Chicken with Port Wine

Nibbling on a great blue cheese and sipping a really nice Porto is one of the greatest gastronomical experiences! Let the blue cheese sit on your tong for a few moments, take a sip of the wine, and then press the cheese to the roof of your mouth, letting the wine mix in with the cheese. It is a brilliant experience!!

Chicken with Port Wine

Chicken with Port Wine

1 pound chicken breasts

salt and pepper to taste

1 peeled and diced apple

1/4 cup walnut pieces

1/2 cup port wine

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles

fresh chopped parsley

 

Season chicken breasts and sear until cooked through completely. Hold warm until ready to serve. In the same pan, add the diced apples and walnuts and saute for 1 minute. Add in the port wine and reduce liquid by half. Swirl in the butter and add in the blue cheese just before serving. Plate the chicken and spoon sauce over top. Serve with roasted potatoes.

 

Feel free to incorporate seasonal fruits (cherries or peaches are excellent choices when in season) into this dish and this also makes an incredible sauce for duck, pork, or venison.

 

 

Cuban roasted mojo pork with black beans and rice

Cuban Mojo Pork Roast

Mojo Pork

pork loin roast, approximately 4 pounds.
4 cups orange juice
zest and juice of 2 limes
zest and juice of 2 oranges
2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
salt and pepper

Season the loin well with salt and pepper. Put into a container cover with orange juice plus the zest of the citrus, oregano, and garlic. Let marinate overnight. After marinating, remove from the juice and roast in a low oven, about 275 degrees until the internal temperate reaches 135 degrees. Remove from the oven and finish on a hot grill until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Let rest for 15 minutes before slicing.

Black Beans and Rice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup brown rice
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Saute the rice in the olive oil until well coated in the oil but do not brown. Transfer to a casserole dish. Pour in hot chicken broth and add the salt and pepper, cover the dish and bake in a 350 degree until the rice is tender; this should take about an hour. When rice is tender, fluff with a fork and stir in the black beans and garlic. Replace the cover over the dish and continue to bake for another 10 minutes, just until the beans are warmed through. Stir in the chopped cilantro, taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.

Notes:
Feel free to serve with fresh salsa.
Fried plantain chips also makes a nice addition to this dish.

Hang Town Fry

Hang Town Fry
One of my favorite cooking stories!

Hang Town Fry

Divide all ingredients to serve 4 people.

butter as needed for cooking the omelet
12 large eggs, whipped or scrambled
4 ounces gouda cheese, shredded
salt and pepper to taste

Spinach Filling
8 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well
4 ounces cream cheese
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
4 slices of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

Mix together all ingredients and put into a casserole dish. Heat in a hot oven until warm and hold until ready to assemble the omelet.

Oyster Sauce
8 slices of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
1 pint fresh oysters
½ cup heavy whipping cream

Add the bacon and oysters to a hot pan and cook slightly. Add the cream and continue to cook until the sauce begins to thicken.

Assembly:

In a medium hot sauté pan, add butter and 3 eggs. Swirl around and move the eggs with a rubber spatula to add layers and make fluffy. Turn the omelet over and add the shredded gouda cheese and warm spinach filling. Fold over and slide onto a plate. Repeat to make 4 omelets.

Spoon over oyster sauce and enjoy.

Notes:
This is a version of a recipe called ”Hang Town Fry.” Legend has it that when a man was requesting his last meal before heading to the gallows, he would request this dish because many of the fresh items were not readily available and if could take days or weeks to assemble all of the ingredients. This would give extra time for the prisoner to plan his escape. There really are no set ingredients for the dish; you can vary them as you like. A “Hang Town Fry” would often contain oysters and bacon because of their rarity at the time.

Copyright 2015 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Easter Rack of Lamb

Just in time for Easter!! Feel free to substitute chicken in place of the lamb.

Easter Rack of Lamb

1 Rack of Lamb
Salt and Pepper to taste
Whole Grain or Djion Mustard
Fresh Chopped Parsley and other Herbs

Season the lamb rack with salt and pepper. Sear in a hot pan or on a grill to add flavor. Remove from the pan and spread a generous amount of the mustard over the lamb rack and then coat with the freshly chopped herbs. Place the lamb into a hot oven and roast until the lamb reaches an internal temperature of 135 to 140 degrees. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Traditionally this is served with peaches and mint jelly. Today, we served with strawberry preserves, mint, and balsamic vinegar.

1 Head of Cauliflower
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
½ Cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 Tablespoon Ground Turmeric
Salt and Pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan Cheese

Remove the core and large stems from the cauliflower, chop the florettes into tiny pieces. Add the chopped cauliflower to a hot sauté pan with the olive oil and toss. Add in the chicken broth and turmeric and continue to stir until the cauliflower is tender. Mix in the cheese and season with salt and pepper. If needed, add in additional olive oil to finish. This is designed to simulate rice pilaf.


Copyright 2015 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Salmon Cakes

I have had a super busy time over the past few months but I am back! All is well and everything moving along at a good clip. I know I am missing a few videos and do not know if I can go back, but here are the latest.

Salmon Cakes

12 Ounces Fresh or Frozen Salmon Fillet, roasted
4 Ounces Smoked Salmon (Hot Smoked if you can find)
2 Eggs, Beaten
2 Teaspoons Whole Grain Mustard
Salt and Pepper to taste

In preparation to make the salmon cakes, roast the salmon in a 350 degrees oven until cooked through and cool completely.

In a mixing bowl, break up and flake together the roasted salmon and the smoked salmon. Add the eggs and seasonings and combine until well mixed. Form into approximate 2 ounce balls and press into patties. Sauté in a hot skillet with added oil until crisp on each side, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Serve hot with yogurt mustard sauce.

 Mustard Tarragon Sauce

 ½ Cup Non Fat Greek Yogurt
1 Tablespoon Whole Grain Mustard
½ Fresh Lemon, squeezed
1 Teaspoon Honey
Salt and Pepper to taste
Fresh Chopped Tarragon to taste

Mix all ingredients together and hold chilled until ready to serve.

Notes:
There are various species of salmon, some very expensive and some reasonably priced. Purchase what you can afford.
We served this with fresh arugula greens.
We replaced sour cream and whipping cream with yogurt to reduce calories and lighten the sauce.


Copyright 2015 Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

White Balsamic Tuna Salad

This was from Daytime Blue Ridge on January 16. Very tasty!!

White Balsamic Tuna Salad

White Balsamic Tuna Salad

1 Pound Skip Jack Tuna
2 Tablespoons Pickle Relish
4 Hard Boiled Eggs or Egg Whites, peeled, chopped or grated.
Salt and Pepper to taste
¼ Cup Freshly Chopped Parsley
¼ to ½ Cup of White Balsamic Vinaigrette (recipe below)
2 Ripe, Fresh Sliced Avocados
Gently mix together the first 6 ingredients. Serve over sliced avocado and drizzle with extra vinaigrette.

White Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe

¼ Cup Olive or Sunflower Oil
½ Cup White Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
Salt and Pepper

Place in a shaker bottle and shake together until blended well.

Notes:

Feel free to use fresh tuna that you cook yourself. Bake, broil, pan sear, or grill until desired internal temperature is reached, cool and then flake.
If you can, try to find line-caught tuna. You can also use Albacore tuna in place of the Skipjack.
If you would like to spice it up, feel free to add a little hot sauce or Sriracha.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffed Mushrooms

http://www.fox2127.com/story/27968056/morning-menu-stuffed-mushrooms

Large Mushrooms, Cleaned and Stemmed

Blanch mushrooms in boiling salted water for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the water and cool down quickly in an ice bath. 

Dry in paper towels and hold cold until ready to stuff. 

Place mushrooms onto a cookie sheet and fill with your favorite filling. Bake until the mushrooms and filling are nicely browned. 

Serve immediately.

Filling One:

1 Pound Crab Meat
¼ Cup Mayonnaise
¼ Cup Sweet Chili Sauce
Bread Crumbs as needed
Freshly Chopped Parsley

Mix together all ingredients together. Add just enough bread crumbs to the filling to help bind together. They are actually optional if you are adventurous.

Filling 2:
1 Pound Sweet or Hot Italian Sausage
½ Cup Parmesan Cheese
Bread Crumbs
Freshly Chopped Parsley

Remove the sausage from the casing (unless this is a fresh ground, tray packed), break up and brown in a skillet.Let the sausage cool slightly and mix with the cheese, bread crumbs, and parsley. Add just enough bread crumbs to the filling to help bind together.