Tasty Recipes Archives - Page 3 of 111

Gochujang Sloppy Joes

In the early 70s, my high school cafeteria lunch was almost always a sloppy joe sandwich with a bag of Cheetos and a cold bottle of Coke. Diet Coke hadn’t been invented yet. And there was only one type of Cheetos, Crunchy. Baked Cheetos and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos would come later.

I also remember my mother making tasty sloppy joes for dinner with three ingredients: ground beef, ketchup, and mustard. No measuring, she just added ketchup and mustard to the browned beef. Served it on hamburger buns or white bread (it was Wonder, which helped build strong bodies 12 ways). 💪

It has been decades since I’ve had (or even wanted) a sloppy joe sandwich. But after coming across several intriguing sloppy joe recipes on the internet that included gochujang, I had to try my own version.

Now these Gochujang Sloppy Joes are much spicier and more complex than old-school style. Gochujang is a Korean red chili paste with sweet heat and a fermented umami richness. It has a balanced fruitiness, slight smokiness and depth of flavor from the sun-dried Korean red peppers. Gochugaru, also made from sun-dried red peppers, is a coarse-ground chili powder. Together, they give this messy sandwich its distinctive Korean spiciness.

Gochujang Sloppy Joes Recipe

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Duck and Sweet Potato Enmoladas

Duck and Sweet Potato Enmoladas
New Mexican Mole

Enmoladas are similar to the more familiar Mexican enchiladas, but with a mole sauce instead of a chile sauce. And where enchiladas are usually baked in the sauce as a casserole, enmoladas are usually stuffed with fillings, rolled, and plated then the sauce is ladled on top. The word enmolada translates to “covered in mole.”

The inspiration for this duck and sweet potato version comes from a menu item called Enmoladas de Pato at Sazón restaurant in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Originally from Mexico City, Chef Fernando Olea was named Best Chef Southwest 2022 by the James Beard Foundation for his unique interpretation of contemporary and traditional Mexican dishes.

Duck and Sweet Potato Enmoladas

The menu states that mole is a sauce of complex flavors that usually includes toasted and ground spices, seeds, nuts, chocolate and chile. Many mole recipes contain more than thirty ingredients and some recipes have five varieties of chile alone. Moles can be defined by their color such as rojo, verde, and negro; the town they are from such as Puebla, Oaxaca, Michoacan; and social class, such as pobres and ricos.

Not only does the Chef offer a tasting of his unique moles at the restaurant, he also sells them online so we can enjoy them at home!

Enmoladas Recipe

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Monkfish Cargot (Escargots-Style)

A delightful dinner at Michael Mina’s Bardot Brasserie in the Aria Las Vegas served as the inspiration for this dish. But alas, with no snails on hand, I decided to try a monkfish version of Escargots de Bourgogne instead.

Et voilà, it exceeded our expectations!

The flesh of monkfish is dense, meaty, and succulent, with a sweet flavor. It has a firm texture that holds up well to baking at high heat in garlic butter, making it a perfect substitute for snails in this escargots-style recipe.

Monkfish Cargot (Escargots-Style)

Monkfish, also known as lotte in French cuisine, is a unique-looking fish found in both the Atlantic and Mediterranean. It’s known for its rather unattractive appearance, with a large, flat head, tapering body, and a wide mouth filled with sharp teeth.

Despite its unappealing looks, monkfish is prized for its delicious, firm flesh, often compared to lobster or scallops in taste and texture. It’s also a sustainable seafood choice, as monkfish populations are relatively abundant and well-managed.

Bardot Brasserie Las Vegas

Bardot Brasserie

ESCARGOTclassically prepared, absinthe butter, garlic, baguette — BARDOT BRASSERIE ESCARGOTS
classically prepared, absinthe butter, garlic, baguette

As we also took some food to go, I was able to bring home a paper baguette bag too, to use in my photographs.

Monkfish Cargot Recipe

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Smoked Salmon Matzah Brei

Fried Matzah and Eggs
Smoked Salmon, Capers, Scallions
Horseradish Creme Fraiche, Chives

Matzah brei is a traditional Jewish dish served during Passover. It consists of matzah (unleavened bread) that is softened briefly in water, then sautéed in butter and cooked with beaten eggs.

It seems that every Jewish family has their own way of making Matzah Brei, some with a greater ratio of matzah to egg, some lightly browned cooked in a frittata style, some in a french toast style served sweet with maple syrup or cinnamon sugar.

I go for a savory scrambled version. For a special Passover brunch treat, I add smoked salmon, capers, scallions, and a dollop of horseradish crème fraîche.

Matzah brei is pronounced “MAHT-suh bry.” Brei rhymes with try. Try it!

Smoked Salmon Matzah Brei Recipe

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Salted Flourless Chocolate Cake

An incredibly easy way to impress your guests on Passover (and other times of the year!) is to serve a home-baked flourless chocolate cake for dessert. With its luscious fudgy texture and intense cocoa taste where flaky Maldon sea salt enhances the experience, this effortless cake is bound to be a big hit every time.

Salt has a fascinating way of complementing chocolate in desserts. Salt acts as a flavor enhancer, bringing out the natural richness and depth of the chocolate while also balancing its sweetness making the overall taste experience more complex and satisfying.

Additionally, Maldon sea salt provides a pleasant contrast in texture. The slight crunchiness of the salt crystals complements the smoothness of the chocolate, adding an extra layer of sensory delight to each bite.

This cake is so darn delicious that it doesn’t even need frosting or fancy garnishes. A simple dusting of unsweetened cocoa powder and/or powdered sugar is all it takes to make it shine.