No special tonight

Sorry I have not got anything great on the menu.  We are having so friends over for the weekend.  Check back Sunday.  I will have lots of new stuff.  I am making about three new items, so I will have a lot to say and share. 

Tonight on the menu - Beer braised chicken and green salad with homemade blue cheese dressing

I was tired of plain old chicken so I went to food-tv.com and found this great chicken recipe.  I changed it a bit.  Instead of boneless skinless chicken I used bone in skin on legs and thighs.  This in itself is not a special dish.  I think the side dish is special.  It is a green salad with the best homemade blue cheese dressing you will ever taste.

Here is the recipe for Killer Blue Cheese dressing:

1 clove garlic
A pinch of dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
A pinch of white pepper
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/3 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Hot sauce, to taste (I like Frank's)
1/3 cup sour cream
1 cup mayo (can use light)
1 1/2 oz buttermilk
3 oz blue cheese

Dice and crush garlic.  Whisk all spices together in the red wine vinegar, add sour cream, mayo and buttermilk.  Make sure to leave healthy sizes chunks of the cheese so your friends get that little surprise.
 
This will keep in the fridge for several days in an air tight container.

Enjoy!!!

Tonights special - Maple-mustard pork chops with over roasted sweet potatoes.

According to the calendar it is now fall.  From the looks of it outside I am not sure that is true. Never the less I am ready for some fall dinners.  What makes this one special is the sweet potatoes.  When I think of them I think of the candied ones from Thanksgiving with the marshmallows.  Can I just say I hate those.  Try peeling and dicing the potatoes.  Place them on a cookie sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper then baking for 30 to 45 minutes depending on the size of your potatoes.  I think these are much better and I bet healthier.

Enjoy.

Tonight's special - Braised short ribs, fresh green beans and fall salad with maple/Dijon dressing

Every night I try to match flavors in each of the dishes I prepare.  They do not all have to be gourmet.  Just try to have all the flavors work together.  For example, tonight we are having braised short ribs, fresh green bean and fall salad with maple syrup/Dijon dressing.  What makes this special is adding store bought pesto to the beans at the very end of the cooking process. Enjoy!!!

I know there are people out there that don't like to cook, and that is OK! It's not for everyone. There are also people out there that say they don't know how.  I don't think that is a reason not to try.  No one is born knowing how to cook.  Stick with me and I will give you some great recipes and tips that will make good cooks out of anyone that is willing.

Tonight's Special - Burbon Rubbed Cedar Plank Salmon

This week our local market had fresh Coho salmon on sale so I bought one.  Early in the afternoon I started soaking a cedar plank in water.  A little later I made a mixture of bourbon, brown sugar, soy sauce, veggie oil and green onion to marinade the salmon in.  I put it in a gallon size zip lock bag and then into the fridge.  A couple of hours later it was time to place the salmon on the plank and fire up the BBQ.  The total cooking time will depend on the size of your salmon and the temp of the BBQ.  We cooked ours for about 8 minutes, but then the plank caught on fire!  My husband transfered the fish directly to the grill for the last few minutes.  All total I think it cooked for about 12 minutes and it was great!

Hope you enjoy my insight and come back soon.