Bacon Wrapped Honey Dipped Figs - 13 Appetizers - Bacon Wrapped

 OH YUM!

These are such a hit for any party.  Sweet Figs with their chewy texture... Remember Fig Newtons as a kid... These have that familiar taste, dressed up with almonds, honey and cheese!

They are very easy to make, great for kids to assemble.

Baking in an oven or alternatively "baking" in a grill converted to an oven makes them easy to cook.  Ever wonder how restaurants get that flat perfect look for a slice of bacon... They bake em.

No trick, just bake until you get the correct look of crispy cooked through bacon.  A bit of the bacon drippings ends up inside the fig to add to the flavor.

A terrific easy to make party snack that will have your guests thrilled!  Timing these right so they pop out of the oven just as the guests arrive, add a drink and a fig and the party begins!

Enjoy indeed!

 OK... Here's what I did...

Bacon Wrapped Honey Dipped Figs

Ingredients

• 24 Fresh Figs
• 24 (half) tsp Honey
• 24 tsp Goat Cheese
• 24 (half) tsp Slivered Almonds
• 24 (Half) slices of Bacon

Cooking Directions

1. Prepare the figs, slice partially through each fig to the center, open each to show a pocket.
2. In a small mixing bowl, add the Honey, Goat Cheese, and Almonds and stir to thoroughly evenly  mix and combine
3. Add 1 rounded tsp of the honey cheese mix to the cavity you made in the figs and close them up with little spilling out the edges.
4. Wrap each fig with a half piece of bacon.
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil overlapping the rims (for easy clean up.  Some of the honey will drip on the sheet and bake hard for VERY difficult clean up).  Arrange the figs on the sheet with the loose end of the bacon side down.
6. Alternatively, if you are grilling, set your coals for indirect grilling (HOT Coals on one side of the bottom with a "cold" side with no coals under the grate.  Add a disposable aluminum pan with 1 inch water in the bottom under the cooking grate.  Arrange the wrapped figs on the grate over the water.  Close the lid and use your grill as an oven to "bake" the figs.
7. Bake for 15 minutes.  Check the color of the bacon and continue to bake until you reach that cooked bacon look and the bacon has crisped and cooked thoroughly.
8. Remove from the oven, drain on a paper towel, Serve warm and ENJOY!

Rosemary Herb Bread - 10 Minute Bread machine Easy - 13 Bread Machine Recipes

By 10 minutes, I do not mean you can have fresh made bread in 10 minutes, I mean 10 minutes, hands on effort and you have a loaf of fresh made herb bread.  Nothing fills your home with great cooking smells like fresh made bread.  There is time in the bread machine, then you form the loaf and allow it to rise for 40 minutes and then baking time.  SO it is actually a three hour loaf of bread that you only have to work 10 minutes to achieve!

It's easy...

It NEVER fails...

And it is beyond delicious.

OK, first of course you need a bread machine.  Easy to find and if you plan ahead, brand new ones are always on sale.  Me, I bought mine at a Goodwill store for $10.  Personally, I am not a big fan of bread actually baked in a bread machine.  Odd shape, crust a bit just wrong and it simply looks  like a cheat.

BUT, there is a setting on all bread machines that reads "Dough".  Mine is setting number 7.  This setting does all of the leg work of making a loaf of bread.

It Mixes.

It kneads

And it is a warm environment where the bread dough rises perfectly every time!

This is my formula for what I call Herb "Eng" Bread.  Named for my beloved cat who passed away almost 2 years ago.  Eng, who has a sister named Chang, named from the biography my wife was reading 12 years ago when they found us.  Eng was my kitchen cat.  He loved to sit on the counters and watch as I made dinner.  Kneading bread was a personal favorite of his... But I digress...

It is a French loaf of bread, just a little sweeter than normal (like my cat).

One tip, rather than cook by time, I like to insert a remote prob thermometer (same I use when I cook meat).  I bake my bread to 190 degrees.  I do time it also, but I usually need to continue baking for a few minutes.

And if you really want to impress the Mother-In-Law, while you are baking the bread, take a few whole heads of garlic, lop off the top, drizzle Olive Oil into the opening, sprinkle some herbs, seal in aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes (a bit longer than the time it takes to bake the bread, but it is worth it!).

Another great touch is to add an egg wash (you will get that beautiful color from the wash.  It also makes it easy to add a few pinches of fresh (or fried) cut spices.  I was making Rosemary, so I added about 2 TBS of cut fresh Rosemary after the egg wash.

You also want to make a few 3/4 inch deep slices into the loaf before you bake but after you do the egg was.  If you do not, the bread will split at some point to allow steam to escape.  The slits allow you to control the look.  It gets the beautiful colors and look of a true artisan loaf of bread.

So incredibly easy, never fails and it sure sets the tone for a special day!

OK, here's the recipe...

1 cup Water (warm, about 105 degrees
2 TBS Butter softened to room temperature
1 egg
3 cups All Purpose Flour
1/4 cup Whole Wheat flour
1/3 cup Sugar
1 tsp salt
3 tsp instant yeast (They also call it bread machine yeast)
2 TBS Fresh or Dried Herbs (Rosemary, Chives... I make my own blend I call "Not Your Grandmother's Herbes de Provence"

• Place all the ingredients in the bread machine, select "dough" and allow to run the entire cycle
• Dump out onto lightly floured surface,  Shape each into a cylinder loaf
• Place on silipat or Parchment Paper, preheat a pizza stone and the oven to 375 degrees.  If you do not have a pizza stone, you can bake on a cookie sheet.  But the stone will help a crusty bottom.  BUT, be sure to have the stone pre-heated for at least 30 minutes.
• Do an egg wash on the loaf and sprinkle a topping (I like garlic or Onion flakes... or course Sea Salt is great as well.  For this, I used fresh cut Rosemary)
• Allow a second rise for 40 minutes (Cover and keep the loaf away from a draft.  Try to place in a warm spot)
• Bake in pre-heated 375 degree oven for 15-18 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees, until golden brown.

If you have the time, slice, drizzle with Olive Oil, Fry up to toast and top with the roasted garlic.

Now this is Mother-in-Law intimidation!

Lemony Artichoke and Crab Meat Dip - 13 Appetizers - Dips

This is my GO TO recipe when I need to bring something to impress.

A rich lemony mixture of Lemons and Cream Cheese made smooth with a bit of mayo.  This is very addictive.  Don't be surprised when your guests flock to the dip bowl and hang out until it's gone.

The dip is very easy to make.  Simply mix well and a quick bake to heat and get that golden brown and delicious look.

I even have a little bonus recipe for you...

For the baked tortilla chips, simply buy some flour tortillas.  Cut into edge shapes.  Brush each wedge with butter and season with taco seasoning.
Lay each wedge in a single layer on a cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes until the wedges have started to dry out and crisp.

Serve alongside the dip for extra bragging rights.

This is such a winner.  Perfect for any small dinner party, big family get together, the church ladies will be green with envy if you bring this to the church PotLuck and of course a great "game day" snack for your Super Bowl party!

 OK... Here's what I did...

Artichoke Lemon and
Crab Dip

Ingredients

• 2 Packages (8 ounce each) Cream Cheese, softened to Room Temperature
• 1-1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
• 4 Cloves Garlic, minced and smashed to a paste
• 1 Jar (14 Ounces) Artichoke Hearts, Quartered packed in Oil, drained and chopped to half dime size.
• 2 Cans Crabmeat, carefully picked clean of shells and squeezed to drain, chopped
• Juice and zest of 1 Lemon
• 4 Green Onions, diced, whote and green parts.
• 1 Cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
• Pinch each of salt and pepper
  Optional, add Taco seasonings or Creole/Cajun Spices for a seasonal dish
• Additional Lemon slices for garnish
• Additional Green onions for garnish
• Serve with Baked Tortilla chips

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine cream cheese and mayonnaise in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Using the paddle attachment, add the minced garlic paste, artichoke hearts, crabmeat, lemon zest and juice as well as the chopped green onions and Parmesan cheese with the seasonings.  Mix on low for a full minute until thoroughly combined and evenly mixed.
3. Spoon mixture into an attractive shallow baking dish (I like to use a fancy Pie Plate for this... Just the right size.  Bake for 30 minutes until top just starts to brown.
4. Garnish with lemon slices and additional chopped green onions.  Serve hot with baked tortilla chips and ENJOY!

Honey Teriyaki Chicken Wings - 13 Chicken Wings Recipes

I do love Chicken Wings!

And these are just about as good as they get.

Fried first to insure a crisp skin.

Then flavored with a sauce that is honey sweet, with Earthy complex Teriyaki Asian flavors and all spiced up with a bit of Red Heaven - Sriracha Sauce (The red Rooster hot sauce).

And finally, baked to a crisp and slightly caramelized final product.

Worthy of the finest bar snack menu.
Worthy to serve to your best buds for half time of the greatest game of your life.

Just a quick tip, these can easily become a terrific dish to take for a tailgate party.  Once sauced and crisped up, dump into a crock pot and off you go.  They will lose a bit of crispness in the waiting, but are still wonderful.

You can also add these to a tailgating menu.  Especially if you have a grill.  Simply cook them as directed through step 8 below... That is, flour, fry and sauce the wings.  Then wrap them tightly in aluminum foil and store in an ice chest (no ice) until ready to finish cooking.  Then set your grill for indirect heat (Coals on one side, no heat source under the opposite side) and use your grill as an oven for the final step of crisping and caramelizing the sauce on the wings.

You will be the hit of the tailgate party!

OK... Here's what I did...

Honey Teriyaki
Chicken Wings

Ingredients

• 20 Chicken Wings, cut apart, drummettes and wingettes
• 1 Cup Flour
• 1 TBS Cornstarch
• Canola Oil to fill a large heavy bottomed Skillet (Cast Iron works great) about 1/2 inch from bottom
• FOR THE SAUCE -
  1-1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
• 1/2 Cup Garlic Rice Wine Vinegar (Cooking wine)
• 1/3 Cup Honey
• 2 TBS Garlic Powder
• 2 TBS Sugar
• 2 TBS Sriracha Hot Sauce

Cooking Directions

1. Heat the Canola Oil over medium high heat until you reach the "Popping Stage" (when you add drops of water to the oil and it starts to POP)/
2. Dry each chicken wing with a paper towel.
3. In a ZipLock bag, add the flour and cornstarch (Shake to mix).  Then add the chicken wings, seal and shake to coat.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
5. Work in batches, add 1/2 of the coated wings to the oil.  Do not crowd the wings, allow them to have their space, not touching the other wings.  Fry for 8 minutes, flip the wings and fry the other side for another 8 minutes.
6. Repeat with second batch.
7. While the wings are cooking, prepare the sauce.  In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients for the sauce.  whisk well to combine.
8. When all batches of wings have been fried, add the wings to the bowl with the sauce and mix to evenly coat each wing.
9. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with aluminum foil (for easy clean up).  Place the wings on the sheet, again giving space, not touching.
10. Bake for 15 minutes until the skin begins to crisp up and caramelize.
11. Serve Hot with a Blue Cheese or cool Ranch dipping sauce and ENJOY!

Peppercorn Beef Ribs - World's Most Moist and Tender - 13 HIT Tailgating Recipes - Meat

OK... Add this to my list of the greatest foods I have ever eaten.  And actually move this to the top!

NO JOKE, these are about as good as it gets.

 Simply WOW... This may be the most complicated recipe I have ever attempted.  Brining, Confit, Searing, roasting and more taking at least 3 days (actual hands on working time, much less than an hour or so).  But, if you are looking for a meal to impress, something special for a dinner party, These ribs are for you!

And a BTW... I recently made these a second time at a tailgate party for a WORLD CHAMPION Kansas City Royals ball game.  I Did all the steps at home until the last.  I brought the dutch oven with the ribs inside to the game, set up my trusty Weber Grill and baked them using indirect heat (Coals bunched up on one side while the opposite side was left without direct heat).  With the lid on, Ribs were then baked until ready (about 15 minutes)... The HIT of the game (sadly, the Royals were not as successful, but that's just one of 162 games!

OK... Here's what I did...

Peppercorn Crusted Beef
Short Ribs

Ingredients

• Olive Oil as Needed, about 3-1/2 Cups, divided
• 1 Red Onion, Halved equatorially
• 1 Gallon Water
• 1 Cup Kosher Salt
• 1/4 Cup Sugar
• 1 Cup plus 2 TBS Black Peppercorns, toasted
• 2 TBS Corriander Seeds, toasted
• 2 TBS Fennel Seeds, toasted
• 3 Fresh Bay Leaves
• 1 Lemon, Halved
• 1 - 8 Pound Bone in Beef Short Rib Rack (Whole Ribs from the Center Cut Preferred)
• 1/2 Cup dry Green Peppercorns, Toasted
• 1/4 Cup Pink Peppercorns, toasted
• 1/4 Cup White Peppercorns, toasted
• Served with Fish Sauce as a condiment, to taste

Cooking Directions

1. Brine the Short Ribs (at least 72 hours (3 days - 2 days to brine, 1 day for the confit rub) before cooking the ribs) - Set a medium heavy saute pan over medium-high heat and slick it with 1 TBS Olive Oil/  Once the oil is hot, lay the onion halves cut side down in the pan.  Sear the onion for 8 minutes until blackened.
2. Pour the water into a nonreactive container.  Stir in the kosher salt, and sugar until desolved.  Add the burnt onion, 2 TBS black peppercorns, and the coriander and fennel seeds.  Bruise the bay leaves and add them to the brine.  Squeeze the lemon halves into the brine, tossing the lemons in as well.  Submerge the beef short ribs into the brine.  Transfer the container into the refrigerator and chill for 48 hours.
3. Confit the Peppercorns (12-24 hours before serving cooked ribs) - Place 1 cup black peppercorns, along with the green, pink and white corns in a medium pot and pour in 3 cups of Olive Oil.  Set the pot over low heat and bring the oil to a light simmer.  Once simmering gently, cook the peppercorns for 20 minutes or until the pink peppercorns smash easily. when pressed.  Remove from the heat and let the confit cool to room temperature.
   Cover the pot and refrigerate for 12 hours (Will store in the fridge for up to a month).
4. Make and Apply the Rub (12-24 hours before serving cooked ribs) - Remove the confit from the fridge and let stand until room temperature.  Drain the peppercorns from the oil and smash in a large mortar and pestle until a wet gravel like paste forms.  Add additional oil as needed to achieve the consistency of wet sand.   Alternatively you can pulse the peppercorns in a food processor.
   Remove the ribs from the brine and thoroughly dry with paper towels.  Slather the Beef ribs with the confit paste (the meaty side).  Place the ribs on a cooling rack  set over a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate.  Let the meat rest for 12 to 24 hours. or until the rub hardens and feels leathery to the touch.
5. Steam Roast the Ribs (1 hour before roasting) - One hour before roasting, remove the beef ribs from the fridge and allow the them to come to room temperature.  Preheat the oven to 350 degree.
   Place the ribs peppercorn side up in a large dutch oven  or a deep roasting pan.  Seal the pot or pan with a double layer of aluminum foil before securing the lid.  Slide the pot onto the center rack and roast for 3 hours or until the meat is plump and bouncy.  Each hour check to see if there is any liquid in the bottom of the pot.  If dry, add a splash of liquid to steam the beef.
   After 3 hours, remove the dutch oven from the stove.  Remove the cover but let the aluminum foil stay sealed.  Let the meat rest in the steam for another hour.
6. Section and Sear the Ribs (When ready to eat (Finally)) - Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
   Set a heavy Saute pan or Cast Iron skillet over medium high heat.  Swirl in enough  olive oil to cover 1/2 inch.  Once the oil is shimmering hot, place the ribs in the pan with the peppercorn side submerged.  Sear at a steady sizzle for 4-5 minutes, or until brown and just starts to crisp.  While searing, be sure to roll the meat on it's arch so the meat browns evenly all the way across the rubbed surface.
   Once the crust has formed, transfer back to the Dutch Oven, removing the lid and roast for an additional 15 minutes for the crust to set hard without burning.
   remove from oven, allow to rest for 10 minutes... Serve HOT and ENJOY!

Spinach and Artichoke Mac and Cheese - 13 Macaroni and Cheese Recipes

 This is a little bit of a book review along with a recipe (Posted for review).

The recipe comes from The Chopped Cookbook: Use What You've Got to Cook Something Great .  This is the cookbook, published by the folks at the Food Network and based on their hit TV Series, Chopped.

BUT WAIT, before you pre-judge, this book does not feature odd combinations (Steak and Jelly Beans), Instead the book features recipes that use mostly items in your pantry.  Now, I am a coupon and "what's on Sale" shopper.  If I get a great deal and I happen to have used the item in the past, I will pick up a can, jar or frozen item just because it's on sale.  So, my pantry is pretty well stocked.  But even the hobbiest cook with only a sparsely stocked pantry will find great ideas with only a small number of ingredients to buy.

Like this dish.

I had everything in my pantry except the Artichoke Hearts.  You may need to add the Mozzarella and the Spinach to your shopping list but this dish is worth the effort.

Everyone loves Mac and Cheese.  And this one rates up there with the best.  The flavor combination comes from a likely spot... The famous Spinach and Artichoke Hearts Dip.  Made famous in countless Happy Hour menus and deservedly so.  Delicious.

Very easy to make, the sauce takes just about as much time as it does to cook up the pasta.  Reheats very well.  Best to add an extra bit of whole milk just before reheating.

Makes a great side dish... Can also be used as a Vegetarian main dish.  The leftovers are great for a quick reheat lunch and most of all...

Delicious! Enjoy!

 OK... Here's what I did...

Spinach and Artichoke Dip Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

• 4 TBS (1/2 Stick) Butter
• 1 Large Onion, Chopped
• Finely Ground Black Pepper (To Taste)
• 1/3 Cup All Purpose Flour
• 6 Cups Milk
• 1 (10 Ounce) package Frozen Spinach, thawed, Chopped, then drained and squeezed as dry as possible
• 1 (9 ounce) package Frozen Artichoke Hearts, Chopped, then Thawed and Drained
• 1-3/4 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• 1 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
• 2 TBS Extra Virgin olive Oil

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 Degrees, Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion, 2-1/2 tsp salt and a couple of turns of pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until golden, about 6 minutes. Stir in the flour until combined.
3. Whisk in the milk and bring to a simmer.
4. Start the pasta and cook according to the package directions, EXCEPT, cook 1 minute less for Al Dente texture. The pasta will finish cooking in the sauce during baking. Drain when time is up, return drained pasta to large pasta pot.
5. Back to the sauce, while the pasta is cooking, add the spinach and artichoke hearts and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the mozzarella, remove from heat and transfer sauce to the pasta pot. Stir to evenly mix.
6. Transfer the pasta to a large 3-1/2 quart baking dish.
7. Toss the Panko bread crumbs with the olive oil. Sprinkle these on the top of the pasta in the baking dish.
8. Bake until the filling is bubbly and the Panko is golden, about 40 minutes,
9. Serve Hot and ENJOY!

WORLD's BEST Guacamole with Secret Ingredient - 13 Appetizers - Dips

Really Really good Guacamole... What could be better?

Really Really bad Guac... Well, we've all had it.  But we continue to order guacamole 'cause the times when you find that really really good guac is worth the bad times.

There are a few trick to making fresh made and having people proclaim yours as... "The World's Best"!

The first "Trick" is to make a really flavorful Pico de Gallo.  In simplest terms, Guacamole is simply a combination of Crushed Avocados with Pico de Gallo.  It makes sense, more flavorful Pico makes a more flavorful Guac.

SO... Here's an easy and fast way to make the most flavorful Pico...

Start with your Onions (Pico de Gallo is a combination of Onion, Tomato and Cilantro (The colors of the Mexican flag), flavored with Lime Juice.  Dice your onion and put in a big bowl.  Then work your limes.  First zest all three (there is more flavor in the zest than in the juice).  Then juice your limes.

An easy way to get the most juice out of a lime without a lot of effort (and gadgets) is...

Slice the nipple end of the lime off (about 1/5th of the lime); just enough to get a good opening but not so deep that you reach seeds.  The "non" nipple end is where the lime is connected to the branches of the lime tree.  That end has the fibers that are more firmly connected.  By juicing from the end with the less solid fiber connections, the lime releases more of it's juices.

So, to get the most juice without lots of effort and gadgets, slice that end off, put in a fork (see photo) and twist as you squeeze.  Then move the fork to a different area of the lime and continue to squeeze with one hand and twist with the fork.  Continue until you have as much of the juice out as possible.  The three limes will get about 3/4 of a cup.  Enough to give a very good coating of the onion (remember them, they were in the bowl while you were zesting and juicing over 'em).

OK, now let the bowl rest for 10 minutes.  What is happening during those 10 minutes is the acid in the juice actual cooks the onions.  They gently soften and they actually begin to pickle.  If you were to use red onions instead of the white sweet that I used during the photo session you would begin to see then take on that pinkish "pickled red onion" look.  This is actually changing the taste of the onion.  Allowing just that few extra minutes is enough to add a new layer of flavor!

But just because the onions are resting in the juices does not mean you are resting...

During that 10 minutes, start cutting the tomatoes.  Small dice, just a little bigger than the size of the onions.  Pull the leaves of the cilantro and chop them (not too much chopping, you don't want minced herbs, just chopped).

As to the spice, traditionally that means Jalapeno Peppers.  Here's the deal on Jalapenos... The Green part is not as hot as the seeds and the white membrane.  For me, I prefer just the green part and I always remove not just the seeds, but also the white rib parts.  If you want HOT HOT HOT... just dice up a whole Jalapeno seeds, ribs and all and add,  If you want mildly spiced, just the green part.  Make sense?

And finally, the secret ingredient... A small can of crushed pineapple.  Juice and all.  Add this to your pico and you get not only the HOT spice of the Jalapeno but also a hint of the natural sweetness of the pineapple.  A deliciously beautiful combination that joins in with the herbaceous Earthiness of the onions and tomatoes (and Cilantro).

Last tip is the consistency.  Some folks like a chunky Guac.  Simply mash the avocado with a potato masher.  You will have chunks.  If you like it smooth (as I do), use a food processor.

Guacamole is about the easiest thing to make.  It is ideal to take as a sharing dish for any potluck or big meal.  Universally loved... This recipe and these techniques will have your friends and family proclaiming your Guacamole as the BEST in the WORLD!!!

OK... Here's what I did...

WORLD's BEST Guacamole 

with Secret Ingredient

Ingredients

• 2 Medium (about 2 Cups) Onion, Fine Dice
• 3 Medium Limes, Zest and Juice
• 4-6 Medium (about 2 Cups) Tomatoes
• 1 Cup Fresh Cilantro Leaves, chopped
• 2 Medium Jalapeno Peppers, Stems, Seeds and inner white ribs removed, Fine Dice
• The Secret Ingredient - 1 Small can (8 Oz) Crushed Pineapple in Natural Juices
• 12 Medium (about 8 Cups) Avocados, Cut in half, Pit removed and scooped out of shell. Crushed into paste

Cooking Directions

1. In a large Bowl, Add the diced Onion. Add the zest and juice from the limes. Allow to rest for 10 minutes, allowing the onions to naturally soften and slightly pickle.
2. Add Tomatoes, Jalapeno, Cilantro and the can of pineapple (including all the juice). Allow this to rest for an additional 10 minutes for all of the flavors to mix.
3. After 10 minutes, drain all but 1/2 cup of the liquid and discard (you have now made pineapple Pico de Gallo).
4. During the resting time, prepare the avocados, cut in half, remove the pit and scoop from the outer rind. For smooth guacamole, put the flesh into a food processor and pulse until smooth. For chunky guacamole, use an old fashioned potato smasher and smash until you reach the desired consistency.
5. Combine the avocado with the pineapple Pico de Gallo.
6. Best when serve room temperature Fresh made Guacamole within a couple of hours of making. If you need to make ahead, Cover with plastic wrap that is touching the top of the guac so as little air as possible reaches the guac. chill in the refrigerator and remove about an hour before serving.
7. Serve with tortilla chips and ENJOY!