Some Thanksgiving Suggestions

18 Saturday Nov 2017

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5-Stars, Black Beans, Boise Adventures, Boise Farmers Market, Boise Food Adventures, Breakfast, Brine, Brunch, Buy Idaho, Captain's Shack, Comfort Food, Crockpot, Eggs, Eggs - Huevos Rancheros, Ethnic Foods, Garlic, Ham, Homemade Sauce, Housemade Sauces, Idaho Eggs, Idaho Potatoes, Interesting Information, Local Farmers Markets, Meadowlark Farms, Mexican Food, Potatoes, Recipes, Recipes - Breakfast, Recipes - Dinner, Recipes - Mexican, What's For Dinner?

≈ Leave a comment

It seems as though everytime a holiday comes around, Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter for instance, that those traditional family gatherings arrive with questions. Especially, questions from the kitchen. What shall I make for a special breakfast? Or, is there a different way to make mashed potatoes? Or, how do I brine a turkey?
All are good questions and I suppose there are many, many answers. After searching the web and aking questions from some Chef friends and venders at the Saturday Market, here are three suggestions. I’m going to try each one of these and I really believe that they will turn out really good. So here are the three recipes for “How To Brine A Turkey“, “Mashed Potatoes in a Slow Cooker” and “Salsa Ranchera” for Huevos Rancheros. Enjoy and if you use any of these, tell us how it came out. Cheers and Happy Holidays! Left-Click these photos to see them enlarged.

How To Brine a Turkey
Makes 1 turkey

Ingredients
1 turkey
4 quarts water
1 cup coarse kosher salt, or 3/4 cup table salt
Aromatics: bay leaf, peppercorns, cloves, juniper berries, allspice berries, orange peels, lemon peels, etc.

Equipment
1 large pot or bucket with a lid
Measuring cups and spoons
Paper towels

Instructions
1) Find a pot and make fridge space: Find a pot or food-safe bucket large enough that you will be able to entirely submerge your turkey. Next, clear some fridge space and make sure your pot will fit.
2) Place the turkey in the pot: Unwrap your turkey and remove the giblets, then transfer it to your pot. Add any aromatics you’d like to use.

Mix the brine solution: Heat 1 quart of water in the microwave until warmed — it doesn’t need to come to a boil, just be warm enough to dissolve the salt. Add the salt and stir until the salt has dissolved. Let the liquid cool slightly; it’s fine if it’s still a touch warm.
Pour the brine solution over the turkey. Pour the remaining 3 quarts of water over the turkey: This dilutes the salt solution to the best ratio for brining and also helps further cool the solution.
2) Make sure the turkey is completely submerged: If necessary, prepare additional brine solution at a ratio of 1/4 cup per quart of water to completely submerge the turkey.
Cover and refrigerate: If the turkey floats, weigh it down with a dinner plate. Cover the pot and place it in the refrigerator.
3) Brine for 12 to 24 hours.
4) Rinse the turkey in cool water and pat dry. Clean your sink thoroughly after doing this step to avoid cross-contamination. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Dry for another 24 hours for crispier skin.
Optional: If you have time, let the turkey air-dry overnight in the fridge. Place it on a roasting rack set inside a roasting pan and cover loosely with plastic bags to avoid cross contamination. This drying step will give your turkey crispier skin.
5) Roast as usual, but check your turkey early: You can roast the turkey either immediately after brining or after air-drying. I’ve found that brined turkeys tend to cook a bit more quickly, so cook as usual, but start checking the turkey’s temperature an hour before the end of your estimated cooking time.

Mashed Potatoes in the Slow Cooker
Serves: 8 to 10
Source: adapted from The Kitchn

Ingredients:
5 lbs Russet Potatoes
3 to 4 cloves Garlic, optional
1 t Celtic Sea Salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground Tellicherry Black Pepper, to taste
3 to 3½ c Whole Milk, or a mixture of milk and cream
½ c unsalted Butter

Directions:
Peel and chop the potatoes: Lightly grease the slow cooker insert with butter or cooking spray. Peel the potatoes and chop into small pieces about 1 inch to a side. The smaller the potatoes, the faster they will cook, obviously. Transfer the potatoes to the slow cooker.
Add the seasonings: Smash the garlic cloves, if using, and drop on top of the potatoes. Stir in the salt and a generous quantity of black pepper.
Pour in 1½ cups milk: Pour in 1½ cups milk and stir the potatoes once.
Cook until tender: Cover the slow cooker and cook 4 to 5 hours on HIGH or until the potatoes are very tender and soft. Turn the heat to WARM.

Melt the butter: When the potatoes are done, melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat.

Warm the dairy: Stir 2 cups milk, or a mixture of milk and cream, into the melted butter and warm gently over low heat.

Mash the potatoes: If you used garlic but don’t want the potatoes super garlicky, remove the garlic cloves and discard. Use a spoon to scoop out and discard any browned bits on the sides of the pot. Use a potato masher or ricer to mash the potatoes right in the pot.

Slowly stir in the dairy: When the potatoes are as smooth as you like, slowly stir in the warmed dairy and butter. The potatoes will look soupy at first but the potatoes will quickly soak up the liquid. Add an additional ½ cup of milk or cream if you want them to be even creamier.

Taste and season: Taste and season with additional salt or pepper if desired.

Keep warm: To keep the potatoes warm, leave in the covered slow cooker on the WARM setting for up to 4 hours.

Salsa Ranchera

Salsa Ranchera Recipe from Mexico
(Cómo preparar una Salsa Ranchera auténtica en tu casa)
[huevos rancheros—”rancher’s-style” eggs]

Source: adapted from mexgrocer
Preparation: 10 Cook Time: 1 Servings: 6

Ingredients:
2 Roma Tomatoes, diced
½ white Onion, diced
2 cloves Garlic, diced
1 T Vegetable Oil
Serrano chile as desired
2 1/2 T Oregano
1 t Cumin
Juice of half a Lime
Celtic Sea Salt

Directions:
Submerge the tomatoes in boiling water for a few seconds. Peel them, dice them and put them in what will be your salsa bowl. Chop up the onion, chili, and garlic and mix with the tomato. Add the oil and the lime juice and sprinkle with oregano.

Huevos Ranchera

Huevos Rancheros
An Easy Mexican Recipe

Source: adapted from mylatinatable.com/best-huevos-rancheros/

Ingredients:
2 lg Eggs
2 Corn Tortillas
¼ Onion, chopped
BlackmRefried beans (homemade or store bought)
2 med Potatoes
Thick cut Ham, cut into cubes
Salsa Ranchero
Celtic Sea Salt, fresh ground Tellicherry Black Pepper to taste
Queso Fresco and Cilantro to garnish.

Directions:
Sauté the potatoes, onion, and ham in a small amount of olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Lightly fry the tortillas, and pat dry. Put on a plate. Warm up the refried beans, and spread onto the tortillas.
Fry an egg to your preferred level of doneness, and put on top of the tortilla and beans. Top with salsa ranchero, queso fresco, and fresh cilantro. Serve with the potato, onion, and ham mix.

Slow Cooker Cooking

17 Sunday Jul 2016

Posted by Bob and Robin in Cooking Classes, Cooking Safety, Cooking Styles, Crockpot, Dinner in a Crockpot, Food Prep, Housemade Soup, Interesting Information, Kitchen Adventures, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Local Markets, Oven to Crockpot, What's For Dinner?

≈ 1 Comment

Ah yes. The infamous Crock-Pot, or Slow Cooker. In an article in the Huffington Post, A Brief History Of The Crock Pot, The Original Slow Cooker, they state that “… People tend to use the terms “Crock Pot” and “slow cookers” interchangeably, but they are not, in fact, interchangeable. While all Crock Pots are slow cookers, not all slow cookers are Crock Pots…Don’t get too disappointed. Just because the Crock Pot is a brand doesn’t mean it doesn’t have an interesting back story. In fact, the Crock Pot’s story is rooted in Jewish mothers and beans. The device was inspired by a dish the inventor’s mother told him about. From a humble bowl of bean stew grew a kitchen ware empire. Here’s the story:…Irving Naxon applied for a patent for a food heating device in 1936. His device consisted of an insert, held up by a case that held a heating device, which facilitated even heating of food inside the insert. The device was also portable…By 1940, Naxon got his patent for the device he called the Naxon Beanery, and he says his Lithuanian mother, Tamara Kaslovski Nachumsohn, inspired him. Naxon’s mother had told him stories about a bean-based stew she used to make in her village bakery at home in Lithuania.
In the early 1970s, Naxon sold his design to Rival Manufacturing, who rebranded his Beanery and put it on the market as the Crock Pot. It was marketed toward working mothers who could put food in the pot before leaving for the office and come home to a cooked meal; the Crock Pot sold millions through the ‘70s. The Crock Pot “cooks all day while the cook’s away,” a 1976 advertisement said, the LA Times reports…
Today, slow cooking is as popular as ever, as 83 percent of families owned a slow cooker in 2011, according to Consumer Reports. The original Crock Pot design has changed little over the years, but now the insert is removable, a major improvement.”

But what about all the recipes I have collected over the years. How can I adapt them to the Slow Cooker? Good question. From About (dot) com we get some interesting information on this subject. Homecooking.

Reduce the amount of liquid used in most oven recipes when using the LOW setting, since the crockpot retains all moisture that usually evaporates when cooking in the oven. Add liquids for sauces about an hour before done. You will normally end up with more liquid at the end of cooking times, not less. A general rule is to reduce liquids by half, unless rice or pasta is in the dish.

• Spices may need to be adjusted. Whole herbs and spices are more flavorful in crockpot cooking while ground spices may have lose some flavor. Add ground spices during the last hour of cooking. Whole herbs and spices will probably need to be reduced by half.
• Crockpots may vary but generally, the LOW setting is about 200 degrees Fahrenheit and the HIGH setting is about 300 degrees. One hour on HIGH is approximately equal to 2 to 2 1/2 hours on LOW. Most crockpot recipes recommend cooking 8-10 hours on LOW. Some recipes recommend the HIGH setting based on the nature and texture of the food.
You will have to judge your recipe accordingly. For example, beef cuts will be better cooked on LOW for 8-10 hours to get a more tender texture, while chicken may be cooked on HIGH 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Ingredients to Avoid
• Rice, noodles, macaroni, seafood, milk and Chinese vegetables do not hold up well when cooked 8-10 hours. Add these to sauces or liquid about 2 hours before serving when using LOW setting (or 1 hour before if set to HIGH). If you want to use milk in an 8-10 hour recipe, use evaporated milk.
• Frozen foods cooking at low temperatures can provide the ideal medium for harmful bacteria. If you use frozen “make-ahead” ingredients in your crockpot, defrost them first.

Prepping for the Crockpot
• Choose well-marbled meats and dark-meat poultry for best results. Chicken breasts and lean meats will dry out.
• Browning meats before cooking is a personal choice. It is not necessary, but it will reduce the fat content of some meats. Browned meats also benefit textually and visually.
• Sautéing vegetables (like onions, etc) is not necessary, (except for eggplant which should be parboiled or sautéed prior due to its strong flavor). Just add them to the pot with everything else. You may wish to reduce quantities of stronger vegetables since they will permeate the other foods in the crockpot with their full flavor.

How to Convert Recipes
You generally need twice as much liquid as product to cook these ingredients. Here are basic conversion times:
If conventional time is: 15 to 30 minutes, then cooking time on low should be 4 to 6 hours.
If conventional time is 35 to 45 minutes, cooking time on low should be 6 to 8 hours.
If conventional time is 50 minutes to 3 hours, cooking time on low should be 8 to 16 hours.
Cooking most raw meat and vegetable combinations at least 8 hours on LOW. This gives the vegetables time to soften, the meat time to tenderize and all the flavors to blend.

Of course, the new hotter cooking crockpots change the rules. If you have a crockpot that is less than five years old, you’ll probably need to reduce the cooking time.
In fact, some of the newer recipes I’ve seen in magazines cook the food for only 3-4 hours on low. That’s not really ‘slow cooking’, but it’s the reality of the crockpot manufacturing today. Check the food at four hours on low, using an instant read meat thermometer to see if the food is done.

For more information on using your favorite recipes in a crockpot, look at Cooking Times for Specific Foods. This article has more in-depth information on cooking times for more specific items, i.e., steak, beans, chicken, Swiss steak, brisket, meatloaf, ham and soup to name a few. Give them a try. Great for Gameday treats! Here is a Gameday recipe we use, Creole Slow Cooker Pork Chops, but there are many more ideas at Boise Foodie Guild Recipes. It should be fun. Here is a link for some oven to crockpot recipes. There are more. Lots more! Five Ingredient Crockpot Recipes crockpot recipes. All that being said, here is a good resource for finding the right crockpot for you: Picking the Slow Cooker That’s Right For You.

Crock Pot Black Bean Chili

08 Sunday Feb 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Beans, Black Beans, Butternut Squash, Captain's Shack, Comfort Food, Cooking Styles, Corn, Crockpot, Dinner With Robin, Grains, Photos By: Bob Young, Quinoa, Salad, Slow Cooking, Squash, Vegetables, Vegetarian Foods, What's For Dinner?

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

black beans, butternut squash, crockpot, Idaho Power, quinoa, vegetarian dish

Yes. This is a vegetarian dish. Yes. It is really good! No. I did not miss the beef. The Quinoa gave the dish the “texture” of ground beef. The chunks of Butternut Squash gave the dish the “feel” of beef. You really should try this. It is that good. The recipe came from an Idaho Power mailing and every once in a while, they do come up with a good recipe. I just increased the corn to 1 cup and rinsed the cans out with a little red wine. That is the only change I made. The recipe is below. If you want to see these photos enlarged, Left-Click them. Enjoy!

Crock Pot Black Bean Chili Recipe courtesy Idaho Power

The chili is in the crock pot getting “happy”.

The chili is plated with tortillas and shredded lettuce.

2015 – Here We Come!

30 Tuesday Dec 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5 Hour Duck, Acme Bake Shop, Acme Bake Shop Sourdough, Appetizers, Bread, Captain's Shack, Carrots, Celebrations, Comfort Food, Crockpot, Dinner At The Captains Shack, Dinner With Robin, Duck, Grilled Vegetables, Holiday Gatherings, Holiday Menu, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Local Markets, Meadowlark Farms, Photos By: Bob Young, Slow Cooking, Special Dinners, Special Events, Tomatoes, What's For Dinner?

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

new years day, new years eve

Well, 2014 has been a good year. We spent some time on a houseboat in Portland, OR. We saw my brother and sister in Jacksonville, FL – I had not seen them for “too many years”. We saw old high school classmates in Florida, too. Had a great time in the kitchen and will be making our own pasta from now on – we got a pasta machine for our Kitchen Aid – and we will be making our own pie crusts now. The store bought ones although being good, have too much salt in them. Buddy, pictured here with his Teddy Bear, is now 12 years old. Here is how we are preparing for the New Years celebrations – Our menu.

New Years Eve
East Coast Crab Dip
Stuffed Mushroom Caps
Fried Baby Artichokes with a Yogurt Dip
Bacon Wrapped Scallops

New Years Day
Open House at Meadowlark Farms in Nampa. We are making an Italian Pot Roast with as much local products as possible; Beef, onions, carrots and potatoes are all local.

Here are some photos of our meals for the past few days; Our New Years Prep meals.

Start off with

Shrimp Pasta
Acme Bake Shop Garlic Sourdough

5 Hour Chicken
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Creamed Onions and Spinach

We have done 5 Hour Goose, 5 Hour Chicken and the original 5 Hour Duck. The duck is by far the best.

Baked Ham
Grilled Zucchini Squash
Baked Yam

So there is our Lead-Up dinners and then our menu for New Years Eve and New Years Day. And of course, there will be wine from our cellar and Martinelli’s also. What are you having? Staying home? Going out? Be careful and have a Happy New Year! Cheers!

Tailgating With Chili Con Carne

22 Saturday Nov 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in Beef, Bronco Nation, BSU, Captain's Shack, Comfort Food, Corn Bread, Crockpot, Dinner At The Captains Shack, Dinner With Robin, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Slow Cooking, Tailgate At The Captains Shack, Tailgate Party, Traditional Food, What's For Dinner?

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

chili, chili con carne, Guatemalan Corn Bread

Rainy all day. Temperature in the mid 40’s. Snow is mostly gone. Ground is soaking wet!! But this Mom’s Chili Con Carne, I modified it slightly as Robin can not eat green peppers and I added black beans too, was absolutely as I remember it. I think delicious! Then add to the chili some Guatemalan Corn Bread and we had a great Tailgate Meal. (BSU plays Wyoming tonight on ESPN). Look at this plate. Enjoy!

Mom’s Chili Con Carne
Guatemalan Corn Bread

Creole Slow Cooker Pork Chops

14 Friday Mar 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in Bone-In Pork Chops, Cajun Food, Captain's Shack, Cooking Styles, Crockpot, Main Dish, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Rice, Special Dinners, What's For Dinner?

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

bone in pork chops, Cajun food, Cajun Pork, Cajun recipes, Cajun spice flavor, rice blend

If you want to make a change in preparing bone-in pork chops, try this method. It is not a strong Cajun spice flavor, but you know it’s there. An interesting change. The recipe is posted in the Recipe File above, but here it is also: Creole Slow Cooker Pork Chops. This might also be good using chicken. Maybe the thighs? Enjoy the photos! Left-Click any of the pictures to see enlarged.

Bone-in pork chops getting happy with the Cajun Spice Blend that we make and which is also in the Recipe File above.

Cajun Pork in the crock pot.

It Was A Foodie Weekend!

29 Sunday Sep 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Acme Bake Shop Breads, Bradley Smoker, Breakfast, Captain's Shack, Comfort Food, Crockpot, Cuts of Beef, Eggs, Eggs Benedict, Food Prep, Grillin' and Chillin', Mexican Food, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Pork, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Sourdough Bread, What's For Dinner?

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

chile rellenos, german potato salad, sauerbraten, smoked pork ribs

And it all started on Saturday morning …… Early, for me! 5am. It was a tailgate weekend as BSU was playing Southern Mississippi (BSU won! 60 – 7). Seeing as how we did not have a “tailgate”, we renamed this Saturday event as a “Backgate Party”! We do have a back gate. Started the smoker at 5:30am and smoked 3 racks of pork ribs for 2 hours. But before I could do anything, we needed breakfast. Look at what I made.

Shrimp and Asparagus Omelet with Hollandaise Sauce and Toasted Acme Bake Shop Sourdough

Shrimp and Asparagus Omelet
with
Housemade Hollandaise Sauce
Toasted Acme Bake Shop Sourdough

And then to prep for the game. But it does not start until 8:30pm. Lots of time. Smoke the ribs for 2 hours in Alder. Then finish off some of them in the oven and the others in the crock pot. Slow … Slow … Slow cooking and low heat.

Smoked Pork Ribs

Finished off in the oven for 7 hours at 200 degrees F.

Paleo Smoked Ribs

Finished off in the crock pot on low for 7 hours. Yum!

Add to the ribs some Slaw, Baked Beans, Beer, Apple Crisp (thanks Marnie), Brian, Marnie and Mac and we’ve got a party. It was a long day for me. From 5am until close to 12 mid-night. Brian made breakfast on Sunday morning. Robin has this awesome recipe for Chiles Rellenos and Brian used it. Super job, Brian!

Brian preparing the Chile Rellenos.

Chile Rellenos

But then, next Tuesday we have a Board meeting with the TVWS. October finds the group trying beer! Yes, beer! Not wine this month. And to keep in the “bier frame of mind”, we are also doing an Oktoberfest theme. This should really be fun. For the Board meeting, we are trying some Samuel Adams Oktoberfest Bier, German Potato Salad, Acme Bake Shop Rye Bread and I know some other goodies. (It pays to be a Board member!) I am making a Sauerbratten, click the link for our recipe. Busy, busy, busy. But fun, fun, fun! Tonight we are going to some friends house for dinner. Going to take them some wines and stuffed cream puffs. Cheers!

Boise Crockpot Pot Roast

14 Monday Jan 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Beef, Captain's Shack, Comfort Food, Crockpot, Cuts of Beef, Main Dish, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe By: Bob Young, Recipes, Stew, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

crockpot pot roast, food, pinot noir wine, pot roasts

Personally, I think this was one of the best Pot Roasts I have ever tasted. The Demi-Glace Sauce hit the spot and makes a wonderful gravy that the roast and the vegetables cook in. The sauce thickens as the roast cooks. The original recipe came from Whole Foods here in Boise, but we changed it somewhat. Here is a link to the recipe. You might be surprised as to what we have added. Enjoy! Boise Crockpot Pot Roast. Serve this dinner with a good Pinot Noir wine, such as a 2010 Castle Rock Sonoma County Pinot Noir. That is only a suggestion as there are some other very good Pinots that will go just as well with this dinner.

Boise Crockpot Pot Roast

Happy 2013 Everyone!

01 Tuesday Jan 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Appetizers, Captain's Shack, Celebrations, Crab, Crockpot, Finger Foods, German Recipes, Holiday Gatherings, Holiday Menu, Main Dish, Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Sauerkraut, Seafood, Shell Fish, Shrimp, Special Dinners, Special Events, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

byrd cookie company, finger foods, food, new years eve, red cabbage

We do hope that everyone has a great 2013! And that you also had an exciting New Years Eve party. Robin and I did. Very quiet. But very delicious. Started out, somewhat, with this Red Cabbage and Sausage over a Baked Potato. It was yummy. Then we went to more of a party mode with the finger foods we made pictured below. Left-Click the photos to seed enlarged. Enjoy!!

A table full of Finger Foods.
Various Crackers and Chips
Steamed Shrimp
Crab Dip
Various Byrd Cookie Company Delights
Fresh Grapes
Shrimp Sauce
Stella Artois Goblets
Moscato d’Asti

A plateful of Yum!

Crockpot Sausage and Cabbage

29 Saturday Dec 2012

Posted by Bob and Robin in Brats, Captain's Shack, Comfort Food, Crockpot, Ethnic Foods, German Recipes, Main Dish, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe By: Robin Young, Sauerkraut, Sausage, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

cabernet sauvignon, dinner, fennel seeds, food, red cabbage

It’s snowing outside. Started this afternoon. And Robin said she wanted to make Sausage and Cabbage in the crockpot. This was scrumptious!! We used 1/2 head of red cabbage large chopped, 6 Falls Brand Smoked Sausages, 1 cup of a good white wine like a chardonnay or pinot gris, 1 onion large chopped, 3/4 cup of a flavorful sauerkraut (we used what we made), 1 can of whole beets and 1 T Fennel seeds. Place all in the crockpot, except for the beets, and cook for 4 hours on high. At 3 1/2 hours, add the drained beets. Serve with a 2009 Bedrock Winery Cabernet Sauvignon and you have an awesome. Dinner. Cheers!