Shepherd’s Pie Appetizer

Still unconvinced of the attraction to a whole meal in one forkful, I set out with some friends to make Shepherd’s Pie chic and less tied to miserable weather. These little deconstructed appetizers are the result and they are quite delicious.

Gourmet Blend Meatballs

1 lb Ground Beef, Pork, Veal Blend
1/2 Tbsp Teriyaki Sauce
1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tbsp finely chopped Basil
2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
1/2 Cup Panko Crumbs

Set oven to 400 degrees. Combine all ingredients and form into 1 1/2 inch Meatballs. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes basting occasionally with pan juices.

Mashed Potatoes

Kosher salt
3 pounds boiling potatoes, such as Yukon gold, peeled
1/2 cup milk
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil. Add potatoes, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes, and return to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain.

Heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan over low heat; making sure it doesn’t boil. Set aside until the potatoes are done.

Mash the potatoes in a food processor for a smoother dish or with a hand masher for more rustic mashed potatoes. As soon as the potatoes are mashed, stir in the hot milk-and-butter mixture with a whisk or rubber spatula. Add enough buttermilk to make the potatoes creamy. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and pepper, to taste.

Additional Ingredients

French Bread Loaf, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp Butter, softened
Fresh Chives

Set oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter bread slices in an even coating. Remove from oven when golden brown and allow to cool to just warm.

Spoon 1 1/2 Tbsp Mashed Potatoes onto each toasted bread slice. Press one Meatball into each Mashed Potato scoop and top with meatball pan juices and Fresh Chives.

Deconstructed Shepherd’s Pie

Citrus Spice Turkey

• 18 lb Semi Boneless Turkey Roaster
• 4 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• 2 Tbsp Orange Juice
• 1 tsp Pepper
• 2 tsp Salt
• 2 tsp Garlic
• 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1 tsp Crushed Rosemary
• 2 Honeycrisp Apples
• 2 Oranges
• 1 Lg Onion
• 1 Lg Lemon
• 2 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary

A few days in advance: Thaw Turkey in the fridge. Day of: Remove from refrigerator and allow to reach room temperature. Preheat oven to 325. Coat large roaster pan with non-stick spray.

Whisk together Olive Oil, Lemon Juice and Orange Juice. Puncture Turkey lightly and slowly pour mixture over the whole roast.

Mix Pepper, Salt, Garlic and Cayenne Pepper evenly. Rub Spices into the Turkey; coating generously. Thinly slice 1 Apple, 1 Orange and the Onion. Arrange around the Turkey in the pan. Quarter the Lemon and Rosemary Sprigs and arrange in the pan as well.

Roast in the oven, basting every 30 minutes, for about 3.5 hours or until turkey reaches desired doneness. If the skin reaches golden brown while cooking, cover loosely with tin foil.

When Turkey is done, remove from oven and let rest. Thinly slice remaining Apple and Orange. Place Turkey on a Platter and arrange alternating fruit slices around the base.

I didn’t realize how much I loved simple food until racing against the storm front that is creeping up the East Coast, I pulled salmon from my freezer and grits from my cupboard.

The meal had to be quick and easy. So I kept it simple with only four ingredients each for the salmon and grits.

Hurricane Salmon

2, 6oz Salmon portions
1 tsp Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Pepper
1/2 tsp Salt

Preheat oven to 325. Sprinkle Salmon evenly with Salt and Pepper. In a griddle pan, heat Olive Oil to medium high. Place salmon skin side up in the pan and sear 2 minutes. Repeat for 1 minute per side. Put on unlined cookie sheet and place in oven to cook through.

Pan Seared then baked Salmon (with a Parmesan Chicken back up just in case I got picky…)

Cheddar Grits

3 Cups Water
3/4 Cups Grits
1/4 tsp Salt
4 Slices Sharp Cheddar

In a sauce pan, ring Water to a boil and stir in Grits and Salt. Cover and reduce heat to medium low. Stir frequently for 5 minutes. Roughly break up Cheddar Slices and stir into Grits.

Let Grits sit for 2 minutes and spoon onto a plate. Top with Salmon and enjoy by candlelight (since the real lights are about to go out anyway!)

Stay safe and warm.

All Natural New York Strip Steak

It wasn’t until I watched an episode of Chef’s Kitchen last year that I realized why restaurant steaks are always so “buttery”. I looked on in awe as chef Georges Perrier repeatedly doused his steaks with what seemed like a pound of melted butter.  The result was delicious, indulgent goodness.

I had to know if this recipe was specific to filet mignon or if it had the power to transform any cut. Turns out that soft, creamy, mild, innocent little butter is a force to be reckoned with! Start out with a high quality steak, add butter and voila!

Buttery New York Strip Steak

• 2, 10 oz All Natural NY Strip Steaks
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 4 Tbsp Butter
• 1 tsp Coarse Ground Salt
• 1 tsp Coarse Ground Pepper
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 2 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary

Season Steak evenly with Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper and Garlic Powder. Remove leaves from one sprig of Rosemary, leaving the other whole.  In a large saute pan, soften Butter over medium heat. Add whole sprig of Rosemary and turn heat to high.

When butter bubbles, add Steak. Sprinkle with Rosemary leaves and sear for 6 minutes on the first side and 4 minutes on the other; basting continuously with Butter. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve with your favorite sides.

Cheesesteak (for the purist)

There are plenty of ways to order a proper Philly Style Cheesesteak and more than a few variations on the original. Though I hail from Boston, home of the lesser-known Steak & Cheese, I have spent enough time living in and around Philadelphia to grasp the nuances of this traditional treat.

Here’s what I know: Cheesesteak (for the purist), Cheesesteak Wit (that’s wit Cheese Whiz for the unfamiliar diner), Chicken Cheesesteak (for the “health conscious”), Roast Pork Au Jus Sandwich (for the adventurer) Cheesesteak with Broccoli Rabe, Fried Onions and other various toppings (for the connaisseur).

It is a staple sandwich, but people find interesting ways to make it their own – - Lettuce, Pickles and Peanut Butter anyone? Here are some Philly Style fixin’s for those who want to recreate it at home.

Fried Onions

• 1 Lg Vidalia (sweet, white) Onion
• 1 cup Buttermilk
• 1/2 cup Flour
• 1/2 cup Yellow Corn Meal
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Pepper
• 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 2 cups Vegetable Oil (or enough for a deep fryer, if you have one)

Thinly slice the onion into strings (cut onion in half and place flat side down, then cut lengthwise across the whole onion). Cover Onion Strings with Buttermilk and refigerate for 30 minutes.

Mix Flour, Yellow Corn Meal, Salt, Pepper and Cayenne Pepper in a bowl or plastic bag. Strain, but do not rinse Onions and toss them with the Flour mixture until lightly and evenly coated.

In a deep saucepot or fryer, heat oil until it reaches about 375 degrees. Drop in Onion strings and gently stir until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel, add to Cheesesteak and serve.

Broccoli Rabe

• 1 bunch Broccoli Rabe
• 4 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1 tsp Black Pepper

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add Broccoli and cook until just tender (about 3 minutes).Drain and cool.

In a large saute pan, Heat oil and add  Garlic to soften. Stir until Garlic is golden brown. Toss in Broccoli, Salt and Black Pepper. Coat and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Add to Cheesesteak and serve.

Peppers and Onions

• 1/2 Green Pepper
• 1/2 Red Pepper
• 1 medium Onion
• 1 Tbsp Olive oil
• Course Ground Salt, to taste
• Course Ground Pepper, to taste

Slice Peppers and Onions in to 1/4 inch pieces. Be careful to remove any seeds.

Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Toss in Peppers and Onions. Season evenly with Salt and Pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until just soft. About 6-8 minutes.

Add to Cheesesteak and serve.

Italian Sausage and Salad

With the rise of Cross Fit came the rise of the Paleo Diet and now healthy eating seems to be all about protein and veggies. Having taken one semester of Beginner’s Anthropology in school, I consider myself a professor of the Paleolithic Age. Actually, I slept through most of the class and until now…I thought they ate bark.

So, as a renegade student of Anthropology and an adult who hasn’t watched the Flintstones for quite some time, I quickly ran out of ways to pair Brontosaurus Burgers with Long Grass Salads. Alas, I had to move on to modern day proteins and actual lettuce.

Seafood and Salad…over it. Steak and Salad…over it.  Chicken and Salad…way over it. Pork and Salad…is that even a thing?

Sliced Italian Sausage over Salad

I decided it was. So I created my first neo-paleo Italian Sausage Salad.

Ingredients:

• 4 Italian Sausage Links
• 5 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
• 1/2 tsp Minced Garlic
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 4 Cups Red Leaf Lettuce
• 1 Medium Tomato, Sliced and Quartered
• 1/2 Small Red Onion, Sliced

Directions:

Preheat Oven to 375. Brush Italian Sausage with 1 tsp Olive Oil and place on shallow, aluminum-foil lined baking pan in oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes turning occasionally.

Whisk 4 tsp Olive Oil with Lemon Juice, Sea Salt, Garlic and Pepper until mixed evenly. Place in refrigerator to chill.

Wash and roughly chop Red Leaf Lettuce. Toss with Sliced Sausage (1-inch thick), Red Onion and Salad Dressing.

Sliced Sausage with Red Onion Slices

Top with Tomato and serve.

Serves: 2

Ground Beef and Pork Sausage Meatballs in Sauce

Normally, I have a cute little background story or anecdote to go with my recipes, but I think a classic Meatball recipe really speaks for itself. This particular Spaghetti and Meatballs entree is pure comfort food and is best when served family style. So, I will leave you with this: Below are some stats on the recipes…yes, stats because these Meatballs will become the All Star of your menu!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes – 1 hour

Total Time: 45 minutes – 1 hour 15 minutes (depending on desired depth of flavor)

Yield: 8 servings

Pasta Ingredients:

• 1 box Thin Spaghetti Pasta (love Barilla Plus)
• 2 quarts Water
• 4 Chicken Bouillon Cubes
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Meatball Ingredients:

• 1 lb Black Angus Ground Beef (93% Lean)
• 1 lb Premium Pork Sausage (casing removed; choose Hot Italian for an extra kick)
• 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Egg, beaten
• 3/4 cup Italian Bread Crumbs
• 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan
• 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
• Salt and pepper
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sauce Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (coat the pan)
• 1/2 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 4 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1 Medium Onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup prepared Beef Bouillon
• 1 (28-ounce) can Crushed Tomatoes
• 1/3 Cup Fresh Italian Parsley, chopped
• 10 leaves Fresh Basil Leaves, torn or thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 425.

Instructions: Mix Ground Beef, Pork Sausage, Worcestershire Sauce, Egg, Bread Crumbs, Parmesan, Garlic, Salt and Pepper. Roll meat into 1 1/2 inch medium-sized meatballs and place on a cookie sheet greased with extra-virgin olive oil. Bake approximately 15 minutes (turning once), until no longer pink.

Meatballs on Greased Baking Pan

Heat a deep skillet over medium heat. Add Olive Oil, Crushed Red Pepper, Garlic and Onion. Saute 5 minutes, until onion bits are soft. Add prepared Beef Bouillon, Crushed Tomatoes, and Fresh Herbs. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low (just enough heat to keep warm, but not simmering). Add Meatballs and turn until coated in sauce. Let Meatballs sit in Sauce for 30 minutes to 1 Hour; allowing flavors to merge.

Homemade Sauce with Fresh Herbs

Place a large pot of water on to boil for spaghetti. When it boils, add Chicken Bouillon Cubes, Olive Oil and Pasta. Cook to al dente.

Boiling Pasta. Cook about 12 minutes until just al dente

Toss hot, drained Spaghetti with a few ladles of Sauce and Parmesan. Turn Meatballs in remaining Sauce. Place Pasta in a bowl or on dinner plates and top with Meatballs and Sauce and extra Grated Cheese.

Keep Meatballs in Sauce over Low Heat for more flavor

If you just want a delicious appetizer, skip the pasta and serve the meatballs on their own using the sauce as a dip.

1. I was there for work…low, but work meant interviewing Chris Robinson, a awesome music video producer and director of the movie ATL…high.

2. Diana Ross was staying at our hotel…high, but she refused to sign an autograph…low.

3. I didn’t get a part in the movie…low, but I did get to try Chicken & Waffles for the first time…high!

Chicken and Waffles are a southern tradition. The roots of the recipe are somewhat debatable. According to Wikipedia recipes for the famous dish appeared shortly after Thomas Jefferson brought a waffle iron back from France. The waffle iron had been used for quite some time in Belguim to make…you guessed it…Belgian Waffles.

When it made it to the plantations of the south, house kitchen workers learned the recipe and began to use it for special occasions and celebrations when they were able to get chicken. Today, Chicken and Waffles has become an art. With places like Cali’s famous Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles and Atlanta’s Gladys and Ron’s (owned by Gladys Knight!! – - clearly why I went there) giving it street credibility, the dish has now found a place in restaurants from fast food to full on gourmet!

The combination can be a little heavy though, so I tried to lighten it up a bit with Oven-Fried Chicken and Waffles.

Crispy but light Oven Fried Chicken

Oven-Fried Chicken

• 1/2 cup nonfat buttermillk
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 1/2-3 pounds Chicken Breast, Wing, Thigh, Leg
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• Olive oil cooking spray

Whisk buttermilk, mustard and garlic in a shallow glass dish until well blended. Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Set a wire rack on the baking sheet and coat it with cooking spray.

Whisk flour, paprika, baking powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Place the flour mixture in a paper bag or large sealable plastic bag. Shaking off excess marinade, place one or two pieces of chicken at a time in the bag and shake to coat. Shake off excess flour and place the chicken on the prepared rack. (Discard any leftover flour mixture and marinade.) Spray the chicken pieces with cooking spray.

Bake the chicken until golden brown and no longer pink in the center, about 25-30 minutes minutes.

Waffles!!!

Waffles

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk Maple Syrup

Preheat a waffle iron and lightly grease. Into a large bowl, sift the dry ingredients together. In a clean bowl, beat the eggs. Add the butter and buttermilk and beat to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and mix well. Pour the batter into the hot waffle iron and cook until golden brown and lightly crisp. Remove and if desired, top with a slice of butter, and serve with the chicken and maple syrup

Luckily, I got my great grandmother’s fried fish, fried chicken, fried bread…fried everything recipes during a summer crash course in Littleton, NC. The thing with a town that small in rural North Carolina is, if you don’t cook, you don’t have anything to do.

So I cooked and I studied and I burnt myself and I laughed and I fished for my own Catfish in a creek. My previous experience with which amounted to the magnetic fishing game below.

Melissa & Doug’s Magnetic Fishing Game

I had a wooden rod, string, a safety pin and a cricket that my Great Grandma Dell had to hook because I was too squeamish. When we would return from our fishing trips (she caught about 20 and I hooked 4…maybe) I would take a tick bath and then get to work in the kitchen.

You would think that I am talking about some distant time between 1901 and 1955, but I am only 30! This was literally 1991 and 9-year old me learned to fry a catfish like a seasoned pro.

Today, most of our Catfish is farm-raised or aquacultured and has become one of the most sustainable and eco-friendly fish that we eat. Due to special programs that include free-flowing waters and diet regulation, these former bottom feeders have risen to the top of cleanliness and deliciousness in the past few years.

Southern Fried Catfish

So here’s to a good old recipe using the modern catfish!

• 1 cup Cornmeal
• 2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 2 tsp Paprika
• 2 tsp Coarse Ground Black Pepper
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• 1/4 cup Dijon Mustard
• 3/4 cup Buttermilk
• 4 Catfish Fillets
• 1/4 cup EVOO
• 2 Tbsp Butter
• 4 Tbsp Green Onion
• Small Slice Lemon Slices (optional)

Mix Cornmeal with Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Ground Pepper and Onion Powder. Sift on to a large plate and set aside. In a wide bowl, whisk together Dijon Mustard and Buttermilk.

With one hand (wet hand) dip Catfish Fillets in the Milk mixture and lay flat on the Cornmeal mixture. With the other hand (dry hand) dust top of fish with the dry mix until covered. Remove fillet and shake off all excess. Repeat with each fish fillet.

Heat large pan with 1/8 cup Olive Oil to medium high heat. Add 1 Tbsp Butter and lay two fillets in pan. Fry for minutes per side. Drain pan into hot oil safe container and repeat with remaining fillets.

Serve with over Rice Pilaf with diced and pan softened celery, peppers and onions. Top with Green Onion and garnish with Lemon Slices.

For Rice: Prepare Rice Pilaf using box directions and add sauteed Celery (small dice), Red Bell Peppers (small dice) and Yellow Onion (small dice)

For an additional recipe check out this video on How to Prepare Catfish Fillets:

Pork Tenderloin Medallions and Apple Slices

I don’t know where the line Pork Chops and Applesauce comes from, but I do know that it is said with the over-inflated swagger of a prohibition era gangster (at least when I say it). Feel free to comment below if you can identify the character, movie or context of the quote.

That being said, the quote did give me some sort of fascination with the idea of eating pork chops and applesauce. However, since I don’t like applesauce and I have a slight problem with being unable to leave recipes alone, I made some minor changes and ended up with a light and delightful meal that I hope still maintains the comfort of the original dish.

For starters, pork chops were a little large, so I went for the adorable and flavorful pork tenderloin medallions. They are perfect if you have friends who are always asking to share or cut things in half, which I find infinitely annoying. In any case, individually sized pork tenderloin medallions solve that problem and still take on a hearty nature when served with slightly sweet apples.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin Medallions and Sauteed Apples

• 4 Pork Tenderloin Medallions
• 2 tsp Black Pepper
• 3 tsp Minced Garlic
• 1 tsp Honey
• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Coarse Salt
• 1 bunch Asparagus, white base removed
• 2 Medium Gala Apples, Sliced Thin
• 1 Medium Onion, Sliced Thin

Preheat oven to 350. Season Pork Medallions evenly with 1 tsp Pepper. In a bowl, mix 2 tsp Garlic, Honey, Mustard and Worcestershire Sauce. Marinate Pork Medallions in the mixture for 30-60 minutes. Place Medallions on a foil lined pan and bake for 20 minutes, spooning excess marinade over pork halfway through.

Toss Asparagus with 1 Tbsp Olive Oil, Salt, 1 tsp Pepper and 1 tsp Garlic. Place Asparagus on a foil lined pan and bake for 12-15 minutes. Asparagus is done when color reaches a bright green.

In a large pan, heat 1 Tbsp Olive Oil over medium heat. Add Apple and Onion Slices and saute until softened and slightly browned.

Arrange Apples around the perimeter of the plate. Lay Asparagus across the center of the plate and top with Pork Medallions. That way, all the delicious juices will run down over your Apples and Asparagus – - that’s my favorite part!

Pork Tenderloin Medallions served with Asparagus and Apples