Parmesan Garlic Butter Chicken Breasts

Jun 30 2015

I had some leftover spaghetti and Italian gravy so I took some Butter Garlic marinated chicken breasts out of the freezer this morning to have with it. My butcher always has several different chicken marinades made up and frozen. They are just right for the wife and me and easy to fix.

It was a nice day today except we had a light rain about the whole time I was smoking some peanuts and then a light sprinkle as I finished supper. Me and the dog had a close encounter with a brave little sparrow today for some fun.

I had the smoker heated to 190 deg. and did the chicken breasts for 45 minutes to finish thawing and heat up some. I then did them about 4 minutes per side on my Weber Spirit along with some buttered and seasoned bread. I topped the breasts with some parmesan and heated the spaghetti in the micro wave. I melted the cheese some more under the broiler. I had used my thermopen to make sure the chicken was done.

We both had a small salad with some baby pickled beets and homemade buttermilk ranch dressing. That was an easy meal and tasted good!

Chicken from my butcher

A little olive oil and garlic herb salt added

On my Traeger

One side done

Parmesan added and the bread

My salad

My supper

Brave Little Sparrow

Jun 30 2015

I fed the sparrows for 30+ years and they were used to me. For the first couple of years after I built my smoke deck they stayed out then more often they started to roost there overnight. Last year I closed up most of the roosting spots but then this spring they had found some more places and were making a mess. I had already stopped feeding them and the gold finches. Finch feed was getting too expensive and it attracted the sparrows too. Hummers are the only birds I feed now.

I got all the roosting spots covered now and my smoke deck has been bird poop free now for a couple of months.

Now my dog is not spoiled but he likes to eat outside in the summer. He will even beg ne for food when it is on the back porch until I take it outside. Then he gobbles it down. The sparrows have been stealing some of his food so I guess you might say he feeds the birds now. They will fly in and steal some even when I am close by.

Today an especially brave one beat all I ever saw. I was filling the dog bowl and my dog was waiting right there. This little guy ran around behind me and jumped up for a drink of water and then into the food bowl. My dog just stood there looking, maybe he was in shock! Then it hopped up on the deck and my dog finally chased it. Later it came back and almost got in my hand.

When I started smoking the peanuts today I had my camera handy and shot this of the Brave Little Sparrow. I shot this from the chair I was setting in so that's how close I was.

Smoked Cocktail Peanuts

Jun 30 2015

I got hooked on some planters smoked peanuts I got at Wal-Mart. I kept them around for mid-night snacks. Then just like a smart store they quit carrying them. I thought I will just smoke my own. I have done a lot of pistachios, and have tried pecans almonds and cashews. Most recipes say to use raw nuts but tried cashews and almonds but I like the roasted and salted ones better. I suppose it’s because I just smoke them at low temps for the added smoke flavor.

I had a one pound can of Planters cocktail nuts I did today. I added a tablespoon of olive oil and mixed to coat all. Then I added a teaspoon of granulated garlic; and a heaping teaspoon each of Cajun seasoning and smoked paprika.

I had my Traeger pre-heated to 190 deg. and did them in my Weber grill pan for one hour then went to 200 deg. for another hour. I was getting some nice smoke from my SS V3 controller. They came out with a good flavor. Even though they were salted I could have used more salt; but then I am a salt lover.

Ingredients

Ready to smoke

In my Traeger

Cooling

Wok Shrimp and Chicken Pad Thai

Jun 28 2015

 It was a nice day today, no rain, sunshine and a slight breeze at 75 deg. I had a good late breakfast and spent the rest of the day getting stuff ready to cook Pad Thai outdoors in my Wok. Pad Thai is a dish I love and gives a break from eating BBQ. I had been making it from a kit by Thai Kitchen that had a sauce with tamarind in it and the rice noodles.

I finally bought some tamarind paste and some Annie Chun’s brown rice noodles. I found a recipe for sauce and changed the ingredients to my liking.

I spent the afternoon relaxing, getting the shrimp thawed and seasoned, cutting up the chicken and prepping all the veggies. Wok cooking goes pretty fast and you need to have everything prepped and in bowls ready to add to the wok as you go.

I started cooking about 5:30, heated the wok on my Camp Chef Pro 30 burner and had the rice noodles cooked and ready to go plus all the veggies. I like to add some veggies to mine and this time used some pea pods. It took about 20 minutes total for the cooking.

I had baked a take home and bake baguette for some bread and butter. I know bread and butter is not usually served with Pad Thai but it goes with about anything when ole Don is cooking!

We both squeezed some lime over it and I had some chopped cashews, sliced green onion tops, and crushed red pepper on mine. We both thought it was the best Pad Thai I have made. I thought it could have had a little more salty taste to balance the sweet so next time will add more fish sauce to the sauce.

Click here for printable recipe

For the sauce

For the stir fry

Chicken

Shrimp

Ready to start

Shrimps in

Chickens in

Pea pods are in

Onions in and chicken back in

Shrimp back in

Bean sprouts and half the sauce added

Rice noodles and more sauce added

My Pad Thai

Walleye Sandwich from Beer & Wine Depot

Jun 27 2015

The other day I made a post on LTBBQ forum of a brat from Sandman’s and said the wife had a one piece walleye from there and some commented they would have liked the walleye. Well I have to show you a photo of this sandwich.

Whenever I get hungry for a fish sandwich we order one from Sandman’s Beer & Wine carry out. It is the best fish sandwich you can get here in Wapakoneta at $5.25 and it is huge. It is two pieces of ocean walleye, lightly breaded, mild tasting and fried just right. One sandwich is enough for the wife and me. I make a sandwich with one piece and she has the other piece. I usually have some mustard and a slice of Vidalia onion on mine. We also usually split an order of tater tots and his slaw is good. My dog gets a couple of tater tots too!

I think his pizza is the best in town and some of my other favorites are a sausage patty sandwich, Philly steak sub and his tacos are better than any at Taco Bells! He has some great daily specials too he does for lunch. 

BBRibs and Grilled Za'atar Chicken for Father's Day

Jun 21 2015

I tried to get my ribs as good as Old Dave’s but didn’t do too great! He had given my some pointers at the Ohio Gathering. The main problem was they were ready way too soon and I lowered the temp to hold them while I got the other food cooked. They were fall off the bone but still had great flavor.

I started this am making some buttermilk ranch dressing for over a bistro lettuce mix. Then I baked some potatoes for twice baked potatoes, adding some sour cream, buttermilk, seasoning salt, sharp cheddar to the filling and mashing them up. I added more cheddar to the top and reheated in the smoker the last hour.

I sliced some chicken breast, and marinated in a little olive oil, juice of one lemon and the Za’atar seasoning for about 3 hours. I gilled it on my Weber Spirit. For another side I sautéed some shitake and some baby bella mushrooms with onion and a few garlic scapes in olive oil and butter. I did the chicken for our daughter in law.

I sliced some tomatoes and had olive oil, balsamic vinegar and fresh Thai basil for over them.

Our daughter in law made a beautiful fruit pizza for dessert, with a cream cheese mix, strawberries, kiwi fruit, white grapes and blue berries. It looked like a work of art.

Every one though it was all good and we got filled up! Like David (Dr. Holly) I had more fun staying home and cooking for the family on Father’s Day than I would have going out to eat! When you cook for Family it includes a little Love!

Our dessert

Buttermilk ranch dressing

Stuffed potatoes made

Ribs ready for the grill

 Chicken breasts

 In the marinade

Foiling ribs after 3 hours at 265 deg. F

Added agave, honey, brown sugar, and a
1/4 cup apple juice

After an hour in foil

 Brushed on the sauce

Chicken done on the gas grill

 Slicing the ribs

 Mushrooms

 Salad

 Tomatoes

 Chicken

 Potatoes

 My supper

Sirloin Fajita Bowls

Jun 20 2015

Sliding Billy had a nice day and cooked up a mess of meat. Some of the rain he sent this way missed us so we had a decent day to cook out. I was glad of that for a while I thought I was going to have to cook inside. It gave me a chance to try out my new Camp Chef burner.

My wife went with the kids this am to see the grandson play in soccer tournament. Me and the dog made a food run to my Mothers.

I spotted these soft flour tortillas shaped like a bowl and got some to try. I had two pieces of sirloin tip steaks and I grilled them on my Weber Spirit on Grillen Grates and for once used the correct side. I got them in some marinade after getting back from my Moms. My marinade was ¼ cup olive oil, and filled the ¼ cup ¾ full of lime juice, a rounded teaspoon of chili powder, ½ teaspoon cumin, a teaspoon of sugar, a pinch of red pepper flakes, garlic flakes, salt and fresh ground pepper. I made it on the mild side for my wife. The sirloin was in the marinade for 4 hours.

The other ingredients for the fajitas was, sliced red, green, yellow and orange peppers and some sliced onions all sautéed, salsa, crumbled Queso fresco cheese and sour cream.

I had everything ready to go and my Weber on med. at 400 deg. I added some olive oil to my DeBuyer skillet and started the peppers sautéing on the gas burner. I did the steaks 1 1/2 minutes turned 90 deg. trying for nice grill marks and the same on the other side a total of 6 minutes. I took it all inside to make up the bowls. I would have been better off not worrying about grill marks and 4 minutes would have been better. The steaks were medium but still tasted great.

The bowls were so full we had to eat with a knife and fork.  They make for a nice display but I would prefer round flour tortillas to fold up. It was a great mix of flavors but after one bite I added some Cholula chili lime sauce to mine for some heat.

I was happy with the Camp Chef burner; it had great heat control and was able to get a little brown on the peppers and onions without getting them too soft.

The marinade

The steaks

In the marinade

Some peppers

Some onions

The tortilla bowls

Onions are on

Steaks are done and bowls heated

Peppers and onions done

Making the fajitas

My supper with hot sauce added