Tag: Smoked paprika

Southwest Black Bean Burger

spicy black bean burger

Southwest Black Bean Burger

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: Easy
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I am in no way a Vegetarian and don’t do vegetarian dishes all that often…. maybe one or two a year, however this is a recipe I have wanted to try for some time.

Now the last time I had a Black Bean Burger it was in a local restaurant and it was just awful…… it took me hours to get the taste of Cumin out of my mouth. I mean there was so much of it in the burger that  I could not taste anything else and it was horrid.

So now here is my interpretation of a black bean burger.

Cook’s note: The Ancho chili powder makes this one a little bit spicy so feel free to adjust the amount.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 1 medium Green Pepper rough chopped
  • 1 Sweet Onion rough chopped
  • 1 cup Breadcrumbs
  • 2 15 ounce cans of Black Beans – rinsed and set aside in separate bowls
  • 1 1/2 Teaspoons Seasoned Salt
  • 1 1/2 Teaspoons Black Pepper
  • 1 Teaspoon Coriander
  • 2 Teaspoons Granulated Garlic
  • 2 Tablespoons Smoked Paprika
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons Ancho Chili Powder

Putting it all together:

  1. Place all ingredients except one bowl of black beans in a food processor.
  2. Pulse the ingredients until a paste has formed.
  3. Place the paste in a large mixing bowl and add the remaining beans and the breadcrumbs. Mix well.
  4. Cover and place in the fridge for 40 minutes.
  5. Remove from fridge and form into 5 ounce patties.
  6. Pan fry or grill for 8 mins. per side.
  7. Enjoy

There you have it another “Simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time……..

                                  Bon Appetit

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Coffee Rubbed Striploin

Coffee Rubbed Striploin

Coffee Rubbed Striploin

  • Servings: 6-8
  • Difficulty: Easy
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Sunday dinners with family are a time to gather together and enjoy good drink , good conversation and really good food which is why I chose this recipe for this family gathering.

The secret to any good recipe lies in the ingredients and for this one the ingredients in the dry rub make the difference.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list: 

  •  4 Striploin steaks 
  • 2 tablespoons Ancho chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons finely ground Coffee beans
  • 5 tablespoons Brown Sugar
  • 2 tablespoons Smoked Paprika
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried Oregano
  • 2 teaspoons ground black Pepper
  • 2 teaspoons ground Coriander
  • 2 teaspoons ground Ginger
  • 1 tablespoon Kosher Salt

Putting it all together:

  1. Preheat the bbq to 450°
  2. In a medium non reactive bowl mix all the dry ingredients together.
  3. Thoroughly rub the steaks with the dry rub and place on the bbq for 9 minutes a side.
  4. Enjoy

There you have it another “Simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time…….

                           Bon Appetit 

Jambalaya

Sausage and Shrimp Jambalaya

Jambalaya

  • Servings: 6 - 8
  • Difficulty: Easy
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It’s no secret that I have a bit of a love affair with Cajun/Creole cooking. I mean what’s not to love? The depths of seasoning, the seafood, different vegetable combinations and various meats used in this cuisine open up a whole world of possibilities. The only thing is—— What took me so long to post this recipe??

Now this particular Jambalaya is a marriage of the “King of  Bam” ( Emeril Lagasse) and mine with most of the credit going to Chef Emeril.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping List:

  • 3 tablespoons Canola Oil
  • 6 cups Vegetable stock or Water
  • 1 28 ounce can Diced Tomatoes
  • 3 cups Uncle Ben’s™ 5 Minute Rice
  • 1 bag 31 – 40 Shrimp – peeled, cleaned and tail off
  • 1 pound Andouille sausage – sliced on the diagonal and bite sized
  • 2 cups chopped Red Onion
  • 1 cup chopped Celery
  • 1 cup chopped Bell Pepper
  • 3 chopped Garlic cloves
  • 1 cup chopped Green Onions for garnish
  • 3 Bay Leaves
  • 3 tablespoons Smoked Paprika
  • 3 tablespoons Chipotle powder
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons dried Thyme
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried Oregano
  • 2 tablespoons Seasoned Salt
  • Ground Black Pepper to taste

Putting it all together:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°
  2. In a large dutch oven heat the oil and brown the sausage in batches removing to a holding bowl.
  3. In the same pot add the onion, celery, peppers and seasonings mixing well. Cook for about 3 minutes
  4. Add the tomatoes, stock and sausage. Bring to a boil, turn off the heat, cover and put in the oven for about 35 minutes.
  5. Add the rice and shrimp and turn off the heat for another 5 minutes.
  6. Plate and garnish with the green onions if desired.
  7. Enjoy.

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time……….

                           Bon Appetit 

Chicken and Shrimp Burritos

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Chicken and Shrimp Burritos

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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“Nouvelle Cuisine, roughly translated, means: I can’t believe I paid ninety-six dollars and I’m still hungry.”

Mike Kalin

When I picked my grandson up from school today he looked at me and said “Pops……. you know what day this is ? It’s Taco Tuesday!!” Now I love Mexican food….. Carne Asada, Pozole, Chicharone and Taquitos……… but lately I’ve kind of gone off Tacos and decided that I wanted something different—– enter Burritos.

There is something about the mix of meat and rice and seasonings that I find very alluring in a Burrito unfortunately the Mexican take out places we have in the area are so heavy handed with the hot sauce that you can’t taste anything else and so I made my own.

Due to having a bunch of starving kids running amok in the house I took the liberty of some short cuts that I don’t normally use because if I didn’t I surely would have lost my sanity.

Oh and my grandson still got his Tacos.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list: 

  • 1 package of large 10″ Tortillas 
  • 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken breast
  • 12 Shrimp – shelled and deveined
  • 5 teaspoons Vegetable oil
  • One package shredded Cheese
  • 1 8 ounce can Corn kernels
  • 1 10 ounce can Black Beans
  • 6 Spring Onions – white only, sliced
  • 1 18 ounce can Diced tomatoes
  • 3 cups Uncle Ben’s 5 minute Rice
  • 3 cups Water
  • 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons granulated Garlic
  • 2 tablespoons Chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons Smoked Paprika
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 6-8 tablespoons Salsa Verde

Putting it all together:

  1. In a large pot bring the water, corn, black beans and tomatoes to a boil for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, onions and rice. Cover and remove from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
  2. In a large fry pan heat 3 tablespoons oil, add the diced chicken, season with the chili powder, salt, pepper and smoked paprika and saute for about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  3. In the same pan heat the remaining oil, add the shrimp and season with the Old Bay. Saute until firm – about 3 minutes. Add to the chicken.
  4. To build the burrito: Heat a tortilla for approximately 20 seconds. Place some cheese in the center of the tortilla, top with the rice, chicken and shrimp mix, salsa and more cheese. Fold the east and west side flaps of the tortilla until they meet in the middle. Using your thumbs fold the bottom flap up and over and roll until you have made your round burrito.
  5. Enjoy.

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond.”

Until next time……..

                          Bon Appetit

Pork, Bean, and Greens Soup

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Pork, bean, and greens soup

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: easy
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For almost 40 years I have had the habit, a bad habit some may say, of always putting myself second behind my family and friends when it comes to breakfast, lunch and dinner. In addition I used to smoke (happy to say that habit died 10 years ago) and I sometimes drink a little too much.

Three years ago that lifestyle caught up to me in the form of Type 2 Diabetes.

For anyone that has or knows anything about Type 2 you know that lifestyle changes are needed if you don’t want nasty things happening or having things start to drop off. Unfortunately for me I’m pig headed and it takes time for stuff to sink in before I start to take corrective action but after three years and tons of “nagging” (and that’s a good thing) from my better half I think I have turned the corner and am on the road to good things.

This recipe, then, is from a cookbook I found that is for diabetics and the end result is really quite good.

Here’s how we do this one.

Shopping list:

  • 1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped onions
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 6 cups sodium reduced chicken stock
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 15 ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • 4 cups cough chopped napa cabbage
  • 4 cups rough chopped tuscan kale
  • 3 ounces grated fresh Parmesan

Putting it all together:

  1. Combine pork, rosemary, black pepper, salt, paprika and cayenne pepper in a bowl.
  2. Heat a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Add oil to pan and coat the bottom.
  3. Add pork mixture and saute for 2 minutes.
  4. Add onion and garlic and saute for another 4 minutes.
  5. Add stock, tomato paste and beans. Bring to a boil
  6. Reduce heat and cook, partially covered, 10 minutes.
  7. Stir in cabbage and kale and cook for 2 minutes or until the kale is wilted and the cabbage is softened.
  8. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with cheese.

There you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond”.

Until next time……….

                        Bon Appetit

 

 

 

Habanero and Garlic hot sauce

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I’m not a big fan of hot sauce because, well, it’s HOT but I figured that since I was growing Habaneros in my herb garden I might as well take a stab at making some and see where I wound up and if it turned out to be too hot for me then my son would take it because he likes the stuff. Now before you call me a wuss let me explain that I love spiced food I’m just not a lover of spicy food and when I say spicy I generally mean hot.  I mean let’s examine this for a moment. You go out to dinner or you make a really nice dinner at home only to douse it in Hot Sauce so you can no longer tell what the dish originally tasted like. Seems like a waste to me but hey…… whatever floats yer boat.

This particular recipe is one that is a “little bit of this and a little bit of that”—– meaning I have taken bits and pieces of various recipes to come up with this one and like I have said before “what fun is there in cooking if you can’t twist and turn a recipe to make it your own?”

I now present to you my first ever foray into the world of making Hot Sauce…… hope you like it.

Ingredients:

–  6 to 8 orange Habaneros

–  4 to 6 garlic cloves

–  2 Cups White vinegar

–  4 tablespoons white sugar

–  4 green onions – roughly chopped ( you can substitute a medium white onion if you wish)

–  2 Large Plum tomatoes – rough chopped

–  3 tablespoons Smoked Paprika

– 2 to 3 Limes

Putting it all together:

–  Wearing disposable gloves cut the Habaneros in half and seed them – careful not to wipe your eyes while wearing the gloves

–  Put the Habaneros, vinegar and garlic in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil — reduce heat and simmer

–  When the Habaneros have softened, about ten minutes, transfer the ingredients of the saucepan to a blender or food processor and squeeze in the lime juice

–  Puree until smooth

–  Add the remaining ingredients and again puree until smooth

–  Pour the hot sauce into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator

The finished product should look something like this

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As in everything else you can adjust the heat level to suit your own tastes by simply adding or subtracting Habaneros. You can even go so far as to use an entirely different hot pepper such as a Scotch Bonnet, Jalapeno or Cayenne.  You can even go so far as to add some Mango and impart a little sweetness to the heat. The choice is yours.

So there you have it another “simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond”

So until next time………..

                                                                         Bon Appetit

Black and Blue Burger

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It’s been quite a while since I posted anything here and for that I am sorry because I did truly enjoy posting my recipes and reading your comments but sometimes life simply gets in the way .

In an effort to get back to Blogging and posting my recipes I thought I would start out with something very “simple but tasty” and one meant for the grill since that particular season is once again, almost, upon us.

INGREDIENTS:

  • Two pounds ground beef
  • Two eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • 1/4  cup blackening spice —– recipe follows
  • 1/4 cup mayo
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 4 teaspoons blue cheese crumble
  • 2 teaspoons garlic

BLACKENING SPICE:

  • 1 heaping tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 heaping teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1 heaping teaspoon granulated onion
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

 

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER:

  • In a large, non reactive, bowl place the ground beef, eggs, bread crumbs and blackening spice and mix well being careful not to over mix as this will tend to break down the fat content of the meat.
  • Let sit in the refrigerator for approximately 30 minutes as this will allow the mixture to firm up
  • While the meat mix is firming up add the mayo, sour cream, blue cheese and garlic to another bowl and mix until well incorporated.
  • Refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes
  • Form 4 ounce patties (or larger if you wish) and grill until the burgers reach 165 degrees internal
  • Coat the bottom of the burger bun with the Blue Cheese mix add the burger and a slice of tomato and red onion.
  • A dollop of mustard on the top finishes the burger quite nicely.

There you have it……… “a simple but tasty recipe for the grilling season and beyond”

OH……. and be forewarned. This burger is at least a three napkin burger.

Until next time………….    BON APPETITE

 

Shrimp and Grits

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I think the first time I heard reference to Grits was in an old John Wayne movie and the person talking about them turned his nose up and said they were basically gross. I didn’t give it any more thought until a few years ago when I started watching the Food Network, specifically Diners Drive Ins and Dives, and I started to see episodes where people were making Grits and I thought “Wait a minute. They don’t look gross” and a love affair with grits was born.

Now for the uninitiated Grits are merely coarse ground Corn Meal and a staple in any Southern, or in my case Northern, kitchen and they are a very versatile ingredient that can be made in many different ways but my absolute favorite is Shrimp and Grits.

Here’s my take on a classic Southern dish.

Ingredients:

–           1 cup stone-ground grits

–           Salt and pepper

–           1/4 cup butter

–           2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

–           1 pound shrimp, 35-40 peeled and deveined, left whole if small and roughly chopped if medium or large

–           6 slices smoked bacon, chopped into tiny pieces

–           4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

–           2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

–           1 cup thinly sliced green onions, white and green parts

–           1/2 Medium white onion, diced

–           1 large garlic clove, minced

–           2 Tablespoons corn flour

–           1 Tsp of Cajun seasoning, Old Bay seasoning and Smoked Paprika

–           4 Cups chicken broth

Directions:

–           For the Grits bring 4 cups chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the grits and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well with a whisk. Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting and cook the grits until all the broth is absorbed, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and cheese. Keep covered until ready to serve.

–           Rinse the shrimp and pat dry. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned and crisp, then drain on a paper towel. Add the diced onion and garlic to the bacon grease. Add two tablespoons corn flour and mix well. Let the flour cook out before adding enough chicken stock to make a roux to your liking. Mix in the Cajun seasoning, Old Bay and Smoked Paprika and bacon and blend well. Add the shrimp and sauté over medium heat just until they turn pink, about 3 minutes. Do not overcook! Remove the skillet from the heat.

–           Pour the grits into a serving bowl. Pour the shrimp mixture over the grits and garnish with chopped green onion

I hope you enjoy this recipe and I thank you for dropping by.

Bon Appetit