At Marie's Table: Yellow Rice With A Kick

At Marie's Table: Yellow Rice With A Kick: History of Rice Rice is a staple in Asia that has a long history. Rice is a healthy food source that falls in the vegetable category wher...

Yellow Rice With A Kick

History of Rice
Rice is a staple in Asia that has a long history.  Rice is a healthy food source that falls in the vegetable category where in China it is eaten alone or with fish.  While westernized countries eat rice with meat and even in desserts, for the Chinese people, they prefer to eat it as we do bread. 

The northern region of China has a very mild climate and therefore, does not grow rice.  In contrast, the southern region of China is abundant with rice plantations, which are flooded to help product this crop.  The water level must be maintained at a certain level and remain consistent in subtropical weather for the rice to grow. 

The Chinese myth is that rice was sold as a gift to the gods in lieu of animals.  It is believed that after the lands were flooded, all living plants were destroyed.  Animals were scarce, making hunting difficult.  One day, a dog came abounding across a field and as it approached the Chinese people, they noticed its fur was covered with yellow seeds.  Not knowing what these seeds would produce, they planted them and as a result, rice grew.  Even today, the Chinese people have a strong believe that the precious things of life are not the pearls or jade, but the five grains with rice being number one. 

Yellow Rice

Ingredients: 

4 Tablespoons Butter or Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion (larger will make rice more flavorful)
1 1/2 cups Rice ( I Use Uncle Ben's)
2 Cups Chicken Broth or Vegetable Broth
1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric or Saffron Threads
4 Garlic Clove, chopped
1 green Chili Pepper, chopped
1/2 Cup Cilantro, chopped
1/2 Green Pepper, chopped
 Kosher Salt and Black Pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon ground Cumin
Olives, chopped optional

1. Put butter or olive oil  into medium pot with heavy bottom on medium heat..  Add onion, green pepper, garlic, salt, black pepper and chili pepper  Stir and cook for about 2 minutes add rice; let rice get light nutty color.
2. Add the chicken broth, saffron thread and cumin 
3. Let rice cook about 20- 25 minutes then stir in the cilantro and olives
* Served with Mango BBQ Chicken and Collard Greens All herbs and chili pepper was grown in my garden                               For all of your holiday needs call or email
Mj Creations Sweets and Treats        www.richmondvacaterer.com          sweetsbymj@aol.com

                                                                   804-422-6313
                                                           We are BBB member

At Marie's Table: Pork Chop with Corn Bread Stuffing, Apple and Chil...

At Marie's Table: Pork Chop with Corn Bread Stuffing, Apple and Chil...: Pork Chops with Corn Bread Stuffing ABOUT DRESSING & STUFFING Food historians tell us the practice of stuffing (aka dressing, cramming) th...

Pork Chop with Corn Bread Stuffing, Apple and Chili Peppers

Pork Chops with Corn Bread Stuffing

ABOUT DRESSING & STUFFING
Food historians tell us the practice of stuffing (aka dressing, cramming) the cavities of fowl and other animals with mixtures of breads, spices and other chopped items is ancient. The Romans and the Arabs both employed such techniques. "Dressing" and "stuffing," as we Americans know them today, descend from Medieval European (English "forcemeat" and French "farce") culinary traditions.

What's the difference between dressing and stuffing?

Excellent question, with several possible answers. The recipes and purposes of this item are interchangeable. Arguments can be made on linguistic (word history), regional (common usage), and culinary (stuffing cooked in the bird; dressing prepared outside the bird) fronts.
"In English, the use of the term "stuff" in cookery emerged from a mass of generalized meanings to do with victuals (perserved in the expression 'foodstuff') and non-edible possessions, to become, sometime in the 16th century, attached to mixtures for filling pies. It developed, a little later, into the idea of stuffing the cavity left by the removal of a bone before meat is cooked. The French word farce...also carries other meanings, including that of padding out. It is recorded in English from the late 14th century onwards and eventually gave English the term forcemeat, applied to fine-textured, elaborate mixtures used especially with meat and fish."

Ingredients

• 1 (12 ounce) package Corn Bread mix or 2-3  store brought Corn Muffins 
• 4-6  1 1/2- 2 inches thick Center Cut Pork Chops
• 2 tablespoon Butter or Olive Oil 
• 1 Small Onion, chopped
• 2 Celery, stalks chopped
• 1 teaspoon Thyme, dried or fresh
• 2 teaspoons Parsley Flakes
• 4 Garlic Cloves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground Black Pepper
• 2 Chili Pepper 1 red and 1 green, seeded and chopped
• 1 Apple, skinned, seeded and chopped 
• Butcher's Twine or Teeth Picks
• Vegetable or Chicken Broth

• Directions

  1. One to two days ahead, make one pan of cornbread according to the box instructions. Let this sit out overnight and get a firm (almost hard) crust.
  2. . Crumble corn bread and set aside.
  3. In a skillet, cook onion,chili peppers, thyme, garlic parsely flakes,and celery in butter until soft. Remove from heat, allow to cool.
  4. In a large bowl, combine crumbled cornbread onions and celery mixture. Add salt and pepper. Mix well.
  5. If needed add 1/3 cup chicken or vegetable broth to stuffing mixture. Toss gently until evenly moist. Loosely stuff  salt and pepper pork chops then you will need to make  butterfly cuts( take your pearing knife cut side of meat through the half way point. Then the meat should open like a book) and place the suffing mix in the center of chops close and wrap with twine and tie off. Place chops into a baking dish, add round about 1/4 cup broth in the bottom of the dish. bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes or until heated to 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  6. Serve with light pan sauce. For all of your catering needs visit our web site http://www.richmondvacaterer.com/  Call 804-422-6313  or Email sweetsbymj@aol.com with any questions or booking information. Don't forget to place your holiday dinner order with us! 

At Marie's Table: Black Bean Soup

At Marie's Table: Black Bean Soup: What is the black bean? The history of black beans is ancient. They were first domesticated over 7,000 years ago in the region of South A...

Black Bean Soup

What is the black bean?

The history of black beans is ancient. They were first domesticated over 7,000 years ago in the region of South America now known as Peru. Since the beans grew readily in warm weather and preserved well, they quickly became an integral part of the South American diet. Other varieties of beans also entered cultivation during this period, with different people selecting for different bean traits. The ubiquitous food entered Europe when early explorers brought beans back with them in the 1500s.
Black, or turtle, beans are small roughly ovoid legumes with glossy black shells. The scientific name for black beans is Phaselous vulgaris, an epithet shared with many other popular bean varieties such as pinto beans, white beans, and kidney beans. Black beans are associated with Latin American cuisine in particular, although they can complement foods from many places. They are available in most grocery stores in dried and canned forms.
Like other legumes, beans pack a serious nutritional punch. They are very high in fiber, folate, protein, antioxidants, and vitamin B, along with numerous other vitamins and minerals. When combined with whole grains such as brown rice, black beans make a complete protein, which is one of the reasons they are commonly included in a vegetarian diet. Since the beans are cheap to produce, they are an important part of a balance diet for people of low income around the world.

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil or Olive Oil
• 1 Large  Sweet Onion, chopped
• 2 Celery, chopped
• 2-3 Chipotle Pepper, chopped 
• 6-10 cloves Garlic, minced ( depends on size) 
• 3 (15 ounce) cans Black Beans
• 1 Can Corn - drained
• 3 Cups Beef  Broth
• 1 Cup Orange Juice
• 1 lb. Lean ground Beef, Chicken or Turkey
• 1 Tablespoon Cumin
• 1/2 Tteaspoon Kosher Salt
• ground Black Pepper to taste
• 1/2 Teaspoon Sweet or Smoke Paprika







• 1/2 Teaspoon Oregano Leaves
• 2 Bay Leaves( Fresh or Dry)
• pinch Cayenne Pepper
• 1.2 Teaspoon Parsley Flakes
• 4 Large Tomatoes, skin remove and Chopped
• 1/2 Cup fresh Cilantro, chopped or torn

• Directions

  1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add  meat and brown then stir in onion, celery, and garlic, and cook 5 minutes, until tender. Mix in black beans, corn and chicken or beef broth and orange juice.
  2.  Add in tomatoes, salt, black pepper, paprika,  cayenne pepper, oregano, parlsley flakes,.cumin, cilantro, bay leaves, and chipotle pepper (with or without seeds)  Bring  to a boil. Reduce heat to low for 1 hour.. Garnish with cheddar cheese and sour cream serve over rice.
  Tomotes- removing the skin ( bring a pot of water to a boil, place into the hot water for 2- 4 second. Let cool to the touch and peel skin away)  
• This soup is even better the next day!  Visit our web site www.richmondvacaterer.com
• Emil us at sweetsbymj@aol.com with any questions about your up coming event or lunch delevery order.... 
• Pass the word about Mj Creations Sweets and Treats and The Bag Lady Lunch and Dinner Delivery

Beef Brisket Roast with Potatoes and Carrots

History of the Beef Roast

Yankee pot roast is a natural evolution of colonial-era New England Boiled Dinner, a meal generally composed of the same ingredients. The difference? Cooking technique (boiling/stewing vs. roasting in a pot) and type of meat (corned beef vs. fresh rump or round). The hallmarks of classic New England (aka Yankee) cuisine are frugality, sensibility, and simplicity. As such, Yankee pot roast fits the bill perfectly.
Most 17th and 18th century British and American cook books contained recipes for roast meats, including beef. Classic recipes instruct the cook to dredge the meat in flour and spices, and ancient practice for tenderizing. It was not until the 19th century we find recipes for pot roast, as we know it today. This is presumbaly due to advancements in cooking technology. The difference between pot roast and Yankee pot roast is the latter recipe adds vegetables half-way through. The vegetables are similar to those in New England Boiled Dinner: potatoes, turnips, carrots, beans, onions, corn. They are steamed in a combination of natural juices exuded from the cooking meat and other liquid additions (water, cider, wine, etc.). Delicious! And very efficient. One pot to clean!
"Pot roast. A meat that is browned and cooked with vegetables and gravy in a deep pot or saucepan, usually covered. The term dates in print to 1881. Pot roast was once an appetizing way to cook beef from beasts that have been working animals rather than food animals or other inferior cuts of meat. Today, the availability of good beef makes pot roast a delicious hearty dish, though lesser cuts of meat are still used for the cooking. Beef brisket, bottom and top round, and chuck are the usual choices."
The Perfect Beef Roast

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 lb of  Beef Brisket, Beef Shoulder or boneless Chuck Roast (look for a piece that is well marbled with fat for best results)
• 2 Tablespoon olive or grapeseed oil
•  Kosher Salt, Black Pepper to taste
• 1 large Onion, chopped or sliced
• 4 cloves of Garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup of Red Wine * Use wine that you would drink
• 3 Carrots, peeled and cut lengthwise
• 4-5 Meduim Red Skin Potatoes - Cut into bite size
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Large fresh or dry Bay Leaf
• 2 Cups Beef Broth
• 2 Celery cut lengthwise
• 1/2 Teaspoon Thyme fresh or dry
• 4 Tablespoons Butter




• 4 Tablespoons Flour 
• 1 Use a thick-bottomed covered pot (oven-proof if you intend to cook in oven), such as a dutch oven, just large enough to hold roast and vegetables. Heat 2 Tbsp of oil on medium high heat (hot enough to sear the meat). Sprinkle and rub salt, pepper all over the meat. Brown roast in pot, all over, several minutes on each side. Don't move the roast while a side is browning, or it won't brown well.
• 2 When roast is browned, lift up the meat and add garlic and chopped onion to the bottom of the pan. Let the roast sit on top of the onions. Add 1/2 cup of red wine, beef broth, worcestershire sauce, bay leaf and thyme. Cover. Bring to simmer and then adjust the heat down to the lowest heat possible to maintain a low simmer when covered (we cook our roast on the warm setting of our electric range)*. Alternatively, you can cook the pot roast in a 175°F-200°F oven, once you have browned it on the stovetop, and brought the liquid to a simmer (make sure to use an oven proof pan).
  3 Cook for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, until meat is tender. (If you are using a pressure cooker, cut the time by half). Near the end of the cooking, add carrots and potatoes, cook until tender, about an additional 10 - 15 minutes. What to do with the pan dripping? Make gravy!
• After removing the roast from the pot let it rest before cutting for about 10 - 15 minutes. Using a meduim sauce pan on medium heat. Add 4 tablespoons butter after it is melted stir in 4 tablespoons of flour cooking for 1 minute.take the pan dripping adding to the flour and butter mixture, if you do not have enough you can add 2 cups of beef broth and stir with an whish and cook until it become thick. Add salt and pepper to tast. 
• *If you don't want to leave your office for lunch give The Bag Lady a call or email us for our menu selections. We do delivery great tasting and home made meals from our kitchen to your office.
• The Bag Lady              Email: sweetsbymj@aol.com    Call 804-422-6313
• To Place Your Order Today!