Our Holiday in Maui

We were lucky enough to enjoy fourteen glorious days in Maui. We went for our 14th wedding anniversary- one day for every year we've been married. I took some pics of our meals and can't wait to get back to cooking in the Beecave Kitchen to whip up some Polynesian style dinners that remind me of paradise.

 The hubs ADORES the CoCoNut Porter from the Maui Brewing Company which was just a five minute drive from our condo at Honua Kai, so we went there tons to fill up his growlers and enjoy their terrific salads from a local farm and amazing sandwiches, pizzas and coconut porter chili. We have a recipe for our pulled pork sliders HERE made with CoCoNut Porter. Also had fun at the Hula Grill, Dukes and Roy's for our anniversary dinner. Hands down the best breakfast place is at the Pioneer Inn right on the harbor in Lahaina. Terrific service from our waitress Corey and the guava mimosas were the perfect start to the day alongside their eggs Benedict.  We probably ate breakfast here almost every other day since  price and service was better than that of Longhi's and Dukes. Yes, we went touristy and our condo came stocked with Bosch appliances, but I didn't cook too much in it this year.  Scroll to the bottom to see us then and now. We've had quite an adventure in our marriage for sure!!!

 Honolua Bay- gorgeous!!

Things got off to a good start in the first class cabin with fully reclining seats that made the eight hour flight much more tolerable.

Teryaki filet mignon with cilantro rice and brocollini

Pineapple at Pioneer Inn

Michael stumbled apon the Maui Brewing Company delivering beers on Front Street. He was stoked!!

One of the many visits to the Maui Brewing Company

Fried Mac n Cheese Balls at the MBC

Vegetarian Eggs Benedict at Pioneer Inn. Great people watching especially when the enormous fanny pack wearing tourists unload from the cruise ships to waddle about Lahaina.

Ahi Tuna eggs Benedict with wasabi hollandaise at Duke's- who knew ahi and eggs would be such a nice marriage of flavors?

Drinks at Hula Grill

Hula Grill Whaler's Village

Our beach spot in front of the condo.

Paradise

Seafood Trio at Roy's- Ono, Ahi and Swordfish. I took food shots with my iphone, so they aren't that great and I saw a fellow blogger bust out her enormous camera and she looked pretty silly. So discretion is best at times.

More fun at MBC- I swear I ordered salads!!

Chickn "Lollipops" at Tommy Bahama's in Wailea

Scallop Sliders

Maui Brewing Company Growler

Rainbow from the mountain side view of our Lanai.

Reception after our Big Fat Greek wedding on May 15, 1999 at Northwood Country Club. Dallas, Texas

14 years later and still having a ball!!

Chicken Braised with Peppers and Lemon

My mother used to braise a chicken with peppers, onions, lemons and capers and it' was so simple and satisfying. It's rather grey and rainy out, so I thought this would be the perfect dish for a damp spring evening.  Serve with crusty bread and a side salad.

INGREDIENTS
3 bone in skin on chicken breasts
1 whole chicken leg
1 medium yellow onion cut into strips
1 red bell pepper cut into strips
12 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1 lemon, sliced
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 splashes of sherry vinegar or champagne vinegar
2 dried bay leaves
4 sprigs thyme
1 sprig rosemary (tie the herbs into a bundle with kitchen string or make a sack with cheesecloth)
1 tsp capers
1 dash celery salt
2 tsp Hungarian paprika
salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION
Generously season chicken with sea salt and fresh pepper. In a large heavy oven proof pan, heat about 1 tablespoon of olive or grapeseed oil.  Place chicken skin side down and cook on medium high until skin is crispy- about 7 minutes (if it doesn't release from the pan it's not ready to flip).

Flip the chicken and brown the other side for about 5 minutes, remove the chicken and set it on a plate.

Lower the heat to medium low and add onions and pepper and cook until softened- about 5 minutes. Then add garlic and cook until fragrant- about 1 minute.

Add wine and reduce about 3 minutes. Add stock, herbs, capers and seasonings except paprika.

Return chicken skin side up to the pan and season with paprika (you could stir in a few dollops of sour cream to thicken the sauce and make it richer).  Scatter half the lemon slices across the pan- cover and cook at 220 in the oven for 1.5 hours.

Remove from the oven and discard the cooked lemons and herb bouquet and garnish with remaining fresh lemon slices and thyme sprigs.

Salisbury Steaks

 

One of my earliest memories as a child was going to a cafeteria named Picadilly's in Tulsa while visiting my grandparents.  They had the best green jello and fish sticks on their kid's Satellite plate! And then as a girl in Dallas my dad would take us to the Highland Park cafeteria where we'd dine in the Shakespeare room. I think part of the fun of growing up in Generation X is that we got to witness the fading of the glorious 50's era while pioneering the video &  tech era. We had our feet in both generations and those early memories probably explain my love for Southern comfort food. In college we'd go get a Luann plate at Luby's cafeteria if we craved "home style" cooking.

So I had just returned earlier this week from a super fun business trip to Vegas where I had some divine meals at Olives and Sage and when I returned, the hubs said he was craving old school cafeteria style Salisbury steak- but maybe kicked up a bit. I hadn't intended to even blog it as I do use a gravy packet- so it's not 100% from scratch; that's what quick weeknight meals after a trip are about though. It ended up so tasty I decided to snap a photo with my iPhone and will take more detailed pics next time we make it. The key is to use fresh ground brisket if you can. I've read in a few places that adding brisket to your burger mix is marvelous, so I decided to try it in this recipe and it tasted way richer and better than just plain sirloin. Substitute ground chuck if you can't get brisket.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 ground brisket

1/2 pound ground sirloin

1 egg, beaten

1 shallot minced

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning (always have this on hand for burgers too)

1 medium onion sliced lengthwise into strip

4-5 crimini mushrooms sliced

1Tbs olive oil and pat of butter

3 cups red wine (Notice I always find a reason to cook with booze!!)

1 brown gravy packet (I use Simply Organics)

1 bay leaf

Fresh pepper to taste

FOR SIDES:

2 large Yukon Gold Potatoes, simply mashed with salt and butter or Smart Balance.

1 cup frozen peas, microwaved with a dab of Smart Balance. (Place a moist towel over the peas in a cup and cook about one minute 15 seconds). Salt and pepper mashers and peas to taste.

PREPARATION (Serves 4)

Mix beef, egg, shallots, and seasonings (except bayleaf) and form into "steaks" place a thumb print in the middle to keep them from puffing up.

Heat a large, heavy pan with olive oil until hot and add steaks. Cook until brown- about 4 minutes each side. Set aside on a plate.

Lower heat to medium low and add onions and mushrooms plus dab of butter and sautee until softened- about 10 minutes. 

Deglaze the pan with the red wine, stir in gravy packet (be sure to whisk it first in a small bowl with some wine or water to dissolve it before adding to the pan).

Add steaks and bayleaf and cover with a lid and simmer on low about 30 minutes. Make the mashed potatoes while steaks are simmering and microwave the peas just before serving. Tastes even better the next day for leftovers.

Panko Crusted Oven "Fried" Pork Chop with Wasabi Smashers

My Daddy used to make the most sinfully delish fried porkchops. Such a treat- even though my delicate and slender mother wasn't really a fan, Daddy and I could tuck into a couple with no problem. Of course that's when I had a metabolism. Hubs decided he wanted some porkchops, so I thought, "Why not try to make Daddy's a wee bit healthier??" I decided to try "frying" them in the oven and they turned out sinfully delish without the guilt! I was super excited to find Ian's Panko crumbs are now available gluten free and I find the crumbs taste exactly like wheat crumbs. Score!

First I brined the pork chops for three hours- this really makes them stay nice and tender and flavorful.

BRINE:
4 thin cut bone in porkchops (I bought Berkshire breed- so tender!)
3 cups buttermilk
1 tbs sea salt
1 tbs garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp fresh cracked pepper
1 tsp sugar

                             Throw it all in a ziploc bag and place in the fridge for 3-4 hours.

Then, remove the chops from the fridge and let them sit for 30 minutes to warm them up a bit to avoid the crust over cooking and the meat under cooking.

Set up a dredging station- 1 bowl with two beaten eggs and a dash of buttermilk and another bowl with the panko crumbs.

Dip each pork chop first in eggs, then in panko and then place them on an oiled cooling rack set over a cookie sheet with foil. Spray the chops well with cooking spray.

Place them in an oven preheated to 415 degrees for about 30 minutes until golden brown and the pork is 165 degrees. We broiled them for about a minute to really crunch them up before letting them rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Done!

Meanwhile...  boil 2 peeled and chopped russet potatoes*** for about 25 minutes until fork tender. With a strainer, lift the potatoes from the water and put them in a bowl with 1/4 cup skim milk, 1 tbs wasabi (I like it really spicy- so adjust to taste), 1 tbs smart balance butter substitute, and salt to taste. Place the bowl over the pot you cooked the potatoes in to keep them warm and smash them by hand with a fork. These are rustic potatoes, and I know wasabi mashers are soooo 1995, but they are fab with the panko pork chops. I served them with green peas- I love peas. And my mother would only allow me to eat them "properly" and that was to balance them on the back of my fork ever so delicately. I always feel guilty if I just scoop them ;-) So balancing peas continues to this day.

*** My trainer suggested a healthier version than starchy potatoes- Steam 2 cups of cauliflower for 20 minutes and make them just like the mashed potatoes. Genius!! Thanks James :-)

Roasted Chicken with Rich Apricot Glaze

I love apricot jam (especially on a freshly baked croissant)! The hubs suggested we bake some chicken in an apricot glaze, and of course I had to find a way to throw some liquor into my dinner- and Whisky it was!! I personally can't stand whisky, but if you cook off the alcohol, it lends a nice bright sweetness to a sauce.

This dish is super easy to make and while I did brine the chicken for 4 hours in salt water, 2 bay leaves, 3 garlic cloves and the juice and peels of one orange- it would still be great without a brine. Be sure to rinse the brine and pat the chicken dry before browning.

Glazing Ingredients:

1 tbs butter

1 shallot, diced

1/4 cup Whisky

3 tbs chicken stock

1/2 cup apricot jam

2 tbs dijon mustard

1 tsp paprika

Sea salt to taste

In a pan, melt butter.

Add shallot and cook until softened on medium heat- about 4 minutes.

Add whiskey and cook off alcohol and reduce about 6 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients and simmer on very low heat while you prepare the chicken.

A chef once told me to get a good crispy skin, to pour a generous amount of grapeseed oil in a pan, generously salt and pepper the chook,  then add it to the pan skin side down, THEN turn on the heat to medium high to get it crunchy. Takes about 8-10 minutes. If the skin is still sticking to the pan, then it's not crisp and not ready to be flipped. Here I bought a whole organic chicken, cut it into parts and made a rich stock with the wings and back. Waste not want not!

Glazed and ready to pop in the oven

 

I then placed the skillet in a 375 degree oven, poured about 1/4 more chicken stock in the pan and roasted with some baby yellow potatoes for about 40 minutes until cooked through. Drizzle with pan sauce, serve with some steamed asparagus and enjoy a terrific spring time dinner!

Skillet Potatoes for the hubby. Toss in a little butter and coarse salt before serving. (I steamed them for 20 minutes to par cook them before baking in about 1 tsp olive oil- makes them fluffy inside and crispy outside).

Crisping the skin before glazing makes the skin firmer and not soggy.

Tuscan Ragu of Pork Shoulder

This being Texas, most people use a pork shoulder for BBQ or carnitas tacos, but we decided to put an Italian twist on your basic pork shoulder. We adapted this recipe from the Ragu Cinghiale Bruschetta served at Siena restaurant here in Austin. While the restaurant prepares it with wild boar (a common ingredient in Tuscany and Texas actually), my butcher talked me into purchasing an 8 pound pork shoulder last weekend. So we decided to make a Tuscan ragu with the behemoth hunk of meat and now have plenty of leftovers packed securely in the freezer. I think the outcome tastes remarkably similar to the dish at Siena and it was worth the trouble to make. Because there was a little bit of trouble, and I'm here to share with you how we made it all work out.

I bought a pressure cooker last year and absolutely love how it can make a dish that usually takes hours in the oven in about an hour or less. So we thought, "why not make our ragu in the pressure cooker??" Great idea, but after an hour and a half, we were left with a greasy mess. After 15 minutes of draining fat carefully with a shallow spoon, picking out the fat bits and manicuring the meat, we put it back into a dutch oven with the rest of the bottle of wine and 2 tbs balsamic vinegar, added another clove of chopped garlic and placed it in the oven for another hour. It turned out beautifully!! This tastes great over pasta (I enjoyed mine over some gluten free fusilli), grilled bread, polenta, on pizza or wrapped and baked in pastry for "Italian" emapanadas. It's so versatile!

INGREDIENTS
7-8 pound bone in Pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat
1 bottle of Tuscan Sangiovese (we actually used a blend of sangiovese, merlot and cab)
1 28 oz can of peeled whole San Marzano tomatoes
1 small jar of tomato paste
2 tbs aged balsamic vinegar
10 cloves of minced garlic
1 large carrot, cut into small dice
1 large white onion, diced
3 stalks of celery, diced
3 tbs dried oregano
3 tbs dried basil
2 tbs garlic powder
2 tbs onion powder
4 bay leaves
2 sprigs rosemary, chopped
1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped
1 tbs sea salt or more to taste

PREPARATION
In a large skillet with 1 tbs olive oil, we browned the roast on all sides until carmelized and golden brown, about 15 minutes total.

Meanwhile in my pressure cooker with the lid off, we made a "sofrito". This is the key to adding a depth of flavor to the base of the ragu and basically you just carmelize the onion, carrot and celery until soft in about a tablespoon of olive oil, about 15 minutes on medium heat.

 Herbed up and just about ready to pressure cook

We added the pork to the pot, the herbs (only half the parsley- save the rest to stir in just before serving),  garlic, half the wine bottle, tomatoes (not the paste) and the garlic. Covered it and cooked about 1.5 hours.

 This Monte Antico wine was fabulous! Only cook with what you'd drink!

This is where things got messy. Pork shoulder is pretty fatty, so when I opened the lid, I was greeted with an oily mess. In my mind I had pictured myself opening the lid to find the ragu perfectly tender, not greasy and ready to serve. Don't discount using the pressure cooker if you are crushed for time, but realize it will still need to be doctored after. I was so annoyed that I didn't have time to take a picture, though I wish I had. A few choice words later and after skimming and manicuring the meat, I put it in a Dutch Oven, added the paste, about 2 tbs of balsamic vinegar, the rest of the wine. In hind sight, I think it's better to just cook the whole thing low and slow in just wine, sofrito and herbs until softened (about 3 hours), manicure it and then add the tomato sauce, paste and balsamic plus more wine, maybe even a bit more fresh garlic to add another layer of brightness,  and simmer for about 6 hours in the oven at 200 degrees. NOTE: it tastes even better the next day so is a great pre-prep meal for a dinner party.

This recipe made about 8 cups total.

Here we served it on rustic bread cut 1 inche thick, drizzled with olive oil and grilled in a panini press.You need a thick slice to hold the juices and ragu.