Griddle Pork Chops

I have a confession. I have been unfaithful. For years, decades, I have grilled, and had a close relationship with my grill. But then something new came into my life, something different, something wonderful. A new love. A special love. I now have a Blackstone Griddle. Tonight is a simple pork chop. Seasoned with my classic Don Rub (salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne). Cooked high with olive oil, then moved to the cool side, watching the temps. So a BIG sear, then heating through. Once it hit 140, set to the side to rest. A tab of butter on top. Pre-boiled red potato was smashed and seasoned with truffle, finishing salt and course black pepper. This was served with a light salad. Life is...

Fish Tacos!

Fish Tacos!

New Blackstone Griddle…FISH TACOS! This had always been one of my favorite dishes, yet I haven’t made it since moving to Colonial Beach 2.5 years ago. I had been spoiled by living walking distance to Port Canaveral where daily fresh Mahi Mahi came in…my fish taco of choice. But with the new griddle, and warm weather, I dove in. First thing is to heat the oven to 400° and brush a butter/garlic powder mix onto a pile of flour street tacos. These will cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes, with the goal of them getting nice and puffy and crisp. Tonight for the first time I used steel taco trays. Usually I just lay them over two oven grids, which gave me a nice flat bottom for stuffing. But I do love these new trays, something I’ve always wanted...

Tofu Vegan Faux Pulled Pork

Tofu Vegan Faux Pulled Pork

Saturday Nights Dinner: A very labor intensive, but absolutely worth it…Tofu Vegan Faux Pulled Pork. I got this from a You tube video. It is SO complex, I’m not even going to try to write it up. Here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsMuYeaysLk&t=308s We followed the instructions to a T, and it turned out fantastic! Here’s my fun input on preparing this. Of course I had no Vegimite, so on Friday I ordered some yeast extract on Amazon. The exact minute I needed it for the recipe, I get a text that a package has been delivered …https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00014VTNW?psc=1… Yes, it is a lot of work, but we planned on it and had a blast cooking and watching the sunset on the porch while it...

Over Easy Smoked Paprika Eggs

Over Easy Smoked Paprika Eggs

This incredibly simple meal was inspired by some air fried roasted potatoes from a previous dinner. I give you Over Easy Smoked Paprika Eggs on Waffled Ham and Potatoes. If I was served this at a 5-Star hotel, I would be very pleased. Coat the waffle iron thinly with olive oil, no heat yet. Cut a small air-fried Yukon potato (rubbed with olive oil, sprinkled with kosher salt, 400° for 30 minutes the night before) in half and put a small tab of Kerrygold butter on each piece. Place this in the waffle iron. Close the iron, cook for 3 minutes on medium, until a crispy crust forms. Place a single slice of thin-shaved uncured ham on top, close the iron again, for about a minutes. Meanwhile, in a skillet with Kerrygold butter, cook two eggs. Dust with smoked paprika...

Spicy Pickled Eggs

Spicy Pickled Eggs

What to do with all those hard boiled Easter eggs? Of course the standard go-to is Egg Salad and his best friend, the egg salad sandwich. But my favorite is pickled eggs. I like a little heat in mine, so here is my Spicy Pickled Eggs. In a saucepan, bring to boil…1 cup white vinegar1 cup apple cider vinegar2 cups water2 TBSP agave2 TBSP kosher salt1 diced red onion2 diced jalapenos4 cloves of garlic1 TBSP crushed red pepper flakes.2 TBSP dill2 TBSP Beet Powder (optional) You can sub out some water with the liquid and beets from a can of beets if you want classic red pickled beets. I just happened to have some beet powder, so I add that to my mixture. I boiled 18 eggs and peeled them. Place the eggs in containers (Mason jars are perfect for this) and pour...

Causa Rellena (Tuna version)

Causa Rellena  (Tuna version)

After making an egg salad Causa Rellena as a side dish last weekend, I’ve had this meal on my mind. So tonight we prepared a Tuna Salad rolled Causa Rellena. This is a meal I’ve enjoyed at Peruvian restaurants before. I’ve prepared the stacked version before, but this was all new approach tonight. The first step (hours before serving) was to peel and cut up 2 large russet potatoes. Boil these with 3 cloves of garlic for about 30 minutes. Strain. Mix in 1/8 cup olive oil, black pepper, poultry seasoning and 3 tablespoons of Amarillo paste. Use any hot sauce you like to substitute. Squeeze in the juice of a large lime. Smash (I used a hand mixer). Put this in the fridge to cool. The next step was to make a killer tuna salad. We wanted to go heavy...