Buffalo chicken on the grill w/ bleu cheese dressing

This recipe is amazing.  Sweet and spicy with the best tasting bleu cheese dressing I have ever had.

Ingredients:

1 stick butter

2 cloves garlic, chopped

8 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons ancho chili powder (usually found in mexican food isle but regular chili powder works just fine.)

1/2 cup hot sauce I usually buy the mexican brand it is cheap and really good.  You can use frank's or a supermarket brand, I have not noticed a difference.

2 tablespoons honey

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 chicken breasts or thighs or whatever chicken cut you like

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons ground cumin (8 teaspoons)

Canola oil

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup creme fraiche

1/4 cup chopped parsley, plus some whole leaves for garnish

1 cup crumbled blue cheese

Creme Fraiche:

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons sour cream

Directions:

Prepare creme fraiche ahead of time by combining heavy cream and sour cream. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours.

Preheat the grill to medium; make sure the grill is ready for cooking over indirect heat. Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the 2 tablespoons ancho powder and heat for 10 seconds. Stir in hot sauce and honey and season with salt and pepper. Remove about 1/4 cup for garnish, and keep both portions warm.

Season each side of the chicken breasts with 1 teaspoon each ancho powder, and cumin, and the salt and pepper. Drizzle canola oil over the both sides. Grill skin side down over medium heat, uncovered, until the skin is nicely charred.

Flip the chicken, moving it to indirect heat, and brush with a good amount of the hot sauce glaze. Cover and cook, brushing occasionally with sauce, until cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Whisk together the heavy cream and creme fraiche in a medium bowl. Stir in the parsley and blue cheese and season with salt and pepper. When chicken is done, remove from the grill and spoon blue cheese sauce over each piece. Drizzle the 1/4 cup reserved glaze over and garnish with whole parsley leaves.

Couscous salad

I love couscous, a lot of people are not all that familiar with it, however it is a delightful side, I think you will like it too. You can buy couscous at walmart it is usually next to the ready made rice creation things.    I let the onions and what not marinate in the dressing for about 3 hours before I made up the couscous.  I also added a tablespoon of chipotle paste.  I like stuff spicy.  Enjoy!


Ingredients

1 cup uncooked couscous
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
8 green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained
salt and pepper to taste
 
 
Directions


1.Bring chicken broth to a boil in a 2 quart or larger sauce pan and stir in the couscous. Cover the pot and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes.

2.In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, vinegar and cumin. Add green onions, red pepper, cilantro and beans and toss to coat.

3.Fluff the couscous well, breaking up any chunks. Add to the bowl with the vegetables and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve at once or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Home made mac n cheese (almost)

I love mac and cheese but thought it needed some work so I made a recipe that makes my heart pitter patter.

1 box Kraft macaroni and cheese (I usually buy generic everything but I have found in mac and cheese it is worth it to buy the real thing.)

1/4-1/2 lb. bacon

1/2 to 1 C. Shredded cheese. (I like cheddar or colby jack, whatever you please.)

Chop bacon onto small pieces and cook in frying pan on med. high heat.  While the bacon is cooking get your water boiling, add a little salt and oil to the water, turn heat to high.  Once the water has reached a full boil add macaroni and turn heat to med. high.  Cook for 6 minutes, then strain.  (I like my pasta al dente, meaning it is not quite all the way cooked when you add your sauce it finishes cooking it.)  Melt 4 tbsps. butter in the microwave or on the stove, add the milk then the cheese sauce the mac and cheese comes with.  Mix well then melt in the shredded cheese.  Salt and pepper to taste and add bacon. Pour mixture over your noodles and mix well.  Enjoy!

*A variation I like adds hot sauce to the cheese mix, gives it a bit of a bite.

Perfectly Cooked Broccoli

    So many people tell me they hate cooked broccoli.  Typically the broccoli they have eaten has been overcooked and does indeed taste terrible.  Here is how to get the perfect broccoli every time just firm enough with great flavor.

Broccoli
Water
Salt n pepper
butter

    Cut broccoli to desired size (I like to include the stocks they taste great.)  Place in pot and fill till covered about one inch in water.  (the broccoli will float so just estimate.)  Place on burner on high heat and bring to a boil.  Turn to med. high cover and cook six minutes.  Remove, drain water.  Salt pepper and butter to taste.  It will come out perfect every time, but I cant promise your kids will like it!

Chewy Brownie Cheesecake

I love brownies and I love cheesecake, when i found a recipe that combined the two I was in heaven, enjoy!

Cooking Spray
Fudge Brownie mix
3 (8 oz.) pacakges cream cheese
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
3 eggs
2 t. Vanilla extract
1/2 C. chocolate chips

HEAT oven to 350°F. Spray bottom only of 9-inch springform pan with no-stick cooking spray. Prepare brownie according to package directions for chewy brownies. Spread evenly in prepared pan.  Spread evenly in prepared pan, bake 35 min. REDUCE oven temperature to 300°F. Bake 50 minutes or until set. Cool. Chill thoroughly. Remove side of springform pan. Garnish as desired.BEAT cream cheese until fluffy in large bowl. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. 


* To prevent chocolate chips from falling all to the bottom coat first with flour.  Chill at least 4 hours for best consistency.


*A springform pan can be found at target for 9 bucks for a package of three.  They look like this.  


Sour Cream Topping


1 C. sour cream


1 1/2 T. sugar


1/2 t Vanilla extract


Beat together and spread over the top before chilling.  


As Pictured is also garnished with whipped cream, chocolate chips, and cocoa powder.

mindblowing pulled pork

  I do not care for bland food, I guess you could say I am not a roast and potatoes fellow, I can enjoy these meals once perhaps a couple times a month, I just don't jump for joy for blandness.  I like things that pop and kick and sizzle and sazzle and whuzzle and cherupm and so forth.  I often like to take classics and twist them to fit my tastes.  Thus I have created several culinary concotions to stimulate once stagnant taste buds, one herin I shall share with you all.

 You don't have to have a lot of money to make an amazing meal nor do you have to slave away in the kitchen for hours.   You can use simple ingredients to cultivate a meal that will impress your friends and put a grin on your kids lips.  The total time you will spend on this is about 20 minutes and will spend around 4 dollars (can vary greatly depending on the brand of bbq sauce you use.)  Anybody can make this and have it be delicious.  Here is what you will need:

First boneless county style pork rib (these do not have bones and are extremely cheap I usually pay around $1.29-1.89 per pound.  Currently on sale at maceys for $1.59/lb)  1.5 lbs will feed around 6 people.   As long as you have some delightful side dishes.

Second you will need a crock pot, if you don't have one buy one you are missing out on one of the worlds greatest inventions and can pick one up for as cheap as $15.00

Third you will need either 2 small onions or one medium sliced thin, about 1/2 cup of water per pound of pork, some brown sugar, some honey, and a bottle of bar-b-que sauce

Put half the onions in the crock pot, then dump in the spare ribs they can be frozen or defrosted i prefer defrosted, pour in water add about 4 tbsp. brown sugar, some honey I don't know a couple table spoons maybe, the rest of the onion, some salt and pepper, don't be afraid to be generous with the salt and pepper, then set the crock pot to low.  Pretty tough huh?  Let it cook for six hours.

Now that you have done the easy stuff you are ready to get intermediate, prepare yourself.  Get out a bowl, Using tongs move the meat from the crockpot to the bowl,  us the tongs to shred the pork by just squeezing the meat, it will be so tender it will shred perfectly.  Last, mix in your favorite bar-b-que sauce, I have used everything from famous rays to great value (wal-mart brand) and it all turns out  scrumptious.   Mix in as much sauce as you want and return to the crock pot on warm setting for a couple hours or whenever you're ready to eat.  Serve on rolls or buns or just by itself.  It goes a long way and I eat it as leftovers for days.  It reheats perfectly

I hope you will enjoy my recipe and if you don't oh well your tastebuds suck or you are a lousy cook.  Have fun bon apetit!

Quick Delicious Scones

These scones take about 15 minutes total including cooking time. They are great served with chili or peanut butter and honey! 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tsp  instant yeast

1/2 cup  warm water

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cup  milk

1 1/2 Tbs shortening

1 1/4 tsp salt

2-3 cups flour

1 frying pan of oil for cooking

Directions:

     First proof your yeast. You do this by combining the sugar yeast and water. Let stand for about 1 min. You want the water to be about the same temperature as bath water. Not hot enough to burn but enough to activate the yeast. Your mixture should be slightly foamy and the water should look about the consistency of milk. 

     Next, add the baking powder, milk, salt and shortening. Mix until even. The shortening will not mix in all the way with out the flour so don't worry.

     Finally, add 2 cups of flour and mix well. If the dough is still sticky after mixing add the last cup of flour about 1/4 of a cup at a time, checking consistency as you go. The`reason you do this is because the amount of flour you will need will change each time you make any bread type dough. The amount will be affected by the temperature in your home, the humidity outside and so forth. When the dough is no longer sticky, but not to stiff to knead easily, knead for about a minute. 

     Let the dough rise for 10 min. (This is a good time to start your oil heating)

When you are ready to shape your scones pull a small amount apart from the rest. You will want to get about a palm size circle. (unless your hands are very large, then use half!) To shape, start with both hands at the top of the dough and hold up straight in front of you. Pull edges apart slowly working around the circle until you have it about 1/4- 1/2 inch thick.Like you are making a pizza crust. 

The oil:

You will want to fill a frying pan with about 1 inch of oil. The amount will vary depending on the size of your pan. Heat at medium high for about 5-10 min. To check if your oil is hot enough, pinch off a very small piece of dough and drop it into the oil. As soon as the dough hits the oil it should begin to sizzle and bubble, if it does not, your oil is not hot enough. Be very careful with frying scones, oil may pop out of the pan so keep away kids or pets. 

Cook until brown on one side and then flip using tongs and brown the other side. 

Tips:

* If you get a large air bubble in one as it cooks simply poke it with a fork to release the air. If it does not go down right away it will when you flip it over, so don't panic.

* If your dough is too stiff to shape, add about a tablespoon of water and knead again and let raise. Scone dough is very forgiving. 

* When kneading, put flour or oil on your counter top to keep it from sticking. Though the dough should not stick to your hands, it will stick to surfaces. 

* While shaping the scones it helps to put a little bit of oil on your hands. 

Easy Tasty Pancakes and home made maple syrup

I like this recipe because it uses ingredients you will most likely have in your home.  When you wake up and crave pancakes you can whip these up quick.  They are super light, fluffy and delicious!

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted

1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg and melted butter; mix until smooth.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Maple Syrup

1 C. Water

2 C. Sugar

1 T. Maple Flavoring

Put sugar and water together in pan, bring to a boil.  Remove from heat add maple flavoring.  For thicker syrup add more sugar.

Perfect steak on the grill

Before I give my recipe I want to educate and give a few tips on the do's and don'ts of frilling steak.

 1. Make sure your grill is hot enough BEFORE you put the meat on.  Your temp for a good steak should be between 425  and 450.  Remember every time you open the grill heat escapes.

2. DO NOT salt steak before it hits the grill.  Salt draws moisture out of the meat and to the surface,  Water boils at 275 degrees meet cooks at 350 if you salt it, basically you end up boiling steak.

3. Know your cuts of steak.  There are a lot of options to choose from some are awesome straight, some best for marinade some for heavy spice or rubs.  Do some research find out what's what.  My favorite cuts for straight steak flavor are 1.Ribeye 2. Tri-tip 3. Chuck steak 4. T-bone 5. Sirloin.  All the cuts are good and have their place but to me these 5 really are the best for grilling.

4. DO NOT over cook the meat.  Dry steak is gross, don't fear a little pink.

5. DO NOT cut the steak right of the grill.  If you cut it immediately you will lose all the juices which is what make it delicious.  Let the steak sit for about 3 minutes, this way the juices redistribute making the steak juicy and delicious.

Making the perfect steak:

Decide what cut you are going to use.  I will be using Chuck steak, it has the same taste and texture as ribeye, just as delicious and a lot cheaper.  ($2.49/lb)

Steaks (4 bout 1/4" thick.)(thick steak is great too just remember to cook it longer.)
Melted Butter
Pepper
Salt

Preheat grill between  425 and 450.  Brush melted butter on both sides of steak.  Pepper to taste.  Place on grill (direct heat) meaning  directly above the flame.  For medium rare (the only way really to eat steak) cook on one side 3:30, flip over and cook another 3:30.  (if the steak is thicker you will have to cook it longer, thinner less time.)  If you like your steak more done increase cook time, but try not to turn the steak more than once.  Use tongs or a spatula to turn.  If you use a fork or a knife all the juices will run out when you turn it.  Once it is cooked to your preference remove and salt to taste.  Let sit 2-3 minutes then cut and enjoy.  It is so simple and so delicious.

Super Easy Home-made bread

What is better than the smell of fresh baked bread?  When you pull a hot loaf out of the oven there is almost nothing more impressive.  This is not quit as easy as a bread maker but it is close and it is delicious.


Heat oven to 350°

In a mixer or large bowl combine

 2 ¼ cups warm water
* Water should be as hot as you can stand to put your hands in. If it is burning you, it is too hot and              will kill your yeast.
3 Tablespoons sugar
* You can also substitute honey or molasses
2 Tablespoons Instant Yeast
* One package should last you at least six months so it is worth the cost!

Mix and let this sit about 2 min until water is at least slightly bubbly and the yeast is disolved.

Add

2 teaspoons salt
* You can use just one I you would like sweeter bread
3 Tablespoons of butter or margarine
* You want it to be soft but not melted. If you are pulling straight from the fridge 11 seconds in the    microwave is about what you will need to soften it.

Mix for a few seconds to break up the butter.

Add

5-6 cups of flour
* I realize that this is a large margin of difference so what you will want to do:
Add the first 3 cups, one at a time, while the mixer is on a medium speed
Turn the mixer to high and add 2 more cups, again one at a time
For the last cup of flour first feel the dough. It should be sticky still at this point,
Slowly mix in the last cup. You will probably not need all of it so go slow.
When you have enough the dough should not be sticky but also not firm.

Mix for 7 minutes. (It should be very smooth at the end. If mixing by hand mix for 10 min)

Cover your counter space in oil and place dough on it to rise. Raise dough for 7 min. (Don’t let raise more than 10 min) Separate into 2 equal parts and shape. Place in greased bread pans.

Bake for 30-40 min.
*You do not want to take it out when golden brown. It should be darker than golden otherwise the middle will not be done.

Remove promptly from the bread pan and place on cooling rack or  on  a dish towel to avoid sweating.

Cover the top in butter or margarine to make it shiny! Then marvel in your delicious bread!

Purpose Of my Blog/ Keylime pie

I love great food, however I do not like complicated, time consuming recipes.  Most of us are just too busy to really make a gourmet meal.  I hope to share with you, my friends some of our favorite and easy recipes that you can make your own.  I am also not a big spender, you will find I use basic, easy to find ingredients and my recipes are very inexpensive.

Key lime Pie is so good and a very refreshing summer treat or any time for that matter.  There are a lot of very complex recipes that take a lot of work and don't really turn out that well.  This recipe is very simple and the results are impressive.  One thing I have found is that real key limes make all the difference in the world. (I buy them at wal-mart) They are tiny and take a long time to juice  but are well worth the trouble the difference in flavour is remarkable.

Takes about 15 minutes to make 11 minutes to cook. Costs around $3-5.

One Graham cracker crust (easiest way to do it)

3 cups sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup sour cream

3/4 C key lime juice (about 20 limes worth I buy them at wal mart.)

1T lime zest

1 drop green food coloring

Pre-heat oven to 375.  Mix the sweetened condensed milk, sour cream and lime juice until well blended.  Mix in lime zest and 1 drop green food coloring. Pour mixture into crust and `cook about 11 minutes (until small bubbles come up and pop)  Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.  Enjoy your friends will be so impressed.