Chorizo and Shrimp Jambalaya July 3, 2010
Posted by kcat in could be made vegetarian, fish, main course, meat.Tags: chorizo, creole cooking, jambalaya recipe, shrimp
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Ok. So…. I am not that great at cooking rice at home. I don’t know what the deal is, but I will admit that I count the day I bought my rice cooker as one of the happiest days of my life. And yes, for the record, I do tend to make perfect rice at work. It’s just one of those things I always fuss with and ruin at home. I think maybe I’m slowing improving, or it could be that it is pretty hard to mess up a risotto.
I do love to eat rice though. Recently I have developed a hankering for some good ol’ Jambalaya. This is one of two rice based dishes that I remember my mom making when we were growing up (the other being Sweet and Spicy Cashew Chicken). I vaguely remember refusing to eat either of them and usually having pb and j on the rare nights when they were served. I was, of course, a horribly picky eater….. Sorry Mom.
Anyway, I basically just made this recipe up, and I really hope it works out so that I can finally post something on my blog.
By the way, if you want to vegetarian-ize this recipe, just double the veggies, add some black beans instead of chorizo and see if you can find some shrimp flavoured gluten balls to toss in about halfway through cooking.
Chorizo and Shrimp Jambalaya
Olive oil
I chorizo sausage, skin removed and crumbled
1.5 cup frozen shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup short grain rice
1.5 cups water or stock
½ cup tomato juice
2 tomatoes, chopped up
½ onion, small dice
1 carrot, small dice
1 stalk celery, small dice
½ red bell pepper, small dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tsp thyme
2 Tsp oregano
Tbsp cayenne
Tbsp paprika
Pinch chilli flakes
Tsp chilli powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot sauce as you like
Peel the skin off one chorizo sausage. Crumble it up and put it all into a large heavy bottomed pot that has a lid. Chop up all your veggies and crank the heat under the pot to high. Add a good glug of olive oil. Once the sausage meat starts to sizzle dump in the veggies. Stir them up every so often and let them cook for about 7 minutes. Add all the spices and the rice. Stir everything up so that the rice is well coated in oil and spices. Let the rice and veggies and meat cook together for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the tomatoes, the water or stock, and the frozen shrimp. Season well with salt and pepper and give everything a good stir. Cover and leave the heat on high for a couple of minutes until the liquid starts to boil. Lift the lid up, stir once, put the lid on and turn the heat to medium low. Set your timer for 20 minutes and pour yourself a glass of wine. I think a pinot grigio would be lovely.
That’s the step I am at right now, except of course that I don’t have any pinot grigio and will have to settle for a gin and tonic. Which doesn’t really go at all.
And so we wait…….
And wait.
And ….. if only I could blog a waiting montage…..
And…
*Ding*!
Oh boy! It’s delicious and perfect! Yay!
Serve this mounded in a beautiful bowl and garnished with some fresh thyme leaves and/or parsley
This recipe will serve 4 with a little leftover for lunch the next day (or 2 if you pig out like me). If you want to switch it up a little you can always omit the shrimp and serve them skewered and grilled beside the rice. Round out the meal with corn on the cob, buttered green beans, and fresh crusty bread and you’ve got yourself a fine-looking dinner party. Cheers!
rabbit. de-boned. June 18, 2010
Posted by kcat in main course, meat.Tags: cooking rabbit, de-boning rabbit, rabbit
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This is how the rabbit looks out of its packaging, before starting the de-boning process. The rabbit’s head and feet have been removed, it is skinned and gutted. If you just killed a rabbit and you need help doing those things, this post is not for you. Check Tom Browns Field Guide to Wilderness Survival or something.
This is the inside of a rabbit. This picture is a little difficult to see, but try. This is the inside of a rabbit before you start working on it. You can see the rib cage (which I am holding open) in between the front (smaller) legs. Down the center you can see the loin on both side of the backbone. There is a flap of meat below the loin is the belly. Sometimes the kidneys are left on. They are usable in a forcemeat or stuffing. The hind legs are joined and dealt with similarly to that on a chicken. The tricky bits with rabbits tend to be the very easily broken and delicate ribs as well as the oddly shaped backbone. Generally chefs try to remove the ribs and the backbone without piercing or puncturing the flesh in order to stuff the saddle of the rabbit. It is a great way to practice and hone your knife skills and meat cutting skills. This is not a job for the faint of heart, and it is not a thing to hurry through. Take your time, work carefully, and once you have de-boned several rabbits you will be telling all your mates there’s nothing to it. The ribs are very easily broken so take care.
Start cutting. Remove all four legs. It is up to you whether to take out the bones from the legs or not. If you are using the rabbit for a braised dish you might want to leave them on. If you are using the rabbit for a baked dish you may want to take the bones right out. If that is the case think “chicken thighs” and get ‘er done. You can tie the meat with twine if you are planning on braising the legs. I left the bones in and tied the front legs to keep the meat together.
the ribs are very easily broken so take care.
Carefully score the meat on either side of the first rib bone closest to the head end of the rabbit. Use light, feathery stokes with the tip of your (sharp) boning knife and work the knife underneath the bone near the backbone. Slide it up and free the rib. Continue on until all the ribs are loose from the meat, as shown above. Free the loin on the side you are working on from the backbone closest to the rib cage, where it sits above the rib cage. You are trying to keep everything in one piece remember. Work the loin free of the backbone all the way down keeping it attached to the belly. That means cutting below it where it is above the rib cage (from your perspective) and then to one side where it rests on the backbone. Do your best to keep it attached to the belly of the rabbit.
Ok, a note on the backbone of a rabbit. It is almost an asterisk shape (*). The criss-crossing X being more pronounced than the middle dash. If that makes any sense. This looks a little gory but hopefully it is also useful.
I am by no means an expert on this topic, but I do find that when I know what to expect when deboning meat I have a much better time of it.
You can see the ribs branching off to either side of it down at the bottom. The white ridges along the center in this picture are where the individual vertebrae are closest to the skin of the rabbit. Once you have the ribs free and the loin free you can start working on the backbone. You must cut in towards the bone, then out a little, then in and then leave it! When you are doing this work one side at a time. Use your knife to feel where the bone it. Use short feathering strokes to avoid missing where you ought to cut. Start at the head end and work the whole thing down one side then turn your knife and work out down the whole side, then in, etc. Once you get the backbone almost free and are dealing with the back (underside) of the rabbit, stop. Work the other side of the bone free. Then GENTLY pull the whole backbone with one hand and use your knife to hold the meat down. It should pop pop pop off the back of the rabbit. If it gets stuck, use a tiny stroke of your knife to help it along.
If none of this is making sense I am sorry by the way. It is rather difficult to describe this process from memory. Next time I should do a video.
This is the saddle of a rabbit, de-boned. See how it is all one piece. Lovely.
If you plan on stuffing the rabbit, do so now, then roll and tie it up. You can make a nice little mushroom duxelle and smear the inside of the rabbit with garlic butter, season it up, add the mushrooms then roll it and tie it with twine. If you want to do the saddle on its own it is best to sear the outside very well, then slow roast it at 300*F for about an hour (you should cook it through, ie. 370*F). Serve it with a little white wine mustard sauce.
Or just roll it and tie it up for a braise like I did.
What a beauty. There my bunny is – all ready for searing. Yum!
my little bunny pt.2 June 3, 2010
Posted by kcat in meat, rant.Tags: braised rabbit, cooking rabbit, rabbit, rabbit meat
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Alright. I would like to apologize for leaving anyone hanging with the bunny saga over here on gold ol’ EATTO. I’ve been extremely busy lately and blogging has not been a top priority. I wrote most of this the day I actually was cooking the rabbit. I will post the deboning lesson within the next week.
I am going to point out also that this preparation method would go just as well for chicken, since the two meats have an almost identical flavor and texture.
My little bunny pt.2
Well. Since no one made any bunny-cooking suggestions I guess I will just proceed as planned. I am going to cut the rabbit into pieces, de-bone the saddle and tie it, sear all the pieces and then braise them. I expect it to be magnificent. I am just waiting for my camera batteries to recharge before proceeding so that I can take a few ‘de-boning the bunny’ pictures along the way. I have already prepared my garnish and it is:
one medium yellow onion, diced
one carrot, diced
one stalk celery, diced
four large green olives, minced
two cloves garlic, minced
two tablespoons tomato paste
one sprig thyme
two sprigs tarragon
chicken stock as needed
a piece of fatty, salty pork – bacon, pancetta, pork sausage, a piece of salt pork, a piece of a prosciutto heel etc. About 2 slices bacon or the equivalent volume of the other options there. The flavor from the pork product adds a mellow underlying meaty flavor and helps to round out the taste of the braising liquid.
I would also be throwing in a few pieces of mushroom, but I haven’t got any lurking in my fridge at the moment (oh, if only my mushroom log was fruiting!)
So…. that’s all ready. Everything is chopped up and good to go. I’m going to go cut up my little bunny and take a few photos along the way. If dealing with raw meat makes you queasy, then you should probably avoid the rest of this post.
And since we’re on the topic of dealing with raw meat I have to throw in my two cents. If you are having trouble with the thought of me cutting up a rabbit and cooking it, but are generally fine with boneless skinless chicken breast then we need to have a chat. Firstly: the cute little bunny that you are envisioning with its big brown sad little “please don’t kill me” eyes and it’s little pink nose and whiskers and little poofy tail has led a full and humane life on a farm near Altona. It was allowed to hop around and be a bunny rabbit. And it was killed by a kind German lady who did the deed humanely and quickly. This rabbit was bred to be killed and eaten. It is food. It was always food. When it was born, it was food. It was not a pet, nor should you feel remorse for it. Rabbits are a great choice when it comes to meat. Rabbit meat is a delicious alternative to chicken meat and is much less likely to contain salmonella. The pelt is usable, the meat is tasty and simple to prepare in a variety of ways and best of all they are easy to keep and breed. I am considering raising some rabbits in my backyard to feed to my family. Meanwhile, the chicken that you so prefer was born in an incubator with 100′s of other little chicks, kept in a cage only slightly larger than itself for most of its life, and probably had its toes and beak cut off so that it would spoil its neighbouring chickens meat. It probably never saw the light of day and chances are good that it contains a large amount of unnatural growth hormones and antibiotics to plump it up and decrease the likelihood of it developing an infection. Even many free run chickens are often kept in poor conditions. I would prefer the rabbit over the chicken any day. So stop thinking of it as a little hippity hoppity bunny and start thinking of it as an excellent alternative source of meat.
Ok, let’s continue.
De-bone the saddle of the rabbit, roll and tie it as for a roast. You can leave the leg bones in but you may need to tie the front legs a little to keep the meat together.
Season all the pieces with salt and pepper and sear them over high heat in a little canola oil. You want to be careful not to crowd the pan too much and you might find it useful to use a splatter screen if you are preparing this in your home kitchen. Remove the pieces to a plate and pour off the excess oil from your pan. De-glaze the pan (return it to the heat, add the recommended liquid and scrape up all the bits of goodness and flavor stuck to the pan itself) with a splash of red wine.
Add the onion, carrot and celery to the pan and let it cook over medium high heat for about 7 minutes. Stir it up from time to time. You are looking for the vegetables to be about 3/4 cooked. They will finish cooking along with the rabbit, but you want to ensure that the flavors open up prior to adding your liquid component. Alright. Add the olives, garlic, tomato paste and herbs. Stir everything very well and then nestle the rabbit pieces in among the garnish. Add enough chicken stock to just cover the meat. Put a lid on the pot and turn the heat down to medium low. My rabbit took approximately 4 hours to cook. You can stir it once or twice to ensure that it is not sticking the pot or burning, and you can adjust the heat down depending on your stove. You do not want to boil the rabbit, you want it to be just above a simmer. One bubble striking the surface every two or three seconds.
To check the doneness of the rabbit (or any braised meat) pull a piece up out of the broth with a pair of tongs. Hold it securely and insert a paring knife. If the knife seems to resist going in, leave the meat for another half an hour before checking it again. You are looking for that perfect balance between ‘falling off the bone tender’ and just a mess of shredded meat. A paring knife should insert easily near the thickest part of the rabbit. You may have to take the smaller pieces (the front legs) out sooner than the rest. An overcooked braise, or a braise that was done on too high a temperature can also end up giving you a rubbery textured meat. So SLOW DOWN. This is a no rush food item here. It is worth the wait, and the planning and the magnificent smell that will fill your house over the several hours it takes to cook. Besides, that gives you time to prepare some fab accompaniments.
Once you feel that your rabbit is done remove the meat from the pot and put it aside (on a plate or on a serving platter). Strain the sauce into a small pot through a fine mesh sieve. I believe that I ended up with about 3 cups or so of liquid. The vegetables have broken down a fair bit at this point. You do not want to PUSH them through the strainer. Merely tap the strainer to release every bit of liquid and discard the remaining vegetable mass. My sauce was almost the right consistency (nappe – coats the back of a spoon). If it seems to thin set it over high heat and let it reduce until it is appropriately thick.
To finish the sauce I added about 2 tsp of dijon mustard and adjusted the salt and pepper. If you like you could also add just a touch of honey if you find the sauce at all bitter.
C’est fini! Pour the sauce over the meat or serve it in a saucier on the side.
I also prepared some tempura onion rings to garnish the dish. I served the rabbit alongside an eggplant, zucchini and onion tian; some fresh crusty bread with butter; and some rosemary roasted potatoes; and red wine, of course. And since the fryer was fired up we also had some deep-fried squash blossoms from my (then indoor) garden.
Bon Appetit!
middle eastern cuisine March 6, 2010
Posted by kcat in lamb, main course, meat.Tags: braised lamb, couscous, lamb stew, main course, meat, middle eastern food
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I really love middle eastern cuisine. There is such a terrific diversity and complexity of flavors that come from the region. Recently I had the good fortune to acquire a copy of Middle Eastern Cooking by Suzy Benghiat which was published in 1984 and gives a terrific overview of the varieties of foods and techniques which commonly fall into the Middle Eastern category. The Middle East generally is considered to include Southwestern Asia (parts of Afghanistan and all of Iran), the Caucasus (Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan), the Fertile Crescent (Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Cyprus), the Arabian Peninsula (Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman in the South and Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait), and much of Northern Africa (Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt, and sometimes even farther east). Sorry if I missed anyone on that list. It is a massive area. It is also one of the most ancient places on Earth, a place where civilizations have flourished and died leaving behind imprints of themselves on the cultures to follow. The cuisine reflects the climate as well. A lot of the area is very arid and dry and food preservation techniques had to be taken into consideration. The flavors and textures of preserved lemon, pickles of all varieties, dried fruits, and stewed meats delight the palate. If you have not had the opportunity to experience Middle Eastern Cuisine I strongly suggest to delve into it headlong. It is a joy to cook at home and an interesting experience when served at an authentic restaurant. The following recipe is taken from Suzy Benghiat’s book. I hope she doesn’t mind. This is one recipe which I think Canadian cooks will find fairly accessible. It’s an excellent book and I definitely recommend picking up a copy of it if you happen to see one kicking around.
Lamb Stew for Couscous
taken from Middle Eastern Cooking by Suzy Benghiat
This lamb stew is one of an infinite variety that go with couscous. It is advisable to start by preparing Couscous as described [later in the book], and giving it the second steaming over this stew.
Preparation Time 8 hours soaking
2 hours 10 minutes, including 1 hour 50 minutes cooking
2 Tbsp dried garbanzo beans (chick peas)
2 Tbsp oil
1 medium onion
1 1/2 lb stewing lamb
4 medium tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp crushed fennel seed
1 rounded tsp Harissa or other red pepper [chili] sauce
1 rounded tsp turmeric
1 1/4 cup water
1 medium carrot
1 large zucchini
4 small potatoes
1 recipe pre-cooked Couscous
1. Wash the garbanzo beans and leave to soak at least 8 hours in plenty of water. Drain and, if necessary, peel the garbanzo beans by rubbing them between your hands.
2. Pour the oil into the bottom part of a couscous steamer or into a large, heavy-based saucepan. Chop the onion very finely. Trim the meat and cut it into 2″ cubes. Cook the meat and onion gently in the oil for about 30 minutes, turning occasionally.
3. Skin, de-seed and chop the tomatoes. Crush the garlic and pound to a paste with the ginger, fennel seeds, and turmeric. Mix with the tomatoes and Harrissa. (A food processor is ideal for this).
4. Turn up the heat to brown the meat, then add the tomato and spice mixture, garbanzo beans and water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, half cover and simmer for about 1 hour.
5. Peel or scrape the carrot and zucchini and cut into large chunks. Leave the potatoes whole, peeled or unpeeled as you prefer. Add the vegetables to the mixture and leave to simmer for about 20 minutes.
6. Put the pre-cooked Couscous in the top of the steamer and fit the two halves snugly together. Steam the couscous uncovered for 20 minutes, fluffing it up occasionally with a fork.
7. Warm a large serving dish in a warm oven. When the vegetables are tender, add salt to taste. Spoon the couscous into the serving dish, making a pile with a hollow in the center. Trickle some of the sauce over the couscous. SPoon some of the meat and sauce into the hollow in the center, and scatter a few pieces of the vegetables onto the mound. Serve the rest of the stew in a separate bowl.
For a different flavor, add a bouquet of parsley and cilantro to the stew with the tomato and spice mixture, and remove just before serving.
my notes:
So for those of us who don’t own a couscous steamer just use a large heavy bottomed pot (I used my cocotte, which is enamel coated cast iron. I definately recommend picking up a cocotte, although the are a little bit pricey. Staub is the original and the best brand as far as I am concerned, but many other knock offs are now in production. I recently saw some President’s Choice brand ones at superstore. Crazy, I know. A well looked after cocotte will not only last your lifetime, but possibly your children’s and your children’s children. You can sometimes find them on Ebay also if you search ‘enamel coated cast iron’.) I also have a bamboo steamer which conveniently fits over the top of my cocotte. I lined it with cheesecloth and put the couscous on top of that. It was a little sketchy, but it worked.
As far as the recipe goes, I would recommend seasoning the lamb first and then searing it separately over high heat in a non-stick frying pan. After it is seared (well browned) on all sides remove it to the cocotte. Pour off any excess oil from the frying pan and add the onions. Cook the onions gently until mostly translucent, then add a little water to the pan and scrape off any browned bits of lamby goodness. Dump that into the cocotte and proceed with the rest of the recipe as stated above.
This is a great way to enjoy lamb if you aren’t too familiar with it. You can pick up little frozen lamb cubes for stewing at Superstore or ask for lamb stew meat at your local butcher. The spices help cut through the gamey flavor of the lamb that sometimes people aren’t fond of. It’s a great dish and makes for a hearty meal.
Enjoy!
oh havarti! February 22, 2010
Posted by kcat in could be made vegetarian, main course, meat.Tags: havarti, roast beef sandwich, roasted vegetables
2 comments
In honor of my sisters recent re-addiction to fine quality cheeses (which I find hilarious!) I thought I would share one of my favorite uses for Havarti. Havarti is an excellent melting cheese but is so rich and creamy it is sometimes difficult to use for cooking without overwhelming the rest of your dish. It is also pretty expensive ’round these parts. I really only buy it for special occasions and I think having some friends over for an informal dinner fits the bill. Using the decadent cheese in a sandwich like this adds a nice and necessary layer of melty mouthfeel to counter the sometimes dry texture of roast beef. Pairing it with veggies lightly tossed with balsamic and roasted will cut through some of the overwhelming creaminess and add a nice underlying zip. I think placing Havarti on a sandwich like this really allows the flavors of the cheese to shine. I would serve this with some sweet potato fries and a green bean salad to round out the meal.
roast beef and havarti sandwiches
1 beef roast, apx 3 lb, tied and oven ready
salt and pepper
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup grainy dijon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red onion, sliced into 1cm thick rings
2 red peppers, quartered and de-seeded
2 portabello mushrooms, stems pulled and cut into quarters
olive oil
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
sprig rosemary (optional)
harvarti cheese, at least 4 slices sandwich sized
4 individual sized ciabatta loaves, sliced in half and brushed with olive oil
mayonnaise, optional
Turn the oven on to 350*F. Heat up a pan large enough to hold the roast. Season the meat well on all sides and (using tongs) sear the roast well. Your are looking for good carmelization to draw out the sweetness of the meat and create a layer that will hold its juices in while the roast finishes in the oven. Once the roast is well seared set it aside on a plate. Let it cool slightly. Meanwhile prepare the rub by combining the molasses and grainy mustard in a bowl. Add a little water if necessary to thin it out to a brushable consistency. Smear it all over the roast. Place the roast in an oven proof dish and tent with foil. Bake for one hour, remove the foil then finish cooking until a meat thermometer placed in the center reads 155*F (rare) or a little higher if you prefer more well done meat. Remove the roast from the oven and let it rest (covered with foil) for at least 15 minutes. This allows the meat to retain more of its internal juices once it is sliced, and produces a more tender end result.
Aside: Obviously I recommend using locally sourced organic meat whenever possible. Try to find a nice beef or bison roast at your local market or organic foods supplier for this recipe. For those in Winnipeg interested in such things try contacting The Manitoba Grassfed Beef Association or you can pick up a bison roast at The Fort Whyte Center. Either would work well for this recipe.
While the meat is roasting merrily away in the oven prepare the vegetables. Toss them with the garlic, rosemary (leave the leaves on the stem and throw the whole thing in), a good glug of olive oil, and the balsamic vinegar. Season well with salt and pepper and spread the veggies out in an oven proof dish in a single layer. Feel free to add to the veggies I have suggested. If you’re a fan of zucchini, slice it up and throw it in, just make sure whatever you add is sandwich friendly in terms of its shape. Roast the vegetables in the oven for about 40 minutes or to your preferred doneness. Set aside but keep them nice and warm. Don’t shut off the oven! We’ll need it in a little bit.
Slice the roast as thinly as you can. It is helpful to use a carving fork to hold it in place while slicing. It is also helpful to use a sharp knife or a slicing knife. Don’t forget to remove the string before slicing the roast. It tends to detract from the ethereal experience of the sandwich if you find little bits of string in it.
Slice the ciabatta bread and lightly brush it with olive oil. Grill or toast the bread. Lightly spread mayonnaise on one side of the bun. Top the mayo spread side with sliced beef, then with veggies then with cheese. Place the sandwiches on a parchment lined baking sheet and pop them into the oven to melt the cheese. Top with the other half of the bun, put in some frilly topped toothpicks, cut in half and serve to your drooling friends.
Of course if you are cooking for one and have no drooling friends standing nearby never fear! Don’t slice more meat than you need (it will keep longer unsliced, less exposure to air and whatever contamination that may bring). Wrap the meat well. Put the extra veg into a container in your fridge. You can eat like a king or queen for the week. If you find the task of consuming an entire roast too daunting, simply cut it in half, wrap it very well and place it in a freezer bag. Make sure you label and date it before freezing it so it is less likely to be thrown out as mystery freezer meat a year from now. You can pull the frozen roast to your fridge and work on it in a couple of weeks. Either use it in sandwiches like the ones you’ve just made or make up a little gravy, some mashed and veg and served it for sunday supper. A little warm up in the oven should do nicely. Slice it and lay it in a shallow casserole with a little water or stock. Cover it and let it heat through. You won’t have a perfectly rare piece of roast but top it with a little gravy and none’s the wiser.
Happy cooking and good luck! Let me know how it turns out!
Beef and Bean Enchiladas January 27, 2010
Posted by kcat in could be made vegetarian, main course, meat.Tags: beef and bean, casserole recipe, enchilada, ground beef recipe, main course, meat, spicy, texmex
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Olé!
This is a quick enchilada recipe that I make from time to time when I find myself with stale tortillas and an abundance of ground beef. It’s tasty, quick, cheesy, and full of beans (which makes the rest of the evening hilarious). These also are AMAZING reheated. Have fun.
Beef and Bean Enchiladas
1 lb ground beef, cooked
1 can re-fried beans
1/2 pouch taco seasoning
4 Tbsp salsa
1 cup corn kernels (I use frozen ones from the summer)
1/2 small can diced green chilies
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 can diced green chilies
1/2 cup water
5 (at least) large burrito sized tortillas
Turn on the oven to 350*F.
Put beef, beans, salsa, taco seasoning, corn, and 1/2 can chilies in a bowl. Combine thoroughly. In a separate bowl mix together the two cheeses. Set aside. In yet another bowl whip together the cream of chicken, the other 1/2 can diced green chilies, and the 1/2 cup of water. Now take and 9×12 casserole pan and grease it up a little with spray oil. Fill each tortilla with about 1/3 cup of the beef and bean mixture, top that with about a tablespoon of cheese and roll it up. Place the tortilla seam side down into the casserole pan (width-wise) and proceed on to the next. Once all the tortillas have been filled pour the sauce over the lot of them. Use a rubber spatula and tuck it in around the sides of the pan and spread it out on top of the tortillas. I always seem to have about 1/2 cup extra beef and bean mixture so I just put it right on top of the whole thing and spread it about. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the layer of sauce and cover the pan with foil.
Bake the enchiladas covered for 40 minutes, then remove the foil and bake another 10-15 minutes until the cheese is nice and golden and the sauce is bubbly throughout. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. One 9×12 pan is usually enough to feed 4 hungry adults or 6 if you serve a side dish (try a salad with shredded jicama, diced avocado and a lime based dressing, let me know if you need that further elaborated on).
disclaimer:
Ok, so this post doesn’t really fall in line with my eat local etc. rant from the other day but since I’m ok with that you should be too. And several of the ingredients could easily be made from scratch if you feel up to the task. This recipe calls for cream of chicken soup which you can make and freeze into 1 cup portions for use, taco seasoning is easily made (I will post my recipe once I have perfected it), and tortillas are pretty easy to make as well, if not a little time-consuming. If you want to vegetarian this up yo, just substitute out the ground beef for veggie ground and use cream of mushroom soup instead. Feel free to add other fillings such as black beans, cooked rice or diced peppers and tomatoes to change it up from time to time.
eggplant fabulous eggplant! January 22, 2010
Posted by kcat in beef, main course, meat.Tags: braised beef, eggplant, main course, recipe
1 comment so far
Oh eggplant! I buy eggplant fairly often, but never really have a plan about how to prepare it. Usually it ends up as some variation on Ratatouille or Eggplant Parmigiana. I switched it up this time and tried something new. And WOW! Make this as soon as you can! It’s delicious!
Plan on serving a nice medium bodied red wine with this and some crusty bread. Divine!
braised beef with eggplant
1 eggplant
1/4 cup flour (ish)
1″ thick rib eye, marinated overnight
stew beef would be fine also, but obviously not as good
2 medium-sized onions, medium dice
1 carrot, medium dice
1 can diced tomatoes, drained (reserve liquid)
4 Tbsp tomato sauce (or paste or purée)
1/2 cup prepared demi glace (or 2 tsp gravy browning and one bouillon cube)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 zucchini, large dice
1/4 cup red wine
1 tsp red wine vinegar
Salt and Pepper
Oil for frying
Peel the eggplant and cut it into 3/4″ cubes. Put it into a bowl with the flour and season well with salt and pepper. Toss it to coat then fry it with plenty of cooking oil over high heat. It may be best to do this is two batches. Don’t crowd the pan. You should leave it for several minutes before jiggling the pan to get a good color and crispness on the eggplant. Fry until golden. Remove to the bowl of a 4 quart crockpot.
While the eggplant is frying, cube up the steak into 1.5cm pieces. Toss the meat with flour and salt and pepper and fry it once you are finished with the eggplant. If you are using rib eye and happen to have the bone on it, PLEASE put the bone in the crockpot. It will add body and flavor. Once the meat is well browned place it in the crock with the eggplant.
Pour out any excess oil from your frying pan and put it back on high heat. Add the onions and the cubed carrot to the pan and toss it all around. Let the vegetables cook for several minutes then add the wine. De-glaze the pan (scrape off all the little crusty flavor filled bits that are stuck to the bottom of it) and let the wine reduce by about half. Add the reserved tomato liquid and let it reduce by about half again. Add all that to the crock along with the diced tomatoes, herbs, and another good splash of wine. Add the zucchini and vinegar. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper over the top and give a bit of a stir.
Turn this to high heat and let it bubble away for about 4 hours. Serve it over cooked pasta (I used fusilli, but orecchiette or shells would be ideal)
Enjoy!
Fall Fare November 5, 2009
Posted by kcat in main course, meat.Tags: french canadian food, meat, pie, tortiere
2 comments
- everything is better when wrapped in some kind of pastry
With the arrival of fall and frosty mornings I am always reminded of my days working with Chef Luc Jean at the classic Franco-Manitoban restaurant La Vielle Gare. The weather provided some much needed relief from the insatiable summer heat of the kitchen and the crisp mornings were full of preparing for the upcoming busy winter season. With summer ended and the leaves starting to turn I find myself craving heartier fare: thick soups, simmering stews and good stick-to-your-ribs meat filled pie with perfectly flaky pastry. Although I did not grow up with much exposure to French Manitoban cuisine I am grateful to have had the opportunity to learn about it first hand working in many restuarants here in Winnipeg. Take time this fall to celebrate the season by sharing some of these traditional flavors with family and friends around the dinner table.
This recipe for Tortiere makes several pies. I like to freeze them for a quick dinner solution to busy weekdays. Serve this classic meat pie with a garlicky caeser salad and some baked tomatoes or braised carrots.
French Canadian Tortiere
1 strip of bacon, diced
1 onion, diced
2 medium sized russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 lb ground pork
½ lb ground beef
1 garlic clove, minced
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
¼ cup water or beef stock
1 tbsp gravy browning
Salt and Pepper
Heat a large saucepan or cocotte (enameled cast iron pot) over medium heat and saute the bacon until it is well cooked but not too crisp. Add the onion and saute until it is translucent. Add the diced potatoe and the ground meat and cook the meat until well browned. Toss in the garlic, and the spices. Stir to distribute everything evenly. Next add the condensed soup, stock or water, and the gravy browning. Stire everything up and let it come up to a boil. Turn the heat to medium low and let this simmer on your stove for half an hour, stirring occasionally. Taste and then season with salt and pepper. Take the pot off the stove and let the meat mixture cool completely. Meanwhile make the pie dough.
Perfect Pie Dough
5 1/2 cups all purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
1 lb lard
2 egg yolks
1 cup of water
Combine the flour and cornstarch in a large mixing bowl. Add the pound of lard and use two knives to cut it into the flour. The use your (washed) hands to crumble and rub it into the flour until it resembles fine meal. Don’t worry if there are some lardy chunks, it is difficult to work it all in. Next combine the water and egg yolks in a small bowl. Whip them together with a fork. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and dump all the liquid in. Use the fork to start drawing the dry into the wet. When it is all mixed in ditch the fork and use your hands to knead the dough until everything comes together. Try not to overknead the dough or it will lose some of its flakiness and make it more difficult to roll out. Divide the dough into 8 portions. You can individually wrap any extra portions and freeze them for future use.
To assemble the pies:
Roll out one portion of dough approximately 2 mm thick. It should be large enough to hang at least two centimeters over the edge of the pie plate. Fill it with the meat mixture. Roll out another portion of dough for the top of the pie. Press the pastry onto the meat mixture gently. To make a perfect crust trim the extra dough leaving about two centimeters of overhang. Gently fold the excess under so you have a smooth top and lightly press it down. Then pinch all around the crust with your thumb and forefingers to make a scalloped edge. Cut an ‘X’ in the top of the pie and bake it in a 400*F oven for about 40 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown. Serve the pie immediately or reheat it for 15 minutes in a 350*F oven.
