Broccoli

I love broccoli. A friend (on fb) shared a wonderful recipe for baking it.  I could eat this every night.

I rinse, then pat dry, the broccoli.  I put it on a glass pie plate and drizzle the broccoli with olive oil.  Then, I sprinkle a little of Mickey and T's Taste of France seasoning.  It makes it.

From Broccoli Dish

Into a 400 degree oven for about 25 minutes.  When done, remove and cover with Parmesan cheese.  Broil for 2-3 minutes.

From Broccoli Dish

So, so, so delicious.  Eat your vegetables.  They are good for you.  :)

Chopped Salad

I originally posted this in 2008. It's still delicious.  We had it last night with some ribeyes.

Salads I think are the most overlooked component of a good meal. When we lived in San Diego, one of our very favorite restaurants was Sammy's Wood Fired Pizza. The name was a misnomer, as some of the BEST items on the menu were salads. And pasta. But salads are the focus here. I loved their chopped salad and worked to replicate it, just as deliciously but not as much work. So here is my very best knock off. Enjoy.

Salad

* 1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped (for two people 1/3 - 1/2 head is PLENTY)
* 12 leaves basil (or more) chopped (I use way more ...)
* 3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
* 1/2 cup salami, cut into thin strips (optional)
* 2 tablespoons scallion, chopped (optional)
* Black olives (optional)

From 2012-08-04

I can't replicate the dressing but I can do one better. (Paul) Newman's Own Dressing Classic Oil and Vinegar is the best for it. Using sparingly. This salad doesn't keep so eat up!

Tamara's Exquisite Salmon

This is a nanner, nanner post.  Like I have a friend-who-is-an-executive-chef nanner, nanner.

We had a very big piece of salmon and needed to cook it.  It was a gift from our cousin and since we don't do a lot of fish on the grill, truly had no idea how to cook it.

So, for recipes, I turn to Tamara.  Not All Recipes.  Not cooking sites.  Not even Twitter.  Just Tamara.  Here was her recipe:

Usually a couple tablespoons olive oil, half  a lemon at least 1 tablespoon soy sauce because you won't be using salt, 2 tablespoons ginger, sometimes I wash it off a bit to remove some of the sugar...

Recipes pour out of her like magic.  Because I am NOT a cook I needed a little more direction.  Here is how we made it, with measurements.

1/2 bag crystallized ginger, minced
juice of a whole lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
3 T soy sauce
Big honking piece of salmon

Paul cut the salmon into small pieces. We marinated it for 2 1/2 hours.

From Salmon

From Salmon

From Salmon

From Salmon

From Salmon

Paul grilled it to perfection - about 7 minutes total.  Skin came right off.  There was nothing left of the salmon.  All gone, in our bellies.

From Salmon

Oh my goodness, you have to try this.

- a couple other suggestions she had:
for a little sweeter taste, use the whole bag of ginger, cut in chunks;
or add a tablespoon or two of maple syrup;
and/or use lime instead or with the lemon;
and/or use Vidalia onion or 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil;
My preference is the maple syrup. (Duly noted)

Thank you my friend.

Crockpot Pork Shoulder

Use your favorite barbecue sauce in this crockpot pork roast recipe. This is a basic recipe for pulled pork shoulder using a boneless or bone-in shoulder, but be sure your pork shoulder will fit in the slow cooker and will allow you to put the cover on tightly.

Ingredients:
pork shoulder, also known as Boston butt, about 4 to 7 pounds, bone-in or boneless
1/4 cup of water
salt and pepper lightly
barbecue sauce
Preparation:

Place the meat in the slow cooker with water, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour. Tun to LOW and cook 7 to 9 hours longer, until very tender. Remove roast and discard fat and juices. Chop or shred the pork; return to slow cooker. Mix a little barbecue sauce into the meat for flavor. Cook for about 1 hour longer, until hot. Serve on warm split sandwich buns with coleslaw and extra barbecue sauce on the side.

I like to slice pickles and include them as well.

Tamara's Cauliflower deluxe

I am fortunate to have friends.  I am REALLY fortunate to have a friend who is a professional chef.

Seriously.  How cool is that?  She is better than Allrecipes.com.

I was home alone a few weekends ago and wanted something fun to make.  I love cauliflower so I wanted to make something with it.  I sent her this note on facebook and I KID YOU NOT in less than 30 seconds this is what I get back. 

I'm a huge fan of cauliflower, two cheap and dirty recipes come to mind.

Cooked chicken cut up (this is optional, I would totally make it without anything else)
Chopped cauliflower
Chopped onion
Rotini or wild rice (I used regular elbow pasta)
1 can cream chicken soup
1 cup mayo  (I would use 1/2 cup next time)
1/2 cup sour cream
Shredded cheddar (notice no amount listed.  Use your best judgment.  I used it all)
At least 1 T curry powder or paste.  (Next time I would use at least 3 T of curry powder)

Her directions:

Get your Mise en Place together with the chopped chicken and onion, add soup, mayo, sour cream and spices in a bowl and mix. Boil rotini, at the last minute throw in cauliflower, strain, shock in frigid water, toss with other ingredients. Add ingredients to an oiled or sprayed pan, top with plenty of cheese, bake for 30 minutes.

I like to freeze half for a later, "I don't want to cook tonight" moment. This is one of those leftover recipes, I would have a grilled chicken one day and have made cream of broccoli or cauliflower soup on another and just start tossing stuff in.

I might cook a little longer to heat through the cauliflower.  This is AMAZING.  Sooooo good.  I had it for dinner with a salad and several lunches the following week. Thank you my friend.  And no, I won't share her email address.  :)

Salad dressing - Caesar Vinaigrette

Several weeks ago, I bought a little gem of an e-book with salad recipes.  What  I didn't count on were the amazing salad dressing recipes.  WOW.

Last night, we made a Caesar salad dressing from scratch.  It called for anchovy paste that activated the gag reflex (ick) but ... it added the perfect kick to the dressing. 

Oh yum. 

1 clove garlic minced.  (We never use one clove and we use the garlic press)
1 T Dijon mustard
1 t anchovy paste
1/4 t Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t Tabasco sauce
Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 T)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Place the garlic, mustard, anchovy paste, W sauce, and Tabasco sauce in a small bowl and, using a fork, mash them into a paste.

Add the lemon juice and stir to combine.  Whisking constantly, slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream.   Continue to whisk until the dressing thickens. 

Fantastic.  Best dressing I have had in a while AND NO EGGS!  :) 

Crockin' Sunday- Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder

We are on a roll with the slow cooker.  Here is what is in the crock pot cooking.

5 lbs pork shoulder
1 c. BBQ sauce
2 c. beef stock
1 tbsp. table salt (or to taste)
2 tsp. cracked black pepper
1 tsp. granulated garlic (or to taste)
1 tsp. onion powder (or to taste)
1 tbsp. smoked paprika
Multiple shakes of Mickey & T's rib rub.  Double Yum.

Combine dry ingredients. Rub dry ingredients on pork, covering completely. Store overnight in tin foil. On a grill or on griddle which has a grilling side, sear meat thoroughly creating grill marks.

In a Crock-pot, combine Beef stock and BBQ sauce. Add pork shoulder to the slow cooker.

Set Crock-pot on high for 8 hours turning over half way through. Remove from Crock-pot and mash with hands adding 1 1/2 cups liquid from the crock.

Submitted by: Jem J Hamilton