Rub it out!!

This weekend I am doing a smoked pork butt, this is good for the delicious food that is a pulled pork sandwich, Lisa and I have been working on this for the last 4 years, and yes it does take that long to make perfection. I am not sure if we are there yet, but we have combined our skills to come up with the adventure this weekend. We have a small smoker in our backyard and the right ideas. Last weekend was marinating, this weekend will be rubs. A rub is a mixture a spices designed to flavor the meat, this is a dry way of marinating.

Depending on the size of meat follow these instructions, this is the basics:
1 part salt, pepper, garlic, oregano, onion powder

For a Pork butt or other BBQ flavors add:

2 parts chili powder
1 part cumin, and smoked paprika
Dash of cayenne peeper
Dash of ground mustard (optional)

Dry rubs, are not a specific science. This is your opportunity to get to know the spices around you
add the flavors you like, thyme is a good substitute for oregano, as well as basil. Crushed red pepper is a great addition to both rubs. Be creative, taste the herbs and spices and find your flavor profile. Each meat is more receptive to different spices.

Kale Chips

Ok, this is a healthy substitute for potato chips, if you do them right you won't even know the difference. I am having user error issues with my camera will have a pic of them when I get the camera working again.

1 bunch of Kale
salt and pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Take the Kale leaves and remove the spine from them and discard. rip leaves up, no specific size just chip size. Spread evenly on a cookie sheet and drizzle some oil over them, sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. I like to add a lot of salt, be generous. Swoosh (technical term) it around on the cookie sheet so all of the leaves get coated. Put in the oven for 8-10 minutes, check for crispiness and enjoy :) Good healthy way to get kids to eat veggies as well.

Nutritional inormation

I am currently looking for a way to post this or at least give a calorie counter for you all to use....(thanks Shell for the idea)!!

Short Ribs

Not a favorite in my house but I like to cook them because of their flavor and how you can change them with just the ingredients you use. They also have the fat and the marrow of the bone that just gives the rib a flavor unmatched in just a plain steak. I have made these sweet, spicy, barbquey and plain. Tonight I am making them spicy, would go well with the asparagus I made last night...hehehe.

I started with my basic marinate:
2 teaspoons of salt
2  tablespoons of crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon of garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cups of beef broth
1 table spoon of butter
1/3 cup of white wine
1tablespoon of flour

Take all those ingredients and marinate the short ribs 8-24hrs. More is best in this situation.

Take a large pan add oil and a table spoon of butter, when pan is hot place the ribs fat side down, cook for 7 minutes or until brown, flip to the other side and cook for another 7 minutes, use wine to de-glaze pan, cook for an additional 5 minutes and transfer to a casserole dish, reserving all left over juices. Heat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit, set ribs in to cook. Take reserve marinade and put in the skillet you just took the ribs out of. Heat this to a boil and reduce heat, add flour and stir till flour cooks out, about 5 minutes. Add gravy to the ribs in the oven and cover with foil for 1 hour. Let rest after taking ribs out and serve!!

Noodlesotto!!

For those of you afraid of making risotto, I UNDERSTAND!!! Watching cooking shows intimidated me so that i didn't even want to try making it.. So what I did to reduce the fear is practice. I made risotto with noodles, which have the same starchy quality as rice, using the risotto flavorings and seasonings.

1 serving of noodles of your choice (ANY noodle will do, if they are long break them so that it is easier to stir them)
1 box of chicken or beef stock
1/2 onion diced
1 package of mushrooms, chopped
2 gloves of garlic
1/3 cup of white wine
1/2 cup of Parmigiana-Reggiano cheese
1 tablespoon of butter (unsalted)
1 tablespoon of oil
Salt and pepper

In a small sauce pan bring broth to a simmer, just need some heat on it as to not  put cold chicken stock in the pan.  On medium heat in a larger skillet, melt butter and add oil; add onions and let them sweat a little, about 5-8 minutes; add garlic and saute for another 5 minutes. Add noodles, let them get coated with flavor and soften a little. Ladle 2 scoops of stock in to noodle mixture, stir constantly....this is where you beat the starch out of it and get that thickness. Every time you add liquid, stir to release more starch....Repeat this process, but wait till the liquid cooks down and out before adding more. After the 4th time of adding liquid, each time adding 2-3 ladles of liquid, check noodles, they should be al dente. In this last step make sure liquid is almost gone in the pan and add the white wine. Add 2 more ladles of stock then add the mushrooms, they will adsorb the excess liquid, make sure this is your last step. Add salt and pepper to taste after mushrooms have cooked down a bit. Grate Parmigiana-Reggiano over the top, give it a last stir, then serve. This dish is not meant to sit and wait, so make this the last thing you prepare. You can garnish it with grating a little cheese on top

Steaklicious

ooohhhhh...yum!! the aspargras is a little too done and too spicy, caught both of us off guard tonight, going to put it in a stir-fry this week :) Noodlesotto is in the back ground, will post that recipe tonight as well.

Marinate in the weekend!!

This weekend I am concentrating on the marinating of meats, this is sometimes a lost art because of time, people generally people think marinating takes hours and days. As a rule depending on the meat and the marinate it really only needs a couple hours, for the more spicy ones and hour...you just need the meat to taste like the marinate not be the marinate. This weekend I made 3 basic marinades, one for chicken, and for short ribs.
Basics:
Fresh or powdered garlic
Salt
Pepper or Crushed Red pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Chicken or Beef Broth (depending on what meat your marinating)

Marinades can tenderize most meats and inject flavor and juiciness too!

I used this on my delicious steak tenderloins over night in the fridge, i used regular pepper because I don't want to hide the flavor of this great cut of steak. I also subtracted the beef broth due to the size of the cuts as well. In a small skillet heat olive oil and a pat of butter till very hot, you want to sear the meat on both sides. 7 minutes on each side. get that pan hot.....you want to have the dark crust on eat side. after the 7 minutes put them in the oven to rest for about 5-7 minutes, the internal temperature should be 135 degrees Fahrenheit, this is where Lisa reminds me to not mess with the food...i have issues with turning and turning food till I think it is done and not let the pan do the job it was made for. let it rest on the counter for 5 minutes after taking it out of the oven, don't serve too soon or the plate will be a mess with juices running all over the place...meat likes to nap, be patient...it will be delicious. I will post a pic and the side recipes as well tonight.

Stock vs. Broth

Ok....So as much as I like to cook I did not know there was a difference till Lisa was so kind to correct me the other night. Here is how she made it:

3 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
5 pounds of soup bones
2 ribs of celery, chopped leaves included
1 potato
1 Parsnip, sliced
6 gloves of garlic, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
5-6 sprigs of parsley
1 small bay leaf
1 teaspoon of pepper corns
1 teaspoon of salt
12cups of water

Roast the carrots, onion and the soup bones in the oven for 1 hour on 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Turning to make sure they get nice and brown. In a big pot put all remaining ingredients in with the roasted veggie/meat mix, with the water. Bring to a boil and then turn heat down and simmer covered for 5 hours. Skim fat off top after it cools a bit. Drain out bits with a strainer and throw away chunks Then enjoy or freeze for later use :) Truth is stock is much richer and deeper with flavor then broth...this is great for soup bases...which is what she used it for.

Mini Meatball Soup

Ok...even the best chef/cook gets ideas from the people that inspire, this is a recipe from Rachel Ray with an intentional chef twist. (Lisa made this last night.....we are both having soup cravings)

2 Tablespoons of olive oil

1 Carrot peeled and chopped

1 Rib of celery, chopped

1/2 Medium onion chopped ( I like white onions, they have better flavor)

1 Small bay leaf

1/2 pound of ground turkey 

1/2 ground pork

1 egg beaten

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 grated Romano cheese

1/4 cup of bread crumbs

3 1/2 cups of chicken broth

1 1/2 cups of water

3/4 cups of dried pasta, rings worked best, but can be any kind

1/2 pound frozen spinach.....thaw this and wring out the excess water

In a deep pot over medium heat add oil, carrots, celery, onion and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper, cover pot and cook veggies for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally. While veggies are cooking combine meat, egg, garlic, grated cheese, bread crumbs and salt and pepper

Uncover pot and add broth and water, increase heat to high and bring soup to a boil, when boiling, turn it down a little and meatballs, make them a little bigger then a quarter because they are going to cook in the broth, when done with meat balls stir in pasta and let cook for 10 minutes. Add spinach to soup and cook for another 5-8 mines till heated through. 

AppeeTIZer!!

Stuffed Mushrooms~
So why is my spelling wrong on appetizer, my sister and I have a way we talk to each other...we make things why more fun then they really are...the word "puss" has been going for I think 4 years now...we have even developed a text game out of it. :)

OK...Back to cooking......My partner Lisa made this for me, it is her day off and likes to show case her talents in cooking as well....

8  Large stuffing mushrooms
1/4  pound of ground turkey
1/4  finely diced onion
2  clove of garlic
1/4 dry white wine
2 ounces of cream cheese
1 egg yolk
1/8 cup of Romano cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Wipe off mushrooms, DO NOT use water to rinse them, (Wes and Lisa!!) they become rubbery, pull out stems and chop them up finely. Cook ground turkey thoroughly and set aside add onions and garlic to same pan and cook for 2 minutes pour in white wine to deglaze pan and let liquid evaporate add in chopped mushroom stems. take off heat and let cool. In a bowl mix cream cheese and Romano cheese and the egg yolk. Add cheese, meat and mushroom mixture together and fill caps. Bake in an oven for 25-30 minutes at 350 F

So why Intentional chef you ask? Well I have always wanted to be a cook and thanks to my sister for pointing out that the hours suck!! I am a morning person and the thought of having to stay up till midnight every night at a restaurant does not appeal to me. I cook mainly for my family and have entertained in the past. I have tried most foods and since starting this blog I am going to be trying more. My intention was to cook the best food I could and make people happy. Funny thing is, I really enjoy it and can't wait till this blog gets going and have some feedback from others about some of the things I will be posting. Intentional Chef~having a purpose in cooking, that is my definition....

Chicken Cheese Stroganoff

This is my re purposed chicken:

All the left over chicken de-boned, chopped and set aside

1 package of linguine 

1 Table spoon of sour cream

4 Wedges of the Garlic and herb Laughing cow spread cheese

1 Table spoon of cream cheese (my sister would be having a fit right now!)

1 bunch of green onions

1container of crimini mushrooms

1/2 of a white onion diced

2 Tablespoons of olive oil

2 teaspoons of garlic powder

2 teaspoons of onion powder

2 cups of chicken broth

Salt and Pepper to taste

First mix the cheeses and sour cream in a small bowl, add half the green onion bunch reserving some of the green for garnish later. add salt, pepper and garlic and onion powder. Mix till smooth and set in refrigerator to get the flavors mixing. Saute onions on medium heat till translucent with the olive oil, add mushrooms when onions are done, saute till you like them. I like mine with a little life left in them, takes about 10 minutes....put chicken in a saute pan with the chicken stock cook through, chicken should be done, if when cutting the chicken and you see some pink parts cook that out before adding the stock. add cheese mixture when chicken is hot...once this is heated add to mushroom, onion mixture. Stir till hot and boiling...watch the temp, should be on Medium low heat, the cheeses will burn if your not careful. while this is heating through boil a package of linguine...add salt to the water prior to adding the noodles because this is the only opportunity you will have to season the noodles, this should take 10 minutes to cook....DO NOT rinse noodles after taking them out of the water. Serve and enjoy!!! A nice crusty bread would be great with this, and I had whole grain noodles. Enjoy!

So after much contemplation and time, my mother Marlene has finally found a signature drink. I thought I would share it all with you to try. :)Use a tall glass 1 part vodka 2 parts cub soda, you can use either sparkling cranberry or pomegranate juice for a splash of flavor and a lime slice for garnish...way to go mom!!!

I am going to re purpose my chicken from last night, my partner and I are famous for saving food and not eating it the next day or within the time she deems it bad..(usually within 48 hours). So tonight I am going to make a healthy version of a hamburger helper. Chicken Cheese Stroganoff. I have not worked out the details so I will get those together and post them later. I just think it is important to reuse leftovers and plan meals better for your family.  According to the Environmental Protection Agency, food leftovers are the single-largest component of the waste stream by weight in the United States (SoSA, 2011). Some states and counties are now using composting to help with this and adding it to yard waste, some individuals are composting on their own, but the thing is most the food you can eat again and just either don't want to or forget. Best way to do this is use it the next day in a completely new recipe, changing the taste and look.

I am embarking on a new adventure, this will be my blog for posting recipes and pictures of food. I am making a roasted chicken tonight, I am going to melt a half a stick of unsalted butter (can control the salt intake this way), 1 table spoon of salt, a cup of chicken broth and my new homemade spice mix I made with my dehydrator. This is a combination of garlic, peppers and onions, use about 2 teaspoons of that. Mrs. Dash will be a good replacement for this or you can email me and I can make a batch for you. I bought a meat injector today so I am going to inject the chicken with that mixture. If you don't own one of these don't panic...just subtract the chicken broth and get butter to room temperature, mix in spices and salt and rub UNDERNEATH the skin of the chicken. You should put oil on the bird and salt pepper to taste on the skin, you can put some of the pepper mix as well to tie in the flavors. Cook the bird whole breast down for an 1 hour and 15 minutes, if you want to truss the chicken, meaning tying the legs and tucking the wings under you can...I'm not an expert at this and find it more trouble then its worth. When it is done temperature should be 165 F, take it out and let it rest for at least 20 minutes. A simple garlic mash potato and corn serves as a nice side. Remember fresh is best, but if you can't find fresh vegetables, buy frozen, canned vegetables have to high a sodium count.