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Recipe

Lentil Soup (beef)

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Good morning, Happy Wednesday. It is Wednesday, right? Last night I made Lentil soup for lunch today. If you follow me on Instagram, I posted pictures there.

I don’t know if you remember me telling you, but the first time I had this amazing soup was at my friends Frank’s house when I was in elementary school. His mother made it and offered me some as we ate lunch. I had never had lentil soup before (which she could not believe) but I am always willing to try new stuff, even way back then. Frank did not like this soup evidently and tried to get me not to eat it. Well long story short I have been eating it ever since. Thank you Mrs. Carola.

Below is my recipe, I’m afraid I never did get Mrs. Carola’s. This recipe is a beef lentil soup where you can omit the beef if it seems too redundant. I will also be making (in the very near future) a vegetable lentil soup for Jennifer’s class.  She has at least four other adults in her classroom as she works with children with special needs. So today is beef for everyone in my office and tonight, I will be making vegetable lentil soup for Jennifer to take to work. I will post that recipe as soon as I have a picture of it (Thursday).

Thursday’s lunch (for my office) will be Italian sausage, peppers and onions over rice so that will be made tonight as well.

Also coming soon – Red Lentil Soup

The Drunken Chef (Russ)

LENTIL SOUP (beef)  

Serves 6 – 8

SPECIAL IMPLEMENTS

Large Pot

INGREDIENTS

1 pound stew meat cut into ½ inch pieces

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic minced

¼ cup finely carrots

¼ cup finely chopped celery

4 cups beef broth (I use I box of Swanson’s beef broth)

1 cup dry lentils, rinsed

1/4 cup tomato sauce (or one heaping tablespoon of tomato paste)

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Black Pepper to taste

Salt or 1 to 4 beef bouillon cubes (depending on taste)

1 tsp. Gravy Master (if you have it)

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (if you have it)

DIRECTIONS

In a large stockpot over medium heat, combine the oil and onions and meat. Sauté until the meat is browed and onions are tender. Next add garlic and sauté for 1 minute longer. Add the broth, carrots, celery and bring mixture to a boil. Add the lentils, sauce and seasoning. Add Gravy Master and/or the Worcestershire sauce only if you have it.  Return to boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. I use beef bouillon cubes instead of salt for a richer flavor. Again The Gravy Master and Worcestershire sauce just make the soup taste richer.

NOTES This is Yummy (double or triple the recipe if you want leftovers and leave the amount of beef the same as I did to feed a big crowd)

The Drunken Chef (Russ)

Recipe

Cuban Black Bean Soup   

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This is the deep rich color of the finished soup

As promised, I made Cuban Black Bean Soup for the first time ever.  

Everyone at work loved it! Therefore, I am posting the recipe not having to make any changes in what we ate and what you can now enjoy. I hope you do get to enjoy this rich tasting treat maybe with a Cuban sandwich.

The Drunken Chef (Russ)

Cuban Black Bean Soup   

Serves 6 – 8

SPECIAL IMPLEMENTS

Large Pot

Food Processor or blender

INGREDIENTS

3 large green peppers

2 large red peppers

1 small yellow onion

1 large Spanish onion

1 head of garlic (10 cloves)

2 plum tomatoes (Diced)

16 ounces of black beans,

1 can of black beans

1 smoked ham hock

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon salt, or to taste

1 tablespoon Better then Bouillon

¼ cup olive oil

4 slices thick bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 jalapeño, stemmed and finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 bunch fresh Cilantro

1/ 2 bunch Italian parsley 

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Slice and dice the thick cut bacon. Fry in the bottom of a Dutch oven or heavy stock pot. Cook, on medium as not to burn any of it, stirring occasionally. Cook just until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes.

2. While the bacon slowly renders make a sofrito. Cut red and green peppers into 1 inch pieces. Dice one small yellow onion. Peel and chop all but 6 cloves of the garlic. Dice 1 jalapeño pepper (seeds removed). Dice the two tomatoes. You only have to chop the ingredients small enough sizes to fit into a food processor or blender. You don’t have to dice them finely, as you will be processing them. Focus more on removing the seeds from the peppers and any stems from the parsley and cilantro that might become grit in the finished sofrito. Place the chopped ingredients into a food processor or blender. You can process in this batches if your food processor isn’t big enough to accommodate everything at once. Pulse food processor until to resembles a thick pesto. Add salt and black pepper to taste.

3. Once the bacon is brown and the safrito in made add olive oil to your pot. Add the remaining diced green and red pepper and Spanish onion. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Pour in the vinegar and scrape any browned bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon.

4. Smash and peel the remaining 4 cloves of the garlic cloves. Put the rest of green pepper and garlic into a large pot with the beans, ham hock, bay leaves and 1-tablespoon salt. Add 2 quarts of chicken stock (or water and Better the Bouillon)and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and simmer until the beans are tender, an hour or more.

When the beans are cooked, discard both bay leafs. Remove and set aside the ham hock and let it cool. open can of black beans, mash 1/2 of them into a paste and return all of then to the pot. Add the sofrito, then the sugar. Pull the meat from the ham hock, leaving behind any white sinew or gristle. Chop the ham into ½-inch or smaller pieces and return it to the bean pot (I just took mine out and discarded it).

4. Stir the beans well and bring to a boil over medium heat, then lower to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes or so, skimming any foam from the top. Taste for salt and serve with white rice.

The Drunken Chef (Russ)

I also made these small friendship breads for Jennifer class. The small ceramic loaf pans were purchased at The Christmas Tree Store with he help of a very lovey woman. Thank you again!
Recipe

APPLE CRISP

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Here is an easy and quick dessert I whipped up the other night. Enjoy.

Serves two

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:

10 oz. Ceramic Ramekins 

INGREDIENTS:

2 Granny Smith Apples peeled and diced.

¾ cup Brown sugar

½ cup All-purpose Flour

½ cup Quaker Old Fashioned Oats

4 Tablespoons Melted Butter

½ tsp Cinnamon

Sliced almonds (Optional)

1 tsp. granulated sugar 

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Peel and chop the apples. Fill each of the ramekins ¾ full with the apples. Mix together sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle up to a tablespoon of the cinnamon sugar over the apples. For the topping: Mix the rest of the cinnamon sugar into the flour and oats in a bowl. Add sliced almonds if desired. Add the melted butter and stir it in. Put half of the topping on top of each filled ramekin’s. Sprinkle the top with just a bit of granulated sugar.  Bake in preheated oven until the top just begins to brown.

Let cool on a plate for about 5 minutes. Top with ice cream, homemade whipped cream and serve warm. 

The Drunken Chef (Russ)

How to Cook "American Style", Recipe

GERMAN POTATO DUMPLINGS

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Riced Potato

Special Implements:

Ricer

INGREDIENTS:

3 POUNDS OF POATOES

3 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

1 1/2 CUPS CORN STARCH

3 EGGS

1 TSP SALT

1/2 TSP WHITE PEPPER

DIRECTIONS:

Cook 3 pounds of peeled potatoes until tender.

Cool to room temp.

Use ricer and rice potatoes. The cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next day mix potatoes with the, corn starch, eggs, salt and pepper.

Using your hands. Form into roughly 2 inch balls. Place one ball in simmering chicken stock using a slotted spoon. If the first ball falls apart add more cornstarch. Make the rest of the potato stuff into balls and simmer in stock for 20 minutes. Turn off stock and let cool in stock for ten minutes, serve hot .

Red Cabbage, Sauerbraten and Potato Dumpling

The Drunken Chef (Russ)

How to Cook "American Style", Recipe

Sauerbraten

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INGREDIENTS

5 pound Pot Roast

2 lagre onoins

1 cup red wine vinegar

1 cup water

1 tablesppon salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tablesppon brown suagr

1 head of garlic

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil

10 ginger snaps very finely crushed in a zip top bag for the gravy

DIRECTIONS

In a large zip lock bag, add the vinegar, water, whole garlic cloves, brown sugar, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Chop two large onions and add that to the bag. Add the meat, squeeze out most of the air and close it tight. Place the meat in the refrigerator. Marinate the meat for a least 5 days.

On the fifth day, place the meat in a Dutch oven. Then pour in the marinade over the top. Bake at 325 for 6 hours.

Gravy: Crush the gram crackers in a zip lock bag. I use a meat tenderizer, but a small pan works well too. On stove, stir the crushed gram crackers into the cooked marinate and meat juices. Heat the gravy up on medium high heat until the gravy simmers and thickens. the gravy should coat the back of a spoon. If necessary add more crunched cookies one at a time until the sauce it the perfect consistency .

Insta-Pot directions: Add the meat and marinate to insta-pot. Turn on to the stew setting. Set the time for two hours. Let it cool on the “Stay warm” setting one hour.

When you can open the lid without having to let out any steam remove the meat and make the gravy right in the insta-pot. I add the crushed cookies and stirred them in. Then turn on the pot to sauté and stir until it simmers. Done. Unplug and Serve.

Serve with red cabbage, potato dumplings and beer!

Blog Post

LUNCH

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Some mornings the coffee just does not perk fast enough. I guess that’s why so many people prefer the Keurig. Its instantaneous coffee. I can no longer drink the coffee from it. To me the coffee from a Keurig taste likes it was made with instant coffee. I rather wait for a good pot coffee. I suppose too if you can’t wait for a pot of coffee to perk to might have trouble waiting 5 days for your sauerbraten to marinate. Yes, my meat has now been marinating 5 days and toady is the big day I get to cook it! I hope it turns out to be worth the wait.

I will share the sauerbraten recipe with you today at lunch. Having never made it before I may need to tweak it a bit, so I am waiting to taste it first before I send it to you, my dear readers. Remember the first rule of cookery: try it before you server it. That’s why I will post the recipe having eaten eat first.

Last night, I peeled, boiled and riced some potatoes. Today is also potato dumpling day. This is to go with the sauerbraten. I also went to the supermarket last night for a jar of pickled red cabbage. Who knew they would be out? They always had this red cabbage stuff when I didn’t need it. It is not as if it is that popular of a food item here in New York. They were out of a lot of stuff. What? Ugg. Apparently they are having a hard time getting deliveries. I will try another place on my way to work this morning. I do not love shopping at the crack of dawn or do I? Considering what I have been doing for this “cookbook hobby” of mine perhaps I am beginning to think I am masochistic. Nah! I just need that dam cup of coffee. Come on cook already!

So pictured below is the potatoes I made last night. It looks like rice right? I guess that what happens when you boil potatoes. Then you have to let them cool to room temperature and put it through a potato ricer (pictured below).

Well I’m to work. Enjoy your day and enjoy your own lunch!

The Drunken Chef (Russ) 

How to Cook "American Style", Recipe

Minestrone Soup

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Minestrone Soup   

Serves 6 – 8

SPECIAL IMPLEMENTS

Large Pot

INGREDIENTS

4 cups chicken broth (no sodium/salt)

4 cups tomato sauce

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 Large onion, chopped

2 large stalks chopped celery

2 large carrots, diced

1/2 cup red wine (optional)

1 cup canned kidney beans, drained

1 (15 ounce) can green beans

2 cups baby spinach, rinsed

3 zucchinis, quartered and sliced

1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning (marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, oregano, and basil

2 – 4 tsp Chicken Bouillon instead of salt (depending on taste)

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup seashell pasta or Ditalini (the little round tubes)

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese for topping

1 tablespoon olive oil

DIRECTIONS

In a large stock pot, over medium-low heat, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté garlic for 1 to 2 minutes. Add onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add celery and carrots, sauté for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add chicken broth, water and tomato sauce, bring to boil, stirring frequently. If desired add red wine at this point. Reduce heat to low and add kidney beans, green beans, spinach leaves, zucchini, Italian Spice mix, chicken bouillon and pepper. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. For best results refrigerate overnight then reheat the portions needed.  

Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until tender. Drain water and set aside.

Once pasta is cooked and soup is at a simmer (reheated if the next day) place 2 tablespoons cooked pasta into individual serving bowls. Ladle soup on top of pasta and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Drizzle on olive oil and serve with bread.

NOTES: Don’t forget the Salad and/or Saltine Crackers

The Drunken Chef (Russ)

Recipe

Old Fashioned Chicken Soup

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This is my traditional chicken soup recipe. Made in a large stock pot over the stove. When its done you can always add Matzo ball or noodles or extra vegetables like bok choy. enjoy.

INGREDIENTS:

6-7 pound whole chicken (remove neck and liver from cavity)

5 quarts water

½ tsp. dill

½ tsp. white pepper

¼ tsp. thyme

¼ tsp. marjoram

1 Bay leaf

½ tsp. rosemary

½ tsp. Savory

2 medium onions (quartered)

2 large carrots (peeled and quartered)

1/2 pound baby carrots (diced)

1 large parsnip (peeled and diced)

2 celery stalks (quartered)

4 celery stalks (diced)

5 or more chicken bouillon cubes instead of salt to taste

1 tbsp. Fresh parsley (chopped)

DIRECTIONS:

Place the chicken in a large stock pot. Pour in 5 quarts of water and put on high heat. Add½ tsp. dill, ½ tsp. white pepper, ¼ tsp. thyme, ¼ tsp. marjoram, 1 bay leaf,

½ tsp. rosemary, ½ tsp. Savory, 2 medium onions (quartered), 2 large carrots (peeled and quartered), 2 celery stalks (quartered). Bring to a boil. Cover and turn to low and cook for 2 hours. Allow to cool for a few minutes and remove chicken to a platter. Pour broth through a large strainer removing all the solids and discard to garbage. Return broth to pot and add

1/2 pound baby carrots (diced), 4 celery stalks (diced), 1 large parsnip (peeled and diced)

1 tbsp. Fresh parsley (chopped). Return to a slow boil.

Cover chicken and allow to cool until you can safely handle it. When chicken is cool cut off breasts and save in a zip lock bag to make chicken salad.  Next carefully remove all the dark meat from the chicken discarding the skin bones and cartilage. Dice dark mean on a clean cutting board and return to soup. When the vegetables have softened add 5 or more chicken bouillon cubes and taste for saltiness. Add more if necessary. Serve HOT.

NOTES

The first thing I add to the soup is two or three and handfuls of fine egg noodles. Next I sometimes add Matzo balls.

How to Cook "American Style"

Chicken Matzo Ball Soup

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Good morning. I think this is still the morning. Its dark out so who knows. I made coffee and I flipped over my meat for the sauerbraten. So it a good start to the day.

Last night I stopped on the way home for bread. I came home with my loaf of bread and heated up meats balls and spaghetti. I ate and watched Jeopardy. Then I added 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of milk to my friendship bread starter. It still lives. Then I flipped over my meat for the sauerbraten and went to bed. Side note: I didn’t win the lottery of $700 Million dollars. It was someone in California. As the French say: say la vie.

On a positive note, yesterday’s lunch was Chicken Matzo Ball Soup. I cheated and used my insta-pot again. I also used 2 boxes of no salt chicken stock that was on sale for $1.99 each. To this, I added 3 whole chicken breasts (with the bone). To the stock, I added 1 Carrot diced, 1 Celery Stalk diced and 1 tsp Chicken bouillon (instead of salt). I turned on the pot and set it to broth. This is high pressure and 25 minutes of cooking time. I let it cool down for 30 minutes before opening it up. While is cooling I mixed up package of Matzo ball mix. The package is nothing more than matzo meal and baking soda ,but its all premeasured and packaged so I don’t have to worry about the matzo meal going stale. To that, I added ¼-cup vegetable oil and two eggs. Let it sit in the regenerator for the rest of the time (20 minutes) then added golf ball size pieces of dough to the soup along with a cup of fine noodles. I turned on the Sauté setting until the soup simmered. Then I hit cancel. I put on the lid to the the insta-pot and pressed the “keep warm” button. I let those balls cook like that for 35 minutes.   

When I finally tasted it, it seemed to have turned out perfect. Soft vegetables in a tasty and rich broth that complimented the light matzo balls and fine egg noodles. The true test is if Maryanne’s mother approves. Maryanne was going to bring some to her. This is comfort food at its best. The only thing missing was maybe a grilled cheese sandwich. Hmmm…maybe I can have any leftover soup with grilled sandwich today.

Well lets hope I can stay awake long enough to cook dinner tonight. Keep following along all week to see how this Sauerbraten thing turns out. Until tomorrow wishing you a happy and healthy hump day!

The Drunken Chef (Russ)

Blog Post, How to Cook "American Style"

The Sauerbraten Saga Begins

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Good morning. It’s Tuesday October 5th 2021 and too early in the morning for me to be up but I am. I am still not sleeping well. I seem to wake up at 4:30am every day. Then I have to be up an hour later for work so I can’t fall back to sleep. Maybe when we turn the clocks back I will be able to fall back to sleep.  Enough about my problems. There is cooking to be done.

Last night I started the sauerbraten marinating. The beef (two small chuck pot roasts) is marinating in a vinery mixture of: 1 cup red wine vinegar, 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, two onions, a tsp of black pepper and a whole head of garlic. I squeezed it all into a zip lock bag. (see picture above) This needs to marinate for five days so it will not be until Friday before we will see and taste the fruits of our efforts. I will also be making some side dishes. I will write more about that tomorrow. Rich, from my office, has requested applesauce to go with his. This seems to be a reasonable request so apple sauce for Richie it is.

I also made moms meatballs and sauce last night. I served them with spaghetti. Mine is the one that has parmesan cheese on it. It was yummy but I feel like I gained ten pounds. I miss my teenage metabolism. Lunch today will have to be low calorie soup and a salad.

That all for now good readers. Follow along this week and see how this Sauerbraten saga plays out. Until tomorrow wishing you a happy healthy Tuesday!

The Drunken Chef (Russ)