Swedish Meatball Slider

Swedish Meatball Slider

I often like to throw in snazzy updates to food that could otherwise be described as "blah." Amber likes it when I cook food that is smaller in portion size, so I figured sliders were a great idea to combine A) something I could play around with and B) a bite-size meal. It also just so happens that sliders are extremely versatile. Eating just one is a meal in itself, or two suffices as a main course. Go crazy and use them as little hors d'oeurves? I mean, what DOESN'T complement a pretzel bun? Your guests will thank you. :) Top with parsley and/or bacon for extra flavor.

Ingredients:

For the caramelized onions

1 large onion, sliced

1 teaspoon butter

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon sugar (optional)

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (optional)

For the meatballs

2 slices fresh white bread

1/4 cup milk

3 tablespoons butter, divided

1/4 cup onion, grated

A pinch plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 pound ground chuck

1 pound ground pork

2 large egg yolks

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 

For the sauce

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 cups beef broth

1/4 cup heavy cream 

For the sandwiches

8 Pretzel Buns, split

1/4 cup caramelized onions

8 slices provolone cheese

Step 1 - Make the caramelized onions.

Over medium to medium high heat, add butter and oil in a medium pan and cook until butter is melted. Meanwhile, chop onion into 1/2 inch pedals. Add chopped onion to pan and stir to coat. Spread onions out in a single layer and allow to lightly brown, stirring occasionally (about 10 minutes). Make sure to scrape all the brown bits from the pan when stirring. Once onions are lightly browned, lower the heat medium low and add salt and sugar (if using). Cook for 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring every few minutes to allow onions to develop a deep rich chocolate color. Once onions reached desired color, stir in the balsamic vinegar and remove from heat. Set aside to make meatballs.

Step 2 - Make the meatballs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Shred bread by hand into a small bowl and mix in milk, set aside. Combine remaining ingredients for meatballs in a large bowl and add soaked bread. Form meat into balls with a 1 1/2 inch diameter.

Heat a large stainless steel skillet under medium high heat. Add butter and oil to pan and allow to melt. Add meatballs one at a time to skillet and brown on all sides (about 3 to 4 minutes per side). After they are browned, place meatballs on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil and cook in oven for another 10-15 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Step 3 - Make the sauce

Drain all but 1 tablespoon of fat from skillet you used to brown the meatballs and place over medium high heat. Whisk in flour and cook for about 2 minutes, to cook out the flour taste. Vigorously whisk in beef broth and allow to thicken. Whisk in cream and allow to cook another 3 minutes.

 

Step 4 - Assemble sliders

Take a pretzel bun and layer in this way: bottom half of bun, meatball, sauce, cheese, caramelized onions, top half of bun.

Serve and enjoy!

Cajun Vacation

Gumbo

Amber and I love to travel! Nothing makes us happier than experiencing new things and places, be it BBQ on Beale Street or Italian food in Cleveland's Little Italy, we're up for almost anything, anytime and anywhere. Alas, as many couples experience, our schedules and the kids can make it difficult to get out of town. One of our favorite places to visit is New Orleans and we consistently romanticize about our next trip to the Vieux Carre. To help alleviate cabin fever, I decided to make one of our favorite dishes when we do visit, gumbo.  

Patience is an absolute must for this recipe. It takes hours to develop the deep, rich flavor that only slow cooking can provide, but the end result is well worth your labor. Years ago when Emeril Live! was still on the air, Mr. Lagasse said that the amount of time it takes to make the roux is "two beers." This recipe is adapted from Emeril's. I strongly suggest prepping all of your ingredients ahead of time so that you can concentrate on developing flavor. This recipe is so good that even though it makes enough for 6 people, it was gone the next day between the two of us. Serve over steamed rice garnished with parsley, green onion and/or hot sauce.

Ingredients:

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 onion, chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves chopped garlic

1 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

3 bay leaves

6 cups chicken broth

1 pound boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 pound boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch chunks

1 tablespoon cajun seasoning

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1 tablespoon file powder

4 cups steamed rice

Directions:

Combine the oil and flour in a large cast iron or enameled cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Whisking slowly and constantly for about 30 minutes until the roux becomes the color of chocolate. Add the onions, celery, and bell peppers and continue to whisk for 4 to 5 minutes, or until wilted. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the sausage, salt, cayenne, and bay leaves and stir for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken broth and stir until the roux mixture and stock are well combined. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Season the chicken with cajun seasoning and add to pot. Simmer for 2 more hours. Skim off any fat that rises to the surface. Remove from the heat and stir in parsley, green onions, and file powder. Remove the bay leaves and serve over steamed rice. Garnish with green onion, parsley, and/or hot sauce.

Pastoral Delight

                                                      SHEPHERD'S PIE

Not typically what one would consider a light, summer dish; shepherd's pie can still find its warm weather niche in the cool nights of July by serving up its classic comfort and satisfying, spoon-filling capabilities. Take a chance with this hearty pie this summer and you won't be disappointed.

Ingredients:

Meat:

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 pound Ground Beef
1 pound Ground Pork
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 cups beef stock
3 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
3/4 cup frozen mixed vegetables
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons corn starch dissolved in water

 Potatoes:

4 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-2 inch dice
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup cream
5 tablespoons butter, cubed
Salt and pepper to taste



Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add potatoes. Boil for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Saute onion in olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until translucent (5 minutes) season with salt and pepper. Add garlic and cook until fragrant (1-2 minutes). Add beef and pork. Season again with salt and pepper. Cook until well browned (10 minutes). Deglaze pan with beef stock scraping all the brown bits from bottom of pan. Add Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning and mixed vegetables. Season with salt and pepper to taste and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add corn starch slurry to reach desired consistency.

In a large bowl, mash together potatoes, garlic, cream, butter, and salt and pepper to taste.

Pour meat mixture into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Layer mashed potatoes on top of meat mixture. Sprinkle potatoes liberally with shredded cheddar cheese. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted and meat is bubbly. Let cool and serve.

Chicken and Kale Soup with Sweet Dinner Rolls

 

Chicken and Kale Soup

Kale is certainly in vogue today. Long gone are the days when this humble, healthy, inexpensive green was relegated to the inedible garnish on a steakhouse dinner plate. It holds up its texture surprisingly well when braised or simmered. What would reduce most leafy greens to an anomalous goop instead infuses this veggie with flavor. The key to this dish, however, is the rubbed sage. Chicken and sage just simply work together. So too does kale and sage, apparently. Sweet dinner rolls are a great counterpoint to the earthy, lightness of this waistline-friendly soup.


Ingredients:

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

1 large white onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 medium carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 bunch fresh kale, ribs removed and roughly chopped

5 cups chicken stock
1 Parmesan cheese rind (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 can pinto or kidney beans (drained and rinsed)

2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1 1/2 tsp dry rubbed sage

Instructions:

In a large pot, sweat onion, carrots, and celery in olive oil for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and cook for additional 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Add chicken stock and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer and add parsley, sage, beans, chicken, cheese rind, and kale. Simmer for 30 - 45 minutes, uncovered. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Sweet Dinner Rolls 

Ingredients:

2 tsp. active dry yeast

1/4 c. warm water

1 teaspoon honey

1 c. milk, scalded and cooled to lukewarm

1 1/2 Tbl. of melted butter, slightly cooled

1/4 c. sugar 

3 - 4 cups all purpose flour

1 whole egg

1 tsp. salt

Directions:

Dissolve yeast in hot water with a teaspoon of honey; let stand until frothy. Combine yeast mixture, milk, sugar and enough flour to make a medium batter (about the consistency of pancake batter). Beat thoroughly.  Add melted butter and eggs and beat well. Add salt and stir to combine. Add enough flour to form a soft dough.  Sprinkle a small amount of flour onto counter and let dough rest.  Meanwhile, grease a large bowl.  Knead dough until smooth and satiny and put in greased bowl; turn over to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk.  Punch down.  Turn out onto a floured board. Divide into portions for shaping; let rest 10 minutes. Shape dough into desired forms. Place on greased baking sheets.  Let rise until doubled. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Baste immediately with butter. 

Beef Chili with Chipotle Sour Cream

Too often, chili tastes like nothing but salt, beef and cumin. Maybe sometimes with a little tomato flavor. How does one make chili that actually tastes like chili but with real flavor? The answer: Chipotle chiles. These smoked jalapenos add fantastic taste without adding unnecessary calories or fat. Browning the vegetables really helps create depth. The longer you can simmer this recipe, the better. The end result is a savory, mouth-watering, and slightly sweet chili which pairs fantastically with chipotle sour cream and shredded cheddar.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, diced (1 cup)

1 red bell pepper, diced (1 cup)

2 carrots, diced (1/2 cup)

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 pound extra-lean ground beef

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

2 cups water or chicken broth

2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, seeded and minced

2 teaspoons adobo sauce from the can of chipotles

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15.5-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved in 3/4 cup of water

Chipotle Sour Cream (recipe below)

Directions

Heat the oil in large pot or Dutch oven over moderate heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and carrots, cover and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the cumin and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the ground beef; raise the heat to high and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until the meat is no longer pink. Stir in the tomatoes, water, chipotle and adobo sauce, oregano and salt and pepper. Simmer, partially covered, stirring from time to time, for 30 minutes. Stir in the beans and cook, partially covered, 20 minutes longer. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Add cornstarch mixture and stir. Simmer for additional 2-4 minutes until chili is at desired consistency. Serve.

Chipotle Sour Cream

3 Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 cup sour cream
Juice of one lime
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to use.

Shrimp Po Boys with French Fries

New Orleans is one of our favorite cities in America. Frankly, its only rival is Boston in history and culture. The fruits of that conglomeration are, thankfully, passed to the patrons of the French Quarter. While no homemade concoction can do true justice to a shrimp po' boy from Mother's or a roast beef po' boy from Napoleon House (ironically a house that its namesake never visited), this recipe comes awful close. Po' boys in the French Quarter are served with creole and regular mustard as well as mayo and shredded cabbage. But the beauty of the sandwich is that there are no rules. Add, subtract, or substitute anything you want to your taste. In this version, the remoulade and pickles beautifully mixes with the cornmeal breaded shrimp to create a surprisingly light and wanting-for-not bite that you can't find north of Baton Rouge. 

For the Fried Shrimp:

• 1 lb. shrimp, 15-20s peeled and deveined, tails removed

• 1 can of beer

• 2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

• 3/4 c. fine ground cornmeal

• 1 tbs. garlic powder

• 1 tbs. onion powder

• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• Canola oil, for frying

Remoulade:

• 1 1/2 c. mayo

• 1/4 c. dijon mustard

• 1 tsp. dill pickle juice
• 1 tsp. tabasco sauce
• 1 tbs. smoked paprika
• 2 tsp. cajun spice

• 1 tsp lemon juice (or to taste)

To Make the Sandwiches:

• 4 sandwich rolls, french bread style

• 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1/4-1/2 head of iceberg lettuce or green cabbage, shredded
• Dill Pickles (about 3 per sandwich)

• tabasco, to taste

Make remoulade by combining all ingredients in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit in the fridge for as long as you can (overnight is best but can be done an hour in advance)

Fill a large pot or dutch oven with 1 quart of oil and heat to 350 degrees. Rinse and pat shrimp dry. Season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl combine beer through baking soda to make a batter. Shred lettuce/cabbage and thinly slice tomato, set aside. When oil has reached desired temperature, coat shrimp in batter and place in the hot oil. Fry shrimp being careful to move shrimp around to keep from sticking to each other. Once shrimp are a nice golden brown, remove from oil and place on a paper plate lined with paper towels. Season immediately with salt and pepper.

Assemble sandwiches by slathering a generous amount of remoulade on one side of the bun, followed by shredded lettuce/cabbage, tomato, pickles, then shrimp. Press sandwiches down and serve immediately.

French Fries

Ingredients

4 (4 to 5-inches long) russet potatoes (about 2 pounds)

1-2 gallons water

1/4 cup white vinegar

2 quarts canola oil

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Directions

Peel potatoes on the sides, leaving the ends with the skin on. Cut the potatoes into 1/3-inch slices and then slice into 1/3-inch sticks.

Fill a large bowl with water and vinegar. Soak potatoes, submerged, for at least 30 minutes up to 24 hours. This will help remove the excess starch from the potatoes and keep them from oxidizing.

Heat a heavy stock pot or dutch oven fitted with a deep-fry thermometer with oil to 325 degrees.

Remove potatoes from the water, and pat dry to remove excess water. Add 2 handfuls of potatoes to hot oil. There should be at least 1-inch of oil above the potatoes. Par cook until potatoes are light brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove potatoes, gently shaking off excess oil and let drain on rack with paper towels. Repeat until all of the potatoes are par cooked.

Raise heat of oil to 350 degrees F.

Cook potatoes again, 2 handfuls at a time, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove from oil, place on paper towels and season lightly with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Repeat until all potatoes are cooked and seasoned.

Char Siu

Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Roast Pork)

Char Siu literally means "fork burn/roast." This dish is lucky number 28 on the “World’s 50 Most Delicious Foods” readers’ poll compiled by CNNGo in 2011. 

It highlights the sweet, salty, and super savory flavors that Chinese food is so famous for. Although I am a strong believer that pork should never be cooked beyond medium, this dish works best when the pork is cooked well done.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2-3 Lbs. Pork Tenderloins

Marinade:

1/4 C. Vegetarian Hoisin Sauce

1/4 C. Rice Wine Vinegar

1/4 C. Honey

1/4 C. Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce

1" Fresh Ginger Root, Chopped

3 Garlic Cloves, Chopped

1 Tbsp. Sriracha (Rooster Sauce)

1/2 Tbsp. Sesame Oil

1/2 Tbsp. Onion Powder

1 Tsp. Red Food Coloring

1 Tsp. Chinese 5 Spice

Directions:

Trim pork of excess fat and silver skin. Place pork in gallon sized zip lock bag. Combine all ingredients for marinade and mix well. Pour marinade over pork in the zip lock. Toss pork in bag to evenly coat with marinade. Place in fridge for at least 2 hours but can be left overnight.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Line a cookie sheet with tin foil and place a wire rack on top. Remove pork from marinade and place directly on rack. Do not rinse marinade from pork. Roast pork  for 2 - 3 hours or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.

Vegetable Fried Rice

I love quality short cuts in the kitchen. I have been known to ask my local pizza place for dough as opposed to making it myself. In this case, I bought 2 pints of white rice from the local Chinese take out. $2 got me plenty of rice for this dish. This recipe works best with day old rice, but you can get by with letting your rice sit out for a couple hours in the kitchen in a single layer.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups rice, prepared

• 1 cup peas & carrots, frozen
• 1 white onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten

• 3 tablespoons sesame oil

• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 2 Tablespoons chopped scallions.

Instructions:

1. Prepare rice according to package instructions to yield 3 cups cooked rice.

2. Heat sesame oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat.
3. Add onion, garlic, peas, and carrots. Stir fry until tender.
4. Add eggs into pan and scramble, mixing throughout vegetables.
5. Add rice and soy sauce to pan. Stir in soy sauce and allow to cook for about 3 minutes.
6. Add scallions and stir to combine. Remove from heat and serve immediately.