Every year, around Saint Patrick’s Day, there is a fun 3-Day Celtic Fair in Sonora, California. Sonora is one of those quaint Gold Rush towns that dot California’s Sierra Foothills, so named for the miners from Sonora, Mexico who established the town in 1848. This sleepy little hamlet nearly doubles in size during the Celtic Fair, the largest such gathering west of the Mississippi. It’s a real hoot.
Continue reading “Steak and Ale Pub Pies – Oh My”Three-Alarm Beefy Chili with Chorizo and Southern Skillet Corn Bread
Wow! This is one spicy, hot chili. When I told Kiddo it was Three-Alarm Chili, he said it was more like four. This from a kid that eats roasted jalapeno peppers like candy! All I can say is that you’ll want to have plenty of cheese and sour cream handy to take the edge off this smokin’ hot chili. If you can’t take the heat, use half of the spices. Let it cook a little longer for the heat to intensify, then adjust if necessary. Remember, you can always add more, but once it’s in – it’s in there for good.
I grew up on chili and corn bread. Love the stuff. My dad makes a decent chili, but I’ve taken it up a few degrees. I like the extra flavor that good quality chorizo adds to the mix. The longer you let the chili cook after the spices are added, the more intense the heat becomes. Dad’s is saltier than mine, while mine is much hotter. Still, the basic technique is the way he taught me.
Good chili takes time – time to pick through the beans, time to soak them and time to cook them tender. The best way to make chili is to allow the beans to soak in a pot of water over night, rinse well the next morning and the cook them slowly in a crock pot. Sometimes I forget to soak my beans the night before. No worries, you can speed up the soaking time by bringing the beans to a boil, remove from heat and let them steep for about an hour or so in the heated water before proceeding. This works fine, but the over night method is better. I don’t know why, it just renders a more “beanie” bean. The beauty of cooking chili in the crock pot is that you don’t need to tend to it much. When cooking chili in a large pot on the stove-top there’s always the danger of browning the beans at the bottom of the pot. The only way to avoid that is to stir the pot regularly – every hour or so. And the cooking liquid tends to evaporate. With a crock pot, you won’t have those problems.
One final note regarding the chili – this recipe is made with both ground chuck and chorizo. Make sure you use good quality bulk chorizo. Make a little trip to the Mexican Market, make it from scratch or look for Texas Brand Chorizo. I cannot stress this enough – DO NOT use that stuff in the grocery store in a long plastic rope. All you’ll end up with is a skillet of red grease You want a chorizo that is going to crumble up just like ground beef.
Like most cooks, I have several corn bread recipes at my disposal. This particular recipe is truly rooted in the South. Start with the fact that it is baked in a cast iron skillet. Then there’s the use of bacon grease both to season the skillet and flavor the bread. I don’t know of many Northerners that keep a tin of bacon grease handy, but no self-respecting Southern kitchen would be without it. Okay, so I was born and raised in California, but my dad was an Okie through and through. He did a lot of things “Southern” that he learned from his momma, and she from her momma. He passed those on t me, and I to my children and grandchildren. That’s just the way it works, from generation to generation, each adding their own personal touch while preserving the basic heritage of the dish.
There are two ways to keep your bacon grease – on the stove top (that’s the old southern way) or in the fridge, which is how most cooks today hang on to that wonderful fat. Some folks strain the bacon grease through a coffee filter to remove all the little bits of bacon, saving only the pure fat renderings. There is some speculation that having little bits of pork in the fat might cause it to go rancid. I suppose that could happen, if you left it long enough. We use it all the time so it never sits for very long. Next time you make some refried beans, try putting a little bacon grease in the skillet and really “fry” those beans. The flavors are amazing. I’ve tried frying eggs in other oils, but nothing compares to dirty fried eggs, speckled with little flakes of bacon. Next time you’re having bacon and eggs, keep the bacon warm and fry the eggs in the same skillet. It’s the only way to fry eggs if you ask me.
As for the type of container – true Southerners would use a coffee tin. Now a days, coffee rarely comes in a tin. For years I used a small metal mixing bowl with a lid. Somewhere between moves, it got lost in the shuffle. So now I use a glass bowl fitted with a lid. I’ve seen people use mason jars or clean out a jelly jar. The only problem with glass is that you need to let the grease cool a little or you run the risk of breaking the glass with the sudden change in temperature.
What’s the difference between Northern and Southern Corn Bread? That’s easy – Northern Corn Bread is moist, sweet and more cake-like. It is usually cooked in a cake pan or square glass dish. Generally speaking, Northern Corn Bread uses equal parts corn meal and flour. Southern Corn Bread usually isn’t sweetened (although I like mine sweet, so I add some sugar to the mix). Southern Corn Bread uses more corn meal than flour and is usually cooked in a very hot skillet, making the crust crisp. Northern Corn Breads use butter or oil as the fat, Southern corn bread uses bacon grease.
Enough chatter from me – let’s get to cooking, shall we?
Beefy Chili Beans with Chorizo
1 cup pinto beans
1 cup pink beans
1 Can Beef Broth
1 lb lean ground beef
1 lb chorizo
1 tablespoons Cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon Mexican Hot Chili powder
½ teaspoon Cumin Seasoning
Pick over the beans. Rinse lightly. Soak beans in water overnight. Drain and rinse beans again.
Pour beans into a crock pot. Pour beef broth over beans. Cover and cook on HIGH for 5 hours.
Brown ground beef and chorizo together in a large cast iron skillet. Crumble the meat as it cooks, breaking it into small, uniform size pieces. Once cooked through, drain off any fat. Add meat to beans, stir well and continue to cook in crock pot on LOW until beans are tender, about 2 hours. (At this point, add an additional cup of water if the beans appear too dry).
At the end of 7 hours of cooking time, add all the spices. (You want your beans to be tender BEFORE adding any seasonings. Adding spice, especially salt, too early will cause beans to become tough). Continue to cook 45 minutes. Taste and adjust spices as desired.
Serve with grated sharp cheddar cheese, chopped onions and sour cream as garnish.
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Southern Skillet Corn Bread
4 teaspoons bacon drippings
1 1/2 cup yellow corn meal, preferably stone ground
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 cup rapidly boiling water
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg, beaten lightly
Cornmeal mush of just the right texture is essential to this bread. The mush must be smooth without overworking the batter. Don’t rush the buttermilk and you’ll have less lumps to break up.
Another “must” is a hot cast-iron skillet. Although the bread can be made in a cake pan or square casserole dish, that would just be too “Yankee” to do the bread justice.
Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Set 8-inch cast iron skillet with bacon fat in heating oven.
Measure 1/2 cup cornmeal into medium bowl. Set aside.
Mix remaining 1 cup cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in small bowl; set aside.
Pour boiling water all at once into the 1/2 cup cornmeal; stir to make a stiff mush. Whisk in buttermilk gradually, breaking up lumps until smooth, then whisk in egg.
When oven is preheated and skillet very hot, stir dry ingredients into mush mixture until just moistened. Carefully remove skillet from oven. Pour hot bacon fat into batter and stir to incorporate, then quickly pour batter into heated skillet.
Place skillet back into the oven, then immediately lower the temperature of the oven to 425 degrees.
Bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and instantly turn corn bread onto wire rack; cool for 5 minutes, then serve immediately.
If desired, spread a little honey butter over the top of the corn bread and let it seep in just before serving. The honey will help to off-set the heat of the chili.
Here’s to good eatin’!
Cowboy Steak with Coffee-Chili Rub
Way back in our wandering days, Hubby and I had the good fortune to meet an honest to goodness Pioneer-stock family who called Wyoming home. Grandma and Grandpa came from the east, driving a 20-mule team. When they reached Fort Casper, Wyoming, they took a look around and decided it was time to settle down.
Saint Patrick’s Day Supper
The day is nearly upon us – when suddenly everyone is a wee-bit Irish. We wear our green, drink beer, eat Corned Beef and Cabbage and have a grand time doing so. Funny thing is, Corned Beef and Cabbage isn’t Irish – at least not in Ireland. About the only part of Corned Beef and Cabbage that is genuinely a part of Ireland’s traditions is the cabbage.
Old Fashion Sausage Gravy with Sausage Patties on the side
One of my all-time favorite “comfort” breakfast meals has to be Biscuits smothered in Sausage Gravy with Sausage Patties and Fluffy Scrambled Eggs on the side. If I’m feeling particularly famished, shredded potatoes and onions are also a welcome supporting role to the main star – the Biscuits and Gravy.
Continue reading “Old Fashion Sausage Gravy with Sausage Patties on the side”Grape-Stuffed Kahlua Game Hens with Kahlua Sauce
If you were to walk into my den, you’d see an entire wall of books – most of them deal with food. None are new. Some are over a hundred years old. These are my treasures.
Continue reading “Grape-Stuffed Kahlua Game Hens with Kahlua Sauce”
Sensational Beef Medallions with Rosemary Sauce
On our drive home from the office one crisp September evening a few years back, Hubby and I had a long discussion as to what to do for dinner. I knew we had some beautiful Beef Medallions waiting for us and I had a new recipe I was dying to try – Beef Medallions with a Rosemary Sauce.
Continue reading “Sensational Beef Medallions with Rosemary Sauce”
President Ford’s Braised Eye of Round Steak
On a recent Costco run, Hubby and I picked up an Eye of Round roast. It was a large roast, about 5 pounds. That was much too large for just the three of us, so we cut the roast in half, wrapped each half in plastic wrap, then sealed in bags for the freezer.
Continue reading “President Ford’s Braised Eye of Round Steak”Pan-Roasted Halibut with African Chermoula
If you aren’t familiar with Chermoula, it’s a condiment or marinade of sorts that hails from North Africa. It is a delicious blend of fresh herbs, rich spices and a kiss of lemon.
Continue reading “Pan-Roasted Halibut with African Chermoula”
Buttery-Chive Crescent Rolls
It occurred to me as I posted my recipe for Slow Simmered Creamy Potato and Bacon Soup that I’ve featured my “cheaters” Buttery-Chive Crescent Rolls in the photo along with the soup. These are the same wonderful, buttery rolls I like to serve with just about any light or creamy soup, opting for warm French Bread when serving a more hardy, dense soup such as Vegetable Beef. These flaky rolls are also excellent with light pasta dishes such as Fettuccine Carbonara. The yummy rolls are so easy to make – especially when you “cheat” a little and use crescent roll dough from your market’s refrigerated section. Personally, I like Pillsbury Crescent Rolls for their flaky exterior and light, soft interior, but you can use your favorite refrigerated Crescent Rolls. During the holidays, I like to keep several cans on hand as they are so versatile, especially when making all sorts of warm appetizers – be it planned or when people pop over to say Merry Christmas.
Buttery-Chive Crescent Rolls
1 can refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 tablespoon butter, melted
¼ cup chopped fresh chives
Butter-Flavored Pam
Heat oven to 375-degrees (350 for darker pans or well-seasoned baking stone). Lightly spray baking sheet with butter flavored Pam and set aside.
On a flat surface such as a cutting board, unroll dough. Leave as one sheet and brush with butter. Sprinkle generously with chives. Separate rolls along perforated lines. (Use a pizza cutter and follow along the perforated lines for an easy way to separate the rolls without over-stretching the dough). Roll each into crescent shape.
Place on baking sheet and pop into the oven. Bake for 10-13 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from baking sheet to prevent bottom from over-cooking. Serve warm. Makes 8 rolls; double for more.
Looking for something to serve with an Italian influence: Add some roasted garlic to the butter and sprinkle with a little Italian seasoning. Yum!
Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Red Grapes and White Wine
Throughout my postings, you will get to know my family a little better. The main characters are Hubby, my soul mate of thirty plus years, and Kiddo, our now grown grandson. We have raised Kiddo since birth, and although an adult, he still lives with us. We are the Three Musketeers.
I was fortunate in that during Kiddo’s formative years, I was a stay-at-home mom (or Mema, as he calls me). When I returned to the workforce, dinnertime became a challenge, until I realized that I had a teenager at home who was capable of preparing even the most complicated of dishes with proper instructions. After all, he had been at my side in the kitchen for years, eager to learn and lend a helping hand.
While it wasn’t easy to “let go” of the responsibilities of the family meal, it was good for both of us. It allowed him to be able to mature, to feel confident and independent. It gave me a less stressful work day. All around it was a win-win situation.
And so it was that I set about creating recipes with timetables and step-by-step instructions for Kiddo to follow all on his own. I knew we needed dinner on the table by 6:30 each night, so I worked out a timetable that would end with the meal on the table at the appointed time. Since my guy was a novice in the kitchen all on his own (great with grilled cheese sandwiches but lacking in speed with a knife), I allowed ample time for chopping and such. In no time at all, my young man was a whiz in the kitchen, although to this day he continues to move at a snail’s pace.
This recipe is one such meal he was able to execute without my hovering over him every step of the way.
Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Red Grapes and White Wine
3 Tablespoons garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
3 lbs center-cut pork loin
1 cup dry white wine, divided
1 lb red grapes
2 tablespoons butter
Preheat oven to 375-degrees. Butterfly Pork Sirloin or Tenderloin roast. Set aside.
Combine garlic, sage, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of oil in mixing bowl. Rub half of the mixture inside the tenderloin. Close and secure with kitchen twine. Rub remaining mixture over outside of tenderloin.
Coat large baking pan with 2 tablespoons of oil. Place pork loin in baking pan; add about 1/2 cup white wine to pan, cover pan with aluminum foil. Place in oven and roast for approximately 10-15 minutes per pound or until temperature reaches 155-degrees (medium well). Remove foil; roast additional 15 minutes or until well-browned.
Remove pork loin from pan and place on cutting board. Tent with foil to keep warm and let stand for 10 minutes.
In the meantime, place pan used to roast pork on stove top over medium heat. Add remaining 1/2 cup of wine. Using spatula, scrape bottom of pan to release drippings. Add grapes; cook until grapes are warm and wine is bubbling. Remove from heat, stir in 2 tablespoons butter to the wine mixture.
Slice pork loin and place on serving platter. Spoon warm grapes around loin. Pour wine sauce over pork. Serve immediately.
Slow Simmered Creamy Potato and Bacon Soup
It was one of those rise and shine before the Rooster’s crow mornings. Outside the rain fell and I could hear it softly tapping on the window panes. The air was cold and crisp and clean. I love busy mornings – it gets my heart to pumping. I went through my check list. Lunch packed – check. Breakfast Blend coffee in the French Press – double-check. Creamy Potato and Bacon Soup simmering in the slow cooker – you bet. I could still smell the lingering scent of fried bacon. The whole of the kitchen smelled warm and inviting. I love the smell of bacon cooking, don’t you?
Just a few quick tips before we get into the recipe – white pepper is mild BUT a much finer grain of pepper, so a little quarter teaspoon goes a long way. Be sure to taste and adjust accordingly. Let your bacon crisp a bit before adding the onions – the onions are going to impart some liquid that will hinder the bacon’s ability to crisp if added too soon. Since I knew my soup was going to simmer in the pot for more than the recommended 7 hours, I cut my potatoes a bit larger than “diced” as the original recipe called for. I was afraid that if I cut the potatoes too small, they would fall apart. While you don’t want huge chunks of potato in a soup deemed “Creamy” you DO want some potatoes to be recognized as potatoes and not mushy stiff-stuff. Once the soup is finished, you can always break up any large chunks if you like. I didn’t find it necessary.
The final cooking time of 30 minutes for the soup to thicken is just the right amount of time to bake up some Buttery-Chive Crescent Rolls. It also give you a few minutes of down time to relax, kick off your shoes and settle in for the night. Savor the wonderful smoky aroma floating from your slow cooker, toss a salad and maybe pour a glass of wine. Before you know it, dinner is served.
Hubby isn’t a big soup eater. The fact that he complimented me on dinner and went back for seconds tells me this is one soup he really enjoyed. Besides the convenience of having a stress-free supper waiting at the end of the day is that my guys truly enjoyed this yummy soup. Gotta love cold nights if for no other reason that it brings out the best of soup makers in all of us.
Creamy Potato and Bacon Soup Slow Cooked
6 slices bacon, cut into pieces
1 onion, finely chopped
2 (14.5 ounce) cans Chicken broth
5 large potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 cup Wondra or all-purpose flour
2 cups half-and-half cream
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
4 Tablespoons Chopped Red Bell Pepper, garnish
4 Tablespoons Chopped Green Onion, garnish
Lay strips of bacon in a stack, slice into pieces. Place in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Stir fry bacon until just beginning to brown. Add diced onions to the skillet and increase heat to medium-high. Continue to cook, stirring as needed, until the bacon is evenly browned and the onions are soft. Drain off excess grease.
While the onions and bacon are cooking, peel and dice potatoes. Set aside until ready to use.
Transfer the bacon and onion to a slow cooker. Add potatoes and stir to incorporate bacon-onion mixture with potatoes. Stir in chicken broth, salt, dill weed and white pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for about 7 hours. (Longer is fine, too).
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, Half-and-Half and Evaporated Milk. Stir into the soup along with a teaspoon or so Garlic Powder. Increase slow cooker to HIGH and cook soup another 30 minutes uncovered. This will allow soup to thicken, taking on its creamy characteristics.
To serve, ladle soup into bowls, garnish with chopped bell pepper and green onion. Serve with crescent rolls, if desired.
Filipino Pancit with Everything but the Kitchen Sink
Like most Filipino dishes, there is no “right” way to make Pancit. Each family has its own take on the dish, and within any given family, there are variations. The basics are Pancit Noodles, meat, vegetables and hard-boiled eggs. Beyond that, the sky is the limit. You can put just about anything but the kitchen sink into your Pancit, and it would be just fine.
Continue reading “Filipino Pancit with Everything but the Kitchen Sink”
Cheater’s Chicken Mole
When Hubby and I first got together, he took me to a dive of a Mexican restaurant – a real hole in the wall joint with linoleum floors that slopped toward the kitchen and rickety tables. Hubby insisted they made his all-time-favorite Mexican dish – Chicken Mole. He was right, it was very good. Because I love Hubby with all my heart, and as a blushing bride, I wanted to make his favorite Mexican dish at home. Have you seen the ingredients in authentic Mole sauce?! Oh me, oh my . . . raisins, nuts, chocolate, chilies and on and on . . . hours of simmering. Oh no!
Sweet and Sour Pan Fried Chicken
See me in my kitchen, doing a happy dance. I am so thrilled with how the pan-fried chicken came out – a technique I had struggled to master. I remember the first time I attempted to make batter fried chicken for a lemon chicken recipe. To say it was a disaster would be putting it mildly. The recipe called for the chicken to be dipped, then fried in a wok. The problem I had with my wok was that the chicken did not have room to spread out, to be surrounded in hot oil. The result was a big clump of chicken. When I tried to break it apart, most of the batter pulled away from the chicken. It was one hot mess. I gave up and began baking the chicken instead. Baking, while healthier, did not produce that golden puffy goodness you expect with Chinese Chicken dishes. I surrendered to the fact that the only way to get good, crisp fried chicken like the ones you get from a Chinese Restaurant was to order take-out or eat at a Chinese restaurant.
For whatever the reason, I decided to give it one last try at home. I read my recipe, remembered all the different dos and don’ts I have seen on all those cooking shows, and thought about my own failed disasters. Failure isn’t failure unless you learn nothing from the experience. Believe me, I learned. All those lessons have been incorporated and now I am proud to say I’ve got this. While this recipe is for Sweet and Sour Chicken, the cooking technique of the chicken is the same for many dishes – simply by changing up the sauce, you can create perfect Orange Chicken, Lemon Chicken, or a whole host of yummy dishes. This batter could also be used on shrimp or scallops as well.
- Do make the batter in advance and give it time to come together
- Do let the chicken sit in the batter for a good coating before frying
- Do fry in hot oil – test the oil by dropping a little bit of batter into the oil. It should immediately begin to float and puff up
- Do use a skillet with a wide cooking surface to get the chicken plenty of room
- Do Not overcrowd the skillet or let the chicken touch – it will clump together
- Do have a plan to keep the chicken warm without making it soggy. If you have a lot of chicken pieces to fry, the cooked chicken can be held in a warm oven. Line one or two rimmed baking pans with foil. Place a wire rack in each pan and place in the oven. By having the chicken elevated on the rack, they will retain all that wonderful, crisp, golden exterior.
Sweet and Sour Pan Fried Chicken
Sweet and Sour Sauce
1 (8 oz) can Pineapple Chunks, juices reserved
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup White Sugar
1/2 cup Distilled White Vinegar
4 drops Orange Food Coloring
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup Chicken Broth
Place a strainer over a cup or bowl, drain pineapple and reserve the juice. Set pineapple chunks aside.
In a saucepan, combine water, sugar, vinegar, reserved pineapple juice and food coloring.
Place saucepan over medium-high heat and stir until sugar has dissolved. Let liquid come to a full boil.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, blend cornstarch with chicken broth. Set aside until liquid in saucepan comes to a boil.
Remove saucepan from heat. Slowly add cornstarch mixture to the saucepan. Continue to stir until the mixture begins to thicken.
Return to low heat and let sauce simmer, stirring occasionally.
Pan Fried Chicken
2 1/4 cups Self-rising flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups water
3 large Boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts
Vegetable oil for frying
In a large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, salt and white pepper. Whisk to blend.
In a small bowl, whisk egg with vegetable oil. Pour egg mixture into flour mixture and stir to blend.
Add water, 1/2 cup at a time and blend with a fork to create a thick batter. Set aside and let rest.
Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry with paper towels. Lay breasts on a cutting board and cut into 1-inch chunks.
Place chicken pieces into the batter. Stir to get all the chicken pieces well coated. Set aside while the oil heats.
Heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat to 350 degrees. Oil should be about 2 inches deep.
Using tongs and working in batches, remove chicken one piece at a time and place in hot oil. DO NOT overcrowd the pan or allow pieces to touch while frying. Fry for about 5 minutes, turn or roll over and continue to fry another 5 minutes, until pieces are golden and puffy.
Remove chicken pieces from skillet using a slotted spoon, drain on paper towel to absorb excess oil. Repeat until all the chicken pieces have been fried.
Garnish
1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Orange Bell Pepper, chopped
Pineapple Chunks
While chicken is frying, core and cut bell peppers into chunks. Spread out in a microwave safe dish. Place into microwave and heat on high for about 3 minutes. The peppers should be warm yet retain that fresh crispness.
Remove peppers from microwave, add pineapple chunks and toss to combine. Set aside until ready to use.
When ready to serve, pile chicken in the center of a large serving platter. Arrange peppers and pineapple in a circle around the chicken. Drizzle some of the sauce over the chicken, reserve remaining sauce to be added at table side.
Serve chicken with the sauce and enjoy!
Welcome to Rosemarie's Kitchen 