Menu Feb 28- March 8

This week's menu is up!!!  Let me know if I can feed you.  If there is something else your stomach desires please feel free to ask.

All these dishes this week come from my inspiration's: Karl, Giada, and Ina!!

Next week Garden Fresh Cooking will be closed from Wednesday March 9th and re-open Monday March 13th

Menu Link

 

Menu for Feb 15-21

This week's menu will be filled with some all time favorites and many more:

Curry Chicken Salad
Lentil Soup
Renee's Seafood Pasta
French Chicken

Let us feed you!!


Weekly Menu

Filet for my Febreeze Sister

 

Filet of Beef Tenderloin

During this week we will celebrate Valentine's Day.  What does any girl want but a good nice steak.  We decided to offer it on this weeks menu and I also decided it would be a good time to finish this blog.  Dana my best friend from Pittsburgh always comes to visit.  She and I love to eat at E & E but this time I told her I was going to make her a better filet :) I headed out, well not far, to buy the finest grass fed beef you can find.  When making any steak quality always matters. I buy my meat from Wild Fields Market found locally in Belleair, FL.  There is not much you need to do to a filet.  

I recommend using a cast iron skillet if you have one.  Heat it up before making the steaks.

**Also a major note  is to take the meat out of the fridge before cooking.  Allow the meat to get to room temperature -- takes about 30 min to an hour. Preheat oven to broil.

While waiting for the steak to get to room temperature season it with good cracked fresh black pepper and sea salt.  Here I also added fresh garlic that I marinated in olive oil, fresh rosemary and thyme.  After the oil infused the herbs for a few hours I place it on top of the meat.

Now that your skillet is hot - place steak (non seasoned side down) and and throw steak and skillet in oven at high broil for 4 minutes.  At this point flip the steak and do another 3 min.  Remove meat from oven and skillet and let "rest" with foil covering for 10 minutes.

While the steak is resting I like to make my own natural sauce in the iron skillet.  First I add some red wine to help scrape  up the bits that are stuck from broiling.  Let wine reduce.  Once wine is reduced add a good beef stock - preferably homemade, butter and fresh herbs.  This will give you a great natural sauce.

This should leave your steak right at the medium rare to medium state.

I like to make mashed potatoes and asparagus to complete the dish!!

Enjoy!

Menu for Feb 8 - Feb 14

This week's weather is looking like the coolest we have gotten yet!! We have geared our menu for the week of Feb 8 - Feb 14 towards meals that will keep you warm and full!! Our dishes this week are loaded with healthy nutrients that will give you complete balanced meals.

This Weeks Menu

Second Bowl of Deer Chilli

Last October my husband took a "man" trip out to Cody Wyoming to get his first big buck.
Not too long after his return, UPS was dropping an extra large extremely heavy perishable box off at  with Wyoming Game stickers all over it at my front door.

Of course I knew what it was and after opening it and reading the oh so finely wrapped meat inside, I realized I had 115 pounds of it!
I knew I was getting some meat but not that much!! Regardless of what my emotions, I had to get to rearranging my freezer and strategically arranging it all so that it would fit! And it did.

I started asking myself, "do I even like venison?" "Am I even sure how to cook it?"  I even wrote Ina Garten (my idol in the kitchen) to ask her and she responded she is not familiar with venison.  Maybe she needs my inspiration on this one :)

Not so long after the meat arrived New Years was approaching. We packed up the big truck and headed to our home in West Virginia to celebrate New Years with my siblings and two of our close friends, let me not forget the and 5 hounds.

Keep in mind when I travel I end up taking my spices and knife.  I fear the next kitchen I am in will not have what I need.  But for this trip I also brought along some ground deer chuck.

The weather was below 0 and we were snowed in.  What do you do when this happens --- make chili.  Since my brother and I are both foodies we conjoined our creative juices and headed to the kitchen.

Here are the ingredients that we came up with

• TBLS Bacon fat
• Some O.O.
• Bay Leaf
• 2 LBS Deer meat
• 1 Onion
• 4 Garlic Cloves
• Green, Red, Orange, Yellow Pepper (which ever you like)
• Jalapeno Pepper
• 1-28oz can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
• 1- larger can Cannellini beans
• 1- larger can Kidney Beans
• Fresh Corn organic
• Beef Broth
• Dark Beer
• Tomato Paste
• BellaVinto Espresso Cheese
• Sour Cream
• Green Onion
• Chili powder
• Cayenne Pepper
• Cumin
• Paprika even smoked is good
• White pepper
• Sea Salt
• Cajun Spice I bought somewhere
• Maggi (aka German soy sauce, always in my fridge, my dad bro and I are Maggi-fritzes)

Process

• Start by heating a large stock pot with O.O. and some bacon fat
• Add the meat to the pot after allowing it to get to room temperature (about 30-60 min always a must)
• Let the meat start to brown and season it well with S & P
• Once the meat is browning add your onion, garlic, and bay leaf - cook for a few minutes
• Then add in chopped peppers including the jalapeno
• Throw all you spices in white pepper, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, Cajun, and re-S & P
• Let it simmer for a few then add your tomato paste
• After a few more minutes add in your beer
• Let that reduce, then add the beef broth
• Wait a few more minutes then add the Fire Roasted Tomatoes (tip: I buy the whole tomato and hand crush them as I add them to the mix)
• At this point I re-season with all my spices
• Then comes the beans and corn

• Let that chili simmer for a while maybe 30-45 min on lower heat
• Serve and top with Espresso Cheese and Green Onion
• Dash some Maggi in it!

By the time I took the picture below it was bowl two for everyone!

Enjoy!!  Mahlzeit!

Turkey Chilli

Turkey Chili

It's getting to be cooler in Florida.  Nothing I love more then hearty food!  Winter is definitely my favorite time to cook.  We love Chili in our house and this is a typical bowl you would find.  I like to use ground turkey because it is lean and higher in protein then most other choices.  This is a super healthy and hearty meal that will keep you warm! :)

1- bay leaf

1-2 -- pound organic ground turkey (breast is the leanest)

3 --1/4 in side chopped slices of pancetta

4 -- garlic cloves - chopped finely

2-- carrots

1-- chopped green pepper, yellow, red, or orange or whatever looks freshest or mix

1- type of pepper to spice it up … we go Thai Chili Pepper but a Jalapeño will work too. Remember cutting out the spine and seeds will decrease the amount of flame that goes into your mouth and belly!! If you are not into spicy - Omit this whole step!

1-- decent size chopped onion

Assortment of beans around 32 Oz - depending on how beany you want to get.

1 - 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes, I only like the fire roasted

Fresh Cilantro

Fresh Green onions

Cumin

Chili Powder

Red Cayanne Pepper

Any type of Cajan type spice you may want to add.  

Salt & Pepper

Sour Cream

Cheese of your choice - Cheddar, Jack, Jalapeño, Espresso Cheese, Parm (whatever you want)

Good Stock (chicken or beef I use - you can do vegetable if you want)

Optional Tomato Paste - I usually try to add

1. Heat a large pot with O.O. and add the Pancetta

2. Once Pancetta is getting crisp, remove from pot and set aside

3. Throw the Ground Turkey in and season with a good amount of salt and pepper, extra kick= add the other spices too and repeat again where it says to!

4. Let it start to brown once it is getting there - add chopped onion, garlic, bay leaf and spices.  I don't really measure spices but basically I got around the pot two times with the Chili Powder, Once or twice with the Cumin, and once with the Red Cayanne Pepper (depends how hot you want it)

5. When the onions and garlic are starting to look shiny and clear - add the carrots and green pepper

6. I let that cook for about 8 minutes or so on medium heat

*** here sometimes I add a tablespoon or two of tomato paste to the mix

7. Next I add a whole thing of stock and let start to bubble slightly

8. Whole peopled tomatoes. I crush each one as i put it into the pot with my hands. I do this with spaghetti bolognase sauce as well. 

9. I dump in the extra juice from the can - I use stock to get it out - why dilute it!!

10. Let it stew for good 20 minutes 'ish. 

11. Add the beans and let it cook on lower heat for an hour or so. I always think the long is better so it's your call here

12. When ready put fresh cilantro, green onions, sour cream, and/or cheese ….

*****You could even squeeze a lime over this!!!

Enjoy!!

Delicious Deviled Eggs with Chives

Who doesn't like deviled eggs?  Simply one of the easiest, delicious recipes that are always a crowd pleaser.  What's the secret?  Only a few small tips I can suggest:

1. Boiling Eggs.  Seems easy right?  Not really.  I feel after attempting for years - Finally I am not getting any green (which means over cooked & Karl would not approve) or not cooked enough.  This is the hardest part and takes a little bit of skill.  Here's my most recent approach and it seems to work:

           - Place eggs in a pot and cover with water.  Bring them to a boil and let them bobble around for about 5 minutes.   

          - After five minutes find a tight fitting lid and cover the eggs and cut the heat.  

          - Scoot eggs over to another burner that is not hot.

          - Let them sit for about 15-20 minutes

          - Drain and start running cold water over them

          - Grab a bunch of ice and add to the eggs and let them sit in an ice bath for awhile

          - About 15 minutes after they have cooled off, give them a tap on one end and start peeling

          - If you run them under cold water while you peel tends to make it easier

2.  Cut the eggs in half.  Gently remove the yolks and place them in a bowl

3.  Add Mayo (Preferably Duke's) and some delicious German mustard or spicy Dijon will do just fine

4.  Dash of sea salt and white pepper, throw in some black pepper while you're at it.

5.  Mix around ingredients with a fork, whipping it around until it is smooth.

6.  Take a small spoon and scoop the yolk mixture back into the whites.

7.  Sprinkle all of the eggs with a little more salt, pepper, paprika, and of course fresh chives!!

8.  Put out for guests but grab one yourself ---  they will quickly disappear!!!