Cherry Cobbler

Ah...have I mentioned how much I love the old H*E*B Markets here in Texas?  I do, I do, I do.  They are terrific for stocking rare things much better than the local Kroger or not so local Randalls (An Albertson/Safeway outlet).

Allow me to digress a bit.  Growing up in Michigan Mom would swoop in on the "sour cherries" for fresh baked cherry pie.  When we moved to Missouri they were called "pie cherries" and a neighbor allowed us to harvest as much as we wanted in exchange for one of Moms famous cherry pies.  Here at H*E*B they were labeled "Tart Cherries" and were exactly what I've been looking for for years tucked away on a shelf in the frozen fruit section of the frozen foods aisles.  Yahoo....baking time here and Cherry anything is a favorite or my wife and me.

This recipe was created with the help of Moms old handwritten recipe and a cobbler topping I use from time to time.  Here joined together for a dessert my wife insists we work into the regular repertoire. 

Cherry Cobbler

Filling

• 2, 12 oz frozen tart cherries, thawed
• 1/2 C sugar
• 2 T Cornstarch
• 1/2 t vanilla
• 1/2 t almond extract
• juice of one lemon 

Topping

• 1½ C all-purpose flour
• ½ C brown sugar
• 1 t cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 C cold butter (cubed)
• 1/4 C chopped walnuts or almonds

Preheat oven to 350F.

Butter an 8X8 baking dish

Combine filling ingredients and and fold gently so as to not break up cherries but sugar is dissolved.  Pour into prepared baking dish.

In a stand mixer with whisk attachment add the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.  Pulse mixer to evenly combine ingredients.  Add cubed butter to dry and turn mixer on medium low.  Allow the butter to be cut into the dry ingredients and it resembles coarse sand, about 5 minutes. Fold in chopped nuts.  Sprinkle topping evenly over the fruit mixture.

Place the baking dish on a sheet tray to catch any boil over.  Bake 40-50 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.  Cool on a wire wrack at least 30 minutes or room temperature.  Add a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and enjoy.

 

Cherry Cosmo

 Every friday is happy hour here at my house.  We celebrate a successful work week and the coming days of relaxation.  This Friday was no different, except I didn't have any plain vodka, just cherry Vodka.  Would it work in a Cosmo, HELL YES IT DID!  My recipe follows and it makes two generous servings.

What would I do different?  I'd have a snazzy garnish like a Lime zest strip and maraschino cherry on a skewer.  

Cherry Cosmo 

• 2 Shots Cherry Vodka
• 1 Shot Triple Sec
• 1 Shot Cranberry Juice
• 1 shot Fresh squeezed Lime Juice
• 2 2" strip lime zest
• 2 maraschino cherry

Fill a cocktail shaker half full of ice.  Add shots of liquor and juices.  Cap the shaker and shake until your hands are cold (30-45 seconds).  Pour through a strainer and split between two chilled martini glasses.  For each cocktail wrap the cherry with the lime zest strip and skewer with a cocktail pick.

Cheers y'all its how we roll at Casa Frazgo on the weekends!

Smoked Turkey Breast

 

This literally makes ample for a crowd with some for left overs on salads the following days. One can reduce the number of breasts to suit the crowd you are feeding.

I used a Traeger Pro575 smoker grill and their oak/hickory/cherry blend pellets for the smoke flavor.  Of course, you can use whatever kind of pellet you prefer, just make sure its good for poultry and you will be good to go.

Invest in extra temperature probes like the ThermPro bluetooth model.  They are accurate which is needed especially with poultry.  The advantage of the bluetooth is you get readings off an app on your phone, minimizing trips out to check things out.

Smoked Turkey Breast

1. 3, 3 to 4 pound turkey breasts
2. Grillmates for Chicken salt and seasoning mix
3. 3 T dried poultry seasoning blend
4. 3/4 c butter melted
5. salt and pepper to taste
6. 2 T each minced fresh Thyme, Rosemary 

Pat dry each Turkey Breast. Dust each breast on all sides with 1 tablespoon of the dried poultry seasoning blend.  Generously sprinkle Grillmates over both sides of breast, set aside on non reactive baking dish.  Repeat with remaining breasts.  Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate minimum of two hours or over night.

2 hours prior to start of smoking remove turkey breasts from fridge and allow to come to room temp.

Start smoker on a preheat to 185F.  Once to temp remove plastic wrap from turkey, insert a probe into each breast.  Place on grill skin side up,  close lid and smoke uninterrupted  until the largest breast reaches a temp of 125F. (This took about 4 hours on a 90 day here in SE Texas).

Once largest breast has reached 125F bump smoker to 375F.  Mix together melted butter, minced fresh herbs and salt and pepper.  With pastry brush mop the top of each breast.  Repeat every 15-20 minutes until breasts reach 165F.  This step with take 1 1/2 to 2 hours depending on size of breast. 

NOTE: based on size of breast smaller ones will come to temp faster than the largest breast.  Pull breasts from smoker when they reach 165F, remove probe and wrap in foil.  

When last breast is off, put smoker in cool down mode and move wrapped breasts to a resting station.  Let breasts rest minimum 20 minutes before carving and serving.

Panko Dusted Shrimp

So nice to look at and tasty too is this Panko Dusted Shrimp recipe I came up with Friday.  Stupid easy to make and get a quick light dinner on the table in under 20 minutes.

Panko Dusted Shrimp

• 1/2  pound 15-20 count Shrimp
• zest and juice of one lemon
• 1 t Sambal Oelek chili paste
• 1 t garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 T butter, divided
• 2 T panko style bread crumbs
• 1 T parmesan, grated
• 1/2 t dried poultry spice blend mix
• Pinch of salt

Start by making a marinade for the shrimp by combining Lemon juice and zest, sambal oelek, garlic, salt and pepper.  Add shrimp and toss well.  Cover with plastic wrap.  (If you like really spicey heat you can increase sambal by a teaspoon or two.)  cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400F convection.  Remove shrimp from fridge and divide among the heat proof gratin dishes.  Artfully arrange shrimp in a single layer.  Place 2 T butter on top of the shrimp.

Combine panko, parmesan, dried poultry spice blend and a pinch of salt.  Toss to combine. Sprinkle the seasoned panko in a thin line running length of the gratin dish.  Bake 10-12 minutes until shrimp are pink and panko is a nice golden brown.

 

I'm how old and missed this trick?

 

Why am I now just seeing this trick to make ground meats into a browned crumble!?  Using a potato mashed makes crumbling browned meats possible with minimal effort.  I saw it a few weeks ago on Food Network and thought it was ingenuous and thought I'd give it a try.  

I tried on bulk Italian sausage for an Italian dish I was making.  It was stupid easy and made for a quick almost uniform crumble with one of the most difficult ground meats out there.

Give it a try yourself.  I wouldn't do it in a non-stick pan as my mashed is the classic metal kind.  I used in a stainless steel lined copper pot and it worked perfectly without damaging the pot.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

 

I'm a fan of the rhubarb.  As a kid both grandmothers had huge rhubarb patches.  For a treat they would cut off a stalk and trim of the leaves and give us a bowl of sugar to dip the ends into and munch away.  

Both grandmothers did a lot of pies with rhubarb as the star or supporting role supplementing blueberries or strawberries.  This recipe pays homage to their pies only in the form of a crisp.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh rhubarb, 1-inch diced (about 3 stalks)
• 1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 1 cups granulated sugar, divided
• 1 t vanilla
• 2 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 3/4 cup quick-cooking (not instant) oatmeal, such as McCann's
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

Preheat oven to 350F, lightly grease an 7 X 10 inch baking dish.

Put sliced rhubarb in with 1/4 c water and 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a sauce pan.  Gently bring to a boil and stir just enough to dissolve sugar.  Simmer 2-3 minutes until rhubarb is just for tender.  remove from heat and allow to cool.

While rhubarb cools hull and slice the strawberries.  Place in a mixing bowl, add 1/4 teaspoon salt, vanilla and corn starch.  Toss lightly.  Gently fold cooled rhubarb mixture into the strawberries.  Add the strawberry mixture to the prepared baking dish. 

In a mixer with the paddle attachment add flour, brown sugar, remaining 1/2 c granulated sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, cinnamon and oats to the bowl.  Add cold diced butter.  Mix on low until a crumbly dough forms.

Drop the oat mixture onto the fruit mixture in the baking dish.  I use golf ball sized pieces and scatter it about the top of the fruit.

Place baking dish on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake 60-70 minutes until golden brown on top and fruit is bubbling.

Its not a Casserole, it's a Cassoulet

 

It's not a "hot dish" either for you Minnesotans reading.  

It is a cassoulet, a classic hearty stew of beans and meat (usually a local sausage, pork  and a confit duck leg).  My first cassoulet was had in the Bordeaux region of France.  It sadly was a fairly dismal affair as the pork tenderloin and the duck leg were so overcooked they were nearly inedible.  The stewed beans and sausage however were divine and I swore I'd make my own version using ingredients I know so as not to overcook it all.

Tonight was the night I made it.  The lovely Mrs. liked it and admitted she was leary of it based on our first version in France.  She really liked it and wanted me to add to our winter dinners and hearty lunches.

A few substitutions for you.  I used a lightly smoked Kielbasa but you can use any mild fully cooked smoke sausage your family prefers.  I use Cannellini beans as I like their creamy texture, if you can't find them use any canned white bean you can find instead.  Lastly, Cremini mushrooms are sometimes sold as "Baby Bella" 

 

Mushroom, Sausage, Chicken Cassoulet

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts, quartered, skin removed
• 1 1lb Kielbasa or similar lightly smoked pork sausage
• 8 ounces Cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed and caps sliced
• 3 oz dried mushrooms
• 1 c boiling water
• 1 medium sweet onion,  large dice
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 15ounce cans Cannellini Beans 
• 3/4 c dry white wine (I used a Sauvignon Blanc)
• 1 14.5 ounce can chicken broth
• 1 T dried Thyme
• 2 T dried parsley
• Salt/Pepper to taste

Method

Place dried mushrooms in a heat proof bowl and add the boiling water.  Set aside to steep and rehydrate at least 15 minutes

In large pot add olive oil and some butter and heat over medium flame until sizzling.  Add the quartered chicken pieces and brown on all side.  Remove chicken into a bowl and set aside.

Add sliced mushrooms to the hot pan.  Add more butter as needed if pan begins to dry out.  Sautee until mushrooms start to brown.  

Pour dried mushrooms through a tea strainer catching the liquid in a measuring cup (should have a scant cup).  Take the rehydrated mushroom and finely dice, adding to pot with fresh mushrooms.  Saute 1-2 minutes.  Add diced onion  Sauté a 2-3 minutes until soft.  Add minced garlic and sauté 1-2 minutes until fragrant.  

Add wine to deglaze the pan.  Simmer over medium heat until wine reduced by half.  Add reserve mushroom liquid, chicken broth and dried herbs. Add reserved chicken pieces.   Slice the sausage into 4 inch pieces and add to pan. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer.

Drain and rinse the cannellini beans and gently stir into the pot.  Bring it all to a boil and reduce to simmer. Taste for seasonings at this point add salt and pepper as needed to taste.  Simmer 25-30 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Serve with a crusty bread with butter and you have a hearty Cassoulet to enjoy!