Yumpot

Guac

2008-11-08T12:49:00.003-06:00

I thought I'd also post the guacamole recipe I think I'll never forget, to go along with the margaritas.

you'll need:

ripe avocados -- at least 1 per person (always make more than you think you need)

red or white onion, chopped finely

fresh jalepeno, chopped finely (optional)

cilantro, chopped roughly

garlic, minced

tabasco

fresh-squeezed lime juice

(all ingredients to taste)

dump everything in the bowl at once and mix only at the end. if you overmash the avocados they will get banana-y, so just stir it until evenly mixed.

it can sit in the fridge with some tightly-wrapped saran wrap for a half hour or more, but feel free to skip this step and eat immediately on some blue corn chips.

Perfect Margaritas

2008-11-08T12:40:00.004-06:00

I can't believe I'd ever forget this recipe, but am posting it here in case I do.

The key thing to remember is 2 to 1 to 1: two parts tequila, one part liquor, one part fruit juice. Serve on lots of ice, and in a rim-salted glass if possible.

The best version so far:

2 shots of Partida

1 shot of Cointreau

1 shot of fresh-squeezed lemon and lime juice (this should be about 2/3rds lime, 1/3rd lemon)

Drink -- preferably along side some homemade guac and chips -- and don't plan on driving anywhere anytime soon.

Sid's Enchiladas

2008-11-08T12:30:00.002-06:00

4 tbs (1/2 stick) butter, cut into 4 pieces

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound mushrooms, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces

corn kernals from 3 ears, or 10 oz. frozen box

20 oz. fresh spinach, washed and chopped

1 tsp. chili powder

12 oz. shredded monty jack

2 cups lowfat sour cream

black pepper to taste

12 6oz. corn tortillas

1) preheat over to 400 degrees

2) melt butter in large skillet over medium-low heat

3) add onions, garlic, mushrooms, and corn

4) add spinach and chili powder

5) cover and cook for 20 mins., stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted

6) stir in 1/2 cheese, mix until melted

7) add sour cream and pepper, mix well

8) remove from heat and cool slightly

9) brush tortillas w/ oil on both sides

10) spoon 1/3 cup of mixture into the center of each, roll

11) sprinkle with salsa and cheese

12) bake, seam side down, for 15 mins

grandma nettie's meatballs

2008-03-30T14:26:00.002-06:00

Okay this is directly transcribed from an index card that I think my sister wrote when she was like 11. I haven't tried it yet, although it looks like it's leaving out some of the specifics (like, the actual cooking part is a bit vague).

All I remember about these meatballs is that my grandma would give me little pieces of the raw, ground meat mixture (with raw egg to boot!) to eat while she was cooking. Eek.

2 pounds of chopped meat
small end of hard, stale italian bread (3-4 inches long)
garlic powder (quarter teaspoon) or fresh garlic (1 piece?)
dash pepper
no salt (unless wanted)
parsley quarter teaspoon - or more
romano cheese to taste 1/2 cup altogether
1 egg
breadcrumbs

soak bread. tighten (take all water out). mix all ingredients into bowl. knead with hands.
add bread crumb, as much as neded. add cheese, optional.
knead 100 times. taste. add whatever is needed, and cheese.
after mixing, shape into meatballs 2x2, cook on medium heat until brown.

Turkey Chili Recipe

2008-02-24T10:56:00.003-06:00

Tasty Turkey Chili Recipe

This easy chili made with ground turkey not only tastes good, it's also heart healthy and designed for kids to make. Feel free to make it ahead and reheat. It's even better the next day.

INGREDIENTS:

1 large onion
2 tablespoons corn oil
1-1/4 pounds fresh ground turkey (ground without skin)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 15-ounce can pinto beans
1 15-ounce can black beans
1 (14-1/2 ounces) can diced tomatoes in juice, undrained
1 (6 ounces) can tomato paste
1 (14-1/2 ounces) can chicken broth
1 cup frozen corn kernels
4 to 5 green onions (scallions)

PREPARATION:

Peel and chop onion with the help of your assistant.

Pour oil into Dutch oven or large saucepan. Place pot on burner. Turn heat to medium. Heat oil for 1 minute.

Add onions to hot oil.

Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally with wooden spoon, for 5 minutes, or until onion is almost clear.

Add ground turkey to pot. Stir with a wooden spoon, breaking up large pieces. Brown turkey for 5 minutes, stirring often.

Stir in garlic powder or garlic, chili powder, black pepper, and cumin until well combined.

Open cans of pinto and black beans. Pour both into large strainer. Place strainer under cold running water. Rinse beans thoroughly and drain.

With wooden spoon, stir beans, tomatoes and their juice, tomato paste, chicken broth, and corn into pot. Heat 5 to 7 minutes, or until thoroughly hot, stirring often.

Rinse and slice green portions of green onions. (Save the white part for Mom to use another time.) You should have about 1/2 cup.

Stir green onions into pot. Remove from heat. Ladle hot chili into bowls. Serve with green salad and cornbread.

Notes:
I like to cook all the spices first and then put the turkey in. Also, the turkey should be seasoned beforehand with salt and pepper. Last time we cut up a chipotle pepper and threw that in with the spices, plus used a couple of teaspoons of the adobo sauce to season the turkey. Highly recommended.

limoncello

2007-12-16T11:57:00.000-06:00

8-12 lemons, washed, preferably organic
3 1/2 cups everclear or other neutral high-proof alcohol
2 cups sugar

zest lemons with a vegetable peeler or microplane zester, being careful to avoid the white pith. (reserve lemons for another use.) put zest into a large glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and add alolohol (there should be enough to cover the zest, but if not, add more alcohol.) set aside in a cool, dark place for 2-4 days. (the higher the proof of alcohol, the faster the zest will be extracted.) when zest turns pale and alcohol has a deep yellow color, strain through a sieve or cheesecloth, and store in another glass container. discard zest.

combine sugar with 4 3/4 cups of water in a medium saucepan over medium heat (do not boil). stir until the sugar dissolves and the syrup is clear, about 10 minutes. allow to cool.

pour syrup into lemon-infused alcohol (mixture will turn cloudy) and sample it. adjust flavor to your palate by either diluting with water or adding more alcohol in small amounts. the pour liquor into two clean, dry 750ml bottles, using a funnel. set aside for a week to allow liquor to mellow. store in the freezer and serve ice cold.

cold cut bread

2006-12-17T13:31:00.000-06:00

a holiday classic. and so easy.

get pizza dough and if frozen let it thaw

use around 1/4 to 1/3 of a pound of each of the following:
ham
pepperoni
genoa salami
swiss cheese

roll out the dough to be roughly pizza-sized

layer each type of cold cut, making separate rows for each but overlapping slightly

roll it up, fashion into a horseshoe, and secure with toothpicks

bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until brown

you can put pretty much anything inside. it's hard to go wrong.

Rudolph's Antlers

2006-12-02T14:13:00.000-06:00

Hard to go wrong here. So cute.

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1/2 cup butterscotch flavored chips 3 ounces chow mein noodles 12 maraschino cherries

Combine semi-sweet chocolate chips and butterscotch chips in the top of a double boiler. Heat over hot water until melted, stirring occasionally.
Remove from the heat and stir in chow mein noodles.
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper and shape into 2-inch ''V''-shaped candies.
Cut maraschino cherries in half and place one half in the center of each candy.

Makes 24 pieces.

Grandma's Swignin' Eggnog

2006-12-02T14:10:00.000-06:00

6	each	egg yolks
1/2	cup	sugar
2	cup	milk
2	cup	light rum
2	cup	whipping cream

Beat yolks until light. Add sugar and mix well. Add milk and rum. Mix well, then chill for at least 3 hours. One hour before serving, whip cream and stir into chilled mixture. Return to refrigerator for an hour. Serve in punch cups and dust with nutmeg.

NOTE: This stuff is POTENT, even if you reduce the rum by half. brandy, dark rum or bourbon may be substituted for the light rum. If you prefer a nonalcoholic eggnog, leave out the alcohol altogether. With or without alcohol, this eggnog is very rich and very good.

Sesame-encrusted Tuna

2006-11-05T19:33:00.000-06:00

The tuna is supposed to be deep red and firm to the touch, although we don't really feel comfortable asking to poke the fish before we buy it.

The sauce:
1 medium scallion, with the green part sliced into little rings and the white part minced
2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup water
1-1/2 tsp. sesame oil
2-1/2 tsp. sugar (although this is probably optional. at least use less.)
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

The fish:
Dry the tuna really well with paper towls
Coat it with vegetable or light olive oil (about 1 tsp.)
Season both sides of the fish with salt and pepper
Coat with sesame seeds

Heat 1 tbs. oil on high heat until you see little wisps of smoke
Put the fish in, and swirl the pan around to get the oil underneath
Set the timer for 30 seconds, then turn down to medium
Cook 1-1/2 minutes until there is a golden crust on the first side
Flip and cook for roughly 1-1/2 minutes on the second side (depending on thickness) for rare
Up to 3 minutes for medium rare but no more than this is recommended

Slice immediately and spoon the sauce over it. Eat!

30-minute turkey chili

2006-11-05T19:28:00.000-06:00

Courtesy of the Food Network:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon kosher salt*
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 chipotle chile en adobo, coarsely chopped, with 1 tablespoon sauce
1 pound ground turkey
1 (12-ounce) Mexican lager-style beer
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, with their juice
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
Sliced scallions, cilantro sprigs, avocado, sour cream, grated Monterey jack cheese, and/or tortilla chips, for garnish, optional

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, salt, chili powder, and oregano and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and the chipotle chile and sauce; cook 1 minute more. Add the turkey, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and cook until the meat loses its raw color, about 3 minutes. Add the beer and simmer until reduced by about half, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes—crushing them through your fingers into the skillet—along with their juices and the beans; bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 10 minutes.

Ladle the chili into bowls and serve with the garnishes of your choice.

Food Network Cook's Note: A skillet's larger surface area reduces sauces faster than simmering in a saucepan.

*We added only a teaspoon of Kosher salt and it seemed to be enough. Also, we added a dash or two of cumin.

Quick and easy broccoli

2006-07-22T15:03:00.000-06:00

Did I mention easy? You need:

A head of broccoli
Around 4-5 garlic cloves
A tablespoon or two of olive oil
Pepperoncini
Chicken broth
Salt to taste

1. Steam the broccoli for maybe 3-5 minutes tops.
2. Dump the water, transfer the broccoli to a bowl (temporarily)
3. Saute garlic in the olive oil. Instead of chopping the garlic, I just sqashed them with a knife and browned them in the pan. Toast the pepperoncini in pan and add the broccoli back in.
4. Cover the pot and let the broccoli cook for a few minutes. You can add a little chicken broth so that the garlic and broccoli doesn't burn. Cook until broccoli's done.

My mom's hummus

2006-07-22T14:49:00.000-06:00

The key ingredient here is a full-sized Cuisinart.

2-3 cloves garlic
Juice of one lemon
1/3 cup tahini
1 can of chickpeas (save the water)
Parsley
Salt to taste

Garlic goes into the Cuisinart first. Pulse it a few times before adding the chickpeas, tahini, and lemon juice. Add maybe a third of the chickpea water to the cuisinart before blending the ingredients until smooth.

Once mostly blended, add salt to taste and more of the chickpea water if necessary. Also add the parsley and blend for an additional 30 seconds or so.

That's it.

Easy Shrimp

2006-05-07T08:00:00.000-06:00

Sautee shrimp in oil, with garlic and parsley, for three minutes. Flip them over. Add 1/4 cup of white wine and allow to reduce out completely. Add one shot of Ricard and light on fire to flambe.

ATK Pasta Fagioli

2005-10-01T11:55:00.000-06:00

However you pronounce it, this stuff is yummy. As taken from America's Test Kitchen:

Ingredients:

1 TBS. Olive Oil
3 oz. Pancetta, chopped into little bits (substitute other baconesque products if you like, but I wouldn't.)
1 Medium Onion, chopped fine
1 Rib Celery, chopped fine
4 Medium Garlic Cloves, pressed or minced
2 Anchovy Filets, minced to a paste
1 TSP. Dried Oregano
1 TSP. Hot Pepper Flakes
1 28oz. Can Diced Tomatoes w/ Liquid
2 Cans Canellini Beans (about 32 oz. total -- Progresso is the recommended brand.)
Low Sodium Chicken Broth
8 oz. Dried Pasta of a tiny size (tubetini, tiny elbows, mini shells, etc.)
2 Parmesan Cheese Rinds, if you can find them
Grated Parmesan for topping (optional)
Chopped Parsley for topping (optional)

Use a large stock pot that holds at least 4 quarts. Heat up the olive oil at a medium-high for a couple of minutes until it's shimmering, not smoking. Add the pancetta, and cook for three or four minutes until it's crisp, stirring occasionally to move the bits around. Add the veggies and cook until softened, about 5 mins.

Stir in the garlic, oregano, pepper flakes, and anchovies and cook for about a minute. Add the tomatoes. Add the beans. If you've got the cheese rinds, drop those in now.

Bring the soup to a simmer and reduce the heat to low. Cook 8-10 minutes.

Add 2 1/2 cups water and 3 1/2 cups chicken broth. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil.

[They recommend adding a teaspoon of salt here but we opted not to and didn't miss it.] Drop in the pasta and let it cook in the soup per package instructions, usually about 7-8 minutes. You'll want to leave it al dente as it will continue to cook while the soup cools.

Fish out the parmesan rinds. Ladel it into some serving bowls, and add parmesan cheese or parsley or both if desired. Try not to eat the whole pot in one sitting.

Anna Klinger's Malfatti

2005-01-06T22:51:00.000-06:00

This is the recipe for the Malfatti at Al Di La -- easily one of my favorite foods in the world -- as posted to the New York Times. Time consuming but worthwhile, especially for company.

1 pound ricotta
Kosher salt
4 bunches Swiss chard (about 4 pounds)
8 ounces butter
1/4 cup flour, plus more for shaping
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 large egg yolks
1 large whole egg
Freshly ground black pepper
24 fresh sage leaves
Parmesan cheese for serving

1. Drain the ricotta in a sieve lined with cheesecloth overnight in the refrigerator. Measure out 11/4 cups.

2. Bring a large pot of water, heavily seasoned with salt, to a boil. Trim the chard, removing all stems and large ridges. Add half to the boiling water and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Fish out and plunge into a bowl of ice water. Repeat.

3. Squeeze out chard with your hands. On a dish towel, spread the chard in a circle the size of a pie. Roll up the towel and have someone help you twist the ends to squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Pulse in a food processor until fine. Squeeze out in a dish towel once more, until very dry. (You will have about 1 cup.)

4. Melt half the butter. Mix chard and ricotta. Add melted butter, 1/4 cup flour, 1 heaping teaspoon salt and nutmeg and mix again. Drop in egg yolks and egg, season with pepper and stir again. Sprinkle a cutting board with flour. Shape into 1 ounce balls, about 1 tablespoon each, dropping them on the cutting board. You should have 25 to 30.

5. Put a teaspoon of flour into a narrow wineglass. Drop in a ball and swirl until it forms an oval. Repeat. (You may need to change the glass.) You may freeze them at this point.

6. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in the malfatti and cook until they float, about 8 minutes. (If frozen, 10 minutes.) Put remaining butter in a small saute pan and heat until bubbling, shaking the pan. When it smells nutty, add sage and cook 30 seconds. Season with salt.

7. Drain malfatti and place on plates. Spoon on the butter and sage. Grate Parmesan over each plate.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings as a light main course; 6 to 8 as a first course.

Mom's Chicken With Prosciutto and Fontina

2005-01-06T18:17:00.000-06:00

This is pretty easy, since it's really about good ingredients more than anything else. From start to finish, it shouldn't take more than half an hour or so, making it a perfect candidate for that 30-minute meals show on the food network.

You'll need:
Boneless chicken cutlets (I'd recommend going for the good stuff, like Belle & Evans or Murray's or from the guys at the market on Arthur Avenue)
Prosciutto (maybe 1/3 of a pound?)
Fontina cheese
Locatelli Romano cheese
Flour
Butter
Olive oil
Salt / Pepper
Chicken broth
Parsley if you like parsley

First off, the chicken should be pounded thin and any extra fat should be cut off. This is where those guys from Arthur Avenue come in -- if you get the chicken there, it's all set to go.

Put some flour in a shallow bowl, and heat a pan on your stove, on medium heat or so. When the pan is good and hot, add some olive oil to it.

One by one, you'll want to dredge the chicken cutlets in the flour and then place in the pan. Be careful to shake any excess flour off the chicken before it goes in the pan, and don't drop them in there or you'll splatter oil all over yourself, which won't feel good.

The chicken cooks quickly, maybe a few minutes on each side (it depends on the thickness of the piece), but you want to brown them just a bit. Season each cutlet with salt and pepper.

You'll probably need to keep adding oil to the pan as you cook the chicken. When a piece is done, move it to a baking pan.

Once all the chicken's been browned and placed on your baking sheet, you're ready for stage two. Add a slice or two of prosciutto to each piece, plus some fontina on top of the prosciutto, and a splash of chicken broth on top. Then, sprinkle the Locatelli Romano across each cutlet.

Here's where you can refrigerate the whole mess until you're 10 minutes away from eating. So if you're having a dinner party or like to prepare your meals waaaaay in advance, this is a good dish for you.

Once you're ready to eat, preheat the oven to around 425 or so, and cook the cutlets for 8-10 minutes. Keep an eye on them to make sure you don't burn the cheese.

That's pretty much it. Don't forget or skimp on the chicken broth because the chicken will probably be on the dry side if you do. Once again, it's really all about the ingredients, so this whole meal is a perfect excuse for a trip to Arthur Avenue.

Oh, the chopped-up parsley goes on when you're adding the chicken broth, if you're into parsley. If you're not, you certainly won't miss it.

Derik's Pesto

2005-01-06T17:57:00.000-06:00

I haven't tried this pesto on anything except my finger, but I bet it would be good on pasta, salmon, maybe even a piece of bread. I made a huge batch of it once (and one time only) so hopefully my memory still serves me correctly.

You need:
Pistachios
Arugula
Garlic
Grated Parmesan
Lemon Juice
Salt / Pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Pistachio Oil (if you can find it)

First you want to toast the pistachios in the oven for a bit. You can season them with salt and pepper before you pop them in the oven if you want.

After the pistachios are good and toasted (but not burned! careful you don't forget about them, they're pricey), you should drop in a couple big handfuls of arugula into your cuisinart, plus the pistachio nuts, minced garlic and grated parm. Don't overfill the cuisinart or the blades won't be able to do their business.

Turn on the cuisinart and add some lemon juice and salt and pepper to the mix. Slowly add olive oil while the cuisinart is going -- that should help the blades if they're not mincing appropriately. Once they've caught, you can add another handful or two of arugula.

Keep blending, but stop every thirty seconds or so to give it a taste. You'll probably end up wanting to add more parmesan and olive oil until you've got a nice flavor and good consistency.

When all is said and done, you can drop in some of that pistachio oil that you may or may not have found at the local grocery store. If not, no worries. If yes, mazel tov. Only pulse the cuisinart for a few seconds after you've added the pistachio oil.

That should do it. I'm not sure what happens next since I've never actually eaten this stuff, but as I mentioned, you can't go wrong putting it on linguini or some salmon.