I am part-owner / founder of Philly Grit BBQ Spice Rub. I also enjoy trying new cooking projects and experiments.
Philly Grit related recipes are at phillygrit.com/recipes/
Some other recipes I like are below:
Nut and Fruit Tart
Ingredients
- 5 oz any kind of nut (142 g)
- 1/4 lb butter, room temp
- 53 g brown sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon fine salt)
- 180 g all-purpose flour (1.5 cups)
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract optional
- 2 cups any kind of jam/fruit butter / marmalade
Instructions
- Place nuts in food processor and pulse until very finely chopped, taking care not to let them become a paste.
- Add all other ingredients except jam to food processor, and pulse until very well blended. Mix should resemble coarse crumbs.
- Spray 9” tart pan or pie tin with nonstick spray. Press 2/3 of crust mix evenly into pan, making sure you have an even layer on the bottom & up the sides of your pan. Freeze for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Bake frozen crust for 10-12 minutes or until slightly browned. Remove from oven & spread jam in an even layer over. Scatter remaining crumbled nut mix over top.
- Place back in oven & bake for 15-20 minutes more, or until top crust is browned & toasty looking.
Pizza Dough
Yield: 2 pizzas
Ingredients
- 355 g cool water (1.5 cups)
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
- 500 g all-purpose or bread flour (3.5 cups)
- 1 tbsp fine sea salt (plus 1/2 teaspoon)
Instructions
- Whisk the water with the sugar and yeast in the bowl of a upright mixer, then add the olive oil.
- Add flour and knead for 5 minutes using the dough hook attachment for 5 minutes on the lowest speed.
- Scrape any dough down the sides and cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel.
- Let rest for 30 minutes.
- Knead the salt into the dough until it is fully incorporated
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours (at least overnight).
- After chilling, take the dough out of the bowl onto a well-floured surface. Split it into 2 pieces equal pieces, and then form each piece into a ball by pulling the dough into itself at the bottom while rotating in your hands.
- Let the dough balls rest on the well-floured surface, covered by a kitchen towel until they double in size. The amount of time will vary greatly depending on the temperature of the kitchen - anywhere from 2 - 6 hours. If your kitchen is very cold, let them rise covered, on a floured baking sheet inside an oven with the light turned on, but no actual heat on.
- When the dough has risen to double the original size, and slowly rises back if you poke it, then it is ready to use to make pizza.
Sweet Potato Casserole
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1 cup chopped nuts (pecans preferred)
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
Sweet Potato Mixture
- 3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 eggs, well beaten
- 1/3 stick butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Coat a medium-sized casserole dish with nonstick spray
- Combine sweet potatoes, sugar, salt, vanilla, eggs and butter in a large mixing bowl in the order listed. Beat thoroughly with a hand mixer to increase the fluffiness of the sweet potato mixture.
- Pour mixture into the baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes. (At this point, dish can be covered and refrigerated.)
- Sprinkle the surface of the sweet potato mixture evenly with the crust mixture and return to oven for 10 minutes. Allow to set at least 30 minutes before serving.
Greek Sauce
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs ground beef
- 1 small onion, chopped finely
- 2 tbsp oregano
- 2 tsp red pepper
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp Tabasco sauce
- 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp basil
- 1/4 tsp rosemary
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 1 qt water
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients into raw meat.
- Add water and bring to a boil
- Simmer 3 hourss or until thick
Cheesy Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 lbs frozen hash browns (thawed)
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 16 oz sour cream
- 2 cups cheddar, grated
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- ½ cup chopped onions
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, put into 3 qt casserole dish
- Cover and bake 40 minutes
Jewish Apple Cake
Ingredients
- 360 g flour (3 cups)
- 4 eggs
- 495 g sugar (2 ½ cups)
- 3 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 apples, peeled, cored, sliced
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup orange juice
- 2 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 5 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Grease & flour bundt pan
- Sprinkle sliced apples with 5 tbsp sugar and cinnamon and toss together
- Mix flour, eggs, 2 ½ cups sugar, baking powder, salt, vegetable oil, orange juice, and vanilla. Batter will be stiff.
- Pour half in pan, place apples in, then cover with rest of batter.
- Bake for 60 - 80 minutes
Pumpkin Bread
Yield: 4 loaves
Ingredients
- 3 cups pumpkin puree
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup water, boiling
- 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
- 4 ½ cups sugar
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 ½ tsp nutmeg
- 3 tsp baking soda
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl
- Spray four loaf pans with cooking spray
- Pour batter into the pans
- Cook for 60 minutes
Polish Pizzas
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb bulk sausage (i.e. Bob Evans Mild)
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese
- 1 lb Velveeta
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 loaves rye party bread
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef and sausage
- Mix in the rest of ingredients until cheese is melted
- Preheat oven to 400°F
- Spread mixture onto approx 70 rye slices
- Bake for 8 - 10 minutes
Ricotta Pasta with Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 lb penne pasta
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 onion, medium, chopped
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
- 1 lb Italian sausage
- parsley
- basil
Instructions
- Cook the pasta.
- Place the ricotta, butter, and Parmigiano or Romano cheese in a large bowl.
- Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the EVOO and sausage. Brown the sausage, then add the onions and cook 5 minutes.
- Add the parsley and cook 2 minutes.
- Turn off the heat.Drain the pasta. Add to the bowl with the cheeses. Toss to melt the butter and evenly coat the pasta with cheeses, then season with salt and pepper.
- Top pasta with basil. Season with a little salt. Toss and serve at the table.
Wine Braised Chicken Thighs
Yield: 6
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
- 3 lbs chicken thighs boneless, skinless
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 small onion, chopped
- 1.5 cups white wine Pinot grigio or other
- 2 cups chicken broth
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat
- Brown both sides of chicken, working in batches so to not overcrowd the pan. Set aside on a plate
- Lower heat to medium and add garlic and onions. Cook until onions just start turning translucent
- Add wine and deglaze pan, then add chicken stock and bring to a boil.
- Put the chicken and bay leaves into the Dutch oven, and put into preheated oven, uncovered for 30 - 40 minutes, until chicken is tender.
- Remove Dutch oven, and set aside chicken pieces on a plate. Put the pan over high heat to reduce sauce until thick.
- Add chicken back into the thickened sauce, and serve with polenta or egg noodles.