Sunday, May 26, 2013

Aunt D's Buttermilk Pancakes

Yields 6 servings

Ingredients:
4 Cups flour, all-purpose 
6 Tbls sugar, white divided
2 Tbls baking powder 
1 tsp salt 
4 Cups buttermilk, reduced-fat 
6 Large egg, whole separated
1 Tbls extract, vanilla 
oil, olive cooking spray

Optional:
12 Ounce(wt)s chocolate chips, semisweet mini

Tools Needed:
OXO Good Grips Medium Cookie Scoop
Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick 11-Inch Square Griddle

Directions: 
Whisk flour, 4 tablespoons sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl to blend. Add buttermilk, egg yolks and vanilla and whisk until smooth (batter will be very thick). 

Using electric mixer, beat whites in medium bowl to soft peaks. Add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and beat until stiff but not dry; fold into batter. 

Fold in chocolate chips, if using. 

Spray griddle or heavy large skillet with cooking spray over medium-low heat. Working in batches, pour batter by 1/4-cupfuls onto griddle. Cook until pancakes are golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. 

Transfer to plates. Serve with maple syrup. 

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Pretzel Crusted Chicken Cutlets

Yields 6 servings
Adapted from Rachel Ray

Ingredients:
6 6-ozs chicken breast, boneless, skinless cut into cutlets
8 Ounce(wt)s Rold Gold Honey Wheat Braided Twists
1/2 cup cheese, Parmesan
1 to taste salt and pepper 
2 Large egg, whole 
1 Tbls water
2 Tbls mustard, Dijon or whole grain

1 to taste oil, vegetable for frying

Tools Needed:

Cuisinart DLC-2009CHB Prep 9 9-Cup Food Processor, Brushed Stainless
12-Inch Skillet with Glass Cover

Directions: 
Preheat a large non-stick skillet with a 1/4-inch of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. 

Place the pretzels in a food processor or blender and ground until fine. Transfer the ground pretzels to a shallow dish, add the cheese and some salt and pepper. Crack and beat 2 eggs in a second shallow dish with water and mustard. One at a time, coat each chicken cutlet in the egg and then the ground pretzels. 

Add the pretzel-coated chicken cutlet to the hot oil. Cook in a single layer, in batches, about 3 or 4 minutes on each side, until the juices run clear and breading is evenly browned.  Transfer to a rack on a cookie sheet and keep warn in a 300 degree oven until ready to serve.

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Killer California Grilled Flank Steak

Yields 4 servings

Ingredients:
6 to 8 Cloves garlic, fresh minced
2 Tbls Silver Service Chef's California Steak Rub
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt, Kosher
1 Tbls worcestershire sauce 
2 Tbls vinegar, red wine 
1/3 Cup oil, extra virgin olive 
2 Pounds beef, flank steak 


Tools Needed:
Kuhn Rikon Epicurean Garlic Press
Weber Style 6435 Professional-Grade Grill Pan

Directions: 
Mix garlic, Steak Rub, paprika, cumin, salt, Worcestershire sauce and red wine vinegar. Whisk in extra-virgin olive oil. Place meat in a Ziploc-bag and coat it evenly in marinade. Let stand at least 1 hour, but the longer the better. 

Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill to high heat.  Grill flank steak 6 to 7 minutes on each side. 

Remove flank steak from grill and let juices redistribute before slicing. Thinly slice meat on an angle, cutting the meat against the grain.

If using a charcoal grill:
Heat up coals in a chimney starter; burn 20 minutes until a light grey color.  Build a 2-level fire by arranging coals onto 1/2 of the bottom of the grill.  Heat grate for 5 minutes.

Grill steak directly over coals until seared, 3 minutes. Using tongs, flip steak; grill on second side another 3 minutes. turn grate 1/4-turn and close lid and cook indirectly for 3 more minutes or until middle of steak registers 125-degrees on a thermometer.    

Remove steak from grill and let rest 5 to 10 minutes.  Slice steak, about 1/4-inch thick, against the grain and on the bias.  Serve immediately.



Suggested Sides:
Oven-Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Lemon Parmesan Broccoli



Lemon Parmesan Broccoli

Ingredients:
1 Head broccoli cut into florets
1 Large lemon 
3 Tablespoons oil, olive 
1/2 Teaspoon salt, Kosher 
1 Teaspoon seasoning, Greek 
1/3 Cup cheese, parmesan, grated 

Directions: 
Toss cut, dry broccoli in enough olive to lightly coat each piece. Add salt and Greek seasoning and toss to coat. 

Roast broccoli for 20 to 25 minutes. 

Cut lemon. Squeeze lemon juice over broccoli and toss to coat. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Friday, May 10, 2013

Stuffed Sweet Bell Peppers

Yields 4 servings

Ingredients:
4 Large bell peppers, assorted 
2/3 Cups rice, long grain white  (if doing brown, this will take much longer to cook)
2 Pounds beef, ground chuck
1/2 Tbls Silver Service Chef's California Steak Rub

2 Tbls worcestershire sauce 
2/3 Cups onion, yellow chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced

8 Ounce(wt)s mushrooms, canned**
1 to taste salt and pepper 
1 Tbls oil, olive 
2 Cups cheese, cheddar medium shredded
16 Ounce(wt)s sauce, tomato 
6 Ounce(wt)s tomato paste 
1/2 Cup water 
1/3 Cup wine, dry red 


Tools Needed:
12-Inch Skillet with Glass Cover
Pyrex Grip-Rite 2-Quart Oblong Baking Dish, Clear
Kuhn Rikon Epicurean Garlic Press
Rosle Can Opener 


Chef's Note:
My mother always did this with canned mushrooms. The thought kind of turns me to stone, but to each his own. If you are like me, then slice 8 ounces of fresh creminis and saute them in a little butter.  This means to melt the butter in a skillet over medium high heat and add the mushrooms and top with a little salt then leave them ALONE.  Every 5 minutes, you can stir them around and then walk away again.  Just make sure they don't burn, but if you keep moving them around, they will get watery.  Trust me.

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut off tops of peppers, chop and reserve. Remove seeds and membrane from the peppers and slice each in half, lengthwise. 

Brown meat in oil, remove and drain off fat. Saute onions and garlic with the chopped pepper tops until soft.  Add canned mushrooms and heat through. Remove veggies.  Add rice and steak rub.  Toast in pan for 2 to 3 minutes.  Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, wine, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. Add Veggies back to pan.  Cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. 

Add half of the cheese. Place peppers on bottom of casserole. Pour meat/rice mixture over peppers. Cover with remaining grated cheddar. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until bubbly and cheese is golden.

Tuesday, May 07, 2013

Chicken Saltimbocca (Saltimbocca di Pollo)

Adapted from Mario Batali
Yields 4 Servings

Ingredients:
1 Cup flour, all-purpose 
1 to taste salt and pepper 
4, 6-ozs chicken breast, boneless, skinless 
4 Slices prosciutto di parma 
24 Each sage leaves, 4 large and 20 smaller
2 1/4 Cups oil, extra virgin olive 
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 Large shallots, thinly sliced
1/2 Pound mushrooms, shiitake thinly sliced (cremini are fine too) 
1 Cup marsala 
1/2 Cup stock, chicken 
2 Tbls butter 
1 Bunch parsley, flat-leaf chopped
Toothpicks


Tools Needed:
Norpro Meat Veal Pounder
Asian Kitchen 5-inch Spider Strainer
12-Inch Skillet with Glass Cover
Kuhn Rikon Epicurean Garlic Press 

Directions: 
Season the flour with salt and pepper 

With a meat mallet, pound the chicken breasts to ¼-inch thickness. Season each breast with salt and pepper and lay 1 sage leaf on each breast. Lay 1 slice prosciutto over each piece and fold in half like a book. Secure the two sides with a toothpick and dredge each breast in the seasoned flour. 

In a heavy-bottomed pot with high sides, heat the 2 cups olive oil to 375 degrees. Make sure that you have a slotted spoon or spider close by. Working in a few batches, fry the leaves in the oil, removing with the slotted spoon after 30 seconds. Season with salt, set on a plate lined with paper towels to drain, and set aside. 

In a 12 to 14-inch sauté pan, heat the remaining olive oil until smoking. Add the chicken and sauté until golden brown on both sides. Mince the garlic with a garlic press.  Add the shallots, garlic and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms have sweated, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the Marsala and chicken stock and cook over high heat until reduce by half. Swirl the butter into the pan, add the parsley and serve on 4 warmed dinner plates, topped with the fried sage leaves.