I have to credit this recipe to my dad. He loves southern food and found this recipe the other day and said I should make it. I wasn’t sure how it was going to turn out but let me say I was very happy with the finished product. If you use the jalapeno peppers instead of the bell peppers this rice brings the heat. This rice is a great way to dress up a common side dish. Enjoy
Over Memorial Day weekend I took full advantage of the warm weather and put the grill to good use. Unlike the lamb chops I cooked a few weeks ago, this time I mixed the spices and herbs in the oil and dredged the lamb chops through the spice mixture before grilling. I really liked how this technique worked with the lamb. Spicing the oil imparted a lot more flavor onto the lamb then the rub. If you are looking for a change up for the grill give these a try. Enjoy!
Last night I decided to grill up some lamb chops. I have used this recipe in the past and the lamb always turns out great. You can use this rub/marinade on any type of lamb from chops to legs and it will work great. Give it a try and as always enjoy!
Yesterday I tweaked the Cajun Shrimp recipe and served it over pasta. Like the original recipe I poached the shrimp in the water, wine, pickling spice mixture. I also sauteed up a bunch of veggies like peppers, tomatoes, garlic, shallots, and spinach. You could add any other vegetables you want. To make the sauce I combined four tablespoons butter, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup sherry, 2/3 cup shrimp stock, and 2 tablespoons Cajun spice; stirring until the butter melts and everything is incorporated. When you saute the vegetables use the Cajun sauce instead of butter or oil. Cook the shrimp, vegetables and pasta then mix together and pour sauce over. This was a last minute throw together dish last night that turned out surprisingly well. It’s relatively simple and allows for a lot of creativity, Enjoy!
Here is a quick and easy dinner to make on a weekday night.You will find the recipe for the honey beer sauce below. The ingredients are pretty common and because it is a pan sauce you can have some fun experimenting with other ingredients. This chicken goes well with sauteed spinach and wild rice especially if you put some whole grain mustard in with the sauteed spinach. Enjoy!
I came across an extra leg of lamb in the freezer the other day and was inspired to use it in an upcoming dinner. I did a bit of research on a few recipes and came across this recipe from Food and Wine that I used as inspiration. I added more vegetables to the roasting pan and tweaked the cooking instructions a bit. Instead of pulling the lamb from the oven when the internal temp reads 145 take it out when it hits 140, it will reach 145 as it sits. This recipe is a bit time consuming but is very simple and turns out a delicious leg of lamb. I also have to give credit to Jamison Farm, we order our lamb from these guys for Easter and usually throw in a few other cuts into the shopping cart. They have fantastic quality lamb and I would recommend checking them out. Enjoy!
Over the weekend I went back and made some improvements to the poached shrimp in Old Bay butter. In the end I completely changed the recipe and the results were even better than I expected. I used the same poaching method to cook the shrimp. However for the sauce I changed nearly everything. Instead of using Old Bay I switched to a Cajun seasoning, which kicks up the spice level. I also switched to a oil and butter base, which does a better job at coating the shrimp and is great for dipping bread. I also added in some chopped up hot banana peppers, an idea I came across when I ordered the Cajun shrimp appetizer at The Irish Rover Station House. Give this recipe a try, it’s quick and easy to make and is a real crowd pleaser, Enjoy!
Earlier this week I made up a nice surf and turf with a ribeye steak and some sea scallops. I also experimented with some grilled potatoes that I marinated in a chipotle sauce. For the steak I just sprinkled on some kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper then cooked it to a nice medium rare.
For the potatoes I wanted to try something different and looked up a few ideas for grilled redskinned potatoes. Most of the recipes I found were pretty basic so I modified a few to add some spice to the potatoes. I thought they turned out quite well and were a nice change up from a regular baked potato.
I cooked the scallops on Himalayan salt blocks. If you can I highly recommend getting one. They cook some of the best scallops I have ever eaten. They are also good with tuna and thinly sliced pieces of beef. The most important part of cooking with a salt block is to make sure you heat it correctly. You need to take your time to not damage the block. I go over the proper way to heat a salt block in the recipe for the scallops.
The salt blocks give the scallops a fantastic sear and a light and salty seasoning. Enjoy!
Tonight for dinner I made blackened chicken with a vegetable pasta. To make the pasta I took a few vegetables that I had in the fridge and sauteed them. I cooked some pasta and when it was done I tossed it with the vegetables. I’ve been working on this blackened chicken recipe for a while now, the rub works both with this method of cooking it and with grilling the chicken. I personally prefer the grilled blackened chicken but it was storming quite heavily today so I made it in a cask Iron skillet today. The rub delivers a good flavor and a subtle heat that doesn’t overpower the chicken. Enjoy!
With the US Open at Merion last weekend I made up some Arnold Palmer’s from scratch. I used the lemonade recipe I posted last week and then brewed some iced tea and mixed the two. It was delicious and refreshing and made for a nice change of pace in between beers while smoking the ribs we had for dinner. With summer officially starting this weekend mix some up and enjoy!
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