Grilled Hot Dog Sandwich

This is my take on a great sandwich called the Whoppin' Big Dawg Platter that I had at That Sandwich Place in Nashville, IN. That Sandwich Place has some good food, good service, and tons and tons of Bobby Knight memorabilia.


They don't grill the dogs or buns, but I did. Feel free to use steamed or boiled dogs and non-toasted buns instead.

Makes: 2 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 hot dogs
• 2 Hamburger buns
• Mayo
• Ketchup
• Mustard
• 1/2 medium white onion, chopped
• 1/4 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
• Velveeta cheese (can sub American cheese slices)

1. Heat grill to medium high. Butterfly the hot dogs by cutting them (but not all the way through) lengthwise and spreading them open. Lay flat on grill and grill, turning once, until done.

2. Toast the buns on the grill.

3. Melt Velveeta in the microwave. If using American cheese instead, place cheese on buns while toasting over the grill.

4. Spread mayo on one side of the buns. Top with lettuce and onion, then add ketchup and mustard. Add hot dogs. Spread melted cheese on other bun side and top the sandwich. Serve.

Shorpy Historic Photo Archive

If you like old photos, then you will find the Shorpy Historic Photo Archive to be absolutely awesome.

My favorites are the shots of the old stores, but they have pictures of all sorts of things. You can definitely spend a lot of time going through them.

My new Mini-Weber

Well, just in case I need to do up some quick sliders on the grill, I picked up this mini-Weber at the antique mall today.


Ok, it's not really a real grill, but it's cool. In the background you can see its much older brother, a 12 year old 18 1/2" Weber kettle.

Black Pine Animal Sanctuary

We decided to take about a 2 hour road trip today, up to the Black Pine Animal Sanctuary in Albion, IN. I prefer to take the side roads for these trips. You can't see much at 70 MPH on the interstate, and what you do see usually isn't worth the time. Plus, there's more traffic.

The ride up was easy, traffic-free, and scenic. And you couldn't beat the 70 degree weather.

The Black Pine Animal Sanctuary rescues mostly exotic animals, of all kinds. We were the first ones there when they opened today. First off we bought some crackers so Anita could go feed some of the animals.


The rhea and llamas both enjoyed the food, as did the goats, deer, ostrich, and other animals. My favorite of these was of course the pig.


Here are just a few of the animals we saw. Going to the sanctuary isn't like going to the zoo, where you can feel very separated from the animals. This felt like a very personal experience.



One in particular, Luna, the Bengal tiger, was very agitated when we were there. There was work being done near her pen, and she wasn't very happy about it. She's also had a very rough life, having been mistreated by her previous owners.



Luna seemed to take issue with me in particular. Maybe it's the beard. Or the hat. Or maybe I smelled like roast beef. I'm not sure what it was, but when I approached the fence she started huffing and running back and forth. She then jumped up on the fence. Let me tell you, our hearts skipped a few beats. She's a big, majestic cat. I'd guess she was 10 feet tall standing. Or maybe 6. It was hard to measure stuff accurately at that point.

But no worries. All the animals at the sanctuary are well treated and can now live without fear.

If you are near Albion (about 25 miles northwest of Fort Wayne), we recommend you stop by. And help the sanctuary out if you can. They are doing valuable work, giving homes to retired circus animals and those that have had hard lives.

Stone Creek Dining Company, Noblesville Indiana

We were up at Hamilton Town Center, about 10 miles from here, today to do a little shopping and grab some lunch and a movie.

We stopped by the Stone Creek Dining Company, a place that has been on my must visit list for a long time. We are so glad we did. For us, a great lunch can make the day.


First, the place is nice. Comfy seating and atmosphere. Our waitress, Eden, was really nice.

We ordered the spinach artichoke dip for openers. While we were waiting for that we were served bread and a dipping oil that was very good. We inquired about its ingredients and we'll soon be trying to duplicate it. They also sell it by the bottle. It's a great blend of sun dried tomatoes and red pepper flakes, among other things.

Then came the dip. Outstanding. Served with grilled focaccia bread, the dip really tasted so fresh. So many times when you order spinach and artichoke dip it is over blended to the point where you lose the texture. Not the case at Stone Creek. The dip had inviting chunks of artichoke and tomatoes. It really was outstanding.

Anita ordered the turkey Reuben with a roasted tomato cous cous. The turkey was fresh and moist, and the cous cous had a great multi-layered flavor. I ordered the corned beef Reuben with slaw. The corned beef was super tender. The sign of a good Reuben for me is that you have to use a lot of napkins. This was a good Reuben. And the slaw was obviously fresh made. Crunchy and tasty.

We can't wait to return for another meal. We enjoyed the great food and excellent service.

Cajun Potatoes

I bought some Cajun Power Cajun seasoning and figured I'd give it a try on simple roasted potatoes.

Cajun Power also makes an awesome garlic sauce you can put on just about anything.


You can substitute any type of Cajun or creole seasoning. Even Old Bay works great for these.

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

Ingredients:

• 4-6 russet potatoes (or 10-12 red potatoes)
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 t Cajun seasoning (I used Cajun Power)
• 1 t dried parley flakes (or 1 T fresh chopped)

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Spray a 9x11 glass baking dish with non-stick spray.

3. Peel potatoes and cut into chunks.

4. Place potatoes in dish in a single layer.

5. Sprinkle with oil and add seasoning and parsley. Stir well to coat.

6. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

7. Remove foil, stir, and bake uncovered for 15 more minutes until soft.

Rainbow Bacon

Yep, you heard right. Rainbow bacon burgers. A friend emailed me the original story. I just had to try it out. Though the story doesn't say how to make these, I figured I'd just use food coloring.



I used your standard grocery story-bought food colorings. I may swing by a cake store tomorrow to see if they have other brighter colors. It seems like the brighter colors do better.


They do make a burger more baconlicious.

Makes: 8 slices
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes (plus 4 hours setup in fridge)

Ingredients:

• 8 slices bacon
• Food coloring
• Rubber gloves (optional, but not a bad idea)

1. Place bacon in glass dishes.

2. Drip 6-8 drops of food coloring on each slice and spread using rubber gloves. You need only color one side.

3. Cover dish with plastic wrap and let set in fridge for at least for hours for the colors to sink in.

4. Place bacon on a foil-lined sheet pan. Place in oven and turn to 400° F. Do not preheat the oven.

5. Let cook 15-25 minutes. The cook time depends on how quickly your oven comes up to temperature. Start checking after 15 minutes. Remove to paper-towel lined plate when done.

Swedish Sweet Mustard

I was looking for something different to put on our grilled dogs. I ran across this recipe from Tyler Florence.


This mustard would also work just fine as a dipping sauce for fries.

Makes: 1 cup
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 day (in the fridge)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup dry mustard
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 t salt
• Pinch white pepper
• 2 T white vinegar
• 1/4 cup boiling water
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

1. Blend all ingredients in a blender for 1 minute. Wipe down the sides of the blender with a spatula and blend again for 30 more seconds.

2. Place in a glass container. Cover and refrigerate for at least a day.

Pulled Pork Nachos

We had a few pounds of smoked pulled pork leftover from last weekend's smoke, so we made some nachos. Very simple to make, and really delicious.


I'd like to try this with smoked brisket sometime, too.

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

Ingredients:

• Tortilla chips
• 1 lb pulled pork, chopped (or pulsed in a blender)
  
• 1 can refried beans
• 1 small can black olives
• 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded (I used Tillamook)
• 1 large jalapeño, sliced
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1 Roma tomato, chopped
• Sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.

2. Spray large baking sheet with non-stick spray.

3. Cover bottom of baking sheet with chips.

4. Spoon beans over chips. Then cover with pork. Sprinkle with cheddar. Add the jalapeños and olives.

5. Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

6. Sprinkle with green onions and tomato and serve with sour cream.

Dick's Bodacious BBQ

A friend/co-worker and I recently had lunch at Dick's Bodacious BBQ in Noblesville. It's about a 20 minute drive from here, but worth the trip.

We each ordered the Texas Two Step, which is a choice of two meats and two sides. I had the brisket, smoked sausage, fried okra and slaw. My friend had the pulled pork, smoked sausage, slaw and potato salad.

I have to say I love the smoked sausage at Dick's. And actually, the brisket is pretty good too. The pulled pork was a touch dry, but still good.

Dick's has good portion sizes and decent service. My only complaint (and it's a minor one) is that I wish the sauce was on the table. I know that's more expensive for a place to do, but I like to try different sauces without having to bug the wait staff for it.

There used to be a Dick's BBQ down on 96th street near where I worked then. I used to go there quite often. I was an official, card-carrying member of Dick's Pit Sniffers Club!

If you're in the Indy area, drive on up to Dick's (or visit their downtown location). You'll be glad you did!

Chicken Satay with Peanut-Coconut Sauce

The dipping sauce for these grilled chicken satays is outstanding. I doubled the sauce portion of the recipe.


I made these again a few nights later using pork instead. The original idea came from this recipe.

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

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2 T fresh lime juice
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1 1/2 T brown sugar
• 1 t ground ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 t red pepper flakes
• 2 lbs chicken breast, cut into 1" chunks
• Skewers

1. Mix all but the chicken in a bowl. Remove 3/4 of the mixture and place in refrigerator.

2. Place chicken pieces in remaining sauce. Coat well. Place in refrigerator for 1 hour.

3. Soak skewers (if using bamboo) in water.

4. Discard marinade. Remove remaining sauce from fridge and let warm to room temperature while cooking the chicken.

5. Heat grill to medium high. Place chicken onto skewers and grill, rotating once, until done, about 10 minutes.

6. Serve chicken with sauce for dipping.

Koolickles (Kool-Aid Pickles)

No, there wasn't an accident at the Claussen factory!


These are Koolickles. They're super easy to make and kids (and even adults) love them. You can use any flavor Kool-Aid you want. I chose cherry.


I also used pickle halves instead of whole pickles, like I've seen others use when making this. These pictures were taken after 3 days of soaking.

Makes: 1 jar
Cook time: 1-5 days
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 jar dill pickle halves
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups water
• 2 envelopes cherry Kool-Aid mix

1. Drain the liquid from the pickle jar. Reserve for making pucker pops (just freeze on popsicle sticks).

2. In a bowl, mix the Kool-Aid, water and sugar. Pour into jar and re-seal.

3. Refrigerate for 1-5 days. Serve.

Shrimp with Tequila-Mayo Dip

This is a really easy-to-make shrimp recipe. The mayo dip is outstanding, and could be used with veggies or chips too.


I used Louisiana Shrimp Boil when I made this. I also like Zatarain's.

The original recipe came from Andrea Robinson's show, Pairings with Andrea, that used to air on the Fine Living network.

Makes: 4-6 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs 16-20 count wild caught Gulf shrimp, shell on
• 2 T crab boil
• 1 lemon, sliced thin
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 t liquid smoke

For the dip:

• 1 1/2 cups mayo
• 2 T tequila (optional)
• 1/2 t garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste
  

1. Bring water, crab boil, lemon, celery and liquid smoke to a boil.

2. Simmer for 5 minutes and add the shrimp.

3. Return mixture to a boil and simmer until the shrimp are opaque, 4-5 minutes.

4. Remove pan from heat and leave shrimp in water for 5 more minutes.

5. Drain and let cool slightly. Serve with dipping sauce.

6. To make the dipping sauce, combine all ingredients.

Red Radish Salad

Not too long ago I was able to get some just-picked radishes at our local farmer's market. I hunted around and ended up making this recipe that was very easy and tasty.


If you don't have any fresh dill on hand you can substitute dried.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 t sugar (or Splenda)
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 cup sour cream (light is fine)
• 8 radishes, sliced thin
• 2 Delicious apples, cored, quartered, and sliced thin
• 1/2 seedless cucumber, sliced thin
• 2 T chopped fresh dill (or 2 t dried)

1. Combine the sugar, lemon juice, and sour cream in a bowl.

2. Add the radishes, apples, and cucumber. Mix well to coat.

3. Season with salt, pepper, and dill and toss. Serve.

Smoked Bacon-Wrapped Tater Tots

This idea came from a great friend of ours, Chez John. Everything he makes will make you drool!


You can make these on a grill if you don't have a smoker. Trust me, these won't last long.

There's a variation on this recipe on the Dizzy Pig website. I found that I didn't need to thaw the tater tots first, and that I didn't need toothpicks to hold the bacon on. Just let the bacon warm up a little so it just naturally wants to stick to itself when wrapped around the tater tots. Use a fatty, thin bacon. If you use a thick cut bacon you will probably have to follow the recipe from Dizzy Pig.

Makes: 4-8 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30-45 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 bag Ore Ida tater tots
• 2 (1 lb) packages bacon
• Your favorite BBQ rub (I used Dizzy Pig Dizzy Dust)

1. Cut bacon into 3 equal sized pieces.

2. Wrap bacon around tater tots.

3. Sprinkle with BBQ rub.

4. Place on a 350 degree smoker and cook until the bacon starts to crisp, 30-45 minutes. Alternatively, place on a grill and cook using indirect heat until done.

5. Serve and enjoy!

Grilled Banana Sundae

Yummy!


Makes: 2 servings
Cook time: 10 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 bananas, not overly ripe
• Chocolate chips
• Chopped nuts
• Chocolate syrup
• Strawberry syrup
• Whipped cream or ice cream
• Cherries

1. Insert knife into skin of banana and cut lengthwise without cutting all the way through the banana. You just want to create a slit in the banana.

2. Open the slit in the bananas and sprinkle in chocolate chips and nuts. Drizzle with chocolate syrup.

3. Place bananas on a medium-high grill and grill until well browned. The interior will still be slightly firm.

4. Remove from grill and top with whipped cream or ice cream, more nuts, and cherries. Drizzle with chocolate and strawberry syrup and serve.

Hobnob Corner Restaurant, Nashville, Indiana

We spent last weekend in Brown County, Indiana, at the Brown County Inn. It is one of our favorite places to go to relax and swim and shop. And eat.


One of our favorite places to eat is in downtown Nashville. The Hobnob Corner Restaurant started out life in 1873 as a dry goods store. It later became a drugstore and soda fountain.


It maintains some of that history and character today.


We've eaten at Hobnob many times and have always had great food and service. On our most recent visit I had the Rube Martin, a great variation on a Reuben sandwich. Anita had the spicy chicken sandwich, which was very good. You can see their menu here.

If you're in the Nashville area, swing by and enjoy a meal at Hobnob. If it's tourist season, you might have to wait a bit if you're going during peak hours. But it's worth it.

Roasted Poblano Potato Salad

I am always on the lookout for a good, kicked-up potato salad recipe. I've found a few that call for roasted poblanos, but this one is by far our favorite.


The original recipe came from Dr. BBQ's book, Barbecue All Year Long. I highly recommend you pick up a copy. We have made several recipes from the book and they have all been great.

The poblanos at our local grocery were not so fresh the day we were there, so I substituted Anaheims. I'm not always sure about what I can substitute for what, so I visit FoodSubs to find out. Good thing our grocery store has free WiFi.

Makes: 8-12 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 poblano chiles
• 2 pounds red potatoes
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1 large red onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 8 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

1. Heat your great to high heat. Place the poblanos on the grill and cook until they start to blacken and blister. Turn over until all sides are blackened. Remove from heat and put into a large baggie, close, and let steam in the bag for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, place the eggs in a pot of water. Bring to a boil and let boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and rinse with cold water until the eggs have cooled. Remove from shells and quarter the eggs.

3. Remove peppers from the bags and remove the burned parts of the skins. Cut open and remove the seeds and stems. Cut into 1/2" strips.

4. Wash the potatoes and put into a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Continue boiling until the potatoes are knife tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and rinse with cold water. Quarter the potatoes, place in a large bowl, and toss with the vinegar.

5. Into the bowl containing the potatoes add the onion, cilantro, eggs, and chiles. Toss gently.

6. Add the mayo and toss again. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add more mayo if the mixture is too dry.

7. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Chewy Wine Shots

These adult Jello treats are great for parties.


We started going crazy with shapes. Just use your own imagination and cookie cutters! The original recipe came from Michael Smith of the Chef at Home show, one of my favorites from Canada.

We used only red and white wine. The basic recipe is 3 envelopes of gelatin and 1 cup of sugar per bottle of wine.

I used a bottle of Soft Rose from Oliver Winery near Bloomington, Indiana, and a bottle of Seyval Blanc from the Buck Creek Winery just east of Indianapolis.

Makes: 12-16 servings (depending on the crowd!)
Prep time: 2 hours
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 bottle (750 ml) red wine
• 1 bottle (750 ml) white wine
• 1 bottle (750 ml) pink zinfadel
• 9 envelopes of unflavored gelatin
• 3 cups sugar or Splenda

1. Pour each bottle of wine into a separate saucepan.

2. Add the sugar and 3 envelopes of gelatin. Stir over low heat until the sugar and gelatin dissolve.

3. Pour each mixture into a separate, lightly oiled, 8" x 8" pan and place in the fridge until set.

4. To remove jello from the pan, slide a knife around the edges of the pan. Then, dip the pan into warm water and invert.

5. Cut into shapes and serve.

Grilled Smoked Sausage Reuben

I love Reubens. I had some leftover Thousand Island dressing, so I just had to make this twist on the old classic.


Don't be afraid of using smoked sausage instead of corned beef! Anita doesn't like corned beef, so this worked out great for us.

The original recipe calls for chopping the sausage. I prefer it halved.

Makes: 4 sandwiches
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 (1 lb) package of smoked sausage
• 8 slices rye bread
• 4 T butter, softened
• 16 slices Swiss cheese
• 1/2 pound sauerkraut, drained
• 1/4 cup Thousand Island dressing

1. Grill sausage per package instructions. Let cool slightly and cut into half, then cut each half length-wise.

2. Butter one side of 4 slices of the bread. Place bread butter-side down in a sheet pan on the grill. Optionally, you can do this on your stove-top in a large skillet.

3. Top each slice of bread with a slice of Swiss, two slices of sausage, some kraut, the dressing, and another slice of cheese.

4. Butter one side of the remaining 4 slices of bread and top each sandwich with the bread, butter side up.

5. Cook sandwich until bread is browned, then flip and cook other side until browned.

6. Remove from grill and slice in half. Serve.

Watermelon Smile

Ain't she cute? We were at the grocery store the other day and just could not pass up getting a watermelon and a cantaloupe. It was a hot day, and nothing beats ice cold melon on a hot day!


We found the idea for the smile on the National Watermelon Promotion Board's website. It was actually pretty easy to make, even considering that I can't draw at all.


Prep time: 15-25 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 watermelon (pick one that that is fairly round)
• 2 cantaloupes
• 1 honey dew melon
• Pumpkin carving tools

1. Cut the top (about 1") off the watermelon. Draw 2 flowers on the lid and cut out with a pumpkin carving tool. If you have a flower cookie cutter, use that instead of free hand drawing the flowers.

2. Cut enough off the bottom of the watermelon so it stands up straight and doesn't rock back and forth.

3. Use a melon balling tool to scoop out all of the watermelon into a large bowl. Scrape out any remaining watermelon and reserve for later snacking.

4. Hand trace the eyes and smile on the watermelon and cut out using the carving tool.

5. Cut open and seed the honey dew and cantaloupes. Scoop out balls of the fruit using the melon balling tool and place in the bowl with the watermelon balls.

6. Mix the fruit balls together and place in the hollowed out watermelon.

7. Poke toothpicks through the watermelon flowers, leaving about 1/2" sticking out. Attach the flowers to the sides of the watermelon and place melon balls on the ends of the toothpicks.

8. Serve and enjoy!

Homemade Thousand Island Dressing

Oh, this dressing is sooooo good!


We put it on a simple iceberg salad. Fantastic! It's also great on a Reuben!

I found this recipe on the Food for the Thoughtless blogsite.

Makes: 3 cups
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup chili sauce
• 1/4 cup pimientos, drained and chopped
• 1 large egg, hard-boiled, chopped, and sieved
• 2 T Dijon mustard
• 3 T dill pickles, finely chopped
• 2 T capers, drained
• Tabasco sauce to taste

1. Combine all but the Tabasco sauce in a medium sized bowl.

2. Add Tabasco to taste.

3. Refrigerate. Use within 3-4 days.

Victory Lane Pasta Salad

I found this awesome pasta recipe on the Race City Sauce Work's website when I was looking for hot sauces.


The recipe uses their Victory Lane Jalapeño-Sour Apple hot sauce, which is a great, thick sauce with a nice balance between hot and sour. We really like it.

I did make a small change to the recipe. We made the salad with bow tie, which ended up getting a little dry so I drizzled just a little extra virgin olive oil over it before serving. Next time I'll either not drain the pasta as much or I'll retain some of the pasta water to keep the salad moist.

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

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound pasta (bow tie, penne, etc), cooked, drained and cooled
• 1 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
• 1 small sweet onion, diced
• 1 cucumber, seeded and diced
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1/4 cup carrots, shredded
• 2 T fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 (5 oz) bottle Victory Lane Jalapeño Sour Apple hot sauce
• 1/2 cup Feta cheese crumbled
• 1 cup Granny Smith apples, diced

1. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Chill until ready to serve.

2. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil if the pasta becomes a little dry and mix.

Black Bean Cakes with Guacamole and Lime Crema

My picture of these cakes definitely does not do them justice. They have a nice crispy exterior with a soft, tasty middle. The lime crema and guacamole compliment the beans just right.


I used dried black beans and soaked them overnight before cooking them in 3 parts water and 1 part chicken stock, with a ham hock thrown in for good measure. You can also just quick cook the beans.

The original recipe came from Emeril Lagasse.

Makes: 6-8 cakes
Prep time: 15 minutes (does not include bean soak or cook time)
Cook time: 20 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound black beans, cooked and drained with cooking liquid reserved
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 1 t garlic, minced
• 1 T cilantro, chopped
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, seasoned with Creole seasoning
• Hot sauce, to taste
• 2 T olive oil
• Lime crema, recipe follows
• Guacamole, recipe follows

1. Puree 1/2 of the black beans in a food processor or blender. Add the onion, garlic and cilantro. Add some of the cooking liquid if needed to assist in pureeing.

2. Add the egg and pulse for 10 seconds.

3. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add the remaining beans and gradually add the unseasoned flour until the mixture becomes firm enough to form a loose ball.

4. Add salt, pepper and hot sauce. If mixture becomes too firm, add some more of the cooking liquid.

5. Form cakes into 4-ounce cakes using an ice cream scoop.

6. Dredge cakes in seasoned flour and cook in a large skillet heated to medium heat with olive oil added. Cook for 3 minutes per side until golden and crispy.

7. To serve, place lima crema on a plate, top with black bean cake and top with guacamole.

For the lime crema:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 T chives, chopped

1. Combine all ingredients

For the chunky guacamole:

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe avocados
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 1 T cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, minced
• 1 jalapeño, minced
• Hot sauce, to taste

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mash together with a spoon.

Delta Cole Slaw

I'm not sure what makes these 'Delta', but this is my new go-to slaw. It really is good.


We've had this mounded up on smoked sausage sammies, by itself, and piled high on hamburgers. I'd even put it on ice cream, I like it that much!


The original recipe came from Emeril. I saw him make it on Emeril Live and thought 'I have to make that!'.

Makes: 3 quarts, 14 or so servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 3 hours
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 head green cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 cups carrots, shredded
• 2 t salt
• 1 t white pepper
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup sugar (I used Splenda)
• 1 t dry mustard powder
• 2 t celery seeds
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup green onions, finely chopped
• 2 T fresh parsley, chopped

1. In a large plastic bowl, combine the cabbage, bell pepper, onion, and carrot and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. Meanwhile, combine the vinegar, sugar, mustard powder, and celery seeds in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and remove from the heat and let cool until the cabbage mixture has been in the fridge for 1 hour.

3. Remove cabbage from fridge and pour sauce over it. Add the oil, green onions, and parsley and toss to combine.

4. Cover and return to refrigerator for 2-3 hours before serving.

Happy Blogiversary!

Today is our one-year blog anniversary. We've made a lot of good food and look forward to another year of great recipes, trips and great times together. Thanks to everyone that stops by.

Grilled Chicken Breasts with Shiitake Mushroom Vinaigrette

This may be my favorite grilled chicken recipe now. The mushroom vinaigrette is very good.



I got the recipe from something Bobby Flay put together, but I warn you, the recipe on the Food Network web site is incorrect. I have posted the corrected recipe below. I should add that I used two large, boneless chicken breasts that I first butterflied. The original recipe calls for 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts.

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

Ingredients:

• 5 large shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
• 6 T canola oil
• 1 t whole-grain mustard
• 3 T balsamic vinegar
• 3 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 T parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish
• 2 shallots, diced
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied

1. Heat grill to high.

2. Brush mushrooms on both sides with 4 T of the oil. Place on grill cap side down and grill until slightly charred, about 5 minutes. Turn over and grill until just cooked, about another 4 minutes. Remove from grill and chop.

3. Whisk together the shallots, vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, mustard, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Add the mushrooms and stir to coat. Let sit at room temperature while you cook the chicken.

4. Brush both sides of the chicken with the remaining oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until done. Remove from grill and let rest for 5 minutes.

5. Serve chicken topped with vinaigrette and garnish with parsley.

Ozark Sloppy Joes

I was thinking about Sloppy Joes the other day for some reason. I wanted a new twist on the old classic. I found this recipe over on Taste of Home and it turned out great.


The Worcestershire sauce really brings a lot of great flavor to this dish. Super easy to make.

I normally make a recipe exactly as written the first time I make it. Then I start to play with it the next time I make it. I think I might make this with a roasted poblano instead of a green pepper next time.

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

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 t sugar or Splenda
• 1 1/2 t all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 t Italian seasoning
• 1/2 t chili powder (or more, to taste)
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/4 t garlic powder
• 1/8 t cayenne powder (or more, to taste)
• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 t Worcestershire sauce
• 6 hamburger buns

1. Cook the beef, peppers and onions in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain.

2. Stir in the remaining ingredients (except the buns) and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

3. Serve over toasted buns.

Grill-Top Shrimp "Boil"

This is a take on a recipe by Steven Raichlen. I saw him make it on an episode of BBQ University.


The sauce with these shrimp is insanely good. You'll want to have lots of garlic bread for sopping. Trust me.

Makes: 6-8 servings
Prep time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs 16-20 count shrimp, in the shell, deveined
• 3 T Old Bay seasoning
• 3 T Cajun seasoning
• 1 T ground coriander
• 1 T black peppercorns, cracked
• 1-3 t cayenne pepper (to taste)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 6 T fresh lemon juice
• 1 can (12 oz) beer
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 3/4 cup corn syrup
• 6 T Worcestershire sauce
• 2 thin slices lemon with rind, seeds removed
• 4 T hot sauce
• 2 T brown sugar
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 1/2 sticks butter cut into 1" pieces
• 1 Large aluminum pan (large enough to hold the shrimp and some sauce)
• Garlic bread, for sopping

1. In a small bowl, combine the Old Bay, Cajun seasoning, coriander, peppercorns, and cayenne. Reserve 1 1/2 T for the sauce to be made later.

2. Combine oil and 3 T of the lemon juice and pour over shrimp that has been rinsed and patted dry and placed in a large baking dish.

3. Sprinkle rub over shrimp. Coat well. Cover and marinate in fridge for 1 hour.

4. Prepare the sauce by pouring the beer into a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil, uncovered, until reduced by half, about 10 minutes.

5. Add the cream and simmer, reducing by half, 7-10 minutes.

6. Add the corn syrup, Worcestershire, lemon slices, hot sauce, brown sugar, garlic, the remaining lemon juice, and the reserved rub. Mix and let boil until thick, about 6 minutes.

7. Add the butter, piece by piece, while stirring. Heat until butter is completely melted.

8. Season, reduce heat and let set until needed. Do not return to a boil.

9. When the shrimp are ready, heat a grill to high heat and oil the grates.

10. Dump the shrimp onto the grill and cook 1-3 minutes per side or until pink and firm. You could also skewer the shrimp and grill them that way if you prefer. I just tossed them all on to the grill at once and used tongs to turn them.

11. Transfer shrimp to the aluminum pan and place it on the grill. Pour in the sauce and let simmer for 1-2 minutes.

12. Serve shrimp with sauce over them along with garlic bread for sopping.

Grilled Avocado Guacamole with Homemade Tortilla Chips

I was pretty skeptical when I ran across this recipe from Michael Chiarello. I actually like a lot of what he does. But, a guacamole with basil? Seemed intriguing but also... scary.


So, I made some quick and easy tortilla chips while Anita made the guac. We both agreed that it was fantastic. It won't replace traditional guac in our house, but it'll be a strong favorite. We really liked it and recommend it as a change from what you're used to in a guacamole.

If you don't want to make your own chips, use good bagged chips. Homemade chips are super easy to make, and much better tasting. Give them a try!

For the guacamole:

Makes: 4-6 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cool time: 5 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 ripe avocados
• 4 T extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 1/2 T garlic, minced
• 6 T fresh basil, julienned
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan

1. Preheat grill to medium high.

2. Pit and peel the avocados. Place in a bowl and drizzle with the lemon juice and 2 T of the oil. Sprinkle with S&P to taste.

3. Place avocados on grill and grill for 1 minute on each side. Remove to cool.

4. In a skillet heat the remaining 2 T of oil and saute the garlic until starting to brown.

5. Add the basil and cook until wilted, about 1 minute.

6. Transfer basil/garlic mixture to a large bowl and add in the avocados. Mash the avocados with a fork.

7. Add the sour cream and Parmesan and stir well. Serve immediately with chips.

For the tortilla chips:

Makes: 4-6 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• Oil for frying
• 10 or more corn tortillas, cut into quarters
• Salt

1. Heat 2" oil in a skillet or Dutch oven to 360F.

2. Place 4-6 tortilla quarters in oil and cook for 1 minute per side.

3. Remove to paper towel-lined plate and salt well. Continue with remaining tortilla quarters.

Grilled Alaskan King Crab Legs

Well, there's good and then there's really, really good.


I haven't had king crab legs in ages. When the local grocery put them on sale a week ago I snatched up several pounds worth. I've never had them grilled. I doubt I'll have them any other way after grilling them. Not only do you get that nice char aroma, but also the leg shells break very easy, making getting at the meat much easier. And that's what it's all about!

To grill them, preheat your grill to medium-high. Brush the legs with oil and grill 5 minutes per side. Keep an eye on the fire since the oil will tend to cause flare-ups. Keep a spray bottle of water nearby, or be prepared to move the legs around to avoid burning them.

To make the clarified butter, melt a stick in a skillet until it separates. When the solids begin to brown, remove from the heat and pour through a find sieve or a damp cheesecloth.

Hot Dog Fatties

This idea came to me the other day. I was thinking about a chili dog, and somehow this is what came out. No chili. But, you could add that.


I'll probably take it further next time by adding some relish. That's not to say that it isn't awesome as it is. We didn't have any large dogs, so we ended up using two smaller ones.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 3 1/2 hours

Ingredients:

• 1 lb roll ground sausage
• 1 1/2 pound hot dog, or two bun length dogs
• 1/3 cup white onion, diced
• 1 T butter
  
• 6 slices American cheese
• 4 T Cajun Power Spicy Garlic Mustard (or other good mustard)
• 1/2 cup sour cream

1. Fire up the grill and grill the hot dog.

2. Saute the onion in the butter until soft.

3. Roll out the sausage as per our standard fattie recipe.

4. Place the dogs, onion and cheese on the fattie and roll it up and smoke it for 3 hours.

5. In a small bowl, mix the mustard and sour cream. Slice the fattie into small rounds and dip into the mustard sauce.

Roasted Tomato and Jalapeño Chorizo Fatties

Oh, me. When you need some kick in your fattie, this is the way to go!


You'll need a 1 pound roll of chorizo. Our supermarket has them right by the pork sausage rolls.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 3 1/2 hours

Ingredients:

• 1 lb roll of chorizo sausage
• 2 large jalapeños
• 2 Roma tomatoes
• 1 8oz round of Chihuahua cheese, or other good melting white cheese, shredded

1. Fire up your grill to high heat and roast the jalapeños and tomatoes. Place into a baggie, seal, and let set for 15 minutes. Remove the skins (and seeds, if desired) and dice.

2. Roll out the chorizo as per our standard fattie recipe.

3. Mix the peppers, tomatoes, and cheese together in a bowl and place into your fattie piston. Let cool in fridge for 15 minutes.

4. Assemble fattie and smoke for 3 hours. Serve with salsa and enjoy!

Homemade Pickle Relish

I could sit down with a bowl of this relish and have it for lunch. Seriously. It's just that good.


There won't be any more store-bought relish around here after making this recipe from Bobby Flay. Use good quality pickles and don't skip roasting the peppers.

Makes: 4-8 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes plus 1 hour cooling time
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
• 1 t mustard seeds
• 1 t coriander seeds
• 2 T sugar (or Splenda)
• 8 large sour dill pickles, finely diced
• 1 small red pepper
• 1 small yellow pepper
• 1 small white onion, diced
• 2 T chopped fresh dill

1. Heat grill to high and roast the peppers. Let cool slightly. Remove skins and dice finely.

2. Bring vinegar, mustard seeds and coriander seeds to a boil in a medium non-reactive pan.

3. Cook until reduced by half and thickened slightly.

4. Remove from heat and add the remaining ingredients. Whisk together well and season with salt and pepper.

5. Place in fridge and let cool for at least one hour before using.

Spinach Salad with Lemon Caesar Dressing and Grilled Croutons

A few weeks ago we made grilled pizza. Turns out the crusts we made also make great salad croutons. Paired with a great lemon Caesar dressing, this dish really came out great.


Just follow the recipe for the pizza crusts, then cut the bread up for croutons.


For the dressing:

Makes: 4-6 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 T fresh lemon juice
• 1 T fresh orange juice
• (or sub 1/4 cup Meyer lemon juice for both)
• 4 cloves garlic, roasted
• 1 T Djion mustard
• 1 T mayo
• 3 anchovy fillets
• 1 T red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1. Place all ingredients up to the oil in a blender and blend until smooth.

2. With the blender running, slowly add in the oil until emulsified.

3. Add the grated cheese and blend for a few seconds more.

For the salad:

Ingredients:

• 1 pound baby spinach, washed and dried
• Parmesan, shaved
• Dressing, from above

1. Place spinach in a bowl.

2. Drizzle with dressing.

3. Top with croutons, toss.

4. Top with shaved Parmesan. Serve.

Breakfast Fattie

Just take your standard fattie and stuff it with scrambled eggs and shredded Tillamook cheddar.

I used about 2 cups of eggs and 1 cup of cheese. Next time, I'll go for more cheese. You can't be too cheesy. And bacon. Bacon might be a good addition, too. Either way, a great fattie!

Maple Dijon Roasted Brussels Sprouts

When we made Brussels sprouts in the past, we would just roast them and sprinkle them with a little salt and pepper.

Not any more.


These maple Dijon roasted Brussels sprouts were fantastic! Another great recipe from the Closet Cooking blog.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes (or longer for larger sprouts. Slightly less for small sprouts)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of Brussels sprouts, trimmed (optionally you can halve them if they are large)
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 T cider vinegar
• 1 T maple syrup
• 1 t Dijon mustard
• 1 T grainy mustard
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup almond slices, toasted
• S & P to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Toss the sprouts in 1 tablespoon of the oil with salt and pepper.

3. Arrange sprouts on a baking sheet in a single layer.

4. Roast until starting to brown, turning once. Start checking for doneness after 20 minutes.

5. In a large bowl, mix the remaining oil, vinegar, syrup, both mustards, garlic, and salt and pepper.

6. Add the almonds and mix.

7. Place roasted sprouts in bowl and mix well to cover completely. Serve.

BBQ Bites

I had some Phyllo cups left over from the shrimp recipe I did a while back, and some leftover pulled pork, so I thought... BBQ bites.


I took some pulled pork and put it in the food processor and pulsed it just a few times. I spooned that into the cups and topped with Tillamook cheddar. Popped them under the broiler for just a sec to melt the cheese then topped with some Russ and Franks Sassy sauce.