Moco's Meals

Hash #1

themocoman — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 15:56:33 -0400

Ingredients:

1/3 large potato, cut up into 1/4-inch pieces
1/4 medium white onion, sliced
1/4 small purple onion, sliced
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon habanero sauce
1 teaspoon fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 large green pepper, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 small habanero pepper, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
1 large egg

Melt the butter in a pan on medium heat. When the butter is hot, add the purple and white onions, green pepper, garlic, salt and pepper. Sautée for about 2 minutes, then cover for 3 minutes, letting the onions and peppers become soft. Add the potato pieces, cover, and cook for another 3 or 4 minutes. Add the habanero pepper and the water. Cover, and allow the water to evaporate completely, stirring occasionally. When the water has evaporated, add the cilantro and habanero sauce, cover, and cook for 2 more minutes. Place hash on a plate. Cook the egg however you would like, put it on top, and eat hot.

Notes:

This is a spicy dish. Remove the habanero or habanero sauce if you would prefer it to be more mild
I recommend putting a fried or poached egg on top of this.
If you prefer your potatoes to be harder, add less water.
Alternatively, if you prefer your potatoes softer, add them earlier, and use a bit more water
I’m going to try using different kinds of peppers in this, so check back soon(ish)

Meatballs

themocoman — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 23:04:00 -0400

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs of ground beef
1 teaspoon onion powder
3 cloves of garlic, chopped very finely
salt and pepper, to taste
3 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup italian breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a bowl with your hands. With your hands, roll the meat into balls (should make about 10), and place on a cooking tray. Cook for approximately 12 minutes.

Notes:

This is based off a Rachael Ray recipe
I’m not quite sure what else to do with these yet, I haven’t had a chance to play around with the recipe.

"Tasty Slop"

themocoman — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 22:52:56 -0400

Ingredients:

Butter
Bell peppers
purple and white onions
cayenne
habanero sauce
rice
black beans
cayenne powder
salt and pepper, to taste

Sautée the peppers and onions in butter. Cook the rice according to package instructions. When the veggies are soft and cooked through, combine the onions, peppers, habanero sauce, black beans, salt and pepper, and cayenne to the rice, and mix thoroughly. Serve hot.

Notes:

This is a great “end-of-week” meal, because you can basically throw anything in
There are no amounts for any of this because it’s all up to your preferences.
I like it spicy; feel free to remove the habanero sauce or cayenne.

Cajun Seasoning

themocoman — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 19:34:20 -0400

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons paprika

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and mix well.

Notes:

The salt is a very prominent taste. You might want to put in less than the recipe calls for.
Careful with that cayenne. I added extra to mine, and it’s quite spicy.
Overall, this is a great seasoning. I found it online. Keep some handy!

Steak Marinade #1

themocoman — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 17:57:35 -0400

Ingredients:

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons dry basil
1 1/2 tablespoons parsley flakes
pepper, to taste (not much is needed)
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high for about 30 seconds. Cover steak with it and let sit for up to 8 hours.

Notes:

I’d add a little more garlic, perhaps another teaspoon of minced garlic.
The soy sauce is definitely a strong taste, but everything works well together
This is a really easy marinade, and a lot of people have most of the ingredients lying around already

Brendan's Mashed Potatoes

themocoman — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 19:04:00 -0400

Ingredients:

Head of garlic
5 tablespoons heavy cream
salt and pepper (to taste)
tabasco sauce (or your favorite mild pepper sauce)
1 egg yolk
about 3 pounds of potatoes, peeled
skim milk
1/4 teaspoon onion powder (add more if you’d like)
4 tablespoons of butter (room temperature)

Peel garlic, and place in a small pot. Cover with water, and cover the pot, cooking to boiling. Lower the heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes until garlic is soft. Make sure all the skin is off the garlic, and place in a food processor with the heavy cream. Process until mixture is smooth. Cut the potatoes into 1/4-inch (ish) cubes, place in a pot, and just cover with water. Cover, and heat the potatoes to boiling. When the water boils, lower the heat, and simmer until very soft. Drain the potatoes. Combine garlic/cream mixture, potatoes, and other ingredients except skim milk in a bowl, and mix using an electric mixer, adding skim milk until your potatoes have reached the desired consistency.

Notes:

I like my potatoes extra creamy, so I tend to use a lot of skim milk.
I use skim instead of whole milk because it’s healthier, and causes a slightly more drastic change in consistency.
This was one of the first recipes I ever made, I’m quite fond of it.
The tabasco doesn’t add heat to the potatoes, just a flavor that tends to seem like it’s missing.
If you want spicier potatoes, add more hot sauce! But be prepared for off-color potatoes if you use too much.
I’m going to try adding cream cheese to the potatoes to make them creamier, we’ll see how it goes.

Late-Night Veggies

themocoman — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 23:22:00 -0400

Ingredients:

green bell peppers, cored seeded and chopped
red bell peppers, cored seeded and chopped
dried red pepper flakes
oil
garlic cloves, minced
red wine (optional)
bacon bits (optional, but always recommended)
grated parmesan cheese (optional)
steamed broccoli florets
oregano
salt and pepper

To begin, this recipe is entirely up to your discretion. Choose the ingredients you like, and add more of each accordingly!

In a pan, heat the oil. Add the red bell pepper, green bell pepper, garlic, and bacon bits. Sauté in the oil, stirring occasionally, until the peppers start to become soft. Add the red pepper flakes, oregano, salt, and pepper according to taste. Stir well, and cook for another few minutes. If you use red wine, add it now, just enough to barely cover the vegetables. Let this reduce until the wine is evaporated (or slightly before, if you want more of the taste). Add the steamed broccoli florets, and cook covered, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. You may add the parmesan cheese at any point after the broccoli has been added.

Notes:

This recipe is quite yummy, and quite healthy!
Go crazy with this. Add whatever you want.
Go ahead and be a rebel! Change the wine, but do NOT use different alcohols (unless you’re willing to risk a dish that you have to trash)
I used more Italian-themed spices here, you may want to try another spice combination!
Feel free to cook the peppers and whatnot to your liking. I prefer mine soft.
I don’t recommend letting this cool overnight. It isn’t quite as good re-heated.

Mmmmac and Cheese

themocoman — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 17:26:00 -0400

Ingredients:

16 oz dry macaroni (pipette works best)
8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp dry mustard
salt and pepper (to taste)
1 teaspoon hot sauce
4 cups milk
1/3 teaspoon onion powder
16 oz Velveeta cheese
2 oz sharp cheddar cheese
Panko breadcrumbs
butter

Cook pasta according to package instructions, drain, and set aside. Melt butter in a saucepan, and add onion powder and flour. Allow this to thicken on low heat. When thickened, slowly add the milk. Once the milk has been added, let sit on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the milk is warm. Add the cheese, stirring until it is melted. Add salt, pepper, dry mustard and hot sauce, stir well, and allow the sauce to thicken over low heat. When the sauce is thick, add the pasta to the saucepan, and toss the pasta with the sauce. Place the mixture in a buttered casserole dish, and cover with a thin layer of breadcrumbs. Bake at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes.

Notes:

Exercise extreme caution when using onion powder: it is very strong, and you may only need a pinch to imitate the flavor of the minced onion.
As with most cheese sauces, feel free to replace the Velveeta with cheddar or mozzarella or any other cheeses that melt well.
Using the breadcrumbs is an optional step, but it adds a great texture.
I put some shredded cheese on the breadcrumbs, which I felt was a good decision.
That hot sauce is surprisingly important in most mac and cheese recipes; it really just takes the flavor the extra few steps.
I’m going to be adjusting this recipe around a lot, check back on it!

"Fancy" Chicken Nuggets

themocoman — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 17:11:07 -0400

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts
1/2 cup white wine
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium white onion, peeled and cut into rings
1 cup italian-style breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons oil

Chicken Preparation: cut the chicken into nugget-sized chunks, whatever you think is reasonable. Scramble the egg in a bowl, and place nuggets into the bowl of egg. When the nuggets are coated, place them into a combination of the red pepper and breadcrumbs (add more of either as you see fit), and add salt and pepper to taste. Be sure the nuggets are evenly coated.

Heat the oil in a pan. When the oil is hot, sauté the onions and garlic in the oil until the garlic is golden brown. Add the white wine, and reduce until most of the white wine is evaporated. There should only be a thin layer at the bottom of the pan. Add one more tablespoon of oil, wait about 1 minute, and add the chicken, stirring constantly for the first few minutes. Then, cover the pan, and stir occasionally until chicken is cooked to your liking. Serve the chicken, garlic, and onions together.

Notes:

If you leave too much wine in the pan, the chicken will end up soggy.
If you leave too little wine in the pan, the chicken may not pick up the flavor of the wine.
I chose to add some granulated garlic into the sautéing chicken, though this is not necessary
I do realize this isn’t fancy but white wine makes it seem that way
Try adding jalapeños or other peppers into the mix, but de-seed them; this recipe isn’t really meant to be super spicy (don’t let that stop you though!)

Kick-Ass Jalapeños

themocoman — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 00:53:00 -0400

Ingredients:

3 jalapeños (sliced)
4 cloves of garlic (minced)
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 cup white wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a pan, heat the oil. When hot, add garlic and jalapeños, and sauté until garlic is golden brown (about 4 minutes). Add the white wine, lemon juice, and salt, and reduce, stirring occasionally, until the wine/lemon juice has evaporated almost entirely.

Notes:

This is not a meal. It is, however, an excellent addition to chicken or beef.
It also makes a good veggie side dish.
If you want spicier veggies, leave the seeds in the jalapeños. The more seeds there are, the hotter your dish will be.
Alternatively, for a dish without much “kick” at all, seed and core the jalapeños before cooking.
This is a recipe you can continue to work with and develop on your own! Try adding lime juice instead of lemon, or adding a little red wine instead of white, etc.

Confetti Cavatelli

themocoman — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 20:16:23 -0400

(my own!)

Ingredients:

3 cups broccoli florets, steamed
cavatelli pasta, about 1 pound
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, diced
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3/4 cup oil
1 can of black beans, drained
dried parsley flakes
dried red pepper flakes
salt
pepper
bacon bits
grated parmesan cheese
granulated garlic

Boil salted water in a large pot. Add cavatelli, and cook as directions state on bag. Drain, and put in a serving bowl. In a pan, heat 1/2 cup of the oil. Add garlic, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper, and sauté until the peppers are soft, about 5 minutes. Add broccoli, and add red pepper flakes, granulated garlic, salt and pepper to taste. When done, add the mixture to the cavatelli (including remaining oil). In the same pan, add the remaining 1/4 cup oil, and heat. Add the black beans, and cook for about 2 minutes. Add bacon bits, dried parsley flakes, dried red pepper flakes, granulated garlic, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook for a few more minutes, and add the mixture to the cavatelli mixture (including remaining oil). Stir and toss the cavatelli thoroughly. Add parmesan cheese to taste. Add salt, pepper, granulated garlic, red pepper flakes, parsley, and parmesan cheese as desired.

Notes:

This is a fairly easy meal to cook, give it a try!
I haven’t played around with this recipe yet, I’ll let you know when I do
If you’re not cautious, this meal can get very garlic-y very fast
When sautéing the black beans, keep stirring them and moving them. They will stick together.
When sautéing the beans, you may not hear sizzling like many other foods and spice will create. Don’t worry, the taste won’t be ruined!

THE Brendan Burger

themocoman — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 00:05:00 -0400

Another one of mine, clearly

Ingredients:

Brendan Burger patties
lettuce
tomato
pickles
Onion-Sriracha sauce (see post of the same name) OR
BBQ Sauce (see post of the same name)
your choice of cheese (I use pepperjack)
caramelized onions (see post of the same name)
caramelized jalapeños (see post of the same name)
bacon
buns (toasted, if you prefer)

The order that the items go on the burger:
bottom bun, patty, cheese, patty, cheese, sauce, bacon, caramelized onions, caramelized jalapeños, lettuce, tomato, pickles, top bun.

Notes:

Not much to say here, except go ahead and customize to your delight!

Caramelized Jalapeños

themocoman — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 00:04:49 -0400

Ingredients:

Jalapeño peppers
Butter
brown sugar

This is very similar to the caramelized onion recipe at the beginning of my blog. Cut the jalapeños into slices about 1/4 inch thick, and seed/core them. In a pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter for every 3 jalapeños. On medium-low heat, add the jalapeños, and about 2 tablespoons of brown sugar for every 3 jalapeños. Cover and cook, stirring often, to prevent the peppers from burning or sticking together. Once the peppers are flimsy and browned, they are finished!

Notes:

Caramelizing the jalapeños make them much more bearable to those who cannot usually tolerate hot foods
The brown sugar adds an extra sweetness that regular sugar does not.
Unlike caramelized onions, these CAN and WILL burn if you are not attentive

Burger Patties

themocoman — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 23:51:00 -0400

Ingredients

ground beef
salt and pepper (to taste)
onion powder (to taste)
chili powder (to taste)

Mix beef with onion powder, lightly using your fingertipsForm discs with the beef, about 3/4 of an inch thick. Put a small dent, about 2 inches in diameter, in the top of the patties. Just before you grill, season with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Grill to desired temperature.

Notes:

Due to a new revelation, I have opted to nix the breadcrumbs/bbq sauce in this recipe.
try not to play with the meat too much. The more you work it, the more the texture changes
The dent causes the burger to not puff up

Warning: peppers

themocoman — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 15:59:00 -0400

BE CAREFUL. Hot peppers can be dangerous. When cutting up jalapeños or habaneros, or other hot peppers, use caution. If you have open cuts, wear gloves. If you want to de-seed them, do so, but do not do so under water or near running water. The vapors from the pepper will mix with the water vapor, and they may cause a sore throat and coughing.

Also, don’t forget to THOROUGHLY wash your hands and arms after cooking with hot peppers. That stuff sticks to you like you wouldn’t believe, and is very painful to get anywhere sensitive (eyes, nose, mouth, etc).

This doesn’t apply to bell peppers, as they aren’t on the same level as jalapeños and such.

Onion-Sriracha Sauce

themocoman — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 11:45:00 -0400

(I came up with this one earlier today!)

Ingredients

Huy Fong Sriracha Chili Sauce
1 white onion, minced
2 tablespoons oil
1 and 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
corn starch
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic

In a pot, sauté the onion in the oil at medium-high temperature. When the onions have turned a golden-brown, add the heavy cream, milk, mustard powder, and garlic. Stir until mixed. Lower heat to a simmer, and cover. After a few minutes, add Sriracha (use discretion here; Sriracha can get very spicy very quickly). The sauce will take on an orange color, and darkens depending on the amount of Sriracha added. Stir thoroughly, and add corn starch at your discretion to increase thickness of sauce. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Cool afterwards, as the sauce will thicken as it cools, too.

Notes:

This recipe is far from perfect. As I remake it, I will update the recipe here.
I intend for this to go on a burger recipe that I am making, and I will update accordingly.
You may want to add a pinch of sugar for a sweet taste that will hit your mouth right before the Sriracha does.
If you accidentally add too much Sriracha, DO NOT add sugar. The tastes are different, and will strike your palate at different times. Dilute with milk (not heavy cream).
If you want to take the initiative in remaking this, I plan to try chicken broth instead of heavy cream and milk, as well as adding some balsamic vinegar.
Make sure those onions are golden brown. If the onions are still raw, you’ll find that the depth of flavor is decreased.
try adding some melting cheeses to it!

Alton Brown's Mac and Cheese

themocoman — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 12:17:00 -0400

Ingredients:

1/2 lb elbow macaroni
4 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
6 ounces evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
pepper (to taste)
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
10 oz sharp cheddar (shredded)

In a large pot, salt and boil water, then add pasta, cook to desired tenderness, drain, and return pasta to pot. Melt butter in pot, and toss in pasta to coat. Whisk together eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and mustard. Stir into pasta, and add cheese. Over low heat, stir until creamy (about 3 minutes)

Notes:

The mustard has a very strong flavor; you may only want to use half a teaspoon
Adding a few pinches of sugar is a good way to give this a little more flavor!
This sauce is extremely thick and creamy. If you prefer thinner sauce, substitute some of the evaporated milk for regular milk!
Your mac and cheese may need extra salt when it’s finished. Don’t forget to taste it!
Adding too much hot sauce can create a very strong taste in the sauce, even if it’s only a quarter teaspoon more. I’d advise adding the hot sauce after the cheese has melted, and taste each time.
I’m not a huge fan of sharp cheddar. I’d try other melting cheeses, like a mix of mozzarella, gruyere, and mild cheddar

Grilled Bourbon-Molasses Chicken

themocoman — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 16:03:39 -0400

Ingredients:

1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup Bourbon
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup molasses
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon oil
salt and pepper
Chicken breasts

In a small saucepan, heat the oil over low heat. Put the onion in, raise heat to medium-high, and cook until golden brown (5ish minutes). Put garlic in, and cook for about a minute. Add ketchup, balsamic vinegar, bourbon, and molasses, and stir well. Heat to a boil, stirring occasionally. When boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and cover (about 10 minutes).

Turn on the grill to medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken lightly with salt and pepper on both sides, followed by a brushing of the sauce on the chicken (also both sides). Place chicken on grill, and cook until the top appears to be white (this depends on the thickness of the chicken). At this point, the chicken should also have some nice-looking grill lines on the bottom. Flip the chicken over, brush the top with sauce again, and cook for another few minutes. Flip the chicken again, and brush the top again. Repeat this several times until the chicken is cooked through (You may have to cut open the chicken to check. See notes for further instructions). When the chicken is done, take off of the grill and enjoy!

Notes:

Cooked chicken will have a white color. If it is pink, it is NOT cooked. Make sure this white color is present in the center of the thickest part of the piece.
If you only want to check one piece of chicken, check the thickest piece.
Alternatively, you can use a thermometer. The chicken is done at about 170 degrees F.
Bourbon can be substituted for whiskey or scotch. In my recipe, I used whiskey due to the lack of bourbon in my house.
Make sure you turn the grill off when you are finished!
I’d advise setting about half of the sauce to the side, as the brush will come into contact with raw chicken, and that isn’t something you want touching the sauce you’re planning on eating later

A warning: alcohol

themocoman — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 20:08:13 -0400

Now this isn’t about drinking the alcohol (although don’t go crazy with that it’s a terrible idea). When cooking with alcohol, you must exercise extreme caution. Most “proofed” alcohols are flammable (this includes vodka, whiskey, rum, etc). The only alcohols that aren’t all that flammable are beer and wine, as they are too diluted.

The fact that the alcohol can catch fire so easily means that, if you are pouring alcohol into a pan, and it catches fire, it may very well travel right up the stream into the bottle and POOF. Something you didn’t want cooked, is. I recommend pouring alcohol into a small glass before cooking with it, and keeping it towards the center of the cooking surface. I’d also recommend that you don’t put the alcohol directly on the pan if you can help it, and instead pour it into something already existing (like the other ingredients in a sauce)

How to butterfly a steak

themocoman — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 18:46:00 -0400

This is fairly simple. Just cut horizontally through the steak from about the middle (heightwise). When you reach about 1/2 an inch from the end of the steak, stop. Open the steak as if it were a book, and press lightly on it until it is mostly flat. From here you can either roll it up, fold it back over, or cook it as it is! I chose to use a food mallet to tenderize the meat, which, if done too hard, can cause the rest of the steak to tear open. Be careful!

A tip for cutting: hold your hand OVER where the knife is, or just behind it. It makes it easier to hold it in place, and the knife will cut better!

On a health note, butterflying is an excellent way to make it seem as though you are eating more steak than you actually are.