The Summer Bacon Cheeseburger

The Health Conscious Among you are probably going to kill me. As a disclaimer..let me say that it is not healthy to eat too much of this kind of food...But if you're like me...There is certainly no harm in eating a good Cheeseburger every now and then.....

Here is a nice recipe for what I call ,"The Summer Bacon Cheeseburger"
It has been my experience that people's favorite sauces were different takes on Thousand Island dressing (ketchup and mayo).

I once worked at Burger King and I grew to love this combo...When I can, I have it with every burger I eat.

INGREDIENTS:

Burgers:

• 30 ounce(s) ground sirloin
• 6 potato buns, cut in half
• 1 pound(s) applewood-smoked bacon
• 6 slice(s) American cheese
• 6 leaves iceberg lettuce
• 6 slice(s) tomato
• 6 slice(s) red onion
• 12 slice(s) pickle
• Canola oil
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup(s) Good Stuff Sauce (below this)

Good Stuff Sauce:

• 2 cup(s) Homemade Basic Mayonnaise (below)
• 2 tablespoon(s) ketchup
• 2 tablespoon(s) molasses
• 2 tablespoon(s) rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon(s) salt

Homemade Basic Mayonnaise:

• 2 large eggs
• 4 teaspoon(s) Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoon(s) white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon(s) sea salt
• 2 cup(s) grapeseed oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. To make Homemade Basic Mayonnaise: Add the eggs, mustard, vinegar, and salt to a food processor or blender. Process for 30 seconds in the food processor, or for 10 seconds in the blender. With the motor running, drizzle in the oil slowly at first, then add in a thin, steady stream until all the oil is added and the mixture is smooth. Stop the motor and taste. If the sauce is too thick, thin it with a little hot water. If too thin, process a little longer. The mayonnaise can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
2. To make Good Stuff Sauce: Add the mayonnaise, ketchup, molasses, vinegar, and salt to a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth. The sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
3. To make burgers: To make the patties, roll six 5-ounce sirloin balls and form each ball into a patty. Arrange on a tray, cover, and refrigerate. Line a plate with paper towels.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add just enough oil to cover the entire bottom. When the oil begins to smoke, add the bacon and cook until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon. Drain on the paper towels. Drain off the fat from the skillet, but do not wipe clean.
5. Reduce the heat to medium and place the patties into the same skillet. Season the patties with salt and pepper and cook for 3 minutes. Flip, and cook on the other side for 1 minute. Place 3 strips of bacon and 1 slice of the cheese on each patty and continue to cook 2 minutes more for medium-rare doneness. Cover with a lid for the last 30 seconds to melt the cheese.
6. Toast the buns. Set aside.
7. To assemble the burgers, place 1 patty on 1 toasted bun bottom. Top the patty with 1 lettuce leaf, 1 tomato slice, 1 onion slice, and 2 pickle slices. Dress with some of the sauce. Cover with the bun top. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Don't forget to wrap the sandwiches in waxed paper. Let rest for 2 to 3 minutes and serve.

Enjoy with a Coke or a Beer!

Spanish Pork with Apple Citrus Cider

I'm Telling You, read this blog long enough and you'll come across that one recipe that is truly extroidinary and above all others... Not saying that this is it....but I think it's close.. I fixed this myself the other day and it was delicious..

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon pimenton

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed

2 cups diced Granny Smith apple

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons apple juice

1/2 teaspoon grated lime rind

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced

Cooking spray

DIRECTIONS:

 

1. Combine first 4 ingredients. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Brush 1 tablespoon olive oil over pork, and sprinkle evenly with chili powder mixture. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature.

 

2. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

 

3.Combine remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, apple, and the next 6 ingredients (through jalapeño) in a medium bowl; toss.

 

4.Place pork on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 6 minutes on each side or until a thermometer registers 145°. Remove pork from grill; let stand 5 minutes. Slice pork crosswise; serve with salsa.

 

 

Enjoy!

Shrimp & Grits with Keilbasa

Before you all say I made this up....Take a look at the photo...It does exist... and if you lived in Nawlins....That's New Orleans, you'd recognize this as a local favorite....
Check out the technique-


INGREDIENTS:

     2 cups dry polenta

5 cups water

1 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 kielbasa sausage, chopped

3 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons red pepper flakes

1 pound uncooked shrimp - peeled, deveined, and tails removed

8 ounces shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Bring polenta, water, and salt to a boil in a saucepan; reduce heat to low and simmer until polenta is thickened, 10 to 15 minutes.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook kielbasa sausage until browned, 5 to 8 minutes; stir in garlic, rosemary, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Mix in shrimp and stir gently until shrimp are pink and no longer translucent inside, about 5 minutes.

Transfer shrimp mixture and any pan juices to a large serving bowl and stir grits into the mixture. Stir Cheddar cheese into the hot mixture until melted.

Fix this for breakfast the next time you have an overnight guest! (Hint Hint!)

Enjoy!

Spaghetti Carbonara with Green Peas.

It's summer and I love nice cool summer pasta dishes such as Spaghetti Carbonara with green peas..Of course you know how I feel about Italian food.. I can eat Pasta, even in the winter...This dish is one I can envision people eating outside on a deck, (provided you have one.)

A carbonara sauce always has eggs, bacon (usually pancetta) and Parmesan or pecorino cheese; some versions contain heavy cream, others do not.

Special thanks To Top Chef contestants Elia Aboumrad and Sam Talbot  for this recipe.

Top Chef contestants Elia Aboumrad and Sam Talbot made their decadent sauce with plenty of cream; to add color and freshness they also added a less conventional ingredient—a handful of green peas. made their decadent sauce with plenty of cream; to add color and freshness they also added a less conventional ingredient—a handful of green peas.

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2. 2 large garlic cloves, lightly crushed
3. 6 ounces pancetta, sliced 1/3 inch thick and cut into 1-inch matchsticks
4. 3/4 cup heavy cream
5. 3 large egg yolks
6. 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
7. Salt
8. 3/4 cup fresh or thawed frozen baby peas
9. 3/4 pound spaghetti
10. Freshly Ground Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil. Add the garlic and cook over moderate heat until golden, about 3 minutes. Discard the garlic. Add the pancetta to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp and the fat has been rendered, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a bowl.
2. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the skillet. Add the cream and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet, then pour into a medium bowl. Whisk in the egg yolks and 1/3 cup of the Parmesan cheese.
3. Add salt to the pot of boiling water. Add the baby peas and cook just until tender, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked peas to a bowl.
4. Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook until al dente; drain. Return the pasta to the pot and add the cream mixture, pancetta and peas. Season with salt and pepper and toss until the sauce coats the spaghetti. Transfer to bowls and serve immediately with the remaining parmesan.

Enjoy!

Sweet & Sour Grilled Chicken

What? Another Chicken Recipe you say?  Hey...it's Summer time...Chicken is good for you......Here is another summer recipe that is relatively easy to prepare.

Sweet and Sour Chicken drumsticks stay deliciously moist when grilled-even with the skin removed. Minty sweet-and-sour dipping sauce adds a refreshing twist to "ordinary" grilled chicken. Make it a meal: Serve with brown rice and slices of fresh pineapple.


INGREDIENTS: 

• 1/2 teaspoon(s) freshly grated orange zest
• 1/4 cup(s) orange juice
• 1/4 cup(s) water
• 3 tablespoon(s) honey
• 1 tablespoon(s) cider vinegar, plus 1 teaspoon, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon(s) cornstarch
• 1/4 cup(s) chopped fresh mint
• 8 chicken drumsticks, (about 2 pounds) skin removed, trimmed  
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper.

DIRECTIONS: 

1. Preheat grill to medium. (No grill? See Broiler Variation, below.)
2. To prepare dipping sauce, combine orange zest, orange juice, water, honey, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and coriander in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Whisk cornstarch and the remaining 1 teaspoon vinegar in a small bowl until smooth. Add to the saucepan and return to a boil, whisking until thickened, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Stir in mint.
3. Sprinkle drumsticks with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill the drumsticks until crispy on all sides and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°F, about 15 minutes total. Serve the drumsticks with the dipping sauce on the side.

Broiler variation: Position oven rack in the upper third of the oven; preheat broiler to high. Prepare sauce (Step 2). Coat a broiler pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle drumsticks with salt and pepper (Step 3), then broil, turning once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°F, about 15 minutes total.


Serve with Brown Rice and Pineapple slices.

Enjoy!

Garlic Fried Chicken

What's up everyone?  It's Friday and Friday is usually Soul food day for me....Unfortunately..one of my favorite  establishments that serves this kind of cooking has gone out of business...My wife and I are still on the hunt for a new place for Friday night dining...but in the meanwhile, let me share with you one of our favorite dishes that our old place used to fix and fix quite well...

Garlic Fried Chicken!!



This  particular garlic fried chicken breast recipe works well for lunch and or as a light dinner.I'm thinking a light dinner...where you can take your time and don't have to rush back from work.

What I like most about this garlic fried chicken  recipe is the fact that it's easy to prepare and cooks up in about 25 minutes.
Here are the simple instructions for how you can cook garlic fried chicken breast.


INGREDIENTS:

• 2 to 4 boneless chicken breast
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• vegetable oil

Cookware & Utensils:

• paper towels (lots of them!)
• measuring cup
• spoons
• brown paper bag
• small mixing bowl
• heavy cast iron skillet

DIRECTIONS:

1. You can use fresh or frozen chicken as the main ingredient to this chicken breast recipe. If you use frozen allow for ample time to thaw the chicken. Start by pounding each chicken breast to an even thickness so it cooks evenly. Go ahead and rinse your chicken under running cold water. Pat chicken breast dry with paper towels and set aside.
2. To make flour mixture, add all dry ingredients to a brown paper bag or plastic big. Close bag and shake to get a uniform mix of the dry ingredient, set aside.
3. In a small mixing bowl whisk together your egg and milk. Dip each chicken breast into the wet mixture, then thoroughly coat with the seasoned flour and set aside.
4. Add about 1 inch of vegetable oil to a heavy bottom or cast iron skillet and heat on medium high until sufficiently hot.
5. Test the cooking oil by tossing a drop of water into the skillet. If the oil crackles or pops it's ready for cooking. Depending on your stove, you may have to adjust the temperature up higher.
6. Add the chicken breast to the skillet. Do not overcrowd the skillet this will only hamper your cooking efforts. Cook chicken breast uncovered for about 5 minutes on each side, turning only once. The chicken breast is done when it center has reached an internal temperature of 160-165 degrees.

With this much fried and greasy eating...A nice salad is great to top this off with-

and chase it all down with some sweet ice tea-

Enjoy!