The Wolfe Pit

The little brisket that could.....

2012-01-26T06:27:00.000-05:00

I love making meals out of leftover's! I had a little brisket and a little mac and cheese leftover. At first I was going to make chili with the brisket.
So I decided to make kinda sorta 'Chili Mac'
Added the brisket to on can of enchilada sauce and let simmer until falling about, roughly 30 minutes.

Time to add the mac n cheese.

Time to eat. This was pretty darn good if I may say myself!

Topped with a bit of mexiblend cheese and chips on the side.

Had to add some extra heat to mine!

Little Piece of Brisket

2012-01-25T10:22:00.000-05:00

I cooked one of these 'pieces' of brbefore and it was like the bottom of my shoe. This time, I did a different approach.
I got this piece on sale for $5.33, I figured it would give me something to do and if I dried it out, I'd make chili today.

Weighing in at a lean and mean 2.69lbs, it was ready to cook.

My 'new' approach' with such a lean piece of brisket was to attempt to retain all of it's natural juices, without adding any. So I made a little pool out of aluminum foil to hold the juices. As you can see I did not trim whatsoever, needed all of that little piece on the end!

Seasoned with salt, pepper, granulate garlic and onion power.

After roughly two hours, here is all the juice that would have been lost.

At this point I wrapped it up in the foil and juices and continued to cook until tender, another 3 hours. Looks like a NY Strip huh?

While the brisket was resting, I tended to the homemade macaroni and cheese.......STRAIGHT OUT THE BAG BOY!

Dinner is now ready. This brisket, small as it was, was one of the most tender and flavorful briskets I've cooked in a while....fork tender, but not falling apart. Going to the store after work to see if they have more on sale!

That brisket was perfect for me and Cathryn and there's just enough to make a small pot of chili for us tonight!!

Mumbo Wings

2011-10-17T09:49:00.000-04:00

Mumbo Wings

This sauce is typically sold in Chinese restaraunts in Washington, DC and some various Soul Food restaraunts. First time I had it was back in 1990 when I worked for the Corps of Engineers in DC, which was a couple blocks from China Town.
Here's a knock off recipe I found online, it's pretty good and I tweaked it some too.

Mumbo Sauce
1 cup ketchup
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika
3 tablespoons hot sauce (I used 2 TBS Crystal and 1 TBS Sriracha)
3 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons white vinegar
I also added granulated garlic, onion powder and a dash of Accent.
Combine in sauce pan and slowly bring to a boil, stirring frequently.

Cut the wings up and fry until golden.

Ready for the game.

Cathryn and I did damage to the plate but there were about 10 left at dinner time. So I put some waffles from breakfast back into the waffle iron and reheated and sauced the wings. They were even better reheated and sauced. Added some maple syrup to the waffles and dinner was done and delicious!

Sirloin Tip Roast and Baked Potatoes

2011-10-11T16:53:00.000-04:00

I picked up a whole 10.40lb sirloin tip roast and had the meat guy cut it in half. Seasoned with salt and pepper and cooked indirect at around 400*. Wanted to do a reverse sear, but time did not permit. Turn out not as rare as I like, but still nice and tender and juicy. I pulled off at 125*. Threw on some baked potatoes as well.

Layer of Duke's on a Kaiser Roll, Horseradish and onion and I'm ready to eat!

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Sliced Pork Loin Sandwiches

2011-09-26T19:24:00.000-04:00

It rained like cat's and dog's yesterday, so I wanted to do something simple on the Smokey Joe while I stayed dry in the garage and visited the beer fridge frequently
Small pork loin seasoned with Zatarains Creole Seasoning, smoked on the Smokey Joe with an apple chunk.

Flipped after about an hour.

Got full on beer's and switched to Absolute on the rocks.

Little sliced onion and SBR's and it was time to eat along with some waffle fries.

I swear, I've done a bunch of these over the past year and like them more than pulled pork AND they're healthier but just as tasty!

Sirloin Chili

2011-09-21T18:29:00.000-04:00

We had some people over the weekend and cooked 7lbs of sirloin on Saturday and had about 2lbs left. It was Football Sunday, so Chili it was.

Sautee'd the sirloin with onions, bell pepper, garlic, salt and pepper.

Simmered pinto and kidney beans for a little over an hour.

Everything in one pot and simmered for several hours.

After several hours, dinner is served with homemade cornbread and cheddar cheese.

Bacon Mushroom Swiss Burgers and Homemade Mac N Cheese

2011-09-16T13:53:00.002-04:00

Tonja's friends are in from N.C. and we needed to cook something simple and quick. They wanted burgers and the fixin's!

Bacon and Mac N Cheese......would have had more bacon but the dog ate it when I wasn't looking. He's blind, but can still smell!

Apple Wood Smoked Turkey

2011-09-12T09:41:00.000-04:00

I have been craving turkey for a while and yesterday was the day to give in!
9lb Butterball, unseasoned, unbrined and uninjected (besides from Butterball).

She's all done and has a good tan!

Removed both breast lobes and put the wings, legs and thighs in the fridge for something tonight.

Open faced turkey sandwich with giblet gravy. Yes, that's a gizzard on top, my favorite!

Porterhouse Pork Chops and Veggies

2011-09-10T13:47:00.001-04:00

I have a Weber Performer, which is the same as a Weber One Touch Gold, but it's easy to travel with the OTG. So I was in CK Hardware the other day and picked up this beauty. Time to break it in with some Porterhouse Pork Chops.

I only use lump charcoal and in this case I purchased Cowboy and the torch from CK Hardware. Best prices around and gooooood people!

Light a small area and let the grill come up to temp with the vents wide open. Lighter fluid is a NO NO!!

Once the grill gets into the 250* range I added one small piece of apple wood.

Smoked 2 thick Porterhouse Pork chops (contains both the loin and tenderloin, same as a beef steak). Seasoned simply with EVOO, garlic, salt and pepper. I smoked for approximately 30 minutes until the chops had a nice color, then I will finish with a sear to complete the cooking. This is called the 'Reverse Sear Method' and work well will all thick cuts of meat.

Shut the bottom vent down and the top vent half way. This will give you a slow burn for the smoke and not overcook the chops.

Roughly 15 minutes into the smoke, I added two cored tomatoes seasoned with the same mixture as the pork.

After a total of 30 minutes I added zucchini and crook neck squash, again seasoned with EVOO, garlic, salt and pepper.

At this point the chops have the color I want and I remove and tent them with foil and prepare the grill to get a good char by raising the temps (opening the vents). I also added mozzarella and parmesean cheese and Italian seaoning to the tomatoes.

Placed the chops over direct heat to sear and finish cooking.

Pulled the chops off at roughly 150* and let them rest to complete the cooking process before slicing. Slicing hot meat will dry it right out!

Burgers and Hasselbacks 2 Ways

2011-09-08T18:20:00.001-04:00

Simple but goooooooooood!
1 Sweet and 2 baking potatoes. Drizzled with EVOO, oregano, garlic, onion, butter and salt and pepper.

Corn on the cob basted with the same mixture.

Sauteed portabella's in the same mixture.

Ground Chuck Burgers

3 Swiss 1 American Cheese

Dinner is served!

Top Round and Veggies

2011-08-14T11:21:00.000-04:00

Marinated fingerling potatoes, bell pepper and red onion in Italian Dressing and salt and pepper.

Salt, pepper and granulated garlic on the top round steak and seared for 5 minutes on each side.

Done and restings for 10 minutes before slicing.

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Pork and Beans

2011-08-07T18:02:00.005-04:00

Tonja and I had my sister and her family over for the weekend and I made a BBQ dinner for everyone.

Started off with a 9lb picnic, smoked with apple and cherry wood. No seasoning during the cook. After the pork was pulled I mixed in Wolfe Rub Original.

After making the beans, potato salad and slaw I relaxed with a glass of Crown on the rocks (thank you Tonja) and a stogie.

Pork is done and ready to be pulled.

Ahh my plate.....pretty darn good.

Burgers and Fries

2011-07-15T12:31:00.000-04:00

Last nights burgers and grilled russett potatoes

Top Round Steak and Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Squash

2011-07-10T08:45:00.000-04:00

It was a wonderful day out back, but hot. I filled up the pool for Otis, cause he has to be out when I am or he sits inside and cries.

Now onto the food Went to the Farmer's Market this morning and was very disappointed. But Cat and I got some Strawberry and Cherry Jam and some zucchini, crookneck squash and some corn. I sliced on zucchini and one squash lengthwise and scooped out the seeds with a spoon. Then stuff them will Uncle Ben's 90 sec 'Santa Fe Rice', I did not cook it first.

Then wrapped them in bacon.

Cooked indirect until the bacon was rendered and crisp. The things turned out phenomenal.

Threw on an unseasoned top round steak and seared for 5 minutes per side. The steak was at room temp.

When I removed the steak, I seasoned with salt, pepper and granulated garlic. While the steak was resting, I let the bacon grease burn off and clean my grill!

After a 15 minute rest, the steak was ready to slice and I FORGOT THE HORSERADISH AGAIN!

McWolfe's

2011-07-09T10:06:00.000-04:00

Cat loves these from McD's, so I made them for her this morning!

Bacon, egg and cheese McWolfe Griddles.

Spare Rib Stew

2011-07-08T13:46:00.002-04:00

I'm pretty frugal and hate wasting food and absolutely love cooking with leftovers. I think I actually prefer it over cooking from scratch at times.

Cathryn wanted soup last night and we still had leftover ribs from Monday and they either had to be eaten last night or thrown away. So, I put them in a pot with some water, beer, garlic, onion, bell pepper, salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, oregano, canned tomatoes with chiles and a can of black beans. I wasn't trying to make chili, but more of a stew, so I guess you could call it stew or chili, in either case Cathryn and I really enjoyed it!! She added Frito's and cheese to hers, just cheese for me.

Ribbage

2011-07-06T18:54:00.000-04:00

I got a rack of spare ribs and trimmed them down to St. Louis style ribs, rubbed liberally with Wolfe Rub Original BBQ Seasoning.

Smoked indirect on the kettle with cherry and apple wood.

I'm not a huge rib fan, but these were pretty darn good if I say so myself.

Smoked Beef Enchilada Casserole

2011-06-27T12:31:00.000-04:00

Started out salting and rubbing a 3lb chuck roast with Knox's Salt Free Barbacoa Rub.

Using lump, apple and cherry wood.

While the roast was chugging away I prepared the sauce.

Two cans of Rotele with Green Chile's

Garlic, chili powder, salt and pepper and two cans of beer.

Meat has the color and bark and is ready for it's bath.

Foiled and cooked until tender. Approximately 3 hours.

Here we are at the 2 hour mark, getting tender and smelling fantastic.

The meat is tender and ready to begin building the enchilada casserole.

Cover the bottom of the pan with the meat mixture.

Corn Tortillas

Cheese and more meat.

Repeat twice and last layer with meat and cheese.

Foil and cook indirect until hot and bubbly, then remove foil until the top is nice and golden brown.

Dinner is ready!!

Seafood Boil

2011-06-26T10:22:00.003-04:00

Seemed like the perfect night for this and it turned out great!!

Grilled Legs and Romaine

2011-06-23T12:27:00.000-04:00

I marinated the legs in Robusto Italian Dressing for 24 hours, then added about 1/4 cup of Knox's Yummy Chicken Rub for another 12.

While the legs were cooking I drizzled romaine with Tuscan Italian Dressing.

Legs are done, time to add the romaine over direct high heat for about 1 minute per side.

Dinner is ready!! Topped the romaine with a little Parmesan cheese.

My plate.

Cathryn and I both thoroughly enjoyed this dinner as you can tell! There's one chicken leg left that I'm gonna have for lunch!

Blackened Mahi Mahi

2011-06-19T07:18:00.000-04:00

2nd night in a row, I had to cook inside due to 'dinner time' thunderstorms.

.83lb of mahi mahi

Seasoned with Zatarain's Blackening Seasoning.

Threw some vegetables in the pan first.

Seared the fish skin side first..

Flipped at the 5 minute mark for 5 more minutes.

Served over Wild Rice Medley.

Simple Chicken

2011-06-14T09:03:00.003-04:00

Dinner was super simple tonight. Salt and pepper on the chicken and corn and plain sweet potatoes. I did a couple pumps of 'I can't believe it's not butter on the corn and potatoes. Drizzled plenty of sriracha sauce on the chicken. I simply cannot eat chicken without hot sauce!

Top Round Steak with Multi Colored Fingerling Potatoes

2011-06-12T09:10:00.000-04:00

Started off with a 3lb top round steak and liberally salted.

Then liberally applied Knox's Salt Free Barabicu Dry Rub and let sit in the fridge for about an hour.

Threw on some purple, red and white fingerling potatoes and a red onion that was marinated in Robusto Italian Dressing.

Then added a marinated bell pepper.

Veggies are done and it's time for the beef.

I did a reverse sear, so I started off indirect to temper the meat.

After 15 minutes of indirect cooking, I removed the meat from the grill and got the grill HOT for the sear.

Seared over direct heat for 4 minutes per side.

Let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Teriyaki Pineapple Burgers

2011-06-06T08:34:00.000-04:00

My little girl was gone with her mom all weekend and I wanted to make her something special when she got home. She loves burgers and Jucy Lucy's, but I wanted something a little different so she doesn't get bored with burgers.

I took one pound of ground chuck, combined with about 4 tablespoons of teriyaki sauce, granulated garlic, minced onion, ground ginger, pepper and approximately 1 teaspoon of honey.

This has been my new go to on how I've been lighting my coals since my hose torch died. 1 paper towel with a little vegetable oil on it. Place under a couple coals and light with bottom vents 100% open and lid off. Fire will be ready in 20 minutes.

Added frozen sweet potato fries. Was going to do fresh sweet potatoes but the store had NONE?!?!

After about 20 minutes I added the burgers.

Burgers and fries are done and now for the pineapple slices.

I dressed the burgers simple. Pineapple slice on top and bottom and the sauce is Duck Sauce mixed with Sriracha (3:1 Ratio). These were super simple and delicious. Probably one of the better burgers I've ever made.

Pan Seared Wahoo

2011-06-05T10:21:00.002-04:00

It was just me last night, Cat's with her mother. Picked up a 1lb wahoo filet and a 6 pack of New Castle Summer Ale. Spent most of the afternoon doing absolutely nothing, relaxing in the back yard enjoying a few beers, stogie and tossing the ball to Otis.

Wahoo Filet

Seasoned with Old Bay Garlic and Herb Seafood Seasoning.

Couple tablespoons of butter.

Meat side down for 5 minutes.

Skin side down for 5 minutes.

Served on a bed of pico de gallo and drizzled with Sriracha sauce for a little kick. Very good dinner!

15 Bean Soup

2011-04-17T08:56:00.000-04:00

Well my daughter originally wanted Buffalo Jucy Lucy's, but when we got to the store we were both cold and wet as we'd been in and out of Home Depot and Wal Mart durin torrential rains and she said "Daddy can we have bean soup"? She gets what she wants so bean soup it was.

She picked out the beans cause they were pretty!

I did not pre-soak these, the went right into th pan, I covered and brought them to a boil and let simmer until more liquid needed to be added.

Cut up carrots, onion and celery. I bought a bell pepper too but I forgot to cut it up

I picked up a pack of pork sirloin strips for $4, seasoned with salt and pepper and cooked with a piece of apple wood indirect for 30 minutes to add some lean smoke flavor.

After 30 minutes I added the vegetables, meat, garlic, oregano and a bit more pepper.

A huge storm was just about to let loose as the soup finished.

After 3.5 hours, the meat and beans were tender, so I removed the foil to let the soup thicken a bit.

Cathryn and I got in just in time and ate bean soup and watched old Popeye cartoons as the skies open up!

Skillet Nacho Dip

2011-04-16T09:45:00.001-04:00

I needed 'Snack Food' as the neighbors were coming over to hang out and have a few cold ones and shots while we played carrome (cool game).
Started out with

3.5lbs of Ground Chuck
2 Whole Jalapenos sliced seeds in all
1 Red onion
1 Bell Pepper
Garlic
Chili Powder
Oregano
Cumin
Salt and pepper to taste.

Sauteed in a cast iron skillet until the meat was done and the vegetables were tender.

Then I added a little more seasoning and a can of beer.

Simmered until the liquid reduced until thickened.

Then added a nice thick layer of Sharp Cheddar cheese.

Continued to cook until the cheese was nice and golden and bubbly.

Excellent flavor and method and extremely simple and delicious! This is definitely gonna be a repeat! Going to add some black beans and corn to the next batch!

Cottage Pie

2011-04-13T09:24:00.001-04:00

Started off braising two chuck steaks in coffee, worcestershire, garlic, onion, oregano, salt and pepper.

After 3 hours in a foiled pan in a 300* oven, it's fork tender.

Added about a teaspoon to the mean and juice to thicken while it's baked and added 5 fresh diced carrots that I blanched for 5 minutes.

Then one can of drained peas, frozen would have been better, but I didn't have any.

Add one can of drained corn.

Added fresh mashed potatoes.

Into a 350* oven until bubbly and golden brown.

Should have let it rest for a bit before serving to hold together better, but it was awesome. I ate two plates!

Pollack and Spaghetti

2011-04-12T07:01:00.001-04:00

I love making quick, easy, one pan dishes and I've been doing this with fish a lot lately. It's super simple and very healthy, even my daughter loves it. The fish is mild and gives the sauce a nice subtle fish flavor.

One jar of spaghetti sauce of your choice, I used a chunky vegetable one. Add in the frozen fish while the sauce is cold, add half box of whole grain pasta and 1 cup of water. Put the lid on, bring to a simmer and stir the noodles and fish. Replace the lid and let cook for 8 minutes, remove lid and let reduce, couple minutes more. It's done. Top with parmesean cheese and you're done.

Smokey Joe Surf and Turf

2011-04-11T17:55:00.001-04:00

I picked up a $4 Flat Iron from the store yesterday and with a $50 purchase you got a FREE 1LB bag of 16/20 ez peel shrimp. I marinated the shrimp in Robusto Italian Dressing, Sambal Oelek and a little orange juice.

I seasoned the flat iron with my last bit of Wolfe Rub Bold and let marinate in the fridge for an hour or so. Took it out an hour before grilling to get to room temp and grilled it for 4 minutes per side, along with frozen corn on the cob.

Pulled the steak off to rest and grilled the shrimp for 5 minutes.

This was one of the better and super simple but extremely flavorful meals I've cooked in a while. The flat iron was like butter.

Wings 2 Ways and ABTs

2011-04-10T14:05:00.001-04:00

My neighbor's came over last night to hang out, drink some cold beers and food!
ABT's and Naked Chicken wings.

After about an hour into the cook.

ABT's are done and the wings are getting very nice and crispy.

Franks Sweet Chile Sauce Wings (get some)

Teriyaki Sauce Wings

Wings 2 Ways and ABTs

2011-04-10T13:34:00.001-04:00

My neighbor's came over last night to hang out, drink some cold beers and food!

ABT's and Naked Chicken wings.
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After about an hour into the cook.
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ABT's are done and the wings are getting very nice and crispy.
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Franks Sweet Chile Sauce Wings (get some)
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Teriyaki Sauce Wings
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HUGE Brisket

2011-04-05T14:47:00.000-04:00

Well for the Smokey Joe that is! 1.65lb piece of brisket was on sale for $4.44, so I said what the heck!

Seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic. Cooked indirect with cherry wood.....I have no clue what the temps were, didn't care. Just checked on the coloring every 30 minutes after the first 1.5 hours.

Here we are at the 2.5 hour mark and it's time to foil.

After a short rest it's done. Extremely tender, too tender for slicing and a tad dry which didn't surprise me and I expected it.

I solved the over tender and dryness by just pushing it with a fork to pull and added some sauce for a little pulled brisket.

Served on a hot dog bun, slaw and butter beans. I would definitely buy one of these little guys again to fool around with on the SJ. It was a fun cook.

New England Clam Chowder

2011-04-03T08:57:00.000-04:00

My daughter asked for clam chowder last night and that's what she got. I really like both New England and Manhattan, but prefer Manhattan.........but I cooked what she asked for. Super easy I didn't go by a specific recipe, but here's what I put in it and must say it was darn good.

3 cans - Chopped Clams (do not drain)
5 large - New Potatoes (you can peel if you prefer, I didn't)
1 large - Vidalia Onion
3/4 stick - Butter
1 quart - Whole Milk
Salt, Pepper, Garlic and Thyme to Taste

Melt the butter in the pot and sweat the onions, then add the diced potatoes and saute' briefly. Season.

Then add 3 cans of clams with the juice. Fresh clams would be best, but I used what I could get. The Snow brand is what I've used for years and like them.

Cover and let simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes begin to soften.

Then add the milk, taste and re-season if needed and simmer with the lid off until the soup has thickened.

Dinner is served!

Scavenger Hunt Dinner

2011-03-31T08:55:00.001-04:00

Picked up my daughter from school and I had all intentions of just ordering pizza and wings.........Cathrn said she wanted me to make Egg Drop Soup. That was fine with me and cheap. Got home, no chicken stock or broth. So I started digging through the cabinets and here's what I came up with......I gotta say, Cathryn and I ate the whole casserole and it was fabulous.

1 can - Corn undrained
1 can - Kidney Beans undrained
1 jar - Mild Salsa
1 cup - Rice not instant
Seasoned with pepper, garlic, chili powder, onion powder and oregano.
Chips and Mexiblend Cheese.

Combine the first 5 list of ingredients into a casserole dish and bring to a simmer on the stove top. Once the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, add a layer of cheese, then a layer of tortilla chips and then more cheese. Pop in the oven until the cheese is melted and golden brown. This was a fantastic spur of the moment dish and also vegetarian friendly.

Topped mine with plenty of Franks.

Pinquinto Bean and Pulled Pork Soup

2011-03-30T09:28:00.000-04:00

I had about a half a pound of pulled pork leftover from the weekend and had a craving for bean soup.

So I boiled and soaked 2 cup of Pinquinto Beans for and hour. Drained and added garlic, onion, bell pepper, salt and pepper, bay leaf, oregano and carrots. Simmered until the beans were tender .

Fifteen minutes before serving I added the pulled pork just to heat through. I didn't want to overcook it and make the pork stringy.

Naked Pulled Pork and Bold Chuck

2011-03-28T09:44:00.000-04:00

I've been craving pulled pork for a while and didn't want to fool around and clean the WSM.....so what if I'm lazy.....

I got an 8.5lb butt and found a 3.5lb chuck in the freezer. Put the pork on naked and used Wolfe Rub Bold on the chuck. Cooked on the Performer indirect with apple wood. Didn't monitor any temps.

After about 3 hours it was time to foil the chuck. I put it in a pan with a little coke.

The shoulder is getting a nice color already.

5 hours into the cook and the chuck is done and the pork is coming along nicely!

Added a little more Wolfe Rub Bold and then pulled the beef, it was like butter.

The pork was done exactly at the 8 hour mark. Perfectly tender and moist. As I pulled I added Wolfe Rub Original.

The notorious clean bone!

My sandwich with homemade slaw and Texas Pete. Homemade broccoli salad and potato salad.

Grilled Beef Stew

2011-03-25T18:08:00.000-04:00

Started out marinating 3lbs of chuck, in leftover coffee, worcestershire, garlic, onion, oregano, salt and pepper.

Did a quick sear of the meat after a couple hours of soaking.

After about 10 minutes, it was ready to remove and put into a braising liquid.

Added tomatoes, peppers, beef stock and onions.

After several hours of simmering it was time to add carrots and fingerling potatoes.

After another hour and a half, it's time to eat.

Garlic and Pepper Smoked Corned Beef

2011-03-24T13:03:00.000-04:00

Picked up a flat cut corned beef, soaked for 4 hours in water, changing the water ever hour. Separated the piece of point it had on it and very liberally seasoned with minced garlic and fresh ground pepper. Put meat indirect on the kettle with a couple pieces of cherry wood. Didn't monitor the kette temps or meat, once the meat had a nice bark I foiled.

While the corned beef was smoking, I cut up two heads of cabbage, vidalia onion, added a stick of butter, salt, pepper, garlic and half a can of beer.

After about 3 hours in the smoke, was satisfied with the bark an color, so it was time to foil until tender.

I cut a small hole in the top of the cabbage for a 'little' smoke flavor for the first hour, then covered the hole.

After about an hour rest, it was time to slice the meat. Fork tender, but slicable and very tasty if I may say so myself.

Cabbage is nice and tender as well.

My plate with whole grain stone ground mustard.

Smoked Turkey Meatloaf

2011-03-23T09:48:00.000-04:00

I'm not a fan of ground turkey at all, but just needed to do something a little different.

Started off with 8oz of chopped up baby portabella mushrooms. I think these are key with ground turkey, they add a lot of moisture.

Chopped bell pepper, onion and garlic.

Added Knox's Yummy Chicken, two eggs and some bread crumbs.

Put in an 8x8 cake pan and cooked indirect until done. No wood, just lump. Also added some sweet potatoes midway through the cook.

Served with mashed sweet potatoes with butter and Wolfe Rub Original and Carmelized Apples.

Pork Sirloin Tacos

2011-03-22T10:02:00.000-04:00

Marinated pork sirloin in the following for about 4 hours.

1/2 Cup - Orange Juice
1/4 Cup - Vegetable Oil
2 TSP - Cumin
1 TBS - Chili Powder
1 TBS - Oregano
1 TBS - Minced Garlic
1 TBS - Minced Onion
Salt and Pepper

First things first.

Epic lime in the mouth pic!! Think it was tart???

Cooked this meal on the Smokey Joe, it's been lonely lately.

Time for a quick sear on the pork.

Dinner is ready along with pico de gallo!!

Slap Ya Mama Pork Loin

2011-01-16T09:34:00.000-05:00

My buddy JB from Louisana has been raving about Slap Ya Mama seasonings and he sent me a couple bottle PLUS SOME! Thanks BOY! Tasted it out of the bottle and did a JB, 'YUM BOY, NOM NOM, LIPSMACK, DAT'S GOOD STUFF'.

So as you know I'm redundant and get hooked on cooking the same thing.....first it was sirloins, then it was fish, and now my new found foundness of pork loin.

I seasoned it up with a liberal dousing of Slap Ya Mama and let sit in the fridge for a bit. I was ordering Knox Spice's on the way to the grill!!!

Put the loin indirect, then lit the Royal Oak Lump and added apple wood.

I cooked this loin between 350-375, so I pulled at 155 and rested for about 20 minutes tented with foil.

After the rest and ready to slice.

All sliced up and ready to build the sammich!

My sammich, with slice sweet onion on the bottom, Tabasco Garlic Grilling Sauce and homemade slaw on the top. Also, some homemade potato salad.

New Year's Day Pork Loin

2011-01-02T09:23:00.000-05:00

Rubbed a pork loin with Wolfe Rub Citrus and wrapped it up and let it marinate for a couple hours. Then put on the grill indirect with 3 pieces of Cherry wood.

Then lit the fire and let the temps come up to around 300 for the duration of the cook.

While the loin was cooking I was out in my shop working on some reels, reading my favorite BBQ Forum and keeping hydrated. YES I was using a Twizzler as a straw......

2 hours later the loin was pulled at 157 degrees.

After a 20 minute rest, it was time to slice and eat.

My plate along with black eye peas, sauerkraut and corn bread stuffing my wife made that was pretty good and full of vegetables, to include broccoli and brussel sprouts. Sounds funky, but it was good.

New Year's Eve Salted Rib Eye's

2011-01-01T17:34:00.000-05:00

Started out with 3 2" thick bone in Choice Ribeye's.

Coated the steaks with granulated garlic, then heavily coated with Kosher salt on both sides. Placed in the fridge for 1 hour.

Steaks afte 1 hour with the salt coating.

Rinsed the steaks off with cold water.

Liberally seasoned with fresh ground pepper and cumin.

WHAT??? The cook and his brother get thirsty!

Sweet and white potatoes, red onion and bell peppe marinated in Zesty Italian Dressing and the steaks hit the grill.

Six minutes per side for the steaks.

Not the best finished pic, but I was in an unstable state of mind at this point.

Creole Smoked Turkey

2010-12-24T10:21:00.000-05:00

I typically either brine or inject a brine when I smoke turkeys and they come out great. But the same old turkey gets boring after awhile, so I kicked it up a notch and made an brine injection of Zataran's Creole Seasoning and water, no additional salt was needed. This turkey was for our work Christmas Party.

Brine Injection
1/2 Cup - Zataran's Creole Seasoning
4 cups - Cold water

Pumping all four cups of the brine into the bird.

I let it set in the fridge for a couple hours and then onto the smoker it went.

I had an audience. Isn't it cool......looks like he has sunglasses on.

While the turkey was smoking I was taking advantage of Nature's fridge while enjoying a decent day out.

Five hours later, the bird is done. No sliced pic's, it was sliced at work. But the flavor and moisture was one of the best turkeys I've smoked.

Pulled Pork Pizza

2010-12-14T18:02:00.001-05:00

Just another idea with leftover pulled pork, the list is endless!

Start off with 2 'Flat Out Whole Grain Wraps' and top with pulled pork and onion or toppings of your choice.

Several dollops all around of BBQ Sauce, use your preference. I used Sweet Baby Rays and top with Mexi Blend Cheese.

Into a 350* oven until cheese is melted and golden browned.

I topped mine with slaw and lots of Texas Pete. Cathryn left her's as is.

Naked Pulled Pork

2010-12-12T11:37:00.001-05:00

I haven't made pulled pork in a long time and wanted to try something a little different and more traditional. So while the weather was cooperatiing, I smoked a butt yesterday. I didn't add any seasoning, flavor came straight from the charcoal and cherry wood. Wanted hickory, but I did not have any.

Put the pork on straight out of the fridge.

Then I lit the smoker, I know it's opposite of most folks, but it's how I roll and it works for me.

I wanted the pork done faster than normal and with no sugar or rub, I let the temps go. For a bit, temps were in the 335*-350* range without worrying about the sugar burning. This was an 8lb butt and it took right at 10hrs total.

After a 30 minute rest, it's time to pull and eat!

Very tender, very moist.

And the bone is clean!

I have made a lot of BBQ, a lot of different ways. THIS reminded me more of Eastern NC BBQ I grew up eating in NC than any I've made before. Probably, some of the best I've ever made.

My sandwich with homemade slaw, homemade potato salad and homemade broccoli salad.

Had to add plenty of Texas Pete and a glass of Crown Royal.

Quick Easy and Healthy Mexi Dip

2010-12-05T13:57:00.001-05:00

Woke up this morning not really feeling well and didn't plan on making anything to snack on for the Skins game. But at 12:30, I got hungry and inspired. So I rummaged through the pantry and this is what I came up with and it was gone in about 10 minutes between my daughter and myself.

Started off toasting a drained can of yellow corn to add a bit of flavor and sweetness.

Added in a drained can of kidney beans.

Added a couple cups of salsa.

Seasoned with a bit of chilli powder, cumin, granulated garlic, onion and black pepper.

Mixed and heated together until warmed through and placed in a pie dish.

Popped under the broiler to melt the cheese and it's snack time!

Enjoyed with a Sam Adams 'Imperial Series' Double Bock, very tasty!!

Turkey Noodle Soup

2010-11-28T07:02:00.000-05:00

Okay, this is almost the last of the turkey and I'm actually NOT tired of eating turkey yet.

Simmered the thigh's and 1 leg (Cathryn and I ate the other one while the soup was cooking) in water, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper until the meat came off the bone. I then removed the bones and skin.

Once the meat was tender and off the bone I added celery, onions and carrots.

After another 30 minutes the vegetables are done and it's time to add the noodles. I used Ziti noodles, cause that's what I had and they turned out great!

The starch from the noodles thickened the soup up just enough. This is my first of 2 bowls.

Turkey Western Frittata

2010-11-27T07:37:00.000-05:00

I like cooking with leftovers as much as I do from scratch. We have alot of turkey leftover, so I whipped up a 'Turkey Western Frittata' for breakfast yesterday morning.

Started out dicing up one large baking potato, seasoned with Seasoned Salt and pan fried until golden brown.

Then added in diced thigh meat, onions, peppers and garlic and sauteed until the vegetables began to sweat.

Turned off the heat and added 6 whipped eggs.

Topped with Mexi Blend cheese.

Popped under the broiler on Low for about 15 minutes until the eggs set and the cheese was golden.

Breakfast is served.

Turkey Day

2010-11-26T07:18:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of the year and I'm in charge of smoking the turkey and my wife does everything else. Fine with me, cause I'm out of the house in 'My Domain'. My brother came out and we hung out in the garage smoked some stogies, drank some (well a lot) of beer and watched the football games. Doesn't get much better than that, hanging out with my older (but not as good looking :-) brother).

Started out injecting my 16lb turkey with a simple brine. You can do a traditional brine, but this method is so much faster, easier and you get the same result.

Brine Injection

4 Cups - Cold Water
1/4 Cup - Kosher Salt
1/4 Cup - Brown Sugar
Little bit of Granulated Garlic
Little bit of fine ground black pepper
Little bit of Poultry Seasoning

Blend until everything is dissolved and inject all of it into every portion of the bird. Majority of it goes in the breast, but don't forget about the legs, wings and thighs.

The 'Injectee'.....a 6% Enhanced Giant Brand Turkey. I actually preferred this bird and it was butchered, MUCH better than the more expensive Shadybrook Farms turkeys I normally get. So, cheaper is sometimes better!

The 'Injector'.....I pumped the whole quart of brine in that bad boy! I did this about an hour ahead of time, but you could let it sit longer.

Loaded up the WSM with Royal Oak and Apple Wood, ass the Oak Leaves continued to snow down into the charcoal!

The bird is on and ready for a 5 hour Sauna and Tanning Session!

Now it's time to kick back and enjoy the day and football! My brother.

And Your's Truly.

I got cold and sat inside next to the Kerosene heater for a bit.

My wife is obviously from FREAKING MARS..........she makes giblet gravy by simmering the giblets and neck and then takes the giblets out. I tell her 'IT'S NOT GIBLET GRAVY WITHOUT THE CHOPPED UP GIBLETS IN IT' but she refuses, so I oblige and eat them, LOVE THEM ABSOLUTELY LOVE THEM. My brother, couldn't even watch me eat them, he's obviously my wife's neighbor on MARS. WHO doesn't like the gizzard, liver and heart? I'd rather eat a plate of those than the turkey itself. Anyways, enough ramblings.......I thoroughly enjoyed eating them and watching my brother almost puke as I ate them! LOL

After 5 hours the turkey looks like it enjoyed it's day in the sauna!

After about a 30 minute rest, it was time to eat!

Removed one side of the breast. The legs, wings and thighs will be vacuumed sealed and frozen and used for seasoning beans, greens or pot pies for future dinners!

My plate. Turkey, corn casserole, broccoli casserole, sweet potatoes and sausage cornbread stuffing. My wife made all the sides, everything turned out great.

And.......the effects of drinking beer all day, them Beam and Cokes and a Turkey Coma.........glad I stuck with beer!

Fish and Chips

2010-11-24T08:43:00.000-05:00

Cathryn has been wanting to make 'Fish and Chips', so she helped me and we made them.......non-traditional, but still good!

Started off slicing a couple potatoes and seasoning with salt, pepper and garlic and oven frying in a bit of vegetable oil.

Then rolled some whiting filets in corn meal simply seasoned with Seasoned Salt.

Dinner is ready!

Served with a little homemade Tartar sauce and lot's of Texas Pete (it's a Southern Thang)

Game Day Snackage

2010-11-21T15:24:00.000-05:00

Getting some snacks ready for the Skins vs.Titans game.

Lighting up the SJ again, just a few wings to cook.

Added a Firebrick for a little radiant heat.

A hockey puck size piece of cherry wood.

Naked wings, no seasoning.

While the wings were smoking, I made up some pulled pork loin dip. Pulled pork loin, salsa, kidney beans, onion and cheddar cheese.

Simmered for a bit and added added the cheese at the end.

Wings are ready for a bath in 'Cherry Sriracha Sauce', same as Orange Marmalade Sriracha Sauce except with Cherry Preserves.

Back on the grill to 'tighten up' the sauce.

Time to eat!

Smokey Joe Sirloin Fajitas

2010-11-21T09:13:00.000-05:00

Since getting my Cast Iron Grates for my Smokey Joe and making the bottom vent holes bigger, I am really enjoying cooking on the little guy!

Last night I seasoned and marinated 2 sirloins and onions and peppers in salt, pepper, garlic, cumin and a little Italian dressing for the acid and oil.

Started the fire with some quick lights that I found while cleaning out the garage.

Veggies are ready for the grill.

Veggies are done and the sirloins are ready.

Three minutes on each side.

Dinner is ready!

I also added some salsa and Mexi Blend Cheese, but didn't get a picture.

Ribs and Sausages

2010-11-15T07:24:00.000-05:00

Cut a rack of spares in half, seasoned half with salt, pepper and garlic and the other with Wolfe Rub Original.

Then I pulled these sausages my wife bought out of the freezer to thaw out while the ribs got started.

After a couple hours I added the sausages.

Sausages are done, ribs are next.

Dinner is ready. I charred the ribs for a couple minutes over direct heat for the last 5 minutes to get a nice crunch.

Done! I put some Tabasco Garlic Grilling Sauce on mine, LOVE THE STUFF!!!!

Buffalo Burgers and Sweet Potato Steak Fries

2010-11-14T07:46:00.001-05:00

Anoter COLD night of cooking on the Smokey Joe. I worked and played in the garage while the SJ was chugging along right out the garage door.

Started out with oiled salt and peppered sweet potato wedges.

After roughly 20 minutes, the potatoes were almost done and I added the Buffalo burgers seasoned with salt and pepper.

Five minutes per side for the burgers, on the flip I added 2 slices of American Cheese to my daughter's and 2 slices of Swiss on mine.

Almost done!

Dinner is ready and it's time to build my burger. Started off with lettuce and lots of Tabasco Peppers.

Some red onion.

My burger is built. I drizzled the fries with Tabasco Garlic Sauce. I'm addicted to this stuff.

T-Bones and Thighs

2010-11-13T07:56:00.001-05:00

Started out smoking some thighs with Wolfe Rub Original and Cherry wood.

Added a red onion for my wife's steak and flipped the thighs and basted with Sticky Fingers BBQ Sauce.

It was chilly willy out last night! When is Spring?????

After about 30 minutes, I added the steaks seasoned with S&P.

Steaks cooked for four minutes per side, when I flipped I added some marinated asparagus.

Dinner is served!

Breakfast Fritatta

2010-11-11T20:07:00.000-05:00

It was just me and my wonderful beautiful daughter Cathryn this morning. So while she was still snoring away in bed, I made us breakfast......a broccoli, ham, cheese and egg fritatta for breakfast.

Started out chopping some frozen broccoli and ham.

Cracked 6 fresh eggs.

Added in Mexi Blend Cheese and Nature's Seasoning.

Added a couple TBS of butter to a warm non stick skillet.

Then added the broccoli and ham.

And finally the egg and cheese mixture. Then into the oven under the broiler on low for 10 minutes.

Ten minutes later, breakfast is ready!

Smokey Joe Pork Loin

2010-11-07T07:29:00.000-05:00

WOW IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I POSTED!!!!

Got my cast iron grates finally for my Smokey Joe and they make a big difference on the little guy. I wanted pork sanwiches, but didn't want to do the normal sliced loin and didn't feel like taking the time to stuff it. So I decided to make chopped pork sandwiches out of it, the reason I like to chop the loin, is it can be stringy when pulled. So I take it to the point it's tender and pullable, then chop it.

Rubbed it down with [URL=http://wolfepit.blogspot.com/2009/10/wolfe-rub-bbq-seasoning-recipes.html]Wolfe Rub Original [/URL]and this little sucker was still firm and partially frozen, so I had to literally lock the lid down on the SJ. Cooked with Royal Oak and Apple wood (Thanks to my apple wood hook up ;) ).

As you can tell, I'm cooking in my driveway. I was in the process of rebuilding some fishing reels in the garage and didn't want to keep going around back to check on the Performer. So I brought the SJ around while I worked and played in the garage.

Once the loin hit 160 I put it in an aluminum pan with 2 snack cups of applesauce for the braising liquid and finished in a 325 oven.

BTW, I love butter beans......

Topped the sandwich with homemade slaw and Sticky Fingers Carolina Sweet sauce. Haven't had this sauce before, but will again. Quite tasty!

Austin's Steak Challenge

2010-07-24T09:42:00.001-04:00

My nephew Austin came over yesterday to hang out with his favorite Uncle, ME!!! Well, he's a big dude and likes to eat, so I hooked him up with some ABT's, Citrus Wings and a 3.5lb sirloin!

Started off with the ABT's and Wings.

While the wings and abts were cooking, we were enjoying a few adult beverages.

Time to start snacking.

While the snacks and more adult beverages were being enjoyed, the potatoes and vegetables were cooking nicely.

Threw on a little asparagus for good measure.

Potatoes, corn on the cob, onions, asparagus and peppers are done and it's time for the steaks!

5.5lbs of Choice Sirloin, the one on the right is Austin's weighing in at 3.5lbs. I did a naked sear and seasoned with Kosher salt, pepper and garlic.

Steaks are done, this is the star of the show!

Here he goes.......

Last bite going down, he was like a machine and the steak was gone in about 10 minutes. What shocked me was the baked potato, sweet potato and two ears of corn he ate after the steak!

Swordfish, Porterhouses' and Chicken

2010-07-03T09:10:00.000-04:00

We had a medley of eat on the grill last night. My brother is staying for the weekend, doing some work in the area and I like to feed him good when he comes over. His typical dinner is a Hungryman XXL or Stouffer's meal.

Started off with potatoes, white and sweets and some red onions marinated in Zesty Italian Dressing, salt and pepper.

Then added some boneless skinless chicken breast that were coated in EVOO and Wolfe Rub Citrus for my daughter....she's not a huge steak fan.

Then added some red pepper that was coated in EVOO and salt and pepper.

That stage of dinner is ready and we're ready for the 2lb porterhouse's and 1lb swordfish steak FOR ME! Steaks were seasoned with salt and pepper and the swordfish was coated with EVOO and seasoned with Wolfe Rub Citrus.

Steaks are ready!

My plate with plenty of pico da gallo for the fish, love it!

My brothers steak.....nice and juicy!

I think he enjoyed it?

Father's Day Dinner Cooked by Cathryn

2010-06-21T07:17:00.000-04:00

Cathryn and I were at the pool on Saturday and she asked "Daddy can I cook dinner for you on Sunday". I said, "sure". I said "what are you going to cook for me?" She replied, "shredded beef"! I was surprised and happy. She took charge early Sunday afternoon and I helped a little.

We started with a small, almost 3lb chuck roast.

The seasoning was all her doings. She splashed a bit of worcestershire sauce and then gave it a good rubbing of her favorite.......Wolfe Rub Original.

She even cleaned the grill.

And lit the grill.

She put 3 small pieces of cherry wood on the grill. The white stuff on the grates is Pam.

Meat is ready to go on the grill!

After about 2 hours in the smoke it was ready to be foiled.

After another 2.5 hours and a 30 minute rest, the meat was done and very tender!

My plate full of Southern favorites of mine that included collard greens, stewed squash and Hoppin John! The slaw on top of the sandwich is made with Reverend Marvins Gourmet BBQ Sauce and absolute MUST for beef!! The slaw was outrageously good!

If you're from the South, you know you don't eat greens without Pepper Sauce and this is one of my favorites and brings back many of childhood memories from growing up in NC. I ate a couple of the tabasco peppers too!

THANK YOU Cathryn for the best Father's Day I could have asked for! Love Daddy!

Yeah yeah, so I'm redundant!

2010-06-19T07:05:00.001-04:00

Had a craving for a burger, so Buffalo it was! Cathryn wanted a Jucy Lucy, so I put a piece of AMERICAN cheese in hers.

Priorities, priorities, I needed to light the Cohiba first! Thanks to my budd!

My daughter wanted sweet potato chips, which we do in the oven often, but this was a first on the grill. I've grilled larger sliced sweet potatoes, but these were almost paper thin.

Cooked indirect until crisp, turning often and then sprinkled with Wolfe Rub Original.

Then got the burgers going. The Jucy Lucy is the big burger to the left and then you have my wife's Bubba Burger. It pisses me off she won't even try the Buffalo......

Burgers are almost done, but I had one fall apart on me! Doh!

Potatoes are done and perfectly crisp! These were fantastic!

Dinner is ready! You can see the cheese ooozing from the Jucy Lucy in the center of the platter. I also sprinkled Wolfe Rub Original on Cathryn's burger per her request!

My burger, I know it looks more like a salad huh?

Touch over cooked, but still nice and moist and tasty!

And Cathryn's Jucy Lucy!

The Cow in the House (Part One)

2010-06-15T06:53:00.001-04:00

Here is a story written by my 8 year old daughter about our two dogs. The names of the dogs have been changed to protect their identity! :-)

The cow in the house part one
By Cathryn Wolfe

We have a dog named Moo & she looks like a cow.
She loves marshmallows.
She likes to lie out in the sun & sunbathe.
She likes to sleep.
She has a friend named Ballboy.
He is a dog.
What dog is he you ask?
He is a yellow lab.
He is more golden.
He is crazy.
He is time to time.
But he is sweet &soft.
Some times he is calm.
Moo & Ballboy are great friends .

And that is the end of this story.

Here is Moo and Ballboy!

Till next time bye.

Pizza Night

2010-06-13T07:47:00.002-04:00

fter spending most of the day at the pool with my daughter, we needed and decided on simple pizzas. Everyone made their own individual pizzas. I think mine was the best!!!!

My daughter loves chicken on her pizza, so I grilled up a couple breast while we built our pizzas.

We used these Flat Out Flatbreads for crusts. These things are fantastic on their own, especially for grilled pizza's!

I started my pizza off with Fire Roasted Tomato and Garlic Tomato Sauce.

Then added Parmesan and a little Mozzarella cheese.

Then added 1 can of chopped clams

Slivers of fresh garlic and oregano.

Finally red bell peppers and red onion and a touch more Parmesan.

Here's Cathryn's pizza which had grilled chicken, ham, pepperoni, onion and cheese's.

My wife's pizza consisted of pepperoni, onion, pepper and cheeses.

Cathryn's is almost done!

Their pizza's are done, now it's time for Daddy's pizza!

My clam pizza is going on now!

Dinner is ready and smelling good! Tasted even better!!

Marinated Fire Roasted Vegetable Sandwich

2010-06-12T07:13:00.000-04:00

Everyone at the Wolfe house wanted something different for dinner, we could not decide on one thing. As usual my wife wanted her Friday night steak (she lives in a box), Cathryn wanted a chicken sandwich and sticking with my new healthy eating lifestyle I decided on a Marinated Fire Roasted Vegetable Sandwich on Ciabatta bread which consisted of eggplant, portabella mushroom, red bell pepper, red onion and zucchini.

Nice thick NY Strip seasoned with salt and pepper for the Mrs.

Chicken breast seasoned with EVOO and Wolfe Rub Citrus for Cathryn.

And the vegetables for me, marinated in EVOO, Balsamic Vinegar, garlic and S&P.

The meats hit the grill first.

Then the mushrooms and onions.

Finally the eggplant.

Couple more minutes and it will be time for dinner.

Real quick toasting for the ciabatta.

Dinner is ready!

Time to build the sandwich. Started off with Feta Cheese.

Portabella Mushroom

Eggplant and more Feta.

Onions, peppers and a little more Feta.

Last but not least a thin sliced tomato that was marinated in balsamic vinegar and S&P.

I am gonna go ahead and toot my own horn, this sandwich was freaking incredible! An absolute must try!

Teriyaki Baby Backs and Wings

2010-06-07T08:38:00.000-04:00

After another exhausting weekend of yard work, a quick rack of ribs and wings for Sunday dinner. As soon as I put the ribs on, a big storm came through, but didn't slow down the cook at all.

Seasoned the ribs with salt and pepper and cooked indirect.

Added some cut up chicken wings after the ribs were on for about an hour and a half. Wings were simply seasoned with salt and pepper.

After about 45 minutes, the wings are getting some color.

A hug and picture was requested while Daddy was grilling and I obliged!

Now it's time to begin glazing with a store bought Teriyaki Glaze.

Almost dinner time!

Dinner is now ready to consume!

My plate, I didn't splurge too bad did I? My wife made her very delicious pasta salad with whole grain pasta! Can of Bush's beans finished the plate.

Pretty darn good meal!!

More Buffalo Burgers

2010-06-06T06:57:00.000-04:00

While at the pool yesterday I asked my daughter what she wanted for dinner. She immediately said, 'can we have buffalo burgers'. We were on the same wave length cause I was thinking the same thing. So buffalo it was and of course my wife wouldn't come out of her box she lives in to try something new and had a F$%#ING Bubba Burger again......we'll see who has the better cholesterol in 10 years!

She picked this Buffalo Meat up from Super Target. As soon as I saw it, I was skeptical cause I haven't tried this one yet, but there was absolutely no difference between this brand except it was cheaper!!

Started off with the corn that had been soaked in water, salt, pepper and granulated garlic. What a waste of time though, this was the worst tasting corn I've ever had, something was wrong with it but it looked fine. Tasted like feed corn, bleh.

Sliced sweet potato fries, red onion and red pepper, drizzled with olive oil and salt and pepper.

Added with the corn.

After a few minutes, I added the pepper and onion.

Burgers are ready to go on, seasoned with salt and pepper.

Everything is just about ready.

Dinner is served!

MY burger and I've gotta say, I wanted another. The roasted pepper and onion were an amazing compliment to the buffalo. Served on a multi-grain bun to keep things healthy!

Pizza Steak and Seafood

2010-06-05T06:18:00.000-04:00

My wife cooked some sirloin tips the other night for herself for dinner and she said they weren't edible cause they were too chewy. So.........I found a small bag of them in the fridge yesterday while I was working from home. That's when the light bulb went off and dinner for my daughter was in the makings! Since we decided we were having fish and scallops, I knew Cathryn didn't really like either. So I was going to make her a 'Pizza Steak Pizza' with the leftover tough meat.

So I simmered the sirloin tips in beef stock, onions and garlic for most of the day until they were fall apart tender.

Then I picked out the shell.....I eat these things for everything and they work extremely good for pizza and they're only 100 calories!

Spread a little tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese down first.

Then the meat. If this were for me I would have added onions, peppers and mushrooms. But Cathryn said, 'blah' to that suggestion!

Then topped off with a healthy dose of Mozzarella cheese and a little granulated garlic.

Then got to my part of the meal and seasoned some nice scallops and a piece of Mahi Mahi with Wolfe Rub Citrus.

Fish and scallops went over direct heat for just about a minute, then flipped the scallops.

Pizza went on indirect.

Scallops are done, fish has about 1 more minute and the pizza is getting there!

Pizza is done and looks great!

The crust was perfectly crisp.

Fish and scallops are ready for ME to devour!

My plate along with Uncle Ben's Whole Grain Brown Rice Medley. This is now a staple in our house, great for you and 90 seconds in the microwave and it's done! No adding water, nothing. Delicious!!

My biggest Fan enjoying Daddy's new pizza concoction!

Asian Style Chicken skewers and Loin Back Ribs

2010-05-31T09:22:00.001-04:00

My wife found FRESH unenhanced loinback ribs from Blooms for $1.99lb. She got a couple racks and I asked her to get some more while they're on sale, that's a steal! So her and my daughter wanted ribs and I wanted chicken skewers.

Started out making this marinade and it turned out fantastic. The flavors really came through and complimented the chicken and vegetables perfectly.

Marinade
1/2 Cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
1/4 Cup Honey
1 - Snack Size container of Pineapple Chunks (for my daughters lunches, lol)
2 TBS - Chili Garlic Sauce
Let the meat marinate for several hours.

Started the grill off with a medium size piece of cherry wood for the ribs.

Then added the ribs, that were seasoned only with Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.

Cooked the ribs indirect at around 350º. Here they are after about an hour and I'm almost ready to add marinated chicken breast for dinners/lunches later in the week.

Adding the chicken, yeah yeah, I know it's touching the ribs. All will be fine in the end!

Flipped the chicken and it's almost time for the skewers since they only take a couple minutes per side over direct heat.

Skewers are ready for the grill. They have the marinated chicken, zucchini, red onion and red bell pepper on them.

Here they are after about 4 minutes and a flip.

Dinner's ready!

My plate along with Whole Grain Wild and Brown rice and my wife's delicious broccoli salad. They also had baked beans, but they wasn't part of my meal......

From what I hear.......the ribs were good! She's my best and worst Critic and will tell me when something doesn't taste good, but the ribs got 2 thumbs up!

Bison Burgers

2010-05-30T09:14:00.000-04:00

I needed a good meat fix, but still needed to keep it 'healthy'. Cathryn and I love Bison meat, but as usual my wife has to stick with BEEF being a Texas girl......So to my amazement and total disappointment she bought 'Bubba Burgers'...but who cares, I was not eating them!

Got the pre-soaked, desilked and seasoned corn on the grill first.

After about 15 minutes I added some sweet potato slices.

15 minutes later, the potatoes are almost done and seasoned with Wolfe Rub Original and I turned up the heat a bit to get ready for the burgers.

Then made 1/3lb burgers out of the 1lb of Bison Meat and simply seasoned with salt and pepper.

And......ummm here are the Bubba Burgers......

Which one would YOU eat?

Added the Bubbas first, then the Bison as I wanted it medium rare.

Dinners ready!

The makings of my burger included lettuce, tomato, red onion and fresh sliced jalapenos on a Multi Grain Bun.

Grilled Vegetable and Rice stuffed peppers.

2010-05-29T07:57:00.000-04:00

I bought mahi mahi and scallops for dinner, but my wife accidently put them in the freezer as we were rushing to get my daughter to swim practice. So I did not feel like thawing them out and making dinner even later when we got home.

So she was having her usual weekend steak, which I'm avoiding for a while. And my daughter wanted some Aidells Spicy Mango Jalapeno sausage we sampled at the store the other day. So, with my 'Lifestyle Change' still in effect, strong as ever I wanted something HEALTHY!

What you will need for the Stuffed Peppers

1 large or 2 medium bell pepper (sliced in half lengthwise and seeded)
1 stalk of celery (diced)
1 cup of red onion (diced)
1 small zuchini
1 cup of medium chopped broccoli
2 cups fresh chopped spinach
3 cloves of minced garlic
1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 cup Parmesean Cheese
1/2 can rinsed Kidney beans
1 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 bag Uncle Ben's Whole Grain Medley Rice

Saute diced onion, celery and zucchini in EVOO, just until it begins to sweat.

Add in medium chopped broccoli and garlic.

Remove pan from heat and add in the spinach, kidney beans, rice and cheese and fold everything together. Let cool before stuffing peppers.

Slice peppers lengthwise and remove the seeds and core. I left the stems on just because....

Stuff the filling into the peppers. I really packed it in. I had a medium pepper and this was enough filling for 2 medium peppers or 1 large pepper.

Grill over indirect medium high heat, around 350º. Just until the pepper is tender and the filling is hot.

After about 15 minutes I added my daughters sausages.

Then added the other half of the zucchini and a small red onion that was marinated in Italian Dressing.

Seasoned my wife's top sirloin with Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper.

Cooked the steak for 4 minutes per side over direct heat.

Dinner is ready!

My plate........and not to toot my own horn, but these were absolutely fantastic! I watched my wife eat my favorite cut of beef and didn't miss it a bit as I enjoyed my peppers. I AT BOTH!

And a quick pick of Linda's steak! NO she did not eat the whole thing, only about half!

Tortilla Pizza

2010-05-23T17:32:00.000-04:00

It's a rainy Sunday, I'm sitting around inside watching TV and got hungry. I wanted a quick snack. Went into the fridge to find GOLD! I used a whole grain tortilla wrap, leftover marinara sauce, grilled red pepper, grilled onion, spinach, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese from last nights dinner to make a very healthy and VERY delicious pizza! Pictures don't do this justice.

Before putting into a 450º oven and adding lots of red pepper flakes.

Ready to enjoy and everything but the wrap was leftover from a previous meal!

Stuffed Eggplant with proscuitto and caramelized vegetables

2010-05-23T08:52:00.001-04:00

I had something similar to this at work the other day and really really liked it. So I decided to make it with my own twists. I highly recommend trying this, as it was one of the best dishes I've ever made and extremely simple.

Started off caramelizing a very thinly sliced red onion and red pepper in a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil, kosher salt and pepper.

Then I added a couple cups of rough chopped fresh spinach, couple minced garlic cloves and then deglazed the pan with roughly 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar.

Then I added about 2 TBS of plain bread crumbs to kinda bind the filling together.

Then I removed the pan from the heat and folded in approximately 1/2-3/4 cup of mozzarella cheese. Set the filling aside and let cool.

Sliced one large eggplant lengthwise as thin as I could. Santa, I want a mandolin slicer for Christmas!! HINT HINT!! But my Forschner Slicer worked good enough. Spritzed with a bit of lemon juice to prevent it from turning black.

Laid two slices side by side, salt and peppered.

Laid out a couple slices of prosciutto .

Then add approximately 1/4 cup of filling.

Roll up tightly and skewer with as many toothpicks it takes to keep them together while grilling.

Brush with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar and let them set and marinate in the fridge for a bit.

While the eggplant was in the fridge, I prepared my wife's dinner........Of course she has to have steak of some sort once a week...guess it's 'Texas Thing'! So I chunked up some sirlioin, red pepper and red onion and marinated in Newman's Own Olive Oil and Vinegar dressing.

I added the eggplant and 4 pieces of Prochilo's Chicken from the night before for my daughter. She doesn't really like steak and didn't like the looks of 'eggplant'.

Eggplant is done and it's time for a quick searing for the skewers.

Dinner is ready!!

Here is my 'healthy plate'. Eggplant served on top of whole grain pasta, marinara sauce and sprinkle with a bit of Parmesan cheese.

And my wife's plate served with garlic whole grain medley and brown rice.

Grilled Chicken and Veggies

2010-05-22T07:29:00.000-04:00

It was a beautiful night after getting home from my daughters swim practice, there was beer on ice and it was a perfect grilling night!

Started off cutting up a whole chicken and seasoning it with 'Prochilo Rub'. My buddy Nick Prochilo from Long Island, NY sent me a couple bottles a while back and I found this bottle hiding in the back of the pantry. It is one of the best rubs I've ever had on chicken, absolutely perfect! Also did a baked potato for my wife (foiled :-( with oil and salt, but that's how she likes it). And a couple of sweet potatoes for me and Cathryn, straight on the grill.

Added a couple ears of fresh corn foiled with salt and pepper for the ladies.

Few minutes later (1 beer later) I added my corn straight on the grill. I love love love charred corn, adds a ton of sweetness and flavor! Also added zuchini that had been marinated in balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper.

Dinner is ready!

My healthy plate of grilled zuchini, 1/2 sweet potato with NO butter, just natural flavor, corn with no butter (didn't need it) and my chicken breast which I removed the skin from. Doesn't get much healthier!

Sticky Wings and Grouper Sandwich

2010-05-17T10:31:00.000-04:00

My daughter wanted what she calls 'Thick n' Rich' wings........I said what do you mean? She said you know the orange ones........she was referring to the Orange Marmalade Sriracha Wings ! I didn't have the marmalade to make them, so I improvised and made the following.

2 Cups Sweet Baby Rays Original
1 Cup Honey
1/4 Cup of Wolfe Rub Original
Mixed until combined.

Then I grilled the wings naked and indirect at 350º for about 45 minutes, or until they were nicely colored and the skin was crisp.

Then dipped the wings in the sauce and continued to grill indirect.

Here they are after about 15 minutes, they're almost done!

They're done! My daughter loved them. I had 2 wings due to me eating healthy, you'll see why next! I gotta say.....the wings were damn good!

Now onto what I was having. Picked up some really nice grouper from the store, almost 1lb.

I grilled these indirectly since the fish was pretty thick, so I didn't get the char I wanted, but no biggie.

After 4 minutes or so I flipped and seasoned with Wolfe Rub Citrus. I added two slices of Multigrain bread to toast for my sammich!

Fish is done and ready to enjoy!

I built the sandwich with red onion, yellow bell pepper, avocado, tomatoes and a Mango Peach Habanero Salso (which I forgot to add until after I took the pic). Extremely tasty, very healthy dinner!

Sirloin and Tuna

2010-05-15T06:54:00.000-04:00

This dinner almost didn't get cooked due to me being exhausted. Spent 4 hours hot patching the crack in the drive way and sealing, went to Home Depot to buy fun stuff, came home to cut the grass but realized I had to get Cathryn to Swim practice in 2 hours , so I didn't have enough time. So I worked out for an hour, then Cat gets home and says she's not feeling good and did not feel like going to practice. This is the very first time since she started she hasn't wanted to go, so I know she didn't feel good. So I cut the grass in the 90º heat after being in it while heating up the hot patch for the driveway for 4 hours! So 2 and a half hours later the lawn was nicely manicured and I was beat! But, the grilling must go on no matter how tired I was.

My wife as usual wanted steak, so fortunately for her we had a vac sealed sirloin in the fridge. Put the corn on and red onion (she wants one every time we have steak) first, then new potatoes that had been tossed in olive oil and s&p. After about 10 minutes, I added the steak seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic.

Then with me continuing my healthy way of life, I added a piece of Ahi Tuna for me. Grilled it naked and then seasoned with Wolfe Rub Citrus at the flip.

Added some asparagus at the last minute that was tossed in olive oil and s&p since it only takes a couple minutes to cook.

Added some Texas Toast for the family, NOT me!

Dinner is ready!

Here's my plate along with a fresh salsa I whipped up with roma tomatoes, red onion, yellow bell pepper, lemon juice, s&p and some Sriracha sauce for a little zip. I gotta toot my horn just a bit, this dinner rocked!!! And at least MY portion was healthy!!!