JBug's Kitchen Antics

Easy Orange Rolls for Breakfast

Having Big Guy home in Oregon on a pre-retirement visit meant I not only had to think about what to make for dinner, but breakfast needed consideration too. As you may agree, one can never go wrong with bacon and eggs, or steel cut oats, or pancakes or the like but every once in a while there's nothing wrong with something entirely different.

Personally I've been craving cinnamon rolls in no small part because there's a bakery down the hill that's open for retail on Thursdays only and "taints" the air with the sweetest smells, but unfortunately as it turns out my cinnamon's still in Tucson along with the rest of my spice caddyso I had to come up with a plan B. Enter these beautiful little orange blossoms.

I know you're thinking they look like a lot of work for a breakfast bread but believe me they're darned quick to make. Butter, infused with fresh grated orange rind, a splash of orange juice concentrate and a dash of salt is the key, along with a good sprinkle of plain old granulated sugar topping a loaf of frozen bread dough (I used Rhodes), thawed overnight on the counter then rolled to an 17 x 6 inch sheet. Totally uncomplicated, right?

Sliced and placed into mini muffin tins, then left to rise for 20 minutes in a warm place, they hit a 375 oven for 12 minutes and came out looking and smelling intoxicating. I made them even more decandent with a drizzle and daub of orange flavored frosting. Overkill you say? Not a chance!

We loved them - moist, buttery, orange infused pop it in your mouth and reach for another one kinda' good and totally addictive. No apologies in sight either for using a pre-made bread dough; but listen if you're so inclined, they'd be pretty darned special made from your favorite homemade sweet roll dough too. 

As for me, I've got 2 more loaves of frozen bread dough left in the freezer so I might just have to try making them again, maybe with lemon zest and frozen lemonade concentrate instead of orange; or lime and lime, or what about lemon and lime, or orange and lemon? Now wouldn't that be a kick?

Easy Mini Orange Rolls (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Southern Living Magazine)

1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed

1 stick butter, softened

1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate

Zest of 1 orange

Dash salt

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice or more as needed

Whip together butter, orange juice concentrate, orange zest and salt until light, fluffy and well combined. Set aside. Roll dough on a floured surface to about 17 x 6 inches. Spread with butter mixture, and then sprinkle with sugar. Starting on long side, roll up tightly in a jelly roll fashion. Pinch seams to seal. Cut into half inch slices and place into well-greased mini muffin tins. Cover with a cloth and place in a warm place to rise (takes about 20 minutes).

Meanwhile preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake rolls for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden. Remove to a cooling rack. Mix together icing sugar and orange juice until smooth and pour thin glaze over hot rolls. Makes 2 dozen.  

A year ago -  Pizza Napoletana

Two year's ago - Roasted Salmon with Tomato Basil Relish

Three year's ago - Clams Casino Casserole with Lemon Pasta

Entertaining? Go With What You Know!

When you're entertaining new friends and getting used to a totally different kitchen set-up, the best thing to do is to go with what you know. That's what we did last night.

Big Guy's spent the past few days unpacking his garage full of boxes and one of the first cartons he opened contained his trusty Weber charcoal grills (yup there's 2) and the accompanying rotisserie. A trip to Fred Meyer for some gorgeous fresh 5 pound chickens along with his special magic of combining fresh lemons and rosemary from our garden and the entree was under control.

Add a casserole of quick, fruit filled "cheater" stuffingwe've talked about before that makes great use of a loaf of frozen garlic bread along with cooked crumbled sausage, lovely crisp tart apples and a handfull of dried cranberries and you've the makin's of a special dinner. I changed the recipe up a bit by adding a little of the traditional sauteed onions and celery to the mix along with a little splash of white wine just because it seemed like a good idea along with some Jimmy Dean Sage sausage and a few extra cranberries. Hit the link above and it'll take you to the recipe. 

Small steamed veggies including little round white potatoes, perfect tiny carrots, a package of pearl onions and a few frozen peas all lined up pretty like in a casserole dish and covered in a smooth rich herb flavored bechamel sauce all helped fill the dinner plates quite nicely. After all, there's nothing quite like a little sauce on a plate is there?  Once again, we've had this little number before(HERE) but this time I used a smidge of dried Herbs de Provence instead of the fresh dill because I was too lazy to go down the hill to the store (silly me). The fresh dill is really the right way to go! 

A crisp green salad loaded with colorful sliced peppers, chopped onion and tomato wedges completed the menu - well almost.

Rhubarb's in season right now so I couldn't resist whipping up one of our favorite spring time pies - a combination of fresh strawberries and rhubarb along with a 12 ounce package of frozen raspberries makes for an amazing ruby colored taste of heavenly glory.  Next year I'll be making one (or several) from the strawberries and raspberries we've growing on our three quarters of an acre of heavenly coastal bliss; however, the rhubarb better grow in a hurry because try as I might, I couldn't find a plant anywhere on our property. That's gonna' change, for sure!

 

Rhuberry Pie

Pastry for 1 double crust pie

1 - 12 ounce pkg. frozen raspberries

1 cup strawberries, quartered

1-1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 Tablespoons quick cooking tapioca

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

Few grains of salt

Combine above ingredients well and let sit for a minimum of  10 minutes to allow tapioca to soften.

Add & stir gently to combine

2 cups sliced rhubarb

1 teaspoon vanilla

---

1 Tablespoon butter

Line 10 inch pie plate with pastry. Fill with rhuberry filling, dot with butter. Cover with top pastry and decorate as desired. Place in a preheated 450 oven for 8 to 10 minutes, lower heat to 350 and bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until filling runs clear and is bubbling over top crust.

Cool for minimum 4 hours before slicing. Serve at room temperature.

Note – be sure to place a jelly roll pan under pie plate to catch any drips. 

A year ago - Crispy Cod

Two year's ago - Pork 'n Apple Sausage Rolls

Three year's ago - Buffalo Salmon

 

Grilled Lemon Chicken Pasta

Last night's dinner was inspired by two recipes, one for lemon chicken from Taste of the Territory a Service League cookbook from Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and the second for lemon pasta from The Best of the Best, Best of Bridge Series Cookbooks. Hey, with two great sources like that failure's not likely to be an option.

Our Meyer's lemons (at least that's what they started out to be but they've morphed into a cross between Meyer's and Eureka's) are coming on strong right now and a ton of them are ready for picking which means any recipe with lemon in it is fair game. I made good use of 4 of them in this tasty lemon loaded dish.

The chicken's marinated in a mixture of vinegar, Dijon, black pepper, sliced whole lemons and olive oil for a minimum 6 hours before it hits the grill, resulting in tender moist morsels of lemon flavored bird. I had half a mind to grill the lemon slices too, but was afraid to because of the fear of contamination so I discarded the zip bag of marinade instead. 

As for the pasta, you could use almost anything; in fact, the recipe calls for fettucine, but I used Barilla's Campanelle because of their unique trumpet like shape (Big Guy picked 'em out). Anyway, the boiled pasta's combined with sauteed onion and garlic, then tossed in the zest and juice of a whole lemon, followed by half and half and grated Parmesan. The key to this one is to make sure the pasta's absorbed the lemon juice before the cream hits the pot otherwise you'll end up with a curdled mess. As you'll notice I didn't do that, so in order to disguise the curdled look I threw in a handful of fresh mozzarella. Oh I forgot to mention I added a little dried tarragon along with some fresh from our herb garden too, but it's been planted quite recently and I didn't want to steal too much of it. 

Once I got over lamenting the fact that I'd curdled the darned sauce, I realized we really liked this dish. Of course by then Big Guy was giving me the "look" because he was well into his bowl of lemony goodness and steering towards his salad - all without uttering one word. I guess sometimes it's a good sign when the dinner conversation's a trifle limited, huh?

Incidentally, if snow, rain, wind and/or some other excuse like maybe flying insects or a shortage of propane are keeping you from your grill, you can certainly cook the chicken in a saute pan or shove it under the broiler. Just sayin'. 

Grilled Lemon Chicken Pasta (from JBug’s Kitchen, inspired by Taste of the Territory, Flair and Flavor of Oklahoma and Best of the Best, Best of Bridge Series Cookbooks)

Chicken:

1.25 pounds chicken tenders

2 tablespoons white or tarragon vinegar

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

2 whole lemons, sliced (seeds removed)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Combine ingredients in a zip bag, seal and massage to distribute ingredients evenly in chicken. Place into a container to catch drips, if any, and refrigerate for 6 hours (or longer if you can). To cook, remove chicken from zip bag and discard marinade. Heat grill to medium hot, and cook chicken approximately 7 to 9 minutes, turning often. Remove from grill when cooked through and allow to rest to distribute juices. Slice each tender into thirds. Set aside (keep warm or reheat in microwave when needed).

Pasta:

8 ounces pasta of your choice

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

1 lemon, juice and grated rind

1 cup half and half or heavy cream

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup fresh mozzarella (optional)

1 lemon, cut into wedges (seeds removed)

Fresh tarragon for garnish

Cook pasta per package directions. Drain well. Meanwhile in a large sauté pan heat butter and olive oil until butter has melted. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until onion is softened. Stir in tarragon and season with salt and pepper. Add cooked pasta and lemon zest and juice. Toss pasta until lemon juice is absorbed, then add cream. Toss pasta to coat well and allow to absorb cream. Add pine nuts, parmesan cheese and mozzarella if using. Toss in warmed chicken pieces. Garnish with additional grated parmesan, lemon wedges and fresh tarragon. Serves 4.  

A year ago - Turkey and Stuffing Hand Pies

Two year's ago - Pumpkin Charlotte with Bourbon

Pork, Chorizo and Green Chile Cheeseburgers

We haven't been home for a Pink Mountain Friday night * (see note)  for a number of weeks and quite honestly I've been feeling guilty about it. I mean I'd hate to get to the point that I take a Friday night date night for granted so instead we teamed up and cooked dinner at home last night.

I mixed up ground pork and Mexican style pork chorizo with chopped roasted Hatch green chiles from our freezer, garlic, a few panko crumbs and salsa verde and formed the mixture into patties. Refrigerated for half a hour or so, they held their shape beautifully on the grill as Big Guy did the cookin.

Topped with slices of gooey Velveeta and some Pepper Jack Cheese, a little mayo and a bunch of other green stuff like more roasted chiles, dabs of guacamole, shredded lettuce and pickled jalapeno's all piled up onto a grilled bun, we were definitely on the right road to flavor town. 

* Note - for those of you who are puzzled by the terminology, Pink Mountain Friday's are our Tucson tradition to be defined as "when the mountains are pink, it's time to drink".)

Pork, Chorizo and Green Chile Burgers (an original from JBug’s )

1 pound ground pork

1/2 pound Mexican style pork chorizo

4 ounces roasted green chiles, peeled, seeded and chopped (canned is fine)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/3 cup panko crumbs

1/3 cup salsa verde

Course ground black pepper

Salt as needed

4 hamburger buns, buttered and grilled

4 whole peeled and seeded green chiles

4 slices Velveeta

4 slices Pepper jack cheese

Guacamole, mayonnaise, pickled jalapenos, shredded lettuce

Combine pork, chorizo, green chiles, garlic, panko and salsa verde. Season well with pepper but go lightly on the salt because the chorizo is usually quite salty. Form into patties and refrigerate for a minimum half hour. Grill on a hot oiled grill until patties reach an internal temperature of 145. Add cheese slices and cover during last few minutes of cooking to melt the cheese. Serve on grilled buns topped with mayo, guacamole, jalapenos and shredded lettuce.

Makes 4 servings. 

A year ago - Roast Chicken with Apples and Rosemary

Two year's ago - Nasi Goreng

Grilled Shrimp and Sausage with Red Rice

JBug's kitchen antics have included a lot of combinations of shrimp and sausage. We've had sausage and grits, shrimp and grits, gumbo with both shrimp and sausage, as well as red beans and rice but we'd yet to try red rice with either shrimp or sausage until last night. 

     

Another recipe from Williams Sonoma, this dish may look like it goes together in a flash but unfortunately there's a fair bit of prep to it, most of which can or must be done in advance so don't be thinking it is something you can throw together on a whim. I guess the important issue is whether or not the effort is worth it though, huh. 

1. First gorgeous red peppers are roasted, relieved of their seeds, skinned, chopped and sauteed after green onions as well as garlic and shallots in my case and nice smokey hot chipotle chile powder. The whole shebang is then pureed into a nice rich flavorful sauce. By the way, that would be the red.
2. Then the marinade for the shrimp is concocted. Apricot preserves, oil, lemon juice and Dijon mustard are combined and boiled then cooled and coat some huge wild shrimp after their shelled and deveined. The shrimp hit the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours so they can soak up all the yummy flavors before being skewered and grilled. 
3. The next step is all about steaming the rice. 
4. As the rice is cooking, sweet Italian sausage get a little start in some white wine in a covered saute pan before they're finished on the grill. 
5. The rice is combined with the warmed red pepper sauce and joined by the sliced sausage and grilled shrimp with a garnish of chopped fresh basil and parsley; in fact, the recipe called for mixing the whole thing together kinda' like a deconstructed jambalaya...well sort of.

Is it worth the time and effort?

Oh, the rice is darn tasty - enough so that I'd likely make it again as a side dish for almost any meat, fish or poultry. Of course the sweet Italian sausage are only as good as the butcher who made 'em and in our case Sprouts does a bang up job...but the shrimp - ah the shrimp are amazing. Sweet from the apricot preserves and subtly flavored of Dijon mustard with a caramelized finish, they are absolutely without question the true hit of the dish.  

As for the number of pots, dishes and utensils needed to put this dinner together ....uh not so great. The kitchen looked like a bomb hit it and the cook was done for. The good news is the lovely man on KP duty did not utter one word of complaint during the clean up process. That's a true indication he enjoyed dinner enormously; therefore, the whole song and dance must be worth it. Right?   

Grilled Shrimp and Sausage with Red Rice (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Williams- Sonoma.com)

Pepper Sauce:

2 large red sweet bell peppers

2 tablespoons butter

4 green onions, white part only, chopped

2 small shallots, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 teaspoons Chipotle chile powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup low sodium chicken stock

Roast red peppers slowly until charred on all sides (I do it directly over a gas flame). Place into a tightly covered container and allow to steam for 15 minutes, then remove skin and seeds and coarsely chop flesh. Set aside. In a small pot, melt butter over medium low heat and add green onions, shallots, and garlic. Sauté until vegetables have softened. Add chopped roasted red peppers, chile powder, salt and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, cover and cook until peppers are softened. Puree with an immersion blender or transfer into a food processor and pulse until mixture is relatively smooth. Set aside.

Marinade:

1/2 cup apricot preserves

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Combine mixture and place over medium high heat. Bring to a boil while whisking ingredients together. Remove from heat. Cool and set aside.

Shrimp:

1 pound large shrimp

Peel and devein shrimp. In a zip top bag, combine shrimp and cooled marinade. Seal and refrigerate for a minimum 3 hours. Twenty minutes prior to grilling, remove shrimp from bag and place onto skewers. Grill over medium hot fire, turning once, until cooked through – approximately 3 or 4 minutes.

Rice:

1-1/3 cups long grain white rice

2-2/3 cups water

Combine rice and water in a medium sized pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit covered for 5 minutes.

Sausage:

3 sweet Italian sausage links (1 pound)

1/2 cup white wine

In a sauté pan just large enough to hold the sausage, bring wine to a boil over medium high heat. Prick sausage in several places with a fork then add to pan. Cover and cook for 4 minutes, turning once.

To finish – grill sausage over medium hot coals for 5 minutes or until cooked through. Combine rice with warmed red pepper sauce. Slice sausage and serve with rice and grilled shrimp. Garnish with fresh parsley and chopped basil. Makes 4 servings. 

 A year ago - Pumpkin Cake with Rum Cream Cheese Frosting

Two year's ago - Brats with Onions, Apples & Sauerkraut

 

 

Hard Cider Brined Pork Chops with Sauteed Apples

We're on a cider kick at our house these days, rather appropriately just in time for apple harvest. Quite honestly, I'm a bit of a newby to the stuff, never having tried it much except for having the odd "snakebite" or two during my travels. For those of you who don't know, a Snakebite is a mixture of beer and hard cider. 

Anyway, much like beer, there are some subtle and not so subtle differences in flavor depending on the brand and naturally also depending on the type of apples used. For example, the Angry Orchard Crisp Apple brand you see on your left is very light in color and flavor, slightly sweet with a dry finish. Strongbow in the middle is imported from the U.K. and has a darker color, almost comparable to a good bourbon. It's rich in flavor, very mellow and goes down real easy. Woodchuck Amber is just that - dark amber in color, slightly sweet but kinda' tart too and definitely says "howdy" when it goes by the tastebuds.  I'd be hard pressed (if you'll pardon the pun) to choose a favorite among them. 

I used Angry Orchard last night to make the brine for this pork chop recipe courtesy of myrecipes.com. Simply hard cider mixed with kosher salt and dried herbs, to be honest I was incredibly disappointed in the outcome. I have a suspicion the whole thing would have worked much better had I heated the cider to dissolve the salt, although the recipe didn't call for that particular step.  

The grilled chops were incredibly tough which means either they didn't soak in enough of the brine during the 2.5 hours I had them marinating, or the pork wasn't the best, or the griller (me) messed up ...yup, believe it not I think I overcooked these puppies although they were only on the grill for 10 short minutes, total. 

Anyway, along with sauteed apples rather than the grilled ones the recipe called for, the keeper was the glaze made from apple jelly, butter and Apple Jack brandy. Hit the link above for the recipe if you're so inclined. As for us, I'll not be making this one again. Just sayin'. 

A year ago - Apple Jack Glazed Ribs with Corn and Green Chile Gratin

Two year's ago - Green Chicken Curry

 

 

Home Made Pizza

Before you read today's post, I need to tell you this is not an advertisement. The people that make the product I'm about to show you don't know from nuthin' about JBug let alone her kitchen, or Big Guy's back yard BBQ heaven and I am not being compensated in any way by them for the secret I'm about to share with you. There! Now that's out of the way, behold the fabulous...the ingenious...the incredible 

 

Take one Weber charcoal 22.5 inch kettle grill and marry it to one KettlePizza oven attachment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fire it up with a chimney full of charcoal along with some wood (alder in our case), arranged in a "C" formation at the back of the kettle grill base and topped with the second grill, a pizza stone and the KettlePizza oven attachment along with the Weber's lid and let 'er soar!  

 

 

 

 

 Add a hand crafted pizza of your choosing- in our case leftover duck with a marsala garlic/sour cherry sauce, onion jam and brie along with a sauce base of brie rind and reduced heavy cream all cozy on the pizza pan that came with the KettlePizza oven.  

Let it bake for approximately 9 minutes in an oven that's so hot it's off the charts.

 

 

 

Slide the pizza out of the pan and directly onto the pizza stone to crisp the crust - only takes about 30 to 40 seconds....

Remove the glorious crisp wood fired yummy result of your efforts

 

 

 

 

 

Stand back for a moment and admire your handiwork...wiping the drool from your chin... then...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pour the wine and tuck in but for heaven's sake, don't burn your mouth!

Are you jealous yet? Sorry....ya' I know I said I was but I'm not really. GO FORTH AND GET YOU ONE OF THESE AND BRAG TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW.  It's the bomb!

A year ago - General Tao Chicken Wings

Two year's ago -  Seafood Chowder with Dill

 

Tuna Puttanesca

Unless you're new to this site, you know we brought back some Albacore Tuna with us from Oregon in July because we've talked about it before. Right off the boat, fresh tuna loins freeze beautifully and posses a totally different texture and flavor than the stuff you find in a can. 

This time I placed the defrosted loin into a little sundried tomato and basil vinaigrette courtesy of our friends at Kraft and it marinated for a few hours before it hit the grill. Ten minutes total and the loin was perfectly cooked - slightly rare on the inside and a little crusty outside. (A hint from the wise - do not overcook the tuna or it will be sawdust dry, and there's nothing you can do about it. No amount of sauce or lemon juice can rescue this fish if you've left it on the fire for too long.)

Served with a puttanesca sauce made from kalamata olives, capers, garlic, red pepper flakes, a couple of anchovies and some drained canned tomatoes, all on a bed of garlicky sauteed spinach, it was really a light and perfect summer Sunday meal. 

Incidentally, my inspiration came from Cooking Light via myrecipes.com; however, as you'll see when you hit the link, I made a few changes as usual. It was our token "moderation" dish this week and honestly it was great on the spinach but man oh man would it be fabulous served on a bed of linguini or fettucine if you're so inclined. Oh and in case you're looking for a few more ideas on how to serve up that gorgeous fresh sea chicken, check these out while you're at it. 

            Albacore Tuna Tacos                Orange Sesame with Hoisin Sauce      

   

Tuna Puttanesca (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Cooking Light via myrecipes.com)

1 albacore tuna loin, approximately 1-1/2 pounds

1/2 cup sundried tomato and basil vinaigrette (I used Kraft)

1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved

1 tablespoon capers

3 cloves garlic, minced

Juice of half a lemon

3 anchovy filets, chopped

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 – 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained

Salt & course ground black pepper

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Place tuna and vinaigrette in a zip top bag and marinated for 2 hours. Remove from bag and discard marinade. To cook, place tuna on barbecue and grill for approximately 10 minutes total or until crisp on the outside and rare to medium rare inside. Let rest briefly before slicing.

Meanwhile combine olives, capers, garlic, lemon, anchovy, red pepper flakes and diced tomatoes in a shallow sauté pan and heat for 5 to 7 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed. Toss in parsley just before plating. Serve tuna slices topped with sauce. Serve on pasta or a bed of sautéed spinach (or both). Makes 4 servings.

A year ago - Blue Cheese Grits with Veggies & Chicken Sausage

Two year's ago - Pasta with Lamb Ragout

Pineapple Slaw with Dry Rub Ribs

I have a feeling your mouth will water when you see the incredible job Big Guy did on the pork side ribs last night, but I can only tell you about the pineapple slaw because I don't know nuthin' 'bout nuthin' bout cooking ribs on the barbecue. Sorry!

I do know after he took the membrane off the back of the rack, he rubbed it with a mixture of salt, pepper, brown sugar and our new favorite spice, dry chipotle chile powder. After they ruminated for a while in the refrigerator getting all happy, he cooked 'dem ribs over a charcoal fire for about 1 hour on indirect heat, brushing them throughout with a mop mix of water, vinegar and honey. Sorry, I'm no help at all but I'm thinking we may have to start giving grilling lesson via youtube one of these days because you won't believe how moist, juicy and tender those ribs were. 

As for the Pineapple Slaw, this one is purely from memory as my Mother would make it on special occasions. Since this is our anniversary week, I figure the occasion's special enough. I cheated though and used a package of slaw mix then added finely chopped red onion, pineapple tidbits and raisins to the mix along with a sweetened mayo/sour cream mixture.  Crunchy, sweet, tart, chewy and creamy all in one bite, it went beautifully with Big Guy's stellar pork ribs. Aren't we just the luckiest?

Now I gotta' run because at this early hour, the skies are about to fall. There's a huge storm brewing so I gotta' go help batten down the hatches. Here's to rainy days and Sundays. 

Pineapple Coleslaw (an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

1 – 16 ounce package coleslaw mix

1/3 cup finely chopped red onion

1 – 28 ounce can pineapple tidbits, drained

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup walnuts toasted (optional)

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise (lite is OK)

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

In a large bowl, toss together coleslaw mix, onion, pineapple, raisins and walnuts if using. In a smaller bowl whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise and granulated sugar. When sugar has dissolved pour mixture over slaw. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

A year ago - Chicken and Andouille Gumbo

Two year's ago -  Pineapple Bran Muffins

BBQ Chipotle Chicken and BBQ Lemon Rosemary Chicken

Barbecue Chipotle Chicken and Barbecue Lemon Rosemary Chicken - cooked on the rotisserie with your own two hands. How's that for a story for the day...and don't let me hear you say you can't do it!

You see, Big Guy put some birds on the barbecue on Sunday and agreed to part with his secrets. It's only taken years and years of nagging on my part but here you go and believe me, you're in for a treat. 

As you likely know, that man of mine can cook up a storm and barbecuing and/or grilling's his forte; in fact, he's known in some parts as the "Perfessor of BBQ". There's not much he can't do with charcoal, assorted wood chips and the 3 different pieces of equipment he has in his outdoor kitchen - 5 if you count the little red gas grill and his massive propane powered flat top. Anyway, this weekend's efforts resulted in absolutely amazing rotisseried birds loaded with flavor and drippin' with juice.

The chipotle flavored bird was stuffed with onion and celery, then rubbed outside and under the skin with a paste made from unsalted softened butter, dried chipotle chile powder, cayenne, chopped cilantro and prickly pear jelly. Now, I know it's unlikely you'll run across much in the way of prickly pear jelly unless you're somewhere close to a desert but bear with me. I'm about to brag again because BIg Guy made jars of it with his own hands a while ago, but you can always substitute apple or red currant jelly instead. 

As for the Lemon Rosemary, it's made up of unsalted softened butter, lemon zest, garlic, and minced fresh rosemary and stuffed with fresh lemons and rosemary. Both birds were tied onto the same rotisserie and hit the Weber for a little over an hour when they came off looking like this.

Incredibly tender, extremely moist and absolutely full of flavor.  The Chipotle version is loaded with Southwestern flavor with a relatively assertive chipotle oomph while the Lemon Rosemary has a fairly pronounced lemon flavor with the slight tang of garlic and rosemary. Both are absolutely incredible and made for a fabulous Sunday night dinner, with tons of leftovers earmarked for other super summer supper solutions.  Keep coming by JBug's Kitchen Antics and you'll see what I mean. 

Incidentally, in case you're wondering where one finds such a thing as a Weber rotisserie - check out this link to Amazon and it'll give you the goods. If you own a 22-1/2 inch Weber kettle, you've just got to purchase this attachment. Honestly, it's more than paid for itself by producing fabulous rotisserie chicken, never mind the duck and turkey Big Guy's cooked on it. Why, you can even cook roast beef or pork on it too. It's the bomb! Of course, you'll have to master the cooking times/methods like Big Guy has, but believe me, a chimney of charcoal, a lovely chicken or two and Big Guy's recipes are all you need to produce stellar results. You can quote me on that.

 Big Guy’s Flavored Butters for Rotisserie BBQ Chicken (from JBug’s Kitchen, a Big Guy original)

Chipotle BBQ Chicken:

 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

2 teaspoons dried Chipotle Chile powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 teaspoons prickly pear jelly (or apple jelly or red current)

1 – 2-1/2 to 3 pound chicken

1 small onion, peeled cut into wedges

1 rib celery, cut into large pieces

Combine butter,Chipotle chile powder, cayenne, cilantro and prickly pear jelly together in a small container and mix until smooth.

Wash and dry chicken inside and out. Stuff inside with onion and celery. Rub bird with butter mixture, including getting as much as possible under the skin onto the breasts and up onto the thighs. Be careful not to tear the skin.  Place chicken onto rotisserie and roast over medium coals for 60 to 70 minutes or until juices run clear and internal temperature reaches 165. Remove from barbecue and let bird rest for 10 minutes before carving.  

Lemon Rosemary Chicken:

1/2 cup butter at room temperature

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced

1 large clove garlic, finely minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon rind

1 – 2-1/2 to 3 pound chicken

1 lemon cut into wedges

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Combine butter, rosemary, garlic, salt and lemon rind and mix until smooth. Wash and dry chicken inside and out. Stuff inside with lemon and rosemary. Rub bird with butter mixture, including getting as much as possible under the skin onto the breasts and up onto the thighs. Be careful not to tear the skin.  Place chicken onto rotisserie and roast over medium coals for 60 to 70 minutes or until juices run clear and internal temperature reaches 165. Remove from barbecue and let bird rest for 10 minutes before carving.  

A year ago - Southwestern Corn and Sausage Soup

Two year's ago - Roast Beef Panini

Steak with Lime Mojo

Some people think beef tenderloin should be reserved for prissy date night celebration dinners only. I mean don't we usually wrap the thing in bacon, or top it off with hollandaise with crab or bernaise sauce and call it special?

Well, I'm about to blow that theory all to heck - not that hot August Friday nights aren't enough reason to celebrate that is. You see Sprouts, our favorite market where we buy darn near 99 percent of our meat, had a sale on filet steaks last week and while this recipe from Fine Cooking specifically called for "cube steak", it was more per pound by a longshot than the filet so I thought why not? I mean wouldn't you rather have a filet than a beat up hunk of round any old day? Yeah, that's what I thought too!

I tied our filets up into nice tight little rounds, gave them a pat dry and a dusting of coarse ground black pepper and then went ahead with making the mojo. Mojo is a garlicky citrus sauce popular in Latin American cooking that's used to add flavor with a capital "F" to darn near anything. In this instance, orange juice, lime, lots of garlic, fresh oregano and cumin all go into this scrumptious marinade.

The point is however, not to marinate the meat for longer than 10 minutes or it'll turn to mush and heaven knows filet can be mushy enough without benefit of too much citrus. 

Cooked on a hot gas grill to the perfect medium rare for me, and blue rare for you know who, the filets are topped with sauteed onions and sweet red pepper that benefit from a splash of reserved marinade. Served with a side of black beans mixed with a little corn, some jalapeno, red onion, a little of the marinade and a nice fresh tomato, our weekend started off with a definite Latin flair.  

Give this one a try when you've a chance because I doubt you'll be diasappointed. The fresh flavor's quite spectacular and I for one will be trying the mojo out again using other proteins, like maybe chicken, pork or lamb. Can't wait! 

Steak with Lime Mojo (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Fine Cooking)

Marinade:

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon fresh oregano

6 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

2 beef tenderloin filets, about 6 ounces each

1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 onion sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

In blender or small processor, combine garlic, salt, cumin, oregano, lime juice, orange juice and sugar. Process until smooth. Reserve a quarter cup of the marinade and place rest into a flat dish the right size to hold the marinade and steaks.

Tie steaks tightly using kitchen string into nice little rounds. Pat meat dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. Place meat into marinade and allow to sit at room temperature for no more than 10 minutes.

Remove steaks from marinade and grill until done to your tastes. Remove from grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Meanwhile sauté onion and red pepper until vegetables are softened.  To serve, remove string from steaks and top with sautéed vegetables. Drizzle with reserved marinade. Makes 2 servings.

A year ago - Brats with Braised Cabbage

Two year's ago - Sticky Ribs with Apricot BBQ Sauce

Three year's ago - Nicoise Salad well kinda'

Orange Sesame Albacore Tuna with Hoisin on Curried Rice Salad

Peanut butter and jelly; thunder and lightening; horse and carriage. What do these things have in common? Are you stumped?  They go with each other beautifully - I mean who has a peanut butter sandwich without the jelly?

That's what we thought about our dinner last night. Everything went together beautifully - from the fish to the curried rice salad right on down to the shredded spinach and grilled peach. It was a perfect marriage of flavor, texture, color and taste. Modest aren't we?

 

The recipe for the tuna came from the Oregon Albacore Commission which is rather fitting since the tuna came fresh off a boat at dock in Newport, Oregon. We brought the fish home to Tucson in a cooler loaded with other precious Oregon products all on dry ice. If I'd known how darn tasty it was going to be, we'd have come home with another one too - ya, think I can talk Big Guy into going back for one? It's only 1435.7 miles - 23 hours and 51 minutes. Heck, we could go there and back in a weekend but who on earth would want to leave that quickly. It is beautiful there!

The loin is marinated in a mixture of orange juice, sesame oil, mustard, fresh tarragon and sesame seeds for a few hours then grilled for about 9 minutes total. Brushed with hoisin during the last few minutes of cooking, it almost glows when it comes off the grill. 

Allowed it to rest for a few minutes, then sliced and perched on top of a curried rice salad that I threw together with ingredients hiding in the pantry and fridge, darned if it wasn't just the most perfect thing you can imagine.

If you're lucky enough to find fresh Albacore tuna, you've absolutely got to give this one a try. Albacore is way more than just a fish you find in a can and totally different in texture and flavor than sushi kind (Ahi). The marinade and hoisin glaze would work well with shrimp or halibut or even cod too. Just don't marinate them for too long otherwise the juice will "cook" the fish and you'll have something resembling ceviche which is really a whole other thing!

Hit the link and head to the Oregon Albacore Commission's site to see the recipe. We discarded the marinade rather than brushing the loin with it as it cooked - I kind of have a thing about doing that, but the flavor is not to be believed. By the way, don't forget the fresh tarragon either. The mildly sweet anise flavor is amazingly present in the tuna and definitely not in a bad way. It's a real keeper!

Curried Rice Salad (an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

2 cups cooked basmati rice, chilled (I used leftovers)

5 assorted mini sweet bell peppers, seeded and chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup toasted almonds

2 tablespoons candied ginger, finely chopped

4 tablespoons olive oil

1-1/2 tablespoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/3 cup prepared mango chutney

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large bowl combine rice, peppers, onion, raisins, nuts and candied ginger. In a small jar with a tight fitting lid, combine olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, chutney, garlic and curry powder. Cover jar and shake well to mix. Pour over rice mixture in a bowl and taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as required. Refrigerate until serving time. 

A year ago - Maple Ginger Pork Medallions and Salad with Creamy Maple Dressing

Two year's ago - Teriyaki Salmon on Spicy Thai Noodle Salad

 

Three year's ago -  Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie

 

 

Grilled Shrimp with Lime and Red Pepper Aioli

Saturday night dinners around here are normally on the easy side. It's the one day of the week that we spend almost totally together beginning with breakfast at our favorite Mexican restaurant, followed by shopping, errands and was the case yesterday, an afternoon marathon in front of the television catching up on recorded episodes of Covert Affairs that we missed while we were on vacation. Hey, it's darn hot outside so that's our excuse for playing it cool in the comfort of the AC.

Saturday also means JBug has help in the kitchen and as a result it took all of 15 minutes total to get dinner on the table. I peeled the shrimp, Big Guy deveined 'em and tossed them in olive oil and lime juice while I put the salad together. He grilled these garlicky, lime beauties on the little red gas barbecue using the grill pans so we didn't need skewers, while I cleaned up the kitchen and before you knew it we were chowing down with limited fuss and almost no cleanup after. 

Other than the shrimp, the extra bonus on the plate was the giant avocado half, filled with some of the red pepper aioli we made the other day. I had every intention of making Anne Burrell's version of mussels but while "residential" mussel season is back on at least in Oregon, the commercial season has yet to begin so I was unable to find the gorgeous sweet meaty little bi-valves thus the shrimp substitution.

Oh well - it just means that as soon as mussel season opens, we'll be enjoying a bowl along with more of this fabulous aioli. The wait will be worth it - most definitely. 

Grilled Shrimp with Lime and Red Pepper Aioli (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Foodnetwork.com)

1 pound extra large shrimp, cleaned and deveined

1 scant teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

Juice of 1 lime or half a lemon (we used lime)

Toss cleaned shrimp with salt, pepper, olive oil and lime juice. Grill on a gas barbecue or roast in a pre-heated 400 oven until just opaque – approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Serve with aioli.

Spicy Red Pepper Aioli

1 large red pepper

2 egg yolks

2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1 tablespoon Sambal Oelek or Thai Chili Garlic Sauce

1/2 teaspoon Sriracha (optional)

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup olive oil

Roast red pepper over a gas flame or under broiler until well blackened. Place in a zip bag or covered container and allow to steam for 10 minutes. Peel and remove seeds. Place pepper into food processor along with egg yolks, garlic, vinegars, sambal oelek and Sriracha. Process until very smooth. With motor running, add vegetable and olive oil very, very slowly, in a drizzle and process until very smooth and creamy. Refrigerate until serving. (Aioli will keep well refrigerated for 2 to 3 days). 

A year ago - Drowned Beef Sandwiches

Two year's ago - Rosti Potatoes

Big Beautiful Burgers Again

School's out on the best way to make burgers. There’s differing opinions as to how to prep the meat, whether it be ground beef, pork, veal, chicken, Italian sausage or any combination thereof.

Some just spice it up with grill seasoning and/or garlic powder, salt and pepper, and form it into patties (that’s how Big Guy does it). Then there’s decisions to be made as to the size and thickness of the patties, whether to stuff the cheese inside or put it on top and what kind of bun to use never mind whether to toast it, steam it or serve it naked out of the wrapper.  Decisions, decisions, decisions.

Personally, I don’t think there’s a wrong or a right way to make ‘em, I just know  I’d rather have a burger than a steak, although I live with a guy that begs to differ. Last night’s burger extravaganza included 80/20 ground beef mixed, combined with Italian bread crumbs, dry onion soup mix, various spices and an egg and water to bind and moisten because when I make ‘em, I like ‘em that way. I formed the patties into a thinner patty each consisting of a half cup of beefy goodness, then Big Guy took over.

He cooked them outside on a flat top grill and the patties ended up crispy, crunchy and yummy on the outside, moist and tender inside. Stacked in pairs on a grilled bun topped with mayo, blue cheese crumbles  and some of the bacon, onion and beer jam Big Guy cooked up a couple of days ago, it was enough to make the golden arches weep with envy.

In case you’re wondering, we’re prepping ourselves for the shock of leaving the lovely Oregon coast to return to the desert. Needless to say the euphoric moods enjoyed the past 3 weeks are a little less euphoric, in fact we’re all kinda’ quiet…down in the dumps if you really want to know the truth. We’ve had a blast visiting old haunts, walking the beaches and generally enjoying a place that’s really become our second home; however, yesterday was a day that needs to go down in history as a first!

You see, the owners of our lovely little Rose Cottage have a garden that just doesn’t quit and shared some fresh and I mean FRESH snow peas with us yesterday. If you’re a regular to this site, you’ll remember that Big Guy doesn’t do peas in any way, shape or form but yesterday he finally saw the light and ate a plateful, simply washed and uncooked. He says a guy'll eat anything if he's starving and I say maybe so, but why'd he look so darn happy while he was doing it if he didn't like it? Just sayin'. 

Beefy Onion Burgers (an original from JBug’s Kitchen)

2 pounds 80/20 ground beef

1 envelope dry onion soup mix (I used Lipton)

1/2 cup dried Italian flavored bread crumbs

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon Montreal grill seasoning

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1 egg

2/3 cup water

Combine ingredients together and form into patties, using a half cup per patty. Refrigerate for a minimum 30 minutes to blend flavors and firm up patties. Cook on a flat top grill until crispy outside and medium inside (about 3 minutes per side). Serve on warmed hamburger buns with toppings of your choice. Makes 10 thin patties.

 

Indian Spiced Chicken Burgers

We're kind of on a burger kick these days, no doubt because the one we had the other night at the Parish was darn near sinful. Anyway, we put some ground chicken on the shopping list yesterday because I was anxious to try a recipe I'd seen recently on myrecipes.com. 

I made a ton of changes because Big Guy and I like flavor with a capital "F", but before I tell you about it, I've got to brag about the screaming deal we got on our chicken. For some reason the already ground version was priced at a whopping $4.29 a pound, but right beside it in the cooler were several large packages of chicken breasts marked at $1.09 a pound so being the frugalists we are, Big Guy was volunteered to be the one to bone 'em and put them through our trusty Kitchen Aid's grinding attachment. The result - super cheap ground chicken as well as two huge paillards that we'll have later in the week, never mind the bones for stock. Bonus eh?

Oh, before I forget, while Big Guy was putting the chicken through the grinder, he also put the onion through as well as a slice of bread for crumbs, then we spiced up the ground meat with cayenne, curry, cumin, garam masala and minced fresh ginger along with salt and pepper and an egg to bind it.

Formed into good sized patties, they took about 15 minutes to cook on our little red grill outside and then the fun really began. Sprinkled with the juice of a lime as soon as they left the grill, we topped them with a greek yogurt/mint "schmear", mango chutney, and a thin slice of sweet onion, all on a bed of crisp fresh spinach, Garnished with cool cucumber slices, it might have been a touch of overkill. Ya think? Not bad for a pair of amateurs huh?

Indian Spiced Chicken Burgers (Inspired by Cooking Light via myrecipes.com)

1 pound ground chicken

2 green onions, minced

1-1/2 teaspoons garam masala

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon curry powder (optional)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs

1/4 cup panko crumbs

1 large egg, beaten

1 tablespoon butter

Combine all ingredients together and form into patties. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum half an hour to blend flavors and bind ingredients. Spray grill with cooking spray and preheat over medium high. Cook patties for approximately 7 minutes on one side. Flip over, top each with a cube of butter, then cook for another 7 minutes or until done.

Juice of 1 lime

1/2 cup plain Greek style yogurt, mixed with 1-1/2 teaspoons chopped mint

Mango Chutney

Sliced sweet onions

Cucumber slices

Fresh spinach leaves

Hamburger buns

Sprinkle cooked chicken patties with lime juice as soon as they come off the grill. Place on a bed of lettuce on a grilled hamburger bun, and top with yogurt mixture, chutney, sweet onion, and cucumber.  Makes 4 servings.

 A year ago - Crazy Shrimp

Two year's ago - Mahi Mahi Tacos

BBQ Beef Chili

My apologies to my regular readers but there's nothing even close to being inspired coming from JBug's Kitchen at the moment. I'm trying to get the freezer contents down to a bare minimum so our house sitter doesn't have to worry about it next month in case the power goes out for any length of time as is normal during monsoon season. At least the freezer losses will be minimal.

One of my foraging finds was a 3 pound chunk of barbecued beef the Big Guy cooked up for our big party in May and since he's nutso about our chili created from leftover beef, he was a happy camper last night when he saw the big pot of red on the stove.

Hit the link and it'll take you to our original post, but in case you'd rather not read about chili created from leftovers that includes lots of onions, garlic, tomatoes, beef consomme and beer, never mind a good amount of barbecue sauce, I've re-posted the recipe below.  Just remember you can make a pot of this anytime you've leftover meat and that doesn't mean it has to be beef either. Try it with chicken, turkey or pork and I guarantee you'll be really happy with the outcome.

Incidentally, I added another can of tomatoes to the pot along with a little more beer because I had a lot more meat in this pot of chili than I usually do, never mind that I only had 1 can of beans in the pantry;  however, there were no complaints coming from the resident carnivore. None, nada, zilch...no siree!

The Ultimate Chili from Leftover Prime Rib from JBug’s Kitchen Antics inspired by Fine Cooking 

4 slices smoky bacon, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large yellow onions, diced

4 large cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons mild chili powder

1 tablespoon hot New Mexico chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground Mexican oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 - 12 ounce can lager beer

1 – 28 ounce can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup prepared barbecue sauce (I used Kraft original)

10 ounces of beef stock or a can of beef consomme'

1 or 2 pounds leftover prime rib roast, cut into half inch dice

2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Garnishes – cubed cheese, chopped sweet onion, pickled jalapeno, lime wedges

Heat a Dutch oven over medium low heat. Add olive oil and bacon, and cook stirring occasionally until bacon has released its fat and pieces are starting to crisp. Add onions and garlic and cook until onions are very soft – about 8 to 10 minutes. Add chili powders, cayenne, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper and cook stirring constantly for another 3 or 4 minutes. Add beef, tomatoes, tomato paste, barbecue sauce and beef stock. Bring to a boil, and then add beef. Lower to simmer and cook uncovered for 30 minutes. Add pinto beans and cook additional 15 minutes, stirring often. Serve with garnishes and a squeeze of lime. Serves 4 to 6.

A year ago - Cornbread with Pancetta and Beef and Chorizo Chili 

Two year's ago - Tres Leches

Grilled Spicy Citrus Chicken With Corn and Green Onions

We made this for the first time way back in 2009 on one of our beach vacations (see here) and I'm not quite sure why we haven't had it since except there's just so many things to cook, and so little time. 

If time is an issue for you, then chicken on the grill is a great solution. The only thing with this one is you need to be a little on the ball because it has to marinate a minimum of 4 hours ...but the longer the better. Best of all, the corn hangs out in the same marinade but a different zip bag, so not only is your main course taken care of, but so's the side dish. 

Serve it with a tossed salad or simple sliced tomatoes fresh from your garden and I'm pretty sure you won't hear anyone complaining. Actually it's so orangie, limey and garlicky delicious, I doubt you'll hear much of anything until the plate's empty.   Oh and a word from the unwise - for heaven's sake, double the marinade and throw in a bunch of extra corn because it's so special, you'll want more...and more...and more. 

Be sure to have your water bottle standing ready by the grill to take care of any flare-ups. Sure wish I'd listen to my own advice. I darn near lost all the hair on my chin again. Guess I'd better leave the grillin' to the Big Guy from now on!

Grilled Spicy Chicken with Corn and Green Onions (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Epicurious.com)

Marinade:

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

8 large chicken thighs, with skin and bones

8 green onions

4 ears of corn, husked

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place lime juice, orange juice, olive oil, and hot pepper sauce into a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake to combine well.

Wash and dry chicken thighs well, and clean excess fat from them. Place chicken thighs into a large zip bag. Place corn and green onions into another large zip bag. Divide sliced garlic, cilantro and crushed red pepper between the two bags and divide prepared marinade between the two as well. Season contents of bags well with salt and pepper, close zippers and place into a large bowl or plastic container to catch any leaks. Refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours, turning bags occasionally.

To cook – heat grill to medium hot. Remove chicken and vegetables from marinade and discard marinade. Grill chicken over direct heat until nicely browned – about 15 minutes, turning often, then move to indirect heat and finish cooking (approximately another 15 minutes or until juices run clear). Place corn and onions over direct heat (medium low) and cook covered for 6 to 10 minutes. Move corn and onions around often to prevent burning. Serve with slices of oranges and limes as garnish.  Makes 4 servings.

A year ago - Bacon and Blue Potato Salad

 

Pasta Salad with Grilled Sausage and Peppers

I'll admit saying a pasta salad is light is a bit of an oxymoron but this one truly is lighter than most. The idea came from our friends at Family Circle, a trustworthy source that's been in publication since way back in 1932. Imagine the changes they've seen in North American kitchens during that period of time?

Hit the link to see the official version of the recipe although as you'll see, I changed it somewhat to account for our love of stronger flavored food. Hey, isn't that what creative cooking's all about?

Made from grilled vegetables including red and green bell peppers and sweet onion, I added some mini yellow and orange sweet bell peppers too for more color - not that it needs it, just that I had 'em. I also switched out their recommended mild pork sausage links to include hot Italian sausage links that have an unbelievable flavor when cooked on a grill. Incidentally, I used the indirect method for that otherwise we'd have needed a fire extinguisher (not saying we almost didn't, so be careful, OK?)

I mixed in some sun dried tomatoes for their slightly sweet flavor, freshly grated parmesan cheese for more of an Italian twist and red pepper flakes for a touch of heat, and added the fresh basil directly to the salad instead of putting it in the dressing. Oh, I cut back on the amount of pasta too (radiatorre instead of fiori) so the salad had just a few less carbs than it would have otherwise.

The pasta's tossed with a light slightly sweet vinaigrette - unusual because of it's 1 to 1 oil to vinegar ratio which is likely the reason it has the illusion of being lighter; however, as you'll see, we topped our servings with a dollop of the herb aioli we had the other day. It was a perfect addition but not totally necessary.

While this salad is fine served cold, in my opinion it's best warm so don't sweat it if you haven't made it too far in advance, although you could cook the pasta in advance, mix it with the dressing and hold it in the fridge to add the other stuff hot off the grill. It's a lovely summer dinner along with a glass of wine, and it will be a super addition to the menu for your next buffet too. 

Pasta Salad with Grilled Sausage and Peppers (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Family Circle)

Dressing:

1/3 cup white wine vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

Combine ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake to mix well. Set aside.

Salad:

10 ounces pasta (I used radiator)

1 sweet onion, cut into half inch slices

2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut in quarters

1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut in quarters

4 mini sweet bell peppers, left intact

2 large links Hot Italian sausage

1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Cook pasta per package directions and drain well. While pasta is hot, mix with half the dressing and set aside. Grill onions and peppers on hot grill until charred on all sides – about 8 to 10 minutes. Coarsely chop into large pieces and add to pasta. Turn off heat on one side of the grill and reduce heat on the other side to medium. Place sausages on the side of the grill that has been turned off, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until done, turning several times to prevent from burning. Cool sausage for 5 minutes, then slice into “coins” and add to pasta along with sun dried tomatoes and fresh basil. Toss in remaining vinaigrette. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Garnish with parmesan cheese. Makes 4 to 6 servings. 

A year ago - Strawberry Daiquiri Frozen Yogurt

Two year's ago - Stromboli Mexicana

 

 

Flatbread with Lamb Sausage, Goat's Cheese and Basil Mint Aioli

There's nothing quite like making reservations instead of dinner every once in a while because it normally inspires me to try something I've never had before. After a recent evening at our new favorite restaurant, I figured I just HAD to come home and try out a new idea for flatbread. 

After checking out several sources, I used a recipe I found on myrecipes.com for the dough (hit the link and it'll take you right to it) but I even changed that up a tad. I mean I don't know about you, but I don't necessarily need to knead my dough by hand so I used my trusty Kitchenaid to do the job for me.  It was a breeze and ready in no time flat in no small part because our kitchen temperature is exactly what's called for when proofing dough (about 85 degrees). I know - just imagine what it would be if we didn't have the AC set for 74.

Anyway, only slightly different from my usual pizza dough, the flatbread doesn't have any oil in it which could account for it's extremely crisp and light texture. Rolled out on a floured board, it hit our medium hot outside gas grill and took mere minutes to cook on one side before being flipped over and ready to take on the toppings. 

Said toppings included purchased olive tapenade against the crisp crust, followed by sauteed ground lamb sausage made from very lean meat mixed with chopped mint, basil, cilantro, red onion, garlic and spices (recipe inspired by Rachael Ray's pita pockets, minus the yogurt and sour cream). On top of that went crumbled goat cheese, a little feta and some chopped roasted red peppers then it went back on the grill for a few minutes to brown the crust and melt the cheese, before the grand finale - a basil mint Aioli adapted from Foodnetwork.com.

The result - super crisp crust topped with the fresh Mediterranean flavors but I've got to admit it might need a little more work. Hit the links above to see my sources, but you'll have to hang in there for my complete version. I'm just going to have to perfect it before I pass the whole recipe along with the exception of the Aioli. It's the bomb! 

Incidentally, sorry I'm a little late today everyone - blame it on technical difficulties. The fact that the computer was at home and I wasn't made it technically impossible to write until now. LOL

Basil Mint Aioli (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Foodnetwork.com)

The addition of breadcrumbs to this aioli makes it pretty well fool proof, but you'd never even know they're in it. Honest!

3 tablespoons slightly stale breadcrumbs from 1 slice white bread, crusts removed

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

3 large cloves garlic

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 egg yolks

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Dash fresh ground black pepper

Dash hot sauce

Small handful each fresh basil and mint

In a food processor, combine breadcrumbs, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, salt and egg yolks. Pulse until mixture is a fine paste. With motor running, add olive oil VERY slowly in a thin stream and mix to form an emulsion. Stop motor and add pepper, hot sauce and fresh herbs. Pulse until mixture is smooth and herbs have been chopped. Refrigerate until needed.

A year ago - Curried Lamb Samosa Pie 

Two year's ago - Tortellini with Roasted Cauliflower and Tomatoes

 

Grilled Ham Steak with Peaches and Marmalade Mustard Glaze

I don't know about you, but when we're cooking on the grill we usually think about having the "big four" - steak, burgers, chicken or ribs but there's a whole other forgotten part of the pig out there that's just waiting to knock your socks off. 

Ham steak is a lot more than just a great breakfast meat and this one was ready in about the same amount of time that it took to newk the potatoes. Rinsed and dried when it came out of the package, I brushed the steak with a mixture of marmalade, Dijon mustard, vegetable oil and a touch of fresh lemon juice, dusted it in coarse ground black pepper and Big Guy slapped it on a medium hot grill. Joined by some fresh peaches cut in half, pitted and brushed with the same glaze, it took less than 8 minutes until we were chowing down. That's got to be a record, even for us!

The flavor of the sweetly charred peaches marry beautifully with the salty ham and really the whole dinner received rave reviews from both of us. It's one of the rare times I had nothing negative to say about our dinner - yup I know I'm really picky and often critical of my own cooking. Not this time! 

If you're looking for a quick weeknight dinner solution, grill yourself up a ham steak and take a bow. It's a knock out fast and incredibly tasty dinner.  By the way, remember to spray the grill with some cooking spray before you fire it up. It'll make clean up a lot easier!

Grilled Ham Steak with Peaches and Marmalade Dijon Glaze (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Bon Appetit)

1 ham steak, approximately 1 pound

3 medium peaches

1/4 cup orange marmalade (I used kumquat)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1-1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Coarse ground black pepper

Spray grill with cooking spray and preheat on medium high. Rinse ham steak and dry well using paper towels. Cut peaches in half and remove pit (I left peel intact).

In a small bowl, mix together orange marmalade, vegetable oil, Dijon and lemon juice. Brush glaze over peaches and one side of ham steak. Sprinkle ham steak with coarse ground black pepper. Place peaches and ham steak glazed side down onto prepared grill and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until slightly charred. Brush all with remaining glaze and flip over. Cook additional 3 to 4 minutes until peaches are softened and ham is hot. Makes 4 servings. 

A year ago - Chicken Fried Steak

Two year's ago - Cornish Hens with Orange Pistachio Wild Rice Salad

Grilled Salmon with Potlatch Seasoning and Potato Latkes

Isn't it funny how we all crave different things during different times of the year. Comfort food takes on a whole new meaning when you live in Arizona or other parts of the south where temperatures soar. We stretched it a bit yesterday with the chicken and dumplings, because it's more salad weather here than stew appropriate so grilling is really the answer at least until it gets too hot to do even that.

We picked up some gorgeous Copper River salmon at the market and while I had every intention of smoking it, to be honest I was just too darn impatient. I mean waiting for it to cure for 24 hours, then drying it before smoking seemed like too much effort when we could have almost instant gratification on the grill. I had some potlatch seasoning left over from another dinner and it was the perfect solution. 

A good rub in it, an 8 hour nap in the refrigerator and 10 minutes on the gas grill on low meant perfect results. What can I say except we're just lucky that way ...no actually, it's Big Guy on the grill that does the trick but I'm not loaning him out.

Placed on top of a bed of fresh greens along with a perfectly ripe avocado, it could have been absolutely perfect but some kind of crunch seemed like a great idea. Enter the lowly potato in a latke form. 

This particular version is more like an Irish potato cake (see here) in texture as the potatoes and some of the onions are pureed in the food processor rather than grated. It's certainly a lot easier and quicker too.

While the recipe on epicurious.com suggested draining the potato/onion mixture in a towel lined colander and squeezing out the excess moisture, I happen to hate the mess that creates, so I used my trusty little OXO potato ricer instead. It really does the trick in getting rid of the excess moisture; in fact, if anything, you can squeeze out too much of it. Finished with an egg, a mere tablespoon of flour, a little baking powder and salt and pepper, the latkes are super light, incredibly moist and really crisp on the outside. 

Who needs boring old croutons when you can have latkes on your salad instead? Incidentally, we had our salad dressed in a purchased Vidalia Onion dressing courtesy of Sam's Club and it was just perfect, but a vinaigrette, or even ranch dressing would be A-OK too. 

Potlatch Seasoning  (adapted from Foodnetwork.com)

4 teaspoons kosher salt

3 teaspoons chili powder

3 teaspoons coarse ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon celery salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Combine ingredients together in a small jar and seal tightly.

Quick and Easy Potato Latkes (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from epicurious.com)

1 large russet potato, peeled and diced

1 medium onion, finely chopped and divided

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Vegetable oil for frying

In a food process, combine potato chunks and all but a quarter cup of chopped onion. Pulse until potatoes are very finely chopped. Working in batches, put the potato mixture through a potato ricer to squeeze out the excess moisture. Scrape into a bowl. (Alternately move the potato mixture into a towel line colander and squeeze out as much moisture as possible by wringing the towel). 

Add the reserved chopped onion to the bowl along with egg, salt, black pepper, flour and baking powder. Mix well to combine.

Heat approximately a quarter inch of oil in the bottom of a heavy pan and heat over medium high. Using a small ice cream scoop, drop quarter cupful’s of potato mixture into hot oil and press slightly to make a flat cake. Cook for approximately 3 to 4 minutes a side until golden brown and crisp. Remove to a cooling rack placed on top of a baking sheet. Preheat oven to 425 and just before serving, heat latkes until crisp and deep brown – about 8 to 10 minutes. Makes 6 latkes.

A year ago - Thai Style Grilled Chicken on Noodle Salad

Two year's ago - Santa Fe Corn Pie

Pork Ribs with Ginger BBQ Sauce

Oh 'dem ribs, 'dem beautiful ribs. Big Guy has me spoiled with his long and slow BBQ ribs and unfortunately everything pales in comparison, including these but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do so I figured I'd branch out on my own yesterday and cook up a mess for dinner last night. 

After I removed the membrane from the back and gave the rack a good rub with lots of pepper, garlic and adobo seasoning, I wrapped 'em up all cozy in foil, poured in a can of beer and shoved the package in a 350 oven for an hour so the ribs could steam and get all juicy and tender like. It left me just enough time to whip up a batch of potato salad and soak some fresh corn for grillin' later.

Oh and then there's the barbecue sauce. We have a slew of Big Guy's homemade sauce in the refrigerator left over from the meatloaf, but since he's not about to part with his secret recipe, I knew I'd have to have something to tell you. Page 149 of this month's Food Network Magazine holds a recipe for a ginger flavored sauce that's just a little different from the usual. (Hit the link and it'll take you directly to the recipe). 

Starting with sauteed onion, ginger and garlic, it brews up in about 20 minutes after the addition of apple juice, oyster sauce and apple cider vinegar. Spiced with red pepper flakes and smoothed out with the immersion blender it came together pretty quickly. The only trouble is that I thought it was a tad too subtle in flavor, even after adding more pepper flakes and a good shot of apple jack to the mix. 

You see, ribs just aren't the same without that smoky flavor, at least in my book, so even though Big Guy fired up the gas grill and finished the ribs, glazing them up all pretty like with Ginger BBQ Sauce, in my opinion they just didn't taste as good as they should have. 

By the way, the white "snow" on the corn is a mixture of crumbled feta cheese and lime zest that we sprinkled on the grilled corn as soon as it came off the heat. Talk about wonderful and as for the potato salad - well, I didn't measure a thing so can't tell you much except that I'm not sure you can make a bad one, so just wing it like I did, OK?  

Oh one more thing - Big Guy's feeling a little less stiff and sore this morning, although his finger tips are cut up and his right hand's swollen for some reason. His comment as he groaned his way out of bed was "getting old isn't bad, but getting old in 3 days really sucks". 

A year ago - Rhubarb Apple Diddle Dumplings

Two year's ago - Shepherd's Pie Stuffed Potatoes

Onion Pie and Barbecued Meatloaf

Big Guy's going to be asking "what holiday" as this long weekend comes to a close. He had quite the day yesterday! Between laying backsplash tile and several trips to Home Depot, he managed to cook breakfast as well as whip up 5 lovely individual meat loaves for our dinner last night. Talk about an overachiever!

We've shared his meat loaf recipe with you in the past but it's just too darn tasty not to make over and over, particularly now that barbecue/grilling season is upon us. Loaded with ground beef, pork and spicy hot Italian sausage along with tons of garlic, jalapeno's, sun dried tomatoes and chopped mushrooms, there's not much filler in these babies - just pure unadulterated meat.  The mushrooms really help to keep the loaves moist while they cook for an hour over charcoal flavored by alder chips and the resulting smoky flavor is absolutely incomparable. Hit this link and it'll take you to the recipe! 

I'm always on the lookout for a new side dish, so when I saw the recipe for Onion Pie in the Best of the Best of Arizona Cookbook Big Guy brought back from his Grand Canyon hike for me last weekend, I just had to give it a try.

This simple pie has got most all the same ingredients as a quiche but is much lighter thanks to an untraditional crust made from crushed saltine crackers. Baked in a 9 x 13 pan, it comes out thinner than a normal pie, but absolutely packed with onion flavor and a perfect creamy textured, mild flavored foil for the spicy meatloaf. It's definitely going on our "keeper" list. 

Onion Pie (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from The Best of the Best of Arizona Cookbook)

48 saltine crackers

1/2 cup butter, melted and divided

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 extra large onions, thinly sliced

1/2 pound grated Cheddar cheese

2 cups whole milk or half and half

3 eggs, beaten

Salt and course ground black pepper

Freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350. Place saltine crackers into a large zip bag and crush to fine crumbs. Add all but 2 tablespoons butter to the crumbs, close bag and mix together well. Pour 2/3 of the crumbs into a 9 x 13 pan and press evenly onto the bottom.

Heat oil and remaining 2 tablespoons of butter together in a large sauté pan. Add onions and cook until onions are softened but not browned. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Arrange onions on top of cracker crumbs in pan and top with grated cheese. Heat milk in microwave until hot but not boiling. Pour slowly over beaten eggs, whisking constantly. Season with salt and coarse ground black pepper, and pour egg/milk mixture over cheese and onions in pan. Sprinkle with reserved cracker crumbs and top with freshly grated nutmeg.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before plating. Makes 8 servings.

A year ago - Buffalo Shrimp on Lemon Caesar Salad 

Two year's ago - Curried Chicken with Fresh and Dried Cranberries

Artichoke Chicken Salad

When you've a very hungry man to feed or even a gaggle of ladies from the bridge club, then here's a super solution to have on hand for a quick summer spread. 

Not your usual chicken salad, this one's extended by using that old San Francisco treat - Rice a Roni. Not something I ordinarily have in my cupboard, when I saw this recipe in a Junior League Cookbook, Saint Louis Souvenirs, I was intrigued enough to give it a go.

Prepared Rice A Roni is spiced up a touch with marinated artichoke hearts, green onions, red and green peppers and roughly chopped black olives and chicken of course. 

The recipe called for poached chicken, but I figured a little flavor boost was in order so kicked ours up a notch by grilling the butterflied breasts for more even cooking, then brushing them with some of our kicky kumquat marmalade. While that may be a stretch for some of you, I figure the same flavors could be achieved mixing orange marmalade with a little triple sec and a chopped up habanero pepper. Brushed on the chicken at the very end of the grilling time, I also mixed some of the marmalade into a mixture of mayonnaise and sour cream to dress the salad. 

We were both surprised by how delicious this salad is; in fact it's so tasty, it had my hungry man going back for seconds and there's a bunch left for lunch today too. It makes a ton, so be prepared to enjoy some leftovers but I don't think they'll hang around for long. 

Incidentally if you're stuck at the thought of using a whole habanero pepper for the glaze, they're really not as hot as you think they are. Carefully remove the seeds and ribs and you'll lose a huge part of the fire in the pepper. As well, the smaller the mince, the hotter the glaze so leave bigger chunks and you'll cut the heat even more. Of course if you're really worried about your glaze being too spicy, you can always substitute jalapeno or serrano's too but I'll have to call you a pansy if you do. Just sayin'. 

Artichoke Chicken Salad (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Saint Louis Souvenirs)

The Salad:

1 package chicken flavored Rice a Roni

1 – 12 ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained

4 green onions, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1/2 red pepper, chopped

1 large can large pitted black olives, roughly chopped

Cook Rice a Roni according to package directions and cool. Combine with artichoke hearts, green onions, green and red pepper and black olives and refrigerate until needed.

Glaze:

2/3 cup orange marmalade

2 tablespoons triple sec (optional)

1 habanero chopped pepper, seeds and veins removed

Combine ingredients in a small bowl and heat in the microwave until marmalade has melted and mixture is hot. Set aside. Reserve 3 tablespoons of mixture for salad dressing.

The Chicken:

3 large chicken breasts washed and dried

Salt and pepper

Butter flavored cooking spray

Butterfly chicken breasts or pound to an even thickness. Season well with salt and pepper on both sides and spray liberally with cooking spray. Heat gas grill until very hot and carefully place chicken on grill. Lower temperature to medium low, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Flip chicken over, cover and cook for additional 4 minutes. Brush chicken with glaze and cook for an additional minute or until chicken is done. Remove to a plate and refrigerate until cold.

Salad Dressing:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

3 tablespoons orange/habanero glaze

Mix ingredients together and refrigerate until needed.

To serve – pile salad on plate and arrange sliced chicken over top. Top with a couple of spoonfuls of the dressing. Serves 6 to 8. 

A year ago - Sausage Meatloaf with Lemon and Parmesan

Two year's ago - Ziti with Pancetta and Fresh Tomatoes  

Ideas for a Memorial Day Feast

Tweren't nothin' cookin' in JBug's kitchen last night as Big Guy and moi were guests at the Fellows' Ranch in Sonoita, a ranching town about an hour south of us. Fred and his beautiful wife Deborah (Copenhaver) are both amazing artists as you'll see when you check them out on the web here. To say we are honored to be included in their circle of friends is putting it mildly and we enjoyed our evening tremendously.  

Looking at the calendar this morning, I was rather shocked to see the first long weekend of summer's coming up and I don't know about you, but I've barely thought about what to cook to celebrate. Traditionally the "grillin'" weekend, here's a few ideas from our kitchen.

Skirt Steak's a perfect choice for the grill as it takes very well to being marinated - whether in a wet marinade or a dry rub since as a cousin to flank steak, it can be rather chewy if it isn't treated just right. Try it with a chimichurri sauce for a little somethin' special like this recipe from Cooking Light magazine. We loved the fresh flavor never mind the almost instant gratification as it takes almost no time on the grill.  

Of course no holiday weekend would be quite right in our house without a burger. Goodness knows we've posted enough of them here, but my personal favorites are these Bacon and Blue Cheese burgers we had a while ago -  a recipe adapted from the Canadian Living Rush Hour Cookbook. 

Of course that said, I'm not sure there's such a thing as a bad burger do you? Try these Chipotle and Green Chili Burgers, or try a Six Sided Burger like these. Tired of beef? Don't forget there's always chicken or turkey too. Turn it up a notch by adding some cheese sauce to your chicken burger and you can call it a Hot Brown burger like we did here. 

If you're thinking burgers be darned - what about a Sonoran Hot Dog. Wrapped in bacon and topped with grilled jalapenos or fresh salsa, there's not much better according to Big Guy, unless maybe you pile it all with a huge spoonful of chili.

Speaking of Big Guy, try making his special meatloaf on the barbecue and I'm thinking you'll be bowled over by the flavor, never mind the kudos coming atcha'. He's rather famous for barbecued meatloaf particularly during horse racing season in Grant's Pass, Oregon.

Of course no grillin' weekend would be quite complete without a batch of the infamous musical fruit. Try a pot of Calico Beans and see 'em smile, or there's always Bacon Maple Cheater Beans too. Open a couple of cans, chop up some bacon, add spices and Bob's your uncle. 

Are you looking for a new fangled special kind of potato salad to blow everybody's socks off?  Try a creamy roasted potato salad with fresh herbs, or for something really different, make a sweet potato salad chock full of island flavors.

Whatever you decide, remember to do some pre-planning so you can enjoy the party too!

A year ago - Moroccan Shepherd's Pie

Two year's ago - Spring Vegetable Ragout with Dill

Sweet Chili and Root Beer Baby Back Ribs with Fresh Corn Saute'

Grilling season is upon us once again, although here in the sunny Southwest it's darn near a year round enjoyment. The challenge is often coming up with something new and different to try.

Every once in awhile I hit the Fine Cooking web site and rarely come away from it unhappy. This time I couldn't resist their recipe for baby back ribs. Only thing is, it was "stankin'" hot here yesterday (over 100) and since Big Guy spent the entire weekend marking papers, we decided to roast the ribs inside and merely glaze them on the outside grill. 

After Big Guy took the membrane off the back, we seasoned the ribs well with salt and pepper, minced garlic and an onion, then placed them into a foil packet along with a cup of apple cider. Wrapped up well, they roasted at 350 for 80 minutes. After they cooled slightly, we coated them in the glaze made of hoisin, root beer, sweet chili sauce, Sriracha glaze and grilled them till they were brown, crispy and shiny.

If you head to Fine Cooking's site, you'll notice their version was done completely on the grill and the glaze included kecap manis - we happened to be out of that sweet Indonesian style soy sauce so I substituted hoisin instead.  

Lorraine over at Figs and Artichokes recently posted her version of Hoisin Ribs and I really wish I'd followed her footsteps because the Chinese 5 Spice Powder she used in hers, never mind the sherry would have been a great addition to this version. I found them a little lacking in flavor, but since Big Guy normally does the rib cookin' around here, it could be I was missing the smoky flavor. Saying all of that, these were moist, tender and OK. I'm just spoiled and that's all there is too it.

Our side dish last night also from Fine Cooking included fresh corn, sauteed with bacon, red onion, green pepper, and garlic and finished with chives, parsley and a dash of hot sauce. Served warm with a squeeze of lemon, it was absolutely fabulously delicious and a great accompanyment to the ribs. Incidentally, the lemon could be replaced with lime juice but for heaven's sake, don't leave it out. It makes a huge difference and really freshens up the flavors. 

Hit the link and head directly to Fine Cooking for the recipe. We made it as listed with one exception - we cut the recipe in half and we used our home smoked side bacon instead of the back bacon they recommend. 

I know I'm being a lazy lout for not listing the recipes below, but our little Maxer had a long string of seizures last night and he's a might fragile at the moment. He needs his Momma so I've gotta run. Hope you all have a super day! 

A year ago - Lamb Sausage Rolls

Two year's ago - Chicken Chili Caliente

Japanese Style Grilled Salmon on Soba Noodle Salad

Light, quick and perfect for a summer feast, this grilled salmon is a real keeper. Marinated for a few hours in a mixture of soy sauce, white wine, and mirin spiced up with green onions and fresh ginger, we liked it so much we could eat it every day and twice on Sundays. It's perfect on a bed of soba noodles garnished with a selection of fresh veggies.

The only thing is I'll be letting Big Guy do the grilling from now on. The hair appointment I booked for this week could very well be cancelled because I did something quite stupid again...yes, again. You see I oiled the grill a little too much then threw the marinated salmon on without wiping either the grill or the excess marinade off the salmon and the result was a gigantic whoosh of roaring flame. It did a rather good job of incinerating my bangs, my left eyebrow and those blessed little stray hairs on my chin never mind nixing the need for the wrinkle removing dermabrasion I've been thinking about putting on my bucket list. 

The upside to the near incineration was crispy crunchy skin on the salmon which made a perfectly wonderful garnish to the bowl. 

In case you're wondering why Big Guy wasn't doing the grilling in the first place...well he was exhausted. The reason you ask? Well, being kitchen sinkless, doing dishes has taken on a whole new meaning. I've been performing the task in the master bathroom using Big Guy's camping out dish pan and drainer, and dumping the dirty dish water down the toilet when I'm done. The only problem is that on Friday I managed to miss a small measuring spoon that self flushed itself along with the dishwater and got caught on it's way through. 

Big Guy tried his best to remove it on Saturday using a plumber's snake and was unsuccessful. In the process he destroyed the porcelain making a new throne the order of the day and thus the beginning of the end of his relaxing Sunday. When the toilet was being removed, half the flooring went with it, so to make a long story short, 5 trips later to Home Depot, a final run to Ace Hardware, and 12 hours later we now have a new toilet in the bathroom, that's sitting proudly on new flooring. 

As you can imagine, it's been quite the weekend. Hey, gotta run! I've a bunch of dishes to wash and I'm thinking maybe this time I'll do 'em in the bathtub. A lovely new clawfoot tub would be a great replacement for the corner garden version we have currently, or maybe I'll use the shower. Wouldn't ya' just love one of those steam shower units? Just kidding...honest!

Japanese Style Grilled Salmon on Soba Noodle Salad from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from John Ash’s From the Earth to the Table)

Marinade:

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup dry white wine

 1/4 cup mirin

2 tablespoons sugar

3 green onions including white and green parts, chopped

3 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced

Zest and juice of 1 small lemon

4 – 5 ounce salmon fillets with skin

Combine marinade ingredients and place into a container that will hold the fish. Check salmon for bones and remove as necessary. Place into marinade and refrigerate covered for 2 to 4 hours, turning fish occasionally.  To prepare, remove fish from marinade and pat dry. Place onto hot grill and grill approximately 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until just done (it will be translucent in the center). Serve warm or at room temperature.

Soba Salad:

4 ounces of soba noodles cooked per package directions and cooled

1/2 cup julienned carrots

1 can bamboo shoots, well drained

3 green onions, sliced

Fresh spinach

Dressing:

1/4 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1 tablespoon honey or sugar

2 teaspoons sesame oil

Combine dressing ingredients in a small container and shake well to mix. Set aside. Place spinach leaves into bottom of a bowl and arrange cooked soba noodles on top and garnish with carrots, bamboo shoots, and green onions. Place salmon on top and pour dressing over all. Makes 4 servings.

A year ago - Stromboli 

Two year's ago - Chicken Marsala

Beautiful Burgers

We celebrate Friday nights around here and that often involves an easily put together dinner and a favorite libation of one form or another. The other pre-requisite last night was that dinner needed to be something that generated as few dishes as possible because I for one am super sick of doing the darn things in the bathroom. It absolutely amazes me how much I've taken running water and a kitchen sink for granted. Thankfully cooking's about to get easier because the granite will be installed on Monday and the plumber's coming Tuesday to hook everything up. Praise be!

Meanwhile, Big Guy and yours truly wouldn't do much complaining if we needed to do a repeat showing of the burgers we had last night. Thank the Neely's and foodnetwork.com for the idea although as per normal I deviated somewhat from their original.

I mixed up some lean ground beef with a minced shallot, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and flattened them to a shape resembling the panini buns I had left hiding in the freezer. Accompanied by the Neely's Secret Sauce made from sour cream, mayo, buttermilk, BBQ sauce, lemon juice and cayenne, the burgers needed nothing else other than cheese (cheddar for Big Guy and gorgonzola for me), and some of our own homemade bacon cooked extra crisp. 

With the rest of beans from Tuesday night, some pepperocino for Big Guy and dills for me, dinner was on the table in record time.

Hit the link for the recipe because I'm being lazy, never mind that I didn't change it enough to call it my own. You'll notice I didn't bother making the slaw, mostly because I didn't have any hiding in the refrigerator but honestly, I can't think the burger would be much better with it. Also, if you're really brilliant you should make extra of that fabulous sauce. It would be amazing as a dip with some buffalo wings, or on a roast beef sandwich, or on another burger or three.

 

A Special Evening

There's a definite upside to Big Guy's teaching at the University and that's the attachment we've made to some of his students. Not having children of our own, we've managed to adopt several over the years and we keep in touch with many of "our kids". One of a group of favorites that graduated 5 years ago came through town last night with her Dad on her drive from the OC (Orange County) all the way to her exciting new job in New York. 

Dinner had to be of the kind that would hold fairly well and/or be cooked quickly since we weren't sure of timing so Big Guy grilled up the steaks I alluded to the other day. We topped them with a compound butter including garlic and gorgonzola and you've got to admit they're pretty darn awesome hunks of beef.

On the side was a pot of Calico Beans adapted from an old favorite recipe from The Best of Bridge Series Cookbooks, Best of the Best. I nixed the green and lima beans called for in their version because you know who doesn't go for either, and substituted a can each of chili beans and great northern's. Flavored by some of our homemade bacon, spiced with garlic and dry mustard, sweetened with brown sugar and tarted up with vinegar, an hour in the oven's all you need for a pot of goods you'd be hard pressed not to call homemade.

We also had a new favorite Corn and Jalapeno Casserole that's a cross between cornbread and a cheesy, spicy corn souffle.

We can thank what I've renamed my kitchen bible, Idaho a la CArte, for its existence and includes canned creamed corn, cornmeal, buttermilk and eggs along with chopped onion for crunch and jalapenos for heat. Unsure about our guests' appreciation for spicy heat, I used only one jalapeno but next time I make this beauty I'll load it up with more along with some green chiles too.  It takes an hour in the oven to bake at the same temperature as the Calico Beans - coincidence isn't it...or just good planning.

We loved it - the texture's amazingly light, it holds well when timing is an issue and can even be prepared in advance and re-heated if you're so inclined. I daresay it'll give our favorite Pancetta Green Chile Cornbread a run for its money in this household.

So there ya go. I bet you're all wondering what we had for dessert but you'll have to wonder for another day or two because it is so differently delicious, it deserves a post all its own.  To give you a hint...think orange...think cream....think push-ups. Bet that's got you wondering!

Calico Beans (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Best of Bridge Series Cookbooks, The Best of the Best)

6 thick cut slices of bacon, diced

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 – 14 ounce can great northern beans, drained and rinsed

1 – 14 ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 – 14 ounce can chili beans with sauce

1 – 14 ounce can pork and beans

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white vinegar

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dry mustard

Fresh ground black pepper to taste

In a medium sized Dutch oven, cook bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and set aside. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat from pan. Return pan to heat and add chopped onion. Sauté onions until softened then add remaining ingredients, including bacon. Bake uncovered in a preheated 350 oven for up to 1 hour. Check after 40 minutes and if beans are looking too dry, cover for remaining cooking time.  Serves 6 to 8.

Jalapeno Corn Casserole (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Idaho a la Carte)

1 – 14.5 ounce can cream style corn

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 large onion, finely chopped (about 1&1/2 cups)

2 eggs beaten

2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese or Mexican Blend

1 jalapeno minced (or more depending on tastes)

1 small can chopped green chiles (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 inch pan (square or round) with cooking spray and line bottom with parchment. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine creamed corn, cornmeal, baking soda, salt, melted butter, buttermilk, onion and eggs. Whisk until well mixed. Pour half the mixture into prepared pan. Top with half the grated cheese, sprinkle with minced jalapeno then add remaining cheese. Pour on the remaining batter and spread to even top. Bake for 1 hour or until set. Cool for 15 minutes then invert pan onto a platter. Cut into wedges or squares to serve. Makes 8 to 9 servings.    

A year ago - Meatloaf on the Barbecue 

Two year's ago - Asian Noodles and Glazed Steelhead

Grilled Cuban Style Pork Chops

I have to admit to a certain affinity for the sight, sounds and flavors of the Caribbean and Latin America likely due to some long, cold and dark winter nights spent dreaming of the sun, sand and sea. When I worked for the hockey club, many's the midnight I'd spend clearing the snow and frost off my car before driving home on slick roads after a game and believe me when I say I cherish the memories but I don't miss it one bit. Living in Tucson now kinda' takes the bite out of winter as it's grill season year round here which is a good thing.

Last night's dinner took mere minutes to cook after the gargantuan porterhouse style pork chops marinated for two hours. The marinade's the key to the Island flavors and it is composed of fresh orange and lime juice along with lots of garlic, oregano, cumin and oil of course and infuses the meat with all those lovely flavors. Just be careful not to over soak the pork or it will have a spongy texture as it almost "cooks" in the acidic juices so longer is not better in this case.

Grilled for 4 to 5 minutes a side the chops are topped with sliced ham slices that I warmed slightly on the grill, and Swiss cheese slices. With the grill cover down for a few minutes, the cheese melts all nice and gooey and the sour dill pickle slices hit the chops just before they hit the plate. 

The results are different and delicious - perfectly cooked to a lovely moist barely pink inside, the flavor's like the Cuban Sandwich we've enjoyed here before sans the bread of course. We had our chops with a salad of black beans, corn, sweet onion and jalapeno peppers in a citrus vinaigrette but fried plantains or a baked sweet potato would be wonderful too.

We can thank Bobby Flay for this creation. I changed it up by necessity as I didn't like the looks of the pork loin chops that were available at the supermarket so rather than butterfly and stuff the chops with the ham/cheese/pickle mixture, I topped them instead. Hit the link here to Food Network's site for Bobby's original recipe so you can check it out. Otherwise, you'll find my version below. 

Grilled Cuban Style Pork Chops (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Bobby Flay via Foodnetwork.com)

2 large 8 ounce porterhouse style pork chops

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon dried oregano

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon cumin

2 tablespoons olive oil

Whisk marinade ingredients together until well blended. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the mixture and set aside. Place the remainder into a large zip bag along with the pork chops and refrigerate for a maximum of 2 hours.

Salt & pepper

4 ounces thin sliced deli ham

4 ounces Swiss cheese cut into quarter inch slices

Sour Dill pickle chips

Vegetable Oil.  

To cook – Brush oil on grill and preheat grill to medium hot. Remove chops from marinade and discard marinade. Pat chops dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. Place chops on grill and cook for 4 minutes or until golden brown on one side. Flips chops over and cook for additional 3 to 4 minutes. Meanwhile heat ham slightly on grill until barely warm. Top chops with ham followed by Swiss cheese slices. Cover grill and cook additional minute or two until cheese is melted and chops are barely pink inside. Remove from grill to serving plate and drizzle chops with reserved marinade mixture.  Garnish with dill pickle chips. Serves 2.

A year ago - Grilled Lamb Chops with Wheatberry Salad

Two year's ago - Pasta in Vodka Sauce with Sausage

Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri

When winter wanes and you're ready to start up the grill, here's an idea that is worthy of a spot at the top of your list. 

Skirt steak is a long flat cut of meat from the plate, part of the beef's underside that is just behind the front legs. Like flank steak only better in my books, it's not exactly known for being a tender cut of meat but the flavor is incomparable.

Cooked properly, it's a great candidate for fajitas, or grilled quickly to a rare or medium rare and sliced thinly across the grain.  However you serve it, it benefits greatly from a marinade or dry rub such as the one we used made from olive oil, a touch of lime juice, lots of herbs and of course, garlic too.

We topped our flavorful and fork tender pieces of meat with Chimichurri sauce made famous by the Argentinians. Its brilliant green is made up of pureed fresh parsley and cilantro in addition to oil, vinegar, garlic, cumin and spicy dried crushed red pepper flakes. It is unbelievable on beef or chicken and even dare I say shrimp too, in fact I'm planning on mixing a little of it with some mayo to crown a sandwich or two in our near future. 

Our steak was accompanied by a Tuscan White Bean Salad that we've enjoyed here before. Loaded with cooked navy beans and studded with strips of sun dried tomatoes, briny kalamata olives and fresh greens including basil, parsley and raw spinach all in a simple vinaigrette, it's the kind of dish that will go with almost anything. It would be just fine on its own as well, especially with the addition of marinated mozzarella balls to complete the protein.   

Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Cooking Light Magazine as well as epicurious.com)

Grilled Skirt Steak:

2 skirt steaks (approx. 2 pounds total), trimmed

1 tablespoon olive oil

Juice of half a lime

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic

Combine oil, lime, oregano, basil, paprika, red pepper, salt, pepper and garlic together in a small food processor and process until it forms a paste. Spread evenly on both sides of the skirt steaks, roll up and place into a zip bag. Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours.

Heat gas grill until very hot. Grill steak for approximately 3 minutes a side or until done to your preference. Best served rare or medium rare. Serves 4 to 6.

Chimichurri Sauce:

1 cup (packed) fresh Italian parsley

1/3 cup (packed) fresh cilantro

2 large cloves garlic, peeled

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

Coarse ground black pepper

Place all ingredients together in a blender or food processor and puree. Transfer to a bowl, cover and let stand at room temperature to mellow flavors. May be prepared 2 hours in advance.  Store leftovers in refrigerator but bring to room temperature before serving. 

A year ago - Pork Tenderloin with Herb Crust

Two year's ago - Garlic Roasted Shrimp with Red Peppers and Smoked Paprika