Rib Love

So everybody has their own rib seasoning, rib rub or whatever you want to call it.  I have been cooking ribs for for 27 years and I finally just mastered the flavor profile that has a true BBQ taste with seasonings.  So why you ask would I post my secret recipe for my season blend?  Well its not a secret to me because if you don't have the love, passion, will, experience and the drive to achieve great taste it will never taste as great as my ribs. But if it does, my hats off to you and thank you for using my seasoning blend. So lets let the blend begin.   NOW introducing my cast of characters:




8 Tbls of light brown sugar

2 Tbls 1 tsp granulated garlic

2 Tbls 1 tsp onion power

2 Tbls ground coriander seed

2 Tbls smoked paprika

2 Tbls ground allspice

2 tbl ground mustard

2 Tbls fresh ground peppercorn melange

2 Tbls sea salt


Mix together by using your hand and shaking the bowl simultaneously.



Enjoy!!

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Baked Lump Crab cakes

So yesterday I went to Chicago Bacon fest. I had so much pork and adult beverages I needed something light today. To enjoy my pictures from bacon fest go over to my g+ and enjoy. So I got a recipe from skinnytaste.com. I added my own little twist to it as I usually do.   So here we go with baked lump crab cakes with a chipotle lime sauce.

Ingredients:

For the Crab Cakes

9 ounces lump crab meat picked free of shells

1/2 cup (about 13) reduce fat Ritz crackers crushed

1 whole egg plus 1 egg white beaten

2 finely chopped scallions

2 tbsp finely chopped  peppers

1 tbsp low fat mayo

2 tbsp fresh cilantro

3 whole garlic cloves minced

1/2 lime juice

salt / pepper to taste

Emerils essence

cooking spray

Zesty Chipotle Lime Sauce

1tbsp roasted peppers

1/4 cup light mayo

1 tsp minced chipotle adobo chilies in sauce

1 tsp fresh lime juice

Directions

First take the chopped the white end scallions, minced garlic, diced peppers and sweat in a skillet for about 3 minutes. Do not over cook.

                                                 
Next take your crab meat empty in a bowl and remove any shells. Add salt/pepper and Emerils essence to taste.

Next add the garlic, peppers, scallions green ends, cilantro, mayo and lime juice eggs and crackers. Mix gently form patties. Refrigerate for an hour. Next place on a greased baking sheet and bake at 400 for about 8 to 10 minutes on each

                                     
Directions:
Chipotle Lime Sauce
In a blender puree the mayo, lime juice roasted peppers and chipotle adobo peppers. Then place in a squeeze bottle and refrigerate.

                                      
Place your crab cakes on a plate and drizzle the chipotle lime sauce and garnish with some green scallions. I paired mine with a salad. Bon appetit.

Enjoy!! Pin if you like.

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Seared Rainbow Chard

I was having braised lamb chops today and I wanted a vegetable to pair with them that was green. Not the usual broccoli, asparagus and blah blah. As I'm out shopping walking through the produce section I came across the beautiful rainbow chard. When I seen all those beautiful colors I just had to have them. So here we go!!


Ingredients:

2- bunches rainbow chard or red and green Swiss chard
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 white onion 1/4-inch diced
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 slices of turkey bacon or your choice
3 large garlic bulbs minced

Preparation

Cut stems from chard, then cut stems crosswise into 1/4-inch slices.  Stack chard leaves and roll into cylinders.  Cut cylinders crosswise to make 1-inch strips of leaves.

Next cook your bacon and save the drippings for flavorings .

In the same skillet as the bacon was cooked in with bacon drippings add the butter and olive oil over moderately high heat, saute chard stems, garlic and onion.  Season with salt and pepper stirring occasionally until soft 4 to 5 minutes

Add the chard leaves and continue to saute, stirring frequently until wilted.

Enjoy!!!

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Lobster, avocado and grapefruit salad

So the day I was looking for the Beef Wellington I came across a lobster, avocado and grape fruit salad.
When I seen that I was extremely excited. This will be paired with my tendies. Well lets the knife hit the cutting board. Here we go!


Recipe courtesy of Cooking Channel:

Ingredients:

Kosher salt
1 lobster tail
1 large grapefruit
1 avocado
1 squeeze of lemon
3 green onions
2 handfuls fresh flat leaf parsley leaves
2 tablespoon almond, hazelnut or walnut oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
fresh cracked black pepper.

Directions:

1.  Season the lobster tail, I used Tony Chachere's creole seasoning
2.  Preheat saucepan with olive oil. Cook lobster for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until fully done. Set to the side let cool then give it a rough chop.

3. Slice your grapefruit in half in a bowl and cut the wedges out the grapefruit.
4. Dice your avocado and add to the bowl.
5. Thinly slice the 3 green onion and to the bowl
6. Add the parsely, kosher, cracked pepper, almond oil and lobster meat. Give it a toss and serve.  Good eats!!

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Beef Wellington

I wanted to cook something that I have never had before.  Today's recipe will be Beef Wellington. I saw this the first time on a episode of the Cosby's as a child. Then I saw it on cooking shows. So I'm looking for a recipe and I come across this one for individual Beef Wellington. Bingo lets do it.


Recipe courtesy of Allrecipes.com   * things i added as my twist

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup dry sherry or your choice
1/4 cup butter
1/4 chopped parsley
3 garlic bulbs chopped*
4 (8 ounce) fillets beef tenderloin
1 pack of frozen puff pastry, thawed
Montreal seasoning

Directions:

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, combine the mushrooms, onion, garlic, wine butter, and parsley and saute until liquid is absorbed and the mixture resembles a paste.

2. Season your tendies with the Montreal seasoning and seer on both sides for about 2 minutes.*
    Then cover each steak with the mixture.

2. Partially thaw the puff pastry sheets and roll out the pieces thin enough to cover the top and bottom of each steak. Place the steaks on a baking sheet. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F

3. Bake steaks uncovered in the oven for 20 minutes. They will be medium rare.*

I paired that with a lobster, grapefruit, avocado salad and roasted garlic mashed potatoes.  Stay tuned for those recipes they coming up next enjoy.

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Cube Steak

Its been a while but we back on track with some spectacular reciepes.  This is one of my favorite recipes my mother cooked when I was a child.  It brings back lots of memories of sitting around the table with family and eating a good meal.  I know times are different now, but everyone should take sometimes and eat with the family once and awhile.  It will pay off with memories years down the road.  Well...Here we go....
Ingredients:
        4 Cube steaks
        1 onion thinly sliced
        salt/pepper
        garlic powder
        2 Tbls of minced garlic
        seasoning salt
        2 tbls paprika
        2 cups flour
        water
        3 table spoons of butter
        1/4 cup of cooking oil
Directions:
First put your flour in a flat baking dish.
Take your salt and pepper,seasoning salt, garlic powder, paprika and season it to sight, smell and taste.

Next take your cube steak and season that with the same seasoning  that you used to season the flour.  Do everything the same way you did the flour except don't taste it.  Sight and smell is the best way for me.

 Dredge them in the flour until well coated on both sides.  

Ok take the oil and place in frying pan until nice and hot.  Once the oil is hot, brown steaks on both sides for about 4 minutes or until golden brown.

Once the steaks are browned take your onion and 2 Tbls of miced garlic and cook the onions and garlic until they are translucint in the same oil you did the steaks.



Now its time to make the gravy.  Take the remainder of the flour that you used to coat the steaks ( about a 1/2 cup) and pour that in with the onions and garlic. 

Then about about 4 cups of water and bring to a boil for about 2 minutes.  Make sure you taste your gravy cause you might have to season it a tad bit more.

  I always try to get the right balance of gravy to the meat.  After the gravy boils, place your steaks in it and simmer for about 45 minutes or until steaks are nice and tender.

They should  break with a fork like butter. I paired mine with white rice and broccoli.  Enjoy!  I sure did.

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Grilled Gyro Pizza

When its 92 degrees outside who wants to be inside cooking?  That's a perfect day for me to be outside grilling.  It's what summer is all about.  I remember as a kid when it was always 90 or above all summer long. Those were great childhood memories.  So I wanted pizza and was not about to order take out.  I fired up the grill. Welll...Here we go!!

Ingredients
    6 oz gyro meat chopped
    pizza dough ( I used Tyler Florence's recipe from the Food Network, it makes 3 dough rounds and its a great thin crust dough)
    pesto sauce
    1/2 chopped onion
    feta cheese
    mozzarella

Directions:
Roll your pizza dough out.

Once your grill is heated and the dough is the size and shape you want it, place on your grill, making sure you oil down your grill before placing the dough on it.


Grill on both sides until it is brown and starting to firm up. Do not over cook.

Once firm, remove from grill and rub it down with olive oil on one side. Then spread with the pesto sauce.  Place your gyro meat on, onion, feta cheese and mozzarella cheese.

Place back on grill with lid and let cook about 13 to 15 minutes or until crust is crisp and cheese is melted. 

After that enjoy your grilled gyro pizza.

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