INGREDIENTS

• 1½ lb. dutch yellow potatoes; halved
• ½ cup butter; melted
• 2 tspn. garlic; minced
• 1 tspn. salt
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 Tbs. Parmesan cheese; grated

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place potatoes in an 8″ x 8″ baking dish. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, garlic, salt, and lemon juice. Pour over potatoes and stir to coat. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over potatoes, and bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until golden brown.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup cornstarch
• 1¼ tspn. salt
• 1¼ tspn. baking powder
• ¾ tspn. baking soda
• ¾ tspn. garlic salt
• ½ tspn. pepper
• 1 cup non-alcoholic beer
• 3 egg whites
• 2½ lb. asparagus; trimmed
• Oil (deep frying)
• Ranch dressing

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, baking soda, garlic salt, and pepper. Combine beer and egg whites and stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Dip asparagus into the batter. Heat 1½ inch of oil in a skillet to 375°F. Fry the asparagus in batches for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately with ranch dressing.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ears of red corn; kernels removed from the cob
• 2 tspn. olive oil
• ½ tspn. granulated sugar
• ½ tspn. lime juice
• Salt and black pepper; to taste
• 1½ Tbs. crumbled cotija anejo cheese or queso fresco
• 1 Tbs. cilantro; finely chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

Cut off the corn kernels. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt olive oil. Add corn and sprinkle evenly with sugar. Saute for 2-3 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add lime juice and salt and pepper. Cook an additional 1-2 minutes and remove from heat. The corn should be cooked through yet still firm. Sprinkle with cotija anejo cheese and cilantro and toss gently until well combined and serve immediately.

Last Sunday’s NFL games got me thinking about what I would like to serve at my upcoming football party and my first thoughts were centered on mini BBQ pork sandwiches with horseradish coleslaw.

The problem with winter weather is that it doesn’t make it very fun to go outside and BBQ. I could cook the pork in the oven, but the smoke-filled flavor the meat gets from the wood smoking is really one of the best things about the dish. To resolve this issue, I have decided to share with you a fabulous method for smoking meats indoors. The process is called “pan smoking,” anyone can do it and you don’t need any special equipment, just what I have listed below.

How often have you heard the term “pulled pork” and wondered what it was? More often than not when a BBQ restaurant or a home BBQ fan says, “pulled pork,” they are talking about meat that comes from the pork shoulder. Sometimes it’s called “butt roast” because it used to come from the shank area or butt end of the pig; pork shoulders are now the accepted product to use when making pulled pork. The shoulder is rubbed with spices and (hence the term, “dry rub”) cooked very slowly at low temperatures until the meat literally falls off the bone. The term “pulled” comes from the fact that after cooking, one pulls the meat from the bone.

Since it takes some time to cook, you might want to start in the morning.

For the Dry Rub:

• 2 tablespoons Kosher salt
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 4 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 tablespoons freshly ground or coarse black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less depending on your preference for heat)
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground clove

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.

For the Roast:

• 1 pork shoulder
• One, 2-inch deep foil-roasting pan (available at most stores)
• One, 4-inch deep foil-roasting pan that is the same length and width of the 2-inch pan (available at most stores)
• Wood chips for smoking (I like mesquite chips, available at most stores)
• Foil
• Water
• BBQ sauce

METHOD

To cook the pork, remove the shoulder from packaging and pat dry with a paper towel. You might want to do the next step over some newspaper or a big cutting board as it gets a bit messy! I recommend wearing latex gloves as well to protect your hands from the spices that always seem to find a way into my eye! Rub a generous amount of the prepared dry rub into the surface of the roast. Take care to completely cover the meat with the dry rub. It shouldn’t be thick on the roast, just evenly coated all over. You are now ready to cook the roast.

With a pair of sharp scissors, screwdriver, or knife, poke 12 to 15 ¼-inch diameter holes in the bottom of the 2-inch pan. Place 2 cups or so of the wood chips in the bottom of the 4-inch pan. Place rubbed pork shoulder in 2-inch pan (the one with the holes) and set the 2-inch pan over the wood chips in the 4-inch pan. Cover VERY tightly with foil, making sure that you crimp the foil on the sides of the deeper pan. I cover the pan with a long piece of foil down the length of the pan, and then cover again with two shorter pieces across the width. You are trying to create an airtight seal. This is the key to this process. If you do not get an airtight seal, you risk either a kitchen full of smoke or setting the chips on fire and burning the roast so let me say again, the seal MUST BE AIR TIGHT! You get the picture.

Ok, now set the whole apparatus on your stove and turn your stove to its lowest setting. If you have a ventilation fan over your stove, you might turn it on. No matter how carefully you wrapped the pans in foil, some smoke is still likely to leak out. Because the wood chips cannot get air, they will only smolder, not burn. This creates some really nice smoke! Once your pan is on the stove, allow it to smoke on the stove for two hours. Remove the pan from the stove and let it cool for 10 minutes. Remove the foil. I usually do this outside to allow the smoke to escape. Put two or three cups of water into the pan (the water will drain through the whole into the bottom pan. Recover with foil and finish cooking in the oven for about 4 more hours at °325. It is not necessary to remove the wood chips from the bottom pan when you add the water. You will actually continue to get flavor from the wood, this time in the form of steam. To test for doneness, open a corner of the foil and press on the meat with a fork. If you can see that the meat can be pushed off the bone, it is done. If not, cook for another hour and continue testing until meat is fork tender.

Remove from oven and let cool for at least 45 minutes before you remove the foil. This will allow the naturals juices to be absorbed back into the meat. Remove from foil and pull the meat from the bone discarding any large fat deposits. You can either shred the meat with your hands or chop with a knife. At this point, I put the meat in a bowl or ovenproof pan. Mix one cup of the BBQ sauce with ¼ cup (more or less) of hot water. Pour sauce over meat and toss to coat evenly. Turn your oven off or very low, cover sauced meat with foil and set aside until you are ready to serve.

For the rolls, I used a product from our stores that I had not used before: Rhodes (in the freezer case). It is a thaw, rise, and freshly baked roll that quite honestly is one of the best dinner rolls I have eaten. They are easy to make and work extremely well for these sandwiches. I did the “quick” method printed on the package and had hot, fresh rolls in an hour. Cook two to three dozen rolls for your sandwiches, following package directions.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons horseradish
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon each Kosher salt and black pepper
• One, 14 oz. package Dole Coleslaw mix

METHOD

Place mayonnaise, horseradish, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl and whisk until completely smooth. Add coleslaw and toss until evenly coated with the dressing. Refrigerate.

Cut each roll in the center until it lays open or cut all of the way through if you prefer. Place a portion of the meat on the bottom half of the roll and top with a heaping tablespoon of coleslaw and serve. Delicious!

In This Menu:

• Oven Roasted Pork Loin with White Wine Jus
• Cauliflowers Braised with Leeks

Cooking this time of year can be difficult. The energy and money spent preparing the Thanksgiving meal coupled with the calories consumed is taxing to say the least. Keeping in mind that you have Christmas dinner to prepare next, I’ll try to give you some healthy, simple recipes that utilize things on sale that won’t break the bank. I made this dish for the first time in preparation for this blog and I LOVED it! I need to say a word or two about food combining before I go further. There is a theory in nutrition that when certain foods are eaten together, it is harder for our stomachs to digest which causes our bodies to expend more energy. This results in that “tired” feeling we get for example after the traditional Thanksgiving meal. Although there is a chemical that occurs naturally in turkey (L-tryptophan) that can make you drowsy, the mixing of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates is a much more likely candidate.

The meal presented below is a combination of a protein (the pork loin) and a vegetable (cauliflower); we are not going to serve a carbohydrate. I can tell you from personal experience that when you eat like this, you will have more energy and if you are trying to lose weight, it can help you in this process. At the very least, it might help you get through the holidays without gaining any weight. Wouldn’t that be a great gift!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lb. boneless pork loin
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon coarse, black pepper
• 1 white onion
• 1½ cup dry, white wine
• ½ cup chicken bullion or stock

METHOD

Preheat oven to °475. Cut pork vertically down the center so that you have two pieces that are roughly 1½ in diameter. Rub pork with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Cut the ends from the onion, cut in half horizontally, and remove peel. Slice onion into thin slices. Grease a metal roasting pan and lay one half of the onions in pan. Place pork on top of onions and lay the other half of the onions on top. Place pork in oven and cook for 10 minutes, reduce heat to °300 and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes or until the internal temperature is °160. Remove pan from oven and take pork off of the pan and set meat aside to keep warm. If you plan on serving soon, just turn your oven to off and place pork on another pan with sides.

Place pork pan on stove top on low heat and add wine and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and with a wooden spoon, scrape the pan being careful to remove all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. For you newbies, this process is called deglazing and is done because the brown bits clinging to the pan are made up of caramelized bits of protein and are PACKED with flavor! The brown bits actually have a name. They are called the fond.

When the pan looks fairly clean, pour the sauce (pan jus) through a fine mesh strainer into a small saucepan. Place saucepan on high heat and bring back to a boil. Mix the cornstarch with the water to make a slurry and add to the jus, stirring constantly. Sauce should coat the back of a spoon. If you feel it is too thick, add some more broth, too thin and make some more slurry and add it slowly. Keep in mind that cornstarch does not activate unless a liquid is boiling so if, after adding the slurry, the sauce is thin, make sure and let it come to a boil before deciding if the consistency is correct. Check the sauce for salt. It may need a little bit. Slice the pork to desired thickness and lace sauce over the meat. Serve with braised cauliflower and leeks.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bunch leeks
• 1 head cauliflower
• ½ stick of butter
• ½ cup chicken broth
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

PREPARATION

Remove the leaves and stem from the cauliflower. Cut or break into 1-inch pieces. Set aside. Cut the root ends from the leeks then cut off most of the green tops. You can leave about 1 inch of the green part of the leeks. If you leave anymore than that, it will be too fibrous and tough. Remove the first couple outer layers of the leeks. Cut leek into 1-inch thick pieces. Check them for any dirt and rinse as necessary. Place a large saucepan (one that has a lid) on stove and melt the butter over low heat. Add the vegetables, salt, pepper, and the stock. Turn heat to medium and bring the liquid to a boil, stirring as needed.

Reduce heat to low again, cover pan and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove vegetables from the liquid in the pan. Set veggies aside to keep warm. Put pan back on heat and bring to a boil. Boil liquid until it begins to thicken. Pour over vegetables and serve.

Since most of us spend a good portion of summer holidays doing some type of cooking or grilling, I thought that this was a good time to give you some simple and fast recipes after all of the celebratory cooking. We will be making an antipasto Caesar salad, which is my favorite variation of the classic salad. Then we are cooking wild salmon with a wonderful Asian marinade and some really killer green beans. To finish, I’m going to show how to use a ready-made mix which makes a delicious dessert. The whole meal can be prepared in 45 minutes.

In This Menu:

• Antipasto Caesar Salad
• Sesame Crusted Wild Salmon with Szechuan Green Beans
• Calhoun’s Cherry Crumb Crunch

INGREDIENTS

• 1, 4 oz. log of creamy goat
  cheese

• 4 oz. hard salami, cut into thin
  strips

• 1 large Arkansas tomato, diced
• 1 head of romaine lettuce
• 1, 12 oz. can whole artichoke heart cut in half lengthwise
• 1, 7 oz. can of sliced black
  olives

• 1 cup of your favorite croutons
• ½ to 3/4 cup of your favorite Caesar dressing

PREPARATION

Place goat cheese in freezer before you begin to prepare salad. Cut romaine into 2-inch squares, wash (if necessary) in very cold water and spin dry. Place lettuce in a bowl and add the salami, tomatoes, black olives, and ½ of the croutons. Remove goat cheese from freezer and package. Cut cheese into ¼ inch dice and add to bowl. As you probably figured out, freezing the cheese makes it easier to cut and it will thaw in a matter of minutes. Add enough dressing to salad and toss to coat evenly. Divide onto four salad plates or bowl. Arrange artichoke hearts around salads and top with remaining croutons.

Serves 4

For the Salmon:

• 4 fillets wild salmon
• 4 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 cup San J Tamari Sesame Dressing

Place salmon fillets in a shallow pan with the dressing and toss to coat evenly. Let salmon marinade for at least two hours. Place salmon on baking sheet and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake in a 450° oven for about 8 minutes for medium or cook to desired doneness.

For the Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.

For the Beans:

• 1 cup peanut oil
• 1 lb. fresh green beans, stems removed
• Heat oil in a large saucepan until hot for frying, 350°

Place beans in hot oil and fry, turning frequently for 3 to 5 minutes or until cooked but not limp. Drain on paper towels. Place cooked beans in the bowl with the sauce and toss to coat with sauce. Serve warm with salmon.

You will find the Calhoun mixes in our baking aisle. These are exceptional products that will help when you are in a crunch for time and need a dessert! Follow the package directions and then serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.