Fourth of July Spectacular

The 4th of July is upon us...in case you haven't looked at the calender lately, it's this Friday.  I'm going away again this year, but if I were hosting festivities at home I would want to think outside the same ol' burgers and hot dogs.  Since its a 4th of July weekend, burgers and dogs might get old by Sunday. 

Think outside the box and leave the burgers and hot dogs to the kids! Finish planning your party menu...try something new. I have one stop shopping for you this week: Apps, drinks, main dishes, sides, and deserts, in that order.  Have a happy and safe holiday!

Appetizers

Caprese Salad Kabobs

• 24 grape tomatoes
• 12 cherry-size fresh mozzarella cheese balls (can't find the cheese? Chunk up string cheese)
• 24 fresh basil leaves
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• Salt/Pepper to taste

1. On each of 12 wooden appetizer skewers, alternately thread two tomatoes, one cheese ball and two basil leaves
2. place on a serving plate.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the oil and vinegar;
4. drizzle over kabobs just before serving. Serves 12 

J.J.'s Buffalo Chicken Dip

• ½ lb chicken breast seasoned, cooked, shredded
• 2 [8 ounce]packages cream cheese
• 1 cup Ranch dressing – Must use Hidden Valley for this!
• 3/4 cup red hot sauce – I use Texas Pete Garlic
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (sharp is incredible) or Colby jack or mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350. Place cream cheese in pan and put in oven to get soft. 10 to 15 minutes. When soft mix hot sauce, ranch, and chicken…smooth and top with cheese. Place back in oven serve after everything is warm and bubbly. Serve with Rippled Chips and/or Frito Scoops

Drinks

Raspberry Fizz

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 cups cranberry juice
• 3 cups seltzer
• 1 cup ginger ale
• 1 pint raspberry sorbet

1. In a small saucepan over high heat, combine the sugar and 1/2 cup of water.
2. Bring to a boil and cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and add the lime juice.
4. Let the lime syrup cool to room temperature.
5. In a large pitcher, combine 1/2 cup of lime syrup with the cranberry juice, seltzer, and ginger ale.
6. To serve, pour into glasses
7. top with scoops of raspberry sorbet. Serves 6

Red, White & Blue Sangria

• 2 bottles favorite white wine
• 1 cup triple sec
• 1/2 cup berry-flavored vodka
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/2 cup simple syrup
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 1/2 cups hulled and sliced strawberries
• 1 cup raspberries
• 1 1/2 cups pineapple chunks  

1. Combine all ingredients in a large punch bowl or pitcher
2. Stir well.
3. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
4. Serve well-chilled with a good scoop of fruit floating in each drink
5. serve over ice. 8 – 10 servings

Tip: Freeze some blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries to put in glasses instead of letting ice water it down. 

Main Dishes

Grilled Buttermilk Chicken

• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 8 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 6 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, legs, or quarters (double marinade for quarters)

1. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, garlic, paprika, 1½ teaspoons salt, and ¾ teaspoon pepper.
2. Divide the buttermilk mixture and chicken between 2 large resealable plastic bags. Let marinate in the refrigerator, turning the bags occasionally, for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
3. Heat grill to medium-low.
4. Remove the chicken from the marinade (discard the marinade)
5. Grill, covered, turning occasionally, until cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes.

Serves 8

J.J.'s Juicy Lucy

• 1 – ½ lbs grand beef, turkey, or chicken
• ½ pouch onion soup mix (Avoiding salt? Use ¼ cup chopped onions or 2 tablespoons dry onions instead )
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 6 slices Swiss, cheddar, and/or American cheese

1. Gently mix meat with onion and spices.
2. Shape beef into 12 thin patties.
3. Top six patties with a slice of cheddar cheese and Swiss cheese.
4. Top each with another patty and seal edges. Season to taste.
5. Grill beef, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until a thermometer reads 160° and juices run clear.
6. Serve on buns. Serves 6 

J.J.'s Drunk Pork Chops

• 1 cups water
• 3 bottles favorite beer
• 1/8 cup coarse salt
• 4 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup Real maple syrup
• 1 cup ice cubes
• 6 1- to 1 1/4-inch-thick center-cut pork chops
• 7 large garlic cloves, minced
• 3 teaspoons chipotle powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard

1. Combine 2 cups water, beer, 1/8 cup salt, sugar, and maple in large bowl.
2. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve.
3. Stir in ice.
4. Place pork chops in large resealable plastic bag.
5. Pour beer brine over pork chops; seal bag.
6. Refrigerate 4 hours, turning bag occasionally.
7. Prepare grill (medium-high heat).
8. Remove pork chops from beer brine
9. Pat dry
10. Mix garlic, chipotle, 2 teaspoons salt, and mustard in small bowl.
11. Rub garlic mixture over both sides of pork chops.
12. Grill pork chops until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of chops registers 145°F to 150°F, about 10 minutes per side, occasionally moving chops to cooler part of rack if burning.
13. Transfer chops to platter
14. Cover with foil
15. let stand 5 minutes. Serves 6

Sides

I love my Mom's beans. Mom is well known for great baked beans. Often requested, almost always the first thing to run out at gatherings. I had to take her recipe and make it my own of course. The significant other who claims not to like baked beans will eat these.  

J.J.'s Not Quite Mama's Baked Beans

• 2 16 oz cans of Pork and Beans – Van Camps are the best if you can get them in your area.
• 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
• ¼ cup chopped onions
• 4 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• ¼ cup ketchup
• 3 slices of bacon, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Mix beans with pork, onions, brown sugar and ketchup together
3. Put in a greased casserole dish.
4. Top with bacon
5. Cover and bake for 3 hours or until thick.

Grilled Cauliflower

• 1 head cauliflower
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt (I use Complete)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Remove stem& leaves from cauliflower.
2. Wash& pat dry.
3. Spread the oil over the cauliflower.
4. Sprinkle with seasoned salt& cheese.
5. Wrap head of cauliflower in heavy duty aluminum foil.
6. Grill over medium heat about 40 minutes or until desired tenderness (test with toothpick).

Deserts

Strawberry Ice Cream Cake

• 2 pints vanilla ice cream
• 20 small strawberries, hulled and cut into small pieces (2 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon sugar

1. Line the bottom of a 9-inch spring-form pan with parchment paper or foil.
2. Place the pan in freezer to chill, about 10 minutes.
3. Scoop the ice cream into the bowl of an electric mixer and beat with a paddle attachment until it's soft but still holds its shape, about 2 minutes.
4. Add the strawberries and beat until the ice cream is pink and the berries start to break down, about 1 more minute.
5. Transfer to the chilled pan and spread to smooth the surface.
6. Freeze until firm, 2 hours or overnight (if overnight, wrap in plastic to prevent freezer burn).
7. Whip the heavy cream and sugar in a clean bowl to form soft peaks. (make it an adult cake...add a couple of tablespoons of spiced rum in with the cream as you whip it)
8. Remove the cake from the spring-form ring, running a knife around the edge, if necessary.
9. Spread the cream over the cake.
10. Use a hot chef's knife to slice the cake into wedges. Serves 8

Lemon Fruit Dip

• 1 cup cold milk
• 1 package (3.4 ounces) instant lemon pudding mix
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• Assorted fresh fruits

1. In a small bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes (mixture will be thick).
2. Whisk in sour cream.
3. Chill until serving.
4. Serve with fruit. Makes 1-2/3 cups.

When Irish Eyes Are Smiling

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Fitting for today...it is also Corned Beef and Cabbage Day!

 Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage

Ingredients

•     1 (4 - 5 pound) corned beef, soaked in water at least an hour and rinsed
•     1 medium head of cabbage, cut into 2-inch wedges
•     6 red potatoes, halved
•     4 carrots, cut into ½-inch chunks
•     1 teaspoon pickling spice
•     2 cups low sodium chicken stock or water
•     8 ounces beer (any unflavored kind will do; you can substitute water here, as well)
•     3 large bay leaves
•     1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
•     1 teaspoon black pepper corns

Directions

1.     Place carrots, and potatoes in the bottom of a large slow cooker pot.
2.     Rinse the corned beef and lay it over the vegetables. 
3.     Add in bay leaves, pepper corns, pickling spice, and Dijon mustard.
4.     Pour beer and stock over everything. Make sure liquid covers most of the corned beef; if not, add more water or stock. 
5.     Cover and cook on low setting for 8 hours.
6.     Add the cabbage to the slow cooker and cook until cabbage is just tender (about 30 minutes).
7.     Plate beef and veggies.
8.     Slice beef against the grain and serve with extra mustard.

What better to go with corned beef...Irish Soda Bread!  A good sour dough bread goes well with this dish as well.

Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients

•     4 to 4 1/2 cups flour
•     2 Tbsp sugar
•     1 teaspoon salt
•     1 teaspoon baking soda
•     4 Tbsp butter
•     1 cup raisins - I personlly leave the rasins out
•     1 large egg, lightly beaten
•     1 3/4 cups buttermilk

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 425°. 
2. Whisk together 4 cups of flour, the sugar, salt, and baking soda into a large mixing bowl.
3.  Using your (clean) fingers (or two knives or a pastry cutter), work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal, then add in the raisins if you desire.
4.  Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. 
   
5. Add beaten egg and buttermilk to well and mix in with a wooden spoon until dough is too stiff to stir. 
6. Dust hands with a little flour, then gently knead dough in the bowl just long enough to form a rough ball. If the dough is too sticky to work with, add in a little more flour. Do not over-knead! 
7. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and shape into a round loaf. Note: The dough will be a little sticky, and quite shaggy. You want to work it just enough so that the flour is just moistened and the dough just barely comes together. Shaggy is good. If you over-knead, the bread will end up tough.
    
8. Transfer dough to a large, lightly greased cast-iron skillet or a baking sheet (it will flatten out a bit in the pan or on the baking sheet). 
9. Using a serrated knife, score top of dough about an inch and a half deep in an "X" shape. The purpose of the scoring is to help heat get into the center of the dough while it cooks. 
10. Transfer to oven and bake until bread is golden and bottom sounds hollow when tapped, about 35-45 minutes. (If you use a cast iron pan, it may take a little longer as it takes longer for the pan to heat up than a baking sheet.) Check for doneness also by inserting a long, thin skewer into the center. If it comes out clean, it's done.   
11. Remove pan or sheet from oven, let bread sit in the pan or on the sheet for 5-10 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool briefly. 
12. Serve bread warm, at room temperature, or sliced and toasted. Best when eaten warm and just baked.

Hint 1: If the top is getting too dark while baking, tent the bread with some aluminum foil.

Hint 2: If you use a cast iron skillet to cook the bread in the oven, be very careful when you take the pan out. It's easy to forget that the handle is extremely hot. Cool the handle with an ice cube, or put a pot holder over it.

Beer. Now there’s a temporary solution!

So, I have been taking it upon myself to learn about beer in addition to wine. I will admit I have never been a fan of beer. I like to cook with it and I will drink it, but it has never been a first or even a second choice while drinking. Where I live there are several micro breweries. The significant other is quite fond of them. I am tying to learn about beer so we are able to enjoy the craft brews together.

My knowledge of beer up until lately has been: You rent it...as in it makes you pee. Everyone seems to love Budweiser, I think it is horrible. I tolerate Miller Light the best, but if it is cold enough I can deal with Coors Light, Rolling Rock, or National Bohemian aka Natty Boh. I do like Redds Apple Ale, but that has a sweet taste. I also quite enjoy Crispin, but that is another cider.

I find the taste of hops unpleasant. (Hops are the female flowers [also called seed cones or strobiles] of the hop plant. They are used primarily as a flavoring and stability agent in beer, to which they impart a bitter, tangy flavor. Hops are also used for various purposes in other beverages and herbal medicine.) This is the root of my dislike of beers. I have always been sensitive to bitter and that is what I don't like about the hops. In my research I have found most all beers fall into one of two categories: ales or lagers. Crazy right?

Ale is brewed from malted barley using a warm fermentation with a strain of brewers' yeast. The yeast will ferment the beer quickly, giving it a sweet, full bodied and fruity taste. Most ales contain hops, which help preserve the beer and impart a bitter herbal flavor that balances the sweetness of the malt. Ale is the oldest kind of beer.

Types of Ale

• Barley Wine - Use of the word wine is due to its similar alcoholic strength as a wine; but since it is made from grain rather than fruit, it is, in fact, a beer. There are two primary styles of barley wine: the American which tends to be more hoppy and thus more bitter with colors ranging from amber to light brown and the English style which tends to be less hoppy and thus less bitter with more variety in color ranging from red-gold to opaque black.
• Bitter - An English term for pale ale. Bitters vary in color from gold to dark amber. English bitter is widely considered by English drinkers to be the best beer in the world, as a result of its style being difficult to find elsewhere.
• Brown Ale - They range from deep amber to brown in color. Brown ales from northeastern England tend to be strong and malty, often nutty, while those from southern England are usually darker, sweeter and lower in alcohol. North American brown ales are usually drier than their English counterparts, with a slight citrus accent and an aroma, bitterness, and medium body.
• India Pale Ale - The body will be golden to amber and it is extremely hoppy. It was first brewed in England in the 19th century.

  

  I wouldn't drink it, but the name is hilarious!

• Pale Ale - is a beer made by warm fermentation using predominantly pale malt.
• Porter - a dark style of beer originating in London in the 18th century, descended from brown beer, a well hopped beer made from brown malt. The name is thought to come from its popularity with street and river porters.
• Stout – A dark beer made using roasted malt or roasted barley, hops, water and yeast. Stouts were originally the generic term for the strongest or stoutest porters. There are several variations of stout.
• Wheat Beer - A beer that is brewed with a large proportion of wheat in addition to malted barley. wheat beer is the oldest style still in existence today.
  
  

Lager is light in color and is aged at cool temperatures. Lager was developed by German brewers who discovered that aging beer in natural caves after the initial fermentation produced a cleaner beer and made their brews less susceptible to contamination. Eventually this aging, called lagering, led to the isolation of yeasts that thrived at lower temperatures than the traditional ale yeasts. This bottom fermenting yeast is more aggressive than ale yeast yielding a drier beer with almost no flavor or aroma contributed by the yeast itself. Lagers are typically served cold. 

Types of Lager

• Bock - Bock originated in Einbeck, Germany. It is rich and malty. There is noticeable balancing hop bitterness but the depth of the full malt flavor dominate.
• Dunkel - Dunkel beers are dark lagers. They are generally associated with Bavaria, their region
  
  of origin. They typically range in color from amber to dark reddish brown. They are characterized by their smooth malty flavor.
  
• Oktoberfest/Maerzen - The body is light brown with a white head. This lager is distinctly German.
• Pilsner - It is one of the youngest beer styles in the world and was originally brewed in Plzen, Czech in 1842. Pilsner is brewed all over the world. The head is white and dense and the body is straw colored. The aroma should contain hops with a hint of graininess. The flavor is simple with light grain and hops bittering.

I've recently discovered through research and tasting, I seem to like stouts and porter. IPA's are a no go because the hoppiness of them turns me off. I have also learned that some beers taste better with food. Wines do too.  Who knew!?!

Stay tuned for the next installment of beer! 

References

• Real Beer
• Beer/Wikipedia
• Beer Advocate

"To alcohol! The cause of... and solution to... all of life's problems..."

It's been a crazy month, this April has...I tell you what!  A move back to Maryland, trying to combine two sets of cats, and other various things...I've been a busy home cook!
At the wonderful Southern Season store, before I departed North Carolina, I got to meet chopped judge Maneet Chauhan!  Such a lovely lady! The picture of the three of us is on Facebook.  We got her cookbook and had it signed!  I look forward to meeting more celebrity chefs in the future!
Got a new grill last week (a Char-Griller Grillin' Pro 3001...LOVE IT,) so in the spirit of Sunday dinner, I did a beer can chicken.  I've done a beer can chicken before, but it was in the oven.  I did it on the grill this time served with delicious grilled veggies and fresh lemonade.  So, so, sooooo yummy! I have a full and happy tummy tonight.

Beer Can Chicken
(You can also roast a chicken this way in the oven. Just place it as directed on an open half-filled can of beer, sitting up, in a roasting pan on the lower rack of your oven. Roast at 350°F until done (about an hour fifteen to an hour and a half for a 4 lb chicken). For an alcohol-free version of this recipe, just fill an empty soda can halfway with chicken stock and use it instead of the beer.  I've also used Mountain Dew and Sprite!)

Cook time: 1 hour, 30 minutes to 2 hours

Ingredients
•1 4-pound whole chicken

Complete Seasoning is my
salt replacement.  Thanks,
Melissa for introdicing me to it. 

•2 Tbsp olive oil
•1 opened, half-full can of beer, room temperature (I've found the cheaper the beer the better unless you are looking for a specific flavor profile.)
•2 Tbsp or more of a spice mix of your liking...I used Complete Seasoning by Badia.  Great stuff you find it with the international spices.
•1 to 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 to 3 cloves of fresh garlic

1. Prepare your grill for indirect heat. If you are using charcoal, put the coals on one side of the grill, leaving another side free of coals. If you are using a gas grill, fire up only half of the burners.
2.  Remove neck and giblets from cavity of chicken, if the chicken came with them. Rub the chicken all over with olive oil, then sprinkle the spice all over the chicken.

3.  Make sure the beer can is open, and only half-filled with beer (drink the other half!) If you want, you can the rosemary and garlic in the beer can. Lower the chicken on to the open can, so that the chicken is sitting upright, with the can in its cavity. Place the chicken on the cool side of the grill, using the legs and beer can as a tripod to support the chicken on the grill and keep it stable.
4. Cover the grill and walk away. Do not even check the chicken for at least an hour.  (unless you see black smoke...I had a small fire!) After an hour, check the chicken and

refresh the coals if needed (if you are using a charcoal grill). Keep checking the chicken every 15 minutes or so, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 160°F - 165°F. The total cooking time will vary depending on the size of your chicken, and the internal temperature of the grill. A 4 lb chicken will usually take around 1 1/2 hours. If you don't have a meat thermometer, a way to tell if the chicken is done is to poke it deeply with a knife (the thigh is a good place to do this), if the juices run clear, not pink, the chicken is done.

5. Carefully transfer the chicken to a tray or pan. I say "carefully" because the beer can, and the beer inside of it, is quite hot. One way to do this is to slide a metal spatula under the bottom of the beer can. Use tongs to hold the top of the chicken. Lift the chicken, beer can still inside, and move it to a tray. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes. Carefully lift the chicken off of the can. If it gets stuck, lay the chicken on its side, and pull out the can with tongs.

Serve and enjoy with grilled veggies or what ever you may enjoy with a roasted

Corn Grilled in the husk,
chicken, and
zuchini/yellow squash

chicken.  Great thing to toss on grilled veggies...a tea spoon or less of fresh cracked pepper per two table spoons of grated Parmesan cheese.  Mix well and sprinkle on lightly as the veggies come off the grill.

Rosy's Lemonade
Ingredients
 •1 cup sugar (can reduce to 3/4 cup)
 •1 cup water (for the simple syrup)

No, not that one! 

 •1 cup lemon juice
 •3 to 4 cups cold water (to dilute)

1. Make simple syrup by heating the sugar and water in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved completely. 
2. While the sugar is dissolving, use a juicer to extract the juice from 4 to 6 lemons, enough for one cup of juice. 
3. Add the juice and the sugar water to a pitcher. Add 3 to 4 cups of cold water, more or less to the desired strength. Refrigerate 30 to 40 minutes. If the lemonade is a little sweet for your taste, add a little more straight lemon juice to it.

Serve with ice

It's July!

So it’s almost the end of July and I am just now writing…Sometimes it is hard to know what to write about, especially when you haven’t been in the mood to cook.   I could just post some random recipes, but I like to try out and see if it is good and make my own tweaks before I share it with the world.   It’s the blog’s second birthday next month and I feel like I should save this fabulous brownie recipe for that.

I also had a birthday this month…yes, J.J. is now 35.  Not sure why that makes me so irritated…I know I started cooking when I was seven years old and for those of you not good at math, that means I have been cooking for 28 years.  Insanity! It just blows my mind.  I’ve been considering some life changes…I know this isn’t the blog to write about them in, but hey, it means new food adventures.

As always I am begging…please, send me recipes! Inspire me! That is your challenge for what is left of this month.

My only other thing is there is a micro type brewery next door to the art gallery where I play at twice a week and they really have great food and some good brews. If you are ever in the Annapolis/Baltimore/D.C. area, check out the Ellicott Mills Brewing Company!

Drunken Chicken Master

I haven't been cooking much lately. It has been disgustingly hot here in the Baltimore/D.C. corridor and by some miracle of fate, I have developed a social life. (I've been dating this pretty awesome woman, spending lots of time at PW's with Mama, and hanging with the BFF aka the Fabulous Melissa,) Also, I have been having roommate issues that are beyond the control of this fat kid. Despite all of this...I did manage to cook a decent meal Sunday. Another roasted bird...I love chicken and I like it a lot of ways, but baked low and slow on a Sunday morning is my favorite.

Now this particular bird was done beer can style on a well washed, Mello Yello can. In said Mello Yello can, I filled it with water, rosemary, garlic, and chipoltle seasoning. I dressed the bird in olive oil and a seasoning concoction I will share with you at the end of this entry. I baked it in the oven on 175 for 4 hours then increased it to 250 for another hour and a half. The last hour, I cranked the oven up to 350 to finish cooking and crisping of the skin.

And, just in case there are readers that aren't familiar with beer can chicken...here is a brief history of it:

Beer Can Chicken is made by standing a prepared chicken upright on a partially filled can of beer and cooking it slowly in a barbecue or oven. The can goes into the opening of the chicken so that the beer evaporates and permeates the cooking chicken. It received the name dancing chicken due to way the chicken wobbles once the beer has evaporated and due to the fact the chicken is flavored with evaporated beer. The wobbling and falling usually indicates the chicken is done.

 

 

J.J.'s Chicken Rub

Measurements are approximate as I never measure.

• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon of finely chopped rosemary
• ¼ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
• ¼ teaspoon chipolte season
• 1 teaspoon Season Salt
• ¼ teaspoon sage

Left for the roommate so she wouldn't screw
with my chicken!

Beautiful! Those drippings made a
delicious gravy!

Simple and delicious!