Yep, I'm off to a late start this year. Better late than never.

I have a couple of recipies that I created, The first one is a compound butter that I used on our Thanksgiving Turkey. I softened the butter up after having it in the refigerator for a couple of days and mushed it up under the skin and all over the bird before sticking it in the oven.


Compound Butter #1 -

1/4 pound Butter unsalted - Softened
1 TBLS black Pepper
1 1/2 TBL Garlic Powder
1 tsp mild hot sauce
1 TBLS Parsley
1 tsp Cayenne pepper
1/2 TBLS Paprika
1 1/2 TBL Rosemary

Combine Ingredients thouroughly 2 days before needing. Refrigerate.


This is something I created last night. I thought it turned out rather tasty and thought I'd share it with you.


Side dish #1

1/3 cup rice - cooked
1/3 cup corn
1/2 cup diced cooked Ham
1 tsp Parsley
1 tsp black Pepper
1 1/2 TBLS Teriyaki Sauce
1 TBLS Butter
1 TBLS Rice Vinegar

Place Ham in a covered skillet with the butter, pepper and parsley. Heat Thoroughly. Add Vinegar and Teriyaki Sauce. Add corn and rice. Simmer with lid on, stirring and carefully heat.

August 31st, 2008

My wife decided that we were to go out for Mexican food. There's a quaint family run Mexican eatery just up the hill a bit from our home that was picked for the occasion. It's a quiet little place that serves some serious Mexican food and doesn't skimp on the servings at a very reasonable price.

My wife and I both ordered the same dish, a beef enchilada meal with beans and rice. There had been a family of five that had entered shortly after we got there. The father was carrying a girl that looked to be about 5 or 6. I was thinking she was just waking up from a nap. She was very relaxed, slumped over the Father's shoulders. They walked past me and entered in to the deeper parts of the building. We were closer to the front entrance and I was facing out on a lovely expanse of jet black Asphalt, white lines and some great beat up cars. Plus the occasional child stopping to gawk at the crazy white people (us) eating in a Mexican restaurant, peering through their little hands cupped against the plate glass window as they walked past the facility. So cute. Get a move on already. Eww, don't pick your ...

Well the food finally showed up and it was amazing. A large, hot, oval plate of deliciousness that was smelling fantastic. The beef was seared, tender and full of flavor wrapped in fresh tortillas with a mild, very flavorful sauce, red rose in color that stood out well from the china white plate it sat on.
Enchilada dinner.


Anyway, I decided for some strange reason to pepper the conversation with a lovely little story about a post I had read at a fellow Entrecarders blog, Monkey Fables And Tales, This post regaled how he had bought a dozen flowers, daffodils to be exact, from a nearby store manager, after her breasts had talked him into buying the flowers.

Yes, her breasts. I was wondering why it was that I began this sorted tale, but once I got started, it was kind of like a train wreck. I just kept on going and explaining about how he had referred to her breasts as a bakery item, uhm, muffins to be exact, and how I tried, barely, to keep from laughing, again, for I though it quite humorous the first time I read it. I mean I was rollin', guffawing and snorting loudly as he explained in some sorted detail about how her clothing accentuated her, uhm, female attributes and ... well, you had to be there.

So, I am trying to make it interesting for my wife, and she is looking at me with with an amused look on her face, placating me as she is apt to do when I am talking about some thing foolish and dangerous and might just get me into a world of trouble if I cross some imaginary line.

I love living on the edge.

Part 1 of 2

June 10th, 2008

I was needing a recipe for a can of black beans I had yesterday, so I came up with this concoction. Came out tasting pretty damn good, especially for black beans.

Ingredients:
4 oz. Bar-b-qued Pork, thinly sliced, small cubes
1 15 oz. can S & W Black Beans
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup White Onion, diced
1/2 tsp Celery seed
2 Tbs Rue
2/3 cup White rice, cooked
1 tsp Chicken stock Powder
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 Tbs Cajun Spice
1 1/2 Tbsp Butter
1 1/2 tsp Cooking oil
1 Tbs ground black pepper
2 Tbs Minced Garlic
1 Tbs Green chili sauce
1 tsp crushed chili

Directions:
In a large metal sauté pan, Open up one can of S & W Black Beans and pour into the sauté Pan. Use 1/2 the water to clean out the inside of the can, pouring the remains into the sauté pan. Put heat on Medium low. Add the pork. Add the brown sugar and stir in brown sugar gently. In a small sauté pan add butter, crushed chili, cooking oil, onions, pepper and garlic. Sauté Onions over medium heat until translucent. Heat remainder of water and add Chicken stock. I used the microwave oven. Dissolve the chicken stock in the water and add to the beans. Add celery seed, Green Chili sauce, White rice, and sautéed onions. Cover the skillet and Heat till bubbling, stirring gently to dissolve rue and stir in ingredients.

You could cook up 1/4 pound of pork or hamburger ahead of time and add it instead of the Bar-b-qued pork. I was using left overs I had. You could also leave out the rice if you want. I'd just double up on the rue.

If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask.

Update: As of 6 / 18 / 2008 I have made this dish 3 times. The last Time I had a 30 0z can of black beans, so I doubled up on all the ingredients and used a sauce pan instead of the saute skillet to put the beans into. I used Bar-b-qued chicken instead of the pork. You Might want to cut back on the Chili flakes with the chili, unless you like it spicy. It turned out good as well.

And probably won't be the last time either: I shall post a recipe.

For you see I was a dinner cook. I actually worked on the line (in a kitchen) for some of the better restaurants in Bakersfield, CA. many years ago for many years (8 and 1/2 to be exact)(and if luck has anything to do with it I shall get back into cooking for the County)

I shall call my creation Chickan and rice deliciouso.

Ok the ingredients:

1 can (12 oz or so) of diced Tomatoes - I used a Hunts brand with diced peppers, garlic and other goodies enclosed.
1 chicken wing, 2 legs and 1 thigh.
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 tsp dried crushed chilis
1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Black pepper
1 1/2 tsp ground sage
1 1/2 tsp thyme
3 Tbsp dried Parsley Flakes
1/2 Tbsp Cajun spice
1/3 cup white rice
1/2 cup water

Ok, a lot of cooking in my eyes has to do with technique. The way you do things while you are cooking matters, especially if you want a quality product. With this dish, you must be patient, number one, and attentive, number 2. It is a bit of a pain, I realize, for the time to fix this dish is about an hour to an hour and a half, altogether.
Procedure:
You take the rice and wash it in clear water a total of five times, draining the water each time. Then in a pot, you place the rice and add enough water to bring it up to the middle of your first knuckle. I use my first finger. No it isn't exact, but it works. You boil the water with the rice till the water is pretty much boiled away. I stir the pan enough times to keep it from sticking. During this time cooking the rice, I start the chicken cooking. I use a iron skillet, a rather good size and a lid to fit the skillet.

Take the 1/4 cup canola oil (or vegetable Oil) and place it in the skillet. Place the chicken pieces and under medium high heat, sear the chicken gently adding the Cajun spice and black pepper. Keeping an eye on the rice, once the rice is still soggy, but most of the water has gone away, add the can of tomatoes, undrained, to the skillet, then mix in the rice to the skillet.

You need to turn the heat way down. just a little below medium heat. You don't want the rice to stick to the bottom of the skillet. I use a pancake turner to stir the pan many times during the cooking process. Gently lifting the rice from the bottom of the pan and turning the chicken. You add the rest of the spices, the water, and the olive oil. It may take a little more water to keep the rice moist. Keep the pan covered unless you are gently stirring the mix.

The trick now is to know when the chicken is done. I wait until the meat just starts to pull away from the bone. You want the chicken cooked thoroughly, no red juices at all. The internal minimum temperature of the chicken needs to be 165 degrees to be safe. Once the chicken is done, serve up a couple of the chicken pieces and serve up the rice.

I'd say it makes two healthy portions. Bon appetite.

I have made this dish twice. I don't add any salt. You may if you want and perhaps add white wine instead of the 1/2 cup water. I save half of the dish to have for lunch the next day. I think the end result is well worth the work in cooking and prepping.

Update: As Of 6 / 18 / 2008 I have made this dish 4 times. I love it.