Chicken Soup for the Hungover Headbanger

Whether you are hungover, sore, sick or just need some good old fashioned comfort food, homemade chicken soup is where it's at.

Today is a rainy Sunday and all I want to do is curl up in front of the fireplace with a good book, and slurp at some piping hot feel-good soup. I grew up eating Lipton Chicken Noodle from a package, and I suppose I still have a soft-spot for it, but nothing beats home cooking! 

Chicken soup has long been dubbed as a healing, feel-good food, and for good reason.  

**Soup has anti-inflammatory properties that help soothe sore throats.  An amino acid released from the chicken during cooking chemically resembles the drug acetylcysteine, which is often prescribed for bronchitis as well as other respiratory problems.  

**Also, steam is a real benefit. Sipping the hot soup and breathing in the steam helps clear up congestion. 

**When you are ill it's always helpful to intake plenty of fluids; once again, chicken soup to the rescue!

 Aside from being a "get-better" soup, it can also be consumed to relieve depression (giving you an overall sense of well-being), make you more relaxed/ de-stressed, aide in hangover recovery and of course is just an overall healthy, easy and relatively cheap meal option.

Here's how I make mine:

Chunky Chicken Soup (about 4 servings)

Ingredients

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed

3 L chicken stock

2 sticks of celery, diced

2 large carrots, diced

1/2 large white onion, diced

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 cob of corn or 2/3 c. canned corn 

1/2 tomato, diced

salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, parsley, any other herbs you like

linguine pasta, broken into small pieces, about 1/2 c.

I might have to go for seconds on this!!

Execution 

1. Heat some olive oil in a large pot. Saute chicken, celery, onions and garlic for about 2 minutes.

2. Add the chicken stock, bring to boil.

3. Add carrots, tomato and seasonings (Don't season too heavily as the soup will reduce. You can always correct your seasoning at the end.) Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.

4. While soup is simmering cook the linguine pieces al dente in a separate pot. You can cook the pasta in the soup, but I find it makes is cloudy and starchy and I prefer thin, clear broth. You're choice.

5. Taste the soup. Veggies should be tender. Adjust seasoning and add corn and pasta.

6. Consume and prepare to feel awesome!

Til next time...

Sinfully Yours,

The Gruesome Gourmet

 

Shredded Beef "Burger"

It's pretty self-explanatory, really, but in order to get the most succulent beefy goodness you've ever tasted, there are a few tips and tricks you need to know.

First off: let the beef marinate for a minimum of 12 hours. I started off with an eye of round steak (1-10 oz cut is enough for 2 standard burger buns, generously piled) and rubbed it with fresh garlic, dijon mustard and black pepper. I lightly drizzled it with olive oil, red wine vinegar and Worchestershire sauce.

Secondly: I can't even count the number of recipes that tell you to toss the beef right from the fridge in to the slow cooker. Ok, if you're hellbent on using a slow cooker, fine, but make sure you SEAR the beef first. It only takes a couple minutes and is definitely worth the time. Heat a pan on med-high (7-8), add a skim of olive oil, season beef with kosher salt and brown it up on all sides. THEN transfer to your slow cooker (if you MUST). I always cook mine in the oven.

Which brings me to my third point: SLOW COOKING that beef until it flakes easily when poked with a fork. If you don't have ample time and are looking for a quick meal, I do not recommend trying this recipe. That being stated you don't need to supervise the cooking process; just shove it in the oven and come back later to check it.

For a 10oz chunk 'o' beef  this is the marinade (approx...I don't really measure things...)

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

2 tbsp dijon

1 tbsp black pepper

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp Worchestershire

+ a good pinch of kosher salt right before searing the meat

Place seared beef in a casserole or roasting pan with a lid, add just enough beef stock to cover meat.

I find cooking at 210°F for 8 hours does the trick! Shred the beef with a fork stirring to incorporate all the stock and juices.

You can build your sandwich however you like...

I put a dollop of mayo on each side of the bun, pile beef on the bottom, top with Montary Jack cheese, tomato and caramelized onions.

Caramelized Onions...if you please

1 large red onion, sliced

olive oil

kosher salt

red wine

balsamic vinegar

beef stock

1. Heat skillet over med-high heat (7) and add olive oil.

2. Add onions, give a quick shake to disperse, season with kosher salt and let sit, don't stir immediately!

You want the onions to get some color on them and stirring will cool the pan too much and cause their  natural moisture to leak out rather than evaporate. Once they start to brown, stir, every couple of minutes. 

3. When all the onions are dark in color (not burnt, just dark) deglaze with red wine and scrape bottom of pan, to get all that charred oniony goodness! 

4. Add a few splashes of balsamic vinegar and if you have any leftover beef stock, add about 1/4 c of that as well. Cook until onions are completely soft and all the liquid has been absorbed.

Bon Appétit!

The Gruesome Gourmet

The Thrifty Gourmet Part 2: Eggplant Spaghettini

As promised from my previous post, I will continue to enlighten my dear readers on how to eat well on a tight budget.

Today's creation is kind of a spin-off of pasta puttanesca. I'm not a big fan of anchovies, or capers as per original recipe, so I made a few modifications.

If you are unfamiliar with the term "puttanesca", it is derived from the Italian word "puttana", meaning whore. It is said that in the mid-20th century prostitutes used to make this dish in the time between their customers because it was quick, cheap and easy...

hmm, maybe there is some truth in the phrase "You are what you eat", haha;)

On the note of shunned and sacrilegious professions, I feel the appropriate music to accompany this dish is Goatwhore. I talked a bit about Soilent Green in a previous post, who share the same ruthlessly exuberant vocalist, Ben Falgoust. The band was originally formed in 1997 by guitar player Sammy Duet after the tragic breakup of his previous band, Acid Bath (also, an AMAZING band). Their black-death metal synthesis with gut-wrenching vocals and ear-annihilating riffs makes them one of my favorite bands to rock out to live. I've seen these guys a few times now, and every time they vastly exceed themselves!

Enough of my babbling....let's eat, drink and rock the fuck out!

Eggplant Spaghettini a.k.a. Modified Whore Pasta!

Makes 2 servings, enough for the whore and her guest;)

Ingredients:

Enough spaghettini for 2...about 300g

1/2 of a medium sized eggplant, diced (about 1/2" cubes)

3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

dash of chili flakes

Approx 1 c. whole canned tomatoes, with juice

small handful of Kalamata or black olives

extra-virgin olive oil

black pepper and a touch of kosher salt (the olives are salty, so you shouldn't need much)

fresh parsley (If you have the means to acquire it fresh, do it...if not, don't bother with   dried herbs...they just aren't the same)

Execution:

1. Cook pasta al dente, drain and set aside.

2. Heat a heavy bottomed skill over med-high heat (7-8)

3. When pan is hot, add a generous amount of olive oil. You want a good amount because the eggplant will soak it up like a sponge and also because it is part of your sauce. I cannot emphasize enough that the pan has to be HOT or else the eggplant will simply soak up the oil and take forever to cook!!

4. Add eggplant, cook for about 1 minute.

5. Add garlic and chili flakes
and cook another minute or
so until tender.

6. Hand-crush the tomatoes
into the pan and add enough
of the juice so that you
have about 1 c. of liquid
including the olive oil.

7. Throw in enough olives to
your liking, season with s&p
and fresh parsley if you have
it, add the cooked spaghettini and toss.

8. Most of the liquid should get absorbed into the pasta (which is why it's important that is is al dente!) so there shouldn't be a puddle of liquid in the bottom of the pan.

9. Portion into serving dishes. If pasta seems dry, drizzle lightly with olive oil.

10. Enjoy your dinner and listen to Goatwhore!

Here's a pic I got with Ben Falgoust outside
of  The Biltmore when I saw them in 2009.


Off of their first album released in 2000, The Eclipse of Ages into Black, this is my favorite track and probably the most appropriate, or...uh...inappropriate, depending on how you look at it, hah!

                                          Goatwhore: Invert The Virgin

As always, thanks for checkin' this out and keep comin' back for more!

Sinfully Yours,

The Gruesome Gourmet

The Thrifty Gourmet

Hail Disciples!

If you work in the food service industry, such as myself, chances are you are familiar with being short on spending money. Let's face it, being broke is pretty much an industry standard! Oh how we suffer for the love of food, haha....

One can never stop learning about cooking. There's endless possibilities, variations, methods and techniques to brush-up on. 

Sometimes I get kinda depressed when I review my finances and realize I have a $50 budget for a week's worth of meals. I dream of all these fancy, expensive, exotic dishes...but why? 

Good food doesn't have to be expensive. In fact, I love how living on a budget makes me more creative when shopping for groceries. I have to think ahead and plan out how I can use my ingredients for Monday's dinner in my meals for the rest of the week, without getting bored of eating the same foods repeatedly. 

Creative ingredient usage---very important! Also, keep in mind that oftentimes less is more---simplicity can be a wonderful thing.

For the next few days I'm going to post some excellent recipes and helpful tips for cooks on a tight budget.

My dinner tonight? 

A simple Veggie Stir-fry...this recipe is scaled to approx 2 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 package fresh stir-fry noodles (225-250g)

2 c. assorted veggies (tonight I used onion, cabbage, bell pepper, carrot and corn)

1 clove garlic, roughly chopped

tofu (optional)

small bunch cilantro, chopped

Sauce:

1/4 c. rice vinegar

1/4 c. white sugar

4 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. sesame oil

Directions:

1. Cook noodles according to package directions. I usually boil for 4 minutes, drain and give them a quick rinse.

2. Heat a wok or heavy bottomed skillet over med-high heat. Add a couple tsp of oil and saute veggies and garlic until they are tender but still have some "bite" to them.

3. Add tofu, sauce and noodles. Cook about 1 minute until tofu is hot and noodles start to soak up the sauce.

4. Throw in desired amount of cilantro, toss and serve!

Stay tuned for more...

Sinfully Yours,

The Gruesome Gourmet

Save On Meats

In my travels, I have experienced high-end, over priced delicacies that tantalize my taste-buds, but break my pocketbook. 

On the contrary I have eaten at some sketchy restaurants in the name of being thrifty!

Thursday was a beautiful day, and my friend and I decided to go for a nice walk and grab some lunch. We started downtown, walking past the fancy eateries and trendy coffee shops until we reached our destination.  

Located in a less-than-glamourous part of East Hastings, Save On Meats served up tasty comfort food at an incredibly reasonable price.

I have passed by countless times but that's usually been on my way to Funky Winkerbeans next door, where it would be less than ideal to be toting around a bag of meat all night! I had never been back in the day-time.

Upon entering, it looks like they haven't remodeled since the 60s, but that gives it a simplistic, old-school diner-like flair. For a Thursday at 2pm, this place was packed---I couldn't believe it! Our server was friendly and talkative, making our dining experience all the better. From what we could see of the open kitchen, it appeared clean and organized, with staff that seemed genuinely happy to be at work. 

That's just the restaurant half of it though. 

The other half of the business is a thriving butcher's shop with prices that could have you leaving with a shopping cart full of meat for under $100! 

Save On Meats gets my vote all the way. I can't wait to go back.

The Gruesome Gourmet

A Bite of Everything

Hail Disciples!

To be honest, until about 5 minutes ago, I was under the impression that today was the first day of March...wow...I often lose track of days, but that's ok, it's how I roll:)

I can be a rather indecisive person at times. I’m just a whirlwind of chaos and that is often reflected in what I eat, the music that inspires me and the activities I choose to take part in. When I’m at a loss of what to do, usually I read. I try to calm and focus my mind and sometimes that results in me reading for hours on end and sometimes it just gives me a “jump start”…gets my “motivational juices” flowing, so to speak.

I believe the weather greatly affects my mood and therefore the music I listen to. It’s been observed that I have a taste for slower, more raw styles in the winter months, whereas as soon as Spring hits I go for mostly fast paced, upbeat melodies. 

Summer is always a bit of everything. That’s when I’m usually the most active, come out of my winter tendency to be a bit of a hermit and start socializing more. This always calls for EPIC HEADBANGING. Anything groovy and kick-you-in-the-face-heavy will do!

It’s bloody March and it’s still snowing. In the spirit of summertime fun and spur-of-the-moment ideas and being indecisive, here’s some badass muffins I just whipped up…EVERYTHING Muffins! The fun part about Everything Muffins is that you can put any combination of ingredients together and tweak the recipe to your liking. 

This is what I concocted today. 

Feel free to substitute fruits (fresh or dried), veggies, nuts/ seeds, candy/ chocolate, grains , etc. 
For the best results try , as best you can, to keep the ratio of wet to dry ingredients in proportion. Now go on…CREATE!

Everything Muffins (Makes about 10)

1/3 c. Canola Oil (I use oil for a light, spongy consistency, but if you’re seeking a                                       more dense product, use butter or shortening)
½ c. Sugar
1 Egg
1 c. Orange Juice (any fruit juice or milk)
2 c. All Purpose Flour
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Salt
¼ c. chocolate chips
¼ c. granola
¼ c. chopped walnuts
¼ c. dried currants


Preheat oven to 350°F.

1. Combine oil, sugar and egg in a medium sized bowl.
2. Combine all dry ingredients in a separate container.
3. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the juice to the wet ingredients. 
4. Pour into lightly greased muffin tins. 
5. Bake for 15-18 minutes.



Enjoy your creation...post a comment, I always enjoy feedback. 
Let me know what your Everything Muffins are rockin'!




 What I'm listening to right now:

Kalmah, a melodic death metal band from Finland. This is the title track off their 2006 release The Black Waltz.

Sinfully Yours,
The Gruesome Gourmet

Sliders Schmiders

 Do you eat out at restaurants on an occasional basis? What have you noticed in the last few years as far as appetizer trends go? 

Well, for one, Asian style protein bites. Whether it's breaded chicken, crispy beef or marinated shrimp, Asian fusion has taken over a lot of classically westcoast restaurants. 

I used to rant and rave about that because at one point it seemed like Cactus Club topped everything on their menu with cilantro and somehow that was acceptable as Asian influenced cooking.

I've gotten over that now. I may even opt for some of those tasty creations from time to time.

My beef now, so to speak, are those teeny-tiny 1 bite excuses for sustenance commonly known as SLIDERS.

What is the deal with those things? 

I can't stand them...but for some reason their popularity is escalating. I see them everywhere...every new and upcoming trendy restaurant has sliders on their menu. 

There's endless varieties and combinations of ingredients that you can shove inside a bite-sized bun, but isn't that all the more reason to put all that deliciousness in a larger bun? 

Hear me out: so your average, casual dining restaurant burger is anywhere between $10-$13...that price includes a full sized burger with approximately a 5-6oz portion of protein as well as fries, soup, salad, whatever. 

So...why the hell would you pay $9 for 3 microscopic "burgers" that have about 1oz of protein per bun and no side dish? 

I get it---appetizers; you want something to snack on..but it's just not worth it! Never underestimate the power of classics appies and share plates like nachos, hot wings and cheesy bread.
Just saying. 

Also, I can say from experience that sliders are one of those items that everyone in the kitchen hates to make. You're busy running around during the dinner rush and all of a sudden you have to put everything on hold an dedicate the next 5 minutes of your time to carefully assembling these labor-intensive mini burgers from hell.  

Not fun. There's no love for those wretched wannabe burger spawn!

Seriously, consider value for your dollar next time you go out. Don't waste it on mediocre crap.

Sinfully Yours,

The Gruesome Gourmet