Entries tagged with “Alphabet” from Sketchy's Kitchen
Pan seared chicken cutlets with a White wine rosemary lemon sauce.- 1 large or 2 small chicken breasts (enough to serve 2 (1/4 pound per person))
- Canola Oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1/3 cup Dry White Wine
- 1/3 cup Chicken stock or low sodium chicken broth
- lemon
- sprig of fresh rosemary
- 3 Tbsp butter (cold)
- 4 thin lemon slices
- rosemary oil
This goes very well with Parmesan mashed potatoes, and you could finish this meal with some bread and a roasted relish of tomato and sweet corn.
Bananas are a staple in many households with children. We get the seedless variety in the US. Common uses for bananas are eating raw, in cereal, pudding, pies, bread, and other desserts. There are uses for bananas in savory dishes, but typical everyday uses will lean towards the sweet side of the pallet.
More then likely, you are eating a Cavendish variety. These have been selectively bread (a form of genetic engineering) for their size and ability to withstand the rigors of travel. The majority of imported bananas are artificially ripened in an ethylene room. This 'doesn't' effect the flavor of the banana, and allows the banana to ripen faster. It is similar to the effect of placing peaches in a paper bag and crimping it closed. The fruit releases the gas that speeds the ripening of anything in the bag. Fruit will ripen naturally if left in the open air (and are more flavorful), but most people want the fruit to ripen early, thus having a longer life in the house, and a fresher appearance at the grosser store.
Many cultures use the banana leaf to wrap food for steaming, boiling, and grilling. The leaf itself in inedible, but it is a good conductor of heat, waterproof, inexpensive, and readily available in most cities (you may have to look for them in ethnic markets).
Banana Chips, I remember these from growing up, and I still find them in trail mix and at some supermarkets. Well -- I did some research on these.. wow.. the majority of chips are deep fried, then covered with honey, sugar, and preservatives. One ounce of banana chips has a staggering 147 calories and 8.2 grams of saturated fat (41% daily recommendation). To put that into perspective - a snickers bar is 2 ounces, and has fewer calories and fat then 2 oz of banana chips. I only bring this up because I had always considered them to be a healthy snack alternative. shrug..
Banana's Foster
Well -- almost Banana's Foster. This recipe traditionally uses spiced rum, but I prefer brandy. The brandy adds a sharpness that I find lacking from the dish. And I don't use vanilla ice cream either. This is a showy dish, turn out the light when you flambe the sauce. If you have a gas stove, you can probably light it from the burner, otherwise, you will need a long match or grill starter.
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 bananas
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- dash ground nutmeg
- 1/4 cup applejack brandy
- dulche de leche gelato
Chop the banana, and prep the other ingredients.
Melt the butter in a pan, add the brown sugar and cinnamon. When the brown sugar is dissolved, add the bananas, toss to coat, cook for 2 minutes, turning the banana slices halfway through, Remove the bananas to two serving bowls. While the pan is away from the heat, add the brandy to the pan, .
When the liquid mixture is simmering, light the pan with a long match. Shake the pan to keep the flame going. You may need to pull the pan away from the cooktop if the flames are going into your exhaust fan, When the alcohol has burnt off, and the sauce has reached its desired consistency, split the contents between the two bowls. Add two or three scoops of gelato over the bananas and eat.
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Not a recipe -- but some tips.
When making banana pancakes or banana bread -- mash the bananas with the sugar.
Bake with bananas that are overripe (brown spots on the peel). Do not bake with green bananas.
Growing up, the only exposure I had to apricots were the dried kind. Chewy and rich with flavor,perhaps it is because I grew up in the mountains, or perhaps it was the time, but I don't remember seeing fresh apricots in Roanoke when I was a kid. Based on 2004 numbers, 57% of all apricots consumed in the United States are dried. Only 13% are consumed fresh[1]. Now days, you can get fresh apricots at many supermarkets and speciality shops. Apricots are fresh from May to July, but can be found year round in most markets.
Apricots are related to peaches and plums, they all grow on trees and have pits, often called stones., many of the applications you have with peaches can be done with apricots. From grilling to baking, apricots are very versatile. Compared to a peach, the apricot is almost fuzzless, but there is a little fuzz on the fruit.
Fresh apricots are good for salads, drinks, grilling, and many other preparations. anything that can be made with a peach, can also be made with an apricot. Freeze dried apricots are new to the marketplace, Our 22 months old LOVES them. He knows what the pouch looks like, and will hunt it down if he knows one is in the house. I cannot think of many cooking applications for them, smoothies possibly, but I like to eat them right from the bag. They are crunchy and packed with flavor. But for this entry, I will focus on the dried version. it is the type you are most likely familiar with, and the easiest to find.
Dried apricots are most commonly thought of as trail food, while great for hiking, the dried apricot is put to waste if that is its only application. The fruit will rehydrate a little when cooking, and is easily adapted to spicy and savory applications. One of my favorite uses is with pork. It is easy to make a pan glaze with some apricots and drippings from porkchops.
Pork Chops with Spicy Apricot Glaze
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 10 dried apricots
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp honey
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp apple Cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp diced shallot
- 1 clove garlic - diced
Instructions
Dice the shallot and onions, measure out ingredients and set aside.
Dry chops and dust with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a nonstick pan, when the oil is at temp, add chops to pan and cook. 5 to 6 minutes on the first side. you are trying to get a nice brown on the first side.
Flip chop and cook for an additional minute. If thin, the chop may already be up to temperature. check the temp, you are looking for 140 degrees.
After cooking your pork, remove the chops from the pan and tent with foil. Add shallots to pan and start to brown. Add flour and create a quick roux. Add garlic and stir till fragrant (will only take a few seconds). Add all other ingredients and bring to a simmer.
Reduce to desired thickness. (about 5 minutes)
Stir in the drippings from the resting pork, then plate and serve.
Apricot Couscous
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp ground coriander
- 1 allspice berry
- 6 dried apricots
- dash salt
- dash pepper
- 1 cup water or 1 cup chicken broth
- 1.5 tsp olive oil
- 3/4 cup couscous
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
Dice up apricots, ground up spices, bring water to a boil.
Remove water from heat and add all ingredients to pot, stir, cover, let sit for 5 minutes.
Remove lid from pot, fluff with fork and serve.
Garnish with cilantro and/or mint.
Click here for a full list of recipes with apricots on Sketchy's Kitchen.
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