Pineapple Marinara

That is sage on top...I love pineapple and sage :)

I got a brand spankin new pressure cooker for Christmas, a Fagor Duo 8-Quart to be exact. I have been busting to try it and I finally settled on making this delicious Pineapple Marinara sauce for my hawaiian pizza (which I will post in the coming days). Pressure cookers have been around for a long time, but they are starting have a resurgence now do to their new safety measures (they won't explode in your kitchen anymore) and lots of new publicity from major cookbooks and TV shows. Pressure cookers are back baby! The beauty with pressure cookers is their ability to cook anything at a higher temperature. You see, any food product contains water and the boiling point of water is 212°F. So, therefore, nothing can be cooked past that temperature while it contains water. You can put a steak in an 800°F, but it will never pass 212°F, unless of course you completely dehydrate it. Pressure Cookers can get us around that barrier. Whenever you raise the pressure you essentially raise the boiling point. The Fagor Duo 8-Quart is one of the best on the market and can reach full pressure of 1 Bar, or 15 psi, which essentially increases the cooking environment to 250°F. Given this advantage, you can cook whatever it is your cooking 70% more efficient and given the increased temperature, you can get a lot more depth of flavor. I highly recommend everybody having a pressure cooker in your home, not only are they extremely versatile, but extremely efficient. They are definitely worth the cupboard space!

Ingredients

• 2 cups yellow onion, large dice
• 1 cup carrots, medium dice
• 5-6 cloves garlic
• 3 cups pineapple, medium dice
• 1/2 cup prosciutto, diced
• 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes 
• Extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
• Salt, to taste

Directions

Add the onion, carrot, garlic, pineapple and prosciutto to the bowl of a food processor and mince. Work in batches if they don't all fit. 

Add the olive oil to the base of the pressure cooker and saute the minced vegetables over medium heat until the onions turns translucent, about 4 minutes. 

Stir in 1/2 the can of crushed tomatoes, reserve the rest for another use. Pressure-cook at a gauge pressure of 1 bar/15 psi for 45 minutes. Don't start timing until full pressure is reached.  Once 45 minutes has passed, depressurize the pressure cooker. Blend sauce with an immersion blender until smooth. Season with EVOO and salt to taste.

Chicken Enchilada's

So I know I have been adding very unhealthy recipes as of late for the upcoming Super Bowl. So, here is something on the healthy side! Who says a Super Bowl party can't be healthy in the first place?? This is a delicious and easy baked chicken enchilada recipe that is only 450 calories for two of them! It is topped with a light and refreshing onion and herb salad, enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
• 1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme
• 1 medium white onion, minced
• 1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, halved lengthwise
• Kosher salt
• 3 to 4 tomatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), cored and roughly chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 8 corn tortillas
• 1 1/2 cups shredded muenster cheese (about 6 ounces)
• 1 cup mixed fresh parsley and cilantro, chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the jalapeno, garlic, thyme and half of the onion. Cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken, 1 teaspoon salt and 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook until the chicken is tender, about 6 minutes.

Remove the chicken to a plate. Transfer the cooking liquid and vegetables to a blender; add the tomatoes and allspice and puree with the lid ajar. Wipe out the skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and place over medium-high heat. Add the tomato mixture and cook until slightly reduced, 6 minutes. Pour into a baking dish.

Brush the tortillas with olive oil and put on a baking sheet; bake 5 minutes. Shred the chicken. Top each tortilla with chicken and cheese, then roll up and arrange in the baking dish, seam-side down, spooning some sauce on top. Bake until the cheese melts, 4 minutes.

Toss the herbs, remaining onion, and salt to taste. Sprinkle on top.

Beef Jerky

Alright I'll be the first to admit that this looks like a glass full of dry...well you know. But, you know what, taking a beautiful picture of beef jerky is a hard job! Growing up in the heart of Pennsylvania, jerky was like turkey on Thanksgiving. It would only usually come around once a year, right after deer season. Of course, the jerky I'm talking about was made of venison. Yes, to put it simply, I was a redneck. Not one of those really crazy rednecks that you see walking around your local Walmart from time-to-time, a normal redneck...if that makes sense. We often went hunting, camping, fishing, muddin' , etc. So, naturally, I love these delicious salty treats. Now that the Super Bowl is set, we are down to two weeks to party plan. I ask you this....is there anything more manly...more 'Merrrican...than sitting down, watching a game of football, with a cold Yuengling and a hunk of dried meat? I think not....don't deprive your guests of this opportunity to express their Patriotism. 

History of Jerky

"Ch'arki", a name derived from the Quechuan language of the Incas (which literally translates into "dried meat"), later evolved into what we now call jerky. The discovery of Jerky allowed humans to both store food for long periods of time and have an easily carried, dense source of nutrition to take with them on journeys. Jerky is both flavorful and compact and almost any meat (except pork) can be made into jerky. Some say Native Americans made the first jerky (buffalo jerky) thousands of years ago, while others say an ancient Inca tribe called the Quechua made jerky as early as the 1500's. Whatever the case, this time tested recipe has been passed from generation to generation.

When the first Europeans arrived in the New World, they found that the Natives were making a dried meat product that did not need to be consumed immediately and they instantly knew that jerky would be beneficial to them. What the Native American tribes called "pemmican" was jerky meat added to either crushed dried fruit or animal fat. The Native Americans taught the settlers how to cut and prepare the meat into long strips and later shared with them the entire jerky-making process and some variations of seasonings to make different recipes. With this newfound knowledge and time-tested recipe, the European pioneers found themselves cooking and consuming jerky more than ever before; it was absolutely the snack of choice.

Jerky reached its height of popularity during the expansion into North America, where traders and explorers prized it as an essential source of nutrition as they traveled to new areas with limited accessibility to fresh food and supplies along the way. The fact that meat could be hunted anywhere along the trails that the settlers were following to the West made this method of preparing meat an extremely valuable skill. This was also the introduction of other jerky meat types such as turkey, goose, and other wild game. 

You know what would make an awesome Super Bowl party?? A FREAKIN' JERKY BAR!! Beef Jerky, Venison Jerky, Turkey Jerky, Chicken Jerky, Buffalo Jerky....an endless table of jerky...I love it!

Ingredients

• 2 lbs eye of round, trimmed of all fat
• 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Directions

Slice the beef with the grain into 1 inch thick by 3 inch long strips. They may seem big, but that's fine. They will shrink significantly during the cooking process. In a mixing bowl combine all the try ingredients, mix to incorporate. Add all the beef strips to a large ziplock freezer bag, add in the spice mixture and toss to coat all the strips. Refrigerate the beef for 24 hours. 

Preheat the oven to 250° F

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a baking rack on top. Place the strips on top of the baking rack, making sure the strips are not touching or overlapping, this allows for even drying. Bake for 6-7 hours, until fairly dry. If you prefer the jerky to be on the chewy side, remove after 6 hours. Otherwise, leave it in for the full 7 hours. 

You know when else is a good time to eat beef jerky?? While watching Arnold Schwarzenegger movies!