Memorial Day Thunder and Potato Salad

Daddy and I are having a BBQ for two on this fine memorial day despite the pouring rain and thunder. Did I mention that Attie is beyond scared of thunder? She keeps running about the living room and kitchen barking and hiding under anything she can manage to fit below. Beyond that distraction, I desperately wanted some decent potato salad so I spent a good part of the morning tastespotting some recipes. (God I love that site!) The one i found and used is listed below. I knew it was a good one because of this episode of Good Eats I once saw on potatoes. Alton gets trapped in some crazed fan's house for the night and her boyfriend has a real thing for potatoes, so she has him make one potato recipe after another, and one being potato salad. I recall the secret being adding vinegar to potatoes while they are hot, which the recipe below does. Its currently chilling in the fridge right now, but so far, it seems like a winner!

Classic Potato Salad

(adapted from Cooks Illustrated)

Ingredients

2 lbs yukon gold potatoes

2 hard boiled eggs

2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

.5 cup of minced celery

2 tablespoons minced onion

4 tablespoons relish

3/4 cup mayonnaise

3/4 cup powdered mustard

2 tablespoons dried parsley

pepper to taste

a sprinkling of paprika on top

(and if you're as good as grandma, a nice tomato rose in the center)

Method

1. Place potatoes in large saucepan and add water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to boil over medium-high heat; add 1 tablespoon salt, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring once or twice, until potatoes are tender, about 8 minutes.
2. Drain potatoes and transfer to large bowl. Add vinegar and, using rubber spatula, toss gently to combine. Let stand until potatoes are just warm, about 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir together celery, onion, pickle relish, mayonnaise, mustard powder, celery seed, parsley, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Using rubber spatula, gently fold dressing and eggs, if using, into potatoes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours; serve.

Sum, ergo edo

Spinach-Stuffed Mushrooms

Recipe courtesy of KRAFT®.

Nutrition Infomation (per serving – 1 mushroom each): Calories 50, Total fat 2.5 g, Saturated fat 1.5 g, Cholesterol 5 mg, Sodium 150 mg, Carbohydrate 4 g, Dietary fiber 1 g, Sugars 1 g, Protein 4 g, Vitamin A 20 %DV, Vitamin C 4 %DV, Calcium 8 %DV, Iron 2 %DV.

Healthy Living Information: Good source of vitamin A or C.

Ingredients

• 1 package (6 ounces) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
• 1-1/2 cups hot water
• 40 fresh mushrooms (about 2 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
• 1 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese
• 1 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

Preparation

• 1
  HEAT oven to 400°F. Mix stuffing mix and water; set aside. Remove stems from mushrooms; chop stems. Melt butter in skillet on medium heat. Add chopped stems and garlic; cook and stir until tender. Add to prepared stuffing along with spinach and cheeses; mix well. 
• 2
  SPOON evenly into mushroom caps. Place, filled-sides up, in shallow baking pan. 
• 3
  BAKE 20 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and filling is heated through. 

Too Much Left Over Beer Recipes

Mexican Chicken with Beer Glaze and Sweet Potato Fries From Not Your Mother’s Weeknight Cooking by Beth Hensperger

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1 inch strips
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 clove of garlic crushed
1/2 to 1 whole jalapeno de-seeded and minced (we used 1/3 because we’re wimps and thought the dish would be too hot when we tried a tiny bit raw. But you can use the 1/2 and it’ll give it a little kick. Use the whole for extra spicy and don’t de-seed if you want it fiery.)
1/2 to 3/4 cup light-coloured beer (we used a dark beer because that’s what we had in the fridge)

Spice rub:
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried crushed thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne, chili powder, or ground chipotle chile
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Sweet potato fries:
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges or strips
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
salt

Directions:
1. Combine spice mixture and rub on chicken. Let it rest for 10-20 minutes at room temperature.
2. Preheat oven to 450F with the baking sheet lined with foil in the oven. This is a tip I learned somewhere online so you get nice and crispy fries without flipping. Toss the potatoes with olive oil, sprinkle salt liberally on it and when the oven is done preheating, throw the fries on there and bake for about 15-20 mins.
3. While the fries are cooking, heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add half the chicken and saute until golden. No need to cook the chicken completely through as it gets cooked again in the glaze. When the chicken is golden, remove to a plate and do the other half.
4. When the other half is golden, return the other chicken that’s on the plate in the pan. Add the garlic, jalapeno and beer. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes and every 5 minutes make sure the chicken gets turned in the broth so all sides are coated. It’ll be all nice and glazed.
5. Serve hot with fries.

Pork, Beans, and Beer Chili

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 bell peppers, red, yellow or green, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon minced chipotles in adobo sauce or 2 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 12-ounce bottle beer, preferably Mexican
• 2 15-ounce cans pinto beans, rinsed
• 1 14-ounce can plum tomatoes, juice reserved, tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• Chopped scallion greens or fresh cilantro for garnish

Directions

Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Season pork with salt and pepper and add half of it to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer the meat to a plate lined with paper towels; repeat with another 1 1/2 teaspoons of the oil and the remaining meat.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil; heat until hot. Add onion and bell peppers; cook, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 

Beer Braised Shrimp with Louisiana Salsa and Rice

Ingredients

• 4 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
• 6 to 8 small ribs celery from the heart, chopped
• 1 large or 2 medium green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1 medium-large red onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 cups enriched white rice
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 red jalapeno chile peppers, very thinly sliced
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, heirloom multi colored, red or yellow, halved
• 2 limes
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds large shrimp, deveined, tail on
• 1 tablespoon seafood seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup hot sauce
• 1 bottle beer
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced on an angle

Directions

In a medium bowl combine the garlic, celery, peppers, onions and thyme.

Heat a medium pot with 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add about 1/3 of the vegetables to the pot, saute 2 to 3 minutes, add rice and toss around for 1 to 2 minutes more. Stir in the chicken stock and cover pot, bring to a boil. Simmer rice 15 to 18 minutes until tender, fluff with fork and season with salt and pepper.

Combine remaining vegetables with red chile peppers and tomatoes and dress with the juice of 1 lime. Season with a little salt.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high to high heat. Add shrimp and season with seafood seasoning, Worcestershire and hot sauce. Toss shrimp for about 2 minutes then add beer, reduce heat to simmer and braise 5 to 6 minutes. Cut butter into small bits and melt into sauce then add in scallions. Squeeze the juice of 1 lime over the pan.

Serve shrimp in shallow bowls, top with a generous scoop of rice and garnish with generous spoonfuls of salsa. If you prefer lots of rice to a little bit of seafood, reverse the order and fill bowl with rice, top with shrimp and salsa.5 minutes. Add tomato paste, garlic, cumin, chipotle (or jalapeños), and oregano. Cook the mixture, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Slowly stir in beer, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 2 minutes.

Stir in beans, tomatoes and their liquid, and the reserved pork; bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pork is tender and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 30 minutes. Add lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with scallion greens or cilantro and serve.

Beer-Marinated Grilled Skirt Steaks

Ingredients

• 1 orange, thinly sliced with peel
• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, halved and smashed
• 2 1/4 pounds skirt steak
• Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 1 cup light-colored beer (preferably lager style)
• 1/2 cup soy sauce

Directions

In a wide, shallow glass baking dish, scatter half of the orange slices, half of the onion slices and half of the garlic pieces on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the steak all over with salt and pepper and put in the dish on top of the orange and onion slices. Scatter the remaining orange, onion and garlic over the steak and pour in the beer and soy sauce. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for 1 hour at room temperature or up to overnight in the refrigerator.

Prepare a barbeque on medium-high heat or preheat a broiler. Remove the meat from the marinade and discard the marinade. Grill the steak to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Serve as desired.

Notes

Cook's Note: Grilled skirt steak sliced into strips is a great filling for tacos. Top with shredded cheese and beans, or use your favorite taco filling!

Beer Brats

Ingredients

• 1 dozen brats
• Beer, to cover
• 1 medium large sweet onion
• 2 ounces (1/2 stick) butter

Directions

Place brats in a Dutch oven with onions and butter, cover the brats with beer. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer until brats are cooked. Remove brats and set aside beer mixture. Grill brats until golden brown and return to beer mixture until ready to serve. Serve brats on fresh baked brat buns with sauerkraut, onions, green peppers, ketchup, and/or mustard.

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The FN chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

Beer Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 package of roaster pack chicken (wings, legs, and thighs) with bones and skin included. (yum yum?)
• 1 bottle light colored beer (doesnt matter what kind)
• 1 large onion (sliced thickly so they dont melt)
• rosemary (i prefer fresh)
• powdered thyme 
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• paprika (for color)
• salt 
• pepper
• olive oil

Method    

this recipe is so stupid easy, even the kid with downs next door can probably make it.

• Heat a pan with high sides with some oil (enough to coat the bottom of the pan and keep the chicken from sticking)

• While the pan is heating, season the chicken on both sides with salt, pepper, thyme, paprika, and onion and garlic powder.
• Once the oil is hot, brown the chicken so the skin is nice and crispy. I would do this on a high heat so that the skin gets crispy but the chicken does not cook through. (do this with the lid off, so some of the chicken fat evaporates)
• Add the sliced onions and rosemary cover and cook until the onions are almost cooked.
• Take off the cover (leave it off) and then add the beer being careful of the instant foaming action.  
• Simmer until the chicken is tender and the sauce reduces to about half.
• If you have a lot of liquid, take out all of the chicken and onions (as many as you can get) and turn up the heat to almost full blast and stir the sauce with a wooden spoon while it rapidly boils and reduces to a think sauce. Pour over the chicken.

Serve with rice and PEAS. (the most appropriate vegetable with this dish.)

As Hoc Sausage and Peppers

(pic stolen, mine to replace it as soon as i make it again!)

2 packages sweet italian sausage
1 package hot italian sausage
3 green bell peppers sliced in large chunks
2 red bell peppers sliced in large chunks
2 yellow bell peppers sliced in large chunks
one big ass onion sliced
1 massive can of dice tomatoes with basil and garlic

get the biggest sauce pot you have and coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil
fit as many of the sausages as you can on the bottom and cook them about half to 3/4 of the way done and then take them out and slice them in thirds. put them aside for now.
toss the diced tomatoes, onions, and peppers, and the sliced up sausage in the pot and add some water until almost everything is covered.
let it bubble and boil for like over an hour at least. once the sausage is soft and tender and the onions are clear take everything out other than the sauce.
turn up the temp so its like molten lava and let the sauce reduce by boiling and stirring every couple of minutes so it doesnt burn on the bottom.
you'll know its done when the sauce is thick enough to stick to the spoon.
add to the sausage and peppers and mix.

enjoy with the best italian bread you can find.