I tend to be a dry-herb kind of guy, but sometimes a recipe needs fresh instead. To keep from wasting any unused fresh herbs I just toss them onto my Nesco Snackmaster Pro dehydrator and let them dry for later use. I needed dill for a dish I was making (a creamy cucumber salad!), and had a few stems left. I could’ve kept the dill intact, but I opted to remove it from the stems instead. Dried Dill on the Nesco Snackmaster Pro is great either way!
Storage
I keep the dried dill made on the Nesco Snackmaster Pro in air-tight containers. So I remember what is what, I write the contents on a small piece of blue painter’s masking tape. The tape is great for marking items, dry or in the freezer or wherever. It peels off so easily, you never have to worry about fussing with it.
I also use blue painters tape to identify my trays in the dehydrator. I write numbers on them so if I have to rotate the trays I can keep track of them. It just makes things a bit easier.
I admit, I’ve never had the chicken nuggets from Kentucky Fried Chicken. I’ve always been more of a give-me-a-bucket-of-crispy-fried-chicken kind of guy. I have been missing out all of these years if this copycat KFC chicken nuggets are even remotely the same as the original. I mean seriously, they’re great. Which begs the question: how many nuggets could you order in the drive-thru before they started to look at you in a strange way? With these little yummies over-indulging is expected.
Great Flavor In The Perfect Size
I guess if you were making copycat KFC chicken nuggets for kids you might leave out the cayenne. I could barely detect it. It was there, enough to add flavor and maybe a hint of spiciness, but certainly not enough to burn or make my eyes water. Heck, for my tastes I’ll probably add more next time!
I get out my big deep fryer when it’s time to fry a large batch of food. It comes to temperature quickly and it maintains that temperature perfectly. It has a built-in oil filter and storage unit so I can re-use the oil several times.
These nuggets are seriously great. Which begs the question: how many nuggets could you order in the drive-thru before they started to look at you in a strange way?
In a small bowl or pie plate, whisk together the flours, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne and baking powder.
In another small bowl or pie plate, whisk together the egg, milk and hot sauce.
Working in batches, dip the chicken into the egg mixture, then into the flour mixture, and back into the egg mixture and again the flour mixture. Double dipping will get you that fantastic crunchy coating.
Fry for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack-lined baking sheet to drain and cool slightly before serving.
Notes
Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. Or sauces.
Talk about just up-and-disappearing, these peel and eat grilled shrimp were so dang good they didn’t stick around long enough to even cool off. The spice mixture that coats the shrimp is spot-on, with hints of sweetness and a warm earthiness. Seems odd, perhaps, but they were fantastic. So fantastic that I made them two nights in a row.
Messily Fantastic
My motto has always been: The messier the dish, the tastier it is. Well, maybe that’s part of why I loved these peel and eat grill shrimp so much. They are messy. Very messy. I tried them once with shell-on (but deveined) shrimp and once using peeled (but still tail-on) shrimp. Both were fantastic, but I preferred the shell-on shrimp (I bought mine online from Shrimp to Shore). They’re messier. You get to peel them. And you get to lick your fingers even more it seems.
2poundslarge shrimp20-24 count, deveined, shell on if desired
½cupgreen onionsliced thin
Instructions
Fire up your grill for high-heat direct cooking. You can use skewers, a grill pan, griddle or cook the shrimp directly on the grates. Alternatively, you can cook the shrimp in a large skillet on the stove top over medium-high heat.
Whisk together the paprika, chili powder, brown sugar, cumin, garlic, vegetable oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
Add the shrimp and use spatula to turn and coat well. I actually prefer to use my hands to make sure that the shrimp get fully coated, but the paprika does make your fingers turn red. It just dawned on my that food-safe gloves would've been a smart idea!
Transfer the shrimp to the grill. Skewer first if using skewers. Make sure that the shrimp lay flat on the grill and do not overlap. If cooking indoors, add a splash of oil to the skillet before adding the shrimp, also keeping them in one layer. You might have to cook them in batches so they don't overlap.
Cook for 2 minutes per side, flipping once.
Transfer shrimp to a serving platter or bowl and toss with the green onion before serving.
Brussels sprouts were on sale. That’s how I ended up making a Caesar salad. I could’ve grilled them. Or roasted them. But I had salad on the brain. Simple salad. I didn’t want a bunch of ingredients, or have to make a dressing. That’s how I ended up with this Brussels sprouts Caesar salad. Shred and slice some sprouts, toss in pre-made Caesar salad dressing, toss on a few Croutons and grab a fork. Time to eat.
Crunchily Good
I absolutely love the crunch and rawness of this Brussels sprouts Caesar salad. I don’t like them chopped into super tiny bits, I like to keep some bigger pieces so I get all that crunch. This is a really great way to throw together a quick salad that looks great and tastes even better.
Fit a food processor with a slicer blade. Feed Brussel sprouts thru the food processor. Alternatively, slice sprouts thin with a knife.
Drizzle the salad with the dressing and stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper and stir again. If the salad is too dry add more dressing and stir more.
Serve garnished with croutons.
Notes
This salad can only be made using fresh Brussels sprouts.
I’d say that about half the time, we make our own salad dressings and the other half of the times we buy them. There’s nothing wrong with bottled dressings, but sometimes we prefer something fresh and something we can ‘tweak’ a bit if we want. This Catalina salad dressing is one of our all-time favorites. It’s quite easy to make and always delicious. It also uses ingredients that we almost always have on hand, and that’s a definite plus too!
The Onion Is Key
The grated white onion is one of the key ingredients in this Catalina salad dressing. Don’t skip it and don’t skimp on it. I used about a tablespoon, but you might want more. Or less. I used a Microplane grater to get the onion just perfect. It’s easy to hold and does a fantastic job.
This dressing gets even better after sitting in the fridge for a few hours. Just make sure to give it a good shake before serving.
I always double this recipe when making it.
Check out my new site, Dress My Salad, for more great salad dressing ideas!
We loved this simple and delicious homemade Catalina salad dressing. Why would you buy dressing at the store when you can make an even better version at home?
I’ve been addicted to my mom’s lasagna ever since I was knee-high to a grasshopper. My wife and I make my mom’s recipe often, though I admit we have changed it a bit over the years. And we sometimes even change up how we cook it. Usually, it’s baked in the oven. This time, we made two-person mini serving-sized portions and cooked them using a gas grill. Not only does cooking outside keep from heating up the house on a hot day, it also adds a little different flavor to these mini lasagna using a gas grill.
The Perfect Meal
Nothing beats bubbly hot mini lasagna right off a gas grill. The disposable meatloaf pans are perfect for leftovers, if you have any. Just cover in foil and place in the fridge for later, or freeze for the future. You can reheat the lasagna on the gas grill too. Just toss them on the grill (defrost first if frozen) and heat for about 20 minutes. I sometimes add just a little water around the edges of the pan just before reheating.
My goodness, these blue cheese burgers with caramelized onions were good. Not sorta good, but close-your-eyes-when-you-take-a-bite good. Blue cheese and onions are the perfect match. Put them on perfectly cooked burgers and you’ve got a real winner. You can make the burgers really any way you like, but for me my go-to method is on an outdoor griddle. I like my patties thin, with a bit of a crunchy edge to them, so I end up smashing them before they really get cooking.
The Perfect Amount Of Funk
Sometimes blue cheese makes my wife go ‘ewww’. Not the case with these blue cheese burgers with caramelized onions. The blue cheese is by no means overpowering. You do taste it, but it adds such a wonderful creaminess, a little tang, that you just want more. Make these and you’ll never want a burger any other way.
It Starts With The Patties
I start making my burgers by first making the patties. We prefer 4 ounce (or sometimes 5 ounce) patties. The Weber burger press helps get them perfect each time. And quickly, too. You just weigh out the meat, and place it in the press. Push down (you gotta put a bit of weight into it). And boom! Out comes a perfectly shaped patty!
Note; You can make this recipe on a grill using a griddle or indoors, using a skillet (preferably cast iron).
Heat the oil on a grill griddle or in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Toss the onions with the rosemary and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Transfer to the griddle or skillet and cook 8 minutes or until starting to soften. Turn and cook another 8 minutes or until the onions are completely soft and caramelized. Add more oil as the onion cooks if they are too dry but do not drench them. Remove to a bowl, cover and keep warm until ready to use.
Shape the beef into 4 equally-sized patties. Season well on both sides with remaining salt and all of the pepper.
Transfer the patties to the grill or skillet and cook 5-6 minutes per side until done as desired. I prefer thin patties, so I smash my patties onto my griddle as they start to cook. Just before removing the patties, top each with some of the caramelized onion and the blue cheese crumbles.
Toast or grilled the buns as desired.
Top the buns with the patties. Add lettuce and tomato and serve.
Notes
Substitute gorgonzola for the blue cheese for a slightly creamier, smoother cheese topping!
This Montreal Steak-seasoned smoked bologna was destined for greatness. That greatness was in the form of a fried bologna sandwich. The bologna takes on such a great flavor from the seasoning and smoke. You’d never think it was ‘just’ bologna because it isn’t. It’s something special, something amazing.
Freeze The Leftovers For More Joy Later
I slice my Montreal Steak-seasoned smoked bologna thin, for sandwiches. I usually end up with a lot of slices. Much more than I could ever use in a few days. So I freeze it for later use. To maximum quality, I put the slices into vacuum-sealer bags and seal them. But, to make sure the slices don’t stick together I put burger patty paper between each slice.
Of course you can use whatever seasoning you prefer when smoking bologna. I just happened to be craving Montreal Steak for some reason. Probably because I ran across a jar of it in my spice rack and thought…. hmmmm… what can I use this on?
Fire up your smoker for 250 F. Use any wood you like, but I've found that fruit woods or hickory work best for me.
Start by scoring the chub. I've tried getting fancy diamond patterns, and sometimes they're great and sometimes they're not. Checkerboard works best for me! Either way, you want to make about 1/2" cuts so that the smoke and seasoning penetrate the bologna.
Spread the mustard liberally over the bologna. The mustard will help the seasoning adhere to the meat.
Now add the seasoning. Don't be shy. Get it on all sides, everywhere.
Transfer to the smoker and smoke for 3 hours.
Remove from the smoker and let rest before slicing. I've found that a super-sharp knife is great for slicing the bologna thin for sandwiches. You can use a meat slicer also. If you're having trouble getting good slices, freeze the chub for 15 or so minutes then try slicing it.
Notes
This bologna makes for some of the best sandwiches!
There are certainly a lot of homemade Thousand Island dressing recipes out on the internet. But I found this one to be slightly different. The flavor is richer. It’s deeper. And it has just a little kick to it. It’s just better than the rest. And it uses ingredients that I have on-hand. That’s a plus. Perfect on a salad, and even better on a Reuben sandwich.
Spice It Up. I Did.
I wasn’t shy with the hot sauce when I made this homemade Thousand Island dressing. Now, I wasn’t making spicy wing sauce, no, but I wanted to get that spiciness. So many dressings are just creamy. Or just vinegary. A little heat changes things up.
There are certainly a lot of homemade Thousand Island dressing recipes out on the internet. But I found this one to be slightly different. The flavor is richer. It’s deeper. And it has just a little kick to it.
My picture of our grilled coconut and pineapple sweet chili shrimp definitely does not do this dish the justice it deserves. A wonderful blend of sweet pineapple and coconut with just a hint of spiciness, these shrimp disappear in no time every time we make them. We’ve had them over rice, over polenta, and just as is. No matter what else we had with them, the shrimp and sauce are the star of the show.
The Sauce Is A Real Keeper
Feel free to use tail-off shrimp. Or keep the tails on, whichever you prefer. And don’t hesitate to double the sauce. If you’re serving these grilled coconut and pineapple sweet chili shrimp over rice or polenta a little extra sauce for drizzling at the end is a good thing. The sauce is also great on the side, perfect for dipping the shrimp.
A grilling basket is almost a must-have when it comes to making dishes like this one. It makes cooking easier for starters. It makes clean up easier too.
If you do decide to make extra sauce for the shrimp, I recommend these little sauce dipping cups for serving. They’re the perfect for shrimp, nuggets, and wings.
To get coconut cream, place a can of unsweetened coconut milk in the fridge overnight. Do not SHAKE!
Open the can. The coconut cream is the solid that has floated to the top of the can. Scoop out 3 tablespoons but do not get any of the clear milk found below it in the can. You'll have leftover cream and milk for other uses (I made more of the sauce because it's fantastic on grilled fish and chicken too!).
Place the coconut cream, chili sauce, pineapple and sriracha into a blender and pulse a few times, just enough to chop up the pineapple a bit and get everything combined.
For the shrimp
Skewer the shrimp and pineapple pieces or place into a large grill basket. You can also grill them on a griddle.
Cook shrimp 3 minutes then brush with about a third of the sauce.
Flip and brush with half of the remaining sauce.
Continue grilling until the shrimp is done, another 3-4 minutes.
Brush shrimp with remaining sauce and serve over pineapple polenta, if desired.
For the pineapple polenta (optional)
Bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
Whisk in the polenta and cook until thick and creamy.
Season with salt and pepper and add the sage and pineapple. Stir.
