Chinese BBQ Sauce? Hoisin Sauce.

The first time I'd had Hoisin sauce, or should I say knowingly had it, was at a Chinese restaurant in New York City's Chinatown.  I had been asked to a celebration dinner which consisted of many delicacies, one being Peking Duck.  There was a thick, dark sauce served with the duck; smearing just a small amount onto a Chinese pancake, a few slivers of duck and scallion were then wrapped within the pancake.  The first bite was a surprise, but the continuing bites lead to ecstasy; such a rich, heady flavor came from the sauce.

My next conscious experience with Hoisin was having Mhu Shu (also written as Moo Shu or Mu Shu) Pork; a pork and vegetable mixture which is eaten inside a pancake smeared with Hoisin. A most excellent dish and if pork is not to your liking, it can be prepared with shrimp, chicken, beef or a combination.

Hoisin sauce is the Chinese version of barbecue sauce which, besides grilling, can be used in stir fries, marinades, as a condiment or a thickener. It is a soy based sauce having the components of salty, sweet and spicy due to the additional ingredients of garlic, vinegar, sweeteners and chilies. The texture of the sauce is usually thick, but can be thinned with the addition of sesame oil or water until the desired consistency is achieved.

While Hoisin can be purchased in a store, it can just as easily be made at home. Having a mortar and pestle handy in the kitchen is an asset for creating the paste quality of some of the ingredients. Patience is also necessary as it needs a good amount of mixing to help the ingredients meet and marry together; using a blender is quite useful for this and easier on the wrist.

Hoisin Sauce
Ingredients:

6 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp each creamy peanut butter and black bean paste
1 Tbsp each honey and dark molasses
2 tsp white vinegar
¼ tsp each garlic and onion paste
2 tsp sesame oil
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
Hot sauce – dependent upon how mild, medium or hot is desired, or add pieces of chopped chilies to the garlic and onion when creating the paste.

Preparation:

Add all ingredients into a medium bowl, or into a blender, and mix until smooth. The texture will be thick; if a thinner consistency is desired, add a teaspoon of sesame oil or water until achieved.

Makes ½ cup.

One item I like to use Hoisin on is salmon; giving the fish a rich, smoky flavor from the sauce and a mild sweetness and spice from the glaze it creates. As a side dish, I make up my Oriental Chicken, Vegetables and Noodle recipe, but leave out the chicken of course.

The salmon has the skin and bones removed and cut into 4 to 6 ounce portions; depending on how large the side of salmon is. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil. Use a pastry brush to spread a half cup of Hoisin sauce over the foil, wherever the salmon will be lying. Place the salmon on the foil and brush it liberally with sauce; sprinkle a little ground ginger over all. Bake the salmon for 20 minutes; test for doneness in the thickest part of the filets. While the salmon is baking, the side dish can be made.

Simple and quite delicious!

Mary Cokenour

These Shells you won't find at the seashore.

Last week I was going to make lasagna. I got out the 6 qt crock pot, placed in the ingredients to make homemade pasta sauce; but also browned a pound of lean ground beef with diced onions and minced garlic to make a meat sauce. After 6 hours of cooking, the sauce was ready to be used, but now I wasn't in the mood to make lasagna. So what do I do now after all that work, do I freeze it all to have ready for next time, or...? Until I remembered that I had purchased large shells to make stuffed shells sometime; guess this was that sometime.

The filling for stuffed shells is basically the one I would use for lasagna, but I use my immersion blender to make the cheese smoother. I also had no small curd cottage cheese on hand, so used ricotta, mozzarella and romano exclusively. If you don't have an immersion blender, a handheld mixer will do the trick of smoothing out the cheeses for easier filling.

Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:

20 large shells
3 lbs ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided in half
1 cup shredded provolone cheese
1 cup grated Romano cheese
1/2 cup mixture of minced fresh herbs (oregano, parsley, basil and thyme)
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp ground black pepper
6 cups homemade meat sauce

Preparation:

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil on high heat; cook shells for 10 minutes, or until al dente. Strain shells out and place in large bowl of cold water to stop cooking process and keep shells from sticking together.

While waiting for water to boil and shells to cook, prepare the filling by place all remaining ingredients, except one cup of shredded mozzarella and the meat sauce into a large bowl. Use an immersion blender or hand mixer to smooth out the cheeses.

Preheat oven to 350F; spray a 4 qt baking dish with nonstick baking spray; spread 3 cups of sauce over bottom of dish. Use a teaspoon or piping bag to fill each shell, so there is just enough room for the edges of the shells to just touch. Place each shell, open side up, into the baking dish; when all shells are filled, spoon remaining 3 cups of sauce over them. Evenly spread the remaining mozzarella cheese over the shells; cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 30 minutes and let rest for 5 minutes before serving; serve 2 stuffed shells per person.

Makes 10 servings.

Mary Cokenour
June 10, 1982

Meatloaf Again...Stuff It!

So there I was, staring at the package of ground beef and wondering, "what do I serve with the meatloaf this time?"  There was the leftover macaroni and cheese; wow, how original, can you tell I just wasn't feeling it?  I'm not really sure how it happened, but sometime during the ingredient gathering process, this idea popped into my head and wouldn't let go.  What if I wrapped the meatloaf around the mac n' cheese?  Could I even achieve such a thing; what the heck would it look like; more importantly, what would it taste like???  Ok, call me crazy, but I just had to try it, just to see if I could do it mostly.

I took photos of the process to go along with the recipe.  The aroma in the kitchen was awesome, but the taste of the final product was out of this world.  Now I can't wait to try out other types of fillings, but don't worry Roy, I will make my regular meatloaf from time to time as I know how much you like the original.  Trial and error...who would have thunk it?

Stuffed Meatloaf

Ingredients:

3 lbs lean ground beef
1 (12 oz) bag dried stuffing cubes
1 cup milk
1 (15.5 oz can) diced tomatoes with sweet onions
1 cup diced green bell pepper
2 Tbsp saltless seasoning mix
1 tsp ground black pepper
5 cups macaroni and cheese (see Note)
Ketchup for glazing

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375F; line a 4 qt baking dish with aluminum foil and spray foil with nonstick cooking spray. Line a large jelly roll pan with parchment paper, wax paper or aluminum foil.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together all ingredients except the macaroni and cheese and the ketchup. Invert bowl over center of jelly roll pan and deposit mixture onto it. Flatten mixture out to edges of pan. Cut macaroni and cheese into 3 sections and line up edge to edge down lengthwise center of flattened meatloaf mixture.

Put hands under lining and carefully lift mixture over filling, press down firmly and carefully peal back lining; repeat with other long side. Seal the seam over the filling and the sides of the meatloaf; smooth the meatloaf mixture over to create a firm seal.

Turn the baking dish over the meatloaf; with one hand hold down the baking dish while lifting the jelly roll pan with the other hand; flip over and let the meatloaf drop into the baking dish. Remove the lining off the meatloaf; make sure to position the meatloaf down the center of the baking dish; smooth over any cracks that may have opened. Brush ketchup over top and sides of meatloaf to create the glaze.

Place baking dish on center rack of oven and bake for one hour; brush a second layer of ketchup over the top and sides and bake for one additional hour.

The meatloaf will be too large to remove from the baking dish, so cut slices and use a narrow spatula to remove to a plate.

Makes 12-14 servings depending on how large the slices are cut.

Note: (The Macaroni and Cheese used should have been made previously and refrigerated in a rectangular container to make for easier slicing.)

Mary Cokenour

Pillsbury Grands Breakfast Sandwich Doesn't Satisfy.

 

When I saw the television commercial for Pillsbury's new Grands Biscuit microwaveable sandwich, I thought, "great, something I can make quick when I'm in a rush.  Yes, it's quick to make, but disappointing when it comes to taste and texture. 

Inside the box are two packages; within each package is an open biscuit with chopped up pieces of scrambled egg and bacon on top of each.  There's supposed to be cheese, but it is very hard to see.  The instructions on the back of the box state the product should be microwaved while still frozen, and gives heating times dependent on the power of the microwave itself.

Test number one:  as stated on box, took product out of plastic wrapper, set on microwave safe dish, heated at the appropriate temperature and time.  Conclusion: so this is what hockey pucks taste like with eggs, bacon and cheese on them.  The biscuits did not fluff up and become flaky as insinuated on the commercial; the eggs and bacon were hard and tasteless, but a good dose of ketchup gave it flavor.  However, after the second bite, the rest of the sandwich ended up in the trash.

Test number two: let the second package defrost in the refrigerator; followed rest of the instructions but cut the cooking time in half due to its not being frozen any longer.  The biscuit was softer, but wet and mushy; however the eggs, bacon and cheese cooked up better; it still needed a good dose of ketchup though.

Overall opinion: this product is something I would not purchase or try again; I certainly would not recommend it to anyone.

Conclusion: best to give myself extra time in the morning and cook up my own all American breakfast of scrambled eggs, crisp bacon and buttermilk biscuits.  For the scrambled eggs, add one tablespoon of half and half for every two eggs, a dash of salt and pepper and some shredded sharp cheddar cheese.

Here you go Pillsbury, a breakfast worth all the time and work to prepare it. As to something quick when I'm in a rush, still working on that one.

Mary Cokenour

More from the Italian Bakery.

In Italy, nothing goes better with a cup of espresso than a sweet, crunchy cookie, and the best cookie for the job is Biscotti. Loosely translated, Biscotti are twice baked cookies; the dough is first baked in an oval or log shape, sliced into individual pieces and baked again to achieve the crunchy texture. Variety is certainly the rule for Biscotti; dipped in chocolate or not, candied fruits or chocolate bits, nuts or spices such as ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon or cloves.

At one time, you really couldn't find Biscotti unless you went to the local Italian bakery; but now these crispy gems can be found in any coffee establishment such as Starbucks or Seattle's Best; even in the cookie aisle of the local supermarket.  Of course, making them yourself gives you the control over taste and ingredients.  To get comfortable with the idea of baking Biscotti yourself, I recommend buying a book on them; the one I used to get started, and still do, is "Biscotti" by Lou Seibert Pappas. While I might change ingredients around to get a different variety of Biscotti, using the recipes from this book is a basic starting point.

Considering how many types of candy bits, candied fruits and chopped nuts there are available nowadays; the possibilities are endless.   One other idea, consider savory ingredients for a Biscotti which can then be used for dipping in soups or stews.  Happy Baking!

Mary Cokenour

The BBQ Chicken Sandwich is as Easy as you want it to be.

Now if you have been reading this blog from the beginning, you know how much I enjoy creating and eating barbecue. Barbecue doesn't necessarily have to be made on a grill though; sometimes you just don't have that option. Now you could always go to the local market and buy one of those premade varieties you see in the refrigerated section. I'm not a fan of those as they seem to be so saturated with sauce, you actually wonder what kind of meat or poultry you're supposed to be eating.  Then you could look up recipes online, in cookbooks or magazines, but there are so many of those, how do you choose?  It's basically what your cooking style is and how easy or difficult you want it to be...do you roast, then sauce; do you roast in the sauce; do you use a crock pot, stove top or oven method; chicken with bones and skin, chicken without; homemade sauce or store bought?

Many recipes suggest buying a roasted chicken from the supermarket deli, removing the skin and bones, shredding the chicken and mixing it with a bottled sauce.  You could do that yourself of course; roast a whole chicken or parts, remove the skin, etc, etc.  Don't want to mess with all the slimy skin and bones, then purchase boneless, skinless pieces (usually breasts and thighs); but you still have to decide if you're roasting with or without sauce.  Or use a 4 quart crock pot for 6 to 8 pieces, one cup of chopped onion, pour 2 cups of sauce over all and cook for 8 hours; shred the chicken and serve on buns.

I'm going to give you my simplest recipe. I use my homemade barbecue sauce which I posted on June 1, 2011 and serve my creamy macaroni and cheese, posted on March 20, 2011, as a side dish. This meal can be fully prepped, cooked and served within two hours.

BBQ Chicken Sandwich

Ingredients:

2 cups homemade barbecue sauce
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 cup chopped onion
6 sandwich buns

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F; spray a 2 qt baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Spread 1/2 cup of sauce over bottom of dish.  Before placing chicken into dish, prick all over with a fork to allow absorption of sauce.  Spread onion over chicken and pour remaining sauce over all.

Cover with aluminum foil, place on center rack and bake for 1 and 1/2 hours. Remove chicken to large bowl and shred; pour only half of sauce from baking dish into bowl and mix together. Serve on buns; spoon on extra sauce from baking if desired.

Makes 6 sandwiches.

Serve with a side of creamy macaroni and cheese, cole slaw (hot or cold style), macaroni or potato salad.

Mary Cokenour

Oh Deer, a new twist on Chili.

This past week the temperatures around here were wintry and it rained every day. There were reports of a winter storm hitting us, even though we were barely in the embrace of fall. Since Monticello is at 7100 feet above sea level and the Blue Mountains loom over us, the chance of getting 6 to 18 inches of snow was nothing to sneeze at.

Luckily, we survived a light dusting of snow and the temperatures rose somewhat, so planning out hot meals to enjoy while nestled in cozy blankets was still on the agenda. Rooting around in the freezer, I found a one pound package of deer steak that Charlie had given to me. I still needed to prove to myself that I could master this creature and I wanted to see what it would taste like in a typical chili.

I knew I had to get rid of the wild game taste of the meat, so I chose the standby method of letting it marinade overnight in red wine vinegar; this also helped to tenderize the meat. After cooking in the crock pot with all the other ingredients for 8 hours, being served up with shredded sharp cheddar cheese, sour cream and honey cornbread...I am proud to say I have mastered venison!

Venison Chili

Ingredients:

1 lb venison roast or steak, cut into ¼” slices
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 (15.5 oz) can tomatoes with diced chilies (medium heat)
½ cup diced onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
½ cup shredded carrot
1 (15 oz) can each red kidney and pinto beans
1 (10.5 oz) can French onion soup
2 Tbsp ground cumin
4 Tbsp ground chile powder
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp each garlic powder and crushed, dried oregano

Preparation:

Rinse venison in cold water, place in plastic container and drizzle vinegar over meat; cover and refrigerate overnight.

Set a 4 qt crock pot on low; spray with nonstick cooking spray. Cut venison into ½ inch pieces; place into pot and layer tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, carrot and beans over meat. Do not drain liquid from beans as this will act as a thickener for the chili.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the soup, cocoa, seasonings and herbs; pour over ingredients in crock pot. Cover and let cook for 8 hours.

Makes 6 servings.

Mary Cokenour