Crock Pot Red Beans & Rice

Well hello there. I know it has been a good while since I've updated the blog. You see most of what I have been cooking lately has been so simple that I thought it unblogworthy. But, then thinking about it, I figured that is really one of the purposes of this blog - cooking simple recipes that are good to eat.

So here is what you will need:

• 1 pound dry red beans
• 1 pack of seasoning blend veggies
• 1 pound sliced country sausage
• 1 piece of smoked ham hock
• 6 cups of reduced salt chicken stock

Dump all the contents in the crock pot and cook on high for six hours, then check to see that beans are soft. As it cooks, check your stock to see if you have enough, as the beans will soak up the liquid. It should be enough, but check it just in case.

When done, serve over rice.

George Foreman Stuffed Chicken Breast

Okay, this may be one of the best things ever. We are going back to the Lean Mean Grilling Machine for stuffed chicken breast on this episode. This is a really simple recipe that you should give a try.

What you will need:

• Boneless chicken breast (butterfly cut to add the stuffing)
• Shitake mushrooms (sliced pretty finely and sauteed on the stove top with Cholula hot sauce and squirt butter)
• Smoked bacon (pre-cooked)
• 4 cheese Mexican blend
• Seasoning to taste (I used a Cajun blend)

Stuff the chicken with the cheese, mushrooms and bacon. Secure with a toothpick or string, then place on the George Foreman for about 12 minutes. Take it off and enjoy!

NOTE: Be careful with your salt addition. Remember, the bacon has salt. The seasoning I used had a good bit of salt, so I probably would use a different brand or back off next time around.

Cooker Cleaning Tip: Some people complain about cleaning the cooking plates of the George Foreman. After you take the food item off the cooker, cover the cooking surface with a double layer of wet paper towel and close the lid. Let the cooker cool, then remove the paper towel and wipe down again with a new one. Basically, it steam cleans the plates. Makes for an easy clean up after cooking.

Here's the show...

Blackened Tilapia

Here is a stupid simple recipe that eats like a fancy restaurant. If you've got about 15 minutes, you have enough time to do this one from start to finish. It is Cajun blackened tilapia on the George Foreman Lean Mean Grilling Machine... Check out the video and enjoy.

The Quest For The Perfect Pool Hall Chili Dog

Come with me if you will on a quest to create the perfect pool hall chili dog. This is my second attempt, and it turned out mighty good. But, this is a long journey where patience will reward us with a dog like none other. Check out the video of my second shot.

What you’ll need:

1.2 pounds of ground sirloin beef (you know how the grocery store never gives you a pack with an even pound)
1 medium to large onion, chopped pretty finely
1 can of Rotel (not drained despite what I say in the video)
4 Tablespoons of yellow mustard
2 teaspoons of sugar
2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar, spilling a little off the spoon
3 teaspoons of chili powder

Brown the beef and onion in a skillet, then drain very well. Add to another pot with the other ingredients and bring to a boil, then simmer for an hour or two. Brown Nathan’s all beef franks on a skillet, splayed open so they can act as a cradle for the chili. Then serve the dog and chili on a bun toasted with some butter and a touch of garlic powder. It is quite tasty, but I still have not gotten the tomato end of the deal just right.

Frank's Beef Short Ribs

OK, we are going back to the tagine this week with some awesome short ribs. Pretty simple recipe and it turned out to be great. While you have to deal with the gristle on the bone of the ribs, the meat is very tender and some kind of good. I used a tagine spice blend that is subtle and savory and leaves your lips warm with spice after you've enjoyed the dish. As a side, I did a pack of rice, which I dumped in with the stock and veggies. It was awesome as well, and the fat in the rice and juices coats your mouth like a fine steak will do. It is one of the best things ever.

What you'll need:

A pack of beef short ribs
2 heads of green onions chopped
About a 1.5 cup of carrots
8 Oz pack of shitake mushrooms
Tagine spice blend
And a splash of red wine

Check out the video...

Frank's Hawt Wangs

That's what we call buffalo wings down south. Here is a great (fall-off-the-bone) recipe using my tagine cooker. Also, you'll note some editing in this episode. I am learning how to work with Microsoft Movie Maker - pretty simple actually.

Playing With The Mino

Just got a new flip video mino. Check out this stupid simple recipe shot on the mino.

Southwest Meat Pie

Here is a quick and easy little recipe for Southwest style meat pies (for lack of a better term). All you need is canned biscuits (the kind that pop open under pressure and scare you) Flatten them out and add taco-mix beef or chicken, Mexican Rotel and cheese. Pop them in the oven for 10 mins. at 400 degrees and you've got a great dish. And, you could use just about any kind of fillings for variations of this dish.

Southwest Meat Pie Taste Test

Here is a quick clip showing the meat pie done and me sampling it. After taking them out of the oven, let them sit a few minutes to cool down. Then you can eat them with your hands and not scald the roof of your mouth like I did. Quite good, and again, you can use just about any filling with this recipe.

Honeycrisp Hen

Here is a great little dish I cooked up this weekend. It is super simple to do and combines the great flavor of apples and Cornish hen. And not just any apple - the great Honeycrisp apple. I stuffed the bird with apple slices and cooked it in a tagine cooker over a bed of sliced portobello mushrooms. It was one of the best things ever. Check out the prep video below.

Honeycrisp Hen Ready To Serve

Here is a short clip, peering into the tagine cooker as the Cornish hen is cooked and ready. I cooked the bird about 2 hours and 45 minutes on low heat. I served the hen and mushrooms with mashed potatoes. I mixed in a little of the stock from the pan in with the potatoes. OMG, it was great.

Smoked Eye Round Beef

I know what your thinking. You can't go and slow smoke an eye round roast. That don't make sense. Well, after finding the store didn't have brisket, I decided to give it a whirl. It turned out pretty darn good. With the seasoning and smoke, the flavor was outstanding. It came off the smoker less tender than I'd like, but the next day it was more tender for whatever reason.

I cooked it a little longer than I should I think (six hours). I'd check it around 5 hours - it would probably be about the right rareness. All in all, I was quite pleased with it.

Eye Round Looks Good

I must say the eye round grew on me. This shot is the morning after I cooked it and it seemed to have gotten better overnight in flavor and tenderness. I sliced it thin and it is quite tender now and full of great flavor. I'd venture to say it could be one of the best things ever. Enjoy.

Southern Comfort Artichoke Soup

This one is a bone warmer and stupid simple to make. This artichoke soup recipe is at the very "heart" (he he) of my cooking philosophy. Keep it simple stupid (KISS). That suits me well. In other words, this is a recipe that has few ingredients (like seven or so) and doesn't require a ton of work. This soup is one of those, yet it is super good.

Here's what you need:
One can family size Campbell's Cream of Chicken
One small can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom and Roasted Garlic
One can quartered artichoke hearts
One can Original Rotel
One head green onions chopped up
One 8-ounce pack of mushrooms
Chicken broth to make soup more soupy.

Dump it all in a pot and bring to a slow boil and simmer for 3-4 hours. Start adding chicken broth slowly as the cream of soups will liquefy more than you might think as they warm up. As it heats up, add broth to your liking. Give it a try.

Soup's up

Here the artichoke soup is about done. Again, remember to bring this up to a slow boil and simmer. The cream of soups will stick to the pot if you get it too hot. Give it a try and enjoy this bone-warming soup!

Stuffed Southwest Portobello Mushrooms

I decided to give stuffed mushrooms a try. Never done it before, but they turned out great. Give it a try and enjoy!

Cookers Note: I probably could have added a little more garlic. And, when I do this again, I will experiment with Rotel tomatoes with lime juice and cilantro. Some kind of good!

Southwest Stuffed Portobell Mushrooms Are Done

Well indeed, they are one of the best things ever. Simple to do and so good. I did play with the time a bit. About halfway through the cooking time of 25 mins., I dropped the temp from 375 closer to 350.