Recipes

Welcome to my recipes page. You will find here some of my favorite recipes, and perhaps some pictures. What you will notice about my recipe pages ... almost no measurements. You won't see 1/4 tblsp of this, or 1/2 cup of that. That is because I typically don't measure. It's all done to taste, and totally depends on the mood I'm in. Suffice it to say, though, that if I say garlic, I mean lots! I love garlic. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy these recipes. If you have any to share, please do. Send them to me .

Rolled Up Pizza - Pizza Dough, Tomato Paste, Basil Pesto, Salami, Sliced Ham, Mozerella Slices, your favorite spices, your favorite other toppings, 1 beaten egg.
Roll out your Pizza Dough (I use store bought) into a nice thin rectangle. Spread Tomato Paste across the Dough. The paste works better than a sauce. It is less messy and nice and sweet. Followed that with the Basil Pesto (why reinvent the spices?). Cover with Mozerella Slices, then Salami, and then the Ham. Finish with your favorited spices (add a bit of heat). Roll up into a nice log, and paint it with egg wash to bring out a nice golden brown. Bake in the oven at 400F until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches approximately 140-150F.
Here's some pictures I took of some of my first Rolled Up Pizza.

Beer Can Chicken - 1 Chicken, 1 Beer (in can). Rub chicken with favorite rub. I use Paprika, Allspice, Garlic, Pepper, Montreal Chicken Seasoning, Olive Oil, Worcester Sauce, Liquid Smoke, Sage, and anything else that strikes me at the moment.
Let it sit for a couple of hours in the fridge. Save a bit of the rub to put in the beer.  Pour out (or drink) 1/4 of the beer, and let stand for a couple hours so it gets flat. Drink the remainder of the 6-pack while waiting for it to cook! When ready to cook, put fresh sage, parsley, and thyme in the beer (they sell it at my Kroger in a package of all three). Put some of the rub in the beer as well. Then insert the beer can in the chicken's "opening". Use the legs and beer can as a tripod (see the picture below). I cook it on the Grill, but I use indirect heat (opposite burner on). It cooks in about an hour, but is better if you slow cook it over a number of hours. I suppose you could cook it quicker, but this way it comes out juicy as anything. It is truly amazing. It's even good reheated as leftovers. Here's some pictures I took of some of my best beer can chickens.

Chicken on the grill	Chicken on the grill	Finished chicken	Finished chicken (sans can)

Chicken Noodle Soup - 1 used Beer Can Chicken Carcass, giblets, neck, and other assorted innards, noodles, vegetables (of your choice), and spices.
Take your beer can chicken carcass and boil/simmer it in water for several hours along with all the giblets and the fresh sage, parsley, thyme, and a couple of bay leaves (I also put some olive oil in it). Once adequately boiled (it is basically a mush of bones and meat in the water), sift out the water (I use the pot with the holes in the lid as seen on TV) into a stock pot. Put that on the heat, and add in assorted vegetables. I like to add carrots, celery, and green onions. Now cut up any left-over chicken meat from your beer can chicken, and add it to the stock. Once the "mush" has cooled, salvage any meat that you can, and add that to the soup. Once it has all been added, salt and pepper to taste.  Now you add your favorite noodles. Personally, I like these little round noodles that I found at a local dollar store, that look like Cheerios. They don't make too much noodle in the soup. Now simmer for another hour or so. Makes a lot of soup.

Potato Salad - 2 baking potatoes, 2 eggs, 1 celery stock, 1/4 of a red onion, Miracle Whip Salad Dressing and/or Mayo, Dijon mustard, paprika, fresh garlic, lemon juice, sour cream, fresh ginger, and anything else you'd like to throw in there. Cucumbers would be nice. I hear that some folks put diced dill pickles in.
Peel potatoes, cut into bite-sized bits, and boil. Boil eggs. Put in fridge to cool. Cut celery and onion into tiny chunks, mix with remaining ingredients. Only use a little ginger, lemon juice, sour cream and Dijon. Dice up the eggs, and mix everything together. Keep refrigerated.

Shish-Kabob - The pictures should say it all. Basically, put whatever you like on them, and then marinade them. These were marinated for about 3-4 hours in Teriyaki sauce. I slow grilled them for about 45 minutes.

Ginger-Garlic Pork Chops - These can be any type of pork chop that you like. I prefer the thick-cut chops that kind of look like a T-Bone. I create a marinade of Worchester Sauce, Olive Oil, Ginger Paste, Garlic Paste, and lots of fresh ground pepper. Additionally, you can grind up some onions and parsley if you have them. You see, the others are staples in my house. Sometimes the fresh stuff isn't available. Now, mix it all up in a bowl, and put the chops and marinade in a zip-lock bag. Refrigerate for many hours. I like to do it 5+, but don't do it overnight unless you drop the Worchester Sauce way down ... it makes them salty. Once you are ready to cook, I like to roll them in a mixture of bread crumbs and sesame seeds. This creates a nice breading for them. Then grill them (that means to BBQ them for the Canadians), or cook them in the oven. They turn out WONDERFUL. Try it.

Noodles and Tomato Sauce - This is simple, and only takes as long as you want it to take. I mean that you can cook it 20 minutes or 6 hours if you like. Get a can of diced tomatoes. Grind up some onions, garlic (lots of course), parsley, cilantro (if you like it and don't think it tastes like dirty feet), spices like celery salt. You can add in peppers, cucumbers, red onion if you can find it. Mix it all together, and cook as long as you like. Make sure you keep it moist. If cooking for a long time, I like to add olive oil and red wine. Note that this doesn't create a spaghetti sauce. Now add in your favorite noodles. It turns out real good!

Green Beans - I usually use a can of green beans. Drain it completely, and put it in a pot with a good helping of butter. Add in some fresh garlic, and chopped onions. Cook up some bacon and slice it into small pieces and add to the green beans. Pour the bacon fat in with the green beans. Cook this for at least 1/2 hour. Comes out amazing! You can add in spices as you see fit.

Surprise Cocktail Meatballs - This one is modified from a Readers Digest recipe that I found online. I like to use 1 lb of ground beef, and 1 lb of ground pork. Mix together with 2 eggs, 1 1/2 cups of bread crumbs, 1 finely chopped onion, finely chopped garlic, minced fresh parsley, a few ounces of milk, salt, sage, black pepper, marjoram leaves, and allspice (again, why do you need any other spices if there is allspice?). The surprise part of the meatball (if you have the patience) is to make the meatball around a small cube of cheese. Bake or fry until done very well. The sauce is made of 1 1/2 cup of apple juice, 1 cup of dark brown sugar, 3/4 cup of red wine (I used to use Marsala or Red wine Vinegar, but that is too salty. You want to use regular drinking wine like a Merlot), corn starch, Worchester sauce, garlic powder. Mix the sauce all together and cook over medium heat until it thickens. Add to meatballs in a crock pot and cook on low for a few hours. These come out very very nice!

Marinated Chicken or Turkey - This is a modification of the old Italian Dressing and Chicken. I get boneless, skinless chicken or turkey breast. Cut it into chunks that won't fall through the grill. Put them in a baggie, and pour some lime juice over them. Shake it up and let it sit for about 5 minutes. While the lime juice is soaking in, make a marinade consisting of Italian dressing, Garlic paste, Ginger paste, seasoned pepper, and Lemon Pepper. Use more or less of each depending on taste preferences. Let this marinate 4-6 hours (or more). It's best cooked on the Grill.

Spongebob Mac & Cheese - While this isn't really a recipe, it was something so unique, that I had to mention it on the web site. Click here to see it.

Smoked Chicken or Turkey - Obviously you need a smoker for this one. Fill your chicken cavities with green pepper, onion, garlic, butter, and any other spices you like (sage, allspice, pepper, salt etc). I like to mix all of these in a bowl first (sans butter), and then put it all in when mixed. Within my smoker is a bowl that you can put spices and flavorings. This just helps create steam within the smoker. I fill it with beer, cooking wine, Coca Cola, water, onions, garlic, fresh sage, fresh parsley, fresh rosemary etc. Put the chicken into a roasting pan, and put some butter in the pan. I usually do two at a time. Keep the smoker going with hardwood coal, hickory and mesquite wood, and charcoal. If you can keep it at 225°-250°, that is best (my smoker has no thermostat). Baste the chickens every 1.5 hours. Cook until chicken is approximately 170°. You can use this for Turkey, but I prefer to put a stuffing into a turkey. The remaining carcass should then be used for chicken or turkey soup (above). The "Smoking with the Grill" pictures below are still a work in progress. The first batch did not turn out so good but they are close.

The smoker	The smoker	The flavor bowl	Finished Chicken!
Smoked Turkey	Smoked Turkey	Smoking with the Grill	Smoking with the Grill

Beer-Cheese ham and noodle soup - Start with a ham bone with some meat on it. Boil that in water for a few hours. When that is done, pour it into a stock pot and put the ham aside to cool. Put your favorite noodles into the stock mix and cook until tender.  When the ham is cool, cut it into bite-sized pieces. In a separate pot, simmer  some beer and shredded cheddar cheese. Put ham pieces into the cheese mix. You may need to add some flower to thicken the cheese mix. Do this by using some of the hot stock water to avoid lumps. Mix everything together and simmer for a while.

Very quick noodles - Greg actually came up with this one. This is very quick. Start by cooking some egg noodles. When they are ready, drain and add in a can of salsa (or Picante sauce). Cook this for a few minutes. I like to add garlic to it as well (of course!). You can also add meat to this. Sauté some chicken, beef, pork, sausage, or whatever you want to add (teriyaki shrimp?). You can make this with any "heat" of Salsa or Picante.

Poke - Poke is a traditional dish served in Hawaiian homes. Cut raw Ahi Tuna into bite-sized (you know how big your mouth is) cubes and place in a non-reactive bowl (not metal). Mix in Sesame Oil, Soy Sauce (I prefer light), chopped green onion, chopped red onion. It is best with Maui Onion, but those are impossible to get on the mainland. If Vidalia Onion are available, use those instead of the red onion. Season with garlic and ginger, and top with sesame seeds.

Twice baked potato - Bake (or Microwave) a baking potato. Then  cut the top off and scoop out the innards. Add shredded cheese (Cheddar is good), sour cream, avocado, chopped jalapeno, chopped green onion, fresh rosemary, butter, garlic, bacon pieces and mix up in a bowl. Scoop it back into the potato, and bake again (hence the twice part). Put paprika on top for color.

Spedini Bread - A local restaurant serves this. Get a loaf of uncut bread and cut it about 1/2 way through from the top (crust) down to the bottom in segments about 1".  Buy some sliced proscuitto and roll up some mozzarella cheese in it. Insert that into the slices along with some olive oil. Then thinly slice some garlic and insert it into the slots as well. Top with more olive oil and bake until bread is cooked, and cheese is melted.

Hamburger - You'll find this very similar to my meatballs. I use 2 lbs of lean ground sirloin. 1 jumbo egg or 2 small eggs, Onion Soup Mix, finely chopped parsley, garlic paste, ginger paste (or powder), black pepper, allspice. When I make them, I make huge patties but they don't shrink much because it is ground sirloin. Don't overcook them either!

Yummy Pasta - I eyeballed this one so I'm trying to iterate it as it was made. Add 2 cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger, 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1 teaspoon of cardamom spice, 1 teaspoon of allspice, 1 teaspoon of black pepper  into a mixer and make a paste out of it. Dice some tomatoes and chop some mushrooms, and mix it all together in a bowl and let it sit for about 20 minutes. Cook some pasta (it's good with elbow macaroni) and mix this with it. It's very yummy!

Meat Sauce - Good on Veal, Steak, and even Pork. Equal portions of sour cream, butter, and cream cheese. Add in some lemon, ginger, garlic, salt, pepper. Near the end, add in some white wine. Can either be poured over the meat, or the meat can be sautéed in it.

Meatloaf - You'll find this somewhat similar to my meatballs or hamburger. I use 1 lb of lean ground sirloin and 1 lb of ground pork. 1 jumbo egg or 2 small eggs, 1 small can of tomato paste, Onion Soup Mix, finely chopped parsley, garlic paste, ginger paste (or powder), black pepper, allspice and bread crumbs. Mix it all together and put into a bread pan.

Cornish Game Hen - The marinade for 2 is 1/4 onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 1/2 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, a splash or two of white wine, 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and any other spices you like. I do the marinade in the blender so that it is very finely chopped. Marinate the hens over night. Cook the hens on the grill on low or indirect heat until they reach 180F OR cook them in your smoker at about 250F for 3 or 4 hours until (again) they reach 180F. They turn out AWESOME!

Wasabi Tuna Steak - Marinate 2 Tuna Steaks in a sauce of 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon wasabi paste, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon ginger salad dressing, 1 teaspoon olive oil. Cook in a fry pan and serve with rice. See photos!

Mennonite Farmer's Sausage - 6 lbs ground pork shoulder, 1 teaspoon of cure (sodium nitrate/salt), 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon pepper.
Coarsely grind into casings and then hang in the smoker until dry. This can be sped up by setting the smoker temperature to 90 or 100F without any smoke.
Smoke at 160-165F until temperature inside sausage is 152F.
Immediately cool them in cold water, and then let sit out for a day at room temperature. See photos!

Veal Stroganoff-Marsala - Egg noodles. Veal strips. Stroganoff/Marsala sauce. Sautee Veal strips quickly over high heat. Sautee diced onion and mushroom in butter. Add beef broth and Marsala wine. Add in thickener, garlic and some pepper corns. Pour over noodles and add sour cream. Heat thoroughly and serve :)

Kielbosa
Attempt 1 - Photos Here
5.7 lbs Boston Butt
2 lbs Lean Beef Chuck
4 Cloves Garlic finely chopped
2 tbsp Paprika
3 tsp Pepper
2.5 tsp Salt
2 tsp Marjoram
2 tsp Summer Savory
1/2 tsp Allspice
11' 4" of 1" hog casings
Rest uncovered in the fridge for 24 hours.
Baked at 425 for 30 minutes.
This came out overcooked because we didn't adjust for 1" diameter casings. Also, we didn't use enough spices, which was a miscalculation based on the original recipe found online.

Attempt 2 - Photos Here
9.2 lbs Boston Butt
3.3 lbs Lean Beef Chuck
9 Cloves Garlic finely chopped
5 tbsp Paprika
7.5 tsp Pepper
5 tsp Salt
5 tsp Marjoram
5 tsp Summer Savory
1 1/4 tsp Allspice
18' 5" of 1" hog casings
Rest uncovered in the fridge for 24 hours.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

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Note that these are not necessarily original recipes, and may be modifications of recipes that I have stumbled across in various places. I will try to give credit if I know where to give it. If you see an error in these, or have some suggestions, email me.