well covered with corn starch, if not add more corn starch until well coated.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat the baking pan with a thin layer of spray canola oil and then add the cut potato's to the baking pan in a single layer.

Lightly spray a coat of canola oil on the fries. Place in the oven and bake until some of the potato's start to turn a golden brown color. If they're not cooked enough, they're likely going to be sticking to the baking pan. Give the fries a little more time to cook and they'll release from the pan. Turn the fies a couple of time and each time spray a thin layer of canola oil, it doesn't take much

 The fries are done when they are golden brown on all sides. Remove from the baking pan to a plate, salt and serve with organic catsup.

Main Course Suggestion:
Santa Fe Chicken Sandwich

Sweet Ginger Garlic Marinated Grilled Chicken and Sesame Noodles

This may be the best dang things I've ever made. I found a new spice mix called Sweet Ginger Garlic from Simply Asia. I bought it at Costco, though I'm sure it's available at grocery stores.

I marinated the chicken thighs for about 4 hours in the sweet ginger garlic seasoning and then grilled over super hot grill charring the chicken really well which is the way I like it. The flavor combination of the chicken, sesame noodles and then the Sriracha is out of this world.

I'm really glad to have documented this because I want to make this exactly the same way next time.

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs

Simply Asia sweet ginger garlic seasoning

1 package Japanese Udon noodles

1/8 cup chicken stock

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon lite soy sauce

Green onions
Chopped cilantro

Chopped nuts                                                            

Sriracha sauce or teriyaki sauce

Preparation: Chicken

Sprinkle the sweet ginger garlic seasoning on both sides of the chicken thighs and place in a large plastic bag and set in the refrigerator for 4 hours. To cook, preheat the grill to maximum heat and cook about 5 minutes per side and your done.

Preparation: Sesame Noodles

Prepare the Japanese Udon noodles according to the directions on the package. Generally, the noodles will cook in a large pot of non salted boiling water for 4 - 5 minutes. When cooked, rinse the noodles and place in a 12" sauté pan. Heat the noodles on medium heat. Add the sesame oil, soy sauce, green onions, chopped nuts and chicken stock. When the noodles are heated through it's ready to serve.

To serve, place the sesame noodles into a serving plate. Cut the chicken into strips and place on top of the noodles. Garnish the dish with chopped green onions, chopped cilantro, chopped nuts and drizzle with Sriracha sauce or teriyaki sauce
.

Black Friday Turkey and Orzo Soup

Well, I am the lucky one. I get to be treated to a Thanksgiving dinner at my mother in laws and at the end of the night I get to take home all the roast turkey disposables and make turkey soup. I take everything, the carcass, legs, wings and pan drippings, everything in order to make a rich fat free broth. I like a traditional turkey soup with lots of turkey, carrots, celery and orzo pasta instead of noodles.
 

Ingredients: Turkey Stock

Turkey carcass, legs, wings and pan drippings 

4 cups diced carrots

4 cups diced celery

10 garlic cloves

8 Trader Joe's savory broth base

Salt to taste

Preparation: Turkey Stock

Take 2 large stock pots and put the carcass in one and the legs and wings in the other. Put half the pan drippings in each stock pot. Add 5 smashed garlic cloves, 2 cups diced carrots, 2 cups diced celery and 1/2  a chopped onion to each stock pot. Add 4 packets of Trader Joe's savory broth base chicken flavor to each stock pot. Fill both pots with water and bring to a boil and then simmer without a lid for 3 hours.

Take a pair of tongs and remove the carcass, legs and wings from the stock pots and set in a large bowl. Strain the turkey broth from both stock pots and once strained put all the turkey stock back into one of the stock pots. At this point you should have an almost full stock pot. Bring the stock to a boil and then reduce to a slow boil until 1/3 of the stock has evaporated. By evaporating the turkey stock your condensing the flavor and making a richer turkey stock.

Remove the turkey meat from the carcass, legs and wings. Set the turkey meat a side and toss out the remains.

Ingredients: Turkey and Orzo Soup

Turkey stock

Turkey

4 cups diced carrots

4 cups diced celery

1/2 lb. cooked orzo pasta

Preparation: Turkey And Orzo Soup

Take the turkey stock and skim off any remaining fat. Add the carrots and celery and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the turkey and cooked orzo and serve.

Garlic Marinated Lamb Loin Chops with Mushroom Couscous

I love lamb, don't have it very often and always wonder why. This dish is really something special though. The flavor of the garlicky lamb and lamb sauce is awesome. The earthy mushroom couscous is a perfect partner to serve with the lamb. The key to this dish is the sauce, it brings it all together.

Ingredients:

4 lamb loin chops

8 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup beef broth

1 teaspoon corn starch

1 cup couscous

1 pound crimini mushrooms

1/2 cup chicken stock

Preparation: Lamb Loin Chops

Crush all the garlic and add to a large zip lock bag. Add the loin chops to the zip lock bag along with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and marinate for a minimum of 4 hours, 8 is better.

Heat a 10" sauté pan until it just starts to smoke, add a splash of olive oil and the lamb chops. Salt and pepper the lamb chops and sear for about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes turn and salt and pepper the chops and sear for another 5 to 7 minutes. Towards the end of the cooking time the lamb will release juices into the pan that you'll use in the sauce.

Preparation: Sauce

Take one teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon brand beef base and mix with 1/2 cup of water to create a light flavored beef broth. Take just a tablespoon of water and mix with 1 teaspoon of corn starch, mix well and add to the broth. Take the pan drippings from the lamb chops, add to the broth and set a side for service.

Preparation: Mushroom Couscous
Mix 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon brand chicken base with 1/2 cup of water to make a light chicken broth. Add the broth along with 1 1/2 cups of water to a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Add the couscous, stir once with a fork, cover and let sit while you cook the mushrooms.

Thin slice the mushrooms and sauté until fully cooked. Once cooked take paper towels and remove as much of the moisture as possible from the mushrooms. Combine the mushrooms and couscous, check to see if properly seasoned. It's likely that you'll add a grind of salt and pepper.

To serve, plate the mushroom couscous and top with 2 loin lamb chops and drizzle with sauce.

White Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil Roasted Broccolini with Roasted Garlic cloves

I have tried a lot of different roasted vegetables and thought I would give roasted broccolini and garlic a try. We get our broccolini from Costco because you get a huge bag for about 5 bucks, otherwise broccolini tends to be expensive at the grocery store. The key to this dish is not to over cook the broccolini, it only takes 7 minutes.

Ingredients:

1 lb. broccolini

8 large garlic cloves

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

Salt and Pepper

Preparation: Roasted Garlic

Remove the peel from each of the garlic cloves. Take a piece of aluminum foil and press it into a small bowl. Add the garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil and a grind of salt and pepper and mix. Fold the edges of the foil over the bowl making a sealed pocket, place on a small baking pan and bake in the oven for 20 minutes and when finished set a side.

Preparation: Broccolini

Trim the broccolini so they're all about the same length. Place the broccolini in a large plastic bowl and add the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Toss the broccolini to distribute the oil and vinegar and add a grind of salt and pepper. Take a large baking pan and line with foil. Place the broccolini on the baking pan and spread out so it's just a single layer. Bake at 350 degrees for 7 minutes.

Place the cooked broccolini on a serving dish and add the roasted garlic on top. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a grind of salt and pepper.

Tofu Stir Fry

Once a month or so I get a craving to make a tofu dish, typically a stir fry with whatever vegetable I have on hand. The key with almost every tofu dish is that you have to remove the moisture from the tofu before you start cooking. When you remove the moisture, the tofu will brown and have a crispy texture on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside.

You remove the moisture by wrapping the tofu with a couple of layers of paper towels. The paper towels will slowly pull the moisture out of the tofu. Once the paper towels become saturated, repeat the process a couple of more times and you're done.

 

Ingredients:
1 package firm tofu

2 tablespoon avocado oil

1/2 yellow squash
1/2 zucchini

1/2 green or red bell pepper

1/3 red onion
1/4 red onion

4 garlic cloves

Green onions

Cilantro

Preparation:

Cut the tofu into bite size pieces. Heat 1 tablespoon of avocado oil in a 10" sauté pan and add the tofu. Fry the tofu on medium high heat turning occasionally until all sides are browned. When done set a side in a large bowl.

Cut the yellow squash and zucchini into bite size pieces. Take a 10" sauté pan and add 1 cup water, cover and steam until the squash is half cooked about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain in cold water and add to the bowl with the tofu.

Cut the bell pepper into bite size pieces. Chop the red onion and mince the garlic and add to a 10" sauté with 1 tablespoon canola oil. Cook for about 3 minutes until the bell pepper and red onion are half cooked.

Add the tofu and yellow squash to the sauté pan. Add the fresh spinach and sliced green onions and cook on medium high heat until the spinach has wilted. Finish the dish by adding 1 tablespoon sesame oil and 1 table spoon lite soy sauce.

Poached Chicken and Sesame Noodles

This simple to make dish is just pure wow. The combination of the sesame oil, soy sauce, chicken broth, green onion and cilantro is amazing. The key to this dish is that you don't over cook the chicken or the noodles. When the chicken is cooked, but not over cooked, the chicken will be soft, tender and juicy.

 

Japanese noodles are very different than traditional pasta such as linguini. Japanese noodles cook much more quickly and if over cooked becomes mushy. If the directions tell you to cook the noodles 4 - 5 minutes, pull them out at 4 minutes and rinse in cold water to stop the noodles from cooking. The perfectly cooked Japanese noodle will be soft, but have a firm texture.

 

 Ingredients:
1 package Japanese udon noodles
1tablespoon olive oil
2 chicken breasts
1 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoon lite soy sauce
1/2 cup reserved chicken stock
1/4 diced yellow onion
2 garlic cloves
4 Green onions
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped nuts (any kind is fine)
Sesame seeds for garnish

Preparation: Chicken

Take a 10" sauté pan and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place the chicken breast into the sauté pan, cover and cook on medium low heat for about 15 minutes. When cooked there will be about 3/4 cup of broth that you'll save for later.

Preparation: Sesame Noodles

Prepare the Japanese udon noodles according to the directions on the package. Generally, the noodles will cook in a large pot of non salted boiling water for 4 - 5 minutes.

Heat a  12" sauté pan to medium and add the onion and garlic and cook until translucent, about 6 - 7 minutes. Add the chicken broth, sesame oil, soy sauce, green onions, cilantro, chopped nuts and noodles to the sauté pan. Cook on medium heat until the noddle's are hot and your done.

 

To serve, place the heated sesame noodles into a plate. Cut the chicken into strips and place on top of the noodles. Finish the plate by garnishing with a sprinkle of cilantro, green onions a dash of red pepper flakes and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

White Balsamic Vinegar Roasted Brussels Spouts and Garlic Cloves

Roasted Brussels sprouts and garlic cloves just speaks of winter, cold and comfort food. The balsamic vinegar adds great flavor and also a nice glaze.

There are a couple of keys to this dish. Get the smallest Brussels sprout you can find at the store. Make sure the Brussels sprouts are fully cooked and even a little crispy. Lastly, when you serve the Brussels sprouts, drizzle a little olive oil on top and grind of salt and pepper. Killer.


Ingredients:
2 lbs. Brussels sprouts
10 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons white balsamic
Salt & pepper


Preparation:
Cut off the end of the Brussels sprouts and if they are large, cut them in half and put into a medium size baking pan. Peel the garlic cloves set a side. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar to the Brussels sprouts, mix well and salt and pepper.

Cook the Brussels sprouts for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Add the garlic cloves and the remaining 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and cook for another 25 minutes until done.

Scalloped Potatoes

Scalloped potatoes are one of my favorite side dishes to serve with grilled steak. There really is no instant scalloped potato product that is as good as just making it yourself. When made correctly, the potatoes will be dense, but tender with a hint of onion flavor.

The key to the dish is that the potatoes are sliced really thin. The best way to do this is with a mandolin like the one pictured. Not only does the mandolin offer perfect consistency, but it slices the potatoes really fast. You should be able to put this whole dish together and in the oven in 10 minutes.

Ingredients:

3 medium russet potatoes

1/4  small yellow onion

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup 1% milk

Salt & Pepper

Preparation:

Peel the potatoes and onion. Use a mandolin set at 1.5 millimeters to slice the potatoes and onion.

Begin assembly by buttering the inside of an 8" x 8" ceramic baking dish. Place the sliced potatoes in the bottom of the dish making a layer about 3/4" thick. Place a few of the sliced onions, just a few, 1/3 of the shredded cheese and a grind of salt and pepper. Take 1 tablespoon of butter and cut it into 4 pieces and put on the potatoes. Repeat the process making a second layer. Use the remaining potatoes to finish the top layer. Pour in the milk and cover.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Remove the lid from the baking dish and sprinkle on the remaining 1/3 of the cheddar cheese. Put the potatoes back in the over for 10 minutes while the cheese melts.

Red Chili Marinated Grilled Chicken with Avocado Peach Salsa

I love traditional Mexican flavors and ingredients. This dish is one of my new favorites that I'll be making again very soon. Red chili sauce is versatile, it can be used as a marinade as I am using, a condiment, sauce for enchiladas and traditional mole. This dish could also be called Polo Asda Salsa De Chili Colorado.

Ingredients: Chicken
8 skinless boneless chicken thighs
1- 12 oz. can of chili sauce
1 tablespoon vinegar; white, cider or rice wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cloves crushed garlic
Sprinkle cayenne pepper
Salt & Pepper  

Preparation: Chicken

Place the chicken thighs in a large freezer bag and add the chili sauce, vinegar, ground clove, cumin, cinnamon, garlic and salt & pepper. Marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and wipe off as much of the marinade as possible and place on a plate covered with paper towels. You want to get as much of the marinade off the chicken as possible before you grill otherwise the chicken will steam and not char and very likely stick to the grill.

Grill over very high heat creating charring on both sides. The chicken will take about 10 minutes.

Ingredients: Avocado Peach Salsa

1 large avocado

1/2 a large canned peach

1/4 red onion

3 green onions

Cilantro

1 tablespoon olive oil

Preparation: Avocado Peach Salsa

Dice the avocado, peach, onion, green onions and cilantro and add to a ceramic bowl, never metal. Add olive oil and a grind of salt and pepper mix and set aside for 30 minutes while you cook the chicken.

Here's my recipe for Black Beans:
Black Beans

Coconut Chicken Curry

I've been making this dish for many years and still crave it often. The taste combination of the chicken stock, curry and coconut milk is outstanding. The key to this one pot meal is getting the vegetables cooked properly. The carrots take the longest to cook and need a 10 minute head start over all the other ingredients. The chicken, potato and yam will take about 15 minutes to cook, but if you over cook the potato and yam they will disintegrate into the sauce.

Ingredients:

1 package S & B golden curry sauce found

in the Asian section in the grocery store

32 oz low sodium chicken stock

2 medium chicken breast halves

1/2 potato

1 medium yam

2 carrots

1/4yellow onion

1 can coconut milk

2 teaspoons corn starch

Preparation:

Pour 1 cup of chicken stock into a small bowl and set a side. Combine the remaining chicken stock and curry paste in a large  sauce pan and bring to a boil.

Cut the chicken, potato, yam, carrots and onion into bite size pieces. Add the carrots and onion to the sauce pan and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the chicken, potato and yam to the sauce pan and simmer for 20 minutes.

Take the chicken stock you set a side and add the corn starch and mix well so there are no lumps. Add the mixture to the curry and this will thicken up the sauce.

Add the canned coconut milk to the sauce pan and heat back to a simmer.

To serve, place a 1/2 cup basmati rice in a medium size bowl. Add the curry to the bowl and top with sliced green onion and cilantro.

Garlic Home Fries

I don't suppose I'll ever forget the garlic fries at Gordon Biersch restaurant or SF Giants baseball park, they're amazing. The key to garlic fried or in this case garlic home fries is that you don't cook the garlic with the potatoes. You prepare the olive oil, garlic and chopped Italian parsley sauce and pour directly on the home fries, toss and you're done. Here's how I garlic home fries.

Ingredients:
3 large russet potato's
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 garlic cloves
1/8 cup chopped Italian parsley
Salt & pepper

Peel and cut the potato's no larger and 1/2 cubes. Take your largest sauté pan and add a tablespoon of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the potato's and fry until all sides are brown and crispy. Because the pieces are small the potato's will cook fairly quickly.

Peel and chop the garlic and add to a small microwave proof bowl. A small glass bowl works well for this step. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the garlic and microwave until the olive oil and garlic start to bubble.

When the potato's are done, add the garlic, olive oil and parsley to the potato's. Toss until well mixed and serve. 

Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Horseradish Cream Sauce

This is my go to steak dinner. Flat Iron steak is very similar to Flank steak. It's a large cut of meat that you grill whole and serve sliced. I like to serve with a cream horseradish and lite sour cream mixed together. The combination of the rich beef flavor, hot horseradish and cool sour cream is awesome.

Ingredients:

1 Flat Iron steak

1/2 cup lite sour cream

2 tablespoons cream horseradish, Beaver brand

1 teaspoon dried chives

Preparation: Horseradish Cream Sauce

Combine the sour cream, horse radish and chive and place into individual serving ramekins and set on the plate.

Preparation: Flat Iron Steak

Rub a little olive oil on the steak and liberally coat both sides with salt and pepper. Grill the flat iron steak over hot grill about 5 minutes each side to 120 degrees, perfect medium rare. Remove from the grill to the cutting board and loosely cover with tin foil and let rest 5 minutes then slice and serve.

Serve with my creamed spinach and roasted garlic mashed potato's for an awesome meal!
Garlic Creamed Spinach
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Pork Fried Rice

Whenever I make grilled pork chops I always make enough so that the next night I can make pork fried rice. I would never call this dish leftovers though....When you make pork fried rice yourself you can back off the soy sauce and really taste the  other ingredients. The key is not to over cook any of the vegetables. The green onion, yellow onion, bell pepper and peas should be cooked just for a few minutes and retain a bit of crunch. The key to this dish is the toppings; green onion, cilantro and chopped nuts, wow so good!
 

Ingredients: Pork Fried Rice

Pork loin chops, grilled cut into bit size pieces

3 extra large garlic cloves, crushed

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1/2 small yellow onion, medium dice

4 green onions, diced

1/3 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup frozen peas

Hand full of fresh chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon sesame oil

3 tablespoons lite soy sauce

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 cup white basmati rice, cooked and cooled

Preparation:

Pre-heat a 12" sauté pan. Add the canola oil, garlic, ginger, green onion, yellow onions, bell pepper, peas, cilantro and cook for 2 minutes. Add the pork, sesame oil, soy sauce to the saute pan. Mix in the rice and heat for 3 minutes, salt and pepper to taste. Top with chopped cilantro, diced green onion, crushed nuts, sesame seeds and serve.

Garlic & Ginger Marinated Grilled Pork Chops with Sesame Noodles

I love grilled pork chops marinated in crushed garlic and ginger. The problem is what to serve with the chops. I always tend to lean toward Asian flavors with pork because potatoes or rice with pork just seems a little mid west bland. With the sesame noodles I can carry the same theme of the ginger and garlic. I also pick up flavor from the soy sauce and sesame oil and the heat from the onion and red pepper flakes. A lovely dish to satisfy you Asian craving.

Ingredients: Pork Chops
8 Pork Loin Chops

8 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

Ingredients: Sesame Noodles

Japanese wheat noodles

1/2 yellow onion, sliced

1 bunch green onions, chopped into 1/2" pieces

1/2 red bell pepper, slice into 1/4" x 1/2" pieces

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1/2 tablespoon canola oil

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon lite soy sauce

pinch red pepper flakes

Preparation: Pork Chops

Mix the garlic and ginger together and rub onto both side of the pork loin chops and marinate for a few hours or over night. To cook, salt and pepper the chops and grill over very hot grill 3 minutes each side. Let rest 5 minutes before service.

Preparation: Japanese Wheat Noodles

Boil water in a large pot and cook noodles according to directions, about 5 minutes. When cooked, drain, rinse with cold water and set a side.

Preparation: Sesame Noodles
Pre-heat a 12" sauté pan and add the canola oil, yellow onions, green onions, red bell pepper, garlic, ginger and pinch of red pepper flakes. Cook over high heat for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add the sesame oil, soy sauce, noodles and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for an additional 5 minutes and serve.

Shrimp, Chicken, Spinach, Peas and Sautéed Garlic Served on White Pepper Grits

WOW, you just died and went to comfort food heaven, you just didn't know this was the ticket to get there. I telling you, this is so much better than it looks.

Seriously though, if you've been to New Orleans then you may have noticed that grits are served for breakfast, lunch and dinner and it's all fantastic. For me, I like this combination of shrimp, chicken, spinach, peas and sautéed garlic served over grits. The key to this dish is to get the right consistency to the grits, not too thick, not too runny, right in the middle.

Ingredients: Shrimp

1lb medium large shrimp

1 grilled chicken breast

4 - 5 sliced garlic

1/4 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup cooked spinach

1 tablespoon olive oil

Ingredients: Grits

1/2 cup uncooked grits

1 cup water
1 cup 1% milk

1 tablespoon butter
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper

Preparation: Chicken and Shrimp

For this dish I used cooked grilled chicken and cooked shrimp because that is what I had on hand, however you can quickly sauté up some chicken and shrimp for this dish.

Heat a 12" sauté pan to medium and add a little olive oil. Add the sliced garlic and sauté for a few minutes making sure not to burn the garlic. Add the cooked spinach and frozen peas and cook until the spinach is wilted and the peas are hot. Lastly, add the cooked chicken and shrimp and toss until hot. Be sure to check for proper seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation: Grits

Make the grits according to the package which is 1 cup water, 1 cup milk and some salt to taste. When cooked add 1 tablespoon butter and the white pepper.

To plate, place a generous amount of grits on a plate and top chicken, shrimp, spinach and peas. Finish the dish by drizzling a little olive oil over the top of the dish and garnish with chopped Italian parsley.