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Showing posts from June, 2017
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Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Soup

Here in Florida, we are just one day away from the official start of summer. It has been a rainy couple of weeks, so a lot of time has been spent indoors. A few days ago, we came home with a large supply of tomatoes. I checked the wild tomato plant we have growing out back and found a another dozen ripe on the vine. What to do? Homemade soup came to mind. Start by roasting several different tomatoes in one tablespoon Tuscan herb infused olive oil. Place the fruit in a cast iron pan and place on a hot charcoal grill with a few chunks of hickory. Roast for about 10 minutes until the skins start to peel. Remove from heat and let cool. Remove all the skins from the tomatoes. Put back on the grill, add a roasted red pepper and grill for five more minutes.  Remove and let cool for ten minutes.  Seed tomatoes and put them in a food chopper. Process until a fine paste forms. Add roasted pepper and process again until smooth. Strain toma

Tri-tip with Smoked Tomato Salsa

My brother lived in Lompoc, CA years ago. Whenever we discussed grilling, he would always talk about tri-tip. Here in sunny Florida, I had no idea what he was talking about. I would ask at the local grocery meat department and they didn't carry it. Finally I went to visit his family and he grilled his famous tri-tip. I was hooked. I'm glad he grilled two because I think I ate a whole one. Finally, in the last few years I have been able to find it at my local grocery store and have been trying to perfect my grilling of this tasty treat. Fast forward to last Valentine's Day, when my wife and I happened to walk into 4 Rivers Smokehouse. Tri-tip was on the menu, so I had to order it. It was unbelievable. After talking with the staff, and purchasing John River's book, I found we had a similar grilling style, the difference was his Coffee Rub. I won't even try to duplicate it; I just buy it from them. Start by covering the steak with a light coating of the 4 R

Country Fried Steak with Sun Dried Tomato Gravy

Sometimes I just want comfort food. Country fried steak takes me back to my grandma's kitchen. This is a great recipe with the unexpected twist of sun dried tomatoes in the gravy and marinade. Start by making the marinade. In a zip top bag add: 1/2 cup beef broth 1 teaspoon sun dried tomato spread 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon onion powder 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder Shake bag to mix well. Add cube steak and let rest for 30 minutes. While meat is marinating, start making the gravy. In a skillet, add 2 tablespoons​ butter and two tablespoons flour. Heat over a low heat until the butter melts, making a thick roux. Add: 2 cups beef broth 2 tablespoons sun dried tomato spread 1 finely diced roasted red pepper 2 packets no-salt added beef bouillon  Heat and stir until gravy thickens. In  two bowls, add  half a cup of flour in one and two beaten eggs in the other. Remove steaks from bag and lightly pat

Chicken and Rice with Gravy

This is one of my low salt recipes. Start by browning two boneless skinless chicken breasts in a dutch oven. Cover and saute for 20 minutes. Add 2 cups of no salt chicken broth and cover, and cook for another half hour. Remove chicken and shred and or chop breasts into bite size pieces. Add a tablespoon of flour to 1/4 cup of cold water. Mix well and add to pan. Next add three packs of Herb Ox sodium free bouillon. Add chicken and cook until gravy thickens. While the chicken is cooking, add two cups of no salt broth to a pot and bring to a boil. Add one cup rice and a tablespoon of butter and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes until the broth is absorbed. Fluff the rice with a fork. Just before serving, add one cup of frozen peas to chicken. The combination of broth and the Herb Ox bouillon create an intense flavor without all the salt. Hope you enjoy this healthy dish.

Caramel Cinnamon Rolls

I love baking, bread, cookies, cakes, you get the idea. This is my recipe for caramel cinnamon rolls. Most basic bread recipes are similar, yeast, sugar to activate the yeast, flour, eggs, milk or other liquid, and fat. What sets my recipe apart is the filling. Start by activating the yeast. Add a packet of active yeast to 1/2 cup of warm (not hot) water. Add a teaspoon of sugar. Let this sit about 5 minutes until it starts to foam. If there is no foaming, the yeast is not fresh. In the mixer bowl add: 2 eggs 1/4 cup sugar 1 stick softened butter 1 cup milk 1/2 teaspoon salt Mix all the ingredients well. Switch to a dough hook and start slowly adding 4 cups of bread flour. Stop adding when the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Knead for 6 to 7 minutes. Place dough in a well oiled bowl and turn it so the entire ball of dough is covered in oil. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm, draft free space until double in size, about 90 minutes.