Quick Salmon Sandwiches

I am frequently in a rush. When you are in a rush, some foods (like salmon) are difficult to do because they can take time to prepare. Fortunately (at least for salmon) there is a canned alternative that is readily available and quickly prepared. Sure, canned salmon is not as good as fresh, but it's better than no salmon at all.

Ingredients

• 1 small can salmon
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon capers, drained
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• a pinch of dried oregano

Directions
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Serve on sourdough toast with romaine lettuce. Makes 2-4 sandwiches, depending on the size of the bread.

Peach-Rhubarb Pie

I love pie. I especially love tangy fruit pies. Cream pies are OK, but I think the best flavor comes from fresh fruit that's not too sweet. Peach-Rhubarb is a great combination, mixing the perfect summer sweetness of peaches with the sour twang of rhubarb. You can fuss with the ratio of peaches to rhubarb if you'd like, just make sure you've got 1 pound total fruit. I'm not too patient when it comes to rolling out dough, so I use the quick and easy solution of buying a pre-made crust - no mixing, rolling, or any other fuss. One more thing: I'm not sure if I'm using too much filling for my pie pan, but this recipe frequently boils over in the oven, making the sheet pan on the oven rack an absolute necessity.

Ingredients

• One package frozen pie crusts for a two-crust pie (I like Marie Callender's)
• 8 ounces sliced peaches (frozen is fine)
• 8 ounces sliced rhubarb (again, frozen is fine)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons minute tapioca pearls, ground in a blender
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• pinch salt
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon superfine sugar
  

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees with a sheet pan on the bottom rack. Prepare crusts for filling according to package directions. Whisk together 1 cup sugar, tapioca, and salt. Stir in peaches, rhubarb, and lemon juice. Pour into pie shell. Crimp the top crust onto the bottom crust. Using kitchen shears, cut 5 slits about 2 inches long through the top crust. In a small bowl, beat the egg with one tablespoon of water. Lightly brush onto top crust, being careful not to brush egg into the slits. Sprinkle the superfine sugar on top of the pie. Bake for 60 minutes (90 if using frozen fruit). If the crust starts to brown too much before the time is up, place a ring of aluminum foil around the edge to protect it. Let cool for at least 4 hours (8 would be better) to allow the filling to set up before serving.

5-Alarm Chili

Long-Time readers of this blog (i.e. you members of the 4-month club) will remember that I have already posted a chili recipe here (in fact, it's recipe #1). That chili, while good, was rather middle-of-the-road. I've recently tried out a more bold recipe. The heat in this recipe comes from canned chipotle chiles packed in adobo sauce - a wickedly hot concoction which takes the normally milder flavor of jalepenos and kicks it up several notches. Another interesting ingredient is beer, although as a teetotaler I used a non-alcoholic variety (remember when cooking with alcohol, you can cook out a lot of it, but never all of it). If you don't like the malty essence that comes from cooking with beer, you can use pretty much any flavorful liquid that you like: cola, tomtato juice, broth - just make sure it dosen't get bitter or too salty when you cook with it.

Ingredients

• 3-4 pounds stew beef (I like chuck, but you can use round), cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon canola or peanut oil
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  
• 1 tablespoons chili powder (homemade would be best, see note on my previous post)
• 2-4 canned chipotle chiles, diced (more is hotter)
  
• 2-4 tablespoons of adobo sauce from the chipotles (again, more is hotter)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin (freshly toasted and ground would be best)
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  
• 1 jar (16 ounces) salsa, hot or medium (as you like it)
• 1 bottle (12 ounces) beer or ale (regular or non-alcoholic)
• 1 cup crushed tortilla chips

Directions

Toss the beef to coat with the oil and salt in a large bowl. Open the windows and/or turn on your range vent (this should produce a lot of smoke if done correctly). Working in small batches (about 1/4 of the meat in each batch), brown the outside of beef in a large dutch oven set on high heat (I use setting 9 out of 10 on my stove). As each batch finishes, remove to a clean bowl. When all the meat is browned, reduce heat to medium and saute the chiles, adobo sauce, cumin, and turmeric for 1-2 minutes, or until the mixture is very thick and brown (don't inhale the fumes - they are quite pungent!). Add salsa and beer and deglaze the pan while bringing mixture to a full simmer over medium-high heat. Add browned beef and any accumulated juices back to the pot. Add tortilla chips. Stir everything to combine. Put the lid on (or cover tightly with foil) and bake at 220 degrees for 3-4 hours (or 350 for 1-2 hours, but it won't be as tender. The best would be 185 for 8-10 hours!)