Chicken Brat Skillet Meal

July 08 2013

My wife and I went to Columbus, OH over the week-end and stayed two nights. My cousin and wife were celebrating their 60^th Wedding Anniversary! Their four children gave them a party at the Hilton Garden Inn. Their cake was topped with the top from their wedding. The wife was born in Scotland so the finale was two Scottish dressed in full regalia came down the hall and into the room playing bag pipes, pretty awesome! My cousin was a retired Navy pilot. We ate some great food and it was nice to get to visit with the children.

Back to normal today trying to get the yard mowed before rain came in. I just got started mowing and a neighbor and old work buddy stopped by, talked over an hour so then I was behind. I had some chicken brats and some garden produce from our daughter in law, summer squash, zucchini, a green pepper and two small onions.

I nuked some small golden potatoes and simmered the brats in some Yuengling bock beer for 15 minutes then on the smoker on smoke mode for about 40 minutes. I had planned on a couple of hours but was too far behind.

After the smoke I sliced the brats and in the skillet with peppers and onions. I then added the sliced potatoes and browned. I had eased the smoker up to 375 deg. Last I added the squash, zucchini and garlic seeds. The garlic was seed heads and about the size of popcorn kernels. I was not keeping track of time but took about 45 minutes to get done. It would have taken less time on the stove top but this was more fun.

I served it with some crusty bread and butter. Tasted mighty good!

Ingredients

Brats simmering in beer

On the smoker

Potatoes added

Veggies and garlic added

My Plate

Happy 4th of July

May all of you have a Happy 4th of July our Independence Day celebration in the US.

Hope everyone has a great 4^th of July. I usually do not cook on the 4^th; for the 40 years we have lived here in Wapakoneta, Ohio we go to the St. Joe’s annual picnic. They have good food, rides for the kids and the church ladies sell some beautiful quilts and hand sewn art. There is bingo; cake walks and some show down poker for the gamblers. The finale is always some great fireworks.

They serve beer there and in the old days they sold it iced down in water troughs. You could walk around with it. We usually went about supper time and followed the same routine. First we found the shakeup lemonade stand then off to get some fair fries with salt and malt vinegar, then to the little red barn to get some whole hog sausage sandwiches and then set down at picnic tables to eat it all.

After we ate we would let the kids ride some rides and then the wife and kids would go to play the cake walk and play some bingo.  I headed to get a cold beer and played showdown poker. We all met when it was time for the fireworks and watched a good show.

It has changed over the years; they now have a fenced off area where you drink beer. That did it for my playing showdown poker, I can’t stay there long without a beer! Things that are still the same are the lemonade shakeups, fair fries, and whole hog sausage sandwiches!

Tilapia, Rice and Asparagus

Jul 02 2013

Tonight’s supper was super easy and tasty. I had four nice Talapia filets, Zatarain’s yellow rice, asparagus and some Campbell’s skillet sauce, fire roasted tomatoes with pepper and chilies.

Rice went in my rice cooker for a half hour, asparagus added to the basket with some Penzey’s lemon pepper over the last 5 minutes then put the rice cooker on warm hold. The sauce was in a pan heating up.

I did the Talapia, with Penzey’s old world seasoning, on my Traeger for a half hour at 300 deg. grill level. I did them on my perforated stainless pan. I served it with the sauce over the rice and some good garlic bread with my gorgonzola butter. We finished the last of the butter. I got to make some more of that stuff!

That was good!

Ingredients

On the smoker

My Plate

Pork Cutlets, Fried Cabbage and New Potatoes

Jun 30 2013

Tonight I was having one of the wife’s and my favorites, fried cabbage. I had a nice home grown cabbage to do. Some pork cutlets and canned new potatoes would go good with it. Canned new potatoes have a taste all their own and I get a hunger for them sometimes.

I usually try to co-ordinate getting the cabbage done at the same time as the meat. I had a new plan and it worked out good.

I started a little before 5:00; started the smoker and set for 200 deg. which would give me about 225 deg. grill level. I diced 3 slices of bacon and browned then removed it.

I browned the potatoes in the bacon grease and then in a wire basket and in the smoker.

I browned the 4 pork cutlets about 2 minutes each side and they went in the smoker. I seasoned with some Penzey’s old world seasoning; a great all around seasoning.

I deglazed the skillet with a little water and added my cut up cabbage, covered and steamed about 20 minutes stirring half way through. I added salt and pepper.

I set the smoker to 275 deg. then uncovered the cabbage added the bacon back, turned up the heat and cooked stirring another 5 to 10 minutes.

It all was ready and hot to serve up. It might have not been that healthy with all sautéed in the bacon grease; but danged if it didn’t taste good!

Browning the bacon

Browning the potatoes

Browning the cutlets

On the smoker

Fried cabbage

Cutlets are done

My Plate

Pork and Chicken Enchiladas w/avocado and Salad

Jun 29 2013

The SW is having a heat wave and here in Ohio it has been rainy and on the cool side. It’s a cool 67 deg. out this morning. Saturdays cook I had some left over pulled pork and some honey smoked turkey to use up. I wanted to use Keymaster’s sauce recipe.

My wife said the grandson was coming over and help make ice cream. That would mean someone else in my kitchen and I don’t like that! Change of plans I would just use some canned mild green chili sauce, I was getting a little lazy anyway!

My sides were; avocado w/ lemon juice over and a little gray seas salt, sliced tomatoes and a salad. I used corn tortillas and warmed in olive oil in a hot skillet 20 to 30 seconds on a side. I made up 3 turkey and 5 pulled pork enchiladas with cheese and chopped onions. A little of the green sauce in the bottom, enchiladas seam side down, more sauce down the middle and cheese on top. My shredded cheese was a Mexican blend. I had these made up about an hour before cooking.

My wife and grandson had the ice cream mix made and cooling in the fridge. My wife made up the salads for us. I had the avocados scooped out and lemon juice over.

I had the enchiladas made in two dishes and did them on my smoker. I did them at 325 deg. grill level temp for about 40 minutes. Our daughter in law had the turkey ones and my wife, grandson and I had the pork ones. Our son missed out again, he was working.

This was good for quick and easy and I used some leftovers up. As soon as we got done eating they put the ice cream on and about 35 minutes later we had some homemade vanilla ice cream and chocolate pudding cake for dessert.

Making an Enchilada

Ready for the smoker

All done

My Salad

My Plate

Kimchi Burger and Marinated Salad

Jun 28 2013

I had more garden produce to use, cucumbers. Marinated cucumbers, tomatoes and onions sounded good and a burger would go good with it. I bought a pound of ground chuck and made 4 patties. I added about a third of a cup of Kimchi, drained and chopped to one patty for me. I seasoned all with some Weber gourmet burger seasoning to all.

I had 1 large and 2 small cucumber to use; I peeled the large one, split in half and removed the seeds, then sliced. I left the skin on the small ones and sliced. Cut up two large tomatoes, and sliced a Vidalia onion. I drizzled some olive oil over all and added a half cup of rice wine vinegar, salt, fresh ground pepper and a teaspoon of dried garlic flakes. I then added water to cover. This needs to sit a few hours before using.

I toasted some ciabatta bread in a little olive oil and had some good Irish cheddar to top the burgers. I did them my favorite way on the Traeger for ½ hour at 300 deg. I then added the cheese for a few minutes to melt.

My wife had mustard and dill pickle on her sandwich and I had just mustard on my Kimchi burger.

The burgers and salad went well together. I liked the Kimchi mixed in with the ground chuck!

Salad Mixed up

 

Chopped Kimchi for my burger

Burgers made up

Ready to add the cheese

Ready to serve

My Salad

My Burger

Pre-seasoned Tri Tip and Salad

Jun 27 2013

I am getting an overload of greens on hand so tonight I figured I would do some good steak and have a large romaine salad. I went to Krogers but it was too early and they did not have their select meats out yet. I guess they think no one buys select meats until after 11:00 AM. I like to shop before 10:00 am to avoid the crowds.

Some pre-seasoned tri tip caught my eye so picked out a small one for the wife and I, 1.39 pounds. It was $7.99 a pound but $6.99 with my Krogers card. To me that’s still too expensive; it was not that long ago here in the Midwest butchers were throwing that cut in with the ground beef. The one I bought was seasoned with Santa Maria style seasoning.

I have had good luck with tri tips doing low & slow to an IT of 130 deg. and then doing a sear on my Weber Q100. I got it on at 5:00 and held 260 deg. grill level temp; smoke mode P0 on my Traeger. It took just about an hour to get to temp. I then seared it 2.5 minutes each side.

I had my salad made up, romaine, some leaf lettuce, baby bella mushrooms, slivered onions and some tomato. I made my dressing; a balsamic vinaigrette. Most recipes call for 3 to 1 oil to vinegar ratio. That’s way too much oil for me so I do a 1 to 1. Mine was ¼ cup each of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, 1/8 cup of water, salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon of dried onion flakes all mixed in a pint jar.

While the roast was resting I finished the salad with the dressing and shaved some parmesan on top. I sliced the roast and served it with some gorgonzola butter on top and ciabatta bread with the butter.

The tri tip and salad went well together; meat was very moist and tender.

Tri Tip

At 130 deg. IT

Resting

Sliced

My Salad

My Plate