I believe chicken is the meat of meats. It's versatility is unmatched and it's also a healthy food, relative to other meats. But, as in life, we must have choices, we must have variations. Sometimes, even, we might need to eat red meat!!
Table of Contents
Chicken
How to Chop Up a Chicken>
Mexican Lime Soup>
Lefkowich House Special Won Ton Soup
Basic Sauté of Chicken With Shallot
Basic Saute of Chicken With Garlic
Basic Saute of Chicken With Rice>
Basic Saute of Chicken With Rice With Variations
Chicken with Ginger
Chicken or Veal Cutlet Lefkowich>
Buffalo Style Chicken Wings/Chicken Parts>
Barbecue Chicken>
Grilled Mexican Chicken Thighs>
Spicy And Crusty Chicken Breasts>
Roasted Chicken>
Roasted Chicken with Apples, Cider, and Other Stuff>
Roast Chicken With Lemon and Rosemary>
Chicken in the Pot>
Grilled Chicken Thighs With Rosemary>
Left-Over Chicken Enchiladas>
Wendy’s Creamed Chicken>
Lemon and Rosemary Marinated Chicken Thighs>
Other Meats
Easy Briskit in a Wine Marinade>
Stu and Wendy's Ropa Vieja>
Pan Seared Steak with Red Wine Sauce>
Pork and Cabbage Dumplings>
Stir Fried Beef and Vegetables With Rice>
The Best Way (So Far) to Make Veal Chops>
Easy Pork Tenderloin>
Stu's Easy Baby Back BBQ Pork Ribs>
Holiday Brisket>
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Chicken
How to Chop Up a Chicken
Chopping up a chicken properly, either to serve cooked pieces or to prepare for cooking requires some practice and a large sharp knife. Think of what you want to end up with:
two boobs
two legs
two thighs
two wings
Unless you have an unusual chicken, these directions should yield the above portions.
1. Leg/thigh: Find the joint between the leg and thigh by moving the leg and finding where the cartilage hinge is. Cut right through this hinge for the leg. Carefully break the thigh off by first cutting the skin between the thigh and the back of the chicken and finding the joint. Cut at the joint.
2. There are three wing sections, the fattest like a miniature drum stick, a center section with flesh between two almost parallel skinny bones, and a thinner almost meatless third section. The joint to cut is between the chicken back and the drum stick. Bend each wing back to find the joint then cut between the joint and the back.
3. You now have a full torso to deal with. Break off the tail section (about the size of a thigh but ends in an arrow head shaped thingie). Some people like this part. Cut the back bone from the ribs. You now have two attached boobs. Cut the boobs apart down the middle (breast bone).
Mexican Lime Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
six garlic cloves, sliced
six small boneless chicken boob halves, cut into one half inch thick slices
one and one half teaspoons dried oregano
nine cups low salt chicken broth
one third cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1 and one half cups coarsely crushed tortilla chips (try home made)
two avocados, peeled, pitted, chopped small
three tomatoes, chopped
three scallions, sliced small
chopped fresh cilantro
minced jalapeno chilies
1. Heat oil in large pot. Add garlic and stir half a minute or so. Add chicken and oregano, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute three minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
2. Add broth and lime juice and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through, about five minutes. Season soup to taste.
3. Serve with crushed tortilla chips and the remaining ingredients.
Lefkowich House Special Won Ton Soup
This is full of choices, once the basic broth and won tons are made. I suggest you use the broth to poach the chicken, then remove it so it doesn’t over cook. Put a lot of stuff in! Don’t boil the won tons until just before the broth is ready so they can go from boiling directly into the soup.
Won Tons
18-24 won ton wrappers (at your food market, refrigerated)
one half pound boneless pork, chopped finely (may also use sausage)
one tablespoon soy sauce
one tablespoon oyster sauce
a few drops sesame oil
one teaspoon sherry
one half teaspoon sugar
one green onion, finely minced
1. Mix all the ingredients, except the wrappers, together. Set aside.
2. Moisten all four edges of a won ton wrapper with water. Place a heaping teaspoon of filling in the center. Fold the won ton wrapper in half lengthwise, making sure the ends meet. Press down firmly on the ends to seal. Wet the corners. Bring the two ends together so that they overlap. Press to seal. The finished won ton should look like a nurse’s cap. Place on wax paper as they re completed so they don’t stick. Repeat with the remaining won tons. Cover with a damp towel and set aside until ready to cook them.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the won tons, making sure there is enough room for them to move about freely. Let the won tons boil for 5-8 minutes, until they rise to the top and the filling is cooked through. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and add to the broth when it’s ready.
Soup
6-8 cups chicken stock
one or two chopped onions
green onion, thinly sliced as desired
cooked chicken breasts or thighs (one or two), chopped (may also poach in the broth)
A combination of one, some, all or none of the following:
Small handful of chopped, clean, spinach
Six or so small shrimp pr person, shelled and cleaned
Handful of snow peas, cleaned and stemmed
Handful of chopped mushrooms
Grated cabbage/bok choy cleaned and chopped
1. Put the broth in a large soup pot and heat to simmering.
2. Combine all the ingredients
, except the broth, green onion, sesame oil, and the won tons, in a fry pan and sauté them in one or two tablespoons of oil, depending on quantity, until softened (don’t over cook). Shrimp should be pink.
3. Bring soup to a boil and add all the cooked vegetables, the chicken, shrimp, and won tons. Add the green onion. Remove pot from the heat and gently stir in the sesame oil.
Basic Sauté of Chicken With Shallots
Before attempting this recipe, please refer to the discussion of what a chicken breast is in Basic Sauté of Chicken - - Garlic above.
4 chicken boneless skinless chicken boobs (try to get them about the same size)
two big shallots or more chopped small
one half cup chicken broth
1. Sprinkle the boobs with salt and pepper on each side.
2. Melt two tablespoons of butter for four boobs. Sauté over medium high heat for four minutes or so each side. Boobs will get nice and brown. Over-cooking will render them dry and yucky tasting so better to undercook and test for doneness and cook a little more if needed than to overcook.
Remove boobs to a warm platter (but not in oven or they will dry out).
3. Wipe the extra butter out and cook the chopped shallots briefly to get them softer (a minute or so at most). If you are 21 or over, add 2 tablespoons of dry white wine (cooking wine is so-so and appropriate for the under-aged). This will sizzle up and mix with the dark stuff from the boobs and shallots. Cook briefly (a minute or two) on medium heat. Add the broth and cook a minute until it warms up and bubbles. The broth and wine together should cook down to about one half cup of liquid. Pour over the
boobs.
Serve with rice and a green vegetable.
Basic Sauté of Chicken With Garlic
This recipe uses chicken boobs, but really, you can sauté any part of the chicken you like using this recipe. What the heck, be healthy, go for the boneless skinless chicken boobs. Each whole boob is actually two pieces anatomically speaking. Think about it and you¹ll get what I mean. So, at the store, you will ask for a split chicken boob for each person (actually in the store you will ask for split chicken breasts). They may already be split apart or may still be whole: so hey, you go figure it out as long as you get one piece per person. Now, don¹t go splitting boobs that are already split.
1. Sprinkle each boob (that is, boob half) with salt and pepper on both sides.
2. Melt one tablespoon of butter for each half boob and when bubbling nicely, add a clove of chopped garlic (or more). Since the main spice here is garlic, you might as well chop up a lot. Use medium heat so the garlic cooks slowly and doesn¹t brown. The garlic will swell and soften slightly. Sauté garlic about one minute.
3. Add the boobs and sauté on medium-high heat for four minutes on each side. The boobs should brown nicely. Over-cooking will render them dry and yucky tasting so better to undercook and test for doneness and cook a little more if needed than to overcook. If the boob is still pinkish and globby inside it isn¹t done.
You can eat the chicken as is with rice and a vegetable or use it for
salads, sandwiches, etc.
Basic Sauté of Chicken With Rice
You can also use sautéed pork or cooked sausage instead of chicken. The basic recipe feeds about four people.
one large or two medium onions
one large green pepper
two or three cloves of garlic
one or two chicken boobs
assorted vegetables and nuts
cooked rice for everyone
1. Chop onions, green pepper, and garlic cloves. Sauté in heavy large fry pan in either two tablespoons butter, or oil (olive, canola etc) until they are just soft, not mushy.
2. Cut chicken boobs into bite-sized pieces (BSPs). Sauté the chicken in with the garlic and onions and pepper or alone. You only need a minute or two for this. Check soon because the chicken pieces dry out fast. Set this and the onion mixture aside. You can also skip using the chicken altogether and just have rice and vegetables.
3. Chop vegetables into BSPs. Use one half to one cup or so of each vegetable and sauté briefly in original oil/butter until soft:
broccoli and mushrooms, zucchini and/or summer squash and tomatoes, shredded cabbage, green beans or peas. Throw in sesame seeds, chopped walnuts, chopped cashews, or chopped bridge mix.
4. Mix all the ingredients together and cook less than a minute to heat through. Stir in the rice.
Basic Sauté of Chicken With Rice With Variations
Follow the basic chicken sauté recipe above, and then vary the spicing.
Examples include:
Mexican: Mix in one half cup chopped cilantro, one teaspoon or so cumin, and one-eight teaspoon red pepper flakes or one-quarter cup jalapenos.
Indian: Mix in one and one half teaspoons curry power and one half cup raisins.
Asian: hollow out a hole in the middle of the rice and vegetables and scramble one or two eggs there. Mix the cooked egg into the mixture along with a tablespoon or more of soy sauce. Sprinkle a small amount of ginger. You can add Chinese veggies such as bean sprouts, water chestnuts, and baby corn.
Chicken with Ginger
2 tablespoons canola oil
one half pound boneless chicken breast, sliced in thin strips across the grain of the meat (sideways)
two tablespoons Chinese oyster sauce (can get in supermarket)
one two inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and cut into match stick sized pieces (actually measure the ginger so you get enough)
one teaspoon sugar
three scallions cut in one inch lengths (include the dark green parts which are healthy looking)
two to three tablespoons chicken broth or water
1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the chicken and stir fry briefly (under a minute) then stir in the oyster sauce.
2. Stir in the ginger, sugar, scallions, and pepper (when you prepare these, you can throw them all into a little bowl and add them all at once).
3. Continue cooking about five minutes longer just until the chicken is cooked through. Don¹t overcook this or the chicken will be stringy and dry. Add the chicken soup or water at this point so that you have some sauce. Heat up briefly and it should thicken. Take the food out of the pan right away.
Consider adding a handful of cashew nuts to this dish. Add them when you add the scallions. Serve with rice and jade green broccoli or rice and vegetables.
Chicken or Veal Cutlet Lefkowich
It is surprising that two dishes that taste so different are actually
cooked the same way, but there you go! Now look: the meat sizes are not exactly the same, so you may need more of the dipping stuff. Just see what happens, you¹ll know what to do.
Line up all your ingredients like an assembly line, in bowls large enough to dip one piece of the meat at a time. This feeds four.
four six ounce veal cutlets or four chicken boobs
salt and pepper to taste
flour for dredging ( fill a regular dinner plate with it)
two eggs lightly scrambled with two tablespoons water
one cup fresh crumbs ( or more)
one fourth cup butter
lemon wedges (optional).
1. Place one cutlet/boob ( call it a cub) on a piece of wax paper and cover with another piece. Beat lightly with a hammer, piece of wood, meat hammer, a friend, whatever until evenly flat. Don¹t overdo or you¹ll put a hole through the cub.
2. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides, then dredge in the flour. Drown the floured cub in the egg mixture, then coat well with crumbs. Put on a sheet of wax paper on a dish. If needed, cover the cubs with wax paper to start a new layer. It’s best to cook these right away, but they can also go in the fridge until cooking time.
3. Heat the butter in a large skillet and when it is hot and bubbly but not brown, sauté the cubs until golden on each side (about four minutes a side or less). You may need to cook the cubs in batches so they don¹t get crowded in the pan. Garnish with lemon slices.
Serve veal with spaghetti covered with tomato sauce and chicken with flat noodles and peas.
YUMMMMM!
Buffalo Style Chicken Wings/
Chicken Parts
Now, I really love wings and they are great for leftovers too. Try eating these with home made coleslaw, rather than the usual blue cheese dressing and celery sticks. Get lots of chicken wings (estimate about six whole chicken wings per person). This recipe could be used to cook other chicken parts, such as legs or thighs too (see instructions below). You can use your favorite store-bought Buffalo-style chicken wing sauce or use other sauces after cooking. Or soak the pieces in one of the barbecue sauces
listed in this section.
1. Cut each whole wing into three pieces as follows: find the little drum stick and cut it off at the joint. Next, cut the middle section from the third section. If you have a sharp knife, cut across the two bones of the middle section at the tip so that it will pull apart easily during eating. Throw out the third section, which has the pointy end because that doesn¹t have much meat on it to speak of.
2. Put the wings in a single layer on a cookie sheet or other flat baking pan. Sprinkle liberally with salt, pepper, and garlic. Bake at 425 degrees for thirty-five minutes. The time should be reduced to 25 minutes if you are cooking fewer than a dozen wings.
3. Pour off the grease and put the wings in a large bowl. Pour in about one half cup sauce for every 12 whole wings cooked. Roll the wings around in the sauce using a large spoon and a very expert looking movement of the wrist.
4. As for other chicken parts, just wing it!! Chicken thighs and legs will be fine at the same temperature and baking time.
Barbecue Chicken
There are many ways to do this and you don¹t even have to use a barbecue grill (as in, use a broiler). Buy chicken pieces you like. It is helpful to have them about the same size (like you might want to cut large boobs in half, or sever the leg from the thigh, to ensure thorough cooking). To sever the thigh from the leg, feel where they join for the space in the joint to insert the knife and cut. Place the chicken pieces in one layer in a roasting pan or other pan.
Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper
Variation #1 Purchase a jar of any type teriyaki barbecue sauce you might like. There are many varieties. However, never trust a jar sauce to deliver all the flavor you expect. It is helpful to add the following flavorings regardless of the sauce: a nice dollop (over a tablespoon) of honey, several teaspoons of granulated or powdered garlic, and lots of pepper. You can also add a tablespoon canola oil (or your favorite salad dressing) if the sauce
is not greasy.
Variation #2 Purchase a jar of the usual red barbecue sauce, remark how boring and conventional it is, slather it on the chicken and grill it anyway. You could add several dashes of Tabasco to make it less boring. With luck, you will be reminded why many people only use this type sauce.
Variation #3 Soak the chicken in your favorite salad dressing.
Variation #4 Mix a cup of lime or lemon juice (unsweetened). Add a tablespoon honey, one or two tablespoons garlic, a pinch of salt and pepper (to taste), and a cup canola or olive oil. Taste, adjust, use.
Grilled Mexican Chicken Thighs
This is a nice spicy approach to making thighs. You can make this inside or outside.
Four cloves garlic, peeled
One small onion, quartered
One teaspoon oregano
Two teaspoons ground cumin
One quarter teaspoon cayenne (or less, or more)
One quarter teaspoon salt
One quarter teaspoon pepper
One tablespoon oil
Two tablespoons orange juice
Two tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
One and one half pounds boneless chicken thighs
1. Heat up an outside grill or oven broiler. Place rack about four inches from the heat.
2.Combine everything but the thighs in a blender and blend until smooth.
3. Smear sauce over the chicken and marinate in the fridge about 30 minutes.
4. Grill about six to eight minutes per side (if using bone in will take longer-- about 20 minutes all together).
That’s it. Serve with some cole slaw to cool off the heat!!
Spicy and Crusty Chicken Breasts
This can be used for pork tenderloin as well. I usually serve this with Mexican rice, and other such fixins.
one eighth to one quarter teaspoon chili powder--or more!!
one teaspoon ground cumin
one half teaspoon powdered ginger
one eight teaspoon allspice
one eight teaspoon paprika
four chicken breasts
1 Heat the broiler.
2. Combine the spices on a plate. Dredge chicken pieces in the spices.
3. Broil no more than about five minutes on a side
You could probably use other combinations of spices, but these cook up nicely in the broiler. I don¹t know what those others would do.
Roasted Chicken
Chicken dries out fast in the fridge, so don¹t plan to keep it longer than three or four days before cooking leftovers into something else. Also, try to buy the chicken the day you are cooking it. At most, store it one day uncooked in the fridge. Don¹t try to freeze it more than a few days. This is just my suggestion, based on years and years of error. You can test for yourself, store it longer and hate the results. Then I get to do the mother thing and say “well, if you only listened....ya ya ya!”
Also, don¹t leave cooked or uncooked chicken out of the fridge for more than a few minutes and don¹t use your cutting board to cut raw chicken. This is boring. You get the hint. Chicken...the killer!!!!
This recipe is for a three to four pound chicken. Many chickens will have directions on the package, which you should follow. If not, try this:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Remove all the paper on the chicken and pull the bag of stuff out of the neck cavity. Pull out the chicken neck from the bag.
3. Rinse the chicken inside and outside in warm (not hot) water. Pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle lightly in and out with salt and pepper and rub about one tablespoon softened butter all over the outside of the chicken. Throw out waste and wash counter area carefully with soapy hot water.
4. Place chicken in shallow roasting pan, the large breast side up. Also throw the chicken neck in the pan. Put in the middle of the middle rack in the oven and roast for one half hour.
5. After the first half hour, turn down the oven to 375 and bake one half hour more. Check for doneness at this time by putting a small slit into the skin between the leg and the breast. If the liquid running out is clear, it¹s done. If still pink, put back in and bake a little longer. If you¹re not sure, cut into the leg to the bone and check for color.
Roast Chicken Gravy
Make gravy using the pan drippings from your roasted chicken.
1. Take the chicken and neck out of the roasting pan and place pan on the burner on low heat. So, don¹t worry if you forgot the neck. For each cup of gravy, reserve about one quarter cup drippings, or more.
2. On low heat, stir in two tablespoons flour for each quarter cup drippings you reserved. Stir and lightly scrape the pan until the flour and fat are blended and smooth.
3. Slowly pour in one cup milk, allowing the gravy to heat the milk with each pour. Cook and stir, adding salt and pepper to taste. The gravy should thicken nicely.
Reserve unused gravy for a few days for creamed chicken, hot chicken sandwiches or to keep cooked chicken moist when warming it up. If you want to do this, slice the chicken in equal sizes and line up (you can overlap) in a small baking dish. Cover with reserved gravy and bake until hot and bubbly at 350 degrees.
Roasted Chicken with Apples, Cider, and Other Stuff
One five pound roasting chicken, cleaned and patted dry
Two tablespoons softened butter
Eight shallots peeled
Eight or more cloves garlic peeled
Two carrots peeled, cut in half, and the halves halved
Ten ounces or more fresh mushrooms
Two or more handfuls very small potatoes halved or new potatoes quartered
Three apples cut into large chunks
One-cup apple cider
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Rub the butter all over the chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Put chicken in a large roasting pan and surround it with all the vegetables but the apples. Pour the apple cider over everything. Put in oven and roast for 30 minutes
3. Reduced the heat to 375 degrees. Throw in the apples. Baste with the cider and juices. Bake the chicken thirty minutes more, basting occasionally. After that, check the chicken for doneness and bake ten or more minutes if necessary.
4.Take the chicken out and rest fifteen minutes before carving. You can use the leftover pan juices as gravy.
Roast Chicken With Lemon and Rosemary
Note about Rosemary: Fresh rosemary is a terrific herb. It keeps forever in the freezer and can be taken out a piece at a time. When thawed, the aroma and taste of the rosemary is almost like fresh. To freeze rosemary, once home from the store, rinse the entire bunch of it. Pull off any discolored pieces. Let the rosemary dry completely on paper towels. When it’s dry, roll it tightly into a plastic freezer bag or other airtight container.
½ stick butter, room temperature
two tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary (or two teaspoons dried Rosemary.
three large garlic cloves, minced
one and one half teaspoons grated lemon peel
one six to seven pound roasting chicken rinsed and patted dry
one quarter cup dry white wine
one cup low salt chicken broth
two tablespoons flour
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine the first four ingredients making herbed butter.
2. Reserve two tablespoons of the butter for gravy and rub the rest all over the chicken, including between the breast meat and the ski. Season with salt and pepper inside and out.
3. Place chicken in a heavy roasting pan and roast 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees and roast until done, about another forty-five minutes to an hour. A meat thermometer is useful and would register 165-175 degrees when inserted into an inner thigh.
4. Take the chicken out of the pan and keep warm. Make herbed pan gravy (see recipe).
Herbed Chicken Gravy
Prepare this gravy when the roast chicken is done.
1. Pour pan juices from the roasting pan into a measuring cup and set aside.
2. Add wine to the pan and boil, scraping up browned bits. Pour wine mixture into the measuring cup and add enough chicken broth to measure tow and one quarter cups liquid.
3. Melt the reserve two tablespoons of herb butter (see above recipe) in a pan. Add the flour and whisk until smooth, about two minutes.
4. Gradually add the pan juices, pausing to blend and heat with each addition. After all the juices are added, boil the gray until it thickens into sauce. Season with salt and pepper and serve with the chicken.
This will be so good you will not be able to stand it.
Chicken in the Pot
This is so delicious you will find yourself licking the spoon, the pot, everything. Believe me, try it. Right now!
1 whole chicken cut into parts or a like number of parts
one cup flour for dredging
two tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
two medium onions, chopped
one or two minced cloves of garlic
two cups cored and chopped tomatoes—may use canned undrained tomatoes
dash cayenne
one half cup dry white wine or chicken stock
one tablespoon minced fresh parsley
one quarter teaspoon thyme
one cup pitted Calamata olives, or salt cured olives
1. Heat oil over medium high heat in a Dutch oven.
2. Sprinkle the chicken parts with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour, one at a time. Knock off the extra flour.
3. When the oil is hot, put the chicken pieces in and brown on all sides. Take each piece out as it gets browned and set aside.
4. Empty the pot of all but one tablespoon of the oil and sauté the onions and garlic in it on medium heat until they soften, about five minutes. Add the tomatoes and cayenne to the pot and cook one to two minutes. Some of the tomato juice will bubble away. Add the wine or chicken stock and cook two more minutes.
6. Add the olives, thyme, and some pepper. Cook one minutes. Add the chicken parts and turn to medium low heat, cooking and turning the pieces or twenty to thirty minutes until they are done clear through. Add the parsley at the end and then serve over rice.
Grilled Chicken Thighs With Rosemary
This is so good and tastes very different from the typical barbecue sauce. It’s amazing how much flavor you can create when you shove stuff under the chicken’s skin. Consider shoving other things under, such as crushed garlic.
½ teaspoon fresh thyme (less if using powdered)
one half teaspoon fresh rosemary (can use powdered, but why would you??)
one quarter cup chopped parsley
olive oil as indicated and enough to cover the chicken thighs
four chicken thighs
four bay leaves
1. Rinse and pat dry each thigh. Season with salt and pepper. Mix the rosemary, thyme, and parsley with just enough olive oil to make a paste.
2. Carefully lift the skin of each thigh and slide under one bay leaf, and some of the rosemary paste. Place all the thighs on a platter and sprinkle olive oil over them. They should be evenly covered.
3. Get the grill moderately hot. Place the thighs on the coolest part of the grill. Grill and turn once for twenty minutes. Then, put the chicken on the hottest part of the grill and cook until it’s done and nicely browned. Remove the bay leaf before eating.
Left-Over Chicken Enchiladas
one half pound cooked chicken (preferably boob, about two cups. Skin it and shred it so it looks like grated cheese.
one small onion chopped (one half cup or so)
four ounces (about one cup) Monterey jack or jalapeno cheese grated.
one ten ounce can enchilada sauce
one half tablespoon chopped jalapeno peppers
one tablespoon chopped cilantro
one half cup water
8 corn tortillas
1. Combine the chicken, half the cheese, the onion, peppers, and cilantro in a bowl and set aside.
2. In a skillet, combine the sauce and water and heat to boiling. Place a tortilla in the sauce and when it is limp (under a minute) carefully, letting the excess sauce drip into the pan, remove to a platter, laying it flat. It is easy to rip these because they are so soft, so work slowly, and consider using a spatula.
3. Spread about one fourth cup filling across the tortilla in a line. Roll up the tortilla and set it seam side down in a shallow casserole or baking pan. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and arrange in the pan in a single layer.
4. Pour remaining sauce over the tortillas, sprinkle the remaining cheese over them and cover with foil. Bake 15 minutes at 350. Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes or longer until heated through and lightly browned.
Serve with Spanish rice and guacamole salad.
Wendy's Creamed Chicken
one large or two medium sized onions, chopped
at least two cloves of garlic sliced
one cup or less left over chicken gravy
two cups chopped cooked chicken
one good sized handful chopped mushrooms (a must)
one large green pepper (or a red pepper, or both) chopped
one cup green vegetables such as broccoli, peas, green beans or celery or a combination of these
one can mushroom soup
one teaspoon or more celery seed
diced fresh parsley (optional)
1. Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper.
2. Using medium high heat, sauté the onion and garlic in two tablespoons olive oil. When slightly softened, add the green pepper and green vegetables. After a minute or two, add the mushrooms. Cook about two minutes then reduce the heat to medium low and add the cooked chicken. Heat
the mixture until the chicken is hot.
2. Stir in mushroom soup (do not dilute) and gravy and cook on medium heat until bubbly, then turn down to low. Add celery seed. Adjust seasonings.
Serve over rice, mashed potatoes, or whatever.
Lemon and Rosemary Marinated Chicken Thighs
Juice and zest of 4 lemons, plus 2 whole lemons
5 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
8 chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
Kosher salt
1. In a small bowl combine the lemon juice and zest, chopped herbs, garlic, crushed red pepper, and 1/2 cup of olive oil. Whisk to combine.
2. Place the chicken thighs in a wide flat dish so they are in a single layer. Add the herb mixture. Massage the thighs to coat with the herb mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Note: If doing a quick marinade, leave the chicken out of the fridge for up to 1 hour.
3. Preheat grill. Brush and oil the grill to clean.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and brush off any excess herbs and oil. Season the chicken generously with salt and drizzle with a little bit of fresh olive oil.
4. Cut the 2 whole lemons in half and cut the tips off the ends; this will allow the lemons to stand up without rolling around. Place the chicken, skin side down, on the preheated grill. Place the lemons, flesh side down, on the preheated grill. Grill the chicken as you normally do. Check the lemon halves to see if they are beautifully caramelized. Turn over to grill on the bottom for 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Serve the chicken with the grilled lemon.
Other Meats
Easy Briskit in a Wine Marinade
It can be hard to make a tender briskit. Step one has to be getting the nicest cut of meat you can find. Marinate several hours, and cook slowly. Should work...
Marinade:
One cup or more, red wine
Two tablespoons soy sauce
One small onion, grated
One celery stalk, sliced thin
Two or three finely minced or crushed garlic cloves
3-4 pound briskit, trimmed of excess (not all) fat
One medium onion, thinly sliced
1.Mix all the marinade ingredients together. Pour them over the brisket in a pan large enough to fit everything. Turn the briskit over to allow both sides to be coated. Cover with foil. Refrigerate the marinating briskit for serveral hours, turning occasionally.
Place the briskit in a baking dish with half the marinade, reserving the remaining marinade for basting. Cover the pan tightly with foil and roast at 325 degrees for two and a half to three hours. Baste occasionally, and pour additional wine into the pan if it appears to be drying out.
3. When done, let the meat rest a few minutes, then slice across the grain for serving. Pour any remaining juices over the sliced briskit.
Stu and Wendy’s Ropa Vieja
This recipe begs to be cooked with other people. Here¹s what to do: invite some good friends over who like to cook. Assemble the ingredients. Put on your favorite music on the stereo, very loud, and (for those over 21) pour your favorite wine. Now begin!
Two and one half pounds beef brisket, flank steak, or eye of the round roast, trimmed of fat and cut into fist sized triangles
salt and Pepper
two tablespoons vegetable oil
eight ounces of Lager beer (what the hell, throw in a full bottle)
one quarter cup soy sauce
two cups red wine
one large onion minced
one teaspoon crushed red pepper
one half cup pureed garlic (two whole heads, peeled and either mashed or put in the food processor to liquefy)
one half to three quarters cup Goya Sofrito (get it in the super market)
one half cup pitted green olives
one eighth cup capers
1. Salt and pepper the beef pieces to taste and then brown in a heavy Dutch oven in the oil. This will take about 15-20 minutes.
2. Drain out the fat and put all the rest of the ingredients in the pot with the beef. Barely cover with water if needed. Bring the liquid to a boil, then turn down the heat to simmer for two to three hours, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t stick to the pot.
3. Pull the meat from the pot and break apart (it should be stringy). Return to the pot.
Serve with rice, sweet potatoes, Cuban black beans, and steamed cabbage.
WOWOWOWOWOW!
Pan Seared Steak with Red Wine Sauce
This recipe is so yummy and easy; it far outweighs the draw back of an expensive cut of meat and fairly rich food. But, special occasions do call for special eating, and this will definitely fit the bill. Hey, just don¹t have the usual cast of thousands over for dinner when cooking this one. How about, just you and a friend! Or you might invite me!!!
4 sirloin strip or t-bone steaks
black pepper (preferably ground)
three tablespoons butter (divided)
one tablespoon minced shallots
three quarters cup good red wine
one quarter teaspoon ground tarragon
salt to taste
1. Heat oven to 200 degrees. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat for about three minutes.
2. Coarsely ground one tablespoon pepper and press into the meat.
3. Put two tablespoons butter in the skillet, when the foam subsides, turn the heat to medium high and put in the steaks. Cook three minutes per side. Undercook them a bit as they will continue to cook in the oven.
4. Put the steaks in an ovenproof platter and put in the oven. Over medium heat, add the remaining butter to the pan, along with the shallots. Stir until the shallots are soft, about one minute. Add wine and tarragon, raise to high and let most of the liquid bubble away. Pour steak juices into the sauce and spoon over the steaks.
Oy!
Pork and Cabbage Dumplings
3 quarters pound ground pork or other meat ground up
one cup minced cabbage
two tablespoons minced ginger
one tablespoon minced garlic
six scallions minced. Use the white part and reserve the greens.
two tablespoons soy sauce
48 dumpling wrappers
one egg, lightly beaten in a small bowl
four tablespoons cooking oil (peanut is best)
1. Combine meat, cabbage, ginger, garlic, scallion whites and two
tablespoons soy sauce in a bowl with one quarter cup water. Lay a wrapper on a clean dry surface and using your finger, spread a bit of egg along half of its circumference. Place a rounded teaspoon of filling in the center, fold over and seal by pinching edges together. To avoid explosions, do not overfill. You can refrigerate at this point to cook later: cover with plastic wrap and put wax paper underneath to keep the dumplings from sticking.
2. To cook, put two tablespoons oil in a large skillet and turn heat to medium-high. One minute later, add dumplings one at a time; in one layer. Cook about two minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned.
3. Add one quarter cup water per dozen dumplings to the pan and cover. Lower heat to medium and simmer three minutes. Uncover, return heat to medium high and cook another minute or two until bottoms are dark brown and crisp and water evaporates. Serve right away with Dipping Sauce: one half cup soy sauce, chopped up greens from six scallions, and one quarter cup white or rice vinegar.
Stir Fried Beef and Vegetables With Rice
Sauce: Combine
2 tablespoons cornstarch
one eighth cup soy sauce
one cup beef broth
two tablespoons rum
one tablespoon brown sugar
two teaspoons sesame oil
Meat: cut into bit sized, quarter-inches strips—use London broil or other strip steak, about one quarter to one half pound
Vegetables: Cut small
1 red and one green or yellow bell pepper
three quarters pound mushrooms
one half onion
six scallions
two tablespoons minced fresh ginger
four large garlic cloves minced
one half cup unsalted cashews (optional)
one teaspoon red pepper flakes
1. Heat one tablespoon corn oil and sauté the meat in a few batches, thirty seconds each. Remove to a bowl.
2. Heat one tablespoon corn oil and stir fry the vegetables about two minutes, until they are tender but still firm.
3. Heat another tablespoon oil and stir fry the ginger and garlic for thirty seconds. Add the sauce and cook until it thickens. Add the beef, vegetables, scallions, red pepper, cashews, and salt to taste. Turn off heat and add to cooked rice.
The Best Way (So Far) to Make Veal Chops
4 veal loin chops (look like t-bone steaks)
one clove garlic, split
three tablespoons olive oil
one tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
salt and pepper to taste
1. Bring veal chops to room temperature. Rub them all over with the split garlic clove and two tablespoons of the olive oil. Salt and pepper the veal chops, then sprinkle the rosemary all over.
2. Grill or broil the chops on a hot grill or boiler for five minutes. Turn and grill or broil four minutes more. Unless the chops are very thick, they should be done.
Could this be easier?
Easy Pork Tenderloin
Easy? Did I say “easy?”
one pork tenderloin (about 1 pound)
one clove garlic, cut into slivers
salt and pepper, to taste
one half teaspoon ground cumin
two tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
one half cup chicken broth
one half cup dry white wine
1. Heat the oven to 400°F.
2. With the tip of a sharp knife, make deep little slits all over the tenderloin and insert the garlic slivers. Season with salt, pepper, and cumin.
3. Place the oil in an oven-proof skillet and sear the tenderloin well on medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, turning the meat over as it browns.
4. Add the chicken broth and white wine to the pan and place it in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove it and let it rest for ten minutes before carving. It will continue to cook as it sits. Slice and serve immediately. Try not to over cook this. If you are cooking less than the pound, cut the amount of resting time.
Stu’s Easy BBQ Baby Back Pork Ribs
Ok, so this is an easy and totally delicious way to cook ribs. Do not hesitate to invite Stu over for dinner!!! Better yet, have him do the cooking!!
For the Ribs:
Three tablespoons kosher salt
two tablespoons chili powder
two tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
two tablespoons paprika
one tablespoon garlic powder
two teaspoons ground mustard
one teaspoon black pepper
two full racks baby back pork ribs (about 5 to six pounds)
1. Stir all the ingredients except the ribs in a bowl and set aside.
2. Cut 4 (24" x 12") pieces of foil and set aside.
2. Pat the ribs dry. If you can, remove the milky membrane on the underside of each rib by paring an edge and then ripping the rest off. Good luck with that!!
3. Either dip the ribs into the spice mixture, or pat it all over. Coat well. Then cover with the foil and set onto a cookie sheet. You can either roast them now or better yet, refrigerate for up to 24 hours to let that spice mixture permeate the meat. Now you're cookin!!
4. Let the ribs come to room temperature and then put them in an oven set at 325 degrees. Roast for about two hours. Good time now to make the sauce
For the Sauce and Grilling:
one and one half cups ketchup
one half cup water
one third cup packed brown sugar (dark is good)
one fourth cup molasses (not black strap--whatever that is...)
1 Place all the ingredients in a pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking while it simmers. Then reduce the heat to medium and cook about 30 to 40 minutes. Set aside for the grilling step.
2. Heat your grill to medium heat (about 350-450 degrees).3. Remove the foil from the ribs and place them meaty side up on the grill. Brush with the sauce and cover and cook for 5 minutes. Flip and brush the ribs with sauce every five minutes until ribs are cooked through about 20 minutes total grilling time.
3. Transfer to a cutting board and cut the racks to serving size (or just eat the things already). This is so good, you will be happy you made them.
Holiday Brisket
Holiday Brisket
After years of making brisket with the same recipe, this new approach proved to be the best recipe in the world. Please note: it takes about 7 hours to make, but it’s so worth it. Leftovers will last a long time in the fridge so that’s nice too.
5-7 lb. brisket, first or second cut (grass fed not recommended)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 large brown onions, peeled and sliced
1 lb. carrots, peeled and sliced
1 lb. celery, peeled and sliced
1 large can (1 lb. 12 oz.) tomatoes - whole, diced, or crushed
10 peeled whole garlic cloves
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar (I like apple cider vinegar, but white vinegar works too)
2 cups beef or chicken broth, divided
Salt and pepper
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Rinse the brisket and pat dry. Rub both sides of the meat with black pepper and salt. Heat a large skillet over a medium flame on the stovetop. Drizzle 2 tbsp of olive oil into the pan. Brown the brisket on both sides—it will take 4-5 minutes per side.
2. While brisket is browning, pour canned tomatoes, garlic, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and 1 ½ cups broth into a blender or food processor. Add 2 tsp of salt (or 1 tsp if using a kosher cut of brisket) and ¼ tsp of black pepper. Pulse till garlic is chopped small and all ingredients are combined.
3. Remove the browned brisket from the skillet. Drizzle 2 tbsp more olive oil in the pan and add the sliced onions. Saute them over medium high for a few minutes till they begin to soften and shrink in size. Add the carrot and celery slices. Sauce for another 5-6 minutes till the onions are caramelized and the vegetables are fragrant. Pour the vegetables out of the skillet and onto a plate, reserve.
4. Pour 1/2 cup beef or chicken broth into the skillet and let it heat up. Use a spatula to scrape up any brown bits that are clinging to the skillet. Turn off heat. Pour half of the tomato mixture into a large roasting pan. Place brisket on top of the tomato sauce, fat cap facing up. Pour the sauteed vegetables across the top of the brisket, along with the broth and brown bits. Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the top of the vegetables and brisket. Cover the roasting pan tightly with foil, tenting slightly so there is no contact between the foil and the ingredients inside. Place into the preheated oven. Let it roast undisturbed for 5 to 7 hours. It will take about 1 hour per pound of meat (leaner cuts of meat may take longer—test for doneness). Brisket is ready when it flakes tenderly when pierced with a fork.
5. Remove brisket from the pan and let it rest on the cutting board fat-side up for 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, pour the sauce and vegetables from the roasting pan into a smaller saucepan. Skim fat from the surface of the cooking sauce, then reheat the sauce till hot (not boiling). Cut fat cap off the brisket, then cut the brisket in thin slices against the grain. Serve topped with hot tomato sauce and softened veggies.
