Category: Recipes

Quick Fix Pickled Jalapeno Rings

I love when locally-grown jalapenos are at their peak. That’s the time to go grab a few pounds to make quick fix pickled jalapeno rings. They keep in the pantry forever, always on hand for a pizza, sandwich, salad, burger… hot dogs… everything!

Quick Fix Pickled Jalapeno Rings

Try Other Peppers, Too!

You can use this same recipe for quick fix pickled jalapeno rings for other types of peppers too. Go to your farmer’s market at peak pepper time and grab a variety. Each year I try to grow peppers in our yard but often something comes along and steals them. I suspect that it’s the raccoons.

I keep my rings in Mason jars.

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Also try my quick fix spicy pickles. For a little sweet with your heat, you need to make spicy pickled pineapple.

Quick Pickled Jalapeno Rings
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5 from 1 vote

Quick Fix Pickled Jalapeno Rings

I love when locally-grown jalapenos are at their peak. That’s the time to go grab a few pounds to make quick pickled jalapeno rings. 
Course Side
Cuisine American
Keyword jalapeno, pickled
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 2 pints
Calories 62kcal
Author Mike

Equipment

Ingredients

  • ½ cup water
  • 1 ½ cups white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 4 cloves garlic peeled
  • 8-10 large jalapeno peppers it’s hard to be exact here, but it’s about a pound rinsed, and sliced into thin rings. For smaller rings, use about 20 small jalapenos

Instructions

  • In a nonreactive saucepan whisk together the vinegar, water, salt and cumin. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until the salt dissolves.
  • Sterilize the jars and lids.
  • Pack each pint jar tightly with sliced pepper rings and one whole garlic clove each. Leave enough room at the top so the lid rests easily on the mouth of the jar.
  • Add the hot brine to cover the pepper rings leaving about 1/4″ space at the top of each jar.
  • Use a skewer or chopstick to poke down into the jar, freeing any air bubbles.
  • Clean the top of the jars. Add the tops and screw on the lids.
  • Place into a hot water bath for 15 minutes then remove.
  • Let cool and test that the jars are sealed.

Notes

Store in a cool dark place for up a year.

Nutrition

Calories: 62kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1184mg | Potassium: 244mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 612IU | Vitamin C: 69mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

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Quick Fix Cocktail Sauce

Nothing is better with boiled, steamed or roasted shrimp than a simple cocktail sauce. I could dunk shrimp in this thick tasty quick fix cocktail sauce all day long. This sauce went perfectly with the Bubba Gump shrimp I made on my Char-Broil Big Easy. And it was great with my Old Bay Peel’N Eat Shrimp. In the time it took the shrimp to cook I made a big batch of sauce. I was enjoying delicious shrimp in less than 10 minutes.

Quick Fix Cocktail Sauce

Make It Spicy

Add a few shakes of your favorite hot sauce for a little kick. Or a few pinches of red pepper flake.

I usually prefer my quick fix cocktail sauce really cold. If I have time, I’ll stick it in the freezer for a bit just before serving.

If you prefer to use pre-made cocktail sauce with your shrimp, I can’t recommend Frog Bone’s Bayou Cocktail sauce enough. It combines the flavor of a traditional cocktail sauce with Cajun seasonings. It’s outstanding!

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This sauce is also great for dipping crispy fried shrimp.

Quick Cocktail Sauce
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5 from 1 vote

Quick Fix Cocktail Sauce

Nothing is better with boiled, steamed or roasted shrimp than a simple cocktail sauce. I could dunk shrimp in this thick tasty quick cocktail sauce all day long. 
Course Sauce
Cuisine American
Keyword cocktail, quick fix, sauce
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 1 cup
Calories 374kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Whisk together the chili sauce, horseradish and lemon juice.
  • Season with black pepper, to taste.

Notes

Keep chilled until ready to serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 374kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 4409mg | Potassium: 1468mg | Fiber: 22g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 1861IU | Vitamin C: 94mg | Calcium: 156mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

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Vortex Chicken Wings

If you follow our blog at all you know that I cook up a LOT of chicken wings. Sometimes I make them in the fryer, sometimes on the charcoal grill, sometimes on the gas grill, sometimes on the smoker, and often on the Char-Broil Big Easy. But now, I have Vortex chicken wings and life has gotten even better. I still eat wings cooked other ways, but boy do I ever love these!

Visit my other site, For The Wing, for all things chicken-wing!

Vortex Chicken Wings

Hot. Crazy Hot.

I am always on a quest for the next best wing cooking idea. Recently, I discovered the best way for making crispy wings on the Char-Broil Big Easy, which came out fantastic. But, I was still looking for the best way to get crispy wings on my charcoal grill. That’s when I discovered the Vortex and Vortex chicken wings are amazing. The Vortex is an insert for your grill that lets you concentrate the charcoal heat, making for an incredibly hot fire. As you can see below, the wings ring the Vortex, getting super hot and, in just a while, crispy. And it couldn’t get any easier.

I couldn’t be more happy with my Vortex purchase. I purchased the small-sized model, which works fantastic on my old 18″ Weber kettle and 22″ Weber Performer grills. But, a larger model is available for the 22″-26″ cookers.

More Than Wings!

The Vortex isn’t just for high-heat cooking of wings. Check out the Vortex web site for tons of other ways you can cook using the insert. Love Buffalo wings? Making them is easy using the Vortex.

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Rotating The Lid

Note: Since posting this, I’ve made wings on my Vortex hundreds of times. I’ve found that rotating the lid isn’t so critical (specially when cooking on a smaller grill such as the Jumbo Joe). For a little smoky flavor, throw a nice chunk of your favor wood (I like hickory or cherry) over the Vortex about 5 minutes before you put your wings on.

Make some potato wedges using your Vortex and you’ve got a great lunch! Or dinner….

Vortex Chicken Wings
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Vortex Chicken Wings

The best wings ever from a charcoal grill!
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword Vortex, wings
Prep Time 3 hours
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 4 hours
Servings 6
Calories 363kcal
Author Mike

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 3-4 pounds chicken wings flats and drumettes
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • ¼ cup Cajun seasoning or your favorite rub
  • Your favorite wing sauce and dipping sauce.

Instructions

  • Place the wings into a large resealable container or baggie.
  • Add the oil and seasoning. Seal and shake to coat well.
  • Refrigerate for 3 hours.
  • Place the Vortex into the center of your grill. Open the bottom vents on your grill by 1/3, while keeping the top vent open completely.
  • Light a charcoal chimney full of charcoal. Alternatively, you can fill your Vortex with charcoal and light them inside the unit.
  • Let the charcoal get fully ashed over.
  • Add the chicken as shown in the picture above. For the flats have the skin side up, and for the drumettes keep the meaty part away from the fire.
  • Close the grill and cook for 15 minutes.
  • Rotate the lid 90 degrees and cook for another 15 minutes.
  • Flip the wings. Rotate another 90 degrees and cook 15 more minutes.
  • Check if the wings are as crispy as you like. If not, rotate another 90 degrees and cook another 15 minutes.
  • Transfer wings to a bowl and toss with the wing sauce.
  • Serve with dipping sauce.

Notes

Nutritional values do not include seasoning or sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 363kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 92mg | Potassium: 294mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2396IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

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Quick Fix KFC Twisters (Copycat Recipe)

I try to cook just about everything from scratch. But sometimes, that just doesn’t happen. But, even then I try to do something different. I could’ve just heated up some precooked frozen chicken strips, and had them with Ranch dressing and called it ‘good enough’. Or I could make these crazy good (no, really!) copycat recipe for quick fix KFC Twisters. Heck, I’ve never had the real thing, but if they’re nearly as good as these homemade ones, I’d order some.

Quick Fix KFC Twisters (Copycat Recipe)

Choose your chicken

I made two different versions of this quick fix copycat recipe for KFC Twisters: one with crispy chicken strips, and one with Buffalo chicken strips (my favorite). You can make other variations by dunking the strips into your favorite sauces. BBQ, Nashville hot chicken, garlic Parmesan…. You name it. Any sauce you like for dunking chicken nuggets or slathered on BBQ will work here

Yummy sauce

There’s nothing fancy going on here, but these were tasty. The Twister sauce is pretty darned good, and would make a great sauce for sandwiches or burgers. And the sauce is also mighty easy to make.

Why is it cheating?

So why do I refer to these as ‘cheater’? Because I used precooked chicken. If I’d made the chicken from scratch, they’d be the real deal. Nothing wrong with the un-real deal, though, sometimes.

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If you prefer to skip the wrap and just make the chicken strips, you’ll want to serve them up with my copycat Chick-fil-A dipping sauce.

Cheater Copycat KFC Twisters
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4 from 1 vote

Quick Fix KFC Twisters (Copycat Recipe)

Heck, I’ve never had the real thing, but if they’re nearly as good as these homemade ones, I’d order some.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword chicken fingers, crispy, wraps
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 197kcal
Author Mike

Equipment

Ingredients

For the KFC Twisters

  • frozen chicken strips
  • 4 tortillas 10 inch
  • Twister sauce see below
  • green leaf lettuce
  • 1 medium tomato chopped

For the Twister Sauce

Instructions

For the KFC Twisters

  • Preheat oven to 400 F.
  • Place chicken on a baking sheet and cook 20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, warm the tortillas in a large skillet over medium heat, about 2 minutes per side.
  • Spread a 3″ wide strip of sauce across the middle of each tortilla, starting 1″ from the left edge and ending at the right edge.
  • Add the lettuce, tomato, and chicken over the center of the tortilla, over the sauce, still leaving the leftmost 1" edge empty.
  • Fold the left edge over and then roll up the tortilla. The right edge will remain open. Serve seam-side down so it doesn’t unrolled.

For the Twister Sauce

  • Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Notes

Nutritional values do not include the chicken.

Nutrition

Calories: 197kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 311mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 267IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

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Quick Taco Salads

Unbelievably easy to make, these quick taco salads disappear really fast. Use whatever toppings you have on hand. And whatever toppings you enjoy. We kept them pretty simple. There’s nothing fancy going on here. Just a quick and easy salad-for-dinner.

Quick Fix Taco Salads

Perfect Salads In No Time

If you have the time, slow cook the beef a little longer for a more tender, flavorful filling. I like to let mine simmer with the lid on for at least two hours. I add a bit of water if the mixture gets too dry. It’s not really a necessary step but I think the beef gets more flavor. All the way through.

I highly recommend that you shred or grate your own cheese at home. Don’t buy the pre-shredded or pre-grated stuff. It has stuff added to it to keep it from sticking together. That ‘stuff’ affects how the cheese melts. Shred it yourself and use the good stuff.

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Also try my Mexican cornbread salad and my quick fix shrimp tacos.

Quick Fix Taco Salads
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Quick Taco Salads

Unbelievably easy to make, these quick taco salads disappear really fast. Use whatever toppings you have on hand or enjoy. We kept them pretty simple.
Course Main
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword quick fix, salad, taco
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 726kcal
Author Based on a recipe from Kraft

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • ½ small white onion chopped
  • 3 tablespoons Taco seasoning or 1 packet pre-made
  • 4 tortilla bowls pre-made taco salad bowls
  • 2-3 cups iceberg lettuce shredded
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
  • 1 large tomato chopped
  • ¼ cup Ranch salad dressing

Instructions

  • Brown ground beef in a large skillet with the onion.
  • Drain and add the seasoning.
  • Stir, and cook over low heat 5-10 minutes, adding a bit of water if the mixture gets too dry.
  • Warm taco bowls per package instructions.
  • Spoon beef into the taco bowls.
  • Top with lettuce, cheese and tomato.
  • Drizzle with Ranch dressing and serve.

Notes

I love Ranch, but of course you can use your favorite salad dressing!

Nutrition

Calories: 726kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 52g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 115mg | Sodium: 738mg | Potassium: 515mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1025IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 242mg | Iron: 10mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

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