potato-carrot cakes

potato-carrot cakes


3 small carrots
2 small potatoes
1/2 onion
1 egg
seasoned bread-crumbs



shred the vegetables and mix with a beaten egg. add breadcrumbs to thicken the mixture. shape into patties and fry in a mixture of olive oil and butter. season.

pork loin with pesto mashed potatoes

i like meat, especially pork. pork loin is lean and easy to prepare. i really should eat it more often. as for the potatoes, i had a bunch of basil left over from something, and i wanted to get rid of it before it spoiled. so, here's what i did.

pork loin

pork loin

coarse grain mustard

salt and pepper the pork loin. in a hot pan, sear the loin on both sides for a minute or two - trapping in the juices. place in an oven-safe dish and coat with coarse grain mustard. bake for about 30 minutes at 350-degrees. the cooking time will vary depending on the size of your pork-loin.

red-wine shallot compote

1 shallot

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup of red wine

in the same pan that you used to sear the pork loin, add butter and a diced shallot - cook briefly. add the 1/2 cup of wine and allow to boil. allow the liquid to reduce by about half, then set aside.

pesto mashed potatoes

3 medium sized potatoes - diced

2 garlic cloves

1/2 cup chopped basil

1 cup whole milk

1-2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

cook the potatoes in boiling water (peel if you don't want skins in your mashed potatoes). in a blender, combine garlic, put the garlic, milk, basil, and parmesan into a blender (and blend). mash the potatoes with butter, then add the basil-milk mixture and stir. salt and pepper to taste.

garlic infused green beans

fresh green beans

2-3 garlic cloves (cut into thirds)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice

boil the green beans, then strain. in the hot pot, place olive oil and garlic into the pan and allow to soften. return the green beans to the pan, add the lemon juice, and toss. salt and pepper to taste.

chicken of the sea mushroom soup

i wanted to make soup. so, i surveyed my refrigerator and found shrimp and mushrooms. in my cupboards, i found chicken stock. i know i should be using some sort of seafood based stock if i'm going to be using shrimp, but i decided to see how it would taste.

chicken of the sea mushroom soup

1/2 pound of raw shrimp
1-2 cans of chicken stock
4 green onions
1 jalapeno pepper
cellophane/rice noodles
small package of whole mushrooms

peel the shrimp. place the shrimp shells into the chicken stock and bring to a boil for a few minutes, then strain out the shells (my though was that this would make it shrimpier). in the empty pot, add diced jalapenos and shrimp - cook this for a minute or two. separate the mushrooms caps from the stems. julienne the stems, and then place both the caps and stems into the pot. return the stock to the pot. slice a few of the green onions lengthwise and and dice the remaining before adding to the pot. allow everything to simmer for about 10 minutes. in a separate pot, pour boiling water over the cellophane noodles and allow to soften for 5 minutes. strain the noodles and add to the soup.

pizza margarita

i'm not going to tell you what to do or not to do with pizza. that's the fun of pizza and i don't want to spoil things for you. every time i make a pizza i do things slightly differently: different ingredients in sauce, different cheese, toppings etc. i'm using shallots in my sauce this time which isn't traditional for a margarita pizza, but i had them on hand, so why not. however, the dough recipe stays pretty much the same.


pizza margarita

dough:

about 2.5 cups of a high-protein flour (bread flour or better)
1 teaspoon of salt
1 package active yeast
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup luke-warm water

put the warm water, yeast, salt, honey, and 1 cup of flower into a bowl and mix. it should be a batter-like consistency. let this sit for 15-30 minutes. then add additional flour, mixing, then kneading until the dough no longer sticks to your fingers. it's probably ready but the only way you'll know is to make it 30 times and develop a feel for it. i've heard the texture described as feeling "like a baby's bottom" but i don't really care for that analogy.


sauce:

1 can whole san marzano tomatoes
1 shallot (diced)
fresh basil (maybe 10 leaves - chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste.

throw the raw ingredients into a blender. blend. done.


cheese:

fresh mozzarella (salt and pepper this - it's not as salty as packaged mozzarella and needs help)

rigatoni with spicy clam sauce

i was going to make something with artichokes, but i realized my artichokes were rotten. so i scratched that plan. earlier that night i had purchased a can of sardines. why? because i realized i had never consciously tasted a sardine, and wanted to see what they were like. i don't want to dumb things down too much, but it really just tasted like canned tuna fish. i decided to mix the rest of the can with some clams and turn it into a pasta sauce.

rigatoni with spicy clam sauce

1 can of diced clams
3 green chile peppers (diced)
1 can of sardines
1 shallot (diced)
1 small onion (diced)
3 ripe tomatoes (diced)
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon capers
rigatoni

put some olive oil in a pan, and saute the diced peppers, onions, shallot, and tomatoes. season, then place the cooked mixture into a blender and pulse. return to the pan and add the capers, garlic, clams and and chopped sardines. cook the pasta, mix and serve.

eggs and cheesy grits

this goes out to all my gluten-free friends.

eggs and cheesy grits

2-3 eggs
instant grits
1-2 oz cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon coarse grain mustard
1 green onion

in a saucepan - prepare the grits per directions on package. add cheese and onions, stir.
in a well-buttered pan, prepare 2-3 eggs "over easy." when the eggs are finished, place them on the pile of grits, and top with coarse grain mustard.

roasted pepper potato salad

this is a mayonaise-free potato salad.
why?
well, i like mayonaise and i like it in potato salad. but, mayonaise has a lot of fat. and, well, if you leave it out on a table at a picnic, or party over the summer, it will spoil. so - no mayo - what can we do?

roasted pepper potato salad

5-6 small red potatos
1 shallot
1 tablespoon coarse grain mustard
1 bulb of garlic
2 red/orange/yellow peppers
2 green onions
10 fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
olive oil

dice and boil the potatos in salted water until tender. drizzle the peppers and garlic bulb with olive oil and roast in a pan at 350 for about 15-20 minutes (until the peppers skin begins to bubble + blacken). when done, remove pepper skin and dice. pop the garlic cloves out of the bulb and mash. throw peppers, garlic, minced shallot, basil, vinegar and mustard into a blender and pulse. pour 1/2 of the roasted pepper mixture over the potatos and toss. return to a pan and bake for 10 minutes (throw this under the broiler for the last minute to brown the potatos). once removed from the oven, pour the remaining pepper sauce over the potatos and toss with diced green onions. salt and pepper to taste.

tuna and celery salad

ok - this is quick and tasty. and well, i guess it's also sort of healthy. i'm sure you could add a few more ingredients, i was originally going to add chick-peas but the salad was getting too big, so i left them out.

tuna and celery salad

1 can of tuna (in water)

3 celery stalks (with leaves)

2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon horseradish

1/4 of a small red onion diced

4 oz of tomato juice (V-8?)

3 tablespoons minced parsley

in a bowl mix the "wet" ingredients. then add the parsley, chopped celery, onion, and tuna. toss and eat.

pork and red cabbage pot-stickers

i bought a head of red cabbage last weekend. as of today, i have used appx. 1/4 of my cabbage. i don't like wasting food, especially overpriced produce from whole foods, so i needed put together a cabbage-based recipe. i decided to make pot-stickers. in the past i've used nappa cabbage for dumplings/pot-stickers. the nappa is a little softer in both flavor and texture than the red cabbage, but i thought i'd give this a try.

pork and red cabbage pot-stickers

1/4 head of red cabbage (shredded)

1/4 lb ground pork

about 2 tablespoons minced ginger 

2 minced garlic cloves

3 green onions (diced)

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon vinegar

1/4 cup? minced cilantro

1 package egg roll wrappers

fill a bowl with warm heavily salted water, and add the shredded cabbage. let this sit for about 45 minutes (or overnight), allowing the cabbage to soften. dump out the water, then rinse the cabbage several times with fresh cold water. set aside. 

in a bowl, mix the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and vinegar. then, add the garlic, diced green onions, ginger, pork, cilantro and cabbage. take a square egg roll wrapper, and put about 3 tablespoons of the filling into the center. roll the bottom corner to the center, then fold in the sides. continue rolling and seal with a little water. it takes a little practice, and a little guess-work estimating how much of the filling to put in each roll. prepare additional rolls until the mixture is gone.

put about 1-2 tablespoons of peanut oil into a pan and heat. when the pan is "sizzling" hot, add the rolls. brown on each side for about a minute or until golden. then add about 1/4 cup of water to the pan and cover. let this cook for about 7 minutes, the outer skin of the rolls will become wrinkled and transparent.

spicy soy sauce

soy sauce

sriracha 

mix 4 parts soy sauce to 1 part sriracha. stir.

pan-fried chicken with peanut sriracha gravy

i like to bread chicken with things that are already crunchy. it's sort of the lazy way to a crispy texture, that is, without a deep fryer. in the past i've used chopped nuts, smashed tortilla chips, and cornmeal, but today i'm using cornflakes.

pan-fried chicken

1 chicken breast

flour

1 egg

1 cup crushed corn-flakes

thin out the chicken breast to about 1/4" and salt + pepper on both sides. coat the chicken in flour, then egg, then corn flakes. in a hot pan, add a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of olive oil. when the butter begins to brown, add the chicken and cook on both sides until golden (well, until the pink turns white).

peanut sriracha gravy

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon peanut butter

1 tablespoon sriraccha

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon butter

put a little butter in a saucepan and melt. add everything else and stir/warm until blended.

ditalini and cheese

1 package ditalini

1 pint of half+half (or whole milk)

1 small onion

2 green onions

8oz sharp cheddar cheese (grated)

4oz smoked gouda

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

parsley to garnish

boil the pasta in salted water. in a saucepan add diced onion and chopped green onion to butter. once the onions have softened, add flour and stir (a rue?). add milk/cream, nutmeg and whisk. bring this to a boil, then reduce to a simmer - once it has thickened (coats a spoon) it is ready. combine 4oz gouda, 4oz of cheddar, cream sauce, and pasta. place in an oven-safe bowl that has been coated with olive oil. top with remaining cheddar and bake at 325 for about 20 minutes. once it's done baking, place under the broiler for about a minute until cheese has browned. garnish with parsley.

inverted ham + cheese omelette

i enjoy going out to brunch on sunday mornings. but in the event that i stay in, i'd still like to enjoy a restaurant-quality breakfast. 

i do most of my grocery shopping over the weekend. while in the store, i tend to be pretty optimistic that i'll eat a week's worth of food. however, dinners out and forgotten bagged lunches often leave me with a significant assortment of meats, cheeses, and produce nearing the point of ruin by sunday morning: all of which become prime candidates for my sunday-morning omelette. 

this week i had some deli-ham and smoked gouda cheese that had to be eaten.

inverted ham + cheese omelette

2 green onions

1 tablespoon horseradish

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1-2 tablespoons milk or cream

3 eggs

3 slices of deli ham

smoked gouda cheese

whisk the horseradish, dijon, cream, and eggs until frothy. in a hot buttered pan, add the green onions and saute briefly. add the eggs, and flip after cooked on one side. remove from the pan and wrap the omelette in ham. top with gouda and brown the ham + cheese under a broiler. 

breakfast potatoes

1/2 small red onion

2 small red potatoes

parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon old bay seasoning

parsley

cut the potatoes into french-fry-like pieces. boil in salted water until tender. in a pan, saute onions in butter before adding the cooked potatoes. add salt, pepper, and old-bay. cover and let cook without flipping until potatoes have browned on one side. mix in parsley and parmesan. 

green (er, verde?) chicken enchiladas

i try to visit philadelphia's italian market every weekend. 

while the produce isn't the greatest, it is cheap. 

i've been told the market vendors buy their goods at a vegetable wholesale warehouse in south philly. at this warehouse, retail outlets like whole foods and super-fresh reject any produce crate that's been damaged in transit. in steps the salvage buyers,  and a day later you can buy 12 peppers for a $1.00 on 9th street.

yesterday i was in search of yellow/orange peppers to make a salsa. when i couldn't find any, i turned to the tomatillo. i haven't had a great deal of experience with these tomato-like green fruits, but i knew it was the basis of salsa verde, so i decided to make chicken enchiladas. 

 

salsa verde

6 tomatillos

2 jalapeno peppers

1 small onion

2 limes

1 clove galic

cilantro 

rub the tomatillos with some olive oil, salt + pepper, then roast at 300-deg for about 10 minutes. their skin should start to blister. then put them in a blender with the rest of ingredients and your done. set aside.

red-cabbage relish (i really don't like the word slaw)

1/4 head of red cabbage

1 jalapeno pepper diced

1 small red onion diced

2 limes

1 orange

1 tablespoon honey

3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

shred the cabbage and combine with the onion, jalapeno and cilantro. mix honey, vinegar, juiced orange and lime and add to the cabbage mixture. salt + pepper. let this sit, as the salt will begin to soften the cabbage - the longer it sits, the softer (and better?) it will get. it will be a bit "wet" due to the excess water drawn out of the cabbage, immediately before serving drain this liquid.

guacamole

2 avocados

1 roma/plum tomato

1 small red onion

2 cloves garlic

1 jalapeno

1 lime

cilantro

dice and combine everything. add about a tablespoon of olive oil and some salt and pepper to taste. mash it up - it's easy.

chicken enchiladas

1 large chicken breast

1 small onion

salsa verde

corn tortillas

1 cup cheddar (or monterey jack) cheese

thin out the chicken breast to about 1/4" thick. cover it with salt + pepper, and throw it into a hot pan with some olive oil + butter. brown on both sides - it will cook quickly - take it out before you think it's done (it can be a little pink - don't worry you're going to keep cooking it). dice/shred the chicken on a cutting board, and return to the pan with onion. after the onion has softened add the salsa verde, and 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese. stir and allow the ingrediants to come together. place a little bit of the chicken mixture into a tortilla, roll, then place into a baking dish. i got about 5/6 out of this when i made it. cover with cheese and throw under a broiler until the cheese is melted and has begun to brown. serve it up.

FYI

i like to eat. in fact, i've been eating for most of my life. 

sometimes food is prepared for me, but occasionally i need to do it myself.

i don't follow recipes and i rarely make the same item the same way twice.

this page will serve as a record of the food i have prepared, and the means by which i prepared it.

besides tasting food, i also enjoy looking at it.

because of this, i will include a series of photographs that document the food's appearance.