~Be Adventurous~

~ Chris Holtz II

[chrisholtzii]

Barbecue pork, mushrooms, shrimp and rice wrapped in banana leaf and baked. #BeAdventurous

[chrisholtzii]

Too often, making dinner has become just that, making dinner. The curiosity of something new seems to have disappeared. And yet, maybe it hasn't. Fear might be the source. Lets change that.

~Be Adventurous

[chrisholtzii]

Back in it

I'm working on something big for the end of this year. More details to come.

[chrisholtzii]

Made something very special for my fiancés bridal shower last weekend. Cherry tomatoes stuffed with salmon salad and olives for ears. Everyone loved them.

[chrisholtzii]

My other half made chorizo mac last night. She added some olives, mushrooms and onions to the mix too!

[chrisholtzii]

Homemade cheese tortellini with chorizo and kale

[chrisholtzii]

Pan seared pork chop with sautéed peppers and crispy kale chips

[chrisholtzii]

Moroccan Chicken Ragu.

Been doing a lot of cooking lately....

The other night I made this, I mixture of a few recipes i found that turned out great. Chick peas,onions, carrots, lots of garlic, fresh chicken breast,  tomato paste, and fresh garden tomatoes along with a whole mess of spices; Cumin, turmeric, ground ginger, paprika, cinnamon, allspice. 

Along side a molded portion of couscous this was about as authentic as I could make without going to the Mediterranean.

[chrisholtzii]

Tonight’s adventure brought us back in time to old world England. Traditionally made with any leftover roasted meat and called cottage pie, tonight we made the more known shepard’s pie. It is believed to be called this because of the ground lamb of which it contains. Shepard’s pie is topped with whipped potatoes blended with egg yolk to promote a crusty surface in the oven.

Prepare the lamb mixture with sautéed onions and carrots. Cook these until they are soft and begin to take on color.Add ground lamb and cook until browned. Add a little flour to the mixture and stir. This produces something similar to a roux. Next add chicken stock to the mixture and reduce until thickened. Stir in peas and corn. Spoon this into a baking dish and top with whipped potatoes. Be sure to cover all of the lamb mixture. Place in a 400 degree oven until the top is lightly browned. 

We served ours on a piece of thick crusty bread. But feel free to enjoy straight up. Just be sure to let it cool to allow everything to set.

[chrisholtzii]

Never be afraid to combine ingredients together that aren’t normally used together. Tonight’s meal has; 1 cup Cous cous 1 tsp Smoked paprika 1 Jalapeño ( small dice ) 8 cloves Garlic ( minced ) 1.5 lbs Shredded chicken 1/2 Yellow Onion ( thinly sliced ) 1 cup Chicken stock 1 Vine ripened tomato ( large dice ) 1 tsp kosher salt ( coarse ) 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper 1 Tablespoon olive oil

These together made a sweet, spicy, smoky and chewy combination that makes you want more.

Start with the olive oil in a high sided sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until lightly colored. You don’t want the onion to be crispy. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes. Turn, and continue cooking for 5 or until the chicken is able to be pulled apart. Next add the jalapeño and garlic. Cook until softened. Sprinkle in the smoked paprika and stir or toss to combine. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Stir in the cous cous, cover with a well fitting lid, and remove from heat. After 5 minutes fluff the mixture with a large spoon. Season to taste and serve.

[chrisholtzii]

Back On It

I've been occupied with many things since my last post and are ready to get back to it. Stay tuned for new recipes and techniques to help you on you everyday culinary adventures.

[chrisholtzii]

“ It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them. ”

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

[chrisholtzii]

Fiery Wontons

  ½ pound Hot Italian sausage or chorizo

¼ cup green onion

¼ cup red bell pepper

1 egg

1 teaspoon light brown sugar

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon ketchup

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon mustard

1 package wonton wrappers (square or round)

peanut or olive oil for frying

1 cup water

    1. Mix all ingredients except oil, water, and wrappers in medium size bowl.

2. Place each wonton wrapper on flat surface add ½  teaspoon of filling in center. Adding too much will cause the wonton to burst during cooking. Not Good….

3. Brush two edges of wrapper with water. Fold over and seal, forcing all air out. Make 3 pleats on each.

4. Sauté in shallow frying pan in olive or peanut oil for 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy.

  For a healthier wonton,

 Preheat oven 350.

Follow steps 1, 2 and 3. But instead of step 4;

Whisk egg with a little water. Lightly brush each wonton.

Bake 350 for 10 minutes or until golden brown and cripy. 

~Chef_Moko

[chrisholtzii]

Garlic Bread~ Revisited

  1 French baguette sliced ½ thick on the bias (angled)

2 Bulbs of garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil plus extra for brushing

1 tablespoon margarine

1 teaspoon chopped parsley

Salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees ºF. Cut the top ½ inch or so off the garlic bulbs until most of the cloves are showing. Place each cut garlic bulb on a 6” x 6” square of aluminum foil. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil on each garlic bulb. Season with salt & pepper. Bring the 4 corners of the foil to the middle and crinkle together at the top. Place these in the oven for 45 minutes on the rack or a small sheet pan.

Carefully remove the garlic from the oven, let cool for 2-3 minutes. Once slightly cooled, take a butter knife and remove each clave to a small mixing bowl.  Be sure to save the oil from the foil.

Using a fork, blend the garlic with the margarine. Once the spread comes together, add salt and pepper to taste. Place the finished spread in a small dish.

Preheat your grill pan or preferably your outdoor grill (gas or charcoal) to medium..

To prepare the baguette slices, place them on a sheet pan and lightly brush them with olive oil. Flip and repeat.

Quickly grill the oiled bread slices until slightly toasted (not too dark though).

Serve the grilled bread with the garlic spread. Use as much or as little garlic spread as desired. To finish everything off, drizzle with the reserved garlic oil.

[chrisholtzii]

German Sauerkraut Balls

20 oz   Snow Floss Sauerkraut chopped fine, drained and squeezed

  1 medium onion chopped fine

3 Tablespoons butter

1 pound German sausage

3 medium cloves garlic minced

6 Tablespoons A.P. Flour

1 egg

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. parsley

1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

1 tsp. red pepper flake

Salt and pepper to taste

   1. Over medium heat, sauté the onions and garlic until translucent.

   2. Add the sausage and cook through, chopping fine.

  3. In a separate bowl mix the egg, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flake, cayenne pepper, and parsley.

  4. Add the flour to the sausage mixture

  5. Mix the contents of the bowl with the sausage mixture.

  6. Shape into 1” inch balls and chill over night

  7. Roll in fine bread crumbs and deep-fry at 375° until golden brown.( about 1- 1 ½ min.)

                                Chef_Moko

[chrisholtzii]

“ The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today. ”

— Franklin D. Roosevelt

[chrisholtzii]

Being a fan of kalamata olives, this was a perfect dish. Brown rice with lemon chunks, olives and Mediterranean herbs. The chicken was slow roasted with a light coat of olive oil and rubbed with more herbs. The pan drippings were mixed with chicken stock, reduced, and slightly thickened. The amount of olives in this makes it slightly salty but it was still really good.