Recipes

Recipes utilizing my products!

Italian beef sandwiches (a Chicago classic)

Ingredients:

2.5 lb. (or so) beef chuck roast or similar cut
1 cup beef broth
1 jar Corporate Fat Cat Chicago style giardiniera

Combine these three ingredients in a slow cooker on low. Cook for several hours (8 or so). Shred the beef and let it keep cooking another hour on low. Serve beef on a hoagie roll* with the giardiniera. Add as much of the cooking liquid as you like (dipped, juicy, soaked).

Traditionally, Italian beef sandwiches are served on Turano or Gonnella French rolls, but not everyone has access to those so, if you have to improvise, look for hearty bread rolls over flaky bread rolls. It will maintain its integrity better with all the juice!

Spicy Gazpacho

Debuted at the 2023 Farm to Fork Picnic, it seemed to be a big hit! (Inspired by a serious eats recipe)

Ingredients:

Crusty bread, about 6 ounces, crust removed and bread torn into medium pieces
4 large, very ripe tomatoes, seeded and cut into chunks
1 big red bell pepper, seeded, and cut into chunks
1 small red onion, cut into chunks
One English cucumber, peeled, and cut into chunks
10-15 leaves of fresh basil, torn into pieces
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
2-3 tablespoons of Julz’s Original Hot Sauce, or more to taste
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
1/2 cup of quality olive oil

Directions:

Put the torn pieces of bread at the bottom of a large bowl.
Layer half of the tomato chunks on top. Season with the salt and pepper.
Add bell pepper, onion, cucumber, basil, garlic, and season with salt and pepper.
Add half of the other tomatoes on top. Season with salt, pepper, the olive oil, and Julz's Original Hot Sauce. Lightly cover the bowl and let it sit 30-45 minutes.

Throw all the ingredients into a food processor or blender until well combined. Next, press the mixture through a fine wire mesh strainer OR run it all through the fine blade on a food mill (the strainer will take a lot longer but will create a finer soup.) Pour the soup into a secure container and store it in the fridge. I'd recommend at least a couple hours to a day or so to let the flavors meld.

After this time, serve in a bowl, stir it up and add more salt, pepper, oil, or hot sauce as needed. Enjoy cold or room temperature. If you want to be fancy, drizzle some finishing olive oil over the top and sprinkle in more basil in a chiffonade. Enjoy!

Buffalo Hummus

At 2019's Pepperfest, I whipped up this recipe for buffalo hummus and it went over quite well!

Ingredients:

2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

5 cloves garlic, peeled

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup tahini

4–8 tablespoons Julz's Creations Hot Sauce (pick your favorite, depending on your heat level).

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1.5 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper