Moroccan Chicken

Moroccan Chicken was another preparation from Black Hogg. Cathy turned it into a true Moroccan style dish by adding Roasted Carrots and Cons-Cous. It was a very tasty and good dish!

Moroccan Chicken - Jidori Free-Range All-Natural Chicken

Black Hogg

Black Hogg

 

This Chicken Is Bomb

 

Air Fryer / Convection oven: 400°

Standard Oven: 425°

1. Spray air fryer tray with oil.  If cooking in oven, line baking sheet with foil and spray with oil

2. Place chicken skin-side-down onto baking sheet or air fryer tray and cook for 15 minutes.  Do not overcrowd tray.

3. Flip chicken skin-side-up and cook for another 8-10 minutes (or until the skin is nice and crisp).  You want an internal temp of 180-190 degrees.

*if chicken skin is not crisp enough, you can quickly sear the skin in a non-stick skillet after you take out of oven.

 

Grill:

1. Oil grill grates and get grill hot.

2. Place chicken skin-side down onto grill.  Flip chicken every 1-2 minutes.  Move to cooler parts of grill to avoid flare-ups.

3. Cook for around 10-12 minutes total, until chicken feels firm to touch.

4. You want crispy skin and the edges to have some char.  Internal temp should be around 180-190 degrees.

 

Shrimp with Grits

This is a dish that hits all of the perfect notes for me. I LOVE Shrimp with Hot Fennel Sausage and Polenta. It has a fabulous taste and texture. I can't get enough! You can find the recipe for the great dish on our blog of October 7, 2019. Click the date to get the recipe. We started with a Date Salad with Arugula and Almonds.

Kalua Pork and Salmon and Caviar Appetizers

Once again we purchased Pork from Black Hogg. This time hit was Kalua Pork. I assume but don't know it has an Hawaiian  Style Marinade. At least it sounds Hawaiian to me. We liked it.

Walter the chef / owner of Republique (our favorite restaurant) had gifted Cathy for her birthday a container of Caviar. We had some left over Salmon so I made a Salmon Spread topped with Caviar. Quite the appetizer. Loved it! You can get the recipe for the Salmon Spread on our blog of: January 5, 2007. Click the date to get the recipe.

Kalua Pork - Sunterra Farms Heritage Pork

Black Hogg

 

Preheat

convection oven: 275°

standard oven: 300°

 

1. wrap each piece of pork separately in foil (smaller pieces can be wrapped together).

2. place wrapped pieces into a dutch oven or a pot with a tight-fitting lid (make sure the thick part of foil is on the bottom, this will protect the meat).

3. pour 2 cups of water into pot and cover with lid.

4. place pot into oven and cook for 3 1/2 hours (after 2 hours check if the pot needs more water).

5. after 3 1/2 hours, remove from oven and take out pork pieces.  carefully unwrap with tongs.

6. if the meat is not fork tender, re-wrap and cook for another 30 min.

7. once meat is tender, place on cutting board and chop it into large chunks.  taste and add salt if desired.

8. enjoy over rice, drizzled with the sweet soy ginger sauce, add some pickled veggies and mac salad if you like!  

 

Stir-Fried Beans with Pork and Chiles

If you read this blog you have seen this dish many times! Stir-Fried Beans with Pork and Chiles is a favorite of ours. The recipe can be a spicy as you wish. It is a very good dish. You can read about it on our blog of: November 9, 2018. Click the date to get the recipe.

Chicken with Mustard Vinaigrette

We made a Mustard Vinaigrette to go with the Salad and Potatoes and our leftover Chicken. The Vinaigrette was a perfect foil for the dish. I really liked it! This is a good salad dressing recipe!

Mustard Vinaigrette

New York Times

 

A generous spoonful of Dijon mustard makes this vinaigrette creamy and tart. Use the dressing with sturdy salad greens like romaine or with softer lettuces like Bibb lettuce or oak leaf. The dressing is too strong to work with baby salad greens or mesclun. It’s also great with cooked vegetables like beets or broccoli and with grain salads.

 

Ingredients

 

1       rounded tablespoon Dijon mustard

1-½  tablespoons red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar

1       tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Salt

freshly ground pepper

½      cup extra virgin olive oil, or use half olive oil and half canola or grapeseed oil

1       small garlic clove

 

PREPARATION

In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Whisk in the oil.

2.    Peel the garlic clove and lightly crush, or cut down to the root end with a paring knife, keeping the garlic clove intact. Place in the dressing and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes. Remove from the dressing before serving.

Tip

Advance preparation: This dressing will keep well in the refrigerator for a few days. Remove the garlic clove before storing.

 

 

Chicken and Cauliflower with ‘Nduja

Chicken and Cauliflower with ‘Nduja was a new dish for us. 'Nduja appears to be the seasoning of the year! It has a kick and we like it!. I also love Cauliflower, so this was a perfect dish to try. I liked it and would like to make it again. 

Chicken and Cauliflower with ‘Nduja

From the oven to the Table

 

The work here is done in about eight minutes flat and the end result is totally Mooreish. I cook this a lot. You need to toss the elements around a few times during the cooking--to make sure the cauliflower colors all over--but that's it. Add red onion wedges, too, if you want. 'Nduja is a spicy, spreadable Calabrian sausage; get it online or from good Italian delis.

 

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

 

Put all the ingredients in a roasting pan or a broad, shallow casserole about 12in across, season, and toss around with your hands. The chicken should end up skin-side up. Make sure the nuggets of 'nduja aren't lying on top, or they'll burn.

 

Roast for 40-45 minutes, turning everything over about 3 times during the cooking. The 'nduja partly melts and you need to ensure it gets well mixed in.

 

Towards the end of the cooking time, it's good to spoon the bits of 'nduja over the chicken, as it gives it a lovely color. The potatoes should be tender when pierced with a sharp knife and the chicken cooked through. Serve with a green salad or bitter greens.

Salmon and Green Goddess Dressing

We have been on quite a Salmon kick. I was at Friends & Family and they were selling Green Goddess home made dressing (or should I say store made?) No matter it was great. We served it on a salad with Potatoes and Little Gem Lettuce. 

Salmon

 

We once again made Salmon Roasted in Butter. You can find the recipe for this super-rich preparation on our blog of September 27, 2021. Click the date to get the recipe. This is a wonderful recipe. We started with a Tomato Salad with Burrata and Pesto.

Pork Fried Rice

This is the Tomahawk Pork Chop at chiSPACCA

When you see a blog for Pork Fried Rice, you can be fairly sure we recently ate dinner at chi SPACCA! The restaurant is one of our favorites and they have outdoor seating. They have a magnificent Tomahawk Pork Chop that is too big to eat. We always take some home and that becomes the basis for our Pork Fried Rice. You can get the recipe on our blog of April 4, 2013. Click the date to get the recipe.

We started with a Melon Salad with Spec.

Salmon Roasted in Butter

Just look at the pictures. Pure food porn. Salmon Roasted in Butter is extremely rich and good. Once the sauce is mixed into the rice at serving it makes for a fabulous dinner! It is easy to prepare and wonderful!

Salmon Roasted in Butter

New York Times

 

This simple fish dish is best made with wild salmon, but it works equally well with the farmed sort. It's astonishingly easy. In a hot oven, melt butter in a skillet until it sizzles, add the salmon, flip, remove the skin, then allow to roast a few minutes more. You'll have an elegant fish dinner in about 15 minutes. Don't be afraid to play with herb and fat combinations: parsley, chervil or dill work well with butter; thyme, basil or marjoram with olive oil; or peanut oil with cilantro or mint.

 

Ingredients

 

4       tablespoons ( 1/2 stick) butter

4       tablespoons minced chervil, parsley or dill

1       salmon fillet, 1 1/2 to 2 pounds

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Lemon wedges.

 

1.     Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Place the butter and half the herb in a roasting pan just large enough to fit the salmon and place it in the oven. Heat about 5 minutes, until the butter melts and the herb begins to sizzle.

2.     Add the salmon to the pan, skin side up. Roast 4 minutes. Remove from the oven, then peel the skin off. (If the skin does not lift right off, cook 2 minutes longer.) Sprinkle with salt and pepper and turn the fillet over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper again.

3.     Roast 3 to 5 minutes more, depending on the thickness of the fillet and the degree of doneness you prefer. Cut into serving portions, spoon a little of the butter over each and garnish with the remaining herb. Serve with lemon wedges.

Pork Chops with Asparagus

When we cooked the last two Grilled Lemongrass Pork Chops we made Yuzu Misoyaki Roasted Asparagus as the vegetable side. It is good. I like Japanese flavors! We have used several of the Omsom flavorings. They are available along with recipes on their web site.

Yuzu Misoyaki Roasted Asparagus Recipe

Omsom

 

Ingredients

 

Omsom Japanese Yuzu Misoyaki Starter

¾ lbs. asparagus

 

Instructions

 

1.  Preheat the oven to 425°F and line your baking sheet.

2. Trim off and discard the thick, woody ends of the asparagus.

3. Pour the Omsom starter over the asparagus, using a pair of tongs to gently toss the asparagus so it’s coated on all sides.

4. Place in the oven and roast the asparagus for 14-16 minutes, or until crisp-tender, gently turning them once about 7 minutes into cooking time. 

5. You’re done, enjoy!

 

Grilled Lemongrass Pork Chops

We made Grilled Lemongrass Pork Chops from a recipe in The New York Times. It didn't ring my bell. I'm not sure why it didn't work out. We like all the ingredients that went into it. Oh Well. With the Pork Chops we served Sautéed Baby Bok Choy which I did like. You can find the recipe for the Bok Choy on our blog of: October 4, 2017. Click the date to get the recipe. 

Grilled Lemongrass Pork Chops

Vietnamese Food Any Day

 

SERVES 4

TAKES 45 MINUTES

 

MARINADE

3       garlic cloves, roughly chopped

2       tablespoons coarsely chopped shallot

3       tablespoons roughly chopped yellow onion

¼      cup coarselv chopped fresh lemonarass from

2       medium stalks)

2       tablespoons light or dark brown sugar

Rounded ¾ teaspoon recently ground black pepper

1       tablespoons canola or other neutral oil

1½    tablespoons fish sauce

1¼    teaspoons soy sauce

½      teaspoon molasses, dark amber honey, or Caramel Sauce

4       thin-cut bone-In pork chops (about 6 ounces each), about ½ inch thick

½      cup Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce

 

Vietnamese cooks love thin pork chops because the chops pick up seasonings quickly, cook fast, and taste great- perfect for a  weeknight meal. Sold at many supermarkets, the skinny chops  have either a curved rib bone or T-shaped bone. An edge of fat  and marbling signal good flavor. You can marinate the pork  many ways, but lemongrass is a signature Viet flavor.

 

Serve these chops with rice and grilled vegetables; season the veggies with leftover marinade, salt, pepper, and oil and then add  to the grill. Add a side of pickle (see page 29) for tangy crunch.

 

To make the marinade without a food processor, mince the garlic  and shallot, transfer to a large bowl, and mix with 3 tablespoons  grated or minced lemongrass (or lemongrass paste) and the  remaining ingredients.  - thin-cut bone-in pork  chops (about 6 ounces  each), about ½ inch thick 2 cup Nuoc Cham Dipping  Sauce (page 30; optional) To make the marinade In a small food processor, combine the garlic, shallot, lemongrass, brown sugar, and pepper and whirl to a fine texture. Add the canola oil, fish sauce, soy sauce, and molasses and process until relatively smooth, like a wet paste. Transfer to a medium bowl

 

Use paper towel to blot excess moisture from the pork. Add the  pork to the marinade, turning to coat well, then cover and set aside to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes. Or, refrigerate for up to 24 hours; let the meat sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling.

 

Warm a cast-iron stove-top grill pan over medium-high heat, prepare a medium-hot charcoal fire, or preheat a gas grill to medium-high (you can hold your hand 6 inches above the grill for 3 to 4 seconds). Grill the pork chops for 5 to 7 minutes, turning frequently, until firm and cooked through. Pierce with the sharp point of a knife to test (it's okay if the center is faintly pink). Transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

 

Serve the chops warm, passing the dipping sauce at the table, if desired.

Garlic Picanha Steak

Like all the Meats, Fish or Poultry we buy from Black Hogg, Garlic Picanha Steak was great. Once you order (by Tuesday of the week) you can pick up on either Thursday or Friday. The product you purchase (you get a choice of two) is Marinated or comes with a Sauce. Sometimes it is both Marinated and a Sauce is supplied. You just need to cook it per their directions and serve it with whatever you want. We are never disappointed.

Garlic Picanha Steaks - Prime Grade Angus Culottes

Black Hogg 

 

please note, steaks are already seasoned.  after cooking, taste the meat and sprinkle more salt if desired.  ALSO, EAT THE FATTY PIECES!  THAT'S WHERE THE FLAVOR IS.

 

THE REVERSE SEAR - this requires oven cooking and then transferring steaks to grill, broiler, or skillet (cast iron works best).

1. Preheat oven to 250° (for convection), or 275° (for standard oven).

2. Line Picanha steaks on foil-lined cooking sheet and place in oven for 15-20 minutes (larger pieces require longer time)

3. Flip steaks and cook in oven for 15-20 minutes more.

4. Transfer steaks to hot grill, broiler, or hot skillet (add some veg oil to skillet).

5. You want to get a quick sear on all sides of the steak. Make sure to brown the fatty side well. Cook longer for more done-ness.

7. Let steaks rest for 5 minutes (this is to retain the juices).

8. With sharp knife, slice the steaks, taste a piece and add more salt if desired.  Enjoy!

 

Idea From Tsubaki

We had dinner at Tsubaki, a favorite neighborhood Japanese restaurant. They very nicely comped us with an unusual presentation of a perfect Marinated Chilled Tomato. The Tomato was boiled, then skinned and chilled. It was served with a Marinade. We asked for the recipe and the owner, Courtney gave us the ingredients not specifying the proportions (she didn't know them). That worked however, because we could balance the ingredients to our taste. The key of course is to get the best Tomatoes possible. I loved the dish.

We had left over Pork Loin from the Tsubaki dinner, so we served that as a Salad.

We reheated the Pomegranate Sriracha Shrimp as our main course. It was a delicious dinner!

Peeled Marinated Tomato

Rice wine vinegar 

Mirin 

Sake

Soy sauce

Yuzu Misoyaki Roasted Asparagus Recipe

Omsom

 

Ingredients

 

Omsom Japanese Yuzu Misoyaki Starter

¾ lbs. asparagus

 

Instructions

 

1.   Preheat the oven to 425°F and line your baking sheet.

2.   Trim off and discard the thick, woody ends of the asparagus.

3.   Pour the Omsom starter over the asparagus, using a pair of tongs to gently toss the asparagus so it’s coated on all sides.

4.   Place in the oven and roast the asparagus for 14-16 minutes, or until crisp-tender, gently turning them once about 7 minutes into cooking time. 

5.   You’re done, enjoy!

Pomegranate Sriracha Shrimp

We like Shrimp. It is used in so many different cultures, and served in many different forms. This preparation for Pomegranate Sriracha Shrimp has a spicy kick. It is delicious served with Rice to absorb the tangy sauce. You can find the recipe on our blog of: April 28, 2019. Click the date to get the recipe.

Beef Stroganoff

 

When we make Prime Rib, we often have leftovers. One of the best things you can do with leftover Prime Rib is to make Beef Stroganoff! You can find the recipe we use on our blog of: September 3, 2013. Click the date to get the recipe. It is yummy!

We started with a Melon Salad with Prosciutto. 

Prime Rib

We wanted Prime Rib (read that as Cliff wanted Prime Rib). We purchased a beautiful rib from Flannery Beef. They ship the best cuts, and we fondly remember their father from when we lived in San Francisco. You can get the recipe for the Classic Prime Rib for a Small Crowd on our blog of: March 7, 2021. Click the date to get the recipe.

We served The Prime Rib with Creamy White Beans with Herb Oil. Mark Peel at Campanile used to serve his Prime Rib over beans, so we followed his lead.

We started with my favorite - Green and Red Tomato Salad with Russian Dressing from New Classic Family Dinners by Mark Peel.  The Russian Dressing is exceptional. We did cheat however and use Sir Kensington's, Mayonnaise rather than make our own. We used to use Best Food Mayonnaise, but like Sir Kensington's better. We crush garlic into it. This is a fabulous salad when tomatoes are at their peak.You can get the recipe for the Tomato Salad with Russian Dressing on our blog of: July 4, 2010. Click the date to get the recipe. 

Creamy White Beans with Herb Oil

New York Times

 

Canned beans are transformed into a hearty, elegant main swirled with an herb oil that comes together in no time with the aid of a food processor. This particular oil includes chives, cilantro and basil, but feel free to use what you have on hand. Parsley and mint would also work well. Serve with a chilled glass of red wine, a big green salad and a loaf of crusty bread.

Ingredients For The Herb Oil:

½      cup roughly chopped chives

½      cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems

½      cup tightly packed basil leaves

½      cup olive oil

Squeeze of lemon

Kosher salt, to taste

For the Beans:

2       tablespoons olive oil

2       garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2       (15-ounce) cans white beans, like butter beans or cannellini, rinsed and drained

Kosher salt and black pepper

½      cup chicken stock, vegetable stock or water

Flaky salt, for serving (optional)

Preparation

 

1.M  Make the oil: In a food processor, combine chives, cilantro and basil, and pulse until finely chopped. Add olive oil, and pulse again until mixture is silky and emulsified. Transfer to a small bowl, stir in lemon juice and salt to taste. Set aside.

2.     Prepare the beans: In a 10-inch skillet, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook until translucent, about 1 minute. Add beans to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors have melded, about 2 to 3 minutes. With the back of a spoon or spatula, smash about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the beans and stir until they are incorporated into the rest of the bean mixture. A good portion of the remaining beans should maintain their structure.

3.     Add stock or water and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until sauce becomes creamy and is reduced by about about half, about 1 to 2 minutes more. Smash additional beans and add a few more tablespoons of water, if needed, to reach desired consistency and stir again to combined.

4.    Transfer beans to a bowl and swirl with herb oil on top. Season with flaky salt, if desired.

 

Left Over Cod

 

I usually don't like leftover fish. However, I turned the leftover Cod into a Bruschetta with Cherry Tomatoes on top of Toast. It was a great lunch.

Roast Cod with Black Bean Sauce

 

We like Roast Cod with Black Bean Sauce a lot. It is a great way to prepare a bland fish. This is another dish we highly recommend. You can find the recipe on our blog of December 21, 2020. Click the date to get the recipe.

We started with Cheese, Crackers and Fresh Finger Grapes (which were new to us).