“Chopped” In the Kitchen

31 Thursday Mar 2022

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5-Stars, AirFryer, Beef, Beets, Cabbage, Chicken, Eggs, Greens, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?

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airfried chicken, beets, cabbage, chicken fried steak, Martin's Swiss Dressing, meatloaf, seafood alfredo

It is always fun to see what is in the refrigerator or in the kitchen, in general. This week was no different. No particular recipe, “Just Do-It!”. And I don’t usually post an advertisement within a post. But there are exceptions. This is one of them. “Oma & Popies” is very local to Boise, and is very good. But, Swiss Hibiscus, https://swisshibiscus.com/made-in-portland-oregon is a superb dressing and is totally produced in Portland, Oregon. You can call them at (503) 477-9224 and place an order, or use the link. If you are in Portland, or in the area, their address is 4950 NE 14th Ave, Portland, OR, 97211. This dressing is great on salads, but I like to dip French Fries in it or use it on baked salmon. Yum-O! OK. Enough of the ads (They don’t know I have this blogged!)

BP_30Mar2022_1d_Captains Shack_AF Fried Chix and Cabbage

Daughter Marnie, said she had some chicken and would make dinner. There was some cabbage that needed to be used so she made this delicious AirFryer Chicken with steamed cabbage. It was delicious!

There was some sea scallops – those are the big ones – and large, 16-20 count, shrimp, parsley and parmigiano that was begging to be used. So how about making a Scallop and Shrimp Alfredo. Easy one pot meal. Made it with fettuccini and and some white wine and served with chopped parsley.

Wife Robin asked for Chicken Fried Steak one night. Had some steak that needed to be used and some crushed saltines (won’t use saltines twice for this!), but they did not adhere to the steak like I wanted. Served with baked potato and peas and carrots. Good, but not Earth shattering.

And finally, meatloaf. Hard to find a good meatloaf. This was good, but a little too loose. This is what the crushed saltines were originally used for. A cup of milk in the mix is a little to much. Need to cut back to a half cup. Flavors were good. The salad was some canned beets from last summer, spinach and lettuce blend and had cooked eggs. All-In-All, a good, flavorful dinner. http://www.rockinrs.com/CS-Meatloaf.pdf

Some More Dishes to Try

18 Friday Mar 2022

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5 Hour Duck, 5-Stars, Beef, Boise Farmers Market, Buy Idaho, Buy Local, Classis Sauces, Comfort Food, Dinner At Marnies, Dinner For Robin, Dinner With Family, Duck, Food Photos, Food Prep, Fruit, Idaho Beef, Idaho Potatoes, Main Dish, Mushrooms - Local, Pâté, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Recipes, Recipes - Dinner, What's For Dinner?

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5 hour roasted duck, alfredo recipe, duck, fettuccini, fruit, green pepper, morel mushroom, nain dish, Pâté, Roasted Duck, stuffed pepper

Here are two really good meals we made. At least they’re good in my humble opinion. I liked them. The Fettuccini Alfredo our daughter found a basic recipe, but it looked a little bland, so I “adjusted” it a little. Added dried morels that were rehydrated in some white wine and added basil and fresh garlic. It was tasty. And the 2nd dish was Stuffed Peppers and i do like a good stuffed pepper. But Robin can not eat them. The last dish was 5 Hour Roasted Duck, which we all love! Take a look.

This was really a good dinner. As I stated above, I adjusted it. I used Half and Half instead of milk and added some white wine to the Alfredo. It was rich and smooth. Awesome flavor levels. Just be careful when adding the Half and Half that you don’t scorch it. Keep stirring gently. And I have never cooked pasta like this either. It worked fine.. (See the recipe) And too, I broke the dry pasta in half before adding to the pan. Easier for all to eat. Give it a try and let us know what you think.

This was a great pepper. The pepper was cooked, but still somewhat “crunchy”, but not raw. The flavor levels were great. Not over powered by the herbs or a strong green pepper taste. If you are making one, and use a larger cooking dish, try using different colored peppers – green, red, orange or whatever is available. And then serve them in the cooking dish. There was just me eating this, so I cooked it in a Pâté pan, as pictured. Worked well.

We all like duck. But it can be greasy. So if you like duck, try this one. 5 Hour Roasted Duck. It definitely is not difficult to do. Just takes a while. 5 hours! So plan ahead! Stewed the neck and any leftover vegetable parts and reduced it down to create the gravy. Use some pan drippings and wine, too. An awesome gravy. Serve with peas and carrots, mashed potatoes and gravy and thinly sliced fruit, left from stuffing the duck. While the duck is resting, cover it with aluminum foil to keep it warm. And as a note, we have tried this with a goose, but it was not as good.

So threr you have it. Try them all and let us know how it turned out. Guten Abend!

Surprise Meals

04 Friday Mar 2022

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5-Stars, Acme Bake Shop Baguette, Bombay Grill, Buy Local, Carrots, Classics, Eggs, Eggs Omelets, Food 0f India, Food Photos, Fruits, Green Peas, Idaho Eggs, Idaho Lamb, Idaho Potatoes, Lamb, Mango, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Recipes, Shepards Pie, What's For Dinner?

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candied pecans, lamb, Mango, mango lassi, pecans, recipes, shepards pie, shrimp, shrimp omelet

I think this week we really hit the Jackpot with some meals that we made. These are a real surprise and delicious. We liked them all! But then too, Shepard’s Pie is a favorite of every ones. I don’t particularly like yogurt, but the Mango Lassi that I had at a local Indian restaurant, the Bombay Grill in Boise, was absolutely delicious. And the Shrimp Omelet for dinner was a treat. Look at these. Enjoy.

The Breakfast for Dinner was simply a Shrimp Omelet with Campfire Potatoes, Toasted CROW Bread from Acme Bakeshop here in Boise and some Mandarin Orange sections. A standard 2 egg omelet, some 16-20 count shrimp cut into fourths and sauteed in butter with garlic powder and Old Bay seasoning and Eric’s Campfire Potatoes. No particular recipe. Play Chopped of the Kitchen and make do with what you have. I use an 8″ porcelain skillet for mine and clean the pan between omelets. (We have been on 5 cruises and I always watched the Line Chef make omelets to see how it is done. They always used a fresh skillet between omelets!)

I do not like yogurt. But now, I can’t really say that anymore. This was delicious and I was introduced to it at the Bombay Grill, an Indian restaurant, here in Boise. The recipe, Mango Lassi, is really easy and the ingredients are probably available at your local grocery store. You can use either fresh mango or you can use mango pulp. Just remember that mango pulp has sugar added, so taste the pulp before adding sugar in the blender. Chill the drink and enjoy! It’s delicious!.

Celery, Candied Pecan and Apple Spring Mix Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Now this salad is absolutely delicious. The celery is cut super thin on the bias and the apple is sliced thin also. Not a difficult recipe and including getting everything prepped, it it takes about 30 minutes to make. Love the Spring Mix greens. Different flavor levels and textures. The recipe, Celery, Pecan, Apple Salad. And the recipe calls for Candied Pecans, so make your own Candied Pecansf. Not hard to do. You will love this salad. We have pared it with a Classic Shepard’s Pie as pictured above.

And this Classic Shepard’s Pie was fantastic! Here is the recipe Classic Shepard’s Pie Such a classic meal and one that we all like. Easy to do. Traditionally it was made with lamb, but some folks mix 50/50 lamb and beef. They also use 100% beef. But we prefer the traditional lamb way. The potatoes are not peeled and are cut into small chunks to cook. Makes them easier to mash when they are smaller pieces. Just make them creamy smooth so they spread on the top easily.

Enjoy these meals and sides. We did.

Two Interesting Meal Ideas

25 Friday Feb 2022

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5-Stars, Asparagus, Basmati rice, Buy Idaho, Buy Local, Dinner With Family, Food Prep, Herbs and Spices, Housemade Sauces, Idaho Vegetables, Idaho Venison, Idaho Wild Game, Local Farmers Markets, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Prep Work, Recipe by Eric Rhodes, Recipe By: Captain's Shack, Vegetables, Venison, What's For Dinner?

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backstrap, balsamic, basmati, blackberry jam, recipe, Red Chard, Rice, salmon, tenderloin, Venison

Here are two dishes we made this past week. Both are delicious and fairly easy to do, especially the salmon. Take a look.

The first is a baked salmon dish that does not have a specific recipe. This time we used a local Golden Plum Jam, but normally I use a MacKays Orange Marmalade. Just make sure the salmon is dry before you spread the jam, or marmalade, on the fish. Lightly salt and pepper the fish before adding the jam and then bake for about 7 minutes in a 375 degree F oven. Enjoy.

Golden Plum Jam or Orange Marmalade Coated Salmon served on a bed of Steamed Red Chard and Spinach.

Next we have a delicious venison backstrap pan roast with a special Blackberry Jam Sauce. A mixture of reduced blackberry jam, made from fresh blackberries from our daughter’s bushes last fall, and a good balsamic vinegar and apple cider. (See the recipe) OK. So your question is, “What is backstrap?”

Venison backstraps are a cut of meat that is found along the back of a deer; alongside the spine. They are often confused with a tenderloin cut of meat. While they aren’t the same as a tenderloin, they are considered one of the most tender cuts of meat of a deer. Also, known as striploin. There are 2 ways of dealing with a venison saddle, the most common is to prepare a venison backstrap or striploin. The difference between backstrap and tenderloin is, backstrap refers to a length of loin on the back of a deer, elk, moose, etc. It’s the ribeye in beef and loin in pork. Tenderloins are the two strips of very tender meat under the loin, behind the ribs.

Recipe: http://www.rockinrs.com/Erics-Venison-Backstrap.pdf

Venison Backstrap plated with Asparagus and Mashed Garlic Potatoes

This dish would be awesome with a pork tenderloin, if you don’t have venison. Use the same recipe that is linked under the photo of the venison. If you use pork tenderloin, serve it with beets, either whole small beets or sliced, or sauteed cabbage.

Coq au Vin for Valentines

17 Thursday Feb 2022

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5-Stars, Buy Idaho, Buy Local, Captain's Shack, Carrots, Chicken, Classic Cuisines, Cooking Styles, Food - French, Heirloom Carrots, Herbs, Homemade Sauce, Main Dish, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Pork Belly, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Recipes - Dinner, Recipes - French, What's For Dinner?

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coq au vin, morel mushrooms, pork belly

Coq au Vin, Rooster in Wine, was my choice this year to make for Robin, my wife of almost 40 years, and Marnie, my daughter. It’s not for the faint of heart. It takes some ambition and time. But it is well worth it. Delicious!

Just a few suggestions. Prep your ingredients first. I suggest paper bowls for your prep work. Take your time and don’t rush through this. If you are thinking of using an Instant Pot, try, instead, a large cast-iron skillet, at least 2″ deep and a glass lid, you can’t watch the cooking through a solid lid. The dish takes almost a constant vigil.

I used a package of frozen Pearl Onions instead of fresh ones that I would have to peel; heirloom carrots instead of the orange ones; Courvoisier Cognac instead of brandy; dried morel mushrooms reconstituted in the wine used for the dish instead of button mushrooms; pork belly cut into strips instead of bacon and for the beurre manie, I just added to the oil in the pan some flour for thickening. For the chicken, I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs. The original recipe, Julia Child’s, calls for you to cut up a chicken. (Still had to skin and de-bone the thighs.)

And this really needs to be emphasized: Watch your temperatures and don’t burn the sauce. Keep the liquid level just covering the chicken – use chicken stock, not broth, if necessary – and use a medium to low simmer temperature.

Recipe – http://www.rockinrs.com/CS-Coq-Au-Vin.pdf

In my opinion, the dish has enough vegetables in it. So I did not use asparagus or rice to serve with it. I also served it with a dish of fresh cut fruit. Marnie had a Red Velvet Cake for dessert Try this and let us know what you think. We loved it.

Two Meals to Try

11 Friday Feb 2022

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5-Stars, Buy Idaho, Buy Local, Captain's Shack, Cheese, Chicken, Classic Cuisines, Classic Herb Blends, Classis Sauces, Cooking Styles, Dinner With Family, Food - French, Food Photos, French Wines, Homemade Sauce, Idaho Vegetables, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe By: Captain's Shack, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Recipe By: Robin Young, Recipes, What's For Dinner?

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Alfredo, coq au vin, shrimp

Here are two meals we made. The first is probably one of the best alfredo sauces I have ever eaten. Not “gummy” with cheese, but rather clean and smooth. Shrimp went very well with the sauce. The second is an “Old Persons Meal”, of sorts. Fried chicken with garlic mashed potatoes with pan dripping gravy and garden green beans. Enjoy these.

Recipe – http://www.rockinrs.com/CS-Alfredo-Sauce.pdf

The recipe calls for penne pasta, but we didn’t have any. So we used linguini which worked very well. The shrimp really added to the dish – you could probably use any seafood, scallops, lobster or Dungeness crab might be good, or other protein. Use your imagination.

The Alfredo was smooth and creamy and not grainy. It added to the shrimp we used and did not conflict with it. Several flavor levels came through that were delicious.

I have had problems when frying chicken, but this one seems to have over come that flaw. I added some baking powder to the flour that I used to coat the chicken and beaten egg to dredge the chicken in before the flour. We also made sure the chicken was dry before dredging. Cook slowly over medium high heat for about 5 minutes per side, taking care not to burn the chicken. Start cooking skin side down. We always use thighs, or second joints if you are on the East coast, bone-in and skin on.

The gravy was made from the pan drippings to which we added some flour and some wine. Made sure that was all mixed then added some half and half and completely combined to make the smooth gravy. It was delicious.

So there are two more meals from this past week. Next thing I am trying is Coq au Vin, Rooster in Wine. Probably not as good as Julia Child would do, but good nonetheless. Stay tuned and Good Eating!

2 Classic Dishes: Kielbasa and Pierogis and Pork Wontons

04 Friday Feb 2022

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5-Stars, Asian - Sauces, Asian - Spices, Asian Food, Cabbage, Captain's Shack, Cooking Styles, Dinner At The Captains Shack, Dinner With Family, Ethnic Foods, Food - Asian, Food - Make Your Own Meals, Food - Polish, Food Photos, Ginger, Local Markets, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Recipes, Recipes - Dinner, recipes appetizers, What's For Dinner?

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kielbasa, pierogi, pork, recipes, sauer kraut, Wine

Actually I have never made either of these dishes before, so this was an exciting trip! The idea for the kielbasa dish came from Rachael Ray, but I radically changed some of the ingredients by adding additional spices and herbs and eliminating others. The sauerkraut, for instance, was to be one with cumin and caraway and if you could not find one like that, adjust it by adding a “scant” teaspoon each. I went to a 2 teaspoons each and it was wonderful. I also added turmeric and Riesling wine. I guess that’s the German in me. Here is the recipe for our CS Kielbasa and Pierogi Combo dinner – http://www.rockinrs.com/CS-Kielbasa-Pierogi-Combo.pdf

Kielbasa and Pierogi Combo ready for the oven

The second dish we made, my wife Robin came up with this one, I definitely have never made. It takes some time and effort, but I think well worth it. It’s basically, ground pork, not sausage, fresh ginger and garlic, Shoyu soy sauce (Japanese) and green onions wrapped in wonton pastry. Care must be taken when frying these and not burn them. They should be a light brown color. Here is the recipe for these – http://www.rockinrs.com/CS-Pork-Wontons.pdf.

Filling the wontons. You might want to use a little shredded Napa cabbage in each one too.

The wontons sealed and ready to cook. There is more than one way to seal these.

The wontons out of the fryer. Notice they are brown and not burned. Keep your eye on them while cooking. They will burn quickly.

Presentation plate with Shoyu soy sauce with grated ginger.

So there you have two more dishes to try. The wontons might just make a good appetizer or “tailgate food” for a sporting event. Enjoy!

Two Great Meals

04 Friday Jun 2021

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5-Stars, Acme Bake Shop Sourdough, Buy Idaho, Captain's Shack, Chef Lou, Corn, Dill, Edible Flowers, Eggs, Fennel, Food - Frozen, Food - Make Your Own Meals, Food Photos, Food Prep, Green Peas, Heirloom Tomatoes, Herbs and Spices, Housemade Salad Dressing, Idaho Dairy, Idaho Eggs, Idaho Greens, Idaho Potatoes, Idaho Trout, Idaho Vegetables, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Made From Scratch, Main Dish, Marsing, Mustard, Onion, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Potato Salad, Potatoes, Prep Work, What's For Dinner?

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Acme Bakeshop, Boise Farmers Market, edible flowers, heirloom tomatoes, shrimp, sourdough bread

Two Great Meals

This potato salad,the recipe is located here Chef Lou’s Potato Salad, is full of vegetables. (Pictured above) You can use veggies, or not, or choose your own. The salad has an awesome dressing of mayo, apple cider vinegar and Dejon mustard. I also added some fresh lovage to add to the “celery” flavor. Try it. Easy to make. I chilled the cooked potatoes before adding them to the sauce/vegetable mix. I also cut the potatoes in “bite sized” pieces before cooking them. Try using new potatoes and quarter them.

The second wonderful dish we made was a Shrimp Salad. (Pictured above) This was a great, summer salad and it can be made ahead of time and refrigerated. Full of vegetables and shrimp and with a creamy sauce. I added frozen peas and corn to this salad which gave a a nice texture and flavor. I also used some fresh lovage in this, too. You could probably use lobster instead of shrimp, if you are so inclined. We served it with baked Orange Kokanee – salmon – (7 min at 375 degrees F) for 7 minutes. Toasted Sourdough Wedges with butter and garlic.

Well there are two meals you can play with. Have fun and enjoy! Just don’t forget: If it is on a plate, it is edible! Don’t ever put something on a plate that is not edible.

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Cream of Asparagus and Leek Soup and Bobotie

29 Thursday Apr 2021

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5-Stars, Apple, Apricots, Asparagus, Bacon, Basmati rice, Beef, Bobotie, Captain's Shack, Cast Iron, Chutney, Eggs, Falls Brand Bacon, Food - African, Food Photos, Fruit, Garlic, Lamb, Photos By: Bob Young, South African, What's For Dinner?

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apricots, Bobotie, lamb, recipes, South African, yellow rice

Cream of Asparagus and Leek Soup

We came across this awesome asparagus and since we have a contact to pick some – 75 pounds worth – and after some were canned, we made this awesome soup. Changed it slightly, I added some bacon for another layer of flavor and it was super. Not hard to do. Great with the fresh asparagus you are picking. Here is the recipe. Try it and see what you think, http://www.rockinrs.com/CS-Asparagus-Soup.pdf

Bobotie – A South African dish

Then we tried this South African dish, Bobotie. We like it with lamb, even though the recipe calls for beef. And we change the chutney to apricot jam and julienned dried apricots. We also made our yellow rice with turmeric. The rice: For this Basmati rice, which we browned in butter before we added water, and then brought it to a boil, reduced the heat to a slow simmer and covered it. Took about 15 minutes to cook it. Here is the recipe. Enjoy! http://www.rockinrs.com/CS-Bobotie.pdf

From Wikipedia, “Today, bobotie is much more likely to be made with beef of lamb, although pork can be used. Early recipes incorporated ginger, marjoram and lemon rind (zest); the introduction of curry powder has simplified the recipe but the basic concept remains the same. Some recipes also call for chopped onions and almonds to be added to the mixture. Traditionally, bobotie incorporates dried fruit like raisins or sultanas (yellow raisins). It is often garnished with bay leaves, walnuts, chutney and bananas. Although not particularly spicy, the dish incorporates a variety of flavours that can add complexity. For example, the dried fruit (usually apricots and raisins/sultanas) contrasts the curry flavouring. The texture of the dish is also complex, the baked egg mixture topping complementing the milk-soaked bread which adds moisture to the dish. Bobotie is usually served with “yellow rice”, which is rice cooked with turmeric.“

A very good Pappadelle Dinner

23 Friday Apr 2021

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5-Stars, Acme Bake Shop Sourdough, Beef, Boise Artisan Bakery's, Buy Local, Captain's Shack, Classic Herb Blends, Cooking Styles, Dinner At Marnies, Dinner With Family, Food Photos, Garlic, Idaho Beef, Idaho Pork, Idaho Wine, Italian foods, Local Markets, Malheur River Meats, Mushrooms, Pasta, Petit Verdot, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Recipes - Dinner, Recipes - Italian, What's For Dinner?

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Pappadelle, Petit Verdot, ragu, red wine ragu

Pappadelle with Red Wine Ragu and Toasted Sourdough with Garlic

We came across this recipe from two different sources, one was Chef Jacques Pepin, and then we adjusted both recipes to make this one. It was delicious! We added a little chervil (French parsley) and Herbs de Provence, which we blend ourselves. We also added a little ground pork. Next time, too, I may add some diced garlic cloves. It is missing in this recipe, excerpt for the Garlic Toast (Acme Bakeshop Sourdough).

The other item that you may want to contemplate is the type of Passata – tomato sauce – you use. I like Cento Traditional, but I also like Rao’s Traditional and Mutti. Any of these are good, but if you prefer to use your own that you have made from all those seasonal Roma or San Marzano, then do so. Please though, when you puree the sauce, leave the skins on.

So here is our recipe. Enjoy it. http://www.rockinrs.com/CS-Pappadelle-Red-Wine-Ragu.pdf Let us know your opinions.