Smoked Whole Chicken

First off... I apologize...the only picture I got that actually turned out, was of the full bird.  I did not get a picture of the beautiful meat on the inside.....you'll need to trust me on this one..it was smoked to perfection!!

Maybe it's a good thing that it take so long to smoke meat, because, honestly, after this weekend, I really don't want to eat my meat prepared any other way!!  I am now spoiled.  The flavor you get is unmatched.  And so far, everything I have smoked, with the exception of the potatoes, has been, perfectly cooked.  The meat just fell off the bone.  This chicken was way DELICIOUS!  You could definitely taste the smokey flavor in this...which I loved!  On the down side of it all.  I don't know if I just didn't have the probe in there right or if there is just something a bit faulty with it, but the meat thermometer did not read properly.  Again, I'm not going to say that it's broke or it sucks or anything like that.  I only used it once, so I need to try it again and see if it was the thermometer or just me....which is probably what it was.

I really must admit, I do love my new smoker.  I really cannot say thank you enough to Chris (Nibble Me This) for this great giveaway prize.  I would not say that I have mastered the smoker just yet... but I do feel pretty confident with using it.  Ok, Ok, so I ran outside every 10 minutes to make sure everything was fine, but still... that whole newness thing will wear off soon, I'm sure.  Masterbuilt has a wonderful product in this electric smoker.  Who knows, maybe some day they'll make me their spokesperson :) Hey, don't laugh, stranger things have happened!!

Anyway, the chicken was delicious, did I say that already?  Even though it took a bit longer then suggested through the dadgumthatsgood.com recipe, I was very pleased with the outcome.  The skin was perfectly tan, the breast was a beautiful shade of white, and the flavor was amazing!  I stuffed the chicken with a small lemon (cut in half), garlic, parsley, and thyme.  I sprinkled lemon pepper seasoning and garlic on the outside.  Those flavors combined with the smokey, hickory flavor....mmmmmmm....I can't even really describe the taste.  Oh, and let's not forget that in the water pan of the smoker, I added apple juice.  I don't know if could distinguish any apple flavor in the chicken, but you could smell the juice as it was heating up.  As I said before, the smokey flavor stood out more with the chicken then with the ribs I made on Saturday....but that's not a bad thing, it gave it a flavor I've only been able to get at a smokehouse or bbq joint.

Next week on the agenda:  Super Smoked Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wings.....I mean it is football season and what's football season without some spicy wings???

Smoked Whole Chicken
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (mine was just over 4 lbs)
olive oil
garlic salt
lemon pepper seasoning
1 small lemon, halved or quartered
8 garlic cloves, unpeeled
handful of fresh parsley
springs of thyme (I used about 10 sprigs)

Additional items for smoking:
hickory chips (make sure to soak in water for at least 30 minutes)
12oz apple juice (I used Simply Apple apple juice)
1 cup water

Directions:
Clean out the insides of the chicken.  Rinse with water and pat dry.  Rub olive oil all over the chicken.  Season the entire bird with garlic salt and lemon pepper seasoning.  Stuff the bird with the lemon, garlic, parsley, and thyme.

Add the apple juice and cup water to the water pan of your smoker.  Add the hickory chips.  Let your smoker reach 220 degrees.  Place the whole chicken on a rack above the water pan, or place a rack in a shallow baking pan and place the chicken on that.  Smoke for 3-4 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 165-170 degrees.  Enjoy!

Smoked Pork Back Ribs

I can officially say that I smoked our dinner Saturday night!!!  Seriously, I smoked it all...and to tell you the truth, it was WAY easy!  Well besides the waiting part.  (I think I should make Tom Petty's song, The Waiting, my new kitchen theme song.)  I must admit, my first time at smoking was mostly success... I say mostly because I smoked the ribs, which were melt in your mouth good.  They could have given ANY bbq joint a run for their money!  The corn, it had a flavor like I have never had before, and I've eaten a lot of corn.  I mean come on, I'm from Nebraska.  Corn on the cob is the only way I'll eat it....so I know corn.  This was smokey, yet there was a hint of sweet there, but not sweet like normal sweet corn, a different sweetness I can't really describe.  I'm assuming it's coming from a mixture of the hickory chips and the beer I used.  But the one thing that did not turn out well at all were the potatoes.  The recipe I was following said to smoke them for 45 minutes..but the smoker was only set at 225 degrees....and there was no parboiling.  I really didn't think they would come out, but I had to try.  So, I just finished them off by roasting them in the oven.  I'm not going to blog about the failed potatoes...for now...you know I'll have to try it again!  And I'm not going to blog about the corn because...well...it was simple and I followed the recipe to the T.

 

What we need to talk about are the ribs!!!!

Let me just stop right there, I need to tell you something...the smell...omg the smell wafting around the backyard was AMAZING!  And the smoker worked brilliantly!  I would highly recommend this to anyone thinking of purchasing it.**

Like I said in the opening part of my blog, the ribs turned out to be amazingly good.  So good that Chris and I started eating, raved about how wonderful they were, did a few... Oohhhh....this is GOOD's....and then never spoke again until we were finished!  Finger-lickin', melt in your mouth, perfectly cooked SMOKED ribs.  We could have gone to no restaurant that I know of, and gotten such great ribs for the price I spend just buying the ingredients.  Now, I know so many of my readers don't have smokers, so I'm going to direct you to my first post on ribs.  These ribs were done in the oven and then finished on the grill, these ribs could be done the exact same way, just use this spice rub instead of the one in the recipe.  If you are interested the recipe is here.

Anyway, I had such a fun time doing this.  Even if my potatoes did not turn out as planned, I believe this is one of the best meals I've made in a long time.  It was perfect!

Smoked Pork Back Ribs

Adapted from dadgumthatsgood.com
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/4 Tablespoon chili powder (I used adobo chili powder)
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2lbs pork back ribs

Additional items needed for smoking:
Hickory chips
2 bottles blue moon beer

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together except the ribs.  Rub the mixture on both sides of the ribs.  Allow to rest in refrigerator for at least 2 hours but can be done over night. (I let mine sit for 6 hours).

Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees. (It took mine about 30 minutes to reach that temperature.)  While smoker is preheating, take ribs out and let sit at room temperature.  Smoke the ribs for 3 hours.  Remove from smoker and wrap in aluminum foil.  Place back in the smoker and continue to cook for another 1 1/2-2 hours.  Serve and enjoy!!!

 

**Although I won this electric smoker in a giveaway, I was not compensated for my review.  The thoughts and opinions are my own**

Tuna and Zucchini Penne with Basil Dressing

Today is the big day....today I smoke my first hunk of meat in my brand new smoker!  I am SO excited...can you tell??  Tonight's menu:  smoked pork back ribs, smoked corn on the cob, and smoked potatoes!!  That's right, I'm going to do our entire meal in that bad boy!  Wish me luck :)  For now, I leave you with a light and tasty pasta dish....but check back Monday - Tuesday for sure - and see what the outcome is!!

I do love me some pasta with tuna and zucchini.  I made something similar to this a while back, Lemon Tuna Pasta with Basil & Zucchini. Please don't let that stop you from trying this one though. I found the original recipe for the basil dressing in a Tastes of Italia magazine.  The dressing was made to go on a cold pasta salad...but I thought, what the heck, I bet it would work over warm pasta too.  Once again, my bet paid off...this dish was scrumptious.  It had the perfect amount of zing from the lemon juice and that wonderful flavor only basil can bring to a dish.  Just remember, add the basil at the last moment...this will help it from getting too black as it heats up.  Nobody likes black basil :)

Tuna and Zucchini Penne with Basil Dressing
Adapted from Taste of Italia Magazine, August 2010
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
13.25oz box of whole grain penne pasta
1 5oz can tuna in olive oil, undrained
1 zucchini, sliced into half moons
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/3 cup chicken stock
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (1 large lemon)
2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
2 Tablespoons fresh basil, coarsely chopped
salt and pepper

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

In a small frying pan, saute the zucchini until they reach desired doneness (I like my zucchini to still have a bit of firmness to them, no mushy zucs for us!)

In a bowl mix the garlic, stock, olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard and sugar together.  When the pasta is ready, add the tuna and zucchini.  Pour the dressing over the pasta and toss to combine.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add basil just before serving and enjoy! 

 

The day we must never forget....

It's hard to believe that it was 9 years ago today.  Sometimes it feels like just yesterday.  I can remember getting ready for work and hearing my phone ring.  I remember thinking, geez, it's quite early for someone to be calling me, I wonder what's wrong.  When I answered the phone, I was greeted with my mother's shaken voice....she asked if I was watching the news...she said an explosion happened in one of the towers in New York City.  I was a bit confused....as she continued to sporadically try and tell me what happened, I walked over to the TV and flipped it on.  To my utter horror, I saw my mom was right, there was smoke pouring from the side of one of the towers.  I sat there dumbfounded.  What had happened?  Who could have done this?  And then, just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, a plane flew right into the second tower.

Within two hours, those symbols of New York City...of America...came crashing to the ground.  In an instant all of our lives were changed.

We must never forget that day.  We must never forget those who lost their lives in this tragic event.  We must never forget those that courageously climbed the stairs of those buildings to help rescue others, knowing the danger that lay ahead of them.

I believe that in the face of the enemy, we united together...We showed the world that even through this tragic event, we could united...we could stand as one...we could be PROUD to be American's.

But have we lost that?  Have we forgotten how to be kind to others, how to be patriotic, how to be proud that we are American's?  For the sake of our children, I hope not.

So, today, I ask that you take just one moment and think about those who lost their lives that day....for those that have lost their lives since then.  Today, honor those who died standing up to the terrorists by rushing the cockpit of a plane, knowing their lives would be lost, by going above and beyond yourself....be extra kind to people you don't even know, help a neighbor with his yard work, let that guy in the next lane over even though he's not using his blinker!

But most of all, today, be proud to be an American!

 

Grilled Spicy Chipotle Chicken Pizza

I did it, I did it!!!  I made pizza dough and I made a kick ass pizza on the grill with it!!! WOOHOOO!!!  I have to put a very hefty thanks out to Andrea (The Kitchen Witch), once again, because if it wasn't for her and her bread instructions, I don't know if I would have felt as confident and I don't know that this pizza would have come out as well as it did.  I can say this because I have tried making pizza dough before (that was before I started the blog so it was not documented and the grilled pizza I did post, I used a purchased pizza dough) and it was ok, but it was not as good as this by far!  So, thank you Andrea, you just might make me into a baker yet!! :) 

I will admit to you, this was actually very simple...especially after spending all day making bread! lol  I mean, since my standing mixer does all the work for me, all I had to do was patiently wait 2 hours for the dough to rise.  SIMPLE!  The crust for the pizza came out perfect.  I did over cook it just a tad bit as I was worried of under cooking it, so it got a little charred here and there, but I believe that added flavor to the already delicious pizza.  I decided to not only use the chipotle chicken recipe I had made back in July, but I also added a little chipotle to the sauce, just to give it that extra kick.  And boy did it!  This was my favorite pizza yet. I  think I could even say It's a close tie between this and my favorite pesto pizza from our neighborhood pizzeria!  It seriously was that good.  I added a yellow pepper to it too, but you could easily skip it, or, if you are feeling really adventurous, you could caramelize some onions and use those!!  Once again, it's just a canvas, you can do what you want with it from here! There are a lot of steps in this process, but believe me, it's well worth it.... BUT, if you didn't want to go through all these steps,  you could easily cut some time by using purchased dough, rotisserie chicken, and purchased pizza sauce.

Grilled Spicy Chipotle Chicken Pizza

Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:

For dough-

1/2 cup warm water (about 110 degrees F.)

1 envelope (2 1/4 teaspoon) active dry yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

4 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting

2 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons honey

1 1/4 cup water, room temperature

For the pizza sauce-
Adapted from Life's Ambrosia

1 canned chipotle pepper and 1 Tablespoon adobo sauce (processed in a food processor until smooth)

1- 8oz can tomato sauce

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 fennel seed

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon sugar

For the pizza:

1-2 Grilled Chipotle Chicken Breasts, sliced or diced

1 roasted yellow pepper, diced

1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

To make the dough:  In a small bowl or measuring cup, proof the yeast by adding yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar to the warm water.  Mix and let stand for 5 minutes.  It should bubble and double in size, if not, throw it away and start with new yeast.

In a bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, salt, oil, and honey.  Add proofed yeast and water.  Mix until it all comes together.  If it's too wet, add more flour...to dry, add more water but only 1 tablespoon at a time.  Knead for 8 minutes.  You should have a smooth elastic dough that holds a ball shape but also starts to spread out when removed from the bowl.

Remove the dough from the bowl and rub with oil.  Place dough in oiled bowl and cover with plastic and a towel.  Let rise for 2 hours.  When dough has doubled in size, punch it down to deflate it. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.  Divide the dough into two equal pieces.  Form both into a smooth round, ball and cover with a damp towel.  Let the dough relax for at least 10 minutes but no longer then 30 minutes.   You can now either form both balls into your base or wrap in plastic and place in a Ziploc bag and store in the freezer for later use.

To make the sauce:  Add all ingredients to a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer for 10 minutes.  Set aside or let cool and store in sealed container in refrigerator for up to 3 days.  You may also freeze and store for up to 6 months.

To make the pizza:  Preheat your grill to medium low.  On a slightly floured surface, form dough (I made mine into sort of a large square, you might want to make two small round ones, though, it's up to you).  Brush one side with olive oil and then place a piece of aluminum foil sprayed with non-stick spray and brush the other side with oil. (you can skip the aluminum foil if you are more adventurous then me and put it directly on the grill grates)  Place aluminum foil with dough onto the grill grates.  Let cook for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown, rotating half way through.  Remove from grill and turn the dough around.  Place your sauce on the cooked side and top with chicken, peppers, and cheese.  Place back on the grill until crust is cooked through and the cheese is melted and bubbly, another 3-5 minutes.  Remove from grill and enjoy!!

***To bake:  Preheat oven to 500 degrees, place a pizza stone on the lower third of the oven and heat for at least 15 minutes.  Form dough and add toppings.  Bake for 8 to 12 minutes or until the dough is baked through.***

The Easiest Sugar Cookies Ever....But first some important news!

I hate to take the focus away from these wonderful cookies, but it's got to be done:  I GOT IT I GOT IT I GOT IT!!!!  WOOHOO My smoker arrived yesterday!!!  I can't tell you all how excited I am to start using it.  I know it won't be possible until the weekend, so I must practice even MORE patience, but I figure it might take me that long to figure it all out anyway....and to figure out what will be the first piece of meat to go in there.  Wanna see it, wanna see it????  You know you want to:

Isn't it kick ass???  I have to send another HUGE thanks to Chris at Nibble Me This for hosting such a great giveaway... I hope you are prepared to have me ask you a ton of questions :)  And of course, thanks to Masterbuilt for allowing Chris to give such a great product away!!

Ok, Ok... NOW we can talk about cookies:

Sugar cookies were not my favorites growing up.  I mean when you had chocolate chip cookies or peanut butter cookies to choose from, sugar cookies were just not on the top of my list.  When I did have a sugar cookie, I was always disappointed.  They usually had a great buttery flavor, but they were also always on the dry side.  Blah!  Not what I want in a cookie.  The first time I actually made sugar cookies, I realized why I never made them before.  First, I did not have a stand mixer and mixing those cookies together tended to seem so much more difficult then any other cookie batter.  And then there was the process of rolling the dough out...and cutting it with cookie cutters...and then finally the cooking process.  And THEN...because they were so dry, you had to frost them.  I mean it was an all day thing for dry cookies.  Really not my style.  So when I saw this post on Andrea's site, I had to give these a shot.  Andrea claimed that these sugar cookies were moist and buttery and wonderfully easy....and she was spot on in that claim!  I was actually going to frost these, but alas, they really did not need it at all.  They were perfect as is.  Now, I'll admit, I rolled them in sugar before baking and that helped, but they were perfect nonetheless!

The Easiest Sugar Cookies Ever
Recipe courtesy of Andrea The Kitchen Witch
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup white sugar
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
2 egg yolks
3 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup white sugar

Directions:
Cream the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes on medium speed.

Scrape down the sides and add the vanilla.  Mix until incorporated.  Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well between each addition and scraping sides of bowl and paddle after each addition.

Mix the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt together in a bowl.  Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, scraping down the sides after each addition.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Scoop balls of dough and roll into sugar, coating all sides.  Place balls of dough on cookie sheet and bake for 11 minutes or until just set.  You do not want these to brown, brown means they will not be soft and chewy in the middle.  Let cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes and then move to wire rack to finish cooling.  Enjoy!

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce with Chicken over Penne

I've been on a huge roasted red pepper kick lately.  Main reason is because I do so love roasted red peppers, but also, because I actually bought a jar of roasted red peppers and wanted to make sure I utilized every single one of them.  I normally would roast my own peppers, but sometimes, just sometimes, I do like the ease of certain things and jarred roasted peppers definitely makes things easy.

So when I was a kid there were really only a few types of sauces we put on our pasta....homemade, Ragu, and roast gravy (oh, yes, brown gravy you make with your roast tastes wonderful on pasta, TRUST me!!!).  As I grew older, I realized that there was so much more to pasta then the basic marinara/tomato sauce.  One of my favorites that I've stumbled across is roasted red pepper sauce.  It's got a wonderful flavor that's close enough to regular sauce but different enough that it makes you go...mmmmmm, yeah, I like that!!!

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce with Chicken over Penne Pasta
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into strips or bite size chunks
1 box whole grain penne pasta
I cup jarred roasted red pepper
1 cup chicken broth
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain.

In a food processor, add the red pepper, chicken broth, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and tomato paste.  Pulse until combined.  Pour into a sauce pan and cook over medium heat until just heated through.  Add the chicken and the basil.  Serve over pasta and enjoy!

Basic White Bread

First, I have to say happy anniversary to my parents.  They are celebrating their 42nd anniversary today.  I know my mom and dad have had their share of problems, but they have stuck together for all these years and I have learned so much about love through them.  I wish I could be there to help them celebrate, but the least I could do is publicly wish them a fantastic day!  So, Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad.... I love you and miss you terribly!!

Now, onto the recipe:  I like to bake, but I cannot really say I love it.  I don't like the fact that you have to be so dang precise on the measurements.  I learned that the hard way when I was younger.  I decided to make southern style biscuits one time for my family.  I thought it would be easy and I could impress not only my family, but my sister's boyfriend at the time.  I thought he was a pretty cool guy...at the time that is... I can hands down say that my brother-in-law beats them all :)  But I digress, the biscuits turned out to be little hockey pucks.  I couldn't figure out what went wrong, but the older I got and the more I found out about baking, I realize I did not follow the directions exactly...hence, biscuits that never rose.

I spoke of my fear of baking bread to Andrea The Kitchen Witch and she said she had a basic white bread recipe she thought I should try.  Bless that girls heart, she not only shared the recipe with me AND gave me step by step pictures and instructions, but she also agreed to let me blog about it!!  Thank you so much, Andrea...I am forever grateful to you for helping me over come a fear and so very honored that you would let me share this recipe with my readers!

My dad makes a fantastic sausage bread and I have never been able to duplicate it.  Ok, I have duplicated, but not as well.  My dad can get at least two loafs from a recipe and I kept up ending with just one.  I believe it was because I was not patient enough.  My reasoning behind trying this step by step instructed recipe was to perfect my dad's..... And maybe he'll even allow me to share that one with you too!!

Anyway, I am proud of the outcome...it was the perfect size loaf and the perfect texture.  I could not have asked for a better loaf of bread!!  YAY!!!!  Thanks again Andrea!!

Basic White Bread
Recipe courtesy of Andrea The Kitchen Witch
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
500 g King Arthur Bread Flour  (about 4-5 cups)
2 Tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons kosher salt (I use a palmful, its about 2t, too little salt & the bread will just taste pasty, so don't be afraid of it!)
5 teaspoons sugar, divided
about 2 cups water total

Directions:

In a small bowl proof the yeast by adding yeast, 1 t sugar and 1/2 cup warm (110 degrees) water.  Mix it up as best as you can, lumps are OK, and let it sit for 5 min.  It should bubble and double in size - if it doesn't then throw it away & try again with new yeast.

In the work bowl of your stand mixer combine the flour, remaining 4t of sugar, butter and salt.  Add proofed yeast and 1 cup water.  Mix until it comes together.  If there is a lot of dry flour add a little more water, about 1T at a time, until it starts to come together.  Its gonna knead for 8 min or so, so this will also give the flour time to hydrate.  Its better to have too little water than too much, so start light & add as you need.  Knead on medium speed for 8 minutes.  You should have a smooth elastic dough that holds a ball shape but also starts to spread out when removed from the bowl.

Put the kneaded dough in a oiled bowl, cover with plastic and a towel.  Let double in size.

Punch down dough and kneed it by hand a little to redistribute the yeast.  Allow it to rise again and double in size.

Once the 2nd rise has been done punch the dough down and press it into a rough rectangle shape.  TIGHTLY roll the dough into a log shape, keeping the top taught so you get a nice crust.  Put it in a sprayed loaf pan or free form it on a sheet pan.

Allow to double in size again, once nice & puffed put into a 385 oven.  Spray the top of the bread with water liberally.  Spray the bread with water every 10 minutes until bread is done.  The water hydrates the dough and causes the surface gluten to gelatainze which in turn builds a nice crusty brown crust.  You will have the brownest most beautiful bread when sprayed with plain water, something that a butter baste could never do!

Bake bread about 30-40 min or until crust is golden browned.  I usually pop the bread out of the pan to see if the bottom is browned too.  If its not, bake it another 10 min.  Once the sides are browned remove from oven & allow to cool.  Eat and enjoy!

Honey and Spiced Grilled Chicken

Happy Labor Day!!!

It's hard to believe that schools have all started back and today marks the end of summer for almost everyone.  We are still having temperatures in the high 90's to low 100's...so it's still very summer here and I don't mind it at all... I get to keep grilling!  Ok, ok, so I'm fortunate enough to live in a state where I can grill all year around very easily.  Oh sure, my family could grill all year around too, but they'd have to shovel a path in the snow to get to the grill!  (P.S...I'm still SOOO excited about getting my smoker..where the heck is it?  I've been patient for a whole entire week now!! lol  ok, ok...get a grip Jenn....)  The nice thing about this recipe, you don't HAVE to grill it.  This chicken can easily be baked or better yet, pan seared and finished off in the oven.

Oh, yes, I should talk about the chicken, shouldn't I?  Well, ok... so the chicken was delicious!  It had the perfect combination of sweet and spicy and sticky.  I bet it would be even better had I used skin-on chicken breasts.  The honey mixture would have just made that skin all crispy and good and yummy..... mmmmmmmmmm, yes, next time I will do it that way!  This one is definitely one you are going to want to try.

Honey and Spiced Grilled Chicken

Adapted from Food & Wine
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
1/4 cup honey
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper

Directions:
In a small bowl, mix together all ingredients except the chicken.  Place the chicken in a resealable bag and pour 2 tablespoons of the glaze over it.  Let marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.  You can the other half of the glaze sitting at room temperature.

Preheat your grill to medium.  Oil the grates.  Place the chicken directly on the grates over the heat and grill for about 5-8 minutes per side or until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle, all the while, basting the chicken with the rest of the glaze.  Remove from grill and enjoy!

Terrific Man Tacos...Carne Asada Style

Well, here they are everyone:  TERRIFIC MAN TACOS!!!  YAY!!  I believe Eddie would be proud of me!  They turned out really good, if I do say so myself (which I just did).  I will admit that the tacos Eddie made were a tad bit better then mine, but I chalk that up to this being my first shot at them. (In case someone is just now joining this journey and you have no clue who Eddie is or what the heck terrific man tacos are...check out my post regarding our trip to Oklahoma here. )

The last thing Eddie said to me regarding these tacos was that the mango salsa is what made them over the top good.  I would have to agree.  I made my salsa a bit differently then Eddie's, but the main components are the same.  I got a really nice, ripe mango (no, Andrea, it wasn't wrinkled, but it was WAY soft) which was lusciously sweet and juicy.  I did mangle the hell out of it trying to cut it, but that's ok...I can honestly say it was my first time cutting a mango and I think I did pretty well!

So, how did these tasty little treats get their name?  Well, long story short...the Canterbury brothers were having a discussion...what they were discussing really isn't important....so let's just say they were having some manly man talk and Josh (the youngest of the 4) made the comment..."I'm a terrific man"...and well, that statement just sort of stuck.  Soon, everything became "terrific man" something or other.  Hence, terrific man tacos!  It's always good to know the origin of what you are about to put in your mouth!

I made these tacos carne asada style...when Eddie made them, he used chicken.  You can use any meat you want...or do it the "Dolores" way and keep it vegetarian style.  No matter how you build them, you must do these on the grill.  I think a charcoal grill would work the best as the fire is much hotter and it's more direct in more places.  My tacos did not get as much color as Eddie's, but they were still nice and crispy. I normally am not a fan of corn tortillas, but when you grill them they get this wonderful "fried" texture that you completely forget what you are eating.

This recipe might look daunting, there are a lot of steps, but I promise you, it's well worth it.  So, go ahead, add these to your labor day grill out, you will not be disappointed!

Terrific Man Tacos
Adapted from Eddie Canterbury
This recipe makes 8 tacos

Ingredients:

Marinade-

2 Tablespoons Tequila

2 Tablespoons oil

2 Tablespoons lime juice

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

For the tacos- 

1/2 lbs Flat Iron steak

8 small corn tortillas

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1/4 - 1/2 cup refried beans with chili and lime (just depends on how much you like refried beans)

1 avocado, sliced

queso fresco cheese (about 2-4 oz)

shredded Mexican cheese blend (I used about 1/2 cup or more, just depends on how cheesy you want them)

Mango Salsa-
4-5 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 jalapeno, diced
1-2 Tablespoons diced sweet onion
1 clove garlic, finely minced
Cilantro (how much you use is up to you)
1/2 lime, juiced
1 mango, cut into chunks (here's a how to in case you are like me and have never cut one before!)
salt and pepper


Directions:
Mix all the marinade ingredients together.  Place the steak in a resealable bag and pour the marinade over it.  Seal the bag and let marinate in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.

While the steak is marinating, make the salsa.  Mix all ingredients together.  Season with salt and pepper.  Leave in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Preheat your grill to medium.  Remove steak from bag and discard marinade.  Cook for 4-8 minutes per side.  Remove from grill and let rest for 5-10 minutes.  Slice into thin strips.

To assemble the tacos:  Brush each tortilla with oil on both sides.  Spread refried beans onto tortilla.

Place two (or more if you want) slices of avocado on one half of the tortilla.

Place steak on top of the avocado.

 

Crumble queso fresco cheese over the steak.

Now cover the whole tortilla with the shredded cheese.  Do not fold at this time, leave them flat.

Set your grill to medium high.  Place the tortillas directly on the grill grates and let cook for a minutes or two.  When the tortilla becomes flexible, carefully fold up the cheese only side of the tortilla to create your taco (I used tongs and a spatula to do this).  Continue to cook the tacos, turning at least once, until browned and crispy.  Remove from grill and serve with mango salsa....ENJOY!

Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Roasted Pepper and Goat Cheese Spread

I don't make a lot of sandwiches for dinner, but when I saw this recipe, I thought to myself, you need to change that little habit, Miss Jenn.  I mean what's wrong with a good sandwich for dinner every now and again?  They aren't just for lunches, you know :)  I guess with all the other wonderful recipes I want to try, I forget about the simplicity and deliciousness of a sandwich.  For me, what made this sandwich, was the roasted pepper and goat cheese spread.  It was wonderful!  I had some left over, so the next night I mixed it with a little sour cream and used it as a sauce with some grilled fish.  It was FABULOUS!!!  Anyway, the marinade for the chicken is scrumptious too.  You could easily cut out all the fixin's for this sandwich and just grill (or bake) the chicken.  Serve it with a nice salad and you have a wonderfully light summer meal!

Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Roasted Pepper and Goat Cheese Spread
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens, Gillin' & Chillin' cookbook
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon snipped fresh rosemary
2 cloves of garlic, minced
salt and pepper
4 ciabatta rolls
1/4 cup roasted red sweet peppers, reserving 1 teaspoon of liquid
4 oz. soft goat cheese
1 teaspoons snipped fresh rosemary
lettuce
tomato, thinly sliced

Directions:
Place the chicken in a resealable bag set in a shallow dish.  For marinade, combine vinegar, oil, 1 Tbls rosemary, and garlic. Pour over chicken; seal bag.  Marinate in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours, turning occasionally.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine roasted pepper, reserved liquid, goat cheese, and 1 tsp rosemary.  Pulse until smooth.  Store in refrigerator until ready to use.

Drain chicken, discarding marinade.  Preheat your grill to medium.  Place chicken on the grill rack and cover.  Grill for 9-11 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle (170 degrees F), turning once, half way through cooking.

To serve, (I toasted our ciabatta rolls on the grill) spread the goat cheese mixture on both sides of the roll, top with chicken, lettuce, and tomato.  Enjoy!

 

Stuffed Pork Chops

I have to give a HUGE thanks to Chef Dennis (More Than A Mount Full) for the inspiration to this dish.  He was kind enough to take some time and explain to me a dish he used to make when he worked in a restaurant.  It sounded so wonderful, I couldn't wait to put it into a real meal!  I made these right before we left for our trip, but just didn't have the time to blog about it.  I thought they came out really well, though I should have asked a few more questions of Dennis, like his preferred bread choice.  Chef Dennis said they used to stuff their pork chops with a bread and sweet sausage stuffing...I didn't ask what type of bread, so I went with corn bread.. I like corn bread stuffing and thought it would work well with the pork.  Chris said it had too much of a "Thanksgiving stuffing" taste....which would make sense, since I make a similar stuffing at Thanksgiving.  Due to that, he was not as pleased with the pork chop as I was.  Don't get me wrong, he loved the look and the flavor of the pork itself, it was the stuffing that did not set well with him.  I actually hesitated posting this recipe as I think I could have made it better, but this is my journey, right?  All things on the journey cannot be perfect....all this means is I'll be doing a Stuff Pork Chop Redux post in the future!

Thanks again Chef Dennis!  And, by the way, if you haven't visited Chef Dennis' site, More Than A Mount Full, I highly recommend checking it out....talk about some amazingly good recipes using the freshest ingredients possible.  My mouth waters every time I go to his site!!

And one more thing...my instructions may not be all that clear, so if you have any questions (if you choose to make this), please do not hesitate to ask!

Stuffed Pork Chops
Inspired by Chef Dennis
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
5 oz sweet Italian sausage (casing removed)
1 cup crumbled up cornbread
1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, snipped or finely chopped
2 6oz boneless butterfly pork loin chops
4 Tablespoons all purpose flour
salt and pepper
1 egg, beaten and mixed with 1 Tablespoon water
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:
In a small pan, cook the sausage over medium heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, for 2-3 minutes or until the sausage is no longer pink.  Let cool.  Mix the cooled sausage with the cornbread, cheese, and rosemary.  Set aside.

Split the pork down the side using a sharp knife, but not cut all the way through, you basically want to butterfly the pork.  Pound the pork as as thin as you can without tearing the meat.  Stuff the pork and seal the edges together with just a tad bit of water and egg mix.  Season the pork with salt and pepper and let rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a shallow dish add the flour and season with salt and pepper.  In another dish have your egg ready.  And yet in another dish, add the seasoned bread crumbs.  Dip the pork in the flour and shake off any excess.  Now dip it into the egg wash and then into the bread crumbs, pressing down to make sure the pork is nicely coated.  Let the meat rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.

In a skillet over medium high heat, add the oil.  Brown all sides of the pork then transfer to a baking dish.  Finish cooking the pork in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes.  Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!