Braised Ox Tail

I didn't even know how to cook this. I went to the store and saw this and thought it would be interesting. So I bought all the stuff I thought I would need to cook ox tail and throw it all together and see what happens.

3 lbs of ox tail
1 yellow onion
a couple stems of green onion
a few slices of ginger
a handful of shredded carrots
a half box of beef broth, about 16 oz.
lots of soy sauce, between a half cup and a cup
lots of sugar, about 3 tablespoons
a splash of worshire sauce.



First, I brown the ox tail a little in a big pot. Just barely cook the outside a bit. Then I threw in the ginger and chopped up yellow and green onions. Let that cook for a few minutes.



Then put everything else in, the carrots, broth, sugar, soy sauce, worshire sauce. Stir it a bit to mix it up and let it simmer on low heat for 3 hours.



I made rice to have with it because the flavor is gonna be strong with all the soy sauce I used.



For not having a plan, a recipe to follow, I'm proud of what I made here. It is actually pretty damn good. Braising it for 3 hours make the ox tail very tender. The flavor is good, very beefy taste. Goes great with the sweetness of carrots and all the sugar I used.

I tossed the bones, I probably could have saved it to make broth. Maybe next time.

-a

Ham and Cheese Rolls

This is a snack thing that I made. I had this before, I just don't remember when and where.

Sliced ham
Cream cheese
Cucumber
Tortilla



There is really no cooking involved with this. I just had to put it together. I'll make it up by taking more pictures.

Cut the cucumber into strips, not too thin. Cut them about a quarter inch thick square and about the length of a half of the tortilla.

Lay a tortilla flat and spread the cream cheese on top of it. Use a lot, cover the entire tortilla. Put a couple slices of ham on top of that. Leave about a quarter of the cream cheese uncovered away from you. Put a couple strips of cucumber on the edge, line them up like the picture below.



Roll it up around the cucumber. The extra cream cheese at the end will make it stick. Then cut it into thick slices.



I made a bunch. I like it.



This is a good easy snack thing to make. I will probably try variations in the future. Maybe add avocado, maybe try flavored cream cheese, turkey, smoked salmon... I don't know, possibilities are endless.

-a

Honey Almond Chicken Breast

I feel like chicken tonight.. Actually it was last night.

First I marinade chicken breast in salt, pepper, and lemon juice in a zip lock bag.



A couple hours later, I added the honey and sliced almond.



I took the chicken out of the bag and put them on a oiled up piece of foil on a oven plate. I brushed the honey on top of the chicken evenly and thoroughly. The idea is that the almonds have to stick to the chicken. So I used a lot of honey. Sprinkle on the almonds, I used a lot of that too. These are big pieces of chicken.



In the oven at 350 for 40 minutes and it's done!



The honey kinda melted and didn't all stay on the chicken. The almond did stick though, but not well.

It tasted pretty good, the chicken managed to stay a bit moist. That's good. I usually don't like chicken breast because they get dry. This didn't. The lemony taste and the honey makes a nice combo. I like it... Still not a big fan of white meat chicken though.

-a

Chili 2

It was a zero degree cold Chicago weekend. Chili sounds appropriate. This time I made the chili a little different than last time. Lets see how it turns out.

1 28 oz. can of chopped tomatoes
1 6 oz. can of tomato paste
1 jalapeño pepper
1 poblano pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 medium size white onion
1 can of corn
2 cans of black beans
a bunch of cilantro
a lb of grounded beef
a lb of grounded turkey
a bottle of bock beer
cumin
chili powder
salt and pepper
liquid smoke
worshire sauce



First I browned the meat in a pot, add salt, pepper, cumin, worshire sauce and liquid smoke. I didn't measure anything, just threw some in. After they are cooked I set them aside in a bowl.

Next I cook the vegetables. Chop everything up, gutted the peppers. Only use about 2/3 of the cilantro. Saute the vegetables in the pot for about 6-7 minutes. I added some cumin, more salt and pepper and some chili powder to the vegetables. After the vegetables start smelling good, I added the meat back in.

After the meat goes back in the pot, I added the rest of the ingredients too. The tomatoes, beans, and beer. I added more chili powder and stir. Let the chili cook for a couple hours and stir occasionally.

When it was ready, I served it with cheese on top and a little of the cilantro that I had left.



The chili this time is good. I liked it better than the last time. The cilantro was a good call. Though the meat last time with grounded pork and beef was a bit better, the liquid smoke really added a good smell to the chili. It is a bit spicier this time, even though I use a milder pepper with the poblano, I used a lot of chili powder this time. Just enough heat for me. Good stuff. This may be the last time I do chili this season though. Then again, who knows.

-a

Curry Shrimp

Last night I hosted a little get together. Played Monopoly, I dominated. I also cooked dinner, I kicked some ass doing that too. I'm awesome.

I made curry shrimp.

2 pounds of shrimps
2 cans of coconut milk
2 table spoon of curry powder
unmeasured about a table spoon of chili powder
a couple hand full of sliced carrots
2 cucumbers
a medium sized onion
2 stems of green onions
a hand full of cilantros
some salt
jasmine rice on the side



Cook the rice first, that takes about a half hour, this curry dish only takes about 20-25 minutes to make.

First, chop up all the vegetables. In a pot add oil and saute the onion, green onions, and ginger for a few minutes to get it smelling good. Pour in the coconut milk, curry powder, chili powder, cucumber, and carrots. Bring it to a light boil and mix it and add salt, taste and add more until it taste good. Let that simmer for about 12-15 minutes. Add the shrimps and mix again. Let it cook for about 5 minutes and adjust salt again. Keep mixing. give it another minute, take it off of the heat. Add a bunch of chopped cilantro and it's done.



I served it with the rice that is just finishing up.



This was good. Got good reviews from my friends as well. Maybe they're just being nice. So I'm the ultimate judge and I liked it. If I was cooking for myself I probably would've throw in a couple hot peppers. But I know not everyone can handle the heat, so I skip that part.

This is better than the curry chicken. I like curry and will definitely continue to try different curry dishes. This is an 8, the chicken was a 6-7.

-a