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Story told by FriarWorks Team, Jun 16 2021

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Friar Chef: June 29, 2021
Summer Chicken

Ingredients:

  • 3 lbs. skin-on boneless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup olive oil
  • 1 cup lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup minced garlic
  • 1/2 cup fresh chopped rosemary
  • 1 cup white wine (to your taste)
  • Salt (to taste)
  • Pepper (to taste)
  • Parsley (to taste)
  • Sliced lemon (optional)

To Prepare:

  1. In a large basin, prepare your marinade: olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, chopped rosemary, white wine, salt, and pepper. (All to taste!)
  2. Pre-wash your chicken breasts and place into the marinade mix, being sure to coat on both sides.
  3. Salt and pepper the chicken breasts in the marinade, add rosemary sprigs, cover, and let sit for a few hours or overnight.
  4. Pre-heat oven to 400°, remove chicken from marinade and place onto baking sheets. (Foil-lined sheets make for easy cleanup!)
  5. Bake at 400°, for 20-25 minutes, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160°-165°. (Do not consume raw or undercooked chicken.)
  6. When chicken is cooked through, remove from oven, and let rest for 5-10 minutes. (Optional: broil for a few minutes for a crispier skin!)
  7. After chicken has rested and retained its moisture, you can cut breasts into slices or choose to serve whole.
  8. Garnish with some fresh parsley, rosemary, and sliced lemon (optional) for color. Serve hot and enjoy!

Friar Chef: June 16, 2021
Spaghetti With Sausage and Meatballs

Ingredients:

  • 1 large white onion, chopped
  • 2 cans whole tomatoes
  • ½ cup red wine
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic (or more, to taste)
  • 1 lb. spaghetti
  • Fresh basil
  • Sea salt (to taste)
  • Pepper (to taste)
  • Your favorite prepared meats (meatballs, sausage, chicken, etc.)

To Prepare:

  1. In a large saucepan, heat a generous amount of olive oil over medium heat.
  2. When oil is hot but not smoking, add chopped onions to the pan and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring often.
  3. Add a generous spoonful of minced garlic to the oil and onions and stir to combine.
  4. Using your hands to squeeze, add two cans of whole tomatoes to the simmering oil, garlic, and onion mixture.
  5. Add sea salt and pepper to taste and stir the sauce to combine.
  6. Add approximately ½ cup of red wine, stir to combine.
  7. Add your favorite meats to the simmering sauce where they will continue to cook through. Stir to combine.
  8. Simmer on low heat for at 2-3 hours. (If you have the time, you can let this simmer all day for more robust and heartier flavor.)
  9. When sauce is done to your liking, remove the meats and set aside, and skim off any excess oil that released from the meat.
  10. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil, add your spaghetti, and cook until al dente, approximately 8-10 minutes.
  11. Spoon a generous amount of sauce on the bottom of a large serving bowl to prevent pasta from clumping.
  12. Tear up some fresh basil onto the serving bowl and stir the rest into the sauce.
  13. Strain pasta, add to serving bowl, and coat generously with sauce.

Friar Chef: April 29, 2021
The Hasselback Potato

Ingredients:

  • 8 tablespoons (one stick) butter, melted
  • 6 medium russet potatoes, peeled (optional)
  • Hawaiian sea salt (to taste)
  • ½ cup chopped onions

Optional Add-Ons:

  • Grated cheese (your favorite type)
  • Chopped parsley
  • Fresh chives
  • Garlic salt
  • Black pepper

To Prepare:

  1. Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Peel your potatoes place between 2 chopsticks. Slice the potato into thin slices, leaving 1/4 inch at the bottom unsliced. (The chopsticks will guide the way!)
  2. Put the potatoes on a baking sheet. In a small pot, melt one stick of butter and brush onto potatoes, making sure to get in between all the slices.
  3. Sprinkle each potato with Hawaiian sea salt and any other seasonings that you enjoy.
  4. Dice one large onion and sprinkle onto the buttered and seasoned potatoes.
  5. Bake at 400 degrees until tender, about 45 to 60 minutes. (If you like, try adding your favorite cheese to the potato during the last half of baking.)
  6. Transfer to serving plate, use a knife to check tenderness.
  7. Sprinkle with a little more Hawaiian sea salt or other favorite seasonings and toppings (like chopped parsley or fresh chives).
  8. Serve hot alongside your favorite meal and ENJOY!

Friar Chef: April 15, 2021
Flavorful Pot Roast

Ingredients:

  • Brine
  • Water – to cover the piece of meat
  • ¼ cup salt
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 handful peppercorns
  • Meat
  • 4 lbs. bottom round or eye of round
  • 4 slices of thick cut bacon
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2-3 large onions, sliced
  • 10 ginger snaps, ground
  • 1-2 cups flour (enough flour to dredge the meat)
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • ½ tablespoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 3 or 4 strips of bacon
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Chopped parsley for garnish
  • Your favorite savory or sweet fillings and toppings

Instructions

  1. For one hour, brine the meat in water (enough to cover the meat), ¼ cup salt, ½ cup brown sugar, 2 bay leaves, and a handful peppercorns.
  2. In a large pan, begin frying bacon. (You can also use bacon fat for extra flavor.)
  3. After the meat has brined for an hour, remove the peppercorns and pat dry with paper towels.
  4. Combine 1-2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon of salt, ½ tablespoon pepper, and one tablespoon of garlic powder.
  5. Dredge the bottom round in the flour mixture, packing it into the meat. Be sure to brush off any excess flour.
  6. Give your bacon a stir, add the flour-dredged meat to the pan fat side down. Add about ¼ olive oil around the meat.
  7. Turn burner to medium-low and begin browning your meat on all sides. This locks in the moisture and makes for a juicy bite!
  8. Once you have reached a browning point on all sides, cover the pan and let the meat cook over medium-low heat for 2-3 hours.
  9. While the meat cooks, slice your onions and add a pinch of salt and pepper to bring out the moisture.
  10. Add the onions (you can never have too many onions!) to the pan with a few bay leaves and let them cook down with the meat.
  11. Add ground-up ginger snaps (approximately 10) and whisk into the gravy to thicken.
  12. After the meat has cooked through, cut into slices and return the meat to the simmering gravy.
  13. Plate on a large platter, garnish with chopped parsley, serve hot and enjoy!
  • (This meal goes GREAT with mashed potatoes mixed with mascarpone cheese, butter, half and half cream, and chopped chives!)

Friar Chef: April 1, 2021
Fr. David’s Pizza Fritta

Ingredients:

  • 1 ⅓ cups warm water
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast (1 standard packet)
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour (plus more for hands and surface and to use during he kneading process.)
  • Your favorite savory or sweet fillings and toppings

How To Prepare

  1. Combine warm water with your yeast and some sugar. Let rest for about ten minutes.
  2. Combine 1 ½ cups of flour, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 ¼ cups of water. Stir until mixture is a paste-like consistency.
  3. Add yeast mixture and continue to stir. You may add an additional cup of flour to thicken the dough.
  4. Cover dough with a warm, moist towel and leave to rest in a warm location for about an hour until it doubles in size.
  5. Sprinkle some flour on a work surface. Lightly punch the dough down, then turn it out onto the floured surface.
  6. Divide dough into small pieces and using your hands and a rolling pin, work the dough into thin sheets.
  7. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the thinly rolled dough into small pieces and place on a baking sheet.
  8. In a medium sized frying pan, heat a generous amount of olive oil over medium heat.
  9. When the oil begins to shimmer, gently drop in the sliced dough with a pair of tongues, pushing the dough down as it fries.
  10. Fry dough until it is golden brown on both sides. Remove from oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
  11. Gather your favorite toppings (savory or sweet), cut open a pocket in the fried dough, and fill the pocket like a pita. Enjoy!

Friar Chef: March 18, 2021
Fr. Tom’s Baked Cod


Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
  • 1 ¼lb cod fillets 4-6 pieces ( 1 inch thick or more)
  • Salt, pepper and chili flakes to taste
  • Zest of one lemon
  • Panko breadcrumbs?
  • 3 garlic cloves rough chopped
  • ¼ cup basil leaves torn

To Prepare:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Cut filets at least one inch thick, pat dry, transfer to baking sheet.
  3. Coat each side of the fish with olive oil.
  4. Season all generously with salt, pepper and chili flakes.
  5. Scatter the garlic cloves. Add the tomatoes, lemon zest, breadcrumbs and toss.
  6. Bake for ten minutes. Give the pan a good shake, jostling the tomatoes a bit. Bake 5 more minutes or until fish is cooked to your liking.
  7. When done, transfer filets, tomatoes, and garlic to a serving tray.
  8. Garnish with a wilted basil leaf. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Friar Chef: March 6, 2021
Fr. Julian’s Shrimp Dumpling Soup

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs. shrimp, deveined
  • 2 tablespoons fresh minced garlic
  • 4 teaspoons of miso soup mix
  • 2 lbs. shrimp dumplings (available in Asian grocery stores)
  • 1 lb. crab meat (fresh or canned)
  • 3 green onion stems
  • ¼ chopped Chinese cabbage
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 spoon full soy sauce
  • ¼ teaspoon of black pepper

To Prepare:

  1. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil and minced garlic over medium heat.
  2. Add your cleaned shrimp and stir-fry to coat with oil and garlic, about one minute. Be careful not to overcook! (They will cook again in soup broth.)
  3. Remove shrimp from saucepan and set aside. Add crab meat to the now-seasoned saucepan and stir-fry to combine flavors, about one minute. Remove crab meat from saucepan and set aside.
  4. Add hot water to the saucepan, which will serve as a base to your broth. Bring water to a boil.
  5. When water reaches a boil, add your shrimp dumplings and stir. Let dumplings steep in the broth, stirring occasionally.
  6. Add miso soup mix to the broth stir to combine.
  7. Add shrimp and crab meat and simmer until the dumplings float on the surface and the shrimp inside turns pink (cut one in half to check), 3 to 4 minutes.
  8. Transfer contents to a separate serving bowl for finishing touches.
  9. Add a generous handful of green onions and chopped Chinese cabbage. Use a ladle to stir and steep the greens.
  10. Season with salt, pepper, and soy sauce. Stir to combine, serve hot, and enjoy!

Friar Chef: February 18, 2021
Fr. Julian’s Egg Drop Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (optional chicken stock paste)
• 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ teaspoon olive oil
• ¼ cup sliced green onions

To Prepare:

1. Boil 4 quarts of water. In a bowl, crack and scramble your eggs.
2. Generously season with cracked pepper and salt, continue to whisk.
3. Slowly whisk in olive oil.
4. In a separate bowl, add the chicken stock paste and boiling water, stirring and mashing to
combine. Make sure it is diluted completely.
5. When stock mixture is sufficiently combined, add to 4 quarts of boiling water.
6. Reduce heat to a simmer. Slowly drizzle the eggs into the soup while gently stirring in a
circle in the same direction. Stir in green onions.
7. Serve hot and enjoy!


Friar Chef: January 26, 2021
Cheesy Baked Pasta with Sausage

Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • ¾ pound bulk hot or mild Italian sausage
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, coarsely crushed
  • Pinch of red-pepper flakes
  • 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes w/ juices
  • 1 (14-ounce) can crushed / strained tomatoes
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Kosher salt
  • 12 ounces dried pasta
  • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cubed
  • 6 ounces whole-milk ricotta
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan
  • ¼ cup basil leaves

To Prepare:

  1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Heat oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high. Crumble sausage into skillet, using a spoon to break it into small pieces. Cook until starting to brown, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook another 1 to 2 minutes.
  2. Stir in whole tomatoes and their juice, using a knife to break them up. Add crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, oregano, fennel seeds, red-pepper flakes (if using), and 2 teaspoons salt, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes to thicken slightly.
  3. Pluck out the bay leaves. Stir in pasta and 1 cup water and return to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 2 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
  4. Remove from heat, and fold in about a third of the ricotta. Top pasta with remaining mozzarella and dollops of ricotta. Sprinkle with Parmesan, then transfer to oven. Bake until pasta is tender when poked with a fork, and cheese is bubbly and lightly golden, 18 to 22 minutes. (If you’d like a more deeply browned topping, run the pan under the broiler for 1 or 2 minutes.)
  5. Top with basil, plenty of black pepper, and more Parmesan. Serve hot and enjoy!

Friar Chef: December 30, 2020
Fr. Michael’s Bolognese Sauce

Time: 90 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 Servings

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 lbs. of ground beef, pork, veal
  • 2 lbs. of pasta (tagliatelle or rigatoni)
  • ½ lbs. of ground pancetta and mortadella
  • 1 onion
  • 1 bag of carrots
  • 2 stalks of celery including leaves
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons Anchovy paste
  • 1 small can of tomato paste
  • 1 can of Marzano tomatoes
  • 1 cup of wine
  • 1 carton of Pomi strained tomatoes
  • Italian Romano Cheese (to taste)
  • few flakes pepperoncino (to taste)
  • dried and fresh basil
To Prepare:

1. In a food processor place the chopped onion, carrot, celery, garlic, pancetta and mortadella with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and process. Take out of the food processor, put on the side.
2. In a large pot, add the blended vegetables, pancetta and mortadella, and brown the meats on low heat.
3. Add a few red pepper flakes, dried basil, the carton of Pomi Strained Tomatoes, and anchovy paste.
4. In a food processor, put the chicken livers, tomatoes, and wine, blend and add to the browning meats.
5. Add wine and basil to taste, stirring well to combine. If the sauce is too thick, add some beef broth, mixing it in slowly.
6. Taste the mixture, if it tastes too acidic, add a tablespoon of sugar. Cover and let simmer on low heat for 60-90 minutes.
7. Cook pasta until al dente.
8. Combine pasta and sauce, add fresh basil and cheese to taste. Serve hot, and enjoy!


Friar Chef: December 8, 2020
Fr. Barry’s Assorted Christmas Spritz Cookies

Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 Servings

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 ½ cups of flour
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • 2 tbs lemon juice (for lemon spritz)
  • 1 tsp lemon zest (for lemon spritz)
  • 1 tbs almond extract (for almond spritz)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (for caramel spritz)
    Ingredients
  • 1 cup shortening
To Prepare:
  1. Preheat oven to 300°. (350° for standard oven.)
  2. Using a stand mixer, cream your shortening whilst preparing your dry ingredients in a separate mixing bowl.
  3. Add sugar and cream well. Scrape sided of the mixing bowl and whisk, and beat in one egg and flavor extracts (lemon, almond, and vanilla, depending on the dough). Cream well.
  4. Add a few drops of food coloring of your choice and continue to cream the mixture. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, sifting in a little bit at a time.
  5. Fill cookie press with finished dough. (If you do not have a cookie press, you can roll out the dough and use cookie cutters.)
  6. Use your favorite candies, sprinkles, and edible glitter to decorate cookies before putting them in the oven.
  7. Bake at 300° for 8 to 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool completely before packaging. (350° in a standard oven.)
  8. Use cupcake wrappers to bundle and distribute. Enjoy!

Chicken with Shallots and Grapes

Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 Servings

Ingredients:

  • 2 ½ to 3 lbs. bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, patted dry
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon za’atar (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 6 medium to large shallots, peeled and quartered root to stem
  • 8 ounces seedless red and/or green grapes, broken into small clusters on the vine
  • 4 to 5 thyme sprigs
  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped thyme

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, toss together the chicken with olive oil, garlic, and (optional) za’atar. Season well with salt and pepper

3. Place the shallots and grapes on the sheet pan and gently toss with the remaining olive oil and season well with salt.

4. Nestle the chicken skin-side up in between the shallots and grapes and lay the thyme sprigs on top of the mixture.

5. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the shallots and grapes at the edges of the pan begin to soften and caramelize.

6. Remove the thyme sprigs and broil for additional 2 minutes until the skin of the chicken is crispy and golden.

7. Scatter with chopped thyme and season with flaky salt.

8. Serve hot straight from the pan or move everything over to a platter. Enjoy!


Friar Chef: Orzo with Sautéed Mushrooms & Peas

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 cup orzo
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • 2 cups chicken stock
    • You can also use seafood stock or boiling water, per your preference
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
  • ½ diced mushrooms
  • 1 cup peas

Instructions:

  • Add 2 tablespoons of butter, olive oil, and garlic to a medium skillet, set over medium heat.
  • When the butter starts to bubble, add the orzo and salt and cook, stirring often, until the orzo is toasted, about 2 minutes. (Adjust heat as necessary to prevent the garlic from burning.)
  • Carefully add wine – it will bubble – and stir until absorbed, about one minute.
  • Stir in chicken stock, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until orzo is al dente, about 15-20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the rest of the butter and sauté the mushrooms until they are browned on all sides.
  • While the mushrooms sauté, chop your parsley and zest your lemons.
  • Add frozen peas and gently sauté, for 1 minute, making sure the peas do not cook fully. (They will continue to cook in the orzo.)
  • When orzo has cooked, stir in mushrooms and peas, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
  • Sprinkle with parsley, season with salt and pepper, and serve hot. Enjoy!

 

Friar Chef: Pasta with Anchovies and Garlic

  • 1 pound of dried pasta (spaghetti, bucatini, your choice)
  • 2 small cans of anchovy filet (in oil)
  • ½ cup of olive oil
  • 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 1 cup of pasta water
  • ½ cup of chopped Parsley
  • red pepper flakes (to taste)
  • grated Parmigiano cheese (to taste)
  • 1 cup white wine (optional)

Procedure:

  • In a medium-size saucepan, pour 1/2 cup of olive oil and put it over medium heat.
  • Finely chop the garlic and put it into the oil, cook for three minutes on low heat. Stir to make sure they don’t burn. Add red pepper flakes according to your taste. Cook in the garlic and olive oil mixture for two minutes.
  • ­Add two cans of anchovy filets and oil. 2 small tin/can of anchovy per pound of pasta. Smash them up while they are coking in the oil. Make sure that they are finely emulsified. (Add 1 cup white wine to sauce if you’d like.)
  • While cooking the anchovy sauce, start cooking the pasta in a salted water until it is al dente. Remember the pasta is going to cook again in the olive oil/anchovy mixture. Once your pasta has been cooked to your satisfaction, remove from heat and prepare to strain.
  • Strain pasta, saving one cup of pasta water for later. Return pasta to the empty pot and prepare to add the anchovy sauce.
  • Using a ladle, spoon the anchovy sauce onto the pasta and keep stirring until the pasta is coated. (If the sauce is too thick, slowly add some pasta water to thin it out. Be careful not to overwater.)
  • Toss in chopped parsley and then add the grated Parmigiano cheese, stirring to combine.
  • Transfer to a serving bowl, top with anchovy filets, parsley and cheese.
  • Serve hot and enjoy!
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