Author Archives: patty

Hanky Panky Sliders

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Ingredients

  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 lb. hot or mild pork sausage
  • 1 lb. Velveeta cheese, cubed
  • 1 (12 ounce) pkg. King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls, halved lengthwise
  • ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, cubed
  • 2 tablespoons finely minced onion
  • 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • Optional garnish: poppy seeds; chopped fresh herbs

Instructions

  • In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef and sausage until the meat is no longer pink. Drain off excess grease.
  • Add the Velveeta cheese to the skillet with the meat. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-low heat until the cheese melts. Set aside.
  • Line a deep 11 x 7-inch baking dish with parchment paper, allowing some of the parchment to overhang the sides like handles. Place the bottom half of the rolls in the prepared dish.
  • Assemble the sandwiches by spooning the meat mixture onto the bottom of the rolls. Place the top half of the rolls on top of the meat.
  • In a small skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until tender.
  • Whisk in the brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder. Continue whisking until brown sugar is dissolved.
  • Pour butter sauce over sandwiches. Sprinkle with poppy seeds.
  • Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but not more than 4 hours.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Bake, covered, 25 minutes.
  • Remove foil and bake uncovered for an additional 5 minutes or until golden brown. Let the sliders rest in the pan for about 10 minutes. Lift the sliders out of the pan onto a serving board, or serve them directly from the dish. Cut the sliders and pull them apart.

Notes

  • For the best results, let the sandwiches sit in the butter sauce for at least 1 hour before baking. This allows the rolls time to soak up all of that flavor. I don’t recommend keeping them in the sauce for more than about 4 hours before baking.

Pork and Scalloped Potato Stew

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Ingredients

Pork Stew:

700 grams (about 1 1/2 pounds) trimmed pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes

Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon flour

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 red onion, peeled and cut into 8 wedges

1 large carrot, cut diagonally into 3/4-inch slices

1 leek, white and light green parts only, washed and cut into 1-inch slices

4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1 cup (250 milliliters) dry cider

1 cup (250 milliliters) low-sodium chicken stock

2 sprigs fresh sage, leaves picked and chopped and reserved for the topping

1 bay leaf, optional

1 firm sweet apple, such as Gala

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 handfuls (about 2 cups) roughly chopped hearty greens, such as green kale, black kale, or collards

Scalloped Potato Topping:

1/3 cup (85 milliliters) 35% cream

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Freshly grated nutmeg

1 tablespoon finely chopped sage, plus more for serving

2 medium (about 550 grams/1 1/4 pounds) sweet potatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick

2 medium (about 400 grams/3/4 pound) yellow potatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick

1 small red onion, thinly sliced rounds

Sour cream, for serving

Directions

  1. For the pork stew: Place a large cast-iron skillet or oven-proof pan over medium-high heat.
  2. Season the pork in a large mixing bowl with salt and pepper. Scatter with 2 tablespoons flour and toss to coat. Add the olive oil to the pan and sear the pork in batches until golden brown. Transfer to a plate.
  3. Add the butter to the pan along with the onions, carrot and leek and cook just until they begin to develop a little color, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic along with the remaining 1 teaspoon flour and cook for 1 minute.
  4. Add the pork and any juices back into the pan. Add the cider, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any brown bits. Stir in the stock, sage sprigs and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, peel and cut the apple into 8 to 12 wedges, toss with the lemon juice and set aside with the greens.
  6. For the scalloped potato topping: In a liquid measuring glass or small bowl, combine the cream with salt, pepper, a pinch of nutmeg and chopped sage.
  7. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
  8. Remove the bay leaf and sage sprigs from the simmered stew and stir in the apples and greens. Arrange the sliced potatoes on top, alternating between the two colors, tucking in slices of red onion here and there. Brush the topping with the cream mixture and transfer the pan to the oven.
  9. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the potatoes are tender and golden brown on top. Cool for 10 minutes before serving with sour cream and a sprinkling of sage.

Hyderabadi Haleem

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Ingredients

Wheat and Lentils

  • ▢1 cup cracked wheat or haleem wheat
  • ▢½ cup lentils combination of yellow and orange, see note
  • ▢¼ cup pearl barley

Meat Stew

  • ▢1½ cups avocado oil or peanut oil, most will be leftover
  • ▢3 yellow onions large, thinly sliced, 4 cups
  • ▢2 lbs lamb with bones (or other meats)
  • ▢1½ tablespoons grated ginger
  • ▢1½ tablespoons grated garlic
  • ▢1 cup yogurt whisked
  • ▢4 teaspoons garam masala see note
  • ▢1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ▢1 teaspoon turmeric
  • ▢1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ▢1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • ▢½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ▢1½ teaspoons salt adjust per taste
  • ▢2 green chilies chopped, remove seeds for less spicy
  • ▢2 quarts water or lamb stock, more if needed
  • ▢2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • ▢1 tablespoon chopped mint
  • ▢2 tablespoons ghee

Garnish

  • ▢Fried Onions, Fresh Mint, Fresh Cilantro, Cashew Halves, Lemon Wedges, Ghee

Instructions

  • Soak haleem wheat in water overnight (soak 30 minutes if using cracked wheat). Soak the lentils for 30 minutes.
  • Heat oil in a wide deep frying pan and fry sliced onions in batches until light golden brown and crisp. Do not crowd the pan. Drain onions on paper towels and set aside (See note for easy haleem).
  • In a cooking pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil and brown the meat. Add ginger, garlic and sauté couple minutes. Then add yogurt and cook 5 minutes.
  • Next add half the fried onions, 3 teaspoons garam masala, ground coriander, ground cumin, chili powder, turmeric, ground black pepper, salt, green chilies and stir couple minutes.
  • Add two cups of water or stock and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat, place a lid and let it simmer for 1 to 2 hours until meat is well done.
  • While the meat is simmering, take wheat, barley, lentils and 4 cups of water or stock in another large cooking pot. Bring it to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for one hour until the grains and lentils are mushy.
  • Separate the bones from meat and discard. Shred the meat very well using forks, potato masher or meat pounder and add it back to the meat sauce.
  • Using a hand blender or table top blender, blitz the cooked grains and lentils to a smooth paste.
  • In a large cooking pot, combine shredded meat with the gravy, grains-lentils mixture, 2 tablespoon cilantro, 1 tablespoon mint and bring it to a boil. Lower heat and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon garam masala and simmer 10 minutes. Use extra water or stock as needed
  • Drizzle ghee on top. Garnish with remaining fried onions, chopped cilantro, chopped mint, toasted cashews. Serve lemon wedges on the side.

Notes

  1. Lentils: Use a combination of split dehusked lentils — chana dal (split baby chickpeas), masoor dal (red lentils), moong dal (split mung beans), urad dal (split black lentils).
  2. Meats: You can also use beef, goat, veal or chicken. Adjust the cooking time.
  3. Onions: Use a mandolin slicer for thinly sliced onions.
  4. Storage: Refrigerate leftovers for 5 to 6 days. Freeze haleem in small portions for couple months.
  5. Flavored Ghee Topping: Heat some ghee, turn off the stove and stir in pinches of paprika, turmeric, dried mint and drizzle on haleem.
  6. Optional Toppings: Toasted cashews, sliced chilies, julienned ginger.
  7. Haleem Spice Blend: For this recipe, instead of garam masala you can grind together – 8 green cardamom pods, 2 black cardamom pods, 8 cloves, 4 inch cinnamon stick, 2 tablespoons dried rose petals, 1 teaspoon shahjeera, ½ teaspoon black pepper and ½ teaspoon mace.
  8. Readymade Haleem Mix: Indian stores carry Shaan and National brand haleem boxes with readymade mixtures of wheat and lentils. Their spice packets are too pungent. I make my own as above.
  9. Oil: Most of the oil will be leftover after frying.
  10. Slow cooker: Haleem can be slow cooked to a perfect consistency as the long cooking time will help soften the meat, grains and lentils very well.
  11. Instant pot, Pressure cooker: These devices will cut down the cooking time and especially suitable for my easy haleem below.
  12. Easy Haleem: (easier only if you dont want to fry onions)
    • Heat ½ cup oil and sauté onions over medium high heat until golden brown, for 20 to 25 minutes. Set half the browned onions aside for garnish later. Discard unused oil as needed.
    • Add meat to the pot and brown it. Then add ginger, garlic, yogurt, spices, salt, chillies and sauté for 5 to 10 minutes.
    • Add drained cracked wheat (don’t use whole haleem wheat), lentils and herbs. Add 1½ quarts water or stock and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer for 2 hours, stirring in between, adding water as needed and until meat is well done.
    • Discard bones and shred the meat. Blend the wheat and lentils. Add meat back and simmer.
    • Top with ghee, fried onions, garam masala and chopped herbs.