PUMPKIN MULE

Serves 1

This is so awesome... it's ridiculous. And a great way to use up those Thanksgiving pumpkin puree leftovers.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup ice
• 2oz Vodka
• 1 tablespoon canned pumpkin puree
• 1/2 bottle Bundaberg Ginger Beer (it's Australian and THE best)
• 1/4 lime

DIRECTIONS

1. Shake pumpkin puree, vodka, ice and pour into glass
2. Top up with ginger beer
3. Stir in a big squeeze of lime

---

Easy Chicken Adobo

A little sweet, a little sour and all damn delicious - and did I mention tender? This is sure to make a Filipino lola (grandma) very proud :)

Serves 2-4 people (depends how hungry you are...)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds skin on, bone-in, chicken thighs (skinless, boneless work great too)
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 bay leaves

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine soy, vinegar, pepper, brown sugar, garlic and bay leaves in the bottom of a large pot with a well fitting lid pot.
2. Place chicken skin side down in pot and bring to a boil
3. Immediately turn down to a simmer and cover
4. After 30 minutes remove lid, turn chicken over and simmer for another 20 - 30 minutes until super tender
5. Serve with steamed rice.

View fullsize

View fullsize

WATCH ME MAKE THIS...

Btw, yes – I did forget to add the brown sugar in this video (I hate me sometimes).

---

VEGETABLE BENEDICT WITH SRIRACHA HOLLANDAISE

Serves 2

You don’t always need ham or something meaty in a benny – I promise. And this veggie version with the Sriracha Hollandaise, is so damn good it won’t matter anyway.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large green heirloom tomato, thickly sliced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 6oz fresh spinach
• pinch garlic powder
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vinegar 
• Challah Bread, thickly sliced

Hollandaise

• 3 egg yolks
• 1/2 lemon, juice
• 8 tablespoons melted butter
• 1-2 teaspoons Sriracha
• pinch Kosher salt 

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat broiler to high
2. Simmer water in medium pan add vinegar 
3. Cover two tomato slices with olive oil, season each with Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and fresh garlic, broil for 8-10 minutes 
4. Preheat wok on medium heat, add oil, add spinach. Turn heat to low, cook until wilted and most moisture dried out. Season with Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper and pinch garlic powder
5. In blender, add egg yolks and lemon juice, mix on high for 1 minute or until pale yellow. Change to low setting, slowly pour in melted butter, season with pinch of kosher salt, add Sriracha then blend for 30 seconds
6. While you butter and toast Challah Bread, poach your eggs – whisk water into a vortex and gently drop in each egg into center and cook for 4 on low, or until whites are just firm
7. Get building... bread, tomato, spinach, egg and plenty of sauce... OMFG!

Potato Chorizo Balls

Serves 4

These will be amazing if you chill the mashed potato, but if you don't it could be a big mess – but without doubt these are worth the effort.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups chilled pre-made mashed potatoes, seasoned with green onion and cholula
• 1 cup chorizo
• 1/2 cup jack cheese
• 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs, beaten

DIRECTIONS

1. Pre-heat your deep fryer, use peanut or canola oil
2. Cook chorizo for 5 minutes in skillet
3. Fill two large plates, one panko, one eggs
4. Keep mashed potatoes in fridge until the last minute
5. Grease your hands with olive oil
6. Make a rough 3'' patty from mashed potato, place a teaspoon of chorizo and a pinch of jack in center and bring in the edges of potato to form a ball
7. Roll in the egg, cover in panko then deep fry in small batches until golden.

Or, you could be like I was on the show... just eff it, mix the mashed potato and chorizo, roll into balls and do egg wash and panko and deep fry until golden.

Chimichanga

Makes 6

Baked or fried, these are so delicious and rather impressive looking when done.

5 chicken thighs, or about 2 cups once cooked

Kosher salt & ground pepper

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1 small red pepper, diced

1-4 ounce can diced green chilis

1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese, plus extra for serving

½ teaspoon each garlic powder, cumin and chipotle chili powder

1 – 15 ounce can refried beans, optional (they shouldn’t be, but I get it)

6 flour tortillas, burrito size

1 tablespoon oil (for baking)

¼ cup neutral oil (for frying

1 cup red enchilada sauce

Sour cream

Chopped cilantro

• Cook thighs in a skillet over medium heat until cooked through, set aside

• Add a little more oil to the pan, and put in onion and red pepper – cook until softened, about 5 minutes

• Shred or cut chicken into small pieces and put in a bowl with the onions and peppers, chilis, cheese and spices – mix well

• Heat the tortillas just a bit to make them a little more pliable - microwave or non-stick pan is fine

• If using, add a layer of the beans to the center of each tortilla, then spoon some of the chicken mixture onto each

• Roll up restaurant style - bottom over the filling, sides in then roll away from you

  To Bake

• Preheat oven to 400

• Place chimichanga on a greased baking sheet and brush tops lightly with neutral oil

• Bake until golden, about 20ish minutes

  To Fry

• Heat a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add oil to skillet and place chimichangas seam side down. Turn lightly every 2-30 seconds until lightly golden on all sides

  To Serve

• While they cook, warm enchilada sauce, and when done spoon some enchilada sauce on a plate, lay chimichanga on top, and garnish with sour cream, a little more cheese and cilantro

5 Minute Beer Bread

To be honest - it makes in 5 minutes but cooks in about 50. In any case it’s only 3 ingredients and so damn good it won’t matter.

Ingredients

• 3 cups self-rising flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 bottle (12 ounces) beer - preferably something with a little flavor - room temperature

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Mix flour and sugar and slowly add beer
3. Mix all ingredients well, until smooth
4. Place in greased loaf pan & place pan in center of oven and bake for about 50 minutes
5. Remove from oven and take bread out of pan and allow to cool on a rack or stove grates

View fullsize

watch how I make this

---

Ginger Scallops

Makes 12

The key to scallops is NOT to overcook them. The easiest way is to make sure your pan is HOT and turn them once they're nicely browned.

Ingredients

• 1 pound large fresh scallops, about 12
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons ginger, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons green onion, finely chopped
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions

1. Mix butter, ginger and green onion together in a small bowl - set aside
2. Put non-stick pan on medium/high heat
3. Lightly oil scallops and season with salt & pepper
4. When the pan is almost smoking, put half the scallops in the pan and sear until golden, 1 to 2 minutes
5. Flip over, put half the ginger butter in the pan and as it melts spoon it over the scallops
6. Remove when bottom is golden
7. Cook remaining scallops the same way, dig?

Bourbon Romaine

Serves me, I mean one

Named after my dear friend Romaine, this is maybe the best thing you can do with bourbon.

Ingredients

• 2 parts bourbon
• 1 part ginger ale
• 1 good splash Angostura Bitters
• 1 large lime wedge

Directions

1. Fill a rocks glass with ice
2. Add bourbon, ginger ale & bitters
3. Stir then squeeze in lime juice then drop in the wedge
4. Think about Romaine

Crab Omelet

Makes 1

Being a guy, of course I like eggs. And if I was single, this would be my "hey, know what I could make for you tomorrow morning' kinda of pick-up-line. But I'm married and would never use a line like that. Honest honey...

Ingredients

• 2 tablepoons red bell pepper, diced fine
• 2 eggs, beaten well
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Butter (or olive oil)
• 1/3 cup crab meat
• 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

1. Preheat nonstick skillet over medium heat
2. Add the red pepper and a smidge of olive oil and cook until slightly softened
3. Meanwhile beat the eggs well and add some freshly ground black pepper to taste
4. Melt about a teaspoon or so of butter (or put the oil) in the pan and pour the eggs over the red bell pepper
5. Cook the eggs by pulling them away from the sides of the pan so the raw egg runs underneath to cook
6. Once the egg is somewhat set add your crab and cheese
7. Fold the omelet in half and continue to cook so that the crab heats in the center, the cheese gets melty and the eggs finish cooking
8. Place the omelet on a plate and sprinkle with a little more freshly ground black pepper

Pastrami Breakfast Burrito

Makes 4

This is almost a near perfect breakfast.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
• 2 handfuls frozen French fries, cooked according to package directions and crispy
• About 1/2 pound deli pastrami, rough chopped
• 4 burrito sized tortillas or wraps
• 6 eggs
• 1/3 cup any kind of cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• Hot sauce
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Heat oil in nonstick pan and add onions, cook until softened
2. Add pastrami and cook until everything is well mixed and heated through
3. Beat eggs (with salt and pepper to taste) and add to pan mixture, stir well to combine
4. While all this cooks, heat the tortillas
5. Take a tortilla and spread it with about 1 tablespoon of the sour cream and add some filling
6. Sprinkle with cheese, add fries to each, a few dashes of the hot sauce and roll up burrito style
7. Eat, of course

Grilled Catfish Sandwich

Serves 2 to 4

Pickled mayonnaise and grilled catfish...it's like a bit of the South right where you are. Unless you're already there, then it's like...oh never mind.

Ingredients

• 2 - 8oz catfish fillets
• 2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 Ciabatta buns, long enough to hold the fillets
• 2 Dill pickles
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tomato, sliced

Directions

1. Drizzle Catfish with olive oil and season with Old Bay
2. Heat a non-stick over medium high heat and add butter
3. Once butter has melted, put in catfish and cook about 5 minutes on each side
4. While it cooks, dice pickles and mix with Mayonnaise
5. Slice bun in half and toast or broil until golden brown
6. Spread pickle/mayo on bread, top with tomato slices and then catfish