Tabouli, Tabbouleh, Tabbouleh

Tabouli, Tabbouleh, Tabbouleh 

No matter how you spell it - it's one of my favorite summer salads.

Summer is the ideal time to make this salad with fresh ingredients, the Tomato, Cucumber, Onion, herbs, lemon juice and Olive Oil, mixed together just taste like summer freshness on your tongue! There are 'Boxed' versions of this salad but like many 'Boxed' versions of things it bears little resemblance to the Fresh version. It's my favorite side dish to BBQ or grilled chicken but goes with just about anything. This Middle Eastern salad is often referred to as 'Parsley Salad' - my version has the amount of parsley cut back and I've found many people prefer it to the heavy parsley version. Feel free to experiment to develop your own version.

2 Cups Wheat Bulgur (Cracked Wheat)
1 to 2 Cups Flat Leaf/Italian Parsley leaves - finely chopped Traditional versions add as much as 3 cups.
1/4 Cup Mint leaves finely chopped
3 Scallions or 1 large shallot minced
2 med - lg tomatoes cut into 1/2" cubes
1 lg Cucumber pealed, seeded, cut into 1/2" chunks
1/4 to 1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
2 tsp salt
4 TBSP your best Extra Virgin Olive Oil (lesser oil can be substituted)
3-4 TBSP Lemon Juice

Place the 2 cups of Wheat Bulgur in a bowl and add 2 cups hot water and let stand 30 min. (this can be done a day or two ahead of time)

Add Soaked Bulgur and remaining ingredients to a bowl and mix well.

For Taste Sake

One of my favorite additions to this traditional dish is a can of garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed - many brands of canned Garbanzo Beans have salt added so you may want to taste your salad first before adding the additional salt. Grabanzo beans add texture and makes it a little more of a heavier substantial salad and will make it stretch a little further.

Another popular addition to Tabbouleh is chopped lettuce - lettuce adds another level of texture, makes your salad a bit lighter and fluffier and again can make it stretch a but further among your guests without having to make two batches.

Feta cheese is another good addition - remember to take into account that most feta cheese has salt in it.

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You can substitute cherry tomatoes for whole ones, keep in mind cherry tomatoes are typically less acidic and therefore sweeter than most varieties of larger tomatoes. I prefer the whole tomatoes, cubed, but the cherry tomatoes run a close second.

Chili Verde Recipe

Chili Verde is one of my all time favorite Mexican dishes!
DELICIOUS tender chunks of pork simmered in a wonderful green sauce.
I've order this dish in more restaurants than I can remember an I've enjoyed them all - Here's how you can enjoy it and serve it for others to enjoy.

This is a very simple dish, your results depend on your dedication to maximizing the flavor.

Pork cut into small cubes any amount will work - calculate 1/3 lb to 1/2 lb fresh pork per person.
1 Onion Per 2 lbs of Pork sliced as you desire (minced or sliced is typical)
Ground Cumin about 1Tbsp per pound add as much as you wish
Green Enchilada Sauce or Roasted Tomatillo Salsa (15oz can per 2lbs of pork)

Start with an inexpensive cut of pork - the better the cut - typically the more tender and leaner the meat. An inexpensive cut can be improved by trimming away as much fat and gristle as possible. Tenderness can be achieved by cooking the meat longer. It's pretty hard to 'Over Cook' pork - the longer you cook it the more tender it becomes.

The simplest method is the 'Unattended Crockpot' - let the crockpot do all the work - Mix Pork, onion, cumin and Enchilada sauce together - put the crock on high or low and come back in a few hours - this is a great way to put a meal in the crockpot in the morning and come home from work with the house smelling WONDERFUL and a ready-to-eat meal waiting for you when you walk in the door!

The 2nd More Flavorful method is the "Attended Crockpot' - The pork, and onion have quite a bit of moisture in them - which is great if you're leaving the crockpot unattended but that moisture does dilute the Enchilada sauce. So to increase the flavor, we need to let the moisture evaporate throughout the cooking process - this evaporation, concentrates the flavor of the dish. So if you're going to be home enough to supervise the crockpot - You can let it cook enough with the top on to thoroughly cook the pork. Then take the lid off and let it cook uncovered for several hours, stirring the dish and scraping down the sides of the crockpot so that the sauce doesn't burn on the side of the crockpot.

The 3rd and most flavorful method is to precook the onion and pork - this requires more work but the flavor is worth it! Start with a small amount of oil, Chicken or Beef  broth, or water in a skillet add the cubed pork and onion, eventually the moisture will start coming out of the pork and onion - you'll have almost a soup - just keep the heat on it until the moisture evaporates. You'll be tempted to pour the liquid off (which you can do) - but there's flavor in that liquid! Keep cooking untill the bottom of the pan is DRY. Once it's dry - add the Pork, Onion, Cumin mixture to the Enchilada Sauce in the crockpot and cook it in the crockpot until tender.

This dish is typically served, scooped on a plate with Spanish rice, Refried beans, and tortillas on the side, but it makes a wonderful taco and burrito filling.

There's various Green Enchilada Sauce and Roasted Tomatillo Salsas on the market "Las Palmas Green Chile Enchilada Sauce" is probably the most common but experiment with different brands.

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Salmon Chowder

Here is a quick, hearty, belly warming soup that you can make in one pot, with leftover salmon. It's worth cooking salmon just to make this chowder also! Other fish and seafood can be substituted.

I'm able to make this chowder in my large, deep skillet (it gets a bit full)you may want to start out with a good sized pot.

Serves 3 to 4 as a Main dish.

Ingredients
1 qt. Half-n-Half
1/2 + Pound Potatoes - Cubed (I like to use the small red potatoes)
1/3 to 1/2 Onion - Minced
1/2 lb + of salmon cooked and flaked or broken up (be sure to remove all bones)
1 Can Kernel Corn - drained

In your pot, bring well salted water to a boil and add the cubed potatoes, sample the potatoes - when they're about half cooked, add the onions. Then the potatoes are done, drain the potato and onion mixture in a colander and set aside. ddt the Half-n-Half to your pot, add the broken up salmon, and corn. You don't need to bring it to a boil, just make sure the mixture is hot and the salmon and corn is heated through, add your potato and onions into the chowder and serve!

For Taste Sake
I personally like fresh cracked black pepper on my chowder
My "Better Than Garlic Bread" is a great addition (see my earlier recipe)
If you don't have leftover salmon, you can quickly microwave a piece.
If you reheat your leftover salmon first, it's much easier to remove the skin, flake it and remove any bones.

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Home Canned Corn Relish

Here's a delicious way to save summer's bounty to enjoy throughout the off season. The crunch of the corn, onion and celery in a flavorful, syrupy sauce. It's wonderful served cold on hot dogs, hamburgers and kielbasa or served warm on broiled salmon, or just served as a side condiment with almost anything.

5 Cups corn kernels
2 1/2 cups minced onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 cup diced celery
1 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons coarse salt
2 tablespoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons celery seeds
2 cups apple cider vinegar
3 - 4 Tablespoons corn starch
makes aprox 7 - 8oz jars

Canning tools
Several canning jars with corresponding lids and ring bands
Lid lifter
Jar lifter
Canning Funnel
Large skillet
2 Large pots

Use your sharpest knife to cut the kernels from the cob - you want to 'cut' the kernels cleanly not 'pop' the kernels with a dull knife. Mince the onion and celery so the pieces end up the size of the corn kernels. Hold the ear of corn stem side down, cut in one slice, from the tip to stem, as close to the cob as possible, turn the ear slightly and slice again. I use a plastic tray with sides, while cutting the kernels, as the kernels fall they won't bounce all over. Some people put down a tea towel to catch the kernels. Another method is to invert a small bowl inside a larger bowl, place the stem down on the bottom of the inverted smaller bowl as you slice.

One Large ear of yellow sweet corn can yield one cup of cut kernels. For this recipe I prefer the yellow corn to white.

Canning the mixture
I use 3 burners on the stove - you need your largest pot to be deep enough to cover your canning jars with an inch of water. Bring to a slow boil, enough water to cover your jars - leaving enough space to accommodate several jars without overflowing the pot - must be at least 180 degrees. Use a large skillet with 2" of water - place your empty jars in the water leaving room for a stack of jar lids, keep this water hot but not boiling, you're sterilizing the jars and softening the compound on the jar lids.
Place everything but the corn starch in another large pot. Bring to a boil - stirring often. When it starts to boil place 3 tablespoons of corn starch in a drinking glass and add enough water to stir into a paste, the add enough additional water to make it thin enough to pour. As you slowly pour your corn starch slurry into the corn mixture stir it in quickly or it could get lumpy. It will reach it's maximum thickness at a boil - if you like it thicker add a tablespoon of corn starch slurry at a time - being sure to wait until it boils.
Once the mixture has been brought to a boil for several minutes and reached the desired thickness, you're ready to place the mixture in the jars.

Canning your Corn Relish
Using your jar lifter, grab a hot jar from the skillet - place the jar close to the relish pot, put the canning funnel into the jar, use a ladle to put the mixture in the jar - leaving 1/2" 'head space' space at the top edge of the jar. Remove the canning funnel and place aside. Using a paper towel dipped in hot water, wipe off the lip of the jar, use the lid lifter to remove a jar lid from the hot water in the skillet, and place it on the jar, screw the Ring Band on just finger tight.
Set full jar aside and fill several. Once you've filled 5 or 6 jars using the jar lifter, gently place the jars in the pot of boiling water. the heat of the boiling water covering the jars forces air out (that's why you don't crank down the ring band) let them boil for 10 min then remove them in the order you put them in the pot. If you have a metal or stone counter top, placing hot jars on a cold counter can cause the jars to break. Place the jars on a towel or cutting board etc. Leave the jars undisturbed over night. As the jars cool, a vacuum forms, pulling the domed center of the lid downward - sealing the jar. The ring band is no longer necessary until the jar is opened.

For Taste Sake
This recipe can be doubled and tripled - I make triple batches all the time - just be sure to triple (or double) ALL of the ingredients - writing it down helps.

Canned goods should be kept in a cool dark place - the vacuum keeps it fresh, the vinegar keeps bacteria from growing - it's basically like pickles. Canned goods are typically good for up to two years.

Other spices that can be added or substituted:
2 teaspoons tumeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne peppeer
3/4 cup red bell pepper
substitute Dark Brown Sugar for the Light Brown sugar. 

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Fred McMuffin

Fred McMuffin with chicken.

The Fred McMuffin should NEVER be confused with the breakfast sandwich that that Clown makes!
A healthy delicious breakfast to go in less time than it would take to drive to your nearest fast food stop.
These can also be made ahead of time and frozen - they reheat in a microwave well.
When there's no time for a relaxing weekend breakfast - this is our go-to breakfast meal.

Ingredients
1 fresh egg per sandwich or an equivalent of egg substitute
salt and pepper to taste
any leftover meat or lunch meat - vegetables make a great substitute

non-stick spray
I like to add some chopped green onion
English Muffin, Bagle or Skinny Bun

Place the English muffin in the toaster
Start with a small bowl, spray the inside with non-stick spray.
Crack the egg into the bowl, salt & pepper - use a fork to scramble the egg.
Add chopped onion and meat to the egg mixture - pressing it into the scrambled egg.
Microwaves vary in power so you'll have to adjust to yours I set mine for 1min 20 seconds to 1min 40 seconds depending on how much meat and the temperature of the meat. If it's not done, raw egg tends to work it's way to the top, you'll see it, just microwave for another 10-20 seconds.

When done - it's gonna be hot - If it's going to be several minutes before eating, I'll put it immediately in the English Muffin, wrap in a paper towel, flip it over so that the weight of the sandwich holds the ends of the paper towel from unwrapping. Otherwise I'll flip the cooked egg mixture out on the cutting board to cool off a bit before placing it in the muffin, and eating.
You can prepare several sandwiches in a matter of minutes. Spray the bowl with non-stick spray before each sandwich. The cooked egg mixture can be placed in plastic wrap or sandwich bags for freezing.

For Taste Sake

A squirt of hot sauce can be added to the mixture if you like a little spice.
Chicken or Turkey goes very well with egg
Leftover meat is oftem easier to work with if it's been warmed up a bit in a microwave.
When seasoning, take into account the meat - has it been seasoned already or could it use a little more and also the bread - I tend to add a little bit extra salt & pepper than normal so I can taste it past the muffin.

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Breakfast Scramble

Chicken Breakfast Scramble served with English Muffins

This is a trick that I pull out of my hat from time to time. Sometimes in desperation (there's no Bacon, sausage or ham in the house for breakfast, or there's not enough eggs to go around) and sometimes as a treat - ohh there's that leftover prime rib or corned beef! Typically this is a breakfast dish, but it's a strong candidate as "Breakfast for Dinner'
This is typically a one pan dish, it's very flexible with what you can put in it. The basic ingredients are potatoes, onion, meat and eggs - of course vegetarians can substitute vegetables for the meat.
1 Large potato per 2 people (cubed)
1 or 2 eggs per person
maybe some mushrooms
Vegetable oil
any leftover meat and even seafood (cubed)

Chopped Chicken, Cubed Potatoes, Green Onion

The potatoes can make or break the whole dish. They must be thoroughly cooked, very few people enjoy a raw potato. The first key to cooking the potatoes is cutting them into uniform size, this ensures they will cook through at the same time. It's all a matter of preference how thick you cut the potatoes - that's how you make this recipe yours - just do it uniformly. For your first cut a 'stabilizer' cut. Slice a small piece off of the long side of the potato, then place the exposed portion of the potato down on the gutting board, this will keep the potato from rocking around as you slice it. Next cut the potatoes in 1/2" or what ever width you prefer, slices. Now stack 2 or three slices on top of each other and cut the rounds into strips (french fries) the same width as the first slices (ie. 1/2"). Next turn those strips crosswise on the cutting board and cut the strips into cubes - again paying attention the the width (1/2"). There's bound to be 'ends' that are not uniform - if their size is significantly smaller than the rest of the cubes (ie. 60% or smaller), either discard them or set them aside to be added later. The small ends will cook that much faster than the others and by time the large pieces are done - the small pieces are burnt. The only thing worse than raw potatoes, are burnt potatoes.

Browned Potatoes

If you're not using a non-stick pan, a helpful tip is to allow the potatoes to approach room temperature and add them to hot oil. Allow the potatoes to brown on a side before turning, be sure to turn all the potatoes so some of the don't burn. If you're adding minced round onion (brown, red, yellow, white) you can add it about 1/2 way through the potato cooking - if you're using chopped green onion - wait for now. Mushrooms can be added now.

Once the potatoes are cooked through, add the meat - you're basically just reheating the meat, if  you're adding green onion, now is the time.

Potatoes, Chicken, Green Onion - ready for the eggs!

Now it's time for the eggs! If you're confident with your egg cracking ability - you can crack them directly into the scramble. If you're not so confident, break them into a bowl, making sure there's no shell fragments then you can use a fork or a wisk to scramble them or pour them directly into the pan and the eggs will scramble as you stir/turn the mixture.

When the eggs are to your desired doneness salt and pepper to taste - serve and enjoy!



For Taste Sake.

It's easier to remove chicken from the bone if you microwave it for a minute or so before removing the meat from the bone.

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Homemade Corned Beef Hash

Homemade Corned Beef Hash

If you like Corned Beef Hash from a can, or what they serve in a restaurant (which is probably from a can) then You'll LOVE fresh homemade Corned Beef Hash.


Ingredients
Leftover Corned Beef cubed
Potatoes the amount depends on your preference I like a 50/50 mix or even a 60/40 of Corned beef to potato ratio.
Green onion about 1/4 cup sliced (including the green portion)


The potatoes can make or break the dish

Potatoes being browned for Homemade Corned Beef Hash

The potatoes must be thoroughly cooked, very few people enjoy a raw potato. The first key to cooking the potatoes is cutting them into uniform size, this ensures they will cook through at the same time. It's all a matter of preference how thick you cut the potatoes - that's how you make this recipe yours - just do it uniformly. Make your first cut a 'stabilizer' cut. Slice a small piece off of the long side of the potato, then place the exposed portion of the potato down on the gutting board, this will keep the potato from rocking around as you slice it. Next cut the potatoes in 1/2" or what ever width you prefer, slices. Now stack 2 or three slices on top of each other and cut the rounds into strips (french fries) the same width as the first slices (ie. 1/2"). Next turn those strips crosswise on the cutting board and cut the strips into cubes - again paying attention the the width (1/2"). There's bound to be 'ends' that are not uniform - if their size is significantly smaller than the rest of the cubes (ie. 60% or smaller), either discard them or set them aside to be added later. The small ends will cook that much faster than the others and by time the large pieces are done - the small pieces are burnt. The only thing worse than raw potatoes, are burnt potatoes.

In a large skillet, put enough vegetable oil to cover the bottom with a bit of extra - enough to give you a puddle. Set the heat to medium high and wait till it comes up to temperature - you should be able to put your hand over the oil and feel the heat coming off of it. I wet a finger from the sink faucet and flick a small amount of water into the oil - it'll snap and dance. Use caution when doing that. Now dump all your cubed potatoes into the hot oil. It's best if you try to spread them as evenly as possible. This is a trick part - the starch in the potatoes tend to stick, use a good spatula and stir/turn over the potatoes using a scraping motion to the bottom of the pan. Give the potatoes a bit of rest in between each stir/turn over. When the potatoes start getting crispy - taste test them to be sure they are cooked all the way through.

Homemade Corned Beef Hash with two eggs over easy

Add your corned beef to the skillet, and stir into the potatoes. The potatoes shouldn't be as sticky now and the corned beef should mix in easily. Once the corned beef starts to get crispy, add the green onion and finish cooking the hash to your preference of crispness. I like to serve Corned Beef Hash with eggs over easy. Either beside the hash or right on top of the hash.

Salmon Hash

For Taste Sake
Hash can be made from just about anything - my second choice is canned corned beef, roast beef, pork, ham. I've even made Salmon Hash that was wonderful. If you don't have any leftover pre-cooked meat then cook what ever raw meat you have on hand, once it's cooked, then proceed with the recipe.

Some tips to reduce the sticking of the potatoes: Room temperature potatoes will stick less. A cast Iron skillet is nice because the thickness of the cast iron holds it's heat better than other pans - adding the potatoes to hot oil lowers the cooking temperature of the oil which makes them stick.

If you're just coming off of St. Patrick's Day - and have left over potatoes - they are perfectly fine to use. Cube them up and add them to the hot oil, they're already cooked through, so you just cook them till they're visually done.