Basic Grilled Onion Slices

Use sweet onions for a great side dish.
They will get grill marks and be beautiful.
Best thing is that they taste amazing.

Ingredients:,br>
Whole fresh onions, peeled
Brushes of your favorite bbq sauce

Directions:
Preheat grill to high heat.
After peeling the skins off of the onions,
cut them horizontally into 1/2' thick slices.
Dip sliced onions in olive oil and place on grill.
Brush with bbq sauce and cook until done.
Turning onion slices over and brushing with bbq.
until done to your desired tenderness or when
the Fire Department Guys say that there done.

Butter Fried Leftover Chicken

Good tasting as the chicken gets a golden tan.
It does dry out some in the saute pan but that's a
good thing when added to a creamy salad dressing.

Ingredients:
1 cup cooked chicken
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon bbq sauce

Directions:
Heat up a saute pan and melt butter.
Add in cooked chicken to brown.
Remove when done and serve with
sour cream and bbq sauce on the side.

Quinoa and Avocado Salad

This is a good for you tasty side dish.
This will make four servings.

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water or broth
1 ripe avocado
Garlic salt to taste
Feta cheese for garnish

Directions:
Rinse quinoa in cold water and drain.
Bring water to a boil in a saucepan,
add in quinoa and bring to a slow simmer,
cook for about 15 minutes or until tender.
Cut open avocado, remove pit and flesh.
Mash the avocado into the drained quinoa.
Season with garlic salt to taste.
Serve warm with Feta cheese as garnish.

Hot Dogs with Baked Beans

This is a good way to use up any left over
Forth of July cooked or grilled up hot dogs.
Simply open up a can or two of baked beans,
Slice up the hot dogs into bite size pieces and
heat them up to a good serving temperature.
These are also good with leftover cole slaw.

New England Style Hot Dogs

Take any hot dog and cut an X on each end before grilling.
I think this was a New England Pilgrim type of thing to do.
Thing about it, they cut a cross on the ends of hot dogs to
keep the Salem Witches away or at least keep them at bay.

Tater Tots for Breakfast

One of my Favorite things to Eat in life is
Crispy and Crunchy Potato Tater Tots !
I used to go to a Sunday Breakfast and Bowl
where they served up these Tater Tots that they
kept warm in a slow cooker all morning long.
Thinking about it they must have deep fried them
and kept them warm until time to serve them up.
I simply bake them as directed until crispy and then
keep them crispy warm in a slow cooker with some
melted butter and a little brown sugar for good taste.

Ingredients:
1 bag of 48 potato tots
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Place potato tots in one layer on baking sheet.
Bake as package directs or until browned and done.
Place potato tots in a sow cooker with butter and sugar.
Let heat up and mix around to coat the potato tots with
butter/sugar until ready to serve.

Potato Chip Ice Cream

The potato chips are used as an ice cream topping.
I like them crushed on top of Coffee Haagen Daz.
Topped with a drizzle of chocolate sauce of course.

Ingredients:
1 cup ice cream of choice.
2 tablespoons crushed potato chips
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup.

In a mixing bowl combine the ice cream
with the crushed potato chips, top with syrup.
Serve with a smile.

Mouth on Fire Burgers

With hot cherry peppers mixed in with the ground beef,
these burgers will definitely get your taste buds singing.
I added some red hot cayenne pepper to spice things up.

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground minced beef
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
4 hot cherry peppers, minced
2 dashes red hot cayenne pepper

Directions:
Preheat grill to high heat
In a mixing bowl combine egg, bread crumbs,
hot pepper and cayenne pepper.
Mix in ground beef to combine well and form into
about eight 1/4 pound sized spicy beef burgers.
Place burgers on grill for about 4 minutes or so,
turning the burgers over to cook other side to taste.

Best Dipped Grilled Burgers

The secret in making these beef burgers
is simply to keep dipping them into
a tangy sweet citrus marinade while
grilling to a mouth watering perfection.
This method creates an awesome crust.
These beef burgers stay juicy on the inside
while the crust gets a sweet and tangy char.

Ingredients:
8 pre-made beef burgers
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup V8 tomato juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
1 tablespoon dark brown mustard
a dash of garlic powder
a dash of cayenne pepper
a dash of black pepper

Directions:
Mix all marinade ingredients in a bowl.
Preheat grill to high heat.
Dip each burger in marinade and place on grill.
Cook for 1 minute then remove each burger to have
a dip in the marinade and place back on grill.
Remove burgers from grill every minute to dip in marinade
placing them back on grill to cook on both sides for about
5 to 8 minutes each side or until done to desired taste.

Broiled Meatballs

Made with Italian Sausage and Ground Beef.
This couldn't be any easier to put together.
You form the meatballs and broil them before
letting them simmer in a big pot of tomato sauce.
These are a little sweeter than regular beef meatballs.
Good tasting and they go well with any cooked pasta.
I like to make meatball grinders using these.

Ingredients:
1 large egg
1 cup dried breadcrumbs
1 pound ground mild Italian sausage
1 pound ground beef 85/15
2 cans crushed tomato sauce
1 small hot cherry pepper

Directions
Combine egg and bread crumbs in a mixing bowl.
Add in sausage and mix to combine,
add in ground beef, mix to combine.
Use your hands to form meat mixture into
about 24 (1-1/2 ") sized meat balls.
Place on a baking sheet and place under broiler
for about 10 minutes until the top starts to brown.
Open canned tomato sauce and place in a large soup pot
on medium heat to heat up while meatballs broil.
Add in 1 small hot cherry pepper to tomato sauce.
Use tongs to turn the meatballs over and broil
for another 6 minutes until top side starts to brown.
Remove semi-cooked meatballs into tomato sauce
and let simmer on low heat for about 1 hour.

Roasted Chicken on Vegetables

This is a good tasting and easy recipe to do.
The oven does all of the cooking for you.
One roasting pan, chicken and a few vegetables
and in about an hour and a half dinner is served.
I like to finish the cooking under the broiler just to
get some browning color on the chicken skins.
Ingredients:
Cooking spray oil for the pan bottom.
1 onion, peeled and quartered
A few fresh carrots, chopped
3 potatoes, washed and quartered
4 chicken thighs, skin on
Ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray the bottom of the roasting pan with vegetable spray.
Place onions, potatoes and what ever other veggies you want
in the bottom of the roasting pan. Then the chicken on top.
Cover and bake for 90 minutes. Then remove cover and
place pan under a high heat broiler to brown the chicken.
Let cool about 10 minutes before serving.

Perfectly Cooked White Rice

This way of cooking rice works every time.
I like the flavor of toasted rice over plain.
1 cup rice to 2 cups water, that's it.
Well not really that's all that's it.
Cook your rice this way and enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 cup long grain white rice
2 cups cold water
salt to taste

Directions:
Place dry rice into a dry saucepan
Heat rice until just starting to brown
and a sweet aroma is detected.
It should only take a few minutes.
Pour in cold water and cover pan.
Bring to a boil and turn off heat.
Let sit 30 minutes or until all of the
water is absorbed, let sit 5 minutes.
Fluff rice with fork and serve.

Herbs De Provence Mashed Potatoes

These are special tasting mashed potatoes.
Make them for a family holiday's table.
I couldn't stop licking the spoon while
making these to test out this recipe.
This is good for making the day ahead and
reheating on low setting in microwave.

Ingredients:
6 russet potatoes, peeled
8 cups cold water
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
Dash or two of ground black pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1 cup milk or heavy cream
More salt to adjust seasoning
smoked red paprika for garnish

Directions:
Cut potatoes into 1" cubes and
place them into a soup pot then
cover the potatoes by 1" with water.
Season water with salt to taste.
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat
to simmer for about 20 minutes.
Drain water and place potatoes back
in warm soup pot along with butter,
Herbs De Provence, salt and pepper.
Add in the milk or cream to potatoes.
Stir and use a potato masher to mash
into your desired consistency.
I like them kind of lumpy tasting.
Remove to a storing or serving dish.
Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika.

Citrus Soy Sauced Chicken

I used chicken thighs in this but I'm sure you could

use chicken breasts as well and it would be good.

Ingredients:

4 chicken thighs, skin on

1 cup chicken broth or stock

1/4 cup light brown sugar

2 navel oranges, sliced

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place chicken in a roasting pan and pour

in sugar, oranges, vinegar, soy sauce and

season with ground black pepper to taste.

Pour in chicken broth, cover and bake for

about 45 minutes, remove cover and bake

until chicken starts to brown adding more

broth or water to pan if it dries out as needed.

Naval Oranges and Nutella

Here is a simple appetizer everybody likes.
A tray of fresh orange segments smeared with
Nutella spread served with tooth picks.
Juicy and sweet with a balance of flavors.
Your guests will all fight over these.

Ingredients:
2 Naval oranges
48 little scoops Nutella
48 toothpicks

Directions:
Peel and segment oranges
into 48 bite size pieces.
Spread a little Nutella on each
orange and stab with a toothpick.
Arrange pick side up on a serving tray.

Cucumber Slices and Sour Cream

When I was Knee high to a grasshopper
my Grandmother would serve us youngins
a very refreshing after school snack.
She simply peeled and sliced a cucumber
mixed it with some dill flavored sour cream.
Good tasting back then, I serve it at parties.

Ingredients:
1 large cucumber, semi peeled
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon dried dill seed
1 cup sour cream

Directions:,br> After peeling and slicing cucumber,
place slices in a mixing bowl,
too with dill and with sour cream.
Chill before serving.

Cinnamon Sugar Rugelah

These are made with a pie crust dough.
Don't be afraid of doing this recipe.
To make cinnamon sugar simply combine
in a bowl some ground cinnamon with sugar.
It's easy as pie so to speak.

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
dashof salt or to taste
4 tablespoons cold water, or more
4 tablespoons cinnamon sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a mixing bowl combine flour, shortening
salt and water to create a workable dough.
Roll dough out to 1/8" on a work surface.
Spread cinnamon sugar all over dough.
Slice dough and roll up to create Rugelah.
Bake on a un greased cookie sheet for about
30 minutes turning once if needed.
Remove and save in a sealed container.

Beef Stew into Chow Mein

Leftover beef stew is transformed into an
all new meal leaving out the cooked potatoes.
Adding in a can of crunchy bean sprouts and
served over a bed of crunchy lo Mein noodles.
The kids don't even know it's left overs.

Ingredients:
4 cups left over beef stew
1 can bean sprouts, drained and rinsed
1 can crunchy lo mein noodles
soy sauce on the side to taste

Directions
Place left over beef stew in a soup pot.
Remove any cooked potatoes from pan and
add in the can of drained bean sprouts.
Simmer on medium heat, do not boil.
Everything is cooked making this easy.
Serve over crunchy lo mein noodles with
a splash of soy sauce on the side.

Nutella and Peanut Butter Syrup

Pour this over vanilla ice cream for a treat.
You can use chunky peanut butter for crunch.

1 tablespoon Nutella spread
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 drop of hot pepper sauce

Directions:
Mix Nutela with peanut butter in a bowl.
Stir in a drop or two hot pepper sauce.
Microwave 10 seconds on high power setting.
Stir and pour over ice cream, serve.

My Bibimbap

Bibimbap is one of the most popular dishes in Korean cuisine,
usually made with steamed rice and pre-cooked vegetables.
My Bibimbap contains cooked spinach, cabbage, bean sprouts,
peels of carrot, fresh sliced crimini mushrooms, along with
a sunny side up cooked egg to top the dish off in style.
This recipe as been prepared to serve four hungry people.

Ingredients:
1 cup long grain rice
2 cups water
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
1 package frozen chopped spinach
1 cup shredded fresh cabbage
1 can bean sprouts, drained and rinsed
1 fresh carrot, peeled and peeled
1 pint fresh sliced mushrooms
4 large eggs, cooked sunny side up

Directions:
In a sauce pan cook rice in salted
simmering water for about 20 minutes.
Drain rice and stir in hot sauce to coat.
In a pot cook bean sprouts, spinach, cabbage,
carrot peels and mushrooms just enough to be edible.
Mix the vegetables into the rice mixture.
Place this Bibimbap onto a serving platter.
In a fry pan cook eggs sunny side up.
Arrange cooked eggs on the platter and serve.

Red Onion Jam

This jam pairs well with grilled chicken.
Ingredients:
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 large red onions, sliced thin
¾ cup dry red wine
½ cup sherry vinegar
½ cup white granulated sugar
¼ cup black raspberry liqueur, such as Chambord
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
Heat butter in a 12″ skillet over medium heat.
Add onions; cook, stirring, until soft
but not browned, about 15 minutes.
Add wine, vinegar, sugar, liqueur, salt, and pepper;
cook, stirring, until thick, 40 minutes; let jam cool.

Vegetable Beef Stew

This is so easy to throw together.
What makes this is the slow cooking.
I used a big soup pot and placed all
of the ingredients into it to simmer
for a good three hours or until done.
At the end of cooking I adjust seasonings.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves
3 russet or red potatoes
1 sweet onion
1 cup baby carrots
1 cup sugar snap peas
2 cups diced leftover beef steak
1 pint grape tomatoes
2 cups water
1 tablespoon Beef Bouillon
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 hot cherry pepper
2 bay leaves
Black pepper
Thyme
Rosemary

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a big pot.
Cover and bring to a boil on high heat.
Lower heat to a slow simmer until done.
Remove Bay leaves and season to taste.

Dorito Chip Apple Pancakes

With Chocolate Chips and Fresh Blueberries,
topped with whipped sour cream and bacon bits.
Serve with a drizzle of Real Maple Syrup.
I think I just drooled on my keyboard!

Ingredients:
1 cup boxed pancake mix
1 egg, beaten
1/8 cup vegetable oil
10 bagged Dorito Chips, crushed
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup fresh blueberries
1 apple, peeled and chopped
1/2 pint whipping cream
1/2 pint sour cream
2 tablespoons cooked, crumbled bacon
Maple syrup to taste

Directions:
Preheat a flat griddle pan to medium heat.
In a cold glass mixing bowl with cold beaters,
whip cream and then fold in sour cream.
In a mixing bowl combine egg, oil and apple
then add in pancake mix, and Dorito chips.
Stir in chocolate chips and fresh blueberries.
Pour by large spoonfuls onto preheated griddle
and when bubbles appear on top, flip to cook.
This recipe makes about 12 large pancakes.
Remove cooked pancakes to a large platter and
serve topped with whipped sour cream topping.
Then top with a sprinkle of cooked bacon bits.

Quinoa with a Lemon Twist

I've been on a quinoa ( Pronounced Ken- Wa ) kick.
It's supposed to be good for you, all I know is
that it makes for a good tasting side dish.

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 fresh lemon, zest and juice of
1 1/3 cups chicken stock
table salt to taste

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat.
Add quinoa and cook until toasted about 4 minutes.
Stir in chicken broth and table salt to taste.
Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low,
cover pan and cook for about 20 minutes.
Remove pan from heat and fluff with a fork.
Cool some and stir in lemon zest and juice.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Summer Spiral Pasta Salad

This is served with salad dressing on the side.
That way everyone gets their favorite dressing.
Without mayonnaise this is a summer pasta salad.

Ingredients:
1 pound tri-color rotini pasta
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 can chick peas, rinsed
1 can black olives, drained
1 red onion, peeled and chopped
Green onions or chives to taste
Ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
In a large pot of boiling water,
cook pasta as directed for al-dente.
Place in a large serving bowl, cooked pasta,
tomatoes, chick peas, olives, onion, and chives.
Season with black pepper, toss and serve.
This can also be refrigerated until served.
Let guests choose their own salad dressing.

Twice Baked Potato Skins

Loaded with cheese and bacon flavors
these are always a party favorite.
You microwave cook them then cut
into serving size pieces to top with
the cheddar and bacon before freezing.
Then when needed simply heat in oven.

Ingredients:
3 russet potatoes, washed
1/4 cup cold water
Vegetable cooking spray
Cheddar cheese, shredded
Cooked bacon, crumbled

Directions:
Wash whole potatoes and place in a glass bowl.
Add in water then cover with plastic wrap.
Microwave on high setting for about 8 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with
cooking spray where you are going to place skins.
When the cooked potatoes are cool enough to
handle cut into small serving sized bowls.
Arrange potato skins cut side up on top of foil,
Bake until just starting to brown the edges.
Remove from oven and while still warm top with
cheddar cheese and crumbled cooked bacon.
Place into freezer for future servings.
To heat preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
then bake for about 12 minutes until done.

Fantastic Grilled NY Strip Steaks

The secrets to making the best grilled steaks
are to let the steaks come to room temperature
and also to pat them dry with paper towels.
Season with salt and ground black pepper and
throw them on a super hot grill until done.
Cook them for minutes on each side to taste.

Ingredients:
2 NY Strip beef Steaks
Salt and Ground Pepper
Unsalted butter

Directions:
Remove steaks from refrigerator to room temp.
Pat steaks dry with paper towels and season
with salt and ground black pepper to taste.
Preheat grill to high heat and clean grill
if needed, oil grill grates and place steaks
on grill to sear about 4 minutes, turn over
and grill another 4 minutes or until done.
Remove steaks from grill and let rest for
about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
I like to place some butter on each steak.

BBQ Grilled Sliced Onions

Flavored with butter, Tamari Soy Sauce
ground black pepper and Sweet Baby Ray's.
These onion slices have nice grill marks
with a great taste that can't be beat!
You can use any soy sauce with good results.
They make for a good side dish but I bet
you'll be grilling up more to pass around.

Ingredients:
1 large sweet onion
6 dots of unsalted butter
6 shots of Sweet Baby Ray's bbq sauce
6 dashes of ground black pepper
6 dashes of Tamari Soy Sauce

Directions:
Preheat gas grill to highest heat.
Clean grill grates and oil if needed.
Peel onion and slice into 1/2" thick.
Place onion slices on a flat plate so that
the smallest cut side is on the bottom,
Place a small dot of butter on each slice.
Dash each slice with soy sauce, pepper and
a shot of Sweet Baby Ray's bbq sauce.
Clean and oil grill grate if needed.
Place onion slices on grill, close cover
and let cook for about 10 minutes.
Remove onion slices from grill and serve.

Pepper Bacon Pasta Sauce

This hearty tomato sauce is good tasting.
I drain the bacon grease just because.
Served on pasta topped with grated cheese,
Bread and side salad, this is a good meal.

Ingredients:
6 slices smoked bacon, chopped
2 cups cold water, to a boil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
dash of dried oregano
dash of dried cayenne pepper
dash of white granulated sugar

Directions:
In a soup pot, cook bacon in water.
After two minutes add in the chopped
onions and chopped green bell peppers.
Cook until tender and season with spices.
Add in the crushed tomatoes and simmer the
sauce for about 30 minutes or until you
can't stand to smell the tomato no more.
Serve this tomato sauce over pasta, enjoy.

Hearty and

Fresh Sweet Orange Segments

There's nothing like the taste
of fresh Naval Orange segments.
After peeling and removing the
pithy white center simply cut
into bite size pieces and serve.

Ingredients:
1 Naval Orange per serving
1 teaspoon sugar per serving

Directions:
Peel orange and cut into pieces.
Place in a bowl with sugar.
Let sit for 30 minutes and serve.

Toasted Dried Coconut Topping

I like the flavor of toasted coconut.
It's good as a baked cake topping
on ice cream or in breakfast cereal.

Ingredients:
2 cups dried coconut

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Spread dried coconut in baking sheet and
bake until golden brown turning often.
It might take up to 20 minutes to brown.

Doritos and Nutella Snacks

Are you sitting down?
Get up and get a bag of Doritos.
I like the Nacho Cheese flavored.
Dip a Dorito chip in Nutella spread.
Place in mouth with eyes closed.
Your Welcome !

Homemade Potato Chip Dip

One of my favorite snacks are potato chips
along with a bowl of creamy onion dip.
This dip is made with mayonnaise,sour cream
and a bunch of dried herbs and spices.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup Lite Mayonnaise
1/8 cup no-fat sour cream
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
dash of ground black pepper
dash of dried chives
dash of onion powder
dash of garlic powder
dash of chili powder

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
Serve and dip in.

Italian Cole Slaw

I served tasty and creamy cole slaw
as an open faced sandwich on top
of slices of Italian bread.
The bread soaked up some sauce
turning it into a slice of good.

Ingredients:
Store made cole slaw
Store made Italian bread

Directions:,br> Slice Italian bread to 1/2" thick.
Spoon on the bread slices some of the
cole slaw to your taste and serve.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

I wanted to make a taco salad and didn't
have any pre-packaged taco seasoning.
I made up my own using dried ingredients.
This is sweet and spicy with a hint of lime.

Ingredients:
1 fresh lime, zest of
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried chives
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

Directions:
In a bowl combine and mix ingredients
to make a taco tasting seasoning paste.
Use as a taco seasoning sauce.

Toasted Coconut Nutella Donuts

Years ago I bought myself a few kitchen gadgets.
An immersion blender that's really handy to have.
A small food processor that I use almost daily.
A non stick waffle baker/maker iron machine.
And an electric donut baking kitchen gadget
that honestly I think I used once, and then
stowed it in the back of the pantry cabinet.
Today I found a reason to pull that donut baker out
and the reason is a store bought jar of Nutella.
Here is a recipe for making baked Nutella donuts.

Ingredients:
Baking spray for cooking surface
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup Nutella spread
1/2 cup shredded coconut, toasted

Directions:
Into a large bowl, sift together the flour,
white granulated sugar, baking powder and salt.
In a small bowl, whisk together the beaten egg,
milk, melted butter and vanilla extract.
Stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients.
Combine in the Nutella spread to taste.
Spray donut machine holes with cooking spray.
Preheat donut machine baking gadget until that little
light goes off and then you can fill the holes with batter.
Cook or let bake until donuts are baked, about 4 minutes.
Remove donuts to cool before frosting them.
For topping, frost doughnuts with remaining Nutella.
Sprinkle with toasted coconut
.

Diner Style Meatloaf

This is the meatloaf you'd expect to get
at a roadside diner at Anytown U.S.A.
Soft yet firm with onions and peppers.
Serve with creamy mashed potatoes and
some buttery corn off the cob on the side.
I also like mushroom gravy served with this.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef 85/15
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground veal
2 cups day old white bread, cubed
1/4 cup cold milk
2 large eggs
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup red tomato ketchup

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl combine beef,
pork, veal, bread, milk, eggs, onion,
pepper, Worcestershire sauce, salt,
ground pepper until combined well.
Form into a round loaf on a baking sheet.
Top with tomato ketchup and bake until done.
This should take about one hour to bake.

BBQ Grilled Sweet Onions

Vidalia onions are good to use but
any mild onion will grill up fine.
I've used red onions that are good.

Ingredients:
4 large sweet onions
16 squirts of BBQ sauce
sour cream on the side

Directions:
Preheat grill to nuclear heat
Peel onions and cut into 1/2" slices.
ace sliced onions on grill cut side down.
Brush tops with BBQ sauce and let cook
for about five minutes to get grill marks.
Turn the onion slices over and cook until done.
Serve grilled onions with sour cream on the side.

Capitol Lunch Hot Dog Sauce

New Britain Connecticut has been blessed for many years
to have a hot dog place offering a signature hot dog.
Some call it the 'Cappy dog' It's a great tasting sauce.
For all too many years I've tried to make a copy Kat recipe.
Thinking to my self just what is that flavor ingredient ?
Do they use chicken livers to get that distinct taste?
I tried everything to re create that distinct flavor sauce.
Then one cold and blustery winter day the stars and planets
aligned enough for me to create that distinct flavorful sauce.
The secret ingredient is ground allspice in making the sauce.
Pulse processing the cooked beef mixture creates the texture.
Also a night chilling in the refrigerator is a good thing.

Ingredients:
1 pound minced or ground beef, 85/15
1 pound minced white onion
2 cups cold water
1 teaspoon allspice powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:
Brown ground beef and onion in a large saute pan,
add water and season with allspice, salt, pepper and sugar.
Cook until most of the water evaporates then let cool.
Pulse in a food processor to create a smooth meat sauce.
Place in a sealed container and refrigerate overnight.
To use your meat sauce simply reheat in a pot on a simmer.

How To Thaw Frozen Foods

One of the easiest ways to thaw frozen foods
is to simply let the product soak in a big
pot of cold water bath until thawed enough.
You can use zip lock bags for this if you wish.
Most times I just place the frozen bagged product
right into the cold water with a bowl of water on
top to weigh the frozen food down in the bath.
Most foods take about twenty minutes to thaw.
Tonight I'm thawing some chicken wings for grilling.

Corned Beef & Cabbage

Slow simmered corned brisket takes time.
A good long simmer in a lot of water.
This is really easy to do in a slow cooker
but my tried and true recipe is to simply
let the brisket simmer away in a large pot.
You might think that the amount of water is
way too much but as it simmers the water
evaporates away and I even add more to the pot.
The end result is a mild tasting non salty beef.
I serve this sliced against the grain with a
spicy brown prepared mustard on the side.

Ingredients:
1 (4 pound) corned beef brisket
2 gallons cold water
1/2 head fresh green cabbage, large chopped
spicy brown mustard on the side

Directions:
Fill a large soup pot up to about
three quarters the way up with cold water.
Set the pot on high heat and bring to a boil.
Place the corned beef brisket in water,
along with any juices in bag and seasonings.
Bring back to a boil, then lower heat to simmer.
Simmer means that the water is at an almost boil.
Let simmer uncovered for a good three hours.
Turn the brisket over and add in the cabbage.
Let the cabbage cook for about 30 minutes,
Now remove cabbage from pot, you don't want to
overcook the cabbage to a slimy tasteless state.
Add more water if needed and simmer brisket for
another hour or more until done to fork tender.
Remove brisket to a work station, add cabbage back
into the warm simmering water to re-heat.
Slice cooked corned beef on the bias to serve.

Italian Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Using a whole loaf of bread, filled and sliced
this recipe makes ten tasty cheese sandwiches.

Ingredients:
1 loaf baked Italian bread
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 slices provolone cheese
10 slices mozzarella cheese
1 roasted red bell pepper, sliced
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground pepper

Directions:
Preheat grill to high heat.
Take the Italian loafa bread and
carefully slice in half lengthwise.
Spread the butter on both sides of bread.
Sprinkle with garlic powder,oregano and pepper.
Place provolone, mozzarella cheeses on one side
of bread and the roasted pepper on the other side.
Place one side on top of the other and grill
just until warmed through and cheese has melted.
Remove from grill and slice into ten sandwiches.

Strawberry Shortcake

Made using a biscuit mix batter that's
topped with fresh sweetened strawberries
and covered with fresh whipped cream.
This was my Grandmother's recipe and was
printed on the side of the baking mix box.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
2 1/4 cups baking mix
1 cup milk
24 fresh strawberries
1/2 cup white sugar
1 pint whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons sugar

Directions:
Grease a 9x14" glass baking dish.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Remove stem from strawberries and slice
the berries into a bowl with white sugar.
In a mixing bowl combine the baking mix
with the milk to create a thick batter.
Pour batter into prepared baking dish
and bake for about 15 minutes until done.
I use a butter knife inserted in the center
to check if the cake is done enough.
Remove cake to cool completely and then
arrange sliced strawberries on top of cake
and pour all of the strawberry juice all
over the top of the cake and spread whipped
whipped cream allover the top of the cake.
Refrigerate cake overnight before serving.

Black Pepper Peanut Butter

This is so very peppery good tasting.
I'm surprised it's not sold in a jar.
I like this recipe with chunky style
but I'm sure it would be as good smooth.
Hey Skippy or Jif people where's my $$.

Directions:
8 tablespoons jarred peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Mix in a bowl and slather away !

Grilled Whole Mushrooms

Mushrooms are said to be mostly full of water
which is a really good thing to keep them juicy.
Grilled on a high heat they get grill marks and
they loose some of the the moisture but not all.
Marinated in garlic butter and olive oil sauce.
These make for a great side dish for anything.

Ingredients:
6 or 8 whole mushrooms
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons olive oil
a dash of garlic powder
a dash of ground black pepper
Directions:
Clean and remove any dirt from mushrooms.
In a mixing bowl combine melted butter,
along with olive oil, garlic powder and
ground black pepper to taste.
Place whole mushrooms in marinade to soak
up those tasty flavor oils and spices.
Preheat a grill to high heat and clean grill.
Place marinated mushrooms right on the grill
close grill cover and cook for about 5 minutes.
Turn them over using a metal pinching thing.
The mushrooms will get soft and mushy when done.
Remove grilled mushrooms back into the butter
marinade to add additional garlic and flavors.

Killer Grilled Pork Rib Sauce

This sauce without a doubt makes for the best tasting,
mouth pleasing tender and tasty grilled pork ribs.
With a balance of sweet, spicy and tomato bbq flavors
with the added punch of a fresh citrus liquid to boot.
This is my 'go to' recipe for grilling pork ribs.
I created this bbq sauce recipe when I was 18 years old
by simply going into the pantry and combined everything.
I use this to this day, 40 years later on grilled pork ribs.
I like to par boil the ribs before grilling them.
Then re-heat them while basting them using this sauce.

Ingredients:
1 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon clover honey
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
a dash or two of cayenne pepper
a dash of ground black pepper

Directions:
In a mixing bowl combine all ingredients.
Use as a basting sauce to baste the ribs
as they cook and brown on the grill.
Serve ribs when done to taste.

Sugar Burnt Burger Buns

Simply sprinkle the top of your burger buns
with a brown sugar/water solution then toast it.
The bun gets a golden and semi sweet tasting crust.
Say good bye to the soft and airy top hamburger bun.

No Mayo Pasta Salad

When I need to serve a pasta salad without mayo.
Something to hold out in the heat of the summer.
I put together this colorful pasta salad.

1 pint grape tomatoes
1 cup uncooked rotini pasta
1/2 cup thinly sliced cucumber
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup cold water
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon prepared brown mustard
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon died chives
Ground black pepper to taste
Table salt and garlic salt to taste.

Directions: Cook Rotini or spiral pasta according to package directions.
Drain and rinse in cold water. Place in a bowl with tomatoes,
add in the sliced cucumber and sliced red onion.
Combine remaining ingredients and combine with noodle mixture.
Toss to coat before serving or refrigerate in a sealed container.

Fresh Salmon on Gas Grill

For this you need 1 1/2 inch thick salmon steaks.
Fillets are too thin for direct grilling although
you can grill them in foil with good results.
Here I placed the salmon right on the hot grate
to get a few grill marks on both sides.
The outside was opaque while the inside was rare.
Perfectly cooked if I do say so myself.

Ingredients:
2 (1 1/2" thick) salmon steaks
2 teaspoons soy sauce
dashes of ground black pepper
Cooking spray for grill grates
Butter and lemon juice to taste

Directions
Preheat gas grill to super high heat.
While grill is heating marinate salmon
in a small dish with the soy sauce>
Spray cooking spray on grill and then
Place the salmon steaks on grill.
Sprinkle with ground black pepper.
Cook uncovered for about 5 minutes.
Using a flat metal spatula, flip steaks
to cook for 2 minutes on the other side.
Turn off gas, lower the grill cover and
let the steaks continue to cook 2 minutes.
Remove steaks to a plate and cover with
a tent of aluminum foil to allow the steaks
to completely cook from carry over heat.
Serve with butter and lemon juice.

Spicy Mussels in a Pot

Fresh musseles are cooked in a garlic wine sauce
along with some onion, green bell pepper and
grape sized tomatoes thrown in for good color.
I added in a cut up orange to the rainbow.
This sauce gets spiced up with hot siracha.

Ingredients:
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup white wine
1/2 teaspoon garlic paste
1/2 sweet white onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 teaspoon red hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
a few grinds of black pepper
1 naval orange, cut up
2 pounds fresh mussels

Directions
In a large soup pot place wine, garlic,
tomatoes, chopped onion, and green peppers.
Season with red pepper sauce and ground pepper.
Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
Add in cut up orange and the fresh mussels.
Cover and bring back to a boil.
Shake pot or stir mussels with a large spoon.
Let cook only until mussels open up and remove
pot from heat to allow mussels to cool 10 minutes.
Serve with crusty bread to soak up the juices.