Nacho Friend...

Last night was nacho night at our house.  We like to sit in the family room with a big old tray of nachos, pop in a movie, and have a great time.  To some people nachos means cheese wiz and pickled jalepenos. Not in our house.  We go seasoned ground beef, shredded cheddar, home made salsa and guacamole.   Whatever your nacho tastes are try our traditional salsa on your next batch of nachos, or even on your grilled chicken.

Traditional Salsa:   finely chop and combine the following.
                        6 large Roma tomatoes
                        ½  red onion
                        1 bunch cilantro
                        ½ green bell pepper
                        2 seeded jalapeño chiles
                        Pinch of kosher salt
                        Juice of 1 lime
Store in a covered container in your fridge if possible overnight before serving to let the flavors meld. 

Pizza My Heart

Pizza, the complete food.  This one is garlic and olive oil, spinach, sliced portabella caps and unexpected pepper jack shreds!

Carpe Picnic

This weather makes me want to have a picnic.  Today I will teach my friends the art of impromtu picnic busy mom (or dad) style.

First, have a plan and a back up.  Select the location; a park, parking lot, your neighbors front yard or your living room.  Usually if I choose my neighbors yard I pack more food, just sayin'.  Blankets are best for sitting on as well as a serving area and I keep one in my super mom shuttle.  You never know when you will need to party on a blanket.

Next food choices.  I like to keep my picnics utencil free, just one less thing to deal with.  Hot dogs come to mind but really any grilled meat or even portababellas will work combined with a yummy bun and the right condiments, you had me at grilled.  Yes you could buy chips but I'm gonna let you in on a secret.  Kale, romaine, thin sliced veggies and potatoes, olive oil, some fresh herbs and spices make great chips if grilled to crisp.  My fave way to do this quick and mindless is set the convection oven for 300 and wait 10 to 15.  Package in a br9own lunch bag and tada veggie and a munchie.  Make a dip, salsa or guac to go with and now you don't have clean up either because the family ate it all!

Dessert and drinks are easy, homemade cookies or fruit.  I always have an over abundance of sport bottles for water or juices.  Enlist the kids help by telling them they are going to a party and they will have no pro9blem helping.

Ready, set and party picnic!

That's My 'Slaw

     I am sure you all have heard the phrase “absence makes the heart grow fonder”.  Well I am not so sure it applies to food blogs, but hopefully you all are salivating in anticipation for my first post in several weeks, and thankfully Heather has been carrying the torch.  As I was trying to think of the next great idea to share with you I received a text from my wife.  She informed me that I had forgotten my obligations! “What did I forget!??”  I had forgotten to make coleslaw for one of her co-workers.  One of the lovely ladies at jenniffer and co. had our coleslaw once and fell in love.  She asked Heather several days ago if we could make her some whenever we had and order.  In turn Heather had asked me , and I then did my part in this information chain……I promptly forgot.  So, while chopping up cabbage at midnight following a long shift at the ambulance company (for those of you who may not know, my primary source of income these days is as a paramedic) I decided this post would be on homemade coleslaw. 

       Pythagoras had his theorem, Boyle had his law, Dr Heimlich his maneuver, and I am now revealing the coleslaw equation!!  Here it is in all its mathematical perfection: Cabbage+ acid+ sugar =coleslaw.  That is coleslaw in a nutshell.  If you put all that in a bowl and mix it up you’ll end up with very basic coleslaw. Of course there are a few caveats.  One is the cabbage needs cut up, preferably either minced or shredded.  Secondly, though one can use many different types of acidic substances for the acid part of the equation, it is preferable that you stay within the bounds of food products, Battery acid coleslaw though having quite a bite tends not to be very appetizing. Finally, do keep in mind that ratios come in to play here as well. Though you can dress the veggies to your taste remember this is a salad and not a soup.  Now, like I said this is a very basic recipe and we can definitely expand here.   I am going to share with you how we make coleslaw at BlaZe.  Do keep in mind this is the normal preparation, not the “I just finished work and am sleeping while chopping recipe” so you’ll need to start this somewhat in advance. 

     The first step in making amazing coleslaw is prepping your cabbage. This you are going to need to start at least 5 hours prior to serving, though the night before is ideal, more on this in a moment.  For my “software”   I like to use a 1: 1/2 ratio green to red cabbage.  This is an easy ratio to create as most green cabbages are 1 ½ to 2 times the size of the red cabbages.  This recipe will be for a normal human amount of coleslaw (feeding 6-8 people), and will call for only half of both heads of cabbage, but as such is obviously easily doubled.  So, start by washing and coring ½ of a head of both green and red cabbage.  Cut the halves into quarters. Next, very finely shred the cabbage using a mandolin or very sharp knife.  Now, layer the cabbage in a salad spinner (if you don’t have one a colander will do) liberally sprinkling each layer with kosher salt.  Cover the salad spinner and let stand for at least 4 hours, though overnight is best.  If using a colander be sure to place it in another bowl as this process will produce a surprising amount of liquid.  I know you're now saying to yourself “what in earth am I doing? I wanted coleslaw not salt cabbage! With all this sodium I’ll need to serve this with a Beta-Blocker” (sorry paramedic humor), not to worry.  Your blood pressure will be fine.  By salting the cabbage and giving it time to work, you are removing some of the water out of the cabbage, thereby making crunchier coleslaw.  As for the salt, well once we’ve let our cabbage sit the next step is to rinse the cabbage thoroughly removing the salt.  Once you’ve rinsed the cabbage either let it drip dry in the colander or use your salad spinner to get as much water from the cabbage as possible.  Next, dump your crunchy cabbage into a large mixing bowl and add: 2 large carrots shredded, and half a red onion cut first in half then finely sliced.  In our basic equation the only 2 ingredients listed for the dressing was acid and sugar.  Many a fine coleslaw has been devoured dressed with a vinegar base. These typically sweet and tart slaws fit just fine into our equation, though most of us are accustomed to having a third element in our coleslaw equation, mayonnaise.  Though a delicious addition we can see not a definitive part of the base equation.  I however, happen to enjoy my coleslaw nice and creamy so our recipe today calls for mayo.  In a separate mixing bowl whisk together 1 ½ C mayo, ¼ C cider vinegar, 2 T balsamic vinegar, 3 drops sirachia (or your favorite hot sauce), 2T sugar, 1 T honey, 1 tsp black pepper, and 1 T celery seed. Notice this did not call for any salt in the dressing. Though we thoroughly rinsed our cabbage some salt will remain.  Once the slaw is assembled you’ll need to taste it to make sure it is properly seasoned. You can always add more salt later.  Thoroughly mix the cabbage, carrot, onion combo and add ¾ of the dressing.  Mix well, adding more dressing as needed to completely cover the veggies, but do not overdress. Remember you want to eat this with a fork not a spoon.  Finally, cover your bowl and let rest inside the fridge for at least ½ an hour to let the flavors mingle a bit before serving.  

     That my friends, is how we do it at BlaZe!  Feel free to change this recipe to suite your tastes.  Change your acids from different vinegars to even citrus juice (just no battery acid please), use brown sugar or even molasses for the sweet, or even try other types of cabbage.  Napa cabbage with a sweet and smoked sesame coleslaw dressing is amazing!   You can also add other veggies or herbs to change the flavor profile.  The sky is the limit here.  So, hope you all enjoy yourself and have fun making this or your own slaw.  Till next time…….Stay hungry my friends…..Oh wait I forgot I am not the most interesting man, so just have a tasty day!

Annie, get your grill!

Today I want to hear it from the girls who grill.  Why does charring meat bring men to mind?  Am I less of a women because I like cooking on an open flame?  Our house is so UN-traditional.  I (Heather) like mowing and gardening.  Ryan likes to have the bed made in the morning, more power to him.

I frequently tell people I cook like I mix hair color.  I'm creative, but differently than Ryan is.  Women cook for love, men cook for pleasure.  The days that the duties around the kitchen belong to mom and the grill is for dad, usually with a beer, is over. 

Ladies, if you too enjoy making lines on your main meat while your main sqeeze is in the kitchen prepping (instead of the other way around).  Pour yourself a cold one, get the BBQ tongs and sound of.  I would love to hear what you have to say.  Guys, you may chime in too but you must be nice, remember, we have the fire!

Somr Like It Hot: Part Three

The final type of chile you typically can find at a supermarket is canned or jarred.  I use the chopped canned green chiles, usually found in the Latin foods aisle, to put some oomph into scrambled eggs, and as a wonderful additive when making Spanish rice.  As this blog goes on you will see canned green chiles used from time to time.  Jarred or canned pickled jalapeños on the other hand you will probably not see.  To me they are floppy mushy nuggets of spicy vinegar, and much prefer to pickle my own fresh chiles for any application they may be applied.  As Alton Brown may say” they are definitely not ………well you know”.  If you need their convenience or happen to have a different opinion they usually can be found by the pickles at the supermarket.  The recipe that I am going to share with you uses canned chipotles in adobe sauce. 

 A chipotle is a smoked jalapeño that has been essentially pickled in a tomato, vinegar, and spice sauce called adobo. I know double standard, they’re both pickled jalapeños but I’m a BBQ guy and love just about anything smoked.  In addition the chipotle tends to retain more of its original texture and as a bonus you get the wonderful adobo sauce along with the peppers.  Canned chipotles are usually available in the Latin foods section of your supermarket.  The recipe I am going to share with you is for BBQ pork pizza.  It has a ton of intense flavors going on but the canned chipotles used really shine through.  When we make this here at our house we usually make it on the gill, but since not everyone is as bonkers as us to be tending a fire in 30 degree weather I’ll give the recipe to ya in oven form.  Note: if you have a convection setting on your oven, this will simulate BBQ style crisp on the outside and moistness on the inside.

BBQ Pork Pizza

Pork

 1 Chipotle pepper in adobo, seeds removed and roughly chopped

     ½T of the adobo sauce from the chipotles

                              1C BBQ sauce

                               ½ C cider vinegar

                               3T   frozen apple juice concentrate

                               1# pork loin roast

                                ½ red onion cut into quarters

                                2 cloves grarlic

                                                                            Pizza 

                                1# pizza dough

                                1 c  BBQ sauce

                                1 Chipotle pepper in adobo, seeds removed and roughly chopped

        ½T of the adobo sauce from the chipotles

                                 1T  brown sugar

                                 ½ red onion thinly sliced

                                 2 c  shredded queso fresco or Monterey jack cheese

                                 4T  cojita or parmesan cheese, grated

Directions: for the pork,combine the chipotles, the adobo, BBQ sauce, vinegar, and juice concentrate in an oven safe Dutch oven or pot.  Place on the stove and heat until bubbly.  Remove from heat and add the pork loin (fat side up), onions, and garlic to the pot.  Cover and place into a preheated 350 degree oven for 5-6 hours.  Remove pork from pot and let cool slightly.  Using two forks, shred meat into small pieces.  Place back into pot and keep warm until used, or store in refrigerator for up to 3 days. Conversely you could use any type of prepared pulled pork.  Note: This recipe will not create the tenderest pulled pork ever. The best cut of pork to use in this recipe would be a Boston butt roast, but it will require approximately  double the other ingredients, take 8-10 hours to cook, and produce enough pork for like 10-15 pizzas.  Of course you could have pizza tonight and pulled pork tomorrow! 

Now, for the pizza. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Roll the dough out on a 16”pizza stone or well oiled sheet pan, and let rise in a warm place forn15-20 min.  Meanwhile, combine the chipotles, adobo, BBQ sauce, and brown sugar into a food processor and pulse till well mixed.  Once the dough has sat, using a pastry brush, spread an even coating of the BBQ sauce mixture onto the entire crust (you’ll probably have plenty left over, serve it as a dipping sauce).  Spread the prepare pork and sliced onion across the pizza (not gonna give you amounts.   You know how much swine you like!).  Liberally sprinkle with the cheeses and then bake for 11-13 minutes.  Let cool for 5-10 minutes after removing from oven.  For added heat feel free to add sliced fresh jalapeño and/or more of the chipotles cut into strips before topping with cheese.

This has been a long spicy week, but chiles are dear to my heart.  I love their heat and flavor, and I hope you now will too.  So, now go forth and be spicy….and have yourself a tasty day!

                



Some Like it Hot: part Two

 Today
we move on to dried chiles.  In a previous post I promised a recipe on how to make you own chili powder.  Remember that chile (with an E) powder is nothing more than ground dried chiles whereas chili (with an I) powder is a mix of spices including chile powder, salt, cumin, garlic, and onion powder.  Let’s start with making the chile (with an E) powder.  You will need dried chiles. I recommend ancho chiles as they have a very pleasant fruity taste and are fairly mild as chiles go, but any dried chile will work for this recipe. You should be able to find several varieties of dried chiles at your supermarket typically in the produce department or the Latin foods aisle.  If yours does not carry dried chiles try a Latin food market or at the very least they can be found online just search for “dried chile”.  Once you have obtained your chiles the next thing you will need is some way to grind them.  The very best and easiest method is to use an electric coffee grinder, which is a small investment at 15-20$ (note: if you already have one to grind coffee you’ll still want an additional one of these just for grinding spices as once you’ve ground a spice in the grinder you won’t  enjoy the coffee you grind in it).  You could also use the traditional pestle and mortar, or you can use your food processor.  

Now that you have the goods to make your chile powder the first thing you want to do is cut the tops off the chiles and shake out the seeds. Then take your kitchen shears and cut the chiles into small strips. Place the strips into a preheated pan over medium heat and toss frequently for 1-2 minutes.  You only want to gently heat the chiles, not cook them or more to the point burn them.  Let the chiles come to room temperature then place them in your chosen grinding device and pulverize those suckers into a fine powder.  Now this seems like a whole lot for something you can just pick up a jar of.  TRUST ME! Try this once and you’ll never look at commercial made chill powders the same.

Sweet and Smoky Chili Powder

                        3T   fresh ground chile (with an E) powder

                        2T  Granulated garlic

                        1T smoked paprika

                        1T each,  cumin, dried oregano, onion powder, Spanish paprika, and kosher salt

                        1/2T  dark brown sugar

                        1 tsp  each, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, and ground mustard

Directions:  Thoroughly combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Transfer to an airtight container, and store in a cool, dry, dark place.

Come back for one more and you will be hot to trot.