Smoked fatties

We decided that we'd take a shot at making our own fatties, so we bought a fattie piston. I figured, why not?

Today we fired up the WSM and Anita made three fatties, and I gotta tell ya, they were great! We're already dreaming up more fattie ideas.

We started with 3 rolls of Jimmy Dean sausage. Anita flattened them into 9" x 9" squares. (Update: It's much easier if you put the sausage into a 1 gallon resealable bag. Then use your roller to flatten the sausage to the edges of the bag. Cut along the edges of the bag to expose a perfectly square sausage ready for filling). Then, we stuffed whatever filling we wanted into the fattie piston and let that chill for about 10 minutes. The filling then went onto the sausage square and was rolled up, ready for the smoker.

Here's the potato/Tillamook cheddar/ham/onion filling getting ready to get rolled up. Anita fried the potato and onion before hand. We sprinkled this fattie with some Dizzy Pig Raising the Steaks rub.

Next fattie was a mix of fresh buffalo mozzarella and diced mushrooms. We sprinkled a little garlic salt on top of this fattie for a little extra kick.

The last one had bacon and Tillamook cheddar as a filling.

As an added twist, we wrapped this fattie in a bacon weave. This was my first attempt at this, and I have to say it was pretty easy. Thanks to Cowgirl's Country Life for her great post on making the weave.

After you make the weave, you just roll the fattie up in it.

Everyone then went onto the smoker at 225° F for about 3 1/2 hours. I had a few racks of spareribs done St. Louis-style on the smoker too, along with the trimmings. I'll freeze the trimmings and toss them in the pot next time I make a soup.


Here are the final moneyshots. Great eats! We can't wait to make them again!

French Dip Sandwiches Redeux

I made an old favorite again the other day.


I modified the original recipe by adding some sauteed green peppers and onions. On the side, sweet potato matchsticks. And ya know, them matchsticks are pretty good dipped in the au jus!

Smoked Sausage and White Bean Soup

Mmmmmm..... Yummy!


This is based on a recipe from Emeril.

Makes: 6 servings
Prep time: 24 hours 15 mins (includes overnight bean soak)
Cook time: 3 hours
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 lb dried navy beans
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 lb smoked sausage, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
• 2 cups onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 T garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 3 cups water
• 2 t salt
• 1 1/2 t black pepper
• 1/2 t cayenne pepper

1. Rinse beans then soak in cold water overnight. Drain and rinse.

2. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and saute until browned. Remove and drain.

3. Add the onions to the pot and cook 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

4. Add the sausage back to the pot and stir in the beans, bay leaves, thyme, chicken stock, water, salt, pepper and cayenne. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook covered for 2 1/2 - 3 hours stirring occasionally.

5. Add salt and pepper as desired. Mash some of the beans using a potato masher. Simmer another 30 minutes, uncovered, until beans are tender and beginning to fall apart.

Sun-Dried Tomato Butter

A few weeks ago we spent the night at the Hilton Garden Inn in Edinburgh, IN. We ate at the Great American Grill there at the hotel. We've always had really good service and food there.

That night I ordered a tilapia with a sun-dried tomato sauce that I thought was quite tasty, so I set out to duplicate it. It does have a fairly strong caper flavor, which usually isn't a good thing for me, but the addition of the wine, tomatoes and lemon juice really balanced it out. I think I came pretty close, except maybe this version is a little thinner. I've added more cook time to the second step to counter that. You can use this on fish, chicken, and just about anything.

We had it over sautéed chicken thighs along with roasted asparagus.


Makes: About 2 cup, enough for 4-6 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, sliced
• 1/2 cup cold butter
• 2 T capers
• 2 T fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1. Add the wine to a small sauté pan over medium heat and cook for 3-4 minutes until it reduces by half.

2. Add in the capers, lemon and butter a little at a time and whisk to combine. Cook another 5 minutes until thickened.

3. Remove from heat and add parsley and sun-dried tomatoes.

4. Serve over fish, chicken, or whatever you have!

Tex-Mex Meatloaf with Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

This is some kicked-up meatloaf, for sure! We love traditional meat-and-potatoes meatloaf, but this variation was really, really good. And the potatoes were just insanely good!


This is a variation on this recipe by Emeril. Serve along with some roasted green beans.

Makes: 6 servings
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients for the meatloaf:

• 2 T olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper, diced
• 1 poblano pepper, diced (you can substitute a green bell pepper, but the poblano will give you much better flavor. I've started to replace green bell peppers with poblanos whenever I can.)
• 2 T garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 t Emeril's Southwest Essence
• 1 t salt
• 1 t dried oregano, crumbled
• 1 lb ground sirloin
• 1 lb Mexican chorizo sausage, crumbled
• 1 cup crushed tortilla chops
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup chili sauce
• 2 T pepper jelly (I used a nice jalapeño jelly that was really yummy and not hot)
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, plus 1 T adobo sauce
• Cheddar mashed potatoes (see below)

1. Place oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the onion, bell pepper and poblano until very soft, about 6-8 minutes.

2. Add the garlic, Essence, salt, and oregano and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

3. Preheat oven to 350° F.

4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled vegetables, ground sirloin and chorizo, tortilla chops, eggs, and heavy cream and mix until well-combined. Transfer to a 6x9 loaf pan and form into a smooth loaf.

5. Place the chili sauce, pepper jelly, chipotle peppers and adobo sauce in a food processor and blend until smooth. Spoon about 2/3rd of the mixture over the meatloaf while reserving the remaining 1/3rd.

6. Bake loaf until done, about 1 hour (internal temperature should be 150° F). Remove from oven and let set for 10 minutes. Cut into slices and serve drizzled with reserved sauce.

Cheddar Mashed Potatoes:

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

Ingredients for the Cheddar Mashed Potatoes:

• 3 1/2 pounds large Idaho potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 8 T unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 t salt
• 1 t ground white pepper
• 8 oz sharp Cheddar, grated (recommend Tillamook)

1. Place potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with 1" of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer, and cook until fork-tender, about 12-15 minutes.

2. Strain the potatoes in a colander and return to the saucepan over medium-high heat to evaporate any remaining water.

3. Lower heat and add the butter, sour cream, heavy cream, salt and pepper.

4. Use a potato masher to mash into desired consistency.

5. Add cheese and stir until melted and combined. Serve.

Raccoon visit

Raccoon enjoying some birdseed...

Raccoon getting ready to leave....

Raccoon almost gone...


Raccoon gone... FAIL! (note the paws stuck in between the fence slats)

Spaghetti and Meatballs with Tomato Sauce

Sometimes in the winter, you just need a big ol' helping of meatballs with spaghetti. This recipe from Bobby Flay hit the spot.


I didn't have any ground veal on hand, so I just used 1/4 cup more each of the ground pork and beef. Adjust the ratios as you desire.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Printable Recipe

Ingredients for the Meatballs:

• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1/2 pound ground veal
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 2 large eggs, beaten lightly
• 1/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped fine and sautéed
• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped fine
• 1 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine all ingredients except oil in a bowl. Season.

2. Roll the mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls.

3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry meatballs in batches until golden brown, but not completely cooked. Remove to drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

Ingredients for the sauce:

• 2 T olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 (28 oz) cans plum tomatoes and their juices, puréed in a blender.
• 1 (16 0z) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 small bunch Italian parsley
• 1 chile pepper, chopped (I used a Serrano since I prefer some heat)
• Meatballs, from above
• 1 pound cooked spaghetti, drained, but still in the pot
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat.

2. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft.

3. Add puréed tomatoes with their juices, along with the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, parsley, chile pepper, and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil.

4. Taste and season. Reduce heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 30 minutes.

5. Add meatballs and let simmer another 15 minutes until the sauce is thick and the meatballs are tender.

6. Remove the bay leaf.

7. Spoon a little of the tomato sauce into the pasta pot and stir, covering the pasta.

8. Serve pasta with meatballs and garnish with basil.

Italian Breadstick Popcorn

Nothing beats a tasty bowl of popcorn for an afternoon snack. I found this recipe at the Recipe Gold Mine. Using a good, fresh popcorn (and not that horrid microwave stuff) makes a huge difference.


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

• 1 T basil
• 1 T parsley
• 1 clove garlic, minced (can sub 1/4 t garlic powder)
• 1/2 t salt
• 2 T olive oil
• 5 T popcorn
• 2 T oil

1. Mix all but the oil and popcorn in a bowl.

2. Add oil and popcorn to popper and pop until just done.

3. Remove popcorn from heat and add the spice mix. Stir until mixed thoroughly.

4. Serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container.

Shrimp Sandwiches with Roasted Red Pepper Remoulade

This is a shameless copycat of a post on Rawtalent's Club Eclectica blog.


I'm not sure I 100% duplicated Rawtalent's remoulade (certainly his money shot looks so much better!), but it came out tasting great.

Makes: 2 sandwiches (with plenty of sauce left over)
Prep time: 3 hours 5 minutes (Only 5 minutes if you make the remoulade and shrimp ahead of time and let them chill)
Cook time: 5 minutes
Printable Recipe

For the remoulade:

• 1 egg (See below if you're averse to eating a raw egg)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 (6 oz) jar roasted red peppers, drained (or roast your own, about 2 medium peppers worth)
• 1/4 cup sweet onion, minced
• 1 T Creole mustard (I used Zatarain's)
• 1 t dry mustard
• 1 t fresh lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 t sugar
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t ground cumin
• 1/4 t ground red pepper

1. Place egg in food processor. Turn on low and slowly pour in the oil. Scrape down sides and pour into a small bowl.

2. Place remaining remoulade ingredients into food processor and pulse until smooth. Fold into the egg mixture.

3. Cover and chill.

Note on using a raw egg: You can use egg substitute instead of the raw egg, or omit the egg and oil and substitute 2/3 cup of mayo.

For the shrimp:

• 1/2 pound fresh shrimp, shelled and deveined (You can use precooked shrimp if you wish)

If you're using raw shrimp, cook them first, as below:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil.

2. Remove from heat and add the shrimp.

3. Let steep for 3-5 minutes until done.

4. Remove shrimp from water and drain. Chill until ready to use.

For the sandwiches:

• 2 Portuguese sandwich rolls or sub rolls, whichever you desire
• Prepared horseradish, to taste
• 2 green onions
• Cooked shrimp
• Roasted red pepper remoulade, to taste
• 2 T fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 green onions, sliced

1. Toast buns.

2. Spread horseradish and remoulade on bottom of buns.

3. Add shrimp, parsley and green onion.

4. Top with more remoulade.

Enjoy!

Birthday Cake by Shug's Cakes

Here is a pic of my birthday cake that my niece, Christine, made for me. Isn't it beautiful? It's in my favorite color, orange! It was delicious! The bottom layer was red velvet (my favorite), the second layer was chocolate and the top layer was white. Christine is going to start making cakes professionally soon. Here is a link to pictures of other cakes she has done.

Peruvian-Style Roast Chicken with Sweet Potato Matchsticks

This turned out to be an outstanding dinner. The chicken was moist and had a great aroma and taste. The sweet potato matchsticks were just great. Super crunchy and with just a little kick from the Cajun spices. We added some roasted Brussels sprouts to round out the dish.


The original chicken recipe came from Whole Foods. The sweet potato matchsticks are a recipe from Tyler Florence, one of my favorites on the Food Networks since he does really cook and doesn't need gimmicks in his shows (back to the How to Boil Water days).

I think I could eat sweet potato matchsticks all day.

Peruvian-Style Roast Chicken

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 T paprika
• 1 T ground cumin
• 1 1/2 t salt
• 1 1/4 t pepper
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 1/2 T white wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 t canola oil
• 2 large Vidalia onions, sliced thick (I substituted sweet onions)
• 2 red or yellow bell peppers, cut into large chunks
• 4 split chicken breasts
• 1 lemon, sliced

1. Preheat oven to 425° F.

2. Grease a 9x13 inch pan.

3. In a small bowl, combine the paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, garlic, vinegar and oil to make a thick paste.

4. Place onions in a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of the paste.

5. Rub chicken with remaining paste and place in pan. Cover with onions, peppers, and lemon.

6. Roast until chicken is cooked through, about 35 minutes.

7. Remove from oven and let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Sweet Potato Matchsticks

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• Oil, for frying
• 2-3 large sweet potatoes
• Cajun spice, to taste

1. Slice sweet potatoes into thin, flat sections on a mandoline. Turn the sections sideways and slice into matchsticks using the mandoline.

2. Place potatoes in a large bowl of ice water to remove any starch. Soak for a few minutes then rinse with cold water. Repeat until water is clear.

3. Drain matchsticks very well and dry on a towel. It is critical to remove as much water as you can.

4. Heat oil to 365° F in a Dutch oven or deep fryer.

5. Working in batches, fry the potatoes until crispy and golden, about 3 minutes. Remove to paper towels to drain.

6. Sprinkle with Cajun spices or salt to taste and serve.

For the Brussels sprouts, look here.

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

This is similar to another recipe I've posted, Easy Chicken Alfredo, but I like this one better and it is very easy and quick to make. It's also like a blackened Cajun chicken recipe I have that I will post soon.


I really like the kick and cream sauce in this version. Serve this with garlic bread and a good green salad.

Makes: 2 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
• 4 oz linguine, cooked al dente
• 2 t Cajun seasoning
• 2 T butter
• 1 green onion, sliced thin
• 1-2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 2 T sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/4 t dried basil
• 1/8 t ground black pepper
• 1/8 t garlic powder
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Place chicken and Cajun seasoning in a bowl and toss to coat.

2. Sauté the chicken with butter in a large skillet over medium high heat until chicken is tender, about 5-7 minutes.

3. Reduce heat and add the remaining ingredients except the cheese and pasta.

4. Heat thoroughly. Server over pasta and top with cheese.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Oh my, these shrimp from Giada are so good! We did them up simple, just served over angel hair.


Trust me, you can't go wrong with these. Serve with a salad and garlic bread.

Makes: 2-4 servings (Being a shrimp addict, I think it's more like 2 servings!)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pound large shrimp, cleaned, peeled and deveined
• 1 t salt plus more to taste
• 1 t dried red pepper flakes
• 4 T olive oil
  
• 1 medium white onion, sliced
• 1 (14 1/2 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 t dried oregano
• 3 T fresh parsley, chopped
• 3 T fresh basil chopped

1. Toss the shrimp in a bowl with 1 tsp of salt and the red pepper flakes.

2. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and saute for about a minute, toss, and continue cooking until just cooked, about 1-2 minutes.

3. Transfer the shrimp to a plate and reserve.

4. Add onion to skillet along with some more oil if needed. Saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.

5. Add the tomatoes and their juices, wine, garlic, and oregano. Simmer until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.

6. Add shrimp back to sauce and toss to coat. Heat for about 1 minute, stirring. Do not overcook the shrimp.

7. Add in parsley and basil. Add salt to taste and serve.

French Lick Springs Hotel

We decided to take a 4-day weekend and head down to French Lick Springs, about 3 hours south, southeast from Indianapolis. Despite having grown up nearby, Anita has never been there. Nor had I.


What a fantastic hotel. Everything was just great, from the room to the atrium.

We ate at the 1875 restaurant in the hotel. The food and service was great. Anita had the filet, with broccolini and garlic mashed potatoes. I had the prime rib, broccolini and asparagus. Yum! (As a note, the sides are huge... Don't be afraid to share them!)

After dinner we walked down to the casino and played slots for a few hours.

I made sure that the girls from The Shining weren't in the hallway before we headed out. Just kidding... but it does kinda look like the same place as in the movie (the Overlook Hotel), doesn't it?

Fortunately, they do have a non-smoking section in the casino, and it's rather large. We didn't win, but we didn't lose much either.

We had a great time. We'll be returning again in warmer weather to walk the awesome grounds at the hotel, and to take in the nearby railroad museum. We'll also go to the nearby West Baden Springs Hotel.

On the way back home we decided to take the backroads and ended up hitting some fairly thick fog along the way. The fog was frozen to the trees and roads, making it more fun than I had bargained for. Still it was eerily beautiful.

Papa Roux Cajun Restaurant in Indianapolis

We stopped by Papa Roux on Thursday for lunch on our way to French Lick.


It was our first time eating there. Anita ordered the muffaletta and I had the shrimp po'boy. We cut them in half and traded halves. As soon as we both took a bite we looked up at each other and said at the same time "oh my, this is sooo good"!

So, on our way back home today we again stopped by and picked up two shrimp po'boys with coleslaw sides and a bag of Zapp's Voodoo Gumbo potato chips. We also picked up a pint each of red beans and rice, vegetarian étouffée and some vegetarian creole stew for dinner, later. We got everything to go since we were ready to head home and unpack from our trip (Anita will blog on our trip soon).


I could just keep on eating their shrimp po'boys. The remoulade sauce they make is insanely good. I'll post on tonight's dinner later. We couldn't stop ourselves at lunch, so we did try a quick taste of the red beans, étouffée and creole stew... Man, dinner is going to be good!

I can't wait to return and try more items on their menu.

Smoked Sausage and Sweet Corn Chowder

It's really hard to beat corn from My Dad's Sweet Corn, specially when it's married with some smoked sausage in a chowder!


The original recipe calls for using cream-style corn, but I substituted some sweet corn kernels I had in freezer from last year's farmer's market. I made a few other changes too.

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

Ingredients:

• 1 pound smoked sausage, fully cooked, cut into rounds on the bias
• 1 cup green onion, sliced (plus more for garnish if desired)
• 2 t oil
• 5 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups potatoes, diced
• 2 1/2 cups (or 1 can) corn (cream-style or kernel)
• 1/4 t red pepper, ground
• 3/4 cup heavy cream

1. Cook onions in oil over medium heat 3-4 minutes in a large saucepan.

2. Stir in sausage, broth, potatoes, corn and red pepper.

3. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer (B2BR2S as Chef Anne would say).

4. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.

5. Add cream and heat.

6. Garnish with additional green onions, if desired.

Broccoli with Cheddar Cheese Sauce

I found this recipe on the Whole Food's website and thought boy, that'd be good on a baker! So that's what I did!


Just bake your potatoes like you normally would then top with the broccoli and cheese sauce. Add bacon, salt and pepper, sour cream.. whatever other toppings you enjoy!

Makes: 6 servings (about enough for 3 large potatoes)
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 6 cups broccoli florets
• 2 T butter
• 2 T all-purpose flour
• 1/4 t dry mustard
• 1 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated (I recommend Tillamook. Chez John got me hooked on it!)
• White pepper, to taste

1. Steam the broccoli until crisp tender, about 4-5 minutes.

2. Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Whisk in flour, mustard and salt.

3. Gradually stir in milk, whisking over medium-low heat until thickened.

4. Add cheese, stirring until completely melted.

5. Season with white pepper.

6. Place broccoli over potatoes and cover with sauce.

Smoked Sausage and Peppers Sandwich

These might seem like your typical sausage and pepper sammies, but they have a nice BBQ sauce twist to them. Really outstanding eats!


I was thinking I'd eat mine like a sandwich as in the original recipe, but it fell apart on me. Next time, I'll serve it open-faced, and put toppings on both halves!

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

Ingredients:

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 pound smoked sausage, cut in half and then lengthwise
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 1 orange bell pepper, sliced
• 2 medium yellow onions, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 T tomato paste
• 1 cup beer
• 1/2 cup BBQ sauce (I used Grandma Foster's Hot and Spicy)
• 4 slices Provolone cheese
• 4 fresh sub rolls

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.

2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add sausages and brown on all sides, 7-8 minutes. Remove from skillet.

3. Add onions and peppers to skillet and saute until brown, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and saute another 3-4 minutes.

4. Stir in tomato paste, beer and BBQ sauce. Warm through then add sausages back to pan and simmer until sauce is thick, about 10 minutes.

5. Slice bread open, put on sheet tray and toast in oven. Remove, fill with sausages and toppings, top with cheese and serve.

Cinnamon Caramel Corn

Needed a little something extra for the upcoming Superbowl, so we threw together this easy cinnamon caramel corn. I found the original recipe over on the Plain Chicken blog. Only changes I made were to up the amount of pecans (my dad gave us a few bags of his pecans when we visited at Christmas. They are sooooo good!) and I substituted Splenda brown sugar for regular brown sugar.


For the popcorn I used our Whirley-Pop stovetop popper and some Blue Heron popcorn from Fireworks Popcorn. We love their popcorn. They have a great variety, and the best thing is you don't need to put anything on it (well, unless you want cinnamon caramel corn!). Their popcorn is awesome just popped, right out of the bowl.

Makes: 12 cups, about 4 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 12 cups popped popcorn (about 1/2 cup of kernels, or 2 batches in the Whirley-Pop)
• 1 cup pecan halves, roughly chopped (or 2 cups if you desire!)
• 1 cup brown sugar Splenda
• 3/4 t cinnamon
• 1/4 cup karo syrup
• 1 stick butter
• 1 t vanilla
• 1/2 t baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 250° F.

2. In a large bowl combine the popcorn and pecans.

3. In a separate microwave-safe bowl combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut butter into chunks and place on top. Pour in syrup and microwave for 30 seconds, then stir to combine.

4. Return to microwave and heat for 2 more minutes. Remove (be careful as the bowl will be hot!) and stir and microwave for another 30 seconds.

5. Add in vanilla and baking soda and stir to combine until mixture has risen and is foamy.

6. Pour mixture over popcorn and mix very until the popcorn is well coated.

7. Spread popcorn mixture over foil-lined pan and place in oven. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10.

8. Cool and serve.

Chicken Scallopine with Saffron Cream Sauce and Saffron Orzo with Asparagus

Ok, I loaded up on the orzo when I plated. I really like orzo. I couldn't stop myself. We both enjoyed this recipe. Anything with a cream sauce is good, in my book.


The chicken scallopine is based on a recipe from Giada De Laurentiis. The orzo is a take on a recipe from Epicurious.

Chicken Scallopine

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

Ingredients:

• 2 T oil
• 4 chicken breasts, butterflied
• 2 shallots, sliced (I had to sub red onion)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/4 t saffron threads, crushed
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 t salt
• 1/4 t fresh ground pepper
• 3 T fresh chopped parsley

1. Warm oil in skillet over high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook until golden and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove and foil to keep warm.

2. Turn heat down to medium and add the shallot and garlic. Cook until tender, about 2 minutes.

3. Deglaze pan with wine and cook until wine is nearly completely evaporated.

4. Add broth and saffron, bring to a simmer and reduce for 10 minutes.

5. Add cream, salt and pepper. Stir and simmer for 1 minute.

6. Transfer chicken to serving plates and cover with sauce. Sprinkle with parsley.

Saffron Orzo with Asparagus

Makes: 4-6 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 T butter
• 1 1/4 cups orzo
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 t saffron threads, crushed
• 1 pound thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2" pieces
• 1/4 cup Parmesan, grated
• Parmesan shavings, for garnish

1. Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add orzo and stir 1 minute.

2. Add broth and saffron. Bring to a bowl, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally until orzo is soft, about 8 minutes.

3. Add asparagus. Cover and simmer until tender, about 5 minutes.

4. Uncover and continue simmering until most of the liquid is absorbed. Mix in cheese and season.

5. Transfer to bowl and top with Parmesan shavings.

Chili Dog Nachos

Just in time for the Superbowl! What a great twist on a old classic!

This is based on a recipe by Rachael Ray.

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

Ingredients:

• 1 T oil
• 1 pound ground sirloin
• 2 hot dogs cut into 1/2" pieces (I may have used 3 hot dogs...)
  
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 t Worcestershire sauce
• 2 T chili powder
• 2 t ground cumin
• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
• 10 oz cheddar, shredded (I used fresh grated Tillamook, and probably more like 12 oz)
  
• Tortilla chips
• Sour cream, salsa, scallions and more cheese for garnish, as desired

1. Add oil to skillet and brown crumbled beef. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Add hot dogs to skillet and brown another 3 minutes.

3. Add onions, seasonings, Worcestershire, chili powder, and cumin, mix well, and cook for another 3-5 minutes.

4. Add tomato sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.

5. Preheat oven broiler.

6. Layer chips on a casserole dish or pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Top chips with meat mixture and the cheese. Melt cheese under broiler, about 2 minutes.

7. Serve with optional garnishes and extra chips.

Sunday Afternoon Guests

You just never know who is going to show up on a sunny winter afternoon.

First, a fox.


He ran off because the coyote showed up.

Who knows what'll show up next!

Deep-Fried Pickles

We love deep-fried pickles!


Serve them with spicy Ranch dressing, or whatever you prefer. We cut this recipe in half and used 3 large sliced pickles instead of using spears. The recipe originally came from Maggie's Pickle Cafe in Hot Springs, AR.

Makes: 24 pickle spears
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 24 pickle spears, chilled
• Oil, for frying
• Spicy Ranch dressing

For the egg wash:

• 2 cups milk
• 2 eggs
• pinch of lemon pepper
• pinch of dill
• 1 T pickle juice

For the breading:

• 2 1/2 cups cornmeal
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup lemon pepper
• 1/2 cup dill weed
• 4 t paprika
• 2 t garlic salt
• cayenne pepper, to taste

1. Combine all egg wash ingredients and whisk together.

2. Mix breading ingredients in a pie dish.

3. Dip pickles into egg wash and then coat with breading and place on a wax paper-lined sheet pan. Chill for 30 minutes.

4. Heat oil to 375° F in deep fryer or Dutch oven.

5. Carefully add pickles to oil, in batches, and deep fry for about 3 1/2 minutes or until golden. Remove to paper towel-lined plate to drain.

6. Serve with dressing.

Chorizo Breakfast Burrito

You can add lots of different things to these to make them your own. For us, we just topped them with salsa verde. Next time, I think I'll do half with salsa verde and half with hot salsa. And maybe some jalapeños. These hit the spot!


Makes: 2 burritos
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound Mexican Chorizo sausage
• 6 eggs
• 2 10" tortillas (flour preferably)
• Fresh grated cheddar
• Toppings (salsa, peppers, whatever you prefer!)

1. Crumble the chorizo into a large pan over medium high heat. Cook until done.

2. Crack eggs into a large bowl and beat lightly. Add to chorizo and cook until done. Season to taste.

3. Warm tortillas in oven or on stove top. Spoon in egg and chorizo mixture. (You can also add salsa inside at this point!). Top with some cheese and roll up. Top with more cheese and place under broiler for a minute or two until the cheese is fully melted.

4. Serve topped with salsa as desired.

Winter Citrus Salad

I found this recipe while watching Mark Bittman's weekly podcast. I made a minor change to it since Anita can't have grapefruit. You can mix and match your favorite fruits.


This was simply delicious, and well, simple to make!

Makes: 2 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 1 minute
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

3-4 oranges (I used a blood, cara cara, and I think a navel)
1/2 small red onion or 1 shallot, diced
1 T sherry vinegar (I substituted a good balsamic vinegar)
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 t honey
Lemon juice to taste
1/4 t fresh tarragon, chopped, or a pinch dried

1. Remove peel and pith from orange and cut into wheels. Remove any seeds.

2. Layer orange slices onto a plate. Sprinkle with salt and garnish with chopped onion or shallot.

3. Whisk remaining ingredients together and sprinkle over oranges. Serve.

Beer-Battered Shrimp with Homemade Cocktail Sauce

I found the recipe for these shrimp in the Bubba Gump Shrimp Cookbook I picked up recently. I love deep-fried shrimp. For that reason I think saying that this recipe yields 4 servings is a real stretch.

I used some 16-20 shrimp I found. You could use smaller ones, but don't get less than 26-30s. Make the cocktail sauce right before serving. Enjoy!


For the shrimp:

Makes: 2-4 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pound unpeeled large fresh shrimp (if frozen thaw first)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/8 t salt
• 1/4 cup beer
• 2 T butter
• 1 egg yolk
• Oil for frying

1. Peel shrimp, leaving tails intact, and devein. Pat dry.

2. Heat 2" of oil in a Dutch oven or deep fryer to 375° F.

3. Combine flour, cornstarch, and salt

4. Add beer, butter, and egg yolk and stir until smooth. The batter should be the consistency of a thick pancake batter.

5. Dip shrimp into batter. Fry a few at a time until golden. Drain on paper towels.

For the cocktail sauce:

Makes: Just enough for the shrimp, above
Prep time: 0 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chili sauce (chilled before using, if desired)
• 1 T fresh lemon juice
• 1 T prepared horseradish
• 1 t Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/4 t fresh ground black pepper
• hot sauce to taste

1. Mix all ingredients.

Espresso Brownies

I don't make a lot of sweets. But, when I found this recipe by Giada, I had to make them for the SILs and niece. Well, the SILs loved them at least! They have a nice chocolate/coffee taste.


I didn't have any espresso powder on hand, so I took some coffee beans and ran them thru the grinder twice to get a really fine grind. I think espresso powder would've dissolved better for the frosting, but the taste was still great.

Makes: 36 bite-sized servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• Non-stick cooking spray
• 1/3 cup plus 2 t water
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 2 T plus 2 t espresso powder
• 1 box brownie mix (I used Duncan Hines)
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 T unsalted butter, room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray.

3. Whisk together 1/3 cup of wter, oil, eggs, and 2 T espresso powder in a large bowl. Add the brownie mix and stir well.

4. Stir in the chocolate chips and transfer to the baking pan. Bake until done, testing with a tooth pick. As soon as nothing sticks to the toothpick, the mix is done. This should take about 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

5. Dissolve the remaining 2 t of espresso powder in the remaining 2 T of water in a medium bowl.

6. Whisk in the vanilla, sugar, and butter. Continue whisking until smooth.

7. Pour the glaze over the brownies. Refrigerate until set. Cut into pieces and serve.

Fiesta Tea

I'm a Fiestaware fanatic and my sister commissioned this beautiful quilt for me for Christmas. My niece, Michelle, made this beautiful Fiesta Tea wall quilt. I have it hanging in my kitchen and it pops! I love it! Michelle also makes beautiful baby quilts. Check out her goods here. She also has a page on Flickr.

Lobster Chowder

I found this recipe in Nuevo Cubano Cooking, a cookbook I picked up at an antique mall for $5. The original recipe called this a bisque. I think bisques are puréed, which this is not, so I think it is more of a chowder instead. Either way, it is very delicious.


You can make this with lobster meat or any firm, white-fleshed fish such as cod, snapper, or monkfish. You could probably make it with catfish as well.

Makes: 4-6 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 T butter
• 10 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 medium white onion, chopped
• 1/4 t dried thyme
• 1/2 t red pepper flakes
• 1 T fresh lemon, zested (I used about 1/2 T since I'm not a huge lemon peel fan)
• 3 T flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup milk
• 2 T dry sherry
• 1 pound lobster meat or substitute
• Salt and white pepper to taste
• 1 T red bell pepper slivers for garnish
• Pinch of paprika for garnish
• Oyster crackers to serve

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the celery, onion, thyme, pepper flakes and lemon. Cook until veggies are soft, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.

2. Stir in the flour a little at a time. Slowly stir in the milk and broth. Cover and simmer until thick, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

3. Add lobster or fish, cover and cook until opaque, about 5 minutes.

4. Season with sherry, salt and pepper. Garnish with red pepper slivers and paprika and serve with oyster crackers.

Sweet-n-Sassy BBQ Almonds

You always need a little something around to snack on. I found this great recipe over on Patio Daddio's site. I don't think these will last long.

Makes: 6 servings, or so
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes plus 10 minutes to cool
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pound almonds, raw
• 1 egg white
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar (we subbed Splenda brown sugar)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (we subbed Splenda white sugar)
• 1/8 cup BBQ rub (we used Dizzy Pig's Shakin' The Tree rub)
• 1 T bacon salt (in the spice aisle at your local grocery)
• 2 t paprika
• 1 t water
• 1 cayenne
• 1/2 t chipotle powder
• 1/4 t allspice

1. Preheat oven to 325 F.

2. Line a large sheet pan (including sides) with parchment paper.

3. Mix all dry ingredients except cayenne in a small bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup of the dry mixture.

4. Whisk the egg white, cayenne, and water together in a medium bowl until frothy.

5. Add the almonds to the egg mixture and coat well.

6. Spread almonds over parchment paper in a single layer.

7. Bake for 15 minutes. Using an oiled spatula, stir the nuts and re-arrange into a single layer.

8. Bake for 10 minutes and again stir and arrange into a single layer.

9. Spread reserved dry mixture over nuts and bake for 5 minutes.

10. Let cool for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Wild Rice and Wild Mushroom Soup

Anita really enjoyed this soup. It has a really good wild mushroom flavor. Makes me want to make a wild mushroom risotto. Well, it makes me want to ask Anita to make a wild mushroom risotto. Lots of work goes into a risotto. This soup, on the other hand, was easy to make!


I found this recipe in a Williams-Sonoma Seasonal Celebration Autumn cookbook I found at Webb's antique mall. The set of 4 was written by Joanne Weir. I think I got all 4 for like $6 or something like that. What a steal.

Makes: 6 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup wild rice
• 3 cups boiling water
• 1/2 t salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 oz dried wild mushrooms (get a variety)
• 2 T unsalted butter
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (can sub chicken or veggie stock)
• 3/4 pound fresh button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 3 cups chicken (or veggie) stock
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 T fresh parsley, chopped

1. Rinse and drain the wild rice several times. Place in a saucepan and add 2 cups of water and 1/2 t salt. Place over high heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 40 minutes. Remove from heat.

2. Meanwhile, place the dried mushrooms in a bowl and add 1 cup boiling water. Let stand for 30 minutes and drain, reserving the liquid. Strain the liquid through a cheesecloth.

3. In a soup pot, melt the butter. Add onion and celery and sauté until soft. Raise heat to high and add wine and reduce to 2 tablespoons.

4. Lower heat to medium and add all of the mushrooms. Sauté, stirring occassionally, until the mushrooms wilt, about 15 minutes.

5. Raise heat to high and add the stock and reserved mushroom liquid. Reduce to medium heat and cook uncovered until mushrooms are very soft, about 20 minutes.

6. Add the rice and cream and simmer for 5 minutes. Season.

7. Serve in bowls and garnish with parsley.

Chorizo Nachos

Oh me, oh my, these were so good! If you can't find chorizo (and we're talking Mexican chorizo, not Spanish) in your area, substitute sausage but not before complaining to your grocery store!


Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: overnight* plus 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Mexican chorizo, casing removed
• 1 T garlic, chopped
• 1/4 t ground cumin
• 2 cups cooked pinto beans
• 1/2 t chili powder
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 1/2 cups pepper jack cheese, grated
• 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar, grated
• 1 small white onion, sliced into thin rings
• 5 large jalapeños, chopped
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 T fresh lime juice
• fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish, if desired
• Tortilla chips (I used a mix of yellow and blue restaurant-style chips)

* I used dried pinto beans and let them soak overnight. You can skip this step if you use canned beans.

1. Preheat overn to 450 F.

2. Crumble the chorizo into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add cumin and garlic and stir and cook until the sausage is browned, about 5 minutes. Remove and drain.

3. Add the pinto beans, chili powder, salt, and 1 cup of water (more or less, depending on how moist your beans are) to the pan and cook over medium heat until warmed through.

4. Smash the beans with a potato masher or the back of a spoon until chunky and smooth. Remove from heat.

5. Grease or spray a large baking dish.

6. Layer chips on bottom of dish. Top with 1/2 of the beans, then 1/2 of the sausage, cheeses, onions and jalapeños. Repeat with another layer.

7. Bake until cheese is melted, about 8 minutes

8. In a small bowl combine the sour cream and lime and a pinch of salt.

9. Serve topped with sour cream mixture.

Sweet Potato Scallops with Caramelized Onion

I found this recipe in an old Food & Wine anniversary cookbook. I love how these sweet potatoes come out looking like scallops. It's a nice change to how sweet potatoes are normally done.

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

Ingredients:

• 3 large sweet potatoes
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, sliced thin

1. Cover the potatoes with water in a large saucepan and boil over high heat until just fork tender, about 12 minutes. Drain and let cool, then peel and slice into 1" rounds.

2. Heat 1 T of the oil in a medium skillet. Add half of the potato slices and cook over medium high heat until well browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and season with salt and pepper. Cook the remaining potatoes with the remaining oil.

3. Add the onion to the skillet, cover, and cook over low heat until soft and browned, about 8 minutes, stirring often. Season and scatter over sweet potatoes and serve.

Chicken Enchiladas

These are very easy to make and taste absolutely great. I found the recipe over on Deep South Dish, a site definitely worth visiting. I did make some minor changes to amount of sauce because I'm a big fan of sour cream sauces.


We had the enchiladas with chorizo refried beans and some sweet corn leftover from the summer's farmer's market. On a cold day, the sweet corn brings back memories of a warmer time, that's for sure.

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

Ingredients:

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 T olive oil
• 1/2 T butter
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 2 T jalapeños, chopped
• 1 t chili powder
• 8 flour tortillas
• 1 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Remove any fatty areas from the chicken. Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan and add salt. Add chicken and return to a boil. Boil for 2-3 minutes, remove, drain, and set aside to cool. Do not overcook the chicken as you want it to be very tender.

3. Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until tender.

4. Combine the soup and sour cream in a bowl, mixing well.

5. Add the jalapeños and chili powder to the onions and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and add 3 T of the soup and sour cream mixture, blending well.

6. Cut the now-cooled chicken into thin strips and gently fold into the pan. Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions.

7. Spray a large glass baking dish with non-stick spray.

8. Prepare tortillas by spooning mixture along edges and rolling up. Place into baking dish, seam side down.

9. Spoon the remaining soup mixture over the tortillas and spread evenly with a spatula.

10. Cover with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove and uncover and sprinkle with the cheese and return to oven for 5 minutes to melt the cheese.

Visitors in the Snow

A few does showed up today at noontime. They were feeding off the remaining berries on our bushes.

There was actually a third, much smaller, deer by the house, eating our evergreens.

Maple-Mustard Chicken Thighs

My oh, my these sure are good! I was worried they were going to be too mustardy, but the maple syrup balanced everything out just great! I've become a big fan of chicken thighs over chicken breasts, though I'm sure you could make this recipe with butterflied breasts.


The original recipe came from Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger on the Food Network.

Makes: 3 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 3 T grainy French mustard
• 3 T Dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3/4 t dried marjoram
• 3 T pure maple syrup

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

2. Rinse chicken and pat dry (this is important!). Place in a glass baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray.

3. Combine all remaining ingredients and spread evenly over the chicken.

4. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until chicken is done and a slightly hardened crust has formed on the top.

Roasted Vegetable Soup

Sometimes you just have to eat your veggies. I found this recipe on a Vegan A Go-Go podcast I was listening to one day.

Next time, I'll grill the veggies and add some red pepper flake, but that's just me. As it is, it's a good recipe for a cold day. This might also be good in the summer, served cold.

Makes: 3-4 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 medium red pepper, chopped
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 T garlic, minced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 t dried thyme

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.

2. Spread veggies out on baking sheet and brush with oil. Roast for 10 minutes or until slightly browned.

3. In a saucepan, add some oil and cook the garlic for a minute. Add in the veggies, broth, and thyme. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer (BTBRTS) for 5 minutes.

4. Add salt and pepper and serve.

Kicked-Up Chicken Chili

This chili is outstanding! I do warn you, it has a serious kick to it. If you want to cool it off a bit, cut down on the chili powder.


You can also let this thicken up and put it on tortillas! Yummy!

Makes: 6 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 stick butter, divided
• 2 lbs boneless chicken breasts cut into 1/2" cubes
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 large onion, choped
• 1/4 cup red pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup green pepper, diced
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 T chili powder
• 1 t ground coriander
• 1 t ground cumin
• 1 t cayenne pepper
• 1 T black pepper
• 1 T salt
• 2 (14 1/2 oz) cans cannellini beans, drained
• 2 (4 oz) cans green chiles, chopped
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups fresh grated cheddar (recommend Tillamook)
• parsley for garnish

1. Melt half of the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken and brown until cooked. Remove chicken and set aside.

2. Add remaining butter to the Dutch oven and stir in flour, creating a roux.

3. Stir in the peppers and onion. Then deglaze the pan with the chicken stock and add in the heavy cream. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until thickened.

4. Add the chili powder, cumin, coriander, cayenne, pepper and salt.

5. Add the beans, green chiles, and the chicken and simmer until completely heated, about 8 minutes.

6. Mix in the sour cream, serve, and top with fresh grated cheese and chopped parsley.

Arkansas Razorbacks Hot Sauce

Since the Razorbacks won the Liberty Bowl last night, I figured it was time to celebrate and open up the hot sauce!

Go Hogs!

Cranberry and Pistachio White Chocolate Bark

I found this recipe on the Closet Cooking blog. I highly recommend the blog and this recipe. I made it yesterday for my SILs and they loved it.

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

Ingredients:

• 1 pound white chocolate (see my note)
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup pistachios, shelled

Note: I only had a 12 oz bag of white chocolate chips on hand, so I used 3/4 cup each of the cranberries and pistachios.

1. Melt chocolate in microwave (30 seconds at a time, stirring each time), or with a double boiler.

2. Mix in the cranberries and pistachios.

3. Pour onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat. Smooth out.

4. Let cool and harden in the fridge. It was very cold here when I made these, so I just sat them in the garage for 30 minutes.

5. Break into large chunks and serve.

Many thanks to Closet Cooking for the great recipe!

Bubba Gump

When we went to Gatlinburg, TN, back in September we ate at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Factory. I had the New Orleans shrimp and Anita had Mama Blue's Southern Charmed Fried Shrimp. The food and service were excellent. While we waited for the food and had a few adult beverages, the waitress tested us with trivia from the movie. We got most of the questions correct.

Anita got a free 'glass' with her dinner. It was plastic. With lights in the base. It wasn't that exciting. But we still have it, so it wasn't that bad.

A few weeks ago, when we were at the Exit 76 Antique Mall, I ran across the official Bubba Gump Shrimp Company Cookbook! $3! You can't beat that with a stick! I am definitely going to be making recipes from it soon!

After dinner we went across the street to the arcade, where Anita promptly spanked me bad in several games of NASCAR racing. I am not happy about that. We will return soon so I can attempt my revenge.

Chorizo and Shrimp-Stuffed Poblanos

We love chorizo. And poblanos. And shrimp.

So, when I found this recipe from Guy Fieri, I just had to make it, with a few minor changes.


Serve these with some chorizo or jalapeño refried beans.

Makes: 6 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 T oil
• 1 pound chorizo (Mexican, not Spanish)
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 Serrano chili, minced (can substitute a jalapeño)
• 1 red onion, diced
• 2 T garlic, minced
• 1 cup rice (I used a long-grain organic rice)
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup white wine (or just use more chicken stock)
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 large poblanos
• 1 1/2 pound uncooked shrimp, shelled, deveined, and cut into 1/2" pieces
• 1 cup Sharp Cheddar, shredded (recommend Tillamook)
• 1 cup Monterrey Jack, shredded

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. In a saucepan heat the oil and chorizo and cook for 3-4 minutes.

3. Add the red and green peppers, Serrano, onions, and garlic and cook until the onions are translucent.

4. Add the rice and stir until the rice is coated.

5. Add the stock and wine and bring to a boil for 3 minutes. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until the rice is done.

6. Roast the poblanos by placing them on baking sheets and placing in the heated oven for 15 minutes. Let cool, then cut in halves and remove seeds and ribs.

7. Add shrimp to rice mixture and stir. Do not cook. Take rice mixture and fill poblano halves on a baking sheet.

8. Bake in oven for 10 minutes. Combine cheeses and spread over poblanos and return to oven for 3-5 minutes to melt the cheese.