Crossroads of America

Macaroni Salad

2012-01-27T17:00:00.000-08:00

This fantastic salad is a combination of macaroni and olive salads we found on the internet. Like with any recipe, it's fun to add/remove ingredients depending on what you have on hand and what your individual tastes are.

This salad gets better after getting happy overnight in the fridge. Most of the inspiration comes from the Deep South Dish, a great blog, well worth following!

Makes: 8-12 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked pasta (elbow macaroni, mini shells, whatever you have)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons dill pickle relish (or roasted red bell pepper, diced)
1/2 teaspoon of dry mustard (or 1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard)
1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning
1 teaspoon basil, chopped (or a large pinch of dried)
1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, sliced
6 radishes, sliced
1/2 cup of sliced radishes
1 big handful Kalamata olives, sliced
1 big handful pimento-stuffed green olives, sliced
1 cup Monterrey Jack cheese, cubed
2 green onions, sliced

1. Cook pasta per package instructions.

2. In a bowl, combine the mayo, sour cream, milk, relish, mustard, Creole seasoning, and basil. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

3. Stir the mayo mixture into the pasta. Add in the remaining ingredients, blending carefully. Refrigerate at least two hours before serving. You may need to add more mayo or sour cream if the salad gets too dry.

Bacon Cheddar Waffles

2012-01-25T17:00:00.000-08:00

Why not do something fun next time you're making waffles?

This great recipe from Tillamook (makers of my favorite cheddar cheese) makes a nice fluffy, tasty waffle. With cheese and bacon in it, you can't go wrong! Make sure you use real maple syrup, warming it up just a tad before serving.

Makes: 6 waffles
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (or more) Tillamook® sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
6 pieces thick cut bacon
Butter (softened) and warmed real maple syrup, for serving

1. Cook bacon.

2. Preheat your waffle iron.

3. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk and oil. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Continue whisking until the batter is smooth.

4. Fold in the cheese.

5. Add batter to waffle iron. Top with a slice of bacon. Cook per manufacturers instructions.

6. Serve with softened butter and warmed maple syrup.

Fried Chicken Po'Boy

2012-01-23T17:00:00.000-08:00

Yep, they're messy. And messy means they're good! You can pick them up and eat them as sandwiches, and you should. But, if you don't, it's still ok.

I made these sandwiches using brined chicken breasts. You could also cut the chicken into nuggets.

Makes: 3 sandwiches
Prep time: 1 day
Cook time: 20 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 quart buttermilk
1 cups water
1/4 cup kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon lemon pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary, plus more for garnish
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh sage
3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied
Canola oil, for frying
3 cups all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper
1 large loaf French bread, cut in half lengthwise and then into thirds
Gravy (see below)

1. Place chicken in a large resealable baggie. Add buttermilk, water, salt, sugar, lemon pepper, rosemary and sage. Seal and shake to combine. Place in refrigerator overnight.

2. Heat oil to 350 F.

3. Place flour in a shallow dish. Season with salt and pepper. Working in batches, remove chicken from brine and coat well in flour. Fry for 10-15 minutes (cook time will vary depending on the thickness of your chicken pieces) or until chicken is done. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.

4. Serve chicken over French bread, cut into sandwich-sized pieces, topped with gravy and sprinkled with additional rosemary as desired.

For the Gravy:

1 stick unsalted butter
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
5 stalks green onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup cold water
1 1/2 teaspoons corn starch (or more)

1. Heat a sauce pan over medium high heat. Add butter and garlic and saute for 2 minutes.

2. Add the mushrooms, green onion and pepper and saute for another 10 minutes.

3. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer.

4. Combine starch and water in a cup and slowly stir into the gravy. Whisk to combine. Gravy should thicken. If not, add another batch of water and corn starch.

5. Remove from heat and serve.

Pinto Beans

2012-01-21T17:00:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to use more and more dried beans in my cooking. I think they're tastier than the canned ones. And cheaper.

Have you noticed that some canned beans aren't just beans? There can be other things in the cans, including sugar and who-knows-what else. So I'll stick with just beans whenever I can.

These pinto beans came out very tasty and tender. They may take a little while to make, but they are worth it.

Makes: 8 servings
Prep time: Overnight
Cook time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 lb dried pinto beans, soaked overnight, drained
3 cups vegetable stock
4 tablespoons butter, halved
4 cups water
1 small red onion, halved
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Put beans into large pot. Add stock and half of the butter. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

2. Add the water and onion and return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.

3. Add remaining butter and salt and pepper and simmer, uncovered, for another hour or until beans are tender. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Spicy 4-Meat Po'Boy with Kaw-Cajun Comeback Sauce

2012-01-19T17:00:00.000-08:00

We've become very addicted to these sandwiches and Kaw-Cajun comeback sauce. You can put the sauce on anything, but it really, really works great on po'boys. I keep a squeeze bottle of it on hand at all times.

The sauce is an original from a friend of ours, Chez John. Swing by his blog and tell him hi, and while you're there, drool over the great food pics.

The sandwich idea came from a guest post on the Cajunlicious blog. Jessica posts great looking Cajun-themed foods, so swing on by her place too and tell her hi too! You'll be drooling over her food too!

For the po'boys:

Makes: 2-4 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 tube Pillsbury French bread
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Your favorite 4 Sandwich meats (salami, ham, olive loaf, whatever you like!)
Sliced cheeses
Roasted red peppers, cut into strips
Jalapeño slices

1. Open dough package and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake bread per package instructions. Let cool slightly, then cut in half lengthwise. Add remaining ingredients and return to oven for 5-10 minutes or until cheese has melted.

For the Kaw-Cajun Comeback Sauce:

Makes: A big ole batch, but its never enough!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
3 /4 cup Heinz chili sauce
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons Cajun Power Original Garlic Sauce
1 tablespoons Cajun Power Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoons Cajun Power Louisiana Lightning Strike hot sauce
1 tablespoons Creole mustard
1 tablespoons finely grated onion
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1/2 lemon, juiced and zested
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Fresh cracked black pepper and Cajun Power Cajun seasoning, to taste

1. Blend all ingredients. Refrigerate for at least one hour before using.

Grilled French Bread Sausage, Pepper and Onion Pizza

2012-01-17T17:00:00.000-08:00

Nothing's easier than a grilled French bread pizza. Just grab a loaf of bread, halve it, toast it, top it with whatever you have on hand, and heat until the cheese melts.

Of course you can make these in the oven too, but I prefer to use the grill whenever possible. I think it adds a little more to the flavor.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 loaf French bread, halved both ways
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 lb Italian sausage, removed from casing
2 red bell peppers, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 tablespoon dried rosemary, crushed
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1. Brush cut sides of bread with 2 tablespoons of oil.

2. Preheat grill (or oven to 400 F). Place bread on grill, cut side down, for a few minutes or until starting to char. Remove.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium skillet over high heat. Add crumbled Italian sausage and cook until done. Remove.

4. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to skillet and heat. Add onion and pepper and cook until softened. Alternatively, you can roast the onion and pepper on the grill.

5. Sprinkle sausage over bread. Top with onion and pepper rings. Dollop with ricotta and sprinkle with Parmesan. Grill, cut side up, until cheese begins to melt.

Jone's Diet Black Cherry Soda

2012-01-16T20:00:00.000-08:00

I'm always on the lookout for a good diet soda. I'm not a soda aficionado, I just enjoy a nice soda every once in a while.

I picked up a four pack of Jone's Diet Black Cherry soda at the market the other day. I have to say, it was pretty darned good. I couldn't tell that it was diet at all.

I think I'll put up another four pack and try it over black cherry ice cream in a float!

Muffuletta Dip

2012-01-15T13:00:00.000-08:00

This dip is fantastic. I found the original recipe on the Cajun Delights blog, one of my favorite places to go for all things Cajun!

Normally we make our own olive salad when making muffulettas. I used a pre-made salad this time, and it was pretty darned spicy I have to admit. I loved the kick!

We served this dip with toasted baguettes, but you can also have it with crackers, such as wheat thins. If the dip is too thick, just stir in a bit more of the half-and-half.

Makes: 12 or so servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 2 hours
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup Italian olive salad, drained
1/2 cup salami, diced (I used sandwich meat)
1/2 cup cooked ham, diced
1/4 lb provolone cheese, diced (I used about 6 slices of deli cheese)
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon Creole mustard
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon (or more) Cajun seasoning
Tabasco, to taste
3 tablespoons (more or less) half and half

1. Combine all but the cream in a bowl. Add half and half slowly, until dip is the desired consistency.

2. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Stir before serving and add a bit more cream if needed.

Queso Dip

2012-01-13T17:00:00.000-08:00

It's a big ole pot of yummyness!

I made up this great dip from the Grill Grrrrl for an afternoon of football watching. I served it up in a fondue pot, but you can just serve it out of a bowl if you want. If you don't like heat, use regular chorizo and beans.

Makes: A big batch
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 lb Mexican chorizo (I used hot)
1 15 oz can chili beans, undrained (I used hot)
1 16 oz Velveeta Mexican Mild, cut into 1/2" cubes
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon (or more) hot sauce
Big bag of chips (we used Frito Scoops)

1. Crumble chorizo into a hot skillet and cook until done. Drain. (At this point I transferred the chorizo to a fondue pot set to Low and finished cooking the dip there.)

2. Add beans and heat.

3. Add cheese. Stir and continue heating and stirring until melted.

4. Add the milk, chili powder and hot sauce. Stir. Once warmed thru, smash the beans slightly with a fork or back of a large spoon.

5. Serve hot with chips. Add more milk if the dip becomes too thick.

Spiced Pork Chops with Sweet and Sour Glaze

2012-01-11T17:00:00.000-08:00

This is quite easily our favorite recipe from Giada de Laurentiis.

The glaze on these chops is outstanding. I'm going to try it on boneless, skinless chicken thighs next.

Makes: 2 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 12 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 bone-in pork chops
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flake

For the glaze:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1 green onion, chopped
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes, softened

1. Season pork chops with salt, pepper and the red pepper flakes.

2. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the chops and cook 5-6 minutes per side until done. Remove from heat.

3. Meanwhile, place glaze ingredients into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and simmer for 7-9 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the butter until melted. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Serve chops drizzled with glaze.

Coffee-Crusted Porterhouse Steak

2012-01-09T17:00:00.000-08:00

Anita's not a big fan of steak. So, when she went out for dinner with friends the other evening, I ran to the grocery store and picked up a porterhouse steak.

Usually, I just salt and pepper my steaks, but I thought I'd try something a little different (to me, at least). I have been drinking some Community Coffee lately, and I absolutely love it. So, I tossed some ground coffee bean in with my salt and pepper, rubbed it onto my steak real good, and tossed it on the grill.

Good eats!

Ingredients:
Printable Recipe

1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground coffee bean

1. Combine all ingredients. Rub onto steak (or pork tenderloin, or burgers!). Grill as desired. Chow down!

Smoked Onion Dip

2012-01-07T17:00:00.000-08:00

I had the smoker fired up a few days ago for some ribs and other things, so I figured I'd throw a couple of big white onions on there too for some smoked onion dip.

This dip is super easy to make, really tasty, and it makes a big batch so its perfect for that big game on Sunday! The original recipe came from the Tasty Kitchen.

Makes: 12 servings
Cook time: 3 hours 10 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 large white onion
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne (or more)

1. Smoke onion on smoker for 3 hours. (You can also grill the onion over indirect heat until tender).

2. Cut onion into quarters and place into blender. Pulse until finely chopped. Remove to a bowl.

3. Add remaining ingredients and stir.

Shrimp Scampi Pizza

2012-01-05T17:00:00.000-08:00

These are soooo delicious! They're quite easy to make.

The original recipe made a rather large batch. It really depends on how large your baguette is. The version below made enough for a single baguette about 20" in length.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
15 oz ricotta cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
Pinch of Creole seasoning (optional)
1 lb shrimp peeled, deveined and chopped (I used 20-24 count shrimp)
1 baguette, halved lengthwise and crosswise

1. Preheat oven to 500 F.

2. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add smashed garlic and saute until golden, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the garlic and place in a food processor.

3. Add parsley, ricotta, Parmesan and Creole seasoning (if using) to food processor. Pulse until combined and creamy.

4. Add minced garlic to skillet and cook for 1 minute. Add in the shrimp, season with salt and pepper, and cook until opaque and done. Stir in 1/4 cup of the ricotta mixture. Remove from heat.

5. Spread the remaining cheese mixture on the cut sides of the bread halves and place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Top with shrimp mixture and some more Parmesan cheese.

6. Bake 10-12 minutes or until cheese has melted and bread is golden brown.

Smoked Sausage With Broccoli and Cheese

2012-01-03T17:00:00.000-08:00

I picked up some smoked sausage on sale the other day. I usually just throw it in the Dutch oven, brown it up, and make some sort of soup.

This time I searched around a bit and found this recipe over on Food.com. This time I followed the recipe exactly. Next time I think I'll substitute some freshly shredded Tillamook sharp cheddar for the Velveeta.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 lb smoked sausage, cut into coins
2 medium bell peppers (red, green, orange... whichever you prefer)
1/2 lb Velveeta cheese cut into 1/2" cubes
1/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon red pepper flake (optional)
2 medium heats broccoli, cut into florets
2 cups dried pasta (whatever kind you prefer)

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta per box instructions. Drain.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add broccoli. Return to a boil and boil 2-3 minutes. Drain and place in an ice bath.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and brown, 1-2 minutes per side.

4. Add the bell pepper and cook until starting to soften, about 5 minutes.

5. Reduce heat to medium. Add in the Velveeta, milk, and red pepper (if using). Stir until cheese is melted.

6. Add in broccoli and warm.

7. Serve over pasta.

Spicy Pork Chili

2012-01-01T17:00:00.000-08:00

When I found this recipe over at Fine Cooking, I was going to make it pretty much as they had it. But, then I decided to not puree the soffrito. I kept it chunky, and it really came out great.

I roasted all of the vegetables for the soffrito on the grill. You could roast them in the oven instead, but I think there's just something better about fire-roasting them. I used dried black-eyed peas instead of canned. I just let them soak for a few hours before using them.

Makes: 8 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

6 Roma tomatoes
1 small head garlic (cut the root section off so the bottoms of the cloves are exposed)
3 jalapeños
1 medium yellow onion, halved
1 medium red bell pepper
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 dried ancho chiles
2 dried New Mexico chiles
2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
2 lb ground pork
1 tablespoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 cups chicken broth
3 (15 oz) cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
Sour cream and sliced green onions, for serving

1. Place the tomatoes, garlic, jalapeños, onion, and bell pepper in a large bowl. Add half of the olive oil and red vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Roast on a grill until dark and charred, 20-40 minutes. Some vegetables will get done roasting before others, so keep an eye on it. Alternatively, you can roast the vegetables on a baking sheet in the oven at 500 F, rotating often.

2. Let vegetables cool slightly. Stem, seed and remove the skins from the jalapeños and bell pepper. Remove skins and core from the tomatoes. Rough chop all vegetables.

3. Meanwhile, roast the dried chiles in a skillet over high heat for 2-3 minutes per side. Place in a bowl and add 2 cups hot water. Let soak 20 minutes or until softened. Reserve the soaking water.

4. Remove seeds from dried chiles. Place them an the two chipotles into a blender along with a few tablespoons of the soaking water. Puree.

5. In a Dutch oven or large pot, add the remaining olive oil, pork, cumin, chili powder, and 1 tablespoon of salt. Brown.

6. Add the chopped vegetables and pureed chiles, along with the rest of the soaking water, the chicken broth, and black-eyed peas. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Continue cooking until peas are tender, about 45 minutes. Add more salt to taste.

7. Serve topped with sour cream and green onions.

Hot Dog Bites

2011-12-30T17:00:00.000-08:00

I'm always looking for something new and different to snack on during a race or game. These hot dog bites from Rachael Ray are great! And they're super easy!

If you can't find Napa cabbage, just substitute a medium green cabbage.

Makes: 6 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

6 hot dogs
2 tablespoons butter, divided
Hot dog rolls, top sliced
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 pound Napa cabbage, shredded and chopped
Pickled jalapeño, for garnish (optional)

1. Place hot dogs in a pot and cover with 1" of water. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook 6-8 minutes.

2. Drain the water and add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the pot over medium heat. Melt the butter and roll hot dogs around until the skins crisp. Remove hot dogs.

3. Brown rolls in oven or toaster.

4. In a large bowl, mix the sweet relish, ketchup, mustard, and vinegar. Add cabbage and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Place hot dogs in rolls and cover with slaw. Cut into 3 pieces and serve. Optionally, top them with a slice of pickled jalapeño.

Mini Italian Club Sandwiches

2011-12-28T17:00:00.000-08:00

These little sandwiches came out fantastic. They were a big hit.

You can leave off the crepes if you want, but we thought they were worth the effort. The original recipe came from Giada de Laurentiis.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

2 large eggs
1 tablespoons whipping cream
1/2 tablespoon butter
5 slices bacon
1 loaf focaccia bread
1/2 cup pesto
8 slices turkey sandwich meat
4 slices provolone cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Fry bacon until crisp. Drain and keep warm.

3. Whisk eggs, cream, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Melt butter in a small skillet. Add in half of the egg mixture, swirling to cover the skillet. Cook about 1 1/2 minutes or until the egg has set. Remove and repeat with remaining egg mixture.

3. Cut bread in half lengthwise. Place on a baking sheet and bake until warm, 5-10 minutes.

4. To assemble sandwiches, smear pesto on bread halves. Add the crepes, sandwich meat, bacon, and cheese. Slice into bite-sized sandwiches and serve.

Creamed Corn with Jalapeños

2011-12-26T17:00:00.000-08:00

This is a great, easy side dish to make. Use blanched fresh corn if you have it.

Add more jalapeños, to taste.

Makes: 6 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 small red onion, minced
1-2 jalapeños, seeded, stemmed, minced
2 10 oz bags frozen corn kernels, lightly thawed
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup water
2 oz Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
Fresh chopper parsley, for garnish

1. Melt butter in a large skillet.

2. Add red onion and jalapeño. Saute for 2 minutes.

3. Place half of one of the bags of corn into a blender. Pulse a few times until lightly pureed. Add to skillet with remaining corn.

4. Add cream, water, and cheese. Cook until cheese is melted. Season with salt and serve.

5. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Tajín Seasoning

2011-12-24T17:00:00.000-08:00

I follow Chef Marcela Valladolid on Facebook. The other day, she mentioned how much she and her kids enjoy a Mexican seasoning called Tajín. I picked up a bottle and thought I'd try it out on popcorn first.

Tajín is a great spice mixture, with a decent hint of lime. I think it would be really good on other things, like vegetables or even potato chips. Give it a try!

Spicy Navy Beans and Rice

2011-12-22T17:00:00.000-08:00

Jessica over at Cajunlicious is always posting recipes that I have to make immediately. Everything she makes looks (and turns out) great.

The weather is turning cooler here, and these beans rice really hit the spot. For the hot sauce, I broke out the BP Blows sauce.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup Basmati rice
2 1/2 cups chicken broth, divided
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
2 bay leaves
1/2 medium green bell pepper, diced
1/2 small white onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb smoked sausage
1 can Navy beans (I used dried beans that I soaked 5 hours, then simmered for 1 hour)
2 green onions, sliced
Hot sauce

1. Rinse and drain the rice. Place in a saucepan along with oil, 1 1/2 cups broth, bay leaves and salt. Bring to a boil and continue boiling until liquid reduces to the same level as the rice. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large pan. Add peppers, onion, and celery and saute until starting to soften.

3. Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds.

4. Add sausage and cook until starting to brown.

5. Pour half of the can of beans into a small bowl. Mash lightly with the back of a spoon. Add mashed and unmashed beans to skillet with meat. Add remaining broth. Heat through.

6. Serve meat and beans over rice, topped with green onions with hot sauce on the side.

Chalupa Salad

2011-12-20T17:00:00.000-08:00

This is my take on chalupas, but done up like a taco salad.

If you want a more traditional chalupa, serve these on warmed tortillas instead of over chips.

Makes: 16 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 9-10 hours
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

4 lb pork shoulder roast
1 lb dried pinto beans
3 (4 oz) cans diced green chile peppers
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 large bag Fritos Scoops chips
6 tomatoes, chopped
2 avocados, chopped
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Pickled jalapeños, to taste

1. Place beans, 2 cans of the chiles, and the spices into a Dutch oven. Add the roast and enough water to to cover the pork.

2. Cover and cook on low 8-9 hours or until the pork is very tender and is starting to fall apart. Remove the roast (carefully) and shred (you can also shred it in the Dutch oven using a fork). Add in the remaining can of chile peppers and cook one more hour.

3. Crumble Fritos into bowls. Top with pork and beans, lettuce, tomato, avocado, cheese and jalapeños.

Broccoli-Cheddar Pockets

2011-12-18T17:00:00.000-08:00

I noticed some really large heads of broccoli at the grocery store the other day. Cheap. So, I searched around and found this great recipe.

We folded the pockets somewhat like a round Hot Pocket (if they made round Hot pockets!). Next time, I think we'll try to fold them more like empanadas.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 florets from large head broccoli
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
All-purpose flour
1 11 oz tube refrigerated French bread dough
1 large egg

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add broccoli and cool for 1 minute. Remove, drain, and pat dry.

3. Place broccoli, cheese, sour cream and chive in a large bowl. Combine, then pack tightly with your hands.

4. Lightly flour a flat surface. Roll out the bread dough into a large rectangle. Cut into 4 8x16" rectangles.

5. Dollop the broccoli mixture into the center of each dough rectangle. Fold the two short sides over the broccoli (you might have to stretch the dough slightly). Then fold over the longer sides and seal.

6. Place pockets onto a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. Combine egg with one tablespoon warm water. Brush onto tops of the pockets.

7. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

Creamy Latin Pasta Salad

2011-12-16T17:00:00.000-08:00

Finally a great pasta salad full of all sorts of yummy things! This is different than your usual creamy pasta salad with mayonnaise. The evaporated milk and lime really change it up, as do all of the crunchy veggies.

The original recipe called for using jicama instead of carrots. You could substitute celery too if you wish.

Makes: 8-10 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 lb box rotini pasta
1 cup ham, finely diced
1 orange bell pepper, seeded, ribbed, and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded, ribbed, and chopped
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 small red onion, sliced thin
1/2 cup peeled and chopped jicama (or carrots or celery)
1/2 cup pimento stuffed olives
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup queso blanco, crumbled
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 lime, juiced

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain well. Place in a large bowl.

2. Add the ham, peppers, peas, onion, jicama and olives and mix.

3. Place evaporated milk, olive oil, cheese, cilantro and lime juice into a blender and process until smooth. Pour over salad and stir well. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving. (If the salad gets a little dry, drizzle it with a little extra-virgin olive oil and stir).

Confederate Bean Soup

2011-12-14T17:00:00.000-08:00

This soup disappeared fast. It didn't take long to make, and it really hit the spot on a cold evening.

For dunking, I put some pastrami and muenster cheese on a sliced baguette and heated them up a bit. Soup's always better when you have something to dunk into it.

I found the original recipe here.

Makes: 2-4 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

2 slices thick bacon, cut into 1/2" pieces
2 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 large can (24 oz or 32 oz) baked beans, undrained
1/2 lb smoked sausage, chopped
1 cup half and half

1. Melt butter in a medium sized pot. Add bacon and cook until browned.

2. Add garlic, onion, and pepper and cook until crisp tender.

3. Add beans and sausage. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

4. Stir in the cream and continue cooking on low for 10 more minutes. Stir occasionally.

Pressed Salami Sandwich

2011-12-12T17:00:00.000-08:00

These sandwiches are so good. The key is to press them for at least an hour before serving.

I used a loaf of sourdough bread from Panera. You could use a loaf of French bread if you can't find a round loaf of bread. I found the original recipe here.

Makes: 4 sandwiches
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook time: 20 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 round loaf country bread, split
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large red pepper (you can substitute roasted red peppers from a jar)
8 slices salami (more or less depending on the size of your bread)
6 slices provolone cheese (more or less depending on the size of your bread)
1 large handful arugula, rinsed and trimmed

1. Roast pepper on a grill or under the broiler. Let cool slightly then remove skin and slice.

2. Brush bread with oil.

3. Top bread with salami, cheese, and peppers. Add arugula.

4. Wrap sandwich in foil. Place on baking sheet or in a large skillet. Place another baking sheet or skillet on top. Add something heavy, like large food cans or a bag of flour to press the sandwich down. Let set in fridge for one hour, pressing down more with your hands every 15 minutes.

5. Cut into wedges and serve.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

2011-12-10T17:00:00.000-08:00

We've been following Kevin's Closet Cooking blog for some time. He always makes great looking and tasting food, and his blog is very well written.

I've been on a broccoli kick the last few days, so I decided to make Kevin's broccoli and cheddar soup. It went really well with some mini Italian club sandwiches.

I used dried beans instead of a can. I soaked them for about 4 hours, then cooked them until tender, about 40 minutes. If you don't have an immersion blender you can use a regular counter top blender but let the soup cool first or it will explode in the blender.

Makes: 6-8 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil
1 medium white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 14oz cans vegetable broth (about 5 cups)
1 19 oz can white beans, rinsed and drained
1 large head broccoli
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I used Tillamook), plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons stone ground mustard
Small handful croutons

1. Cut off the broccoli florets and reserve. Peel the stock with a vegetable peeler and cut into bite-sized pieces. Reserve separate from the florets.

2. Heat the oil in a large pot. Add onions and cook until tender, 5-8 minutes.

3. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

4. Add the broth, beans, the broccoli stalks, and half of the broccoli florets.

5. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer until broccoli stalks are tender, about 15-20 minutes.

6. Blend until smooth with an immersion blender. Alternatively, you can blend the soup in a blender, however, let the soup cool first or it will explode and you could get burned.

7. Add remaining broccoli and simmer another 5 minutes. Blend again until the soup has thickened but still has small chunks of the florets remaining.

8. To serve, ladle into bowls and top with additional cheese and a few croutons.

Hero Sandwiches

2011-12-08T17:00:00.000-08:00

Nothing beats a great sandwich. One of the things that make these really great is the dressing.

The recipe makes a bit of dressing, which is a good thing. I used the leftover on other sandwiches. In fact, I think it has become my standard sandwich topping.

I found the original recipe here.

Makes: 4 sandwiches
Prep time: 10 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
4 drops hot sauce
4 sesame rolls, split
1 lb sandwich meat (we used turkey and ham)
8 slices Swiss cheese
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 tablespoon honey Dijon mustard
Green lettuce
Dill pickle slices
Handful of green olives, sliced
1 tomato, sliced

1. In a small bowl, combine the mayo, red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and hot sauce.

2. Spread butter and mustard onto bun bottoms. Spread top buns with mayo mixture.

3. Add meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle and olives. Season with salt and pepper. Add top bun and serve.

Muffuletta Sandwiches

2011-12-06T17:00:00.000-08:00

I love olive salad. I love it even more when it's on a muffuletta sandwich.

I made up a big batch of olive salad and had it on a bagel muffuletta ala Cajunlicious and also on sliders. The longer you let the olive salad get happy in the fridge before using it, the better it is.

For the olive salad:

Makes: About 3 cups
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: A few days
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups green olives, pitted and coarse-chopped
1/2 cups Kalamatta olives, pitted and coarse-chopped
1 cup Gardiniera, coarse-chopped
1 tablespoon capers
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 cup celery, sliced thin
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 large red bell pepper
1 green onion, sliced thin
1 - 1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil

1. Roast the red bell pepper on your grill or in the oven. Let cool. Remove skin and seeds then chop. (Alternatively, you can use a few jarred roasted red bell peppers).

2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Start with using just 1 cup of the oil. Add more if necessary. Cover and refrigerate for at least one day, up to a week, stirring occasionally. Add more oil if needed.

For the muffuletta bagels:

Makes: 2 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive salad (see above), or more
2 bagels, sliced
4 slices provolone cheese
4 slices hard salami
2 slices Canadian bacon (or mortadella, pimento olive loaf, or bologna)

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Place half of olive salad on each bagel bottom. Top with cheese and meats. Add remaining olive salad and top bagel bun.

3. Wrap bagels in foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

For the muffuletta sliders:

1. Make the muffuletta bagel recipe, above, except using slider buns. Cut remaining ingredients in half, and bake for only 10 minutes.

Rhinehart's Oyster Bar, Evans, GA

2011-12-05T17:00:00.000-08:00

Any time we're in Evans GA (just outside of Augusta), we have to go to Rhinehart's Oyster Bar. It's in an unassuming building, with an unassuming atmosphere. Concrete floors, wood picnic tables, and best of all... you can write on everything everywhere!

I always get the spicy boiled shrimp when we go to Rhinehart's. You get a mess of them, and you make a mess eating them. I'm a big fan of that. The shrimp have a little kick to them, which is offset perfectly by the homemade cocktail sauce. They go really well with an ice cold beer. Or three.

Last time we were at Rhinehart's, Anita switched things up and ordered the catfish poor boy sandwich. It was huge! She said it was the best po'boy she'd ever had. That's a pretty bold statement considering we've had some really outrageously good po'boys!

Did I mention the fries? Hand cut. Fresh. Really, really good.

Rhinehart's is a fun place to go, with great food and service. And while you're there, check the walls and table around you... you might find our names written there!

Shane's Rib Shack, Evans, GA

2011-12-04T17:00:00.000-08:00

While we were staying at my parent's for Thanksgiving, we decided to slip out one evening and have dinner at Shane's Rib Shack. The reviews of Shane's were quite positive so I was looking forward to eating there.

You order at the counter at Shane's. The place was definitely busy, and I found the staff both behind and in front of the counter to be quite friendly.

I figured that since they are famous for their ribs, I'd best get a half rack along with some okra and coleslaw. Mom got the sampler (ribs, tenders and pork). Dad got the half rack, same as me, and Anita ordered the chicken, with mac and cheese (which she said was outrageously good) and slaw (also good).

The food came out pretty quickly. Everything looked and smelled great, so I dove right in on the ribs. Man, they were good! Finger-lickin', tongue-smackin' darned good! They were tender, meaty, tasty, with just the right amount of char on the outside to give them some bite. I'm drooling just thinking about them again. I looked at their website and found that there's a Shane's in Louisville, KY. It's worth a trip there just for some ribs!

Everyone else enjoyed their food and bragged on it. I can't remember what all everyone said as I was in rib heaven, a world of my own, just enjoying the ribs and sides.

Smoky Mountain Brewery, Gatlinburg, TN

2011-12-03T17:00:00.000-08:00

Anita and I pulled into Gatlinburg, TN, after about a 7 hour drive from Indianapolis. I'm a big fan of having a little liquid refreshment to shake off the road, if you know what I mean.

So, we left our hotel and walked into town and into the Smoky Mountain Brewery, just off Parkway, the main drive through Gatlinburg. The place was crowded since it was a Sunday afternoon during football season. There were TVs everywhere. Oh, and the pizza. You could smell the pizza and it smelled so good!

We didn't eat at the Smoky Mountain Brewery, though I have to say all the food looked and smelled terrific. Next time we're in Gatlinburg we'll go there for a bite to eat! Instead we headed upstairs to the bar for a few drinks. Since the place is a brewery, I ordered a large Mountain Light beer. Oh, let me tell you, what a welcomed beer it was! It was very, very good. Good enough to have more than one (and I did!).

Bar service was friendly and fairly prompt considering how busy the place was. If you're in Gatlinburg, swing on by for a few drinks!

Sonny's Real Pit BBQ, Corbin, KY

2011-12-01T17:00:00.000-08:00

Anita and I were driving from Indy to Gatlinburg, on our way to my parent's for Thanksgiving. Somehow, we always end up in Corbin, KY, for lunch. I suspect that most people go to the Kentucky Fried Chicken near there since Corbin is where it was started.

We stopped in at Sonny's real pit BBQ, right off of the interstate. Sonny's is a chain, but not a huge chain. They turn out big, good servings at a reasonable price. Service is very fast, and very friendly. You'll fill up on some good BBQ at Sonny's, and it sure beats the heck out of a fast food burger or taco.

I ordered the chopped brisket, with fries and slaw, and a slice of garlicy Texas Toast. Nothing fancy. The brisket was seasoned well, smoked tender, and quite tasty. There were 4 sauces on the table (where they should be): sweet, sizzlin' sweet, mild, and smokin'. I tried them all, and sizzlin' sweet was my favorite. I would've liked a 5th sauce that was a little hotter. The coleslaw was quite good. It's your standard slaw, but for some reason it really hit the spot that day.

Anita had the pulled pork sandwich and fries and stole some of my coleslaw. The pork was smoked well. It was tender and tasty.

So if you're driving down I-75 and you're getting hungry, swing by Sonny's in Corbin or in their other locations nearby.

Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, Gatlingburg, TN

2011-11-30T09:20:00.000-08:00

Anita and I stopped in Gatlinburg on our way to my parent's for Thanksgiving. We did a little shopping and went to dinner at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. We've eaten there before, and really enjoyed it.

We started out with some calamari. It was fried in a nice tempura batter, and also included fried red bell pepper strips and pepperoncinis. I would've never thought of tempura pepperoncinis or bell peppers, but they were both excellent. I'll be making them at home soon. The calamari itself was also good, and included a nice dipping sauce.

Anita ordered the same thing she did the last time were there, Mama Blue's Southern Charmed Fried Shrimp. They really are one of the best things on the menu.

I changed up my order this time from the New Orleans Shrimp and went with the Shrimper's Heaven. If you're going to go, go big, I always say. The Shrimper's Heaven comes with coconut shrimp, chilly you-peel shrimp, fried shrimp, and tempura shrimp. You're not going to leave hungry, I guarantee! The three dipping sauces complement the shrimp perfectly.

As always, service at Bubba Gump's is very good. The staff is pleasant, attentive, and fun. If you change the sign on your table from 'Run. Forrest. Run.' to 'Stop. Forrest. Stop.' any wait staff that passes by will stop and get you whatever you need.

Mo's Milk Chocolate Bacon Bar from Vosges

2011-11-29T05:14:00.000-08:00

Oh me. I can't even begin to tell you just how good this chocolate bar was.

Milk chocolate. Hickory-smoked bacon. Alderwood-smoked salt. So good. Smokey and sweet. From Vosges.

Augusta Canal, Locks and Headgates, Evans, Georgia

2011-11-28T09:16:00.000-08:00

While we were in Augusta, GA, for Thanksgiving my dad had us drive down to the locks along the Savannah River. The weather was great for late November, nearly 70 F.

The locks along the Savannah River were built in the mid-1800s to facilitate river traffic, much of it hauling cotton. The headgates, built in 1875, are still used today. There's a remodeled cottage by the canal that was once used by the lock keeper. The cottage is now a museum. There's also a pavilion nearby that can be used for get-togethers.

In between the canal and Savannah River is the old tow path used by the mules to tow the barges up and down the river. The tow path is now a pleasant running/walk path. You can canoe or kayak down the canal, or during certain times of the year, take a boat tour.

It was a pleasant day to walk around the canal and buildings, and even enjoy some of the Spanish moss on the trees, something we certainly don't see here in Indianapolis!

Newfound Gap Great Smoky Mountains National Park

2011-11-27T06:53:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, Anita and I spent a few days in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. We spent a day driving around Cades Cove, and really, really enjoyed it. We so recommend it (specially on days when the park isn't busy). We went the week before Labor Day, and the park was quite pleasantly empty.

This year, we decided to stop in Gatlinburg on the way to my parent's home in Georgia. Instead of going back to the interstate to finish our trip, we decided to drive through the park and up to Newfound Gap. It was the Monday of the week of Thanksgiving. I counted only 10 or so cars on the road, making this another great trip. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is so worth visiting.

The trip up to Newfound Gap from Gatlinburg is not as steep as the trip down the other side into North Carolina. Both sides are equally fantastic, with lots of places (mostly on the Tennessee side) to pull off and enjoy the view. The Newfound Gap is really worth the stop. There was a fog bank down in the valley below us that made for some great photos. Next time, we'll pack a lunch and enjoy an afternoon at the peak.

Laguna Seca 1977

2011-11-26T11:46:00.001-08:00

My mom recently discovered some black-and-white negatives from when she and I went to the 1977 Can-Am races at Laguna Seca. We were living in Monterrey, California at the time. I was a young teen, and really into cars, so going to Laguna Seca was a dream come true. There were other divisions racing too that day. It has been too long ago for me to remember them all, but I still enjoy looking at the pictures.

We set up along the corkscrew, the famous set of diving corners. Mom used her Pentax camera, which she still has today.

Infrared-Cooked Thanksgiving Turkey

2011-11-25T16:14:00.000-08:00

Well, truth be told, we made it before Thanksgiving. I bought this cooker a few weeks ago and wanted to give it a trial run before the big day. Its a Char-Broil Big Easy Infrared Turkey Fryer. I was going to get an oil-based deep fryer, but I was leery of using oil, so I went with this cooker instead. No oil, and beyond easy to use!

To make the turkey I injected it with a simple sauce (see below). Then I mixed a few tablespoons of Todd's Original Dirt with a little olive oil and rubbed the outside down good. I fired up the cooker and lowered the turkey inside. Exactly two hours (10 minutes/pound), the turkey was done perfectly with a great crisped skin! You don't have to check on it, adjust the temperature, baste it, rub it, hover over it.... nothing! And the meat was soooo tasty and soooo tender and juicy! The dripping ban underneath captured all of the dripping yum-yums that I needed to make a gravy.

This is definitely the way I'm doing all future turkeys! Did I mention the easy cleanup? And the fact that it frees up your oven for making sides?

(As an aside, you can fit up to a 16 pound turkey in this cooker. If you have a really big get-together, you'll want to buy 2 of them!)

Basic Butter-Based Injection Sauce
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add remaining ingredients and mix. Add fresh ground black pepper and salt to taste. Add enough salt to make the sauce taste a little on the salty side.

2. Load sauce into meat injector and inject the turkey every 1/2"-1".

Pizzology Pizzeria and Pub, Carmel, Indiana

2011-11-19T17:00:00.000-08:00

Anita and a coworker and I met up for lunch yesterday at Pizzology. I've heard a lot of talk about Pizzology and we finally got around to eating there.

We ordered the pizza rossa (red sauce) with mushrooms, sausage, and mozzarella. The pizza is wood-fired, and comes out crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. I actually thought it would be crunchier. The toppings were definitely quality. I could've eaten just the mozzarella, it was really, really good. Anita loved everything about the pizza.

Pizzology has a nice selection of pizzas and toppings. Not overwhelming and not crazy.

I like Pizzology's philosophy towards their food. They know the sources of their ingredients, the farms, and the families that run them. This isn't your corporate who-knows-where-the-food-comes-from kinda joint. You have to like that and their commitment shows in the quality of their food. We'll definitely be returning soon!

Russian Black Porous Chocolate

2011-11-18T17:00:00.000-08:00

Oh, this is very good chocolate. I picked up a bar the last time we were at Jungle Jim's in Cincinnati. They have a huge selection of chocolate bars.

This chocolate melts in your mouth. It is very smooth, and like the name says, porous. Like lava. It is a dark chocolate, but it tastes almost like milk chocolate. If you can't find them locally, you can find them online here.

Chili Garlic Wings

2011-11-17T17:00:00.000-08:00

Wings go fast around here, specially when they're as good as these from Cheeky Kitchen. I made a few minor changes.

I was thinking about throwing together a quick and easy dipping sauce for these wings, but they didn't need it at all. They are a little sweet, with a little kick. Finger-licking good. I made these on my Performer charcoal grill, but you can also cook them on a gas grill or in the oven.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2-4 tablespoons chili garlic sauce (I used Sambal Oelek)
4 pounds chicken wings, trimmed, drummettes and wings separated

1. Place all but the wings in a bowl. Whisk well.

2. Season wings with salt and pepper.

3. If you are grilling the wings, first grill over direct heat for 5-10 minutes, then move to indirect heat. Baste and cook another 10 minutes. Flip, baste again, and continue cooking until done (160 F internal temperature)..

4. If you are cooking the wings in the oven, place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and cook for 10-20 minutes at 375 F. Baste, and cook another 10 minutes. Flip, baste, and continue cooking until done (160 F internal temperature).

More backyard creatures

2011-11-15T17:00:00.000-08:00

Run for your lives!

This praying mantis was HUGE! I would have run and grabbed a ruler or something to give this picture some scale, but I was afraid he would break into the house and steal the TV!

This fellow is an amazing creature. Maybe he's the grown up version of the praying mantis I photographed a few years ago.

Creole Pork Tenderloin Dinner

2011-11-14T17:00:00.000-08:00

This was a truly great dinner. Everything was just delicious. The tenderloin was so moist and tender and tasty, and not overly spicy. The potatoes (I like mine with a big ole pat of butter on top) and green beans were also excellent.

We can't wait to make this again. I made the tenderloin in a Dutch oven but you could use a crockpot instead.

For the Creole Pork Tenderloin:

Makes: 6 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 7-9 hours
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

2 pork tenderloins
1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
1 small white onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 rib celery, sliced
1 package chicken gravy mix (or use our favorite mixture, below)
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

1. Cut tenderloins in half.

2. Combine the flour and Creole seasoning in a bowl. Dredge the tenderloins in the mixture then transfer to a Dutch oven.

3. Cover tenderloin in onion, pepper and celery. Cook on low for 7-9 hours.

4. The last 30 minutes, add the gravy mixture and tomatoes. Cook another 30 minutes then serve.

For the Gravy Mix:

3 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Mix well (I used a spice grinder to make sure the mixture was well combined).

For the Homestyle Green Beans:

Makes: 6 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 45-60 minutes

Ingredients:

1 lb frozen green beans
1 medium white onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 slices bacon, halved
1 tablespoon butter
1 15 oz can chicken broth
1 dash Tabasco

1. Cook bacon in a large saucepan until lightly crisped.

2. Add the onion, garlic and butter. Cook until onion starts to turn translucent, stirring often.

3. Add the green beans and chicken broth. Cover and simmer 45-60 minutes or until the beans are tender.

4. Add salt, pepper and Tabasco to taste.

For the Creamy Parmesan Mashed Potatoes:

Makes: 6-8 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

3 lbs red potatoes, unpeeled
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/4 lb unsalted butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Place enough water in a large pot to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil and add a generous amount of salt. Add potatoes and let cook 25-30 minutes or until fork tender.

2. Drain potatoes and return to pot.

3. In a small saucepan, heat the half and half. Add the butter and melt.

4. Pour the butter/cream mixture into the potatoes and mash with a potato masher.

5. Mix in the sour cream, Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.

Grilled Smoked Paprika Potato Salad

2011-11-12T17:00:00.000-08:00

Oh my, this came out so good! The smoked paprika and grilled potatoes really make this an excellent side dish.

You don't have to grill the potatoes, just toss them in a cast iron with a little oil to brown them up a bit or put them under the broiler for a few minutes. The original recipe came from here.

Makes: 6-8 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

2 red bell peppers
2 pounds small red potatoes (try to get ones all about the same size)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
Vegetable oil
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

1. Roast red bell peppers on grill or under broiler. Let cool. Remove seeds and stems and chop.

2. Place potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Add one tablespoon salt. Bring to a boil and continue boiling until potatoes start to soften, about 10-12 minutes. Drain and let cool. Cut potatoes in halves.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, chopped peppers, garlic, vinegar and paprika. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Brush cut sides of potatoes with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on grill and grill until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly.

5. Place potatoes in a large bowl. Add mayonnaise mixture and fold in well. Add parsley and stir to combine. Serve warm.

M.U.L.E.

2011-11-11T17:00:00.000-08:00

Way, way back in my college days, my then landlord and friend and I were heavily addicted to a game on the Commodore 64 called M.U.L.E. Mark and I played this hour after hour after hour.

M.U.L.E. (which stands for Multiple Use Labor Element) is a straight-forward strategy game that can drive you nuts, specially with multiple players. Basically, you buy plots of land and put M.U.L.E.s on them to perform various functions (like farming, or energy collection, etc). Here I am grabbing a M.U.L.E. before getting ready to put up a farm.

Here's a screenshot of the main playing board. Notice that sometimes bad things happen, like a pest attack eating all of your food!

After each round, you can buy or sell leftovers from your production in the store.

M.U.L.E. was developed by the great guys at Ozark Softscape from Little Rock, Arkansas. I met Bill and Dan Bunten in Little Rock once. They were our heroes since they were the only successful gaming company in Arkansas at the time. They also made another of the best games of all time, Seven Cities of Gold, which was equally addicting but for a single player.

For laughs, I picked up a M.U.L.E. t-shirt from the Ozark Softscape website. Here's a picture of the front of the shirt:

And the back. What fun!

There is also a multi-player online version of M.U.L.E. at Planet M.U.L.E.

Roasted Poblano Macaroni And Cheese

2011-11-10T17:00:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I started noticing this recipe appearing on a lot of the blogs I follow. The event was the pending arrival of the Homesick Texan's new cookbook, which I've ordered and can't wait to receive! I've also followed the Homesick Texan's blog for some time and have loved every recipe Lisa has posted.

These mac-and-cheese recipe is great. And it has some kick. I'm taking this to our next family get-together. The kids will only eat that horrid boxed mac-and-cheese, so we're sure to get this all to ourselves.

Makes: 6-8 servings
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

2 Poblano chiles
8 oz elbow macaroni
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
2 cups grated white cheddar cheese
2 cups grated pepper jack cheese
1/2 cup grated cotija cheese, for serving (I used crumbled queso blanco)

1. Roast the poblanos on your grill until well charred (you can also do this in the oven under the broiler). Let cool slightly. Remove the stems and seeds and chop.

2. Preheat oven to 375. Grease a small baking dish or 10" cast iron skillet.

3. Cook pasta according to package instructions and drain.

4. Pour pasta into greased dish or skillet.

5. In a medium pot, melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

6. Whisk in the flour and cook until is begins to turn light brown.

7. Slowly whisk in the milk, stirring until the mixture thickens.

8. Remove pot from heat and add the mustard powder, cayenne, cumin, lime zest, cilantro and poblanos. Mix and add salt and pepper to taste.

9. Add in half of the pepper jack and cheddar cheeses and stir until combined. Pour mixture over the top of the pasta and spread out evenly.

10. Sprinkle with remaining pepper jack and cheddar. Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and lightly browned.

11. Serve topped with crumbled cotija.

Marinated Cauliflower Salad

2011-11-08T17:00:00.000-08:00

This is a really great salad for this time of year.

Best served at room temperature. You can use frozen cauliflower if you can't get fresh, but the fresh will give you a crisper salad. The original recipe comes from a fellow blogger from Indianapolis, Katy.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

4 cups cauliflower florets (a medium head)
4 carrots, chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, lightly crushed
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped (for garnish)

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and carrots. Return to a boil and boil for 2 more minutes. Drain.

2. In a small skillet heat the olive oil. Add the red pepper flakes and garlic and cook over medium-low heat until the garlic begins to brown. Remove from heat and cool 15 minutes. Remove the garlic clove.

3. Pour oil into a large bowl. Add the mustard plus salt and pepper. Whisk well.

4. Add in the vegetables and toss to coat.

5. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Toss in the parsley and stir. Serve at room temperature.

Chicago Italian Beef Sandwiches

2011-11-07T17:00:00.000-08:00

We were happy to see Jeff Mauro win this years Next Food Network Star. Not that we're really into food competition shows, but we really liked Jeff's approach to sandwiches (or as they call it on the show, his 'culinary point-of-view').

This recipe comes from the first episode of Jeff's new show, Sandwich King. I made a few changes. If you don't like cooking with wine just add more beef stock.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 4 hours
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

For the beef:

1 3 lb boneless beef chuck eye roast
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup dry red wine
3 cups beef stock
1 teaspoon dried thyme

For the sweet peppers:

4 green bell peppers, seeded and cut into strips
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon granulated garlic

For the sandwiches:

4 sub rolls
1 cup hot Giardiniera (in the pickle section of your grocery store)

1. Preheat oven to 300 F.

2. Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper. Add oil to a Dutch oven and heat. Add roast and brown on all sides.

3. Remove roast and reduce heat to medium. Add onions and saute until brown, 8-10 minutes.

4. Add Italian season and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant.

5. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

6. Add in the wine and deglaze the pan.

7. Add the beef stock and thyme. Add salt and pepper to taste.

8. Add roast back to pot and place in oven. Cook for 3 1/2 - 4 hours or until fall-apart tender, turning every 30 minutes.

9. Remove roast and let cool slightly. While cooling, make the sweet peppers by placing them in a bowl. Add in the oil, granulated garlic, and salt and pepper. Increase oven temperature to 350 F. Place peppers on a baking sheet and bake 20 minutes until softened, turning once.

10. Shred the beef.

11. Strain the jus and return to the pot, heating until simmering, adding salt and pepper to taste.

12. To assemble sandwiches, top buns with meat, peppers and some of the Giardiniera. Dunk sandwiches in jus.

Halloween Pumpkins 2011

2011-11-05T09:16:00.001-07:00

We love carving pumpkins for Halloween. We're not artists, so we usually use stencils to at least get us started.

Anita carved an awesome face this year. It was my favorite.

I did a raven. Actually, it started as something else, but I made a boo-boo and had to go to a back-up plan.

We did this one together. A combination of bats and moons.

For the first time I carved some oranges. I did them free-hand. You probably figured that out already! Anyway, they were a big hit. I'll do more of them next year! (I cleaned them out using a melon baller.)

I also made this chalkboard pumpkin. I sprayed a pumpkin with two coats of chalkboard paint and set it out by the sidewalk along with some sidewalk chalk. Kids would sign the pumpkin or just write on it. They loved it. Next year I'll do this again, but with a bigger pumpkin!

Grilled Mexican Nacho Pizza

2011-11-04T17:00:00.000-07:00

This is the easiest pizza to make. We baked ours on a pizza stone on the grill. You can just as easily bake it in the oven.

Add more toppings as you like.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 refrigerated pizza dough
1 can of refried beans
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1. Preheat grill or oven to 425 F.

2. Roll dough out onto a pizza stone or baking sheet and bake until almost done. Remove from oven.

3. Place beans, cumin, chili powder and salt in a small bowl. Combine. Spread over dough.

4. Sprinkle pizza with cheese and salsa. Bake until cheese is melted, 10-15 minutes.

5. Sprinkle pizza with sour cream and cilantro.

Asian Meatball Sandwiches

2011-11-02T17:00:00.000-07:00

I picked up this great recipe over on the Life's Ambrosia blog. The meatballs are great, and the slaw is beyond excellent.

We are big fans of Sriracha sauce. The Sriracha slaw on these sandwiches is really good. Next time I'm going to make up a batch of the slaw and put it on grilled burgers or even brats.

Makes: 4 sandwiches
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 pound ground pork
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup plain bread crumbs
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 habanero peppers (can use jalapeños if you want less heat), minced
2 tablespoons oil
4 sandwich rolls
Sriracha slaw (see below)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Place the pork, egg, bread crumbs, oyster sauce, soy sauce, ginger, salt and habanero peppers into a large bowl. Using your hands, combine the mixture.

3. Heat oil in a large skillet.

4. Form pork mixture into golf ball-sized balls (you'll get about 20 or so of them).

5. Working in batches, brown meatballs in the skillet. Remove to a baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray.

6. Bake meatballs for 15-20 minutes or until done.

7. Toast rolls if desired. Top with slaw and meatballs. Serve with additional Sriracha sauce for drizzling on top.

For the sriracha slaw:

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce (or more, to taste)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
10 oz bag broccoli slaw

1. Whisk together the mayonnaise, Sriracha sauce, ginger and vinegar in a large bowl. Add in the slaw and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Asian Chopped Salad

2011-11-01T17:00:00.000-07:00

This is another great idea from Kalyn's Kitchen. We just recently made Kalyn's grilled sriracha meatballs, which were outstanding!

I think this is Anita's favorite salad. We're both big fans of anything that uses Sriracha sauce.

Makes: 4-6 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup peeled and sliced broccoli stems, along with some of the florets
2 cups sugar snap peas, sliced into 1/2" pieces on the diagonal
1 bunch radishes, trimmed and sliced
1/4 head red cabbage, chopped
1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
Dressing (see below)

1. Place all but the dressing into a bowl and combine. Slowly add in the dressing, mixing as you go. You may not need all of the dressing, so test it as you add more.

For the Dressing:

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced (or substitute garlic salt)
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon dried ginger
1/4-3/4 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
1/3 cup mayonnaise

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

Thai-Style Pork

2011-10-31T17:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, this came out great. I few weeks back I bought some pork loins on sale. I split them into 2-3 pound sections and froze them until I could find something good to use them in.

Well, I found something good, that's for sure. I was a little skeptical about the peanut butter, but don't be shy with it. It really makes for a creamy, tasty sauce. We'll be making this again soon.

I found the original recipe here.

Makes: 6-8 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 8-10 hours
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

2 pounds pork loin, cut into 3-4 pieces
1 large red bell pepper, julienned
1/4 cup Teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
6 cups Basmati rice, cooked
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons roasted peanuts (or more), lightly chopped

1. Place the pork, bell pepper, Teriyaki sauce, vinegar, red pepper flakes and garlic into a Dutch oven and cook over low heat 8-10 hours or until the pork is falling apart. You can also use a crockpot if you wish.

2. Remove the pork and add the peanut butter to the pot. Stir to combine. Shred the pork and add it back to the pot.

3. Serve over rice garnished with green onion and peanuts.

Sugar Cookies

2011-10-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

Our niece can decorate the heck out of a cake, or cupcakes, or anything you put in front of her. We on the other hand, cannot. But, we get by.

We made these cookies for Anita to take to work. They disappeared in seconds. This is the only sugar cookie (and icing) recipe you'll ever need! We found the cookie recipe here, and the icing recipe here.

Makes: 48 cookies
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 8-15 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Heat your oven to 375 F.

2. Stir together the flour, baking soda and baking powder.

3. In a large bowl, use a fork or hand blender to cream the butter and sugar until smooth. Add in the egg and vanilla and blend. Slowly pour in flour mixture and blend.

4. Roll dough into small balls, about 1" in diameter. Place onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake until golden, 8-15 minutes. Remove. Let cool two minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool the rest of the way. Ice and decorate as desired.

For the icing:

Ingredients:

2/3 cup butter, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk
Food coloring, as desired

1. Cream together the butter, sugar and milk in a medium-sized bowl. Divide into as many colors as you need. Add a few drops of food coloring into each batch and blend.

Review: Little Old Lady Recipes by Meg Favreau

2011-10-29T11:28:00.000-07:00

We received an advance copy of a cookbook called Little Old Lady Recipes to review. This is a beautiful little cookbook written by Meg Favreau with photographs by Michael Reali. Meg Favreau is a writer, comedian, food enthusiast and one-time eating-contest winner living in Los Angeles. Michael Reali is a fervent photographer among other things, and his pictures of the beautiful ladies in their kitchens are fantastic and a little retro looking.

This book has simple and delicious recipes that your mother or grandmother made and that everyone loves. There are also little pearls of wisdom throughout the book by ladies that know a thing or two about life and cooking. The author talks a little bit about each recipe which is funny and so true. I tried the Irish Soda Bread recipe.

The recipe was easy to follow and the bread came out very, very good. I've included a pic of the bread. This is a gem of a cookbook filled with comfort food recipes that I will definitely use.

Red Maple Tree

2011-10-28T14:26:00.000-07:00

We don't have a large yard, but we're lucky enough to have some beautiful trees. One our favorites is this little red maple. Well, it's not so little any more, but it was only a foot or so tall when we bought the house.

Grilled Sriracha Chipotle Wings

2011-10-27T17:00:00.000-07:00

These wings are highly addictive. You've been warned.

I love that you can find more and more recipes these days that include sriracha sauce. Its a great sauce, not too hot, with lots of depth.

I found the original recipe for these wings over at Grill Grrrl's.

Makes: 4-6 servings
Prep time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup Franks hot sauce
1/4 cup sriracha
1 small can chiptoles in adobo, rough chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
5 lbs chicken wings, cut into pieces, rinsed and patted dry

1. Place hot sauce, sriracha, chipotles, garlic and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Mix well. Pour into a large resealable baggie.

2. Add chicken to baggie and seal. Toss to coat. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

3. Fire up your grill for indirect cooking. Place wings over indirect heat and cook 20 minutes. Flip and cook another 20-25 minutes or until done.

4. Serve with dipping sauce.

For the dipping sauce:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sour cream
4 oz blue cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon spoon dry mustard

1. Mix all ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Grilled Sweet and Spicy Wings

2011-10-25T17:00:00.000-07:00

I love my Weber Performer grill. It is super easy to light, and has plenty of room for direct and indirect cooking.

These wings from Blues BBQ are great off the grill. You don't need a dipping sauce, trust me.

Makes: 4-6 servings
Prep time: 4 hours
Cook time: 1 hour
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

2 1/2 tablespoons fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon seasoned salt
5 pounds chicken wings, rinsed and dried, cut into pieces
1 cup honey
1/2 cup hot barbecue sauce (I used Grandma Foster's Smooth and Spicy)
3 tablespoons apple juice

1. Mix the pepper, onion, chili and garlic powders and salt in a small bowl. Pour into a large resealable baggie.

2. Add the chicken to the bag and seal. Toss to totally coat the wings. Place in fridge and let marinate for 4 hours.

3. Prepare grill for indirect cooking. Add wings and cook for 20 minutes., Flip and cook another 20-25 minutes or until done.

4. In a small saucepan, mix the honey, barbecue sauce, and apple juice. Bring to a simmer and keep warm.

5. Place wings in a large disposable aluminum pan. Pour sauce over the wings and toss to coat. Place pan on grill, directly over the heat. Continue heating, flipping often, until the glaze is how you'd like it (in our case, nice and thick and gooey!). Remove and enjoy!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus with Homemade Pita Chips

2011-10-23T17:00:00.000-07:00

Anita loves hummus. I thought I'd make something a little different and use roasted red peppers.

I also made some pita chips for dipping. Super easy.

For the hummus:

Makes: 1 1/2 cups
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium red bell pepper
2 tablespoons tahini
1 lemon
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Roast the red bell pepper on your grill or in the oven. Let cool then remove the charred skin, stem and seeds. Chop. Alternatively, you can use 1/2 cup jarred roasted red bell pepper, chopped.

2. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

For the pita chips:

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

3 pitas, cut into wedges
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

2. Mix oil, garlic and salt and pepper to taste in small bowl. Brush mixture onto pita wedges. Transfer to a baking sheet (or two) and bake for 12-15 minutes or until crispy and lightly golden.

Stroganoff Dip

2011-10-22T17:00:00.000-07:00

This is a really great, hearty dip. Serve with thick chips or crackers. If its too thick for your liking, thin it up with a little more sour cream or even milk.

Our niece took some home to have over noodles. It's very stroganoff-y.

Makes: 12 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:

3 slices bacon
8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 medium white onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 8 oz package cream cheese, cubed
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 cup sour cream (plus more if the dip gets too thick)

1. Cook bacon until crisp in a large skillet. Remove and crumble.

2. Add the mushrooms, onion and garlic to the skillet with the bacon drippings. Cook until the mushrooms are tender and the liquid has almost completely evaporated.

3. Sprinkle the mushroom mixture with the flour, salt and pepper. Stir.

4. Mix in cream cheese cubes, and Worcestershire and soy sauce. Reduce heat to low and cook until the cream cheese is completely melted.

5. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream and bacon. Serve warm (I served the dip in a fondue pot set to 'warm').

Ritchey Woods Nature Preserve, Fishers, Indiana

2011-10-20T17:00:00.000-07:00

Anita was off work today, so for lunch we drove over to Sam's Gyros and picked up a regular gyro (for Anita) and a spicy gyro (for me) and headed over to Ritchey Woods Nature Preserve in Fishers. We have driven by Ritchey Woods at least a hundred times and always wanted to stop, and today we finally did.

Ritchey Woods is a nature preserve of about 127 acres. There are several walking trails...

... and a few picnic tables, and a nice shelter area for anyone's use.

It seems that the shelter was recently used for a rather major pumpkin carving activity!

It was nice out today (mid 70s), and there were a few people there walking their dogs... or just walking themselves!

While walking along one trail we discovered these enormous giant puffball mushrooms. Apparently these mushrooms can get over 40 pounds in weight! I can believe it by how big they are! The large one below was bigger than a basketball!

Ritchey Woods is a nice little place to stop by for a stroll and enjoy the woods and nature. We are looking forward to returning soon.

Cuban Tenderloin Sliders

2011-10-19T17:00:00.000-07:00

I got the idea for these from Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner post on stuffed Cuban pork tenderloin. Pam's came out so well that I just had to make it.

I sliced them thin and served them on slider rolls.

Makes: 8-10 sliders
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 slices Swiss cheese, halved, plus 2-3 more for topping the sliders
8-10 dill pickle slices
1 teaspoon dried oregano (I used closer to 2 teaspoons)
8-10 slider buns

1. Fire up your grill for direct/indirect cooking.

2. Cut a slit lengthwise into the tenderloin. Spread it open then, using a meat mallet, pound it out to about a 1/2" thickness.

3. Spread mustard over the inside of the tenderloin. Top with cheese and pickles.

4. Roll up tenderloin along longest edge, then tie with kitchen twine.

5. Combine oregano with a 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Sprinkle over all sides of the tenderloin.

6. Place tenderloin over direct heat on your grill. Sear, then rotate, searing the remaining sides, but be careful when grilling the open side as you don't want the cheese and other goodies inside to drip out. Remove to indirect heat and continue cooking until desired temperature is reached (I went for 155 F). Remove from grill and let rest 5-10 minutes.

7. Toast buns if desired.

8. Slice tenderloin thin. Top buns with tenderloin and a small piece of Swiss cheese. Serve.

Cajun Boiled Potatoes with Lemon Dipping Butter

2011-10-18T17:00:00.000-07:00

Cajunlicious is one my most favorite blogs to follow. Jessica posts some really great tasting food there. If you haven't subscribed to the Cajunlicious blog, you really should.

These potatoes are soooo good and yet so easy to make. I love crab boil. The smell of these potatoes cooking made me want to make another poor man's shrimp boil.

Makes: 3-4 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 lb small red potatoes, washed but not skinned
1/4 cup seafood boil (I used Louisiana brand)
1 lemon, halved plus 1 more for serving
1 stick + 2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon garlic salt
Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish

1. Combine seafood boil with one cup of water. Pour into a pot.

2. Add potatoes, juice of one half of the lemon and 2 tablespoons of the butter and enough water to cover the potatoes to the pot. Bring to a boil. Continue boiling until the potatoes are fork-tender, 10-15 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes.

3. While potatoes are cooking, melt the stick of butter. Stir in the garlic salt and juice of the remaining lemon half.

4. Drain potatoes. Serve with remaining lemon, cut into wedges, topped with chopped parsley and dipping butter on the size.

Carrot Apple Slaw

2011-10-17T17:00:00.000-07:00

I grilled up some pork tenderloins the other night, glazing them with the last of my Pepper Palace Sweet Bourbon Glaze. I figured I'd want something to cut through the sweetness of the glaze, so I made this wonderful carrot apple slaw.

Really tasty slaw. The apple makes it a little different than your usual slaw. Good on its own too. I found the original recipe here.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 savoy cabbage, finely shredded
1 large carrot, peeled, cut into matchsticks
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and cut into matchsticks

1. Combine the mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper in a large bowl.

2. Add in the remaining ingredients and toss. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

Miss BarBee-Q

2011-10-15T17:00:00.000-07:00

I ran across this little beauty at a local antique mall not too long ago. Its a little grill in the original box. Though the box shows a little wear, the grill has never been used. I just had to buy it (I think I paid $20).

I noticed that one of the recommended uses is in a rec-room. Having lit charcoal in a closed-in rec room seems like a bad idea to me!

I was thinking about just keeping this grill in the box, but instead I'm going to put it into the fireplace this winter and grill up some burgers and dogs!

Quaker Steak and Lube

2011-10-14T17:00:00.000-07:00

We almost never eat at chain restaurants. We prefer mom-and-pop or at least locally-owned places. That being said, we've wanted to eat at a Quaker Steak and Lube for some time because we love wings, and they have such a long list of wing sauces.

We were on our way back from a day at the Ohio Renaissance Festival. We worked up quiet an appetite at the festival despite having quite a bit of food while we were there. So, we stopped at a Quaker Steak and Lube on the northwest side of Cincinnati.

QS & L is decorated in an racing theme. They have cars, motorcycles, garage items hanging everywhere. There's plenty to look at it. The menu follows the same theme.

Anita ordered the boneless wings with BBQ sauce, which she liked. I got the Wings & O-Rings, which is 10 wings (in Louisiana Lickers sauce) and some onion rings. I really liked the sauce on my wings, and the rings were very good. We both enjoyed our meals and service was decent.

Would we go back? Probably, just to try more of their wing sauce flavors, which are listed below. QS & L isn't cheap, but I thought the wings were much better than the ones from Buffalo Wild Wings.

Triple Atomic
Atomic
Super-Charged
Buckeye BBQ®
Cajun Spicy
Hot Classic
Arizona Ranch®
Golden Garlic®
Thai ‘R’ Cracker
Medium Classic
Thaisian
Thai ‘R’ Cracker
Louisiana Lickers®
Tequila Lime BBQ
Asian Sesame
Dusted Chipotle
Parmesan Pepper
Mild
Honey Mustard
BBQ
Ranch

2011 Ohio Renaissance Festival

2011-10-12T17:00:00.000-07:00

Anita and I drove over to the Ohio Renaissance Festival last Saturday. Its about a 2 1/2 hour drive from here. We took mostly back roads, something we prefer to do when we aren't in a hurry to get somewhere. We left early so we would get there just as the festival opened at 10:30 am (and we highly recommend getting there early because it did get crowded as the day went on).

This was Anita's first time at a renaissance festival. I have been to the Maryland and Texas festivals, but that was years ago. Anita loved it. By the end of the day she was already planning for our return visit, but coming in costume the next time.

The festival is an absolute joy. There are crafts, and acts, and people in costume, rides for the kids, games, and music... Fun for the entire family! And speaking of food, you have to get a turkey leg. It's the proper heathen thing to do. They're really good and fun to eat. There are plenty of places to get food and drink.

There are lots of great shows at the festival. All of the actors are great, and really funny. You cannot pass up a show at the Muditorium. These guys are absolutely hilarious. And just a warning, if you sit in the first 5 or 6 rows..... Well, it is a Muditorium, so you can guess what's going to happen!

The audience gets very much into the show. Here, one of the actors sits in the crowd after borrowing a lady's sunglasses.

The shows are free, but most will pass around a hat or ask for contributions. They're worth a few bucks. Oh, and if you get mud on you at the muditorium you get $1 off the purchase of a t-shirt!

There are stage shows, pirate ship shows, and many, many others.

Actors are everywhere, but sometimes even pirates need a break. That's why there's a Pirate Stop, of course.

Musicians, town drunks, crazy people in trees...

And hundreds of shops. There are lots of great crafts. Some expensive, and some very inexpensive.

And there are lots of games, from tomato toss to archery. Even animal rides for the kids.

Another must-see is the jousting. We caught the early show. Here, the Queen's entourage heads towards the arena.

Her Majesty the Queen, presiding over the jousting.

The jousting is full-contact. Those are real lances.

At the end of our stay, we stopped and enjoyed Albannach, a Scottish band that totally rocked. Everyone really enjoyed their music.

Last, I couldn't help but capture a Friar hitting the ATM. It struck me as funny somehow.

A trip to the Ohio Renaissance Festival is a real joy. We can't wait to return next year!

Mexican Cheese Dip

2011-10-10T17:00:00.000-07:00

I bought a little fondue pot the other day. I'm looking forward to making some fancy fondue dishes, but figured I'd better start simple. This Mexican cheese dip fits the bill perfectly.

Add some diced pickled jalapeños for a little extra kick.

Makes: A huge batch, 16 servings at least
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

2 lb Velveeta
1 10 oz can Rotel (I used hot)
1 lb bulk hot sausage
1 bag tortilla chips

1. Place the Velveeta and Rotel tomatoes into your fondue pot and set to warm. Cook until cheese is melted, stirring occasionally.

2. Brown the sausage in a skillet. Drain. Add to the melted cheese and stir.

3. Serve with chips.

Hot Tamales Popcorn

2011-10-08T17:00:00.000-07:00

I made up a big ole batch of this slightly spicy popcorn for a family get-together. It's not overly sweet and not overly hot, just right I'd say!

You can substitute any cinnamon candy, like Red Hots if you want. I found the original recipe over at CD Kitchen. I made the popcorn in our Whirley Pop popcorn maker, which makes fantastic popcorn!

Makes: A huge bowlful
Cook time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

2/3 cups un-popped popcorn kernels
2 10oz packages Hot Tamale candies
1/2 cup sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 250 F. Spray a roasting pan with unflavored non-stick spray.

2. Pop popcorn according to your popcorn popper instructions. Pour popcorn into the roasting pan.

3. In a medium non-stick pot, place the candies, sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt. Over medium-high heat, melt the butter and candies, stirring often. This can take 5-20 minutes depending on the candies. I find that Hot Tamales take a while to melt. Other candies, such as Red Hots, might not take as long.

4. Once the candy is completely melted, remove the pot from the heat and whisk in the baking soda. Pour the mixture over the popcorn, and stir to completely coat the popcorn.

5. Bake popcorn for 1 hour. Every 15 minutes stir the popcorn.

6. Let cool before serving.

Sriracha Glazed Pork Sliders

2011-10-06T17:00:00.000-07:00

I found this great glaze over on the Nibble Me This blog the other day. I thought it'd be perfect on a grilled pork tenderloin.

I sliced the tenderloin thin and served it on slider rolls with some sriracha mayonnaise. Yummy!

Makes: 12 sliders
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20-30 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup red plum jelly
1 oz sriracha sauce
2 oz terriyaki sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green onion, sliced
2 pork tenderloins
12 slider buns

1. Place jelly, sriracha, terriyaki, garlic and onion in a medium pan. Heat until blended, stirring often. And salt and pepper to taste.

2. Prepare grill for indirect cooking.

3. Season tenderloins with salt and pepper. Sear on grill on all sides then remove to indirect heat. Brush with glaze. Continue cooking until done (155 F), brushing with additional glaze as you go.

4. Remove tenderloin and let rest. Brown buns on grill.

5. Slather buns with sriracha sauce and top with sliced tenderloin.

For the sriracha sauce:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sriracha sauce
1/2 tablespoons milk

1. Place ingredients in a food processor. Add salt to taste and puree until smooth, 2-3 minutes.

Chile and Cheese Rice

2011-10-04T17:00:00.000-07:00

This rice is insanely good. We had it as a side to our homemade enchiladas.

I think you could make this into a main dish by adding some cooked chicken before putting the rice under the broiler. The original recipe is from Marcela Valladolid from the Food Network.

Makes: 6-8 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 large white onion, minced
1 cup long-grain white rice
2 cups water
1 can corn, drained
2 poblano chiles
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

1. Char the poblanos on your grill, about 10 minutes, over high heat. Let cool slightly then remove the charred skin, seeds and stems. Chop.

2. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute until starting to soften.

3. Add in the rice and cook until it starts to turn opaque, about 10 minutes.

4. Add in the water and corn and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until the rice is tender, 15-20 minutes. Add in the poblanos and stir.

5. Spray a 7x10 baking dish with non-stick spray. Add in the rice mixture. Drizzle with the sour cream and sprinkle with cheese. Place under oven broiler until browned and cheese has melted, 5-10 minutes.

Tropical Pepper Company Mango Coconut Grilling Sauce

2011-10-02T17:00:00.000-07:00

I didn't have a lot of time to make dinner the other night, so I dug through the pantry and found a bottle of Mango Coconut Grilling Sauce from the Tropical Pepper Company.

I seasoned two split chicken breasts with salt and pepper and tossed them over some hot coals for a while, just long enough to get some grill marks and a good seer on them. I then moved them off to indirect heat and brushed them with some mango coconut sauce. I brushed them every 15 minutes until the chicken was done. I removed them, let them rest for 10 minutes, then served them up on a bed of arugula.

The sauce is somewhat sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. It has just a little kick, which goes well with the coconut and mango flavors. I'm looking forward to using it again on fish or shrimp.

Food Vendors at the 2011 Persimmon Festival, Mitchell, Indiana

2011-09-30T17:00:00.000-07:00

We made our yearly trip down to Mitchell last weekend for the Persimmon Festival and parade. You can find my pictures of the 2009 parade here.

Since I've already blogged pictures of the parade, I decided to take pictures of the many food vendors instead. I went 'uptown' before it got crowded and grabbed these shots. You gotta love fair food!

Red Chile Enchiladas

2011-09-28T18:00:00.000-07:00

These are the best enchiladas we've ever made. Maybe the best we've ever had.

The key to these is dipping the tortillas in the homemade sauce. Next time, we made add some seasoned ground beef to these, but they were excellent with just cheese and onion inside.
The original recipe came from Saveur.

Makes: 12 tortillas, 6 servings
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

20 dried New Mexico chiles
3 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for frying
10 cloves garlic
1⁄4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoon sugar
12 corn tortillas
2 cups shredded mozzarella
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
3⁄4 cup finely chopped red onion
1⁄4 cup finely crumbled cotija cheese
3 tablespoon Mexican crema (or sour cream)

1. Put the chile peppers into a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Let soften, stirring occasionally, for 20-30 minutes.

2. Remove peppers from soaking water and retain two cups of the liquid. Seed and stem the peppers and place into a blender along with the soaking water.

3. Preheat oven to 450˚ F.

4. Heat the 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic and cook until golden.

5. Transfer garlic to blender. Puree until very smooth.

6. Add lime juice, cumin, sugar, and salt to taste to blender and pulse a few times to combine. Pour mixture into the skillet used to cook the garlic and keep over medium heat.

7. Heat 1/2" of oil in another large skillet. Working one at a time, dip tortillas in the oil and cook until slightly crisp, about 15 seconds. Do not over cook. Remove from oil to a paper towel-lined plate.

8. Spray a 10" x 15" baking dish with non-stick spray. Working one at a time, dip tortillas in chile sauce. Sprinkle center of tortilla with mozzarella, cheddar and red onion. Roll up and transfer to the baking dish.

9. Bake for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbling.

10. Sprinkle with cotija and drizzle with Mexican crema. Serve.

Grilled Meatloaf Sandwiches

2011-09-26T17:00:00.000-07:00

Oh man, grilled meatloaf! On a sandwich! So good, and easy to make. The grill really adds some great flavor.

If you want you can make them in the oven, but its more fun (and tastier!) on the grill. I got the original idea from the Barbeque Lovers.

Makes: 8 sandwiches
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 egg
1/3 cup grated onion
2/3 cup bread crumbs
1 lb ground beef
1 cup ketchup, divided
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup prepared mustard
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
1 loaf French bread, cut into 1" slices on the diagonal
Lettuce and sliced tomato and red onion for topping

1. Preheat grill for indirect cooking at 350 F.

2. Spray a baking pan with non-stick spray or line it with foil.

3. In a bowl, combine the egg, onion, and bread crumbs. Add in the ground beef, 1/2 cup of the ketchup, parsley, Worcestershire, and salt and pepper, to taste.

4. Form meat into a loaf shape and place in the pan. Spread 1/4 cup of the remaining ketchup on top of the loaf. Transfer to the grill and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the loaf has firmed up and the meat is cooked through.

5. Remove meatloaf from grill and let it rest for at least 10 minutes. While it is resting, combine the remaining ketchup, water, mustard, vinegar and brown sugar in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 3 minutes then remove from heat.

6. Grill the bread slices until lightly toasted.

7. Slice the meatloaf and place on bread. Spoon plenty of the sauce on top. Add lettuce, onion, and tomatoes and serve.

Pepper Palace Sweet Bourbon Glaze

2011-09-25T17:00:00.001-07:00

I picked up a bottle of Sweet Bourbon Glaze from the Pepper Palace in Gatlinburg a while back and finally got around to using it. I should've used it earlier because it is really good. A little sweet, a little heat, and just flat out tasty.

I grabbed two split chicken breasts out of the fridge and removed the skin from them. I sprinkled them with a little salt and pepper and seared them over charcoal on the Weber Performer grill. I then moved them to indirect heat and basted them with the glaze. I kept glazing them every 10 minutes or so until the chicken was done.

This glaze is really good. The Pepper Palace has a huge selection of sauces, glazes, salsas, you name it. Visit one of their stores or see them online at PepperPalace.com.

Honey Mustard Coleslaw

2011-09-25T17:00:00.000-07:00

Growing up, I hated coleslaw. I couldn't stand the stuff at all.

Now, I love it. Really love it. Specially if I'm having BBQ. It's also great on burgers and dogs.

This version from My Tasty Treasures adds dried cranberries and toasted almonds for a twist on the usual. I also added a bit of chopped broccoli.

Makes: 6 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 14oz bag packaged coleslaw
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
3 stalks celery, diced
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 large green bell pepper, chopped
3-4 broccoli florets, chopped
Dressing (see below)

1. Toast almonds over medium high heat. Be careful not to burn them.

2. Combine all but dressing in a large bowl. Add in dressing in batches, stirring. You may not need all of the dressing, so do not add all of it at once.

For the dressing:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon honey mustard
1 tablespoon honey

1. Combine all ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Jethro's BBQ N' Grill, Lafayette, Indiana

2011-09-23T17:00:00.000-07:00

I met up with some co-workers for lunch the other day in Lafayette, Indiana. We always try to go somewhere new, and of course, I lean towards BBQ joints.

I think Jethro's BBQ N' Grill is fairly new. We walked on in and ordered at the counter. I ordered a 1/2 pound of the brisket along with some slaw. Now, I gotta say, I was a little irked that while we were waiting to order the cashier stopped three times to take phone orders. I really think that someone in the back should take those calls while people are waiting, or at least put the people on hold. It's sort of a pet peeve with me. Maybe it was a fluke.

Anyway, the brisket is sliced, not chopped. It had a great smoke flavor to it. I was a little pessimistic going in, but the brisket sold me. I could've eaten another half pound, to be honest. The slaw was also quite good. Your normal slaw, executed well and nice and cold.

Oh, did I mention the sauces? Quite good, actually. They are on the table, which is something I really like. I hate having to go up and ask for more sauce, or worse, having my BBQ pre-sauced for me.

I'd return to Jethro's. I'd like to try some of their other items, specially the pulled pork.

Visit your local BBQ joints!

Charleston Slaw

2011-09-21T17:00:00.000-07:00

I ran across this recipe from the Grill Grrrl. She and her dad form the Too Sauced to Pork BBQ team.

This is a great slaw. Lime in a slaw was something new to us, and we both liked it. I changed the recipe only slightly by adding some broccoli I had on hand.

Makes: 6-8 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 2 hours
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 bag coleslaw mix
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 T lime juice (about 1 lime)
1 tablespoon lime zest
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cups chopped sweet onion
Handful broccoli florets, chopped

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.

Easy Asian Veggie Dip

2011-09-19T17:00:00.000-07:00

Serve as a dip with any of your favorite vegetables.

Makes: 1 cup
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Newman's Own Low Fat Sesame Ginger salad dressing
4 teaspoons creamy peanut butter

1. Whisk ingredients together.

Marinated Tomato Salad with Herbs

2011-09-18T17:00:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, I was happy to see Ree Drummond get a show, The Pioneer Woman, on the Food Network. I have been following her blog for years, and have made several of her recipes.

Ree made this recipe on her first episode of the show. It's very simple, and very, very good. Make sure you let it get super cold in the fridge before serving. This also makes a pretty good sized batch. You may have to adjust the ingredients based on how large your tomatoes are. We ended up using just 4 tomatoes, but they were very large.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 4 hours
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

6 to 8 ripe tomatoes (we picked some up at the local farmer's market), cut into small wedges
4 green onions, sliced
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3-4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (to taste)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
12 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade (I used a little less)

1. Place tomatoes and green onions into a large bowl.

2. In a separate small bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, brown sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Use a whisk to get the ingredients well mixed.

3. Add dressing to the tomatoes. Top with parsley and basil and toss gently.

4. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

Andre's BBQ, Indianapolis

2011-09-17T09:33:00.000-07:00

Anita and I were driving down Pendleton Pike here in Indy the other day when we came across this trailer off the side of the road, with Andre's BBQ and Seafood written on the side. There were several smokers going out front, and you could smell that lovely smell of hickory burning. We were on our way to somewhere else and we didn't have time to stop, but I vowed to return.

So earlier this week I drove on down to Andre's BBQ trailer and ordered the pulled pork sandwich and the red beans and rice. I brought it on home and chowed down on some of the best food around. The pulled pork was tender and smoked just like I like it. Instead of your traditional ketchup- or mustard-based sauce, I think the sauce is more brothy, with some good Creole heat (and not too much of it). The red beans and rice were to die for. There's a bit of smoked sausage in the rice that really puts it over the top.

I chatted for a bit with Andre. He's a great guy (from Haiti via Miami) who is really passionate about his food, and it shows. I really like the creole flavors he brings to his food. It's a nice change from what I would call traditional southern BBQ and sides. He let me sample some Cajun corn while I was waiting, and I tell you, that corn is insanely good. I can't wait to return and try the chicken, or turkey... or ribs.

Today, I took Anita with me to meet Andre and pick up some more pulled pork sandwiches. This time I got red beans and rice and Cajun corn as my sides. Anita got the Caribbean rice and the mac-and-cheese. Again, the sandwiches were great, and the sides were just to die for. This time we got a sample of greens while we were waiting. No question about it, I'm getting greens as my side next time!

Andre's is on Pendleton Pike, just northeast of Post Road. It's on the south side of the road, just passed the Value Place hotel, beneath a large billboard. You'll see the smokers, catering truck and the trailer, where you place your order. And tell Andre Hi!

Antipasto Salad

2011-09-16T17:00:00.000-07:00

Anita and I went down to the Exit 76 Antique Mall the other day. We wanted to have maximum time at the mall, so we made this easy antipasto salad the day before and took it along for lunch.

You can pretty much add whatever you want. Reserve some of the dressing for the second day as the salad will absorb it overnight. The original recipe came from the Lindsay Olive website.

Makes: 8 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: Overnight
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:

8 oz salami, cubed (I used a package of sandwich salami slices)
8 oz aged Gouda cheese, cubed
1 pint cherry tomatoes
6 oz can whole black olives, drained
7 oz jar pimiento-stuffed olives, drained
2 cups drained, quartered marinated artichoke hearts
1 red bell pepper (you can substitute a jarred roasted red pepper if you wish)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup olive oil

1. Roast the pepper on your grill until well charred. Let cool slightly then remove the charred skin, stem and seeds. Chop. Place in a large bowl.

2. Add the salami, cheese, tomatoes, olives, and artichokes to the bowl with the pepper.

3. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, honey, garlic, salt and pepper. While whisking, slowly add in the olive oil. Pour 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette to the salad and stir to coat. Reserve the remaining vinaigrette in the refrigerator for the following day. Cover salad and refrigerate overnight. The next day, stir the salad and add more vinaigrette as needed.

Hawaiian Grilled Chicken Dinner

2011-09-15T17:00:00.000-07:00

Hawaiian grilled chicken thighs, grilled fresh sweet corn, grilled Teriyaki vegetables, and pineapple fried rice. This was a great meal, and actually not too hard to throw together.

I found the chicken recipe at the Real Mom Kitchen blog.

For the Hawaiian Grilled Chicken:

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 4 hours
Cook time: 15 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
3/4 cup brown sugar
5 diced green onions, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup chopped white onion
1/4 t minced garlic
1/2 t sesame oil
1 cup coconut milk
5-8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed

1. Combine all but the chicken in a large resealable bag. Close bag and shake well to combine. Add in chicken and reseal. Place bag in a bowl in the fridge and let marinate for 4 hours.

2. Preheat grill to high. Sear chicken over direct heat then remove to indirect heat to finish cooking.

For the Grilled Vegetables:

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 4 hours
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Teriyaki sauce
1/4 cup honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 t ground ginger
1 red bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 green bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 large white onions, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 pound whole fresh mushrooms
Large pineapple chunks
Skewers

1. Place the Teriyaki sauce, honey, garlic and ginger in a large resealable bag. Shake to mix.

2. Add in the vegetables. Seal and shake to coat. Place in fridge and let marinate for 4 hours.

3. Preheat grill to high. Place vegetables on skewers. Sear over high heat then move to indirect heat and cook until softened.

For the Pineapple Fried Rice:

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked brown rice
2 T olive oil
3 green onions, sliced thin
1 cup frozen peas
1 large can pineapple chunks, drained
2 eggs, beaten
1 T white sugar
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 cup soy sauce, to taste

1. Cook rice according to package directions. Let cool.

2. Heat oil in a wok over medium-high heat.

3. Add in the green onions and peas and cook until the onions are soft.

4. Add in the pineapple and continue cooking until it starts to darken.

5. Move ingredients to side of the wok and add the eggs into the center, cooking until they set. Combine all ingredients in the wok together.

6. Add the rice, sugar, salt, pepper and garlic powder and stir. Cook until everything is completely heated through.

7. Remove from heat and serve drizzled with soy sauce.

Roasted Tomato Bruschetta

2011-09-14T17:00:00.000-07:00

This is my 'go-to' side when I'm grilling. Easy and fast, and tasty.

I like mine with extra green onions.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 pint grape tomatoes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 loaf French bread, sliced lengthwise
1 clove garlic
2 green onions, chopped
Fresh (or dried) basil, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Put tomatoes into a bowl and drizzle with oil. Toss to coat. Transfer to grill over high heat (I used a vegetable pan so they wouldn't roll all over the place or fall through the grates) and grill until charred and softened. Remove from heat.

2. Rub bread with garlic then transfer to grill. Toast on both sides until lightly browned and crunchy.

3. In a small bowl, combine the onions, basil, and salt and pepper. Add in the tomatoes and mix well. Spoon mixture onto bread and spread. Cut into smaller pieces and serve.

Sriracha-Sesame Turkey Meatball Sandwiches

2011-09-13T17:00:00.000-07:00

These were just outstanding. The meatballs are super moist and tasty. I love sesame seeds... can you tell?

The addition of the sriracha mayonnaise really spices them up even more. The original meatball recipe came from Kalyns Kitchen. The mayonnaise recipe came from the Insane Chicken.

Makes: 4 sandwiches
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
3 green onions, sliced and then finely chopped
1 1/2 lb. ground turkey (use turkey with less than 10% fat for South Beach Diet)
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
3 tablespoons sriracha sauce
1 teaspoon salt
4 Hoagie rolls
Sriracha mayonnaise (see below)
1 green onion, sliced
1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
Oil for frying

1. Combine all ingredients up to the rolls in a large bowl. Form into 12 small meatballs.

2. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add meatballs and cook until done and browned, flipping often.

3. To serve, top buns with sriracha mayonnaise. Add meatballs. Sprinkle with additional sesame seeds and green onions.

For the sriracha sauce:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sriracha sauce
1/2 tablespoons milk

1. Place ingredients in a food processor. Add salt to taste and puree until smooth, 2-3 minutes.

Grilled Polenta with Red Pepper Relish

2011-09-12T17:00:00.000-07:00

The relish on this polenta was definitely the star of the show. It has just the right amount of acidity.

I used pre-made polenta, but you can make fresh if you want and skip the grilling part. The original inspiration for this recipe came from here.

Makes: 6 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 roll pre-cooked polenta, cut into 1/2" rounds
Vegetable oil
Red pepper relish (see below)

1. Preheat grill to medium high.

2. Brush polenta rounds with oil and place on grill. Grill until slightly charred and warmed all the way through, flipping once.

3. Serve topped with relish.

For the red pepper relish:

Makes: 6 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 medium white onion, diced
3/4 cup white vinegar
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1/4 cup sugar (plus more, to taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water

1. Place all ingredients in a sauce pot and heat, covered, at a simmer for 30 minutes.

2. Taste and add more sugar if desired.

3. Remove cover and simmer another 30 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and let cool before serving.

N'awlins Creole Cafe, Avon, Indiana

2011-09-11T18:00:00.000-07:00

We were over in the Avon area yesterday, so I decided to swing by the Nawlins Creole Cafe and pick up some dinner for takeout.

I ordered two sample platters, which was more than enough food for two people. We ended up with shrimp etouffee, crawfish etouffee, red beans and rice, jambalaya, corn, green beans, and potato salad. Everything was really, really good.

When you order your food you pick a spice level from 1 to 10. We like spicy food, but decided to go with a 5. I have to say that a 5 is about right. A little kick, but not overpowering. I might go a 6 next time!

If you're in Avon, swing by Nawlins Creole Cafe. You'll be very happy you did.

Backyard BAR-B-Q of Kokomo, Indiana

2011-09-10T17:00:00.000-07:00

Sadly, Backyard BBQ has closed after 7 1/2 years.
~~~
While Anita and I were in Kokomo last weekend to see the Grissom Air Museum and do a little antiquing, we stopped by the Backyard BBQ joint for lunch. Located just off the main road in a little strip mall, Backyard BBQ is a nice little joint.

The owner was super friendly. Anita got the pulled pork sandwich, which she liked, and coleslaw and potato wedges on the side. The potatoes have a great seasoning on them. They were quite good. The slaw, we both agreed, was insanely good.

I ordered the sampler platter and the slaw. The sampler platter comes with a huge amount of chicken, pork, and beef. All were good, and there was definitely enough food! They have tons of different sauces, all of them very good. That's why I usually order platters instead of sandwiches as it makes it easier to sample all of the sauces.

The interior of Backyard BBQ is decorated like a backyard. I thought it was rather well done and a change from the usual. Stop on by when you're in the Kokomo area. Support your local BBQ joint!

Grilled Jerk Sliders with Jamaican Slaw

2011-09-09T17:00:00.000-07:00

I picked up a bottle of The Shizzle Voodoo Hot jerk marinade when we were at Jungle Jim's a few weeks ago. I marinated a pork tenderloin in it for about 8 hours and then tossed it onto the grill. Sliced it up and served it on slider buns with homemade Jamaican slaw.

Let me tell you, that Shizzle marinade is insanely good. And the slaw was great too. I'm highly addicted to Shizzle now. I want to try it on chicken, burgers, you name it!

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 8 hours
Cook time: 20-30 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 pork tenderloin, trimmed
1/2 jar The Shizzle Voodoo Hot marinade (plus a little more for brushing on later)
8 slider buns
Jamaican slaw (see below)

1. Put pork in a resealable baggie and add in the marinade. Seal and shake the bag to make sure the meat is well covered. Let marinate for 4-8 hours.

2. Fire up your grill for two-zone (direct and indirect) cooking. Place tenderloin over high heat and sear on all sides. Remove to indirect heat and brush with remaining marinade. Let cook until internal temperature reaches 150-155 F. Remove and let rest, foiled, for 15 minutes.

3. Toast buns as desired. Slice pork thin. Place pork on buns and top with slaw. Serve with additional slaw on the side.

For the slaw:

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

4 cups shredded green cabbage
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Jamaican jerk spice (see below)

1. Combine cabbage, carrots and walnuts in a large bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and stir well. Mix into cabbage and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

For the Jamaican jerk spice:

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons dried minced onion
2 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons ground allspice
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Place all ingredients into a spice grinder and pulse a few times.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin Sliders with Berry Sauce and Blue Cheese Butter

2011-09-08T17:00:00.000-07:00

I can't begin to tell you how good these are. The berry sauce is fantastic. It is complemented perfectly by the blue cheese butter.

We had a few leftover berries so we had those on the side.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 pork tenderloin
Favorite BBQ rub (I used Dizzy Pig's Jamaican Firewalk)
8 slider buns, split
Berry sauce (see below)
Blue Cheese butter (see below)
8 blackberries
Olive oil

1. Prepare grill for direct and indirect cooking.

2. Lightly brush tenderloin with oil. Sprinkle with rub. Place over direct heat on the grill and cook until seared. Repeat on other sides, then remove to indirect heat.

3. Cook until internal temperature reaches 145 F. Remove from grill and cover in foil. Let rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing.

4. Toast slider rolls if desired.

5. To assemble sliders, slather bottom of buns with the blue cheese butter. Add a slice or two of the tenderloin. Add a large dollop of the berry sauce, and the top of the bun.

6. Serve garnished with blackberries.

For the Berry Sauce:

Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup blackberries
1 1/2 cup raspberries
1/2 cup blue berries
2 T sugar
1 T water
1 T balsamic vinegar

1. Place berries into a medium sauce pan over low heat. Add sugar, water, and vinegar.

2. Cook, stirring often, until berries have dissolved. Use the back of a spoon to mash the berries as they cook.

3. Remove from heat and let cool.

For the Blue Cheese butter:

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, softened
2 T blue cheese, softened

1. Combine all ingredients.

Hoosier Pork Tenderloin Sliders

2011-09-07T17:00:00.000-07:00

Miniature versions of the classic.

Make a lot of these because they go fast.

Makes: 8 sliders
Prep time: 4 hours 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 pork tenderloin
2 large eggs
2 cups buttermilk
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 sleeves saltine crackers
1 cup all-purpose flour
Oil, for frying
8 slider rolls
Iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, mustard, mayonnaise, sliced red onion and dill pickle for garnish

Directions:

1. Cut the pork tenderloin into 1" thick pieces. Working one-at-a-time, place pieces inside a resealable bag and pound with a mallet until very thin (about 1/4") and slightly larger than the slider rolls.

2. In a shallow bowl or pie plate, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, garlic, cayenne. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add in the pork, coverage and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (up to overnight).

3. Place crackers in a food processor or blender and pulse until they turn into crumbs. Pour crumbs into a shallow dish.

4. Place flour in a shallow dish.

5. Heat oil in a skillet. Working in batches, take tenderloin pieces, shake off excess marinade, roll in the flour, then back into the marinade, and then coat well with the cracker crumbs. Fry until golden brown and done, about 3 minutes per side. Remove to paper towel-lined plate.

6. To serve, spread buns with mayonnaise and mustard. Add pork, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, and onion. Cover with top bun.

Grilled Tuscan Chicken

2011-09-06T17:00:00.000-07:00

I am a big fan of the Cooking Channel's show, Extra Virgin. I think it is because Gebriele Corcos actually does show some good food that is usually very simple, and looks great.

In the original version of this recipe, Gabriele Corcos used a whole chicken. I used split bone-in chicken breasts, one skinless for Anita, and the other skin-on for me.

Makes: 2 servings
Prep time: 3 hours
Cook time: 30 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

2 small handfuls fresh chopped rosemary (I used a tablespoon of dried rosemary, crushed)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 lemons, one juiced and one sliced for serving
2 large split bone-in chicken breasts
3 large handfuls arugula

1. Place chicken into a large resealable bag. Add rosemary, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Seal and shake. Refrigerate for 3 hours, rotating the bag every 15 minutes or so.

2. Fire up your grill for two zone (direct and indirect) cooking.

3. Remove chicken from marinade, shaking off the excess, and sear on both sides over direct heat. Remove to indirect heat and continue cooking until done. Let rest 5-10 minutes before serving.

4. Serve chicken over arugula with lemon wedges on the side.

Jargaritas

2011-09-05T18:00:00.000-07:00

Yep, just a good ole margarita, served in a Mason jar.

Adjust the amount of tequila (and salt) to taste. These are good, trust me!

Makes: 2 large margaritas
Prep time: 5 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 lime, halved
Margarita or kosher salt
2 pint Mason jars
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 5 medium limes)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 medium lemon)
1 cup Triple Sec
3/4-1 cup white tequila
2 cups ice, plus more for serving

1. Pour a little of the salt out on a plate or bowl. Rub rim of the jars with the halved lime. Dip jars into salt to coat the rims.

2. Place remaining ingredients into a blender and puree until thick.

3. Pour blender contents into a shaker. Add a few cubes of ice and shake. Strain into jars and serve.

Chili Mango Shrimp with Pineapple Fried Rice

2011-09-04T14:00:00.000-07:00

I wanted to cook up something different. Something visually different and of course, really tasty. This idea from We Are Not Martha fit the bill perfectly.

The fried rice definitely has some kick. We really liked it a lot. The sweetness of the pineapple offset the heat perfectly.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 1 1/2 hours
Cook time: 15 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked brown rice
Chili mango shrimp (see below)
3 large eggs
3 green onions, chopped
1 habanero, minced
1 red pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 T olive oil (divided)
1 T soy sauce
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 pineapples
1 t sesame oil

1. Cut pineapples in half. Remove centers and cut the good flesh into chunks.

2. Heat a wok over high heat. Add in the shrimp and the marinade and cook until shrimp starts to turn pink. Remove to a plate.

3. Wipe out the wok with a paper towel. Add 1/2 T of oil and coat the sides of the wok. Place eggs in a small bowl and scramble with a fork. Pour into wok and cook, scrambling, until done. Remove to the plate with the shrimp.

4. Wipe out the wok and add the remaining oil. Add the garlic, habenero, red pepper, and green onions and cook until fragrant.

5. Add rice, stir and cook until rice begins to sizzle.

6. Add in soy sauce, peas, cooked shrimp and egg, pineapple chunks, and the sesame oil. Heat thoroughly.

7. Serve fried rice in pineapple halves with more soy sauce on the side if desired.

For the Chili Mango Shrimp:

Ingredients:

1 medium mango, peeled and cubed
2 T chili paste
1 T fresh ginger, minced
2 T red wine vinegar
1 lb fresh gulf shrimp, shelled and deveined

1. Place mango in a blender or chopper and process until smooth.

2. Place pureed mango, chili paste, ginger and vinegar in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and continue simmering for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

3. Pour marinade into a resealable bag and add shrimp. Shake to coat. Refrigerate for 1 hour before using.

His Place Eatery, Indianapolis, Indiana

2011-09-03T11:37:00.000-07:00

Mike and I recently went to His Place Eatery. When we arrived, we were greeted enthusiastically by our waiter. The waiter knew the menu and was excited about the food.

Mike got the fried chicken (fresh dropped), mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans and cornbread. He said the chicken was insanely good and he loved the green beans. I got the smoked meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, dressing and cornbread. The meatloaf was really well seasoned and you could taste the smoke flavor. It was cooked over hickory wood and topped with pepper bacon. The homemade sweet and spicy sauce was delicious. The mashed potatoes were real mashed potatoes just like Mom would make.

Chef James Jones stopped by our table and chatted with us for a moment. The chef and his wife are very pleasant. Their passion really comes through in their food. We will definitely go back. Everything was delicious! This was home cooking at its finest.

Nacho Dogs

2011-09-02T17:00:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of different ways to dress up your ordinary hot dogs, and this is one of my favorites.

If you're in a hurry you can substitute store-bought salsa, but make the guacamole fresh. I found the original recipe here.

Makes: 4 hot dogs
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

4 hot dogs
4 hot dog buns
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Pickled jalapeños, to taste
2 handfuls tortilla chips, crushed
Guacamole (see below)
Salsa (see below)

1. Grill dogs and toast buns.

2. To assemble, place dogs on buns. Top with cheese, jalapeño, guacamole, salsa, and crushed chips.

For the salsa:

Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 plum tomatoes
1 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon chipotle in adobo puree

1. Heat grill to high. Brush tomatoes with one tablespoon of the oil and place on grill. Grill until skin is charred but tomatoes are still somewhat firm. Remote from grill and let cool slightly.

2. Cut tomatoes in half and remove seeds. Chop.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining oil, vinegar, and chipotle. Add in tomatoes, stir. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

For the guacamole:

Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped
1 jalapeño, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons red onion, minced
1/2 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

1. Combine all ingredients, smashing the avocado slightly as desired. Season with salt and pepper.

Chinese Meatball Sandwiches

2011-09-01T17:00:00.000-07:00

I went on a meatball kick for a few days. These Chinese meatballs are what got it all started because they are fantastic.

Instead of serving them over noodles, which would be just fine, I decided to make them as sandwiches. Really good, and just as good leftover. I found the original recipe here.

Makes: 4 sandwiches
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 lb ground pork
1/4 lb raw shrimp, shelled, deveined, minced
1/4 cup water chestnut, minced
1 teaspoon fresh gingerroot, minced
1 whole green onion, minced
3 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar, divided
3 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups chicken broth plus 1 tablespoon
1 head Napa cabbage, cored, chopped into 2" pieces
1 teaspoon sesame oil
4 hoagie rolls

Directions:

1. In a large bowl combine the pork, shrimp, water chestnuts, ginger, green onion, one tablespoon of the soy sauce, one tablespoon of chicken broth, salt, 1/2 teaspoon of the sugar, one tablespoon of cornstarch and the egg. Using your hands, mix well then form 12-16 meatballs, all about the size of a golf ball.

3. Heat oil in a wok. Add the meatballs (working in batches if needed) and cook until browned, about 6-10 minutes. Remove meatballs to a large saucepan.

4. Add the broth and remaining soy sauce and sugar to the pan with the meatballs. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and let simmer for 30 minutes.

5. Spread cabbage over the tops of the meatballs, cover, and continue simmering for 10-15 more minutes or until the cabbage has started to soften.

6. Remove meatballs from saucepan. In a small cup, mix the remaining cornstarch and three tablespoons of water. Add to the saucepan along with the sesame oil and whisk to thicken.

7. Serve meatballs and cabbage on buns topped with the sauce.

Shapiro's Deli, Carmel Indiana

2011-08-31T17:00:00.000-07:00

Anita and I met up for lunch the other day. We decided to go to Shapiro's, one of my long-time favorites. Shapiro's has been in the area for a long time. They have your usual buffet-like fair, like meatloaf, liver and onions, etc, and really, really good sandwiches and bread. The sandwiches are so good that I have never tried their other food. I should since everything smells so good.

I ordered my usual, a pastrami sandwich on rye with Swiss and yellow mustard. Sandwiches come with a big deli pickle.

The pastrami and corned beef at Shapiro's is insanely good. It reminds me of the sandwiches I had in New York city.

Anita had a fresh Chef salad that looked (and was) very good. I'd like to try their salads too, but I just can't get past how good the pastrami is!

Peruvian Choclo

2011-08-30T17:00:00.000-07:00

Choclo was a favorite of mine when I lived in Peru (years and years ago). You'd often find street vendors boiling up ears of this wonderful corn on the street corners.

I bought a few bags of choclo the last time we were at Jungle Jim's. I boiled up an ear and ate it like corn-on-the-cob. I had forgotten just how huge an ear of choclo is. It isn't surprising that it often is served as an entire meal. Next time I'll cut the ear into four pieces.

Choclo is usually white when cooked. Mine turned a bit yellow after being boiled. Don't let that fool you into thinking that it is like American yellow sweet corn. First, the kernels are nearly the size of your thumbnail. Second, the corn has a more hearty, non-sweet flavor. Most people season it with butter or salt. Choclo also makes great (huge) popcorn.

If you have a South American market nearby, pick up some choclo. It's something different and unique, and quite good.