Cream, Sausage and cheese, What more can you ask for

This little delicacy was one of my, I am tired of the same way of making this dish lets totally change it. I usually make a hot Italian Sausage spaghetti from time to time. Usually however, it is a red sauce tomato base. I was tired of that and so I tried something and what came out of it was wonderful. So for starters I got two Hot Italian Sausages (brat size) from Sunflower Market. If you live in Denver and have never been to Sunflower you are missing out. So anyway, here is the list of things you need. 

2 Hot Italian Sausages

Chopped Fresh Basil some for the sauce (about 4 big leaves) some for the top. 

Lemon Juice

Mushrooms about a handful

Half a tomato or so

Garlic to taste, I use 3 cloves or more

Real on the block Parmesan cheese

Cream

Butter

Angel Hair Pasta

Fry the sausages making sure to get them nice and brown and get the pan good and dirty, not black but brown dirty. Once the sausages are done remove them and set them aside to cool slightly. If you have an assistant that person can cut the sausages in bite size pieces for you. Back to the pan. Deglaze the pan with enough lemon juice to leave some on the bottom. Add some butter, how much is up to you. I like butter. Then toss in the mushrooms, tomato, garlic and basil. Throw the cut sausage back in and let everything cook together until the mushrooms are soft. Then add the cream and stir in cheese to taste. Cook it all until the cream reduces and starts to thicken. Think thin gravy. While all this is happening you might want to cook your pasta as well. So once the sauce is done, toss the drained pasta with it. Spoon out on serving plates and top with cheese and more fresh basil. Enjoy. 

Apples, Shrimp and Basil, a Perfect Kabob

We make these anytime shrimp goes on sale. In Colorado, that is not very often but we make then when we can. Here is what you will need. 

• 3 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon strawberry jam
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons white sugar
• 2 Gala apples, cored and cut into eighths
• 16 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

Basically mix all the ingredients except the apples and Shrimp together as a marinade. Then pour it over the shrimp and apples. Marinade for at least a half hour then build your kabobs. Grill them over medium heat until done. Enjoy. Very quick. Very simple. Very Nice. 

Mrs. MC's Magic Muffins

Mrs MC has discovered a recipe for these delicious muffins. They are so good they have reduced our oldest to a life of thievery. Actually she was just really happy to eat them. They are pretty healthy and full of good ingredients. So here is how they are made. 

1 1/2 cups of White flour (we use unbleached)

3/4 cup Whole wheat flour

3/4 cup oat Bran

1 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Baking soda

1 teaspoon of Baking powder

2 1/2 teaspoons of Cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon  Nutmeg

3 Eggs

1/2 cup Vegetable oil

1/2 cup unsweetened Applesauce

1 cup Plain yogurt

3/4 cup Sugar

3/4 cup Honey

2 teaspoons Vanilla extract

1 cup shredded Zucchini (drained after shredding)

1 cup shredded Carrots

1/2 cup Raisins

Thats quite a list of ingredients but it is worth it. 

So, oven at 400 defrees F. Muffin cups as you wish, we use a silicone muffin pan. This recipie makes quite a few dozen. 

In a bowl sift together all the dry ingredients. We like our nutmeg fresh so we grate it ourselves like this. 

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, oils, applesauce, yogurt, sugar, honey and vanilla. Combine the two bowls and mix, then gently fold in the remaining ingredients. Scoop into the muffin pans and bake for 18-20 minutes. They are done when a toothpick comes out clean. We usually dump these out over a towel and start scarfing. Enjoy. 

Don't Trifle with Peace

So Mrs. MC is preggers and was craving trifle of all things. I make my trifle in the Scottish Mormon style. That means no liquor and a spongy jelly (jello) base. Mrs MC actually made this following my guidance. I did the final decorating, hence the title. So the basic parts of a trifle are the Jello layer, the Custard layer and the cream layer. You can embellish the top however you desire. Here is how we made ours. 

First place Lady Fingers in the bottom of a bowl. These are sometimes tricky to find so I buy a big package when I find them. They are like dried sponge cake. I have used the Little Debbie strawberry cake rolls in a bind but nothing compares to the real deal. 

Mix up a package of your favorite Jello. I usually use Strawberry but I have seen all sorts of flavors even chocolate. Pour the hot Jello over your ladyfingers and place bowl into the fridge to set. 

The next layer is the Custard layer and by custard I mean custard. You can use Pudding but it is really too sweet to get the authentic Scottish taste. Trifle is typically British in that it is not deadly sweet like most American goodies. It is more rich and fattening. 

Here is our recipe for homemade custard. You can use Bird's custard powder if you like or there are other custard recipes that don't use cornstarch online. Ours seems to work good. 

5 egg yolks

1/2 cup of Sugar

2 tbls. corn starch

2 cups of Milk

1 tsp of vanilla

Beat the egg yolks and sugar together and beat until well blended. In a saucepan, dissolve the corn starch in 1/2 cup of the Milk. Add the rest of the milk and vanilla and bring to a boil slowly, stirring constantly. Once the milk has barley started to boil temper it into the egg mixture. This is done by mixing small amounts (about 1/8 cup at a time) to the egg mixture and stirring it in. This allows the eggs to come to temperature without curdling. Once about half them  milk is in you can then add the eggs into the main pot. Return to heat and boil, slowly again until the mixture thickens, about two minutes. Pour into a cool bowl and cover with plastic wrap pressed onto the custard to keep a skin from forming. Cool in refrigerator until firm. 

Once the Jello is set and the custard is cool it is time to assemble your trifle. Do yourself a favor and whip up real whip cream. I have never had cool whip on a trifle but I can imagine that it is disgusting. I only add a small amount of powdered sugar in keeping with the less sweet British theme. Carefully add the custard on top of your Jello layer, then the cream. Thats it and it is amazing. 

Cheerio the noo. 

Kafta Kabob Kills the Kompetition

I made these a few weeks back and just haven't had a chance to post about them. This is a simple and tasty Middle Eastern Treat. The ingredients are as follows:

1 LB of Ground beef or lamb or a mixture of both. I like it mixed.

4 Cloves of Garlic

1 Tbs of Kosher Salt

3 Tbs of grated onion

1 bunch of parsley

1 Tbs Coriander

1 tsp Cumin

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp cayenne, we cut this back for the kids

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1 or 2 whole lemons

1 head of green leaf lettuce

1 or 2 tomatoes

1 Cucumber (English if you can, smaller seeds more meat)

Start by smashing the garlic with the back of a nice broad knife like a chefs knife or something. Then sprinkle on a pinch of salt and grind this to a pulp with the back of the knife. I then mix this with the grated onion and a couple of teaspoons of chopped parsley. Then I add this mixture to the meat and mix, by hand is the best (use rubber gloves). Then I add the spices and a few grinds of black pepper. Mix this all together and form the meat into little sausages and put these on skewers. Stick them in the fridge if you can for a while to congeal around the sticks. Grill them until they are done. Basically I like to cook these all the way to well done. They hold together better that way. 

While those are grilling, cut the lettuce into shreds. Think taco lettuce with its nice long strands. Chop up the tomato, cucumber and as much parsley as you like. Mix the salad bits together and squeeze the juice from your lemons into it with a little salt and pepper. Thats it. The nice lemony dressing brightens up the greens and make this amazing. 

The final step is to load up your pita with a piece of Kofta, some salad and humus or other Middle eastern topping of your choice. Enjoy. Alf-mabruk on your Middle Eastern meal. 

Now to the Irish Side of the Family

So we are actually only like 1/8th Irish but that 1/8 comes out pretty well in the Red Hair. Actually my Swedish Grandma is where the Red hair comes from. Weird. Anyway for St. Patrick's day Mrs. Mc wanted something different instead of Corned Beef and Cabbage. So we decided to try what I teased her about it being Breakfast for Dinner. Corned Beef Hash. I don't care if it was Breakfast it was awesome. I guess she stole the recipe from Tyler Florence. So thanks Tyler. 

Here it is.

First you make some Herbed Root Vegetables.

2 Tablespoons of EVOO (Sorry couldn't resist I think its stupid too, for anyone with a brain that Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1 pound new potatoes, Scrubbed (we used fingerlings MMMMM)
1 pound baby carrots, trimmed, scrubbed
1 pound baby turnips, trimmed, scrubbed (we couldn't find baby ones so we just cubed regular ones)
1 pound baby parsnips, trimmed, scrubbed (we couldn't find baby ones so we just cubed regular ones)
Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the olive oil and butter into a large pot over medium. Once the butter is melted add the veggies and toss them to coat with the oils. Season with salt and pepper and add 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer with lid and cook until the veggies are tender. About 20 minutes. (We halved this part of the recipe and it worked great)

Now to the Hash and Sauce!

Hollandaise Sauce:
2 egg yoks
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 Tablespoons of Water
1 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 lemon juiced
Kosher Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Again we halved this, we didn't need a cup of butter sauce. Put the egg yokes, Mustard, cayenne and water into a blender. Blend together and then slowly and I mean slowly like a drizzle pour in the warm butter. You are going for an emulsion. Once the butter is integrated use the lemon juice and salt and pepper to flavor the sauce to your liking. It will taste like lemony spicy butter when its right. Who doesn't like butter sauces?

Keep the Sauce warm. Ours was warm enough just on the counter. Just don't put it in the fridge.

Onto the Heavenly Hash

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped
2 cups chopped corned beef (please buy real corned beef and not the can stuff, is that even meat?)
2 cups of your Herbed root veggies chopped up
2 tablespoons chopped chives
Salt and pepper
4 Eggs for poaching and 2 Tablespoons vinegar for the same purpose

Heat the oil and cook the onion on medium until soft (about five minutes) in a non stick skillet. Add the rest of the ingredients except the eggs and vinegar. Stir around for a minute then leave unstirred and cook until the bottom gets brown and crisp about 5-10 minutes. 

While that cooks poach the eggs.


This is done by filling a large skillet with water, adding the vinegar and some salt and bringing it to a boil. Then you reduce the water to where it is barely bubbling and then using a small bowl carefully crack each egg into the bowl and introduce it into the water. I kinda let the water seep into the rim of the bowl and then gently kinda let the egg float off. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the egg is set to your liking. I like mine runny. Mrs Mc likes em stiff as cardboard. Remove them with a slotted spoon and dry briefly on a paper towel.

Now assemble the master piece. Put some hash down (I actually made 4 leaf clovers with some sauce first-it was an attempt to get the kids to eat it), then an egg and top with sauce. Amazing. Truly.

Some Scottish Treats for Ya

On Sunday we decided to make one of my favorite Scottish dinners. I have to confess considering my penchant for fresh ingredients, this is one meal that uses two prepared ingredients, sorry. But it is delicious and easy. The main dish is Steak Pie and I almost always serve it with Roast Tatties and cheap and easy frozen peas. This week we added Neeps (Turnips) to the mix although I found out that the Neeps I have been using are the wrong ones. I guess they use Rutabagas which are yellow in Scotland. Och well.

Here it is.

Steak Pie

3/4 - 1 lb Steak, something tender- Top sirloin is good, sliced into strips like fajitas
1 package of Brown Gravy mix, go with a good brand, if you can find Bisto (Scottish Brand) then by all means.
1 Sheet of Puff Pastry, thawed according to instructions
1 Medium Onion
Salt, Pepper, Spices (Garlic granules)

Its real simple. Cut up the onion how ever you like. I usually do thin rings. It doesn't matter. Fry that in a wee bit of olive oil until it gets soft and starts to brown. Add your meat and cook to desired doneness. Salt and pepper and add any spices you would like. Now mix up the gravy according to instructions. Its usually a cup of cold water to the packet. Pour the Gravy over and cook until it starts to thicken.

Pour the Meat and gravy mix into an 8 X 8 or similar dish and cover with puff pastry. Bake at 400 until the pastry puffs adn browns. Then its time to tuck in. This is seriously amazing.

The potatoes are pretty easy too. I put them in the oven about 15 minutes before the pie.

Cut some potatoes into nice bite size cubes. Boil in salted water until they yield but are not soft enough for mashed potatoes. Drain and empty into a mixing bowl. Pour enough oil to to coat the potatoes and mix them around to get oil all over them. Pour them onto a baking pan (I think metal is best but anything works), salt and bake at 400 until the bottoms are crispy. Yum.

The neeps are easy as well. I just boiled them until they were tender and drained them, added some salt and butter. Good Scottish comfort food. Now if I could only get some Haggis.

Its even better the day after

We had our friends over last night for a Curry. He served in the same mission as me about 5 years before, so he knows his way around a good curry and we wanted to treat them. I modified a recipe found in Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking book and it was brilliant. A bit spicy so you may want to reduce the cayenne but it was nice. Here is how it happened.

First I do all the prep work before I start cooking. There is nothing worse than starting to fry a curry and scurrying around trying to find and or grind a spice on the spot while your onions burn. So I am going to break this into sections so you don't have to think about how to break it up. Here is the recipe so you can make sure you have everything. The staged directions follow with my additions to make this curry superb.

3 tablespoons coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
2 inch piece cinnamon stick
3 1/2 pounds chicken pieces
2 medium-sized onions, cut into fine rings
4-5 cloves garlic, cut into fine slivers
1 teaspoon peeled, very finely grated fresh ginger
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground tumeric
1 teaspoon cayenne powder
1 14 oz can of coconut milk
2 fresh, hot green chilies, split in half lengthwise

First put the coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, and peppercorns in a pan (preferably cast iron) and dry roast them over medium high heat until they just start to brown. They will let off a sweet smokey aroma that is amazing in this curry. Let them cool slightly and then grind them in a coffee grinder or mortal and pestle or what ever grinding apparatus you have. We bought a cheap coffee grinder for this. It makes us feel slightly apostate but we hide it in the cupboard.

Put those spices in a small ramekin or dish.

Next put the Mustard seeds and cinnamon stick in another small dish.

The original recipe called for bone in chicken so if you are using that then just skin it and prep it. We used boneless and used about 2 and half pounds of to accommodate for lack of bones. If you use boneless then cut the chicken into cubes and set aside.

Dice up the onions and garlic and put them in a bowl together.

Cut the tomatoes and grate or mince the ginger and put them in a bowl together.

Now put the Turmeric, Cayenne and salt in a small bowl. Remember to reduce the Cayenne if you want it milder.

You can measure out the lemon juice before hand if you want, I did.

Open the can of coconut milk and skim the cream off the top and put it in a bowl. The brand we buy is made in like Thailand and is about 1/3 cream so it is awesome. You are trying to get the cream and the watery milk separated. I then poured the milk into a bowl and filled the can up with water. You can do this when you add it later but I wanted everything prepared.

Split the chillies and set aside ( I omitted these due to the heat I was getting already without them, unless you like it scoarching hot I would leave them out, they go in at the end and add a minor note to the dish.)

Now that all the prep work is done it is time to start cooking. Add the oil to a good heavy bottom pan and heat on medium high. Once the oil is hot add the Mustard seeds and the cinnamon stick. Fry these until the mustard seeds start popping. It only takes a few seconds, then put in the chicken. Make sure the chicken is fairly dry or the oil will turn watery. Brown all the chicken in the oil stirring it to coat it with the mustard seeds. Then remove the chicken to a bowl to rest. In the same oil add the garlic and onions and cook until they are light brown. Now add the tomato and ginger and cook until the tomato is soft. Turn the heat down a touch and add all the spices and the lemon juice. Stir fry this for a minute or so and bask in the aroma. Then add the chicken back into the pot and stir fry it until it is good a coated in the spices and onions.

Now add the coconut milk (not the cream) and about a half can of water from the coconut milk can. I did a full can and it was too watery since I am going to add more liquid in a second. Let that come to a simmer and cover and cook about 10 minutes.

Here is my tasty divergence. Add about a 1/3 cup of cream and three big dollops of yogurt to the mixture. Then I threw in about 1/2 cup of golden raisins; these are much different from normal ones, and can not be substituted by said black raisins. Stir this in and let simmer until the chicken is done and the curry is thicker than gravy. Add the coconut cream at the end and stir in for about a minute. Remove from heat and enjoy over basmati rice.

This curry was a little hot but awesome and then next day it was even better. The raisins give it a little sweetness and the cream and yogurt tempered the heat and added a creamy texture to it. Definitely worth the effort.

No Seriously, Cream Cheese Pizza

We make pizza about once every other week. It has been so long since we ordered delivery that I can't remember when it was. Making your own pizza has a couple of major advantages. 1st is probably healthier for you. I am anti-processed foods and I can guarantee that dominos uses canned sauce. 2nd you can put what ever you want on it. Our favorite combo is Bacon, Red Onions, Mushrooms, Pineapple and Fresh Basil. Last Friday (yes I am getting behind in posting but you are getting two tonight) we made it with all the above and cream cheese. I had this once on a Pizza in Greeley Colorado when I was in High School. It is amazing. The colder it is the easier it is to cut but just cubing it and dropping it on there is heavenly.

So of course you start with a good dough. This is Sarah Speciality so I will just reproduce the recipe. Ask her if you need further assistance.

2 Tablespoons of Sugar
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
3/4 Cup Warm water (warm enough for yeast about 105 degrees max)
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon of Instant Yeast

Combine all the ingredients into a mixer, preferably a bosch and mix together with a paddle mixer. Once it comes together knead it with the kneading hook for 10-15 minutes. This is the most important step. Don't skip it or shorten it. Once it is kneaded roll it on a lightly floured surface into a ball and place it in a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of Olive oil and toss the ball around to coat it. Cover and let rise until double. We actually proof our in the oven. Turn the oven on to like 200 and let it preheat, then kill the heat and put the bowl in with a pan of boiling water on the rack below. In Colorado in the winter this is almost a necessity. At least in our drafty apartment it is.

While that is rising you can prepare the sauce. I use a 15 oz. can of tomato sauce (yes I know it is canned and processed but I can't get mine that pureed). I put it in a small sauce pan and add about 1 1/2 teaspoons of garlic granules, the same about of basil and oregano and then I add about a 1/4 or more of a teaspoon of ground nutmeg and about a tablespoon of honey. This makes a sweat and flavorful sauce. Bring that to a boil and simmer for a bit.

Finally punch down the dough and roll it out. We 1 1/2 this recipe and make two good size pizzas. Spread it with sauce and load the toppings and cheese (Do I need to say Motzerella here? Only use the yellow stuff for color if you're a crazy detailed looks person, like Mrs. Mc). Bake in an oven at 400 degrees for about 10-12 minutes or until the crust looks done. Enjoy.

Baby you can drive my Carpaccio

Tonight was an experiment goaded on  by Mrs. MC. We are working really hard at not eating out so we can save money and therefore we are expanding our palate and the offerings around the table. So the Mrs. made a menu for this week and we spent yesterday tracking down the fine ingredients. Can you believe that no one in the south west part of Denver had Creme Fraiche? At least Sunflower and Safeway didn't we had to make a special trip to Wild Oats to get it. Anyway, I digress. Tonight we attempted a stab at Beef Carpaccio as directly by the often unintelligible (unless one has spent time in the U.K.- I understand him just fine) Jamie Oliver. Here is his recipe. 

1 1/2 pounds of Baby Beet roots (I bought small ones and only used about 1/2 pound for us)

Olive Oil

Aprox 10 Tbls Balsamic Vinegar

Salt and pepper (you better be using kosher and fresh ground or you are hereby banned from this blog)

1 Hand full of fresh rosemary, finely chopped

3 1/2 pound fillet of beef (we used london broil- It was a little tough but manageable about 2 lbs worth)

3 1/2 ounces of freshly grated or creamed horseradish (we did about 2 teaspoons)

7 ounces creme fraiche (this is like sour creme but much more delicate, you could use yogurt or sour creme but it is worth the hassle and cost to get the good stuff)

1 Lemon juiced or white wine vinegar

3 good handfuls of watercress (we used one bunch)

3 1/2 ounces shaved parmesan

Here is how we cooked it. Very similar to his recipe but we cooked the meat longer- Actually we had to cut it in half horizontally and cook it as it was too thick to cook enough without burning the outside. Scrub and dice the beet roots, wrap them in foil with the balsamic vinegar and some olive oil and salt and bake at 450 until tender. I waited until I could smell them. They were tender. While those cook generously, salt  and pepper the beef. I also used some garlic granules and omitted the rosemary. I was out of fresh Rosemary and don't like frying meat with dried, it just burns and tastes nasty. Cook the meat on each side until it is done to your liking. I cooked it longer since Mrs. MC likes her meat well done. When the meat is done, let it rest 5 minutes, don't skip this or you will get dry meat. While the meat rests mix the Horseradish with the creme fraiche and mix the watercress with some lemon juice and olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. I also added half of the lemon to the creme fraiche mix and added some salt and garlic granules to that. Once the beef has rested, slice it into thin ribbons (you should have a beautifully dark outside with a nice pink center) and lay them around a serving dish. Then sprinkle the cooked beets about the beef. Then drizzle the horseradish sauce all around and finally top with the watercress. 

This was so simple and amazing. At first I was leery not being a huge fan of horseradish. The watercress was bitter alone and so I wasn't too confident in this dish but when all the flavors come together. It is amazing. Our favorite graphic designer even agrees. He tried a wee bit that was cold and liked it. So give it a shot. It is worth it I swear. 

Homemade Hot Cocoa

Every time we go the Big box warehouse store we pass a wicked invention called Stephen's Hot Cocoa. Mrs. MC always gets wide eyed and covetous of this can of evil goo. Evil, you ask? Ok it is deliciously evil but there is also a hidden evil. Have you ever looked at the ingredients? From what I remember since I can't find them online I was not impressed with some of the unpronounceable or at least distasteful sounding fillers added to make this cocoa perfect every time. So since I enjoy simple pleasures and love to make stuff that costs a lot at home for cheaper I played around with a recipe for a homemade cocoa mix that I rather enjoy. It may need some tweaking as time goes on but here it is. 

4 Cups of Powdered Milk (Oh no its the powdered milk man, oh no from the powdered milk can!)-Boy does that date me!

1 1/4 cup powdered Sugar

1/2 cup + 2 TBLS Cocoa (Hershey's is what I used)

1/4 tsp of salt. 

Put the ingredients in your blender in the order they appear and blend until mixed and uniform in color. 

I mixed about 4 TBLS of mix to 8 oz. water. Make the water good and hot and let it sit for a minute after mixing. It gets better after the starches in the milk activate. I think adding marshmallows to the top makes it perfect so you may want to adjust the sugar if you don't like marshmallows. At first this seemed a little weak but after sitting a couple of minutes it was heavenly. You could add some powdered creamer to it if you like. I made two batches and put in my container for later. Enjoy.