Meat

Sausage with Potatoes and Peppers

December 23, 2022 robiulo Leave a comment

Sausage with Potatoes and Peppers

Sausage with Potatoes and Peppers is a simple one pan recipe with easily available ingredients. It’s a typical home cooked Italian diner.

Ingredients:

1 lb. thin skinned potatoes
1 red onion
1 each red & green bell pepper
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. dried thyme
salt and black pepper
5 or 6 Italian sausages cut into thirds
¼ cup dry white wine

Preheat your oven to 425^o.

Cut the potatoes, onions, and bell peppers into bit sized pieces. Place them in a bowl with the oil, thyme and salt and pepper. Toss and coat

Put the vegetables to a large roasting pan and spread evenly across the bottom. Place the sausage in the same bowl that the vegetables were in and shake to coat with any remaining olive oil and thyme. Place the sausage directly on top of the vegetables in the roasting pan.

Roast in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and toss the sausage and vegetables in the cooking juices. Add the wine to the baking pan and return the pan to the oven. Bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until sausages are fully cooked and the potatoes are tender.

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Drinks

Horse Radish Infused Vodka

December 16, 2022 robiulo 2 Comments

Horse Radish Infused Vodka

We had dinner at the Ukrainian East Village Restaurant on 2nd Avenue. As usual the food, service and Ukrainian beer were great. I saw something on the menu I’d never noticed before – Horse Radish Infused Vodka. Served chilled and straight in a shot glass with a pickle garnish, it was cold and crisp and just a great opener for the meal we had. If you want to try this and can’t get to the East Village, you’re going to need fresh horse radish root.

Just two simple ingredients – vodka and fresh horse radish.

Using the largest holes on a box grater, grate enough horse radish to fill 1/4 cup.

Add the grated horse radish to a liter of vodka and store for 48 hours. Taste it and if it isn’t strong enough give it another 24 hours. Strain out the horse radish and serve very cold.

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Meat

Mustard Fried Pork Chops

December 4, 2022 robiulo Leave a comment

Mustard Fried Pork Chops

Mustard Fried Pork Chops are a Southern dish. There are no eggs in this breading. You can vary the spices according to your taste but be sure to use thin pork chops and yellow mustard.

Ingredients:

2 thin cut pork chops
Salt and black pepper
½ tsp. Cajun Spice
½ tsp. paprika (hot or sweet)
½ tsp. garlic salt
¼ cup yellow mustard
½ cup flour
Vegetable oil for frying

Season the chops with the spices, coat with mustard and dredge in flour. Let them sit for 30 minutes. Cook until the crust is golden brown either by pan frying or deep frying.

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Pasta, Vegetarian

Roasted Poblano Pasta

November 23, 2022 robiulo Leave a comment

Roasted Poblano Pasta

This recipe is adapted from Gretchen McKay | The Seattle Times. She calls Roasted Poblano Pasta a “an Italian-meets-Mexican fusion dish,” and I agree.

Ingredients:

5 poblano peppers
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin, or more to taste
12 ounces fettuccine pasta
½ cup packed parsley
½ cup chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream, divided
1 minced garlic clove
Pinch or two crushed red pepper flakes optional

Char poblano peppers on all sides over a gas flame until skin is blistered evenly all around. (If you don’t have a gas stove, char them under the broiler.) Once all of the peppers are roasted, place in plastic bag and let them sit for 5 minutes. This helps loosen the skin to make them easier to peel. When they’re cool to touch, rub the charred skin off with the back side of a knife blade. Remove stem and seeds.

While the peppers are sweating, bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until just shy of al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain, reserving about ½ to 1 cup of the starchy pasta water. Set aside.

While pasta is cooking, add 3 peppers, parsley, cumin, garlic, chicken stock and ½ cup heavy cream to a blender or food processor. Process until smooth. Slice 2 remaining peppers into thin strips.

Once drained, add the poblano cream sauce to the pasta, along with the remaining heavy cream, minced garlic, ½ teaspoon salt and red pepper flakes. Sometimes poblanos can be very hot, so taste before adding any more pepper. Taste and add more salt or cumin, if desired. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer until slightly thickened and the pasta absorbs some sauce, about 3-4 minutes.

Add the sliced peppers and cook until pasta has absorbed sauce. Stir to combine and give one final taste to see if you need more salt and/or pepper.

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Poultry

Chicken with Apricots and Carrots

November 10, 2022 robiulo Leave a comment

Chicken with Apricots and Carrots

Chicken with Apricots and Carrot is an interesting recipe from Eric Kin in the New York Times. You’ll notice it’s made without any additional cooking oil. The mayo in the marinade supplies enough oil. In place of the paprika you can use chili powder.

Ingredients:

¼ cup apricot preserves
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. fish sauce
2 tbsp mild paprika
Salt and black pepper
½ cup dried apricots (about 3½ ounces)
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs and legs
3 to 4 medium carrots, thinly sliced into coins (about 1 pound)
Parsley for topping

In a bowl large enough to hold the chicken, whisk together the apricot preserves, mayonnaise, lemon juice, fish sauce, paprika, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper until smooth. Tear each dried apricot in half at its seams, so each apricot becomes 2 flatter pieces. Add the apricots and chicken to the bowl; toss to evenly coat. Cover and refrigerate to marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.

Heat the oven to 425^o with a rack set in the center position. Line a sheet pan with parchment.

Add the carrots to the chicken mixture and toss to evenly coat. Spread the chicken and carrot mixture in a single layer on the sheet pan. Roast, rotating the pan halfway through, until the chicken is light brown, and the carrots begin to shrivel, 20 to 25 minutes. Top with fresh herbs and serve with rice.

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Pasta

Pasta with Eggplant and Breadcrumbs

November 1, 2022 robiulo 2 Comments

Pasta with Eggplant and Breadcrumbs

Here’s another recipe adapted from Melissa Clark at the New York Times, Pasta with Eggplant and Breadcrumbs. She never lets me down. I used Progresso Plain Breadcrumbs for this dish and Melissa made her own. Make them is you have time.

Ingredients:

2 large eggplants, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 8 cups)
Salt, black, and red pepper
½ pound short pasta, such as shells or orecchiette
½ cup olive oil plus as much as needed to fry the eggplant, plus more for drizzling
12 anchovies, coarsely chopped
8 garlic cloves, 3 grated or finely minced, 5 thinly sliced
1 cup plain Italian breadcrumbs
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1 cup torn parsley
Juice of ½ lemon

Place the cut eggplant on some paper towels and sprinkle all over with salt. Wait 15 minutes and blot the moisture.

Start a pot of salted water for the pasta.

Heat ¼ cup of oil in a large pan. Add about a quarter of the chopped anchovies and all of the grated garlic. Cook, stirring, for about 1 minute. Stir in breadcrumbs and sauté until well blended, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with black pepper and salt. Scrape into a small bowl and set aside.

Wipe out skillet and add ¼ cup olive oil and put it back over medium-high heat until oil thins out in the pan. Add enough eggplant to fit in one layer without overlapping. Without moving them around too much, cook eggplant until brown on one side, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir and let them cook on the other side until browned and thoroughly soft, 3 to 7 minutes more. Use a slotted spoon to transfer eggplant to a large bowl. Repeat with remaining eggplant, adding more oil to the pan as needed.

Add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet and stir in remaining anchovies, the sliced garlic and red-pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat and don’t let the garlic turn brown.

Stir in tomatoes and capers. Cook until tomatoes just begin to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggplant, pasta and ¼ cup pasta water. Toss well, adding more pasta water if it looks dry.

Stir in the parsley. Squeeze half a lemon all over the pasta and toss. Taste and add more red-pepper flakes, salt or lemon juice to taste. Generously sprinkle breadcrumbs on top of pasta and serve.

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Condiments, Sides, Vegetarian

Cubanelles

October 25, 2022 robiulo Leave a comment

Cubanelles

Generally known as Cubanelles, some people refer to them Italian green peppers and my mother called them “frying peppers.” They’re easy to prepare and are good as a side dish, with fried eggs, and cold or room temperature in an antipasto or in a sandwich.

Cut the stem end off the peppers and remove the core and seeds. Slice them in half or quarters lengthwise.

Heat the oil and add the two crushed garlic cloves. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until the garlic starts to brown.

Discard the garlic and place the sliced peppers in the pan. Weigh them down to flatten them. You can use a dish and tomato can (or whatever weight you like) and fry for a few minutes on each side.

When they’re done, place them in a container layered with the sliced garlic clove. Add a little extra oil if it’s to dry. It’s good to let them marinate in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

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Meat, Sides

Roasted Marrow Bone

October 13, 2022 robiulo Leave a comment

Roasted Marrow Bone

This is a one ingredient recipe. You put the beef bone in the oven, heat and eat. The femur is the largest bone in the steer, and it has the best marrow to bone ratio. My butcher ties a few sprigs of fresh oregano on the bone to make a better presentation in his display case. Even salt and pepper aren’t really necessary, but it can’t hurt.

Since marrow is mostly fat use a high heat for a short time, so it doesn’t all melt away. Place the bones in an oven proof dry pan in a 450-degree oven for 15 minutes. Serve with good bread. If you love steak, you’ll love a roasted marrow bone.

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Condiments, Sides, Vegetarian

Grilled Eggplant

September 20, 2022 robiulo Leave a comment

Grilled Eggplant

I know people who said they didn’t like eggplant until they tried it done like this. Grilled eggplant can be served room temperature or chilled as a part of an antipasto, side dish or on a sandwich.

Ingredients:

2 medium to large eggplants
2 garlic cloves, chopped
¼ cup olive oil
Salt, black, and red pepper
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 lemon, zested and juiced

Trim the stem ends off the eggplants and slice lengthwise, about ¼-inch thick. Lay the eggplant slices on paper towels and sprinkle salt on both sides. Wait 15 minutes and blot up moisture.

Prepare the marinade:

Heat the oil in a small pan, add salt, black and red pepper and lightly sauté the chopped garlic. Add the herbs, lemon zest/juice, and the garlic/oil mixture to a blender, food processor or if you need the exercise use a mortar and pestle.

While you heat your grill (charcoal, gas, or a grill pan), use a brush to lightly coat each eggplant slice with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the eggplant slices on the grill oil side down and add oil, salt, and pepper to the top side of the eggplant. After you get nice grill marks on one side, turn and grill the other side. They cook fast so watch them.

Prepare a large serving platter with some of the marinade on the bottom. Layer the eggplant slices as they are done and spoon some of the marinade on each layer. Leave them for an hour at room temperature to marinate, then cover and refrigerate.

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Poultry

Peri Peri Chicken

September 13, 2022 robiulo Leave a comment

Peri Peri Chicken

The story I heard is that the Portuguese first created peri peri chicken in Mozambique, and it later became a South African staple. The name “peri-peri” is derived from Swahili. ‘Piri-piri’ means “pepper-pepper.” You can make peri peri sauce as described below and use it on any number of dishes – grilled shrimp, rotisserie chicken, pork chops, etc. You can also make it as hot as you’d like, just add more chilis to the mix.

First, butterfly the chicken. Season it with salt and ½ of the paprika.

The Marinade/Sauce – Roughly chop the shallots, garlic, chili, thyme, and roasted pepper. Place them and the oregano, the remaining paprika, salt, black pepper, lemon zest, lemon juice and olive oil in a food processor or blender. Process until it’s a smooth consistency. You should have about 2 cups.

Place the chicken and ½ of the marinade in a plastic bag and coat well. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 3 hours.

Scrape away some of the thicker marinade and place it in a pot with the unused marinade.

Get 2 heavy pans – one to cook the chicken in and the other to weigh it down. Cover the bottom of the weight pan in foil. Place the weight pan in the over at 400^o for 10 minutes. Heat the cooking pan on a medium high stove burner and pace the chicken in it skin side down. Put the pr-heated weight pan on top of it and press it down using a potholder or a towel. The chicken is now starting to cook from below and above.

Turn the heat to low and check after 5 minutes. The skin side should be dark but not black.

After about another 10 – 12 minutes place the cooking pan with the weight in the 400^o oven for 20 minutes. Then remove the weight and turn the chicken skin side up and baste with the pan drippings. Continue cooking, skin side up for 15 – 20 minutes, basting once more.

Add the pan drippings and 2 pats of butter to the marinade. Heat and stir for a few minutes. Brush some on the chicken and put it back in the oven for 5 minutes to crisp the skin.

Remove from the oven and let it rest 20 minutes. Serve with the sauce on the side.

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Sausage with Potatoes and Peppers

Ingredients:

Preheat your oven to 425o.

Cut the potatoes, onions, and bell peppers into bit sized pieces. Place them in a bowl with the oil, thyme and salt and pepper. Toss and coat

Put the vegetables to a large roasting pan and spread evenly across the bottom. Place the sausage in the same bowl that the vegetables were in and shake to coat with any remaining olive oil and thyme. Place the sausage directly on top of the vegetables in the roasting pan.

Roast in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and toss the sausage and vegetables in the cooking juices. Add the wine to the baking pan and return the pan to the oven. Bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until sausages are fully cooked and the potatoes are tender.

Horse Radish Infused Vodka

Mustard Fried Pork Chops

Mustard Fried Pork Chops are a Southern dish. There are no eggs in this breading. You can vary the spices according to your taste but be sure to use thin pork chops and yellow mustard.

Ingredients:

Season the chops with the spices, coat with mustard and dredge in flour. Let them sit for 30 minutes. Cook until the crust is golden brown either by pan frying or deep frying.

Roasted Poblano Pasta

This recipe is adapted from Gretchen McKay | The Seattle Times. She calls Roasted Poblano Pasta a “an Italian-meets-Mexican fusion dish,” and I agree.

Ingredients:

While the peppers are sweating, bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until just shy of al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain, reserving about ½ to 1 cup of the starchy pasta water. Set aside.

While pasta is cooking, add 3 peppers, parsley, cumin, garlic, chicken stock and ½ cup heavy cream to a blender or food processor. Process until smooth. Slice 2 remaining peppers into thin strips.

Add the sliced peppers and cook until pasta has absorbed sauce. Stir to combine and give one final taste to see if you need more salt and/or pepper.

Chicken with Apricots and Carrots

Chicken with Apricots and Carrot is an interesting recipe from Eric Kin in the New York Times. You’ll notice it’s made without any additional cooking oil. The mayo in the marinade supplies enough oil. In place of the paprika you can use chili powder.

Ingredients:

Heat the oven to 425o with a rack set in the center position. Line a sheet pan with parchment.

Pasta with Eggplant and Breadcrumbs

Here’s another recipe adapted from Melissa Clark at the New York Times, Pasta with Eggplant and Breadcrumbs. She never lets me down. I used Progresso Plain Breadcrumbs for this dish and Melissa made her own. Make them is you have time.

Ingredients:

Place the cut eggplant on some paper towels and sprinkle all over with salt. Wait 15 minutes and blot the moisture.

Start a pot of salted water for the pasta.

Heat ¼ cup of oil in a large pan. Add about a quarter of the chopped anchovies and all of the grated garlic. Cook, stirring, for about 1 minute. Stir in breadcrumbs and sauté until well blended, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with black pepper and salt. Scrape into a small bowl and set aside.

Add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet and stir in remaining anchovies, the sliced garlic and red-pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat and don’t let the garlic turn brown.

Stir in tomatoes and capers. Cook until tomatoes just begin to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggplant, pasta and ¼ cup pasta water. Toss well, adding more pasta water if it looks dry.

Stir in the parsley. Squeeze half a lemon all over the pasta and toss. Taste and add more red-pepper flakes, salt or lemon juice to taste. Generously sprinkle breadcrumbs on top of pasta and serve.

Cubanelles

Cut the stem end off the peppers and remove the core and seeds. Slice them in half or quarters lengthwise.

Heat the oil and add the two crushed garlic cloves. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until the garlic starts to brown.

Discard the garlic and place the sliced peppers in the pan. Weigh them down to flatten them. You can use a dish and tomato can (or whatever weight you like) and fry for a few minutes on each side.

When they’re done, place them in a container layered with the sliced garlic clove. Add a little extra oil if it’s to dry. It’s good to let them marinate in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

Roasted Marrow Bone

Since marrow is mostly fat use a high heat for a short time, so it doesn’t all melt away. Place the bones in an oven proof dry pan in a 450-degree oven for 15 minutes. Serve with good bread. If you love steak, you’ll love a roasted marrow bone.

Grilled Eggplant

Ingredients:

Trim the stem ends off the eggplants and slice lengthwise, about ¼-inch thick. Lay the eggplant slices on paper towels and sprinkle salt on both sides. Wait 15 minutes and blot up moisture.

Prepare the marinade:

Heat the oil in a small pan, add salt, black and red pepper and lightly sauté the chopped garlic. Add the herbs, lemon zest/juice, and the garlic/oil mixture to a blender, food processor or if you need the exercise use a mortar and pestle.

Prepare a large serving platter with some of the marinade on the bottom. Layer the eggplant slices as they are done and spoon some of the marinade on each layer. Leave them for an hour at room temperature to marinate, then cover and refrigerate.

Peri Peri Chicken

First, butterfly the chicken. Season it with salt and ½ of the paprika.

Place the chicken and ½ of the marinade in a plastic bag and coat well. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 3 hours.

Scrape away some of the thicker marinade and place it in a pot with the unused marinade.

Turn the heat to low and check after 5 minutes. The skin side should be dark but not black.

After about another 10 – 12 minutes place the cooking pan with the weight in the 400o oven for 20 minutes. Then remove the weight and turn the chicken skin side up and baste with the pan drippings. Continue cooking, skin side up for 15 – 20 minutes, basting once more.

Add the pan drippings and 2 pats of butter to the marinade. Heat and stir for a few minutes. Brush some on the chicken and put it back in the oven for 5 minutes to crisp the skin.

Remove from the oven and let it rest 20 minutes. Serve with the sauce on the side.

Reveries and Recipes

Preheat your oven to 425^o.

Heat the oven to 425^o with a rack set in the center position. Line a sheet pan with parchment.

After about another 10 – 12 minutes place the cooking pan with the weight in the 400^o oven for 20 minutes. Then remove the weight and turn the chicken skin side up and baste with the pan drippings. Continue cooking, skin side up for 15 – 20 minutes, basting once more.