http://www.kitchenfun.net/index.php/site/index/ en devilbunny@gmail.com Copyright 2008 2008-06-11T01:17:00-05:00 http://www.kitchenfun.net/index.php/site/aush/ http://www.kitchenfun.net/index.php/site/aush/#When:01:17:00Z I’m the first to admit that the ingredients don’t sound appetizing at all, but damn, this is good soup! Aush dandy tastin’Ingredients 6 cups water 3 Tbs Dill 1 pound egg noodles, medium width 4 oz lean ground beef or lamb 1 pound bag California bled vegetables (broccoli, carrots and cauliflower) 1 tsp ground cayenne 1 Tbs salt 1 Tbs minced garlic unflavored yogurt dried mint Directions Bring water to a boil.  Add the dill and continue boiling for five minutes.  Add your noodles and continue boiling until noodles are tender, about 10-15 minutes. While the noodles are boiling, brown the ground meat in a separate pan and drain off the fat. Add the ground meat to the noodles along with the vegetables, then add the cayenne, salt and garlic.  Simmer for another 15 minutes or so. To serve, stir about 2 tablespoons of yogurt into each bowl of soup and top with a sprinkle of mint. Soups & Stews 2008-06-11T01:17:00-05:00 http://www.kitchenfun.net/index.php/site/chicken_and_bean_stew/ http://www.kitchenfun.net/index.php/site/chicken_and_bean_stew/#When:19:47:00Z Chicken and bean stew Ingredients: 2 Tbs olive or canola oil 2 strips bacon, chopped (optional, but if not using, you may need to add a skosh more oil)) 3 cloves minced garlic 1 medium onion, chopped 1 bell pepper, chopped 2 ribs celery, sliced 1 package boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 or 2 pounds)* cut into bite sized pieces 2 cans diced tomatoes (flavored is okay) 1 or 2 bay leaves 1 can chicken stock 1 or 2 cans cannelini or garbanzo beans, drained yummyInstructions: Heat oil over medium-medium high heat. Add chopped up bacon and saute until the bacon renders it’s fat. Add the garlic and vegetables and saute until the onion is translucent. Add the chicken. Stir occasionally until the chicken pieces are opaque outside but not cooked through; about five minutes or so.  Add the tomatoes and bay leaf, and let return to a bubble. Add chicken stock, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the beans and simmer until they are warmed through. Remove bay leaves and serve.  Alternately, turn the heat down until you’re ready to eat, and add a bit of water if it gets too thick. *Yeah, I know that boneless, skinless breasts are the darling of the health-conscious, but in a recipe like this?  Trust me on the thighs. They’re much more tender, flavorful and less dry than breasts.  Soups & Stews 2008-06-03T19:47:00-05:00 http://www.kitchenfun.net/index.php/site/tuttis_fruited_porkette/ http://www.kitchenfun.net/index.php/site/tuttis_fruited_porkette/#When:03:21:00Z Yet another fine recipe from White Trash Cooking; Tutti’s Fruited Porkette, a veritable tower ‘o’ southern goodness. > Ingredients: 1 Sweet potato 2 slices canned pineapple 1 slice bacon, halved 1 pork chop 1 Tbs brown sugar Directions Select a sweet potato that will make a nice pork chop sized slice.  Peel and cut a one inch thick slice, then boil for 10 minutes.  Place each chop between slices of pineapple, then place the slice of sweet potato on top of the pork-pineapple stack. sprinkle sweet potato with brown sugar and top with the bacon in a criss-cross pattern.  Bake at 375 for about an hour, depending on how thick they are and how done you like your chops. Note:  A thinner cut, boneless porkchop would probably be better than the bone-in one I used, but be prepared to soak and scrub whatever you cook this in. I mean, we’re talking baked-on bacon grease and brown sugar here, kiddies.  the bottom of the platter was gooey and black when it got out of the oven. It’s dinner! Pork 2008-03-28T03:21:00-05:00 http://www.kitchenfun.net/index.php/site/not_quite_au_gratin_potatoes/ http://www.kitchenfun.net/index.php/site/not_quite_au_gratin_potatoes/#When:03:44:00Z This has a similar mouth feel to regular au gratin potatoes but without all the cream and butter. Sorta potato gratin Ingredients 3 Tbs olive oil 3 lbs Yukon gold or other similar potato 1/2 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth 2 tsp dried herbs of your choice (I used Penzey’s italian herb mix), or to taste minced garlic (if desired) Kosher salt and pepper Canola oil cooking spray Directions Preheat oven to 375 and spray the inside of a 9x9 baking dish with cooking spray. Peel the potatoes, then slice them about 1/8 inch thick. Rinse, then place in a bowl of cold water for about a half hour. Drain the potatoes and dry with paper towels or dishcloths.  Arrange the first layer in the baking dish, sprinkle with herbs and garlic (if using) and repeat until potatoes are used up. Bring the broth to a simmer and remove from heat.  Add the olive oil and whisk together. Pour over potatoes, then press with the back of a spatula to distribute the liquid. The broth mixture doesn’t need to cover the top layer, but it should come close. Add some additional broth if you feel it’s needed. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove foil, press the potatoes with the spatula again to redistribute the liquid and return to the oven, uncovered. Repeat every fifteen minutes until the potatoes have cooked for at least 90 minutes. When done, the potatoes should be soft (a paring knife should easily slide into them) and should be nicely browned on top. When done, remove from oven and let cool for 20-30 minutes before serving. Veggies 2008-03-08T03:44:00-05:00 http://www.kitchenfun.net/index.php/site/pork_medallions_with_mustard_cream_sauce/ http://www.kitchenfun.net/index.php/site/pork_medallions_with_mustard_cream_sauce/#When:03:36:00Z I made this the other day because I had the ingredients on hand and didn’t want to leave the house to get anything additional, but it turned out really tasty, impressive enough to serve to guests and almost frighteningly easy to prepare. True pork tenderloin roasts up in no time, usually about 30-45 minutes. The sauce was the only fiddly bit, and even that was pretty easy. Pork medallions with mustard cream sauce Ingredients 2 true pork tenderloin roasts*see note below* 3 Tbs olive oil 1 Tbs butter 1 clove garlic, minced 1/3 cup dry white wine 1/3 cup apple cider 1 Tbs prepared dijon mustard 2/3 cup heavy cream salt and pepper to taste Directions Place the tenderloins in a 375 degree oven and roast until a meat thermometer reads 155 degrees. Remove from oven, loosely cover with foil and set aside to rest. Meanwhile, heat oil and butter in a large skillet over med-low or medium heat.  Add garlic and saute gently for about 5 minutes. Remove the garlic from the pan, add the wine and cider and bring to a boil until the liquid is reduced to about 1/3 of it’s original volume. Add the mustard and cream, stirring to combine.  Give it a taste and add salt and pepper as needed.  Cook about 5 minutes, then remove from heat for 3-4 minutes (sauce will thicken up a bit). Slice the tenderloin into medallions and arrange on plates, drizzling with cream sauce. Notes: Many people (and grocery stores) call the boneless pork loins that are used to make boneless pork chops ‘tenderloins.’ While delicious, this is the porcine equivalent of calling a New York Strip steak a beef tenderloin. They’re both damn tasty, but they aren’t the same thing by a longshot. I’m assuming that y’all know what a beef tenderloin roast looks like. What you’re looking for is the pork equivalent of that. Long, narrow, dark-colored and about as big around as the bottom of a beer bottle.  Unless you’re buying from a butcher case, they’re usually sold 2 to a package with a total weight of 2-3 pounds, max and sometimes come premarinated.  You could easily make this with a pork loin roast and it’d taste pretty good, but it would take significantly longer to get done in the oven.  Pork 2008-03-08T03:36:00-05:00 http://www.kitchenfun.net/index.php/site/mozzarella_pie/ http://www.kitchenfun.net/index.php/site/mozzarella_pie/#When:03:32:00Z Years back, the food nazis declared war on unhealthy chinese restaurant food and dared to call Fettucine Alfredo “heart attack on a plate’ due to its use of cheese, cream and, well, many of the things that make life worth living. Well kids, I found a recipe that does the same thing for mashed potatoes.  Ladies and gentlemen, I give you… Mozzerella Pie! Ingredients 3 pounds potatoes 6 ounces salami, finely diced 1 pound mozzerella cheese, shredded 6 Tbs butter, plus a scosh more for buttering the pan 8-10 ounces ricotta cheese 3 eggs 3/4 tsp pepper 1 medium red onion, finely diced 1/2 cup bread crumbs 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs parmesan cheese, grated Directions Preheat oven to 350. potatoey, cheesy goodnessPeel and quarter potatoes, then boil until tender. Turn burner to low, drain and return potatoes to pan for a bit to evaporate some of the remaining moisture. Mash potatoes well, but don’t whip them. Add the diced salami and mozzerella.  Stir until the cheese makes thin, melty threads. Add 4 Tbs of the butter and stir in until melted. Stir in the ricotta, then add the eggs one at a time; stirring the whole mess till around. Add the pepper and onion, and keep mixing until everything is well distributed. Butter bottom and sides of a large baking dish, or several smaller ones. Add 2 Tbs of parmesan to the bread crumbs, then place them in the baking dish, shaking to coat bottom and sides before discarding the excess. Add potatoes to the dish, sprinkle with remaining parmesan and dot with the last 2 Tbs butter.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. You’ll need to do this so that it sets up… unless you want to serve it with a soup ladle and I wouldn’t blame you for wanting to do that one bit. Serves… alot.  Say 6-8 2008-03-08T03:32:00-05:00 http://www.kitchenfun.net/index.php/site/corn_and_chili_casserole/ http://www.kitchenfun.net/index.php/site/corn_and_chili_casserole/#When:02:16:01Z Ingredients 2 cups whole kernel corn (thawed if using frozen) 1 stick butter, melted 2 eggs 1 cup sour cream 1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded 1/4 cup cornmeal 4 ounces fresh green chiles, diced Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 1 qt casserole Puree one cup of the corn along with the butter and eggs. Mix the remaining ingredients together, add the puree and blend well.  Pour into the pan and bake (uncovered) for 50 minutes to an hour. Note:  for some reason this turned out to be not too casserole-like. It had more of the consistency of a crustless quiche, which I rather liked since it could be cut into squares and eaten like cornbread. 2008-01-16T02:16:01-05:00 http://www.kitchenfun.net/index.php/site/somewhat_southwestern_pot_roast/ http://www.kitchenfun.net/index.php/site/somewhat_southwestern_pot_roast/#When:02:12:00Z Ingredients 3-4 pound chuck roast 1 T oregano 1 T cumin 1 t ground cayenne pepper 1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles (10 oz) 3 T Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped Brown the roast on all sides in olive oil. Rub the spices into the surface of the roast and bake at 300 degrees for 2 to three hours. Turn the roast over in the pan.  mix the tomatoes and the chipotle’s in adobo and pour over the roast. Bake for another one or two hours until the roast is tender. 2008-01-16T02:12:00-05:00 http://www.kitchenfun.net/index.php/site/not_so_wild_boar_ragout/ http://www.kitchenfun.net/index.php/site/not_so_wild_boar_ragout/#When:06:48:01Z Not So Wild Boar Ragout Oink!Wild boar isn’t all that easy to come by here in whitest northeast Indianapolis.  Go figure. That’s the major, but not the only substitution in this recipe.  Ingredients: 1 large red onion, chopped 2 Tbs olive oil 2 pounds boneless pork, cut for stew 28 oz can chopped tomatoes* 3 bay leaves 1 cup red wine 5 cloves garlic, crushed 3 dried chili peppers, crushed 1 stick cinnamon 5 cloves (not to be confused with the cloves of garlic) 3 sun-dried tomatoes, cut up randomly with a knife or scissors 3 anchovies, or 1 tsp anchovy paste fresh or dried oregano, basil and sage 1 T or so balsamic vinegar** salt and pepper to taste pasta (fettuccine works best) grated percorino, myzrithia or other hard sheep’s milk cheese Directions: Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent. Bump the heat up to high, add the pork and sear on all sides.  Do not cook it through. Turn/stir it frequently just until it’s cooked on the outside. Stir in the tomatoes and bay leaves, followed by the wine. One ingredient at a time, stir in the garlic, crushed chilis, cinnamon stick, cloves, sun dried tomatoes, oregano/basil/sage and balsamic vinegar. Put a lid on the pot loosely and reduce the heat enough to keep the whole mess just at a low simmer. keep it simmering for a minimum of two hours (adding water if necessary)and stir occasionally. The idea here is to get the meat to be falling-apart tender, and the longer it simmers, the more tender and broken apart it’ll be. When the meat has pretty much lost all definition and most of the liquid has either evaporated off or been absorbed by the meat, it’s done.  It’ll kinda resemble the consistency of pulled pork barbeque, but not so long and stringy because it’s been chunked up for stewing (see note below). Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaves, ladle over the pasta and garnish with the grated cheese.  Make sure to have some good crusty bread around to mop up the sauce too. * I used a can of whole stewed tomatoes that I cut roughly with kitchen shears while they were still in the can. Fresh tomatoes would be exponentially better, of course. ** The original recipe called for red wine vinegar, but I’m a sucker for the depth that balsamic gives. Note: This would also make an awesomely simple pork stew.  Just add the vegetables of your choice and don’t cook so long that the meat disintegrates Soups & Stews 2007-10-30T06:48:01-05:00 http://www.kitchenfun.net/index.php/site/peperoncini_porkchops/ http://www.kitchenfun.net/index.php/site/peperoncini_porkchops/#When:16:12:01Z Peperoncini Porkchops Ingredients: 1 12 oz jar Peperoncini peppers, undrained 4-5 cloves, garlic (more or less depending upon your fear of vampire attack) Olive oil 2-4 Thick cut porkchops, preferably bone-in 1-2 shots brandy or balsamic vinegar 1 loaf french bread Directions: Take 8 peppers from the jar and cut off the stems. Half or quarter them, remove the seeds and set aside.  Leave the jar of peppers out.  If you’re going to be suing brandy in this dish, now is also the ideal time to pour yourself a snifter to sip on. Chop the garlic as finely as you can.  Heat up a big frying pan and just enough oil to cover the garlic over low heat.  Add the garlic and be careful to not let it burn. Add the chops to the garlic and oil and sear on both sides.  Don’t let them cook. You just want them white on each side. When both sides are seared, turn them over onto the original side. Scatter the peperoncini peppers over the top of the chops.  Now reach for that jar of peppers and pour a big helping of peperoncini juices in there. Not enough to cover them, but enough to get the liquid maybe about halfway up the sides or a little more.  About a half the juice in the jar usually works out well. Throw your shot or two of brandy or balsamic vinegar in. Cover the frying pan and let them cook, making sure to turn the cops at least once. Thick chops can go for about 4-5 minutes; allow less time for thinner chops. Unless you like a really messy plate, serve the juices on the side as a sauce along with hunks of the bread for dipping.  Entrees 2007-10-24T16:12:01-05:00