To Sing the Praises of .... Truffle Oil

It has been awhile since I have posted anything about my adventures with cooking and life.

Apologies to all as one has indeed been cooking!

I have begun to experiment more with Truffle Oil.  Directions on one bottle, said to use it only in the last few minutes of a pan produced dish.

1) My First Adventure -- Chicken, Oregano and Garlic and Truffle Oil

Some Boneless Chicken and wanting to do a pizza with Tzatziki Sauce was the genesis for this Creation.

Now the Pizza is Another Story for Another Blog!

Rub the Chicken in the Truffle Oil.  Some for the Pan.  Add Garlic and Oregano.  I use granulated garlic.  My product that I use is Kirkland Granulated California Garlic.  Great Product!  If you don't have a Costco membership, make friends fast! with someone who does and have them get it for you.

Cook chicken turning to brown it.  I believe I can safely guarantee that if you do this, you will cook extra to freeze to have for ready access!  Tasty!

I think some chopped prosciutto and onion would be a nice addition if using chicken directly as a main dish.


2)  My Second Adventure -- Roasted Pork with Onions and Brussel Sprouts and Truffle Oil

Again the Pork was Frozen!

I am becoming a Big Fan of cooking boneless pork frozen.
Oven or BBQ route.  Wait till I tell you about the BBQ!

As the moisture escapes it creates a beautiful moist end product.

Rub frozen roast (about 4 lbs), with truffle oil.  Coat with Kirkland Granulated California Garlic and a sprinkle of salt.  Add Oregano over top and Make sure oregano and garlic coats the roasting pan also.

Roast at 375 degrees for about an hour.  Haul the product and add Brussel Sprouts and Onion Chunks to the pan.  Have liquid.

Add one large can of lentils.  Liquid also.

Return to the oven.  Roast for another 90 minutes.  Turn off and leave in oven for an hour.  Or roast for 2 hours.  I did the former as I had to let it cool before putting roasting pan in the fridge and go out for the evening.

Mine had a lovely pink in the centre when sliced for serving.  A nice cracked pepper over top of the plated meal enhances the flavour.

If that bothers you then roast for another 15-20 minutes before hauling to let stand.


I know that maybe my lack of providing specific ingredient amounts might be a challenge.  Cooking for me is an artistic adventure.  So I say be creative!  And enjoy the adventure.

Happy Eating

Argentina Takes a Trip With Some Blazing Pepper Bourbon! A Tasty Stew!

Hello:

It is still white, very white and though the day saw some snow melting, lots of it still remains here in Saint John, New Brunswick.

So, I decided some stew might appeal to my cooking fancy.

Argentinian Red with A Blazzin Pepper Bourbon Spice Stew

In an 8 Litre Slow Cooker.

Cut up Stew Beef.  I prefer a Blade Roast to prepare.  Today was an Inside Round Roast.

About 2-3 lbs .

Sweet Potato Chunks  1 large Potato.

Chopped Onions  2

Mini Carrots  2 Handfuls

3 Celery Sticks Chopped

Cumin 1-2 Tablespoons

Club House La Grille Blazin Pepper Bourbon Spice 

Garlic

Salt

Water and about 1 Cup of Argentina 2013 Trapiche CABERNET SAUVIGNON

 

Threw it all together in the slow cooker and let it cook for 5 hours.  Tastes Great!  and expect it to taste better even tomorrow.

Add a little Stevia if you think flavour is too sharp to cut the bite.  But that is a personal preference thing.

Grace and Peace

Happy Eating!

Why We Don't Eat Out Much ....

Now someone is going to say --  boy is he full of himself tonight.

No, I hope I am not.  But Last weekend, Cindy and I went out to one of those higher priced eating establishments here in Saint John, and all I can say is that it was adequate.  The salads were good and so was the dessert.  But when you order a main course at a higher priced establishment, your choice will make or break the dining experience.

The dining experience, based on the food was a disappointment.  The wait staff were excellent and the atmosphere was good but that could not make up for a barely adequate main course.

Tonight, we enjoyed a wonderful meal.

Chicken Breasts -- Rosemary - Roasted Garlic - White Wine

Chicken Breasts  -- Bone in but skinless.  Taste issues.  Enough said.
Done in a cast iron fry pan.
With White wine, onions and rosemarary and garlic.
And topped with toasted coconut flakes.
 Deglaze the pan with more wine to create a tasty drizzle.

A side of sauteed brussel sprouts, chopped white turnip, and chopped Prosciutto ham.  With  lemon pepper herb mixture.

Served with rice and a drizzle of parmesan-garlic dressing on the rice and veggies.

Verdict for the meal?  Delicious!

If someone sends me an email and asks which dining establishment to avoid and save your money I will tell them.

If someone were to ask me where to find the great meal I just described, I would have to say there is no establishment taking reservations and your money.

But..... if you want to invite me and Cindy to your house.  Or if we invite you, we can prepare this great meal for you.  I love cooking and sharing life as we share food.

Grace and Peace

Happy Eating

Pizza! Pizza! and Pizza Again! Ham and Peppered Garlic Onion Tzatziki Pizza

On this third day of a New Year, I thought of trying a familiar pizza but with a different twist.

The familiar angle on a Ham pizza is often a Hawaiian Ham and Pineapple Cheese Pizza.  But lacking the pineapple and not wanting to do a tomato base, I struck off on a different route.  If you have never tried Tzatziki as a sauce base for a pizza.  Do so and you will want to do so more and more.

So, armed with a flatbread from one of my favourite Flatbread makers who are found at the Saint John City Market, usually every Saturday.  Do not go and visit them on a full stomach as they will want you to "come and let me feed you!"  And feed you they will with delicious samples.

But I digress.  For this I used the following:

One Flatbread -- 14 inch

Tzatziki Sauce -- I used 4 tablespoons for this size pizza

Carmelized Onions in a Pepper Garlic Spice Mix.  This spice mix works very nicely with the Tzatziki sauce, ham, spinach and provolone cheese.

Torn Spinach Leaves -- about 2 handfuls.

8 Round Slices of Provolone -- I used the Saputo Brand.

3 Slices of Kirkland Extra Lean Ham.  Cut in three strips and then cut into about an inch pieces to put on the pizza.

I set it up as sauce, ham, spinach, carmelized onions and then provolone in the full circles to cover the pizza.

Baked in a 425 degree oven until cheese has started to turn brown.

Did not take a picture of the full product before cutting and serving but here is a picture of one slice.

Happy Eating

Grace and Peace

When Frozen....Yikes! Is Better?

Those who know my love of good food are probably cringing at what they think I might be about to suggest.  That I am now a fan of the nuke it and consume it movement of frozen meals for anytime of the day or night?

Rest easy.  I am not.

What I am becoming a surprising fan of is the wonderful results I am getting from a slow simmer  in a cast iron fry pan of a frozen beef steak or small roast in some water, your favourite steak piece and my own balsamic vinegar reduction sauce.  For this recipe I used the following:

Club House La Grille Blazin Pepper Bourbon

For this occasion of New Year's Eve, I got out a small frozen Prime Rib Roast (about 2 and 1/2 lbs), and a 12 inch cast iron fry pan.  Covered the bottom of the pan with water, a generous helping of the 

Club House La Grille Blazin Pepper Bourbon, and about 1 cup of my balsamic vinegar reduction sauce.  I will add about another 1/2 cup of the sauce when I turn the roast.

Then start the frozen roast on a double burner at 4-6 heat setting.  You will reduce it, after about 20 minutes to around a number 2 setting, on the double burner. You are looking for a slow bubbling effect.  I turned it after about an hour and all told it cooked for about two hours.  If you have longer, start it on a lower setting.

I paired the meal with some baked potatoes and a side of just turned carmelized onions and french green beans.  By just turned, I mean do not add the frozen french green beans in the fry pan, until the onions have just turned.  A nice lemon pepper and herb mixture brings out a lowly flavour to the side dish.

A caesar dressing drizzle for the potatoes and side veggies is a tasty twist and the caesar pairs nicely with the reduction sauce from the cast iron fry pan.  That was an unexpected but pleasant discovery in the journey of sharing and eating as one saw the end of 2014.

So a New Years Resolution for 2015?  Try some more frozen meat for this year.  It will force you to take time because you cannot cook frozen fast and expect good results.  Slow simmer and slow down.

You just might like what results.  In the Middle East in the time of Jesus and even today, food was to be enjoyed because as you shared food you shared life.  Not a bad idea eh?  

Oh I should share the balsamic vinegar reduction sauce sometime too?

Grace and Peace

Happy Eating