Big Green Egg - Let the adventure begin.

Hubby has wanted a Big Green Egg (BGE) for years.  We have a perfectly good gas grill, and adding just a smoker would have been less, but then we took a cooking class.  The food cooked during that class was fabulous - hubby won me over to all natural charcoal cooking.  Besides, this way we have ONE item on our deck, not two.

Up first - chicken.  We used:

Chicken breast
1/4 cup Mister Mustard
1/4 cup Plum Jam

Heat the grill.

Cut the chicken breast using a scallopini cut.  Scallopini cut is a very thin cut done by placing the chicken breast flat and holding it down with the palm of your hand.  Using a sharp knife, cut the chicken breast in half horizontally between your hand and the counter top.   If you are not comfortable doing so, you may pound the chicken flat and cut it into two to four pieces.

Stir together the mister mustard and jam. 

Coat one side of the chicken with the mustard mixture.

Put the coated side down on your grill grate.  Brush the other side with the glaze, turn after 2 to 3 minutes.

Carribbean Beef

Slow cooked almost complete meal - beef, peppers and a tomato based sauce.  Just make some rice.

  14 1/2 Ounce Diced Tomatoes,                    1 1/2 Tsp Salt

           -drained                                            1/2 Tsp Pepper

  14 1/2 Ounce Diced Tomatoes,                    2 Tsp Dried Oregano

           -Undrained                                        1 Tsp Ground Cumin

  2 Cups Bell Pepper                                     1 1/2 Lb flank steak

  2 Garlic Cloves                                                                       

In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the tomatoes and bell peppers (cut into strips).

Sprinkle with garlic (minced), oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. 

Nestle the steak among the vegetables. 

Cook, covered, until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily, on high for 4 to 5  hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours.  Move the beef to a bowl and shred it using two forks.

 Pour the cooking liquid over the beef.

 Serve with cooked rice.

Easy Sweet and Sour

This sweet and sour isn't quite authentic, but it is quick and easy with items that are in most pantry's. 

10 ounce chicken breast
20 ounce cans pineapple chunks
8 ounce tomato paste
1 cup bell pepper, diced.

Heat about a tablespoon of oil (your choice) in a large skillet or wok. 

Cube chicken, add to pan and cook until almost cooked through.

Add the peppers.

Add the pineapple and juice.

Add the tomato paste and stir.

Simmer until heated through and serve with rice.

Dark Chocolate Coconut Cookies

Yesterday was National Chocolate Chip Cookie day, so I just HAD to bake.  We also currently have remodeling going on, and Hubby reminded me that I had yet to bake for those working on my house, so baking commenced.  I raided my cupboard and decided that dark chocolate, coconut and almond sounded like a pretty good mix for a cookie and I was right, if I do say so myself.  Here they are.

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup coconut powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup flaked coconut
2 tsp almond extract
14 ounces chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Cream together butter and sugars.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add flour, coconut powder, salt, soda, and vanilla - mix until just blended.  Stir in coconut and chocolate chips.

Scoop onto cookie sheets lined with a silicone mat or non stick foil, about 1 inch apart.

Bake for about 11 minutes until your desired doneness.

Lemonade Dessert Shells

I love the dessert shell pan Hubby purchased for me that I went out and purchased a second one so I did not have to make halves of recipes.  Make these lemonade shells and frosting then stuff with strawberries, raspberries, even lime curd.  Makes one dozen dessert shells.  Refrigerate frosting.

  6 Tbl butter, softened                                        1/4 Tsp salt

  1 1/3 Cups Sugar                                              1 1/4 Cups Buttermilk

  3 Tbl Lemonade Concentrate, Thawed            FROSTING:

  2 Tbl Lemon Peel, Grated                                 8 Ounce Low Fat Cream Cheese

  1 Tsp vanilla extract                                          2 Tbl Butter, softened

  1 Tsp Lemon Extract                                        2 Tbl Lemon Peel

  3 Large Eggs                                                    1 Tbl Lemonade Concentrate

  2 Cups Cake Flour                                            1/2 Tsp vanilla extract

  1 Tsp baking powder                                         1/2 Tsp Lemon Extract

  1/2 Tsp baking soda                                          3 1/2 Cups Confectioners Sugar

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until crumbly, about 2 minutes. 

Measure lemonade concentrate, vanilla and lemon extracts into a 1 to 2 cup measuring cup.  Zest the lemon peel over the cup.

Add to the flour mixture and mix well. 

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to the butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.

Coat 12 dessert shell cups with cooking spray and dusted with flour. Divide batter evenly between cups.

Bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. 

Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to a wire rack to cool completely.

For frosting, in a small bowl, combine cream cheese and butter until smooth. 

Add the lemon peel, lemonade concentrate, vanilla and lemon extracts; mix well. 

Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. 

Put a dessert shell on a plate.

Top with berries.

Pipe frosting over all.

 

Chicken and Vegetables in Wine Sauce

Hubby gets home at varying times due to the travels he has for his job.  Combine that with sometimes needing to go right back out to teach a drum lesson and it can make for an interesting event actually having a quick meal together.  Enter the slow cooker.  I often cook in the slow cooker and turn it to warm when almost done so I can plate quickly and we can eat together.  Even better is that most of my recipes make at least 4 servings, so we have leftovers.  This is especially nice because the drum lessons occur on Tuesday and Wednesday, so one quick meal serves for two nights.  More than 4 servings?  No problem - I have a lunch.

  2 Cups Small Red Skin Potatoes,                                 1/2 Tsp Dried Rosemary

  -Halved                                                                     1/2 Tsp Thyme

  1 1/2 Cups Baby Carrots                                            1/4 Tsp Black Pepper

  1 1/2 Lb Chicken Thighs, Skinless                               2 Clove Garlic, Minced

  -& Boneless                                                              1 Cup Chicken Stock

  1/2 Tsp Dried Parsley                                                1/2 Cup White Wine

  1/2 Tsp Salt                                                                             

In a 5 quart slow cooker, place potatoes and carrots.   

  

Place chicken on top of vegetables.  

Combine salt, rosemary, time and pepper in a mortar and lightly crush with the pestle.   Don't have a mortar and pestle?  NO PROBLEM - put them in a zip top bag and lightly roll with a rolling pin or heavy can.

Sprinkle over chicken.  Add minced garlic.  Add broth and wine.  Cover and cook on low high for about 4 hours or low for about 8 hours.

Beneath the Dark Ice

Hubby does A LOT of driving for his job.  To help the time pass, he listens to Cd's that we borrow from the library.  Recently, he listened to Beneath the Dark Ice by Grieg Beck.  He came home and told me that I had to read it - it was a walloping good story with adventure, caving and an intriguing take on history.  The history includes Aztecs, Mayans, Egyptians and, closer to home, Roanoke Island.  Yes - it explains what happened to Virginia Dare.  Starting in Roanoke Island and jumping to Antarctica after a plane crash, you will find yourself rushing from cave to cave, exploring history and long forgotten flora and fauna.  A highly recommended read.

Learn more at the authors website.