Brainy Satay Chicken with mixed groats and wild rice...

 

Satay is a popular dish made from small pieces of meat (chicken/beef/pork) or fish grilled on a skewer and served with a spicy peanut sauce. I haven't tried fish and probably won't though I like fish. And, if you don't have skewers, don't bother....you can make without.

For this brainy gourmet dish you will need: chicken thighs (boneless/skinless) per guest. One whole white onion, minced garlic and ginger, olive oil or coconut oil and chicken stock. Also, you will need to use peanut butter (self- stir), sesame teriyaki sauce, wild rice, or brown rice or both mixed together. And, as for spices... red pepper flakes and or red curry, adding only as much as you like.

Without skewers, begin by pounding each thigh with a meat hammer. Next, lay them into a glass baking dish drizzled with either olive oil or coconut oil whichever you prefer or have on hand. Over the top of each chicken thigh, spread a hefty mixture of minced garlic and ginger then cover with slivered white onion and pour around the edges about 1/2 cup of chicken stock. 

Bake in the oven on 350f until bubbling hot with the top beginning to crisp and brown. In the meantime, prepare the rice by steaming or boiling in water with a bit of the chicken stock. When the chicken is cooked and the rice is tender, prepare the peanut sauce. Mix in a small stove top pot, 4 tbs of peanut butter (stirred) with half a bottle of teriyaki sauce and spices cooking this on med. high heat until it thickens. 

Remove the chicken from the glass baking dish. You should have a golden reserve of juices with browned, crispy onion slivers floating about. Take the peanut paste and blend into the juices. This will become a rich brown gravy to serve over the chicken and rice. 

 

~ Tutti a Tavola! 

 

Ps. This is the brainy gourmet version. You can find and use any 'satay' recipe and you don't have to skewer... get cooking!

Brainy Barbecued Chicken with a Blend of Garden Romance...

 

 

Want to begin the summer with a spectacular dish... then try patio oven barbecued chicken. As a side, you can roast in a separate dish herb seasoned garden fresh zucchini.

To begin: buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts (as many per guest), shallots from the garden along with three young zucchini, fresh herbs: rosemary and lavender. Heat a conventional oven or patio oven to 375f, take two oblong glass baking dishes (one for chicken and one for zucchini) and coat with olive oil.

Lay in the chicken and sprinkle on garlic powder and sea salt to taste. Garnish with herbs and slip in the oven. You can do the same with the zucchini adding some paprika if you like.

Bake together until roasted to a golden rich brown color. Prepare on the stove a mixture of Sweet Baby Rays and Open Pit Barbecue sauces to pour over the top of the chicken for a finale... prior to serving garnish with a fresh sprig of lavender.

 ~ Tutti a Tavola!

Pork Loin in 'Dark Chocolate Mole' Sauce...

 

If taking a trip down to ole Mexico is not on your schedule, then cook like you did....

For the 'traditional' pork mole recipe you will need to buy: 1 boneless pork loin, chipotles in adobo, (3 tbsp. adobo sauce reserved) olive oil, apple cider vinegar, ancho chile powder, oregano, honey and garlic cloves. For the mole sauce, you will need to buy: 1 large tomatillo, stemmed, rinsed, and quartered, 1 small tomato, cored and halved, 1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped, olive oil, dried pasilla chiles, half a banana, peanuts and or sesame seeds, raisins, chocolate, oregano, and cinnamon. 

But, for the Brainy Gourmet version all you need is this: pork loin, onion, garlic paste, olive oil, butter, chili paste, tomato paste, beef stock, oregano, paprika, salt, black pepper, chili powder, and cayenne powder, or red pepper flakes if you don't have the cayenne, rice and a braiser for cooking.

 

To begin, using either your braiser or black skillet (to used as dutch over) saute chopped onion and garlic paste in 4 tbs of olive oil and a healthy pat of butter. Then cube the pork loin and add to the pot and sear then brown adding 1 cup of beef stock. Reduce a bit and add a large dollop of chili paste and the same of tomato paste and stir. Then add your spices above, amount depends on your taste buds...

 

Heat oven to 350f. Once the pork in sauce has boiled on the stove top, cover and place on oven rack. Let this 'bake' braise for 30-40 minutes. In this time, prepare rice... amount depends on number of guests.  

 

After this time, remove braiser from oven to inspect. If it seems to be sticking, add either a bit of beef stock or red pepper brine or both and stir. Add an additional pat or two of butter and lay in at least 4 seventy percent dark chocolate pieces. Cover and return to oven.  

 

Check your rice and prepare to serve... 

 

 

 

  ~ Tutti a Tavola!

Brainy Curry at Home for the Family...

Curry is what you want it to be... but there has to be curry!

But what is curry? Well... you’ve probably seen the word, “curry,” a lot—on menus, within recipes, in your grocery aisle. Here’s the thing: “curry” is, in many ways, a meaningless term. It doesn’t refer to a stew, or a sauce, contrary to popular opinion. In fact, it’s a reductionist term, and that means keeping it simple [https://www.bonappetit.com/story/what-is-curry].

Given that, I still say its not a curry without the curry powder. Whatever else you do, that's your business. Here's mine... 

For this dish you will need as many chicken breasts as per dinner guests, rice (one cup per guest), heavy cream and either sour cream or buttermilk, hot chili paste, curry powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, black pepper, butter and half an onion or more if you like... use a whole onion. Now, if you like cilantro then add or substitute with fresh spinach... it gives a nice color. 

To begin, saute chopped onion in half a stick of butter and 2 tbs of olive oil. Next, add cubed chicken breasts and brown. Then add your salt and pepper and spices as you like and I am generous on the curry and chili paste. To that, add a cup of heavy cream and half a cup of buttermilk or sour cream. If you like it buttery, add another 2 tbs of butter... it really gives a great taste.  Simmer while you prepare the rice...

 

Top with  extra chopped cilantro and squeezed lime with a dash of habanero sauce...

~ Tutti a Tavola!

Asian Cooking... Its what you Imagine!

Asian is spicy, simple, complicated to a point but not overly complicated and delicious. Do you have to have all original ingredients? No, its what you imagine it to be that counts. 

What you need to have for any Asian dish is hot sauce and spices! Yes, hot sauce and spices. Why? Because, according to food tolerance studies, Asian people have the highest tolerance for spicy foods.  In case you don't know, the spices that are typically used in Asian cuisine are: chilies, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, garlic, ginger and turmeric not to mention cilantro, lemongrass mind and scallions. 

Right now, you should be thinking - Wow! I have most of that in my pantry. And, you probably do. I also think that high heat cooking and constant motion while cooking brings out the spice, the vibrant color and fresh crunch in Asian cooking which makes it seem exotic and or very different from western cooking. 

What are you waiting for? Get cooking Asian... you probably have most of the ingredients... just add, your meat preference (or not), veggies, rice or rice noodles and even linguine or angel hair pasta works well. 

~ Tutti a Tavola!

Make Your Father's Day Meatball Sammie with Plenty of Red Sauce!

 

 

Any Italian knows that ya just make your meatballs, and simmer in red sauce... right? I could taste this in my dreams...

For this dish, use whatever ground meat you prefer to use. For this batch, ground turkey (+ 1 egg) was used. Mix 1lb of ground turkey with 1/4 cup of heavy cream, 1/3 cup of dry bread crumbs, some garlic powder, a shake of parmesan cheese, a pinch of salt and dried herbs: rosemary, mint and oregano. Shape into meatballs and set aside.

Saute one purple onion along with 1/2 of a green pepper and 1/2 of a red pepper in olive oil. Toss in the meatballs after the onion and pepper have browned. Then let the meatballs brown a little on each side. Next, pour in 3-4 tbs of beef stock, cover and let simmer on med. high heat for about 4-5 min. Open a medium size can of crushed tomatoes and pour that in over the top of the meatballs.

Let simmer for 35-40 min on low heat. If you want toasted bread rolls, heat the oven to 350F,  drizzle each opened 'face up' roll with olive oil, lay in some mozzarella cheese and pop in the oven until the cheese melts, then ladle in the meatballs and sauce and serve.

His and hers...


~ Tutti a Tavola!

Brainy Bistro Bourbon Style Pork...

 

 

What is a bistro? Its a small and quaint local restaurant. What is bistro cuisine? Bistro cuisine is relatively inexpensive and yes, its simple.

Over the years, the Brainy Gourmet has demonstrated on a number of cooking occasions how to use left over meat juices/gravies; i.e. flavoring rice, pasta, meatloaf, etc.  Today, I just so happen to have left over Swiss Steak gravy that will make a delicious spicy pork loin in 'bourbon gravy'.

To begin, you need to thaw or use a fresh cut 1 lb pork loin to be marinated in sea salt/olive oil/balsamic vinegar/soy sauce and garlic powder and dried herbs. After 15 min. the pork loin should seared uncovered in the oven on about 400f (using convection) for about 6-7 minutes or on the stove in a hot iron skillet.

Next, remove the loin from the oven and top it off using any (recently kept refrigerated) left over beef gravy and add some 'bourbon' sauce to taste. Then, pop back in the oven for ten min. or more (depending on your heat source: electric/gas/LP) and reduce the heat to 375/350f, cover with foil and if using a skillet cover with a lid.

As for the bourbon sauce...that is really easy. Just use a 'bourbon' flavored barbecue sauce or any barbecue sauce you happen to have... drizzle some over the top before serving for a final finish.

Prepare a side of baked potato and green beans...

~ Tutti a Tavola!