Kitchen Conundrum

Archives for January 2014

Christine’s Simple Party Soups – French Fridays with Dorie

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Even though this week’s French Fridays with Dorie recipe was for a trio of soups, Broccoli, Asparagus and Red Pepper, they were all extremely quick and easy to make- stock (or bouillon cube) based with the vegetables pureed with an immersion blender. Super simple! Just as the name implies.  Because I didn’t need a quart of soup for each flavor, I cut the recipes down to one cup each. This was the perfect amount for us.

The broccoli was by far the favorite of the three. The red pepper soup was quite good too, but in my opinion it would have benefited from charring the peppers over the flame and peeling them before being added to the stock. Next time.

I am sure the asparagus soup would have been terrific too had the asparagus been somewhat decent. I, quite literally, bought the last sad looking bunch at the grocery store. They were so shriveled and the tips were already turning and just so pitiful that I actually think using frozen would have been a better option. But alas, I bought them and the soup had, well, a rather bitter aftertaste to it. Thankfully, it was only one cup so I didn’t feel so badly letting it go down the drain.

Overall though, these would make great dinner party or brunch appetizers as they don’t require much fussing, can be made in advance and served either warmed, chilled or at room temperature.  Dollop a bit of fresh whipped cream and top with a spice of your choice and “Voila!”, an instant starter. I used pink salt for the red pepper, curry for the broccoli and black salt for the asparagus, but the combinations are endless.

FFWD Soup Trio-6435

While I cannot share the actual recipe, you can (and should!) buy the book and cook along with us. It’s great fun! Every Friday we make a new recipe. Looking forward to next weeks! For details and to see how others are recreating the dishes from this awesome book, check out the FFWD site.

Buy the book:

greenspan

frenchfridayswithdorie16

Salisbury Steak Recipe- An Easy, Fast Midweek Dinner

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I’ve made this Salisbury Steak recipe twice in the past few weeks and it’s quickly giving my meatloaf a run for it’s money as the most requested dinner in my house. Even the little guy loves it and eats a whole patty, which is a lot for him.

When I first made Salisbury Steak years ago, I didn’t have any mustard powder in the cupboard so I used yellow mustard instead and I’ve never made it any other other way since. I just love the mustard flavor too so sometimes I will add a bit more in.

My favorite part is the gravy. It becomes so rich and creamy with the addition of butter and cream right at the end. Serve with a good starch, like mashed potatoes or thick egg noodles on the side to sop up any that is remaining.

From start to finish this recipe only takes about a half hour to make, so it’s perfect for a last minute, quick dinner for the middle of the week. Don’t bother washing the pan in between sauteing the onions and frying the patties. You’ll also want to keep some of the bits of browned meat in the bottom after you drain the oil for your gravy.

It’s been a long time since I’ve made this and I am glad I brought it back into the rotation.  I hope you like it too!

Salisbury Steak-5718

Salisbury Steak
 
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Author:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons butter, divided into single tablespoons
  • ½ cup plain breadcrumbs
  • ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon ketchup, reserve 1 tablespoon for the gravy
  • 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
  • 3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, reserve 1 teaspoon for the gravy
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 cups beef broth, reserve 2 tablespoons to make a slurry
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • 1 tablespoon heavy cream
  • Salt & Pepper to taste
Method
  1. In a large saute pan over medium high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the sliced onion and cook until they are just softened. (The onions will cook more later.) Remove to a bowl and set aside. Don't bother cleaning the pan as you will reuse it.
  2. In a large bowl combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, ¼ cup of ketchup, mustard, 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce, and a few grinds of fresh black pepper. Mix well and shape into 4 oblong patties.
  3. Over medium high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter combined with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in your large saute pan. Add the beef patties and brown on both sides being sure to not flip the patties too soon as you don't want them to fall apart. Continue until cooked through. (About 5-7 minutes.)
  4. Remove the patties to a plate and drain the pan of the oil.
  5. Reduce the heat and return the onions to the pan. Add the beef broth minus the 2 tablespoons. Add 1 tablespoon of ketchup and 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce. Mix well.
  6. To make the slurry, in a small bowl combine the cornstarch and the reserved beef broth. Mix with a fork until all of the cornstarch is dissolved.
  7. Bring the gravy to a boil then add the slurry stirring continuously. Your gravy will thicken quite a bit.
  8. Return the beef patties to the pan and coat with the gravy, continuing to cook until heated through.
  9. Finish by adding 1 tablespoon of butter and heavy cream. Stirring to mix into the gravy. Add salt & pepper to taste. (You may not need any salt as Worcestershire sauce is quite salty.)
  10. Remove the patties, gravy and onions to a serving platter. Enjoy!

 

Crispy Sriracha Chicken Wings- Tasty Bites for the Big Game Recipe Round-Up

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The Big Game is fast approaching and while I am in it for the commercials, everyone else seems more interested in the actual football.  But one thing we all agree upon is the food.

1. There must be lots. And 2. There must be wings.

I love chicken wings. Buffalo, BBQ, Tandoori, Jerk, Hot, Sweet, Spicy, Sour, Baked, Fried or Grilled.  There are just so many different ways to make them! One of my favorite ways though is this Crispy Sriracha Chicken Wings recipe. The wings get a nice crunch from the Panko bread crumbs and the sauce gives it a serious, sweet and spicy heat. They’ll be a sure fire win for your game day menu!

We use 3 tablespoons of Sriracha for medium heat- but sometimes we’ll go up to 5 tablespoons if we want it really, firey hot. In that case, we’ll be sure to serve them with something cool like a cucumber yogurt sauce to tame the flame! Your best bet is to start with 3 tablespoons and taste as you go along. You can always add more depending on your heat resistance!

Today, we are bringing 14 game day recipes to you via a virtual tailgating party. Check out the recipes below and be sure to visit our Game Day Pinterest Board for even more Tasty Bites for the Big Game.

Crispy Sriracha Chicken Wings for the Big Game-6057

 

5.0 from 2 reviews
Crispy Sriracha Chicken Wings- Tasty Bites for the Big Game Recipe Round-Up
 
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Author:
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
  • ½ cup rice wine vinegar
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • ⅔ cup mirin
  • ¾ cup Sake/white wine
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried crushed chili flakes
  • 3 tablespoons Sriracha hot sauce
  • 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 3 tablespoons water
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • Juice of 1 lime
For the Chicken:
  • 3lbs chicken wings, tips removed and divided into 2-3 dozen wing pieces
  • ½ cup rice flour
  • ½ cup Panko bread crumbs
  • ½ cup cornstarch
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • ½ cup milk
  • Oil for frying, about 2" for a large, deep skillet
Method
For the Sauce:
  1. In a large saucepan, over medium high heat, add the rice wine vinegar, sugar, fish sauce, Mirin, Sake/wine, garlic, chili flakes, Sriracha and honey and bring to a rolling boil. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your likening.
  2. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5-6 minutes.
  3. Add the cornstarch-water mixture to the pot and stir until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and let cool. Squeeze in the lime juice and mix to incorporate. Set aside until ready to use.
For the Chicken:
  1. Create your breading station by adding the dry ingredients into one bowl and the eggs and milk into another bowl.
  2. Dip the wings into the egg and milk bowl then into the dry ingredients. Coat to cover.
  3. Set all the coated pieces of chicken on a large plate and let stand in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.
  4. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet to 350 degrees F or until a droplet of water causes it to splatter.
  5. Add a few pieces of the chicken at a time to the hot oil being careful not to splatter yourself! Don’t overcrowd the pan. Cook the chicken until golden brown on both sides. Remove to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain. Repeat until all the chicken is cooked.
  6. In a large bowl add the cooked chicken and drizzle some sauce over the top to coat. You may not have to use all of the sauce, so coat with as much as you would like. Give the chicken in the bowl a quick toss around in the sauce and serve with the additional sauce on the side.
  7. If you are making them really hot, be sure to serve with a cool dip to tame the flame!