Caffeine's Indian Mulligatawny

Soups should never be simply a Winter trend. Packed with protein, if done right, can provide you with tremendous energy while keeping in line with many diets. Ask around. Soup and salad is still a popular menu item at my house. This recipe is sure to become a favorite - even my fifteen year old, junk food loving daughter comes back for seconds. Plan ahead. This recipe takes considerable time to simmer and reduce. All seasoning is to taste. If you find you need salt, use a boullion cube instead. The Caffeine Kitchen is now open.
Ingredients
4 quarts water
6 cups all natural chicken stock (make your own!)
2 potatoes peeled & sliced
2 carrots peeled & sliced
2 stalks celery chopped (including tops)
2 cups peeled & diced eggplant (about half of an eggplant)
1 medium onion chopped
1 cup frozen corn
2/3 cup canned roasted red pepper diced
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cupshelled pistachios
1/2 cup roasted cashews
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup butter
3 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
Dash marjaram
Dash nutmeg
Directions
1. Combine all ingredients in a large pot - easy, right?
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer for at least 4-5 hours. The soup should reduce by well over half. It should be brownish in color and have somewhat of a chili consistency. Stir occasionally in the beginning. Stir often towards the last hour or so. Potatoes should be rounded and nuts softened.

Joe's Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette

Would you end buying non-fresh, sugar filled salad dressing already? I can drink Balsamic Vinegar straight. It is so good. I think between this dressing or a Caesar salad, who needs anything else? I hear the debates rumbling already. You'll literally need six ingredients. You can make this on demand. You can make in large quantities. What's not to like about homemade? And once you see how quick it is, you'll be kicking yourself in the ass for ever spending hard earned money for poison in a bottle. Here it is.. (I had to fill in a little of the white space in an effort to keep your attention)

What you'll need:

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar (quality balsamic vinegar makes a difference folks)

1 garlic clove chopped fine and pressed to make a paste

1 tsp dry mustard powder (I use Coleman's)

Salt and pepper to taste

In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic and mustard powder. Adjust the flavor with salt and pepper (tri -blend pepper is my favorite in this). Refrigerate until you're ready to serve. Make less or more depending upon the amount of people you're serving. 

Garlic, Chile & Lemon Grilled Shrimp

It's never too late in the year to make grilled shrimp! You'll marinate for two or three hours, so prepare in advance. I serve this with a simple spring mix and spinach salad with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette (recipe to follow) drizzled over the top. Other great ideas at the end.

What you'll need:
15 - 20 large raw shrimp, shelled and deveined (tail left on)
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 red chiles or other pepper (I've used serrano peppers) seeded and chopped fine
1/2 tsp sweet authentic Hungarian Paprika
1/4 tsp lemon juice
1-inch piece of fresh gingerroot, peeled
4 - 6 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and pepper

Pound the garlic, chiles, paprika, lemon juice and ginger together using a mortar and pestle, or if you're like me, I use a blender. Gradually add the oil until you get a thin paste. Season with salt and pepper.

Line a baking tray with wax paper and put the shrimp in the center. Pour the above paste onto the shrimp and work in with your hands to fully coat. Toss the tray into the refrigerator for about two to three hours to let all of that flavor get sucked in.

Fire up a hot grill - using an electric grill is ok. The key is to cook for 4-6 minutes (time based on the temp of your fire) , turning half way through or so. Do not overcook the shrimp. Depending on how hot your grill is, they may cook quicker. Shrimp turn pink and feel slightly firm to the touch when they're done.

Serve these bad boys immediately - we hate cold shrimp here at Caffeine. Serve with a flavored vinaigrette, sour cream or tomato salsa.. Or just by themselves.. They are so good, a touch of salt is all I need with a nice salad.

Best Restaurant Representing Charlotte

The time has come to select your favorite restaurant in the QC area! If you had someone in town the has never been here before, where would you take them? The only requirements are that the restaurant can't be a huge chain present in many cities, and it must be open for lunch and dinner services. Voting will be tabulated based on comments here. We will feature the restaurant here and post a review to our friends at Yelp, along with other social media publicity. Good luck and happy eating!

Basil Pesto Chicken Panini

I came up with this a few years back for an outdoor Spring lunch. It's so good, make it year round or whenever fresh basil is available. Never buy jarred pesto. I don't know what it is but it could be the most vile thing known to culinary cuisine.

Basil Pesto:
1 cup basil leaves chopped
2 tbs grated parm
1 tbs pine nuts
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Put all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Drizzle more oil as you're blending to get the consistency you want. See how easy that was? Set this aside in a medium metal bowl in the fridge for now.

Sandwich:
1.5 lbs chicken tenders cut into bite size pieces
1 orange bell pepper cut julienne
1 yellow pepper cut julienne
3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
6 slices provolone cheese.
2 cups loosely packed organic baby spinach
Fresh baked French bread divided into 3 equal sub like lengths & sliced in half to make a sandwich
Salt and pepper

Heat 2 tbs oil in large pan on medium high heat. Add the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Brown the chicken pieces. Once done, and please don't overcook (no pink inside but not dry as a bone), remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Add 1 tbs oil and the peppers to the same pan you used for the chicken. Roast on medium high heat until tender and the skin slightly roasted.

Assembly: add the chicken and peppers to the pesto. Stir to coat well. Spoon out a nice layer of the chicken mixture onto the bottom half of one of your sub rolls. Layer baby spinach on top of the chicken. Add 2 slices of cheese. Put the top of the bun on. Throw the sandwich into a heated panini press. Press the sandwich flat and heat for 3 minutes or so until the bread is piping hot and toasted. Remove with a spatula onto a plate and cut in half. Repeat the process for the remaining 2 sandwiches.

Enjoy!

Joe's Whiskey Barbecue Sauce

This is so easy! Just remember that if you reuse the same sauce used to baste raw meat, I will stab you with my grilling fork unless it is boiled off to eliminate cross contamination... You'll only need about 2-4 tablespoons of bourbon. How much you buy and drink while making the sauce is up to you. I am not responsible if you stumble into the grill on a drunken stupor. :) Enjoy!

Whisk together 2 tablespoons of ketchup with 1/4 cup of distilled white vinegar in a saucepan over low heat. Next, add 1/4 cup molasses and two tablespoons of deli style mustard. Add 1 tablespoon pure chili powder. Add 1 teaspoon each ground cumin, dried oregano, and fresh ground pepper. Add 2-4 tablespoons of bourbon.

Simmer this for about 20-30 minutes, stirring often. Add salt and hot sauce to taste. If you really want to sweat, find a nice habanero hot sauce instead. Feel free to adjust the other ingredients as you see fit. I will often cut back on the vinegar, add more bourbon... you know the drill.

Chicken on the Grill

Let's top the summer off with a kicking good piece of chicken!
What you need:
1tbs paprika
1tbs garlic powder
1tbs dried oregano
1tsp dried rosemary
1.5tsp salt
1tsp ground pepper
barbecue sauce (homemade or Sweet Baby Rays)
8 bone-in chicken thighs

Your favorite wood chips soaked for 30 minutes and drained - I will also use pellets in a tin foil pouch with a small hole punched in the top center

Mix together the first six ingredients and rub the thighs with these mixed herbs. Let them stand for 1 hour at room temperature.

Get your grill going and set on medium-high heat (set it up for indirect cooking)

Sprinkle the chips on the charcoal or add your pouch to the grill. Grill the chicken over the direct heat areas for 3-5 minutes per side. Don't allow flare ups. Transfer the pieces to the unheated portion of the grill and cover the grill. Cook for 5 minutes. Brush both sides of the chicken pieces with barbecue sauce and cook for 5 more minutes.

Check to see if they're done closest to the bone. No pink should be visible. Temperature should be 160 F. Continue cooking as needed. Cover done pieces with aluminum foil until ready to serve.

Do not re-use the barbecue sauce if you used for brushing unless it is boiled off to eliminate cross contamination.

The Chef's Lesson

There are times when we look back and say that we wish we had one more opportunity to do something. If we could have just had that moment of clarity to have a made a different decision. You know.. That general sense of regret. I had such a moment. As many know, I'm a wiz in the kitchen. Experience. Learning. Tasting. Burning bacon and other acts of culinary treason. As with so many other greats, they got there by mirroring those they admire the most. This is my story. The one I admired the most in the kitchen? Mom.

What the hell drew me to standing in the kitchen with her night after night I have no idea. Turn the calendar to present day, I would be given the opportunity to be standing together with her while cooking yet again. Frail, I proceed to cook alone a meal similar to those of my childhood. Cane in hand, an offering to play sous chef brought mixed emotions. I'm thinking: Let her relax while I take care of for a change. In reality, it was a call back to the old days - mother and son side-by-side one more time. It was her need to feel useful and our joy of creating the emotion that comes from eating and making an amazing meal together. I pray it won't be the last.

Avoid regret - embrace the present moment.

Caffeine's Alfredo - Lite Version

For the healthier alternative to our classic Alfredo, start off with getting a cup of yogurt and straining it in a sieve with a #2 coffee filter inside it. Rest the sieve over a small bowl so you don't make a mess in the fridge. You can do this overnight in the refrigerator for best results.

From there, you'll need these ingredients:
1 cup strained yogurt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup evaporated skim milk
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1 tablespoon Butter Buds
1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
12 ounce box fettucine pasta or other pasta like penne

Combine the strained yogurt with the cornstarch in a medium bowl. Stir until smooth. Add the evaporated skim milk. Then set aside. We'll come back to this.

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and saute for a minute. Don't let the garlic brown. Add the yogurt mixture to the saucepan and stir. Add the remaining ingredients (except the pasta) to the saucepan and continue to heat over medium/low heat. If it begins to boil, turn heat to low and simmer. Stir this often.

While the the sauce is on simmer, boil the pasta to the package directions to al dente.

Toss the pasta and sauce together in a large bowl and serve. Enjoy!

Caffeine's Fettucini Alfredo - Classic Style

A favorite around Caffeine Central is Alfredo.. You can't beat this served with a little garlic bread on the side. Cook up some chicken, pancetta, or some nice veggies (steamed broccoli for example) to toss into it to make a different dish each time. This is so easy too. I wonder why I don't make it more often. Stop buying the crap in jars.. This is much easier

What you'll need:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 cups heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder, or to taste (sub one clove garlic minced if desired)
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 12 box fettuccine pasta or pasta of your choice (penne is nice too)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (I also use Romano for a bit more of a bite)

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cream, garlic powder, and pepper and simmer for 10-12 minutes until the sauce gets thick.

The the same time, boil the pasta to al dente (follow package instructions).

When the sauce gets to your desired consistency, stir in the Parmesan cheese.

When the pasta is cooked, drain it. Serve the pasta on plates with the Alfredo sauce poured over top. I will often serve it Southern family style where it's all mixed together in one serving dish for everyone to grab for themselves.

Enjoy!

Carrot Soup with Cilantro

Fall is right around the corner gang. I thought I would get you off to a good start with a heart warming favorite of mine.

What you'll need:
1 tbs unsalted butter
.5 tsp fennel seeds
.25 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1.5 lbs carrots sliced
.5 lb sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
2 tbs brown basmati or other long grain rice
.25 tsp. curry powder or to taste (I use more)
5.5 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock for my vegetarian friends)
1 cup white wine
1 bay leaf
salt and freshly grown black pepper
1 cube chicken bouillon cube for extra depth
2 tbs fresh cilantro
sour cream or creme fraiche for serving

In a large pot, heat .5 tbs butter over medium heat. Toast the fennel seeds until darkened about 2-3 minutes. Add the apple, carrots and sweet potatoes and cook  5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Deglaze with wine. Add the rice, and curry powder, cayenne if desired, chicken stock, bouillon, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and cover and simmer until the rice and vegetables are tender (30 minutes or so). Drain, RESERVING THE BROTH, remove and discard the bay leaf.

Transfer the mixture and small amounts of the reserved broth in batches to a food processor and puree until smooth. When dealing with hot soups in a processor, really lean on the lid. You don't know pain until a food processor lid blows off the top splattering you and the kitchen with molten lava! Only fill your processor half way or less at a time. Return the pureed soup and any remaining reserved broth to the soup pot. Simmer for five minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, drizzle the top of the soup with remaining melted buttor and sprinkle with cilantro, creme fraiche and a dash of cayenne for extra heat.

Serve a nice rustic bread toasted on the side.