The Califunky Hot Brown

Submitted by randilicious
Serves 2

Ingredients

5 tbsp canola oil 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1½ c. milk 6 tbsp Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
3 tbsp sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 egg, beaten
½ tbsp pepper ½ tbsp oregano
1 tsp paprika 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1 c. mushrooms, sliced 8 stalks asparagus
1 tomato, thinly sliced 4 slices of bread, toasted
1 avocado leftover turkey slices and/or ¼ lb. pork roast thinly sliced

Directions

  1. To prepare sauce, in a large skillet combine 3 tbsp canola oil & flour little by little & mix to create a roux.  Stir in flour to absorb the oil.  Slowly whisk in the milk, & add Parmesan cheese & cheddar cheese.  Stir in the egg to thicken the sauce, but do not allow to boil.  Season with pepper, paprika, & Old Bay seasoning & remove from heat.
  2. In a separate skillet, heat 2 tbsp canola oil.  Saute mushrooms in the oil until soft.
  3. In the same skillet, saute the asparagus.
  4. Preheat the oven broiler.  For each serving, put 2 slices of toast on a broiler-safe dish.  Cover toast with layer of slices of turkey/pork roast & mushrooms.  Smother each serving with sauce.
  5. Place dish in broiler until the top of the sauce in speckled brown & bubbly.  Remove from broiler, add tomatoes, & cross cross 4 stalks of asparagus (per serving) over top, & serve.
  6. For each serving, slice up half an avocado & add as garnish.

Chef’s Note: The Kentucky Hot Brown retains a special place in my heart, as I was born in Kentucky.  Of course, I had to add in more of a California flavor (and a dash of my Maryland side too) to make it healthier.

Decadent Huevos Doritos

Kickin’ it old school Food Askew, recipes were shared and inspiration occurred!  Our chef for this recipe, randilicious, was inspired by SweetIrony!’s Huevos Doritos and his overflowing amount of leftover chili and voila!  Decadent Huevos Doritos were born!

Submitted by randilicious
Serves 6-8

Ingredients

1 small bag Nacho Cheese Doritos 2 eggs, yolk & white
1 egg white Shredded Cheddar cheese
2 – 3 c. randilicious chili

Directions

  1. Scramble together the 2 whole eggs & 1 egg white.
  2. Spread chips onto a plate.
  3. Place scrambled eggs over the top of the Doritos.
  4. Add shredded cheddar over top, to taste.
  5. Top with chili.
  6. Top with more cheese.

Chef’s Note: I actually used a slightly healthier alternative called Cactus Joe 100% Stone Ground Corn Nacho Cheese chips instead of Doritos.

Randilicious Chili

Submitted by randilicious
Serves a lot

Ingredients

1 large onion, finely chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped 1 jalapeno pepper
2 tbsp tomato paste 2 tbsp butter, cut into pieces
¼ c. all-purpose flour 1 tbsp dried oregano, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp crushed red pepper
½ c. chili powder 14.5 oz. diced tomatoes with liquid (1 can)
1 lb lean ground turkey 15.25 oz. kidney beans, drained and rinsed (1 can)
2 tbsp Jack Daniels whiskey salt & ground black pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Brown the ground turkey with ½ the onion, ½ the garlic (2 cloves), & 1 tbsp chili powder.  Set aside.
  2. In a large skillet over medium heat, combine remainder of onion, garlic, & tomato paste. Cover & cook for 5 minutes.
  3. Stir in butter until melted. Stir in flour, oregano, cumin, red pepper, chili powder, tomatoes, beef, & Jack Daniels. Cook uncovered for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Stir in the beans & cook for another 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Salt, pepper, & other spices to taste.
  5. Simmer covered at low heat until serving time.

Guiltless Mushroom Gravy

Submitted by randilicious
Serves 6

Ingredients

3 tbsp canola oil 2 c. mushrooms, sliced thin
1 onion, finely diced (about 1½ c.) 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. red wine 4 tbsp whole wheat flour
10 oz. chicken broth (1 can) ½ c. water
salt & pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Ben Seibel Iroquois Gravy Boat by Patrick Q on FlickrCoat bottom of saucepan with canola oil.  Mix in mushrooms & saute.
  2. Add onions, garlic, & red wine.  Mix well until wine boils off.  The onions should cook off until they are tiny.  All that should be left are the mushrooms, tiny bits of onion & garlic, & just a bit of the oil.
  3. Mix in the flour.  Stir well & often until it becomes a paste-like mixture.
  4. Add chicken broth.  Stir often to keep mushrooms from burning onto the surface.  As the broth boils, the gravy should thicken.
  5. Add water to the desired consistency.
  6. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Chef’s Note: I use baby bella mushrooms. I like mine thick, so I only use ½ cup of water in step 5.

Saucepot Tips – Kahlua instead of Vanilla Extract

Submitted by randilicious
If the recipe calls for vanilla extract & you have none on hand, try using equal amounts of Kahlua instead. Alternately when a recipe calls for vanilla extract, along with the vanilla toss in a half portion of Kahlua (e.g. if the recipe calls for 1 tbsp of vanilla extract, toss in 1 tbsp vanilla extract and ½ tbsp Kahlua). If you’re concerned about getting drunk on your creation, only do this for recipes that involve heating as the alcohol will boil off but the taste will remain.