Iron Chef Moo

Recipe Corner: Grilled Cheese With Twist

2010-05-21T14:08:00.000-04:00

Continuing in my quest to bring comfort food with a twist, this week I unveil one of my Grilled Cheese recipes. Most people I know have more than two. Trust me on this. This is really easy, simple and has two options depending on how gooey you want your cheese.

Grilled Cheese With Twist

8 pieces white bread
1 stick of butter or margarine
4 tomato slices
8 long pieces of bacon
1 package (16 ounces) yellow American cheese
8 slices of mozzarella or provolone cheese
4 slices of Monterey Jack cheese
A touch of cinnamon, ginger, and parsley

The trick here is to get white bread that is pretty large and a griddle big enough to cook all four sandwiches at once. This will keep your heat even. Pretty self explanatory deal here. Make your sandwich how you want. Cook the bacon separately just a bit but make sure its not all the way done (has to be about 3/4 done). Eyeball it. Stack sandwich together then put a pat of butter on each half that you will cut diagonally. Slap a little bit of butter on the griddle or PAM if you are really brave. Cook until brown on each side. If you have an electric griddle...set it to about 350...takes a couple minutes on each side.

TWIST TIME!

For something fun you can try a white alfredo sauce on top.

1/4 cup butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 clove heavy garlic
1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsely

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Add cream and simmer for 5 minutes, then add garlic and cheese and whisk quickly, heating through. Stir in parsley and serve.

What you will do is very lightly top the inside of your sandwiches with this sauce then put the top piece of bread as you are cooking it (do make sure you turned it over on the griddle first). It makes for a nice little twist on a normally mundane sandwich. Serves 4.

Chris Needs Your Help....

2010-05-19T12:27:00.000-04:00

Aide-moi! Okay that is help me in French. In all seriousness, this is a short plea for anyone out there with some good recipes that we can use on this blog. It is always fun to get recipes from other people in different walks of life.

So if you have any to spare, do not be hesitant to put them in the comments section. And do not forget to check out Friday's Recipe Of The Week. I hear its really good!

YUM! YUM!

Chris Wassel

Iron Chef Moo

Comfort Food: Old Fashioned Mac And Cheese

2010-05-14T12:53:00.000-04:00

Sometimes there really is nothing like a simple comfort food dish. This is one of those such dishes....a good old classic Macaroni And Cheese recipe that is very easy but it does take a little time. A little patience and it goes a long way to a dinner that is truly comforting and tasty.

Macaroni And Cheese

2 tbsp margarine or butter
1 tbsp of flour
3/4 tsp of salt
2 cups of milk
1/2 bar sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 bar mild cheddar cheese
2 cups of macaroni

Boil water and cook macaroni elbows as instructed. Melt the butter slowly then mix the flour in very gradually. Slowly drizzle your salt in but remember to keep your heat a bit low at first. You do not want too much glop. Very very easily add your milk in. You want to get any glop out and turn it to a thick liquid so heat on medium-low. Do not go any higher because the milk will boil. Keep stirring and add more milk bit by bit until all the milk is gone. Then slowly cut up your cheese so it can melt in the mixture. Mixture must be pretty thick so you can add the cheese. Let the cheese melt and keep your heat at medium-low. Eventually when you cheese is done.

Now grease your small casserole dish with butter or margarine. It is important not to miss too many spots. Pour the macaroni in when done and then your cheese sauce mix. Stir it around and plenty. You will want to cook this at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Serves 4-5 people.

Some optional notes: You can use ziti in this as well...also I spice mine up occasionally by adding a little lemon zest and ginger. Test it out...experiment and see what you can come up with.

Recipe Corner: Baked Ziti

2010-05-14T09:03:00.000-04:00

There was a hush over the crowd as the Iron Chef Moo returned at long last. The drought was over and here is today's recipe of the day.....a good old fashioned Baked Ziti dish you will want to serve to the kids as well as the adults.

Baked Ziti

6 cups (16 ox.) box of Cut Ziti uncooked
32 ounces of spaghetti sauce
2 cups (16 oz.) ricotta cheese
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 - 3/4 lbs of ground meat

Boil water for ziti. Then cook meat first, drain, and leave off to the side. Cook ziti according to directions (real simple) for about 10-11 minutes once the water boils. In a very large bowl, combine cooked ziti, 1 1/2 cups sauce, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, ground meat, parsley, egg, oregano, garlic powder, and pepper. In a 3 quart casserole dish, pour a half cup of spaghetti sauce into the bottom and spread it around to get a coating. Then spread the ziti mixture into the casserole dish. Top with the remaining sauce then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Baked covered at 375 for about 30-35 minutes then put on trivet and uncover to let it cool.

Serves about 8.

It Is Time.....

2010-05-10T15:45:00.000-04:00

It is time simply to bring this blog back. Simply the itch to cook and post recipes is here once again! I hope everyone enjoys this.

Sincerely,

Me

Damn It Has Been Awhile.....

2008-04-01T17:24:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I don't realize that time flies by. I really have been taking a look at all sorts of options up here. I have come to the conclusion that sometimes within the next year I will have to make a job or career change. It is a question of when more than if at this point. As I slowly gain experience with all sorts of different recipes and ways to cook things...I feel like I am improving. My problem is that rate of improvement satisfactory enough to be able to excel as a cook...I don't know just yet.

Going thru school and taking a few courses has made me see how hard it really is to juggle things and now I know I can do it. I know the time will come sooner rather than later as far as making a decision. I can see a scenario in my life where cooking and even sports journalism can play an equal role. With culinary of course being a bit principal at times....I will enjoy it more that way.

Realistically I know with finances, I will have to take time off from school (how long I do not know) but the passion is not diminished. It is pretty funny when you can make a meat, potato, and cheese casserole look restaurant quality out of next to nothing. So to me, it is a matter of presentation and more learning. You never ever stop learning...the day you do that is the day you should stop cooking. It goes with anything in life...keep working at it.

My one simple thing is to never give up at it. So you may not have the most conventional things to cook with...but if you stick with it...you never really lose it. I cook at home 2-3 times a week because of work but I feel at peace the most at those times. Always remember that folks!

Next week: I will have a recipe for those playoff hockey gatherings...till then...enjoy!

Chicken Stuffing Bake

2007-12-18T17:24:00.000-05:00

10 ounces Arnold's Bread Crumbs
1 stalk celery
4 ounces sausage
1/2 stick margarine
1 2/3 cups water
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast (cut in 1 inch chunks or close to it)
1 can condensed cream of potato soup
1/2 cup Sour Cream
2 tbsp of Philly Cream Cheese
16-20 ounces of mixed vegetables, drained
Sprinkle Lemon + Herb seasoning and Italian seasoning to taste.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put celery and sausage in food processor...blend heavy. Heat up water and margarine to a boil then add bread crumbs. Render the sausage and drain. The sausage and celery can be put in after the stuffing is stirred and fluffed. Set aside. Combine all the ingredients (except for stuffing) in a 13 x 9 or 15 x 10 casserole dish. Oil the dish with spray and/or olive oil. Sir the ingredients around well and spread the chicken liberally. Then spread the stuffing mix over the top. Add shredded cheese optionally if you want. Season the top with lemon and Italian seasonings. Cook for 30-40 minutes or until chicken is cooked all the way thru. Serves 6-8 people or 4 Iron Chef Moo's.

Citrus Cranberry Raisin Stuffing

2007-11-24T02:31:00.000-05:00

2 Cups (12 ounces) Arnold's Bread Crumbs
2/3 Round Tub of Margarine
2 cups water
6 ounces citrus blend juice
4 ounces Cranberry Sauce
4 ounces Raisins
Lemon + Herb seasoning to taste

Ok...Margarine and Water into a medium nonstick saucepan immediately. Bring to a boil....don't let it froth....frothing bad. Pour bread crumbs in...stir well. Then gradually add in cranberry sauce in small chunks...heat will melt cranberry sauce. Then slowly add in the raisins and cover for about 5 minutes. Lastly, pour the citrus blend juice or hand squeeze some lemon, lime, and orange juice into the saucepan. Reheat till it comes to a rapid boil....stir well again. Then put the container in the fridge for a few hours. Microwave till hot then eat! Serves 2 iron chef moo's...or 4 -5 people.

Chris's Homemade Meatloaf

2007-11-21T14:10:00.000-05:00

1 lb pork sausage (or chorizo)
1 lb ground turkey ( I hand ground it)
1 lb ground round hamburger meat
2 eggs
3/4 cup Italian Bread Crumbs 0r hand crushed saltines with spices
1 jar tomato sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp Italian Seasonings
1/4 cup chopped onions.
1/4 tbsp parmesan cheese (for sprinkling)

Get a big huge bowl.....and throw the chopped onions, meat, turkey, and sausage in. Then break 2 eggs....into the bowl. Let it sit for a minute or so. Then gradually add the bread crumbs in until you get a nice loaf consistency. This will be big so be prepared. Have your 13 x 9 casserole pan ready to go lined with foil or use a foil turkey roaster pan. Mix a little sauce into the loaf...this keeps the moisture in. Then put it in your foil pan and mold it until it looks like a really solid loaf with no gaps or broken parts. This will take a few minutes. Pour the rest of the sauce on top slowly...add seasonings and cheeses on top. Put in the oven at 375 for 60-70 minutes. Add extra cheese if you want a bit more of a cheesy top. If you want a crispy cheesy top....in the last 10 minutes...Broil at 425 for 5-7 minutes. This recipe serves 6-8 people or 4 of me. Enjoy!

Back From San Diego.....

2007-11-06T02:09:00.000-05:00

Needless to say San Diego was a fun place. Not only that...I think it really helped me rediscover my passion of cooking. It wasn't that I really needed to but it didn't hurt. Here are some of the things you may just see recipes for in the coming weeks and months.

Do it Yourself Breakfast Bowl (With Green Apple Wine)
Pink Chicken (Raspberry Marinaded BBQ Chicken)
Orgasmic Meatloaf
Super Roaster Turkey with Apple Raisin Stuffing
Chris's Macaroni Tuna Salad
Meat. Potato, and Cheese Casserole
Vanilla Orange Caramel Creme Float
Big Bad Dry Spice Cheeseburgers

So coming soon...there will be a new batch of recipes to enjoy and maybe even some surprises to boot. The vacation really was just what the doctor ordered..and the trip into the kitchen at school didn't hurt either today.

Happy Cooking!!

Hello everyone!

2007-10-17T11:51:00.000-04:00

Sorry it has been a long long while. I seemed to develop a bit of writer's block with my recipes...that and hockey season got underway. So add that to school and work and everything else...and my true passion cooking kind of got neglected along the way.

That being said Dawn and I are off to San Diego to look at places to live and work at. Hopefully I can find some new recipes and tips to share as I continue to embark on this journey toward a culinary degree and maybe just maybe a dream cooking job somewhere in San Diego. So Halloween week I will be down there enjoying the sights, sound, and most importantly food the town has to offer. Throw in some drinks for good measure...maybe a trip to Seaworld and the beach and all will be good.

A quick school update...my courses are going very well....I took conceptual courses like Safety and Sanitation and Menu Planning this semester. So far I am doing pretty well in both....did fairly well on all my quizzes so far. I am also in the planning stages of my Menu Planning project which is to design a menu and well it can't be from a Mexican Restaurant but I love Italian-American...so it's all good. I will likely take some snippets from my menu that I create and put it on the blog.

Well it is only 12 days till vacation...with thoughts of days off ringing in my head and rest and relaxation looming....I am off to take my dog to the park! Cook something today....even if its Grilled Cheese....yum!

Twisted Lemon Herb Chicken....

2007-09-04T02:35:00.000-04:00

This is damn good...guaranteed.

What you need.......

3 lbs of Skinless, Boneless chicken breasts (butterflied and halved)
1 cup of orange juice (let it stay in fridge at least a week)
2 lemons
2 tsp (or more) lemon herb chicken seasoning.
A pinch of Mrs. Dash
A pinch of Cloves

Yes this one is short and sweet but quite worth it...if done right. Cut the fat off the chicken then butterfly it only if its too thick....then half the pieces vertically when laid down. Butterflying is simply a horizontal cut but if you can flatten the chicken enough...just cutting it in half vertical is just fine. Mix the orange juice, juiced lemons and half the lemon herb chicken seasoning in a bowl. Put the chicken in and let it sit for at least an hour. Then put it on the grill...as soon as the chicken goes on....cut a couple small slits in each piece...be careful not to cut too far in. This will let the marinade you spoon on every so often to seep into the chicken to keep the moisture.

The key is to eyeball it on the grill. I use direct medium heat...and spoon in some marinade every couple minutes. The chicken usually takes 7-10 minutes tops but depending on how well you want it done...you can cook it accordingly. When done...serve it on a plate with parsely and lemon zest as garnish if you want..then sprinkle a little extra marinade on top. Enjoy!!

Breakfast Bowl

2007-08-17T15:26:00.000-04:00

Classic Breakfast Bowl

3 eggs
1 large baked potato
6 long strips of bacon
3 sausage links
1 cup shredded mexican blend cheese
Pinch of Mrs. Dash
Pinch of Lemon Herb Seasoning
A Touch of Syrup and Cinnamon Sugar

How to make it....simple.....in 2 pans (1 omelette pan and 1 10" nonstick pan)....make the eggs in one pans and the bacon and sausage in the other. Once the bacon and sausage are done...dump grease carefully and keep it hot. Then make the eggs in the omelette pan...once the egg is folded and starts to appear to be almost done....throw the cheese and potatoes on with a blast of high heat. After that get a nice dixie deep bowl and pour contents in. Chop up the sausage and bacon in small pieces..and mix into the bowl. Then top with additional cheese and microwave long enough till the bowl is hot and the cheese melts...the heat will flash cook the potatoes...don't worry. Drizzle with seasonings and syrup and enjoy!!

Black Cherry BBQ Chicken

2007-08-06T20:20:00.000-04:00

2 packages of chicken breast...(butterfly if needed)
2/3 can of Black Cherry Soda
1 tbsp sesame ginger marinade
4 ounces Hawaiian marinade
4 ounces Teriyaki marinade
2-3 ounces Maple Syrup
2 tsp cinnamon sugar
2 tsp lemon and herb seasoning
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 really big grill

To make a good marinade...wash the chicken extremely vigorously...to avoid any contamination and to take any of the salty taste out...or at least most of it. Put the first few breasts in.....pour 4 ounces of the soda on top of the chicken...then season with half of the marinades and seasonings. Then stir a plenty! After stirring, add the remainder of the ingredients...soda first of course.

Now comes the fun part...if you don't have time...get the grill up to about 350 to 400...and grill about 4-6 minutes on each side...less if you have a 3 or 4 burner grill (about 3-5 minutes). Use a direct cooking method (cooking with all burners). Use the discard marinade and spoon it slowly on top of the chicken. If you have time....sear the chicken for about 90 seconds to 2 minutes on each side...and then cook with the left and right burners on...make sure the middle burner is off (where you put the chicken)...then spoon marinade slowly every so often. Then check the chicken to see if its done...usually when the juices run clear or the chicken has no more pink means it is done. Drizzle the chicken with any leftover marinade...sprinkle with lemon juice..and EAT!!! YUM!!!!

Strawberry Choco Banana Milkshake

2007-07-21T16:00:00.000-04:00

Strawberry Choco Banana Milkshake

1 Cup of Chocolate Milk
3 Very Ripe Bananas (mush into smaller pieces)
24 - 28 ounces of Strawberry Ice Cream (Or Strawberries + Cream)
Couple Pinches of Nutmeg
Couple Pinches of Sugar

The fun part in this is using the blender....put the bananas in first then the chocolate milk and then the Ice Cream. Blend on high at first for a good while till your machine settles a bit...then take a spoon and mash the ice cream down a bit...keep pulsing it...till the ice cream incorporates into the bananas and ice cream. When that happens...sprinkle the nutmeg and sugar. Then blend it one more time...pour into a 32 ounce container and enjoy!! You can chill it in the fridge or drink it straight.

Fried Mozzarella Sticks

2007-07-18T01:46:00.000-04:00

Mozzarella Sticks

12 to 16 ounces Vegetable Oil
1 lb Mozzarella Cheese cut into 32 sticks
5/8 cup Flour
2 eggs
2 tbsp water
1 1/4 cups parmesan cheese
1/3 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp oregano

Heat oil to 375 degrees in an electric skillet or heavy bottom saucepan (if using a saucepan, use a probe). In bag, shake cheese sticks with flour until well coated. In shallow bowl, beat eggs with water. In another shallow bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients. Dip cheese sticks one at a time, in egg mixture, then roll in crumb mixture until well coated. Place the cheese sticks on a large baking sheet and chill in a fridge for about an hour. Fry sticks in the hot oil for 3 to 5 seconds or until golden brown. Remove carefully with slotted spoon or tongs...and serve with your favorite dipping sauce...I like diced tomatoes and tomato sauce...you can use whatever you want really.

Recipe #1....

2007-07-17T17:42:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the Iron Chef Moo recipe book.........

First up........

Beef Taco Skillet

1 1/2 lbs. Ground Beef
1 can Tomato Soup
1 to 1 1/4 cup salsa (medium or mild)
1/2 cup water
6 flour tortillas cut into 1" pieces
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese (or use 1/2 cheddar and 1/2 monterey jack)

1. Cook the beef in a 10 or 12 inch skillet...get it well browned and break up the meat....
Pour off the fat.

2. Stir in remaining ingredients....heat quickly to a boil then simmer it down for 5-7 minutes. Stir again then top with cheese. Makes 4 hearty servings...serve with bread or salad.

The Beginning....

2007-07-17T13:33:00.000-04:00

In the beginning....there was a little kid who always watched the people in his family cook...and he wondered "how can I make this better?" Gradually through various inspirations, I developed a bit of my own cooking style. To say it is unique, would be considered a vast understatement. Moving from the East Coast to the West Coast in 2006 only heightened my curiosities so much that I have started to attend college to become a chef.

However that just isn't enough for me....I decided to create a blog to share my recipes and thoughts and to get a feel in the world if what I do cook...actually appeals to people in general. With that said, I bring you Iron Chef Moo.

VIVA LE FOOD!!!!!