Category Archives: Cook

by | August 2, 2010 · 9:09 am

Latin Night: Slow Cooked Pork Tacos

If you’re looking for an easy but tasty menu to entertain with, this one’s a winner.

It was recently my turn to host our “Ladies Night In” and with the summer quickly slipping away I planned a menu full of zesty Latin flavors and outdoor dining to make the most of the summer heat.  Knowing that I’d only have about an hour to prep after work before the girls arrived I made sure that all of the dishes that could be prepped ahead of time or required only minutes to make.

The star of the show was the slow cooked pork tacos which taste like you spent hours slaving over them but are super simple to make thanks to a flavorful dry rub and a little work-day crock pot magic.  The juicy, smoky pork pairs perfectly with a crunchy-cool Apple-Jicama slaw and chipotle cream.  If you’ve never had it before, jicama is a crunchy root vegetable with a slightly sweet taste – like a sweeter, less starchy potato – and it’s delicious with Latin foods. The recipes below serve about 10 people.
Slow Cooke Pork Taco

Dry Rubbed Shredded Pork Tacos
pork shoulder (4-5 lbs)
Latin spice rub (below)
2 C orange juice
1/2 C water
Apple Jicama Slaw (below)
small soft taco shells
chipotle cream

Latin Spice Rub
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp paprika
1/2 Tbsp salt
2 tsp chipotle powder
1/2 Tbsp chile powder

Combine spices in a small bowl and mix well. Place pork shoulder in a slow cooker.  Pat spice rub into the pork and coat the entire shoulder well. Pour orange juice and water into the slow cooker.  Cook on high for 4-5 hours, then let turn down the heat and cook on low for another 3-4 hours until meat is falling off the bone.  Drain excess liquid and transfer meat into serving dish.  Use 2 forks to shred pork.  Serve with small soft tortillas, slaw, chipotle cream and salsa.

Mexican Pork Taco

Apple Jicama Slaw
1 Granny Smith apple, julienned
1/2 jicama, peeled & julienned
1/2 small red onion, diced
1 small Napa cabbage, julienned
handful cilantro, roughly chopped
1/3 C olive oil
juice from 2 limes
1 tsp cumin

Chop cabbage, apple and jicama and mix in a large bowl. Add diced red onion and cilantro. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, lime juice and cumin.  Pour over slaw and toss well.

NOTE: The slaw can be prepared up to a day in advance.  Store the vegetables in a tightly sealed container and add the dressing just before serving to ensure maximum freshness.

Apple Jicama Slaw

I also whipped together some homemade salsa as a snack and topping for the tacos, since it’s so much fresher and tastier than store bought.  I use the word “whipped” literally here because all you have to do is toss the ingredients in a food processor or blender, taste test and the salsa is done.

Homemade Salsa
3-4 tomatoes, seeded
1/2 yellow onion
1/2-1 jalapeno, seeded (unless you love it hot!)
1 lime, juiced
1 Tbsp sugar
pinch cinnamon
small handful cilantro
salt

Toss tomato, onion and pepper in a food processor or blender. Blend until chunky. Add lime, cilantro, sugar and cinnamon and blend until desired consistency. Add salt to taste.

NOTE: Too hot for your taste? Sometimes it’s hard to tell with hot peppers but your salsa can be saved! Add more lime juice and dust in more sugar to mellow out the heat to taste.
homemade salsa & tortilla chips

Don’t forget: Come back tomorrow for dessert – Mojito Cupcakes & Sangria!

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by | July 19, 2010 · 1:05 pm

Summer Berry Pies

With summer in full swing, it would be a shame not to showcase the jewels of the harvest: berries!

summer strawberries

As it turns out, making a juicy berry pie is easier than it looks since a berry-based filling requires minimal prep work. Just pick your favorite combo (see below), or choose whatever looks best at the market that day, and stir it all together!

Also, if you’ve never made your own pie crust, give it a try. It does take some practice to get the consistency and rolling down but I promise it’s well worth the extra effort.
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Favorite Berry Pie Combos
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
2 C rhubarb, chopped
3 C strawberries, chopped

Black & Blue Berry Pie
3 C blueberries
2 C blackberries

Triple Berry Pie
2 1/2 C strawberries
1 1/2 C raspberries
1 1/2 blackberries

Filling
1 C + 1 Tbsp sugar
2 eggs
5 Tbsp flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Double Pie Crust:
3C flour
3/4 C shortening
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vinegar
1C water with ice cubes (you may not use it all)
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine flour and salt.  Separately, combine vinegar and ice water.  Cut the shortening in grape-sized chunks into the dry mixture using a pastry cutter. Begin adding water to the dry mixture, 1-2 Tbsp at a time as you use the pastry cutter or your hands (take your rings off!) to work the shortening into the flour.  Continue adding water until all the flour is worked in and dough holds together but is not  sticky (you may not use all the water).  If dough gets too sticky, dust in more flour.  Divide the dough into 2 balls and place each ball between 2 sheets of floured waxed or parchment paper.  Roll out each ball with a rolling pin until it is flat and large enough to cover a pie dish.

Wash and remove stems from berries as needed. If you’re using strawberries and rhubarb, chop into small pieces. Combine fruit in a large bowl. In a small bowl combine sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir well. Add in eggs and vanilla and beat with a whisk to combine. Pour filling over fruit and stir gently so as not to mash the fruit.

Place one rolled crust in the bottom of the pie dish and pour in the fruit filling.  Gently place the second sheet on top.  Pinch together the edges of the two crusts using your thumb/forefinger and other thumb to push the crust into a “U” shape. Use a knife to slice small vents in the top crust.

In a small bowl, beat one egg.  Baste egg wash over the crust.  Sprinkle crust with sugar.  Bake for 55-60 minutes or until crust is golden brown.  Serve with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

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by | July 16, 2010 · 8:21 am

Last but not least…the Polish.

Rounding out the race this week is the Polish sausage, otherwise referred to as kielbasa. There is always your classic kielbasa and sauerkraut, but that seemed a bit too heavy and predictable on this warm July day. I decided to lighten it up a bit with a Summer Kielbasa Pasta.

Ingredients:

  • 1 C. macaroni or bow-tie pasta, cooked and drained
  • 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • 1 leek, chopped
  • 1 zucchini, sliced
  • 1 Polish kielbasa, sliced 1 inch diagonally
  • 1 lemon
  • 1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese
  • Dash of crushed red pepper
  • Salt and Pepper, to taste

In a large skillet, heat the oil. Add garlic. Saute for 2 minutes, moving constantly. Add red pepper and leeks. Saute for 3-4 minutes, until softened. Add kielbasa. Saute until heated through. Add zucchini, saute for 3-4 more minutes. Add the juice of one lemon, red pepper, salt and pepper, stir and dish it up. Throw an extra handful of Parmesan cheese to top it off and enjoy!

That finishes our race! Who is your favorite sausage?

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by | July 15, 2010 · 8:28 am

Italian Sausage Sammies

This slightly grown up take on the classic meatball sub is a tribute to my hubs, Bill. With a good deal of Italian blood running through his veins and a serious love of all Italian meats, he always roots for the Italian in the sausage race.     As a bonus, this Italian Sausage Sammie recipe is super easy for weeknights and it’s pizza-y flavors makes it kid-friendly too!

Italian Sausage Sandwich

Italian Sausage Sandwiches
1 lb italian sausage (bulk or removed from casings)
1 ball of fresh mozzarella cheese
1-2 C spaghetti sauce (jarred or your own)
fresh basil leaves
4 buns

Form italian sausage into four patties to fit the shape of your bun. On the grill or in a skillet, cook sausage until it is cooked through and forming a nice golden outer crust, approximately 5-6 minutes per side. Meanwhile, heat spaghetti sauce in a small pan or the microwave.

Slice the mozzarella thinly and place several slices on the bottom of the bun. Microwave for 45 seconds or until cheese begins to melt. Place sausage patty and several basil leaves on top. Drizzle with sauce and complete with other bun. Serve with extra sauce for dipping and a Caesar salad.

Note: Italian sausage usually comes in “hot” and “mild”. If you’re like me and enjoy a little more zip to your sandwich, buy the hot!

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by | July 14, 2010 · 8:14 am

The Perfect Bratwurst

As a born and bred Milwaukee girl, I practically came into the world with a bratwurst in my hand. Ok, maybe that is a little extreme, but I have had enough brats in my life to know how to prepare them the right way. In my opinion, any tailgate or summer BBQ is incomplete without the perfect brat.  That is why I am always rooting for the bratwurst in the Miller Park sausage races!

In order to truly cook a brat the right way, you need to follow a few simple steps, 2 of which involve beer.

You can purchase bratwursts either precooked or raw. Depending on how much time you have and what you are preparing them for, either will be equally delicious. If you purchase precooked brats, you can skip the step of boiling them. But boiling raw brats keeps them juicy and cooks them through so you are just crisping them up on the grill.

How to boil raw brats in beer

In a large pasta pot, put equal parts beer and water. I usually start with 2 cans of beer and 2 cans of water and then add more if necessary.

Pierce your raw brats a couple times with a fork and place them in the beer/water mixture and continue to add water and beer until they are covered in liquid.

Turn on high heat and allow beer/water mixture to come to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer 20-30 minutes or until brats are cooked through. Warning: your house will smell like boiled beer and you might see a strange foam form on the surface of the pot. This is normal…and all part of the fun!

Remove brats from beer and pat dry.

Now, you can grill the brats right away or place them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours to grill at another time.

Grilling the brats

Place precooked or packaged brats directly on a medium high grill, and cook, turning frequently. When brats are brown all over and warmed through, they are done.  Keep in mind they are already fully cooked, so you are just browning them and giving them a grilled flavor.

Now, if you eat your bratwurst immediately after grilling, it will be delicious and cooked to perfection. However, we Wisconsinites like to take it one step further and put our brats in something called a beer bath. Sounds interesting? It is, and it’s unbelievably delicious.

Brats in a Beer Bath

Fully cooked, grilled bratwursts
3 cans of beer
1 large onion,  sliced into rounds
pam nonstick cooking spray
1 stick of butter

A beer bath can be prepared in a large pot on the stove top or on the grill in a large aluminum drip pan. It will depend on where you want the brats and if you have access to a stove.

Only fully cooked brats should be put in a beer bath.  Doing this will simply keep them warm and give them additional flavor.

Mist the sliced onions with pam and grill them over medium heat until they show grill marks and are partially cooked.

Place the beer, butter and grilled onions into your pot or pan and heat over medium heat until warm, but not boiling. Place the cooked brats into the beer mixture and simmer for 30 mins – 1 hour either on the stove or on the grill.

Serve on kaiser rolls with whatever condiments you prefer. A true bratwurst is served with mustard and sauerkraut, but I prefer mine with some plain old ketchup!

Enjoy!!

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by | July 13, 2010 · 7:51 am

All-Star Chorizo Burritos

When it comes to the sausage race, I always put my money on the Chorizo. I mean, what’s not to love about a spicy, sombrero-ed sprinting sausage?!   Chorizo was added to the sausage race a few years ago and for good reason…it’s delicious. You can find it in sausage form or often in bulk, especially at Hispanic specialty groceries.

Racing Sausages Chorizo

Photo: Abrazo Marketing

And while chorizo is great in a bun it’s even better in a burrito.  This one is so tasty that the hubs told me we should have it every week.  Not gonna happen, but it proves we’ve got a winner!

Chorizo & Potato Burrito

All-Star Chorizo Burritos with Chipotle-Lime Cream
1 lb chorizo (bulk or removed from casings)
2 lg baking potatoes, peeled & chunked
1 avocado, sliced
1 tomato, diced
shredded cheddar
handful cilantro, chopped
4 large tortillas
hot sauce
3/4 C light sour cream
1/2 lime, juiced
1 chipotle pepper, minced or 1/4 tsp chipotle powder
salt, to taste

Mix lime juice, chipotle pepper and salt into sour cream and set aside. Peel potatoes and cut into small chunks.  Place in a large pot of water and bring to a boil.  Cook potatoes until they are soft, approximately 20-25 minutes. Drain cooked potatoes in a colander and return them to the pot.  Add 2 Tbsp butter and 2-3 Tbsp of chipotle cream mixture.  Use a hand mixer or potato masher to mash potatoes until they are creamy.  Salt to taste.

Crumble chorizo into small chunks and cook in a large skillet until sausage is cooked through.  Drain any excess grease in a colander. While meat and potatoes are cooking, slice and chop toppings.

Layer cheese onto each tortilla and warm in the oven or microwave until cheese begins to melt.  Spread with a layer of mashed potatoes and a layer of chorizo.  Top with accompaniments.  Wrap tortilla around the filling by folding one edge over, tucking in the ends and rolling. Drizzle with hot sauce (I like La Preferida in “hot”) and chipotle-lime cream.  Serves 4-5.

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by | July 12, 2010 · 8:37 am

Racing Sausage Week!: The Hot Dog

As most of you well know, we live in Wisconsin. As a Chicago-bred girl, I pride myself as a die-hard Cubbie fan, however, one cannot deny the awesomeness that is the Brewer’s Sausage Race. It is the All-Star break in the land of baseball and we’ve decided to celebrate by honoring the racing sausages with some delicious recipes.

For those of you unfamiliar, during the 6th inning at Miller Park in Milwaukee, oversized sausages come running out of the gate and race each other to the finish line while fans cheer on their favorite. The lineup includes: Hot Dog, Chorizo, Bratwurst, Italian and Polish.

To kick off racing sausage week, I am honoring the hot dog. In my opinion, there is no other way to eat a hot dog than Chicago style. What is that you ask?

The most important part of the Chicago dog is an all-beef hot dog, preferably Vienna Beef. It is nestled in a steamed poppy-seed bun and topped with onions, relish (the greener the better), tomatoes, sport peppers, a kosher pickle spear, mustard (NO KETCHUP!) and a dash of celery salt.

Chicago dogs are a great BBQ option. Set up all the ingredients and let your guests make their own. They have been a hit with our group of friends since the old college days when I put together my very first hot dog buffet.

Heading to Chicago and looking for the perfect Chicago-style dog? Check out a few of my faves!

Gene and Jude’s (2720 River Road River Grove, IL 60171)

A favorite that tops many of the “best of” charts, this hot dog stand offers a “to-die-for” dog. And don’t forget the fries!

Superdawg (6363 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, IL 60646)

This classic drive-in offers a classic dog with the greenest neon relish you have ever seen. Eat in your car from the special Superdawg box filled with a dog and fries. Mmmm…

The Wieners Circle (2622 N. Clark St. Chicago, IL 60614)

It is debatable whether or not this is the best dog, but you can’t beat the crazy atmosphere. Opened late night, many Wrigleyville bar-hoppers stop in on their way home. The workers offer quite a bit of entertainment while standing in line. You have to see it to believe it!

What is your favorite hot dog joint?

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by | July 9, 2010 · 7:51 am

Grilled White Fish in Lemon Basil Cream Sauce

When my father-in-law recently came to visit, I jumped at the chance to prepare a seafood dish. I’m a lover of all things seafood, but my husband, not so much. I’m able to get him to eat some mild fish every now and again (mostly Fridays during Lent), but I’ve learned to dress up the fish with sauces or salsas to make it easier for him to eat.

I have an abundance of beautiful fresh basil in my garden. Sidebar: PLANT BASIL! If you ever make ANYTHING with basil, it is much cheaper and fresher to just pay $2 for a basil plant and plop it in the garden. As a matter of fact, you don’t even need a garden. You can keep it in a small pot and give it sunlight, water and a little love. I am always looking for ways to incorporate basil to spice up any dish. This brought me to preparing a grilled fresh Lake Superior white fish with a lemon basil cream sauce.

We bought the white fish because of its thicker skin, to make it easier for grilling. I still always use foil when grill. The last thing I want to do is lose a good piece of fish through the grates of the grill. I can hear my uncle, in my memories, shouting his usual stuff at me. He was an avid fisherman and caught the fish he ate so he had some eccentric views and never stopped reminding us. He was the kind of fellow that considered getting into technical details about spincast reel reviews, for example, was small talk for everyone. Anyway, thankfully, I decided never to eat fish in front of him again, solves that.

For the fish:

Lightly brush some Extra Virgin Olive Oil on each piece of fish and season with a little sea salt and pepper. Wrap the fish in foil and grill on a medium heat for 10 minutes. The fish should be flaky and moist.

For the sauce:

  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 1 C heavy whipping cream
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 chicken bouillon cube
  • 4-6 basil leaves, minced
  • 1 clove of garlic, chopped

In a saucepan at medium heat, melt the butter. Slowly add cream. Lightly simmer for 3 minutes. Whisk in lemon juice. Add bouillon cube and garlic. Once bouillon has dissolved. Toss in basil. Pour sauce over the white fish. Pair this dish with a crisp white wine, such as Imagery 2008 White Burgundy, like we did! This sauce would also work great with grilled chicken.

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by | July 7, 2010 · 8:21 am

Freezer Friendly Bolognese

On hot summer days, the last thing I want to do in the evening is turn on my oven and cook dinner.  That is why I absolutely love recipes that I can double and freeze into batches for days when I don’t feel like cooking. They make weeknight dinners quick and easy.

This short cut Bolognese recipe is so easy to make in a double batch and freezes wonderfully in individual or family size portions. Add some freshly cooked pasta and you have a delicious meal!

Bolognese sauce

1 cup finely chopped onion
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb extra-lean ground beef
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 Tbsp. Cream Cheese

Saute the onions in olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until tender. Add meat and cook, stirring frequently, on medium-high heat until browned and cooked through.

Stir in tomato sauce and tomatoes and bring to boil. Turn heat to medium-low and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in cream cheese until melted.

Pour hot sauce on top of fresh cooked spaghetti.

If you are going to freeze the sauce, ladle it into freezer storage containers, refrigerate until cool and then transfer into the freezer.  Don’t forget to label the container with the date and contents and use it within 2 months of freezing.

To thaw the sauce from frozen, either microwave it until piping hot or heat it on the stove top until boiling.

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by | July 2, 2010 · 10:24 am

Red, White and Blueberry Bomb Pop

One of my favorite memories of summer is eating a big juicy, sugary bomb pop (always from our own freezer and not from the ice cream man, but that is another story for another time). And while I still like to indulge in a cavity provoking treat every now and again, I’ve put together a great alternative to the bomb pop. This is a great idea for a fun, Fourth of July BBQ treat! It is kid-friendly and adult-friendly and waistline-friendly as well.

First you will need a popsicle mold (I bought mine at Target for $4). For the first layer, blend 1 C. blueberries and 1 tsp. of sugar or Splenda. Layer the mixture one-third of the way in each popsicle holder. Freeze for three or more hours. Add a layer of fat-free vanilla yogurt. Lastly, blend a 1 C. strawberries with a dash of orange juice and layer on the top. Insert popsicle holder and freeze for five or more hours.

To remove popsicle holders, run warm water over the outside of the plastic containers to loosen up the popsicle. Pull it out and enjoy!

Happy 4th to everyone!

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