One of the most popular side dishes I’ve made is the Spanish style beans we discovered years ago. And after roasting a large (ok, huge) batch of Hatch chiles the other day I decided to take my old trusty Spanish style bean recipe and make Southwestern style beans. And boy, did it ever come out great, too. It reminds me of a meatless chili, actually. Just like a big bowl of chili it would be perfect on a cool fall day in Indiana.
Oh So Good!
Ranch style beans have such a wonderful flavor that I could eat them right out of the can. If you can’t find freshly roasted green chiles, just add canned chopped green chiles to these southwestern style beans.
I like to use my good ole trusty Dutch oven to make this soup and pretty much darned near anything like it on my stovetop. It’s nice and big and sturdy. That extra weight helps it maintain and distribute heat perfectly. As an added bonus, it’s actually pretty easy to clean up too!
I fess up when I need to fess up. And I need to fess up. Because when my wife first shared this recipe for an easy Mexican coleslaw with me I expressed skepticism. What’s wrong with my slaw recipes, huh? Do I need lime juice in my slaw? Or beans? Or taco seasoning????
Well, yes, I do. I do need those things. And more. Because I ended up loving this slaw. A lot. So many different flavors and textures. There’s absolutely nothing boring about this slaw. This is slaw re-imagined. At a new level. So, I’m sorry. I was wrong thinking this wouldn’t be a fantastic dish because it was.
Lots of… Stuff
Oh I know the ingredient list for this easy Mexican coleslaw is a bit long. But it is still ‘easy’. In fact it’s crazy easy. Considering the reward, it’s more than worth it too. There’s all sorts of like… healthy things in it too. If you’re looking to really shake up your next picnic or family get together or just a simple grill-out, make this slaw. You’ll be more than happy that you did.
I almost always use Blue Plate mayonnaise in the dishes I make. I think it is the best around. If you can’t find it locally you can pick it up online for a fair price.
In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice and taco seasoning.
Add the coleslaw, bell pepper, tomatoes, beans, corn, jalapeno and cilantro to a large bowl.
Stir to combine.
Gently stir in the mayonnaise mixture.
Add salt and pepper, to taste.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Stir before serving.
Serve garnished with additional tomatoes if desired.
Notes
For the corn, we used two ears of fresh corn. I husked them then tossed them on a hot grill, turning often, until nicely roasted. After letting them cool I cut the kernels off with a knife. You can use canned or frozen corn if you prefer. If you wish to roast it, pat dry and put on a baking sheet. Place under the broiler, stirring often, until lightly roasted.
It was a hot summer’s day. My mind was floating off to summers gone by and to picnics and family get-togethers. And then I remembered… pasta salad. Now there’s something I’ve always loved and it always screamed ‘summer’ to me. But I was looking for something a little different. Something as good as grandma’s (well as good as hers as possible) but with a twist. And here it is. Deviled egg pasta salad. Everything good in one salad. Deviled eggs (you probably figured that). Pasta (and you probably were expecting that too). And dill pickles. What? Yep, no celery. Dill pickles instead.
In A Pickle
This is a dill pickle-flavor-packed pasta salad, make no mistake about it. Now me, I love that flavor so I put a bit extra in my deviled egg pasta salad. You might want to cut it back a bit. Or add more. I don’t know you. Maybe you love pickles even more than I do.
No More Pickles?
Did you use up your jar of dill pickles? Great! Now don’t toss out that wonderful pickle brine! It’s great for a lot of things. It’s great in a burger sauce. Perfect in a fry dipping sauce. Or use it to marinade chicken before throwing it on the grill!
I love a quick stir-fry, specially when vegetables are in season. Green beans were on sale, which means time to make my go-to green bean stir-fry. Everything besides the beans are readily available in my pantry or fridge. Preparation couldn’t get much easier. And stir-frying? About as easy as it gets. Great flavor, a little char, and a sweet and spicy sauce. There were no leftovers.
Cooked Indoors Or Outdoors, They’re Great!
This time of year I prefer to use a wok outdoors for dishes like this green bean stir-fry. I have a wok insert for my Weber Performer grill. Since the wok sits over a bed of coals the pan gets amazingly hot. The beans seared instantly. It not only doesn’t heat up the house on a hot day, the wok gets much hotter than it ever could on my flattop electric stove. Plus I don’t have to worry about it scratching my glasstop.
For inside cooking I use a flat-bottom wok. That’s mostly because I have a flattop electric stove and not a gas stove. I need as much contact between the bottom of the pan and the cooktop as possible so I get the wok as hot as possible.
Don’t think they’re ‘just’ beans and ‘just’ potatoes. After they cook up in a seasoned smoky broth these seasoned green beans and potatoes aren’t ‘just’ anything, they’re amazing. Heck, I’ll admit it. The broth was so good I had to lift my bowl and drink it. No messing around with a spoon. There’s not time for that. Just go for the gusto. The broth is really fantastic stuff. So are the green beans and potatoes, of course!
Shanks. Hocks. Either Way.
Although the original recipe called for using smoked ham hocks, I’m a huge fan of using smoked pork shanks instead. The shanks are meatier, which means they also add more of a smoky flavor. To get the same effect with ham hocks, you’ll either need bigger hocks or just add more of them when you cook these seasoned green beans and potatoes.
I like to cook this wonderful side dish in my trusty ole Dutch oven.
I used to buy frozen garlic bread from the grocery store. Regularly. And on occasion I’d make it from scratch. I was looking for something better and easier. This make-ahead garlic bread makes sure I always have great garlic bread on hand and for a better price. And it tastes a whole lot better too! Oh, and even better, I can make it as buttery and as garlicky as I want!
Perfect From The Freezer
I was afraid that all the buttery goodness in the topping would make this make-ahead garlic bread stick together. I feared I’d open the door to a huge block of bread stuck together. I’d be unable to even chisel a single piece away. But no! The pieces are frozen individually first, making sure they don’t stick. I keep them in a large one gallon freezer bag, always on hand for dinner!
Polenta. Just the saying the word makes me happy. Creamy. Pleasantly filling. Great plain but also a great base for many different of flavors. Polenta is and always be my favorite side dish. I consider it to be decadent even though it’s history is more as a peasant dish. The roasted red pepper in this polenta doesn’t over-power that great corn flavor, but it’s there, lightly smoky, lightly sweet.
Quality Broth Makes Great Polenta
I always make my polenta using homemade chicken broth or stock. I believe it makes a really big difference in the richness of the dish. You can substitute water, but you’ll find chicken broth or stock to be much, much better. This roasted red pepper polenta deserves only the best ingredients to make it truly great!
I use Bob’s Red Mill Polenta, which is found at just about any grocery store around us. On the off-chance you can’t find Bob’s, follow Chef Vivian Howard’s rule: don’t buy a polenta with more than one ingredient on the label. Bob’s has just one, corn.
Place peppers into a food processor or blender and process until smooth.
Add the broth to a medium pot along with the salt and red pepper puree. Bring to a boil.
While stirring, slowly add in the polenta.
Reduce heat to a simmer and stir continuously for 3 minutes.
Cook the polenta for 35-40 minutes, stirring often, scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking. I use a flat wooden spoon for this. If the polenta starts to splatter you can place on lid on the pot, but put it on loosely so moisture can still escape.
Oh me. There are few things as dangerous as a plate of bacon and blue cheese French fries. If ever there was something that causes my self-control to go totally out the window, this is it. It all starts with perfectly crispy, delicious French fries. Homemade. Hot out of the deep-fryer. Then comes the blue cheese sauce. That wonderful funky cheese flavor. Creamy with hints of garlic and shallot. Delicious. And finally, bacon. Crispy, smoky, perfectly-cooked bacon. These are the fries dreams are made of.
Crazy Good Fries Like No Other
If I’m cooking these bacon and blue cheese French fries for a crowd, I’ll break out my big deep fryer. But, if it’s just the two of us, I’ll fire up my Fry Daddy fryer. It’s the perfect size for both of us. It fries everything perfectly. And as an added bonus, it doesn’t use a lot of oil, which saves me money.
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.
If you’d rather not make fries from scratch, you can use frozen ones instead. Just bake the fries per the package instructions, making sure you get them good and crispy While they’re baking, make the sauce and cook the bacon. Serve hot-out-of-the-oven.
For the blue cheese sauce (make first and keep warm while making the fries)
Add butter to a small skillet over medium heat.
Add shallot and garlic. Saute for 4-5 minutes or until just starting to soften.
Add the cheese, milk and pepper.
Stirring constantly, raise the heat to medium-high and let the mixture get to a simmer. The cheese should be melted and the sauce will start to thicken.
Remove from heat and cover until ready to use.
For the fries
Fill a large bowl with cold water.
Slice the potatoes into thin, 1/8″-1/4″ sticks. Try to keep them the same thickness.
Place fries into the water. Add more water if needed to keep them full submerged.
Add the oil to the fryer and plug it in according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Drain the fries. Refill with more cold water. Stir the potatoes. Repeat this step (draining, refilling) until the water is no longer cloudy. This usually just takes me two times.
Drain the potatoes well and transfer to a large kitchen towel. Pat dry. Make sure you get them dry or they will splatter when you add them to the hot oil.
Working in batches if needed, fry the potatoes until just starting to turn a light brown. You are not cooking them fully, you do not want them to be golden brown yet. Do not over-crowd the fryer.
Remove the fries from the fryer using the slotted spoon that comes with the unit. Place on a wire rack over a baking pan to drain. Spread them out evenly.
Let the fries cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
Working in batches if necessary, return the fries to the fryer and finish cooking them. You want them nice and lightly golden brown. I’ve found that you can actually crowd the fryer a little more than usual for this step. The fries are mostly cooked, you’re just crisping them up and giving them some color so a little extra potatoes in there isn’t going to hurt. Just don’t over-fill the fryer.
Remove the fries to the wire rack again to drain. Season well with salt and pepper. I prefer to transfer the fries from the rack to a large bowl, sprinkle them with the seasonings, and toss to season evenly.
Transfer the fries to a serving dish and top with the cheese sauce and sprinkle with the bacon.
Rodney’s Scott’s cookbook World of BBQ: Every Day is a Good Day is one of the best BBQ-themed cookbooks I’ve ever read. And I do mean read. I didn’t just turn the pages looking at the great recipes (and there are tons of them). I read it. Like a novel. But… yes… oh, the great recipes! Like this pimiento cheese. My wife proclaimed this to be the best pimiento cheese she’s had. That surprised the heck out of me. Not because it isn’t great, but because until this recipe came along everyone, and I do mean everyone, thought her mom’s was the best.
The Steps To Cheesy Greatness
There are two things (I think) that are key to this being one outstanding pimiento cheese. First, you have to use block cheese and then shred it manually. Don’t use that pre-shredded stuff. Yeah, it takes a few minutes to shred it by hand but it’s worth it. Second, you have to use a great BBQ seasoning. It’s up to you whether you use a spice seasoning, a sweet seasoning, or whatever you prefer. We went with a sweet rub, and wow what a mix did it ever make. This is great stuff here.
I almost always use Blue Plate mayonnaise in the dishes I make. I think it is the best around. If you can’t find it locally you can pick it up online for a fair price.
Shred the cheese using the medium holes on a box grater. This step is important. Do not use pre-shredded cheese. Shredding your own makes a world of difference.
In a large bowl combine the cream cheese and mayonnaise and mix well.
Add the pimientos, BBQ rub, mustard powder and onion powder. Mix well. Gently stir in the cheese.
Pile high on toasted bread for the best pimiento cheese sandwiches ever!
It’s summer time. And summer is good. Summer is better, though, with a big ole plate of spicy barbecue-and-bacon baked beans. These are some of the most flavor-packed beans you’ll find. And talk about easy to make, too! It’s not quite as easy as open a bunch of cans and heat, but it’s close to being that easy. A little time in the oven and you’re ready to devour some tasty beans. Double, triple or quadruple the recipe and you’ve got a great dish for a picnic or family get-together!
Ranch Beans For The Win
Much of the flavor in these spicy barbecue-and-bacon baked beans comes from the Ranch style beans. Then along comes a bit of jalapeno spiciness. And just a hint of sweetness. For the BBQ sauce I went with a nice hickory BBQ sauce to add a bit of that outdoorsy flavor.
