Category: Flavorful Foods

Frittata

Pizza Frittata

Pizza Frittata

Pizza Frittata

Frittatas are fast, easy and an excellent way to get rid of leftovers. This is a family favorite for Saturday breakfast using Friday's leftover pizza.
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Course Breakfast, Main Course
Servings 4 servings

Equipment

  • 4 Cup Casserole Dish, 9" Cast Iron Skillet or Muffin Tins
  • Mixing bowl
  • Whisk

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups Leftover Pizza sliced into 1/2" cubes (about 2 slices) Sausage and Mushroom is a family favorite, but it works with
  • 8 Large Eggs
  • ½ cup Milk
  • 2 pinches Salt Adjust based on saltness of pizza
  • 2 pinches Ground Pepper

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350° F
  • Coat baking dish with olive oil
  • Cut pizza slices into ½ cubes and place into casserole dish
  • In medium mixing bowl, whisk eggs with milk, salt and pepper
  • Pour egg mixture into casserole dish (do not stir)
  • This mixture can be stored in the refrigerator overnight, but it is not necessary.
  • Place in oven and bake for 20 to 30 minutes until eggs are set
  • Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving
Keyword eggs
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Shannon FreiseLeave a comment
Beef Stew

Irish Beef and Guinness Stew

Beef Stew

Irish Beef and Guinness Stew

Experience the deliciously robust flavor of this world famous stew!
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
3 hours
Course Main Course
Cuisine Irish
Servings 6

Equipment

  • Large stew pot (6 qt works great)
  • Large fry pan/skillet
  • Cutting boards, knives, measuring cups, spoons, cookware.

Ingredients
  

  • 4-5 Slices Bacon, diced. You're looking for 6oz. Trader Joe's Black Forest bacon is good.
  • 2 1/2 Lbs Boneless, beef-chuck, cut into 2 inch pieces. Whole Food had them on sale 4.50$/LB.
  • 1 TSP Coarse salt
  • 1-2 Pinches Fresh black pepper
  • 2 Onions, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 TSP salt
  • 4 Cloves Garlic, minced
  • 15 OZ Guinness Stout beer
  • 1/4 Cup Tomato Paste
  • 4 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
  • 3 Carrots, diced into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 Stalks Celery, diced into 1 inch pieces.
  • 1 TSP Sugar
  • 1/2 TSP Fresh black pepper
  • 2 1/2 Cups Beef stock, unsalted or low sodium. Otherwise reduce salt above.
  • 4 Cups Mashed Potatoes–yukon gold work great. skins off.

Instructions
 

  • Season the beef with 1 tsp of salt and black pepper to taste. Let set while you cook the bacon.
  • In a heavy skillet cook the bacon over medium heat until bacon is browned and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Lower heat to simmer, and transfer bacon into your large cooking/stew pot. Leave the bacon fat in the skillet as you will use that to brown the beef.
  • Turn heat to high (know your stove) on the skillet that you cooked the bacon in and sear the beef pieces in the hot bacon fat on all sides until browned, about 5-7 minutes. Place beef in stew pot with bacon, leaving fat in skillet. NOTE: Be sure you brown the beef!  Don’t be impatient and skip this step.  It’s crucial.  So take the time to brown the beef in small batches and don't crowd the pan, otherwise your meat will look grey.
  • Note: Those browned beef bits in the bottom of the pan!  That’s where a ton of the flavor is, When you deglaze the pan with the beer you'll get all that flavor into the stew.  
  • Turn heat down to medium; add the onions into the retained fat in the skillet cook until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes; season with a large pinch of salt. Add in the garlic and cook about 45 seconds, stirring the onions and garlic together.
  • Pour in the beer while scraping the bottom of the pan to get those flavor bits.
  • Now pour the contents of the skillet/pan into the cooking/stew pot.
  • Add into the cook/stew pot, the tomato paste, thyme sprigs, carrots, celery, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and enough beef broth to cover. Stir well and make sure everything is well mixed. Bring to a slow boil, then turn heat down to low, cover and simmer about 2 hours. Check on it and give it a stir or two.
  • Once beef is fork tender, remove lid, and bring heat up to medium and a slow boil and cook until it has thickened slightly. Maybe 15-20 minutes. This is a great time to get your mashed potatoes prepared.
  • We served this using a large plate that we ringed with the mashed potatoes then scooped the stew into the middle of the ring.

Notes

Beverage choices: 
Guinness, Harp.
Hearty red wines; cabernet, merlot, zinfandel, shiraz, or malbec. Nothing light like a pinot.  
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Lobster Mac & Cheese

Lobster Mac and Cheese

Sara Welch
The sweet lobster meat pairs perfectly with the creamy pasta and the crunchy breadcrumb topping is the perfect finish.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Steam Lobsters and Shuck 18 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 8

Equipment

  • Large pot to steam lobsters
  • Baking dish/Casserole – approximately 4 qts.
  • Measuring cups, spoons, large pot for preparing the macaroni

Ingredients
  

  • 4 TBSP Butter – unsalted and divided
  • 2 TBSP Flour
  • 2 1/2 Cups Water
  • 4 Cups Whole milk
  • 1 LB Cellentani or Cavatappi pasta Use the good stuff
  • 3/4 TSP Coarse salt
  • 1/4 TSP Garlic powder
  • 1/4 TSP Onion powder
  • 1/2 TSP Smoked paprika
  • 1/4 TSP Black pepper, fresh ground-coarse
  • 1 1/2 Cups Shredded mozzarella cheese Or you could use Gruyere Fontina or Monterey Jack,
  • 4 Cups Shredded cheddar cheese–
  • 1/2 Cups Panko bread crumbs –plain not seasoned.
  • 1 1/2 Cups Cooked lobster meat plus more for garnish
  • 2 TBSP Chives–sliced thin
  • Cooking spray

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 2 or 3 quart baking dish with cooking spray.
  • Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the flour, then whisk until combined, about 30 seconds.
  • Pour in the water and whisk until smooth and just thickened. 
  • Add the milk and whisk until combined.
  • Stir in the pasta, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika and pepper, then bring the mixture to a simmer.
  • Cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is done.
  • Turn the heat to low, then stir in the cheeses. Keep stirring until the sauce is smooth.
  • Fold in the lobster meat. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish.
  • Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, and stir it into the panko breadcrumbs.
  • Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top of the pasta. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until topping is golden brown.
  • Sprinkle with chives and garnish with addition chunks of lobster if desired. Serve immediately.

Notes

Wines I’d recommend:
Sauvignon Blanc, Albariño, Gruner Veltliner, non-oak chards. Pinot Gris. 
Reds: pinot noir, Grenache
This recipe is from https://www.dinneratthezoo.com/ by Sara Welch.
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Fish En Papillote

Fish En Papillote

This is my recipe and feel free to vary the herbs, the vegetables, and even the fish. Fish cooked en papillote (which is French for “in paper” and is pronounced ahn-pa-pee-yawt) means to bake fish inside of a pouch made of folded parchment paper.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine French
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Baking Pan
  • Parchment paper for baking
  • Small bowl for mixing

Ingredients
  

  • 4 6 oz Fish fillets. Haddock, cod, salmon, halibut, flounder, trout. A firm flesh fish.
  • 1/4 Cup Butter, unsalted, softened.
  • 2 Cloves Garlic, minced.
  • 2 TBSP Parsley, chopped
  • 1 Small Shallot, diced
  • 1/4 TSP Fresh Coarse Black pepper
  • 1/2 TSP Coarse Salt
  • 1 small Lemon
  • 4 Cups Fresh baby spinach – chopped rough

Vegetable Choices to pack in the fish packet

  • 12 Cherry Tomatoes left whole
  • 1 Cup Yellow squash- sliced in 1/2 inch pieces make sure they are sized to cook properly.
  • 1 Cup Zucchini – sliced in 1/2 inch pieces make sure they are sized to cook properly.

Instructions
 

  • Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
  • In a small bowl, add the Butter, garlic, parsley, shallot, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Zest the lemon right into the bowl (reserve the whole lemon). With a fork, mash the butter to smoothly combine all of the ingredients. Cut the whole lemon into thin slices (you will need 8 slices total for the recipe).
  • Tear off 4 pieces of parchment that are at least 12 inches on each side. Lay the sheet flat on a work surface. Place 1 cup of spinach in the center of a sheet, leaving space at the top and bottom. On top of the spinach, place 1 fish fillet so that it runs vertically top to bottom. Lightly sprinkle the fish with salt. With the back of a small spoon, spread one-quarter of the butter mixture on top of the fish. Lay 2 slices of lemon on top of the butter mixture and sprinkle the vegetables you are using around the fish.
  • Fold the Parchment Packets: Lift the right and left sides of the paper up and towards the center, directly above the fish. Touch the two sides together and tightly roll them, folding as you go, until you reach the fish. Now, roll and crimp the top and bottom ends, rolling them towards the counter, away from the center of the fish. When you reach the end, tuck the end underneath the fish. Place the packet on a rimmed baking sheet, using the weight of the fish to hold the ends in place (you don't want the packet to come unsealed as it bakes). Repeat with remaining three packets. Reserve any remaining lemon slices for serving.
  • Place in the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the fish is fully cooked through and flakes easily with a fork. Serve warm with reserved lemon slices and additional fresh parsley as desired. Do not overbake. A thinner fillet will take less time. Plan accordingly.

Notes

wine suggestions:
A nice French Rose, Sauvignon Blanc, a Spanish Albarino, or Austrian Gruner Veltiner. 
For a red wine: Beaujolais and Pinot Noir are good bets
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Cajun Jambalaya

Cajun Jambalaya

An easy meal to prepare in one pot.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
1 hour 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Cajun
Servings 6

Equipment

  • Large pot
  • Measuring spoons, dry measuring cups, and liquid measuring cups to measure ingredients like spices, rice, and chicken broth. For cooking, all you really need is a big pot or dutch oven (with a lid!) and a wooden or metal slotted spoon for stirring. When it comes to serving, all you need are some bowls or plates!

Ingredients
  

  • 24 1/2 LB Shrimp, deveined. Chopped rough I'm using a whole pound in my recipe
  • 1/2 LB Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 TBSP Emeril's Original Essence I don't have this so i looked up the ingredients and made my own. The recipe is below in the footnote/comment section.
  • 1/4 Cup Olive oil
  • 1/2 Cup Chopped green onions
  • 1/2 Cup Chopped green bell peppers
  • 1/2 Cup Celery, chopped
  • 1/2 TSP Salt
  • 1/4 TSP Fresh ground black pepper
  • 2 TBSP Chopped garlic
  • 1/2 Cup Tomato diced
  • 3 Bay leaves
  • 2 TSP Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 TSP Hot sauce
  • 1 1/2 Cups Long grain rice
  • 3 1/2 Cups Chicken stock-low sodium or no salt
  • 1/2 LB Andouille sausage, sliced
  • 2 TBSP Chopped green onion for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Combine the shrimp, chicken and Essence in a bowl and toss to coat evenly. Set aside.
  • Heat the oil over in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions, peppers and celery, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes, until softened. 
  • Add the garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire and hot sauces. Stir in the rice and slowly add the broth. Bring the rice to a simmer, cover and reduce heat to low and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. 
  • Stir in the shrimp and chicken mixture, and the sausage. Cover and cook for 10 minutes longer.
  • Turn off the heat and allow the jambalaya to continue to steam 10 minutes longer before serving. Stir in the green onion.

Notes

What’s in Emeril’s seasoning?

8 ingredients

1 tbsp Garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp Onion powder
1 1/2 tsp Oregano, dried
1 1/2 tsp Thyme, dried
1 tsp Black pepper, freshly ground
1 tsp Cayenne pepper
1 tbsp Paprika
1 tbsp Sea salt
 
 
How spicy is this recipe?
Not very. If you’re a spice lover, consider tweaking the spices, or adding some new ones. Adding a teaspoon or so of cayenne pepper should do the trick, or you could add a fresh hot pepper.
Can I use breasts instead of thighs?
Yes you can. White meat takes less time to cook. So be careful you don’t overcook it. 
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Shannon FreiseLeave a comment

Cherries and Port Wine Sauce

Cherries and Port Wine Sauce for Duck

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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Course Main Course
Servings 2

Ingredients
  

  • 2 TBSP Duck Fat
  • 1/4 Cup Shallots, diced. About 1 large.
  • 1 TBSP Unsalted Butter, Cold
  • 1/2 Cup Chicken Stock, low sodium or no salt
  • 2 TBSP Tawny Port
  • 1 TBSP Honey, Orange Blossom if possible.
  • 8-10 Whole Cherries, sweet, frozen, thawed or fresh.

Instructions
 

  • Using the pan you cooked your duck in, leave 2 TBSP of duck fat, add the shallots and stir over medium heat for 30 seconds.
  • Add broth, cherries, Port, and honey. Increase heat to high and boil until sauce is reduced to glaze, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Whisk in 1 tablespoon cold butter. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Thinly slice duck. Fan slices out on plates. Spoon sauce over and serve.

Notes

Wines that go well with this are medium bodied reds. A Spanish Rioja for example. 
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