making my own

chipolte peppers

slow smoked on the grill
then slowly dried and powdered - use a mask or you WILL cough

now ready for any time use!

Strawberry salad

a friend saw this on the internet and asked me to do something a bit different, for all the recipes he saw used strawberry jello (note ALL of them have artificial flavor)...
what?  No strawberries and only a fake flavor (and loads of sugar, this is a salad for goodness sake)!
I took the challenge and it took a few tries, but i managed it!

Strawberry Salad

a somewhat healthier alternative to what you find on the internet

crust

·       2 cups crushed pretzels

          (start with 4 cups of twisted pretzels)

·       3/4 cup butter, melted

·       3 tablespoons raw sugar

topping

·       1 quart fresh strawberries

·       1 teaspoon white sugar

·       1 cup celery, finely cut

·       2 packets of gelatin

·       1 cup boiling water

filling

·       4 ounces cream cheese (1/2 block) at room temperature

·       1 cup whipping cream, fresh

·       1 tablespoon white sugar

use a food processor to crush pretzels and blend butter and sugar

press into a 9 x 9 glass pan and bake for 15 minutes at 375 F

let cool

whip cream cheese, whipping cream and sugar till firm

(optional: add 1 teaspoon vanilla)

spread onto the cooled crust

wash and clean the strawberries, but do not dry them

add 1 teaspoon sugar and let sit refrigerated over night

slice 5 strawberries and place on top of the whipped cream filling

use a food processor to grind the remainder and strain

reserve the juice

dissolve the gelatin in boiling water

add juice, celery and 1 tablespoon processed strawberries

refrigerate for several hours until it begins to gel

pour very gently and let sit

top with fresh basil, slice chiffonade style

a special side

i particularly dislike commercial cole slaw preparations, especially the dressings in a bottle...they have a off taste that does not seem to leave me after the meal.  This is my "cleaner" preparation and it gets great reviews from my "foodie" friends

Cole Slaw

·       ~18 oz of a blend of cabbage and carrots, shredded or diced

§       1 part green cabbage

§       1 part red cabbage

§       1 part Napa cabbage

§       1 part Savoy cabbage

§       1 part carrots

·       1 jalapeno pepper, sliced with NO seeds

·       1 tablespoon raw sugar

·       2 teaspoons salt

·       2 teaspoons black pepper

·       1/4 cup 1% milk

·       2 tablespoon lemon

·       2 tablespoons rice vinegar

·       1 cup low fat yogurt

·       1/2 cup sour cream

whisk sugar, salt, pepper, milk, vinegar, yogurt and sour cream together

prepare the cabbages and carrot according to the use

- shredded for a topping for a sandwich and diced for a stand alone side

mix every thing and refrigerate for 1 hour

drain and serve or refrigerate for latter use

grilling Chicken burgers

Chicken burgers

1 lb ground chicken (makes 3 patties)

cheese (best is either Monterrey jack slices or a Caso Blanco, crumbled)

Outer seasoning ratio (teaspoons for 1 lb of meat)

§       1 salt

§       1/4 smoked salt

§       1 sugar (i use raw sugar)

§       1 commercial chili lime seasoning

§       1/ Cumin

§       1/8 chipolte pepper (dried and ground fine)

sauce

§       1 tablespoon cilantro, minced

§       1/2 teaspoon salt

§       1 teaspoon lime juice

§       1/4 jalapeno pepper (use more for more heat)

form patties and pat dry with a paper cloth (there is a lot of moisture)

coat each patty with the outer seasoning (you might call it a rub)

Set up the grill with heat on one side

I grill and smoke this using a mesquite wood 

The internal temperature of the patty should be ~ 160 F

remove patties to the cool side of the grill

add a teaspoon of the sauce to each patty and cover with cheese

close the grill to melt the cheese

the internal temperature of the patties must be 170 F

remove and serve alone or on a bun

(i would use a cilantro mayonnaise on the bun)