Prog Chefs Unite!!!

E, parents are in town and I got some brats as well!  By the way, I did try cooking them in beer a couple weeks ago and they were so much better then just grilling...thanks for the tip!

We'll just do standard picnic stuff, burgers, brats, maybe some cole slaw or potato salad...and of course plenty of good local beer (mmm).

NaturalScience wrote: E, parents are in town and I got some brats as well!  By the way, I did try cooking them in beer a couple weeks ago and they were so much better then just grilling...thanks for the tip!We'll just do standard picnic stuff, burgers, brats, maybe some cole slaw or potato salad...and of course plenty of good local beer (mmm).

NS, you can't beat finishing grilled brats off in a pot of boiling beer, onions, and butter. The family coming over have been over before and the husband specifically requested them.

As for beer, I got some Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat. Have you tried this? Man alive, it's got such a fresh taste to it. Perfect for the summer.

My mouth is a waterin'!

E

Hey Erik, I thought we mentioned rocket (or rucola) before:

http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Eruc_sat.html


Edited by Angelo - May 26 2007 at 14:59

E-Dub wrote: Tonight it was chicken quesadillas, southwestern cream style corn, and homemade guacamole. First time I've ever made it and it turned out really good. Sort of hard to screw it up, though. E

unless you get a hold of bad avocados.. few things worse, whether under or overripe.


tonight sliced chicken breast pan fried with olives (good black Italian), tomatoes, bacon, and a little white wine or beer.. over pasta.




Edited by Atavachron - May 27 2007 at 20:08

Firepuck wrote: BTW, love some of the ideas here, will definitely try my hand at a few.

Here's another one:

Take a 0.6 kgs (1.5 lbs) beef tenderloin. Spread both sides with sweet mustard (or spicy, if you like that better), and sprinkle with freshly chopped rosemary leaves. Brown on all sides over a high flame for a couple of minutes in butter (for color) and olive oil (for heat), then put it in the oven for 10 minutes at 190 deg celcius. Turn to other side, and add chopped zuchini, carrot and onion. Put back in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, occasionally stirring the vegetables around.

Service with oven baked patatoes, preferably cut in quarters before baking, and of course without skinning them.

It's simple, ready in half an hour and very good!

Firepuck wrote: ^ mmm, thanks Angelo.   I regularly rub my pork and lamb roasts with mustard, my favourite being a nice grainy one with a bit of zip to it. I haven't tried it with beef before (same with the rosemary) but will make a note to give it a whirl. It sounds like this will turn out medium rare, is that correct?   Do the carrots in this recipe turn out soft? Or are they firm with a bit of a crunch to them? My family prefers soft so I would probably stick in the carrots for the first ten minutes also.   Oh, and potatoes with skins on, absolutely - love 'em that way!

The beef was medium, but I have to say the piece I used yesterday was rather flat, so it gets done quicker in the middle. If you have a more round piece, you may need to put it in a bit longer - as of course when you use a bigger piece.
The carrots are just beyond crunchy, so still a little 'tough', but without the crack.

a neighbor invited me to try some of their oxtail stew.. it was quite good.

tomorrow will try a nice pork dish; pan fry apple slices in a little oil and butter till tender. In same pan with apples, sear two pork chops, cook together till pork is medium. Remove pork and add a bit of orange juice, sugar and sage to pan and deglaze/reduce on meduim heat till sauce thickens a bit.

E-Dub wrote: There's this really good BBQ sauce made out of Michigan by a company called Cherry Republic. As you can surmise from the name, this place makes products centered around cherries. I normally like a bolder sauce, but this stuff is absolutely incredible. Thinking about buying a slab of baby back ribs and doing some grilling either today or tomorrow. E

I slow cooked my ribs last night for about 4 hours in a really low oven (around 250°) and will throw them on the grill (indirect heat) for about a half and hour to infuse the BBQ sauce today. Also doing twice baked potatoes and salad. Invited my mom up (who can really use some family right now) today, so should be good family time.

E

Last night, roasted chicken with rosemary and grape tomatoes and to wash it down a bottle of Vernaccia di San Gimignano.  Tonight was cast-iron pan seared NY strip steak (couldn't grill, it was pouring), mashed potatoes with white cheddar cheese and chipotle sauce, and oven roasted asparagus, washed down with a couple glasses of Chianti.

If you haven't guessed, the missus and I love Italian wine. 

Here's one for flavour freaks, make 'to taste' so no quantities:

Create a thin, but not runny sauce by mixing olive oil, vinegar, freshly pressed orange juice and some rosemary. Serve over a grilled salmon filet.

Make a bit thinner (e.g. by adding a little extra vinegar or some water) and it becomes a great salad dressing as well.

Just an idea I tried today (the salmon version that is).