Cheesy Potato Soup

Ingredients:
1 Russet Potato

1 Medium Red Onion

1 Green Pepper

1/4 lb deli ham OR 1/4 lb taylor ham 

1 1/2 tbsp butter 

1 tbsp flour

1 cup 1% milk

1/4 lb block cheddar cheese shredded

2 tbsp sour cream

* Croutons

* Chives

* Cheddar cheese (shredded for garnish)

* Olive Oil

* Salt

* Black pepper

* Garlic Powder

Tools:

Large non-stick skillet with lid

2 qt saucepan

Preparation: 
Heat olive oil in skillet over medium high heat. Dice all vegetables and ham into 1/2" cubes, place in skillet and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Stir regularly and cover until potatoes are browned and all vegetables are tender. 

In a sauce pan, melt butter adding flour and milk to make a roux. Once steam begins to rise, add cheddar cheese and stir until well incorporated.  Use sour cream as needed to thicken but should otherwise have a brothy consistency. 

Add vegetables and ham once cooked to cream sauce and simmer on low heat. 

Garnish with diced chives, croutons, and additional cheddar cheese

Serving: 

Serves 2. 

Strawberry Italian Ice

After making lemon and orange for a while, I decided to branch out, this was one of the successful ones. 

Ingredients:
1 lb carton of strawberries

1 1/2 cups of water

1 1/2 cups of sugar

1 cup of water (separate)

Tools:

Ice Cream Maker 

2 qt saucepan

2x 1qt freezer safe containers

Blender/Food processor

Preparation: 
Remove the tops of the strawberries and place in a blender/food processor. (I use a Ninja so its theoretically both).  Begin to blend together and add 1 cup of water to thin down the mix. Once the strawberries are the consistency of a smoothie/milkshake, they are done. Remove from the blender and cool in the refrigerator. (the cooler they are at the start of freezing, the faster the ice will form). 

In a saucepan, mix 1 1/2 cups of water and 1 1/2 cups of sugar to make a simple syrup. Stir together well over high heat and when bubbles begin to form, remove from heat and set aside to cool. The cooling process can be accelerated by placing the simple syrup in a container and surrounding that container with ice + salt water. 

Mix together the syrup and strawberry mix in the ice cream maker and begin churning on a higher speed (if using a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, speed setting is 6 or 7).  This will need to run for a while as you are looking for the presence of the ice crystals to form. Stop the mixer every so often to manually scrape down the sides (this will give you a better idea of how close the mix is to freezing as the ice on the sides and the ice in the middle will look similar in texture. If there is ice on the sides but the middle is still liquid, keep churning. 

Once the volume of ice crystals is visibly greater than 90% of the mix (meaning that there is a small amount that will still appear as liquid) pour out of the ice cream maker into 1 qt freezer safe containers and allow to chill for another 24 hours before eating. 

Serving:
Using a warmed ice cream scoop, serve into bowls, cups, glasses, etc. 

Eggplant Parmesan Bread

This started because a local bakery made something like this and the combination just made complete sense. 

Ingredients:
Dough: 
1 Tsp Active Dry Yeast (1 package contents)
3/4 Cup of warm water (should be between 100 - 105 degrees F)
2 1/2 Cups of White Flour
1/2 Cup of Whole Wheat Flour
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 Tsp of Sugar


Eggplant:
1 Whole baby eggplant (Roughly 5 - 6")
1 cup white flour
1 pint of egg beaters (separate 2 - 3 Tbsp and mix with water for egg wash)
2 cup of italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1 cup of panko breadcrumbs
3 cups of Joe's Homemade Pasta Sauce (divided - 1, 2)

12 oz of Mozzarella Cheese
8 oz Ricotta Cheese
* Parmesan Cheese (unmeasured)
* Olive Oil (unmeasured)
* Corn meal (unmeasured)

Preparation: 
In a stand mixer, mix together yeast and water until bubbles form (indicating the yeast is active).  Once well blended, add in flour, 1 Tbsp of oil, salt and sugar. Mix together with a dough hook until a solid ball forms. (if its too sticky add additional white flour, if not sticky enough add water). Once The dough ball has formed and is not sticky, let the ball rise in a large covered bowl in a warm dry place for about 1 hour.

Peel the eggplant and slice 1/8 lengthwise.  You will need 3 shallow dishes: in one shallow dish, distribute flour evenly, in the second, empty entire carton of egg beaters, and in the third mix together both breadcrumbs.  Dip the eggplant slices in the flour, then egg, then pat well in the breadcrumbs to ensure complete coating. 

Heat broiler on high. Using a stoneware pan, drizzle with olive oil and place down one layer of the breaded eggplant.  Drizzle more on the exposed side of the eggplant and place in the broiler until crispy. Depending on your oven, this may vary in time, the best gauge is to look every 2 - 3 minutes and flip when they have just started to brown and before they burn. When done, remove from pan and let rest/oil drip on paper towels. Wipe down the oil from the stoneware pan but do not allow to completely cool. 

In a 2 quart saucepan, heat up pasta sauce and shred the Mozzarella cheese. 

Cooking:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

Stretch the dough out on a flat surface into a rectangular shape that matches the stoneware pan. Once it is the appropriate size, flip one side onto the other and coat the surface that it will contact with corn meal so it can easily be transferred. Spread a thin layer of pasta sauce on the bottom approximately 3/4 of an inch from the edges and only to the center line of the dough. Add a layer of mozzarella cheese onto the sauce and layer in a row of eggplant again keeping the edges 3/4 of an inch from the edges of the dough. On top of the eggplant, spread a 1/4 inch layer of ricotta cheese followed by another layer of eggplant, sauce and cheese. 

Using the egg wash that was set aside, brush the edges of the dough and fold over stretching as needed to cover the eggplant layers until sealed (similar to a calzone). Transfer to the stoneware pan (corn meal side down) and make shallow slices across the top (similar to how you would see on a loaf of french bread). Brush the surface with the egg wash and sprinkle generously with parmesan cheese.  Put in the oven and repeat egg wash every 3 - 4 minutes until golden brown. 

Serving:
Remove from the pan and slice width wise with a large knife. Serve with remaining pasta sauce for dipping. `

Venison Chili

I'm thankful to my friends who hunt and can supply me with venison to make this dish. 

Ingredients: 
1 pound of ground venison - fat content will dictate how long this should cook down
1 large red onion
1 package (28 oz) of diced pancetta
1 can (14 oz) Rotel tomatoes and chili peppers
1 can (14 oz) medium red chili beans
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes 
* Chili Powder
* Garlic Powder
* Kosher Salt
* Cracked black pepper
* Cumin
* Coriander


Preparation: 
Finely dice onion to about the same size as the pancetta. 

Cooking:
Heat a dutch oven (preferred) over medium heat and add pancetta. Finely dice onion and when the pancetta starts to sizzle, add to the pan with some salt and pepper.  Season the venison with salt, pepper, garlic, cumin, coriander, and chili powder evenly. When the onion becomes translucent, add the seasoned venison to the pan and as it begins to brown, break it up to ensure that there are no large chunks. Once meat has browned, add in the chili beans, tomatoes/chilis and the can of crushed tomatoes adding salt and pepper and stirring well. 

Cook over low/medium heat for between 1 - 3 hours depending on the fat content in the grind until the chili reduces down and becomes thickened to your desired consistency. 

Serving:
Eat as a meal or as a topping for anything else. Goes great with hot dogs and cheese sauce. 

Stuffed Peppers

This is a recipe that I've used lately in conjunction with grilled chicken dishes though it could go along with nearly any protein. 

Ingredients: 
10 assorted small sweet peppers
1/2 cup of Italian style breadcrumbs
1 block Gruyere Cheese
2 tbsp olive oil 
Kosher Salt*



Preparation: 
Remove tops from peppers but do not cut into them. Slice the peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and the white flesh of the pepper.  In a food processor mix cheese, breadcrumbs and olive oil until it has the consistency of sand castle sand. (Add oil to achieve this texture).  Spoon in the mixture and line a baking dish with the peppers stuffing side up. 

Cooking:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees, add kosher salt to the baking dish and fill dish with water bath so that the peppers are halfway submerged.  Bake for 30 - 40 minutes or until the stuffing mixture begins to brown. 

Serving:
Remove from baking dish and serve along side your favorite protein. 

Hanks Franks hot dog potato topping

For years, I've gone to Hanks Franks (Facebook Page) in Lodi to have anywhere between 5 and 9 hot dogs with a variety of toppings. One of the favorites is the potato topping and out of the area, when describing this, many reactions are "potatoes on a hot dog???". 

Ingredients: 
2 Medium Baking or Russet potatoes
2 Tbsp stick butter
Kosher Salt*
Cracked Pepper*


Preparation: 
Dice potatoes into 1/4 - 3/8" cubes and soak in cold water.  In a pot, bring about 1 1/2 quarts of water to a boil, salt with kosher or sea salt in similar fashion to pasta. 


Cooking:
Strain potatoes and add to the boiling water, boil potatoes until they are fork tender (approximately 5 - 10 minutes depending on how large the chunks are). Once they are fork tender, remove from heat, and strain. Season with salt and pepper and return to the pot. 

Refill the pot with water just over the level of the potatoes and add butter. Return the pot to the heat (same high heat as was done to boil the water) and cook down water stirring occasionally until the potatoes start to break down. Remove from heat while there are still solid potato chunks and let sit for a minute. 

Serving:
Spoon over grilled or boiled hot dogs. Goes well with cheese sauce or chili. 

Who Hash

This is what happens when you have a newborn before Christmas and neither entertaining company nor visiting company is very feasible. This is my version of what I would believe "How the Grinch Stole Dinner" would end up. Recommend serving with Roast Beast (Beef). 

Ingredients: 
2 Medium Baking or Russet potatoes
1 Large Red or Yellow onion
4 slices of Taylor pork roll (thin slice)
7oz (1 pkg) KerryGold Reserve Irish Cheddar Cheese (shredded)
Olive Oil*
Kosher Salt*
Cracked Pepper*
Italian Seasoning*


Preparation: 
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

Peel and slice onion into 1/8" strips then cut radially into 4 segments to produce pieces of onion that are between 1/2 and 3/4 of an inch in length. Peel potatoes and slice width-wise into 1/8 - 1/4" slices, after sliced, turn 90 degrees and cut strips (think thick julienne) and soak in some cold salty water.  Cut pork roll slices in half and then in thin strips 1/8" thick. 

Cooking: 
In a nonstick skillet (recommended vs stainless) place a generous amount of olive oil and heat over medium/high heat. When the pan is hot, add onions generously salting and peppering.  Saute onions until they begin to get translucent but do not brown, strain potatoes, add to the pan with more salt, pepper and olive oil. Lightly brown the potatoes keeping them moving every few minutes so they do not stick. (Even though it is a non-stick pan, the starch can act like glue). This will need to cook stove-top for about 7 - 9 minutes. 

In another pan, heat up a small amount of olive oil over medium high/high heat and add pork roll strips. Fry pork roll until crispy and add to the potato/onion pan. 

Add 1 - 2 Tbsp of olive oil to an oven safe / broiler safe baking dish and coat the bottom and sides. Add contents of the pan to this dish and top with shredded cheddar cheese (mix together) and add a light sprinkling of Italian seasoning. 

After 20 - 25 minutes, place under the broiler for 1 - 2 minutes to crisp the top. 

Serving: 
This dish can be served as a side to any protein. I recommend roast beef or ham. 

Mexican Lasagna

This is what happens when you have leftover taco meat and buy the "bulk" pack of soft taco shells from BJs Wholesale.  

Ingredients: 
1 pound of Sargento Reduced Fat Mexican Shredded Cheese
8 fajita size soft tacos (10")
Taco Meat (Use the meat from this recipe: Quick and Easy Nachosl ) 
Vegetable Oil - Enough to lightly spray on a skillet

Preparation: 
Spray a large skillet with a light coating of oil and apply medium heat (recommended to use two for faster cooking).  Heat up tortillas one by one until lightly golden brown on each side. (Flip after 45 - 90 seconds per side). In a baking dish, start layering the tortillas (it may be necessary to cut them in half and line the straight sides of the baking dish with the straight edges of the tortilla. Alternate layers of cheese and taco meat until 4 layers have been built up. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place on baking dish on a medium shelf cooking until cheese melts. 

Serving: 
Remove from oven and cut like a traditional lasagna. 

Chicken Tikka Masala

This is an adaptation from one of my coworkers with reduced heat and substituting coconut milk for heavy cream. This makes the dish healthier and maintains a creaminess. 

Ingredients: 
5 Cloves of Garlic
1 Yellow Onion
1 Green Pepper
1 Red Pepper
2 Cans Tomato Paste
3/4 Can coconut milk
1 Small container of yougurt (plain non Greek)4 pcs Chicken (~1 lb)

* Kosher Salt
* Black Pepper
* Olive Oil 

Spices:
* Garlic Powder
* Ginger Powder* Turmeric Powder
* Cumin 
* Coriander
* Paprika
* Garam Masala
* Cayenne Pepper
Preparation:
Chicken: Press garlic into a small sealable container and add in approximately 1/2 - 3/4 tsp of each of the spices.  Add in yogurt and stir together (marinade should take on a yellow color).  Place chicken in the marinade coating generously and chill in the refrigerator for 4 - 5 hours though it is recommended to do it overnight. 

When ready to cook, heat 1 - 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large stainless skillet.  When hot, add chicken carefully as the yogurt will cause the oil to splatter. Cook evenly (as you would breaded chicken) for 3 - 5 minutes per side flipping only once. Chicken should take on a golden brown color and still have a soft exterior.  Remove from heat and cut up into 3/4" cubes. 

Sauce: Thinly slice onions (1/8" slice) and place in a bowl.  Mince green pepper into 1/8" square pieces and more roughly chop red peppers to 1/2" or 3/4" square. In a nonstick skillet, pour in about 1 Tbsp olive oil and heat on medium to high heat.  Add all vegetables and lightly season with salt and pepper. When onions begin to get translucent, add in a generous amount of the spices that were put in the marinade (3/4 - 1 tsp) and use garlic powder instead of fresh at this step. Once vegetables are well mixed and well seasoned, add 2 cans of tomato paste and 1 to 1 1/2 cans of water and mix together until well incorporated. Add in coconut milk and stir together (similar to a vodka sauce, it should start to turn a shade of orange / light red).  

Reduce heat to low on the sauce and add in the chicken (don't worry if its not cooked all the way through as it will finish in the sauce).  Cook covered for another 5 - 7 minutes.  

Serving:
This dish is best served over rice, I use longer grain Jasmati (Jasmine and Basmati blend) rice cooked with 1 Tbsp of butter to keep it creamy.  Additionally, Naan bread is a side dish that would pair well. 

Paleo Friendly Beef Stir Fry

Ingredients: 
5 Cloves of Garlic
1 Red Pepper
1 Red Onion
1/2 Yellow Onion
1 Bunch of Scallions
1 cup of sliced cremini mushrooms
1 Bunch of Celery
1 Pound of either Stir Fry Beef or Stew beef

1 Tbsp Coconut Aminos or gluten free soy sauce
2 Tbsp Coconut Oil

* Kosher Salt
* Black Pepper
* Onion Powder
* Garlic Powder
* Turmeric Powder
* Cumin 
* Coriander
* Paprika
* Sesame Oil

Preparation
This will require a significant amount of vegetable prep and would be best prepared with 3 medium to large size bowls and one small one. 

Ensure that the beef is cut into thinner strips (it will be easier to eat that way). If they are not to size, cut beef into strips about 1/4 inch wide and however long you please. Place into a medium bowl and drizzle with 1 tbsp of soy sauce/aminos. Season generously with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic, turmeric, cumin, coriander, and paprika.  Lightly sprinkle with sesame oil as well and let sit. 

In a small bowl, use a garlic press to crush garlic. Once all garlic has been crushed, set aside - this will be the first ingredient added to the skillet. 

In a medium bowl slice onions and peppers into reasonably thin slices (between 1/8 and 3/16 of an inch) and cut in half so the pieces are about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in length. Set aside as this will be the second set of ingredients to be added to the skillet. 

In another medium bowl cut up celery into 1/4 inch pieces. Add sliced mushrooms and dice up scallions and set aside as this will be the last set of ingredients. 

If you do not have a wok, this is best cooked in a deep stainless steel skillet (4" at least) with a cover.  Heat skillet on high and add coconut oil until it melts. After a minute, add in garlic and mix together to meld the garlic flavor with the oil. 

After a minute or two, add bowl of onions and peppers, salt and pepper and stir until they begin to soften keeping them moving to not sit on the hot pan for too long in one spot.  After softened, add the meat and again stir up keeping the mixture moving to not sit in one spot for too long. Put remaining tbsp of aminos/soy sauce in the skillet. 

Pour in last bowl of vegetables/mushrooms, mix together, lower heat to medium and cover after lightly seasoning with salt and pepper. With lid on, shake the skillet every 2 - 3 minutes to keep everything mixing together. 

Using a slotted spoon, remove vegetables and meat and place in a bowl on the side covered. Raise the heat to high and cook down the cooking liquid until it thickens and then pour over the mix. 

 Serving
Best served to be eaten with chop sticks.