Creamy Chicken Breasts

These chicken breasts are so delicious and easy to make. Be sure to use the brine for the breasts, it keeps them moist and delicious. It will take 4 hours to brine the breasts so do this step early in the day. You can also assemble this recipe and freeze to be cooked later from frozen. 

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 4 slices Swiss cheese
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese divided
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder

Brine:

• 2 1/2 cups water
• 2 Tbs Salt
• 5 pepper corns
• 1 bay leaf

Side:

• Riced Cauliflower (Optional)

Directions:

Brine the chicken:

1. Dissolve the salt into the water and add the pepper and bay leaf.
2. Place the chicken breasts in a zip-lock bag and pour in the brine and burp out the air and seal.
3. Place the bag in a bowl in the fridge
4. Let the breasts soak for at least 4 hours but not more than 8 (they may get mealy)

Assembly and Cooking:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Pat chicken dry and place in a greased 13x9 baking dish or foil pan.
3. Add cheese slices to the top of chicken breasts.
4. In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, pepper and garlic powder.
5. Spread the mixture over chicken and sprinkle the top with remaining Parmesan cheese.
6. If freezing, cover tightly and freeze for cooking later.
7. Bake for 1 hour or until a thermometer inserted in the breasts reads 165.  
8. Serve over riced cauliflower or serve alone. The sauce is delicious, so you want to be sure to have a side dish that can soak it up.

Yield: 4 chicken breasts with sauce.

Crunchy Almond Crackers

These are great with spreadable soft cheeses, but they do not hold up to dipping and break apart easily. If you want these gluten free, leave out the all purpose flour and the oil, but I find the AP flour adds some much-needed strength to the crackers. 

Ingredients:

• 1 large egg 
• 1 Tablespoon Oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup Fine ground Almond Flour
• 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour

• sprinkle of kosher salt or sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Whisk together the egg, oil, salt, and pepper.
3. Add the almond flour and AP flour and stir until the mixture comes together.
4. Place the dough onto a sheet of parchment.
5. Press the dough out, then top with another piece of parchment. Roll the dough to 10" x 12" and 1/8 inch thick. This is hard and takes some time.
6. Remove top paper, and use a pizza wheel or knife to cut 1' squares.
7. Sprinkle kosher salt or sesame seeds on top and press in lightly with the rolling pin a little.
8. Move crackers, on the parchment, to a baking sheet.
9. Bake the crackers for 14-16 minutes, until they're light golden brown. The crackers around the perimeter will brown more quickly, feel free to remove them as the center one continue to cook.
10. Cool crackers on a rack completely before storing airtight.

Yield: about 10 dozen 1 inch crackers.

The Best Pumpkin Pancakes Ever

Pumpkin Pancakes
Serves: 9

We made these during the Christmas holiday this year when friends slept over after an awesome game night. Everyone loved them! I have scaled the recipe to use an entire can of pumpkin puree. Enjoy!

Wet Ingredients
-------------------------------------
2 1/4 Cups Milk 
1     Pumpkin Puree Can (15 oz) 
2     Eggs 
3     Tablespoons Vegetable Oil 
3     Tablespoons Vinegar 

Dry Ingredients
--------------------------------------
3     Cups All Purpose Flour 
4 1/2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar 
1     Tablespoon Baking Powder 
1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Soda 
1 1/2 Tablespoons Pumpkin Pie Spice 
3/4   Teaspoons Salt

Irish Pork Stew

Recipe By:Chef John
Instant Pot Conversion: Matt Sargent

2 1/2 lbs of boneless pork shoulder with fat removed and cut into 2-inch cubes
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 Tbs vegetable oil
1 Tbs butter or ghee
1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs all-purpose flour
1 bay leaf
1 tsp caraway seed
1 (12 fluid ounce) bottle dark beer (such as Guinness)
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
3 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 sweet potatoes, cubed and divided
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 Tbs balsamic vinegar
12 Brussels sprouts, halved
3 cups mashed cauliflower, or as needed
1 tsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, or to taste

3D Printed Leg Cookie Cutter

This is where a couple of my hobbies have come together in a unique way.

My daughter pointed out a recipe for a Christmas cookie that resembles the famous lamp from the movie "A Christmas Story".

In the recipe, (here) they provide a link to a stencil to use when cutting out the leg shapes for the cookies.

That struck me as something that could be done better with a cookie cutter. Since I recently acquired a 3D printer and have gained some very modest 3D modelling skills, I thought I could make a cookie cutter that filled the bill - it is the exact same size and shape as the stencil that is provided in the recipe.

Here is what I came up with:

And as a gift to you, here is the 3D model so that you can print out a cookie cutter too!

Leg Cookie Cutter.STL

Here is the link to it on Thingiverse.com : Leg Lamp Cookie Cutter

Or if you want to simply buy two already printed, send me an email or visit ebay (link coming soon) and buy a set.

Happy Holidays!

Matt

Habanero Peach Hot Sauce

This past Spring, I gave a good friend of mine some the Red Habenero seedlings I started. He planted them and gave him a bumper crop of red habeneros. He found this recipe online and modified it a bit and came up with a very good hot sauce recipe. Here it is:

Ingredients:
      7 Red or Gold Habanero peppers
      1 (15.5 ounce) can sliced peaches in heavy syrup
      1/2 1/4 cup dark molasses
      1/2 cup yellow mustard
      1/2 3/4 cup light brown sugar
      1 cup distilled white vinegar
      2 tablespoons salt
      2 tablespoons paprika
      1 tablespoon black pepper
      1 tablespoon ground cumin
      1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
      1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Directions:

1. De-seed and chop the peppers. If you want more heat, leave the pith and seeds, if you want less, leave them out. Note, these are pretty hot peppers, so there is plenty of heat when you just use the flesh. If your peppers are particularly hot, use fewer peppers, if they are somewhat mild, use more.
2. Put the peppers, peaches (including syrup), molasses, mustard, brown sugar and vinegar into a blender and blend until very smooth.
3. Add salt and spices and blend until combined.
4. Pour mixture into a non-reactive saucepan and place on medium heat until the hot sauce is just simmering.
5. Barely simmer for about 30 minutes. Taste and adjust spices if needed.
6. Prepare 1 pint or smaller canning jars and lids or hot sauce bottles (follow manufacturer's directions on how to prepare and use those type bottles) by sterilizing them in boiling water.
7. Fill jars with nearly boiling hot sauce, wipe jar lips with clear cloth dipped in white vinegar, place lids on jars just finger tight.
8. Put jars in boiling water bath covering the tops by at least 1 inch.
9. Process according to the size of the container, pints for 10 minutes and less time for smaller containers.
10. Allow to cool in water for 10 minutes, then remove to a cool until the lids pop. If any lids do not pop, just put those in the fridge and keep cool. Note, the sauce bottle tops will not pop . Refrigerate containers after they are opened.   

Grilled Romaine

About a year ago we were introduced to this delicious salad by our lovely daughter, Carlisle. The basics are very simple and can be done over charcoal or a gas grill or even on a grill pan inside. Here is the basic recipe and directions. If you want to make a meal of it, add thin cut steak draped over the 1/2 romaine heads and mix up a horseradish ceaser dressing to go with it:

Ingredients:
      2 Whole Romaine Hearts
      Olive oil
      Kosher salt
      Freshly ground black pepper
      12 cherry tomatoes
      1/4 c. red onion sliced very thinly
      1/4 c. Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
      1/2 c. Ceaser Dressing

Directions:

1. Take each of the hearts of romaine and slice off the very end of the stem to remove any dark part, but being careful to not loosen any leaves. Slice the heads in half long wise. Rinse each under water and then set on towels to drain and dry.
2. Using a large bowl, place the 4 1/2 heads with the cut side up and drizzle them with some oilive oil and season them with a good sprinkle of the salt and pepper. Toss them around in the bowl to spread out the oil and distribute the seasoning and pepper a bit. Let sit until it is time to grill them. 
3. The grilling goes very quickly, so wait to grill the romaine until the last minute.
4. Place the heads on a hot grill with the cut side down. Grill about 30 seconds to 1 minute or until the heads are just marked by the heat. Turn over and grill the back side for 30 seconds more.
5. Remove the heads onto a platter and distribute the cheese, tomatoes and onions on top, then drizzle with the Ceaser dressing and serve immediately.

Grilled Spatchcocked Chicken

I love chicken. It is such a great basis for so many dishes. It can be the star all by itself, or as a key ingredient in a casserole, stir fry or even making an appearance as broth. If you want to cook a whole chicken and you really do not have the time required to roast it whole, spatchcocking it is a great solution. The first references to "spatchcocking" appear in 18th-century Irish cookbooks. It is a way to flatten a whole chicken so it can be grilled or roasted over direct heat quickly. It results in an exceptionally moist and juicy chicken and it is really easy to do:

Ingredients:
      1 4-6 lb Whole Chicken
      3-4 Tbs Uncle Matt's Poultry and Fish Rub or Other quality Poultry Rub

Tools:
      Sturdy poultry shears
      Sharp boning knife
      Cutting board and anti-slip mat or wet dish towel
      Instant read thermometer (Thermapen)

Directions:

1. Place the cutting board on the anti slip mat or wet dish cloth. This will keep it from slipping around while you cut the chicken.
2. Rinse and pat dry the chicken; place on the secured cutting board breast side down with the tail toward you and the neck away from you.
3. Using poultry shears or sharp boning knife cut from the right side of the tail all the way to the neck opening keeping just to the right of the back bone.
4. Use the shears again to cut along the left side of the tail to the neck opening and just to the left of the back bone. When you are done, you will have removed the backbone of the chicken. Discard it or save it to use for making stock.
5. Flatten the chicken out with the skin side down. Clean up the inside of the chicken with paper towels.
6. Using the boning knife, cut a slit behind the keel bone (which is in the center of the chicken breast) so that you can remove it.
7. Take the chicken and press on the keel bone out from the skin side of the chicken and pop it out of the bone side. This takes a little doing but it should pop out with some pressure and working your fingers around the bone using the slit you cut previously. Use the knife sparingly if you need to so you do not tear up the breast meat. I usually also remove the keel cartilage as well. If you have a small chicken you can leave these bones in.
8. Fold the wings under themselves so that they are not flapping around.
9. Optional Step: Take the boning knife and make a small slit in the skin between the leg and the tail area. Push the end of the leg through the slit to hold it in place. 
10. Pat the chicken dry again and liberally apply rub to the bone side of the chicken. Place chicken in a container with skin side up and apply some rub to the top as well. If you can, leave it in the refrigerator for a few hours. The dryer the skin is when you cook it, the crispier it will be when it is done.
11. Fix up your covered grill so that is running about 375. Place the chicken, bone side down, on the grill. Cover and grill for about 1 hour. 
12. When nearly done, check the temperature of the breast and thighs with a good instant read thermometer, like a Thermapen. The breast should be 165 and the thighs 175.
13. Remove from grill, let sit, loosely covered, on a clean cutting board for at least 5 minutes and then serve.

Spicy Blackeye Peas

I was looking for dry Blackeye Peas in the store yesterday and it appeared that they were sold out so I picked up a bag of pinto beans, resigned to ring-in the new year with those instead of the traditional Blackeyes. I headed over to the meat section to find smoked ham hocks or something else with which to cook the pintos, and I stumbled onto a stash of dry Blackeye Peas bags. I ditched the pintos and grabbed a bag. They were the economy brand at Farm Fresh, "Essential Everyday". I took a look at the back of the bag and there was a recipe for spicy blackeye peas that looked pretty solid. I prepared the recipe with a few changes, and they were delicious. If you are sensitive to heat, use 1/2 the amount of jalapenos and creole seasoning. Here is how I made mine and would be a better starting place than the recipe on the back of the bag.

Happy 2014 Y'all!

Ingredients:

      1/2 lb bacon, chopped
      1 c. Onion, diced
      1 c. Green Bell Pepper, diced

      1 c. Red Bell Pepper, diced

      1 c. Celery, diced
      1 c. Carrot, diced
      3 cloves Garlic, finely minced

      1 lb Blackeye Peas, soaked, rinsed and drained

      1 14.5 oz. can Diced Tomatoes, undrained
      1 4 oz. can Diced Jalapenos
      1 T. Creole Seasoning (Tony Chachere's)

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium high heat, saute bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels and set aside to use as a garnish.
2. Add onion, green and red bell peppers, celery and carrots and saute until onions are softened, about 5-8 minutes. Add garlic and saute about a minute more, be careful to not burn the garlic.
3. Add soaked peas, undrained tomatoes, jalapenos and the Creole seasoning, stir. Add enough water to just cover the peas and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and simmer, covered about 1 1/2 hours or until peas are tender. Add additional water if needed during cooking. Serve over rice and with the reserved bacon as a garnish, if desired.

Matt

Uncle Matt's Poultry and Fish Rub

This is a great rub for poultry and fish, but it is particularly good for chicken cooked on the grill or in the oven.

Place the ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly with a wire whisk. Sift the mixture to insure an even mixing and to remove any lumps or large pieces. Check out Penzy's for high quality spices and mixes.

1 cup Turbinado Sugar
1/2 cup Onion Salt *
1/2 cup Garlic Salt *
1/2 cup Smoked or normal Paprika
2 tablespoons Chili Powder
2 tablespoons Poultry Seasoning
1 tablespoon Black pepper, ground **
1 tablespoon Coriander, ground **
1 tablespoon Dried Cayenne Pepper, ground **
1 tablespoon Thyme, ground **
1 tablespoon Marjoram, ground **
1 tablespoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt
1 tablespoon ground Bay Leaves, ground **
1/4 teaspoon Dried Habenero, ground **
1/4 teaspoon Citric Acid (optional)

*  If you can not get these salts, just use a 3 to 1 salt to dried spice ratio (3/8 cup salt and 1/8 cup dried spice). Try to use non-iodine salt so the rub will not discolor the meat.

** Best results are achieved when you start with whole spices and grind them yourself, but pre-ground spices will work as well.

Lauren's Winter Squash Soup

My niece, Lauren, wanted to make something for the Thanksgiving dinner, so we suggested that she make a soup. She asked around and her Oma found a recipe that looked great. It is sized to make 8 appetizer servings. Here it is:

Ingredients
2 T. Unsalted Butter
1 T Olive Oil
2 c. Chopped Onions
1.5 lbs Butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes
3 c. chicken stock or broth
1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
kosher salt, & fresh ground black pepper
1 c. Half & Half
Creme Fraiche, grated Gruyere, crisp cooked bacon or Croutons for serving or garnish

Directions
1. In saucepan heat butter and oil on medium low. Add onions and cook 10 minutes until translucent, stirring occasionally.
2. Add butternut squash, sock, pumpkin, 2 t. salt, 1/2 t. pepper and heat to boiling on medium high. Once boiling, reduce heat, cover and simmer on medium low 20 minutes or until squash is very tender, stirring occasionally. Process mixture with immersion blender until smooth.
3. Add Half & Half and heat slowly. Serve with garnishes, if any.

Garlic Aioli

This sauce is a great one for fancy burgers or chicken sandwiches, like the Blackened Chicken Sandwiches I have here on my site. It is easy to make if you have a mini food processor. If you only have a full sized one or blender, double this recipe and it will work better in the larger bowl. If you have a good whisk and glass bowl, you can do it the really old fashioned way.

Ingredients
3 garlic cloves, run through a garlic press
1 egg
1 teaspoon lemon juice, fresh if possible
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon water
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
Salt, to taste (1/2 teaspoon)
Ground black or White pepper, to taste (1/8 teaspoon)
1/2+ cup top quality extra virgin olive oil

Directions
Combine the garlic, egg, lemon juice, vinegar, water parsley, mustard and a little salt and pepper in a mini food processor and puree. Add the oil in a thin stream while spinning the mix in the processor. Go very slowly at first and then, as the emulsion forms, you can go a little bit faster. Continue to add oil and process until the mixture has formed a thick emulsion, you may need to add more oil depending on how large your egg was. The final product should have a consistency just a bit thinner than store bought mayonnaise. Add the salt and pepper to taste spinning it in the processor after each addition.

This recipe is based on Emeril Lagasse's

Spicy Sauces for The Cadets

I just finished a week of travelling and cooking for The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps (see blog). While I was with them, I made a few sauces to add a little zing to their meals and they seemed to like them and asked that I write down the recipes for them so future food volunteers can make them too. They are very simple:

Honey-Chipotle Sauce

1 can of "Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce"
1 5 pound bottle of honey
1/4 cup ketchup

Habanero Hot Sauce

Habanero Pepper

I was walking through the grocery store yesterday and I saw that they just got a load of very good looking Habanero Chilis. These are the little chilies that some call the "Scotch Bonnet", they are about 1 1/2 inches long and about 1 inch in diameter. They are very pretty shade of orange and are very hot, but have an unmistakable fruity flavor. I picked up 5 of these little guys and made the following hot sauce from them. As is my usual, I started with a basic recipe and modified it a little. Mine is better than the original, but here it is in case you want to try the original.

Habanero Hot Sauce

Ingredients:
      1 Tbs. olive oil
      1 cup carrots, diced
      1 cup onion, diced
      2 whole jalapeno peppers (prepared as directed)
      5 cloves Garlic, rough chopped or minced
      1/4 cup water
      1/4 cup lime juice
      1/4 cup white vinegar
      1/4 cup Agave Nectar or Honey
      2 medium tomatoes, peeled and rough chopped
      5 whole habanero chilies (prepared as directed)
      salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Pulled Pork with Eastern NC Sauce

Pulled Pork Barbecue

Making pulled pork barbecue is simple and easy, but it does take time to do it in the traditional manner. My sister makes a version using the crock pot, and I have tasted it and it was delicious. But it did lack that certain something that long hours on a low smokey fire brings. The following is my way of making pulled pork. There are several steps and I will list the ingredients and directions for each.

Brining

This process allows the meat to absorb some moisture and better prepare it to endure the long smoking process. I bought a used pickle bucket from a local sub shop (Firehouse Subs) and I use that for all my pickling and brining. It is food safe plastic and far cheaper then buying a commercial food safe plastic bucket at the kitchen store.

Brine Bucket

Ingredients

      16 ounces or 1 1/2 cups molasses
      24 ounces pickling salt
      4 quarts water
      3 6 to 8 pound Boston butts

Oxtail Stew

This recipe is courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2006, I found it on the Food Network website here. I made some modifications, for instance, I modified it to cook for a longer period in my crock pot. The crock pot is great for long cooking, but terrible for browning and getting a fond, so do all the browning and reducing in a dutch oven then transfer it to your crock pot for the long cook.

Ingredients

Browned Oxtails

       1 T. Emril's Essence, recipe follows
       1 cup all-purpose flour
       Salt and freshly ground black pepper
       4 lbs oxtails
       10 bacon slices, chopped
       2 large onions, chopped
       2 large carrots, chopped
       2 large celery stalks, chopped
       6 garlic cloves, chopped
       1/4 cup tomato paste
       4 tsp fresh thyme leaves
       1 (750-ml) bottle dry red wine
       1 (28-ounce) can chopped Italian tomatoes
       1 (14 1/2-ounce) can beef broth

Blackened Chicken Sandwiches

These are perfect for tailgating - all the prep is done ahead of time and they are simple to cook and delicious! Credit to my big brother Tad for perfecting the method and teaching it to me. I use his special blend of blackening spice which is secret, but I have included a very good one below. Feel free to modify it to your tastes!

Ingredients
       3lb bag(s) of frozen chicken breasts (defrosted) or Fresh boneless breasts
   1   Zip-Lock Freezer Bag, gallon size
        Blackening Spice (recipe below)
        Vegetable Oil


Blackening Spice Recipe
    12 bay leaves, finely crushed
    3 tsp salt
    2 tsp. paprika
    1 tsp. sugar
    1 tsp. granulated onion
    1 tsp. granulated garlic
    1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
    1/4 tsp. basil
    1/4 tsp. oregano
    1/4 tsp. thyme
    1/4 tsp black pepper
    1/4 tsp white pepper

Uncle Tad's Perfect Crab Cakes

Uncle Tad is also known as my older brother Tad. He is an exceptional cook and is responsible for many of my best recipes and almost all of my knowledge on fish cooking techniques. This is the recipe he uses for crab cakes and I can honestly say they are the best I have ever had.


Ingredients:
    2  Eggs
    1 tsp  Old Bay seasoning
    1/2 tsp  Coleman's powdered mustard
    1/2 tsp  Sea Salt
    1/4 tsp  Cayenne Pepper
    1 T.  dried Parsley Flakes
    1 T.  fresh Lemon Juice
    2 T.  Real Mayonnaise
    1 1/2 c.  Panko Bread Crumbs (divided)
    1 lb  Back-fin or Lump Crab Meat

Light Tomato Bisque

I got this recipe from the cafe at Stihl, Inc. where I am a consultant. The recipe was for 60 servings, so I scaled it down a bit and made my customary changes.

Ingredients:

      1 oz(w) Yellow Onion, diced
      1/8 tsp Garlic, minced
      1 Tbls Butter, Margarine or oil
      37 oz Hot Water
      1 oz(w) Chicken Stock Base (like Minor's)
      6 oz(w) tomato paste
      2 tsp Sugar
      pinch ground white pepper
      11 oz 2% Milk, hot
      1 tsp Fresh Basil, chiffonade
      1 tsp Fresh Parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. Saute onions and garlic in butter until tender.  
2. Add: hot water, chicken base, tomato paste, sugar and white pepper. Mix well and bring to a boil, reduce heat. 
3. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
4. Slowly add hot milk while whisking tomato mixture, heat to just simmering again, do not boil. 
5. Add fresh basil and parsley, remove from direct heat, cover and keep at serving temperature (150-160).

Easter Egg Salad

My wife and I along with our son were visiting our daughter (his sister), Carlisle,  last weekend in Harrisonburg. One of her roommates happens to be my nephew, Hugh. He is the son of my slightly older sister, Patience. Well, this particular weekend brought her and her husband and one of my nieces, Helen, over to Harrisonburg from their farm in Fork Union as well. We were all getting together to support the JMU Crew Club at their mock regatta. We all met up at the river and watched the boats and then had some hot dogs and burgers. After the event, we all headed back to the apartment to visit and chat. My sister had prepared a couple of things to have at the river, but being as there were plenty of hot dogs and hamburgers, we kept those things for later.

One of the things she had made was her egg salad and it is the best! Anyone who knows me well, knows that egg salad is something I really enjoy. I am sure part of the reason her egg salad is so good is they keep a number of free range laying hens at their farm. That notwithstanding, I called her up last night and got her recipe. It is so simple, here it is: