Fake Tucano's Tenderloin
2 pounds beef tenderloin
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup hot water
Preheat grill. Cut tenderloin into about six pieces. Reduce heat and place tenderloin pieces on the grill. As the meat starts to cook, dissolve the salt in the water and add the garlic.
Start basting the meat with the garlic and salt mixture. Keep basting throughout until the meat is done.
Almost any kind of meat can be used for this recipe. If you wish you can place the pieces on a rotisserie.
Grilled Pineapple
Ingredients:
One half pineapple, cut into long spears
1 TBPS butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tsp. cinnamon, in all
lemon juice
Fire up the grill to medium heat. Before putting the pinapple down, sprinkle the spears with half of the cinnamon and a little bit of brown sugar. This will facilitate a sweetness and instant carmelization when they hit the grill.
In a small saucepan, heat the butter, brown sugar and the rest of the cinnamon. Heat until bubbly and the sugar is properly melted.
Grill the pineapple spears over direct heat about 2-3 minutes per side, turning occaisionally. Each time it turns, baste with a brush of glaze. When finished, plate up and drizzle a final amount of glaze on top.
Brazilian Cheese RollsPão de queijo (Cheese bread or cheese rolls)
“Pão de queijo” is typical Brazilian and it’s a delicious snack, which can be found at every bread store in Brazil.
Ingredients:
1 cup of water
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup of oil
1 teaspoon of salt
1 pack of tapioca starch (450 g)
3 eggs
200 g of grated parmesan cheese
Preparation:
1. Bring to boil in a big pan the water, the milk, the oil and the salt.
2. Remove the pan from the heat and add the tapioca starch. Mix well with a wooden spoon and let it cool down.
3. Put the mixture in a bowl, add the eggs and knead well.
4. Add the grated cheese and keep kneading until the dough is smooth.
5. Roll 1 tablespoon of mixture into small balls. Tip: Grease your hands with oil before making the balls. Wash your hands once in a while if necessary.
6. Place the balls on a baking tray greased with oil or lined with baking paper.
7. Bake the cheese rolls in hot oven (350 degrees) for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Put the cheese rolls in a basket and serve them warm
Macaroni Grill Scaloppini di Pollo
List of Ingredients
Lemon Butter Sauce:
4 oz
lemon juice2 oz veg or chicken broth
4 oz heavy cream
1 lb (4 sticks) butter (Holy Cow!)
6 to 8 (3 oz) chicken breasts, pounded thin
oil and butter for sauteing chicken
1/2 to 3/4 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper, for dredging
6 oz pancetta, cooked
12 oz
mushrooms, sliced
12 oz artichoke hearts, sliced
1 T capers
1 lb capellini pasta, cooked
chopped parsley, for garnish
Instructions
To make the sauce: Heat the lemon juice and
white wine in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and reduce by 1/3. Add cream and simmer until mixture thickens (3 to 4 minutes). Slowly add butter until completely incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and keep warm.
To make chicken and pasta: Cook pasta and drain. Heat a small amount of oil and 2 T of butter in a large skillet. Dredge chicken in flour and saute in pan, turning once, until brown and cooked through. Remove chicken from pan and add to pan remaining ingredients. Heat until mushrooms soften and are cooked; add chicken back to pan.
To serve: Place cooked pasta on each plate. Add half of butter sauce to chicken mixture and toss. Taste and adjust, adding more sauce if needed. Place chicken mixture over pasta. Garnish with parsley. Alternately, mix pasta and chicken mixture together. Toss with butter sauce.
Serves 10
P.F. Chang's Lettuce Wraps with ChickenIngredients:
16 Boston, Bibb or butter lettuce leaves
1 pound ground chicken breast
1 large onion -- chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Asian chili pepper sauce (see Note)
1 can (8 ounce size) sliced water chestnuts -- drained, finely chopped
1 bunch green onions -- thinly sliced
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
Directions:Rinse lettuce leaves, keeping them whole. Set aside to drain. Cook chicken in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring often to break up the meat. Add onion, garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar and chili sauce. Cook until the meat is crumbled and brown. Add water chestnuts and green onions. Cook until onions begin to wilt, about 2 minutes. Stir in sesame oil. Arrange lettuce leaves on the outer edge of a platter. Spoon meat mixture in center. Allow diners to spoon meat mixture into lettuce leaves and eat like a taco. Note: Asian chili pepper sauce can be found in the Asian section of most supermarkets. Some brands contain garlic, which is fine. You can use 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or 1/2 teaspoon dried red chili flakes instead.
P.F. CHANG'S VEGETARIAN LETTUCE WRAPS (copycat recipe)
(4 servings; you can double recipe for 8)
The cooking sauce is from the original recipe but is enough for two batches of the veggie version so make go ahead and make the full recipe and reserve half for another batch. Save in a jar and store in the fridge until needed.Another tip: when buying bamboo shoots, get the strips. This will cut down on prep time as all you have to do is dice these.I've also included a sauce for adding to the individual wraps after cooking (just like in the restaurant!) I like my sauce spicy so you may want to experiment with the ingredients for a milder version.
FOR THE COOKING SAUCE:
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
2 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoon. water
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoon cornstarch
FOR THE MARINADE:
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoon dry sherry
2 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoon water
FOR THE TOFU MIXTURE:
1 cup baked tofu, diced
2 tablespoon peanut oil plus 1 Tbsp. sesame oil, mixed
1 teaspoon fresh minced garlic
1 Tbsp. Chinese chili sauce2 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, minced
1/2 small or 1/4 large red onion, minced
1/2 can bamboo shoots, diced
1/2 can water chestnuts, diced
TO SERVE:Cellophane noodles, prepared according to package directionsIceberg or green leaf lettuceSpicy Sauce (optional, recipe follows)TO MAKE THE COOKING SAUCE:Mix the cooking sauce in a bowl and set aside.TO MAKE THE MARINADE:In medium bowl, combine sherry, soy sauce, chili sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, and water. Mix well.TO PREPARE THE TOFU:Stir tofu into the marinade. Allow to marinate for 15 minutes. Heat wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mixed oil and stir fry tofu for 2-3 minutes. Set aside.Add the ginger, garlic and onion; stir-fry for about a minute. Add bamboo shoots and water chestnuts; stir-fry for another 2 minutes. Return tofu to wok/skillet. Add cooking sauce and cook until thickened (about 2 minutes). TO SERVE:Place prepared cellophane noodles onto a platter. Pour tofu mixture over them and serve with lettuce and Spicy Sauce.SPICY SAUCE1 teaspoon rice vinegar1 teaspoon soy sauce1 teaspoon dry mustard (e.g., Coleman's)1 tablespoon water1 teaspoon Chinese chili sauceIn small dish, mix the dry mustard and water until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Set aside.
THAI CHICKEN SATAY SKEWERS
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast halves1/3 cup soy sauce2 tablespoons fresh lime juice2 cloves garlic, minced1 teaspoon grated gingerroot3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes2 tablespoons water3/4 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter4 green onions with tops, cut into 1-inch pieces
1. Cut chicken crosswise into 3/8-inch-wide strips; place in shallow glass dish.
2. Combine soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes in small bowl. Reserve 3 tablespoons mixture; cover and refrigerate. Add water to remaining mixture. Pour over chicken; toss to coat well. Cover; marinate in refrigerator at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours, stirring mixture occasionally.
3. Soak 8 (10- to 12-inch) bamboo skewers 20 minutes in cold water to prevent them from burning; drain. Prepare grill for direct cooking.
4. Meanwhile, for peanut sauce, combine coconut milk, 3 tablespoons reserved soy sauce mixture and peanut butter in small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 2 to 4 minutes or until sauce thickens. Keep warm.
5. Drain chicken; reserve marinade. Weave 3 to 4 chicken strips accordion-style onto each skewer, alternating with green onion pieces. Brush chicken and onions with reserved marinade. Discard remaining marinade.
6. Place skewers on grid. Grill skewers on uncovered grill over medium-hot coals 6 to 8 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, turning halfway through grilling time. Serve with warm peanut sauce for dipping.
