Sausage and Seafood Gumbo
Also known as my 'AMAZING Gumbo', this is a fantastically thick and flavorful gumbo. I do use a box for the base, but each of the added ingredients changes the flavor and elevates it to beyond delicious. Even diehard Cajuns love the way this gumbo comes out. The sausage adds a great spice, and if you want to kick it up even further, add a dash of cayenne pepper. If you have never had Okra before, it really thickens the broth, and has a unique texture. If you aren’t sure you’ll like it, try a little less.
½ lb peeled de-veined raw shrimp. Tails removed. (medium size)
½ lb raw lump crawfish meat (Inland you can usually only find it frozen.)
½ lb Andoullie sausage links, sliced, precooked.
½ lb chopped Okra
1 box Zatarains New Orleans Rice Gumbo Mix
6 cups cool water (divided)
For best results, pour 2 cups water into the pot, add the Gumbo mix (which includes Rice and seasoning) and whisk until all lumps have dissolved, then add the remaining 4 cups and bring to a boil.
Add sausage to pot, reduce heat, cover and slow boil 10 minutes.
Add shrimp and crawfish to the pot, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Finally, add Okra, and simmer uncovered 3-5 minutes until thickened.
Serve in bowls and enjoy!
This can make a fantastic meal all on its own, but the perfect side dish to go with it is cornbread. I cheat and use a quick mix, but if you buy it or make it. It’s a fantastic pairing.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Kitchen Finesse: Visual Measurements
Kitchen Finesse: Visual Measurements
One of the many Trade Secrets Revealed
One truly helpful cooking tip that all the pros use is the art of visual measurement. Do you think a restaurant chef is going to get out a measuring cup every time for each dish he’s making? Of course not.
While it’s true that many kitchens rely on one person to prepare the ingredients and seasonings, and another chef to actually cook the meal, it remains a system of learning to guess by sight, and season accordingly. Most restaurant chefs don’t even have the time to sample a dish before it goes out to the customer (Would you really want them to?) so the mark of a good chef is getting it right, or close enough to perfect, every single time.
Every chef guesses one way or another, some slightly high, some slightly low, some times the estimate you make is even influenced by whether or not you personally like the herb or spice in question. Like when a restaurant changes cooks and the spicy soup never seems quite the same.
If you’re a visual learner, there’s an easy trick to start yourself off on the visual measuring scale. (If you’re not, keep practicing and you might find a way that works best for you.) Practice with clean hands (obviously) and salt/sugar. Take a measure of each common measurement, ¼ tsp, ½ tsp, 1 tsp, ½ tbs, 1 tbs. Start with ¼ tsp, cup your palm, and pour that much salt into your hand, pay very close attention to the size of the pile, how tall is it, how much does it weigh, how big is the diameter. Try to memorize it. Then pour that salt off, and without measuring, pour the same amount into your hand. If you think you’ve got it right, then try to carefully pour it back into the measuring spoon to see how close you were.
Adjust, and try again.
This is the first step to visual measurement. After you’ve had some time to practice, or you just prepare the same dish long enough, you’ll be able to toss the ingredients together directly in the pan, and with a little tasting to be sure it’s right, you won’t need to measure for some recipes at all!
Now, clearly this only works for small units of dry seasoning. Liquid seasoning you can practice by pouring into a clean bowl, then into a measuring spoon, but the practice and attention to detail is still required.
For larger servings, say, diced vegetables, the absolute best way to ‘cheat’ and improve your ability guesstimate larger measurements is to get a set of tiny to medium glass mixing bowls. Yep, just like the TV chef’s use. I received two sets of glass mixing bowls, (The smallest is the perfect size for individual dipping sauce) and they are the MOST used items in my kitchen.
Using bowls of different sizes is the ideal way to establish a sense of scale, whether it’s a ½ cup of diced shallots, to 2 cups of diced carrots, you’ll be able to get an approximation of size, no matter how light(spinach) or heavy(potatoes) the item is.
Even if you doubt your ability to get things right without measuring, the best aspect of learning this skill is the confidence you will develop in the kitchen. Feeling like you can cook well isn’t a matter of how easy it is for you to do, it’s a matter of practice, start small, learn little tricks like these, and even if you’re never cooking a five course chicken cordon bleu you’ll still feel happy and comfortable cooking the things you CAN cook in YOUR kitchen.
Cooking is fun! Enjoy it!
One of the many Trade Secrets Revealed
One truly helpful cooking tip that all the pros use is the art of visual measurement. Do you think a restaurant chef is going to get out a measuring cup every time for each dish he’s making? Of course not.
While it’s true that many kitchens rely on one person to prepare the ingredients and seasonings, and another chef to actually cook the meal, it remains a system of learning to guess by sight, and season accordingly. Most restaurant chefs don’t even have the time to sample a dish before it goes out to the customer (Would you really want them to?) so the mark of a good chef is getting it right, or close enough to perfect, every single time.
Every chef guesses one way or another, some slightly high, some slightly low, some times the estimate you make is even influenced by whether or not you personally like the herb or spice in question. Like when a restaurant changes cooks and the spicy soup never seems quite the same.
If you’re a visual learner, there’s an easy trick to start yourself off on the visual measuring scale. (If you’re not, keep practicing and you might find a way that works best for you.) Practice with clean hands (obviously) and salt/sugar. Take a measure of each common measurement, ¼ tsp, ½ tsp, 1 tsp, ½ tbs, 1 tbs. Start with ¼ tsp, cup your palm, and pour that much salt into your hand, pay very close attention to the size of the pile, how tall is it, how much does it weigh, how big is the diameter. Try to memorize it. Then pour that salt off, and without measuring, pour the same amount into your hand. If you think you’ve got it right, then try to carefully pour it back into the measuring spoon to see how close you were.
Adjust, and try again.
This is the first step to visual measurement. After you’ve had some time to practice, or you just prepare the same dish long enough, you’ll be able to toss the ingredients together directly in the pan, and with a little tasting to be sure it’s right, you won’t need to measure for some recipes at all!
Now, clearly this only works for small units of dry seasoning. Liquid seasoning you can practice by pouring into a clean bowl, then into a measuring spoon, but the practice and attention to detail is still required.
For larger servings, say, diced vegetables, the absolute best way to ‘cheat’ and improve your ability guesstimate larger measurements is to get a set of tiny to medium glass mixing bowls. Yep, just like the TV chef’s use. I received two sets of glass mixing bowls, (The smallest is the perfect size for individual dipping sauce) and they are the MOST used items in my kitchen.
Using bowls of different sizes is the ideal way to establish a sense of scale, whether it’s a ½ cup of diced shallots, to 2 cups of diced carrots, you’ll be able to get an approximation of size, no matter how light(spinach) or heavy(potatoes) the item is.
Even if you doubt your ability to get things right without measuring, the best aspect of learning this skill is the confidence you will develop in the kitchen. Feeling like you can cook well isn’t a matter of how easy it is for you to do, it’s a matter of practice, start small, learn little tricks like these, and even if you’re never cooking a five course chicken cordon bleu you’ll still feel happy and comfortable cooking the things you CAN cook in YOUR kitchen.
Cooking is fun! Enjoy it!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Homemade Fried Chicken Strips
The batter recipe originally came from a fried Chicken recipe featured on the old show ‘Take Home Chef’. I adapted the meat and method a little bit, to make it easier for frequent cooking. I tend to cook on a budget so I’m a big fan of bulk frozen chicken breasts.
*Bonus cooking tip: The best way to thaw frozen chicken is to put it in a bowl of warm/hot salted water. ½ tsp salt for 3 Chicken breasts is usually enough, with just enough water to completely cover the meat. This thaws the chicken fairly quickly, (without partially cooking it like the microwave) and the salt both adds flavor and preps the chicken for seasoning.
These chicken strips are pretty easy, made from scratch, and utterly delicious. Once I got used to making my own, no restaurant chicken basket has been able to measure up. I use a deep fryer (an investment I highly recommend), but if you don’t have one you can fry with a large pot filled with oil, just use a lot of care and caution.
Homemade Fried Chicken Strips
Serves 4
3-4 smaller Chicken breasts cut into ½ inch strips
3 tsp Salt (divided)
1/2 pint Buttermilk
1 ½ cup Flour
2 tbs dry mustard
1 tbs Paprika
2 tsp Garlic Powder
1 ½ tsp Onion Powder
¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Rub 1 tsp salt into the chicken pieces and place in a med. mixing bowl, pour the buttermilk over the chicken, stirring just enough to make sure all the pieces are coated. Refrigerate chicken in buttermilk for an hour. This can be made up to three hours ahead.
Dry mix: In a medium-large mixing bowl, combine flour, mustard, paprika, onion, garlic, black pepper and remaining (2tsp) salt. Mix lightly with a wisk or fork to until dry ingredients are evenly blended.
After Chicken has properly marinated in the buttermilk, place on the counter beside the dry mix, ready a large cookie sheet on the other side. This is the labor intensive part, you can use tongs, a fork or your fingers. Take each piece of chicken out of the buttermilk one at a time and dredge in the flour mixture until evenly covered. Try to save as much buttermilk as you can.
Place dredged pieces on the cookie sheet so they aren’t touching.
Preheat your deep fryer to 165 degrees (chicken setting).
Then, take ANOTHER cookie sheet, and place it on the other side, of your mix bowls and swap the buttermilk with the dry mix, now dip each piece back in the buttermilk, and back into the flour, then lay out on the other cookie sheet. (Granted, there may be other ways to do this, but this is the best way I’ve found to keep organized.)
Once each piece has been coated twice, drop them one at a time gently into the fry oil. Depending on the size of your fryer or fry pot, try to limit it to between 4-6 pieces at a time.
I’ve found 3 minutes is usually the perfect cook time, a little more or less based on the size of the pieces. There’s also an art to listening to the fryer, the oil will bubble loudly an energetically at first, but once the chicken reaches the same temperature as the oil, it the fryer calms considerably. I still recommend sticking to a timer to be sure.
Dry each batch on paper towels as you go. When all the strips are nicely fried to a golden brown, serve on plates.
I recommend dipping sauces. Honey BBQ and Ranch go fantastically with this mix. Enjoy!
*Bonus cooking tip: The best way to thaw frozen chicken is to put it in a bowl of warm/hot salted water. ½ tsp salt for 3 Chicken breasts is usually enough, with just enough water to completely cover the meat. This thaws the chicken fairly quickly, (without partially cooking it like the microwave) and the salt both adds flavor and preps the chicken for seasoning.
These chicken strips are pretty easy, made from scratch, and utterly delicious. Once I got used to making my own, no restaurant chicken basket has been able to measure up. I use a deep fryer (an investment I highly recommend), but if you don’t have one you can fry with a large pot filled with oil, just use a lot of care and caution.
Homemade Fried Chicken Strips
Serves 4
3-4 smaller Chicken breasts cut into ½ inch strips
3 tsp Salt (divided)
1/2 pint Buttermilk
1 ½ cup Flour
2 tbs dry mustard
1 tbs Paprika
2 tsp Garlic Powder
1 ½ tsp Onion Powder
¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Rub 1 tsp salt into the chicken pieces and place in a med. mixing bowl, pour the buttermilk over the chicken, stirring just enough to make sure all the pieces are coated. Refrigerate chicken in buttermilk for an hour. This can be made up to three hours ahead.
Dry mix: In a medium-large mixing bowl, combine flour, mustard, paprika, onion, garlic, black pepper and remaining (2tsp) salt. Mix lightly with a wisk or fork to until dry ingredients are evenly blended.
After Chicken has properly marinated in the buttermilk, place on the counter beside the dry mix, ready a large cookie sheet on the other side. This is the labor intensive part, you can use tongs, a fork or your fingers. Take each piece of chicken out of the buttermilk one at a time and dredge in the flour mixture until evenly covered. Try to save as much buttermilk as you can.
Place dredged pieces on the cookie sheet so they aren’t touching.
Preheat your deep fryer to 165 degrees (chicken setting).
Then, take ANOTHER cookie sheet, and place it on the other side, of your mix bowls and swap the buttermilk with the dry mix, now dip each piece back in the buttermilk, and back into the flour, then lay out on the other cookie sheet. (Granted, there may be other ways to do this, but this is the best way I’ve found to keep organized.)
Once each piece has been coated twice, drop them one at a time gently into the fry oil. Depending on the size of your fryer or fry pot, try to limit it to between 4-6 pieces at a time.
I’ve found 3 minutes is usually the perfect cook time, a little more or less based on the size of the pieces. There’s also an art to listening to the fryer, the oil will bubble loudly an energetically at first, but once the chicken reaches the same temperature as the oil, it the fryer calms considerably. I still recommend sticking to a timer to be sure.
Dry each batch on paper towels as you go. When all the strips are nicely fried to a golden brown, serve on plates.
I recommend dipping sauces. Honey BBQ and Ranch go fantastically with this mix. Enjoy!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Lemon Rosemary Chicken
This is a tangy, fragrant, garlic rosemary and chicken dish that goes great with buttery polenta or mashed potatoes. It’s fairly easy to put together, the key ingredient being the fresh rosemary.
Rosemary requires a little preparation, it must be stripped from its stem, and then bruised, either with a mortal and pestle, or another method is to hit the herb on a cutting board with the back of a heavy knife. This bruising method brings out all the flavor and scent within the herb. Rosemary is completely edible, just be sure to remove any of the woody stems. Also, herbs go through ‘seasonal’ phases just like vegetables. Winter rosemary will be drier, with thicker stems, and will require more care in preparation. Good spring rosemary is so young and new, that you can even eat the stem. (Easy test, if the stem bends easily in half without fraying or breaking, it’s soft enough to eat.)
The best part of this dish is the combination of the lemon, garlic, and herb to make a fantastic heady aroma. I pan fry the chicken for a nice crisp crust, and the crunch of the fried rosemary is wonderful. It’s a great dish for entertaining, with just a little effort the chicken can be plated to look just as fancy as any restaurant dish.
Serves 4
Lemon Rosemary Chicken
4 Chicken breasts (boneless skinless and thawed)
1 stick (8 tbs) Butter
1 tbs fresh minced garlic
1 tbs Lemon Juice
3-4 Good sized Rosemary branches (One case of the store bought)
½ tsp of Salt
2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive oil.
Allow at least an hour between preparation and cooking, so that the chicken has a chance to marinate.
In a medium microwave safe bowl, dice the butter into several smaller pieces. Add the minced garlic, and microwave 30-45 sec to melt the butter. Strip and bruise the rosemary leaves, and then add to the butter mixture. Finally, add the Lemon Juice, and the Extra virgin oil, and blend gently. Allow the rosemary to steep in the mixture for a couple minutes while its still hot.
Take the chicken, and trim off any fat. Score or poke the chicken with a fork a few times, then salt the meat rubbing it into the chicken on all sides. Place the chicken in a medium sized bowl, and pour the rosemary garlic butter over the chicken, stick a few sprigs of rosemary into the scores in the chicken, so that they’re tucked into the meat. Make sure the sauce evenly covers the chicken on both sides of the meat. Cover the bowl, and let sit for an hour. (If longer, refrigerate)
When ready to cook, take a large nonstick skillet (large enough to grill all four breasts, or at least two at a time), and place on the range at medium high, allow the pan to get nice and hot, then remove the chicken from the sauce, shredding most of the butter before going into the pan.
Sear the chicken until crispy on first one side, then the other, (around 3-4 minutes per side) then reduce heat to medium, and spoon the remaining sauce evenly over the breasts. (If you don’t use all the butter that’s okay, but the more rosemary and garlic you get in the pan the better.) Cook the breasts in the pan for another 10-15 minutes or until cooked through.
Serve the breasts on a plate and spoon rosemary and juices back over the chicken (and side dish). Inhale deeply and enjoy!
Rosemary requires a little preparation, it must be stripped from its stem, and then bruised, either with a mortal and pestle, or another method is to hit the herb on a cutting board with the back of a heavy knife. This bruising method brings out all the flavor and scent within the herb. Rosemary is completely edible, just be sure to remove any of the woody stems. Also, herbs go through ‘seasonal’ phases just like vegetables. Winter rosemary will be drier, with thicker stems, and will require more care in preparation. Good spring rosemary is so young and new, that you can even eat the stem. (Easy test, if the stem bends easily in half without fraying or breaking, it’s soft enough to eat.)
The best part of this dish is the combination of the lemon, garlic, and herb to make a fantastic heady aroma. I pan fry the chicken for a nice crisp crust, and the crunch of the fried rosemary is wonderful. It’s a great dish for entertaining, with just a little effort the chicken can be plated to look just as fancy as any restaurant dish.
Serves 4
Lemon Rosemary Chicken
4 Chicken breasts (boneless skinless and thawed)
1 stick (8 tbs) Butter
1 tbs fresh minced garlic
1 tbs Lemon Juice
3-4 Good sized Rosemary branches (One case of the store bought)
½ tsp of Salt
2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive oil.
Allow at least an hour between preparation and cooking, so that the chicken has a chance to marinate.
In a medium microwave safe bowl, dice the butter into several smaller pieces. Add the minced garlic, and microwave 30-45 sec to melt the butter. Strip and bruise the rosemary leaves, and then add to the butter mixture. Finally, add the Lemon Juice, and the Extra virgin oil, and blend gently. Allow the rosemary to steep in the mixture for a couple minutes while its still hot.
Take the chicken, and trim off any fat. Score or poke the chicken with a fork a few times, then salt the meat rubbing it into the chicken on all sides. Place the chicken in a medium sized bowl, and pour the rosemary garlic butter over the chicken, stick a few sprigs of rosemary into the scores in the chicken, so that they’re tucked into the meat. Make sure the sauce evenly covers the chicken on both sides of the meat. Cover the bowl, and let sit for an hour. (If longer, refrigerate)
When ready to cook, take a large nonstick skillet (large enough to grill all four breasts, or at least two at a time), and place on the range at medium high, allow the pan to get nice and hot, then remove the chicken from the sauce, shredding most of the butter before going into the pan.
Sear the chicken until crispy on first one side, then the other, (around 3-4 minutes per side) then reduce heat to medium, and spoon the remaining sauce evenly over the breasts. (If you don’t use all the butter that’s okay, but the more rosemary and garlic you get in the pan the better.) Cook the breasts in the pan for another 10-15 minutes or until cooked through.
Serve the breasts on a plate and spoon rosemary and juices back over the chicken (and side dish). Inhale deeply and enjoy!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
My Hot and Sour Soup
Rich and meaty, with a lot of flavor and spice, I can pretty much guarantee this Hot and Sour soup will be unlike any you order in a restaurant. I originally started trying to mimic a restaurant soup that I liked, but over time the broth has evolved into something quite different. It has a lot of beef and mushroom flavor, combined with sharp sours and a good slow burn of spice.
Also, this recipe calls for “Tones Beef Base” stock. Tones is sold at Sams club, has a high beef concentration and a very rich flavor. For best results, if you can’t get Tones, use a quality beef stock with full flavor, not just bouillon cubes!
*This also includes my method for getting beautiful egg strands in soup. 2 tips: 1) Egg white only, 2) Make sure the broth is NOT boiling when the egg is added.
Hot and Sour Soup
8 oz Pork (One medium pork chop w/out bone)
Dash of salt
Dash of black pepper
3-5 Shiitake Mushrooms Fresh/Dried
2 tbs Warm water
4 oz Bamboo Shoots (half can)
6 oz Firm Tofu
2 1/4 tbs Tones Beef Base
7 Cups Hot Water
2 tbs Rice Vinegar
3 tbs Soy Sauce
½ tsp Cayenne Pepper (not for the faint of heart)
1/8 tsp fresh Minced Garlic
3 Egg Whites
Serves 4
Prepare the pork by adding the salt and black pepper directly to the meat, then cut into very thin ¼ inch strips. Set aside. If using dried Shiitake Mushrooms soak in warm water prior to cooking, then slice into thin strips. If using fresh, slice in strips, then soak 2 tbs warm water prior to adding to soup.
To make the stock: Pour hot water in a big soup pot. Add the beef base, and stir lightly until blended, then add Garlic, Vinegar, Soy Sauce, and Cayenne Pepper. Bring to a boil stirring lightly, then reduce heat to simmer, Medium Low, or Low. While simmering add pork strips, and shiitake mushrooms w/ mushroom water. Stir enough to make sure the pork strips have separated and are cooking through.
Slice tofu into thin bite size slices, ¼ inch thick. Very thinly slice bamboo shoots into tiny strips. Add tofu and bamboo shoots to broth.
Cover pot and allow broth to simmer at least ten minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
Next remove pot from heat (but leave the burner on) and allow the broth to calm. When the liquid is still, gently pour in the egg white. Stir once, gently. Then return to heat, stir lightly to make sure no egg is stuck to the bottom.
Simmer for 2-20 minutes. (Like any good soup, longer cooking times help the flavor.)
Serve in bowls and enjoy.
Also, this recipe calls for “Tones Beef Base” stock. Tones is sold at Sams club, has a high beef concentration and a very rich flavor. For best results, if you can’t get Tones, use a quality beef stock with full flavor, not just bouillon cubes!
*This also includes my method for getting beautiful egg strands in soup. 2 tips: 1) Egg white only, 2) Make sure the broth is NOT boiling when the egg is added.
Hot and Sour Soup
8 oz Pork (One medium pork chop w/out bone)
Dash of salt
Dash of black pepper
3-5 Shiitake Mushrooms Fresh/Dried
2 tbs Warm water
4 oz Bamboo Shoots (half can)
6 oz Firm Tofu
2 1/4 tbs Tones Beef Base
7 Cups Hot Water
2 tbs Rice Vinegar
3 tbs Soy Sauce
½ tsp Cayenne Pepper (not for the faint of heart)
1/8 tsp fresh Minced Garlic
3 Egg Whites
Serves 4
Prepare the pork by adding the salt and black pepper directly to the meat, then cut into very thin ¼ inch strips. Set aside. If using dried Shiitake Mushrooms soak in warm water prior to cooking, then slice into thin strips. If using fresh, slice in strips, then soak 2 tbs warm water prior to adding to soup.
To make the stock: Pour hot water in a big soup pot. Add the beef base, and stir lightly until blended, then add Garlic, Vinegar, Soy Sauce, and Cayenne Pepper. Bring to a boil stirring lightly, then reduce heat to simmer, Medium Low, or Low. While simmering add pork strips, and shiitake mushrooms w/ mushroom water. Stir enough to make sure the pork strips have separated and are cooking through.
Slice tofu into thin bite size slices, ¼ inch thick. Very thinly slice bamboo shoots into tiny strips. Add tofu and bamboo shoots to broth.
Cover pot and allow broth to simmer at least ten minutes to allow the flavors to blend.
Next remove pot from heat (but leave the burner on) and allow the broth to calm. When the liquid is still, gently pour in the egg white. Stir once, gently. Then return to heat, stir lightly to make sure no egg is stuck to the bottom.
Simmer for 2-20 minutes. (Like any good soup, longer cooking times help the flavor.)
Serve in bowls and enjoy.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Garlic Rosemary Pork Roast
This is my husband’s favorite, and was well loved when I served it at Christmas dinner for my parents as well. This dry rub was originally in a recipe for lamb, and I’m sure it would go wonderfully on a lamb roast as well. The best part of cooking this roast so often is I’ve discovered the perfect cooking method. The outside is nice and crisp, while the inside is tender and juicy. Also the slow cooking time will fill your house with the scent of garlic and rosemary and leave your mouth watering!
Garlic Rosemary Pork Roast
1 Pork tenderloin, boneless, 2-4 lbs.
3 tbs fresh minced garlic (usually in a jar)
2-3 large sprigs of Fresh Rosemary (or one package from the store)
1/4 cup Kosher Salt
1 tbs olive oil
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare rosemary by stripping the leaves from the stems and bruising.
Place rosemary in a small bowl, add olive oil, garlic, and salt. Stir until evenly mixed.
Place the Pork roast in a large preferably covered roasting pan, score the roast on both sides.
Rub rosemary garlic mixture into the meat, generously covering the entire roast. (You can do this step before heating the oven, and allow to ‘marinate’ for up to an hour, but I usually do it just before cooking.)
Place roast in oven UNCOVERED for 30-45 minutes. If it’s a smaller roast, go with the shorter time.
Then reduce heat to 375, COVER and cook for an additional 45 minutes per pound. (A 2 lb roast you would cook for an additional 60 minutes, a 4 lb roast would be an additional 2 to 2.5 hours cooking.) You can check for doneness with a temperature probe when internal temp is 160 degrees.
When roast is cooked through, remove from oven, uncover, and allow to rest for ten minutes before carving.
Enjoy!
Garlic Rosemary Pork Roast
1 Pork tenderloin, boneless, 2-4 lbs.
3 tbs fresh minced garlic (usually in a jar)
2-3 large sprigs of Fresh Rosemary (or one package from the store)
1/4 cup Kosher Salt
1 tbs olive oil
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare rosemary by stripping the leaves from the stems and bruising.
Place rosemary in a small bowl, add olive oil, garlic, and salt. Stir until evenly mixed.
Place the Pork roast in a large preferably covered roasting pan, score the roast on both sides.
Rub rosemary garlic mixture into the meat, generously covering the entire roast. (You can do this step before heating the oven, and allow to ‘marinate’ for up to an hour, but I usually do it just before cooking.)
Place roast in oven UNCOVERED for 30-45 minutes. If it’s a smaller roast, go with the shorter time.
Then reduce heat to 375, COVER and cook for an additional 45 minutes per pound. (A 2 lb roast you would cook for an additional 60 minutes, a 4 lb roast would be an additional 2 to 2.5 hours cooking.) You can check for doneness with a temperature probe when internal temp is 160 degrees.
When roast is cooked through, remove from oven, uncover, and allow to rest for ten minutes before carving.
Enjoy!
Benihana Inspired Japanese Onion Soup
This is my quicker cooking take on Japanese onion soup. Unlike French Onion Soup, that has a rich beef flavor with bread and cheese, this is a clear broth veggie and chicken stock soup. I was trying to come up with a soup that has the same garnishes and light flavor as Benihana’s famous Onion Soup, but I wanted a soup that could be made on a small budget in a quick amount of time.
This recipe makes enough to serve two as a meal, or four as a light appetizer.
Japanese Onion Soup
2 cans (12-14 oz Each) Vegetable Broth
2 cans Chicken Broth
2 tbs Dried Minced Onions
2 dashes Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Sesame Oil
¼ tsp Salt
1 cup fresh White Mushrooms (sliced very very thinly)
1 cup (about 4) Green Onions sliced thinly on the diagonal
1 cup Frenches Fried Onions (Other recipes tell you how to do these yourself, but I prefer to spare myself the money and the mess by using Frenches.)
Pour the Chicken and Vegetable broth into a large pot, and bring to a boil, reducing heat to Med-low, and add the Minced Onion, Garlic powder, Sesame Oil and salt and allow to simmer for 10 minutes for the flavor to be fully blended.
While soup is simmering, assemble 2 bowls for soup, (if serving four, half the measurements per bowl) add 2 tbs of Frenches Onions, then about the same amount of sliced mushrooms, then 2 tbs of green onions in the dry bowl.
Once soup has fully simmered, ladle broth into the bowls, covering the garnishes.
Serve hot with spoons and enjoy!
This recipe makes enough to serve two as a meal, or four as a light appetizer.
Japanese Onion Soup
2 cans (12-14 oz Each) Vegetable Broth
2 cans Chicken Broth
2 tbs Dried Minced Onions
2 dashes Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Sesame Oil
¼ tsp Salt
1 cup fresh White Mushrooms (sliced very very thinly)
1 cup (about 4) Green Onions sliced thinly on the diagonal
1 cup Frenches Fried Onions (Other recipes tell you how to do these yourself, but I prefer to spare myself the money and the mess by using Frenches.)
Pour the Chicken and Vegetable broth into a large pot, and bring to a boil, reducing heat to Med-low, and add the Minced Onion, Garlic powder, Sesame Oil and salt and allow to simmer for 10 minutes for the flavor to be fully blended.
While soup is simmering, assemble 2 bowls for soup, (if serving four, half the measurements per bowl) add 2 tbs of Frenches Onions, then about the same amount of sliced mushrooms, then 2 tbs of green onions in the dry bowl.
Once soup has fully simmered, ladle broth into the bowls, covering the garnishes.
Serve hot with spoons and enjoy!
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