Roy Cokenour Reviews His Wife’s Cooking.

Review by Roy Cokenour with Notes by Mary Cokenour

 

 

As many are aware, my wife, Mary, writes a food column for our local paper, The San Juan Record; and also has her own food blog, Food Adventures of a Comfort Cook.  She has often reviewed restaurants, other food related businesses, products and gadgets.  I am, of course, her main guinea pig for food experiments worked up in Mary’s lab, aka kitchen.  So, is it any wonder that I believe it is time for someone to review her culinary skills?  …and here I go.

 

First sampled was the tortellini salad. Diced purple onions, homemade balsamic dressing transported me immediately to the Grecian Islands. The dish beckoned me to float in the blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea, making me eager to taste the skewers of chicken, peppers and mushrooms.

 

 

 

 

Laying a half skewer portion onto Naan bread, Feta cheese added which infused its rich flavor into the grilled meat and vegetables. A golden light fell upon me, a warm wind torn at my clothes, as if I was inside a culinary whirlwind.  The flavor of the marinaded chicken and grilled vegetables were caught in a net of soft, warm, unleavened bread.  I was in food heaven!  

 

And then, I partook of the German Bratwurst.

Okay. Mary makes a friggin’ awesome Bratwurst. Cooked perfectly on the grill, sauteed onions and peppers, and a touch of spicy mustard, on a toasted bun. Perfecto!!  But when she said German Style Bratwurst I was immediately intrigued. I was unprepared for this divine culinary experience however.

Glistening on a toasted bun, sauteed onions and peppers draped over the crisp, split skin of the sausage. Nostrils flaring!  What was that enticing scent!?! Something smoky, sweet, and a subtle hint of savory spices. I took my first bite. The already split skin of the sausage snapped and I felt the drums of ancient Germanic tribes’ pulse through me. The flavor thrummed in my mouth and I heard the voice of my ancestors calling. “Come warrior! Eat, drink and be merry!”

The texture and flavor washed over me and the gates of Valhalla opened. The sauteed onions and peppers combined with the perfectly grilled Bratwurst, lifting me up on wings of ecstasy. A chorus of deep Viking voices welcomed me. “SKALL!”, they cried, and I felt myself surrounded by my brethren. My lovely wife, my Hearth Maiden, smiled at me and I saw the Valkyrie in her raise an axe in victory.

I was smitten! My will shattered! No other sausage can compare. I slumped at the table, defeated, yet wildly exhilarated.

Roy Cokenour

 

Notes:

First off, thanks to my loving husband for this ecstatic review of my cooking and grilling.

 

Besides the Smoked German Brand Sausage, there was also Old-Fashioned Frankfurters.  These were purchased at Blue Mountain Foods, and a product of Hill’s Premium Meats (Hill Meat Company) of Pendleton, Oregon.  Family owned and operated; this company has been providing quality meat products since 1947.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The frozen tortellini, Feta cheese, Naan bread, chicken tenderloins, mini-bell peppers, whole mushrooms and onions (white and purple) were all purchased at Blue Mountain Foods as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marinade for the chicken tenderloins (18 in count) was one cup olive oil, ¼ cup balsamic vinegar, one heaping tablespoon minced garlic and two teaspoons of Italian herbal mix.  In a large, sealable container, place the chicken tenderloins (small white ligament previously removed from each) and pour the marinade over; use a hand to thoroughly coat the chicken with the marinade. Seal container and marinade overnight.  Do not marinade the peppers and mushrooms.

 

 

For the skewers, alternate bell pepper chunks, mushrooms and tenderloins.  Mix up a cup of additional marinade to brush over the vegetables as they grill.  The marinade will give some flavor to the peppers and mushrooms, but the overall true flavor, of the vegetables, will come through.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

I used metal skewers, but if you only have the wooden ones, make sure to soak them, for 30 minutes, in warm water.  This will keep them from catching fire, and burning, on the grill.  Or, soak them in oil for 5 minutes; food will slide on more easily, and they still will not burn as opposed to being untreated.

 

 

 

 

Dressing for the tortellini salad is the same as the above marinade, except a ¼ teaspoon of both ground black pepper and salt were added.  Mix the dressing in a medium sized bowl.  Cook the one-pound bag of frozen tortellini, drain thoroughly and add to the bowl, folding the pasta into the dressing so as to not break apart the delicate filled pasta.

So, there you have it, cooking and grilling at the Cokenour homestead, and a review, by my own husband, of my culinary achievements.  Summer time will be grilling time for most households, so consider amping up the menu with Mediterranean style skewers (aka kabobs), and German influenced brats and frankfurters (thicker than the average American hot dog).

Mary Cokenour

 

 

Kabobing with the Greeks

According to the calendar, the season of spring began on March 19^th this year, a day earlier than usual, and in a leap year as well.  Overall, the year 2020 has been a challenge for its first four months, and we’re all wondering where the reset button is.  Weather wise, many states, including Utah, were still seeing cold temperatures, snow and hail.

Then May 1^st came, Beltane, the midpoint between the beginning of spring and summer.  The ancient Celtic meaning is “bright fire”, so what better way to celebrate then to barbecue!  With the pandemic continuing, rules of engagement constantly changing, and challenging; it can be difficult to cope in a positive way.

Go outside!  Yes, you can still be safe, at home, but outside in your own backyard, or on the front lawn, on the balcony or patio.  But, go outside!  Look up, see the clouds, what forms can you imagine?  Look at the plant life, flowering buds on the trees, small leaves unfolding to capture dew drops and shafts of sunlight.

This is personal mental and emotional nourishment; food for the mind and soul.  With the body itself, time to fire up the grill and imagine the culinary possibilities.  Of cooking food…not your body!  Come on now, no one can possibly be at the point of cannibalism yet!?!

Let’s take it to the Greeks, and grill up kabobs, or what they refer to as Souvlaki.

Souvlaki (plural is Souvlakia) is a diminutive of the Greek souvla (spit), and there is evidence that cooking with skewers originated in Greece.  One excavation of the archaeological site Akrotiri, on the Greek island of Santorini,  revealed stone sets of barbecues for skewers (Greek: krateutai) used before the 17th century BCE.  Alright kiddies, quiz time, Akrotiri was a Minoan Bronze Age settlement on the volcanic Greek island of Santorini (Thera).  What mythological creature lived in a maze, underneath the king’s palace?  (Insert Jeopardy theme music)  Time is up!  The Minotaur.

Back to Souvlaki, small pieces of meat or poultry, sometimes vegetables are included, which are grilled on a skewer.  The grilled food can be eaten right off the skewer or pulled off onto a warm pita bread to make a sandwich.  If you are looking more for a dinner entree, place the souvlaki over rice or orzo (pasta shaped like rice).  The warm pita bread, broken into pieces, can act as a utensil.

This is a simple and easy meal that can be prepared for sports oriented children (once it begins again).  Get them home after their event and while they are cleaning up, you can be getting together this healthy meal for them.  Chicken, firm cuts of seafood, and pork can be used instead of beef.  Vegetarians can indulge by substituting tofu, or chunks of beefy tasting, Portobella (also spelled Portabella or Portobello) mushrooms, for the protein, plus adding a larger variety of vegetables.

The marinade for the Souvlakia is simply lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, parsley and garlic. The lemon juice helps to break down the connective tissue in the proteins; tenderness is assured after grilling or oven roasting.  For my recipe, I added capers for a little twang on the tongue.

Beef and Vegetable Souvlaki

Ingredients:

1 lb. beef cubes, trimmed of fat

1 lb. mini sweet peppers, cut in half and seeded

1 large onion, chopped

½ lb. small button mushrooms

¼ cup lemon juice

½ cup olive oil

2 Tbsp. minced garlic

½ tsp. each of fine sea salt and ground black pepper

2 Tbsp. minced parsley

1 tsp. capers

Preparation:

In a large plastic container, combine all ingredients thoroughly; seal and refrigerate overnight.

If grilling, alternate beef cubes and vegetables on skewers. Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes first to avoid burning.  Place on medium-high preheated grill; cook for 6 minutes before turning skewers; cook another 6 minutes before serving.

If roasting, preheat oven to 450F. Place beef, vegetables and remaining marinade into a large roasting pan, or onto a large jelly roll pan, in a single layer.  Cook for 3 minutes, turn beef; repeat; on 3rd turn of beef, also turn vegetables (this will allow for beef and vegetables to caramelize); turn beef a 4th time, cook for 3 minutes.

Makes 4 – 6 servings.

Mary Cokenour

By the way, we had this on May 12, 2020, and here are a few photos of that delicious meal.

Kabobs ready for the grill, Greek marinade for basting.

After Grilling

Kabobs, Squash cooked with salt, cracked black pepper and butter, Naan Bread, Feta Cheese

Roy's dinner plate is full.

Blue Coffee Pot is for Settlers.

Blue Coffee Pot Restaurant 

US Highways 160 and 163
Kayenta, Arizona, 86033

Phone: (928) 697-3396







When I say this restaurant is for settlers, it's basically because the choices for dining, in Kayenta, are few.  The structure of Blue Coffee Pot resembles the female style Navajo Hogan; the interior is bright with rustic decor upon shelves (love the antique hutch in the entry way with the coffee pots).

Be warned, this restaurant only takes cash.

We went here after having a quick tour through Navajo National Monument, didn't want fast food, and wanted to try someplace different.  After being seated, we noticed other diners, but they were very quiet, looking down at their food and eating.  The atmosphere inside, though bright lighting, seemed a bit depressing.  Our party of three were very talkative about our day out, so we were making the most noise.  Upon leaving, we were laughing, held a door open for a Navajo woman, said a cheerful hello to her, and she seemed shocked at our behavior.
The menu is a combination of American, Mexican and Navajo cuisines; alcohol is not served on tribal land, but the fresh brewed coffee is a good choice with a meal.

After ordering, two of us got a trip to the very small salad bar; lettuce, tomatoes and dressings mostly; however I highly recommend the honey mustard dressing.











Our ordered meals came quickly.  First there was the Country Fried Steak with corn, mashed potatoes and loads of brown gravy.  The bread coating on the steak was overdone and tasted like oil used many, many times; mashed potatoes were instant, corn from a can.  I understand food products are trucked into this area, not much farming in desert, but spruce it up!






The Hot Turkey Sandwich was basically a mess of packaged cold cut turkey slices, bread, mashed potatoes and the same brown gravy served with the Country Fried Steak.












The Steak and Shrimp Kabobs were a little better; the steak was tender and juicy; the shrimp was double coated in breading and fried in the same old oil as the Country Fried Steak.   The baked potato was good, but again the corn was from a can; at least there was none of that brown gravy to ruin the kabobs.






We have eaten in Navajo run restaurants before, and it depends on the attitude of the owners and staff; some have great food, and others are just settling.  We wonder though, if we had ordered Navajo cuisine, would it have been prepared much better than the American platters?

Mary Cokenour

Kabobing with the Greeks

Souvlaki (plural is Souvlakia), is small pieces of meat or poultry, sometimes vegetables are included, which are grilled on a skewer. The grilled food can be eaten right off the skewer or pulled off onto a warm pita bread to make a sandwich. If you're looking more for a dinner entree, place the souvlaki over rice or orzo. The warm pita bread, broken into pieces, can act as a utensil.
This is a simple and easy meal that can be prepared for sports oriented children. Get them home after their event and while they're cleaning up, you can be getting together this healthy meal for them. Vegetarians can indulge by substituting tofu for the protein and adding a larger variety of vegetables.

The marinade for the Souvlakia is simply lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, parsley and garlic. The lemon juice helps to break down the connective tissue in the proteins; tenderness is assured after grilling or oven roasting.  For my recipe, I added capers for a little twang on the tongue.

Beef and Vegetable Souvlaki

Ingredients:

1 lb beef cubes, trimmed of fat
1 lb mini sweet peppers, cut in half and seeded
1 large onion, chopped
½ lb small button mushrooms
¼ cup lemon juice
½ cup olive oil
2 Tbsp minced garlic
½ tsp each of fine sea salt and ground black pepper
2 Tbsp minced parsley
1 tsp capers

Preparation:

In a large plastic container, combine all ingredients thoroughly; seal and refrigerate overnight.

If grilling, alternate beef cubes and vegetables on skewers. (soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes first to avoid burning). Place on medium-high preheated grill; cook for 6 minutes before turning skewers; cook another 6 minutes before serving.

If roasting, preheat oven to 450F. Place beef, vegetables and remaining marinade into a large roasting pan, or onto a large jelly roll pan, in a single layer. Cook for 3 minutes, turn beef; repeat; on 3rd turn of beef, also turn vegetables (this will allow for beef and vegetables to caramelize); turn beef a 4th time, cook for 3 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

Mary Cokenour