I had a Tuna Sandwich recently at Stock and Stable in Phoenix AZ and it was Forking Delicious! I would never guess in a million years that Calabrian Chili Peppers and Muenster Cheese would taste so forking awesome in the basic tuna sandwich. I made a similar but different sandwich. I didn’t have muenster cheese so I substituted sharp American that has a similar creamiest and sharp taste. I made a few other changes too mostly due to what I had in my pantry and refrigerator.  I do want to let you know the above photo isn’t very good and is very yellow and that color wasn’t on my sandwich.

Ingredients for about 3 large sandwiches (I only used bread for two sandwiches and made another sandwich the next day)

6.4 oz drained wild caught light chunk tuna

1 tiny celery rib with leaves – chopped fine

1 Tablespoon sweet onion – chopped fine

2 Calabrian Chili peppers – chopped fine

1 teaspoon oil from jar of Calabrian peppers

squirt fresh lemon juice – from like a half small lemon

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 XL eggs cooked medium (like photo below) (bring eggs to boil, then shut off heat and leave in water up to 5 minutes and shock with ice) separate the yolks from whites and fine chop the whites. (you will be mashing the yolks into the dressing.

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke

1 anchovy – chopped fine

splash soy sauce

squirt of Asian mayo

1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 Tablespoons raisens

fresh crushed black pepper to taste.

4 slices of Noble Bread

maybe a teaspoon of sweet butter

4 Calabrian Chili Peppers – chopped fine

about 2 Tablespoons Asian Mayonnaise

2 romaine lettuce leaves

4 slices of sharp American Cheese (Fry’s is the only grocery store that I know of in Metro Phoenix that sells sharp American) The best xtra sharp cheese is Cooper Sharp. The second best xtra sharp is New Yorker. Here in Phoenix the only sharp American that I know of is Boarshead Brand ((Sprouts sells sharp but not xtra sharp)) or substitute muenster cheese)

In a small bowl you can whip together the Calabrian Oil, lemon juice, olive oil, egg yolks, balsamic, dijon, Worcestershire, liquid smoke, anchovy, soy sauce, squirt Asian Mayo, sugar and black pepper to taste.

In a large bowl add the tuna, celery, onion, egg whites and raisins.

Now combine the bowls and mix and season as needed.

Put in the refrigerator.

When ready to eat.

Get a fry pan on medium high heat and add a dab of butter and brown each piece of bread on one side so it looks sort of like this.

In a small mixing bowl add about 4 finely chopped Calabrian Chili peppers and add about two Tablespoons of Asian Mayonnaise to stand mix well. It’s enough for the two sandwiches. It should be about this color…..a little more orange or darker than thousand island.

Spread the insides of the bread with the dressing. On the bottom bread add a lettuce leaf so the sandwich doesn’t get soggy and add the tuna filling. Above the filling add the cheese and then top the sandwich with the top piece of bread.

The sandwich came out really Forking delicious! I don’t have to change a thing but my mind keeps working on it…………..

The changes I might make next time are-

To use white tuna instead of light for a better color and texture. Maybe a better quality tuna packed in oil and wing the oil and mayo add ons.

A light color vinegar instead of balsamic.

The eggs to be sliced layer instead of chopped in.

The smoke flavor to be added to the sandwich spread instead of the filling.

Maybe add a little preserved lemon or…

Marinate the raisins before hand for an extra burst in the mouth maybe with limoncello….ummm!

 

 

This no-mayo Potato Salad recipe is easy to prepare and is delicious with great flavor and a little heat from Calabrian Chili peppers. If you don’t like heat I doubt you will make this recipe. I thought fennel, fresh marjoram and toasted pine nuts rounded out the salad in a vinaigrette. I do note I started with about 3 pounds of potatoes but after I peeled and trimmed off the spots I bet I had maybe 1/2 a pound less. I do also recommend to let the salad sit at least half a day before trying it out as the flavors will change and to pull it out of the refrigerator and warm to at least room temperature to serve.

Ingredients for about 8 servings

3 lbs potatoes – peeled, cut in halves, in a pot of cold water with a Tablespoon of salt

1/4 large sweet onion – to boil with potatoes to infuse flavor and toss out when potatoes are boiled.

1 garlic clove – to boil with potatoes to infuse flavor and discard when potatoes are boiled

1 hot pepper – to boil with potatoes to infuse flavor and discard when potatoes are boiled

1/3 cup sweet onion – very thinly sliced

1 baby fennel with some of the fronds – remove core – slice very thin. (bigger fennel will need a peel) Save some of the fronds

2 Calabrian Chili Peppers – stem removed and chop very fine

1 teaspoon of oil from Calabrian Chili Peppers

2 sprigs fresh marjoram

1/4 cup toasted pinenuts (I put in a 350 degree F oven and they took a little over 5 minutes to get color)

4 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

4 Tablespoons lemon juice – fresh squeezed

4 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 Tablespoon dijon mustard

1 garlic clove – ground to paste

1 Tablespoon course sea salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Set your oven to 350 degrees and set a timer for 5 minutes and put your pine nuts in the oven. They will be done in 5-10 minutes. After that they burn.

Get your potatoes in a pot with the hot pepper, 1/4 onion, 1 T salt and one clove of garlic. Put the pot on to boil (a little under high so it doesn’t boil over). Depending on the size of your potatoes they should take between 10-15 minutes. You want them to be fork tender. When done drain and set to the side. (Throw out the onion, pepper and garlic clove..they were used only to infuse flavor and they are garbage now)

While your potatoes are cooking you can prepare the vinaigrette. In a small bowl add olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, dijon, garlic (ground to paste), 1 T sea salt, 1/2 t black pepper. Mix well.

By now your potatoes are done and should be cool enough to handle. You want the potatoes in   bigger than bite size pieces because they will break some as you stir them. When the potatoes are the size you want put them in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the warm potatoes and let it soak in.

Top the bowl with the onion, fennel, use about 1/3 of the fronds ( just pull them off in small pieces) Calabrian peppers, Calabrian oil, marjoram. Gently toss.

I suggest to put away the potato for at least a half day or over night because the flavors will change. If you wait till overnight the salad develops a slight creamiest from the potatoes.

When ready to use either serve warm or room temperature and add top with fresh roasted pine nuts. It’s Delicious! If you can do a little spicy you will love it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I whipped up these Asian Inspired Meatballs that came out really FORKING delicious but I didn’t publish the recipe because they were not the correct texture for a meatball. My husband brilliantly said the meatballs would be really great stuffed into wonton wrappers so that is what I did. It’s really easy to stuff a meatball into wonton wrappers. You just wet with water both sides of the wonton wrapper, insert meatball, apply top wrapper, Just clench your hand and everything is wrapped up tight. You can serve the Wontons a variety of ways. As a dumpling in soup, you can make them like potstickers or serve with a variety of dipping sauces. The brown sauce I whipped up pictured in the left hand bottom corner was really FORKING Delicious….I didn’t write down exactly how I made it but I know I used basically all the same flavoring I put into the meatballs…but with a few adjustments……I know I went heavier with the hoisin sauce and I think I went heavier with the garlic…..but it was pretty close to what I put in the meatballs.

Ingredients for about 8 servings

1 lb beef (mine was fresh ground sirloin, chuck, brisket and rib in about equal amounts)

1/2 cup onion – chopped fine

1 carrot shredded

3 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon shaohsing rice wine

1 Tablespoon garlic that was ground to a paste

2 Tablespoons gochujang

1 teaspoon red chili flakes

1 Tablespoon ginger – fresh grated

1 Tablespoon honey

1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon hoisen sauce

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

3 XL eggs – slightly beaten

1 cup millet – cooked (next time I’ll try rice…..)

1 Tablespoon (scant) sea salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup panko

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

non-stick spray – canola or vegetable

a package of wonton wrappers

1 Tablespoon salt to boil wontons in.

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray baking sheets with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl mix together all the ingredients.

Use a small scoop and make your meatballs.

If you have the same size scoop as mine you might get around 41 balls.

Leave in oven until done.

In my oven they got done in 15 minutes.

When the meatballs are done let them cool on the counter. When cool portion the meatballs. Freeze some if you want to and leave out what you want.

You need two wonton wrappers per meatball.

Get a small dish of water and quickly dip the top side of the wrapper.

Place meatball in the middle of the wrapper.

Get another wrapper and wet one side of the wrapper and place over the meatball.

Put it in your hand and squeeze it shut.

Get a pot of boiling water on and add a little salt.

Boil them about a minute or two and serve with assorted sauces or in a broth based soup.

Forking DELICIOUS….!

 

 

 

 

 

I got a bunch of serrano chiles and I already got a big jar of them that I pickled that are tasty. I searched the web to come up with another idea. I read from the Brokeass Gourmet that the serrano chiles get sweet when you fry them in olive oil. The brokeass Gourmet said something like you can keep eating them like shishito peppers but the serranos are even more delicious so I thought I’d give it a try since I got a bunch of serranos here.

Ingredients for about 20 servings

1 lb serrano chiles – with a small slit in the bottom tip of each chili

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

sea salt to finish (I used Pink Australian Flake Salt)

Directions

In a big heavy bottomed fry pan add the oil and put on medium heat. When the oil is hot add the peppers and cook till blistered and charred. Serve right away!

My peppers came out hot and spicy! I think the blistered serranos would be delicious on a sandwich or tacos, maybe in a potato salad…..

Thank You Brokeass Gourmet for a different way to do serrano chilies. Although mine are too spicy for me to just eat however they still came out delicious! I froze most of mine so I can use them as needed.

The Forking Truth is that for most people the serranos are too hot to just eat.

Maybe different times of the year the peppers are mild enough to just eat????

 

 

When you roast eggplants the flesh becomes very soft and sort of similar in texture to mashed up bananas so I figured that I could make Eggplant Bread. I thought I’d make the bread a little sweet and mostly savory. I thought roasted peppers went really well here to add interest and I also used Tahini instead of butter for that hummus kind of Flavor. The bread is very unique and moist. If you like zucchini breads, banana breads, honey breads and hummus then you should be a fan of this unique bread too! You can roast whatever kind of peppers that you are in the mood for this recipe.

Ingredients for about 10 servings.

3 eggplants

2 lemons (just the fresh squeezed juice)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon course sea salt

1/2 cup tahini

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup roasted Anaheim chili peppers –  skin, seeds and core removed and chopped

1/2 cup roasted red bell peppers – skin, seeds, and core removed and chopped

1 garlic clove – ground to paste

1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (Aleppo pepper is fruity and mild with low heat…Spanish Nora Pepper is similar…If you don’t have just leave out and substitute 1/4 teaspoon black pepper)

1/2 teaspoon course sea salt

2 xtra large eggs – slightly beaten

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups flour

non stick canola spray

Instructions

Set oven to 375 degrees F.

Cut eggplants in half…place on baking sheets and score them like fruit.

Drizzle the lemon juice from the lemons on the eggplants.

Drizzle the eggplants with olive oil and sprinkle with about a teaspoon of sea salt.

Put them in the oven and in about one hour they should be done and look similar to this.

When cool enough to handle scoop the eggplant flesh out into a large bowl.

Set the oven to 350 degree F and spray a loaf pan with non stick spray.

To your large bowl of eggplant mix in the remaining ingredients by hand in the order they are written.

Pour batter in loaf pan and bake until done…about an hour.

It’s unusual, unique delicious and very moist!

A guilty pleasure with Jalapeño Cream Cheese…

 

 

I recently watched Chef Lidia Bastianich prepare Butternut Squash with an Agrodolce sauce (sweet and sour sour). She fried the squash on both sides and then marinated the squash with the sauce. I thought it was very unusual and I don’t recall having squash prepared in such a way. I thought Id give it a try.

Ingredients for about 8 servings

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 Tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon course sea salt (1/4 for recipe and 1/4 to sprinkle on squash)

6 garlic cloves – sliced very thin

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 lb butternut squash

1 cup vegetable oil

10-20 basil leaves – Torn well or chopped

Directions

In a small fry pan simmer the vinegar, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and reduce by half. Add the garlic slices.  Put to the side and refrigerate when you can.

Peel Squash. Lidia uses a knife to trim the squash shell off. I did one with a knife and it was somewhat difficult. I used a carrot peeler on my second squash and i thought it was much easier. Use whatever is easier for you. For the recipe Lidia suggest to cut the squash slices in one inch pieces and cut the rounds in half.

Put a cup of vegetable oil in a bigger fry pan on medium high heat and fry the squash for three minutes a side or until fork tender and flip squash pieces and fry the other side for two or three minutes more.

Put the fried pieces of squash on a paper towel lined pan or sheet tray. Salt the squash.  Repeat with the squash till done.

In a pan or tray lay out the squash. spring with the basil and olive oil and drizzle the marinade.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap.

The squash needs to marinate at least three hours. Overnight is suggested.

 

 

 

 

 

I had a bunch of tomatoes that weren’t the best and I thought they’d be great as jam and they are. The two fried serrano peppers I added turned out absolutely perfect. I got heat but not too much and can taste all the flavors. You can alter the amount of heat for your taste. This jam will be delicious on burgers, sandwiches, cheeses and turkey.

Ingredients for somewhere around 30 servings

3 1/2 lb tomatoes – top button and skin removed, rough chopped

1 apple – peeled, cored and chopped

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 serrano peppers – fried and finely chopped

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon coriander

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon course sea salt

Directions

All the ingredients go in a sauce pot. Put the pot on medium high heat and when it starts to boil turn it down to medium heat. Stir occasionally. Turn the heat down again so it simmers. Let it go till it reduces till it’s thick or to your liking.

Mighty Forking Tasty!

 

 

 

 

I came up with an easy and lighter way to prepare a crispy cheesy cauliflower that everyone will love! It’s a little sharp, a little tangy with a mild heat. It’s very tasty.. I used white cheese but with the seasonings I used it looks like orange cheese. Six servings only contain a total of 4 ounces of sharp cheddar cheese. No other fat is added and no other salt because it’s salty enough from the cheese and pepper sauce.

Ingredients for about 6 servings

1 medium size head of cauliflower – broken down into florets

4 oz sharp cheddar cheese – shredded

3/4 cup panko

3 Tablespoons cayenne pepper sauce – Franks Red Hot is Preferred

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

non-stick spray – neutral flavor is preferred – canola or vegetable

Directions

Set oven to 375 degrees F

In a medium bowl add the cheese, bread crumbs and all the dry seasonings and mix well. Then set to the side.

In a large bowl add the cauliflower. Drizzle the pepper sauce all over the cauliflower and mix it well so the cauliflower is coated all over with the sauce.

Spread the cauliflower on a baking sheet in one layer that was sprayed with non-stick spray.

Top the cauliflower with the cheese crumb mixture and place in the oven.

It will be done in 30 – 45 minutes. Remove when it looks like this to you and the cauliflower is cooked all the way.

It not heavy but tasty. Just about everyone will enjoy this dish!

 

 

 

Focaccia is similar to pizza but you are suppose to taste the olive oil in the crust. Focaccia also differs because when the dough is stretched out they are allow to rise again unlike pizzas that go in the oven after stretching. Real Neapolitan Pizzas do not contain olive oil in the crust because it will burn under the high temperature of a pizza oven. Very traditional Focaccia Breads are very scant with toppings and often only contain an herb and salt. Focaccia is easy to prepare in a home oven. Top it however you like! This recipe will make TWO Focaccia Breads that are about 8 x 12 inches each and will serve about 8 each or 16 servings all together.

Ingredients for about 16 servings

1 packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons or 1/4 oz.)

1 1/2 Tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 cup water (100-110 degrees F )

3 cups bread flour

1/4 (scant) cup extra virgin olive oil

1 Tablespoon course sea salt

1 cup bread flour (knead in what you need and the rest is for the dough ball to sit in)

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil – for the pan

2 teaspoon semolina flour (or substitute corn meal) – for the pan

2 big pinches semolina flour – for the top of dough for when you are spreading it out

Toppings of your choice

Directions

In a large mixing bowl add the yeast, sugar and water. Mix and cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for a half an hour till it gets foamy.

When it’s foamy add 3 cups flour and hand mix. Mix in the oil and salt. Dough will be too wet. Now add the remaining cup and knead in the flour till the dough feels smooth and together. Make it into a dough ball and have it sit in the flour. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place for about an hour.

After an hour it should have doubled and punch it down and make it into a ball again. Cover it with plastic wrap and leave it in a warm place for an hour again.

Take your time and when your ready get out two pans and sprinkle each with about a 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil and sprinkle each pan with about a teaspoon of semolina flour.

Spread out the dough and leave it covered with plastic wrap for about an hour till it rises again.

Set your oven to 450 degrees F

OK here you need to decide what kind of topping you want.

what ever topping you pick you need to in-dent  the dough with your fingers or a tool handle all over the surface and sprinkle with extra virgin olive oil. Add a fresh herb of your choice (either now or 5 minutes before the end of cooking and finish with sea salt.

For the Focaccia I made in the picture I added small pieces of artichokes, zucchini, peppers, onions, garlic, goat cheese and fresh marjoram and finished with salt and pepper. The delicate marjoram I added at the end. I also gave mine an extra drizzle of olive oil for flavor and also to prevent my vegetables from burning.

It really came out FORKING DELICIOUS!

 

 

 

 

 

 

This recipe includes many peppers and some are already roasted, peeled, seeds and most of skin removed. This recipe is spicy so if you aren’t a fan of spicy you need to skip this one. You also might need to adjust the amount of peppers you use in this recipe because every pepper does differ in heat and your tolerance for heat will differ. You can make this recipe as Chicken White Bean Chili or Vegetarian Bean Chili depending on the fat and stock you use.  For Chicken just add about 3-4 ounces of pulled chicken per person. I do note this chili grows hotter the next day.

Ingredients for about 4 servings

2 ounces chicken fat (from the chicken you just roasted for pulling) or 2 Tablespoons oil (canola or vegetable)

1 sweet onion – chopped

4 red jalapeños – chopped (reds are mild and mostly just flavor and will look better in dish)

4 garlic cloves – smashed and chopped

2 poblano peppers – roasted, most of skin and seeds removed – chopped

7 oz hatch chili peppers – fire roasted, most skin and seeds removed – chopped

1 cup corn (already prepared from fresh and off the cob)

1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons masa flour

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 cups chicken stock (substitute vegetable stock for vegetarian)

16 oz can large butter beans (drained – rinsed at least three times)

15.5 can cannelloni beans – low sodium preferred (drained – rinsed at least three times)

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon ground achiote

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 Tablespoon low sodium chicken base (instead of salt) (or vegetable base for vegetarian)

1/4 cup cilantro – chopped

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 teaspoon fresh epazote (chopped) (substitute Mexican oregano if you don’t have epazote)

1/2 cup scallions – chopped

Optional 3-4 oz of pulled chicken per person

Directions

Put a sauce pot on medium high heat with fat or oil and when it’s hot add the onion and jalapeños. When the onions are transparent and the jalapeños are soft turn down the heat to medium and add the garlic.

Add the hatch chili and poblanos.

Add the wine and let it reduce.

In a small mixing bowl mix the masa with the stock.

When the wine is reduced add the masa mixed with stock and add to pot. Stir occasionally and when the liquid bubbles and thickens add the beans, corn, cumin, coriander,  chili powder, achiote, black pepper, chicken base. Mix and lower the heat to low and let it go about 20 minutes stirring occasionally.

Near the end add the cilantro, lime juice, epazote and scallions.

Leave the pot on warm till ready to serve.

Serve with corn chips and other desired toppings like sour cream and or shredded cheeses.