I found the original recipe for this amazing garlic-stuffed olive pasta salad in the December 2000 edition of Chile Pepper magazine. If you like spicy, good food, then you should subscribe to Chile Pepper. The recipes, articles and photos are great!
Make It Spicy, Instead!
You can make a kicked-up version of this garlic-stuffed olive pasta salad. Just substitute habanero-stuffed olives. You can also use jalapeno-stuffed olives if you still want a nice kick. I figured that’d be a little much for my wife, so I substituted garlic-stuffed olives instead.
The end result is a fantastic olive salad. The saltiness of the olives is balanced perfectly by the balsamic vinegar and the spices and herbs.
To make the kicked-up version of this salad, like the one in the magazine, you’ll want to use habanero-stuffed olives. The end result is a fantastic olive salad. The saltiness of the olives is balanced perfectly by the balsamic vinegar and the spices and herbs.
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Keyword garlic, olives, pasta salad
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 15 minutesminutes
Total Time 25 minutesminutes
Servings 8
Calories 274kcal
Author Based on a recipe from Chile Pepper magazine
Ok, that’s it. I’m officially giving up fried onion rings. And fried pickles. From here on, it’s these fried poblano strips for me and nothing else. They have that nice crunch you get from panko breadcrumbs. And they have that nice little kick from the poblanos and cayenne. Not really hot, just a great spiciness.
Who Would’ve Thought?
I served these little treasures on top of a grilled ribeye steak. But of course you could eat fried poblano strips as a side or even an appetizer, served with a cool Ranch dipping sauce. The peppers have an amazing flavor. I don’t know why these aren’t available at bars and restaurants as appetizers. Fried pickles? Fried jalapenos? Yeah those are ok… but these are great!
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.
Ok, that’s it. I’m officially giving up fried onion rings. And fried pickles. From here on, it’s these fried poblano strips for me and nothing else.
This Cajun dip and salad dressing goes great over a salad. It is also fantastic as a dip for everything from veggies to onion rings, to chicken nuggets. Adjust the Cajun seasoning, to taste. I’d use a bit less Cajun seasoning when making a salad dressing and a bit more when making a dip. The end result will taste better if you use a homemade Cajun seasoning mix or a store-bought one that has less salt.
The Perfect Dressing For A Wedge Salad
We served the dressing over a simple wedge salad. We love the crispy freshness of iceberg lettuce.
Check out my new site, Dress My Salad, for more great salad dressing ideas!
This Cajun dip and salad dressing goes great over a salad, and it is also fantastic as a dip for everything from veggies to onion rings, to chicken nuggets.Â
Simple and delicious. Like a grilled dog should be. Serve these hot dogs with spicy sauce and grilled onions at your next backyard get-together and people will wonder why they’ve just been squeezing mustard onto their dogs for all these years. The sauce is simple yet delicious. It packs just the right amount of spicy kick to let you know it’s there without scaring people off.
Crazy Good Hot Dogs
I used one of my favorite hot sauces, Louisiana Hot Sauce, to kick these hot dogs with spicy sauce and grilled onions up a bit. Louisiana hot sauce has some heat and spice, but it isn’t overpowering at all. And it’s not overly vinegary like some hot sauces. For the BBQ sauce I used a spicy version for a nice extra kick. You could go light on both and still have a great hot dog.
Simple and delicious. Like a grilled dog should be. Serve these hot dogs with spicy sauce and grilled onions at your next backyard get-together and people will wonder why they’ve just been squeezing mustard onto their dogs for all these years.
To make the sauce, combine all ingredients except the beer in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Add just enough beer to slightly thin the sauce.
Let sauce simmer while you cook the dogs, stirring occasionally. Add more beer if the sauce is too thick.
Grill the onions until just soft.
Grill the hot dogs and toast the buns.
Serve dogs on buns slathered with the sauce and topped with the onions.
Notes
I like to cut a thin shallow slit down the lengths of my hot dogs before cooking. The cut will open up as the dogs cook, giving the toppings a place to go.
You have the grill fired up (for me that’s usually my Weber). You just finished off a great dinner consisting of burgers, grilled corn-on-the-cob, a wedge salad, and some ice cold watermelon. It’s time for dessert. It’s time for some grilled maple bacon donuts! Just toss a few glazed donuts on a hot grill for 1 or so minutes per side. Just long enough to get them warm and get some pretty grill marks. Then, top them with a little maple syrup. Just enough to get that wonderful maple flavor. And of course, you want a bit of crunchy, smoky bacon. Now you’re ready to eat!
Dessert Elevated
I used maple syrup oh my grilled maple bacon donuts, but you know these treats would be just as great with chocolate or fudge syrup and chopped toasted nuts. Or anything, really. NOTHING is as good as a grilled glazed donut. Nothing. Well, maybe you could use a bear claw. Or an eclair. Oh man, an eclair! Ok, that’s what I’m making next!
Just toss a few donuts on a hot grill for 1 or so minutes per side, just long enough to get them warm and get some pretty grill marks, and you’re ready to eat!
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.
I’m usually a smoke-your-ribs kind of guy. My preferred rib is a St. Louis-style sparerib, cooked low-and-slow for up to 6 hours. The result is a tender, lightly smoky flavored, moist rib. That’s why I went into this experiment cooking baby back ribs on the Char-Broil Big Easy with a little skepticism (but an open mind).
These ribs were very tender, very moist and cooked perfect. The only thing they lacked was that smoky flavor. And of course you don’t get that lovely pink smoke ring you get from hours of low heat over smoke. A smoky BBQ rub and sauce helps make up for this if that’s what you’re hankering for. They’re basically trouble-free since the Big Easy is pretty much a light-it-up, load-it-up, and come-back-when-the-food-is-done cooker.
I’d make these ribs again. And again. You can fit 2 racks into the Big Easy (they have to be cut to fit as they have to be around 11″ or so or less in length), and you’ll need a set of Char-Broil Big Easy Rib Hooks (though you could fashion your own).
Hanging the ribs…
Here’s how the process from baby back ribs on the Char-Broil Big Easy came along.First, brined ribs are hung on rib hooks and placed into the basket.
The first cook…
The ribs are cooked “naked” (no sauce, no rub) for 35 minutes.
Foiled and cooked some more…
Next, the ribs are rubbed and foiled (not shown here) and cooked for another 45 minutes.
Sauced and served…
I removed them from the foil, sauced them, and cooked them a bit longer. Sliced and served!
I’d make these ribs again. And again. You can fit 2 racks into the Big Easy (they have to be cut to fit as they have to be around 11″ or so or less in length).
2racks baby back ribscut to 11″ in length (or use 1 rack, cut in half and halve the remaining ingredients below). Remove the membrane from the backs of the ribs and trim any large chunks of fat.
Visit my other site, For The Wing, for all things chicken-wing!
I love chicken wings. Any flavor, any time, but in particular, I love wings with some kick. Not over-the-top, kick-me-in-the-gut hot, but just spicy enough to wake you up. These Cajun chicken wings with dipping sauce bring the heat thanks to Louisiana hot sauce.
I prefer to cook my wings in my Char-Broil The Big Easy TRU-Infrared Oil-less Turkey Fryer using the Wingin’ator 3000 modification, then finish them off on the grill to get a nice crunchy skin. But, they’re just as great cooked in the oven or on a grill. These Cajun chicken wings with dipping sauce are a delight no matter what you use to make them.
I love chicken wings. Any flavor, any time, but in particular, I love wings with some kick. Not over-the-top, kick-me-in-the-gut hot, but just spicy enough to wake you up. These Cajun chicken wings with dipping sauce bring the heat.
These crazy-good Hot Mess Cheeseburgers remind me a bit of one our favorites, pimento cheeseburgers. This kicked-up version comes from Chris over at Nibble Me This, a fantastic blog to follow. I highly recommend you pay Chris a visit. You’ll find other wonderful dishes like this one. We devoured this yummy burgers in no time. The cheese topping is fantastic. It’s definitely the star of the show!
Pick Your Favorite Cheeses
I used a mix of whatever cheeses I had on hand to make Hot Mess cheeseburgers. You don’t have to get picky. No matter what you use these burgers will turn out fantastic. Lots of cheese, and a little heat.
I recently discovered McClure’s pickles, and they are just fantastic. You see some of their pickle spears in the pic. The spicy varieties have a really nice heat to them. They taste fresh, and homemade. Oh, and you have to try their dill pickle relish. It is unlike that mass-produced relish. Once you’ve had it, you’ll never go back, that’s for sure.
We used a mix of whatever cheeses we had on hand. You don’t have to get picky. No matter what you use these burgers will turn out fantastic. Lots of cheese, and a little heat.
Chilled fresh pineapple topped with a mix of sweet (mango and honey) and heat (jalapeno and a little bite from the daikon radish and cilantro). This pineapple mango daikon salad is an excellent salad for a hot summer day. You can serve it with the pineapple chopped up, or use halved pineapple as a bowl as I did.
Pineapple Made Easy
Can’t find daikon? You can make this pineapple mango daikon salad with jicama instead.
To make the pineapple halve I started with a fresh, perfectly ripe pineapple. I use a pineapple corer to remove the core. I found a great inexpensive corer over on Amazon. Then I cut off the rind and cut the pineapple in halves. It’s a quick way to make a ‘bowl’ for this or any fresh fruit-based salad.
This pineapple mango daikon salad is an excellent salad for a hot summer day. You can serve it with the pineapple chopped up, or use halved pineapple as a bowl as I did.
1pineapplepeeled, cored, halved, each half then cut into 3 equal rounds (like little ‘boats’). Note: Wait until the above ingredients have chilled 30 minutes before cutting the pineapple.
Instructions
Whisk together the lime juice and zest, vinegar, honey, jalapeno, and salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl.
Add in the chopped mango, daikon and cilantro.
Stir and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
To serve, spoon mango mixture into the pineapple boats.
July 4th marks the beginning of corn season here in Indiana. It’s when the best corn starts to become available at our local farmer’s markets. Nothing beats fresh sweet corn (especially if it’s from My Dad’s Sweet Corn)… unless you have something even sweeter to put on it. These grilled corn disks with honey butter are easy to make and look and taste great.
Great. Now I’m Addicted To Corn Disks.
If you want to add more kick the honey butter on these grilled corn disks with honey butter, add a pinch or two of cayenne pepper and throw a few jalapeno rings in with them. Either way, they’re highly addicting. I eat them like popcorn. Weird, you cut corn into little disks and all of a sudden I can eat twice as much corn as I normally would. They are definitely delicious.
I recommend that you use a grill basket when making this dish. It makes cooking easier. And cleanup is easier too!
Nothing beats fresh sweet corn… unless you have something even sweeter to put on it. These grilled corn disks with honey butter are easy to make and look and taste great.