Brisket For The Holidays

 Whether it's Christmas or Hannukah , brisket is the meat to serve.It;s' tasty and can be prepared a number of different ways. Another plus is that it's great for sandwiches the day  after.

What is brisket exactly first of all?It's a large cut of meat from the breast or lower chest of the cow.It is one of the nine beef primal cuts and one of the four main barbecue meats.It's relatively a tough cut because the animal works for moving. You can easily buy it at your grocery store but you'll get a better cut at your butcher's. The best way to soften the meat is slow cooking which breaks down the meat's fibers.If you want to make it for one of the nights then think of cooking it with brown sugar, tomatoes and red wine vinegar for a tangy sweet and sour bite. Serve with carrots and potatoes to round it out. You can also cook the meat first and them create a sauce to pour over it (which also would be good for hot leftovers the next day). Can you oven cook it? Yes! Rub it first with salt and pepper (or any rub).Doing this will create a craggy, crunchy crust that's a crowd pleaser. Then it's cooking it low and slow over night in the oven for twelve to eighteen hours. Keep the temp at 250 degrees farenheit.if it higher it will dry out the brisket and toughen it.Tent it with tinfoil for a tender bite and then leave it uncovered for the last three hours.

Brisket makes a wonderful alternative to ham and turkey for Christmas. Shake it up some by first rubbing it with a mix of garlic, onion and chili powders blended with Cajun seasoning and a teaspoon of liquid smoke.The spices are rubbed on the lean side of the flank and then sprinkle on the liquid smoke. Tightly wrap the brisket in Saran wrap and refrigerate overnight.  While this it chilling make the sauce. Take half an onion and two to three garlic cloves and mix with A1 steak sauce, liquid smoke and Worcester sauce. Add thyme, Cajun spices and cayenne pepper for more spice. This sauce is poured over th e meat and everything is cooked for  six hours.  (You will have to get up super early on Christmas morning if you want it done by one PM) save the pan drippings and cook for ten minutes in a sauce pan over a low flame.  What to serve with this.Roasted sweet potatoes would be good, especially if you serve it with a whipped cinnamon honey butter. Another tasty side is a tangy green bean salad, a change up from the traditional casserole.

Brisket is perfect for either Hannukah or Christmas.The cut is perfect for a family dinner or party. Try it at your holiday gatherings.

Yee Haw It's Cowboy Caviar

 There's a fun summer dish in town and it's Cowoby Caviar. It's a zippy mix of black beans - hence the name and different veggies. It's one of the easiest and tastiest dishes ro make during August.

This has been on my radar for some time. It was finally time to make it and it was a fun make.It was the perfect lunch and dinner during a steamy 100 degree day.

The original recipe first made in Rexas during the 1940's calls for an avocado , a bell pepper , cherry tomaotes, black eyed peas and sweet corn. I changed up the orginal recipe by omitting the black eyed peas and olives - maybe next time,.

I used two chopped avocados simply bhecause I love avocados.

These were cut into long strips, You can chop them into smaller pieces as per the original Cowboy Caviar recipe.

                                     

 Then the tomatoes. I love a summer dish with a lot of tomatoes so I added three chopped ones.I added their juiice too which adds to the vinaigrette.

Thne the green pepper. I used green instead of red because it added color. This was sliced and chopped into small pieces. As for the corn, I'm not a fan of it so I let others add their own. 

You should use a red onion but that can be too intense in flavor. I opted for a sprinkle of onion powder along with a dusting of garlic powder. Since this was is a Texan dish, I switched the lime for a teaspoon of chili powder for a real cowboy Tex-Mex flavor. It gave the vinaigrette a zingy flavor,

A quarter of a cup of olive oil and red wine vinegar is all it needs for the vinaigrette. Add seasalt and freshkly ground pepper for more flavoring.

                                                           Here it looks like a tomato salad.

                                                         I added these. Stop & Shop's Blue corn chips which have a deeper,        mellower taste than their yellow corn counterparts

It made them much better. This was one of the best salads I've had. It was delicious , thanks to the different veggies and the kick of chili powder. I plan on making this again - soon. It's the perfect weekend dish and even for a party.

Coeboy Caviar is the dish of the summer. It's the perfect cool and easy dish for a steamy day. Make it and enjoy its' tasty mix of veggies and chili powder.

Breaded Or Battered Which Is Better

 There's nothing like a crunchy nibble. There's something satisfying about hearing that crispy sound and that mouthfeel of a crumbly bite. Yet here's the question - produces that feeling? Battered or breaded?

Many people love their food battered. It can proiduce a loud snap when bitten into along with adding extra flavor to the food it's covering. Battering can range from tempura which produces the ultimate battering experience as far as crunch and taste to beer battered which can be slightly soggy.Seafood and chicken do well with a good coating of batter;It produces a tender  juicy meat and a nice golden and sometimes flaky exterior. what makes for the best batter? One that has the basic ingredients of flour water. Milk and cornstarch are added for silkiness and a dash of baking powder for rise and puffiness. Sugar and salt is added for flavor too. You coul;d add a good heaping amount of  groundpepper as home and commercial chefs do in southern Indiana. This gives the entire piece of chicken that spicy taste. Chinese five spice mix would give the batter a whole new taste level.Anything can be battered fried. The Scots love their Milky Ways with a coating thats fried almost a deep brown. Onion rings and shrimp are also good with a batter coating.

The much more healthier choice is breading, Bread crumbed fish doesn't soak up as much oil as its' battered counter part.it's because it's consdiered a "dry" coating while batter is considered a "wet". Breading takes an extra step The food is first dipped ina beaten egg and then dredged in either regular or panko breadcrumbs. The main problem with the technique is that breading can easily come off. There can be "bald" spots where the meat or veggie is exposed. The coating should be thick to ensure a nice crunchy exterior. What's a good breading recipe? A simple one combines one cup of flour with one cup of breadcrumbs along with teaspoons of paprika, salt and pepper. You could add tumeric ro chili peppers for more color and flavor. Another choice is panko which is lightly baked coarsely ground crumbs. Keep in mind that you can also get breadcrumbs Italian style which have garlic powder and oregano added. Veggies, like cauliflower are excellent with a bread crumb coating. You can also do the same with broccoli and shrimp.It gives both a nice crunch. 

What's better? Battered or breaded? That 's up to you. If you're going for healthy , then breaded.If you want more crunch and taste, then battered.

Salsa Crudo A Summer Favorite Returns

One of my favorite summer time dishes is salsa crudo with rotelli pasta. I took the recipe from the blog A Sweet And Savory Life. and added some of my own twists. The basil is fresh from my pots in the yard and I also added a good dash of powdered garlic.

The tomatoes came from Target and Stop & Shop.I used six.

Six will give you the pound and a half required. They were coarsely chopped and added to a quarter cup of coarsely chopped fresh basil.

Then a good sprinkling of garlic powder and six tablespoons of  Filippo Berrio olive oil.

As for the pasta I used  Banza chickpea rotelli and cooked it for seven minutes.It has a slight chickpea flavor yet still as flavorful as ones made with white flour.

It's then draining the pasta and adding the raw sauce to it.

It was really delicious and the perfect summer dinner. It's one of my favorites to make and to eat.

You can use any kind of pasta but make sure it's the shaped kind like rotelli and fusilli along with shells. They hold the tomato chunks well.

If you want an easy and tasty summer meal, then make salsa cruda.It's a cinch to create , and the perfect way of using good for you summer produce. Try this delicious dish when the temps rise.

The Joy Of Portabella Mushrooms

There is a threat of meat shortages. May steak lovers are worried about that , afraid they may not get a juicy bite. However they can go the vegan steak route. Try portabella mushrooms. They're the perfect sub in and much more humane alternative to a T-bone.

I recently discovered how delicious air fried portabella mushrooms are. In fact, I'm now thoroughly addicted to them.I  don't know why it took me almost a year and a half to discover that they and my air fryer are a perfect match. Not only that , they're easy to prepare and cook up.I was kind of leery about washing them and the amount of dirt that would come out of them. That was wrongful thinking. Not much sand or grit comes out of them and washing them again is simple. It's taking a paper towel and wetting it.Wring it out thoroughly and then gently clean the mushroom top or cap. Some of the "skin" will rub off, Not to worry : this will happen. Then turn the mushroom over and clean the gills, those divisions under the cap. You can run warm water on them to get rid of anything between them. Again gently rub the gills clean. Use a fresh wet paper towel  for each one. You can then pat them dry again with a new paper towel. I usually leave mine  wet. The better to absorb the spices and oil.

You can leave the mushrooms plain however spicing and flavoring adds to them. I usually first brush both sides with olive oil.It's then a liberal sprinkle of both onion and garlic powder and a sprinkle of dried oregano. A light pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper can be added too. It's then air frying them on one side for eight minutes at 370 degrees F. After the first eight minutes, flip them over and air fry for another eight minutes at 370 degrees F. If you 're cooking a bigger portabella, then cook at 400 degrees F. Another idea is to stuff them with a variety of different ingredients. One recipe calls for cream cheese, frozen spinach and bacon along with Panko breadcrumbs and sliced cherry tomatoes. Keep in mind that these are baked and not air fried. They're  placed on a grease cookie sheet and put into a 400 degree F oven for ten minutes. A lusher version subs in crab meat for the bacon. You can also slice the mushrooms and put them in tacos and burritos for a fun bite.

Portabella mushrooms are the new steaks. They are delicious air fried  or stuffed, served with spices or crabmeat. Try them and be addicted to their delicious flavor and meatiness.

Beans A Good Pantry Staple Part One.

One of the best foods to have in your pantry right now is a can or bag of beans. These versatile legumes can get us through this quarantine, thanks to their tastiness and versatility. There's so many ways to cook them and they're easy ways too.

Melissa Clark gives us the definitive bean guide in today's New York Times Food section. Everyone should be stocked up on them. They are the ultimate pantry food, standing in for meat - if we come to the dire crisis of meat shortages. Beans are also the perfect food. They're gluten free, along with being the best protein source for vegans and vegetarians. Another plus is that if you're soaking dried beans you can save the broth.It's a rich vegetarian broth that can be used for any kind of soup. Another plus is that it can freeze up to six months. Canned beans are an easy cook. Just open up a can and use in whatever recipe. As for dried beans, they're a little more labor intensive.First of all, Ms Clark, advises check the harvest dates. Dried beans can last up to two years however they're best cooked a year after harvest. Also always rinse to remove stones (!) twigs and leaves.Always leave time for soaking. If you're pressed for it, then switch to lentils which don't require soaking. As for soaking, again you soak them overnight,or quickly The difference is that overnight soaking doesn't boiling like quick soaking. You could also not soak them, just cook them longer.

Ms. Clark also gives suggestions for seasoning. There's good old salt and pepper.Add the salt in the beginning of the cook for a better flavor. Fresh ground pepper is also a good addition but you can also use such spices as cumin, coriander and even cinnamon. Chilies and chili powder work well in flavoring them as does allspice. You can also toast the spices first before adding the beans and water. Another flavoring agent? Herbs and aromatics. Try rosemary, thyme, oregano and sage leaves. Don't be afraid to toss a bouquet garni into the bean water. What's known as soft herbs such as cilantro, basil, parsley, and chives can be chopped up and sprinkled on cooked beans for garnishing and color. Keep in mind that aromatics such as garlic and onions along with celery, carrots and ginger can add really rich flavor to any bean dish.Remember to add them in the beginning of cooking. Of course what would make any bean dish tasty is cooking them in either chicken or vegetable broth instead of water. Don't put in too much salt because the broths already have them. Of course meat such as bacon and ham add wonderful smoky taste to beans , especially to pinto, cranberry and white ones. Again, add the ham or bacon pieces at the beginning of the cooking. When they're done , cut the meat into pieces for serving.

Beans are the perfect pantry food. They're great to store and versatile for any kind of dish. Stock up on them for the long haul ahead and get creative with how to cook them.

Celebrating Dia De Muertos

This is one of the days to celebrate DIa De Muertos, Day of The Dead.It is a huge holiday in Mexico and amongst the Mexican Americans here. Those that have left life are celebrated with their favorite foods and sugar skulls. It's also a perfect time to celebrate Mexican food as well.

This is how I spent the holiday. I made my Mom's classic chili which is celebrating her love of cooking. Hopefully she would have enjoyed my version of it, including the tweaks of turning it into crockpot chili and adding just a teaspoon of dark wildflower honey.

As you can see, not much was left.It was a lovely mix of kidney beans, Boca crumbles , tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Instead of onion and garlic, I added onion and garlic powders for a milder taste, considering both can be overwhelming. Of course I added chili powder - a good two tablespoons along with two to three teaspoons of cumin. 

We only had crackers. I would have loved to have served it with harina de maiz - cornmeal. My Mom always served her chili with it - or as we knew it  - polenta. It would have been nice to have a pan di muertos, the sweet bread used to celebrate Dia de Angelinos, Day of the Angels, celebrating children and babies who have left this Earth too soon.It is a sugar crusted orange flavored bread also made to celebrate adults who have left us.

Dia di Muertos is not a day of tears. it is a day of celebrating the ones who we loved. Make their favorite dishes, cook their favorite recipes. Enjoy them now with fond memories and stories.

A Divine Dish For Diwali

  Since it's Diwali, the Indian festival of light, I decided to celebrate with a tasty cholay I first made for the blog on August 4, 2018, (check it out for the full recipe.) It's a mix of cooked potatoes, chickpeas and diced tomatoes sauteed in a mix of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter and veggie oil.

 I made double the amount and shortened some steps, like subbing in onion powder for chopped onions. The recipe was doubled and since I didn't have curry , I used turmeric and curry powder instead along with a good dose of garlic salt.

This is the end result - a tasty tribute to the holiday of lights.

Huel As Fuel

Eating right is hard. It's trying to get the least amount of calories and the most amount of nutrients plus a good dollop of flavor. What food has this? Huel protein shake. This is for the person on the go  who wants to have the proper amount of vitamin and minerals.

I had heard so much about it , I decided to give it a try. I ordered the vanilla and chocolate along with the flavor pack and shaker,

I bought the premixed vanilla and paired it with the cinnamon apple. It wasn't bad flavor-wise. Huel's drinks also come in chocolate and berry. Surprisingly it's made with pea protein along with tapioca. There's also flax seed and oat powder too along with a host of vitamins and minerals. Another plus is it's full of fiber too.

This is the chocolate that I zinged up with chocolate mint.

Huel has some neat flavor packs, from mocha to chai, and from strawberry to caramel and even chocolate.

This is the Huel shaker. It just takes two cups of the powder, some ice cubes and a cup of water. It makes for a well rounded meal with only four hundred calories. I plan on drinking it to lose some weight for shorts and bathing suit weather.

Huel right now is being sold only on line where twenty-four bottles are $89.00 but will last a month if you're careful. The bags are almost four pounds in weight and give seventeen servings per bag. It's $56.00 for it but it's the same as for a day's worth of groceries.

Huel is definitely the way to go if you want a full meal loaded with vitamins and minerals. It's an easy eat and perfect for the active days ahead. Try this delicious mix of flavor and nutrients for a boost .

A Heirloom Cholay For The Weekend

Weekend meals are always a slapdash affair, A quickly grilled burger or tepid takeout. A better choice is an easy but very flavorful Indian choley or chole.Again , the Food Flirts, Sheila and Marilynn Brass come to the rescue with a recipe from their Heirloom Cooking With The Sisters (St.Martin's Press). The original recipe is from their English friend, Katy. She learned how to cook this from her mother, Viru, who was an expert on Indian cuisine.

Ingredients:

1 (19 oz.) can of chickpeas
1 (28 oz.) can whole tomatoes (I used the diced one from Tuttorosa)
2 medium potatoes boiled. ( I cheated here and microwave  boiled them)
1 tablespoon butter softened to room temperature (I subbed in I Can't Believe It's Not Butter)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (again I veered off and used olive oil instead)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (if you can't find them, ground cumin works just as well)
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon curry  powder
1/4 teaspoon red  chili powder
1 cup chopped onions
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon or lime  juice

Drain chickpeas in a colander and rinse with cold water.(i'm saving the aquafaba for meringues - stay tuned for that)

Drain tomatoes in colander, then cut in 1/2 inch dice (or you can buy already diced tomatoes as I did). Set aside in another bowl.

Peel and cut potatoes into one inch pieces and place in a third bowl( I left the skins on  - it's a matter of taste)

Melt butter with oil in saucepan over low heat.

Add cumin seeds. Turn up heat slightly and stir with a wooden spoon until cumin seeds sizzle.

Add garam masala, curry powder and chili  powder and stir to mix.

Add onions and garlic and continue cooking until softened 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir in diced tomatoes.

Add chickpeas, potatoes and salt and cook , stirring until chickpeas and potatoes are heated through 4 to 5 minutes.Remove cholay to serving dish and let cool to room temperature.

Pour lemon or lime juice on top before serving.

As with any Brass sister recipe, this was a huge hit with everyone taking three helpings each. I didn't add the citrus juice. I felt it was just as tasty without it. The spices were a wonderful mix  that worked well with the veggies. The only thing missing was the Indian flatbread naan to wipe the bowls clean.

I will be making this classic a lot in the future . It was easy  and delicious - the perfect stew for any night of the week.

Recipe page 58 of  Heirloom  Cooking With The Brass Sisters (St Martin's Press)

Ribs, Ribs And More

This is the height of the barbecue season. One of the staples of outdoor cooking is ribs, whether beef or pork. They are one of the tastiest cuts to grill outdoors and enjoyed a number of ways. There are so many of them to ,from good old fashioned  Southern style to spicy  Szechuan.

Is there a difference between beef and pork ribs?There are some. Beef ribs come in only two cuts, back and short. The back version is what is left over from where the boneless ribeye loins and boneless ribeye steaks are cut. They don't have as much meat as the short ribs. These are from what's known as the "plate" or lower side of the cow.Cooked right they can be very juicy and flavorful which translate into higher pricing at the butcher's or grocery store.Beef ribs are more for steak lovers because that's what they taste like. Pork ribs taste like pork chops. Pork ribs come in three types, back, spare, and St. Louis.The back ribs come from the pig's loin section. They're what's left when the loin meat is cut away to create the loin roast, tenderloin or pork chops. The spare ribs come from the belly section which are the longer ones from the bottom part of the rib rack. St. Louis is when the spare ribs are trimmed to be a rectangle instead of a triangle. Either way, both beef and pork ribs are delicious, especially if they've been marinated or rubbed with a variety of different sauces and spices. Remember to trim the fat away before prepping so that each bite is meatier instead of greasier.

Beef ribs can stand up to acidic marinades. These can have a base of lemon,orange and even Coca Cola along with strong flavors such soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. Try a Chinese influenced one with soy, garlic and scallions. Add a good sprinkle of Szechuan peppers for some eye opening bite.The balsamic vinegar can be used in a Mediterranean style marinade, along with rosemary and oregano.Pork ribs demand a sweeter marinade. Try a molasses based one that's also redolent with  chili powder or fresh ground pepper for fire and spice. Cherries can also be used in a sauce along with cloves,and Worcester sauce. A butter sauted onion is added for more richness and flavor.A homemade dry rib rub can elevate this simple dish into something special. A rub is usually a mix of herbs such as oregano and rosemary along with other dry ingredients such as salt and spices. Cayenne or fresh ground pepper usually brings the heat while cumin and paprika  give the meat that nice rosy color. Beef ribs need a more savory kind of rub while pork can stand up to a  brown sugar one.Onion and garlic powder can be added to cut a rub's sweetness. Make sure there's sauce though for dipping at the picnic table. Wet naps are optional but always welcomed.

Ribs always make a barbecue much more special. They add fun and flavor whether they are beef or rib. Make them for a memorable grill outside.