Smoked Chicken

I watch the cooking shows on PBS on the weekends and I saw something this past weekend that I wanted to try.

America’sTest Kitchen was demonstrating their instructions for smoked chicken.  I love smoked chicken barbeque but it’s almost impossible to find it on Cleveland’s west side.  None of the barbeque restaurants serve smoked pulled chicken.  It’s all grilled.  Yuk!  Not the same at all!!  So, I’ve been wanting to try it myself but had no idea where to start.  I was going to invest in a smoker until I saw the show where ATK turned a grill into a smoker.  They used charcoal and I have natural gas but I figured I could adapt their directions. 

I went to their website and, lo and behold, they had directions for gas, too!!  I’ve never brined poultry before but this worked so well, I may do it more often.  Put cup of salt and cup of sugar in a galleon of water.  I had to use the top of my cake keeper as I don’t have a bowl that big.  I added ice as I can’t fit something that big into my fridge for the hour it needed to soak.

 They called for 3 cups of wood chips, not any particular variety, so I went to the scrap wood pile between the houses and pulled out some oak sticks that were nice and dry and clean.  I broke them up and soaked half of them.  Then I wrapped the two sets of twigs in double layers of foil and poked a few holes in for the smoke to escape.

Once everything was brined and soaked, I drained the chicken, patted it dry and brushed it with a little veg oil and ground on some pepper.  Out to the grill!

I pulled the grates from the right side of the grill and laid on the two foil packets.  I put a small aluminum pan on the other side under the grates.  I turned on the fire on full and let everything heat up.  After about 10 minutes, I had lots of smoke.  I cleaned and oiled the left side grates, where there was no fire and put on the chicken, breasts furthest from the fire, legs next and then thighs.  I turned the heat down to medium high, set my timer for 1 hour and 15 minutes and went back inside to see about sides.

When the timer went off, I took out my instant-read thermometer and everything was the correct temp; 175 degrees for thighs and 160 degrees for breasts. 

They came out beautifully and were wonderfully moist, too!   The smoke flavor was just enough.  It smells divine! Oak seemed to work fine.  I have access to holly wood and apple wood and may try some of those to see if there is a taste difference.   I made enough for 2 meals and I’m going to put barbeque sauce on the rest later in the week.  Yummy!!

Calzones

I think I finally got calzones right!  Took me 3 tries but tonight, they were perfect!

Calzones

2 c bread flour

1 tbsp dry active yeast           

1 tsp salt

Water

Combine dry ingredients in mixer bowl.  Turn on mixer.  Pour warm water into bowl slowly until dough forms.  Allow to process for 2-3 minutes until dough gathers on paddle.  Turn off mixer and test dough for stickiness; it should be slightly sticky.  If it’s too wet, add more flour and mix.  If dough is correct, change to dough hook and knead in mixer for 7 minutes.  Dough should not be sticky at all.  Place dough in greased bowl, spray with Pam, cover with towel and let rise for 1 hour, until doubled.

Punch down dough.  Cut into 2 pieces.  Roll out dough into a 10 – 12” circle on corn meal covered pizza peal.  Layer on the toppings of your choice on half of circle.  Don’t forget the cheese! 

Pull dough over top of toppings and pinch to seal.  Cut several slits in top of dough pocket to allow steam to escape.

Bake on pizza stone or baking sheet at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Serve with sauce.

Yum! 

Back Home Again!

After 1,000 miles and 3 states in 4 days, I’m pooped!   Vacations are great!  The new baby is totally adorable, (congrats, Teresa and Michael!), the daughter is graduated with all proper Pomp and Circumstance and an Award of Excellence (congrats, Katt!) and the night in the hotel room with the private pool was… well, this is NOT that sort of blog!  ;-P

So, tonight we have:

Tater Tot Casserole

1 lb. ground beef

½ large onion, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp flour

1 tsp savory

Salt and pepper

1 can beef broth or 1.5 C water with 2 beef bullion cubes dissolved in it.

2 cups shredded cheddar

Brown beef and onion til cooked through.  Add garlic and cook 1 minute.  Stir in flour and spices.  Add broth and cook til gravy forms.

Spread in 9 x 12 casserole pan well sprayed with Pam.  Cover with tater tots.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

Spread on cheese, return to oven and bake til cheese melts.  

This is very simple but quite tasty when you’re too tired for anything more complicated.  And the hubby likes it.   It also makes great leftovers.  Even the picky grandson will eat it! 

It expands easily for a crowd as well.  Double or triple and use a larger pan.  I use the smaller of my rectangular Pyrex pans.  If you use too big a pan, the meat layer would be too thin for all the potatoes and cheese.

You could also add different spicing to suit your taste.  Take the basics of meat, potatoes and cheese and add what ever you little heart desires: spices, veggies, wine, etc.  I’m too sleepy to get really creative tonight so it’s nice and simple for us.  Maybe next time, I’ll get a little crazy.  J

Good eating!!

1968 Meets 2012

Tonight, I cooked and served a recipe from a 1968 Pillsbury Cook-off Main Dish Cookbook that I have had for over 30 years.  Inside, I found a recipe I remember making back in the early 1980s for Butthead the Ex-husband.  I will try it again, soon. This night, I made a different one that went over very well.  It was simple to make, gave complicated looking results and was quite tasty.  I give you:

Baked-in Beefburger

2 C AP flour

1 tbsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ tsp sage

½ tsp marjoram

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 c tomato sauce

Milk

Celery salt

Filling

1 lb. ground beef, as lean as possible

1 tsp salt

½ cup saltine crackers, crushed to crumbs

2 tbsp instant (dried) minced onion

1 egg

2/3 cup tomato sauce

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, sage, and marjoram.   Combine water, oil and sauce.  Add to dry ingredients all at once, stir until batter comes together.  Turn out onto floured surface and knead 8 times.  Roll out to a 15 x 8 rectangle.  To facilitate rolling, do this on wax paper or patchment paper. 

Mix filling ingredients.  Spread filling on dough even with the 15 sides and within ½” of 8” sides.  Starting with 8” side, roll up jelly roll style.  Pinch seam.  Place seam side down in 9 x 5 greased bread pan.  Make 7 slashes 1/3 way through whole loaf.  Brush with milk and sprinkle with celery seeds or poppy seeds or sesame seeds, whatever you like.

 

 

Bake at 375 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes.  Turn out onto cutting board and cut into slices through slashes.  Serves 4 to 8. 

This sounds way more complicated than it was to do.  And the results were fantastic!  We both really liked it.  I served it with some buttered corn for the veg but you could use anything your family likes or maybe a salad. 

Almost every recipe has some sort of biscuit and meat.  Lots and lots of Pillsbury flour! 

As I was making this, it occurred to me that there were things I was using to make this that weren’t available in 1968:

Pam.  As far as I know, Pam is a recent development.  Spray on grease is a wonderful thing.

An instant-read thermometer.  Also not something found in your typical kitchen in 1968.  I personally didn’t get one until this century.

Food processor.   I guess in 1968, they would have used a blender to smash up the crackers. 

I originally included my big Kitchenaide mixer on this list but my hubby says that had similar things in the late 60s.  I don’t know.  I was a kid. 

Fish Fry!

Fridays during Lent we don’t eat meat.  So, I get to have myself a fish fry! 

Fried Fish

Tilapia fillets (or any other white fish.  Tonight, it’s swai, available at Aldi.)

1 egg

Flour

Panko bread crumbs

Salt and pepper

Thaw and pat dry the filets.  Make an egg wash by beating the egg with about 1 tablespoon of water.  Place flour in pie pan.  Season with salt and pepper.  Place Panko in separate pie pan.  Dredge fish in flour, dip in egg wash, dip in Panko. 

Put about ½ inch of peanut oil into an electric skillet.  Heat to 350 degrees.  Fry fish for 2 – 3 minutes, turn, fry additional 3-4 minutes until golden brown.

 Drain on rack over paper towels.  This gets the most oil off the fish and lets it stay crispy.

French Fries

Potatoes, sweet or russet, sliced to desired thickness

Peel and cut potatoes.  Soak in ice water for about an hour.  Heat oil in deep fryer or deep pan to 325 degrees. 

Drain potatoes and pat dry.

Cook potatoes in hot oil for 3 minutes.   Drain and let cool.

Increase heat of oil to 350 degrees. 

Refry potatoes in hot oil 3 – 5 minutes until golden and crispy. 

Precooking the potatoes lets them cook all the way through and the refry gets them crispy while leaving the insides nice and fluffy.  Yum! 

Salt the potatoes or use cinnamon sugar for sweet potatoes.  For a special treat, dip sweet potatoes in marshmallow fluff.  Yum!

Vegie-Beef Soup

Tonight, I made soup.  Vegie-beef soup.  We got out 2012 side of beef last month so I'm trying to use up the last of the 2011 steer.  Soup seemed like a good idea.

Recipe:

1 lb. stew beef
1 soup bone
1 extra large onion
3 stalks celery
5-6 cloves garlic
oregano
basil
savory
sage
salt pepper

Brown the beef in a large soup pot in a bit of olive oil, including the soup bone and its meat.  Add onions, celery and garlic.  Cook until onions are translucent.  Add 8 cups water and herbs and spices.  Cook 3 - 4 hours until beef is tender.

Vegies:

1 leek
1 cup peas
5-6 small carrots
3 potatoes
1 cup corn
1 box lima beans
1 15oz. can diced tomatoes
Anything else your heart desires!

Add vegies and cook another 20 to 30 minutes, until vegies are the desired tenderness.

Serve with bread and butter.

Yum!

Grandson

Spent yesterday with my not-quite-four-year-old grandson.  The daughter and her IB tried to go to the movies (the showing was sold out!) and were gone all afternoon so Grandson and I got to play together uninterrupted for hours!  He's getting so big!

I also got to feed him dinner.  He's gotten a bit picky lately so I never know if he will eat what I cook.  I played it safe this week and made Spaghetti and Meat Sauce. 

Tomato Sauce

1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped onion
3 -4 cloves garlic, minced
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce (Hunts)
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes  (or 1 large can crushed tomatoes)
1 tbsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1/8 tsp (heavy pinch) cardamom

Cook onion in olive oil until translucent.  Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Pour in tomatoes, rinsing cans into pot.  Stir in herbs and cardamom.  Pour in a big glug of red wine.  Simmer for 1 hour or so until desired consistency.  Add meatballs, browned ground meat or sausage of your choice. 

Serve over pasta, include in lasagna.  Just a good, all round red sauce. 

The cardamom is a vital ingredient.  It really takes the sauce over the top to wonderful.  I put some in by accident one day and really liked how it turned out. 

My grandson really like his dinner and actually cleaned his plate!  :-)

Snow!

What do you make for dinner when it looks like this outside?

Why, chili, of course!

Meat Chili

1 pound ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 15oz. can diced tomatoes

1 150z. can tomato sauce

1 tbsp oregano

1 tsp basil

3-4 tbsp chili powder

salt

pepper

Cook onion in a little olive oil until transparent.  Add garlic and cook one more minute.  Add beef and brown.  When meat is cooked, pour in tomatoes and add spices.  Rinse out cans with water into chili pot.  Cook 3-4 hours.

Add beans, macaroni, spaghetti, whatever suites your taste.  Top with cheddar cheese to serve.  Crackers optional!  :-)

Can be made as mild or as spicy as you like by varying the amount of chili powder and/or adding red pepper flakes.  I put Tabasco in mine in my bowl as my hubby doesn't like anything spicy. 

Yuk!

Sorry for the lack of posts recently.  My third attack of stomach flu made me quite quit food for a few days but I seem to be better now and I hope I will not have to deal with this particular bug again!  Every dish in the house went through the dishwasher so I hope I got the bugger!!

Now, where was I?

Ah, yes, dinner.

Tonight, I had the priviledge of feeding my not-quite-four-year-old grandson.  He used to eat anything and everything but has become a bit picky, mostly to annoy his mom, I'm sure.  However, eggs, cheese, potatoes and sausage are OK with him so tonight: fritatta.

Fritatta

4 potatoes, peeled and shredded ala hash browns
3-4 ounces pizza topping sausage
4 - 6 eggs
2 cups shredded cheddar
olive oil
milk

Heat olive oil in large skillet.  Add shredded potatoes, separating them into four quarter-shaped piles.  Press into skillet with spatula.  Cook potatoes until crispy, turning once.

Beat eggs with milk.  Pour over potatoes.  Sprinkle with sausage.  Cover and cook 3 to 5 minutes.  Flip and cook on other side until eggs are set.

Spread top with cheese.  Cover and cook til melted. 

By splitting the potatoes into quarters at the beginning, it is much easier to flip the parts over when needed.  I usually start out on high heat and turn it down to medium when I add the eggs.  The pizza topping is from Gordon's Food Service and is about half soy, half pork.  Since I'm mildly allergic to pork and it upsets my stomach if I eat too much, this is just fine with me!!  :-)  I use it on pizza, too. 

My grandson loved this and ate most of it.  Even my extremely picky daughter liked it!  Wow!

Dessert

Paula Deen's Chocolate Chip Pie!!

The one on the right has no nuts; the one on the left has walnuts, which Mr. Picky doesn't like.  The recipe called for 3 cups of chocolate chips but I had only 2 cups but I had a cup of butterscotch chips so I used those, too.  Very tasty!!

Ingredients

Pie:

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup (2-sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups chopped walnuts, optional

Whipped cream:

• 2 pints (4-cups) heavy cream
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (9-inch) pie plates; set aside.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Beat in the vanilla. Add flour mixture, a little at a time, and mix until fully combined. Fold in the 3 cups chocolate chips and, if desired, the walnuts. Divide the dough between the prepared pie plates and smooth the tops with a spatula.
Bake about 30 minutes or until pies are golden and slightly firm to the touch but still soft. If the pies begin to darken too much before they are baked through, cover with foil and continue baking. Let pies cool completely on a wire rack.
While the pies cool, whip the cream and confectioners' sugar until soft peaks form (tips curl). Fold in the chocolate chips. Refrigerate whipped cream until ready to use. Spread the whipped cream over the pies and serve.

And a 9" pie pan even fits in a Ziplock bag!  No stale pie tomorrow!  :-)

Yum!

Got my hair done yesterday evening.  My hairdresser lost her salon to the bad economy last year so she makes house calls on a few of her clients.  I just love her!  She does a wonderful job on my hair and we've become friends over the years.

She was at my house late enough that it was time for dinner before she was done.  I knew this was going to happen so I was prepared.  I had made Cheddar Bacon Potato Soup late in the afternoon.  It was finished and waiting the cheese and bacon before eating.  She got my hair painted and we ate soup while my hair processed. 

I also had some No Knead Bread in the fridge from last week.  I sliced it and put it in the toaster oven to toast and have with the soup.

I stirred in the cheese and bacon, let everything melt together.  I served it in my large Ikea cups and simply put the bread on a Chinet plate with the butter dish nearby with a knife.  We're pretty casual at home.

She absolutely loved the soup!  She even asked for the recipe!  The most I can hope for from Mr. Picky is "Not bad."  He never really likes anything so it's quite nice to feed someone who actually appreciates what I do.  She raved over that soup.   :-)

The bread toasted nice and crispy.  One of the things I like about No Knead Bread is the crust.  Not only is it good the day you bake it but it crisps right up again when you reheat it!  It never resembles store-bought bread in any way.  It's crispy, chewy, and has huge holes in it; very rustic. 

This is the recipe I use;  http://www.breadtopia.com/basic-no-knead-method/

Having Le Creuset casseroles is very helpful.  Santa brought me another one so I have a huge one and a smaller one I can't wait to try the bread in.  It has to sit for 18 hours to proof so maybe I'll start some tomorrow...

Cheddar Potato Soup with Bacon

• 4 bacon slices (I usually use 5 - 6)
• 1 large onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 pound potatoes (4 - 6)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (1 can and cut back on water to 1 cup)
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 6-7 fresh sage leaves
• 2 cups grated sharp Cheddar (about 8 ounces) (I use 3 to 4 cups of cheese)

Chop bacon and in a large heavy saucepan cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp. Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, reserving fat in pan.

While bacon is cooking, chop onion. Peel potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Cook onion in reserved fat over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add flour to onions and cook about 2 minutes to brown slightly.  Stir in water and broth.  Add potatoes and sage.  Simmer mixture 5 - 10 minutes, or until potatoes are just tender. Add wine and simmer 1 minute.  Add crumbled bacon, stir.

Reduce heat to low and gradually stir in Cheddar (do not let boil).

Serve with more cheese on top. 

Careful with the amount of liquid or will be runny. 

I make my bacon in the oven so there's no spatter mess all over my stove top.  375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.  Nice and crispy!

Dinner

Smoked Turkey Hot Browns

Hot, smoked Deli turkey on a split croissant with cheddar cheese sauce, bacon, and tomato. 

Stole the idea from a restaurant in a Lazarus department store back in Indiana.  The cheese sauce is home made and definitely not a diet food:   ;-)

1 stick butter
4 tablespoons flour
garlic powder, to taste
salt and pepper
2 cups milk
4 - 5 cups shredded cheddar

Melt butter in sauce pan.  Add flour and cook until lightly browned, 2 or 3 minutes.  Add garlic, salt, and pepper.  Whisk in milk.  When milk starts to thicken, add cheddar and stir with whisk until melted.

Pour over tomato-topped turkey on split croissant rolls.  Top with bacon.

Also good on vegetables, for nachos, mac and cheese, etc.  Just a good all-round cheese sauce.

Food!

My political blog has become 'polluted' with too many non-political posts so, I decided to make a place for myself to talk about my other passion, food!

I love to cook.  If I were healthy, I'd be in culinary school right now.  A friend and I are considering taking a class at a local place on pie making.  That should be fun!

What I intend with this is to update, hopefully regularly, with cooking ideas and recipes as I use them.  Dinner is my daily 'foe'.  My husband, who is quite a picky eater, refuses to give me any input on what to cook or how I did.  "Not bad."  is the best I can hope for in feedback.  And that's not really enough information, ya know?  So, maybe if I can get some readers, y'all can give me the feedback I need and I can get better at what I love to do! 

So, first post:  What's for dinner tonight?

Quesedillas made from home-made picadillo and Mexican cheese mixed shreds.  Unfortunately, my local Giant Eagle doesn't carry queso fresco.  Aldis does, GE, not so much.  So, as I didn't have time to go to another store on New Year's Eve, I bought what I could find that was as close as I could get. 

   I made the picadillo last March from a huge brisket.  We buy half a cow every year and I never know what to do with the brisket.  I heard about picadillo on Food Network and decided to try making my own.  It's delicious!  And way too much to eat in one sitting so I froze it in one pound packages.  That's enough for a meal or two, depending on what I do with it. 


Get out the big skillet, heat it with a little EVOO.  In goes a nice, big, flour tortilla to heat.  Flip it and put several spoonfuls of picadillo on half and cover the whole thing in cheese.  Put on the lid and let 'er get nice and melty with a toasty bottom.  Flip non-meat side over the meat, transfer to a cutting board for slicing.

Arrange on a plate and spoon fresh salsa over top. 

Yum! 

Even Mr. Picky liked them!  :-)

Plans for the week:

• Meat sauce and fresh pasta
• Mexican chicken
• Smoked turkey Hot Browns
• Cheddar Potato soup
• Fritatta
• Fried chicken cutlets with pesto linguine
• Chili (no beans)
• Chicken soup
• Beef Vegetable soup

I need to get some pasta flour and some pizza sausage for the fritatta at GFS.  I have what I need for everything else. 

My chief limitation is my own energy or lack thereof.  I have a heart condition that limits me considerably. 

We'll see how I do this week!!