Really Quick Quick Pickle

Normally you would put the ingredients in a pot and simmer it to dissolve the sugar, then add the cucumbers after the liquid cools. But I wanted this for my lunch veggie today, so I used agave and just stirred it all together, and the added thinly sliced cucumbers and let it rest 15 minutes. 1/2 cup white vinegar1/2 cup apple cider vinegarSplash of balsamic vineger1/4 cup diced sweet onionHandful of cilantro if you have it1/4 cup diced jarred roasted red bell pepper1 rounded teaspoons sugar (agave)1 teaspoon mustard seed1 clove cracked garlic1 teaspoon dried dill or 2 tablespoons fresh dill leaves, chopped or snipped2 or 3 cucumbers, thin...

Red-Chili-Rubbed Salmon

Saturday night’s dinner date with kitchen cutie Carolyn Flynn was a Red-Chili-Rubbed Salmon, a wonderful new take on “Salmon sounds good, but let’s do something different.” This recipe came from the Whole Foods Market cookbook. First, you make the wet rub. I combination of re-hydated red chili peppers, brown sugar, lime juice, garlic and oregano. This goes into the blender. I put two fillets into a glass baking dish lined with parchment paper (for easy cleanup), then spread on the rib. After that I topped it with lime slices and brushed them with olive oil. This baked in a pre-heated oven at 350° for around 25 minutes. The result was a bright, zesty salmon full of flavor. I served mine with a dollop of quinoa topped with seasoned and the...

Don’s Gyro

This is my new take on a Gyro. I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and tonight I decided to dive in. Mostly because I was feeling lazy and I needed only 2 ingredients to complete it…lamb and a flat bread. I went with naan. I had everything else already. I had to get to trivia tonight and I didn’t want to spend half an hour in the grocery store. So I bought a pound of ground lamb, put it in a mixing bowl and added garlic, basil, oregano, black pepper and kosher salt. I put on some vinyl gloves and mixed the heck out of it. I made to big, but thin patties and put them in the air-fryer at 400° for 20 minutes, rotated, and did 20 more minutes. This gave me that crusty ‘vertical spit’ feel I was looking for. For my sauce, I took a...

Bodega Egg/Bacon/Cheese sandwich

For my continuing breakfast series, I give you the Bodega Egg/Bacon/Cheese sandwich. At least that’s what they call them in the Northeast. In the south, we call these Gas Station Breakfast Sandwiches. The premise is simple, the delivery compact, and the result is divine. The last Gas Station Sandwich I had was in September, 2021 in Haymarket Virginia. It’s been on my mind for a while now. And the execution is pretty simple. Lacking a flat grill, I made mine in a regular skillet. Whisk up two eggs, season as you like. I just ground in some black pepper. Cook some bacon crisp. I actually do use the microwave here. Four slices in a couple minutes, on paper towel. Toast a bun, or two slices of bread in a little butter (Kerrygold!). I usually have some...

Asian Marinade Pork Chops

Asian Marinaded Pork Chops. Tonight’s dinner. Again, something new from me. If you see me posting a lot, you know I’m leaning to my cooking hobby to help get through the moment. I do that. Tonight my thoughts are with my sister Sheila Foley. Cooking give me a feeling of control in an otherwise uncontrollable world. This is a new, and incredibly easy dinner. Make a marinade, toss in some chops, pan sear, oven finish. Serve with the side of your choice. The recipes I’ve seen include brown sugar, but I don’t like sweet dinner. Add a tablespoon if you want to the marinade. I also leave out salt. I think this actually could use a squeeze of lemon too. MARINADE: 1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 1 tablespoon minced...