Panko-Crusted Chicken with Lemon-Caper Beurre Blanc

When Elizabeth read this post by Adam Roberts (The Amateur Gourmet) during "Sauce Week," she immediately wanted to try it at home. She and her daughter had so much fun making it that she offered to present it to a storefront class.  Rich, buttery beurre blanc sauce lends itself well to herbs and seasonings, making it the perfect vehicle for tangy lemon and capers. This dish is delightful with a side of roasted asparagus.

PANKO-CRUSTED CHICKEN BREASTS

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt and pepper

¼ cup olive oil

2-3 tbsp butter

Panko bread crumbs

Flour

1 egg mixed with a little water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper

In a large oven-safe skillet, combine olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Put the panko, flour, and egg/water into three separate shallow bowls. Dredge the breasts in flour first, then egg, then panko. Sautee the breasts in the hot oil/butter until they are golden brown and crispy. You’re shooting for a nice crisp coating, not cooking them all the way through.

Place all of the breasts on a rimmed baking sheet in the oven. Cook until done all the way through (165 degrees). Cover and keep warm while you make the sauce.

BEURRE BLANC SAUCE

1 shallot, chopped

1 cup white wine

1-2 sprigs fresh thyme

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

½ cup whipping cream

2 sticks butter

2 tablespoons capers

Fresh parsley for garnish

Put the shallot, wine, thyme, and lemon juice in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil until it’s reduced by half. Add the whipping cream and boil again until it’s reduced by half. Turn the heat to very low and whisk cubes of the butter in 2-3 at a time until it’s all melted. “If it boils, it breaks.” Keep whisking!

Strain the sauce through a fine sieve into a bowl or double boiler. Add the capers. Keep the sauce warm until ready to serve.

 ROASTED ASPARAGUS:

Trim the asparagus by snapping off the tough end. Spread asparagus spears on a jelly roll pan and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste over all. Bake at 350 until the asparagus is tender.

Pasole Verde, Avocado Crema, and Raw Cashew "Sour Cream"

This Pasole Verde is so fresh and unexpected, we just can't resist making a big batch to share with the entire staff. It's a quick and easy dinner for a relaxed evening with friends, or summer lunch for a crowd.

PASOLE VERDE
8 Tomatillos (rinsed)
1 White onion (quartered)
4 Garlic Cloves
2 Jalepeno peppers
2 Poblano peppers
1 Bunch cilantro
3 Cans white hominy (rinsed)
2 Cans black beans (rinsed)
40 ounces water, vegetable, or chicken broth
4 ears of fresh corn, cut from the cobs

Begin bringing 40oz of water or stock to a boil on the stove in a large stock pot. Shuck and cut the corn kernels from the ears of corn on a jelly roll pan to keep the corn from flying around the kitchen. Distribute the corn kernels evenly on the pan and place under the broiler to brown. Watch carefully or they will burn. Rub the corn cobs with the back of your knife over the stock pot to get all the sugary goodness out of the cob. Throw the cob into the pot and let it cook.

Put tomatillos, onion, garlic, and peppers to a baking sheet and put them under the broiler. Allow all ingredients to char and turn each item one time. Once charred, put it all into a blender. Add a bunch of cilantro and blend until smooth.

Remove the corn cobs from the stock pot. Pour your blended mixture into the stock pot and taste. Adjust salt.

Rinse the hominy and black beans and add them to the pot. Cook the soup for 10 minutes, then add the roasted corn. Allow to cook for a few more minutes. Serve the soup piping hot and garnish with avocado, green onions, cilantro, and lime. Serve with warm corn tortillas.

AVOCADO CREMA

2 Avocados
Juice of 1 lime
Small bunch of cilantro
3 green onions
1 Jalepeno

Place all ingredients into the blender and blend until very smooth. Use as a condiment on tacos, tostadas, or soups.

RAW CASHEW "SOUR CREAM"

1 Cup raw cashews
2 T. apple cider vinegar
1 T. Lemon
1/4 Cup water
1/4 t. salt

Place all ingredients into the blender and process until smooth and creamy like sour cream.

Calzones Class

One of the new favorite classes in the storefront kitchen is Calzones and Stromboli. With homemade dough and fresh ingredients, everyone gets to make their own according to their taste. Rolling and shaping the dough is a fun hands-on activity, and using a pizza peel and baking stone helps make them perfectly crisp.

A few pointers: make sure to use plenty of corn meal on the pizza peel so the calzone doesn't stick and will slide onto the pizza stone easily. For an even crispier, more flavorful crust, brush the top with garlic-infused olive oil.

Pizza Dough

¾ cup warm water

1 envelope or 1 tsp active dry yeast

1 T. sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 t. salt

Add the warm water to stand mixer bowl and add the yeast and sugar. Stir with the dough hook to dissolve the yeast into the water. Once dissolved, add the flour and salt and mix with the dough hook until the dough comes away from the sides of the mixing bowl and forms a ball on the dough hook. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead a few times. Put the dough into a greased bowl and cover with saran wrap or a damp towel. Allow to double in size, then punch down and place in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.

Tomato Sauce

1 T olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

28 ounce can tomato puree

1 t dried basil

1 t dried marjoram

Salt and pepper to taste

1 t sugar, if too acidic tasting

Place all ingredients in a sauce pan; cover and bring to a boil. Uncover, lower heat, and simmer 30 minutes.

Spinach/Ricotta filling

2 T olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 bag frozen spinach, thawed, and as much liquid as possible squeezed out

Salt & pepper to taste

16 oz container ricotta cheese

Heat olive oil in large sautee pan. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion starts to soften. Add spinach and sautee until warmed through and fragrant. Set aside and allow to cool; mix with ricotta and use for filling in calzones or manicotti.

Strawberry Cheesecake Calzone filling

½ pint strawberries, hulled and cut up

1 8-oz package cream cheese

2-3 T powdered sugar

1 t. vanilla

Mix all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Use as filling for a calzone; brush the top with a little oil or melted butter, and dust with cinnamon and sugar before baking as usual.

Spinach and Mushroom "Pesto"

I made up this vegan pasta dish hoping the kids would eat it. They loved it. You must have a food processor or blender to make the "pesto." This dish also is oil free. The olives and bullion cube bring a lot of saltiness. You should not need more.

1 lb whole wheat pasta

1 pint mushrooms

A large handful of fresh spinach

3 cloves of garlic

1 Vegetable bullion cube

12 green olives

Cook the pasta per the package directions. Add all ingredients to a food processor and process the heck it of it. Once the mixture is the consistency of pesto add the mixture to a pan heated to medium heat. Heat through, add to the cooked pasta and toss until the pasta is well coated.

 

Oil-Free Cilantro Hummus

This version of hummus has a bright and tangy flavor provided by lemon and fresh cilantro. This recipe creates a light-green hummus that is super-healthy and has very little fat because there is no tahini and no oil in it. You might think that you will miss all that fat, but you won't! I keep this hummus in the fridge at all times.

I have heard people say that a plant-based diet is too expensive, inaccessible, or too cumbersome.  I disagree.  This hummus costs less than $7 to make and it will feed two people for quite a while or give 4 people a full meal. All ingredients for this hummus were found in my local, small-town grocery store. Also, if you have a blender or food processor, any hummus is easy and quick to make.

Marcus' Green Cilantro Hummus
2 cans chickpeas (1 can drained the other with liquid)
2 green onions
Handful of fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves
1 lemon juiced
1 T ground cumin
Salt to taste

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until the consistency you want is achieved. If the hummus is dry, add more lemon juice or a little water. Serve with whole grain toasted pita bread; use as a sandwich spread, as a condiment for brown rice, or as a dip for raw vegetables. This hummus is full of flavor!

Plant-Based Black Bean Burgers

There is a small, but growing movement in our community to educate people about how a 100% plant-based diet can reverse heart disease, lower cancer rates, and improve quality of life. I do not know the stats right off hand, but our Oklahoma county ranks among the highest in the state for cardiovascular disease, cancer and obesity.

The catalysts for this movement include a handful of doctors and our local hospital, who are following one of the hospital's missions to prevent disease in our area. They have been spurred on by the research of Cleveland Clinic Cardiologist, Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., who has found that eating a plant-based diet can reverse heart disease.

My personal involvement in this is for a number of reasons. The first, and most important to me, is that I am getting older and need to take better care of myself for my family. I have been moving in the plant-based diet direction for about a year now. My wife introduced me to the writings of Dr. Esselstyn and Dr. Campbell, author of The China Study. Also, the documentary "Forks Over Knives" (available on Netflix instant play) pushed me along this path to plant-based nutrition.

Don't get me wrong. I love (loved) to eat meat, eggs, milk, cheese and seafood. I like all of it, but I knew that I was eating too much of it. Weight gain, rising cholesterol, acid reflux, my dad's prostate cancer and heart problems pushed me to re-evaluate what I was putting into my body. With the growing library of nutritional information in my head along with other external factors I decided to make a change. As a matter of fact, it was irrational, in my mind, to continue on the path that I was taking.

Needless to say, living in an area with lots of cattle, steakhouses, and burger joints, the Esselstyn program may be slow to catch on. Hopefully with the healthy and delicious recipes I will share here, all of us southern Oklahoma carnivores can at least try this plant-based eating and lifestyle change that will lower our cholesterol levels, reverse heart disease, and lower cancer risks. (Please know that all recipes previously posted in this blog were written before I made this change.)

Black Bean Burgers (Vegetarian and Vegan Burgers)
1 can black beans rinsed and drained
1 can of diced tomatoes with chiles drained (Rotel)
1 bunch of fresh cilantro
2 cloves of garlic peeled
2 green onions with tops chopped
1 cup of carrots chopped
1 cup brown rice (cooked)
1 cup quick oats
Salt, soy sauce or Bragg's Aminos to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Put the green onions, cilantro, carrots, and garlic cloves in a blender or food processor and process until pieces are finely minced to the size of lentils or smaller. Once a fine mince is achieved, add the rinsed beans and tomatoes with chiles until a paste (which is really more like a hummus) is formed.

Pour the paste into a bowl and add one cup of brown rice and 1 cup of quick oats and stir. (I like the brown rice because in makes the veggie burgers a little more moist.) Taste your mixture and add seasoning as needed. Form the mixture into patties and place on a lined baking sheet. This mixture should yield about 8 patties.

Place into the oven and cook for 12 minutes and then finish under the boiler of 2-3 minutes. All you want to do is brown the patties a little.

Assemble your burgers on whole wheat hamburger buns. Use a turner to pick up the patties from the baking pan and place a patty on the bun. I substitute mashed avocados for mayo as my spread, and loaded the sandwich with dill pickles, mustard, greens, tomatoes and onions. This "hamburger" is very satisfying and super-healthy. With recipes like these, some meat-eaters might be convinced to give this diet a chance!

Roasted Garlic Hummus

Roasted Garlic Hummus Recipe compliments of Jamie Whitten

1 can garbanzo beans aka chickpeas

1 head garlic, roasted and squeezed out

1/3 cup Tahini

½ cup plain Greek yogurt

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt to taste

Several dashes cayenne pepper

4 Tbls olive oil

½ tsp. cumin (or more to taste)

Directions:

To roast garlic: Do not peel the head of garlic; instead, leave the entire head together, but cut off the top. Drizzle with olive oil and put in a garlic baker or custard cup covered with foil. Bake at 225 degrees for an hour or until soft.  Let cool and squeeze the pulp out of each clove. 

Rinse beans in strainer and place in a food processor. Process a few pulses.  Add remaining ingredients and process until smooth.  Adjust seasonings if needed.  A nice presentation is to serve the hummus in a flat bowl, sprinkled with paprika and drizzled with olive oil.  Some assorted olives are a nice addition to the plate.

Tex-Mex Cooking with Chef Wally (a.k.a. John Lopez)

Chef Wally, also known as John Lopez, and his wife, Kathi recently taught us how to make the Tex-Mex food John grew up eating in Texas. The food was fabulous and the class was a hit! During the class John taught how to make red salsa, jalapeno "Chile Macho" (the name says it all), standard guacamole, rice, beans, cheese enchiladas and BBQ brisket enchiladas. John cooked all of these dishes in Swiss Diamond Nonstick cookware and used his Peppermill Supreme 2000 exclusively for freshly ground black pepper and salt. John Lopez is the author of the cookbook, Texas Barbecue 101 and if you want a signed copy, I am sure that we can get you one!

“Enchiladas de Doris” Cheese Enchiladas
(These are the enchiladas John grew up eating)

12 corn tortillas
1 cup canola oil + ½ cup
1 cup flour
1Tbsp Chili Powder = 1 tsp. Gebhardt’s Chili Powder
1 tsp cumin powder
¼ tsp or less, curry powder (if you can easily taste the curry powder in the sauce, you put too much)
1 Tbsp salt
10-12 cups chicken broth
1 large onion, chopped
1 onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1-1/2 Lb. medium cheddar cheese, grated
¼ Lb. Queso Fresca, crumbled

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Heat 1 cup canola oil in a 3-4 quart sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add flour & stir to make a blond roux. Cook for a couple of minutes to remove “raw” flour taste. Do not brown. Add minced onion and garlic, stir; add chili powder, curry, cumin, and, stir to blend; cook for 1-2 minutes. Do not burn spices.
Add chicken broth, stirring with a whisk to eliminate lumps. Add one half of salt. Stir & cook on low simmer for 20 minutes. Taste for seasoning & add more salt if needed. Cover, remove from heat. Let cool.
Ladle some sauce in the bottom of a baking dish, lasagna pan, casserole, etc. Dish must be large enough to hold 12 enchiladas without crowding.
In an 8 or 9 inch skillet, heat 1/2 cup canola oil. The oil should be hot enough to sear tortillas. Test temp by dipping an edge of tortilla in oil. It should bubble & sizzle.
Dip a tortilla in the oil on both sides just for a couple of seconds. You are trying to “seal” & soften the tortilla. You can use a wood spatula for this. I use my fingers, very carefully dipping the tortilla, ALMOST, all the way in the oil.

SAFETY NOTE: There is a very fine balance between temperature of the oil, just hot enough, but not too hot, and the length of time you dip, and the distance from the hot oil to your fingers. This technique was handed down to me from my mother. For safety reasons, I don’t recommend you try it, but it is interesting to watch.
Let the tortilla drain over the hot oil. You can blot on clean towel or paper towel if you like. I don’t blot. Immediately dip the tortilla into the sauce mixture on both sides. Here again, I use my fingers, but a wood spatula will work fine.
Place the tortilla on a work surface. Place a small amount of cheese and a few pieces of onion on the tortilla. Roll neatly and tightly and place in baking dish. Leave a little room between each enchilada.
Continue until all enchiladas are in baking dish. Cover with sauce. Sprinkle onion & cheddar cheese on top, sprinkle crumbled queso fresco on top. Cover with foil & bake for 20-25 minutes.
Remove the foil & bake for 5-10 minutes more until sauce mixture bubbles, then remove from oven, cover with foil & allow to “rest” for 5-10 minutes.
Serve with your favorite sides of rice & beans, plenty of cold beverages. We always top our enchiladas with “Chile Macho”. This is a fresh salsa recipe handed down in my family. My father puts it on EVERYTHING. He is 98 and we all believe he has lived to this age by eating tons of this. Recipe is below.

Chile Macho
(The only condiment John's dad carries with him at all times!)

12 Ripe Jalapenos
12 cloves garlic
Dash of salt
Juice of 1 lemon or lime
A scant few drops of vinegar

When you select your jalapenos at the market, look for ones with a smooth skin, a nice dark green color, and “little light colored lines” running perpendicular the length of the pepper. The lines are an indication of ripeness.
Remove stems from jalapenos and coarsely chop. Smash garlic with blade of knife and remove peel. Place jalapenos and garlic in food processor. Pulse, over & over to chop mixture completely and evenly. DO NOT CONTINUOUSLY PROCESS AS YOU WILL END UP WITH MUSH! Before food processors, my mother used to put ingredients in a sausage grinder and it came out great.
Add lemon juice, salt, & vinegar. Mix well and allow to set up for at least a couple of hours. If it looks too dry add a little bit of water. Keeps in the fridge for a week.

(Note to non-Texans: OK, this can be very hot. There are those folks who add a tomatillo or two or even a tomato or two. Removing the seeds and stems from the peppers takes away the heat. I don’t recommend it but there are those that do that.)

Mexican Rice

2 Tbsp canola oil
1 Cup long grain white rice
2 Cups chicken broth
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup onion, minced
1 tsp Gebhardt’s chili powder
½ tsp cumin
Dash curry powder
1 tsp salt
½ tsp Mexican oregano

Add oil to a saute pan or covered casserole pan, add rice & cook, stirring until lightly toasted, add onion and garlic, cook, stirring another 1-2 minutes. Do not burn garlic. Add salt and spices, stir to blend & cook for 1 minute. Add broth, stir. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low simmer. Taste broth to test seasoning. Add salt if needed. Cook for 20 minutes. Let rest 10-20 minutes. Serve.

Roasted Salsa Rojo

1 onion, peeled & cut in half
4 large jalapenos
4-6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
2-4 tomatoes
8-20 hot dried red chiles like chile Japon
1-1/2 cups water, hot, not boiling
Dash of vinegar
Juice of I lemon
½ tsp. Mexican Oregano, crumbled
1 tsp. salt
1-2 cans (15 Oz.) of tomatoes (roasted if you can find them)

Place jalapenos, onion, garlic, and red chilies in fry pan. Toast a few minutes then remove red chilies to hot water in a small saucepan to reconstitute. Continue toasting until all vegetables are charred a bit. You may need to remove garlic first to prevent from burning. Peel garlic. Chop all other vegetables rough chop. Place in food processor.
(When red chilies are reconstituted, about 20 minutes, drain and add to food processor. Reserve water as you may wish to thin salsa with it.)
Add salt and Oregano. Pulse until mixture is processed evenly. Do not puree.
Add tomatoes, pulse to process evenly.
Add lemon & vinegar, pulse to blend.
Taste & add salt if needed.

Wally Guacamole´

4 Haas avocados, halved peeled and seeded
1 clove garlic, pressed with a garlic press
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt to taste
Optional:
1/3 cup onion, diced
1/3 cup diced tomato
2 green onions, thinly chopped
Cilantro leaves for garnish

Place avocados in a mixing bowl. Using a small knife, chop the avocados into roughly ½ inch chunks. Add garlic, lemon juice, and ¼ tsp salt.
Using a kitchen fork, blend the ingredients, mashing a bit, in the process. You do not want a puree or paste; you want this to be chunky.
Garnish if you like. You can mix any of the optional ingredients, if desired, when mashing.

Chicken Salad

My chicken salad recipe is really simple, but you will need a food processor. I do not like chunky chicken salad. I like my chicken salad to be more chopped up and this is why I use a food processor to make it. I use a Cuisinart Elite food processor.
5 boneless and skinless chicken breasts

2 stalks of celery

1/4 medium onion

1/2 cup pecans

1 T Garlic Powder

Salt and pepper

1-2 Cup Mayonnaise

Poach chicken in simmering chicken broth until done (about 15 minutes) Once chicken is done place in a food processor and mince it. Use the pulse button to get the chicken to the desired texture. Remove to a large bowl.

Mince pecans, celery and onion in the same manner and pour into the bowl. Add the mayonnaise, salt and pepper and stir. If salad is too dry add a little of the cooking broth or more mayonnaise. Taste and add seasoning to your liking. Refrigerate immediately.

Pimento Cheese Spread

3 oz. room temp. cream cheese.
1 lb sharp white cheddar cheese grated
1/2 lb. jack cheese grated
2 roasted red bell peppers
1 t. freshly ground pepper
3 T. chopped green onion or minced white onion
1/2 to 1 cup Hellmann's mayonnaise or homemade mayonnaise
3 dashes of hot sauce
1 t. garlic oil or granulated garlic
1 t. paprika

Preheat broiler on high and insert the peppers to roast. Keep an eye on them and roast them on all sides. Remove and wrap loosely in a towel or place in a zip-lock bag. Once cooled, remove the outer thin skin of the peppers.

I use a gas burner to roast the peppers. If you go this route, place the peppers directly over the flame on the burner grate. Allow them to blacken on all sides and remove them. Wrap loosely in a towel or place in a zip-lock bag and allow to cool. Remove charred skin, core and seed and place in a food processor. Use the pulse function of your food processor and process until you get the desired texture you want.

Whisk mayonnaise, peppers and cream cheese together to loosen the cream cheese. Grate cheeses in a food processor using the grating blades. Place cheeses, onions, hot sauce, paprika and garlic powder into the bowl with your pimento, cream cheese and mayo and fold until combined.

Serve immediately as an appetizer with toast points or toasted pita bread. Of course, you can make a sandwich with it, too! If you refrigerate it the mixture will stiffen. Bring back to room temperature and it will relax.

Gazpacho

Gazpacho

2 Cucumbers (peeled, seeded and cut into cubes)

4 Large tomatoes (cubed)

1 Green bell pepper (chopped)

1 Red bell pepper (chopped)

1 Red onion (medium) (cubed)

2 Cloves garlic

Salt and Pepper to taste ( or use Knorr Chicken Bullion Powder as the salt)

1 cup tomato juice

1 T. parsley

¼ c. red wine vinegar

1T hot sauce or tobasco or 1 t. cayenne

Set aside 1/2 of the cubed vegetables and reserve for later. Place all other ingredients with a few cubes of ice into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour blended vegetables into a large bowl and add in the reserved cubed vegetables. Stir and taste. At this point you may want to add more salt or vinegar. Cover tightly andchill for 2 hours or more and serve with a garnish of parsley or olive oil. This cold soup goes well with crusty breads.

The Best Margarita--EVER!

My friend, John Lopez, who knows a lot about food and drink made me one of these Margaritas at market last year in his showroom. Seriously, it was the best Margarita I have ever had and it is so simple to make. I am going to pretty much post his email to me about these Margaritas.

Before I post his email, you must know that these are "adult" Margaritas. While they go down very easy they are very potent!

Here is his email:

"The original Margarita recipe was 1 part citrus (lime) juice, 1 part orange liqueur, and three parts Tequila. I reduced the tequila to two parts to reduce liability about 15 years ago. At two parts tequila, there is plenty of tequila flavor to stand up to the sweet and sour flavors. Most good bars, if they even make "real" margaritas will use 1 to 1 to 1+, but this gives wrong flavor profile, throwing off the balance of sweet, sour, & tequila. You want to taste all three flavor components.

Important to use good quality tequila, i.e., Herradura (my personal favorite and the first weber blue agave tequila imported to USA, by Bing Crosby, no less), Patron, etc., but always use Silver Tequila, as rested or aged tequilas only confuse the classic margarita flavor. Also use Cointreau (very good but expensive) or natural Triple Sec such as De Kuyper. Avoid artificial flavored Triple Sec and Grand Marnier (too rich with Brandy & wastes $$)

We always use lemons for the juice in the cocktail and a lime to rim cocktail glass for Kosher salt, but try to only moisten the outside of the rim as you want the salty taste on your tongue but not in the cocktail. We only use lemons because lemons always taste like lemons. Limes vary in their taste.

These drinks are an acquired taste if you are used to normal bar style margaritas made with sweet & sour which tends to bury the tequila flavor.

If you prefer serving "Up", shake at least 30 times in shaker with fresh, dry, not melting, chunks of ice. Strain into Martini glass, avoiding the cliched Margarita tourist glass, salt rimmed , if you like. If you like on the rocks, prepare the same way in a shaker, but strain into small, (6 ounce seems to be perfect) tumbler or juice glass, salted as above. This keeps intake down & helps prevent over-indulging.

So the simple answer, if there is one, to your question is 1 part juice to 1 part orange liqueur to 2 parts tequila.

Hope this is enough info. If not, advise & I will opine.

Warmest regards from your trusty, amateur barkeep,

wally

Brewing Tea

Tea is the second most popular beverage in the world. Only water is rated higher in world consumption than tea. It is estimated that somewhere between 18 and 20 billion 6 oz. cups of tea are drunk daily on our planet. An extension of numbers shows that the United States only imports enough tea annually to keep world usage rates going for 2 days. We have a lot to learn!

Tea has lots of things going for it; it is healthy, tasty, can be drunk hot or cold and has no calories. The only drawback for some is that it contains a stimulant called caffeine. Personally, I like caffeine, but a growing contingent of folks do not. My goal is to fill the casual tea drinker in on the types of teas and at what temperatures these teas brew the best. This entry is by no means exhaustive, but hopefully you can take a way a kernel of knowledge from it. I almost always brew my tea in a teapot, or when I am lazy, in a cup. There are all kinds of contraptions for brewing tea from tea infuser balls to tea infuser sticks. I heat the water in a tea kettle. I like the nostaligia of hearing the whistle. I use loose tea most of the time because it is much better than bags in terms of flavor.

Basic Types of Tea- Black, White and Green teas all come from the Camellia sinensis bush. What makes them different is in where the leaves come from on the bush and how the leaves are processed.

Black Tea- Fully fermented during processing. Leaves are picked from the mid section of the tea bush branch toward the trunk. Many times black teas are heat dried in big rolling bins similar to a clothes dryer. Black tea is the most common variety we drink around here. (36mg caffeine per 6 oz. cup) water temperature: 200 - 212 degrees; steeping time: 4 - 5 minutes

Green- Not fermented at all, unprocessed grassy taste (20mg caffeine per cup) Picked from the ends of the tea bush while leaves are opening. Water temperature: 170 - 190 degrees; steeping time: 1 - 3 minutes

White- Sometimes called Silver Needle (15mg caffeine per cup). The leaves are picked and harvested from the tips of the tea bush before the leaves open fully, when the buds are still covered by fine white hair. Hence the name. White tea is scarcer than the other traditional teas, and can be quite a bit more expensive. Charcterized by a light and sweet flavor. Water temperature: 170 - 190 degrees; steeping time: 1 - 3 minutes

Red Tea- Not really a tea (technically a Tisane, or herbal tea, because it is not made from the Camellia sinensis plant)-- instead it is made from the dried and oxidized leaves of the South African Aspalathis linearis plant. Often, Red tea is called Rooibos (from the Dutch South African language meaning red bush). Little to no caffeine.

Herbal Tea- Also called Tisanes are not teas at all. They are a grouping of herbs, zest, flowers and more that are a substitute for tea. Some are quite good! Water temperature: 212 degrees; steeping time: 5 - 7 minutes

Cool Trick! Decaffeinate your tea at home. (only for loose teas, sorry) You may decaffeinate your own tea by pouring hot water over the tea leaves, waiting 30 seconds, then pouring off that first infusion. This removes roughly 2/3 of the caffeine per 6 oz. Don't exceed that 30-second time frame, however, or you will lose much of the vitamins and antioxidant effects, as well as flavor. Depending on the kind of black tea you are drinking, this method will lose some of the flavor, which I think will be acceptable to most who want to reduce caffeine. This only works for loose tea, however, not for tea bags. Tea bags are designed to brew very quickly -- the leaves are in very small pieces, called "dust", which enables the tea to brew more quickly. You would lose much too much flavor with a tea bag.

Making Homemade Chicken Stock

When I was a young boy we raised a few chickens on our property. I can remember gathering the eggs before school each morning. I will never forget the summer day when granddad and grandmother came over with an axe and large stock pot in their hands and said we were going to slaughter some young chickens. I had never realized before that time how chickens made it to my dinner plate. We killed, boiled and plucked the chickens in my back yard. I have never tasted better chicken in my life. I think I was 10 years old at the time and I can still remember the flavor and the tenderness of that chicken and how good the chicken stock tasted.

Sorry for reminiscing. There are very few things that taste better than homemade chicken stock. Sure, it takes a little time, but the effort is worth the flavor. When I'm in a pinch or a rush, I generally reach for chicken base or a store-purchased chicken broth, but I stay away from chicken bullion cubes. They are too salty--as a matter of fact, all of them are too salty, but when you are in a rush you just have to make do. Making homemade chicken stock does take a little time, so when you're ready to make it make a bunch of it. It freezes for a long time. I use chicken stock as a base for soups and sauces or whenever a recipe calls for it.

Homemade Chicken Stock
3-4 lbs. assorted chicken necks, backs & wings (I save them up in the freezer as I get them)
6 garlic cloves
1 large onion, quartered
5 carrots, rough chopped
5 celery stocks
Enough water to cover everything
2 bay leaves
5 T. kosher salt
1T. white pepper
olive oil
fresh parsley

To make the stock, first heat a large stock pot or pasta pot to medium-high heat. Add the oil and the chicken parts and brown them (browning will add depth of color and flavor to the stock) until they are lightly browned. Once browned, add the onion, garlic, celery, carrots, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Add enough cold water to cover everything--about 3/4 full.

Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Once the pot has achieved a boil turn down the heat to simmer. When the boiling ceases skim off any fat that has risen. Cover tightly and simmer for another hour and a half. Turn off the heat and allow the broth to cool for about 35 minutes. If you are using a pasta pot with an insert simply raise the insert and discard the bones and skin and other solids. If you are using a regular stockpot you'll want to use a colander or strainer and pour everything through it.

To make the broth clearer you may filter it through a coffee filter or paper towel. Once filtered, place the stock in the refrigerator overnight. The fat will rise to the surface and harden. At this point, you can simply scoop it out. There will be some gelatin there, too. Keep it if you can; it's good for you. Freeze what you do not plan on using straight away.

Happy cooking,
Marcus

Making Ice Pops for Your Kids and Grandkids

When I was growing up my mom made ice pops for my brothers and me all summer. Generally they were made with juice or punch. As we grew a little older we would make them ourselves. It would take forever for them to freeze because we would open the freezer every 10 minutes to see how they were doing. My wife and I, at the constant urging of my 7 year old son, introduced making home-made ice pops to him and his little sister this summer. There are very few things that will brighten a kid's day like an ice pop. Where we come from, the generic name for ice pops is "p@pcicle$" (sorry for the spelling, but I once received a certified letter from the company that I intentionally misspelled telling me to cease using their trademarked name on my website).

The ice pop molds from my childhood were anything but exciting to me and many times we used the even more unexciting ice tray with toothpicks. Today, you can get some really cool ice pop mold shapes that kids will love like rockets and shooting stars. There are some really cool rocket ice pop molds that allow for two stage freezing so you can have two flavors in one. The most popular one we sell is called the Groovy ice pop mold, which holds a lot of icy goodness.

The problem with store purchased ice pops today is that they are full of refined sugars and corn syrup that many people argue are detrimental to a child's health. I am not an authority on the sugar debate, but I do know that supermarket varieties are full of dead calories with little nutritional content and the fact that the packaging they use is not "green" is of concern. If you want to see healthier recipes for making ice pops try looking at this blog.

Here is a recipe for Red, White and Blue ice pops. It is not the most healthy recipe, but you will know how much sugar your children will be taking into their bodies. Recipe is from Cuisipro.

1/4 cup blue raspberry Jell-O (half package)
1 cup water.
1/4 cup lemon juice.
1/2 cup sugar.
1 teaspoon gelatin powder.
1 cup water.
1/4 cup cherry Jell-O (half package).
1 cup water.

When making ice pops with more than one flavor, make sure to allow each flavor to cool before adding it to the mold or it will melt into the previous layer.

Combine the blue jello powder with 1/2 cup of hot water. Stir until the powder is dissolved and had 1/2 cup of cold water. Pour this mixture into the molds until the bottom one third of the mold is filled. Place in the freezer for at least two hours or until frozen.

While the bottom third is freezing, combine sugar, gelatin, lemon juice and 1/2 cup of hot water. Stir until dissolved and add 1/2 cup cold water. Allow the mixture to cool and fill the next third with this mixture. Freeze for another two hours.

In another bowl, repeat the same process with the cherry flavored gelatin that you did with the blue gelatin powder. Fill the pop molds almost to the top, put on the lids and insert the sticks. Allow to freeze overnight, or at least five hours.

How To Make Chiles Rellenos with How to Video

Dora Jennings visited our cooking class again tonight at Distinctive Decor and bestowed upon us more great Mexican recipes! Tonight, Dora taught us how to make chiles rellenos. Being a chile rellenos lover, I was super excited to learn. We hope that you enjoy these recipes as much as we did. Enjoy our How-to videos embedded in the recipe.

Chiles Rellenos de Picadillo
By Dora Jennings

Picadillo

1/2 pound ground beef.
One large potato, diced.
One half onion, diced.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Brown the ground beef on medium-high heat in a skillet. Break down the meat into very small pieces and add the onions and potatoes and cook until potatoes are cooked through. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Preparing the Poblano Peppers

Six poblano peppers
1 cup flour.
Six large eggs separated.
Peanut oil or vegetable oil for frying
One onion sliced.
Salsa.
Crema Caique

Step 1: Place your poblano peppers on the open flame of your gas burner and evenly char the skin of the pepper making sure you don't burn through the pepper. You will need to turn them often to produce a black char over the entire pepper. Make sure that you do not burn the stem, you will need that stem as a handle later when frying.

Step 2: Wrap each charred pepper in a wet kitchen towel as they are done. Allow the peppers to steam from their own heat for at least 10 minutes. The steam from the peppers will facilitate peeling. (You may also use a zip lock bag to do this.).

Step 3: Peel the charred skin from the peppers and (Step 4:) cut a small opening toward the top of the pepper and cut down the pepper about 3 inches and pull out the seeds (you may rinse the pepper in water to make sure all the seeds are gone). See the video on this.

Step 5: Stuff the pepper with Picadillo stuffing and seal with a toothpick and set aside.

Bring a frying pan to high heat and add oil to the pan. Add oil until you have at least 1/2 inch in the bottom.

Whip egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. With the mixer on low speed add the egg yokes one at a time until blended.

Step 6: Place flour in a flat plate or pie dish and roll the stuffed peppers in it coating the entire pepper.
Step 7: Dip them in the egg batter making sure they are coated evenly.

Step: 8 Make sure the oil is sizzling and carefully place the pepper on the pan and fry on all sides (I usually fry it on three sides) and set on a cookie sheet with a rack so the oil can drip down away from the pepper. You do not want your pepper to sit in oil while it is cooling. The frying time for each side should only be about 30 seconds, or less per side.

Chiles Rellenos Topping.

3 T. Olive oil
one large onion sliced
3-4 Cups fresh roasted salsa (see the roasted tomato salsa recipe in this blog.)
Crema Cacique

Heat oil in frying pan. Add the sliced onions and sauté until fragrant. Add salsa and cook for about a minute. Serve over the chiles rellenos and top with crema caique. Serve the chiles rellenos immediately.

Making the Roasted Mexican Salsa and Guacamole

3 fresh jalapeno peppers
9-11 fresh Roma tomatoes
2 T. Knorr Powdered Chicken Bullion

Char the tomatoes and peppers on a scorching-hot cast iron griddle or pan until the skins are black and they are softened. Once black and soft throw into a blender along with the 2 T. of bullion. Blend until you get the consistency you want. For a chunkier salsa only pulse the blender.

Note: Dora says that a 2:1 ratio of tomatoes to peppers yeilds a medium-hot salsa. I used three peppers and 11 tomatoes and mine almost blew my head off! I suggest you use 1 whole jalapeno and cut the other two in half. Scoop out the seeds and the white rib that holds the seeds. Blacken the halves on the skin side only. If you like it hot leave them whole. Serve with corn tortilla chips or use as a condiment. If you want to play a joke on someone double the jalapenos or throw in a habanero pepper!

Our Big Fat Greek Cooking Class Recipes: Hummus and Greek Meatballs

Originally posted July 17, 2009

The following recipes are not mine. They were learned by my aunt Jamie when she was in Greece recently. She wrote them and I edited them. She taught the cooking class that we entitled, "Our Big, Fat Greek Cooking Class." The class was sold out and everyone enjoyed the food. Here are her recipes.

Roasted Garlic Hummus

1 can Bush’s Best garbanzo beans
1 head garlic, roasted and squeezed out
1/3 cup Tahini
½ cup plain yogurt
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt to taste
Several dashes cayenne pepper
4 Tbls olive oil
½ tsp. cumin (or more to taste


To roast garlic:
Do not peel; leave the entire head together, but cut off the top. Drizzle with olive oil and put in garlic baker or custard cup covered with foil. Bake at 225 for an hour or until soft. Let cool and squeeze the pulp out of each clove.

Rinse beans in strainer. Process a few pulses. Add remaining ingredients and process until smooth. Adjust seasonings. A nice presentation is to serve the hummus in a flat bowl, sprinkled with paprika and drizzled with olive oil. Some assorted olives are a nice addition to the plate. Brush flatbread (pita bread) with olive oil and toast it on a griddle. Cut into wedges and serve with hummus for dipping.


Greek Tzatziki Sauce

2 cups Greek style yogurt
1 English cucumber, seeded, chopped finely and water squeezed out
3 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
2 tbls McCormick Greek Seasoning2 tbls olive oil
2 tbls lemon juice or white wine vinegar
Salt to taste


There are two key steps to making tzatziki so it will not be runny and watery: First, if you cannot find Greek-style yogurt, strain regular plain yogurt over a bowl in a strainer lined with coffee filters or cheesecloth for several hours or overnight. It will reduce by at least half. Second, cucumbers have a lot of water in them, so chop them very finely, sprinkle them with salt, then roll them in a clean tea towel and squeeze out as much moisture as you can.

I like the taste and texture of English cucumbers, but regular cucumbers will do
just fine. Cut the cucumbers in half and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds. Mix all ingredients and refrigerate for several hours or overnight to develop best flavor.

Keftethes: Greek Meatballs

2 lbs ground pork
8 slices French bread, soaked in water and then drained
2 eggs
1 onion chopped very finely
2 tbls dried mint
2 tbls dried oregano
2 tbls dried parsley
1 tsp salt


Combine all ingredients---I used latex gloves and mix with my hands. Roll into balls about the size of a walnut, or make into patties. Fry in ¾” vegetable oil at 375 degrees or medium high heat, turning once. At some point they will start getting really loud---you’re on the right track! They will also turn almost black---this is a good thing! Drain on paper towel-lined jelly roll pan. Serve immediately or store. To reheat place in an oven until warm or serve at room temperature.

Brunch! Eggs Benedict and Kentucky Hot Browns

Originally posted April 21, 2009

There are very few things I like to eat better than Eggs Benedict. Here is a nice recipe for those who fear making hollandaise. My recipe uses chilled butter and some water to help make the sauce more stable. It takes a little longer to cook it, but the risk of the sauce separating is decreased. Do not fear; try it!

Eggs Benedict

4 slices of Canadian bacon or ham (warmed)

4 English muffin halves (2 whole ones) toasted

4 eggs poached

Hollandaise sauce

3 egg yolks

1 t. water

1/8 t. cayenne pepper

12 T. butter cubed

Salt to taste

3 t. lemon juice

To prepare the hollandaise pour 2 inches of water into the bottom pan of a double boiler or saucepan and bring to a simmer. Whisk the egg yolks (separate the whites from the yolks using your hands or an egg seperator), water, lemon and salt in the top pan of the double boiler or metal mixing bowl. Place the mixing bowl or upper part of the double boiler on the lower pan and continue to whisk. Do not let the water in the bottom pan touch the bottom of the pan containing the egg yolks. Whisk until the yolks thicken (until you can see the trails left by the whisk wires in the eggs) and add the butter in small quantities while whisking. Incorporate all the butter into the sauce. Take the pan or mixing bowl from the steam for about 10 seconds when you mix in a portion of butter and then return it to the heat.

If the hollandaise starts to get too thick add hot water and continue whisking. Whisk until all butter has been incorporated. Add the cayenne. TASTE! It might need more lemon or salt.

Poaching eggs:

There are a variety of kitchen tools available for poaching eggs like poaching pans or poach pods. I like using an egg cooker most of the time for ease.

The technological way: add eggs and push a button.

The traditional way: In a wide-bottomed sauce pan or sauté add 3 -4 inches of water and about a tablespoon of salt. Bring the water to a simmer.

Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Once water is simmering stir the water in a circle to create a mild whirlpool. Crack the egg and release the contents into the whirlpool. This will keep the yolk and white together. Cook until the white is set and the yolk is still runny. Remove egg from the pan with a slotted spoon.

Kentucky Hot Browns (A Derby Staple)

This dish is quintessentially southern. It is served all around Kentucky. The flavors work beautifully together. Start by roasting the turkey breast, toasting the bread, slicing the tomatoes and cooking the bacon. You will want these to be ready ahead of time. Then prepare your bechamel cheese sauce. Bechamel is a white sauce made of butter, flour and milk and serves as the base for many famous sauces. If you have ever made homemade mac and cheese odds are you have made a bechamel sauce. You could easily pour this sauce over macaroni and become a hero with your kids. This recipe serves 8.

3 tablespoons butter

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 cups cold whole milk

1/4 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese English White Cheddar is best

8 T. grated Parmesan cheese

1 pound cooked turkey breast

8 slices toast

8 slices tomato

16 strips bacon

More Parmesan for topping

Salt to taste

Place the butter into a saucepan on medium-low heat. Once the butter is melted add the flour and whisk for about 4-5 minutes. Add the cold milk and whisk to remove any lumps. Add salt. Once mixture has thickened add the cheeses. Stir until cheese is melted.

To assemble, place the toast on a baking sheet or in an oven proof dish. Place turkey on top of toast and smother with the sauce. Add grated Parmesan to the top and place under a 400 degree broiler until brown spots appear. Once browned, remove, add tomato to the top and two pieces of bacon. Serve immediately.

Baked Fish with Risotto Primavera and Parmesan Cheese Garlic Bread

Originally published April 7, 2009

Not too long ago My wife and I were in Dallas for market (the World Trade Center in Dallas)--we do this twice a year. People always tell me, "Oh, what fun it must be to go to market!" Well, to me, market pretty much sucks. We have appointments booked from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. All those hours are spent with manufacturers' representatives who want to sell you whatever you will buy. We always leave exhausted. It is far from being fun, but you have to keep up with new product offerings. It is important to go.

This year we decided to only make a few appointments so we could venture from the same old showrooms we always visit and see new lines we might want to offer at www.distinctive-decor.com This allowed us to get to our hotel much earlier in the evening. So, we went out to eat. One night we ate at a really loud and dimly lit restaurant named Avanti in Dallas. It is a yuppie-ish Italian restaurant. My wife had spinach lasagna that she washed down with a beer and I had the dish that I am writing about here- baked fish with risotto primavera (which also was washed down with a beer). The food was good, but best of all it was fairly simple--simple enough for me to deconstruct and make for myself.

Baked Fish

The fish for this dish needs to be a white-fleshed fish. Cod, red snapper, flounder, mahi-mahi or striped bass work well. Season the fish on both sides with salt, pepper and paprika. The paprika promotes browning. Cook fish in 1 T. of olive oil for 3-4 minutes on one side in a hot pan. Flip the fish, squeeze lemon over it and slide the pan into the oven set at 400 degrees. Cook 10 minutes. Remove when the fish begins to flake.

Risotto Primavera

2-3 Cups of Risotto (Arborio) or Short-Grain Rice

1 broccoli head cut into small pieces

3-4 Carrots cut into strips

2 Zucchini squashes cut into strips

¼ Medium Onion Finely Diced

¼ C. White Wine

8-10 Cups of Chicken Broth or Stock

Grated Parmesan Cheese

¼ Cup heavy cream (essential for a primavera)

1 T. Italian seasoning

½ Cup water

Salt to taste

Cut broccoli into small pieces and cut zucchini and carrots into ribbons. You can do this with a julienne peeler. Sauté carrots, zucchini, broccoli and Italian seasoning. Add ½ cup water to steam. Once water has evaporated remove vegetables to a tray.

Pour 2 T. olive oil into a medium sauce pot and sauté the onion until translucent. Add the arborio rice and stir to coat the rice in oil. Deglaze with the white wine and allow the wine to absorb while stirring. Add chicken broth one cup at a time and stir until broth has been absorbed. Risotto gets its creaminess from the starch content of the Arborio rice grains and the action of rubbing them together by stirring. Keep adding stock until the rice is a dente, but tender. Grate in Parmesan cheese, add cream and stir in the vegetables. If the risotto is too tight you may add more stock or cream to loosen it.

Italian Bread Appetizer

Small sourdough loaf, split

4 garlic cloves

4 T. Butter or Olive Oil

Parmesan cheese

Dry basil

Split the sourdough loaf and brush to coat with the garlic butter or garlic oil. (Create the garlic oil/butter by heating the fat and simmering the garlic cloves in the fat for 10-15 minute.) Sprinkle an even layer of parmesan onto the bread and drizzle a little more garlic butter or oil on top. Cook under the broiler at 400 degrees until lightly browned. As soon as the bread is removed from the oven sprinkle crushed dried basil on top. All you want is a dusting of basil.

Basil Oil

2 cups of fresh basil leaves (not packed)

Juice of 1 lemon

½ cup olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Once mixture is smooth, pour into a squeeze bottle

and use. Spoon the risotto on the plate and lay the fish across the risotto. Next squirt basil oil over the top of the fish in a nice design. Make it pretty!