Bacon-Kale Mac N' Cheese

Winter is coming.  That means that tasty, nutritious winter greens are at their peak.  Whilst browsing the produce section at my local grocery store, greenery was in abundance and, yippee, it's very affordable as well!  A big bunch of kale was going for 99 cents...you can barely get a pack of gum for that price!  Now that my kale is secured, whatever shall we do with it?  Hey, let's smother it in a cheese sauce with pasta and bacon!  Genius, I know, and a grand way to get the kiddos to eat greens in disguise.

Ovens to 375.  Cook a pound of macaroni noodles for 7 minutes (2-3 minutes less than most package directions.)  Drain and set aside.  Wash and then chop half a bunch of kale into bite sized pieces.  Set aside.  Easy so far, huh?  Cut 6 slices of bacon into small pieces (scissors work very well here) and cook in a small skillet until browned and crispy.  Drain and set aside.  Yup, still easy.

Now, grab a medium sized pot and melt 3 tbsp. of butter in it.  Sauté 1/2 a chopped onion and 2 cloves of minced garlic for about 5 minutes until they're nice and sizzley.  Sizzley is, in fact, not an actual word, but I think you get the gist of what we're going for.  Whisk (not just stir...use an actual wire whisk) in 1/4 cup of flour and cook for 3 minutes.  We want the flour to get a bit of color.  Make sure you keep whisking as you slowly add in 3 cups of milk.  The whole thing is going to clump up on you at first, but just keep whisking in your milk and it will gradually separate out.  This step is a little tiny bit harder, but I know you can do it.  Full confidence.

     After the flour addition                                           Whisking in the milk

Once the milk is fully incorporated, add in some white cheddar, goat cheese, and parmesan so they can melt into our (now cheesy) sauce.  Let's also add in some nutmeg, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper for flavor.  Mmm...

Cheesy hot tub

 

Bring the cheese sauce up to a simmer on the stove and then we'll add our set aside pals from earlier, the kale, bacon and noodles. 

 

Stir in all that good stuff, making sure that everything is cheese coated and as evenly mixed as you can get.  Transfer the whole thing to a casserole dish.

Heck, let's sprinkle the whole thing with a bit more parmesan.  More is more, I say!  Also, if you're so inclined, sprinkle on a handful of herbed breadcrumbs.  While they're not essential, they make a nice crust on top as our mac and cheese bakes.  We'll keep it in the oven for 15 minutes.  Take a look at this...

Wow...that nice browned crust, that cheesy sauce bubbling up the sides of the pan, those delectable bits of bacon and kale in every bite...what's not to love here???

Time for me to eat and for you to get moving in your kitchen!

Just one of the 3 servings I ate...heh

Wanted to mention too that, unlike many of the recipes that I've posted, this one is best right out of the oven.  I still ate it for two days after I first made it, but it's not quite as good.  Something about the just out of the oven bubbly awesomeness cannot be duplicated by reheating.  Word to the wise.  Make sure you've got a few folks over to help you eat!

Try it.  You'll like it.

-Sam

Bacon-Kale Mac ‘N Cheese

1 lb. macaroni
3 tablespoon butter
1/2 of an onion, diced
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup flour
3 cups milk
6 oz sharp white cheddar, grated
3 oz parmesan, finely grated

2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
6 slices center cut bacon
½ bunch of fresh kale, chopped
1/2 cup herbed breadcrumbs (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cook pasta for 7 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, cut the bacon strips into small pieces (I find scissors work well for this step). Cook until crispy. Then drain, and set aside.

In a medium pot, melt the butter. Sauté the onion and garlic for 5 minutes over medium heat.  Whisk in the flour and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk while cooking over medium heat.  Stir in the 3 cheeses, whisking until melted and creamy. Add the nutmeg, cayenne, black pepper, and salt. Bring to a simmer, and then stir in the pasta, bacon, and kale.

Transfer the pasta mixture to a casserole dish. Sprinkle the top with the breadcrumbs, if desired. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the mixture is hot and bubbly. Serve immediately.

Adobo Chicken

The kids generally enjoy my cooking, but the other night, when I made this chicken, I got a rare "this is AWESOME" from my stepson, complete with wide eyes and hyperbolic emphasis.  His plate, which also included broccoli and potatoes, was clean (CLEAN, I tell you!!) in approximately 5 minutes.  How cool is that??!  I'm sure it didn't hurt that the broccoli and potatoes were practically floating in the juice that this chicken dish makes.  Mmm.....

As this was my first attempt at making this magazine-obtained gem of a recipe, I was slightly nervous it wouldn't turn out properly.  All fears are now laid aside...this chicken was meltingly tender, juicy, and full of flavor.  I can't wait to share such a great find with you all!

I used a package of chicken thighs, though you could also substitute boneless chicken breasts if the thighs aren't your thing.  Because they're a bit fattier, the thighs tend to have a bit more flavor, but do what you love.  I'm sure you'll be thrilled to see that bacon makes an appearance in the very first step of our creation.  Woohoo!!  Cut three strips into bits (bacon bits, yes!) with a knife or with scissors.  Throw them into a large, deep skillet and let 'em sizzle.

Once the bits are nicely browned, remove them from the pan and place aside for now.  Do not drain the bacon fat...we're about to brown the chicken in it!   Salt and pepper your chicken thighs lightly and place them in the skillet under medium-high heat.  We'll cook them for about 8 minutes on each side, or until they're nicely browned.  I actually should have browned my pieces just a little bit longer than I did here (and will do so the next time I make this).

Before...                                                                            After....

Once you've reached brownness, transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside for a few moments.  Drain all but a light coating of fat from the pan and add 6 minced garlic cloves and one onion.  For different textures and maximum onion-ness in every bite, I actually chopped half my onion into little bits and then cut the other half of it into thin slices...this method is totally optional.  I really love onion! 

While the onion/garlic mixture cooks, we'll get our sauce ingredients together.  Grab these from your fridge and pantry:

In case this photo is too vague, we've got apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, chicken broth, bay leaves, and cayenne pepper.  Things are about to get awesome.

To your slightly browned and delicious smelling onion/garlic mix, add 1/3 cup of the apple cider vinegar and let it reduce for about 5 minutes.  Make sure you scrape the pan with a spatula to loosen up any browned bits...they're pure flavor goodness!  Next, add 3 cups of chicken broth, 1 1/2 tbsp. of soy sauce, 1 1/2 tbsp. of fish sauce, 6 bay leaves, and a pinch of cayenne (more if you like things spicy).  Bring your soup-looking mixture to a simmer.

If I didn't know better, I'd just eat it now as is.

 

Place the bacon bits and chicken back in the pan and cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes.  Make sure to flip the chicken occasionally so that it cooks evenly.

 

 



               From the pan....                                   ...to the plate! 

 

In the future, I'll serve this chicken over rice so it can help absorb some of the amazing sauce that this recipe produces.  I'm not kidding when I tell you I could have easily eaten this as a soup.  The whole family loved it and I cannot wait to cook it again!

Try it.  You'll like it.

-Sam

Adobo Chicken

3 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into bits
8 chicken thighs (or 4 chicken breasts)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
3 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 tbsp. fish sauce
1 1/2 tbsp. soy sauce
6 bay leaves
Pinch of cayenne

In a large, deep skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until browned. Transfer the bacon to a plate, leaving the fat in the skillet. Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper and add it to the skillet. Cook over medium heat, turning once, until browned all over, about 18 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
 
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the skillet. Add the garlic and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add the vinegar and cook until reduced by half, scraping up any bits stuck to the pan, about 2 minutes. Add the broth, fish sauce, soy sauce, bay leaves, and cayenne and bring to a simmer.
 
Return the chicken and bacon to the skillet and cook over moderately low heat, turning occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaves, and serve over rice.

Pumpkin Fudge

It's almost Halloween!  You know what that means, right?  It's time for TREATS!!  I love treats...and Halloween...and costumes...and themes!  I've got a new seasonal treat that I think you're going to love: pumpkin fudge!

It's all stovetop cooking so no need to preheat ovens.  Convenient, huh?  You'll need to line a 9x9 dish with tin foil and spray it with your favorite cooking spray so we don't end up with a sticky situation on our hands later on.  Set the pan aside...we'll need it shortly!

I admit that I did not have all the ingredients for this fudge on hand already and had to make a grocery store run to get a few of them (namely, marshmallow fluff and white chocolate chips).  However, they weren't expensive, they were easy to find, and, now that I know how awesome this fudge is, they may have to become staple items in my repertoire! 

Let's gather up all the stuff we need, shall we?  We'll need evaporated milk and white sugar to start off.  In a medium saucepan, bring 3/4 cup of evaporated milk and 2 1/2 cups of sugar to a boil.

 

Mix in 3/4 cup of canned pumpkin and all of your spices: 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp allspice, and 1/4 tsp clove.  If you have pumpkin pie spice, feel free to use 1 tsp of that in place of the cinnamon, allspice, and clove medley.  Stir until it's all incorporated and the whole thing has come back up to a boil.  Now, add a jar (7 oz) of marshmallow fluff and just a wee little 2 tbsp. of butter. 

 

 Like fluffy pillows...

 

Once you stir it up, the mix will look a bit like vanilla pudding or pale peanut butter.  Very nice!



 

We want to bring this to a rolling boil and then drop the heat just enough to maintain the boil.  You'll want to stir it occasionally for the next 18 minutes.  The mixture will darken as it cooks.  Check it out...

 

5 minutes...                                                                      12 minutes...

 

Once the 18 minutes has elapsed, remove your pan from the heat.  Add 1 tsp. of vanilla and a cup of white chocolate chips and stir until creamy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice "before" and "after," yes?  It's going to be pretty darn sticky at this point so let's not waste any time.  Grab that foil-lined pan that you set up earlier and let's get this fudge poured in!

 

Waterfall of deliciousness!

 

I know it's going to be difficult, but let the fudge cool in the pan until hardened.  Maybe you should go for a walk or something...avoid the fudge until it's ready!  Cutting it if it's not ready yet will only get you a glob of semi-liquid goo on your knife.  Bad form.  Just be patient.  Give it an hour and then invert the pan and peel off the foil.  You will see that good things come to those who wait.

 

Try it.  You'll like it.

 

-Sam

 

Pumpkin Fudge

 

2/3 cup evaporated milk

2 ½ cups white sugar

¾ cup canned pumpkin

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ tsp allspice

¼ tsp ground cloves

7 ounces marshmallow creme (1 jar)

2 tbsp butter

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla extract

Line a 9x9 inch pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray, and set aside.

 

In a medium saucepan, bring the evaporated milk and sugar to a boil, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.

 

Mix in pumpkin puree, cinnamon, allspice, and clove and return the mixture to a boil. Stir in marshmallow fluff and butter. Bring to a rolling boil. Drop the heat to maintain the boil and then cook, stirring occasionally, for 18 minutes.

 

Remove the pan from the heat.  Add white chocolate chips and vanilla. Stir until creamy and all chips are melted. Pour into the foil-lined pan. Cool, remove from pan, and cut into squares.

 

Store squares wrapped in parchment or wax paper.

 

Apple Citrus Pork Roast with Herbs

Today's recipe is thematic...the theme is "I have a bunch of random fruit that I need to use before it spoils."  Exciting, huh?  I also had a pork loin on hand, ready for some creative fixins.  With our powers combined, we should be able to come up with a fun dinner!

Set your oven to 350, to start.  As for the fruits, I've got lemon, lime, orange, and apple.  I've decided that, somehow, these are all going to work together with my pork.  We'll pull out a few old standbys as well: rosemary, thyme, garlic, booze, and soy sauce.  Do you see where this is going yet?  Yea, me neither, but let's press on!

Hey!  Let's use our apple!  Howsabout we cut the apple into slices and lay the roast on top?

Not bad to start, but that roast sure looks naked.  We'll give it a rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme.  Better, but now this pan looks a bit empty.  A couple springs of fresh rosemary should help!  Oh, and our roast definitely needs garlic.  Slather it on!

 Muuuuuch better!

Since we've got an apple in the pan, our booze of choice this evening is going to be hard cider.  We'll mix a cup of it with 1/4 cup of soy sauce, the juice of a lemon, and the juice of a lime to make a pan sauce.  Pour it lightly over the roast and into the bottom of the pan.  I feel like the squeezed orange juice should go right on top of the pork (gently, so we don't wash off any of our yummy seasonings!)

Take a peek:

Ooo baby!

I think our pork has had about all the fun it can stand.  Pop it in the oven for about 2 hours.  Check the internal temperature periodically to make sure things aren't getting too hot in there!  You'll want an internal temp of around 145 degrees. 

A couple hours later....

 

This entrée really came together nicely, despite some initial "is there too much going on here" reservations.  I consider it just another proof that you can take random ingredients you have on hand and make something great!  The pork turned out juicy, tender, and extremely tasty.  As a bonus, all that pan sauce in the bottom made a lovely gravy poured over rice.  Dinner: solved!

Try it.  You'll like it.

-Sam


Apple Citrus Pork Roast with Herbs

1 3-4 lb. pork roast
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
salt
pepper
1-2 medium apples
3 cloves minced garlic
2 springs fresh rosemary
1 lemon
1 lime
1 bottle hard cider (or 1 cup apple juice)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 orange

Preheat oven to 350.  Season the pork roast with the first 4 ingredients.  Cut the apple(s) into slices, place them in the bottom of a roasting pan, and lay the roast on top.  Mince 3 cloves of garlic and spread on top of the roast.  Place sprigs of rosemary on either side.  In a small bowl, mix the juice of 1 lemon and 1 lime, the cider or juice, and the soy sauce.  Pour gently over the pork and into the bottom of the roast pan.  Squeeze the juice of an orange over the top of the pork.  Bake for about two hours or until internal roast temperature reaches 145 degrees.



Clam Soup with Potatoes and Caramelized Onions

I had a craving for soup today around lunchtime, yet I only had about an hour before I needed to go pickup my stepson.  Hmm...what can I make that's tasty in a hurry?  The only can I generally open up around here is of worms or "whoop-ass" (bahahaha!  juuuuust kidding), so I checked around the pantry a little further and noticed I had a forgotten can of minced clams.  Ooo the possibilities! 

I probably bought this at some point JUST so I could make this soup in the future!

If you're a clam chowder fan (as I absolutely am), you'll love this clam soup.  It's not thick like a chowder, but it packs a flavor punch and is quick to make.  Sidenote: if you can get fresh clams, you can/should absolutely use them! 

Commence the soup assembly!  As I may have mentioned in the past, anything with onions, especially the caramelized variety, is going to be delicious.  We'll need a large, deep skillet heated over medium high heat containing a tbsp. of olive oil and a tbsp. of butter.  Add in a large/jumbo Vidalia onion, cut into thin layers...kinda like this:

Sprinkle the onions with a tsp. of sugar to help speed up the caramelization process.  Now, chop up about 6 red or yellow potatoes into chunks and place them in a pot of cold, salted water.  We'll boil them until tender while our onions caramelize (about 25 minutes or so).

Not too big, not too small, juuuust right

Once the potatoes are tender, drain them and set aside for a moment.  The onions should be caramelizing nicely at this point. 

Resist the urge to just eat them as is.

Add 3 minced garlic cloves and sauté for another couple of minutes.  Next, we'll need to add about 3 cups of clam broth to them in the skillet.  If you have homemade clam broth just lying around, I seriously salute you and would like an invitation to your house for dinner sometime.  If you're like most of us, this isn't exactly a pantry staple item.  However, I find that a super simple way to make quality, great-tasting broths is by using Better than Bouillon:

I do not get paid by this company.  I just really love them!

I use their chicken and beef varieties often to make quick broths, and this clam one is just as awesome.  Adding 3 tsp. of it to 3 cups of hot water and stirring quickly makes the broth that I need for this recipe.  You can also find bottled clam broth at your local grocery store.  I tend to find that they place it within the adult drink mixers section near things like margarita mix.  Happy hunting!

Add the 3 cups of clam broth to the caramelized onions and stir.  Add in your cooked potatoes and stir again (notice a trend here?)  Add in your minced clams (or 24 whole clams, if you're fancy!) and stir once more.

Almost eating time!

 

Bring this lovely concoction to a simmer.  To give it just a little more oomph, we'll slowly and carefully (stirring the whole time) add a cup of heavy cream to our soup.  Keep stirring for about a minute so the cream doesn't curdle.  Salt and pepper your creation to taste and sprinkle on about a tsp. of tarragon as garnish and a last little flavor booster.

 



Now, isn't that nice?

 

If I had used fresh clams, I'd continue to keep the soup at a simmer until all the clams had opened up.  Since I had minced clams, we're ready to eat already!  Yippee!!

 

I ate two bowlfuls of this soup that's supposed to serve 4, leaving only about 2 more bowlfuls leftover.  What can I say, I love my soups!  I think you will enjoy this one as well.

 

Try it.  You'll like it.

 

-Sam

 

Clam Soup with Potatoes and Caramelized Onions

Serves 4

 

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. butter

1 jumbo Vidalia onion, sliced thin

1 tsp. sugar

3 cloves garlic, minced

6 red (or 2 yellow) potatoes, cut into chunks

3 cups clam broth

1 cup heavy cream

1 can minced clams (or 24 fresh)



Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. tarragon

Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and sugar and cook until onions are caramelized.  Add 3 minced cloves of garlic and cook for 3 more minutes.

While onions are cooking, boil potatoes until tender.  Drain and put aside for now. 

Add clam broth to the onions and stir.  Bring to a simmer.  Slowly add the cream, stirring rapidly to avoid the cream curdling.  Add in the potatoes and stir to combine.  Add in the minced clams (or fresh clams.)  If using fresh, simmer until the clams open.  Season soup with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle on the tarragon.   

Island Chicken

I was feeling something different for dinner the other night, but all I had defrosted was a package of 8 chicken thighs.  Boooooring!!  Fortunately, I recalled that they lend themselves very well to marinades.  I'm saved!  Let's whip one up!

I'm calling this concoction "Island Chicken."  It reminds me of some of the jerk chicken I've had in the past, but I didn't use any peppers (scotch bonnet, in particular) so it wasn't as spicy as jerk would have been.  Plus, there are a few different ingredients in this mix that I don't believe a typical jerk marinade has (like Coke...the "real thing.")  Either way, it turned out awesome and I want to share it with you guys!

Start this process either the evening before the day you want to eat or early in the morning on the day you want this for dinner.  Timing is everything!  First, lay your chicken thighs on a sheet pan and liberally coat them with salt.  This helps to flavor the chicken and keeps it juicy.  Don't worry, we'll wash it off in about 30 minutes, once it's done it's job.

Grab your blender.  Sounds fun already, doesn't it?  Anything involving a blender is just bound to be a good time!  Into the blender, add a roughly chopped onion, 4 peeled garlic cloves, an inch or so of peeled fresh ginger, 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice, 1/3 cup fresh lime juice, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp. of either Coca Cola or root beer, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, and a couple shakes of liquid smoke (if you've got it...it's optional.) 

 

Blend it all together until smooth. 

Now for the spices!  Add the following to the blender: 2 tsp. allspice, 1 tbsp. thyme, 1 tbsp. sugar, 2 tsp. cayenne pepper, 2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper, 1 tsp. nutmeg, and 1 tsp. cinnamon. 

Blend on high for at least a minute to make sure all the spices are incorporated.  It will not look very appetizing (truth be told, most marinades don't!), but just wait til you get a whiff! 

I know what you're thinking, but juuuuust wait...

 

Rinse the salt off your chicken thighs and transfer them to a deep dish.  Cover them completely with the marinade and let them sit as long as possible in your fridge.  8 hours minimum is great, but I know we don't all have that kind of time!  Do what you can do.

 

See? Looking better already!

 

(Fast forward to some time in the future...)  Now that the chicken has had time to soak up all those flavors, it's time to grill it!  Heat up your grill to medium heat and transfer the chicken on to the grates.  It will need 10-12 minutes of cooking time on each side.  You can use a portion of the marinade to baste with.  While the chicken's hanging out and getting basted, pour the rest of the marinade into a saucepan and boil it for 10 minutes on your stovetop.  Use it as a dipping sauce for the chicken once it's done.  Oooo baby!

 

Chicken meets grill...sizzling!

 

I served up our chicken with rice and roasted broccoli because I find that each item soaks up the sauce very efficiently.  In addition, a nice glass of Riesling helped temper some of the spiciness.  See that?  A wine pairing!  Now I'm getting all fancy! 

 

How's my plating?  I'm working on that.

 

I really think you're going to enjoy this dish.  There are so many flavors to savor!  Just a warning...it's a lil bit spicy so make sure you're prepared!  If you're not a spicy flavor fan, use less cayenne pepper in your marinade. 

 

Try it.  You'll like it.

 

-Sam

 

 

Island Chicken

 

8 chicken thighs

1 medium onion

4 cloves garlic

1 inch fresh ginger

1/2 c vinegar

1/2 c fresh orange juice

1/3 c fresh lime juice

1/4 c soy sauce

2 tbsp. Coke or root beer

1/4 tsp liquid smoke (if desired)

1/4 c vegetable oil

2 tsp. allspice

1 tbsp. thyme

1 tbsp. sugar

2 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. cinnamon

 

Place chicken on a plate or sheet pan and salt liberally.  Let rest for 30 minutes. 

 

In a blender, add all remaining ingredients and blend on high for a minute or longer, until smooth.

 

Rinse salt from chicken and transfer to a deep dish.  Pour marinade over chicken and place in fridge for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. 

 

Once ready to cook, transfer the chicken to a medium-hot grill, reserving the marinade.  Grill the chicken for 10-12 minutes per side until cooked through, basting with a portion of the marinade.  Transfer remaining marinade to a saucepan and boil for 10 minutes.  Serve sauce on the side.





 

Eggs Benedict

Breakfast is underrated.  Any nutritionist will tell you it's the most important meal of the day, but all too often it's ignored or confined to a boring bowl of cereal.  Tragic, I tell ya, and I'm just as culpable!  I skip it many times during the week and I'm slapping myself on the wrist.  It's time to take the power back, people, and I've got just the thing...eggs benedict!

I know it sounds intimidating, but it's actually quite fun to make yourself.  I just did a quick search for eggs benedict on several breakfast/brunch menus at Atlanta restaurants...this dish runs anywhere from $10 up to $22...DANG.  You're gonna kick yourself for paying that much once you realize how easy, inexpensive, and satisfying it is to make in your very own home.

You've probably got the vast majority of the ingredients sitting around anyway: eggs, bacon, Dijon mustard, butter, lemon juice...maybe you don't have English muffins, but you should go pick some up.  They're cheap and readily available, I promise. 

We should make the bacon first, since it will take the longest.  If you're cooking for one to three folks, fry up some bacon in a skillet to your desired level of crispness.  If you're cooking for more than 3 folks, may I suggest cooking your bacon on a sheet pan in the oven?  It will take about 20 minutes at 400 degrees, but you can fit a heck of a lot more bacon on a sheet pan than you can in a skillet, just sayin'.  Do what you love!

I was cooking for 5 on this particular day, so the oven was the way to go.

Half the pan of bacon...the other half does not appear in this film.

Now that the bacon's ready, we'll need to make our hollandaise sauce.  It's the key to pulling this whole dish together!  In a blender, add 3 egg yolks, 1 tsp. Dijon mustard, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, a squirt of Tabasco, a sprinkle of salt, and a dash of pepper.  While it's blending, melt a stick of butter and slowly drizzle it into the egg mixture.  It should look something like this:   

Pour the sauce into a metal bowl and place it over a pot of simmering water, ensuring the bottom of the bowl is not actually touching the water.  Also, make sure the water is not fully boiling or the eggs might scramble. Continue to whisk the mixture until warmed through.  Remove it from the heat and set aside.

This next part (egg poaching) can be a smidge tricky, but I'll walk you through it.  Fill a large, deep skillet not quite half full with water and a tablespoon of vinegar.  Bring the water just to a simmer.  VERY GENTLY crack two eggs into the water...drop them in slowly so your yolk does not break.  They're going to cook in the water bath until the yolk is set and the white is no longer runny.  DO NOT STIR...just leave them where they are.  Keep a close eye on them and jiggle them ever so slightly to check on their level of doneness.  As you can see below, you'll loose some of the white in the water.  No worries, mate.  There will still be plenty left for you to consume.



 Kinda, sorta like soft-boiled eggs, just without the shell

Once the eggs are ready (not too jiggly and/or runny), spoon them out of the water on to a paper towel to dry off a bit.  Rinse and repeat (not literally...it's just an expression for "do the same thing over again") depending on how many folks you're feeding.  Now for the fun part...assembly!!  Toast an English muffin and lay a strip or two of bacon on each half.  Gently spoon your poached egg on top of the bacon and drizzle the whole thing with your hollandaise sauce.  For garnish, add a sprinkle of parsley and a dash of paprika.  Prepare to be amazed... 

Ta-daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!

Now, isn't that just lovely?!  And it tastes even better than it looks.  Now you too can serve up a $20 brunch item at home and look good doing it.  Another great thing about eggs benedict is that it's infinitely customizable.  I've had this dish with a fried green tomato or crab cake instead of the English muffin.  I've also had this basic bacon/egg/sauce recipe topped with additional fun things like sautéed mushrooms or sundried tomatoes.  Let your imagination run on this one, folks, and happy breakfasting!

Try it.  You'll like it.

-Sam

Cajun Meatloaf

Perhaps you've noticed that I'm a big fan of comfort food, the kind of grub that just makes you feel all warm and cozy inside...like a big, fuzzy blanket of tastyness.  Ahh...I'm feeling comforted just thinking about the meal I'm going to share with you!  It's meatloaf!  Now, I know what you're thinking..."Meatloaf?  Really?  Sam, isn't that just cafeteria food?"  No, my friend, it isn't.  It's about to be one of your best dinners.  Don't believe me?  Read on!

Heard of Paul Prudhomme?  If you haven't, just know that he's pretty much the greatest chef to come out of Louisiana. Additionally, as much as I like "Mr. BAM," Emeril's got nothing on this guy.  Paul put Cajun food on the map!

Doesn't he look jolly?

In 1984 (the year I was born...stop snickering!), he published his first cookbook Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen to rave reviews.  While I don't have many cookbooks, I'm fortunate enough to have a copy of this *excellent* and wildly influential piece of work.  Last night, I made his Cajun Meatloaf.  Ooowee!

All the Cajun that's fit to print!

Paul was known early on in his culinary career for his spice blends.  The mix in this recipe calls for three different types of pepper, 1/2 tsp white, 1 tsp red (cayenne), and 1 tsp black, as well as 1/2 tsp cumin, 2 bay leaves, 1 tbsp salt, and to throw you for a loop, 1/2 tsp nutmeg.  Stir this up in a small bowl and set aside.

The combination of sauteed onion, green peppers, and celery is know in Cajun cooking as "the Holy Trinity."   You'll find this combo as the base for dishes such as etouffee, gumbo, and jambalaya.  It's also our starting point for this delicious meatloaf.  Throw them in a pan over medium high heat with melted butter and let's get this party started!

In addition to these three, we'll also be adding green onion, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and tabasco sauce to the pan, along with our seasoning blend.  Fire it up, folks!

THE mix

Keep stirring frequently, as this mix is very prone to sticking.  When we get to that point, we'll add some evaporated milk and ketchup to the pan, stirring for just a few minutes.  Remove it from the heat and let it cool.  I'm impatient, so sometimes I'll transfer this veggie mix to a bowl and pop it in the freezer for a few.

Meatloaf assembly station

Beat two eggs in a small bowl and then go ahead and set a 9x13 inch baking pan covered in tinfoil on your counter, because you're about to get your hands dirty.  Into a large bowl, add a couple pounds of ground beef (or a combo of ground beef and ground pork, if you're so inclined.)  To the meat, pour in the beaten eggs and a cup of breadcrumbs.  Add the cooled veggie mixture and mush it all together with your hands until evenly blended.

Smush it...smush it good

Since your hands are already covered in meatloaf fixins, go ahead and transfer the meat mix to your baking pan, shaping it into a classic meatloaf shape...kind of like a mildly flattened log.

It's taking shape!

See?  I told you your hands would be messy!

Pop it into your oven and bake it uncovered for 25 minutes at 350.  Raise the heat to 400 and continue baking for another 35 minutes.

 "Is it just me, or is it getting hot in here?"

Viola!  Dinner is served.  Watch out, as there's a little kick in this meatloaf!  The best kind of kick, of course.

YUM

Some folks like to serve their meatloaf with brown gravy.  I've had it this way and it's delicious.  However, I was just feeling ketchup tonight, so that's what I squeezed on top.  Do what you love!

Everyone around you is gonna be yelling:

Try it.  You'll like it.

-Sam

Paul Prudhomme’s Cajun Meatloaf

Serves 6

Spice Blend:

2 whole bay leaves
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne (ground red pepper)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped green onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup ketchup
2 lbs ground beef (or 1 ½ lbs ground beef and ½ lb ground pork)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup very fine dry breadcrumbs

Oven to 350°. Combine the spice blend ingredients in a small bowl and set aside for a moment.

Melt the butter in a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, bell peppers, green onions, garlic, Tabasco, Worcestershire and seasoning mix.  Sauté until mixture starts sticking excessively, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the pan bottom well.

Stir in the milk and catsup.  Continue cooking for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat, allow mixture to cool to room temperature, and remove the bay leaves.

Place ground beef in a large bowl.  Add the eggs, cooked vegetable mixture (cooled), and the breadcrumbs. Mix by hand until thoroughly combined.

In the center of a 9x13 baking pan, shape the mixture into a loaf that is about 1 1/2 inches high, 6 inches wide and 12 inches long.  Bake uncovered for 25 minutes, then raise heat to 400° and continue to cook until done, about 35 minutes longer.