TJ's Yummy Salad!

Courtesy, Chef TJ McLain

(3 servings)

Ingredients:

Mixed salad greens (lettuce stuff) several large handfuls
Beef steak strips from premiere selections (it's at Costco but its just yummy spiced beef thin strips): a big handful
Smashed up dry ramen (very fun!) one package, no flavoring
Bacon, 6 strips (2 each)
Feta cheese, small handful
Chopped almonds, a handful
Cranberries, just a sprinkling
Green onions 4 or 5 of the stock or heads or whatever you call them.
And one apple, chopped up into chunks. Fairly small.

I put it in a pot with the lid and shook everything all up, so all the flavors get mixed up together.

Toppings:
Dribble with extra virgin olive oil, and some balsamic vinegar.
Or put with pepper
Or leave it alone
(all three are good.)

IDEAS!
So we thought maybe replace the beef with smoked salmon.
Or replace the apples with Satsumas or oranges.
Ooh ooh! Pears would be good too!

Hearty Beef & Parmesian Bread

Bread dough: load into the bread machine:
2½ tsp yeast
4 cups bread flour
2 TBSP sugar
1 1/3 TBSP gluten
2 tsp salt
2 TBSP butter, in pieces
1 1/3 cups whole milk (adjust to make sure the dough is not too solid)

Load it all into the bread machine, set it on “dough” and fire it off.

While the dough is mixing, get out a large frying pan and fry until tender:
2 TBSP butter
5 cloves garlic, chopped
½ cup sweet onion, chopped
with salt & pepper to taste.

While that’s frying, prepare and mix together in a large bowl:
1 pound red meat. I used stew beef; any better cut is obviously acceptable. Cut it into 1” cubes and drain well.
1 pinch salt just to open the beef up for the rest of the seasonings:
½ TBSP Italian seasoning
¼ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
½ tsp dried minced red peppers (“pizza peppers”)

Work quickly: the meat mixture must be done and cooled to room temperature by the time the bread machine beeps at you.

When the onions & garlic are nicely transparent, add the spiced meat mixture. (You must pause to enjoy the sizzle!) Brown the meat thoroughly on all sides.

While the meat is browning is a good time to prepare the bread pans. This bread won’t rise very high, so I use pie pans, which I grease well, and flour with rye flour.

When the meat is well browned (it will be nearly done), add:
1 tsp beef bouillon paste
¾ cup boiling water

Bring quickly to a boil. Leave uncovered and let it boil, stirring regularly. When it’s tender and the liquid is reduced by about ¾, remove the meat, leaving the liquid with the garlic & onions in the frying pan over a medium-to-low flame to reduce even further, until it’s like thickish gravy.

Chop or shred the meat into small pieces, much larger than “ground beef”; use a food processor if you like to make quick work of it. Place in a large bowl. Mix the hot meat, the hot liquid from cooking the meat with:

¾ cup frozen, shredded parmesan cheese

to cool the mixture, which should be room temperature or a tiny bit warmer when you’re done.

When the machine is almost done with mixing the ingredients, it will beep, signaling that it’s time to add the final ingredients: add the meat mixture at this point. The bread machine may need help mixing in this many ingredients into the bread dough.

Let the machine finish mixing the dough, and let it raise once in the bread machine. Turn it onto a well-floured cutting board, divide into portions (I made one large piece and several smaller ones). Add topping. Let them raise again until they’ve doubled, typically about 40 minutes.

Topping:
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
½ tsp Italian seasoning

Toss lightly together, spread generously over the loaves before baking.

Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 375°. Bake 15 or 20 minutes until golden brown. Serve hot with lots of butter. Works well as “Shred Bread”, or bread which is not sliced, but everyone at the dinner table tears off a chunk for themselves.

Roast Beef with Barley

1 hunk of beef: 2 to 3 pounds.

6 or ten cloves of garlic, minced.

1 medium size sweet onion, minced.

14 oz beef broth

half a cup of barley

salt & pepper (to taste)

olive oil

spread a light coating of olive oil on the roast and salt & pepper fairly heavily. The oil keeps the seasoning attached. Season both sides. Sear both sides in a medium hot cast iron frypan. Remove from the pan and set it aside.

Fry the garlic and onion in the frypan with the beef drippings, until transparent and tender. Add the beef broth and heat to boiling.

While that’s heating, pour the barley into the bottom of your crock pot / slow cooker, and set the roast on top, cutting it in half if needed. When the broth with onions/garlic is hot, add to the crock pot. Turn the crock pot on high.

Cook for 3 hours, or until both barley and beef are done through.

Enjoy! Expect leftovers.

Bread Machine Pizza Bread

Into the bread machine, in this order

1½ tsp yeast
3½ cups unbleached white flour
1½ TBSP sugar
1/2 tsp salt or seasoned salt
2 TBSP butter
1½ TBSP powered nonfat dry milk
1 package dried spaghetti sauce mix
1 1/3 cups tepid water.
1½ TBSP grilled sweet onion, chopped
1½ TBSP fresh sweet onion, chopped
2 TBSP chopped olives
1 TBSP basil pesto

When the machine beeps to say, “Last call for adding ingredients!”, then add:
2 TBSP fresh sweet onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, roasted & chopped
4 TBSP chopped olives. Might have been more.
1 TBSP basil pesto
½ cup chopped bacon (I used the pre-packaged type)
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese.

Set the bread machine on "dough". When it's done, turn it out onto a floured cutting board or counter top. Cut to 4 or so pieces, shape, and bake until it's done.

Slice. Toast. Butter. Enjoy.

"Shelli's" Yummy Pesto

"Shelli's" Yummy Pesto

Well, a few of you have asked for "my" pesto recipe... but, unfortunately, I can't take full credit for this one, not at all. My sweet friend, Lisa Johnson, deserves all the glory for this fantastic blend of basil and lip-smacking, mouth-ahhing pleasure.

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
3/4 cup parmesan cheese (I use the bagged, grated/ shredded kind)
1/2- 3/4 cup olive oil (I stick closer to 1/2)
1-2 cloves of garlic (Uh, make that at least 5 or 6 for me!)
2 T pine nuts or walnuts (I use 2-3T of BOTH!)
salt to taste

Process till smooth. Spread on bread, use for pizza sauce, or, my favorite (straight from Germany!!), stir into a pot of (whole wheat) spaghetti, mixed with halved cherry tomatoes and fresh mozzarella chunks, along with the juice of one lemon (include the lemon chopped into tiny pieces for some real zing!) and several fresh chopped basil leaves. MmmmMmmm, good!

Variations:
1. Add sun-dried tomatoes, plus one small fresh one, for a nice red pesto.
2. Add onions for some extra spice... or hot peppers!
3. Experiment, experiment, experiment... and share your great ideas with this crazy pesto freak!!!!!

Crunchy Cracked Wheat Bread

Into the bread machine:

1½ tsp active dry yeast
1½ cup whole wheat flour
2 cups unbleached multipurpose flour (or bread flour)
1 tsp salt
¾ cup cracked wheat*
2 whole eggs, large
4 TBSP honey
3 TBSP olive oil
1 cup water*

* combine the cracked wheat and the water about an hour before starting the bread for a softer bread.

(Yeast goes in first, flour second. After that, the sequence is not important. The goal is to keep the yeast dry until everything starts mixing.)

Granola Cashew Bread

Into the bread machine, in this order:

1½ tsp yeast
1 cup granola: the heavier the better; homemade is always best
¾ cup salted cashews, roughly chopped
½ cup dates, roughly chopped
1 TBSP wheat germ
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 TBSP gluten
2 cups unbleached bread flour
1½ tsp sugar

2 TBSP butter, in pieces
1 tsp salt
2 TBSP powdered milk
1-1/3 cup filtered water, room temperature

Load it all into the bread machine. Set the baking level on “dark” and fire it up. Pretty darned good. This is really great tasted with lots of butter, or with cinnamon & sugar.

Barbecued Corn on the Cob

Buy fresh ears of corn. Bodacious is best. Soak them in water for 30 minutes.

Stick them on a fairly hot barbecue. Turn them every so often. Pull them out when the outside is dark, beginning to be burned.

Serve with napkins! Peel the corn at the table. Add butter and/or salt if you like. Enjoy!

Inspired by Daniel Katzenmaier.

Balsamic Basil Blast Steak Marinade

From the quintessentially effervescent Sue McLain

1/4 cup olive oil
1 TBSP dijon mustard. (I used Grey Poupon)
1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
1-2 TBSP fresh Basil/Cinnamon Basil, chopped
2 Large garlic cloves, minced
1 TBSP red onion, minced
Sea Salt
Ground Pepper (I used mixed red, white and black pepper corns)

1 1/2 lbs Sirloin Tip Steak
Mix ingredients and pour over steak
Let marinade 4-5 hours
Barbecue the steak slowly.
Enjoy the steak.

Raisin Flaxseed rolls

Add, in order, to the bread machine bowl:

1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup flax seeds
2 cups white bread flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 TBSP white sugar
2 TBSP butter (margarine will do if you must!)
2 TBSP dry milk powder
(or eliminate milk powder and substitute milk for water)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

load it all in the bread machine bowl, in sequence, set the machine for "dough" and press "go!" I usually hold back a bit of the water until every thing else has mixed, adding a little bit of the remainder at a time until the dough is firm but soft.

While the bread machine is producing dough for you, measure and set aside:
1 1/2 cups raisins.

Most bread machines will mix the ingredients, let the bread raise for a while, then mix some more, and let it raise again. Four minutes before the end of the last real mixing time, add the dates. Let the bread finish mixing and let it raise a little.

Remove the bread from the machine before it's finished raising. Cut it into small pieces and shape as desired. There's room for a great deal of creativity here. I spread the bread on a floured cutting board, until it was about 1/2" thick, and used a wide-mouth canning jar to cut 3" circles: I was aiming for a "Australian toaster biscuit" kind of vibe.

Place the rolls in a warm place to raise again; it will probably need to be noticeably warmer than room temperature.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake at 350 for 20 or 22 minutes until the inside is completely cooked (I don't know how long. I tried to cook it in the bread machine. It didn't work). Cool on a cooling rack.

These are good hot (either fresh from the oven, or sliced and toasted) and buttered.

Barbecued Veggies

Potatoes

Take a couple of pounds of small red potatoes and quarter them lengthwise. Drop them into boiling, salted water and cook them partway – maybe to the point where they’re halfway done.

Remove from the hot water, rinse in cold water (to keep them from over-cooking) and dry them. Spread them on a baking sheet. Preheat your barbecue at this point.

Spray lightly with olive oil and season fairly heavily with seasoning salt and fresh ground pepper.

Put them on the barbecue, in a part of the barbecue that is not overly hot; medium heat is fine. Cook for a total of about 10 – 15 minutes, turning once in the meantime. Use coals or add some fruitwood to a gas barbecue for extra flavor. They’re ideal if they have some good brown color on the outside, but the inside is not overly soft.

Onions

Use sweet onions if possible. Peel and slice thick, at least ¼”. Spray lightly with olive oil and season modestly with seasoning salt and fresh ground pepper.

Put them on the barbecue, in a part of the barbecue that is not overly hot; medium heat is fine. Cook for a total of about 10 – 15 minutes, turning once in the meantime. Use coals or add some fruitwood to a gas barbecue for extra flavor. Do not over-cook. They’re ideal when they’re al dente like good pasta: just a bit of firmness to the bite.

Bell Peppers

Quarter the peppers lengthwise; remove all the seeds. Wash in cold water.

Put them on the barbecue, in a part of the barbecue that is not overly hot; medium heat is fine. Cook for a total of about 10 – 15 minutes, turning once in the meantime. Use coals or add some fruitwood to a gas barbecue for extra flavor. Do not over-cook. They’re ideal when they’re al dente like good pasta: just a bit of firmness to the bite.

Zucchini

Use young zucchinis, before the seeds have developed. Do not peel; slice thick, at least ½”. Spray lightly with olive oil and season modestly with seasoning salt and fresh ground pepper.

Put them on the barbecue, in a part of the barbecue that is not overly hot; medium heat is fine. Cook for a total of about 10 – 15 minutes, turning once in the meantime. Use coals or add some fruitwood to a gas barbecue for extra flavor. Do not over-cook. They’re ideal when they’re al dente like good pasta: just a bit of firmness to the bite.


I love to barbecue veggies any time I'm barbecuing meat: it compliments the flavor of the meat, and allows us to do all the cooking outdoors so the kitchen stays cool on hot days. Besides, my family really enjoys barbecued veggies with our barbecued meat.

Thyme Oregano Bread

Into the bread machine, in this order:

1½ tsp yeast
½ cup sesame seeds
1½ whole wheat flour
2 cups unbleached white flour
1 TBSP millet
1½ TBSP sugar
1½ tsp salt
2 TBSP butter
2 TBSP powered nonfat dry milk
½ cup herb mix (see below)
1¼ cups tepid water; maybe a bit more.

Herb mix, makes ½ cup.
½ cup fresh thyme leaves, no stems
¼ cup fresh oregano leaves, no stems
¼ sun dried tomatoes, chopped small
½ head of garlic, roasted, paper removed
¼ tsp lemon juice
Chop this all up in a food processor until it’s more or less the consistence of a good tapenade.

Load it all into the bread machine. Set the baking level on “dark” and fire it up.

The first time I made it, I forgot to add the sugar until the machine was through with the first mix. Since the sun dried tomatoes I used were the dry kind (not the kind on olive oil), it could use the extra time to soak them, so I added sugar and started the cycle, on “quick”, from the start again.

I also used 1½ cup water, instead of 1¼, thinking the dried tomatoes would use the rest of it. Bad idea! It was a soupy dough and didn't raise properly.

However, the flavor was wonderful! Toasting brought out the best of the flavor, and some butter helped it even more. This will be a great bread recipe when I get the liquids right.

Barbecued Steak Stuffed with Thyme, Ginger & Bacon

Ingredients, per serving:

1 ten-ounce sirlion steak, thick cut. (Actually any boneless steak that is of sufficient quality for barbecue is fine.)
3 strips bacon, mostly cooked (still chewy)
1 TBSP red onion jelly
1 TBSP fresh thyme leaves, washed, chopped
2 tsp fresh ginger, finely shredded
1 ounce Mozarella cheese, sliced
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
While the barbecue is pre-heating at a high heat, slice through the steak, leaving one edge connected ("butterfly fillet"). Season with salt and pepper inside and outside.

Spread Red Onion Jelly thickly on one side of the steak. Layer the shredded ginger and chopped thyme over the jelly; then the bacon and cheese.

Close the steak, and press it firmly with a spatula to keep it closed.

Place on the hot barbecue, and immediately turn the barbecue to medium-low. Cook until done in the center (at least 140 degrees). Serve with fresh veggies, baked potato, and red ale or stout.

Comment: less thyme. More jelly (double it). More ginger, or a better way to capture its flavor. Consider other cheeses: white is right, but needs more zing: Parmesan-Reggiano? Asiago? Romano? Maybe Bleu? Add some garlic. Consider food processing herbs w/ garlic (coarsely) and maybe some lime juice.

Mint & Oregano Stuffed Pork Chops

Ingredients:

• 4 Large pork chops, filleted
• 8 Strips bacon, cooked, medium
• 4 TBSP fresh peppermint, washed, stemmed an, finely chopped
• 3 TBSP fresh oregano, washed, stemmed and chopped medium
• 4 tsp raspberry chipotle sauce
• 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• salt and fresh ground pepper

Directions:
Preheat the barbecue on high while you’re preparing the meat.

Since I used frozen pork chops, I defrosted them in the microwave while I fried the bacon in a cast iron pan and dry it in paper towels. When the chicken is thawed, slice them in half horizontally, like sandwich bread. Salt and pepper generously both inside and out.

Spread the jam on one side of the pork chop, inside. Spread chopped mint and oregano evenly on both sides of the inside of the pork chops. Then stuff ¼ cup parmesan cheese inside of the pork chop. Layer the bacon on top of the parmesan cheese. Close the pork chops, now stuffed with yummy things; press it tightly closed with a spatula to seal it shut.

Place the chops on the grille and immediately turn the flame down to medium. I recommend preparing a good salad while the meat cooks. It’ll be different on every barbecue, but I cooked the chicken about seven minutes on each side; it got a good sear on it and stayed moist. Make sure the chicken is completely cooked, of course.

Review: this was fairly flavorful, but not as tender as I’d like. I think I over-defrosted it, and over-cooked it on the BBQ: be careful with both of those. Mint jam would have been a good substitution, but these could have benefited from a little more zing in the filling as well: maybe add some lemon juice for tartness, or some cayenne or Tabasco for heat.

Barbecued Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:

• 4 Large chicken breasts, filleted
• 8 Strips bacon, cooked, medium
• 4 TBSP feta cheese, crumbled
• 3 TBSP fresh rosemary, washed, stemmed and chopped medium
• 4 tsp apricot preserves
• salt and fresh ground pepper

Directions:
Preheat the barbecue on high while you’re preparing the meat.

Since I used Costco frozen chicken breasts, I defrosted them in the microwave while I fried the bacon in a cast iron pan and dry it in paper towels. When the chicken is thawed, slice them in half horizontally, like sandwich bread. Salt and pepper generously both inside and out.

Spread the jam on one side of the chicken breast, inside. Spread chopped rosemary evenly on both sides of the inside of the chicken breasts. Then spread one TBSP of feta cheese on one side of the chicken breast. Layer the bacon on top of the feta cheese. Close the chicken breasts, now stuffed with yummy things; press it tightly closed with a spatula to seal it shut.

Place the chicken on the grille and immediately turn the flame down to medium. I recommend preparing a good salad while the chicken cooks. It’ll be different on every barbecue, but I cooked the chicken about seven minutes on each side; it got a good sear on it and stayed moist. Make sure the chicken is completely cooked, of course.

Serve with a quality micro-brewed amber ale. Enjoy with friends.

Review: This is now the best thing I've ever done with chicken breasts. Moist, tender, flavorful. And TJ made an amazing salad to go with it. It doesn't get much better than this!

Feta Oregano Burgers

Ingredients:

½ pound lean ground beef
¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh oregano
¼ tsp chili powder
1 tsp honey
salt and pepper to taste

Muck it all together: sorry, gotta use your hands for this. Yeah, it’s a mess, but it’s worth it.

Shape it into two patties and fry it in a good old fashioned cast iron skillet.

Serve on a whole wheat hamburger bun with the usual condimental accessories.

Serves two.

I love the mix of flavors in this. This is a small recipe: two modest, quarter-pound burgers, but the flavors really pop here. This is one time where dried oregano just won't do as a substitute for the fresh: it isn't a spice, it's an ingredient. I served this with fresh squeezed pink grapefruit juice and it was a big hit.

Roast Beast Hash

Serves one hungry guy, or two gentle ladies, though this is probably not really “lady food.”

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces of roast beef, sliced shoestring style.
• 1 medium potato, shredded with a coarse cheese shredder.
• ¼ yellow onion, thin sliced.
• 1 egg.

Spices:

• Salt & pepper, generously.
• Cajun spice mix.
• ¾ tsp dried oregano.
• ½ tsp dried basil.
• ¼ tsp dried garlic.
• 1½ tsp chipotle pepper sauce

Directions:

Slice it all up thin. Stir it up in a large mixing bowl. Add spices. Stir it up some more.

Pre-heat a good ol' cast iron frying pan. (Lesser frypans are acceptable if you don't have a well-seasoned black iron pan. Save up your nickels and get one at Goodwill for two bucks.)

Get the pan nice and hot; heat up a TBSP or so of olive oil, and add a little butter for flavor, and turn the heat down to medium. Pour in the whole concoction, and press it down firmly. Cover and let it cook until it’s medium brown on that side.

Flip it once, recover, and brown the opposite side.

When it’s done – and it should be one firm piece, like a large pancake – then add a bit of butter to the frying pan, and fry an egg to go on top of the hash.

This is pretty good if you don’t make bland. This needs to be kind of spicy. The egg on top is optional, but highly recommended.

Overloaded Pancakes

Ingredients (using “guy vocabulary):

• Some Krusteaz pancake mix.
• Some water.

Mix up the pancake mix – as much as you’d usually use – until it’s slightly runnier than usual.

• Some deli ham, thinly sliced and chopped pretty small. I like to use quite a bit. If I use the pre-packaged “thin sliced meat” then I use four or five slices per 5” pancake.
• Some cheese, either shredded or chopped small. I use a couple of ounces per pancake. And this is one place I really like the basic bargain-bin cheddar cheese.

Of course, you’re probably making several pancakes, so use a lot of meat and a lot of cheese. Yeah, I know that’s a lot of content, but trust me, it’s better that way.

• Butter to fry it in.
• Peanut butter (Come on! You don’t eat pancakes without peanut butter, do you?)
• Honey, heated until it’s runny. (Microwave it for a bit; don’t let it boil.) This is better than maple syrup, which is pretty much only flavored sugar water anyway. Unless you have the real thing!

Pre-heat a good ol' cast iron frypan. (Lesser frypans are acceptable if you don't have a well-seasoned black iron pan. Save up your nickels and get one at Goodwill for two bucks.) Put the butter in: when the butter sizzles, the pan’s hot enough.

While it’s heating, stir the meat and the cheese into the pancake with a big spoon. You can add more adulterations if you like.

You can go sweet:

• Some cinnamon and sugar.
• Or brown sugar.
• Or maybe some honey.
• A little nutmeg would add some “pop” to it.
• Maybe some pineapple, cut into small chunks. Don’t get carried away with this one; it’ll mess up the pancake.

Or you can go savory. If you’re going this route, it may pay off to fry the ham slices before adding them to the batter. These don’t do so well with the peanut butter, but I still like it with the honey.

• Some green onions.
• Some roasted garlic (this is one place where the roasting pays off big)
• Some dark chili powder.
  
• Crunchy bacon, fried & chopped
• Maybe some fresh thyme, chopped coarsely.
  

Pour the appropriate amount into the hot frypan or griddle. Let it cook like a more normal pancake without fiddling with it until it starts to smell done; you can’t count on the usual bubbles on the top with this. Flip it over, press it flat with the spatula, and let it cook until that side is done.

I like to sprinkle some of the “additional adulterations” on it right after I’ve flipped it: whatever else I’ve added, I put a little of that on top. I also love a fried egg on top, even with the honey. Serve it as your conscience lets you.

Works well with juice or even better with hot coffee.

Old Roastsputin

Ingredients:

• A big hunk of meat. I guess that it would translate to a four-pound chuck roast.
• 2 bottles Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout.
• Salt & pepper to taste.
  

Preparation:

Trim off the fat, all the fat.

Heat up your faithful cast iron frying pan on medium to medium-high heat. Sear both sides well.

Cooking, Plan A, slow cooker:

Pour one and a half bottles of Old Rasputin into a slow cooker that’s large enough for the roast to lay flat in. Let the brew heat up (set the slow cooker to “high”) while you’re searing the roast. Drink the half bottle that remains while working on it. Once the pot is hot, turn it to “low.”

Cook for a couple of hours on one side. Turn it over. Add veggies. Cook for two or three more hours. Pour out the brew it cooked in, and grieve its passing.

Cooking, Plan B, Dutch oven:

I use a cast iron Dutch oven, which means that I can heat it up on the stove top. As it begins to heat, pour one and a half bottles of Old Rasputin in. Let the brew heat up (set the slow cooker to “high”) while you’re searing the roast. Drink the half bottle that remains while working on it. Once the pot is hot, turn it to “low.”

Cook for a an hour at 325 degrees on one side. Baste every so often. Turn it over. Cook for another hour or two. Add veggies an hour before you’re done.

This deserves to be cooked until pretty well done. It should almost fall apart under your fork.

Pour out the brew it cooked in, and grieve its passing. What a sad thing to have to lose the Imperial Stout.

This makes a roast that has a remarkably complex flavor. My friend Alan makes this best, but this version is pretty darned good.

Strange Eggs in a Frame

Serves Two hungry guys, or four gentle ladies.

Ingredients:

• 2 slices bread. Homemade is best, of course.
  
• 1 or 2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
• Some onion, diced.
• A slice or two of bacon, fried and chopped into 3/8” chunks
• Save some bacon grease for frying garlic & onions
• 3 large eggs or four small ones.
• 1 TBSP Cajun spices (I like this one)
  
• 4 oz cheddar cheese (sharp is best), cubed and/or:
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Maybe some salsa to go on top.
  

Directions:

Fry up the garlic and onions on medium heat. Get out a mixing bowl and crack the eggs in it. Add the cooked, diced bacon. Add the spices and cheddar cheese. Stir it up some.

Pre-heat a good ol' cast iron frypan. (Lesser frypans are acceptable if you don't have a well-seasoned black iron pan. Save up your nickels and get one at Goodwill for two bucks.)

Set each piece of bread on a cutting board and cut the middle out with a large glass. Make a good sized hole. (I like to toast the round cutout, and eat it with PBJ while I'm cooking the rest.)

Grease the frypan with butter or bacon grease, put in the bread, and pour in half of the egg mixture into each open piece of bread. It should be more than enough to fill the hole; it'll probably overflow somewhat. This is a good thing.

Cover and let it cook like a pancake without fiddling with it until it starts to smell done. Flip it over, press it flat with the spatula (it may ooze the uncooked innards: this is a fine thing: if it gets out, it gets cooked), cover it again, and let it cook until that side is done. I like to sprinkle Parmesian cheese on it before I cover it on this side.

Serve with more Parmesan sprinkled on top, and maybe some salsa. Works well with juice or even better with hot coffee.

Chicken Breasts with bacon, apple & cheese

Per Person:
1 large Chicken Breast, thawed, butterfly filleted
2 strips bacon, cooked
2 slices of sharp apple, like Gravenstein peeled & sliced thinly (3/16”)
1 oz Irish cheddar cheese, sliced thin
2 TBSP shredded Parmesan cheese
salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

Fillet the chicken breast. Season inside and out with salt & pepper. Layer bacon, cheese & 1 slice of apple.

Close the chicken breast and place on an oiled sheet. Top with a slice of apple and parmesan cheese. Bake 18 – 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Pork Pot Roast in Cider

¼ lb fresh bacon, in pieces

1 pork roast (I use one about 2½ or 3 pounds). Trim off the fat, all the fat.
1 TBSP olive oil.
8 - 10 cloves garlic, peeled, halved

2 cups apple cider
1 TBSP beef stock concentrate or bouillon granules
¼ tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried rosemary leaves
1 tsp powdered mustard

Sauté the bacon in the bottom of a cast iron Dutch oven. When done and still soft, remove the bacon and set it aside. Add 1 or 2 TBSP olive oil. Keep the Dutch oven hot.

Season the pot roast on all sides with salt and pepper. Sear all sides. Add the garlic cloves to cook in and flavor the oil while the roast is searing.

While it is searing, combine: cider, beef bouillon, pepper, rosemary, mustard.

When the garlic is beginning to be browned, remove from the oil and set aside. This happens for me before the roast is completely seared.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

If you’re watching your fat content, pour off the bacon grease/oil mixture. When the roast is well browned on all sides, add the broth mixture. Bring it back to a boil and add the garlic and bacon that had been set aside earlier. When the broth is boiling again, cover the Dutch oven, and load it into the preheated oven for 70 minutes. I reach in with a spoon two or three times to ladle the liquid over the roast.

While the pot roast is simmering in the oven, prepare the veggies:

5 modest size potatoes, quartered lengthwise.
1 large yellow onion, in similar size large chunks
½ pound of small baby carrots, or five or six fresh carrots washed and cut into pieces.

1 parsnip, scrubbed, cut into pieces (optional)
Season all the veggies with salt and fresh ground pepper.

When the 70 minute timer goes off, add the veggies, and load it back into the oven, this time at 300 degrees, for another 40 minutes.

When you’re satisfied that the meat is done enough (I use a meat thermometer, looking for at least 155: it will cook a little more after removing it), pull the whole pot out of the oven. Pour the juices off into a frypan and make gravy out of them, but keep them separate from your wife’s portion of the meal. Serve while it’s hot.

Chicken Breast with Pepper Jelly, Fresh Rosemary & Bacon

Per Person:
1 large Chicken Breast, thawed, butterfly filleted
2 strips bacon, cooked
2 TBSP jalapeno pepper jelly
1 oz Irish cheddar cheese, sliced thin
2 TBSP shredded Parmesan cheese
1 sprig fresh rosemary, removed from the stem; I used the full leaves.
salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
1 TBSP honey

Fillet the chicken breast. Season inside and out with salt & pepper. Layer bacon & cheese on one side. Spread rosemary leaves over cheese. Spread jalapeno jelly over the other side.

Close the chicken breast and place on an oiled sheet. Top with a mixture of parmesan and honey. Bake 18 – 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve with a brown ale.

Review: I was actually surprised at how good this was. The spiciness of the pepper jelly was tempered by the sweetness of the honey, which was itself tempered by the baked parmesan cheese. The honey and jelly both served to keep the chicken and the bacon tender. The Rosemary peeked out from under the rest of the flavors.

Low Fat Pot Roast

Ingredients:
1 beef roast (I use one about 2½ or 3 pounds). Trim off the fat, all the fat.
1 TBSP olive oil.

Season the pot roast both sides with salt and pepper. Sear all sides in a cast iron dutch oven. While it is searing, combine:
1 cup chicken broth (yes, chicken).
1 TBSP dried basil leaves
1 TBSP Worchestershire sauce
5 cloves garlic, peeled, whole

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees.

When the roast is well browned on all sides, add the broth mixture. Bring it back to a boil. When the broth is boiling, cover the dutch oven, and load it into the oven for 90 minutes. I reach in with a ladle two or three times to ladle the liquid over the roast.

While the pot roast is simmering in the oven, prepare the veggies:

5 modest size potatoes, quartered lengthwise.
1 large yellow onion, in similar size large chunks
½ pound of small baby carrots
Season all the veggies with salt and fresh ground pepper.

When the 90 minute timer goes off, add the veggies, and load it back into the oven, this time at 275 degrees, for another 90 minutes.

When you’re satisfied that the meat is done enough, pull the whole roast out of the oven. Pour the juices off into a frypan and make gravy out of them, but keep them separate from your wife’s portion of the meal. Serve while it’s hot.

BBQ Chicken with onion Sandwich

1 frozen chicken breast
2 pieces toast
BBQ sauce (to taste)
Onion (to taste)
Parmesan Cheese (to taste)

Defrost chicken breast, 8 minutes give or take average size. On grill (or whatever) cook till done on the outside. Cut it in half (fillet) then cook with raw side facing down.

Once done put one half (or both but it's hard to fit your mouth around it with both) on toast. Spread BBQ sauce on both slices, or you wont taste it depending on which end is up (I like to use thick 'n spicy brown sugar BBQ sauce) slice up onion, depending on how much you like onion, (me being obsessed with onion, I put a whole slice on it!). Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and put together.

And enjoy.

With this chicken I get a little more creative with spices but not a lot or it's to much.


Courtesy TJ McLain, a CreativeBug.

Chicken Caesar Sandwich

1 frozen chicken breast
1 Leaf of romaine lettuce
2 pieces toast
1 Caesar Dressing (to taste)
Parmesan cheese (to taste)

Defrost chicken breast, 8 minutes give or take average size. On grill (or whatever) cook till done on the outside. Cut it in half (fillet) then cook with raw side facing down.

Once the chicken breast is done, put one half (or both but it's hard to fit your mouth around it with both) on toast. Spread Caesar dressing on the other piece of toast. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Put your leaf (break it in half so it will fit) on the toast. Put the bread together and enjoy.

I like to spice my chicken with only salt and pepper. The dressing spices the sandwich well enough alone.

Courtesy TJ McLain, a CreativeBug.

Bacon Cheese & Apple Sandwiches

Start with some interesting buns. I love the Sausage Cheese Rolls for this, particularly in a long, thin shape. Think of the dimensions of a French Dip Sandwich.

Slice the sausage cheese roll lengthwise, and toast lightly (I use a toaster oven, as my rolls are too big for the toaster).

Cover one side in mayonnaise, the other in spicy brown mustard.

For each sandwich's filling:
2 strips of fresh bacon, cooked and drained
4 thin slices of apple *
2 slices of mild cheese . Mild cheddar is good. Gouda is gooder.

I put the cheese on one side and broil it for a couple of minutes to soften the cheddar. Gouda probably doesn't need that.

Assemble the sandwich. Serve with potato salad or fresh fruit. A good medium-bodied ale would go well with this.

* For the apple slices: core a whole apple. Peel the apple. Slice thin (1/8") so each slice has a hole in the center. I prefer Gala for this, but I've just discovered the new Jazz apple. That's an amazing apple, and would be glorious in this sandwich!

White Chicken Chili

2 cups diced onions
2 cups diced celery
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2-3 pounds chicken breast,

6 cups chicken broth**
1 bay leaf
1 (7-ounce) can chopped green chilies
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1/3 of a 7-ounce can chipotle in adobo, chopped
1 pickled jalapeno, chopped (or fresh if preferred)
1 pounds white beans, soaked overnight ***
1/2 cup ½ or heavy cream
8 ounces sour cream

8 oz shredded mozzarella

Sauté onion, celery, and garlic in oil until tender, about 5 minutes. In a large stockpot add chicken, water, bay leaf, chilies, oregano, cumin, dry mustard, basil, Old Bay, Cajun seasoning, chipotle, chicken base, and jalapeno and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Pull breasts out and shred with fork and add back into pot.

Add the drained beans and heavy cream and simmer for 1 hour, or until the beans are tender. Add sour cream either mixed in or a dollop in the middle of each serving.

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The FN chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results

***can substitute 5 cans of White Northern, or white beans drained in place of soaking beans overnight***

** reduce chicken broth to 2-3 cups if using canned beans***

My best batch was made with presoaked beans 8-10 hours, then everything (except cram and sour cream) into a crock-pot (after the sauté process) for eight hours. Add ½ & ½ just before serving…

Serve with tortillas and sliced avocado for a extra nice touch!

Courtesy Shelly Larsen. Shelly's an amazing cook and an amazing woman.

Sausage Cheese Rolls

Into the bread machine, in this order:
1½ tsp active dry yeast
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups white flour
2 TBSP white sugar
2 TBSP dry milk powder
2 TBSP butter
1¼ tsp salt
1⅓ cups water, lukewarm.

Set the bread machine on “dough” setting.

While the bread machine is producing dough for you, sauté and set aside:
4 pieces of bacon chopped into pieces
6-10 breakfast sausages, cut into 1/4" chunks.

also shred 1½ cups cheese. I like sharp cheddar, but medium cheddar will do.

Most bread machines will mix the ingredients, let the bread raise for a while, then mix some more, and let it raise again. Four minutes before the end of the last real mixing time, add the bacon, sausage and cheese. Let the bread finish mixing and let it raise a little.

Remove the bread from the machine before it's finished raising. Cut it into small pieces and shape as desired. There's room for a great deal of creativity here. I use some very small loaf pans, and some tiny pie pans from small chicken pot pies, shaping and sizing the bread for those. I also cover a cookie sheet in parchment paper and shape some basic roll shapes - suitable for hamburger buns later - for cooking there. I made some long strips of dough and braided it together for a fun long & narrow bun.

Place the rolls in a warm place to raise again; it will probably need to be noticeably warmer than room temperature.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake at 350 for 20 or 25 minutes until the inside is completely cooked. Cool on a cooling rack.

I love these fresh and hot out of the oven and slathered in butter. But I also like using them for hamburger buns, with bacon and cheese and fried onions.

This produces a hearty bread, slightly savory. It's more filling than I expected.

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