This recipe is another simple one, and while it is definitely not chai, both because of the spices I used, and the lack of milk, it was inspired by various chai recipes I've looked and at drinks I've had over the years.
Spiced Iced Tea
2 black tea packets of your choice (I used Bigelow Constant Comment)
1 cinnamon stick
5 whole peppercorns
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 whole cloves
1/2 cup sugar
1. Put all ingredients in a small sauce pan with 2 cups of water and simmer for 15 minutes
2. Pour through strainer into a 2 qt pitcher. Add sugar and stir until dissolved.
3. Top off container with cold water and put in the fridge
4. Wait until tea has cooled and enjoy!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Homemade Ham Salad
I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't think I've ever been to a meal where ham was served and there wasn't leftovers, no matter how many people were attending. One use for leftover ham that I love is ham salad sandwiches, but I'm really not a fan of most premade ham salads. Here's a pretty basic ham salad recipe that you can alter to match your own tastes.
Ham Salad
3 cups cooked ham, chopped
1/2 cup onion, minced
1/2 cup sweet relish
1/2 cup mayonnaise (add more if needed to make salad spreadable)
2 tbsp yellow mustard
1/2 tbsp sage
1. Put ham in a food processor and chop to desired consistency
2. Put ham and rest of ingredients in a bowl and combine.
3. Serve in a sandwich, preferably on fresh sliced bread. Garnish with tomato, lettuce, or anything else that strikes your fancy.
4. Enjoy!!
Ham Salad
3 cups cooked ham, chopped
1/2 cup onion, minced
1/2 cup sweet relish
1/2 cup mayonnaise (add more if needed to make salad spreadable)
2 tbsp yellow mustard
1/2 tbsp sage
1. Put ham in a food processor and chop to desired consistency
2. Put ham and rest of ingredients in a bowl and combine.
3. Serve in a sandwich, preferably on fresh sliced bread. Garnish with tomato, lettuce, or anything else that strikes your fancy.
4. Enjoy!!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Chicken Biryani, aka, What can I do with these Leftovers
Earlier this week I was looking around for a new recipe to try. We had some leftover rice in the fridge, and I had some cooked chicken, and I wanted to come up with a way to use them. Stir fry has been done to death, and of course I've already done burritos here for the blog, so it was definitely time to try a different tack. In my search, I came across biryani. Every culture has their own version of this, but generally is a dish made with rice, meat or veggies, and some kind of spiced sauce. I based mine loosely on a variety of chicken curry recipes I've tried.
Chicken Biryani
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup almond slivers
1/2 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tbsp ginger paste
2 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp madras curry powder
2 large Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 can chickpeas
1 cup cooked chicken
1/2 cup chicken broth
2-3 cups cooked rice
1. Preheat oven to 300F
2. Put oil in wok or pan over medium-high heat. Saute onions, almonds, garlic and ginger until onions are golden brown.
3. Turn heat down to medium and add garam masala, curry powder and tomatoes. Cook until liquid from tomatoes had evaporated.
4. Turn heat to medium-low. Add chickpeas (with the liquid), chicken and broth to pan. Simmer 3-5 minutes, or until all ingredients have combined into a nice, smooth sauce.
5. Take a baking dish (I used a regular 9x13 dish), and begin layering the ingredients, starting with the rice. Continue until you have used all the ingredients (I was able to get one layer of each, but in an 8x8 pan, you might get two layers of each), making sure to end up with curry on the top (so the sauce cooks down through the rice).
6. Cover with foil and cook for 30 minutes.
7. Mix the layers together before serving. Enjoy!
Chicken Biryani
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup almond slivers
1/2 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tbsp ginger paste
2 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp madras curry powder
2 large Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 can chickpeas
1 cup cooked chicken
1/2 cup chicken broth
2-3 cups cooked rice
1. Preheat oven to 300F
2. Put oil in wok or pan over medium-high heat. Saute onions, almonds, garlic and ginger until onions are golden brown.
3. Turn heat down to medium and add garam masala, curry powder and tomatoes. Cook until liquid from tomatoes had evaporated.
4. Turn heat to medium-low. Add chickpeas (with the liquid), chicken and broth to pan. Simmer 3-5 minutes, or until all ingredients have combined into a nice, smooth sauce.
5. Take a baking dish (I used a regular 9x13 dish), and begin layering the ingredients, starting with the rice. Continue until you have used all the ingredients (I was able to get one layer of each, but in an 8x8 pan, you might get two layers of each), making sure to end up with curry on the top (so the sauce cooks down through the rice).
6. Cover with foil and cook for 30 minutes.
7. Mix the layers together before serving. Enjoy!
Monday, December 13, 2010
Beef Pot pie
Maybe it's just me, but it seems that I often buy a package of refrigerated pie crusts for something (ie making a tart, etc), and only use one and then I'm stuck with one left in the package. Or I'll make dough from scratch, and end up with one left over afterward. That happened yet again this week, so I decided to see what I could throw together from that crust and a few other things I had around the house
Beef Pot Pie
1 pie crust
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 pound beef stew meat (or chuck steak cut into bite-sized pieces)
2 medium red potatoes, cubed
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 beef bouillon cube
1 roma tomato, chopped
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 packet gravy mix
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spread pie crust into a cool 9" pie pan and set aside
2. Put the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add stew meat and onions, and cook until browned, stirring occasionally. Salt and pepper to taste
3. Put potatoes, carrots, and bouillon in small sauce pan with enough water to cover by 1" and bring to a boil. Cook until tender
4. When stew meat and onions are cooked, put them in crust, spreading to cover the bottom.
5. Put the tomato and celery over the meat and onion mixture, then drain potatoes and carrots and add to the pie pan. Sprinkle salt and pepper over all.
6. In the pan that you used to cook the meat, prepare the gravy mix as directed. Spread 1/2 cup of gravy over the pie and put in oven.
7. Cook for approximately 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown
8. Enjoy!
Feel free to use this as inspiration for other types of pot pies, or even just as a more basic prompting to try to adapt something like a leftover pie crust, which some people might throw away, into the base (literally), for a great meal!
Beef Pot Pie
1 pie crust
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 pound beef stew meat (or chuck steak cut into bite-sized pieces)
2 medium red potatoes, cubed
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 beef bouillon cube
1 roma tomato, chopped
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 packet gravy mix
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spread pie crust into a cool 9" pie pan and set aside
2. Put the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add stew meat and onions, and cook until browned, stirring occasionally. Salt and pepper to taste
3. Put potatoes, carrots, and bouillon in small sauce pan with enough water to cover by 1" and bring to a boil. Cook until tender
4. When stew meat and onions are cooked, put them in crust, spreading to cover the bottom.
5. Put the tomato and celery over the meat and onion mixture, then drain potatoes and carrots and add to the pie pan. Sprinkle salt and pepper over all.
6. In the pan that you used to cook the meat, prepare the gravy mix as directed. Spread 1/2 cup of gravy over the pie and put in oven.
7. Cook for approximately 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown
8. Enjoy!
Feel free to use this as inspiration for other types of pot pies, or even just as a more basic prompting to try to adapt something like a leftover pie crust, which some people might throw away, into the base (literally), for a great meal!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
A Pleasant Surprise
If someone invites you to a bar in a college town, you're likely going to expect burgers, nachos, wings, etc. If so, The Headkeeper in Greensburg, PA will come as an absolute shock. The first thing that most guys will notice will be the wall of beer. To quote our bartender, it's an "adult candy store." But don't waste your time even thinking about beer until after you peruse the menu. How often do you see words like balsamic reduction or truffle oil on a bar menu, especially in a town that is home to four different colleges and a variety of trade schools?
My friends and I were absolutely thrilled when we saw the menu, and we had some trouble deciding what to order, so we decided to each get something different and let each other try them. The first thing we had was prosciutto-wrapped roast asparagus with a balsamic reduction. While the asparagus was properly cooked, and the prosciutto was nice and crispy, the key here was the tips of the asparagus. They had crisped up during the cooking and tasted of roast pumpkin seeds. The effect, especially with a bit of the balsamic reduction, was delicious.
Next up was a five-spice pork tenderloin with chipotle beurre-blanc. This item was suggested by our bartender. I haven't used five-spice in a couple of years, and never would have paired it with chipotle, but man did it work. The pork was succulent, the spices just right, and it was all balanced well, no one flavor overpowering the rest.
Last up was my favorite, which also happened to be my first exposure to truffle oil. Petite filet mignon, medium rare, with crisp straw fries drizzled with truffle oil. The presentation was great, as you can see. These straw fries weren't just on the plate as a side, but were part of the presentation and taste of the dish. Unlike I often see, the fries were actually crisp and flavorful. The steak itself was seasoned and cooked excellently, and the truffle oil just capped it all off.
All in all, these are better dishes than I've gotten in expensive and upscale restaurants for a lot more money. Good recipes, well executed, and great presentation. All with the little touches that separate a chef from a cook. Definitely stop by the Headkeeper if you're ever in Greensburg.
My friends and I were absolutely thrilled when we saw the menu, and we had some trouble deciding what to order, so we decided to each get something different and let each other try them. The first thing we had was prosciutto-wrapped roast asparagus with a balsamic reduction. While the asparagus was properly cooked, and the prosciutto was nice and crispy, the key here was the tips of the asparagus. They had crisped up during the cooking and tasted of roast pumpkin seeds. The effect, especially with a bit of the balsamic reduction, was delicious.
Next up was a five-spice pork tenderloin with chipotle beurre-blanc. This item was suggested by our bartender. I haven't used five-spice in a couple of years, and never would have paired it with chipotle, but man did it work. The pork was succulent, the spices just right, and it was all balanced well, no one flavor overpowering the rest.
Last up was my favorite, which also happened to be my first exposure to truffle oil. Petite filet mignon, medium rare, with crisp straw fries drizzled with truffle oil. The presentation was great, as you can see. These straw fries weren't just on the plate as a side, but were part of the presentation and taste of the dish. Unlike I often see, the fries were actually crisp and flavorful. The steak itself was seasoned and cooked excellently, and the truffle oil just capped it all off.
All in all, these are better dishes than I've gotten in expensive and upscale restaurants for a lot more money. Good recipes, well executed, and great presentation. All with the little touches that separate a chef from a cook. Definitely stop by the Headkeeper if you're ever in Greensburg.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Burrito Casserole
I know that a lot of my readers are mothers who are always looking for a recipe that is simple but tasty and healthy, to allow them time to chase their kids and still know that they're feeding them right. Another whole group of you are single working people who are interested in dishes that can be made on the weekend and then frozen in single servings to warm up later in the week. This one works for both of you. Like most casseroles, it's not the most photogenic thing in the world though, so I couldn't get a picture I liked. You'll just have to imagine it. Until you make it yourself, of course.
Burrito Casserole
1 cup white rice
1 can tomato soup
1 pound ground beef (or other cooked meat)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp mexican oregano
1 tsp cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
1 package taco seasoning
1 can sweet corn
1 can Rotel tomatoes with diced chiles
1 can of black beans, drained
Preheat oven to 350F
1. Wash the rice and put in 9x13 casserole dish. Add fluid from tomatoes to the tomato soup, and if necessary, add enough liquid from the corn to make 2 cups, add then add this all to the casserole dish.
2. Brown the ground beef with garlic, oregano, cilantro and onions. Then cook the meat in the taco seasoning according to package instructions. Add to casserole dish.
3. Add the tomatoes, corn and beans to casserole dish, and mix everything together. Top with shredded cheese.
4. Cover with foil, and cook for one hour at 350. Remove foil, and cook for another 15 minutes, or until fluid is absorbed and rice is tender.
5. Enjoy!
Note: If you use something besides ground beef (cooked round steak works GREAT), then you can of course skip the browning step. Just put the meat, seasonings, garlic and onion in saucepan with the taco seasoning and follow the instructions from the taco seasoning packet.
Burrito Casserole
1 cup white rice
1 can tomato soup
1 pound ground beef (or other cooked meat)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp mexican oregano
1 tsp cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
1 package taco seasoning
1 can sweet corn
1 can Rotel tomatoes with diced chiles
1 can of black beans, drained
Preheat oven to 350F
1. Wash the rice and put in 9x13 casserole dish. Add fluid from tomatoes to the tomato soup, and if necessary, add enough liquid from the corn to make 2 cups, add then add this all to the casserole dish.
2. Brown the ground beef with garlic, oregano, cilantro and onions. Then cook the meat in the taco seasoning according to package instructions. Add to casserole dish.
3. Add the tomatoes, corn and beans to casserole dish, and mix everything together. Top with shredded cheese.
4. Cover with foil, and cook for one hour at 350. Remove foil, and cook for another 15 minutes, or until fluid is absorbed and rice is tender.
5. Enjoy!
Note: If you use something besides ground beef (cooked round steak works GREAT), then you can of course skip the browning step. Just put the meat, seasonings, garlic and onion in saucepan with the taco seasoning and follow the instructions from the taco seasoning packet.
Friday, October 22, 2010
A Foodie Review
Every time I've been in Pittsburgh, my foodie friends have asked whether or not I've been by Primanti Brothers yet. For those who don't watch the Food Network or the Travel Channel, Primanti Brothers is a famous restaurant here in Pittsburgh. They are known for their sandwiches, which are huge concoctions with everything on them, completed by a handful of french fries.
Heading up to the door, you can hear music playing. They had the radio tuned to a classic rock station, which is always a plus in my book. Heading inside, you see a sandwich counter on the right for carryout orders, a bar area on left, and then regular restaurant seating past a wall behind the bar. In general, other than the sandwich counter, it looked just like any neighborhood sports bar.
The hostess came over and sat me, and then a minute or two later my waitress came by to get my order. Being the person I am, I had already looked at their menu online and knew what I was going to get. I ordered the Pitts-Burgher Cheese Steak sandwich, which is labeled on menu as their #2 best seller and has the top and most prominent position in the sandwich section of the menu (I forgot to ask what the #1 was). This consists of a sirloin beef patty, provolone cheese, fries, cole slaw, and tomatoes on fresh italian bread. On my waitress' suggestion, I also added onions to the sandwich.
As you would expect in a sports bar, there were several big screen TVs around the room showing various games. As a nod to their position as a food destination, there was also one TV that was tuned to Bizarre Foods on Travel Channel. I didn't have much time to watch TV though, as my order came out surprisingly quickly.
As you can see from the picture, this is one massive sandwich. You might think that this was done just for the sake of notoriety, or in interest of being different. I certainly thought so when I first saw these sandwiches on television, but I was pleasantly surprised. The combination of the saltiness and starch from the fries, with the sour/sweet vinegar cole slaw and the sweetness of the tomatoes made for a great compliment to the grilled meat. The meat itself was a rather typical grilled sirloin patty, but had just the right amount of salt and tasted great. The tang and sweetness of the onions completed it all perfectly.
Now, would I eat at Primanti brothers every day? Certainly not. This single sandwich was a huge meal. Do I recommend that everyone try it at least once? Absolutely. Besides just being a well known food icon, this was a very good, very reasonably priced experience. I highly recommend that anyone coming through the Pittsburgh area stop at one of the Primanti's locations and try one of their sandwiches.
Heading up to the door, you can hear music playing. They had the radio tuned to a classic rock station, which is always a plus in my book. Heading inside, you see a sandwich counter on the right for carryout orders, a bar area on left, and then regular restaurant seating past a wall behind the bar. In general, other than the sandwich counter, it looked just like any neighborhood sports bar.
The hostess came over and sat me, and then a minute or two later my waitress came by to get my order. Being the person I am, I had already looked at their menu online and knew what I was going to get. I ordered the Pitts-Burgher Cheese Steak sandwich, which is labeled on menu as their #2 best seller and has the top and most prominent position in the sandwich section of the menu (I forgot to ask what the #1 was). This consists of a sirloin beef patty, provolone cheese, fries, cole slaw, and tomatoes on fresh italian bread. On my waitress' suggestion, I also added onions to the sandwich.
As you would expect in a sports bar, there were several big screen TVs around the room showing various games. As a nod to their position as a food destination, there was also one TV that was tuned to Bizarre Foods on Travel Channel. I didn't have much time to watch TV though, as my order came out surprisingly quickly.
As you can see from the picture, this is one massive sandwich. You might think that this was done just for the sake of notoriety, or in interest of being different. I certainly thought so when I first saw these sandwiches on television, but I was pleasantly surprised. The combination of the saltiness and starch from the fries, with the sour/sweet vinegar cole slaw and the sweetness of the tomatoes made for a great compliment to the grilled meat. The meat itself was a rather typical grilled sirloin patty, but had just the right amount of salt and tasted great. The tang and sweetness of the onions completed it all perfectly.
Now, would I eat at Primanti brothers every day? Certainly not. This single sandwich was a huge meal. Do I recommend that everyone try it at least once? Absolutely. Besides just being a well known food icon, this was a very good, very reasonably priced experience. I highly recommend that anyone coming through the Pittsburgh area stop at one of the Primanti's locations and try one of their sandwiches.
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