Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Red Wine Brownies



Red wine and chocolate are a classic combination, so I've decided to combine the two.  You can't taste the wine distinctly, but it adds a savory component to the results (I've made these brownies with both wine and water, and I can tell the difference)

Red Wine Brownies
3/4 c. cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2/3 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. boiling red wine
1 c. sugar
1 c. light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt

1.  Preheat oven to 350F
2.  Stir cocoa and soda together.
3.  Blend in oil and add wine. Stir until mixture thickens.
4.  Add sugar and eggs, stir until smooth.
5.  Add flour, vanilla and salt. Blend completely.
6.  Pour into lightly greased 13"x9" pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.

Note:  For a nice change on this recipe, try adding 1/4 cup of flavored gelatin (cherry or raspberry work great) in with the cocoa at the start of the recipe.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Meat in a can?



A couple of months ago I was working on a Spam recipe for a contest.  Every time I mentioned it on Facebook, I always got a ton of comments/responses.  Outside of Hawaii, most people think of Spam and just cringe.  I figured I'd share this recipe to show that you can get great food out of that famous can.  To make it a little safer for the rest of us, I used cooked ham (country ham, in this case), instead of Spam.  If you want the original effect though, replace the ham with a 12 oz can of low sodium Spam, cubed.  One advantage of the Spam, or most processed ham products, in this recipe is that they will carmelize a bit during the sauteeing, which really helps improve their taste.

Ham and Asparagus in Sparkling Cider Sauce

1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1 medium onion, large dice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1.5 cups cooked ham, cubed
1 cup sparkling cider
18 stalks asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces

1.  Put oil in pan over medium low.    Add onions, garlic and seasonings and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally (don't let the onions burn!).
2.  Add the ham and turn the heat up to medium.  Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring regularly.
3.  Remove pan from heat and carefully add the cider.  The cider will splatter a bit when it hits the hot oil, so be careful.
4.  Put pan back on burner and turn heat to high.  Add asparagus and cook for 4-6 minutes until asparagus is cooked, but still firm.
5.  Serve!  This dish is great with brown rice, or served over an end of crusty bread, as I did in the picture (though you can't see it under the meat and asparagus)

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Defending a dirty word



I bet you want to know what word we're talking about here.  Sorry if it disappoints, but the word in question is buffet.  In modern parlance, buffet has become a dirty word.  I'm sure your first thoughts on hearing it were cheap, low quality food, all you can eat options encouraging gluttony and laziness.  I'd like to present some arguments that support the institution of the buffet though.  Try to have an open mind and bear with me on this one.

Buffets can offer some definite advantages, and not just the ones that you think of.  Sure, you get more choices and options when you're at a buffet.  This advantage in itself can mean a night without arguments if you're dining with kids or whiny adults.  :)  There are other advantages you should consider too, though.

Freshness:  When you order a regular entree at a restaurant, you hope that it was freshly prepared, but don't know.  When you're eating at a buffet, you can look at a tray, see it's almost empty, and assume it has been out there for a while.  Then you can choose to pass it by until they bring out a fresh pan (you might have to be quick if it's a really popular item, though).  You can also see freshness on things like wilted lettuce in salad bars, congealed sauces on dishes, etc.

Quality:  One of my pet peeves is ordering food that is fried, but instead of having a nice crisp bite, I get something soggy.  Buffets let me avoid that.  It is easy to tell with a quick tap of the spoon or tongs whether the food is still crispy, or if it has gotten (or always was) soggy.  Vegetables are the same way.  Before putting them on my plate, I can test to see whether they are still crisp/firm, or if they've been overcooked.

Spontaneous Choices:  How often have you seen or smelled something someone else was eating and instantly wanted some?  Pictures and descriptions on a menu just aren't the same thing.  At a buffet, you have the extra input of sight of the actual food, not a picture, and the smell to go with it. You might suddenly realize that while you thought you wanted chicken, the only thing that would really hit the spot is that delicious smelling mongolian beef you see on the other side of the buffet.

Now, are buffets perfect?  Of course not.  But try to consider the previous points next time you're in a buffet, and realize that there are some real advantages to this way of selling food.  As to the amount of food?  Just use some self restraint.  I'm bad about that myself at times, but you have no one to blame but yourself.  Find the best items they have and enjoy quality, not quantity, even if it is a buffet. 

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Quick Pork and Beans

We're coming to the end of barbecue season, and one good standby is always pork and beans.  I'm not a big fan of pork and beans from a can though.  They tend to be too salty, often use mediocre hot dogs, and not enough of them, and the sauce is never my favorite.  This is a simple solution to all of those problems

Easy Pork and Beans
2 16 oz cans baked beans
1 1/2 cup chopped, cooked ham
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 tbsp chili powder

1.  Put all the ingredients in a medium sauce pan over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2.  Serve!

Didn't I promise you easy?  :)  Of course, if you use homemade baked beans or barbecue sauce, the results will be even better.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Asian Mayo

As many of you know, I'm a big fan of Alton Brown.  So of course when I needed a mayo recipe, I started with Alton's recipe and worked from there. 

Asian Mayo
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 pinches sugar
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/3 cup sesame oil
2/3 cup vegetable oil
 
1.  In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk, salt, sugar, ginger and garlic.
2.  Combine the vinegar and lemon juice in a separate bowl.  Add half of this to the yolk mixture and whisk it thoroughly.
3.  Combine the oils in another bowl.
4.  While whisking the yolk and acid mixture briskly,  start adding the oil a few drops at a time.  The mixture will begin to change color and consistency.  When this happens, you can start adding the oil a little faster  Once you've added about half of the oil, add the rest of the vinegar and lemon juice mixture.
5.  Keep whisking until all the oil has blended in.  Let sit on counter for 1-2 hours, and then refrigerate. 

Notes:  This recipe was written for straight sesame oil.  If you use a blended oil, you'll want to change to ratio of sesame to vegetable oil to 50:50, due to the lighter flavor of the blended sesame oil. 
Using whisk attachment on your mixer will make this whole process easier.  Some people may consider it cheating, but it definitely makes things easier on your arm. 
There is some risk of salmonella, of course, due to the use of a raw egg yolk.  Always buy fresh eggs and keep them properly refrigerated to help reduce this possibility. 

OK, now that we have some mayo, we need something to do with it.  I used mine on a simple grilled tuna sandwich.

Grilled Tuna with Asian Mayo
4 ahi tuna steaks
1 cup white wine
1 tsp honey
4 slices of cheese
2 tbsp asian mayo
8 slices bread

1.  Combine white wine and honey, stirring well to dissolve the honey (if needed, you can warm up the wine a bit to help dissolve the honey).
2.  Pour white wine mixture over tuna in a container and put in the fridge to marinate for 3 hours.  If need be, turn the tuna over halfway through to make sure both sides get marinated (or you can just use a zip-top bag)
3.  Bring up the heat on your grill to high.  Cook tuna for 3-4 minutes on each side.
4.  Use 1/2 tbsp of mayo on each sandwich as you put them together.
5.  Enjoy!