Casey’s Texas Chili

February 14, 2012 at 11:37 AM | Posted in Dinner | Leave a comment

Source (adapted): Food.com, Carroll Shelby’s Chili Recipe

The first time I had the pleasure of experiencing Casey’s cooking was up at Mammoth Mountain over a long ski weekend in January of 2006.  He made real Texas chili (no beans!) and it was unbelievably delicious.  This guy knows what he’s doing in the kitchen!

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup cooking oil
  • 2 lb beef (chuck roast or butt), cut into small chunks
  • 8 ounces can tomato sauce
  • 12 ounces beer
  • 2 tablespoons crushed red chili peppers
  • 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 small onion , finely chopped
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
  • 1⁄8; teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ¾ lb monterey jack cheese , grated

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a heavy 3-quart (or larger) pot over medium-high heat.
  • Crumble meat into the pot. Break up any lumps with a fork and cook, stirring occasionally. until meat is evenly browned.
  • Add tomato sauce, beer, crushed red chile, garlic, onion, oregano, paprika, 1 teaspoons of the cumin, and salt. Stir to blend and bring to a boil.
  • Lower heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.
  • Taste and adjust seasonings, adding cayenne pepper.
  • Simmer uncovered 1 hour longer.
  • Stir in the cheese and the remaining 1/2 teaspoons cumin.
  • Simmer 10 minutes longer, stirring often to keep cheese from burning.
  • Serve with chopped onions, shredded cheese and tortilla chips or warm tortillas.

Three-Herb Chimichurri Sauce

July 20, 2011 at 7:19 PM | Posted in Sauce or Marinade | Leave a comment

Source: Bon Appetit, July 2006

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 2 medium shallots, peeled, quartered
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
  • 3 cups (packed) stemmed fresh parsley
  • 2 cups (packed) stemmed fresh cilantro
  • 1 cup (packed) stemmed fresh mint

Directions:

Combine first 8 ingredients in blender; blend until almost smooth. Add 1/4 of parsley, 1/4 of cilantro, and 1/4 of mint; blend until incorporated. Add remaining herbs in 3 more additions, pureeing until almost smooth after each addition.

Serve with beef, fish, WHATEVER!!

Coleslaw

July 20, 2011 at 7:16 PM | Posted in On the Side | Leave a comment

Source: Tyler Florence, Food Network

Ingredients:

  • 1 head green cabbage, shredded
  • 2 carrots, grated
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 green onions (white and green parts), chopped
  • 1 fresh red chile, sliced
  • 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • Pinch sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
  • Several dashes hot sauce
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Directions:

Combine the cabbage, carrots, red onion, green onions, and chile in a large bowl. In another bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, and sugar. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss gently to mix. Season the cole slaw with the celery seed, hot sauce, salt, and black pepper. Chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator before serving.

Pulled Pork Barbecue

July 20, 2011 at 7:13 PM | Posted in Dinner, On the Pit | Leave a comment

Source: Tyler Florence, Food Network

Ingredients:

Dry Rub

  • 3 tablespoons paprika
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon dry mustard
  • 3 tablespoons coarse sea salt
  • 1 (5 to 7 pound) pork roast, preferably shoulder or Boston butt
Cider-Vinegar Barbecue Sauce
  • 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
  • 1 cup yellow or brown mustard
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Pan drippings from the pork
  • 12 hamburger buns
  • 1 recipe Cole Slaw, recipe follows
  • Pickle spears, for serving

Directions:

Mix the paprika, garlic power, brown sugar, dry mustard, and salt together in a small bowl. Rub the spice blend all over the pork. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Put the pork in a roasting pan and roast it for about 6 hours. An instant-read thermometer stuck into the thickest part of the pork should register 170 degrees F, but basically, what you want to do is to roast it until it’s falling apart.

While the pork is roasting, make the barbecue sauce. Combine the vinegar, mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, salt, cayenne, and black pepper in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer gently, stirring, for 10 minutes until the sugar dissolves. Take it off the heat and let it sit until you’re ready for it.

When the pork is done, take it out of the oven and put it on a large platter. Allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes. While it’s resting, deglaze the pan over medium heat with 3/4 cup water, scraping with a wooden spoon to pick up all of the browned bits. Reduce by about half. Pour that into the saucepan with the sauce and cook 5 minutes.

While the pork is still warm, you want to “pull” the meat: Grab 2 forks. Using 1 to steady the meat, use the other to “pull” shreds of meat off the roast. Put the shredded pork in a bowl and pour half of the sauce over. Stir it all up well so that the pork is coated with the sauce.

To serve, spoon the pulled pork mixture onto the bottom half of each hamburger bun, and top with some slaw. Serve with pickle spears and the remaining sauce on the side.

 

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

July 20, 2011 at 7:08 PM | Posted in On the Side, Vegan Zone | Leave a comment

Source: Ina Garten, Food Network

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
  • 3 tablespoons good olive oil
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more kosher salt (I like these salty like French fries), and serve immediately.

Salad w/ Hazelnuts & Oranges

July 20, 2011 at 7:04 PM | Posted in On the Side | Leave a comment

Source: Giada De Laurentiis, Food Network

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons finely sliced shallots
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 heads Belgian endive, trimmed, cut crosswise into thin slices (I used a 50/50 mix of spinach & spring mix)
  • 2 heads frisee lettuce, center leaves only, torn into pieces
  • 2 blood oranges or regular oranges, segmented
  • 1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped

Directions:

Whisk the balsamic vinegar, shallots, and honey in a medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in the oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Toss the endive and frisee in a large bowl with enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad, to taste, with salt and pepper. Mound the salad onto plates. Surround with the orange segments. Sprinkle with hazelnuts. Drizzle any remaining vinaigrette around the salads and serve immediately.

Spicy Garlic Cashew Chicken

July 20, 2011 at 6:53 PM | Posted in Dinner | Leave a comment

This is a relatively simple recipe that delivered in flavor & enjoyment.  The marinade/sauce turned out more tahini-like for me which worked just fine for me!

Source: Simply Recipes

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup roasted (salted or unsalted) cashew nuts
  • 6 Tbsp roughly chopped cilantro (leaves and stems)
  • 1/4 cup grapeseed or olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce (use gluten-free for gluten-free version)
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 1 to 2 jalapeño peppers, stems and most seeds discarded, roughly chopped (I used a serrano pepper for more heat)
  • 1 Tbsp lime juice, plus lime wedges for garnish
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (I used boneless skinless chicken breasts)
Directions:

1 In a food processor or blender, add the cashews, cilantro, oil, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, jalapeno, lime juice, and 2 tablespoons of water. Pulse or blend until the mixture is a smooth paste. Add salt and pepper to taste. Reserve a third of the marinade for serving with the chicken. Use the rest for coating the chicken.

2 Sprinkle the chicken thighs all over with salt and pepper. Coat the chicken pieces with the marinade. At this point if you want, you can make ahead, and chill for several hours or overnight until ready to cook. Bring to room temperature before cooking.

3 Preheat broiler or prepare grill for medium direct heat. Broil or grill chicken, turning frequently, until golden and crisp and a meat thermometer reads 170°F when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (not touching a bone), or when the juices run clear (not pink) when cut into with a knife. This will take about 25 to 35 minutes for a grill on medium heat, or about 10-20 minutes under a broiler, depending on how far the chicken is from the heat. Serve with lime wedges, reserved marinade, and cilantro.

Quinoa Veggie Burger

April 11, 2010 at 4:22 PM | Posted in Dinner, Vegan Zone | Leave a comment

After having an amazing Quinoa Burger at the Burger Lounge in Kensington, I was determined to make my own.  This recipe has served as a good basis.  It’s all about the spices used!  I enjoy my burgers with grilled onions and organic ketchup.

Source: Savvy Vegetarian

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
  • 2/3 cup hummus OR 1/2 cup mashed cooked chickpeas+ 2 Tbsp water
  • 2 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 Tbsp ground flaxseed meal
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp dried basil leaf
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaf
  • 1/2 tsp gr cumin seed
  • 1 tsp gr coriander seed
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 Tbsp brown rice powder OR vital wheat gluten (I usually use whole wheat flour)
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Heat a non-stick frying pan on med. low
  2. Dry roast the cumin, coriander, paprika and garlic powder, stirring, 5 min.
  3. Blend all ingredients in a bowl or food processor
  4. Divide burger mix into 8 equal portions and form into 3 inch patties
  5. Fry in a little oil on medium heat, 5 – 10 minutes each side, until browned and firm
  6. To freeze uncooked, place the patties between sheets of wax paper on a baking sheet and freeze. Store in a freezer bag or plastic container and cook as needed (thaw in fridge or microwave)

Casey’s Guac

April 11, 2010 at 4:13 PM | Posted in Apps, On the Side, Vegan Zone | 1 Comment
Casey is one of the best cooks I know!  He shared his guac recipe with me years ago, for which I will be forever thankful.
  • ~5 avocados
  • ~2 tomatoes, diced
  • ~1 yellow onion, diced
  • ~1 jalepeno, diced (include some seeds for more heat)
  • ~2-3 cloves minced garlic
  • big bunch of cilantro, chopped
  • ~3 limes, juiced
  • salt to taste

Mix together, adding extra of what you need to achieve the desired taste.  Key ingredients: lime juice and cilantro!!  Add one avocado pit to the bowl to prevent browning.

Classic Brownies

April 11, 2010 at 4:00 PM | Posted in Baked | Leave a comment

These are the best brownies I’ve ever made or tasted, and certainly the most moist!

Source: Smitten Kitchen, adapted from Cooks Illustrated

Be sure to test for doneness before removing the brownies from the oven. If underbaked (the toothpick has batter clinging to it) the texture of the brownies will be dense and gummy. If overbaked (the toothpick comes out completely clean), the brownies will be dry and cakey.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (4 ounces) pecans or walnuts, chopped medium (optional)
  • 1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) cake flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
  • 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into six 1-inch pieces
  • 2 1/4 cups (15 3/4 ounces) sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 325 degrees. Cut 18-inch length foil and fold lengthwise to 8-inch width. Fit foil into length of 13 by 9-inch baking dish, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhand pan edges. Cut 14-inch length foil and, if using extra-wide foil, fold lengthwise to 12-inch width; fit into width of baking pan in same manner, perpendicular to first sheet. Spray foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. If using nuts, spread nuts evenly on rimmed baking sheet and toast in oven until fragrant, 5 to 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.
  3. Whisk to combine flour, salt, and baking powder in medium bowl; set aside.
  4. Melt chocolate and butter in large heatproof bowl set over saucepan of almost-simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth. (Alternatively, in microwave, heat butter and chocolate in large microwave-safe bowl on high for 45 seconds, then stir and heat for 30 seconds more. Stir again, and, if necessary, repeat in 15-second increments; do not let chocolate burn.) When chocolate mixture is completely smooth, remove bowl from saucepan and gradually whisk in sugar. Add eggs on at a time, whisking after each addition until thoroughly combined. Whisk in vanilla. Add flour mixture in three additions, folding with rubber spatula until batter is completely smooth and homogeneous.
  5. Transfer batter to prepared pan; using spatula, spread batter into corners of pan and smooth surface. Sprinkle toasted nuts (if using) evenly over batter and bake until toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into center of brownies comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours, then remove brownies from pan by lifting foil overhang. Cut brownies into 2-inch squares and serve. (Store leftovers in airtight container at room temperature, for up to 3 days, or, ahem, in the freezer until your resistance gets the better of you.)
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