Welcome

Hello and Welcome. My intent is to show how to prepare “elegant” dishes at home and enjoy a little up-scale dining, that doesn’t always require buying the “Top of the line”.

You won’t find any Casseroles, Squash, South West or Mexican here; I tend to stick with New England, European and Chinese food groups as I enjoy them most.

As I have High blood pressure and high Cholesterol, I do not use any salt nor consume any beef or beef products.

My recipes are designed for two adults with an accompanying dish (I hate the word "side" it relegates an otherwise wonderful experience to nothingness). Typically my recipes take 1-1/2 hours or less from start to table (not counting marinating). So with that, let’s get to it.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Barbecued Chicken Quarters

Barbequed chicken. Now there's a topic, written about over and over. Everybody has their own "secret" recipe, well here's mine and I put Morg's B-B-Q Sauce to use. It is a nice balanced flavor and yields chicken thats tender and juicy.
I don't make it to often because it is really messy to clean up after, but the wife and my children love it. I know the recipe calls for just three legs which is more then enough, but Louisa wanted some leftovers for the next day.
 
INGREDIENTS:
 
3 Chicken leg quarters

Morg's BBQ Sauce:

½ cup catsup (Hunts)
¼ cup chili sauce (Hunts)
1/3 cup red wine
3 Tbsp extra virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbsp fresh ground black pepper
1 small lemon
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary
½ Tbsp fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp Worchester sauce
4-5 dashes of Tabasco sauce

PREPERATION:
 
Thoroughly wash the chicken legs, cleaning off excessive fat etc; I remove the shin as the flavor can penetrate the meat better. Let them drain while preparing the Sauce. Wash the parsley and rosemary shaking off the water, strip the leaves and finely chop. Peel and press the garlic. Juice the lemon.

In a medium mixing bowl add the catsup, chili sauce, wine, and oil. Mix well with a whisk.

Continue adding the remaining ingredients and whisk thoroughly. (Should yield ¾ of a cup or so). Add about 1/3 of a cup to a large (1 Gal) resalable bag. Pat the legs dry and put them in the bag and seal. Massage the bag to cover the legs with the sauce. Place in the refrigerator until 1/2 hr. before cooking. Discard used sauce!

Fill the chimney starter 2/3 full with charcoal. Set the charcoal ablaze in a chimney starter about 15 to 20 min. before grilling.
 
GRILLING:
 
The sauce is rather messy to clean up. So be forewarned.

When the coals are ready, dump them to one side of the grill, DO NOT spread beyond 1/2 the grill, leaving a cooler zone to one side. Replace the grill grids and oil them with olive oil. Place the chicken legs, (skin side down if you left the skin on), on the hot section  of the grill. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Turn the pieces, recover the grill and cook for 2 minutes more.

Move the chicken to the cooler sideside of the grill and daub with the reserved barbacue sauce covering them thoroughly. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Turn the pieces, baste and cook, covered, for another 10 minutes. Turn again and baste, cover and cook another 10 min.

Use the remaining sauce to baste the legs each time you turn them. The legs are done in about 30 to 45 min. (An instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh should read 165 to 170 degrees.)


Monday, June 10, 2013

Buffalo Stroganoff

Stroganoff has been a staple in our house for many years. It's relatively easy to prepare but certainly sounds elegant.

INGREDIENTS:
  
1 pound stew meat
4 oz fresh mushrooms
1 small yellow onion
Sauce:
Dash black pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup beef broth or stock
1/2 Tbsp ketchup
Roux:
2-1/2 Tbsp flour
3-4 Tbsp apple juice
1/4 cup sour cream

PREPARATION:

Cut the stew meat into 3/4" by 1/2" slices removing and fat and cartilage. Peel and finely dice the onion. Wash the mushrooms and slice thinly.

Sauce:  Combine the garlic salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth and ketchup.

Roux: Combine the flour and apple juice in a small bowl, whisking vigorously to combine well. The roux should be thick but still pour able so add a tbsp of apple juice a little  at a time to thin as needed.

COOKING:

Place the stew meat, salt, pepper and onion in the Dutch oven. Stir to distribute the seasonings and onion. Pour the sauce over the meat.

Cook for 2 to 2-1/2 hours, add the sour cream mixing to combine. Continue cooking for 2 to 2-1/2 longer over medium heat. About 30 minutes before serving. Pour the Roux into the Dutch oven, stirring rapidly to mix with the stew meat and juices, avoiding lumps. Add the mushrooms and stir. Cook on medium for 30 minutes, stirring.

Serve over egg noodles


The stroganoff can be frozen. Thaw the Stroganoff in the refrigerator, this will take 24 hrs. then and reheat over medium-low heat in a saucepan. Don't Microwave it.

* beef may be substituted
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