September 14, 2016

Spanish tomato bread

We had this all over Spain when we visited recently. At one dinner, the hosts showed us how it was prepared. Very simple, and absolutely delicious! Prep time: 1 minute Cooking time: N/A Ingredients: Sliced crusty firm bread (rustic sourdough is ideal) 1 Clove garlic 1/2 Tomato, cut on the “equator” Drizzle of olive oil Course ground salt Directions: Optionally toast a slice of bread (can use untoasted as well) Peal garlic clove Slice tomato in half on the equator Rub garlic clove onto bread Rub tomato onto bread Drizzle olive oil on bread Grind (or sprinkle) salt on bread Optional: You can add fish (like anchovies), cheese, or other bread topping ingredients, or just eat it as is!

September 14, 2016

Hot, drunk shrimp

Spicy. Beer. Shrimp. What’s not to love? Prep time: 5 minutes (de-shelling shrimp) Cooking time: 60 minutes Note: You can add/remove peppers listed here, depending on if you want it hotter, or milder. This is pretty hot, about an 8 on my scale, I added a lot of different kinds of heat. Adjust to your personal taste. If you don’t like things too spicy, I’d look for a different dish…

March 12, 2016

Nashville Style Hot Wings

I like my wings grilled on the BBQ until crispy, then tossed with one of my famous wing sauces. But, I thought this was worth a try, and it definitely was! Also my first go at frying wings, and these turned out great. The double coating of flour, resting, then marinade plus spice blend really added to the texture and flavor. We found ourselves picking up the crumbs and eating them.

December 21, 2015

Simple Shepherds Pie

Way easier than I’d thought, and if you make it in a cast iron pot, even easier! Well, this is a quick-and-easy version. I use some shortcuts, you can use fresh veggies, and tomato paste and spices, and I’m sure it’ll be even better. And yes, the picture is terrible. I'll update next time I make this Prep time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour Ingredients: 1-2 lbs ground lamb (or ground beef for cottage pie) 1 medium yellow onion, diced 4 cloves of garlic, diced 2 Tbsp flour 4 Tbsp Tomato Catsup 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1/2 cup of beef (or chicken) broth (or more, if you like the results more liquid) 1/2 cup frozen (or fresh) peas.

November 24, 2015

Sous Vide Ribeye

Sous Vide is a terribly useful kitchen prep device, and you can now get a variety of inexpensive units, that don’t take up 1/2 of your counter. About as easy as you can get, but will rival all by the finest steaks you can get in a restaurant. For just about the easiest prep you can get, buy frozen ribeyes (I get mine from D’Artagnan). You can just put these right in the pot, defrosting and cooking in one step.

May 30, 2015

Instant Enchiladas

Recipe by Ken Wallich Not quite instant, but made from leftovers, and frozen or canned items, and still tastes great! Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes Ingredients 1/2 pound chicken (anything you’ve got in the freezer will work) cut into bite-sized chunks 1/4 onion, chopped (if you have it) 2 cloves garlic, chopped (if you have it) 1 small can chopped chilies (any kind) Additional ingredients if desired/available (chopped olives, jalapenos, beans) 1 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar, use what you’ve got) 5-6 Tortillas (depends on the size of your baking dish) Sauce: 16 Ounces (or one can) chicken broth 2 Tablespoons oil 3 Tablespoons flour 3 Tablespoons warm water 4 Tablespoons red pepper (not hot) 1 Tablespoon hot pepper (if desired) 1 Tablespoon garlic powder 1 Teaspoon salt 1/2 Teaspoon cumin 1/2 Teaspoon oregano OR a jar/can of store bought enchilada sauce Instructions:

May 8, 2015

Sous Vide Shortribs

Sous Vide and Short Ribs go together like, well, good things that go together. I’ve prepped this a lot of different ways, using many of the different time/temp calculations found on the web. You probably should too. This recipe is my favorite version for time/temp. I’m not going to go crazy with directions on this one, since I’m really just posting it to remember my favorite time/temp. For sous vide it’s pretty much the same, put in a bag, cook for a while, take out, lightly season, sear.

February 8, 2015

Roasted chickpeas (with wasabi)

So many easy and yummy things to make with chickpeas, hummus for instance. The basic recipe here with the chickpeas, salt, and oil is fine all by itself. Try other coatings, cinnamon and sugar, garlic and rosemary and thyme, the options are really almost endless. Also, depending on the chickpeas, sometimes you’ll need to do one or two more oven->shake->oven cycles to get them the consistency you’d like. Play it by ear, but don’t depend on the brownness of the outside of the chickpeas.

December 22, 2014

Baked Mac & Cheese balls

Recipe by Ken Wallich Make it from scratch, it’s just as easy… Cooking time: 10 minutes Ingredients 1 cup of Mac & Cheese 1 cup breadcrumbs 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2 eggs, beaten Directions: Make a batch of Mac & Cheese, refrigerate overnight, or for up to 3 days Preheat oven to 450° 15 minutes before making balls, put container in the freezer to get it more solid for baking Oil 2 cookie sheets, or silpats (putting some oil on the silpats will still help when turning the balls) Set up an assembly line with 3 bowls for flour, egg, and breadcrumbs Using a tablespoon or cookie dough scoop, make 1″ balls of Mac & cheese.

December 22, 2014

Simple Mac & Cheese

Recipe by Ken Wallich Make it from scratch, it’s just as easy… Cooking time: 10 minutes Ingredients 1/2 cup small elbow macaroni (or buy some fun bite-sized pasta) 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I’m a huge fan of Tillamook extra sharp cheddar) 3 Tbsp butter 1/4 cup milk (can be 1% or 2% or whole) 1 tsp salt Directions: Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot Add salt and pasta Stir occasionally for 8-10 minutes, until pasta is soft, but firm Drain water and return pasta to pot Turn heat down to low Add butter, milk and cheese Stir until all the ingredients are melted, and all the pasta is fully coated Serve it up!