Cuisine Eric

This is a basic recipe for Thai Red Curry that you could use for chicken, tofu, fish, beef, shrimp or whatever you prefer. Simple, quick, delicious and you really can't go wrong. 1/2 red pepper, sliced 1/2 orange pepper, sliced 1 sweet yellow onion, sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1-inch fresh ginger, minced 1 lb boneless chicken (breast or thigh, your choice), cut into bite-sized pieces 2 Tbsp Thai red curry paste 1 can coconut milk (I used Trader Joe’s rich coconut cream) crushed red pepper flakes 2 cups broccoli flowerets Sauté the peppers and onion in a dash of oil in a wok or large deep skillet.  Cook until beginning to brown and caramelize, about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic and ginger and cook another 2-3 minutes.   Remove veggies to a bowl. Add chicken to pot with a dash more oil.  Brown all sides.   Add curry paste to chicken and cook another 2-3 minutes.   Return veggies to pot, add coconut milk and cru...

Apples are a great combination with pork and sweeten this puzzle inspired slow cooker stew. 3.5-5 lb Boston Butt pork, cut into 4 pieces, and trimmed of skin where necessary 2 medium onions, sliced, about 2 cups 1 doz sweet small peppers, quartered and seeded 1 lb baby carrots 1 jalapeño pepper, halved, seeded, and sliced 4 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp pimenton, smokey Spanish paprika 1 quart chicken, turkey or beef broth 1 polish kielbasa, sliced 2 tart apples, Honey Crisp or Gala quartered, cored, peeled and diced 1/2 inch 1 can hominy, rinsed and drained Brown all sides of the pork in your slow cooker if you can, or on the stovetop.   Remove pork to a bowl. Add the onions, peppers and carrots to the slow cooker and sauce for about 10 minutes in a dash of olive oil.  Allow the veggies to brown up and caramelize a bit.   Add the garlic and season with the cumin, ...

Quick grilled pork tenderloin medallions always please. 1 large pork tenderloin Chili Rub: 2 Tbsp chili powder 1 Tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp onion powder 1/2 tsp ground coriander 1/4 tsp ground cumin 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste 1 Tsp Kosher salt Slice tenderloin into 1-inch disks.  You should have about 12 disks.  Pound disks to about 1/2-inch in between two sheets to plastic wrap.  Dredge medallions in dry rub and allow to sit for at least an hour. Heat grill to high.  Grill medallions on first side for about 4-5 minutes.   Flip medallions and continue cooking for about 3-4 more minutes, or until they are just cooked through to medium - watch out, these thin puppies cook quickly! Serves 4.

Here's my take on Pho.  The thing to watch out for is that these rice noodles expand very, very quickly, and so when they are done, everything else for the meal should be ready - including the diners.  I have found unfortunately that because of their absorbency, this dish is not a candidate for leftovers - they can get very gummy; so eat up while they are fresh and hot. 1 lb chuck steak Korean Marinade: 1 Tbsp Gochugang 1 Tbsp Hoisin sauce 1 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar 1 Tbsp sesame oil 1 red pepper, sliced 1 sweet yellow onion, sliced 1 carrot, peeled and sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1-inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced dash crushed red pepper flakes to taste 1 package seafood mushrooms 1 crown broccoli, cut into flowerets 1 lb Bahn Pho Tuoi fresh Vietnamese rice noodles 1-1/2 quart good beef stock (I made my own, but there are lots of good brands) Whisk together the marinade ingredients and coat steak on both sides.  ...

The beauty of a chopped salad is that you can used whatever raw veggies you have on hand - cucumbers, red peppers, purple cabbage, celery - they are all contenders.  Here is what I did with what I had on hand.  And I always have shrimp in the freezer to make a full meal. Of course equally beautiful is that chopped salads are not only quick to prepare (use prepared cold cuts like rolled ham to go even faster), but they are also obviously healthy. 1/2 purple onion, sliced 2 Tbsp cider vinegar 1 Tbsp water 1 dozen shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 Tbsp olive oil 1/2 tsp Pimenton, smokey Spanish paprika 1/2 tsp ground coriander Greek Yogurt dressing: 3 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt 1 Tbsp good real mayonnaise 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp prepared horseradish 1 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 cups mixed greens - I just used shaved Iceburg lettuce 2 cups broccoli flowerets 1 cup small cauliflower flowerets 1 car...

Talk about comfort foods - I have to put burritos near the top of the list.  But they have to be rich and saucy and garnished with a good amount of cheese to qualify.  Here you go. 1 small onion, diced 1 jalapeno pepper, diced 1 lb ground chorizo (or pork) 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 Tbsp chili powder 1 tsp ground cumin 1 8-oz can tomato sauce 1 15-oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained 1 cup salsa verde 2 cups diced or grated jalapeño jack cheese plus extra for garnish 6 flour tortillas fresh thyme or cilantro leaves for garnish (I used thyme) Cheese Sauce: 1 cup dry white wine 1 cup chicken broth 1 cup light cream or half and half 1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbsp cold water 1/4 lb jalapeño jack (or cheddar) cheese, grated or finely cubed crushed red pepper flakes, to taste Preheat oven to 375F.  Heat onions and jalapeño in a large skillet in a dash of oil.  Cook for about 8-10 minutes until softened and aroma...

We in America tend to disparage the hot dog.  But many of us love them and have our secret favorite.  Don’t deny it.  The Europeans don't call them hot dogs, by the way, they call them sausages and you see them all over, so stop - don't get all high and mighty that the hot dog is low class - it just has a bad name here.  In Europe its just another legitimate sausage. I recently saw an interview with Jacques Pepin - would you argue with him on taste?  He was asked what his favorite food is, and his answer was "Well, you know, I quite like le 'Ot Dog".  There you have it. 1 pack ramen noodles, your choice of flavor, I used beef, you could use kimchi, or whatever is your favorite 1 best hot dog you can find on the planet, I used a local beef and pork blend scant 1/4 cup frozen corn scant 1/4 cup frozen peas 1 small carrot sliced 1 Tbsp sesame oil 1 Tbsp soy sauce 2 green onions, sliced Cook noodles according to package directio...

You can't go wrong with really fresh fish pan seared and then served over roasted veggies. Simple boiled baby potatoes complete a healthy, quick meal you can't order out faster. 1 bunch broccoli rabe, rinsed and drained, patted dry 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced dash crushed red pepper flakes to taste 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 lb black sea bass fillet, cut into 4 portions Bay seasoning for garnish Preheat oven to 400F.  Toss the broccoli rabe, garlic and red pepper flakes with olive oil.  Season lightly with salt and pepper to taste.  Turn veggies out onto a large rimmed roasting sheet.  Place in oven and roast for about 20 minutes, turning once or twice. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large non-stick skillet.  Place fish portions skin-side up in the skillet when the butter begins to bubble.   Brown for 3-5 minutes, just to get a brown finish of the fish.   Carefully flip the fish (I use two fish spatulas to avoid breaking fillets - c...

This is your basic beef stew cooked in a slow cooker.  But I flavor it with buffalo hot sauce for that hot buttery zing, vinegar for tang and Trader Joe's Coconut Aminos which have the most unique flavor - a mixture of buttery coconut umami.  Add mushroom and tomato sauce for even more umami and mamma, you have one delicious flavorful beef stew sure to please. 3 lb beef chuck roast, cut into 2-inch pieces 1 large yellow sweet onion, sliced 3 carrots, peeled and sliced 1 cup coconut aminos (soy sauce substitute, Trader Joe’s) 1/3 cup (or to taste) Franks hot Buffalo sauce (or favorite) 1/4 cup cider vinegar 2 cups favorite tomato sauce 1 can sliced mushrooms 1 cup frozen peas Brown the beef in a pot with a dash of oil in batches, leaving plenty of air around the cubes to brown well.  Place cubes in a slow cooker. Add carrots and onion to the pot and sauce for about 8-10 minutes, until starting to soften and caramelize a bit.  Transfer veg...

Fresh apple toasted with panko crumbs makes a fresh and sweet toothy alternative to apple sauce.  I learned this technique from Blue Apron who offer very clever recipes. 3/4 lb pork loin roast Dry rub: 1 Tbsp paprika 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper 1 tsp coriander 1/8 tsp salt 2 cups cauliflower flowerets 2 cups broccoli flowerets dash crushed red pepper flakes 1 Tbsp olive oil Cheese sauce: 2 Tbsp butter plus 2 Tbsp olive oil 1/4 cup flour 2 cups milk 1/8 lb grated cheddar cheese 1 red apple, cored and diced 1 Tbsp butter 1 clove garlic, minced 2 Tbsp panko bread crumbs Preheat oven to 400F.  Mix together the dry rub ingredients in a medium bowl and toss in the roast to coat thoroughly. Mix the broccoli and cauliflower with the pepper and oil in a bowl.  Season with salt to taste.  Toss well.   Place pork roast in one corner of a large rimmed baking sheet.  Scatter the veggies in a single layer about...

A hearty stew for holiday crowds. 1 lb favorite Italian sausages, cut into 2-inch lengths, I mixed sweet and hot 3.5-4 lb boneless leg of lamb, cut into 2-inch pieces 2 medium yellow sweet onions, sliced 3 carrots, sliced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped slightly 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes, drained, liquids reserved 1 quart chicken broth water as needed 8-10 sun dried plums (prunes) 8-10 dried apricots Preheat oven to 350F.  Brown the lamb cubes in a dash of oil in a large Dutch oven.  Allow cubes to brown on all side with plenty of air in between so they brown, and do not boil.   Season the cubes with salt and pepper as they brown.  Work in batches and set cubes aside in a bowl when done.  Follow this by browning the sausage pieces in another dash oil as needed.  Set aside. Sauté the onions and carrots in another dash of oil in the pot.  Cook about 10-12 minutes, until beginning...