Moussaka

My mom's side of the family is from Greece - Cyprus and crete specifically and i love the flavors -
garlic, oregano, mint, cinnamon and others and Moussaka embodies many of those -
the Greek Cookbook that i adapted this from is one that my mom had more markers and notes than any other cookbook she owned - The complete Greek cookbook, but she added her own spin on some of these...as do i. I just made it and so this recipe is "tweaked".

Moussaka

·       2 medium eggplants, cut into 1/2" cubes

·       1/2 cup butter, melted

·       1 lb ground meat (traditionally lamb, but beef or pork my be used)

·       2 onions, diced

·       2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced fine

·       1 tablespoon Oregano, dry

·       1 teaspoon black pepper

·       1/2 teaspoon allspice, ground

·       1/2 cut parsley, chopped

·       1/2 cup tomato sauce

·       1/2 cup red wine

·       1 cup grated cheese, Kefalotyri or Parmesan

White sauce - traditional (3000 years old) way

·       1/2 cup water

·       2 cups milk

·       2 tablespoons corn starch dissolved in cold water

·       1 tablespoon butter

·       1 & 1/2 teaspoon salt

·       1 egg, whipped

·       1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

         

          bring milk, butter and salt to a boil over medium heat

          thicken with corn starch and remove from heat

          slowly mix 3 tablespoons warm milk to the egg and blend it

          add egg and cinnamon to milk and mix well

wash and salt eggplant and leave for 10 min.

rinse and blot dry

brush with oil and butter mix and baked @ 350 F for 30 min

cook onion, garlic, meat, wine, tomato sauce and spices mixing in order

reduce to near dryness or strain

layer eggplant, meat, eggplant, add white sauce

top with cheese, parsley and cinnamon

bake @ 325 for 45 min.

Brisket done a bit differently

i have been using an electric smoker for some time to make a 24 hour brisket that was out of this world, but i can not find the controller and i had to improvise.

The oven does not allow for "wet" or steamed meat, you must braise and so i arranged a liquid to cook the brisket end, but it would not have any smoke and that was not acceptable.
A new method, that was called by my friends - "the best i had ever done, was born.

The following is that method:

Brisket, Best Method

Oven and Smoke

·       1 whole brisket

·       1/2 quart 100% black cherry juice

·       1 tablespoon salt

·       1 pint red wine (merlot)

·       1/2 tablespoon paprika

·       1/4 teaspoon dry chipolte peppers

·       1 tablespoon raw sugar

·       1 spring fresh Rosemary

·       1 tablespoon minced ginger

·       Brisket Rub 2

cut large cross hatches in the fat portion of the brisket

place in a cooking large pan

Dissolve all the ingredients except the brisket rub 2 and cover the brisket

allow to soak for 24 hours

cover with foil and cook at 220 F for 10 hours

remove all liquid, decant the fat and reduce the remainder for sauce

pat the brisket with the brisket rub 2

using a cherry-hickory-maple mixture of wood, smoke at ~ 220 F for 3 to 4 hours, uncovered

remove and serve thinly sliced with the dipping sauce

the lab is open - questions about chicken livers

Ever wonder why we were told that liver needed to be soaked in milk before cooking AND the milk had to be discarded after, wasting good milk?
I did and tried to look it up and had some answers that were not satisfactory...
so lets look at what liver is an organ where all the 'toxins" (and there are many natural toxins so do not think that "organic keeps you safe, it doesn't)
It is high in iron because blood filters through it and blood should have iron in it.
Iron as a metal is good for you, BUT it is a BITTER flavor...
so how to reduce it?
In normal physiology calcium does replace and protect the body from harmful heavy metals, like lead. but that is not what is going to happen here in a dead animal.
Vinegar will reduce all metals and so reduce the bitter taste, but how long to soak it and what is the "after flavor"?

Have i gotten too technical yet?

So i started with a 15 minute soak, but found that it was too long because it continued to leech the iron out of the livers for hours after washing multiple times AND made the livers mushy...
okay this would be great for a pate, but that was not what i was looking for.

5 minutes worked well and while the rinsing was still fairly intense (5 times, soaking each time)
and then patting dry, i could live with this.

There was still a slight vinegar taste to the liver (i used chicken livers) and in the end i added sour cream to remove that, thus a cold dish.

so the reason for a milk soak is to remove some of the iron and add a creaminess to the liver...that is the lesson here and with that i give you my recipe for grilled chicken livers!

Chicken Livers Grilled

  

·      1 lb chicken livers, cleaned and rinsed

·      1 cup sour cream

·      1/2 onion, sliced thick

·      apple cider vinegar to cover the livers

·      1/2 teaspoon salt plus extra to taste

·      1 teaspoon black pepper

·      1/2 jalapeno pepper

·      1 tablespoon garlic chives

·      olive oil to coat livers

Soak the chicken livers in vinegar for 5 minutes

soak in water and drain 5 times

drain for 1 hour, rinse and pat dry

and olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, black pepper and onions

mix well

grill in a grill pan until done ~ 15 minutes, stirring regularly

place in a bowl, stir in sour cream, chives and pepper

salt to taste

serve cold

making my own

chipolte peppers

slow smoked on the grill
then slowly dried and powdered - use a mask or you WILL cough

now ready for any time use!

Strawberry salad

a friend saw this on the internet and asked me to do something a bit different, for all the recipes he saw used strawberry jello (note ALL of them have artificial flavor)...
what?  No strawberries and only a fake flavor (and loads of sugar, this is a salad for goodness sake)!
I took the challenge and it took a few tries, but i managed it!

Strawberry Salad

a somewhat healthier alternative to what you find on the internet

crust

·       2 cups crushed pretzels

          (start with 4 cups of twisted pretzels)

·       3/4 cup butter, melted

·       3 tablespoons raw sugar

topping

·       1 quart fresh strawberries

·       1 teaspoon white sugar

·       1 cup celery, finely cut

·       2 packets of gelatin

·       1 cup boiling water

filling

·       4 ounces cream cheese (1/2 block) at room temperature

·       1 cup whipping cream, fresh

·       1 tablespoon white sugar

use a food processor to crush pretzels and blend butter and sugar

press into a 9 x 9 glass pan and bake for 15 minutes at 375 F

let cool

whip cream cheese, whipping cream and sugar till firm

(optional: add 1 teaspoon vanilla)

spread onto the cooled crust

wash and clean the strawberries, but do not dry them

add 1 teaspoon sugar and let sit refrigerated over night

slice 5 strawberries and place on top of the whipped cream filling

use a food processor to grind the remainder and strain

reserve the juice

dissolve the gelatin in boiling water

add juice, celery and 1 tablespoon processed strawberries

refrigerate for several hours until it begins to gel

pour very gently and let sit

top with fresh basil, slice chiffonade style

a special side

i particularly dislike commercial cole slaw preparations, especially the dressings in a bottle...they have a off taste that does not seem to leave me after the meal.  This is my "cleaner" preparation and it gets great reviews from my "foodie" friends

Cole Slaw

·       ~18 oz of a blend of cabbage and carrots, shredded or diced

§       1 part green cabbage

§       1 part red cabbage

§       1 part Napa cabbage

§       1 part Savoy cabbage

§       1 part carrots

·       1 jalapeno pepper, sliced with NO seeds

·       1 tablespoon raw sugar

·       2 teaspoons salt

·       2 teaspoons black pepper

·       1/4 cup 1% milk

·       2 tablespoon lemon

·       2 tablespoons rice vinegar

·       1 cup low fat yogurt

·       1/2 cup sour cream

whisk sugar, salt, pepper, milk, vinegar, yogurt and sour cream together

prepare the cabbages and carrot according to the use

- shredded for a topping for a sandwich and diced for a stand alone side

mix every thing and refrigerate for 1 hour

drain and serve or refrigerate for latter use

grilling Chicken burgers

Chicken burgers

1 lb ground chicken (makes 3 patties)

cheese (best is either Monterrey jack slices or a Caso Blanco, crumbled)

Outer seasoning ratio (teaspoons for 1 lb of meat)

§       1 salt

§       1/4 smoked salt

§       1 sugar (i use raw sugar)

§       1 commercial chili lime seasoning

§       1/ Cumin

§       1/8 chipolte pepper (dried and ground fine)

sauce

§       1 tablespoon cilantro, minced

§       1/2 teaspoon salt

§       1 teaspoon lime juice

§       1/4 jalapeno pepper (use more for more heat)

form patties and pat dry with a paper cloth (there is a lot of moisture)

coat each patty with the outer seasoning (you might call it a rub)

Set up the grill with heat on one side

I grill and smoke this using a mesquite wood 

The internal temperature of the patty should be ~ 160 F

remove patties to the cool side of the grill

add a teaspoon of the sauce to each patty and cover with cheese

close the grill to melt the cheese

the internal temperature of the patties must be 170 F

remove and serve alone or on a bun

(i would use a cilantro mayonnaise on the bun)