Category: MISC

MENU PLANS

Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie


 DATE BREAKFAST DINNER DESSERTS

MON
8/16

SPICY LEMON CHICKEN

TUES
8/17
CADILLACS

WED
8/18
OUT for our anniversary

THU
8/19
BUNLESS BURGERS
w/
CARAMELIZED ONIONS & MUSHROOMS w/ PEPPERJACK CHEESE

FRI
8/20

CHICKEN SCAMPI &
CREAM OF ARTICHOKE SOUP

SAT
8/21		 Toasted French Toast CHILI & CORN BREAD
 		Chinese Chicken Salad

SUN
8/22		 Huevos con Yummy SALAMI, FRUIT & CHEESES SHRIMP SCAMPI &
STUFFED ARTICHOKES

aprons 3

Caribbean Jerk Chicken Legs

IMG_0001 

Hi, Linda Here from Finding Footprints in the Sand, Not Just Roses and on Thursdays, you can find me at The Motivation Station…
IMG_0002
This week I tried a Lawry’s Marinade… Caribbean Jerk with Papaya Juice, Lime Juice and Molasses…
  • I put one package of defrosted chicken legs into the Crockpot 
  • Poured bottle of marinade sauce over chicken legs… 
  • Set Crockpot on low for six hours… 
  • Since I was home I rotated chicken legs about half way through cook time, moving the ones on the top to the bottom… 
  • They are so tender the meat just falls off the bone… 
  • Serve with pasta or rice and a veggie…
They were very yummy with a fruity taste and a wee bit of hot spicy on the tongue…
IMG_0003
Happy Eating…

Deep Fried Asparagus Throwdown

I’ll be honest. I have no clue how this post ties in with my theme of Fire Day Friday. But it is too *$&# good to pass up.
The best restaurant appetizer and best restaurant main course I have ever eaten are from the same place, Puleo’s Grille in Knoxville. Their shrimp and grits are comfort food times infinity. But their deep fried asparagus should be illegal. No vegetable should be this delectable. These asparagus spears are crispy on the outside, tender when you bite into them, and have just a little kick.
We bought a deep fryer and the first thing we wanted to make in it is deep fried asparagus.

Stockton Fried Asparagus
Source: Stockton Asparagus Festival Cookbook

1/2 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 egg whites
2/3 cup cold flat beer
3 pounds (2 cups) raw, whole asparagus, cleaned and cut above white end

Mix all ingredients except asparagus in a bowl with a wire whisk until well blended. Dip asparagus spears individually in the batter and deep fry them in at least 2 inches of peanut oil for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Dust generously with grated Parmesan cheese.

I mixed it up as directed but it was too thick, almost a dough instead of a batter. I added more beer to thin it out, maybe too thin. They were still very good they just looked a little funny.
Puleo’s serves theirs with two dips, a honey mustard and a spicy avocado ranch. Here is a quick and easy knock off of the avocado ranch. We have used this as a dip several times.

Spicy Avocado Ranch Dip
source: NibbleMeThis.com

1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup Cruise Farms Buttermilk
3 Tbsp Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
1 avocado, seeded and peeled
1/2 to 1 tsp cayenne pepper

Mix all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Use 1/2 tsp of cayenne if you prefer mild over spicy. Use 1 tsp if you lean more toward the spicy side.
Stop by my blog to enter my August giveaway, it’s my best one yet. I’m giving away a brand new Masterbuilt Electric Smokehouse smoker!!!!

TOMATO BISQUE

Tomato Bisque
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped small
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups fresh Roma tomatoes, peeled
4 cups chicken broth
3 or 4 sprigs fresh parsley
5-10 fresh basil leaves
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Sea salt and white pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese for serving

  • Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. 
  • Add chopped onions, carrots, celery and garlic.
  • Cook stirring often until soft, about 8-10 minutes.
  • Add chicken broth and tomatoes, stirring well.
  • Tie herbs together in cheesecloth and drop into the soup. This makes it easy to remove later.
  • Season with sea salt and white pepper to taste.
  • Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 30 minutes.
  • Remove herbs and discard.
  • Add whipping cream and blend until smooth.
  • Ladle into bowls and top with freshly grated cheese and fresh basil.
Pairs really well with Tuna Melts.

aprons 3

Orange Glazed Sesame Shrimp

It’s all over but the shouting.  Day after tomorrow (Saturday), we are off to the land of OZ.  So many things I will miss.  But so many things I have missed.  When we left god’s country (Kansas), it was February and there was 6 inches of snow and temperatures were in the teens.  Looking at the forecast, the 100 degree days are done.  Fall is coming and that is my favorite time to grill and entertain.  Nothing like a crisp fall evening, grilling up something fun and ending up with S’Mores around our fire-pit.  
Yes, I loved every minute I was here. 
Yes, I can’t wait to get home.
I have had an amazing time here.  Done so many things, seen so much, and have a new stack of T-shirts to prove it.  

And I learned to stop and smell the tropical flowers.

I highly recommend everyone living on a tropical island for six months (especially if one of them is February). Puts perspective on everything.
Orange Glazed Shrimp

1 cup Sugar
1 cup Red Wine Vinegar
2 Seedless Oranges, rind removed
1 TBS Honey
1 pound large Shrimp
Sesame Seed/Sea Salt/Garlic Flake mixture to taste
  1. Combine sugar and vinegar in a small sauce pan and cook over high heat until the sugar is melted.  Add the Oranges and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is reduced by half , 5 to 6 minutes.
  2. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and process until smooth.  Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl.  Add the honey and season with the Salt and Pepper.
  3. Place half the glaze in a sauté pan.  Heat over medium heat and add the Shrimp.  Sauté until coated and heated.  I was using precooked shrimp, so all i was doing was heating.  Do not overcook the shrimp.  It will only take a couple of minutes.  Longer (but not much) if you are using raw shrimp.
  4. Add the sprinkle of seasonings (click HERE for the recipe of white and black sesame seeds, garlic flakes and sea salt – I LOVE it and use it for many things).  Add the sesame seed mix while the Shrimp is still in the pan.  The heat will open the seeds and add an aroma to the meal. 
Serve over rice.  The glaze can be made in advance.  Stores in the fridge for a week and can be used for lots of other foods.  How about an Orange Glazed Salmon (on the grill), or Orange Glazed Vegetables (on the grill), or Orange Glazed… Bacon (really, click HERE).

And once you Glaze Bacon with oranges, can Chocolate Covered Orange Glazed Bacon be far behind???
But That’s a post for another day.

Oh, and if you do move to a tropical island, get up early enough to see the sun rise from your deck.  It really is a great place to write your blog posts.
This really was the sunrise just 10 minutes ago, just as I was about to publish this post.  Un-retouched photo, but it looked even better in person.

See you next week from my beloved Cul de Sac

Dave here from MY YEAR ON THE GRILL. It really is just this easy!  

 … I CAN COOK THAT! 

And so can you!
…

POSITIVE THOUGHT

“Fear less, hope more; Eat less, chew more; 
Whine less, breathe more; Talk less, say more; 
Love more, and all good things will be yours” 
~Swedish Proverb
aprons 3

POTATO OMELET MUFFINS

Potato Omelet Muffins
Ingredients:
5 medium potatoes (you could get away with 4, easily)
8 eggs or egg beaters
12 teaspoons bruschetta sauce
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons chives, chopped (you can use dried – I ran out half way through so I added dried for the rest.)
2 slices yogurt-herb cheese or cheese of choice
1 orange pepper, diced
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream (low-fat)
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large skillet, put the butter and half the olive oil. Use remaining oil if needed. I used it then took another tablespoon and added it to the skillet.
Peel potatoes and shred.
Cook for three minutes, orange pepper and scallions. Add chives for one additional minute.
Remove from pan and replace with potatoes. I did three batches so not to overcrowd.
I browned the potatoes because we like them crisp. You can cook until translucent and then finish baking it, in the oven.
While potatoes are cooking, mix milk, eggs, sour cream, bruschetta sauce, and cheese.
Add peppers, scallions and chives to egg mixture.
Put potatoes on the side.
I did it again. I forgot the bruschetta. I had already filled a few muffin inserts so I put a piece of bruschetta on top of each and then poured the rest into the egg mixture. It added a great flavor to this. You could use liquid cayenne (hot pepper sauce) instead but I am not sure how much you would need since I chose not to use it. You can add heat to this if you like your food hot.
Take potatoes and put them on the bottom of each insert.
Using an ice cream scoop or ladle, scoop the mixture into each muffin compartment.
Bake for 30 minutes. I put a sharp knife in the middle of a few, like we do for baked goods, to make sure I did not have soft eggs. They came out dry but barely dry, the way I would want it to be.

BOHEMIAN PORK CHOPS aka PORK CHOPS IN BEER GRAVY and a drum roll please…

Let’s start the day off with our big CSN giveaway winner.  Drum roll please…

The winner is Julie from Mommie Cooks!
Congratulations!

This was from another scrap of recipe I found in gram’s things.  I don’t know if she ever made it, but pork chops and beer in the same sentence got hubby’s interest and so we had some fun experimenting with this recipe.

BOHEMIAN PORK CHOPS aka PORK CHOPS IN BEER GRAVY
4-6 thick boneless pork chops
1 small onion, cut into thin rings
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 tablespoons flour
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup water
1 beer ~ your favorite flavor
  • In a large skillet, melt butter.
  • Brown pork chops, generously salting and peppering.
  • Remove pork chops, keep warm.
  • Saute’ onion and celery until soft and translucent.
  • Add flour, stirring until golden.
  • Add water, stirring until well blended.
  • Add beer and simmer until begins to thicken.
  • Add pork chops back in and heat through.
aprons 3