Category Archives: Recipes

Chicken Hot Chili Noodles

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I have become a big fan of using rice noodles in Asian dishes. They are much lighter than pasta and have a great soft texture. I mostly use them when I make pad thai. However, last night I decided make a new dish using rice noodles. This dish is based off of the hot pepper noodles recipe from Bon Appetite. I was a bit skeptical of this dish when I started making it. I thought it would be overwhelmed by the chili garlic sauce but the sauce had a subtle heat and great flavor. The oyster sauce, soy sauce,ans chili sauce blend well together. This quick and easy dinner is great to make during the week. Enjoy!

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Chicken Hot Chili Noodles

Braised Beef Short Ribs

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Over the weekend I made braised beef short ribs for dinner. A warning before you attempt this recipe, it is fairly simple technique-wise but it will take 3-3 and a half hours to make. However, the time is more than worth it for the final product. To come up with this recipe I combined a few recipes I had researched online while looking up how to make this dish. I am a fan of peppers so I added a few into the mirepoix mixture.

When buying the short ribs see if your butcher can cut the ribs into 2 inch pieces cut crosswire, this allows the ribs to fit in the pot and be covered by the braising liquid. After the ribs are done it is important to remove them from the liquid then strain the liquid to remove some of the fat. You then return the liquid to a sauce pan and bring it to a boil to reduce down for 5-10 minutes. As it boils add salt and pepper to taste. You can serve the short ribs over mashed potatoes or polenta. With the weather in the Northeast getting cooler this is perfect for an Autumn or Winter weekend. Enjoy!

Braised Beef Short Ribs

Soft Shell Crabs

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I was in the grocery store last week and saw that they had some soft shell crab. I bought a few and decided to fry them up for dinner. I decided to go with a simple tempura style batter. The batter was very light and turned out much better than I thought it would. The next time I make this I would try to incorporate some panko bread crumbs into the batter. I also threw together a nice Asian coleslaw to serve with the crabs. You can find the recipes below.

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I had a few crabs left over and decided to make a soft shell crab sandwich the next day. The coleslaw worked well with the crab and I made up a nice wasabi soy mayo to put on the bread. It turned out to be a great way to use up the left over crabs. Enjoy!

Tempura Soft Shell Crabs

Asian Coleslaw

Back to Blogging!

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Hi Everyone,

Sorry about the lack of new posts the last few weeks but I was over in England for a few weeks visiting my girlfriend Gemma. I just got back on Friday so the blogging will be picking up quite a bit. Expect to see a lot of England centric posts over the next week or two. I am also competing in a Rib Off on August 24th and will be keeping you updated on the process of determining the rub, sauce, or glaze I will be using as well as the cooking process and contest results. I also have another project in the works that I am working on and will reveal more later on. Stay tuned for the exciting stuff coming up on Smartchefblog!

Habanero Hot Sauce

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I made this sauce last week and it is delicious, a definite step up from store bought hot sauces. It is not overpoweringly spicy and has great flavor to go along with the heat. Go out and give this one a try.

Amanda | What's Cooking's avatarWhat's Cooking

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This recipe comes to us courtesy of my brother, who not only is an expert beer brewer, but an expert hot sauce maker as well. This hot sauce has depth, viscosity, flavor, texture and just a hint of sweetness. All of the ingredients are slow-roasted and simmered together with very little interference from anything other than a splash of apple cider vinegar. I had no idea that hot sauce could be this good. My brother has been sharing this sauce with his coworkers and never has any left over. However, he offered to share it with me after hearing me complain over beers about the spicy hot vinegar that passes for hot sauce in most restaurants, as we sat outside watching the fireflies light up the trees like Christmas lights, seeing if the shooting stars would trump them in brightness like we did when we were kids.  1-DSC_0040

The main ingredient here…

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Avocado Fries

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A few weeks ago I was at Triumph Brew Pub in Philadelphia and tried the avocado fries they had on the menu. I was surprised at how good they were, crunchy on the outside with a nice smooth and creamy texture on the inside. This past weekend I decided to take a stab at making them myself. The recipe is very easy, hardest part is breading the avocados. They turned out just like I remembered the Triumph ones tasting. Give them a try if you are looking for a healthy alternative to french fries!

Avocado Fries

Surf and Turf: Ribeye Steak and Scallops

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Earlier this week I made up a nice surf and turf with a ribeye steak and some sea scallops. I also experimented with some grilled potatoes that I marinated in a chipotle sauce. For the steak I just sprinkled on some kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper then cooked it to a nice medium rare.

For the potatoes I wanted to try something different and looked up a few ideas for grilled redskinned potatoes. Most of the recipes I found were pretty basic so I modified a few to add some spice to the potatoes. I thought they turned out quite well and were a nice change up from a regular baked potato.

I cooked the scallops on Himalayan salt blocks. If you can I highly recommend getting one. They cook some of the best scallops I have ever eaten. They are also good with tuna and thinly sliced pieces of beef. The most important part of cooking with a salt block is to make sure you heat it correctly. You need to take your time to not damage the block. I go over the proper way to heat a salt block in the recipe for the scallops.

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The salt blocks give the scallops a fantastic sear and a light and salty seasoning. Enjoy!

Seared Scallops on Himalayan Salt Block

Chipotle Grilled Red Potatoes

Blackened Chicken with Vegetable Pasta

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Tonight for dinner I made blackened chicken with a vegetable pasta. To make the pasta I took a few vegetables that I had in the fridge and sauteed them. I cooked some pasta and when it was done I tossed it with the vegetables. I’ve been working on this blackened chicken recipe for a while now, the rub works both with this method of cooking it and with grilling the chicken. I personally prefer the grilled blackened chicken but it was storming quite heavily today so I made it in a cask Iron skillet today. The rub delivers a good flavor and a subtle heat that doesn’t overpower the chicken. Enjoy!

Blackened Chicken

Grilled Squid with Spicy Asian Chili Sauce (Sotong Bakar)

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Whenever I think of squid I think of the classic fried calamari at most Italian restaurants. The other day I saw a recipe for grilled squid in Cooking Light magazine and adapted it with what I had available. Instead of making the chili sauce I used a chili garlic sauce you can find in most grocery stores then added a few spices and other things to it. This dish is very simple to make. You throw the marinade together, put the squid in it and let it sit, then start up the grill and cook the squid for 2 minutes a side.

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The squid came out with a great texture, not the rubbery overcooked texture you find out there. It cooks very quickly so the 2 mins a side will give the squid good grill marks and cook it perfectly. If you are looking for a new way to have squid or calamari give this a shot!

Grilled Squid with Spicy Asian Chili Sauce (Sotong Bakar)

Tandoori Grilled Chicken

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While living in England I grew to like a variety of Indian food. One of my favorite dishes was Tandoori grilled chicken. This recipe can be made on either a grill or roasted in the oven. When marinating the chicken it is best to let it sit for 24 hours to allow the flavors to fully develop and sink into the chicken. I have found that the chicken turns out best when grilled over indirect heat. I gave instructions for grilling over indirect heat in the recipe. If you are looking for a new grilled chicken recipe this summer give this one a try. Enjoy!

Tandoori Grilled Chicken