Blog

This recipe is sure to bring compliments when served.  Even though the recipe is simple, it is a good dish to bring to an RV Potluck!

Serves 10

51 oz can               Costco Restaurant quality canned clams in juice

16 oz                        Swansons boxed Fish Stock (1/2 of a 32 oz container)

12 oz                        low fat milk

1 1/2 cups               raw red potatoes, washed, medium diced (or 2 large red potatoes)

1/2                           brown onion, rinse, remove skin, medium diced

3                               thick slices hickory smoked bacon, cut in 1″ strips

3 ribs                       celery, de-thread, rinsed, medium diced

1 cube                      unsalted butter

1/3 cup                    Wondra flour

1/3 bunch                fresh parley, rinsed, diced

1/2 tsp                     Old Bay Seasoning spice

1/4 tp                       non salt all purpose spice

2                                bay leaves

ground pepper to taste

Directions

1.  Rinse then dice vegetables, set aside.
2. Drain and reserve the juice from the canned clams.  Set clams aside.
3. Place diced potatoes and 1″ bacon slices in a medium microwave bowl, add 1/2 cup clam juice.
4.  Cover the bowl of potatoes and bacon lightly with saran wrap or a paper towel.  Microwave on high for 3 minutes, stir and check to see if potatoes are fork tender.  Add another 1 – 2 minutes of microwave cooking on high or more as needed until fork tender.  Add potatoes to a 5 – 6 qt. dutch oven or medium stock pot.
5.  Pour remaining clam juice into the pot, add diced celery, seasonings, pepper and spices..  Turn stovetop heat to medium, stir intermittently.
6.  Make a thickening slurry for the soup by adding the flour and 2/3 stick of butter to a saute’ pan, cook stirring intermittently until the flour and butter mixture create a dry blond rue.  Note: cooking the mixture for about 3 – 4 minutes takes away the raw flour taste.  Add the rue to the stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. whisk until the soup thickens to a light soup consistency.
7.  Add milk and stir until the soup returns to a slightly thickens light soup.
8.  Add the clams and remaining butter.
9. Add a few pinches of additional spices.  Add diced parsley.  Stir for a few minutes to combine and warm all ingredients then remove and discard the bay leaves.
10. Take the soup off heat and serve.

Chef MJ

My cookbook Small Kitchen Big Flavors! is available at a great Introductory Price on Ebay and my blog site.  Only 2 dozen copies left.  Blog site : http:/smallkitchenbigflavorsblog.wordpress.com

Instant Pot Lemon Butter Chicken:

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (4 to 4 1/2 lbs),
1 cup chicken broth
4 garlic cloves
1 sprig thyme or 1/2 tsp
1 sprig rosemary or 1/2 tsp
1 lemon cut in slices plus a tbs. fresh squeezed lemon juice                                                         8 tbsp melted butter
dried spices: salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika

Directions:
Pour  1 cup chicken broth into IP stainless steel liner.
Place IP trivet in the pot.  Rinse and dry whole chicken, stuff the cavity with garlic cloves and half of the squeezed lemon.  Place chicken breast side up in the IP.

Make Butter Sauce:
In medium bowl combine spices:
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp rosemary
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
Add 8 tbsp (1 cube) melted butter and 1 tbsp lemon juice to the spice mixture.
Pour half of the seasoned butter under the skin of the chicken and the remainder
over the outside of the chicken.

Set IP to manual 18 – 30 minutes based on the weight of the chicken:
Close the IP lid and steam vent

Cook on high pressure for 6 minutes per pound:
3 lbs = 18 minutes on high pressure with 15-min natural release
4 lb = 24 minutes on high pressure with 15-min natural release
5 lb = 30 minutes on high pressure with 15-min natural release

Note:  A 6 qt instant pot fits up to a 5 lb chicken.

To serve:  When chicken is cool enough to handle, cut the chicken into serving pieces, add to a cast iron skillet.  Top with 1/2 cup of sauce and lemon slices.  Crisp the chicken over medium high heat for 3 – 5 minutes.

Chef MJ

A simple recipe you can prepare in an Convection oven, on the stovetop or in a cast iron skillet outdoors on a grill.

Halibut is currently readily available in the fresh fish section of the grocery store.  I plan to serve the leftovers for dinner tomorrow, perhaps as the protein in soft tacos!

Serves 2 and leftovers for 2 the following day

Ingredients

1 1/2                 fresh halibut

1 tsp                 vegetable oil

1 tsp                 butter

2/3 cup           pistachio nuts

1                       lemon

Directions

1.  Rinse halibut, pat dry, cut fish into 4 equal sized filets
2.  Place filets in cooking vessel.  Pour oil into the pan and roll the halibut in the oil.
3.  Rough chop shelled pistachios to a medium coarse grain (not as fine as Panko).
4.  Set cooking heat to med/high.  If using convection 375 F.
5.  Cut butter into 4 – 6 dabs and place over the pistachio coated halibut.
6.  Wash the lemon, cut in wedges, set aside.
7.  Cook halibut pistachio crust facing upward, until the fish turns opaque throughout.  Don’t overcook but check to see that the fish is not clear and shiny in the center.  Fish is cooked at 145 F when checked in the mid section of the filet using a temperature probe.
8.  Squeeze a wedge of lemon over the filets and serve with a fresh lightly cooked vegetable or as an alternate serve with a fresh salad.

Chef MJ

My cookbook Small Kitchen Big Flavors! is available at a great Introductory Price on Ebay and my blog site at : http:/smallkitchenbigflavorsblog.wordpress.com

I made these breakfast burritos with ingredients that all have a long fridge/freezer life.

Having enjoyed a few days of cereal with yogurt, bananas and blueberries… we were ready for something different and warm for breakfast!  I had the following ingredients onhand and the results… rewarding!

Serves 6

Enough for my husband Jeff and me for breakfast with leftovers to freeze for 2 additional meals.

Ingredients

4                 eggs

2 slices      cheddar cheese

1 cup         frozen hash browns

2                 soy chorizo sausages

1 tbsp          vegetable oil

2 tsp           butter

a no salt all-purpose spice or salt and pepper to taste

6                  flour tortillas ~ 8″ size

Directions

1.  Gather ingredients for the burritos and place them in a work area near your stove.
2.  In a medium saute’ pan add 1 1/2 tsp of oil.  Turn the stove to medium high.
3.  When the oil is warm, add the hash browns.  Stir and cook for about 7 minutes or cooked through, stir periodically.  Remove the hash browns to a plate and set aside.
4. Add the remaining 1 1/2 tsp of vegetable oil to the pan.  Remove the chorizo from the casings, saute’ and stir until thoroughly cooked according to package directions.  The package I used advised to cook the chorizo to 165 F.  Remove cooked chorizo to a plate.
5. In a medium bowl whisk eggs together with a tsp of water.
6. Add a tsp of butter to the pan over medium heat.  Melt butter then add the eggs.  Stir as needed until eggs are cooked.
7.  Tear 1 slice of cheese into 4 pieces. With the heat on medium place cheese on top of the cooked eggs.  Add cooked hash browns and stir.  Add cooked chorizo and stir.
8. Cut the remaining 1 1/2 tsp of butter in 4 and place along the inner edges of the pan.
9.  Top with the final piece of cheese, torn into 3 – 4 pieces.  Let the cheese melt some then turn off the heat.
10.  Cook the tortillas 1 at a time over low flame or heat from the stove.
11.  Assemble and roll your burritos using about 1/2 cup of chorizo mixture per buritto.
12.  Package the leftover burritos single layer in a zip top freezer bag.  Label the outer bag listing the contents and date packaged.  Enjoy within 3 month.
13.  Reheat the frozen burritos in the microwave until hot and center is warm.

I spotted some fresh halibut at the market today and selected a piece that was 1.37 lb.  Perfect for making 2 dinner for my husband Jeff and me.  A little bit of a splurge at $5.82 per serving x 4 servings but the quality was great and having a minimally processed fresh dinner tonight followed by some halibut tacos tomorrow was enough to hook me!

Serves 4

If serving 1, cut the fish into 4 crosswise pieces, prepare what you will use for dinner and a left over dinner tomorrow.  Place the other 2 pieces side by side in a freezer ziplock bag.  Using a permanent marker, write the contents “Halibut” across the bag and the date you placed the halibut into the freezer “3/31/20.  Plan to prepare a meal with the frozen leftovers within 3 months.  Defrost the fish in the fridge prior to cooking.

Here is the preparation for our fresh halibut that we enjoyed tonight.  The moist fish flaked perfectly after cooked by saute’ method in a ribbed grill pan on the RV stovetop.

Ingredients

1.37 lb                              fresh halibut

1 tsp                                unsalted butter

generous sprinkle        Old Bay seasoning on both sides and a few dashes of smoked paprika on each side

Directions

1.  Use a medium saute’ grill pan or skillet.
2.  Heat the pan over med/high heat adding the butter when the pan I warm.
3.  Rince the halibut and pat dry then add to the pan.
4.  Let the fish cook for 4 – 5 minutes or a little more if needed on each side.
5.  While the fish is cooking tilt the pan to keep the butter moving under the fish.
6.  If the butter is browning too quickly just adjust the flame down to medium.
7.  Flip the file over after about 4 – 5 minutes or when the fish releases easily when you attempt to turn the fish.  Don’t force the flip, wait until the fish is ready and releases easily.
8.  Continue cooking the fish for another 4 – 5 minutes until the raw look of the middle of the halibut changes to opaque but shiny.  The fish may well break apart some as you prepare it in the saute’ pan, no worries, just follow the break away lines and let the halibut naturally divide into 3 – 4 pieces… no problem.
9. I served our halibut with broccoli crowns cooked in a microwave safe bowl with 2 oz. of water.  Cover the broccoli with saran wrap and microwave on high for 1 minute.  Perfect!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Chef MJ                                                                                                                                        My cookbook Small Kitchen Big Flavors! is available at a great Introductory Price on Ebay and my blog site at : http:/smallkitchenbigflavorsblog.wordpress.com

Here is a crowd pleasing meal that is both simple to prepare and has a lovely blend of complimentary flavors.     Whether you are adventure camping, preparing for a road trip or fixing meal at home.

This recipe is delicious and leftovers can be easily frozen in desired ziplock bag sizes appropriate for the number of servings you are planning for a dinner and leftovers.

Recipe serves 6 – 8 in a 6 quart IP

Serves 12 – 15 if you double the recipe using an 8 qt IP

Ingredients

4 tbsp.                      olive oil

1                                whole red onion, diced

2  cloves                   garlic, minced

1/2 tsp                      garlic powder

2 tsp                         smoked paprika

1/2 tsp                     oregano

1                                bay leaf (remove after cooking)

1/3 tsp                     cayenne pepper

fresh ground salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup                   dry white wine

14 oz.                      diced canned tomatoes

2 cups                     uncooked basmati rice

36 oz                       chicken or broth (reserve 4 oz. to add at the end of the cooking cycle)

1 lb uncooked       chorizo (pork, beef, soy or combination of both.                                                                              If chorizo is in casings remove and cut in 1″ pieces)

3/4 lb                     raw peeled, deveined shrimp

1 1/2 lb                   cooked chicken, deboned, diced (COSTCO has precooked rotisserie                                           chicken sold in the cooler section)

1 dozen                  fresh live clams

1 1/2 cups             frozen petite peas

Directions

1. Place 2 tbsp of olive oil in the IP stainless steel liner.  Turn IP to Saute’ and cook/stir the diced onions for a minute then add the chopped/minced garlic and deveined shelled uncooked shrimp.  Saute’ until shrimp turns pink and is partially cooked (approximately 2 min.) for large Argentinean shrimp.

   Turn IP off and pour the shrimp/onion mixture into a medium bowl, set aside.  Pour the wine into the IP and stir to deglaze the browned bits at the bottom of the IP. 
2. Add diced tomatoes to the wine, then the add rice, bay leaf, spices and 4 cups of the broth.

   Note: Check the clams to ensure that each one is closed or that they close when lightly touched with your index finger.  Discard any clams that do not close.  Add the uncooked rice and closed clams to the IP and stir.
3. Turn the IP to manual high pressure mode, select 8 minutes.  Lock the lid in place and turn the steam valve to the seal position. 
4. When cooking is complete, do a quick release.  Discard any clams that are closed, failing to open during cooking.

   In  a separate pan, saute’ the chorizo in 2 tbsp. of olive oil for a few minutes until cooked through then add the chorizo to the IP and stir.
5. Add the remaining 1/2 cup broth, the peeled deveined saute’ shrimp, diced cooked chicken and the peas and stir.    Turn IP off, close the lid and let the cooked ingredient ingredients warm in the IP for a few minutes.
6. Garnish with chopped parsley (optional) or a wedge of lemon and some warmed garlic bread.

    

   Chef MJ

   My cookbook Small Kitchen Big Flavors! is available at a great Introductory Price on Ebay and my blog site at : http:/smallkitchenbigflavorsblog.wordpress.com

Dutch Oven Bread

Homemade breads are delicious and easy.  Whether you are cooking over a campfire with a cast iron Dutch Oven or Baking a loaf in your enamel coated cast iron oven you can make a tasty loaf!  If you are looking for a great crunchy crust on your bread with a pillow soft interior go for high heat (475 degrees) and knead and rest your bread overnight…. but if you are craving a homemade loaf and your convection oven in your RV only reaches 425 degrees, here is a recipe that will be delicious. The bread is a little denser and the crust a little softer but it is still good eats for sandwiches or making toast!

Ingredients

1/2 tsp                active  dry yeast

3 cups                all purpose flour

1 3/4 tsp             sea salt (do not use regular table salt)

1 1/2 cups          warm water (90 degrees)

1 tbsp.               uncooked cornmeal

Directions

1. In a large bowl combine flour, sea salt and yeast.  Stir to combine.
2. Add water, stir with a wet wooden spoon to mix ingredients together, cover with plastic wrap.
3. Let dough rise for 12 – 18 hours.
4. Preheat convection oven to 475 degrees.  I use a slightly lower temperature when traveling in our RV as the maximum is 425 degrees.
5. Place the empty 6 quart Dutch oven with the lid on into the convection oven for 30 minutes.
6. Using pot holders carefully remove the Dutch oven and place on the stove and remove the lid.
7. Pour cornmeal into the bottom of the pot then top with the rounded dough. Using pot holders place the lid back on the Dutch oven and transfer the covered pot to the convection oven.
8. Bake for thirty minutes.  When time is up, remove lid (using pot holders) and continue baking the bread another 20 minutes.

NOTE:  Be careful not to add water that is too hot or the yeast will be inactivated and bread will not rise.

My cookbook Small Kitchen Big Flavors! is available at a great Introductory Price on Ebay and my blog site at : http:/smallkitchenbigflavorsblog.wordpress.com