Roasted Leg of Lamb

I'm Greek so loving the flavor of lamb is in my DNA. I'll take lamb just about any way I can get it. Chops, loin, leg, roast - Gimme! When I was a kid my uncle Tony would sit out in the garage with his makeshift BBQ pit (he put down bricks then piled coals ontop of them and hand cranked an old Q he got in Greece... He would sit out there all day with a leg of lamb (or 2 or 3 or 4) drink ouzo, smoke cigars and talk to his buddies or my other uncles. I'll never forget the first time he let me come and hang out with him. It was truly a right of passage in our family. Anyhow - Tina and I do lamb once a month or so and here's a good one we did...

1 Bone in leg of lamb
1 Cup Olive oil
6 cloves garlic minced
3-6 Tbs rosemary
9 Anchovy fillets (no we're not kidding)
Salt
Pepper

Put your leg of lam on a rack in a roasting pan. In a bowl combine the olive oil, rosemary, anchovy, a bit of pepper and mix well. Cut small slits into the lamb and stick in some garlic and spices into each hole. Cover the rest of the lamb with the oil/spice mixture. Let sit for an hour covered or put in the fridge for 5 hours or so. Preheat oven to 400 degrees - cook lamb for about an hour or until medium rare - about 160 degrees F.

There are other things made in this video - beats, beat greens, rice... I'll let you watch the video to see how they're done...

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko

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As someone who loves animals - Make sure you buy your meat from ranchers/companies who treat their animals well...

Pizza Sauce - Version 001

So I love pizza - especially making my own pizza. The ultimate would be to make my own dough, sauce, and make my own cheese for it - all the veg grown in my own garden, wheat harvested from my own field, meat butchered from my own animals... Talk about quality control... Ok - enough with the dream and back to the pizza sauce. I make by batches based on using one box of the Pomi strained tomatoes. That's the base for all my pizza sauces. They're the best I can find so that's what I use... Ok sometimes I will use fresh tomatoes...


3 Tbs Olive oil
1-2 Cloves garlic minced
1 Box Pomi strained tomatoes
1 Tsp Crushed red pepper flakes (or to your liking)
1 Tbs Oregano
1 Tsp Basil
Pepper
Salt
1 Tsp Dark brown sugar (it adds an interesting richness to the sauce)

In a heated heavy bottom pan add the olive oil and let it get to temp. Add the garlic and let it permeate the oil - do not let it brown! Add your tomatoes and spices. Mix well and let simmer for 30-60 minutes. Cool the sauce and let stand in refer for at least 12 hours so everyone gets happy happy...

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko

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Going Deep With The Pizza...

Pizza comes in all shapes and sizes. I saw heart shaped ones for sale from a local pizza joint for valentines day. I prefer a thin crust pizza but every once and a while I like to make a deep dish pizza. When I make a deep dish pizza I make the dough the same way I do for thin crust.

Pizza Dough:
1 Package yeast
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Teaspoon sugar
1 Teaspoon salt
1 Cup 100 to 110 degree water
2.5 Cups flour

Add the yeast to the water. Add in the olive oil, sugar, and salt - mix well. Let sit for about 5 min then mix again with a fork. Add the flour and mix until it comes together. Turn out and kneed about 20 times (I don't like to over kneed my pizza dough - it works for me this way you kneed it as long as you like). Put into a bowl and cover. Set in a warm space for an hour. Turn out and shape into your pizza.


In this case put it in a high walled round pan. This one is a 9" pan I believe.

Once in the pan add your pizza sauce (I have a video recipe coming soon). I use my own pizza sauce but you can use the stuff in a jar. Top with the cheeses of your choice and put into a 425 degree oven for about 23 minute (that will depend on your oven)

Leave the pizza dough hanging over the edges of the pan for now. Once it's loaded up with goodness we'll cut it down to size.


In this pizza I'm only making it with cheese. Cheese pizza is good. 99 times out of a 100 when I'm trying a new pizza joint out I ask for a cheese pizza. The way I see it, if you can't make a simple cheese pizza taste good - what are a bunch of toppings going to do to save it? Anyhow, this one had provolone and mozzarella on it with my homemade sauce.

I'm going to work on a video recipe to add here but for now if you have questions please don't hesitate to leave a comment and I'll do my best to answer your questions.

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko
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Say Yes To Bacon

BACON

You can't eat them, but if you get a small cut you can now use bacon to make it all better. I saw these on a TV show tonight and just had to put a quick entry up on them. I have to get me some of these. Knock on wood I only need to use one or two bandages a year for minor issues but next time I need one - it's going to be bacon... Bacon Strips Adhesive Bandages are genuine sterile bandages that look like strips of raw bacon. Each strip is 3" x 1" and is die-cut, so the edges are bacon-like... They come in a decorative metal tin, and you get 15 bandages in each one. Each tin has an added bonus - A toy inside each one...

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko

Whole Wheat Calzone

Making calzones at home is such a good thing... It gives you the flexibility to put what you want into your food. You pick your cheeses, meats, toppings, etc... Not that you can't do that at your local pizza joint, but you get to pick the brands you want to use as well. To me a calzone is just a folded over pizza. You start by making a normal pizza dough - in this one I wanted to add some whole wheat flour and it made for a nice change. I wouldn't want to make it this way all the time but it was good... Load in your fillings then make sure you get a nice crimping of the dough - you just don't want it to open and it's really the "crust" of the dish. Bake at 425 for 25 minutes or so...

1 Packet active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (no hotter than 110 degrees)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tsp salt
1 Tsp sugar (or a Tbsp of honey)
1.5 Cups flour
1 Cup whole wheat flour
1/4 Cup pizza sauce
Ricotta cheese - as much as you like and can fit in
Provolone cheese - 2-4 slices
Mozzarella cheese - 2-4 slices
1/4 Lb cooked sausage
1/2 Small onion or scallions sliced thin
Banana peppers to you liking
Black olives to your liking

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko

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Part 1 of 2



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Part 2 of 2

How To Roast A Chile Pepper

1. Wash your peppers!

2. With a knife or some other sharp object cut a few small slits in your peppers. This is important because your peppers will explode if you don't - I know this from experience!

3. Place your chiles on a foil-lined baking sheet - do not stack. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or till the skin blisters and turns brown. You might want to turn them over to get the back side, but I personally don't think this is all too necessary...

4. After you pull the chiles out of the oven - enclose the peppers in the foil and let stand for 20 to 30 minutes.

5. When the peppers have cooled enough to handle, halve them lengthwise; The skins should pull off with your hands, but you can use a knife.

6. Scrape away and discard the ribs and seeds (if you don't want them). The chemical (Capsicum) that gives peppers their heat is most concentrated in those areas.

NOTE - Always use plastic gloves or slip your hands into plastic bags before playing with chile peppers!

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko

Cooking With Trooper...

Ok maybe this should be cooking for trooper?

My buddy Trooper doesn't eat dog food - the kind that comes out of a can or bag that is. He eats things like poached or grilled chicken, ground sirloin, no salt French-cut green beans, smashed sweet potatoes. He gets no salt or low-salt dog treats.

Unfortunately he does get some table food as well. Junk food isn't good for us and it's not good for dogs either!

Eventually there will be a pretty good guide to cooking for your pooch in this section... Check back soon!

Until then:

Trooper eats food that you and I could eat. He is 55 pounds give or take 5 pounds - every meal he gets:

1 1/2 Cup Grilled Chicken (Can be boiled or baked) Or grilled sirloin patties broken up
1/4 Cup Sweet Potatoes (This varies depending on his movements)
1 Can No Salt Green Beans (make sure they are no salt)

You need to give them vitamins as well. You can get dog vitamins at your vet's office, Walmart, etc. Make sure they get some supplement.

There are variations to this. Sometimes to mix it up he gets ground sirloin. When using beef try and remove as much fat as possible.

NOTE - Before putting your pet on a natural diet - consult your vet!

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko

Chicken Fried Rice

Chicken fried rice should not be something you only eat out of a box that was delivered to your door. With a few shortcuts it's uber simple to make at home.

1 lb chicken cut into bite sized pieces
6 cups of cold cooked rice - must be cold
1/2 cup diced onions
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup peas
2 eggs
stir fry sauce to taste

I personally think it's nice to brown your chicken when preparing it for fried rice. That way it stands up to the rest of the dish. Most of the local place around here do not and I find the chicken gets lost in all the other tastes. With that said start by browning your chicken. When the chicken is about 85% done add the onion and carrots. Cook these for a few minutes. Add the eggs to the pan and scramble them. Once the eggs are done mix them in with the rest of the ingredients. Add the peas then add the cold rice and the stir fry sauce. You can add a much or as little of the stir fry sauce as you like. Mix everything together and bring it to temperature. Eat & Enjoy!

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko

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FoodBuzz Tastemaker: Buitoni Wild Mushroom Agnolotti

I've had some pretty amazing ravioli in my days but the Buitoni Wild Mushroom Agnolotti ranks! As members of the Tastemaker program at Foodbuzz (www.foodbuzz.com), we were sent the Buitoni Wild Mushroom Agnolotti to try, and we're so glad they did! This is an amazing product. The semolina pasta is very thin and has a smooth texture and great bite. The true gem of this product is the pairing of the mushrooms, garlic, and cheeses that makes for an explosion of flavor in every bite.

There are so many amazing things you can do with this pasta. Given it was our first time with this product we decided to go down a very simple road so we could experience the essence of the agnolotti. All we did was sauté the Wild Mushroom Agnolotti in some sage butter. That's right we didn't boil the pasta at all - just right into some butter infused with sage. The agnolotti cooked for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. All I can say is every single bite made me smile. All I could think of was that I wanted more when my plate was empty - it's just that good.

The next time we make the Wild Mushroom Agnolotti I believe it's going to be simmered in chicken broth with a bit of baby spinach, crispy prosciutto, and maybe some extra mushrooms...

I've tried a few more pastas from Buitoni's Riserva line of pastas and they are all amazing! I'm all for making fresh pasta at home, but if you want a quick 20 minute from start to finish meal - give them a try!

1 Package Buitoni Wild Mushroom Agnolotti
10 or so Sage Leaves chiffinade
3-4 tablespoons of butter

Saute sage in butter for a few minutes. Add the Buitoni Wild Mushroom Agnolotti and cook for 4-5 minutes per side. Plate, eat, & enjoy!

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko

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Weber Fire Starters

was given a box of the Weber Firestarters to try out. If using a chimney starter they do a great job of starting the coals. Using a few balls of newspaper does the exact same thing - they light the coals. The biggest difference in using the Weber Firestarters is that you don't have newspaper ash to deal with in the end! That makes them worth their weight in gold if you ask me. Anyhoo - Below is a video of me trying them out...

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko

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Baked Pasta

My name is Nikko, and I'm a pastaholic. I could eat pasta every day and not get tired of it. I'm just as happy with only pepper on it as I am with it stuffed with lobster. I've made breakfast dishes out of it (video coming soon) to every kind of topping to stuffing you could probably think of. I love pasta...

I love baked pasta but for some reason I don't make it very often... If you can boil pasta - put sauce on it - cover it with cheese and stick it in the oven - you can make baked pasta. It's just that easy.

Please do not overcook your pasta - waterlogged, mushy pasta is just not good...

In the following video recipe I used:

1 lb Pasta
1 Jar Organic Pasta Sauce
Meatballs
1/2 lb Sliced Mozzarella cheese
Shredded Parmesan cheese

Boil pasta until done - drain - return to pan - add pasta sauce (does not need to be heated) - mix well - put into an oven proof dish - cover with mozzarella - sprinkle on Parmesan - Put under the broiler until the cheese melts and browns a bit...

Eat & Enjoy!

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko

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Easy Italian Bread

1 Cup 100-110 degree water
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Cups bread flour
1 Package fast rising yeast
2 Teaspoons sugar
Pinch salt

In a bowl add the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Mix together well. Add the water and olive oil. Mix until it all comes together then turn out onto a floured surface. Knead for 10 minutes until the dough turns smooth. Form the dough into a ball and put into an oiled bowl. Cover with a dishtowel and let rise for 40 minutes. Punch down the dough and form into a baguette shape. Dust a heavy sheet pan with corn meal and put the dough onto the pan. Cover with the dishtowel and let rise for another 40 minutes. With a sharp knife make 1 inch slices into the dough. Bake for 25-35 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Let rest for at least 1 hour before slicing. Eat and enjoy...

To be honest this loaf didn't come out so well - Ok it sucked - It was heavy and kinda flat tasting... Will keep trying though...

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko

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Looking For A Quick And Easy Dinner? Tostadas

Quick, easy, and good... Tostadas are not only good to eat they're fun to make. Once you have everything prepped, everyone can load their tostada up to their own tastes. They're a big hit at our house for the young and old(er).

With all the pre-prepped food that is available at the market these days if you are in a real hurry you can purchase already fried corn tortillas - onions - tomato - peppers - lettuce - cheese - etc... Personally I like the prep work - it doesn't take too long to do and it keeps your knife skills up!

In the video recipe below you will see we used:

*Fried corn tortillas
Refried beans
Shredded Mexican blend cheese
Tomatoes
Red onions
Shredded lettuce
Hot sauce

It really couldn't be much easier...

* If you don't want fried corn tortillas or are looking for a healthy alternative, try baking up some Tumaro's tortillas in the oven until stiff and using them. They're the best tortillas I've ever used and they come in a variety of interesting flavors. http://www.tumaros.com/

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko

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Green Chicken Curry - Again...

You might be asking yourself, why green curry again? The answer is quite simple - I love it!

Now I prefer fresh green curry when I have the time to make it, but when that's not the case the CurrySimple green curry is a really easy alternative. At the market you can find pre-diced just about anything you need to make this dish. The chicken, cilantro, and the lime are the only things you really need to cut yourself if you want it that way. When I need a quick meal that's not from a fast food place - I'm all good with using pre-cut items to speed up dinner...

1 pound chicken tenders (or any type of chicken you like
1 medium red onion diced
1 cup bell pepper (green, yellow, and red) diced
1 cup squash and zucchini sliced
1 package CurrySimple green curry
1 lime
cilantro

Brown chicken in a spot of oil. Half way through add the onion. Cook until the chicken is done. Add the bell peppers, squash, and zucchini - cook for a few minutes. Add the CurrySimple green curry and bring to heat. Serve with rice, cilantro, and a nice squeeze of lime... Eat & Enjoy...

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko

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Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup

When you have someone who is not feeling well chicken noodle soup is the best thing to make for them. This is my almost homemade chicken noodle soup. It's almost homemade because I went to the store and bought a roasted chicken and used canned stock. Even with that it turned out really good...




1 roasted chicken - meat taken off the bone
2 large cans chicken stock
1/2 red onion diced
1 cup carrots diced
1 cup celery diced
1 bag of egg noodles (I used about 2/3 of a bag)
salt
pepper
a dash of love

prep the veg and put them into a stock pot heated to medium high. Add a few good pinches of salt and sweat for about 5 minutes. Remove all the chicken meat from the bones and add the meat to the pot once the veg is done. Add your stock, and egg noodles and bring to a boil. Once the egg noodles are cooked to your liking the dish is done. Eat & Enjoy...

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko

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Easy Homemade Tomato Soup

Making tomato soup at home from scratch is not that much harder than opening a can of Campbell's (www.campbellsoup.com) up. You can get really fancy with your mater soup, but with just a few ingredients you can create a heart warming dish.

In the video recipe below you will see that all I used to make the soup is:

1 Large can of Nina tomatoes - seeds removed
1 Yellow onion diced
1 clove garlic minced
Chicken stock
1/2 Cup half/half
fresh herbs
salt
pepper

If you have nice fresh tomatoes that would be good to - I didn't so I went with the canned. Please take the time to remove as many as the seeds as you can. It's not going to kill your dish if you don't, but it will be better if you do!

Check out the video on how to make the soup - it's quite easy. If you need some more info - Please leave a comment...

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Version 2

Avocado & Shrimp Salsa

Avocados and shrimp are a match made in heaven. If you ask me the light creaminess of the avocado goes well with the light taste of the shrimp.

This fresh salsa doesn't take much prep.

1 small red onion
1 or 2 tomatoes
1 large avocado
1 jalapeno
6 boiled shrimp (can be grilled too)
lime juice
cilantro would be nice if you have it.
salt & pepper

Dice everything up and mix it up in a bowl. Let sit i the fridge for 20 min to get happy. Eat & Enjoy!

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko

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Chilli Lime Squid O's

I woke up today wanting squid for dinner. I'm Greek, these kind of things happen to us every once and a while. Anyway, I went to the market after work and the squid looked great, and smelled like the sea (like it should). I bought some and took it home - the rest is history...




1/2 small red onion diced
1/2 cup bell pepper diced (green, yellow, and red)
1/2 pound squid rings
1/2 bottle CurrySimple Gourmet Chilli Lime Sauce (yes they use 2 L's in their Chilli)
Cilantro
Lime wedges

Soften the onion in a spot of butter w/ a small pinch of salt. Once softened, add the peppers and cook for 1 minute. Add the rinsed squid to the pan and the chilli lime sauce - it will only take a few minutes for the squid to cook - DO NOT over cook them or you'll have a bowl full of rubber bands to eat... Squid either stays in the pan for just a few minutes or and hour no in between.

You could serve this over rice but I say just enjoy the squid. The chilli lime sauce has a good flavor and is a bit spicy (which is nice)...

Give this one a try - If I can do it - So can you...

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko

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Tom & Mozz Yummers

These are good for a snack, or part of a meal.

You will need the following (but don't be afraid to add things you like):

.5 lb Fresh mozzarella
1 jar Sun dried tomato spread (or make your own
Basil
1 baguette
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
Some love...

Cut the baguette into rounds (or whatever makes you happy).
Spritz with a bit of olive oil
Top with sun dried tomato spread
Top a basil leaf
Top with a slice of mozzarella
Broil until happy
Hit it with a bit of balsamic vinegar...

Eat & Enjoy!

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko

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Version 2

Pad Thai

Pad Thai literally means "Thai-style stir-fried noodles". I think it really means "Rice noodles of love...".

If you are using a Pad Thai sauce (like the one I used from CurrySimple www.currysimple.com) this is a very easy dish to make. Without using a pre-made sauce it's a bit more involved.

You would think we were getting paid from them to use their stuff but that's just not true - It's just that good of a product so we like using it!

Anyway - This couldn't be any more simple. Soak your rice noodles in water until they soften. This should take about 20 minutes or so. They will soften in cold water and they won't be starchy like they are when you use hot water. Once your noodles are ready, stir fry up your tofu, chicken, scramble your egg, add the green onions. Add the rice noodles and pour on your Pad Thai sauce (I used about a quarter of a cup but you can use more if you like). Mix all of this well and bring it to temperature. Add your bean sprouts and mix through. Plate up your dish and add chopped roasted and salted peanuts, cilantro, and a wedge of lime. Eat and Enjoy!

1 package rice noodles softened in cold water
1/2 brick of firm tofu cut to your liking
1/2 pound of chicken cut to your liking
3 green onions sliced into bite sized pieces (you can use more if you like)
1 egg - scrambled in the pan
1/4 cup pad thai sauce (from CurrySimple www.currysimple.com)
cilantro
roasted salted peanuts
lime wedges

There are thousands of Pad Thai recipes out there - This one came out really dang good! It was super simple and very tasty without the hassle of making your own Pad Thai sauce...

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko

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