1. food and drink
2. food
3. grains and pasta

The Family Cookbook
The Best Sangria ......................................................................... 3
Dutch Babies .............................................................................. 3
Basic Frittata Recipes ................................................................... 4
Citrus, Quinoa, and Spinach Salad ................................................. 5
Asian Beef Salad ......................................................................... 5
Bufala Spread Appetizer ............................................................... 6
Cajun Cornbread Dressing ............................................................ 6
Quicker Jambalaya ...................................................................... 7
Paul Prodhomme’s Cajun Jambalaya .............................................. 8
Martha’s Spice-Rubbed Grilled Salmon ........................................... 9
Sunset Bean Soup ....................................................................... 9
Bob’s Red Mill 13 Bean Chili .......................................................... 9
Black Bean Soup with Sweet Potatoes ........................................... 10
Blazing Saddle Bean Soup ........................................................... 11
America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) Best French Onion Soup .................... 12
ATK Split Pea Soup ..................................................................... 13
ATK Basic Chili ........................................................................... 14
Mark Bittman Vegetarian Espresso Chili......................................... 15
Quick Bolognese Sauce from America's Test Kitchen (ATK) .............. 16
ATK Thai Street BBQ Chicken ....................................................... 16
Sichuan or Szechuan Peppercorn Roasted Chicken .......................... 17
Roasted Heritage Turkey ............................................................. 17
K-Paul’s Red Beans and Rice ........................................................ 19
Soprano’s Sunday Gravy ............................................................. 20
Alternate Sauce Recipe: ............................................................................................ 21
ATK Sunday Gravy ..................................................................... 22
ATK Tomato and Almond Pesto (while the pasta cooks) ................... 22
ATK “Garlic Three Ways” Shrimp Pasta .......................................... 23
ATK Baked Ziti ........................................................................... 23
Epicurious’ Spaghetti, Garlic, Oil, and Anchovies ............................ 24
ATK Argentine Steak with Chimichurri Sauce ................................. 24
Epicurious Peruvian Roast Chicken................................................ 25
ATK Peruvian Roast Chicken ........................................................ 26
Soy Sauce Poached Fish Filets ...................................................... 27
Cook’s Illustrated Gas-Grilled Pork Tenderloin ................................ 27
Basic Techniques for Cooking Steaks ............................................ 28
Dry Spice Rub for Pork ................................................................ 31
Coffee Rub for Meat, Chicken or Fish............................................. 32
Chili-Glazed Pork with Sweet Potato Hash ...................................... 32
Pork and Cabbage Stir Fry ........................................................... 33
Crispy Smashed Roasted Potatoes ................................................ 33
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 1
ATK Garlic Mashed Potatoes ......................................................... 35
Green Beans with Cranberries, Walnuts, and Blue Cheese ............... 36
Sautéed Kale ............................................................................. 36
Kale with Sausage and White Beans ............................................. 37
Kale Spread ............................................................................... 38
Kale Cole Slaw ........................................................................... 38
Rosemary-Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Sausage ........................... 38
Roasting Vegetables ................................................................... 39
Sweet Potato “Fries” ................................................................... 41
Cilantro Cauliflower “Mashed Potatoes” ......................................... 41
Garlic Pasta Primavera ................................................................ 42
Brining Basics ............................................................................ 43
Grilling Times............................................................................. 46
The “Best” Chocolate Chip Cookies ............................................... 48
Food Babe’s Forever Cookies ....................................................... 49
Make Your Own Ghee (Clarified Butter) in the oven ........................ 50
Chicken Bone Broth .................................................................... 50
Rice Ball Snacks for Hiking or Riding ............................................. 50
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 2
The Best Sangria
Serves 4 . Published May 1, 1998.
The longer sangria sits before drinking, the more smooth and mellow it will taste. A full day
is best, but if that’s impossible, give it an absolute minimum of two hours to sit. Use large,
heavy, juicy oranges and lemons for the best flavor. Doubling or tripling the recipe is fine, but
you’ll have to switch to a large punch bowl in place of the pitcher. An inexpensive Merlot is
the best choice for this recipe.
This is an excellent use of “cheap” wine like Two Buck Chuck, and either the Merlot or
Cabernet work well in this recipe.
INGREDIENTS
2 large juice oranges, washed; one orange sliced; remaining orange juiced
1 large lemon , washed and sliced
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup Triple Sec
1 bottle inexpensive, fruity, medium-bodied red wine (750 milliliters), chilled
INSTRUCTIONS
Add sliced orange, lemon, and sugar to large pitcher; mash gently with wooden spoon until fruit releases
some juice, but is not totally crushed, and sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Stir in orange juice, Triple Sec,
and wine; refrigerate for at least 2, and up to 8, hours.
Before serving, add 6 to 8 ice cubes and stir briskly to distribute settled fruit and pulp; serve immediately.
Dutch Babies
Our traditional Christmas morning breakfast!
Pan Size
Butter
Eggs
Milk and Flour
2 – 3 quarts
¼ cup
3
¾ cup each
3 – 4 quarts
1/3 cup
4
1 cup each
4 – 4 ½ quarts
½ cup
5
1 ¼ cup each
4 ½ - 5 quarts
½ cup
6
1 ½ cup each
Pre-heat oven to 425ᴼ and put butter in pan. Mix batter in blender while butter melts
and the pan heats up. For the batter, put eggs in the blender and mix at high speed for
one minute. With the motor running, gradually pour in milk, then slowly add flour and
continue at high speed for 30 seconds.
Remove the hot pan and pour the batter in to the melted butter. Return pan to oven
and bake until well risen and browned—20 – 25 minutes depending on the pan size.
Remove the pan from the oven—the pancake will collapse but that is normal—and dust
with ground nutmeg and sift powdered sugar on the pancake. Serve immediately.
Serve with canned peaches in heavy syrup, lemon slices, and/or maple syrup.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 3
Basic Frittata Recipes
From “Men’s Health” magazine, May 2013, p.102
Preheat oven to 375°and grease an 8” to 10” cast iron skillet. Gently whisk 8 eggs and 1/3 C milk. Stir in
the desired additions (meat, cheese, veggies) and season to taste. Pour mixture in skillet and bake until
frittata is set—about 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, cut in to wedges and serve. Serves 4.
Greek Fillings

1 C cooked spinach

4 oz. crumbled feta or
other goat cheese

2 T pine nuts, toasted
Tex-Mex Fillings

½ C canned green
chilies, drained and
chopped

½ C grated jack cheese

¼ C chopped scallions
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Italian Fillings

½ C chopped prosciutto

½ C grated Parmesan

1.2 C halved cherry
tomatoes

½ C chopped fresh
basil
Page 4
Citrus, Quinoa, and Spinach Salad
From “Sunset Magazine” January 2011
Serve 2 as a main dish; 4 – 6 as a side
1 Cup cooked Quinoa, warm
Zest and juice from ½ lemon
1 ½ T olive oil
½ t. red pepper flakes
¼ t. Kosher salt
Pinch of ground pepper
6 – 8 Ounces Spinach (and any other greens)
¼ Cup sliced green onion
¼ Cup crumbled Feta Cheese
1. Cook quinoa ahead of time, and use warm quinoa either by warming it in the microwave or cooling from
the cooking.
2. Whisk together zest and juice, oil, pepper flakes, pepper and salt in a salad bowl.
3. Add quinoa, spinach, onion, and cheese and toss to cover. Add chunks of chicken if used for a main
dish if desired.
Asian Beef Salad
Serve 2 as a main dish; 4 – 6 as a side
1 Pound Flank Steak
Juice from one lime
2 T honey
1 t sriracha
½ T soy sauce
Pinch of ground pepper
¼ C olive oil
Good amount of greens: spinach, bib lettuce, romaine, etc.
1 Pint cherry tomatoes
Thinly sliced red onion
One avocado, diced
Thinly sliced cucumber
Handful of cilantro
1. Grill the flank steak to desired doneness, 3 – 4 minutes per side for medium rare. Let rest for 5 minutes
then slice it thinly across the grain.
2. Whisk together juice, sriracha, soy, and pepper and then drizzle in oil to emulsify in a salad bowl.
3. Toss the greens with the steak, then toss with dressing.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 5
Bufala Spread Appetizer
Guessed at from an inspiration at Tre Vigne with their appetizer, one round per 2 people
1 Round fresh buffalo mozzarella
Good quality olive oil
Salt and pepper to season
1.
2.
3.
Pre-heat toaster oven to 250 – 300 degrees
Generously oil an ovenproof ramekin or small bowl, put the
cheese round in the bowl and sprinkle more oil on the cheese
to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat the cheese for 5 minutes then cut up in bite size pieces
and serve on toasted baguette.
Cajun Cornbread Dressing
From “Chef Paul Prudhommes’s Louisiana Kitchen”--slightly modified
Serve 8
1 Stick Butter
1 Pound Smoked Andouille Sausage (not fresh—cook ahead of time
if not smoked) Kielbasa will do if you can’t find Andouille, but it
won’t be the same
¾ Cup Finely Chopped Onion
¾ Cup Finely Chopped Bell Pepper
½ Cup Finely Chopped Celery
1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
Seasoning Mix:

2 Bay Leaves

2 t salt

1 t cayenne

1 t oregano

1½ t white pepper

1 t black pepper

½ t onion powder

½ t thyme
1 Cup Chicken Stock
1 Tablespoon Tabasco
5 – 6 Cups Finely Crumbled Cornbread (I make this a day in advance—
any cornbread recipe will do—and crumble the 8 X 8 pan of
cornbread into a large bowl and leave to get a bit “stale” overnight
1 13 oz Can of Evaporated Milk
3 Eggs, beaten
1. Combine seasoning mix and set aside in bowl.
2. In a large skillet, melt the butter and sauté the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic over high heat
until the vegetables are wilted (2 - 4 minutes), stirring occasionally. Add the sausage, seasoning mix and
continue cooking for 5 more minutes. Stir in the stock and Tabasco and bring back to a boil, cook for 5
minutes more.
3. Pour the hot vegetable mixture over the crumbled cornbread in the large bowl. Add the milk and eggs
and mix thoroughly until the liquid ingredients are fully incorporated with the cornbread—results will look
like a mush. Spoon the mixture in to a 13 X 9 baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for
30 minutes, then remove the foil and finish baking until the top of the dressing is browned.
**NOTE: I had been stuffing the bird with the dressing (it picks up more flavor that way), but now the
current thinking is to cook large poultry unstuffed to avoid overcooking the breast meat, so cook the
“stuffing” separately from the bird.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 6
Quicker Jambalaya
From America’s Test Kitchen
Serve 4 to 6
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds), trimmed of
excess skin and fat
Table salt and ground black pepper
5 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 pound andouille sausage , halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch
pieces
1 medium onion , chopped medium
1 medium red bell pepper , stemmed, seeded, and chopped
medium
5 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press
(about 1 1/2 tablespoons)
Seasoning Mix:

2 Bay Leaves

1½ t salt

1½ t cayenne

1½ t oregano

1½ t white pepper

1 t black pepper

1 t thyme
1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes , drained
1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 pound large shrimp (31 to 40 count), peeled, deveined, and
rinsed OR combination of shrimps and oysters
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1. Dry the chicken thoroughly with paper towels, then season generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2
teaspoons of the oil in a 12-inch Dutch Oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Carefully lay the
chicken thighs in the skillet, skin-side down, and cook until golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Flip the chicken over
and continue to cook until the second side is golden, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and
transfer the chicken to a plate. Using paper towels, remove and discard the browned chicken skin.
2. Pour off all but 2 teaspoons of the fat left in the skillet and return to medium-high heat until
shimmering. Add the andouille and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes, transfer the sausage to a
small bowl and set aside.
3. Add the remaining 3 teaspoons oil to the skillet and return to medium heat until shimmering. Add the
onion, bell pepper, garlic, and the seasoning mix; cook, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the
skillet, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook until the edges turn translucent,
about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, clam juice, and chicken broth; bring to a simmer. Gently nestle the
chicken into the rice. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the chicken is tender and cooked
through, 30 to 35 minutes.
4. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Stir the shrimp and sausage into the
rice and continue to cook, covered, over low heat for 2 more minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat
and let stand, covered, until the shrimp are fully cooked and the rice is tender, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, following the illustration below, shred the chicken using two forks. Stir the parsley and
shredded chicken into the rice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 7
Paul Prodhomme’s Cajun Jambalaya
There are several Jambalaya recipes in the Prudhomme books, but I have adapted them into a single
recipe that I use. This is quite spicy, so to tone it down, eliminate some or all of the cayenne and other
peppers.
Makes a large Dutch oven full of Jambalaya: 4 – 6 Main Dish or 8 – 12 Appetizer Servings
Seasoning Mix:

2 whole bay leaves

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1½ teaspoon dried oregano leaves
Mix up the seasoning in a bowl and set aside
Prepare the following before starting to cook:

Cube (½” cubes) about a half pound of Tasso—Tasso is a Cajun peppered ham, so you can’t find
the real thing (it is hard to find even in the Bay Area but you can find it on the web at Paul
Prudhomme's Magic Seasonings Meat Store), make your own a couple of hours ahead of time (or the
previous day) by cubing a half pound of smoked ham and mixing with a Tablespoon of cayenne—let it
stand for at least a couple of hours. But, I encourage you to find Tasso—it makes a difference.

Slice and quarter about a half pound of Andouille smoked sausage—Andouille is easier to find
than Tasso, but if you can’t find the real thing, any good smoked sausage will do. Just add more
cayenne once you quarter the sausage.

Chop up the following vegetables:
 1 large onion
 3 – 4 stalks of celery
 ½ - 1 green bell pepper
 mince 2 – 3 cloves of garlic
 1 pound of fresh tomatoes
 2 – 4 stalks of green onion

Prepare the meat—I use several meats or seafood in my Jambalaya: chicken, rabbit, large shrimp,
oysters. For chicken, I cube 2 – 3 breasts and set aside. Any seafood (half a pound of so of each) is
added late in the cooking process to avoid overcooking.
Heat up a large Dutch oven or similar large saucepan, then sauté the tasso/ham and sausage in:

2 - 4 Tablespoons fat or oil (olive, canola, or vegetable oils or butter/margarine).
Sauté on medium-high heat until crisp, 5 – 8 minutes. Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper and sauté
until the onions are clear (another 5 minutes). Stir occasionally and scrape the pot bottom well. Add the
chicken (if you are using it), kick up the heat to high, cook 1 minute, and then lower the heat to medium.
Make sure you have a good amount of liquid in the pot—if you don’t add a bit more oil/fat or a bit of stock
since the seasonings need some fat.
Add the seasonings and garlic. Cook about 3 minutes, stirring constantly and scraping the pot bottom.
Add the tomatoes and cook another 5 minutes, stirring often. Add a small can of tomato sauce, and cook
another 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir in:

2 cups of stock (vegetable, chicken or seafood)

the green onion
Kick the heat up to high and bring the mixture back to a boil. Add in:

2 cups rice (preferably converted)

Oysters (if you are using them) and stir in well.
Cover tightly and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer until rice is tender (about 20 – 25 minutes). If
you are using shrimp, mix it in at this point and cook on low for another 3 - 4 minutes until the shrimp is
pink.
If the Jambalaya still isn’t spicy enough add some of your favorite hot sauce and mix into the pot. Serve
immediately, but the dish gets better the next day.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 8
A Great Recipe for Salmon from Martha Stewart ("Living" magazine, June 1996)
Martha’s Spice-Rubbed Grilled Salmon
Turning a whole side of fish on a grill is difficult; we usually cook it skin side down on indirect coals or gas
grill for 12 - 15 minutes








1 Tablespoon each whole coriander, cumin, dill, and yellow mustard seeds
2 Tablespoons whole fennel seeds
1 Tablespoon salt
1 Tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 whole side of salmon, skin on if possible
Olive oil
Combine all seeds in a small, ungreased skillet over medium heat, toast, shaking pan until the seeds
begin popping and giving off an aromatic smell (4 - 6 minutes). Let cool and grind seeds coarsely.
Transfer to a bowl and add salt, pepper, and sugar. Let salmon come to room temperature, and rub the
seed mixture the flesh side of the salmon. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes, or wrap and refrigerate
overnight. Be careful! Do not over marinate--I let one sit marinating in the frige for 3 days and
the salts and spices eventually dry out the salmon. Let salmon come to room temperature again
before grilling. Grill for 4 - 5 minutes on each side--but be careful, the salmon could be hard to flip, or put
on indirect heat in a Weber and check for doneness after 12 minutes.
Sunset Bean Soup
Find a mixed bean package that includes a variety of beans and split peas.








2 C Bean Mixture, soaked overnight if desired
Savory Vegetables, diced, to sauté (large onion, bell pepper, celery, carrot)
1 clove crushed garlic
1 Tablespoon each summer savory and basil
1 bay leaf
1 pinch of Herbs du Provence
5 C water/stock/tomato juice/wine
1 28 oz can stewed, diced, or crushed tomato
Drain the beans if soaked. Sauté the vegetables in canola oil for 5 – 10 minutes until softened. Add the
garlic and herbs and sauté one more minute until the garlic blooms, then add stock and the beans,
making sure the beans are covered in liquid. Bring to boil then lower heat to simmer, adding the herbs du
Provence and canned tomatoes. Simmer two hours or more until the beans soften, stirring every 15
minutes. Add stock/water as the soup cooks down if needed, keeping the beans covered. Season to taste
and serve.
Variations: add smoked sausage, diced chicken or ham
Bob’s Red Mill 13 Bean Chili
Source: packaging






1 lb. ground meat (turkey, beef, bison, etc)
1 ½ C Bob’s 13 Bean Mix, soaked overnight
1 bell pepper, cored and finely diced
1 large onion, diced
2 or 3 cloves minced garlic
¼ C. chili powder
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 9





2 T cumin powder
15 oz can Tomato Sauce
2 T. Tabasco sauce, or to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 C. fresh cilantro leaves
Rinse soaked beans in a colander, rinse, and remove any broken beans or debris: place in a separate
large pot and cover with water bringing it to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer, adding additional hot
water as necessary to keep beans covered. Simmer the beans for three hours.
In a separate pan, brown the meat until no longer pink, then continue sautéing the onion and bell pepper
until soft (5 – 10 minutes), add the chili powder and cumin and let brown. Add the garlic and sauté a
minute more to bring out the flavor and add the sauté to the beans.
Add the tomato sauce and Tabasco to the pot and simmer gently for another hour. Season to taste with
salt and pepper, then add the cilantro. Serve in warm bowls, accompanied by cheese or any other
toppings. Makes about 4 - 6 servings.
Black Bean Soup with Sweet Potatoes
From Plant-Powered 15
Serves 4-5
Ingredients

1-2 tablespoon(s) water

1½ – 1¾ cups chopped onions (one large onion)

1½ cups combination of chopped red peppers and green peppers

1¼ teaspoon sea salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste (generous is good)

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves

¼ teaspoon allspice (rounded)

¼ teaspoon (or less/more, to taste) red pepper flakes

4 medium-large cloves garlic, minced or grated

4½ – 5 cups black beans (reserve 1 cup; drain and rinse if using canned – about three 14 or 15
ounce cans)

3 cups water

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

½ – 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup

1 bay leaf

1½ cups cubed (in small chunks, about ½”) yellow sweet potato (or can substitute white potato)

Chopped cilantro for serving

Extra lime wedges for serving

Chopped avocado tossed with lemon juice and dash of salt, for serving
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 10
Instructions:
In a large pot over medium-high heat, add water, onions, red and green peppers, salt and pepper, cumin
seeds, oregano, allspice, and red pepper flakes. Let cook for 5-7 minutes until onions and peppers start to
soften. Add garlic. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and let cook another few minutes to soften garlic – if
sticking/burning, add another splash of water. After a few minutes of cooking, add 3½ cups beans
(reserving one cup of beans), water, tomato paste, vinegar, lime juice, and maple syrup (start with ½
teaspoon). Using an immersion blender, puree soup until fairly smooth. Increase heat to bring to boil, add
bay leaf and diced sweet potatoes, then once at boil reduce and let simmer for 20-30 minutes. Add
remaining cup of black beans and extra maple syrup if desired (taste test). Stir through, let simmer for
another few minutes, then serve, topping with cilantro if desired and with lime wedges. Also delicious to
top soup with some chopped seasoned avocado or a simple guacamole.
Sweet Potato Tip: Sometimes I have leftover sweet potato home fries that have been seasoned with just
sea salt. If so, I take a recipe and chopping shortcut and simply add these to my soup during the last 5-10
minutes of cooking, just to heat through.
Blazing Saddle Bean Soup
Source: Marriott Rivercenter Garden Restaurant - San Antonio, TX













1 lb. (2 1/2 C.) black beans
1 lb. (2 1/2 C.) navy beans
2 green bell peppers, cored and finely diced
1 large onion, finely diced
2 1/2 T. minced garlic
1/2 lb. chorizo
1/2 lb. smoked (cooked) andouille sausage, finely diced
2 large shallots, minced
2 C. chicken stock, or as needed
2 C. beef stock, or as needed
2 T. Tabasco sauce, or to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 C. fresh cilantro leaves
Place beans in a separately in a colander, rinse, and remove any broken beans or debris: place in a
separate large pots and cover with 2 quarts boiling water and soak overnight if possible. Once the beans
plump up, toss the soaking water (de-farting the beans in the process) and keeping separate, bring both
to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer, adding additional hot water as necessary to keep beans covered.
When the navy beans have cooked for one hour, add the green peppers, onion and garlic and continue
simmering for about 30 minutes more.
Remove chorizo from casing, cook, and drain well. When the black beans have softened, drain and discard
the liquid; add them to the pot with the navy beans. Add the cooked chorizo, andouille sausage, shallots,
chicken stock, beef stock and Tabasco. Simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and
pepper, then add the cilantro. Additional stock may be needed when rewarming leftovers.
Serve soup in warm bowls, accompanied by lavosh triangles. Makes about 12 to 15 servings.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 11
America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) Best French Onion Soup
Serves 6. Published January 1, 2008. From Cook's Illustrated.
Sweet onions, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla, will make this recipe overly sweet. Be patient when caramelizing the onions in
step 2; the entire process takes 45 to 60 minutes. Use broiler-safe crocks and keep the rim of the bowls 4 to 5 inches from the
heating element to obtain a proper gratinée of melted, bubbly cheese. If using ordinary soup bowls, sprinkle the toasted bread
slices with Gruyère and return them to the broiler until the cheese melts, then float them on top of the soup. We prefer
Swanson Certified Organic Free Range Chicken Broth and Pacific Beef Broth. For the best flavor, make the soup a day or 2 in
advance. Alternatively, the onions can be prepared through step 1, cooled in the pot, and refrigerated for up to 3 days before
proceeding with the recipe.
Soup
3
tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 3 pieces
6
large yellow onions (about 4 pounds), halved and cut pole to pole into 1/4-inch-thick slices (see
illustration below)
Table salt
2
1/2
cups water , plus extra for deglazing
cup dry sherry
4
cups low-sodium chicken broth (see note)
2
cups beef broth (see note)
6
sprigs fresh thyme , tied with kitchen twine
1
bay leaf
Ground black pepper
Cheese Croutons
1
small baguette , cut into 1/2-inch slices
8
ounces shredded Gruyère cheese (about 2 1/2 cups)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. For the soup: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Generously spray
inside of heavy-bottomed large (at least 7-quart) Dutch oven with nonstick cooking spray. Place butter in pot and
add onions and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, covered, 1 hour (onions will be moist and slightly reduced in volume).
Remove pot from oven and stir onions, scraping bottom and sides of pot. Return pot to oven with lid slightly ajar
and continue to cook until onions are very soft and golden brown, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours longer, stirring onions and
scraping bottom and sides of pot after 1 hour.
2. Carefully remove pot from oven and place over medium-high heat. Using oven mitts to handle pot, cook onions,
stirring frequently and scraping bottom and sides of pot, until liquid evaporates and onions brown, 15 to 20
minutes, reducing heat to medium if onions are browning too quickly. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until
pot bottom is coated with dark crust, 6 to 8 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary. (Scrape any fond that collects on
spoon back into onions.) Stir in 1/4 cup water, scraping pot bottom to loosen crust, and cook until water evaporates
and pot bottom has formed another dark crust, 6 to 8 minutes. Repeat process of deglazing 2 or 3 more times, until
onions are very dark brown. Stir in sherry and cook, stirring frequently, until sherry evaporates, about 5 minutes.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 12
3. Stir in broths, 2 cups water, thyme, bay leaf, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, scraping up any final bits of browned crust on
bottom and sides of pot. Increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30
minutes. Remove and discard herbs, then season with salt and pepper.
4. For the croutons: While soup simmers, arrange baguette slices in single layer on baking sheet and bake in
400-degree oven until bread is dry, crisp, and golden at edges, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
5. To serve: Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Set individual broiler-safe crocks on
baking sheet and fill each with about 1 3/4 cups soup. Top each bowl with 1 or 2 baguette slices (do not overlap
slices) and sprinkle evenly with Gruyère. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly around edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Let
cool 5 minutes before serving.
Family Variation: rather than fussing with top broiling the soup to finish in step 5, we just cut up some of the
Greyere cheese, toast some bread, and then put some of the cheese in the bowl before serving and broiling the toast
in a toaster oven with some more Greyere to melt and top brown the toast. Spoon the soup over the cheese, then
cover the top of the soup with the cheese toast.
ATK Split Pea Soup
From America’s Test Kitchen website
4 Bay Leaves
1 Large Ham Hock or Large Ham Bone with Some Meat Left On
1 Pound Split Peas
2 T Oil
2 Onions
2 Carrots
2 Stalks of Celery
2 Cloves Garlic
1 t sugar
3 Small New Potatoes
Balsamic Vinegar (sprinkle on for serving)
Place Ham Bone and Bay Leaves in large Dutch Oven and bring to boil then simmer 1½ hours. Remove
ham bone and shred meat when cool.
Add peas to stock and simmer for 45 minutes. While simmering, chop the vegetables, then in a separate
sauté pan, heat the pan on high then sauté the vegetables for 5 minutes or until brown. Add garlic and
sugar then reduce heat and cook for 30 minutes
Add shredded ham, sautéed vegetables, and potatoes to peas and cook 20 minutes more.
Serve in bowls and have some balsamic vinegar to sprinkle on the soup to taste.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 13
ATK Basic Chili
Makes about 3 quarts, serving 8 to 10. Published March 1, 2003 by Cooks Illustrated.
Good choices for condiments include diced fresh tomatoes, diced avocado, sliced scallions, chopped red onion, chopped
cilantro leaves, sour cream, and shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese. If you are a fan of spicy food, consider using a
little more of the red pepper flakes or cayenne--or both. The flavor of the chili improves with age; if possible, make it a day or
up to five days in advance and reheat before serving. Leftovers can be frozen for up to a month.
8
ounces bacon (about 8 strips), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2
medium onions , chopped fine (about 2 cups)
1
red bell pepper , cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6
medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
1/4
cup chili powder
1
tablespoon ground cumin
2
teaspoons ground coriander
1
teaspoon red pepper flakes
1
teaspoon dried oregano
1/2
2
teaspoon cayenne pepper
pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
2 cans (16 ounces each) black beans , drained and rinsed
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes , with juice
1 can (28 ounces) tomato puree
table salt
2
limes cut into wedges
INSTRUCTIONS
Fry bacon in large heavy-bottomed nonreactive Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring frequently, until browned,
about 8 minutes. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat, leaving bacon in pot. Add aromatic veggies and cook until
softened—about 5 – 10 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, pepper flakes, oregano, and
cayenne, and “toast” the spice mixture while stirring, about 1 – 2 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add
half the beef; cook, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink and just beginning to brown, 3 to 4
minutes. Add remaining beef and cook, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 4
minutes.
Add beans, tomatoes, tomato puree, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer,
covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Remove cover and continue to simmer 1 hour longer, stirring occasionally
(if chili begins to stick to bottom of pot, stir in 1/2 cup water and continue to simmer), until beef is tender and chili
is dark, rich, and slightly thickened. Adjust seasoning with additional salt. Serve with lime wedges, avocados,
cheese and condiments if desired. Actually tastes better the second day as flavors blend and mellow.
A local variation: substitute a one pound coil of Scalise Italian Sausage and brown in the Dutch Oven instead of the
bacon, and remove the coil once well browned and cut in to ½ inch slices and add back in with the beans and
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 14
tomatoes. Also, substitute ground turkey for the beef if you wish and mix up the beans (black and kidney). Also
have successfully used leftover pork tenderloin meat and steak in the recipe instead of the ground beef—cut them
in to ½ inch cubes and add when the recipe calls for the ground beef.
Mark Bittman Vegetarian Espresso Chili
From his website: www.markbittman.com.
Abstract:
This deep, richly flavored chili has enough caffeine to keep you awake—literally. (Bear this in
mind when you’re serving it; use decaffeinated espresso if you or your guests are caffeine
sensitive or reserve it for lunch or early dinner.) Serve this with rice, a stack of warm tortillas,
or tortilla chips, some crumbled queso fresco or sour cream, and parsley or cilantro.
Other beans you can use: Earthy-flavored beans that can stand up to the other flavors—
pinto, kidney, or dried soybeans—work best.
Quick Info:
Makes: 6 to 8 servings
Time: 1 1/2 to 2 hours, largely unattended
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons neutral oil, like grapeseed or canola
2 onions, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 cups chopped ripe tomato (about 1 1/2 pounds whole; canned is fine; don’t bother to drain)
1/2 to 1 cup freshly brewed espresso, 1 to 2 cups brewed coffee, or 2 tablespoons espresso
powder
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/4 cup dark brown sugar or 3 tablespoons molasses
One 3-inch cinnamon stick
1 pound dried black beans, washed, picked over, and soaked if you like
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Put the oil in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. When hot, add the
onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for
another minute.
2. Stir in the tomato, espresso, chili powder, brown sugar, cinnamon, and beans and add
water to cover. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the liquid bubbles steadily but not
violently. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are beginning to soften, 30 to
40 minutes. Add a good pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Continue cooking until the beans are tender, anywhere from another 45 minutes to 11/2
hours. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more sugar, salt, or pepper. Serve or store,
covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 15
Quick Bolognese Sauce from America's Test Kitchen (ATK)
Ingredients:

4 ounces Crimini mushrooms, finely chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 pound 85% ground beef

1 slice bread

2 T milk

6 cloves garlic, run through a press

pinch red pepper flakes

1 T tomato paste

2 t fresh oregano

14 ounce can diced tomato

28 ounce can crushed tomato

¼ c. juice from the canned tomato

1 pound pasta—reserve some of the cooking water for lightening the sauce if needed
In hot pan sauté the mushroom and onion for 6 – 12 minutes, until the mixture turns a deep brown.
While this is simmering, make the panade by pulsing the meat with the bread and milk 8 times to mix.
Add the panade to the pan and add the garlic, salt and pepper (to taste), oregano and pepper flakes. Add
the tomato paste and deglaze the pan with the reserved tomato juice. Cook the until the meat is no
longer pink.
Add the diced and crushed tomato and simmer for 30 minutes. Cook the pasta, reserving some of the
water for lightening the sauce if needed. Add the pasta once cooked, toss to coat, and serve.
ATK Thai Street BBQ Chicken
Whole chicken breasts (two, four half breasts), split down the middle and cleaned of excess fat and bones
Brine in ½ c sugar and ½ c salt to 2 quarts of water for 30 minutes.
Rub Ingredients:

2/3 c finely chopped cilantro

12 – 14 minced garlic cloves

2T olive oil

2T black pepper

2T ground coriander

¼ c lime juice

Small block fresh ginger, finely minced
Dipping






Sauce Ingredients:
¼ c lime juice
¼ c white vinegar
1t red pepper flakes
1/3 c sugar
2T fish sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
Prepare dipping sauce an hour before eating and rub and let stand.
Rinse brine off chicken, and apply 2T rub under skin on each breast, then generously coat both sides with
remaining rub. Let stand.
Prepare a two level BBQ. Oil the grill and cook chicken skin side down on the hot half of the grill for 3
minutes, then cook on the other side over the hot grill half for 3 more minutes. Move the chicken to the
cool half of the grill and finish cooking the chicken (10 – 15 minutes to 160 internal temperatures). Allow
chicken to rest for a few minutes and serve with dipping sauce.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 16
Sichuan or Szechuan Peppercorn Roasted Chicken
From a family recipe and www.steamykitchen.com
1 chicken, organic (small 3 1/2 pound bird)
1/2 orange
2-3 stalks of scallions, cut into 3″ sections
4 long, thin slices of ginger
2 tablespoons Sichuan Peppercorn Salt mixture plus more to serve as dipping salt
2 tablespoons oil
Preheat oven to 400F set for convection.
1. Wash chicken and pat very dry. Tie legs together with kitchen twine, tuck wings in. Lightly grind
2 – 3 T of peppercorns then mix with 1 – 2 T Kosher or sea salt. Generously season chicken inside
and out with the Szechuan Peppercorn Salt mixture, emphasis on the generous. The roasting
mellows out the salt, so don’t be afraid to have a heavy-hand in seasoning. Stuff bird with ginger,
scallions and orange. Place bird breast-side down in roasting pan. Brush 1 tablespoon oil all over
the top of the bird (which is the thigh side).
2. Roast chicken breast-side down for 30 minutes. Turn breast side up. Brush breast side with oil.
Continue roasting until thickest part of thigh reaches temperature of 175F and breast is 160F.
Generally, this will take another 20 minutes for a 3 1/2 lb bird. If using larger bird, add 7 more
minutes for every additional pound.
3. Remove from oven and let rest for 10-15 minutes. Carve and serve with more Sichuan
Peppercorn Salt mixture on side for dipping.
Roasted Heritage Turkey
By Sandra Kay Miller
Besides the fact that most old fashion Heritage turkeys are also raised the old fashioned way -- with plenty of grass
and sunshine -- they need to be cooked quite differently than their modern, factory-farmed counterparts. This tried
and true recipe (which serves 10-12 people) will make the best of your Heritage bird this year.
Ingredients:
- 15-pound fresh heritage turkey at room temperature
- Kosher or sea salt & fresh ground pepper
- 4 cups giblet broth (see recipe below)
- Rosemary Maple Butter (see recipe below)
- Oiled parchment paper
Directions:
1.
Rub turkey inside and out with salt and pepper.
2.
Loosen the skin around the breast with your fingers and insert Rosemary Maple Butter between the meat
and the skin as well as on the inside of the bird's cavity.
3.
Set bird in deep roasting pan. Use a wire rack to lift the bird off the bottom of the pan.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 17
4.
Add the giblet broth to the bottom of the pan. Using a sheet of oiled parchment paper, tent the roasting pan
with the oiled parchment paper. Any type of cooking oil can be used. Brush it on both sides with a pastry
brush. The parchment paper is easily affixed to the roasting pan with a strip of foil on each end or you can
use clean, oiled wooden clothespins. Remove parchment paper and the last 30 minutes of cooking to
develop a crispy, golden skin.
5.
Pre-heat oven to 425F-450F. Roast the bird until the thigh temperature reaches 140F-150F. Let the bird
rest 10-15 minutes before carving to let the juices settle.
A word about basting
Quick roasting at high temperatures means the oven temperature needs to be maintained and frequent basting
defeats that purpose. By adding butter under the skin, the bird is self-basted. Baste the bird when you remove the
parchment tent. If there is not enough liquid for basting, add either more water or wine.
Giblet Broth
- 2 cups white wine (a deep, oaky chardonnay lends a wonder taste)
- 2 cups water
- Giblets & neck
- Bay leaf
Simmer everything in a small saucepan for 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf and neck. Giblets can be discarded if they
aren't your type of thing or they can be finely chopped and added to the broth.
Rosemary Maple Butter
- 1/2 pound butter
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced rosemary
Bring butter to room temperature and whip all ingredients together.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 18
K-Paul’s Red Beans and Rice
Adapted from “Chef Paul Prudhommes’s Louisiana Kitchen” and “Fork in the Road” cookbooks--slightly
modified
Serves 6 – 8 as a main dish
1 Pound of Red Beans (smaller than kidney) soaked overnight and
drained
1 Pound Smoked Andouille Sausage (not fresh—cook ahead of time if
not smoked) Aidell’s Chicken Andouille is a lower fat alternative and
readily available, cut in to bite-sized pieces
3 Cup Chopped Onion
1 Cup Chopped Bell Pepper
½ Cup Finely Chopped Celery
1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
Seasoning Mix (combine in small bowl and set aside):

2 Bay Leaves

2 t salt

½ t cayenne

1 t oregano

1½ t onion powder

1½ t dried basil

1 t black pepper

1 t garlic powder

1 t dry mustard

½ t white pepper

2 t thyme
8 Cups Chicken Stock or water
1 Tablespoon Tabasco
Brown or other whole grain rice, for serving
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Pre-heat heavy pot or Dutch Oven over high heat for 4 minutes
Oil the pot, and add half the onions, all the bell pepper and celery, and 1 T of the seasoning mix
and stir for 5 minutes. Add 1 C of the stock and continue stirring up the fond for 3 minutes. Add
the remaining onions and cook for 5 more minutes.
Add the sausage, beans, garlic, and remaining seasoning mix with stock to cover the beans.
Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally and checking
for sticking.
Add stock as the pot cooks down, making sure not to make the beans too soupy. The stock
should be getting rich and creamy at this point, so only add stock if the beans are not covered.
Start the rice at this point.
Continue simmering the beans for 45 more minutes, checking for doneness of the beans every 15
minutes.
Check for “chili heat” and add Tabasco to taste. Serve immediately over ride, but the dish gets
better and more complex stored overnight.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 19
Soprano’s Sunday Gravy
Adapted from “The Soprano’s Cookbook” -- Makes about 8 cups
For the sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound meaty pork neck bones or spareribs
1 pound veal stew meat or 2 veal shoulder chops
1 pound Italian-style plain or fennel pork
sausages
4 garlic cloves
1/4 cup tomato paste
Three 28- to 35-ounce cans Italian peeled
tomatoes
2 cups water
Salt and freshly ground pepper
6 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
Alternate quicker Marinara sauce
4 garlic cloves
2 28ox cans (depending on how much sauce is
desired) Muir Glen canned tomatoes
White or red wine
1 can anchovy filets
Salt and freshly ground pepper
6 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
For the Meatballs
1 pound ground beef or a combination of beef and pork
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs, preferably homemade
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon very finely minced garlic
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
To Serve
1 pound shells or rigatoni, cooked and still hot
Freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano
To make the sauce, heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Pat the pork dry and put the
pieces in the pot. Cook, turning occasionally, for about 15 minutes, or until nicely browned on all sides.
Transfer the pork to a plate. Brown the veal in the same way and add it to the plate.
Place the sausages in the pot and brown on all sides. Set the sausages aside with the pork.
Drain off most of the fat from the pot. Add the garlic and cook for about two minutes or until golden.
Remove and discard the garlic. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
With a food mill, puree the tomatoes, with their juice, into the pot. Or, for a chunkier sauce, just chop up
the tomatoes and add them. Add the water and salt and pepper to taste. Add the pork, veal, and sausages
and basil and bring the sauce to a simmer. Partially cover the pot and cook over low heat, stirring
occasionally, for 2 hours. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a little more water.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 20
Meanwhile, make the meatballs:
Combine all the ingredients except the oil in a large bowl. Mix together thoroughly. Rinse your hands with
cool water and lightly shape the mixture into 2-inch balls. (Note: If you are making meatballs for lasagne
or baked ziti, shape the meat into tiny balls the size of a small grape)
Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet. Add the meatballs and brown them well on all sides. (They will finish
cooking later.) Transfer the meatballs to a plate.
After two hours, add the meatballs and cook for 30 minutes or until the sauce is thick and the meat is
very tender.
To serve, remove the meats from the sauce and set aside. Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce. Sprinkle
with cheese. Serve the meats as a second course, or reserve them for another day.
Alternate Sauce Recipe:
After cooking the meatballs, leaving the fond in the skillet with a reasonable amount of oil and the heat on
high, quickly sauté the garlic and anchovy for a minute or so then add the tomatoes and a splash of wine
and bring back to a boil. Cook the tomatoes down for about 15 – 30 minutes, adding wine if the tomatoes
get too dry. As the sauce gets to desired consistency, add the basil and add back the meatballs to reheat
in preparation for serving. After adding the meatballs, cook the pasta and serve with grated Parmesan.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 21
ATK Sunday Gravy
Adapted from the PBS show “America’s Test Kitchen” -- Makes about 8 cups
For the sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 - 2½ pounds baby back ribs, cut in 2 rib pieces
1 pound hot Italian sausage links
2 medium onions, chopped
3 T. tomato paste
Two 28- to 35-ounce cans Italian crushed
tomatoes
1¼ t. dried oregano
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
¾ C beef broth
¼ C fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces to
finish the dish along with 1 pound of spaghetti
For the meatballs
1 pound meatloaf mix (equal parts ground beef,
pork and veal, or 85% lean ground beef)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
¼ C fresh parsley, chopped
½ C buttermilk
1 egg yolk
¼ t. red pepper flakes
½ t. salt
2 slices white bread
2 oz prosciutto, chopped
¾ oz Romano cheese, grated
6 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
To make the sauce, heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Pat the rib pieces dry and
put the pieces in the pot—do not crowd the ribs and cook in multiple batches to maintain space for
browning in the pan. Brown the ribs, turning once, for about 5 – 7 minutes per side, or until nicely
browned. Transfer the ribs to a plate. Brown the sausage in the same way in the same pan without
draining and add it to the plate.
Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Reduce heat to medium and cook the onion until beginning to brown,
scraping up the fond, then add the oregano and tomato paste. Continue cooking the onion and paste until
the paste turns dark brown, then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds then add the crushed tomatoes
and beef broth and bring to a simmer. Add the reserved meat with its juices back to the pot and cover
and put in the oven for 2½ hours.
Make the panade (garlic, parsley, bread, buttermilk, egg, pepper and salt) by mixing in to a paste using a
fork, then mix in the rest of the ingredients together with your hands. Cut the mass into quarters, then
make 3 to 4 meatballs with each quarter. Refrigerate meatballs for 1 hour.
Remove the meatballs from the refrigerator and brown the meatballs in oil and drain on paper towels.
When the sauce is done, add the meatballs to the sauce and return to oven for 15 minutes more. Begin
cooking the pasta. When the sauce is done, remove the meat from the sauce to a heated platter, finish
the sauce with the fresh basil, and reserve half the remaining tomato sauce as a side serving. Drain the
pasta and toss the pasta with some of sauce to coat, then add more sauce to the pasta as you serve it in
individual bowls. Serve the meat on a separate platter and the rest of the sauce in a large bowl.
ATK Tomato and Almond Pesto (while the pasta cooks)
Adapted from the PBS show “America’s Test Kitchen” -- Makes about 4 servings with 1 pound of pasta
For the pesto
¼ C blanched, slivered almonds, toasted on the
stovetop in a skillet until brown
2½ C cherry tomatoes
½ C basil leaves
1 clove of garlic
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 t salt
1 pepperoncini
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Preparing
Process all ingredients in a food processor for one
minute, then drizzle 1/3 C olive oil in to processor
until fully incorporated.
Drain pasta, reserving 1 C of the water. Return
pasta to the pot and add the pesto and ½ C of
grated Parmesan, toss and serve, adding cooking
water to moisten if needed.
Page 22
ATK “Garlic Three Ways” Shrimp Pasta
Adapted from the PBS show “America’s Test Kitchen” -- Makes about 4 servings with 1 pound of pasta
For the sauce
Olive Oil
Head of garlic
1 pound of #21 – 25 shrimp, peeled and deveined and cut in to three pieces, then marinate
for 20 minutes in:

¼ t salt

1 T olive oil

4 cloves minced garlic
½ t red pepper flakes
2 t all-purpose flour
½ C vermouth
¾ C clam juice
½ C parsley
3 T butter
1 t lemon juice
Preparing
Add 2 T oil to cold pan with 4 smashed garlic
cloves at med-low heat and slowly cook for 4 – 7
minutes until the garlic gets fragrant. Discard
garlic and add marinated shrimp and cook until
slightly underdone. Remove shrimp from pan.
Add 2 – 4 more minced garlic cloves to pan and
pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute, then add
flour and deglaze pan and make a roux. Add
vermouth and cook 1 minute more. Add clam
juice and parsley and cook 2 more minutes until
thickened. Incorporate butter 1 T at a time, then
add pinch of pepper flakes and the lemon juice
and return shrimp to pan to reheat slightly.
Pour shrimp sauce over cooked pasta and serve.
ATK Baked Ziti
Adapted from the PBS show “America’s Test Kitchen” -- Makes about 4 servings with 1 pound of pasta
Ingredients
Olive Oil
1 pound mezzo-rigatoni
3 cloves minced garlic
1 28 oz can tomato sauce
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
1 t dried oregano
½ C fresh basil leaves
1 t sugar
¾ t cornstarch
1 C heavy cream
1 C and ½ C shredded Parmesan
2 eggs
1 pound whole milk cottage cheese
¾ C and ½ C mozzarella, cut in to ½” cubes
¼ C shredded basil leaves for finishing the dish
Preparing
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Add 2 T oil to cold pan with garlic at med-low heat
and slowly cook until the garlic gets fragrant. Add
tomatoes and oregano. Cook pasta for 5 minutes
(purposefully undercook) while the sauce cooks
for 10 minutes. Add basil, sugar and fresh ground
pepper to sauce and remove from heat.
Heat Dutch Oven and cook cream with cornstarch
to thicken. Mix 1 C Parmesan, cottage cheese,
and eggs together and whisk in to the cream and
remove from heat. Add ¾ C mozzarella and 1 C
of tomato sauce to the Dutch Oven, mix, then add
drained pasta to the mix. Put Alfredo pasta
mixture in to casserole dish, cover with remaining
tomato sauce. Sprinkle ½ C mozzarella and ½ C
Parmesan over the top and cover with foil.
Cook 30 minutes with foil, then remove foil and
cook for 30 more. Top with shredded basil and
serve.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 23
Epicurious’ Spaghetti, Garlic, Oil, and Anchovies
From its website – Serves 2 but can be easily doubled or tripled








1/4 cup olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 1 3/4- or 2-ounce can anchovy fillets, drained, chopped
8 ounces spaghetti
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground pepper
Chopped fresh Italian parsley
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Heat oil in heavy small skillet over low heat. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes. Add anchovies and cook until
garlic just begins to color, 3 minutes more.
Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring
occasionally. Drain, reserving some cooking water. Add spaghetti to garlic pan, add lemon juice and toss
to coat. Add reserved cooking water if too dry. Season with pepper. Divide between plates. Sprinkle
generously with parsley. Serve, passing Parmesan and/or red pepper flakes separately if desired.
Variations: add prawns (fresh) or sardines (fresh or oil packed) as you add the anchovy and cook until
pink and/or done.
ATK Argentine Steak with Chimichurri Sauce
Sauce serves 6 to 8. From a website video of the ATK television episode.
Prepare the Chimichurri sauce head of time so the flavors can blend: “Bloom” 2 t
dried oregano and 2 t kosher salt in ¼ C hot water and leave for 5 minutes. In a
food processor pulse the following ingredients 10 times to coarsely chop:
 1 1/3 Cup flat leaf parsley
 2/3 Cup cilantro
 6 cloves of garlic
 ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes
Add oregano/salt mix to the processor and ¼ C red wine vinegar and pulse to mix,
transferring to a bowl. Whisk in ½ C olive oil in a drizzle in to the bowl and
refrigerate for a couple of hours to overnight to blend the flavors.
For the steaks, use 1½ inch think chops or ribeye or T-bone cuts. Dry thoroughly
then season the meat with mix of 2 T kosher salt and 1 T corn starch, making sure
to coat all surfaces of the meat. Put uncovered in the freezer for 30 minutes to
further dry the surface. Heat the grill and oil the grate and season the steaks with
ground pepper and put on the grill. Grill the first side for 2 – 3 minutes, then turn
and grill the other side for 2 – 3, then flip back to the first side for another 2 – 3
minutes then a final turn on the second side until the thermometer reads 115
degrees for rare. Transfer to a plate and loosely cover with foil for 10 minutes then
slice the meat like London Broil and serve with the Chimichurri sauce.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 24
Epicurious Peruvian Roast Chicken
Gourmet | September 2007, Shelley Wiseman, from the Epicurious website
yield: Makes 2 to 4 servings, active time: 50 min, total time: 9 3/4 hr
ingredients:
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
5 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 whole chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds), quartered
Accompaniment: lime wedges
Preparation:
Marinate chicken:
Blend soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, cumin, paprika, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and
oil in a blender.
Put chicken in a large sealable bag and add marinade. Seal bag and marinate, chilled, 8
to 24 hours.
Grill chicken:
If using a charcoal grill, open vents on bottom and lid of grill. Light a large chimney
starter full of charcoal (preferably hardwood). When coals are lit, dump them out along
opposite sides of bottom rack, leaving a space free of coals (the size of the quartered
chicken) in middle. When you can hold your hand 5 inches above the grill rack directly
over coals for 3 to 4 seconds, coals will be medium-hot.
If using a gas grill, preheat all burners on high, then reduce heat to medium-high.
Discard marinade, then pat chicken dry. Oil grill rack, then grill chicken over area with no
coals (or over a turned-off burner), skin side down first, covered, turning over once, until
cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes (add charcoal to maintain heat).
Cooks' note: If you aren't able to grill outdoors, chicken (quartered) can be roasted in
middle of a 500°F oven in a 13- by 9-inch roasting pan with 1 cup water 30 minutes,
then tented with foil and roasted until browned and cooked through, about 15 minutes
more.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 25
ATK Peruvian Roast Chicken
Serves 4
This recipe calls for a vertical poultry roaster. If you don’t have one, substitute a 12-ounce can of
beer. Open the beer and pour out (or drink) about half of the liquid. Spray the can lightly with
nonstick cooking spray and proceed with the recipe. If the top of the chicken is becoming too dark
during roasting in step 3, place a 7-inch-square piece of foil over the neck and wingtips. If habanero
chiles are unavailable, 1 tablespoon of minced serrano chile can be substituted. Wear gloves when
working with hot chiles.
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup lightly packed fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons kosher salt
6 medium garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons finely grated zest and 1/4 cup juice from 2 limes
1 teaspoon minced habanero chile (see note)
1 (3 1/2-to 4-pound) whole chicken
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Process all ingredients except chicken in blender until smooth paste forms, 10 to 20 seconds. Using
fingers or handle of wooden spoon, carefully loosen skin over thighs and breast and remove any excess
fat. Rub half of paste beneath skin of chicken. Spread entire exterior surface of chicken with remaining
paste. Tuck wingtips underneath chicken. Place chicken in gallon-size zipper-lock bag and refrigerate at
least 6 hours and up to 24 hours.
2. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Place vertical roaster on rimmed
baking sheet. Slide chicken onto vertical roaster so chicken stands upright and breast is perpendicular to
bottom of pan. Roast until skin just begins to turn golden and instant-read thermometer inserted into
thickest part of breast registers 140 degrees, 45 to 55 minutes. Carefully remove chicken and pan from
oven and increase oven temperature to 500 degrees.
3. When oven is heated to 500 degrees, place 1 cup water in bottom of pan and return pan to oven.
Roast until entire skin is browned and crisp and instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees
inserted in thickest part of breast and 175 degrees in thickest part of thigh, about 20 minutes (replenish
water as necessary to keep pan from smoking), rotating bird 180 degrees halfway through cooking.
4. Carefully remove chicken from oven and let rest, still on vertical roaster, 20 minutes. Using kitchen
towel, carefully lift chicken off vertical roaster and onto platter or cutting board. Carve chicken and
serve, passing Spicy Mayonnaise separately.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 26
Soy Sauce Poached Fish Filets
Serves 2. From a website video of the NYT “Mark Bittman Tips” series
Using soy sauce to poach fish
 2 - 6 oz fish filets (salmon, bass, even tlapia)
 1/2 c soy sauce
 1/2 c water
 1 T sugar
Get the poaching liquid to a rolling boil then add shallots, green onion, chili, garlic, fresh ginger,
or whatever else you have. Add filets flesh side down and add more water to bring the poaching
liquid halfway up the filets if necessary. Add green onion stalks on top of the filets if available.
Cover and poach for 8 - 10 minutes. Also, add vegetables like broccoli on top of the fish at the
appropriate time to steam above the poaching liquid. (10 minutes was too long for broccoli).
Remove the fish and serve over rice.
Continue reducing the liquid if desired to use as a sauce for the finished dish.
Cook’s Illustrated Gas-Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Serves 6 to 8. Published May 1, 2000 from Cooks Illustrated website.
Pork tenderloins are often sold two to a package, each piece usually weighing 12 to 16 ounces.
The cooking times below are for two average 12-ounce tenderloins; if necessary, adjust the
times to suit the size of the cuts you are cooking. For maximum time efficiency, while the
pork is brining, make the rub and then light the fire. If you opt not to brine, bypass step 1 in
the recipe below and sprinkle the tenderloins generously with salt before grilling. Use a rub
(see related recipes) whether or not the pork has been brined—it adds flavor and forms a nice
crust on the meat.
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons kosher salt (or 1 1/2 tablespoons table salt)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups water (hot)
2 cups water (cold)
2 pork tenderloins , 1 1/2 to 2 pounds total, trimmed of silver skin
INSTRUCTIONS
In medium bowl, dissolve salt and sugar in hot water; stir in cold water to cool mixture to room
temperature. Add tenderloins, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until fully seasoned, about 1
hour. Remove from brine, rinse well, and dry thoroughly with paper towels; set aside.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 27
When pork is almost done brining, turn all burners on gas grill to high, close lid, and heat grill until hot, 10
to 15 minutes.
If using wet rub, rub tenderloins with rub mixture. If using dry spice rub, coat tenderloins with oil and rub
with spice mixture. Cook with grill lid closed until well browned on three sides, about 3 1/2 minutes per side,
then cook on fourth and final side until well browned and instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest
part of tenderloin registers 145 degrees or until meat is slightly pink at the center when cut with paring knife,
about 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer tenderloins to cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest 5 minutes. Slice
crosswise into 1-inch-thick pieces and serve.
Basic Techniques for Cooking Steaks
From Paleo Hacks Blog and website
it seems like everyone has his or her own method for how to end up with the perfect steak.
You can grill them, oven broil them, or even pan-fry them: the choice is yours. Depending on
who you ask, you’ll get a myriad of different answers on how to cook a perfect steak.
Some of the issues that arise have to do with the type of steak to use, what you marinate or
season it with, the best method to use, whether you should salt it before or after, and for how
long you should let it cook. We’ll address these issues here.
Cuts of Steaks
If you imagine you’re looking at a cow from the side, the portion of meat directly behind the
head (at the shoulder) is called the chuck. This is where most slow-cooked roast cuts will
come from, as well as some inexpensive top blade steaks.
A little further back you’ll find some of the most tender cuts of meat, such as rib steaks, short
loin steaks, and sirloin.
Short Loin Steaks
If the short loin steaks you buy have the bone in, they’re called shell steaks. If the bone is out
they are called New York strip, Kansas City strip, strip steak, or even sirloin strip steak.
Another cut that comes from this area is the tenderloin, which is then cut into the
chateaubriand and filet mignon.
The last types of cut that come from the short loin are the T-bone and the porterhouse. The
T-bone is made up of meat from the top loin on one side of the bone, and meat from the
tenderloin on the other, while the porterhouse is really just a T-bone with a larger piece of the
tenderloin attached to it.
Sirloin Steaks
The sirloin area of a cow is the hip. These types of steaks are usually thin, large, and
moderately tender. Famous cuts from here are top sirloins and tri-tips. You can also get
round-bone, wedge-bone, flat-bone, and pin-bone steaks from here.
Flank Steaks
From just below the hip, on the cow’s belly, is the flank area. This is where flank steaks come
from. This type of steak needs to be cooked to rare quickly and sliced thinly against the grain
for the best flavor.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 28
Marinades and Seasonings
Whether you marinate your steak has to do with if it is a grilling steak or a marinating steak.
Either type can be grilled, but the marinating steak needs to – you guessed it – be marinated
first to help with tenderness. Marinating steaks are usually from the short plate and flank
sections while the best grilling steaks are from the loin, sirloin, or rib sections.
If you go with marinating steaks, they do best in an acidic liquid for up to 24 hours.
Additionally, this type of steak should be grilled to medium at the most to avoid toughness.
Seasoning
The best steaks need only salt and pepper for seasoning, although you can make a pan
sauce, compound butter, or delicious spice rub if you want to kick it up a notch.
Cooking Time
There are several ways to know how cooked a steak is; some people cut into them, although
that isn’t really recommended. Instead, you can do the press test or check with a meat
thermometer. A thermometer is the most accurate way, obviously. You can also cook it a
certain amount of time per side according to thickness depending on how cooked you want
it.
Press Test
The press test requires you to press the center of the steak with your finger. A rare steak will
be quite soft. Medium-rare will have some resistance but still lots of give. Medium steak is
firm but still has some give in the center. Finally, a well-done steak feels very firm.
Thermometer Test
If you’re using a thermometer, cook to between 115 and 120F for an extra-rare or “blue” rare
steak, 125 to 130F for a rare steak, between 130 and 140F for a medium-rare steak,
between 140 and 150F for a medium steak, between 150 and 155 for a medium-well steak,
and to between 160 and 212 for a well-done steak.
Generally, the best flavor comes when you cook a steak to medium-rare, medium, or
medium-well.
Cooking Time Per Side (Grilling)
Thickness
Med-Rare
Medium
Med-Well
1/2 to 3/4”
3-4 min
4-5 min
5-6 min
1”
5-6 min
5-7 min
7-8 min
1 1/2”
9-10 min
10-14 min
14-16 min
2”
11-14 min
14-18 min
18-20 min
Oven Method
Everyone knows how to grill a steak, right? It’s pretty much a given. We’re going to tell you
how to use an oven instead. This is great in the event that the weather is too bad to grill
outside, you run out of propane for your BBQ, or someone steals your BBQ. Seriously – it
happens.
Ingredients:
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 29




Approximately 1lb of steak (ribeye, t-bone, or other tender grilling steak) for every
two people (1 1/2 – 2” thick)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Oil (avocado, olive, or melted tallow or lard will work)
Directions:
1. Take the steak out of the package and blot dry with a paper towel. Let it come to
room temperature.
2. Turn your oven on to Broil and place the top rack between six and eight inches below
the burner. Put your cast iron pan under the broiler as the oven warms up.
3. Brush about two tablespoons of oil on the steak and then season with salt and
pepper. Pat the steak so the seasoning sticks.
4. Turn one of your burners on to high.
5. Remove the cast iron pan from the oven and place it on the hot burner. Let it heat for
a minute then place the steak onto the pan. It should hiss and sizzle immediately.
6. Flip after 30 seconds and repeat on the second side.
7. Turn off the burner and place the cast iron pan into the oven. Cook the steak for two
minutes per side for medium-rare; add one to two minutes per side if you prefer it
closer to medium.
8. Take the pan from the oven and immediately remove the steak to a large plate. Tent
with aluminum foil and let it rest for about five minutes.
9. Cut the steak against the grain and fan the pieces out on each serving plate. Serve
immediately with a nice salad and a great bottle of wine.
To Salt Before Or After?
If you’re going to salt before you cook, either do it at least 40 minutes before you cook the
steak, or directly before you put it on the pan to sear. If you do it between 10 and 30 minutes
or so before you cook, the juices that the salt causes to come from within the steak will ruin
the sear and just lower the temperature of your pan.
There’s really no reason to salt after you cook the steak; the point is to have it seared or
cooked into the surface of the steak.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 30
Dry Spice Rub for Pork
Makes enough for 2 tenderloins. Published May 1, 2000 from Cooks Illustrated website.
In this case, coat the pork with the oil to help the spice rub adhere to the meat. This is
excellent on grilled pork tenderloins.
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil (for rubbing on pork before applying spice rub)
INSTRUCTIONS
Toast fennel, cumin, and coriander over medium heat in small skillet, shaking pan occasionally to prevent
burning, until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature, mix with remaining ingredients (except
oil), and grind to powder in spice grinder.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 31
Coffee Rub for Meat, Chicken or Fish
This flavorful rub is perfect for lean beef, chicken, or fish. So ditch those chemically, sugary,
overly-salty packaged rubs and try this healthy, low-calorie option today!

2 tsp. fine ground espresso coffee

2 tsp. raw coconut sugar crystals or palm sugar

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. paprika

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. dry mustard

1/4 tsp. ground coriander

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1 dash cayenne pepper
1. Combine coffee, coconut sugar, oregano, paprika, cumin, mustard, coriander, salt, and
cayenne pepper in small bowl; mix well.
2. Store in airtight container for later use. Rub is sufficient for 1-1/2 pounds of meat.
3. To use, rub all over meat; let rest for a few minutes and grill to desired doneness.
Chili-Glazed Pork with Sweet Potato Hash
From Real Simple, Feb 2011:
For the pork:
1
1
1
1
2
12 – 16 ounce Pork Tenderloin
T Olive Oil
T Chili Powder
t Kosher Salt
T Maple Syrup
For the hash:
2 large shallot (coarsely chopped)
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
5 ounces baby spinach (chopped)
Pre-heat broiler. Wash and dry the pork, then rub on the olive oil and apply the chili powder, salt and
pepper evenly on the tenderloin. Broil, turning every 4 – 6 minutes and basting with the maple syrup at
each turn, until the internal temperature is 145 degrees, about 10 – 15 minutes.
In a food processor, coarsely grate the sweet potatoes. Heat olive oil in a pan and sauté the shallots over
medium high heat for 2 – 3 minutes until they begin to brown. Add the grated potatoes and cook until
tender, another 7 – 9 minutes. Add the spinach and toss until wilted, another minute or two.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 32
After resting under a foil tent for 5 minutes, cut the loin in to ½ inch slices and serve on a bed of the
hash.
Pork and Cabbage Stir Fry
Dinner staple for the family—we use Scalise ground pork. Serves 4.

One Napa cabbage

2 T oil for stir frying

1 pound ground pork

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 dried chili peppers (Thai or other small chilies)

Small cube of fresh ginger, cut in to matchsticks

1 star anise, broken in to pieces (or pinch of anise seed)

2 T soy sauce, and salt to taste
1. Cut the cabbage in quarters then slice thinly and set aside. Heat the wok and add the oil.
2. Using medium-high heat, brown the pork with the garlic for 2 minutes. Add the chili,
ginger and anise and stir fry for another 2 minutes. Kick the heat to high and add the
cabbage, continuing to stir fry until the cabbage softens, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the soy sauce to finish and stir fry another 2 minutes. Serve over rice
Crispy Smashed Roasted Potatoes
by Susie Middleton
With a simple ingredient list and a mostly make-ahead technique, these delicious potatoes are
perfect for parties. Of course, you don’t have to have a party to make these. They’re just as good
served with Sunday dinner as a side dish with roast chicken or meatloaf. And garnished with a bit
of sour cream and chives, they make a nice starter.
Serves 4 as a side dish
12 to 15 baby red or yellow potatoes (about 1-1/2 oz. each; 1-1/2 to 2 inches in diameter)
2-3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Boil the potatoes:
Put the potatoes in a large saucepan (preferably in one layer) and cover with at least an inch of
water. Add 2 tsp. kosher salt to the water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, reduce to a
simmer, and cook the potatoes until they are completely tender and can be easily pierced with a
metal or wood skewer. Make sure they are cooked through but don’t overcook. The total cooking
time will be 30 to 35 minutes.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 33
While the potatoes are cooking, set up a double layer of clean dishtowels on your countertop. As
the potatoes finish cooking, remove them individually from the water, and let them drain and sit
for just a minute or two on the dishtowels.
Flatten and cool the potatoes:
Fold another dishtowel into quarters, and using it as a cover, gently press down on one potato
with the palm of your hand to flatten it to a thickness of about 1/2 inch. Repeat with all the
potatoes. Don’t worry if some break apart a bit; you can still use them.
Cover a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; put a sheet of parchment on top of the foil.
Transfer the flattened potatoes carefully to the baking sheet and let them cool completely at room
temperature.
Roast the potatoes
Remove the pan of potatoes from the refrigerator, if prepared ahead. Heat the oven to 450°F.
Alternatively, if you have a convection function, turn it on and set the temperature at 400°F.
Sprinkle the potatoes with about 3/4 tsp. salt and pour the olive oil over them. Lift the potatoes
gently to make sure some of the oil goes underneath them and that they are well coated on both
sides. Roast the potatoes until they’re crispy and deep brown around the edges, about 30
minutes if using a convection oven, 30 to 40 minutes if roasting conventionally, turning over once
gently with a spatula or tongs halfway through cooking. Serve hot.
Make ahead tips
Do the busy work—boiling and flattening the potatoes—up to 8 hours ahead. Let potatoes cool
completely, and store them on the pan, lightly covered, in the fridge. Then all you have to do at
the last minute is coat with oil and salt and roast.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 34
Herb-Roasted Potatoes
Herb Mixture:
1 large shallot (coarsely chopped)
1 large clove garlic (minced)
1 bay leaf (crumbled)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme (chopped)
1 tablespoon fresh sage (chopped)
1 tablespoon fresh oregano (chopped)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Blend together in a food processor or blender.
Drizzle in 1/2 cup / 125 ml olive oil and blend until shallot is finely chopped.
Transfer 1/3 cup / 75 ml of herb mixture to a large bowl. Add 16 small red or white new potatoes
(scrubbed and patted dry) to bowl with the herb mixture. Toss potatoes to coat well. Transfer potatoes to
large oiled baking sheet.
Bake in preheated oven at 375F / 190C, turning occasionally for even browning, until tender when pierced
with a small knife and crusty brown, about 45 minutes. Transfer potatoes to a shallow bowl. Drizzle with
the remaining herb mixture and serve immediately.
ATK Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients:
4 pounds Russet potatoes
12 cloves garlic (minced)
4 T plus 8 T butter
1 ¼ C plus ¼ C half and half
3/4 teaspoon salt
Peel and cube the potatoes in ½ inch cubes, rinse until water runs clear.
In Dutch Oven, melt 4T butter on ML/M heat, then sauté the garlic for 3 – 4 minutes until the garlic starts
clumping and changing into a darker brown. Add ½ C water, 1 ¼ C half and half and salt and kick up heat
to High and add the potatoes. Stir to coat the potatoes and cover and lower heat to Low when the sauce
begins simmering. Cover and stir every 5 minutes to re-coat the potatoes, cooking 25 – 30 minutes until
potatoes are soft and mash easily.
Take off the heat and add 8 T butter and mash with potato masher. Fold in the 1/3 C half and half and
transfer potatoes to a shallow bowl. Serve immediately.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 35
Green Beans with Cranberries, Walnuts, and Blue Cheese
From Cooks Country Website: Serves 8
INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large shallot, sliced thin

2 pounds green beans, trimmed

¼ cup water

¾ cup dried cranberries

½ teaspoon salt

4 ounces crumbled blue cheese

¾ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1. Melt butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and cook until softened, 1 minute.
Add beans and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beans are spotty
brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Stir in water, cranberries, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook
until beans are nearly tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove lid and cook until liquid evaporates and
beans are tender, about 1 minute. Top cooked beans with blue cheese and walnuts. Serve.
Sautéed Kale
From Bobby Flay: Food Network website
Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds young kale, stems and leaves coarsely chopped or prepared bag

3 tablespoons olive oil or coconut butter

2 cloves garlic, finely sliced

1/2 cup vegetable stock or water

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons red wine or balsamic vinegar
Directions
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or wok over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until soft, but not
colored. Raise heat to high, add the stock and kale and toss to combine. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Remove cover and continue to cook, stirring until all the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper
to taste and add vinegar. Serve immediately
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 36
Kale with Sausage and White Beans

From “Simply Recipes” website, Prep time: 10 minutes, Cook time: 20 minutes
We used curly kale for this recipe, but you could use any kale, as well as chard, turnip greens, beet greens, or collards.
A splash of vinegar (sherry, red wine, cider) is a nice touch right at the end of cooking.
INGREDIENTS








1 Tbsp olive oil or coconut butter
1/2 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage, or other sausage (use gluten-free sausage if cooking gluten-free)
1 onion, sliced thin (about 1 1/2 cup's worth of sliced onions)
2 large garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 pound kale (1 large bunch), center thick rib removed, leaves roughly chopped
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1 15-ounce can of white beans, rinsed and drained
Salt and pepper
1 Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the bulk sausage; if you can't find bulk sausage,
remove the casings on the links. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then add the onion slices and turn the heat to high. Cook until
the edges of the onions brown, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
2 Add the kale, sprinkle salt over everything, then add the chicken stock. Cover the pan, lower the heat to medium and
cook for 2 minutes.
3 Uncover, mix everything well (the kale will have cooked down by now) and add the beans. Cover the pot again and
lower the heat to low. Cook another 5 minutes, then turn off the heat. Let stand 5 minutes, then serve.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 37
Kale Spread
Ingredients:





2 cups packed chopped kale
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup mayonnaise (organic if possible)
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
In a food processor, combine the kale leaves, salt and garlic. Process until finely
chopped. Add in the mayonnaise and lemon zest, lemon juice and process until
smooth. Use instead of mayo on sandwiches or other recipes.
Kale Cole Slaw
Ingredients:




1 10-ounce bunch kale, stemmed and roughly chopped (about 10 cups)
6 carrots
1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, cored, seeded, diced or thinly sliced
1 ½ cups kale-spread (recipe above)
Fit a food processor with a shredder attachment. Shred the kale and carrots and
transfer both to a large bowl. Add the bell pepper and Kale-spread and toss well.
Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to overnight before serving.
Rosemary-Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Sausage
Ingredients::
2 – 3 T fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped
2 – 3 pounds of sweet potatoes, peeled and rinsed and cut in to ½ inch cubes
1 package Aidell’s Mango Sausage, cut in to ½ inch slices
Several tablespoons of olive oil
When cutting up the sweet potatoes and sausage, try to keep the pieces uniform in size for even cooking.
Put ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle olive oil and toss to coat the ingredients..
Transfer mixture to large oiled baking sheet.
Bake in preheated oven at 375F / 190C, stirring occasionally for even browning, until tender when pierced
with a small knife and crusty brown, about 30 - 45 minutes. If using the Convection Oven setting, check
and stir pan every 10 minutes and reduce cooking time to 20 – 30 minutes. Serve immediately.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 38
Roasting Vegetables
 Carrots - Wash and peel the carrots. Slice the carrots lengthwise into thin 1/2" long sticks,
or crosswise into 1/4" slices or use baby carrots.
 Small zucchini and summer squash - Wash; Peeling is not necessary. Slice lengthwise
into 1/2" stick or crosswise in to 1/4" slices
 Vidalia onions or large sweet onions - Remove the onion skin; Slice about 1/2" thick or cut
into chunks.
 Red, green or yellow bell peppers - Seed and rinse the peppers. Slice into 1/4" to 1/2" thick
rings or cut into 1" or larger pieces
 Asparagus - Wash under cool running water, a few spears at a time, to remove any soil or
sand. Remove tough areas from the bottom of the spears... Use a paring knife to trim about an
inch from the lower end of each stem, or snap-off the lower ends
 Eggplant - Cut off the stem end peel the eggplant. Slice, crosswise, about 1/2" thick. Cut large
eggplant in half, lengthwise before slicing.
 Corn - Remove husks, rinse, and wrap each ear individually in aluminum foil. Or... Remove
only the dark outer husks and grill the corn in the husks.
 Potatoes - Leave small new potatoes whole. For other potatoes, peeling is optional. Wash the
potatoes, then cut into chunks, wedges, sticks, or thin slices. For whole, grill "baked" potatoes Wash and dry the potatoes the rub them with olive oil or vegetable oil. Pierce the skin with a fork
a few times to prevent bursting. Bake over indirect heat - on a gas grill, on the upper grill rack. On
a covered charcoal grill, place potatoes around the edge, while other food is cooks in the center
of the grill. Turn each potato a few times for even baking. Stick with a fork to test for doneness.
 Sweet Potatoes - Prepare whole sweet potatoes and grill the same as other potatoes.
 Mushrooms - Rinse under cold water to remove loose dirt. Leave button mushrooms whole.
Slice larger mushrooms.
To Grill Heat a gas grill or prepare a charcoal fire. When the coals are ready, place the food on the grill.
Grilling time will vary according to the temperature of the coals and the distance between the
coals and the grill surface
Place cut or sliced vegetables and small whole vegetables in a grill basket. (Use a nonstick grill
basket or spray the basket with nonstick cooking spray.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 39
Alternately, if you don't have a grill basket, use a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Brush the foil
lightly with oil or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Brush the vegetables with olive oil or melted butter.
Sprinkle with garlic, pepper, and other complimentary herbs and seasonings, according to taste.
Do not add salt until after grilling - just before serving.
Small whole potatoes, mushrooms and sliced vegetables that are dense enough, can skewered
for grilling. Fill skewers with pieces that are about the same size.
Approximate Grilling Times 
Asparagus, mushrooms, onions, peppers, zucchini slices and similar vegetables for
about 6 to 10 minutes.

Corn, husks removed - 10 to 12 minutes, turning individually wrapped ears several times
during grilling. Corn, in the husk - 20 to 25 minutes

Eggplant - about 15 minutes

Sliced carrots or baby carrots - about 20 to 25 minutes

Cut or sliced potatoes - about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of
the pieces. Baked whole potatoes - One hour or more depending on size.

Medium size sweet potatoes - about 45 minutes to an hour.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 40
Sweet Potato “Fries”
First step: Set your oven to 400° F. Then, peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into fry-like
chunks. Cut your sweet potatoes into as equal sized pieces as you can. Think thick cut fries and
cut them as follows:
Lay the peeled sweet potato on your cutting board and—using a sharp knife—slice it in half
crosswise. Then, slice those pieces lengthwise. Now you have four large sections per sweet
potato. Now just cut these lengthwise into 1/2-inch batons, and you're ready to go.
Throw these in a bowl, drizzle some olive oil on top, add the chili powder and a touch of sea salt,
and mix it all together. Then, arrange the sweet potatoes on a baking/cookie sheet and put them
in the oven. Cook them for about 20 to 30 minutes and then take them out to cool.
Cilantro Cauliflower “Mashed Potatoes”.
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium fresh leeks, white parts only, thinly sliced
1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into florets
Handful fresh cilantro
2 15-oz. cans white beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut creamer or unsweetened nondairy milk
1 tsp. sea salt
(My addition: 1 tsp. red pepper flakes)
Preparation:
1. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in large frying pan over medium-high heat.
2. Sauté the leeks until soft and golden brown.
3. In the meantime, steam the cauliflower until tender, 5 to 7 minutes or so. Set aside to cool.
4. Combine the sautéed leeks, cauliflower, cilantro, and beans in a food processor and puree
until smooth.
5. Add the coconut or unsweetened nondairy milk, the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and
the salt,
and puree again until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the processor cup as needed.
6. Serve warm.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 41
Add some red pepper flakes to give the cauliflower some heat, and the smash was a nice
complement to the salmon burgers and actually had the consistency of mashed potatoes, so that
was a bonus. It's a recipe I'll certainly keep around.
Garlic Pasta Primavera
1 pound whole wheat linguine/angel hair pasta
Olive oil
Butter
Garlic, diced (as much as you can stand)
Salt/Pepper
Red pepper flakes
Optional additions:
Spinach/Basil/Sun dried tomatoes/Cherry tomatoes/parmesan cheese, grated.
While the water is boiling, get a bowl that is big enough to accommodate the entire box of cooked pasta.
In the bowl, pour olive oil (1/4 C), some butter (1 T or so), dashes of salt and pepper, and crushed red
pepper flakes to taste.
When the water boils, cook the pasta. While the pasta is cooking, just let the ingredients in the bowl sit
together and infuse. [In the summer, I add fresh basil to the bowl and let its flavors join the mix.] Once
the pasta is done, drain and dump it all into the bowl with all the oil mixture. Toss and add optional
parmesan/ripe tomatoes/spinach. It's a great meal by itself, or can be accompanied with salad, soup or
fish.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 42
Published September 1, 2008. From Cook's Illustrated.
Brining Basics
Why should I take the time to brine my food?
We find that soaking many types of delicate white meat—from turkey to chicken, pork,
and shrimp—in a saltwater solution before cooking protects it from the ravages of heat
and guarantees tender, flavorful meat from the surface all the way to the bone. Brining
also gives sometimes mushy poultry a meatier, firmer consistency.
How Does Brining Work?
Brining promotes a change in the structure of the proteins in the muscle. Many have
attributed the added juiciness of brined chicken to osmosis—the flow of water across a
barrier from a place with a higher water concentration (the brine) to a place with a lower
one (the chicken). We decided to test this explanation. If osmosis is in fact the source of
the added juiciness of brined meat, we reasoned, then a bucket of pure unsalted water
should add moisture at least as well as a brine, because water alone has the highest water
concentration possible: 100 percent. After soaking one chicken in brine and another in
water for the same amount of time, we found that both had gained moisture, about 6
percent by weight. Satisfied that osmosis was indeed the force driving the addition of
moisture to meat during brining, we roasted the two birds, along with a third straight out
of the package. We would soon discover that osmosis was not the only reason why brined
meat cooked up juicy.
During roasting, the chicken taken straight from the package lost 18 percent of its
original weight, and the chicken soaked in water lost 12 percent of its presoak weight.
Remarkably, the brined bird shed only a mere 7 percent of its starting weight. Looking at
our test results, we realized that the benefit of brining could not be explained by osmosis
alone. Salt, too, was playing a crucial role by aiding in the retention of water.
Table salt is made up of two ions, sodium and chloride, that are oppositely charged.
Proteins, such as those in meat, are large molecules that contain a mosaic of charges,
negative and positive. When proteins are placed in a solution containing salt, they
readjust their shape to accommodate the opposing charges. This rearrangement of the
protein molecules compromises the structural integrity of the meat, reducing its overall
toughness. It also creates gaps that fill up with water. The added salt makes the water less
likely to evaporate during cooking, and the result is meat that is both juicy and tender.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 43
Brining Guidelines
This chart can be used for general guidelines; however, in some cases recipes will specify
different formulas and times:
Cold
CHICKEN
Table Salt
Sugar
Time
Water
1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds)
2 quarts 1/2 cup
2 whole chickens (3 1/2 to 4 pounds each) 2 quarts 1 cup
4 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (whole
breasts, split breasts, whole legs, thighs,
2 quarts
and/ordrumsticks
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 to 8
2 quarts
ounces each)
TURKEY
2
1 turkey (12 to 17 pounds)
gallons
3
1 turkey (18 to 24 pounds)
gallons
1 cup
1/2 to 1
hour
1/2 to 1
hour
1/2 cup
1/2 cup
1/2 to 1
hour
1/4 cup
1/4 cup
1/2 to 1
hour
1 cup
*
1 1/2 cups
*
1 bone-in turkey breast (6 to 8 pounds)
1 gallon 1/2 cup
PORK
4 bone-in rib loin pork chops (12 ounces
each), 1 1/2 inches thick
1 1/2
quarts
1 pork roast (3 to 6 pounds)
1/2 cup
*
6 to 12
hours
6 to 12
hours
3 to 6
hours
3
3
1 hour
tablespoons tablespoons
1 1/2 to
2 quarts 1/4 cup
1/4 cup
2 hours
*Because turkey must roast for an extended amount of time, the sugar in the brine will
cause overbrowning. Therefore, we omit the sugar in the brine for turkeys.
**These formulas are given for table salt. If using kosher salt, our rule of thumb is to use
twice as much Diamond Crystal kosher salt as table salt and 1 1/2 times Morton's kosher
salt as table salt.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 44
Brining Meat While Defrosting
If you freeze small cuts of meat, submerging it in a bucket of cold water on the counter
speeds up the defrosting process. For recipes where the first step is a brine, we wondered
if we could combine two steps into one by defrosting the meat directly in the brine. We
partially thawed frozen chicken parts in fresh water, then completed the last half hour of
thawing in the brine solution called for in the pan-roasted chicken recipe we were
following. When cooked, the chicken was as well-seasoned and juicy as chicken that had
been fully defrosted before brining.
Further testing showed that the same method can be used for any recipe that calls for
brining small- to medium-sized pieces of meat. Simply cut the defrosting time by the
amount of brining time the recipe calls for. For example, if your pork chops need to thaw
for an hour and your recipe calls for a 45-minute brine, thaw the chops in fresh water for
15 minutes, then brine for 45 minutes.
Salt Quantity Absorbed
We were also interested in finding out how much sodium penetrates during the process.
To answer the question, we brined natural pork chops and boneless, skinless chicken
breasts in standard quick-brine solutions of 1/2 cup table salt dissolved in 2 quarts of cold
water. After 30 minutes, we removed the pork and chicken, patted them dry, and cooked
them in different skillets. We also cooked an “enhanced” pork chop (injected with a
saltwater solution) and a kosher chicken breast that had been salted during processing.
We sent the samples to a food lab to measure sodium content. The brined pork chops had
a sodium content of 245 milligrams per 100 grams of meat (just under 1/8 teaspoon per
serving); the enhanced pork had a bit more, with 268 milligrams. The kosher chicken
breast weighed in at 252 milligrams of sodium. The brined chicken came in with the most
sodium of all, at 353 milligrams (just over 1/8 teaspoon per serving). The USDA
recommends limiting your daily sodium intake to 2,300 milligrams, about 1 teaspoon.
Why did the chicken absorb more salt during brining than the pork? The loose white
muscle fibers in chicken absorb salt water more quickly than the tighter muscle fibers in
pork.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 45
Grilling Times
Cut
Thickness/Size/Type
Total GrillingTime
Chicken Drumsticks
small to medium size
16 to 20 minutes
Chicken Leg Quarters
bone-in
20 to 30 minutes
Chicken Thighs
bone-in
20 to 30 minutes
Chicken Thighs
boneless
12 to 15 minutes
Chicken Breasts
bone-in
25 to 35minutes
Chicken Breasts
boneless
16 to 20 minutes
Hamburger Patties
1/2" thick - 1/4 lb. patties
11 to 13 minutes
Hamburger Patties
3/4" thick - 1/3 lb. patties
15 to 18 minutes
Sirloin Steak
3/4" thick
14 to 16 minutes
Sirloin Steak
1" thick
17 to 21 minutes
Rib eye Steak
3/4" thick
10 to 12 minutes
T-Bone or Porterhouse
Steaks
3/4" thick
10 to 12 minutes
T-Bone or Porterhouse
Steaks
1" thick
14 to 16 minutes
Boneless Chuck Steaks
3/4" thick
16 to 28 minutes
Top Round Steak
1" thick
16 to 20 minutes
*Top Round (London
Broil)
1 1/2" thick
25 to 30 minutes
Pork Loin or Rib
Chops(bone-in)
3/4" thick
8 to 10 minutes
Pork Loin or Rib
Chops(boneless)
1" thick
10 to 12 minutes
*Country-Style
Spareribs
2 to 2 1/2 lbs.
1 1/2 to 2 hours
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 46
*Backribs
2 to 2 1/2 lbs.
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours
* Grill covered and wrapped in foil








Grill should be about 4" above the coals for these suggested grilling times.
Coals should be medium hot.
Grill for about half the suggested time or until browned on one side, then turn the pieces
over and continue grilling for the remaining time or until done.
Turn the meat and poultry being with a tongs to prevent piercing, loss of juices and
drying, and flare-ups.
For juicy burgers, never flatten with a spatula while grilling.
Always grill hamburgers until the centers are no longer pink.
Chicken and pork must always be cooked until well done. For chicken, the juices should
run clear when pierced with a fork near the end of the suggested grilling time.
Marinating is recommended for less tender beef cuts such as round steaks or chuck
steaks.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 47
The “Best” Chocolate Chip Cookies
Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies
from The New York Times
Total Prep and Baking Time: 1 hour 30 minutes, plus 24 hours to chill the dough
Yield: 18-20 large cookies (I used a #40 ice cream scoop, which is a bit more than 2
tablespoons, and got about 40 cookies)
2 cups minus 2 tablespoons cake flour
1 2/3 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/3 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (now, I
did not have these, so I used Guittard 60% cocoa bittersweet chocolate chips, as well as about
1/2 pound of semi-sweet Guittard chocolate pieces, which I chopped – I loved the look and
texture of this combination)
sea salt or fleur de sel, for sprinkling
1. Sift together the cake flour, bread flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a
medium sized bowl and set aside.
2. In the bowl of your mixer, cream together your butter and sugars until light and fluffy,
about 3-5 minutes. Add in the eggs, one at a time, until combined, scraping down the bowl as
needed. Add in the vanilla and mix. Gradually add in the dry ingredients, until just moistened.
Fold in your chocolate until evenly added throughout the dough. Press plastic wrap against the
dough, making sure it is completely covered, and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, or as long
as 72 hours (I left mine for 36 hours).
3. When you are ready to bake, bring the dough to room temperature so that you can scoop it
out, and preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line and/or grease your baking sheets. Scoop
your dough out onto the sheets. I used a #40 ice cream scoop, which is about the size of 2
tablespoons, but you can make them even larger, if you like. Do not press the dough down –
let it stay the way it is. Sprinkle the cookies lightly with a bit of fleur de sel or sea salt. Bake
10-12 minutes for smaller cookies (mine took about 11 minutes), or 18-20 minutes for larger
cookies.
4. Allow the cookies to cool slightly on your baking sheet, then move them to another surface
to cool completely. You can enjoy these warm, room temperature, or cold. Store in an air-tight
container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 48
Food Babe’s Forever Cookies
Prep time
10 mins
Cook time
15 mins
Total time
25 mins
Author: Food Babe (from her website and blog)
Serves: 20
Ingredients












1 ripe banana cup into small pieces
4 dates chopped
4 prunes chopped
¼ cup coconut oil melted
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups rolled oats
⅔ cups of nut meal (I like almonds and pecans – I smash them into meal by hand using my
rolling pin)
½ cup of unsweetened coconut flakes
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp sea salt
1 tsp aluminum free baking powder (if baking)
7 ounces good dark chocolate chopped into pieces or chips or dried unsweetended cherries
Instructions
1. If Baking:
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
3. In a blender – Combine banana, dates, prunes, coconut oil and vanilla and blend until
smooth
4. In a large bowl combine all other ingredients and mix so all components are equally
distributed
5. Pour blender mixture into dry ingredients and stir until batter is moist and mixed well
6. Place dough in fridge or freezer for at least 15 mins
7. Scoop dough using an ice cream scooper onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
8. Alternatively, you can refrigerate the dough for 30 mins to make it harder and easier to
make uniform cookies
9. Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 12-15 mins
10. Cool cookies on a rack for at least 5 mins before consuming – otherwise they will fall
apart
11. If Eating Completely Raw:
12. Follow steps above to make the dough
13. Place dough in a large zip lock bag and press to form into a wide log – you may need two
bags
14. Place in freezer and enjoy slices of the cookie dough anytime!
Notes
Makes approximately 20 cookies or 36 small cookies (if using a small ice cream scooper)
***Please buy all organic ingredients if possible***
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 49
Make Your Own Ghee (Clarified Butter) in the oven
One pound of organic, pastured butter makes 1 ½ cups of clarified butter. In oven proof saucepan, set
butter in oven and turn to 250 degrees—no need to pre-heat. Check pan at the 45 minute mark and the
milk solids should be rising to the top. Leave in oven another 30 minutes to allow the milk solids to brown
but not burn and then remove pan from oven. Total baking time is 1 hour 15 minutes.
Strain butter through 3 layers of cheesecloth in to a glass container and let cool. Store in the glass
container for up to 6 months in the cupboard, or one year in the refrigerator.
Chicken Bone Broth
This is the restaurant-scale recipe for massive quantities, so you can reduce
accordingly. Just make sure you reduce all ingredients proportionally.
2 oz roasted garlic (weight)
10 oz roasted red onions (weight)
4.5 gallons water (volume)
22 oz tomato paste (weight)
4 oz cilantro with stems
2 pounds chicken back bones (weight)
16 oz tomato pulp (weight)*
6 oz salt (weight) I would use Celtic Sea Salt or other such salt here
1 oz black pepper (weight)
1 oz olive oil (volume)
Roast onions and garlic in olive oil for approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
Add all ingredients to water, chicken and tomato paste.
Let simmer over medium fire until cooked.
Approximate yield is 640 ounces or 5 gallons.
The restaurant used a ton of diced Roma tomatoes in the restaurant for just about
everything. We removed the pulp from these tomatoes before dicing them. We saved
the pulp and used it in the stock.
Rice Ball Snacks for Hiking or Riding
Make a pot of sticky rice (sushi rice or brown jasmine rice)—let it soak for a half an hour before turning on
the rice maker to make it that much stickier. Brown rice done in a 2:1 water to rice ratio; white rice in a
3:2 ratio. Let the rice cool, then work in a solution of 3T rice wine vinegar (or sushi vinegar prep), a 2T
sugar and 1T salt to coat the grains and cool the rice.
Wet hands with salt water and form balls of rice in your hand. Create a small cavity and add filling (bonito
flakes, seaweed flakes, cooked fish, meat, veggies, etc) in the cavity and cover over with more rice to
make a ball. Wrap the ball with nori (optional) and wrap individually in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until
they are used.
Mark and Janet’s Family Cookbook
Page 50