The How-To

Preheat oven to 500* and line a roasting pan with foil. Lay out your orange slices in the middle of the pan and top them with all but 2 sprigs of rosemary. Open the cavity between the legs and season with salt and pepper; then stuff it with the rest of the rosemary and orange pieces. Close the legs and tie them together with kitchen twine (I use a long twist tie if I can’t find any). Brush the chicken with 1/2 the melted butter, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Lay your bacon over the breast, and set your bird (bacon-breasted side up) on top of the oranges slices and rosemary in the roasting pan.

Place pan in top half of oven and roast for about 25 minutes or until the bacon starts to cook, curl up and fall off. Remove the bacon from the top of the chicken and baste the entire chicken, especially the breast, with the remainder of the melted butter. Return pan to oven and roast another 20-35 minutes (depending on how big your chicken is), or until the thigh juices run clear when you stab it with a knife. I start watching it when the skin on the legs starts to pull away from the ankle(?) joint. Let chicken rest whole on counter for 10-15 minutes before carving. It will continue to cook as it rests, and the juices will redistribute throughout the meat.

If you pull it out, carve it up, and it still looks a little pink, don’t freak out. Just put your pieces back in the same pan, settle them into the juices left over from roasting (keeping them skin-side up), and then put them back in a 350* oven for another 5-10 minutes. Problem solved.

If you’re making my oven fries with this, place the pan of fries on the bottom shelf of the oven when you take the chicken out after the first 25 minutes. When you remove the chick from the oven for good, flip your fries and return the pan to the oven to finish roasting while your chicken cools.

Variations on a Theme

You can stuff the bird with any combo of aromatics you want–garlic, woody-stemmed herbs like thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, citrus; I’ve even topped it with chorizo instead of bacon, just slide it under the skin over the breast.

The How-To

In a heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven, heat oil over med-high heat and gently break up the ground bison or beef (grassfed is the best!) as you drop it in the pot. Season with salt & pepper and saute, stirring a few times for 5 minutes or until browned. Stir in the onion, peppers, eggplant and garlic; then add the chili powder and cumin, and stir to coat the whole mixture in the spices.

Pour the tomatoes and their juices into a separate mixing bowl, take off any rings you may have on, and crush the tomatoes into bits by hand. Dump the goop into the chili mixture along with your (rinsed and drained) black beans and bay leaves, and 1/2 c. water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook over low heat for at least an hour, and up to several hours, though you may need to give it a beer to keep it happy that long, or it will dry out. Top with organic sour cream (it’s so much creamier than regular!), chopped green onions and shredded cheese, and serve with corn bread.

If the chili is too spicy, toss in that small quartered potato and cook for another 30 minutes. The starches in the potato will absorb any unwanted heat. The longer it’s in the pot, the more it will absorb. If it’s not spicy enough, sprinkle in some cayenne pepper. Stir, wait 5 minutes and then taste again.

Variations on a Theme

You can pretty much use any peppers you like. Lord knows we Texans are finicky about what goes in our chili and every one of us has his/her own take on the State dish. It just so happens that we get tons of variety of peppers in our CSA box and I use a handful of paprika peppers, banana peppers, red, yellow, green and purple bells, along with jalapenos. I wrote the recipe, however, based on the assumption that not everyone has access to fresh seasonal organic veggies from Hairston Creek Farm, and I tried to standardize it based on what I can get year-round at my HEB. If you do want access to aforementioned deliciousness, check your local farmer’s market or go to www.localharvest.org to find the nearest CSA and do yourself a favor and sign up.

A note on picking out chili peppers: generally, the curlier the stem, the hotter the pepper. For those sneaky ones that turn out 5 times hotter than the others, refer to the potato rescue technique above.

When it comes to chopping potentially spicy peppers, I usually core them, spoon out the seeds and chop them quickly, being careful to wash my hands immediately afterwards. You can also pulse the cored and seeded flesh a few times in the food processor (or dust off that shredder attachment and chop all your veggies for this recipe in one step) if you don’t want to deal with it.

Oh, and for all you vegan-tarians out there, you can always add more beans and veggies and leave out the bison or beef. Seriously, though, you should eat some meat.

The Set-Up

Yup, you read correctly. This gem of a joint serves up sustainable, locally sourced gourmet burgers, tacos, salads, etc. with a side of carwash and laundromat. There’s a bar out back pouring local brews and vino, and a stage for evening entertainment. Place your order at the counter up front by the laundromat, then seat yourself inside at the long string of tables or outside in the shade. It was 102*, and we opted for air conditioning.

The Meal

As we were following the suggestion of the lamb rancher, himself, I ordered the cumin-scented lamb burger on ciabatta with sweet potato fries, and Trent opted for the bison burger with fries and a Rio Blanco Pale Ale. We halved and shared. Unscripted, we both took a bite and grunted through a mouthfull of food, “Oh my god.” And then we scarfed with abandon. Totally sated and in a foodie stupor, we tried to figure out how often we could reasonably pull off the hour and a half drive from our house back to The Cove on a regular basis.

Anyone up for a burger trip to San Antonio? Feel free to pack a laudry bag. This place is super family friendly: beer for Dad, playscape for Junior, and junk food you can feel good about eating.

The Cove
606 W. Cypress
San Antonio, TX
210-227-2683

The How-To

In a bowl, combine the chopped red onion, lime juice, cilantro and jalapeno (if you’re using one). Set aside. The longer the onions sit in the lime juice, the more mellow they become. Halve your avocados and remove pits. Scoop out the silky green flesh with a spoon and add to the bowl. Season with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper and mash it up a bit with a fork. DO NOT WHIP OR STIR GUACAMOLE. If you do, it will go all runny and disgusting. It should remain chunky. Check seasonings and adjust to your taste. Gently fold in chopped tomatoes and serve with your favorite tortilla chips. I like the Central Market Organics version with Soy and flaxseed. The texture is perfect for chunky dips like this, they are in no way greasy, and they have a nice toasty sweet flavor.

This can sit in the fridge or on the counter for a few hours before your guests arrive, but only if covered with plastic wrap directly touching the guacamole; otherwise, it will oxidize and turn brown. Makes enough for 3-4 for light snacking. For a crowd of 10 or so, I usually triple the recipe.

Variations on a Theme

Feel free to leave out any elements if you’re not a fan. This is just a good jumping off point–make it your own. I usually leave the jalapeno out if serving the parents, but my Aunt Norma (from Veracruz) is fearless with jalapenos in her guacamole, and I can’t get enough of it. Let it also be noted that she uses white onions. FYI.

If, for some ridiculous reason you do have leftovers, just roll guacamole in warmed tortillas, top with cheese, and pop it under the broiler in your oven for super-quick and healthy guacamole enchiladas.

If you’re grilling anyway, add the onion, jalapeno and lime halves to the fire for a smokier version.

For a quick salad, chop everything roughly and gently toss instead of mashing. Add grilled chicken/shrimp/steak for an instant meal.

Notes

I find the best way to juice citrus withouth having to purchase an actual “juicer” is to slice it in half ’round the middle, stick a fork in each end and twist. It will give more juice if you roll in on the counter first, pressing with the heel of your palm.

Having trouble picking out a good avocado? Welcome to the club. They say that avocados should be firm, but yielding to a gentle touch. Confusing right? My trick is to find the little nub where the stem was attatched and feel around it. If it gives a little, you’re golden. If it feels like there’s an air pocket, it’s past its prime. If you’re not going to make the guacamole the same day you hit the grocery, buy some that are a little firmer, and leave them on the counter at room temp to ripen in the meantime.

On tomatoes: they only get mealy and mushy and flavorless in the fridge. Same scientific principle as putting a banana in the freezer. Leave them on the counter. They’ll be fine–the riper, the better.

The How-To

Preheat oven to 400*. Cut squash and zucchini into approximate 1/2″ slices or chunks and set aside in a bowl. In a large saute pan over med-high heat, drizzle 2-3 T olive oil. When the oil is hot (barely smokes), add in 1/4 of your squash/zucchini (eggplant, peppers, whatever you have), sprinkle with salt and pepper and saute 2-3 minutes until seared on outside but still a bit firm. Deposit in 9 X 11 baking dish. Repeat in batches until all of the squash/zucchini are cooked. If you throw them all in at once, they’ll stew instead of saute, and you get a different texture.

After the last batch of squash/zucchini, drizzle the pan again with 2-3 T olive oil, add the onion and garlic, and saute for about 4 minutes, stirring to prevent garlic from burning (it’ll turn bitter). When onions are soft, stir in tomato pieces, thyme, basil and red pepper flakes. Simmer for 10 minutes or so, until tomatoes give up their juices and form a sauce. You can help it a long a bit by mushing tomatoes with the end of your wooden spoon.

Pour tomato sauce over cooked squash/zucchini in baking dish, mix together and bake for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, drizzle sourdough slices with olive oil, salt & pepper, or sprinkle with your favorite cheese and place slices on top of ratatouille. Turn oven to broil, return bread-topped dish to oven and broil until the bread is toasted and/or cheese is melted. Cool a few minutes before serving. This should feed 8 as a side dish or 4 as hearty, inexpensive, mouthwatering entree.

Variations on a Theme

This works well with any combination of zucchini, squash, eggplant, and red/yellow bell peppers. I’ve been getting Flying Saucer Squash in my CSA box recently, and they’re delicious!

For those of you (mostly boys) who demand meat with dinner, this goes great with any grilled meats, roasted chicken, or, my personal favorite, topped with 2 fried eggs!

No sourdough? Just serve it with some cornbread instead, which makes a fabulous sponge for soaking up tomato juices.

You can also halve the recipe if cooking only for 2, just use a smaller baking dish.

The How-To

Preheat oven to 350*. Beat oil and sugar together, then add egg and milk. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, spices, and flaxseed. With beaters or stand mixer on low speed, mix dry ingredients, a 1/2 cup at a time, into the wet ingredients. If batter seems dry, add an additional tablespoon of milk at a time until all the dry ingredients are incorporated and batter is still moist but thick. Fold in shredded zucchini and chopped nuts.

Pour into greased and floured (or parchment-lined) 8 x 4 x 2 inch loaf pan, 3 mini loaf pans or a dozen muffin tins. With the full-sized loaf pan, this will probably take about 50 mins to an hour, with mini-loaf pan about 35 mins, and with muffins probably around 20-25 mins. The standard for determining doneness is the toothpick test: insert a toothpick into the center of your bread/muffin/cake/what-have-you, and if it comes out clean, your baked goods are done. Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes or so. Serve warm or let it cool COMPLETELY before storing, otherwise it will steam in the bag and the outside will go all gooey.

Variations on a Theme

This morphs into Pumpkin or Butternut Squash Bread with 1 cup or so freshly shredded pumpkin or butternut squash in the fall in lieu of zucchini. Just make sure to remove the skin/rind and seeds before shredding (which is most easily done with the shredding attachment on your food processor).

Notes

At my grocery store, ground flaxseed is found near the vitamins or often next to the gluten-free baking and pancake mixes. When in doubt, just ask. It adds such a richness to the bread that it’s well worth locating. If it’s not already ground, just give it a whir in the food processor.

PS: This is a “bathing suit friendly” recipe, if you get my drift. Just don’t advertise it. Your guests will never know.

The How-To

Line a roasting pan with foil, and mix the dry mustard, salt, sugar, pepper, paprika and garlic powder together in a bowl to form your dry rub. Thoroughly coat your pork butt with ALL of the dry rub, massaging it into all of the creases, etc., and let it sit (covered) in the fridge for at least one hour, at most over night.

Preheat oven to 300*. Place your butt fat-side up on a rack over your foil-lined roasting pan, and pour the juice or water into the bottom of the pan. We don’t want the pork butt sitting in liquid. Cover with foil (may take two overlapping sheets) and place in the center of the oven for about 1 HOUR PER POUND. 6.5 lb roast = 6.5 hours in the oven. I always check on things about an hour or so before I expect it to be done. When done, the meat should EASILY pull away from the roast. If you try to pick it up, the bone should slide out. If you’re not sure, err on the side of caution and give it more time. When it’s done, let it cool at least 30 minutes while you make your sauce.

In a saucepan or pot over medium heat, whisk the cider vinegar, ketchup, mustard, and spices. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, taste and adjust seasonings. This is a Carolina-ish BBQ and should be vinegar-heavy to counter the richness of the pork. If it’s too acidic for your taste, just add in some apple juice/cider or some of the juices from the bottom of the roasting pan. This isn’t the molassesy sugar-and-tomato-fest to which most of us are accustomed.

Ladel out a few cups of sauce into a large mixing bowl or baking dish. Remove foil from roast, and take off the top layer of fat from the butt and discard. With two forks, just pull the meat apart and shred it into the bowl or dish of sauce, discarding any visible fat pockets or membranes. Toss with sauce to keep the pork just moist, and let people add more sauce if they desire. Serve on wheat buns with cole slaw ON the sandwich. A 6.5 lb. roast feeds 10 hungry men.

Variations on a Theme

I accidentally grabbed pear juice instead of apple once, and it turned out quite nicely.

Fried Egg BLTs with Avocado

Start by cooking the slices of bacon until crisp, whether a la frying pan, the conventional method, or I’ve been known to lay the slices in one layer on a baking sheet and bake at 400* for about 25 minutes, or until crisp (thank you, Ina Garten, for that tip). Whatever floats your boat. Once cooled, you’ll need to snap your slices in half to fit muffin size. Dice and drain your tomatoes & set aside. Peel and slice avocados.

Fry eggs over easy in a medium-hot nonstick skillet, cooking the white but leaving the yolk soft and dribbly. Be sure to season with salt and pepper while frying the first side. Toast English muffins in the oven under the broiler (don’t take your eyes off of them or they’ll burn). Assemble BLTs thusly: spinach or arugula, egg over that (so that when you bite into the sandwich the yolk oozes down over the greens like dressing), and top egg with the four 1/2 slices bacon, avocado, tomatoes and the other muffin half. Serve immediately and enjoy! Makes 6 BLTs.

Chocolate Croissants

Preheat oven to 425*. Gently unfold thawed puff pastry sheet and dust on both sides with a tablespoon or so of flour; roll out to an approximate square shape. With a sharp knife, cut pastry into 4 squares, and cut each square into two triangles, for a total of 8 triangles.

Place 1/2 ounce or so of chocolate along the longest edge of each triangle. Roll that long side of pastry over the chocolate towards the opposite point. Pinch the ends to seal in the chocolate and curve them inward to form the shape of a crescent. Repeat with the rest of your pastry triangles, and move them to a parchment or Silpat-lined baking sheet, giving them plenty of room to rise.

Whisk egg with 1 T water and brush the egg wash over the croissants thoroughly, sprinkle with sugar, and bake at 425* for 15-20 minutes or until pastry is lusciously dark golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Makes 8 croissants.

Laloo’s Mimosas

Pour enough champagne into a pretty glass to almost look like enough. Add an ounce or so of juice–just to change the color.

Steak House Blue Cheese

Typically served on a wedge of iceberg lettuce with tomatoes and freshly ground pepper, this super-creamy blue cheese dressing is not for the faint of heart. If the mention of blue cheese conjures a less than savory gag reflex, just stick with the homemade ranch and the avocado citrus dressings below.

In a medium sized bowl or small blender, mix all ingredients except blue cheese. Add the cheese in a bit at a time, as it can be pretty strong. Adjust seasonings to taste.

2 T Sour cream
2 T Low-Fat Mayo (no miracles)
1-2 large lemons, juiced
1 T chopped fresh chives
3 pinches kosher salt
20 grinds fresh black pepper
1 t. (1 oz) blue cheese or more if you like

Homemade Ranch

Way better than the bottled business, this ranch dressing is best if chilled for half an hour first. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can always add a seeded and chopped jalapeno or serrano chile. This works great as a dip on a veggie tray or on your typical side salad.

Blend all ingredients together in a bowl or blender. Adjust seasonings to taste.

2 T Sour Cream
2 T Low-Fat Mayo
2 T Buttermilk
1-2 large lemons, juiced
2 T chopped fresh chives
1 clove fresh garlic, pressed, minced or whatever as long as it’s obliterated
3 pinches kosher salt
20 grinds fresh black pepper

Avocado Citrus

Trent loves this dressing with grilled chicken, sliced avocado, tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, and fresh roasted corn.

In a mini blender, blitz the following ingrediends and adjust seasonings to taste. If you don’t have a smaller blender/processor, you can just mash it all up in a bowl together.

1/2 avocado, diced
1 T sour cream
2-3 limes, juiced
1-2 T chopped fresh cilantro
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Notes

Green onions (AKA scallions) are delicious, but they are not chives. Chives are herbs, and usually found in a pot on my front porch or in little plastic packages in the refridgerated section of the grocery store. Can’t find? Ask the grocery guys. Or just use fresh parsley instead.

Also, garlic should NEVER come from a jar. The freshest garlic is still a little purple on the outside and should never give when you press on it. If you hate peeling it, there’s usually a plastic tub of whole, peeled cloves next to the herbs in the produce section of my HEB. You’re better off leaving it out entirely than using that ridiculous jarred junk.

The How-To

Peel, quarter and slice your onions. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven, melt the butter in the oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, pinch of salt and pepper, coating everything with butter/oil as much as possible. Turn heat up to med-high and cook, stirring often, for 30 minutes until onions are super soft and golden. Again, stir often.

Once onions are caramelized, add in your red wine, bring to a boil, and reduce until onions are purple with little to no liquid in the pot. Take this opportunity to break up any large, long or stringy onion pieces with your wooden spoon or whatnot. Stir in flour and cook a few minutes to get rid of the flour-y flavor. Pour in stock, add cayenne (at least 1/8 tsp., which you won’t be able to taste, 1/4 tsp. if you don’t mind a bit of warmth, and 1/2 tsp. or more if you’re feeling adventurous). Stir well to incorporate flour into stock, and simmer for 15 minutes until broth is thickened to a silky texture.

Heat oven to Broil. Arrange bread slices on baking sheet, top with cheese and few grinds of pepper, and toast in the oven until cheese is melted and bubbly. Discard bay leaves, ladel soup into bowls, and float cheesy croutons on top.

Notes

You can certainly make this when 1015s are not in season, just use 2.5 lbs regular yellow onions. I highly recommend Veldhuizen gruyere, paragon, or Texas star raw milk cheeses.