Here is a spicy take on fried chicken fingers that kids like as much as adults do. I use Maryland-style spices to kick things up a notch - the type you frequently find when eating shrimp and blue crabs while sailing around the Chesapeake Bay. Ingredients: 1 lb. boneless chicken breast 1 egg 1 cup buttermilk 1 tsp. Louisiana hot sauce (or your favorite) 2 cups … [Read more...]
Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta
As a kid I hated Brussels sprouts, as I imagine many kids do. Partly that’s because we were always served the sprouts whole. One way to get kids (and some adults) to enjoy Brussels sprouts is to shave or shred them before cooking, which makes them much more palatable. And of course, adding bacon doesn’t hurt. You could prepare the sprouts and shallots using a knife but I find … [Read more...]
Butter Chicken Recipe
Butter chicken is a very popular Indian curry dish that is also called murgh makhani. The chicken is smothered in a creamy curry sauce made with vindaloo spice mix, which can be purchased at stores and online such as at Penzeys Spices. This recipe is largely based on one shared by Andrew Zimmern in Food & Wine. You’ll want to get a head start as the chicken needs to … [Read more...]
Seared Sea Scallops
I love the slightly sweet and tart flavor of seared sea scallops - those are the large scallops; the small ones are bay scallops. They are super easy and quick to make - they literally cook in about 3 minutes. Serve them simply with salt and pepper or with a favorite sauce, aioli, remoulade, yuzu-miso, etc. Ingredients: Fresh sea scallops - about 3-4 per person as a main … [Read more...]
Pork Cutlet Piccata
Most of us are familiar with the popular Italian dish called chicken piccata, typically served with a side of pasta. Well, you can easily change up your piccata by using fish, shrimp, scallops, pork, turkey or even tofu as the main protein for picatta. Here is a version using boneless pork cutlets. It’s a quick dish to prepare. In less time than it takes to boil water for a … [Read more...]
Beef Lo Mein Recipe
Chinese dishes like lo mein are pretty easy to make at home. The secret is organization. Be sure to have all of the ingredients prepped and ready to rock before you heat your wok. That’s because the actual cooking time for stir-fry dishes like lo mein is very rapid. This recipe is a modification of a beef lo mein recipe on the Woks of Life website. Ingredients: For the beef … [Read more...]
Tortellini Alfredo
I love fettuccine Alfredo. Who doesn’t? But then, you could really use any type of pasta you like and pair it with creamy Alfredo sauce. I especially like to use tortellini when making pasta Alfredo, since it’s firm and holds up to the thick sauce well. Ingredients: 8 Tbs (1 stick) good quality unsalted butter ½ pint (1 cup) heavy cream 1 package frozen or fresh … [Read more...]
Simplified Devilish Shrimp
Most often, recipes for Mexican-style devilishly hot shrimp - camarones a la diabla - involves destemming, deseeding and charring dried peppers, then reconstituting them in water, etc. This version is a quicker, simplified one that uses chile powder rather than dried chiles. Give it a try! Ingredients: 1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined 3 Tbsp New Mexico chile … [Read more...]
Shoyu Chicken
A very popular and delicious Cantonese dish is Shoyu (soy sauce) Chicken. It’s very easy to make and the emphasis is on the technique of very gently cooking the chicken. Give it a try! Ingredients: 1 whole chicken, 3-4 lbs. (or you could use cut-up pieces) 2 tsp. sesame oil 2 tsp. canola or peanut oil 4-5 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly mashed to release the … [Read more...]
Creole Catfish Recipe
Here is a really simple method for cooking Creole style blackened catfish on the grill. One benefit of cooking the fish in a pan on the outdoor grill is that you won’t set off the smoke alarms indoors. Ingredients: 2-4 catfish fillets, patted dry with paper towels - figure one fillet per person ½ cup butter, melted 2 Tbsp (or more to taste) Creole seasoning such as … [Read more...]