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Archive for the ‘Main Dish’ Category

Champignon Schnitzel

Posted by goodcookbecky on May 9, 2013

Mushroom Pork Cutlets Champignon Schnitzel

Mushroom Pork Cutlets
Champignon Schnitzel

Okay, the Austrian’s rule in the types of Schnitzel.  These are Pork Schnitzel (Cutlets) in Mushroom Sauce and are very good as well.  I found the recipe in one of my Austrian cookbooks.  I have translated it from German.  Thankfully my scale will give me the metric measurements.  These Schnitzel are pork, pounded thin, salted, dredged in flour on one side, browned in a pan with a little butter on both sides.  Placed in a casserole to be kept warm in the oven and then served with a mushroom sauce and parsley.  My husband was happy to have some German food again as I have not made any for a while.

Champignon Schnitzel

Austrian Pork Cutlets in Mushroom Sauce

Serves 4

Adapted from an Austrian Cookbook

Ingredients:

  • 4 pork cutlets, pounded thin (or 8 if they are small)
  • salt
  • 4 Tbsp flour
  • 5 Tbsp butter
  • 4 cups sliced white button mushrooms, (or Cremini mushrooms)
  • For the sauce:
  • water
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 1 Tbsp flour
  • 1 bundle parsley, finely minced

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Pound the cutlets with the flat side of a meat mallet until it is about 1/8 inch.  Sprinkle the cutlets with salt.  Dredge them in the flour, but only on one side.  Melt about 1 Tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Brown the cutlets on both sides and remove them to a baking dish.  Pour about half a cup of water in the skillet and use a whisk to remove the browned bits.  Pour the pan sauce over the cutlets in the baking dish and put in the oven to keep warm.  Repeat the procedure with remaining cutlets.

Melt about 1 Tbsp of butter in the skillet and cook the mushrooms until they are browned.  Add about 1 cup of water to the mushrooms and bring to a boil.  Make a paste with the remaining flour and butter, mashing them in a small bowl with a fork.  Add to the mushrooms and water.  Simmer until the sauce has reduced by about half and is not as watery.  Add the minced parsley to the sauce and pour the mushroom sauce over the cutlets that are being kept warm in the oven.  Cook for about 20 minutes or until the cutlets are tender.

Serve with a side of pasta, crusty French Bread and a vegetable.  Another great very Austrian side would be Semmelknoedel (Austrian Bread Dumplings).

Source:  Thea: Einfach Kochen Kochbuch Nr 11 Seite 59

Printable Recipe

Posted in Ethnic, Ethnic - German, Main Dish, Main Dish - Pork | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Whole Wheat Pizza

Posted by goodcookbecky on April 29, 2013

IMG_4857I used spelt flour and whole wheat flour in this healthier version of Pizza.  I found a good recipe for the whole wheat dough on all-recipes. I was pretty happy with the results too, except that I should have cut the dough in half (and made another pizza later) it made for a very thick edge crust, but the flavors were right on.  The original recipe did not have spelt flour in it, but since I had it, I used it.  The dough turned out exactly as you would want pizza crust to be, soft and chewy on the inside and crisp on the outside.  I topped mine with crushed whole tomatoes, seasoned with oregano and pepper, and then topped it with sliced Chicken Meatballs (Adelle makes some that are amazing) and marinated artichoke hearts.  I usually will dump a whole bag of shredded cheese on a pizza, but I cut back on that as well to save on the calories.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

adapted from all recipes

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/amazing-whole-wheat-pizza-crust/detail.aspx?src=VD_Summary

Makes dough for two pizzas

Ingredients:

  • 1 tsp white sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups warm water (110F)
  • 1 Tbsp active dry yeast
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil (or more as needed)
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup spelt flour (or whole wheat if you do not have spelt)
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • Toppings optional- adapt to your own preference:
  • 1 (14 oz) can whole tomatoes, drained, break up with hands
  • Adelle’s Italian Chicken Meatballs
  • 1 (12 oz) jar marinated artichoke hearts
  • 1 cup Italian blend shredded cheese

Instructions:

In your Kitchen Aid mixing bowl, combine the sugar, warm water,and yeast and stir with a spatula.  Allow to sit a few minutes (though I found the waiting for the yeast to activate is not really needed if your yeast if purchased recently and not past it’s expiration date).  Add the olive oil, all purpose flour, and salt to the water and start mixing the dough with a paddle attachment.  When it is combined add the remaining whole wheat flour.  Mix again with the paddle attachment until it is combined.  Switch  to a hook attachment.  I added just a little more olive oil to help the mixture come together again.  Knead with the hook attachment for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until your dough has become a rough ball.  Remove the dough from the hook, add a drizzle of olive oil to the mixing bowl and turn the dough ball to coat lightly in oil.  Cover the bowl with  plastic wrap and allow to rise for 30-45 minutes (it may take longer if your kitchen is cold).  If you want a big outside crust use the whole ball of dough for one pizza, but I will use half the dough for one pizza and freeze the remaining for another time.

Spread your pizza dough out on a pizza stone, leaving a thicker edge on the outside of the pan. I really find they cook best on a stone without having the edges burn.  Top with crushed whole canned tomatoes, sliced up chicken meatballs, marinated and drained artichoke hearts and about 1 cup of shredded cheese.

Bake at 350F for about 25-35 minutes, or until the crust is crisp and the cheese is browned.

Printable Recipe

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Lemon Chicken Breasts

Posted by goodcookbecky on April 15, 2013

IMG_4719_2I am back from a trip to Maui with my family and it has been hard to reenter real life again.  It had to be done though, and now we have sweet memories to look back on.

I was looking for an easy recipe to make that did not mean going to the store for stray ingredients… this one fit the ticket and it is another winning recipe from the brain of Ina Garten.  This recipe is from Ina’s cookbook “How Easy was That?” (link) on page 120  I adapted it to serve my family of five.

Lemon Chicken Breasts

adapted from Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa How Easy Was That? Page 120)

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 Tbsp minced garlic
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • 1 Tbsp lemon zest (2 lemons)
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice (1 lemon)
  • 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp fresh minced thyme leaves
  • Kosher salt, to season
  • freshly ground pepper, to season
  • 4 (6 oz) boneless chicken breasts with skin on
  • 1 lemon sliced into  8 wedges lengthwise

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Warm a small sauce pan with the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute, but don’t let it brown.  Turn the heat off and add the white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano and thyme.  Pour these into a large Pyrex baking dish.

Dry the chicken breasts with paper towels to remove excess moisture.  Season each chicken breast with salt and pepper and drizzle each lightly with olive oil.  Place them into the baking dish.  Tuck the lemon wedges between the chicken breasts.  Bake for 30-40 minutes or until done.   If the chicken skin is not browned place it under the broiler for a few minutes.  Remove from the oven, cover with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Serve with a fresh vegetable and rice or risotto.

Printable Recipe

 

Posted in Ina Garten, Main Dish, Main Dish - Chicken | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Veal Parmesan

Posted by goodcookbecky on March 21, 2013

IMG_0203My husband requested Veal Parmesan for his birthday celebration.  I love veal, but it is hard to find.  I have a wonderful little market nearby though that believes in good customer service, and have fantastic quality foods available (Baron’s Market).  They were kind enough to special order it for me.  It made my entire family happy!

Okay, on to the Veal Parmesan.  I looked for a recipe online and the recipe by Emeril Lagasse had one of the highest ratings.  I read the reviews and adjusted the seasonings to be less spicy as some reviewers said it was too spicy.  Here is what I did, I left the seasoning in the sauce the same, but breaded it in the classic European way, salt and pepper on the Veal, pounded thin – dredged in flour, then egg and milk, and plain breadcrumbs, frying them in hot canola oil on both sides.  I served this over cooked angel hair pasta, the sauce, the cutlets, a little more sauce and fresh mozzarella finished off in the oven to melt the mozzarella.  It was not a cheap meal to make, but it was for a special occasion and the 22 dollars spent of the veal was spread over a family of 5- and 7 servings once you take into consideration that you would easily pay 20-25 dollars per serving in a nice restaurant for a single serving it was almost a bargain!  For the budget conscious out there, you can make the same dish using chicken cutlets. If you are sensitive to spice, feel free to reduce the red pepper flakes by half.  It does have a nice kick to it still.

Veal Parmesan

adapted from Emeril Lagasse

Source: (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/veal-parmesan-recipe/index.html)

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

  • 8 thin veal cutlets, about 2 1/2 ounces each
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 cup plain dry bread crumbs (add more as needed)
  • Vegetable oil

Sauce:

  • 1/4 lb pancetta bacon, chopped
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
  • 1 Tbsp minced garlic, about 3-4 cloves
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine
  • 1 (28-oz) can Italian-style tomatoes
  • 1 cup tomato puree
  • 1 Tbsp fresh chopped basil
  • 1 tsp fresh chopped parsley
  • 1 tsp fresh oregano
  • 1 tsp dried red pepper flakes
  • Grated Parmesan cheese
  • 8 oz fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

Instructions:

For the sauce (can also make ahead of time):
In a large sauce pan cook the pancetta bacon in 1 Tbsp of oil.  When it is cooked to a golden brown, remove the bacon from the pan.  Add the chopped onions to the pan and cook until it is translucent for about 6 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds to a minute.  Add the wine and deglaze the pan stirring bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon, for about 2 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, basil, parsley, oregano, and dried pepper flakes to the saucepan.  Bring the sauce to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium and add the cooked pancetta back to the sauce.  Keep the sauce over low heat while you are making the veal cutlets.
For the cutlets:
Pound the cutlets out with a meat mallet between two layers of plastic until they are 1/8″ thick. Season the cutlets on both sides with salt and pepper.
Prepare three bowls: 1 with all purpose flour (seasoned with 1 tsp salt if desired), 1 with egg and milk whisked together with a fork, and the last bowl with dried breadcrumbs.
Dredge the seasoned cutlets first in the flour, then in the egg mixture and lastly in the breadcrumbs, coating both sides in each before moving to the next.
Heat a large non stick skillet that has about 1/4 inch of oil in it over medium high heat.  I like to drop a breadcrumb in the oil to test if it is ready to fry the veal- if it sizzles it is ready.  Then fry 3-4 cutlets at a time in the skillet, turning after 2 or 3 minutes (when the breading is golden brown on the bottom) and fry other side until golden brown.  Remove the cutlets to a wire rack over a baking dish and place in a warm oven to keep warm while you cook remaining cutlets.
Cook your choice of pasta, according to package directions.  I used angel hair, but Emeril used herbed egg noodles.
Top each cutlet with a spoon full of sauce and place a slice of fresh mozzarella on each cutlet.  Place the veal cutlets that are now topped with mozzarella under a broiler to allow the cheese to melt, watching carefully.  To serve: arrange the pasta on the dinner plate.  Ladle some sauce on the pasta.  Top the pasta with the veal cutlet.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired and a little fresh basil, cut in ribbons.

Posted in Ethnic, Ethnic - Italian, Main Dish, Main Dish - Beef, Main Dish - Pasta | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

Stuffed Peppers

Posted by goodcookbecky on January 22, 2013

IMG_3255Pinterest strikes again.  That site is dangerous I tell you.  My husband especially loves stuffed peppers.  I came across a recipe that used ground beef as well as sausage.  It sounded good.  And I made them with a few adaptations. The original recipe can be found here.

Sad story, the first time I started to make them, I discovered that the store had sold me some sausage that had expired last month!   The meat smelled “off” – as I started cooking it – my family appreciates that I quickly changed my menu for that day!!  The store were kind enough to give me my money back on that item, but made not apologies for selling it in the first place, nor did I feel that they cared if I ever bought another thing at their store, so I will not be buying my meat there again (EVER). Why is customer service so hard to find nowadays? I find plenty of customer dis-service.  Thanks for letting me rant!

Stuffed Peppers

Serves 6 adapted from http://www.dearcrissy.com

Ingredients:

  • 1 package mild Italian sausage, casings removed and crumbled
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup cooked rice
  • 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with basil and garlic
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided use
  • 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 6 large bell peppers (I like to use red or orange or yellow ones)
  • olive oil, to drizzle over the peppers before cooking

Instructions:

Heat the oven to 375 F.

In a large skillet, brown the sausage, ground beef, 1 teaspoon of salt, and onion over medium high heat.  Add the garlic the last few minutes of cooking.  Drain off any excess fat. Turn off the heat.

Add the cooked rice, 1/2 cup cheddar, diced tomatoes, parsley, remaining salt, and pepper.  Stir to combine.

Wash the peppers and split them lengthwise.  Remove the stem, seed and white ribs from the peppers.  Place the peppers in a casserole.  Fill the peppers with the meat filling until full.  Sprinkle the tops with the remaining cheese.  Drizzle the peppers with a little olive oil.  Cover the casserole with foil.  Bake in the oven for 40 minutes at 375 F.  Remove the foil and continue baking for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and browned.  Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

This would also be great with heated up Queso if you wish.

Printable Recipe

 

Posted in I found it on Pinterest, Main Dish, Main Dish - Beef, Main Dish - Pork | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

Ginger Crusted Salmon

Posted by goodcookbecky on January 22, 2013

Ginger Crusted Salmon

Ginger Crusted Salmon

One of my favorite preparations of salmon I have ever eaten has been at the Yard House.  They serve a ginger crusted salmon on  a bed of wasabi mashed potatoes with a peanut ginger sauce that is to die for.  Much to my surprise I found the recipe online and in print (link)! You mean I can make this myself now?  I added the recipe to my bucket list of things I wish to make.  I bought some beautiful salmon at my favorite market – and thought it was the perfect opportunity to make it myself.  It was not quite what the Yard House serves, because it was missing the deep fried strips of carrot on top for presentation, but it was still very good.  I doubled the sauce, because I thought it would go nicely with a satay later in the week.  This recipe takes a little prep work to get it perfected, but I was rather happy with the results.  I will make it again for a special dinner.

Yard House Ginger Crusted Salmon (at home)

adapted from Yard House recipe published in Miami New Times

by Executive Chef Carlito Jocson Serves 2

http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/shortorder/2009/06/yard_house_recipe_for_ginger_c.php (link)

Ingredients:

  • 2 (6 oz) fillet of salmon
  • 1/4 cup finely minced ginger (I used a microplane to grate it)
  • 1/4 cup green onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 1/2 cups julienne carrots and snow peas (cut in matchsticks)
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • salt and pepper to taste

Make ahead of time:

  • 1/2 cup Sesame Peanut Vinaigrette (recipe below)
  • Wasabi Mashed Potatoes (recipe below)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

In a small metal bowl, combine the grated ginger and sliced green onions.  Heat the olive oil in a small skillet.  Use caution to pour the hot oil over the ginger and green onions in the metal bowl.

Add 1 Tbsp of olive oil to a large skillet and heat to medium high heat.  Sear the salmon on each side until golden brown.  Transfer the salmon to a baking dish and top with the ginger mixture.  Bake in the oven for 7 minutes or until the fish is cooked through.

Steam the snow peas and carrots in two separate pans for about 3-10 minutes depending how tender you like them.  Drain any water, add some butter to each and season with salt and pepper if desired.  Tip: I bought a small bag of carrot slaw mix in the grocery store, so I did not have to spend hours slicing carrots.

To serve: Drizzle the plate with 1 Tbsp of the Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette.  Put a dollop of Wasabi mashed potatoes on the center of the plate.  Top with steamed julienne carrots and snow peas.  Top with the baked ginger crusted fish and drizzle about 1/4 cup more of the Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette over each servings.  Top with fried strips of carrot if you desire (I did not this time). Serve and have a party in your Mouth.

Wasabi Mashed Potatoes

  • 2 lbs Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
  • water to cover the potatoes
  • 1/4 cup Wasabi Paste (I found some in a tube by S&B) See bottom of post for source)
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • salt to taste

Instructions:

Prepare the potatoes: Bring the potato chunks, salted cold water to cover to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 12-15 minutes.  Test with a fork for tenderness.  Drain.  Mash the potatoes with the wasabi paste, heavy cream and butter.  Season with salt to taste.  These potatoes have quite the punch- my children opted for regular potatoes, but hubby and I enjoyed them.  If you are unsure how spicy they will be add less wasabi- you can always add more.

Sesame- Peanut Vinaigrette (doubled)

Yields about 2 cups

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter (I used Jif)
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped ginger
  • 2 Tbsp minced ginger
  • 1/4 sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions:

Combine all the ingredients in your food processor or blender.  Process until smooth.  Refrigerate until needed.  I like this sauce so much I make extra and serve as a sauce with a beef or chicken satay later in the week.

Ingredients resource:

For the Wasabi paste:

http://www.sb-worldwide.com/products/paste.html (43 grams was the size of my tube and I used)

Printable Recipe

Posted in Ethnic, Ethnic - Asian, Main Dish, Main Dish - Seafood | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Chinese Beef Broccoli

Posted by goodcookbecky on December 31, 2012

Chinese Beef Broccoli

Chinese Beef Broccoli

I have blogged for several years now and often get inspiration from other food bloggers.  One blog that I am particularly fond of is that of Jaden Hair – Steamy Kitchen.  Her posts are interesting and pictures are stunning.  She has published two cookbooks now, and I emailed her once regarding some questions I had about publishing a cookbook and she was friendly and helpful.  As for my cookbook aspirations, I have made cookbooks for friends, but none of them with elaborate pictures and often with errors in the recipes (oops!). Anyway, my dream of publishing a cookbook is on hold for now. I digress. Jaden’s first cookbook is beautiful and informative.   One recipe that I had been wanting to make for some time was her Chinese Beef Broccoli.  I doubled the recipe because I wanted leftovers, and it is a good thing I did, because there was one serving left.  My children, who occasionally like to be picky, gave this dish a thumbs up.  I used flat iron steak for the meat and it was an excellent choice – the meat was tender and delicious.  Here is my (doubled in volume) adaptation of Jaden’s Beef Broccoli.  It rivals that of PF Chang’s Beef and Broccoli dish in flavor.  I look forward to adding this to my regular rotation.  You do not have to use a wok for this wonderful dish, I used my large cast iron skillet and it came out beautifully!

Chinese Beef and Broccoli

adapted from Jaden Hair of steamykitchen.com

Serves 8

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs flat iron steak, thinly sliced into 1/8″ thick strips (or use top sirloin, flank steak)
  • 3 lbs broccoli, cut into smaller pieces
  • 2 Tbsp canola or peanut oil
  • 2 Tbsp minced garlic, or increase if you like lots of garlic

Beef Marinade:

  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp canola oil
  • freshly ground black pepper to season the beef

Stir Fry Sauce:

  • 6 Tbsp oyster sauce
  • 4 tsp dry cooking sherry
  • 4 tsp balsamic vinegar

Instructions:

In a bowl, combine the ingredients for the beef marinade and add the sliced steak to the bowl.  Toss to coat.  Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes.  I actually packaged mine in a zip-lock bag and threw it in the fridge because I realized I didn’t have the oyster sauce for the stir fry sauce, and because I had JUST gotten home from the store, did not want to go back so we had stir fry the next day and it turned out great anyway!

Bring about one inch of water to a boil in your cast iron skillet (or wok) and cook the broccoli florets, covered with a lid to trap steam, for 3-5 minutes over high heat. I like mine a little more cooked, so went with 5 minutes.  Drain immediately and reserve the broccoli in a separate bowl.  While the broccoli cooks, prepare the stir fry sauce.

Dry the skillet with a paper towel and heat over high heat until very hot.  Add the oil and make sure it coats the bottom of the skillet evenly. Add the garlic and cook it for 30 seconds.  Add the strips of meat and cook for about 30 seconds on each side.  Remove to a platter as you finish the batches.

Add the broccoli and beef back to the skillet and add the stir fry sauce.  Toss the broccoli and meat to coat with the sauce and serve with steamed rice (Jasmine is my favorite).

I highly recommend Jaden’s book, but her blog is also wonderful. So zip over to http://steamykitchen.com/ I know you won’t regret it!

Printable Recipe

 

 

 

Posted in Ethnic, Ethnic - Asian, Favorite, Main Dish, Main Dish - Beef | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Crockpot Pork Tenderloin with Cranberry-Orange Sauce

Posted by goodcookbecky on December 11, 2012

IMG_2817I recently watched America’s Test Kitchen’s episode of crock-pot recipes.  Their slow cooked pork tenderloin really caught my eye.  I made it and it is quite delicious.  The classic tastes of pork and cranberry really work together.  It is an easy recipe too, sometimes the recipes that America’s Test Kitchen’s put out are a little fussy- this one is not! I doubled the recipe because I wanted to share some with a friend.

My pork tenderloin looked like it was one large piece, but it was two smaller pieces, I tied them together, but this is optional, I think it would be fine with a few smaller ones.  The meat falls apart in this preparation.  I will be making it again.

Crockpot Pork Tenderloin with Cranberry-Orange Sauce

Serves 10-12 Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen

Ingredients:

  • 2 packages pork tenderloin (unseasoned)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 2 Tbsp canola oil
  • 2 cans whole berry cranberry sauce
  • 1 cup dried cranberries (Craisins)
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 6 strips of orange peel (peeled with vegetable peeler avoiding the white pith)
  • 4 Tbsp cold water
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch

Preparation:

Pat the pork tenderloin and season with salt and pepper

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add the oil.  Brown the seasoned pork tenderloin on all sides for about 10-15 minutes total.

In the crock-pot, add the cranberry sauce, dried cranberries, orange juice, cinnamon and orange peel.  Stir to combine.  Add the browned pork to the crock-pot. Cover with a lid and cook on low for 4 hours.  Remove the pork tenderloin to a platter and cover with foil.  Pour the cranberry-orange sauce into a skillet and add a slurry of water and cornstarch to thicken the sauce.

Serve with rice and carrots or other vegetable to round out the meal.

Printable Recipe

Posted in American Test Kitchen Recipe, Main Dish - Pork, Method: Crock-pot | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Panera’s Mac and Cheese

Posted by goodcookbecky on October 31, 2012

I don’t know a bout you, but I love Panera!  I love their sandwiches, soups, and sides.  Their macaroni and cheese is quite outstanding and creamy.  After ordering the side recently I went home wanting to find a copycat recipe for the dish.. but I didn’t have to… as it turns out, Panera is quite willing to share the recipe with everyone.  I made it too – I did not have the exact cheeses – I used yellow American cheese instead of white American cheese, and it still turned out quite close to the one they sell.  They use shells in the recipe, but you could use any pasta you like. The surprising ingredient in the Panera recipe is a dash of Frank’s Hot Sauce.  It is very subtle though.

Here is a link to Panera’s Recipe.

Posted in Eating Out, Ethnic - American, Main Dish, Main Dish - Pasta, Side Dish - Pasta, Side Dishes | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Cevapcici- what?

Posted by goodcookbecky on October 26, 2012

Cevapcici (prounounced Chee-vap-chi-chi) is a dish that I had growing up in Austria.  It was ground meat that was heavily flavored with garlic and paprika and that was formed into finger thick sausage shapes and browned.  It is actually a dish that is from the Slovak nations and has it’s origins in the Balkan nations.  It is traditionally served with raw onions, red radishes, and ketchup – at least that is how I often had them.  I made it with some hesitation, not knowing how my family would like them.  I got a thumbs up from 3 of the 4 family members. My husband asked why I was holding out on making it for so long and my 13 year old daughter proclaimed that I should make them again.  My son will eat anything.  My eldest daughter said it was okay.  I will take okay!  This recipe is actually a little milder than I remember eating in Austria and think I would kick up the spice factor a little next time by adding a dash of cayenne pepper (added in the recipe, but optional if you don’t like spice).

This is translated from a cookbook that I own that is in German (link)

Cevapcici (or Chevabchichi)

translated and adapted from: Die Besten Thea-Rezepte Kochbuch #14 page 36

Serves 5

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbsp butter or canola oil
  • 1 large onion, finely minced
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 lb ground lamb (if you can find it, or use beef)
  • 1 lb ground lean beef
  • 1 egg white, lightly beaten
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp ground paprika
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (for extra kick, optional)
  • Canola oil, for frying
  • Serve with: sliced radishes, dill pickles, sliced onion rings and ketchup

Preparations:

Heat the butter or canola oil over medium high heat and cook the finely minced onion until golden brown.  Add the garlic and cook for one more minute.  Remove from heat.  Add the cooked onions to the ground meat, egg white, salt, paprika and cayenne pepper and mix thoroughly to combine.  Form the meat into 1 1/2 inch long finger thick “sausages”.  Place them on a platter, cover with plastic wrap and put them in the refrigerator for at least one hour to harden. Fry the meat in canola oil over medium high heat turning them occasionally to brown on all sides, about 8 minutes on each side.  You could also skewer them and grill on the barbecue for about 8 minutes each side if you desire.

I hope you enjoy another dish that is from Europe, that was a childhood favorite of mine.

Printable Recipe

Posted in Ethnic, Ethnic - Eastern European, Main Dish, Main Dish - Beef | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

 
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