by Kathy Douglas | Apr 14, 2020 | Entrees
Leftover holiday ham? No problem! Make these delicious sweet and savory buttermilk biscuit sandwiches filled with homemade pineapple jam, leftover ham, and thinly sliced grilled pineapple.
Pineapple
INGREDIENTS
1 fresh pineapple
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar, plus more
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon of whole cloves
Juice of 1 lemon
Grapeseed Oil
INSTRUCTIONS
Peel the pineapple, cut in half. Set aside one half. Cut the other half into chunks. Add to a food processor and process until some small chunks remain. You should end up with about 2 cups. Put the pineapple and water in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the pineapple is soft, about 35 minutes.
Add the sugars, clove, and lemon juice and stir to combine. Cook until the mixture has thickened, about 45 to 60 minutes. Spoon the jam into a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Slice the remaining pineapple into thin slices. Sprinkle with white sugar. Set a grill pan over medium high heat. Brush with grapeseed oil and grill the pineapple until well-marked and soft. Set aside.
Buttermilk Biscuits
INGREDIENTS
12 ounces all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, cut into small cubes
1 ounce unsalted cold butter, cut into small cubes
2 ounces cold shortening
1 cup cold low-fat buttermilk
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the cold butter and shortening to the dry ingredients. Using your fingertips, rub the butter and shortening into the dry goods until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the middle of the butter and dry ingredients and add the buttermilk. Stir with a large spoon until the dough just comes together. Knead the dough in the bowl until all the flour has been absorbed.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, then start folding the dough over on itself, gently kneading until the dough is soft and smooth. Press the dough into a 1-inch-thick round and use a 3-inch round cutter, cut out 6-8 biscuits. Be sure to push the cutter all the way through the dough. Make your cuts as close together, then press the scraps together and punch out as many biscuits as possible.
Place the biscuits on a parchment lined sheet pan where they they just barely touch. Bake until the biscuits are tall and light browned, about 15 to 17 minutes.
To Make the Biscuit Sandwiches:
INGREDIENTS
½ pound ham, sliced thin and cut to the size of the biscuits
INSTRUCTIONS
Split the biscuits and fill with the ham, pineapple jam, and grilled pineapple.
by Kathy Douglas | Apr 7, 2020 | Entrees
A southern specialty, we used a fine grind grits combined with course ground 8-row flint corn. Adding butter and cream makes these an extra-tasty grits topped with Cajun barbecue fresh sautéed shrimp.
Creamy Corn Grits
INGREDIENTS
1 cup finely ground corn grits, we prefer Weisenborn
¼ cup 8-row flint course ground corn (optional, you can substitute with more fine ground grits)
4 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons salt
Juice of one lemon
½ cup cream
¼ cup chopped cilantro
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat 3 cups of stock in a large sauce pan. When simmering, whisk in the corn grits. Cook stirring occasionally for 30 minutes, adding the last cup of stock in the last ten minutes. Cook until extremely thick, adding the butter, salt, lemon juice, and cream stirring to combine. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve. Serve in warm bowls topped with the shrimp and cilantro.
Cajun BBQ Shrimp
INGREDIENTS
12 raw colossal shrimp, unpeeled, deveined, with heads and tails left on
¼ cup cold, unsalted butter
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
Zest of one lemon
INSTRUCTIONS
Devein the shrimp without peeling. Keep cold in the refrigerator.
Melt the butter over medium high heat in a large sauté pan, add the garlic and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce, pepper, salt, creole and lemon zest. Sauté for two minutes more then add the shrimp and sauté on one side for 3-4 minute. Turn and cook until the shrimp is bright pink and cooked through. Top the creamy corn grits with the shrimp and cilantro.
by Kathy Douglas | Mar 31, 2020 | Entrees
Sous vide makes this pork chop dinner so easy, plus brining makes the pork extra juicy and searing after sous vide gives the pork an extra tasty exterior. We served it with some easy oven-roasted potatoes and kale. The mushroom sauce comes together quickly while the pork cooks.
Brine
INGREDIENTS
Pork rib chops, 4 chops, 1-1/2 inches thick each
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon juniper berries
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
2 garlic cloves, crushed
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the brining solution by dissolving the kosher salt and sugar in 1 quart of water in a saucepan over medium heat. Pour into a food-safe storage container with a tight-fitting lid. Add 2 cups ice to cool. Add the remaining ingredients, stir well, then put the chops into the cooled brine, cover, and refrigerate 4 hours or up to overnight. When ready to cook, remove the chops from the brine and discard the brining liquid. Rinse the chops in cold water. Pat dry.
Sous Vide Pork Chops
INSTRUCTIONS
Brined bone-in pork rib chops
2 tablespoon grapeseed oil, plus more for the Sous vide bags
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter
INGREDIENTS
Preheat a sous vide immersion circulator to 140 degrees. Place the chops in sous vide bags and drizzle each with olive oil. Seal bags and place in the water bath for one hour.
To Finish: Remove pork from the water bath bag and carefully pat dry with paper towels. Heat a large heavy cast iron or sauté pan until very hot over high heat. Add grapeseed oil and butter then, working in batches, lay the pork chops in the skillet in a single layer, pressing down with a set of tongs. Cook until the crust is deep brown and very crisp, about 45 seconds.
Flip pork chops, add 1 tablespoon butter, along with garlic, and shallots. Spoon butter over pork chops as they cook. Continue cooking until the second side is browned, about 45 seconds longer. Serve with the mushroom sauce.
Mushroom Cream Sauce
INSTRUCTIONS
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red wine
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons freshly grated fontina
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
DIRECTIONS:
Melt butter in a large skillet oven over medium heat. Add garlic and mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and browned about 5-6 minutes. Add the wine and cook until evaporated.
Add the heavy cream, thyme, and oregano; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until slightly reduced and thickened, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in fontina until melted. Serve with the pork chops topped with fresh parsley.
Oven Roasted Potatoes
INSTRUCTIONS
1 tablespoon sage leaves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon kosher salt
4 pounds fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Freshly ground pepper
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 425°. Toss together the sage, zest, and salt until well combined.
In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the oil and butter and season with pepper. Spread the potatoes in a single layer on 2 large rimmed baking sheets and roast for 25 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and toss with the salt mixture, adding enough to taste. Serve immediately.
by Kathy Douglas | Mar 16, 2020 | Entrees
Whether it’s St. Patrick’s Day or you just want a comforting dish – these easy cabbage rolls are the perfect choice. Savoy cabbage leaves stuffed with seasoned beef, pork, & rice and baked with a delicious sauerkraut mixture topped with tomatoes.
INGREDIENTS
Coarse salt
1 large head Savoy cabbage, about 2 to 3 pounds
2 cups prepared sauerkraut, drained
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
12 ounces ground beef
12 ounces ground pork
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups cooked white rice
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 cup diced, canned tomatoes, drained
INSTRUCTIONS
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add cabbage head, and cook until outer leaves are just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon. Peel outer layer of leaves, and drain. Return remaining cabbage to water, and repeat until all leaves are cooked and removed. Pat each leaf dry with paper towels. Select a dozen of the largest light-green leaves and set aside. Chop the remaining leaves and combine with the sauerkraut and brown sugar. Add to the bottom of a large shallow baking dish.
Preheat oven to 375˚F. Combine the beef, pork, rice, onion, garlic and parsley, with 1 tablespoon salt. Working with 1 leaf at a time, trim the thick part of rib with a paring knife, leaving leaf intact. Arrange about ½ cup filling in center of each leaf. Fold stem end of cabbage over filling. Fold in sides of cabbage. Carefully roll cabbage over to form a package, overlapping ends to seal. Place each one, seam side down, in the baking dish over the sauerkraut mixture.
Sprinkle the tomatoes over the cabbage. Cover with a lid or foil and bake until cooked through and cabbage is tender, about 1 hour. Serves 6.
by Kathy Douglas | Mar 9, 2020 | Entrees
Perfect for warmer weather, this light pasta dish is full of homemade fresh pasta topped with roasted squash, tomatoes, freshly shaved Parmesan cheese, parsley, and fresh rosemary.
INGREDIENTS
3-4 cups peeled, cubed butternut squash
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more
16 ounces fresh rigatoni or penne pasta
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
¼ cup sliced shallots
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, lightly chopped
2 cups cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Thinly sliced Parmesan shavings for garnish.
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Toss the squash in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Pour out onto a sheet tray and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned. Remove and set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Following the package directions, cook the fresh pasta. Drain and set aside.
Put the remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, anchovy, shallots, tomato paste and rosemary and cook for about a minute; add tomatoes and cook until they begin to pop. Add the cooked squash and cook for 2-4 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Combine the sauce and pasta, and serve, garnished with fresh parsley and Parmesan shavings.
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