Sweet Potato Cake With A Christmas Saute

Made this for breakfast a while back, using leftover mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes.

Recipe for two:
1 c leftover mash formed into two cakes
1 small red onion chopped or sliced
1/2 c sweet potato diced into small cubes
1 c cherry tomatoes cut in half
1 T coconut oil
1 c spinach chopped
1 c chard chopped
1 three finger pinch sea salt and pepper
1 t paprika
1 t fresh rosemary finely chopped
2 t butter

In a pan melt the butter with heat on low-medium.  When the butter has melted add the cakes.  You want to cook these slowly so they heat though but not get too much color.  When you're sure the first side is done, flip the cakes using a steel spatula.

In saute pan over medium-high heat, add the coconut oil.  When the oil is good and hot add the onion and sweet potato, and cook until soft.  When done, season with salt, pepper, rosemary, paprika and stir.  Now lower the heat and add tomatoes and greens.  Just warm the tomatoes though and melt the greens, if you cook this too much the tomatoes turn to mush...

Serve on warmed plates with the cake on top.

Bon Appetit!

Orange, Soy, Ginger-Glazed Pork Ribs

This is a wonderful recipe!  I can call this one my own, because I changed more than three things -- a little unwritten culinary law.  But I do want to give credit to Bon Appetit magazine and Cindy Pawlcyn, author of Big Small Plates.  I adapted and joined both of these recipes....

The ribs should be cut into separate ribs and marinaded for 24 hours, but I only marinaded them for 6 hours and they tasted great.

Recipe for two:

8 country pork ribs, cut into individual ribs
1 small can of Eden garbanzo beans drained
1 T tomato paste
1 c vegetable stock
2 c greens of your choice, we used broccoli rabe

For the Marinade:
1 c soy sauce such as Shoya
1 t whole cane sugar unrefined
2 T honey
1 t chili flakes
2 t sherry vinegar
1 t rice wine vinegar
1 t hot sauce
1 t sesame oil
1/4 t freshly ground white pepper
juice of an orange
2" piece of ginger grated
2 t garlic finely chopped

Garnish:
1/2 c finely sliced scallions
zest of one orange

Mix all the ingredients of the marinade together and whisk.  Pour it over the ribs and refrigerate for 6-24 hours, turning once.

When you're ready to cook, set your oven to 450*  When the oven is hot, place the ribs in an uncovered roasting or sheet pan, and place on a center shelf.  Even though these take an hour to cook, the meal itself is quite easy and quick to do.  Check the ribs after a half hour, if they are caramelizing too much add a little water.

While the ribs are cooking, drain the beans and add the stock and the tomato paste, and stir.  Add a three finger pinch of sea salt and cover with the heat on low.  Tip: you can substitute rice for the beans!   Now saute in a tablespoon of olive oil, and 1/2 an onion chopped finely.  When the ribs are done and the beans are hot, add the greens and cook just to melt.

Serve on warm plates, and garnish with scallions and orange zest.  For best results, use a macro plane for the zest.

Bon Appetit!  Chef Hobbes

A Word On Bread...

We all love a nice, fresh, crusty loaf or baguette, but be aware who you're buying it from, and what's in it!

Most commercial breads, hotdog and hamburger buns, doughnuts and pastries contain a conditioning agent called bromine, yep, the same stuff that's in hot tubs and swimming pools, basically it's non-chlorine bleach.  Large scale bakers use it so they get the perfect product every time.  Be careful, it's a killer!

You have to remember, bread is made from flour, water, yeast, salt and sometimes sugar or honey.  If you look at what's in a loaf of packaged bread or a hamburger bun, you'll see a list of about 30-50 ingredients, some of which is not food!

Also, because of our advanced technology, we're now able to grind our flour super fine.  The problem with this is, the pancreas turns it into sugar, not good!

A while ago I went to talk with Mark Shepard at Bakery San Juan and he showed me some of his bags of flour, which are bromine free.  He also told me that he proofs his dough anywhere from 8-16 hours.  That means that the bread is in a fermented state, which the body can digest easier...

Sprouted grain bread is not bad for you at all, because the grains have been sprouted and were in a fermented state!

Beware, bread, flour, sugar and bad fats are primary causes of cancer, diabetes and heart disease!

Wow! Watch This Amazing Video To Learn How To Reverse Diabetes in 30 Days!

The body will heal itself if you give it the right groceries... You are what you eat!

Proper Avocado Crostini, With Cayenne And Lemon

Now this is Proper!  Blimey, my mouth is watering while writing this!

Shown here to the right is one with a balsamic drizzle.  And the one below has just lemon juice, which is the one I prefer...

Just brush a couple of slices of sourdough bread with a little olive oil, and pop them in the oven set at 325* turning once, about 20 minutes or until crunchy.

Now slice up some avocado and lay it on the bread, sprinkle with salt and pepper and a little cayenne and a squeeze of lemon juice!

Absolutely Proper!

Bon Appetit!

Ridiculously Good Mac And Cheese With Shrimp

It doesn't cost anymore to make this wonderful dish, this is pure comfort food!

Recipe for four:
1 16 oz bag penne pasta
1 pint heavy cream
1 pound wild shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 large red onion finely chopped
2 shallots finely chopped
1 leek finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
Salt and pepper
2 c parmesan cheese grated finely
1 c sharp cheddar cheese grated finely
1 T butter
1 T olive oil

Get your pasta water going by filling a large pot with salted water, over high heat, bring it to a rolling boil.  Then add the pasta and stir.

In a heavy saute pan, add the oil and butter, and heat over high heat.  When the butter foams add the onions, shallot, leek and garlic, and cook until soft, then turn down the heat and caramelize.  When it's done, turn the heat up to high and add the shrimp, shaking back and fourth.  Season with salt and pepper and a pinch of chili flakes.

When the shrimp are almost done, add the cream and reduce a little, then turn off the heat.  Drain the pasta and add it to the shrimp if there's room, otherwise return the pasta back to the pot it was cooked in, then add the cheese and shrimp and stir.  At this point you can serve it onto warm plates like we did, or you can place it in an oven-proof dish and sprinkle a little more cheese on top, and place it under the broiler for a bit, to add some color.

Bon Appetit!  Chef Hobbes

A Christmas Chocolate Martini...

The perfect glass of cheer!

Before you start making this, make sure your martini glasses have been in the freezer for a few hours!  Take a really cold martini glass and turn it on it's side.  Now drizzle some chocolate syrup around the inside of the glass and return to the freezer for about 20 minutes.

Recipe for one:
2 parts gin
1 part Kahlua
2 parts Bailey's
1/4 part Frangelico
1 teaspoon chocolate ice cream

Fill a shaker full of ice, add all the booze and shake the dickens out of it!  Pour into your frozen martini glass and then add the ice cream.  If you use two teaspoons, you can shape the ice cream into a ball, it looks better that way!

Cheers!

Dover Sole With Shredded Buttered Cabbage And Roasted Potatoes

A nice little seasonal fish dish, with a white wine, lemon, butter, caper sauce.

Recipe for two:
4 small dover sole fillets
2 shallots finely chopped
2 cups cabbage finely shredded
4 small potatoes peeled
4 T duck or goose fat
1 T capers
2 T butter
3 T olive oil
1 cup white wine
Juice of one lemon
Flour for fish

First thing to do here is to get your oven nice and hot, set at 350*  Peel the potatoes and cut in half, now boil them in salted water until they start to get soft in the middle when a knife is inserted.  Then drain and place them in a roasting pan with the duck or goose fat, and place in the oven.

Now get a saute pan nice and hot over medium heat with the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter.  When the butter has melted add shallots and shake the pan to coat the shallots.  When they start to change color and get soft, lower the heat to low and add the cabbage and stir or mix with the shallots, season with salt and pepper.

In another pan place the rest of the olive oil and heat the pan over medium high heat.  While the oil is getting hot, season the fish with salt and pepper and dust with flour.  Making sure the oil is really hot, add the fish while moving the pan back and fourth to avoid the fish from sticking.  When the fillets are brown, turn and cook a little more, then finish in the oven.

Now make the sauce.  Using the same pan you cooked the fish in, scrape out any bits and wipe out any oil.  Over high heat, add the wine and lemon juice, and reduce the volume of liquid until you have about 2 tablespoons.  Then add the capers and turn off the heat, now add the butter and shake the pan back and fourth until you have a nice shine on the sauce.

Using warm plates plate your potatoes on the side, and the cabbage in the middle, then place the fillets on top of the cabbage and then add the sauce.

Bon Appetit!

Holiday Dipping Sauce...

This is a fun little dipping sauce, and it's quick and easy to make.

You can make as much or as little as you like, and you can adjust the heat for your taste.

Basic recipe:
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup Lea & Perrins worcestershire sauce
1 whole head of garlic finely chopped
2 t chili flakes
1/3 cup Italian parsley chopped
1 pinch salt and pepper

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, using a whisk.  Now it's ready to serve with nice, fresh, crusty bread from the bakery!

Bon Appetit!

Awesome Warm Spinach Salad, with Bacon, Egg and Roasted Red Peppers

Quick, cheap and easy to prepare salad that will satisfy the taste buds...

Recipe for two:
5 slices of uncured bacon cut into 2" pieces
1 shallot thinly sliced
1 tub organic baby spinach
1 roasted red pepper cut into strips
4 eggs (see my egg recipe in an older post for the perfect egg)
1 three finger pinch of red chili flakes
1 three finger pinch of both salt and pepper
2 T sherry vinegar
2 T olive oil
1/4 cup dried cranberries
balsamic drizzle

You will need a large stainless steel bowl for this recipe.

First cook and peel the eggs, and cut in half and set aside.  See my egg recipe in an older post for the most perfect egg.  Now fry the bacon, when done remove bacon from the pan and keep warm in the oven.  In the same pan cook the shallots with the bacon fat.

Place a stainless steel bowl on a burner over low-medium heat.  Add the shallots to the bowl with the fat, add the bacon, chili flakes, salt and pepper, vinegar, olive oil, cranberries and toss and mix together.  When the vinegar and oil starts to sizzle add the spinach.  Now toss all the ingredients together, melting the spinach just a little, but don't over-do this step, you just want to warm and slightly melt the spinach.

Transfer to warm plates and garnish with eggs, red peppers and a balsamic drizzle.

Bon Appetit!

Oven Toasts with Salmon Gravlax, Creme Fraiche, Capers and Red Onion

This is a Bristol little treat for the holidays, when you're having guests over for a glass of cheer!

Oven toasted slices of a rye baguette, if you can get it, otherwise use sourdough or farm house white, at 325* for 20 minutes, turning after 10 minutes.  Be sure to brush with a good amount of olive oil.
When they're ready, apply a little creme fraiche and capers.  Then lay some thinly sliced gravlax on, and garnish with thinly sliced red onion.  Now drizzle a little hot sweet mustard all over, and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Yum!

Bon Appetit!

Killer Holiday Season Gravlax

This recipe for gravlax comes from an old friend from Napa, California, Cindy Pawlcyn.  Cindy learned this recipe from the New French Cafe...  It's the best gravlax you will ever eat, and you probably won't eat smoked salmon again!

Gravlax is cured, not smoked.  You can use any fish, but salmon and halibut are preferred because of the fat content.  The end result is a sweet, tender and tasty gravlax that melts in your mouth!

Let's make gravlax using king salmon.  First you need fresh fish for this, so trusting your fish monger is important.  I buy my fish here in Friday Harbor from Eric and Brenda at Friday Harbor Seafood, down on the fish barge located on the main dock.  These guys use to fish, so they know the business.

Recipe:
1 pound of king salmon, pin-boned and skin on
1/8 cup good quality sea salt, like Eden or Maldon
1/4 cup organic whole cane sugar from Rapunzel
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1/2 bunch fresh dill, stems removed

First a word about sugar.  I don't use sugar because it's the root of most of our health problems.  But in some recipes we need it.  I found one that is pure and minimally processed, it's organic whole cane sugar, that's unrefined and unbleached, made by Rapunzel and is available at Gourmet Galley.

Watch the video on how to make this fantastic cured salmon.

Bon Appett!

Don't Forget To Protect Your Garlic Before The Ground Freezes!

This spring, I will be adding another element to my blog.  I will be showing you how to grow a garden.  I have over 35 raised beds on our half-acre lot, that feeds us all year long.

I will also be teaching you how to prune fruit trees and vines.  Also how to raise healthy, grass-fed chickens.

Typically, you plant garlic in October.  It gets really cold here in the Pacific Northwest, especially when you're growing in raised beds.  So make sure the beds are covered with a good amount of straw, then cover with a frost fabric.  This will help stop the soil from freezing, and also keep the straw from blowing off!

Bon Appetit!

Risotto...

On Sunday we had roast chicken for dinner, and on Monday I made risotto with the leftover chicken.  This is a great way to stretch your money.  Here's how.

Recipe for six:
2 cups arborio rice
2 pints chicken stock (hot)
1 cup leeks or onion finely chopped
1/2 cup carrot finely chopped
1 cup celery finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
2 cups dry vermouth or white wine
1/2 stick of butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded cooked chicken

First thing to do, after you've prepped your veggies, is to get the stock hot.  Don't boil it, just get it hot and keep it hot.

Add the olive oil and two tablespoons butter, to a saute pan, and heat over medium high heat.  When the butter starts to foam add the Mirepoix (leek or onion, garlic, carrot and celery), and saute until soft, but don't brown.  Season with a little salt and pepper.  Now add the rice, and fry it, stirring often, you don't want it to burn, but you do want to cook it for a minute until it starts to turn translucent.  Now add the vermouth or wine and stir.

Once the liquid has reduced a little, now add your first ladle of stock and a good pinch of salt, and turn the heat down to a simmer, while stirring.  Once the stock has started to disappear, add another ladle and keep stirring and massaging the rich creamy starch out of the rice.  Keep doing this, it takes about 15 minutes. If you run out of stock before rice is cooked, add some boiling water.  Remember, you're cooking rice, test the rice for seasoning, and add more salt if necessary.  When last ladle of stock or water goes in, then add the chicken, and stir.

When you're happy that the rice is done, now add the butter and cheese and stir.  Now turn off the heat and place a lid on the pan, and let it sit for a couple of minutes.  This is the most important part of making risotto.

Plate onto warm plates and add more cheese and a little drizzle of olive oil.

Bon Appetit!