Crock Pot Greens recipe

Crock Pot Greens

Bacon, diced                                                               2 strips

Onion, sliced                                                               1 large onion

Garlic, sliced                                                               6 cloves

Greens*, your choice, cut into ½ inch pieces             16 cups

Red chili flakes                                                           1 tsp

Sugar                                                                           1 TBSP

Kosher Salt                                                                  2 TBSP

Black Pepper                                                               2 TSP

Chicken or Vegetable Stock                                        1 quart

Water                                                                          2 cups

1.     In a sauté pan over medium high heat cook the bacon until half done, then add the onion and garlic. Cook until the onions are tender and lightly browned

2.     Triple was the greens and chop them into ½ inch pieces, place in large crock pot

3.     Add the cooked bacon-onion mixture to the top of the greens

4.     Add the chili flakes, sugar, salt and pepper to the greens

5.     Add the stock and water, cover

6.     Cook on low for 8 hours (I have cooked these over night and it works great)

7.     Adjust seasoning if needed before serving

8.     Serve with your favorite entrée and little pepper vinegar

*Greens – I like collards, turnip, mustard or kale – use one variety or mix and match for great flavors. I use Collard and kale since that what I had left in the garden

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Rolling in the Greens!!! Final winter crop harvest.

Well here is the final harvest for the winter crops - collards and kale. Both slow cooked for 6 hours in the crock pot (sorry I am too busy to tend a dutch oven on the stove)  Recipe to follow - this is easy simple and oh so delicious greens to make

All about the Carrots!!!

Yep right now the carrots are in full swing in the garden......the new recipes follow.  Nothing beats being inspired to cook by great ingredients you grow yourself. More recipes to come

Meatless Monday does not mean Tasteless Monday!

We have been eating more meatless dishes at home, simply because it feels better! So I am using my culinary skills to create "full flavor" and texture experiences using vegetables as the center of our meal. I have to say I am having loads of fun with it - some cuisines are easier to convert than others - Thai, Mexican, Italian, all are easy to move to tasty meatless entrees. I continue to look to the vegetarian cooking of the Middle East for flavor inspiration. Here is a classic dish twisted to be meatless and even Vegan if you skip the cheese. Oh yes, it is gluten free too........

Mushroom “Meatballs”

1/2 lb.             White Button Mushrooms

1/2 lb.             Cremini Mushrooms

½ C                  Onion, diced

¼ C                  Carrots, diced

¼ C                  Celery, diced

1-1/2 C             Gluten free bread crumbs

1 ea.                Egg

¼ C                  Pesto

1 tsp                Dried Oregano

1 tsp                Fennel, ground

½ tsp               Crushed red pepper

2 tsp                Kosher Salt

1 tsp                Black pepper

½ c                   Olive oil for cooking

Place the mushrooms, onion, carrot and celery in to a food processor and pulse until all is well ground and still has some meat like texture. Transfer to a baking pan and place in a 300 degree oven for about 20 minutes to dry the mixture out

Once dry – place in refrigeration and chill to room temperature

Transfer cooled mixture to a large bowl, add the bread crumbs, egg, pesto, herbs and spices

Mix well with your hands to incorporate all the ingredients

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until well chilled

 

To cook

Place a large sauté pan over medium heat add the olive oil

Using a #24 scoop/ disher – scoop round balls of the mushroom mixture, place in heated oil and brown on all sides, transfer to a sheet pan to bake

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes – hold warm until served.

To serve

In a large sauté pan, place al dente spaghetti squash and ½ c up of your favorite red sauce (I used Whole Foods Organic pasta sauce) toss to warm through

Place sauced squash noodles on a plate and top with three “meatballs”, garnish with a little more sauce (parmesan cheese optional and makes dish meatless but not vegan) 

Serve! We added a gluten free roll to enhance the meal

Avocado Persimmon Salad

What a great taste combination, combining the sweetness of a ripe persimmon with the creaminess of avocado and the crunch of pistachios, just too good not to share the recipe.

Ingredients

1/2 each    Ripe California Avocado, sliced
1 each       Ripe Jiro Persimmon, peeled, sliced and seeded
1/4 cup      Red Onion, sliced thin
1 T            Avocado Oil with lemon
1 tsp          Citrus Vinegar (Calamansi if available)
1 T            Pistachios, chopped
To Taste    Kosher Salt & Fresh Ground Black Pepper


Arrange the thin slices of persimmon intermingled with the avocado slices, scatter the red onion slices over the plate.
Drizzle the oil over entire plate, then sprinkle the vinegar
Top the salad with the chopped pistachios, season with the salt and pepper
Serve immediately! For a great bright flavor in this colder weather

"Winter" weather - means warming side dishes

Chicken Roasted Vegetables

Well the temperature has finally fallen here on the Gulf Coast to 50ish during the day, at least for a few days. Which means fall/ winter hearty cooking is happening in the Kitchen. It is time for soups, stews, braises and all those comforting dishes that signal a change of season. This has to be one of my favorite food times of year, as long as I don't have to shovel snow!

The other evening Linda cooked one of her classic roast chickens for us to enjoy with a lovely glass of Cahors Red from France.  My job was to make the sides - but I did not work to hard, so I let the chicken do the cooking. The recipe will follow - I diced up some onion, fingerling potatoes, celery root and crimini mushrooms, tossed them in olive oil with salt, pepper and thyme. Placed the entire mixture in the bottom of the roasting pan under the chicken that was on the rack above. Allowed everything to cook the full 1 hour the chicken roasted, removed the chicken. Placed the roasting pan on a medium high burner, added a 1/2 cup white wine and deglazed the pan, scrapping the good bits until the wine had almost evaporated. Transfer everything to the serving dish and "boom"one side was done, with out a lot of work. ;-)

RECIPE

1 C         Mushrooms, quartered
1/2          Medium Onion, large dice
12 ea       Fingerling potatoes, large dice
1/2 C       Celery root, large dice
1 T           Olive Oil
1/2 t         Thyme, fresh
To Taste   Kosher Salt & Blk Pepper
1/2 C        White wine

Place all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl, toss to coat and distribute evenly.
Place mixture in an even layer in the roasting pan under the roasting rack for the chicken.
Place prepared chicken on rack, roast for 1 hour
Remove chicken and let it rest
Place the roasting pan with vegetables over a medium high burner, stir add white wine, deglaze the pan until almost all the wine is evaporated
Transfer to a serving dish

What the future holds....JWD Restaurant and Food Trend forecast 2017

JWD Restaurant and Food Trend forecast 2017

Here is what I see as continuing or emerging patterns in the food world. I will update this again in June 2017

Cauliflower Rice is the future "non-rice" of rice, as vegetable centric eating more than one time a week grows in middle America, not just meatless Mondays…..

Vegetable Noodles are spiraling into the mainstream in 2017 after some successful limited introduction by regional chain players these will be the new pasta of the veg centric meal

Zatar becomes the new “it” spice as we move further east in the Mediterranean culinary pallet

Nutrient dense coconut oil becomes a favorite of boomers – millennials still prefer animal fats – yum butter, lard and beef fat will be growth areas of fats in 2017 and beyond

Indian jalfrezi becomes the new marinara for 2017 showing up as a dipping sauce, pizza and pasta sauce as well as its more traditional uses

Clean labels and products will be come table stakes as we move into 2017 and beyond, especially with the rise of Anti Biotic Free meats and proteins but also dyes, flavors and GMO

Ancient grains and heirloom varieties of wheat will lead gluten free in a different direction as gluten awareness continues amongst boomers focused on gut health

Foods of the South will continue to expand and we will see more heritage cooking move into Fast Casual and Casual channels

Consolidation will occur across the Fast Casual sector in certain cuisines – so broadening of their offerings – you see it already with Noodles & Co trying shift perception away from a purely Asian concept by changing branding elements and signage

Carrots are the new “it” vegetable of 2017 – they will be everywhere and in many  forms – grilled, BBQ, smoked, pickled, raw – the use of heirloom varieties will start to move mainstream into casual segment

Probiotic meals and food items will continue to quietly weave their way to mainstream America’s diet as we see the connection continue to grow between gut health and overall health

Non Dairy, Nut milks will continue double digit growth and this will lead to emergence of non dairy ice cream outlets serving better for you treats in 2017 mirroring the last 24 months of retail growth of these items

Brunch is so almost over now that QSR is jumping in – but the hybrid day part will still be strong since everyone loves “breakfasty” stuff all day………

Jim

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