Coming attractions: leftover meatloaf and garlic bread

(with recipe for Simple Asian Meatloaf Glaze)

A fire sale on ground beef sold in a cylinder has given us a very tasty meatloaf. This and the leftover garlic bread will certainly be appearing in whatever we cobble together over the next few days….stay tuned!

By the way, we really liked this simple glaze on our meatloaf:

Simple Asian Meatloaf Glaze

½ cup chili sauce
½ cup Chinese marinade (we used the Lee Kum Kee brand)
2 heaping tablespoons brown sugar

1. Mix two sauces and sugar together.
2. When there's ten minutes of cooking left, take the meatloaf out and smooth over the surface with a pastry brush.
3. Return it to the oven to finish cooking.

Broccoli Cream Soup to Broccoli Ranch Dip

(With Crispy Flour Tortillas)

We have been using the contents of the refrigerator so efficiently that we were forced to dig deep for our evening chip & dip. Last week we had knocked up the base for a cream of broccoli soup (broccoli, onions, milk). We made half of it into soup by adding milk and blue cheese. That left us some broccoli "starter" in the fridge. It was to this container that we turned our attention.

The broccoli mixture was almost thick enough to be a dip, but it didn't hurt when we added some mayonnaise, ranch dip powder, cayenne, and scraps of cheese. We also discovered we didn't have any sort of cracker or chip in the house. But we did have flour tortillas – which toasted up with nonstick cooking spray and kosher salt to make fluffy and crunchy dipping chips.

This type of dip could be made with any leftover soup, even thin ones. In that case, you'd want to add a bit more mayonnaise or even some sour cream (which we also didn't have) to get something that would stick to a chip.

Broccoli Ranch Dip

½ cup thick broccoli soup
3 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp powdered ranch-flavored dip mix
½ tsp cayenne pepper (or more, to taste)
1 tbsp mozzarella cheese, torn into tiny bits
3 tbsp goat cheese (or about 1 inch of the log they they are often shaped in)

1. Combine the soup, mayonnaise, ranch powder, and cayenne pepper. Stir well.

2. Add the mozzarella and goat cheeses. Stir vigorously, then microwave on high for thirty seconds. Stir vigorously again, incorporating the melting cheese into the dip. Repeat the microwaving and stirring one more time, or until the cheese has melted and the dip is smooth.

3. Microwave the dip one more time for 30 seconds, and stir. Serve with the tortilla chips.

Crispy Flour Tortilla Chips

2 flour tortillas
non-stick cooking spray
kosher salt

1. Spray both sides of each tortilla with nonstick cooking spray. Cut each into eighths, then cut each eighth into triangles by cutting from one corner on the curved side to the opposite straight side.

2. Spread the triangles over a foil-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with kosher salt.

3. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown. Note: watch them closely as they can burn very quickly.

Leftover Shrimp: Bisque

We live in a rural area, and usually can't find specialty ingredients to play with. This means that when the craving for seared foie gras with cherry compote hits, the only course of action is to take a cold shower. The raw and windy weather recently put us in the mood for some seafood stew. We looked longingly at the 823-step Julia Child recipe for lobster bisque, but went in a different direction using some of the only reliable seafood we can get here – bags of flash-frozen shrimp.

Shrimp Bisque

½ pound shrimp, cleaned, deveined, and shells on
15-20 extra shrimp shells (when using shrimp for stir-fries, we toss the shells into a bag in the freezer)
¼ cup brandy (E&J is fine)
¼ cup dry sherry
2 tbl tomato paste
1 cup half and half
½ cup whole milk
4 tbl flour
4 tbl plus ½ tbl butter
2 medium shallots, chopped finely
1 tbl olive oil
½ tsp cayenne pepper

1. Slowly sauté shallots with the olive oil and ½ tablespoon butter. Add a tiny sprinkle of kosher salt. Cook until they appear light purple and are soft. Add cayenne pepper.
2. Turn heat up and add tomato paste. Fry tomato paste for a minute or so, until the smell coming from the pot is very tomato-ey.
3. Add the shrimp. Cook until they curl up and are turning pink. Add the brandy and cook until it evaporates, then add the sherry and cook until it evaporates. Take the pot off the heat and cool.
4. Take the shells off the shrimp. Return the shrimp meat to the tomato mixture, and put the shells plus the extra shells from the freezer into another saucepan. Cover with 2 cups of water and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Drain the shrimp stock, discard the shells, and add the stock to the shrimp mixture. Put this mixture in batches into the food processor. Process until smooth, with only a little bit of chunkiness from the shrimp.
5. In another pot, cook the 4 tablespoons of butter with the flour until the floury smell is gone. Add the half and half and milk, and bring to the boil, or until it has thickened.
6. Add the shrimp mixture, stirring vigorously, and bring the bisque almost to a boil. Taste for seasoning.

We slurped with chopped scallions and croutons baked with garlic and thyme. The next day it made a great dip for crackers.

Onion and Zuke Lavash Pie

In Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Ted Allen once used lavash as a quick pizza crust. We've been doing it ever since. Lavash pizzas are particularly good for using up little bits of this and that languishing in the fridge. Over time, we've discovered that using two pieces of it ensures crispiness. Lavash also freezes well, and can be defrosted as needed.

For this one, we slowly cooked a chopped onion in a little bit of olive oil for about an hour, then added shredded zucchini and plenty of salt. After almost another hour, the onion and zucchini had cooked down into a salty, gloppy, perfect mixture that was oozing olive oil.

We had cooked a strip of bacon to use as a topping, and couldn't resist spreading the bacon grease in between and on top of the pieces of lavash. The onion and zucchini went down first, and we reserved the extra cooking oil. It was followed by some raw garlic, bacon, chopped thyme, and slices of roasted red pepper. We topped the pizza with hunks of goat cheese and a layer of shredded mozzarella.

The pizza baked in the over at 450 degrees for five minutes, until the cheese was bubbling. We then dribbled the abovementioned oozing onion-and-zucchini-scented olive oil over the pizza when it came out of the oven. We really liked it.

Peruvian Tequeños

Peruvian tequeños are one of those things that you eat for the first time and then scratch your head wondering why you've never thought of doing that yourself. They're simplified version of a Venezuelan delicacy that we first tried at the El Truco restaurant in Cusco.

They are also stupidly easy to make. All you do is take a wonton wrapper and put some cheese in the middle. Then wet the outer edge of the wrapper, and fold it in half to make a sealed pocket. Fry the result in oil on each side until brown.

The Peruvians do this with a semi-soft queso Andino and then serve it with a smash of avocado. Last time I checked, no one has bothered to import queso Andino (probably because it tastes kind of like Munster). We like to use something with a little more bite, but you don't want to go nuts. For the avocado, try a simple guacamole. Still, it's hard to imagine anything, with the exception of mint jelly and raspberry coulis, that wouldn't go well with them. I'd even put peanut butter on them, if no one was looking.

The more celebrated Venezuelan version involves frying bread dough with cheese instead of wontons. We'll get to that someday.

Peruvian Tequeños

10 wonton wrappers
2/3 cup cheese (cheddar or gruyere)

Set up a cutting board with a cup of water, the cheese, and the wrappers. Place a wrapper flat, put a small amount (1tsp or so) of cheese in the center. Wet your finger and trace it along the outer edge of the wrapper. Fold it over, removing as much air as possible, and press to seal.

Fill a heavy frying pan with about ½ inch of oil. Heat on high until it reaches 350 degrees. Fry the tequeños quickly on each side until lightly brown. Note: you may need to lower the heat if the oil starts smoking. Serve with a sauce or topping of your choice.

Tortilla Pizzas

Never think you're an expert, unless you are. For years, we took far too much stock in our tortilla pizzas. When friends came over, we knocked out a bunch--whether they were wanted or not. They were easy, crispy, and infinitely malleable: hamburger and blue cheese, salsa and fried eggs, leftover bean dip and pepper jack. Whatever we had on hand could be instantly converted into crunchy goodness.

Then we received a Splendid Table newsletter that featured the tortilla pizza recipe of Jacques Pepin, that notorious bastard. He dredged the tortillas in olive oil and baked them in a 500 degree oven with parmesan, mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. Finding similar ingredients, we tried it out and instantly realized that our tortilla pizza method was inferior in every respect. His had a delicious crust and stayed together better when crunched.

We swallowed our pride, along with dozens of his pizzas. Now we use his method anytime we have a few extra tortillas and some good stuff lying around. These featured leftover chicken made with Arabic spices, some salsa, sour cream, cilantro, lettuce, and cheese. Muy bueno.

You can find a full version of Jacques' recipe in Chez Jacques: Traditions and Rituals of a Cook

Eggy Arroz con Pollo

Thanks to Penelope Casas, author of The Foods & Wines of Spain, we just had an egg crust arroz con pollo to expire for.

We started with about 1½ cups of plain, cooked brown rice, a poblano pepper, and cilantro. We roasted the pepper and removed the skin and seeds, and then processed it with about ¼ cup of cilantro leaves, a couple cloves of garlic, and ½ cup of reduced sodium chicken bouillon. We put about ½ cup of chopped onions in some olive oil in a sauté pan, and cooked this over lowish heat for several minutes. In went the pepper/cilantro liquid, the rice, another ½ cup of bouillon. We cranked up the heat and let it cook until there was just a little bit of liquid left.

For a cheese sauce, we started with about 1½ tablespoons of butter, one tablespoon of flour, and a cup of the reduced sodium bouillon. To this we added ¼ cup each of mozzarella and pepper jack.

We spread half the rice onto the bottom of a pie dish, and covered the rice with a layer of chopped leftover chicken breast. On top of this we poured the cheese sauce, and let that sit there for a few more minutes to set. We finished with another layer of rice. After baking at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, the rice looked crispy on top and the cheese sauce was bubbling up around the sides.

Now it was time for the egg crust. That involved beating three eggs with three tablespoons of milk. W poured this on the top and cranked the heat up to 500 degrees. We let it cook until the crust was browning nicely (it puffed up and then deflated when it came out of the oven.)

Once we got it out of the oven, we restrained ourselves for about five minutes while it cooled, then topped it with salsa and Mexican table cream. Oddly enough, we both agreed it tasted kind of like coconut. Go figure.

Cheese Steak Crackers with Sriracha

Between five and six every night, we stop work, pour ourselves a drink, and make a "chip-and-dip." (Fine old New England word, "appetizer" to the rest of the planet.) The idea is that whatever we have been doing needs to stop getting done, and we need to live a little.

Chips-and-dips recycle a vast quantity of food odds and ends. Today, we had a piece of steak. It was sulking in the fridge because it had been perfectly cooked, but Nicole had lavished her attention and a good deal of chipotle hot sauce on a baked potato instead.

No matter, it was gloriously resurrected in mini-cheese-steak-on-crackers appetizers. To make them, we cut up some onions rather fine and threw them in some olive oil. When they were presentable, we added the finely chopped steak, salt, a hundred grindings of black pepper, some mozzarella, and some sour cream. When the mass was good and gloppy, we put it on crackers and added a dash of Sriracha. Might have been nice in a shell of lettuce too.