Roast Chicken – Traeger’ized

Posted on November 20, 2012 by bigm5853

I picked up my grill on Friday but was unable to use it until Sunday. It is a Traeger Wood Pellet Grill. I have been wanting one for awhile after seeing it in Costco last June! After research and reading how everyone loved this grill I was excited to give it a test. I chose to roast a chicken alone with a sweet potato veggie mix. I was not disappointed. Here is what I did:

Bought an organic 41/2 pound chicken. removed giblets and rinse with cold water. Pat the bird dry with paper towels. Rub olive oil all over and add some rub. I used my own version of salt, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, thyme (equal parts of each). 

I fired up the Traeger and set it to high. Once the grill was up to temp (about 15 minutes) I put the bird on. I cooked it for about 90 minutes and it came out perfect! Crispy skin and very juicy.

While the chicken was cooking I put together some veggies to roast and have on the side. I used sweet potatoes, fennel bulbs, carrots and onions, cut into pieces. Seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper. With 40 minutes to go on the chicken I added these to the grill to roast.

I removed the chicken and let it rest about 15 minutes before slicing. This gave the veggies time to finish cooking. Come and get it!

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Replication – Appetizer style

Posted on November 19, 2012 by bigm5853

 

Kris and I wanted to replicate an appetizer we had the other night. It was a chilled shrimp, butternut squash carpaccio. Here is what we did and it turned out very tasty! We call this Chilled Roasted Shrimp Butternut Squash with curry lime vinaigrette.

First you need to roast the shrimp. Place raw tail on shrimp on a pan,sprinkle with olive oil (about 1 Tbsp), salt and fresh ground pepper.

Roast in a preheated 400 degree oven for 8 minutes. When done transfer to a plate to cool. When the shrimp has cooled, put in Ziploc and refrigerate. Next up is the butternut squash. Cut the squash in half length wise and remove seeds. Place on pan, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Put in the already preheated 400 degree oven and roast for about 45 minutes. Or until the flesh is tender. Remove from oven and let cool. When cool, remove skin and dice into small pieces. Refrigerate to chill.

While everything is cooling down you can make the vinaigrette (recipe follows). I chopped the shrimp into small pieces and used a small glass to assemble the dish. I added the shrimp first then a layer of squash. One more layer of shrimp, top with vinaigrette and enjoy!!

Note – Next time I plan to roast a couple red jalapenos to add to the dish. It needed a little heat.

Curry Lime Vinaigrette
Ingredients
1/3 c canola oil
2 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp curry powder
I Tbsp ginger powder
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp salt
Fresh pepper, to taste

Directions
Put all ingredients in a shaker and mix well.

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Happy Birthday!!

Posted on November 15, 2012 by bigm5853

 

Wednesday November, 14th was my birthday. Kris and I took the day off (a nice break in the middle of the week) and had a great day. We went to Granite City for lunch and to chat with some of the best bartenders in the Twin Cities. We always have a good time there! Then it was off to a movie. The plan was to see the new Bond but we stayed a little to long at the bar so we got to the theater a little later than planned. We ended up going to Flight instead. Not the best choice. This was a movie we should have waited to see on video.

We got home early evening and I was thinking about what is my favorite meal to have for a birthday supper. Chicken red curry! One of my favorites and easy to prepare. Here is how I do it:

 

Ingredients
1 onion
1 red pepper
1 can mixed Asian veggies
½ cup baby corn
½ cup straw mushrooms
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup chicken stock
2 tsp red curry paste
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp fish sauce
12 oz chicken thighs – boneless/skinless
2 Tbsp fresh basil
2 Tbsp canola oil
Cooked Jasmine rice

Directions

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook for about 5 minutes, until onions start to brown on edges. Add curry paste and cook for one minute. Add veggies, coconut milk, broth brown sugar, and fish sauce. Mix well and bring to boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium low, cook for 12 minutes. Add chicken, cover and cook for an additional 8 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in basil. Serve in a bowl over the rice. Enjoy!

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Leftover ‘Best Picnic Bean Chili’

Posted on November 13, 2012 by bigm5853

Picnic Bean Chili

So what to do with the left over picnic beans from Sunday night? Chili sounds good and easy too!  Just need to add a few things to transform the picnic beans.

  • ½ lb hamburger
  • I can organic diced tomatoes
  • 12 oz bottle of beer (I used Schilling 90)
  • 12 oz water
  • 8 oz tomato sauce
  • 2 Tbsp chili powder

Brown the beef, drain excess fat and add to beans in dutch oven or stock pot. Add remaining ingredients and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Serve in bowls, topped with cheese and sour cream if desired.

The sweetness of the beans mixed with the heat of the chili powder made for great flavor. I must say one of the better chilis I have made lately!

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Ribs – Oven Style

Posted on November 12, 2012 by bigm5853

Oven BBQ Ribs, with beans and slaw

Gotta love Minnesota. 65 degrees yesterday, 30 today. Plan was to smoke some ribs but with the wind, sleet and cold I decided to make them in the oven. This is a good method for slow cooking a couple slabs of baby backs. A batch of the best picnic beans to complement the ribs for a tasty Sunday supper. The bean recipe comes from my mom and they are excellent. Here is how I do it.

best picnic beans

1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb bacon
1/2 C ketchup
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp mustard
1 C chopped onion
2 tsp vinegar
1 can lima beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can pork & beans
directions:
In a large skillet, cook beef, bacon and onions until bacon is crisp and beef is no longer pink.
Mix all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low 3-4 hours or until beans are tender. 

Oven BBQ Ribs

ingredients
2 slabs baby back ribs
BBQ sauce
salt
pepper
directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place each slab of ribs on a big piece of foil. Salt and pepper each side. Pour ample amount of BBQ sauce on ribs. Wrap up tightly in the foil and place on baking sheet. Bake for 2 hours.

Remove from oven, open foil and pour BBQ sauce over the top of the ribs.

Return to oven and cook another hour or so until ribs are tender and sauce is good and thick!

Serve with the beans and enjoy!
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Too tired to cook

Posted on November 10, 2012 by bigm5853

After a Saturday of running around, cooking seemed like to much trouble. Last January Kris and I went wheat free so food delivery options are some what limited. However we found a local pizza place that has gluten free pizzas and delivery! So now we can fill that craving while hanging out at home on movie night. 

To go with the pizza we also whipped up a plate of nachos using Wisconsin white cheddar, corn chips from Whole Foods and some jalapenos.

Tasty eats for a night in.

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Friday Night Grill

Posted on November 10, 2012 by bigm5853

November 9th and it is 50 degrees here in Minnesota, a perfect night for grilling out. So tonight is steak, carrots and potatoes. Here is how I do it:)

Steak

  • Ribeye – for me
  • Filet – for Kris
  • Blue cheese
  • Mushrooms
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Olive oil

Direction –

Pull steaks out of the fridge 30 minutes before grilling. Rub with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Grill over direct high heat for 6 minutes a side for medium rare. Remove from grill, cover with foil and let stand 10 minutes (to let juices redistribute). Top with blue cheese and sautéed mushrooms.

Balsamic glazed carrots

  • 6-10 carrots
  • Balsamic olive oil
  • Honey

Note: equal parts of balsamic and honey. I used an 1/8 of a cup each for this batch of carrots

Directions –

Peel the carrots and trim the ends. Cut the carrots in half length-wise. Now throw the carrots into a large pot of boiling salted water for about 4-6 minutes, depending on the size of the carrots. This will help tender them up and reduce grilling time. After removing the carrots from the pot be sure to rinse them with cold water, this will stop the cooking process and they will be ready to grill.

For the glaze whisk the balsamic and honey together in a small bowl. Set aside for now.

Place carrots on grill over direct heat. Grill for about 4 minutes, flip and brush with glaze. Grill a few more minutes (until desired tenderness) remove to a plate and brush with remaining glaze.

Garlic and herb taters

  • 4 medium russet potatoes, cut into chunks
  • Onion
  • Thyme
  • Oregano
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Olive oil

 

Directions –

Put potatoes in a disposable foil grill pan. Sprinkle with spices and add olive oil. Mix well and cover pan with foil. Grill over medium direct heat for 20 – 25 minutes. Be sure to shake the potatoes around in the pan about halfway through for even cooking.

Plate everything up and enjoy with a beer or a glass of your favorite wine.

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Best Garlic Tool

Posted on November 9, 2012 by bigm5853

Peeling, mincing, chopping garlic can be a pain in the you know what. But thanks to my mother-in-law I have the perfect garlic tool. It makes peeling the garlic a breeze. No more trying to get the last bits of skin off. The blue piece you see in the picture is the ‘peeler’. All I do is put a clove of garlic in the middle of it and roll it between my palms. In seconds the clove is perfectly peeled

The next step is the bowl. Now this has sharp points sticking up in the middle of it. I just grab the garlic clove by the top and run it across the bowl and presto I have grated garlic ready for the pan! The third piece is the little brush. This is used to brush the garlic out of the bowl into the pan or where ever you need it. I love this thing.

My mother-in-law picked this up at the flea market in Palm Desert. You can also use it for grating other spices as well as hard cheeses. You can find these online at many places. Just do a Google search for ‘ceramic garlic grater’.

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Election Day

Posted on November 8, 2012 by bigm5853

The Presidential election is always an exciting time in America. I feel so patriotic when I am in the voting booth making my selections. It feels good to have a voice, even when my candidates do not win. Kris and I enjoy watching as the results come in and enjoy a good meal while doing so. This year we went with a Kerala-style beef stew which is quickly becoming a household favorite! The coconut milk gives it a sweet goodness that is hard to beat. Here is how I make it.

Ingredients
3 Tbsp oil
1 ½ lbs. beef chuck, cut into 1” pieces
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
5 cloves garlic
3 serrano chiles, seeded and chopped
Fresh ginger, 1” piece peeled and thinly sliced
1 tsp turmeric (or saffron)
3 cups chicken broth, low sodium
5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into pieces
5 medium potatoes, quartered
4 oz thawed pearl onions
2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
Salt
Pepper

Directions
Heat half of the oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season beef with salt and pepper. Working in 2 batches, add beef and brown on all sides. About 5 minutes per batch. Add remaining oil between batches. Remove beef to a plate.

Stir in garlic, chiles, and ginger, cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add pepper and turmeric, stirring constantly, and cook for about 1 minute. Add broth and reserved beef, bring to boil (be sure to scrap any bits off the bottom of the pan). Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until beef is tender. About 45 minutes.

Add potatoes, carrots and onions. Cover and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until veggies are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in coconut milk, heat through and serve in your favorite bowl. Enjoy!

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Spicy Jambalaya

Posted on November 7, 2012 by bigm5853

Ahhh Monday Night – the start of the work week and of course the last football game of the week. This year we have been going to our friends house to watch the game and eat tasty food but tonight Aaron had to work. I did not feel like going to the store once I was home so had to find something in the fridge and pantry. As luck would have it, I found all the fixings for Jambalaya! I love spicy Cajun food and this turned out just right.

Ingredients

1 red bell pepper, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
I can diced organic tomatoes
Diced Andouille sausage
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ cups jasmine rice
2 – 2 ¼ cups chicken stock
2 tsp Cajun seasoning
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil

Directions

Heat oil in dutch oven (or other heavy bottomed pan). Add red pepper and celery, cook until somewhat tender, about 6 minutes. Add Andouille and garlic. Continue to cook 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add rice and stir to coat. Slowly pour in the tomatoes and their juices, scrapping any bits off the bottom of the pan. Season with Cajun spice, salt and pepper, stir. Add chicken stock, bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover pot and cook for 20 minutes (or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender). Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes before serving in your favorite bowl. Don’t forget the hot sauce!

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