Fried Catfish and Onion Rings

This meal was one of the messiest meals I have made.  I guess that's why I don't make it sll the time.  It was delicious, though!  Nothing like fresh catfish and onion rings from scratch.  It's not that it's that hard just messy.  You need a couple pounds of fresh catfish patted dry and a medium onion cut into thin slices and separated into rings.

Batter:
1 Cup of milk
2 Tsp of Lemon Juice

Combine and let sit for 5 minutes before mixing with the other ingredients

3/4 Cup of Flour
1 tsp of Salt
1/2 tsp of Cyan Pepper
1/2 tsp of Black Pepper

Whisk it together in a large bowl

Add the Milk mixer to the flour along with:

1 Large Egg
2 Tsp of Soda Water
2 Tsp of Lemon Zest

Whisk together and let sit for 20 minutes.  While the batter is sitting heat the oil to 360 degrees.  Dust the catfish with flour.  Dip in the batter and "gently" place the fish in the oil.  Cook about 3 minutes on each side until golden brown.  If you like you can place the fish in a 250 degree oven while you cook the onion rings.  The onion rings cook very quickly.  I like to line a basket with paper napkins to absorb the excess oil.  Server the fish with a little tartar sauce.

Enjoy!!!!  Sorry about the mess!!!

Avgolemono Soup (Chicken Lemon Soup)

Patti, this one is for you!!!!

If you have not had this greek soup you are missing out.  It's tasty and easy to make.  It's a great soup make with chicken, rice, lemon and egg.  Here is all you need to make this.

Ingredients:
2 Boneless Chicken Breasts Roasted for 2 hours in your Staub pot
32 oz container of chicken broth
1 Cup each of Chopped Onions, Carrots and Celery
4 Tsp of Olive Oil
1 tsp dried Tarragon
1 Tsp fresh Parsley
2 Bay Leaves
Salt and Pepper to taste
3/4 Cup of Rice
4 Cups Water
3/4 Cups fresh Lemon Juice (If must be fresh for the flavor)
3 to 5 Large Eggs (I like to use 5.  I like it eggy and thick!)

While your chicken is cooking add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large stockpot over medium heat.  Add the onions, carrots, celery, salt, pepper, tarragon, parsley and bay leaves.  Cook until vegetables are soft. Add the chicken stock and rice.  Bring to a boil and simmer until the chicken is done.  Whisk together the lemon juice and the eggs and set aside.  Shred the chicken breast with a fork in the juices from the pot.  Add the chicken and water to the stockpot.  Turn the heat up to high.  Slowly ladle the liquid from the stockpot into the lemon egg mixture while whisking.  Then stir the mixture back into the stockpot and bring to a boil.  Turn off the heat and serve.  Enjoy!!!!

Revol

I have to tell you about my all time favorite bakeware.  It's from France!!!  It's made by a very old company in by the name of Revol.  Revol is what you as a cook will love.  It's very pure porcelain.  Porcelain is great for many reasons.  It's fired at a very high temperature.  What does that mean to you?  It means that it is hypoallergenic because it is non porous.  No food particles are going to leach into the cracks or pores of the porcelain and because of this it is really easy to clean.  Because it is non porous it is naturally non stick. It's is very durable.  It will last!!!!!  This stuff is made for restaurant.  Anyone that has ever worked in a restaurant knows how tough restaurants are on anything!  You can freeze this and then put it on a hot oven and it will not crack or craze.  Not to mention how insanely beautiful it is.  It's expensive.  It's worth every penny and if you love to cook you will love Revol!!!  I love it and collect it!  Here is the link to Revol's website.  http://www.revol-porcelaine.fr/index.php?id=3126  Check it out.  Sur La Table has the best selection in the United States and some great deals to get you introduced to it.

Oh, did I mention that the 11th generation owner, Olivier, has made the company green.  Solar panels to generate electricity, all packaging is made from 100% recycled materials and all the water used in the production is filtered before sending it back into the environment.  I know!  Too good to be true but it is.

Pot Sticker Oh My!

I want to tell you about something easy to make after the complexity of last nights dish.  I'm exhausted!!!!!  Pot stickers or chinese dumplings are very easy and delicious to make.  Especially if you go to the local asian market and buy the wonton wraps already made in the refrigerator section.  This is all you need to make them.

Ingredients:


1/2 lbs of ground pork
1/2 lbs of fresh peeled and deveined shrimp or "shrimps" as a chef I once knew called them. (Monica, you know who I mean!)
2 tsp of corn starch
2 tsp of soy sauce
1 chopped green onion
A small chuck of cabbage.

You will need a food processor.  Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until all the ingredients are well integrated.  That's it!

Place a teaspoon in the middle of the wonton wrap.  Moisten the edges with a little water.  I use a small silicon brush.  If you don't own one you need to have one.  I use mine all the time.  They are great and easy to clean not like the old bristle ones.

fold it  in a diagonal and press.  You can buy a wonton press at the asian market.  It's plastic and very inexpensive.  Usually under $5.  If you don't have one just press with your fingers so the dough is sealed around the filling.

You can put them in a soup broth and cook for about 20 minutes or saute in a skillet till brown on each side.  If you saute in a skillet mix together a little soy sauce, vinegar, chinese mustard and some red pepper flakes to taste as a dipping sauce.

As you can see from the picture I chose to have them in wonton soup.  Yum!!!!!

Enjoy!!!!

Bring on the Chicken Pot Pie

I wish I could say this is easy to make but it takes a little bit of time.  Well, at least the first time you make it from scratch.  It's was worth it, though.  This recipe makes about 4 individual chicken pot pies.

Pie Filling Ingredients:

1 lbs of Roasted Chicken cut into small chunks

1 Cup of each Pearl Onions, Celery, Carrots and Potatoes

32 Ounce container of Chicken Broth

6 Tbs of Unsalted Butter

6 Tbs of Flour

1 1/2 Tbs of chopped Parsley

1/2 tsp of Dried Thyme

Salt and Pepper to taste

I like to make sure I have all my ingredients measured out and in prep bowl so when I start working everything is ready and at my finger tips.

The first thing you are going to want to do so start the dough.  It has to cool and set for a while.  Here is what you'll need.

Dough Ingredients:

1 1/4 Cup of Flour

1/2 Cup (1 Stick) 

1/4 tsp of Salt

3 to 4 Tbs of Cold Water

In a large bowl whisk together the salt and flour.  Cut in the butter until it looks like oatmeal.  Sprinkle with 3 Tbs of the water and toss with a fork until the dough holds together when squeezed in your hand. Add water a teaspoon at a time if you need more water.  Form into a ball and flatten into a 6 inch disc.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Then remove and let rest for 15 minutes before you roll it out.  This allows the dough to fully hydrate and keeps it from cracking.

While the dough is cooling cook the filling.

Melt the butter over medium low heat and add the celery and onions in a saucier.  Cook them until they are soft and remove from the butter. 

 While the celery and onions are cooking.  Cook the Carrots and Potatoes in salted water for about 15 to 20 minutes and remove and set aside.  Remove the saucier from the heat and add the flour and whisk until well integrated.  Put back on low heat and whisk for about 3 minutes until the mixture is smooth.  Remove from the heat once more and whisk in 1 cup of the chicken broth.  Whisk well to eliminate the lumps.  Put back on medium heat and whisk in the remaining broth bring to a boil.   The mixture should be thickening.  Turn off the heat and add the remaining ingredients to this mixture.  

This needs to cool before you put on the dough top.  You can put bowl in a larger bowl with ice and let the filling cool while you are rolling the dough out.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Flour a surface and cover the dough with flour.  Roll out the dough until you have enough dough to cover 4 individual pies.

Fill the pots with the filling and cover with the dough.  You can decorate the pies with the leftover dough.  I made some little chickens.  Make sure the dough is sealed around the edges.  Cut vents in the dough.  

Place the pies on a cookie sheet and place in the oven and cook for 40 to 45 minutes.  The Crust should be lightly browned when done.  Let the pies cool for 10 to 15 minutes before you serve.  Enjoy!!!!

Cold Mac & Cheese

It's really good cold, too.  I just got home from work and was a little hungry and thought I would try it cold.  It's delicious!!!!

I think I am going to make Chicken Pot pies tomorrow night so stay tuned!!!!!

Mac & Cheese

Mac & Cheese is one of those dishes that everyone loves!  Well, there is one person that I know that won't eat it.  I KNOW!  Those of you that know me know who this is.  The rest of you will love this recipe for Mac & Cheese.  I love that there are so few ingredients.  Here they are.

Ingredients:

1 Cup "whole" milk (I know for some of you that is a dirty word)

8 Ounces of Pasta (I love bowtie pasta)

1 Cup of Evaporated Milk

2 Tbs of Unsalted Butter

3 Tbs of Flour

1/4 tsp of Paprika

1/4 tsp of Nutmeg

Salt and Pepper to taste

6 oz of Gruyere

You know how I love my Staub.  I use the .25 quart size enameled cast iron cocottes for this.  Then you have individual servings for your guest.  This recipe makes 4 servings.

Yes, it's as delicious as it looks.  I couldn't wait for dinner.  I had to start eating it once it was cool enough.  OMG!

First things first.  Cook the pasta in boiling water and strain.  I like to salt the water so the pasta in infused with a light salt flavor otherwise I find that you can't seem to get enough salt on the pasta after the fact.

Bring to a boil the evaporated milk and whole milk and set aside.

Melt the butter over low heat and whisk the flour into the butter and whisk over the low heat for 5 minutes.  The flour will evenly blend with the butter and form a smooth sauce.  Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the milk mixture until smooth.  Return to medium heat.  Add the paprika, nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens.  About 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and add the pasta and 3/4 of the cheese.  Mix well until the pasta is covered completely.

Divid up into buttered cocottes and cover with the remaining cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and lightly brown on the top.

You will not be disappointed in this Mac & Cheese!!!!!!