Author: Daniel Peikes

Lamb Bacon Chili Shakshuka With Quail Eggs

Before you ask, yes you can may this with any type of bacon and eggs, it does not need to be lamb bacon or quail eggs.  I happened to have some excellent lamb bacon from CWS Meats and I also managed to find a local small chain grocery store that regularly carries kosher quail eggs.  I figured a kosher bacon and egg change would be a great one for me and Rachel.

Lately it has been wet, cold and gray in Chicago so I was craving something warm and hearty.  As we are getting close to Passover I did not want to buy any new ingredients, so I rummaged through my fridge and came up with this shakshuka recipe.  Shakshuka is generally made by simmering vegetables in a tomato sauce, and then carefully adding whole eggs and cooking they until the whites are set and the yolks are just warmed through.  Chili peppers are often added to the sauce to give it a kick.

This recipe can easily be scaled up and down for more people, or for that matter the size of your pan.  This recipe comes out wonderfully in  cast iron skillet, but a saute pan or a large frying pan will work in a pinch.

Don’t forget to check out Rachel’s dish using the lamb bacon and quail eggs and let us know which you liked better in the comment.  Hers can be found here: Lamb Bacon French Fries topped with Quail Eggs and Chopped Parsley

5 from 1 vote
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Lamb Bacon Chili Shakshuka With Quail Eggs
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
45 mins
 
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Mexican
Servings: 4
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 6 Slices Lamb, Beef, or Pork Bacon Diced
  • 1/2 lb Ground Beef
  • 1 Medium Onion Diced
  • 6 Medium Mushrooms Sliced
  • 1 Each Red and Green Pepper Diced
  • 15 oz Can of Tomato Sauce
  • 1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
  • Slices of Pickled Jalapenos For garnish if you like it hot
  • Torilla Chips
Instructions
  1. Put a large saute pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crispy. Remove the bacon, keeping the fat in the pan.
  2. Add the ground beef and cook until completely browned. Remove the ground beef, again leaving the fat in the pan.
  3. Add the onions and cook until the start to brown. Add the peppers and mushrooms and cook until the also start to brown.
  4. Add the tomato sauce, cooked ground beef, and Italian seasoning. Bring to a simmer.
  5. Carefully add the eggs one at a time, being careful not break the yolks. Let the eggs cook in the sauce until the whites are set and the yolks are warm.
  6. Sprinkle on the bacon and garnish with the jalapenos and tortilla chips. Serve immediately.

2017 International Home + Housewares Show Review

Last Sunday Rachel, Elliott (Rachel’s husband), and I went to the International Home + Housewares Show at McCormick Place on Chicago’s Museum Campus.  For those of you not from around these parts, McCormick Place is the nation’s largest convention center with 2,600,000 square feet of prime exhibit space.  Needless to say there was an insane amount of walking involved.  We walked about 10 miles in 9 hours.  Once we got there, we met up with Gabriel Prero and his wife Lena. Gabriel is very long time friend of mine (since preschool) and a very talented industrial designer.  If you ever have the chance to walk a trade show with an industrial designer, I highly recommend it.  While I tend to concentrate on either form or function, Gabriel is able to look at a product and truly appreciate the marriage of the two.

To be honest, we did rush through the show due to its size. One could easily spend two full days at this show, as it fills all three major halls at McCormick Place.  Here are some of the highlights:

Anova is coming out with some cool new items including a $99 immersion circulator. Anova was one of the first companies to bring the immersion circulator/sous vide cooking to the home kitchen, and at that price, this new product really makes sous vide cooking accessible to the home cook.

Aervoe was showing a temperature-controlled induction cooktop for $124.  While it is not as accurate as PolyScience’s THE CONTROL °FREAK™ ,at a fraction of the cost, it is be a good option for the home cook.

The Loki Smart WIFI Thermometer, a magnetic ball that can read up to four (internal or ambient) temperature probes and transmit to your mobile device, was something I found interesting.   It also has a social media component for finding and sharing recipes.  They are currently in pre-orders with prices starting at $99.

PicoBrew was there showing off their Pico Personal Craft Beer Brewery.  These things are super slick.  It is a totally hands off system from start to finish with cartridges that can be purchased to produce your favorite style of beer.  The cartridges can also be customized for your own secret recipe.  Unfortunately, at $800 it is out of my price range. Of course, if they wanted to send me one to review I’d be happy to oblige.

Mason jars and fermentation were a running theme throughout the show.  Some standouts in that space were mason jar top companies Masontops, Kraut Source, and reCap.  Kraut Source takes the win in the fermentation department with their lid that includes a spring loaded disk that holds your vegetables below the waterline to prevent any nasty bugs from getting to them. From an aesthetic standpoint, Masontops comes out ahead with some great colors, a wooden cap with a plastic liner, and a chalkboard top.  Finally, from a range of functionality standpoint reCap was impressive, with a wide variety of lids including a sprayer and a pump.

The Party Bar from Igloo
Trailmate from Igloo

Igloo is celebrating their 70th anniversary and showing off the Trailmate, which is best described as the SUV of coolers, and the Party Bar, the ultimate cooler for entertaining.

Like in past years, SodaStream was there giving out their sample bottles and showing off the new MyWater Flavor Essence.  I really love these, as they are unsweetened, making them, a great way to add flavor without added sugar or nasty tasting artificial sweeteners.

We had some time to hang out with Chef Randall Smith at Ergo Chef, and play with their innovative knives. They make a line of RaBBi-Q knives developed in conjunction with my buddy, the winningest man in kosher BBQ, Mendel Segal. Chef Randall also competes in the kosher BBQ circuit on Team Shiva Que.  I look forward to sharing a few drinks with him in the future as we cook brisket late into the night.

Finally we ran in to a few food celebrities including Fabio Viviani from Top Chef,who is absolutely hilarious, Jeff Mauro AKA the Sandwich King, a Chicago native from the Food Network, famous Emeril Lagasse, as well as BBQ legend Steven Raichlen.

 

For Rachel’s take on the show see here: Recap: 2017 International Home + Housewares Show!

Happy Pi Day: Smoked Duck Personal Pot Pie

Pot Pie

Happy Pi day (at least for another few hours) to my math nerd friends, not to be confused with National Pie Day, which next year will be on Tuesday, January 23rd according to Google. For those of you who don’t remember, Pi (π) is the Greek letter used to represent the magical number needed to calculate the area and circumference of a circle.  Its approximate value is 3.14, hence Pi day is March 14th.  See this link for a much more accurate value for Pi: Pi to a million places. Now that the math lesson is over, on to the food!

Many people make pie for Pi Day because they sound the same and they are generally circular (and who doesn’t want an excuse to eat pie!), and therefore Rachel has challenged me to Pi Day throw down. I had some leftover smoked duck from my Very BBQ Purim Se’udah, and figured pot pie was a great way to use it up.  And yes, this recipe will work fine with roast duck, roast turkey, or even chicken.

Pot Pie Mise

5 from 1 vote
Cut Pot Pie
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Smoked Duck Personal Pot Pie
Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
3 hrs 20 mins
 
Course: Appetizer, Main Dish
Cuisine: BBQ, Homemade
Servings: 12
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
Duck Stock (Or Just Use Chicken Stock)
  • 1 Duck Carcass Leftover
  • 2 Duck Wings
  • 1 Tablespoon Celery Salt
  • 1 Tablespoon Whole Mustard Seed
  • 1 Teaspoon Dried Dill
  • 1 Tablespoon Black Peppercorns
  • 2 Bay Leaves
Filling
  • 2 Cups Duck (or Chicken) Stock
  • 2 Smoked Duck Legs and Thighs Bones Removed
  • 2 Carrots Diced
  • 11 Oz Canned Corn
  • 1 Medium Onion Chopped
  • 6 Medium Mushrooms Chopped
  • 2 Stalks Celery Chopped
  • 4 Cloves Garlic Chopped
  • 3/4 Cup AP Flour
  • 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
  • 24 Puff Pastry Squares or Rounds
  • Cooking Spray
  • 1 Egg Beaten
Instructions
  1. Take all the ingredients for the stock, put it in a large pot, and boil for couple of hours. Strain out the solids and preserve the liquid.
  2. Put the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. After 2 minutes, add the flour and whisk until the all the flour is coated in oil and there are no dry pockets. This is called a roux.
  3. Turn the heat down to low and cook the roux until it starts to brown, stirring regularly to prevent burning.
  4. Add all the vegetables, the stock, and the duck meat to the pot and stir, making sure to incorporate the roux into the mixture. Cook until the vegetables have softened.
  5. Spray 2 muffin pans (they usually hold 6 muffins) with cooking spray. Press one puff pastry square into each muffin compartment to form the bottom crust. Add the filling, about 2/3 of the way to the top and cover with another puff pastry square, tucking the ends in. Brush egg on top.
  6. Preheat the over to 350°F and bake until golden, about 20 minutes.

Cut Pot Pie

Let me know what you think of the recipe in the comments.  Also, let me know if you liked my recipe or Rachel’s better.  You can find hers here: Happy Pi Day! Chocolate Sweet Potato Pudding Pie with Maple Coconut Cream

A Very BBQ Purim

So what you may not know is Rachel and I have a kosher BBQ team known as 5 Dudes and a Vegetarian and until recently I was living in condo where I could not grill or smoke.  On the first of the year I finally moved in to a house, and I bought myself a new grill and smoker. So for Mishloach Manot  and the Purim se’udah this year I decided to do a BBQ theme. Check out my menu below.

Appetizer:
Vegetable Soup: Pulled out of the freezer

Proteins:
Cherry Glazed Smoked Duck: I am going to put 2 ducks on new 22” Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker for a few hours at about 250°F basting with apple juice every hour or so until they hit an internal temperature of 160°F.  Then I will glaze the ducks with some homemade cherry jam and finish them over high heat on the Weber Original Kettle 22″  to set the glaze and crisp up the skin.

Smoked Top of The Rib Roast:  I refer to this cut as a poor man’s brisket.  It usually comes netted and rolled, but if you take the net off and unroll the roast, it is a thin striated piece of meat very similar to brisket.  I plan on applying a dry rub of garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, ground cumin, salt, pepper and brown sugar.  The roast will be cooked alongside the duck on the 22” Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker at 250°F until it hits about 200°F and then I will let it rest and slice it.

Beef Burger Sliders:  Seasoned with just salt and pepper and grilled on the Weber Original Kettle 22″. Served on a pretzel bun with all the fixings including slow cooker caramelized onions and home pickled jalapenos.

Romanian Hot Dogs: Because the kids love them! Grilled of course on the Weber Original Kettle 22″.  Served on a poppy seed bun, but no ketchup. (We are in Chicago after all)

Sides
Sides are being brought by guests.
Brought By Rachel:
Super Spicy Drunken Noodles
Raw Falafel Balls with lemon za’atar dipping sauce
Cauliflower Tabbouleh
You can see her Purim se’udah menu ideas here:  Purim Se’udah Menu – the Rachel way

Being brought by another guest:
Roast Potatoes
Squash Kugel

Dessert
Dessert by my wife, Ronit:
S’mores Turnovers: Puff pastry triangles filled with chocolate and marshmallows, and baked until golden brown

And of course plenty of wine, beer and whiskey to go around.
Let me know what you think about the menu in the comments.  Happy Purim everyone!

Barbecue Chicken Hamantashen

In honor of the upcoming Jewish holiday of  Purim I challenged Rachel to hamantaschen throw down.  I figure I should be able to best her easily, as they are usually high in sugar and carbs which are Kryptonite  to my compadre.

While hamantaschen usually take the form of a sweet triangular cookie, I went in a completely different direction creating a savory appetizer version.  For the BBQ sauce I recommend my Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce .

5 from 1 vote
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Barbecue Chicken Hamantaschen
Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
2 hrs
 
A great a savory twist on a traditionally sweet cookie. It makes a great appetizer.
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: Asian, BBQ
Servings: 4
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 12 Round Won-ton skins Thawed
  • 1/2 Chicken Chopped (Roasted, Grilled, or Smoked Store bought rotisserie or leftover chick works great for this
  • 2 Cups BBQ Sauce
  • 1 Whole Egg Beaten
  • Vegetable Oil for Frying
Instructions
  1. Add the chicken and BBQ sauce to a pot and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
  2. Add a teaspoon of the chicken to the center of the won-ton skin, brush egg on the edges, and fold the edges to make a triangle with an open center. Repeat for all 12 won-tons.
  3. Fill a heavy frying pan with about a 1/2" of oil and place over medium heat. Fry over until golden brown on each side and serve immediately.

Please let me know what you think of the recipe in the comments. Also let me know if you liked my hamantaschen recipe or Rachel’s better.  Her’s can be found here: Not one, but TWO healthy Hamantaschen!

Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce

This is a great all purpose sauce that takes advantage of that special something you get from the 23 secret flavors that are combined to make Dr. Pepper.  If you don’t want to take the time to reduce Dr. Pepper to syrup you can use Soda Stream’s Dr. Peter Sparkling Drink Mix.

I love this on chicken and often use it balance out spicy rubs on wings.  It also makes a great condiment for burgers.  Please let me know how you like it in the comments.

5 from 1 vote
Pulled Beef Doughnuts
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Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: BBQ
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 1/2 Cup Dr. Pepper Syrup You can reduce a 2L of Dr Pepper or use Soda Stream Dr. Pete Sparkling Drink Mix
  • 1 Cup Ketchup
  • 1/4 Tsp Black Pepper
  • 1/4 Cup Cider Vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
  • 1 Tbsp Garlic powder
  • 1 Tbsp Onion Powder
  • 1 Tsp Ground Nutmeg
  • 1 Tsp Ground Cumin
  • 1/4 Cup Molasses
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pot and simmer for about 10 minutes on low heat while stirring regularly.

Thai Chicken Won-tons With Peanut Dipping Sauce

Hey fellow food friends, welcome to Meat Your Vegetables. A safe food space for carnivores and herbivores alike.  I am Daniel Peikes, by day I do something boring that no one understands for a bank, and on nights and weekend I like to play with my…food.

My partner in crime is Rachel. She is a pescatarian (which means she eats fish but not meat), but is sensitive to needs of all types of eaters.  One of our regular features will we an ingredient challenge, where one of us provides something for us both to cook with that is a little out of the other’s wheelhouse.

I came in to possession of copious  amounts of slightly damaged chicken breast.  They didn’t look very pretty but they tasted fine, so I figured this was the perfect occasion for me to challenge Rachel to a chicken throw down.  I have been dying to play around with some Thai flavors and needed something that would hide the poor aesthetics of the chicken.

5 from 1 vote
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Thai Chicken Won-Tons With Peanut Dipping Sauce
Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 15 mins
 
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: Thai
Servings: 12 Pieces
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 1 Pound Boneless, Skinless chicken breasts About 3 medium sized breasts
  • 1 recipe Thai Marinade See recipe below
  • 12 Won-ton skins Thawed
  • 1 Egg Beaten
  • Vegetable Oil for Frying
Instructions
  1. Add the whole chicken breasts into the marinade and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
  2. Chop the the chicken with a chef's knife into a very fine dice.
  3. Fill the won-ton skins with the chicken, seal with the beaten egg, and crimp the edges.
  4. In a dutch oven or a large heavy pot add enough oil to come about 3/4 the way to the top. Place over medium heat and bring the oil to about 350 F. A frying/candy thermometer is an excellent tool for this.
  5. Fry the won-tons in batches of three, as to not crowd the pan, until golden brown. Be careful that your oil does not get too hot or too.
5 from 1 vote
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Thai Marinade
Prep Time
15 mins
Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
 
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: Thai
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
  • 1" Piece Ginger Grated
  • 3 Cloves Fresh Garlic Chopped
  • 1 Shallot Chopped
  • 1" Piece Lemongrass Sliced thinly
  • Juice from 1 Medium Lime
  • 3 Kafir Lime Leaves
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
  • 1 Teaspoon Garlic Chili Paste
  • 1 Fistfull Cilantro Chopped
Instructions
  1. Combine all the ingredients and stir thoroughly to combine. Add you the protein or vegetable you want to marinate and let it sit if the fridge for a minimum of an hour.
5 from 1 vote
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Peanut Dipping Sauce
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: Thai
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 1/4 Cup Creamy Peanut butter
  • 1 Tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons Coconut Milk
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes Optional
Instructions
  1. Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook oven low heat stirring constantly until combined.

Please let me know what you think of the dish in the comments, and if you like my Chicken dish or Rachel’s better.  You can find her’s here: Coconut Chicken and Spicy Soba Noodles

Fried Mozzarella Stuffed Zucchini Bites

This Week’s Challenge: Zucchini

Rachel challenged me to do something with zucchini.  Zucchini is one of those vegetables that no one likes as a kid, but most kids I know love things that are stuffed with cheese, breaded, and fried.  You can have some fun with this and use different type of cheese sticks.  I know my kids love the mozzarella cheddar twist cheese sticks and I like the jalapeno ones for a slightly more mature version.

Let me know in the comments how you liked the recipe.  Also, here is a link to Rachel’s recipe, let me know which you like better: Zucchini Pappardelle with Mushroom Coconut Cream Sauce

Fried Zucchini Bites

5 from 1 vote
Fried Zucchini Bites
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Fried Mozzarella Stuffed Zucchini Bites
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 
A crispy and gooey way to get your kids to eat zucchini.
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 1
Author: Daniel Peikes
Ingredients
  • 1 large Zucchini Peeled
  • 2 Sting Cheese Sticks Get the jalapeno ones if you like it with a little kick
  • All Purpose Flour Seasoned with salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 Large Eggs Beaten
  • Panko Bread Crumbs
  • Vegetable Oil for Frying
Instructions
  1. Using the handle of a wooden spoon bore a hole in center of the zucchini slightly smaller than the cheese sticks.
  2. Insert the cheese sticks on to the hole. It should be a tight fit. Trim the the end of the cheese sticks to fit.
  3. Slice the zucchini in to 1/2 inch rounds.
  4. Dust the zucchini rounds in the flour, then dip them in the egg, and crust them in the panko bread crumbs.
  5. Heat a 1/2 inch of oil in in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry the rounds on each side until golden brown. Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.
Recipe Notes

I show this served this with a sriracha mayo, but it would go just as well with a sauce made of crushed tomatoes and Italian seasoning. While this may not be healthiest way to get your kids to eat their veggies, it should be effective and adults will love it. Do you have other secrets for getting your kids to eat their vegetable? Let me know in the comments.