Mardi Gras Pasta Salad

Hello my Hy-Vee friends!

Mardi Gras is just around the corner and as much as I love sharing recipes for all food Cajun and Creole, today’s idea is a bit more "colorful." The colors of Mardi Gras are purple, green and gold. While I won’t bore you with what the colors mean, I did want to represent them in a dish. After some thought, I created a pasta salad that simply screams Mardi Gras. 

All you need is 3 one pound boxes of your favorite pasta and a box of food coloring. In one pot add the bottle of yellow, in the second pot add the bottle of green and in the third add ¾ bottle of blue and the entire bottle of red food coloring. Boil each pound of pasta separately in each pot of water. Drain and combine. At that point add what you want! I mixed in a red wine vinaigrette with olives, salami, ham, and provolone. Delicious and festive!

Let the good times roll and as always, Praise the Lard!

-Chef Alex

Caramelized Onion Bacon Dip

Hello my Hy-Vee friends!

Oh the memories of the big game growing up...can I remember any of the stats? Of course not. But I can remember the first dip I made. I was about 8 years old and it was French Onion Dip. I opened a pack of that French onion dip powder, poured it into a bowl and mixed in sour cream. Voila, it was done! It was cool, creamy and delicious. I still love that dip but a little over 35 years later, my taste buds are craving something a little more sophisticated.

I now caramelize the onions, mix in bacon and add asiago cheese. I am no longer that nervous 8 year old boy but tasting this new improved version of the dip still brings me back to that that small kitchen in Chicago helping my mom make food for the big game.

Caramelized Onion Bacon Dip

All you need:
1 tablespoon oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon brown sugar
8 ounces cream cheese, softened 
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup shredded asiago cheese
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled 

All you do:
1. In a medium sized skillet add oil, brown sugar and onions. Cook over low heat until onions are brown and caramelized.
2. Combine onions, cream cheese, mayonnaise, 1/2 cup grated asiago and bacon.
3. Spread into a baking dish and top with remaining cheese.
4. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes of until top is nicely golden brown.
5. Enjoy!

We also sell this dip on the shelf across from our Produce department!

Enjoy the big game and as always, Praise the Lard!

-Chef Alex

Miso-Marinated Salmon

It’s a new year which means it's time to explore bold flavors in your kitchen. Today we talk miso paste, a delicious fermented soy bean paste (trust me it tastes much better than it sounds). Miso paste is rich in glutamates, which gives foods that meaty bold taste known as umami. We carry miso in the Health Market refrigerator section.

Miso is delicious in soups, whisked into mayo, mixed into salad dressing and one my favorite applications is in a marinade for salmon (see recipe below). 

Miso Salmon

All you need:

-¼ cup miso (a little goes a long way)

-2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

-2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

-2 teaspoons sesame oil

-A pinch of sugar

-2 cloves garlic, minced

-4 eight ounce pieces of salmon

-Sesame seeds

All you do:

1. Whisk together the miso, rice wine vinegar, low sodium soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and garlic in a bowl. 

2. Pour the mixture over the salmon and marinate for about an hour. 

3. Grill to desired temperature.

4. Top with sesame seeds.
5. Enjoy!

Delicious, simple and bold.

Keep cooking with big flavors in this new year and as always, Praise the Lard!

-Chef Alex

New Year, New Flavors

Happy New Year my Hy-Vee Friends!

I could tell you how to start the new year by eating healthier. You know the pitch—eat more grains, drink more water, skip the bacon...while that is all sage advice, you can visit our dietitians for that! I am here to talk to you about new flavors in the new year! With the new year I propose you try new bold flavors that you might not have not done in the past. Think outside the box.

Our line of Food Trk Fusion sauces is a perfect example. Inspired by the bold flavors of food trucks, Food Truck Fusion has a variety of sauces that include ingredients like gochujang (a fiery Korean bean paste) and sambal (an Indonesian garlic chile paste). Simply grill up a steak, splash some sauce on and you have an exciting new dish to welcome the new year!

Stay tuned for more bold ideas for your new year and as always, Praise the lard!

-Chef Alex

Smoked Salmon Lollipops

Hello my Hy-Vee friends!

When I think New Year’s Eve, I think of eating fun little bites throughout the night as opposed to sitting down to one huge meal that puts you into a coma so that you are asleep by 10pm. Preferably something luxurious that goes great with champagne.

If there is ever a night to buy incredible champagne (like my favorite, Veuve Cliquot) and luxurious food like king crab, smoked salmon and caviar, tonight is the night. The recipe below fits the bill perfectly!

Smoked Salmon Lollipops

Makes 20-30 lollipops.

All you need:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 red onion, diced
2 teaspoon fresh dill, chopped
2 tablespoons capers
12 ounces smoked salmon, sliced thin
20 to 30 lollipop sticks (available at candy and craft stores)
Freshly ground black pepper
Thinly sliced cucumber 

All you do:

1. In a bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, onion, dill and capers until well blended. Season with pepper to taste.
2. Using a miniature ice-cream scoop, make a small ball of the cream-cheese mixture. Wrap a thin slice of the salmon around the cheese ball and insert a lollipop stick.
3. Repeat until all the cheese and salmon are used.
4. Line a round serving tray with thinly sliced cucumber. 

5. Arrange the pops in a circular pattern with the stick ends facing out.
6. Serve at room temperature.

Praise the Lard and Happy New Year!

-Chef Alex

Sopressata Brie Bites

Happy Holidays my Hy-Vee friends!

Let me guess, you have 10 people coming over for appetizers tonight. Even better, you are going to someone’s house and you don’t want to be that guy that brings the BBQ flavored Pringles. Well I have an easy and tasty solution for you--Sopressata Brie Bites! 

All you do:

1. Preheat the oven to 350^oF.

2. Place thinly sliced sopressata (or any other good quality salami) on a sheet tray. 

3. Bake for 6 to 7 minutes or until crispy (it should be crispy like a potato chip).

4. Place a small piece of brie cheese on the salami.

5. Top with chopped sun-dried tomato. 

Volia! You’re done. Low carb, elegant, creamy and crispy. Stay tuned for more easy, elegant holiday appetizers.

And as always, Praise the Lard!

-Chef Alex

Bacon, Beer, Brisket and Black Bean Chili

Hello my Hy-Vee Friends!

I know it's been a while but I am back and I am here to talk about one of my favorite things to make...CHILI! I love all types of chili, as I am sure you do too. White chicken chili from California, New Mexican green pork chili and Cincinnati 5 way chili are all fantastic in my book. Perhaps ironically the only chili I am not crazy about is the “traditional” one with ground beef, tomato sauce and canned chili beans. To me it is an uninspired mess. I want a chili to taste rich, beefy and have a nice smoky, spicy finish. I start with small diced brisket, add some bacon for some richness, black beans for earthiness, a bottle of beer which lends some complexity to the dish, a chipotle pepper and fire roasted tomatoes which bring smokiness and heat to the party. Try this recipe and I guarantee you will never look at chili the same way again.

Bacon, Beer, Brisket and Black Bean Chili:

Serves 6-8.

10 slices thick cut bacon, thinly sliced

3 pounds brisket, small dice

2 large onions, small dice

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, finely chopped (not one can, just one pepper)

1 bottle Mexican amber beer, like Dos Equis Amber

2 cans fire roasted diced tomatoes with peppers, onions and garlic with their juices

1 can beef stock

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

All you do: 

1. In a skillet cook bacon over medium high heat until crispy about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve the fat.

2. In a large pot add three tablespoons of the bacon fat over high heat. Season the meat and add in batches until brown on all sides. Remove meat and set aside.

3. Add onions and cook 6 minutes. Add garlic and reduce heat to medium. Cook one minute. Add the chili powder, oregano and coriander to the onion mixture and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. 
4. Add the browned meat, drained bacon, the chipotle pepper, beer, tomatoes, beef stock and brown sugar.

5. Turn down heat to medium low, cover the pot and simmer for 2 hours. Stir in the black beans and add water if mixture is too thick. Simmer an additional 20 minutes.

6. Taste and adjust seasoning.

7. Serve chili with shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream.

As always, Praise the Lard and the Chili!

-Chef Alex