Published by mel on November 3, 2008 in entree and recipe.
Beer is fun. And so it goes without saying that cooking with beer is also fun. Since the brew brings the flavor, you can lay off the spice drawer for a night. You can also experiment with different varieties based on season — a Corona and lime marinated skirt steak in the summer, Pumpkin ale and short ribs for Autumn (this recipe coming soon). And of course there’s the sampling while you cook…
Since it’s Fall, I went with a nice, coffee-flavored Stout, whose name I cannot recall at the moment, but you can substitute your favorite Mocha Porter (Rogue makes a good one), brown ale or a time-tested Guiness. The recipe starts with sauteed onions and browned sausages in a rather large pot. Add some sliced apples, pears, whole cranberries and a bottle of stout and pop it in the oven for an hour and a half and you’ve got a delicious Sunday supper.
Make sure you’ve got some crusty bread to mop up the beer-y juices, or serve with roasted or mashed potatoes. Either way, you’ve got a hearty, healthy and really tasty meal.
Continue reading ‘Stout-Braised Sausages with Apples, Pears & Cranberries’
Published by mel on October 8, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
Photo Credit: Agustin Sanchez
It’s been 2 months since our big trip out to the Pacific Northwest and I’m still trying to recreate some of the dishes we had out there. One of my favorite meals was at Higgins in Portland. We weren’t really in the mood for a fancy place, so we sat at the bar and ordered from the “bistro” menu. Of course, the Mussels with chorizo and polenta caught our eye right away. So did the house-cured charcuterie plate, the local beers and the shortbread cookie with basil ice cream and nectarine syrup (which reminds me…I have to make this!).
So, back to the mussels. I finally made them over the weekend and they were every bit as magical as I remember them from Portland. The broth was bright and flavorful and spicy from the chorizo, the polenta added a nice heft to the broth, and the mussels were the perfect briny contrast to the chorizo. I ate until I was too full and washed it all down with a cold, bitter beer.
Honestly, this might just be the perfect recipe for mussels. But if mussels aren’t your thing, this “broth” would be perfect for shrimp, lobster or even chunks of fresh fish. In fact, you can even skip the seafood and substitute chicken or omit the extra protein altogether and think of it as a thin chorizo polenta soup. Just delicious!
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Published by mel on September 19, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
I see on the news that it’s starting to cool down in some places. Not here. It’s still getting up to 90° most days, but the humidity is starting to let up. And so, it’s time for soup. Warm and hearty soups full of beans and grains and vegetables. Yummy soup that fills you up and comforts you on a bad day.
I love soup. It’s so good for you, comes together in just a few minutes and you’ve only got one pot to wash when you’re done. A few years ago, when I still lived in a place where it snows in winter, I discovered bean and barley soup. It sounds so simple, I know, but there’s something about red kidney beans and barley that taste amazing together.
For this soup, I added in some hot Italian chicken sausage to really make it a meal and some smoked paprika and lime to perk it up. It’s the kind of soup I’ll make on a Monday morning and eat for lunch the rest of the week with some whole grain bread or crackers. It’s thick and flavorful, stick-to-your-ribs goodness.
Related: Simple Sausage & Red Lentil Soup
p.s. See if you can spot me in the spoon. Hi guys!
Continue reading ’stick-to-your-ribs sausage, bean & barley soup’
Published by mel on August 29, 2008 in entree and recipe.
Pasta’s easy. It’s usually the first food you learn to cook, and the food that sustains you throughout your penniless college days. It’s good, fast and cheap, and there’s nothing to not love about that!
So, when I need to make a quick lunch before work it’s often pasta that’s my first thought. The hard part is figuring out how to make a healthy, well-rounded meal with it. As with most things carb, I find that I can sit down and eat at least a 1/2 pound of simple, buttery pasta on my own. But me and my bikini know that it’s probably not a good idea.
So, I try to have as much “stuff” in my bowl as I do pasta. This week, that stuff happened to be spicy Italian sausage, broccoli, rainbow chard, goat cheese and walnuts. A well-rounded meal chock-full of vegetables, protein and those venerated Omega 3’s. Best of all, it traveled well, filled me up and made a very delicious little lunch.
Continue reading ‘easy sausage, greens & goat cheese pasta’
Published by mel on July 7, 2008 in breakfast, dessert, entree, recipe and sides & bites.
The 4th of July just might be my favorite holiday. Especially when it lands on a Friday and the rain clouds stay away. We wake up early, pack the food, the coolers and the Bocce set and head to the beach. We set up 3 tents, tons of chairs and a buffet for our friends and family. We open our first beer before noon and we eat empanadas, roast pork and tamales with our toes in the sand all day. The barge with fireworks makes it’s way over to our beach, parks right in front of our party and we drink champagne while they burst over our heads. A perfect day.
I bring the empanadas, which means that I turn my kitchen into an empanada factory the eve of 4th. This year I managed to churn out 80 empanadas in 3 varieties - Guava and Cream Cheese; Sausage, Roasted Red Pepper and Feta; Ham, Cheddar and Green Apple. They were all gone by 3pm, which means that next year I’ll somehow have to make more. I think my favorite was the ham, cheddar and green apple, though the guava and cream cheese were the first to disappear.
Just like arroz con pollo empanadas differ regionally. Cubans generally deep fry their empanadas, creating a flaky, bubbly crust. While these are quite delicious, I just don’t deep dry at home. Too messy. I baked them in batches of 20 - 30 and they emerged golden and delicious.
Empanadas are fairly easy to make and great for large crowds. They’re also hand-held and portable which make them perfect for a BBQ or beach picnic. And they were just perfect for my perfect 4th of July.
Continue reading ‘empanadas three ways’
Published by mel on June 11, 2008 in entree and recipe.
Ah, stuffed peppers. They’re so good! They’re especially good when stuffed with spicy, Andouille chicken sausage, corn and brown rice. It’s a delicious little package of protein, vegetables and whole grains.
I’ve made stuffed peppers before, but had never used poblano peppers because the ones at my grocery store are usually sad dried up, dusty-looking things. I found some fresh, shiny ones this week and then spotted some freshly made Andouille sausages in the meat case and knew they’d be perfect for each other.
The stuffed poblanos were topped with Cotija cheese, baked and served alongside a lime-spiked watercress and cilantro salad. I could probably eat these every day and be happy. I’m sure Tom wouldn’t mind. In fact, he’d probably love it. Next time, I want to try a breakfast version stuffed with scrambled eggs, diced potatoes and onion (maybe bacon)…a perfect brunch!
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Published by mel on June 6, 2008 in entree and recipe.
I’m going to start off by saying here and now that I know this isn’t the most authentic Chicago-style pizza. I know how protective people are about local specialties. At least, I know I am. So I thought I’d just throw this little disclaimer out before I begin.
And so, I’ve been thinking about deep dish pizza for awhile. Ever since the Top Chef contestants made it for their first Quickfire Challenge. And so has Tom, who has been asking when I’d make it for him ever since. Chicago-style deep dish is like a regular pizza, but kind of backwards. You press the dough into the pan like a pie or tart, layer the cheese first, then the toppings, then the sauce. Oh, those crazy Chicagoans!
I was worried I didn’t have the right pan or that the crust would be soggy or that it would just be a big, sloppy mess. But it actually turned out pretty well. Since I was out of mozzarella, I used some sheep’s milk cheese and Havarti, which were nice and melty under the sauce and toppings, and added roasted garlic sausage and leeks for the traditional, hearty feel. Top it all off with a nice spicy pizza sauce and you’re done.
It’s a little messier than a New York-style pizza, but was delicious in its own way. Don’t be scared off if you don’t have a deep-dish pizza pan or even the right-sized cast iron skillet. I used a cast-iron sauce pot and it was fine. I just had to be a bit more careful when I took it out. I suspect a 9-inch cast iron skillet would be perfect.
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Published by mel on April 8, 2008 in entree and recipe.
Beer, bratwurst and apples seem more like fall than spring, but since we don’t really have seasons here in Miami, I think it’s fair game any time of the year. This easy recipe only has 5 ingredients and minimal active time. Simply brown the onions and sausages quickly, add the apples and beer and pop everything in the oven for 40 minutes.
My beer of choice was a Rogue Mocha Porter, which lent a warming, coffee-scented flavor to the dish. Perfect comfort food. I served the brats with a side of roasted brussel sprouts, but they’d be really good with roasted or mashed potatoes.
Continue reading ‘beer braised bratwurst with apples and onions’
Published by mel on April 2, 2008 in entree and recipe.
I’m always looking for lunches that are healthy, filling and really easy to make. Work has been so hectic, I haven’t been able to get to the grocery store in over a week. A new record for me, I believe. So, when I realized I had nothing to pack for lunch this morning, it was time to get creative with leftovers and pantry supplies.
I had a couple of leftover Chicken Garlic sausages, cans of fire-roasted green chile tomatoes, frozen brown rice and a bag of red lentils. A couple of cubes of vegetable buillion, some sherry vinegar and fresh tarragon leaves all went into the pot for a surprisingly flavorful soup. The sherry vinegar and green chiles gave it a really nice kick, and the sausage, lentils and brown rice add a good variety of textures.
Even if you think you don’t have anything to eat, you can usually forage for a good meal in your pantry. It’s a great way to challenge yourself and to use up some of those forgotten items from the back of the shelf.
Continue reading ’simple sausage & red lentil soup’
Published by mel on March 14, 2008 in entree and recipe.
Sometimes the best meals are the ones you have to invent. I haven’t been to the grocery store since well before my trip to Austin and the fridge and pantry were looking a little sparse. I always keep some chicken sausages in the fridge for emergencies like this and I knew I had some corn tortillas, cilantro and frozen maize in the fridge. Once I know I’ve got tortillas and cilantro, I know tacos are on the menu.
Last night, the tacos were stuffed with habanero and green chile chicken sausage that I sauteed with frozen maize kernels. Maize (or Choclo) are pretty much giant, white corn kernels. They’re usually found in Chilean or Peruvian cooking, and are often served with Ceviche. Maize is also used to make hominy by soaking or cooking in lime-water. These kernels are not as sweet as regular corn, and have a starchier texture. I buy mine frozen off the cob (Goya Choclo Desgranado) in the frozen section of my grocery store. If you can’t find them at a Hispanic market, I’d use diced potatoes as a substitute to achieve a similar texture and flavor.
A dollop of plain Greek yogurt, a squeeze of hot sauce and dinner was done. I really loved the play of textures between the sausage and maize kernels and although the meal was unplanned, I can’t wait to make it again.
Continue reading ’sausage & maize tacos’
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