Older Bolder Life

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friday feast

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast 23 November: Ed’s Kitchen Sink Turkey Hash

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We have a good friend, Ed, who’s been something of a family icon now for over a decade. He’s been a continual font of inspiration and wisdom, a mentor, a business partner, and even an occasional pain-in-the-ass for most of those years.

Ed loves good food almost as much as we do, though you’d never know to look at him. His thin, fit build looks like that of a fifty-something runner, which is somewhat amazing as he’s in his mid-80’s (he constantly lies about his age, so we don’t know the genuine number). He’s sharp as a tack, more active than most men half his age, and was eating LC/MP/HF long before most of us had heard a whisper of the concept.

Back in 2016, Ed pestered us to help him come up with a “turkey hash recipe that he’d really like”; the final result was this Ed’s Kitchen Sink Turkey Hash, built on the foundation of spicy sausage with a big pile of fairly traditional hash vegetables thrown in. By the way, the poblano adds a nice bit of heat and flavor and the sweet potatoes tie in with the whole Thanksgiving theme, as does the fresh sage.

And just in cash you’re not a “hash expert”, one of the critical steps for this recipe is the repeated compress, crisp, and turn of the mixture to get crispy, browned, caramelized edges in every bite. Be patient; keep turning and crisping until it suits you. The browner and crisper the better…

The soft poached or fried eggs aren’t really necessary, but the runny yolks are magic. And Ed insists that this be drizzled with hollandaise sauce, though he’ll eat it with a real-deal turkey gravy too.

1/2 lb bulk spicy sausage
1 large sweet onion, chopped medium
1 medium red onion, chopped medium
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, chopped medium
1 poblano chile pepper, stemmed, seeded, chopped medium
1 large sweet potato, partially precooked (firm), cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
4-5 tbsp good butter
1 lb turkey, white and dark meat, chopped to 1/2 inch or so pieces
1 tbsp fresh sage, chopped, optional, more to taste
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 – 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp good salt
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

Optional
4-6 eggs, poached or fried, with soft yolk
Hollandaise sauce if Ed’s coming over OR leftover gravy

Scrub and dry the vegetables; dice and chop to your heart’s content.

Sauté the sausage until browned; remove from the skillet to drain and remove all but (roughly) 1 tbsp of the remaining fat.

Melt 4 tbsp. of the butter over medium-high heat in the same skillet; add both onions, both peppers, the sweet potato, and the garlic. Cook, stirring now and again, until the onions and pepper begin to soften.

Now add another tbsp. of butter, the turkey, the sausage, sage if using, paprika, thyme, salt and pepper; stir to mix well.

Up your hash game by crisping it up. Smooth the mixture in the skillet out and gently compress it; raise the heat a notch and don’t touch it for 3 minutes or so to let a crispy-crunchy layer of caramelization develop. Then, turn that brown, crunchy bottom over and mix into the upper hash layers. Compress the mixture again and repeat at least two more times – the desired goal here is lots of crunchy, brown goodness. Add the parsley on the last turn and stir.

Serve it right now, topped with a runny-yolk poached or fried egg and drizzled with hollandaise if Ed’s coming over. He won’t eat it any other way, though if there’s any real turkey gravy left over, it might even be better.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast 7 September: Grilled Cumin Garlic Tahini Chicken

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Here’s a bit of a different spin on typical grilled chicken we had with friends a few months back – a Grilled Cumin Garlic Tahini Chicken.

Our daughter recently traveled to Jordan for her work as a photojournalist, and came back armed with several artisanal olive oils and spice mixtures, prompting an exploration of Jordanian and other Middle Eastern foods we’ve enjoyed tremendously of late.

We’ve always enjoyed tahini around our camp (even if used primarily in whipping up the occasional batch of hummus when entertaining company), and the nutty goodness of the ground sesame really comes through in this dish.

The fresh garlic, good cumin (get some fresh) and paprika, along with the fresh lemon juice combine very, very well the tahini, and caramelizing (gently) on grill makes the whole package even better.

If you’re a tahini fan, give this one a spin, it’ll likely end up in your rotation (it has in ours of late).

3-4 pound chicken, cut up
Good salt

7-8 garlic cloves, peeled, minced, mashed
1 tbsp fresh ground cumin
1 tbsp good paprika
1/3 cup tahini
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (maybe just a bit more)
2-3 tbsp avocado or olive oil
Pinch of good salt, more to taste

Cut up your chicken, dust with good salt, and throw in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Mince the garlic, then grind into a paste with the side of your trusty chef’s knife, along with a pinch of good salt; transfer to a small bowl.

Now add the cumin, paprika, tahini, fresh lemon juice, and 2 tbsp of the oil you’ve chosen. Combine well, you’re looking for a thick paste something akin to a thinner peanut butter consistency. Add a tsp of fresh lemon juice or oil if you need to loosen it up; adjust the salt to taste.

Now slather the paste mixture over each chicken piece; it’s much more interesting to use your hands, rubbing it in and coating all surfaces well. Let the chicken sit at room temp for up to an hour.

Fire the grill.

Cook using your favorite routine for chicken; we start this one skin side down, and turn fairly frequently, moving the chicken to a cooler zone of the grill as the tahini-spice paste begins to caramelize. Rest the chicken when done for a few minutes, then serve either hot or cooled to room temp.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast 17 August: Grilled Gochujang Skirt Steak

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When were up in Montana a few weeks ago, I brought along about five pounds of skirt steak for a celebratory fajita dinner. We have a family favorite, Texas-inspired version we’ve been making for years (recipe later perhaps), and ended up making the entire bundle of skirt using that old recipe.

I’d actually intended to do a pound or two using this Grilled Gochujang Skirt Steak recipe a friend shared with us a few months back, though didn’t grill this one up until we were back in Texas settled into our routine again.

We’re using gojuchang more and more in the kitchen these days. If you’re not familiar, it’s the umami-laden, thick, crimson red, Korean fermented chile paste that’s most often sold in the little red tubs in our neck of the woods. For those watching their soy intake, most brands include fermented soy in the mix. Note occasionally a bit of glutinous (sticky) rice has been ground in to thicken the mixture, and some even include additional sweeteners (an ingredient we prefer not be included).

This blistering summer we’ve typically been eating thinly-sliced, grilled skirt steak (both warm and cold) over a big-assed salad, but it makes for a great taco (tortilla or lettuce) along the lines of what we talked about in last Friday’s Grilled Southwestern Lamb Shoulder Tacos.

You’ll want to try this in your rotation next week…

2 pounds skirt steak, trimmed, cut into 8-ounce pieces

1/3 cup (generous) gochujang + more for the table
1/3 cup (generous) avocado oil (or EVOO)
1/3 cup (generous) rice vinegar (seasoned if you have it)
2-3 tbsp tamari, coconut aminos, or soy sauce
1/2 sweet onion, grated

To serve
Warm tortillas or lettuce leaves
Your favorite taco fixin’s

Trim your skirt steaks and cut into roughly 8-ounce pieces.

Combine the gojuchang, oil of choice, rice vinegar, tamari/aminos/soy sauce, and the grated onion in a small bowl and mix well. Pour into a large resealable bag, add the meat and goosh it around so every surface has been coated with the marinade.

Into the fridge it goes for at least an hour, overnight is better.

When ready to cook, drain the skirt steak, and grill over medium-high heat 2-3 minutes per side. Remember skirt cooks really quickly as it’s so thin, and we like ours medium rare…

Pull, let rest for 10 minutes or so while you’re getting the rest of the goods ready, then slice thinly across the grain and go to it.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast 3 August: Grilled Southwestern Lamb Shoulder Tacos

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This recipe fell in my lap one September afternoon last year; I was attending an outdoor cooking demonstration put on by a gifted hunting and game chef (Killer Chefs) – he was cooking an amazing looking (and tasting) dove, pan-seared in butter, garlic, and thyme, before being finished on a grill to crisp it up a bit for serving.

I was chatting with several other interested cooks (and eaters) in the crowd and ended up trading recipes for leg of lamb with one gentleman who shared about a Grilled Southwestern Spiced Lamb Shoulder Taco he had recently prepared for a gathering.

Within a week I’d made up several versions of his recipe and we ended up liking this one the best; you need plan ahead a bit as it needs overnight time in the marinade, but it’s well worth it and makes a great primal/paleo centerpiece for your next shindig.

5-6 pound bone-in leg of lamb roast (about 3-4 pounds boneless), butterflied

Marinade
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
6 cloves garlic, crushed
2-3 jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded, minced
2 small shallots, chopped small
5 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons good salt
2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper

Taco fixin’s
Fresh corn tortillas if you’re using those now and again
Otherwise fresh lettuce leaves
A great salsa or two (consider this one or this one)
Cheese: crumbled cotija, feta, or even goat cheese
Avocado slices or dices
Freshly sliced red radishes
Maybe even uber fresh green onions sliced on the bias
Whatever the heck else goes in your tacos
Salt and pepper

Stir together the marinade ingredients, pour into a large resealable plastic bag, add the lamb shoulder, seal it up and goosh it around until the lamb is covered with liquid and spices. Throw it in the fridge overnight.

When ready to cook, fire the grill, and grill the butterflied lamb for 6-8 minutes per side (an internal temp of about 145) for medium-rare. Pull it and rest the meat for at least 10-15 minutes.

Now slice across the grain into taco-sized slices and start working on those taco masterpieces; you’ll have some great leftovers for the next few days too.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast 27 July: Judy’s Grilled Salmon

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Several weeks ago when posting this recipe for Lemony Spiced Salmon Kabobs, I shared about a clandestine fresh Alaskan salmon connection we had years ago up in Salt Lake City –

Years ago, living and working in the Salt Lake City valley, we befriended a couple who, among a bevy of interesting quirks, were partners with another guy in a small Alaskan fishing business.

This ‘other guy’ had a boat and spent a fair part of every summer up there and fished (commercially); he sold some of his take to the big canneries, but some, he packed up on ice in coolers, threw on a direct Delta flight, and were then sold by our friends out of their garage, most often 24 hours or less out of the water. And at prices far, far less than local fish markets (there weren’t multiple hands clamoring to take a cut out of the pie).

The halibut was amazing, but the salmon was simply stunning.

The guy’s wife, a wonderful woman named Judy, taught us this quick and easy marinade for salmon the first summer after we’d met. We like to set it up the night before grilling, and it’s well worth using a handful of fresh dill in the marinade. We like to stir in a tbsp or more of chili garlic paste (it adds a very subtle but discernible note), and while Judy’s original recipe called for a tbsp of brown sugar, we don’t miss it all leaving it out these days.

1-2 wild caught salmon fillet(s), pin bones removed

1 cup soy or tamari
Juice of one large lemon
1/2 lemon cut into thin rounds
1 bunch fresh dill, trimmed
1/4 cup olive or avocado oil

Optional
1 tbsp oriental chili paste or chili garlic paste
1 tbsp brown sugar or maple syrup

Prep your salmon (pull those pin bones!) and combine all the marinade ingredients, then pour into a large, flat container. Lay the salmon flesh side down in the marinade, cover, and throw in the fridge.

When ready to grill, fire the grill, drain and discard the marinade, and grill skin side down first on an oiled grill for 3-4 minutes, then turn and cook for another minute or two until done to suit your clan. Great hot off the grill or chilled for the next day’s salad.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast 20 July: Ancho Grilled Leg of Lamb

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Last week we shared a quick discussion about road trip foods; the concepts would of course apply to those camping or exploring new territory otherwise ensconced in a hotel or vacation rental.

One of the foods we like to take along, certainly in the warmer months of the year, is a grilled leg of lamb. There are a host of great ways to prepare and grill a leg of lamb; we love traditional Greek flavors around our camp, though we reach for this Ancho Grilled Leg of Lamb three out of four times lamb is on the menu.

You need to plan ahead a bit, as it’s much better soaking in the marinade overnight (up to 24 hours). And it’s very much worth tracking down fresh oregano and genuine ancho chile powder (check the Hispanic foods aisle at your favorite grocer, spices and chiles are often much more reasonably priced there). Don’t be afraid of the garlic amount either; when we originally pilfered this recipe from Chef Libby in Austin, her’s called for 14-16 cloves!

By the way, this is great hot of the grill, and maybe even better chilled the next few days.

1 cup white wine
1/3 cup good olive oil
6 tbsp fresh oregano
2 green onions
10 garlic cloves, peeled
3 tbsp ancho chile powder
3 tbsp good blended chili powder
4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 and 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
1 generous tbsp fresh ground black pepper

1- 4 to 5 pound, grass-fed leg of lamb, trimmed and butterflied

Combine everything (but the lamb!) in your trusty blender and blend well; add more wine if too thick. Slather the leg of lam in the marinade, rubbing it into the nooks and crannies; place the leg of lamb (covered in all of the marinade) in the fridge overnight, consider using a two-gallon plastic bag to ensure better coverage. Turn it once before you go to bed and again in the morning.

Fire your grill, and note you’ll need a fire with some staying power; we like this over oak and natural hardwood charcoal. Gently shake excess marinade from the lamb (but don’t shake it all off) and let it rumble along for 15-18 minutes per side. It’s medium rare at 130 though you’ll want this big piece of meat to rest for 15 minutes or so.

Once rested, artfully slice thinly against the grain and pour some of those incredible pan juices that oozed out while it was resting over it. Holy smoke, that’s good.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Friday Feast 13 July: Lemony Spiced Salmon Kabobs

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Years ago, living and working in the Salt Lake City valley, we befriended a couple who, among a bevy of interesting quirks, were partners with another guy in a small Alaskan fishing business.

This ‘other guy’ had a boat and spent a fair part of every summer up there and fished (commercially); he sold some of his take to the big canneries, but some, he packed up on ice in coolers, threw on a direct Delta flight, and were then sold by our friends out of their garage, most often 24 hours or less out of the water. And at prices far, far less than local fish markets (there weren’t multiple hands clamoring to take a cut out of the pie).

The halibut was amazing, but the salmon was simply stunning.

I’ll share in the next few weeks our all time favorite fresh salmon marinade (thanks, Judy!), but these kabobs are also one of our favorites (we just did a batch last week).

The kabobs are delicious and Instagram worthy as written, even more so with some thinly sliced vegetables threaded on the skewers, but a tip from a chef friend now has us grilling separate vegetable skewers as cook times differ a bit…

For the spice mix
2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano (or 1 T dried)
2 tsp white sesame seeds
1.5 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp good smoked paprika
1 tsp good pink or kosher salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 lemons, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced
2 tbsp EVOO or avocado oil

1 and 1/2 pounds skinless salmon fillet, cut into approx. 1.5 inch pieces

Optional: Thinly sliced baby zucchini, summer squash, red bell pepper squares, etc

For the spice mix, we find it easier to dump all the spice mix ingredients into a mini-processor and whirl them together.

Onto pairs of skewers thread salmon and half-slices of lemon (alternating of course); if you choose to throw some vegetables into the mix, either artfully thread them onto the skewers with the lemon and salmon, or construct several vegetable only skewers.

Brush each skewer with the oil, dust generously with the spice mix, and grill, rotating every 1-2 minutes, until the fish is done to your liking.

Enjoy.