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Innovation in the Kitchen

May 16, 2013

The Ranting Chef Baking, Beef, Cheese, Lunch, Pork , , , , , , , , , , , , 4 Comments

Some inventions are related to great need while others are inspiration in the middle of the night. This one was brought about by a minor annoyance.

I host a chili cook-off every year and my wife came up with a great idea several years ago to turn our upright freezer into a drink cooler for the party. It is in the area of the party, holds enough cans and bottles to serve the 40 or so attendees and keeps them cold. We just need to occasionally turn it on low and then turn it off after things are ice cold, so the drinks don’t become…uh…ice.

As a result of using the freezer this way, we need to move all frozen items into the freezer that is part of our refrigerator. Leading up to the party I’ll strive to use up as much as I can that is frozen, but there is always quite a bit we have to cram into the freezer compartment. Once everything is moved we defrost the freezer, dry it out and load it up with beverages.

This year I did not do a very good job of using up frozen items and when it came time to move the items, the freezer compartment was completely full. During the following couple of days whenever I would need something from the freezer, it often meant moving 4-5 items to get to what I wanted. After the third or fourth time of moving a frozen pie crust, a bag of meatballs, a box of puff pastry and a little bag of tomato paste (every recipe only needs 1 tablespoon but the smallest can is 6oz, so I’ve started freezing the remainder), I decided to make something so I wouldn’t have to touch them any more.

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Meatball pie! It did not retain the pie shape when put on the plate, but tasted really good.

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I added carrots, onion, green pepper, spaghetti sauce and cheese.

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Dice and saute the veggies.

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Meanwhile heat up the meatballs with some sauce and the paste. I thought the paste would help thicken things and hold the “pie” together a bit better than the sauce alone.

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Add it all together.

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Put it into the pie crust.

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Cover with cheese.

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Lay the puff pastry over it and trim.

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After baking.

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It was very good. My eldest son wants me to make it again. But that means I’d have to touch those items again!

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No Seafood or Rice? Really?

May 7, 2013

The Ranting Chef Cajun, Low Carb, Pork, Recipes, Slow Cooker , , , , , , , , , , , , 4 Comments

I was skeptical about this recipe.

Jambalaya, in my mind, needs to have five basic ingredients: chopped tomatoes, shrimp or crawfish, sausage, Cajun seasonings and rice. This recipe was missing two of the five. I’ve often had it with ham in place of sausage or with chicken added, but never without seafood or rice.

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I liked how simple this recipe was so I decided to give it a go anyway.

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No seafood or rice here.

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Like many slow cooker recipes, you start off by browning the meat before putting it into the pot.

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Throw everything else in.

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I did end up serving it over white rice (I didn’t have a dirty rice mix on hand) and it was very good. Next time I might throw some shrimp in at the end and let them cook from the surrounding heat for five to ten minutes.

Crock Pork Jambalaya

Cook Time: 7 hrs | Makes: Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 pork chops, cut into 1″ cubes
  • 1/2 pound turkey kielbasa, sliced
  • 1 14.5-oz.  can diced tomatoes, with juice
  • 1/2 medium green bell pepper, deribbed, deseeded and chopped
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 medium stalk celery, chopped

Directions:

In a skillet, heat olive oil; salt and pepper the pork chops and brown evenly on all sides. Place the browned pork at the bottom of the crock pot, then add remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 7 hours.

Source: https://community.tasteofhome.com/forums/AddPost.aspx?ReplyToPostID=1930822

Don’t Peel

April 21, 2013

The Ranting Chef Cajun, Lunch, Recipes, Seafood , , , , , , , , , 15 Comments

I am a very fast eater.

I know it is bad. I know I should slow down, but my natural eating style is large bites and keep it moving until I am done. This style of eating could cause heartburn (not in me though) and the generation of excess weight as by the time your stomach can signal you are no longer hungry, you’ve overeaten. This is my issue.

There are some things that I do in cooking that I find aid my fast eating. One of those has to do with shrimp. I peel the shrimp before I cook them. Grilled…fried…boiled…it doesn’t matter. I like peeled shrimp in my dish so when I go to eat it, I don’t have to stop and peel each one.

Not only is this process bad for my waistline, it is bad for the shrimp. The shell helps the shrimp retain moisture during cooking and the removal may make it “rubbery”. Still, my nature takes over and shells the shrimp.

This time I fought it. After cleaning the shrimp, I refrained from pulling at that shell. I thought about it, but held back.

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I’m glad I did. The shrimp tasted great and the process of stopping and using my hands in this dish really made me feel like I was sitting out on the bayou at a picnic table having a quick dinner.

This is such a beautiful looking dish with the read and pink from the shrimp and the bright yellow from the corn. I added some Cajun seasoning and hot sauce as a finisher.

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Mostly fresh ingredients.

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Throw it all in the pot.

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Mouth-Watering!

Shrimp Boil

Prep Time: 0 hours 15 minutes | Cook Time: 0 hours 25 minutes | Makes: 4 servings | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

  • 2 lemons, halved, plus wedges for serving
  • 1/2 cup Old Bay Seasoning
  • 8 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1 large red onion, quartered
  • 6 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 pound baby red potatoes
  • 4 ears corn, husked and snapped in half
  • 1 1/4 pounds large shrimp, unpeeled
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Hot sauce, for serving (optional)

Directions:

Fill a large pot with 4 quarts of water. Squeeze the lemon juice into the water and add the squeezed lemon halves. Add the Old Bay, garlic and onion. Tie the thyme sprigs together with kitchen twine and add to the pot. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook about 5 minutes.Add the potatoes to the pot and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes. Add the corn and cook 5 more minutes.Meanwhile, slice along the back of each shrimp through the shells; remove the veins and rinse the shrimp. Add to the pot, cover and cook until the shrimp curl and are just opaque, 2 to 3 minutes.Transfer the shrimp and vegetables with a slotted spoon or skimmer to a large bowl. Add the butter and about 1 cup broth to the bowl and toss until the butter is melted. Transfer the shrimp and vegetables to a platter. Serve with the remaining broth, lemon wedges and hot sauce, if desired.

Per serving: Calories 379; Fat 10 g (Saturated 5 g); Cholesterol 225 mg; Sodium 735 mg; Carbohydrate 41 g; Fiber 9 g; Protein 30 g

Source: http://m.foodnetwork.com/recipes/recipe/463223

Load Me Up With Hot or Mild

April 18, 2013

The Ranting Chef Cheese, Italian, Lunch, Pasta, Pork, Recipes , , , , , , , , , , , , , 9 Comments

I shop at a very regular kind of grocery store. It is a large place, so there is a wide variety of products, but I cannot say that anything about it is special. The produce is generally fresh and the cans are not dented, so it meets many of my basic requirements.

Like many grocery stores, they have a wide display of pre-cut meats. Beef, pork, chicken, turkey and seafood occupy quite a bit of refrigerated displays and generally you find just about any cut pre-wrapped in plastic sitting on a styrofoam tray. In addition to the sea of protein, the store has a butcher counter and unlike many stores, actually cut their own meat on site.

I find that I rarely go to the counter. Much of what is sitting in the counter display can easily be found in other cases and the prices seem to be identical. Why stand and wait for the butcher to serve me when I can just grab and go? Plus, since I usually shop for a whole week, the plastic-wrapped meat freezes better than the paper wrapped items I’d get at the counter. I have two common exceptions. The first is when I want a big ole brisket. For some weird reason, the only brisket out for the masses is pre-marinated to become corned beef.

The second reason is to get a quantity of bulk Italian sausage. I don’t need the links. I don’t need the patties. Just load me up with either hot or mild (or a mixture of both) and let me roll. I am a big fan of the hot while my kids prefer the mild, so I tend to mix the two in recipes.

As you would expect, this is a very flavorful dish.

The original recipe called for sausage links. While this would have given a different texture to the meal, I preferred the bulk sausage spreading throughout the entire dish.

I fried up the sausage and removed it from the pan.

The peppers went in next.

Putting it all back in the pan.

Adding the pasta.

I liked how this recipe took the next step and went for the jugular by adding melted cheese on top.

So beautiful looking.

Baked Ziti with Sausage and Peppers

Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook Time: 1 hr | Makes: 6 | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 lbs hot or sweet Italian style pork sausage
  • 2 medium red bell peppers or 1 red and 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 (28 ounce ) can diced tomatoes
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • Salt
  • 3 ounces whole wheat ziti or low carb penne
  • 1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1) Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, turning, until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Prick sausage with a fork as it cooks to release juices. Remove sausage and let cool slightly; cut into 1/2 ” slices.

2) pour off all but 1 tbsp fat. Add peppers and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Return sausage to pan; add tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and cook until thickened, 15-20 minutes. Season with salt to taste.

3) meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, then stir into sausage and pepper mixture. Heat oven to 375°.

4) Spread half of the sausage and pepper mixture in a 2 1/2  to 3 quart baking dish. Cover with half of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Spread remaining sausage and peppers over cheeses. Cover with remaining cheeses. Bake until bubbly, about 15 minutes.

To freeze: if freezing, do not bake ahead. Assemble in baking dish as instructed in recipe. Cool completely. Wrap well with heavy duty foil.

T reheat: bake at 375° until bubbly, about 15 minutes. Slide under broiler for 2 minutes if a crunch top is desired. Or remove from freezer, unwrap, and bake in a 375° oven until hot and bubbly, 35 to 40 minutes.

Diced! – Ajax – Turkey Chili with Bacon and Ginger Snaps

April 17, 2013

The Ranting Chef Beef, Chili, Low Carb, Pork, Recipes , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Today we have an entrant for the second course of the Diced! competition. Contestants were instructed to create or find a recipe for a main dish containing the following ingredients: Ground Turkey, Gingersnap Cookies, Greek Yogurt and Fresh Jalapeños. They were instructed to make their dish and create a blog post about it, including pictures. You can help determine who advances to the next round. On Friday, after the last post, I will post a poll where you can vote for up to two of the contestants to move on. Vote for the post you like the best. You can vote because of the inventiveness, the yummyness, the use of ingredients, the quality of the writing and pictures or for any other reason. The poll will be active for one week only. Check back and vote. In the event of a tie, the Ranting Chef will choose who advances. More information about Diced! can be found here.

We started with five contestants and have three remaining (in alphabetical order): Ajax, Jenna and Maggie. Ellie had the fewest amount of votes after the first round and Mikaela had to drop out of the competition.

Today’s contestant, AJAX is a former F-16 pilot and blogger over at Like A Fighter Pilot. His posts, as demonstrated below, contain entries for mind, boy and spirit. Check out his blog and his Diced! entry below… 

Round Two

Photo 1 Photo by stormyweather.dk

Mind – Competitors know about the pre-game jitters. The excitement of the moment, the adrenaline, the fear of the unknown, all contribute to the butterflies dancing in your stomach. There have been many studies on how stress can actually improve performance up to a certain point. Stress and anticipation heightens senses and can focus energy. It can also be crippling. I am in constant awe when I read about what the greatest generation did during WW II. I had the opportunity of meeting a B-17 turret gunner who flew 117 missions and made it back alive. Statistically this was next to impossible from 1942-43 when Sergeant Roth started flying; the time before the allies still had not established air superiority. Tour length was established at 25 missions, but many didn’t make it that far.  The thing that is amazing is the bravery it took to go on mission number 2, 3, 4 and so on. The first mission was fueled by bravado and curiosity, after that it was pure guts when reality set in and their friends didn’t return.  I asked Sergeant Roth what kept him going, he said it was his sense duty and commitment to his brothers.  Imagine what we could all accomplish with that kind of dedication.

Photo 2Photo by worldwartwozone.com

Cheers

AJAX a.k.a. “The Raging Scotsman”

Photo 3

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Photo 4photo by crossfitpride.com

Body – Strength, Leg Day

Wingman

5 minutes of jump ropes

5 minutes of 12-24” box jumps

4 rounds of

25 Air Squats

25 Walking Lunges

25 Standing Calf Raises

25 Burpees

 Flight Leads

5 minutes of jump ropes

5 minutes of 12-24” box jumps

3 Sets Each of

25x 25 lbs. kettle bell swings

10x 95 lbs. squats

10x 45 lbs. lunges

10x Good Mornings

10x 45 lbs. straight leg deadlifts

10x 45 lbs. calf raises with shrug

Instructors

300 double unders

5 minutes AMRAP 24” box jumps

3 Sets Each of

25x 50 lbs. kettle bell swings

10x 225 lbs. squats

10x 95 lbs. lunges

10x 45lb good mornings

10x 135 lbs. straight leg deadlifts

10x 225 lbs. calf raises with shrug

Weapons Instructor Course

500 double unders

5 minutes AMRAP 36” box jumps

3 Sets Each of

25x 50 lbs. kettle bell swings

10x 315 lbs. squats

10x 135 lbs. lunges

10x 45lb good mornings

10x 225 lbs. straight leg deadlifts

10x 225 lbs. calf raises with shrug

Finish with 1000m all out row

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Recipe of the Day

Photo 5

Turkey Chili with Bacon and Ginger Snaps

Rachel Ray’s chili heavily modified by AJAX

Photo by AJAX

Serves – 8

Prep time – 36 (HARRRUMP) minutes active, 50 minutes total

Nutrition – 500 calories,  44 grams protein, 27 grams fat, 18 grams carbs

Ingredients

1.5 pounds ground turkey

6 slices super thick bacon, ½ inch strips

1 pound top sirloin steak, DICED!

1 large sweet yellow onion DICED!

1 fresh jalapeno, DICED!

4 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 15 ounce can of tomato sauce

4 Tablespoons of Pete’s hot sauce

2 Tablespoons of Worcestershire

1 teaspoon Tobasco

½ cup of brown sugar

8 ground ginger snaps, about ¾ cup

½ cup of chili powder

2 teaspoons of salt

1 Tablespoon of ground black pepper

¾ cup of beef stock

½ cup of sour cream

1 cup of plain Greek yogurt

Photo 6

Directions

Gather all the ingredients.  Cut the sirloin into quarter to half-inch cubes.  Slice the bacon into half-inch strips.  Dice the onion, jalapeno, and crush the garlic.  Chop the ginger snaps in a food processor until fine crumbs. Combine in a medium bowl the tomato sauce, Worcestershire, hot sauce, Tobasco, brown sugar, and crumbled ginger snaps.  Combine in a separate bowl the yogurt and sour cream.

Photo 7

Cook the bacon in a large pot until the fat is rendered and starting to crisp, about 6 minutes. Add the turkey and the sirloin and cook on high heat until browned, about 10 more minutes.  Add to the turkey, sirloin, salt, pepper, and chili powder, cooking for 1 more minute.  Add the onion, jalapeno and garlic cooking until softened, about 6 minutes.  Add the tomato, Worcestershire, hot sauce, gingersnap mixture, bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer.  Add ½ cup of beef stock and simmer to desired consistency, about 10-15 minutes.

Photo 8Serve with yogurt sour cream mixture and garnish with cilantro and saltine crackers.

MackNBee taste rating 3 out of 4

AJAX ease of prep rating 4 out of 4

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Spirit – Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

AJAX Remember – check back after the last post to vote on who advances in the Diced! competition.

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