Recipe Roundup :: Cooking with Bourbon

Happy holidays! I've been busy enjoying one of my favorite seasons, and I'm excited to share with you some of my recent culinary adventures soon. In the meantime, bourbon, my spirit of choice. I enjoy cooking with it just as much as I enjoy drinking it. It's one of those liquors that compliments hearty meat dishes but adds a unique flavor to baked goods and other sweet treats. I've rounded up a few recipes for cooking with bourbon that I'm anxious to try as well as one from the Chasing Crumbs archives. Enjoy!

Braised Brisket with Bourbon-Peach Glaze
In 2013, I had the pleasure of dining at one of Edward Lee's restaurants in Louisville. He combines ingredients in ways that will continually surprise your tastebuds. Thus, I was excited to find this recipe in Bon Appétit for his braised brisket. His seasoning calls for a bath of stout, bourbon and soy sauce -- three of my favorite ingredients. Finished off with a bourbon-spiked peach jam glaze, needless to say this brisket is one of the recipes at the top of my list to try in 2015.

Apple Bourbon Bundt Cake
There are some specialty tools in my pantry that rarely see the light, but my bundt cake pan is not one of them. It's oft-used for everything from dark chocolate pound cake to hopefully this apple bourbon bundt cake in the near future. This recipe embraces all the flavors that reminds me of fall and the holidays -- cinnamon, vanilla, apples and toasted pecans. The cake is soaked in a bourbon glaze as it cools. We'll see if I tackle this one before we even reach 2015.

Bourbon-Brown Butter Pecan Pie
I've always liked the idea of playing with my favorite recipes, taking one ingredient and changing it up. Sometime it's a terrible experiment, other times I'm delighted to turn a favorite recipe into two favorites. Pecan pie is one of my favorite treats, and I think the clever change to brown butter in the filling is worth a try.

Bourbon Peach Crumble
This crumble is quick to prepare and the perfect use for those slightly bruised fruits you'll find at farmers markets. When I trek to the local farm in the spring, I usually come home with way more than I can eat before they'll over-ripen and this is my go-to recipe for using up what's left.

Asparagus and Pancetta Risotto

Ingredients

4 oz. pancetta

1/2 bunch asparagus 

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup chopped onion 

1/2 cup arborio rice

1 cup red wine

4 cups beef or chicken broth

Steps

1. In a large pan, sauté pancetta until crisp. Set aside.

2. Cut asparagus into smaller 1 inch pieces.

3. Sauté chopped onions and rice in 2 tbsp olive oil until lightly browned.

4. Add wine to the pan and let it reduce.

5. Add 1 cup broth and cook off. Continue adding 1 cup of broth at a time and allow it to cook off before adding more.

6. Risotto will be ready when the rice has a slight bite and still flows when scooped.

7. Stir in asparagus and pancetta before serving.

Serves 3-4

Recipe Roundup :: Comfort Foods

Before long, it'll be rainy day, gray skies and cooler weather. There's just something about curling up on the couch with a good book and a bowl mac and cheese. Comfort foods are called so for a reason, but I'm always on the hunt for an interesting twist. Here's a few of my recent finds.

Sriracha Honey Fried Chicken and Cheddar Beer Waffles

I recently learned about a new trend "waffling," essentially putting unexpected foods into a waffle iron to see what happens. I'll admit I was skeptical at first, but then the idea actually intrigued me. However while waffles are a brunch staple, I'll order in a restaurant, a waffle iron is one of the few gadgets missing from my kitchen. I've never really been able to justify it, knowing it would probably gather more dust than oil. But this recipe from FWx has me wanting to run to the store right now. It throws some of my favorite flavors into the same dish, ones I might never have put together. Cheddar and beer are perfect compliments, I don't know why I never considered using them together in a biscuit batter or waffles as FWx did. And the honey and sriracha, perhaps unexpected, sound like a great spicy-sweet glaze for fried chicken.

Fried Eggs

My breakfast staple. I could eat eggs over easy day in day out, even with all the talk that eggs can lead to bad cholesterol. I loved this roundup from Food 52 because it speaks to one of my favorite aspects of cooking. No two cooks are the same, give them the same recipe and every person will put their own spin. Even with a simple fried egg, there are endless ways to make it. My preferred technique is similar to Emily Vikre's -- a frying pan on medium-high heat and a pad of butter, and I remove the pan from the heat when I flip my egg. It's been fun trying these other methodologies to see how the end result differs.

Macaroni & Cheese Muffins

Mac and cheese, I've been known to make lists of restaurants to try based on hearing they have a great macaroni and cheese, I've got one entire cookbook devoted entirely to the dish, and I will constantly experiment with different cheeses and mix-ins. I made these macaroni and cheese muffins for a going-away potluck a while back, and they're much easier to eat while mingling carrying around a bowl and spoon. What's great about this recipe is the addition of the Dijon mustard and butternut squash puree.

Bourbon Apple Cake

I immediately cut out the recipe card for this from the back of this past month's Real Simple magazine. Of course, it's got bourbon, apple and vanilla, an absolutely delightful combination of flavors. But what really intrigued me was the use of grits in the cake batter. This is definitely on my "Must Bake" list, and I can't wait to share with you how it turns out. 

Bourbon Brulé

Bourbon has been my spirit of choice now for a while. While I usually drink it neat or with one or two ice cubes, I do enjoy finding creative cocktails that utilize it. The bourbon brulé from NY Times Cooking combines some flavors I wouldn't have imagined trying together all at once -- bourbon, orange, ginger and sherry. If it tastes as good as it looks in the picture, it'll make a worthy drink for holiday celebrations.

Sweet Potato Fries

I love sweet potato fries. What I really need to find is a place that serves endless baskets. But let's be serious, they're really not that difficult to make at home, I've just never tried. I found this great recipe on NY Times Cooking, just six ingredients and barely any time at all. What took me so long?

Recipe Roundup :: Meal inspiration

Before I get into the recipes in today's roundup, I wanted to share where I go for my meal inspiration. While I have a bookcase overflowing with cookbooks and numerous links and magazines I love to peruse, Bon Appétit continues to be my favored resource. It's even surpassed at this point my admiration for the shuttered Gourmet, which seamlessly wove together my love of food and travel. Bon Appétit, even with it's drool-worthy photography, sense of adventure and sophistication, is still approachable. The staff is dedicated to making even the most complex recipes, easy for cooks of any experience level to follow and recreate. And the editors share a joie de vivre that comes through in the magazine's voice. I anxiously await the arrival of each month's issue in my mailbox and then proceed to sit on my patio armed with sticky notes and a cup of coffee. I obsess over Andrew Knowlton's instagram feed, subscribe to daily Bon Appétit recipe blasts, peruse the same issues again on my iPad delighting in the interactivity and reread the annual Travel Issue and Best New Restaurants list at least a few times.

I keep just one cookbook on my kitchen counter. While the others sit on a bookshelf in my living room, this one has stains from over-zealous mixing. The red-plaid Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook was a gift from my mom, and it's where I learned the pancake recipe I now know by heart and refer to when I forget cooking times or temperatures for meat and vegetables. My other favorite anthologies are Gourmet Today, Bon Appétit Desserts and The Williams-Sonoma Cookbook. The rest of my cookbooks tend to be a single-subject, whether its brunch, mac & cheese, Irish pub cooking or one of my favorites foods, the potato.

Often I turn online for inspiration. Sometimes I search with a specific idea of a dish I'd like to make, other times it's about perusing through email blasts and blogs until a recipe catches my eye. My favorite websites right now are Food 52 and the new New York Times Cooking site. Food 52 is an online cooking community, where readers can share recipes, ask questions and find columns and blogs on specific food-related topics. The New York Times Cooking site is a home for the New York Times' library of over 10,000 recipes. It's a beauty and the recipes are searchable by ingredient, skill level, meal and more. I really enjoy Editor Sam Sifton's weekly newsletter where he shares his tips and ideas for what to cook.

Recipe Roundup
Click on names to link to the original recipe

Spaghetti with strawberry tomato sauce
This recipe is from Bon Appétit's pick for Best New Restaurant 2014. I was in D.C. in May (expect a post soon about my food finds) and regret not making it to Rose's Luxury. So now it's at the top of my list for my next visit. In the meantime, I am looking forward to this spicy-sweet take on traditional spaghetti.

Roasted apple butter
I won't let a season stop me from eating apples, but nothing feels more autumn to me than apple pie and apple butter. For a while my mom kept sending me jars of apple butter from trips to different farms in California. But now I've found a surprisingly easy recipe to make my own. It's perfect timing too, I'm running low!

Company eggs
Eggs are one of my favorite things to cook with, a necessity in baking and perfect for any meal from a simple fried egg for breakfast to a complex quiche for dinner. These company eggs sound like the sort of thing I'll want to eat all day.

Whole roasted cauliflower with whipped goat cheese
Remember my new found appreciation for cauliflower, well now I found a delightfully decadent recipe to try. This recipe features three kinds of goat cheese, white wine and roasted cauliflower. I can't wait to share how this one turns out.

Sweet Potato and Andouille Sausage Pizza

I don't like to let working nights get in the way of great home-cooked meals. Often times, I'll use my weekend to cook ahead on dinners that are easy to reheat. This weekend I had some inspiration to combine a few of my favorite Southern flavors into a colorful and delicious pizza. Cooking pizza at home is a lot easier than most people expect, especially if you use an already prepared dough or crust. But even making your own dough doesn't take too long.  And a little trick if you don't want to heat up your oven, fire up the grill! It makes for a great smoky flavor.

Ingredients
1 sweet potato
2 Andouille sausages
6 broccolini or baby broccoli
1/2 can fire roasted diced tomatoes (drained)
Shredded Mozzarella cheese
Shredded Parmesan cheese
Pizza dough (homemade would be best, but to easy with preparation, I used Pillsbury's artisan refrigerated dough)
Olive oil

Steps
1. Preheat oven according to pizza dough directions. 
2. On a baking sheet, form dough into a circle or square. If desired, roll edges over to create a crust. Pre-bake dough for 5 minutes and remove from oven.
3. In a skillet, remove sausage from casing and cook until browned. Set aside.
4. Dice sweet potatoes. In the same pan, add olive oil and sweet potatoes. Cook until caramelized. Add broccolini and toss until bright green.
5. Lightly coat dough in olive oil. Spread diced tomatoes evenly.
6. Spread a thin layer of Parmesan cheese. 
7. Across the pizza, evenly distribute sausage, sweet potato, and broccolini.
8. Finish with a layer of Mozarella and Parmesan cheese. 
9. Bake pizza according to dough directions, about 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Serves 4-6

Jameson Beef Stew

Ingredients

1/4 cup Irish whiskey (I used Jameson.)

3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

3 tbsp whole grain mustard

Ground pepper

2 lb. cross rib roast

1 can beef consomme

1/2 cup Irish whiskey

3 cups water

1 onion

2-3 small potatoes

1 cup baby carrots

2 stalks celery

3 tbsp garlic

Steps

1. Cut beef into 1-2 inch chunks.

2. Combine 1/4 cup Irish whiskey, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and ground pepper. Marinate beef for 15 minutes.

3. Brown beef in a skillet. Set aside. 

4. Chop onions, potatoes and celery.

4. In a slow cooker, combine beef consomme, 1/2 cup Irish whiskey, water, celery, and garlic. Mix well. 

5. Add beef to slow cooker and cook for 2 hours on high.

6. Add potatoes and carrots and cook for 1 hour on high. 

7. Using a slotted spoon serve stew, and add one ladle-full of liquid to bowl.

Serves 6

Quinoa with Sausage, Zucchini and Crimini Mushrooms

Ingredients:
3/4 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cup water
8 oz. sausage
1 red sweet onion
12 crimini mushrooms
1/4 cup sun-dried tomato
Olive oil

Steps:
1. In a large sauce pan, bring water to a boil. Add quinoa and let simmer for 12 minutes.
2. Dice zucchini, mushrooms, onion and sun-dried tomato.
3. In a saute pan, heat olive oil. Add sausage and cook until no longer pink. Add vegetables and saute for 5-7 minutes.
4. Add quinoa to pan and toss well. Add olive oil as needed if dry.

Serves 2-3

Bourbon Barbecue Ribs

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs. country style pork ribs
3/4 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup bourbon
1/2 tsp ground pepper

Steps
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking dish with foil.
2. Combine barbecue sauce, bourbon and ground pepper, and mix well.
3. Place ribs in baking dish and coat with half of the barbecue sauce mixture. 
4. Roast for 1 1/2 hours, turning ribs over every 30 minutes and basting with remaining barbecue sauce mixture. 

Serves 2-3

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Fajita Bowl

Ingredients:
1 sweet potato
1 large red bell pepper
1 onion
1 can black beans
4 mushrooms
1 cup uncooked white rice
Olive oil

Steps:
1. Boil 1 cup uncooked rice in 2 cups water or use a rice cooker. Set aside
2. Peel and dice sweet potato. In a skillet, grill in olive oil, turning so sides brown evenly. 
3. Dice onion and bell pepper. Add to skillet and caramelize, about 4-5 minutes. 
4. Meanwhile dice mushrooms. Combine mushrooms and black beans with skillet ingredients, cooking for an additional 4-6 minutes, until warm throughout. 
5. Serve vegetables over rice. 

Serves 3-4

Swiss Chard & Sausage Pasta

Ingredients: 
1/2 lb. pasta
1 bunch swiss chard
8 red pearl onions
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 roma tomato
3/4 cup mushrooms
2/3 lb. Italian sausage
2 tbsp olive oil
Mizithra cheese

Steps:
1. Boil pasta for 6-8 minutes until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. In a skillet cook Italian sausage until lightly browned and no longer pink.
3. Rinse vegetables. Chop swiss chard, mushrooms and tomatoes into 1/4 in. pieces 
4. In a large sauce pan combine olive, garlic, swiss chard and mushrooms. Cook until swiss chard is wilted. 
5. Add pasta, tomatoes and sausage. Toss well and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes.
6. Serve with grated mizithra cheese.

Serves 2-3

Ratatouille Inspired Pasta

Usually I go to the store with a plan -- a meal I saw in a magazine, in one of my numerous cookbooks or while perusing blogs online. But every once in a while I let spontaneity rule my shopping trip and yesterday, while at the market I couldn't help but be inspired by some colorful fresh vegetables. Immediately I thought of ratatouille. Since I wanted a light meal, instead of using it as a side dish, I decided to toss it over pasta. So much bright color and flavor, packed into a really simple dish. And what's even better about this dish, if you have leftover vegetables, they'll work great mixed into scrambled eggs or tossed with meat and soy sauce for a 2-minute stir fry.

Ingredients:
1 small onion
1 orange bell pepper
2 zucchini
7-10 baby bella mushrooms
1 large tomato
3 tbsp. olive oil
Italian seasoning
1 1/2 cups pasta

Steps:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions. When al dente, rinse and set aside. 
2. Dice onion, bell pepper, zucchini, mushrooms and tomatoes into roughly 1/4 in. pieces.
3. In a large skillet, heat 3 tbsp. olive oil, and add onion and bell pepper. Saute until onions are translucent.
4. Add zucchini and saute for about 5 minutes, tossing so all sides will lightly caramelize. 
5. Add Italian seasoning and mushrooms, cooking for an additional 2-3 minutes until mushrooms are soft. 
6. Lastly, add pasta and tomatoes, stirring until tomatoes are heated through, about 2 minutes. 

Serves 2-3

Tequila Pork Fajitas

Ingredients
1 red or yellow bell pepper
1 onion
1/3 pound pork
7 oz. can green chile
1/4 cup orange juice
2 oz. tequila
Cumin
Coriander
White pepper
Olive oil
Tortillas

Steps
1. Cut bell pepper and onion into thin slices. Saute in olive oil until caramelized.
2. Slice pork into thin strips. Add to pan and season with cumin, coriander and white pepper and cook until no longer pink.
3. Add green chile, orange juice and tequila, and toss until well-mixed. Simmer until liquid cooks off. 
4. Serve in tortillas.

Serves 3-4

Spaghetti Squash Stir Fry

Ingredients
1 spaghetti squash
12-15 cherry tomatoes
12-15 pearl onions
2/3 cup shelled edamame (frozen)
1/2 cup chopped broccoli
2 tsp garlic
4 tbsp terriyaki sauce
10 oz. firm tofu
Olive oil

Steps
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
2. Cut spaghetti squash in half and remove seeds. Coat with butter.
3. Place spaghetti squash halves in a baking dish and cook for 45-50 minutes, or until soft. Using a fork, scrape squash out in strands. Set aside.
4. Cut cherry tomatoes in half. 
5. In a skillet, combine 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp terriyaki sauce, broccoli, edamame, onions and tomatoes. Cook until broccoli and edamame become bright green and tender.
6. Add spaghetti squash, tofu and remaining 2 tbsp terriyaki sauce to pan and mix well. Cook for 4 minutes.

Serves 3-4

Summer Market Pasta

Ingredients
2/3 cup grape tomatoes
2 zucchinis
Parmesan cheese
Italian herbs
Olive oil
2 cups dry pasta

Steps
1. Boil pasta for 6-9 minutes, until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. Dice zucchini into 1/4 in. pieces, and cut tomatoes in half.
3. In a large pan, saute zucchini in olive oil and until slightly browned. Add tomatoes and Italian herbs, and simmer for 5-7 minutes. 
4. Combine vegetables and pasta in pan, then toss well. 
5. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Serves 2-3

Summer Vegetable Strata

Ingredients: 
1/2 loaf french bread
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 Italian squash (zucchini or yellow squash)
2 large roma tomatoes
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
Italian seasoning
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp garlic

Steps:
1. Oil a deep baking dish and set aside.
2. Cut or rip french bread into 1 inch pieces. Place into baking dish.
2. Slice squash into 1/4 inch thick slices.
3. Cut tomatoes into 1/2 inch pieces.
4. In a large mixing bowl, toss mushroom, squash, and tomatoes with olive oil.
5. In a small mixing bowl, beat eggs. Then add milk, garlic and Italian seasoning to taste and stir to combine.
6. Pour the egg mixture evenly over french bread, ensuring it soaks into all pieces of the bread.
7. Spread vegetables evenly over the bread and then top with mozzarella cheese. 
8. Let the dish rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees.
9. Bake the strata for 20 minutes. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

Serves 3-5

Pasta with Spaghetti Squash Tomato Sauce

Ingredients
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup cooked spaghetti squash
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp garlic
Italian herbs
3 leaves sage
1/4 cup onions, diced
1/2 lb pasta
Parmesan cheese

Steps
1. Boil pasta for until al dente, 7-9 minutes, and drain. Set aside.
2. In a food processor puree 1 can diced tomatoes and cooked spaghetti squash. 
3. In a sauce pan over medium heat bring tomato squash mixture to a simmer. Add tomato paste, garlic, onions, sage and Italian herbs to taste and mix well. 
4. Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Then, remove sage leaves and mix in pasta. 
5. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Serves 3-4

Chili Chicken Chow Mein

Ingredients

4 baby bok choy

5 scallions

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

12 oz. bean sprouts (1 package)

1/4 lb. chicken

1 tbsp chili garlic paste

1 tbsp mirin rice seasoning

1 lb. chow mein

Soy sauce

Canola oil

Olive oil

Steps

1. Boil 4 cups water. When water has reached a rolling boil, add chow mein noodles. Cook for 3 minutes and then rinse and toss with 2 tbsp soy sauce.

2. Fry chow mein noodles in 2-3 tbsp canola oil until crispy. Set aside.
3. Cut chicken into thin strips. In a separate pan, toss chicken with soy sauce and cook until no longer pink.
4. Rinse baby bok choy and cut into 1 inch pieces. Dice scallions.
5. Add baby bok choy, scallions, mushrooms and bean sprouts to pan with chicken. Add 1 tbsp chili garlic paste, 1 tbsp mirin rice seasoning and stir fry until bok choy begins to wilt. Add additional soy sauce if desired to taste.
6. Toss stir fry with chow mein and serve.

Serves 3-4

Chicken Chile Verde

Ingredients:

1 can chicken broth

2 cups water

1 can pinto beans

2 limes

1/4 cup green salsa

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Olive oil

2 tbsp oregano

2 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp coriander

Pepper

Steps:

1. Dice chicken. Place in a pan with olive oil and cook until lightly browned.

2. Combine chicken and remaining ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on high heat setting for 3 hours.

3. Serve with sour cream to taste.

Serves 3-5

Black Bean & Chinese Sausage Chow Mein

Ingredients

1/2 can black beans

5 Chinese sausage links (lap cheong)

1 lb chow mein

1 bunch broccolini

4 stalks green onion

1 cup bean sprouts

2/3 cup chicken broth

1/3 cup terriyaki sauce

Canola oil

Steps

1. Thinly slice Chinese sausage and cook sausage over medium heat until it darkens and starts to crisp.

2. Start a pot of water to boil.

3. Chop broccolini into 1/2 inch pieces and dice green onion.

4. Add broccolini, green onion, black beans and bean sprouts to pan with Chinese sausage. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes or until tender.

5. Add chicken broth and terriyaki sauce to pan and stir well. Allow to simmer and reduce.

6. When water has reached a rolling boil, add chow mein noodles. Cook for 3 minutes and then rinse and toss with soy sauce.

7. Fry chow mein noodles in 2-3 tbsp canola oil until crispy.

8. Combine chow mein noodles and Chinese sausage mixture, toss and serve.

Serves 3-4

Lemon Chicken Risotto

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

2 tbsp butter

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 cup arborio rice

1 cup wine

1/4 lemon juice

5 cups chicken stock

Steps

1. Cut chicken breasts into small strips and season with salt and pepper. Sauté in olive oil for 8-12 minutes or until no longer pink.

2. In same pan, melt butter. Add onion and rice and mix well.

3. Add wine and lemon juice and let reduce.

4. Add 1 cup of chicken stock and cook off. Continue adding chicken stock 1 cup at a time, letting it reduce each time before adding more.

5. When rice is at cooked it will have a bite but not be mushy and it should flow when scooped. Add additional lemon juice as needed.

Serves 2-3