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Avgolemono is fun to say… January 11, 2017

Filed Under: Uncategorized - Sue Fuirst @ 5:21 pm
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avolemono…and delicious to eat.

avgolemono soup

4 cups chicken broth (preferably homemade)

3 eggs (1 whole and 2 yolks)

1 1/2  cups cooked white rice

scant ¼ cup lemon juice, 1 small fresh lemon

1 cup cooked chicken meat, shredded into small pieces

½ cup cooked, diced carrot

 

In your favorite soup pot, heat chicken broth to a simmer.

 

Using a blender or a small bowl and immersion blender, combine 1 cup of simmering broth in pot, ½ cup rice, lemon juice and eggs and puree.  Stir the blended mixture into simmering chicken broth.  Add remaining rice, cooked chicken and carrots.  Lower heat and cook for a few minutes to thicken. Season with kosher salt and pepper.

 

Serves 4.

 

 

 

Levitt Fuirst Rack of Lamb February 12, 2016

Filed Under: Cassoulet seasoning,Mid-East Peace Mix,rosemary roasting blend,Tandoori spice blend,Uncategorized - Sue Fuirst @ 2:31 pm
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I like lamb.  Maybe that’s why so many of my spice blends are lamb-friendly.

There are generally between 6-8 chops on a rack of lamb so plan accordingly.  Some eaters will be fine with two chops. If you are serving a Ken Fuirst, assume 5+ chops will be consumed.  I like Mark Bittman’s idea to slice down between the bones a bit to make the sides crispy, but don’t slice into the meat.   And don’t “french” the racks – this spoils the fun.

Preheat oven to 500°.  Use a roasting pan large enough to hold the racks of lamb comfortably.

Per rack:
1 Tb olive oil
1 Tb Basics Fuirst Mid-East peace Blend or Tandoori Seasoning
OR
Per Rack:
1 Tb olive oil
2 Tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tb Basics Fuirst Cassoulet Seasoning or Rosemary Roasting Blend

Make a paste by mixing together one of the recipes above.  Rub seasoned paste all over the lamb.  This can be done up to the day before or minutes before. If done in advance, place in fridge. Allow meat to come to room temperature and proceed to next step.

Place prepared racks in roasting pan and place in oven. Immediately lower the temp to 450° and cook for 20-25 minutes.  Using an oven thermometer is helpful here.  130° is a perfect medium rare.  Remove the cooked meat from the oven and let the meat rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

 

Enjoy.

 

 

 

I had this, so I made this. October 28, 2015

Filed Under: Chili seasoning - Sue Fuirst @ 11:40 pm

I ended the day with a large container of 1″ squares of pumpkin corn bread.  Why I have the bread isn’t important here, but it was good and deserved a second life.  I decided to throw it into chili.  So here it is, my new chili recipe.  I hope it’s worthy of the “inherited” pumpkin corn bread.

beef and red bean chili

 2 ½ lbs coarsely ground or diced beef chuck

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, diced

1 jalapeno pepper diced or 1 small green pepper, diced

3 Tb Basics Fuirst Chili Seasoning

1 Tb ground cumin

1-4 ounce can chopped green chilies

1 Tb brown sugar

1 bottle beer

1-28 ounce box chopped tomatoes

2-15 ounce cans red beans, rinsed and drained

Heat a large pot over a medium heat.  Brown chuck until cooked through.  Transfer to a colander to drain off fat. Add onions, peppers and garlic to the pot and cook over medium heat until vegetables are soft. Return return chuck to pot with the vegetables.  Add Basics Fuirst Chili Seasoning and ground cumin.  Stir in brown sugar and green chilies.  Raise heat to high and add bottle of beer and let cook.  Add chopped tomatoes and red beans. Lower heat to a simmer.  Partially cover pot and cook for 1½ – 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with sour cream, grated Monterey jack cheese and, of course, pumpkin corn bread.

 

Viking Village Fish Chowder July 21, 2015

Filed Under: Uncategorized - Sue Fuirst @ 4:43 pm
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fish chowderAs you may or may not know, I have a shellfish allergy.  Well, my food allergies don’t stop at shellfish, but that’s all I’m willing to admit to today.  I’m filled with envy and ugh when guests come to the shore and want clam chowder (you know who you are Liz, Mike, Sammy and Andy).  So, this recipe is for me.  It’s a shellfish-free fish chowder to be made with local Barnegat Light caught fish.

 Viking Village Fish Chowder

4 slices think-cut bacon or 2 Tb olive oil
2 stalks celery, diced
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 bay leaves
Several sprigs of fresh thyme
5 cups fish stock or water
1 lb. red potatoes, cut into 3/4” cubes
1 ½  lbs. haddock, flounder or cod filets, boneless and skinless
1 cup milk
1 cup half and half or heavy cream
Kosher salt or Sea Salt
Black pepper
Paprika or Piment d’Espelette, to taste
Kernels from 2 ears of corns,  garnish

Place a large soup or stock pot over medium heat.  Add bacon slices and cook to render the fat. Remove the bacon when crisp and set aside for later, leaving the fat in the pot.  (Not a treif eater. Forgo the bacon and add 2 Tb olive oil to the pot.)  Add celery onion and garlic . Cook until onions turn translucent and vegetables begin to soften about 10 minutes. Add potatoes thyme and bay leaf and cook for 5 more minutes.

Pour stock into pot with the vegetables and potatoes.  Cover, and simmer over medium heat until tender, about 20 minutes. Add fish filets and cover and simmer for 10 minutes. With fish still in pot, flake fish with tongs.  Stir in milk and cream. Gently heat through – do not boil. Discard bay leaf and thyme stems. Season to taste with salt, pepper and paprika. Ladle into bowls and garnish with corn kernels and crumbled bacon.  Serves 6.

It’s All About the Make-a-Head Bowl July 13, 2015

Filed Under: Chili seasoning - Sue Fuirst @ 12:18 pm
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Mexican bowls are all the rage.  And it’s another great make ahead meal.  All of the individual ingredients (sans avocado) can be cooked or prepped ahead of time and tossed together right before serving.  Makes a great lunch or dinner.

 Mexican Chicken Bowl

2 lbs ground chicken

1 Tb olive oil

1-2  Tb Basics Fuirst Chili Seasoning

1/2 large onion, diced

1 large clove garlic, minced or grated

2 Tb chopped fresh cilantro

1 head lettuce, something with a crunch like iceberg or romaine, cut into 1″ pieces

1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered

1 avocado, diced

1/4 small red onion, diced

1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed

2 ears of cooked corn, kernels cut from the cobb

Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan set over a medium flame. Add onion and garlic and stir.  Add the ground chicken and cook breaking up as it cooks.  Season with Basics Fuirst Chili Seasoning and continue cooking until no longer pink and chicken is cooked through. Can be made to this point and kept in refrigerator for up to 3 days ahead.

Toss everything together and serve.  The mingling of flavors are enough for me, but if you prefer, dress the salad with your favorite dressing.