Potatoes with garlic, infused with chicken stock

Saturday night’s dinner, was a feast with charcoal roasted lamb, homemade macaroni and cheese, broiled asparagus, double cheese bread, and these flavor filled mashed potatoes. 

My freezer is getting full, with bones saved for stock. I decided to try something different with the mashed potatoes. Rather then boiling and mashing them, I decided to cook them like I would cook risotto. These came out good. 

Here’s how I put them together. I heard from one loyal reader, that another loyal reader remarked, “He must own stock in Adobo.” I don’t … but maybe I should. I use adobo seasoning a lot, because it is a mild, interesting flavored seasoned salt. Most groceries, around my house, carry it. Give it a try.

1 set of roast chicken bones

1/2 cup of onion flakes

Adobo seasoning

2 bay leaves

1 tsp. thyme

Water to cover

2 lb. of potatoes

2 garlic cloves

1 cup of shredded Colby cheese

Preparation

This is pretty easy to do, but it takes a little time. Place the chicken carcass in a stock pot, and add enough water to completely cover the bones. Add the onion flakes, and a heavy sprinkling of adobo seasoning, along with the bay leaves, and the thyme. Bring that to a boil, reduce it to a gentle simmer, and let that simmer for an hour and a half.

When the simmering time is up, peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes. Set those in a large braising pan, and cover them with the stock. Save the rest of the stock for gravy and other uses. Peel and slice two large cloves of garlic and add that to the potatoes. Bring the potatoes to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and partially cover. Cook the potatoes for about an hour, adding more stock as needed.

When the potatoes are falling apart, uncover the pan and stir in the cheese. Continue to simmer, uncovered, stirring almost constantly, until the stock is reduced and the potatoes have thickened. Turn off the heat, and let them rest for about five minutes before serving.

Serving

We served the potatoes next to a pile of thinly sliced, charcoal roasted lamb, and smothered both with gravy made with same stock. We also had homemade macaroni and cheese, broiled asparagus, and double cheese bread.

Double cheese, cheese bread

On Saturday, I had a big dinner with my son, his girlfriend, his mom, and several others. I was roasting a leg of lamb over charcoal. I also served garlic mashed potatoes that were infused with chicken stock, broiled asparagus, homemade mac and cheese, and this double cheese bread. 

The reason why it is double cheese bread, is there is cheese in the dough, and more cheese rolled up in the bread. Dinner came out good. Here’s how I made the double cheese bread.

3 cups of flour

1 cup of white whole wheat flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp sugar

2 tbs. olive oil

2 tbs. instant yeast

2 cups of water

1 cup of shredded Swiss cheese

1 cup of shredded Gruyére cheese

2 cups of shredded Cheddar

2 cups of shredded Mozzarella

Corn meal

Preparation

Place the flours, salt, sugar, olive oil and yeast in a bowl. Add the Swiss cheese, and the Gruyére cheese, along with the water. Use dough hooks to bring the dough together. Adjust with additional flour or water, to get the dough so it can be kneaded. Knead it for about a minute, and then set it in a warm place for about an hour, to rise.

After the dough has risen, knead it for a couple more minutes. On a clean floured surface, work the dough with your fingers, turning it as you do, until you have a rectangle roughly two feet, by one foot. Sprinkle the Cheddar and Mozzarella cheese over the dough, leaving the outer inch uncovered. Roll up the dough, folding the edges over as you do, until the dough resembles a fat log. Set that on a baking sheet which has been sprinkled with corn meal. Let that rise in a warm place for about forty minutes.

Bake the bread in a 380º oven, for about forty five minutes, or until the bread is golden brown, and the cheese is oozing out. Let that cool for about ten minutes before slicing.

Serving

We feasted on our bread with charcoal roasted lamb, the mashed potatoes, gravy, pasta, and broiled asparagus. I think I scored a hit with the bread. I received lots of compliments on it. We all fell into a food coma after dinner.

Fajitas made with charcoal roasted beef

When I went to the store on Saturday, I stocked up on groceries. One of the things I bought was a package of boneless beef spare ribs. I had no idea what I wanted to do with them, but it was at a good price, so I put it in the cart. 

Yesterday, I was really having a lazy day. We were up late on Sunday night, and I just read my novel and relaxed. Around two in the afternoon, I seasoned up the beef and lit some charcoal in the grill. I let the beef get good and smokey for three hours in the grill. 

Since I had all the fixings for fajitas, I decided to make that with some of this good charcoal roasted beef. The smokey flavor really carried through, and the fajitas were great. Here’s how I put this together.

1 lb. boneless beef spareribs

Garlic powder

Cajun seasoning

Adobo seasoning

3 jalapeño peppers, cut in strips

1 serrano pepper, cut in strips

1 large onion, cut in wedges

1 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. cumin

1 tomato, chopped

1/4 lb. Cotija cheese, sliced

1 lime, cut in eights

10 flour tortillas

Valentina hot sauce

Preparation

This is the perfect recipe for a lazy summer holiday. The charcoal does most of the work, while you relax. Take the beef, and season it on all sides with a generous sprinkle of garlic powder, cajun seasoning and adobo seasoning. I actually cooked three pounds of the beef. I used one pound for this, and saved the other two pounds for future use.

Light a pile of charcoal, on one side of your grill. Set the beef, stacked up, on a cast iron pan, and set that on the other side of the grill. Close the lid, and let the smoke do it’s magic. I planned to smoke this for three hours, so I used a lot of charcoal, to keep the heat high enough to cook the beef, and render the fat. Stacking the pieces of beef, which was fatty, allows the top piece to baste the lower pieces with the drippings. Every half hour, shuffle the stack so the bottom is on top, and the other pieces move down. Add a handful of charcoal, each time you shuffle the beef. After three hours, the beef should have reached smokey perfection.

Bring the beef in, and set it on a cutting board. Heat the drippings in the cast iron pan on the stove. Add the peppers and onions, stir, and season it with the oregano and cumin. Let that sizzle until the onions start to brown. Place the tortillas on a plate, cover them with another plate, and heat them gently in the microwave. Meanwhile, slice the beef, across the grain. When the onions have started to brown, add the beef slices, and stir. When the beef is sizzling, you are ready to serve.

Serving

Place the tomatoes on one side of a serving platter. Add the cheese next to that, and then the limes. Spoon the beef mixture on the platter, and set that on the table. Place the warmed tortillas next to that. I also had some corn on the cob, with lots of butter. You can’t beat a cold beer with the smoky flavor of the beef in these fajitas.

Angry harlot's pasta sauce

Monday, I was thinking about what I wanted to prepare for dinner as I was driving home from the office. I knew I had some fresh Italian sausage that I wanted to cook, but I wanted something different than my usual pasta sauce with sausage. 

When I arrived home, I decided to make a version of Spaghetti alla Puttanesca. Tradition has it, that this style of sauce, with hot peppers, anchovies, capers and olives, was often made by ladies of the night, between business appointments, because it was quick and easy to prepare. If one of them was real angry, she might add extra hot peppers, and end up with this version.

Olive oil

1/2 cup of white wine

1 small onion

10 basil leaves

2 sprigs of fresh thyme

3 large cloves of garlic

3 long thin hot peppers

1 tsp. of drained capers

12 oil cured black olives

2 oz. tin of anchovies, drained

1/2 tsp. oregano

28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes

1/2 lb. of thick spaghetti, cooked and drained

Preparation

Place the onion and the basil leaves in a blender. Add the thyme leaves, a drizzle of olive oil, and the white wine. Pulse until the onion and herbs are coarsely chopped.

Take a cutting board, and slice the olives off the pits, and coarsely chomp them. Smash and mince the garlic, and chop the anchovies. Heat a medium dutch oven, and add enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Add the olives, anchovies, garlic and capers. Stir and let that sizzle to soften the garlic, but don’t brown it.

Add the wine/onion/herb mix from the blender. Stir and let that come to a simmer. Stir for about a minute, and then add the crushed tomatoes. Bring that to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer. Simmer, stirring often, for no more than five minutes, and you are ready to serve.

Serving

Serve a large mound of thick spaghetti on a plate, and smother it in this spicy sauce. Add a couple Italian sausages and grate some imported Parmesan over the plate. Pick out a good Italian red wine, slice the homemade bread, and ring the dinner bell.

Simple spinach lasagna

Over the weekend, I had my neighbors, Angelo and Fran over for dinner. I decided to make a little lasagna, and figured it would go good on a rainy summer night. I didn’t realize until I started assembling the lasagna, that I forgot to buy the ricotta cheese. Oh well, with a pound and a half of cheese, we can just make do. It came out ok. I don’t think anyone missed the ricotta. 

I think it has been decades, since I boiled lasagna noodles. I find that if you put them in dry, and then, when the lasagna is assembled, pour in a half cup of red wine, it will be just fine. The cheese melts to form a seal, and the wine, and tomato sauce cook the noodles. Here’s how I put this together.

28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes

Grated Parmesan cheese

Olive oil

3 cloves of garlic

1 tsp. oregano

10 fresh basil leaves

Louisiana Hot Sauce

Adobo seasoning

10 oz. fresh baby spinach

Cooking spray (Pam)

1/2 lb. lasagna noodles

1/2 cup dry red wine

8 oz. Italian mix shredded cheese

8 oz. Mexican mix shredded cheese

8 oz. shredded Mozzarella cheese

Preparation

When I started cooking, I realized that I was out of those aluminum lasagna pans. I looked around and decided to use my blue enamel coated steel roasting pan, and that worked great for a lasagna for three. 

First step is to mix the sauce. I don’t bother cooking the sauce, because it will cook in the lasagna. Put the crushed tomatoes in a bowl. Splash on a little olive oil, about a quarter cup. Smash and mince two garlic cloves and add them. Tear the basil leaves and add those with the oregano. Sprinkle in about a quarter cup of grated Parmesan cheese, and several dashes of Louisiana Hot Sauce. Now give it a light dusting of adobo seasoning, and stir well to mix. Let that sit for about a half hour, so the flavors can blend.

While that is resting, smash and mince the final garlic clove. Heat a large cast iron pan, add enough olive oil to coat the bottom, and add the garlic. Stir until that is sizzling, and then dump the baby spinach in. Stir from the outside in, until all the spinach is just wilted, and turn off the heat.

To assemble the lasagna, spray your pan with cooking spray, and spoon a little of the sauce on the bottom of the pan. Add a layer of the dried lasagna noodles. You’ll have to break them to cover the bottom of the pan, if you use a football shaped roasting pan like I did. Add the sautéed spinach on top of the pasta. Now add another layer of pasta. Add a thick layer of sauce over the pasta, and half of the Italian mix shredded cheese. Add a final layer of pasta, all of the remaining sauce, the wine, and then top it with the remaining Italian mix cheese, then the Mexican mix cheese, and finally the shredded Mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle a little oregano over the top of the cheese, and bake at 380º for about forty five minutes.

Serving

We enjoyed our lasagna with sausage and peppers, cucumbers and onions, fresh homemade bread with butter, and German beer. I over-served myself on everything.