Cooking with Dad: Barbecue Spaghetti

This entry was written on Nov 02, 2009 by our Dad Guru John Valadez

I couldn’t believe it myself, but yes, someone made a barbecue version of spaghetti. The Neely’s are a husband and wife cooking duo on the Food Network and they cook up some tasty dishes. So if you’re feeling a little dangerous, or adventurous, go ahead and give it a try – the kids will love it.

Ingredients
Neely's BBQ Sauce:

• 16 ounces ketchup


• 8 ounces water


• 3 ounces brown sugar


• 3 ounces white sugar


• 1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper


• 1/2 tablespoon onion powder


• 1/2 tablespoon dry mustard powder


• 1-ounce lemon juice


• 1-ounce Worcestershire sauce


• 4 ounces apple cider vinegar


• 1-ounce light corn syrup


• 2 ounces Neely's BBQ Seasoning, recipe follows

For the spaghetti:

• 1 bell pepper


• 1 onion


• Extra-virgin olive oil


• 1 to 2 pounds cooked pork


• 1 pound spaghetti

For the BBQ sauce:
Directions
Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a stockpot or large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Reduce temperature to low and simmer- uncovered, for at least 2 hours.
For the spaghetti:
Dice bell peppers and onions and sauté together in extra-virgin olive oil. Add the sautéed vegetables and cooked pork to the sauce and continue to simmer for up to 1 hour. Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. Pour sauce over cooked pasta and serve.
Neely's BBQ Seasoning:
4 ounces paprika
2 ounces white sugar
1 teaspoon onion powder
Mix all the ingredients and set aside.

Pay close attention to what they will eat.

The finicky eater is every parent’s bete noir. With a bit of persitance we can turn our child/adversary into a model of health.
Even the most picky child will have a small group of foods he or she enjoys. Make a list of these foods. To this list add those foods the child will eat, even though he or she may not enjoy them. Look through this list for foods that form a balanced diet.
You now have enough information to build a diet. To this diet add very small portions of new foods at least once a day.
Over time the list will grow. Over the course of a year your child will have a diet that, if boring, is healthy.

Cooking with Dad: Bangers and Mash

This entry was written on Oct 29, 2009 by our Dad Guru John Valadez

If you’re looking for a quick dinner then Bangers and Mash is a viable solution. This meal falls into the 30 minute meals a category as well as a kid favorite. I substitute all animal proteins for Vegan alternatives and the meal is just as good. Once you feed this English favorite to the kiddies they’ll love it forever. Enjoy.

Bangers and Mash

Ingredients

• 2 pounds potatoes


• 8 links Italian sausage (or Vegan Italian sausage)


• 1 tablespoon olive oil


• 1 large onion


• 2 tablespoons flour


• 4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)


• 4 tablespoons cream (or soy milk)


• 2 ounces butter (or Vegan butter substitute)


• Salt and pepper


• 1 teaspoon parsley

Directions
Peel and dice potatoes then place in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, add salt and simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prick sausages with a fork, heat a skillet and brown the sausage in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Slice the onion. Remove the sausage to a plate and add the onion to the pan. Cook onions until soft, then add 2 tablespoons flour, cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and return the sausage to the pan, cooking it through for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Drain the potatoes and mash with a potato masher. Add the cream, butter and season with salt, pepper and parsley.
Plate the potatoes and add the sausage on top.
Bon Appetite.

Think Mediterranean

Getting kids to eat healthy food when we are in a hurry sounds like a lot of work. It isn’t if we think Mediterranean food.
A tossed salad, spaghetti and garlic bread can go from the cupboard to eating in 20 minutes. Souvlaki on pita, Tacos and Spanish Rice all become food in 15 minutes.
The key is to think of quick ways to get vegetables, breads, "Good" oils and meat into the kids and ourselves with a minimum of fuss. With the addition of milk to drink, Mediterranean food does the trick.

Wild Mushroom Quesadillas with Warm Black Bean Salsa

This entry was written on Oct 13, 2009 by our Dad Guru John Valadez

This week’s cooking with Dad recipe comes from Rachel Ray. Ray’s recipes are always easy and time efficient – think 30 minute meals. This one is no different. I’m a vegan, so I substitute all the animal proteins for healthy veggie alternatives. Enjoy.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, plus some for drizzling


• 16 crimini mushroom caps, baby bella’s, with stems, trimmed and thinly sliced


• 12 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced, stems discarded


• Coarse black pepper and salt


• 1 tablespoon (a few sprigs) fresh thyme leaves, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried


• 4 large flour tortillas, 12 inches in diameter


• 2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar (I use Vegan Block Cheddar Flavor or Rice Vegan Block Pepper Jack Flavor from Galaxy Nutritional Foods).

Salsa:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan


• 1 small onion, chopped


• 2 cloves garlic, chopped


• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped


• 1 can black beans, drained


• 1 cup frozen corn kernels


• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped


• 1/2 cup smoky barbecue sauce


• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and the sliced mushrooms to the hot skillet. Season mushrooms with black pepper, salt and thyme. Sauté the mushrooms 10 minutes or, until dark and tender, then remove from heat. Transfer the mushrooms to a dish and return the skillet to the stove over medium heat.
Add another turn of extra-virgin olive oil to the skillet and add the onions, garlic and jalapeno pepper; sauté for 2 or 3 minutes, then add beans and corn to the pan. Stir in chopped tomatoes and barbecue sauce, then season salsa with salt and pepper. Transfer warm salsa to a serving dish.
Heat a griddle pan or large nonstick skillet over medium to medium high heat. Add a drizzle of oil to the pan and 1 flour tortilla. Cook tortilla 1 minute, and then turn it over; sprinkle 1/2 cup sharp cheddar over 1/2 of the flour tortilla. Cover the cheese with 1/4 of the cooked sliced mushrooms. Fold the plain 1/2 of the tortilla over top of the filling and gently press down with a spatula. Cook the filled quesadilla 30 seconds to a minute longer on each side to lightly brown and crisp the quesadilla and melt the cheese. Remove the quesadilla to a large cutting board or transfer to a warm oven to hold, and then repeat with remaining quesadilla ingredients.
Cut each quesadilla into wedges and serve with warm salsa for topping.

Fast food at home

Dads, try this recipe to fix with your children. A package of ground beef, a can of tomato soup, a can of corn, a big squirt of pancake syrup and a big squirt of mustard: Viola! Instant food. Fry the beef until browned, drain off grease; add the soup and corn; squirt in syrup and mustard; stir well; serve on toast or bun. Total time is less than five minutes. Nutrition is good, not great, but lots of fun!

Baked Tomato Sauce

This entry was written on Oct 07, 2009 by our Dad Guru John Valadez

When October arrives I always crave a heaping bowl of pasta, never fails. What makes a good pasta dish? Simply put, the tomato sauce, or gravy if you’re from my area of New Jersey. The recipe is a keeper and is from Alton Brown. Although, the first time I was unsuccessful, due mostly to the fact I was multitasking; I was doing laundry, studying, assisting my daughter with her homework and cooking. I suggest not multitasking, even though after prepping the recipe it seems you could very easily do so. Very well, maybe you could multitask, but keep an eye on the tomatoes, because if you don’t, they’ll burn.

Tomato Sauce
Ingredients

• 20 Roma tomatoes, halved and seeded (if you like the seeds then leave them in, I like the seeds)


• 1/4 cup olive oil


• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt


• 1 teaspoon pepper


• 1 cup finely diced onion


• 2 teaspoons minced garlic


• 1 tablespoon finely chopped oregano leaves (dried works very well too, because of the extended cooking time)


• 1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme leaves


• 1 cup white wine (I could without the wine, I leave it out)

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. (I recommend 300 degrees F, if you have a finicky electric oven like the one I use, it seems to like heat way too much)
In 2 (13 by 9-inch) pans place tomato halves cut side up. Sprinkle with oil, salt and pepper, onion, garlic, and herbs (sprinkle the salt on first and allow a few minutes to draw out the liquids; then add the pepper; followed by a mixture of the oil and herbs, mix the herbs with the oil so they don’t burn; lastly, top with the onion and garlic). Bake tomatoes for 2 hours (I only bake them for one hour as it really depends on the oven). Check the tomatoes after 1 hour and turn down the heat if they seem to be cooking too quickly (warning: you’re going to really want to pay attention to this step). Then turn the oven to 400 degrees and bake another 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and process tomatoes through a food mill on medium dye setting over a small saucepan (if you don’t have a food mill, like me, you can use a food processor to puree the tomatoes – skins and all). Discard skins. Add white wine, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.

Buon Appetito!

Sweet Potato Pie

This entry was written on Sep 22, 2009 by our Dad Guru John Valadez

Alton Brown has done it again. This is an easy, quick recipe for anyone to attempt. This was my first baking recipe so I wanted to keep it simple and attempt a classic - I’ve accomplished both. The total cook time is an hour and fifteen minutes and allow for an additional fifteen minutes for the prep. Instead of watching a movie this weekend, try this recipe – your family will thank you. AB, you’re the man.

Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients

• 1 pound 3 ounces sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed


• 1 1/4 cups plain yogurt


• 3/4 cup packed, dark brown sugar


• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon


• 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg


• 5 egg yolks


• Salt


• 1 (9-inch) deep dish, frozen pie shell


• 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted


• 1 tablespoon maple syrup


• Special equipment: steamer basket

Directions
Put cubed potatoes into steamer basket and place steamer basket into a large pot of simmering water that is no closer than 2 inches from the bottom of basket. Allow to steam for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Mash with potato masher and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place sweet potatoes in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat with the paddle attachment. Add yogurt, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, yolks, and salt, to taste, and beat until well combined. Pour this batter into the pie shell and place onto a sheet pan. Sprinkle pecans on top and drizzle with maple syrup.
Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until the custard reaches 165 to 180 degrees. Remove from oven and cool. Keep refrigerated after cooling.
Bon Appétit!

Cajun Red Beans and Rice, Cooking with Dad

This entry was written on Sep 10, 2009 by our Dad Guru John Valadez

There is no denying this plain fact; cooking with Dad is on a Cajun/Creole kick right now. I love the texture, flavors and spice those foods from this region of our great country produces. As the winter moves on I’ll experiment with other ethnicities of food, but for today – it’s Cajun, oh yeah. Cajun Red Beans and Rice is a staple of Louisiana cooking and I’m aiming to do them proud by representing the quality of their food and give them their due justice.

When a recipe calls for pickling an ingredient – like this one does - please do the recommended time allotment; you’ll get the flavor the dish deserves and do the recipe justice. It’s truly a win-win decision. This recipe is from my favorite Chef Alton Brown. Alton does Cajun right and most importantly authentic. Please enjoy the dish.
Cajun Red Beans and Rice
Ingredients
For red beans:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil


• 1 medium onion, chopped


• 2 medium green bell peppers, chopped


• 3 stalks celery, chopped


• 2 teaspoons kosher salt


• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


• 5 cloves garlic, minced


• 12 ounces pickled pork, cut into 1-inch pieces, recipe follows


• 3 bay leaves


• 1 teaspoon dried thyme


• 1 teaspoon hot sauce


• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper


• 2 quarts water


• 1 pound red kidney beans, rinsed and picked of debris

For rice:

• 3 cups water


• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter


• 2 cups long-grain rice


• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions
Place the vegetable oil in a 7-quart Dutch oven and set over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, salt and pepper to the pot. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions and celery are semi-translucent and the bell peppers are tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the pickled pork, bay leaves, thyme, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, water and beans to the pot and increase the heat to high. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture comes to a boil which is approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Decrease the heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Uncover, increase the heat slightly to maintain a steady simmer and continue to cook for another 30 to 40 minutes or until the beans are tender and the sauce is thickened to your liking. If you prefer an even creamier texture, mash some of the beans with a potato masher.
Prepare rice during the last 30 minutes of cooking the beans. Place the water into an electric kettle and bring to a boil. While the water is coming to a boil place the butter into a 3-quart saucepan, set over medium heat. Once the butter begins to bubble, add the rice and stir to combine. Add the salt and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Carefully pour the water over the rice and stir to combine. Decrease the heat to the lowest setting, cover, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve the beans over the rice.
Pickled Pork:

• 2 cups water


• 1 cup apple cider vinegar


• 1/4 cup kosher salt


• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed


• 2 tablespoons sugar


• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard seed


• 2 tablespoons hot sauce


• 1 tablespoon celery seed


• 1 bay leaf


• 1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns


• 8 ounces ice


• 1 1/2 pounds fresh boneless pork butt, cut into 2-inch cubes

Combine all of the ingredients except the ice and the pork in a 2-quart non-reactive saucepan, set over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and maintain a simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the ice and stir. Place the pork into a 1-gallon zip top bag and add the cooled pickling liquid. Remove as much air as possible; seal the bag and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 days, turning the bag occasionally. Use within 2 weeks or remove from the pork from the brine and freeze.
Yield: about 1 1/2 pounds
I hope you enjoyed this dish as much as I did – Bon Appétit!

Dinner with Dad - Shrimp Gumbo

This entry was written on Sep 04, 2009 by our Dad Guru John Valadez

Shrimp Gumbo is on the menu today. This is an intermediate meal so plan on cooking for a few hours. If you are not handy with the knife, your prep time is going to be a long time. Count on taking at least 2 hours cutting all the vegetable and preparing the shrimp for the gumbo. If you follow the recipe to the letter there is no reason your Shrimp Gumbo won’t taste authentic and almost as delicious as mine. The start of the NFL season is less than 9 days away and that only mean one thing – Shrimp Gumbo and football – perfect together.

Shrimp Gumbo
Ingredients

• 4 ounces vegetable oil


• 4 ounces all-purpose flour


• 1 1/2 pounds raw, whole, head-on medium-sized (31-50 count) shrimp


• 2 quarts water


• 1 cup diced onion


• 1/2 cup diced celery


• 1/2 cup diced green peppers


• 2 tablespoons minced garlic


• 1/2 cup peeled, seeded and chopped tomato


• 1 tablespoon kosher salt


• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped


• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper


• 2 bay leaves


• 1/2 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and browned


• 1 tablespoon file powder

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the vegetable oil and flour into a 5 to 6-quart cast iron Dutch oven and whisk together to combine. Place on the middle shelf of the oven, uncovered, and bake for 1 1/2 hours, whisking 2 to 3 times throughout the cooking process.
While the roux is baking, de-head, peel and devein the shrimp. Place the shrimp in a bowl and set in the refrigerator. Place the heads and shells in a 4-quart saucepan along with the 2 quarts of water, set over high heat and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour or until the liquid has reduced to 1-quart. Remove from the heat and strain the liquid into a container, discarding the solids.
Once the roux is done, carefully remove it from the oven and set over medium-high heat. Gently add the onions, celery, green peppers and garlic and cook, moving constantly for 7 to 8 minutes or until the onions begin to turn translucent. Add the tomatoes, salt, black pepper, thyme, cayenne pepper, and bay leaves and stir to combine. Gradually add the shrimp broth while whisking continually. Decrease the heat to low, cover and cook for 35 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the shrimp and sausage and stir to combine. Add the file powder while stirring constantly. Cover and allow to sit for 10 minutes prior to serving. Serve over rice. Bon Appétit!
This is a recipe from a great chef and authentic Gumbo professional - Alton Brown
If you want to try more of Alton's Recipes go to www.foodnetwork.com/goodeats

Cooking Dinner with Dad

This entry was written on Aug 13, 2009 by our Dad Guru John Valadez

When dad cooks dinner most people think – take out. Well, get away from that stereotype by whipping up some great, easy dinners. One of my children’s favorites is Sloppy Joes. What kid doesn’t like Sloppy Joe? Kids love it. Below is a quick and easy recipe I got from Rachel Ray and her 30 minute meals show. This recipe is simple enough for any dad to pull off in a hurry.

Super Sloppy Joes
· 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, to coat the bottom of the pan
· 1 ¼ pounds ground beef sirloin, we use Buffalo meat because it has less saturated fat and calories than cow meat.
· ¼ cup brown sugar
· 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon steak seasoning blend
· 1 medium onion, chopped
· 1 small red bell pepper, chopped
· 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
· 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
· 2 cups tomato sauce
· 2 tablespoons tomato paste
· 4 crusty rolls, split, toasted, and lightly buttered. I serve mine open-faced on toasted, lightly buttered sourdough bread – kids love it.
· Garnish: sliced ripe tomatoes and pickles. I set the pickles on the side but add organic macaroni and cheese.
Directions
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and meat to a frying pan. Spread the meat around and break it all up so it lies even. Combine brown sugar and steak seasoning. Add sugar and spice mixture to the skillet and combine. When the meat is browned, add onion and red peppers to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium and cook onions, peppers, red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce with the meat for 5 minutes. I move the meat over and cook the ingredients on the side in the fat. Add tomato sauce and paste to pan. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to simmer and cook Sloppy Joe mixture 5 minutes longer. If you want to some tanginess you can add a tablespoon of barbeque sauce to the mix – it’s up to you. After cooking place the skillet to the side and let cool for a few minutes. Place your Sloppy Joes on the sourdough bread and add your favorite sides.

Enjoy!

Healthy Barbecue

This entry was written on Aug 08, 2009 by our Dad Guru John Valadez

In the spirit of summertime barbecues I’ve included some dipping sauces for you to try at home. After purchasing some healthy organic chicken to grill and serve the family why cover your delightful meal with ketchup or store bought barbecue sauce? Making your own dipping sauces ensure you know exactly what is in what you’re eating and makes you unique. It’s relatively easy to do and take only a few minutes to mix. I prefer using organic ingredients, but you can use ingredients from your local market; though it just won’t taste as good. Also, if you want to make more than 2 servings than just double the ingredients up until you get the desired amount.

Apricot-Ginger Barbecue Dip
· 2 Tbsp. Organic Apricot Jam
· 2 Tbsp. Organic Barbecue Sauce
· 1 tsp. Fresh Ginger, minced
- Combine jam, barbecue sauce and ginger in a bowl. Mix well. (Makes 2 servings)

Creamy Mustard-Pesto Dip
· 3 Tbsp. Vegenaise(or Mayonnaise)
· 1 Tbsp. Organic Pesto Sauce
· 1 tsp. Organic Dijon Mustard
-Combine Vegenaise, pesto and mustard in a bowl. Mix well. (Makes 2 servings)

Enjoy!

Pasta with Cream Sauce and Spinach

This entry was written on Aug 06, 2009 by our Dad Guru John Valadez

I love to cook for my kids. I took this recipe off the internet and added it to my rolodex. It’s easy to make, fantastic to eat and most importantly my children love it. Try it the next time you cook dinner and shine like a rock star.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 onion, chopped


• 1/3 container Tofutti "Better Than Cream Cheese"


• 1 cup water


• 1 vegetable stock cube


• A small chopped garlic


• A little chopped parsley (preferably fresh, but your Dad, so dry will do)


• 2 large mushrooms, chopped


• Olive oil


• 1 "head" of fresh spinach leaves (I rinse it more than once, but look for the “rinsed” spinach)


• Pasta (I always go with spaghetti)

DIRECTIONS

Chop onion, mushroom, garlic, parsley and sauté in a little olive oil until onions are somewhat translucent (the original recipe calls for a little garlic salt, but my kids tend to not like too much garlic so I leave it out). Add stock cube and cup of water. Add the Tofutti cream cheese. Let simmer till kind of thick (10 minutes maybe). Boil the spinach for about 3 minutes. Dump everything on top of the strained past and mix.

Godere di buona salute!