Recipe: Turkey Pastrami and Root Vegetable Hash

I had a bunch of root vegetables in my fridge that just needed a good recipe to go with them.  I'm fond of "hashes" like corned beef hash & bubble and squeak and thought I'd give this a go.  I used turkey pastrami instead of corned beef or beef pastrami as I wanted a dish full of flavor, but not so full on the waistline.  The process is easy, it just takes some time to cook...

Ingredients:

3 large new or white potatoes, diced

5 large rutabagas, peeled and diced

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

4 large beets, peeled and diced

2 parsnips, peeled and diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 large Vidalia onion, chopped

2 red jalapenos, finely chopped

1 1/3 lbs turkey pastrami, diced

2 tbsp Herbs de Provence

2 tbsp minced garlic

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp sea salt

3 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place all of the peeled root vegetables into a large casserole dish. Add the Herbs de Provence, minced garlic, cumin, brown sugar, sea salt, and all but 1/2 tbsp of the olive oil. Mix thoroughly with a large spoon. Place into the oven, covered, for 35 mins then remove the cover for 10 additional minutes to allow the vegetables to start browning.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1/2 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the jalapenos, onion, and turkey pastrami. Cover, and cook until the onions start to become translucent. Remove cover and continue cooking until most of the remaining liquid has cooked out. Add the whole mixture to the large casserole with the root vegetables in the oven and mix thoroughly. Re-cover and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Serve immediately (preferably with a poached or soft-fried egg on top :)).

Makes 10 servings.

Recipe: Southwestern Pork and Cabbage

I had a red cabbage that I needed to use, but wanted something a little lighter than the typical German or Eastern European variations I normally do.  So, I decided to apply some southwest flavor and came up with something that was just really, really darn tasty.

Ingredients:


1/2 head of a large red cabbage, shredded
1 1/4 lbs. boneless pork loin chops, pounded thin and sliced thin
6 tomatillos, peeled, blanched in hot water for 3 - 4 minutes to soften
1/2 large white onion, diced loosely
2 red jalapenos, chopped fine
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped fine
3 tbsp. minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chipotle chili powder
1 tbsp. sea salt
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
3 tbsp. dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp. canola oil

Directions:


Heat the canola oil in a large, deep pan over medium high heat.  Add the garlic and chopped jalapeno.  Saute until fragrant.  Add the sliced pork.  Cook until the pork is almost done, about 8 minutes.  Add the vinegar, white wine, dry spices, salt, and 1/2 of the chicken broth (1/4 cup).  Cover, reduce heat to medium.  Simmer the pork for approximately 15 minutes to tenderize.  Add the cabbage and remaining chicken broth.  Recover.  Cook until the cabbage is completely tender, about 20 - 25 more minutes, stirring infrequently.  Stir in the cilantro and remove from heat.

In a food processor, puree the blanched tomatillos and onion together.  Serve as a side sauce with the pork/cabbage.  Warm some small flour or corn tortillas and serve.

Makes 6 servings.

Recipe: Shredded Chicken Burritos

This was dinner tonight... ole!!! :)

Ingredients:

1 1/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 large tomatoes (beefsteak or other large type), roughly diced
1 medium Vidalia or other sweet onion, roughly chopped
2 1/2 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 cup of chopped fresh cilantro (approximately 1/2 bunch)
3 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. rice vinegar
2 medium jalapeno peppers, roughly chopped
1 cup shredded red cabbage
1 cup shredded green cabbage
1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Manchego cheese, shredded
4 large flour tortillas
Water (for poaching chicken)

Directions:

Place the boneless, skinless breasts into a large pot. Put enough water into the pot to cover the chicken plus 1 1/2 inches. Add 2 tsp. of the salt to the pot. Place the pot on the stove on medium-high heat for 20 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked through and able to be shredded easily with a fork. Shred the chicken into a bowl and set aside.

In the food processor, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, cilantro, jalapenos, paprika, the remaining 1 tsp. of salt, black pepper, and the rice vinegar. Pulse these ingredients in the food processor until chopped finely and fully blended to form a salsa.

Warm the tortillas according to package directions. In each tortilla, place an equal amount of each of the two shredded cheeses, warm shredded chicken, equal amount of each of the two cabbages, and an equal part of the salsa. Fold both ends and wrap over to form a burrito. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe: Slow Roasted Chicken with Eggplant and Tomatoes

Ingredients:

2 lbs. of chicken thighs

2 1/2 cups of red wine

2 1/2 cups of chicken broth

3 tbsp. minced garlic

3 tsp. herbs de provence

4 jalapeno peppers

2 small sweet onions

4 small Italian eggplant

6 large heirloom tomatoes

5 tbsp. olive oil

Sea salt

Black pepper

Directions:

Dice eggplant into small cubes. Place into a colander and sprinkle sea salt generously over the pieces. Let sit and wilt for 30 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 300 degrees.

Dice the tomatoes, onions, and jalapenos into small pieces and place into a large dutch oven. Add the eggplant pieces, minced garlic, and herbs de provence. Add about 2 tsp. each of sea salt and black pepper. Drizzle 2 tbsp. of the olive oil over the vegetable mixture. Place on the stove on medium heat. Once the veggies begin to sizzle, add the red wine and chicken broth. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer for approximately 30 minutes.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet. Sprinkle salt and pepper generously over the chicken thighs. Sear the chicken thighs in the oil for approximately 4 minutes on each side. Add the chicken thighs to the dutch oven making sure they are submerged in the liquid. Cover the dutch oven and place into the oven. Bake for 2 hours. Serve over angel hair pasta dressed with either butter or olive oil.

Makes 6 servings.

Recipe: My Ultimate Burger

Ingredients:

Burger
3/4 lb. lean ground beef (< 7% fat)
3/4 lb. ground veal
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. nuoc cham (Vietnamese fish sauce)
1 tsp. onion powder
1 1/2 tsp. dried chives
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. white pepper
1 tsp. sweet paprika
1 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. bread crumbs

Sauce
1 bunch scallions, loosely chopped
3 jalapeno peppers, loosely chopped
2 medium heirloom tomatoes, loosely chopped
2 tbsp. minced garlic

6 brioche buns
6 thick slices of sharp cheddar
12 thick slices of applewood smoked bacon

Directions:

Place sauce ingredients into a food processor and pulse until fully chopped and blended together. Set aside.

Place 12 slices of bacon on a baking sheet and place into a 450 degree pre-heated oven for 12 minutes or until crispy.

Heat grill to medium-high heat. Mix all ingredients for the burger together with your hands and form 6 equal patties. Place on the hot grill and grill for 4-5 minutes on each side for medium-well, the lid closed for each period. Add the cheese slices to each burger and continue on the heat with the lid closed for about 2 minutes. Remove the burgers from the grill. Cut the brioche buns in half and place white side down on the grill. Close the lid for about 2 minutes to toast. Remove the buns from the grill. Place the burgers on the buns. Top with 2 bacon slices each. Top with 2 - 3 tbsp. each of the sauce mixture. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings.

Recipe: Potato and Kale Hash

Ingredients:

1 bunch of kale
4 medium red potatoes
1 large sweet potato
6 thick slices of applewood smoked bacon
2 tbsp. of minced garlic
3 medium jalapeno peppers
1 large Vidalia onion

Directions:

Peel the potatoes. Bring a large pot of water up to boil and place the potatoes in it. Blanch the potatoes for about 8 minutes to soften. Use a grater to shred the potatoes and set aside.

Chop off the stiff stems of the kale. Using your hands, tear the kale leaves and remaining stems into smaller pieces and place into a colander. Dampen three paper towels with cold water and place the damp paper towels over the greens in the colander. Microwave the greens for 3 1/2 minutes to wilt.

Lightly dice the onion and jalapeno peppers. Add to a food processor with the garlic. Pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and blended.

Dice bacon slices into small pieces. Cook in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat until browned. Add the shredded potatoes and continue cooking for approximately 10 - 12 minutes, turning frequently. Add the kale and the onion/jalapeno/garlic mixture and continue cooking for another 5 - 6 minutes. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings.