chefarian

[chefarian]

Tortilla Taco Pizza

Try this SUPER EASY weeknight dinner - ready in about 20 minutes!!  You can put anything you like on your tacos on the pizza - my family usually keeps it simple with some tomatoes, cheese, olives, and avocados!

Ingredients 

Old El Paso Flour Tortillas about 4 or 5 Medium size

½ cup  Old El Paso Vegetarian Refried Beans

½ cup salsa

1 cup shredded Mexican or Cheddar cheese

1 avocado pit removed and chopped

1 tomato chopped

2 green onions sliced

⅓ cup sliced black olives

3 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place tortillas on a large baking sheet. Poke the tortillas with a fork, this will prevent them from puffing up in the oven. Bake tortillas for 3-4 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Remove from oven.

Evenly spread tortillas with refried beans. Next, evenly spread on the salsa and top with shredded cheese. Bake for 4-5 minutes or until cheese is melted and edges are golden and crisp.

Transfer the tortillas to a cutting board and let cool for 1 minute. Top with avocado, tomatoes, green onion, black olives, and cilantro. Cut into slices and serve immediately.

[chefarian]

Spaghetti and Meatballs

YIELDS: 4.   PREP TIME: 20 MINS.   TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. spaghetti

1 lb. ground beef

1/3 c. bread crumbs

1/4 c. finely chopped parsley

1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

2 eggs

2 garlic cloves, minced

Kosher salt

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 c. onion, finely chopped

1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes

1.5 bay leaf

Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti according to package instructions. Drain. (I usually do this step towards the end because i do not like my pasta sitting and getting sticky).

In a large bowl, combine beef with bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, egg, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and red pepper flakes. Mix until just combined then form into 16 balls (I will usually make about 24 smaller balls and freeze half of them so I have a ready to go meal for a busy week night!).

In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer meatballs to a plate.

Add onion to pot and cook until soft, 5 minutes. (I do not do this as my house does not like onions. I usually just sauté a little bit of garlic instead in the oil with a bayleaf). Add crushed tomatoes and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Return meatballs to pot and cover. Simmer until sauce has thickened, 8 to 10 minutes.

Serve pasta with a healthy scoop of meatballs and sauce. Top with Parmesan before serving. (This time around instead of using crushed tomatoes I crushed my own whole salad tomatoes with a little bit of tomato paste it was DELICIOUS . there were no leftovers!)

[chefarian]

Magical Butter

I have been using my MagicalButter machine a lot since I have moved. If anyone is interested here is a quick and easy way to make amazing potent butter that you can use in ANYTHING https://prezi.com/view/APYY22VlIyvT0bu0FR1J/

[chefarian]

Beef Wellington

If you made it here from my Twitter as always here is the written recipe as well as a link to watch my video with step by step (with pictures) directions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVHwdwoKA_A

INGREDIENTS

2 x 400g beef fillets

Olive oil, for frying

500g mixture of wild mushrooms, cleaned

1 thyme sprig, leaves only

500g puff pastry

8 slices of Parma ham/prosciutto 

2 egg yolks, beaten with 1 tbsp water and a pinch of salt

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the red wine sauce

2 tbsp olive oil

200g beef trimmings (ask the butcher to reserve these when trimming the fillet)

4 large shallots, peeled and sliced

12 black peppercorns

1 bay leaf

1 thyme sprig

Splash of red wine vinegar

1 x 750ml bottle red wine

750ml beef stock

METHOD

Serves 4 Wrap each piece of beef tightly in a triple layer of cling film to set its shape, then chill overnight.

Remove the cling film, then quickly sear the beef fillets in a hot pan with a little olive oil for 30-60 seconds until browned all over and rare in the middle. Remove from the pan and leave to cool. 

Finely chop the mushrooms and fry in a hot pan with a little olive oil, the thyme leaves and some seasoning. When the mushrooms begin to release their juices, continue to cook over a high heat for about 10 minutes until all the excess moisture has evaporated and you are left with a mushroom paste (known as a duxelle). Remove the duxelle from the pan and leave to cool.

Cut the pastry in half, place on a lightly floured surface and roll each piece into a rectangle large enough to envelop one of the beef fillets. Chill in the refrigerator.

Lay a large sheet of cling film on a work surface and place 4 slices of Parma ham in the middle, overlapping them slightly, to create a square. Spread half the duxelle evenly over the ham.

Season the beef fillets, then place them on top of the mushroom-covered ham. Using the cling film, roll the Parma ham over the beef, then roll and tie the cling film to get a nice, evenly thick log. Repeat this step with the other beef fillet, then chill for at least 30 minutes.

Brush the pastry with the egg wash. Remove the cling film from the beef, then wrap the pastry around each ham-wrapped fillet. Trim the pastry and brush all over with the egg wash. Cover with cling film and chill for at least 30 more minutes.

Meanwhile, make the red wine sauce. Heat the oil in a large pan, then fry the beef trimmings for a few minutes until browned on all sides. Stir in the shallots with the peppercorns, bay and thyme and continue to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the shallots turn golden brown.

Pour in the vinegar and let it bubble for a few minutes until almost dry. Now add the wine and boil until almost completely reduced. Add the stock and bring to the boil again. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 1 hour, removing any scum from the surface of the sauce, until you have the desired consistency. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve lined with muslin. Check for seasoning and set aside.

When you are ready to cook the beef wellingtons, score the pastry lightly and brush with the egg wash again, then bake at 200°C/Gas 6 for 15-20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and cooked. Rest for 10 minutes before carving. 

Meanwhile, reheat the sauce. Serve the beef wellingtons sliced, with the sauce as an accompaniment.

[chefarian]

Chili!!!

It is snowing in Colorado today! So it is perfect spicy chili weather! 

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 lbs lean ground beef

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies*

3 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce

1/2 cup beef broth

2 Tbsp chili powder

2 1/2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp granulated sugar

1/2 tsp ground coriander

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 (15 oz) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 oz) can light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Shredded cheddar cheese, for serving

Directions

Instructions Checklist

1. Place the beef in a skillet over medium heat, and cook until evenly brown. Drain grease.

2. Place the beef in a slow cooker, and mix in onion, celery, green bell pepper, garlic, tomato puree, kidney beans, and cannellini beans. Season with chili powder, parsley, salt, basil, oregano, black pepper, and hot pepper sauce.

3. Cover, and cook 8 hours on Low. If you like thicker Chili Drain most of the liquid from the beans.  My family likes things super spicy so I always add a touch more chili and paprika I also add in a healthy amount of Tabasco. 

Let me know if you made it!!

[chefarian]

Simmer Pots

Lets talk Simmer Pots.  I LOVE simmer pots - I do them all year round to get my house smelling scrumptious all the time.  But especially during fall and winter.  Typically in the summer I will do a clean crisp pot. This summer I Simmered a Lemon & Orange Pot

peel from 1 lemon (or lemon slices) peel from 1 orange (or orange slices) 2 bay leaves 3 cinnamon sticks 2 Tablespoons whole cloves (sometimes I add a few sprigs of fresh mint from the garden too!) It made the house smell like lemon-aide!  This fall I have been simmering a little more traditional with a cinnamon simmer pot  cinnamon sticks apple peels (typically ill just slice whole apples through instead of the peels) orange rinds whole cloves I have 7 recipes for simmer pots. If you would like one just give me a shout out and ill post more!! 

[chefarian]

Homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs

Hey!

If you have come here from my Twitter a very warm hello friend! If you have just stumbled onto my page HEY STRANGER stay and play a while!  Ok so tonight my husband asked me to make my family recipe for Spaghetti and Meatballs.  And as per usual I like to share with the world.  So here goes ... 

Prep Time: 20 min Cook Time: 2 hr TOTAL TIME: 2 hr 20 min 6 servings

Ingredients

MEATBALLS

1 pound lean ground beef 1 cup fresh bread crumbs 1 tablespoon dried parsley 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese (i usually eyeball this as i like mine cheesy!) ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder 1 egg, beaten (sometimes 2 or 3 it just depends on how dry/wet you like your meatballs)

SAUCE

¾ cup chopped onion 5 cloves garlic, minced ¼ cup olive oil 2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon white sugar (i do not put this into my sauce but my mother does) 1 bay leaf1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste ¾ teaspoon dried basil ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Step 1 Preheat oven to 400F Step 2 In a large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder and beaten egg. Mix well and form into 12 balls. Store, covered, in refrigerator until needed. Step 3 Place meatballs into oven for about 20 minutes until cooked through. This gives it a nice golden crust and not a mushy meatball.

Step 4 In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is translucent. Stir in tomatoes, salt, sugar and bay leaf. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 90 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, basil, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and meatballs and simmer 30 minutes more. Serve.

[chefarian]

Chicken and Dumplings

If you have managed to find me from my Twitter account HOWDY! If you have just come across this page it is dedicated to what I have been cooking and my recipes. Come hang out with me!!  Tonight I made my “famous” (at least with my family) Chicken and Dumplings. It has been a steady freezing here in Colorado the last few days and I thought that this would be the perfect fall meal. Here is my recipe;   Ingredients for 6 servings 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed 1 cup diced yellow onion 1 cup sliced carrot 3 cloves garlic cloves (I buy minced garlic because my husband isnt a fan! - sacrilege i know) , minced 1 teaspoon salt 5 tablespoons unsalted butter (i usually throw in the whole stick cubed) 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour 6 cups chicken broth ½ cup heavy cream ½ teaspoon dried thyme 2 bay leaves (larger ones) 1 ½ cups frozen peas 4 tablespoons fresh parsley, (does not have to be fresh!) minced

DUMPLINGS

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1 ⅓ cups heavy cream

Preparation

1.  In a 6-quart Dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned on both sides. Remove from the pot and set aside. 2. Add carrot and onion and cook until just tender, about 3 minutes.

3. Add the garlic and stir for another minute, until fragrant. 

4. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the butter and flour, stirring constantly for 3 minutes to prevent lumps from forming. 

5. Add the chicken and any accumulated juices back to the pot and stir to coat in the roux. 

6. Add the chicken broth, cream, thyme, and bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Once soup is at a simmer, add the frozen peas, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. 

7. Make the dumplings: In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and cream. Stir until mixture comes together into single mass of dough. 

8. Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, form the dough into small round balls about 1 inch (2 ½ cm) in diameter (the dough should yield 14-16 dumplings). 

9. Place the dough balls in the simmering soup (making sure they don’t touch), add the parsley, and cover. Let the soup simmer for 15 minutes, or until the dumplings are cooked through. 

10. Ladle into bowls, giving 1-2 dumplings per serving. 

Make sure you enjoy!!! If you make this meal make sure you tag me so I can see your creations!

[chefarian]

First Blog Ever!

Hello Foodie World! This is my first ever blog post. I have come here from Twitter. If you want to see good eats you can go see my page https://twitter.com/arian_chef