Favorite Recipes

[Thomas Promise]

This is a pretty good crowd pleaser! Will make about 12-14 servings.

 

 

 

Guacamole with Chipotle Tortilla Chips

 

 

 

 

Chipotle chile powder gives the crunchy chips a smoky kick that pairs well with the buttery guacamole. Use ground cumin or regular chili powder in its place, if you prefer. Prepare the chips up to a day ahead, and store in a zip-top plastic bag.

 

Chips:

8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Cooking spray

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

 

Guacamole:

3 tomatillos

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup chopped plum tomato

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 ripe peeled avocados, seeded and coarsely mashed

2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

 

Preheat oven to 375°.

To prepare chips, cut each tortilla into 8 wedges; arrange tortilla wedges in a single layer on 2 baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle wedges with 1/2 teaspoon salt and chile powder; lightly coat wedges with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 12 minutes or until wedges are crisp and lightly browned. Cool 10 minutes.

 

To prepare guacamole, peel papery husk from tomatillos; wash, core, and finely chop. Combine tomatillos, onion, and remaining ingredients; stir well. Serve guacamole with chips.

[chef4u]

This is a pretty good crowd pleaser! Will make about 12-14 servings.

 

 

 

Guacamole with Chipotle Tortilla Chips

 

 

   

 

Chipotle chile powder gives the crunchy chips a smoky kick that pairs well with the buttery guacamole. Use ground cumin or regular chili powder in its place, if you prefer. Prepare the chips up to a day ahead, and store in a zip-top plastic bag.

 

Chips:

8  (6-inch) corn tortillas

Cooking spray

1/2  teaspoon salt

1/2  teaspoon chipotle chile powder

 

Guacamole:

3  tomatillos

1/3  cup chopped onion

1/3  cup chopped plum tomato

3  tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1  tablespoon fresh lime juice

3/4  teaspoon salt

2  ripe peeled avocados, seeded and coarsely mashed

2  jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped

1  garlic clove, minced

 

Preheat oven to 375°.

To prepare chips, cut each tortilla into 8 wedges; arrange tortilla wedges in a single layer on 2 baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle wedges with 1/2 teaspoon salt and chile powder; lightly coat wedges with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 12 minutes or until wedges are crisp and lightly browned. Cool 10 minutes.

 

To prepare guacamole, peel papery husk from tomatillos; wash, core, and finely chop. Combine tomatillos, onion, and remaining ingredients; stir well. Serve guacamole with chips.

182524[/snapback]

Thomas this sounds awesome and I bet it would be great for a Super Bowl Party!! So speaking about the Super Bowl here is another recipe you may want to try.

[chef4u]

CHILI CHEESE DOGS

 

 

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan

1 pound ground sirloin

Salt and pepper

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce -- eyeball it

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon chili powder, a palmful

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

8 fat or footlong beef franks

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon hot sauce

8 hot dog buns, toasted

2 cups shredded Cheddar, 1 (10-ounce sack)

 

Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and meat and season with salt and pepper. Brown and crumble beef. Add Worcestershire, onion, garlic, chili powder and cook together 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and reduce heat to low.

Meanwhile, boil franks in shallow pan to warm through, 5 minutes. Drain water and return pan to medium heat. Score casings on dogs. Melt butter in skillet and hot sauce. Add dogs to pan, browning and crisping the casings in hot sauce and butter.

 

Heat broiler.

 

Place hot dogs in buns and top with chili and lots of cheese. Place hot dogs under broiler and melt cheese. Serve immediately.

Edited January 14, 2006 by chef4u (see edit history)

[Dan R]

Hey guys! Where are the vinegar and chili with oil in these recipes??? And no noodles with it? Oh come on by now you should all know macaroni is not a noodle.

Edited January 14, 2006 by Dan R (see edit history)

[chef4u]

Hey guys! Where are the vinegar and chili with oil in these recipes??? And no noodles with it?

182535[/snapback]

Dan....hmmm....another fusion idea!!! We'll call it Nanning Style, (or wherever the town your SO is from), Chili-Cheese Mac.

 

Chefs Note: Sub out macoroni for some good Chinese noodles

[Thomas Promise]

APPLE SPINACH SALAD

 

 

 

1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach

2 small Granny Smith apples, chopped

1/2 cup cashews

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon celery salt

 

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large salad bowl.

Whisk together sugar and next 4 ingredients until blended. Serve dressing with salad.

[Thomas Promise]

Cilantro-Garlic Sirloin with Zesty Corn Salsa

From

 

 

1 cup (1 bunch) fresh cilantro, packed

2 garlic cloves

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon grated lime rind

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

2 pounds top sirloin steak (1 1/4 inches thick)

Zesty Corn Salsa

Garnish: fresh cilantro sprig

 

Process first 7 ingredients in a food processor or blender until blended, and rub cilantro mixture over sirloin steak. Chill 2 hours.

Grill, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat (350° to 400°) 10 to 12 minutes on each side or to desired degree of doneness. Let stand 10 minutes.

 

Cut steak diagonally across the grain into thin strips. Serve with Zesty Corn Salsa; garnish, if desired.

[jemmyell]

Barbecue Recipes

 

My two favorite barbecue recipes are for Kansas City style ribs and Santa Maria Tri-Tip Roast Beef. Before we start here, I'd like to make a couple of notes about barbecue. First, discussions about the relative merits of gas versus charcoal or wood are totally useless. That's because barbecue is neither science nor technology, it's religion. And, in common with all other religious things, it's NOT subject to rational discourse or behavioral modification. So, with the understanding that both of these recipes REQUIRE AT LEAST Kingsford Briquets, and would really PREFER Mexican Mesquite, we will proceed.

 

Kansas City Pork Ribs

 

Baby back ribs are preferred here, but spareribs are fine also, just typically a more fatty meat. DO NOT skip the homemade sauce, it's the star of the whole show.

 

Materials:

 

4 racks ribs, baby backs are best - fresh ribs are MUCH better than frozen.

 

The Rib Rub:

 

1 can paprika

1 box brown sugar

1 small jar Gilroy crushed garlic OR fresh garlic sufficient for the rub

1 small bag sea salt OR salt for ice cream making

1 small jar black peppercorns

 

The rub is made according to ratios, so the recipe can be easily scaled for VERY large gatherings, just add more meat. Start by rubbing a thin layer of fresh garlic on the ribs, top and bottom. This should sit for 30 minutes under refrigeration.

 

Combine paprika and brown sugar in a one-to-one ratio. For each two cups of paprika and brown sugar mix, add one tablespoon of COARSE freshly ground black pepper corns, and one table spoon of COARSE sea salt or salt for ice cream making. Mix thoroughly, insuring no lumps from the brown sugar remain.

 

Rub the racks of ribs, top and bottom with this mix, wrapping the ribs in TWO layers of thick aluminum foil. The ribs are going to be baked, and we don't want to really mess up the oven with a leak. The ribs need to sit a minimum of four hours under refrigeration with the rub on, but overnight is best.

 

Baking the Ribs:

 

The ribs are baked to fully cook them and drive off as much of the fat as possible. Before baking remove the ribs from the refrigerator, and let sit at room temperature for approximately one hour. Don't pile them up, but lay them out in a single layer so they all warm evenly.

 

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Put the foil packets in a single layer and bake for approximately 1-1/2 hours (until tender). Try to time the baking cycle so the ribs go straight to the charcoal right out of the oven.

 

The Rib Sauce:

 

One large onion

One large bottle catsup

One cup brown sugar

One cup double strength concentrated orange juice.

One table spoon celery seed.

One teaspoon red wine vinegar.

 

Saute the onion in two tablespoons of REAL butter. Add the celery seed and continue for 30 seconds. Pour in the orange juice to stop the reaction, then stir in the other ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes. Coat the ribs just coming out of the oven and grill until nicely coated, probably two turnings and coatings.

 

 

 

 

Santa Maria Barbecue

 

This recipe is much simpler, but still VERY powerful. It won the California beef competition one year (NOT for me).

 

Ingredients

 

The Meat

 

One Tri Tip roast

Crushed fresh garlic

Fresh ground black pepper

 

The Salsa

 

8 Fresh Jalapeno peppers

4 Fresh tomatoes

1 large onion

1 bunch cilantro

1 bunch green onion

 

The sandwich materials

 

1 bag small sourdough rolls

1 small container sour cream

 

Take one Tri-Tip roast and rub with fresh Garlic and black pepper. Wrap in aluminum foil and allow to warm up naturally for one hour.

 

Meanwhile, prepare the salsa by sizzling the jalapenos and tomatoes in water in a frying pan until tender. Allow to cool and then blend. Cut the onion and the green onion and the cilantro and fold in.

 

Place the Tri-Tip on a grill until it 'plumps'. Until you recognize the symptoms it's OK to slice to see if it's done. Grill until medium rare, remove from the grill for 15 minutes then slice at 45 degrees to the grain. The way most Tri-Tips are cut these days that means slicing the meat DIAGONALLY. This is critical for tenderness.

 

Toast the sourdough buns, smear with sour cream, add meat and salsa and serve. TRUE California Barbecue, although most Texans will tell you 'there aint no sech thang'. At least until they've eaten at my house.

 

Barbecue Beef Ribs

 

These ribs are rubbed with a pepper and garlic rub only. They do not need to be baked, but are grilled directly and then coated with the same rib sauce as the Kansas city ribs. They are then finished on the grill, the same as the Kansas City ribs.

 

-James

[lars]

Barbecue Recipes

 

My two favorite barbecue recipes are for Kansas City style ribs and Santa Maria Tri-Tip Roast Beef.  Before we start here, I'd like to make a couple of notes about barbecue.  First, discussions about the relative merits of gas versus charcoal or wood are totally useless.  That's because barbecue is neither science nor technology, it's religion.  And, in common with all other religious things, it's NOT subject to rational discourse or behavioral modification.  So, with the understanding that both of these recipes REQUIRE AT LEAST Kingsford Briquets, and would really PREFER Mexican Mesquite, we will proceed.

 

Kansas City Pork Ribs

 

Baby back ribs are preferred here, but spareribs are fine also, just typically a more fatty meat.  DO NOT skip the homemade sauce, it's the star of the whole show.

 

Materials:

 

4 racks ribs, baby backs are best - fresh ribs are MUCH better than frozen.

 

The Rib Rub:

 

1 can paprika

1 box brown sugar

1 small jar Gilroy crushed garlic OR fresh garlic sufficient for the rub

1 small bag sea salt OR salt for ice cream making

1 small jar black peppercorns

 

The rub is made according to ratios, so the recipe can be easily scaled for VERY large gatherings, just add more meat.  Start by rubbing a thin layer of fresh garlic on the ribs, top and bottom.  This should sit for 30 minutes under refrigeration.

 

Combine paprika and brown sugar in a one-to-one ratio.  For each two cups of paprika and brown sugar mix, add one tablespoon of COARSE freshly ground black pepper corns, and one table spoon of COARSE sea salt or salt for ice cream making.  Mix thoroughly, insuring no lumps from the brown sugar remain.

 

Rub the racks of ribs, top and bottom with this mix, wrapping the ribs in TWO layers of thick aluminum foil.  The ribs are going to be baked, and we don't want to really mess up the oven with a leak.  The ribs need to sit a minimum of four hours under refrigeration with the rub on, but overnight is best.

 

Baking the Ribs:

 

The ribs are baked to fully cook them and drive off as much of the fat as possible.  Before baking remove the ribs from the refrigerator, and let sit at room temperature for approximately one hour.  Don't pile them up, but lay them out in a single layer so they all warm evenly.

 

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.  Put the foil packets in a single layer and bake for approximately 1-1/2 hours (until tender).  Try to time the baking cycle so the ribs go straight to the charcoal right out of the oven.

 

The Rib Sauce:

 

One large onion

One large bottle catsup

One cup brown sugar

One cup double strength concentrated orange juice.

One table spoon celery seed.

One teaspoon red wine vinegar.

 

Saute the onion in two tablespoons of REAL butter.  Add the celery seed and continue for 30 seconds.  Pour in the orange juice to stop the reaction, then stir in the other ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes.  Coat the ribs just coming out of the oven and grill until nicely coated, probably two turnings and coatings.

 

 

 

 

Santa Maria Barbecue

 

This recipe is much simpler, but still VERY powerful.  It won the California beef competition one year (NOT for me).

 

Ingredients

 

The Meat

 

One Tri Tip roast

Crushed fresh garlic

Fresh ground black pepper

 

The Salsa

 

8 Fresh Jalapeno peppers

4 Fresh tomatoes

1 large onion

1 bunch cilantro

1 bunch green onion

 

The sandwich materials

 

1 bag small sourdough rolls

1 small container sour cream

 

Take one Tri-Tip roast and rub with fresh Garlic and black pepper.  Wrap in aluminum foil and allow to warm up naturally for one hour.

 

Meanwhile, prepare the salsa by sizzling the jalapenos and tomatoes in water in a frying pan until tender.  Allow to cool and then blend.  Cut the onion and the green onion and the cilantro and fold in.

 

Place the Tri-Tip on a grill until it 'plumps'.  Until you recognize the symptoms it's OK to slice to see if it's done.  Grill until medium rare, remove from the grill for 15 minutes then slice at 45 degrees to the grain.  The way most Tri-Tips are cut these days that means slicing the meat DIAGONALLY.  This is critical for tenderness.

 

Toast the sourdough buns, smear with sour cream, add meat and salsa and serve.  TRUE California Barbecue, although most Texans will tell you 'there aint no sech thang'.  At least until they've eaten at my house.

 

Barbecue Beef Ribs

 

These ribs are rubbed with a pepper and garlic rub only.  They do not need to be baked, but are grilled directly and then coated with the same rib sauce as the Kansas city ribs.  They are then finished on the grill, the same as the Kansas City ribs.

 

-James

190216[/snapback]

Maybe you should come to Kansas City to visit Lee and me. We know of a "few" BBQ places here!

[Thomas Promise]

Saved to CEE FOOD

 

 

 

Margarita Grouper Fillets

 

 

 

These fillets marinate in lime juice and tequila - the makings of a margarita. Serve with yellow rice or black beans. Grouper is delicate, so turn the fillets carefully to keep them intact. Save 2 cooked fillets for Fish Tacos.

This recipe goes with Fish Tacos

 

6 (6-ounce) grouper fillets

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon finely chopped seeded serrano chile

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon tequila

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 garlic clove, chopped

Cooking spray

Chopped fresh chives (optional)

Lime wedges (optional)

 

Place the fillets in a single layer in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish, and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Combine 1/2 teaspoon salt, cilantro, and the next 7 ingredients (cilantro through garlic clove) in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Pour cilantro mixture over the fillets, and turn to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator 30 minutes, turning once.

 

Prepare grill.

 

Remove fish from dish; discard marinade. Place fish on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Garnish fish with chopped chives and lime wedges, if desired.

 

Note: Store cooked fillets in refrigerator for up to 1 day.

[Joanne]

Does anyone have a simple but good clam chowder soup recipe? Where do you buy clams?

[jemmyell]

Does anyone have a simple but good clam chowder soup recipe?  Where do you buy clams?

191667[/snapback]

Hi Joanne,

 

Manhattan or New England? (Red or White).

 

The canned baby clams are very good for chowder.

 

-James

[chef4u]

Joanne...are you looking for a New England Clam Chowder which is the white color one or Manhattan Clam Chowder, which is the red color one?

[chef4u]

Does anyone have a simple but good clam chowder soup recipe?  Where do you buy clams?

191667[/snapback]

Hi Joanne,

 

Manhattan or New England? (Red or White).

 

The canned baby clams are very good for chowder.

 

-James

191670[/snapback]

sorry James we musta been posted at the same time...lol

[chef4u]

NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER, (cream/white based chowder)

 

Serves: 4 to 6 people

 

Clam Broth/stock ingredients:

4 slices bacon, chopped

Olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, smashed

6 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

16 littleneck clams, scrubbed well

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/2 cup white wine

3 cups water

 

Finished Soup Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

Extra-virgin olive oil

4 slices bacon, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

Leaves from 4 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups heavy cream

2 Idaho potatoes, peeled and diced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

16 littleneck clams, scrubbed well

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Common Crackers, recipe follows

 

Clam Broth/Stock Cooking Instructions:

Start by making the clam broth: Put a large pot over medium heat, add the bacon and saute until the fat is rendered and the bacon is browned, about 5 minutes. Remove the cooked bacon pieces from the pot and reserve them for something else. Add a 1-count of olive oil, the onion, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the clams, lemon juice, white wine, and water and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for 10 or 15 minutes to steam open the clams. Remove the clams from the pot, discarding any that don't open. Strain the broth into a bowl. Pull the clams out of their shells, chop them, and set them aside separately; discard the shells. Set the broth aside.

 

 

Finish Soup Cooking Instructions:

Heat the butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the bacon, onion, garlic, and thyme and cook until the bacon renders its fat and the vegetables are good and soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Dust the vegetables with flour and stir to coat everything well. Continue stirring for about 3 to five minutes. Pour in the clam broth and bring to a boil. Add the cream and the potatoes, bring to a boil and boil hard for about 7 minutes, until the potatoes break down (this will help to thicken the soup and give it a good texture). Discard the bay leaf. Add the chopped clams and season with salt and pepper.

 

Now add the 16 clams in their shells. Cover and simmer to open the clams, about 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley and serve hot, with the common crackers.

 

 

Common Crackers:

2 to 3 cups crushed saltine crackers (crackers wrapped in a tea towel and smashed with a rolling pin

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons butter, melted

 

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Put the crushed crackers in a bowl, add the oil and melted butter, and toss to coat the crackers with the fat. Spread on a baking sheet and bake until crisp and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Edited February 16, 2006 by chef4u (see edit history)