Category Archives: Recipe

Recipe

ASPARAGUS (STEAMED)

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Asparagus (Steamed)

COOKING UTENSILS NEEDED

Steamer or Large Frying Pan with a cover

Knife

Folk

Vegetable peeler

INGREDIENTS:

Asparagus

1 cup water

1 tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS:

Wash and prepare asparagus by cutting off 1 or 2 inches of the stem.  On large or thick asparagus, peel the lower half with a vegetable peeler.

Add one inch of water to the bottom of a pan and bring to a boil. Add salt. Carefully add asparagus. Cook until fork tender.

Serving suggestion: serve with Hollandaise sauce or butter.

Kitchen Tip: Grow your own. Look for asparagus bunches that are firm, straight, and brightly colored. Make sure the feathery tips are tightly closed. Store them in the refrigerator in a plastic bag or standing upright in a container with 1 inch of water at the bottom. Use them within 2–3 days. You can also blanch and freeze fresh asparagus for up to 8 months.

Recipe

COUCOUS RECIPE

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INGREDIENTS

1 cup large pearl couscous

1 1/2 cups chicken stock (water and 2 teaspoon Better then Bouillon)

1 tsp pasley

DIRECTIONS

Bring chicken stock to a boil. Add parsley. Add couscous. Cover and simmer on low for 8 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand covered for 4 minutes. Serve.

COUSCOUS IN CHICKEN STOCK
Recipe

PAN ROASTED POTATOES RECIPE

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INGREDEINTS

two pounds of small Yukon gold potatoes

2 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons water (for steaming potatoes)

1/8 teaspoon onion

shy 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

salt and white pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Wash and add potatoes to a Pyrex bowl. Add two tablespoon of water. Cover with plastic wrap. Poke a hole in the plastic wrap with a knife. Microwave on high for 6 minutes. Let stand four minutes.

Add butter to a pan with olive oil. Add hot potatoes to pan with butter and oil. Keep heat on low. Add seasoning and toss to coat potatoes. Continue cooking on low for ten to fifteen minutes until potatoes are slightly brown and fork tender.

Blog Post, Recipe

Surf & Turf

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Last night I made “Surf and Turf”. Traditionally, the surf is a lobster tail and the turf is Filet Mignon. I didn’t make lobster tails this time. Instead, I used raw shrimp. After the the shrimp was cleaned, I skewered and coated with olive oil, garlic, and paprika. Then, I steamed some baby potatoes in the microwave for 5 minutes in a glass bowl cover with plastic wrap. Careful, that bowl gets HOT. Just before tossing them on the grill over medium heat, I tossed them in olive oil, butter, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

The Filet Mignon I purchased whole, as that is how it usually comes when it’s on sale now. The beef needs to be butchered a bit as they tend to leave on a the silver skin. This will be very chewy if it’s not removed. Then, I cut the beef into 2 to 3 inch pieces, maybe 6 to 8 ounces each. Salt, Pepper. and a bit of oil to keep it from sticking to the grill. I cook it on med to medium high until 140 degrees and let it rest.

I add the shrimp to the hot grill only after cooking one side of the beef and flipping it over. The shrimp cooks much faster then the beef. I cook the shrimp on low or medium low burners while keep the beef is over medium high burners. You must be careful not overcook the shrimp or the beef. They will both get tough and chewy if you do. This is all done while the potatoes are on the grill over medium heat in a grill pan and simultaneously drinking a beer or two. This is tricky stuff sometimes!

Well, that’s all for now. I’m off to help with a membership recruitment fishing thingy for BSA Scouts!

The Drunken Chef (Russ)

Beverages, Recipe

MIMOSA COCKTAIL

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INGREDIENTS:

2 Parts Sparkling Wine

1 Part Orange Juice

Garnish with a maraschino cherry (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

You can use many Sparkling wines for this beverage, but I don’t like ones that are too dry. I use a Sparkling wine from Sparkling Point winery Long Island

Start by filling a glass a a third of the way with orange juice. Then, add the Sparkling wine. The bubbly nature of the wine will mix the flavors together, so there is no need to stir it. Just serve it ice COLD! For a bit of flare, you can add a maraschino cherry.

Enjoy.

The Drunken Chef (Russ)

Recipe

DEVILED EGGS

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Now that you have made hard boiled eggs way back in Lesson Two: HARD BOILED EGGS, you’re ready for DEVILED EGGS. This is a classic and simple appetizer from the 50’s that I think with the addition of the Cholula Hot Sauce has a bit of a zing that elevates it up to the twenty first century.

INGREDIENTS:

6 Hard Boiled Jumbo Eggs

3 Tablespoons Mayo

1 teaspoon Mustard 

1 teaspoon Frank’s Red Hot or Cholula Hot Sauce

1 teaspoon white vinegar

Paprika for garnish

Pitch of white pepper

Whostersire Sauce in pace of vinegar (optional)

Relish (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Slice the eggs in half lengthwise, removing yolks to a medium bowl and placing the whites on a serving platter. Mash the yolks into a fine crumble using a fork. Add mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, hot sauce, and pepper, and mix well using a fork until creamy. Evenly disperse heaping teaspoons of the yolk mixture into the egg whites. To get fancy: use a large star tip and a pastry bag to pipe the yolk mixture back into each egg, filling yolk holes completely. Dust tops with paprika. Refrigerate and serve chilled.

Note: For a real fare, add fresh chopped chives or scallion to the top before refrigerating. 

Recipe

SHRIMP COCKTAIL

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Shrimp cocktail is a family holiday treat or for special occasions. 

  • Washed
  • Cleaned and deveined

COOKING UTENSILS NEEDED

INGREDIENTS:

3 pounds of extra-large or jumbo shrimp peeled and de-veined

2 tbsp. Lemon juice

Dash of salt

DIRECTIONS:

Fill a large pot half way with water and bring to a boil.  Add lemon juice and salt.  Cook for 3 minutes. Drain shrimp and pat dry with white paper towels.

Serving suggestion: Mom’s Famous Cocktail Sauce.

NOTES: I leave this up to my sister to make every holiday and she does a marvelous job!!

Recipe

Tomato Mozzarella (Caprese) Salad

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My choice to serve as an appetizer with the grilled steak is this very fresh tasting summer salad of tomato and mozzarella. I would pair it with a Pinot Grigio from Clos Du Bois.

INGREDIENTS:

Fresh Tomatoes

Fresh Mozzarella

Fresh Basil

Roasted red peppers

Extra-virgin olive oil

Balsamic Glaze

Italian seasoning

DIRECTIONS

Slice the tomatoes ¼ inch thick. Slice the fresh mozzarella to match the tomatoes. Cut roasted red peppers in one inch strips. Chiffonade* fresh basil leaves.  Layer tomato, then cheese, then pepper all around a large plate. Sprinkle top with Basil. Drizzle on olive oil and balsamic glaze. Season with Italian seasoning to taste. 

Chiffonade – To finely cut those strips of basil you see on top of the salad. It sounds frenchy…

Recipe

GARLIC BREAD (LONG & SHORT VERSIONS)

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I can’t believe I can’t find the post I wrote down on how to make Garlic Bread. So, here are two ways to make it.

GARLIC BREAD (QUICK)

INGREDIENTS:

One loaf of Italian or French Bread

Butter (softened)

Garlic powder

DIRECTIONS:

Slice the bread lengthwise. Spread a thin layer of butter on the bread. Use enough butter as if you were going to eat the bread with just butter. Sprinkle on the garlic powder to taste. Not too much even if you love garlic. Remember its still just powder and this is the quick version. Toast bread under broiler (butter side up). Until golden brown. Slice and serve warm.

GARLIC BREAD (TRADITIONAL)

Ingredients:

ONE LOAF ITALIAN BREAD

2 cloves garlic (minced)

1 stick butter

Mozzarella cheese (shredded) (Optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Slice bread lengthwise. Melt the butter in a small pot. Add the minced garlic to melted butter and cook over low heat for one minute. Brush or carefully spoon the melted butter and garlic across the bread evenly. Brown bread under broiler until golden brown. Serve warm.

Optional cheese version: After toasting bread, sprinkle cheese on top and return to broiler. Leave until just melted. Serve warm.

Now you have the long and the short version. I learned the long version in my high school cooking class from a fellow classmate of Italian descent, who by the way was appalled when I first suggested we use garlic powder to make garlic bread. That was the way I, a man of Irish decent learned from my sister growing up. Anyhow, the cheese thing I got from my sister in-law who is an amazing cook and baker!

Eat well, live long, and make lots of money! (isn’t that what Spock says?)

The Drunken Chef (Russ)

Recipe

Spaghetti with Zucchini

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            Last night was Spaghetti & Meatballs again. Boring I know. Lunch was so boring I don’t even remember what I ate. I heated up the meatballs and sauce. I set the water with salt and oil on the stove to boil for the spaghetti. I made garlic bread and for a vegetable, I made Zucchini. I even made a tossed salad, but no one ate it.

ZUCCHINI

INGREDIENTS:

1 Zucchini

1 Tablespoon Olive oil

1-2 Tablespoons Butter

Sliced garlic or 1/8 tsp powder

Salt pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Cut the zucchini in half, lengthwise. Slice the zucchini into ¼ inch slices. Add oil to the pan with fresh sliced garlic.  Cook over medium-high heat until pan gets hot. DO NOT let the garlic get brown. ICK. Add zucchini to pan. Add salt and pepper. If using garlic powder, add it now. Cook until tender and serve hot.

Yup, not an impressive night. However, we ate while watching the Disney channel. Then, after watching the movie Rayna, I decided I needed dessert and asked Sam if would run out to the store and get some “Slice and Bake cookies and MILK.” You know the ones. It’s Nestle’s Toll House cookie dough in a tube.  He returned with the goods and I baked those puppies up as we watched Community on Netflix. This is my new favorite show. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still watching Laugh-In on Prime, but this is funny as shit and Sam watches it with me. We were laughing are asses off last night.

Well, that is all for today. If you like my posts, please share them. I could always use more readers and more feedback.

The Drunken Chef (Russ)