Spicy Shredded Beef Sandwiches!

Ever make something that you intended to be something else but it turned out pretty tasty anyway?    Yea?  OK, well that happened to me.  And I liked it!  I love happy accidents.  My history with BBQ anything, isn't stellar to begin with. 

Let me tell you about my preconceived notion of the letters B=B and Q.   My mind immediately goes to cheap, gross, BBQ sauce from a bottle that is swallowing up some mystery meat you throw on a bun. It drips, and your sandwich is soggy and you get enough BBQ sauce in one bite to make your will to live decrease by at least half. Ok so that might be a bit of a dramatization but you get what I am saying. I have one BBQ sauce I will eat and it is only available here in Nebraska that I am aware of and it is Cookies BBQ Sauce. 

When we were recently in Georgia, my husband saw this road side BBQ place.  "Ida Mae's, North Carolina Style BBQ".  He nearly had an accident pulling into the parking lot.  I, admittedly, am not a huge fan of the BBQ, anything.  However, I decided I would try it, to appease the hubs and heck, I might actually like it.  I was served up this pulled pork sandwich, not a lick of sauce to be found.  "Hey honey", I said, "I may just dig this place"!  He had his with coleslaw on top I had mine plain.  I raised my sandwich to my mouth and what I tasted was nothing short of divine!  In that moment I think all of my BBQ fear went away.  North Carolina BBQ..........mmmm-mmmmm-gooooddd!  Thanks  Miss Ida Mae!

So anyway, the point is, I accidentally grabbed a beef chuck roast instead of a pork one.  I decided to try it anyway.  Though it was NOTHING like Miss Ida Mae's it was pretty dang tasty and I deemed it good enough to share with all!  This admittedly has alot of ingredients.  I don't know what to say about that, but it turned out fab.  Make sure if you substitute ingredients you use something close in flavor.  I tried to add some alternatives to brands I used.  This is a bit spicy.  Cut out all the spicy stuff in red if you want it mild. 

 Dry Ingredients
2 tbsps Northwoods Seasoning from Penzeys Spices (any all purpose bbq seasoning)
1/2 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsps onion powder
1/2 tbsp dried parsley

Liquid Ingredients
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp ketchup
3 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp Worcestershire
2 tbsp hot sauce
1/2 cup beef stock or bouillon will work fine just dissolve cube in 1/2 cup water instead of 1 cup

1/3 cup hot sauce set aside for after meat is shredded.


4 lb chuck roast or roast of your choice
2 large onions sliced (optional)

Mix dry spices and herbs together in a small bowl  Repeat with wet ingredients in a separate bowl.  Put roast in the crock pot and salt liberally.  Pour liquid over the top and then sprinkle with the dry herbs.  If you choose to use onions, lay them on top and then let cook on high in the crock pot for 9-10 hours.  Using 2 forks shred meat. When meat is shredded add in hot sauce you set aside and combine completely.  It will be a little zap but nothing horribly spicy.  Top your sandwich with the slow cooked caramelized onions!  You can also serve some of your favorite BBQ along side for those who love it!

Enjoy!

Your "no BBQ sauce for me please" chefwannabe

Cody's Low Country Boil Ya'll!

We had a GREAT time in southern Georgia!  Laughter, love, memories, new beginnings, and FOOD!  Thank to our son and daughter-in-law for making our visit so warm, oh wait, mother nature did THAT part for us!  Anyway, thank you guys for making our trip comfortable, fun, and memorable, we love you both! 

Is there a reason non of you, my fantastic readers who are from GA didn't tell me how hot and HUMID it was?  I mean, I get it, even in Omaha we have horrendous humidity, the kind you walk outside and can't get your breath for a second, but THIS....holy moly, this was some kind of humidity!  I broke out in a rash "prickly heat" all over my arms, it was attractive for sure. NOT.  It rained almost everyday followed by the sun coming out and slowly steaming us alive!  I will never complain about humidity or heat again, never, never, never.  Well, at least not until next summer!

We had a great time, and visited Savannah and Kellers Flea Market which felt almost like being back in Jersey.  On our way back, George even got a North Carolina style BBQ sandwich from "Ida Mae" topped with coleslaw and he was in heaven.  In the parking lot was a fresh shrimp tent, so we nabbed 5 lbs and headed home for Cody to prepare us a delish traditional dish from his area.

He wants me to let you all know this is not a traditional low country boil.  He made it once from what he had on hand, and threw in a few extras and just liked it.  He didn't want his daughter to have to dig in her food to eat corn on the cob so he used frozen kernels.  He is like me, a big fan of eating certain things all mixed together and on the cob, you can't do that.  See he did get some of my traits through osmosis.  He also says you can do this with blue claw crabs, or change up the sausage, as he uses Italian and most use just a smoked sausage.  Anyway, he just wants ya'll (I use this word any chance I get, HA) to know this may not be your traditional recipe but it is his and he loves it! 

Let's get going on this one pot wonder!  By the way, there is a reason they sell shrimp with the heads already cut off, I do NOT enjoy popping heads off of shrimp.  Just for the record, ya'll......

Cody's Low Country Boil
8-10 cups water
1/4 cup seafood seasoning (check out Mr. Pete's Cajun Spices) You can adjust this to your personal taste
1 tbsp red pepper flakes (completely optional)
1 lb Italian Sausage (links or a ring cut into chunks)
2 lbs shrimp (fresh is best but frozen works well too)
3 lg potatoes (scrubbed and cut into 2-3 inch cubes or 2 lbs red new potatoes)
2 cups frozen corn kernels
2 cups green beans (fresh or frozen)

In a large pot add your water, seafood seasoning and red pepper flakes to a boil. 

Add in potatoes and sausage, boil for 10 minutes.  Add in corn and green beans.  Simmer for 10 more minutes.  Add in shrimp and cook 5-7 more minutes. 

Serve in a bowl with the broth.  Have some crusty bread on hand to dunk in the juice and enjoy...kind of like this.

Thank you for trotting down memory lane with me!  My son loves to cook and it was a complete pleasure to just sit back and watch exactly how much he DID learn from me! (and maybe his dad, MAYBE)

Your "though I hated the humidity, I LOVED the people of GA" chefwannabe

PS  He also made the most amazing crabcakes I have ever eaten.  As soon as I get his recipe, you will all get it too!

Dishes From Others That You Should Try!

Hello everyone!

When you are reading this, I am likely spending great family time with my son, his girlfriend and my husband.  I would guess we are laughing, eating, exploring and doing lots of chillin'!

I hope you are enjoying the lineup of guest blogs I have arranged.  I am proud and honored to have these women write a post to share with all of you.  It warms my heart that they would take time out of their lives to keep my readers fed with new recipes!

This is going to be a blog where I send you on a trip!  A trip to other blogs, specifically blog posts that include recipes I have tried myself!  Yes, I DO make other peoples recipes from time to time!  And a few of these are on my "to do" list! One that I am sharing with you is one I will be making for sure for my son.  Who cares if it is hot!  We WILL be having chicken and dumplings!!

Enjoy your trip around the blogiverse and make sure if you haven't "LIKED" these blogs on Facebook or joined up to follow them on their actual blogs that you do so!  I would never steer you wrong!

I can't wait to get back and cook again!

The Not So Desperate Chef Wife
http://www.the-not-so-desperate-chef-wife.com/2011/12/buffalo-chicken-dip.html

Southern Plate aka Christy Jordan's Southern Plate
http://www.southernplate.com/2008/07/how-to-make-southern-chicken-and.html

Toriology
http://blog.toriology.com/2011/10/10/roasted-red-potatoes.aspx

My Imperfect Kitchen
http://my-imperfect-kitchen.com/2012/07/15/buffalo-turkey-burgers/

It's Yumilicious!
http://itsyummi.com/zucchini-bacon-potato-pancakes/

This is just an article I found interesting as of late!
http://allwomenstalk.com/10-facts-about-how-colors-affects-our-appetite/

As a former floral designer, this really grabbed me .....EDIBLE FLOWERS!
http://shannonsshanonigins.blogspot.com/2012/07/bite-beautiful-blossom-edible-savory.html

Make sure to look through all the recipes at all of these blogs!  You will love that you did AND....you might find more new dishes to try!

I hope you are having a great day!!  Please keep posting pics of your food, questions and requests while I am away!  I will be reading each time I get a chance and would love to see everything you are cooking while I am away!

Your "Georgia On My Mind" Chefwannabe

Please welcome Sara from My Imperfect Kitchen.  Sara cooks meals that are fun, full of flavor and color and all around delicious.  She is a dear friend who I think you will love!  Make sure to visit her on Facebook as well!

Buffalo Turkey Burgers

We've loved these Buffalo Turkey Burgers since we first saw them in Rachel Ray's 365 Days No Repeats Cookbook. Over time, we've modified them to fit our tastes, but they're still our hands-down favorite way to make turkey burgers!

Simple ingredients make the taste of the turkey shine through. It's like Buffalo Wings on a bun! One taste and you'll be hooked too!

Start with a pound of ground turkey meat, some diced shallots, finely diced celery and a little ground nutmeg. Shhhhh, it's the secret ingredient! It adds that "this is good, but I can't quite place the flavor" element.

Yep, that's it. Just four ingredients for these fabulous burgers! Shape them into patties. A pound will make four nice patties. We only made three this time. I won't do that again, they were just too big!

We season them with McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning and grill five minutes per side.

Now, the not-so-healthy part of this equation. Melt equal parts butter and Franks Buffalo Wing sauce in a small pan over low heat. Once everything is melted, take the cooked burgers and coat them in the hot sauce mixture. Alternately, you could grill the burgers and simple top them with Franks Hot Sauce, leaving out the butter, but really... why would you do that? Butter makes the world better.

The toppings are simple too! A bit of blue cheese dressing on the bun, lettuce and red onion. It's a Buffalo Turkey Burger after all. I think blue cheese dressing is a requirement!

Serve them with a side salad or cut up carrots and celery! Perfect for a summer night when you're craving something spicy and a plate of hot wings just won't do it.

Buffalo Turkey Burgers

1 lb. ground Turkey (I used Jenni-O)

1 large shallot, finely diced

1 stalk of celery - with the leafy tops - finely diced

1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

2 tsp McCormick Montreal Grill Seasoning

4 TBLS butter

4 TBLS Franks Red Hot (or Buffalo Wing) Sauce

Mix the first four ingredients together in a bowl and shape into patties.

Sprinkle seasoning mix over the burgers and grill over medium heat for five minutes per side.

While the burgers are cooking, melt the butter and hot sauce together in a pan. When the burgers are finished, coat them in the hot sauce mixture.

Serve on whole wheat buns with blue cheese dressing, lettuce and red onion slices.

Enjoy!

MARGARITA ANGEL FOOD CAKE (OLE!) ~ Guest Post for Chef Wannabe

Hi there from me and all of the BITCHES* at Hot Dishes for Hot Bitches* (FB page)!  I am so not a baker. Too precise for me. I am a dash, pinch, skosh kinda cook.  I can clean out cupboards and a fridge and throw something together (usually turns out ok but then sometimes not so much) but baking scares the bleepers outta me!

I enlisted the help of my friend, Myra, who loves to bake and garden. I bribed her by saying I would cook dinner (second night in a row) if she would bake this baby up!  Well neither of us blogs, either sooooooooo, we forgot to take pictures during the process.  Yeah, we suck. We promise to do better if we are ever invited back (ever). 

Myra just moved in earlier this summer, and so was not entirely sure what utensils and things she had or tossed so at first we couldn't find the zester so I tried some piece off of a grater gadget. Didn't work so hot.  I then switched to a steak knife. SO TOTALLY DANGEROUS...don't do it (yes, I have all of my finger tips and finger nails; not the cake did NOT turn out red!).  Then we finally found the zester (ANGELS sang...NOW I know why it is called ANGEL FOOD CAKE! Always wondered, never knew!).  Made things a lot faster and ultimately, prettier, too!

Myra knocked out the cake, dinner (Thin-sliced Sirloin Tip steaks, cut for stir-fry, with basil pesto, sauteed red onion, topped with fresh garden tomatos over, not mixed in with, spiral pasta and garlic knots (store bought....duh! NOT A BAKER!!) was ready as it went into the oven.  We ate, and drooled over the aroma of the baking cake.  

As dinner ended, the cake was ready to come out (yup, managed to remember to take a picture of at least that!).

Well, the heat might have baked our brains a tad because we skipped over "COOL COMPLETELY" part (we were dying to try it and like the little 5 y/o girls we were, rushed things a bit) so it stuck to the pan and came out not so pretty (AGAIN: NOT A BAKER!!!)

Well at that point, since it was a glaze going on top and not frosting you can use to "hide" such calamity of errors, we decided it would be best to cut a piece and purdy it up for you! (taking it out of the pan made it deflate more than it should have; some deflation is supposed to happen, ours compressed a bit more than it should but still tasted amazing and lighter than it ended up looking (thankfully or this would be the How NOT to make a Margarita Angel Food Cake post!).

We glazed up the slice, put on extra lime zest, (since we had done all that darn work to get it off the limes in the first place!)and added a gorgeous piece of mint from Myra's yard to show off a bit (hey, we are allowed!). 

This cake is amaz-balls as Chef Wannabe says, and I plan to actually attempt it at home (OMG, call the medics to be on stand-by just in case, please!).  I hope you will enjoy this as much as we did between making it, decorating it and eating it as we did!

~Kari McLaughlin

Queen BITCH* of

Hot Dishes for Hot BITCHES* (FB page)

Margarita Angel Food Cake (OLE!)

CAKE:

1 cup cake flour (produces a light and airy cake)

1 1/2 cups sugar, divided

12 egg whites

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons grated lime peel (fresh is best)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice (fresh is best, not from that little plastic lime dealio)

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

GLAZE:

1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice (see above...USE FRESH)

1 1/2 tablespoons tequila OR 1 tablespoon water and 1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice (did I mention to use FRESH?)

1 1/2 tablespoons Triple Sec (liquor) (could use Grand Marnier for top shelf cake) OR orange juice (ok, fine, use the bottled kind if you want)

2 to 2 1/4 cups of powdered/confectioner's sugar

3 tablespoons butter, softened (not melted)

2 tablespoons grated lime peel (LAST TIME: USE FRESH (please/thank you!).

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F.  Whisk flour and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a small bowl.

2. Beat egg whites in large bowl on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes or until foamy.  Add cream of tartar and salt, beat until soft peaks form.  Add remaining 3/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat until stiff but not dry peaks form, being careful not to overbeat.  Beat in all remaining cake ingredients except flour mixture.

3.Sift 1/4 cup of the flour mixture over beaten egg whites; fold in with wide spatula.  Repeat, adding 1/4 cup flour mixture at a time and folding until no steaks of flour remain. Spoon batter into the ungreased 9-inch tube pan, smoothing top.  With knife blade, cut through batter in broad swirls, to break any air pockets.

4. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until cake is golden brown and springs back when lightly pressed.  INVERT pan (turn it upside down, literally/seriously) on legs of tube pan or onto neck of bottle (glass soda or wine bottle) to suspend above counter; COOL COMPLETELY (not hot, not warm but COOLED/COLD).  Run thin knife around center and edges of pan; invert cake onto wire rack.

5. Combine 1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice, tequila, triple sec, in medium bowl (if not using alcohol, this is where you sub out for the juices mentioned above).  Whisk in 2 cups of the powdered sugar, adding additional powdered sugar if necessary for glaze consistency.  Whisk in butter (SOFTENED (not melted)) and 2 teaspoons lime peel; spoon over cake. Let stand until glaze is set (yeah, right, like that will happen after all that baking and cooling time!). Cover and store at room temperature.

16 servings (if you are fairies or gnomes...)  (I'm a big girl who eats big girl slices!) :)

*Original recipe from Melanie Barnard, a cookbook author and writer from Connecticut

Guest Post - It's Yummilicious! Coffee Rubbed Turkey Burgers!

Hi Everyone!  As Chris may have already mentioned, my name is Becca.  I've been given the tremendous honor of posting a recipe for you while Chris is off vacationing with her family this week!  When I heard that she was looking for some help, I jumped up and down and waved my arms around in the air because she’s helped me out on SO many occasions that I wanted to be first in line to help HER out for a change!  I'm hopeful that she’s having a blast and will return to her kitchen refreshed, renewed, and ready for more fun!

Chris asked me if I would make up something with a coffee rub to show all of you today.  Apparently, she must have a fear of cooking with coffee, which I can appreciate, but totally don’t get.  I mean, let’s call it what it is…it’s coffee.  It’s a cup of black, liquid gold.  A jolt-you-out-of-bed cup of loveliness!  What’s to fear?  OK, this is GROUND coffee, but it’s really harmless and OH SO DELICIOUS!  Coffee adds a depth of flavor that perks up anything it’s paired with.  Like these turkey burgers!

Over at It's Yummilicious, I try to share a balance of healthy and sinfully delicious recipes.  Be that as it may, I TYPICALLY tend to lean a little more towards the sinful side, primarily because I love baking so much.  However, I snapped the elastic on another pair of stretchy pants a couple of weeks ago, forcing me to take a cold hard look in the mirror and I did NOT like what I saw.  I decided that I have been eating “all things in moderation” very well, so I’ve put myself on a healthy eating plan for a while.  That’s why this recipe for coffee rubbed turkey burgers is so awesome.   The burgers are packed with spices and grilled up until they’re juicy and incredibly Yummilicious.  The very best part of the deal is that you can fix these burgers up with any toppings of your choice.  If you like the flavors of good BBQ, add a little sauce to the top of your burgers.  If you’re a cheesy person, stuff these babies with some shredded or crumbled cheese… YUM!  In my particular case, BACON was calling my name, but I just wanted to be able to taste the tender turkey in all of its java-loaded glory, so I stuck with the basics…. a little yellow mustard, some lettuce and tomato.  WHAM BAM… a big grand slam!

COFFEE RUBBED TURKEY BURGERS:
yield: 4 burgers, 4 ounces each (weight before cooking)

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound lean ground turkey, divided equally 4 ways and formed into patties
1 Tablespoon ground coffee beans
2 teaspoons brown sugar2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, finely ground
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

DIRECTIONS:

In a spice grinder, food processor, or using a mortar & pestle, combine all of the spices. (If you don’t have any of those tools, place the spices into a zip-top plastic bag and close the top.  Use a rolling pin to crush and blend the spices together.

Liberally apply the seasoning blend to both sides of each patty.  Rub the spices in so that it will form a nice crust when you cook it.

The burgers can be grilled, fried in a pan, or even cooked under a broiler.  Be sure to use proper food safety practices by cooking them until the juices run clear and the internal temperature reaches at least 165 degrees for optimal safety.     

Asiago Asparagus, Guest Blog from The Fountain Avenue Kitchen

It is such a pleasure to be a guest in FoodThoughtsOfaChefWannabe's kitchen!  I have long admired Christine for her sense of humor, witty writing style, and delicious recipes.  When she requested my Asiago asparagus recipe, I was only to happy to oblige.  

Asiago cheese is a wonderful alternative to Parmesan and ramps up the flavor of simply roasted asparagus beautifully.  This is one of those easy side dishes that doesn't taste easy!  Lemon slices make a pretty garnish.  

And because I am always looking to stretch a meal or reinvent leftovers, I like to make extra for another night and toss with sliced grilled chicken, fresh pasta, tomatoes and a handful of mixed greens.  Drizzle with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and another grating of Asiago and you will have an amazing meal in a snap!

Asiago Asparagus:

asparagus, tough ends snapped off

olive oil

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

about 1/2 cup asiago cheese per bunch of asparagus, or to taste

lemon slices, optional

Place asparagus on a greased baking sheet and coat lightly with olive oil.  I like to use my olive oil mister. You want just enough to make the salt and pepper stick but not enough to make it soggy.  Sprinkle asparagus with the salt and pepper to taste.  Bake at 400 degrees.  Depending on thickness, this could take anywhere between 6-12 minutes.  Don't hesitate to prick the thick end with the tip of a knife to check.  The asparagus should be slightly undercooked at this point.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with asiago cheese.  Broil for 1-2 minutes, watching closely, or until cheese is melted and turning golden brown.

Squeeze a bit of lemon juice overtop and garnish with lemon slices, if desired.

And THIS is what she does with leftovers!

Make sure to visit Ann over @ The Fountain Avenue Kitchen or find her @ The Fountain Avenue Kitchen on Facebook.  Thank you Ann, I can't wait to try this, and I appreciate you sharing your talent with my readers while I am away!