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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
Dinner is plated
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!
Sorry for the long delay in getting articles or recipes posted. It’s been a crappy Fall, but things are returning to normal now. I will create this post, as I have done in the past with all posts, with a good description of the dish and a link to the recipe that we have created. Most of the recipes, however, are original only to the point that we have altered the original recipe to fit our needs. Most of the recipes presented here and on this blog, have a note attached to them “Source: adapted from (some other recipe)“. At least then, you know where you can find the original recipe. Please, as in the past, feel free to use and try any recipe presented and let us know how it came out and if you liked it or not.
Let’s start with a great soup. Did you ever see the movie Tortilla Soup? Well here is the recipe for that soup, Tortilla Soup http://www.rockinrs.com/Tortilla-Soup.pdf. I’m sorry I don’t have a photo of it. This is fun to make – you can make it as spicy as you want – and great eating. We love it!
And to start the main course off, how about Roasted Prime Rib of Beef? Really easy to do, but be sure you follow the cooking directions exactly. Recipe – http://www.rockinrs.com/CS-Prime-Rib.pdf. This recipe calls for an herb butter and we used our Herb de Provence, http://www.rockinrs.com/CS-Herbs.pdf. Use it liberally and mix well with room temperature butter. I even went so far as to, after adding the herb butter and salt, to dry brine this in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Came out great!
And here is a great leftover prime rib dish, Leftover Prime Rib Beef Stroganoff. (recipe – http://www.rockinrs.com/Leftover-Beef-Stroganoff.pdf) The original recipe called for Baby Portabella mushrooms, but we had some dried Morel mushrooms collected this past Fall and I reconstituted them in a little vodka and used some of the liquid in the sauce.
Leftover Prime Rib Stroganoff
Total time to make this dish is about 20 minutes, not counting preparing the egg noodles or rice. If you would prefer not to use noodles, you can always use rice. If you use rice, I would probably use Basmati or Jasmin. Either way, we loved this and will make it again. Delicious flavors and easy to do. I even had someone tell me they have made a similar stroganoff with leftover meat loaf.
For the last of the prime rib, you can also make a delicious and scrumptious Prime Rib Soup. This is almost a one pot meal. Hearty with the barley in it. Great on a cold winter day. Just takes some time to make, about 3 hours and 15 minutes. But well worth it. Great herb combination in it. Here is the recipe – http://www.rockinrs.com/Prime-Rib-Soup.pdf
Prime Rib Soup
It takes a little time, but well worth it. The barley is really a great addition. That pretty much uses up the prime rib leftovers. But, there are 3 different meals from this cut of beef.
This is a big, hearty meal that will satisfy most big appetites. The speck gives a wonderful flavor the the spaetzle a great texture. We used a store bought spaetzle because I don’t have a spaetzle maker. We bought the spaetzle and the speck from a German shop here in Boise.
A great shortbread treat full of toasted pecan bits, almond extract and a little rum, that is not in the recipe. I don’t usually do this, but our neighbor has a cookie business and they are good. Her business name isCrumb by devlyn and can be reached at (910) 405-4718 or emailed at crumbbydevlyncookies@gmail.com (No. I made the shortbread cookies!)
Enjoy these dishes. They are all good and worth a try. gutes Essen in German or biadh math is Gaelic. That covers my heritage.
Fun time in the kitchen this past late summer. Mostly “playing” Chopped of the Kitchen: “These are the ingredients, make something edible!” In other words, mostly no recipe, just do it!
And let’s remember: The best ingredients are not processed ingredients, but rather go to your local Farmers Market. Visit your local fruit stand. You control what ingredients to use, not a major super market. Although, there are some really good super markets available, Just look at the ingredients and where the fruits and vegetables are grown, In My Not So Humble Opinion. Buy Local! Look at some of these meals. Enjoy, we did! Here is a link to Kelley’s Canyon Orchards for fantastic fruits. Look in the sidebar for more links to some fantastic produce and farm products.
Shrimp Omelet with Herbal Hollandaise Sauce. Here is the recipe that we use for making our own – from scratch – Hollandaise Sauce. CIA Basic Hollandaise Sauce. We modified this one to add fresh herbs, from the garden.
Robin said she wanted a toasted shredded wheat biscuit for breakfast with bananas. I added the blueberries. The biscuit has brown sugar on it that is caramelized with a torch.
Or how about this Toasted Whole Wheat Sandwich with Avocado and Tomato for breakfast. The tomato was from True Roots Gardens and the Whole Wheat was from Acme Bakeshop. Both vendors are at the Boise Farmers Market,
German Benedict for breakfast. The Hollandaise is linked above. Why a German Benedict? The spices on the Air Fried potatoes is a blend or German spices.
You like Eggs Benedict? Look at these.
Salmon Benedict on a Bed of Spinach and Fresh Idaho BFM Fruit – Israeli Melon (Awesome!) and Blueberries. The Hollandaise is linked above and we added tarragon and thyme from our garden.
Grilled Brisket Benedict on a Bed of Spinach on Toasted Acme Bakeshop Sourdough and Fresh BFM Fruit. The Hollandaise is linked above and we added tarragon and thyme from our garden.
Grilled brisket? Or AirFryer goodies? Here was an awesome meals.
German Potato Salad
Grilled Brisket, German Potato Salad, Fresh BFM Fruit and Cowboy Beans 2017 Parma Ridge Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
Chicken? How about AirFryer Asian Chicken and Grilled Baby Bok Choy and Green Salad Here is the recipe: AF Asian Chicken.
AirFryer Steak with Sauteed Summer Squash and Fresh Beet and Beet Green Salad Here is the recipe – AF Ribeye Steak
AirFryer Pork Chop, Green Peas, Potato Cubes and Cantaloupe Malheur River Meats is where we got these pork chops. Awesome products! See their link in the sidebar.
Crab Cakes with Caprese Salad
Cognac Shrimp Reduction
Cognac Shrimp with Vegetables
So there are some of our meals. We eat well and very good. Thank goodness for the Boise Farmers Market every weekend during the season. Be sure to check our recipe file above. It gets updated regularly. Cheers and Cook Your Own Meals – They’re better!
This week in mid February, 2019, was dedicated to the one I love. (There ought to be a song written to that phrase!) A week in the kitchen. Planning. Finding. Testing and tasting. Preparing. Serving. It was an exciting week and very fulfilling. I know she liked the meals – they are all gone! That’s always a good sign. Here are some of the dishes we had. And to answer the question – someone did ask – yes I did make all of this. There are recipe links where available. Enjoy! (Left-Click any of these photos to see them enlarged.)
Eggs Benedict are always liked. Especially on a Sunday morning.
Crab Louie salad is awesome.
Or maybe a Crab Omelet one weekday morning.
Scallop and Watercress Salad makes a great dinner.
The absolute best meal, and the one that took the most time, patience and tasting, was this one. The sides that Robin wanted are checked in red. The salad and the entree are fixed.
Valentines Day Dinner Menu
We had a 2014 Indian Creek Winery (ID) Chardonnay with this dinner
Caprese Salad
Stuffed Lobster with Crab
Brussels Sprouts in Balsamic Reduction
Parsley Potatoes
Two sauces were made for the entree – Lemon Butter Sauce for the lobster, and Brandy Mayonnaise Sauce for the crab.
Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
Peanut Butter Cookies
After all of these delicious seafood meals and all, we had to make something, well ………. more subtle. Like some Robin’s Vegetable Soup. But this is not your standard peas, corn, tomato, etc soup. Try some leek, celery, turmeric, etc soup. It is delicious!!
Robin’s Vegetable Soup
So there it is – Our Valentines Day (Week) in the kitchen. Nothin’ says lovin’ like something from the kitchen! Cheers and enjoy the recipes.
I have had several questions on what is the difference between the types of French bread. Here is a good graphic from Cooks Country. Hope it helps. Left-Click the graphic to see it enlarged.
And then why not have some of the bread with garlic and butter and a good Spaghetti Carbonaro.
This was such a delightful meal to make for friends Krista and Jess – Krista helps weed the flower beds. And she even gave us a beautiful White Daisy plant for the front bed. – A couple of weeks ago, we made breakfast for Donna who also helps us in the garden. The breakfast was Eggs Benedict! – The buffalo was local from Brown’s Buffalo Ranch in Nyssa, Oregon. Phone: 1-(541)-372-5588 or 208-741-5449, 720 Stephens Blvd., Nyssa, OR 97913. Hump roasts can be tough. But this one cooked for 6 hours on low in the crockpot 1/2 cup bone stock and 1 cup sherry and it was awesome! Spring vegetables – baby carrots, baby turnips, spring onions and rutabaga – were placed in the broth at different times. Here are some photos. Enjoy!
Eggs Benedict
Fresh Beet Salad
Buffalo Hump Roast and Fresh Garden Vegetables. Served with Acme Bakeshop Garlic Scapes and Rosemary Bread.
Skillet Apple Pie with Cinnamon Fresh Whipped Cream (Recipe – Skillet Apple Pie)
Just a little cloudy and cool, but still fun to see all of the “new”, fresh produce. Great to see some new vendors, too. And with new vendors, comes new “kitchen” ideas and menus. And here are just a few. And with that, comes some new products. The first is Lions Mane Mushrooms. CAUTION:Know your wild mushrooms and the distributors before eating. Some are toxic!
Hericium erinaceus (also called lion’s mane mushroom, monkey head, bearded tooth mushroom, satyr’s beard, bearded hedgehog mushroom, pom pom mushroom, or bearded tooth fungus) is an edible and medicinal mushroom belonging to the tooth fungus group. Native to North America, Europe and Asia it can be identified by its long spines (greater than 1 cm length), its appearance on hardwoods and its tendency to grow a single clump of dangling spines. Hericium erinaceus can be mistaken for other species of Hericium, all popular edibles, which grow across the same range. In the wild, these mushrooms are common during late summer and fall on hardwoods, particularly American beech. [Wikipedia]
Common name: Lion’s Mane, Bearded Tooth, Hedgehog Mushroom, Satyr’s Beard, Old Man’s Beard, Unbranched Hericium.
Description: The bearded tooth fungus is white when fresh and yellowish with age. It has long spines. The fungus is 4-10” (10-25 cm) across. It is an oval to rounded solid mass of spines which hang in a beardlike fashion. The spines cover the sides and are formed in lines. This fungus is attached to the tree by a tough, thick, root like structure. The spines are .4 – 1.5 “ (1-4cm) long.
Ecology/associated hosts: The bearded tooth can be parasitic, found on living trees; especially oak, maple, and beech, and saprotrophic, found on decaying hardwoods. The season is from August – November.
Harvest: Harvest of bearded tooth mushrooms can be difficult as often the fungus is growing high in a tree. The best method is to cut the fruit body at the base, close to the tree and thus remove it in one piece.
Many wild picked Hericium mushrooms may house various tiny beetles and/or sawdust, appearing like bits of decayed wood. Thorough cleaning by shaking and hand removal of such nuisances is often needed. If the mushroom has begun to discolor to a yellowish tone, it is too old and likely will have a sour or unpleasant flavor after cooking. [Midwest Mycology Org]
With all of this information in mind, here is one use – A Lion’s Mane Mushroom Omelet!
Lion’s Mane Mushroom and Garlic
Sautéed Lion’s Mane Mushrooms with Garlic
Lion’s Mane Mushroom Omelet
Raspberries and Blueberries
Bacon
Garlic Toast
And then there is seafood. I grew up on seafood – which I did not particularly like at the time. But it was either seafood or liver. I really don’t care how you cook liver or what you do to it – It’s still liver! If you like crab cakes, and Robin and I do, here is a recipe we came up with. Give it a try. CS Crab Cakes. These are mostly East Coast Style, less the saltine crackers. But still made with Blue Crab (Phillips). It’s an Atlantic thing.
Crab cakes in egg rings and getting ready to cool down. The cooling is important!
CS Crab Cakes
Asian Salad
But you can not have dinner without breakfast. Here are two to try. Differently good!
Lemon Pancakes Over Easy Eggs
Avocado Eggs Toasted Acme Bakeshop Sourdough Logs Fruit Polenta Cakes
(Remove the seed from 1/2 an avocado and place a poached or soft cooked egg in the hole. Top with micro greens.)
Whisky Cured Salmon (Lox)
Shepherd’s Pie
And the good thing about all of these meals? 95% of the ingredients came from the Boise Farmers Market or their vendors. (Eggs, lamb, polenta, micro greens, bread, bread crumbs (from Acme Bakeshop sourdough bread), mushroom, etc. We eat well and know where our products come from. Thank-You BFM and vendors!
Snow! Cold! Great time to stay inside by the fireplace. Snow keeps falling. Lots of food. Seafood mostly for New Years Eve. Then vegetarian – roasted spaghetti squash. Look. And look, too, at the wonderful Beef Wellington that Chris and Anna made. Awesome!
New Years Eve
Shrimp Bacon Wrapped Scallops Rice and Cheese Balls Deviled Eggs Variety of Wines
2017 Day Two
Baked Spaghetti Squash Steamed Cabbage and Onion Roasted Herbed Tomatoes
And then, check this out! Chris and Anna made this beautiful – absolutely beautiful – Beef Wellington. Look at this.
Beef Wellington Note the Brussels Sprouts in the background! Wow! Looks like a super dinner. You and Anna should really be proud, Chris.
Porcini Crusted Desert Mountain Ribeye Toasted Acme Bakeshop Bruchetta with Rubbed Garlic Sunnyside Up Meadowlark Farms Eggs 2016 Parma Ridge Tre Bianchi
Now how good is this? Looks difficult to do, but surprisingly easy. Guess you want the recfipe. Here it is; Long but easy.
Porcini Rubbed Ribeye and Eggs
Adapted from: Chef Mario Batali Ingredients – Porcini Rubbed Ribeye:
2 T Sugar
1 T Celtic Sea Salt
1 t freshly ground Tellicherry Black Pepper
1 t Red Pepper Flakes
¼ c Porcini Mushroom Powder
5 cloves Garlic, peeled and minced
¼ c Olive Oil
2 Ribeye Steaks, bone-in, 2-inches thick
Ingredients – Bruschetta and Eggs:
2-3 T Olive Oil
4 lg Eggs
1 loaf crusty Italian bread, sliced ½-inch thick
3 cloves Garlic, peeled
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, to drizzle
large crystal Celtic Sea Salt, to garnish
Directions – For the Porcini-Rubbed Ribeyes:
In a small bowl add the sugar, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, mushroom powder, garlic and 1/4 cup olive oil and stir well to form a thick paste that is the consistency of wet sand.
Rub the paste all over the steaks, coating them evenly. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or overnight.
About 1 hour before grilling, remove the steak from the refrigerator and brush off the excess marinade with a paper towel. Remove to a plate and allow to come to room temperature.
Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Place the steaks on the grill, cover and cook, turning every 6 to 8 minutes for 10-15 minutes for medium-rare, the internal temperature with a meat thermometer should be 125ºF. Transfer to a carving board and let rest for 15 minutes. After the meat has rested, thinly slice against the grain.
Directions – For the Eggs and Bruschetta:
In a large nonstick pan, add a couple tablespoons of olive oil and place over medium heat. Add the eggs and cook until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with the steak.
Reduce the grill to medium heat and place the bread on top. Allow to cook until toasted and lightly grilled on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Remove and rub with a clove of garlic, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Serve with the steak and eggs.
Tip: Use your favorite herb rub if you can’t find dried porcini or porcini powder or grind your own dried porcinis.
Love to make this and it really is so easy. 5 Hour Roasted Duck and add to that some Roasted Root Vegetables and 5 Hour Roasted Duck Sauce, also really good with ham, and you will have a superb and wonderful dinner. A good 2013 Indian Creek Petit Verdot goes extremely well with it.
Several people have asked how to make the duck. Basically – season with Celtic sea salt and fresh ground Tellicherry Black Pepper, stuff with sweet apple and pear, prick the skin all over and cook in a 300°F oven and turn every hour for 5 hours. Last hour raise temperature to 350°F. Do not cover throughout the cooking process.
First of all, the moon must be full. If not, the recipe may not work.
Duck has been salt and peppered and stuffed with Braeburn Apple and Bosch Pear. Oven is preheated to 300°F
After each hour, turn the duck and prick the skin. This is after 1 hour. Pricking the skin at each turn, keeps the duck fat basting the duck.
At 3 hours, things happen. Starting to brown nicely.
Root vegetables are large cut and put into the bottom of the baking pan. This roasts the vegetables and keeps the duck off of the pan surface. The vegetables here are heirloom carrot, heirloom beet, local onion, parsnips and turnips.
Make stock from the vegetable pieces and the duck neck and parts. Simmer low and slow!
Lay the duck directly onto the vegetables and return to the 300°F oven. Cook for another hour.
At 4 hours last turn. It is smelling yummy now.
At 5 hours, remove from the oven and let cool, somewhat.
Yummy slices.
Here is the Cranberry/Cherry sauce for the duck.
Oh yes. Dessert – Pound Cake with Fresh Raspberries and Fresh Whipped Cream.
Boise Foodie Guild 