Category Archives: Recipes

formats

Made-rite Loose Meat Recipe

Made-Rite Loose Meat Sandwich

Made-rite is Iowa sandwich, it’s a loose meat based sandwich on bun. This is copycat recipe for Made-rite Sandwich with lots of seasoning ground beef on soft bun, with pickles and mustard. Made-rite is not Sloppy Joe Meat which is tomato base and slightly sweet loose meat mixture. Made-rite is full of flavor from ground beef, seasoned with, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, onion, garlic, beef base, salt, pepper and water. The Made-rite meat simmered for good 20 to 30 minutes to develop the flavors.

Ingredients to Made-Rite loose meat sandwich filling

It’s all about the Beef:

Picking the right ground beef is important, choosing too low of fat content changes the whole texture and flavor of beef. Trying different fat contents the 85/15 ratio produced great results without having too much fat in Made-rite loose meat filling. Avoid the tube ground beef which is often over processed and lacks texture and flavor. Cheep ground beef will not give you the right flavor profile. Choose bright red colored beef with good looking grind, too much slurry added to ground beef yields big chunks of beef lacking flavor. Often best ground beef comes from butcher’s display case, freshly ground.

What makes a great Made-rite:

Browning meat with proper seasoning then cooking the loose meat mixture on low heat builds the overall flavor profile. Cooking ground beef with some minced garlic, finely chopped onions, salt and pepper first until all the pink is out of beef. Then remove some excess fat from cooked ground beef, using a strainer. Place cooked meat back in skillet add soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, beef base, and water. Reduce heat to simmer to cook the flavors in slow and easy. My favorite secrete ingredient is small amount of ground horseradish giving loose meat a little extra zip. Taste the Made-rite loose meat do some adjusting, with these key flavor boosters salt, pepper and sugar.

Cooking Made-Rite Loose Meat with onions, garlic, little horseradish

Building a better Made-rite Sandwich:

To assemble Made-rite sandwich choose good tasting soft bun like Hawaiian Bun or my Swedish Buns. Split the bun open with bread knife so they lay flat on top of bun put mustard and dill pickle slices. On the bottom of bun put heaping amount of Made-rite meat. Close bun up and serve with lots of French fries and ketchup.

Swedish Buns
Made-rite Copycat Recipe
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Made-rite sandwich is Iowa sandwich staple made with seasoned loose meat on soft bun with mustard and pickles. Using good quality ground beef cooked with onions, garlic, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce. Made-rite is not sloppy Joe which has ketchup. Made-rite is all about well seasoned meat.
Servings Prep Time
4 portions 10 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 portions 10 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Made-rite Copycat Recipe
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Made-rite sandwich is Iowa sandwich staple made with seasoned loose meat on soft bun with mustard and pickles. Using good quality ground beef cooked with onions, garlic, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce. Made-rite is not sloppy Joe which has ketchup. Made-rite is all about well seasoned meat.
Servings Prep Time
4 portions 10 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 portions 10 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Ingredients
Loose Meat Mixture:
Made-Rite Sandwich
Servings: portions
Units:
Instructions
Loose Meat Mixture
  1. In skillet cook the ground beef with salt and pepper, breaking up the meat with spatula.
  2. Continue cooking the meat until no pink is left. Drain most of fat off the meat.
  3. Next with browned ground beef in skillet, add onions and garlic cook meat, onions and garlic for 5 minutes on medium heat. The onions should be translucent in color.
  4. Continue cooking meat mixture on low heat, now add Worcestershire sauce, beef base, and soy sauce, if you like add some horseradish sauce. Add water to loose meat and slowly cook on low heat for 20 minutes for flavors to develop.
  5. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and pinch or two of Turbinado sugar.
Made-Rite Sandwich
  1. Split soft buns (Swedish Buns or Hawaiian Buns) in half. Place cut buns and place on plates.
  2. On top part of bun put squeeze of mustard and dill pickle chips. On bottom bun put heaping spoon full of Loose Meat.
  3. Close buns up to make a closed Made-Rite Sandwich.
  4. Serve with Air Fried French Fries and side of Ketchup. Enjoy one of Iowas favorite sandwiches.
Share this Recipe
Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe
formats

Cheese Ham Potato Soup

Cheese Ham Potato Soup

Lots of Ham is left over from Holidays, what a perfect way to have warm comfort food made into a Cheese Ham Potato Soup. Made this classic soup for years by the gallons, everyone was asking when are you going to make more? It’s time to share my Cheese Ham Potato Soup recipe.

Smoked Root Beer Ham leftovers
Smoked Root Beer Ham

Ham Potato and Cheese a perfect combination:

With lots of ham leftover from Holidays, and weather starts to get really cold out, this combination of foods really comfort you. Starting with star the ham dice into nice bite size pieces no bigger than 1/2 inch. The ham must fit onto the soup spoon nicely. Be generous with the ham in the soup the amount of ham and potatoes need to be plentiful.

Next comes the potatoes, choose waxy variety the baby red or baby Yukon gold works perfectly. Baby potatoes or B size haven’t developed as much starch in early stage of growth. These potatoes hold up well as the soup simmers. A mealy potato can become mushy and very starchy texture soup so avoid using russet potatoes. Cut the potatoes just like the ham into 1/2 inch bite size pieces, or slice in food processor thicker setting. If prepping ahead cover slice potatoes with cold water so they don’t discolor. Be sure to drain off water before making soup.

Don’t forget the Cheese this really boosts favor of the soup. Coming from Wisconsin aka Cheddar Heads, pick good tasting Cheddar Cheese. If all possible shred your own cheese, pre shredded cheese has anti caking agents that effect soup consistency. A good sharp cheese really builds the flavor of the soup. The key reason so many guests ask for second helping.

Body of the soup:

Selecting the right liquid for soup is important, they’re two ways to make this soup with milk or with stock. If you plan on making just enough soup to completely consume then use milk base. Milk base soup has great body but doesn’t reheat very well, so consume the whole batch of soup.

The stock base soup or veloute style soup is more stable will hold longer and reheats better. To achieve a similar constancy as milk base soup add heavy cream to liquid part of soup. Cream brings richness to soup, that’s why so many Chefs like to use veloute style soup.

To accomplish a wonderful creamy cheesy soup body is by using a roux to thicken soup. Roux is equal parts flour and butter cooked or 2 to 3 minutes. This provides a great thinking power for stock or milk.

Roux made with butter and flour cooked out for 2 to 3 minutes

First step is to cook the potatoes and ham in some stock until just tender. Then thicken with roux, this is important step the potatoes will not cook if the soup liquid is thickened. There is high chance that soup will scorch on bottom of the pan. Stir the soup as potatoes are cooking this also helps prevent bottom of pan scorching.

Time to add the shredded cheese to potato ham soup, stirring constantly until all the cheeses are all melted. Keep the heat on low temperatures this helps prevent scorching cheese and melting properly.

Final adjustment and seasoning the soup:

Adjusting the seasoning first with salt is important, add the salt at the very end of seasoning process prevents over salty soup. This is a lighter soup so use white pepper and a little cayenne pepper to achieve the perfect profile. If the soup is too thick add some stock or milk to adjust consistency. But if soup too thin a quick fix is slurry of cornstarch and cold water mixture. Be sure to simmer soup after adjustments to achieve perfect balance.

Soup Garnishes:

Cheese Ham Potato Soup Garnished Celery Leaves, Cheese, & Ham

Garnishing soup is also important, keep it simple and colorful. Try use garnishes that soup represents, like shredded cheeses, julienne ham. But there needs to be a green element to contrast the color of cheeses and ham. Fresh herb works great, rosemary, parsley, dill, cilantro, chives, even celery leaves and green onion all work fine. Be creative but don’t overdue the with too many garnishes.

Cheese Ham Potato Soup
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Cheese Ham Potato Soup is perfect way to use up that holiday ham left over. This soup is perfect cold weather comfort food, with cheese, potatoes and lots of ham. No worries this soup the guests will want more it's so good.
Servings Prep Time
8 servings 20 minutes
Cook Time
90 minutes
Servings Prep Time
8 servings 20 minutes
Cook Time
90 minutes
Cheese Ham Potato Soup
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Cheese Ham Potato Soup is perfect way to use up that holiday ham left over. This soup is perfect cold weather comfort food, with cheese, potatoes and lots of ham. No worries this soup the guests will want more it's so good.
Servings Prep Time
8 servings 20 minutes
Cook Time
90 minutes
Servings Prep Time
8 servings 20 minutes
Cook Time
90 minutes
Ingredients
Cheese Ham Potato Soup:
Soup Garnish
Servings: servings
Units:
Instructions
  1. Medium the Dice Ham, Celery, Onions, and Potatoes. Measure out the flour and butter, milk and stock.
  2. Cook the ham, celery, onions, potatoes with chicken stock until vegetables are tender on medium heat. This should take about 10 to 15 minutes.
  3. Mean while the vegetables and ham cooking make roux with melted butter and flour. Cook out starch roux for about 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat.
  4. Next add paprika to cooked roux and stir.
  5. Cook paprika roux for 1 minute over medium heat. Do not brown.
  6. Next add milk to cooked vegetables and ham bring to simmer over medium low heat. Stirring often to prevent scorching. Heat soup just below boil.
  7. Add to soup the paprika roux whisking paprika roux after each addition of roux.
  8. Stir cheese ham potato soup with spatula to prevent scorching over low heat. Cook soup until thickened.
  9. Test consistency should have light sauce consistency. Adjust consistency with cornstarch slurry to achieve nice cream soup.
  10. Taste soup then adjust flavor profile with salt, white pepper, cayenne pepper to your taste.
  11. Check the final consistency and make proper adjustments.
  12. Ladle soup into bowl, and garnish with shredded cheese, julienne ham and celery leave sprig or fresh herb of choice. Enjoy this comfort soup.
Share this Recipe
Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe
formats

White Chocolate Cranberry Cheesecake

White Chocolate Cranberry Cheesecake topped with whipped cream and candy orange zest.

Try this White Chocolate Cranberry Cheesecake that is a creamy white chocolate cheesecake, made in the Instant pot or electric steamer. Then topped with tangy homemade cranberry filling, served with whipped cream. This recipe is perfect for Christmas holidays. Making this cheesecake using food processor and Instant Pot or Electric pressure cooker for worry free perfect results every time. After making many of pressure cooker cheesecakes, not one of tops of cheesecake cracked or sunken down.

Making White Chocolate Cheesecake:

  • Make graham cracker crust mixture in food processor with knife blade attachment.
  • Use 7 inch deep pan often called barrel pan for air fryer and Instant pot.
  • Be sure to spray the 7 inch deep pan well with baking food spray.
  • Pour graham cracker crust into 7 inch pan and press graham cracker mixture all over bottom and up the sides as far as you can. Use a straight sided measure to help press crust mixture into pan evenly.
  • Bake the graham cracker crust in 350°F oven for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.
  • Make the white chocolate cheesecake filling in food processor with knife attachment.
  • First put in cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest and process for 60 seconds scraping done side with spatula.
  • Add one egg at a time processing 30 seconds until smooth, then adding second egg process until smooth. Scrap down sides of bowl.
  • Next add to cream cheese mixture the yogurt and melted white chocolate. Process again until smooth, scrap down sides and process again.
  • Pour white chocolate cheesecake mixture into prepped 7 inch pan with graham cracker crust. Smooth cheesecake mixture evenly with spatula.
  • Cover the filled cheesecake pan with food release sprayed foil wrapping completely around fill pan.
  • Place 1 to 2 cups of water in bottom of Instant Pot or Electric Steamer then place wire rack in Instant Pot.
  • Follow by putting foil covered 7 inch pan filled White Chocolate Cheesecake.
  • Place lid on Instant Pot or Steamer lock in place shut the steam valve.
  • Set Instant pot or Electric Steamer to high pressure for 60 minutes.
  • After Instant Pot or Electric Steamer 60 finished allow the cheesecake to stay in Instant Pot or Steamer for 60 more minutes to slowly release steam pressure.
  • Remove move the lid after last 60 minutes time elapsed and take foil covered cheesecake out of Instant Pot or Steamer. Place foil covered cheesecake onto wire rack and cool to room temperature.
  • Place the cooled Cheesecake into refrigerator and chill for a least 8 hours or more.

Making Cranberry Filling:

  • Place cranberries, sugar, and apple juice in sauce pan and bring to cranberry mixture to boil. Cover and cook for 8 minutes or more with lid on medium low heat. The mixture should just be to low boiling point.
  • After 8 minutes smash cranberries with spoon or masher. Continue to cook until thickened.
  • When mixture is thickened press cooked cranberries through strainer into new pan or bowl. Force as much as possible all the cooked cranberries filling. The filling should be thick gel consistence. Cover and reserve for this filling to go over the finishing topping for White Chocolate Cheesecake.

Assembling White Chocolate Cheesecake:

  • To remove the cheesecake from 7 inch deep pan, take the foil that covers cheesecake off.
  • Place the 7 inch deep pan with cheesecake onto low heat range top burner slowly move cheesecake pan around to heat bottom of pan warm enough to release crust from pan. The bottom of the cheesecake pan should be warm to the touch but not hot.
  • Carefully run pairing knife around the edge of the cheesecake to help loose sides of cheesecake crust and filling from pan.
  • Turn cheesecake over onto a flat plate tapping lightly on bottom to pan to help release cheesecake from pan.
  • Remove pan from cheesecake and turn cheesecake over onto new flat plate so the top of cheesecake is facing up.
  • Next stir the cranberry filling to spreadable consistency, scoop cranberry filling onto top of the cheesecake and spread evenly with spatula covering whole top of cheesecake evernly.
  • Cover and chill the cranberry topped white cheesecake until time of service.
  • Service time cut the White Chocolate Cranberry Cheesecake into 8 portions.
  • Serve on plate with White Chocolate Cranberry Cheesecake topped with whipped topping and garnish, like sugared orange zest or fresh cranberry.

Enjoying the fruits of labor:

Enjoy White Chocolate Cranberry Cheesecake it’s so good.

This may seem like a lot of steps, but once you get the technique down it’s very easy to do. Using the food processor helps make quick work in processing cheesecake batter.

Using Instant Pot or Electric Pressure Steamer produces perfect 7 inch deep cheesecake. The only limitation is 7 inch deep pan is largest size that fits in most steamers. This size is perfect for 8 to 10 portions of cheesecake. Basically you set high pressure and 60 minutes time that’s simple work, free to do other tasks.

Enjoy the White Chocolate Cranberry Cheesecake that’s creamy texture, with tangy cranberry topping. This perfect for Holiday’s and Special Occasions. Try the Smoked Root Beer Ham it’s perfect entree with some homemade Swedish Buns.

Smoked Root Beer Ham
White Chocolate Cranberry Cheesecake
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Creamy rich white chocolate cheesecake with tangy cranberry topped cheesecake, using an Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker.
Servings Prep Time
8 slices 20 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
60 minutes 8 hours
Servings Prep Time
8 slices 20 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
60 minutes 8 hours
White Chocolate Cranberry Cheesecake
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Creamy rich white chocolate cheesecake with tangy cranberry topped cheesecake, using an Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker.
Servings Prep Time
8 slices 20 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
60 minutes 8 hours
Servings Prep Time
8 slices 20 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
60 minutes 8 hours
Ingredients
Graham cracker crust:
Raspberry Filling:
Vanilla Cream Cheese Cake:
Cheesecake Garnishes:
Chocolate Mint Leaves
Servings: slices
Units:
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust:
  1. 1. Crush graham crackers in the food processor until it is fine, add sugar and melted butter and process until it looks like wet sand.
  2. 2. Prep the 7 inch cake pan sprayed well with baking food release. Dump graham cracker mixture into bottom of pan and press crumbs so it covers the bottom of the pan. Using a half cup measure to push crumb mixture to make clean edges going half way up the sides of the cake pan. Then bake the graham cracker crumb mixture for 8 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Set aside to cool, while preparing vanilla cream cheese filling.
Cranberry Filling:
  1. 3. To make the cranberry filling by mixing the sugar and apple juice together with cranberries in a small sauce pan. Cook the cranberry filling until thick about 5 to 8 minutes. Whisk mixture to break up cranberries into a thick sauce, strain through fine mash strainer. Pushing the filling with a rubber spatula to force all cranberries through the strainer to remove seeds and skins. Cover and set aside to cool.
White Chocolate Cheesecake
  1. 4. To make the cream cheese cake mixture place cream cheese, lemon zest, vanilla extract and sugar into food processor fitted with blade attachment. Process until smooth, while processor is running add one egg at a time until smooth and combined. Continue processing and add the yogurt and melted white chocolate until smooth and light. The total processing time should be about 90 seconds. Remove processor blade carefully.
  2. 5. Pour the White Chocolate Cheesecake mixture into prepared cake pan with graham cracker crust, with offset spatula smooth cream cheese cake mixture evenly.
  3. 6. Cover the top of cheesecake with foil that has been prepared with baking spray.
  4. 7. Place 2 cups of water in bottom of the pressure cooker fitted with wire rack in bottom of container. Make a foil strip about 2 inch wide and 24 inches long to act as sling. Place cheesecake into pressure cooker, fold ends over cheesecake pan and close the lid. Turn lid to seal pressure cooker.
  5. 8. Set the timer to 60 minutes on high. When cooking is finished using a natural release. Let set in pressure cooker for 1 hour before removing using the sling to pull cheesecake out of cooker. Bring cheesecake to room temperature, then refrigerate for 8 hour or overnight.
Garnishing Cheesecake:
  1. 9. Remove the foil from cheesecake, then place on range top with very low heat warm bottom of the cheesecake pan. This is to help release fat that's holding cheesecake crust to pan. Carefully run pairing knife around the cheese cake to loosen crust from pan. Invert cheesecake onto flat plate taping on bottom of pan to release cheesecake from pan. When cheesecake is out of the pan place another flat plate over crust side on cake and turn cheesecake back right side up
  2. 10. Spread even layer of the cranberry filling all over the top of the cheesecake with offset spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated until ready to serve. 11. To serve cut cheesecake into 8 pieces, top with whipped cream and fresh cranberry or candied orange zest.
Share this Recipe
Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe
Cream of Homemade Tomato Soup
formats

Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup

Is it time to use up those freshly picked tomatoes? Then it’s time to make some Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup. Campbell Tomato Soup move over, for this fresh tasting creamy soup, that doesn’t take too much time to make. Better yet a nicely grilled cheese sandwich to accompany this classic soup. This recipe should get those tastebuds going in a tasty snap.

Cream of Homemade Tomato Soup
Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup with chiffonade of Basil and Crackers

Processing fresh tomatoes:

Processing fresh tomatoes doesn’t have to be labor some. Having the right tools really helps, here are a few essential tools that make fresh tomato processing a snap.

  • Tomato Shark to remove core of the tomato.
  • Sharp knife to do basic tomato cutting.
  • Boiling water in 2 to 4 quart saucepan blanch tomatoes and to make the soup.
  • Spider or slotted spoon to remove tomatoes from boiling water
  • Food processor with knife attachment or VitaMix Blender my favorite processor
  • Good large cutting board that’s NSF certified
  • Disposable Vinyl Gloves
  • Wire Whisk
  • High Temperature Silicon Spatula
  • Fine mesh Strainer help keep Soup nice and Smooth.
  • Washing tomatoes
  • Pick ripe tomatoes
  • Core tomatoes with shark tool
  • Blanching Tomatoes
  • Shocking tomatoes in ice bath
  • Removing all skins
  • Finished peeled tomatoes.
  • Blend peeled tomatoes

Making Tomato Soup Base:

After time spent pressing fresh tomatoes into puree, this mixture needs to infused with flavor. Start this process by cooking tomato puree with bacon bites, onions, carrots, celery and garlic. By simmering this tomato soup base mixture for good hour turns it into wonder soup base. Then after cooking process it needs seasoning adjustment, start by adding salt, sugar and pepper. If the flavor profile still needs a little extra boost add some chicken base and cayenne powder for extra zip. Optional flavor enhancement add some chopped fresh basil to soup base.

Simmering Fresh Tomato Puree with Aromatics seasoning salt and fresh black pepper

The final step is to process this soup base again in blender until smooth texture. Then this tomato soup base can be poured into sterilized canning jars, processed in a hot water bath for 15 to 20 minutes to achieve a good seal. Now Tomato Soup Base is good to make your own hot soup when needed. All that is needed is adding some cream or whole milk to soup being careful not to over heat 165°F. Adding dairy product to tomato soup base which is acidic will curdle milk proteins easy if heated too high. Enjoy soup with fresh sprigs of dill or chiffonade basil leaves.

Blended Fresh Tomato Soup Base

It’s Tomato Soup Time:

Making a wonderful tasting soup from Tomato Soup Base is very simple task. Opening up jar of homemade tomato soup base and heating gently over low heat. Is key to successful cream of tomato soup not to get the base soup over 165°F. Then adding warming milk or cream to same temperature 165°F and adding to tomato soup base. This process is tempering to ingredients so soup doesn’t curdle. Key to having nice cream texture that is smooth with no flex of dairy protein in the soup. Now to enhance the flavors by adding herbs like dill weed or fresh basil. Another good addition is sharp cheddar cheese, with some American Cheese to keep soup nice and smooth.

Cream of Tomato Soup with Fresh Basil
Cream of Homemade Tomato Soup
Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Fresh tomato soup made with homemade tomato soup base and heavy cream enhanced with fresh basil and lots of soup crackers.
Servings Prep Time
8 servings 2 hours
Cook Time
10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
8 servings 2 hours
Cook Time
10 minutes
Cream of Homemade Tomato Soup
Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Fresh tomato soup made with homemade tomato soup base and heavy cream enhanced with fresh basil and lots of soup crackers.
Servings Prep Time
8 servings 2 hours
Cook Time
10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
8 servings 2 hours
Cook Time
10 minutes
Ingredients
Tomato Soup Base:
Cream of Tomato add on:
Servings: servings
Units:
Instructions
Tomato Soup Base:
  1. Wash, remove core and peel tomatoes. Then process tomatoes in blender for about 30 seconds, to course puree.
  2. Chop onions, carrots, celery, mince garlic, and dice bacon strips.
  3. Heat heavy duty pot add bacon and cook until the bacon is crisp. Remove some of the excess bacon fat.
  4. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant.
  5. Add the chopped onions, carrots and celery to cooked bacon. Cook aromatics until tender about 5 minutes on medium heat.
  6. Add the course puree of fresh tomatoes to cooked aromatics. Bring tomato soup base to boil. Reduce heat to low boil.
  7. Add salt and black pepper to cooking tomato soup base. Continue cooking.
  8. Add tomato paste stirring well into the tomato soup base, continue cooking for 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and Turbinado sugar.
  9. Blend tomato soup base in VitaMixer or blender until smooth. Pour pureed tomato soup base back into heavy duty pot.
  10. Bring the puree tomato soup base back to boil.
  11. Pour tomato soup base into sterilized jar seal with sterilized lids and rings. Process in hot water bath for 15 to 20 minutes to get good seal. Store in cool dry place with low light.
Finishing Cream of Tomato Soup:
  1. To make cream of tomato soup heat the tomato soup base in sauce pan to 165°F. Warm heavy cream to 165°F then add to warmed tomato soup base. Stirring until combined to warm creamy soup. Do not over heat it will curdle. Keep cream of tomato soup about 165 to 170°F.
  2. Add favorite add-ins like fresh basil, fresh dill or cheddar cheese. Garnish with sprigs of dill weed or basil.
  3. Top cream of tomato soup with soup crackers and enjoy.
    Cream of Homemade Tomato Soup
Share this Recipe
Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe
formats

Homemade Smoked Paprika

Smoking Boldog Peppers on Big Green Egg for 3 hours low heat.

How to make your own Homemade Smoked Paprika using fresh paprika peppers. I tried to raise paprika peppers last few years and was unsuccessful in getting the plants to grow. This year hit the jackpot 6 healthy Boldog Paprika plants produced plentiful bright red peppers. This is blog and recipe how to make either smoked paprika or sweet paprika powder that tastes far better then store brands. Try this homemade smoked paprika in Hungarian Goulash made with beef and vegetables and potatoes.

Raising Paprika Peppers:

Boldog Paprika Peppers

The Boldog Paprika Peppers become bright red color perfect to make homemade paprika. Native to Hungry these sweet taste when dried with just a small amount of bite on tongue. Making homemade paprika takes a little work and some time too dry and food process. But well worth the extra effort, homemade paprika tastes far better than most store vanities of paprika. The color alone is bright red after grinding them in processor.

Freshly ground Boldog Paprika Peppers

Processing Paprika Peppers:

  • Harvest Paprika Peppers when bright red color.
  • Remove stem and cut Paprika Peppers in half lengthwise.
  • Scrapping with spoon remove seeds and membrane from Paprika Peppers.
  • Rinse paprika peppers with cold water help remove seeds and debris.
  • Arrange clean paprika peppers on smoker rack if making smoked paprika
  • Set-up smoker and soak wood chips apple wood or cherry wood chips in storage bag.
  • Place paprika peppers into smoker to smoke a low heat 120 to 220°F
  • Smoke paprika peppers on low smoke heat for 3 hours, adding extra wood chips every 20 to 30 minutes.
  • Remove smoked paprika peppers from smoker.
  • Transfer smoked paprika peppers to dehydrator racks.
  • Place smoked paprika peppers into dehydrator set on 130 to 135 degrees and dry for 2 to 3 days.
  • Remove dried smoked paprika peppers from dehydrator
  • Process dried smoked paprika peppers in food processor like VitaMix until finely ground.
  • Transfer ground smoked paprika to mortar and pestle for final mix and grind.
  • Store in spice jars with tight fitting lids.
  • Use smoked paprika in cooking like Hungarian Goulash or Chicken Paprika or sprinkle on any foods to give good color and smokey flavors.
  • Boldog Peppers ready to be picked
  • Stem and trimming Boldog Peppers
  • Scrapping with spoon to deseed Boldog peppers
  • Washing all Boldog Peppers
  • Placing Boldog Peppers on smoking rack
  • Soaking Apple Wood Chips in zip lock bag
  • Placing Boldog Peppers into smoker (Big Green Egg)
  • After smoking Boldog peppers for 3 hours.
  • Removing Smoked Boldog Peppers
  • Placing Smoked Boldog Peppers onto dehydration screen and drying for 2 days.
  • Grinding the Smoked Boldog Peppers in VitaMix into fine powder on high speed.
  • Final mixing in motar and bestal before packaging

Using Homemade Smoked Paprika:

Transforming the Homemade Smoked Paprika by using this sweet smoky profile in Hungarian Goulash. The flavor of this Goulash is a Beefy Stew with rich red colored that’s sweet Unami.

Hungarian Goulash with fresh sprigs of Dill
Hungarian Goulash
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Hungarian Goulash is rich tasting paprika beef stew with lots of potatoes and root vegetables. Using freshly homemade paprika gives this stew a vivant sweet tasting stew. Far different taste from Midwestern Goulash made with tomatoes, hamburger and macaroni.
Servings Prep Time
8 servings 15 minutes
Cook Time
4 hours
Servings Prep Time
8 servings 15 minutes
Cook Time
4 hours
Hungarian Goulash
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Hungarian Goulash is rich tasting paprika beef stew with lots of potatoes and root vegetables. Using freshly homemade paprika gives this stew a vivant sweet tasting stew. Far different taste from Midwestern Goulash made with tomatoes, hamburger and macaroni.
Servings Prep Time
8 servings 15 minutes
Cook Time
4 hours
Servings Prep Time
8 servings 15 minutes
Cook Time
4 hours
Ingredients
Servings: servings
Units:
Instructions
  1. In heavy duty stock pot or cast iron dutch oven heat oil to smoking point add beef cubes and brown stew meat. Quickly after meat is browned add paprika, garlic and reduce heat to low cook spices for about minute.
  2. After the meat and spices cooked for minute add flour and salt and pepper stirring constantly. Cooke flour mixture for 2 minutes longer.
  3. After the flour cooked add the onions, carrots, celery and cook vegetable for 2 to 3 minutes.
  4. When vegetables have a cooked a little add the stock and bay leaf to stew mixture. Stirring well to evenly incorporate stew with stock. Cover and cook slowly over low heat. Try to keep stew at a simmer 210 degrees. Cook for 2 hours to 3 hours.
  5. After stew meat gets tender about 2 to 3 hours add the potatoes to the goulash (stew), stir well to evenly distribute. Continue to simmer Goulash (stew) for 30 minutes until potatoes are tender.
  6. The Goulash meat and potatoes should be tender; Finally adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If needed adjust constant of of goulash to thick stew consistency, by using slurry of flour and water mixture. Cook out starchy slurry for 5 minutes before serving.
  7. Serve in a deep wide rimmed bowl with dollop of sour cream and fresh sprigs of dill.
Share this Recipe
Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe
formats

Tomato Bacon Cheese Casserole

Summer time the tomatoes are fresh ripe from garden, searching for great recipe to utilize them. The Tomato Bacon Cheese Casserole is perfect way to enjoy the summer bounty of tomatoes. The casserole captures the juicy tomatoes, with crisp bacon and grated Wisconsin Cheeses. To hold all these flavors together with macaroni pasta, and season with fresh herbs.

Freshly Picked Tomatoes & Cucumbers

Choosing the best tomatoes:

Fresh tomatoes that are totally ripe are best choice, if possible ripen them on the vine. The green to yellow strips in tomato have a more citrus flavor profile, where the totally red tomato will be sweeter and super juicy. The tomatoes that have started to ripen on vine picked a little early will ripen if kept at room temperature with sun light. These tomatoes that are ripen off the vine will not be quite as sweet as ones ripen on the vine. The biggest challenge of vine ripening is little critters that love ripe tomatoes and starting eating them. Aka the ground squirrel, we call chippies. When using this recipe pick the totally ripe tomatoes that have good red color.

  • Pick ripe tomatoes
  • Washing tomatoes
  • Blanching Tomatoes
  • Shocking tomatoes in ice bath
  • Peeling tomatoes
  • Removing all skins
  • Finished peeled tomatoes.

Blanching Tomatoes:

After choosing right tomatoes, wash each of them removing all dirt and debris off each tomato. Next start a saucepan filled two thirds full of water boiling. Remove the core of tomatoes where the stem attaches to the tomatoes. Then cut an X with pairing knife on bottom of tomato, known as blossom end. Plung the tomatoes into boiling water for about 90 seconds. This will loosen skins of the tomato. Then dip them into ice water bath to shock tomatoes which should loosen skins. Using fingers peel off tomato skins. Try starting where the cut x is to easy grasp the tomato skins. Peell all the tomatoes skins off the tomatoes.

For love of Bacon:

Bacon is the perfect complement to the fresh tomatoes. The flavors of cooked bacon takes the tomato casserole to all new levels of tastiness. Cooking bacon is easy task, by laying out bacon strips onto sheet tray and sprinkle with brown sugar, fresh grind black pepper. The baking in 350°F oven until crisp, for about 15 minutes. Remove the bacon onto some paper towels to absorb excess grease. Reserve some of the bacon fat for cooking casserole ingredients later.

  • Brushing bacon on sheet tray and black pepper
  • Bake in 350°F oven
  • Bacon has been baking for 15 minutes
  • Fully baked bacon cooked to perfection
  • Placing cooked strips of bacon onto paper towels absorb grease
  • Chopped bacon into bacon bits

Which pasta should I use today?

Choosing a pasta can be very challenging, picking right pasta for your needs with lots of options. Select an extruded pasta that uses a brass die. This pasta has more texture for juices of tomatoes to cling. The typical store pastas have smooth surface, which sauces don’t cling to pasta very good. Where the shape of the pasta makes a difference.Because pasta that has the more surface area will have the ability to hold more sauce. Below are some artisanal pasta shapes by Barilla.

Cheese please!

Selecting the right cheeses is important task. Making the right choices are important, start off with a good melting cheese. Choose good cheddar cheese, provolone, mozzarella, fontina and processed cheeses all melt well. The process cheeses will help keep a nice smooth texture. A mixture of variety of cheeses gives casserole more depth. Try using block cheeses and shred the cheeses yourself. The pre shredded cheeses have anti caking ingredients, like cornstarch or modified food starch, keeping the shredded cheeses from clumping together. These extra Ingredients effects the consistency when melting into casserole sauce. The goal is to have wonderful overall flavor profile that ends well on one’s palate.

Chilies Please:

Add some chilies into Bacon Tomato Cheese Casserole just amps up the flavors without loosing profile. Choosing the right chilies is matter of preference. Start with milder chilies like Hatch Green Chilies and Anaheim Chilies great flavor and not too hot. Fresh chilies do have to be processed which takes some extra effort. Below guides through the process of preparing chilies.

  • Blister green and red chilies over flame
  • Rap the blistered chilies in foil to steam for 10 minutes
  • Rub all the outer skins off blister chilies
  • Scrapping green chiles with pairing knife to remove seed
  • Scraping red chilies to remove seeds
  • Dice chilies with knife into small dice

Building Tomato Bacon Cheese Casserole:

  1. Blanch and peel tomatoes then dice tomatoes.
  2. Peel and mince garlic cloves.
  3. Peel and dice onions
  4. Blister red and green chilies, wrap in foil to rest for 10 minutes, scrub off blister chili skins. Scrap seeds off chilies using pairing knife, then dice chilies
  5. Boil pasta for 10 to 12 minutes until al dente (to the tooth), drain cooking liquid.
  6. Shred cheeses. Note put block cheeses into freezer for 10 minutes to firm up, they will shred better.
  7. Prepare bacon, first lay out the bacon onto sheet tray, then brush with maple syrup and grind fresh black pepper over bacon. Bake in 350°F oven until crisp about 15 minutes.
  8. Make the Tomato Bacon Cheese sauce by cooking onions, garlic with some olive oil, then add tomatoes and chilies and bring to boil. Add the shredded cheeses and stir over low heat until melted.
  9. Add the cooked pasta to Tomato Bacon Cheese sauce stirring until evenly mixed together.
  10. Place the casserole mixture in baker, sprinkle bacon bits over top, cover with foil or lid.
  11. Bake the Tomato Bacon Cheese Casserole for 35 to 45 minutes. The last 15 minutes remove lid to brown top.
  12. Let the casserole rest 10 to 15 minutes to set up.
  13. Serve as a side dish. Garnish with fresh herbs like dill sprigs, cilantro sprigs or basil leaves. And of course top with more cheeses, like parmesan or asiago cheese.
Tomato Bacon Cheese Casserole coming out of 350°F oven after 35 minutes.
Tomato Bacon Cheese Casserole
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
The casserole captures the juicy tomatoes, with crisp bacon and grated Wisconsin Cheeses. To hold all these flavors together with macaroni pasta, and season with fresh herbs.
Servings Prep Time
8 servings 30 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Servings Prep Time
8 servings 30 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Tomato Bacon Cheese Casserole
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
The casserole captures the juicy tomatoes, with crisp bacon and grated Wisconsin Cheeses. To hold all these flavors together with macaroni pasta, and season with fresh herbs.
Servings Prep Time
8 servings 30 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Servings Prep Time
8 servings 30 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Ingredients
Servings: servings
Units:
Instructions
  1. Blanch and peel tomatoes then dice tomatoes.
  2. Peel and mince garlic cloves.
  3. Peel and dice onions
  4. Blister red and green chilies, wrap in foil to rest for 10 minutes, scrub off blister chili skins. Scrap seeds off chilies using pairing knife, then dice chilies
  5. Boil pasta for 10 to 12 minutes until al dente (to the tooth), drain cooking liquid.
  6. Shred cheeses. Note put block cheeses into freezer for 10 minutes to firm up, they will shred better.
  7. Prepare bacon, first lay out the bacon onto sheet tray, then brush with maple syrup and grind fresh black pepper over bacon. Bake in 350°F oven until crisp about 15 minutes.
  8. Place cooked bacon strips onto paper towels to drain excess grease off bacon.
  9. Dice cooked bacon reserving 1/4 of the bacon for garnishing top of casserole. The remainder 3/4 of bacon used in tomato bacon sauce used upcoming steps.
  10. Make the Tomato Bacon Cheese sauce by cooking onions, garlic with some olive oil, and bacon bits
  11. Add the tomatoes and cheeses cooking over lower heat until cheeses melt and make nice sauce consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  12. Add the cooked pasta to the tomato bacon cheese sauce and stir until combine well. Garnish top with 1/4 of cooked diced bacon. Cover casserole dish with lid or foil.
  13. Bake the Tomato Bacon Cheese Casserole for 35 to 45 minutes. The last 15 minutes remove lid to brown top.
  14. Let the casserole rest 10 to 15 minutes to set up.
  15. Serve as a side dish. Garnish with fresh herbs like dill sprigs, cilantro sprigs or basil leaves. And of course top with more cheeses, like parmesan or asiago cheese. Pictured with Air Fried Chicken Breasts sliced. Garnished with fresh dill sprigs.
Recipe Notes

For those how like it hot try using some hot chilies into Tomato Bacon Cheese Sauce. Be careful those super hot chilies like Carolina Reapers, can over power casserole quickly. Suggest using milder chilies like Scotch Bonnet, Cayenne, Thai Chilies varieties they are hot but not so hot that they become overpowered.

 

Share this Recipe
Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe
formats

Air Fryer Wax Bean Fries

Wax Pole Beans on vine

Turn those freshly picked wax beans into healthy Air Fryer Wax Bean Fries. Using a simple breading techniques making those wax beans into a tasty crunchy fries. These Wax Bean Fries have far lease carbohydrates then French Fries with very little fat. Enjoy Air Fryer Wax Bean Fries without having that gilt of eating fried foods and still enjoy your vegetables.

Breading Wax Beans:

Set up breading station to making breading wax beans quick and easy. This takes three stage dipping station, using 3 bowls of breading ingredients.

  1. Season flour mixture to dredge wax beans into, shaking off excess season flour.
  2. Egg wash to dip floured wax beans into, allowing excess eggs wash drip off the beans.
  3. Seasoned Panko Bread Crumbs to dredge egg washed beans into, place on plate or pan. These can be made ahead and refrigerate or frozen. Or Air Fried right away after breading process.

Air Frying Breaded Wax Beans:

Set Air Fryer to 400°F and timer to 12 minutes, fill the air fryer basket about 1/2 full leaving plenty room for the hot cirulating air to flow all around breaded wax beans. Don’t be tempted to overfill the basket which inhibit good hot air flow, this will cause breading to stick together. About half way into cooking process remove basket from air fryer and give breaded beans a good shake. Then place basket back into Air Fryer to finish frying. If the Breaded Wax Beans are not golden crispy brown continue cooking for few more minutes. Some Air Fries have a holding temperature, which is nice as finishing up meal.

Dipping Sauces for Air Fried Wax Bean Fries:

The air fried wax bean fries tastes great just by them selves, but dipping them into sauce tastes even better. The standby dipping sauce is Ketchup which it totally fine for quick dipping solution. But try dipping wax bean fries into Italian sauce, with extra sprinkle of parmesans cheese. Better yet dipping these wax bean fries into some sriracha mayonnaise for sweet, cream bite. For a more herb taste, try dipping wax bean fries into Ranch Dip.

Air Fryer Wax Bean Fries
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Healthy crunchy wax bean fries that is lower in carbohydrates, using just small amount of oil. Air Fried for 12 minutes, resulting in great substitution for French fries.
Servings Prep Time
2 portions 10 minutes
Cook Time
12 minutes
Servings Prep Time
2 portions 10 minutes
Cook Time
12 minutes
Air Fryer Wax Bean Fries
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Healthy crunchy wax bean fries that is lower in carbohydrates, using just small amount of oil. Air Fried for 12 minutes, resulting in great substitution for French fries.
Servings Prep Time
2 portions 10 minutes
Cook Time
12 minutes
Servings Prep Time
2 portions 10 minutes
Cook Time
12 minutes
Ingredients
Optional Dipping Sauces:
Servings: portions
Units:
Instructions
Breading Station:
  1. Make the Season Flour mixture, by combining all-purpose flour, kosher salt, all-purpose seasoning and black pepper into mixing bowl.
  2. Beat eggs in separate mixing bowl, to make egg wash bowl.
  3. Mix panic breading, and grated parmesan cheese in another bowl, to make breading mixture
  4. Set up breading station, first bowl is seasoned flour mixture. Second bowl is egg wash station/ Third bowl is bread crumb mixture station
Wax Bean Fries
  1. Wash and trim wax beans to about 4 to 5 inches long. place on towel to absorb excess moisture.
  2. First step in breading wax beans is to dredge beans in seasoning flour mixture. Shaking excess flour off beans.
  3. Second step is to dip each floured wax beans into egg wash. then remove the beans from egg wash allowing beans to drip off excess egg wash.
  4. Third step is to dredge the egg washed beans into breading mixture coating beans well with the mixture. Then place breaded beans onto a sheet tray. Sprinkle a little extra breading mixture over top of breaded beans to prevent them from sticking together. Note these breaded beans could be frozen on tray then when become frozen solid transferred into freezer bag for future air frying.
  5. Air Fry Breaded Wax beans in 400°F for 12 minutes in basket, spray beans with oil.Taking basket out air fryer and shaking breaded wax beans up to redistribute wax beans to fry more evenly. Continue frying process for reminder of the time.
  6. Check the air fried wax beans for crisp outer coating. If coating is not golden brown and crisp. Add more time to cooking process.
  7. Remove Air Fried Wax Bean Fries and place on plate and serve with marinara sauce, or ketchup, ranch dip, spicy sriracha mayonnaise.
Recipe Notes

Make a double batch and freeze the Wax Bean Fries on sheet pan for 2 hours. Then transfer the frozen bean fries to zip lock bag and keep in freezer for quick Wax Bean Fries. Storing frozen Wax Bean Fries in zip lock bag for 3 months in freezer. No worries they will not last that long.

Share this Recipe
Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe
formats

Smoked Spatchcock Chicken

Smoking the Spatchocok Chicken using Big Green Egg

Smoke a whole chicken, by flatten chicken out onto BBQ Grill. This technique requires a little butcher skills cutting whole chicken, removing chicken backbone. By flattening the whole chicken gives more surface area to smoke.

Spatchcock fabercation techniques:

  • Stand up whole chicken
  • Using boning knife cut along back bone downwards
  • Cutting along the other side of backbone downwards
  • remove backbone
  • Open chicken lay flat and cut cartilage
  • Pull the cartilage and keel bone from chicken breast
  • remove the cartilage
  • Chicken Spatchcock
How to Spatchcock Chicken

Steps in chicken fabrication

  1. Stand the whole chicken upright, wiping away any excess liquids & blood.
  2. Taking a boning knife cut on one side of neck in quick movement, all away through back bone.
  3. Next taking boning knife cut on the other side of back bone starting on neck going downwards.
  4. Pull the back bone away from chicken, set aside for making good stock.
  5. Open chicken up laying chicken flat onto cutting board.
  6. Using boning knife cut 1/2 inch into cartladge at top of chicken breasts that connects both breasts.
  7. Pulling with fingers the keel bone off chicken breasts.
  8. Next pull the cartladge from chicken that’s connected to keel bone.
  9. Now you have a spatchcock chicken.

BBQ Seasoning Rub Smoking Chicken:

Choosing a perfect BBQ Seasoning Rub for smoking meats is a important. Everyone has there own preferences, but start with with some base spices and herbs. Here is some common spice and herb choices to choose from.

  • Kosher Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • Onion Powder
  • Garlic Powder
  • Sweet Paprika or Smoked Paprika
  • Chili Powder
  • Turmeric Powder
  • Thyme
  • Basil
  • Celery Seed or Celery Salt
  • Cayenne Pepper
  • Dry Mustard Powder
  • Cumin, ground
  • Coriander Seed, ground
  • Dill Seed, ground

Try Mexican Seasoning for rub on Spatchcock Chicken Mexican flair, great for Chicken Tacos.

BBQ Seasoning for on the Spatchcock Chicken enhancing Smoky flavor profile, wonderful for pulled chicken applications.

Sprinkling BBQ Seasoning all over both sides of Spatchcock Chicken

Generously sprinkle BBQ Seasoning of you choice all over both sides of the whole Spatchcock Chicken. Allowing a good 30 to 60 minutes to penetrate through chicken before starting the smoking process.

Smoking Time:

Smoking Spatchcock Chicken using long slow lower smoker temperature to achieve great flavor profile. Keeping temperature low and slow takes some practice using Big Green Egg but results are wonderful smoky flavor profile. The lump charcoal gives long burn time and good wood fire taste. Then following up with soaked wood chips for smoky flavor. The trick is not getting the coals too hot because when Green Egg gets too hot it takes a long time to cool down. Too hot of smoking temperature gives off too strong of smoky flavor profile. The goal is to have great smoky flavors, not harsh smoke coming from too hot smoking temperatures.

Smoked Herb Stuffed Turkey Breast
Smoked Herb Stuffed Turkey Breast
Smoked Spatchcock Chicken
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Smoke a whole chicken, by flattening chicken out onto BBQ Grill. By Spatchcocking the whole chicken gives more surface area to smoke. Using BBQ seasoning rubbed over the whole chicken and low slow smoking makes for versatile purposes.
Servings Prep Time
4 portions 20 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
3 hours 60 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 portions 20 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
3 hours 60 minutes
Smoked Spatchcock Chicken
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Smoke a whole chicken, by flattening chicken out onto BBQ Grill. By Spatchcocking the whole chicken gives more surface area to smoke. Using BBQ seasoning rubbed over the whole chicken and low slow smoking makes for versatile purposes.
Servings Prep Time
4 portions 20 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
3 hours 60 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 portions 20 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
3 hours 60 minutes
Ingredients
Servings: portions
Units:
Instructions
Spatchcock Fabircation
  1. Using a boning knife cutting downwards along both sides of the backbone of the chicken. Start from the top of backbone working downwards in quick swift motion. Be sure to cut all the way down the back bone of the chicken.
  2. Using fingers pull the back bone away from the whole chicken.
  3. Lay the whole chicken down on the cutting board, opened like a butterfly. Using boning knife cut 1/2 inch into cartilage at top of chicken breast area.
  4. Using fingers pull the keel bone from chicken.
  5. Using finger pull the cartilage between the two chicken breasts, removing cartilage from breasts.
  6. Sprinkle generous amount of BBQ Seasoning Rub all over inside cavity of chicken. Rub the BBQ Seasoning into the chicken.
  7. Turn chicken over and sprinkle generously BBQ Seasoning Rub all over out side of chicken. Rub the BBQ Seasoning into the chicken. Allow the seasoned chicken to rest for 60 minutes or more covered in the refrigerator.
  8. Get the smoker set up ready for smoking. Soak wood chips in water, us a gallon ziplock bag or container. Start lump charcoal in firebox. When coals are starting to get white add good hand full of soaked wood chips. With Green Egg use the place setter for indirect heat. Then put a pan filled with can of beer in center of the place setter. Place grill on place setter, then place chicken cavity side up first, half of the smoking time. About 1 1/2 hours.
  9. Regulate the smoking temperature by adjusting top and Botton dampers. Maintain smoking temperature between 185°F to 225°F.
  10. Flip the chicken about half way through smoking process around 1 1/2 hours. Add more wood chips and more beer in the pan if needed. Continue smoking with skin side up through remainder smoking process. The Chicken should read 170°F internal temperature. Check temperatures in breast and thigh areas. Remove chicken from smoker with temperature is reached. Place on platter and cover with foil to rest for 15 to 30 minutes.
Cutting Smoked Chicken
  1. After chicken rested place smoked spatchcock chicken onto the cutting board skin side up.
  2. Cut through chicken in half along where breast separate.
  3. Next cut chicken in quarters along where the breasts and thighs separate.
Share this Recipe
Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe
formats

Strawberry Rhubarb Riesling Jam

Rhubarb ready to be picked

Late spring into early summer is rhubarb harvest, it’s time to make some Strawberry Rhubarb Riesling Jam. This is a perfect way to enjoy Rhubarb all year around. The strawberry rhubarb Riesling jam goes great on toasted bagels, English Muffins, French Toasts, or on cakes. Time to pick the Rhubarb, or buy some rhubarb at the farmers market. Make a batch of strawberry rhubarb Riesling jam.

Strawberry Rhubarb Riesling Jam
Trimming rhubarb leaves off stalks

Picking Fresh Rhubarb

Late spring through early summer perfect time to pick rhubarb. Choose longer thick stemmed rhubarb, pulling and slight twist should break stem from root crown. Don’t over pick all stems to rhubarb crown leave small stems to grow larger. Water rhubarb if dry season, a good high nitrogen fertilizer helps too promote growth. Just be carful of to over fertilize rhubarb crowns.

Trim the leaves off rhubarb stems, and place in compost pile or yardie. The rhubarb leaves are poisonous, but stems are tart and tangy slightly sweet profile. Cut the rhubarb into slices thin, between quarter inch to three eights inch thick slices. Cutting rhubarb thin prompts quick cooking and extract natural pectins into the jam.

Choosing the right pectin:

Not all pectin is the same, finding the right pectin for application is important. The Strawberry Rhubarb Riesling Jam needs strong pectin that will work with lower sugar levels. Balls classic pectin works well it’s strong enough to use less sugar, but not sugar free jams. This recipe has enough sugar to balance the tartness of rhubarb. Be cautious of cheaper pectins that sold bulk on Amazon, they do not work with lower sugar levels. The weaker pectins produced thick syrup consistency, but didn’t gel properly.

Ball Classic Pectin in bulk 4.7 ounces

Secret tricks to successful making jam:

  1. First important step in having great jam is to measure each ingredients accurately. Mise en place is essential having everything ready before starting preparation.
  2. Second step is to mash the fruit as much as possible, this helps cooking process to extract natural pectin in the fruit. Mash the fruits first before measuring the proper amount.
  3. Third don’t combine all the ingredients at once to cook. First cook the fruit, pectin and Riesling wine first bring to boil and cooking for good 3 plus minutes. Continue mashing the fruit as it’s cooking.
  4. Fourth add the sugar after it cooks for good three plus minutes. Bring jam to full boil and cook for good 1 to 2 minutes.
  5. Fifth step to success skim foam off the cooked jam. Note save foam to put onto toast for snack.
  6. Sixth step be sure your jars and lids and rings have been sterilized in boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes.
  7. Seventh step fill the jars to about 1/2 inch from the rim of the jar. Be sure to wipe each jar rim with vinegar wet towel. This removes any jam the might be on rim of jar.
  8. Eighth step place lid on each jar and secure with ring collar, don’t over tighten.
  9. Ninth step boil in hot water bath for 10 to 15 minutes.
  10. Tenth step removing jars from water bath using jar holder, place onto wire rack to cool. Listen for click of lids as they seal. The dimple in middle of the lid should be down. Any lid that didn’t seal, refrigerate jam and use in next month.
  11. Eleventh step label and date each jar, then store in cool dark place, like basement.

Using Strawberry Rhubarb Riesling Jam:

Strawberry Rhubarb Riesling Jam is so versatile, exploring the many possibilities. A favorite is swirling this jam into cheesecake.

Strawberry Rhubarb Riesling Jam swirl into lemon cheesecake.
Strawberry Rhubarb Riesling Jam
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Strawberry Rhubarb Riesling Jam is wonderful way to preserve fresh picked rhubarb and enjoy all year long. Using only five ingredients and about two and half hours of work, to make dozen jars of jam.
Servings Prep Time
12 Jars 30 Minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
20 Minutes 30 Minutes
Servings Prep Time
12 Jars 30 Minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
20 Minutes 30 Minutes
Strawberry Rhubarb Riesling Jam
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Strawberry Rhubarb Riesling Jam is wonderful way to preserve fresh picked rhubarb and enjoy all year long. Using only five ingredients and about two and half hours of work, to make dozen jars of jam.
Servings Prep Time
12 Jars 30 Minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
20 Minutes 30 Minutes
Servings Prep Time
12 Jars 30 Minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
20 Minutes 30 Minutes
Ingredients
Ingredients
Canning essentials
Servings: Jars
Units:
Instructions
  1. After picking Rhubarb trim the leaves off the Rhubarb stems. Discard the leaves into compost or yardie.
  2. Wash the rhubarb stems remove all dirt and debris.
  3. Next trim very bottom part of the stem that connects to roots.
  4. Slicing the rhubarb stems 1/4 to 3/8 inches thickness.
  5. Next hull and slice strawberries about 1/4 inches thickness.
  6. Mash the strawberries into mushy consistency. This helps extract the natural pectins in strawberries.
  7. Measure all ingredients accurately before starting to cook the jam.
  8. First cook the strawberries, rhubarb, Riesling wine and pectin. Bring to boiling smashing rhubarb slices into mush. Boil on medium high heat stirring consistency to prevent scorching. Boil for at least 2 to 3 minutes.
  9. Next add sugar stirring consistency, still cooking at medium high heat. Bring the jam back to a boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and skim the float off the jam.
  10. Fill the sterilized jars with strawberry rhubarb Riesling jam to just below 1/2 inches of the jar. Leaving at least 1/2 inches air space from lid.
  11. Wipe the rims of filled jars with paper towels soaked with white vinegar. Cleaning any jam spilled onto rims of jars. Place sterile lid on each filled jar and screw ring collars onto to each jar. Don’t over tighten jar.
  12. Place each jar into boiling hot water. Process in hot water bath for 10 minutes.
  13. Remove processed jars and cool on wire rack. As the jars cool the lids will click. The dimples on lids will be down. If after cooled a jar doesn’t seal refrigerate and use unsealed jars in month.
  14. The sealed Jared can be labeled and dated then stored in cool dark place. Basement is best.
Recipe Notes

 Making Strawberry Rhubarb BBQ Sauce using this jam.

1. Combine 1/4 cup Strawberry Rhubarb Riesling Jam with 2 tablespoons ketchup and 2 tablespoons Jared BBQ Sauce, in a saucepan.

2. Cook the Strawberry Rhubarb BBQ sauce for 5 minutes, taste and adjust flavor profile to your preferences. Suggestions chili vinegar, crushed hot chilies pepper flakes. 
3. Continue cooking the strawberry rhubarb BBQ sauce until proper thickness. The BBQ should pour nicely, liquid shouldn’t separate out sauce. When BBQ sauce brushed onto meat it should cling nicely.

Share this Recipe
Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe
formats

Bacon wrapped Chicken

There’s nothing like Bacon wrapped chicken with broccoli Swiss Cheese combination for dinner. This classic combination is a winning favorite based on chicken cordon blue concept. Rather then ham and cheese stuffed chicken, the bacon wrapped around chicken stuffed with broccoli and Swiss Cheese. By wrapping bacon around chicken replacing the three step breading that traditionally goes on Chicken Cordon Blue. Then replace ham with blanched broccoli florets and sliced Swiss cheese filled chicken breast. Sounds hard to do but really not any harder then making Chicken Cordon Blue.

Why wrapping bacon around chicken breasts?

Bacon is perfect moisture barrier to maintain juicy flavorful chicken breast as it is being cooked. Use thinly sliced bacon so as chicken breasts cooks the bacon becomes nice and crispy. Towards the end of the cooking process increase the cooking temperature to a higher heat. If using a Air fryer start at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, then set to 400 degrees for 5 minutes to crisp the bacon. Suggesting brushing bacon with maple syrup mixture to give the bacon wrapped chicken broccoli Swiss Cheese a glossy golden brown look.

Butterflying Chicken Breasts:

Boneless Chicken Breasts need to be trimmed and butterflied. The chicken breasts need to be big enough to wrap around the broccoli and Swiss Cheese. Using a boning knife to split chicken breast through middle almost all the way through leaving just enough chicken in tact. Then open split breast open like butterfly, cover with plastic wrap. Next pound chicken breast with meat mallet to flatten breast evenly. Caution not not to pound chicken too hard punching holes into meat.

Something to go with Bacon wrapped Chicken with Broccoli Swiss:

Tomato Bacon Cheese Casserole
Bacon wrapped Chicken with Broccoli Swiss Cheese
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Bacon wrapped around chicken breasts filled with broccoli and Swiss Cheese, perfectly cooked in air fryer. It’s like Cordon Blue and Marco Polos combined together.
Servings Prep Time
2 Portions 20 Minutes
Cook Time
20 Minutes
Servings Prep Time
2 Portions 20 Minutes
Cook Time
20 Minutes
Bacon wrapped Chicken with Broccoli Swiss Cheese
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Print Recipe
Bacon wrapped around chicken breasts filled with broccoli and Swiss Cheese, perfectly cooked in air fryer. It’s like Cordon Blue and Marco Polos combined together.
Servings Prep Time
2 Portions 20 Minutes
Cook Time
20 Minutes
Servings Prep Time
2 Portions 20 Minutes
Cook Time
20 Minutes
Ingredients
Servings: Portions
Units:
Instructions
  1. Cut broccoli into small florets, trim excess stem off each floret.
  2. Bring 1 quart water to boil in saucepan, put the trimmed broccoli florets into boiling water. Cook florets for about 2 minutes until broccoli bright green. Remove broccoli florets immediately onto plate too cool.
  3. Trim chicken breasts remove all excess fat and cartilage. Next butterfly chicken breasts through middle of breast opening like butterflies wings.
  4. Place plastic wrap over butterfly chicken breasts and pound out with meat mallet. Pounding Breasts to even extra big size. Remove plastic wrap and discard.
  5. Next grid black pepper over each breast evenly.
  6. Sprinkle kosher salt over each breast evenly.
  7. Place two thin slices of Swiss Cheese on top of each seasoned breast.
  8. Next place 3 small par cooked broccoli florets over slices of cheese. Then roll chicken breast up to completely encased broccoli and Swiss cheese.
  9. Place two strips of bacon underneath roll up chicken breasts.
  10. Wrapping bacon in cress crossed manner around chicken breasts, to cover and secure bacon too be around stuffed chicken breasts. Sprinkle seasoning salt all over stuffed chicken breast.
  11. Place stuffed chicken breasts into Air Fryer basket. Set the temperature to 350 degrees and timer to 20 minutes.
  12. Open air basket at 15 minutes brush maple syrup over each breast. Check the internal temperature of stuffed chicken breasts. It should be near 160 degrees. Close basket back into air fryer and continue cooking, until timer goes off. Remove basket from air fryer and check internal temperature again it should read 165 to 170 degrees. Let rest in the basket for 4 to 5 minutes.
  13. Place bacon wrapped chicken with broccoli Swiss Cheese onto cutting board. Cut stuffed chicken on bias in half, place on plate with seasoned rice. Pictured is curry rice with peppers and onions. Enjoy
Share this Recipe
Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe