Tag: #list4

Dawson’s Favorite Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

It’s a great day for all of us when Jill makes these amazing muffins for Dawson. There are two uses for old bananas in our house. Most of them get peeled and put in the freezer to use in a smoothie. But some of them, the lucky ones, live to a ripe old age, and get privilege, nay, the honor, of being the start of Dawson’s favorite Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins. Old bananas, we salute you!

Ingredients

3 Ripe Bananas
⅓ cup Butter, Melted
1 tsp Baking Soda
¼ tsp Salt
½ cup White Granulated Sugar
1 Egg, Beaten
1.50 cups All Purpose Flour
½ cup Chocolate Chips (More does’t hurt – make it a rounded 1/2 cup!)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 (I prefer 325 convection), and spray muffin pan with oil.

Melt butter in Microwave. Let it cool for a minute or two.

Add bananas to the buttery goodness.

Mash until smooth.

Mix in baking powder, vanilla, beaten egg, and salt.

Stir in sugar and flour.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Using a spoon, get enough batter to make them 2/3 to 3/4 full (12 muffin cups sort of evenly), and scrape into muffin pan with small spatula.

They are ready to go into the oven!

Bake for 20 minutes at 350 (or 325 Convection), take out when it looks perfect and a butter knife comes out clean!

Tomahawk Steaks

I had been eyeing the Tomahawk Steaks at our local grocery store for sometime. They were the showcase feature of the butcher’s display case. A few years ago (when Dawson was just 14), I decided it was time and invited our friends Steve and Karen – great cooks themselves – over to enjoy. Steve, who burns about 17,000 calories a day biking all over the Santa Monica Mountains, thinks that one of these is just about a perfect serving size!

These super big and super thick steaks are quite a show and really fun to cook, serve, and eat! Cooked low and slow, then seared at the end, they are super tender and just amazing.

Ingredients

1 Tomahawk Ribeye Steaks – With the bone, they weigh about 3 pounds. Serves 2 to 3.
Soy Sauce
Montreal Steak Seasoning

Directions

You may need to ask your butcher for these. These were choice grade (fantastic), and I got them from Pavilions. I have heard they can be found sometimes at Costco.

Try to stop your son from playing with the food. Another parenting failure on my part.

I only use two seasonings on steak: soy sauce and Montreal Steak Seasoning. I went heavy on the Montreal. Please let this sit with the spices for at least 30 minutes. You can go up to 12 hours. Letting the salt do its magic is worth the time.

The key with these steaks is that they are almost roasts. They are almost 3″ thick. I think the best way to cook them is to use low, indirect heat (250 degrees) for an hour or so until they reach the desired temp. Then sear them to get a crust and make them look beautiful. My indirect heat source is our course my Big Green Egg, but Traegers are wonderful too. If you are using the cool side of the grill, make sure to rotate the steak every 20 minutes or so.

I am using my new Thermopro probes in there to monitor the temp. I’ll take them off when they hit 128.

I used a small amount of pecan wood for a hint of smoke flavor. Don’t over do it!

Turn them over once during the cook.

Take them out of the Big Green Egg/Oven when they hit your desired temp, and let sit for 10 minutes.

Prepare a high heat grill, and sear each side for 1 to 2 minutes. You’re just looking for a beautiful seared finish here. Turn the steaks 90 degrees halfway through to cross hatch it.

Plate it up!

Serve it up!

Lemon Chicken

This is another recipe I grew up with. I remember watching Mom make it all in the pan, and it was soft and buttery chicken that was filling and wonderful.   She would serve it with her brown rice recipe, making quite a meal. I was a pretty lucky kid. This is now my son Dawson’s favorite chicken recipe.  He asks for it when he has friends over for dinner!  I could not ask for higher praise!

Ingredients

1 cup White Flour
2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Black Pepper
2 tbsp Italian Seasoning
2 lbs Boneless chicken breasts or cutlets
2 cups Chicken Broth
3 Lemons, quartered
Olive Oil and Butter
2 tbsp Parsley

Directions

Sprinkle salt and pepper, or seasoned salt, on the chicken as you prepare everything else. This dry brining time makes a difference every time you cook chicken. It’s better with 5 minutes of it, and way better with an hour or more.

Mix Flour, Salt, Pepper and Italian Seasoning.

Take chicken pieces and roll in flour mixture.

Heat large skillet, add 2 Tbsp Butter and 2 Tbsp Olive Oil. Add chicken to hot oil/butter. Saute until brown on each side – about 5 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside.

Deglaze pan by adding all broth and stirring, scraping all chicken pieces off the bottom. Heat the mixture.

Return chicken to the hot broth. Squeeze 6 quarters of lemon juice into it. Leave some of the rinds in there – they add to the flavor and make the dish look way better. Sprinkle with parsley. Simmer. Turn every 5 minutes.

The chicken is ready when the chicken reaches 165 degrees. Use a Thermapen or other meat thermometer.

Take the chicken out. If you want to thicken the broth, take out a cup and mix in 1 Tbsp of Corn Starch, mix well and return to broth.

Serve the chicken on a plate, spoon some broth over it, and squeeze a little more lemon on it. Dawson likes to have it with a “sidecar” of the thickened broth.

Gramma Sue’s Rice Pudding

Every time my son Ryan (born in 1990!) goes to Gramma Sue’s house, or whenever she visits us, the first order of business for her is to make Rice Pudding for Ryan. Now Dawson is in on it too. It’s a great tradition, and a fantastic dessert. Also, it’s a superb breakfast reheated. Serve it whipped cream and you’ll be pretty darn happy.

Ingredients

1.75 cups Water
2 cups Whole Milk
½ cup Converted RiceI am going to try this recipe with some jasmine rice, as I don't have converted rice around the house.
2 Eggs, beaten
½ tsp Salt
⅓ cup Sugar
¼ cup Raisins (more or less, to taste)
1 tsp Vanilla
Cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

On the stove, bring water to boil; stir in rice and salt. Cover and simmer 30 minutes until water is absorbed.

Add milk and boil gently, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.

Combine eggs, sugar and vanilla in bowl. Gradually stir into rice mixture; mix well.

Pour into a greased 1-1/2 qt. (3 qt., if doubled) casserole. Stir in raisins and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Bake uncovered, for 45 to 50 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a knife – if it comes out clean, you are done!

Dawson’s Roasted Potatoes

These are the best roasted potatoes I’ve had.  It’s adapted from a recipe in my favorite cooking magazine, Cooks Illustrated, and its fantastic.  My son Dawson loves these and will go for seconds and thirds.

This recipe is not quick.  You are making a commitment when you cook them, but it’s worth it so you can achieve hero status.

Ingredients

5 lbs Potatoes (new, Yukon Gold, Red, and Finger Potatoes are all excellent)Or however many pounds you want to cook. I think it's 2/3 pounds per person. Disclaimer: I always make too much food.
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Herbes de Provence or Italian Seasoning

Directions

Start boiling a large pot of water – enough to cover the amount of potatoes your are cooking. Preheat oven to 425.

Cut potatoes into bite size pieces.

When the water is boiling, place potatoes in the water. Let it come to a boil again, then allow to boil for one minute. Drain.

Place potatoes back in the same pot on medium heat on the stove. Stir occasionally for 3-5 minutes. (You are getting moisture out of the potatoes so they will crisp up better).

Add 1/4 cup olive oil, or other fat of your choice. Butter could be excellent here. Cooks Illustrated recommends duck fat. Stir, then pour onto cookie sheet (or two), spreading into a single layer.

Add salt, pepper, and herbes de provence. I’d recommend 2 teaspoons of salt and pepper, and 1 Tbsp of herbs. Here’s the thing, and I’ve said this before, salt is underrated. You will add more later in the recipe.

Place in oven for 30 minutes. Take out and turn the potatoes, return for another 20 minutes. They should be brown on all sides now.

Take out, and put the potatoes back in the original pot. Add about 2 Tbsp olive oil, stir, put back on cookie sheet. You can hold them now until 10 minutes before you serve them. Taste for seasoning and adjust. (I always add more salt!)

Another easier way to do this is to take them out, spray them with olive oil, move them around on the cookie sheet, and cover the sheet with foil until you’re ready to put them back in and finish them.

When you are ready, place potatoes back in oven (still at 425 or for more speed, broil), and cook for 5 – 10 minutes. Serve immediately.