Blue Ribbon Winners

I'm so excited I could bust! Today marks a very special day on the calendar - JBug's Kitchen Antics is one year old! Hard to believe I know but true. I have to admit it's been a blast sharing our evening meals together and I'm amazed and thankful for all the new friends I've made in the blogosphere. You've been the best gift of all!

I've been trying to figure out a way to mark this auspicious occasion so I asked the big guy what his favorite individual dishes were over the past 365 days. He spent a considerable amount of time making a decision so he could list the ones he thought were worthy of best of show. Of course he also admitted that some choices were more difficult than others but true to his Type A personality he mostly stuck to the rules of one dish per category and without one word of "advice" ...uh that is without any nagging on my part. Better him than me. I only remember the ones that were flops and/or less than perfect.

APPETIZERS

Quesadillas, Guacamole & Black Bean Salad

These little beauties were filled with the big guy's barbecued brisket, but any old cooked meat will do. Loaded with caramelized onions and barbecue sauce, they're easy on the budget and on the cook. Served with a Black Bean Salad and fresh Guacamole, Quesadillas make a great dinner!

BEEF

Beef Short Ribs with Polenta

The Pioneer Woman's recipe, these short ribs really got the big guy's attention. Cooked low and slow, I added mushrooms, pearl onions and canned consomme to the recipe. As for the polenta -loaded with rich and creamy goat's cheese, it's fabulous covered in rich, beefy gravy.

BEVERAGES

Meyer Lemon Limoncello

We're lucky enough to have a Meyer lemon tree in our back yard and when you're inundated with the beauties, ya' can't let 'em go to waste. Although Limoncello takes some time to make ...and attention too, it can be used in a myriad of things like this lemonade, or on ice cream, in a cheesecake, or just straight up.

BREAD & BREAKFAST

Rosemary Dinner Rolls

I was a little peeved when the big guy picked these Rosemary Rolls, and not my homemade bread or English muffins; however, from Pioneer Woman, these rolls are sure a hit and proof that you don't have to make everything from scratch! 

COOKIES

Old Fashioned Date Filled Oatmeal Cookies

Just like Mother used to make, these date filled oatmeal cookies are the big guy's absolute bar none favorite huntin' cookie. Full of oatmeal and flavored with orange, they start out crisp and get softer with time. They're the bomb!

DESSERTS

Pear Kuchen

Out of what I thought were some fabulous choices, the big guy picked this Pear Kuchen because he said "it's the only time we've ever eaten a dessert all in one sitting" and it's true. It's so good, we just couldn't stop ourselves. The crust is incredibly crisp with the fruit buried in a rich creamy filling. "Vunderbar"!

EGGS & CHEESE

Pasta with Green, Eggs & Ham

Silly me, I figured the big guy would pick a real "egg" dish, but honestly this fettucine would be a fabulous brunch dish too. It's full of moist, flavorful ham, eggs and cheese and would be a super way to use up some of those Easter leftovers!

FISH & SHELLFISH

Asian Glazed Steelhead

We could eat this Asian Glazed Steelhead 365 days of the year. Steelhead is very much like salmon, so you could certainly substitute one for the other. Fabulous on a fresh green salad, it would also be a knock out on Soba noodles or rice for a quick, tasty dinner.

LAMB

Not so Irish Lamb Stew

Honestly I was a little surprised with this choice too, since the big guy absolutely loves the Lamb Shanks with Lentils we've had here, but he devoured this Not so Irish Lamb Stew and bleated for more. Could be because it's loaded with flavor from bacon, onion, garlic and shallots along with a good glug of Marsala wine.

LEGUMES

Cowboy Beans with Ground Beef

These Cowboy Beans are filled with ground beef, bacon, brown sugar and all the stuff that causes a pot of 'em in the oven to create a stampede from the front door. Along with a hunk of hot jalapeno cheese cornbread, the big guy'd ride bulls again if it meant a repeat of this one.

PASTA - NOT ONE BUT TWO

Lemon Spaghetti with Shrimp Fra' Diavolo

This was another surprise to me because the big guy absolutely raved long and hard about the Penne Amatriciana, but I agree that we both loved this Lemon Spaghetti. Loaded with lemon zest and juice, and topped with blanket of grated cheese it's perfect with the Shrimp Fra' Diavolo's spicy heat. 

Cheesy Mac Rissoles (Fried Mac & Cheese)

When I said the big guy'd MOSTLY stuck to one choice per category, he couldn't leave the Cheesy Mac Rissoles out of the mix. These take the word "leftovers" to a whole new level. Not only are they crispy and delicious, they're also made from the absolute BEST recipe for Macaroni Cheese there is. Honest.

PASTRY - SAVORY

Mashed Potato Pie with Bacon & Cheddar

No surprise here although I would have thought the big guy'd pick the Steak & Guinness Pie, he was bowled over by this fabulous Mashed Potato Pie. It's got everything a good twice baked potato has but with the added bonus of a crispy crust. It is fabulous on it's own with a salad, or as a gravy conductor. 

PORK

Brined Pork Chops with Balsamic Reduction & Red Pepper Grits

I used to make these Pork Chops with Balsamic often when I worked outside of the house because they're super quick to make and really taste gourmet, but I'd never brined a chop before. Silly me. Needless to say I won't be skipping that step again. As for the red pepper grits ...how do you spell perfection?

POULTRY

Spicy Chicken with Apricots & Olives

No surprise with this choice because this dish deserves HUGE accolades and is perfect for entertaining. Thanks to Cathy at Noble Pig for sharing it because it's destined to become a favorite. Full of lemon, garlic, apricots, green olives and smoked paprika, it definitely deserves a first place ribbon!

RICE & GRAINS

Risotto - any kind with any thing

The big guy's the risotto maker in this house, but I can take credit for having taught him. We love the stuff and just don't have it often enough in my opinion. This particular one's full of Italian sausage and peppers, but try it with seafood, or just about anything. It's the best 20 minutes you'll ever spend over the stove.

SALADS

Bacon & Blue

We eat a lot of salads in this man's country because they're perfect dinners when the heat is on. While I likely would have picked the Apple Walnut Salad with Maple Vinaigrette, this is the big guy's choice after all. He'd eat this Bacon & Blue Cheese Salad 7 days a week and twice on Sunday if he had a choice.

SANDWICHES

Pressed Cuban Sandwich aka Cubano

We love pork around here and this sandwich is a great way to use some of the leftovers, not that we seem to have any difficulty with that. Stuffed with pork, honey ham, provolone and sweet pickles, Cubano Sandwiches are definitely a "meat" overload. No wonder they're a big guy favorite.

SOUPS & STEWS

Yachats Blush Clam Chowder

No surprise here though there's tons of choices. As you can see we really like soup or stew, but this creation born of necessity during our summer in Oregon is the best of the Southwest and the Northwest showcasing great clams and spicy salsa. It's kind of a marriage of New England, Manhattan and Mexico wouldn't you say?

VEGETABLES

Roasted Cauliflower - any kind

OK - knock me over with a feather ...this from the guy that wouldn't eat cooked cauliflower when I married him, he absolutely loves the stuff now. Thanks go to Giada de Laurentis for the inspiration for this version, but check out the index under "Vegetables" to find more choices. My favorite is the Manchurian!

Hope you've hung in with me to the end here, just so I can take this opportunity to thank you for visiting J'Bug's Kitchen Antics. Without your support and your comments, while I'd still be cooking it wouldn't be half as much fun. Here's to another fun filled year of great eats!

Comments

[Nanan]

It has been a great year and I look forward to the next!

[June]

Thanks Lea. You're one of the bonuses to this blogging adventure!

[Mags]

Congratulations on your one year blogaversary!! Lotsa good stuff up there and you've certainly kept my interest with your wonderful meals.

[June]

Thanks Mags. You're another bonus - a best friend that I haven't met. Now - ya' think I can talk you into more hot sauce?

[Sophia]

Wow, congrats to Steve on the rankings...he did a fine job and gets an "A" as for you...you did the cooking so you get the A+. I see I have some catching up to do on a couple items!

[June]

Aw, thanks Sophia. I'll pass your comments along to the big guy!