Red Monkey Seasoning and Rubs

I stumbled across the Red Monkey website over 2 months ago and they graciously sent me a few samples to try. I’ve been using them in a variety of recipes from commercial to home use and each seasoning is loaded with flavor.

The main three that I have utilized are:

Mango Habanera – a delicious blend of sea salt, dried mango, orange peel, spices, peppers, smoke, garlic and a few other spices.

Smoked Paprika and Roasted Garlic – a nice blending of sea salt, garlic, smoke, onion paprika and select spices.

Hickory Smoked Balsamic – a perfect blend of sea salt, dehydrated garlic, spices and herbs, dehydrated onion, apple cider vinegar powder, ground mustard, citric acid, and balsamic vinegar powder.

I used the seasonings on chicken, ribs, steaks, pork loins and chops, fish, lobster, shrimp, vegetables, dips, sauces, gravies and the list goes on. Don’t take my word for it, go online and look up the seasonings and pick up some to try. They are certainly worth it, and at $3.99 a bottle they go a long way. They also carry foodservice sizes in a few of their blends if you need larger quantities. I’ve been using the smaller bottles but will be placing an order for foodservice sizes in the next two days. I really hope they have the Roasted Raspberry Chipotle in stock so that I can try out on some smoked pork or beef brisket.

Try taking 1 tablespoon of the Smoked Paprika and Roasted Garlic seasoning and add it to 1/2 cups of sour cream, 1/2 tsp lemon juice, and 1/2 cup Greek yogurt. Mix well and allow to sit for at least 3 hours for seasonings to blend. You can add more or less according to your personal taste, just remember that the flavor will intensify as it sits in the fridge.

Stay tuned in for more ideas and recipes featuring Red Monkey seasonings!

Grilling up the summer!

Head to your local market, food pantry, garden, farmers market or snag some fresh produce from your neighbors garden if they are away! In any case pick some fresh ingredients, lightly season them and fire up the grill and get it smoking hot.

Sear the veggies to your desired doneness and then dress with a bit of freshly diced scallions or shallots, some grated Wisconsin cheese and drizzle on a touch of aged balsamic vinegar!

Have at it and be creative, leap before you look and grill until you can grill no more! Then grill again!

If it were not for Auguste Escoffier we would be eating to get by or simply eating as a fact of life. Food takes on a different flavor when treated with skill and understanding. All too often quality food is purchased, hidden away in a bag or drawer in the fridge, pantry or cupboard and left to the demise of time.

For some they like to look over Good Housekeeping, GQ, Taste of Home and magazine of all style of food presentation offering up a variety of cooking techniques. Suffice to say Auguste went down that path before any of these modern day versions of the quick fix recipe came to print. In 1903 he published what I believe is the mother of all magazines, cookbooks, guides and articles on taking cooking seriously.

True, I like to have fun in the kitchen but when the oil hits the skillet I like to rely on basic foundation principles. So when the latest copy of Le Guide Culinaire hit the bookshelves I was more than interested in using it for classroom instruction, and was beyond excited when a good friend from John Wiley & Sons, Inc contacted me to see if I would like to use it for educational purposes.

In the next several months I will digest the recipes as Auguste had written them, then later revised a second, third and lastly in 1921 for a fourth time. I’m also looking forward to imparting some of Escoffier’s time tested culinary skills to those paths i cross during my travels.

Apple Slaw

I wanted something bright, fresh and crisp for the upcoming summer season, and this salad hit the mark. It has a nice crispness, delightful flavor and delicious crunch.

Try a variety of your favorite apples and mix up the sharpness of cheddar if you wish. The sky is the limit so mix up this delightful summer dish and enjoy.

¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp Spicy Brown mustard
1 tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp seat salt
¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 medium cabbage, shredded (4 cups)
1 small red cabbage, shredded (2 cups)
2 large carrots, shredded (1 cup)
1 medium parsnip, shredded (1/3 cup)
1 Granny Smith apple, unpeeled and cut into thin strips
1 Gala apple, unpeeled and cut into thin strips
¼ cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
4 oz Carr Valley Mammoth Cheddar, cut into small wedges

In a metal bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, oil, salt and pepper; set aside

In a large wooden salad bowl, combine cabbage, carrots, parsnip, apples and parsley; drizzle on vinaigrette and toss to coat well.

Chill for at least 20 minutes to allow flavors to combine, and then arrange cheddar wedges around the edge of the salad in the bowl.

Beef Stew – Frugal Gourmet Style

This recipe comes to you by way of the Frugal Gourmet, a fellow TV chef that passed away in 2004 amidst a cloud of controversy. He was instrumental in my first glimpses of cooking on TV before there ever was a food or cooking channel and his wit and fun in the kitchen certainly made for creative recipes. I believe he helped usher in a move from PBS to center stage cooking and paved the way for the culinary shows we watch today.

As a tribute to the Frugal Gourmet I’d like to present my take on his classic recipe utilizing wine in marinating beef to bring out the flavor in tough cuts of meat. By soaking tough but flavorful cuts of meat in wine for several hours you break down the connective tissues and collagen making the meat more appetizing and tender. An additional side benefit is cutting down on added salt, which is always a good thing.

Only use a wine that you would consume, never cook with turned, off or corked wine, as you will impart that off flavor into the meal you are preparing.

2 pounds beef chuck roast – cubed (sometimes referred to as stew meat)
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
3 celery stalks, cleaned and sliced
1 parsnip, cleaned and sliced
1 large sweet onion, peeled and sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp. minced fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
3 cups Zinfandel (I prefer red, but blush will work in a pinch)
4 tbsp Grapeseed oil
2 tbsp tomato paste

Place everything, except Grapeseed oil and tomato paste into a Tupperware marinade container. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours, mix around every few hours to make sure everything is evenly coated.

Remove the meat from the marinade and save everything. Heat a metallic skillet over medium high heat; don’t use a non-stick skillet unless that’s all you have. Add in the oil and toss in a small amount of meat, making sure not to crowd the pan to allow even browning. Continue in this fashion until all the meat is cooked; remove from the pan and place into a large glass casserole dish. Add the vegetables and wine, stir in tomato paste until blended, then bring to a boil and gradually pour over browned meat. Place into a preheated 350˚ oven, covered for approximately 2 hours or until meat is fork tender.

Remove from the oven and ladle over fresh cooked al dente egg noodles or hot from the oven buttermilk biscuits.

Cuisinart SM-70 7-Quart Stand Mixer

The Cuisinart Stand Mixer arrived on the doorstep and my two daughters were thrilled to be part of the unpacking and product testing. When I say product testing I mean anything and everything that comes out of the mixer, they want to taste.

Setup was easy and I had the bowl and attachments cleaned up and ready to go in a few minutes. I first tried out some chocolate chip cookie recipes and then moved onto fresh dinner rolls. I used a variety of flour in each recipe, even incorporating whole wheat flour to see how the mixer powered through thicker dough. The ease of adjusting the power by a turn of the knob was really nice and the fold button really helped when adding in the chips and other particulates. The 12 speeds give you a wide variety of mixing possibilities and pared with the auto shut off countdown timer you can work your recipe magic to the exact time needed. Cake mixes and muffin batters are equally a breeze with this awesome unit. I’ve yet to tax the powerful motor or find something that bogs down the paddle, dough hook or whisk when working up my recipes.

When I attached the dough hook I powered through several batches of whole wheat and buttermilk rolls back to back without an issue of overheating or loss of power. With the clear cover guard in place I simply added ingredients in the orders called for and went about my business until the dough formed a nice ball ready to kneed, rest, portion and bake. The cover is a nice feature in that my two girls and son at times ask to add ingredients, and I was forever worrying about the cover falling in or coming apart on my Kitchen-Aid. Well, no worries with this system, the cover pressure locks into place and will not slid off or move since it’s made to fir around the entire bowl as a one piece unit.

I don’t have the attachments yet, but I’d love to try out the three power ports available. If you pick up the attachments you can chop, blend, process, squeeze juice, grind sausage, make pasta, and so forth. With this one machine and it’s attachments you can have the power of a fully stocked kitchen in the space of a stand mixer.

Cleanup is a breeze with a simply wipe down and since there are very few corners and hooks you don’t have to spend a lot of time cleaning those occasional spills.

Here’s a listing of the stand mixer with included items:

Tilt-back Head
Top Cover
3 Power outlets
7 Quart Stainless Steel Bowl with Handles
Head-lift Release Lever securely locks stand mixer head into raised tilt-back position
On/Off, Fold and Speed Control Dial
12 speeds for precision mixing.
15-Minute Countdown Timer with Auto Shutoff
Chef’s Whisk
Flat Mixing Paddle
Dough Hook
Splash-guard with Pour Spout

If you are looking for a gift, or to replace and ailing mixer with a something that will stand up to years of use and mixing then look no further. The Cuisinart SM-70 Stand Mixer has what you need and I highly recommend it.

Gazpacho – Chef Scott Style

Serves 10

I traditionally like hot and spicy food, often my staff and family comment that to try my foods is simply to dine with fire. Even though a simple dish may not call for heat I usually try to spice things up and add a little extra hot sauce or chopped up jalapeno pepper if possible.

Such is the case with this wonderful summer time soup. Even though the past several days have felt more like winter, the warmer weather is sure to arrive in the months ahead. When it does you want to be ready with this delicious creation for your guests and family. The recipe as you see it is a blending of two recipes I like, one a traditional Spanish recipe and the other a recipe from a professional garde manger kitchen. Enjoy!

Soup Base Ingredients
• 10 oz of crustless firm white bread
• 2 lbs. of tomato, seeded and chopped
• 20 fl oz canned tomato juice
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 sweet onions, peeled & chopped
• 2 red and orange peppers, cleaned & chopped
• 1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 8 tablespoons of olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon Cumin
• 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
• Salt
• Ice water

Soak the bread in water to cover for 10 minutes, and then squeeze the water out of the bread and place into a food processor. Add the tomato, garlic, onion, peppers and cucumber and grind to a coarse puree. Add in the tomato juice and olive oil, and process until combined and smooth – PLEASE DO NOT process until it is foamy. Remove from the food processor, place into plastic bowl and season with vinegar and salt to taste. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes to an hour to allow the flavors to blend and mellow. If the soup base is too thick then thin with additional tomato juice or ice water and taste to correct acidic balance of flavor with additional salt and/or vinegar if needed.

Soup Components
• 2 oz Brunoise* cucumber
• 2 oz Brunoise green bell pepper, cleaned
• 2 oz Brunoise tomato, seeded
• 2 oz Brunoise sweet onion
• 2 oz Chopped scallions
• 2 oz Chopped jalapeno pepper
• 4 oz Garlic Croutons

*Brunoise is a basic knife cut measuring 1/8 inch × 1/8 inch × 1/8 inch. The diced vegetables are blanched briefly in salty boiling water and then submerged in ice water for a few seconds to set the color.

Before service ladle soup base into chilled bowls, then sprinkle the vegetable garnishes evenly into the bowls or set aside in separate bowls so the guests can add their own amount. Lastly, place the croutons in a separate dish to be added by the guests as desired.

Avocado, Sausage, Onion and Wisconsin Jalapeno Colby Cheese quiche

1 Avocado – pitted and thinly sliced
¼ cup minced onion
6 oz Ground sausage (good quality)
1 oz canola or Grapeseed oil (if needed)
3 oz grated Widmer’s jalapeno Colby cheese
4 large eggs
¾ cup 2% milk
¼ tsp Salt
Dash of Ground Black Pepper (more if desired)
1-9” Pie crust

Preheat oven to 350˚F

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Toss in ground sausage and break apart as you cook. Stir and cook until it just starts to brown, still a bit pink. Add oil if there is not a lot of fat from the sausage and toss in onions and continue cooking until onions are lightly browned and sausage is completely cooked. Remove from heat and transfer sausage onion mixture to a separate bowl.

Take pie shell and line bottom with ½ avocado in a circle. Add in sausage and onion and top with grated cheese. Then layer remaining ½ avocado in a circle on top of the mixture making sure to press in slightly to stay below top.

In a separate bowl whisk together eggs and milk until well incorporated, stir in salt and dash of pepper. Pout egg mixture into pie shell and carefully place quiche onto a baking sheet and then into the oven, towards the bottom 1/3 of the oven.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until set and center no longer jiggles when checked. Remove from oven and allow to set for 5 minutes before cutting.

Irish Creme Moussecarpone Pie

This pie was created after working with Wisconsin Crave Brothers mascarpone in a variety of fashions including simply blending equal parts of mascarpone and chocolate. I took it one step further and created a crispy crust of fresh chopped pretzels, a little bit of butter and some brown sugar for sweetness.

It’s a nice dessert to have ready in a few minutes and that all it takes to make this delicious creamy dessert. You need about 6 minutes to cook the crust to set it and then about 5-8 minutes to blend the chocolate that you melted into the fresh mascarpone cheese. It really is that simple and your guests will think you went to great lengths; going to a bakery to purchase the pie or that you spent a lot of time in the kitchen creating this masterpiece.

Ingredients:
4 cups Pretzels – chopped into small pieces
1/3 cup Brown sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
10” deep dish pie pan or plate
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4 cups Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips, melted
4 cups Wisconsin Mascarpone Cheese, room temperature
¼ cup Irish Crème Whiskey, you can substitute any variety
1 tsp Vanilla extract, pure

½ cup chocolate chips reserved for topping
whipped topping

1. Preheat oven to 325˚F
2. Chop pretzels in blender or doubled zip lock bag until very small particles then place into pie plate. Add in brown sugar and melted butter and blend together then press crumb mixture evenly into pie plate.
3. Place into oven and bake for 6 minutes, then remove from oven and set aside.
4. While crust is baking, melt the chocolate until smooth and creamy, make sure not to get any water into the chocolate or it will seize up and get lumpy.
5. Blend vanilla and Irish whiskey into mascarpone, mix until incorporated, and then gradually add in melted chocolate and whisk together until smooth. If you can’t do it by hand then use a hand mixer on low speed until mixture is smooth.
6. Spread the mixture into the still warm piecrust. Press lightly into the plate; this allows the mixture to flow into the crust to bind it to the filling.
7. Sprinkle the ½ cup of chocolate chips onto the top of the pie and place into a fridge and allow hardening for at least 1-2 hours.
8. Slice and serve with whipped topping and enjoy.

Cuisinart Rice Plus™ Multi-Cooker with Fuzzy Logic Technology

I like the Cuisinart Rice Plus™ Multi-Cooker with Fuzzy Logic Technology for one very important reason, it cooks with little guesswork on my part. As a professional chef it’s an easy setup and go cooking method and I really didn’t need to use the directions. I have noticed that a few review said that their rice cooking times seemed very long. On average cooking uncooked long grain or short grain brown rice does take some time. We are accustomed to having pre-done rice or minute rice, and cooking quality, healthy rice is simply not the same.

This is direct from the manufacturer: Cuisinart introduces a smarter way to cook rice…and a lot of other dishes, as well. Introducing the Rice Plus(tm) Multi-Cooker, the first product from Cuisinart with advanced fuzzy logic technology. This built-in “brain” senses fluctuations in cooking and automatically adjusts operation to ensure perfect results. With pre-programmed settings for six types of rice, plus oatmeal, soup, steam, slow cooking, and more – and easy dishwasher cleanup – this is destined to become a favorite.

I’ve used it’s many settings from cooking rice to making bean soup and everything has turned out perfect. I love it for cooking my brown rice. I simply add the rice, fill to the water level on the side based upon rice added and set it for brown rice and it’s done in about 1.5 hrs. Quick cooking is not necessarily the best for you even though it may be the simplest method of getting food to the table. If you want to eat healthy then you need to cook and prepare properly and this little cooker does the job. The interior wipes clean and the bowl for rice is easy to wash and wipe clean and the steaming insert just needs a quick rinse and you are ready to cook again. It doesn’t take up much counter space and I’ve kept it right by the sink to extend the faucet nozzle right into the cooker after adding rice to make the filling process that much simplistic. Lastly the nicest feature is the keep warm setting that allows you to hold the rice in the cooker without overcooking and turning to mush.

I did go back and spend some time on the directions after the initial setup and cooking and I must admit it is confusing and I could see how the common user would really have some difficulty in figuring out the cooking times and buttons. I give this rice cooker four stars for the quality of cooking and ease of setup, cleanup and service it offers but not five stars due to the complexity of the instruction manual. I think the steps and instructions could be written a little clearly and more towards the average consumer.

Just remember that quality cooking is more tan throwing food together it’s spending the time to create and bring out the best in your food. Do spend some time on the instruction manual if you are used to cooking minute of fast rice, because if you simply put rice in to cook 15 minutes before the rest of you meal is complete you will be waiting for your rice to complete the meal.