Tag: Recipes

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Easy Coleslaw Recipe

Food is such a fun project and you know the best way to save money nowadays is to make things at home from scratch. Plus you can control your ingredients so if you are health conscious (like me sometimes) this is the best bet. You can avoid all the pre-packaged food and all the garbage that is inside. I am a huge grilling fan too. I LOVE TO GRILL. With grilling comes favorites like burgers, chicken and my famous smoked brisket. Want to know what to serve with those as a side? Good old fashioned Slaw!

1/2 head cabbage
1/4-1/2 head of purple cabbage (or radicchio for a nice pepperly flavor)
1/4 c. shredded carrots
1T. finely diced onion
1 T sugar
1 T vinegar
6 T cream
1 T Mustard dressing

Shred the cabbage very finely, add in the onion and carrots. In a separate bowl add the sugar, vinegar, cream, and mustard dressing, mix well, drizzle over cabbage and toss. Serve chilled or immediately

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Morsel Monday and NutraSalt Giveaway

If you haven’t already please partake in the Extraordinary Mothers Morsel Monday link up! Participating is a lot of fun and a great way to find new dining delights for the family and hey, linky love!

nutrasalt, potassium, sea saltThis week I am “spicing” up the post with a review and giveaway of a product I received to try from the fabulous folks at NutraSalt. You are probably wondering what NutraSalt is and how nutra and salt can be combined together and not be an oxymoron. The NutraSalt product is a balanced product of sodium and potassium, 66% less sodium, to be exact, compared to common table salt. The proprietary product in NutraSalt’s recipe is the harvesting of Red Sea and Dead Sea salts from the Mediterranean.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the extra pinch of salt here and there can add up resulting in excessive sodium intake based on levels of sodium in processed foods, natural sources, and the extra shake during food preparation and at meal time.

Excessive sodium intake lead to conditions such as high blood pressure, kidney disease and cardiovascular disease which results in hundreds of thousands of deaths a year if not lifetime treatments such as dialysis for kidney disease. NutraSalt helps to replace the use of common salt in a healthier alternative to traditional table salt, allowing for the flavor but not the health risks often associated with excess salt intake.

NutraSalt comes in a variety salts and seasonings to “spice” up any recipe:

  • Low Sodium Sea Salt
  • Seasoned Salt
  • Texas BBQ
  • Savory Garlic
  • Zesty Italian
  • Lemon Dill
  • Lemon Herbs
  • Robusto Adobo
  • Spicy Cajun
  • Bold Chipotle
  • African Medley
  • Asian Fusion
  • Classic Curry

I received to try in my home the Low Sodium Sea Salt, Savory Garlic Lemon Dill, Bold Chipotle, Asian Fusion and the African Medley. I used every single one on some of my favorite meals. The Asian Fusion is absolutely divine on chicken and pork, I used them both on the grill and they added just that extra kick of spice to the flavor. Savory Garlic, I used that on my spaghetti dish when making garlic bread. Finally, my favorite is the African Medley which I used to make my Turkey Chili. The African Medley has flavors of cinnamon, peppers, ginger, and again the right balance of sodium and potassium. I know you are thinking “cinnamon? In my Chili?” YES!

How can you enjoy a 4-pack of your choice of NutraSalt and make this a staple in your home?  Go to the NutraSalt site and tell me ONE fact in a comment (that I did not mention above. As a recap I mentioned it is derived from Sea Salt, is 66% lower in sodium, is rich in potassium).

Extra Entries:

  • Follow my blog or tell me you do
  • Follow me on Twitter or tell me you do
  • Tweet another fact about NutraSalt making sure to use @KariewithaK, the link to this giveaway, so I see your tweets. Daily RT’s are available!
  • Subscribe to The Fish in a Reader or via email (at the top)
  • Blog this Giveaway! (worth 10 entries if you mention a fact, link to NutraSalt and this giveaway!)
  • Email this giveaway to a friend (worth 3 entries)
  • Fan The Fish on Facebook
CONTEST ENDS JANUARY 30TH
@ 11:59PM ARIZONA TIME
Best of luck!
Turkey Chili:
1.5lbs ground Turkey

1 can Pinto Beans

1 can Black Beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 can of corn
1/4 cup onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, diced
2 T. finely chopped Italian Parsley
2 T. finely chopped Cilantro
2 T. Olive Oil
1/4 c. Nutra Salt African Medley, divided (can be substituted with  2 tsp. cinnamon, 2 tsp. cumin, 2 tsp. ground corriander, 1 T. chili powder, 1 tsp red peppers, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp onion powder)
I used my Cuisinart Multi-Cooker but a stove top cook pot works well too. Pour Olive oil into pan heating over medium heat, sautee onions and garlic until almost translucent add in ground turkey, parsley, cilantro, and 1/8 c. of NutraSalt African Medley (or the above substitutes halved). Cook until meat is browned and spices are mixed well. Add the can of tomatoes, beans, corn and remaining spices. Bring to a boil (add water if needed, but the canned juices should provide enough), stirring well, reduce to a simmer for at least an hour to let all the flavors mix. Serve with cornbread.
VOILA!
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Crock Pot Chicken Dumplings Recipe

Are you looking for some great recipes? If so link yours up and find a new one every Monday over at Extraordinary Mothers where my friend Casey hosts Morsel Mondays!

Last week I did some desserts so this week let’s do some favorite dinner recipes, and my favorite, southern or cold weather recipe is Chicken and Dumplings. I actually did my recipe in my Cuisinart Multi-Cooker and it was EASY, no hassle, no fuss. Here are your ingredients:

4-6 chicken breasts, cooked, diced and or shredded
Mixed vegetables (potatoes, corn, green beans, carrots, celery), you can also use a frozen bag of mixed vegetables.

Chicken broth (generally about 3-4 cups depending on how many people you are feeding)

Cream of Chicken soup, or you can use plain cream

Salt and pepper to flavor
1 bay leaf
2 1/2 c. Bisquick (or other baking mix)
2/3 c. milk

In a large pot, crock pot, or Cuisinart Multi-Cooker like mine, simmer chicken, broth, vegetables, until vegetables are tender maybe an hour or more depending on how much flaror you want your vegetables to absorb. Slowly add cream of chicken (or cream) and stir gently ever careful not to boil. Add bay leaf and let simmer for 20 minutes. While simmering mix the Bisquick and milk until a dough forms and slowly drop into soup mixture, cover and let cook for 10 minutes or until dough rises like bread and biscuits form. Remove from heat and ladel out into a bowl, serve with butter and pepper.

For more tasty morsels, visit Extraordinary Mothers.
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Organic Pumpkin Pie Recipe

While these recipes may be a bit out of “season” now as we have moved past Thanksgiving and Christmas pumpkin pie is always a favorite, especially because it is so easy….when not from a can. Plus more likely the pumpkin pie is cheaper with a fresh pumpkin than one out of the can. Plus I shared I made a cake size Swiss roll, well here is that recipe. The Swiss roll may be a bit bitter as it is a Turkish chocolate style recipe, but still sweet and delish!

Pumpkin Pie

1 pumpkin
6 c. water for boiling

2 c. flour (for crust, obviously)
1/2 c. water (for crust)
1 c. shortening
Heat oven to 425*
1 3/4 c. mashed pumpkin
1 3/4 c. milk
2 large eggs
2/3 c. brown sugar
2 T. sugar
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves (be sure to ONLY use a 1/4 tsp or your pie will be very SPICY and the cloves will be overbearing)

Gut the pumpkin and all seeds. Cut into two inch cubes leaving skin on the meat during boiling. The boil time for an average size to a small pumpkin is roughly 25-35 minutes. Remove from water and allow to cool somewhat before removing skin to avoid burning. Once all skin is removed, mash or puree until desired consistency. Allow the mashed pumpkin to be completely cool before adding to pie mixture.

While pumpkin is cooling, mix flour, water, shortening together until dough forms. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness. Add to pie pan and flute edges. Fluting can be done with fingers, fork, or a spoon.

Mix together sugar and eggs until a creamed consistency, adding in mashed pumpkin. Mix thoroughly slowly adding milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and the cloves. By following these steps your pie will have a smooth consistency allowing all the ingredients to blend well together. Cook for 45-55 minutes using a toothpick to determine if the center is done. The pie will have a rich golden hue as will the crust.



Swiss Cake Roll

Preheat oven to 400*
2 eggs (separate yolks from whites)
3 T. flour
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 T. warm water (I used day old warm coffee, adds a bitterness and a wonderful rich sweet taste)
1 oz cube of melted Bakers Semi-Sweet baking chocolate (or 2T melted chocolate chips)
Filling:
1 c. heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 T. confectioners sugar (or 1/4 c. sugar)
May add fresh fruit or flavor or your choice, almond, etc.

I also apologize for the poor picture quality….the cake was being eaten so fast to take when it was at it’s “prettiest.”

Beat together egg yolks and sugar until creamy, slowly adding the chocolate (be sure not too hot or will cook the eggs) and warm water. Then beat until foamy the egg whites, slowly adding in the flour, baking powder mix. Once the eggs and flour, baking powder are completely combined, slowly begin to add in the chocolate mixture. Once completely blended pour into waxed lined baking pan (13X9, buttered or greased then lined with wax paper or freezer paper for best results and lightly greased again). Bake for 12 minutes, remove immediately and place face down on freezer paper (or wax paper) dusted with powdered sugar. Place damp cloth on top to ease cooling time and allow cake to be easily rolled while warm, removing hard or rough edges, unroll after completely cooled and add cream filling.

Beat together sugar, vanilla, and heavy cream until a creamy, comes to a bit of a peak consistency. Do not over beat…filling will be ruined. Slowly spread along inside of cake, roll again and serve dusted with confectioners sugar or topped with drizzled chocolate or fresh fruit.

Enjoy!

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Holiday Traditions

I tweeted and updated my Facebook status on how fabulous this holiday season would be, even after a tumultuous Thanksgiving I knew Christmas would completely drown everything that happened.

For the week leading up to Christmas Big G and I were on a Betty Crocker roll. I think I was channeling her or Martha Stewart for that matter with how many crafts and baking we accomplished together. We started by making these absolutely easy and aromatic Christmas ornaments courtesy of my friend Casey over at Extraordinary Mothers. Look at these beauties, I was so proud of my baby for sticking with the project.

We used some super simple ribbon too. Just a bit of wired ribbon and decorative craft rope and we have insta- ornaments that not only look fantastic and can be dressed up but smell absolutely intoxicating!

Next we did some rolled and cut Gingerbread Man cookies that were just the most tender, sweet, soft delicious cookies you could ever have. We did THREE dozen of those cookies. Look at the boy go! I was so proud he had so much fun…and we chowed on some dough! What good are cookies without cookie dough to nibble on.

So we moved onto more fun cookies and we did some really fun sugar cookies. I decided to use my new Wilton’s Cookie Press that I won from my friend Sandra over at Adventures In Mommyland (you should read…this woman has amazing strength!) and we did fabulous Christmas tree press cookies and some “star” shapes that actually looked more like flowers and we decorated as such.

Finally I made THREE, yes THREE homemade, from scratch, did not buy the shit in a pan from the store, PIES. I know I am a culinary snob…I truly enjoy the insult of being a snob, I pride myself in this delight. I have skills and I am proud to flaunt! HA HA HA. Okay, so enough of me, here is my prize winning pie…well actually it was eaten too fast before I could take a beauty shot, but I do have the original specimen, and I will be posting the recipe for Morsel Monday next week since I have failed to play along with consistent blogging this week. A-Okay by me, enjoying the relaxing time the no pressure of posting. But here is the specimen that I speak of…yes…that is a Pumpkin. An albino (white) pumpkin and what the insides look like after being cooked/mashed. Pretty right? Just imagine the taste. OH EM GEE!

The three wise pies were my infamous and prized beauties that each of my Grandmother’s raved over (yes both Grandmothers asked for the recipe….the women with phenomenal, mad cooking abilities wanted MY recipe!), my aunt’s who both have an insane level of gift in the culinary arts wanted the recipe, and of course my mother…who legitimized my claim of THE PERFECT child cook said my pie was better than the other pie she had that day…or any other day or holiday for that matter. Well of course…mine was made with love…not from an assembly line and stamped with the brand of “Marie Callendar’s.” kthxbai

I then worked on my Turkish chocolate cake. This cake was like no other though, more of a Swiss Roll with wonderful whipped cream inside…again, another recipe I will be sure to post. Super easy, super delish and very decadent. A true dessert cake and delicacy. However, one cake did not roll, so it was a layer cake of sorts, the other did roll, beautifully so I hauled that with us, along with the pecan pie, oh and the divinity. Yes, I made divinity. Which is a true feat to successfully create this confection in winter due to the weather and often cloudy days. You cannot make divinity on a cloudy day…same with fudge…the consistency just isn’t right. But I hauled all these goodies to my Grandmother’s house in Casa Grande for my 31st Christmas Eve celebration with her, with my Grandfather’s passing which was ever so bittersweet a celebration of family nonetheless, my aunt’s who had I many a laughs with, and my uncle who I joined in sarcastic witty banter as we jabbed others and one another.

Needless to say while the gifts were not overly plentiful as some may expect, the love of family, being together, having fun, and the creations of love and joy were shared abound. Those gifts are the gifts that carry no price, can never be replaced, and are felt year round and are remembered for a lifetime.

What were your holiday traditions? Family traditions? Baking fun? Any childhood memories you had that carry on with your present family? Children?

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Egg Nog French Toast and Pancakes Recipe

I decided I needed to get all of these fabulous homemade recipes out of me brain and ready to share with you all and ’tis the season for some FABULOUS cooking and recipes. However, I will never share my secret to the perfect pecan pie….that recipe will probably die with me, I know MANY gluttons who would kill for the recipe.

But for the gluttons in all of us and especially those who pine over the great beverage that is egg nog, this recipe is for you and is a GREAT and easy recipe to be enjoyed by the entire family, especially on Christmas morning.

eggnog pancakes, egg nog
Egg Nog Pancakes & Egg Nog French Toast

For pancakes:

2c. Bisquick or my organic recipe
1 1/2 c. Egg nog
1 egg
1T milk
3t. cinnamon or nutmeg (for extra kick and the taste is DIVINE!)

Lightly beat egg, add eggnog and slowly add and stir in the Bisquick and spice. Mix until a creamy batter is reached. Pour onto medium heat griddle. Recipe should yield 18 pancakes

French Toast:

2 eggs whipped
1/2c Egg Nog
2T milk
2T Cinnamon
1T Splenda or 1.5 tsp Stevia (since the egg nog is rather sweet)
10 slices of bread

Mix together all wet and dry ingredients in bowl. Slowly dip in bread as to coat each side with egg and cinnamon mix, cook over medium heat in pan until a golden brown. Serve with powdered sugar or with butter and syrup. The taste is truly rich and the spices are enhanced by the egg nog.

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Gifts for Her or Him: Cookware.com CSN Stores

cookware.com, csnstores.com, Karie Herring, thefivefish.com, ebelskiver

Christmas should be fun and practical. I for one am not a fan of bad gifts or gifts that can only be used for not so everyday activities or moments in life. I mean if you get me a knit sweater with the ugly Christmas trees I can only wear it during the holidays. Um, negative. Not a good gift.

A good gift should be used for greatness, for everyday maybe, or for a specialty that everyone loves. Well my family loves pancakes. And my husband used to live in California and visit Solvang when they lived on the base in Vandenberg. You have never heard of Solvang? COME ON PEOPLE. Solvang is the Dutch US, if you could ever visit any one place, Solvang is a MUST!

While visiting there he had the taste of Ebelskivers, phonetically ay-bell-skee-vurs. They are round pancakes that are about the size of a silver dollar and are to DIE FOR! Seriously these little puppies can be stuffed with all sorts of goodies like jelly, preserves, cheese, meats, whatever you want to put in them.

CSN Stores, cookware.com

Cookware.com, a CSN Store, allowed me to review their Nordicware International Specialties Danish ebelskiver pan and I was and AM in cookware heaven. The pan has a Teflon, non-stick coating, riveted handled, and retails for $27.99.  I too love ebelskivers and have been requesting an ebelskiver pan for YEARS. Yes, YEARS people and the wonderful staff at Cookware.com, a CSN Store fulfilled my unanswered family gift request for an ebelskiver pan. The day I got it…I planned Brinner. (Breakfast + Dinner = Brinner!)

The use of the pan is simple, like any other pan but the divots in the pan allow for the batter to be poured in about half-way up to allow for rising and you add your fillings before the ebelskiver cooks too much and you have to turn. The batter I used was your standard pancake batter with Bisquick or whatever brand you prefer. I made a sweet cream cheese filling using Neufschatel cheese, brown sugar, cinnamon, a few drops of maple syrup and my kids gobbled the perfect, hand sized treats like they were going out of style. I also sprinkled a little powdered sugar on them to really pretty them up.

Needless to say I am happy with my ebelskiver pan and with Cookware.com and CSN. In fact, CSN has over 200+ stores online from Cookware.com to bed linens, to home improvement, baby, you name it, they have a store! In fact you can buy your new dining room furniture from the furniture superstore Dining Rooms Direct. How is that for one stop shopping! They ship anywhere in the US and Canada, have a great return policy and on selected items they have guaranteed delivery by December 24th just in time for your gift to be wrapped from “Santa.”

Check out CSN Stores and find that perfect gift and they have an offering of 100 gifts under $100!

Happy Holidays and big thanks to Cookware.com and CSN Stores.
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Vodka Spaghetti Sauce recipe

If you watched my Mingle on Monday you saw that I had a billow of steam behind me. Some quite literally thought I might torch my kitchen, behold…..the power of the Fish! Okay, so I am kidding, but the steam was much, probably from the fact I had the hood on trying to suck all of that steam away.

So I promised my winning recipe from these lovely items that I share in my Friday post about how I Heart my CSA. If you did not read, go back, gaze upon the fruits of the Earth! Because I ate almost everything in that photo. Not alone! Dear GAWD NO! I had help. Again, the fruits:

thefivefish.com, Karie Herring, recipes, CSA, organic

Okay quite a bit in this photo, but feast your eyes on those BEAUTIFUL organic tomatoes! YUM! And just to the left of those juicy, perfectly delectable tomatoes is a bushel (not a true metric measurement bushel) of Licorice basil. Just absolutely beautiful as well, the smell is intoxicating, and the taste, OH SO SWEET!

My recipe for some Grrrrrreat sauce:

1/2 c. Vodka (any Vodka will do, set aside a little extra for you with a lime and ice)
4 c. diced tomatoes (if you don’t have enough fresh tomatoes……canned works AWESOME!)
1 can tomato paste (I bought organic since it was as cheap as the regular stuff, but again, any type will do!)
1 T. onion power
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1/4 Purple bell pepper for a bit of zing
2 basil stalks (my stalks are huge and I love Basil, but use it to your liking an taste)
1/2 t. Oregano
1/2 t. Parsley
Salt/pepper to taste
(For a bit more of a biting sauce, add 1 t. crushed red pepper, I pulverized mine so it mixes well, you can do the same with the back of a spoon and a Ziploc bag)

In a large skillet or deep pot, add tomatoes and dry ingredients (onion powder, oregano, parsley, salt/pepper, basil, bell pepper) bring to a low boil. Slowly add vodka and return to a boil. Add in can of tomato paste and stir, reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for as long as your desired taste and thickness (I simmered mine for most of the day), the vodka brings out a very rich taste in the tomatoes. Be sure to add garlic 20 minutes before serving. This allows the sauce to maintain the garlic flavor and taste, otherwise if you are not a garlic fan, add at the beginning with all dry ingredients.

I also like to add sausage to my sauce, Italian sausage, Jimmy Dean Breakfast sausage, or ground beef all works WONDERFULLY!  I also LOVE a sweet Italian ground turkey meat as well. YUM!

thefivefish.com, Karie Herring, recipes, spaghetti, tomato sauce, organic

Remove from heat and serve over spaghetti, angel hair, or any desired pasta. VOILA!

BTW – I think you will find there is LESS sugar and LESS calories in this homemade recipe than a standard jar of sauce. Plus, I think it tastes better. But I am a food snob too!

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Sloppy Joes

The messy, saucy, warm, crumbly, meaty goodness in a warm, fluffy bun. The beloved Sloppy Joe.
Now I am a classy broad of sorts, I love my fish, my filet, my Faux Grois, something you use a knife and fork to eat, but I really love me my Sloppy Joe. This is a meal where I can really dig in and let loose. Last night, was a Sloppy Joe night. I don’t mean the open a can of Manwich type of Sloppy Joe night. I mean the real flavor, the taste, the ultimate mess of a homemade Sloppy Joe that guess what? You can make too! No can. No bullshit. Just open your pantry or your fridge to the loads of condiments in your door. Here are the deets for the easiest, tastiest, Sloppy Joe’s you will ever sink your teeth into…..ergo…..the rest will land in your lap….or like me….on my boobs.
1-2 pounds of ground beef or Turkey (if you are a dieting type person…like moi)
NOW, these ingredients all depend on the amount of meat AND how Sloppy you want that Joe.
1-2 cups of Ketchup
3T – 1/4 c of Yellow Mustard
1/2 – 1 cup of BBQ Sauce if you like that zippety sweet taste in your Joes
1/4 – 1/2 c of brown sugar
2-4T of Vinegar
1/4 c. Diced onions (optional)
1/4 c. Diced Bell pepper (optional)
BUNS (mmmmm…..buns)
  1.  Brown all meat with optional vegetable, while meat is browning mix together the vinegar and brown sugar to dissolve.
  2. Add sugar mixture to ketchup, mustard, and BBQ sauce, mixing throughly so that a smooth creamy consistency is reached.
  3. Drain meat of any fats and liquids and return to pan
  4. Add sauce, stir thoroughly until all meat is coated.
  5. Cook for 2 more minutes
VOILA!
Easy Peasy Pumpkin Pie. Sloppy Joes in a snap. Really who doesn’t love a Sloppy Joe?
My Big G…who doesn’t like anything that doesn’t rhyme or sound like chicken told me this:
“Mom, this is the bestest meal ever. It makes my stomach feel real good! Oh! SO! DELISH!”
I know buddy…..I rock as a lazy chef.
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Top 3 Grilling Tips and Tricks

These following recipes that I LOVE to use in my house. For one….no way you can eff them up…at all. Even if you do…they still taste super scrumptious. So here are some of my Top 3 grilling favorites for cooking:

Grilled Fish
You can use catfish, Mahi Mahi, Cod, Tilapia, and of the fattier fish and preferably a white fish, white fish is great on the grill.
Now while the fish is frozen I melt about 2T of butter (margarine) per fillet in the microwave and pour over the frozen fish. I do rinse the fish first so that the butter will seep into the fish and not bounce off and harden again. I then pour about a half cup of white wine or a chardonnay into the pan where the fish will marinate, a cup of lemon or lime juice. Lemon juice is not as acidic as the lime so it will not cause your fish to cure like when making ceviche. Then I sprinkle my favorite spices. I love a fresh lemon zest, because Arizona has an abundance of citrus here, pepper, garlic, a dash of salt. Whatever your favorite spices and seasonings. Let sit overnight or for at least 6 hours. If your fish is still frozen, A OK, throw it on the grill. Be sure to spray your grill with some cooking spray to prevent sticking. Cook on low to medium and until the fish is flaky. Voila!
Couple with grilled or steamed zucchini and yellow squash, artichokes, asparagus, or a salad and you have a filling and light summer meal.

Feeding an Army: Brisket
I love brisket. I made brisket for the first time this year for Passover/Easter and I was so damn proud of myself!! I indirectly cooked on the grill with some smoking chips to give the meat that smoke flavor and O.M.G!! I usually do not boast about my food…..but when my whole family was mmm’ing and ahhhh’ing and Oh Damn to me….I knew I rocked!

So Brisket comes in two types of cuts, first cut and second cut. I know…..fancy right. Well you want the first cut. The one that comes right off the cow’s shoulder. This has all that great fat and marbling that will make your brisket OH so tender and juicy and mouth watering.
Second cut is just as good, however, smaller sizes, looks a lot more pretty and easier to handle. Usually in 3-5 pound cuts where the first cut is 7 or more pounds and is the whole ball game.

I dig second cut. I cut it in half to fit onto my grill as I have yet to upgrade to a Grand Daddy Grill of all grills. (But if you want me to review one I would be more than happy to! LOL) But I cut the meat in half to fit on my grill. The night before I cook it I dice 4 cloves of garlic, very fine dicing. I rub each side of the meat slabs with kosher salt. Kosher salt is very tasty and so awesome for cooking, it is the rough large grain salt. You can use sea salt as well for another healthy alternative. After salting each side but rubbing the salt in really well I pepper each side of the meat and then I rub in the garlic. I let this sit overnight, you can cover it or leave it exposed to the air in your fridge. Allow at least 3 or more hours to grill your brisket especially if the cut is larger than say 4 pounds.

Heat the grill on high. Make a plate with edges out of foil to cover the bottom rack of your grill and place on grill. Reduce one burner to low and the other to med, this process is called indirect grilling and makes for some really beautiful meat. Place your meat FAT side up to help keep the meat juicy and so you do not cook off all the juice and fat. If you want the smoked taste, place your wood chips on the grill at this time away from the meat and drippings. Here is the hardest part. WALK AWAY. Yup, leave the meat to cook. Every time you open the grill and look at the meat you increase your cook time by 15 minutes!! Flip once during the cook time at least half way through. Your meat will take on that perfect smoked look, where the meat is beginning to look cooked but still burgundy in color. This is BEAUTY at its finest with brisket.

Remove the brisket from your grill. Make sure to use tongs, never, EVER, NEVER use a fork or pronged fork to remove ANY meats from a grill. This drains all your meats of their precious juices. Next let your meat rest. This will allow the meat to contract a little and the blood to re-enter the flesh to keep your brisket slices moist and tasty. After letting the meat rest for about 15 minutes, slice AGAINST the grain in thin slices and serve.
We couple brisket with potato salad, slaw, macaroni and cheese, grilled or steamed fresh veggies, or on a sandwich. You will have leftovers for DAYS, freeze some of the meat for later or invite family over for a feast!!

Dessert on a Dime
Pound cake is probably the easiest dessert to make. The recipe is on the back of any Bisquick box, and everyone loves pound cake. Angel food is another great one! Super Easy Peasy to make too….as long as you have patience or a ready make box from the store for others.

So grab a bag of mixed frozen fruit. I love the huge chunks. Two cups of orange juice and one cup of sugar. Heat the orange juice to almost boiling and slowly add in the sugar and begin to reduce the heat. If your mixture starts to thicken fast….great!! Then it is almost ready. You can also add in some cinnamon or nutmeg for a little extra sweetness. Pour in the frozen fruit, about a cup or so until thoroughly coated. Remove from heat continuing to stir. Drizzle juice over the cake and scoop out a spoonful of fruit. Oh so yummy. Even if your mixture doesn’t thicken…still a great drizzle and sauce for pound or angel food cake.

I hope you all enjoy these few recipes as much as I do. I know I love to cook and “experiment” in my kitchen with different spices, foods, and whatever I got. We try not to waste anything in this house.