The Welcome Home Online Blog Cooking Magazine

I just finished the newest issue of the Welcome Home Magazine and I am proud to say it will be published, as scheduled, on February 1st! So what's on the menu this coming month?

Let's start with my delicious Beef Stroganoff.....Oh my!

Toasted Candied Almond Cake ......say what?

Lasagna Roll-Ups.......now that's Italian!

Pork Chop and Fried Egg Sandwich .......back to my country roots!

Mushroom Barley Soup......stick to your ribs good!

Homemade Chocolate Cherry Bread.......No Way!

Marie's Chocolate and Almond Jam Cookies.....Hello!

Crab Topped Baked Salmon......You're kidding me!

Bacon Wrapped Scallops......Get out a town!

Jamie's Red Velvet Sugar Cookie Bars.......Wowza!

Blueberry Walnut Bread .......Just like Mom used to make.

French Dip ........Perfecto!

Waldorf Salad ....... Oh stop!

Creamy Shrimp Corn Chowder .....How can this be?

Shrimp Salad on Buttery Croissant ......Unbelievable!

Ice Cream Sundae Cupcakes .....Have you lost your mind?

Teriyaki Salmon Loaf ......Can this be real?

Sausage, Bean and Kale Soup ........YES!

Sausage Stuffed Cherry Peppers ......Outrageous!

Blueberry Crumb Cake ......Now we're talkin'

Sugar Biscuit Strawberry Shortcake ...And they lived happily ever after!

And there's more!

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Hot Baked Reuben Dip – Deli Up Your Super Bowl Party

This baked Reuben dip works so well that you’ll be racking your brain trying to think of other iconic sandwiches to convert into dip form. Of course, thanks to the Internet, most of this work has probably already been done, but something to keep in mind the next time you’re out of things to daydream about.

I went with pastrami here, but corned beef is more common, and probably the safer bet. Pastrami is heavily spiced with coriander and black pepper, and therefor your dip will be too. I love that kind of thing, but something to consider depending on your audience. No matter what meat you use, you’re going to be enjoying a truly delicious hot dip, which is also great warm, or room temp.

The seeded crackers I used in the video were great, but they’re a little on the pricey side, especially when purchased at the fancy cheese shop, so one of these days I need to show you how to make your own. Unless we all get rich betting on the game, using my guaranteed chicken wing bone method. In that case, we’ll continue to buy the crackers. I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 24 servings:

1 pound sliced corned beef or pastrami

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 cup sauerkraut, drained well, squeezed very dry

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 rounded tablespoon ketchup

1 rounded tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup sweet pickle relish

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

cayenne to taste

8 ounces “Swiss” cheese (4 ounces Gruyere and 4 ounces Emmenthaler)

crackers and bread

Banana Chips in Airfryer

INGREDIENTS
Four bananas (raw)
Black pepper
Salt
little oil for airfryer

Procedure: Peel the Banana and slice them in the form of thin chips, and take mix the chips with a little bit of oil (Optional), transfer the content to a airfryer and airfry for 10 minutes at 180 degree. Once done, sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Store them in a Jar and serve as a snack.

Chocolate Pudding Recipe (Vegan)

I've been craving chocolate pudding lately, but with corn being out of our diet, I can't buy packaged pudding mix or pudding cups in the store.  So I came up with my own recipe for chocolate pudding that is thickened with arrowroot powder.  Using unsweetened coconut milk as the base, this is a really delicious, creamy vegan treat.

Chocolate Pudding Recipe

2 cups unsweetened coconut milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

2 heaping tbsp of arrowroot powder mixed with 1/4 cup coconut milk (for a slurry to thicken)

In a medium sauce pan over Medium High heat, add 2 cups of coconut milk, sugar, cocoa, vanilla, and salt and bring it to a boil, stirring it constantly with a small whisk.  In a small bowl, add the arrowroot powder and the 1/4 cup of coconut milk and whisk it together until the powder is dissolved.  Pour the slurry in the sauce pan and whisk it with the rest of the ingredients.  Lower the heat to Low and whisk it until thickened, then turn the heat off and whisk it for a few more minutes to help it to cool down.  Pour the pudding into glass custard cups and let them cool for 20 minutes before covering them with plastic wrap and refrigerating.  Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before eating so the pudding can set. Makes 6 individual servings.

Super Deluxe Steak Nachos – Regular Nachos for the Big Game? I Don’t Think So.

I’m still trying to figure out how this video for super deluxe steak nachos ended up being over nine minutes long. I’ll blame the fact that I showed you how to do the steak and faux refried beans, but still, I always feel a little uneasy whenever we go past seven or eight minutes. Also, I don’t get overtime.

Be that as it may, this is one of my all time favorite party foods, and I’ve wanted to show you my version for a long time. As you may have heard, the Super Bowl is just a few weeks away, and this should get serious consideration when formulating your snack line-up.

Feel free to cook your meat medium-rare, or less, but as I mention in the video, I think medium works best if you’re using the recommended skirt steak, or flap meat. These cuts have a beautiful, beefy flavor, which, in my experience, is only maximized if cooked to a certain point.

Even though the meat is reheated when we melt the cheese, I still think medium is the way to go, and not just flavor-wise. I think the texture is better as well. These cuts are a little on the chewy side, which is accentuated if cooked rare. Having said that, whether you used raw, or completely well-done beef, you’re still going to be thrilled with the results. I still hope you give these super deluxe steak nachos a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 3 of the same sized platters as I used:

For the steak:

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 1/2 pounds skirt steak or flap steak (aka flap meat) seasoned on both sides with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and chipotle to taste

- cook to a medium (about 135 to 140 F. internal temp)

For the beans:

2 tablespoons bacon fat or lard

1 yellow onion, diced

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

2 (15-oz) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 cups water or chicken broth, plus more as needed

1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

You also need:

corn chips

12 ounces sharp cheddar

12 ounces Monterrey Jack
diced avocado (tossed in lemon juice and salt) 
diced white onion 
diced tomato 
finely diced jalapeño pepper 
sour cream 
freshly chopped cilantro 
* serve with hot sauce on the side, and lots of beer

Cheddar Cheese Olive Puffs

I like to plan ahead when I have a fun gathering of friends over for a Super Bowl party and this year Star Fine Foods made it super easy for me with their new Flavor Destinations: Italian Garlic and Basil Marinated Olives. They are delicious! 

Let's face it, half the fun of a Super Bowl party is eating all those snacks and appetizers, right?  But I want to have fun too and so instead of staying in the kitchen all day, I like to make my appetizers ahead of time and freeze them. Then on the big day, I can take them straight from the freezer and pop them into the oven for a quick bake and serve.  

I have made this delicious Super Bowl party appetizer for years and now with these new olives from Star Fine Foods, they are even better!   There's something about a warm puffy, cheesy pastry wrapped around a juicy olive with just a hint of basil and garlic. YUM!  

Cheddar Cheese Olive Puffs

1 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon of salt

25 Star Fine Foods Italian Garlic and Basil Marinated Olives

1 egg beaten mixed with 1 tablespoon water to make egg wash

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking pan with parchment paper.

In a food processor, combine shredded cheese, butter, flour, and salt. Process until you have a loosely formed, soft ball of dough.

Pinch off enough dough to wrap each olive. Using your hands, form a hollow space in the dough, place olive in the middle, and wrap dough to cover half of olive. Place on an lined baking sheet. 

Brush with egg wash and bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

 Photography is the property of and copyrighted to ©Welcome Home.

Star Fine Food's new Flavor Destinations: Italian (Garlic and Basil) Marinated Olives are available at Save Mart, Nob Hill, Raley’s and Lucky stores and online at  http://www.starfinefoods.com/our-products/olives/flavor-destinations-italian-garlic-basil-marinated-olives/

So far I've tried Star's new  Hot Pepper Stuffed Olives, the new Lemon Stuffed Olives. the new Flavor Destinations Spanish (Tomato & Peppers) Marinated Olives, and of course the new Flavor Destinations Italian Garlic and Basil Marinated Olives.

And I love them all! 

Disclaimer: I have an ongoing relationship with STAR Fine Foods for my recipes and photography using their wonderful products. This post is sponsored by STAR. I am compensated for my time and work and I am sent products as I request them. However, all opinions of the product stated in this post are 100% my own. I truly love their products!

Next Up: Something Super Deluxe

Chorizo Steamed Clams – How Do You Say “Ubiquitous” in Spanish?

I have always just called these chorizo steamed clams, "Spanish Clams," since it seems like there’s some variation of this on every Spanish restaurant menu I’ve ever seen.

What better evidence for a dishes’ deliciousness than that? Not to generalize about an entire culture, but the Spanish simply don’t put non-amazing things on every menu.

Sometimes they use beer, or white wine, or sherry; and many varieties of clams can be used; but the common denominator is the spicy, Spanish-style chorizo. Using such a flavorful sausage is sort of like cheating, and one of the main reasons the ingredient list is so short.

Speaking of which, you can really adapt this kind of thing to your tastes. Cilantro instead of parsley, leeks instead of onions, and mussels instead of clams, just to name a few. Just make sure you have plenty of grilled, or toasted bread around to soak up the glorious broth. I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 appetizers, or 2 larger entrée size portions:

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup finely diced onions

3 ounces Spanish chorizo, quartered, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups white wine

3 pounds Little Neck clams

1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley

2 tablespoons butter

grilled bread to garnish

Next Up: Something with Clams

Sandwich Rolls – Because Size and Shape Matter

As promised, here is our method for making your own sandwich rolls at home, and while “shocked” may be a bit strong, I think many people will be surprised at just how simple these are. Like, four ingredient simple. Sure you have to wait a few hours while it rises, but that gives you time to decide what sandwich to make.

Besides the super obvious reasons why these are better than the ones from the supermarket, you can make them the exact size and shape you want. We’ve all been there…you find the perfect sausage at the store, but the rolls in the bakery dept. are either too short, or too long, leaving you angry and disillusioned. 

Like I said in the video, you can pretty much use this technique with any yeast dough, and it just depends on what you’re going for. Speaking of which, a viewer who couldn’t wait for this recipe to make banh mi, used our no-knead beer bread dough, and reported they had great success.

This recipe is based on our French baguette, but if you happen to have luck using another one of our recipes, please let us know! I hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!

Makes 6 Sandwich Rolls:

1 package dry active yeast (2 1/4 tsp)

1 1/2 cups warm water (100 F.)

1 1/2 tsp fine salt

19 ounces (by weight) bread flour (about 4 1/4 cups)

Next Up: French Rolls

Pork Chop and Fried Egg Sandwich

Oh my goodness. You're looking at my favorite breakfast.  I could eat these for lunch and dinner too.  I could eat them for brunch. As a snack.  For dessert. For a special occasion or no occasion at all. I could just eat them!  Love this sandwich! 

Pork Chop and Fried Egg Sandwich

2 bone-in ribeye pork chops
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons of butter
2 cloves of garlic, whole
1 sprig of rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pat pork chops dry with a paper towel to absorb all moisture. Generously salt and pepper each side. In a large cast iron skillet or a heavy sauté pan, heat the skillet until it’s extremely hot. Add oil and butter and wait for it to sizzle.

Add the pork chops and then lay the garlic and rosemary around the chops. Make sure they are not crowding each other too much. There should be space between the chops in the pan or the meat will steam and not sear properly. Arrange the chops in the pan with the thickest, boniest parts towards the center of the pan where they get the most heat.

Sear the chops on high for about 2 minutes, watching carefully to get a nice golden color. Then flip on the other side and do the same thing. Turn off the heat. Cast iron holds heat and there will be more than enough heat to finish cooking them.

Next transfer the cast iron pan to the oven and turn down the heat to 300 degrees. I like to slow cook mine on low oven heat for about 30 minutes with the skillet completely covered with a tight fitting lid or aluminum foil. Once the temp has reached 145 degrees, remove skillet from oven and transfer chops to a clean plate to rest for 5 minutes.

Then lay pork chop on your favorite bread.

Sunny Side Up Eggs

2 large eggs
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter until it just starts to sizzle. Crack your eggs on a flat surface and drop egg gently in hot butter. Add salt and pepper and cover skillet immediately. After about a minute, remove skillet from heat. Leave covered until egg white is cooked, about 3-5 minutes.   Serve one egg on top of each pork chop.

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to ©Welcome Home.

Bánh Mì – More Than a Sandwich

I’ll never forget my first real bánh mì. It was here in San Francisco, at a place called Saigon Sandwich, and I remember thinking to myself, this just isn’t one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had to eat, but one of the best things, period.

Not only do we get amazing contrasts in flavor, and texture, but also the temperature difference between the crisp, warm, meat-filled roll, and cool, crunchy vegetables, makes this so much fun to eat.

By the way, the secret sauce should be just sweet enough to temporarily put out the fire from the sriracha and jalapenos. Which reminds me, everything here is “to taste.” The amounts below are just guidelines, and by guidelines, I mean guesses.

If you’re not into our roasted 5-spice pork for this sandwich, you can pretty much use any of your favorite sandwich ingredients. Ham is great, as is smoked turkey, and while I’ve not tried it yet, I bet many of our grilled chicken breast recipes would be stellar here. Just don’t forget the pate!

I prefer the smooth, buttery type of pate, and you don’t have to get to fancy. That one from the cheese shop, made with pork and chicken livers is just fine. Stay tuned for the French rolls video coming soon, and at some point very soon, I hope you give this a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients for one Bánh Mì:

1 crusty French sandwich roll

3 tablespoons secret sauce (mayo, seasoned to taste with hoisin sauce, and sriracha)

4 ounces roasted pork

2 ounces smooth pate

1/2 cup *pickled daikon and carrot

1/4 cup cilantro leaves

6-7 jalapeno slices

6 thin spears English cucumber

* To make the pickled daikon and carrot, use equal parts and toss in enough seasoned rice vinegar to coat well. Let sit for 15-20 minutes, or until the veggies get slightly limp. Drain and use, or refrigerate. If using regular vinegar, add a pinch of salt and sugar.

Chocolate Cookie Bars Recipe (Vegan)

We've been having some reactions lately and had to cut out cocoa butter, so I decided to come up with a chocolate cookie bar recipe.  Now Sam can still have that rich chocolate flavor, but without as much sugar as brownies have.  These cookie bars are very chocolate-y and moist and are a great addition to our dessert rotation.

Chocolate Cookie Bars Recipe

1 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix together dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Spray an 8x8 square baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Spread batter evenly into pan with a spatula. Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting into squares.

Pan-Roasted 5-Spice Pork Loin – Pleasing and Teasing

Now that it’s been posted, I can admit this easy, pan-roasted pork loin was just an elaborate tease for a video I’ve wanted to post for years; the Vietnamese bánh mì sandwich! If you’ve had one, you’ll fully understand my excitement. If you haven’t, do not miss the next video.

Having admitted my true motivation, I will also say that this very tasty technique is impressive enough in its own right. The misleadingly simple marinade produces big flavor, and by splitting/scoring the pork, we not only have something that absorbs the seasoning quickly, but also cooked faster, and more uniformly.

I’ve been trying to get you to buy that bottle of Asian fish sauce for years now, and maybe this will be the recipe that does it. That really is a key here, as is the Chinese 5-spice powder. Mine included cinnamon, ginger, anise seed, fennel seed, and clove; but this can vary brand to brand. Whatever you find should work, otherwise, just combine equal parts of what I just listed, and you’ve made you own.

I think this particular marinade works great for a 30-minute soak at room temp. Just keep turning it over every so often, and that’s it, you’re ready to cook. Or simply wrap and keep in the fridge for 2-3 hours, or even up to overnight. So, stay tuned for the upcoming bánh mì video, and in the meantime, I really hope you give pan-roasted pork loin a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 large portions:

2 pound boneless pork loin roast, cut in half lengthwise, and scored

For the marinade:

1/4 cup rice vinegar

3 cloves garlic, finely minced or crushed

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons sriracha, or to taste

1 teaspoon fine salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder

1 tablespoon vegetable oil for the pan

Next Up: Something Easy & Delcious with Pork Loin

Sinigang Na Bangus Sa Santol Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large size bangus (milkfish), preferably 1 kilo
• 3 pcs. medium size unripe santol (wild mangosteen)
• 1 medium size (quartered) onion
• 1 bundle kangkong (separate leaves and stalks)
• 2-3 stalks spring onion
• 3-5 pcs. siling haba (green chili)
• salt (to taste)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Prepare the milkfish. Remove the scales, gills and innards of bangus. Cut or remove its fins and tails.
2. Wash fish thoroughly drain and slice diagonally keep aside. Skin each santol, lightly crisscross cut around the meat and cut into quarters.
3. Put in quartered santol and onion in a large pot.
4. Add 6-8 cups of water (at the large pot where the santol is) then bring to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until santol meat are tender.
5. Season with salt to taste.
6. Add in kangkong stalks and sliced bangus cook for 3-5 minutes. Then add kangkong leaves, spring onion and siling haba.
7. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until bangus and vegetables are cooked.
8. Serve hot along with steamed rice.

Source: Filipino Foods And Recipes

Adobo Rice Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

• ¼ kg cooked adobo with sauce
• 1 kg cooked rice
• 1 piece salted egg
• onion leeks, as needed for garnishing

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Chop or shred cooked adobo.
2. Mix with rice and sauce.
3. Top with salted egg and onion leeks.

Source: The Maya Kitchen