Adobo Marinade

This marinade is sure to add sweet smokey heat to your street tacos this summer; use it on chicken, beef, or steak. Make a double batch, and use the additional for a condiment. It will keep in the refrigerator for about two days.

Instructions:

• 4 Oranges
• 1 Can of Chiles in Adobo
• 1/2 Cup White Cooking Wine (plus more for drinking)
• 1/2 of a Yellow Onion (diced)
• 6 Cloves of garlic (minced)
• 1/4 Cup Lime Juice
• 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
• 2 tsp of Dried Oregano
• 1 tsp of Ground Cumin
• 1 tsp of Coarse Salt
• 1 tsp of Black Pepper
• 1 tsp of Chile Powder
• 1 tsp of Hot Pepper Sauce

Remove half the zest of an orange in strips. Juice the oranges to get 3/4 of a cup, if there is any orange left over you should eat it. Seed the chiles, if you want added heat leave some seeds, but not a lot.

Next add all the ingredients to a pot and bring to a roaring boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce is reduced by half, probably about 15 minutes. Allow to cool then throw out the orange zest. Pour the mixture into a blender and liquify. At this point you can use it right away, or cover and place in the refrigerator.

Remember food is only good for you if you can eat it!!

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Sauerkraut & Sausage

Recently we visited Lori’s homeland, Kansas. There are good people in Kansas, and one of my favorite things to do while visiting is to go with those good people to the hole-in-the wall restaurants dispersed throughout Newton, KS. I went to a new one an old work associate suggested, his family is from around Newton as well; small world. This restaurant is named Breadbasket it’s a kind of place that you walk into and know it will be good, because the place is packed and the owners don’t need to invest in ambiance. They serve all you can eat meals of Americano, and twice a week Mennonite-German Cuisine. My wife’s family rushed me there for verenika, a pastry pocket filled with cheese curds smothered with white ham gravy, it was so good. However, the thing I was left craving is not the verenika, but the sauerkraut & sausage; I just had to make my own.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp of butter
• 8-12 fresh bratwurst
• 2 lb. of sauerkraut (rinsed)
• 1 large onion (sliced)
• 1 tsp of fennel seeds
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 cups apple cider

Instructions:

Melt the butter in a dutch oven and braise the bratwurst on both sides, and remove the sausages. Add the onion, and garlic cook on low until onion is soft. Then add the sauerkraut, fennel, salt, pepper, and apple cider stirring to incorporate. Then pour in the apple cider, and place the sausages on top of the sauerkraut mixture. Reduce stove to lowest setting, and cook for 45-50 minutes.

Be sure to scrape the bottom of the dutch oven when braising is finished, these brown bits are flavor bombs.

Remember food is only good for you if you can eat it!
                   -Nate