Brads Cooking

Moroccan chicken

2011-11-29T20:48:00.000-08:00

1 lb skinless boneless chicken breasts (cubed)

Spices:
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

3 oz beer
1/2 white Onion
1 zucchini

Cous cous

Brown chicken with spices in large pan for 4mins, remove chicken, and then...
Saute olive oil, beer, garlic, onion, zuchini for 5mins and add chicken back and simmer for 10 mins covered.

Prepare the cous cous and poor gravy over it to serve.

Trottole pasta with special sauce

2011-11-29T20:33:00.000-08:00

[Picture coming soon]

1 lb Trottole (corkscrew) pasta

Special Sauce:

10oz can of diced tomatoes (strained)

8oz can of tomato sauce

1 chopped green pepper

1 tsp Chili garlic sauce

1 Cup of Creme

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Salt, Pepper & Sugar to taste

Boil pasta for 15 mins.

Cook sauce in a saucepan for 15 mins.

Poor sauce over pasta and serve.

New Year's Eve sparkling wine tasting

2010-12-31T07:33:00.000-08:00

I stopped at the old PA wine & spirits store (limited selection) and picked up a few sparkling wines to taste for New Year's Eve.

Here's what I got:

- Barefoot Bubbly Brut Cuvee (Champagne "style")

- Cavit Lunetta Prosecco

- Freixenet Cordon Negro Cava Brut

- Elmo Pio Asti Spumante

Here are some terms defined to help understand these wines.

- Brut: Very Dry

- Cuvee: First press or special batch

- Asti Spumante: sparkling wine produced in the town of Asti in Piedmont, Italy. Made from the Moscato Bianco grape, it is sweet and low in alcohol, and often served with dessert.

- Cava: is a Spanish sparkling wine made in the traditional method of the French sparkling wine

- Champagne: is a sparkling wine produced by inducing the in-bottle secondary fermentation of the wine to effect carbonation. Made exclusively in Champagne region of France.

- Prosecco: a dry sparkling wine, generally made from grape variety Glera, which is grown in the Veneto region of Italy.

Phyllis's Homemade Apple Sauce

2010-12-24T05:59:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

4 apples - peeled, cored and chopped
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
In a saucepan or crock pot, combine apples, water, sugar, and cinnamon.
Cover, and cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until apples are soft.
Allow to cool, then mash with a fork or potato masher.

Spicy pumpkin soup

2009-10-03T20:27:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

-4 Tbsp unsalted butter
-2 teaspoons minced garlic
-1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
-1 teaspoon ground coriander
-Pinch ground cayenne pepper
-3 (15 oz) cans of pure pumpkin (6 cups)
-5 cups of vegetable broth
-2 cups of milk
-1/2 cup brown sugar

Instructions:

Blend ingredients and simmer on low for 15min. Garnish with either sour cream, pumpkin seeds, or cilantro.

Gnocchi Gruyere

2009-09-07T18:21:00.000-07:00

Ingredients (2 servings):

-1lb. gnocchi

-8oz Gruyere cheese

-4 tablespoons butter

-chopped garlic

-1/4 cup half&hlaf

Instructions for 2 serving:

- Cook gnocchi

- add garlic to saucepan and cook for 1 min

- add cream, grated gruyere cheese and butter to pan and cook on high until fully melted.

- season sauce with salt\pepper

- strain gnocchi and combine with sauce and mix well with sauce.

- serve on plate and top with parmesan cheese.

Enjoy.

Baked Gnocchi

2009-08-17T18:41:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
2 lbs. of gnocchi
1/2lb of mozzarella
Sauce: (you can substitute canned tomatoe sauce)
-2 cans of diced petite tomatoes
-1/2lb of ricotta
-2tsp crushed Red pepper
-2tsp minced garlic
-2tsp cup olive oil
-2tsp sugar
-1/4 cup white wine

Directions:
1. Place sauce ingredients in saucepan and cook for 10min.
2. Boil gnocchi
3. Mix sauce and gnocchi in baking dish and cover entirely with mozzarella cheese. Then bake at 350 degrees for 15min.

Creating a great cheese plate

2008-12-24T10:21:00.000-08:00

As you know, cheese is a popular party food and also goes great with wine. However, I often see people just take a few common cheeses, like cheddar, swiss, and american and put them on a plate. But a much nicer way to present a cheese plate to your guests is by selecting cheeses with varying textures. For example, below are 4 different cheese textures and some classic cheese selections for each.

Hard: Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino, Gruyere
Semi-Hard: Cheddar, Gouda, Swiss
Semi-soft: Mozzarella, Havarti, Fontina
Soft: Brie, Goat cheese, or anything spreadable

Another interesting way to create a cheese plate is to select different textures from a specific country. France, Germany, Italy, and America have the best selections.

Goto: http://www.cheese.com/ for further reference.

Roasted Vegetable Medley

2008-11-18T22:46:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
1 medium zucchini, cut into chunks
1 medium yellow squash, cut into chunks
1 medium onion, halved then cut into chunks
1/2 pound button mushrooms, quartered or halved
2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 F.
Combine zucchini and yellow squash pieces with onions and mushrooms in a mixing bowl.
Coat evenly with oil, an then with seasoning and salt and pepper.
Spread them out on to a baking sheet.
Place in oven and roast 20 to 25 minutes until tender.

Beer Roasted Beef Tenderloin

2008-06-08T08:26:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
-2 to 3lb beef tenderloin (which is actuallly filet mignon cut and you will have to ask butcher to cut for you. Typical cost is ~$20/lb.)
-8 oz of beer
-4 cubes of beef bouilon
-ground black pepper
-crushed garlic
-meat thermometer

Instructions:
-Preheat the oven to 500°F.
-Marinate tenderloin with garlic, pepper and oil.
-Sear the tenderloin in a frying pan, until brown on all edges
-Poor 8oz of beer and 4 bouillon cubes in roasting pan
-Place meat in roasting pan.
-Place meat thermometer into its center and place the pan in the oven.
-Optionally surround beef with potatoes and carrots.
-Immediately turn the heat down to 225 °F.
-Check temperature after 1/2 hour; and the every 20 min.
-The thermometer should read 140°F for rare meat.
-When done, remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes.

"Best Ever" Mac and Cheese

2008-03-24T08:26:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
- 1.5 lb pasta (ie. macaroni)
- 2.5 cups whole milk
- 2 lbs of cheese (equal parts cheddar, mozzarella, swiss, Monterey jack)
- 1 lb cream cheese
- 1/4 lb butter (1 stick)
- breadcrumbs

Instructions:
Cook pasta.
In a large pot, bring milk to a boil and reduce to heat to low.
Add Cheddar & cream cheese to milk and stir until cheese is fully melted.
Add pasta to cheese and mix thoroughly.
Add pasta to a baking pan and cook for 45 mins at 350 degrees.

When ready to serve, cover pasta with thin layer of breadcrumbs and distribute the stick of butter on top. Cook until bubbling.

Roasted Red Potatoes

2008-03-23T12:24:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
- 3lb Red potatoes, chopped into 1/4 in pieces
- 2 tbsp Garlic powder
- 2 tbsp salt
- 1/4 lb butter (1 stick)
- 1 tbsp chopped chives or rosemary

Instructions:
Add ingredients to a glass baking dish.
Cook at 350 degrees for 45min and mix potatoes every 15min

This dish is great for dinner parties since you can make the night before and goes great with anything.

Quick Salsa recipe

2008-03-23T11:55:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
- 1 can Diced tomatoes
- 1 sweet onion chopped
- 1 jalepeno chopped or can of chopped jalepenos
- 2 tbsp hot sauce
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp chili powder

Mix in a bowl and you can't miss.

Mexicali Chicken and Rice

2008-02-20T16:14:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
-Chicken breasts
-Salsa
-Chili powder
-Onion salt
-Chopped Jalepenos
-Shredded Sharp Cheddar
-package of Lipton's Mexican rice (sorry for cheating here, but I may try a better mexican rice later on.)

Instructions:
Place chicken in a baking pan, sprinkle chili powder, onion salt, jalepenos, and black pepper to your liking.
Pour salsa on top.
Cook for 25 min at 375 degress.
Cover with cheese and cook for 5-10 more minutes.
Cook the Mexican rice as instructed on package.

Serve and enjoy.

Stuffed Peppers

2008-02-04T16:37:00.000-08:00

Ok, back to food. Besides, everyone likes food, right?

Not sure where this meal originated from, but my mother (german-english) and also my mother-in-law (irish-polish) have been making it for years. And of course, since women don't cook anymore, I will gladly continue this culinary tradition.

INGREDIENTS:

* 6 green\red\yellow bell peppers
* 1 tablespoons butter
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1/2 cup chopped onion
* 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
* 2 cans (16 ounces) of tomato sauce
* 1 clove garlic, crushed
* 1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
* 2 teaspoons salt, divided
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
* 1 egg, lightly beaten
* 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
* 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef or chuck
* 1 1/2 cups cooked long-grain rice

PREPARATION:
Cut tops off peppers; remove seeds. Chop edible part of tops and set aside.
Boil peppers in a large pot for 5 minutes. Drain peppers and set aside.

Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Sauté chopped green pepper (from tops), chopped onion, and for about 7 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, crushed garlic, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine egg with remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Gently stir to blend; add ground beef, cooked rice, and 1 cup of the tomato mixture. Mix well. Stuff peppers with meat mixture and place in a 3-quart baking dish. Pour remaining tomato mixture over the stuffed peppers. Bake at 350° for 60 minutes.

Also, make another 2-3 cups of rice to serve with meal.

Wine Pairing: Merlot

Enjoy!

Winter Party Hors'dourves

2007-12-04T16:38:00.000-08:00

This recipe is designed for a holiday cocktail party.

Crock Pot Spinach dip
Ingredients:
-8 ounces cream cheese
-1/4 cup whipping cream
-1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
-2 tablespoons chopped pimento
-1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
-1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
-2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
-2 teaspoons grated onion or chives Directions: Combine cream cheese and cream in slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW until cheese is melted, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Add remaining ingredients; cover and cook on LOW for about 45 minutes longer. Serve with raw vegetables, crackers, or crusty bread cubes.

Baked Brie

Ingredients:
1 tube of refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 wedge of Brie cheese
Raspberry Jam, or other sweet jam
Brown sugar
1/4 cup of maple syrup

Directions: spread out dinner roll dough, put brie wedge in center and add jam, suger and syrup. Then place in over at 350 for 10-15 mins.

Spicy Hummus
Ingredients:
-1 cup cooked chickpeas, drained
-1 large garlic cloves
-2 tablespoons tahini
-Juice of 1 lemon
-1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
-Coarse salt
-1/2 teaspoon crushed pepper flakes
-1 teaspoon (1/3 palm full) ground cumin
-1 teaspoon (1/3 palm full) ground coriander

Directions:
In a food processor, puree all the ingredients except oil. Gradually add the olive oil until incorporated. Spread the hummus onto a plate and top with Salt\pepper, sliced cucumbers and olives, with pita bread on the side.

Stuffed Pepperdews

Ingredients:
-2 dozen pepperdews (or Sweet Piquant Peppers)

-2lb Cream cheese

Directions: Stuff each pepperdew with cream cheese and serve cold

Wines
-Joel Gott Zinfandel 2006
-Gran Familia Rioja 2004
-D'arenberg Noble Riesling 2002
-Smith Madrone Riesling 2006

Stuffed Mushrooms & Gnocchi

2007-11-28T16:40:00.000-08:00

Stuffed Mushrooms

10 medium mushroom, firm, closed caps
Stuffing:
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons minced onion or green onion
1/4 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup soft bread crumbs (see below)
1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons water
salt & pepper to taste

Pull stems from mushrooms and chop stems finely. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-low heat; add chopped mushroom stems and onion. Sauté until tender. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, soft bread crumbs, cheese, salt and pepper. Stuff mushrooms with stuffing and bake for 20 mins at 350 degrees.

Gnocchi Al Gorgonzola

[image coming soon]
1 lb. Gnocchi

Sauce:
2 tbsp Chopped fresh chives
2 tbsp Freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
2 cups whipping cream
1/2 lb. Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Directions:

Cook sauce ingredients in saucepan, but add walnuts in last. Then add cooked gnocchi to saucepan and serve.

Wine: Nero d'avola

Tomato pesto pasta & Crab dip

2007-11-24T16:44:00.000-08:00

I thought maybe I'd post Dinner recipe's I put together, so lets see how it goes. I'm only going to list my ingredients, a rating, and quick prep instructions. I only do dishes that are quick & easy. Enjoy.

Warm Crab dip (rating: 8 out 10 points)
Biscotti bread
Crab dip:
-1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
-3 tablespoons mayonnaise
-3 tablespoons cocktail sauce
-1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
-2 teaspoons lemon juice
-1/2 garlic clove, chopped
-1/2 lb. lump or backfin crabmeat

Prep: mix and throw in the oven at 350 for 15/20 min and then serve with Biscotti for a nice appetizer or hors d'oeuvre .

Tomato Pesto pasta (7 pts)
1lb of Cannolicchi pasta
2 cans of Diced tomatoes
Pesto sauce:
-2 cloves garlic, peeled
-2 tablespoons pine nuts
-1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
-3 cups (3 ounces) fresh basil leaves
-1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
-1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Prep: Put pesto ingredients in a food processor or finely chop, and then mix pesto, tomatoes, and cooked pasta in a large saucepan.

Wine
2006 Earthworks Shiraz (90pts on wineadvocate.com)
Prep: pour in large glass and drink