Soup and Salad (w/ Meat for the Carnivores)

Chorizo and Red Bean Soup

Ingredients (organic where available)

€        EVOO

€        2 Tbls. Minced Garlic

€        1 Large Red Onion, Diced fine

€        2 Small Red Peppers, Chopped

€        2 Tbls. Cornstarch

€        4 Cups Vegetable Stock

€        1 Lb. Small Red Potatoes, Diced with skin on

€        10 Oz. Spicy Beef Chorizo, ground

€        1 Medium Zucchini, trimmed and sliced thin

€        10 Oz. Red Kidney Beans

€        ¾ Cup Heavy Creme

Directions

1.    Heat the EVOO in a large Emile Henry Dutch Oven and add the garlic and onion and cook until translucent.  Add the bell pepper and cook for 5 minutes.  Mix the cornstarch into a paste with some stock and add to the Dutch Oven the add the stock and bring to a boil.

2.    Add the potatoes and season with salt and pepper (optional).  Bring to a boil and lower the heat then simmer for 30 minutes. 

3.    Add the chorizo, zucchini and beans and simmer for another 15 minutes then add the heavy creme and cook for another 5 minutes remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes.         

Tuscan Bread Salad

Picked up this recipe from our Food Network Cooking School but changed up the dressing…

Ingredients

€        4 Cups – Italian Bread Croutons (start with Bread Cubed into 1” pieces)

€        1 Medium Cucumber, seeded and cubed (1.4” slices)

€        1 Cup – Diced Red Onion

€        2 Tbls. Capers, drained and rinsed

€        ¾ Cup Dressing

o   3 parts EVOO

o   2 parts Balsamic Vinegar

o   Two Health dollops of Dijon Mustard

o   Healthy dash of your favorite Seasoned Salt

€        5-6 Cups, Romaine lettuce, torn into 1-2” pieces

Directions

1.    Place bread crumbs on a ungreased baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes with a dash of steak rub.

2.    In a large bowl, combine the cucumber, onion, capers and toasted bread, Drizzle ½ Cup dressing and toss, let set for 15 minutes.

3.    Add lettuce and drizzle the remaining dressing and toss to coat well, serve immediately.

Creole Chorizo w/Rice and Beans (Pre-Valentine's Dinner FAIL!)

Okay, this is one that didn't quite work out...don't get me wrong, the MEAL was fabulous.  Unfortunately about 6 minutes before I took it off the grill my Wife got called to work...stat Lab order.  So Valentine's FAIL!  Anyway, this is what is waiting on her when she returns tonight.

Chicken Chorizo II - (One Dish Meal Organic)

This dish combines the flavors of Chicken Thighs and Spanish Chorizo (sweet or spicy sausage) in a tasty ‘One Pot’ brown rice Dutch oven dish.

There are many varieties of Chorizo but Spanish chorizo is typically the most readily available in the grocery store. It is made from coarsely chopped pork and pork fat, seasoned with smoked pimentón (paprika) and salt. It is generally classed as either picante (spicy) or dulce (sweet), depending upon the type of smoked paprika used. Chorizo comes in short, long, hard and soft varieties, some of which are suited to being eaten as an appetizer or tapas, whereas others are better suited to cooking. Leaner varieties are typically better suited to tapas, eaten at room temperature, whereas fattier versions are generally used for cooking. A general rule of thumb is that long, thin chorizos are sweeter and short chorizos are spicy, although this is not always the case.

Ingredients
 1 Lb. Boneless organic chicken thighs
 ½ Lb. - Chorizo (soft for this recipe)
 2 cups - Long Grain Brown Rice (not instant)
 1- 4 oz. bottle White Zinfandel wine (or substitute ½ bottle white cooking wine)
 2 each - Roasted Red Peppers cut into thick slices (canned or prepared ahead of time on the grill)
 1 Small Sweet Onion, sliced thin
 2.5 cups - Chicken Broth
 1 cup - Frozen Peas
 Paul Prudhommes Poultry Magic Seasoning (to taste)
 Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
 2 Tsp. – Oregano (or 2 Tbsp. Fresh Chopped Oregano)
 1 Tsp. - Crushed Red Pepper (flakes)
 6 cloves - Fresh Garlic, minced
 2 each - Bay Leaf
 Paprika - Pinch


Preparation
1. Preheat Big Green Egg to High Heat.
2. Season chicken with PP’s seasoning. In the Dutch oven drizzle in some EVOO and add the chicken and let cook until tender. Add the Chorizo, stirring frequently until browned (4-5 minutes max.).
3. Add the sliced onions, red pepper flakes, oregano, bay leaves and a pinch of paprika and stir until onions are transparent.
4. Cook, stirring frequently and add broth and keep stirring until it comes to a boil.
5. Add rice and shut down the egg and cover Dutch oven for 5-8 minutes. Stirring occasionally.

6. Remove from heat and let set for 15 minutes. Stir in the frozen peas with a fork, cover Dutch oven and let sit for 5 more minutes and serve.

Chicken, Andouille & Tasso Jambalaya

…or Jumbled-laya
Building on my love of Paul Prudhomme’s spices this recipe is loosely based (for this particular cook we have substituted most of the meats called for with things we already had in the refrigerator or freezer, but it works just fine), thus the JUMBLE. This Jambalaya dish serves 6 as a main dish or 10-12 as an appetizer.


 Ingredients
• 2 Tbsp. Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Seasoning (you pick from Poultry, Meat or Pork & Veal magic)
• 3 Tbsp. Butter (unsalted)
• 4 Ounces Tasso (or sub chunks of ham)
• 4 Ounces Andouille (or sub Chorizo or Spicy Italian or Polish sausage/Kielbasa) Sausage, diced
• ¾ Lb. Boneless Chicken (thighs or breast) – Bite Size
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 Cup Chopped Sweet Onions
• 1 Cup Chopped Celery (optional)
• 1 Cup Green Bell Pepper (chopped (and ANY color will do))
• 1 Tbsp. Garlic (fresh minced)
• ½ Cup Canned Tomato Sauce
• 1 Cup Peeled and Chopped Fresh Tomatoes (or substitute 1 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes)
• 2 ½ Cups Chicken Broth (stock or water substitute)
• 1 ½ Cups Instant Rice

Preparation
1. Fire up the BGE (and 2” raised grid) and when it reaches high heat, melt the butter in a double broiler (5-6 quart).
2. Add the Andouille and Tasso; cook until meat starts to brown, about 4-5 minutes; stirring frequently.
3. Sprinkle in a little EVOO and add the Chicken; continue cooking until brown (again stirring frequently).
4. Stir in the Bay leaves, Magic Seasoning, and ½ cup each of the onions, celery (optional) the bell pepper and garlic and cook until the vegetables are tender; stirring frequently and keeping the bottom of the pan from sticking ingredients.
5. Stir in the remaining ½ cup each of the Onions, Celery (optional) and bell pepper, the tomatoes and tomato sauce.
6. Stir in the stock and rice, mixing well and allow the mixture to come to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cover the double broiler and shut down the Big Green Egg completely. When the rice is tender and the stock has cooked down (approximately 8-10 minutes) remove from egg.
7. Stir well and remove Bay leaves and let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Chicken Chorizo One Dish Meal on the BGE Happy V Day !

This dish combines the flavors of Chicken Thighs and Spanish Chorizo (sweet or spicy sausage) in a tasty ‘One Pot’ brown rice Dutch oven dish.

There are many varieties of Chorizo but Spanish chorizo is typically the most readily available in the grocery store. It is made from coarsely chopped pork and pork fat, seasoned with smoked pimentón (paprika) and salt. It is generally classed as either picante (spicy) or dulce (sweet), depending upon the type of smoked paprika used.

Chorizo comes in short, long, hard and soft varieties, some of which are suited to being eaten as an appetizer or tapas, whereas others are better suited to cooking. Leaner varieties are typically better suited to tapas, eaten at room temperature, whereas fattier versions are generally used for cooking. A general rule of thumb is that long, thin chorizos are sweeter and short chorizos are spicy, although this is not always the case.

Ingredients

 2.5-3.0 lbs - Bone-in skin-on chicken thighs

 .75-1.0 Lb. - Chorizo cut into bite size pieces (.75-1”)

 1 ½ cups - Long Grain Brown Rice (not instant)

 1-2 each - 4 oz. bottle White Zinfandel wine (or substitute ½ bottle white cooking wine)

 3 each - Roasted Red Peppers cut into thick slices (canned or prepared ahead of time on the grill)

 1 large - Sweet Onion, sliced paper thin

 3 cups - Chicken Broth

 1 cup - Frozen Peas

 Sea Salt and Black Peppercorns (season to taste)

 Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

 2 Tsp. - Oregano (if fresh chopped use 2 Tbsp.)

 ½ Tsp. - Crushed Red Pepper (flakes)

 6 cloves - Fresh Garlic, minced

 1 each - Bay Leaf

Preparation

1. Preheat Big Green Egg to a decent flame with grid in place for initial cook.

2. Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste. In the Dutch oven (or separate cast iron skillet) heat up the EVOO and add the chicken (skin side down) and let cook until golden brown (6-8 minutes). You may have to work in batches and set aside.

3. Pour off excess fat if cooking in the Dutch oven and cook the Chorizo stirring frequently until browned (4-5 minutes max.) then transfer the Chorizo to a plate and leave the excess fat in the Dutch oven.

4. With Dutch oven still on the grid add the Oregano, Pepper flakes, Garlic, Onion and Bay Leaf and cook, stirring frequently until Onion begins to brown and get soft. Add the Rice and cook, stirring frequently until glossy (1-2 minutes) then add the wine and bring to a boil stirring frequently and reducing by about fifty percent.

5. Place Chicken, Chorizo and peppers into the rice mixture and bring to a boil, stirring frequently then remove from grid.

6. Remove the Grid and place the plate setter (legs up) in the egg. Stabilize dome temperature at 400 degrees and place the Dutch oven on the plate setter. Add the Chicken Broth, salt and pepper (to taste), cover and let cook for 60 to 70 minutes.

7. Remove from heat and uncover, stir in the frozen peas with a fork, cover Dutch oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Option: Roast the red peppers first if not using canned roasted peppers); serves 5-6.