Sweet Pepper Relish

For those of you who enjoy a pepper relish but my heat seekers pepper relish is much too hot and spicy, then this one is for you. I developed the relish using sweet peppers, garlic, basil and olive oil. The sweet peppers have less heat than a green bell pepper. This makes an excellent topping for pasta, scrambled eggs, and my favorite, crostinis. However you choose to use it, I'm sure you will enjoy it.

Click here to view the video demonstration with additional tips.

For this recipe, you'll need the following:

• Sweet chili peppers (found in the produce department of most grocery stores. They look like jalapeños but are usually an assortment of red, orange and yellow peppers)
• Roasted garlic extra virgin olive oil (you can also use regular extra virgin olive oil and add sliced garlic at the end)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• Several fresh basil leaves, julienned
• Sterilized mason jars

 

Washing the sweet peppers under cold running water and allow them to drain. Place them in a bowl and drizzle them with the roasted garlic olive oil. Add the sea salt and toss them until they are coated thoroughly.

 

 Then, spread the peppers out on a foil lined baking sheet. Place them under your broiler for 4 to 5 minutes until they begin to char. Once the peppers begin to char, turn them over. Continue this process until all sides are charred. Be careful not to over blacken them.

 

Once the peppers are charred on all side, in a bag and tie it closed for about 5 minutes.

Next, remove the peppers from the bag and place them back on the baking sheet. Peel the charred skin off each pepper and gently remove the green stem. Do not rinse them under running water. That will remove all of that fantastic charred flavor.

Once the peppers are peeled, place them on a cutting board and thinly slice them.

Finally, pack the peppers loosely into the mason jars leaving ½ to 1 inch at the top. Top it with the sliced basil. Next, you are going to top off the jar with the roasted garlic olive oil. If you plan to use extra virgin olive oil, Add a couple cloves of sliced garlic before topping with olive oil.

 

These will last in your refrigerator for several weeks. Continue to jar the rest of the peppers in the same manner. Allow the jars to sit for as few days so that the different flavors can mingle.

  Enjoy!

 

I welcome your comments. Click here to add your thoughts.

Thai Noodle Soup

This is a very easy soup that anyone can make. Crisp tender vegetables, silky Thai noodles and a flavorful vegetable broth for the basis for this recipe. Pair it with some egg rolls or pot stickers and you'll have yourself a satisfying lunch or dinner.

Click here to view the video demonstration with additional tips.

For this recipe, you'll need the following:

• 2 T olive oil
• 1 T butter
• 2 cups of shredded cabbage
• 2 stalks of celery chopped
• 2 carrots julienned
• 4 green onions finely chopped
• 2 T peeled and chopped fresh ginger
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1 T garlic chili paste (available in the Asian section of your grocery store)
• 1 T brown sugar
• 4 cups of vegetable stock (or chicken stock if you prefer)
• 1 3 oz package of chicken flavor Ramen noodles
• Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot over medium high heat, add the olive oil and butter. Once the oil and butter mixture is hot, add the cabbage, celery, carrots and green onions. Stirring frequently, lightly saute (sweat) the vegetables for 5 to 7 minutes. Do not let the vegetables get too soft.

Next, add the ginger, soy sauce, garlic chili paste and brown sugar to the soup. Stir until evenly distributed.

Once everything is evenly distributed, add the vegetable stock. When the soup starts to simmer, reduce the heat to medium low. Add 1/2 of the flavor packet included with the Ramen noodles.

Break the Ramen noodle cake into quarters and add it to the soup.

As the noodles cook, use a spoon or spatula to break apart the noodle cake pieces. Continue to simmer the soup until the noodles are just tender. Be careful not to over cook the noodles.

Once the noodles are tender, season the soup with salt and pepper. Be careful when seasoning this soup with the salt. The garlic chili paste and the half of flavor packet we already added contain a fair amount of salt.

Enjoy!

I welcome your comments. Click here to add your thoughts.

Spicy Sausage and Seafood Gumbo

If you love New Orleans, andouille sausage and seafood, then this gumbo will be a big hit. My Spicy Sausage and Seafood gumbo consists of assorted shellfish and white fish, andouille sausage and vegetables, the holy trinity to be exact and spices. All of this blends harmoniously with Creole seasoning, pureed tomatoes and chicken stock to create the ultimate gumbo. Serve it over popcorn rice and you’ll swear your down on Bourbon street listening to a jazz band.

Click here to view the video demonstration with additional tips.

For the recipe, you'll need the following:

• 1 16 oz can of whole tomatoes
• 4 T olive oil, divided
• 1 lb andouille sausage
• 2-4 TB butter, divided
• 1 lb assorted seafood and shellfish (i.e. shrimp, scallops, crab, calamari, whitefish)
• 1 lemon
• ¼ - ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• ¼ cup flour
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 3 stalks of celery chopped
• 1 green bellpepper chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic chopped
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 TBs creole seasoning
• 1 – 1 ½ cups chopped okra (frozen works best for this recipe)
• 1 11oz can of corn, drained
• 1 cup chicken stock
• a generous dash of hot sauce (i.e. Tabasco)
• 4 cups cooked popcorn rice or white rice

Place the whole tomatoes in a large bowl. Using an immersion blender or your hands, break up the tomatoes to the desired consistency. If you want chucks of tomatoes leave it that way. If you want it smoother, then blend it longer. Set it aside.

In a large pot over medium high heat, begin browning 1 lb of chopped andouille sausage in 2 TB olive oil. Continue cooking the sausage until the edges begin to brown. Place it in a bowl and set it aside. Reserving the fat in the pot.

 

In another pan, over medium high heat, add 1 TB olive oil and 1 TB butter. Once its hot, add the assorted seafood and shellfish. Squeeze the juice from 1 lemon over the seafood. Next, add ¼ - ½ tsp of cayenne pepper, depending on how spicy you like it. Allow the seafood to cook until it becomes slightly opaque and then remove it from the heat. Do not fully cook the seafood. Drain the seafood and set it aside.
 

Now we’ll make the roux. Add ¼ cup of flour to the sausage drippings. Add 1-3 Tbs of butter such that you have equal parts of flour and fat. Cook it over medium heat, stirring constantly. This is very important because roux can burn very easily. Cook the roux until it becomes to a nice golden brown.

Once the roux is finished, add the onion, celery, bell pepper and 1 TB olive oil. Stir to combine. Continue cooking until the onions are translucent.

Add the garlic, oregano, thyme, bay leaf, Creole seasoning, okra and drained corn. Stir it all together. Add the chicken stock and pureed tomatoes and bring it to a simmer.

Add the sausage including any drippings that have accumulated in the bowl and the drained seafood mixture. Add a generous dash of hot sauce and stir away! While stirring the gumbo, be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

To serve, place 1 cup of cooked rice in a bowl. Top it with a generous ladle of gumbo and serve it with a nice crusty piece of sour dough baguette.

Enjoy!

I welcome your comments. Click here to add your thoughts.

Salad Made with Leftover Meat

Do you ever have leftover meats and wonder what to do with them besides reheating them the same way they were originally prepared? I'm going to show you how to make a simple salad and vinaigrette that utilizes the left over meat. Whether you have chicken, pork roast or a steak leftover, you can make this simple salad. I'm going to use pork for this recipe. Chances are you already have all of the other ingredients in your refrigerator and pantry. It's fast, light and healthy.

 

Click here to view the video demonstration with additional tips.

For this recipe, you'll need the following:

• 1 tomato, coarsely chopped
• 2-3 green onions, chopped
• 2 cups of chopped romaine lettuce
• The juice from a lime
• 1 jalapeno, sliced
• 2 TB. red wine vinegar
• 2 TB. olive oil
• Honey to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste  
• 1 1/2 cups of left over meat, shredded or chopped. For this recipe, I am using some left over pork roast.

 Begin by adding a little olive oil to a hot pan. Add your meat and the sliced jalapeno to the hot pan. Brown the meat to bring out additional flavor. Finally, stir in the lime juice. Simmer for 1 minute and remove from heat.

Now let's make the vinaigrette. In a small jar or shaker container, add 2 oz of olive oil, 2 oz of red wine vinegar and a dsh of honey. If you want a sweeter dressing, add a little more honey.

Shake to blend and season to taste with salt and pepper.

In a medium size bowl,  combine the lettuce, tomatoes and green onions. Toss it with as little or as much of the vinaigrette depending on your taste.

 Place the salad in a serving bowl and top it with the meat mixture.

Enjoy!

I welcome your comments. Click here to add your thoughts.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Fire roasted poblano peppers filled with a spicy chicken and rice mixture topped with melted pepper jack cheese and a cool dollop of sour cream. Using Sriracha sauce you can spice these up as much or as little as you want. Come and enjoy a south of the border treat!

For this recipe, you will need the following:

• 4 poblano peppers
• 1 cup rice
• 1 cup water
• 1 ½ cup tomato sauce, divided
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• ½ red onion, diced
• ½ green bell pepper diced
• 2 cups cooked chicken, diced
• 1 lime
• ½ cup water
• 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• Sriracha to taste
• 4 slices pepper jack cheese
• Sour Cream

Place the peppers on a baking sheet under a broiler (these can also be done on a BBQ). Char them on all sides. Close them up in a paper bag for 10 minutes. This will steam the peppers. Peel the peppers and set them aside. Do not rinse them under running water. That will remove the smoky charred flavor.

Place the rice, water, 1 cup of tomato sauce, cumin and oregano in a saucepan. Heat to boiling. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook until all of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

In a large frying pan, sauté the onion, bell pepper and chicken until the onions are tender.

Add the juice of the lime. Stir in the cooked rice, shredded cheese, water, cilantro and Sriracha to taste. Use more Sriracha if you like it spicy! Allow the mixture to simmer for about 10 minutes.

Make an incision in each pepper running lengthwise. Spoon the rice mixture into each pepper, making them plump. Top each pepper with a slice of pepper jack cheese. Place them under a broiler until the cheese it melted. Top with a dollop of sour cream.

Enjoy!

I welcome your comments. Click here to add your thoughts.

Pomodoro Sauce

This multipurpose marinara-style sauce is excellent with pasta. Add your favorite meatball recipe and you have yourself a hearty meal. I use this sauce when I make my lasagna. I also use it as a dipping sauce for fried mozzarella and stuffed artichoke hearts. However you use it, it's a tasty sauce and a cinch to make. It also freezes well so you can double or even triple the recipe and freeze it in containers.

For this recipe, you'll need the following:

• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 28 oz can of whole San Marzano tomatoes
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 pinch of red pepper flakes
• 8-10 fresh basil leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste

Begin by peeling and chopping 1/2 of a white onion. Saute the onion with a little olive oil over medium high heat in a medium sized skillet for about 7 minutes. Stir the onions periodically so they don't brown. About a minute before the onions are finished, add the garlic and stir to combine.

Using an emulsion blender, food processor, blender or simply your hands, crush the tomatoes in a bowl with their juices to the desired consistency. If you want a chunkier style sauce, then do not completely puree the tomatoes. If you want a smoother sauce, puree them until they are smooth. Add the tomatoes, sugar, oregano and red pepper flakes to the onions and simmer over medium low heat for 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, julienne your basil leaves. The easiest way to do this is to roll them tightly like a cigar and slice them with a knife. 

After the tomato sauce has simmered for 15 minutes, add the basil and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

I welcome your comments. Click here to add your thoughts.