Korean- Italian Chili!

Super bowl is right around the corner, it finally drizzled for 2 seconds, and there was a chili cook-off! Do we need more reasons for a delicious chili? Not just chili, but a Korean Italian chili? I will say no more!!!

*PS Kochucara is a wonderful  Korean powdered chili, and Gochujang is an equally wonderful Korean chili paste!

Ingredients: serves 10

5 lbs ground beef
3 lbs ground pork
5 large spicy Italian sausages
3 yellow onions
1 ½ bunches scallions
5 cloves garlic
1 cup Hoisin
¾ cup Gochujang
1/3 cup Kochucara
2 cups orange juice
2 cups tomato sauce
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
3 cans kidney beans
4 Tablespoons olive oil
4 jalapenos
2 Serrano chilies
¼ cup red wine

To start it all off create your mise en place by cubing the yellow onions, slicing the scallions, macerating the garlic, and dicing the peppers (be careful to not touch your face and wash hands after touching pepper!) Also set aside two large sauce pans, and one spaghetti pot.

In a large bowl take sausage out of the casings, and mix together with ground pork, ground beef, garlic, and scallions.

In both sauce pan heat equal amounts of olive oil. When oil is heated sauté equal amounts of yellow onion in each until becoming translucent.  Add the meat mix and mash it up into smaller pieces. Let cook about 15 minutes, turning over to let cook all the way through.

Transfer to spaghetti pot. Add the rest of the ingredients and let cook for about 1 hour on medium low heat, stirring every 15 minutes so that the bottom doesn’t burn.

While it cooks over the hour test the flavor, it will change over time. You may want to add more spice, or cool it out with more orange juice. Be the master of your own chili!

Mother's Asian-ish Meatloaf

The summer is disappearing, the fog is rolling in more steadily by the beach, the nights are getting cold, and school is back in session.  This is a good time for some simple recipes that warm your bones, and are easy to pop in the oven after a long day of work or school.

We have taken a classic mom dish of meatloaf and added a bit of a fun twist on it. Instead of the good ol’ ketchup and brown sugar, we have added an Asian twist by using Hoisin instead, and by adding Panko. We also added a delicious crunch by using unsalted pistachios.

So make this meatloaf, enjoy, and curl up on the couch!

*Don’t over mix ingredients, this will cause the meatloaf to be a bit drier than you would like!

Ingredients: serves 4 Make in a 9”x5”x5” loaf tray

1 lb. ground beef
½ lb. ground turkey
½ yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
2 green onions
½ cup pistachios
¼ cup Hoisin
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 Tbsp. Dijon
4 splashes Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch pepper

 

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl place all your beef, turkey, Dijon, Worcestershire Sauce, salt and pepper together. Using a grater, grate the three garlic cloves and half an onion into this mix. Using your hands mix together all these ingredients until they are just mixed.

Chop the pistachios (they don’t have to be even sizes) and dump into the mix, along with panko, and all but about 2 tablespoons of the Hoisin. Mix until just combined.

To make removing the meatloaf easier you can line the tray with tinfoil so that the foil sticks out. Fill the tray with the meat mix and form a slightly rounded top.

Bake for 45 minutes.

Spread remainder of Hoisin on the top of loaf, and bring temperature to 380 degrees and bake another 15 minutes. All ovens are different so using a meat thermometer you want the loaf to be at 160 degrees inside.

Remove from oven, let cool. Slice the stems of your green onion on a bias, and sprinkle over the meatloaf.

Serve and enjoy!

Thai Panang Curry

This recipe was absolutely new for Mikey and I, we absolutely love Thai food, but have never dared cook it. I think it is partially because it seems like something that would be very intimidating, there are special ingredients, and I don’t want to burn my mouth out with spice. I won’t lie the first try of this dish was so spicy I could smell it and my eyes would tear up (don’t worry it has been adjusted). However, none of these things are true. If you find the right stuff, pay attention to the recipe, it is actually quite simple to make a wonderful panang curry. Not to mention that it will open up a whole other world. To purchase our kaffir lime leaves and curry paste we went to a wonder market called Simpang Asia on National near
Overland in Los Angeles, and we are officially obsessed!

Panang curry is probably my favorite of the Thai curries out there; it is incredibly fragrant and a bit milder than other curries. It is unlike most curry dishes because it is not soupy, it is rich and the sauce really sticks to the meat. The flavor of kaffir lime, coconut, and the curry paste are really fresh, and bring a bright pop to your palate; things that we tend to crave in the spring. So try this recipe out, serve it with rice or on its own, you can even substitute the beef with chicken or firm tofu.

Ingredients: serves 6

*if you want to make rice, I suggest brown rice!
2 ½ Tablespoons   red curry paste
8 kaffir lime leaves
1 large red bell pepper
1 large yellow onion
½ cup bamboo shoots
6 sprigs basil
2 teaspoon fish sauce
4 teaspoons tamarind paste
2 ½ 12 or 14 oz can unsweetened coconut milk
2 lbs filet mignon tips
1 Tablespoon grated ginger

Start by setting your mise en place up. Cut all of your meat into thin strips, thinly slice your onion, and cut your red bell pepper into 2 inch long and ¼ inch wide strips. Your bamboo shoots should be in little strips if not, cut them that way. Heat a rather wide sauté pan, with a little pam in it, and brown your meat on both sides, but don’t cook all the way through. Set aside, draining the meat from the liquid.

In the same pan, heat ½ of a can of coconut milk, the kaffir lime leaves, and curry paste on medium high heat. Cook and whisk until the mixture thickens. Add remaining coconut milk, onion, and basil. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce temperature and simmer for 10 minutes, constantly stirring until everything thicken and is fragrant.

Add the meat, bell pepper, bamboo, tamarind paste, fish sauce, and grated ginger. Stir and cook until the meat is cooked through. Serve alone or over rice.

Passover Brisket Matzo!

 



Happy Passover! I hope that everyone is enjoying it, loving their family, and eating wonderful food! Passover originated by celebrating the liberation of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt of 3,300 years ago, and their birth as a nation under Moses; this is a holiday steeped in beautiful tradition. A huge symbol of Passover is the use of Matzo, or unleavened bread. This is so because it was said in Exodus that the Jews left Egypt in such haste, that their bread had no time to rise, thus flat unleavened bread is a reminder of this. It is also used as a reminder of what it was to be poor, and to act with humility. This is a great lesson that people of all religions should remember, to live with humility and love in our hearts.

For this dish, we are using two things that are timeless classics at any kosher family meal table, Matzo….and Brisket! Yay!! For this recipe feel free to use whatever leftovers you have or want to use or you can follow ours.

*Allow 5 hours

*You will need to use a dutch oven, or an oven safe pan that is deep set.

Ingredients: serves 8

4 sheets of matzo

1 jar roasted red pepper

Horseradish sauce

Fresh oregano

Brisket:

5 cloves garlic

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 first cut of beef brisket (3 1/2 to 4 pounds)

2 Meyer lemons

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

First things first, you cannot make this dish without the brisket. So start by preheating the oven to 325 degrees. Mince your garlic, and then mash into a paste by adding a pinch of coarse salt, and using the side of a knife smooshing it down over and over until it turns into a paste. Next season both sides of the brisket, rubbing salt and pepper into it, along with a quarter of the garlic paste for each side. Lastly zest and juice your two lemons.

Place your dutch oven on top the stove, add your oil, and heat on a medium high heat. Once heated, place the brisket in and brown one side (about 7 min), then flip to brown the other. Pour the lemon juice on top, and then add water (about 4 cups), until the brisket is half way submerged. Bring to a boil.

Once boiling, place lid on top, and place in oven. Braise for 1hour and 15 minutes. Flip over, smother with the rest of garlic paste, cover again, and braise 1 hour more, or until brisket separates easily with a fork. Remove lid, add lemon zest to liquid, and braise 10 minutes longer.

Once done, remove from liquid and pull apart or slice in to pieces you would like to serve on the matzo, and then place back in to liquid so that it can stay as moist as possible.

Slice the red pepper into small slivers.

To assemble break the matzo into small square pieces, layer with brisket, then slivers of red pepper, then top with a dollop of horseradish sauce, and a tiny leaf of oregano.



 

Happy St. Patrick's Day: Corn Beef Hash and Chocolate Covered Marzipan!!

 



St. Patrick’s Day is not just a day for people to behave like they are in college all over again, drink Irish car bombs (though delish), and to wear green and find a pot of gold. It is full of beautiful tradition and history….now go have an Irish car bomb!!!

St. Patrick’s Day celebrates Ireland’s patron saint, and is technically a Christian feast day. Originally the color of St. Patrick was blue, but over the years, the color has changed with the use of wearing green ribbons and the shamrock. The shamrock, with its three leaves, was used to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagan Irish. So to all you pagans out there, here is some knowledge and some delicious food.

This post is broken in to two parts, first our wonderful corn beef hash which is a traditional Irish pub dish, and second some chocolate covered marzipan delightful enough to catch a leprechaun!

Go ahead and enjoy!

*You will not need salt, because the corn beef is already pretty salty.

Corn Beef Hash:
Ingredients: serves 4

2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 medium Yukon Gold Potatoes
2 medium russet potatoes
12 oz corn beef
1 yellow onion
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 Tablespoon prepared horseradish
½ teaspoon ground pepper
¼ cup heavy cream
4 eggs

Chocolate covered marzipan:
*You can make your own marzipan, but to keep it simple, we are using already made, and we will save that recipe for another time.

1 tube marzipan
4 oz white chocolate
Green food coloring
3 tablespoons green rock candy

Start by boiling your potatoes and by making your mise en place. Dice the onion small and cube the beef small in about ½” pieces. Boil the potatoes until they are just about fully cooked. Once ready, take them out and cube them as well.

In a large non-stick pan heat the oil, add the potatoes and cook about 10-12 minutes, until golden, constantly stirring. Add onions and cook until completely softened. Add the Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, then stir. Next add the heavy cream and stir until fully mixed, then add the beef and cook about 10 minutes until meat is cooked through and tender.

Remove pan from heat to stop cooking  so you can make the poached eggs. Fill a sauce pan with about 2 inches of water, and heat until it simmers. To place the eggs in, crack and egg into a bowl, and then plop in, one at a time about 3 inches apart in clockwise order so you know to remove them in that order as well. Once all eggs are in, remove from heat and cover, and cook for 5 minutes, NO LIFTING THE COVER!

While the eggs cook, plate the corn beef hash, and on the 5 minute mark remove the eggs in order, and place on top of hash! Voila!! Eat it!

The dessert is so simple. Make whatever shape you want with the marzipan, we made balls and 4 leaf clovers! Next heat the chocolate in a double boiler constantly stirring. Once melted you can either dip the chocolate in, or roll it in, whatever you so please. Lay on a wax covered baking sheet to cool, and sprinkle with rock candy. Cool, and eat!

This will certainly be a St. Patrick’s Day you will never forget!!!

Rainy Day Chipotle Chorizo and Beef Chili!!

Today was a weird weather day in Los Angeles, it is actually pretty cold! This morning we had hail, the last time I remember that happening I was 6 years old, I was living in Pacific Palisades, and my dogs refused to go outside. Right after the downpour of the year I would say, the sun came out and reminded us that seasons don’t quite exist here, only to confuse me when I go outside to still smell rain and not be able to feel my ears and nose because I wasn’t prepared for cold weather. I will stop complaining right now, because this weather is a walk in the park compared to the crazy storm Nemo that is raging through the Northern East Coast.

So whether you are faring through cold weather in Los Angeles, or shoveling through snow on the East Coast this rainy day chili will warm your cold little souls out there! We created a superb slow cooker beef and chorizo chili, with some extra goodies; a little cinnamon sweetness, a little chipotle kick, and a nice crunch of corn. Enjoy!

*Whenever we use tomato sauce, chopped tomatoes, peeled tomatoes etc…We only use the brand Pomi. It comes in a paper container, and is delicious. Tomatoes should never come out of a can; they retain a metal flavor which takes a long time to cook out!

* Keep garlic salt, oregano, and garlic salt on hand, because depending on how long you want to cook your chili you may want to add more of these three ingredients to achieve your perfect flavor.

Ingredients: serves 10 cook time 3-4 hours
2.5 lbs ground beef
2 lbs chorizo
1 yellow onion
½ small can of chipotle peppers
2 cups fresh or frozen corn
4 oz tomato paste
12 oz Pomi chopped tomato
1 large can kidney beans
1 large can pinto beans
1 large can white or cannellini beans
¼ cup chopped fresh oregano
½ teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoon cumin
1 Tablespoon garlic salt
2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon paprika
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Sour cream
Grated cheddar cheese

 

To make your life easier measure out all of your spices ahead of time, take oregano off the stems and chop, dice the onion, and slice up your chipotle peppers.

In a large sauté pan heat your olive oil and then sweat your onions until they start to soften. Next add the ground beef, and the chorizo (remove casings), and break up using a wooden spoon. While the meat starts to sear add your oregano, onion powder, black pepper, paprika, salt, and cumin, by sprinkling it all over the meat. We do this because we want the meat to cook and absorb the entire flavor. When you feel that your meat has seared all the way, add the chopped chipotle with half of the sauce it sits in and the tomato paste, and stir.

Transfer the meat mix into a slow cooker (if you don’t have one use a crock pot). Add your beans, the Pomi, garlic salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg into the mix. Cook on low with the timer set at 3-4 hours, whatever your timeline is. Towards the end, you can even have it at warm until it is ready to eat.

30 minutes before you decide to serve the chili add the corn, this way it will retain a wonderful crunch. Once you are done serve with a dollop of sour cream and cheddar cheese! Boom! That is tasty!!!



Veggie and Beef Stew...squash that flu!

We are a little over  2 weeks into the New Year, and the theme seems to be a hopefulness of change, the revving up of engines to kick-start one’s resolutions, a slight sluggishness from over eating the whole holiday season, and….the flu. It seems to be that not only did we eat whatever we wanted, but I ended up with a month long cough, which was the opposite of awesome. After a week of a massive obsessive overhaul and quarter life crisis, in which we cleaned out all of our “junk”, we are so ready to start up some new adventures. But…before we can muster the energy to look at the stair-master or cleanse, we need this delicious hardy bowl of vegetable beef stew. The spice will clear your nose, and give you a little pep in your step, the vegetables will warm you from the inside out, and the beef will give you that last umph of meatiness that you crave.

So enjoy making this!

Ingredients: serves 4 people take about 3 hours

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter

7 Tablespoons flour

16 oz low sodium beef broth

16 oz water

3 medium turnips

4 medium to large carrots

3 large stalks of celery

8 small red bliss potatos

1 ½ pounds beef tenderloin

1 white onion

1 Tablespoon paprika

1 Tablespoon salt

½ Tablespoon pepper

1 Tablespoon fresh thyme

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

2 Teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ Tablespoon garlic salt

This dish can be made in either a crock pot or a slow cooker, whichever you prefer.

To start, create your mise en place by cleaning your vegetables and chopping them. Mince garlic, chop carrots and celery to be the same size, about a ½ inch wide, and the turnips, potato, and onion into thin half moon shapes, all the same thickness as well. Place all vegetable and fresh herbs into your crock pot or slow cooker, with no heat on. Now take your beef tenderloin and cube it into 2 square inch pieces and roll in a mix of 3 Tablespoon of flour and a teaspoon of salt, and set aside.

In a sauce pan, we are going to create a roux which is going to help thicken our stew a bit. In a large sauce pan, melt your butter and by Tablespoon add the flour constantly whisking until mix thickens. 

Next add your cooking liquid (beef broth and water) about 2 cups at a time, whisking constantly. Add your spices and whisk in completely. Bring to a boil, and drop meat in. Cook for three minutes, then pour everything into your crock pot or slow cooker, and cook on low for about 3 hours.

The lovely thing about this is that you can leave your food and you don’t need to pay attention to any of it. You can go have a cocktail, read a book, have a nap, whatever you want. Once done, get a large spoon, and dig in!