Beef Braciole

serves 4
This recipe will reflect how terribly odd my family is. We were watching the episode of Everybody Loves Raymond where Ray's wife was supposedly making better braciole than his mom...and hi jinx ensued. But my kids were all, "mom you cook better than anything. Make us some braciole!" Well eff me running I didn't know braciole from Adam. What to do. LIBRARY!!! Got a recipe from Joy of Cooking and yeahhhh...hehehe I tweaked it. Now it's a family favorite

4 one quarter inch slices of beef rump roast, slicing diagonally against the grain
Using the flat side of a cleaver or a flat mallet, pound the slices to about ⅛ inch thick, taking care not to tear the meat. Trim any excess fat and pat dry. Season lightly with:
     Salt and black pepper
For the stuffing, mix together:
     1 cup fresh bread crumbs from day-old bread
     4 ounces ground beef, veal, or pork
     ½ cup grated Parmesan
     ¼ cup chopped parsley
    4 thin slices of prosciutto
1/4 c. dried currants
1/4 c. toasted pine nuts
     1 large egg, lightly beaten
Line the beef with a slice of prosciutto
Spread the meat evenly with the stuffing, leaving at least a 1-inch border all around. Roll up, tucking in the sides to form a tight, neat packet. Tie securely with string, both crosswise and lengthwise. Dredge the rolls in:
     ½ cup all-purpose flour
Shake off the excess. Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil
Sear the meat packets and brown carefully on all sides. Remove the rolls with a slotted spoon, and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pan.
Add to the pan:
     ½ cup finely chopped onion
     ¼ cup finely chopped carrot
     2 teaspoons minced garlic
Cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add:
     ½ cup beef stock or broth
     ½ cup dry red or white wine
     ½ cup tomato puree or 2 tablespoons tomato paste
     1 bay leaf
1Tbsp brown sugar

Bring to a boil. Return the beef rolls to the pan, Cover the pan and place in a 300 degree oven, simmer until the beef is fork-tender, 1 to 1½ hours. Remove the rolls to a platter and cover to keep warm. Discard the bay leaf. Skim off the fat from the surface of the liquid. Reduce, if necessary, over high heat just until syrupy. Season with:
     Salt and black pepper to taste

Pour the sauce over the meat. Sprinkle with:
     Grated parmesan or romano
     Minced fresh parsley, basil, or oregano

Satay Chicken salad

Been a while since my last post. However, now that I am unemployed and a small cushion of savings away from homelessness...I feel the urge to tell you about an awesome chicken salad I have invented. Because I am just that odd.
Now here is a disclaimer. I have never measured these ingredients. I cook by eye and tasting. I suggest you try the same. Even If you have to sacrifice one meal cuz it tastes like a dead gerbil after it's bloated by the afternoon sun. Teaching yourself to eyeball ingredients and tasting your way through things gives you skills that prop up your instincts

Satay Chicken Salad

-4 cups of chopped or torn cooked chicken. Whatever parts you like
-3 or 4 ribs of celery
1 handful of shredded carrots
-small bunch of cilantro minced
-1/2 of chopped roasted peanuts or cashew...or more depending on your taste

Satay Base
-1/4 c. minced ginger
-1/8 c. minced garlic
-1/4.c minced green onions
-2 T corn or peanut oil
-1/4 c. plum or peach jam
-2 T chili garlic sauce
-1/4 c rice wine vinegar
-pinch of chili flakes
-2 T brown sugar
-2T. sesame oil
-2 T of creamy peanut butter or 1/4 c. of tahini
-1 c. water
-2 T cornstarch or more

-as much mayo as it takes to get your chicken salad to stick together well

In a large bowl add the chicken through the peanuts and refrigerate.
in a medium pot add the corn or peanut oil and heat on medium.
Add green onions, garlic and ginger. heat til fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
Add the ingredients from jam to peanut butter and mix well.
Taste this concentrated mixture and adjust the flavors to your taste.
simmer on low and mix the water and cornstarch together.
add the cornstarch slurry until the sauce is a mayo consistency.
Taste again, adjust if needed and then cool.
Add the cooled sauce to the cooled chicken mixture and mix, add mayo if needed to get the right consistency.
Serve how you want.
My daughter ate through 3 servings of this salad not realizing we were supposed to share it, and my clients just went silly after they tried a sample.
So enjoy and give me feedback

Mojo de Ajo inspired Pilaf

1 bunch fresh asparagus, broken into pieces
8 oz mushrooms (your choice, I used button) cleaned and quartered
1/4 c. toasted slivered almonds
1 c. white rice, I like basmati
1 and 3/4 c chicken broth
1/4 c. Mojo de Ajo
1/4 c. grated parm or asiago
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400.
In a medium pot, heat 2 Tbs of the Mojo over medium high heat and add the rice. Stir until the rice starts to turn golden brown. Add the chicken broth, cover and put in the oven for 20 minutes until dry and fluffy.
In a 9x13 baking pan add the mushrooms asparagus and remaining Mojo. Stir to coat and roast for 15 to 20 minutes in the oven. It should be slightly brown and tender.
After the rice and veg are done, combine them in a serving bowl with the rest of the ingredients and if ya wanna drizzle more Mojo on that, I won't tell on ya 

Mojo de Ajo
Thanks to my dear friend and co-worker John, I have this recipe in my arsenal. It's simple but can be used as a sauce, condiment or to rub all over your body and lick off...oh but I digress. 

Slow Roasted Garlic Mojo
Makes about 3 cups mojo de ajo (made with 2 cups of oil)

Recipe from Season 7 Mexico - One Plate at a Time

INGREDIENTS
4 large heads garlic
OR 10 ounces (about 1 3/4 cups) peeled garlic cloves
2 or 3 cups fruity olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup fresh lime juice

DIRECTIONS
Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Break the heads of garlic apart, then mash each clove (a fist against the side of a knife is what I do) to release the clove from its papery skin; if using already-peeled garlic, scoop the cloves into a heavy plastic bag and use a rolling pin to mash them slightly.

Stir together the garlic, oil and salt in an 8x8-inch baking pan (make sure all the garlic is submerged), slide it into the oven and bake until the garlic is soft and lightly brown, about 45 to 55 minutes.

Add the lime juice and return to the oven for 20 minutes for the garlic to absorb the lime and turn golden brown. (If you’re using the larger quantity of oil, ladle off 1 cup—no garlic cloves—and store it in a cool dry place for use in salad dressing or sautéing.)

Using an old-fashioned potato masher or large fork, mash the garlic into a coarse puree. Pour the mixture into a wide-mouth storage container and refrigerate it until you’re ready to enjoy some deliciousness. The mojo will last for up to three months as long as the garlic stays submerged under the oil.

Recipes and Therapy: Banana split bites1 c. chocolate chips1 Tbsp short...

Recipes and Therapy: Banana split bites1 c. chocolate chips1 Tbsp short...: Banana split bites 1 c. chocolate chips 1 Tbsp shortening 2 or 3 bananas cut into 2" slices and hollowed out but leaving a half inch of...

Banana split bites
1 c. chocolate chips
1 Tbsp shortening
2 or 3 bananas cut into 2" slices and hollowed out but leaving a half inch of banana on the bottom
1 c whipping cream
1 Tbsp cherry liquor or pineapple vodka
2 Tbsp honey
1c Chopped peanuts
Caramel sauce
Maraschino cherries

In a double boiler melt the chocolate and shortening.
Dip the bottom half of the bananas in the chocolate and roll in the peanuts. Let set on a lined cookie sheet
Whip the cream until soft peaks form and then add the honey and liquor and beat til firm
Using a Ziploc bag add your whipped cream and cut off a corner of the bag and pipe the cream into the hollow part of the banana.
Drizzle with the caramel, sprinkle the remaining nuts and top with one cherry per cup. Eat as soon as they are made because bananas tend to oxidize

Pulled pork, homemade guac and smoked turkey Monterrey grilled sammies. What are all of you making tonight?