Ruth had a garden club meeting on Thursday, so I went to the Szechuan House in Lutherville for dinner to satisfy my craving for some good Kung Pao chicken. Uncle Lee’s at 33rd and Greenmount Avenue in Baltimore used to be my favorite spot to get this dish until it closed many years ago. Szechuan House, at least to me, now makes the best in town! I learned to make this dish at home out of necessity because the closest Chinese place is over 10 miles away. I prefer to make it with chicken thighs rather than breasts, because the dark meat has a much richer flavor and is less likely to dry out. You can substitute plain rice vinegar for the black rice vinegar (available in Asian markets), but the black vinegar adds complexity to the dish. By the way, do not eat the charred whole chiles in the finished dish!
Ingredients:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs , trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 Tbs dry sherry or rice wine
2 tsp soy sauce
3 medium cloves garlic , minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1/2 inch piece fresh ginger , peeled and minced (about 2 teaspoons)
3 Tbs peanut oil
1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
6 small whole dried red chiles (each about 1 3/4 to 2 inches long)
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tsp black rice vinegar or plain rice vinegar (available at Asian market)
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 Tbs oyster sauce (available at Asian market)
1 Tbs hoisin sauce (available at Asian market)
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 medium bell pepper , cut into 3/4-inch dice
3 medium scallions , sliced thin
Directions:
Toss the chicken thigh pieces with the sherry and soy sauce in medium bowl and marinate until they have absorbed flavors, about 10 minutes. Mix the garlic, minced ginger, and 1 tablespoon of the oil in small bowl and set aside. Combine the peanuts and chiles in small bowl and set aside. Mix the chicken broth, vinegar, sesame oil, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, and cornstarch in small bowl or measuring cup; set aside. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a 12-inch skillet over high heat until just beginning to smoke. Add the dried chiles and cook until they darken. Add the chicken and cook without stirring for 2 minutes, allowing chicken to brown on one side; stir and cook about 2 minutes more, until no longer pink. Stir the peanuts into chicken and continue cooking until peanuts have darkened slightly, 30 to 40 seconds longer. Transfer chicken, peanuts, and chiles to a bowl and set aside. Return the skillet to the burner and reheat about 15 to 30 seconds. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil, then add the bell pepper; cooking until slightly softened, about 45 seconds. Clear center of pan, add garlic-ginger mixture, mash into pan with spoon or spatula, and cook until fragrant, 10 to 15 seconds; stir into peppers until combined. Stir broth mixture to recombine, then add to skillet along with reserved chicken, peanuts, and chiles; cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits on bottom of pan, until sauce has thickened to syrupy consistency, about 45 seconds. Stir in the chopped scallions and serve the dish with steamed rice.
One of my former employees at WJZ, Cliff Newman, was quite the cook. We would often trade recipes, and sometimes we would share dishes we each made at lunch. Cliff liked spicy food as much as I do, and he made this jerk chicken recipe one day. Now I make a pretty mean jerk chicken, but Cliff’s wet marinade recipe was “off the charts.” I hounded him for it until he finally relented and gave it to me just before he retired. Thanks Cliff!
Ingredients:
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
3 medium scallions, coarsely chopped
2 habanero chiles, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped fine
1 Tbs 5 spice powder
1 Tbs allspice berries, coarsely ground
1 Tbs black pepper, coarsely ground
1 tsp thyme, crumbled
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp salt
½ cup Kikkoman soy sauce
1 Tbs vegetable oil
2 whole chickens, quartered
Directions:
Combine first 10 ingredients in a food processor and process to a paste. While the machine is running, add soy sauce and oil in a steady stream till well incorporated. Pour marinade into a Ziploc bag and add chicken pieces, turning to coat all sides. Refrigerate overnight. Grill on a charcoal grill.
There is a real chill in the air, so I had a craving for one of my favorite “stick to your ribs” dishes, namely Sour Beef and Dumplings. Imagine wonderfully flavorful, tangy, tender chunks of beef in a delicious rich gravy thickened with ginger snaps, and served with silky potato dumplings. My history with this dish goes back to my childhood. My Mom has made this dish for as long as I can remember. Now this is not a recipe you can throw together in 20 minutes, so I offer it as a “culinary plan” for a special Sunday dinner where the prep starts on the prior Wednesday.
Ingredients for the Sour Beef and the Gravy:
4 lbs beef (boneless round roast or chuck), some suet left on – cut into 2” large chunks
2 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups cider vinegar
½ cup dry red wine
2 cups water
1 large onion, chopped
2 Tbs pickling spice
6-10 ginger snap cookies, crushed fine
Place the beef chunks in a large ceramic bowl. Mix all the ingredients together and pour over the meat. Place a small plate on top to keep the meat from floating above the marinade. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate the beef in the refrigerator for 3 days, turning the meat several times. Pour the meat and marinade into a large crock pot and simmer slowly for 6 to 8 hours (or more) until the meat is tender. Crock pots vary, so use a dinner fork to test for tenderness. Remove the meat from the crock pot to a large bowl. Strain the stock into a stainless or other non-reactive cook pot and bring to a boil. Add crushed ginger snaps and simmer until the gravy reaches the desired thickness. Adjust the flavor, as desired, by adding beef bouillon cubes, brown sugar and balsamic vinegar. Return the meat to the gravy and hold in the crock pot to keep warm while you make the dumplings..
Potato Dumplings
1-¼ cups water
½ cup milk
3 Tbs butter
1 Tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
2 cups Betty Crocker Potato Buds
1-1/4 cups All-Purpose flour
2 eggs
1 small onion, grated (optional)
2-3 slices white bread (or use packaged pre-made seasoned croutons)
Place the above ingredients in a 3 quart cook pot and heat until the butter is melted. Add 2 cups of Betty Crocker Potato Buds and stir until all the liquid is absorbed. Let cool to room temperature
To the cooled potato mixture, add 2 eggs, slightly beaten, 1 small grated onion (optional) and 1-¼ cups of flour. Knead this into a dough on a well floured board about 15 times. Shape the dough into a roll about 2” in diameter. Cut the roll into 12 to 16 one-inch pieces. Cut 2-3 slices of white bread into ½” cubes. Fry the bread cubes in butter until they start to brown. Remove the fried bread cubes to a paper towel to drain. Place a butter fried bread cube in the center of each dough ball and roll in your hand to a golf ball sized dumpling. Drop the dumplings into boiling water and simmer uncovered about 15 – 20 minutes.
Cut one in half to test for doneness and cook longer if necessary. Remove the dumplings to a platter. Place 2 – 3 dumplings on each plate with several chunks of beef. Smother the beef and dumplings with the gravy and enjoy!
One of the appetizers we made on our trip to Spain was this “Tomato and Olive Granita” from the Catacurian cooking school, with a few of my own twists. This dish is super easy to make and delightfully refreshing, so give it a try,
Ingredients:
5 medium ripe tomatoes, peeled seeded and pureed (or one 28 oz. can of pureed San Marzano tomatoes)
1 cup green Spanish olives (or one jar of green olive pate’)
1 oz. Vodka
fresh thyme sprigs
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
black pepper
¼ tsp Tabasco pepper sauce (or more to taste)
Directions:
Skin and seed the tomatoes and place them in a food processor (or use the canned San Marzano tomato puree.) Add one shot of vodka, a few twists of freshly ground black pepper, the Tabasco and process until smooth. Pour the pureed tomato mixture into a shallow glass dish and place in the freezer for an hour or so until it freezes. Check it occasionally and scrape with a fork so it had a fluffy crystalline texture and doesn’t freeze solid.
Soak the green olives in cold water for 20 minutes or so, rinsing them and changing the water several times to remove as much brine and salt as possible. Place the rinsed olives in the food processor and pulse until almost a paste.
In the bottom of a martini glass, spoon about 2 Tbs of the olive paste. Remove the dish of tomato granita from the freezer and using a fork, scratch the top to fluff it, Spoon about 3 Tbs of the tomato granita on top of the olive pate in the martini glasses. Gently tap the bottom of the glasses on a dish towel to compact the ingredients slightly. Sprinkle a few granules of gray sea salt on top of the tomato granita, then pour about 1 tsp of extra virgin olive oil on top around the edge of the glass. Garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme and serve immediately.
When Ruth and I started our BBQ sauce business many years ago, we met Pete and Jill Sullivan of Maui Pepper Company at one of the wine festivals we did. They made several hot sauces and a wonderful pineapple mango salsa. We became friends and had some fun doing demos at various gourmet stores and wine festivals. After two long weekends sharing a booth at the Christmas show in Frederick, we stopped by their house to unwind. One of the things we munched on were Pete’s dark chocolate cookies that were spiked with cayenne pepper and coffee. He called them Chocolate Chile Blast Cookies and the combination was delicious. They eventually sold their business and moved to Hawaii (lucky people) but I remembered those cookies and have adapted this recipe to come close to them. You can substitute habanero powder for the cayenne if you are particularly daring! Enjoy! The recipe was adapted from Pete Sullivan’s recipe and Cook’s Illustrated
Ingredients:
1/3 cup granulated sugar (about 2 1/2 ounces), plus 1/2 cup for coating
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (7 1/2 ounces)
3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 Tbs instant coffee granules
1/2 tsp baking soda
¼ to ½ tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
1/4 tsp table salt plus 1/8 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup dark corn syrup (see note)
1 large egg white
1 tsp vanilla extract
12 Tbs (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter , softened (70 degrees)
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar (about 2 1/2 ounces, see note)
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate; chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (see note)
Directions:
Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large (18- by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. Place ½ cup granulated sugar in shallow baking dish or pie plate. Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cayenne and salt together in medium bowl. Whisk corn syrup, egg white, vanilla and coffee granules together in another small bowl. In stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter, brown sugar, and remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low, add corn syrup mixture, and beat until fully incorporated, about 20 seconds, scraping bowl once with rubber spatula. With mixer running at low speed, add flour mixture and chopped chocolate; mix until just incorporated, about 30 seconds, scraping bowl once. Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no pockets of flour remain at bottom. Chill dough 30 minutes to firm slightly (do not chill longer than 30 minutes). Divide dough into 16 equal portions; roll between hands into balls about 11/2 inches in diameter. Working in batches, drop 8 dough balls into baking dish with sugar and toss to coat. Set dough balls on a baking sheet with a Silpat mat or lined with parchment, spacing about 2 inches apart; repeat with second batch of 8. Bake, reversing position of the baking sheets halfway through baking (from top to bottom and front to back), until cookies are puffed and cracked and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone), 10 to 11 minutes. Do not overbake. Cool the cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes, then use wide metal spatula to transfer cookies to wire rack; cool cookies to room temperature.
Ruth held a meeting of her garden club at the house today and she asked me to make some soups for the “ladies.” I decided to make a big pot of crab soup and I found some dried black beans in the pantry and thought a nice southwest black bean soup would be good. This is a really good soup for a cold winter day and hits all the flavor notes. Thick and savory with a hint of smokiness from the bacon…YUM!
Ingredients:
1 pound dried black beans (about 2 cups), rinsed, soaked in 4 quarts of water overnight, drained
1/2 lb smoked slab bacon (cubed into ½” pieces)
2 bay leaves
5 cups water
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped fine
4 large carrots
1 celery rib, chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 teaspoon chile powder
2 cups chicken stock
1 can tomoto paste
1 Tbs Worcestershire
1 Tbsp molasses
1 pinch cinnamon
1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
3 Tbsp lime juice (can substitute lemon juice)
Salt
Toppings:
Chopped fresh cilantro
Sour cream
Avocado, peeled and chopped
Directions:
Soak the beans overnight. They will re-hydrate and double in size.
Place the pre-soaked beans in a heavy 4-quart pot. Add 5 cups of water, bay leaves, salt and baking soda. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer. Cover and let cook until beans are tender, about 1-1/2 hours, then remove the bay leaves.
Prepare the veg.
Heat the olive oil in a large 8-quart pot on medium high until the oil is hot, but not smoking. Add the cubed bacon and fry until lightly browned. Add the onions, celery, carrots and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and softened, about 10-15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add the cumin, chili powder, and garlic, cook for an additional 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add the sauted bacon and veg mixture to the beans and their cooking liquid. Add chicken stock, molasses, tomato paste, Worcestershire, cinnamon and bell pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 30 minutes.
Remove about half of the soup to a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth and return to the pot of soup. (You may need to puree the soup in small batches depending on the size of your blender. Don't fill the blender more than half way and be sure to hold the lid while blending.) Add 3 Tbsp of lime juice. Adjust he seasonings. If needed.
Garnish with fresh cilantro, sour cream and avocado if desired
I felt a little lazy today, so I decided to make a batch of my “Ragin’ Shrimp Dip” and some homemade pita chips to have something to nibble on when I get home from work during the week. This is a super-easy dip made from frozen, pre-cooked, peeled and de-veined shrimp, cream cheese, mayo and some seasonings. I make my own pita chips because they frankly taste better than the store bought ones and aren’t as salty. This is a great dish to take to a party or to enjoy as a snack at home with the family.
Ingredients
For the dip:
½ lb cooked shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 8 oz. pkgs Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese
1 Tbs Old Bay seasoning
1 Tbs Lea and Perrins Worcestershire
½ cup Hellman’s Mayonnaise
2 tsp Cajun Seasoning
For the pita chips
Pita bread
Olive oil
Rosemary leaves, crumbled
Kosher salt
Directions:
For the dip; Thaw the shrimp under running cold water, then place them on paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Put the shrimp in a food processor work bowl and pulse until the shrimp are minced fine, but not so much that they become a paste. Place the minced shrimp in a stand mixer with 2 packages of cream cheese, cut into 1 inch chunks. Add the mayo, Old Bay, Worcestershire sauce and Rick’s Ragin’ Cajun seasoning. Mix on high speed until thoroughly incorporated, pausing a few times to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Scoop the dip into a storage container and refrigerate for an hour or two to allow the flavors to mellow.
For the pita chips; I use jumbo pita bread, but the regular size works fine.
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Brush both sides of the pita bread with olive oil.
Cut the bread into 2 inch wide strips with scissors, then cut the strips into triangles.
Arrange the triangles onto baking sheets.
Sprinkle with crumbled rosemary leaves and some Kosher salt.
Bake at 375 until browned and crispy.
