December 6, 2021 by stevesacooking

Sweet Onion Relish

We bought a bunch onions for Thanksgiving but for one reason or another the anticipated crowd became 4 .

So as the song goes

What do you do with to many sweet onions

Early in the morning

Slice them up and make a relish

Cook them down and make a relish

Add apple cider vinegar and sugar to make a relish

Early in the morning

Sweet-meets-savory relish gives a refreshing kick to this quick-to-fix main dish — the only prep step is chopping the onions.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoon(s) olive oil

• 4 large (2+-pound) sweet onion, thinly sliced

• 6 tablespoon(s) sugar

• 6 tablespoon(s) cider vinegar

• 1 teaspoon(s) salt

How:

In 12-inch, nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium 1 minute.

Add sliced onion and cook 15- 25 minutes or until very soft, stirring occasionally.

Stir in sugar, cider vinegar, and salt. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5-10 minutes longer.

Makes about 2 cup relish.

Was great on my Chicken cutlet sandwich or Oven fried

Another favorite is the Red Onion Relish

June 18, 2021 by stevesacooking

Crispy Roasted Potatoes

from https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best-roast-potatoes-ever-recipe

For years I’ve wanted to get roasted potatoes like my mother-in-law’s, brown and crispy on the outside soft and smooth on the onside. I’ve come close but never quite got there. I used to love picking the real crunchy stuff off the sides of the pan. Then we went to my son’s for mother’s day and he made his roasted potatoes. Now they did not have the crunchy stuff on the pan but other than that they were perfect. I asked him to send me how and he said it was the preboil (10 minutes) with a little backing soda. He sent me the link. I’ve seen it before but the goose fat always through me off. So I decided to just use oil oil infused with some fresh rosemary and garlic. I discovered that J. Kenji López-Alt also mentioned, if I bothered to read it, that any oil or fat would work in fact it adds to the flavor.

These are the most flavorful crispy roast potatoes you’ll ever make. And they just happen to be
gluten-free and vegan (if you use oil) to boot.

I adjusted the amounts based on the ponds of potatoes, there is only two of us after all.

Ingredients

Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon (4g) baking soda
4 pounds (about 2kg) russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters, sixths, or eighths, depending on size (see note)
5 tablespoons (75ml) extra-virgin olive oil, duck fat, goose fat, or beef fat (I used Olive Oil)
Small handful picked rosemary leaves, finely chopped
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
Freshly ground black pepper
Small handful fresh parsley leaves, minced

How

Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 450°F/230°C (or 400°F/200°C if using convection).

Heat 2 quarts (2L) water in a large pot over high heat until boiling. Add 2 tablespoons kosher salt (about 1 ounce; 25g), baking soda, and potatoes and stir. Return to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until a knife meets little resistance when inserted into a potato chunk, about 10 minutes after returning to a boil.
Meanwhile, combine olive oil, duck fat, or beef fat, my son used bacon fat, what’s that old saying, with rosemary, garlic, and a few grinds of black pepper in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat. Cook, stirring and shaking pan constantly, until garlic just begins to turn golden, about 3 minutes. Immediately strain oil through a fine-mesh strainer set in a large bowl.
Set strained garlic/rosemary mixture aside and reserve separately.
When potatoes are cooked, drain carefully and let them rest in the pot for about 30 seconds to allow excess moisture to evaporate.
Transfer to bowl with infused oil, season to taste with a little more salt and pepper, and toss to coat, shaking bowl roughly, until a thick layer of mashed potato–like paste has built up on the potato chunks.
Transfer potatoes to a large rimmed baking sheet and separate them, spreading them out evenly. Transfer to oven and roast, without moving, for 20 minutes. Using a thin, flexible metal spatula to release any stuck potatoes, shake pan and turn potatoes.
Continue roasting until potatoes are deep brown and crisp all over, turning and shaking them a few times during cooking, 30 to 40 minutes longer.
Transfer potatoes to a large bowl and add garlic/rosemary mixture and minced parsley. Toss to coat and season with more salt and pepper to taste.
Serve immediately. They tend to soften up if they sit for too long.

WHY IT WORKS

Large chunks of potato maximize the contrast between exterior and interior.
Parboiling the potatoes in alkaline water breaks down their surfaces, creating tons of starchy slurry for added surface area and crunch.
Offering you the choice of oil, duck fat, goose fat, or beef fat means you can get whichever flavor you want.
Infusing the oil or fat with garlic and herbs gives the potato crust extra flavor.

January 7, 2021 by stevesacooking

Steve’s Meatballs

What was a Sunday dinner at Rose’s without meatballs? This is a dish that a pinch of and a handful of that really comes to play. A dish that my side of the family would kill for, a plate of pasta topped with some of Rose’s meatballs. You really have to make these every week so you get it down. But then I would be 900 lbs. Quick easy but soooooo good.

This is my take of her recipe.

Ingredients

2 lbs. of ground sirloin I used 93% lean
3-4 eggs – 2 per lbs
About 1.5 handfuls of seasons bread crumbs and 1.5 handful of oat bran, each handful was about 1/4 cup
splash of milk maybe around 1/4 cup
Heaping tablespoon or dried parsley
About 1/3 cup grated parmigiana Reggiano cheese
Heaping tablespoon of dried basil
A couple of teaspoon of garlic powder
About a tablespoon of onion powder
1 tsp. Salt and fresh ground pepper if you want a spicy meatball either use more pepper or add 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

How:

Preheat oven to 350◦

Line a backing sheet with high sides with tin foil and drizzle with then and spread olive oil

in large bowl mix bread crumb and oat bran with milk let sit for 3-5 minutes

now mix all other ingredients together thoroughly. Using a medium ice cream scoop, scoop out and shape into 2” balls. (Approximately) and line the pan with meatballs leaving a little space between each.

Hint: I always have a small bowl with some olive oil in it to keep dipping my hand in it for when I form the meatballs

Convection Bake for about 15-30 minutes, checking after 20 minutes. The will be firm but not too firm. You can place sauce until ready to serve. if you want check with instant thermometer temp 138ish

Note: I think when going to serve that putting in sauce and let them simmer with the sauce make them come out very moist and as Lyn said melted in your mouth.

January 28, 2020 by stevesacooking

Orange Juice and Honey Salad Dressing

Lyn found this online @ behealthful so I made a batch this morning and now I can’t wait until lunch.

What and How

Ingredient

1/3 cup Orange Juice
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp Raw Honey
1 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar
Pinch of salt and pepper

Online it said to add to a jar and then shake like heck. we prefer the blender on dressing setting. it takes a while to settle but think it blends the flavors better. I made a double batch.

Now I watch the clock until Lunch!

February 2, 2014 by stevesacooking

Ratatouille Frittata

Frittatas – so much you can do with them and I like to cut up left overs into single servings so I can pop out of the Freezer and into the microwave for a quick meal.

You need a 10” oven proof nonstick skillet and a little time.

Ingredients

medium potato cute into ½ inch cubes
6 large eggs
5 Egg whites – I used packaged
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt divided in two
1 egg plant or 2 small Italian eggplants – cube in ½ inch pieces
2 plum tomatoes cube in 1/2″ inch pieces
1 medium zucchini cube in ½ inch pieces
2-3 tablespoons slice black olives
6 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
Small handful of grated pizza cheese – or cheddar
About 1 tablespoon or less of olive oil

How

Preheat oven to 350

In a steamer cook the potatoes about 5-7 minutes until fork tender

Meanwhile in blender combine eggs, tarragon, pepper, half the salt – Using the blender made a fluffier airier frittata.

In a large nonstick oven proof skillet heat oil over medium heat

Add zucchini cook about 2 minutes until it begins to soften

Add eggplant and the remaining salt cook about 3 minutes

Add the tomatoes and olives stir to combine cover and cook about 3 minutes until the eggplant is mostly tender and the tomatoes have given some liquid.

Add potatoes and toss to combine

Add the egg mixture (I gave it a very short quick pulse to combine again) and cook about 2 minutes or until the edges start to set.

sprinkle with cheeses

Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the frittata is set, puffed and browned.

Let set for 3-4 minutes before serving

December 4, 2013 by stevesacooking

Pan Seared Oven Roasted Buffalo Steak

Ingredients

NY strip buffalo about 1 “ thick

How

Preheat oven to 350 degree
Heat oven proof fry pan over medium hig heat
Sprinkle a little Olive oil pan
Sear the steak about 3 minutes
Turn and place pan in oven for about 4 minutes
Remove tent loosely with tin foil let sit for 5-10 minutes – rule of thumb I use is about the same time it took to cook.

Slice against the grain and serve

The Benefits of Eating Buffalo

I like knowing that by buying and eating buffalo I’m supporting one of the last remnants of wild food on the American continent. I like the wild, untamed nature of the animals, their rugged character, and toughness. They stand in stark contrast to the rest of our cultivated diet.

Buffalo, what’s in it for you?
Ounce for ounce buffalo meat contains 69% more iron than beef and slightly more protein than beef. Everyone can benefit from eating bison on regular basis to prevent or rectify iron deficiency anemia. Men, women, children, and former vegetarians and vegans can benefit from is tonifying food. Like beef, bison is a great source of B-vitamins, zinc, and other brain and body-building nutrients that are poorly supplies and poorly absorbed from plant foods.

Cholesterol, a non-issue
Although buffalo is promoted as a lower cholesterol meat, that’s a bit of misnomer. A 100 gram serving (3 1/2 ounces) of buffalo contains approximately 82 milligrams of cholesterol whereas the same size portion of beef (or pork) contains 86 milligrams. The difference of 4 milligrams is hardly signfificant. (That’s 0.0002% of what most bodies produces in a day!)

Now you may be wondering why eat cholesterol if you body can make it? Although your body can manufacture cholesterol, it is actually better to obtain it from dietary sources. Traditional human diets have always contained significant amounts of cholesterol.

According to Nora T. Gedgaudas, CNS,CNT, author of Primal Body––Primal Mind, “Restricting or eliminating its [cholesterol] intake indicates a crisis or famine to the body. The result is the production of a liver enzyme called HMG-COA reductase, that in effect, then overproduces cholesterol from carbohydrates in the diet. Consuming excess carbohydrates while decreasing cholesterol intake guarantees a steady overproduction of cholesterol in the body.”

“The only way to switch this over production off is to consume an adequate amount of dietary cholesterol and back off on the carbs. In other words, the dietary intake of cholesterol stops the internal production of cholesterol. (Schwarzbein, 1999).”

Back to the Buffalo
Buffalo is usually lower in fat than beef. The specific fat content of a particular cut of buffalo will depend on upon the particular animal, its diet age at the time of slaughter, and how much fat is trimmed from the carcass or cut you buy.

The lean of the land?
USDA handbook data includes comparisons showing a 100 gram (3 1/2 ounce) portion of beef at 9.28 to 14 grams of fat and the same size portion of buffalo at 2.42 grams of fat. However, I’ve seen 6 ounce (128 gram) buffalo burgers in gourmet markets boasting 30 grams of fat (ground meat may contain more fat if it’s processed with trim from the rest of the carcass, particularly if it was not 100% grassfed). However, fat isn’t bad.

Eating more fat and protein and less carbohydrate can provide many health benefits. Still most buffalo on the market, particularly if grassfed, will contain significantly less fat than factory farmed beef.

For the pictures on the right, I used a small buffalo steak from Arizona Buffalo Company, located in Buckeye, Arizona. It turned out really great. Although it was a lean steak, I found it easy to cut and easy to chew.

Buy local whenever you can
When I buy meat, or anything else, I support small local farmer means and help them stay in business. I reduce fuel use because my food doesn’t log thousands of miles to reach me. I cut out the middle man. I usually save money, and have contact with the people who are raising my food. I much prefer this to buying anonymous meat whenever I can, although I’m flexible in this respect. I don’t think it has to be all or nothing.

How to cook a buffalo
Cook it one piece at a time. As with grassfed been and other lean, wild, or game meats, you’ll get the best results cooking steaks, roasts, and burgers, rare or medium rare. Well done will be overdone, tough, dry, and leathery. Reduce the cooking time, the temperature, or both to produce the best results. And don’t rush a roast, long slow cooking is required for certain cuts to make t hem moist and tender. Marinades help with some cuts.

How does it taste?
I like the flavor. You might expect buffalo to taste gamey and have a tough texture, but I find it tender and juicy (as long it’s not overcooked), with a slightly sweet undertone. I like to sear the steaks on both sides and leave them blood red on the inside. You’ll notice buffalo meet has a deeper, darker, redder color than beef. Stay close and remove it from the heat when it’s under done, so you don’t lose all that color in cooking.

Buffalo Meat – A Cut Above The Rest (leccoworkshop.com)

December 1, 2013 by stevesacooking

Brussels Sprout Salad with Smoked Gouda, Pecans, and Dried Cherries

A normal thanksgiving a day recipe for us is Crispy Brussels Sprouts but this year Lyn showed me a recipe that looked pretty good and was receive well at the table.

Serves 8

Ingredients

3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 small shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved, slice the sprouts as thin as possible. I used the food processor to slice the sprouts to speed things up
3 ounces smoked Gouda cheese, shredded (1 cup)
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
1/2 cup chopped dried cherries

How

Whisk lemon juice, mustard, shallot, garlic and ½ teaspoon salt together in large bowl. Slowly whisk in oil until incorporated. Toss Brussels sprouts with vinaigrette, and let sit for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. Fold in Gouda, pecans, and cherries. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Crispy Brussels Sprouts (Stevesacooking.com)

November 5, 2013 by stevesacooking

Reign on Crispy Smashed RedSkins – Week 10

Since the Patriots are on a Bi and well deserved I might add, I will honor the Washington RedSkins this recipe it may be the last time I can call them that if I want to remain PC.

Don’t let the salt in this recipe scare you but do use table salt not kosher. These would be good for any event I strongly suggest.

Found this on Brian Child’s Marinate Me Baby

Ingredients
◾2lb Red Potatoes (2×1 Inch in Size)
◾1 1/4 cup Table Salt
◾8 cups Water
◾4 tablespoons Malt Vinegar
◾Cracked Black Pepper (To Taste)
◾6 tablespoons Olive Oil

How

Step 1
Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees.
Step 2
Set wire rack inside rimmed baking sheet.
Brush second rimmed baking sheet evenly with oil.
Step 3
Bring 2 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Stir in potatoes and salt, and cook until just tender and paring knife slips easily in and out of potatoes, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain potatoes and transfer to wire rack; let dry for 10 minutes.

Step 4
Transfer potatoes to oiled baking sheet. Flatten each potato with underside of measuring cup until ½ inch thick. Brush potatoes with half of vinegar and season with pepper.

Step 5
Roast until potatoes are well browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Brush with remaining vinegar. Transfer potatoes to platter, smashed side up. Serve.

October 9, 2013 by stevesacooking

Reign On Brown Rice Cruncy Oven Fried Fish – Week 7

Here is a variation of something I made a while back with a twist when it comes to the breadcrumbs. I think it is a healthier offering.

I’ve done with corn flakes, potato chips, panko and regular bread crumbs from package or home made and probably a few others.

Variation of Crunchy oven fired chicken Published September 1, 2008. From Cook’s Illustrated.

This is very similar to how I do my chicken cutlets either pan-fried or baked minus a few ingredients.

Serves 4

To prevent overcooking, buy fish fillets at least 1 inch thick. The bread crumbs can be made up to 3 days in advance, cooled, and stored at room temperature in an airtight container. Serve with Sweet and Tangy Tartar Sauce (see related recipe) or lemon wedges. Steve tweak: If you have a skinny end of the fish you can always fold under to make it about the same thickness as the other so it cooks evenly.

Ingredients

About 2 cups of brown rice cereal – similar to Rice Krispies. Crunched up
1/4 cup plus 5 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour Steve tweak: Whole wheat bread
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish (optional) Steve tweak: optional? Not in my opinion
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 1/4 pounds skinless cod fillet , or haddock fillet, or other thick white fish fillet (1 to 1 1/2 inches thick), cut into 3-4 pieces
Lemon wedges

Instructions

Place the brown rice Krispies in a plastic bag, let air out, take a rolling pin and roll over until most are crunched and palace in a pie plate.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Place 1/4 cup flour in second pie plate.
In third pie plate, whisk eggs, horseradish (if using), mayonnaise, paprika, cayenne pepper (if using), and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper until combined; whisk in remaining 5 tablespoons flour until smooth.
Spray wire rack with nonstick cooking spray and place in rimmed baking sheet. Dry fish thoroughly with paper towels and season with salt and pepper (optional but recommended to personal taste.) Dredge 1 fillet in flour; shake off excess. Using hands, coat with egg mixture. Coat all sides of fillet with bread crumb mixture, pressing gently so that thick layer of crumbs adheres to fish. Transfer breaded fish to wire rack. Repeat with remaining 3 fillets.
Bake fish until instant-read thermometer inserted into centers of fillets registers 140 degrees, 18 to 25 minutes. Using thin spatula, transfer fillets to individual plates and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Note: I have tried this type of rack and a very fine mesh rack, I feel the very fine mesh works much better.

September 26, 2013 by stevesacooking

Cubano

OK Every time I go to Tampa office there is this little restaurant in a strip mall that I insist on going to, I always get the Cuban sandwich. So as I watched the Pats defeat Tampa Bay last week I munched on this sandwich. I pretty much followed theirs but made a mistake in the rub and used whole grain mustard instead of ground. I was off just a little bit all weekend. Hey that’s a good excuse to try the pork again right?

Cubano Epicurious | August 2013

by Jose Garces
The Latin Road Home

Yield: Makes 4 sandwiches

ingredients

Roast Pork

2 Tbsp kosher salt + 1 Tbsp
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 Tbsp ground mustard
2 lb boneless pork shoulder, tied in an even roll
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1 tsp ground mace
2 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp Spanish smoked sweet paprika

Sandwich

4 (6-inch) light crisp-crusted bakery rolls
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3/4 lb best-quality domestic ham (unglazed), thinly sliced
1/4 lb Swiss or Gruyère cheese, thinly sliced
1 large dill pickle, thinly sliced lengthwise
2 Tbsp unsalted butter

preparation

To cure the pork, combine 2 tablespoons of the salt with the sugar and ground mustard. Rub the mixture all over the meat, cover, and set it in the refrigerator to cure for 6 hours.

Place a rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 325°F.

To roast the pork, rinse it under cold running water to remove the seasoning. Pat dry with paper towels. Combine the Dijon mustard, mace, black pepper, paprika, and the remaining 1 tablespoon salt. Rub the mixture all over the meat. Set the pork in a roasting pan, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and cook until the internal temperature reaches 175°F, about 45 minutes. (Mine took much longer) Allow the meat to cool completely before slicing.

To make the sandwiches, heat a sandwich press or griddle to medium-high. Split the bread lengthwise and pull it open. Spread the mustard on 1 side of each roll and layer on the roast pork, ham, cheese, and pickles. Spread the butter all over the outside of the sandwiches and griddle until the cheese is melted and the meats are warmed through, 3 to 4 minutes. (Alternatively, wrap the sandwich in foil and toast in a 350°F oven for 5 to 7 minutes.) Slice each in half on the diagonal and serve.

You can press this as I did, eat it un-pressed or if you don’t have a press take two bricks wrap in tin foil heart in 500 degree oven for about 1/2 hour and use those to press.

Gourmet Dad, Don’t Let The Title Fool You

I think I enjoy the cooking more than eating, there is nothing better than to watch the smile grow after someone’s first bite. Note from Steve: I am a flow of thought writer and apologize up front if I lose you. My family is used to it.

Olive oil