Projo Football Food & Spirits

October 7, 2007 - October 13, 2007 Archives

With Dallas next up for the Patriots, I was thrilled to see The Texas Cowboy Kitchen cookbook by Grady Spears appear on my desk. A quick peek through and I found a nice chowder (cowboy style) to serve for the game.

Just in case you have a crowd coming, here's a more conventional chowder from Gregg's. They shared this recipe for New England Clam Chowder with Journal readers five years ago.

By the way, you can find crème fraîche (for the cowboy chowder) in the gourmet cheese department at Eastside Marketplace in Providence and at other large grocery stores.

Pinto Bean Chowder

1 cup corn, cut fresh from the cob
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup diced bacon
2 carrots, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 yellow onions, diced
4 jalapeños, seeded and diced
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 cuts cooked pinto beans, drained
2 cups chicken stock
Kosher salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
6 tablespoons crème fraîche

In a sauté pan, cook corn over high heat 4 to 5 minutes until blackened, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

In same skillet, heat the oil and cook the bacon over high heat until it starts to brown. Add the carrots, celery, bell pepper, onions, jalapeños, and garlic, cooking until they begin to softened. Remove from heat.

In a food processor, purée half the beans with 1/2 cup of the chicken stock. Add processed bean mixture, remaining chicken stock, and remaining beans to the vegetables in the skillet, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt to taste.

Stir in the cilantro, remove from heat, and divide among bowls. Garnish with dollop of crème fraîche.

Serves 4 to 6.

GREGG'S NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER

2 ounces salt pork, diced 1/4 inch
One medium onion, diced
2 quarts clam juice
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced 1/2 inch
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
6 ounces butter
11/3 cup flour
11/2 pounds chopped fresh clams
2 cups heavy cream

Render salt pork in a large soup pot over medium heat. Remove salt pork from pot. Add butter and melt. Add onions and cook until tender but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add flour to make a roux and cook for 3-5 minutes on low heat, stirring frequently. Do not brown.

In a separate pot, cook potatoes in clam juice until half cooked.

Drain juice from potatoes and reserve. Add more juice if necessary to equal 2 quarts. Using a wire whip, slowly stir juice into roux mixture. Continue stirring until mixture is thickened and smooth. Add seasonings. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add clams and potatoes and simmer an additional 10 minutes. Add heavy cream. Bring back to a simmer.

Serve with oyster crackers.

Makes 1 gallon and serves 8.

Use only the white and pale green portions of leeks.

Molly Katzen writes,

Leek rings dry out and crisp beautifully in the oven -- reminiscent, in a loose way, of those French-fried onion rings Grandma used for decorating green bean-mushroom soup casseroles. Only better.

These are addictive as a snack, a nibble with cocktails or as a topping to other dishes, such as omelets, pilafs or, yes, green bean casserole. You might need to make them often. Store them in a covered container at room temperature, where they will keep for at least a week.

Dead simple:

Leek ''chips'

Makes about 2 cups.

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium-size leeks (11/2 -in. diameter)
Cold water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a large baking tray with foil and coat with the oil.

Remove and discard the dark green leaves from the leeks. Slice off about1/4inch from the root end as well. (You'll want the white and pale green portions only.) Use a very sharp knife to cut the leek into 1/4-inch slices, then transfer them to a large bowl of cold water. Use your fingers and thumb to separate the slices into rings, then swish the pieces around vigorously to remove any sand or grit that might be hiding between the layers. With your hands or a large slotted spoon, lift the leek rings out of the water and transfer them to a colander in the sink. Drain thoroughly, then pat dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels.

Distribute the leek rings onto the prepared baking tray, and toss to coat with the oil. Bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crisp. (Note that some rings may be ready to remove at 30 minutes, others may take up to 60 minutes or longer -- just remove them as they are done.)

Transfer the finished "chips" to a plate, season to taste with a little salt and pepper, and serve at room temperature. These taste best within a few hours of being made.

Nutrition information per serving of ½ cup:

Calories 57 Fat 4 g Sodium 9 mg
Carbohydrates 6 g Saturated fat 0 g Calcium 26 mg
Protein 1 g Cholesterol 0 mg Dietary fiber 1 g

When the Patriots play the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday the game is set for 4 p.m. This is the best time for the game in my book. I don't know about everyone else's house, but I just can't get to the TV for a 1 p.m. game. We are always knee deep in the unexpected about that time every Sunday. It seems like one child or another will need something from Staples, or the bookstore to finish some homework or project and it will usually be about 12:55 when that announcement is made. So with a 4:15 p.m. start, I have a chance to make something fun and serve it for the game.

The Spicy Pork Chili recipe is actually very soup like and is loaded with beans and pork and has pleny of bite. It comes from Taste of Home's Bonus Book that came with the October/November issue. Taste of Home takes recipes from home cooks so they are usually not very complicated. This one just requires simmering for several hours which means if you start it at noon, you have no work beyond serving at game time.

Spicy Pork Chili
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin, cubed
2 large onions, diced
4 celery ribs, diced
2 tablespoons butter
6 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
4 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) chicken broth
2 cups water
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon each white pepper, cayenne pepper, ground cumin and pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, optional
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey jack cheese

In a Dutch oven, cook the pork, onions, and celery in butter until meat is browned. Stir in the beans, broth, water, jalapeños, spices, garlic, salt, parsley, and hot pepper sauce if desired. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
Uncover; simmer 30 to 40 minutes longer or until chili reaches desired consistency. Sprinkle with cheese.
Serves 15.

The folks at The Popcorn Board, a trade organization with a site for the public at www.popcorn.org have sent along some fun snack ideas for this month as they've designated it National Popcorn Poppin' Month. The crispy apple popcorn and cranberry popcorn balls sound great but maple pumpkin sounds even more sinful, yet fun.

Crispy Crunchy Apple Popcorn
6 cups popped popcorn
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups dried apple chips (see following recipe)
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with foil; butter foil. Spread popcorn in pan and drizzle with melted butter; toss popcorn.
Sprinkle popcorn with sugar and cinnamon and toss again. Heat in oven 7 minutes. Sprinkle apple chips over popcorn and heat an additional 3 minutes. Serve warm or cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container.
Yields 7 cups.

Oven Dried Apple Chips
Heat oven to 200 degrees. Cut off the bottoms of the apples and core. Thinly slice the apples (no more than an eighth of an inch thick) or use a mandoline for greater uniformity.
Line baking sheet with a foil and place apple slices in a single layer. Do not overlap. Sprinkle with cinnamon, nutmeg, or confectioners sugar if desired.
Bake for 1 to 2 hours. Cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.

Cranberry Popcorn Balls
2 cups sugar
1 10-ounce package (1 cup) frozen cranberry-orange relish (see recipe)
1/2 cup cranberry juice
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 quarts popped popcorn
Combine all ingredients, except popcorn, in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil; lower heat and cook to 250 degrees on a candy thermometer (hard-ball stage). Mixture will bubble up in pan, so watch to keep from boiling over. Pour slowly onto hot popcorn and mix until well-coated. Cool to allow handling (5 minutes). Butter hands well and form into 3-inch balls.
Yields 18 balls.

Cranberry Orange Relish
12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries
1 orange quartered
3/4 to 1 cup sugar
Put cranberries and orange (quartered and seeds removed) through food processor. Stir in sugar to desired sweetness. Mix well. Refrigerate over night or several hours before serving. May be frozen.
Yields 2 1/2 cups.Rrcipe also found on most fresh Cranberry bags.

Maple Pumpkin Spice Popcorn
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin spice mix
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional
5 cups popped popcorn
In a large saucepan or pot, heat brown sugar, maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice mix over medium heat. Cook, stirring, 3 minutes or until sugar is dissolved and mixture is bubbling. Stir in butter until melted and well blended. Add pecans, if desired, and popcorn and stir until well coated.
Allow mixture to cool before serving. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container.
Yields 5 cups.

Next up, a trip to Dallas to play the Cowboys Sunday. From Anne Greer McCann in the Dallas Morning News,

Dallas Morning News photo

Taco Salad

1 rotisserie chicken
Chicken broth
2 to 3 tablespoons taco seasoning mix (from a package)
3 to 4 tablespoons mild salsa
4 salad shells
Milk to thin
1 cup refried beans
Salt and pepper to taste
2 packages shredded lettuce (about 8 cups)
1 large avocado, sliced (or use 1 cup guacamole)
6 to 8 ounces grated Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
1 ½ cups cherry or pear tomatoes, cut in half or quartered

Remove chicken from the package and pour all juices into a large bowl. Add enough chicken broth to make about 1/3 cup total. Shred the breast and thigh meat, including small pieces that fall off the bone. You should have about 4 to 5 cups meat. Sprinkle the meat with the taco-seasoning mix and toss with reserved juices and salsa. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Add a little milk to the refried beans to make them soft, then season with salt and pepper.

Spread the beans in the bottom of each salad shell.

When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 350 F. Heat the shells for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the beans are warm. Heat the chicken in the microwave for about 2 minutes or until warm. Place shredded lettuce in each bowl and then arrange chicken, sliced avocado, grated cheese and tomatoes on top.

Serve with your favorite dressing, if desired. Makes 4 servings.

Notes: I have used a rotisserie chicken because the meat is very tender. Be sure to buy chickens in the plastic carry-out package; they will yield more natural juices than bagged chickens.

You could use beef or chicken fajita strips found in the refrigerated section of your grocery or specialty store. Or, if you prefer ground beef, make the taco meat a day in advance or just buy it from your favorite Mexican restaurant.

Anne Greer McCann is the author of The Low-fat Low-carb Southwest Cookbook.

The Culinary Institute of America has taught some mighty fine chefs. But they are also willing to teach the rest of us the technique that will make us great cooks or bakers. A recent mailing from the school reminded how nice refrigerator cookies are to make. If you are a tailgater, make a batch ahead of time and cook them the day before the big game.

Here are the CIA's tips and two recipes.

Making refrigerator cookies is simple, quick and gives you the flexibility to cook as many, or as few cookies as you need, when you need them.

The basic method starts with creaming softened, room temperature butter with the sugar until light. This process cuts sugar crystals into the fat, creating tiny air pockets which expand during baking. Leavening further inflates these tiny air pockets, giving baked goods their lift.

After mixing, shape the dough into a log on a large sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Roll the wrap around the dough, forming a long log. Wrap completely then freeze for one hour, then slice and bake. For longer freezer storage, wrap a piece of heavy duty foil around the wrapped log and freeze for up to two months.

Slice them while still frozen for even, thin slices and turn the log every few slices to avoid flattening the dough. Bake them according to recipe directions, adding a minute or so if still fully frozen.

Chocolate Chunk Cookies
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks

Makes sixteen cookies

Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars on medium speed with the paddle attachment, scraping down the bowl periodically, until the mixture is smooth and light in color, about five minutes.

Combine the eggs and vanilla. Add to the butter-sugar mixture and blend until fully incorporated, scraping down the bowl as needed. On low speed, mix in the sifted dry ingredients and the chocolate chunks until just incorporated.

Shape the dough into one sixteen-inch log on a piece of waxed or parchment paper, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate or freeze until firm enough to slice into sixteen pieces. (Dough can alternatively be scaled into two-tablespoon portions and baked immediately.)

Arrange the cookies on the parchment-lined baking sheets in even rows.

Bake at 375 degrees F until golden brown around the edges, about twelve to fourteen minutes. Cool completely on cookie sheets.

Sand Cookies
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon zest, grated
2 cups cake flour
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup coarse sugar

Makes forty-two cookies

Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the sugar, butter, vanilla extract, and lemon zest on medium speed until smooth and light, about three to five minutes.

Add the flour all at once and mix on low speed until combined.

Divide the dough in half and roll into six-inch long cylinders, about one and one-quarter-inch in diameter. At this point, the cookies may be tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen or refrigerated for later use, or they may be prepared for baking.

To bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush the cylinders of cookie dough with milk and roll them in coarse sugar.

Cut the logs into one-quarter-inch thick slices, sprinkle the tops with additional coarse sugar, and place them on parchment-lined baking sheets.

Bake for twelve minutes or until light golden brown.