Second Grade Salsa

Salsa Fresca- An absolute rule in Murph's Kitchen is that one must learn to like spicy food.  I have watched my children chuckle as friends from near and far gasp after taking a bite of one of our family favorites.  We  think of ourselves as connoisseurs of  spice in that we don't eat ghost peppers, downplay the scotch bonnets along with the habanero's but we are raving fans of the jalapeño and serrano.  Tonight is the annual academy award dinner at our house.  Usually a couple of friends drop by and we have a casual and fun evening.  Tonight our dear friends the Brandt's will be stopping by and the theme will be Mexican. I made a batch of fresh salsa last night because it's always better to let it spend a night in the fridge before you dip the first crispy chip!

My daughter Tara,  now 13, brought this recipe home from school when she was in the second grade.  Hence we refer to it as  "Tara's Second Grade Salsa" and it's a spicy, refreshing and easy to make dish.

Second Grade Salsa

Ingredients

5 Tomatoes chopped

1 Small can diced Green Chili's(even better if you roast your own)

1/2 cup Cilantro finely chopped

2 fresh Jalapeño Pepper's seeded and finely chopped

3 Cloves Pressed Garlic

Juice of 1 Lime

1/2 tsp Salt

1 Small Onion, finely chopped

1 Tbsp Crushed Red Chili Flakes(Optional- but a great addition if you like spicy!)

Add all ingredients to a food processor and and pulse until the salsa reaches your desired consistency.  Some like it chunky like a pico de gallo and others like smooth like a more traditional Sonoran salsa but you get to make the call as you pulse your processor.  It's fine to make this and serve immediately but it always gets better after spending a night in the fridge.

Serve with Chips and Enjoy!!!

Cherie's Cowboy Caviar

There's more than one kind of Caviar...

Out here in the West we are a little crazy about our chips and dips.  I've been known to drive across town to pick up a bag of freshly made chips along with some fiery salsa and fresh guacamole  from one of  my favorite hole in the wall Mexican restaurants.  Not that I don't make my own, but sometimes you've just got to get a fix.

This recipe, like so many of our favored dishes is one that's been re-worked over time to suit our tastes.  We like things spicier than most and suggest you play with this one to make it your own.  I strongly suggest you serve little serving plates with this dish as the black eyed peas don't always cooperate when resting atop a crispy tortilla chip.

Cowboy Caviar
Ingredients
1 15 oz. Can Black Eyed Peas, drained
1 11 oz. can White Shoe Pegged Corn, drained
4-6 Ripe Tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch finely chopped Green Onions
1/2  Cup roughly chopped Cilantro
2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
2 Tbsp Tobasco or Trappey's hot sauce
Juice of one Lime
3 Ripe Avocados, cubed
4 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp garlic salt
2 tsp sea salt
Large Bag of your favorite tortilla chips, the "scoop" style work really well for this dip

Mix all ingredients (except chips and avocado) together in a large mixing bowl.  Let sit in the frig for several hours  but remove  at least 30 minutes prior to serving.  After removing from frig, add freshly chopped avocados and mix well.  Serve with side plates and a large bowl of chips.

Stand by waiting for the ooh's and ahh's as your friends and family marvel at this odd concoction but enjoy its compelling combination of flavors.

Enjoy!!

Cowboy Beef Stew

Cowboys and Cowgirls in Murph's Kitchen

It's Rodeo Week in Tucson and the oldest continuously operating rodeo in the country is coming to town for a week Western fun.  Cowboys from all over the world will be here seeking to become the next champion in this prestigious event.  If you have ever been to Tucson, you  know what I mean when I say that we are the "smallest big town in  America."  This week it's ok to wear boots and jeans anywhere you go and boardrooms and bar rooms will be filled with real cowboys and the rest of us "wanna be's" who just love the West and may have been overexposed to John Wayne and Clint Eastwood in our youth.

Beef Stew is something of a tradition in my family.  I cooked my first batch over an open fire when I was a young patrol leader in BSA Troop 147.  Lots of versions have come and gone but the key ingredients remain the same.  Lean beef, onions, carrots, celery and potatoes are all required in my book.  Ingredients like red wine, beer, fresh herbs etc. may enhance the flavor but are surely not required.  Like all great dishes it begins with the basics and can be expanded or refined based on your personal  preferences.

Tonight we hosted our dear friends Marty and Renee( a great cook in her own right) and enjoyed a great bottle of 2007 St. Francis Merlot that they brought with them that complimented the stew quite nicely!

Cowboy Beef Stew
Ingredients
6 slices of thick cut Bacon
2-3 pounds of beef stew meat, cubed
2 Large Onions, roughly diced
6 stalks celery, 1 inch chunks
1 Pound Carrots, 2 inch chunks
1 Pound Green Beans, 1inch sections
1 Bottle Dark Beer
32 oz. Beef Broth
2 Pounds Potatoes,  cut in eighths chunks
1/2 Pkg Frozen Okra
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Tomato Paste
3 Bay Leaves




Directions


Brown bacon in a large dutch oven over medium high heat
Remove to a paper towel and allow to cool
Add Beef, seasoning generously with salt and pepper and turn continuously until fully browned
Add Onions, Celery, Carrots,  and saute for about 5-7 minutes.
Add potatoes and stir
Add beer, tomato paste, soy sauce, bay leaves and turn to high heat, allow to come to a good boil and then reduce heat to medium high
Simmer for a few minutes to reduce liquid by about a third
Add Beef Broth and bacon and bring to a boil
Once the stew boils, reduce heat to low and simmer covered for at least 90 minutes
Thirty minutes prior to serving add half a bag of frozen okra, cover and simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes.  Okra actually thickens the gravy a bit and adds a nice flavor.

Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

A little sweet, a little savory and totally scrumptious!

Serve with corn bread or your favorite freshly made biscuits and enjoy!!

Super Crispy Oven Fried Chicken

Sunday night in Murph's Kitchen once again and it's time for an easy and delicious oven fried chicken.  
Cherie and I have tried dozens of these recipes over the years in search of the perfect version only to find the best recipe is often the one that comes from merging together numerous  techniques from several sources.  As usual we add a little extra spice to just about what others consider "normal" and this crispy crowd pleaser has a little cayenne pepper and a healthy amount of Szego Hungarian Hot Paprika.  We tripled this tonight.  We are serving some roasted veggies that I will cover in a separate post.  


It's all good especially when you've got the kids coming over, Jackson Brown playing in the background accompanied by a cold, crisp glass of chardonnay.


Ingredients
Extra Virgin Oil
3-4 Pound Whole Cut Up Chicken- Free Range Preferred
1 Cup Progesso Italian Style Breadcrumbs
1/4 Cup grated Romano Cheese
3 Garlic Cloves- Pressed or Finely Minced
1 tspn sea salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
3 Eggs Beaten
1 tspn milk
1 tspn Cayenne Pepper
Hungarian Hot Paprika


Preheat oven to 350 degrees


Combine breadcrumbs, grated Romano, pressed garlic, salt, fresh ground black pepper and cayenne pepper  in a bowl and spread out  on a sheet of waxed paper either on your counter or over a large platter. 


Beat eggs, add milk and place in a shallow bowl alongside the wax paper.  


Roll chicken pieces in crumb mixture, dip in the egg wash and roll again in the bread crumbs.  


Place chicken  pieces on an cookie sheet already covered with tin foil leaving a little space between each piece.

Note the liberal amount or Paprika

Drizzle each piece with olive oil and dust with the Hungarian Hot Paprika.
Bake until golden brown begin checking at 45 minutes but depending on size of chicken pieces this usually takes closer to an hour.  


A good rule of thumb for chicken is to stick your instant read thermometer into the chicken making sure it reads 160 degrees.  Allow chicken to set for 5 minutes or so after removing from the oven.  

Super Crispy, Super Juicy, Super Tender!

Happy Eating!