The Year of the Monkey - Chinese Pot Roast with Stir Fried Bok Choy and Sesame Rice

I'm a little off date-wise for celebrating Chinese New Year, but we did have a chuck roast left in the freezer from one of the last runs on the Used Meat section. I've cleared out enough inventory up there to start stocking up again!

It's the Year of the Monkey. I am a Rabbit. The Colonel is a Rooster.

Rooster’s lucky colors are gold, brown, yellow, with lucky numbers being  5, 7, and 8. People born in a year of the Rooster are very observant. Hardworking, resourceful, courageous and talented, Roosters are very confident about themselves. Roosters are always active, amusing and popular among the crowd. Roosters are talkative, outspoken, frank, open, honest, and loyal individuals. They like to be the center of attention and always appear attractive and beautiful.

Roosters are happiest when they are surrounded by others, whether at a party or just a social gathering. They enjoy the spotlight and will exhibit their charm at any occasion. Roosters expect others to listen to them while they speak, and can become agitated if others don't. Vain and boastful, Roosters like to brag about themselves and their accomplishments.

Roosters are more motivated than other animals in the Chinese zodiac, making their careers a priority in their lives. Roosters are hard working, multi-talented, and can deal with a variety of jobs.

Rabbit’s lucky colors are red, pink, purple, blue, with numbers being 3, 4, and 6.  Rabbits tend to be gentle, quiet, elegant, and alert; quick, skillful, kind, and patient; and particularly responsible. However, they might be superficial, stubborn, melancholy, and overly-discreet. Generally speaking, people who belong to the Rabbit zodiac sign have likable characters.

Rabbits are faithful to those around them, but reluctant to reveal their minds to others, and have a tendency to escape reality. They are too cautious and conservative, which means they miss good opportunities.

With a pair of dexterous hands, Rabbits have a gift for calligraphy and painting, as well as tailoring and cooking. Owning a patient temperament, they are able to manage everything to people's wishes.

What a crock, eh?

And speaking of crock, or at least crock pot, let's have some Chinese Pot Roast! I skipped the turnips, because I had everything else to get this in the slow cooker this morning.  I served it with rice flavored after cooking with a little sesame oil and black sesame seeds, and some stir fried red peppers and bok choy, finished with some black bean sauce and soy sauce.

Mangia!

Slow Cooker Chinese Pot Roast
All Recipes

 ¼ C hoisin sauce (see note for homemade sauce recipe)

¼ C honey

½ C water

3 Tbsp ketchup

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp Asian Chili Sauce

1 2 lb. boneless chuck roast

2 tsp Chinese five spice powder

4 carrots, peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces

1 turnip or parsnip peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces or potatoes cubed

rice

green onions

Mix together ½ C water, hoisin sauce, honey, ketchup, soy sauce, chili sauce in a bowl. Season the beef all over with the five spice powder and salt and pepper. Add carrots and parsnips to slow cooker.

Add the beef and top with sauce mixture. Turn to coat beef.

Cover and cook on low for 7 hours or until beef is very tender.

Remove from cooker and shred the beef with two forks. Add in additional sauce to coat.

Serve with vegetables over rice and garnish with green onion.

Fresh Herb Falafel With Shredded Cabbage Salad With Pomegranate And Tomatoes and Spiced Green Tahini Sauce

I made this recipe just before the inventory clear out project but forgot to post it. I have made falafel before but always consulted recipes using canned chickpeas. The patties always had issues with being too moist. This recipe uses dried chickpeas that are soaked but not cooked. This results in a great texture for frying...and eating!

You could go with tzatziki sauce and just garnish with lettuce, tomato and onions, but give the salad and the tahini sauce a try. They are yummy!

Mangia!

Fresh Herb Falafel
BA

A coarse texture is absolutely key; if the chickpeas are too finely chopped, the falafel will be dense.

8 ounces dried chickpeas, soaked overnight, drained

½ onion, coarsely chopped

1 jalapeño, coarsely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

¾ cup chopped fresh cilantro

½ cup chopped fresh parsley

3 tablespoons chickpea flour

2½ teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

½ teaspoon ground cumin

Vegetable oil (for frying; about 8 cups)

Shredded Cabbage Salad with Pomegranate and Tomatoes
Spiced Green Tahini Sauce

Warm thick pita with pockets (for serving)

Pulse chickpeas in a food processor, scraping down sides as needed, until they resemble finely chopped nuts (the texture should be uneven, with some slightly larger pieces visible), about 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl. 


Pulse onion, jalapeño, garlic, cilantro, and parsley in food processor, scraping down sides as needed, until coarsely chopped, about 1 minute. Mix into chickpeas, then mix in chickpea flour, salt, baking powder, cardamom, and cumin. Form into ping-pong–size balls.


Pour oil into a large heavy pot to a depth of 3". Fit pot with thermometer and heat oil over medium-high until thermometer registers 330°. Working in batches, cook falafel, turning occasionally, until deep brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels; let sit 5 minutes. Serve falafel with salad, tahini sauce, and pita.

Shredded Cabbage Salad With Pomegranate And Tomatoes

You can stuff this slawlike salad inside your pita, or eat it on its own.

1 small head of green cabbage, thinly sliced

¼ teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more

½ small onion, finely chopped

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

½ cup chopped fresh mint

½ cup pomegranate seeds

Toss cabbage, sugar, 1 tsp. salt, and ¼ tsp. pepper in a large bowl, cover, and let sit at room temperature 30 minutes to allow cabbage to soften (or cover and chill up to 2 hours).


Add onion, lemon juice, oil, and vinegar to cabbage and toss to coat. Let sit, uncovered, at room temperature 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, cilantro, mint, and pomegranate seeds and toss to combine.
Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper as needed.

Spiced Green Tahini Sauce

If you don’t have both spices, it’s okay to omit one or the other.

3 garlic cloves, crushed

¾ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

¾ cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground fenugreek

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more

1 cup tahini

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

Pulse garlic, cilantro, parsley, cumin, fenugreek, and 2 tsp. salt in a food processor until similar in texture to pesto. Add tahini and lemon juice; process 30 seconds (mixture will be very thick and gray). 


With motor running, gradually drizzle in ¾ cup water and process, adding more water to thin if needed, until sauce is light green and the consistency of sour cream. Season with salt.


Do Ahead: Sauce can be made 6 hours ahead. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

Pantry Inventory Is Back Under Control But We Still Have Used Meat - Slow Cooker Beef Osso Buco with Gremolata

The past few weeks there has been a large amount of beef shanks in various market's Used Meat sections. We accumulated about 2 1/2 pounds from three different store runs, at two different stores. I haven't cooked those before but as I learned from Julia Child, cuts of meat regardless of animal are usually handled in similar fashions. I love lamb shanks but haven't found them on a regular basis around these parts, but figured I could cook them the same way basically.

I generally go with either polenta or risotto with shanks, particularly Risotto alla Milanese if I'm doing true Osso Buco with veal, but The Colonel doesn't seem to be very found of polenta. I decided to go with Milanese since this is beef, and last time I checked, so is veal.

The one change I make with the risotto is that you usually go with chicken broth to accompany veal Osso Buco, but I referred to a recipe from Saveur Cooks Authentic Italian, and went with beef broth. I would use chicken again next time even with beef as the protein. It felt a little heavier with beef broth and chicken really lets the color of the saffron through better.It was still very good but I felt like the camp cook from City Slickers looking at it: You ain't gonna get no Nouvelle Cuisine. Food's hot, brown and there's lots of it.

The gremolata is important. It adds a citrusy and herbal-y bite to the dish and is one of my favorite add-ons to roasts and grilled meats of all kinds.

The puppy, who became a full grown adult of 1 year on 2/14/16, is in heaven with the marrow bones. She has a damned fine life. I want to be a dog.

Mangia!

Slow Cooker Beef Osso Buco with Gremolata

Adapted from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook

For the Shanks:

4 cross-cut, bone-in beef shanks (about 2 1/2 pounds total)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour, divided

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)

2 carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)

1 stalk celery, diced (about 3/4 cup)

2 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste

4 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped (about 4 teaspoons)

1/2 cup red wine

1 cup homemade or store-bought low-sodium beef stock

1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

4 sprigs thyme

2 bay leaves

For the Gremolata:

1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

1 tablespoon grated zest from 1 or 2 lemons

2 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)

For the Shanks: Pat shanks dry using a paper towel. Place 1 cup flour on a plate. Season beef with salt and pepper and dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until lightly smoking. Add meat and cook without moving until well browned on first side, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook until browned on second side, about 4 minutes longer. Transfer to a slow cooker.

Add onion, carrots, and celery to the Dutch oven, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin have softened, about 7 minutes. Add tomato paste and garlic. Stir and continue cooking until fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Add wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot using a wooden spoon.

Transfer the contents to a slow cooker and add stock, vinegar, oregano, thyme, bay leaves, and ground clove. Season with salt and pepper and cook on low until meat is tender, about 6 hours.

Remove the meat and discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves.

(After this point, the recipe proceeds to direct you to make a flour-thickened sauce. I have left the instructions here, but I don't bother. The flour on the meat gives enough thickening for me, so I remove the meat, strain the liquid and reduce it down by about a third over high heat on the stove top.)

Skim fat from the sauce and transfer 1/2 cup of gravy to a medium saucepan. Whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour into the reserved gravy until no lumps remain. Add the rest of the sauce to the saucepan. Whisking frequently, bring the sauce to a rolling boil over high heat and cook until the sauce achieves a gravy-like consistency, about 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the Gremolata: Meanwhile, combine parsley, lemon zest, and garlic in a small bowl

Arrange shanks on a platter and spoon sauce on top. Garnish with gremolata and serve.

Pantry Clear Out Recipe 5 - Two Hot Tamales' Shrimp and Pork Fried Rice

Still working through a massive bag of basmati rice from the Asian store, but have made excellent progress. We had some pork chops on hand from a recent Used Meat section run, so Pork Fried Rice sounded good.

Love, love, love The Two Hot Tamales, but this was an interesting find because they are usually known for Latin cuisine. They also have a fine restaurant that features street foods. I used to catch their show on the very, very early days of the Food Network, before it became the Carnival Barker's Parade of Guy Fieri and Multiple Baking Contests.

I still watch sometimes. I like Chopped and will sometimes catch Ina Garten for the simplicity of her dishes and her shortcuts that aren't total White Trash ones like The Pioneer Woman. Meow! That having been snarked, I really enjoyed Ree's blog in the early days but now she's Pure WalMart Commerce on the show with a regular dull routine of Married With 4 Kids dishes.

This dish requires leftover rice typically, which in the recipe is specified to be cold. Serious Eats did a Cook's Illustrated Test Kitchen-like experiment on whether you really need day old rice, cold rice or can just go ahead and make up a batch when you are ready to fry. I split the difference and cooked the rice a few hours ahead of time, left it to cool a bit on the stove top then refrigerated for a couple of hours until I was ready for it.

The flame really doesn't do anything.
The skewers are already cooked.
But don't let me ruin the magic.

The other ahead-of-time step is the pork. If you are lucky enough to have leftover Chinese BBQ pork along with your leftover rice, I commend your advance menu planning abilities and superior use of restaurant leftovers. As for us, a dish of Chinese BBQ pork and rice at a restaurant probably wouldn't last until the take out container phase. Unless we started with a Pu Pu Platter. We love those retro Pu Pu Platters with the little flaming Hibatchi.

You can handle the pork very easily. There's no need to prepare an elaborate authentic take on BBQ Pork, but if you'd like to, I recommend the version from The Woks Of Life:

http://thewoksoflife.com/2014/02/chinese-bbq-pork-cha-siu/

You can simply marinate the pork overnight or even for a few hours in hoisin sauce, or go with the marinade I found on All Recipes below, with some minor changes. I grilled the pork on the trusty stove top grill pan for a few minutes a side. The recipe below was probably for fairly thick cut chops. Mine were closer to 1/2 to 3/4 inch, so I only cooked them for about 2 1/2 minutes a side. They'll be a little pink inside that way, which is fine for today's pork, plus they'll get a bit more cooking at the end when everything is married together.

The major change I made to the recipe is to add a little sauce toward the end. It is far more traditional to keep the seasoning simple, with some salt and the barest amount of soy sauce, but we like our Chinese Fired Rice America-ized. Mark Bittman contributes the sauce addition from his How To Cook Everything.

I doubled this recipe because this will make some good lunches for The Colonel to take to work.

Mangia!

Shrimp and Pork Fried Rice

Adapted Mary Sue Milliken & Susan Feniger

         

4 tablespoons peanut oil

1/2 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined

2 eggs, beaten with 1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 bunch green onions, finely chopped

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon minced ginger

1 small red bell pepper, finely diced

3 cups cold cooked white rice, broken into separate grains

1/2 cup frozen organic peas, thawed

3 boneless pork chops, prepared with Easy Chinese BBQ pork recipe (below)
Salt

Sauce:
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil

Heat a wok or large heavy skillet over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the peanut oil and swirl to coat the wok. Add the shrimp and stir-fry just until pink, about 2 minutes. Remove shrimp and reserve. Add eggs to wok and scramble until set, but still slightly runny. Remove from pan, breaking into bite-sized pieces, and wipe wok clean.

Return wok to heat, add remaining 2 tablespoons peanut oil, and swirl to coat the wok. Reduce the heat to medium-high, add the onions, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry until onion is half-cooked, 1 minute. Add the red pepper and stir-fry until just tender but still crisp, about 2 minutes. Add the cold rice, quickly spreading it all over the wok and tossing it to heat through, then fry for about 5 to 7 minutes. (Add a little more oil if the rice is sticking.) When the rice is hot, add the peas and toss to heat through, about 1 minute. Add the pork, reserved shrimp, eggs, salt, and wine and stir fry to heat thoroughly, about 1 minute. Then add the soy sauce and sesame oil and stir fry for another 1 to 2 minutes to heat thoroughly. Serve immediately on a large platter.

Easy Chinese BBQ Pork

Adapted from All Recipes

6 boneless pork chops (cooking time is probably for chops around an inch or a bit more thick)

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce 2 tablespoons

1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder (optional)

Cut pork with the grain into strips 1 1/2- to 2-inches long; put into a large resealable plastic bag.

Stir soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, hoisin sauce, and Chinese five-spice powder together in a saucepan over medium-low heat; cook and stir until just combined and slightly warm, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the marinade into the bag with the pork, squeeze air from the bag, and seal. Turn bag a few times to coat all pork pieces in marinade.

Marinate pork in refrigerator, 2 hours to overnight.

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate, or heat a stove top grill over high heat.

Remove pork from marinade and shake to remove excess liquid. Discard remaining marinade.

Cook pork on preheated grill for 3 to 4 minutes a side. Let rest for 5 minutes before cutting.

Pantry Clear Out Recipe 4 - Anelli Gigante or Rigatoni with Gorgonzola Sauce and Arugula and Cherry Tomatoes

Another All-In-One meal with pasta and veg! And only six ingredients....if you don't count salt and pepper...and cooking water for pasta. Let's just go with six, shall we? And it comes together in just a little bit more time than it takes for the pasta to cook. Your only prep is warming the cream and cheese together, washing arugula and tomatoes, slicing the grape tomatoes in half, and grating some Parmesan cheese. Queen of Sheba, reclining on a divan rather than spending time prepping.

This was good because I had to save up energy for the next two dishes.

I didn't have farfalle on hand but I did have Anelli Gigante, which are basically large pasta rings, which worked out well because the sauce coated the outside and also slid along the insides of the pieces. Yum!

 The Gorgonzola sauce is rich and simple. I bumped up the amount of cheese in it because I had some leftover Danish blue. No bothering with a salad because the salad is mixed in the dish!

Mangia!

Anelli Gigante with Gorgonzola Sauce and Arugula and Cherry Tomatoes

Mark Bittman

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup half-and-half, cream or milk

1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola or other good blue cheese

1 pound farfalle or other pasta 

2 cups arugula trimmed of very thick stems, washed, dried and chopped

1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half

 Freshly grated Parmesan to taste, optional

 Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. In a small saucepan gently warm the half-and-half and Gorgonzola just until cheese melts a bit and mixture becomes thick; chunky is O.K.

When water boils, cook pasta until it is just tender but not mushy. Drain and return to pot over low heat.

Stir in Gorgonzola sauce along with arugula, tomatoes and a healthy dose of black pepper. Stir to combine, taste and add salt, if necessary, then serve immediately, with grated Parmesan if you like.

Pantry Clear Out Recipe 3 - Tuscan Steak with White Bean Puree with Rosemary and Garlic

Ok, so this one's not pasta, but it includes Used Meat Steak from freezer and I love white bean purees. I typically have a few cans of different beans on hand, thus leading to Def Con 3 Pantry Inventory situation, but in this case, the white beans were not causing the problem.

This bean puree is earthy and savory, smooth and lovely, with a tartness and freshness from the lemon. It goes well with the flavors of the Tuscan steak, which is basically seasoned with garlic, lemon and rosemary before grilling, then finished with some good olive oil and a bit of lemon juice.

I served this with a Italian parsley and arugula salad with a lemon dressing. Lots of lemon. No scurvy in this crowd, no sirree!

Mangia!


White Bean Puree with Rosemary and Garlic

Adapted from Mark Bittman

2 cups cooked cannellini or other white beans, drained but quite moist

1 to 3 cloves garlic, peeled

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

The grated rind of 2 lemons

Put the beans in the container of a food processor with 1 clove of the garlic and a healthy pinch of salt. Turn the machine on and add the 1/4 cup olive oil in a steady stream through the feed tube; process until the mixture is smooth. Taste and add more garlic if you like, then puree again.

Place the mixture in a bowl and use a wooden spoon to beat in the rosemary, lemon zest, and remaining olive oil. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Use immediately or refrigerate up to 3 days.

Tuscan Steak

No recipe needed. Grill your steak after seasoning generously with chopped garlic and rosemary, salt and pepper and finish it with a bit of olive oil and lemon juice.

Pantry Clear Out Recipe 2 - Shells with Butternut Squash, Leeks and Spicy Sausage

In my research for the Pantry Inventory Reduction Task this week, I saw a recipe from Marcella that uses butternut squash and onions, and another using spicy sausage, but I wanted squash and sausage, plus I wanted to use leeks instead of onions.

The Colonel got wind of my pasta use-up exercise and I am sure was dreaming of red sauce, which is his favorite pasta. Good old spaghetti and red sauce. While I like that occasionally, I love to do different things with my noodles.

This is an All-In-One meal, with your veggies and meat. Mangia!

Shells with Butternut Squash, Leeks and Spicy Sausage

Adapted loosely from Marcella Hazan

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3/4 pound peeled butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2 cups)

Salt

2 leeks, cut lengthwise and then sliced into ¼” slices

1 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed

12 ounces pasta shells

1/2 cup freshly ground Pecorino Romano

1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

In a large, deep skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the squash, season lightly with salt and cook over high heat, stirring, until tender and lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the squash to a plate. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Add the leeks and sausage and cook over high heat, breaking up the sausage with a spoon, until lightly browned and cooked through. Return the squash to the skillet.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the skillet along with the reserved cooking water and the cheese and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until the sauce is thick and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the pasta to a bowl, sprinkle with the parsley and serve right away.

Pantry Def Con 3 Inventory Situation - Tagliatelle with Goat Cheese Pesto

It's long past time to use up some pantry items. I long ago lost all control over any sensible organization in our cramped pantry with the extra book shelf crammed in for more shelving space. I had a vision of shelves for Canned Goods, Grains, Pastas, Dried Things, Condiments, Spices, etc. but it's just not user friendly. Ditto the tiny fridge. It's not micro-NY studio small, but it's definitely not a standard size fridge. I think this place was designed ideally for two roommates. The bedrooms are on opposite sides of the unit, and each has a bathroom either in it, or directly adjacent. It would be ideal for roommates in that regard, as you have no shared bedroom walls. But I think the designers figured a roommate scenario also equates to a lot of take out and beer and no actual in-unit cooking, hence small fridge area and small pantry area. Just my observation....

I made a list of the pastas on hand and sat down with the Bibles: Marcella Hazan's Marcella's Italian Cooking, Patricia Wells' Trattoria, Saveur Cooks Authentic Italian and Mark Bittman's How To Cook Everything. The goal was to find recipes that would use maximum pantry items and minimize the shopping list. The results were five Pasta/Rice/Canned Goods recipes, plus a slow cooker Beef Osso Bucco for next Sunday (Used Meat section had beef shanks). The missing sixth day dish is leftover Beef Short Ribs from Valentine's Day. If there's any left after making sammies with the ribs.

First up, a creamy recipe from Marcella that requires only the purchase of basil and goat cheese to turn out. If I had made this a couple of weeks ago, I might have been able to use our "garden" basil, but Colonel Farmer has done the spring planting, and we'll have to wait for a new crop.

I also had chicken strips from the Used Meat section, so we grilled some to go with the pasta, along with an arugula salad with Parmesan and a lemon dressing.

Mangia!

Tagliatelle with Goat Cheese Pesto

Marcella Hazan

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 ½ cups fresh basil

1 ½ teaspoons chopped garlic

3 tablespoons pine nuts
4 tablespoons goat cheese

Salt and black pepper
12 ounces Tagliatelle

Wash the basil  and then pat it dry. Put basil, garlic, pine nuts and a pinch of salt in food processor, and chop briefly. Add the oil and keep blending until the mixture becomes creamy. Transfer to a bowl. Add the goat cheese and black pepper to taste. Mash the cheese into the mixture with a fork until smooth.  

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Before draining the pasta, reserve a couple of tablespoons of cooking water. Add the cooking water to the sauce and stir to combine. Drain pasta and toss it with the sauce. 

New Hampshire Primary Night - Cod Cakes and Cole Slaw

We survived New Hampshire primary night, and were not surprised about the top three winners on the GOP side. Bush coming in 4th was a bit of a surprise, not to us, but probably to his campaign, who had put a lot into the Granite State, knowing that Iowa wasn't going to award any delegates to JEB! But 4th place with the kind of moola Bush has backing him means he can last a while longer.

Not trying this

I haven't been thematic about meals on the primary dates. I mean, we lead off as a nation with Iowa, which really needs to stop, if not so much for the fact that demographically they're more white than Frosty The Snowman, but for the famous Loose Meat Sandwiches. Yech.

The Good Wife had a recent episode with Peter campaigning in Iowa and doing the "Full Grassley" (visiting all 99 Iowa counties before the caucuses, as Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley has done each year since 1981), and he managed to choke down only three loose meat sandwiches before spilling his mouthful back onto the plate once he thought the cameras were off. Unfortunately, the cameras were not off. They are never off.

So, no Iowa inspiration. Of course, they do those fried pork tenderloin sandwiches also. Or is that Indiana?

But Sam Sifton had a recipe for cod cakes in the Sunday NY Times magazine the weekend before the Granite State primary, so bring on the theme. Eastern Seaboard, ahoy!

I served these with cole slaw and leftover Drunken beans.

http://chimangiabenevivechronicles.blogspot.com/2013/09/drunken-beans.html

We're watching the South Carolina GOP debate tonight. BBQ would have been a good choice, or Shrimp and Grits, but I'm saving energy for the big Valentine's Day Suzanne Goin Short Rib fest tomorrow, which is my V-Day gift to The Colonel. Exactly 365 days since last serving it to him. Tradition, tradition....TRADITION!!

http://chimangiabenevivechronicles.blogspot.com/2015/02/get-shorty-braised-beef-short-ribs-with.html

Mangia!

Cod Cakes

Sam Sifton - NY Times

4 peppercorns

1 bay leaf

1 lemon, cut into eighths

1 pound cod fillets, or other white flaky fish

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 ribs celery, trimmed, peeled and diced

1 medium-size yellow onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 heaping tablespoon mayonnaise, homemade or store-bought

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 eggs

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning, Lawry’s Seasoned Salt or 1 teaspoon paprika and 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, or to taste

1 ‘‘sleeve’’ unsalted saltine crackers, crushed, or 1 heaping cup panko bread crumbs

½ bunch parsley, roughly chopped

¼ cup neutral oil, like canola

Fill a shallow, wide pan with high sides with about an inch of water, and set it over high heat. Add the peppercorns, bay leaf and 1 section of the lemon to the water, and allow it to come to a bare simmer. Place the fish into this poaching liquid, and cook, barely simmering, until the flesh has just begun to whiten all the way through, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Using a wide spatula, carefully remove the fish from the water, and set aside to cool.

Empty the pan, and return it to the stove, over medium-high heat. Add the butter, and allow it to melt, swirling it around the pan. When the butter foams, add the celery, onions and garlic, and sauté, stirring often, until the vegetables soften and the onions turn translucent, then transfer them to a large bowl.

In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, mustard, eggs, salt, pepper and seasoning salt (or paprika and hot-pepper flakes), then add this mixture to the bowl with the sautéed vegetables, pour the crushed saltines or bread crumbs over them and stir to combine. Add the parsley, and stir again.

Flake the cooked fish into the binding sauce carefully, keeping the flakes as whole as you can manage, then gather them into small balls, and form them into patties, 4-6 for a main course, 6-8 for an appetizer. Place them on a sheet pan or platter, cover loosely with plastic wrap and transfer them to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to set.

Set a large sauté pan over high heat, and add to it the neutral oil. When the oil is shimmering, remove the fish cakes from the refrigerator, and carefully sauté the patties until they are golden brown, approximately 4 to 5 minutes a side. Work in batches if necessary. (A small smear of mayonnaise on the exterior of the patties will give them a crisp crust.) 

Creamy Cole Slaw

Adapted from Food Network

1 head green cabbage, finely shredded

2 large carrots, finely shredded

3/4 cup best-quality mayonnaise

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons grated Spanish onion

2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1 tablespoon dry mustard

2 teaspoons celery salt

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine the shredded cabbage and carrots in a large bowl. Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, onion, sugar, vinegar, mustard, celery salt, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl, and then add to the cabbage mixture. Mix well to combine and taste for seasoning; add more salt, pepper, or sugar if desired.

Red Meat Detox.... 'Cause We're Doing Another Used Meat Section Beef Run This Week - Salmon Niçoise

Just trying to have one somewhat healthy meal this week as we work our way through the post-Super Bowl red meat offerings at your butcher's Sale Section. I love Nicoise salads and saw this recipe using salmon instead of the usual tuna. Do be sure and take the time to fry the capers. They're marvelous that way! Little briny, vinegary, crunchy bits of goodness.

The Colonel said this was one of the best meals I've made for him. And it wasn't even chili dogs!

Mangia!

Salmon Niçoise

Bon Appetit

8 ounces small purple potatoes

Kosher salt

4 ounces haricots verts, trimmed

6 large eggs, room temperature

2 tablespoons plus ¼ cup olive oil

¼ cup drained capers, patted dry

1 pound skin-on salmon fillet

Freshly ground black pepper

4 anchovy fillets packed in oil

1 tablespoon whole grain Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon sugar

1 lemon

½ medium shallot, finely chopped

4 cups frisée or mâche

¼ cup niçoise olives, pitted

Place potatoes in a medium saucepan and add cold water to cover by 1". Bring to a boil, season with salt, and cook until fork-tender, 15−20 minutes. Transfer potatoes to a plate with a slotted spoon.

Return water to a boil and cook haricots verts in same saucepan until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl of ice water. Chill until cold, about 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and pat dry.

Return water in pot to a boil and cook eggs, 8 minutes. Transfer eggs to bowl of ice water and chill until cold, about 5 minutes. Peel; set aside.

Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a small saucepan over medium-high. Add capers and cook, swirling pan occasionally, until capers burst and are crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer capers with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Let oil cool; set aside.

Preheat oven to 425˚. Rub salmon all over with reserved caper oil and place on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Roast until medium-rare (fish will be slightly translucent in the center), 10−12 minutes. Let cool.

Meanwhile, mash anchovies, mustard, and sugar in a large bowl to form a coarse paste. Remove peel and white pith from lemon. Working over bowl, cut between membranes of lemon to release segments. Squeeze remaining juice from membranes into bowl; discard membranes. Whisk in shallot, then slowly whisk in remaining ¼ cup oil. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper.

Using a fork, break salmon into large flakes; discard skin. Halve reserved potatoes and eggs crosswise.

Arrange frisée on a platter; season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with half of dressing. Top in separate piles with potatoes, haricots verts, hard-boiled eggs, olives, and salmon. Drizzle salad with remaining dressing and top with fried capers.