Panko Crusted Eggplant Oven Fries With Tarragon Aioli

Panko Crusted Eggplant Oven Fries 

With Tarragon Aioli 

kosher

As hard as I tried I could not get the crunchiness I was looking for without breading the eggplant.  The crunchiness of the panko along with the creaminess of the eggplant makes for great contrast.

Egg Plant Fries

1 Medium Eggplant Cut into 1/2"X1/2"X4" Fries

3 Large Eggs Beaten

8oz (1 box) Panko Bread Crumbs (I use Kikkoman)

1 Cup of All Purpose Flour

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Season the fries with salt and pepper to taste, and let them sit for 15 minutes to draw out some or the moister and bitterness.  Coat the fries in the flour, then the egg, then the bread crumbs.  Coat the bottom of a sheet pan with olive oil and spread the fries out on the pan evenly, so they are not touching each other.  Then drizzle more olive oil on top of the fries.  Bake at 425F for 15 minute, then turn them over and bake for another 10 minutes, or until browned.

For the aioli I got lazy and just took some store bought mayo and added garlic powder, black pepper, and tarragon to taste.

Thin Mint Ice Cream Sandwich

Thin Mint Ice Cream Sandwich

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This is a quick little dessert that I thought of a while ago, but I needed to wait for girl scout cookie season.  Just take a scoop of you favorite mint chocolate chip ice cream and sandwich it between two thin mint girl scout cookies.  The chocolate syrup drizzle is optional. Super easy and delicious.

Leftover Lesson: Pulled Guinness and Thyme Braised Beef Sandwich

Pulled Guinness and Thyme Braised Beef Sandwich

A Lesson In Leftovers

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The other week I braised some top of the rib beef in Guinness and Thyme along with some other aromatics.  I sliced it and served it for dinner that Friday night.  I had a decent amount leftover.  The thing about leftovers is they are always better when you augment them in some way.  I warmed it back up on the stove in the braising liquid, then using two forks I shredded the meat and made a sandwich on a toasted hamburger bun with some red leaf lettuce, sliced pickled hot peppers, and Open Pit BBQ sauce. It was mighty tasty.

Honey Roasted Chicken With Red and White Pearl Onions

Honey Roasted Chicken with Red and White Pearl Onions

Kosher

This is a super simple recipe that is my go to when I want a fast and delicious Friday night dinner. I dressed it up with the pearl onions but you can use sliced regular onions instead.

Take a whole chicken and cut out the back bone using a heavy knife or a pair of kitchen shears and flatten it out, cracking the breast bone, also known as the keel bone, if necessary.  Don't be afraid to use a little force. Put a layer of onions in the bottom of your roasting pan. Lay your bird flat over the onions, skin side up.  Drizzle the chicken with honey and then sprinkle with a healthy dose of seasoned salt.  Roast at 350 for an hour, then crank the oven to 425 for 10 minutes or until the skin is brown and crispy.

Tip: To peel pearl onions easily cut the tops and bottoms off and blanch in boiling water for a few minutes, and the skins should slip right off.

Roasted Curried Cauliflower

Roasted Curried Cauliflower

About a week ago, Busy In Brooklyn, a fellow kosher food blogger, posted a great post about Smoked Paprika Popcorn Cauliflower.  It reminded my of the fact that I had a head of cauliflower in the fridge, that was begging for a similar treatment.  I pretty much did the same thing as she did, but I used a hot curry powder instead of smoked paprika.  This makes a great healthy snack.  I usually end up eating the whole head when I make it.  I cut the cauliflower into florets, hit them with olive oil and the curry powder, and roast at 425 until they start to  brown on one side.  Then I flip the pieces and continue cooking until it starts to brown on the other side.

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Friday Night Menu for 2/8/2013

We are having our neighbors over for dinner Friday night.  I wanted a menu that was homey and easy but still packed at lot of flavor:
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Spinach Meatball Soup

French Fried Orzo

Sauteed Green Beans with Shallots

Honey Roasted Chicken with Pearl Onions

Guinness and Thyme  Braised Beef

Mango Ice Cream

Peanut Butter  Brownies

Hamburger of the Week

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Hamburger of the Week

Top of the bun

Heinz Ketchup

Pickled Hot Peppers

1/2 lb All Beef Patty Seasoned With Salt and Pepper

Sauteed Onions and Mushrooms

 Fresh Spinach

Homemade Russian Dressing

The Bottom of the Bun

Served with a side of roasted sweet potato rounds

Superbowl Snacks- A trio of Popcorn

I was looking for something simple and tasty with big impact.  Enter homemade flavored popcorn.  Popcorn is cheap, quick, and easy.  It can be sweet, savory, or spicy.  Stay away from the  microwave stuff.  All you need in a little oil and a  heavy pot over medium heat.  Cover it with some foil with a few holes poked it it to prevent it from going everywhere.  Be careful not to put too many kernels in the pot, it will fill up quickly once they start to pop.  Shake the pot every few minutes to keep it from burning.  Once most the kernels are popped kill the heat and let it finish with the residual heat so nothing burns.  As soon as it is done, while it is still hot, sprinkle on salt and any other flavorings you would like.

This year for the Superbowl I am going for: chipotle lime, garlic onion, and maple walnut.

Birthday Dinner For My Wife

Birthday Dinner For My Wife

Rib Steak Topped with Roasted Red and White Pearl Onions 

And a Red Wine and Apple Cider Vinegar  Reduction

Shallot and "Bacon" Risotto

Sautéed Green Beans with Garlic

Molten Chocolate Lava Cake for Dessert

On days like this I know why I never went to work at a restaurant.  This meal was a challenge to do on my own.   To get all the elements timed correctly was nearly impossible.  At my wife's request I made her risotto.  This was the first time I had ever made risotto, and it is a bit of a pain.  I stood there stirring and stirring and adding stock and adding stock.  I would have added some other flavors or vegetables to the risotto but to say my wife is unadventurous would be an understatement.  The "bacon" I used was beef fry from Romanian Kosher Sausage Company, as were the steaks.  Of course I almost forgot the green beans, and needed to hold the steaks for a while I finished them and of course they slightly overcooked.  The cake was a bit spongy for my liking, but I never claimed to be a baker.  Even though it was not perfect, overall the dinner was tasty.  Man I wish I had full crew.  Maybe next year we'll just go out.

Football and Soft Pretzel with an Old Friend

I know it has been a while since i wrote.  I was busy with finals and my brother-in-law's wedding.  A little while ago I had the chance to watch football and bake with an old acquaintance Tiki Krakowski.  She has an awesome food blog: Hungry Souls.  We were looking at different things to make and due to my lack of baking equipment we ended up making Alton Brown's soft pretzels.  Tiki and I have very different approaches to food.  While I am much more calculated and scientific she cooks with much for warmth and love.  What makes it more surprising is she does much more baking than I do, which is generally much more exact, while I am do more cooking which is much more about touch and feel.

Alton Brown's Homemade Soft Pretzels (taken from Foodnetwork.com and retyped by Tiki)

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 package active dry yeast

22 ounces all-purpose flour, about 4 1/2 cups

2 ounces unsalted butter, melted (we used margarine. I say, if you can use butter, for God's sake, use butter)

Vegetable oil, for pan

10 cups water

2/3 cup baking soda

1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Salt

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water, sugar and salt. Pour the yeast on top of the water. Let sit for about 5 minutes, until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on low until just combined. Raise the speed to medium. Knead until smooth and pulling away from the side of the bowl, about 5 minutes.

2. Remove the dough from the bowl. Clean it, grease it, and return the dough to the bowl. Cover and let sit in a warm place for about 50 minutes to an hour.

3. Preheat the oven to 450 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and brush with oil. In a large pot, bring the ten cups of water and baking soda to a boil.

4. Meanwhile, dump the dough out on to a lightly oiled surface, and divide it into eight pieces. Roll each piece into a 24-inch rope. Shape each rope into a U and then twist the two end of the rope and press them into the bottom of the U to make a pretzel shape.

5.  Place the pretzels, one by one, into the water for 30 seconds- to a minute. Remove from water. Place on baking sheet and brush with the egg yolk. Sprinkle with salt. Bake for 12-14 minutes until golden. Let cool for at least 5 minutes.  Eat with or without mustard.