Hoppin' John with Southern Grilled Chicken

Hoppin' John with Southern BBQ Grilled Chicken Breasts

 

    One of the food shows I have been trying to watch lately is "Mind of a Chef".  In Season Two, one of the featured chefs is Sean Brock.  He is known for his  southern style cooking and bringing back heirloom grains such as red corn, cow peas and Carolina gold rice.

            I have to admit when I first saw him make rice I was confused.  He used about 6 cups of water to 1 cup of rice, then drains it, rinses it, puts in the oven with a bay leaf and tosses it with butter.  What did I just see?  I had to try it.  I have made it with both jasmine rice and some Carolina Gold.  The Carolina Gold did have a better flavor, although not by that much.  It also has a slightly different texture and I over cooked the jasmine rice just a tad.

            Over all I was very happy with the rice and it pairs well with the cow peas and vegetables.  The red pea gravy is also a nice touch, almost like adding a spoonful of thick bean soup on the side.  My wife actually went back for seconds on the gravy.

            Although Hoppin' John is a meal in itself, I wanted to add some protein so I added a southern style BBQ rubbed grilled chicken breast.  It was brined over night in a maple syrup and salt brine and then marinated in canola oil and BBQ seasoning.  It was moiast and delicious and the kids really liked it.  

Now, get int he kitchen and cook something! 

Hoppin’ John

      2 qt. Chicken Stock
1 c Cow Peas (Black Eyed Peas), soaked in a pot of water in the refrigerator overnight
1 ½ c Onions, diced
1 c Carrots, diced
1 ½ c Celery, diced
2 Cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
1 Bay Leaf
2 t Thyme  
Kosher Salt

  Rice
6 c Water
1 ½ t Salt
1 c Carolina Gold Rice
2 Bay Leaves
4 T Butter, cubed

  Red Pea Gravy
1 c Cooked Cow Peas, reserved from above
2 c Pea Cooking Liquid, reserved from above    
1 T Butter
1 T Cider vinegar

1.       Soak beans in chicken stock over night in the fridge.
2.       Pour beans and stock into a large pot and bring to a boil.
3.       Add onions, carrots, celery, bay and thyme and reduce to a simmer
4.       When beans are soft, about 1 hour, remove from heat and strain out one cup of beans and 2 c of broth for the gravy.
5.       While waiting for the beans, start the rice.  Preheat the oven to 300°F.
6.       Bring the water and salt to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
7.       Reduce the heat to medium, add the rice, stir once, and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the rice is al dente, about 15 minutes.
8.       Drain the rice in a sieve and rinse under cold water. Spread the rice out on a rimmed baking sheet with the bay leaves . Dry the rice in the oven, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
9.       Scatter the butter evenly over the rice and continue to dry it, stirring every few minutes, for about 5 minutes longer.
10.       Combine the reserved cow peas and liquid in a blender and blend until smooth, about 3 minutes
11.       Stir in butter and cider vinegar
12.       Season to taste with salt and pepper
13.       To serve, place a scoop of rice in a bowl and top with Peas and then gravy

Southern Grilled Chicken

          8 c Water
    ¼ c Salt
    2 T Maple Syrup
    6 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
    ¼ c Vegetable oil

        BBQ Rub
    1 c Paprika
¾ c Sugar

          1 T Granulated Garlic
    1 T Granulated Onion
½ T Black Pepper
1 T White Pepper
½ c Salt  
2 T Dry Mustard
¼ c Brown Sugar
 

1.       Put the water in a pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from the stove, add the salt and maple syrup, and stir until they have completely dissolved. Pour the brine into a nonreactive heatproof container large enough to hold the breasts and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until thoroughly cold.
2.       Place the breasts in the cold brine, cover, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to overnight.
3.       Combine ingredients for the rub and mix well
4.       Drain the chicken and discard the brine.
5.       Combine rub with the vegetable oil and toss the chicken to coat
6.       Heat grill or grill pan over high heat and grill the chicken until cooked through.  About 2 minutes per side.
7.       Let chicken rest for a few minutes and then slice and plate atop the Hoppin’ John

Broiled Salmon with Roasted Veggies and Polenta

Lemon Broiled Salmon

I find myself thinking about food a lot. I mean really a lot..  I know what ingredients I have in the freezer, fridge, cupboards etc.  So when my mind starts to wander I think, what can I do with what I have and then I can imagine the tastes and textures of combinations in my mind.

To make matters worse I watch a few cooking shows.   Recently I have been viewing episodes of Mind of a Chef and Chef's Table.   Great shows although some of the recipes are a little impractical for the home cook.

Then, there are ingredients... I believe if you are a good cook, you can make any ingredients into a great meal.  Well maybe not spam but I won't go there.  What I mean is get the best ingredients you can afford and make the recipe.   Don't break the bank.

Having said that I have been experimenting and trying some great ingredients.  Butcher Box an online Meat company had a promotion which was tied to Miles an app I have for tracking steps to earn points.  Your first box was $50 off and you got a free 12 pound turkey.  Ok, sign me up.  In the box you get, which you can pick and choose from a variety of options, was some farm raised salmon.   To be honest, it wasn't the best.  It could not compare with fresh salmon.  But everyone did clean their plates.

I served the salmon with the Mustard Dill Sauce and the Black Garlic Sauce from a few days ago...

Now, Get in the Kitchen and Cook something!

Broiled Lemon Salmon

    6 - 5 oz. Pieces of Salmon

    1 Lemon, sliced thin

    Salt and Pepper To Taste

    2 T Fresh Dill, chopped

1. Preheat the broiler
2. Arange salmon on a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper and arrange lemon slices on top
3. Sprinkle with dill..
4. Broil until desired doneness, 5 to 8 minutes
5. Serve with polenta and veggies

Polenta

    3 c Water

    1 c Polenta or Corn Meal or Grits

    1 t Salt

1. Bring water to a boil in a sauce pan
2. Pour in polenta while stirring and reduce heat to low
3. Stir in salt and cook about 20 minutes stirring often so it doesn't burn.

Roasted Winter Veggies with Black Garlic Vinaigrette

    2 c Red Beats, peeled and cut into large dice

    2 c Yellow Beets, peeled and cut into Large Dice

    2 c Brussels Sprouts, cleaned, large ones cut in half

    3 Carrots, peeled and cut into rounds

    3 T Olive Oil

    1 t Salt

    1/2 t Pepper

1. Pre-heat oven to 400
2. Arrange vegetables on Baking sheet
3. Drizzle with olive oil
4. Season with salt and pepper
5. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes
6. Remove and toss vegetables then return to the oven for 15 minutes.
7. Toss with Black Garlic Vinaigrette to serve

Black Garlic Vinaigrette 

      8 Cloves Black Garlic 

      2 T olive oil
      1 1/2 White Wine Vinegar
      1 T Water 

1. Remove the garlic paper/skin and remove the black garlic cloves
2. Smash the cloves with a fork and chop fine.
3. Add cloves to olive oil and vinegar. Whisk vigorously or blend in food processor till smooth.

Vegetarian Tacos

Well, I do try to eat healthy and after several days of turkey leftovers and corned beef and cabbage yesterday, I wanted something lighter.

We had gotten some celery root at the farmers market last week and I had made something similar before so this is what I came up with.  I grow sunchokes in the garden, mainly because I have to.  Once you have them established they are impossible to get rid of and they come back every year.  They aren't necessary but I think they help with the texture.

Also this recipe is completely vegan friendly, however you can easily substitute ground beef, chicken or turkey for the celery root, walnuts and sunchokes for a traditional taco Tuesday.  The seasonings used are my standard Taco mix however feel free to use Ortega or your favorite seasoning mix.

Finally you can use store bought corn tortillas.  We just got a microwave Air fryer combo and I wanted to try it out.  And I had the ingredients so... you know why not?

Now, Get in the Kitchen and Cook Something!

Vegan Tacos with Tequila Lime Slaw

      1/2 c Walnuts

      2 c Celery Root, coarsley chopped

      1/2 c Sunchokes, coarsley chopped(optional)

      1 T Chili Powder

      1/2 T Cumin

      1 t Corander

      1 t Granulated Garlic

      1 t Granulated Onion

      1 t Salt

      1/2 t Pepper

      1 c Water

   To Serve

      Corn Tortillas (Store bought or recipe below)

      Lettuce, shredded

      Tomatoes, diced

      Black Olives, sliced

      Scallions, minced

      Jalapeno Peppers, sliced

      Tequila Lime Slaw (recipe below)

1. Heat a skillet on the stove and toast the walnuts over medium heat for about 5 minutes, tossing gently so they don't burn.  Remove from heat and let cool..
2. In a food processor, chop celery root in batches until it is roughly the texture of ground beef.  Put in a bowl.
3. Process walnuts the same way and add to the celery root.
4. Process the sunchokes if you have them the same way (You can substitute jicama, radishes, or water chestnuts if you want)
5. In a large skillet, heat two tablespoons of olive oil
6. Add celery root mixture and saute about 15 minutes over medium heat until heated through but not brown yet.
7. Add seasonings and mix well
8. Add water and bring to a boil
9. Reduce heat to a simmer and let it reduce until almost dry.   You want the consistency of Taco Meat.
10. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Tequila Lime Slaw

      1 c Tequila

      1/2 c Lime Juice

      1/2 c Vegetable Oil

      1 T Whole Grain Mustard

      1 T Honey

      1 T Sugar

      1 t Cumin

      1/2 t Granulated Garlic

      1 t Salt

      1/2 t Pepper

      6 c Cabbage, shredded

      2 c Carrots, shredded

1. Heat tequila in a small pan and reduce to about 1 tablespoon.  Becareful of flareups as the alcohol boils away.  Especially if you have a gas stove.
2. Add lime juice, oil, honey, sugar, cumin, granulated garlic, salt and pepper and mix well.
3. Pour dressing over cabbage and carrots and mix well.   I like to do this with my hands so I can really make sure it is mixed well.

(I used one orange carrot and one purple carrot that I got at the market.   You could also use red cabbage for color if you wanted.   Sometimes I like to add a little zestiness with some red bell pepper and scallions.)

Homemade Corn Tortillas

      2 c Corn Meal or Masa Haring

      1 c Warm Water

      1 t Salt

1. Combine all ingredients and mix well.  If should form a very soft dough.
2. Cover and let the dough set for at least an hour, or overnight.  This will help the cornmeal hydrate and make it easier to work with.
3. Sprinkle more cornmeal on the counter and break off a one inch blob of dough and roll it out to about 1/8th of an inch thick.
4. Heat a skillet over medium heat, spray with cooking spray and grill tortillas about 3 minutes per side.
5. If you have an air fryer, I put some parchment paper in the basket, spray with cooking spray and place tortillas on it then spray them.  
6. Cook 5 minutes, then flip them and cook 4 to 5 minutes more, watching do they don't burn.

 

Mushroom Time...

Most Saturdays, my wife and I get up early and go to the Oakland County Farmers Market in Pontiac.   The produce and everything is from Michigan, great meats, apples, micro greens, all sorts of good stuff.   But my favorite by far is the mushroom guy.

I have bought chantrells, maitake, nebrodino, nomeko, lions mane, oyster, king, chestnut and piopinni.... they are all fantastic!

This week I got some lions mane to make crabless crab cakes.   I actually made this as an appetizer for Thanksgiving but I felt that the recipe needed a little tweeking.

Here is what I came up with...

Lions Mane "Crab" Cakes

     4 c Lions Mane Mushrooms

     2 Cloves Garlic, minced

     4 T Butter

     Juice of 1 Lemon

     1 t Beaumonde Seasoning

     1/2 t Paprika

     1/2 t Thyme

     1/2 t Oregano

     1 t Worcestershire Sauce

     2 Eggs

     3/4 c Fine Breadcrumbs 

     1/2 c Panko Breadcrumbs

     Salt and Pepper To Taste

     Olive oil for frying

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Toss shredded mushrooms with the garlic and butter and place on a baking sheet.
3. Bake mushrooms for 15 minutes, tossing them every five minutes
4. Remove from oven and let cool.
5. Combine with all of the other ingredients and mix well
6. Form into patties, and fry in a sautee pan in olive oil.
7. Cook about 4 minutes per side.   I served them with a mustard dill sauce and a black garlic sauce... both recipes are below..

Black Garlic Sauce

     8 Cloves Black Garlic

     2 t Soy Sauce

     2 T Beef or Chicken Stock

     4 T Butter

     1/4 c water

     Black Pepper to taste

1. Combine all on a food processor except water.
2. Puree until smooth
3. Add water to desired consistency
4. Season to taste with black pepper.  

This is great with seafood, steaks, and vegetables.     

Mustard Dill Sauce 

     1 1/2 c Wine

     1 T Fresh Dill

     1 T Whole Grain Mustard

     8 T Butter

     Salt and Pepper To Taste

1. Heat wine in a small skillet with dill and mustard
2. Reduce until it is almost dry
3. Cut butter into pieces and add one or two at a time, swirling the pan as it melts.
4. Once all of the butter is incorporated remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.

Now, Get in the kitchen and cook something!

Happy Turkey Day!!

Well, here we are again despite all that 2020 has thrown at us this year we still have the Holiday Season.  Whether you are meeting family in person or virtually I hope you have a great time.  

I got a Turkey from Butcher Box a couple weeks ago as part of a promotion so I made a practice Turkey Dinner with all the trimmings and thought I would share the recipes with you all!

Thanksgiving 2020

Sides

Fresh Bread with Butter

Crispy Brussel Sprouts and Bacon and

Roasted Carrots

Winter Squash with Honey Poached Cranberries and Goat Cheese

Mashed Potatoes

Classic Stuffing

Roasted Grape and Cranberry Sauce

Entrée

Sage Roasted Turkey

Dessert

Assorted Pies with Whipped Cream

Whole Wheat Bread

3 c Bread Flour

1 c Whole Wheat Flour

2 c Water

1 T Yeast

1 T Brown Sugar

1 T Diastatic Malt Powder

2 T Olive Oil

1. Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a mixer and mix 5 minutes’

2. Turn onto counter and form into a ball

3. Let rest 1 hour

4. Form into 2 loaves and let raise

5. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes

Crispy Brussel Sprouts and Bacon and Carrots

1 lb. Brussel Sprouts, halved, outer leaves removed and kept separate

        8 Carrots, peeld

2 T Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper TT

6 oz Bacon, diced

1. Preheat oven to 425º

2. Toss brussels sprouts halves, carrots and two tablespoons olive oil and spread on a baking sheet

3. Season with salt and pepper and roast 30 minutes

4. Stir, then add bacon and roast another 15 minutes

5. Add the brussels sprouts leaves and roast another 15 minutes until crispy

Roasted Squash and Goat Cheese and Honey Poached Cranberries

1 Winter Squash 

8 oz. Goat Cheese, crumbled

½ c Pecans, toasted

    Honey Poached cranberries – recipe below

1. Preheat oven to 450°

2. Roast Squash until tender, about 40 minutes

3. Break open the squash and remove seed

4. Place arugula in the squash with goat cheese, pecans and poached cranberries

5. Drizzle with Balsamic glaze

Honey Poached Cranberries

¾ c Honey, divided

6 T White Wine Vinegar, divided

16oz. Cranberries

1. Working in batches, into a medium pan, add 1/4 cup honey and 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat.  

2. Simmer for 2 minutes.  Remove pan from heat.  Add just enough cranberries to cover the bottom of the pan in one layer only.  

3. Return pan to stove and heat over medium low flame, stirring carefully from time to time.  The cranberries should be plumped, but not burst.  

4. With a spoon, remove any burst berries from pan.  After about 8 minutes, the cranberries should be soft and plump.  Test the largest berry in the pan to make sure it is tender.

5. Transfer soft cranberries to a container.  Repeat process until all ingredients are used, cleaning pan between batches.

Classic Stuffing

16 c Stale Bread Diced

½ c Butter

2 c Onions, diced

2 c Celery, diced

2 t Sage

1 t Thyme

1 t Rosemary

¼ c Parsley

6 c Turkey Broth

Salt and Pepper TT

1. Combine breads in a large bow

2. Melt butter in a large skillet

3. Add onions and celery and sauté until celery is soft

4. Stir in seasonings and mix into bread

5. Add broth to bread mixture

6. Season to taste with salt and pepper

7. Stuff turkey or bake at 350º for 30 minutes in an oven safe pan

Mashed Potatoes 

4 lb. Potatoes, scrubbed and peeled

1 t Salt

2 t White Pepper

½ c Butter

2 c ½ and 1/2

` 1 T Salt

1. Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water and 1 t salt

2. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer for 15 minutes

3. Drain potatoes and put in the bowl of a mixer with a whip attachment

4. Add remaining ingredients and whip until fluffy

5. Season to taste

Quick Gravy Prep

¼ c Butter

1 c Onion, chopped

4 Cloves Garlic

6 T Flour

4 c Chicken Broth

1 c White Wine

10 Sage Leaves

2 Bay Leaves

2 t Salt

1 t Pepper

Pan Drippings to finish

1. Melt butter in skillet and sauté onions five minutes

2. Add garlic and sauté 2 minutes

3. Add flour and mix well

4. Stir in broth, sage, bay leaves, salt and pepper and bring to a boil

5. Reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes

6. Cool slightly and strain

7. Store in refrigerator for up to a week or freeze

8. To server strain fat from pan drippings and stir into gravy base

9. Season to taste with salt and pepper

Sage Roasted Turkey (Cook approximately 15 minutes per pound)

Stuff Turkey, rubbing butter and sage leaves under the skin.

Preheat oven to 450º

11:00 – Turkey in Oven turn temp down to 350

11:30 – Baste Turkey

12:00 – Baste Turkey

12:30 – Baste Turkey

1:00 – Baste Turkey

1:30 – Baste Turkey

2:00 – Baste Turkey Check Temp

2:30 – Baste Turkey Check Temp

3:00 – Baste Turkey Check Temp

Cook Turkey to 150º White Meat, 170º Legs and Thighs

Remove from oven

Cover with Foil and let rest 30 minutes

Get in the Kitchen and Cook Something!

 

Hello Hello Hello!

I'm back, sorry I haven't been a very good blogger and I know I've said it before (but this time I really mean it!) I will be posting more blogs.

I am really excited, I have just published my first cookbook on amazon. 

Now that people are actually buying it I am a nervous reck... How many typos did I miss? is everything good? What did I do wrong?

Well I guess we wll have to wait and see.  I will be posting some pictures of the recipes in there and If I am really energetic, maybe even some videos.

So, If you have gotten one, please give it a rating and let me know what you liked!

Here is the link to it on amazon : Cooking in Real Life

Now, Get in the Kitchen and Cook Something!