recipephile

Italian Style Pot Roast

On a cold evening there is nothing better than a homestyle pot roast. The savory goodness of this dish always reminds me of sitting around the kitchen table with my entire family.  My mother makes a mean pot roast, but her style has more of an Italian flair to it. She dresses her version up with lots of garlic and shallots instead of the traditional sweet onions.  She is also a fan of using fresh rosemary and thyme in her dish.   This meal can be served with polenta, mashed potatoes or served over wide egg noodles.  

Two important things to keep in mind.  Do not use an expensive cut of meat for this.  A bottom round of beef is perfect and will cook so that the meat is falling apart when you serve the dish.  This is what you want.  Many people cook their pot roast on the stovetop.  I opt for the more even cooking in the oven. Better yet, if you have a convection oven use that instead.

Here is what you will need:

- A Dutch oven

- 1 (4 lb.) bottom round of beef

- Extra virgin olive oil

- 5 carrots, peeled and chopped into bite sized pieces

- 5 stalks of celery chopped into bite sized pieces

- 8-10 shallots, peeled and chopped in half

- 5 cloves of garlic

- 5 stalks of each of fresh thyme and rosemary

- 1 small can of beef broth

- 1 large can of San Marzano diced tomatoes

- 1 cup of red wine (preferably a Syrah or Cabernet)

- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

- 3 tbsp unbleached flour

- 2 cloves of garlic, handful of parsley and 1 tsp lemon zest

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Cover the bottom of the Dutch oven with extra virgin olive oil.  Over medium heat brown the beef on all sides.  Once each side is brown and crispy remove the beef and pour off some of the grease.  Place back on the stove and deglaze the pan with about 1/4 cup of the wine.  Let cook down, add in about 2 tbsp of olive oil and place the carrots, celery and shallots into the Dutch oven. Saute for about 5-8 minutes, smash the 5 cloves of garlic with a chef's knife and add into the pot. Let cook until fragrant. 

 Now remove the rosemary and thyme leaves from their stalks and add into the pot with the can of beef broth, tomatoes and wine. Place into the oven and cook for 2.5 hours or until the beef is fork tender. Remove from the oven and transfer 1 cup of the liquid into a small pot.  Add in the flour and whisk until smooth. Whisk this mixture into the Dutch oven and cook over medium heat until the broth thickens.   If the broth does not thicken repeat the process with the flour, 1 tbsp at a time, until it is as thick as you want it to be.

Serve with polenta, mashed potatoes or served over wide egg noodles.  

A Twist on Traditional Jambalaya

On January 1, 2010 I started a new diet. For the next 90 days I will be eating the majority of my meals at home, my alcohol intake will be nil (I am actually giving up the sauce for the month of January) and I will be working out like a fiend.

The plan that I have signed up for gives some pretty well thought guidelines around what to eat and when. The recipes are great, but of course following recipes is not my thing so I make them up as I go along.

The P90X nutrition book (P90X is the program that I have started) provides you with the basics you need to know to get started and also offer up daily menus.  What I have been doing is following the snack portion of the book, but altering breakfast, lunch and dinner so that my meals follow similar protein, calorie and carbohydrate intakes.

Couscous is on my "allowed to have" carb list and so is turkey, shrimp and chicken. Right before I left to come home from the East Coast my mother made a delicious jambalaya with rice, shrimp, chicken and kielbasa.  I wanted to try my hand at a similar dish, but a little more healthy using couscous instead of rice and virtually fat free turkey kielbasa instead of the traditional.  The result was rather tasty and provided me with some tasty leftovers to much on for the rest of the week.

Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think.

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

- 1 cup onion

- 3/4 cup carrots

- 1 tsp of salt

- 1/2 tbsp of freshly ground black pepper

- 1 tbsp cumin

- 1 tbsp ancho chili pepper (or regular chili powder)

- 1/4 tsp of saffron (or tumeric if you do not have saffron)

- 1 8 oz. chicken breast

- 1/4 lb - 1/3 lb of turkey kielbasa

- 1/2 lb of peeled shrimp, uncooked with tail on

- 2 cups crushed tomatoes

For the couscous

- 2 cups couscous

- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth or 1 1/4 cup chicken broth and 1 1/4 cup fish stock

Heat the olive oil in large saute pan or short sided stock pot.  Add in the garlic and saute over medium heat for about a minute or two being sure not to burn. Add in the onions and carrots and saute until cooked through.  Season the pot with the salt, pepper, cumin, chili pepper and saffron and stir well.

Add in the chicken and cook until lightly brown on all sides. Place the kielbasa and tomatoes into the pot and once the mixture is simmering add in the shrimp.  Turn to low heat cover and let cook. Once the shrimp is cooked through (it will be pink). Remove from the flame and let set covered on the stovetop while the couscous cooks.

To make the couscous bring the chicken stock (or mixture of chicken and fish stock) to a boil. Once boiling add in the couscous, cover with a clean kitchen towel and let sit for five minutes. When ready add the couscous to the other pot.  Mix well and serve.

Mustard and Molasses Marinated Pork Tenderloin

Last night I had my good friends over for Mustard and Molasses Marinated Pork Tenderloin and delicious Butternut Squash Soup (recipe to come in a day or so). While on the phone with my mom the other day she insisted that I head to Costco for their pork tenderloin. In her opinion it reigns supreme and the cost make it even supremer (is that a word?).

It sat there in front of me. Looking all porky and boring. I opened the fridge and grabbed the Dijon mustard, then rooted around for some garlic and olive oil and the marinade began to take shape. When I opened up the spice cabinet I noticed a big bottle of molasses that had not been cracked in ages. So I cracked it and drizzled the dark and gooey goodness into the bowl. Then I added a few more ingredient, stirred it all up, tossed in the pork, covered and set in the fridge for a few hours before cooking. 

The result was tasty and we drank a delicious bottle of Hartford Family 2006 Russian River Valley Zinfandel with the meal.

Here is what you need.

2 lb pork tenderloin
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp molasses
3 cloves of garlic
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp salt

Mix the marinade ingredients into a large bowl. Mix well, add the pork and let marinate for 2-3 hours. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and cook your pork in a roasting pan, with the juices from the marinade for about 20 minutes or until the temperature on the meat thermometer reads 150.  Lets sit for about 15 minutes, slice and serve.

Roasted Pork Shoulder With Brown Sugar, Chardonnay and Ginger Glaze

My friends and I just cannot seem to get enough of New May Wah, an Asian supermarket located on Clement St. in San Francisco.  The prices are out of this world and the selection of vegetables, meat and seafood is always amazing.

On recent trips to the market I have noticed a cut of bone in pork shoulder that keeps calling out to me "cook me, cook me".  The greatest thing about this cut is that they leave the skin on. While I was visiting Italy with my parents a few years ago we picked up cut of pork with the skin on the resulting dish was amazing.  When you roast pork with the skin in tact it tends to add to the depth of flavor and keep the meat moist from the fat being released from the skin.

At a price of $1.79/lb we could not pass it up.  We snatched up two 3lb piece of meat and gathered fixins for Chinese long beans and fried rice.  8 people were coming over that night and the total bill was $27.09.  NO KIDDING.  We fed 8 people for less than $30.

This pork is so very easy to make and I highly suggest giving it a try.

- 2 3 lb. bone-in pork shoulders
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves, diced
- 1/2 cup of brown sugar
- 1/2 cup of dry Chardonnay
- 1 tbsp ginger powder
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsbp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

Place pork shoulders into a roasting pan.  In a large bowl add the remaining ingredients and mix very well.  Liberally coat the pork shoulders with the mixture and place back into the roasting pan.

Place into the preheated 500 degree oven for 25 minutes.  Turn the heat down to 300 and cook for 20 more minutes.  Remove, cover with foil for 15 minutes, slice and serve.

If you'd like more "sauce" for the meat feel free to mix together the glaze ingredients, place into a small saucepan and cook down for about 5-10 minutes.  Pour this over the pork shoulder after it is done cooking and serve.

Recession-Proof Dinner Party - Cost Conscious Lemon Roasted Chicken Thighs with Mint and Red Onion

Jeffrey and I decided to host a dinner party the other night, but in these tough economic times we decided that we needed to be frugal. In addition to frugality we also wanted to promote our desire for peace in the middle east.  The Israeli/Palestinian Peace Meal that we were planning would include foods from both cultures living in harmony on one plate. 

Our menu consisted of:

• Toasted Baguette with lox, labneh and dill
• Hummus topped with Zatar and served with toasted pita and veggies
• Couscous salad with feta, Kalamata olives, red pepper, red onion, grape tomatoes and artichoke hearts
• Cost conscious lemon roasted chicken thighs with mint and red onion
• Cucumber salad
• Key lime pie (We realize that this is not very Middle Eastern, but we really wanted it and justified it by calling it the Jimmy Carter solution. The middle man (or pie) so to speak, on peace negotiation.)

In order to be frugal we had to find ourselves a market that would be priced accordingly.  We thought about heading to the Mission where the food is always affordable and delicious, but opted for Pacific Supermarket as recommended by our friends Tim and Jim.  They swear by this supermarket for its meat department and recession pricing. 

Pacific Supermarket is the Chinese Safeway, as one Yelper puts it, and has the look, feel, products and music of a grocery story in Asia.  The meat department is a hoot and very very very different from the traditional American grocery.  They sell every part of the animal.  We saw brains, fresh blood, tripe, sliced ears, hooves and even testicles (yes testicles) for sale.

We walked away from the brains and such and picked up some chicken thighs, which are a great alternative for those on a budget (and to be honest, much more flavorful).

The party was a blast and everyone bought into the theme.  When all was said and done we ended up spending about $80, while utilizing products that we already had at home.  We served 10 people, lots of delicious food, for only $8.00 and change (if you count the items we had at home).  Pretty impressive for wonderful food.  And... everyone brought wine with them so we were set on the libations.

The chicken we served was very easy to make.  This version has been adapted for 5 people.

- 10-12 chicken thighs
- 1 large red onion
- 2 whole lemons
- 5-10 cloves of garlic (we used roasted garlic and believe this imparts a better flavor)
- 1/2 cup of mint leaves, chopped
- 1/2 cup of dry white wine or dry vermouth
- 3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tsp Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper (5-6 turns of the grinder)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Assemble the chicken in a large roasting pan making sure to cover the bottom and do your best to ensure that they are not on top of each other.  Coarsely chop the onion and place into the pan.  Slice one of the lemons into rounds and place into the pan. Cut the other lemon in half, juice and add to the pan. Add vermouth, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Mix well, making sure that all ingredients are evenly distributed, and bake for about 30 minutes.  About 15 minutes into the baking process open the oven (stand away and let the steam escape) and stir the chicken ensuring an even distribution.

Close and cook for 15 more minutes.  Open again and check, using a knife, that the chicken is cook all of the way through.  Turn off the heat and let the chicken sit in the oven for 15-20 more minutes.

Remove and using a slotted spoon take the chicken, onions and garlic out of the pan.  Arrange onto a platter.  If you have left over mint chop for garnish.  You can also spritz with some additional lemon (1/2 of a lemon).  Reserve the juice on the bottom of the pan as gravy. 

You can thicken the gravy using a little bit of flour (about 1 tbsp).  Take about 1/2 cup of liquid and mix well with the flour being sure to eliminate any lumps.  Whisk into the remaining liquid and heat over the stove in a sauce pan.  If you are using Pyrex or a glass roasting pan DO NOT place it over direct heat or the glass will shatter.  You can add more flour depending on how thick you want the gravy.

SERVE!

Buffalo Market Turkeys

If you live in San Francisco and close to the Castro or in the Castro and want to purchase a free range, no hormones, no antibiotics turkey for Thanksgiving then stop by Buffalo Whole Foods at the corner of 19th and Castro.

The turkeys come from the Diestel Family Turkey Ranch in Sonora, CA. 

Buffalo whole foods is a unique neighborhood natural products market located in san francisco's famed castro District.

Owner operated since 1975, tthe store is known for its skillfully-chosen selection of products with a strong commitment to organic foods. Featuring premium vitamins, natural bodycare, fresh dairy, bakery and deli foods, organically-grown produce, and a great mix of natural and gourmet groceries, Buffalo Whole Foods delivers big store convenience with small store service.

Buffalo Whole Food & Grain Co. is located at 598 Castro Street at 19th Street two blocks south of Market Street. Muni lines 24 and 35 stop right at our front door, and Muni Metro Castro Station and F Streetcar lines are two blocks away. Street parking is usually not difficult (for San Francisco!) before noon.

 

Easy Roasted Chateubriand

 Last night my friends Nick, Dan and Earl came over for dinner.  The three of us were tired from two years of presidential campaigning and hoping that Obama (and his gorgeous wife and daughters) would be moving into the White House.

So to celebrate an incredible victory we decided to have dinner at my place and keep it simple. During the day I made my way up to Mollie Stones and found myself drawn to the Chateaubriand.  Most of the cuts in their meat department are grass fed and antibiotic free so I usually try to buy from them when I cannot make it to the farmer's market.

The meat man at the counter told me to roast the meat in the oven at 400 degree for 20 minutes.  It was so very simple and reminded me of meals that we ate when I was a child.  A delicious cut of meat, rice (cooked in chicken broth) a veggie and a salad.  Simple and delicious.

For the Chateaubriand...

Get yourself a 3lb piece of meat (this should serve 5-6 people) and liberally coat with Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and extra virgin olive oil. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet or frying pan brown the meat on both sides and then toss into the oven for 20 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 120-125 (this is for medium rare).  Take out of the oven and let sit for 15 minutes.  Slice on the bias and serve.

We served our meat with chicken broth rice tossed with parsley and lemon zest and seasoned with salt and pepper, simple salad of romaine, cucumbers, olive oil and red wine vinegar and sauteed onions and mushrooms with sage butter.

Chicken and Tilapia Paella - By Timmy and Mikey

So last night I had plans to have someone over for dinner and I got totally blown off. Yes, someone decided to not come over for dinner.  This was somewhat distressing since I had purchased a bunch of food and needed to cook it before leaving on a trip to Lake Powell for four days of NO TECHNOLOGY.

Timmy to the rescue.  Not only is he a great friend, but he shares my love of all things epicurean. Timmy and his partner Jim joined me for dinner last night and Timmy and I were the cooks.  We knew we wanted to make a rice dish and settled on paella.

There was a part of me that really thought it would be a long and arduous process, but it was quite easy.  We used the Joy of Cooking Valencia Paella recipe as the base and added in what we thought would be tasty.

- Extra virgin olive oil
- 4 or 5 chicken thighs, chopped into bite size pieces
- 1 or 2 pieces of Tilapia fillet, chopped into bite size pieces
- 4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 medium, sweet onion, chopped
- 1 small can of diced tomatoes
- 1 tsp of saffron
- 3 cups of hot chicken broth
- 1.5 cups of rice
- More hot chicken broth if needed
- Salt and Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cover the bottom of a large saute pan with olive oil and saute the chicken and fish until just about cooked (about 3-5 minutes) on medium. Remove from the pan and set aside. Place the garlic and onions into the pan (with the leftover fat and scrapings from the fish and chicken) and sweat for a few minutes on medium. Add the tomatoes and cook down for about 5 minutes on medium.  Then add the chicken broth and the saffron and cook for 10 more minutes on high.

Now add the rice and make sure that all ingredients are well distributed throughout the pan. Cook on medium-high for about 20-25 minutes.  Add more chicken broth if needed.  Once the rice is cooked through add the chicken and fish back into the pan and cook for another 3-5 minutes. 

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve and Enjoy.

Chicken Rolatini with Spinach and Cheese

So this evening there was a little bit of a disaster at my apartment.  My neighbor upstairs is having his sub-floor replaced and while the contractors were removing the plywood for the floor a foot came through my ceiling into my bedroom.  Timmy offered to let me stay at his place while they fix my ceiling and when I got to his apartment he was busy cooking dinner.  Earlier in the evening he was trying to figure out what to have for dinner and we came up with chicken rolatini stuffed with spinach, ricotta and Parmesan cheese.

The chicken looks and smells incredible and here is how it is made:

- 2-3 chicken breasts, pounded out very thin
- 1 small bag of frozen spinach, cooked and pressed so that water is removed
- 1/2 cup of ricotta
- 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 small can of diced tomatoes
- 1 tbsp each of chopped fresh parsley, rosemary and sage

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Pound out the chicken so it is very thin and set aside. Mix the cooked spinach, ricotta, Parmesan and minced garlic.  Taste and add Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.  Spread the spinach and cheese mixture onto the chicken breasts and roll them up.  Secure with toothpicks and brown in butter on the stovetop.  Cover the bottom of a small baking dish with the tomatoes and herbs. Once all sides are brown on the chicken place atop the tomato mixture and bake for about 20 minutes.  Serve with aside of your choice... Timmy chose to cook pasta and serve it with the sauce form the bottom of the pan.  Risotto would be tasty as well. 

Rib Roast with Herbed Tomatoes

Rib roasts, when cooked to perfection (in my opinion medium rare) are totally awesome and this one was no exception.  Make sure you have a good meat thermometer OR that you are very skilled at timing the cooking of a roast and then using touch to press on the meat to see if it is done based on how soft or hard it feels when you press down on the slab o' beef.  This is a skill that very few people have and one that I am still trying to master.

- 4 lb boneless rib roast (salt and pepper liberally)
- 2 can of diced tomatoes
- 2 tbsp each of fresh rosemary and minced garlic

The meat was prepared by liberally coating it with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.  I decided to use a large pan to cook the meat in.  The bottom of the pan was covered with two small cans of diced tomatoes.  Two tablespoons each of fresh rosemary and garlic was mixed in with the tomatoes. The meat was then placed on top of the tomato and herb mixture.

Once the oven was preheated to 350 the meat went in. The USDA tells us that rib roasts with the bone removed should be cooked for 18-22 minutes per pound and the cooked temperature should be 145 degrees.  Here is my opinion on this. If you are using a meat thermometer and you cook it until 145 and then take it out of the oven the meat will continue to cook and your standing temperature will be higher, thus your meat will be overcooked.  So what I do is cook the meat to about 135, take it out and let it rest, uncovered, for 15 minutes.  This gets the temperature to about 140-145 and the meat is perfect.

One of the great things about this dish is that the tomatoes and herbs combined become aromatic and taste wonderful spread on top of the meat when served.  It is kind of like a fancy ketchup, but thick and chunky.

Enjoy and drink yourself a great bottle of red with this dish.