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I first posted this in the Geezers Recipes forum 11 months ago.  I reproduce it here, because I am going to make it on Sunday.  Instead of 15-16 ounces of beef bullion, I am going to use the beef stock I just made...

Beef Stroganoff

This recipe originated in Russia in the 1800's.  The oldest recipes do not contain either mushroom or onions, but this version uses their yummy goodness!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 treaspon salt

1 lb sirloin, cut into 1/4th inch strips

4 tablespoons butter, divided in half

1 cup thin-sliced mushrooms (white button or portobellini)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove minced

1/4 cup sherry

3 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon tomato paste (to give the dish a darker brown color)

1 15 oz can of beef bouillon

1 cup sour cream

Method

Dredge the sirloin strips in 1 tablespoon of flour and salt. Quickly brown in 2 tablespoons melted butter in a skillet over medium high-heat.  Add mushroom and onion, cook for about 4  minutes, until onions are tender.  Add garlic and continue for 1 minute, as the garlic become aromatic.

Remove the meat, onion, mushrooms and garlic to a Dutch oven (or large pot), keep warm.

To the skillet, add sherry and loosen any of the flour, onion, mushroom, or garlic from the bottom (it is called the "fond").  Add and melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.  Add 3 tablespoons of flour to make a roux by whisking, gradually adding the tomato paste.  Cook until it develops a medium brown color - about 3 or 4 minutes.  Add the bouillon and reduce until thickened.

Transfer the contents of the skillet to the contents of the Dutch oven and fold in thoroughly.  Fold in the sour cream and serve warm.

I like to serve the Stroganoff over wide flat egg noodles.  Some people serve over rice or wild rice.  Traditionally it was served with "potato straws."

ENJOY!

Great recipe Jamie. I love stroganoff.... when i make it i cook the mushrooms seperately in a few tablespoons of butter for 4-5 minutes then i add a cup and a half of wine to the mushrooms and simmer until all the liquid is evaporated and add the mushrooms at the end. it adds a lot of flavor to the dish. 

Panang Curry Chicken (to serve 4)

Ingredients

1-1/2 pound of boneless, skinless chicken

2 tablespoons peanut oil, divided

Chinese five spices

1 medium zucchini, chunky coarse slice on the diagonal

1/2 red bell pepper, coarse chopped

1/2 orange or yellow bell peppers, coarse chopped

1/2 sweet onion, coarse chopped

(other favorite vegtable, such as yellow squash or carrots, can be substituted)

1 8-oz can bamboo shoots

1 15-oz can coconut milk (well shaken)

1 tablespoon Thai Kitchen brand red curry paste (to make a medium heat curry)

3 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoon brown or cane sugar

1/4th cup fresh Thai basil chiffonade, or fresh cilantro leaves

1/4 cup crushed cashews as a garnish (optional)

Method

Over med-high heat in a wok or large skillet, stir fry the chicken in 1 tablespoon of oil.  Season liberally with Chinese five spices.  Cook until a light brown.  Remove chicken to bowl and keep warm.

In the same wok add the vegetables and the remaining peanut oil.  Strifry unti the onon is translucent, about five minutes.  The zucchini should be slightly browned as well.

Add in the coconut milk, curry paste, fish sauce, sugar, and herbs.  Blend while stiring and bring to a boil.  Add chicken, turn heat down to med-low, and allow to simmer for a few minute.

I like to serve on Jasmine or Basmati rice (made ahead of time).  If you can find the Thai purple rice, even better.

Plate the Panang curry over or wth the rice, and garnish with crushed cashews.

Notes

I like the curry sauce on the thick side.  If you like it thinner, you can add some milk or chicken/vegetable stock while simmering.

Works well with beef, pork, shrimp or fish too

Looks great! ........ But double that portion for me!

Cajun-style Blackened Fish

Back in the 1980's, Chef Paul Prudhomme (K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen) popularized New Orleans/Cajun/Creole cuisine.  His signature dish is perhaps "Blackened Redfish."  It became so popular that redfish shortaged occurred and prices soared!

"Redish" is the common name for several species, but the one used by Prudhomme is "red drum," which is a type of bass.  He also suggests pompano or tilefish as a substitute.

Really, most any delicate fish that is not too oily, like mackeral or salmon, should work.

Prudhomme's orginal recipe, which I have in his "Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen" cookbook calls for a superhot cast iron skillet, fish, lots of butter, and a seasoning mixture.  What I present here is easier to do and not quite as prone to burning.

Jamie's Blackened Fish - Ingredients for two

2 6-8 oz red snapper fillets

1 stick of butter

Cajun seasoning spice blend

Tomato-Corn Salad (recipe above) or freshly made salsa

Method

Bring a skillet to medium-high heat.  Add 4 tablespoons of butter.  Stovetop temperatures vary, but you want the butter to bubble and turn brown (Prudhomme scortches his!).

To the butter as a generous amount (~ 1 tablespoon) of your Cajun seasoning of choice.

Add fish and cook for about three minutes untill the fish is well-browned.  Turn once and repeat.  Remove to warm serving plate.  Top with tomato-corn salad, fresh salsa, or even piccalilli relish.

I serve this with a Cajun rice, or traditional red beans and rice.

At K-Paul's it is served with a ramkin of melted butter. Here is Prudhomme's dish as served at his restaurant:

About Cajun seasonings

There are several really good ones on the market, each with it's own followers.  Since they are multipupose, you can use them in many other dishes.

Pruhomme has his own line of "Magic" seasoning blends.

Emeril Lagasse has his own line asw ell.  I would suggest the "Oringinal Essence" for this dish.

Zatarain's markets a general "Creole Seasoning," but also has a "Blackened Seasoning." (I have never seen that at my stores.)

I recommend "Tony Chachere's More Spice Seasoning" blend.

Lastly, one of my new-found favorites is "Slap Yo Mama"!!  It is as authentic as it comes!  Try it.

Fresh Tomato and Corn Salad

This one is so easy!  Prep time is about 15 minutes.  Make four generous servings.

Ingredients

2 large ears of corn, husks and silk removed

2 firm beefsteak tomatos, diced

2 medium stalks of celery, chopped

2 green onions, sliced thin on the diagonal (or a few thin sliced of red onion)

2 tablespoons green or orange bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup vinegar (red wine, white wine, or apple cider)

2 tablespoons honey (I prefer orange blossom or wildflower honey)

Fresh cilantro leaves to garnish

TT salt and FGBP

Method

Bring a pan of water to boil and add the corn cobs.  Cook boiling for two to three minutes. Then shock the corn in ice water to stop it cooking.  You want the corn crisp.  When cool, with a sharp knife, remove the corn kernals from the cob into a non-reactive serving bowl.

Place all the other ingredients in the bowl and toss.  Refrigerate for two or more hours.  Adjust the seasonings.  Some people might like a little more tart, others a little more sweet.

Notes

This is great with grilled corn too (as pictured).  When I make it that way, I use left-over grilled corn on the cob - timing is tough otherwise.

Breakfast Burrito

The breakfast burrito's origins are relatively new.  A Mexican food cafe in Santa Fe, New Mexico, called Tia Sophia's, claims to have invented the dish in 1975.  But I well remember as a kid (before 1975) scooping up Huevos Rancheros into a corn tortilla and having that for a Sunday brunch.

In any case, it is an easy and versatile breakfast/brunch item, that can be served in many different combinations.  Typically the breakfast burrito contains scrambled eggs; fried bacon, sausage, or chorizo; salsa; and cheese on a warm flour tortilla, which is folded burrito-style.

Here is how make mine.

Ingredients for 1 burrito

2 thick-cut slices of bacon, cut into lardons

1 1/4th" slice yellow onion, chopped

3 small white or red creamer/baby potatoes, diced

2 large eggs, beaten

1/4th cup milk

Salt, chili powder, FGBP to taste (I use some Ancho chili powder)

1 10" flour tortilla

Shredded Mexican blend cheese

Salsa (your favorite fresh or canned)

Method

Place your bacon, potatoes, and onion in a medium skillet and cook over medium-high heat until fat is rendered and bacon is browned.

On a serving plate, place the flour totilla and spead a handful of cheese in a thin layer.  Microwave for about 1 minute, if you wish to melt the cheese and warm the tortilla.

Beat eggs and add in milk, mix.  Remove bacon potato, and onion mixture to the tortilla.  Scramble eggs in same hot pan - season accordingly.  Eggs with cook in just a few minutes.

Remove scrambled eggs to tortilla, top with salsa, and fold.

Notes

Some people like to dress up the basic breakfast burrito with acocado slices, melted cheese on top, sour cream/crema mexicana, salsa on the side.  Both chorizo and sausage can be used instead of bacon and are quite good.

[This recipe was first posted in the Valhalla group forum.  I have tested the recipe in my bread machine by cutting everything on about 1/3rd.  If I am to do it in my oven, I would cook the loaves on a pizza stone.]

Viking Rye Bread

This recipe is adapted for modern methods, but uses essentially the same ingredients as the Vikings did 1000 years ago.

ere is a fun little dessert or tea cake, that is easy and quick to make.  It is adapted from a recipe found in Sunset Magazine (this month), but I have changed it a little bit for the better.

Strawberry Almond Teacakes

Ingredients (to make 9 cup-cake sized teacakes)

1/2 cup softened unsalted butter

2/3 cup white granulated sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract, or Amaretto liqueur

1 teaspoon orange or lemon zest

1 cup almond flour or almond meal

1/4 cup AP flour

2 tablespoons sliced almonds

1 pint strawberries, halved and quartered (mixed)

1/4 cup orange liqueur (Triple Sec, Cointreau, Curacao, Grand Marnier)

Creme fraiche (or slightly sweetened sour cream)

Method

Pre-heat oven to 400F.

In a large mixing bow, cream the softened butter with the sugar until smooth (use an electric mixer).  Add in the eggs and mix thoroughly, scraping the sides of the mixing bowl as you go.  Add the extract, salt, and zest.

Mix in AP flour and almond flour until homogenized in the batter - no lumps.

Spray a 9-count cupcake tin with oil, or grease with butter.  Evenly divide the batter among the cups and press a half strawberry into the middle of each one. Sprinkle each cake with sliced almonds.

Place the reserved strawberries in orange liqueur to soak.

Place on a middle or upper rack and bake for 20 to 22 minutes.  The edges should be a medium golden brown.  Place entire tin on a cooling rack for 15 minutes.

Remove cake from tin and place on dessert plate.  Serve with a dollop of creme fraiche and a heaping tablespoon of sliced berries.

Notes

This will work with most any berry, and even black seedless grapes, as in the original recipe.

You can play with your favorite liqueur to soak the berries.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

From what I can tell, this Asian fusion dish was popularized by P F Chang's.  I made plain jasmine rice to go with it.  Also, I used whole butter lettuce leaves - they were the perfect size

There are a couple of ways to go.  First, follow a recipe, I will link two below.  Or get a seasoning/marinade packet and follow the directions.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/almost-famous-chicken-lettuce-wraps-recipe.html

http://www.food.com/recipe/p-f-changs-chicken-lettuce-wraps-15865

Sun*Bird Chicken Lettuce Wraps seasoning mix

I used boneless cut-up chicken thighs, dice water chesnuts, sliced mushrooms, and diced green onion in the stir-fry.  It turned out really great.  I think it could have been "kicked up a notch" with some hot peppers to become a little more Szechuan and not suffer a bit!

Go ahead and experiment when you are cooking - it's fun. :-)

In Indian cuisine, nothing is quite so enjoyed around the world than tandoori chicken. The traditional tandoor is a large clay pot, heated by wood and charcoal fires within. It acts like a convection oven and developes extremely high heat ... even hotter than a pizza oven.

Tandoori chicken is originally from the Punjab, and is made in two steps.  I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts and/or thighs, which I marinade for several hours in a yoghurt and spice mixture.  Then I cook it quickly on my kitchen oven's highest setting - about 500F.

Tandoori Chicken

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds of chicken pieces, flesh scored

1 tablespoon lime juice

Sprinkle sea salt

Small onion, fine dice

Garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon ginger, crushed

1 1/2 cups plain yoghurt

1 tablespoon commercial Garam Masala spice blend

1 tablespoon Tandoori Masala spice blend (equal parts ground cumin, ground coriander, ground cayenne)

Few drops red food coloring (optional)

Method

Place the chicken pieces in a glass casserole, spinkle with lime juice and salt.  Set aside.

In a mixing bowl combine all the other ingredients to create the marinade.  You can optionally puree them together.  Pour over the chicken, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for several hours or over night.  (I like to just dump the chicken and marinade in a gallon-sized ziplock bag - saves washing a casserole dish!)

When ready to cook, pre-heat the oven to 450F to 500F.  Transfer the chicken to a roasting pan, shaking off any excess marinade - some will cling to the chicken.  Cook for 30 minutes until well-browned.

Serve hot.

Notes

I like to serve my tandoori chicken with Indian naan flatbread, or pitas, which ever are available.  I make yellow rice with dried dates while the chicken is cooking.  Slice some tomato and cucumber to go with the flatbread.  A tzatziki sauce is nice too.

Thats a great dish!

Authentic Baja Fish Tacos

In my misspent youth, trips to Baja California, Mexico, were de rigueur for Spring Break.  The east coast college kids went to Florida.  The rich kids flew down to the Yucatan, but the rest of us packed up our surf boards and drove south.

Tijuana was terrifically popular during Prohibition, because booze were readily available and cheap, you could go to the Caliente horserace track, gamble in the clubs, and see the bullfights.

But the more intrepid traveller headed further south, to the sleepy fishing villages and pristine beaches of Rosarita, Ensenada, El Rosario, and San Quintin.

There, you can find street vendor, bars (like the famous Hussong's) and cafes serving the Baja-style taco.  It is a simple dish, but oh so flavorful.  No matter where you are, you can make it at home.

Point of privilege here.  You can find hundreds of recipes on the internet - some good, some not so good.  An authentic fish taco never uses battered or deep-fried fish!  The fish must be marinated and cooked over on wood charcoal grill.  Upscale restaurants will use mahi mahi (dolphin fish).  It is good that way, but the street vendors tend to use more local fish, like pacific rockfish, halibut, or talapia.  I have even used cod and Dover sole.

Ingredients for 8 servings

2 pounds whole fish, deboned and deskinned, cut into strips 2 inches wide

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 tablespoons lime or lemon juice

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 tablespoon each minced garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander

16 small (3.5") or 8 standard (5") corn tortillas

2 cup finely shedded green cabbage (a little red cabbage for color is good!)

1/2 cup sour cream (or Mexican crema)

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoon  lime juice

Milk

Pinch ground cayenne, ancho, or chipotle pepper

2-3 tablespoons finely-diced sweet onion

Fresh cilantro

salt to taste

Method

The above ingredients comprise the fish and marinade, the slaw, garnish, and the Baja sauce.

Begin by preparing the Baja sauce.  Combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons of lime juice, and spices.  Thin as needed with milk.  It should be the consistency of asemi-runny salad dressing, not thick like mayonnaise.  Cover and chill.

Next, prepare the marinade by combining the oil, lime or lemon juice, spices and garlic.  In the marinade, place the fish, and coat thoroughly.  Chill for at least an hour, tossing at least once.

To prepare your fire, ideally use Pacifc red oak or mesquite.  Bring the fire to high heat and let the wood cook down to glowing red embers with a white ask coating.  It should almost burn your hand if placed within a few inches.

When ready, place the fish on the hot grill and cook on each side for until well-marked, about 2 minutes per side.  Remove the fish to a platter.  Place the tortillas on the hot fire to warm, about 30 second per side.

To assemble the fish taco, place a couple of strips on the stardard tortilla (1 strip per mini-tortilla), top with slaw, dollop of Baja sauce, onions and cilantro.  Fold in half.  In Baja, the tacos are served ala carte, or as a plate with Spanish rice and refried bean (frijoles).  A nice salsa cruda, or mango salsa, goes well with them too.

I still have not settled on the number of guests for Thanksgiving, or the wines yet.  Still have to work on the wine pairings.  We will be doing a late afternoon meal, I expect.

Hors d'oeuvres course: a simple vegetable/relish tray with sweet gherkins, black olives, green olives, giardiniera; also deviled eggs

Salad course: an iceberg wedge salad with lettuce, heirloom cherry tomatoes, crispy-fried shallot, and smoked bacon bits - choice of roquefort or buttermilk pepper ranch dressing

Entree course:  Hickory smoked turkey breast with Southern cornbread & sausage stuffing; turkey gravy; homemade cranberry sauce.

The entree is served with herbed roasted root vegetables (multicolored heirloom baby potatoes, carrots, and sliced parsnip); Praline yam casserole; slowcooked Southern-style green beans with diced ham and onions

Dessert course:  Guests have offered to bring desserts, but I have been inspired by our British friends to try my hand at a trifle.

Okay, this is a difficult menu for wine pairings.  The relish appetizers have pickled vegetable (which are spicy to "awaken" the tastebuds!).  The eggs have mustard and vinegar.  And Roquefort is a cheese from the bleu chesse family.  This requires a bold wine that will not be overpowered.  A traditional cheese wine paring is Port, but that won't do here.  Bordeaux also comes to mind, so I am going to do something like that.  What I have is a California "Meritage" - which is a blended Bordeaux-style wine, made from the five classic grapes.

My wine is Stering Vintner's Collection Meritage 2011.  It is comprised of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, 6% Malbec, 4% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc.

My main course "wine" might end up being a German Rauchbier!  Still undecided on that, but this smoked beer would go nicely with the smoked meats.

My dessert wine will likely be a Canadian Icewine from the Niagara area.

Colcannon

Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish made from inexpensive and readily available ingredients.  There are many variations on the dish, but the base includes mashed, boiled potatoes; boiled cabbage; green onions; milk and butter.

These vegetables are Irish staples and it is not unusual to serve colcannon with ham or bacon.  Here is a sample recipe, to serve 6 to 8 people:

Ingredients

1 pound green cabbage, shredded

2 cups of water

2 pounds of peeled and quartered white potatoes

1 cup milk

1/2 cup chopped green onions

2 tablespoons butter

TT sea salt and FGBP

2 slices thick-slice smoked bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled, to garnish

Chopped pasley to garnish

Method

Cook the bacon until crisp.  Remove from fat and drain.

In a medium saucepan, add shredded cabbage and water.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, set asde and keep warm.

To a 6 quart pot or Dutch oven, add potatoes, cooking water from the cabbage, and enough water to submerge the potatoes.  Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low.  Cook for 15 to 18 minutes until the potatoes are tender.  Drain way the water and mash the potatoes  until smooth.  Add the cabbage and mix.

In the medium saucepan bring  milk and the chopped onions just to a boil - no longer or you will scortch the milk.  Add to the potatoes and cabbage.

Add the butter to the potato mixture and mix thoroughly.  Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.

Remove the completed colcannon to a serving bowl, warm.  Garnish with crumbled bacon and parsley

Notes

Kale, leek, or scallions are often substituted for green onion.

Cioppino

Recipe from Giada DeLaurentiis

Ingredients

Whats in the Italian seasoning blend Jamie?

The seasoning blend has dried basil, oregano, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, and sage.

Barbecue Shrimp Po'boy Sandwiches

A Po'boy ("poor boy") was a New Orleans invention which originally sold for five-cents - so inexpensive a poor boy could afford a meal.  This recipe serves four.

Ingredients

4 French rolls, or one baguette quartered and split in half horizontally

1/2 cup unsalted butter

2 lemons (1 for juice and 1 to quarter as a garnish)

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning blend (such as "Slap Ya Mama" or Tony Cachere's)

1/4 teasppon ground cayenne (optional, if you like it hot)

Shredded iceberg lettuce

Sliced tomato

Remoulade sauce or Tabasco/Cajun mayonnaise (see below in notes)

Sliced bread & butter pickles (optional)

1  to 1.5 pounds of raw peeled and deveined shrimp, tails off.  If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Method

Cut the French rolls or baguette sections and place in a warm oven

Warm a skillet over medium-high heat.  Melt the butter, but don't burn it like you would for a blackened fish recipe.

Add the garlic for one minute, to become aromatic.

Add the juice of one lemon, Worcestershire sauce, spices, and shrimp.

Cook stirring until the shrimp are pink, remove from heat.

On the warmed bread, spead the bottom piece with the remoulade or Cajun mayonnaise.  Top with lettuce and tomato, and 1/4 of the shrimp on each.

Serve hot.

Notes

This sandwich is often served with a side of creamy cole slaw.  It is perfectly acceptable to put the slaw on the sandwich.

Remoulade sauce is the traditional spread.  Cajun mayonnaise, however, is easy to make at home.  Serve the leftover spread in a bowl on the table if your guests want more (and they will).

Goes great with a cold beer!