gorditas anyone?

we love to watch curtis on the take-home chef. he made this pork roast hot mexi-style stuff and we decided to try to duplicate it. we didn't have everything, but we managed to come out with something pretty tasty. we served it up with sour cream & cheese on homemade tortillas.

tonight, i decided to try it with beef. the beef was a little tough even after cooking all day. she was an old cow and gave the family 8 good calves, so we can't fault her too much for being good and chewy. didn't have any sour cream so we used ranch instead AND i thought i'd try my hand at some "gordita"-style flatbread. my face is still burning. great for the sinuses. wooooot!

i stole the flatbread recipe from King Arthur Flour, BUT it called for potato flour, which i didn't have so i had to alter the recipe just a hint, which technically makes it my recipe and "my recipe" is as follows.

gordita-flatbread

3 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
3 T olive oil
1 1/4 tsp salt
2+ cups water
1 pkg dry yeast (not instant)
1 small potato

1) peel, chunk and boil potato in 2 cups of water (more if need be, but not more than you need.).
2) when tender, strain starchy water into another container and save.
3) mash taters with fork until mushy and measure out 1/4 cup of taters.
4) measure 2 cups of flour into bread machine (or mixer).
5) pour 1 cup hot starchy water left from boiling potato over flour.
6) mix until smooth.
7) allow to rest for 15 to 30 minutes.
8) meanwhile, put yeast in 1/4 cup warm water and set aside.
9) when dough in bread machine has rested, mix together in another bowl, 1 cup of the remaining flour, salt, oil, mashed taters and the proofed yeast mixture.
10) toss new dough ball into bread machine with the other dough ball and turn on bread machine and allow to knead the two mixtures together. i let my machine run the full cycle (approx 14 minutes), but the original recipe says 5 minutes should be enough. add the rest of the flour as needed to get the dough to a soft workable texture. should be slightly sticky but soft.
11) cover and raise for one hour.
12) divide into 8 balls.
13) allow to rest another 15 minutes.
14) meanwhile turn on heat (med/low) under griddle (i use cast iron.)
15) roll dough balls into 8 inch (about 1/4 inch thick) rounds.
16) cook each flatbread for about 1 to 1.5 minutes per side or until you notice brown bubbles on the cooked side.
17) serve with favorite stuffing. yum!




healthbratt's mexi roast

1) take 2 to 7 pounds of pork or beef roast and cut into 2 to 3 inch cubes.
2) brown all sides of cubes in butter in cast iron skillet.
3) throw browned meat pieces into roasting pot.
4) deglaze skillet with some water and toss the lot into the roasting pan.
5) add peppers, onions, garlic and stuff to your liking
(we used one can of rotel tomatos, 10 serano peppers blended with water, and 2 onions sliced and few cloves of garlic diced)
6) add 2 T of chili powder, 1 to 2 T cumin, 1 to 2 tsp paprika, 1 to 2 tsp salt.
(decided on the seasonings based on the number of pounds of meat you settle on.)
7) add enough water to the pot to almost cover the meat and toss to coat and mix all the seasonings.
8) roast at 350 degrees (or lower if you prefer) for 3 to 6 hours.
(the longer you roast, the more liquid you'll lose. check it often and water as needed.)
9) serve with cheese, sour cream, ranch or whatever taco fixin's you like.

lasagna casserole

lasagna casserole

i added pictures (04/21/2011). yippeee! i love taking pictures of my food.





(click to enlarge)

1 lb italian sausage browned
1 can hunts (or del monte) spaghetti sauce (we prefer the chunky veggie)
1 can rotel tomatoes (chopped tomatoes and chilis)
1 10 oz package frozen spinach thawed and drained
2 small cans mushrooms sliced

1. mix all of the above ingredients in pan and simmer until warmed through.


2 cups pasta cooked al dente (minus 1 minute)
NOTE: pretty much any short pasta will work, but we seem to enjoy the texture of the rotini the best.
3 cups shredded cheese (separated)
NOTE: i like to mix swiss, sharp cheddar and mozzerella.
1 to 2 cups cottage cheese
2 or 3 eggs lightly beaten
NOTE: i like the more "eggy" texture with 3 but if this doesn't suit you, use 2.
1 cup milk
dash of garlic powder
1/2 to 1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp black pepper

2. fold together all of the above ingredients (holding back one cup of shredded cheese) in another bowl until well blended.
3. spread pasta blend into 9 x 13 glass baking dish and smooth.
4. add meat and sauce mixture into another layer on top of the pasta.
5. bake at 350 ^o for 30 minutes.
6. sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese and another bit of black pepper
7. return to oven and turn up to LO broil.
8. bake for another 5 minutes or until cheese on top is browned slightly.
9. i recommend you allow to cool out of oven for at least 20 minutes prior to serving to allow the casserole to set up. you can serve immediately and it's still delicious, but you will get more pooling of the liquids and the lasagna will not hold it's shape as well. the photo below shows an example of one that i served without cooling.

deep fried jalepeño hamburger balls

i love food and i just love it when i get inspired. the other day, i was trying to think of something to spice up the doldrums of having the same 8 or 9 recipes over and over again. i love my fryer, so i thought about hamburgers and the fryer. i looked up deep fried hamburgers on the internet and surprise...(or maybe not), i was NOT the first person who thought of this. :D

so i gave it whirl and it was a hit. superbowl was yesterday and i needed an idea for a "man-food" for such an event and the only thing i had in the fridge was meat (no pizza rolls, or frozen fried treats that they love so much - LOL). i decided to try the hamburger thing again but this time, jazz it up a bit, make'em single serving size, and put a toothpick in'em. they were a hit. everyone in the house loved'em.

here's the trick. there isn't one. i think you could put anything you like in these things and they would turn out wonderful. it just really depends on your tastes. for mine, i used

2 lbs of ground beef
a splash of worcestershire sauce
a splash of kombucha (i'm sure vinegar would work fine)
about 4 oz of shredded cheeses (swiss and jack)
salt and pepper (liberal)
a handful of pickled jalepeños minced (maybe 2-3 T)
a handful of white onions minced
1 cup of white flour
1 cup of fresh ground whole wheat flour
a bowl of water

with your hands gently mix the ingredients. i've found that you don't want to squash (knead) the hamburger or you lose some of the finished texture of a good burger. also i left the onions out of one batch. i preferred them this way, but i didn't have any leftovers of the onion variety either. take the burger and roll it into meat-balls about 1.25 - 2 inch balls.

mix the flours (this mixture makes a great texture) in a bowl. i tend to start with a 1/4 cup each so that i don't have as much waste or as many flour chunks to throw away. roll each meatball in the flour coating well. then take the floured meatball and quickly roll it in the bowl of water. don't try to wash the meatball, we're just trying to get the coating wet. then roll it again in the bowl of flour.

you can do this up to three times with good results. with just one layer of flour, you'll get a tasty treat, but you'll find that the breading comes off in spots and causes the meat to blacken where the flour is missing. you can also use an egg wash instead of water, but i tried it this way and i think the egg makes the texture weird (kinda like crunchy noodles). we like just the plain flour and water the best.

throw the meatballs in the pre-heated deep fryer (about 355-360 degrees) and cook for 4-6 minutes.

pull out of the grease, drain and poke in some toothpicks. voilà.

note: they're not as greasy as the picture would portray. the only reason the paper towel is so greasy is because i pulled them out of the grease one at a time very quickly. i didn't give them a chance to drip in the fryer. if you used the baskets, you could raise the baskets and allow them to drip before tossing them on the plate. these were not very greasy at all. enjoy.

bulgogi (pulgogi)

All ingredients are approximate (traditionally made by tasting hands after mixing *wink*)

2 lbs beef roast sliced thinly
¼ - ¾ cup soy sauce
roasted sesame seeds (see how below)
3 cloves minced garlic
6-10 chopped green onions
approx ¼ cup sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
black pepper

marinate overnight in smallest bowl possible. cook in sauce pan, fry pan, broiler or grill until brown. serve with rice and kimchee.

NOTE: this recipe is often used on beef ribs but ribs are very difficult to marinate in the same fashion as boneless meat. when marinating ribs, i often make enough marinade for both the ribs and a roast and i surround the ribs in the marinating bowl with the juices and the other pieces of meat for maximum coverage.




how to roast your own sesame seeds

1) pour sesame seeds into a bowl of water where the level rises above the seeds.
2) stir gently with your hands to find rocks and odd bits of debris.
3) rinse and strain well.
4) put in a medium hot skillet (i always use iron for a great flavor)
5) constantly stirring to prevent burning, continue to heat until the overall color changes to desired doneness (careful, they pop)


6) remove from heat and place in adequate sized bowl and pop (not crush) the seeds with a pestle to maximize flavor.

regarding pestles: the expensive marble varieties often used for herbs and pharmaceuticals will work, but if you don't have one of these, you can get a nice (effective) wooden pestle at most any Asian food marts. they resemble a billy club or small baseball bat. i just use one of these and a large ceramic cake mixing bowl. i call it my 'squisher'.



7) store in airtight container.
NOTE: i've actually had these mold once (rare) so i often keep mine in the freezer.

korean hot pork

2-3 lbs pork shoulders or pork loin roast (or any pork chop) sliced to bite-size with bone and most of the fat removed
1 tsp sugar or honey
black pepper
6-10 chopped scallion onions
3 cloves minced garlic
2-4 tbsp korean hot sauce (see pictures below)

Mix thoroughly (may marinate overnight if desired). Simmer in fry or sauce pan until pork is cooked and tender (about 1/2 hour). Serve with rice.



Korean hot bean paste/hot pepper paste/fermented hot bean paste:

(click to enlarge photos)

what's for supper tonite?

this is a huge favorite around here. the original recipe for the steak can be found in the better homes and garden (red & white checkered) cookbook and the potatoes are my own creation.

the potatoes

1. chop enough russet (white) potatoes to cover the bottom of a 9 X 13 glass baking dish. it's about 8 cups by my measuring bowl.

2. in a small bowl mix together

2 T chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried minced onion
1/2 tsp onion powder
dash of garlic powder
1-2 tsp salt

(store bought taco seasoning will work - use enough for 2 lbs of burger)

3. drizzle olive oil into the bowl with the potatoes. you want enough to coat the potatoes, but you don't want oil pooling in the bottom of the bowl. stir until all surfaces are well coated.

4. add seasoning to oiled potatoes and stir until evenly coated with seasonings.

5. pour into baking dish. bake for 45-60 minutes at 450 degrees (or until fork goes through potato easily).



the steak

1. take a 2-3 lb round steak and trim the hard fat from the edges and beat out flat with a tenderizer mallet until half the thickness you started with (or less if you can manage.)

2. shape and trim as necessary to make a rectangle or some facisimile thereof.




3. sprinkle with chosen seasonings. i often use crushed corn flakes, parmesean, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, but tonight i used cheese powder and bread crumbs because that's what i had in the cupboard.

4. layer with well-drained canned or thawed, frozen spinach.

5. roll like a jelly roll and secure with toothpicks. (see hubby's video.)



6. slice into 1-inch thick steaks.

7. place on broiler pan and broil on high for 7-10 minutes on each side.







8. remove toothpicks and serve.

how to shape a hamburger bun

Italian wedding soup

this is one of my favorites. i learned how to make it a couple of years ago from another recipe i found, but my recipe is actually much simpler than the one i had and in my opinion tastes about the same (but better) than the stuff campbell's puts out.

meatballs:

1 lb ground turkey (or beef)
2 eggs
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan
1 tsp Italian seasoning

mix all ingredients together, meatloaf style. roll meatballs to preferred size 1/4 to 1 inch depending on my mood.

soup:

6 cups chicken broth (sometimes i use beef)
4-6 cups water (depending on the concentration of the chicken stock)
2 cups frozen spinach (little box from freezer section)
1 cup small unprepared pasta (i use orzo, O's, stars, or whatever is handy)
1/3 cup shredded carrots (optional - i usually don't have any)
1 medium (yellow or white) onion chopped (or 2 tsp onion powder)
3 cloves garlic minced (or garlic powder to taste)
2 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

boil broth. add seasonings and taste to see how much water to add. if too fatty tasting, add water until desired consistency is reached. add meatballs and allow to boil for 5 minutes or so to give them a head start. then add all other ingredients and cook according to the pasta directions or until pasta is desired tenderness.

we serve with white (Asian) rice and Korean hot sauce, but it's tasty right out of the pot. also good with crackers.

seriously HOT wings

just tried this recipe tonite and it was wonderful. not your typical tasting hot wing. more like terriaki chicken with a kick. very good served with rice for you hot hot hot wings lovers.

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/09/sriaracha-hot-buffalo-wings-recipe.html

just like the author of the recipe, i've always been a fan of Frank's hot sauce on my hot wings. i don't think these are a substitute, merely another wonderful addition to my recipe book.

taco chowder

all ingredients are approximate

~ 2 lbs ground beef
~ 1 cup water
~ 2-3 tablespoons chili powder
~ 2-3 teaspoons paprika
~ 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
~ 1 teaspoon onion powder
~ 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
~ 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
~ 1 teaspoon salt
~ 2-4 cups pinto beans cooked and drained
~ 2-4 cups yellow corn
~ 8-16 oz. sour cream

1. add ground beef, water and all spices to a pot or large skillet.
2. turn heat up to medium and cook until brown while mixing with a potato masher. (this will give a nice smooth consistency to the beef.)
3. add beans and corn and continue to simmer until corn is done.
4. mix in sour cream to taste or add a dollop to each bowl.
5. serve with FRITOS® (my personal favorite with this recipe) or other favorite corn chip.

hot wings (or legs)

for supper tonight...mmmmm...family favorite

2 1/2 lbs chicken wings or 6-8 chicken legs
(I actually used 5 legs, but we like extra sauce for the rice)
1/3 cup hot melted butter
1/2 cup FRANK'S® REDHOT® - Hot Cayenne Pepper Sauce

Deep fry wings at 400 degrees for 15 minutes (or legs for 25 minutes). Remove from fat and drain. Mix butter and hot sauce together. Pour over chicken in a casserole dish or large bowl. Spoon extras over chicken until well coated. Serve with rice or your favorite hot wings sauce.

how to make eggrolls

I got a new camera for Christmas last year and it's been fun using it. I love to make eggrolls and my family loves to eat them, so I decided to dig out the new camera and share with you how I do it around this kitchen.

NOTE: i no longer use the recipe below. i use the same tips, tricks and methods, but i've since learned a few new tricks and i only use this recipe now.

I normally make smaller batches, but I came by a large amount of cabbage, so I went for broke and made extras for the freezer. I'll be basing my recipe on the BIG batch.

4-6 lbs of cabbage shredded
4 lbs of ground pork (not sausage)
1-2 large yellow (or white) onions
6-10 cloves of fresh garlic
black pepper

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(click on images to enlarge)

1) Chop onions and garlic fine and brown in skillet or large pot with the pork until done through. (do not drain)
2) Shred cabbage either by hand or in food processor (slice setting seems to work best).

3) Put cabbage in large pot or bowl and poor pork with fat into the cabbage.
4) Add pepper and mix well.
5) Allow to sit for a few minutes on the counter and the hot pork fat will begin to soften the cabbage to make it easier to work with.

6) Lay eggroll wrappers flat on table diagonally.
7) Place a small handful (maybe 1/3 cup) into the lower center of the eggroll wrapper.



8) Fold sides towards the middle like an envelope.









9) Pull the bottom corner up to the top and press and pull back to pull the filling towards you and help contain it in the wrapper.







10) Dip fingers in a small bowl of water and wet the top corner of the wrappers.

11) Crimp any ends that might be loose or flopping and roll away from you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tears & Holes (they happen)

Don't panic! I do this all the time. If your eggroll gets a little too wet or stretched, it might tear. Do the best you can to roll it up without damaging it further. Then tear a small corner off another wrapper (you won't even miss it). Wet this small piece and slap it over the hole like a bandaid. This will either fry solid in the fryer or freeze dry in the freezer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

12) If you intend to freeze, lay them on a cookie sheet in a single layer NOT touching.
13) Place in freezer until frozen.
14) Remove from freezer and cookie sheet and put in freezer-safe container and return to freezer until you are ready to use.


15) Heat fryer to 400 degrees.
16) Place eggrolls in fryer for 8 minutes. They tend to float, so I recommend you place your basket on top of the eggrolls and put the lid on top of the basket to keep them fully submerged. This will ensure that all sides are equally cooked without extra fuss.









17) Remove from fryer and drain.











18) For a tasty dipping sauce, mix 1/2 white vinegar and 1/2 real soy sauce and throw in some toasted sesame seeds if you have them.






19) Serve with rice and enjoy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Below is a video on how to roll up the eggroll. This mine and hubby's first movie. Hope you like it. It's rated "B" for beginners.