Italian sausage with little Italian hot pockets.

 I decided to have another go at Italian sausage.  I liked the last one I made from the Charcuterie book, but I wanted more oomph.  Since I am not adding fat back to my sausage, just using pork shoulder steaks, I felt like I needed to up the seasoning.  I also used pork steaks from the MU meat lab which had more fat along the edges than the steaks at the grocery store.  The result was just what I was looking for! 

 

Cut up 2 1/2 pounds of pork shoulder steaks.  It is easier to do if they are semi-frozen still.  Then season with 4 tsp salt, 1 1/2 tbsp garlic powder, 1 1/2 tbsp fennel seeds, a bunch of ground black pepper (I didn't measure from the pepper mill), 3/4 tsp red pepper flakes, 2 tsp oregano, 1 1/2 tsp sage, 2 tsp thyme.

 Put through meat grinder.  There will be extra spices in the bowl.  Add them to the ground pork.  Attach the paddle to the kitchen aid.  Stir, adding 2 tbsp red wine vinegar and 1/4 cup cold water.  Mix for about 2 minutes.  Cook a little in a pan and taste for seasoning.   At this point you can stuff them or I just divided them into 1/4 pound patties and froze them.

But first I had to cook with it.  I decided to make an "Italian empanada" since I am in love with those little hot pockets.  I don't think that I can call this a calzone, because I think that needs pizza dough which is a yeast dough.  Anyway, whatever you want to call this is fine.  I loved it.

"Italian hot pocket"    

The dough:  Basically the same as the empanada but I substituted semolina flour for the masa and olive oil for canola oil.

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup semolina flour

1/2 tsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp salt

Stir while adding:

1/4 olive oil.

1/2 cup hot water.

Form into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerator 20-30 minutes.

Filling:  Saute the 1 cup of italian sausage.  Add 4 chopped scallions, chopped red and yellow bell pepper, 5 thinly sliced mushrooms, 4 minced garlic cloves.  Saute til soft.  Add a couple of handfuls of thinly sliced spinach.  Saute til wilted.  Season with salt and pepper.  Turn off heat.  Stir in several leaves of basil, thinly sliced and some parmesan cheese.  ( I was going to add ricotta, but when I opened the container it was moldy.  Still good without it.)  Let cool.

Divide the dough into 10 balls.  Roll out into 4 inch diameter.  Put filling on 1/2.  Fold over and crimp with fork.  Place on greased cookie sheet.  Repeat with the rest of the dough.  Poke a few holes in the top of the dough.  Use an egg wash of 1 egg and a tbsp of water to brush on the top.  Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

My plan is to make quite a few of these and freeze them for snacks for the boys.  So far they haven't lasted long enough to make it to the freezer.

Ribolitta and steak, biscotti

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Sunday night supper club: New Orleans.

This month's supper club was hosted by Aaron and Josie.  The theme - New Orleans to celebrate Mardi Gras.  I think this might have been one of the tastier months. 

Tracy showing off her delicious hurricane made by Kurty.

 Sam's red beans and rice.  

Sweat the following in a large pot with oil and butter:  1/2 cup each celery, onion, and green pepper.  Add garlic, bay leaves, red beans (soaked overnight), ham shanks, andouille sausage and approx 8 cups of water.  Cook for 3 hours or until thickened.

 Alex and Tracy's Cajun Corn Maque Choux

Saute 1 small chopped onion and 1/4 cup green bell pepper in 1-2 tbsp olive oil over med heat 8 min or until tender.  Add 3 cups frozen shoepeg corn (thawed), 2 diced plum tomatoes, and 1/4 pound diced andouille sausage.  Cook, stirring often, 15 min.  Stir in 1/4 cup chopped green onion tops.  Season with salt and pepper and cook 5 more minutes.

Lise's pressure cooked okra and tomatoes

Sanford's shrimp and grits

 I think Jack might have eaten about 1/4 of this!  Kurt's Chicken Picante.

Make a rub with 2 tsp onion powder, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp black pepper, 2 tsp cayenne, ad 1 tsp thyme.  Rub it along with 1 tsp salt onto 10 chicken thighs (cut into 20 pieces).    Dredge in one cup of flour (keep remaining flour).  Brown in 1 stick of butter and remove.  Add 2 chopped bell peppers, 5 chopped celery ribs, 1 diced onion, and 5 minced garlic cloves.  Saute.  Add remaining flour and stir.  Add 1 can 28oz diced tomatoes and 1 14 oz can of tomato sauce, along with 14 oz chicken stock.  Add chicken back to pan and simmer for 45 min or until chicken is done.

 Jennifer's bread pudding.  Recipe can be found at:  http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2012/02/17/bourbon-bread-pudding-recipe/

 Dri's delicious Jambalaya.

 Josie and Aaron's cornbread.

 And their tasty shrimp and grits

 Ellen and Katie's Muffaletta

 My first taste of King Cake, made by Dri.  I think she should be bring it to all of the brunches!

Mary Beth and Pete's jalepeno's stuffed with andouille and battered and fried.  Need I say more.

 Pam made shrimp etouffe, one of my favorites  

Make a roux by combining 1/4 c unsalted butter, 1/2 c all purpose flour, and 1/4 c peanut oil and cook over low heat until a dark caramel color, about 15 minutes.  Add 1 chopped onion, 4 chopped celery ribs, 1 chopped green pepper, 4 tbsp minced garlic and cook until soft.  Add 2 bay leaves, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 3 tbsp worcestershire sauce, and 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper.  Slowly whisk in 4 cup chicken stock.  Cover over low heat and simmer 1 hour.  Add 2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined and 3 tbsp heavy whipping cream.  Mix.  Season with salt and pepper and dashes of tobasco sauce and cook another 5 minutes.  Serve over rice and garnish with scallions.

 And this Bourbon pecan pie

Crust:  In food processor, process 2 1/2 cup flour, 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp sugar until combined.  Add 1/2 cup chilled veg shortening and process about 10 seconds.  Scatter 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter (cut into 1/4 inch pieces) and process with 1 second pulses (about 10).  Sprinkle 6 tbsp ice water over mixture.  Use a rubber spatula and fold to mix.  Add 2 more tbsp as needed.  Form into a disk and cover in plastic wrap and put in refrigerator at least 30 min.  Then roll out as required.  (This makes 2 pie crusts)

Filling:   Whisk 3 large eggs.  Add 1/2 cup white sugar, 1 cup dark karo syrup, 1/4 cup melted butter, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 1/2 cup pecans (a mix of halves and pieces) and 1/4 tsp salt.  Mix. 

Pie:  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Pour filling into unbaked pie crust.  Bake 15 minutes.  Turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake for another 40 minutes.  When removed from oven, immediately cover pie with aluminum foil to avoid a hard top crust.  (From Pam's Grandma Baker. 1964)

I apologize for not knowing who made the deviled eggs with shrimp.

The next supper club will be March 10th.  Place and country to be determined.  Remind me to take more people pictures next time.

A week with Aaron Sanchez

 This week I checked out Simple Food, Big Flavor by Aaron Sanchez.  I decided to try out some of his recipes before returning to our mediterranean diet.  I am a big fan of Rick Bayless so I wasn't sure how I would like this cookbook.  He had some really good recipes, especially his empanada dough, which I have made a couple of times this week.  I really like that he has a basic recipe, then ideas on how to use it.



 Chile Colorado Sauce:  Drizzle olive oil on 3 quartered onions, 8 hulled and washed tomatillos, 4 cored and quartered plum tomatoes and 8 peeled garlic cloves and put under the broiler for about 7 min.  Cool.  In a dry skillet, toast 1 stemmed and seeded dried ancho and 2 stemmed and seeded dried guajillo peppers until fragrant < 1 min.  Soak for 30 min in warm water.  Drain.  Combine the vegetables and chiles in blender with 1 quart chicken stock and puree.  Season with salt and pepper.  (Makes 2 quarts)

Recipe 1:  Birria (Mexican stew):  Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in large pot.  Brown 1 pound cubed beef round and 1 pound baby back pork ribs.  (We used only beef).  Transfer to a plate.  Pour in 2 1/2 quarts beef stock, scraping bottom.  Return meat to pain.  Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour or until almost tender.  Stir in 1 cup chile colorado sauce, 2 dried bay leaves, 1/2 tsp thyme, 1 tbsp oregano and salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer until tender, about 30 minutes.  Season with salt.  Serve with lime wedges.
(This was really good, very beefy.  The boys finished it off that night!)

Recipe 2:  Sauteed shrimp with creamy red chile salsa.  (I used pressure cooked chicken, shredded.  It was quite ugly, but tasty.  I think the shrimp would be better so I will give that recipe.  Use less cream than it calls for.  It dilutes the colorado sauce too much.)  Combine 1/4 cup olive oil and 4 thinly sliced garlic cloves.  Cook until garlic light brown.  Turn heat to high.  Add shrimp (2#) and cook 1 minute each side.  Return all shrimp to skillet.  Lower heat to medium.  Add 1 cup chile colorado sauce and 1/2 cup heavy cream.  Cook until shrimp cooked through.  Remove shrimp.  Simmer sauce until thickens.  Add 1 tbsp chopped cilantro and return shrimp to pan.  Reheat gently.

Salsa verde:  (this is basically a vinaigrette).  Combine 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar, 1 roughly chopped serrano, 4 whole peeled garlic cloves and 4 dried bay leaves in blender.  Puree.  Pour through sieve.  Discard solids.  Pour back into blender (I used a food processor since I don't have a blender) and add 1/2 cup chopped parsley, 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, 1 tbsp dried oregano.  Blend.  Using the aioli hole of the food processor add 1 cup olive oil while blending.  Salt and pepper to taste.
This is tasty on salads.  I look forward to making it in the summer to pour over fresh tomatoes with queso fresco.

Recipe 1:  Sanford used this a couple of ways the other night.  He poured it all over some pork ribs and covered them in foil and baked in the oven on 225 for a couple of hours, until tender.  Then he rubbed some more on the ribs before putting them on the grill.  They were great!

Recipe:  The same night he used the salsa verde to marinate some chicken, then grilled it, then poured more sauce on after they came off the grill.  Also, delicious.

 

Aaron's adobo:  Heat a dry skillet and add 1/4 cup cumin seeds, 1/4 cup coriander seeds, 1/4 cup fennel seeds, 1/4 cup yellow mustard seeds and 2 each pasilla chiles and ancho chiles - seded and torn into pieces.  Toast until aromatic, about 3 min.  Dump it onto a plate and cool.  Grind in spice grinder.  Put in bowl along with 1/2 cup dried oregano, 2 tbsp onion powder, 2 tbsp garlic powder and 1/4 cup Spanish paprika.  Combine and store in cool dark place.

See pork below for use.

Roasted tomato-chile de arbol salsa.  (This was very thin, almost too thin for a sauce, but we found other uses):  Broil 1 lb plum tomatoes along with (sprinkled with olive oil) until charred.  Heat a dry skillet and toast 6 chile de arbol.  Put 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 med onion, chopped, and 4 crushed garlic cloves in a pan and cook about 7 minutes.  Add toasted chiles, tomatoes and 2 cups water.  Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook for about 12 minutes.  Using an immersion blender (or real blender) puree.  Add 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, 1 tsp salt and fresh pepper.  Puree until smooth.  Put it through a sieve.  Chill.

Recipe 1:  Brown some chicken thighs in olive oil.  Add a 1 - 1 1/2 cups of salsa.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce to simmer, covered, for 25 minutes until chicken is tender.  Remove chicken and reduce until thickened.  This would have been good by itself, but I have been a little empanada crazy...so I heated some oil in a pan, add some cubed potatoes (precooked in the microwave), chopped scallions and cubed chicken.  Add the reduced sauce and cook a couple of minutes.  This is now ready to fill your empanadas.

Cilantro-cotija pesto:  Toast 1 cup pumpkin seeds at 400 degrees for 10 min, shaking every 3-4 minutes.  Cool.  In a food processor add 1 cup fresh basil, 1/2 bunch cilantro, 1 cup olive oil.  Puree 2 minutes.  Add the pumpkin seeds 1/2 serrano chile (chopped), 2 chopped garlic cloves, 1/2 cup cotija cheese.  Puree.  Season with salt and pepper.

Recipe 1:  Boil 1 pound potatoes until fork tender.  Drain and rinse under cool water.  Cook 1 pound green beans (in 2 inch pieces) 4-5 min in boiling water.  Drain and rinse under cool water.  Add beans to potatoes and spoon on 1/2 cup pesto.  Toss carefully.

not a hit with the kids

 Aaron's adobo.  Rub 1 tbsp olive oil on 1 1/2 pound pork tenderloin.  Season with 1/4 cup adobo.  Grill.

 I made Aaron's chorizo, but it is not one of my favorites, so I won't put the recipe here.  Much to floral for chorizo in my opinion.  One thing I did learn though was that I can make my own chile powder.  This is probably obvious to most people, but I have bought my special chile powders at the Mexican market..

Just peel and seed the dried chiles (I used anchos).  Toast at 400 degrees for a couple of minutes.  Cool.  Then put in spice grinder and you have ancho chile powder

Roasted tomatillo salsa.  (I still prefer Bayless's recipe, but this is good too)  Broil 1 1/2 pounds washed and hulled tomatillos, 5 serranos, 1 thickly sliced onion and 3 peeled garlic cloves (all tossed with olive oil and salt) until charred.  Cool.  Transfer to food processor along with 1/2 cup cilantro and puree until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper.

 And now for my greatest discovery from his book...the empanadas.  So easy to make.  Fill them with whatever you like...chorizo, beans, chicken.  I am looking forward to using this dough to make samosas next...

Empanadas: 

Dough:  Mix 3/4 cup all purpose flour with 1/2 cup masa, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt.  Mix.  Add 1/4 cup oil and 1/2 cup warm water.  Stir and and form a ball.  Refrigerate 20 minutes.

Make whatever filling you want.

Make a little dough ball (each batch makes 10).  Roll out to 4 inches in diameter.  Fill half and fold dough over to make half moon.  Use fork to crimp edges.  Brush egg wash over the top.

Bake on greased cookie sheet at 375 degrees for 25 minutes