Saturday, September 29, 2012
Cajun recipes
DESSERTS
LOUISIANA PRALINES
2 cups light brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup water
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla
1.5 cups chopped pecans
.5 cup pecan halves
In a heavy bottomed pan, combine sugars, water and cream. Cook and stir until soft ball stage (238 degrees). Remove from heat, whip heavy cream for 10 to 15 minutes, add nuts and vanilla. Drop by spoonfuls on to buttered pan or parchment. Cool, wrap in plastic.
PEACHES PATTY ANN
12 oz can peaches
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmet
4 oz butter
4 oz sugar
2 oz peach snapps or peach liquor
ice cream
Melt butter and add sugar, cook 3 minutes. Strain peaches - add juice, simmer. Add cinnamon, nutmeg and peaches. Simmer for 2 minutes. Add peach snapps and serve over ice cream.
COFFEE SMOOTHER
1/2 cup brewed coffee
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup chocolate ice cream
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 ice cubes
Place all ingredients in blender and puree until smooth!
CAJUN SEASONING MIX
Combine all the following ingredients in mixing bowl, mix thoroughly with wire whisk. Store in tightly covered glass jar and use as needed.
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup paprika
3 tablespoons cayenne papper
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon white pepper
2 teaspoons dried sweet basil
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dry hot mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon filé powder (dried, ground-up sassafras leaves... acquired taste... I left it out)
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
1/4 teaspoon rosemary
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground tarragon (I also left this out)
MAIN COURSE DISHES
DAUBE
1 large (5-6 lbs) roast, doesn't have to be a tender cut
6 cloves garlic, cut in half
1 medium shallt, cut into 8 pieces
1 whole cayenne pepper, cut into 6 pieces (I didn't add this)
1/2 pound andouille sausage, cut into small pieces
2 teaspoons Cajun Seasoning Mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup flour, all purpose
2 large onions, chopped
2 large bell peppers, chopped
1 cup celery, minced
3 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 cup carrots, minced
1 cup stewed tomatoes
1 cup dry red wine
1 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
2 cups beef stock (see note on Beef Stock)
1/2 cup parsley, minced
Place roast on cutting board and cut slits one at a time into meat with knife. Open holes with fingers; stuff garlic, shallot, cayenne, and andouille into holes untill all stuffing pieces are used. Season roast well with Cajun Seasoning Mix. Don't worry about closing holes, when you brown and sear the meat the holes will close naturally.
In large, heavy pot add vegetable oil and let it get hot. Whne oil starts to smoke add roast, carefully taking care not to splatter the oil. Brown the roast on all sides, making sure a dark brown crust starts to form on all sides of the roast.
When roast is completely brown, remove and set aside. Add flour to pot and cook, stirring constandtly, until the roux that is made becomes a dark reddish brown, about 12 minutes over medium-high heat.
When the colour is reached, quickly add onions, bell peppers, celery, garlic and carrots and sauté in the roux for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add tomatoes and sauté for 3 more minutes. Add wine, Tabasco and beef stock and cook, stirring constatnly, until the mixture is smooth. Add parsley to liquid and stir it through.
Put roast back in pot, cover, reduce heat and cook for 2 1/2 hours or until roast is very tender. Before serving, sample juice and adjust seasonsing to taste. We thickened the sauce with corn startch.
Slice roast (as able) and serve at once over white rice or mashed potatoes.
Cooking for a long time brings out the full flavours. This meat can be made in advance and refrigerated or even freezed (defrosted in fridge). Reheat in covered pan in oven at 350 or on top of stove over low heat.
Beef Stock
You can used canned beef stock or make your own, which I did.
I used a beef bone with a bit of meat that I had saved in the freezer. To this I added:
14 cups water
2 large onions, chopped
3 stalks celery, broken
4 carrots, broken
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 whole bay leaves
2 teaspoon whole black pepper corns
1/4 bunch fresh parsley with stems on
1/2 cup green onion tops, chopped
1/2 medium turnip, chopped
2 tablespoons cabbage, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
3 stems fresh basil (I used 1 tablespoon dried)
2 sprigs fresh thyme (I used 1 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
Bring the bone and meat to a boil in water, then add the remaining ingredients. Simmer for a couple of hours; if water level drops addd a little more. Cool. Strain broth and keep broth only. Put in fridge. As fat rises to top, remove. You can freeze portions for later use.
(More flavourful if it sits for a while and is even delicious at room temperature)
1 3.5-4 pound chicken, ROASTED FIRST
2 medium onions – 1 quartered, 1 diced small
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 pound smoked sausage, diced
2 tablespoons butter
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
2 small jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1 bunch scallions (green onions) white and green parts thinly sliced
3 celery stalks, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Cajun Seasoning Mix
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 ½ cups long-grain rice, rinsed
Pick all meat from chicken and discard skin, use hands to shred into pieces or chop if you prefer. Save all juice and fat from roasting pan and set aside. Refrigerate chicken until needed.
Place carcass, quartered onion, extra vegetable trimming into large pot to make broth. Add 10 cups water, bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer for 1 hour. Strain broth and discard solids. You should have 6 cups broth.
Heat oil in cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, add sausage and sear until the sausage starts to colour. Parts will begin to stick to pan, when a good coating is stuck to pan pour in ¼ cup chicken broth and scrape it loose. Let this cook until all liquid has evaporated. Transfer sausage to plate and set aside.
Return pan to heat and add butter. When melted add diced onion and cook 10 minutes until it’s a nice deep brown colour. Halfway through the onion should start to stick to pan, deglaze with ¼ cup broth and let this reduce until skillet is dry. When onion starts to tick again, add ½ cup broth. When this is almost gone, add bell peppers, jalapenos, scallions, celery, garlic, spice mix, salt, bay leaves, oregano and tomato paste. Cook vegetables for 10 minutes, stirring often, until they start to stick to skillet. Deglaze with another ¼ cup broth and reduce again until dry, then add shredded chicken, sausage, 1 cup broth, and juices from chicken and reduce again by half.
Transfer vegetable mixture to heavy-bottomed pot and add rice and remaining 4 cups broth. This mixture needs lots of room so rice cooks evenly. Cook, covered, over low heat for 40 minutes.
Remove pot from heat and keep covered for 10 minutes more. When Jambalaya is done, transfer to casserole dish and serve. (Leaving it in the pot will lead to overcooking.)
REDFISH
(If you can't find Redfish, red snapper or salmon also works)
6 (7oz) fillets of redfish
1/2 cup good quality extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
4 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
Lemon
Rinse fish fillets and pat dry with paper towels. Place fillets in dish, drizzle with half the olive oil on all sides. Sprinkle fillets with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Use fingers to distribute evenly if needed. Set aside to marinate while you heat up the grill.
Fire up grill to medium-high. Place fish in fish basket, cover grill and cook fish without moving for 5 minutes. Turn over and cook for another 3-4 minutes until just cooked through (will flake easily when tested with a paring knife).
Transfer fillets to warm serving plate and top with parsley, a little olive oil, and lemon juice as desired.
SMOTHERED COLLARD GREENS
2 bunches Collard greens
6-8 strips bacon, cut in ½ inch pieces (I used chunk bacon for little cubes)
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Several dashes hot sauce
¼ cup cider vinegar
1 cup chicken broth
Collard greens should not be yellowish, or thin and papery but should be vibrant, healthy looking and have good moisture content. Strip stems from leaves of collards, tear leaves into 2-3 inch pieces; wash greens in plenty of cold water. Discard stems.
Heat bacon in large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until not quite crisp, about 5 minutes. Add onion and cook for another 3 minutes. Add garlic, salt, sugar, pepper, hot sauce and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add vinegar and bring to simmer, cook until reduced by half, 4-5 minutes.
Add washed greens and broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for 30-35 minutes (or longer if needed) until greens are very tender. If pot appears to be drying out, add a bit of water to prevent greens from sticking.
Serve greens with generous ladle of the fragrant juices.
Can be served over rice or potatoes or cornbread.
GREEN BEANS WITH BACON AND ONION
4 strips thick sliced bacon (or use chunk bacon cut into little cubes)
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds green beans, trimmed and halved
4 cups chicken broth and/or water, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper
hot pepper vinegar, as desired
Heat bacon in large thick bottomed pot over medium-high heat until lightly browned but still tender. Add onion and sauté until tender, 6-8 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute more.
Add green beans and enough broth or water to just cover, bring to boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 30-35 minutes, until beans are very tended and have melted into the cooking liquid. Season beans with salt, pepper, and hot pepper vinegar.
6 large russet potatoes (about 4 pounds)
¾ cup half and half cream
1 teaspoon salt
¼- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
Note: best when potatoes are slightly overcooked –should look light and starchy and should crumble when pressed, not wet and dense.
Cut butter into ½ inch pieces and set aside to soften at room temperature.
Peel potatoes and cut into /4 inch cubes. Place in a pot and cover with water. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes until a chunk of potato crumbles with gently pressed with fork.
Drain in colander, let air-dry for 5 minutes until they start to look chalky on the outside. Put pot aside with lid on to keep warm.
Meanwhile, in a small pan gently heat cream until just warmed through, remove from heat.
Return potatoes to same pot (should still be warm so as not to cool down potatoes). Add softened butter and let sit for a minutes. Add salt and pepper. Using whisk, smash potatoes in up-and-down motion to begin mashing. Once butter is somewhat mixed in, add warm cream and continue to mash gently moving whisk side-to-side and around the pot. Mix only until potatoes look smooth, then stop. Mashing should take only 20 seconds total. (Note: many people over mash and get gummy potatoes.)
Serve immediately, or cover to keep warm until ready to serve.
LOUISIANA PRALINES
2 cups light brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup water
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla
1.5 cups chopped pecans
.5 cup pecan halves
In a heavy bottomed pan, combine sugars, water and cream. Cook and stir until soft ball stage (238 degrees). Remove from heat, whip heavy cream for 10 to 15 minutes, add nuts and vanilla. Drop by spoonfuls on to buttered pan or parchment. Cool, wrap in plastic.
PEACHES PATTY ANN
12 oz can peaches
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmet
4 oz butter
4 oz sugar
2 oz peach snapps or peach liquor
ice cream
Melt butter and add sugar, cook 3 minutes. Strain peaches - add juice, simmer. Add cinnamon, nutmeg and peaches. Simmer for 2 minutes. Add peach snapps and serve over ice cream.
COFFEE SMOOTHER
1/2 cup brewed coffee
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup chocolate ice cream
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 ice cubes
Place all ingredients in blender and puree until smooth!
CAJUN SEASONING MIX
Combine all the following ingredients in mixing bowl, mix thoroughly with wire whisk. Store in tightly covered glass jar and use as needed.
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup paprika
3 tablespoons cayenne papper
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon white pepper
2 teaspoons dried sweet basil
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dry hot mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon filé powder (dried, ground-up sassafras leaves... acquired taste... I left it out)
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
1/4 teaspoon rosemary
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground tarragon (I also left this out)
MAIN COURSE DISHES
DAUBE
1 large (5-6 lbs) roast, doesn't have to be a tender cut
6 cloves garlic, cut in half
1 medium shallt, cut into 8 pieces
1 whole cayenne pepper, cut into 6 pieces (I didn't add this)
1/2 pound andouille sausage, cut into small pieces
2 teaspoons Cajun Seasoning Mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup flour, all purpose
2 large onions, chopped
2 large bell peppers, chopped
1 cup celery, minced
3 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 cup carrots, minced
1 cup stewed tomatoes
1 cup dry red wine
1 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
2 cups beef stock (see note on Beef Stock)
1/2 cup parsley, minced
Place roast on cutting board and cut slits one at a time into meat with knife. Open holes with fingers; stuff garlic, shallot, cayenne, and andouille into holes untill all stuffing pieces are used. Season roast well with Cajun Seasoning Mix. Don't worry about closing holes, when you brown and sear the meat the holes will close naturally.
In large, heavy pot add vegetable oil and let it get hot. Whne oil starts to smoke add roast, carefully taking care not to splatter the oil. Brown the roast on all sides, making sure a dark brown crust starts to form on all sides of the roast.
When roast is completely brown, remove and set aside. Add flour to pot and cook, stirring constandtly, until the roux that is made becomes a dark reddish brown, about 12 minutes over medium-high heat.
When the colour is reached, quickly add onions, bell peppers, celery, garlic and carrots and sauté in the roux for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add tomatoes and sauté for 3 more minutes. Add wine, Tabasco and beef stock and cook, stirring constatnly, until the mixture is smooth. Add parsley to liquid and stir it through.
Put roast back in pot, cover, reduce heat and cook for 2 1/2 hours or until roast is very tender. Before serving, sample juice and adjust seasonsing to taste. We thickened the sauce with corn startch.
Slice roast (as able) and serve at once over white rice or mashed potatoes.
Cooking for a long time brings out the full flavours. This meat can be made in advance and refrigerated or even freezed (defrosted in fridge). Reheat in covered pan in oven at 350 or on top of stove over low heat.
Beef Stock
You can used canned beef stock or make your own, which I did.
I used a beef bone with a bit of meat that I had saved in the freezer. To this I added:
14 cups water
2 large onions, chopped
3 stalks celery, broken
4 carrots, broken
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 whole bay leaves
2 teaspoon whole black pepper corns
1/4 bunch fresh parsley with stems on
1/2 cup green onion tops, chopped
1/2 medium turnip, chopped
2 tablespoons cabbage, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
3 stems fresh basil (I used 1 tablespoon dried)
2 sprigs fresh thyme (I used 1 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
Bring the bone and meat to a boil in water, then add the remaining ingredients. Simmer for a couple of hours; if water level drops addd a little more. Cool. Strain broth and keep broth only. Put in fridge. As fat rises to top, remove. You can freeze portions for later use.
OLD SCHOOL CHICKEN AND SAUSAGE JAMBALAYA
Note: difference between Creole and Cajun Jambalaya is
that Creole is cooked in a tomatoey sauce and may include shrimp. Cajun is
simpler and more rustic.(More flavourful if it sits for a while and is even delicious at room temperature)
1 3.5-4 pound chicken, ROASTED FIRST
2 medium onions – 1 quartered, 1 diced small
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 pound smoked sausage, diced
2 tablespoons butter
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
2 small jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1 bunch scallions (green onions) white and green parts thinly sliced
3 celery stalks, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Cajun Seasoning Mix
5 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried oregano2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 ½ cups long-grain rice, rinsed
Pick all meat from chicken and discard skin, use hands to shred into pieces or chop if you prefer. Save all juice and fat from roasting pan and set aside. Refrigerate chicken until needed.
Place carcass, quartered onion, extra vegetable trimming into large pot to make broth. Add 10 cups water, bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer for 1 hour. Strain broth and discard solids. You should have 6 cups broth.
Heat oil in cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, add sausage and sear until the sausage starts to colour. Parts will begin to stick to pan, when a good coating is stuck to pan pour in ¼ cup chicken broth and scrape it loose. Let this cook until all liquid has evaporated. Transfer sausage to plate and set aside.
Return pan to heat and add butter. When melted add diced onion and cook 10 minutes until it’s a nice deep brown colour. Halfway through the onion should start to stick to pan, deglaze with ¼ cup broth and let this reduce until skillet is dry. When onion starts to tick again, add ½ cup broth. When this is almost gone, add bell peppers, jalapenos, scallions, celery, garlic, spice mix, salt, bay leaves, oregano and tomato paste. Cook vegetables for 10 minutes, stirring often, until they start to stick to skillet. Deglaze with another ¼ cup broth and reduce again until dry, then add shredded chicken, sausage, 1 cup broth, and juices from chicken and reduce again by half.
Transfer vegetable mixture to heavy-bottomed pot and add rice and remaining 4 cups broth. This mixture needs lots of room so rice cooks evenly. Cook, covered, over low heat for 40 minutes.
Remove pot from heat and keep covered for 10 minutes more. When Jambalaya is done, transfer to casserole dish and serve. (Leaving it in the pot will lead to overcooking.)
REDFISH
(If you can't find Redfish, red snapper or salmon also works)
6 (7oz) fillets of redfish
1/2 cup good quality extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
4 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
Lemon
Rinse fish fillets and pat dry with paper towels. Place fillets in dish, drizzle with half the olive oil on all sides. Sprinkle fillets with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Use fingers to distribute evenly if needed. Set aside to marinate while you heat up the grill.
Fire up grill to medium-high. Place fish in fish basket, cover grill and cook fish without moving for 5 minutes. Turn over and cook for another 3-4 minutes until just cooked through (will flake easily when tested with a paring knife).
Transfer fillets to warm serving plate and top with parsley, a little olive oil, and lemon juice as desired.
2 bunches Collard greens
6-8 strips bacon, cut in ½ inch pieces (I used chunk bacon for little cubes)
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Several dashes hot sauce
¼ cup cider vinegar
1 cup chicken broth
Collard greens should not be yellowish, or thin and papery but should be vibrant, healthy looking and have good moisture content. Strip stems from leaves of collards, tear leaves into 2-3 inch pieces; wash greens in plenty of cold water. Discard stems.
Heat bacon in large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until not quite crisp, about 5 minutes. Add onion and cook for another 3 minutes. Add garlic, salt, sugar, pepper, hot sauce and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add vinegar and bring to simmer, cook until reduced by half, 4-5 minutes.
Add washed greens and broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for 30-35 minutes (or longer if needed) until greens are very tender. If pot appears to be drying out, add a bit of water to prevent greens from sticking.
Serve greens with generous ladle of the fragrant juices.
Can be served over rice or potatoes or cornbread.
GREEN BEANS WITH BACON AND ONION
4 strips thick sliced bacon (or use chunk bacon cut into little cubes)
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds green beans, trimmed and halved
4 cups chicken broth and/or water, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper
hot pepper vinegar, as desired
Heat bacon in large thick bottomed pot over medium-high heat until lightly browned but still tender. Add onion and sauté until tender, 6-8 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute more.
Add green beans and enough broth or water to just cover, bring to boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 30-35 minutes, until beans are very tended and have melted into the cooking liquid. Season beans with salt, pepper, and hot pepper vinegar.
PERFECT MASHED POTATOES
½ pound butter (!!) aka 1 cup6 large russet potatoes (about 4 pounds)
¾ cup half and half cream
1 teaspoon salt
¼- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
Note: best when potatoes are slightly overcooked –should look light and starchy and should crumble when pressed, not wet and dense.
Cut butter into ½ inch pieces and set aside to soften at room temperature.
Peel potatoes and cut into /4 inch cubes. Place in a pot and cover with water. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes until a chunk of potato crumbles with gently pressed with fork.
Drain in colander, let air-dry for 5 minutes until they start to look chalky on the outside. Put pot aside with lid on to keep warm.
Meanwhile, in a small pan gently heat cream until just warmed through, remove from heat.
Return potatoes to same pot (should still be warm so as not to cool down potatoes). Add softened butter and let sit for a minutes. Add salt and pepper. Using whisk, smash potatoes in up-and-down motion to begin mashing. Once butter is somewhat mixed in, add warm cream and continue to mash gently moving whisk side-to-side and around the pot. Mix only until potatoes look smooth, then stop. Mashing should take only 20 seconds total. (Note: many people over mash and get gummy potatoes.)
Serve immediately, or cover to keep warm until ready to serve.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Hobo Appetizers
Delicious introductions to the evening... didn't get a picture of the Four-Cheese Crab Dip for the crackers, but it was good! As were the Bocconcini Canapes on the right. We also enjoyed Rob's favourite... Gazpacho! Great for a hot summer day, but still tasty on a cool, wet evening. Tomato based and full of flavour.
FOUR-CHEESE CRAB DIP
Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic
1 cup crab meat
½ cup seafood or chicken broth, sodium reduced
1 tbsp corn starch
1 cup mild cheddar, rated
½ cup gouda, grated
¼ cup feta, crumbled
½ cup provolone, grated
1 tbsp lemon juice
1-2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
Pepper
Preparation and cooking:
Preheat grill to medium heat.
Use large square of aluminum foil with a square of parchment paper on top to keep food from sticking.
In bowl, mix all ingredients together and place in centre of parchment paper.
Fold up ends of aluminum foil, fold sides of foil over the food, then fold foil onto itself & press firmly
Tightly seal packs at the ends. Be careful not to tear the foil while handling.
Cook on grill for 7-10 minutes.
Open up packs, stir thoroughly and serve with crackers or grilled pita and crudités
(cheese alternatives are swiss or mozzarella)
BOCCONCINI CANAPES
5 oz (150g) bocconcini cut into small cubes with a knife or use an egg slicer
3 tbsp sun-dried tomato pesto or tapenade
Freshly ground pepper
-- Serve on bread croutons, crackers or on cucumber slices, or stuffed inside cherry tomatoes
Hobo Dinner
The table was set with nothing that matched, wild flowers, a bedsheet (??) for a tablecloth
Beer can chicken, barbequed corn on the cob, potatoes, yummy brown beans with bacon, fried mushrooms & onions, venison burgers (thanks Phil!), and a fresh salad with tomatoes, strawberries and bocochini. More recipes coming soon!
GAZPACHO
Ingredients:
6 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or 3 tomatoes and
tin of crushed tomatoes)
1 purple onion, finely chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 sweet bell peppers, red and green, seeded and chopped
(may blacken on bbq first)
2 stalks celery
1-2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 clove garlic, minced (may fry in olive oil first)
¼ cup red wine vinegar (or 1/8 cup)
¼ cup olive oil
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp sugar
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
6 or more drops of Tabasco sauce to taste (3 tsp)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
4 cups tomato juice (may use some V8 juice)
-- Combine all ingredients. Blend slightly to desired
consistency. Place in non-metal, non-reactive storage container, cover tightly
and refrigerate overnight allowing flavours to blend.
Serves 8.
7 oz (200g) bocconcini sliced with a knife or an egg
slicer
2 tomatoes, sliced
1 container strawberries, sliced
2-3 tbsp chpped fresh basit
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
VENISON BURGERS
2 lbs ground venison
bacon fat (1 fried bacon and added approx. 3 tablespoons)
20 grams dried morel mushrooms (used 1 large fresh morel, chopped fine)
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon celery seed
Mix together first 6 ingredients. Don’t over-mix, makes meat tough. Crumbly burgers are better. Form patties. Press small indentation in centre of patty.
12 ounces fresh mushrooms
1 medium onion, sliced into half moons
2 tablespoons olive oil
In large sauce pan, hot over heat, add mushrooms. Shake pan frequently so they don’t’ stick and cook mushrooms until they release their water, approx. 2-4 minutes. As soon as water has almost bubbled away, add olive oil and sliced onion and sauté until everything is nicely browned, about 6-8 minutes. Turn off heat, set aside.
6 slices Provolone or Swiss cheese
Grill burgers over mid-high heat for 6-8 minutes per side. For the second side, cook halfway and then add a cheese slice. Close grill lid to let cheese melt.
Serve on hamburger buns, mustard (optional)
bacon fat (1 fried bacon and added approx. 3 tablespoons)
20 grams dried morel mushrooms (used 1 large fresh morel, chopped fine)
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon celery seed
Mix together first 6 ingredients. Don’t over-mix, makes meat tough. Crumbly burgers are better. Form patties. Press small indentation in centre of patty.
12 ounces fresh mushrooms
1 medium onion, sliced into half moons
2 tablespoons olive oil
In large sauce pan, hot over heat, add mushrooms. Shake pan frequently so they don’t’ stick and cook mushrooms until they release their water, approx. 2-4 minutes. As soon as water has almost bubbled away, add olive oil and sliced onion and sauté until everything is nicely browned, about 6-8 minutes. Turn off heat, set aside.
6 slices Provolone or Swiss cheese
Grill burgers over mid-high heat for 6-8 minutes per side. For the second side, cook halfway and then add a cheese slice. Close grill lid to let cheese melt.
Serve on hamburger buns, mustard (optional)
Hobo Desserts
Baked Apples in a Can (per can)
1 apple, sliced thin1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp flour
1 tbsp butter or margarine
1/2 lemon to squeeze
2-3 tbsp golden raisins
1. First, slice up the apples real thin.
2. Mix brown sugar, flour, and butter.
3. In a larger can (16 oz), alternate layers of apple and the sugar mixture.
4. When finished, squeeze the juice of half a lemon on top.
5. Finish off with a sprinkle of golden raisins.
Bake 375F for 35 minutes or until apples are tender.
1 tablespoon rum (option rum or brandy flavouring)
8 chewy caramel candies, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 pound apricots, cut into eights
1 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup honey
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (I couldn't find a vanilla bean so I used 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
1/4 cup sugar
Options for serving:
Pour fruit on top of pound cake (to grill pound cake, butter sides and grill both sides until just toasted), or pour fruit on top of Hobo Bread.
Also works well with ice cream, yogurt, or whipped cream.
Hobo Bread
3 cups of dried fruit (raisins, currants, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, pineapple, mango...)
3 cups boiling water
3 teaspoons baking powder
Place dried fruit in bowl. Disolve baking soda in boiling water and pour over fruit. Let satnd overnight without stirring.
Next day, grease tin cans (I just spray inside with cooking spray). Number of tin cans depends on the size. For example, 10 soup cans or 6 pasta sauce cans.
In large bowl, stir together dried ingredients and set aside:
4 cups flour (can be whole wheat and/or white)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
In another bowl, mix wet ingredients:
2 eggs,
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup of liquid. Depending on choice of dried fruit, could be orange juice, fruit juice and/or water.
Stir in fruit mixture with its juices
Options: add 1 teaspoon orange peel or orange flavouring or vanilla extract
Option: add 1/2 to 1 cup of chopped nuts (example pecans)
Batter should be thick.
Preheat oven to 350. Fill greased cans about half full with mixture. Place cans on baking sheet and slide into over for 50 to 60 minutes for pasta-sized cans, shorter time for smaller cans. Check for doneness with toothpick that comes out clean. Remove from oven, place cans on their sides on cooling rack and let cool. When cool, run knife carefully around sides of bread and gently shake the bread out of the can.
Bread stores well on counter wrapped in cloth. Becomes wet and sticky in plastic. Freezes well.
Enjoy!!
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
A Hobo is...
"A Hobo is a person
that travels to work.
A tramp is a person that travels and won't work.
A bum is a person that will neither travel or work."
A tramp is a person that travels and won't work.
A bum is a person that will neither travel or work."
Monday, April 23, 2012
What is a Hobo?
Hobos actually were homeless people who jumped trains from town to town, looking for work.They would use something (a blanket, a jacket, etc) to carry their clothing by tying it on a stick and putting it on their shoulder as they walked. "Homeward Bound" (always looking to make it good and build a home) or "Ho Boys" (bosses would yell out to the migrant workers) are some of the word origins for Hobo.
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A hobo is a homeless person, traveling from place to place. Hobos are also sometimes referred to as vagrants, tramps, or transients, depending on regional preference, and some people use the term “hobo” to refer to a specific type of vagrant homeless person. The US hosts a large number of hobos, for a variety of reasons, although homeless transients can be found all over the world.
Homelessness has been a perennial fact of life for human societies, and many homeless people have historically traveled to seek work or to find friendlier communities where they might get assistance from charitable organizations, churches, or individuals. In the 1800s, many of these vagrants started train hopping, a practice in which people sneak onto trains for travel, and the term “hobo,” which arose in 1847, appears to have been linked specifically to train hopping transients in particular.
A hobo may be homeless by choice, preferring an open air lifestyle, or he or she may be forced into the lifestyle by economic circumstances, mental illness, and other factors. Historically, hobos often sought work in the towns they landed in, working as migrant laborers in the fields, washing dishes in restaurants, and performing other simple work in exchange for shelter, food, or money. Some modern hobos continue to seek out work as they travel, but many more are unemployed, relying on a variety of tactics for food and shelter.
The hobo lifestyle has often been romanticized and idealized, especially by those who have not experienced homelessness. Images of hobos riding the rails to seek their fortunes were common in many early 20th century novels, and hobos became especially high-profile during the Great Depression, when thousands of people were forced into transient lifestyles by the troubled American economy. In fact, hobos have a rough life, being at risk of injury, disease, and persecution from local authorities, as most communities do not like to house homeless populations.
In response to the hardship of the hobo life, hobos have developed a very insular society. They use a complex “hobo code” of chalk marks to send messages to each other, using universal symbols to convey information about train routes, the friendliness of specific houses, and so forth. Some hobos also abide by an ethical code which stresses the importance of behaving respectfully to ensure that hobos are welcomed in a community in the future, and places a heavy emphasis on keeping justice within the hobo community internal, with penalties for stealing from other hobos, lying, and other infractions.
In the mid-1800s, hobos even formed their own union, Tourist Union #63, to avoid persecution along their travels. Members of unions tended to attract less scrutiny while traveling in the 1800s, with people assuming that they were traveling for work, and hobos took advantage of the protections offered to union members by having their own independent union.
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A hobo is a homeless person, traveling from place to place. Hobos are also sometimes referred to as vagrants, tramps, or transients, depending on regional preference, and some people use the term “hobo” to refer to a specific type of vagrant homeless person. The US hosts a large number of hobos, for a variety of reasons, although homeless transients can be found all over the world.
Homelessness has been a perennial fact of life for human societies, and many homeless people have historically traveled to seek work or to find friendlier communities where they might get assistance from charitable organizations, churches, or individuals. In the 1800s, many of these vagrants started train hopping, a practice in which people sneak onto trains for travel, and the term “hobo,” which arose in 1847, appears to have been linked specifically to train hopping transients in particular.
A hobo may be homeless by choice, preferring an open air lifestyle, or he or she may be forced into the lifestyle by economic circumstances, mental illness, and other factors. Historically, hobos often sought work in the towns they landed in, working as migrant laborers in the fields, washing dishes in restaurants, and performing other simple work in exchange for shelter, food, or money. Some modern hobos continue to seek out work as they travel, but many more are unemployed, relying on a variety of tactics for food and shelter.
The hobo lifestyle has often been romanticized and idealized, especially by those who have not experienced homelessness. Images of hobos riding the rails to seek their fortunes were common in many early 20th century novels, and hobos became especially high-profile during the Great Depression, when thousands of people were forced into transient lifestyles by the troubled American economy. In fact, hobos have a rough life, being at risk of injury, disease, and persecution from local authorities, as most communities do not like to house homeless populations.
In response to the hardship of the hobo life, hobos have developed a very insular society. They use a complex “hobo code” of chalk marks to send messages to each other, using universal symbols to convey information about train routes, the friendliness of specific houses, and so forth. Some hobos also abide by an ethical code which stresses the importance of behaving respectfully to ensure that hobos are welcomed in a community in the future, and places a heavy emphasis on keeping justice within the hobo community internal, with penalties for stealing from other hobos, lying, and other infractions.
In the mid-1800s, hobos even formed their own union, Tourist Union #63, to avoid persecution along their travels. Members of unions tended to attract less scrutiny while traveling in the 1800s, with people assuming that they were traveling for work, and hobos took advantage of the protections offered to union members by having their own independent union.
Monday, February 6, 2012
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