KN, p. 164 “Game Day Nachos”
The Big Game should only be watched with nachos in hand. That’s a given. But, what kind of nachos? Is there more than one kind? Turns out there are as many different kinds of nacho recipes as there are chili or stew recipes.
Movie nachos – the kind with the fake cheese poured on top of a mound of tortilla chips. Best I ever had were served in a theater in Texas. Soooooo good.
Home nachos – tortilla chips, salsa and shredded cheese piled on a plate, nuked in the microwave and then scooped up with the tortilla chips. Quick and easy; can be tossed together during a commercial break.
Party nachos – everything and the kitchen sink piled on a plate and scooped up with tortilla chips.
Super party nachos – a nacho casserole made with layers of anything the cook thinks goes together. Anything. The only constant being the tortilla chips at the bottom. You eat this with a fork. Or maybe a spoon.
Here’s our version – hearty enough to be a meal and taste tested by a few football pals, and me, of course. J
KN, p. 164 "Game Day Nachos"
Author: Charlie & Sheila Kerrian
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: American
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 to 6
Ingredients
- 15 oz can Goya black beans
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 1/4 lb ground beef
- 1 teaspoon chili spices (optional)
- 2.25 oz can sliced olives
- 12 oz. jar sliced Jalapeno peppers
- 4 cups shredded lettuce
- 4 cups shredded cheese (4 cheese Mexican)
- 15 oz jar Pace chunky Salsa
- 8 oz container guacamole
- Sour cream
- Large bag tortilla chips, Mission or Tostitos
Instructions
- Drain 1/4 cup liquid from can of black beans. Pour remaining beans and liquid into food processor and pulse 2-3 times; not as smooth as hummus, but a little texture is great. Set aside.
- Sprinkle sea salt evenly in the bottom of a large frying pan, add ground beef, break up and stir until browned. Drain off the extra fat.
- Add pulsed beans to ground beef, mix together and heat through, stirring frequently. This is the time to add the optional chili spices.
- While bean/meat mixture is heating, assemble the other ingredients and place in individual containers on the serving table.
- Guests will be able to add as much or as little of each to their pile of nacho magic.
- Sprinkle the cheese on top of the rest of the ingredients and stick in the microwave for twenty seconds. Make sure the plates are microwave safe.
Notes
Fresh salsa is great, but we can’t always get flavorful, ripe tomatoes this time of year. As for guacamole? Again, fresh is great, but sometimes the fresh avocados are rock hard.
Optional Cheese sauce ingredients: if you want a creamy cheese sauce to pour over the chips –
- Use a medium non-stick sauce pan
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 3 Tablespoons flour
- 1.75 cups milk
- 2 cups shredded pepper jack or cheddar cheese
Prep:
- Add butter to the sauce pan and melt on low-medium heat.
- Slowly add flour and stir until well blended. It should pull away from the pan when ready.
- Add 1/2 cup milk at a time, mixing constantly to keep lumps from forming. Bubbles will begin to form around the edges.
- Add cheese 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until smooth and creamy. Pour over chips while hot.
Enjoy!
*Photos by Patti Phillips
Kerrian’s Notebook, p. 139 “Irish Brown Bread”
Ireland is a fabulous place to visit from Spring right through early Fall. The country has plenty of top-notch scenery, challenging golf courses, stud farms, and castles galore. And, it has all that really great food. Sheila and I had loads of fun going from tea room to pub to restaurant, sampling traditional Irish dishes.
The one constant at lunch wherever we went was the dense brown bread. It varied slightly in taste with different bakers, but it was usually served with soup or at afternoon tea, with jam, butter or honey.
Of course, when we came back to the States, Sheila and I created our own version of the bread so that we could serve it on St. Patrick’s Day. Yes, it is on the table with the soda bread, giving our guests a chance to try both. To be clear, Sheila does the baking and I do the tasting and cleanup. We make a great team in the kitchen. 🙂
"Irish Brown Bread"
Author: Sheila and Charlie Kerrian
Recipe type: bread
Cuisine: Irish
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 Tablespoons cold butter
- 2 ¾ cups stone ground whole wheat flour, plus additional Tablespoons if needed
- ¼ cup regular or quick-cooking rolled oats
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
- 4”x8” loaf pan
- non-stick cooking spray
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, blend all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder and sea salt.
- Cut in butter until mixture forms pea sized crumbs.
- Stir in whole wheat flour and oats.
- Add buttermilk, using bread hook if available. If mixture is sticky, add in more whole wheat flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time, just until the dough has a smooth, dry surface.
- Place dough ball on a lightly floured board and knead 6-7 times, shaping into a loaf.
- Spray 4”x8” loaf pan with non-stick spray and place dough in the pan.
- Bake at 400 until golden brown, about 45-50 minutes.
- Test for doneness with metal skewer.
- Remove from pan immediately and cool on rack.
- Let rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Serve with butter, jam, or honey and enjoy!
*Photo by Patti Phillips
KN, p.136 “Chicken and Sausage Gumbo”
Mardi Gras is upon us! A friend of ours usually goes to New Orleans every year to celebrate, but this year she’ll have to miss it because of a work conflict. She loves the great food and the music, and has even thought of moving there. (I think she just wants to get away from all the snow and ice up here.) Since she can’t go, we thought we’d have her over for dinner, cook up some gumbo, and get some lively New Orleans music streamed in.
She likes both seafood and meat gumbos, and our recipe combines both. I’ve been told that there are as many gumbo recipes as there are cooks to make it. Apparently, as long as celery, green bell peppers, and onions are the base, almost anything else can go into the pot.
Here’s our version:
"Chicken and Sausage Gumbo"
Author: Charlie Kerrian
Recipe type: Entree
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken, cut into 1 inch chunks, and seasoned with salt
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ pound Andouille sausage, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- ½ pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
- ½ pound okra pods, sliced into 1/4 inch slices, stems removed (or 2 cups sliced, frozen okra)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon + 4 Tablespoons butter/canola spread
- 6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups celery, chopped
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup green bell pepper, seeded, then chopped into 1/4 ” pieces
- 1 cup red bell pepper, seeded, then chopped into 1/4” pieces
- 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
- 2-3 cups low sodium chicken broth (2 cups for stew, 3 cups for soup)
- 1 Tablespoon Bay seasoning
- (optional) 1/2 pound cooked, peeled, deveined shrimp
- Cooked white rice
Instructions
- Salt the chicken, all sides. In deepest pot you have, use 1 Tablespoon olive oil and sauté the chicken on medium high heat until golden brown – about 5 mins.
- Add sausages and 1 Tablespoon chicken broth to the pot. Lower heat to medium-low, cover and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep meat from sticking. Take off heat.
- Meanwhile, sauté the okra with 1 teaspoon butter and ½ teaspoon sea salt in pan at medium high heat for 3-4 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside, including juices.
- The Roux: In the sauté pan, melt 4 Tablespoons butter. Add the flour 1 Tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly on medium heat to mix thoroughly, until the roux is the color of dark caramel, but not burned - about 15 minutes. Drop the heat to low, then add the onion, stir constantly until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add celery, bell peppers, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, garlic and mix together until well-coated – about 5 minutes. Mixture will be thick.
- Add vegetable mixture to the sausage/chicken pot and mix together.
- Slowly add back in (stir after each cup) the okra, chicken broth, and Bay seasoning. Turn heat up long enough to bring mixture to a boil, then drop heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes, continuing to stir. Add salt to taste if needed.
- If adding the cooked shrimp, drop it into the mixture and stir together, another 5 minutes.
- Place cooked rice in bowl, then place gumbo on top. Serve with cornbread.
Enjoy!
*Photos by Patti Phillips