Category Archives: Main Courses

ITALIAN POTATO SALAD (serves 8)

Posted on by
  • 5 large potatoes, peeled and chopped (use a Russet or Idaho potato)
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2/3 cup EVO
  • ½ cup white wine vinegar
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley (you can substitute cilantro)
  • Finely chopped scallions – optional

Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Add potatoes and cook until tender, but still firm, about 15 minutes.  Drain, cool and chop.  I actually chop mine before I boil them.  They cook quicker.  In a large bowl, mix garlic, olive oil, vinegar and parsley/cilantro.  Add potatoes and toss to evenly coat.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

ULTIMATE ROASTED POTATOES (SERVES 6)

Posted on by
  • 3 ½ POUNDS Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
  • Kosher salt and pepper
  • ½ t. baking soda
  • 6 T. duck fat
  • 1 T. chopped fresh rosemary

Adjust oven rack to top position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack and hear oven to 475 degrees.

Bring 10 cups water to boil over high heat.  Add potatoes, 1/3 cup salt and baking soda.  Return to boil and cook for 1 minute.  Drain potatoes.  Return potatoes to bot and place over low heat.  Cook, shaking pot occasionally until surface moisture has evaporated, about 2 minutes.  Add 5 T. duck fat and 1 t. salt.  Mix with rubber spatula until potatoes are coated with thick paste, about 30 seconds.  Remove baking sheet from oven, transfer potatoes to sheet and spread into even layer.  Roast for 15 minutes.  Remove sheet from oven.  Using a thin, sharp metal spatula, turn potatoes.  Roast until golden brown, another 12-15 minutes.  While potatoes are on roast, combine rosemary and remaining 1 T. duck fat in a bowl.  Remove potatoes from oven.  Spoon rosemary fat over potatoes and turn again.  Continue to roast until potatoes are well browned and rosemary is fragrant, about 3-5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

BEEF TENDERLOIN

Posted on by
  • 1 beef tenderloin (3-4 pounds)
  • Frozen lemon juice
  • Lawry’s season salt
  • Garlic powder
  • Butter
  • Kitchen Bouquet

Pour 3 T. frozen lemon juice over tenderloin and let sit for 1 hour.  Pour off lemon juice.  Sprinkle Lawreys to cover all sides of tenderloin.  Sprinkle with garlic powder.  Let sit.  Melt ½ stick of butter.  Stir butter and 2 T. Kitchen Bouquet together.  Spoon or brush mixture over meat.  Cover completely.  Cover pan with saran wrap and aluminum foil.  Refrigerate overnight.  Remove from refrigerator an hour or so prior to cooking.  Bake uncovered in low sided pan.  Do NOT preheat oven.  Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees for rare or to 140 degrees on a meat thermometer.

CHICKEN CYNTHIA

Posted on by

 

  • 3 T. flour
  • 1 t. salt
  • 2 chicken breasts, skinned, boned and halved
  • 4 chicken thighs, skinned and boned
  • 1 T. butter
  • 1 T. oil
  • 2 T. curacao
  • ¾ cup dry Champagne
  • 1 cup chicken bouillon
  • 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
  • 1 T. butter, melted
  • ½ cup whipping cream

Combine flour and salt.  Coat chicken pieces with flour mixture.  Heat 1 T. butter and oil in large skillet.  Add chicken and cook for 5 minutes on each side.  Place chicken in 9x9x2 baking pan and bake at 350 degrees uncovered.  Pour fat from skillet and add curacao, champagne and bouillon.  Bring just to a simmer.  Add chicken and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes or until tender.  Cook mushrooms in 1 T. butter and add to chicken along with cream. 

MOUSSAKA (2015)

Posted on by
  • 3 large eggplants
  • salt
  • 2 pounds lean ground lamb
  • ¼ -1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 medium onions chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 ½ T. ground cinnamon
  • ½ T. grated nutmeg
  • 2 t. dried oregano
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) whole tomatoes, un-drained
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 5 cups (3/4 pound) grated Kasseri cheese or Italian sharp.
  •  

Peel eggplant in lengthwise strips leaving a strip of skin every so often.  Cut in ½ inch slices, sprinkle with salt and let sit on paper towel for a while to absorb moisture.

Place lamb and 1 T. oil in skillet.  Cook, crumbling meat with a fork over high heat until just brown (3-4 minutes).  Add onions and garlic and cook for 10 minutes.  Season with herbs and cook 1 minute.  Stir in tomatoes, wine, salt and pepper.  Simmer uncovered 25-30 minutes.  Remove from heat.

 Pat eggplant dry with paper towel.  Dribble little olive oil in pan and sauté in batches until lightly browned on both sides.  Don’t add too much oil.  Heat oven to 300 degrees.

 Prepare béchamel sauces:

  •  
  • ½ cup unsalted butter melted
  • 6 T. flour
  • 4 cups hot milk
  • ½ t. grated nutmeg
  • salt and pepper
  • 3 large eggs beaten
  •  

Add flour to butter and whisk until smooth.  Cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute.  Gradually whisk in milk and cook stirring constantly until smooth and thickened.  Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Stir ½ c. hot sauce into beaten eggs and then add egg mixture to remaining sauce.  Cook several minutes longer, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.

 Arrange ½ eggplant in rectangular casserole.  Spread lamb sauce over eggplant and sprinkle with 1/2mcheese.  Top with remaining eggplant.  Pour the béchamel over all and sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake for 1 hour.  Let cool to room temp, then refrigerate overnight.  Let come to room temp before baking in 350 degree oven about 30 minutes.  Makes 12-14 servings

CHILI ALA SUE JONES FROM ALTAIR

Posted on by

  • 2 pounds ground bee
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, sliced
  • 1/4 t. garlic powder
  • 1 T. Franks Red Hot Sauce
  • 1 T. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 envelope Chili seasoning (McCormick’s)
  • 2 cans dark red kidney beans un-drained
  • 2 cans diced tomatoes, chili ready (14.5 oz size)
  • 2 cans diced tomatoes with mild green chilies (14.5 oz size)
  • 1 small can tomato paste (6 oz)

 Brown meat with onion, celery, garlic powder, hot sauce and Worcestershire.  Transfer to largo pot.  Add chili seasoning, beans, tomatoes and tomato paste and enough water to rinse all the cans.  Simmer for 1-2 hours.  Serve with shredded cheddar and sour cream.

TILAPIA COUSIN ROSE STYLE

Posted on by

Coat a no stick frying pan with olive oil.  Add:

  • ½ t. of the following:  oregano, parsley
  • ¼ t. of the following:  salt, pepper, red pepper flakes
  • 1/3 cup white wine
  • A little bit of lemon juice

 Adjust seasonings and liquid until it tastes right, i.e. no bitterness from the lemon and not too salty.  Bring to a slow boil.

 Wash thawed Tilapia fillets and shake excess water off and put in pan.  Cover pan and cook for 3 minutes on medium.  Turn and cook for 3 minutes on other side on medium.  Done!

TUNA-PAN SEARED WITH GINGER SOY SAUCE

Posted on by
  • Leaves from 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped (you can substitute parsley)
  • 2 jalapeno peppers sliced (I take out the seeds and actually chop the peppers)
  • 4 t. grated fresh ginger
  • 4 garlic cloves, grated
  • 4 limes, juiced
  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • 1/8 t. sugar
  • salt and fresh ground pepper
  • ¼ cup plus 2 T. EVO
  • 4 6 oz. Pieces of ahi tuna or 24 ounces of a tuna loin
  • 2 ripe avocadoes, halved, pitted, peeled and sliced.

Combine cilantro, jalapeno, ginger, garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, salt, pepper and ¼ cup of EVO.  Mix well.  Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and coat with remaining 2 T. EVO.  Season the tuna piece(s) generously with salt and pepper.  Lay tuna in hot oil and sear for 1 minute to form a slight crust; flip and sear the other side 1 minute.  Pour half of the cilantro mixture into the pan to coat the fish.  Transfer the seared tuna to plates and serve with the sliced avocado and remaining cilantro sauce drizzled over the whole plate.

TUNA TARTARE

Posted on by
  • 3/4 pound ahi tuna raw
  • 4 T. olive oil
  • 1 lime grated zest
  • 3T. lime juice
  • ½ t. wasabi powder
  • 1 ½ t. soy sauce
  • 6 dashes tobacco
  • 1 ½ t. salt
  • pepper
  • 1/4 cup minced green onion
  • 2 t. minced jalapeno (I take out the seeds)
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 1 t. sesame seeds

 Cut tuna into ¼ inch dice.  Mix with olive oil, lime zest, lime juice, wasabi powder, soy sauce, tobacco sauce, salt, pepper, green onion and jalapeno.  Mix well.  Dice avocado and fold in gently.  Toast sesame seeds and add at last minute.  Serve in lettuce cups as a starter course.

TACO ROLL

Posted on by
  • 2 tubes crescent refrigerator rolls
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 pkg Taco seasoning
  • 1 ½ cup grated cheddar cheese
  • Shredded lettuce
  • 1 or 2 diced tomatoes
  • ½ small can of olives – black, green or both
  • Avocado
  • Sour cream

Separate rolls and lay in a circle with pointed ends out on a foil lined pizza pan sprayed with Pam.  Make the center thicker with any extra dough.  Brown meat (I put a little onion in), drain, and add Taco seasoning and 1/3 to ½ cup of water.  Spread meat mixture in a circle on the dough, then sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese.  Pull dough points over the meat and cheese mixture and tuck in the center.  This now looks like a ring of dough with slits showing meat every few inches.  Back at 350 for 30 minutes.  Add lettuce, tomatoes, olives, avocado, rest of cheese and sour cream to middle or serve in a separate dish to spoon over Taco slices.