*Chef Jim's Favorite  Recipes*
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Graduate of Art
Institute of Atlanta,
School of Culinary
Arts, class of 1993
Cooking should not be a challenge to one's sanity and
safety. Nice and easy is my motto. Preparing a meal should
be treated as a form of Zen meditation, although keeping
one's eyes open while chopping is a good idea.
                         
                                                                         Chef Jim
      It's summer and time for lazy cooking, outdoors if
possible with a cold beer or icy Margarita. Here's a
nice, easy salad made from Taco night leftovers.

                          Fiesta Salad

 1/2cup cooked, taco seasoned ground beef
 1/2 cup cooked, cooled frozen or fresh corn
 1/2 cup cooked, drained, cooled black beans, canned
 Iceberg lettuce
 Baby spinach
 Diced tomatoes
 1 cup shredded queso blanco cheese
 1/4 cup sliced cucumber
  1/4 cup sliced radish
Place lettuce, spinach on two plates, add other
ingredients. Add small amount salsa and ranch
dressing.  Cool and refreshing with a bite.
           
          
                            Cooking Tips
Safety:
 1. Keep knives sharp -- dull knives are dangerous.  Stones
are best but simple mechanical sharpeners you find at the
grocery store will work. Keep a chef's steel handy to knock
off burrs on blade.

 2.  Never have you head over the grill or oven door when you
open it. It's a good way to get severe burns.

 3. Read labels of spices before using. If label is gone, toss it.
Too many odd items wind up on the wrong shelve. Take no
chances.

Cooking:

 1. Use pungent spices sparingly. Small amounts of Dill,
Curry, Tarragon go a long way. Add more at the end if needed.

 2. When cooking with wines, always use a good quality wine.
If you wouldn't drink it or give to a friend for Christmas, don't
cook with it.
  
 3. When grilling, use cuts of meat with some fat marbling for
best results -- Rib-Eye, T-bone, NY Strip. 1- 1/2 inches is best
thickness. Any thicker and it will take too long to cook and
cause charing. Cuts of meat like London Broil, Skirt Steak and
other thin, lean cuts cook quickly and can dry out on the grill.
A wet rub or marinade can alleviate this problem.

 4. When using hot peppers, always use less than you want.
Some peppers gain heat during cooking process. Heat order
is, cool to hot: Bell, Poblano Anaheim, Jalapeno, Serrano,
Habanero, Scotch Bonnet, Naga Jolokia.
 
Measured in Scovile units for heat, Bells =0, Anaheim =5,000,
Jalapeno=10,000, African Birdseye = 100,000,
Habanero=300,000, Naga Jolokia (India) =1,000,000

 Eat hot peppers wisely, remove seed and ribs. Roasted
peppers have a smoky, rich taste but lose no heat.
                   
                              Juicy Southwest Burgers

  1# ground beef (80% lean)
 2 tbl spoons finely diced red onion (Save four slices for later)
 2 tbl spoons finely diced red or green bell peppers
 1 med jalapeno, seeded, finely diced.

 Mix thoroughly and pat out 4 patties. S/P to taste, top with
slice red onion and place in aluminum foil package. Seal top
and place on sheet pan or cookie sheet.

                              Dry BBQ Potato Wedges

  2 large Red Russett potatoes, sliced lengthwise into 8-10
wedges each
  Add s/p, sprinkle with BBQ Seasoning powder. Wrap
individually in aluminum foil.

Place both patties and potatoes in 350 degree oven for twenty
minutes or on top of grill for about the same time.

 1/2 cup  mayo
 1/2 tsp. chipotle pepper (Canned)
 2-3 drops lime juice

 Spread chipotle mayo on bun for a spicy, juicy burger that
begs for a cold Cerveza.
             Recipes updated 6-26-08
It's been a busy summer so far. I'll try my
best to keep updated more regularly.
                                                               Chef Jim