Rich's for the Home

Chicken & Pistachio “Fried Rice”with fresh ginger & Chinese hot mustard

This fried rice side dish is easy to prepare and adds a deliciously hot twist to pistachios! It was created by Chef Shawn McClain, the 2006 James Beard Award Winner for Best Chef, Midwest Category and Chef with Spring, Green Zebra and Custom House Restaurants in Chicago, IL.

Yield:  4-6 servings (side dish)

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 4 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 pound chicken breast – skinned and cut into ½” cubes
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• ¼ teaspoon minced fresh garlic
• 3 cups cold cooked white rice
• 1 ½ cups California Pistachios
• ½ cup peas
• 1 cup fresh mung bean sprouts (optional)
• ¼ cup scallions chopped
• 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
• ¼ cup water
• 1 tablespoon prepared Chinese mustard
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

OPTIONAL:

• sea salt
• 1 cup Chinese mustard greens tossed with 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons California Pistachios (for garnish)

STEPS:

1. In a wok (or large non-stick fry pan) over high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of peanut oil until oil begins to smoke. 
2. Add chicken and stir fry until browned on all sides. Remove and let drain. 
3. Meanwhile, add remaining peanut oil and sesame oil back into wok and return to high heat. 
4. Quickly cook together ginger and garlic for 10 seconds or until fragrant. 
5. Add rice, pistachios, peas and scallions and continue stir frying for 2 minutes - stirring often. 
6. Add chicken, oyster sauce, water, mustard and soy sauce and let cook 3-5 minutes or until hot throughout.
7. Remove from heat and season with salt if needed. 
8. Lightly toss mustard greens in sesame oil. 
9. Mold warm fried rice onto warm serving plates and garnish with greens and pistachios.

Nutrition Facts:
(Amount per Serving):  Calories 500, Total Fat 27g, Saturated Fat 4g, Monounsaturated Fat 13g, Cholesterol 45g, Sodium 820mg, Potassium 670mg, Carbohydrate 36g, Dietary Fiber 5g, Protein 28g

White Chocolate Strawberry Cake with Louise Mandrell

Country Music Artist Louise Mandrell is sharing a fave recipe with us as she gets ready for the Louise Mandrell’s Joy to the World Christmas Dinner and Show that runs Nov. 15 through Dec. 25, 2008.  This traditional holiday production features the multi-talented Mandrell and her band as they bring a combination of lively Christmas music, dancing, and comedy to the stage in an instrumental journey around the world.

The new menu, created by Gaylord Opryland’s award-winning chefs, includes traditional trimmings and hearty comfort food, served family-style.

Here is one of her favorite quick and easy recipes that she makes a lot for her family. 

WHITE CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY CAKE

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 1 box strawberry cake mix
• 1 4oz box vanilla instant pudding
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup oil
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 pint sour cream (8oz)
• 1 6oz package of white chocolate chips

 

STEPS:

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Grease and flour bundt pan
3. Combine all ingredients except chips
4. Flour chips and fold them into the mix
5. Pour into pan and bake 30-45 min (in my oven I have to bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 min)
6. Let cool for 10 min then turn cake onto plate

Thai Larb Lettuce Wraps with Maureen Petrosky

 

Welcome to Maureen Petrosky! Maureen is professional chef, lifestyle expert and author who has appeared numerous times on the major network shows, including The Today Show, CNN, Fox News and more. She has covered food topics as a freelancer for Bon Appetit, foodnetwork.com, fineliving.com and many more. She has also been a food expert on Good Eats, Cooking Thin, Hot off the Grill, Cooking with Wolfgang Puck, Iron Chef America and others.

About this recipe, Petrosky says, "Now we’re feeling the heat! This simple Thai stir-fry is jam-packed with tons of flavor and heat. You may make this dish as hot as you like, but we prefer to keep our brows dry and our taste buds in tact. Simply stir-fry the ingredients and then pile small amounts in lettuce leaves for a delightful, low carb and fun holiday appetizer!"

YOU WILL NEED:

• 3 Tablespoons of fish sauce

• 2 ½ Tablespoons sugar

• 2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

• 1 ½ Tablespoons Sriracha Garlic-Chile Sauce

• 1 Pound ground raw turkey or chicken

• 2 Tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil

• ¼ cup chopped green onions

• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint

• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil

• 1 ½ teaspoons grated fresh ginger

• 1 ½ teaspoons minced fresh jalapeňo chile pepper

• 25 small Boston or Bibb lettuce leaves

 

STEPS:

1. In a large bowl, combine fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, and garlic-chile sauce, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add ground turkey; mix well.

2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add turkey mixture. Use a wooden spoon to break up any chunks of turkey. Cook until turkey is no longer pink. Remove from heat; drain off fat. Let cool

3. When turkey mixture is cool, add green onions, cilantro, mint, basil, ginger, and jalepeňno pepper; mix well. Let turkey mixture stand while you rinse and pat the lettuce leaves dry.

To serve, pile a small amount of the turkey mixture onto each lettuce leaf.

MAKES 25 LETTUCE WRAPS

Sweet Potato Biscuits on the BBQ by Rick Browne

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

• 1 1/2 cups cake flour

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/2 cups mashed, baked sweet potatoes

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 2 large eggs, beaten

STEPS:

1. Preheat barbecue to 425° F for indirect heating (coals on one side only).

2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, and set aside to cool.

3. In a large bowl, sift together both flours, baking powder and salt.

4. In a separate bowl, stir the butter into the mashed sweet potatoes, blending well. Add the sugar and beaten eggs and stir the mixture well to blend. Add in the dry ingredients one cup at a time and stir to blend well. Turn the dough onto a floured board and knead briefly.

5. Roll the dough to 1/2 inch thickness, then use a 2 inch round cutter to cut out biscuits, placing them on a lightly greased baking sheet. Then gather the scraps and reform into 1/2 inch thick roll, and continue to cut out biscuits. There should be 12 - 14 biscuits.

6. Bake in the preheated bbq at 425° F until biscuits are golden.

Serves 4 to 6

What are the Celebs Cooking?

Tim McGraw

Rick Browne

Sandra Lee

The Ten Must-Haves for Tailgating by Joe Cahn

Joe stopped by to give us his die-hard list of "Tailgating Must-Haves". He’s totally on target here folks so make sure when you pack up your mini-grill to take to the games this year that you also note the rest of the items on this list.

Bull’s-Eye Barbecue Sauce:

Barbecue sauce is the new ketchup! Bull’s-Eye uses high quality ingredients and has no high fructose corn syrup, so I think it’s the best bottled sauce on grocery store shelves. No one will know that it’s not your secret recipe.

Toilet Paper:

It may seem silly, but toilet paper is one of the most important pieces of equipment for a tailgate.  Port-o-lets never have enough toilet paper, so make sure you’re always prepared when nature calls.

Portable Power Station:

After an entire day of partying in the parking lot, you don’t want to be left in the dark with a dead battery after the game.

Tailgating check list:

Nothing is worse than someone forgetting ice for the cooler, charcoal for the grill or tickets for the game. A check list is a great way to keep organized and to ensure that you’ve packed everything. And it’s free!

Restaurant-Quality Tools:

They’re not as fancy as the barbecue sets that you can find in stores, but they work the best and will stand up to the elements to make it through many tailgating seasons. Tools that I like include a Stainless Steel flexible Spatula and Stainless Steel Tongs.

Waterproof Oven Mitt:

This oven mitt is finished with a special coating that keeps liquids and steam from penetrating the fabric and seams, so it prevents steam, water and grease burns. It also has extra length to protect your forearm and is dishwasher safe for easy clean up.

Food Storage Cereal Dispenser:

With so many people visiting your tailgate, a cereal dispenser is a great way to make sure that dirty hands don’t get into the peanuts or trail mix. The airtight container will also keep food nice and fresh.

American Red Cross Family First Aid Kit:

Whether there’s a burn at the grill or rogue football that bounces off a tailgater’s head, having a first aid kit on hand is always a must.

Casio EX-S10:

This is the world’s smallest and thinnest 10 megapixel camera.You can slide it into a pocket so that it’s always on hand and it also has a YouTube mode, which allows you to record video and easily share memories with your new tailgating friends.

Tundra Fire Extinguishing Spray:

To ensure that your tailgate doesn’t border on scorching, keep this extinguishing spray on hand to put out any flames and to keep your guests in the clear. It’s powerful and easy to use, just point and spray.

Grilled Po’ Boy Pizza with Tim McGraw

Tim's says, "This recipe combines two of my favorites – pizza and the Louisiana lunch staple of a Po’ Boy sandwich. I really like the double-barbequed, charcoal flavor of grilled shrimp topping a grilled crust – truly the perfect pre-show meal."   

YOU WILL NEED:

• 2 pounds frozen shrimp, 21-24 count

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic, minced 

• ½ cup KC Masterpiece Original Barbecue Sauce

• 2 tablespoons horseradish mustard

• ½ teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce

• 2 pre-baked thin 12-inch pizza crusts

• ½ cup Hidden Valley The Original Ranch dressing

• 10 slices provolone cheese

• 1 cup chopped tomatoes

• 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce

 

STEPS:

1. Thaw shrimp by placing them in a large bowl of cold water and allowing them to soak for 30 minutes. Peel shrimp and pat dry. In a large bowl, toss the shrimp in 2 tablespoons olive oil and the minced garlic.

2. Fire up the grill with Kingsford charcoal. Once the coals are red hot, cook the shrimp for 4 minutes and then flip and grill for about another 3 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink. In a large bowl, toss the grilled shrimp with the KC Masterpiece Original Barbecue Sauce, horseradish mustard and hot sauce.

3. Carefully, with a long-handled spatula, push the coals to one side of the grill to create a cooler cooking area. Assemble the pizza, by brushing half of the Hidden Valley The Original Ranch dressing on top of each pizza crust. Then, top with 5 slices of Provolone cheese on each crust. Divide the shrimp between the two crusts and sprinkle on the diced tomatoes. Carefully transfer the loaded pizza crusts to the cooler side of the grill. 

4. Grill the pizza crusts – either one at a time or at the same time – for 5-7 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the chopped lettuce on top. Slice and serve.

Makes 2 12-inch pizzas to serve 8.

Recipe created by Tim McGraw on Behalf of Kingsford Charcoal and KC Masterpiece. 

A Visit with Rick Browne: Cookbook Author & Barbeque America Host

I’m excited to announce that Rick Browne, cookbook author of many titles and the creator and host of Barbeque America, stopped by for a blog visit. He generously answered some questions for us and also shared a couple of recipes that you won’t find anywhere else on the Internet. Cedar Plank Swordfish with Pineapple Salsa and Sweet Potato Biscuits are available so click on over! Sounds delicious!

Julie-For those of us who love to grill, what would you recommend to help us avoid the potential cancer-causing carcinogens involved?

Rick-These concerns are WAY overrated, you'd have to BBQ three times a day for 4-5 years, burning your food each time, to have an affect. Just use moderation, buy and cook lean meat, cut off excess fat (remembering though that a small amount of fat adds flavor, tenderness, moisture). Don't burn meat, chicken, or fish, and if there are burned spots, cut them off.

Julie-Why does the fat make a difference?

Rick-From what I have read, it seems that the charred parts of the food and the smoke from burned fat and juices specifically is a concern. But again, you'd have to consume huge quantities of burned BBQ to be affected.

Julie-What do you enjoy the most about being on the big shows like The Today Show, Live with Regis, etc.?

Rick-Seeing my old friends again. I have been lucky enough to be invited on Regis' show 6 years in a row and love both of them—they are real, genuine, fun, and very professional to work with. Same with other shows, the hosts for the most part are genuine, have a lot of fun doing their interviews and tasting great BBQ - who wouldn't? Also love showing the audience fun foods and preparation methods: Beer-Butt Chicken, BBQ Ice Cream, BBQ Apple Pie in a Brown Bag, BBQ Grand Marinier Soufflé, Chicken Under a Brick, etc.

Julie-Do you grill everything? What is something, besides lettuce, that we shouldn't grill?

Rick-I do tons of grilling and smoking at home. Four or five meals a week at least. Hard to do spaghetti, jello, or whole emu on the grill (although I have a fantasy about doing a beer-butt emu or ostrich sometime). And who says you can't do lettuce? I do. I take baby lettuce, quarter it, brush with olive oil that you've seasoned with some garlic salt, paprika, and cumin - grill each side quickly until you just get grill marks - remove and drizzle on more of the seasoned oil - serve as a side dish or warm salad.

Julie-Oops. I should have picked pudding! Thanks Rick for coming by!

Cedar Plank Swordfish with Pineapple Salsa by Rick Browne

WHAT YOU NEED:

• Cedar planks (from food or seafood stores NOT your local lumberyard)

• 1 Tbs. lime juice

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 4 swordfish steaks

• 1/2 tsp. chili powder or ground black pepper

STEPS:

1. Soak cedar plank in warm water for 3 to 4 hours.

2. Prepare coals or gas for grilling. Grill should be at 450˚-500˚ degrees.

3. Combine lime juice and garlic in large Pyrex dish.

4. Dip swordfish in mixture, let marinate for 12 minutes (6 mins. per side).

5. Sprinkle with chili powder.

6. Brush plank with olive oil.

7. Place fish on the plank in the center of hot grill, lower lid.

8. Cook until just opaque in center and still very moist, about 20 minutes. Do not turn fish on plank.

Serves 4

Pineapple Salsa

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh pineapple

• 1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

• 1 green onion, thin sliced

• 2 Tbs. lime juice

• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro or fresh basil

 

STEPS:

1. Place all ingredients in bowl and blend well.

2. Serve 3 tbs. room temperature salsa over each fish steak.

Recipe: Saucy White Hots, from the Food Network's Sandra Lee

Today, Sandra Lee (Cook Extraordinaire and host from the Food Network) shares with us a yummy recipe from her new book, Semi-Homemade Grilling 2 (Semi-Homemade Series) called "Saucy White Hots."

It serves four and competes to win with a Coney Island Dog. She recommends it to us as a crowd-pleaser and I must say that I agree!

In fact, you might want to double the recipe and whip this one up to serve for the next sport's gathering in your living room or after the next big game at the stadium.

WHAT YOU NEED:

For White Hots:

• 4 bratwursts, Johnsonville
• 4 French rolls toasted

For Meat Sauce:

• 8 oz. lean ground beef
• 1 can (14-oz.) lower-sodium beef broth
• ½ cup chili sauce
• 2 tbsp. frozen chopped onions, thawed
• 1 tsp. spice Montreal steak seasoning
• ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

 

STEPS:

1. In a large skillet, combine ground beef, beef broth, chili sauce, onion, steak seasoning and cinnamon.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring to break up meat into fine pieces.
3. Reduce heat; simmer gently for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until liquid is evaporated.
4. Set up grill for direct cooking over low heat.
5. Oil grate when ready to start cooking.
6. Place Johnsonville brats on hot, oiled grill.
7. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until done, turning every five minutes.
8. Serve hot on toasted rolls.
9. Top with the meat sauce and additional chopped onion.

Hot Tub Circuit Therapy with Aaron Peirsol

It’s a bird…it’s a plane…well, he’s as fast as those it seems. Three-time Gold Medal-winning swimmer Aaron Peirsol uses his spa on a daily basis.

According to Wickpedia, Aaron won gold in the 100 m backstroke in the 2004 Olympic Games, and then he followed up by winning the 200 m event. An initial disqualification alleged that he had made an illegal turn during the race but it was overturned, giving Peirsol his second individual gold. Peirsol won the world championships in the 100 m backstroke in 2003, 2005 and 2007, and won 200 m backstroke in 2001, 2003 and 2005.

He also holds the world record for the 100 m backstroke and has been undefeated in finals in the 100 m since the 2002 Spring Nationals. He was also undefeated in the 200 m since losing to Lenny Krayzelburg in the 2000 Sydney Olympics until being defeated by countryman Ryan Lochte at the 2007 World Championships.

His younger sister is a pro swimmer in her own right at Auburn University—so apparently the talent runs in the family.

What? I’m reporting sports now?

No, but Aaron Peirsol says that his Caldera® Geneva Spa is essential to his training and his well-being. Specifically he says, "Training daily works the body’s major muscle groups. At the end of the day, I look forward to a round of Hot Tub Circuit Therapy in my Geneva Spa. I get a great full-body massage in just minutes, and it leaves me refreshed and ready for another grueling day in the pool."

The Geneva tubs are designed with jets to hit very specific muscles as you move from seat to seat. Call Rich’s for the Home today for more information about Caldera® Geneva Spas.