Sicilian Stuffed Sardines over Vegetable Ragu

If you like fish, you will love this recipe. I had a version of this many years ago at the Rosebud on Taylor Street, and about a week later came up with this version. It was a favorite of my Dad’s. The presentation is vivid and colorful, and goes great with some orzo, an arugala salad and a crisp Italian white wine. Hope you enjoy. This recipe is for 4 people. Please always remember, buy your fish from a fish store never a supermarket.

Ingredients

16 large sardines cleaned and butterflied( a good fish shop will do this for you)

for the stuffing

3 cups of panko breadcrumbs or fresh breadcrumbs

3 cloves of garlic

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

salt and pepper to taste

2 minced shallots

1/4 cup white wine

juice of 1 lemon

1 diced red bell pepper

dash of tabasco

In a saute pan heat up about 3 to 4 tbl of olive oil and add shallots and pepper and cook till just soft. Add garlic, cook for 1 minute and add white wine and reduce by half. Add breadcrumbs, lemon juice, and tabasco. Adjust to taste with salt and pepper and set to side.

For the Ragu

1 each of yellow, red and green bell pepper

1 large red onion slice thinly

3 cloves crushed garlic

4  fresh Italian plum tomatoes diced

1 eggplant diced

1 zucchini diced

1/2 cup red wine

2tbl tomato paste

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

red pepper flakes

In a large pan heat up olive oil and add peppers, onion, zucchini, eggplant and saute on high until just soft. Add garlic, tomato paste, and pepper flakes cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes and wine and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Cook about 5 to 6 minutes adjust to taste and pour into a large casserole dish.

Take the sardines and open them up and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper and drizzle with some olive oil. Divide stuffing among the fish and and fold over to close. Lay the sardines side by side over the hot vegetable ragu and again sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the fish are fully cooked. Serve immediately.

Caldo Gallego/ Spanish White Bean Stew

Of all the cultural food in America I believe the most under represented is Spanish cuisine. Too many people think that because we have a plethora of Mexican food in this country that we are eating Spanish Food as well. We as a country are so sadly mistaken. The cultural food of Spain has so many influences from the Roman Empire to the Moors who invaded and occupied Spain until the inquisition to all the products retrieved from the new world territories of the Great Spanish Empire.  If I have a chance to go to Europe my first choice will probably be Spain to not only understand the food, but also how they eat and enjoy and celebrate their food. In the Brunch Menu Blogs I did recently I did one Spanish dish the potato and egg tortilla.  It is a famous Tapas dish and one of the things I will be focusing on is Tapas. This way you can make several smaller items and sample many different styles and tastes. Thanks to my friend Pilar who is Spanish and thought  my Tortilla was good, I will be starting with  a traditional white bean stew called Caldo Gallego which she challenged me to make. I hope you and she enjoy this dish I found it to be incredible.

CALDO GALLEGO

Ingredients

 3 to 4 slices of thick bacon cut into 1/2 inch strips

2 ham hocks( if you can get the hocks off of a serrano ham all the better if not check to see if you can buy the hocks off of a Italian proscuitto instead. if not regular hocks will work) make sure to cut deep score marks in the fat to release the flavor

2 medium spanish onions diced

4 to 5 cloves of garlic minced

1 red pepper diced

1 green pepper diced

3 tbl of flour

1 tbl of sugar

1 1/2 lb of turnip greens, kale, escarole, savoy cabbage, or another type of strong flavored green, washed, rinsed, and chopped into large pieces or a mix of several

1 1/2 lbs of new potatoes peeled and cut into quarters and soaking in water

1 lb of great northern beans rinsed in a colander and soaked overnight in a bowl of cold water

3 bay leaf

1 lb of Spanish Chorizo Sausage cut in half lengthwise and then into 1/4 inch slices( Spanish Chorizo is a smoked sausage with a great depth of flavor, not the fresh overly greasy mexican style)

3 quarts of homemade or good quality chicken stock

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Paprika( most paprika sold as Spanish in the US is a smoked paprika. I use  hot Hungarian and Sweet Hungarian paprika in this dish. If you can find Spanish in the sweet and hot forms use it if not use the Hungarian or you can use the smoked with a pince of cayenne for heat, I will give the proportions needed to substitute in the recipe.)

In a large stew or soup pot render the bacon under low heat until crisp, remove from pot and drain on paper towels. Brown the ham hocks in bacon fat until the score marks start to open and release their fat. Remove hocks and do the same with the Chorizo. When the Chorizo is cooked remove and add onions and peppers and cook until they start to soften. Add garlic 2 tsp of black pepper, sugar and 2 tbl of hot paprika. If you do not have hot paprika use 2 tbl of smoked paprika and 1/8 tsp of cayenne pepper.  Stir and cook for about 5 minutes and add flour. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes to remove pasty taste and add hamhocks back to pot. Add the bay leaves and the chicken stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for an hour. Drain the beans and add to the pot and cook for an hour more.  Remove the bay leaves and hocks from the pot and add the greens and stir in. Add the potatoes and cook  for another half hour until the beans are done and the potatoes are just tender. Clean the meat off the hocks and chop into cubes and add to the pot with the bacon and chorizo slices when the beans are cooked. Adjust seasoning to taste with salt, pepper and paprika.  Serve in a large bowl with 2 to 3 tbl of good olive oil drizzled over it and a good crusty bread.

Dim Sum 5/ Sweet & Sour Meatballs

This is a Dim Sum version that is not a dumpling. They go great on a Dim Sum menu or for a cocktail menu or buffet. They also make a great dinner in their own right with the dinner version recipe I will include. You can have them hot or mild or double the optional spice ingredients to make them really hot. I make mine with a mix of chicken and pork , but feel free to make yours out of any meat combo. Or make them just out of one type of meat.  I have made them using Duck, Beef, Lamb, and Shrimp also. Just keep the proportions the same.

Ingredients

1 lb of ground chicken thigh meat

1 lb of ground pork shoulder

3 tbl of finely chopped cilantro

2 tbl of chopped parsley

1  1/2 tbl of salt

2 tsp of pepper

1 egg

3 tbl of corn starch

3 tbl of finely minced shallot

2 tbl of soy sauce

1 egg

2 tsp red pepper flakes(optional)

1 tbl of chili powder( optional)

Mix all ingredients by hand in a large bowl until a nice firm mass is formed. Chill for about an hour for it bind well. Scoop out meatballs with a 1 or 2 ounce ice cream scoop. Roll into balls and dust with cornstarch. Fry in a saute pan with a little oil until brown and place on a sheet pan and bake in a 325 degree oven until fully cooked approx. 15 to 20 minutes. Serve on a tray with toothpicks with a sweet sour dipping sauce, or in a bowl of the dipping sauce. Following is the sauce recipe and a way to serve it as a simple entree.

Sweet Sour Sauce

Ingredients

3/4 cup of brown sugar

1/3 cup of rice wine vinegar

1/2 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup of orange juice

1/4 cup of soy sauce

3 tbl of ketchup

1 tbl of grated ginger

1 tbl of minced garlic

1 tbl of dry sherry

2 tbl of Sriracha(optional)

2 tsp of red pepper flakes(optional)

2 tbl of cornstarch.

Whisk all ingredients together in a heavy bottomed saucepot and bring to a boil and let thicken.
Chinese Meatball Dinner

1 Recipe of meatballs

1 recipe of sweet sour sauce

1  12 to 14 ounce can of bean sprouts

2 ribs of celery sliced thinly on an angle

1 bunch of green onions sliced on an angle into 4 pieces each

1 large head of  Bok Choy or 1 medium head of savoy cabbage washed and chopped into 2×2 or 3×3 inch pieces

any other chinese veggies you like(waterchestnuts, bamboo shoots, etc)

canola oil

salt and pepper to taste

In a wok or large saute pan under high heat  heat the oil and add in the all the  veggies but bean sprouts. Cook until almost tender and add in the cooked meatballs and bean sprouts. Toss with 2 cups of the hot sweet and sour sauce and cook until meatballs are reheated. Adjust taste with salt and pepper. Serve over a bowl of rice. Hope you like these. They are a great addition to any party.

Eat Well

Chef Tim

Dim Sum 4/ The Famous Shrimp Dumpling

The shrimp dumpling is a Dim Sum classic. It is easy to make and they disappear quickly. I really don’t use a dipping sauce, I just prefer straight soy sauce or the spicy Thai Chili Sauce Sriracha. These dumplings can be made steamed or fried. Try them fried they are so unique that way. You can make them spicy or regular. If you don’t like them hot just don’t add the spicy ingredients listed as optional.

Shrimp Dumplings

Ingredients

1 or 2 packages of 5×5 inch wonton skins

2  lbs of medium sized shrimp, thawed, peeled and deveined finely chopped by hand

1 large bunch of green onions finely chopped

3 tbl of cornstarch

2 tbl of salt

2 tsp of black pepper

3 tbl of soy sauce

2 tbl of rice wine vinegar

2 tbl of minced cilantro

1 tsp red chili flakes(optional)

2 tbl of Sriracha( optional)

Mix all ingredients together by hand just like making meat loaf. Chill for 3 to 4 hours so the mix can stiffen up. Spoon approx 2 to 2 1/2 tbl of the mix into the center of each wonton skin. Fold the corners of the skin together over the center of the filling and pinch all the ends together until tightly sealed. Make sure to press out the air before sealing. Steam dumplings for approx 20 minutes or so. Or deep fry in 365 degree oil until very brown and crisp as shown in the picture above sprinkle with salt when they come out of the fryer. After steaming you may also saute in a pan with a little oil to crisp up. Serve with soy sauce or Sriracha. Or use any of the other dipping sauces from the previous recipes.

Eat Well and Enjoy

Chef Tim

Dim Sum 3 /Shu Mai Dumplings

Shu Mai are my favorite of all dumplings. What I love most is no surprises you see what you are getting when they go on the plate. They are one of the bigger dumplings with the filling bursting out of the top. I hope they become one of your favorites also.

Ingredients

 1  or 2 packages wonton skins 7×7 inches enough for 20  large dumplings or 5×5 for approx 30 smaller ones

1 head of cabbage shredded like coleslaw

1 10 to 12 ounce can bean sprouts drained

1 bunch green onions chopped

3 cloves chopped garlic

1 tsp chopped ginger( optional)

1 lb of cooked small salad shrimp( may substitute crawfish tails or crabmeat or shredded cooked pork or imitation crab)

1 tbl sesame oil

1 ounce rice wine vinegar

2 tbls hoisin sauce

2 ounces of soy sauce

2tbl oyster sauce

1 ounce peanut oil

1tsp tabasco or sriracha

1/2 tsp five spice powder

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp corn starch

Take your shredded cabbage and place in colander over a bowl and sprinkle with about 1 tbl of salt and toss let sit about an hour to bleed off excess water. Mix all your liquids( except peanut oil) and spices together and stir in the cornstarch and get all other ingredients cut and ready to go. In a wok or large saute pan heat up peanut oil and add drained cabbage. Cook for just a few minutes and add green onions, garlic and ginger, saute until just tender. Add seafood and liquid mixture and cook until seafood is cooked and the liquid has thickened. Pour mixture into a colander over a large bowl and let drain overnight. Make sure to press down to extract the juices. Chill overnight. Drain and reserve liquid. Place approx 2  tbl of mix in the center of  a wonton skin and fold up to make a little cup with some of the mix coming out of the top as shown in the picture.  When all dumplings are made up steam for 15 to 20 minutes. Use the reserved liquid for the dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

Liquid from mixture

1 cup of chicken stock

3 tbl of soy sauce

2 tbl of red wine

1 1/2 tbl of cornstarch

Heat reserved liquid up to a boil. Mix stock, soy, and red wine with cornstarch and add to boiling liquid and whisk until thickened. Add tabasco or siracha if you like it hotter.

For different fillings try the spicy beef or pork in the first Dim Sum blog or some stir fried veggies for a meatless version.

Eat Well and Enjoy

Chef Tim

Dim Sum

I love Dim Sum. I just love going to Chinatown to a good Dim Sum restaurant and just picking dumpling after dumpling. I want to thank my friend Deb for suggesting this new series of blogs also. What a great idea. First what is Dim Sum? In a rough translation it means hearts desires. What a great term for a meal hearts desires. Over the next several blogs we will make several different types. Even some that aren’t dumplings. The most important item needed though is a steamer. IF you don’t have a bamboo steamer you can use a pasta pot with a basket in it. Just make sure the water level stays low enough so the dumplings steam not boil. Also if you have a pasta pot that has a steamer attachment you can use both at the same time so you are set to go.  Some types of dumplings can be made ahead of time and used for soup or even fried in a little oil just before serving so you can make some of them up ahead of time. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do.

Spicy pork or beef Dim Sum

2 lbs of pork shoulder or beef chuck roast cut into large cubes

Chinese Chicken Broth for the Pork or Beef Broth for the Beef

Broth recipe/ 2 cups of beef or chicken broth mixed with 1 tbl of sugar, 2 tbl of soy sauce and 2 or 3 dashes of tabasco, for the chicken broth add 1 tbl of  bead molasses

1/4 cup of Sriracha ( asian chili sauce)

1/2 cup of rice wine vinegar

2 or 3 packages of round wonton skins. approx 4 inches in diameter

salt and pepper to taste

canola oil

1 bunch of chopped green onions

egg wash/ 2 eggs beaten with 2 tbl of water

Rub beef or pork cubes with oil and season with salt and pepper. Brown in a deep pan. Mix stock, Sriracha, and rice vinegar.  When all pieces are browned cover with the stock mixture and simmer for approx 2 hours until meat is falling apart tender and can be shredded. Remove meat from pan and shred while warm and chill. Pour liquid from pan into a bowl and chill. When cooled remove  the layer of fat and pour into a sauce pan. Bring to a boil and reduce by about 10 percent. Mix 1 1/2 tbl of cornstartch in 1/2 cup of cold water and add to boiling stock and let thicken. Adust with salt and pepper  to taste and  reserve as the dipping sauce.

Mix about 1/2 cup of the sauce with the meat and chopped green onions.  Stuff each wonton skin with approx 1 to 1 1/2 tbl of meat mix and brush the outer edge with egg wash. Fold over and make sure to press the air out of the dumpling and pinch the edges together to seal. When they are done steam dumplings for approx 15 minutes. Eat right away or cool and reheat in a saute pan in a little canola oil and serve with dipping sauce.

Eat well and Enjoy

Chef Tim

Quiche

Well I thought I was done with the blog on brunch, but my friend Jackie just won’t be happy until I post my quiche recipe. Quiche  is not as difficult as people make out it is just a simple savory egg custard. And yes real men do eat quiche and I will stomp on anyone who says different. This recipe is not mine but my Dad’s. Follow the basics and add whatever fillings you like.  Thanks to the quality of premade pie shells you don’t even have to bother with the mess of pie dough. I prefer Chef Pierre Pie Shells, they are the sturdiest.  Most of the time they come in packs of  2 shells. If you are in the Midwest and can get to a GFS store they sell them in packs of 5 shells. The following recipe is for 1 basic quiche.

Ingredients

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups of heavy cream

1/2 tsp of salt

pinch of nutmeg

dash or 2 of tabasco depending on taste

1 cup of grated cheese( Gruyere, Cheddar, and Parmesan are the most common)

1 pie crust thawed out

1 to 1 1/2 cup of filling( cooked bacon, sauteed veggies, chopped ham, sliced cooked potatoes, Etc. whatever you like)

Preheat oven to 375. Line pie shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dry beans and par-cook for 15 minutes. Remove parchment and save the beans to use again as  weights. Saute fillings together, cool, and grate cheese. Beat the eggs and cream together with the salt, tabasco and nutmeg and add fillings and cheese. pour into pie shell and bake for 30 to 35 minutes at 375 until set and firm. Let cool  for about 10 minutes and serve.

Italian Frittata Casserole

So here we are the last of our Sunday Brunch Blogs. Today is an Italian Frittata in a casserole dish made with orzo. It is pretty simple and you can get everything ready but the egg mixture  a day or two before hand.

Ingredients

1 cup of dry orzo

10 eggs

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 lb of  Italian sausage in bulk or 4- 4ounce links skin removed

1 medium onion diced

1 red pepper seeded and diced

1 green pepper seeded and diced

1 cup of parmesan cheese

2 tbl chopped chives

3 tbl of minced basil

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

1 cup shredded fontina cheese

Cook Orzo according to directions on box, cool and set aside.  Crumble sausage in a saute pan and cook till browned and add onions. Saute until soft and add peppers, basil and chives. Cook until peppers are soft. You can cool the mixture or continue on. You need to have the mixture hot before you can finish if you prepared it ahead.

Beat eggs until foamy and add the two cheeses and mix in well. Oil a large casserole dish with olive oil and heat oven to 375. Toss cooled orzo into sausage and pepper mixture and cook under high heat until orzo just starts to crisp up and brown a bit. Season mix with salt and pepper to taste and take off heat. Let cool a few minutes and quickly stir in egg mix and pour into casserole. Bake for approx 20 minutes until set up. Sprinkle top with shredded fontina and brown under a broiler. Serve hot.

I hope you have enjoyed the brunch items I have layed out. One of the best parts of brunch is that you can put out practically anything you want  for your guests. If there is a favorite breakfast dish or other item you really like make sure to serve it. I am only try to give ideas here and not trying to stick you with a menu. Make sure to have lots of fruits and breads and cheeses for people to sample as well as lots of coffee and plenty of cocktails. You may even want to try some cold seafood trays or some hot seafood dishes. A baked ham or piece of roasted turkey breast or beef is also popular.  Hope you and your friends have a successful brunch. When you have one let me know and I will post your comments. You can even send pictures and I will put them up for  all to see.

Thanks for Reading

Eat Well and Enjoy Each Other

Chef Tim

Breakfast Sausage & Panzanella

Today we continue with our Big Sunday Brunch with homemade breakfast sausage and a big panzanella salad. If you made the sausage in the blog on pizza this will feel pretty much the same. If you have never made sausage before have no fear I have made it as simple as  1,2,3 for the home cook.  The recipe I have can easily be cut in half, but  if you make the whole recipe you get twice the sausage and only make a mess once.

Breakfast Sausage

Ingredients

5 lbs of course ground Pork shoulder( a good local butcher will do it for you tell them you want it about 75% lean)

1  1/2 ounces by weight of kosher salt

2 tbl of sugar

2 tbl of hot hungarian paprika

1 tsp black pepper

3 tbl of poultry seasoning

1 tbl of red pepper flakes(optional for spicy sausage)

3/4 cup of apple juice

Make sure all to keep all utensils cold so the fat in the meat does not break down. Mix the dry spices together. In a large cold stainless steel bowl mix the pork with the         spices. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit over night. The next day add the apple juice to the mix and mix in gently. Remove a small amount and make a patty and fry up to test the taste. Adjust salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning to your taste. Chill for about 1 hour and using a  1 ounce or 2 ounce ice cream scoup portion out the meat and form little patties. Lay out on cookie sheets lined with plastic wrap and freeze. After the patties harden place into Zip Loc bags and keep in your deep freezer until needed.

Panzanella

This recipe is for a big crowd so feel free to cut it in half for a smaller group.

Ingredients

1 lb of thin asparagus

day old french bread cut into large cubes( approx 12 to 14 cups)

2 hearts of romaine washed and dried torn into large pieces

3 cups of arugala or assorted mixed baby greens

2 red peppers cut into strips

2 yellow peppers cut into strips

2 cups of crumbled gorgonzola cheese

2 cucumbers peeled and seeded diced into small cubes

olive oil

salt and pepper

2 cloves of minced garlic

For the dressing

2 tbl of stone ground mustard

2 shallots minced

1/2 cup of  a good Italian vinegar other than balsamic.

1 tsp of  brown sugar

1  1/2 cups of olive oil

2 tsp of salt

1 tsp of black pepper

In a bowl mix all the ingredients for the dressing but the oil and then whisk in oil slowly, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Toss bread cubes with olive oil until lightly coated. Lay out on a couple of cookie sheets and sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for approx 20 minutes at 400 until nicely toasted. Cut bottom 1/4 off of  asparagus peel the bottom 1/4 that is left. Cut  asparagus on an angle into 4 pieces, toss with garlic, salt, pepper, and a little olive oil and roast in oven at 400 for approx 10 to 15 minutes. When bread and asparagus are cooled toss with other salad fixings in a big bowl and pour the dressing over it and toss. Make sure you toss about an hour before serving so flavors can meld.

Eat Well

Chef TIm

I prefer 2 ounce patties.  If you use that size you will have approx 40  sausage patties.

To cook: Lay patties out on a plate let thaw in fridge overnight and fry up the next morning.

Brunch Bakery 2

We’ve returned to the bakery today for Scones and Muffins, 2 essentials on a brunch buffet. I make my scones with blueberries and the muffin recipe is just a basic one so feel free to add whatever you like to it, from fruit to nuts, chunks of chocolate or assorted toppings. Make them the way you like them

Scones/ makes approx 32 scones

Ingredients

4 cups of flour

1/3 cup of sugar

1  1/2 tsp salt

2 tbl of baking powder

1  1/2 sticks of cold butter in small cubes, semi frozen

4 eggs beaten

2/3 cup of  heavy cream

3  cups of dried blueberries tossed with 2 tbl of vanilla

Toss dried berries with vanilla and let berries absorb vanilla.  Sift together dry ingredients.  Beat eggs and mix in cream. Preheat oven to 400 and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Using a food processor or you hands break butter into flour mix until you have a course crumbly mixture. Toss the blueberries with the flour mix and add the egg and cream mix. Blend by hand until just mixed together. On a floured work surface form the dough into  6 inch by 6 inch squares  approx 1 to 1 1/4 inches thick. Cut into 4 small triangles each. Lay out on cookie sheets and brush with heavy cream and sprinkle with sugar.  Bake approx 15 minutes until browned on top. Take 1 as  a sample and break open to make sure it is done since ovens do vary in temp.

As a variation you can substitute nuts, chocolate chips or other dried fruits in place of the bluberries. Dried cranberries are an excellent substitute. If using nuts or chocolate chips eliminate the vanilla.

Basic Muffin Mix/ makes approx 24 muffins

4  3/4 cups of flour

3/4 cup of sugar

2 tbl baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

4 eggs beaten

1 tbl of vanilla

2  1/2 cups of milk

1  1/2 sticks of  butter melted

Preheat oven to  400 degrees. Spray muffin tins with bakers joy or line with muffin papers. Mix dry ingredients together.  Mix wet ingredients together. Blend the wet into the dry until it just comes together. Fill muffins 2/3 full and sprinkle each one with a little sugar to form a nice crust. Bake approx 17 to 20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Variations

Stir into the muffins after mixing your favorite ingredients such as

1 1/2 cup of  berries

1 1/2 cups of chocolate or white chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups of chopped nuts

1 1/2 cups of M&M’s or Reese’s Pieces

2 cups of Banana puree mixed with 1 tbl of cinnamon( may take an extra couple of minutes to bake)

Or top with  walnut crunch or streusal

Walnut Crunch

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cup of flour

1 1/2 stick of melted butter

3/4 cup of chopped walnuts

1 tbl of brandy

Blend all ingredients by hand and spoon on top of each muffin equally.

Streusal

1 cup of flour

1/2 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1 tbl cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp ground clove

1 stick of semi frozen butter in small cubes

Mix dry ingredients together and blend in the butter by hand or in a food processer until you have a nice crumbly mixture. Sprinkle about 1 tbl of mix on each muffin.

Eat Well and Enjoy

Chef Tim