Ingredients 450 gr. small mushrooms olive oil 2 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon thyme 2 large garlic cloves, minced 1 cup dry polenta 4 cups water (or broth, for more flavor) 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped 1 teaspoon fresh tarragon, chopped 1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar Salt & pepper Method Cut any larger mushrooms in half. Heat half of the oil in a large frying pan, and add as many mushrooms as can be cooked in a single, non-crowded layer. Over medium heat, let the mushrooms cook without moving them for a few minutes. Working in batches, cook all of the mushrooms until soft and browned. As they're done, transfer them to a bowl with the butter, thyme, and garlic. Cover, and keep warm. To cook the polenta, combine the polenta, water, rosemary, and tarragon in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring often, this should take about 25'. When thickened, add half of the cheese and stir in. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Pour the polenta out on an oven-safe dish, top with the mushrooms and remaining cheese. Broil for 4 - 5', or until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Source: https://www.csmonitor.com/
Ingredients 8 to 10 pieces of chicken (4 drumsticks and thighs or a whole chicken cut up) salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste 2 teaspoons dried thyme, divided 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar) 2 tablespoons soy sauce 3 tablespoons honey 1/3 cup water 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 lemon, thickly sliced(into 6 or so slices) Method Season chicken on both sides with salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon of thyme. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high flame. Add oil and brown chicken until golden on both sides, in batches if necessary, about 2 - 3' per side. Transfer chicken to plate and reduce heat to medium. Sauté garlic until fragrant, about 45". Add sherry vinegar and cook down until reduced by half. Add soy sauce, honey, remaining thyme, water and lemon juice to pan and stir to combine. Return chicken to pan, turning to coat with sauce. Add lemon slices. Cook until sauce has reduced to a syrupy consistency, about 10 - 12', turning chicken frequently to coat with sauce. Chicken should be done by that time; pierce a thick piece with a knife point to see that juices run clear. Transfer chicken to serving platter or divide among 4 plates. Drizzle sauce over chicken and use lemon slices as garnish. Source: https://www.csmonitor.com/
Ingredients 8 pasture-raised eggs 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese 1/4 cup chopped garlic chives (or scallions) 1/2 cup sauteed mushrooms Pinch of sea salt Several grinds of black pepper 2 tablespoons organic butter (you can use olive oil if you prefer) Method Beat the eggs, salt, pepper and chives in a bowl with a fork or whisk until mixed – about 20 strokes. In a large frying pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat until the butter bubbles and the foam subsides, making sure to coat the bottom evenly. Add the eggs to the pan, tilting the pan to ensure that they cover the whole bottom. Use a spatula to gently drag the eggs towards the center of the pan and tilt the pan to let the uncooked eggs fill in the gaps. Cook for another 1 - 2', until the eggs are almost entirely set. Sprinkle the cheese and mushrooms over one half of the omelette then fold the other half over on top of it. Slide the omelette out of the pan and eat while it’s hot. Source: https://www.csmonitor.com/
Ingredients For the pork chops 1/2 tablespoon good quality chili powder 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon salt freshly ground black pepper 4 bone-in pork chops, about 225 gr. each 2 tablespoons canola oil For the peaches 2 firm ripe peaches, sliced 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, preferably white a drizzle of olive oil, plus more for the pan 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste) 1/2 cup sliced shallots Method Pork chops Combine the chili powder, cumin, salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Pat chops dry with a paper towel and season on both sides with spice mix, rubbing it into the chops. Set chops aside. Peaches Place peach slices in a shallow bowl. If peaches are on the firm side of ripe, taste a slice. If it’s puckery tart, sprinkle on a little sugar, stir gently and taste again. You don’t want to make the peaches overly sweet, but just aim for balancing the tartness. Drizzle peaches with balsamic vinegar and olive oil and stir gently to coat. Sprinkle on cayenne pepper, stir again and set aside. Heat a large nonstick skillet over a medium-high flame. Add canola oil, then add chops. Sear on one side for 5', then turn. Reduce heat to medium and cook until chops are just cooked through 4 - 5', depending on thickness. Covere the pan after turning the chops to retain a little more moisture. Transfer chops to a plate and tent with foil. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over a medium flame. Add a tablespoon or so of olive oil and sauté shallots for a few minutes until they’re just getting tender and translucent. Add peach slices to pan and cook for just a minute or two until they’re heated through, turning them carefully. Transfer peaches and shallots to a bowl to stop the cooking process. Plate chops and top with peaches/shallot mixture. Source: https://www.csmonitor.com/
Ingredients For the tomatoes 1 Tablespoon butter 2 Tablespoons olive oil 2 large onions, diced 1/2 cup white wine or vermouth 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leave 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar 900 gr. cherry tomatoes 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour salt and pepper to taste For the biscuit topping 2-1/4 cups soft wheat flour 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 6 Tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces 225 gr. blue cheese, crumbled Freshly ground black pepper 1 cup cold buttermilk Method Heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat in an oven to table skillet or braiser. Add the diced onions and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Stir to coat the onions well and cook until they are soft and just beginning to brown. When the onions are brown at the edges, pour in the white wine and stir well, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cover and cook for 5', then uncover and cook until the wine is completely reduced. Add ½ cup of water and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and caramelized and the water is gone, about 10'. Add the garlic and thyme and cook one minute more. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the balsamic vinegar. Leave to cool. Preheat the oven to 190 °C. When the onions are cool, add the cherry tomatoes then sprinkle over the flour. Stir to combine the onions and tomatoes and coat everything with the flour. Place in the oven and bake for 25'. While the tomatoes are cooking, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and generous grinds of black pepper together in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter pieces and rub it into the flour with your good clean hands until it is well distributed. Add the crumbled blue cheese and rub it into the mixture as well. Stir in the buttermilk until you have a soft, dough with no dry ingredients visible. Remove the tomatoes from the oven after their 25'. Scoop the dough over the top of the tomatoes. Return the pan to the oven and cook a further 15 - 18' until the biscuits are firm and golden. Let the cobbler rest for about 10' before serving warm. Source: https://www.csmonitor.com/
Ingredients 1/4 cup freshly ground coffee 1-1/2 tablespoons whole cumin seeds (or ground cumin) 1-1/2 tablespoons chili powder 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 lamb loin chops, about 140 - 170 gr. each canola oil Method Make the coffee cumin rub. Combine coffee, cumin seeds, chili powder, cinnamon and some salt and pepper in a bowl. Set aside. Brush the lamb chops with canola oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the coffee cumin rub in a baking pan or on a platter. Press both sides of each lamb chop into the rub. Set aside for 20 - 60'. Heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil in a large, lidded skillet over medium-high flame. Give the pan a couple of minutes to get good and hot. Transfer lamb chops to the pan and cook until well seared on one side, about 4'. Turn chops and reduce heat to medium. Let the chops cook for 2', then cover the pan and turn off the heat. Let the pan sit for 5'. The chops will continue to cook, becoming medium rare. Τhis method of finishing them will also make them moist and tender. Plate chops and serve. Source: https://www.csmonitor.com/
Ingredients 4 tablespoons butter, divided 1 onion, cut to 1/4-inch half-rings 2 carrots, minced 2 stalks celery, minced 2 cups chopped chanterelles 1/4 cup flour 3 cups chicken broth, heated (hot but not boiling) 2 cups shredded cooked chicken salt & pepper 2 cups chopped kale 1/2 cup half & half 1 sheet Grand Central Bakery Puff Pastry Method Prepare the pastry: roll it out slightly, to even it out, and cut it to fit your pan (with an inch or two overhang). Place it on a baking sheet and keep it in the fridge while you cook. Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Get the skillet nice and hot over high heat on the stove, then add 2 tablespoon butter and the sliced onions. Cook, stirring frequently, until they've browned and caramelized a bit about 8'. Reduce the heat to medium, then add the remaining butter, carrots, and celery. Cook for 3 - 4' before adding the chopped chanterelles. Let this mixture cook for 5 - 8', until the mushrooms are all softened and some of the moisture has evaporated before sprinkling the flour over the vegetables, and stirring to combine. Stir continuously, scraping the bottom of the pan, for 3'. Gradually pour in the chicken broth, using your spoon to vigorously scrape the bottom of the pan, to get all the flavorful bits off of the pan, then add the chicken and bring the mixture to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper, remove from the heat, and stir in the chopped kale until mostly wilted. Add the half & half, stirring again to combine. At this point, cut a few vents in your puff pastry, and (work quickly so it doesn't warm up too much before going into the oven) lay it over top of the skillet. Put it immediately in the oven and bake for 30 - 40', or until the pastry is golden and the pot pie is bubbling. Serve warm. Source: https://www.csmonitor.com/
Ingredients 1 455 gr. bulk sausage 1 medium onion, chopped 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, chopped olive oil salt and pepper to taste Rosemary, to taste Roasted garlic, to taste, optional Method Preheat over to 220 °C. Brown onions and sausage in a cast iron skillet. Transfer to a plate. Reduce heat to medium high, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and sweet potatoes. Stir occasionally until tender, about 10 - 15'. Cover skillet with a lid while cooking. Once sweet potatoes are tender, add sausage and onions to the cast iron skillet and stir together. Crack four eggs over sweet potato hash. Place cast iron skillet in oven and cook 10 - 15' until eggs are set. Source: https://www.csmonitor.com/
Ingredients For the Grits 2 cups chicken broth 2 cups heavy cream 1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) butter 1 cup stone ground grits 2-1/2 teaspoons salt Several grinds of black pepper For the Shrimp 450 gr. large shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon regular mustard powder 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/4 teaspoon salt A few grinds of black pepper Dash of cayenne pepper 6 strips of bacon, cut into small pieces 1 green bell pepper, finely diced 3/4 cups chopped green onion, white, light green and a little dark green (from a big bunch) 410 gr. diced tomatoes 2 Tablespoons flour 1 cup chicken broth 1 quarter of a large lemon Finely chopped parsley for garnish Method Grits In a deep-sided large pan (grits tend to spatter), stir the broth, cream and butter together over medium high heat until the butter is melted and it all comes to a low boil. Stir in the grits, salt, and pepper and reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 30 - 45', stirring frequently to prevent scorching. The grits should be tender and the liquid absorbed. You may add a bit more broth if needed. When cooked, the grits can be kept covered for an hour or so, then slowly reheated over low, stirring in a little broth. Shrimp Mix together the paprika, mustard, smoked paprika, salt, pepper and cayenne. Pat the shrimp dry if necessary and place on plate. Sprinkle the spice mix liberally over both sides of the shrimp, turning over to get a good coating. Leave the shrimp in the fridge for 30' to an hour. When the shrimp are ready, sauté the bacon pieces in a wide skillet over medium high until crispy. Remove the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels using a slotted spoon. Pour the bacon grease into a small bowl. Spoon 2 tablespoons of grease back into the pan and heat over medium high. Sear the shrimp briefly – just a few seconds per side – to seal in the spice mixture. Remove the shrimp to a plate. Reduce the heat to medium and add more bacon grease to the pan so that you have about 4 Tablespoons, then drop in the green pepper and the green onion. Sauté until the pepper and green onion are soft. As they release some liquid, you can scrape the tasty brown bits from the bottom of the pan. While the vegetables are cooking, drain most of the juice from the tomatoes into a measuring cup. Add enough chicken broth to make one cup of liquid and set aside. When the green vegetables are soft, add the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are heated through and start to soften. Break up any large pieces. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to coat, there should not be any white flour visible. Pour in the broth and tomato liquid and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat a little and let the mixture bubble away until it is nice and thick, stirring to avoid scorching. Squeeze over a quarter of a lemon (making sure you’ve removed seeds) and stir. Add the shrimp to the sauce in the pan, cover and cook for 5 - 8', until the shrimp are cooked through. Spoon the grits into shallow bowls and spoon over the shrimp and sauce. Sprinkle over the crispy bacon pieces and chopped parsley. Source: https://www.csmonitor.com/
Ingredients 680 gr. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 2.5 cm chunks 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch divided 2 large eggs, beaten 1 cup vegetable oil 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds 1 green onion, thinly sliced Marinade 1 cup chicken broth 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 1/2 cup sugar 1/3 cup distilled white vinegar 1/4 cup soy sauce 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon orange zest 1 teaspoon Sriracha, or more, to taste 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon white pepper Method Marinade Whisk together chicken broth, orange juice, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, orange zest, Sriracha, ginger and white pepper in a large bowl. Chicken In a gallon-size Ziploc bag, combine chicken and 2/3 cup of the marinade. Marinate for at least 30', turning the bag occasionally. Drain the chicken from the marinade, discard the marinade. Heat remaining marinade in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir in 2 tablespoons cornstarch combined with 2 tablespoons water. Cook, stirring frequently, until thickened about 1 - 2', keep warm. Working one piece at a time, dip the chicken into the eggs then dredge in remaining 1 cup cornstarch, pressing to coat. Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan. Working in batches, add the chicken and dry until golden brown and cooked through, about 1 - 2'. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain. Discard excess oil. Toss chicken with the marinade, garnish with sesame seeds and green onion, if desired. Source: https://www.csmonitor.com/