Dig in!?!

Welcome to Brucio’s …

If I can get up any steam, this will fill up with recipes, tips, and other Very Important Knowledge that is just too valuable not to pass on. You’ll thank me later!

deviled eggs

There’s not much to deviled eggs (well, besides YUM) except eggs and mayo.

• eggs, hardboiled, halved, and separated
• mayonnaise

Mash the yolks and mayo, and stuff. The proportions are debatable; I add mayo until the yolks no longer taste dry.

Whatever you can imagine has been added to the yolks, has been added to the yolks. Let your creative side out. Here are some ideas.

Basic American – mustard
American ballpark – mustard and relish (north, dill; south, sweet)
European – Dijon mustard (duh)

I expect that any of the spices from the sweet carrot family will work fine … cumin, caraway, coriander, dill, parsley, anise, chervil, fennel … so far I’ve been happy with the first five. And, so, with any of the onion family, like garlic, red onion, chives, and scallions, or the peppers, like cayenne, bell, chili, and paprika.

I’m a new fan of smoked paprika, and I think a mess of it would work well. Of course, if you are over 65, you must sprinkle the top with paprika for decoration.

Many of the classic spice mixtures should be interesting, like curry, chili, jerk, five spice, berbere, and tandoori.

And then, there are the sauces … teriyaki, Worcestershire, barbeque, housin, aeoli, flavored mayos, and all the hots.

Don’t be afraid of over-seasoning. As they sit, the flavors mellow and soften substantially.

Any of the classic garnishes could be used as a mix-in, like anchovies, onion, pepper rings, pimento, herb sprigs, roe, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, cucumbers, olive slices, prosciutto, and sushi.

Go crazy! You can’t really go wrong, and the more outrageous your choice, the more people will be whispering about your culinary genius … unless it’s the fourth of July … then all-American is mandatory.

burnt sprouts

This is one of those cases where more is better … the bitterness of the burning enhances the natural bitterness of the Brussels sprouts, especially when they’re extra sweet!?! Think French roast espresso.

Brussels sprouts, trimmed and split in half

Saute in a little oil until burnt in places. If not as tender as you like, add a little water and cover to steam for a bit. Season as desired.

To make them extra special, add some butter or chopped nuts near the end and brown them a bit.

seasoned bread crumbs

dry bread or toast, the grainier the better

Break into pieces and run through the food processor with some dried herbs and salt. Drizzle in a little oil, flavored or not, as it spins.

I save all the sandwich loaf heels (that haven’t molded) and use them.

I always use more than is called for when topping casseroles.

 

veggie mac and cheese

1 head cauliflower in bite size pieces, parboiled
16 oz macaroni, cooked al dente
1 pint sour cream
1 pint cottage cheese
8 oz grated cheese

Mix all together and spread in a 10×15 inch pan. Top with …

bread crumbs, seasoned or not

Bake in a medium oven until bubbly and toasty.

Proportions are so not critical in this recipe; these were chosen to deliver plenty of leftovers and require no measuring.

If the cheese is too mild for your taste, try adding a dollop of mustard.

You can punch up the flavor of the cauliflower by roasting or frying it, covered, in a medium hot pan, until browned a bit, instead of parboiling … maybe with a little cumin, curry, chili,  or smoked paprika.

For ultimate laziness, parboil veggies with the mac during the last 1 to 3 minutes.

Try other veggies, pasta shapes, cheeses, and addition of seasonings.

 

lemon sour cream pie

With no egg yolks, it’s even easier than key lime or lemon cream pie … and you can lick the bowl.

8 graham crackers in crumbs
6 T butter, melted
4 T brown sugar
pinch of cinnamon (optional)

2 cans sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c sour cream
3/4 c lemon juice
1 T lemon zest, grated (optional)

Combine the graham cracker crumbs, butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon, and press into the pie pan. Bake 6 to 8 minutes at 350F.

Combine the remaining ingredients, pour them into the pre-baked pie shell, and bake 10 minutes at 350F. Cool, then chill.

I parboiled a cup of blueberries in a little water for just 30 seconds to crack the skins, drained them and sprinkled them over the pie and pressed them halfway down before baking for a lemon blueberry sour cream version. I suspect I could have just stirred the fresh berries into the filling, but they looked kinda cool on top.

black bean and chorizo soup

Super easy, super fast, and easily modified and enhanced. This recipe makes a couple of bowls; plenty for two, but easily doubled or tripled.

1/4 large onion, diced
3 inches chorizo or chipotle sausage (veggie is good), crumbled
small handful dried tomatoes (air-packed), diced
1 can black beans, mostly drained
1 bouillon cube, or equivalent

Saute the onion, then add the sausage and continue til browned. Add the tomatoes, beans, and 1/2 can water. Simmer for a little.

Garnish for flavor and appearance …

sour cream
guacamole
cilantro
lime wedges
lemon zest
diced scallions
tortilla chips or Fritos
grated cheese (cheddar, jack, parmesan)
tomatoes
cornbread
tortillas
sticky rice
salsa
tomatillo sauce

many way flesh loaf

Besides the ground meat and the egg, the ingredients and proportions in meat loaf are not critical, but, rather, governed by taste and availability … experiment! Buy a “one pound” (usually 1 to 1.25 lb) package of ground meat each week and do something different with it. Try savory, sweet, tart, tomatoey, tomato-less, fruity, spicy … see some ideas below.

1 slice dried bread, crumbed (or 1 c crumbs)
1/4 c milk

1 lb (give or take) package of ground meat
1/2 c flavor goo
2 handfulls of prepared veggies
1 egg
seasonings and mix-ins (optional)

In a large bowl, mix the the milk and bread crumbs. Add the other ingredients (optionally, reserve 1/4 to 1/2 the goo to spread on top) and mix (hands work best). Shape into a loaf on a half sheet pan (cookie sheet with lip to catch drips) or in the center of a 9 x 13 pan. The loaf should be of uniform thickness and width, to promote even cooking; 2 in high and 5 in wide is good. Bake at 350F about 50 min (for poultry, be sure it reaches 165F). If you reserved some of the goo, spread it on for the last 15 min. Remove from oven and allow to rest (tented with foil) about 10 min.

Note: You can use a loaf pan, but a free-standing loaf has more surface for roasting to build flavor.

Flavor goo options …

• ketchup + 1 Tbs Worcestershire or steak sauce
• BBQ sauce
• ketchup + 1 T Worcestershire sauce + 2 t chili powder
• pasta sauces of various flavors
• wine and crushed garlic
• cream of mushroom soup

Meat options …

• beef
• turkey
• chicken
• pork
• lamb
• bison
• ostrich
• armadilla
• mixes

veggie options (use 1 or more) …

• 1/4 onion, grated
• 1/2 onion, diced and sauteed
• 2 carrots, grated
• 1 parsnip, peeled and grated
• celery, diced and sauteed
• apple, diced
• sun dried tomatoes
• mushrooms, sliced and sauteed
• leftovers

bread ideas …

• wheat
• multigrain
• rye
• sourdough

seasoning ideas …

• poultry herbs (sage, marjoram, thyme, rosemary)
• Italian herbs (basil, oregano)
• 1/2 pkg onion soup mix
• 2 to 3 t chili powder
• 2 to 3 t smoked paprika
• 1/4 c grated parmesan

southern belle lemon cream pie

Yes, this is the key lime pie recipe with lemon instead of lime juice … and it tastes just as good.

1 1/2 cans sweetened condensed milk
6 egg yolks
3/4 c lemon juice (bottled is fine)

8 graham crackers, crushed
6 T butter
4 T brown sugar
pinch cinnamon (optional)

Mix the graham crackers, butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon and press firmly into a pie pan. Bake the shell at 325F until a little toasty (about 8 min).

Mix the filling ingredients and add to the shell. Bake at 325F til the jiggling stops (about 20 min), then chill.

Optionally serve with …

whipped cream
sliced sugared strawberries
blueberries

Frisco-roni

1 c of a mixture of long grain rice, orzo, and bulgur
2  c broth (veggie or chicken)

Saute the mixed grains in butter or oil til nicely tanned, add the broth, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer til the broth is absorbed (about 12 min).

Optional mixins – Add your choice of these at the start: slivered nuts, sliced carrots, diced onion, slivered garlic.

rice

rice (see below)
water or broth

Boil the liquid (see proportions below) with a drizzle of oil (or butter … to prevent boil-over), add the rice, reduce heat, cover, simmer until the liquid is absorbed (about 12 min for white, 40 min for brown), and fluff with a fork.

rice to liquid proportions (cups rice :: cups liquid) …

long grain white (1 :: 2)
medium grain white (1 :: 1.75)
short grain white (1 :: 1.5)

long grain brown (1 :: 2.5)
medium grain brown (1 :: 2.25)
short grain brown (1 :: 2)

Buying rice – Bulk rice costs a fraction of what boxed rice costs. I like jasmine, it’s nearly as fragrant as the high class basmati, but half the cost.

Nutty tasting rice – Toast the rice in a dry pan (or small amount of oil) until golden, then add the liquid.

Coconut rice – Substitute coconut milk for 1/2 cup of the water, and add 2 Tbs shredded coconut, 2 tsp honey, 1/2 tsp salt, and a pinch of allspice.

Curried rice – Use veggie or chicken broth, 1 tsp curry powder, and 3 Tbs dried currants, raisins, or cranberries.