Chicken Quesadillas

Jun 23 2013

I had some leftover smoked chicken to use up. I planned on a lazy Sunday and a quick supper of quesadillas. I had planned on mushrooms, roasted red peppers from a jar and artichoke hearts besides cheese and chicken for the quesadillas. Then I thought melted onions and ended up making my melted onions and tomatoes for a topping. Some bacon would be good to crumble over the top too. I had four slices of good bacon; I like it done on the smoker so I did that and threw a couple slices of old fashioned bologna on for the cooks snack! I was busy most of the afternoon!

So my lazy day turned out to be busy. Being retired my days hardly ever end up as I plan at the top of the day. Most of the time it’s planning on doing two or three chores and lucky to get one done!

Our son had to work so our daughter in law dropped the grandson and dog off while she went to Lima shopping. The grandson did not want a quesadilla; he just ate some cold chicken. I fixed my wife and me a quesadilla.

The quesadillas were some of my wife’s veggie wraps, a layer of cheese, shredded chicken, sliced red peppers, sliced artichoke hearts, sautéed mushrooms and another layer of cheese; all on half of the wrap. I folded them over and then in a hot skillet with some olive oil spray to brown and melt the cheese two or three minutes per side.

I served them with my melted onions and tomatoes on top with some crumbled bacon over and a side of Cole slaw. We were done eating when the dil came and I fixed her one minus the bacon. Everyone thought they were pretty good.

Bacon and my snack

One Quesadilla ready to fold and fry

My Plate

Melted Onions and Tomatoes

Jun 23 2013

I was planning on using some leftover chicken for quesadillas for our supper and thought I would do some melted onions to add. Looking for my recipe I ran across one that also had tomatoes added to the onions so I thought it would be great as a topping on them.

I only had one large tomato to use and used 3 Vidalia onions. I think it would be better with equal amounts but it still turned out pretty well.

After I cooked them I turned up the heat and stirred to thicken some and went until I was getting a little browning. You could puree this in a blender to get a smoother sauce if you like.

Recipe:

Melted onions and tomatoes

3 to4 onions about a pound, sliced thin or chopped
3 to 4 tomatoes about a pound, diced
¼ cup olive oil, extra virgin or light, your preference
1 Tbs. kosher salt
Parchment paper

I had done just onions before this way and loved them; I like the addition of tomatoes too. Place all in a saucepan and mix; cover with parchment paper. Heat to a simmer on medium; when it starts to simmer turn down to low and cook for three hours. You can leave them at this thickness or if you want thicker turn up the heat and stir to cook down to your preference.

Uses are unlimited; I think with some Italian seasoning added it would make a great pizza sauce.


Onions and tomato

All in the pot

Simmering

After 3 hours

You can leave as above or cook down to thicken

Pulled Pork Sandwich with Kimchi

Jun 22 2013

A neighbor girl asked if she bought a pork butt would I smoke it for her. I had an eight pound butt frozen so said I would fix it and give her some of it. I thawed it in the fridge.

Last night I trimmed most of the fat cap off and cut it in half. I smeared it with some molasses and added Stub’s pork rub, covered with plastic wrap and in the fridge overnight.

I got up at 6:30 am and got the butts on my Traeger at 7:00 on smoke mode P3 running a grill level temp of 210 deg. I let it go for a couple of hours and then went to P2 and ran a grill level temp of about 240 deg. At 10:00 I threw on a couple of pieces of smoked sausage for a double smoke and a lunch snack for me. By then it was getting hot out about 90 deg. I was wishing it was afternoon and beer time!

At 11:00 I made a batch of LTBBQ member Billy Merrill’s $10,000 Cole slaw for a side. At noon I sliced some of the smoked sausage and topped with some of my pickled mustard seeds for a lunch snack and decided it was beer time too! Billy’s Cole slaw recipe is his version of what is served at the Skylight Inn BBQ restaurant in Ayden N.C. Billy knows the owner well and he said once a guy came in and offered him $10,000 for the slaw recipe but he turned him down.

At about 12:30 the butts were at 162 deg. IT. I placed them in a foil pan and added about 1 ½ cups of apple juice and 2 Tbs. of cider vinegar. I then covered with foil. I then set the smoker to 225 deg. It was running at about 260 deg. at grill level. At 2:00 the butts were at 200 deg. IT. My test probe went in like butter so pulled and placed in the oven for an hours rest. Total cook time was seven hours.

I removed the meat from the pan juices and on a cookie sheet to cool. When it was cool enough I did a first pull and removed most of the fat. I then pulled it to the size I like and removed most all the fat. I think it was the fattiest butt I have done. I saved the pan juices to skim the fat but don’t think I need to add any to the meat.

I made some of my secret Southern pit style beans, (Bush’s from a can), for another side and sliced a tomato. Our Grandson was here and said all he wanted was some of the pork and tomatoes so I heated up some for him. I toasted some COWB’s, cheap ole white buns, for the wife and I. She had BBQ sauce on her sandwich and I had some of my Kimchi on mine. That’s the first time I had the Kimchi on pulled pork; I think they were made for each other!

Pork butt

Most of fat cap removed

Cut in half

Seasoned

Ready to foil at 162 deg. IT

My lunch snack

After resting an hour

Removed from the pan to cool

First pull

Second pull

My Sandwich

My Plate with a side of slaw

TQ Mayo Chicken

Jun 21 2013

Earlier I had done a Kassler brined chicken using cure #1 trying for a little ham flavor in chicken. It didn’t turn out the way I wanted. This time using a tip from fellow member of Lets Talk BBQ forum, Savannah Smoker I used Morton’s tender quick in the brine.

I spatchcocked a chicken and brined it for 24 hours. I also decided to rub the chicken with mayonnaise. I usually don’t like to try two new methods at once. This time it worked out for some super chicken IMHO.

I drained and rinsed the chicken and it went on a rack in the fridge for a few hours before cooking. Just before putting on the smoker I rubbed it down with a light coat of Hellmans mayonnaise and some Penzey’s Galena street rub.

I filled my Smok’n Spices RSI (Reusable Spice Infuser) with 100% apple wood pellets for some added smoke. It gives about an hour and a half of smoke. I was using oak in my Traeger. My smoker was running about 200 deg. on smoke mode P1. I put the chicken on and started easing the temp up.

It took about 15 minutes to get to 275 deg. and a grill level temp of 325 deg. I let it there for another half hour then went to 300 deg. and a grill level temp of 330 deg. I got my hearts of Romaine lettuce ready to go on the grill. I had thawed some Alexia sweet potato fries and they went on the smoker the last 35 minutes. Total cook time for the chicken to breast IT of 175 deg. was an hour and 40 minutes.

I sprayed the cut side of the Romaine with olive oil and charred on my Weber Q100 a couple of minutes; turned and drizzled on some balsamic vinegar olive oil mix and topped with a slice of tomato. I left it on the grill a few minutes. I served it with some shaved parmesan on top.

My plating was not too fancy here but I was hungry and in a hurry! I thought the chicken was the best I had done in a while. The mayo gave the skin a nice color and great taste. The chicken had the slight hammy taste I was looking for and very moist. My wife thought it was extra good too.

Printable brine recipe

In the brine

Ready for the smoker

About done

Ready to serve

Salad

My Plate

Stub's Rubbed BBRibs

Jun 19 2013

I had some Stub’s pork rub I wanted to try. It was the first rub I have bought lately that salt was not the dominate flavor. I found some BBRibs on special; I picked out a rack that was just over $7. They were all natural with no solution added.

I cut the rack in half to do one with sauce for my wife and one with just rub for myself. I wet them with some organic apple cider vinegar. I went light on the Stub’s rub on my wife’s half and heavy on my half.
I covered them with saran wrap and in the fridge a few hours before cooking.

I wanted to try Sparky’s, (a member of LTBBQ forum), cooking method. I used his method but added different ingredients when I wrapped them in foil.

My Traeger was acting a little erratic but I was able to pretty well hold the grill level temp at 275 deg. using smoke mode and P-0 and P-1.

I put the ribs on at 2:00 so should be done about 6:00. After 2 hours I added Kah’s BBQ sauce to my wife’s half and wrapped in foil. I just added some melted butter and a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to mine. Both went back on meat side down for an hour. After the hour I unwrapped and back on meat side up and poured the juices over. I brushed on some more sauce on my wife’s.

At 5:30 I went to 300 deg. to finish up. They were done at 5:50. I tented them with foil to set while I toasted some bread under the broiler with my gorgonzola chive garlic butter. My wife and I are getting addicted to that stuff!

For sides I had potato salad and some of my secret beans, (Bush’s Grillen Smokehouse beans).

I plated 3 sauced ribs for my wife and grandson. I had the bare ones. My grandson finished his ribs and wanted more; so he had one of mine and said it was good too. I liked the Stub’s rub and the ribs were moist and easy pull off the bones.

Ribs seasoned and ready for the fridge

After 2 hours, ready to wrap

All done

Ready to cut and serve

My Wife's Plate

My Plate

BBLT Sandwich

Bologna bacon lettuce tomato sandwich; the ultimate to me! I was waiting for this all year; waiting for some good Tennessee tomatoes a local veggie stand brings in. They are as good as fresh garden tomatoes.

I love a BLT and a fried bologna sandwich so why not merge them. I get the best old fashioned bung bologna from my Butcher, Kah Meats; just the right spices and a good hint of garlic. Dick Kah, now deceased, told me the owner of Boar and More knew he liked it and gave him the recipe when they closed up in the 70’s. Dick’s sons still make the bologna. Boar and More was another meat processor just down the road from Kah’s.

I did the bacon on my Traeger, it is much better than pan fried; extra crispy and not as greasy. I fried the bologna in a pan, toasted some ciabatta buns, mustard on the bottom, bologna, bacon, tomato, lettuce and some mayo on the top bun. My wife just had a BLT. I had a pickled egg with mine and the BBLT was the ultimate!

Bacon on the Traeger

Fixings

BBLT

Sliced

Shrimp Boil for Father's Day

What more could I ask for on Father’s Day but to be able to fix some good food and have the family enjoy it? My wife said she didn’t want me to have to cook but I said that’s what I like to do and that’s what I want. My favorite present was our 8 year old Grandson made me a greeting card on the computer and printed it out.

One of my favorite cooks is a shrimp boil. I had two pounds of raw shell on jumbo Texas gulf shrimp to use. I would add; potatoes, cabbage, carrots, an onion, garlic, a lemon, smoked sausage, seasoning and corn on the cob. I also made some take home and bake bread. I made some gorgonzola garlic chive butter for the bread and corn and melted some to dip the shrimp in. My seasonings were a Tbs. of salt, a Tbs. of Old Bay and a couple Tbs. of Zatarains crab boil.

They were saying rain so I set up my gas burner on the Smoking deck. I have a large pot with strainer that is perfect for a shrimp boil. I don’t usually add cabbage and carrots but I knew our veggie daughter in law would like them. I liked them too but will not use red cabbage the next time. It turned out blue and to me blue has to be the most un appetizing color there is for food! You would have thought all the years I have cooked I would have known that!

I told the wife we needed the checkered table cloth for this meal. This is almost a fool proof dinner; when it’s all done pull up the strainer, let drain, pour on a tray. Place it in the middle of the table for everyone to dig in!


Cooker ready to go

Ingredients

Shrimp

Veggies ready to cook

Served up

My Plate

Kimchi started and a quick Supper

Jun 14 2013

Today was a busy day. Yesterday I stopped at Krogers in St. Marys to get Mom some fresh fruit. I was taking her some food. When I got back in the car it was dead. I had forgotten the cell phone so called from Krogers for roadside assist. He was able to jump start me so headed back home and took the car to my Ford dealer. He replaced the battery; it was the original, 7 yrs. old so I got my money’s worth.

This morning I headed back to deliver the food, Mom was doing fine, and she is 91. On the way home I was driving a back road I like to take. It crosses the St. Marys River and some low area with ponds I see some wildlife and I used to play there as a kid. I hear a loud thud and look in the rear view mirror, a small doe deer is limping across the road. I felt bad; when I got to a stop sign I got out and looked at the car. There was no damage at all; I felt a little better that maybe she would survive. She must have run into the rear side I figured; I never saw her.

After lunch I cut up two heads of Napa cabbage to get some Kimchi started. It will be a good side for any BBQ. I had picked out two nice large heads; about 6 lbs. The center of both was bad so I had more waste than normal.

After I got the kimchi done I made up 3 sausage patties from a pound of fresh sausage from my butcher. I had some corn on the cob to steam and my wife made some broccoli slaw. That would be supper for us and the Grandson. It tasted pretty good.

The Grandson is coming down at 8 am and we are going fishing for the morning. He is staying over while Mom & Dad have a night out in Columbus and taking in a concert.

Kimchi ingredients

Cutting up the cabbage

Ready to mix

Ready to set for two days

Sausage patties after 1/2 hr. at 300 deg. I had some mustard on top

After another 1/2 hr. and cheese added

My Supper

Jun 16 2013

The Kimchi had set out at room temp for two days. I filled 3 quart jars and topped with water to cover. After a few days in the fridge to mellow out this will be ready to eat.