Souvlaki

 

Marinade

• ¾ cup light olive oil

• ½ cup red wine vinegar

• 2 lemons, juiced

• 5 cloves garlic, crushed

• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary

• 1 teaspoon dried sage

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram

• 1 teaspoon dried basil

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• crushed black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Combine olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, sage, thyme, marjoram, basil, oregano, garlic powder, and pepper in a large, shallow dish. Mix with a fork until mixture looks uniform. 

    Marinate your choice of meat in the marinade for 2 to 3 hours or no less than 30 minutes.

    

    

2. Thread the marinated meat cubes onto a heat-proof skewer.

Grill the skewered meat over medium heat. You can continue to baste the meat with the leftover marinade as it cooks for extra flavor and juiciness (but make sure to discard whatever marinade remains when you have about 5 minutes remaining — the meat and its juices should be completely cooked by the time you're finished grilling to prevent foodborne illness).

 

Serve on the skewer, in a warm pita, or over your favorite fresh veggies.

 

Irish Crumbed Pork Chops

 

This classic Sunday pork roast or pork chops gets an Irish twist with a dry rub featuring sea salt, black pepper, mustard powder, thyme, and sage. Serve with creamy colcannon (mashed potatoes with kale or cabbage) for a truly authentic experience.

Colcannon

 

Ingredients

• 4 russet potatoes (2 to 2 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

• Salt, to taste

• 5 to 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for serving

• 3 lightly packed cups chopped kale, cabbage, chard, or other leafy green

• 3 green onions, minced (about 1/2 cup)

• 1 cup milk or cream

Method

1. Boil the potatoes:

   Put the potatoes in a medium pot and cover with cold water by at least an inch. Add 2 tablespoons of salt, and bring to a boil.

   Boil until the potatoes are fork tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain in a colander.
2. Cook the greens and the green onions with butter:

   Return the pot to the stove and set over medium-high heat. Melt the butter in the pot and once it's hot, add the greens.

   Cook the greens for 3 to 4 minutes, or until they are wilted and have given off some of their water.

   Add the green onions and cook 1 minute more.
3. Mash the potatoes with milk or cream and greens:

   Pour in the milk or cream, mix well, and add the potatoes. Reduce the heat to medium.

   Use a fork or potato masher and mash the potatoes, mixing them up with the greens.

   Add salt to taste and serve hot, with a knob of butter in the center. 

    

Chinese Pepper Steak

 

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb flank steak or sirloin, thinly sliced against the grain
• 1 tbsp soy sauce for marinade
• 1 tsp cornstarch for marinade
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 red bell pepper sliced
• 1 green bell pepper sliced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tsp fresh ginger minced
• 2 tbsp soy sauce for sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp water
• Optional: 1 tsp hoisin sauce or chili flakes
• Optional: 1 tsp cornstarch + 2 tsp water slurry, for thickening

Instructions

 

• Slice beef thinly against the grain. In a bowl, mix with 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, and 1 tsp cornstarch. Let marinate while prepping other ingredients.
• In a small bowl, whisk together sauce: 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp sugar, ¼ tsp black pepper, 2 tbsp water (add hoisin or chili flakes if desired).
• Heat a skillet or wok over high heat. Sear beef in batches until browned, about 1–2 minutes. Remove and set aside.
• Add a bit more oil to the pan, then sauté garlic and ginger for 30 seconds. Add bell peppers and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes.
• Pour in sauce, let it bubble for 30 seconds. Add beef back to pan and toss to coat.
• If thicker sauce is desired, stir in slurry and cook until thickened. Serve hot over rice or noodles.

Notes

• For extra tenderness, freeze beef for 15 minutes before slicing.
• Don’t overcrowd the pan when searing—cook in batches for best texture.
• Use tamari instead of soy sauce to make it gluten-free.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days.  

How to Velvet Meat

 

Velveting is a low-effort, high-reward technique for cooking beef, chicken, pork, and more. Begin by slicing or dicing the meat against the grain. It doesn't matter how big or small as long as they're uniform in size.

Place the meat in a bowl and coat with either of the two velveting mixtures below:

1. Baking Soda

When velveting with baking soda, the proteins in the meat become denatured, resulting in a dreamy tenderness that you’ll never want to cook without. This is my grandmother’s go-to technique, as it enhances the raw meat’s ability to hold onto moisture, preventing it from drying out while it cooks.

Sprinkle approximately 1 teaspoon of baking soda per pound of meat, ensuring that it evenly coats each piece. Cover the bowl and set it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. The baking soda may turn the meat a bright red—that’s completely normal. 

2. Cornstarch

My dad has always velveted with a cornstarch slurry, a mixture of cornstarch and just enough liquid to turn it into a smooth paste. It should be thick enough to stick to the meat, but not so thick that it forms clumps.

Though my dad prefers soy sauce for the flavor, water or oil works just fine. Use roughly two tablespoons of cornstarch and one tablespoon of liquid for every pound of meat. The goal is to coat the meat with a thin layer of cornstarch slurry without creating a thick batter.

After coating the meat with the slurry, refrigerate it for about 30 minutes. Then, rinse off the cornstarch under cold running water if trying to avoid clumps, removing all of the slurry and patting the meat dry before cooking. The rinsing is optional—my dad keeps his soy sauce-seasoned slurry on for salt and flavor.

Tips For Velveting

Don't let it sit too long: Velvet the meat for at least five minutes or up to an hour. The longer it sits, the more tender it will be. However, if you velvet for longer than an hour, the meat will become too soft—more akin to goo than a tender cut of protein.

Rinse well before cooking: After velveting the meat, you have the option to rinse off the baking soda or slurry to prevent clumps in your stir-fry. If you opt for this, pat the meat dry after rinsing. Now it's ready for the best stir-fry you'll ever make at home.

Source: Simply Recipes

 

 

Cornbread Dressing Recipe With Cream Of Chicken Soup

 

Ingredients:

– 1 batch of cornbread (about 8 cups, crumbled)

– 1 cup celery, diced

– 1 cup onion, diced

– 1 cup butter

– 1 can cream of chicken soup

– 2 cups chicken broth

– 2 eggs, beaten

– 1 teaspoon sage

– 1 teaspoon thyme

– Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the celery and onion, and cook until softened.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the crumbled cornbread, cooked vegetables, cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, eggs, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper. Mix well to combine.

4. Pour the mixture into a greased baking dish and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until golden brown and set.

5. Serve hot and enjoy!

Boxed Dressing

 

2 boxes StoveTop Stuffing

1 49 oz can Chicken Broth

2 10.5 oz can Cream of Mushroom Soup (can use 1 can of mushroom and one celery or cream of Chicken) ( if desired)

2 Eggs

1 large Onion

4 Celery Ribs

 

Open stuffing mix boxes and empty into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Add onion and celery. In a separate bowl beat the eggs and add both soups. Add to stuffing mix and stir completely. Begin adding chicken broth slowly. Wait a few minutes in between pours for the mix to soak it up. When you are done you want very wet to just about soupy in texture. Bake at 350 for about an hour or until set.