tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74768225355041979452024-03-13T15:20:54.766-07:00Justin: The VegetarianJustin Fuenteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11504234373034909968noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476822535504197945.post-65511714911935737662014-08-18T22:59:00.001-07:002014-08-19T00:33:32.582-07:00<h2 style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Ultimate Grilled Pizza:</span></h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large; text-transform: uppercase;"><b>Part 2: The Crust and Pizza</b></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next most important part of the pizza is the crust. For me the perfect pizza crust has those big air bubbles in it that are slightly blackened / burned. Yet the inside is still a bit chewy. That comes from cooking the pizza fast and at the highest heat you can reasonably achieve. And no, I don't mean throw it into a campfire. I'm talking about grilling them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5SK_jQ94yGgk5mIcobVQyHHyOXsUF_LepxZLkkAnOT_5uJF06BryO-5yn8noHrjGQSGuDLyqfhREy7kT0R5ky5bAN4nhdlS2qgc_9ZIkgrnI8_zdzNt3BWEab6JvHFrPrNVE1gRukxpI/s1600/Combo+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5SK_jQ94yGgk5mIcobVQyHHyOXsUF_LepxZLkkAnOT_5uJF06BryO-5yn8noHrjGQSGuDLyqfhREy7kT0R5ky5bAN4nhdlS2qgc_9ZIkgrnI8_zdzNt3BWEab6JvHFrPrNVE1gRukxpI/s1600/Combo+1.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next comes the toppings. If you take my advise on anything in this post, listen to this little tidbit of knowledge: When it comes to toppings, you MUST exercise restraint. Restraint is one of the hardest lessons I've ever learned in my years as a cook both at home and professionally. One of the biggest mistakes new chefs / cooks make is this: "Well if a little is good, a lot simply has to be better". Nope. Nope. Nope. I over did it with salt, with garlic, chile peppers, you name it. And I over did it with toppings. The first several times I made pizza, I piled everything on it. I mean these things were a solid 2-3 inches thick. A little cheese is awesome. But a ton of it is gonna blow my mind, Right?......(again) Nope. It won't. You'll end up with something that can't be described as anything other than a hot mess. A hot, soggy, raw in many parts, overcooked in others, inedible mess. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQIr0TSyK6LId2shjfqoOvDNbFQU5Tf0t_wLjsxci2mfs7bg8jmuY3CICJzCMi8k-BCZ8L6oWM3kE-IicheYkZZ3TWHkk9JTIQKW9hCJmXXLqrB3WUsfCSfNgXdkpqiWWDWdzdfd5Wqkw/s1600/Dough+Starter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQIr0TSyK6LId2shjfqoOvDNbFQU5Tf0t_wLjsxci2mfs7bg8jmuY3CICJzCMi8k-BCZ8L6oWM3kE-IicheYkZZ3TWHkk9JTIQKW9hCJmXXLqrB3WUsfCSfNgXdkpqiWWDWdzdfd5Wqkw/s1600/Dough+Starter.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The issue here was touched on in my last post. It boils down to heat. If you have a commercial pizza oven at home, you <i>might </i>able to pull off a thick pizza like in my early attempts. But if you're like me and you just have a gas grill, keep it simple. Don't expect the world from equipment that can't provide it. My rule of thumb is to keep it to three or four toppings. Of course, this is not including cheese or sauce. And again, exercise restraint in the amount of those ingredients. If you do, you will be rewarded with a simple and very delicious pie. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now I'm a traditionalist when it comes to pizza. At my house, we keep it old school. My favorite combo: Bell peppers, red onion, mushrooms, and sliced black olives. My wife? Pineapple. That's it. This is where the crust and the sauce shine. You can put whatever you want on yours. That's the beauty of it all. It's yours and only yours. Just keep it as I described above and you'll emerge victorious. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQY7E5NjvtC7EmAJatBqClpubZIasCNA7tZorBQNRXbAQLCWRwz7KoZvmz7UOrcz52OCH9RJ2MAFjDLZcFJG_WT0dXefZlN-77_zfUYx2tJYZFD3R0ln1WSJspZnld-B3VhZi87gQUs6o/s1600/Dough+Ball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQY7E5NjvtC7EmAJatBqClpubZIasCNA7tZorBQNRXbAQLCWRwz7KoZvmz7UOrcz52OCH9RJ2MAFjDLZcFJG_WT0dXefZlN-77_zfUYx2tJYZFD3R0ln1WSJspZnld-B3VhZi87gQUs6o/s1600/Dough+Ball.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As far as I'm concerned, the only way to cook a pizza at home is on a grill. As such, it's the medium of choice for this post. Can you make pizza one in your oven? Sure you can. And they come pretty good too. But I've always gotten much better results from the grill versus the oven. The reason is because I can get my grill much hotter than I can get my oven in the house which only reaches 500º F. I can get my gas grill between </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">600º and 650º F, which for me, is the perfect cooking temperature. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the actual grilling of the pizza, obviously you can't put your pizza directly on the grill. You'll need a pizza stone. I definitely recommend getting one made for grilling. Personally, I use the cast iron stone made by Lodge. It holds heat very well an will last a lifetime if you take care of it. I've used the ceramic ones in the past. Busted three of them on the grill so far. They snapped right in half. I just don't think the ceramic can handle the heat the grill puts out. And at $25 bucks a pop, it's just not worth it. So I invested a tad bit more, around $38.00, on the cast iron one and have not been happier. In fact, I think I'm gonna get another one so I can grill two pizzas at once. My wife's birthday is coming up in a few months......hmmmmmm. Two birds, one stone. Get it? As in one pizza stone. Ha! I'm funny. But I'd be willing to bet she won't think so. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_sz_1hTuVMFqx34ngzRBjYIE4aW7h-IfSkTMYC1obu5FEYXZOHqgzVeuuJ7QNqF9-TqNfBsinrU6POatSTAAVkvfg-T4OJs4z-M2W_0nlbXVaApAJ9SDWbkZlBy7VaIFnx38ve-72y5o/s1600/Toppings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_sz_1hTuVMFqx34ngzRBjYIE4aW7h-IfSkTMYC1obu5FEYXZOHqgzVeuuJ7QNqF9-TqNfBsinrU6POatSTAAVkvfg-T4OJs4z-M2W_0nlbXVaApAJ9SDWbkZlBy7VaIFnx38ve-72y5o/s1600/Toppings.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I feel I need to address the challenge of transferring the pizza from the peel to the stone. If not done correctly, your pizza will stick to the peel and good luck getting it to slide onto the stone. There are two ways of resolving this issue. The first way is to avoid the peel altogether. That would mean you'd want to heat the grill and stone as hot as you can get it, about 600 to 650º F. Then, once the grill and stone are up to temp, you would open the lid and build your pizza directly onto the stone. If you choose to do this, keep in mind you'll lose a substantial amount of grill heat and you likely won't achieve that balance of crisp crust and just melted cheese / just cooked toppings. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I prefer the peel. For those not familiar with the term, it's that giant spatula looking thing that's they use to slide the pizza on the cooking surface and to subsequently remove it. The way to succeed in the transfer is done by doing two things. Thing number one is the ensure the stretched dough is not still sticky. Simply dust it with a light coating of flour so that it won't absorb the dusting on your peel. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next thing is the peel. It needs to be dusted to stop your pizza from sticking to it when you are trying to slide the pizza from the peel onto the stone. You can use flour or you can use corn meal. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi14Zmdt9Miuli0OgM0OsvE40hWhWCkWMgux1Oi2Mi4PVHvJo0Bv6FsQgyJ_jW5m_XE3RTun28ulqGKPqnyTOrq2wMMlBMvHeJDezLW1JxIkyBGmt34vdtAVJ_cqbMHgOHf7SCb-TpyHYo/s1600/Pizza+Grill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi14Zmdt9Miuli0OgM0OsvE40hWhWCkWMgux1Oi2Mi4PVHvJo0Bv6FsQgyJ_jW5m_XE3RTun28ulqGKPqnyTOrq2wMMlBMvHeJDezLW1JxIkyBGmt34vdtAVJ_cqbMHgOHf7SCb-TpyHYo/s1600/Pizza+Grill.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This pizza dough recipe I found in <a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/no-knead-pizza-dough" target="_blank">Bon Appétit</a> magazine. It's an 18 hour dough that is "no knead". It's super simple to make. The only real thought behind it is the timing, which doesn't have to that precise, just a ballpark timing. There was <i>no knead</i> to change it (ha!, I'm on a roll). It's a fantastic recipe that I could not approve upon so I didn't bother to try. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv-Z_bJdYHlekrEbdNniqeVlXzw8B2eocKl80CVPzSoH4gUMGvFafkbi3poNBY-82EY6yRDJ0a3m7F_KBuVDxd1ujda4WWmjYDbFaBxvRGDANwFkJQwD4Mn0rkZj9hn5ZdF1VFSS4UHMw/s1600/Pineapple_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv-Z_bJdYHlekrEbdNniqeVlXzw8B2eocKl80CVPzSoH4gUMGvFafkbi3poNBY-82EY6yRDJ0a3m7F_KBuVDxd1ujda4WWmjYDbFaBxvRGDANwFkJQwD4Mn0rkZj9hn5ZdF1VFSS4UHMw/s1600/Pineapple_.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><b>Tip:</b> Start with a clean grill. Because you are heating your grill to high temps, you don't want to end up with a grease fire from residual grease or food drippings from previous uses. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tip:</b> The biggest challenge I find is transferring my pizza from the peel to the stone. The best way to make sure your pizza doesn't stick to the peel is the make sure your dough is dusted with flour, making sure there are no sticky parts on the dough. Next, dust your peel with a little corn meal. I use corn masa like you'd use to make corn tortillas and it works very well too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tip: </b>This dough can be made up to three days ahead. If you do, wrap each portioned dough ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate. When you're ready to use the dough, unwrap each portion and let them rest on a floured work surface or cookie sheet, covered with plastic wrap for 2-3 hours. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tip:</b> When my pizzas are done, I pull them from the grill and slide them onto a kitchen towel. I then drag the towel out from under the pizza, using the towel to rub the bottom of the pizza as much as possible. Why would I do such a silly thing? I find the cornmeal gives the under part of the dough a cornmeal flavor that I don't prefer on my pizza. Using my patented "towel slide" technique, this removes the corm meal so you don't get that flavor. Don't check with the US Patent Office. I didn't really patent that. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tip:</b> Relax. You first few pizzas might be a bust. That's okay. I ruined a few too. My only real challenge was the peel-to-stone transfer. But once you get the hang of it. you're good to go. Enjoy. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<div>
<strong style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></strong><strong style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Pizza Dough</strong></div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; clear: both;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Ingredients:</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><br /></strong></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<ul style="margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;">7 1/2 (1000 grams) cups all-purpose flour + more for shaping. If you can weigh out the grams, do it. You'll get a better measure</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;">4 tsp fine sea salt</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;">1/2 tsp active dry yeast</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;">3 cups water</span></span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<div style="line-height: 18.64px;">
</div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<strong>Preparation: </strong></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 17.98611068725586px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and yeast. </span></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="line-height: 17.98611068725586px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 17.98611068725586px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">2. Using a wooden spoon, gradually stir in the water until it mostly mixed. Gently finish off with your hands to bring the mixture together into a rough ball. </span></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.64px;">3. Place the dough ball into a large clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rise at room temperature (about 72ºF) in a draft free area until tiny air bubbles cover the surface and the dough doubles in size. This should take about 18 hours. This time may vary depending on the temperature of the room.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.639999389648438px;">4. Once risen, transfer your dough to a floured work surface and gently shape into a rough rectangle. Divide the dough into 6 even portions. Working with each portion, gently fold the side under to form a nice round ball. Dust the ball with flour and set onto a baking sheet or floured work surface. </span></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.639999389648438px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.639999389648438px;">5. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rest for one hour until the dough is soft and pliable.</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.639999389648438px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.639999389648438px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.639999389648438px;"><b>To Make The Pizzas:</b></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.639999389648438px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.639999389648438px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.639999389648438px;"><b>Ingredients:</b></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 18.639999389648438px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
</div>
<br />
<ul style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;">3-4 cups of shredded mozzarella</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;">toppings of choice: we use mushrooms, bell peppers, red onions, sliced black olives, basil leaves, pineapple. But this is just our preference. Use whatever you like. </span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;">pizza sauce (<a href="http://justinthevegetarian.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-ultimate-pizza-part-1-sauce-one-of.html">use this recipe</a>)</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.639999389648438px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.639999389648438px;">1. Prep your toppings. Shred your cheese. Get your sauce ready to be spooned onto the dough. Make sure they are all ready to go so that when you start to make your pizzas, you don't have to stop to prep anything. Once you start making your pizzas, you want the assembly to go quickly. </span></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.639999389648438px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.639999389648438px;">2. Place your pizza stone on the grill and heat your grill on high with the lid down until your temperature gauge reads at least 550ºF but no more than 650ºF. Chances are, your grill won't really go much higher than that anyway so you don't have to worry too much about over heating. I usually throw my pizzas on at 600ºF. If you don't have a gauge, turn your grill on high with the lid down for about 20 minutes. </span></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.639999389648438px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.639999389648438px;">3. Prepare your pizza peel. Make sure the peel is clean and dry. Dust the peel </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.639999389648438px;">generously</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.639999389648438px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.639999389648438px;">with the corn meal, corn flour, or corn masa, which ever you prefer. Set aside.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.639999389648438px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.639999389648438px;">4. On a floured work surface, shape your pizza dough into a round making sure the dough is dusted enough so that there are no sticky parts of the dough. Now place the shaped dough gently onto the peel. Quickly spread your sauce on the dough, then toppings and cheese. </span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.639999389648438px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.639999389648438px;">5. Slide your pizza from the peel onto the stone and close the grill lid. If your grill is at 600ºF, you pizza should be done in about 9 minutes. Don't be a looky-loo. Keep your lid shut or you'll lose your heat. If you must look, lift the lid just enough to peek in make sure all is well, but don't do it unless you must. </span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.639999389648438px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.639999389648438px;">6. Remove pizza from grill, slice and serve. </span></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.62px;"><b>Makes 6 personal sized pizzas. </b></span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.62px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Justin Fuenteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11504234373034909968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476822535504197945.post-72765083331422079492014-08-04T22:00:00.000-07:002014-08-18T23:49:31.312-07:00<br />
<br />
<h2 style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Ultimate Grilled Pizza:</span></h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large; text-transform: uppercase;"><b>Part 1: The Sauce</b></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of my fondest memories comes from eating one of the worst pizzas ever made. I remember as a child, my parents use to take me the drive-in movies. I'd get my blanket, my pillow, put on my jammies and off we'd go. I guess the idea was that, since it was going to be a late night, I could just crash in the back seat whenever I got tired. But it never worked out that way. I was always wide awake through both movies. In between movies, we'd play on the swings and the monkey bars. Then we'd run to the snack bar and get sodas and a pizza. Paper thin, greasy, floppy, cardboard tasting pizza. It was exquisite. This was back before those little plastic three pronged things were invented (patented in 1985, in case you were wondering) that they now put in the center of the pizza to keep the cardboard lid from sagging into the pizza cheese, thereby lifting half the cheese off the pizza when you opened the box. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYs_yrieS2F44bLFhW_AMndVGNFz7VOFa3aFxLlUdp_9tKac0x3doVAmCde5y8jfY3n4ZahvQbNoFu_r8QpfssQP1lfGEgH9WMhNwakhPo4pUCdAipzi3aJOxh0J9urTNLQ6Ctx3i5w7k/s1600/PizzaSauce1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYs_yrieS2F44bLFhW_AMndVGNFz7VOFa3aFxLlUdp_9tKac0x3doVAmCde5y8jfY3n4ZahvQbNoFu_r8QpfssQP1lfGEgH9WMhNwakhPo4pUCdAipzi3aJOxh0J9urTNLQ6Ctx3i5w7k/s1600/PizzaSauce1.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pizza in my house is a two day project. Let me tell you, I take this stuff very seriously. A pizza pie is very simple in nature, but man, it's easy to crap it up. And, dammit, I don't do crappy.....well at least I try not to. So if it's gonna take two days, so be it. I usually make my sauce and get the dough started on day one. Then, on day two, it's just a matter prepping the toppings and baking it. And really, I make it sound like a huge endeavor but it isn't. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We usually make pizzas when we have people over for an actual pizza party, so I like to get as much done the day before so I'm not spending too much time in the kitchen when everyone shows up. The dough recipe (<a href="http://justinthevegetarian.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-ultimate-grilled-pizza-part-2-crust.html">next week's post</a>) will make six personal sized pizzas, about 10" in diameter. But that's just a guess-timation because ours never turn out round. They're usually oblong, kidney shaped, or triangular and that's okay though because I think those odd shapes give the pizza character. And when it's time to start making the pizzas, I can get the guests involved in the process. Everyone has a different idea of their perfect pizza and this way they can pick exactly what they want on it. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhArdhYx70drvFS7HzbuSTLWmzbJycLI2-vpkIigak4pdkPtTfFJrAWIVRGLj6eRoNKGFYc9Bcoa8D4irZ0-vHIyF9TrigOCURgOGbltswEOflWXWVKbc2mM2RR_8XlJueSnqtwBgOFIs/s1600/Spice2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhArdhYx70drvFS7HzbuSTLWmzbJycLI2-vpkIigak4pdkPtTfFJrAWIVRGLj6eRoNKGFYc9Bcoa8D4irZ0-vHIyF9TrigOCURgOGbltswEOflWXWVKbc2mM2RR_8XlJueSnqtwBgOFIs/s1600/Spice2.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This sauce is a bit on the thicker side. It's not too thick but it's not runny either. I like it better that way because it doesn't run on your pizza and it helps to keep your crust crispy. You have to keep in mind that homemade pizzas don't cook quite the same way as pizzeria pizzas for the simple fact that your oven or grill can't really achieve the high temperature it takes to properly cook the pizza. But fret not, we're gonna get as close as we can with what we have. In the next post, we'll make the crust dough and finish the pizzas off. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMgbb-PUrvYxMCkeyAU2PQYb5Xs54ZhZIVRvkLu0_a9FkaVB52wy4dhF_g5Zub1LNf_bVMX3agbLQ8j62et3rRGC-indXuNXEzlkuJ1RiKypH9rmfTGQUU3qUKkbMhjRjDep1LtX0tsg/s1600/Garlic1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqMgbb-PUrvYxMCkeyAU2PQYb5Xs54ZhZIVRvkLu0_a9FkaVB52wy4dhF_g5Zub1LNf_bVMX3agbLQ8j62et3rRGC-indXuNXEzlkuJ1RiKypH9rmfTGQUU3qUKkbMhjRjDep1LtX0tsg/s1600/Garlic1.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">
<strong style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></strong>
This recipe was inspired by this <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/ultimate-pizza-sauce-114392/photo" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
<div>
<strong style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></strong>
<strong style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Pizza Sauce</strong></div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-size: 13px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Ingredients:</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><br /></strong></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">
<ul style="margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;">2 Tbsp olive oil</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;">1 cup white onion, 1/4 inch dice</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;">3 garlic cloves, minced</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;">2 15 oz. cans tomato sauce</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;">1 6 oz can tomato paste</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;">2 Tbsp parmesan cheese, grated</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;">2 tsp dried basil</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;">2 tsp dried oregano</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;">2 tsp fennel seeds</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;">1 tsp celery salt</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;">1 tsp salt</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;">1 tsp sugar</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;">1/2 tsp ground black pepper</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;">2 bay leaves</span></span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<div style="line-height: 18.64px;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="color: #222222;">
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<strong>Preparation: </strong></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 17.98611068725586px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">1. Heat the oil in a skillet over a medium high heat. Once shimmering, add the onion and saute for about two minutes. Now add the garlic and continue to saute for about 1 more minute until the onions are translucent and the garlic just begins to brown. Remove from heat </span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 17.98611068725586px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 17.98611068725586px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">2. In a medium sauce pan add the remaining ingredients. Place over a medium heat and add the onion and garlic mixture</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.64px;">3. Bring the sauce to a simmer and lower the heat to low. Cover and continue to simmer for about 20 minutes. Stir every few minutes or so make sure the sauce doesn't scorch at the bottom.</span><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.62px;"><b>Serves 6-8</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.62px;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Justin Fuenteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11504234373034909968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476822535504197945.post-18824121495990316262014-07-13T00:34:00.000-07:002014-08-01T00:07:23.267-07:00<h2 style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Chickpea Salad:</span></h2>
<h2 style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">This Is A Mock-Free Zone</span></h2>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUzbIMssY2PHCmoLhbkKZFYrFALobY5rzl9luvGV76p9T23E59jDRO2bETOrIH8fojS17E1gX7o7ttUnTYp1pRfi9G4rz7i7e60I06zV3Qjq_ZVboYCYrfe74Ps_8Ea6uZvyMkyaxY5No/s1600/Chickpea+Pita.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUzbIMssY2PHCmoLhbkKZFYrFALobY5rzl9luvGV76p9T23E59jDRO2bETOrIH8fojS17E1gX7o7ttUnTYp1pRfi9G4rz7i7e60I06zV3Qjq_ZVboYCYrfe74Ps_8Ea6uZvyMkyaxY5No/s1600/Chickpea+Pita.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My wife was looking for a new recipe to try a few weeks back. She told me she missed tuna salad sandwiches so she did a search for "vegetarian tuna salad". After a little looking around online, she came up with a few recipes for "mock" tuna salad using chickpeas. Most of the recipes she found are very similar to tuna salad recipes. So, at first, we just made them the way we did in the past. Only now, we used chickpeas instead of tuna. It wasn't quite right at first and need just a little tweaking to get the flavor profile and the texture right but eventually we nailed it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhozTEiyAg_PMUUhJm2Lgljx1tpzWLe6i2GlC37-6vaNaO3r5Rweq90g1TO-pvFaVBd0chm4jMvNDjBI0p9MYodeaEjT7L6IpseO471PUvLV5ktdCpW2_cOvqE_8cvsSjDxTGkjc2m4sYc/s1600/Chickpea+Snack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhozTEiyAg_PMUUhJm2Lgljx1tpzWLe6i2GlC37-6vaNaO3r5Rweq90g1TO-pvFaVBd0chm4jMvNDjBI0p9MYodeaEjT7L6IpseO471PUvLV5ktdCpW2_cOvqE_8cvsSjDxTGkjc2m4sYc/s1600/Chickpea+Snack.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll admit, I was pretty skeptical about this one at first but the more I imagined it my mind, the more it seemed to make sense. So I figured I'd give it a shot. She made me a sandwich and I'll be darned if it wasn't pretty tasty. It's easy to make, it goes together quickly, and it's somewhat versatile. You can eat it all on it's own. Or maybe on a bed of crisp lettuce and topped with some diced tomatoes. You can put a spoonful on a cracker or on a crostini. You can fill a pita pocket with it along with some sprouts, a few tomato slices and few cucumber slices or you can put it between two slices of bread. You could even make a "melt" with it. More about that later.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVjk4wvbwmaaaVMzpof9ese57-D19pD1SZ1I3jgLy-yYy0La5Qe4nJWk9Uyr5pdBeNsODVNlH8YJIPHcdMT5_QrUif0ZSYA-bhNoWlm5xCUM-POYRq8b_0v4v3Tz9UXjqD7xXZfG8vb0/s1600/Garbanzo+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVjk4wvbwmaaaVMzpof9ese57-D19pD1SZ1I3jgLy-yYy0La5Qe4nJWk9Uyr5pdBeNsODVNlH8YJIPHcdMT5_QrUif0ZSYA-bhNoWlm5xCUM-POYRq8b_0v4v3Tz9UXjqD7xXZfG8vb0/s1600/Garbanzo+2.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although this recipe was found originally by searching for "vegetarian tuna sandwich". It's really not that at all. It's a proper chickpea salad. And it should be regarded as such. So no "mock" salad here. This is chickpea territory. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tip: </b>To make the melt, heat a skillet over a medium heat. Butter two slices of bread on one side only. Place a slice of cheese (I recommend provolone) on one side of the bread making sure the butter side is down so it's the side touching the skillet when you cook it. Then spread a layer of the chickpea salad on top on the cheese. If you like a lot of cheese, put another layer of cheese over the chickpea layer then top with the other slice of buttered bread, again butter side out. Place in the skillet and let it cook until the bottom slice is golden and the cheese begins to melt, about 3 minutes. Then flip the sandwich over and allow the other side to get golden and to allow the cheese to fully melt. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRFH_nU60Mv-bptoBAf2L41qcl943zyndFJ2R6K28Z6gIrSSX7B6ZxuYZ6fgv9zohhfXuOh4X4FpmPhZXXTZTyFeYG-nTmxiiyrWYGr9CieSFRNe30JHHA9NI0chh5bl9VxZO1gvALJCc/s1600/Garbanzo+Beans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRFH_nU60Mv-bptoBAf2L41qcl943zyndFJ2R6K28Z6gIrSSX7B6ZxuYZ6fgv9zohhfXuOh4X4FpmPhZXXTZTyFeYG-nTmxiiyrWYGr9CieSFRNe30JHHA9NI0chh5bl9VxZO1gvALJCc/s1600/Garbanzo+Beans.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h2>
<span style="font-size: large;">
Chickpea Salad</span></h2>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<b style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients: </span></b></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.64px;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.64px; list-style-position: outside; margin: 10px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 15 oz can of chickpeas, drained</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 Tbsp celery, chopped fine</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 scallions, chopped fine</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tsp capers minced + 1 tsp of the caper brine</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tsp Dijon mustard</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce (in a pinch, use soy sauce - but use the Worcestershire if possible)</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">black pepper, to taste</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise, depending on your preference</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18.639999389648438px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<b style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For Sandwiches:</span></b><br />
<b style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<ul style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.64px; list-style-position: outside; margin: 10px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6 slice bread</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">leaves of crispy lettuce (I prefer romaine or iceberg lettuce)</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">tomato slices</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<div style="line-height: 18.64px;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preparation:</b></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<strong style="line-height: 18.64px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong></div>
<div>
<div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Place the chickpeas into a food processor. Using the metal blade, pulse until the chickpeas are finely chopped but not pureed. It's up to you how chunky you want your salad. I like the chickpeas to be similar in size to rice. </span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Remove the chopped chickpeas to a medium bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix with a spoon until fully incorporated. </span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. You take this recipe from here. Make sandwiches, make a melt, do with it what you will. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.64px;"> </span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><b>Serves: 3 (if making sandwiches)</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.64px;"> </span></span></div>
</div>
Justin Fuenteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11504234373034909968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476822535504197945.post-29318222689725282402014-06-01T19:31:00.002-07:002014-06-01T23:52:29.292-07:00<h2 style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Aloo Gobi Burritos:</span></h2>
<h2 style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Indian Grub, food Truck Style</span></h2>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />My company recently did an event on Treasure Island in San Francisco. We were a vendor amongst many other vendors out to promote our company and meet potential customers. It makes for a pretty long weekend standing on the asphalt for two days straight in the sun and talking to hundreds of people. That feeling of being "on" for several hours at a time can wear a guy down. But it's business and we do what we gotta do. Besides that, it actually was pretty fun and interesting. We met some really cool people from all over, we learned a lot about the island, and we ate some pretty awesome food.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrCHYpZaQAJtsylb2K7r6W59Vq91vzkmZzNwNEyHEhBFPgj5aSFz1cg0IGtA2_43sYEsE17MgH-li9Y1vMDkeKYdy2SRtROyXYfSFKi0O2eRSXcW_tH7nEfbgiD53V5N8NRCV2Ueg5yT4/s1600/Aloo+Gobi+Burrito+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrCHYpZaQAJtsylb2K7r6W59Vq91vzkmZzNwNEyHEhBFPgj5aSFz1cg0IGtA2_43sYEsE17MgH-li9Y1vMDkeKYdy2SRtROyXYfSFKi0O2eRSXcW_tH7nEfbgiD53V5N8NRCV2Ueg5yT4/s1600/Aloo+Gobi+Burrito+1.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm kind of a down-home, back road, greasy spoon, mom and pop type of dude. So when the food truck craze started a few years back, I took to it like baby duck hitting the pond for the first time. I was ready. I was pre-conditioned. It was pure instinct. Luckily, I have one those stomachs that isn't adverse to a little food borne bacteria. The fact of the matter is that I've eaten some pretty rank shit out of some very questionable food trucks in my day and came out smiling and looking for more. I've paid my dues. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I come from the era where if you ate a taco off of one of these rolling cesspools, you'd better plan on an afternoon on the porcelain throne doing a lot of paperwork. But there were always the diehards. The dudes that loved those tacos so much that they sacrificed their very own health just for that flavor. An assumed risk, as it were. They pressed on in the face of adversity. There are those that have survived Everest. And there are those who have survived, at the time, largely unregulated food truck cuisine. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was one of those dudes. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's where I developed my roach coach chops. It was like a </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">boot camp for </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">my immune system. It has helped mold me into the man I am today. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMzMwRns94GABQca7XPdtRVUqTO2O06UUCuIXSEBm7SwSYEV4NlA1mGHSDvv7txBIk6Q5ckJLxuma400t4vkVx64jsgkksybCuR057V95oMJYw150nq37c-qSbuueHYMyfl-VuwLdqwIA/s1600/Aloo+Gobi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMzMwRns94GABQca7XPdtRVUqTO2O06UUCuIXSEBm7SwSYEV4NlA1mGHSDvv7txBIk6Q5ckJLxuma400t4vkVx64jsgkksybCuR057V95oMJYw150nq37c-qSbuueHYMyfl-VuwLdqwIA/s1600/Aloo+Gobi.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh, but times have changed. Now food trucks are a dime a dozen. And because of the fierce competition, their street cred is everything. I'll say it again...everything. Your food better be top notch (especially at $9 a burrito, you treacherous bastards) and you better not have your customers doing too much paperwork. Nobody likes paperwork. Prime example: there was a buzz going around the event to stay away from a particular truck, who shall remain nameless, because the last time, several people got sick and had to go to the hospital. It had even found it's way into the Yelp reviews. Done. Street cred set back to zero.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5WJpm0uGNJoufr7w5cftq2F5Ou2Ii0nfn1FRh4XMZp4brd0V0p05yPs6zCT7OGx2ll9ykYH9jE6_2457PPmqcYuTy_NZTkGwFRi4d88ATMqfZiNPldK83C0EBp2dNmXmSxj8gN6f4kOs/s1600/Aloo+Gobi+Slurry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5WJpm0uGNJoufr7w5cftq2F5Ou2Ii0nfn1FRh4XMZp4brd0V0p05yPs6zCT7OGx2ll9ykYH9jE6_2457PPmqcYuTy_NZTkGwFRi4d88ATMqfZiNPldK83C0EBp2dNmXmSxj8gN6f4kOs/s1600/Aloo+Gobi+Slurry.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That being said, the modern day street grub is much safer than it was back when I was eating mystery meat burritos off the plain white truck in the middle of a, shall we say, less than desirable neighborhood. And on this particular occasion, I had the pleasure of having a aloo gobi burrito. I was instantly aflutter. You might even say giddy. I giggled like a school girl until I realized I was in close proximity to other people at which point I fake coughed and pretended I had something in my throat. I knew I had to do it myself. And so I did. Please enjoy.... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tip: </b>Practice "mise en place" with this recipe as the first part goes quickly. Having all your ingredients prepped and ready to go prior to cooking will save you from the possibility of burning you ingredients/spices. <b> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tip: </b>This dish isn't traditionally served as a burrito. So don't feel obligated to put it in a tortilla. It's just as good by itself. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tip: </b>This one has a little bit of a kick. If you don't like too much heat, cut back on the serranos and cayenne. <b> </b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<h2>
Aloo Gobi Burritos</h2>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<b style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients: </span></b></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.64px;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.64px; list-style-position: outside; margin: 10px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 garlic cloves, finely minced</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 inch of ginger, finely minced or grated</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 Tbsp coriander powder</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp turmeric</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp cayenne pepper</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/3 cup water</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6 Tbsps peanut oil</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp cumin seeds</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 tsp hing (Asafoetida)</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 bay leaves</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 small serrano peppers (chopped)</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 large or 1 small cauliflower, cut into small florets</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 medium potatoes, diced</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Tbsp salt (or to taste)</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tsp mango powder (amchoor)</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves (from about 6 sprigs)</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5 large burrito sized tortillas</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<div style="line-height: 18.64px;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preparation:</b></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<strong style="line-height: 18.64px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong></div>
<div>
<div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Combine the garlic, ginger, coriander, turmeric, cayenne pepper and water in a small bowl and stir to combine. Set aside. </span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Heat the oil in a dutch oven over a medium high heat until the oil is shimmering. Toss a cumin seed in. If is sizzles, it's hot enough. Then add the cumin seeds and hing. Stir for a minute until the seeds begin to slightly darken. </span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Now add the </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.639999389648438px;">bay leaves and the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.64px;">peppers. Stir for a minute and then add the spice/water mixture. Continue to stir until the oil and spice begin to separate, about one minute. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.63px;">3. Add in the cauliflower, potatoes, salt and a 1/4 cup of water. Stir to coat the cauliflower and potatoes. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.63px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.63px;">4. Lower the heat to medium and cover the pot. Let it cook for 15-20 minutes making sure to stir every 3-4 minutes. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.639999389648438px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.639999389648438px;">If it gets too dry, just add water to prevent burning. Keep in mind this isn't a "saucy" recipe. It's supposed to be moist but not in a sauce. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.64px;">4. Finally, add the amchoor powder and the cilantro and stir to combine. Let stand for a few minutes for the amchoor to combine.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.64px;">5. Heat a tortilla until it's nice and warm and pliable. Fill with 1/4 of the aloo gobi and wrap like a burrito. Repeat to make all 4 burritos.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><b>Serves: 5 </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.64px;"> </span></span></div>
</div>
Justin Fuenteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11504234373034909968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476822535504197945.post-6479177635741456322014-05-18T21:53:00.000-07:002014-05-19T12:57:14.744-07:00<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<h2 style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Vegetarian Chili:</span></h2>
<h2 style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">You Don't Need Meat To Have A Good Time (That's What She Said)</span></h2>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />I'm sorry about that title.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Chili is one of those American staples that seems to make it's way into every nook and cranny of this country. I counted the recipes online and there are 86.3 trillion of them, all different. FYI: I'm just kidding, I didn't really do that. Let's say there's a butt-load of them. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_h8tfurVolsysM6vg2BGTrumLylNNbADcDNrn1WVTzWNtwjRXKHqaZdAsPh1x0FMwiA8TdVSrxgAcOrrF-zpb4dqdUA_fp1Y4a0nNFADaS9iJRQcXHGEY2xtbLJ1emeCn6RtR5fI9v4/s1600/Chili+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_h8tfurVolsysM6vg2BGTrumLylNNbADcDNrn1WVTzWNtwjRXKHqaZdAsPh1x0FMwiA8TdVSrxgAcOrrF-zpb4dqdUA_fp1Y4a0nNFADaS9iJRQcXHGEY2xtbLJ1emeCn6RtR5fI9v4/s1600/Chili+2.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Growing up, I always loved chili day. I especially loved chili day with cornbread. I think it's the sweetness of the cornbread in contrast to the heat of the chili that appeals to my culinary sense of satiety. As an adult</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, I have made chili an uncountable amount of times. Every time I made it, it was pretty similar to last time I made it yet it was always completely different, if that makes sense. It's one of those dishes that I never really sat down and hammered out a recipe. Then, when I went veg, I just quit making it. Not for any reason other than the fact that I was making so many other things, it never popped onto my "must-make" list until just recently. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Now that it's made the list, there is an elephant in the room when it comes to vegetarian chili that must be dealt with. Shall we talk about it? Majority vote (me) says yes. I don't quite understand where it was written that once you remove the meat, you had to add corn, zucchini, five different types of beans including garbanzos, etc, etc, etc. Where in the hell did that translation come from? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf6t-XTU3kEkA4wKI0LTVezqLGzd4mSRsXA0pM0WxF5ehYQ2yVupUGtUU1xGWmUWHHIQteCkRKK2YLbz8Q8sHmwG309e9Gnf2uZAchzBuIu-1VdlbrX2BJCg1mTRm9MNNzNki8C6PJa6c/s1600/Ingredients.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf6t-XTU3kEkA4wKI0LTVezqLGzd4mSRsXA0pM0WxF5ehYQ2yVupUGtUU1xGWmUWHHIQteCkRKK2YLbz8Q8sHmwG309e9Gnf2uZAchzBuIu-1VdlbrX2BJCg1mTRm9MNNzNki8C6PJa6c/s1600/Ingredients.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>To me, chili is going to be simple. Primarily beans, meat, or a combo of the two. Simple. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">All that extra stuff simply isn't necessary. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prior to going vegetarian, I was always a beans/meat combo fan. Obviously this recipe will have no meat</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> so it's gonna be....umm....beancentric. However, I'm going to add finely chopped mushrooms here to give it that hearty flavor that a good chili needs. I know you don't</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">typically</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> see mushrooms in a chili but if you're gonna take the meat out, you kinda gotta replace it with a little sumpin' sumpin' to help fill in that gap. I'm not ashamed to say, I've become a bit of a mushroom whore over the last few years (please pardon my French). They have managed to take a stronghold in my kitchen. And they reign supreme with the exception their one and only arch-enemy, my wife. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYNYh_Nh9awx99B_6lvwqGnVO49URTh5yqoy_v1wY5H-xcvjelVKj5lhm-JBtT4tEwdrZgI0b4Yeej1HFaCHy-NXT36FZlw7GTQV-vrEjmiu3HZzjnTIq1Z7YcYG_no8FmWEZ8h_ancpQ/s1600/Veggie+Saute.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYNYh_Nh9awx99B_6lvwqGnVO49URTh5yqoy_v1wY5H-xcvjelVKj5lhm-JBtT4tEwdrZgI0b4Yeej1HFaCHy-NXT36FZlw7GTQV-vrEjmiu3HZzjnTIq1Z7YcYG_no8FmWEZ8h_ancpQ/s1600/Veggie+Saute.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know I'm reaching off topic here, but as I write this post, I am reminded of this weird little chick who peddles organic mushrooms at the local farmers markets. I say she's weird because she really is. I calls 'em as I sees 'em. She won't make eye contact with you but she will rattle </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">on</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, all the while looking at your feet, about how the mushrooms are grown, spewing little factoids about mushrooms that the lay person would not even know about or even care about, for that matter. I think she's the 'Shroom Whisperer. It amazes me how engrossed I am by this person who won't look at me. I reckon it's because I have a strong sense of her passion. She is truly in love with her mushrooms and I can't do anything but admire that. Let it be known, I'm her fan and I'll buy her mushrooms any day of the week. If you can find someone who has such passion about mushrooms, my advice would be to keep them as near to you as you possibly can. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<h2>
Vegetarian Chili</h2>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<b style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients: </span></b></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.64px;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.64px; list-style-position: outside; margin: 10px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 Tbsp oil, divided (I used peanut oil)</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 oz. mushrooms, finely diced (I used Portobellos but you can use cremini or baby bellas)</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup celery, finely diced</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.64px;">1/2 cup green bell pepper, finely diced</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup white or yellow onion, finely diced</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 cloves garlic, minced</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 (15 oz) can of tomato sauce</span></li>
<li style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cups vegetable broth (you can also use 2 cups water with one Knorr vegetable bouillon cube)</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 Tbsp chili powder</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tsp ground cumin</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tsps salt (or to taste)</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp ground black pepper</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp dried Mexican oregano</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 bay leaves</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1-2 jalapenos, finely diced (optional)</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 (15 oz) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">chopped onion (for garnish)</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">chopped cilantro (for garnish)</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<div style="line-height: 18.64px;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Preparation:</b></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<strong style="line-height: 18.64px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong></div>
<div>
<div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Heat 2 Tbsp of the oil in a large pot over a medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and saute until they begin to brown, approximately 4 minutes. Remove mushrooms to a bowl and set aside. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Add remaining 2 Tbsp to the same pot over a medium high heat and add the celery, bell pepper and onion. Saute for about 4 minutes until they are soft. Then add the garlic and saute for another 1-2 minutes until veggies begin to brown. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.63px;">3. Add the mushrooms back to the pot. Then add the next 10 ingredients up to and including the beans. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.63px;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.64px;">4. Simmer, stirring occasionally for 30 - 40 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken. If it gets to thick, just add water to your desired consistency.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.64px;">5. Serve with onion and cilantro sprinkled on top. Preferably with a nice corn bread on the side. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><b>Serves: 4 (at my house, it serves 3)</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.64px;"> </span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Justin Fuenteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11504234373034909968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476822535504197945.post-47704404435015951462014-04-13T23:52:00.000-07:002014-04-14T00:15:34.703-07:00<h2 style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Chinese Orange Tofu:</span></h2>
<h2 style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Orange You Glad I Didn't Say Chicken?</span></h2>
<strong style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></strong>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I guess there's some unwritten but well understood law which dictates that one cannot eat the same type of food two meals or even two days in a row. That's a rule I don't understand. Somehow I just missed the boat on that one. For example, if I go to a Mexican restaurant for lunch and get some tacos, I'll eat them and move on. Then, when dinner rolls around, I'll have no problem making enchiladas. My wife, on the other hand is a staunch champion of the unwritten law. She'll say, "Enchiladas?!! We just had Mexican for lunch!" I'll reply, "And your point is?" To which she'll respond, "You CAN'T have Mexican for lunch AND dinner!" I'll volley back with a "why not?" And her answer is always the same: "Because you just can't, that's why." </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0hWd6Od-U1WhBM1c0qnF44V-L-ZKQoUCR5bgDVd7NhSjb4erhAKJ_M6a7Paq_dV51OERhVcafqiBN8EKuw_r0oZX4r-Wk5c12dn1K1DT7WslsDfE7xxiBT-hgfGchzgDryod5nGzZcUk/s1600/Orange+Chx+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0hWd6Od-U1WhBM1c0qnF44V-L-ZKQoUCR5bgDVd7NhSjb4erhAKJ_M6a7Paq_dV51OERhVcafqiBN8EKuw_r0oZX4r-Wk5c12dn1K1DT7WslsDfE7xxiBT-hgfGchzgDryod5nGzZcUk/s1600/Orange+Chx+2.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I rarely feel that way. Especially about Chinese food. I could have it two or three days in a row and never think twice about. Well, not until I'm reminded of the law anyway. "Because you just can't. That's why." How can I argue with that? </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a Chinese food joint up the street from my house that my wife and I frequented for several years. The food was always amazing but the service was always horrid. It was pretty common for us to get our plates several minutes apart from each other and the only time our drinks were refilled was when we flagged down the waitress. Then one day, it happened. The quality of the food took a nosedive. It became consistently mediocre. It seems the cook that had made that wonderful food for so long was gone. On what great new adventure he had embarked upon was never learned by us. Oh well, I suppose all great things must come to and end. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiti9HzZWpfqUQ8eruTWfpTiagP102cUsBAohFXzJuaRr9B_IPh0rLLLFXvLGgqiO_o_hmmti0cCjgZVdbkj-ZKPj0kNr_SQPwhgDGWP-Vw2l8K_P4XqfN77svuEw50lJqsgPylM7DWPCE/s1600/Orange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiti9HzZWpfqUQ8eruTWfpTiagP102cUsBAohFXzJuaRr9B_IPh0rLLLFXvLGgqiO_o_hmmti0cCjgZVdbkj-ZKPj0kNr_SQPwhgDGWP-Vw2l8K_P4XqfN77svuEw50lJqsgPylM7DWPCE/s1600/Orange.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, back in it's heyday, when the food was still awesome and the service still sucked, we would often talk to the gals serving the food and try to get hints on what was in it (besides the obvoius, of course). We were always told that the chefs were very secretive of their recipes and techniques. When the wait staff would inquire about the ingredients, the chefs would clam up and would actually put their bodies in between the wait staff and the food so nobody could see what they were doing. They told us that the cooks had come here from China and had been trained in Chinese cooking for many years prior to their arrival. They claimed that the techniques were highly secretive and that nobody in the restaurant knew the "secrets" except the chefs. I always thought that was kind of cool but now that I think about it, maybe they were just messing with me. Hmmmm. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXLU9PooP1BUFUS50WiLCf2kSDHpX1dHgzUZTCZY-3bmhy3-nFCta01J6SixbtoINmxDx6mGtCUYPZsV_F2vExnB8VwdqxWwoh9pl5NntAG8U2POx9jwm6bks31UdjyTKYd-_7frFAY6o/s1600/Tofu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXLU9PooP1BUFUS50WiLCf2kSDHpX1dHgzUZTCZY-3bmhy3-nFCta01J6SixbtoINmxDx6mGtCUYPZsV_F2vExnB8VwdqxWwoh9pl5NntAG8U2POx9jwm6bks31UdjyTKYd-_7frFAY6o/s1600/Tofu.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We've since found another Chinese place a little further out but just as good. One of our favorite dishes there is Chinese Orange Tofu. It's basically crispy fried tofu tossed with broccoli in a somewhat spicy orange sauce. We get it every single time we go there. We can be creatures of habit when we find something we really like. But that's ok because every time I eat it, I'm just in Heaven. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnQ3UtNH8ExD2OxY4I7zY9wSuqT3mCPDL7Nc12emIiAkuJRjY-6uuj6s_vZvwvh-1QbdxxmRT9q4Ff0_eoncmk94K7bFu0ua2HehJHFqxqv6-qJMuKV3ESg1sx02QSl7pDtrXT4JTc6cw/s1600/Tofu+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnQ3UtNH8ExD2OxY4I7zY9wSuqT3mCPDL7Nc12emIiAkuJRjY-6uuj6s_vZvwvh-1QbdxxmRT9q4Ff0_eoncmk94K7bFu0ua2HehJHFqxqv6-qJMuKV3ESg1sx02QSl7pDtrXT4JTc6cw/s1600/Tofu+2.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As many times as we've ordered it, I figured it was about time to figure out how I could make it myself. I'm sure there are some secrets from somewhere deep in China that I'll never be privy to, but that's ok, it'll be close if not better. Take that, super secret chef from China!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The crispy tofu portion of this recipe I found <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/02/vegan-experience-crispy-tofu-worth-eating-recipe.html" target="_blank">here</a> at Serious Eats. Great site to peruse. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Chinese Orange Tofu</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Tbsp salt</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tub extra firm tofu</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup vegetable broth</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup sugar</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 Tbsp rice vinegar</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 Tbsp Chinese rice wine</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 Tbsp soy sauce</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Tbsp fresh ginger, finely minced</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cloves garlic, finely minced</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 Tbsp oran</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ge zest</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tsp sesame oil</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 tsp white pepper</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5 dried red peppers (think chiles de arbol or cayenne pepper), halved, seeded, stem removed</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6 Tbsp cornstarch, divided</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 quart peanut oil (or other frying oil)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cups broccoli, cut into bite sized florets</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Accompaniment: </b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">white rice</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Preparation:</b></span><br />
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. In a medium saucepan, add the salt and about 6 cups of water and bring to a boil. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Meanwhile, d</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">rain your tofu and cut widthwise into </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 inch thick </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">slices. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Place the tofu slices in a large bowl and cover with the boiling water. Let stand 30 seconds, then drain off the boiling water being careful not to break your tofu slices. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">4. Place tofu slices, side by side, on a towel or a few paper towels and cover with another towel or paper towels. If possible, place a cookie sheet on top of the layers and place a weight (maybe just a few pounds) on top of the cookie sheet. Let stand for 15 minutes. <b>Tip:</b> The idea here is to squeeze out any excess moisture in the towels. <b>Tip:</b> Be careful not to make the weight so heavy as to crush the tofu. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">5. In a medium sauce pan, add the next twelve ingredients up to and including the dried red peppers and stir to combine. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">6. Make a slurry with </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">3 Tbsp of the cornstarch and 2-3 Tbsp of cold water. Stir cornstarch slurry into the sauce mixture. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">7. Over a medium high heat, bring sauce mixture to a simmer, stirring frequently. Turn heat to low and continue to simmer until sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes. Pour the sauce into a bowl and set aside. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">7. Clean and dry the saucepan and add the peanut oil. Bring your oil to 350° F. <b>Tip:</b> Be careful not to go much higher, you don't want to burn your oil. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">8. While the oil is heating, cut your tofu slices into 3/4 inch cubes. Place tofu in a bowl and toss with the remaining cornstarch. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">9. Deep fry the tofu in two batches for approximately 4 minutes per batch and drain on paper towels to absorb excess oil. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">10. In a wok, heat a tablespoon of oil over a high heat until just smoking. Add the broccoli and stir fry until broccoli is just beginning to brown but still green and slightly crunchy, approximately 2-3 minutes. Now add the tofu and the sauce to the wok. Toss with the sauce to coat the tofu and broccoli, about 1 minute. Serve immediately. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Servings: 4</b></span></div>
Justin Fuenteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11504234373034909968noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476822535504197945.post-55544074977195501162014-03-16T22:18:00.000-07:002014-03-16T23:51:22.203-07:00<h2 style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Spaghetti Sauce:</span></h2>
<h2 style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Not Sketti Sauce</span></h2>
<strong style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></strong>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A good while back I watched an episode of Honey Boo Boo </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(don't judge)</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">where the family made a </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">rather interesting version of spaghetti sauce, affectionately referred to as "sketti". Based on what I was able to gather, the sauce is roughly 50% margarine and 50% ketchup. Any seasonings? Nope. Margarine and ketchup, only. Was it at least slowly simmered over a low heat to somehow hopefully and magically deepen or develop the flavors of the ketchup and margarine? Nope. Microwaved. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(I'm not going to show you good people how to make sketti. So don't fret and stick with me here.)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju1bZrdc1PRffC8MYmvRasJzJHB5is1UXljgY_wJ8jmMX02hKAows_P0ogZgVEozx0Vsn_TTW30HGY9Bx1cx2uzGLqngsAh_O1caypSaNYttXMz7Kgnw047jHf57SL_D4gE2wSjNkiSQo/s1600/Spaghetti+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju1bZrdc1PRffC8MYmvRasJzJHB5is1UXljgY_wJ8jmMX02hKAows_P0ogZgVEozx0Vsn_TTW30HGY9Bx1cx2uzGLqngsAh_O1caypSaNYttXMz7Kgnw047jHf57SL_D4gE2wSjNkiSQo/s1600/Spaghetti+1.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Out of purely morbid curiosity, I made it. I know, I know, it's gross but I just had to find out. I knew it would be awful....but sometimes in life you just gotta make that call for yourself. It's like when your wife pulls some unidentified Tupperware container from the way, way back of the fridge with some leftover whatever, hailing from days of yore, and smells it. She recoils in disgust and says: "Ew!!! Gross!!! Here, smell this!!!". And you do. You know it's bad but you still smell it anyway. Why didn't you just learn </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">vicariously </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">from her obviously bad experience? After all, you did just witness her recoiling in disgust. Wasn't that enough? Apparently not.</span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS6DS1NvvVF0jmKZXdCiI05vEvPKFzdyL4X2TNYVjIQE4Hwv3CEWnuPwLGBoIMshJIT03_CwtCgVFknMjwIwy2oF7XOt5eq48I1YY6cAGd8fVyBWaimuJxlHe9NogOaBdb3aUF6YhqPRc/s1600/Spaghetti+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS6DS1NvvVF0jmKZXdCiI05vEvPKFzdyL4X2TNYVjIQE4Hwv3CEWnuPwLGBoIMshJIT03_CwtCgVFknMjwIwy2oF7XOt5eq48I1YY6cAGd8fVyBWaimuJxlHe9NogOaBdb3aUF6YhqPRc/s1600/Spaghetti+4.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I made the sketti. Surprisingly, it wasn't what I was expecting at all, really. In fact, I was actually somewhat familiar with it. And it was exactly as it should be. It was surprisingly, yet logically, sweet and tangy. The richness of the margarine tones down the tang of ketchup and adds a certain undeniable balance that.......oh shut up, Justin! Nutshell? It reminds me of SpaghettiO's. Does it taste exactly like SpaghettiO's? No, but the first thought that came to my mind when I tasted it was that of those beloved little round O's from my childhood. I guess you could say it was "SpaghettiO-esque". That being said, there's a reason why I don't eat O's anymore: they taste like sketti. Learn vicariously my friends, don't try this at home.</span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmgtDgDM9aJ4u9ymluoHPQisi6teNqzBZIv4K6326OU0iVxak1fO37nOtFVhZ9IVFTgANxmzNB_yAXokojdC2-9ft8N5ay1VBKXY9nuefhVtECW7kNtEq2CreMBCZ2s-34oKo7EaDubeY/s1600/Spaghetti+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmgtDgDM9aJ4u9ymluoHPQisi6teNqzBZIv4K6326OU0iVxak1fO37nOtFVhZ9IVFTgANxmzNB_yAXokojdC2-9ft8N5ay1VBKXY9nuefhVtECW7kNtEq2CreMBCZ2s-34oKo7EaDubeY/s1600/Spaghetti+3.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What I have for you today is my own version of spaghetti sauce. Or pasta sauce, if you will. I know that's kind of a generic term that can mean a million things. But for me, growing up, spaghetti sauce was always synonymous with marinara. It was something that was always in the "mix" for an easy weekly dinner. And this goes back to before I can remember. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For me, it's one of those comfort-type foods that is easy to make and it will usually please pretty much anyone.</span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzzbJS0RL8upqGlUaJNAjBTUmUyBDvGseT12TSRm3UQttcnVGXQCifJIU4uVK6oevq5W1VdSWK-MoCkGZxc-m4yY2dmBXDnoaRlZyOjqt0YRwrPTn4DwqY3wwFTbVzK4nB1qJCfWbGS-4/s1600/Spaghetti+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzzbJS0RL8upqGlUaJNAjBTUmUyBDvGseT12TSRm3UQttcnVGXQCifJIU4uVK6oevq5W1VdSWK-MoCkGZxc-m4yY2dmBXDnoaRlZyOjqt0YRwrPTn4DwqY3wwFTbVzK4nB1qJCfWbGS-4/s1600/Spaghetti+2.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I prefer my sauce kinda chunky. So I leave the veggies a little bit larger so they provide something to bite into when you get a taste. Not huge chunks but significant enough to create an identifiable bite. I love to bite down on that odd piece of bell pepper mixed in the sauce and think to myself: Damn! That bell pepper is amazing.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Hint: </b>We put this over stuffed cheese manicotti tonight and it rocked. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Vegetarian Spaghetti Sauce</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 15 oz. cans tomato sauce</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2/3 small can of tomato paste</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup red wine</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Tbsp soy sauce</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp dried basil leaves</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp dried oregano</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp dried rosemary</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp fennel seeds</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 tsp red pepper flakes</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 bay leaves</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">salt and pepper to taste</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 Tbsp olive oil</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 large bell pepper, diced</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/3 large onion, diced</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 garlic cloves</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Preparation:</b></span><br />
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. In a large </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">dutch oven or</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> pot, over a medium high heat, combine the first 10 ingredients (up to and including the bay leaves). Bring ingredients to a simmer, then reduce heat to low to maintain simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">2. In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over a medium high heat. Add in the bell peppers and saute for 2-3 minutes. Then add the shallots and continue to saute for about 2 more minutes. Finally, add the garlic and saute for another 2 minutes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">3. Now add your sauteed veggies to the pot with the sauce. At this point taste and adjust your salt and pepper if necessary. Let simmer for an additional 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">4. Serve over pasta of your choice.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Servings: 6</b></span></div>
Justin Fuenteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11504234373034909968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476822535504197945.post-57794997567882065242014-03-02T23:46:00.001-08:002014-03-03T12:37:45.945-08:00<h2 style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Portobello Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches:</span></h2>
<h2 style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Not From Philly, Contains No Steak</span></h2>
<strong style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></strong>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's another prime example of a dish that doesn't seem like it would be good without the "steak". Not only is it good, it's fantastic. So in the spirit of just "<a href="http://www.justinthevegetarian.blogspot.com/2014/02/red-beans-and-rice-i-could-eat-plate.html" target="_blank">going for it</a>", here we go again.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbNGB86oJKqwe9tcOlMfyM-NzLp4esTKox-SupxW7rsWi354sStsrVacYN8NPyRBfyoEtJ7ZzYarINOqlqfU8NlrZAnWoaRGbo3rtqYKeB2Mbe_alngNjRBEJwjSUnAeSdlpe-Pz8CUCc/s1600/Cheesesteak+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbNGB86oJKqwe9tcOlMfyM-NzLp4esTKox-SupxW7rsWi354sStsrVacYN8NPyRBfyoEtJ7ZzYarINOqlqfU8NlrZAnWoaRGbo3rtqYKeB2Mbe_alngNjRBEJwjSUnAeSdlpe-Pz8CUCc/s1600/Cheesesteak+4.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have never been one to really embrace the fake meats that are available out there so I tend to avoid them like the plague. My philosophy is that if you're going to be a vegetarian, just own it, man! Don't try to fill your plate with fake steak, chicken, fish, sausage, etc. That, to me, just means you can't let go of the meat. My humble advise, should you care to accept it, is to simply let go. The best revelation I've ever had in my life as a consumer of edible substances is that you must embrace the sheer kick-assity of vegetables. For me, they were always the side note. An afterthought. I never truly gave them a chance. They were the proverbial "red headed stepchild" of the dinner plate. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgo4UsuJ3tJKOMbfwzyFZVTvo9TDdtsVDlLXhkPwxPtxtxIw14tg9tf93PqUtnkuOCB1ooKP0ox7x6hqudlbum8LYS7RRynlhoL1FSZa1kgLe68cvg4CFEFidBm8bM4aDZv8yK1Am9ls/s1600/Cheesesteak+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHgo4UsuJ3tJKOMbfwzyFZVTvo9TDdtsVDlLXhkPwxPtxtxIw14tg9tf93PqUtnkuOCB1ooKP0ox7x6hqudlbum8LYS7RRynlhoL1FSZa1kgLe68cvg4CFEFidBm8bM4aDZv8yK1Am9ls/s1600/Cheesesteak+1.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And as far as fake meats are concerned, don't get me wrong, early on in my culinary quest into vegetarianism, I ran through them to see if they might be at least somewhat acceptable. What I found is that I was repeatedly repulsed by their flavor. For example, there is a little somethin'-somethin' about the taste of seitan that is unmistakable. A certain je ne sais quoi, as it were. And there is no amount of spices, herbs, or any other flavor enhancers that can mask it. As I sit here typing this, I just had one those "ew, gross" shivers. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That being said, I typically don't eat those products whether they are store bought or homemade. Instead,</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I opened my mind a bit and came to </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">discover that the redheaded stepchild is actually a pretty cool kid. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6h0iVic9TrjLky7TUXD4IlKIKjJ7jTzwf-5PaTyRak_IADMgE6LPWg_7-P8XeFjjJ4lgP6AQfMpF8TBkJ2Y4vWKVzF7cZcpX7M9My-yx9l4DvcprsihzcTOcwKrZPVEJfN7K4tGpfdM/s1600/Portobella.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6h0iVic9TrjLky7TUXD4IlKIKjJ7jTzwf-5PaTyRak_IADMgE6LPWg_7-P8XeFjjJ4lgP6AQfMpF8TBkJ2Y4vWKVzF7cZcpX7M9My-yx9l4DvcprsihzcTOcwKrZPVEJfN7K4tGpfdM/s1600/Portobella.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the case of this recipe, I looked at several different versions online, both containing meat and no meat. I always focus on studying the meat-centric recipes because I found that many of the vegetarian recipes are so far moved from the originals, that they take on a totally different form, life, appearance, etc. They add too many ingredients and change too many things around. Before you know it, the outcome is nothing like what you set out to accomplish in the first place. Stop! You don't usually have to do that. It doesn't have to be that difficult. The fact is, many times, just a few tweaks here and there are all you need to get a vegetarian version of a dish that is very similar and just as satisfying as the meat version. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdKS-Bal8zMCGUb2kMDC7nIs-O63UmEadOeXJm1jbEhG9I9WG7XbAlDCyRqDWUcok2TS9mDvm7MkC48Elz5DUC2PCItMTkzomdjnUKZM1rqbpooCWhTGCwVEzEiC4Ddsd_5-73oxW5iEU/s1600/Portobella+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdKS-Bal8zMCGUb2kMDC7nIs-O63UmEadOeXJm1jbEhG9I9WG7XbAlDCyRqDWUcok2TS9mDvm7MkC48Elz5DUC2PCItMTkzomdjnUKZM1rqbpooCWhTGCwVEzEiC4Ddsd_5-73oxW5iEU/s1600/Portobella+3.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Based on what I found with other "authentic" Philly Cheesesteak recipes, these sandwiches are generally pretty simple and straightforward. There's nothing too complicated about making them and that's the beauty of this dish. It's simple in that it doesn't contain too many ingredients, it's not complicated to make and the outcome is over the top. I mean really, what more could you ask for? </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This recipe was inspired by this one <a href="http://ohmyveggies.com/recipe-portabella-mushroom-cheesesteaks/" target="_blank">here</a>. While the ingredient list didn't change, I did make changes to ingredient amounts to fit my personal preferences. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Vegetarian Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients: </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 Tbsp olive oil, divided</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 large portabello mushrooms (5" - 6" caps), stems and gills removed, 1/4 inch sliced</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 Tbsp red wine</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 large bell pepper, thinly sliced </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 large onion, thinly slice</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">salt and pepper to taste</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 - 6 slices provolone cheese</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 hoagie rolls (approx. 7" each)</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Preparation: </b></span><br />
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Preheat oven to 250°F. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">2. In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp of the olive oil over a medium high heat. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook until they are softened and brown, approximately 4 minutes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">3. Remove the mushrooms from the skillet, place into a bowl and set aside. Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel and place back over the medium-high heat.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">4. Add the remaining 1 Tbsp of oil to the skillet and add your bell peppers and onions. Saute them for approximately 5-8 minutes until they are also softened and brown. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">5. Now reduce the heat to medium low and add the mushrooms back to the pan. Stir to combine all veggies. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">6. In the pan, divide the veggies into two piles roughly matching the length and width of your hoagies rolls. Place two or three slices of cheese on top of each pile. Allow the cheese to melt. It doesn't have to be completely melted as you are going cook further in the oven but it should at least be more than halfway there. This should take 2-3 minutes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">7. Slice your rolls in half but not all the way though in "butterfly" fashion. Fill your rolls with the veggie/cheese filling. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">8. Roll each sandwich in a 15" sheet of aluminum foil. Place both foil wrapped sandwiches in the oven directly on the rack and let cook for 15 minutes. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Servings: 2</b></span></div>
Justin Fuenteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11504234373034909968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476822535504197945.post-91946906752960445012014-02-22T23:06:00.000-08:002014-02-23T02:16:30.234-08:00<h2 style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Red Beans and Rice:</span></h2>
<h2 style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">I Could Eat A Plate Twice </span></h2>
<strong style="border: 0px currentcolor; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></strong>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, I can certainly eat a plate twice. In fact, I did that today. That title comes from a Michael Franti & Spearhead tune. I really wish you could hear it because it's dope. YouTube it. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtR-kfaC3kW8bblzZd4cM7cfc40qORxBKkk2wUY907OChE-HKjDNNvuFAY1CIaaKeGSDgBlgcp642nQWHlwKBdJ3CyHA3WXJewWUxeAMmmMlgRs87sux31aICX1GkEOa8oOISNjSFqGCY/s1600/Red+Beans+and+Rice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtR-kfaC3kW8bblzZd4cM7cfc40qORxBKkk2wUY907OChE-HKjDNNvuFAY1CIaaKeGSDgBlgcp642nQWHlwKBdJ3CyHA3WXJewWUxeAMmmMlgRs87sux31aICX1GkEOa8oOISNjSFqGCY/s1600/Red+Beans+and+Rice.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of things I've come to realize about myself when it comes to making vegetarian dishes after being a meat-eater most of my life is that I tend to shy away from certain dishes, thinking to myself that there's no way that dish can be good without the meat. And, consistently, I have eventually just went for it and, consistently, it has turned out amazing. Then I think to myself: self, why the hell didn't you do this earlier?</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let it be heard today and now that I will no longer put off "going for it". Because, while I may not always succeed, the times that I do succeed truly make it worth the risk of failure. While I suppose you can apply this overly cheesy little philosophy to any aspect of life, in this instance, I'm going to apply it food. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlMKMKGGuqfkZ2PFojBRxJIw1BiLPFeUrNfl1DHMvQ9KRZOr0ZwyS6kqKep3CAFv7-_r4SsikowSI5niG7_jggDoGEHc0X5qOaIVQLYwvkJfvIWQXx2aHy118Dz7l0MoDMQJSPLTPtwgs/s1600/Red+Beans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlMKMKGGuqfkZ2PFojBRxJIw1BiLPFeUrNfl1DHMvQ9KRZOr0ZwyS6kqKep3CAFv7-_r4SsikowSI5niG7_jggDoGEHc0X5qOaIVQLYwvkJfvIWQXx2aHy118Dz7l0MoDMQJSPLTPtwgs/s1600/Red+Beans.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One such recipe I have deprived myself of over the last few years has been red beans & rice. This dish is usually laden with tasso (smoked pork shoulder) or some sort of sausage, typically andouille. With such a flavorful component suddenly eliminated, how could it be right? Well, there is an answer for that. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To make up for the missing sausage, I asked myself what would the dish be missing flavor-wise if the sausage was taken out. I came up with two pretty obvious answers: smokiness from the fact that both andouille and tasso are a smoked meat and the pure fact that both add a "meaty" aspect to the dish. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It didn't take a genius to do what I did. What I did was simple. But damn if it didn't work well. For the smokiness I quite simply added some liquid smoke. For the meatiness, or in this case umami, I added some soy sauce. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgavktZUXlPKD_zC4RTWwuNmZAq6xZ4dO1bPC4TIIJMoiU0uWVfUgimoVGcOOvyfIBUoK8O6OViUXIABWsSxBWyrbihyCWqGH3DLZrNsdyFgl4oK30c8RZ7aa6cpyHBPZsl51zOfgaCaww/s1600/Celery+and+Onions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgavktZUXlPKD_zC4RTWwuNmZAq6xZ4dO1bPC4TIIJMoiU0uWVfUgimoVGcOOvyfIBUoK8O6OViUXIABWsSxBWyrbihyCWqGH3DLZrNsdyFgl4oK30c8RZ7aa6cpyHBPZsl51zOfgaCaww/s1600/Celery+and+Onions.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I took my newly created version of this dish to a friend of mine and fellow food lover, who is not a vegetarian I might add, for her to try and her response (via instant messenger) was "omg, omg, omg!!". I'll take that as a win. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This one is a little spicy. But it's creole dish and, damn it, so it should be. I wouldn't call it a butt-burner myself but, in my experience, spiciness is relative. It is based upon a <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/New-Orleans-Style-Red-Beans-and-Rice-with-Sausage-Fulcher-11359" target="_blank">recipe I used for years</a> as my go-to but is now happily vegetarian, and in fact, vegan. Enjoy. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>New Orleans Style Red Beans and Rice</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients: </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 pound dried small red beans, picked over</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 large onion, yellow or white, chopped</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 pale-green inner celery ribs (with leaves), chopped</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 garlic cloves, minced</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6 cups vegetable broth</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Tbsp soy sauce</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 tsp hickory liquid smoke</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 bay leaves</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Tbsp dried thyme</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tsp dried oregano</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 teaspoon Louisiana hot pepper sauce ( I like Red Rooster but Tabasco will work too)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 tsp garlic powder</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp ground allspice</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon ground cloves (don't leave this out!)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp ground white pepper</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp ground black pepper</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tsp salt, or to taste</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Accompaniment: </span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">white rice </span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<ul></ul>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Preparation: </b></span><br />
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. In a large bowl, cover beans in water by two inches and soak overnight. Once soaked, drain beans.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. In a large pot or Dutch oven, combine all ingredients. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Stirring occasionally to ensure beans don't stick to the bottom of the pot. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Remove lid and continue to simmer for an additional hour, again stirring occasionally. If the mixture becomes to thick, add water. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Remove 1 cup of the mixture and mash to a paste. Alternatively, you can puree it in a blender or food processor. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. Add mash / pureed beans back to mixture and stir to thicken. Serve over rice. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Servings: 6</b></span></div>
Justin Fuenteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11504234373034909968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476822535504197945.post-82752180424808861742014-01-30T23:41:00.000-08:002014-01-30T23:42:21.521-08:00<h2 style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Wedge Salad:</span></h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<h2 style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Simple Bliss </span></h2>
</div>
<strong style="border: 0px currentcolor; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></strong>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since having this salad for the first time about two months ago, I have come close to dying of hyper-wedge-salad-poisoning. Yes, I've had my life's share in a short period of time. I don't know what it is about this thing that has had such a profound effect on me, but it has. I love it when something so simple-stupid is the best thing you've had in ages. It keeps you on your toes and makes you remember that simplicity is sometimes divine. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc3w8whB_KsKt359WDyF_VVEoKONWIJkTYEQ05l9tYNitcC3XNFTPljm6BUeLOo-ClF_QHtZLWWWHI042S66VtdNGntNVLHzD44JE6Z0FWdJJYDwcFvhkPB-Wk_1Nx42ezPFYtfyIr5Wg/s1600/Wedge+Salad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc3w8whB_KsKt359WDyF_VVEoKONWIJkTYEQ05l9tYNitcC3XNFTPljm6BUeLOo-ClF_QHtZLWWWHI042S66VtdNGntNVLHzD44JE6Z0FWdJJYDwcFvhkPB-Wk_1Nx42ezPFYtfyIr5Wg/s1600/Wedge+Salad.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm sure it has something to do with the subtle (or maybe not so subtle) decadence of it. I'm mean this one has just the right combo of ingredients that I find appealing. You get the crunchiness of the iceberg lettuce, which is my favorite lettuce, by the way. And I don't care if it's throwback 70's or whatever. I love it. The meatiness of the shiitake mushrooms makes the salad feel more like a meal than starter. In fact, when I make it, it is a meal. I usually don't have anything with it but that's not to say a nice bean or veggie soup wouldn't go good along side. Then there is the crunchy-salty-tastiness of the fried onions that top this salad. I almost want to say they are the icing on the cake but we still haven't gotten to the dressing. The richness of the buttermilk ranch coupled with the sharpness of the blue cheese definitely pulls everything together. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidB07gikv7MZAESizXNCFIdLq03WCUhLQm_MgAHA1Q5jM7wf47DSpKUQBF2jlgS-ahlmVwoomGIDjcdun94TR8YkssZcfRUFeoZVw_Kq-dVoveucfCvIyhnetHzGu3V7Txjxi2oblHDE/s1600/Wedge+Salad+Ingredients.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidB07gikv7MZAESizXNCFIdLq03WCUhLQm_MgAHA1Q5jM7wf47DSpKUQBF2jlgS-ahlmVwoomGIDjcdun94TR8YkssZcfRUFeoZVw_Kq-dVoveucfCvIyhnetHzGu3V7Txjxi2oblHDE/s1600/Wedge+Salad+Ingredients.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="clear: both;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The last few blog entries here have been sort of leading up this post. They make up three of the components you'll find in this salad. You can probably buy a few of the them, such as the dressing and the fried onions, pre-made. But I can only suggest you don't do it. Make these from scratch. They are so much more </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">fresh and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">flavorful. It's more effort, yes, but the payoff is truly incomparable. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This part of the recipe is the easiest. It's the part where all the goodies come together as one. My suggestion is to include all the parts of this salad listed. It's the combo of them all that really sets this one off. </span><br />
<div style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Wedge Salad</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients: </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 head iceberg lettuce</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://justinthevegetarian.blogspot.com/2014/01/buttermilk-ranch-dressing-simple-and.html" target="_blank">buttermilk ranch dressing</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2-3 Roma (plum) tomatoes, cored and diced</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://justinthevegetarian.blogspot.com/2014/01/shiitake-bacon-dont-believe-me-try-it.html" target="_blank">shiitake bacon</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://justinthevegetarian.blogspot.com/2014/01/crispy-fried-onions-or-whatever-theyre.html" target="_blank">crispy fried onions</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 tsp fresh chives, chopped</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<ul></ul>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Preparation: </b></span><br />
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Cut your lettuce head in half. Remove the core from each side. Then cut the halves in half again to form 4 equal wedges. I </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">actually</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">like to cut the quarters in half again and place two wedges on each plate. So basically, you cut the head into eight wedges and each serving gets two wedges. I find this helps the toppings to stay put and not just roll off the top of the wedge and onto the plate. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Top each serving of lettuce with ranch dressing. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Then add your remaining toppings to your own taste. The order of ingredients above is the order I prefer to add them but it's up you. I find it keeps all the components visible and therefore aesthetically pleasing. It doesn't really matter, just make sure to get them all!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Servings: </b>4</span></div>
Justin Fuenteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11504234373034909968noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476822535504197945.post-30994132499111802552014-01-20T23:19:00.002-08:002014-01-20T23:20:26.018-08:00<h2 style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Shiitake Bacon:</span></h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<h2 style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Don't Believe Me? Try it. </span></h2>
</div>
<strong style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></strong>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh mushrooms. What can I say to you that I haven't said a million times over? I love you unconditionally. You are one of my dearest culinary friends. We go back a long time. A <i>very</i> long time. But you've been keeping a secret from me and, while I'm a little disappointed that you haven't been completely honest with me, I am still truly delighted that you have surprised me in such a wonderful way. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At first I was in complete disbelief. Denial, if you will. I said "no...no way that can be true". But then, out of sheer curiosity, I followed the recipe and I'll be damned if you didn't taste like bacon. You never cease to amaze me, my dear, dear friend. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh1geKHEMfR6ECO19tKPy4pAur5nOGLZd4qWVXlfqNU7cxy723DvIRNJXwSQU-Mh38ew-TdZXeCSs0Kg4j271kvoJe3WfDwR8hYPchSTOufnRpiSQGR3eFT3TQsMRonX9sY8VfqLe2NY0/s1600/Shiitakes+Bacon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh1geKHEMfR6ECO19tKPy4pAur5nOGLZd4qWVXlfqNU7cxy723DvIRNJXwSQU-Mh38ew-TdZXeCSs0Kg4j271kvoJe3WfDwR8hYPchSTOufnRpiSQGR3eFT3TQsMRonX9sY8VfqLe2NY0/s1600/Shiitakes+Bacon.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everywhere I turn, it's bacon this and bacon that. While I don't really miss it that much, it does have it's merits, flavorwise. I made these for two reasons. A: I didn't believe it. B: I wanted to top a salad I was making that called for bacon bits. I even got my wife, who HATES mushrooms to try one. It took a lot of coaxing but I eventually got her to take a nibble. Actually it was closer to a lick because she definitely didn't want to commit. But then she kinda perked up a bit and said: "Holy crap, it does taste like bacon". Then she did the unthinkable. Something I never thought I'd see in my lifetime. She sprinkled a few on her own salad. What?!!! Score one for the mushrooms!!!</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga6MolB8Nzhb8JkjxC1JBGFC-9MO5jZLMCpbQIprZdACDRkoBl_HA8nSoKdERsH4XK21JFEpgDPZarCYdGCu7qMBrJe0LbW8iWSP6YDGA5Umg5Zm9LukNRhkXgzf1oj-jm0_yJQFBM1LA/s1600/Shiitake+Mushrooms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga6MolB8Nzhb8JkjxC1JBGFC-9MO5jZLMCpbQIprZdACDRkoBl_HA8nSoKdERsH4XK21JFEpgDPZarCYdGCu7qMBrJe0LbW8iWSP6YDGA5Umg5Zm9LukNRhkXgzf1oj-jm0_yJQFBM1LA/s1600/Shiitake+Mushrooms.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="clear: both;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a fun one to make but you have to be very careful with it. The mushrooms that are readily available in my area seem to be pretty small. And the trick to getting this recipe to go right is to have uniformity in your cuts. You want all the slices to be basically the same size. If you don't have that uniformity, they simply won't cook evenly. Some will be under cooked and they don't take on that bacon flavor while others will be over cooked and taste like burnt bacon. Some people like that burnt taste but I don't. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<div style="clear: both;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<div style="clear: both;">
After I've cut my mushrooms, they would be roughly the size of a quarter that was cut in half. Then, after they are cooked, they will reduce to maybe the size of a dime that was cut in half. </div>
</span><br />
<div style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMubgTD-HojqICI00JQvaUBAxHgt_qhx2lFMNkFeFdn5Pe51HW1e5KDomkmNtxvptmg2FqyORkvwV6N_cewuBzHGP7RFmyr9eK0hKPh0rofe3MRMA-g3QccMFO1LJt-AoOxM7wK_MyBzo/s1600/Shiitakes+In+Bowl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMubgTD-HojqICI00JQvaUBAxHgt_qhx2lFMNkFeFdn5Pe51HW1e5KDomkmNtxvptmg2FqyORkvwV6N_cewuBzHGP7RFmyr9eK0hKPh0rofe3MRMA-g3QccMFO1LJt-AoOxM7wK_MyBzo/s1600/Shiitakes+In+Bowl.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The video to the original recipe that I found can be viewed <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wS6HB1UkSJw" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tip:</b> Uniformly cut slices are a must. I cannot emphasize that enough. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tip:</b> Watch these very closely while they are roasting. Make sure to stir every ten minutes and don't allow them to pile on top of each other. My experience with the "half quarter" sized cut is that they take roughly 30 minutes. Larger cuts obviously will take longer. And taste them each time you stir them. You want them a little crisp. </span></div>
<div style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Shiitake Bacon</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients: </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 oz. fresh shiitake mushrooms. Cut uniformly in size to about half the size of a quarter.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 teaspoon sea salt </span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<ul></ul>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Preparation: </b></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Place your sliced mushrooms in a bowl.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Drizzle with olive oil and then add the salt. Stir with a spoon until the oil and salt evenly coats the mushrooms. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the mushrooms onto the baking sheet making sure they are in one even layer and not piled on top of each other. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Roast in the oven for approximately 30 minutes. You must stir them every 10 minutes. Roasting time will vary depending on the size of the cut. If you cut the mushrooms to the "half quarter" size, they will take approximately 30 minutes. However that cook time will be longer if the mushrooms are cut larger. Make sure you don't over cook the mushrooms because they will taste like burnt bacon. If you get that far, you gotta start again so be careful! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Servings: </b>As a salad topping, serves 4-5.</span></div>
Justin Fuenteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11504234373034909968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476822535504197945.post-48013548347274157952014-01-13T13:08:00.000-08:002014-01-13T13:08:13.406-08:00<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px currentColor; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">
<h2 style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Crispy Fried Onions:</span></h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<h2 style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Or Whatever They're Called</span></h2>
</div>
<strong style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></strong>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you search for fried onions online, a bunch of recipes come up with different names. After sifting through several of them, I came to the realization that they are essentially all the same thing. Fried onions, crispy fried onions, french fried onions, onion strings, deep fried onions......and the list goes on. Call them what you will. I call them delicious. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqurPopbaEujMqctkar4b5TF11Y9rwHit2fMONXj2VVxct50WFRT-Odw8K-rjmEnFdDKTud8OhBJt6jL0kQMNLu9lfhu_Jvn4cXFZNpRvMAzAvXm2ujGCkJkvlaohxsuXfnLFRhkXQU6M/s1600/Onion+Rings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqurPopbaEujMqctkar4b5TF11Y9rwHit2fMONXj2VVxct50WFRT-Odw8K-rjmEnFdDKTud8OhBJt6jL0kQMNLu9lfhu_Jvn4cXFZNpRvMAzAvXm2ujGCkJkvlaohxsuXfnLFRhkXQU6M/s640/Onion+Rings.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The great thing about these little delights is that they can be used for a number of different things. You can use them to top a green bean casserole, on top of a wedge salad, or just to eat all by themselves with some ranch dressing or ketchup. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMb5JrbkNZufEG6sKccDSoF6hGyFC9qAOAwSU0_nfGl0KchgDTgtoIjLlyNBIAoQRHPN7dWECMEpBN8jWgbR6UnXIMxaStvxcCEJb1Zfc2GfKCihMu4gT9eBvmDo1W4IeANtjaxd1qDU/s1600/Onion+Rings+Assembly+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMb5JrbkNZufEG6sKccDSoF6hGyFC9qAOAwSU0_nfGl0KchgDTgtoIjLlyNBIAoQRHPN7dWECMEpBN8jWgbR6UnXIMxaStvxcCEJb1Zfc2GfKCihMu4gT9eBvmDo1W4IeANtjaxd1qDU/s640/Onion+Rings+Assembly+1.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My inspiration for wanting to make these came rather recently. Lately, I've been on about this wedge salad I had that I fell in love with. But I've made these to go as a side with a nice fresh veggie sandwich. I love a good cold and crisp veggie sandwich on toasted bread. Think BLT without the B. But instead maybe some avocado and cucumber. Put that on a plate with some of these and you, my friend, are good to go! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKwDpuyw_Furu23s3XhjtH-tWO3vBo-UOulwUSyTI6AmGmsgXUvgKYEHo3i85BGE_DktmZt8bAz1xEL14n0DktCFvXAnOaWLw62IoQ7Y0AIpsP8AEGsTteBKUat_JSLrDlGReDUQ0tzu4/s1600/Onion+Rings+Assembly+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKwDpuyw_Furu23s3XhjtH-tWO3vBo-UOulwUSyTI6AmGmsgXUvgKYEHo3i85BGE_DktmZt8bAz1xEL14n0DktCFvXAnOaWLw62IoQ7Y0AIpsP8AEGsTteBKUat_JSLrDlGReDUQ0tzu4/s640/Onion+Rings+Assembly+2.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This recipe is basically the same as <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/03/onion-strings-oh-yeah-baby/" target="_blank">this one</a> but with some minor changes. It comes The Pioneer Woman. I dig her recipes. </span></div>
<div style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Crispy Fried Onions</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients: </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 white or yellow onion</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1-2 cups buttermilk</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 cups all purpose flour</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Tbsp salt</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp black pepper</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 quart peanut oil (or other veggie oil, I just prefer peanut oil)</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<ul></ul>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Preparation: </b></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Peel and slice the onion into 1/4 inch rings. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Place onion rings into a bowl and cover with buttermilk. Let set in the butter milk for 1 hour.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. In another bowl, add the flour, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir with a fork to combine. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. In a pot, add the oil and, using a candy thermometer, bring to a temperature of 375°. Be careful not to go much higher than that. You'll burn your oil and burn your onions. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Working in batches, use tongs to pull some of the onion rings (about 1/4 of them) from the buttermilk and shake off the excess buttermilk. Add them to the flour mixture and coat. Shake off the excess flour and drop them into your oil. Use your tongs to move the rings around in the oil to keep them from sticking together. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. Once golden brown, remove from the oil and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil. Continue with your remaining batches. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Servings: </b>Depends on your use. As a side, serves 2. If topping salads, serves 10. <b> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<strong style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></strong><br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px currentColor; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">
<br /></div>
Justin Fuenteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11504234373034909968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476822535504197945.post-18282330656190692802014-01-05T15:10:00.000-08:002014-01-05T15:10:27.270-08:00<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">
<h2 style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Buttermilk Ranch Dressing:</span></h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<h2 style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Simple and Delicious</span></h2>
</div>
<strong style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></strong>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I never was one to dip fries into ranch dressing. After all, I'm a card carrying ketchup fan (although that is slowly dying in me and for that I mourn). But there is a restaurant chain that I frequent that pretty much just brings ranch dressing with your fries and I gotta say, it's grown on me. And it's not like the kind you find in the bottle, which is fine I suppose, but the bottled ranch dressing never really grabbed me either. In fact, there isn't a bottled dressing out there that I truly love. I seem to have better luck making my own. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrq1Tle1F3n1YROv-ycMrSKhSFHI0yzEhVT8NlwUwkYeui1TnHfEety6xjvnFaDAO7XCdu9VHZeylbfGh-1A7S4JUyvdR-uzRV_FMEQQWWIKoidHs5LGX2zjEsWtJB3QEdWPA3nEHmkNw/s1600/Ranch+Dressing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrq1Tle1F3n1YROv-ycMrSKhSFHI0yzEhVT8NlwUwkYeui1TnHfEety6xjvnFaDAO7XCdu9VHZeylbfGh-1A7S4JUyvdR-uzRV_FMEQQWWIKoidHs5LGX2zjEsWtJB3QEdWPA3nEHmkNw/s640/Ranch+Dressing.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With my new found love of fries dipped into ranch, I embarked on a mission to find a good ranch dressing recipe that would rival the ones I find in restaurants. And I did find one a while back that is really good, but in it's own "very tasty but not really authentic" kinda way. I do like it and I've used that recipe for a while now but it's more complicated than I think is necessary and it wasn't what I really wanted. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then a few weeks ago, my wife were out for a bit of lunch and the place we were eating at had a wedge salad on the menu. Now I know these things have been around for a while but some reason, I've never had one before. Why? I don't know, I just never did. I'm slow sometimes. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hell, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I only realized </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">three years ago that </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Led Zeppelin was a kickass band . So I ordered one of these things and I was instantly hooked.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I came home and searched online for recipes to make my own. Don't laugh. I get that it's pretty self explanatory by just looking at the thing but I looked anyway. I'm weird that way. But I'm glad I did because it inadvertently lead me to the inspiration for this recipe. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm sure I don't have tell you that sometimes, simple is better, less is more, etc. And that is certainly the case here. This recipe is easy and quick and delicious.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-9G3Wa3ewp5lB6z8RwQ18c2ePUb596GZO1yjtPgSW_koV8pqzKzG_X9wcEZX5mcVGiaq5jnug4vNUct5pOoGmYiEbMY2IXHbtfJ73ptnGepZa3p57Fisy1y3SyXTUBGB7NgZACylMlUM/s1600/Chives.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-9G3Wa3ewp5lB6z8RwQ18c2ePUb596GZO1yjtPgSW_koV8pqzKzG_X9wcEZX5mcVGiaq5jnug4vNUct5pOoGmYiEbMY2IXHbtfJ73ptnGepZa3p57Fisy1y3SyXTUBGB7NgZACylMlUM/s640/Chives.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This recipe was inspired by this one <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/19/ranch-dressing-recipe_n_3769342.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Buttermilk Ranch Dressing</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients: </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 cup buttermilk</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5 Tbsp sour cream</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6 Tbsp mayonnaise</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Tbsp chives, chopped</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 clove garlic, minced</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp Dijon mustard</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a few dashes of hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">salt and pepper to taste</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<ul></ul>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Preparation: </b></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well combined. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Makes about 1 1/2 cups </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<strong style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></strong><br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Century, Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">
<br />
<br /></div>
Justin Fuenteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11504234373034909968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476822535504197945.post-22606868311094856372013-12-29T22:39:00.000-08:002013-12-29T22:39:13.164-08:00<h2 style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Vegetable A La King:</span></h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<h2 style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Save A Chicken, Eat a Vegetable</span></h2>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The other day my wife said she wished I could make a vegetarian Chicken a la King. A little light went on in my head and I thought to myself: Challenge accepted! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Blank" a la King is one the ultimate comfort foods. Served over noodles, rice or a variety of bread types, it's a creamy and savory delight with chunks of whatever kind of goodness you can imagine mixed in. In this case, those chunks of goodness are veggies. </span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My wife and I used to eat one we'd buy out of the can years ago. I want to say it was from Swanson's or Campbell's or something like that. Back when we first met, we were still very young and would eat pretty much anything. It didn't matter if it came from a can or out of box. If it was tasty and cheap, we ate it. Looking back to those days of yore, I have to smile in the warm memory of our younger more carefree days and then immediately shudder in disgust that we actually ate that shit.</span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcDQODl9NWy1pfLsaETAEFpXWAMO9Oc0SNX1R4SIqfvaSdQVSdqWdLu13tdOqTXMTnlIHk2OKLfh1v509b3pLjaoCnU15hQPBc_hjBvINR6OSldS19S0aHrQJSsX1DTOJTO_kQO7I2RT0/s1600/Veggie+A+La+King.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcDQODl9NWy1pfLsaETAEFpXWAMO9Oc0SNX1R4SIqfvaSdQVSdqWdLu13tdOqTXMTnlIHk2OKLfh1v509b3pLjaoCnU15hQPBc_hjBvINR6OSldS19S0aHrQJSsX1DTOJTO_kQO7I2RT0/s640/Veggie+A+La+King.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I've grown older, I've come to realize a few things. First of all, it's no secret that canned and boxed foods are usually highly processed and will kill you. In fact, according to a recent study, even breathing causes cancer. So if any of you hope to live until tomorrow, you need to quit breathing posthaste!! </span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Secondly, I love to cook, especially from scratch. I don't always have the time to it but I do it as much as I can. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Standing in a kitchen on my day off with groceries spread around, a 10" Henckel in my hand, and something simmering on the stovetop is one of the most relaxing places I can think of. I can just let my mind flow in a "Let go Luke, use the Force" kinda way to create something wonderful. Then when it's all done, you get to eat it. And if you're truly lucky, you have the sheer pleasure of sharing it with friends and family. You get to hear them tell you how awesome it was. And then your ego can get all super big because none of them can cook as good as you. And then you can stand on your pedestal and look down at all the lame little people who don't posses and never will posses your brilliant culinary chops. Whoa!! That got a little out of hand. But anyone who's ever worked in a professional kitchen is probably chuckling right now because that really happens.</span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taking those two realizations and putting them together actually works out quite well. I can still eat some of my favorite foods and not have to get it from a can thereby avoiding most of the unnecessary chemical-based gobbledy-gook that comes mixed in with our alleged "food".</span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitg3nYsTok8amS1rHa3NEWvbyDrVe7j2O84QN8IdsybvFN_ECVWr4fP3mizGaF1Fa49IIgvRJxwVGS6RMhOStX1wEpjhyphenhyphen0Vvbzk23x8qo_Gq5fCT7V4ZrhMxc0qLqI1QcreJl4OVzLcbc/s1600/Veggie+A+La+King+Ingredients.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitg3nYsTok8amS1rHa3NEWvbyDrVe7j2O84QN8IdsybvFN_ECVWr4fP3mizGaF1Fa49IIgvRJxwVGS6RMhOStX1wEpjhyphenhyphen0Vvbzk23x8qo_Gq5fCT7V4ZrhMxc0qLqI1QcreJl4OVzLcbc/s640/Veggie+A+La+King+Ingredients.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Am I saying this recipe is the ultimate in healthy just because I make it from scratch? Nope. It's still fattening. But as I said before, it's a comfort food. And even though it's still fattening, it's healthier and definitely tastier than the canned version. Trust me, you'll thank me from the top of your pedestal. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enjoy!!</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Vegetable a la King</b></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients: </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 cup unsalted butter (one and a half sticks), divided</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup all-purpose flour</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 cups vegetable broth</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cup heavy cream</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 vegetable bouillon cube</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6 sprigs flat-leaf parsley </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 sprigs thyme</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cups cauliflower florets</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 medium carrots, diced</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 medium bell pepper, chopped</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1-2 stalks celery, sliced</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 shallot, sliced</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cups peas</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 oz. jar pimentos</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tsp kosher salt</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp black pepper</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 tsp cayenne pepper</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/8 tsp ground nutmeg</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your choice of starch: rice, egg noodles, biscuits, puff pastry shells, toast points. </span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<ul></ul>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Preparation: </b></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. In a dutch oven or heavy pot, melt 1/2 cup (one stick) of the butter over a medium high heat. Once melted, add the flour and stir constantly for about 2 minutes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Add in 1 cup one the vegetable broth and whisk to combine all together. Once combined, add in the remaining broth and the cream. Now add the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">bouillon, parsley sprigs, and the thyme sprigs and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. While the sauce is simmering, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">melt the remaining 1/4 cup (half stick) of butter in a </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">large skillet over a medium-high heat. Once melted, add the carrots, cauliflower and celery and saute for 5 minutes. Now add in the bell pepper and the shallot and continue to saute for another 5-10 minutes until veggies begin to soften. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Using tongs or a spider, remove the parsley and thyme sprigs from the sauce and discard. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Add the sauteed veggies to the sauce along with the salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg and continue to cook until veggies reach the desired doneness. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. Serve over your choice of starch. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Makes: 6-8 servings</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
Justin Fuenteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11504234373034909968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476822535504197945.post-66780334547197495752013-12-08T23:59:00.000-08:002013-12-09T00:02:22.342-08:00<h2 style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Vegetarian Gravy:</span></h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<h2 style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Don't Worry, Carnivores...We Got This</span></h2>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gravy. I absolutely love it. But it's not something I eat on a regular basis. For me, it's maybe two or three times a year. And most of that is consumed during the winter holiday season. That being said, when I do eat it, I do it with reckless abandon. Caloric value is of no concern to me when it comes to this stuff. I guess you could say I was livin' life in fat lane. Oops, typo there, I meant "fast" lane. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-pQvTnxGB7a_BEc_bBFlc-TUowHTCf0ItZTorYEDW7ZrdVd34F1X_RHYLA4bWhOqYR9FpAmLoAw4ppEzwUpo-z1ZiYjgqAa8nNn2R-7w8yFRogHY0LnCHMxPCSzqbQa_17ENRkQbVjFA/s1600/Mashed+&+Gravy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-pQvTnxGB7a_BEc_bBFlc-TUowHTCf0ItZTorYEDW7ZrdVd34F1X_RHYLA4bWhOqYR9FpAmLoAw4ppEzwUpo-z1ZiYjgqAa8nNn2R-7w8yFRogHY0LnCHMxPCSzqbQa_17ENRkQbVjFA/s640/Mashed+&+Gravy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because gravy usually goes with some sort of meat based dish, it's rare to find one that is vegetable based. As such, it would appear that if we vegetarians want gravy, we have to look out for one another in this matter and create our own so we too can participate in all the holiday eatin'. My wife and I are, for the most part, the only vegetarians that we know. Fortunately, our friends and family are usually pretty </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">accommodating when it comes to inviting us for dinner and we really do appreciate them for that. But we also don't feel it's right to expect them to do what they do. That being said, we're always prepared and happy to come armed with our own grub. So if mashed potatoes are on the menu, I don't mind whipping up my own gravy and bringing it along. Sounds weird, I know, but you gotta do what ya gotta do. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Recently, we had the pleasure of getting together with my family to visit with some out-of-town relatives that we don't get to see too often. Lasagna was on the menu. My aunt actually made a separate lasagna dish with no meat just for my wife and I. She totally didn't have to do that but she did. My family are such thoughtful and wonderful people. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQ6iL03Qhgbj0HSaeT3epGfndcMIR_XP8wvsokGDqPKSx_0472FbBts_Qezn1HuljqT8Vg0fHDER2orAdJg9HQN3o9OE9Z4xIYKL99k2YJiKOnyC2IrxY_VWct414gdxz7_u-x2EFBsA/s1600/Gravy+Ingredients.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQ6iL03Qhgbj0HSaeT3epGfndcMIR_XP8wvsokGDqPKSx_0472FbBts_Qezn1HuljqT8Vg0fHDER2orAdJg9HQN3o9OE9Z4xIYKL99k2YJiKOnyC2IrxY_VWct414gdxz7_u-x2EFBsA/s640/Gravy+Ingredients.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Vegetarian gravy, conceptually, is really no different than meat gravy. Gravy, in and of itself, is basically a flavorful broth that's tightened up with a roux in order to give it that thickened consistency. The </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">obvious intention</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, in both meat based and vegetable based gravies, is to make the broth taste good. For me, the best way to do that in a vegetarian version is to incorporate that "umami" essence within your broth. That's what is going to give it that hearty, almost meaty, feel to it. Our umami in this recipe comes from two sources: soy sauce and mushrooms. And that's enough for me. In my humble opinion, I don't think you need the Marmites and the nutritional yeasts to get it right. I prefer to keep it somewhat simple. </span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Note: </b>The three fresh herbs in this recipe can often be found together in one package labeled "poultry mix". </span><br />
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></b>
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Note: </b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People differ in how thick or thin they like their gravy. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If the roux doesn't thicken the gravy to your satisfaction, mix a tablespoon or two in an equal amount of cool water, enough to make a slurry (one part to one part). Whisk the slurry, little by little, into your hot simmering gravy until the desired thickness is achieved. You may not need to add all of it so add it slowly until it's just right. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Vegetarian Gravy</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients: </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 Tbsp olive oil</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 medium onion, chopped</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 shallot, chopped</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 garlic cloves, crushed</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 cups of vegetable stock</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 vegetable bouillon cube</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp poultry seasoning</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 tsp white pepper</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 Tbsp soy sauce</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup water</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 sprig of fresh thyme</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 sprig of fresh rosemary</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10 fresh sage leaves</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">salt and pepper to taste</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/3 cup flour</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<ul></ul>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Preparation: </b></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. In a dutch oven or heavy pot, heat the oil over a medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add the mushrooms, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">onion, shallot, and garlic. S</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">aute for 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are browned. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Once the vegetables have browned, add in the vegetable stock and bring to a simmer. Now add the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">bouillon</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> cube, poultry seasoning, white pepper, and soy sauce. Simmer on low for about 10 minutes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Now add the water, thyme, rosemary, sage. S</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">eason with salt and pepper to your taste </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and simmer on low for an additional 10 minutes. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Remove the broth from the heat and strain through a sieve to remove all the solids. With the back of a wooden spoon, press the solids in the sieve to extract as much of the liquid that you can. Set the broth aside and discard the solids. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To make the roux, put your dutch oven back on the burner over a medium heat. Add the butter and melt. Once melted, add the flour and stir constantly for about 1-2 minutes, being careful not let the roux burn. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. Now add you broth back into the dutch oven with the roux and whisk until fully incorporated. Bring the gravy back to a simmer. Let simmer for a few minutes to allow the gravy to fully thicken. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Makes: 12 servings</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Justin Fuenteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11504234373034909968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476822535504197945.post-11888958529391619402013-11-17T21:28:00.000-08:002013-11-18T22:00:41.875-08:00<h2 style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">(Unstuffed) Vegetarian Bread Stuffing:</span></h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<h2 style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">We're Vegetarians....There's Nothing To Stuff</span></h2>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanksgiving is upon us again my friends. It's always been a large part of my life. As much as I love and cherish my time with family this time of year, there is another huge motivator to love on this holiday. Food. Let's face it people. The food is the shining star this time of year. And I say with a devilish smile on face, family is the garnish. The biological side-dish, if you will. I know, I'm gonna catch hell for that one. (insert smiley face here)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmqO29ZCEDj4NhN4C0JA3s3qIXARP07M3kH4m43Q7C84s6jpqktTO4G9J2tTG2aeOzcLSFs-m43oo_CmF2qbH2d8PzoP5eJ5d02ZYgeUqqW64szUE6xKTEevTn-e480lKqLpiVnC4q0w/s1600/Bread+Stuffing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmqO29ZCEDj4NhN4C0JA3s3qIXARP07M3kH4m43Q7C84s6jpqktTO4G9J2tTG2aeOzcLSFs-m43oo_CmF2qbH2d8PzoP5eJ5d02ZYgeUqqW64szUE6xKTEevTn-e480lKqLpiVnC4q0w/s640/Bread+Stuffing.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aside from my beloved little blog here, my lovely wife and I own a business that is food based. We cook constantly throughout the week and during the months of November and December, we are at our busiest. Busy like triple-the-business busy. So last year, we decided not to make a Thanksgiving meal for ourselves because we are slammed every day for at least two weeks prior to the holiday. Come the actual holiday, the last we wanted to do was cook. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So we decided to go to a local casino that has this crazy huge Thanksgiving spread every year. Was I expecting the world? No. I was expecting casino food. But I've been to the buffet before and it wasn't half bad for the price. So we thought, what the hell. It's open, easy, thoughtless and hopefully somewhat decent. We are wrong. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was $30 smackers to even walk in the door and that's after an hour wait. The youngest person ahead of us was at least 300 years old. We were drowning amongst a slow motion sea of blue hair. You could literally smell the osteoporosis in the air. I know,</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm gonna catch hell for that one. (insert smiley face here) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One truly golden moment of the night was, while we were standing in line waiting to get in, we watched this very elderly woman take about 6 pieces of prefab crap cake and, very slowly and very carefully, wrap each piece individually in napkins and place them in her purse. As most of you know, you're not supposed to take food out of an all-you-can-eat buffet. But she was straight-up gangster about it and did it right in front of the employees and managers. They all stopped and looked at her and you could see a few of them start to move toward her to tell her she can't do that but every single one them stopped and just walked away shaking their heads. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBmKHFxf-q5sfVVkUY_Tt_9-eoNHhbhJ11dtskgBUFJ_BLCWNcYykmiur7LsO65DWmDfKGN0OvwlSnqQGDqGccQidfrPtW0aZCI3d51K-HN46Y9K2nLvXlWSYGyNgtbvpdpWuCYL4VzVA/s1600/Mushrooms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBmKHFxf-q5sfVVkUY_Tt_9-eoNHhbhJ11dtskgBUFJ_BLCWNcYykmiur7LsO65DWmDfKGN0OvwlSnqQGDqGccQidfrPtW0aZCI3d51K-HN46Y9K2nLvXlWSYGyNgtbvpdpWuCYL4VzVA/s640/Mushrooms.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So we finally got to the front of the line, paid our way in, grabbed our plates, and began the initial cruise. If you've ever been to a buffet, it's the preliminary pass you make to survey the food offerings prior to committing to any actual food. Obviously, you have the Thanksgiving fare just because it's that holiday but it's a casino. So that means you also have the Italian section, the Mexican section, and the Asian section. Nothin' like a little refried beans and sushi to go with my cranberry sauce.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, I assume that there have been extensive studies regarding the demographics as far as casino Thanksgiving spreads are concerned. Or maybe the dingleberry that planned this menu just didn't care.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I could lay the heartbreak down section by section but it would be pure folly. I'll just say this: After a few passes, it became painfully obvious to me that the only thing on this 150 foot buffet that we could eat was mashed potatoes (without gravy), fruit salad, and prefabricated crap desserts. Let me say it again: $60 dollars (per couple) for </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">mashed potatoes (without gravy), fruit salad, and prefabricated crap desserts. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Never again. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This Thanksgiving holiday as well as all future Thanksgivings will be filthy with homemade vegetarian friendly grub. This I say with pure conviction. The first Thanksgiving-centric dish on this blog will be the stuffing. If you were to simply say "Thanksgiving" in my presence, the first thing that comes into my mind is stuffing. It's my favorite of all holiday options. So that's where I'll start....... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG2_GGzGkh3VnYKrcxKTt_zTBr46iyn1-d8tIqjp8rKHx38qXttkqPTLAzhync4hiorQONDrYezMe-KvGlU6ycbTwh5xNxPOR9NHwJ4WMSrr6M5C5VUmemRI-7PhfAFJONGEvAzgrGFj0/s1600/Bread+Cubes+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG2_GGzGkh3VnYKrcxKTt_zTBr46iyn1-d8tIqjp8rKHx38qXttkqPTLAzhync4hiorQONDrYezMe-KvGlU6ycbTwh5xNxPOR9NHwJ4WMSrr6M5C5VUmemRI-7PhfAFJONGEvAzgrGFj0/s640/Bread+Cubes+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This recipe was adapted from <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/dave-lieberman/sourdough-bread-stuffing-recipe/index.html" target="_blank">this one</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tip: </b>The recipe calls for unsalted butter and low sodium broth. If you use the salted kind, you will definitely want to adjust the amount of salt you add at the end. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Vegetarian Bread Stuffing</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients: </b></span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 pound french bread</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8 Tbsp butter (preferably unsalted), divided</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 stalks of celery with leaves, halved lengthwise then sliced 1/4 inch thick</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 small onion, chopped</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves stripped from the stems</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10 leaves of fresh sage, chopped</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 1/2 cups low sodium vegetable broth</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp salt</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 tsp black pepper</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 Tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<ul>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Preparation: </b></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 13x9 baking dish and set aside.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Cut the bread in 3/4 inch cubes. Spread them evenly on 2 baking sheet. Toast the bread in the oven until the cubes are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer the toasted cubes to a large mixing bowl. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Wash the mushrooms under cool water then dry them over a clean towel. Then cut them into bite-sized pieces. I</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">f they are small, halve them and if they are large, quarter them. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. In a large skillet, melt two tablespoons of the butter. Add the mushrooms and saute over a medium high heat for approximately 8 minutes until they are golden brown. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Add the celery, onion, thyme, and two more tablespoons of butter. Stir frequently until the vegetables have softened, approximately 6 minutes. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter, the sage, and the vegetable broth. Season with the salt and pepper. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. Add half the veggie / broth mixture to the bread cubes and gently fold in to evenly distribute the liquid. Then add the remaining veggie / broth mixture and repeat. You want to fold gently so that the cubes don't disintegrate while at the same time making sure the liquid is evenly distributed throughout the bread stuffing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8. Add the stuffing mixture to your greased baking dish and bake uncovered for about 40 minutes. Once done, allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Makes: 6 to 8 servings</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Justin Fuenteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11504234373034909968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476822535504197945.post-90204590510086824472013-11-02T23:55:00.000-07:002013-11-03T14:55:21.268-08:00<h2 style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Deep Fried Mushroom Po' Boy with Spicy Remoulade:</span></h2>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-transform: uppercase;"><b>The Vegetarian Peacemaker</b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-transform: uppercase;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have been wanting, nay, <i>needing</i> to make a Po' Boy for a while now. Back in my carnivore days, my wife and I took a trip to New Orleans for the Heritage Jazz Festival. We went there for the music and let me tell you, music is what we got. After the Jazz Fest ended each day, we had tickets to see shows at the various clubs around town. One show we bought tickets for started at 3:00 am. That's right, 3:00 am. It ended around 5:00 am so we hit Bourbon Street for a night cap. We rolled into our hotel at about 6:30 am for a few hours of sleep, then into the cab and off to the Jazz Fest to do it all over again. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGjVPwL3czTsESYPv9-PuOz_1JfNPbbUs5014x5fa3D_uK86BPdev-fwT8taWX5ypXayIwosD84NlfUPlG1PWMLFJ7c3oFNwOC9zzQ-_wj9kCpduTv8E4G9QsXIDq569zqm_tbiLvfnMg/s1600/Deep+Fried+Mushroom+Po+Boy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGjVPwL3czTsESYPv9-PuOz_1JfNPbbUs5014x5fa3D_uK86BPdev-fwT8taWX5ypXayIwosD84NlfUPlG1PWMLFJ7c3oFNwOC9zzQ-_wj9kCpduTv8E4G9QsXIDq569zqm_tbiLvfnMg/s640/Deep+Fried+Mushroom+Po+Boy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Being the natural born foodie that I am, trying the different foods and restaurants that New Orleans had to offer was, for me, equally as important as the festival. Some of the most amazing dishes that I've had in my life were eaten at that festival, the French Quarter and the various neighborhoods within the city. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The combination of kick-ass music and food that was cooked with such passion made that city one of my favorites place on Earth. I feel this almost umbilical connection to the place. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Man, I just got goose bumps. One this is for certain, I will return again someday.</span></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spending all day at the Jazz Festival sure did make a dude hungry. One of the many things I ate on our trip was a Po' Boy sandwich. As with many older dishes, there always seems to be debate as to how they actually came to be. One of the more popular and generally accepted versions goes like this. The sandwich was created, or at least named, by brothers Clovis and Bennie Martin in New Orleans in the late 1920's during a four month long union strike of the local streetcar workers. Having come from that line of work prior to opening their coffee shop, the Martins had much sympathy for the striking workers who were struggling to feed their families during this hard time. As a way of helping their former colleagues, the Martins decided to give free sandwiches to all the striking workers that came into the shop. Bennie Martin later said that when they would see a striking employee coming in, they would say "Here comes another Poor Boy". And the name just kinda stuck. </span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrdF2x5ZLYuPep_53DRn0Qax32jkWaNHi83uRK0A-9sXt-G_PTHg_mWRu9HoQVjBHtkbnkKHb7-n4Z6-p9u3g7TsySGup_FnQ5Qw-KjdlEIwzRmlSDDy8PyQUjOt-udNJiRkp3vf_SYM8/s1600/Mushroom+Breading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrdF2x5ZLYuPep_53DRn0Qax32jkWaNHi83uRK0A-9sXt-G_PTHg_mWRu9HoQVjBHtkbnkKHb7-n4Z6-p9u3g7TsySGup_FnQ5Qw-KjdlEIwzRmlSDDy8PyQUjOt-udNJiRkp3vf_SYM8/s640/Mushroom+Breading.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As for the term The Peacemaker, or in French, La Mediatrice. That came from the Po' Boy's predecessor, which was basically the same type of sandwich. It was typically filled with fried oysters. It got it's name from the fact that husbands, returning home from a night of carousing and general debauchery, would often bring this sandwich home as a sort of peace offering in hopes that the lady of the house wouldn't bust them over the head. One thing I can tell you is that if I was out engaging in that sort of activity and had the balls to come home and give my wife a sandwich as retribution, I would have fried oysters up my nose as well as other choice bodily cavities. I could see it now. "Hey babe, I was out gettin' drunk and doin' hookers. Here's a sandwich." My, times have changed. If it were only that easy. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBRLFZimFCymAAgM5ap5WVx4SFo7pZXbSia7qMgHsLoqI-FVoJmRSOMLEplz4IkwflbcS-6SxYThULB5VLUU_s8t0T8jZPJ2gtD8a1SkiZwP7r8s6ZnAeWzColFVU8JO7up24s8w7pSg/s1600/Breaded+Mushrooms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBRLFZimFCymAAgM5ap5WVx4SFo7pZXbSia7qMgHsLoqI-FVoJmRSOMLEplz4IkwflbcS-6SxYThULB5VLUU_s8t0T8jZPJ2gtD8a1SkiZwP7r8s6ZnAeWzColFVU8JO7up24s8w7pSg/s640/Breaded+Mushrooms.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although there are many different types of main fillings, it seems to me the more popular ones are that of little fried nuggets of goodness. If that's not entirely accurate, at the very least, it's the one I like best. That being said, that was the direction I have opted to take in this matter. The inspiration for this recipe was taken from a menu I recently saw for a local restaurant featuring a fried mushroom Po' Boy. I haven't been there yet so I cannot comment on it's greatness. But I was so immediately struck by excitement when I merely read the name, I just had to do it myself.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="clear: both;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUihKuQoHLEqlD85B0enIQMtE1VQAziU9IELbDlWl8x3km_RWwOawhz4V193gOf2JYcaClfApTHLWmLYGA4cvAXwICSmX-z6nBJarNBgpFOCAwn5ccy7XaHqCJQZBeN68mQ6ye2rQivLQ/s1600/Deep+Fried+Mushrooms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUihKuQoHLEqlD85B0enIQMtE1VQAziU9IELbDlWl8x3km_RWwOawhz4V193gOf2JYcaClfApTHLWmLYGA4cvAXwICSmX-z6nBJarNBgpFOCAwn5ccy7XaHqCJQZBeN68mQ6ye2rQivLQ/s640/Deep+Fried+Mushrooms.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This recipe is a combo of several found along the World Wide Web. The remoulade was adapted from <span id="goog_1610091641"></span><a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/06/sauced-louisiana-remoulade-recipe.html" target="_blank">this one</a><span id="goog_1610091642"></span><span id="goog_1610091645"></span><span id="goog_1610091646"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a>. The fried mushrooms were adapted from <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rl7cyy1U2FY" target="_blank">this one</a>. The assembly and additional fillings of the sandwich were taken from tradition.</span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>TIP:</b> The remoulade really benefits from time. You <i>must</i> let the sauce marry for a minimum of one hour. But if you can possibly let it set in the fridge for a day or two, it gets that much better.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>TIP</b>: As I have stated in other posts, my wife is "ooked out" by mushrooms. As much effort as I have invested in the endeavor of changing her mind, I have only has been met with staunch resistance. I have officially "rolled over" in this matter. No further efforts to convert her will be attempted. If this were The Spanish Inquisition, she'd have died honorably. As such, feel free to use other veggies. For her, I used medallions of zucchini. She loved it. I can also imagine broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, etc. </span></div>
<div style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Deep Fried Mushroom Po' Boy with Spicy Remoulade</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients: </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spicy Remoulade: </b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup mayonnaise</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 Tbsp sugar</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Tbsp finely chopped flat leaf parsley</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Tbsp Louisiana-style hot sauce</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tsp Creole mustard (or whole grain mustard if you can't find Creole)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cloves garlic</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Tbsp capers, roughly chopped</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce (like <a href="http://posharpstore.com/en-US/wan-ja-shan-vegetarian-worcestershire-sauce-20-fl-oz-p4711.aspx" target="_blank">this one</a>)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp paprika</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 scallions, finely chopped</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 teaspoon kosher salt</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 tsp cayenne pepper</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></b><br />
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Deep Fried Mushrooms:</b><br />
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></b></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">15 - 20 cremini mushrooms</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">1 cup all purpose flour</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">1 cup cool water</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">2 tsp baking powder</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">1 tsp salt</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">1 tsp granulated garlic</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">1 tsp cayenne pepper</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">1/2 tsp black pepper</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">1 cup bread crumbs</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 quart peanut oil (or vegetable oil if you prefer)</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the sandwich:</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 French baguette</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2-3 cup shredded romaine lettuce</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">tomatoes, sliced</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Preparation: </b></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Combine all remoulade ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to let the flavors marry. Ideally, let it sit overnight or longer. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Wash the mushrooms under cool water then dry them over a clean towel. Then cut them into bite-sized pieces. I</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">f they are small, halve them and if they are large, quarter them. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, water, baking powder, salt, garlic, cayenne and black peppers. Stir batter until smooth.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. In a separate medium bowl, add the bread crumbs. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. In an assembly line fashion, dip the mushrooms, one by one, into the batter. Then place the battered mushrooms into the breadcrumbs to coat. Finally, place the battered and breaded mushroom pieces onto a plate.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium sized saucepan until it reaches a temp of 350° F. Don't go over that because you don't want to burn your oil. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8. Add the pieces a few at a time to oil being careful not to overcrowd the pot. I usually do about 8-9 at a time. Let them fry for a period no longer than 2 minutes. If you fry them too much longer than that, the mushrooms themselves become mushy so keep at or below 2 minutes. Once done, drain them on paper towels to absorb the excess oil. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9. Cut the baguette open and tear out a bit of the inner bread to create grooves in the top and bottom of the roll. Don't take out too much of the bread, you just want to take enough to cradle your fillings. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10. Fill the roll with the tomato, lettuce, fried mushrooms, and top the mushrooms with the remoulade sauce. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Makes: 4 sandwiches</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Justin Fuenteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11504234373034909968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476822535504197945.post-82096345750211989622013-07-28T23:21:00.002-07:002013-07-28T23:34:57.030-07:00<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h2 style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Thousand Island Dressing:</span></h2>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-transform: uppercase;"><b>Time To Get Retro! (And Not Ironically)</b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-transform: uppercase;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of my earliest memories in life was standing next to the apartment building I lived in with my folks many, many years ago in da' hood. I had a very small pocketful of Hot Wheel cars. I was happily playing by myself, building little roads in the dirt that I could "vrooom" my cars through. Before long, another little boy came appeared who also had some Hot Wheels. We played there together for what I remember to be ages. We were having such a grand time playing with our cars. Eventually he asked me how old I was. I remember holding up three fingers and expressing, quite enthusiastically, "I'm fwee!!". Please believe me. It wasn't shtick. I wasn't doing it to be cute. The harsh reality was that it was due to my pure inability, at the time, to negotiate proper tongue/lip movements coupled with my limited understanding of the English language. Give me a break, after all, I was only fwee.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzy5AkhOOEFJbAnrx52aaNxVioKQqUe0hms90bcftEhzSyu01NY3N2chE70WKlAUqoYymwoFnBlORGZm7mOs_Lw53YqlTYir49-gwccPfTQJBHE85GlKK8pDjI6hySXQm5AiE97dOM84o/s1600/Thousand+Island+Dressing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzy5AkhOOEFJbAnrx52aaNxVioKQqUe0hms90bcftEhzSyu01NY3N2chE70WKlAUqoYymwoFnBlORGZm7mOs_Lw53YqlTYir49-gwccPfTQJBHE85GlKK8pDjI6hySXQm5AiE97dOM84o/s640/Thousand+Island+Dressing.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I recall that we played for quite some time afterwards. In fact, we had become quite good friends. Inseparable, as it were. Well at least until later that day when he went back to wherever it was he came from. I never saw him again. Kinda sad actually but such is life. Funny how such an oddball and insignificant memory can stick with you for so many years.</span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was a much simpler time back then. And so was the food. Your choices were not nearly as plentiful as they are now. It was a time when a salad was just a salad. There were no options. We didn't have arugula, endive, and radicchio. It was iceberg only, dude. And we liked it! Crap, I sound like an old geezer. My apologies. </span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now here I am, decades later, sitting at my computer writing about the wonders of iceberg lettuce. There's something about the crunchiness of it that I adore. It's refreshing. It's tangible. It's satisfying. Arugula? It's bitter. Fragile. Cowardly. It can't even hold it's own weight. It's so...pusillanimous (Google it). I bet iceberg used to beat arugula up in the school yard. It's better suited for a light vinaigrette made of olive oil and splash of lemon. Don't get me wrong, that's all well and good. But a good Thousand Island dressing would kill it dead just looking at it. </span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Let me tell you, I find humor in the fact that I don't know anyone these days that would have a dinner party and serve their guests iceberg lettuce with big hunks of carrot, tomato, and onion in it. And, what's even funnier is that I don't know anyone who would serve that kind of salad with Thousand Island dressing. I mean <i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">really</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, it's just so.....uncivilized. </span><br />
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjROdQfSrb7jXhOn4Wr04vdzYi5ecBWBIEA8OUKbEwSthyEBA5PTeecEgehW6rWCGTDWhoVtbmgF6ukV0zOOsqSO-lrfKHmvH-r5uLrMc85NekXRCnkJIPpgLMrHXCT_Bik4-LLb17DA_M/s1600/Thousand+Island+Ingredients+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjROdQfSrb7jXhOn4Wr04vdzYi5ecBWBIEA8OUKbEwSthyEBA5PTeecEgehW6rWCGTDWhoVtbmgF6ukV0zOOsqSO-lrfKHmvH-r5uLrMc85NekXRCnkJIPpgLMrHXCT_Bik4-LLb17DA_M/s640/Thousand+Island+Ingredients+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was a restaurant in my town that shall remain unnamed within this blog post. It closed down a number of years ago. There was a separate bar where you could go drink and then there was the adjoining dining room. We used to go in there for the happy hour once in a while because it did have a decent happy hour. And there were, admittedly, infrequent times when we would go eat dinner as well. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There wasn't a window in the place. It was dark like a cave. The interior was like walking straight into the 1970's. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many years ago, it was considered a really nice place to go eat. And, to their credit, it was good. Dated, but good. Then one day, poof, it was closed. No warning, just gone.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the several years I'd been going to that place, I noticed one thing. The menu NEVER changed and the clientele NEVER changed either. As the years rolled by, their customers' hair got bluer and bluer and bluer, until it just couldn't get any bluer. And then they died. Then guess what happened. The place didn't have any more customers. There was no adaptation. No re-birth. No metamorphosis. They were in an evolutionary time-warp. And eventually, like the bluest of blue-hairs, it died too. Such is life.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of my fondest memories of the place was the super old school salad bar. That's right. Iceberg only, dude! Big hunks of carrots, tomato, and onion. And, you guessed it, Thousand Island dressing. Where the modern diner shunned it, I embraced it. And not "ironically" either. But, alas, I just couldn't make up for the scores of long-since-gone blue hairs. I tried. But I failed. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGAzeHrXQmMS-9h4a0j5Ln7_UTnu3rF62t_O8FGJqgO_QJObGdqPCsIbv6wD6UF_CXoeeWXVBP4dPZKgoH0kiMLkUV6IZP2sCzYC4F3VsbT-2A_FiVdWH3N3abFILWNDE4JbXU9qpCwik/s1600/Thousand+Island+Ingredients.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGAzeHrXQmMS-9h4a0j5Ln7_UTnu3rF62t_O8FGJqgO_QJObGdqPCsIbv6wD6UF_CXoeeWXVBP4dPZKgoH0kiMLkUV6IZP2sCzYC4F3VsbT-2A_FiVdWH3N3abFILWNDE4JbXU9qpCwik/s640/Thousand+Island+Ingredients.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I reckon that someday, many, many years from now, my favorite restaurant will go out of business shortly after my soon to be beautiful head of gray hair (not blue) has been lain to rest, hopefully in some sort of fiery Viking style funeral. And my wife's blue hair (not gray) gets bluer as the days walk on by. But, again, such is life.....</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the meantime, if you are ever invited to my house for dinner. Don't be surprised if you get a bowl of iceberg only (dude), with a glop of Thousand Island on top. O.G. style. The upside? It'll be </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thousand Island dressing, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">homemade with love.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are occasions when I come across recipes that need no adjustments. This is one of those occasions. This dressing was found <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/thousand-island-dressing-recipe/index.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </span></div>
<div style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Thousand Island Dressing</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients: </b></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 garlic clove, minced</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 tsp of kosher salt</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 cup of prepared or homemade mayonnaise</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup of chili sauce</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 Tbsp ketchup</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 Tbsp minced onion</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 tsp sweet pickle relish</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 hard boiled egg, finely chopped (see note below)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">fresh ground black pepper, to taste</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Preparation: </b></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Add all ingredients in a mixing bowl and combine thoroughly. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Refrigerate for an hour or so to let the flavors meld. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Makes About 1 1/2 cups</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Note: </b>This recipe should keep for about 5-7 days if stored refrigerated in an airtight container. If you want to make it last 2 weeks, leave the egg out. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Justin Fuenteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11504234373034909968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476822535504197945.post-79545757256906855172013-07-22T22:23:00.001-07:002013-07-24T21:49:59.493-07:00<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h2 style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Yellow Curry Peanut Noodles:</span></h2>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-transform: uppercase;"><b>Asian (Con)Fusion</b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-transform: uppercase;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have loved</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> making t</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">his is dish for quite some time. My wife is NOT a fan of curry and even she digs it. I think that's mostly because the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">peanut butter is the lead character in this story. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The curry is the co-star. And man do they work well together. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ever since I discovered curry, I've kinda been obsessed with it. I haven't found a curry of any particular type or from any particular country that I haven't liked. Not saying it doesn't exist and not saying I've tried them all, because I haven't. Which is cool with me because it just means I have more took forward too. I'm just saying I haven't found it yet. And that's cool with me too.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiByIvPgUdQxjrBouQ0LzzbQI58mZyrNoEO4MgPSDahWakOrVAFzgckQw1HCDfiqOByCXMosQgvrI_es5_6UnFogLNgQKVEBtd9pnkbyuF2C1y65XCuQ7r__ooXKhoQbLZ0x9l-qmx5Cow/s1600/Yellow+Peanut+Butter+Noodles+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiByIvPgUdQxjrBouQ0LzzbQI58mZyrNoEO4MgPSDahWakOrVAFzgckQw1HCDfiqOByCXMosQgvrI_es5_6UnFogLNgQKVEBtd9pnkbyuF2C1y65XCuQ7r__ooXKhoQbLZ0x9l-qmx5Cow/s640/Yellow+Peanut+Butter+Noodles+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This recipe, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">to me, screams Thai. And it probably is now that I've had my way with it. But even prior to that, before I massacred it with love, I would still call it Thai. However, I visited several sites that had similar recipes and, even though nobody has given any history of it, they all seem to claim it's Chinese. That being said, let it be heard here and now, that my official contention is that this is a Thai dish. Okay, well maybe not actually Thai. Let's say, Thai <i>influenced. </i>Or even more accurately, Americanized Thai / Italian fusion (only because I serve it over linguine noodles). I suppose in the long run, it doesn't really matter</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now I don't want to add to the confusion here but this recipe usually calls for red curry paste. However, on one occasion, I didn't have red curry paste on hand so I used the yellow curry I did have and I actually liked it more. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5h1QEhuhMzh3Tp0BRFSa0E-szPduxJGiP2qoxKl78-SAkqPdpzCDs0kwZZaJqkBTyxWQBuniF6XOr3Y6BkloF7BPaNz6lNKbyIFBJ2cqXZXyJzExc9yVG1Ib9EvP9w0aMV7j0QHZYg9U/s1600/Yellow+Peanut+Butter+Noodles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5h1QEhuhMzh3Tp0BRFSa0E-szPduxJGiP2qoxKl78-SAkqPdpzCDs0kwZZaJqkBTyxWQBuniF6XOr3Y6BkloF7BPaNz6lNKbyIFBJ2cqXZXyJzExc9yVG1Ib9EvP9w0aMV7j0QHZYg9U/s640/Yellow+Peanut+Butter+Noodles.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I kicked around the idea of writing this blog with red curry in the title because that's what you'd typically find in this dish. But then I thought screw that man! This is my blog and my recipe. I have 100% creative freedom here! So yellow curry it is my friends. Now and forever. Unless of course, all I have on hand is red curry. Then it's the other. Really, it's fantastic either way. I just happen to prefer it with the yellow curry so if I have them both on hand, which I usually do, it always gonna be the yellow. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay, one more wonderful wrench in the machine. I wanted this dish to be served as a main. A hot pasta dish served with salad on the side. As with all the other recipes I found, it's usually served cold or at room temperature. What can I say? A guy wants what a guy wants. And I wanted a warm dish. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4kwJNCHUNTwSqy5LIL83thM9UtGaayBkjqk8IohyphenhyphenJopBBJiQ-7-EmNY9eU5CC8jVkxoMNY_6GtC6dcaSqXyFIgEoxOuOXmysIjwm5B2cAw8NVL2-v9G2IefCxaZcftSv5N9HaYXX9pM/s1600/Yellow+Peanut+Butter+Noodle+Ingredients.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN4kwJNCHUNTwSqy5LIL83thM9UtGaayBkjqk8IohyphenhyphenJopBBJiQ-7-EmNY9eU5CC8jVkxoMNY_6GtC6dcaSqXyFIgEoxOuOXmysIjwm5B2cAw8NVL2-v9G2IefCxaZcftSv5N9HaYXX9pM/s640/Yellow+Peanut+Butter+Noodle+Ingredients.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although this dish is completely different in the end, it was definitely influenced by <a href="http://appetiteforchina.com/recipes/red-curry-peanut-noodles/" target="_blank">this recipe</a> found on Appetite For China. Props are certainly due. </span></div>
<div style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Yellow Curry Peanut Noodles</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients: </b></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 lb dried linguine</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3/4 cup smooth peanut butter</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 Tbsp yellow (or red) curry paste</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup vegetable broth</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 15 oz can of coconut milk</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 Tbsp fresh lime juice</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Tbsp sugar</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp red pepper flakes</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp salt or to taste</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">unsalted peanuts, chopped</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">cilantro, chopped</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">lime wedges </span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Preparation: </b></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Cook the pasta per the package directions. Drain and set aside.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. In a medium sauce pan over a medium heat, combine peanut butter, curry paste, vegetable broth, coconut milk, lime juice, sugar, pepper flakes, and salt. Stir constantly until the mixture come to a simmer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Lower the heat and continue to simmer, stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes. It's important you stir constantly, otherwise the sauce can scorch onto the pan. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Put the drained noodles into a large bowl and stir in enough of the sauce the coat the noodles. You may not need all of the sauce as you don't want the noodles swimming in the sauce, just coated.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Serve and garnish with the cilantro, peanuts, lime wedges and additional pepper flakes if you like more of a bite. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Serves: 4-6</b></div>
Justin Fuenteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11504234373034909968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476822535504197945.post-55880757258648327712013-07-14T17:43:00.005-07:002013-07-17T23:52:57.918-07:00<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h2 style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Charred Corn Salad with Basil, Onion, and Peppers:</span></h2>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-transform: uppercase;"><b>Bringing My Grill Back</b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-transform: uppercase;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Corn.....What can I say about corn? Not a lot, unfortunately. I was trying to come up with something humorous to write but nothing really stuck out as funny. In fact, all my jokes were a bit too corny.....So I decided to abandon the "funny" angle. And not a moment too soon.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmKFiR8kDKSzWJbk8JrJ8_jAZ9LfIzc7WOi_5kMzOFyd5ew66-7XSgcuH3hz1hEQNaRddRwp8gInnf8JJLWwM4hkZDOLHvRPTL41IViJDCmriGq6Ok1XOzdr1Hr81z_pOGK1eUWWJW6nA/s1600/Charred+Corn+Salad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmKFiR8kDKSzWJbk8JrJ8_jAZ9LfIzc7WOi_5kMzOFyd5ew66-7XSgcuH3hz1hEQNaRddRwp8gInnf8JJLWwM4hkZDOLHvRPTL41IViJDCmriGq6Ok1XOzdr1Hr81z_pOGK1eUWWJW6nA/s640/Charred+Corn+Salad.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instead, I decided to write about something that I miss about being a carnivore. Meat? Nope. I'm over it. I'm much happier with my vegetarianism. I relish it, really. That being said, the thing I miss about being a carnivore is the good ol' barbecue. Specifically, the atmosphere. The camaraderie. The dudes standing around the grill, sucking down cold ones, not saying anything particularly deep, burping and watching stuff burn on the grill while the girls sip wine spritzers in the shade and dish about cousin Sarah, the black sheep of the family, who, if you didn't already hear, is addicted to pain pills and bad boys. Ladies..stop that! Sarah may be a bit crazy but she's not an addict. (Disclaimer: All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental)</span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not really sure why I have avoided my barbecue this last year and half. I just did. Not that it was difficult, I just didn't really know what to do with it. Which is a bummer because I have this kick-ass professional series gas grill (don't judge) with 5 burners pumping out 60,000 BTU's of heat. She's sat on my back patio in a state of arrested decay. Kind of a limbo for grills. I've even considered letting the ivy overtake her like some sort of leafy coral reef. Reclaimed by Mother Nature. </span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglI8eooci4KgrVfVvu9RiocESGfpJyGe5Zr30NcwGDvvpVWAYN6AM-G18TWdN1uMWBuewScYRGDVz5KUmaZrd1jZMzFOlb_t0uBRhTqWy5hNCnoVkbsM6odRhR2t_LlPvEkhcQEsP8DdM/s1600/Corn+Salad+Ingredients.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglI8eooci4KgrVfVvu9RiocESGfpJyGe5Zr30NcwGDvvpVWAYN6AM-G18TWdN1uMWBuewScYRGDVz5KUmaZrd1jZMzFOlb_t0uBRhTqWy5hNCnoVkbsM6odRhR2t_LlPvEkhcQEsP8DdM/s640/Corn+Salad+Ingredients.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, I recently had some family over for the 4th of July. The ivy was cut away as Mother Nature got to see how defiant her child really was. And the grill was fired up so the family could grill their grillables. In the midst of it all, I stood there and watched my old friend in her new found glory doing what she always did so well. She delighted the family as if she'd never been gone. And to them, she'd hadn't. It was me that she'd become estranged. </span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's when it struck me. This is bullshit! It's time to get back behind the grill. It's time to enjoy that patio time with the outside speakers playing my jams while I grill my own sort of grillables. And when the dudes aren't looking, have me a 32 ounce plastic cup of wine spritzer. Okay, maybe Sarah needs to get off the junk after all. It was all Billy Sr.'s fault anyway. And did you know that Billy Jr. isn't even his?........But I digress. (See disclaimer at the end of paragraph two)</span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF37CEMX1Xu8fS1J9lKB31TvGQx_WNbQ80XX2JbcoI4ieT-bCAEe9JD-3Rk179ss6IpizCcUSlJfYwhAYpYisthA_AEUyy0O53AYh6iYTlW_FQ4cW9fnOlFHA-PQmMfLFB4-o6BQm09mo/s1600/Corn+on+the+Grill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF37CEMX1Xu8fS1J9lKB31TvGQx_WNbQ80XX2JbcoI4ieT-bCAEe9JD-3Rk179ss6IpizCcUSlJfYwhAYpYisthA_AEUyy0O53AYh6iYTlW_FQ4cW9fnOlFHA-PQmMfLFB4-o6BQm09mo/s640/Corn+on+the+Grill.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is with great pleasure (to myself) that I announce my return to the grill has commenced. Coincidentally, I might add, with baby steps. No forethought, it's just the way the proverbial ball has opted to bounce. </span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My baby step comes in the form of a side dish. But let me tell you, although this is a side dish, I almost ate the whole thing by myself in one sitting after I made it. There's a small Tupperware container of it left in the fridge but I suspect it'll be gone in about 10 minutes. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This recipe is based loosely upon the version found in </span><a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2012/07/charred-corn-salad-with-basil-and-tomatoes" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Bon Appetit</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Hope you dig it. </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Charred Corn Salad with Basil, Onions and Peppers</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients: </b></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6 ears of corn, husked</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5 Tbsp olive olive oil, divided</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 medium red or green bell pepper, diced</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 medium jalapeno pepper, finely diced </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup, loosely packed fresh basil leaves, cut chiffonade</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup fresh lime juice</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kosher salt</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fresh ground pepper</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Preparation: </b></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Heat your grill to a medium high heat. Rub corn with 2 Tbsp of the olive oil. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Grill corn, turning frequently, until corn is charred and cooked through. 10 to 12 minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Remove the corn from the grill and set aside for a half hour to cool completely. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Once the corn has cooled, cut the kernels from the cob into a large bowl. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. In a colander, rinse the onion under cold water for about 10 to 20 seconds. This mellows it's effect on the dish. Drain well. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. To the bowl of corn, mix in the onion, the remaining 3 Tbsp of oil, bell peppers, jalapeno pepper, basil, lime juice, and thyme. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. Finally, season with salt and pepper to taste.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Note:</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This dish can be served at room temperature or cold. It's fantastic it either way. </span></div>
Justin Fuenteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11504234373034909968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476822535504197945.post-45061358798375122752013-06-23T22:22:00.000-07:002013-11-20T20:57:17.480-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h2 style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Chinese Fried Rice:</span></h2>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-transform: uppercase;"><b>Meet My New Girlfriend, Her Name Is Maggi</b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-transform: uppercase;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I eat at a Chinese restaurant, there are certain things that I look for that determine if I will go back. In my experience, the most difficult thing for these establishments to nail has always been fried rice. A lot of the time, the main dishes are pretty good and the chow mein is pretty good. But most of the time the rice is crap. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From my perspective, fried rice is the most important component of any combo dish found at a Chinese restaurant. And let me rant briefly in saying that a "combo plate" at ANY Chinese restaurant should consist of rice, chow mein, and a main dish. Not rice OR chow mein. Rice AND chow mein. Yes, I'm talking to you, generic Chinese restaurant owner!!! Both!!! It's like telling me I can either put salt or pepper on my dish but not both. It's doesn't make sense. A proper Chinese combo should have both. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But who am I? Right? I am at the mercy of the proprietor. And so it shall be. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDtrBjrYm8LQ8CnKtBUkosAUwsUHMSGr8SHp9OaO4fmUJoFEwdUHIzm64t7zvffanfPb091chJzMv6Xo2PBVav2Orz86792PvqHig3aPQAo2oS6lns_gnlm_z2i54_6B_eaaUW2-12mbk/s1600/Chinese+Fried+Rice+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDtrBjrYm8LQ8CnKtBUkosAUwsUHMSGr8SHp9OaO4fmUJoFEwdUHIzm64t7zvffanfPb091chJzMv6Xo2PBVav2Orz86792PvqHig3aPQAo2oS6lns_gnlm_z2i54_6B_eaaUW2-12mbk/s640/Chinese+Fried+Rice+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I remember when I was in high school, there was Chinese hole in wall type place close by. It was about 4 blocks from my school so it was easy to get to for lunch. There were always lines of people trying to get to this place. Most likely that was partially because I was always in there at lunch time but mostly because the food kicked ass. It was an "open kitchen" style set up where you could see the chefs actually making the food. It wasn't anything intentional or fancy, it was mostly because that's was the way the building was set up structurally. </span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I would always order a side of rice for lunch. I loved it with the egg, peas, carrots and scallions. From what I have been able to gather, this is not necessarily "authentic". But it's what you find pretty much across the board in standard American Chinese restaurants. So as far as I'm concerned, we can call it authentic American Chinese. It deserves that respect. </span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqH-8qw_HaYIOX2joHgK5fYQeXnT09N0RKaFsqQRf5nIv8CU0ce2iuDVg0YtL41nXiDFdAFRKKsECGjBJqHNEeuFvIQjE0zebmP4-gqowvKjzKVHsldl11iO8KmkTIE7n7-KGsV568vaE/s1600/Chinese+Fried+Rice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqH-8qw_HaYIOX2joHgK5fYQeXnT09N0RKaFsqQRf5nIv8CU0ce2iuDVg0YtL41nXiDFdAFRKKsECGjBJqHNEeuFvIQjE0zebmP4-gqowvKjzKVHsldl11iO8KmkTIE7n7-KGsV568vaE/s640/Chinese+Fried+Rice.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The fried rice at this place, as with many others (but not the majority), had a distinct flavor profile that I could never quite put my finger on. I really loved it and I've searched the internet for years looking for this flavor. Then, o</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ne day, quite recently actually, I came across a dish that called for Maggi seasoning. I've seen this stuff around for years but never really had the occasion to buy it. But this other recipe I found called for it so I figured it was high time I just bought it and saw what the all hype was about. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is definitely huge part of that profile I've been looking for. This recipe is simple and it's fantastic. It is a hardcore staple in my (American) Chinese recipe collection and will remain there until I kidnap (temporarily) a Chinese chef and make him (or her) show me how to perfect that damn rice. Until then, this one will not only do, it'll be a hit.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Fried Rice</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients: </b></span><br />
<div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 1/2 Tbsp peanut oil, divided</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 eggs</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 Tbsp sesame oil</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 Tbsp chili oil</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup frozen peas and carrots</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 cups day old rice - refrigerator cold</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Tbsp Maggi Seasoning or to taste </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1-2 green onions, sliced on a bias</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Preparation: </b></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Heat 1/2 Tbsp of the peanut oil in a wok over a medium-high heat. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. While your oil is heating, scramble the eggs in a bowl. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Once the wok is hot, add eggs and fry. Roll eggs around the wok to create a thin omelette. Once done, remove omelette from wok and set aside. Use your spatula to chop the omelette into 1 inch chunks. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Place remaining peanut oil along with the sesame and chili oils on the wok over a high heat. When oils and wok are hot, add the peas and carrots. Stir fry for about 2 minutes stirring constantly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Add the rice and stir fry over the high heat, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. Add the Maggi Seasoning and continue to stir fry for another 2-3 minutes, again stirring constantly.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. Add the eggs and green onions. Stir to combine and remove from heat. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Serves: 4</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
Justin Fuenteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11504234373034909968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476822535504197945.post-15061283989197702332013-06-19T22:36:00.000-07:002014-08-04T22:32:04.363-07:00<h2 style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">The New and Improved "Classic" Bloody Mary:</span></h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-transform: uppercase;">Look! Up in the Sky! It's A Drink, It's a Meal!!!</span></span></div>
</h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since I just recently made Penne Alla Vodka, I had a whole bunch of vodka left over that was burnin' a hole in my pocket. I'm actually not much of a hard alcohol drinker. My first choice would be a nice box..err..I mean <i>bottle</i> of wine. However, on occasion and in the spirit of camaraderie, I'll imbibe in a shot or two. But once in a blue moon, I get a hankerin' for a good cocktail. The only requirement, and it's not too much to ask I don't think, is it has to be made right. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ooh! Epiphany. Maybe that's why I don't drink cocktails. Maybe I've had too many crappy ones, and believe me, I've had some REALLY crappy ones. It's a cryin' shame that there are so many bartenders out there that can't put together a decent drink. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That being said, I guess I'd better a least build an acceptable one myself.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5yJCQvr24wedkjpk7iHo9HrSPO68ZLpugY6lVYLhkwcBhZG3Vq4hUczDsDcHgGznLGdAlzI5ASsOwuwJtmbCn495LRiJyi_X1wKkwo6ytxkyK6ROtWJDHSt2BvVmbhpo_7055pBg8B-0/s1600/Bloody+Mary+Cocktail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5yJCQvr24wedkjpk7iHo9HrSPO68ZLpugY6lVYLhkwcBhZG3Vq4hUczDsDcHgGznLGdAlzI5ASsOwuwJtmbCn495LRiJyi_X1wKkwo6ytxkyK6ROtWJDHSt2BvVmbhpo_7055pBg8B-0/s640/Bloody+Mary+Cocktail.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My family on my mother's side is Canadian. In the Great White North, they don't drink Bloody Marys. They drink Bloody Caesars also simply referred to as a Caesar. It's essentially a Bloody Mary however it's made with clamato juice instead of tomato juice. When my family visits or vice versa, it's Bloody Caesars from noon until the wee small hours of the morning. Holy crap it is a party. And it not just a cocktail, it's an art. From the first ingredient to the last, there is a method. Even down to the order in which you add everything. If you put the lemon juice in before you put the pepper, you messed it up. What? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The awesome thing about them is that they can party until 2 or 3 in morning and then be up 7 am and out mowing the lawn and gardening. I can't do it. I'm peeping out from behind the blinds, cross-eyed, at 9:30 am, hoping they don't see me. Then about an hour later, I stroll out and say hello. These folks are all chipper, smiling and have already gotten all the chores done, been grocery shopping, paid the bills, and whatever else you can think of. I'm in sheer awe of the partying professionalism they display every time I have the pleasure of seeing them. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijUnxL3vtgkc4nlfFVPDbz73wn3ZTmkzAAZqLIhaSoSC5z5Bl6kyjgjx184d_i3jtUqbSWMGbJIe5qZqKCIsjj75E6j8gNgbmUfKaAjGEEuap_uuGvHqULrtEX9jiPky7vGBx3Re8TRgc/s1600/Bloody+Mary+Cocktail+Mixer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijUnxL3vtgkc4nlfFVPDbz73wn3ZTmkzAAZqLIhaSoSC5z5Bl6kyjgjx184d_i3jtUqbSWMGbJIe5qZqKCIsjj75E6j8gNgbmUfKaAjGEEuap_uuGvHqULrtEX9jiPky7vGBx3Re8TRgc/s640/Bloody+Mary+Cocktail+Mixer.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before I became a vegetarian, I was the (self appointed) official Canadian Caesar representative here in United States. But alas, no more clamato for me. But it's totally cool. I have always loved Caesar's American sister Mary. And she's no different. She is also a work of art if done right. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I my humble opinion, a perfect Bloody Mary has substance. It's not thick but it possesses the illusion of chewiness. I like mine spicy. In fact a little extra spicy is nice. And it's gotta be just a little bit salty. </span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Worcestershire is an absolute must. But as most of you already know, Worcestershire has anchovies in it. So you're gonna have to do a bit of homework. I found a good vegan one at Whole Foods. If there's no Whole Foods in your area, try upper-end markets that carry organic and vegan products. Otherwise, there's always the good old internet. I use a brand called </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wan Ja Shan. </span>It's actually pretty good. And i<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">f you like </span>Worcestershire, order 2 or more bottles because it'll save you money in shipping (on average price per bottle).<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">S</span>ome recipes say a splash of Worcestershire. I say more than a splash. I want it bold. But you can be the judge. </div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisU5VIrlgoocobVaq5IO1ZvOG-63PCpwjoxH5nAEXbnI6xpe6HX66qBJ2dG1xfaPv2FijT9Gx5xpomvs_M_cmG7CVFEO4uF8BEAxH6MeE9RP-pCZfHyLFqMpxBzNbyLsGGuGqlwYMC_BE/s1600/Bloody+Mary+Ingredients.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisU5VIrlgoocobVaq5IO1ZvOG-63PCpwjoxH5nAEXbnI6xpe6HX66qBJ2dG1xfaPv2FijT9Gx5xpomvs_M_cmG7CVFEO4uF8BEAxH6MeE9RP-pCZfHyLFqMpxBzNbyLsGGuGqlwYMC_BE/s640/Bloody+Mary+Ingredients.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hopefully I have created a good balance here with this recipe. Enjoy. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Bloody Mary</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Ingredients:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ice</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 tsp black pepper </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp celery salt</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Tbsp hot sauce such as Tabasco</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Tbsp </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">+ another quick splash of</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> vegetarian Worcestershire sauce - I use Wan Ja Shan</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">juice from 1/2 lemon</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 splash of brine from a cocktail olive or pickled green beans jar (optional) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 oz. vodka (3 oz. if you want to get hammered) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8 oz. tomato juice or vegetable juice such as V8</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">for garnish: cocktail olives, pickled green beans, celery stalks, lemon slices</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Preparation: </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Fill a cocktail shaker 2/3 full with ice</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Add pepper, celery salt, hot sauce, Worcestershire, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">lemon juice, and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">brine (if you are using it)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Add vodka and tomato juice. Cover and shake.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Pour into glasses over ice and garnish as desired. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Serves: 2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Justin Fuenteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11504234373034909968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476822535504197945.post-92106977662271701632013-05-30T23:41:00.001-07:002013-05-31T00:01:31.938-07:00Penne Alla Vodka<br />
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-5472946519654876769" itemprop="description articleBody" style="position: relative; width: 680px;">
<br />
<h2 style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Penne Alla Vodka:</span></h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large; text-transform: uppercase;"><b>You Won't Get Drunk, Don't Worry</b></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Honestly, the thought of pouring vodka over noodles has always sounded kinda gross. Okay, okay, I know you don't actually pour it over the noodles. And I know you're supposed to cook the sauce first. I also know the alcohol "cooks off" but I still always thought there would be a freaky vodka-like grossness to the remaining dish. As much as I know inside that I "know" about cooking, I also realize I don't know the first thing about cooking. That's what is so cool about it: There is ALWAYS something new to learn. Always.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">It reminds me of the old critically acclaimed film Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (circa 1989) where they quoted Socrates. Funny how you learn cool stuff through stupid stuff. Or am I just stupid? Jury's out on that one. Anywho, the quote is as follows: "The only true wisdom is knowing that you know nothing". And if you KNOW that, you will learn everything you possibly can.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrbt0KWX0kic-1XLEMuUJar4uyLEUt5Sfn41UhNFtH4NqFlU05FEmLWbfikNXJFFqSamRW-iUGKssTa46p7vApx5zV0lWDYrXssoOnQsTWsf1qWnD95e6sogecTX2AdaEoj-LS8pgAkoQ/s1600/Penne+Alla+Vodka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrbt0KWX0kic-1XLEMuUJar4uyLEUt5Sfn41UhNFtH4NqFlU05FEmLWbfikNXJFFqSamRW-iUGKssTa46p7vApx5zV0lWDYrXssoOnQsTWsf1qWnD95e6sogecTX2AdaEoj-LS8pgAkoQ/s640/Penne+Alla+Vodka.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">So a few years back, we were in an a local Italian restaurant for dinner before heading out to a blues show we had tickets for. My wife ordered the pasta with vodka sauce. I figured I could order my choice off the menu and then try her dish to see if I liked it. If I did great but if I didn't, I could say "Haha, mines is good, yours is gross". Then I could eat mine slowly with my eyes shut, all the while going "Mmmm, this is so tasty. Bet you wish you ordered this. What did you get again? Oh yeah vodka sauce. Ewww. Bet it's gross." </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">I wouldn't have really done that. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">But as it turns out, the dish was actually very good. In fact, I kinda loved it. And bless her heart because she didn't close her eyes and tell me how much better hers was than mine. Note to self: Grow up Justin.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Since then, I've grown to love the dish. I've had it on several occasions since and thought it was about time I figured this thing out. My findings were rather cool. This dish is actually super easy to make and the results are equally as good. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">My wife (for the purposes of this blog, let's just call her Kris, mostly because at birth, her parents named her Kris) has a huge problem with me when we entertain. I have this uncontrollable urge to make the best food ever for my guests. Unreasonable? No. However, the downfall to it is that I tend to spend too much time in the kitchen cooking for my guests instead of hanging out with them on the patio or in the pool like a good host should. Amateur? Probably. But I'm a perfectionist and would rather have them enjoy my "artistic capabilities" rather than my mediocre company. The fact is, I run my dinner parties like a restaurant. She's front of the house, I'm back of the house. She the hostess, I'm the chef. But as usual, she's right. I should make stuff like Penne Alla Vodka that's quick and delicious and call it good.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">That being said, this is perfect for guests because it doesn't require much cook time or prep. A small amount of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mise_en_place" target="_blank">mise en place</a> is usually in order but, again, this one doesn't require much.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-leENhgfQToEQKYUFAvrk-sQYt4g8eXkDm-5rPFOE_MBYsH5U-ebfKg7FPa1KCKDSqAqfLh5BcWMFg7Ywxz31zxUzeKNAUvZFwlHy1X5f4jptUeh_4OU46lMV7OyTPYvF2s-OQ7nHJL8/s1600/Penne+Alla+Vodka+Prep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-leENhgfQToEQKYUFAvrk-sQYt4g8eXkDm-5rPFOE_MBYsH5U-ebfKg7FPa1KCKDSqAqfLh5BcWMFg7Ywxz31zxUzeKNAUvZFwlHy1X5f4jptUeh_4OU46lMV7OyTPYvF2s-OQ7nHJL8/s640/Penne+Alla+Vodka+Prep.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
This recipe was inspired by <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/12/friday-night-dinner-pasta-alla-vodka/" target="_blank">The Pioneer Woman's</a> version of this dish. </div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<strong style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 18px;"><br /></strong> </div>
<div>
<strong style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 18px;">Penne Alla Vodka</strong></div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-size: 13px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Ingredients:</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><br /></strong></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<ul style="margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;">1 pound box of penne pasta</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;">2 Tbsp butter</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;">2 Tbsp olive oil</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;">4 cloves garlic, minced</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;">2 shallots, finely chopped</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;">3/4 cup vodka</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;">One 14 oz can of tomato puree (see hint below)</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;">1 cup of heavy cream</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;">1 tsp red pepper flakes</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;">2 tsp salt, or to taste</span></span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">2-3 Tbsp basil, cut chiffonade</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese </li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<ul style="line-height: 1.4; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;">
</ul>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<div style="line-height: 18.64px;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<strong>Preparation: </strong></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.98611068725586px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">1. Cook pasta per box directions. Do not overcook making sure to leave pasta al dente. Once done, reserve one cup of the cooking water then drain the noodles. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.98611068725586px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.98611068725586px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">2. Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and shallots and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.64px;">3. Add vodka to skillet and cook to reduce for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.64px;">4. Add tomato puree and mix until completely combined. Then reduce heat to low.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.62847328186035px;">5. Add the cream and stir to combine.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.62847328186035px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.62847328186035px;">6. Then stir in the red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, and basil.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.62847328186035px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.62847328186035px;">7. Finally, add the noodles and Parmesan and toss to combine all. </span></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<div style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.62px;"><b>Serves 4</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.62px;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.62px;"><b>Hint: </b>The first two ingredients listed on most tomato puree cans are: Tomato paste, water.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.62px;">If you can't find the tomato puree, buy a 14 oz can of tomato paste and add water to it until you reach a consistency somewhere between tomato paste and tomato sauce. The plus side to this? Tomato paste is half the cost of puree. Why would a product that's twice as concentrated cost half the price of the diluted version? Somebody is seeing someone coming from a mile away. Shhhh. Save yourself some money and stick it to the man! </span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Justin Fuenteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11504234373034909968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476822535504197945.post-54729465196548767692013-05-12T22:19:00.000-07:002013-06-23T22:37:25.350-07:00Chinese Chow Mein: Mongolian BBQ Style<br />
<br />
<h2 style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Chinese Chow Mein:</span></h2>
<h2 style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Mongolian BBQ Style</span></h2>
<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back in my high school years, there was a Mongolian BBQ place smack dab in the middle of my old stomping grounds. It was place me and my buddies would go to frequently. It was a little hole in the wall a few blocks</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> away from the shopping mall. If you didn't know it was there, you'd never know it was there. And t</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">he food was amazing. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">If you've never been to one of these places, let me paint you a picture. You go in and get a bowl. There is "buffet" of thinly sliced and frozen raw meats such as chicken, beef and lamb (I wasn't a vegetarian back then). Next to that, there's a choice a few kinds of chow mein noodles. Usually one thick noodle, think udon, and one thinner, think spaghetti. After that is an array of fresh veggies and sauces that you can choose from. You place what you like from the buffet in your bowl and top it with a sauce or a combination of different sauces. Finally, you take your bowl of goodness to the grill cook. The cook dumps the bowl onto a large round grill and stir fries your concoction into sheer bliss. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgozVE5yJs2LoM4Pdu2zuTb52g_XBf5EqRXrTuMT44JiPFbIhHLAz4oebQhZ8wYXfO50nBbxKyebK9AlNG3e-uDb-4LhIEVtd6_PX5EJ7uTbQ-Km22skpgq1I25ZxNJCMdyaLPNLBKKAyk/s1600/Mongolian+Stir+Fry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgozVE5yJs2LoM4Pdu2zuTb52g_XBf5EqRXrTuMT44JiPFbIhHLAz4oebQhZ8wYXfO50nBbxKyebK9AlNG3e-uDb-4LhIEVtd6_PX5EJ7uTbQ-Km22skpgq1I25ZxNJCMdyaLPNLBKKAyk/s640/Mongolian+Stir+Fry.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of these place are "all you can eat". Some, you only get one pass at the buffet. The place we went to was a "one pass" place. Now this is where it gets interesting. Our goal was </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">always to get the biggest bang for our buck. The fact is, you can loosely pack some veggies and noodles in your bowl but the problem with that is by the time the guy grills the contents of your bowl, the veggies have reduced by half in size and what you thought your had in your bowl was nothing more than "amuse bouche". </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So here are me and my buddies in line at the buffet and after each addition to our bowls, we would put the bowl on the counter and get on top of it with our full body weight in order to pack it down as much as possible. By the time we got to the end of the line, there'd be a solid four pounds of everything in the bowl. And I mean solid. It was like a circular brick. All for $6 bucks? Sold!</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Soon thereafter, school had let out for good, that little joint closed and life went on. I still see those little Mongolian places around town but somewhere, over the years, there was a disconnect. I don't know what it was but I haven't been in one of those places in 20+ years. Why? I can't figure it out. I loved that little place from back in the day. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fast forward to a month ago. I was going out to lunch with a friend and he suggested a Mongolian BBQ nearby. I thought why the heck not? I haven't had that kinda grub in ages. So we walk in the place. And, as I've just said, it's been a long time so I'm not sure if the Mongolian BBQ etiquette has changed over the last 20 years. Maybe it's acceptable for an 18 year old to do this sort of "packing of the bowl" (that's not a metaphor). But is it acceptable for a man in his 40's to do this sort of thing? Well, let me tell you friends and neighbors, that uncertainty was quickly squashed when I looked back at my buddy. His bowl was on the counter and he was actually giggling as he laid his full body weight on top of it, packing it down into the form of a circular brick..............It's such a relief to know some things never change. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An hour later, I was there an a near catatonic state, belly over packed, wondering what the hell happened to last 20 years of my life. Where did I go wrong? What bad choices did I make that led to this Mongolian absence in my life? I may never know but it matters not. It's time to move forward in a world where I can jam my bowl and giggle all the while in the knowledge that it doesn't matter how old or how young you are, it's okay to employ your full body weight when creating your Mongolian masterpiece. Etiquette by damned!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px;">
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUTUVRFiNzfvre9GlGMHuEMdkwECbbCtyYNaTHfc0koS6SiKiN9DoDgXB19ccUdWeTIsjmyW4KPsCfdkSWI5pkmnzQ9-K3rjFtO9M6r8hPsyzw7x0oays-F5_tDpZ3R33AHjBmqWrne4U/s1600/Mongolian+Stir+Fry+Ingredients.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUTUVRFiNzfvre9GlGMHuEMdkwECbbCtyYNaTHfc0koS6SiKiN9DoDgXB19ccUdWeTIsjmyW4KPsCfdkSWI5pkmnzQ9-K3rjFtO9M6r8hPsyzw7x0oays-F5_tDpZ3R33AHjBmqWrne4U/s640/Mongolian+Stir+Fry+Ingredients.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
This recipe is adapted from a recipe I found on <a href="http://rasamalaysia.com/mongolian-beef-recipe/2/" target="_blank">Rasa Malaysia</a>. It's for a Mongolian beef recipe so it's actually quite different than what I have here. Basically, I took the "sauce" portion of the recipe and applied it to this dish. </div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Keep in mind that this is a stir fry. You can add pretty much any veggie you like to your dish. The veggies I have listed below under "The Rest" are based on my personal preference. If you want to omit something and add something else, go for it. And do yourself a favor, go to a Mongolian BBQ place, giggle, pack a bowl, and be happy. </div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<strong style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 18px;"><br /></strong> </div>
<div>
<strong style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 18px;">Mongolian BBQ Style Chow Mein</strong></div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; clear: both;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Ingredients:</strong></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><br /></strong></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<b>Stir Fry Sauce:</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.98px;">2 teaspoons vegetarian oyster sauce (find it at an Asian grocery store)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.98px;">2 tablespoons soy sauce</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.98px;">1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce (don't skip this)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.98px;">3 dashes of white pepper</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.98px;">1/4 teaspoon sesame oil</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.98px;">1/2 teaspoon Maggi seasoning</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.98px;">1/2 tablespoon sugar</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.98px;">1 tablespoon minced ginger</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.98px;">1 tablespoon minced garlic </span></span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.98px;"><b>The Rest: </b></span></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.98px;">3 ounces of dried chow mein noodles</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.98px;">1 tablespoon peanut oil</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.98px;">1/2 tablespoon sesame oil</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.98px;">1/2 tablespoon chili oil</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.98px;">2 cups cabbage, julienned</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.98px;">1 cup of broccoli florets</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.98px;">1/2 cup onion, julienned</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.98px;">1/2 cup carrot, small julienne (think matchstick) </span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.98px;">2 cups spinach, stemmed</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.98px;">3/4 cup bean spouts</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.98px;">1/2 cup cilantro, stemmed and chopped </span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.98px;">1 serrano pepper, thinly sliced into rings </span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.98px;">1/2 cup green onions, sliced on a bias</span></span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.96875px;"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<div style="line-height: 18.64px;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<strong>Preparation: </strong><br />
<strong><br /></strong><strong>To make the sauce:</strong></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl. Mix until sugar is dissolved. I usually make this the night before and just let it sit in the fridge although this isn't required. I just find that sugar is usually completely dissolved when I do this. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<strong>For the rest:</strong></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.98px;">1. Cook you noodles per the package directions. Once done, drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.98px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.98px;">2. Add the peanut, sesame and chili oils to a wok and heat on high. When the oil has almost begun to smoke, add the cabbage, broccoli, and onion. Fry, stirring constantly for about a minute. </span></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.98px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.98px;">3. Add the spinach, bean sprouts, cilantro, and serrano pepper. Continue to stir fry for about 30 seconds.</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.98px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.98px;">4. Add the sauce to the wok and stir fry for an additional 30 seconds. </span></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.98px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.98px;">5. Add the noodles and toss. Continue to stir fry for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly . </span></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.98px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.98px;">6. Remove chow mein from heat and toss with the green onions. Place in a serving bowl and serve immediately. </span></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.62px;"><b>Serves 2: if served as a main course</b></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.62px;"><b>Serves 4: if served as a side</b></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<strong><br /></strong></div>
</div>
</div>
Justin Fuenteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11504234373034909968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476822535504197945.post-695462305102512142013-04-09T22:33:00.000-07:002013-04-09T22:33:55.702-07:00Eggs Californian<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br />
<h2 style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Eggs Californian:</span></h2>
<h2 style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 1em; position: relative; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Not Eggs Benedict </span></h2>
<div>
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I searched the net looking for this combination of ingredients and Eggs Californian was the match I found. Which totally sucks because really I wanted to call it Eggs Fuentes. Yes. Vanity is my prison. But alas, some other shbag named it before me. Shbag, you ask? Ok. Definition: <b>Shbag - </b>the second syllable of douchebag. You see, everyone says "douchebag" to describe an undesirable person. Personally, I find the term itself it rather undesirable. Hence, instead of calling someone a douche, which is both trashy and cliche, I choose to call them "shbags". Same thing, just cooler. It's a thing. You heard it here first. Spread the word. My hope is that 5 years from now some road-rager rolls down his window, shakes his fist at me and screams "You Shbag!!!" Then and only then will I know that I have truly accomplished something great. </span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoe9wog5Sw-envLWrtfwZRnJujofnkf7viiBGQgcjTg2Nr8jA6hsbpyrZNFfp1C4gk6XRqKk63lzXWfF6VbwoyNP5N-ggrPxPTlklTn8q4KPYi8WVgAib7TBe7ToGGkNYuQOSgLBxmCX0/s1600/Eggs+Benedict.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoe9wog5Sw-envLWrtfwZRnJujofnkf7viiBGQgcjTg2Nr8jA6hsbpyrZNFfp1C4gk6XRqKk63lzXWfF6VbwoyNP5N-ggrPxPTlklTn8q4KPYi8WVgAib7TBe7ToGGkNYuQOSgLBxmCX0/s640/Eggs+Benedict.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Eggs Californian is a derivation of the more common Eggs Benedict. As per Wikipedia, there are two conflicting stories behind the creation of this dish, Eggs Benedict in particular. <b>Story A:</b> Some shbag (see how it flows?) named </span><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.18px;">Lemuel Benedict </span><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.18px;">claimed that he had went into the </span>Waldorf Hotel<span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.18px;"> in 1894 hoping to find a cure for his morning hangover. So he ordered "buttered toast, poached eggs, crisp bacon, and a </span><a class="extiw" href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hooker" style="background-image: none; color: #663366; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.18px; text-decoration: none;" title="wiktionary:hooker">hooker</a><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.18px;"> of Hollandaise". A hooker of Hollandaise? What the Hell is that? <b>Story B: </b>This other shbag they called </span>Pope Benedict XIII really dug this dish and he ordered it all the time. Kind of a lame story. Anticlimactic, as it were. (Am I gonna get Sinead O'Conner lash back on this post?...I hope not)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">This recipe is an easy one. Everyone always says that Hollandaise is somewhat difficult to make. No it's not. It's easy. The only key is attention. If you just pay attention, you'll do well. And as with anything, you need a pinch desire. If you desire to do well, you will. Whether it's Eggs Benedict, Eggs Californian, or Eggs Fuentes, you gotta "love" it. If you don't, failure is eminent. If you do, success is almost unavoidable. So pay attention. Got it? Good.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNNeny5WwyBTTvU404Fxl_cV3Bnvnci8ufG8afXWkmHlERxX5bo0w5TgHJdcTg83q4Su0bxRLNAaNgR1tZKgUHuG2slYS60g5GqScMVkHoDSFQymCD6qf0F48y5hjJcSCSQKdhs3NdmZ4/s1600/Eggs+Benedict+Focaccia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNNeny5WwyBTTvU404Fxl_cV3Bnvnci8ufG8afXWkmHlERxX5bo0w5TgHJdcTg83q4Su0bxRLNAaNgR1tZKgUHuG2slYS60g5GqScMVkHoDSFQymCD6qf0F48y5hjJcSCSQKdhs3NdmZ4/s640/Eggs+Benedict+Focaccia.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">The recipe for the Hollandaise sauce I stole from <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/hollandaise-sauce-recipe/index.html" target="_blank">Tyler Florence</a>. Most recipes for this sauce are pretty similar. Hollandaise is a simple sauce with few ingredients. So there's not too much room to move ingredient-wise. This one is straight forward and it's tasty. You can play around with adding a dash Worchestershire sauce, Tobasco, etc. But sometimes, simpler is better. I admit, many moons ago when I was first learning to cook, I used to overcomplicate recipes thinking it would add "complexity". Sometimes it worked. Most of the time, it didn't. So don't overcomplicate it. This is definitely one that doesn't need it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Most Eggs Benedict / Californian type dishes will call for English muffins as the bread of choice but a friend of mine told me she'd recently had it in a restaurant over focaccia. That really intrigued me so I used focaccia in this dish. However, I think the place I bought the bread from just used ciabatta dough and made focaccia from it. As a result, my wife, a.k.a The Royal Taster, pointed out to me that it was a little tough to cut through and didn't soak up the Hollandaise quite as well an English muffin would have. I had to agree with her. On the other hand, the focaccia did add a nice flavor element that the English muffin didn't. In the end, it's up to you. Both have their ups and downs. Or maybe I just need to find a better focaccia next time. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222;">
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><strong>Eggs Californian</strong></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">
<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Ingredients: </strong></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18.64px;">
<br /></div>
<ul style="line-height: 18.649999618530273px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: outside; margin: 10px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">1 stick of unsalted butter, melted</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">4 eggs yolks</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">1 tsp salt (or to taste)</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">1/4 tsp black pepper (or to taste)</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">pinch of cayenne</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">1 1/2 Tbsp of white vinegar</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">4 eggs</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">1 avocado, peeled and sliced</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">4 (or more) slices of tomato (I like to use Romas which usually require 2 thin slices per muffin half)</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">2 English muffins OR 2 muffin-sized pieces of focaccia bread</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">chives, for garnish (optional - I had them in my garden so I figured what the heck) </span></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<div style="line-height: 18.64px;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<strong>Preparation: </strong><br />
<strong><br /></strong>
<strong>To make the sauce:</strong></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Place your butter in a bowl and microwave it for about 45 seconds until it's just melted. You don't want it boiling hot, just melted. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="line-height: 18.64px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. V</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.62847328186035px;">igorously w</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.64px;">hisk the eggs yolks with the lemon juice in a stainless steel mixing bowl until the mixture is doubled in volume, about 3-4 minutes. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.98611068725586px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">3</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.64px;">. Place the bowl with the egg mixture over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Make sure the bowl isn't touching the water as this will scramble your eggs. Continue to whisk the eggs rapidly being careful not to let the bowl get too hot, as again, your eggs will scramble. If you feel it's getting too hot, simply lift the bowl off the saucepan and allow to cool for a few seconds.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.64px;">4. Slowly pour your butter into the egg mixture, a few tablespoons at a time, all the while continuing to whisk the mixture until it thickened and doubled in volume. Whisk in the salt, pepper, and cayenne. Keep warm until you're ready to serve. However, don't make the sauce too soon in advance. You really want to serve this sauce as soon as possible so poach your eggs, plate and serve immediately afterwards.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span>
<strong style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 17.98611068725586px;">To poach the eggs:</strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.64px;">1. To poach the eggs, I always just use the same simmering water that was used under the mixing bowl with the Hollandaise sauce. Add the vinegar to the water and stir gently to mix. You want to add your eggs as gently as possible to avoid excessive spreading of the whites. This is what the vinegar does, it helps to coagulate the whites quickly to minimize that. I strongly recommend placing each egg in a very small bowl and gently dropping them in one at a time as close to the water level as you can get it. I usually just dip the lip of the bowl right into the water and drop them in that way. You can then use a slotted spoon to very gently pull the white inwards toward the yolk if that helps. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.64px;">2. Let the eggs poach for 3 1/2 to 4 minutes but no longer. If you do, your yolks will harden and that won't be good. You want the whites cooked through but you want those yolks nice and runny. Use your slotted spoon to remove the eggs from the pot one at a time. You can very gently drop the eggs onto a paper towel to remove and discard the ugly bits of the whites.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.64px;">3. Slice your English muffin or focaccia into two halves and toast. Place them on your plate and top with the avocado and tomato. Then place one poached egg on each half. Finally, drizzle your Hollandaise over the top and serve immediately. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.62847328186035px;"> </span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.62847328186035px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<strong>Serves: 2</strong></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.64px;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</span><div style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
Justin Fuenteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11504234373034909968noreply@blogger.com2