Eat at Moe's

A collection of recipes for foodmaking. Disclaimer: I believe there is no such thing as too much garlic and my recipes reflect this. If you are thinking of doubling the garlic, test it as written first. If you are sensitive to garlic, this might be the wrong blog for you. Other disclaimer: Images are typically just for show and may or may not reflect the actual recipe.

[moes-eats]

Moe's Burger Spice - REVISED

After deconstruction and reconstruction, I have revised the burger spice recipe to no longer require a pre-mix. It also comes in three spice intensities, mild (which some call medium), hot and extra hot. Photos below are of actual mild and hot patties.

Mild

4 tbsp salt

2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp brown sugar

2 tsp black pepper

2 tsp white pepper

1/2 cup chili powder

4 tbsp paprika

2/3 cup italian bread crumbs

1 tbsp + 1 tsp chipotle powder

Hot

4 tbsp salt

2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp brown sugar

2 tsp black pepper

2 tsp white pepper

6 tbsp chili powder

4 tbsp paprika

2/3 cup italian bread crumbs

2 tbsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp + 1 tsp chipotle powder

Extra Hot

4 tbsp salt

2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp brown sugar

2 tsp black pepper

2 tsp white pepper

4 tbsp chili powder

4 tbsp paprika

2/3 cup italian bread crumbs

4 tbsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp + 1 tsp chipotle powder

Mix ingredients together well and store in a glass jar. Mix with ground beef at the rate of 1 teaspoon per ounce of beef.

[moes-eats]

Moe's Perfect Pesto Sauce

After some experimentation with nuts and other ingredients, I have perfected this recipe. Note the change to pecans and the addition of lemon juice to the previous post.

INGREDIENTS:

6 cloves garlic

2 cups fresh basil leaves (or a 4 oz package of fresh basil, if buying from the store)

4 tbsp pecans

2 tbsp lemon juice

dash salt and pepper

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup grated pecorino romano cheese

DIRECTIONS:

peel garlic

wash and dry basil and remove stems

mince garlic and pecans in the blender/food processor

add basil, and a dash of salt and pepper

blend for 15 seconds, add lemon juice, then drizzle oil in

blend until pureed, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula as necessary

add cheese to mixture

to reduce thickness, add 1 tbsp of water at a time until desired consistency is reached

cover and refrigerate for no more than 2-3 days or freeze

[moes-eats]

Apple-Orange Cranberry Sauce

Another Williams-Sonoma recipe. Make it for Thanksgiving dinner or just whenever. It takes the boring out of cranberry sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 orange

2 cups water

1 tart apple, such as Granny Smith

3 cups fresh cranberries

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

DIRECTIONS:

Squeeze the juice from the orange and set the juice aside.

Remove and discard the membrane from inside the orange rind and cut the rind into small dice.

In a small saucepan over high heat, combine the rind and the water and bring to a boil.

Cook for 10 minutes, then drain and set aside. 

Peel, core and quarter the apple.

Cut into 1/2-inch dice and place in a saucepan.

Sort the cranberries, discarding any soft ones.

Add to the apples along with the orange juice, orange rind, sugar, cinnamon and cloves.

Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low and cover the pan partially.

Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, the apple is tender and the cranberries have burst, 10 to 15 minutes. 

Transfer the cranberry sauce to a heatproof bowl and let cool for 1 hour before serving. Or cover and refrigerate.

Bring to room temperature before serving. Transfer the cranberry sauce to a sauce boat and pass at the table.

[moes-eats]

Chi-Chi's Style Corn Cake

Some of you might remember the Chi-Chi's restaurants. Failing that, you may have seen their products in grocery stores. They (apparently) used to sell a corn cake mix based off of what they had in the restaurant. I don't remember the corn cake at all, but my wife does. When we couldn't find the mix in the store she found a recipe on food.com. The corn cake was amazing. Since I liked eating it, I'm passing this along to you so that you may also eat it. You can thank me after dinner. Serves 8

INGREDIENTS:

1 8.5 oz box Jiffy corn muffin mix

1 egg

1 ~14 oz can creamed corn

3 tbsp butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350F

Mix all ingredients together

Bake in a greased 9x13 pan for 20-25 minutes

[moes-eats]

Chocolate-Raspberry Brownies

Trying a different format here. I think I like this more. This is a Williams-Sonoma recipe and these are definitely the best brownies ever. Make them, eat them, then make more of them. 

INGREDIENTS:

8 tbsp unsalted butter

4 oz unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam or preserves

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325F. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan

Melt the butter and the chocolate: In a small, heavy saucepan over low heat, combine the butter and chocolate, stirring often until just melted. Remove from heat and let cool slightly

Mix the batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla until blended. Whisk in the chocolate mixture until completely blended. Add the flour and whisk just to incorporate. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly with a rubber spatula. Spoon the raspberry jam in the dollops over the batter, then run a knife through the batter a few times to achieve a marbled effect.

Bake the brownies: Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs still clinging to it, about 30 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the brownies cool completely in the pan. Using a sharp knife, cut the brownies into squares and serve.

[moes-eats]

Chicken with Honey-Beer Sauce

This one came about at my wife insisting we throw a new dish in the rotation. From myrecipes.com this one is quite the tasty chicken dish.

INGREDIENTS:

2 tsp canola oil

4 6 oz skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/8 tsp salt

3 tbsp thinly sliced shallots

8 oz. beer (the original recipe suggested a domestic wheat ale, I used an IPA--Pyramid Outbirst or Hop Czar, IIRC--and it turned out great)

2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

1 tbsp whole grain dijon mustard

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

DIRECTIONS:

Combine beer, soy sauce, mustard and honey in a small bowl and stir with a whisk

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat

Add oil to pan, swirl to coat

Sprinkle chicken evenly with pepper and salt

Add chicken to pan and saute for 6 minutes on each side until done

Remove chicken from pan, keep warm

Add shallots to pan and cook for 1 minute or until translucent

Add beer-honey mixture to pan and bring to a boil (scrape pan periodically to loosen browned bits)

Cook 3 minutes or until reduced to 1/2 cup

Return chicken to pan and turn to coat with sauce

Sprinkle evenly with parsely

[moes-eats]

Sweet Apple BBQ Chicken

Another crock pot recipe, it's exactly what it sounds like. Serves six.

INGREDIENTS:

24 oz raw bonless chicken breast in 1 in. cubes

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

3 cups chopped fugi apples

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

1/2 cup BBQ sauce <45 cal/2tbsp

4 tsp chopped garlic

1 tbsp cornstarch

DIRECTIONS:

Season chicken with 1/4 tsp each salt and black pepper and place in crock pot. Top with apples and onion

In a medium bowl, mix garlic into barbecue sauce. Pour sauce mixture into crock pot and lightly stir

Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours, until chicken is fully cooked.

In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in 1 tbsp cold water. Stir mixture into the contents of the crock pot with 1/2 tsp salt. 

On Low, let sit, uncovered until slightly thickened (about 10 minutes).

Stir and serve

[moes-eats]

Crockpot Pulled Pork

Another crockpot recipe, this time for pulled pork. A bit more complicated than the pot roast, this makes for some tasty sliders.

INGREDIENTS:

4 lb pork shoulder roast

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

12 oz water

2 cups barbecue sauce

1 cup chopped onion

DIRECTIONS:

Place half of the thinly sliced onions in the bottom of the slow cooker

Add pork, water and remaining onion slices

Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or high for 4 to 5 hours

Drain liquid from slow cooker

Chop meat coarsely and discard excess fat

Put the pork back in the slow cooker

Add barbecue sauce and chopped onion

Cover and cook on low 4 to 6 hours longer

Stir occasionally

Serve on toasted buns

[moes-eats]

Slow Cooker Pulled Barbecue Beef

Another crock pot barbecue dish, this time with beef! Serve on a bun or on a plate with a side of texas toast. Serves 12

INGREDIENTS:

1 3 lb boneless chuck roast

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

salt and pepper to taste

1 (18 oz) bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce

DIRECTIONS:

Place the roast in the slow cooker

Sprinkle with garlic powder and onion powder

Season with salt and pepper

Pour BBQ sauce over meat

Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours

Remove meat from crock pot, shred and return to crock pot

Cook for 1 hour

Serve hot

[moes-eats]

Pepperoncini Pot Roast

This is a super simple but fantastically tasty recipe for your crock pot. 

INGREDIENTS:

2-3 lb pot roast

14 oz jar of pepperoncinis, drained

12 oz beef broth

12 oz beer (don't use a cheap beer, unless you want your meal to taste like corn and piss, that means, no bud, miller, coors, lebatt or anything of that caliber)

1 packet Italian salad dressing mix

DIRECTIONS:

Place the pot roast in the crock pot

Pour the broth and beer over the roast

Place the pepperoncinis on top of the roast

Pour the dressing mix over the roast, coating the meat and pepperoncinis, once coated, pour the rest into the liquid

Turn the crock pot on low for 6-8 hours

[moes-eats]

Pan-seared Steaks

This one is straight out of America's Test Kitchen. The first time I made this, my wife said it tasted better than a steakhouse. Granted, it was also a fantastic cut of meat, which helps immensely. Directions are only given for up to medium-rare (overcooked in my book). If you want your steak more done than that, give it to somebody who will appreciate it before you ruin a perfectly good cut of meat.

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbsp vegetable oil

boneless strip steaks or rib-eye steaks

salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking.

Meanwhile, pat steaks dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper.

Lay steaks in pan, leaving 1/4 inch between them.

Cook, without moving steaks, until well browned, about 4 minutes.

Using tongs, flip steaks and continue to cook until meat registers 115 to 120 degrees (for rare) or 120 to 125 degrees (for medium-rare), 3 to 7 minutes. Anything above medium-rare and you're a heathen.

Transfer steaks to serving platter and tent loosely with aluminum foil to rest until ready, then serve.

[moes-eats]

Moe Fwacky's Olde Fashioned Good-Tyme Burger Spice A mix of my own creation, it makes for fantastically tasty, spicy burgers that will melt your face off. Mix 1 tsp per ounce of ground beef for optimal results.

INGREDIENTS:

6 parts Weber Gormet Burger Seasoning

4 parts Italian bread crumbs

1 part cayenne pepper

1 part chili powder

For extra spiciness, replace the chili powder with another part of cayenne pepper

[moes-eats]

PESTO SAUCE Pesto is great on pasta, chicken or just straight out of the blender with a spoon. If you don't like garlic, you're a bad person and this is the wrong recipe for you. This recipe has 60 calories and 11 grams of fat per tablespoon.

INGREDIENTS:

6 cloves garlic

2 cups fresh basil leaves

3 tbsp pine nuts

dash salt and pepper

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup grated pecorino romano cheese (parmesean-romano mix can be substituted, but isn't recommended)

DIRECTIONS:

peel garlic

wash and dry basil and remove stems

mince garlic in the blender/food processor

add basil, pine nuts and a dash of salt and pepper

blend for 15 seconds, then drizzle oil in

blend until pureed, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula as necessary

add cheese to mixture

to reduce thickness, add 1 tbsp of water at a time until desired consistency is reached

to prevent oxidation, add 1 tbsp of lemon juice

cover and refrigerate for no more than 2-3 days or freeze

[moes-eats]

Asian Salisbury Steak Despite its name, this dish is neither Asian nor Salisbury steak. What it is, is tasty. Enjoy it with cooked watercress or a side of broccoli. 

INGREDIENTS:

12 ounces 90%-lean ground beef

3/4 cup finely diced bell pepper

3/4 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup plain dry breadcrumbs

4 tbsp hoisin sauce, divided

2 tbsp ground ginger

3 tsp canola oil, divided

1/2 cup teriyaki sauce or rice wine

DIRECTIONS:

meat:

pre-heat boiler, coat pan in cooking spray

mix beef, bell pepper, green onions, breadcrumbs, 3 tbsp hoisin sauce and ginger in a medium bowl until just combined

form the mixture into 3 oblong patties and place in the pan

brush the tops of the patties with 1 tsp oil

broil, flipping once, until cooked through, about 4-6 minutes per side

sauce:

meanwhile, heat 2 tsp oil, teriyaki sauce or rice wine and 1 tbsp hoisin sauce in a skillet on high heat

stir until smooth, bubbling and reduced

top meat with sauce and enjoy