Cochinita Pibil

Yucatan Cochinita Pibil - sort of. Don't forget the onions.
Serves 6

Shortcut Yucatan Roast Pork - Cochinita Pibil

Pork:
3 lbs Pork Butt, trimmed some and chopped into a few chunks to lie in the slow cooker
Juice of 2 Lemons
Juice of 2 Oranges or more - roughly 1/2-3/4cup
2 chopped Habanero peppers
2 Tbs Brown Sugar
2 Bay Leaf
3 Tbs Achiote Paste (or 1.5 Tbs ground Annatto + a chunk of trimmed pork fat)
1 Tsp each Cumin, Coriander, Paprika, Cinnamon
Salt, Pepper

Punch a lot of holes in the pork with a fork. Rub down with the achiote or annatto. Marinate overnight.
Pour everything into a Slow Cooker, adding OJ if the liquid doesn't get at least 1/3 up the meat. Cook on low 12 hours or 5+ on high.

Serve chopped in tortillas or sliced with braising liquid over rice, both with Pickled Onions and Cilantro.

Pickled Onions:
2 Red Onions, Thin sliced
Juice of 1 lime
Orange juice (at least 2 oranges)
1 tsp sugar
1 tbs Salt
1 jalapeno, thin sliced

Blanch the onions for about 15 seconds. Drain and combine everything. Add enough orange juice to almost cover everyting. Cool, and let sit in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

Traditional Pasta con Salsiccia e Verdure

Traditional Italian comfort food - at least my version of.

Pasta with Sausage and Greens: Pasta con Salsiccia e Verdure
Serves 6

1 lb Pasta - Orecchiette is traditional, or Penne/Farfalle/Shells
1 lb Sausage (Chicken is fine)
1 bunch/bag Greens - I prefer Kale, Rapini is also good
5 cloves garlic, sliced like paper
2 tsp Chili flakes
~2c Chicken stock

Cook Pasta
Cook Sausage in a non-nonstick skillet, slice into 1/4" rounds
Cook Kale in the chicken stock in a large saucepan. Cook for about 10 minutes, to taste.
Add garlic, chili flakes, and some oil to the sausage in the skillet, saute.
Add everything together in the pasta pot. Deglaze sausage pan with the kale cooking liquid (some might call that potlikkers) and add to the pasta.
Eat

They Call me 'Tater Salad

No really, they do. Good and actually pretty healthy!

Bleu Potato Salad
Makes a full giant bowl's worth

2 1/2 pounds red potatoes, cubed and cooked
3/4 cup chopped green onion
2 smaller ribs chopped celery + greens
3/4 cup fat-free sour cream
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
Handfull chopped parsley
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Salt
Heavy on the Pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

Cook potatoes.
Add to a bowl with the dry
Mix the wets and add to the bowl
Cheese goes in last - to taste
Chill for at least an hour prior to eating.

Very important: Re-season AFTER it's cooled and had some time to meld!

Do You Feel Lucky, Punk?

Well do ya? Well go ahead, make my chili.

Kinda Hot 5-Chile Chili
Serves 4-6

2lbs Ground beef (or Tofurkey or whatever)
1 diced onion
6 cloves minced garlic
4 Habanero peppers, minced
1 can Black beans
1 can Kidney beans
2 cans “Chili Beans” In spicy sauce (I used Kuners brand), undrained
3 cans “Chili Tomatoes” or even better “Tomatoes and Chiles” (Kuners brand), undrained
3 Tbs Cumin
2 Tbs Chili flakes
2 Tbs Chili powder
2 ts Cayenne
1 Tbs Oregano


Give the onion, garlic, and habanero a quick fry to get them going.
Add everything else except the meat. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 30 mins.
While the chili simmers, brown and drain the beef (like in a colander).

Add the beef to the rest, and simmer 1 hour.

Done.

If I was an Israeli Ashkenazi and on a Picnic...

I might eat this.

Lebanese-Style Tuna Salad

1 tablespoon tahini
Juice of up to 1 Lemon
1 garlic clove, minced
Dash Cayenne
3 tablespoons olive oil - approx
Salt/Pepper

2 cans fancy-pants Italian tuna packed in oil, drained
1 huge onion, sliced thin
~2 tablespoons pine nuts
1/2 cup chopped parsley
Pita

1. Blend together the tahini, the lemon juice, garlic , and the cayenne. Add the oil in a stream, blending until the dressing is emulsified, and season the dressing.
2. Add the Tuna and Parsley
3. Toast the Pine Nuts, add them
4. Carmelize the onions, and either mix in or serve as a topping.

Put into pita with the usual sandwich suspects - Lettuce, Syrian Salad, etc

Serves at least 2

Jambalaya Yah

No frills, no Chili powder, no seafood, no tomato, no celery, just a bare-bones Jambalaya.
Note: This just about the only time I ever won't use lower-fat sausage substitutes (ie Turkey Chorizo). You need full-fat for a decent Jambalaya.

Basic Jambalaya
Makes about 6 meals if you’re a hungry man, 8+ for regular people.
Takes about 1 hour 30 minutes, all told

1/4 cup olive oil
2 med chopped onions
2 cloves minced garlic
1 chopped red bell pepper
3 teaspoons salt, in all
2 teaspoons cayenne, in all (less for pansies)
1 pound andouille (or chorizo or...) sliced
1.5 pounds chicken, cubed
3 bay leaves
3 cups long-grain rice
6 cups weak chicken stock
6 chopped scallions

In a stockpot, fry the onions, garlic, bell pepper, 2 teaspoon of the salt and 1 teaspoon of the cayenne.
Stir and brown the vegetables for about 20 minutes, or until they get nice and dark. Add the sausage and continue the browning procedure, stirring and scraping the bottom and sides of the pot constantly - about 10 minutes or before pot starts smoking.
Season the chicken with the remaining salt and cayenne. Add to the pot with the bay leaves. Add the rice and stir for 2-3 minutes. Add the water/stock, stir, and cover.
Scrape the hell out of the bottom of the pot after adding liquid – otherwise it’s bland. Cook for 30-35 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed.
Mix in the scallions, and eat.

An Alternative BBQ Sauce

Good on just about anything, except probably beef. It's really not that spicy either.

Mango-Habanero BBQ Sauce
Makes about 2 cups I think

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small Spanish onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 mangoes, coarse chop
1 habanero, chopped
1 cup white wine vinegar
1/2t Thyme
Salt, Pepper


Heat oil in medium saucepan. Add onions, garlic, mangoes, habanero, thyme and vinegar and cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes. Place the mixture in a blender and blend until smooth. Season

I Heart Brussels Sprouts

Yeah I like Brussels Sprouts...got a problem with that? Especially good with pork...

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Potatoes
Side Dish for 4-ish

Olive oil
4 slices pancetta or bacon, diced
3 shallots or 1/2c onion, thinly sliced
1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
2 big Yukon gold potatoes, cubed
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon Balsamic

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Heat oil in a very large oven-safe pan. Render pancetta/bacon, and remove.
Add the shallots or onions and saute. Add sprouts and potatoes and toss to mix and coat with fat.
Roast in the oven, turning once, for ~25 minutes, until everything is browned and cooked.
After removing from the oven, add butter, lemon juice, and vinegar. Toss to combine.
Serve with the pancetta or bacon.