Sunday, May 29, 2016

Memorial Day – Road Trip Munchies

Memorial Day
I remember....the smell of Saigon – petrol fumes, sandalwood incense and unwashed humanity. I remember...being under attack the first time. I remember...an orphanage full of war-ravaged children. I remember...rice paddies, bamboo forests, river grass and jungle. I remember Viet Nam.


Road Trip Food


This trip did not take us to the Keys, despite what the picture shows!  Sally had a conference to attend in Jacksonville over Memorial Day weekend, and we took a couple extra days for a side trip to St. Pete on the way back. Here are a couple of the foodie places we found along the way. If you're anywhere near these, do yourself a flavor-favor and visit them.

You know that unlike many food bloggers, I don't normally do restaurant reviews, and never review restaurants which have a bigger advertising budget than my Social Security income. But these places were exceptional. The others we won't mention...

Le Flor de Espagna
Winter Haven, FL

What a find!  This is a big, bright, clean Latin bakery and restaurant, tucked out of sight on a side street. Sally asked her GPS app for “nearby restaurants” as we came into town, and this place popped up just a block from where we were stopped at a light. The food is set out cafeteria style, and you order “a scoop of this and a helping of that”. Everything was freshly made and nicely displayed. We both chose the Ropa Vieja, but with different sides – crunchy/chewy tostones, sweet fried bananas, rice & black beans and aroz amarillo. The pastries were amazing as well – a sandwich of filo dough and apricot paste, topped with caramel and a drizzle of chocolate, and a scrumptious fruit filled monster of a roll. 
Ropa Vieja with black beans and rice

Fabulous pastries!
 

www.facebook.com/pages/La-Flor-de-Espa%C3%B1a-Bakery-Rest/1455707708051270


The Blue Hen
St. Augustine, FL
in the Lincolnville District

We ate breakfast at this eclectic little place last year. Lunch this year was fantastic as well. I had two fabulous Datil BBQ Shrimp Tacos. The Datil pepper is the locally grown hot pepper. The tacos were topped with homemade Pico de Gallo and an amazingly good creamy cabbage and cilantro slaw, and accompanied by black beans and brown rice. Sally had a wonderful portion of their Blue Crab Quiche with Swiss cheese, a side of home fries and a giant homemade biscuit, that I only got one bite of before it all disappeared!
Blue Crab Quiche
Shrimp Tacos
 
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-blue-hen-cafe-saint-augustine


Palm Valley Fish Camp
Ponte Vedra, FL (south side of Jax)
On the Intercoastal Waterway

Great place, and very popular – go early or make a reservation. I had the Broiled Seafood Platter – parsley lemon butter, shrimp, scallops, cod, new potatoes, and squash. Sally had the special Mahi mahi plate. Both excellent, and good value for the dollar. We shared a Fried Okra starter – whole okra dipped in an almost tempura light batter and deep fried, with a great chef-made dipping sauce.
Fried Seafood Platter

www.palmvalleyfishcamp.com
 

Flavor Palette
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL

What an interesting palette of flavors! Falafel burgers, Moroccan Lemon Chicken Pita Wrap, Bahn Mi with turkey!, Canadian Poutine, Spanish Papas Bravas, and more. All on the same daily menu! Chef/Owner Tommy MacDonough and his wife moved to Florida six months ago from Philly, and opened the Flavor Palette practically before their car was unloaded. Great flavors and lots of food at great prices. We wish them well! Sally had the Falafel Burger, nearly an inch thick covering the whole French style hamburger bun. I had the Moroccan Chicken Pita Wrap – full of chicken, kalamata olives, onion and flavored with a great Ras al Hanut spice blend. Both sandwiches were served with fresh, chef-made waffle chips. 
Massive Falafel Burger!

 www.flavorpalettepvb.com


Diabetic Recipes
Sally's conference was all about diabetes, and coincidentally the new issue of the Diabetic Newsletter, published by Diabetic Gourmet Magazine arrived in my email. I've subscribed to the newsletter for several years, and you've followed me making several of their recipes. These two “summer salad” ideas seemed perfect for this time of year.

Caribbean Shrimp Salad
Yield: 4 servings as a Side Salad; 2 servings as a lunch-sized Chef's Salad

1/2 lb. medium shrimp
2 large plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 mango, chopped
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups loosely packed (6 large) red lettuce leaves

Bring 2 quarts of water to boil. Add shrimp and cook until they turn pink and curl, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and peel. Halve the shrimp crosswise, and place in a mixing bowl.

To the bowl add the tomatoes, beans, mango, onion, jalapeno, and the orange and lime juices. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Tear lettuce into bite-size pieces and divide among 2 or 4 plates. Top each with equal amounts of the shrimp mixture and serve.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:
Calories: 162; Protein: 16 g; Sodium: 294 mg;
Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 20 g
Exchanges: 2 Vegetable, 1 Bread/Starch, 2 Lean-Meat


Corn and Black Bean Salad
This is a perfect side salad for a Memorial Day or 4th of July barbecue. Enjoy!
Yield: 4 cups, serving size about 1/2 cup.

1 (15-oz.) can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
1 (10-oz.) can Corn (white or yellow), rinsed and drained
1/2 Green Bell pepper, chopped
1/2 Red Bell pepper, chopped
2 Green Onions, sliced
2 Tbsp Parsley, fresh minced
1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
2 Tbsp Lime juice
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Toss together everything except the ground pepper. Once tossed, dust with pepper as desired. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving)
Calories: 120; Protein: 6 g; Sodium: 60 mg;
Cholesterol: 66 mg; Fat: 6 g; Carbohydrates: 20 g
Exchanges: 1 Bread/Starch, 1 Vegetable, 1 Fat



Monday, May 23, 2016

Beef Stroganov, Cauliflower Steaks, Irish Soda Bread

JCB #5  Roast Stroganov
The last, but not least, of my five Jones Creek Beef tm Roast Creations is this whole roast version of Beef Stroganov (stroganoff) using a whole slow-cooked roast rather than cutting the meat into chunks and pan cooking it. This way takes longer to prepare, but is less hassle in the long run;  and you get really tender beef.

2 lbs JCB Roast – Rump or Chuck
Salt & Pepper to taste
2+ Tbsp AP Flour for coating roast
1 large Onion, sliced
1 lb sliced Mushrooms (Crimini preferred)
1 cup Water
1 Tbsp Worchestershire Sauce
1 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 tsp Marjoram
1 tsp Dill
8 oz Sour Cream
1/4 tsp fresh grated Nutmeg
Optional: 1/2 tsp Trompeta en Pols – powdered mushroom concentrate
Egg Noodles

Salt and pepper the roast, then flour and brown the meat in a bit of oil.
Floured roast

Slice the onion and lay down a bed in your slow cooker. Put the roast on the bed of onions, add the liquids and spices. 

Liquid and dry flavors


At the 4 hour mark, surround the roast with the mushrooms and continue cooking.  In the last half hour, remove the roast, stir in the sour cream to make the classic gravy, and return the roast to the cooker. 

Cook for a total of 8 hours on low heat.  Place the roast on a platter and slice. 

To serve, plate a bed of egg noodles, top with a slice of beef, and ladle on the gravy. Add a scoop of vegetable side and dig in!

Many thanks to Jones Creek Beef for giving me this opportunity to explore the pleasures of their grass-fed, free range, hormone-free beef.  Look for JCB beef in the meat department the next time you're at your Walmart grocery.  Try, it folks, you'll really like it!!


Poached Pears
For a simple dessert to go with the Stroganov, I served pears poached with a teaspoon of Cardamon seeds and a whole Star Anise rather than the usual cinnamon or nutmeg.  Gingersnap cookies gave an aded layer of flavor to the dish.



Irish Soda Bread
Had some of this at a great Irish Pub over in Punta Gorda the other weekend, and just had to try making it myself. This is one of the classic quickbreads of all time. Can you say simple? I knew you could.  No yeast blooming, no extensive kneading and rising!  The whole process takes about 45 minutes.

You can make this either as white bread, or whole wheat. Traditionally, whole wheat loaves would be made for “everyday” consumption, while the more expensive white flour would be saved for making special occasion loaves.  Some folks turn this into a sort of fruit bread by adding currants, raisins and other such nonsense.  Trust me, it's reaaally good bread without any additions!

4 cups AP or WW flour (or a mixture of both)
1-1/2 tsp Baking Soda -- it wouldn't be soda bread without this!
3/4 tsp Salt
1-3/4 cup (approx) Buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425F. Flour a baking sheet.

Remember that dry "flour" cups are not the same size as "wet" buttermilk cups!  Use the appropriate measures.  

Mix the flour, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add in enough buttermilk, stirring with a fork, to form moist clumps. Gather the dough into a ball. Turn out onto lightly floured surface, and knead just until the dough holds together, about a minute.

Shape the dough into a 6-inch-diameter by 2-inch-high round. Place on prepared baking sheet. Cut a 1-inch-deep X across top of bread, extending almost to edges. 


Bake until golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool completely. 
 Slice and slather with butter!


Grilled Cauliflower Steaks
This is my take on a Bon Appetit recipe.  My take because I wasn't going to make a cilantro pesto!  Neither one of us likes that much cilantro!   I used basil, parsley and chives with the lime, ginger and garlic, to make my pesto/sauce.

1 large head cauliflower
2 Tbsp Vegetable oil, plus more for the grill
1 bunch large Scallions, trimmed
1” piece Ginger, peeled, grated
1 clove Garlic
1/2 cup (packed) of a combination of fresh Basil, Parsley and Chives
1 Lime, juiced
Cajun Spice blend, to taste

Prepare your grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil grate. We don't have a conventional grill, so I used the upside down grill in Sally's oven, called the Broiler, to do the cooking.

Remove leaves and trim the stem of the cauliflower, leaving the core intact. Place cauliflower core side down. Starting at the midline, slice from top to bottom into four 1/2" thick steaks. Slicing from the middle helps the steaks stay intact. Reserve florets that break loose.

Season the cauliflower and scallions with a splash of olive oil and Cajun spice.

Since I was using the broiler, to cut down on “grill time” (heating the kitchen), I par-cooked the steaks in the microwave for about 6 minutes. Then I broiled the steaks, loose florets and scallions together 5-6 minutes per side.

Otherwise, grill the scallions, until charred in spots, about 2 minutes. Then grill the cauliflower steaks until tender and charred in spots, 8–10 minutes per side. Grill loose florets in a basket until cooked through, 5–7 minutes.

Blend the ginger, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, and oil in a food processor, thinning with water if needed, until the sauce is the consistency of yogurt. I just minced my ingredients extra fine and added the oil and lime juice. 

Arrange the cauliflower and scallions on a plate. Brush with the pesto, and serve. Leftover pesto makes a nice bread dip for the Irish Soda Bread.

This is a pretty tasty recipe, that's for sure! Be aware, the amounts listed above won't serve 4 as a main course, the way the magazine suggests.

You don't have to go to the trouble of making your own pesto, of course. And you really don't have to slice the steaks as described, but it does make a nice presentation! You could just disassemble the head of cauliflower, lay the florets and green onions out on a grate or baking sheet, and grill or broil until things get brown around the edges.

Monday, May 16, 2016

Sous Vide Mojo Roast

JCB #4   Sous Vide Mojo Beef Roast

As I've said before, my friend Sara has all kinds of great kitchen toys even though she lives aboard a 52 foot cruising boat with her husband John. She's the one who suggested doing this "out there" cooking technique, because we wanted to see a beautiful roast that is a perfect medium-rare red in the middle shading out to a crusty brown on the surface, just like I can get with a filet mignon. The only way to come close to that goal, with a roast, is to use the "new French" style cooking called sous vide ("under vacuum").

Sous Vide (sue veed) came along in the 1960s but until recently has been prohibitively expensive for the home cook. Even Sarah's setup will set you back $180 to $200. Here's a link to an article on selecting a home sous vide tool:

http://www.amazingfoodmadeeasy.com/info/modernist-equipment/more/inexpensive-immersion-circulators#Recommendation

If you want perfectly cooked, moist and tender meats and veggies, with minimum fuss, this is the way to go. Be advised though, that is is the opposite of “fast food”.

Sous vide, or immersion cooking, cooks meats or veggies, vacuum-sealed in plastic, at a much lower temperature than conventional techniques -- about 130F. The sealed package is kept in a constant temperature water or steam bath for a much longer time than normal cooking -- as much as 96 hours! This is the epitome of "low and slow" cooking!!

Sara's "cooker" attaches inside any pot, brings the temperature of the cooking water to a set temperature, and keeps it there.

Mojo (mo-hoe not mo-joe) is the short name for Mojo Criollo (moe-hoe cree-oh-low), a classic Cuban/Caribbean garlic and citrus flavor base. You can buy it in the ethnic section of many megamarts, or make your own (see below). Marinate the roast for 1-3 hours, but not more. The citrus juice will “cook” the beef, just as it does the fish in ceviche.
Roast in a zip-top bag full of marinade.

Remove the roast from the marinade and use a vacuum sealer to encapsulate the meat. 


 Place the meat in the liquid of your immersion set-up, and using the immersion cooking tables set the time and temperature. We used 130F and 72 hours for the two-pound Jones Creek roast.
Now take a break for a couple days!

Even though the beef is cooked to the desired temperature, it isn't browned and lovely on the outside, so I used the Reverse Sear technique, like I did at the World Food Championships Filet Mignon Cook-off back in November.
NOT brown and lovely!

Once the roast was cooked, I removed it from the sous vide bath, and unbagged it. Then we heated a dry heavy skillet blisteringly hot, patted the roast dry (otherwise you don't get a good sear), and seared the roast for a couple minutes per side until we got a nice crusty brown while keeping the beautiful medium-rare color inside:

Dig In!

Side Dishes
We served the Sous Vide Mojo Roast with my Bajan Chilled Vegetables described a couple weeks ago, and a capered rice-pilaf that Sarah made.


Make Your Own Mojo Criollo Marinade
Sure, you can buy mojo criollo at the megamart (I did for this cooking).  But it's fun to make your own, and be able to adjust the relative amounts of garlic, oil and citrus.  Some of the Caribbean islands make their versions of mojo using lime and orange juices, or all lime juice.  

Mojo is great with chicken, pork, beef, fish -- you name it.  I've even added a splash to steamed vegetables now and then.
 
Yield: About 2 cups

1 full head of garlic – about 12 cloves (peeled, minced & crushed)
1 cup Olive oil
1 cup Naranja Agria (sour orange juice)*
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

*Can't find Sour Orange Juice in your local megamart? Make a good substitute with half regular orange juice and half lime juice.

Mince the garlic cloves. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and mash everything together with a mortar and pestle or the flat side of your chef's knife.

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat until it is fragrant. Add the garlic and cook just until the garlic is soft; be careful not to burn it. Add the sour orange juice, stir and cook until just heated through. Pour into screw-top containers and store in the fridge for a week or two.


Foster Genies Cooking
 This past weekend I did a cooking on behalf of Foster Genies.  Foster Genies is the brain child of Sally's masseuse Craig Fischer and his wife Jennifer, who are themselves foster parents.  Check out their Facebook page.  I offered to cook a dinner for a deserving foster family, and Craig connected me with a family with six children over in Cape Coral.  So Friday afternoon I showed up at their house and  cooked the following meal for eight:

Chef Ken's Corn Dog Pie Appetizer (for the kid in all of us!)
Moqueca con Pollo (described here a couple weeks ago)
Aroz Amarillo
Chef Ken's Ginger-Orange Carrot Ribbons
Sauteed Cinnamon Apples with Gingersnaps 

I think everyone had a good time and got filled up. What a great family!  I had four young "helpers" (notice the quotes).  Mom took lots of pictures, and along with the older girls, got some good cooking tips and ideas.















Monday, May 9, 2016

Mother's Day and Moqueca con Pollo

Beef, beef, beef. We've had a lot lately, with all those wonderful Jones Creek Beef roasts. And I still have two more to cook for you. But She Who Must Be Obeyed, and her Mum, declared a mini-moratorium for Mother's Day.

They wanted a pork tenderloin, with roasted parsnips and potatoes, and fried Brussels sprouts. So that's what they got. Plus some lovely Meyer Lemon Curd and Mango Jam tartlets for dessert.

Roasted Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
We got a really nice 8 lb pork tenderloin from Costco for less than the cost of 8 lbs of chicken, along with a big bag of dried apricots to make the stuffing. I had some Craisins already, and chopped up an apple to go with about a dozen chopped apricots. They were all
put in a container along with marsala wine, a mini bottle of vodka, a shot of Triple Sec, and allowed to soak over night.

Mother's Day I sliced the pork tenderloin open like a giant French loaf, leaving a hinge on one side. After draining the fruit, I dusted the inside of the loin with Sazon Complete tm, and then ladled in the alcohol-soaked fruit. I folded the top down and tied the roast about every 3 inches, from end to end.
Placing the roast on a non-stick foil covered baking tray, I set the oven to 325F and dusted the roast with Everglades Seasoning tm  and Smoked Paprika. This much pork tenderloin cooks to medium rare in 8-11 minutes per pound at that temperature, so after pre-heat I slid the roast in the hot box and set the timer for 90 minutes.  Then I began prepping the other dishes.

Potatoes and parsnips were peeled, cut into pieces, and roasted in their own pan the same oven. Sally wants to remind you readers that it's Good Thing to par-cook those root veggies before roasting them! Brussels sprouts were halved, drizzled with oil and dusted with Cavender's Greek Seasoning tm before frying them on the griddle.

Tender and juicy, this stuffed pork tenderloin is easy to make!

Sally's Mum went home with enough roast and leftover veg for several meals, Sally has several day's worth of lunches, and I'll be eating pork all week at the boat!


Lemon Curd Tartlets
A couple months ago we harvested the first couple of Meyer lemons from a tree we planted last summer. I turned those lemons into a nice jar of Meyer Lemon Curd, using the Microwave Curd recipe that I detailed here late last year, and stored it in the fridge. Mother's Day seemed like the perfect place to use our yellow treasure, so I looked around for something lemony to do for dessert.

I found a six pack of graham cracker crust mini-tart shells, which just called out to be filled with lemon curd. They were on the shelf at my megamart, next to the larger graham cracker and chocolate cookie pie crusts which are so good for fruit pies.

There wasn't quite enough curd to fill six tarts, but we happened to have a jar of commercial mango jam in the fridge, that filled the other two (the end two on the right, below). I topped the tarts with fresh raspberries and blueberries which aren't tropical, but they sure are tasty.


Moqueca con Pollo
When I made Moqueca, the fabulous Brazilian fish stew, with cod a couple weeks back, both Sally and I remarked that the basic bell pepper/onion/citrus juice/coconut milk "gravy" would probably taste pretty good with chicken instead of fish. Or as Emeril used to say "...you could put that on a car bumper and it would be good". 

To test the idea, last Friday night I made "Moqueca con Pollo". Exactly the same recipe as I posted before, except I pre-cooked a couple chicken breasts about 3/4 done, then added the vegetation. I sauteed the veggies soft, then cut the chicken into pieces and added the citrus, coconut milk and cilantro. Another 15 minutes cooking allowed the flavors to all come together.  

I served the Moqueca con Pollo with Cumin Rice.  This was just as good as the original, and another great thing to do with chicken. I may have a Kilted Cook dinner for eight next week, and this would be the perfect main dish for that event.

Next week, Sous Vide Mojo Chuck Roast compliments of Jones Creek Beef!

Monday, May 2, 2016

Mississippi Roast, Bourbon Peaches and Mame

Jones Creek Beef #3   Mississippi Roast

This time we're making a "new traditional" roast, the recipe for which has been pinned and blogged almost to death according to some folks. 

The brain child of Mississippi residents Robin Chapman and Karen Farese, this recipe has gone viral, and Ms Chapman has appeared on the Oprah show among other things, touting her invention. I should be so lucky! In spite of all the media hype this recipe is simplicity itself and very flavor-filled.

2 lb Jones Creek Chuck or Rump Roast
1-2 tsp Kosher Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper, to taste
1/4 cup AP flour
3 Tbsp Olive Oil, for browning
1/2 stick unsalted Butter
1 packet powdered Ranch Dressing mix
1 packet Au Jus Gravy mix
12-16 pepperoncini
Optional -- chopped parsley, for garnish
Salt and pepper the roast, if desired. Then coat with the flour and brown in a splash of oil until you get a nice dark crust. Put the browned roast in a slow cooker. Surround the roast with the pepperoncini and the pickling liquid. Sprinkle the roast with the seasoning packets, and top with the butter. Cover and set the timer for six hours.
Meanwhile figure out what side dishes you want to serve, and cook them. I went with what the Scots would call Tatties & Neeps -- chunky cut potatoes and turnips cooked together, with frozen peas & carrots.

O..M..G.. This is FLAVOR-FILLED!! We need a new word to describe how good this is. The rich taste of the lean grass-fed beef cooked almost to falling apart; the little bit spicy, little bit vinegary mouth watering gravy. Can you say "heaven on a plate?" I knew you could. 
I cooked the roast Sunday afternoon/evening while we watched our favorite PBS shows, and we tasted it about 9PM. Sally demanded a slice of roast with veggies, tatties & neeps for her lunch on Monday. Almost unheard of from the woman who doesn't care for warmed up beef!! I took the remaining roast and sides to the boat for my in-the-week main dish and shared it with Sara and John for Monday lunch, and then had it for two more meals myself.


Holly's Bourbon Peach Cobbler
I found this recipe while searching for something "no-bake" to do with a jar of bourbon-infused peaches which Sally's daughter Holly had sent me from Alexandria, VA. I made this dessert for our "Sunday Brunch with Mum" a week or so back.

Since I had a jar of cooked peaches, I skipped straight to heating the syrupy peaches to thicken the sauce, then put the hot concoction into bowls. I topped the peaches with crumbles of home-made gingersnaps from Uncle Charlie, the local cookie-maker who passes out yummy baked goods to veterans at the VA.

3-4 cups sliced fresh Peaches
1/2 cup Water
1/2 cup Brown Sugar, divided 
2 Tbsp Butter or Margarine
1/8 tsp Vanilla
3 Tbsp Cornstarch
pinch of Salt
2 cups crumbled Ginger Snaps

In a saucepan, combine 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, salt, and water. Stir to dissolve, then cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens.

Add vanilla and peaches. Stir to mix thoroughly. Taste. Add the remaining sugar (if needed)and butter, and cook until the sugar dissolves and the peaches have softened a bit.
Pour into an 8-inch square pan, a pie pan, or individual serving dishes. Top with crumbed ginger snaps. Serve with cream, whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream.


Mame.... how I love ya, how I love ya.....
Yep, we're heading into tropical fruit season. We went to the Ortiz Farmers Market on Sunday and saw Longan, Mangoes of several varieties, Apple Bananas, and the first Mame of the season. The middle-brown, football-shaped Mame, with its sweet orange flesh, is one our favorite subjects for dessert smoothies, with or without a scoop of Greek yogurt. The price is a bit high right now,but we couldn't resist a nice mushy-ripe two pounder for Sunday evening dessert.
 This last photo just doesn't capture the pastel orange color of the smoothie made from just fruit and half & half...