13 - ChefBuck Page Archives

Best Tigrillo Recipe – Green Plantain Breakfast

04/07/202404/15/2023 by Chef Buck

Use unripe green plantains to make a hearty tigrillo recipe. We’re currently traveling in Ecuador and enjoying many different plantain dishes. Tigrillo is a recipe made of unripe plantain, egg, cheese, and often a little meat added as well. Tigrillo is easy to prepare and makes a perfect meal to start the day, so follow along with our real-time How To Make Tigrillo Recipe and give this Ecuadorian breakfast dish a try.

Tigrillo Recipe Ingredients

1 PLANTAIN green, unripe plantain
2 EGGS
CHEESE ½ cup white cheese, shredded or cubed
ONION ½ cup chopped
OIL for cooking
SALT to taste
other seasonings
as desired…
I like a little
HOT PEPPER
and a little MEAT (recommended!)

How to Make Tigrillo

Use unripe, green plantains for this recipe. Plantain is very starchy ingredient and can be used as a substitute in many potato recipes. This tigrillo recipe is ideal for two hearty servings.

First, get a pot of salted water on the boil.
Peel your green plantain and slice into ½ inch pieces.
Add sliced plantain to the boiling water, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the plantain is tender enough to easily pass a fork into.
While the plantain simmers, chop the onion, shred white cheese, and chop a little pre-cooked meat to add later. You only need a little meat for flavor, maybe a ¼ cup; it’s optional, but highly recommended. If you’re in a meat-free mood, just leave it out.
Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat and add in the chopped onion and saute for 2 minutes. Check Amazon for current prices on a non-stick skillet.
And in the meat and continue to saute.
Add salt to taste, and any other desired seasoning. I like a little dried hot pepper.
Remove the cooked plantain from the pot, reserving the water.
Add plantain to the skillet and mash into desired consistency, just like mashed potatoes.
Mix mashed plantain with onion and meat and seasonings and add a bit of the reserved water as needed for creaminess.
Mix in the cheese.
Break 2 eggs into a bowl and whisk until smooth.
Make a well in the center of the plantain skillet, and pour in the egg mixture.
Allow eggs to cook, and then fold into the plantains.
Add fresh herbs if desired, and adjust seasonings as needed.
Serve hot. Top with an over-easy egg to impress!

I love tigrillo. I’ve tried many variations of this dish, and I hope to try many more.
Give this Ecuadorian-style Tigrillo Recipe a try and let us know what you think, and for another tasty unripe plantain recipe, try crispy Tostones.

tostones recipe — Tostones are a staple snack in latin American cuisine, easy to prepare, and especially tasty with a creamy dipping sauce.

What’s Healthier, Plantain or Potato? I found a potato vs. plantain nutrition article here that’s informative and easy to digest.

Thanks for Watching our Tigrillo Recipe Video!

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Cook Spaghetti Squash for a Healthy, Low-fat Diet

06/13/201905/06/2016 by Chef Buck

Cook spaghetti squash for a healthy addition to a low-fat diet. It’s mild flavor and hardy texture makes spaghetti squash ideal for a variety of recipes.

How to cook Spaghetti Squash

This is a basic spaghetti squash recipe :
Slice squash into halves.
Place cut sides down in shallow water in a roasting pan.
Bake for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove squash from the oven and carefully turn halves over to check for doneness –the water will be hot and steam will be trapped under the squash, so be cautious.
Allow squash to sit 5-10 minutes to cool slightly for easier handling.
With a fork or spoon, remove the meat of the squash.
The squash will pull away into strands that resemble spaghetti, although this squash will taste nothing like spaghetti.

Here’s one of my favorite spaghetti squash recipes —

Mediterranean Spaghetti Squash Recipe

This dish is super tasty, and I can eat way too much without feeling too guilty. Watch the video and learn how to easily cook this squash. It’s a terrific ingredient; delicious and healthy. This Mediterranean style recipe is just one of many ways to use this versatile vegetable. Give it a try!

Spaghetti Squash Recipe Ingredients:

1 medium SPAGHETTI SQUASH

1 Tbsp OLIVE OIL

1 large ONION (chopped)

4-6 cloves GARLIC (finely chopped)

½ RED BELL PEPPER (sliced)

1 14 oz can ARTICHOKE HEARTS in water (chopped)

1 cup OLIVES, and olive juice to taste (chopped)

¾ to 1 cup PARMESAN CHEESE (shredded or grated)

1 tsp OREGANO

½ tsp THYME

1 tsp BASIL

SALT and PEPPER to taste

How to Make this Spaghetti Squash Recipe

Preheat oven to 350.

Cut spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise (a good, sharp knife will be nice). Place each side, cut side down, in a shallow pan with about ¾ c water. Cook spaghetti squash uncovered for 45 minutes. Set aside to cool squash halves–enough to handle without causing death to the handler–but not completely cool.

You have time to chop up all your ingredients while the squash cooks. For the artichoke, you may want to remove some of the outer, tougher leaves.

For each half, use a spoon to scrape out and discard the seeds and dark center strings. Use a fork to scrape out the squash into ‘spaghetti-like’ strands.

Heat oil over medium high heat. Saute onion and garlic 4-6 minutes. Add bell pepper. Turn heat to low, stir and cover for 2-4 minutes. Uncover, stir in spaghetti squash and remaining ingredients. Cover and cook til all ingredients are warm, about 7-10 minutes

Add 1 Tbsp of olive juice and any other seasonings to taste. Serve warm. And a little toasted bread on the side won’t hurt.

Give this spaghetti squash recipe a try and let me know what you think, and…

Bon appétit!

And for another great spaghetti squash recipe, try this Spanish-style Spaghetti Squash.

Thanks for watching, sharing, and subscribing to my videos, I appreciate it!

Cook a Sirloin Steak Like a Restaurant Pro

06/13/201908/20/2015 by Chef Buck

Cooking the perfect steak is easy. Sear the outside of the steak in a hot skillet to add color and flavor, and then simply finish the steak to desired doneness in a hot oven. This cooking preparation is especially ideal for thick cuts of steak.

How To Cook The Perfect Steak Filet

Choose a good cut of beef. The perfect steak is never the cheapest steak!
I’m using a Top Sirloin Steak for this video, but any good cut of steak will do (and remember, marbled steak makes a juicy steak!)
Let the steak come to room temperature before cooking.
Season the steak well, on both sides, with coarse salt and pepper.
Preheat your oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
On the stove top, heat a little oil in a heavy-bottomed, oven safe skillet. You’ll want a nice skillet that’s great on the stove top and in the oven, here’s a deal if you want to check current prices for a cast iron skillet on Amazon.
Add steak to the hot skillet. The beef should sizzle when it hits the pan.
Sear on medium high heat for approx 2 minutes.
Turn steak with tongs and sear other side for 1 minute.
Slide the skillet into the oven and continue cooking steak to the desired temperature.
Test the doneness of the steak by pressing on it with your fingers. Steak becomes firm as it cooks. A well done steak is very firm, and a rare steak very malleable. Poking or slicing the steak to check for temperature will result in loss of juices, so this should be avoided.
When steak is almost cooked to desired doneness, remove the steak from the oven and skillet and place on a plate to rest for 5 minutes. The internal temperature of the steak will continue to rise for a few moments after leaving the oven.
Allowing the steak to rest for 5 minutes before serving will preserve the juiciness of the cut.

sirloin steak — For a simple steak preparation, always choose a great cut of beef

Best Steak Cuts for a Great Dinner

A simply prepared steak can taste terrific, but it requires a good cut of meat. The cheapest meat never makes the best steak. Less expensive cuts of beef can be great as roasts, in stews, fajitas, or marinated, but spending a little more will make all the difference when cooking a nice steak dinner.

Ribeye Steak – This is a well-marbled and tender cut of steak, and also my favorite.
New York Strip or Strip Steak – marbled and tender, but comes in 2nd behind the ribeye in my book.
T-Bone – This cut is a T-shaped bone with a strip steak on one side of the bone and a partial cut of the beef tenderloin, or filet mignon, on the other side of the bone. It’s a big steak, not as big as the porterhouse, but still more than I want to pay for.
Porterhouse – this steak is really two steaks, it includes the strip steak and the entire filet mignon hugging a T-shaped bone between them. It looks great and tastes great, but it’s pretty pricey, and since it includes even more of the tenderloin than the T-bone steak, it isn’t a cut of steak I buy unless it’s a crazy deal.
Top Sirloin Steak – sirloin steak can be divided into “top” and “bottom” cuts. TOP SIRLOIN steak like I cooked in the video above makes a nice steak, but anything less than top sirloin can be a little tough for a simple steak preparation.
Filet Mignon or Tenderloin – I almost hate to include this cut, since it’s the priciest steak by cost per pound, and also the steak I’m least likely to buy, but lots of people love it. It’s lean and tender, but too lean for my taste. In my book Fat = Flavor.

How To Test When A Steak Is Done

A steak is done when it’s done to your liking.
I like my steak cooked medium rare.
To test the doneness of a steak, simply press down on the beef with your fingers. The more give there is in the steak, the less cooked it is.
As a steak cooks it becomes firmer, so as the meat becomes more done, it becomes less pliable. This is something that is easy to figure out as you cook more steaks and test them for doneness in this manner.
It is the best way to check for doneness; avoid cutting the steak open or puncturing it to test for temperature. Slicing or poking the steak before it rests will result in a loss of juices, which is really another way of saying a loss of flavor, which defeats the entire point of buying a nice cut of steak

Try This Top Sirloin Steak preparation

Give this top sirloin steak a try, or any kind of steak you like, just keep it simple and buy a nice cut of beef.

If you liked the video and recipe info, click some of the buttons below to share this post with friends and family. And for another tasty dish, try this Fantastic Stove Top Pot Roast Recipe.

pot roast recipe — Throw your chuck roast in a pot on the stove and it practically cooks itself.

Thanks for checking out the recipes. Be sure and sign up for our mailing list so you’ll never miss a Chef Buck cooking video, and click a button below and share the dishes with your friends. We appreciate all the kind comments and support, and we’ll see you next time in the kitchen!
–Chef Buck

Baked Pears Recipe … An Easy Dessert Idea!

09/08/202401/09/2015 by Chef Buck

This Ginger Baked Pears recipe is a simple and delicious dessert idea. It’s easy to prep and put together. Just throw it together, throw it in the oven, and forget about it…well, almost forget about it–you’ll need to baste the pears a couple of times while they bake. This baked pear dish will be a crowd pleaser for any fancy meal.

What you need for Baked Pears

3-4 ANJOU PEARS (or bosc pears)
BUTTER for greasing baking dish
1½ cup HEAVY CREAM
¼ cup BAKER’S SUGAR (superfine ground sugar)
½ tsp CINNAMON
½ tsp VANILLA EXTRACT
1 heaping Tbsp grated GINGER
ORANGE ZEST
optional:
top with toasted nuts
and whipped cream!

How to make this Baked Pears Recipe

Use a firm pear ideal for baking, like an anjou or bosc pear.
Peel the pears and slice in half lengthwise and remove the core–use 3-4 pears, depending on need and the size of your baking dish. If you need a decent oven-safe baking dish, check out some current pricing for a Pyrex dish on Amazon.
Lightly butter the bottom of your baking dish and place the pears sliced side down.

In a bowl, combine the cream, sugar (use superfine baker’s sugar, or regular sugar that has been ground in a food processor), cinnamon, vanilla, ginger, and orange zest. Whisk ingredients together and pour over the pears. The top half of the pears should still be sticking out of the cream.

Slide the dish into an oven preheated to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove the dish every 15-20 minutes and baste the tops of the pears with the cream.
Cook 45-55 minutes or until the pear tops are a golden brown.

The cream will be thin when hot, but as it cools it will thicken. Serve pears with a topping of the cream sauce.
For a crunch, add toasted nuts–and a little whipped cream on top would be quite decadent.
I threw maraschino cherries on top for color, but a little more orange zest on top would work, too.
Give this Baked Pears recipe a try and let me know what you think!

And for another tasty dessert, check out this Easy Apple Crisp Recipe.

Thanks for Watching our Baked Pear Recipe!

Click a button below and share the dishes with your friends. You can also follow Chef Buck on Youtube. We appreciate all the kind comments and support, and we’ll see you next time in the kitchen!

If you’re new to home cooking, get a bunch of spices, pots and pans, and start experimenting with different recipes. It’s a healthy hobby that can save a lot of money in the long run. Check out current prices for Complete Kitchenware Sets on Amazon as well as Complete Starter Spice Kits. Or try a thrift store! I’ve found some of my favorite kitchen gear at second-hand stores.

Baby Bok Choy Recipe with Quick and Easy Sauce

06/13/201910/09/2014 by Chef Buck

Try this simple baby bok choy recipe with a super tasty sauce that’s ready in minutes. This dinky cabbage can be steamed or sautéed to create many healthy and tasty dishes. Bok choy is easily found in markets and is sold in several shapes and sizes under the name bok choy, ranging from tiny baby bok choy to the larger size cabbages that are perfect for soups.

What You Need To Make A Baby Bok Choy Recipe

15-20 BABY BOK CHOY
HOT PEPPERS (finely chopped, to taste)
2 Tbsp GINGER (finely chopped)
5-7 cloves GARLIC (finely chopped)
½ cup HOISIN SAUCE
1-2 Tbsp OLIVE OIL for sauteing

How To Cook Baby Bok Choy

Wash the bok choy; bok choy tends to hold dirt around the stem bottoms, so soak and wash thoroughly.
Slice the bok choy lengthwise into even halves.

Steam bok choy for 3-4 minutes. Do not overcook. The stalks are fairly thin and do not require much steaming to soften them, and you don’t want the leafy tops to become overdone; by not
over cooking, you’ll preserve a crunchy texture in the stalk as well as more of the nutritional value.

In a skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add hot peppers, ginger, and garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes. Add the hoisin sauce and mix well.

Add steamed bok choy to the skillet and toss with the sauce until well coated.

If desired, top with toasted sesame seeds or crushed peanuts–it’s very tasty that way–but I like it just as well without.
This dish makes a complete meal when served with a rice or quinoa side.

Hope you like it! It’s well worth giving baby bok choy recipe a try.
Give this dish a go and let me know what you think, and bon appétit!

And for another delicious bok choy dish, try this Bok Choy Soup Recipe.

Thanks for checking out the recipe! If you enjoyed it, click some of the buttons below and share it.
I appreciate it!
–Chef Buck

Baby Back Ribs Recipe Slow Cooked in the Oven

06/01/202007/08/2014 by Chef Buck

This baby back ribs recipe is super easy to prepare at home in the oven. This rib recipe takes a little time, but slow cooking pork ribs is always a tasty idea. The oven does the real work and before you know it, you’ll be up to your elbows in moist, delicious baby back ribs.

What you need to make this Baby Back Ribs Recipe

3 lbs PORK LOIN RIBS
some BBQ SAUCE
rub ingredients:
2 tsp SALT
2 tsp PAPRIKA
2 tsp GARLIC POWDER
2 tsp CHILI POWDER
1 tsp BLACK PEPPER
½ tsp CAYENNE PEPPER

How to make this Baby Back Ribs Recipe

Take your ribs out of the fridge and let them sit for about 15 minutes.
Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
While the ribs sit, make your rub.

Baby back ribs benefit from a generous rub. Use the ingredients I have listed above–or make your own with your favorite seasonings. I used to put brown sugar in my rub, but I don’t anymore. I find that the BBQ sauce makes the ribs more than sweet enough for my taste, but use a little brown sugar in your rub if you like.

Before applying the rub, remove the filmy skin from the bone side of the rack. Using a knife, cut the thin membrane away from the bone at the narrow end of the rack. Lift the silvery skin away from the bone and pull it off in a long strip. This step only takes a moment and it will help your ribs to reach their maximum flavor potential!

Now generously apply the rub to the entire surface of the rib rack –top, bottom and sides.

Wrap the ribs tightly in aluminum foil and place bone side up on a baking pan.
Slide the ribs into the oven at 250 degrees and let them cook for 2½ hours.
After 2½ hours, remove the ribs from the oven.

Raise oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

Carefully remove the foil from the ribs and drain the liquid from the pan.
Place the ribs on a baking rack, meat side down.Generously apply BBQ sauce to the bone side and along the edges of the rack. You can use a spoon, or check current prices for a silicone basting brush on Amazon.

Turn the rack over so that the bone side is down, and generously apply BBQ sauce to the meat side, and edges.

Return the ribs to the oven (now heated to 350 degrees F). Let cook for 15 minutes.

Remove ribs from the oven and apply more BBQ sauce to the meat side and edges (no need to apply more to the bottom bone side). Return to the oven for a final time and allow to cook another 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, remove from the oven, slice, and serve with your favorite sides –for me that means white rice, white bread, and maybe a salad –plus extra BBQ sauce for the rice!

This recipe is for 3 lbs. of pork loin ribs–adjust the cooking time a little more or less depending on how much ribs you’re cooking. For 2lbs of ribs, I usually cut the cooking time to 2 hours at 250 degrees F, plus another 30 minutes at 350 degrees as I apply the BBQ sauce.

You’re going to love this ribs recipe, so definitely give it a try!

For another meaty meal, check out this tasty Beef Tenderloin Recipe.

Thanks for checking out the baby back ribs recipe. Be sure and sign up for our mailing list so you’ll never miss a Chef Buck cooking video, and click a button below and share the dishes with your friends. We appreciate all the kind comments and support, and we’ll see you next time in the kitchen!
–Chef Buck

We appreciate you watching our videos! We include affiliate links for products. If you make a purchase after clicking on our links, we may earn a commission which helps us produce more videos and drink more coffee :^)
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Seafood Stew Recipe for Winners

06/13/201902/20/2013 by Chef Buck

A simple and delicious seafood stew recipe for winners*.
*also appropriate for non-winners

Seafood Stew Recipe Ingredients

1 lb MIXED SEAFOOD
1 HOT PEPPER (finely chopped)
3-4 cloves GARLIC (finely chopped)
1 medium ONION (chopped)
½ cup CELERY (sliced)
2 Tbsp TOMATO PASTE
1 13 oz can DICED TOMATOES
1 cup CHICKEN STOCK
2 cups WATER (substitute 1 cup CLAM JUICE if desired)
1 cup WHITE WINE
2 Tbsp LEMON JUICE
1 BAY LEAF
1 Tbsp OREGANO
1 tsp THYME
1 tsp BASIL
SALT/PEPPER to taste
1 Tbsp OLIVE OIL

How to make this Seafood Stew

Heat olive oil on medium heat and add onion and celery and hot pepper.
Give these ingredients a minute head start and then add the garlic and salt.

Cook until the onion begins to soften and then add the tomato paste. Push the paste around with the vegetables—spread it around the bottom of the pan and let it cook up a minute or two—if the paste sticks a little, that’s cool—because now we’ll add white wine which will deglaze any stuck on paste.

Add a bay leaf, oregano, thyme, basil—throw some red pepper flakes in as well if you like it hot. Let the mix simmer for about 5 minutes.

Add diced tomatoes, 1 cup of broth (I use chicken broth, but any broth will do), and 2 cups of water—you can substitute 1 cup of clam juice for 1 of the cups of water, if desired. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, cover, and allow to cook 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, add 1 lb. of miscellaneous seafood—a variety of big-bite pieces make a nice presentation. Cover and simmer for another 7-8 minutes. Stir in some lemon juice and remove from heat and serve.

It looks tasty in a bowl with a nice pyramid of rice in the middle.
it’s easy peezey and puts a nice glow in your belly, so give this seafood stew recipe a try.

Bon appétit!

Hey!!! ….what about a Beef Stew Recipe?

Thanks for checking the seafood stew recipe out! Click some of the buttons below and share it with your friends and family, I appreciate it.
–Buck

Tigrillo Recipe Ingredients

How to Make Tigrillo

Thanks for Watching our Tigrillo Recipe Video!

Share and Enjoy !

How to cook Spaghetti Squash

Mediterranean Spaghetti Squash Recipe

Spaghetti Squash Recipe Ingredients:

How to Make this Spaghetti Squash Recipe

Share and Enjoy !

How To Cook The Perfect Steak Filet

Best Steak Cuts for a Great Dinner

How To Test When A Steak Is Done

Try This Top Sirloin Steak preparation

Share and Enjoy !

What you need for Baked Pears

How to make this Baked Pears Recipe

Thanks for Watching our Baked Pear Recipe!

Share and Enjoy !

What You Need To Make A Baby Bok Choy Recipe

How To Cook Baby Bok Choy

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What you need to make this Baby Back Ribs Recipe

How to make this Baby Back Ribs Recipe

You’re going to love this ribs recipe, so definitely give it a try!

Share and Enjoy !

Seafood Stew Recipe Ingredients

How to make this Seafood Stew

Share and Enjoy !

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