Wednesday, June 29, 2016

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








Friday, June 3, 2016

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

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

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)