Food TV

Last night’s Emeril Live was dedicated to reader questions. Emeril was able to answer five reader questions and came up with concoctions like breaded pork chops, nachos, pork eggrolls, chocolate pecan pie, and a stir fry dish. The musical guest, Van Zant, offered some good Country/Rock music for the crowd while Emeril was hard at work cooking.

I have listed all of the questions that led to the dishes that were made below, along with a few of the recipes and some pictures of the end result. You can find all of the recipes of FoodTV. Just click on the recipe name if I do not have the recipe listed for you here and you will be taken right to it.

The show started with an appetizer dish due to this question:

“Emeril, I’m looking for an easy appetizer to feed a family reunion of 52 with a Mexican fiesta theme. Can you help me?”

Is it just me or does easy and 52 people not belong in the same sentence? Emeril’s answer was to start with some Chorizo and olive oil in a hot pan. You leave it in for 4-5 minutes. As it heats through, it pulls the flavor out of the sausage. Next some diced onions were tossed in, which were spiced with salt and pepper. Everything was cooked until the onions were soft. The plan was to begin with queso, which could be turned into a platter of gigantic nachos. The recipe, which looked delicious, is listed below courtesy of Emeril and Food Network.

Kicked Up No-Bake Nachos

1 large bag corn chips
Chili con Queso, recipe follows
Pickled jalapeno slices, optional
1 medium Hass avocado, peeled, seeded, and diced
Chopped grilled green onions, for garnish
Chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
Sour cream, for garnish

Spread the corn chips in a thick layer across a large heat-proof tray or decorative platter.

Ladle the chili con queso over the chips in an even layer. If desired, top with jalapeno slices. Evenly arrange the chopped avocados, green onions, and cilantro over the cheese layer and top with dollops of sour cream. Serve immediately.

Chili con Queso:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup diced chorizo
1 cup chopped white onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon Essence, recipe follows
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch cayenne, or to taste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup canned chopped mild green chiles
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups grated medium Cheddar
1 1/2 cups grated Monterey jack

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chorizo and cook until fat starts to render, about 4 minutes. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until very soft, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, Essence, salt, and cayenne and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the flour and stir for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chopped chiles, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Slowly add the cream and stir until thick, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cheeses and cook, stirring, until melted and well incorporated. Remove from the heat and adjust the seasoning, to taste. Serve immediately with or over chips.

The next email came from Alabama:

“Emeril, we love breaded pork chops, but the breading usually falls off and is greasy. I think the oil isn’t hot enough, but my wife disagrees. How can we stop the breading from falling off?”

Obviously the result (as it was specifically requested) was a fabulous breaded pork chop dish with some scalloped potatoes and grilled asparagus. If you like pork chops, you need to check out Emeril’s Shake em Up Pork Chops.

The third email was from Chris in Texas:

“Emeril – Could you explain how to make a fast and easy eggroll? We love them but we do not know if we should cook them first. We prefer pork and like sweet and sour sauce.”

Emeril recommended cooking the filling, letting it cool, and then wrapping the eggroll. The result was an amazing looking pork eggroll with some beautiful, richly colored sweet and sour sauce. If you’re in the mood for egg rolls this easy to make recipe should fill your cravings.

If you want to make the recipe it’s available here: Pork Egg Rolls with Sweet and Sour Sauce

The fourth email brought on a stir fry dish thanks to a question from one of Emeril’s younger readers, named Patrick.

“Emeril, I’m in the fourth grade. I play hockey and like spicy food. I want to make a really good chicken dish for my family. I’m a good cook.”

You can view the recipe on Food TV. Emeril whipped up a spicy chicken and green bean stirfry that was placed over white rice that is both health and delicious (or at least it looks that way).

Emeril’s Chicken Stir-Fry with Green Beans

Finally the show ended with an amazing, mouthwatering dessert option that came from a reader that was interested in learning about making a Southern style Pecan Pie. The result became a kicked up, Rich Chocolate Pecan Pie.

Of all the recipes on the show last night, this was the one that made me want to break my diet the most. The recipe is listed below for those who want to try it out. If you decide to make this, let us know how it turned out.

Rich Chocolate Pecan Pie

1 1/2 cups pecans
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch salt
Caramel Sauce, for garnish, recipe follows
Confectioners’ sugar, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Spread the pecan pieces and the chocolate chips evenly on the bottom of the pie shell.

In a mixing bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients together. Pour the filling over the pecans. Bake until the filling sets, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 30 minutes before slicing. Cut into individual servings and serve with a drizzle of Caramel Sauce and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.

Caramel Sauce:
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup whole milk

Combine the sugar, water, and lemon juice in a medium heavy saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Let boil without stirring until the mixture becomes a deep amber color, 2 to 3 minutes, watching closely so it doesn’t burn. Add the cream (be careful; it will bubble up), whisk to combine, and remove from the heat.

Add 2 tablespoons of the milk, then add up to 2 more tablespoons, until the desired consistency is reached. Let cool until just warm before serving. (The sauce will thicken as it cools.)

Emeril, Emeril Live, Cooking Show, Nachos, Pecan Pie, Chicken Stir-Fry, Eggrolls