Gochujang Hummus and Veggie Plate.

Over the past year, I have really advocated ghochujang as an addition to many recipes. This week, I tinkered with my hummus recipe, and really came up with something special. The kids tried it and loved the subtle difference this amazing Korean addition made to my hummus recipe.

I did change up the ingredients a bit, which might have added to this recipe. I replaced olive oil with grapeseed oil. Grapeseed oil is commonly used with ghochujang at times with stir fry. In my opinion, they compliment each other and this was the case for this recipe.

The pepper base of ghochugang and the hummus truly go well with a veggie platter. Experiment and see what you can do with this recipe.

Ingredients

2 Cans of organic Chick Peas drained
Cracked Sea Salt and Pepper 1/2 tsp each
3-4 whole garlic cloves. (Local Pink Garlic Cloves have some heat)
1-2 tsp of Grapeseed Oil
1-2 tsp of Organic Tahini
1/2 - 1 tsp of Gochujang - (
start small and adjust to your tolerance of heat versus flavor)

In a chopper, place all of the ingredients except the ghochujang. Blend until a smooth consistency. Chick peas and garlic chunks can hide in the hummus. Blend for an additional minute to ensure everything is consistent. Add the ghochujang and test for your level of heat and flavor. I like a little extra heat, however the kids might like a milder hummus at first.

Peanut Butter and Bacon Burger (YEP - It's Amazing)

I went for a mini-vacation on Cape Cod and tried a local favorite in Provincetown MA knows as the Peanut Butter and Bacon Burger. I have to say, at first the idea of a peanut butter and bacon burger did not sound that appetizing. The person I was with ordered the burger, and shared it with me. Truly, a big culinary surprise. I had to come back to Taberg NY and make this for my kids.

They had the same reaction at first. However, once they tried the burger, everyone loved how it tasted. Easy to make, I highly recommend it. (And, there are many ways to have fun with the recipe)

3lbs ground beef
Cracked Pepper
Cracked Sea Salt

Peanut Butter
Sesame/Coconut Oil (Either is fine)
Honey or Maple Syrup

Uncured Thick Cut Bacon

Bacon Prep - In a cast iron skillet, prepare the bacon. With a thick cut bacon, ensure it is crispy but not over cooked.  Drain most of the Bacon Grease. Leave enough to prepare the burgers.

Burger Prep - A good burger for this recipe should be 1/3lb or larger. You can use 1/4 burgers, however a thick juicy burger is in order for this recipe. In a bowl, mix in the cracked pepper and salt then create the patties. I personally like cooking the burgers in bacon grease. You can also use cooking oil if this does not appeal to your healthier senses.

Peanut Butter Sauce - In a small sauce pan, add 1 cup of peanut butter as a base. On top of the base, add the oil and honey. I love raw honey, but any honey will be fine. You will only need about 1 teaspoon of oil and 2-3 teaspoons of honey. Over a low heat, stir the mixture until all the ingredients are blended together.

The rest is quite simple. Immerse your burger with the peanut bu

tter sauce and bacon.  This recipe is meant to be messy.

(Additional Options)
I have seen this recipe with a fried egg, jalapenos, red onions, cheddar cheese, and tomatoes. I like the recipe as is, however as with all of our recipes, I encourage dads to experiment with their kids. Have fun, and make it your own.

Eggplant-Broccoli Rabe Parmesan - WHOA!

When you cook with your kids, it is important to build on a previous recipe. For example, in the spring, we pick and clean wild Broccoli Rabe. We freeze some for future recipes. This fall, Eggplant Parm is the big dish we enjoy from the garden. Warm and inviting, it will be a dish served throughout the holidays. This year, we combined the spring rabes with the fall eggplant. Along with the garden goodies, add some sausage and you have an amazing main entree. Try this variation of eggplant parm,  you will not be disappointed.

Ingredients.

Bag of Broccoli Rabe (roughly 1 lb.)
l - l/2 pounds of sweet or hot peppers - (sliced or crumbled)
1 red onion
Minced Garlic Cloves (3-5 cloves)
Sliced Eggplant
Olive Oil
1 pound of Mozzarella Cheese or 4 cheese Italian Blend
3 eggs (and a 1 tablespoon of heavy cream if available)
Italian Bread Crumb Mix
Course Salt and Pepper
Garlic Powder/Salt
Spaghetti Sauce (See recipe or use your own)
Crushed basil and oregano

Directions

Using a potato peeler, peel the skin off the eggplant. (Some people leave the skin on, however I prefer the skin off.) Slice into 1/8th inch slices. Setup a bowl for 3 eggs with cream and scramble. Setup another bowl with the bread crumbs, course salt, pepper, and garlic seasoning. (Tsp each or adjust to your flavor. You can also add crushed pepper flakes) Warm the skillet to a medium heat using olive oil as a base for frying. (1/8- 1/4 inch of oil) When oil is at the right temperature, fry the eggplant to a light golden brown on each side. Setup a tray with paper towels and let the eggplant sit as you prepare the broccoli rabe mixture.

Broccoli Rabe - in a cast iron skillet, coat the skillet with olive oil and garlic. Warm the skillet at a medium heat. Prepare the sausage first. Save the sausage grease and oil for the broccoli rabe. Add the minced garlic, cracked salt and pepper. Saute for 15 mins or until tender. Set aside.

In a 9x13 baking pan, set forth a layer of fried eggplant for you base. Add a layer of cheese and spaghetti sauce. Add another layer of eggplant. Next add the broccoli rabe. You can also disperse sausage crumbles in the your layers to flavor the mix. Continue this pattern until you reach within a 1/4 inch of top of the pan. The last layer should be sauce, crushed oregono, crushed basil, and parm.

Preheat the oven for 350 degrees. Bake the casserole for 45 mins to an hour. Take out of the oven and let it settle for 10-15 mins prior to serving.

Pork Stir Fry (Korean BBQ)

Korean BBQ Stir Fry is a step up from a basic stir fry. I prefer Pork (Center Cut Thin Sliced) for this stir fry. You can sub steak and chicken if you like.

Ingredients

1.5 lbs. of thinly sliced pork

8ox green and hot peppers. (Diced Long Hots.......whoa!)

8ox whole baby carrots

1 thinly sliced onion (Yellow or White) 

3 cloves minced garlic

Soy Sauce for stir fry
Korean BBQ sauce (See Recipe)  for marinade
Stir Fry Oil (Lemongrass) for cooking oil

In a Wok or cast iron skillet, coat the pan with the wok oil. (Trader Joe's has a great Wok Oil) Heat to a medium heat. Add the pork and vegetables. As the pork is close to browning up, ensure that the vegetables are cooked and ready. When you think you have 5 mins left in the cooking process, add the Korean BBQ sauce as a marinde. Cook down so that everything is thickly coated. 

Jasmine Rice is a nice compliment to this dish. Follow the cooking directions. Set aside as your finish the stir fry. Have the jasmine rice be your base and the stir fry on top. Provide enough Korean BBQ sauce so that the rice can be immersed in the flavors.

Additional notes: Dads should feel free to add additional vegetables and meats. I really like pork for this dish, however your tastes may be different. 

Korean BBQ Sauce

When you have 4 kids, it is common to introduce them to new customs for eating. Korean BBQ has been a favorite of mine for years. I discovered it in Portland Oregon. Living in Upstate NY, you choices are limited. Recently however, Korean BBQ has been introduced into our area. This peeked my interest to introduce the kids to Korean BBQ and they love it!

While you can buy a basic sauce in the stores. I do like to make my own. I use it for all of my recipes. As with all of the things on our blog, dads (and moms) should feel to experiment with the recipe.

Ingredients
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup hoison sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
Fresh grated ginger
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tbsp of rice vinegar
1/2 tsp of gojuchang
1/2 tsp of Chili Sauce or Siracha
1 clove fresh minced garlic

In a bowl, mix the ingredients together. If the sauce is soupy, add a few tsps of corn starch as a thickener. The secret of the heat is the gojuchang sauce. Be careful as it can turn up the heat. Gojuchang is a key ingredient for many sauces that I create. It is also great in soups. Once you get the correct consistency (Similar to BBQ sauce) set in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Korean BBQ Shish Kabob - Pork Chicken or Steak

What better activity for your kids then assembling a meal. Shish Kabobs are the LEGOS of cooking. You can arrange your meats and vegetables in any order that reflects color and taste. They really are quite fun. I use wooden skewers. I have used the metal skewers in the past. I worry they retain heat at a greater strength than wood which can lead to burned fingers. Wood in my opinion works better. 

Korean BBQ sauce is becoming more common in stores. You can make your own. It is quite easy. (See you recipe on the blog

Skewing meats and vegetables requires a few tips. First the meat. When cutting the meat, you want to skew the meat closely to the vegetables. When skewing, the meat needs to be skewed through it's greatest width. You want to grill based on the most coverage you can get. Avoided thick cubed cuts. 

Next, use your onions for flavor. They make for great cover and help steam and smoke the meats. Thicker vegetables like zucchini have the same effect. Mushrooms are best when they are large. Portabellas are amazing as a compliment to the meats. 

Meats and vegetables need to be cut and marinated for a few hours before grilling. If you have a flavor savor, you can place the meats and veggies in a flavor seal bag, along with the brine. Run the mixture through the brine and the machine will suck the brine entirely through your veggies and meat. You do risk vegetable damage if not careful. 

The last step is setting your grill on low. Preheat the grill and use oil or a cooking spray to help keep the kabobs from sticking to the grill. You want to slow cook the kabobs so the marination and smoke simmer the meats and vegetables. Turn once or twice for even cooking. Take off the grill and serve alone or over rice. I love kabobs as a bento dish. Enjoy! 

Cubed Items for Grilling

Pork Chicken or Beef

Zuchinni Slices

Red Onions as Peels

Cherry Tomatoes

Portabella Mushrooms

Peppers Multi Colored Sweet or Hot

Other Options

Eggplant

Whole Garlic

Semi Pre-boiled Brussels Sprout

Carrots 

 

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TRIPE - I know I know....but it is so good!

When you tell someone you are making tripe, you kind of get a reaction that only liver and onions can understand. When Tripe is made incorrectly, it deserves the criticism. However, it is a delicacy that when made correctly, is quite good. The secret is the preparation. You want tripe to maintain a consistency of pasta. Rubbery tripe is the kiss of death. Avoid at all costs.

Tripe is usually a special request for the butcher. You will get a flat of lining that can come with portions you do not want to cook. Flat portions without lining are not edible. You always want to have the sponge portion of the lining in the pot. The only way to discriminate is a multiple boil process. You need that to properly clean the tripe. Follow this process below.

Place the tripe, a tsp of salt, and just enough water to cover the tripe in the pot. Bring to a boil and boil for 15 minutes. Everyone in the house will be thrilled by the smell....especially the first few rounds of boiling. However the smell is what we look for to determine how well the cleaning process is going.

After boiling, rinse in a strainer with cool water. Rinse thoroughly. Repeat the process again up to 3-4 times. This time only 10 minutes each boil. You will notice the milky color will disappear and the odor each time you do this process.

On your final boil, this is when you cut the tripe into smaller pieces. They will look like a form of pasta. Boil one last time for about ten minutes.

While boiling the tripe, you will also boil the cubed potatoes and carrot slices. This is tricky. Only boil the vegetables until firm. DO NOT OVER BOIL. You want them firm, not completely cooked.

The reason is you are going to put the Tripe, Carrots and Potatoes in a crock pot, or regular pot on the stove. (I like the crock pot 1.5 hours on low, checking for tenderness of the vegetables) Provide seasoning as prescribed along with the long hot pepper(s) at this point.

Here is the recipe for the sauce for the Tripe.

2 cans Crushed Tomatoes

1 small can of tomato sauce

(Feel free to use our sauce on our blog in place of the above tomato products)

2 Large Potatoes Cubed

1 - 2 large Carrots sliced (Thick but not too thick - you can also use baby carrots)

One to  two long hots fried with olive oil and garlic

1 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp of Ground Black Pepper

1 tsp of salt

1/2 tsp of oregano or Italian Seasoning

1 - 2 cloves of crushed garlic or 1/2tsp of garlic powder

4-8 ozs of water

In a crock pot, mix all of the ingredients and cook on low for about 1.5hrs along with the Tripe. Add the water to give the sauce a soup like consistency. Be careful not to make the sauce too thin. Just enough so that it is thinner than normal sauce you serve over pasta.

(On the stove top, use a low/med heat on the stove for about 45 mins to an hour if you don't want to use a crock pot.)

Serve and you will fall in love with tripe

A fresh grated cheese with a hard crust bread for dipping is a great addition for this dish .

Chicken Noodle Soup (+STOCK)

Soups in the winter time are a must. Soup brings comfort and warmth from the cold. It can also be the home remedy that your mom recommended for cold and flu season. We just love

a good chicken soup in our home.

Ingredients

Stock
6 cups water
1 Bone in Breast of Chicken

Soup Contents
2-3  Carrots - sliced or a bag in mini carrots. (We prefer regular carrots)
2 Stalks of Celery- Sliced (Save the leaves for the stock)
1 Red Onion - Thinly sliced
or
3-5 Scallions Thinly Sliced
2 Red or White Potatoes - Cubed
1 Turnip - Sliced Thinly
1-2 Leeks - Sliced Thinly
1 Parsnip - Sliced Thinly

Seasoning
2 tsp Himalayan Salt or Cracked Salt
1 tsp Cracked Pepper

Optional
Kale and Chard

In a Crock Pot - Cook the bone in breast fully immersed in 6 cups of water. (You can vary the amount if you want) A bone in breast provides a clear low fat broth. You won't experience gristle when you refrigerate the left overs.) Cook the chicken on Low for 4 hours.

After you create the broth, carefully remove the chicken from the bone. The meat will slide off the bone pretty easily. Be careful to watch for bones as you separate the meat. Add the vegetables to your stock and chicken. Cook for another hour on Low. Check the vegetables for tenderness....set aside and serve.

Waffles with a hint of Ginger - OMG!

Recently, the kids inspired me to try changing up my waffle recipe a bit. So I added a hint of ginger to compliment the Vanilla extract on oh my goodness....so good. Here is the recipe and dads, don't use the box waffle mix when you can have fun making them from scratch. And you kids will love making the batter with you.

Ingredients

1-2 Cups Flour (Enriched White or Wheat)
1 tsp of Baking Powder

2-3 Organic or Farm Fresh Eggs

1 tsp of Vanilla

1 tsp of Grated Fresh Ginger or Powdered

1/4 cup of cane sugar of sugar in the raw
1/2 cup Almond or Organic Milk
Coconut Oil or Spray

In a bowl, mix your ingredients together. Using a whisk, mix the ingredients together until you get a smooth consistency with no lumps. Heat the waffle iron and coat the iron with coconut oil or spray. (If you get the spray, read the ingredients. Many times it is soy mixed in with Coconut extract of icky ingredients. There are natural sprays, just read the ingredients to ensure good health)

Using a soup spoon put a scoop in the center of each waffle template. Try not to over flow, closing the door will ensure an even spread. Set your timer for 3 minutes and you have waffles! This batter is also good for Pancakes if you want to try something different.