Spicy Apricot Ale Ribs

Posted on January 13, 2013 by Chef Whit

Well Happy New Year to all from Chef Whit, back after a vacation and the holidays. Tonight I am off on a BBQ kick, for a change in pace. It is a little early to be thinking about firing up the BBQ, when the temperature in Auburn was 26 degrees last night, but this one is cool because you can do it in the oven. Enjoy !

                                  Spicy Apricot Ale Ribs

2 slabs pork spareribs

2 cups BBQ sauce

3/4 cup Pyramid Apricot Ale (or equivalent)

1/2 cup apricot preserves

Spicy Dry Rub

1/4 cup paprika

1 Tbsp. each garlic powder & onion powder

2 tsp. each of salt and McCormick Smokehouse Pepper

1/4 to 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper to your taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place ribs in a large baking pan. Add 1/2 inch of water to pan and cover tightly with a lid or foil; bake for 1 hour. For additional flavor use ale instead of water to steam ribs.

2. Meanwhile, stir together barbeque sauce, ale and preserves in a medium saucepan. Simmer for 10 minutes, while stirring occasionally.

3. Drain liquid from ribs. Stir together all dry rub ingredients, in a small bowl  and sprinkle over surface of ribs and rub well. Grill or broil over low heat for 30 minutes, turning and brushing with sauce several times during cooking. Serve with remaining sauce.

Great with corn on the cob, baked beans a nice salad and fresh bread. The wine pairing would be a nice Pinot Noir or Gamay.

Bon Appetite,

Chef Whit and Jackie L

 

 

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Christmas Morning Coffee Cake

Posted on December 12, 2012 by Chef Whit

I promised a special recipe in time for Christmas, so here it is with time to spare; # 27 in our Breakfast/Brunch Series. We have cut the fat in this sour cream coffee cake, yet it is still moist, light as a feather and comes out of the pan beautifully.

Christmas Morning Coffee Cake

1 Tbsp butter or low-fat substitute

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup(2 sticks) butter or low-fat butter substitute     2  1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 heaping Tbsp. finely grated lemon peel      2 eggs, lightly beaten     1 cup lite sour cream

1/2 tsp lemon extract     2 cups presifted, all purpose flour     1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt     1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts     4 Tbsp. light-brown sugar

1  1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon     2 Tbsp. confectioner’s sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10 inch, nonstick bundt pan with 1 Tbsp butter and 2 Tbsp. flour. Shake out excess flour.

Cream the sugar, 1 cup butter and lemon peel together with an electric mixer. Add eggs, light sour cream, vanilla and lemon extracts. Blend until everything is mixed in, scraping down side of bowl as required.

In a separate bowl, combine 2 cups flour, baking powder and salt. Gently fold into creamed mixture. Mix until just blended, do not overmix.

In another bowl, mix walnuts, brown sugar and cinnamon together.

Spoon 2/3 of batter into prepared bundt pan; spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle walnut mixture over top. Spread remaining batter into pan, evening off top. Tap pan to settle batter.

Place on center rack of preheated oven; bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted  near center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes in pan. Invert pan on a cake rack and cool for at least 30 minutes more before cutting. When cake is cool, place the confectioners sugar in a small strainer and dust atop cake.

Bon Appetite

Chef Whit and JackieL

 

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Amaretto Coffee

Posted on December 7, 2012 by Chef Whit

Chef Whit here with another recipe in the Breakfast/Brunch Series, however today we will be featuring a coffee recipe, to accompany one of our other brunch recipes: # 26 Amaretto Coffee. Here is a festive morning brew: Wake up your Christmas coffee with Amaretto liqueur and a dash of a almond extract. Eat your heart out Starbucks.

Amaretto Coffee

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 Tbsp. granulated sugar

1  1/2 tsp. almond extract

3/4 cups Amaretto Liqueur

12 cups best-quality brewed coffee            2 Tbsp. bitter chocolate shavings

Whip cream in a medium-sized bowl with an electric beater. As it begins to thicken, slowly add the sugar and almond extract and continue beating until gentle peaks are formed.

Add 1 Tbsp. Amaretto Liqueur to each of 12 coffee cups. Fill with hot brewed coffee and top each with a dollop of whipped cream. Sprinkle each with chocolate shavings and serve immediately.

Bon Appetite

Chef Whit and JackieL

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Morning Pumpkin Coffeecake

Posted on December 3, 2012 by jackie

Chef Whit here with a new recipe in our Breakfast/Brunch Series, # 25 – Morning Pumpkin Coffeecake. Since we are getting into a countdown to Christmas, I will plan on posting another great Christmas Morning Coffee Cake – so stand by in the next few weeks.

 

Morning Pumpkin Coffeecake

1  1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

3/4 cup (1  1/2 sticks) margarine, softened

1 – 16 oz. can Libby’s Solid Pack Pumpkin

6 egg whites      2 Tbsp water      2 cups flour

1  1/2 cups Quaker Oats, uncooked, divided

3/4 cup raisins      1 Tbsp. baking soda

2 Tbsp. cinnamon

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 10 inch tube or Bundt pan with no stick cooking spray. Beat sugar and margarine until fluffy. Mix in pumpkin, egg whites and water. Gradually flour, 1  1/4 cups oats and remaining ingredients; mix well. Spread into pan; sprinkle with 1/4 cup oats. Bake 60 – 70 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan. Makes 16 servings.

Bon Appitite

Chef Whit and JackieL

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Baked Bacon and Eggs

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Chef Whit

Chef Whit here with another recipe in our Breakfast/Brunch Series. This one is #24 – Baked Bacon and Eggs. Here is the simplest way to do scrumptious bacon and shirred eggs, atop a bed of spinach, whether you’re serving four or forty.

Baked Bacon and Eggs

4 slices Canadian bacon

8 fresh spinach leaves, washed & patted dry

6 tsp. low-fat butter substitute

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

4 eggs         pinch of nutmeg         salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a nonstick skillet, lightly brown Canadian bacon on both sides. Cut into 1/4 inch pieces.

Remove stems from spinach. Stack 4 leaves and roll together tightly. Slice on the diagonal into 1/8 inch wide slivers. You should have 1/2 cup.

Place 1 tsp. butter substitute in each of 4 half-cup (4 oz.) ramekins; place on a baking sheet and set in oven for 2 min. to melt . Remove ramekins. Place remaining 2 tsp. butter substitute in a 5th ramekin; place in oven to melt. Set aside.

Divide spinach among 1st 4 ramekins. Sprinkle each with a pinch of thyme and top with 1/4 of the bacon pieces.

Break an egg on top of bacon in each ramekin. Sprinkle with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Spoon 1/2 tsp. of the melted butter substitute over the top of each egg. Bake on center rack of oven for 12 to 14 minutes. Serve with English muffins or fresh biscuits. Whit’s Rum Milk Punch would be an excellent accompaniment with this dish.

Bon Appetite,

Chef Whit and JackieL

 

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Brunch Fruit Stack

Posted on November 24, 2012 by Chef Whit

Chef Whit here – hope you had a great Thanksgiving and Black Friday. How about all those nuts that camped out for 5 days to save a hundred bucks. What ever turns your crank, I guess. Tonight we have something a little different in our Breakfast/Brunch Series – #23 is for a Brunch Fruit Stack, a healthy alternative that tastes great.

Brunch Fruit Stack

1 pint strawberries, rinsed and hulled

1 large ripe pineapple, chilled

1 medium ripe cantaloupe, chilled

6 small clusters red seedless grapes

1 cup of blueberries, rinsed & chilled     2 Kiwi’s, rinsed, sliced and chilled      sugar to taste

In a blender, puree the berries and add sugar to sweeten. Chill the strawberry sauce until cold. This can be done a day ahead.

Trim the top and bottom off the pineapple. Cut the pineapple into 6 slices. Cut the rind off the slices and remove the core from each slice to form pineapple rings. Trim the ends off the cantaloupe, then cut the melon crosswise into 6 slices. Peel melon slices and discard seeds.

On individual plates. spoon a thin layer of strawberry sauce; top with pineapple, cantaloupe, grapes, blueberries and Kiwi. Pass leftover strawberry sauce to serve with fruit stack. Serves 6

Bon Appetite

Chef Whit and JackieL

 

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Whit’s Rum Milk Punch

Posted on November 21, 2012 by Chef Whit

Chef Whit back here again to post the recipe for my famous Rum Milk Punch. The history of this punch dates back to the late 60′s, when I was single (again) and moved in with what turned out to be one of my best friends – Jere Burbach. I met him at Chuck’s Cellar in Los Altos and no place to stay, so Jere said “why not move in with me”. He worked at LMSC and I worked for Westinghouse Marine Div., both of us in aerospace. He went to West Point and I had graduated from the US Merchant Marine Academy, so we were both the anal type and got along fabulously. He got me into skiing and tennis and preparing gourmet meals to entertain the local single females. Great times for me – I loved it all.

On Sunday mornings, we would play a couple of sets of tennis – then retire to one of our circle of friend’s apartments, to prepare drinks and a luscious brunch for all. I am not sure how the drink evolved, but I do recall we decided that a cool drink would be appropriate to get cooled down, so anyway here is the end result: Whit’s famous Rum Milk Punch:

Rum Milk Punch

In a blender place 4 measures of White Rum, 4 measures of milk, 1 egg and 1 Tbsp. of powdered sugar. Place in blender, add ice cubes and blend until smooth. Serves 4

Bon Appetite

P.S. So easy to make and even easier to enjoy & enjoy & enjoy – you get it!

Chef Whit & JackieL

 

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Three Grain Waffles

Posted on November 21, 2012 by Chef Whit

Chef Whit here on the night before Bird Day – tomorrow is the big feast. JackieL and I are celebrating Bird Day with our friends, the Crawford’s and Brinkerhoff’s. My daughter Ashley will also join us, so it should be a great day. Tonight I am adding # 21 in my famous Breakfast/Brunch Series for Three Grain waffles. Now this is a really healthy alternative to your normal fattening waffles – loaded with grains and lots of fiber.

Three Grain Waffles

1 cup oat bran     1/2 tsp. salt     3 Tbsp. oil

3/4 cups yellow cornmeal      2 Tbsp. sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour      2 eggs or subst.

1 tsp. vanilla extract     1  3/4 to 2 cups skim milk                         1  1/2 tsp. baking powder

In a food processor, process oat bran to a powder. Add cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; process just until mixed.

Preheat waffle maker. In a bowl, combine egg or egg substitute, 1  3/4 cups milk, oil and vanilla. Stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture. If the waffle batter is too thick to pour, add more milk to thin the consistency.

Begin cooking the waffles in your waffle maker according to the manufacturers directions for your machine. When ready serve with maple syrup, bacon or sausages and fresh fruit.

Try Whit’s Rum milk Punch, Mimosa’s or Champagne as a beverage accompaniment. I will publish the recipe for my famous Rum Milk Punch later this week, but here is the recipe:

Rum Milk Punch

In a blender place 4 measures of White Rum, 4 measures of milk, 1 egg and 1 tbsp of powdered sugar. Place in blender, add ice cubes and blend until smooth. Serves 4

 

 

 

 

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Crustless Zucchini Quiche

Posted on November 18, 2012 by Chef Whit

Hope you all all had a great weekend – Chef Whit here with another recipe in our Breakfast/Brunch Series: #20 Crustless Zucchini Quiche. Real Men don’t eat Quiche? Bull Roar, we all love Quiche and don’t want only the women to get to enjoy them, so go for it!

Crustless Zucchini Quiche

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

3 medium (1 1/4 Lb.) Zucchini

2 Tbsp. Olive oil

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

4 large eggs      1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups shredded Jarlsberg cheese

1 tsp. dried basil     2 cups milk, heated     1 large ripe tomato, cored and sliced

2 packages (8 oz.) brown and serve sausage links

Butter a 9 inch square baking dish. Sprinkle bottom with bread crumbs; set aside. Cut zucchini lengthwise in 1/4 inch thick slices.

In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp. of oil. Add layer of zucchini and cook until lightly browned on both sides. Layer zucchini over crumbs in dish; sprinkle layer with 1/2 cup cheese. Brown remaining zucchini and place in dish; top with 1/2 cup cheese..

Add 1 Tbsp. of oil to skillet and cook onions until tender. Spoon onions over cheese-topped zucchini and then sprinkle all but 2 Tbsp. of remaining cheese. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In bowl, beat eggs, basil and salt; stir in hot milk. Pour mixture over vegetables in dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until almost set. Top with tomato slices and remaining cheese.

Bake mixture for about another 5 to 10 minutes or until center is set. Let the quiche stand for another 10 minutes before serving.

Meanwhile, heat the sausages according to package directions. Serve quiche with sausages and toast or english muffins and fresh fruit. Serves 4 – 5.

A wonderful accompaniment would be my Rum Milk Punch (use search window) or a nice Mimosa cocktail.

Bon Appetite

Chef Whit and JackieL

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Bloody Mary Eggs

Posted on November 14, 2012 by Chef Whit

Chef Whit here with a new recipe in my Breakfast/Brunch Series – # 19 for Bloody Mary Eggs. Not your typical Brunch fare, this one is one tasty and zesty dish that will titillate your taste buds – like there is no tomorrow.

Bloody Mary Eggs

3 Tbsp. butter      3  jumbo eggs

1/3 cup chopped tomato

1/3 cup grated Cheddar cheese

1 tsp. prepared horseradish     Tabasco sauce to taste     salt & pepper to taste

Heat butter in an omelet pan or non-stick frying pan, over medium heat. As the butter melts, beat the eggs, with a fork for 10 or 15 seconds, until whites and yolks are mixed but not totally homogenized.

When all the butter in the pan is melted, pour in the eggs. Stir gently as they cook . After they have begun to coagulate, but are not quite finished cooking, add cheese, tomato, horseradish and a dash of Tabasco sauce.

Continue to stir a few more seconds until cheese begins to melt and eggs are done to the desired degree of firmness. Remove pan from heat and immediately slide eggs into a warm serving dish.  Will serve 1 – 2, depending on how hungry your family/friends are. Just go X  2 or 3 to serve more. Suggest serving with croissants and a nice Bloody Mary cocktail.

Bon Appetite

 

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