AwesomeBites

Category: Omnivore’s Best

  • Brisket – Sous Vide

    I was rather worried when I read the recommended time for this was 48 to 72 hours.
    Gee, that is a long time. Day and night watching my machine.

    But, it was worth it.

    Pick you favorite dry brine, rub it liberally over the brisket on all sides and place the brisket into a ziplock bag. Remove the air from it by lowering it into the water. Seal the bag.
    Let the cooking begin.
    155 degrees at 48 to 72 hours.
    Taste it for texture at 48 hours and continue until the brisket is tender.

    I made two small briskets, each 2.5 to 3 pounds each. If I have another brisket, I would have added it to the pot. The more the merrier.

    Awesomebites! I just had a sandwich that was perfect. You have to try this!

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  • Meatball Bourguignon aka Meatball Burgundy


    This is a Alyce Shultz’s recipe and her boys love it. It is their all time favorite and most requested dinner for a birthday or celebration!
    Thank you Alyce for sharing this recipe with me.

    Meatballs
    1 pound of ground beef (buy sirloin or grind your own chuck roast if you dare)
    1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
    1/2 cup milk
    1/4 cup grated onion
    1 1/2 tsp Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
    1/4 tsp Lawry’s Seasoned Pepper

    1/4 cup salad oil

    Sauce
    3 Tbsp Flour
    2 beef bouillon cubes or Veal Demi glace
    2 cups beef stock
    1 cup Burgundy wine (or Pinot Noir)
    1/2 tsp Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
    1/4 tsp Lawry’s Seasoned Pepper

    Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, milk, onion, salt and pepper. Shape into small meatballs.
    Brown meatballs in hot oil and set aside.
    Blend flour in the hot oil until browned being careful not to burn stirring constantly. When it reaches a nice brown, pour in wine and beef stock and demi glace.
    Return meatballs to the pan and simmer 30 minutes until thickened and smooth and the raw taste of alcohol is gone. Stir occasionally. Speed the process with the best boner meat grinder and other meat tools for your meal.
    Salt and Pepper to taste.
    Serve over buttered egg noodles or mashed potatoes. Yummy! So delicious!

    I like to serve with sauteed mushrooms and carrots on the side, so picky eaters are happy too!
    4-6 servings

    I have made as much as 5 pounds of meatballs at a time. Great for leftovers or a big gathering.

  • Chicken Walnut Grape Salad

    My kids and friends love this. I always have two cans of chicken chilling in my refrigerator just in case someone stops by and it’s lunch time.

    Easy to pull together.

    1 12.5 ounce can of white chicken meat
    1/2 cup Mayonnaise (you can also use half sour cream)- I love Best Foods.
    1/4 cup red or white onions finely diced
    1/4 cup finely chopped celery
    1/2 cup sliced red grapes
    1/4 cup toasted walnuts (7 minutes at 350 degrees, let cool, then finely chop)
    salt and pepper to taste.
    Optional: chopped green onions garnish

    Serve with croissant, or toasted wheat or rye bread, or Ritz crackers, or in a wrap. All good!

  • Pumpkin, Butternut Squash, Carrot Soup

    Pumpkin, Butternut Squash, Carrot Soup

    PumpkinButternutCarrotSoup

    It is nearing Halloween and with all the great pumpkins and squash and carrots, it has to be the beginning of soup!

    I love soup and give me bread and I am happy. I blame it all on my mother and at the same time thank my mother for being a wonderfully awesome soup chef! When she worked as a Chef/Cook for the San Joaquin County Hospital, all the doctors and nurses would seek her out to find out what kind of soup was going to be available that day.

    It tickled her to have her very own fan club and an equivalent of a facebook thumbs up would be their return in the line the next day!

    While I am making this soup for my office to feed 25-30 people, my mother would make soup for 300 people!

    Olive oil 1/4 cup
    Carrot 1 Quart
    Pumpkin 1 Quart
    Butternut squash 1Quart
    1 head of Roasted Garlic
    Cayenne 1 tsp
    Ginger 2 tsp
    Coriander 2 tsp
    Ham bone with ham bits
    Salt and pepper to taste
    Chicken stock 3 Quarts
    add water as needed

    Roast garlic(wrap in foil), pumpkin, carrots and squash for 40 minutes at 400 degrees. Chop onions into a rough dice and saute in the bottom of a large soup pot with a little oil. Add Roasted vegetables, and 3 Quarts of Chicken Stock and ham bone to pot. Bring to boil and add spices. Let simmer slowly for 1 hour.

    Shut off and allow to cool so you can remove the ham bone. Shred the meat and set aside. Using a handblender to the soup until you get a creamy consistency, add water as needed to maintain consistency you like. Add salt and pepper to taste and adjust your spices to your liking. Careful with the Cayenne Pepper. Add the ham back into the creamy mixture.

    Serve with a drizzle of Pure Maple Syrup, or a spoon of sour cream, or cinnamon croutons for some fun!
    Serve with freshly made bread!

    Another awesome bite.

  • Spaghetti Carbonara

    Spaghetti Carbonara

    Your family is going to lick their plates clean! This is so very good and rich that after eating it I racked my brain on ways to make it healthier.
    My big decisions? Add vegetables to it! I am thinking one of my favorites like peas, carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, broccoli, mushrooms, or califlower!

    In a pot of hot salted water boil your spaghetti. Get it started, then dice your ham or bacon, I like ham for this dish. Set it aside. Finely dice garlic or if you have roasted garlic like I do in my refrigerator, use that. Set it aside. If you are going to use vegetables that are fresh, then you should blanch them or steam in the microwave until fork tender. Careful not to turn them into mush. Then grate the cheese. I used 1/2 parmesan and 1/2 white cheddar.

    When you add the spaghetti to the boiling water, get your frying pan out and through in the diced ham. You want it to look like it has been fried and it will release some of its water. Remove from the heat and wait for the spaghetti to be ready.

    Wisk the eggs, grated cheese and sour cream together with the spice you have choosen.
    Drain the spaghetti when it is al dente and pour into a large enough pan that you can stir additional ingredients into. I use a casserole pan.
    Add ham, and your while the spaghetti is still hot, pour the eggs and cheese mixture into the spaghetti. You want it hot because it will cook the eggs in your sauce. You need to stir it to avoid scrambling the eggs – not what you want! Add a little of the hot water from the cooked spaghetti if you need more moisture. Stir and then add your veggies.
    If dinner time is a few minutes away, put the casserole pan in the oven at 200 degrees to keep warm.
    You can easily double this recipe for a large gathering!

    2 eggs
    1 cup cheese
    1 cup sour cream

    1 pkg spaghetti
    1 cup diced ham fried
    2 tsp fresh basil or oregano
    Salt and pepper
    Roasted garlic or 4 cloves diced
    Optional: Veggies
    My favorite combinations: peas and carrots, zucchini and yellow squash, broccoli and califlower, mushrooms and green beans
    If you want to spice this dish up, you can either add a tsp of red pepper flakes, or sliced jalapeno peppers!

    Serve with freshly grated cheese.

  • Coq Au Vin

    Coq Au Vin

    My sister-in-law once said she loved Coq Au Vin. I had never made it, but the thought was stored until the other day. The time was now. So, I put this together. Husband Dennis loved, loved, loved it!

    Since all my kids have flown the coup, my office is the lucky group that get my leftovers. I think they are goin’ like it!

    4 pieces of bacon or ham slices, coarsely chopped
    2 chickens
    2 chopped onions
    3 tablespoons chopped fresh Thyme
    Salt and Pepper
    16 ounces large crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, halved
    8-12 carrots, chopped into 1 inch chunks
    1 fennel bulb chopped into quarters
    4 whole garlic cloves
    2 bottles red wine. Merlot, Cabernet, Syrah all work.)
    1 small can tomato paste
    1/4 cup beef gravy mix

    Instructions
    Preheat oven to 300°F. Sauté bacon or ham in large cast iron pan that will hold two chickens. Add all ingredients except the gravy mix.

    Bake for 4 hours at 300 degrees. Move the pot from the oven to the stovetop.
    Add Gravy mix to 1/2 cup water, stir to mix and then add to drippings.
    Let simmer 5 minutes and serve over mashed potatoes.

    If you do not have gravy mix, use flour. Place flour in small cup.
    Add 1/4 cup water, stirring until smooth. Add flour mixture to sauce. Cook until sauce thickens, 3 to 4 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Arrange chicken on platter; stir juices from dish into sauce and spoon over chicken. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon fresh thyme.

    I started this at lunch time, and finished it off by making mashed potatoes when I got home from work. This is a keeper.

  • Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Chipolte Mayonnaise

    Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Chipolte Mayonnaise

    Pulled Pork
    Your favorite buns or my Brioche Buns
    Chipolte Mayonnaise

    Oh so good! For you pulled pork, add BBQ sauce. My favorite other than homemade is ______________.

    Top with Coleslaw, or Bread and Butter Pickles and Chipolte Mayonnaise. You’re gonna love ’em!

    Pulled Pork Sliders with Coleslaw
  • Pulled Pork Taco with Chipolte Mayo

    Pulled Pork Taco with Chipolte Mayo

    So very good, a little sweet, a little heat, lip smackin’ good! Awesome bites.

    Pulled pork
    BBQ Sauce
    1 Chipolte Pepper in Adobe Sauce
    1/3 cup mayonnaise
    Grated Cheddar
    Chopped Cabbage Slaw or Lettuce – your choice
    Fresh Guacamole
    Corn tortillas

    Using your stick blender mix Chipolte Pepper and Mayonnaise. Warm the pulled pork and add a little bbq sauce to moisten.
    Fry Corn Tortilla Shells

    Assemble: Taco shell, smear 2 tsp chipolte mayo, top with warm pulled pork, top with grated cheddar, top with Slaw or lettuce and a dab of guacamole! Ole!

    Very, very tasty. Plan on two per person.

  • Lamb Meatballs with Orange and Mint

    2 tablespoons olive oil
    1 clove garlic, minced
    1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
    1 large shallot, minced
    1 pound ground lamb
    4 ounces salt pork or bacon, ground or finely minced
    Zest of 1 orange
    2 tablespoons chopped mint
    Freshly ground black pepper
    sea salt

    Greek yogurt for dipping (or combine with minced cucumber, garlic, and dried dill for tzaziki sauce
    Pita bread cut into triangles and warmed or toasted

    In a small pan, heat half the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add shallot, jalapeno, and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, for just one minute to soften. Allow to cool.

    In the meantime, combine lamb, pork, orange zest, mint, 4-5 turns of ground black pepper, and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix well with hands to thoroughly combine. (The saltiness of the salt pork can vary, so begin with this amount of salt and form a small patty to cook for testing purposes. Adjust salt as needed.)

    Form mixture into small meatballs and transfer to a sheet pan. Heat remaining oil over medium heat in a large (12-inch), heavy skillet, such as cast iron, and brown meatballs in batches until cooked through and golden, 8-10 minutes.

    Serve with Greek yogurt or tzaziki and warm pita.

  • Ground Beef or Lamb and Parmesan Ravioli

    Ingredients:

    ½ lb Ground Beef or Lamb
    3 oz Parmesan Cheese
    ¼ Onion finely minced
    2 – 3 cloves Garlic minced
    1 Egg
    Fresh Oregano
    Fresh Parsley
    Fresh Mint (great if you are using lamb)
    Fresh grated ginger
    Chop and mince garlic and onion.
    Grate parmesan cheese finely
    Brown ground meat.
    Add in chopped garlic and onion and finish browning meat.
    Drain browned ground meat, garlic and onion in colander.
    Chop or process fresh oregano and parsley, mint and ginger.
    Add oregano and parsley to browned ground meat, garlic and onion.
    Beat or whisk an egg and stir into mixture.