cider vinegar

Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Buffalo Dipping Sauce

sweet potato fries
By jgreghenry Published January 27, 2012
Prep time: 45
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 0.25 c unsalted butter, melted
  • 0.25 c sriracha hot saucesauce
  • 2 T tabasco sauce
  • 1 T cider vinegar
  • 1 T ketchup
  • 1 t vegetable oil for parchment
  • 2 large sweet potatoes, skins on, scrubbed and cut into 4-inch sticks, each 1/2 inch thick
  • 3 large egg whites
  • 1 t kosher salt
  • 0.5 t fresh rosemary leaves, finely minced

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees with racks in the upper and middle positions. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and rub with oil.

Prepare the Buffalo Dipping Sauce: Whisk melted butter, sriracha sauce, tabasco sauce, vinegar & ketchup together in a bowl. Set aside.

Prepare the fries: Put sweet potatoes in a microwave-safe container, cover, and microwave 2 minutes. Stir gently, cover, and microwave 1 to 2 minutes more until pieces are pliable. Let rest 5 minutes covered; pour onto a platter to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk egg whites until frothy, add salt and rosemary, and whisk to blend. Working in batches, toss the sweet-potato pieces in the seasoned egg whites, letting the excess liquid drip back into the bowl. Place in a single layer on prepared baking sheets. Bake 10 minutes, then flip pieces over with a spatula. Rotate baking sheets from front to back and from one rack to the other. Bake until dark golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately with the Hot Buffalo Dipping Sauce on the side.

Source: Adapted from Martha Stewart

Braise This! Cider Vinegar Chicken Thighs & Legs

21 Oct 2011
braised chicken thighs and legs
Are you listening? Because I am going to tell you what to do. Cider Vinegar Braised Chicken Thighs & Legs with Onions and Raisins. Isn't it great when someone tells you just what to do? I feel qualified to do the telling because the weather calls for braising.

Braising is a cooking technique we should all master. It's not difficult and the results will make you look like an accomplished chef (not that you aren't...). This simple process has just a few foolproof steps. The end result is rich and flavorful.

The concept behind braising is this: the main ingredient is seared, or browned in fat. It is then simmered in liquid on low-heat in a covered pot for a very long time.  You can choose to braise in the oven or on the top of the stove. I may be telling you what to do but I'll leave some wiggle room here for you to make this dish your own. Because, either way you will be proud of the food you bring to the table. This method of cooking is often used as a way to cook less expensive, tough cuts of meat.

Now don't tune out. "Less expensive and tough" are not ways to describe the final product of your braising magic. Because braising makes tough, leathery meat– tender. Really! I promise.

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Cider Vinegar Braised Chicken Thighs & Legs with Onions and Raisins

Braised chicken thighs and legs
By jgreghenry Published October 21, 2011
Prep time: 90
Yield:1 (Servings)

Ingredients:

  • 2 chicken thighs with legs attached
  • 0.5 c all-purpose flour, for dredging
  • 1 t kosher salt, plus more as needed
  • 1 pn black pepper, plus more as needed
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 1 large onion, halved and sliced into slivers
  • 10 sage leaves, chopped
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 c golden raisins
  • 0.5 t crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
  • 1 c white wine
  • 0.5 c cider vinegar
  • 3 c chicken stock
  • 0.25 c flat leaf parsley, leaves only, roughly chopped

Directions

Rinse the chicken legs & thighs under cool water and pat dry. Mix together the flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of ground black pepper. Spread the flour mixture across a shallow dish. Lightly dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess.

Warm the olive oil in a large heavy bottomed or cast iron skillet or Dutch oven (with a lid) over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, and sear until a golden crust develops, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn and sear until a golden crust forms on second side, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate.

Add the onions to pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened slightly, about 5 minutes. Add the sage, bay leaves, raisins and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden and starting to stick to the bottom of the skillet, about 5 minutes. Add wine lower heat to medium and cook until the liquid is syrupy, about 8 minutes. Lower the heat further to a simmer. Add cider vinegar and simmer for 2 more minutes. Stir in stock and parsley. Season lightly with salt and black pepper.

Return the chicken to the pan, nestling it into the braising liquid. Cover the pan and simmer about 1 hour and 15 minutes over very low heat. Transfer the chicken to a platter and (if necessary) reduce the onion mixture to desired consistency. Serve warm.

Spinach Salad with Roast Pears & Winter Friendly Flank Steak Too

14 Feb 2011
Flank Steak Salad with Roasted Pears

Salads needn't be boring even in the winter. They can be hearty, they can be substantial and full of flavor. They can even tweek your expectations about the season and its food possibilities.

Take this Spinach Salad with Roast Pears, Dried Cranberry Vinaigrette and Flank Steak. My brother Grant paired it with Bonny Doon "Le Pousseur" Syrah 2007. It's made with ingredients that are easily available in the coldest corners around the globe almost any time of the year.

I see you nodding your head saying, "sure pears, spinach and dried cranberries can be winter food. But, flank steak– well Greg– that's summer food."

But I am here to prove to you that even flank steak can be winter friendly. But I know what you are thinking right now. You are thinking there is no way you are going to trudge out to the back yard and light up the grill just so Sippity Sup can prove some inane point about flank steak being winter food. You are thinking that although (of course) you love Sippity Sup dearly, and you want to try and make us happy. But really, grilling outside in your swim suit during a snow storm that's starting to cross some unwritten line of allegiance. Is that what you're thinking?

But please, stay close. Stay inside, and stay warm. But listen to me. Everyone knows flanks steak is great cooked on the grill. It's marinated in something flavorful, then it's quickly cooked over hot flames until barely past rare. Because flank steak must always be served fairly rare. It dries out easily, so it's best cooked fast and hot and licked by flames. Which, you're thinking, makes it summer food. Right?

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Winter Spinach Salad with Roasted Pears, Flank Steak and Dried Cranberry Vinaigrette

Winter Spinach Salad with Roasted Pears, Flank Steak and Dried Cranberry Vinaigr
By jgreghenry Published February 11, 2011
Prep time: 120
Yield:1 ()

Ingredients:

  • 2 lb flank steak
  • 4 clv garlic, peeled and minced
  • 0.5 c worcestershire sauce
  • 2 T plus 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 0 salt and pepper as needed
  • 1 T unsalted butter
  • 2 firm but ripe pears, preferably bosc
  • 0.75 c cider vinegar
  • 2 T pomegranate molasses, or substitute with honey
  • 1 T dijon mustard
  • 0.75 c dried cranberries
  • 0.5 c almonds, roughly chopped
  • 6 oz baby spinach, washed and dried

Directions

Marinate the flank steak. Stir garlic, Worcestershire sauce and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a non reactive dish; season with salt & pepper. Place the steak in the dish, swirling to get the meat well coated. Marinate, turning occasionally for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight in the refrigerator. Roast the pears. Place the rack in the center of the oven, then preheat to 450 degrees F. Grease a small baking sheet with butter. Peel and core the pears, then cut each lengthwise into 8 wedges. Toss the slices with sugar in a bowl then place on the buttered baking sheet. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until softened and browned. Transfer to a plate to cool completely. The pears may be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator up to 3 days, then brought to room temperature before assembling the salad. Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette. In a blender, whirl vinegar, pomegranate molasses, and mustard. With the machine running add remaining 1/3 cup olive oil, and blend until emulsified. Add 1/4 cup dried cranberries and pulse the machine several times to roughly chop them. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside. Toast the almond pieces in a small skillet set over medium heat, shaking often, until lightly browned. Remove from skillet and set aside in a small bowl to cool. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup dried cranberry. Set aside. Cook the steak. Heat a large cast iron skillet set over high heat, until very hot. It must be an iron skillet to retain as much heat as possible. Remove the steak from the marinade, letting most of the liquid drip away. Sprinkle both sides of the steak with salt. Place steak in the hot pan. Let sear for 2 to 3 minutes until well browned. Flip to the other side and let sear for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the steak continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the steak. Flank steak must be served rare. 120°F for very rare, 125°F for rare, or 130°F for medium rare. When the desired temperature is reached, remove the steak from the pan to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. When you are ready to assemble the salad, cut the meat in very thin slices, at an angle, against the grain. Place the spinach in a large bowl, add half the almond/cranberry mixture and the vinaigrette to taste. Toss well and arrange the greens on a platter or on individual plates. Top the greens with some pear and flank steak slices to taste. Garnish with additional nuts and berries and a good grind of black pepper.

Notes:

serves 6 Source: Inspired by Stonewall Kitchen