Favorite Recipes: Steak And Onions ... And Risotto?

Not a big steak eater, occasionally I like a good cut of meat like Prime Rib, London Broil, Filet Mignon, or a nice T-Bone in this case. This is a simple one folks ...

Recipe:

1 - 1 to 1 1/4 Pound T-Bone Steaks (Marbled)

1 1/2 - Medium Yellow Onions

2 Tbsp Butter

1 Tbsp Seasoned/Seasoning Salt

1 Tsp Pepper

1 Tsp Garlic Powder

1 Tsp Onion Powder

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVO)
1 1/2 Tbsp Canola Oil

Let the steaks rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Rub the steaks with EVO, topping with half the seasoning salt, garlic and onion powders, and fresh ground pepper. Flip the steaks and repeat, leaving a pinch or two of salt for the onions.

Heat a large (15") cast iron skillet over high heat, adding the canola oil once hot. Spread the oil, coating the bottom of the skillet. Turn the oven on to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Add the steaks to the skillet, frying on medium-high for four minutes on each side, flipping every two minutes (three times) and sliding around the bottom of the skillet to soak up the juices and extra spices. Once well browned, place the skillet in the pre-heated oven for:

0 Minute - Rare
3 Minutes -  Medium Rare
6 Minutes - Medium
9 Minutes - Medium Well
12 Minutes - Well Done

Remove from the oven, place the steaks on a plate or cutting board and let rest. Add the butter to the skillet and let melt on high heat. Add the sliced onions to the skillet with the rest of the seasoning salt and brown on medium heat until soft and tender, not burnt.

Normally I make my own risotto, but I will not tell a lie. I was tired and lazy, so I opened a bag of Trader Joe's Mushroom Risotto on this occasion and followed directions, adding 1 Tbsp of grated parmesan before serving. Hey, it's actually pretty damn good!

Slice the steak off the bone into two to three pieces. The small side of the T-bone is called "filet mignon" by the way. Cut the hunks o' meat against the grain into 1/2 inch slices, place on a large plate, top with grilled onions and add a scoop of risotto on the side. Serve and ...

Mangia e stati zitto ... Shut up and eat!

CombatCritic

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Title: Favorite Recipes: Steak And Onions ... And Risotto?

Key Words: CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, recipe, recipes, favorite, world, famous, Steak And Onions And Risotto, steak, onions, risotto, T-bone, grilled, menu, Yelp, Trader Joe's

Copyright 2018 - 3rd Wave Media Group, LLC and CombatCritic - All Rights Reserved

Favorite Recipes: CombatCritic's World Famous Stuffed Artichokes Napolitana

This is my Grandma Sorrentino's stuffed artichoke recipe. My mom and Aunt Mary used to make these for me on special occasions because they were my favorite dish.

Recipe:

2 Large Artichokes

4 Cups Bread Crumbs

4 Extra Large Eggs

1/2 Cup Chopped Parsley

1/2 Cup Diced Italian Salami

1 Tbsp Salt

1 Tsp Pepper

2 Cloves Chopped Garlic

1 Tsp Dried Oregano

1 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 Cup Grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese (parmesan will also work)

Mix the breadcrumbs, parsley, salami, salt, pepper, garlic, oregano and Parmigiano Reggiano in a large bowl, mixing thoroughly. Add the eggs (dont forget to crack them first) and 1/2 cup of the EVO, then stir until the entire mixture is moist (add extra egg, EVO or a little water if necessary).

Cut off the sharp tips of artichoke leaves and wash the artichokes. Stuff every leaf, filling the center (heart) as well.

Place a vegetable steamer in a large pot with just enough water so that it's just above the steamer bottom, bringing the water to a boil. Place the stuffed artichokes in the pot, drizzle with EVO, cover and steam for an hour and a half or until you can pull the leaves out easily.

Place the artichoke in a large dish (one each) and serve. Pull the leaves off with the stuffing attached, hold the leaf, place in your mouth and pull with teeth closed so that the stuffing and artichoke stay in your mouth, leaving only the outer part of the leaf. Toss the spent leaves in a large bowl.

Mangia e stati zitto ... Shut up and eat!

CombatCritic

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Title: Favorite Recipes: CombatCritic's World Famous Stuffed Artichokes Napolitana

Key Words: CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, recipe, recipes, favorite, world, famous, artichoke, Napolitana, stuffed, artichokes, salami, breadcrumbs, salame, menu, Yelp, Zomato

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My Favorite Recipes: Yum ... Healthy And Tasty Low-Fat, Low-Calorie (Vegan) Baked Tortilla Chips

Do you love chips and salsa, but hate the fat and calories that come from frying? Well, my low-fat, low-calorie baked tortilla chips are tasty, crispy, and perfect for homemade guacamole, salsa and pico de gallo dipping.

Ingredients:

24 Corn Tortillas (white or yellow corn - I prefer white)
1 Can Pam (olive oil or other monounsaturated fat spray)
1 Tbsp Sea Salt

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
• Cut tortillas in half, quarters, or eighths (your preference)
• Spread cut tortillas evenly on large flat baking tray or pizza sheet, making sure not to overlap tortillas
• Spray tortillas lightly with Pam or other healthy cooking spray
• Sprinkle sea salt over tortillas
• Place in oven for 25-30 minutes, turning the tray/sheet 180 degrees halfway through to ensure even browning
• Keep an eye on the chips, ensuring they are completely browned, but not burnt (chips not totally browned will be soft and chewy, not crispy)
• Remove from oven, cool for 5 minutes, and enjoy by dipping in my world famous Gnarly Guacamole recipe!

"Phonetic spelling of the acronym HUA, which stands for 'Heard Understood Acknowledged.' Originally used by the British in the late 1800's in Afghanistan. More recently adopted by the United States Army to indicate an affirmative or a pleased response." - Urban Dictionary

"The Department of Military Science and Leadership, University of Tennessee claim HOOAH 'refers to or means anything except no' ... Regardless of its meaning ... the term is an expression of high morale, confidence, motivation and spirit." - WarChronicle.com

"The U.S. Air Force stole 'HOOAH' from the Army because we were part of the Army until 1947 and rather than waste a bunch of time coming up with something new and unique, we said 'fuck it, let's go with HOOAH' ... thanks Army ... HOOAH! - CombatCritic

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Title: My Favorite Recipes: Yum ... Healthy And Tasty Low-Fat, Low-Calorie (Vegan) Baked Tortilla Chips

Key Words: CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, favorite, recipe, tortilla chips, tortilla, chip, salsa, guacamole, baked, low-fat, calorie, healthy, health, low, cholesterol

CombatCritic's Favorito Recipes: Great Chili Rellenos ... Olè!

Ingredients:

Rellenos

4 Large Poblano Chiles
1 Pound Queso Fresco (Cheese)
Toothpicks
3 Eggs
1 Tablespoon Flour
1 Cup Oil

Tomato sauce

4 Medium Roma Tomatoes (Halved)
1 Cup Water
2 Garlic Cloves (Peeled and Chopped)
1 Tablespoon Chicken broth powder
1/4 cup oil
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon chopped oregano leaves

Directions:

Rellenos

1. Heat grill to medium.
2. Grill and char the chiles on both sides. 
3. Once blackened put in a plastic bag for 10 minutes to sweat out moisture. 
4. Remove from bag, slit down the middle, and remove seeds. 
5. Stuff peppers with the queso fresco and use toothpicks to hold together.
6. Separate egg yolks from the whites. 
7. Add egg whites to a large bowl, reserving the egg yolks.
8. Beat egg whites with electric beater until fluffy. 
9. Add flour and egg yolks, mixing thoroughly.
10. Add oil to a frying pan (medium heat). 
11. Dip the stuffed peppers into the batter and fry until golden brown on both sides. 
12. Remove from oil and place on serving platter.

Tomato Sauce

1. Add tomatoes and water to small pot (medium heat).
2. Simmer until soft, stirring in garlic and chicken broth powder.
3. Add the 1/4 cup oil to a frying pan (low heat)
4. Stir in flour to make roux (flour and fat) mixture. 
5. Cook the until browned, then add tomato sauce. 
6. Simmer for 5 minutes, then add oregano.
7. Pour tomato sauce over chile rellenos on serving platter.
8. Eat!

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Title: CombatCritic's Favorito Recipes: Great Chili Rellenos ... Olè!

Key Words: Chili Relleno, chili, relleno, rellenos, recipe, Poblano, pepper, Mexican, Mexico, Spanish, food, recipes, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, review, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog

CombatCritic's Favorite Recipes: "Gnarly" Guacamole

4 Ripe (dark and soft, but not too soft, to the touch) Medium  or Large Hass Avocados

1 Teaspoon Diced Garlic (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)

1 Tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice

1 Teaspoon Sea Salt (to taste)

1/2 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1/4 Cup Minced White Onion

1/8 Cup Fresh Chopped Cilantro (or 1 tablespoon dried cilantro)

Remove the avocados from their skin by cutting them in half, removing the seed, and scraping the contents into a large bowl with a tablespoon.  Smash the avocados with a mashed potato masher until all large chunks are well smooshed.  Add the garlic, lime juice, salt, pepper, onion, and cilantro to the bowl and stir well, ensuring all ingredients are thoroughly distributed (the lime will keep the avocado from turning black too quickly from oxidation - lemon juice can be substituted depending on your taste).

Serve with fresh baked chips (cut corn tortillas in half, distribute evenly across a baking sheet, spray with Pam or other cooking spray, coat with salt, and bake at 325 for 25 to 30 minutes - until brown and crispy) and salsa and/or pico de gallo.

HINTS TO QUICKLY RIPEN AVOCADOS: If you cannot find ripe avocados and do not want to wait until ripe, placing them in a brown paper bag at room temperature will hasten ripening in a day or two. If in a huge rush, place unripe avocados in a 200° (F) oven for 10 minutes, moving directly to the refrigerator for 10 minutes. The formerly firm avocados should then be soft and ready to mash for your guac fix.

Buon Appetito!

CombatCritic

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Title: CombatCritic's "Gnarly" Guacamole Recipe

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CombatCritic's Favorite Recipes: Stupendo Spaghetti Bolognese

Ingredients: 

1 lb Ground Organic Grass-Fed Beef

6 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

1 Medium Organic Onion - Finely Chopped

1 Medium Organic Carrot - Finely Chopped

2 Oraganic Celery Stalks - Finely Chopped

1 1/2 Cups Organic Beef Stock

1/2 Cup White Wine

1/2 Cup Pomi Tomato Sauce

1/2 Cup Organic Milk 

Salt and Black Ground Pepper
1/2 Cup Parmigiano Reggiano - Grated
1 lb Spaghetti

Directions:

Saute the onion, carrot, and celery in a 6 quart stock pot or Dutch oven using half of the EVOO until soft, not burnt. Add the ground beef and mash with a potato masher or fork, adding salt and pepper and cooking until browned (no pink).

Add the beef stock, wine and tomato sauce, bringing to a boil then reducing to a simmer (low heat) for 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Boil enough water in a tall 16 quart pot so that the spaghetti, when added, is completely submerged, adding a teaspoon of salt and some EVOO. Add the spaghetti once the water comes to a full boil, following the package cooking directions and tasting until spaghetti is "al dente" (a bit firm, not chewy and not mushy).

Five minutes before spaghetti is done, add the milk (no cream) to the sauce and continue simmering. Drain the spaghetti when done, ensuring no excess water remains. Return the spaghetti to the 16 court pot, pouring all of the sauce over the spaghetti and tossing until the spaghetti is well coated with sauce. Add half of the parmigiano (parmesan cheese) to the pasta and continue to toss until well mixed.

Serve immediately and sprinkle additional grated cheese to individual taste.

Serves 4-6

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Title: CombatCritic's Favorite Recipes: Spaghetti Bolognese

Key Words: Bologna, Bolognese, parmigiano, pasta, Reggiano, spaghetti, recipe, favorite, Pomi, tomato, sauce, Italian, Italy, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, review, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog

CombatCritic's Favorite Recipes: Awesome Air Force Chicken Piccata

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts pounded thin 

• Salt 

• Pepper 

• 1 cup all purpose flour 

• 4-5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

• 4 tablespoons butter 

• 1 lemon 

• 4 cloves finely chopped garlic 

• 3 tablespoons capers 

• 1/4 cup white wine 

• 1/2 cup chicken stock 

• 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

Preparation

• Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. 

• Season the chicken with salt and pepper, dredging in the flour and set aside.  

• Cut the lemon into slices.  

• Heat two to three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in the skillet. Cook the chicken, browning lightly on each side and adding more oil as necessary. Transfer the chicken to a warm plate and cover with aluminum foil.  

• Add the butter to the skillet to melt, then add the lemon slices until lightly brown. Stir in the garlic for about a minute, adding the capers before deglazing the pan with the wine. Add the chicken stock and parsley.  

• Return the chicken to the pan and lightly baste with sauce.  

• Remove the chicken, putting it on a warm platter and using the lemon slices for garnish before adding the remaining sauce.  

• Serve with warm, crusty bread and mashed potatoes.

Serves 4 People

"Phonetic spelling of the acronym HUA, which stands for 'Heard Understood Acknowledged.' Originally used by the British in the late 1800's in Afghanistan. More recently adopted by the United States Army to indicate an affirmative or a pleased response." - Urban Dictionary

"The Department of Military Science and Leadership, University of Tennessee claim HOOAH 'refers to or means anything except no' ... Regardless of its meaning ... the term is an expression of high morale, confidence, motivation and spirit." - WarChronicle.com

"The U.S. Air Force stole 'HOOAH' from the Army because we were part of the Army until 1947 and rather than waste a bunch of time coming up with something new and unique, we said 'fuck it, let's go with HOOAH' ... thanks Army ... HOOAH! - CombatCritic

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Title: CombatCritic's Awesome Air Force Chicken Piccata Recipe

Key Words: chicken piccata, chicken, piccata, recipe, wine, garlic, capers, sauce, lemon, extra virgin olive oil, extra, virgin, olive, oil, butter, parsley, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, menu, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor

Translation for Civilians: 

CombatCritic's Favorite Recipes: Anatomy Of A Perfect Taco

Dear Mexican Restaurants (particularly those in Lawrence, Kansas),

Photo #1 - Taco - Side View

Tacos are not meant to be served in pre-fabricated corn shells as is the case in every Mexican restaurant in Lawrence, Kansas and across the country for that matter. A perfect taco starts with a handmade corn tortilla filled with cooked/seasoned meat (beef, chicken, pork), sealed with toothpicks (note the toothpick holes in photo #1), and deep fried to crispy golden goodness. Shredded beef is the preferred meat filling, but ground beef will suffice in most cases if seasoned well.

After frying, the toothpicks are removed from the piping hot taco shell and cheese, fresh lettuce, and tomato are stuffed inside. The best tacos I ever ate were in California, prepared like this, with thin slices of fresh avocado added (guacamole can be substituted) before serving. There should only be enough room for some fresh, homemade salsa before the first bite is taken. The shell should be crisp enough so that you get the signature taco crunch as you take a bite, yet soft enough so that it does not fall apart as you inhale, I mean eat, the entire taco.

Taco - Top View

These tacos are from Rancho Grande Cantina in Parkville, Missouri and are as close to perfect as I have found in the Midwest (minus the requisite tomato and avocado). Take note amigos and LET'S STAMP OUT PRE-FAB TACO SHELLS IN OUR LIFETIME!

Key Words: taco, tacos, shell, tortilla, corn, meat, beef, recipe, menu, beef, pork, chicken, cheese, lettuce, tomato, pico di gallo, avocado, guacamole, CombatCritic, TravelValue