Chicken Soup... The Real Thing, Baby!

I was scheduled to play golf with hubby this morning, but his tee time was for 9:00 a.m. and I decided I didn't want to drag my bootie out of bed that early. So, I called one of the wives I normally play with every Wednesday & Friday, to see if anyone was playing. When she answered the phone, I could tell she was sick. Turns out she has walking pneumonia, so, as is my M.O., I offered to bring some of my medicinal chicken soup, made from scratch. She didn't decline, which showed me just how sick she is. Normally, she'd protest.

Lucky for me that I had all the ingredients, or she might not be getting it today, when she needs it, because I really don't like going to the store. Sick friend or not.

So, I thawed out a nice, plump little chicken from H.E.B. that I'd had in the freezer. I filled the dutch oven with water, added the chicken, yellow onions, spring onions, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaf, 3 cubes of chicken bullion & black peppercorns. Just before the water came to a boil, I turned the fire down to simmer and will let it simmer for 3 hours.

Once it has cooked for the 3 hours my Grandmother always adhered to, I'll let it cool for approximately 20 minutes, then pour all the broth through a colander lined with cheesecloth, for a nice, clear soup.

 Allow the chicken to cool for a bit longer, while tossing the stewed veggies, bay leaf, and black peppercorns into a bowl (that will later be taken out to the compost pile in my veggie garden) and I prepare fresh veggies. Chopped celery, carrots, yellow onions, garlic, and spring onions.When this task is accomplished, I begin picking the meat off the chicken bones, then chop it into bite sizes.

Put 1 Tbs. of butter & 1 Tbs. of olive oil in the bottom of the pan and saute the onions, adding the celery, carrots & garlic (but not the spring onions) after a couple of minutes & cooking a minute or so longer. I also add 2 Tbs. of dried parsley (since I don't have any fresh available).

At this point, I add the chicken and it's broth to the pan and bring it to a simmer, allowing it to simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. Just before serving, I add the thinly sliced spring onions.

Since egg noodles tend to soak up all the good broth, I cook the noodles separately in another pan, to be added to the individual bowl, upon serving. I usually serve it with garlic toast or, if I'm lucky, the HU makes his kick-ass cornbread that he does in a cast iron skillet in the oven. Or sometimes we just have saltines with it. Mmmmmm! Talk about comfort food, baby... this is it.

Okay, by now some of you may have noticed that I forgot to add the parsley and the spring onions before I took the picture. You would be right. However, since I didn't feel like setting up for the picture again, you'll just have to use your vivid imaginations, because I'm not doing it again, thank you very much.

Bon Appetit!

Fresh Grilled Ahi Tuna Salad... You'll Never Go Back To Canned

Several nights ago, I served grilled Ahi Tuna steaks, steamed fresh asparagus and baked potatoes. We didn't eat all of our tuna steaks and I couldn't bear to throw them out, so I covered them and stuck them in the fridge.


So, today when I started thinking about what to have for lunch I decided to make Ahi Tuna Salad. Now, I don't think I can ever return to the world of canned tuna salad. Crummy canned tuna, Bah! It just won't be the same. Using the fresh tuna makes the salad ever so much richer and more flavorful.

Here's my version. 

Ahi Tuna Salad:

1. Leftover grilled Ahi tuna (mine worked out to be about 2-1/2 cups)

2. Mayonnaise, to desired consistency (I use Hellman's Light because it's the least gagging of the lite mayos)

3. Dill Relish (Most people use sweet relish, but I prefer dill, sour puss that I am)

4. 2 hard boiled eggs, peeled & chopped

5. 3-4 large stalks of celery, chopped

6. Black Pepper, to taste

I place the tuna steaks in the bowl and tear them up with my fingers.

Next, I chop the celery and the hard boiled eggs, adding them to the bowl.

Then, I add the mayonnaise, dill relish and the pepper and toss until everything is thoroughly mixed.

Voila! I had mine with some wonderful little healthy crackers and it was excellent!

Barbeque Spare Ribs... Snooty Style!

Believe it or not, I have just found the perfect way to have Barbecue Spare Ribs and (my own secret easy recipe) coleslaw. It's so easy that I felt like giving myself a huge thump on the forehead for not coming up with this before. I guess some days are better than others when it comes to the functioning of my aging brain. Feel free to click on the pictures for a larger view.

So, come on all you culinary n'ere-do-wells. This is so easy that it will blow your mind. And if you're trying to impress a man... this should be your signature meal. Most every man likes barbecue... immensely. (Be sure to serve a bunch of paper towels that have been moistened and heated in the micro.) It's kind of like wearing Eau-De-Peanut-Parfum (as in the 2008 Super Bowl commercial). If you make it, they will follow. When I served this to Mr. Snooty, he was like a horned toad when you turn 'em on their backs and rub their bellies. They go into sort of a trance. He was putty in my hands. Lucky for him, I decided to not take advantage of his incapacitated condition.

I started assembling all the ingredients and preparing dinner at 5:30 PM. I was finished by 7:45 PM (with more than a few breaks). I'd say that's pretty damn quick for ribs & cole slaw, unless you happen to eat out. Frankly, we've been some places that we'd have been lucky to get out of, in that amount of time.

Barbecued Spare Ribs:

Ingredients:

1 Rack of Pork Spare Ribs

Your favorite *rub*

Your favorite Barbecue Sauce

Directions:

1. The night before you're having the ribs, coat the ribs in your rub, cover, and refrigerate.

2. The day of cooking, be sure to remove the ribs from the fridge about 30 minutes before grilling, to allow the ribs to come to room temperature.

3. Brush on desired amount of barbeque sauce, coating both sides.

4. Prepare gas or charcoal grill, according to directions. When you cannot hold your hand a few inches above the fire, then it's ready. I normally use the second shelf, putting hickory chips on the bottom shelf, to give them some smoke, when using the gas grill. When I grill them on the charcoal grill, I just add the hickory chips to the coals, once they are ready.

5. On the gas grill 2nd shelf I cook them approximately 10 minutes per side. On the charcoal grill I usually cook the ribs about 5 minutes per side.

6. When they have sufficiently blackened (to taste, of course), I remove the ribs from the fire and entirely enclose the ribs in foil, making sure the seal is tight.

7. I then place them in a pre-heated 375 degree oven, for approximately 2 to 3 hours.

8. When you remove them from the oven they will be so tender & succulent, they will almost fall off the bone.

Lulu LaRue's Twice Baked Potato Casserole

This dish is a holiday favorite at our house and much easier than actually making the original recipe for Twice Baked Potatoes. For years I tried to make Twice Baked Potatoes and they almost always turned out too dry or too runny. I was overjoyed when I learned of this recipe. It always turns out perfectly.


This is also my entry (my Potato Ho name is Lulu LaRue) for the January Potato Ho-Down, sponsored by Noble Pig and Evil Chef Mom. During January, the Ho-Down will be hosted by Fig & Cherry, so be sure to go over and take a peek at all the wonderful potato recipes on January 16th. So, let's jump in feet first, shall we?




Ingredients:

5-6 lbs. large baking potatoes, peeled, boiled or baked


5-6 slices of bacon, cooked crispy


1/2 cup of milk


1 stick of butter


2 bunches of green onions, chopped (add a little of the green part for color)


1/3 cup chives, finely chopped


8 oz. package of cheddar cheese, grated


8 oz. container of sour cream




Directions:


1. Bake or boil potatoes until tender. Once skin is removed, mash with potato masher, adding the milk and butter. The consistencey should be a bit lumpier than mashed potatoes.


2. Add the sour cream and onions, then half of the cheese and half of the bacon. Mix well.


3. Place in a casserole that has been sprayed with vegetable spray.


4. Sprinkle remainder of bacon and cheese on top of casserole.


5. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 35 to 40 minutes, or until cheese is melted and top is slightly browned. See how simple this is? So, don't be afraid to try it. Your family and friends will love it!

Hearty Homemade Beef Bourguignonne Beef Stew

One of the best things about winter is having wonderful homemade soups and stews to warm you when it's cold outside. So, it just makes sense to start with a hearty beef stew. I learned this recipe at my grandmother's hip, although I've made a few changes to the recipe over the years. Let's get to it, shall we? 




INGREDIENTS:


1 Lb. stewing meat, chopped into bites sizes


1 large onion, coarsely chopped

2 large baking potatoes, chopped

15 to 20 baby carrots, sliced

3 to 4 celery ribs, sliced thin

4 to 5 cloves of garlic, crushed

1/2 cup of fresh parsley, finely chopped

1/2 cup of green bell pepper, chopped

2 cups green beans, chopped

1 - 12 oz. can of tomato sauce

2 - 12 oz. cans of diced tomatoes

1 carton of beef broth

3 to 4 tablespoons of all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet

1 large or 2 small dried bay leaves

salt and pepper, to taste

Olive Oil

1 to 1-1/2 cup of Red Wine




DIRECTIONS:


1. Place flour, salt and pepper in brown paper or plastic bag, adding meat and shaking, in batches, until all meat is coated.


2. Pour a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom of a dutch oven, over a medium heat.

 

3. Begin adding the meat and browning, adding the onions next. Cook until meat is lightly browned and onions aren't quite transparent.



4. Add the entire carton of beef broth, allowing the mix to boil, then turning heat down to a simmer.



5. Next, add the diced tomatoes and the tomato sauce, stirring.


6. Add the Kitchen Bouquet, the bay leaves, salt and pepper to taste, and allow to return to simmer. Let this mixture simmer for one hour.


7. Add the remaining vegetables to the stew and let simmer for an additional two hours. 8. Approximately ten minutes before serving add the cup of red wine and stir.

Homemade Habanero And Green Tomato Chow-Chow

This recipe has become a favorite among our friends and I get a growing number of requests for it each year. If you've never had Chow-Chow, then you are really in for a treat. This powerful little *relish* packs a mighty punch, and can be served in a large variety of ways.


It is an excellent accompaniment for a variety of beef cuts, as well as pork. It also makes a convenient last minute appetizer when poured over the top of a block of cream cheese, served with crackers. Or simply served on crackers. I swear it's delicious all by itself.

This year, we had a shortage on green tomatoes, because only one of my plants survived the triple digit heat in late Spring. After that, it was just too hot to consider planting again. Although, I did have one stubborn Sweet Cherry 100's plant that eventually provided me with a colander full of green cherry tomatoes that I took before the first freeze.



At the same time, my golfing buddy, Judy, brought me all the green tomatoes they took from their garden, so it seemed I had enough to make two cases of pint jars filled with the mysteriously hot relish. So, let's get to it, shall we?

 

INGREDIENTS:

For The Chow-Chow

 

10 - 12 large green tomatoes

2 each large bell peppers, one red, one green

2 large red or yellow onions

1 large head of cauliflower

1 large head of cabbage

 2 large heads of garlic

3-4 large jalapeno peppers

3-4 firm Habanero peppers

1 can of medium to large artichoke hearts

For The Pickling Liquid

6 Cups Apple Cider vinegar

2 Cups water

5-1/2 Cups sugar

1/2 CupPickling Salt

3 teaspoons whole allspice

2 (3 inch) cinnamon sticks

3 teaspoons celery seed

3 teaspoons mustard seed

3 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 large square of cheesecloth

kitchen twine

Directions:

1. I start the pickling liquid first so that it can cook down a bit while I'm preparing the vegetables.

2. Combine first four ingredients for the pickling liquid in a non-reactive pan, over high heat.

3. Lay out a square of cheesecloth and place the remaining 6 ingredients on it. Carefully tie it closed with the kitchen twine and throw in the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil.

4. Reduce heat to medium-low flame and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes on top of stove. Allow it to cool entirely, after removing from flame. Set aside. At this point, it can actually be kept in the fridge for up to five days before use.

5. Clean and coarsley chop the vegetables to be added to the food processor.

6. The order doesn't matter. Pour it all into a large bowl until you finish preparations. Once all of the chopping done, add the entire mixture to the pan with the pickling liquid.

7. Bring mixture to another boil. Once it has reached the point of a full rolling boil, you can turn of the heat. Now, you're ready for the canning part.

8. After running all the jars and lids through the dishwasher, I always put them in a stockpot filled with boiling water, just because I'm a real safety gal.

9. After 15 minutes of boiling the jars and lids, you can drain them on clean paper towels.

10. Fill each jar with the hot mixture, add the lid, and turn each pint jar over for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. They should pop and seal once they are turned back over.

11. Allow Chow-Chow two to three weeks of fermenting before opening a jar.

Perfect Beef Tenderloin... Every Time

When my mother-in-law was still alive we always went to holidays at their house and she was a superb cook. Unfortunately, she never shared her secrets with me, then we lost her to cancer before I was ever able to get the chance to get them out of her.


Since then, I've never had much success at the whole traditional turkey and trimmings thing. I can smoke a mean turkey and I can deep fry a whole turkey, both to perfection. However, neither of our children likes turkey that much, so we started a new tradition of having beef tenderloin in place of turkey, for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. It has made holidays much easier with less stress, which I love.



This is my family's favorite thing to eat ever and it is the easiest recipe ever. We call it the "30-30-30 Method".  


The beauty of this recipe is that once you learn it, you'll never forget it and it never matters how large or small the tender is. Yes, I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. I dare you to challenge me on this. Truly.


Ingredients:

1 Beef Tenderloin (you can have the butcher trim it up for you if it isn't already)

1 Bottle of Pickapeppa Sauce (I usually use about 1/2 of the bottle on a good sized tender)

Garlic Powder

Black Peppercorns, freshly ground

1 Sheet of Aluminum Foil 


Directions:


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
 
2. Spread a sheet of aluminum foil over a cookie sheet and spray with Pam or other cooking spray.

3. Flop the uncooked tenderloin onto the foil and cover in Pickapeppa Sauce.

4. Next, sprinkle garlic powder and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

5. Place the tenderloin in preheated oven and close the door. Set the timer for 30 minutes exactly. DO NOT OPEN OVEN FOR ANY REASON.

6. When the first 30 minutes is up, DO NOT OPEN DOOR. Turn off the oven for an additional 30 minutes.

7. When the second 30 minutes is up, you then remove the tender from the oven and place it in an area where it won't be in a draft for yet another 30 minutes, allowing the beef to *coast*.

8. When the third 30 minutes is up, you can slice and serve. You will have medium well done on the ends, slowly going to medium rare in the middle.

9. You can adjust time for more or less done, I suppose. But, this is perfect for a wide spectrum of tastes, trust me. Tried and true.

Lulu Larue's Potato Crusted Tilapia With Hollandaise Sauce

This is my favorite way to prepare Tilapia and it is also my entry in The Potato Ho-Down. My Potato-Ho name is Lulu Larue, which explains the title of this recipe. We have this at least once a week here at home. I got the idea from a similar entree served at a local eatery. They serve a Potato Crusted Flounder but I like Tilapia better. Besides, I can get great frozen Tilapia at Sam's Club that are individually frozen and vacuum packed. If you'd like to join in the Potato-Ho Down, click here for rules and instructions. This was all the brainchild of Cathy @ Noble Pig. It's being sponsored by Chew On That this month. This month's date for the Potato-Ho Down is October 15th so come on and join in the FUN!


The Hollandaise Sauce recipe is from The Houston Jr. League cookbook, by a dear friend of mine, Betty Park, who died from cancer about ten years ago. She had the house next to ours at the lake and was my cooking mentor for many years. I will always miss her, but her recipes will live on. She was a Potato-Ho too and were she alive, she'd have loved all the recipes available through the internet.

Potato Crusted Tilapia:



 

Ingredients:

1 Cup Instant Mashed Potato Flakes (The cheapest you can find)

1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

3-4 Tilapia fillets

1 Egg, lightly beaten

1/2 Teaspoon Red Cayenne Pepper

Salt and Pepper, to taste

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Butter

Directions:

1. In medium sized bowl, mix together the mashed potato flakes, flour, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.

2. In another medium sized bowl, prepare the egg by beating it lightly.

3. Dip the fillet in the egg, coating it entirely.

4. Then, place the fillet in the potato flakes mixture and coat entirely.

5. Repeat process with remaining fillets.

6. In a medium sized skillet, heat one Tablespoon of butter and 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil.

7. When pan is sufficiently hot, place each fillet in pan. Saute on each side to desired doneness.

Hollandaise Sauce:


 

Ingredients:

1 Cup butter

4 egg yolks

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped

 

Directions:

1. Heat butter until bubbling.

2. Combine all other ingredients in blender.

3. With blender turned on, pour butter into yolk mixture in a slow stream until all is added.

4. Turn blender off.

5. Keeps well in refrigerator for several days.

6. When reheating, heat over hot, not boiling water, in a double boiler.

7. Makes approximately 1-1/4 cups of sauce.