Curried Raisin Cranberry Sauce

I’ll start this post with a confession; for me the jury is still out on any Cranberry sauce, I’m not sure why but I just can’t seem to like this dish. Through the years I have had many variations of it to no avail. From the good old can with the rings still on it, (Yuk) to recipes handed down generation to generation, until I stumbled upon this one. This one I like, and found myself asking for seconds.

 Back when I owned my own restaurant we would cook Thanksgiving dinner for all the staff and their friends that didn’t go home for the holiday. We would close the place down, me and two of the other managers, (my two best friends) would arrive early and cook all day long… No one should go without a turkey dinner on Thanksgiving, right?   Around 2 o’clock everyone would start showing up, we would open the bar, turn on Football, and start serving appetizers. The full feast would be served at 6; we went all out with two 25 pound turkeys and all the trimmings. These are some of my fondest memories of Thanksgiving. Always stress free and always a great time. Below is the recipe we perfected over a five year period. Super easy, with a 10 minute prep time for best results make it a day ahead of time.

Curried Raisin Cranberry Sauce- Serves 12

Sugar- 2 cups

Cider Vinegar- 1 cup

Port Wine- 1 cup

Orange Marmalade- 1 ½ cups= 1- 20 ounce jar

Raisins- 1 cup

Ground Cinnamon- 1 ½ tbsp

Curry Powder-3 tsp

Salt- 1 tsp

Fresh Cranberries- 2 (12 ounce bags)

Method to the Madness

1)      Pre-heat oven to 325.In a large mixing bowl combine the sugar, vinegar, port, marmalade, raisins, cinnamon, curry, and salt. Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Add the cranberries, and mix well.

2)      Spray a 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray. Pour in the cranberry mix and cover with foil. (this can be done a day ahead of time or a few hours in advance)

3)      Bake covered for 60 minutes, until cranberries are soft, and some of them burst. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

4)      ENJOY!!

Help for picking Thanksgiving Wines

Brioche and Cornbread stuffing

Well Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and its high-time we got to some recipes. So this week that’s what we will be talking about, I’ll start with Stuffing, move onto Cranberry Sauce, and then a Pesto-Crusted Turkey. Then we are going to finish with a Stuffed French Toast for breakfast on the Friday after; you’re going to need all those carbs to make it through “Black Friday”.

I’ll admit I cheated a little on this one by using some store bought Cornbread stuffing mix. The rest is all original; the Brioche really added some great buttery flavor. And let’s face it when was the last time you saw Brioche in Stuffing… I never have.

Brioche and Cornbread stuffing

Cornbread stuffing- 2 cups

Brioche-3 cups (cubed)

Chicken Stock- 2 ¾ cups

Onion- ½ cup (small diced)

Celery- ¾ cup (small diced)

Apples- 3 cups (medium diced, Granny Smiths)

Italian Sausage- 2 ½ cups (spicy, bulk)

Sage- ½ cup, divided (fresh, chopped) ¼ cup for garnish

Salt & Pepper- to taste

Method to the Madness

1)      Dice Brioche, and lay the cubes out on a baking pan let rest overnight. Two days if you have the time.

2)      Pre-heat oven to 350. In a sauté pan cook Italian sausage until brown on all sides. Remove from pan saving the juices. In the same pan with the juices sauté the onion and celery, until onions become translucent. Remove from the pan set aside.

3)      In the same pan sauté the apples until just tender and turning golden brown 4-6 minutes.

4)      In a large mixing bowl combine everything together, season with salt & pepper; mix well. Put everything in a 3 quart baking dish, cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed. For a crunchy top do not cover.    

Improvements & Reposts

Well we are fast approaching the four month mark of this adventure in blogging, and what a learning experience I have had. It’s pretty clear to me that when I started blogging I had no idea what I was doing. After reading articles on “How to improve your blog” I have tried to do so, I’m also regularly reading about 25-30 food blogs to help the cause. In that time I have discovered many wonderful food blogs… Most of them are very impressive, so I’m going to do my best to add to the conservation. So from time to time I’m going to go through the archives and pick a post to improve. For the most part I will be adding photos.

If there are any requests or suggestions, please feel free.

Thank You

Paulie

Shrimp Scampi with Angel Hair Pasta

Angel Hair pasta- 1 pound

Olive Oil- 2 tbsp

Pancetta- 2 ounces (diced)

Jumbo Shrimp- 1 ½ pounds (peeled, deveined)

Garlic- 1 tbsp (minced)

Red Pepper flakes- ½ tsp

White Wine- ½ cup

Lemon juice- 2 tbsp

Green Onions- ½ cup

Roma Tomatoes- 1 cup (seeded, diced)

Parsley- ¼ cup (fresh, chopped)

Rosemary- 1 tsp (fresh, chopped)

Salt & Pepper- to taste

Method to the Madness

 1)      Bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. In a sauté pan over medium- high heat crisp the pancetta and remove leaving the fat. Add the Olive oil, sauté the shrimp, garlic and red pepper. Remove shrimp.

2)      Deglaze the pan with the white wine and lemon juice, simmer and reduce by half. Add tomatoes, green onions, and rosemary. Return shrimp to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes, or until firm. Be careful shrimp cook really fast.

3)      Drain the pasta. Toss with the shrimp and the sauce. Add the parsley and Pancetta, season with salt & pepper and toss well.

4)      ENJOY!!!!!!

Chicken Parmesan

Old School Italian Restaurants

 Italian food is probably my favorite, followed by a close second  Mexican food. I LOVE both these food styles,and today we are going to talk about Italian.

 I was first introduced to authentic Italian at the ripe age of 13. It was a birthday party for Grandma, at the time I sure I did not have any fun at… You can remember how it felt to be at a grown up party when you are at the cusp of becoming a teenager, boring and bummed you’re not with your friends. Because let’s face it, that is what was important at the time. Hanging out with friends not family; boy was I wrong.

There’s a saying “If I knew then what I know now, I would have done things differently” I find this to be very true, I would have done things differently. As I have grown older (UGH, SIGH) I have realized that spending time with family is the most important thing you can do. I have lost many important people in my life as I’m sure you have too. I now live pretty far from home and don’t get to spend as much time as I would like with family now.

With the holidays fast approaching, we will be moving at light speed to get everything done that needs getting done. But this is the time to spend with loved ones, so this year I’m going to try to slow it down a little, not complain about ANYTHING, and try to truly enjoy this time. So this Holiday season let us raise a glass to all of our families out there, to all the ones that are with us and the ones who are not! Cheers to both my Grandfathers and Grandmothers, and the rest of the family. All the ones who have helped shaped me into the person I am. Thank You!

Onto today’s recipe, sorry I got off the path there for a minute.

Chicken Parmesan

Chicken breasts- 5 six ounce (boneless, skinless)

Flour- 1 cup

Salt- 1 tbsp

Pepper- 1 tbsp

Bread crumbs- 1 cup

Salt- ½ tbsp

Pepper- 1 tbsp

Parmesan Cheese- ¾ cup (fresh, grated)

Basil- 1 tbsp (dried)

Oregano- ½ tbsp (dried)

Eggs- 5 large

Salt- 1 tsp

Pepper- 1 tsp

Milk- ½ cup

Basil- 10 leaves (for garnish)

Provolone Cheese- 10 slices (cut in half)

Marinara- 3 cups (recipe to follow)

Method to the Madness

1)       In three separate bowls set up your breading station. In bowl number one, add the flour 1 tbsp of salt and 1 tbsp of pepper mix well. In number two add the bread crumbs, ½ tbsp of salt and 1 tbsp of pepper, the Parmesan, basil, and oregano, mix well. In bowl number three add the eggs, 1 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of pepper and the milk, whisk well.

2)      Spread out the chicken, and season with salt & pepper. Dredge each breast first in the flour, shaking off the excess, then the egg wash and finally the bread crumbs. Lay them out on a small baking pan. Refrigerate until ready.

3)      Pre-heat oven to 400.In a sauté pan or deep fryer heat vegetable oil to 375. Working in batches fry chicken until golden brown and set aside. When ready for diner place chicken oven and bake for 10 minutes, add provolone cheese bake for another 1-2 minutes or cheese starts to bubble.

4)      Place two breasts per plate, add ½ cup of marinara and garnish with a chiffonade of basil. For the garnish, lay one basil leaf onto top of another. Roll them up gently, and slice thin.

5)      ENJOY!!

Marinara

Olive Oil- 2 tablespoons

Yellow Onion- 2 cups (medium diced)

Garlic- 2 ½ tablespoons (minced)

 Tomatoes- 4- 28 oz cans

Tomato paste- 1- 6 oz can

Basil- 1 cup packed tight (2 packages)

Salt & pepper- to taste

Method to the Madness

1)      Heat oil in a sauce pan; add onions and a pinch of Salt & pepper (this is called layering). Sauté for 2-3 minutes until onions become translucent, add garlic and sauté for another minute, until fragrant.

2)      Add tomatoes, and bring to a boil for 1 minute turn down heat and let simmer. Add tomato paste, season with salt & pepper. Let the sauce simmer for at least 45 minutes or for best results 2-3 hours.

3)      After your desired simmer time. Turn off the heat and let rest for an hour. Then add the basil and puree. I like my sauces smooth if you don’t, just add the basil and you’re ready to serve.

                 

A couple of Quick Tips

Mise en place

Today I thought I would talk about Mise en place, this is a French term which literally translates to “put in place”:  The preparation and assembly of ingredients, pans, utensils, and plates or serving pieces needed for a particular dish or service period. Now I am sure many of you are already familiar with this term and use the practice every time you cook, as I’m sure many of you use the practice but may be unfamiliar with the term.

Way back when I was attending my first class at the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago, we were in class for five minutes when the Chef used and explained this term. Followed immediately by and I quote here “clean as you go”. I believe these two guidelines are critical in any kitchen - this is their religion! If you employ these every time you cook your endeavors will be successful 9 out of 10 times… Some things can’t be helped. I have certainly made my fair share of mistakes, but have learned from each mistake made.

 Mise en place, when Chefs, line cooks, myself and you cook - they (we) use this practice. Everything is ready to go. Chopped, sliced, and diced, whatever – before you start the cooking process. At the restaurants I have worked at, come 5 o’clock everything is done and clean. There is no more prep to be done, no dishes to be washed, we are ready for service. This ensures there is no scrambling around to find and chop that last vegetable or herb, or wash those sauté pans you need. This is a great way to reduce the stress level… And let’s face it, hosting a dinner party is stressful enough, and in my experience this practice has always made for an easier dinner rush at any restaurant.

“Clean as you go”. I’m pretty sure no one enjoys a huge pile of pots & pans needing to be washed at the end of your fabulous dinner party. The only things you should have to deal with are the serving plates, stem and silverware. Of course this only happens after everyone has enjoyed their after dinner drinks, desserts, and have gone home for the evening. In my humble opinion this is the very reason more people don’t cook. They are always left with a huge mess at the end of the night, from the first pan they used at 1 o’clock when they started cooking, to the last piece of stemware or dessert plate all splattered about out on the kitchen counters. If you clean every piece of cooking equipment, pots, pans, utensils or anything else you use, and put it away when you are finished with it, the end of your evening will at the very least be tolerable if not enjoyable.    

Steak Goulash Stew with Double Mashed Potatoes

I love all of these fall dishes, and one of my favorites is Beef Stew. But I decided to try a different recipe this time around; after all I’ve been using the same one for years now… Not that it’s a bad recipe I was just craving something different. You can change a classic right??

 My sister just returned from Budapest Hungary, and told me about all of the fabulous Steak Goulash she had enjoyed. So after doing a few hours of research, I stumbled upon some great recipes, and I knew with some small tweaking I could come up with a winner. So here we go this one is part classic and part Hungarian. It took me a total time of 45 minutes; it really provided different flavors and textures. It was truly enjoyable.

The Ingredients

Sirloin Steak- 1 ½ pounds (sliced into strips, about ¼ inch)

Flour- ¼ cup

Paprika- 2 tbsp

Bacon Fat or Lard- 2 tbsp

Olive Oil- 2 tbsp

Onion- 1 cup (sliced)

Anaheim (green) chile- ½ cup (sliced)

Garlic- 2 tbsp

Tomato Paste- 1 tbsp

Caraway Seed- ½ tsp

Thyme- 1 tbsp (fresh)

Beef Broth- 2 cups

Roasted Red Peppers- ½ cup (sliced)

Sherry Vinegar- 2 tbsp

Yukon Gold Potatoes- 2 pounds

Sweet Potatoes- 1 pound

Olive Oil- 3 tbsp

Salt & pepper- to taste

Chicken Broth- 2/3 cup

Method to the Madness

1)      Peel and quarter all of the potatoes, and place in a sauce pot with water. In a large plastic bag add the Sirloin steak and the flour, 1 tbsp of Paprika, salt and pepper, mix well set aside.

2)      Turn the heat on high for the potatoes. In a large sauté pan add the bacon fat and olive oil over medium high heat. Sear the sirloin one minute per side and set aside (do this in two batches if necessary). In the same pan add the onion, garlic, and Anaheim, cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, remaining seasonings, and left over flour from the bag. Cook for 1-2 minutes.

3)      Deglaze the pan with the Sherry and beef broth, scraping the brown bits off the bottom. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add roasted peppers and the steak with the juices and simmer for another 3-4 minutes.

4)      Strain the potatoes when fork tender. Put the potatoes back in the same pot over low heat. Add 3 tbsp of Olive oil and the chicken broth. Season with salt & pepper and mash half and leave half chunky.

5)      Add 1 ½ cup of potatoes on a plate and the steak and spoon over the sauce with the peppers and onions over the entire dish.

6)      ENJOY!!!