A few years ago the Big 10 basketball tournament was held here in Indianapolis. As part of the event, the Levy restaurant group in Chicago produced unique hot dogs that highlight each of the Big 10 teams. I came across a copy of the list of the dogs recently, and just had to make each of them.
The Big 10 basketball tournament was in Indianapolis just a few years ago. As part of the event, the Levy restaurant group in Chicago produced unique hot dogs that highlight each of the Big 10 teams. I came across a copy of the list of the dogs recently, and just had to make each of them. The Indiana Hoosier hot dog was one of our favorites of all the dogs.
We were both pleasantly surprised at how well slaw and relish go together. And the crunchy fried onions sealed the deal. These are fantastic dogs, ones we’ll make again and again.
Red Pepper Relish Is A Game Changer
I haven’t had much red pepper relish in my life. Well, ok, I probably never had it. I think it’s fantastic stuff. It’ll become a staple around here for hot dogs like this Indiana Hoosier hot dog and our wraps.
We were both pleasantly surprised at how well slaw and relish go together. And the crunchy fried onions sealed the deal. These are fantastic dogs, ones we’ll make again and again.
I have been devouring Chef Vivian Howard’s book, Deep Run Roots. Every recipe in the book sounds so great that I just cannot slow down. These slow-cooked Lima beans are an excellent example not only of the great flavors Chef Howard conjures, but also the simplicity of the recipes. Lightly smoky tender beans. That’s it. Nothing fancy, but mighty good, especially on a cold day.
Cook Them Longer. Or Don’t.
Depending on how you like your beans, you may want to cook your slow-cooked Lima beans a little longer or a little less. I like mine pretty tender, bordering on falling apart. Some folk like a little more ‘bite’ to theirs so they don’t cook them quite as much.
For extra smokiness (and a bit more seasoning meat) I used a smoked pork shank instead of the usual hock. I prefer shanks because I think they add more flavor than does a ham hock.
It was a cold day. The kind of day that screams stick-to-your-ribs comfort food. These slow cooker stuffed cabbage rolls hit the spot and then some. They’re pretty easy to assemble. They really couldn’t get any easier to cook. And best of all, they are the perfect cold-day food. Ground pork and beef get mixed together with rice and a few tasty spices to make a tender, flavor-packed stuffing. The rolls are bathed in a wonderful tomato sauce that reminds you of tomato soup (for a reason, since it contains tomato soup). You can’t eat just one, that’s for sure! You’ll want to load up your slow cooker and get to cookin’!
You Can Make Them Spicy, Too
The next time I make slow cooker stuffed cabbage rolls I might add a bit of heat to spice things up a bit. A little hot sauce maybe? I’m not quite sure. They’re mighty good as they are. I am sure I’d double the amount of sauce, though. The sauce is mighty darned good. And when there’s sauce, there should be soppin’! So make some garlic bread or Texas toast and get ready for some soppin’ good deliciousness!
See Ya Next Week
The cooked cabbage rolls freeze really well. With the sauce even. Just put them in an air-tight container with some of the sauce over the tops and freeze for later. When you’re ready to serve them up, set them out in the fridge a good 24 hours ahead of time. Then heat them in an over at 350 F for 20-30 minutes or until the sauce is good and bubbly hot. If you have lots of extra sauce (and doubling it really is a good idea), freeze that separately if you want and just reheat it in a saucepan on the stove.
Remove the core from the cabbage but keep the leaves intact.
Carefully lower the cabbage into the water. Boil for 2 minutes then remove and let cool slightly before gently removing any softened leaves that will come off without tearing, Return the head to the water and continue boiling/removing leaves until you have 12 nice large leaves.
Chop any remaining cabbage and use it to line the bottom of your slow cooker.
Place the remaining cabbage roll ingredients into a large bowl and combine well.
Working in batches, lay out a cabbage leaf and spoon 1/3 cup of the meat mixture into the middle. Roll the leaf up like a burrito, folding the sides in to seal it as you go. Place into your slow cooker, seam-side down.
Place cooker on low. Add the sauce (see below), cover, and cook for 8 hours.
Let cool 15 minutes before serving with sauce spoon over the tops.
It was the first frosty day of fall, and I needed something to warm me up. Something hearty, beefy and easy. So I made slow cooker shredded BBQ pot roast and it fit the bill perfectly. It wasn’t long before I forgot how cold it was and how cold it would get in the coming days and weeks. Brrrrr! I should’ve made a double batch!
Not Your Typical Pot Roast
I like my pot roast shredded, but if you like yours chopped or sliced you can do that instead. Or do a little bit of each. Half chopped and half shredded makes for a great texture contrast. Either way this slow cooker shredded BBQ pot roast comes out very tender and very tasty. You can substitute beef broth for the Coke too if you don’t have soda on hand.
I think pot roast is best served with grits, but mashed potatoes are just (well, almost) as great. I like the textural contrast of the grits with the tender, juicy beef.
It was the first frosty day of fall, and I needed something to warm me up. Something hearty, beefy and easy. So I made slow cooker BBQ pot roast and it fit the bill perfectly.
Oh my, how much fun were these homemade gummy bears to make and eat! They have the same texture as store-bought gummy bears. Packed with flavor. Some gummy bears were ‘normal’. Some I added a bit of citric acid to make them nice and sour!
I purchased a few gummy bear molds from Amazon (you can see the link below the recipe). The molds came with droppers that made filling the molds much easier. You’ll still make a little mess, get a bit of the gelatin on top of the molds and not in them, but that’s ok. They clean up easily and you’ll have great looking homemade gummy bears!
The No Bubble Zone
The only thing you have to watch for when filling the molds is air bubbles. You don’t want bubbles to form or your candies won’t look as fancy. They’ll still taste great, of course, but you want them to be pretty too! When filling the dropper make sure you get only liquid and not air or any of the bubbles that tends to form on top. If you do get bubbles I’ve found that you can usually pop them using the tip of the dropper.
A Little Bit Of Sour
The citric acid adds just a bit of sour flavor thanks to the citric acid, but the candies will not be overly sour. I started by adding 1/8 teaspoon of citric acid and found it barely detectable. A 1/4 teaspoon amount is about right for me. If you want your gummy bears super sour you might want to try 1/2 or even 3/4 teaspoon.
Here’s how one of my molds looked after being filled. The recipe below will make 120 (more or less) gummy bears. Be sure that you have room in your freezer for 3 of the molds before starting.
The Big 10 basketball tournament was here in Indianapolis a few years ago. As part of the event, the Levy restaurant group in Chicago produced unique hot dogs. Each highlights each of the Big 10 teams. I came across a copy of the list of the dogs recently, and just had to make each of them, like the Iowa Hawkeye hot dog. Topped with corn salsa, kicked-up pepperjack cheese, and tortilla strips, it’s one heck of a hot dog! I couldn’t find corn salsa with enough corn in it so I roasted an ear of corn on the grill while I was cooking the hot dogs. I cut off the kernels and added them to the salsa. Perfect!
Salsa Wakes Up Hot Dogs
I love salsa on a hot dog and not just on an Iowa Hawkeye hot dog. It’s like adding grownup ketchup, but no one will judge you. The pop of the corn kernels in the salsa is a really nice unexpected texture. So are the crunchy tortilla strips.
Note: This recipe was developed using the Char-Broil Big Easy Oil-Less Fryer. If you are cooking using the Char-Broil Smoker-Roaster Grill you should cook with the lid open and the temperature set to High. You might also need to adjust the cooking time.
Mmmmmm. Tasty, moist, tender chicken. Montreal seasoning combines many of my favorite things: garlic, coriander, black pepper, cayenne pepper, dill seed, and salt. I made my Montreal chicken on the Char-Broil Big Easy since it makes perfect chicken every single time. In fact, I cooked 6 chickens on one of my Big Easy’s just the other day.
Perfect Chicken Every Time
It’s optional, but I went the beer can route with my Montreal chicken on the Char-Broil Big Easy. It’s not any harder to do on the Big Easy than ‘regular’ chicken. Just add a bit of seasoning to an open beer can, insert, and cook. That’s it. The Big Easy cooks chicken just great without the beer can, believe me, but it does add a little coolness factor and flavor.
If you’re not a fan of beer, don’t fret. Soda works just as well. For Montreal chicken, I’d lean towards something like root beer or maybe a ginger ale.
Mmmmmm. Tasty, moist, tender chicken. Montreal seasoning combines many of my favorite things: garlic, coriander, black pepper, cayenne pepper, dill seed, and salt.
Generously sprinkle the chicken with the seasoning.
If opting to make beer can chicken open the can and drain (er… drink) about 1/4th of the beer. Add a heaping teaspoon of seasoning to the beer. Insert beer can into the bottom of the chicken.
Place chicken into the basket and insert into the Big Easy.
Cook for 15 minutes per pound or until the chicken has hit 165 F as measured in several locations.
Let rest 15 minutes before removing the beer can (if using) and carving.
Notes
I use the Char-Broil folding chicken roasterto hold the beer or soda cans securely. If the beer you’re using is only available in a bottle, just empty the contents into an empty beer or soda can.
The North End Barbecue & Moonshine restaurant in Indianapolis was definitely one of my favorite restaurants. They had a fantastic menu, but for me, the best dish by far was the Texas red chili. It’s simple, spicy, and oh so packed with flavor. Smoked brisket, homemade bacon and a red sauce that I could just slurp up with a (big) straw. I can’t make it to North End BBQ (because they closed! Grrrrr!), so I decided to make my own (slightly different) version of their Texas chili. I was absolutely pleased with it. Nice and spicy, with a bit of smokiness.
Brisket For The Win
Now, you could make this smoked brisket Texas chili with just cubed chuck that has been lightly browned in the Dutch oven first. Nothing wrong with that, not one bit, but if you have smoked brisket, it really gives the chili a completely different flavor than just regular ole chili.
I roasted a few jalapenos on the grill and chopped them to use as garnish. They added even more bite and flavor to what was already a great bowl of chili.
This chili is simple, spicy, and oh so packed with flavor. Smoked brisket, homemade bacon and a red sauce that I could just slurp up with a (big) straw.
2tablespoonsmasa harinaif you don’t have any masa, take a handful of plain tortilla chips and grind them in a food processor or by hand using a mortar and pestle
Toast the chiles in a hot skillet over medium-high heat 2-3 minutes per side.
Remove to a large bowl and cover in hot water. Let sit for 30 minutes, turning once.
Remove chiles (do not discard the water). Cut off the stems and remove the seeds.
Chop lightly and transfer to a food processor.
Add the cumin, pepper and a few pinches of salt, along with 1/4 cup of the soaking liquid. Process until smooth. If needed add a bit more of the water.
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Add the broth and water. Bring to a simmer.
Whisk in the masa harina and add the processed chile paste.
Add the brisket and stir. Cover.
Let simmer for 2 hours or until the beef is tender, adding more broth if necessary.
Stir in the brown sugar and vinegar and add more salt to taste. Simmer another 10 minutes.
I’m a sliced-corned beef Reuben kind of guy. Or I was. We recently ate at a little restaurant where a Reuben was on the menu. I’m a big fan of Reuben sandwiches, and I think they are a good test of the quality of the food a restaurant turns out. Tough corned beef? I’m not coming back. Well, to my surprise the Reuben at the restaurant had chopped slow-cooked corned beef mixed in with kraut.. Slow cooker chopped corned beef Reuben??? I thought…. hmmmm… I’m not sure about this… but I took a bite and loved it! So I went home and made a big batch for the week’s lunches!
It’s Not Fancy But Oh Is It Ever Good
There’s nothing fancy about this slow cooker chopped corned beef Reuben. It’s your standard fare. Slow-cooked corned beef, tender, and then chopped. Mixed in with well-rinsed and drained kraut. Easy dressing, cheese, and rye. Done. Eat!
If you’re like me and are (er… were in my case) a sliced corned beef fanatic, it’s worth stepping outside your comfort zone and trying something a little different. I found the corned beef flavor (which is really the star of the show) to be pronounced and perfect. It was exactly what I was craving.
I prefer pumpernickel bread for anything corned beef or pastrami. Sure, I can go the rye route too. I like my rye nice and thick and I gotta say, that’s hard to find around here. Every loaf of rye I seem to find is sliced so thin I could read a newspaper through it. That’s really not going to hold up well on a sandwich loaded with meat, kraut, dressing and cheese. About two bites in the bread starts to fail at it’s job: keeping my sandwich help together. Go thick, I say, or just forget it!
There’s nothing fancy about this Reuben. It’s your standard fare. Slow-cooked corned beef, tender, and then chopped. Mixed in with well-rinsed and drained kraut. Easy dressing, cheese, and rye. Done.
Add corned beef brisket and the spice packet that came with it.
Add lid and cook on low for 12 until the corned beef is about to fall apart.
Remove the corned beef and chop. Yes, you can slice it if you prefer. Return the beef to the slow cooker and stir to combine.
At this point you can add the Thousand Island to the slow cooker and stir, if you desire, or simply slather it onto the bread slices.
Spoon kraut and beef mixture onto the bread. Note: I like to transfer the mixture to a strainer first. I press down on it lightly to remove as much moisture as I can. This prevents me from having a soggy (bleh!) Reuben.
