Cowboy BBQ Beer Brisket
INGREDIENTS
3 ½ Pounds Boneless Beef Brisket
1 Cup BBQ Sauce
1 Cup Beer
Rub:
3 Tablespoons Chili Powder
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
3 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
To make the rub combine the chili powder, brown sugar, garlic powder and salt in a small bowl. Press evenly onto the beef brisket and put brisket, fat side up, into a stockpot. Combine the BBQ sauce and beer in a small bowl. Pour around the brisket and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and cover with a tight lid. Simmer for 3 ½ hours until brisket is fork tender. Remove and keep warm. Skim the fat from the liquid and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook uncovered for 15 minutes until the liquid is reduced to 1 cup. Stir occasionally. Trim the fat from the brisket and carve diagonally across the grain into thin slices. Serve with the sauce. Serves 6 hungry cowboys
Crawfish Etouffee
True confession…I have to confess that I used to be afraid of crawfish. It all started when I was about 5 years old riding in the back seat of an Oldsmobile going fishin’. There was an old Folgers’s coffee can on the back floorboard filled with live crawdads for bate. Somehow the crawdads forced the plastic lid off the coffee can and began crawling up the seat toward me. I don’t think I have screamed that loud since then.
INGREDIENTS
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
1/3 Cup Unbleached Flour
2 Cups Chopped Onion
1 Cup Chopped Celery
½ Cup Chopped Green Pepper
14 Ounces Chicken Broth
¼ Cup Sliced Green Onions
¼ Cup Fresh Chopped Parsley
7 Minced Garlic Cloves
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Bay Leaf
1 Pound Fresh Peeled & Cooked Crawfish
3 Cups Hot Cooked Rice
In a large skillet heat the 1/3 cup olive oil over a medium heat for 3 minutes. Gradually stir in the flour until smooth. Cook the roux over a medium low heat for 20 minutes until the mixture is dark reddish brown. Stir frequently. Next, add the onion, celery and green pepper. Cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes. Keep stirring occasionally. Stir in the chicken broth, green onion and parsley, garlic, salt and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Simmer covered for 10 minutes. Add the crawfish and cook until warmed through. You can substitute crawfish with shrimp if you wish. Just make sure that you use 1 ½ pounds of shrimp that has been peeled and deveined and cook until opaque. Throw away the bay leaf and serve over rice. Serves 6
Hush Puppies
Great served with fried fish!
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Cornmeal
¼ Cup Unbleached Flour
2 Teaspoons Sugar
¾ Teaspoon Baking Powder
¼ Teaspoon Baking Soda
¼ Teaspoon Salt
1 Beaten Egg
½ Cup Sour Milk or Buttermilk
¼ Cup Sliced Green Onion
Cooking Oil For Deep Fat Frying
In a medium bowl stir together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and set aside. In a separate medium bowl combine the egg, sour milk or butter milk and green onion. Add the egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened and make sure not to over-mix. The batter should be lumpy. Drop the batter by tablespoons into the deep hot oil. The oil should be at least 375° F. Fry for 3 minutes until golden brown and turn once. Drain on paper towels and serve warm. Makes 15 Hush Puppies
Southern Fried Catfish
Southern Fried Catfish is great Soul Food and great for the soul! The ultimate comfort food!
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Fresh Catfish Fillets
¼ Cup Unbleached Flour
1 Beaten Egg
3 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1 Tablespoon Milk
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Cup Coarsely Crushed Pretzels
2 Tablespoons Cooking Oil
1 Lemon Sliced Thin
Please use fresh catfish for this dish! Rinse the fish and pat dry with paper towels. Cut into four serving sized pieces in need be. Place the flour in a shallow dish. In a second shallow dish combine the egg, mustard, milk and pepper. Beat with a whisk until smooth. In a third shallow dish (yeah, I know, lots of dishes) place the coarsely crushed pretzels. Coat both sides of the fillets with flour. Dip the fillets in the mustard mixture and coat with crushed pretzels. In a large skillet cook the fish in the hot oil over a medium heat for 4 minutes per side until golden brown and the fish begins to flake when tested with a fork. Reduce the heat if necessary to prevent burning. Serve with lemon slices. Serves 4
Victoria’s Mojo Burritos
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Ground Sirloin
1 Large Chopped Onion
1 Small Chopped Green Sweet Pepper
1 Clove Minced Garlic
¼ Cup Beer
1 Tablespoon Hot Chili Powder
¼ Teaspoon Salt
¼ Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 Cup Cooked Rice
4 Ounce Can Diced Green Chile Peppers Drain or
4 Ounces Fresh Diced Green Chile Peppers
1 Large Chopped Tomato
8 Ten Inch Flour Tortillas
2 Cups Shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack Cheese
2 Cups Shredded Lettuce
Guacamole
Salsa
For the filling: In a large skillet cook the ground sirloin, onion, sweet pepper and garlic until the meat is brown and the onion is tender. Drain off the fat. Stir in the beer, chili powder, cumin and salt. Cook for 5 minutes until most of the beer has evaporated. Remove from the heat and stir in the cooked rice and chile peppers. Meanwhile, wrap the tortillas tightly in foil. Heat a preheated 350° F oven for 10 minutes to soften. When you are ready to fill the tortillas, remove only half of them from the oven at a time. Keep the remaining tortillas warm in the oven. Spoon about ½ cup filling onto each tortilla just below the center. Top the filling with cheese and tomato. Fold the bottom edge of each tortilla up and over the filling. Fold the opposite sides in and over filling. Roll up the bottom and secure with wooden toothpicks if needed. Makes 8 delicious Mojo Burritos!
Chunky Guacamole
Don’t buy that horrible premade guacamole that you find expiring in the grocer’s refrigerated section. It’s easy to make your own and so much better. The secret to what makes my Chunky Guacamole so good is the lime juice. Lemons and limes are kitchen essentials.
INGREDIENTS
2 Medium Chopped Roma Tomatoes
1/4 Finely Chopped Red Onion
3 Tablespoons Lime Juice
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Seeded & Chopped Jalapeno Chile
1 Tablespoon Sour Cream
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1 Clove Minced Garlic
2 Ripe Mashed Avocados
Tortilla Chips
In a large bowl combine the tomatoes, red onion, lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, jalapeno and sour cream. Gently stir in the mashed avocados. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour. Serve with tortilla chips. Makes 2 cups
Gelato Affogato
Gelato Affogato means “drowned” gelato in Italian. A coffee based dessert that consists of a scoop of vanilla gelato topped with a shot of hot espresso. Some people also include a shot of Amaretto or dark rum.
INGREDIENTS
2 Pints Vanilla Gelato (or Ice Cream)
1 Cup Hot Espresso
3 Tablespoons of Amaretto or Dark Rum
Scoop the gelato or ice cream into six small goblets. Stir together the hot coffee and liqueur. Slowly pour the coffee over the gelato and serve immediately. Serves 6
Cannelloni
INGREDIENTS
Bechamel Sauce
Filling:
1 Pound Ground Veal
8 Ounces Italian Pork Sausage (Remove Casings)
1 Large Minced Garlic Clove
Two 10 Ounce Packages Frozen Chopped Spinach, Cooked, Drained & Squeezed Dry
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Cup Freshly Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
To Assemble:
1 ½ Pounds Homemade or Store Bought Fresh Pasta (Such As Fresh Lasagna Sheets) Cut Into 4 Inch Squares
½ Cup Freshly Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Prepare the béchamel sauce and set aside. To make the filling, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the veal and pork and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the meat is no longer pink. Spoon off the excess fat and stir in the spinach and 1 cup of the béchamel sauce. Add the salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly and then stir in the cheese. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt to taste. Have ready a large bowl of cold water, and spread out some lint free kitchen towels on a flat surface. Add the pasta squares to the pot a few at a time and cook less than 1 minute. They should be slightly underdone. Scoop the pasta out of the pot and place it in the cold water until cool enough to handle. Lay the pasta squares out flat on the towels. Continue cooking and cooling the remaining pasta the same way. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter two 11x8x2 inch baking dishes. To assemble the cannelloni, spread a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of each baking dish. Spread some of the filling over each pasta square, leaving a ½ inch border along one side. Starting, at the opposite side, loosely roll up each pasta square. Place the rolls seam side down in the baking dishes. Sprinkle with the cheese. The cannelloni can be assembled up to 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Bake for 30 minutes. If the dish has been refrigerated cook a bit longer. The sauce should be bubbling and the top golden brown. Serve hot. Serves 12
Chicken Scallopini
INGREDIENTS
1 Pound Skinless & Boneless Chicken Breast Halves
4 Tablespoons Unbleached Flour (Divided)
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
¼ Teaspoon Chili Powder
½ Cup Chicken Stock
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon Drained Capers
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
One at a time, put chicken breast between two sheets of waxed paper and pound to ¼ inch thickness. Combine 3 tablespoons flour, black pepper and chili powder on a shallow plate. Dip the chicken breasts in the flour mixture and lightly coat both sides. Combine the chicken stock, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon flour and capers in a small bowl. In a large skillet heat 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil over medium high heat. Put the chicken in the hot pan (in a single layer) and cook 2 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook another 2 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center. Repeat with the remaining chicken and brush the pan with ½ teaspoon of the olive oil each time you add the chicken pieces. This will prevent the chicken from sticking to the pan. Stir the stock mixture and pour into the skillet. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes until thickened. Remove the chicken from the pan and pour the sauce over the chicken breast. Serve immediately. Serves 4
Corn Chowder
This corn chowder is a real summer treat! Serve with warm buttermilk biscuits.
INGREDIENTS
6 Medium Ears of Corn
5 Slices Diced Bacon
1 Medium Chopped Red Onion
1 Seeded and Chopped Jalapeno Chile
1 Chopped Garlic Clove
2 Tablespoons Unbleached Flour
½ Teaspoon Salt
¼ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Pound Chopped Red Potatoes
15 Ounces Chicken Broth
2 Cups Half & Half
2 Peeled, Seeded & Chopped Ripe Tomatoes
5 Thinly Sliced Basil Leaves
Cut the corn kernels from the cobs. This will yield about 3 cups. Keep 3 of the cobs and throw the other 3 away. In a 5 quart Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until browned. Reserve the bacon drippings. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Crumble the bacon and set aside. In the Dutch oven add the onions and jalapeno to the bacon drippings. Cook and stir for 5 minutes until the onion is tender. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper. Cook and stir for 1 more minute. Next, stir in the potatoes, the three reserved corncobs, the chicken broth and the half & half. Heat to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Throw away the corncobs and stir in the reserved corn kernels. Heat through. Transfer the chowder to a warm soup tureen or a large serving bowl. Stir in the tomatoes and sprinkle with the bacon and basil. Serves 8
