Nomography: Chipotle Spiced Pork Chops with a Corn and Tomato Salad

Pan-grilled pork chops with a chipotle rub and a tomato corn salad (with cilantro, onion, garlic, green pepper and lime juice). Nom. Nom.

Lamb Meatballs

My husband LOVES lamb. I’m not the biggest fan. However, I do love meatballs! So this meal seemed like a good compromise. Making the meatballs with lamb lightens things up, and the seasonings of course, make a huge difference.

For these meatballs, I started them in a cast-iron pan to get a nice sear on the meat, then I finished them in the oven. They were really nice and juicy, but still fairly lean. A good trick for these is to use a mini-muffin pan. The meatballs fit perfectly and everything is kept in its proper place. Plus, my roasting pan was otherwise occupied.

I served these with a dollop of tzatziki sauce, warm garlic naan and roasted asparagus.

Lamb Meatballs

• 1 pound ground lamb
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup finely diced onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 teaspoons chopped parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (optional… I just wanted a bit more garlic flavor!)
• Canola oil

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Mix it well. Go ahead and get your hand in there. Give it some love.

Scoop out meat mixture and form into balls approximately 1 inch in diameter. Using a large spoon helps shape them, and you only have to get one hand messy. Set the meatballs aside on a plate.

Heat a tablespoon or so of canola oil in a cast iron skillet, over medium high heat.

Arrange the meatballs in a circular pattern in the pan. Be careful not to overcrowd the meatballs. I managed to get in about 8 or 9 at a time.

Pan sear the meatballs, turning until all sides are evenly but lightly browned.

Put the meatballs in the mini-muffin pan, or on a baking sheet and finish in the oven.  About 10 minutes, or until desired doneness is reached.  Or something.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy! Enjoy it more with a side of tzatziki and some naan…

Thanksgiving Dinner

The first real meal I’ve felt like cooking in quite a while…  and it was delicious!

Since it was just the two of us and neither of us is a huge fan of turkey, I opted for a Thanksgiving Chicken.  Maybe someday I will be brave enough to make duck.  Also on the menu, mashed sweet potatoes, stuffing, rolls, gravy made from the roasting pan drippings, and salad… I guess we had to have something green.

Roast Chicken

• 1 whole chicken, rinsed with organs removed
• Butter or olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 2 lemons, quartered
• 2 small to medium onions sliced
• Thyme, ~ 1 tablespoon
• Parsley, ~ 1 tablespoon
• 6-8 cloves of garlic, peeled

For my roast chicken, I slather it in either butter or olive oil, season with some salt and pepper, stuff it with two or three lemon wedges and some garlic.

Lay it on a base of sliced onions, garlic and lemon wedges tossed in olive oil.  I add some parsley and thyme and a smidge more salt and pepper.

Tie the legs together if you are a person who remembers to buy kitchen string… I had to resort to a bamboo skewer.  It did the trick.  You can also tie the legs with the chicken’s own skin, but whenever I do this a leg always pops out.  Also, tuck the wings under as best as you can.

Bake for about 1 hour 30 minutes (or 1 h. 15 m. depending on your ovens ability to cook evenly).

Remove from the oven, place on a carving platter and cover with foil.  Allow the chicken to rest for at least 10 minutes.  As for carving the bird… that’s something I’m still learning how to do, but I’m sure YouTube would be most helpful on this subject!

Crispy. Delicious.

In the meantime, start the gravy.

Pan Gravy

• Roasting pan remnants and juices
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 to 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 1/2 tablespoons flour

If you have a roasting pan that can go directly on a burner, just leave the roasting pan remnants in the pan.  Otherwise, transfer to small sauce pan.

Over medium heat, add chicken broth and wine to the pan drippings.  Whisk the flour into the sauce and continue to stir until the sauce thickens.  You can add any juices from the carving platter, too, if you like.

When the gravy is done, transfer to a serving dish or gravy bowl and serve over the carved chicken.

The chicken and gravy recipes are modified versions of Ina Garten’s “Jeffrey’s Roast Chicken” recipe in How Easy Is That?

Enjoy!  And Happy Thanksgiving!

Dinner From the Grill: Ribeye, Cajun Corn, Zucchini and Squash

I've long been intimidated by cooking on the grill, but after a long weekend trip to West Virginia earlier this year, I've come to love it.  I don't know if it was the lazy days lounging around and breathing in the fresh mountainy air…

… or if perhaps it was all of the wine I was drinking.  Or maybe it was views like this:

… that made me just not care.  Either way, after that trip, cooking on the grill didn't seem like such a daunting task.  As with much of my cooking over the past couple of years, I think I just decided what the hell.  Let's try it.  If I screw it up, there's always dessert.  

We bought a Smokey Joe Silver, (ahem, a baby Weber) earlier this summer.  For just the two of us, it works perfectly.  Like most meals, I think the biggest challenge with grilling is timing.  Coordinating the cooking so that everything finishes as close to the same time as possible.  Some cookbooks are really good at laying out an entire meal telling you when to start what, helping you to time everything to perfection.  For the most part I think this is just something that takes a lot of practice and a little bit of fore-thought and planning.  And if nothing else, just pretend you're eating tapas! 

Dinner From the Grill: Grilled corn with cajun seasoning.  Ribeye.  Steamed zucchini and squash.

Prepare the Grill

Start the charcoal for the grill.  And if you're not using charcoal, you should ask yourself why you are grilling in the first place.

According to the BBQ Report, "The charcoal is ready for grilling when the briquets turn ash gray in daylight or glowing red at night. This usually takes anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes."

You can season and clean the grill by rubbing half an onion over the grate.

Grilled Corn with Cajun Seasoning

• 2 ears of corn
• 1-2 teaspoons cajun seasoning
• 1/2 tablespoon butter

Shuck and clean the corn, removing as much of the silky bits as possible.  Corn can be grilled inside the husk, but for whatever unknown reason, I just never seem to do that.  

Place each ear of corn on a square of foil and sprinkle about a 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of cajun seasoning over the corn, rotating as you go.  

Add 1/4 tablespoon of butter, cut into halves to each ear of corn.  

Fold the foil together, like folding a sheet of paper in half, around the corn.  Fold each end over, crimping the foil to seal.  

Fold over the top of the foil and seal, leaving a bit of room inside the pouch for air to circulate.

When the coals are ready, place the corn pouches on the grill, over indirect heat (not directly over the flames or hot coals) for about 15 minutes.  During the last few minutes feel free to remove the corn from the foil pouches and finish directly on the grill, rotating every minute or so.

Remove and serve immediately.

Grilled Ribeye

• 2 Ribeye steaks, nicely marbled with fat, about 1 inch thick.
• Lawry's Seasoned Salt, if desired. Otherwise, salt and pepper will do just fine.

Rinse the steaks and pat dry with paper towels.  Make sure the outside of the steaks are very dry! This will help it crisp up nicely.

Sprinkle with the seasoned salt and rub into the meat.  Allow to sit for 20-30 minutes (or however long you have) to help season the meat.  

When the coals are ready, add the steaks over direct heat and cook for approximately 8 minutes, 4 minutes per side. 

Remove from the grill, tent with foil and allow steaks to rest for about 10 minutes.

Grilled Zucchini and Squash

• 1 small zucchini
• 1 small squash
• salt, pepper
• 3-4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 1/2 tablespoon butter, chopped

Rinse the zucchini and squash and cut off the ends.  

Cut the zucchini and squash into 1/4 inch slices, and then cut those slices in half.  

Add the zucchini and squash to a large square of foil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat.  

Add 3-4 cloves of unpeeled garlic.

Wrap the vegetables into a foil pouch in the same manner as the corn, folding in half like a sheet of paper, then closing the ends.  

Add the butter into the packet, distributing evenly across the veggies and seal the top of the foil pouch.  

Place the foil pouch over direct heat for about 7-8 minutes.  You can rotate this and/or shake the pouch to mix everything up, after about 4 minutes.  

Remove from grill and serve immediately.

Note: I peeled the garlic and rubbed it on my steak.  It was delicious.

Putting It All Together

1. Start the grill.
2. Open a beer.
3. Prep and season the steaks.
4. Clean and prep the corn.
5. Chop and prep the veggies.
6. When the coals are ready, add the corn and steaks to the grill at the same time.
7. Don't forget your beer… Nothing is worse than warm beer.
8. After about 8 minutes, remove the steaks and tent with foil.
9. Add the zucchini and squash packet.
10. After about 5 minutes, remove the corn from the foil and finish on the grill.
11. After another 2-3 minutes, remove all of the veggies.
12. Open more beer.
13. Eat some food.

Enjoy!  And remember… there is always dessert!

Vegetable Frittata

While I love a good quiche, I think I enjoy the frittata even more.  It derives most of its flavor from the vegetables you add, rather than cream and cheese.  And it doesn't require a crust.  The eggs can be whisked vigorously to incorporate more air and yield something that feels a bit lighter and fluffier than a traditional omelet.  And while eggs aren't exactly friendly on the cholesterol count, if you're not eating the entire frittata by yourself, I think it's probably okay… 

Vegetable Frittata

• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 onion, diced
• 1 medium zucchini, diced but unpeeled
• 1 medium squash, diced but unpeeled
• Salt and pepper, to taste.
• 7 eggs, whisked
• a bit less than 1/4 cup cream (very, very optional… mostly I was just trying to use this up!)
• 1/4 cheese (again, optional… I used a blend of fontina, asiago and parmesan, but contemplated goat)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Mince the garlic and dice the onion, zucchini and squash.  You can leave the skins on the zucchini and squash.

Melt the butter and olive oil together in a large skillet over medium heat.  I prefer to use a deep cast iron skillet for this dish.

Add the garlic and onions and cook for about five minutes, or until the onions begin to turn translucent.  

Mix in the squash and zucchini. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, to taste, and cook for another 5-7 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften.

Meanwhile, in a large glass bowl, whisk the eggs by hand for a minute or so.  Add the cream, if desired.

Pour the egg mixture into the pan with the vegetables and reduce heat to medium low.  Quickly stir in the cheese, if using.

As the egg starts to set, run a spatula around the edge of the pan.  Cook for about 5-7 minutes.  The top may still look runny.

 

Remove the pan from the stove and add it to the oven to finish off.  Cook for another 5-10 minutes until the top is set.  It may begin to puff up and turn slightly brown.  

Alternative: You can cook longer on the stove and finish it off under a broiler for a few minutes, if you prefer, but I've never had much luck with those……

Remove from the oven, slice and serve immediately.  (I served this with slices of tomato, but a salad would be equally nice.)

Just remember… like most things, the vegetable frittata is better when it's simple.

Enjoy!

Slow Roasted Pork with Root Beer Chili Sauce

This may sound disgustingly sweet, but it's not at all.  There is a subtleness to it, with a nice spicy kick.  And it has a pleasant aftertaste.  And it's pork!  Hell, I'd eat it without the sauce, but you should really try it.  Go ahead… Just one tiny spoonful.  I triple dog dare you.

Slow Roasted Pork with Root Beer Chili Sauce

• 2-3 lb pork roast
• a bit of salt
• a smidge of pepper
• 1/4 cup cooking oil
• 1 medium onion, cut in thin slices
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup root beer (not diet!)

For the sauce:

• 1 1/2 cups root beer
• 1/2 cup chili sauce (sriracha works)
• hot sauce

Rub the pork roast with salt and pepper, and lightly sear in the hot cooking oil on all sides.

Put the roast in a crock-pot with 1 cup of root beer, tho onion, and minced garlic. Cook it on low for 8-10 hours. (Even without the sauce the pork will smell amazing and it's juicy and awesome!  Also you can save the juices and make gravy later on!)

To make the sauce, in a small sauce pan bring to boil 1 1/2 cups of root beer and 1/2 cup of chili sauce (I used sriracha). Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 20-25 minutes. It should reduce to about 1 cup total, maybe a bit more, maybe a bit less… depends on how thick you want it.  

Add a few dashes of hot sauce, if you like, and serve over the pork (don't forget the onions!)  I served the pork and sauce over rice, but you could make pulled pork sandwiches with this and it would probably be pretty tasty. And the bread from the buns may offer a nice counter-balance for the heat of the sauce.

Note: The original sauce recipe called for 3 cups of root beer and 1 cup chili sauce… That's just way too much sauce.  Especially with as much kick as it has… But try it out and decide for yourself.

Enjoy! (Even if you're Amanda!)

Turkey Goulash

I've started a new workout regimen.  And after one day, it is already killing me.  It also comes with nutrition advice and a strict eating plan.  I'm not quite ready to embrace that just yet, so in the meantime, I'm trying to cook a bit healthier.  After all… Why go through all of the pain (and sweat) if you're just going to deep fry potato tacos?  

Mmm… deep fry!!!  *drools on keyboard*  

Erm… well.  Uh… I give you Turkey Goulash.  Delicious, simple, and not terribly unfriendly to the thighs.

Turkey Goulash

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 or 2 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
• Pinch of salt
• 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 small  can (8 oz) tomato sauce
• Bowtie pasta

In a large pot, start water to boil for the pasta.

In another large pot, cook ground turkey over medium-high heat until mostly cooked through.  

Add onion and garlic and continue cooking until all of the pink is gone and the onion starts turning translucent.  

Add the oregano, basil, parsley, onion powder.  Mix in thoroughly and cook for another minute or so.

Add a dash or two of worcestershire sauce and a pinch of salt.

Stir in the diced tomatoes (I can't wait for fresh tomatoes!) and tomato sauce.  

Reduce heat to low or medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the pasta is done cooking. Oh yeah… you should probably add the pasta when the water begins to boil and cook according to package directions (most likely about 10 minutes).

When pasta is done cooking, drain the water and gently combine the pasta into the sauce mixture. 

Serve with a side salad.

Enjoy!  Your thighs will thank you later… 

Spicy Shrimp and Pasta Aglio e Olio

I'm freshly returned from an extra-long girls weekend in New Orleans and Ocean Springs, Mississippi.  (Food memories coming soon!)   The beach was lovely, and with the help of three lovely women and a crap-ton of wine I came back home fully relaxed.  

We consumed our fair share of seafood and Oh My, Nola it was so fresh and wonderful!  

At a fish market in Mississippi buying shrimps and mud-bugs.

Check out the ginormous Grouper!

Anyway… I love shrimp, I love spicy, and as my thighs will attest, I loves me some pasta.  And in my desperate attempt to cling to the warm memories of the beachy good time, I give you tonight's dinner:

Roasted Cajun Shrimp and Asparagus with Spicy Pasta Aglio e Olio

For the pasta:

• 1 Tbsp kosher salt
• 1/2 pound spaghetti
• 4-5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1-2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 Tbsp butter
• ~1 cup reserved pasta water (or chicken broth if you screw up and forget)
• Optional variation: Add fresh basil, parsley and Parmesan cheese into the pasta at the end.

Start the water to boil in a large pot with 1 Tbsp salt.  When the water is boiling add the pasta.  (In the meantime, pop the asparagus in the oven).

Thinly slice the garlic (and chop basil and parsley if using).

When the pasta is done set aside about 1 cup of the water.  Try not to be a dumb-ass and forget like I do sometimes… If you do forget, you can use some chicken broth.  But it won't be as good.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large sauce pan (big enough to hold the spaghetti at the end) over medium heat.  Saute the garlic for a couple of minutes.  

When the garlic is *just* starting to turn goldeny, add the crushed red pepper flakes.  Add more or less depending on how spicy you like it.  Saute for about 30 seconds or so.  

Add the reserved pasta water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by about 1/3 or so.  (In the meantime, start roasting the shrimp!)

Add the pasta into the sauce and toss to coat.  Turn off the heat and optionally add the basil, parsley and parmesan.  I usually make it this way if I just want to eat the pasta by itself, and honestly, it doesn't need the cheese.  I know, I know… I'm a shameful disappoint to the world of fromagerie.

For the roasted shrimp and asparagus:

• 1 pound of raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined
• Cajun rub:
  • 1 tsp Oregano
  • 1/2 tsp Onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp Garlic salt
  • 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
  • 1 tsp Parsley
  • A smidge of freshly ground black pepper
• Asparagus
• More cajun seasoning
• Olive oil
• 1 lemon quartered

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F. (Anyone wanna teach me some scientific html?)

Mix together the ingredients for the rub in a 1-gallon ziploc bag… Honestly, just use however much you want and whatever you want. We're just playing around here.  

After cleaning the shrimp toss it in the bag, seal and toss the shrimp to coat with the rub.  Put it back in the refrigerator.

Rinse the asparagus and pat dry with a paper towel. Snap off the ends.

Toss the asparagus with olive oil on a sheet pan, and lightly dust with some cajun seasoning.  Roast the asparagus for 10-15 minutes.  

Add the shrimp to the baking sheet and roast for another 5 or 6 minutes, until the shrimp is slightly pink and no longer transparent.

Serve the shrimp and asparagus over the pasta and garnish with a lemon wedge.

Pasta recipe slightly adapted from Ina Garten's How Easy is That?

Roasted Cajun Potatoes and Asparagus

Roasted Cajun Potatoes and Asparagus

• 6-8 small red potatoes, quartered with skins left on
• 1/3 cup onion cut into 1/2 inch strips
• 3 cloves garlic
• Olive oil
• Cajun seasoning
• Chili powder
• Sea salt
• Parsley
• Asparagus, ends broken off

Toss the potatoes, onion and garlic with olive oil on your awesome Chicago Metallic commercial grade baking sheet that your awesome husband bought for you for Christmas (because you asked for it, not because he thinks you should be roasting him some taters).  Sprinkle with a few teaspoons of cajun seasoning, a teaspoon or so of chili powder, a teaspoon of parsely and a pinch of sea salt.  Toss to coat evenly and add more seasoning if needed.

Bake for 30-35 minutes at 400 degrees.

Add the asparagus and bake for another 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender and the skins are a little bit crispy.

Enjoy!