Grilled Okra Popsicles

I'm a big fan of okra.


This is the first time I put okra on skewers and grilled it, and I have to say it was one of the best tastes ever. I got the idea for these from an episode of the BBQ University, but I cannot find an actual reference to the recipe online. Whenever I post a recipe, whether I'm using one verbatim or my own adaptation of it, I will post the link if I can find it.


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

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh okra
• 2 T butter, melted
• Salt and Pepper
• Skewers

1. Skewer the okra. Baste with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Grill over medium high heat until starting to blacken or bubble, about 5-7 minutes.

3. Eat right from the skewers.

Bacon Salt Popcorn

We were looking for a little snack this afternoon, so I threw this one together. You could use microwave popcorn if you wish, but make sure to get one that has no flavorings added.

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

Ingredients:

• 2 T oil
• 2/3 cup good popcorn kernels (I used Autumn Blaze from Fireworks Popcorn)
• 2-3 T butter
• Bacon salt, original flavor (available in most grocery stores)

1. Heat oil in your popcorn popper (I love the Whirley Pop) and add and cook the popcorn per manufacturer's directions.

2. In a small skillet (or in the microwave), melt the butter. Sprinkle in 3-4 good shakes of bacon salt (more or less, to taste) and whisk well.

3. Place the popcorn in a large serving bowl. Drizzle with bacon salt butter mixture and mix well. Serve.

Grilled Cabbage with Kielabasa (aka cabbasa)

It may look a little different, but this grilled cabbage was fantastic! We will definitely be making this again soon!


We used Grandma Foster's BBQ sauce, but you can substitute your favorite. And if you don't have kielbasa, just use bacon (you'll want to cook it to almost done first).

I originally saw this on an episode of BBQ University with Steven Raichlen. I believe he used bacon in the show, but the recipe on his web site uses kielbasa.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 1 - 1 1/2 hours
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 medium-sized head of cabbage, about 2 pounds
• 3 T butter
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 oz kielbasa, diced into 1/4" cubes (about 1/2 cup or 3" of the sausage)
• 1/4 cup BBQ sauce

1. Start your grill for indirect cooking. You'll get added flavor if you also add wood chips or chunks to the fire. If you're not familiar with indirect grilling, there's an explanation on BBQ U.

2. Take a 12" piece of foil and flatten it into a roll, then shape it into a ring. This will be the base to set the cabbage on so it doesn't roll around.

3. Cut out the core by inserting a knife at an angle and cutting around it, about 3" deep. When you remove the core it will look like a cone. I kept the core and trimmed it so that just the top remained to use as a cover.

4. Melt 2 T butter in a skillet over medium heat. Brush some of the butter over the outside of the cabbage.

5. Add the onion, garlic and kielbasa to the skillet and brown, 3-5 minutes.

6. Spoon the mixture into the cabbage and cover with BBQ sauce and 1 more T of melted butter.

7. Season with salt and pepper and put the core top back in place, if desired.

8. Grill over indirect heat for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. You can check for doneness using a skewer. If the skewer can be inserted through the cabbage with only some resistance, it is done.

9. Remove from grill and cut into 4 wedges and serve.

Hot Dog Salad

At first you might think that this just can't work. But, it's basically just a deconstructed Chicago hot dog. It's very good. Use good, large all-beef hot dogs for the best results.



The original recipe came from here.

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

Ingredients:

• 8 hot dogs
• 1/4 cup yellow mustard
• 2 T vinegar
• 1 t sugar (I used Splenda)
• 3 T oil
• 1/2 medium red onion, sliced thin
• 8 oz of slaw mix (about half a bag)
• 1 romaine heart, shredded
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 3 large garlic pickles, chopped

1. Grill the hot dogs. Let cool slightly and cut into 1" thick pieces on a bias.

2. In a large bowl, combine the mustard, vinegar, sugar and oil.

3. Add remaining ingredients and toss. Taste and season.

4. To serve, mound up the salad and top with the hot dog slices.

Grilled Thai Chicken Thighs

These came out so tasty and tender.


I served this over rice, with Szechuan green beans on the side. Next time I may put the chicken on small buns and top with an Asian slaw - instant Thai Sliders!

I found the original recipe over on Blues BBQ. Think I may pick up some of their hot sauces, specially the Habanero Reserve.

Makes: 3 servings
Prep time: 2-4 hours
Cook time: 10-18 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, minced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 T soy sauce (I used low sodium)
• 1 T rice wine vinegar
• 2 t sugar (I used Splenda)
• 1-2 t red pepper flakes (or more)

1. Place thighs in a large baggie.

2. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Seal bag and toss to coat.

3. Place baggie in the fridge for 2-4 hours to marinate.

4. Heat grill to medium-high heat.

5. Place chicken on grill and cook until done, about 10 minutes per side.

Smoked Stromboli Fattie

Ever since we got our fattie piston, Anita has been coming up with different fattie recipes.

She calls this one her Stromboli fattie.


We served these with homemade marinara sauce. They were fantastic!

For instructions on how to assemble and smoke a fattie, see our post here.

1. Take 1/4 cup each of red pepper, green pepper, and onion diced and sautée until nearly softened. Let cool slightly.

2. Dice fresh buffalo mozzarella and place in a small bowl.

3. Add in the cooled vegetable mixture and mix well.

4. Place mixture into the fattie piston and place in fridge for 10 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, flatten out an Italian rolled sausage into a 9x9 square on a sheet of waxed paper.

6. Remove the fattie piston contents, roll up the sausage and smoke.

Balsamic Strawberries with Ricotta Cream

Everyone on the food shows on TV seems to be raving about how well strawberries and balsamic vinegar go together. My SIL gave me a fancy bottle of balsamic last Christmas, so it seemed like a good time to try it out.


I have to say we both enjoyed this a lot, along with an ice cold orange cream soda. This recipe came from Ellie Krieger.

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

Ingredients:

• 1 cup ricotta cheese (I used low-fat)
• 2 T honey
• 1/2 t vanilla extract
• 3 T balsamic vinegar
• 2 T sugar (I used Splenda)
• 1 (16 oz) container strawberries, quartered
• 2 T fresh basil leaves, cut into ribbons

1. Place the cheese, vanilla and honey into a bowl and blend well until smooth. Cover bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours.

2. Place the vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a bowl. Reduce to a simmer and continue simmering for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool.

3. Place the strawberries in a bowl. Drizzle with the balsamic syrup and mix well.

4. Divide the cheese mixture between 4 cocktail glasses and top with the berries.

Hot Chili

This isn't a super-hot, 5-alarm chili. Just a nice, easy chili with a little kick. It's a little different than the sweet and hot chili I usually make.


I found this recipe over on the Calphalon website. I'm not sure why I was there, but I of course ended up in the recipe section.

Makes: 8 servings
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs lean ground beef
• 3 T olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, diced
• 1 large white onion, diced
• 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 T ground cumin
• 3 T chili powder
• 2 t cayenne pepper
• 1 t dried oregano
• 3 dried bay leaves
• 1 (29 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 oz) tomato sauce
• 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans
• Toppings (shredded cheese, onion, jalapeños, etc)

1. Preheat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

2. Add oil and heat for 1 minutes.

3. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

4. Add in the beef, onion, bell pepper, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and oregano. Cook until meat is browned, stirring occasionally.

5. Drain any excess fat.

6. Stir in the bay leaves, tomatoes (and their sauce), tomato sauce and beans (do not drain).

7. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer and let simmer, uncovered, for about 45 minutes or until the chili has thickened.

8. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Server with desired toppings.

Apple and Bacon Salad

At first glance, you might ask "What is that? How could THAT possibly be good?". Well, the answer is that it is a really good salad, a really perfect mix of flavors from the cold, crispy apple to the softness of the egg, crunchy bacon, and finally, a slight kick from the jalapeño aioli.


I found this recipe when watching a podcast from Good Bite a little while back.

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

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
• 2 granny smith apples, cut into matchsticks (keep in ice water with some lemon juice to keep from browning)
• 1/2 cup cooked bacon cut into lardons
• 1/4 cup green onion, chopped
• 4 poached eggs, chilled
• 2 T apple cider vinegar

1. Place the jalapeño and oil into a blender and purée until smooth, about 5 minutes.

2. In a bowl, combine the apples, green onions and bacon. Toss with vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Place 1/4th of the salad in the middle of a plate and top with a poached egg. Drizzle with the jalapeño sauce. Repeat for the other 3 servings.

Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich

Here in Indiana, you're pretty much required by law to have one of these at least once a month. I found this recipe over on Dorothy McNett's website.


I have to admit that I made a minor change to the original way of making these. I like to have just a little kick to my food, so I added the teaspoon of cayenne. It really might have been more. Use your own judgment and taste to guide you.

Makes: 4 sandwiches
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pound pork tenderloin, cut 1" thick
• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 t paprika
• 1/4 t pepper
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 - 1 t cayenne, or to taste
• 1 egg
• 1 T milk (can use 2%)
• 1 1/2 cups ground cracker crumbs (use no salt or low-salt)
• oil for frying
• Hamburger buns, mustard, mayo, pickles, red onion, etc, as you desire, for toppings

1. Pound the pork slices into 1/4 inch thick slices.

2. Heat 4 inches of oil to 375 in a Dutch oven.

3. Lay out 3 bowls. In the first combine the flour, paprika, cayenne, pepper, and salt. In the second bowl combine the egg and milk. In the last bowl place the cracker crumbs.

4. Dip each pork slice into the flour mixture, then the egg mixture, and finally into the crumbs, coating completely. Place on a wire rack to set for 10 minutes.

5. Place pork slices into Dutch oven (you may need to do this in batches) and cook 2 minutes per side or until done. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.

6. Serve over toasted hamburger buns with your favorite toppings. We prefer tomato, mayo, red onion, dill pickles and lettuce.

Smoked Sausage, Taters, Peppers and Onion Soup

This is the simplest meal you could possibly make. Sometimes the simplest things are the best tasting.


I was really surprised how flavorful this is. It doesn't hurt that I grilled the sausage for a little bit before slicing it into the pot. And substituting broth is a major plus.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15-25 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 (lb) smoke sausage, cut into 1/2" pieces (grill first if desired)
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup water (I substituted homemade chicken stock)

1. Combine all ingredients in a pot and cook over medium heat, 15-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are soft.

Italian Beef Sandwiches

These sandwiches have a really nice taste. The beef is slow cooked for 14 hours, so it is unbelievably tender. The giardiniera and peperoncini really take the flavors over the top.


I served the beef over toasted French bread, topped with sauteed peppers and onion, and melted provolone cheese.

The original recipe came from Deep South Dish, a favorite site of ours.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 14 hours
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 cups beef broth
• 2 t beef bouillon
• 1/2 t Italian seasoning
• 1 envelope Italian dressing mix
• 1 (3 pound) rump roast
• 1 cup peperoncini, drained
• 1 cup giardiniera, drained
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 loaf French or Italian bread
• 1 green pepper, sliced
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 1 medium white onion, sliced
• 1 T olive oil
• 8 slices provolone cheese

1. In a Dutch oven over medium heat add the broth. Stir in the bouillon, Italian seasoning, and Italian dressing mix.

2. Add the rump roast, peperoncini, giardiniera and garlic and reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 hours. I like to turn the roast every few hours to get an even cook.

3. Remove the beef and let rest. Cut into thin slices or chunks and return to the Dutch oven. Cook on low another 2-4 hours, stirring occasionally.

4. Slice bread in half. Sautee peppers and onions in 1 T of oil.

5. Spoon beef onto bread and top with peppers and onions. Cover with provolone. Place under broiler just long enough to melt the cheese.

6. Serve with a bowl of the juices, if desired, for dipping.

Marinara Sauce

This sauce is so easy to make, and it really comes out nice. The recipe came from Closet Cooking, a great food blog. My SIL gave me some awesome kalamata olives for Christmas. They really made the sauce. Use good olives and you won't regret it.


We baked the sauce along with some sliced fresh mozzarella until the cheese was a little browned and served with toasted baguettes.

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

Ingredients:

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
• 1/2 t Italian herb blend
• 1 bay leaf
• handful fresh basil, chopped

1. Heat the oil over medium high heat in a pan.

2. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, 5-7 minutes.

3. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute.

4. Deglaze the pan with the wine.

5. Add tomatoes, olives, bay leaf, Italian herbs. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and simmer for 30 minutes, letting the sauce thicken.

6. Remove from heat.

7. Remove the bay leafs and let cool slightly.

8. Place into blender and purée until the desired thickness is achieved. Be VERY careful putting hot liquid into a blender. If you have an immersion blender, use it instead.

Grilled Chicken Sliders with Spicy Coleslaw

I often make grilled chicken sandwiches, but this time I wanted something a little different. I had some dinner rolls on hand, so I used them to make sliders.


These grilled chicken sliders get their kick from Scott's BBQ sauce, a great North Carolina vinegary sauce. The slaw is based on a recipe I found on Pepper Fool.

Printable Recipe

For the sliders:
Makes: 12 sliders, 3-4 servings
Prep time: 2 hours
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts (usually 1 package)
2 cups Scott's barbecue sauce, divided
6 slices jalepeño cheese, sliced and cut into quarters
Lettuce
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
12 dinner rolls (I used potato rolls)

1. Butterfly the chicken breasts and place in a large container or baggie. Add 1 cup of the BBQ sauce. Make sure all of the breasts get sauced. Let marinate for 2 hours.

2. Heat grill to medium high. Grill breasts until they reach 165 F. They will cook quickly since they are thin. Baste with more BBQ sauce on both sides.

3. Quickly grill the rolls until browned.

4. Remove breasts and cut into squares the size of the buns. Top with 2 slices of the cheese, onions, and lettuce. Place on buns and serve.

For the spicy coleslaw:
Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 bag coleslaw, with carrots (about 5-6 cups)
• 1/2 red bell pepper, Julienned
• 1/2 green bell pepper, Julienned
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 Serrano peppers, chopped (can substitute jalapeños)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 T cilantro, chopped
• 1 T chili powder
• 1 t cumin (or to taste)
• 1/2 T ground coriander
  
• 1 T maple syrup
• 1/2 T Dijon mustard
• 1/2 T Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 lime, juiced

1. Mix all ingredients. The slaw gets better if refrigerated for 1 hour before serving.

Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding

This recipe is one from Paula Deen. It has an amazing number of high ratings, so we decided to make it for a get together Anita was attending.


This pudding really is very, very good. Dangerously good. Almost scary good.

Makes: 12 servings (or... 6...)
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes (to cool)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessman cookies (note if you put the cookies in close together, you might need 3 bags)
• 6 to 8 bananas, sliced
• 2 cups milk
• 1 (5 oz) box instant French vanilla pudding
• 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (12 oz) container whipped topping or sweetened whipped cream

1. Line the bottom of a 13x9x2 inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top.

2. Combine the milk and pudding mix in a bowl and mix well.

3. In another bowl combine the cream cheese and milk and mix until smooth.

4. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture.

5. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir well.

6. Pour mixture over cookies and bananas and spread evenly. Cover with remaining cookies.

7. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Baked Beets in Cream

This is a very simple, very tasty side dish. I have to admit, I haven't done much with beets before. But we both really liked how this came out. It'll become a staple for us during the time beets are in season.


Makes: 4 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 1 1/2 hours
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

3-4 medium beets, unpeeled and unwashed
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 fresh lemon

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Trim beet roots and stems to 1/2". Do not wash them or cut them any further. The key here is to not get the beets wet as they will end up steaming instead of baking. If you do have to wash them or wipe them off, make sure you dry them very well.

3. Place beets in a deep casserole and cover with foil. Bake for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours, until the beets are fork tender.

4. Remove the beets from the oven and uncover. Let cool until you can handle them.

5. Remove the roots and skins from the beets.

6. Slice beets thin. Place in large saucepan over medium heat. Add the cream, salt and pepper and heat until cream is warmed.

7. Serve drizzled with fresh lemon juice.

Red Beans and Rice

The folks over at Deep South Dish turn out some mighty nice recipes. We love their red beans and rice.


Just like with the gumbo we made, don't skimp on the andouille. I've made this before with smoked sausage, but it doesn't come close to the flavors you'll get more using andouille.

Makes: 8-10 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 3 hours 15 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dried kidney beans
• 1/2 pound of bacon, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 t fresh black pepper
• 1/2 t cayenne pepper
• 1 t dried basil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 t oil
• 14 oz (or more) andouille sausage (you can sub smoked sausage), sliced into 1/4" rounds or chunks
• 4 T butter
• Cooked rice (try the Creole Boiled Rice from NOLA Cuisine)

1. Rinse and sort beans. Place in a large pot. Add enough water to cover beans plus an inch. Bring to boil and boil for 5 minutes, uncovered.

2. Turn off heat, cover, and let soak for 1 hour. Drain and return to pot.

3. In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until slightly limp. Add the onion, green pepper, and celery and cook until tender.

4. Add the garlic, black pepper, cayenne, basil and bay leaves. Stir and cook for 3 minutes.

5. Add contents of the skillet to the beans in the pot.

6. Add 2 quarts water to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for about 2 hours or until the beans are tender and have thickened.

7. Add butter and melt.

8. Serve over cooked rice.

Dark Chocolate Chili Bar

I used to do a pretty good job sticking to the outside aisles at the groceria, but now that I've discovered this, I'm in trouble!


Yum! It was the Atzecs (or Mayans?) that first mixed chocolate and chili, and let me tell ya, they were on to something good!

Gumbo

I found this great version of gumbo over on the NOLA Cuisine site. I love the fact that it uses chicken thighs, my favorite part of the chicken. You can pretty much substitute thighs in any recipe that calls for using breasts instead.


Don't skimp on the Andouille. Get the real stuff.

The original recipe calls for serving this over Creole Boiled Rice, which we did, and it was awesome. You can substitute normal white rice, but the boiled rice recipe is very simple to make and is really flavorful.

Makes: 3-4 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup oil
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 T Creole Seasoning (I used Tony Chachere's)
  
• 1 cup onion, diced
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup celery, diced
• 1 1/2 cups (or more) Andouille sausage, diced
• 3 T garlic, chopped
• 1 cup okra, trimmed and sliced (can use frozen)
• 6 cups cold chicken stock
• 3 fresh bay leaves
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1" cubes and seasoned with 2 T Creole seasoning
• 2 T Worcestershire sauce
• Hot sauce, to taste
• Salt, if needed
• 2 T parsley, chopped, for garnish
• 1/4 cup green onions, sliced thin, 1/2 for garnish
• White rice

Note: I used Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning. You can also try the Creole seasoning recipe on NOLA Cuisine's web site.

1. Mix the onion, celery and bell pepper (the Holy Trinity) together.

2. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.

3. Whisk in the flour to make a blonde-colored roux.

4. Add the Andouille, 1 T Creole seasoning, and 3/4 of the onion/celery/bell pepper mixture. Cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are softened.

5. Add the stock, remaining Creole seasoning, okra, remaining onion/celery/bell pepper, garlic, and salt (taste to make sure you need it). Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Add the chicken and simmer for at least 2 hours, stirring occassionally.

6. Add the Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce (if desired) and 1/2 of the green onions. Heat and serve over rice.

Bug... of some sort

What the heck is on the wall by the computers?

Whatever it is, it doesn't look normal.