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Hot Turkey Sandwich

To me, nothing says comfort food like turkey. Turkey with potatoes, cold turkey sandwiches, hot turkey sandwiches, you get the point. Normally, I roast a turkey breast with a bacon weave. This self-basts the bird and makes it very moist. The downside is you are left with more bacon grease than turkey drippings, which doesn't make the best gravy.  For sandwiches, I go a more traditional route. Begin by chopping vegetables for the gravy base. I use three sticks of celery, two large carrots, a small sweet onion, a clove of garlic, and a teaspoon of parsley. Add the veggies to the bottom of a roasting pan, then add two cups of chicken broth. Now to prepare the turkey breast. Rinse the breast well and pat dry. Place on a roasting rack and brush with melted butter. Lightly season with herbs de provence. Use the spices sparingly, they can be quite strong. Bast the turkey about every 30 to 45 minutes with melted butter. After about two hours, check for brownin

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.

For Susan V.

As much as I love to cook, sometimes it's difficult because of the reason. Susan was a co-worker, mentor, and friend. She recently lost her battle with cancer. Her family is not in the area, and there were no plans for a service. Some of her work friends felt that we needed to celebrate her life. This is my contribution.  Three racks of ribs are trimmed and prepared for the smoker with the trimmings. The ribs are rubbed with a combination of brown sugar, white sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, seasoning salt, black pepper, red pepper powder, chili powder, and a few other spices. The ribs are lightly rubbed, since I want the flavor of the meat to be dominant. Next, they are placed on the smoker and left for three hours. A wisp of smoke is all that is needed. The ribs are removed when you see the meat start to shrink back and the tips of the bones are exposed. I like the meat to be tender, but have a little pull to it. The trimmings are removed and chopped, th