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You are here: Home / Archives for Food & Recipes / Recipes

Recipes

Let’s Talk Poultry

by Tom Levenson|  December 26, 20203:10 pm| 64 Comments

This post is in: Cat Blogging, Food & Recipes, Open Threads, Recipes

Clearly we need more thread. Also, while I’ve sucked as a regular poster here for quite some time, I am, of course, the resident roast chicken obsessive, so as a way of overcoming my COVID-induced poster’s-block and in serving the jackaltariat, here’s a recently added recipe to the repertory that I can recommend without reservation.

My only edits are to add a tablespoon, more or less of Ricard (or any other anise-flavored digestif) and maybe a teaspoon or so of ground fennel, to kick up that flavor a bit. And I can emphasize the need to spread out the onions to get that richly caramelized effect. In our household, there are only two customers for this dish, so we usually cut the recipe in half or three quarters, and that works just fine. It’s really fast, really easy, and because of the tarragon/fennel combo, tastes very chic indeed, thank you very much.

Other than that? Like some here, I think, I’ve been spending most of my energy fighting off (or trying to) both targeted and free-floating dread, which is why I’ve been mostly absent. But yes: the world is better today than it was before 11/3–and even if the forces of darkness remain, and remain powerful, we’ve landed some shots. Which is, as they say of such things, a good start. (Note my careful tiptoeing around insulting the lawyers here. ;_)

So here’s looking for a much better 2021…and in anticipation of that consummation devoutly to be wished, here’s a little Tikka and Champ action to help the mood to the turn of the year:

First, one taken just a couple of minutes ago.  I am a man rich in cats:

Let's Talk Poultry

Next, how mountaineers are made.

Let's Talk Poultry 2

Let's Talk Poultry 3

Let's Talk Poultry 4

Finally, here’s a portrait, to prove that I really suck at those “some assembly required” holiday gifts:

Let's Talk Poultry 5

Here’s to better days, and the animals who help us get to them.

Open thread.

Let’s Talk PoultryPost + Comments (64)

Holiday Recipes and Pets

by TaMara (HFG)|  December 23, 20209:29 pm| 41 Comments

This post is in: Food, Food & Recipes, Recipe Exchange, Recipes

The week, which I was hoping was going to be quiet, has been ridiculously busy. So this will be a brief post, but cute puppehs to make up for it:

Holiday Recipes and Pets

This was last year, in front of my half-decorated tree, LOL. There just hasn’t been time this year. How is that possible? The days are years long, but I guess so is my list of things to do.

Holiday Recipes and Pets 1

Merlin, in his incarnation as Xmas Cat in the Middle of Everything.

Tomato Queen sent a Merlin update. Look at that cutie!

Okay, some food photos with links to recipes because if I had to actually post the recipes, it just wouldn’t happen.

Starting with this year’s Sweet Holiday Gifts:

Gluten-free Peanut Butter Cookies (recipe here)

 

Sesame Brittle (love this stuff, and great addtion to ice cream sundaes) Recipe here.

 

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Dark Chocolate Chip cookies, Spritz cookies and Pecan Cookies  – all recipes here.

For more Holiday Gift baking ideas, this link.

And finally Christmas Eve Dinner (recipes here)

Very simple: Spinach Lasagna, Butter and Lemon Green Beans and Garlic Bread. Dessert is an ice cream bar.

What’s on your menu?

Respite open thread

ETA: Here’s raven’s Christmas present, it’s lovely:Holiday Recipes and Pets 2

My wife …  gave me my Christmas present early. (I pretty much knew because she’s been working on it upstairs and I’ve caught a couple of glimpses. This is a thread painting of Lil Bit. She really captured the little squirt, especially those eyes.

Holiday Recipes and PetsPost + Comments (41)

Recipe Exchange: Kamala Brings It

by TaMara (HFG)|  November 24, 202010:45 pm| 54 Comments

This post is in: Cooking, Food & Recipes, Recipe Exchange, Recipes

I am going to have to up my game:

Kamala Cornbread 1

Kamala Cornbread 2

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Kamala Cornbread 3

Kamala Cornbread 4

Kamala Cornbread 5

Kamala Cornbread 6

 

Auto Draft 30

I’m going to enjoy this administration.

Open thread

Recipe Exchange: Kamala Brings ItPost + Comments (54)

Recipe Exchange: Turkey, Turkey, Who is Making the Turkey?

by TaMara (HFG)|  November 21, 20206:54 pm| 48 Comments

This post is in: Food & Recipes, Recipe Exchange, Recipes

Just a little holiday humor…now on to the recipes:

 

This year we were warned that with smaller family gatherings, small turkeys would be scarce. So when I went turkey shopping, I was not surprised the smallest turkey I could find was about sixteen pounds.

I know for many, that IS a small turkey, but I’m used to buying a couple of twelve-pound turkeys, cooking one if Thanksgiving is going to be small, or both if it’s a larger crowd. I think they cook up better and are less likely to get dried out.

What to do with this large bird? I decided to slice it in half and cook it two separate ways. They cook up similar to a spatchcock bird.

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One half, I made the traditional way: Roasted Spatchcock Turkey I deboned it and froze it into 1 lb packages for use in soups and casseroles later.

The other one, I had some fun with. I knew I was going to grill it, so I went rummaging around the spice rack and the refrigerator looking to take it up a notch.

I decided on a Peruvian Spice mix and Jalapeno Jelly. The flavors were a perfect complement to each other and created an amazing bird.

I first rubbed the half bird all over with the Peruvian spices. The mix is a combination of: cumin, chili powder, annatto, turmeric, aji amarillo, lime, Mexican oregano and cilantro.

Then I heated the Jalapeno Jelly in the microwave for about 30 seconds, just enough to make it easy to brush on the bird. I refrigerated the prepped bird over night and before grilling it the next day, I let it come to room temperature and brushed more jelly over it.

I roasted it on the grill at about 375 degree F and basted it with the jelly every fifteen minutes. It roasted for about 90 minutes, until the internal breast temperature was 160 degrees. Remove, tent with foil and let it rest for 20 minutes and that will bring the final temperature up to 165 for the breast.

I served it with Cranberry Apple Sauce (recipe here) and Garlic Mashed Potatoes and herbed stuffing.

For more not-so traditional sides, try Wild Rice Stuffed Mushrooms, Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Crispy Pancetta and Caramelize Onions,  or Brussel Sprouts Potato Gratin

I haven’t done anything pumpkin yet this season, so I’m thinking later this week I’ll make a Buttermilk Pumpkin Bundt Cake

I hope if you can’t be with friends and family this Thanksgiving, you have good food and a peaceful day.

What are some of your favorite holiday sides? What are your must-haves for Thanksgiving (mine is stuffing)? Hit the comments with your Thanksgiving faves.

Recipe Exchange: Turkey, Turkey, Who is Making the Turkey?Post + Comments (48)

Recipe Exchange: Versatile and Tasty Ropa Vieja (Instant Pot & Slow Cooker Versions)

by TaMara (HFG)|  October 24, 20206:06 pm| 26 Comments

This post is in: Food & Recipes, Recipe Exchange, Recipes, yes, I know your recipe is always better than mine

Ropa Vieja is one of my favorite items on a local Mexican restaurant’s menu. I almost always have it in a salad in a tortilla bowl.  So of course I had to figure out how to replicate it at home.

I have tortilla bowl molds and make them for lunch salads all the time. Although you don’t need them, use this method here.

Now to up my game with some tasty ropa vieja.

Ropa Vieja

  • 3 lbs of Chuck, London Broil/Top Round, Brisket or Flank*
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 large red pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 28 oz of diced tomatoes – I had freshly frozen. Canned is fine.
  • 1/2 cup cider vinegar (or wine vinegar – white or red)
  • 1 tbsp sweet paprika
  • 3 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 to 1 tsp cayenne (depending on your desired heat)
  • pinch of red pepper flakes (or to your desired heat)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • salt and pepper to taste (I like lots of black pepper, so I’m hesitant to give my measurements, LOL)
  • green olives (so very optional! I HATE olives, so you will not find them in mine)

instant pot or slow cooker

Heat oil and brown meat on both sides, add onions, and saute until translucent. Then add peppers and garlic, stirring for a minute before adding remaining ingredients.

Instant pot:  Cook for 45 to 50 minutes on soup or meat setting (or pressure cooker high setting). Check meat after depressurizing. If it doesn’t shred easily, make sure there is enough sauce (add water if needed) and repressurize for an additional 10 minutes.

Slow-cooker: Cook on low for 8-10 hours, add water if the liquid gets too thick too soon.

Whichever method you use, you want the meat to shred easily when done.

When I depressurized mine, the sauce was thin, so I cooked it an additional 20 minutes on the slow-cooker setting until it had reduced to a thick sauce.

Serve with rice and black bean or in salad.

*this cooks until it’s shreddable, so cut doesn’t matter much. I used London Broil because it was at a super sale price. So I stocked up for several recipes that will simmer forever.

Anyone have favorite restaurant items they’ve recreated at home? What’s on your plate this weekend? Don’t forget to share your special recipes!

Recipe open thread

Recipe Exchange: Versatile and Tasty Ropa Vieja (Instant Pot & Slow Cooker Versions)Post + Comments (26)

Recipe Exchange: Soup Season

by TaMara (HFG)|  September 26, 20206:07 pm| 86 Comments

This post is in: Food & Recipes, Recipe Exchange, Recipes, yes, I know your recipe is always better than mine

Recipe Exchange: Soup Season

JeffreyW makes mouths water with this photo of his Beef and Barley Soup (with bonus Foccacia recipe here)

I’ve updated the basic soup recipe for Instant Pot style cooking. For the stovetop version, click here.

It has been unseasonably warm here, but I still wanted soup. Checked the freezer and I had a cross-rib roast, that would do since there was not a secret stash of chuck roast tucked away in there. All the other ingredients were handy, so Beef and Barley soup was it.

I added a potato, diced small, just because.

Beef & Barley Vegetable Soup

  • olive oil
  • 1 lb chuck, cut into small cubes
  • 1/2 small onion, diced
  • 2 tsp crushed garlic
  • 14 oz of tomatoes (fresh or canned)
  • 8 cups of water (or water and vegetable broth**)
  • 12 oz sliced carrots (frozen ok)
  • 12 oz green beans (frozen ok)
  • 3 stalks of celery, chopped
  • 1/2 cup barley
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne
  • 1/2 tsp ground pepper
  • 1/2 to 1 tsp salt (more as desired)
  • 2 bay leaves (remove before serving)

large saucepan

Heat oil in the instant pot on the sauté setting. Sauté onions for 1 minute, add beef and brown on all sides, add garlic and sauté for 1 minute making sure not to burn the garlic. Add remaining ingredients.  Set the pot to Soup/Stew setting and cook for 35 to 40 minutes, until barley is tender.  Use natural release method.

Serve with biscuits or cornbread.

**For vegetable broth,  I blend the tomatoes, and an additional 6 oz of carrots, 6 oz of green beans, 2 stalks of the celery, 1 cup water into a smooth puree, to make a hearty base for the soup.  I like the hearty stock.

Yum.

It’s soup season, so here are a few more: Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese,  Chicken Tortilla Soup, and Minestrone with Tiny Meatballs

Recipe Exchange: Soup SeasonPost + Comments (86)

Sunday Recipe Exchange: Cantanzaro Herbed Chicken

by TaMara (HFG)|  August 30, 20207:45 pm| 58 Comments

This post is in: Food & Recipes, Recipe Exchange, Recipes, yes, I know your recipe is always better than mine

I get gifts! One I got this year was a box of assorted large bottles of spice mixes. I’ve enjoyed each unique blend, especially the Peruvian one, because it’s been a while since we have been able to frequent our favorite Peruvian restaurant here.

Tonight’s menu features the Cantanzaro spice mix. Cantanzaro is a city in Italy.  So there are a lot of herbs this Italian girl recognizes: marjoram, basil, thyme, rosemary and oregano. And garlic, lots of garlic. But the kicker is the lemon and lemon peel.

It’s all very fresh for summer and great for grilling.

On the board tonight:

  1. Grilled Cantanzaro Herbed Chicken Breasts
  2. Grilled peppers and onions (toss sliced onions and favorite mix of peppers with olive oil, salt, pepper and grill in a grilling pan)
  3. Cucumber-Tomato Salad (recipe here)
  4. Gelato (recipes here)

 

Grilled Cantanzaro Herbed Chicken Breast

  • 1 to 1-1/2 lb boneless chicken breasts
  • 2 tsp each: garlic powder, dried marjoram, basil, oregano, thyme and rosemary,
  • 1 tbsp lemon peel
  • 1 cup lemon juice
  • salt and pepper to taste

grill, marinade container

Butterfly chicken breasts (slicing them open down the center so they lie flat like butterfly wings). Place them in between two pieces of plastic wrap, and pound until they are about 1/2 inch thick – you don’t want them much thinner because they will dry out on the grill.

Crush together the dry herbs. You can do it with your fingers or use a mortar and pestle.  Combine with the lemon peel.

Place chicken breasts in a shallow container with a lid (I love my pyrex containers for this). Sprinkle 1/2 the herbs over the chicken, flip and sprinkle the remaining over the other side. Cover with lemon juice (start with 1/2 cup and use up to a cup to get coverage).

Marinate for at least 30 minutes to an hour.

Grill quickly over high heat to get a good sear on both sides, reduce heat (or remove the chicken from directly over a coal fire, to the side of the grill) and grill over low heat until the internal temperature is about 160 degrees F.  Once removed from the grill, tent loosely with foil and it will quickly reach an internal temperature of 165 without drying out.

Serve with grilled peppers and onions and a cucumber-tomato salad.

=========================

BTW, if you’re buying spice mixes, skip the salt. You’ll get more spices for your dollar and adding your own salt gives you more control.

I’m happily overrun with tomatoes and besides eating them, I’m freezing bags of tomato juice for cooking later this winter. Great for making sauces, soups and quick dinners – I freeze the juice fresh, blended with seeds and skin – and then popped in freezer bags and frozen flat. Easy to store and the easy prep, so I’m not overwhelmed with processing as the tomatoes pile up. I do something similar with peppers, usually cut them into large chunks, quick freeze on a baking sheet and then portioning into freezer bags. Easy to chop them to smaller pieces before they are fully thawed and toss them into soups and sauces.

What’s on your menu this week? Share some favorite end of summer recipes.

 

 

 

Sunday Recipe Exchange: Cantanzaro Herbed ChickenPost + Comments (58)

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