Broccoli Salad

This is a yummy summer salad that uses an interesting combination of fruits, vegetables and meats. Before you decide you won't like it, try it. You'll be pleasantly surprised. You can add an extra head of broccoli, if you like.


Ingredients:

2 heads fresh broccoli
1 red onion
1/2 pound bacon
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar


Directions:

Place bacon in a deep skillet and cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Cool and crumble.

Cut the broccoli into bite-size pieces and cut the onion into thin bite-size slices. Combine with the bacon, raisins, your favorite nuts and mix well.

To prepare the dressing, mix the mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar together until smooth. Stir into the salad, let chill and serve.


Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving Calories: 374 | Total Fat: 27.2g | Cholesterol: 18mg

Chicago-Style Hot Dog

The Chicago Dog is a Windy City classic, and a big favorite with sports fans. The frank must be all-beef, the bun must be poppyseed, the ingredients must be piled onto the bun in the order specified. And whatever you do, don't spoil the splendor with ketchup.



Ingredients:

1 all-beef hot dog
1 poppyseed hot dog bun
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon sweet green pickle relish
1 tablespoon chopped onion
4 tomato wedges
1 dill pickle spear
2 sport peppers
1 dash celery salt


Directions:

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Reduce heat to low, place hot dog in water, and cook 5 minutes or until done. Remove hot dog and set aside. Carefully place a steamer basket into the pot and steam the hot dog bun 2 minutes or until warm.

Place hot dog in the steamed bun. Pile on the toppings in this order: yellow mustard, sweet green pickle relish, onion, tomato wedges, pickle spear, sport peppers, and celery salt. The tomatoes should be nestled between the hot dog and the top of the bun. Place the pickle between the hot dog and the bottom of the bun. Don't even think about ketchup!


Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving Calories: 377 | Total Fat: 19.7g | Cholesterol: 30mg

Skirt Steak Quesadilla Diablo, Quinoa Fritters with Sweet Pepper Garlic Mayo

Top Chef Masters, Season 3, Episode 5, Elimination Challenge, WINNER

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup grated Mexican manchego cheese
1 cup grated panela cheese
1 cup grated cotija cheese
6 flour tortillas
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Diablo Salsa:
2 to 4 habañero chiles
10 tomatillos, husked
1 small, yellow onion, quartered
6 garlic cloves
1/2 bunch cilantro, with stems
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon salt

Carne Asada:
2 to 3 tablespoons cumin seeds
3 jalapeño chiles, stemmed, cut in half, and seeded if desired
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 1/2 bunches cilantro
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds skirt steak, trimmed of excess fat

Fritters:
2/3 cup white or black quinoa, rinsed and well drained (if necessary)
1 1/3 cups water
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup grated cotija or feta cheese
3/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 green onions, white and light green parts only, finely chopped
1/2 bunch Italian parsley, chopped
1 egg
1 egg yolk
3/4 cup canola or grape seed oil

Red Pepper Mayonnaise:
1/2 cup good quality mayonnaise
1/3 cup roughly chopped, roasted red peppers
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
2 cloves roasted garlic
1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste


DIRECTIONS:

1. In a bowl, mix together cheeses.

2. Lay the flour tortillas on a counter. Divide the cheese mix into 6 equal portions and spread over half of each tortilla. Sprinkle salsa to taste over each. Arrange the Carne Asada evenly over the cheese. Fold the tortillas over to enclose the filling and brush the tops with butter.

3. Place a cast-iron skillet, sauté pan or griddle over medium-high heat. One at a time, cook the tortillas buttered side down in the pan until lightly golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Then brush the uncoated side with butter and flip over. Continue to cook until the other side of the tortilla is lightly golden and the cheese begins to ooze. Serve hot, whole or cut into wedges, with your favorite salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.

Diablo Salsa:

1. On a hot grill, char the habaneros, tomatillos, garlic and onion until slightly blackened and soft.

2. Remove vegetables from grill and place in blender with cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Blend until smooth. Allow to cool and serve.

Carne Asada:

1. Lightly toast cumin seeds in a dry medium skillet over low heat just until aroma is released, about 3 or 4 minutes. Transfer seeds to a blender. Add jalapeños, garlic, salt, pepper, and lime juice and puree until cumin seeds are finely ground. Add cilantro and olive oil and puree until smooth.

2. Using hands, generously cover meat all over with marinade. Place in a shallow pan and pour on remaining marinade. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator a few hours.

3. About 30 minutes before cooking, remove meat from refrigerator. Heat the grill or broiler to very hot.

4. Cook steak just until seared on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium rare. (Or pan fry in a hot cast-iron skillet lightly coated with oil.) Transfer cooked steak to a cutting board and let rest for 3 to 5 minutes. Then slice across the grain into diagonal strips. (Tough, yet flavorful steaks like this should always be cut across the grain so that no one bite will contain too long a muscle fiber.) Cut strips into a 1/2-inch dice and use for carne asada quesadillas or tacos.

Quinoa Fritters with Red Pepper Mayonnaise:

1. Place a small, dry saucepan over high heat. Add quinoa and toast for about 5 minutes, shaking and stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Transfer to a large saucepan and add water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, until water is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2. Meanwhile, to make mayonnaise combine ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Refrigerate until ready to use.

3. In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa, flour, cheese, and salt. Add onions, parsley, egg, and yolk. Stir thoroughly with a spoon until the mixture has the consistency of soft dough.

4. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Using two soup spoons, press batter into egg-shaped ovals and gently slide into the hot oil or use a small ice cream scoop. Fry until the bottoms are golden and brown, less than a minute. Turn and fry the second side until golden, less than a minute. Drain on paper towels and serve warm, topped with red pepper mayonnaise.

© 2011 CHEF MARY SUE MILLIKEN

Indian Spiced Meatball, Tamarind Glaze

Top Chef Masters, Season 3, Episode 2 Quickfire Challenge

INGREDIENTS:

Meatballs:
2 ounces chicken thighs and legs
2 ounces pork belly
2 ounces short ribs
3 cloves of garlic
1 jalapeno
3 inches of ginger
3 scallions
1/2 cup cilantro
Chutney:
1/3 cup canola oil
36 fresh or 54 frozen curry leaves, roughly torn
12 dried red chilies
2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 medium red onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 cup skinned peanuts
3 1/2 pounds tomatoes, roughly chopped
9 ounces tomato paste
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon Sambar spice or curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt


DIRECTIONS:

Meatballs:

1. Grind meat to medium grind.

2. Finely chop all remaining ingredients and add to meat mixture.

3. Heat oil in heavy skillet and fry meatball on all sides until browned. Reserve.

Chutney:

1. Heat the oil with the curry leaves, chilies, mustard seeds and cumin over medium-high heat until the cumin is golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the turmeric and cook until the chilies darken, 1-2 minutes longer. Stir in the onions and cook until they have wilted and opaque, 5-7 minutes

2. Stir in the peanuts and cook for 3 minutes and than add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, Sambar powder, cayenne and salt. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often, pressing the tomatoes up against the sides of the pot to crush them.

3. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the tomato juices are reduced and the chutney is thick and jam-like, stirring often, for 20-35 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed. Transfer to airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

4. To plate, serve cooked meatball with chutney.

© 2011 CHEF SUVIR SARAN

Mini Grilled Cheese with Apple and Prosciutto

Ingredients:

8 slices sourdough bread
1 stick butter
1 package Boursin cheese
2 green apples, sliced
8 very thin slices prosciutto


Directions:

Trim crusts off bread and square off. Spread Boursin cheese evenly on 4 slices. Top with apple slices and prosciutto and other bread slice. In large skillet, melt butter and place the 4 sandwiches on top. Cook over medium heat until browned. Flip and repeat. Slice each “sandwich” into 4 triangular pieces and serve immediately.

Porcini Braised Chicken Thigh with Sweet Potatoes Two Ways

Here is a recipe from Top Chef Masters' (Season 3) Naomi Pomeroy for Porcini Braised Chicken Thigh with Sweet Potatoes Two Ways.

Ingredients:

Stock:
5 pounds chicken backs
3 pounds wings and feet (12 each)
10 drumsticks
4 quarts mirepoix (2 parts onion: 1 part celery: 1 part carrot)
4 sprigs thyme
3 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 bottle dry white wine
6 quarts veal stock
Truffle salt, to taste
Aged balsamic, to taste

Thighs:
12 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
Dry white wine, a splash
1 cup good quality dry porcini
Salt and pepper
Thyme, a few sprigs
1 whole garlic
Sweet Potatoes:
2 pounds sweet potatoes
8 ounces butter
2 puréed chipotle peppers
1 teaspoon espellete pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Herb Puree:
1 package chervil, chopped fine and covered in oil
1 package chives, chopped fine and covered in oil
1 cup picked parsley leaves, chopped fine and covered in oil
2 small shallots, minced
3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil


DIRECTIONS:

Chicken Stock:
1. Roast bones (backs, wings, feet) at 450 degrees Fahrenheit convection until fully browned in a large stock pot (or 2 large pots).
2. Sauté mirepoix in olive oil. Add drumsticks then roasted bones. Then add wine, herbs, and water to cover.
3. Simmer for minimum of 1 hour.
4. Save feet and mirepoix.
5. Set aside 5 quarts to braise chicken and 5 quarts to mix with veal stock.
6. Veal stock mix – reduce way down to make glace. About 1 quart. Season with truffle salt, and aged balsamic.

Thighs:
1. Leave bone in.
2. Season generously with salt and pepper. Sear in hot olive oil until skin is very golden and crispy. Set in hotel or roasting pan.
3. Add mirepoix and feet from reserve stock production.
4. Meanwhile, reconstitute porcini in hot water making sure you rinse them and filter the water (which you need to keep) through cheese cloth to remove any dirt.
5. Heat 5 quarts chick stock to a boil. Cover thighs just up to their skin with a splash of white wine and porcini. Add a few sprigs thyme and a whole (cut in 1/2) head of garlic.
6. Cover pan with parchment and foil – roast at 350 degrees Fahrenheit convection for 1 1/2 hours (or until chicken is tender).
7. Remove parchment and foil and re-crisp skin at 450 degrees Fahrenheit convection for 20-50 minutes, checking often.

Sweet Potato:
1. Cook potatoes (peeled and chopped) in salted water until fully cooked.
2. Whip with soft butter.
3. Season with fresh toasted and ground cinnamon, puréed chipotle and espelette pepper.
4. Deep fry thin peeled strips of sweet potato and parsley.

Herb Puree:
1. Blend all ingredients in a robo-coup. Pour as garnish.

© 2011 CHEF NAOMI POMEROY