Monday, February 20, 2012

chicken and waffles

Chicken and waffles:

If there is one meal that says I am from the south and I'm proud of it, it would have to be chicken and waffles. As far as my fried chicken is concerned, I wish I could say that I had an old family recipe but I sadly, I don't. What I do have is Alton Brown's fried chicken rub and buttermilk. And that makes for some of the best yardbird you have ever had.




What you need:

1) Chicken Legs, thighs and breasts. About a 1lb per person
2) 1 carton of buttermilk
3) Alton Browns fried chicken rub
4) flour
5) Crisco or other vegetable shortening
6) waffle mix

Alton Brown's Fried chicken rub:

2 tbls of kosher salt
2 tbls of smoked paprika
2 tsp of garlic powder
1 tsp of cayenne pepper
Put this mix into a shaker of some sort for easy coating, I use a Parmesan shaker from a pizza place.



Here's how I made the chicken:

1) Soak your chicken overnight in buttermilk! This is the most important step do not cheat on it. The buttermilk gives the meat a certain tangy flavor and gives the rub and flour something to stick to. After 24 hrs drain the chicken in a colander.




2) Get your fry station set up. If you do this all ahead of time it makes frying chicken pretty easy. If you skip it, you will make a huge mess any possibly give yourself and others food poisoning from cross contamination. Make sure you have a clear path to go from strainer-to sink-to dredge-to pan-to cooling rack. Use separate tongs for raw and cooked chicken.




3) Ok now get your cast iron skillet ready. Put about 7 or 8 scoops of vegetable shortening in the pan and heat to 340.



4) The dredge. Season the meat liberally with the rub then place the meat in the flour and coat. Place on a rack to give dredge time to stick to the meat. Repeat with all pieces of chicken.




4) Finally we fry! Place chickens in the pan and cook for 8-10 mins on each side. They are done when they hit between 160-180 on a thermometer.





5) Place on a cooling rack and let them cool for a least 15 mins. Fried Chicken is best served warm not hot.

Now let's talk about waffles. I usually loath pre-mixed anything, however I have never been able to make a waffle taste as good as the people at Stonewall kitchen. So I buy their mix. It really is amazing stuff. Just follow the directions on the back for prefect waffles every time.




There you have it, chicken and waffles. Make sure to get your maple syrup on both the waffle and the chicken, otherwise you are just cheating yourself.




Monday, January 23, 2012

hot mess on a sunday afternoon


everyone thinks they know how to make the best brisket, or knows someone that does. now I know too, and the best brisket I have had in a long time was at pecan lodge bbq at the farmers market.


i met some friends today for brunch BBQ. normally I'm more of a breakfast taco kind of gal, but I thought why not? i could use something to soak up last nights lingering poor beverage choices.


when we arrive the, line is ten deep at 11:00am which i think is clearly a good sign. there's a simple menu, with the usual options: 2 meats, 4 meats, and a meat sandwich. lord i love bbq places. they also have the requisite sides of fried okra, mac and cheese and more meat, hallelujah. there was also something intriguing called the "hot mess"...uh, yes please.

my husband, and personal bbq sensei , told me to get the brisket sandwich. i don't like to admit it when he's right, but it was a real good call.


the brisket was ri-dic-u-lous, tender, juicy, full of flavor, and it absolutely melted in my mouth. they even toasted the bun a little to keep the sandwich from crumbling under its own yummy goodness. solid.

for sidekicks i choose the the mac and cheese and the fried okra; i was not disappointed. the mac and cheese was completely unpretentious, no panko, gruyere, pancetta or truffle oil in sight. just some cheesy noodles with green chile and bacon on top served in a cafeteria style styrofoam cup.
what about the okra you ask? well the fried okra what crispy, hot and had okra inside, so it was awesome as far as i'm concerned.

my buddies had the fried chicken and the aforementioned "hot mess", which consisted of a mammoth sweet potato smothered with barbacoa, bacon, cheese and sour cream and chives. now that's a mess i can get behind. it is just as good as it sounds, trust me.



all in all pecan lodge was a great way to start a lazy sunday afternoon. a wonderful gem of a place where the atmosphere is great, the parking is plenty and the bbq goes hard. so thank you well informed friends, and thank you well knowing husband, and above all thank you pecan lodge for your delish brisket. in the famous words of governor schwarzenegger, "i'll be back"..

Monday, January 2, 2012

Oh Lamb How I Love Ewe...

Rosemary Roasted Lamb Shoulder with Mashed Veggies

Erin and I just had our last feast of the holiday season this past weekend.  We are about to embark on our second round of P90X, so we had our fair well to decadence meal.  Roasted lamb shoulder with a hot mint caper gravy and mashed root veggies. This one I stole straight from Jamie Oliver so thanks to our "cousin" across the pond for showing us how to make the best damn lamb we have ever had.


To get the the Lamb Shoulder I took a little trip to Rudolph's Meat market in Deep Ellum. This place has been in operation since 1895 and if you want the best meat in town, there is no other place to go. It's where a lot of local restaurants get their meat, and be for warned it is not cheap, the lamb shoulder I got was close to $15 a pound.....yikes, but it is the best, plain and simple.



So here is what you need:

4lbs or so of lamb shoulder
A bunch of Rosemary
A bunch of Mint
One small jar of capers
One whole head of garlic
4-5 russet potatoes
4-5 carrots
Olive oil
1 pint chicken stock


Here is how you put it together:

1) pre heat your oven as hot as it will get





2) score your lamb shoulder and season with salt and pepper on all sides.





3) in a roasting pan, lay down half of your Rosemary and cloves of garlic (skin on)





4) put the meat on top and place the rest of your rosemary and garlic on top and drizzle with olive oil.





5) cover with tin foil and toss in your super hot oven. now, here is the trick to the perfect lamb, once you have placed your lamb in the oven turn the heat immediately down to 330 and let the lamb go for 4 hrs. by getting the oven super hot then cooling it 330 you get a good crust on the meat, then as the oven cools you get the low and slow cooking needed to make fatty meats like lamb shoulder fall apart tender.






here is what you lamb should like like after 4hrs in the hot box




6) the gravy (to be made once you have taken the roast out of the oven): chop up your mint and capers and fold them into each other





7) take the Rosemary and garlic cloves out of pan and drain excess fat..there should be a good deal of rendered fat so be careful.

8) toss a tablespoon of flour into the pan and mix till it looks like library paste.

9) add about a cup and a half of chicken stock, your mint-caper mix and few shots of red wine vinegar. cook down into a gravy. When you are done transfer to a bowl to serve with the lamb.





 10) now for the mashed veggies. peel and cut up your potatoes and carrots





11) boil till soft, drain, and add a healthy pad of butter, a pinch of salt and pepper and mash up. It's that easy.






13) To finish off the meal we dressed some arugula with garlic olive oil and lemon to make a light salad.





This meal was a resounding success. We had a few friends over to share the meal and there was not one bite left.

As Erin and I work though our second round of P90X, we are going to attempt to create and document some of the high protein, low carb meals that we will be using to mold our bodies into beach form. See you guys soon.

Jack and Erin
The Foodliweds

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Oh-So Delicious Bucco

Christmas has come and gone. One of my favorite things about Christmas, and all the other major holidays for that matter, is cooking and sharing a meal with my family. It is also a great excuse to indulge in dishes that are a tad more decadent and extravagant that I would normally do. This Christmas I made my all time favorite overpriced comfort food.......Osso-Bucco.  (thanks to mom and dad for springing for the ingredients;)

That's right Osso-Bucco, braised veal shank. It sound like a very high brow kinda dish but really, at its core, it's italian pot roast. I can't think of a better meal to serve when the whole family comes together. Don't let the word braised intimidate  you, it just means you brown the meat in a pan then cook it low and slow in a sauce of some kind. Don't let the veal scare you either, it is a pricier cut of meat but it is well worth it. You cannot fake the texture of Veal. All of that said i totally understand that some people have a real moral problem with veal, if so you can also use ox-tail, pork shank, or even short ribs.

Ok here is what you need for a normal batch of 4 people, I am cooking for 7 in the pictures





4lbs of Veal Shanks (seasoned with salt and pepper)
Olive oil
1-2 large carrots 
1 medium onion
1-2 stalks of celery
3-4 cloves of garlic
2 cups of our homemade tomato sauce
1 box of chicken stock
2 cups of white wine
 
For the garnish:

1 bunch of parsley
Zest of one Lemon
1/4 of a cup of toasted pine nuts

Here is how I put it together:

1) pre-heat oven to 350

2) salt and pepper the meat





3) chop up all of your veggies





4) heat of a a little olive oil in a pan, and brown the meat on all sides. 



This concludes the first half of the braise. Put the meat on a plate to rest while we build the second half...the sauce

5) heat 4-5 tablespoons of oil in a large pot.

6) toss in the onions and garlic cook for 5-6 mins on medium heat. once the onions are soft add the carrots and celery. don't forget to hit them with a little salt and pepper.




7) add the wine, tomato sauce, and chicken stock to the pot and bring to a boil





8) put the shanks back in the pot, cover, and toss in the oven for two and a half hours.





The garnish:

This topping is super easy and really makes this dish pop. It really is the secret ingredient. 

1) chop up parsley





2) add lemon zest





3) mix in pine nuts..... And done.





We served it up with mashed potatoes, balsamic glazed brussel sprouts, and rolls from Lynne's favorite neighborhood italian spot.





I am not the only one who likes to add to the Christmas feast. We had Erin's caprese and prosciutto wraps, my Mom's apple toasts and walnut covered grapes, and the Minton's brandy alexanders.  Truly a great rustic Italian family feast. I am hoping this meal catches on as a tradition in my family, it's one I could defiantly get used to.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

pho is for texans

howdy all:

i know its been a minute since our last post, so to kick off the holiday season, and the cooler weather which will hopefully stick, i wanted to share my new favorite pho recipe. this isn't a traditional pho per se, i had my buddy chuck norris give it a texas sized kick in the pants. hope you like it!

what you need:

32 oz  beef broth
8 oz cooked brisket
2 green onions
1 lime
1 jalapeño
1 bunch cilantro
1 can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 package of rice noodles ( i like the brown rice kind)
soy sauce  bbq sauce and pepper to taste

how to do it:

chop up two chipotle peppers and throw them in a sauce pan with the beef broth. add a few tablespoons of soy sauce, some pepper and put on medium heat. if you like a little more heat, add some of the adobo sauce in too. i like a little spicy bbq sauce in there also.



in another medium sauce pan, boil the water for the noodles. follow the cooking directions on the package, but generally they take about 4-5 mins to cook. when they get to the right consistency for you, strain and rinse with cold water.



chop the jalapeños and onions thinly, and the lime into quarters. roughly chop the cilantro and place all the garnishes aside on a plate.



trim any excess fat from the brisket, thinly slice and chop to large bite sized pieces. place half of the cooked noodles and brisket in the bottom of two large bowls and then ladle on the broth. add your garnishes and enjoy!


add your favorite garnishes and enjoy with chopsticks and a big spoon! this recipe make two servings the beef and broth can be substituted with chicken and chicken broth, or even some left over turkey. 


Thursday, July 21, 2011

BBQ Review: Soulmans BBQ Rockwall

it is summer and in the world of guitar teaching summer means unusually large breaks in your normal schedule. today is one of those days and I have decided to come to Soulmans. it is a thurs afternoon and as i sit here and type, the rangers are taking on the hated orange county angels or whatever they are called. so far rangers down one. this is not my first time to come here, it happens to be the closest BBQ spot to the shop where i teach.






the thing about BBQ joints is that they always seem to reflect the down home values of the communities they reside in. when i go to south dallas it is always down home black people and when i go to rockwall, mesquite, and forney, in places like these, it is always down home white folk. Soulmans in rockwall is no exception. It is very monochromatic here.  but the key link is the down home factor.  there is something about BBQ that harkens back to a slower simpler time that connects us with our shared past no matter what color you are. but I digress.....




to the meal:


i got the 4 rib plate w/ mac and cheese, and beans. first of all the ribs, these were the best ribs i have ever had at Soulmans. it kinda makes me mad they have been holding out. usually they are a bit in the tough side, but today they were as tender as you could wish a rib to be. their ribs always seem a bit under seasoned to me and today that was still true, but the sweet texas BBQ sauce more than makes up for it. the beans were wonderful. with onions and jalapeños they were doctored up just the way i like. the mac and cheese on the other hand were over cooked and was under seasoned. i shoulda had the fried okra, always get the okra. lastly, Texas Toast, it is to BBQ what tortilla chips and salsa is to Tex-Mex. you gotta have a good piece of bread to sop up the sauce. this texas toast was perfect. 






all in all, i give Soulmans Rockwall a solid B. the ribs were great but they haven't always been so i need a few more good experiences before i believe it's real. the mac and cheese was also lacking, that is always disappointing. i hate ending on a sour note so I will finish by saying that Soulmans is solid BBQ not the best, but better than average.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

warm tomato and spinach salad

i used to work at a restaurant that had a fantastic tomato and spinach salad on the menu. tis the season for tomatoes at the farmers market, so i thought i'd try my hand at deconstructing it. so without further ado:

first off, don't fret that this is "warm". its 99 degrees right now in Dallas, and I realize that warm salad sounds a little, well, awful. i assure you, this is ridiculously good, and your friends, especially the ones "allergic" to salad will dig it. plus its more like room temperature.



here is what you need:

2 tbs of olive oil
4 tbs balsamic vinegar
2 tbs honey
2 tomatoes quartered, then quartered again
3 cups of fresh spinach rinsed
1/4 cup chopped red onion (chopped thinly lengthwise)
4 oz goat cheese
1/4 praline pecans (i buy these in the nut section, i like caramelized or sugared, but plain works too)

first off you want to chop everything up. be sure to slice the onion pretty thin, and set aside.

next we make the dressing. add your olive oil, balsamic, and honey to a medium ceramic or microwave bowl and whisk to incorporate.



add chopped tomato and onion  to the bowl, toss in the dressing and set aside.



rinse and drain the spinach. you can use a salad spinner if you have one, or if you are really lazy like me, buy the hermetically sealed triple washed variety in the plastic container which doesn't require rinsing.

next place the bowl with tomatoes and onions in the microwave on high for about a minute and a half to. by marinating the onions a bit and warming them up, you reduce them slightly, making them sweeter and  less pungent.



transfer the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and toss with spinach. add in the pecans and goat cheese. note the goat cheese is really soft so the best thing to do is take a spoon and drop several dollops into the bowl. the goat cheese does the wonderful melting thing that makes the dressing impossibly delicious.



mix gently and plate up.garnish with fresh cracked pepper. super easy, super good and a great way to get your popeye on.