CCRW  – Food for Thought Recipes – 2017 Event

 

 

Below are the recipes that were submitted by our Chefs – as given, in alphabetical order by recipe name.  Or you can download the full FFT Recipe PDF here with one on each page.

Thank you again to all of our Sponsors, Chefs, “Eaters” in attendance and volunteers to make this possible for our candidates.

 

 

CHICKEN POT PIE                                            

Chef – District Clerk – John Kinard

Makes 4 individual pot pies.

6 split chicken breasts, bone in, skin on.

3 Tbl olive oil

Kosher salt

Black pepper

5 cups unsalted or low sodium chicken stock, (I use unsalted)

2 chicken bouillon cubes

1 1/2 stick unsalted butter

2 cups yellow onions, chopped

5 Tbl all purpose flour

1/4 cup heavy cream (I start there but always end up adding more.  I like mine creamy)

2 cups carrots, diced

1- 10 oz package frozen peas

1 small package cremini mushrooms, diced

1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced

1 home made pie crust OR

I package frozen pie crusts

1 egg for egg wash

 

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Rub chicken breasts with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast 35 to 40 minutes or until cooked through.  Set aside until cool.  Remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin.  Cut the chicken into large dice.  You should have 4 to 6 cups cubed chicken.

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock.  In a large pot, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent.  Add the carrots and cook until the carrots are tender.  Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes.  Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce.  Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring until thick.  Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoons pepper, heavy cream.  Add the cubed chicken, peas, mushrooms and parsley.  Mix well.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Divide the filling equally into 4 ovenproof bowls.  Cut a circle of pie crust and place over the top of each bowl.  Brush the top with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top.  Place on baking sheet and bake until top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

 

Chocolate Chunk Bread Pudding with White Chocolate Brandy Sauce

Chef – County Judge Mark Henry

 

Ingredients

2 loaf’s day-old French bread

3 ½ cups milk

1 cup half and half

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup sugar

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 (4 ounce) bittersweet chocolate bars, chopped (I use Ghirardelli)

White Chocolate Brandy Sauce (recipe below)

Directions

Tear bread into small pieces; place in a large bowl.  Add milk and half-and-half; let mixture stand 10 minutes.

Combine eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, and salt; add to bread stirring well.  Stir in chopped chocolate.  Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 13” x 9” pan.  Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees for 55 minutes or until firm and lightly browned.  Cut into squares, and serve warm with White Chocolate Brandy Sauce.

White Chocolate Brandy Sauce

Ingredients

½ cup sugar

½ cup butter

½ cup half-and-half

1 (4 ounce) white chocolate bar, chopped (I use Ghirardelli)

3 Tbsp. brandy

Directions

Combine first 3 ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.  Reduce heat, and simmer about 5 minutes.  Add white chocolate stirring until chocolate melts.  Remove from heat and stir in brandy.  Serve warm.

 

Cuff ‘em & Stuff ‘em Jalapenos

Chef – Jack Roady

Ingredients:

24 Fresh jalapeno peppers

1-2 lbs. Your favorite bacon

1 lb. Softened cream cheese

Directions:

1. Remove jalapeno caps and stems, slice each pepper lengthwise and remove seeds and ribs.
2. Fill each half with cream cheese.
3. Wrap ½ piece of bacon around each half of pepper, secure with toothpick if necessary.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, finish under broiler to crisp bacon.
5. Enjoy!

 

Heath Bars Squares

Chef – Brenda Weber

1 cup butter

½ cup brown sugar

¼ tsp. baking soda

12 oz. bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Saltine crackers

Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with Pam.  Fill pan with a single layer of Saltine crackers.  Boil butter and brown sugar for one minute.  Then add ¼ tsp. baking soda to brown sugar and butter.  Pour mixture over crackers.  Bake for 8 minutes at 350˚.  Sprinkle with semi-sweet chocolate chips.  Let the chocolate chips melt in warm oven.  Once they have melted, spread evenly over crackers.  Refrigerate until firm and then break into pieces.

 

JELLO SHOTS

Chef – Debbi Chrissinger

Recipe:

The standard Jello recipe is 1 part boiling water mixed with the Jello packet, then 1 part cold water stirred in. Simply use your preferred alcohol instead of cold water. Go with rum or vodka as they mix best. Use cheap booze. You’re mixing it with strong flavors and high quality booze doesn’t make them any better. If you want less alcohol in them, use half cold water, half alcohol (not recommended), you’ll get the same consistency.

Blue Raspberry Follow Raspberry Jello recipe, replace cold water with regular vodka or raspberry vodka Cherry Follow

Cherry Jello recipe, replace cold water with regular vodka or cherry vodka

Clear Jello (white Coconut color) Follow Jello recipe, replace cold water with Coconut rum

Other flavors – not used:

Dreamcicle Follow Orange Jello recipe, replace cold water with vanilla vodka And flavor citrus jello Follow regular Jello recipe, replace cold water with vodka or white rum.

Cherry Cream Vodka Follow Cherry Jello recipe, replace cold water with vanilla or whip cream vodka

 

LOUISIANA CHICKEN & SAUSAGE GUMBO

Chef – Loretta Evans Roberts

½ Cup Oil

1 Cup flour

(Or use Kary’s Roux)

2 large onions, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

4 quarts hot water

Salt and pepper to taste

3# cubed chicken meat

3# pork sausage

Sliced okra, fresh or frozen (Optional)

1 cup green onions

1/3 cup chopped parsley

½ tsp. file’

Hot, fluffy rice

Step 1: In a large gumbo pot or black iron skillet, make a roux with oil and flour.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until roux is a dark caramel color.  (If using Kary’s Roux eliminate Step 1 & follow directions on jar as to when to add the roux)

Step 2: Bring water to a boil in a large gumbo pot, remove from heat and add all ingredients except okra, green onions, parsley, file and rice.

Step 3:  Boil for about 2 hours or until meat is tender and gumbo has thickened.

Step 4:  In the last 15 minutes, add okra.

Step 5:   Remove from fire and add file’. (too much will make gumbo slimy).

Step 6: Serve over hot rice in gumbo bowls.  Top with green onions and parsley.

 

Marinated Shrimp Skewers

Chef – Judge Kerry Neves

“Peel, de-vein, clean and boil fresh shrimp.  Marinate the shrimp overnight in Good Seasons Zesty Italian Dressing.

Pat the shrimp lightly with paper towels, then place on bamboo skewers along with a couple of pieces of cheese and a vegetable, such as a slice of cucumber or a green or black olive.

Serve chilled.”

 

Smokey Bacon Wrapped Meatball Appetizer

Chef – Greg Rikard

Ingredients:

40-50 count of 5/8 oz. all beef meatball already cooked

2lbs of thick sliced bacon (hickory or applewood smoked) cut into 1/3 strips

Box of toothpicks for adhering bacon to meatball

Favorite BBQ seasoning rub

Raspberry Chipotle sauce for glazing (or your favorite glazing sauce)

Apple juice for spritzing

Wood smoker

Directions:

Prepare smoker, 225-250 degrees (I prefer a combination of oak and mesquite wood)

Wrap each meatball in bacon and secure with toothpick

Dust each meatball/bacon with BBQ rub (can be prepared in advance)

Smoke for approximately 1 ½ to 2 hours, spritzing every half hour with apple juice (want bacon to firm up)

Place raspberry chipotle sauce in foil pan with a few spritzes of apple juice to thin out and place on smoker for approximately 15-20 minutes prior to putting meatballs in pan.

Remove toothpick when placing meatballs in foil pan with raspberry sauce, let meatballs get glazed with raspberry sauce, by stirring several times cooking another 15-20 minutes to coat

Serve meatballs in slow cooker to keep warm, enjoy!

Premade meatballs work best for this recipe, but fresh can always be substituted

Try with roasted pineapple habanero sauce or your favorite sauce can be substituted

 

Red Velvet Cream Cheese Cake Balls

Chef – Janice Broussard

Yield: Makes 20-25 cake balls

Ingredients:

1 (18.25 ounce) box red velvet cake mix

Eggs, oil and water, as required on box

1 cup (8 oz.) cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese, softened

White candy melts or Baker’s chocolate bars

Directions:

Prepare and bake cake mix in a 13 x 9 inch pan, according to package directions. Let cake cool.

Crumble cake into a large bowl, add cream cheese and stir until the mixture is well combined.  It should be moist and hold together after forming a ball of cake with your fingers. If the cake mixture remains dry, stir in more cream cheese to achieve the desired consistency.

Using a small cookie scoop, or your hands, portion small balls of cake and roll between your palms until nicely rounded. Place cake balls on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil. Place sheet in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.

In a microwave-safe bowl, heat candy coating in the microwave until melted, stirring often to prevent overheating. If needed, add a small amount of butter or shortening to thin the candy coating to a more drippy consistency.

To coat, rest a cake ball on a fork and spoon candy coating over top. Tap handle of fork on the edge of the bowl to allow excess coating to drip off. Place the dipped truffle on the foil-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cake balls.

Refrigerate cake balls to set coating completely, about 20 minutes.  Store in refrigerator  up to one week.

Enjoy!

 

Spicy Italian Stuffed Mushrooms. 

Chef – Keith Gross – League City Council

Ingredients

Fresh Muchroom Caps

Italian Pan Sausage

Tomato Sauce

Red Wine

Red Pepper

Italian Herbs

Directions

Stuff washed mushroom caps with uncooked Italian pan sausage. Place upright on a cookie sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Drain fat. Place mushrooms into tomato sauce that is seasoned with red wine, red pepper and Italian herbs. Enjoy!

 

Tres Leches Cake *

Chef – Kathie Nenninger

2½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

8 eggs, separated

1 cup sugar,

6 ounces (¾ cup) milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour a 12-by-12-inch cake pan.

In a medium-size bowl, sift together flour and baking powder.  Beat egg whites in a large bowl until frothy.  Add sugar gradually, beating to form stiff peaks.  Add egg yolks, one at a time.  Slowly add flour mixture and milk to egg mixture.  Stir in vanilla.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 35 to 45 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on rack.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  Pierce cake all over with toothpick.  Pour topping over cake.  Spread icing over cake and refrigerate 2 hours or longer.  Remove from refrigerator 1 hour before serving.  Garnish.

Topping

1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

2 cups whipping cream

In a small bowl, combine milks and cream. Pour half the mixture into a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and stir in remaining mixture. Cool before adding to cake.

Icing

½ cup whipping cream

½ cup granulated sugar

I tsp. Vanilla

1 cup sour cream (can use light)

2 Tablespoons powdered sugar

Beat cream, adding granulated sugar gradually until cream holds peaks.  Stir in vanilla.  Combine sour cream, powdered sugar and gently add to cream.  Spread evenly over cooled cake.

 

ZUPPA TOSCANA

Chef – Tim Paulissen

Ingredients

1 Lb. Jimmy Dean Sausage

1-2 Tbs. Crushed Red Pepper (depending on how spicy you want it)

4 Lg. Potatoes Chopped Small

½ Lg. Onion finely chopped

4 Cloves Chopped Garlic finely chopped (can use 3 tsp. minced garlic)

3 Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

5 Slices Bacon

4 Bullion Cubes

6 Cups Water

2 Cans Chicken Broth

2 Cups Heavy Cream

1 Cup Finely Chopped Kale

Directions

Brown sausage with red pepper added, after browning store this in the refrigerator for later use.  Cook the bacon in the microwave.  Simmer the onion and garlic using EVOO, add the cooked bacon.  Using a large stock pot, put the bullion cubs, water, chicken broth and heat to boiling.  Add potatoes and cook for about an hour.  Add sausage and heavy cream and cook until hot.  Add the finely chopped kale to each bowl as it is served.

Here is a link to a PDF of all of the submitted Food for Thought Recipes

 

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