Arroz Con Pollo ala Pelancho's

Most Latin American and Spanish cultures have their own version of Arroz Con Pollo.  After all, "chicken with rice" is pretty much open to a wide range of interpretation, right?

One of my favorite renditions of Arroz Con Pollo is at a place in Knoxville named Pelancho's.  Is it strictly authentic Mexican food made using traditional old world methods with ingredients picked by hand?  No, Pelancho's seems to be pretty much a blend of Tex-Mex and US styled Mexican food like most such places in the US and I'm okay with that.  We've eaten there for going on 14 years and have enjoyed it so I'm not picky about labels.

Pelancho's version of Arroz Con Pollo is their fajita chicken with sauteed peppers, onions, tomatoes on a bed of Mexican rice and topped with a thin white queso sauce.  I had a craving for Arroz Con Pollo a few weeks back and thought I'd make a version like theirs on my kamado grill. This is what I came up with.

The sazón seasoning adds a savory flavor and bright color to the dish.  I haven't used it much before although I have used it's component ingredients of annato seed, corriander, and other seasonings. I used Baida's Tropical Sazón that I bought at our local grocery store.  You can make your own too, but my guess is that if a store doesn't have the sazón, they probably won't have ground annato seed either.

The recipe is actually several in one, including a fajita marinade, a queso sauce, and a Mexican rice.  If you have your own favorite versions of those, you can substitute those recipes to be used in this dish if you like.  You can also do this on your stove top but I like the extra flavor that grilling brings out in the chicken and veggies.

Arroz Con Pollo ala Pelancho's

www.nibblemethis.com

Agave Mustard Grilled Pork Chops

Normally I like big, fat, thick pork chops.  Ones that are almost more of a roast, than a chop.   To me those are just as enjoyable as a nice steak.

But I also like those thin pork chops.  You know the ones that they sell in a hulking package labeled "assorted pork chops".  I like them because they are

• cheap
• marinate quickly, and
• cook VERY fast.

I like to refer to these thin chops as "weeknight chops" because they are ideal on those nights when you are in a hurry and don't have time for a 4 hour brine and a two stage roast/sear type cook.  Just a quick marinade and slap these guys on a hot grill.  

Here is a version that we did tonight.  The flavor of agave nectar is kind of like honey but I like it better.  It has a hint of molasses or something smoky - perfect for grilling.  So these are similar to a honey-mustard grilled chop, only better.

Agave Mustard Grilled Pork Chops

source:  www.nibblemethis.com

Ingrdients

• 6 pork chops, bone in, thin cut (1/2" or less)
• 1 oz red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp agave nectar
• 1 Tbsp spicy brown mustard
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3 oz olive oil
• pinch or two of salt

Instructions

1. Whisk together the vinegar, agave nectar, mustard, oregano, and black pepper.  Whisking vigorously, slowing pour in the olive oil.  Taste for seasoning and add pinch or two of salt as needed.
2. Pour marinade over the chops and massage in to coat well.  Allow to marinade for 30-45 minutes.  You can let it marinade longer than that but it isn't necessary.
3. Preheat a charcoal grill to 500f.
4. Remove chops from the marinade and grill 2-3 minutes per side until the chops hit an internal temperature of 145f.   
5. Allow the meat to rest for 5 minutes and then top with any accumulated juices.

These chops have all kind of irregular shapes but the one thing they have in common is that they are thin and quick cooking.

To go with our quick weeknight meal, we served these with Bush Grillin' Beans Sweet Mesquite flavor.  Normally, I like to pair sweet with heat but these black beans, onions and roasted red pepper simmered together was a great match for these sweet grilled chops.  The salad was just chopped romaine, green onion, Parmesan cheese and a mixed berry vinaigrette that I made.  

Since these chops are so thin, I like to plan on one and a half chops per person just to make sure we have enough.  If you don't eat them all, don't worry.  They make for great eating in the middle of the night when you are raiding your fridge.

[Standard Disclaimer]  I have a business relationship with Bush Beans but received no compensation for this post.

Stracciatella

A cold steady rain arrived in East Tennessee today and 3/4ths of our clan are also figuratively "under the weather".  

It is one of those days that you just want to crawl up under a blanket with a good person, a captivating book, or hell, even something good on TV.    You just don't want to be spending hours in the kitchen after working all day.

Those circumstances call for soup.  It's easy to make and it heals & warms from within.  I decided to go with an egg drop soup from Rome called Stracciatella.  Several recipes I saw said that it is named after an Italian word for "little rags" for the pieces of egg but others said it simply means "torn".   Alexis had some left over yeast roll dough in the freezer so we baked them in small balls and tossed these mini rolls in some garlic butter. 

The bowls are hand made by Benji and Melissa at Stony Clay Station in Lenoir City

Stracciatella

adapted from Joy of Cooking (1997)

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 small shallot, finely diced
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup pecorino romano cheese
• 2 Tbsp dry unseasoned breadcrumbs
• 2 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat a large sauce pan over medium high heat.  Add butter and saute the shallot until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
2. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer.
3. Mix the eggs, cheese, bread crumbs, parsley, and garlic together.  
4. Steadily pour the egg mixture into the simmering chicken stock, stirring rapidly for 30 to 60 seconds.  Don't worry if it looks like someone boiled a paper towel to shreds at this point.  Remember the name?  
5. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper.  I used 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper

 It was just what the doctor ordered! Alexis said it reminded her of the Sopa de Ajo we often make when feeling under the weather.

[Standard Disclaimer]  We pay full price for the Stony Clay Station products that we use and receive no compensation. 

Wood Fired Pizza

It is only 34f outside tonight but I couldn't bring myself to make pizzas in the oven. They are just so much better cooked in my "brick oven". You can't beat pizza done in a ceramic cooker with natural hardwood lump charcoal.

I fired the Big Green Egg up to 500f and did one for the boys with mini-pepperoni, Canadian bacon, and mushrooms.

Then Alexis and I made one for us with Italian sausage, Canadian Bacon, pepperoni, mushrooms, yellow bell peppers, garlic, and thin sliced onions.

It was just a quickie dinner tonight but it was damn awesome, some of the best pizza I've ever put in my mouth. But I say that every time I eat pizza from the Egg.

Saturday Miscellany

A Ride In The Way-Back Machine
The sweet sting on my lips right now takes me back to the 6th grade. Remember hot cinnamon toothpicks?

Simply toothpicks soaked in cinnamon oil for a few days then kept in a bag. Then you chew on one and revel in the Atomic Fireball glory.

Spring Maintenance
Trevor went shopping with his mom earlier this week and convinced her to buy him a 6lb chub of bologna to smoke. When we pulled the offset out of the garage for the first time this spring, I noticed the effects of a damp winter finally caught up with the 6 year old smoker.

Since Trevor asked to have this smoker when I got my Egg, I decided he needs to be responsible for it's upkeep too. So first there was 45 minutes of using a wire brush drill attachment to get rid of all the rust and pitting.

Then he had fun smearing the vegetable shortening all over the firebox, inside and out for re-seasoning.

Then we made a hot fire and got the smoker up to 400f for an hour and let it cool back down.

Now he can start smoking his bologna. Yeah, I know, smoked bologna? It sounds low rent but it's a 10 year old's favorite. Plus, it's fun cooking with him.

Sgrishka's Favorite Chili Mac

I think this picture says it all...


Five years ago, way before I started food blogging, one of my primary sources of inspiration Sgrishka at BigOven. His interesting culinary background and recipes often prodded me to try something outside of my comfort zone. These days, I just consider him the best food blogger that never blogged because his approach to cooking embodies the spirit of food blogging. Here is an excerpt from his profile:

My mother, both my grandmothers and several aunts were always trying new things in the kitchen; they encouraged me to do the same. I can remember my mother trying a new recipe at least 4 or 5 days out of the week, every week, for years -- yes, years! She would find cookbooks that interested her and in some instances, try virtually every recipe in them. Some good, some not so good. One good thing though, no-matter what the recipe result, as she learned "what worked" or "what didn't," so did I. My mother taught me to be adventurous, to not be afraid to experiment. After-all, you have nothing to lose but boredom. She taught me to try new recipes and techniques. You may not like them all, but you are sure to make some new discoveries that could very well become life-long favorites.

Tonight I wanted something I hadn't had in probably over a decade, chili-mac. Not a fancy, upscale version of the comfort food classic. I wanted the basic chili-mac that Mom used to make 30 years ago. A quick google search and whose recipe just happens to pop up? You guessed it.


Sgrishka's Favorite Chili Mac

My Mother used to make this easy recipe and I still love it. It's great for busy week nights.

1 cup elbow macaroni
1 pound lean ground beef
1 large onion chopped
3 tablespoons chili powder (I like Gebhardt Chili Powder)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper or to taste (optional)
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes in juice (I use Hunts)
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes (I use Hunts)
1 can (15 oz) red kidney beans rinsed and drained

-- optional toppings --
* grated cheddar cheese
* minced sweet onions
* sour cream

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.

Cook ground beef with onion in a 6-quart saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat for 4 to 6 minutes or until crumbly and no longer pink. Drain, if needed.

Stir in chili powder and crushed red pepper (if using). Add tomatoes and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer for 20 minutes.

Add cooked macaroni; cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

It was easy, hearty & warm. Just like Mom used to make.

I appreciate that Sgrishka knows when to push the culinary envelope and when to let a simple classic stand on it's own.

So, who is someone that is NOT a food blogger and inspires or inspired your cooking?

Garlic Soup

This is a recipe that I found in a MealMaster import on the internet back when a 14k baud modem was a fast connection (this was not too long after the dinosaurs had been killed off, circa 1995). I'd gone from being single to married with two kids and just learning to cook for a family. I really didn't know what I was doing, but we thought it was really good, it was one of our early favorites.


Later that year, I had a nasty cold and my sweet bride, Alexis, decided she'd make this for me to help clear up congestion. She didn't cook much, I did the cooking, so I was proud of her when she offered me a bowl of Garlic Soup when I arose as a zombie from the bed. It was so thoughtful of her to go out of her comfort zone and to make that for me.

I took one spoonful and instantly felt every drop of moisture in my body being wicked out through my mouth. It was like I just put a spoonful of hot seawater in my mouth and the salt was sucking every bit of liquid out of me.

I felt bad but had to spit it back out. Turns out, when she made the "chicken broth" using bullion and she had used Tablespoons instead of teaspoons. Salty? Just a bit.

We got a good laugh out of it then and even to this day, we'll mention it and get a chuckle. While I still do most of the cooking, Alexis has really grown into her own as a cook. The recipes she that she does do, she does very well.

Today, Alexis has been feeling "sinusy" and stayed home from work. I hadn't made this soup in years and I thought it'd do her good. I changed several things and we both agreed that this was the best version ever.


Garlic Soup
4 appetizer servings

Ingredients
2 tablespoons oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2-3 slices white bread, cubed
1 ea green onion, sliced, divided into white and green portions
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 eggs, slightly beaten

Instructions
Preheat a 3 quart pan over medium heat and add oil. As soon as oil is heated, add sliced garlic and the white portion of the sliced onion. Stir until the garlic is starting to brown.

Add the cubed bread and toss to absorb the remaining oil. Then keep cooking like you were making the bread into croutons. Some of the garlic will start to get deep brown, don't worry. Just toss the mix around trying to toast all sides of the bread.

Add the broth and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. The bread will start puffing up into big pieces as they absorb the liquid. Add the green part of the green onion and whisk the soup for about 1 minute, breaking up the bread cubes into a smoother mixture. Simmer for 5 more minutes.

Slightly beat the egg in a mixing bowl. While whisking the egg, add in three ladles or large spoons of the hot soup.

Return that mixture back into the 3 qt pan, whisk, and simmer for 1 more minute.

Garnish with whatever blows your skirt up (or kilt for dudes). We topped ours with our home smoked cheddar and green onion.

Rioja Style Potato and Chorizo Sausage Stew

Yeah, I know.

That name just sounds so fancy. A dish from the Basque country-side of Spain, blah, blah, blah.

But this is soooooo easy to make, uses only a handful of ingredients, and is inexpensive.

Rioja-Style Potato & Chorizo Sausage Stew
Food & Wine

Ingredients
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium Spanish onion, finely chopped
2 Spanish chorizo sausages (about 3 ounces each), cut into 1/4 -inch dice
5 baking potatoes, peeled and cut into coarse 1-inch chunks (see Note)
1 tablespoon hot paprika
Kosher salt (I used 1 Tablespoon)

Instructions
In a large nonreactive saucepan, warm the olive oil over moderate heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the chorizo and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 1 minute. Add the potatoes, paprika and 1 tablespoon of kosher salt; stir well. Add 4 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender when pierced and the stew has thickened slightly, about 30 minutes.

Uncover the stew, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, to incorporate the oil on the surface into the stew. If desired, crush some of the potatoes against the side of the pan to thicken the stew. Season with kosher salt if necessary. Ladle the stew into shallow soup bowls and serve at once.

Note: Here's an old peasant trick for cutting the potatoes so the maximum amount of their starch is released into the stew: instead of cutting a potato all the way through with a knife, insert the knife tip at one end of the potato and then work it like a wedge to break off chestnut-size pieces.

See? Isn't that easy? To be a bit more specific about the author's note. I tried to do it on a whole potato with little success. It worked better once I halved a potato, stuck the tip down to the cutting board and then broke off a wedge.

That worked much better. It does make for a more rustic "cut" plus she says it releases more of the starch into the stew.

I was tempted to do so much with this. I thought about using broth instead of water. I thought about adding some herbs. I thought about using garnish. I was worried about the amount of oil added to saute the onion and knowing the chorizo would add even more but it turned out great. But since this was a "peasant dish", I kept coming back to WWPD. (What would peasant do?)

We served it up with a crusty bread for soppin' and it was abso-posi-lutely perfect on a cool, drizzly night.
I'd definitely make this again and won't change a thing.

Fajita-bobs or Fajita on a Stick

We had Funday Friday at work last week and again, I was doing the main dish. The main theme was "beach party" so I wanted to come up with something "beachy".

No problem, right? I grew up on the beach. By the time I was a teenager, I was at the beach surfing every day that I could for as long as I could. See? Here's me at 8 months old and a week before high school graduation (hey, pink high top converse were the hot thing back then). All three are really me.Carson and I surfed as Hurricane Hugo passed by. I fractured my skull surfing on my mom's 50th birthday which was also Mother's Day that year. I've surfed within feet of sharks, curious dolphins, and even one whale. I've owned more surfboards in my life than I have owned cars. I may live in Tennessee now, but I know "beach".

But here's the thing...."beach food" to us meant two things back then,
1) cheap (we worked in a grocery store at night so we could surf during the day) and
2) drive thru (only long enough to let the tide change the way we wanted).
We ate a lot of Hardee's chili cheese dogs, Taco Bell's $.79 menu, and Shoney's Breakfast Buffet.

So I kicked some ideas around and thought....cheap and portable. Kabobs! But to make it a little bit more "beachy" I also liked fajitas. So we put our fajita recipe on sticks!

Fajita-Bobs

Ingredients
4 ea chicken breast, boneless, skinless, cut into cubes
1 ea red bell pepper, cut into 1" chunks
1 ea green bell pepper, cut into 1" chunks
1 ea yellow bell pepper, cut into 1" chunks
1 ea onion, cut into 1" chunks

Marinade
2 tablespoon Oil
3 tablespoon Lime Juice
1-2 clove Garlic minced
1 1/2 teaspoon Season salt
1 1/2 teaspoon Oregano
1 1/2 teaspoon Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Chili powder
1/2 teaspoon Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Red pepper ground
1 tablespoon Cilantro chopped

Instructions
Marinade kabob ingredients in the marinade ingredients for 4 hours. Spear the kabob ingredients on soaked bamboo skewers alternating layers of veggie, meat, veggie. Make sure you start and end on a veggie.

Catering/Party Hint:
If you are cooking on-site for an event, marinate the ingredients, assemble the skewers ahead of time and keep them in the marinade until cooking time.

Money Saving Hint:
Instead of buying individual red bell peppers at $475.79 per pound, buy the 3-pak bags of a red, yellow, and green bell pepper for cheap! Those are perfect for dishes like this or stir fry dishes and add a mountain of color.

Grill over a hot fire, 2 minutes a side for a total of 8 minutes.The family loved them and they were a hit at Funday Friday at work.So enjoy give the fajita bobs a try, they are kick butt!

Dinner for less than the price of two combo meals

I wasn't even going to blog about this but when I realized that this meal for our family of 4 plus 1 guest cost about $10, I couldn't resist.Alexis scored a 3.35 lb "boneless pork sirloin roast" at the store for under $4. A pork sirloin is apparently just the extreme end of your run of the mill pork loin. It wasn't close dated, green or anything. It was nice and pink. It was just something on sale, nothing wrong with it.

I rubbed it with a paste of 2 TB of rosemary (from our front yard), 1 t of minced garlic, 1 t of kosher salt, 1 t of pepper, and about 1/4 c of olive oil. I popped it in the oven** at 450f for 10 minutes in a oven safe skillet. After 10 minutes, I reduced the heat to 250f and cooked it to 150f internal.

I too it out of the pan to let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing. I added 1 minced shallot to the pan on the stove top over medium heat and sauteed for about a minute. Then I deglazed the pan with about 1/4 cup "cooking wine". After it reduced a bit I added maybe 1/2 cup of beef broth, mixing well. I whisked in a tablespoon or two of flour and a finely diced green onion.

We served it family style with a nice rice pilaf that Alexis made up all on her own. I was very impressed since she normally doesn't cook something unless she has a strict recipe to follow. And guess what....it was better than the pilaf I normally make!Sure beats a couple of McDonalds extra value meals.

**Yes! Can you believe it? I actually own an oven and use it from time to time. I know that comes as a shock since this time of year almost everything we cook is cooked outside.