BBQ Low Country Shrimp and Cheddar Jalapeno Grits with Peaches - Recipe

BBQ Low Country Shrimp and Cheddar Jalapeno Grits with Peaches

Low Country cuisine usually is reserved for South Carolina and Georgia coastal cuisines. The landscape was particular for its inhospitable geography with clogged estuaries and deadly swamps, and if it wasn’t for the African slaves brought from Western Africa, the land would still be untamed. With their arrival in the region, swamps were turned into rice fields and every piece and morsel of animal, amphibian, and fish were scienced until they became the delectable details of a very particular American cuisine. Now, low country cuisine lives on from the Gullah peoples and others in the region who broke ground and created something great out of virtually nothing.

Hats off and forever props to them!

My recipe came from an eating experience at Tautog’s Restaurant in Virginia Beach. Unlike many of the establishments in VaBeach, this place is slightly off the tourist map and is a major local hangout. Lucky for me, I have been to VaBeach so many times that I get invited to many a dinner when I’m there, usually at Tautogs. When I had their version of low country shrimp and grits with BBQ sauce and peaches, I knew this was something I could remake.

And remake it I did with 1000% success on the first try.

I’ve since made it about a dozen times tweaking it here and there. Like most southern recipes, it’s not about physical measurement, but about the eyeball and the taste test. I’ll provide the recipe, but use your own judgement. This recipe is hard to mess up, but if you do mess it up, do it spectacularly.

Here’s my recipe.

BBQ Low Country Shrimp and Cheddar Jalapeno Grits with Peaches

Author: Living Dangerously

Duration: 50 minutes

Average Cost PP: $7.00 US

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Olive oil

Salt

12 Medium Shrimp (raw)

2 Cups Bob’s Red Mill Grits

1 cup shredded cheddar

Bunch green onions

5 Ounces favorite BBQ Sauce (10 tbs)

2 fresh peaches (or can of peaches if not in season) Cut into slices.

2 pieces cooked and diced bacon, prosciutto, or Spanish Chorizo (Optional)

4 pickled jalapeno slices and 3 tablespoons of juice (optional)

Directions:

Shell shrimp and devein. Place shells in two cups of water and simmer for 30 minutes to create a stock. Do not add Old Bay seasoning, but do add salt to taste.

Chop green onions, separating white pieces from green pieces.

Once shrimp stock is cooked, remove shells, add water as needed for directions and begin cooking grits. Stir several times a minute to ensure that the grits will become creamy. Add butter if necessary, but the BBQ sauce might make it unnecessary. Still, butter is a food group so do what you feel is right.

On ridged grill pan or on grill, (I prefer a grill pan on the stove so I can see everything at once) cook peaches until wilted and char marks on both sides. Set aside. If using canned peaches, reserve some of the juice and add to the BBQ sauce.

Butterfly shrimp and begin cooking in pan with olive oil over low heat. When half cooked, turn over and add peaches, white parts of onions, and BBQ sauce. Continue cooking on low. The BBQ sauce should begin to caramelize.

When grits are almost done by directions, add cheddar cheese and stir frequently. Add optional jalapeno juice now if desired. Ensure that there is enough liquid for the grits to create the requisite delicate texture.

Once grits are finished, serve into four bowls. Add 4 pieces of shrimp per bowl along with an equal amount of peaches, and white parts of cooked onions and BBQ sauce.

Serve each dish with a handful of chives (green parts of green onions), a single pickled jalapeno on top, and optional diced pork products.

When eating, after photographing, Facebooking, Instagramming, and Tweeting, dig fork through the middle to combine all ingredients for each taste.

I’ve had this with and without the pork. I honestly like it without the pork, only because chorizo and other products can so overwhelm the relative delicate taste of the shrimp. The best flavor is when the shrimp is the king, with everything else as an accompaniment.

Pan-seared Trout Fllet in Brown Butter Pecan Sauce - Recipe

EATING DANGEROUSLY

Pan-seared Trout Fillet in Brown Butter Pecan Sauce

Author: Living Dangerously

Duration: 30 minutes

Average Cost: $12.00 US

Serves: 2- 4

 

I've always loved trout. I grew up fishing for trout in the Black Hills of South Dakota and the Smokey Mountains of southeastern Tennessee. I can remember as a child, going out with my grandfather and father on Pactola Lake, night fishing for trout, lanterns hung over the side and bugs swirling as we reeled ice cold rainbows up from the deep. I remember fishing Tellico River in Tennessee and catching so many trout on our secret spinner that we had to throw most back. Oh, trout fishing is something I hope I never stop doing.

But we're talking about eating trout, not catching it.

For most people, you'll get your trout from the store. And that's cool. I do too. Living in southern Arizona it's so hard to catch decent trout, so I often get it from my local fishmonger.

Growing up, the way my family cooked trout was to stuff them with lemon and dill, then wrap them up and bake them. Very aromatic this way, very tasty, but they can get mushy.

Recently I've been stuffing them with dill, garlic and lemon and grilling them on a flat cast iron pan on the grill. These turn out very crispy on the outside and done and firm on the inside.

When I eat out, I most often see trout as a fillet, but the fish is so delicate and I was always afraid of mauling it. Yeah, honesty time. In my 47 years of trout fishing, I've never filleted a trout. 

Well, this past Friday, I had left over green chili cheddar grits and some fresh asparagus, so I wanted to pair some fish with it... barring fish, sausage. In the seafood section of our local grocers I spied two beautiful trout-- about a pound each. Upon seeing them I was determined to fillet them... by hook or by crook I was going to do this.

So, I bit the bullet and learned how and it was amazingly easy. How'd I learn? The way I learn most things, I googled it and watched a video. This video to be specific.

Did you watch it? Did you see how easy it was? Amazing. Whoever this guy is who dropped the F-bomb, thank you! It took me about twenty minutes to fillet two trout. I took my time... really took my time. I imagine I can cut that time in half next time.

So what's the recipe?

Here it is and it's simple too and only takes five minutes.

INGREDIENTS

2 whole trout or 4 trout fillets (sans skin and bone) 

4 tbs butter

half cup pecans

1 tbs dill

1 tbs tarragon

1 garlic clove (diced)

salt to taste

Prepare fillets by dusting both sides with dill, tarragon, and salt. If you want more dill and tarragon, go ahead and add it. Much if it will fall into the butter sauce, but it will serve to flavor it too.

Heat large frying pan to high heat. Add garlic and butter. Once butter is melted, turn down to medium. Place two fillets in pan on the butter by laying the fillet away from you. This is a safety measure to ensure no hot butter splashes on you. Wait two minutes, then using a long spatula, carefully flip each fillet. (Note: that I don't put all the fillets in at once. You don't want to crowd the pan and muddy up the sauce.) Wait two more minutes, then the fillets are done. Repeat for the other fillets, but after the first minute, add the pecans.

After a full four minutes for the second two fillets, remove fillets and plate. Stir pan juices with butter and pecans for thirty seconds, then pour evenly over fillets. Your fillets should look something like this... and they'll taste magical.

Smoked Oyster Linguini Recipe

EATING DANGEROUSLY

Smoked Oyster Linguini

Author: Living Dangerously

Duration: 60 minutes

Average Cost: $5.50 US

Serves: 2- 4

I've had a love affair with smoked oysters since the first time I packed them in a bag and went to the field*. They're so easy to eat. Full of good fat and protein. They're just sort of the perfect food. But other than eat them out of a can or put them on crackers, what do you do with them? Well, while standing in the smoked oyster aisle at our local grocers the other day, I had a flash of brilliance. Sure, Wilbur and Orville flashed and got flight. Henry Ford flashed and got the assembly line. Steve Jobs flashed and got Apple. I flash and get a canned cephalopod pasta. I'll take what I can get, I suppose.

Plus, you can't beat the price. A package of pasta is 2 bucks.  A can of oysters is 2 bucks. A can of diced tomatoes is a buck. And the other ingredients barely add up to fifty cents. And this to feed four people.

Next was what kind of pasta. Small or large. Shelled or straight. Thin or wide. I use rigatoni for my Lamb Merguez Rigatoni Recipe. I use squid ink pasta for my vegetarian squid ink pasta recipe, the pasta imparting the taste of the sea without any actual protein. I also use oricchiette for my Orecchiette with Shrimp, Pancetta and Fresno Chiles recipe. Well, it's not really my recipe, but I make it enough it feels like it's mine. (Sorry Chef Geoffrey Zakarian) There are so many choices. I decided however that I wanted to go classic. I used linguini. Not only, is it my wife's favorite, but it will also stand up well for coating of the sauce I'm going to make, much like in my recipe for Smoked Salmon Linguini.

About the sauce. White or red? I can really see a smoked oyster lemon cream sauce working well with this. For those who aren't afraid of a caloric avalanche, they could try this. But I'm still watching calories, so I deferred to a simple but elegant ragu. A sliced shallot, minced carrot, a can of diced tomatoes**, a couple cloves of garlic, a little red wine, oregano, and maybe some fennel. Salt and pepper to taste, but be careful about the salt. Look at the sodium in the can of tomatoes. You might have enough already. Plus, if you're adding cheese at the end, cheese has its own inherent saltiness, especially Parmesan. Simmer the ragu for about 40 minutes, then add the oysters in their oil*** and simmer for another ten. If you put them in too early, they'll end up like smokey little raisins.

Meanwhile, chop up some scallions, fresh basil. and some sweet peppers. I'll also add a couple of tiny yellow sunburst tomatoes from my garden for color. These ingredients are the crunch and sweetness to offset the smokiness of the ragu.

Cook the pasta and drain per instructions. At this stage, I put the fresh ingredients in. If I put them in any sooner, they'll get cooked and I want them floral and crunchy. Stir in your pasta and serve. Note, if you use a full box of pasta, it will feed four people but the sauce will be a little light. I made this for two people and only used half a box, then offset the food portion with a healthy salad.

When you serve it, top with your favorite cheese and maybe a basil flower or two. In addition to shredded Parmesan, I added a tbs of low fat sour cream to the top and spread it through the ragu as I ate. I found this to be a bright counterpart to the smokiness of the oysters.

Sure beats canned rations.

One more thing. I just remembered this. When I was in Papua New Guinea in the early 1990s, I was staying in one of the embassy's apartments. For transients, many folks would come and go. One guy who was traveling through always made his own food. At the time I thought he was crazy, but then my pallet was still on fried chicken and garlic bread. What this guy did-- I wish I could remember his name cause I can still see his face-- was make a simple ragu with diced tomatoes and sardines and throw them over spaghetti. He did this every night, getting the sardines from the local sardine plant. I never tried them, but now I wished I had. I remember at the end he topped it with hot sauce. I bet it's good. Makes you think that any canned fish, cephalopods or crustaceans can be used for a ragu di mare.

 INGREDIENTS

1 can smoked oysters
1 box linguini
1 can diced tomatoes
1 shallot ****
3 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
several basil leaves (finely chopped)
one smallish carrot (minced)
half a cup of red wine (half for you and half for the ragu)
1 tbs oregano
1 tsp fennel seeds
3 small sweet peppers (roughly chopped)
3 scallions (finely chop whites only)
2 tbs Parmesan
salt and pepper to taste (you probably won't need pepper)
2 tbs low fat sour cream (optional)

*When a military person says 'field' he/she means war games and training in some dank, dusty, uninhabited spot where they eat canned rations, sleep in tents, and share their misery with others until it's time to go back to the world. While stationed at Fort Carson in the 80s, I averaged 260 days a yea
r in the field.)

**Why canned tomatoes instead of fresh? Although the canning process destroys some of the vitamin C and fiber, canned tomatoes (as opposed to fresh) are an excellent source of the antioxidant lycopene, shown to help lower the risk of heart disease, prostate cancer and macular degeneration (poor eyesight as you get older). (Source: Food Network)

***You'll also want to watch the sodium levels in this as well.

****Remember not to cut the shallot like you would an onion for a BBQ. After you trim the ends, cut the shallot in half long ways, then thinly slice each piece from stem to stern. Should come out looking like slivers. Then dice finely.

How to Eat Healthy and Live Dangerously

Living Dangerously is all about rejecting the norm. It's about deciding you're not going to take the simple path. As Robert Frost would say, I took the one less traveled by. Is there danger with doing things other people don't do? Some people think so. To them the very idea of change is dangerous. I've been doing it for so long danger is the norm.

I need change.

I reject commonality.

I want to be different.

So as you noticed in yesterdays post, I explained how a 4 day vacation resulted in 4 pounds gained. Most people would lock themselves into a fall out shelter and eat oatmeal and smoothies the rest of the week. That's the easy way to lose the weight. The dangerous way is to confront the food. Eat well. Eat healthy. And exercise.

Here's my menu for the week:

Monday - Leftover cauliflower fried rice with leftover bbq pork ribs. That's like a double leftover meal. Served over steamed cabbage.

Tuesday - Scrambled eggs with onions, capers, white wine, garlic and fennel. Served with a sunburst tomato and mint salad. Yes, you can have eggs for dinner.

Wednesday - BBQ Chicken Salad with leftover bbq chicken breast, grilled corn, black beans, onions, lime, cilantro and low fat blue cheese dressing.

Thursday - Grilled Trout with Sardinian Couscous with steamed clams. I caught the trout but haven't made the couscous before. But I do have a recipe so we'll see how it turns out.

Friday - Farmers Market Pappardelle Pasta with Pan-seared Scallops. I love this pasta. Drizzled with a simple sauce of meyer lemon olive oil it's going to be fantastic. I might use shrimp instead if scallops are too expensive.

Saturday - Out for Dinner with a friend from out of town.

Sunday - Grilled Salmon with Cucumber Quinoa Salad. I love love love grilled salmon. I could have it every day. The cucumber quinoa salad is a nice bright fresh accompaniment.

Notice what you don't see. You don't see any beef or bread. You don't see anything premade or processed, which usually contain unholy amounts of sodium as well as other unsavory ingredients. You don't see anything cooked in butter. I'll use EVOO instead.

What's for breakfast? Usually coffee, yogurt and a piece of fruit.

What's for lunch? Either a salad, soup or leftovers. Small portion.

What's for snack? Fruit. We have 4 pineapples cut up in the house this week. I graze on that.

And of course, exercise. Yesterday I burned 600 calories by doing a spin class and lifting weights. Today I'll probably run and burn about 400 calories. It's important to exercise every day, if only just a little.

So what are you eating?

Are you living dangerously?

Or are you living safe?

Come on, live dangerously. I dare you!

Lamb Merguez Sausage Rigatoni - Recipe

Lamb Merguez Sausage Rigatoni

Author: Living Dangerously

Duration: 30 minutes

Average Cost: $12.00 US

Serves: 4-6

I discovered Lamb Merguez Sausage last year and I don't know where it's been all of my life. Seriously. As a lover of lamb, this North African spiced sausage is just wonderful. Plus, to find it out in the wilds of my little corner of Arizona is truly miraculous.

This is the brand I use. I see that you can order it online if necessary

Here's what happened. We go to the nearby town of Bisbee a lot. It's a cool little town with a lot going on. We always stop at the High Desert Market. They have a freezer with super expensive cheese, some goat, sometimes some Halibut, and other sundries. Clearly many of these things have been requested by some locals so the market likes to keep them in stock. One day I check and find five completely frozen packages of Lamb Merguez Sausage. Not knowing if it's good or not, I grab one. We go home and I cook it up throw it in some pasta with red sauce and then I get to experience how damn good it is.

The next day I drove thirty miles back to Bisbee and bought the other four packs. HA! Poor dude who had them order it for him was probably wondering what happened. Now there are two of us!!

Ever since, whenever they have the Lamb Merguez Sausage in stock, I buy every damned one of them. Sometimes they are not in stock. for weeks I wonder if it's that dude doing the same thing to me.

Lamb Merguez Sausage wars!!!

So the other day I was jonesing for some Lamb Merguez Sausage. We were having company over, so I decided to make it with some pasta. I knew I wanted something hollow, so I pulled some rigatoni mezza out of the pantry. This is perfect because it lets the ingredients coat the inside and the outside. I also didn't want to use any cream or any sauce. I wanted this to be rustic. This is the best version of it so far and with no butter or cream it's about as healthy as possible.

Ingredients

     Bag of Rigatoni Mezza or similar hollow pasta

     6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling (I use Meyer Lemon)

     6 fresh Merguez  sausages cut into very small pieces but not minced

     8 ounces mushrooms, sliced4 spring onions, thinly sliced.

     6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

     Freshly ground pepper

     2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (I prefer yellow sunbursts because of the color)

     1/4 cup low-sodium chicken or beef broth

     1/2 cup white wine

     1/2 cup grated pecorino or parmesan cheese, plus more for serving.

     2 oz goat cheese

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs.

Meanwhile, heat 4 tbs olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up any of the larger pieces with a wooden spoon, until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add spring onions and cook until softened, about 3 more minutes. Add the garlic, mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste; cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms start to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the last 2 tbs of olive oil.  Add the cherry tomatoes and cook until they soften slightly, about 3 more minutes.

Add the wine to the skillet, then the broth to the skillet and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in the pasta and cheese, adding more wine to loosen, if necessary. Fold the mixture together completely so that the rustic ingredients get into the pasta. Season with salt and pepper. 

This is a terrific meal. Serve with a salad if you want. Something light and green. Hold the tomatoes because this has that wonderful taste in spades.

What's in merguez? Always check the ingredients, but our friends at wilipedia say this:  Merguez is a fresh sausage made with lamb, beef, or a mixture stuffed into a lamb-intestine casing. It is heavily spiced with cumin and chili pepper or Harissa, which gives it its characteristic piquancy and red color, as well as other spices such as sumac, fennel, and garlic.

PARMESAN EGGPLANT FRIES - A Living Dangerously Recipe

PARMESAN EGGPLANT FRIES

Author: Living Dangerously

Duration: 30 minutes

Average Cost: $3.00 US

Serves: 4-6 (or two who just can't stop eating)

Who doesn't love fries? I could eat an entire plate of them virtually every day. I remember when I was stationed in Afghanistan in 2013. Every Sunday night I'd have three baked chicken breasts and a heaping plate of fries. So nice. So good. So damned fattening.

But now I think I've discovered a way to eat them and get away with it. Yes! Baked Eggplant Fries.

These are seriously good and taste just like they're fried.

I kid you not.

So, get out  your cutting board, baking sheet covered in foil and rack, and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Here we go.

Peel medium eggplant. Starting on the longest edge, slice the peeled eggplant into 1/2-inch pieces. Lay the widest pieces, from the center, cut side down, and slice in half length-ways so all the pieces are equally about 1/2 by 1/2 by 4 inches in length.

 Place the flour in a medium bowl and season with the salt and pepper. Place the egg whites in another bowl and beat until frothy, about 30 seconds. Combine the Parmesan and bread crumbs in a third bowl.

Coat the eggplant pieces in the seasoned flour and pat to remove any excess flour. Dip the floured eggplant in the egg whites and then into the Parmesan mixture, gently pressing the mixture into the eggplant. Place the breaded eggplant pieces on a rack on a baking sheet. This should really be done with a rack, so if you don't have one, consider getting one. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Toss in a bowl with a little garlic salt (or not) and serve. 

Cook's Note: The eggplant fries can be dipped in ketchup, marinara sauce, pesto, ranch dressing, vinaigrette, or really anything you want. We used curry ketchup, but next time I think I'll try a Dijon-lemon-mayo mixture.

Ingredients

1 Medium Eggplant

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (or gluten free substitute)

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 egg whites

1 cup grated Parmesan

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs (or gluten free substitute)

GARLIC BUTTER SHRIMP AND QUINOA - A Living Dangerously Recipe

GARLIC BUTTER SHRIMP AND QUINOA: Low country cooking meets high country health

Author: Living Dangerously

Duration: 30 minutes

Average Cost: $16.00 US

Serves: 6 with small salads

Use two kinds of quinoa for added color

Can butter be healthy? Do you mean there's a meal with six tablespoons of butter that's healthy?

Seriously?

Here's the answer- Yes and No. 

The No = If you eat a meal loaded with fats and carbs and then throw in a stick of butter then hells yes it is unhealthy. That much butter, especially on a regular basis is bad for your heart and a big turbo boost to bad cholesterol.  

The Yes = If you eat a light meal with ancient grains and no fat, then a little butter, even a stick of butter won't hurt too bad as long as it's not every night. We're talking once a week or every two weeks. If this is the case then, yest, it can be healthy.

Full disclosure. This is a dish I modified from Taste of Yum. Not that this was the first place I'd seen it. I'd had something like it when I was in the Golden Isles many years ago (Jeckyll Island specifically), but it was served with couscous. When you think about it, this is nothing more than a healthy version of shrimp and grits, a staple of low country cooking.

So why quinoa?  According to authoritynutrition.com, here are the health benefits:

• Protein: 8 grams.
• Fiber: 5 grams.
• Manganese: 58% of the RDA.
• Magnesium: 30% of the RDA.
• Phosphorus: 28% of the RDA.
• Folate: 19% of the RDA.
• Copper: 18% of the RDA.
• Iron: 15% of the RDA.
• Zinc: 13% of the RDA.
• Potassium: 9% of the RDA.
• Over 10% of the RDA for Vitamins B1, B2 and B6.
• Small amounts of Calcium, B3 (Niacin) and Vitamin E.

Sautee low and slow for tenderness

This is coming with a total of 222 calories, with 39 grams of carbs and 4 grams of fat. It also contains a small amount of Omega-3 fatty acids. Quinoa is non-GMO, Gluten Free and usually grown organically. Even though not technically a grain, it still counts as a “whole grain” food (11 Proven Benefits from Quinoa).

So yeah... Quinoa... duh!

I'm also a terrific fan of shrimp. Although deveining is a pain in the back, I always try and get uncooked shrimp because it's the only way to still impart flavor. I cook shrimp really slow which keeps it from getting rubbery. I usually wait until there's about five minutes left in the cooking time for the quinoa before I even fire my pan for the shrimp. Try and find medium to large shrimp. I try and get them to be forefinger-sized.

This is a great recipe for weeknights because it only takes 30 minutes to make. But it's also something to cook and serve with friends over, sitting around and chatting and drinking a nice white wine.

INGREDIENTS

I used meyer-lemon olive oil

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ cup finely chopped onion

5 teaspoons minced garlic, divided

2 cups uncooked quinoa (1 red & 1 regular)

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 yellow, red, or orange pepper (not green)

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

6 tablespoons salted butter, divided

2 pounds raw tail-on shrimp

salt and pepper to taste

lime zest for top and juice for shrimp

fresh cilantro for serving

fresh lemon juice for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the oil in a large nonstick pot over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute until softened, about 3 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons of the garlic and saute for 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Add the uncooked quinoa and ½ teaspoon chili powder. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and 1 tsp of chili powder. Saute for another 1 minute to add flavor to the quinoa. Add the broth, bring to a boil, cover and cook for 15-25 minutes (depending on elevation). When the quinoa is done, fluff with a fork and toss with fresh minced parsley. While the quinoa is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. When the pan is hot and the butter is melted, add the shrimp and sprinkle with the remaining 1 teaspoon chili powder directly in the pan and juice of one lime. Season with salt and pepper and saute until no longer translucent and golden brown on the outside. Just at the end of the saute, add 1 teaspoon garlic and swirl around in the pan until the garlic is very fragrant. Melt the

Picture is Too Fuzzy but you get the point

remaining 5 tablespoons butter with the 2 teaspoons garlic to make a sauce for drizzling (for this, crushed garlic or garlic paste would work really well but minced is also fine). Toss finely diced red, yellow, or organge pepper into the quinoa for color and crunch. Serve the quinoa and shrimp together in one dish, with shrimp layered on top, topping with fresh chopped parsley and lemon juice if desired. When the butter is melted and cooled slightly, drizzle over the shrimp and quinoa. Drizzle lime zest over top. Serve immediately, while still hot.

What's Everyone Cooking for Superbowl Sunday - Chorizo-stuffed Clams and Brie Quesadillas

I'm going to spend the weekend writing and working out. I'm staring down two serious deadlines and need to get the work done. Yvonne is going to be in art classes all weekend as well. So unless our Great Danes sprout opposable thumbs and fix dinner for us, it's going to be a challenge making something tasty and interesting without resorting to ordering out or using the microwave.

Then I saw this link on my Flipboard and read it while sitting in the Pharmacy waiting for my number to be called.

This one jumped out at me. I think I'll save the recipe for later though.Buffalo-style Pork Chops Covered in Cheese.  Yummmmm!

There are seriously lots of great foods here. I've saved the link. We boiled it down to two recipes we'd make -- well, I'd make. She's going to be in class all day so the least I could do is to have these ready for her when she gets home.

The first one is this:

Chorizo-stuffed Clams

The second one is this:

Spicy Brie and Mango Quesadillas

I get seafood and Yvonne get's her two favorite food groups: Brie Cheese and Mangos.

These aren't the healthiest choices, but hey! It's Superbowl Sunday. It could be a 3,000 calorie pizza followed by 2,000 calories of chicken wings. What's a little 5,000 calories going to do?  HA! Famous last words.

You can check out the recipes for these and all the other great snacks at the link above.

Now tell me, what are you going to eat?

Eating, Restraint, and the Best Thing I Cooked in 2014

I've been slacking. There are a bunch of blog posts I've been wanting to make--I actually have a list of them-- but I've been sick on and off for a month and deep in the nightmare realm of writing deadlines and edits. I know it's a terrible excuse, but it's all I got, so it will have to do. 

As many of you know, I take a lot of food pictures and do a lot of cooking. I even host a FB group called Taste of Sierra Vista highlighting the foods of the town and region in which I live. I'm not doing it to show off. I'm also not doing it to brag about my mad cooking skills because as a chef I am a complete work in progress. I cook like I live life, two steps forward and one step backward. No, I write and blog about food on the occasion because I once weighed sixty pounds more than I do now. I got that way by eating crap. And a lot of crap. Basically, I'd shove down my big fat maw anything that tasted good. I was like a kitchen krakon, eating anything you'd offered me.

But no more.

That was then. This is now.

If it's something loaded with calories, then it better be damn good and special. I need to be convinced to expend the calories and it has to be a rare occasion.

For instance, if I'm going to have a burger, I'm not going to go to a  fast food restaurant. I'm going to

APE Burger - Brie, Bacon and Apple Burger

expend those calories on the best burger I can think of-- best burger available. I'm not going to do it often, but when I do, it's going to be the best ingredients, cooked the best possible way, and in the coolest place. For instance, my go-to burger spot is a place called The Cafe in Sonoita, Arizona and run by Chef Adam Puckle. They have the APE Burger (APE-Adam Puckle Experience). It's a half pound of either farm-raised beef or bison, prepared your way, with his choice of toppings. It's mad good and an experience to boot. So when I said it needs to be special, THAT'S what I'm talking about.

By the way, I wrote about this burger place back in September in an article called Burgers with Chefitude. You can find that here.

Don't get me wrong. I expend calories for food all the time, but most of the time it's pretty healthy. For instance, last night I cooked Miso Glazed Cod over Steamed Cabbage and Basil with a sesame, mirin, and lemon vinaigrette, with quick pickled cucumbers in matcha mirin. It was pretty freaking awesome. But I'd be surprised if the entire plate was more than six hundred calories. It was light, it was filling, and it was sumptious and it's something I'd definitely cook again. (I can provide the recipe to anyone who asks.)

So driving into work today, I listened to a Mimi Sheraton being interviewed about her book 1000 Foods to Eat Before You Die. You can listen to it here if you want. It got me to thinking what was the best thing I ate last year. I was surprised to say that it was probably the Razor Clams I had in Portland back in May. Razor clams are one of my new favorite foods. I'd move to Oregon if I could have them everyday. THAT's how much I love them.

Then I asked myself what about all the food you cooked--which recipe do you like the best? It came to me right away. There was a simplicity to this dish, but there was also a depth and combination of flavor that I loved. This wasn't my wife's favorite dish by far. I think she'd say the Pacific Lobster Tails or Penne Con Ragu di Mortadella, which is a dish I love that I stole from Chef Michael White, which is his go to dish when he's hungry late at night. 

No, this is merely my favorite and I'll share it with you here.

Let me start by saying that this isn't my recipe. Sometimes I make up my own recipes based on ingredients available and the taste I want to cultivate. Other times I look at a recipe and tweak it, making it my own. In this case, I followed someone else's recipe-- Master Chef Geoffrey Zakarian. 

The Recipe is -- Orecchiette with Shrimp, Pancetta and Fresno Chiles

Orrechiette is sort of the perfect pasta. It means small ear in Italian and is the perfect pouch for containing small ingredients. I want to use it more. In fact, in 2015 I WILL use it more (You didn't see it, but I just pinky swore to myself).

I'm not going to rewrite the recipe. You can find it here. You should try it. It's awesome. Truly.

I'd be curious to see if you'd make it and then get your opinion. Please share it here if you do.

I'm also curious to know of all the things you cooked last year which is your favorite. I'd like to know.

Now back to writing and editing. So many ideas, so many works in progress, so much glorious life to live and so little time.

Ciao!

Christmas Dinner 2014 - or what to do with two turkeys, 33 Onions and a pound of Chorizo

My mom and dad live in Tucson and we always flip flop who does Christmas Dinner and who does Thanksgiving Dinner. They had Thanksgiving this year, so Christmas is on me and Yvonne. Sometimes we make a huge turkey. Sometimes we make ham. Sometimes we have a turkey and a ham. My mom's a fan of having a turkey and a goose, but for some reason I'm never fond of the goose. One year we had a standing rib roast. It was awesome, but we discovered that we didn't then have any turkey meat for Christmas sandwiches for which my wife is famous for and one of the reasons I was tricked into marrying her.

This year we're going to have two small turkeys. How'd I come to that decision? Well, after Christmas and Thanksgiving I usually go out and buy hams and turkeys the stores put at ultra-cheap prices, trying to get rid of them before they go bad. We have a full size upright freezer that is packed with food. We decided this summer that we need to start eating some of the food from it instead of our normal store and forget policy. So I noticed that I'd bought a small 12 pound turkey last year after Christmas. Well, 12 pounds is about enough to feed my nephew and too small for six people and the planned leftovers we're looking forward to.

Then it came to me. Let's have two small turkeys!

So we're having two small turkeys. One is going to be traditional, probably with rosemary and lemon flavors. The other is going to be southwestern so I think I'm going to baste it in chipotle butter.

The cool thing about the way I cook turkeys is that it only takes about 90 minutes. You see, I crank the oven up to 500 and they cook very quickly. They still stay moist and their skin is nice and crispy. I think it was in the food network magazine or one of those that detailed exactly how to do it. I've been using it now for 5 years and it has worked perfectly every time. If anyone needs me to, I could probably make a copy of the pages from the magazine that provide this magical advice.

I also cook the dressing(s) at least a day ahead. Not only does it make things easier the morning of, but it gives me time to warm them up while the meat is resting and I am carving. One of my staple dressings is a Southwest Cornbread and Chorizo Dressing with Butternut Squash and Fennel. Not only is it good with turkey, but it makes an amazing breakfast hash. I've been known to make it throughout the year, just so I can have some of the hash. Incidentally, I got the dressing out of a November 2005 Sunset Magazine where it won the Best Dressing Contest. A lady named Victoria Johnson really needs the credit for this. It was her recipe.

The other dressing is going to be more traditional. It's a sausage and rye dressing, made from scratch, of course. I'll make these the day before which will allow for  time for cooking other things and won't make the morning such a rush. We traditionally have dinner at 2 PM and open presents at about 11 AM, so we need the time.

The only other thing I'll make a day ahead is the little amuse bouche I like to make. It's a very small portion of cold coconut and corn soup that awakens the tastebuds and gets them ready to disco through dinner. I like to have this waiting in the middle of everyone's plates to start the meal.

So, enough blathering. One important point before the list, though. You see, I'm very thankful for being able to put out a spread like this. There were many times growing up where we were so poor we only ate pancakes for every meal for weeks at a time. There were many holidays in the military where I had to get a turkey and fixings from the Chaplain, which is something that still goes on in the military. So I appreciate now being able to afford such fare... much of it thanks to my fans.

Christmas Dinner 2014

• Deviled Eggs
• Corn & Coconut Soup
• White Cheddar Cheese Marinated in Honey
• Cranberry Sauce
• 2 Young Turkeys (one traditional and one southwestern)
• Southwest Cornbread and Chorizo Dressing with Butternut Squash and Fennel
• Sausage and Rye Dressing
• Lumpy Mashed Potatoes
• Gravy
• Brussel Sprout Slaw
• Roasted Onions with Lemon
• Kings Hawaiian Dinner Rolls
• Orange Cake
• Vanilla Ice Cream with Pistachios and Thyme

Yvonne makes a great Christmas Sandwich with turkey, cranberry sauce, dressing, and cream cheese on white Italian bread. I'm almost looking forward to that more than the big meal.

And of course there will be drinkage. 

Probably lots and lots of wine.

I hope everyone has a terrific Christmas. 

I'll snap food porn for you all later.

Now it's off to a Christmas Party.

Laters.

DRUNKEN CREAMY CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Drunken Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

Author: Living Dangerously

Duration: 3 hours

Average Cost: $25.00 US

Serves: 16

It's been scientifically proven that chicken noodle soup helps fight colds. You can believe it or not and just throw pharmaceuticals down your gullet, or you can do the great tasting healthy alternative. A recent NY Times article broke it down.

The most widely cited of these studies, published in the medical journal Chest in 2000, is by Dr. Stephen Rennard of the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. He conducted laboratory tests to determine why chicken soup might help colds, beginning with his wife’s homemade recipe, handed down by her Lithuanian grandmother. Using blood samples from volunteers, he showed that the soup inhibited the movement of neutrophils, the most common type of white blood cell that defends against infection. Dr. Rennard theorizes that by inhibiting the migration of these infection-fighting cells in the body, chicken soup essentially helps reduce upper respiratory cold symptoms. (To read the whole article go here)

How can you argue with a Lithuanian grandmother, much less the NY Times? But if you're reading this, I doubt I have to sell you on the feel-good properties of chicken noodle soup. You, like me, prefer it, using it as a warm blanket for the soul.

You could get some creamy chicken ramen. God knows it's terrific, but it has enough sodium and fat to make it the food version of an anti-tank missile.  Don't forget that ramen noodles are fried before they are placed in the nice plastic package. You never knew that? Well, now you know.

You could also go the canned soup option, but again, the sodium is very high, and frankly, why?

If you make this recipe you'll have enough soup for ten people, which means you can freeze whatever you don't eat and thaw it out when needed. And let me tell you, when you make this and try this, you'll never go back to canned again.

So here goes.

For the Stock

1 (2 - 5 pound chicken)

3.5 quarts water

1 onion roughly chopped

4 bay leaves

3 chicken bouillon cubes*

1.5 tsp oregano

1.5 tsp basil

3 tsp grated lemon

3 cloves minced garlic

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

*I prefer to use the Better Than Bouillon Low Sodium Chicken Base. It's as rich or more in flavor and has less sodium than the cubes. But if you can't find this, then use bouillon. Just don't use store-bought stock. It defeats the purpose of making your own.

For the Soup:

2 cups chopped carrots

2 cups chopped celery with leafy green tops

1 bag of uncooked wide egg noodles

8 oz sliced mushrooms

Handful of chopped fresh parsley leaves (not dried)

.666 cup brandy**

3 tsp chopped rosemary leaves (fresh if possible)

1 cup grated Parmesan

1 cup heavy cream

Crusty French or Sourdough bread, for serving

**A non-alcoholic substitute would be .5 cup simple syrup and .5 cup balsamic vinegar

Directions

For the stock: This is how I do it. I add all the stock ingredients to a large soup pot. I chop up the chicken into smaller pieces. I leave the skin on to add a deep robust flavor, but when I remove the chicken later, I throw away the skin. Cook until chicken is tender which turns out to be about 65 minutes. Boil, then simmer covered. Once tender, remove the chicken from the pot and set aside to cool. Remove the bay leaves and onion and toss. Once the chicken is cool enough, shred chicken using two forks. Toss bones, skin and cartilage. Don't forget to save the wishbone for later

For the soup: Bring stock back to a boil, add carrots, and cook for 3 minutes. Add celery and continue to cook for 6 minutes. Add egg noodles and cook according to directions on package (about 11 minutes). I prefer No Yolk Egg Noodles which are lower in cholesterol and sodium. When the noodles are almost done, add mushrooms, parsley, and rosemary. Add the brandy, ensuring that the cook gets a quick shot so he or she can make it through the rest of the cooking. I then add the chicken back in, then the Parmesan and cream. Cook for another 2 minutes on a rolling bowl to marry all the ingredients (uncovered), then turn off. 

Leave uncovered for ten minutes.

Adjust seasoning, if needed, by adding salt and pepper. This is a lower sodium meal than comes in the can or at restaurants, so be careful to only add as much sodium as you need. Too much sodium is never good.

Enjoy along with a nice hot crusty loaf of French or sourdough bread.

An alternative to the rosemary would be sage. If you're just not a fan of rosemary or just want to try something new, you could add sage instead. I'd add an additional tsp because of the difference in flavor strengths. Lucky for us we love rosemary and have it growing wild in out front yard as you can see.

Something else to be said for high desert living.

Please enjoy and let me know how it turns out. And remember, you can always enjoy a bowl of soup with one my books, either in your hands, or listening to it from Audible.com. Food for the body, mind and soul.