Boots McBlog

Hit that line!  Hit that line.  Keep on going…

straight to the kitchen.   These cookies are a simple and delicious way to kick off another season of tasty tailgates.  (*8 more days – but who’s counting?)   I came across a lemon cookie recipe that jogged my memory  of another lemon cookie treat my mother served when I was growing up.    I could recall the recipe was super easy.  Cake mix + cool whip + an egg + powdered sugar.  Seriously – that easy.

That got me thinking.    What if I gave the recipe a whirl with RED VELVET cake mix.   Woo Hoo!   Let me tell you these are delicious and will add the perfect Razorback red to your football fare.

WOO PIG Cookies

1 box of  Red Velvet Cake Mix *

1 8 oz container of cool whip

1 egg

2 cups Powdered Sugar

In mixer combine dry cake mix, cool whip, and one egg.  Stir until well mixed.  The batter will be very sticky.**    In a separate bowl pour powdered sugar.

Drop dough by teaspoonful into  powdered sugar and roll into a ball.

Take that ball down the field.  Give a cheer.  Rah! Rah!

(oops! sorry , getting a little excited)

Place the dough ball on cookie sheet.   Leave adequate space between cookies as these will flatten out while baking.    Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.     Let cool on pan 10-15 minutes and then transfer to wire rack for further cooling.

Store in air tight container.  ***

*Note 1:  Feel free to try this recipe with different cake mix flavors – lemon, strawberry, devil’s food, funfetti.  Heck,  Tennessee and Texas fans could even rock orange cake mix cookies at their tailgates.  The red velvet ones will taste and look better.  – Just saying

**Note 2 :   The batter is very very sticky until you roll it in the powdered sugar.    I tell you this because,  if you are like me and not the neatest of cooks,  these are quite simple to whip together, but they can cause quite a mess.   So much so,   I was inspired to tweet this while testing the recipe:

***Note 3:  If you want to take these up a notch.   Pipe 2-3 teapsoons of canned cream cheese frosting between two cookies to make a sandwich.  Voila,  it’s a Woopie Pie….or better yet,  a WOO PIG pie.

Alright, Hog Fans,   you’ve got a week to get those tailgate menus planned.   On your toes.  To the finish.     Here’s to good eating and a winning season.

Woo PIG SOOOOOIE!

(In my best Ricky Ricardo accent)  Blog-gy, I’m home!

I had lunch with a friend the other day who questioned my absence from the blog.  She mostly was inquiring what’s been cooking – literally.

That got me thinking, what have I been cooking?   I’m one of those types who takes pictures of everything with my iPhone.  (Feel free to follow my feed on insta.gram)   So I decided to take a spin through my trusty picture gallery to view my epicurian adventures this summer.  As I did, I  was reminded of a few new dishes,  as well as old favorites that I should and will share with you over the next few days.   These are my favorite kind of recipes.  The kind which sound difficult but in reality are quick, easy, and full of flavor.

Without further hullaballoo  -  let me introduce you to my little cuban (southern) friend.

“The Cuban” sandwich originated as a pressed ham and cheese on cuban bread and was a  favorite of  cigar  factory workers.   In the late 1800′s , early 1900′s The expatriates brought it to Miami where they served  it as a mix of cheese, roasted pork,  ham, pickles, and sweet mustard on  bread.   The sandwich is heated on a press called a plancha which is a panini maker without the grate marks ( i.e.  using griddle plates).   By the 1960′s, it was a regular on Miami menus and recently touted as one of the 15 essential sandwiches.   (Thank you, wikipedia for these fun facts)

The McCottage version of this toast of Havana originated   oh – about two weeks ago when I had leftover grilled pork tenderloin  I didn’t want to waste.    ( BONUS:  I’ll share with you our favorite way to prepare Grilled Pork Tenderloin.  If you have leftover tenderloin screaming to be used – you can skip down a few steps.)  As I learned from my sweet Mam-ma,  sometimes you just have to put together what you got and see what happens.   And wow, did we like what happened.  The fig preserves are a staple in these parts and give the sandwich it’s southern flair.

I have to say both The Angler and I agreed  this is one of the tastiest panini’s we’ve created to date.

Start with —

Pork Tenderloin 2-3 pounds

1 cup chili powder

1 cup granulated white sugar.

Mix chili powder and granulated in zip lock bag.  Add raw tenderloin and coat the meat with the spice mixture.   Set in fridge and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.   Bring to room temp before grilling.    At this point I turn it over to The Angler.  The grills are his domain.    Here’s what I know.   He throws the tenderloin on his Little Rock made PK (charcoal) Grill.    He brings it into me when the internal temp of the meat has reached between 155 -165 degrees.

At this point,  I let  the meat rest 10-15 minutes before cutting   I then slice half of the tenderloin and serve with a spinach orange salad, and couscous.    The other half of the tenderloin,  I am now saving for the goodness that follows.

The McCottage Cuban

1 small french bread loaf

8-12 oz of pork tenderloin,  sliced thin,  ( warm in microwave if using leftover tenderloin to help cheese melt easier)

2 slices of smoked gouda cheese, sliced in half to make 4 slices

4 tsp of Fig Preserves

12 Hot and Sweet Pickle slices.

To assemble the sammie,  slice the french bread into four equal parts.  Then slice the bread horizontally to make a top and bottom.   Spread 1 -2 tsp of fig preserves on the lower half of the bun.  Then layer tenderloin slices, slice of smoked gouda, and 2-4 pickle slices.  Top with remaining bun.   Place on preheated panini press  on medium heat.  Cook for 5-8 minutes until bread is toasted and cheese melted.   Slice and serve.

This sandwich will have you doing you’re very own Ricky Ricardo impersonation.   You’ll see , “It’s so very nice. So full of spice.“

Salud, Y’all!

Ah, summertime.    The time of year I seem to enjoy cooking the most.   Perhaps, it’s the longer hours in the day,  the slower pace.   More than likely,  it is because we use the grill more often…which means I prep food and The Angler actually cooks it.   While the angler is always looking for ways to use his many grills,   I am always on the hunt for a new recipe – espeically for veggies.     With the new food guidelines (My PLATE)  released a few weeks ago ( which I adore by the way.   It looks like the method I’ve been teaching clients all these years versus that pesky pyramid),  this little recipe will make it easier to fill half your plate with garden goodness.

Eggplant is one of those daunting veggies.   It’s usually the most enticing hue.  It looks gorgeous in a bowl on your countertop.    But,  what exactly do you do with it?    I grew up  eating eggplant cut into slices  dredged in flour and fried.   While this is delicious, it is not necessarily figure friendly.    Here’s a tastier and healthier way to include this purpley goodness.

Sweet Heat Grilled Eggplant

1 eggplant

2 tablespoon honey

3 tablespoon olive oil

2-3 garlic cloves mined

1/2 tsp chipolte chili powder

3 tsp balsamic vinegar

salt

Slice eggplant into 1/4 inch slices, lengthwise.    Lay eggplant slices on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt.   Let it rest 15-20 minutes.  ( This will help to draw moisture and bitterness out of the vegetable)

Meanwhile,    mix honey, vinegar, garlic, chili powder, and olive oil in a bowl.  If you like your foods extra spicy, add up to 1 tsp of chili powder.

With a dry paper towel,  wipe salt from the eggplant.   Place eggplant slices and marinade in a ziplock bag to help coat the slices.

On a heated grill,  brush/ rub the grates with olive oil.   Place the  marinated eggplant on the grill for 4-6 minutes per side.   Remove from grill and serve.

Serves 2-4 as side dish.

Another EGGcellent way to serve this dish is as a meatless meal.   Pair the eggplant slices with goat cheese on ciabatta bread.   Using your panini maker or sandwich press, heat until the cheese is all melty and yummy.

This is a seriously to die for sammie or  serve the slices next to a great steak and salad.

Bon Appetit, Y’all!

Over the years I have collected notecards, scribbles, pages ripped from magazines of recipes I’ve wanted to try.   These miscellaneous papers are tucked into cookbooks, desk drawers, and any random place they are “hidden”  when I’ve cleaned the kitchen.   Fast forward a few years and now I have  the best little secret for keeping up with recipes I want to try.   It’s a fun little online pinboard called PINTERST.    If you’ve wondered where I’ve been with my blogging,  I’ve probably been too busy “pinning” food, fashion, and photography finds.    One of the things that caught my eye was this recipe for Thai Pork Loin with Peanut Sauce (slow cooker).    I pinned it on my board titled “epicuriousty”  (go figure) .   Tonight, I decided to give it a whirl.     Oh my,  delish-hush-you-mouth.

The recipe was originally posted on a cute little blog called Prepareaheadanddinein.com.   She recommends throwing all the ingredients in the slow cooker  bowl overnight and refrigerating.  OR you can do like me and wake up,  run to the grocery store with unwashed hair, no make up,  pray you want see anyone you know, come home and THEN put it in your slow cooker for the day.   Absolutely easy.

Eight hours later,  The Angler gave it thumbs up.   Although, I will disclose he considers this a “family  meal” not a “company meal”.   Pish posh, I think  it would make a great easy dinner for guests.   We both agreed, it is definitely blog-worthy.

Ingredients:

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

2 pound boneless pork tenderloin, cut into 4 pieces

2 red bell peppers, cut into thin strips

1/2 cup prepared Teriyaki sauce  ( Here’s that  - Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki  I told you about earlier)

2 Tbsp rice vinegar

1 tsp red pepper flakes

3-4 cloves of garlic

3 Tablespoon creamy peanut butter

Garnishes:

green onions, chopped

roasted peanuts, chopped

lime wedges

cilantro, chopped   (optional)

In a non stick pan, lightly  brown /  quickly sear the pork tenderloin pieces in the olive oil.  About 1-2 minutes per side

Place the seared tenderloin in your slow cooker.    Add peppers, teriyaki, vinegar, pepper flakes, garlic.    Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours

Before serving , remove pork from sauce and pull it apart.    Mix peanut butter until dissolves into the sauce in the crockpot.   Toss the poke back into the slow cooker and coat with sauce.

Serve this over jasmine rice.    ( tip:   instead of water, I cook my rice in equal parts chicken broth and white wine to impart a more fragrant flavor)

Top with garnishes and enjoy!

Summer is here!  Time to fire up those grills.    Here are just a few of my favorite seasonings sure to give your chicken and fish a KICK in minutes.

Potlatch Seasoning by Williams Sonoma is one of my best food discoveries lately.      As a dietitian,  I recommended my clients consume salmon twice a week for the generous amount of heart healthy  Omega3 Fatty Acids.   To be honest,  working it into our diets here in the McCottage has proven difficult at best… until now.   While the spice mix seems like a small fortune at $9 per can,  I can guarantee you will not have tasted anything better.    Apply this rub liberally to salmon fillet or salmon steak.   Grill atop a cedar plank over hot coals.    Voila, perhaps the best salmon fillet in town.

Soy Vei Very Very Terriaki -  available at your local grocer in the Asian foods section.    This sweet, sesame terriyaki glaze is delicious on chicken or pork.    I often marinate boneless, skinless chicken thighs in this sauce.  Throw on a hot grill.   Before serving,  glaze chicken with fresh sauce.  Serve with couscouse and grilled summer squash or atop fresh spinach, red onion, almonds, orange slices, avocado with Ken’s Steak House lite Asian Dressing.   Delish!      (I also use this to roast whole chickens in the oven with onions & carrots in a dutch oven in the winter months.   If my experiment goes well today,  you’ll see a crock pot use for it in the coming days)

Caribbean Jerk Seasoning –  perhaps, my favorite spice mix in my grill arsenal.    McCormick Spices Company and several store brands market this AMAZING spice mix found in the spice aisle.      Marinate your favorite chicken in 3 Tablespoons Jerk Seasoning, 3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce,  2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar for 30 minutes – 3 hours prior to cooking on a hot grill.  Can’t get to the islands this summer.  No problem, mon.  This chicken will transport your tastebuds there in no time.    The seasoning is also a great rub for hamburgers or steak served with grilled pineapple, blue cheese coleslaw, and baked beans.   YUM!

No need to stress over being the grill master this summer.   Grab these seasonings, a cool drink,  and grill-lax.

Cheers, Y’all!