Thursday, December 31, 2015

chicken pot pie pockets... 45 minutes


the goods:

basic pie dough:
1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces
4 to 5 tablespoons very cold water

1/3 cup butter
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1/3 cup flour
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 cup half and half or heavy cream
2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups diced or shredded chicken (from rotisserie chicken breasts)
3/4 cup frozen peas
1 egg white
1 tablespoon milk



Stir together flour, sugar, and salt. Cut the butter into flour mixture. Add water and mix with a fork until dough pulls together. Form into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

In a large skillet melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrot and cook 8-10 minutes, until onions are soft. Sprinkle flour on top and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in chicken broth and half and half. Add cream cheese, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon so that it melts into the sauce. Cook, stirring, until bubbling and thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in chicken and peas. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Roll pie dough out to 1/4-inch thick. Using a bowl that's about 5-inches across as your guide, cut out as many circles as you can, before re-rolling scraps, and cutting more. Place a couple tablespoons of filling on one half of each circle of dough. In a small bowl, whisk together egg white and milk. Use a small pastry brush to wet the edges of the dough. Fold dough over filling and press edges to seal. Crimp around the edges with a fork to really seal them together. Place on a prepared baking sheet and brush tops with egg wash. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown.

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

turkey cobb sandwich... 15 minutes


the goods (for 2 sandwiches):

6 slices of bacon
2 eggs
4 slices sourdough bread
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
4 leaves of lettuce
4 slices tomato
2 tablespoons blue cheese crumbles
1/2 an avocado, sliced
4 ounces sliced roast turkey

Cook the bacon, fry the eggs, toast the bread. Spread mayonnaise on bread slices, top with bacon, blue cheese, avocado, tomato, season tomatoes with salt and pepper. Continue layering turkey, egg, lettuce, and bread! Enjoy!

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

southern bbq pulled pork pizza... 30 minutes, plus dough rising


the goods:

pizza dough:
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

pizza:
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
3 pieces of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, and monetery jack)
2 scallions, sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro


Make the dough: pour 1 and 1/2 cups warm water into a bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the water. Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. With the mixer on low speed, drizzle in the olive oil until just incorporated. Gently stir the yeast/water mixture, then drizzle it into the mixing bowl. Mix until the dough forms a ball. Lightly oil a clean bowl and transfer ball of pizza dough into it. Turn it to coat in oil, then cover with a clean moist kitchen towel and set in a warm place for 1-2 hours.
Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet. Divide the dough in half and one piece at a time stretch the dough to the desired shape and size. The thinner the better. Spoon barbecue sauce on dough and spread to the edges, leaving a little border of crust. Top with pork, bacon, red onion, roma tomato, and cheese. Sprinkle with scallion and transfer pan tot he pizza stone in the oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Sprinkle with cilantro, slice, and serve!

Monday, December 28, 2015

grilled beef sandwiches with spicy aioli... 40 minutes


the goods:

3 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
1/4 cup honey
1 garlic clove
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 beef tenderloin
5 large mushrooms, sliced
1 large vidalia or sweet onion, sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 cup baby spinach
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 ciabatta loaf, split lengthwise
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil


In a food processor, or blender, combine mustard, honey, garlic, and mayonnaise. Process or blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and set aside.
In a large cast-iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally until golden and translucent, about 20 minutes. Remove from pan and in same pan, heat another tablespoon of oil. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often until soft, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
While you are cooking the onions, coat the tenderloin with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. On a grill heated to medium-high, cook beef, turning occasionally to create a crust. Continue to grill until medium-rare, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a plate and allow to rest 10 minutes covered with foil. Before cutting into 1/2-inch slices.
Brush both sides of ciabatta with olive oil and grill, cut-side-down, until lightly charred, about 5 minutes.
To assemble: Spread aioli on both sides of bread. Top the bottom half with onions, then beef, then mushrooms, then blue cheese, then spinach. Finishing with top slice of bread. Cut into 4 sandwiches, and serve immediately.

Sunday, December 27, 2015

mahi mahi with chili-lime butter... 20 minutes


the goods:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon chili powder
zest from 2 limes

4 mahi mahi filets (about 6 ounces each)
1 tablespoon coconut oil


In a small bowl. combine the butter, chili powder, and lime zest. Stir to combine. Set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Melt the coconut oil in the hot pan, then add the fish filets. Cook about 6 minutes per side, until golden brown and the fish is cooked through. Transfer to a plate and top with 1 tablespoon of chili lime butter. Serve warm with lime wedges.

Saturday, December 26, 2015

spicy beef lettuce wraps...15 minutes (plus marinating)


the goods:

1 cup fresh pineapple, cubed
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sriracha chili sauce (or 1 tablespoon for less heat)
1 tablespoon ketchup
4 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1 pound sirloin steak, sliced into strips 
(tip: if you put it in the freezer for about 15 minutes before slicing, it helps firm it up)
1 and 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 red pepper, sliced into thin strips
6 scallions, sliced into 2-inch strips
1 carrot, sliced into thin strips
1 head iceburg lettuce, leaves separated
sesame seeds, for garnish


Marinate the beef. In a blender, combine pineapple, soy sauce, molasses, vinegar, sriracha, ketchup, garlic, and ginger. Blend on high until well combined. Add the steak strips to a zip-top bag and pour the marinade over the steak strips. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 6 hours.
Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat and warm 1 tablespoon oil. Add half the steak strips, letting excess marinade drip off before adding to pan. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the steak is browned on the outside, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Cook the remaining steak strips, adding more oil if needed. Transfer to bowl.
Add the red peppers, scallions, and carrots to wok/skillet. Toss them frequently until they are crisp-tender, about 2-3 minutes. Remove and transfer to a separate bowl.
Assemble wraps: Add a few slices of beef to the lettuce leaf, top with cooked vegetables, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Wrap and enjoy!

Friday, December 11, 2015

garlic butter baked salmon in foil... 30 minutes


the goods:

1 fillet sockeye or coho salmon (preferably wild caught)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon chopped parsley, for garnish


Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the lemon juice and minced garlic, allow the lemon juice to reduce to 1 tablespoon. Add in 1 tablespoon of butter, remove pan from heat and swirl so the butter starts to melt. Place back on the heat for a few seconds, remove and continue to swirl until the butter melts completely. Repeat with second tablespoon of butter. When butter is completely melted, remove sauce from stove. Place the salmon fillet on a piece of foil large enough to fold over and seal. Using a brush or a spoon, brush the salmon with the garlic butter sauce. Season with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Bring foil up to meat in the middle and fold down. Fold sides up tight so that no sauce leaks out. Bake the salmon for 12-14 minutes. Open foil and allow fish to broil under the broiler for 2-3 minutes. Remove from oven and top with parsley. Serve immediately.

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

sriracha cheeseburger... 30 minutes (plus marinating)


the goods:

1 cup mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons sriracha hot sauce
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 and 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
4 brioche buns, halved
1 pound ground beef, shaped into 4 patties
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 slices white cheddar cheese
1/4 cup pickled jalapeno slices

onion strings:
1 yellow onion, peeled, and cut into thin strips
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon paprika
vegetable oil

Make onion strings: soak the onion strips in buttermilk for about 3 hours. Drain and discard buttermilk. Heat 1 and 1/2 inches of oil to 375 degrees. Combine flour and paprika in a bowl, and toss onion strips until well coated. In batches, fry onion strings until crispy and light brown, about 1 minute. Drain on a paper-towel-lined plate. Season lightly with salt.
Make sriracha aioli: whisk together mayo, garlic, sriracha, and lemon juice on a bowl. Chill until ready to use.
Make burgers: Brush butter on both cut sides of buns and place on a hot pan to toast. Season burger patties evenly with salt and pepper. In a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, cook burgers 4 minutes until well seared on one side. Flip, and cook another 3 minutes. Top with cheese slices, and let melt 1 minute (it helps the cheese melt if you put a lid on for that last minute). To assemble, spread aioli on top and bottom of toasted buns. Place burger patty on top, followed by jalapenos and onion strings.