Pretzel Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops We don’t eat much fried food, but oven fried pork chops sounded good. Patti took it a few steps further. Instead of a fry pan we used our Green Mountain Grill. Instead of plain old bread crumbs Patti crushed hard pretzels mixed with parmesan cheese and with Green Mountain Grills Pork Seasoning. Perfect. Patti and I have set one night…
Southwestern Cabbage Rolls Patti’s family emigrated from Eastern Europe and she had fond memories of these cabbage rolls that were called one thing in German and another in Polish. But, Ken being from Texas we made them a little zippier. Patti made them extra easy using an instant brown rice, bottled tomato sauce and some of our favorite southwestern seasonings. Plus, you can put it…
Smokin’ Nuts We wanted a healthy snack, at least healthier than our usual. Our favorite market had bulk nuts on sale and using some of our favorite seasonings made them yummy and a lot cheaper than already smoked seasoned nuts. Plus, we could pick our favorite mix of nuts and seasonings. I was talking with Josh Cary of All Things BBQ and this is a…
St. Patti’s Roll Up We are always trying to think outside of the box. So, for St. Patrick’s Day we came up with an untraditional traditional meal. Sounds like us: traditional in an untraditional way…and loving it! We did a roll up with corned beef and cabbage our way. Sometimes the best meals are quick and easy, this is both. Patti and I have set…
Smoked Cheese Burger Meatloaf It’s been rainy and gray outside…comfort food was mandatory. One of our favorite (and yours, too) is a hearty meatloaf. We made it even better by using lots of Ken’s smoked cheese that Patti shredded. We used smoked cheddar, but you can use whatever shredded cheese you like. To keep it moist we used Country Bob’s All Purpose sauce and to…
Seafood Lasagna Italiano At our home Italian food isn’t just spaghetti and meatballs and on our Pacific Living Pizza Oven isn’t just for pizza. It’s so versatile! Though we used lasagna noodles Patti combined lobster and shrimp in a cream sauce with fresh veggies from our Murrieta Farmer’s Market. This was an excellent date night dinner with just a kiss of oak smoke. This would…
Salsa Verde Burgers We both had to have Ken’s big beefy burgers. With St. Patrick’s Day around the corner Patti suggested doing something green. Ken wanted something south western. We came up with a delicious compromise. Ken topped ½ lb. burgers with grilled jalapenos and green salsa. Patti likes the salsa verde because it’s tangy but not hot. Ken added to the southwestern theme with…
Twisted Piggy Burnt Ends Last week I was talking with Jim Olson, one of my Facebook friends, about our “Poor Man’s Burnt Ends”. He said that he has used pork strips as another cheap alternative to brisket. Well, that got me to thinking and we all know that is a painful process to say the least. So, thinking on it for a few days I…
Guest Chef G's Radicchio Celery Slaw While walking through the grocery produce section, pondering what to prepare for the evening, I suddenly had a taste for a tangy coleslaw. But I really didn't want just a basic cabbage variety. So when I spotted the radicchio, I was inspired. Radicchio is an Italian salad plant related to chicory. The distinctive plant grows in a rich maroon…
Lemon Pepper Chicken Kabobs After a long weekend we wanted something light, but still healthy with lots of flavor. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are so versatile we use them for lots of recipes. We added veggies for healthy color and Louisiana Lemon Pepper seasoning to add just the right amount of spice. For our sides we brightened up plain white rice by cooking it with…
Smoked Cheese and Ham Pierogi Bake We’re thinking of a Smoked Cheese and Ham Pierogi Bake for the upcoming Holiday with ham going on sale. We have lots of ham recipes, but we’re asked for leftover recipes. Ken came to the rescue with his awesome smoked cheese added to our leftover ham. Yum. Patti added mushrooms and horseradish for more flavor layers. Smoked Cheese and…
Cold Smoked Cheese We love Cold Smoked Cheese and we use it in our recipes to add a whole new layer of flavor. Things like Mac and Cheese, Stuffed meatloaf, lasagna and burgers are crazy good picking up the smoky flavors of the grill. Not even talking about sauces and dips. I have been thinking what it would be like to add a good rub…