Chef Mike's Recipes & Tips

Hello foodies.

I am now serving Fresh Beer Battered Cod w/ Steak Fries ($15) as well as Penne a la Vodka ($8) from 4:30-7:30 every Friday thru the end of March (grab and go or eat at the bar) at the American Legion Post 102 in Linden. 112 W. Elizabeth Ave.

NO FISH FRY THIS FRIDAY THE 17th.

So, I still have an email subscription left and I figured let’s have some fun and learn a few recipes and fun tips and stuff. The recipes are not all my originals, some will be, but not all. Just sharing the favorites from the last 33 years!

Remember, I am available for Meal Prep, Dinner Parties and Small Catering Events.

Thank you,

Chef Mike

Recipe of the week.

Potato Cheddar Guinness Soup -Serves 4

Ingredients

  • Produce

  • 1 Celery rib, chopped or sliced (about 1/2 cup)

  • 1 Chives

  • 1 Onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups), medium

  • 1 1/2 lbs Russet potatoes

  • Canned Goods

  • 3 cups Chicken stock

  • Condiments

  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

  • Baking & Spices

  • 1/8 tsp Paprika

  • Dairy

  • 2 tbsp Butter

  • 6 oz Cheddar cheese, grated sharp

  • Beer, Wine & Liquor

  • 1 cup Guinness extra stout

  • Other

  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh or 1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme.

  • Cooking Instructions



    Sauté onions and celery:

    Melt butter on medium heat in a large, thick-bottomed pot. Add the onions and cook until golden, about 10 minutes. Add the celery and cook 5 minutes more.

    Add the sliced potatoes to the pot. Add the chicken stock, Guinness extra stout, and thyme:

    Bring to a simmer, lower the heat, partially cover, and simmer until the potatoes are tender and easily fall apart, about 15 to 20 minutes.

    Purée the soup, adding grated cheddar:

    When the potatoes are tender, remove the pot from the heat. Pour potato mixture into a bowl and let cool for a few minutes.

    Working in batches, ladle the soup into a blender, filling the blender bowl only a third full at a time.

    Add a portion of the grated cheddar to the blender bowl as well. (If it takes 3 batches to purée the soup, divide the cheese into 3 portions.)

    Holding the lid of the blender down (to keep the hot liquid from erupting out of the blender), pulse until smooth. Return the smooth purée to the soup pot.

    Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and paprika:

Tip of the week.

Do You Know Which Fridge Shelves You Should Store Your Food On?

Knowing where in the fridge to store your food is a question that many people wish they knew the answer to. Refrigerating your food correctly is important to ensure that your food remains safe to eat and stop harmful bacteria spreading for raw to ready-to-eat foods. But what goes where?

How to Store Food in a Fridge:

(Please note that the diagram below was created for the purposes of a domestic fridge, with the bottom shelf being a vegetable drawer).

Top and middle shelf

Ready-to-eat foods, such as dairy products, ready meals and packaged foods, leftovers, cooked meats and prepared salads. These should all be covered or kept in sealed containers to prevent contamination. Ready-to-eat foods are stored at the top of the fridge, away from raw foods so that harmful bacteria cannot transfer from the raw food to the cooked food.

Bottom shelf

Raw meat, poultry and fish in sealed containers to stop them touching or dripping onto other foods. Raw meats should always be stored at the bottom of your fridge to prevent cross-contamination. Ensure that each item is wrapped or in a sealed container so that it doesn’t come into contact with other foods.

Salad drawer

Fruit, vegetables and salad vegetables that have been washed prior to storage. Make sure that your fruit, vegetables and salad are wrapped in paper or plastic with air holes to keep them protected from any contamination. For salads and herbs, try wrapping them in a damp paper towel before storing to prevent them from drying out and to keep them fresher for longer.

(courtesy of Highspeedtraining)

Quote of the week.

I used to be on of those chefs who shouts and swears a lot

But then I discovered oven mitts.

What did the sushi chef say to the bee?

Wasabi (like what’s up bee).

Of course I know how to roll a joint.” – Martha Stewart

Contact me for any upcoming parties! use Time Savor Chef so that you can enjoy yourself instead of cooking and shopping. 908-358-4298


Mike Nodine