1 tablespoon of lemon pepper
2 tablespoons of dry ranch dressing
1/2 bottle (8 ounces) of Orville Redenbach Popping Oil
15 ounces of pretzels – any shape
Put in plastic bag -toss– keep tossing on and off for 24 hours
Author Archives: Andy
Bacon Bean Dip
One can of Beans with Bacon Soup
8 ounces of sour cream
8 ounces of Monterey Jack jalapeño cheese
1/4 teaspoon of chili powder
Mix all and heat in 350° oven for 25–30 minutes
Serve with Scoopers
Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad
Ingredients:
- 12 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, seeds (not cores) removed
- 1/4 cup good olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1-1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 16 ounces fresh salted mozzarella
- 12 fresh basil leaves, julienned
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.
Arrange the tomatoes on a sheet pan, cut sides up, in a single layer. Drizzle with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with the garlic, sugar, 1½ teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Roast for 2 hours until the tomatoes are concentrated and begin to caramelize. Allow the tomatoes to cool to room temperature.
Cut the mozzarella into slices slightly less than ½ inch thick. If the slices of mozzarella are larger than the tomatoes, cut the mozzarella slices in half. Layer the tomatoes alternately with the mozzarella on a platter and scatter the basil on top. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Serve at room temperature.
RIBEYE ROAST
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of butter, softened
- 7 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons of fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons of salt
- 1 tablespoon of pepper
- 5 – 7 pounds of boneless ribeye roast, trimmed
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 500°F
Mixed together the butter, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper in a bowl until evenly combined.
Rub the herb butter all over the rib roast, and place on a roasting tray with a rack.
Bake for 5 minutes per pound of meat, so a 5-pound roast with bake for 25 minutes and a 7-pound roast would bake for 35 minutes.
Turn off the heat and let the rib roast sit in the oven for two hours making sure you do not open oven door.
Israeli Vegetable Salad
Ingredients:
1 (1 lb. 13 oz.) can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained;
1 cup of the tahini (ground sesame paste);
1 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice (4-6 lemons), divided;
3 tablespoons of chopped garlic (9 cloves);
11/2 teaspoons of ground cumin;
1/2 teaspoon of Sriracha;
Good olive oil;
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper;
1 large hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, halved, seeded and 1/2-inch diced;
2 cups of heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved and quartered;
1 cup (1/2 inch-diced) Holland red bell pepper red bell (1 large);
3/4 cup (1/4-inch-diced) red onion;
1/2 cup of julienned fresh mint leaves, for garnish; and
Toasted pita bread, for serving.
Directions:
For the hummus, place the chickpeas, tahini, 3/4 cup of the lemon juice, the garlic, cumin, Sriracha, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper in a bowl of a food processor fitted with steel blades and process until the mixture is completely smooth. If the hummus is too thick, add a few tablespoons of warm water until it is creamy but still thick and spreadable. In a large bowl, combine the cucumber, tomatoes, bell pepper, and red onion. Add 1/3 cup of olive oil, the remaining 1/4 a cup of lemon juice, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper and combine. Spoon the hummus into a large 12 x 16“serving platter, spreading it out with a raised edge. With a slotted spoon, mound the vegetable salad on the hummus, leaving the edges of the hummus visible. Sprinkle the vegetables and hummus with the mint and extra salt. Drizzle with olive oil and serve at room temperature with pita bread.
Chicken Thighs with Creamy Mustard Sauce
Ingredients:
8 medium bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs similar in size (2 1/4 pounds);
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper;
Good olive oil;
2 cups of halved and thinly sliced yellow onions, about 2 onions;
2 tablespoons of dry white wine;
8 ounces of crème fraiche;
1 tablespoon of good Dijon mustard;
1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard; and
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley.
Directions:
Place the chicken thighs on a cutting board, skin side up, and pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the chicken with 11/2 teaspoons of salt and 3/4 of a teaspoon of pepper. Turn them over and sprinkle them with one more teaspoon of salt.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large (11 to 12 inch) cast-iron skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, place the chicken in the pan and one layer, skin side down. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes without moving, until the skin is golden brown. If the skin gets too dark, turn the heat to medium low. Turned the chicken pieces with tongs, add the onions to the pan, including under the chicken, and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring the onions occasionally, until the thighs are cooked to 150 to 160° and the onions are browned. Transfer the chicken but not the onions to a plate and allow to rest uncovered while you make the sauce. If the onions aren’t browned, cook them for another minute.
Add the wine, crème fraiche, Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, and 1 teaspoon of salt to the skillet and stir over medium heat for one minute. Return to chicken, skin side up and the juices to the skillet, sprinkle with parsley and serve hot.
Penne al Sugo di Pomodoro (Tomato Sauce)
Ingredients:
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 28-ounce can of peeled plum tomatoes, puréed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4-5 basil leaves coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon sugar – optional. (See notes below)
- 1-pound penne – or any pasta
- Grated Parmigiano for serving
Instructions:
In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the onion in the olive oil until it’s golden. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper. Add the basil, and a little sugar as desired. Lower the heat and simmer until reduced, 20 – 30 minutes.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente (about 2 minutes less than package directions). Drain, add to the sauce, and mix together over medium heat. Serve immediately with grated Parmigiano. Total Time: 45 minutes. Serves 4-6
PEA SALAD WITH TARRAGON AND PEA SHOOTS
Ingredients:
For the dressing:
- 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard;
- 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice;
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of sherry vinegar;
- 1/4 of a teaspoon of capers, roughly chopped, plus 1/2 a teaspoon brine from the jar;
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper;
- 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil; and,
- Four sprigs of tarragon, leaves chopped.
For the salad:
- Kosher salt;
- Sugar;
- 3/4 of a pound of sugar snap peas, strings removed;
- 3/4 of a pound of snow peas, trimmed;
- 1 cup of shelled green peas;
- Freshly ground without white pepper; and,
- 1/4 of a cup of pea shoots.
Directions:
Make the dressing: Whisk the mustard, lemon juice and vinegar in a medium bowl. Add the capers and brine and a pinch each of salt and white pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil and add the tarragon. Taste for seasoning
Bring a large pot of water to boil, adding salt until it tastes like salt water. Meanwhile, set a colander in a large bowl of ice water (this will keep you from having to pick ice out of the peas later). Add a generous pinch of sugar to the boiling water. Add the sugar snap peas and cook until bright green and crisp-tender, about two minutes. Use a strainer to remove the peas from the water and transfer them to the colander.
Bring the water back up to a boil and add the snow peas and shelled peas. Cook until they float to the surface, about one minute. Use a strainer to remove the peas and plunge them into the ice bath with the sugar snaps. Set aside for a couple of minutes to ensure the peas have cooled thoroughly.
Drain the peas, then spread them out on a clean kitchen towel. Use another kitchen towel to gently pat them dry, then let air dry. (water on the peas will dilute all of the good flavors.) Transfer the piece to a medium bowl and season with salt, white pepper and a sprinkle of sugar. Stir to blend. Toss with the dressing and pea shoots. Taste again for seasoning and serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6 persons.
Provencal White Wine Beef Daube
Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil;
- 2 tablespoons of brandy, eau-de-vie or Cognac
- 6 pounds of boneless stewing beef, such as round, shin, blade or chuck, cut into 3-ounce chunks;
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper;
- 2 thinly sliced large onions;
- 4 peeled and thickly sliced carrots;
- 4 ounces of trimmed and thickly sliced mushrooms;
- 1 head of separated garlic cloves smashed and peeled;
- Grated zest of 1 orange;
- 2 ripe tomatoes chopped or cup canned tomato purée;
- 2 bottles of white wine;
- 1 bouquet garni (1 small bunch of fresh parsley, 6 to 8 sprigs of fresh thyme and 2 bay leaves, tied to gather or bundled and cheese cloth);
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of black peppercorns;
- 1/4 of chopped fresh parsley for garnish; and,
- Small pasta, such as orzo, mezze, penne or conchiglie for serving.
Preparations:
In a large bowl or sealable plastic bag, combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the cognac, the beef and generous sprinklings of salt and pepper. Cover and set aside to marinate at room temperature for two hours.
Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 325°.
In a wide, heavy casserole with a tight-fitting lid, heat remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium – high heat until it simmers. Add onions, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, orange zest and 2 big pinches of salt; stir well to coat and heat through. Reduce heat to low, cover and sweat (cook without browning) for 8 to 10 minutes until onions and garlic are softened. Add beef and its marmalade, tomatoes, wine, bouquet garni and peppercorns. Stir to combine.
Cover and bake in the center of the oven until meat is ultra-tender, about 3 to 4 hours. There is no need to start a baste but check from time to time to make sure the liquid is at a very gentle simmer; boiling will make the meat tough.
When the stew is ready, adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper and serve immediately. Or, refrigerate overnight or longer, skim any harden fat from the top, and reheat before serving.
Easy Meatloaf (Holy Name)
Mix the following in a bowl:
one envelope of onion soup;
2 pounds of ground beef;
1 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs;
2 eggs
3/4 of a cup of milk;
1/3 of a cup of catchup;
salt and pepper to taste; and,
Placed the mixture in a 9-inch loaf pan and bake at 350° for one hour.