Mid Mo Fireworks via YouTube

Attended the fireworks show in Columbia, MO last night. Sat under the umbrella for 2 hours; determined to stick it out only to find out that the fireworks were about 45% to my left and a surprise to about 99% of those facing the stadium like I was...so the photos and camera shots have street light interference. Also, they shot them off into a low hanging cloud cover so the big ones disappeared into the clouds...the show must go on I guess.

July 4th Party for One on the Big Green Egg

There was NO WAY that a July 4th Holiday was going to pass by MY Big Green Egg without SOMETHING being cooked on it! So regardless that the family is spread all over the Northern Hemisphere...out I set this morning for for organic sweet corn, Strip Steak and Asparagus.
Broke out the EMILE HENRY 'FULL FLAME' pot my sweety just sent me for my Birthday and boiled up the water for the corn while the coals got up to T-Rex for the steak. I had previously frozen the asparagus and the thawing process breaks it down enough to allow you to boil it in EVOO and Minced Garlic...add a few slices of French Bread, some organic Green Onions and some SUPER Japalenos and you are done.

Oh yes, I used Dizzy Pig's COW LICK rub which has now taken over as my favorite rub after a year of being loyal to Bad Byron's Butt Rub...of which I will still use for MANY other cooks. Have a great FOURTH OF JULY !!!

AUSTIN POWERS TONIGHT AT DEJA VU

STEVE HIRST - Going with a gang from work tonight to see Steve do his Auston Powers routine....can't wait!

Chicken Heart Pizza

Fathers Day Pizza on the BGE for ONE!...Wifey still in Florida for 40 more days. This is not so dissimilar than my chicken amorosa pizza other than the ingredients and preparation are simpler and faster. This was fathers day so I was NOT going to cook chicken, roast peppers, and all that junk just so I could enjoy a pizza that ended up JUST as good as the longer method!

Ingredients

1 can-Pillsbury Pizza Dough

1.5 cups-Canned Pre-Cooked Chicken Breast

EVOO

3 Tbsp. Garlic Ranch Dressing (substituted for tomato sauce)

5 medium Green Onions Diced

2 Tbsp. Minced Garlic

2 Small Organic Tomatoes slice paper thin

1 Whole Roasted Red Pepper (from a Jar or Can)

1 12 oz Can-Artichoke Hearts (quartered)

2 Cups-Mozzarella Cheese Shredded

2/3 Cup-Parmesan Cheese Shredded

Preparation

Hey, anyone can layer a pizza right? So layer away to your taste. However, you MUST preheat the BGE to 525 degrees, with the Plate Setter Legs DOWN, and the Pizza Stone MUST BE PREHEATED.

Place your pizza on Parchment paper and slide it on the grill and close the lid for 13 minutes BEFORE YOU LOOK. Pick up the edge of the pizza dough and it should be done...if not apply the appropriate logic to the time you need to continue, probably less than 3 minutes.

Columbia Farmers Market Needs Your Support

View the video above from The Farmers Market Pavilion website to see their vision for the future of the Columbia Farmers Market and its community. Their goal is to build a permanent home for the Market that will local family farmers and small businesses while providing better access to fresh food and educational opportunities to the Columbia community. Check out their website to learn more about the project, its benefits, and its goals. Also you can visit Columbia Farmers Market website to find information on this seasons activities. Its a great Saturday morning stop, don't miss out!

Remember PANT-RY RAIDS?

Okay, tonight I didn't even make it to the porch to even look at my BGE Instead I raided the PANTRY to find something to eat; again. However, my onion, ham and tomato were sustainably raised and from the Farmers Market here in Columbia, the POTATOs were from a CAN! Oh my. Seasoned the ham with some southwest chiplote seasoning and the potatos were masked with garlic and parsley. I have to get back to that grill...and remember to thaw things in the morning...

HyVee Ribeye and Cow Lick on the BGE

Okay, tonight's meal has only ONE sustainably grown item on it, the asparagus (thank you to the Columbia, MO Farmers Market); but hey, eating sustainably costs more!

I took the advice of my staff at the office and went to the meat counter at HyVee. They had convinced me that HV "has the BEST MEAT IN TOWN..." so how could I resist. So off to the market I went on Saturday for some veggies and then a quick stop by HV to pick out a steak. This 1.25" ribeye ($7.99 for 12 oz.) took my eye and I left with visions of fat dripping into my BGE.

Running low on lump I stopped by River Mist Spa and picked up a bag of lump and a bottle of Cow Lick Steak Rub by Dizzy pig. Came home, rubbed the pig into the meat and put it away for a few hours.

The results were very satisfying; having just polished off that steak I have to admit, that was ONE GREAT RIBEYE...and the Cow Lick may now be in my top two rubs along with my standard Bad Byron's.

Steamed the asparagus with minced garlic but again tonight I did some preparation in the kitchen (sac religious I know) by using my electric steamer instead of my wok and bamboo steamer...hey I was hungry! These pics come from my new Nikon D90 and I'm still working on using the settings so take it easy on the photo critiques...and...Keep On 'Eggin!

Discovered Rocheport, Missouri today!

Time standing still, antique and craft stores galore, state park, Katy Trail train stop. Great bike shop and photo ops galore. http://www.rocheport.com/

What You Got in the Pantry Spaghetti on the Big Green Egg

Spaghetti on the EGG; What was I thinking? I was thinkin'..I'm hungry, short on disposable income for the weekend, tired of eating out twice a day and I have a Big Green Egg collecting DUST on the back porch.




So, I looked around and discovered that I didn't have everything I need to make any multi course meal of any consequence but I DID have some ground beef and vermicelli...so "Pantry Spaghetti" was born.


This isn't your Italian Grandmothers SAUCE, but it cooked up just fine and was actually quite tasty...beats Ragu by a Missouri Mile.


Ingredients



1.25 lb. Ground Beef - Missouri Legacy Beef (sustainable)
1 Box Wheat Vermicelli (just short of angel hair)
1 Medium Vidalia Onion
2 tsp. Red Peppers
1 tsp. Fresh Ground 4 Seed Pepper
1 LARGE Tsp. Minced Garlic in Olive Oil
Olive Oil (for your frying pan)
1 small pint of Cherry Tomatoes
2 Cans Tomato Sauce
1 tsp Garlic Powder with Parsley (comes in a jar premixed)
2 tsp Chili Sauce (could have used more)
2 Bay leaves
Parmesan Romano Cheese (grated for plating)

Preparation and Cooking

1. Fire up the Egg...to T REX status
2. Oil up the pan you are going to brown your beef.
3. Mince the onion, red pepper and garlic.
4. Toss 2/3'rds of the onion mix into the pan and add the beef, start Grilling...
5. Heat water for Spaghetti (If I had a XL I would do this on the egg...I had to use the stove and I just HATE IT when I can't do the entire meal on the BGE)
6. Mix Tomato sauce, bay leaves, Garlic powder and parsley, Black Pepper, Remaining onions, chili sauce.
7. Place sauce in medium iron pot and place on Egg, bring to boil and reduce heat while ground beef finishes.
8. Add browned beef to sauce, reduce heat (close down the egg) and simmer for desired time (if you are hungry about 15 minutes...if you want to add more flavor go for 30 or more.
9. Remove and plate on top of spaghetti and top with Parmesan Romano cheese, ENJOY!
10. Some Italian or French bread would have been nice, but that would have required planning...and this was a 'what you got in the pantry' meal.

Pictures are my first from my new Nikon D90; still learning where the buttons are on this thing!

Cell Phones are NO replacement for a Camera!

Okay, I cooked two of the finest Missouri Legacy Beef Ribeyes imaginable...and where is my camera? Florida. Okay, I admit, I have a little mad money file set up to fix that new camera bug but I did grab the cell phone and took a chance.





The result? A really poor picture of a great pair of steaks...corn on the cob, fresh steamed asparagus, some off the deli counter green onion egg potato salad (tastes like regular potato salad) and some Grape Soda...


We didn't spoil these bad boys...just some light ground garlic and parsley, some fresh ground sea salt and a fresh ground 4 pepper combination...seared at about 700 degrees on both sides, set off to rest for 15 minutes and back on the grill for another 2 minutes per side...medium rare at it's finest.


Then it was off to the Gym for a couple light games of racquetball with my son and a few laps in the pool...got to maintain that 45 Pound loss I have going you know. Keep On Eggin'!

Spatchcock flop and St Louis Cardinals

My son D is visiting this weekend and I cooked up some spatchock chicken (bone in chicken breasts with rib meat). They were HUGE and took forever to cook...I guess I am rusty using the egg just once ever few days, I ended up slicing them open to even get them to cook through...that was frustrating althought they eneded up just fine overall...they were NOT picture worthy however.

The thing that IS picture worthy was our trip to the Kansas City Royals St. Louis Cardinals baseball game at BUSCH STADIUM on Sunday and then our walk under the St. Louis Arch (just before getting ran off by the rain).

Tonight we're doing some legacy beef ribeyes...you can bet I'll get them done right...and hopefully they will be picture worthy. Keep On 'Eggin!

End Of Year Ballet - Fabulous!

Well, what can I say...my daughters end of year ballet performance was a wonderful experience. While I won't have pictures or DVD of the peformance for a few weeks, we did manage to get a great family shot after the performance.

Tonight is PROM...so if we can corral the kids in one location the 'plan' is to get some pictures...first however we have to get the kids to decide exactly where we are going to meet and at what time; you know what it's like dealing with those arrangements I am sure. Keep on Eggin in the meantime.

Sunfest 2009

What a weekend. Our Son's band Wait For Green was featured on the Coors Light Stage Saturday night at Sunfest in West Palm Beach. It was almost sureal to see him on stage playing drums at such a huge venue.

Of course it's their dream to hit the big times and who knows. It was a huge moment for them and a real rush to ol' proud papa here. Look them up on myspace/waitforgreen or on youtube.com search wait for green for some videos...and keep on eggin' (Hoping to get in some cooking this week some night, I'm having BGE withdrawal).

Legacy Beef Tenderloin MELTS IN YOUR MOUTH!

Cookin' for One:
Cooking on a Large Big Green Egg for one is not tough, but it does seem like a little overkill, especially in the Lump Charcoal department. However after 3 months without having ANY BGE I just need to shut up and COOK! Maybe there is a mini BGE in my future???? If Santa is listenihng.

Tonights Dinner:
After a day of reading stuff for work, a quick trip to the Earth Day festival downtown and two naps, count them TWO naps, I thought I should get busy and think about supper. Tonight I cooked up some fresh asparagus (organic) and a .3 oz Beef Tenderloin from Missouri Legacy Beef I picked up at the Farmers Market here in Columbia Saturday morning. After first arriving and seeing the NO DOGS ALLOWED sign I almost turned around (I had both my dogs with me). After walking them around for a half hour I put them in the car and jogged to the market to get a steak, a cherry pie and the asparagus (and yes, it was cool and the windows were down about 6 inches).

Preparation and cooking:

1. Bring Tenderloin to Room Temperature and rub on BAD BYRON's BUTT RUB...let marinate while you fire up the Big Green Egg and bring it up to T Rex temperatures.

2. Washed up the asparagus, trimmed the butt ends and sprayed the bamboo steamer with olive oil (keeps bamboo from taking on the smell of the food you cook).
3. Sprayed the asparagus and coated it with garlic and parsley (ground).
4. Fired up the egg and brought three (3) cups of water to a boil and placed the steamer on the wok for 15 minutes.
5. Wrapped my twice baked potato (store bought and NOT organic, ha) in foil and placed it on the second layer of the bamboo steamer.
6. Removed the steamer and seared the Tenderloin on both sides (about 1 minute and 30 seconds a side) and removed it for 10 minutes.
7. Finished the steaming of the asparagus for another 10 minutes then plopped the tenderloin back on the t rex hot grill for 2 minutes a side and DONE!

KEEP ON EGGIN'

Blog With The Wind

I set up a blogspot for my wife Jenny last night...she has been wanting to try out blogging for awhile now so I put one up at Blog With The Wind (or) http://www.gwtwjen.blogspot.com

Check it out and maybe it will jumpstart her posting...in the meantime, keep on Eggin'

Twitter, Social Networking the new Network?

I'm all a TWITTER...follow me at 'thebtls' on Twitter...not sure what it's all about but I'm in and watching for awhile to see what all the hype is about.

Missour Legacy Beef on the Big Green Egg

I visited Columbia's Farmers Market this morning and picked up a great looking RibEye. So having just cooked it up for tonights dinner I wanted to share pictures of what was a very wonderful experience.



I also blew the dust off of the wok and cooked up a few pieces of shrimp coated in a flour and Don Prudommes Seafood Seasoning for an appetizer.

Have to admit that I cheated on the potato with the microwave, but hey, I was eating and preparing alone so no one was watching...

Keep on 'Eggin!

I'm BAAAAAACK....

First night in Missouri with the house all set up and the BGE fired up for some Ribeyes and twice baked potatoes and a salad...had to promise my wife at least one meal before she returns to Florida tomorrow. Keep On Eggin'

The EGG HAS ARRIVED !!

Mark time...April 8th, in the year of our Lord 2009 the specialty company arrived today and uncrated my BGE! One of 264 boxes my wife and I are currently unpacking. She arrived in tact and if I have my way I am going to fire it up Thursday night to celebrate our move...and them my wife returns to Florida until my daughter graduates. I hope to start posting some pics and stuff again real soon. Go Mizzou!

Wine Cellar and Bistro in Columbia is DEVINE!

Okay, I know you are looking for BGE recipies...but remember, my egg hasn't moved to Missouri yet...however the day is nearing!

In the meantime I've been trying out a lot of the restaurants in town and one that I have been to three times now is The Wine Cellar and Bistro on Cherry Street, downtown Columbia. They have a seasonal menu that changes four times a year and right now they have a penne pasta dish to DIE for as well as a great wine selection.

Now the good news...the movers will deliver a special crate just for the BGE and in just a little more than a week it will be sitting on my back porch here in Columbia and "I'm BAAAACK!" Can't wait, although I see that lump has increased about 25% in cost, this eating out and microwave cooking is getting old so keep checking in and KEEP ON EGGIN'

Columbia's BGE Dealer

Long time no post...but hey the Egg is in Florida so there is not much to talk about right? I attended the local home show this morning and walla! A huge display of Big Green Eggs!!! I met Michael Smith of Rivermist Spas . Just looking at those grills made my mouth water...when he found out I was sans egg, he said."that has to be worse than a drug addict without drugs" and he is right. Can't wait to start cooking again. For now...keep on 'Eggin.

General Tso: Just who is this guy anyway?

Paraphrased from AOL: New York Times reporter Jennifer Lee traveled the world to crack the case of the fortune cookie's cryptic origins, hunt for the infamous General Tso, and track chop suey back to its creator. Turned out, many of the answers were closer to home than she'd ever imagined. The author of The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food serves up her favorite Chinese food facts, myths and mysteries.

So, Just Who Is General Tso? General Tso's chicken is a dish that is all but unknown in China. If you go to General Tso's hometown in Hunan Province, almost nobody, even those hundreds of his family members still there, know of the dish. So who was General Tso and why are we eating his chicken? General Tso, also known as Zuo Zongtang, was a famous Qing-dynasty military hero who played a large role in quashing the Taiping Rebellion, which was sparked by a Chinese man who thought he was the son of God, and thus the younger brother of Jesus Christ. About 20 million people died in the Taiping Rebellion, which still makes it the largest civil war in world history.

General Tso played a large role in keeping China together. The recipe we now recognize as General Tso's chicken was actually introduced in New York City in the early 1970s by a Chinese chef who had moved here from Taiwan as part of the Hunan cuisine revolution. It became a runaway hit in part because the dish resonated with the American palate: it was chicken, it was fried, it was sweet, and a bit spicy. So while in America, General Tso is like Colonel Sanders and is known for chicken and not war, in China, he's known for war and not chicken.

Missin' my Eggin in Columbia...

MIZZOU UPDATE

Hey gang, I made it to Columbia just in time for a 20 below wind chill day...oh my. Still waiting on cable TV and internet hook ups...it's worse than dealing with the government frankly. Doing a lot of home searching, etc. Just figured out one of my neighbors (I am surrounded by college kids in my duplex) has a unsecure wireless internet connection so I am tagging along until I get my own hook up. No BGE updates on this end...don't have the egg at hand for now.

ONE LAST SUPPER...

Some RIBEYES and WOK SHRIMP...

...and then it's store the BGE and Happy Trails to MIZZOU!

Cook ONE of TWO remaining in Florida

Wifey requested some tenderloin cutlets and my infamous antipasto veggie dish tonight. Tomorrow night my daughter wants me to cook steaks and shrimp on the BGE for the family (and her boyfriend) ...then it's off to MIZZOU...

Happy New Year - Keep On Eggin'

Hope everyone is having a happy new '09...leaving for Columbia, Missouri and a new job on the 10th...so my "Eggin' " will have to be 'in-spirit' for the next few months or so unless I make it back to town from time to time. HNY to one and all Keep On Eggin'

Happy New Year Pizza

With just a week to go before I close up the Egg for a few months and my move to Missouri I cooked up a couple of pizzas, including our favorite combination of Roma Tomatoes, Garlic Ranch dressing, 2.5 cups of Mozzsrella, 2 large chicken breasts pre-cooked in minced garlic, a dozen or so artichoke hearts and about 3 sliced (pre-roasted from a jar) Red Peppers...Oh My!

Have a Merry Big Green Egg Christmas

I will be moving to Missouri in January without my beloved Egg...so posts may slow down for a few months....but Keep On Eggin'...I'll be back occasionally.

Perfect Pizza Set Up on the Big Green Egg

This is the perfect set up for Pizza on a Large Big Green Egg. Platesetter on the fire ring with legs UP...Grid on the Platesetter legs and the Pizza Stone on the Grid. I have been using parchment paper under regular crust Pillsbury dough and they cook for 10-12 minutes PERFECT across the entire crust...starting with EVOO on the dough and then your favorite ingredients. Give it a try and Keep on Eggin'.

Pork Tenderloin on the Big Green Egg

Pork Tenderloins
Lysanders Pork Rub
Baby Spinach (shredded)
Green Onions (shredded)

Spiral cut the tenderloins, add the spinach and green onion, tie with butcher's string and grill at 400 degrees dome temp. or use open flame with a grid raised about 2" (additional fire ring).

Asparagus in EVOO with Minced Garlic on the grid until the oil boils and remove to steep.

Sugar Plum Fairy - Florida Arts and Dance Nutcracker 2008

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll216/THEBTLS/DSC09601.jpg

Proud Papa Moment - Our Sugar Plum

Our Daughter Megan danced for the 12th and final year in the Florida Arts and Dance Nutcracker last night (actually 6 performances this week). I don't have any pictures from the performances, but she was the Sugar Plum featured dancer...I posted below a still shot of her and Mom and me as well as a copy of the advertisement we placed in the playbill.

Sous-Vide - Worth the effort and risk?

Sous-vide (pronounced /su ˈvid/),[1] French for "under vacuum",[1] is a method of cooking that is intended to maintain the integrity of ingredients by heating them for an extended period of time at relatively low temperatures. Food is cooked for a long time, sometimes well over 24 hours. Unlike cooking in a slow cooker, sous-vide cooking uses airtight plastic bags placed in hot water well below boiling point (usually around 60°C or 140°F).
The method was developed by Georges Pralus in the mid-1970s for the Restaurant Troisgros (of Pierre and Michel Troigros) in Roanne, France. He discovered that when cooking foie gras in this manner it kept its original appearance, did not lose excess amounts of fat and had better texture.[2] Another pioneer in the science of sous-vide is Bruno Goussault, who further researched the effects of temperature on various foods and became well-known for training top chefs in the method. As Chief Scientist of Cuisine Solutions, Goussault thoroughly developed the parameters of cooking times and temperatures for different foods.[3] The sous-vide method is used in several gourmet restaurants under Thomas Keller, Jesse Mallgren, Paul Bocuse, Joël Robuchon, Charlie Trotter, and other chefs. Amtrak has used this method of cooking in the dining cars of its long-distance trains, and recently began using the method on its Acela Express trains. Non-professional cooks are also beginning to use vacuum cooking.
Clostridium botulinum bacteria can grow in food in the absence of oxygen and produce the deadly botulinum toxin, so sous-vide cooking must be performed under carefully controlled conditions to avoid botulism poisoning.[4] To help with food safety and taste, relatively expensive water-bath machines (thermal immersion circulators) are used to circulate precisely heated water. Differences of even one degree can affect the finished product.
In the USA and other English speaking countries, the technique of vacuum packaging may be known as Cryovacking[5]
Source: Wikipedia

Prime Rib and Tomato Basal Mozzarella Salad

Tonight's cook was quick and simple, Prime Ribs with Fresh Ground Sea Salt and Fresh Ground 4 kernel pepper and a Tomato Basal Mozzarella salad.

Tenderloins and Friends

Tonight we had some good friends over for some tenderloin, wok shrimp and antipasto grilled veggies.

They dropped off a prime piece of tenderloin yesterday and I marinated it in Andy's Beef Rub after cutting it into 'dippin' or 'skewer' sized pieces.

The wok shrimp was my flour and Bad Byron's Butt Rub in Oil with garlic and onion (posted here earlier) as was the antipasto veggies with the EVOO-Balsamic-Garlic-Chili Sauce Pour Over sauce (also posted here earlier).


Pictured here is the set up from this morning...

I good time was had by all especially at dessert where the sham tarts were served with strawberries and real whipping cream...suppose I can do those sham tarts on the Big Green Egg????? May have to try that soon.




The Finished Shrimp and Tenderloins...

Home Grown Organic Bibb Lettuce

Home grown in home-made compost...no chemicals, no pesticides, rainwater only...disappeared too fast for me to get a picture after we wilted the lettuce and added some ham and potatoes...oh my.

Organic Free Range Chicken Broth

Walking through BJ's yesterday I noticed they had added a small organic section to one of their isles. The item that caught my eye however was a six-pack carton of Organic Free Range Chicken Broth.

I use a LOT of chicken broth in my TAGINE cooking especially, since I often can't find (or sometimes afford) free range meat and vegetables it't nice to have a product that I use literally every week be organic.

Certified USDA Organic the 32 oz. aseptic reclosable packaging I can't wait to 'pour it on' as it were.

What makes it organic...the broth is made from "grain fed chickens, raised without hormones or antibiotics in an environment where they can roam freely." It is a gluten free product.

This product will probably get it's first test in my new MINI TAGINE I just picked up at Sir LaTable this week. The companies website is http://www.pacificfoods.com - Keep On Eggin'

WICKED - The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West - Gregory Maguire (The Wicked Series)

I never imagined that I would get to the point in my life where I actually wrote or posted blog comments about a book. I am a outdoor grilling enthusiast...not a book critic.

Background: When I turned 40 I determined that I probably had not read more than 3 or 4 books since college...so I decided to read one book per week for the rest of my life. It went well the first year when I read over 55 books. In the subsequent years (13 of them) I've actually done pretty well reading over 300 books since that time, but it still runs in streaks.

You avid readers know what I mean, you find a good book and stay up till 3 a.m. reading it. Then you go for 10 days without another minute to pick up a book, so I'm averaging about a book every two weeks, not bad I guess.

What happens to me is that I find a author that I like and I read every book they have published, sometimes with few other authors in-between. However, I also have a habit of starting as many as 3 or 4 books at the same time and finishing them all about the same time as well.


It keeps me interested in the longer books like those thousand page biography's (of which I like but take me months to read). Most recently I stumbled across a display of Gregory Maguire A Lion Among Men books at my local book store. I picked up a copy and found out that apparently I had missed a 10 year (or more) series of books called THE WICKED SERIES...of which I was holding the latest (3rd) book in the series. Short of reading materials,


I picked up the first book A Day in the Life of the Wicked Witch of the West. About six hours later I was on Amazon ordering the second and third books in the series...the rest is history.


As a non-trained literary critic, I may hack this up but the first book is essentially the tale of Elphaba from birth to death...the first two thirds of the book tells the story of her life and the final third tells a story that is recognizable to all of us as the story of The Wizard of Oz...at least a very close resemblance...it's less fairly tale and more lifelike in details but in the end, the witch dies and Dorothy goes home...and openings are left all over the place for sequels...thus the series.


Clearly I am no critic and to give out details would spoil the series...however I find myself having completed the third book in about a week after reading the first and now I am almost finished with some of this other books Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister and Mirror, Mirror.


I highly recommend this series and if I ever decide to talk books again, maybe I will get into the characters and details...for now, I'm just promoting reading and to include this special series of books into your library if you haven't already.

Cascadian Farm Organic Granola

Okay, I have to admit, I've tried about every Granola available, and the two things (make that three) that have always disappointed me have been the fact that they are tasteless, dry and clumpy.

After two bowls of Cascadian Farm Organic GRANOLA (dark chocolate almond) I have to admit I may start eating GRANOLA for breakfast again (my wife actually eats it for dinner sometimes).

Okay, the samples I received HAVE to be fresh, but this GRANOLA is hard to describe, it is actually not 'dry'-while 'moist' may be the wrong term to use, the GRANOLA doesn't clump or stay clumped when you add milk (ORGANIC 2 % BTW).

The flavor mixture is probably what really put me over the top, I know a lot of GRANOLA has almonds, but that little touch of Dark Chocolate pushes this GRANOLA to the top of the list for all of the brands I have tried.

The GRANOLA is made up of Organic whole grain oats, wheat and barley, crisp rice, almonds and dark chocolate; with no artificial flavors or preservatives. Their foods are grown Organic with no synthetic pesticides or chemical fertilizers.

With 14 g of whole grain per serving this is a great source of whole grains but at 250 Calories per 1/4 cup serving (w/1/2 cup skim milk) you probably aren't going to use this as a diet breakfast if you are counting total calories as a 1/4 cup fits into the palm of your hand. It is however very low in fat.

For the sustainable fans the box is 100% Recycled Paperboard and the company supports the community even further by participating in the Box Tops for Education program.

A variety of products are available and you can find out more about these and other products on http://www.cascadianfarm.com/ or by calling 1-800-624-4123 C.T. zone).

Buy it and try it...you won't be sorry. Their website even has a store locator.

This is a independent opinion made at the request of the organization for NO compensation (other than the sample products).

New York Strip Bites and Organic Shrimp on the WOK

Quick and dirty...lite the fire, get it t-rex hot, drop on the NYS bite sized pieces (preseason), dump some Vegetable oil in the WOK, add minced garlic and green onions and when hot, drop in the preseason shrimp (a combination of Louisiana Shrimp Mix and Bad Byron's Butt Rub, shook up in a bag about an hour before the cook. It all finishes in about 4-5 minutes.

Cascadian Farm Organic Granola Bars

After days of gluttony associated with the Thanksgiving holiday I thought it would be nice to post something sustainable and organic for a change...

Today I received a package from Cascadian Farm Organic products...having not had breakfast, I opened the box of Peanut Pretzel Granola Bars (I often have some kind of a bar for breakfast as I run out the door).

Expecting something dry and unexciting like many 'organic' products I was pleasently surprised with a moist and very tasty granola bar.

These bars (Certified USDA Organic) are made of Rolled Oats with peanuts and pretzels dipped in rich chocolate flavored coating.

A box contaings 5 individual wrapped 1.2 oz. (35 g) bars. I would describe them as a product that pleases both the sweet and salty urges that

you often have (you know, when you want to eat chocolate and potatoe chips at the same time in massive quantities).

This organic bar is produced from products grown without the use of synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers and contains no artificial flavors or preservatives.

Even the box is made from 100% recycled paperboard; and if that wasn't enough they also participate in the Boxtops for Education program...it's like they thought of everything. Unfortunately I haven't found these products in my local Florida Markets yet but I'm going to start asking for them.

The bars are 160 calories (60 from fat) with 180 mg Sodium. A variety of products are available and you can find out more about these and other products on http://www.cascadianfarm.com/ or by calling 1-800-624-4123 C.T. zone).

This review was provided without compensation or relationship with this company. This is frankly just really good stuff! Watch for a review of their cereal product soon.

Big Green Egg Thanksgiving Turkey

BGE heated up to 350 degrees with platesetter legs UP and Pie Pan between the disposable drip pan and the platesetter (keeps from scorching the juice). Place turkey on a V-Rack.

I used 36 ounces of chicken broth an onion, celery and carrots (broth for basting). After one hour, baste often...when temp hits remove.

This was a 13.8 Lb. Bird and it took exactly 3 hours.

Happy TurkeyDay!

Chicken Amorosa Artichoke Heart Pizza III

This is yet another slight variation of my favoriate Pizza on the Big Green Egg which is as close to brick oven pizza as you can get without the brick oven.

This recipe features chicken breast and the wonderful sweet taste of Amorosa tomatoes, Artichoke Hearts and thin sliced GREEN ONIONS

Ingredients
2 Chicken Breasts – Boneless, Skinless Pre-cooked in Garlic Cloves
1 Pillsbury Regular pizza crust
1.5 Cups Mozzarella Cheese – Shredded
¾ Cup Shredded Parmesan cheese
6 Medium Green Onions
2 Whole Red Peppers (pre cooked)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3-4 Tbs. Garlic Ranch Salad Dressing
6 cloves Garlic, sliced thin (or minced in EVOO from a Jar

Preparation and Cooking Directions
1) Remove Grill and let your Big Green Egg go ‘Tex Rex’ for 10-15 minutes.
2) Insert Plate-Setter LEGS UP
3) Install Grate and place Pizza Stone on NOW.
4) Dice Chicken breasts into ½” pieces and brown in Olive Oil and garlic until done (juices will be running) on a shallow sauce pan on the grate, remove and set aside.

5) Close dome and start to stabilize temperature to around 500 degrees.
6) Slice VERY thin all vegetables and set aside (use a ceramic slicer to get them paper thin)
7) Place Crust on a piece of Parchment Paper
8) Rub Olive Oil on crust then spread Sauce evenly
9) Add ½ of the Mozzarella Cheese
10) Layer on the remaining vegetables and cover with the Parmesan
11) Top with the red peppers and remaining Mozzarella cheese.
12) Place in Big Green Egg, Close Cover and cook for 18-2O minutes and DO NOT PEEK!

Picture Perfect Pizza Crust in the Big Green Egg

I know there are as many different pizza cooking methods and options as there are people grilling pizzas; however I was having trouble with 'consistency' and saw this particular set up on someone elses post on EggHeadForum.com, tried it twice and had the best two crusts yet...So, this one works for me and after cooking about 40 pizzas, this set up seems to have produced the MOST perfect crusts to date.

If you are having trouble with your crusts not being done in the middle...give it a whirl.

The recipe for this particular pizza includes:

1 Package Boboli Pizza Sauce

1 thin crust Pillsbury Pizza Dough (traditional)

1/2 small can of sliced Mushrooms

3 medium Roma Tomatoes sliced very thin

1/2 medium White Onion sliced paper thin and chopped

2 red peppers (roasted from a jar) chopped

1 Fresh Green Pepper sliced thin

3/4 Lb. Italian Sausage (pre-grilled in the kitchen; sac religious I know)

2 cups Mozzarella cheese (shredded)

1/2 cup Colby Jack cheese (shredded)

5 Garlic Cloves (diced and cooked up with the sausage)

Pork Tenderloin Roast (STEAK) Dinner

This dinner serves four and cooks up much quicker than if you made the roast whole with no loss of flavor or juiciness.

Ingredients
1 Each – 1.8-2.0 Lb Pork Tenderloin Roast
1 12 oz. bottle of Marinade - Chef Pascal’s BALSAMIC TARRAGON AND ROASTED GSARLIC SAUCE (use your favorite)
16 oz. can Steamed Tomatoes
16 oz. can Black Eyed Peas
3 medium/large Green Onions
Fresh ground Salt and Pepper
4 Baked Potatoes
1 loaf - Italian sandwich Bread and Butter

Directions
1. Slice roast into ¾ to 1” steaks and place in 9 x 9 pan
2. Pour over marinade and stick a fork in each steak ¾ times, flip the steaks and place in the refrigerator for 2-24 hours.
3. Fire up the BGE to full flame 910-15 minutes.
4. Place Beans, Onions and Tomatoes into a iron pot and place on flames, bring to boil and remove, cover and let steep.
5. Place steaks directly on grid. Cook until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees or higher for dryer and well done, flipping one time.
6. Remove and let set for 5 minutes and serve with baked potatoes, green onions, beans and tomatoes, bread and jalapeno peppers.

General Tso's using the Bamboo Steamer and WOK

Ingredients

2 bags Boil in bag rice

1 Head Fresh Broccoli

4 each Chicken Thighs – Boned

1-2 each Boneless, skinless Chicken Breast

1 strong cup General TSOS IRON CHEF SAUCE

1 cup Snap Peas

8 large cloves Diced Fresh Garlic

6 Diced Green Onions

1 Small Can Water Chestnuts

1/2 cup Corn Oil (sac religious; I didn’t use EVOO!)

Preparation Directions

1. Boil rice and set aside

2. Separate and steam broccoli, peas and water chestnuts until done (15 minutes) (You can use your Wok and a Bamboo steamer for this on the BGE)

3. Trim meat off of thighs into bite size pieces and set aside

4. Cut Chicken Breast into bite size pieces and mix with thighs

Cooking Directions

Fire up the Big Green Egg to full flame and place Wok on Grid at fire ring level and add water. Place bamboo steamer on wok with vegetables, water will boil and vegetables will be steamed and done in 15 minutes.

Remove wok and dump water, add 1/2 cup of oil. When oil is hot add the diced garlic and green onions and stir while dumping in the chicken. Stir until done (5-8 Minutes).

Dump on the Iron Chef Sauce and stir while adding broccoli, water chestnuts and snap peas. Stir for 3-5 minutes then remove from heat and serve over rice.

32 Pound Hemingway Cat !

32 pounds and growing...and healthy according to the vet....hemingway paws too! His name is Scoop (get it?)

Two Inch Sirloin in Two Minutes on the Big Green Egg

In this instant gratification world we live in even this die-hard grilling enthusiast wants a microwave fast dinner sometimes. Well tonight was just one of those nights...and it started this morning when I pulled out this huge 2" thick sirloin and started to marinate it...STOP yells my wife, cut that thing into bite size cutlets and lets do some dipping sauces and veggies and it will cook up fast and easy...so, a little garlic pepper, fresh ground salt and a T-Rex fire in the BGE ; add a plate of asparagus with minced garlic and EVOO cooking to one side and just minutes later we were dipping medium rare sirloin into a variety of sauces (after the meat rested of course for the true beef connoisseurs).

Schwann Man Special

Who says you have to create everything from scratch...hey, don't you get busy some nights and still want to cook up something on the BGE? Tonights dinner was crusted tilapia and asparagus in EVOO with Garlic on the BGE...defrosted and grilled to perfection and delicious! Thanks Schwann Man!

Grilled Antipasto and Griddled Chicken

This recipe for two is easily modified for multiples by adding extra peppers. Quick and tasty and can be used as an appetizer, salad or side dish; Shown here with Griddle Grilled Chicken Breasts.

Ingredients

2 Red Bell Peppers (Precooked and skins removed-From a JAR!)

2 Green Bell Pepper

1 Orange Bell Pepper (Optional)

1 Whole Sweet/White/Vadalia Onion (whatever is in season)

2-4 oz Sun-Dried Tomatoes (marinated)

10-12 Marinated quarters-Artichoke Hearts (8-10 marinated quarters)

5 Tbsp EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

6 Garlic Cloves (minced or 2 Tbs of pre-minced)

2-3 Tsp Chili Sauce (minimum)

3 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

Fresh Ground Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper

Preparation Directions

1. Drizzle EVOO in bottom of Terracotta Cooking Dish

2. Slice Green and Orange peppers into 8ths and again in halves (bite size pieces) and place in Terracotta Cooking Dish.

3. Dice Onions, julianne the Sun-Dried tomatoes, Split the artichoke hearts, and cut the pre-cooked red peppers into bite sized pieces. Place in dish and mix up by hand.

4. Drizzle EVOO over ingredients and salt and pepper to taste.

Sauce

Mince garlic cloves and place in small mixing bowl, add EVOO, Chili Sauce, Balsamic Vinegar, Salt and pepper (Fresh Ground) to taste; Whisk and set aside.

Cooking Directions

1. Heat up BGE to 500 degrees (open flame works just fine)

2. Place Terracotta Dish on grid and grill for 15 minutes (approximately). The EVOO will actually come to a slight boil; remove from grill and cover with towel for 5 minutes and uncover.

3. Pour on Sauce, mix and serve immediately (or serve without sauce and add to taste).

Chicken - This is pretty self explainatory...place on Griddle, cook, flip, cook, remove and serve. This was a no spice cook with some gratted parmesean added at the last minute.

Arthchoke Pizza (again) and Punkin' Seeds

Tonights Dinner (chicken artichoke pizza) while we wait for the pumpkin seeds to dry so we can season and bake them for snacks tomorrow night.

240 Lb. Jack O' Lantern

Hey, I've lost 30 pounds since I purchased my BGE, do it isn't impossible to diet and eat like a king at the same time using your BGE...besides, since I haven't been cooking too much in the past few weeks, I thought the 240# JOL tag line would get some of you to click and look. Back to the Grill this weekend however...menu planning in the works. Happy Eggin' on this Halloween Day!

We had 333 Trick Or Treaters tonight!

Spatchcock Chicken Breast on Big Green Egg

It's been a while since I've even opened the lid on the BGE but last night I couldn't stand it any longer...so I marinated some bone in Breasts in MOJO and tossed some Asparagus in EVOO and fresh minced garlic and grilled up some dinner...nothing special, injected the breasts...quick and easy. Sorry about the picture quality...time to trade in my glasses and turn on the auto focus.

A couple nights earlier I fixed my infamous Antipasto Arthichoke veggie on the grill and a top sirloin...rubbed with Bad Byrons Butt Rub...nothing special but some really good eating.

Artichoke Chicken Pizza on the Big Green Egg II

My wife was working tonight so I thought I would surprise her with a artichoke chicken pizza...used a Pillsbury Classic dough that cooked up very nice (for the first time). The basic recipe remains the same as previous posts but is listed here so you don't have to dive any deeper. Happy Eggin'

Pizza with a twist, no traditional sauce, artichoke hearts and chicken breast; all combined with two cheeses, some garlic & herb ranch dressing, garlic, garlic and garlic.

Ingredients
ü 12-18 Amarosa tomatoes sliced thin (or substitute 4 Roma tomatoes) to taste for quantity, you want to cover 80% of the top of the pizza surface.
ü 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
ü 1 ½ cups Artichoke hearts sliced
ü 1 ½ cup fresh Baby Spinach leaves (chopped) (OPTIONAL)
ü 2 cups fresh Mozzarella Cheese (shredded)
ü ½ cup fresh Parmesan (shredded)
ü 1/3 cup Garlic and Herb Ranch Dressing (at least)
ü 12-14” Pizza Dough
ü 6-8 cloves, Garlic (minced)
ü Your favorite Pizza Dough (Fresh Publix, etc)

Preparation
1. Preheat the BGE to 550 Degrees and stabilize (this will require the plate setter with Legs UP to assure even cooking)
2. Pre-cook 98% done the chicken breasts with the garlic
3. Mix the ranch dressing and parmesan cheese (or save cheese and spread on top, you choose)
4. Roll out the dough and add ingredients in order; Ranch sauce mix, chicken, spinach, artichoke hearts, mozzarella cheese and tomatoes.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until top is golden brown and cheese is bubbly; remove and serve.

Big Green Egg Large Table Modification

I decided that I liked the idea of being able to move the table around (when it rains, or we have company, etc.

The unit (table, accessories and BGE) are so big and heavy that my original wheel install had a lot of strain on it so I modified it today. Now it rolls like a roller skate; my table has 'dualies"

BGE Veggie Mix to die for...

This recipe for two is easily modified for multiples by adding extra peppers. Quick and tasty and can be used as an appetizer, salad or side dish; shown here with Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breasts and Baked Potatoes. Published earlier as a antipasto salad, I have modified the preparation just a little and contents due to market conditions...

Ingredients - Recommended
3 Red Bell Peppers (pre cooked and canned or in a jar)
1 Green Bell Pepper
2 Orange Bell Pepper (optional)

1 Medium Onion, diced
2 -3 oz Sun-Dried Tomatoes (marinated - Store bought)
2-3 Artichoke Hearts (8-10 marinated quarters - Store bought)
5 - 8 Tbsp EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
8 Garlic Cloves (minced)
2 Tsp Chili Sauce (minimum)
2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
Garlic Salt and Pepper

Preparation Directions

Peppers - Slice peppers into bite size pieces, Place in bowl and set aside
Julianne the Sun-Dried tomatoes and set aside, Quarter the artichoke hearts and repeat

Sauce - Mince 6-8 garlic cloves and place half in small mixing bowl. Add EVOO, Chili Sauce, Balsamic Vinegar, Salt and pepper (Fresh Ground) to taste. Whisk and set aside to pour over veggies later.

Cooking Directions
Heat up BGE to 400-500 degrees (any strong open flame works just fine)
Pour EVOO into bottom of terracotta cooking dish (cover the bottom lightly). Place peppers, arthchoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, onions, salt and pepper and stir...pour over a healthy serving of EVOO and take it to the grill.
Grill for 15 - 20 minutes and don’t worry about the EVOO boiling...

Remove from grill and place in bowl and cover with towel for 5 minutes (optional)
Pour on Sauce, mix and serve immediately

Super Peel a MUST tool for PIZZA ON THE BIG GREEN EGG

Get just ONE, count them, ONE pizza crust stuck on your peel, the countertop or the pizza stone and you will run straight to the internet and order one of these Super Peels...I'm going to make a pizza just so I can try this out and I'm not even hungry, Ha.

WOK Chicken and Broccoli on the Big Green Egg

This recipe is a ALL BREAST variation on my original General Tso's Wok Chicken. Serves 3-4 and is quick, easy, fun to prepare and tasty. If you enjoy Chinese, Chicken and Broccoli you’ll love this one and from start to finish you are only obligating about 30 minutes tops!

Ingredients
2 bags
Boil in bag rice
1 Head
Fresh Broccoli
2 1/2 Large Chicken Breasts, Boneless
4 Green Onions, Diced
1 strong cup Iron Chef Sauce – General TSOS
1 cup Snap Peas
6-8 large cloves Diced Fresh Garlic
1 Small Can Water Chestnuts - Sliced
1/3 cup EVOO

Preparation Directions
1. Boil rice and set aside
2. Cut Chicken Breast into bite size pieces and set aside

Cooking Directions

Fire up the Big Green Egg to full flame (T-REX HOT 500 degrees minimum)
Place Wok on Grid at fire ring level and add Water
Place Bamboo Steamer on Wok (two layers, one with brocolli and one with snap peas and water chestnuts.
Steam for 20 minutes and remove
Dump off water and add EVOO; when oil is hot add the chicken and stir for 30 seconds
Mix in the garlic and green onions and stir until the chicken is cooked completely 5-8 minutes
Dump on Iron Chef sauce and stir continuously
Add broccoli, water chestnuts and snap peas and stir for 3 minutes
Remove from heat and serve immediately over rice.

Beef Stew on the Big Green Egg

Tagine Style Beef Stew - Beef and veggies cooked up in a Tagine for a flavorful one dish dinner. Ready from start to finish in 90 minutes (fire up the grill; prepare ingredients and 60 minute cook).


Ingredients
5 Carrots - Medium carrots, peeled and sliced ¾ Lb. Top Sirloin cut into larger but bite size pieces
2-3 Medium potatoes peeled and chopped
4-5 oz. Cocktail Onions
5 Stalks of Celery, sliced into bite size pieces
4 Roma Tomatoes cut into 3/8” slices
2 Medium Turnips, cut into bite size pieces
5 oz. Tomato Sauce
15 oz. Beef Broth (low salt variety)2 Tbsp. Ground garlic and parsley
2 Tbsp. Fresh ground parsley
EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Preparation and Cooking
1. Pour 5 tbsp of EVOO on the bottom of the tagine and begin layering ingredients evenly, starting with carrots then going in the order they appear above (keeps meat from sticking).
2. Sprinkle all of the spices evenly over the top the vegetables (between layers is best)
3. Close your Tagine and the EGG. Cooking time will be about 90 minutes. Check the Tagine about 45 minutes in to assure that you still have liquid (actually it should be boiling around the hour mark). Remove after 60 minutes and let the tagine rest for 10 minutes and then serve.

Cherry Pie - Big Green Egg Style

My second of three cooks today...meatloaf, pie and then a pizza for my daughter...

Ingredients

1 - Freezer Style Pie Crust (9 inch)

2 cans – 16 oz. Pitted Red Tart Cherries, Drained

1 1/3 cups – Sugar1/3 cup – All Purpose Flour

¼ tsp. – Almond Extract2 Tbsp. – Butter (unsalted)

Preparation

1. Preheat BGE to 425 degrees and stabilize (insert plate setter)

2. Prepare pastry.

3. Mix sugar and flour then stir in cherries.

4. Turn into pastry lined 9 inch pyrex pie plate; sprinkle with almond extract and dot with butter cubes.

5. Cover edges of pie with 2-3 inch strips of aluminum foil (prevents excessive browning).

6. Bake until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust, approximately 40 minutes.

Meatloaf III - Big Green Egg

BIG GREEN MEATLOAF III
Beef and Jimmy Dean Sausage

This meatloaf recipe has evolved into version III with small adjustments to the ingredients and with the elimination of the foil cooking method and substitutiion of the Le Creuset Loaf Pan.

Ingredients and Recommended Brands (where available)

2 LB Ground Chuck
10 oz. Jimmy Dean Breakfast Sausage (medium)
1 ½ cup Diced White Onion
6-7 Garlic Cloves
½ cup Roasted Red Pepper (diced)
2 Tbs Olive Oil
3 Tbs Light Sour Cream
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup Dijon mustard
1 cup Shredded Mild Colby & Monterey Jack
3 Large Egg Yolks
½ cup Minced Parsley (Fresh if you have it)
2 tsp Bad Byron’s Butt Rub
½ tsp Ground Cumin
Big Pinch Fresh Ground Salt
Big Pinch BGE Garlic Pepper
15 Town House Crackers (crushed) – (or substitute Italian Bread Crumbs)

Preparation and Cooking Directions
1. Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until lightly browned;
2. Add Red Pepper and sauté until soft.
3. Season with Salt and Pepper and cool
4. Mixed Cooked Vegetables with other ingredients.
5. Pack into 9” x 5” x 3” loaf pan(Le Creuset or something similar)
6. Chill for 4 hours minimum
7. Preheat BGE to 350 degrees and stabilize with plate rack in place.
8. Turn Loaf out onto foil and place in shallow pan or wire v-rack
9. Put meatloaf on the BGE (indirect-use plate rack0
10. Cook until the meatloaf’s internal temperature is 155-1600 (approximately 1 ½ hours)
11. Remove from BGE and let cool 15 minutes before slicing

Spare Ribs - Big Green Egg Style 3-1-WD

This is a Spare Rib three (3) step cook 3-1-WD (When ever they are Done) based on 4 half-slabs using a modified Kansas City style (no honey and all indirect)

Ingredients
2 Slabs – Spare Ribs
Bad Byron’s Butt Rub
Brown Sugar
Barbeque Sauce (pick a favorite)
EVOO (optional)
100% Apple Juice

Preparation
a. Fire up BGE and Pre-Heat to 250 degrees, Insert Plate setter, drip pan, grate and rib rack
b. Stabilize temperature while you prepare the ribs

First Cook (3 hours)
a. Cut slabs in half and remove membrane using a paper towel

b. Drizzle on some extra virgin olive oil and rub (optional)
c. Sprinkle on Bad Byron’s Butt Rub (to taste) and press into ribs d. Add ribs to rib rack and close lid and Cook at 250 degrees for 3 hours; remove from Rack to rest

Steeping (1 hour)

a. Tear off 4 pieces of foil large enough to wrap the half slabs and stack.
b. Sprinkle brown sugar equal to length of rib
c. Form a basket with the first piece of foil
d. Drizzle about a half cup of Apple Juice onto the rib and wrap it lightly like a package and set aside for next round of cooking
e. Repeat for each slab
f. Place steeping packets on the grate and close lid.
g. Cook for 60 minutes (you CAN look to make sure apple juice has not all evaporated but be very careful because of the hot juices

h. Remove and unwrap ribs

Final Barbeque (WD = Whenever the are Done!) - Place Ribs directly on Grate and smother with Barbeque sauce, Flip and repeat the cook 15 minutes and repeat, cooking time can vary considerably; many recipes call for at least an hour. Let rest and serve.

Tropical Storm FAY gettin' in the way

No Eggin' in this weather...the porch is an inch deep in water...go away Fay!

Big Green Cherry Cobbler

I suspect that many people will recognize this recipe as some version of their own Boy Scout skillet or campfire cobbler; I use bisquick instead of flour but prefer to just say “may I have more sir?” regardless of the actual mix of ingredients…umm good!

Ingredients
1 - 15 Oz. Can of Pitted, Red Tart Cherries in Water
1 – Stick Unsalted Butter
1 cup - Bisquick
1 cup - Sugar
1 cup - Milk (Organic Reduced Fat)

Preparation
1. Preheat the BGE to 375 Degrees and stabilize (this will require the plate setter with Legs Down. To assure even cooking add the pizza stone under the baking dish as well)
2. Melt butter and pour in 9 x 9 inch baking dish.
3. Mix the Bisquick, Sugar and Milk and pour into baking dish.
4. Open Fruit and pour on top of the contents in the baking dish.
5. Bake 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until top is golden brown and bubbly (if the heat creeps up to 400 degrees, just shut down the bottom vent and let it ride).

Note: If you are using a sweetened pie filling from a can you can cut back the amount of sugar you use by ¼ cup. If you prefer to use TWO cans of Cherries, use a 9 x 13 pan and change nothing else (cooking time may need to decrease by 5 minutes)

Kudos to DEEPSOUTH on the EggheadForum for the basic recipe recommendation that I subsequently modified with more butter, more sugar and bisquick but hey, he got me jump started.

Artichoke Chicken Pizza on the Big Green Egg

Pizza with a twist, no traditional sauce, artichoke hearts and chicken breast; all combined with two cheeses, some garlic & herb ranch dressing, garlic, garlic and garlic.

Ingredients
10-12 Amorosa tomatoes sliced thin (or substitute 3-4 Roma tomatoes) to taste for quantity, you want to cover 80% of the top of the pizza surface.
2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 ½ cups Artichoke hearts sliced
1 ½ cup fresh Baby Spinach leaves (chopped)
2 cups fresh Mozzarella Cheese (shredded)
½ cup fresh Parmesan (shredded)
1/3 cup Garlic and Herb Ranch Dressing
12-14” Pizza Dough
6 cloves, Garlic (minced)
Fresh Pizza Dough (Fresh Publix, etc)

Preparation
1. Preheat the BGE to 600 (or Oven to 400) Degrees and stabilize (this will require the plate setter with Legs UP to assure even cooking)
2. Pre-cook 98% done the chicken breasts with the garlic
3. Mix the ranch dressing and parmesan cheese
4. Roll out the dough and pre-bake for a minimum of 6 minutes
5. Remove from Egg (or Oven) and add ingredients in order; Ranch sauce mix, chicken, spinach, artichoke hearts, mozzarella cheese and tomatoes.
6. Return to oven and bake for 20 minutes or until top is golden brown and cheese is bubbly; remove and serve.

Pork Tenderloin Medallions

There couldn't be easier or quicker way to cook up some JUICY and VERY TASTY pork tenderloin. Slice into 1" medallions, marinated in some MOJO, heat up the BGE to about 400 degrees and drop them on, turning once (about 5 minutes a side); Tender, juicy and quick no hassle main dish.

Fart Bread Pizza (Beanie-Weenie actually) on the Big Green Egg

Ingredients
1 Pizza Dough (see earlier recipe or use your favoriate dough)
1 16 oz Can-Bushes ‘Grilling Beans”
1 Medium Onion (diced)
2 Small Tomatoes (diced)
1 Cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese
½ Cup Mozzarella Cheese
¼ Cup Cheddar Cheese
3 Hot Dogs (sliced very thin)

Preparation
1. Prepare dough and ingredients
2. Preheat BGE to 500-600 degrees and insert plate setter and insert Pizza dough
3. When temp stabilized place pizza dough on the stone for 5 minutes (lid closed).
4. Open the lid and flip the dough.
5. Put on gloves and start layering on the ingredients
EVOO, Beans and Juice (juice serves as the paste), Cheese layer, Hot Dogs, Onion, Tomato, Cheese Layer, Close the lid and go away for 14-18 minutes.

Big Green Egg Large Table Project - Reengineered

When I built my table originally (some of you may rember my posts on the 30 hour build) some fine forum member asked a question about the size of the casters I had selected. I gave them some excuse about not moving it much, blah blah...well, whomever that was, you were right...I twisted off one of the caster wheels two days ago trying to move the table in a hurry as the lightening was striking in the back yard...thus the modification project today.

Also, a few people had asked me to see more pictures of the extra shelf I had hung from the bottom of my original table build and I had never gotten aroudn to that so here are a few extra pictures of my table (also on my blog) of the removable end, the roll out drawers and the handing extra shelf.

$50 Lump for the Big Green Egg?

From time to time people discuss finding different types of lump or where they found lump charcoal on sale etc. (on the various forums); well it has been my experience that a bag of Big Green Egg Lump costs me an average of about $50 a bag.

Sound High?

Well the problem is that every time I enter the Grill One store to buy a bag of lump I end up purchasing another new TOY for my Egg...how about you? This time it was a griddle I just couldn't leave without...

What ever happened to good Ol' Salt and Peppa?

I decided to organize the spices we have acquired since becoming addicted to Big Green Egg grilling and I was amazed.

Actually I couldn't even find the regular black pepper and regular old salt shakers...we now have Kosher Salt and Garlic Pepper, seasoned salts of a half dozen varieties and of course peppercorns and Sea Salt for fresh grinding...where does the madness end?

...and this doesn't even include the sauce and marinade rack in the pantry...and all the new dishes and toys we use to cook on the Egg...Oh My!

Balsamic Grilled Pork Chops on the Big Green Egg

Balsamic Grilled Pork Chops
Serves 2 or more, depending on the meat selection you make. This recipes marinade is good for Chops or tenderloins (whole) or medallions.

Ingredients
 2 Pork Chops – MINIMUM of 1.25” (or substitute whole tenderloins or tenderloins cut into ½” medallions)
 1 Cup EVOO
 ¼ Cup Basil (chopped fresh if you have it)
 ½ Cup Parsley (chopped fresh if you have it)
 5 Large Garlic Cloves (minced)
 1/3 Cup Balsamic Vinegar (to taste and size of meat portions)

Preparation
1. Combine ingredients in a mixing bowl and pour over Chops in a shallow square pan or substitute a 1 gallon freezer bag and mix/shake.
2. Place in refrigerator for 4 hours minimum and turn occasionally.
3. Remove chops from marinade and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes (discard remaining marinade).
4. While the chops are coming up to room temperature fire up the Big Green Egg and bring to a stabilized temperature of about 350 degrees.
5. Place chops directly on the grill for approximately 6 minutes per side (lid down and no peeking).
6. When internal temperature reaches 150 degrees remove from grill and let stand for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Cucumber Radish Spinach Salad (organic)

A decent alternative to the standard bib lettuce or romaine salads we eat every weekend. This Serves 2 or more depending on the quantities you throw together and how much organic produce you can afford.

Ingredients and preparation
1 Cucumber, peeled and sliced lengthwise (paper thin down to seed center) (organic)
8-10 Radishes, sliced paper thin (organic)
1 - 12 oz. bag Baby Spinach leaves, whole (not organic, sorry)
Green Pepper, Paper Thin (organic)
Fresh ground salt and pepper
Combine ingredients in a mixing bowl and pour over your favorite salad dressing and serve. May be prepared in advance and chilled.

"Kind of" Greek Pizza on the Big Green Egg

Using my Brick Oven Pizza Dough recipe we took an idea from a published magazine and modified it just a little to make this Greek with a modification pizza prepared right on top of the BGE while it’s hot!!

Ingredients

½ recipe - Brick Oven Pizza Dough

1 ½ cups Mozzarella cheese (Shredded)

2 boneless chicken breasts

12 artichoke heart quarters (drained and coarse chopped)

1 roasted red pepper (from a jar is just fine and a lot faster)

5 garlic cloves (sliced)

1 oz. pizza sauce (this is where the Greek theme goes away)

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil (for crust)

10 black olives sliced (by not using Kalamata olives the Greek theme is just about dead all together now)

1 ½ dried oregano (you can use fresh if you can afford it)

½ tsp. fresh ground peppercorns

Feta cheese to taste (a maximum of 1 cup)

Preparation

1. Preheat BGE to 500 degrees and stabilize; Pre-cook Chicken breasts (chopped into bite sized pieces (with chopped garlic) on stove or BGE.

2. Mix all ingredients (except the chicken and the cheese) in a mixing bowl and set aside.

3. Roll out dough (the original recipe calls for placing dough on the grid directly for 2-3 minutes and flipping, NOT) and place on preheated BGE pizza stone; and yes, you are preparing this pizza right on top of the cooker.

4. Let the dough heat up (lid closed) for about 5 minutes, open the lid and flip the dough with your pizza peel then add the olive oil and the thinnest possible layer of pizza sauce imaginable.

5. Layer on the ingredients and cover with mozzarella cheese, close the cover and don’t come back for 15 minutes.

Big Green Egg Pizza Dough - Brick Oven Style

Recipe makes two (2) 14 inch pizza dough’s for your Big Green Egg and can be frozen for use later as well.

Ingredients
2 Cups of warm water (100-100 degrees-hotter and the yeast will fail)
2 envelopes of active yeast (1/4 ounce packages)
1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
5 cups All-Purpose unbleached white flour
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
1½ tsp thyme
½ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
½ cup EVOO

Preparation
1. Stir together yeast and 2 cups warm water & let sit for 5 minutes
2. Stir into Mixing Bowl, the yeast water, 3 cups of white flour, 1 cup of wheat flour, the salt, and thyme sugar and parmesan cheese.
3. Mix with Pastry Beaters on low and make sure to scrape sides of bowl as necessary.
4. Mix to a still dough consistency and then place dough into large mixing bowl (greased well and with a tablespoon of EVOO on the bottom).
5. Roll the dough in the EVOO to coat the outside, cover with a kitchen towel and place in a 80 degree room for 45 minutes.
6. After 45 minutes you can punch down the dough (should have risen to double the original size) and roll out onto a lightly floured table top and kneed in another ¼ cup (if needed) of flour. (NOTE: If your are going to freeze the dough do not turn out and kneed until you are going to USE the dough, go directly to separating and freezing)
7. Divide into (2) two dough balls and roll out into about a 14” surface and prepare for cooking.

One Dish Tagine Style Chicken on the Big Green Egg

Chicken and veggies on the Big Green Egg; cooked using the Tagine at 400 degrees for 60 minutes...to perfection.

Ingredients

2 boneless chicken breasts

2 medium tomatoes

5 medium carrots

1 green pepper

1 red pepper

(FORGOT THE ONION !!)

2 potatoes

Seasoned Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

Paprika (to taste)

Parsley (to taste)
EVOO

1.5 Cups Chicken Broth

Capers (to taste)

Preparation

Slice potatoes, carrots, tomatoes and peppers and layer on top of chicken. EVOO in bottom of Tagine, spice to taste cover and cook. You have an amazingly flavorful one dish meal; 90 minutes from lighting the lump to the table top (let rest for 10 minutes before serving). DO NOT PEEK DURING COOKING!

Big Green Egg Table Project NEVER ENDS!

Okay, you all know by now (if you own a BGE that is) that this is an obsession. You cannot have too many toys to support your BGE and since I had one last piece of Cedar lying around after making the handles for my BGE and my new Spatula; I could not just let it sit there.




So I got out my grinder and ground off the spring handle on the BGE ash tool and made this modification last night...

...again, you all know that you cannot have too many toys for your BGE.

...can you have TOO MUCH cookware for your Big Green Egg?

(NOT) My last trip to Sur La Table ended up costing me a few bucks...however the BARGAIN I did get was this terracotta cooking pan (good for cooks on open flames)...the recipe is the same ol' Antipasto I've posted before...but the cookware...for $10, was OUTSTANDING; nothing stuck, the Veggies steamed up really nice, cleaned up with a sponge.

Big Green Egg Accessories

I had some Cedar Left from my BGE Handle Project (see below)...and I couldn't just let it sit there so I went to Target and purchased a spatula, removed the handle, bent it (so it accommodates the lower grid setting on the BGE) and started whittling away. I split and grooved one half for a perfect fit, welded them together and the final sanded and coated with 8 +coats of hand wiped poly. That was today's project...now it's time to cook some dinner!

Mini Pizza on the Big Green Egg

Whipped up a couple of 7" pizzas tonight; One Tomato-Basal Mozzarella, and one garbage (everything I had). Flipped one (the garbage) completely upside down off the edge of the pizza peel to start things off. However I somehow managed to snap it right back over (and you actually can't hardly tell(be nice)). One Mistake I made however was putting the plate-setter "legs up" for the first time ever. That made the crust cook too quickly...a tip for some of you out there...but by chance they turned out perfect but by the forbidden "peaking early" method only...otherwise it would have been a disaster. Legs Down!

Big Green Egg Table Upgrade II

I looked at the picture of the handle I posted yesterday and realized how bad it was...here is a better representation of what it really looks like.

Keep On Eggin'!

One Grid Meal - II

One Grid, One Meal on the BGE tonight...again.

Steamed Broccoli, Black Eyed Peas and Steamed Tomatoes, 1.25" Pork Chops (tenderloin on) grilled direct with Bad Byron's Butt Rub.

Big Green Egg Table Upgrade

Just finished my Cedar Handle for the Large Green Egg. I've been putting off this project for awhile but decided to get off my back side and do something special for myself.

One Grid, One Mission...cook entire meal on Big Green Egg!

One Grid, One Mission...cook our entire meal without using the Kitchen (did that rhyme?).

Split Breast Chicken injected and mariniated with MOJO and cooked along side our Antipasto (not grilled this time but simmered in EVOO in the pan) and some baked beans with Onions and Mustard.

Parmesan Pork Tenderloin with Garlic Herb Sauce

Ingredients
1 Lemon (for zest and juice)
4-5 sprigs of Parsley
1 cup Panko (Japanese Bread Crumbs)-Note ANY crispy breadcrumbs will work
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp ground sage
¼ tsp fresh ground pepper
2 egg whites
2 tsp Cornstarch
2 Pork Tenderloins
1 ½ cups reduced fat organic milk
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 packet garlic/herb sauce mix (1.5 oz)

Preparation and Cooking
1. Preheat BGE to 425 degrees with plate-setter installed.
2. Use Zester to prepare 1 tbsp of lemon zest (no white pith) and place in shallow bowl.
3. Squeeze lemon juice into second shallow bowl.
4. Chop parsley and add to lemon zest and stir in Panko (bread crumbs), parmesan cheese, salt, ground pepper and ground sage until well blended.
5. Add egg whites and cornstarch to lemon juice; beat vigorously with fork until blended.
6. Dip tenderloins into egg mixture and roll in bread crumb mixture; Press firmly and spread evenly.
7. Place in shallow baking pan (9x9, 10x10,10x13) and let tenderloins stand for 5-10 minutes and then cook at 425 degrees until pork internal temperature reaches 160 degrees (30 minutes).
8. During last ten minutes of cook prepare your sauce. Chop fresh sage (if available or use t tablespoon of ground) and set aside.
9. Place in small saucepan, milk, butter and dry garlic herb sauce then bring to boil and Wisk until blended.
10. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in sage then cook for 3 more minutes; stir continuously. Slice pork and serve with sauce.

Kilroy is HERE!

Pork Loin (Hungry Man Single Serving) Tagine Style

Single Serving (Hungry Man Size) of Pork Loin and vegetables stewed up in a Tagine for a flavorful one dish dinner. Ready from start to finish in 90 minutes (fire up the grill; prepare ingredients and 60 minute cook).

Ingredients
4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced in half lengthwise

1 10 oz. Pork Loin butter flied
Lysanders Pork Rub (to taste)
2 Medium potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 large green bell pepper, cut in chunks

6 green onions, sliced in ½ inch pieces
2 small tomatoes sliced thin
Large handful of Baby Spinach
4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
Garlic Pepper and Garlic Salt (to taste)
8 tbsp EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
1 cup of Chicken Broth

Preparation and Cooking
1. Rub Pork Loin and set aside.
2. Pour 5 tbsp of EVOO on the bottom of the tagine and begin layering ingredients evenly, starting with carrots then going in order they are written in the ingredients list above. The carrots must be on the bottom and the chicken pieces should be on top of the carrots, not touching the bottom of the tagine.
3. Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly over the top the vegetables and then drizzle the remaining olive oil all over.
4. Close your tagine and cook until your vegetables are tender; on indirect heat (use a plate setter and stabilized Egg at 350 degrees). Check the tagine about 30 minutes in to assure that you still have liquid so the vegetables won’t burn. Remove after 60 minutes and let the tagine rest for 10 minutes and then serve.

p.s. Don't drop your Tagine...

...they don't bounce! This is becoming a habit...I recommend using TWO hands when picking up a hot conical shaped item...duh.

Thank god for JB Weld!

So just what IS a Tagine?

According to Wickipedia a "tajine or tagine is a type of dish found in the North African cuisines of Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia, which is named after the special pot in which it is cooked. The traditional tajine pot is formed entirely of a heavy clay which is sometimes painted or glazed. It consists of two parts; a base unit which is flat and circular with low sides, and a large cone or dome-shaped cover that rests inside the base during cooking. The cover is so designed to promote the return of all condensation to the bottom. With the cover removed, the base can be taken to the table for serving."1

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tagine

Tagine Chicken & Veggies

Chicken and vegetable stewed up in a Tagine for a flavorful one dish dinner. Ready from start to finish in 90 minutes (fire up the grill, prepare ingredients and 60 minute cook).

Ingredients
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced in half lengthwise
2-3 Boneless Chicken Breasts (or any ½ Chicken, split or pieces)
2 Medium potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/4" thick rounds
1 large green bell pepper, cut in chunks
1 medium vidalia onion, sliced in ¼ “ rounds
2 medium tomatoes, sliced in ¼ “ rounds
4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
2 tsps ginger
½ tsp fresh ground pepper and Sea Salt (to taste)
2 tsps paprikaHandful of pitted chopped-minced black olives
10 tbsp EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
1 cup of Chicken Broth (or Substitute 1cup of water and ½ cube or 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder)

Preparation and Cooking
1. Pour 5 tbsp of EVOO on the bottom of the tagine and begin layering ingredients evenly, starting with carrots then going in order they are written in the ingredients list above. The carrots must be on the bottom and the chicken pieces should be on top of the carrots, not touching the bottom of the tagine.
2. Sprinkle all of the spices evenly over the top the vegetables. Spread your minced olives on top and then drizzle the olive oil allover.
3. Close your tagine and cook until your vegetables are tender; on indirect heat (approximately 330 degrees) on the BGE.
4. Cooking time will be about 60 minutes. Check the tagine about 30 minutes in to assure that you still have liquid so the vegetables won’t burn. Remove after 60 minutes and let the tagine rest for 10 minutes and then serve.

Louisiana Shrimp Fry

Another Wok fried shrimp meal variation. Louisiana Shrimp Fry Batter lightly sprinkled with Bad Byron's Butt Rub and fried on the Wok over high heat on the Big Green Egg.

Wok prepared on High Heat with a fairly healthy pour of Canola Oil, heated to temp.

Dump in 1 diced green onion and 6-7 diced Garlic Cloves...drop in the shrimp, turn once and serve.

Bamboo Steamer on the Big Green Egg

In my quest to cook ALL THINGS BGE and to NEVER use our Kitchen Stove or Oven again, I fired up the BGE to about 600 Degrees with an open flame and tried my new Bamboo Steamer.


With the Wok as the vessel I place water in it until it was about a 1/2" from the edge of the bottom ring of the Bamboo Steamer.

I placed two layers of Steamer full of Broccoli and Water Chestnuts, capped it with the Lid and came back about 15 minutes later to the MOST PERFECT STEAMED BROCCOLI I HAVE EVER ATE. I moved the steamer to the side and prepared some General Tsos's Chicken in the wok, added the veggies and ... well it's all gone!

I guess I'm setting the electric steamer out to the Good Will collection box in the morning!

BLOODY MARY RIBEYE

This recipe combines two of my favorite things, Steak and Bloody Mary’s. The sauce is sufficient for 4-6 steaks but the cook demonstrated here is two Ribeyes.

Ingredients - Recommended
2-4 Ribeye Steaks (or Delmonico)

Marinade

2 Tbsp Lite Soy Sauce
4 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tbsp EVOO
6 Minced Garlic Cloves
Garlic Salt & Pepper (to taste)

Bloody Mary Sauce
2 lb Ripe Tomatoes
½ cup Vidalia Onions (or sweet)
3 Green Onions (or scallions)
1 tsp Cilantro
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 Tbsp Lime Juice (fresh)
½ cup Beef Broth (or consume)
4 Tbsp Vodka (high end)
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Preparation
Marinade-Mix ingredients, coat steaks, cover and chill, turn steaks once (chill a minimum of 2 hours).

Bloody Mary Sauce-Boil water and pour over tomatoes; let set for 30 seconds, drain and peal skins from Tomatoes. Quarter tomatoes and place in food processor. Place all ingredients and chop fine. If tomatoes were not ripe enough add tomato puree

Cooking
1. Remove steaks from refrigerator an hour before cooking to get to room temperature
2. Preheat BGE to 500 degrees (open flame); Remove steaks from marinade and discard remaining
3. Place Ribeyes on direct grate for 90 seconds on each side and remove, let rest for 10 minutes.
4. Place sauce in pot and simmer on grill for 5 minutes, remove from heat and keep warm.
5. Place steaks on grill for 3-6 minutes per side (depends on thickness and your taste for Rare, Medium, etc.); Remove from grill and plate, drizzle healthy serving of Bloody Mary Sauce and Serve.

Recommended Side Dishes-Corn on the cob, Garlic Mashed, French Bread, Asparagus spears

Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breasts

This recipe for two is easily modified for multiples by adding extra chicken breasts. This is a quick cook on high heat with minimal basting and turning.

Ingredients - Recommended
2 large Boneless Chicken Breasts
6 medium Garlic Cloves
½ stick Butter –Unsalted
½ ball Mozzarella (fresh)
EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
Mrs. Dash – Chicken Seasoning

Preparation Directions
1. Slice Chicken Breasts lengthwise (split not separated).
2. Mince Garlic

3. Slice Mozzarella (amount to taste) thin 4. Stuff Mozzarella into Breasts and fold over
5. Coat Breasts in EVOO
6. Sprinkle on Mrs. Dash Chicken Seasoning (to taste)
7. Generously sprinkle on minced garlic and press down and then repeat on the opposite side.

Basting Sauce
Melt butter and add 3 minced garlic cloves and stir, set aside

Cooking Directions
1. Preheat BGE to 500 degrees (open flame)

2. Place chicken on Open Flame for 3-4 minutes (open lid) and turn
3. Baste with butter and garlic sauce and cook for 3-4 minutes and turn
4. Baste again with butter and garlic sauce and cook till done without turning
5. Remove and serve immediately.

Recommended Side Dishes, Garnishes and Deserts
Grilled Antipasto salad (see recipe on this blog), Green Onions and Jalapenos, Baguette and Butter

Grilled Antipasto Salad

This recipe for two is easily modified for multiples by adding extra peppers. Quick and tasty and can be used as an appetizer, salad or side dish; Shown here with Stuffed Mozzarella Grilled Chicken Breasts and Baked Potatoes.

Ingredients - Recommended
2 Red Bell Peppers
1 Green Bell Pepper
2 Orange Bell Pepper
2 oz Sun-Dried Tomatoes (marinated)
2-3 Artichoke Hearts (8-10 marinated quarters)
5 Tbsp EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
3 Garlic Cloves (minced)
2 Tsp Chili Sauce (minimum)
2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Pepper

Preparation Directions
Peppers
Slice peppers into 8ths and again in halves (bite size pieces), Place in bowl and set aside. Julianne the Sun-Dried tomatoes and set aside. Quarter the artichoke hearts and repeat (8ths) and set aside.

Sauce
Mince three garlic cloves and place in small mixing bowl, add EVOO, Chili Sauce, Balsamic Vinegar, Salt and pepper (Fresh Ground) to taste
Whisk and set aside.

Cooking Directions
1. Heat up BGE to 500 degrees (open flame works just fine)
2. Place peppers directly on grill (recommend you use a grill topper or vegetable basket)
4. Grill for 15 minutes and don’t worry about the pepper skins getting black
4. Remove from grill and place in bowl and cover with towel for 5 minutes
5, Uncover and remove all blackened skins by pinching them and they will slide right off (or if you prefer you can leave on the toasted skins)
6. Add the artichoke hearts (do not drain) and the Sun-Dried Tomatoes (do not drain) and place in pepper bowl

7. Pour on Sauce, mix and serve immediately

A View from the EGG - ZEROSCAPING Phase I

This is the view (looking out from my BGE) of our new arbor (my B-Day present-Don't Ask!), looking into our back yard (google earth doesn't have this view yet) into our zeroscaping project.

General TSOS Stir Fry WOK Chicken

Ingredients
2 bags Boil in bag rice
1 Head Fresh Broccoli
4 each Chicken Thighs – Boned
1 each Boneless, skinless Chicken Breast
1 strong cup General TSOS IRON CHEF SAUCE
1 cup Snap Peas
4 large cloves Diced Fresh Garlic
1 Small Can Water Chestnuts 1/3 cup Corn Oil (sac religious; I didn’t use EVOO!)

Preparation Directions
1. Boil rice and set aside
2. Separate and steam Broccoli until done (15 minutes)
3. Trim meat off of thighs into bite size pieces and set aside
4. Cut Chicken Breast into bite size pieces and mix with thighs

Cooking Directions
Fire up the Big Green Egg to full flame (T-REX HOT – 500 degrees minimum) and place Wok on Grid at fire ring level and add oil.

When oil is hot add the diced garlic and stir for 30 seconds while dumping in the chicken. Stir until done (5-8 Minutes). Dump on the Iron Chef Sauce and stir while adding broccoli, water chestnuts and snap peas. Stir for 3-5 minutes then remove from heat and serve over rice.

Options: Add Chopped Fresh Green Onions

Big Green Egg Table Project - UPGRADE!

Some of you may remember the 30 hour start-to-finish table project...(details posted here earlier. Well after seeing someone on the Egghead Forum build a bench out of scrap to create a space to hold "Hot" things...I went into the garage and started looking for things that I might use to build a similar device. Lo' and behold I find a random 48" wire storage shelf.

So off to the big box I race to get some nuts, washers, angle steel and some threaded rod. Two Hours Later!! My holding rack addition to my original table...32 hours all in and counting.

Do these projects ever end???

IRON CHEF FREE RANGE WOK CHICKEN

This recipe for three (3) adults and is quick, easy and tasty. If you enjoy Chinese, chicken and broccoli you’ll love this one and from start to finish you are only obligating about 30 minutes tops!

Ingredients
2 bags - Boil in bag rice
1 Head - Fresh Broccoli
5 each - Free Range Chicken Thighs – Boned
1 cup - Iron Chef Sauce (General Tso's Sauce and Glaze specifically)
3 cloves - Diced Fresh Garlic
1/3 cup - Corn Oil (sac religious; I didn’t use EVOO!)

Preparation Directions
1. Boil rice and set aside
2. Separate and steam Broccoli until done (15 minutes)
3. Trim meat off of thighs into bite size pieces and set aside

Cooking Directions
Fire up the Big Green Egg to full flame and let it get HOT! Place Wok on Grid and fire ring level and add oil and allow to get hot. Add the diced Garlic and Stir until it browns slightly on the edges.

Dump in the cut up chicken pieces and continuously stir fry until done (5-8 Minutes). Immediately dump on Iron Chef sauce and stir while adding the brocoli pieces and stir for an additional 3 minutes. Remove from heat and serve over rice.

Options: Use regular chicken and/or add additional vegetables like water cress, snap peas, etc may be added to taste.

Keep On Eggin'

Fire Ring Upgrade Improves High Heat Cooking Results

I like to cook hot but it causes problems (only occasionally) so I picked up a 2" fire ring to raise my grid and the results were outstanding!

This is tonights spiral stuffed pork loin (Recipe is in an earlier Blog entry - Spiral Stuffed Pork Loin).

And this is the 2" Ring Adapter in action.

Big Green Egg PLANTER BOX

Worlds most expensive garden planter box...the base from my cracked Large Egg is now the home of my green pepper garden.

Organic Lump Charcoal

I would LOVE to have some of this LUMP...wonder what shipping from that part of the world would cost? Ouch. http://www.graigfarm.co.uk/

Produced close to Graig Farm on the English/Welsh border, their charcoal is produced by an independent producer, Woz Young, who works alone to produce high quality, sustainable hardwood charcoal.

It is produced with materials sourced from sustainably managed woodlands. These hard woods are produced by the practice of coppicing (cutting stems on a 10-15 year cycle), thinnings (removal of poor quality stems in a stand), and 'Lop and Top' (waste material from mature felled timber).

Small diameter materials are preferred. These are then slow cooked in situ in large steel bins for 24-36 hours, removing all moisture and volatile gasses from the wood, leaving its basic carbon structure - charcoal.
The charcoal relights and burns well at far greater temperatures than the original wood and without the smoke. It also weighs 1/6th of the weight of the wood.

Charcoal can be used for a variety of purposes, including drawing, dying, smelting metals and water purification and improving the quality of our local native woodlands.

WOK Grilled Shrimp on the Big Green Egg Version II

This recipe is a upgrade to my original, refined for taste and improvements in the quality of the coating and quantities of ingredients. It is still a quick and tasty recipe for Big Green Egg Grilled (using a WOK) Shrimp…Serves 4 as a Dinner Entree.

Ingredients
1.25 lb Medium - White Shrimp peeled and de-veined (approximately 40 pieces)
1 ounce Bad Byron’s Butt Rub
1/3 cup All Purpose Flour
½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (search my blog for the olive oil review)
1 Whole Garlic Bulb - Diced
6 Medium Green Onions - Diced

Preparation Directions

1. Rinse Shrimp well under cold water in colander

2. Place flour and Rub in a 1 gallon zip lock bag

3. Drop a handful of shrimp into the bag and seal, shaking bag until the shrimp are coated well. Remove and repeat until all shrimp are coated.

4. Dump excess flour and rub mixture out of bag and place coated shrimp into the bag and place in refrigerator for 1-2 hours (not absolutely necessary but it does help coating to stay on shrimp if you have the time)

Cooking Directions
1. Heat up the BGE to 450 degrees (flaming at the grate is just fine)
2. Place WOK or Grill Pan on BGE and pour in healthy portion of extra virgin olive oil.
3. Allow oil to heat up and add a handful of shrimp and fry, turning once and them remove (takes about 90 seconds to complete the cook at these temps and shrimp may be slightly undercooked-90% done because they're going back on the wok in a few minutes)
4. Repeat until all shrimp have been 'pre-cooked' adding extra virgin olive oil as needed.
5. Remove wok from heat and dump in another ounce or two of oil and add the diced green onions and garlic. Stir continuously until garlic begins to turn.
6. Dump in the plate of pre-cooked shrimp and using a wok spatula, gently stir the shrimp, mixing it with the green onions and garlic and oil.
7. After about 1-2 minutes the shrimp is done and you can remove from the wok for serving. Scrape on any green onion and garlic left in teh wok on top of the plated shrimp, there should be no left over EVOO at this point.

WOK GRILLED SHRIMP II

Practice makes perfect and the Wok Grilled Shrimp posted a few days ago (and now minus the citris vodka) has been perfected !

Big Green Egg Table Accessory UPGRADE

Watching the sparks fly off the lump yesterday in the wind (and inside my screened porch) I thought it was time to upgrade my accessories; and be sensibly safe in the meantime.

Prudhomme's Cedar Plank Grilled Salmon

Cedar Plank Salmon can be simple, quick and enjoyable; this recipe requires few ingredients and a minimum of fuss and preparation.

Ingredients - Recommended
2 Medium/Large Salmon Filets (serves 4) – Skin on
1 Lemon
1 Small Vidalia Onion
Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Seasoning Blends Seafood Magic (or Bad Byron’s Butt Rub)
¼ stick Butter
Wax Paper
2 Cedar Planks (1/2” x 6 x 12”)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (see previous blog)

Preparation
1. Salmon Preparation:
a. Slice the filets into 4 servings and place on wax paper
b. Sprinkle on Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Seasoning Blends Seafood Magic (to taste)
c. Add paper-thin slices of Vidalia Onion (optional)
d. Layer with two thin fresh lemon wedges with a pat of butter underneath
e. Put in refrigerator for at least two hours

2. Plank Preparation:
a. Submerge in water for a minimum of 4 hours
b. Remove and shake off water
c. Coat with Extra Virgin Olive Oil on one side
d. Set aside for cook

Cooking Directions
1. Bring Big Green Egg temperature up to 425 degrees and stabilize
2. Place soaked planks (olive oil side up) on grill
3. Allow to heat up until they appear to ‘steam’ or ‘smoke’ lightly
4. Place Salmon on planks (skin side down)
5. Close BGE Lid and let cook for 15 minutes
6. Test for flakiness and adjust cooking time accordingly.
7. Remove from heat and serve hot.

Only VIRGINS allowed near my Big Green Egg!

Olive Oil; a primary tool in the Egger’s arsenal of condiments and food preparation, should not be taken ‘lightly’ (forgive the pun). This valuable product comes in a variety of grades that are assigned by the International Olive Oil Council and are reflected below in the order of quality (closely associated with their grade which reflects their flavor and composition).

At the top of the list is EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL (a.k.a. EVOO). EVOO is a product of the nearly perfect olives that are crushed (pressed actually) almost immediately after they have been harvested. These olives are processed without heat. It is extremely low in fatty acids and has the best flavor and aroma of all the varieties.

The rest of the oils are hardly worth mentioning for use other than coating your grill grate for storage, or wiping the inside of your carbon steel pots and pans for storage, but here is some information in case you aren’t convinced yet.

Next on the list is VIRGIN OLIVE OIL (VOO) which must contain 100% olive oil (seems obvious doesn’t it?) and must be produced in a manner (from pressing to canning and everything in between) that doesn’t change the natural product (like additives and preservatives or flavorings).

After VOO (I get tired of typing this all out) you get 100% Olive Oil (1OO). This product is a combination of both Virgin and Refined Olive Oils (steamed to remove acids and some flavors) but still contains no additives.

LIGHT OLIVE OIL (sac-religious in the BGE community) again combines Virgin and Refined Oils that are vigorously refined which in essence removes anything that resembles flavor all together.

There is actually a science associated with these oils ( and the list goes on to include Pomace Oils, etc. that gets so involved we would all fall asleep so why bother…just buy and use a good extra virgin olive oil and if you want to do some more research look for one that remains very stable at high temperatures.

Conclusion: Only EXTRA VIRGINS allowed in My BGE Kitchen (OILS THAT IS)!

Big Green Egg Table Project Update

...okay I know, everyone has these on their table. Unfortunately I couldn't think of anything original so I jumped in with both feet!. I 'think' the table is all done now.

Big Green Egg Pizza Stone - Science or Gimmick?

Fact: Dough, like pizza dough, when baked on a stone surface will finish crisper, browner and more satisfying than if it is baked in a conventional oven or on a metal pizza pan.

Why: Pizza stones and brick ovens (in this case the Big Green Egg) have a very extreme heat capacity (the ability to take a lot of heat without its temperature going up a whole lot). The stone has a higher heat capacity than most metals.

A good pizza stone also has a "vastly superior emissives"[1] Infrared radiation i.e. heat, in a hot oven is "absorbed by the molecules of the materials that it strikes, which then re-emit much of the radiation almost instantly."[2] Even when brought to the same temperature, the pizza stone emits more infrared radiation "striking the dough which results in better browning and crisping of its surface."[3]

Conclusion: ALWAYS pre-heat your Big Green Egg Pizza Stone! The porous surface provides the additional advantage (on top of the emissivity) of absorbing the steam emitted from the bottom surface of the dough thus keeping is dry for more effective crisping.

[1] Paraphrased from 'What Einstein Told His Cook 2', Robert L. Wolke, W.W. Norton and Company, Inc.
[2] Ibid
[3] Ibid

How to Season a WOK (for Grilling on the BGE of course!)

Nothing beats having the proper tools for the job, any job. The maintenance of those tools is important too. In the case of cookware, some items require “seasoning” before their first use. This is the case with Carbon Steel and Cast Iron pots and pans. In this entry I will explain the purpose of and demonstrate the steps required to season a carbon steel Wok before it’s first cook.

The pan (new) will have a protective coating on it (probably a thin coat of varnish) to keep it from rusting in shipment or while on display for sale; IT MUST BE REMOVED!

Initial Cleaning
Fill the pan ½ to ¾ full with water. Bring water to boil, continuing for 5-7 minutes. Pour the water out of the pan and immediately scrub with hot soapy water and a scouring pad (SOS works well here).

CAUTION-PAN IS HOT!

Initial Seasoning
Rub 2 Tbs of cooking oil over the entire interior surface of the pan. Place over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Using a paper towel, distribute the oil over the entire surface (inside) of the pan while it is heating.

Remove pan from heat and allow for cooling; Repeat 3 or 4 times and then the pan is now ready to use!

Basic Care
Wash with hot water only. Dry thoroughly. Remove burned food with a scouring pad and hot water. Soaps or detergents will remove the seasoning. APPLY A THIN FILM OF COOKING OIL BEFORE STORING TO AVOID RUSTING. If you use soap to clean the pan in the future, simply follow the initial seasoning steps again to re-season the pan and restore the protective finish and NEVER wash in the dishwasher!

WOK GRILLED SHRIMP

Quick and tasty recipe for Big Green Egg Grilled (or WOK actually) Shrimp….serve with those juicy steaks you have resting to the side waiting for their final cooking cycle; Serves 2 as a light appetizer.

Ingredients
½ lb Medium - White Shrimp peeled and de-veined (approximately 10 pieces)
1 Tbs Bad Byron’s Butt Rub
½ cup All Purpose Flour
½ cup Corn Oil
3 cloves Diced Garlic
Sea Salt (to taste)
3 Tbs Green Onion
1 Tbs Butter
1 Tbs Citrus Flavored Vodka
1 tsp Chopped Parsley (for garnishing at serving time)

Preparation Directions
1. Rinse Shrimp well under cold water
2. Place flour on a large plate
3. Mix in Butt Rub and salt
4. Coat each shrimp well with the flower and shake to remove excess

Cooking Directions
Heat up the BGE to 375 degrees (at the grate); Place WOK or Grill Pan on BGE and pour in oil. Add the shrimp and fry, turning once.

Remove from heat and pour off excess oil (note shrimp should be slightly undercooked at this point); Add on Tbs of oil back to the pan and add the garlic, rub and salt and cook until the garlic is a very light golden color.
Add the shrimp and the green onions, butter and vodka, mix well until the butter is all melted and remove from the heat

Grill Cleaning and Safety During the Summer!

A grill/grate surface should always be pre-sprayed before use with non-stick food spray or pre-moistened cleaning wipe (vegetable oil). After cooking you should always close the lid on the grill and continue cooking on high for an addition five plus minutes so that the remaining residue is reduced to ashes and always let the grill cool down before scrubbing with a wire brush. Most importantly during the heat of summer you should always use clean grills. Don't be in a rush to cook those burgers and dogs because you need to let the grill/grate surface heat up sufficiently to eliminate potential bacteria prior to cooking.

How do I shop Sustainably? (Organic)

You’ve read about sustainable food; you’re ready to make a change, but what do you do? Below are different guides and resources to help you shop sustainably. 1

If you shop in a large, chain supermarket and prefer not to change where you buy food, look to see if any of the fruits and vegetables sold in your store are organic or from local farms. Ask the butcher or manager of the meat department if any of the meats sold are organic, sustainably raised and if they are from local farms.

If you feel your supermarket is not selling the type of food you want, and is unwilling to stock it, you can always search out other stores. Many areas have natural or health food stores that sell a variety of organic and sustainably-raised food. If you decide to switch to another store, let the manager of your former supermarket know. Stores work on very slim profit margins and will generally listen to what customers want.
Sustainable food is not just found in supermarkets – find out where else it is being sold. For instance TGI Friday's; though not advertised, Friday's serves hamburgers from antibiotic-free, hormone-free source verified Angus cattle.

An important part of being sustainable is buying vegetables and fruits, and even meats, when they’re in season. Visit our Eat Seasonal page to find out what foods are in season in your area.

1 Paraphrased from articles listed at http://www.sustainabletable.org/shop/

Big Green Egg Large Table Plans

Measurements are approximate. See Finished Product in my earlier blog entries.

CHICKEN AMOROSA PIZZA

Pizza on the Big Green Egg is as close to brick oven pizza as you can get without the brick oven. This recipe features chicken breast and the wonderful sweet taste of Amorosa tomatoes and thin sliced Vidalia Onions to compliment the salty flavor of the green olives and cheese. Utilizing fresh but store bought ingredients you won’t have to slave over the stove preparing gravy but with NO LOSS OF FLAVOR OR ENJOYMENT.

Ingredients / Recommended
2 Chicken Breasts – Boneless, Skinless
1 12 “ Boboli Pizza Crust - Regular not Thin
1 Pkg. Boboli Pizza Sauce (1/2 cup)
2 Cups - Mozzarella Cheese – Shredded
1 Cup - Monterey Jack-Colby Cheese – Shredded
½ - Medium Vidalia Onion
¾ - Green Pepper, paper thin slices
½ cup - Sliced Olives with Pimentos
Olive Oil
4 cloves - Garlic, sliced thin

Preparation and Cooking Directions
1) Remove Grill and let your Big Green Egg go ‘Tex Rex’ for 10-15 minutes.
2) Insert grate.
3) Dice Chicken breasts into ½” pieces and brown in Olive Oil and garlic until done (juices will be running) on a shallow sauce pan on the grate, remove and set aside.
4) Insert Diverter rack and close dome and start to stabilize temperature to around 500 degrees.
5) Slice VERY thin all vegetables and set aside (use a ceramic slicer to get them paper thin)
6) Place Boboli Crust on a BGE Pizza Stone
7) Rub Olive Oil on crust then spread Sauce evenly
8) Add Mozzarella Cheese
9) Layer on the remaining vegetables and cover with the Monterey-Jack/Colby Cheese
10) Top with the sliced Olives and Pimentos
11) Place in Big Green Egg, Close Cover and cook for 2O minutes and DO NOT PEEK!
12) Open BGE, slice with pizza cutter right on the Pizza Stone and serve.

Addicted to BBQ Blog

Visit Addicted to BBQ for some interaction with your fellow grilling enthusiasts.

The Green Guide (Organic, Sustainable)

Check out "The Green Guide" websote by clicking on the title above! Go ahead, it won't hurt you!

Big Green Egg Table Project - All Done!

Pic's not previously posted of the final touches.

Day 2 - ALL DONE (p.s. Never try to catch an egg when it falls off your new table)

All done, 30 hours after the first trip to Lowes...and one cracked egg and a trip to the Grill Store to order a new bottom bowl; nothing some JB Weld won't temporarily fix until it arrives.

Feast your eyes on this!

Big Green Egg Table Project DAY 2 (A.M. entry-Stay tuned!)

I used 'Scoop' (our 30+ pound cat) to test the table top strength after my midnight deck staining had dried and I had moved the cart into place.

Next up was the 'test fit' of the Large BGE-Success!

Not it's back to Lowes to get the tiles that I am having cut so I can put in the ceramic top today...I've got to get that thing a cookin' by suppertime!

Big Green Egg Table Project DAY 1

My soon to be BGE table!!!

Noon today and 7 PM tonight!

Get Your Grill On - Green Grilling

With the weather heating up, barbecue season has officially begun. And while a little backyard grilling isn't going to ruin the environment, when 60 million people hit the BBQ at once--like they do on Fourth of July--the impacts can add up.

To grill greener, try these tips:
Opt for a cleaner-burning propane or electric grill over one powered by charcoal, which contributes more to poor air quality. If you've got time to spare, a solar oven or stove avoids emissions altogether.

If you do use charcoal, look for lump brands (AND A BGE!) (briquettes may contain coal dust or other additives as binders) made from invasive tree species or harvested from sustainably managed forests, and switch from lighter fluid, which releases smog-forming VOCs, to a chimney starter.
Grill organic, hormone-free meat and mix it up with fish, veggies, even fruit.

Minimize health risks (from carcinogenic substances that can form when meats are grilled or broiled at high temperature) by choosing lean meats and trimming fat before cooking. Set your picnic table with reusable dishware and silverware and cloth napkins. If that's not feasible, look for biodegradable or recycled-paper dinnerware, unbleached cups, and recycled-paper napkins.

Clean up green with a natural cleaner like Orange Plus (made with orange oil) or SoyClean.

Source: http://sierraclub.typepad.com/greenlife/2007/06/get_your_grill_.html

Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all. -Harriet Van Horne



...Grilling however should always be done with your shoes on. - Tony

MAY is NATIONAL BARBECUE MONTH

Go to the Hearth, Patio and Barbeque Association website to get details on this exciting month of activities and other related links.

http://www.hpba.org/index.php?id=235

Grilling Facts and Figures 1

Who barbecues?
Practically everyone! A 2007 study conducted by the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association (HPBA) shows that 77 percent of all U.S. households own a grill or smoker and 89 percent in households with four or more members. And, 95 percent of grill owners actually used their grill in the past year. More than 17.4 million new grills were shipped in 2007 alone.When do we barbecue?A majority of grill owners use their grills year-round; with 45 percent grilling at least 1-2 times per week during peak summer months. The most popular grilling occasions are Fourth of July, Memorial Day and Labor Day, but an increasing number of grillers report using their grills during the winter, too!

Where do we barbecue? Literally, everywhere across the country including backyards, vacation homes, campsites, public parks, and while tailgating at football games and NASCAR races. The increasing popularity of outdoor heaters and chimineas makes it comfortable and convenient to cook out in nearly any climate at any time.

Why do we barbecue?
According to HPBA's biennial survey of consumer grilling preferences, the top six reasons are:
1-Because it tastes so good.
2-Because it requires little cleanup.
3-Because it's an easy, informal, and secure way to entertain family and friends.
4-Because we love to be outdoors.
5-Because it's a great way to cook and eat a good piece of meat.
6-Because it keeps cooking odors outside.


1 - Source http://www.hpba.org/index.php?id=55

Baby Back Ribs - Free to Roam Pork

This is a Baby-Back Rib cook based on 4 half-slabs using a modified Kansas City style. Lower in fat, they cook faster and you lose NO flavor or quality.

Ingredients
2 racks Baby-Back Ribs – Free to roam
Bad Byron’s Butt Rub
Honey
Brown Sugar
Barbeque Sauce
Olive Oil
100% Apple Juice

Preparation Directions
1. First Cook:
a. Cut slabs in half and remove membrane using a paper towel
b. Drizzle on some extra virgin olive oil and rub
c. Sprinkle on Bad Byron’s Butt Rub (to taste) and press into ribs
d. Set aside for cooking
2. Steeping:
a. Tear off 4 pieces of foil large enough to wrap the half slabs and stack.
b. Sprinkle brown sugar equal to length of rib
c. Drizzle honey on the sugar and place rib on foil (concave)
d. Repeat on the top of the rib.
e. Form a basket with the first piece of foil
f. Drizzle about a half cup of Apple Juice onto the rib and cover in a second piece of foil (wrap it lightly like a package and set aside for next round of cooking
g. Repeat for each slab
h. See Barbeque (Final Cook) for final steps.

Cooking Directions
1. Fire up BGE and Pre-Heat to 275-300 degrees
2. Insert Plate setter, drip pan, grate and rib rack
3. Stabilize temperature while you prepare the ribs
4. First Cook - Add ribs to rib rack and close lid and Cook at 275-300 degrees for 2.5 hours; Remove from Rack and prepare for Steeping
5. Steeping Stage- Place steeping packets on the grate and close lid. Cook for 60 minutes (you CAN look to make sure apple juice has not all evaporated but BE CAREFUL!). Remove and unwrap ribs

6. Barbeque (Final Cook) - Place Ribs on Grate and smother with Barbeque sauce, Flip and repeat the cook 15 minutes and repeat steps a and b. Cook 15 minutes and remove from grill. Let rest, slice and serve.

Grilling Grass-Fed Beef

Grass fed or pasture-raised meat is cooked differently than factory produced, grain fed industrial meat. For example, grass fed meat is leaner than grain fed so it doesn't have a lot of extra fat. This means you must take a little extra care when cooking grass fed meats.

Wondering what exactly grass-fed, pasture-raised meat is? 1
Truly sustainable livestock farming requires the use of a pasture-based system. Pasture-raised animals roam freely in their natural environment where they're able to eat nutritious grasses and other plants that their bodies are adapted to digest. In addition to dramatically improving the welfare of farm animals, pasturing also helps reduce environmental damage, and yields meat, eggs, and dairy products that are tastier and more nutritious than foods produced on factory farms.

The number one rule for cooking pastured meat is not to overcook it. It needs about 30 percent less cooking time than most common beef and is best if cooked medium-rare to medium. Otherwise, it might be too tough. Overcooking is the number one problem most people have when they switch to pastured meat, so don't give up if it takes you a couple tries before you master cooking pastured products.

If you're cooking hamburgers made with pasture raised beef, add caramelized onions or other moisturizing ingredients to compensate for the leaner meat. (Grass-fed hamburgers are generally 80 to 90% lean)

1- Parphrased text from The Sustainable Table

http://www.sustainabletable.org/features/articles/summergrilling/#hamburger

Grass or Grain on the BGE?

If you purchase a BGE you are very likely going to eat a LOT more beef and chicken than you ever have in your life; so how do you do this without packing it on unnecessary? Well, first look for meat, eggs and dairy products that come from grass-fed animals because “grass-fed products are higher in important nutrients and lower in fat than grain-fed products.”1 Don’t forget that animals are seasonal (just like veggies!) and you may not be able to find grass-fed, pasture-raised animal products all year long… but when you do, you can stock up! Buy more and freeze until the next season comes around.

Pasture-raised animals roam freely in their natural environment where they're able to eat nutritious grasses and other plants that their bodies are adapted to digest. Grazing on pasture is especially beneficial for cattle and other ruminants, whose bodies are developed to eat grass. The roughage provided by grasses and other plants allows ruminants to produce saliva, which helps neutralize acids that exist naturally in their digestive systems. When taken off pasture and put on a diet of grain, a ruminant will produce less saliva, causing an increase in acidity within its digestive tract. As a result, grain-fed cattle often suffer from a number of health problems including intestinal damage, dehydration, liver abscesses and even death. Despite the fact that grain diets can sicken cattle and other ruminants, factory farms feed these animals grain (usually corn or soybeans) because it's a cheap way to fatten animals and force them to grow to market weight as quickly as possible. On pasture, animals get all the nutrients they need from grass and forage (other plants), and some animals, like chickens, get additional vitamins and protein from eating insects.

Interestingly Humans benefit from all this as well. A growing body of research indicates that pasture-raised meat, eggs, and dairy products are better for consumers' health than conventionally-raised, grain-fed foods. In addition to being lower in calories and total fat, pasture-raised foods have higher levels of vitamins, and a healthier balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fats than conventional meat and dairy products. Studies have shown that milk from pasture-fed cows has as much as five times the CLA (a “good” type of fatty acid) as milk from grain-fed cows. iii And meat from pasture-fed cows has from 200 to 500 percent more CLA as a proportion of total fatty acids than meat from cows that eat a primarily grain-based diet.

Free-range chickens have 21% less total fat, 30% less saturated fat and 28% fewer calories than their factory-farmed counterparts. Eggs from poultry raised on pasture have 10% less fat, 40% more vitamin A and 400% more omega-3's. Keep in mind that the consistency, texture, color and flavors of food from pasture-raised animals differ from those of conventionally-produced foods. Pasture-raised chickens produce eggs with brighter, more orange-colored yolks than conventional eggs, and butter from pasture-raised cows tends to have a darker yellow color than the butter you get at the supermarket. Since pastured meats contain less fat, they must also be cooked more slowly than conventional meats.

FUN FACT: If you, like the average American, eat 67 pounds of beef per year, then switching from conventional beef to pastured beef would reduce your yearly calorie intake by 16,642 calories!

What’s a Ruminant you ask? Ruminants are hoofed animals with four-chambered stomachs which enable them to digest cellulose. After eating, ruminants regurgitate a semi-digested material called cud, which they chew, then eat. Cows, goats, sheep, bison, deer, camels, llamas, and giraffes are all ruminants. All ruminants are vegetarians by nature.

1-Source and text from The Sustainable Table http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/pasture/

The Origin of the Charcoal Briquette

"Though many claim that Thomas Edison and Henry Ford were the original inventors of the charcoal briquette, a closer look into the United States patent library reveals the original inventor was Ellsworth B.A. Zwoyer. At the time he designed and patented the original briquette (1897), he was living in Reading, PA, and later moved to Perth Amboy, NJ.

After World War I, Zwoyer and his son Paul started the Zwoyer Fuel Company, which built charcoal briquette manufacturing plants in Buffalo, NY, and Fall River, MA. In 1927 he acquired two more briquette patents for a “Briquetting Method” and a “Method of Carbonizing Fuel Briquettes.” The Great Depression took its toll on Zwoyer's company and he moved his family to Illinois.

It remains a mystery how Edison and Ford came up with the idea to make their charcoal briquettes. Zwoyer was reportedly an acquaintance, if not a friend, of Edison and Ford, and we know that Edison and Ford used left-over sawdust and glue from Ford's automobile assembly lines to make the briquettes." 1

1 - Information gathered from an article published on THE SUSTAINABLE TABLE Website http://www.sustainabletable.org/features/articles/summergrilling/charcoal.html

- by Chris Hunt with contributions from Jill Peterson and Diane Hatz

Big Green Garbage Pizza

Got home before dark and starving! Looked for some beef and mother-hubbards Cupboard was bare (the refrig was empty)...except for a partial can of olives, a half onion, three partial bags of cheese, a 1/3 of a jar of nacho sauce, a can of refried beans and a pizza crust that expired TODAY. So, Garbage Pizza it was...and frankly, it was pretty good...would have been better with some sausage or ground beef...but hey, I was cookin' on the BGE and no one was around (Wifey) to bug me about how much cheese I ate for supper (LOL).

I gotta go...I hear the recycling truck coming down the road!

BGE Withdrawal

It's been six days since my last cookout on the BGE...talk about withdrawal. Sunday I return with some filets but until that time I'll just have to use my deep breathing exercises I guess. A couple of rounds of golf got in the way this weekend but if anything is going to get in the way of a BGE experience I guess Golf is the best excuse of all!



Dinner by the way on Sunday was devine...

...and so was our nap afterwards!

Big Green Egg Links

If you would like to trade links and have a site that is heavily BGE oriented (and contains no adult materials)...comment and leave your link and I'll put you on my list. If you return the favor, even better. Keep Eggin'

Big Green Egg MEATLOAF II

No one should ever be completely satisfied with any original recipe. Always look for new spice combinations and other improvements. In Meatloaf Version II the recipe changes up the combination of meats, turned up the temp just a touch, added a few crackers and introduced Bad Byron’s Butt Rub to replace the Chipolte spice in the original recipe all combining for an interesting change up.

Ingredients and Recommended Brands (where available)
2 LB Ground Chuck
10 oz.Medium Spicy Italian Sausage, Coarse Ground
1 ½ cup Diced White Onion
4-5 Garlic Cloves
½ cup Diced Red Pepper
2 Tbs Olive Oil
3 Tbs Light Sour Cream
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup Dijon mustard
1 cup Shredded Mild Colby & Monterey Jack
3 Large Egg Yolks
½ cup Minced Parsley
1 tsp Bad Byron’s Butt Rub
½ tsp Ground Cumin
Big Pinch - Fresh Ground Salt
Big Pinch - BGE Garlic Pepper
10 Town House Crackers (crushed up)

Preparation Directions
Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until lightly browned;
Add Red Pepper and sauté until soft.
Season with Salt and Pepper
Cool
Mixed Cooked Vegetables with other ingredients.
Pack into 9” x 5” x 3” loaf pan lined with foil
Chill for 4 hours minimum

Cooking Directions
Preheat BGE to 300-330 degrees and stabilize heat with plate rack in place.
Turn Loaf out onto foil and place in shallow pan or wire v-rack
Put meatloaf on the BGE (indirect-use plate rack and drip pan)
Cook until the loaf’s internal temperature is 155-1600 (approximately 1-1 ½ hours)
Remove from BGE and let cool 15 minutes before slicing

Recommended Side Dishes and Deserts
Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Corn on the Cob and Green Onions and of course - Roasted Marshmallows for Desert over hot coals. And never forget to have a few pickled whole jalapenos on the side with every meal!

Beer Bum Chicken

(and Red Potatoes)
This recipe isn’t any different that most beer butt recipes it’s just the one I tried and it turned out delicious, So I guess it worked!…If you don’t already have someone else’s recipe, try this!

Ingredients and Recommened Brands if Available
1 Whole Roasting Chicken - Approx. 4 lbs.
8 Medium Red Skin Potatoes
4 Garlic Cloves (sliced thin)
1/3 stick Butter (NOT Margarine)
Salt and Garlic Pepper (for potatoes)
1 oz. Mrs. Dash Grilling Blends-Chicken or YOUR FAVORITE RUB
½ can Beer, About what is left in those six empty cans total.

Preparation and Cooking Directions
-Preheat BGE to 300 degrees
-Soften butter in microwave and spread over entire surface of chicken
-Apply spice (Rub) inside and out
-Using your favorite beer can chicken cooking device set it up and add the ½ can of beer
-Place Chicken on the holder, add potatoes (seasoned to taste with Salt and Pepper, Rub, Garlic, etc.)
-Place on Grill and insert meat thermometer into thickest part of the thigh
-Let cook until the temperature reaches 180 degrees (somewhere around 2 hours)
-Remove and let rest (watch that can and rack, it will be HOT!), slice and serve.

NACHO MAMA's PIZZA

This recipe is CERTAINLY NOT YOUR Mama’s PIZZA recipe…Using pantry goods this pizza is quick and tasty; Nacho' Mama's, get it? Sorry :)

Ingredients and Recommended Brands (if available)
16 oz Can - Refried Beans - Taco Bell
12 “ Pre-cooked Thin Crust Pizza dough - Boboli
2.25 oz Sliced Black Olives (1 can) - Lindsay
2 cups Shredded Mexican Colby Jack - Kraft
1 cup - Diced Roma Tomatoes
1 cup - Diced Onion - Vidalia if available, or Green Onions as an option.
1 cup - Shredded lettuce
1 cup - Sour Cream Light
½ cup - Sliced Jalapenos (pickled) - Trappy’s
Bad Byron’s Butt-Rub (Optional Taco Seasoning)
1 Lb. - Lean Ground Beef (85-20)
Salt and Pepper
8 oz Chunky Salsa – Medium - Newman’s Own Salsa (comes in 16oz jar)

Preparation
Slice and dice all vegetables and set aside
Place Pizza dough on BGE pizza stone
Spread Refried Beans evenly on Dough
Sprinkle cooked Ground Beef evenly on Pizza
Distribute shredded cheese evenly
Take to the Grill for Cooking!

Cooking Directions
1. Light up the BGE and let it roar
2. Insert Grill (not the plate holder)
3. Put dab of cooking oil into Frying Pan and add Ground Beef, salt and pepper to taste
4. Sprinkle a GENEROUS amount of Bad Byron’s Butt Rub on the ground beef and Brown until it is 98% done
5. Remove from heat and return the beef to the preparation table now)
6. Regulate Temperature in BGE to 450 degrees
7. Place Pizza (on BGE Pizza Stone) directly on Grill
8. Close lid, regulate temperature to 450 degrees and go away for 15 minutes.
9. Return, open lid, slice and serve with topping/condiments prepared from above (tomatoes, onions, lettuce, jalapenos, sour cream, black olives).

Big Green Egg Damper Top Solution

Anyone that has used the Big Green Egg for long knows that unless you align that bolt on the top JUST RIGHT…when you open the lid you lose your setting (on the Damper Top) when you close the lid again…

The retailers will tell you that after hours of cooking it will gum up and stay in place (yuck), so not seeing that as an option I put on the old thinking cap and went to the local Big Box Hardware Section.

I purchased (what we call in the Midwest) a "Screen Door Spring" and a package of small “S” hooks (you need 2). Cut the spring off by about 2 inches. Latched the “S” hooks under the lid and attached the spring. I’ve played and played with different combinations and…It WORKS!

BTW, does anyone remember when you used to be able to go to the local hardware store and just by "2" S hooks (and not a package of some odd number of hooks you'll never use again), and they put them in a small manila bag, wrote the price on the bag and you paid with cash at the register? Oh my I am telling my age now!

Lump Charcoal Revisited

Okay, so I don't know everything about lump charcoal, but I'm learning, here is what my research tells me so far...I hope you enjoy.

Char-coal [2](chär'kōl') n. A black, porous, carbonaceous material, 85 to 98 percent carbon, produced by the destructive distillation of wood and used as a fuel, filter, and absorbent.

Natural Lump Charcoal [1] comes from partially burning wood created by heating wood without oxygen turning it into nearly 100% carbon. During the process all volatile compounds in the wood (water, hydrogen, methane and tars) pass off as vapors into the air, some of the carbon is consumed as fuel, and the rest of the carbon is converted into charcoal.

Since Charcoal is 100% pure wood carbon, it weights much less than its original state. It is also free of tars (which can contain carcinogenic compounds, like benzo-a-pyrene). And unless it has been exposed to moisture and variable temperature, natural lump charcoal will last literally forever.

The low ash production of lump charcoal is very important. Ceramic grills and Smokers have a fire bowl holding the charcoal. As the charcoal burns, the ash falls down into the bottom of the bowl. There isn't room for a whole lot of ash. Lump charcoal tends to burns hotter and faster than briquettes. Lump charcoal will also burn at whatever rate and temperature that you allow it to. Briquettes tend to burn slower as they were designed to be used in an uncontrolled environment.

There are 2 types of charcoals: the first type comes from natural wood which has been cut and made into charcoal. This is as natural as you can get. The wood comes from trees, branches and scrap pieces from saw mills. The second type comes from using processed scrap wood and tuning it into charcoal. Processed scrap wood tend to burn faster since its density is lesser than natural. This is mainly because there is less moisture into the wood at the time it is transformed into charcoals. This wood comes from wood flooring scraps, building material scrap and furniture scraps and others.[1,3]

How was it made originally? Wood charcoal productions origin is very remote however the method of producing it consisted generally of piling billets of wood on their ends creating a conical shaped pile with openings at the bottom to admit air and a shaft in the middle to act as a flue. The whole pile is covered with turf or moistened clay or even additional lumber. A fire is lit at the bottom of the flue and gradually spreads outwards and upwards. The success of the operation depends upon the rate of the combustion. Under average conditions, 100 parts of wood yield about 60 parts by volume, or 25 parts by weight, of charcoal; small scale production on the spot often yields only about 50%, large scale was efficient to about 90% even by the 17th century. The operation is so delicate that it was generally left to professional charcoal burners. These often worked in solitary groups in the woods and had a rather bad social reputation, especially traveling ones who often sold a sack (priced at about a day's wage) with lots of rubbish mixed in to farmers and townsfolk. [4]

How is it made today? In the modern method, wood is raised to a high temperature in an iron retort, and industrially important byproducts, e.g., methanol (wood alcohol or wood spirit), acetone , pyroligneous acid , and acetic acid , are saved by condensing them to their liquid form. Air is not really needed in the carbonization process, and advanced methods of charcoal production do not allow air to enter the kiln. This results in a higher yield, since no wood is burned with the air, and quality is improved. Charcoal is also obtained from substances other than wood such as nut shells and bark; that obtained from bones is called bone black, animal black, or animal charcoal.

Charcoal yields a larger amount of heat in proportion to its volume than is obtained from a corresponding quantity of wood and has the further advantage of being smokeless. The greatest amount is used as a fuel. Charcoal is often used in blacksmithing, for cooking, and for other industrial applications. One of the most important applications of wood charcoal is as a component of gunpowder . It is also used as a reducing agent in metallurgical operations, but this application was diminished by the introduction of coke . A limited quantity is made up into the form of drawing crayon. Bamboo charcoal is the principal ingredient in sumi-e, a form of Japanese ink painting that uses only black ink in various concentrations.

Because of its porous structure, finely divided charcoal is a highly efficient agent for filtering the adsorption of gases and of solids from solution. It is used in sugar refining, in water purification, in the purification of factory air, and in gas masks. Wood charcoal can remove coloring agents from solutions, but this is accomplished more efficiently by animal charcoal. By special heating or chemical processes the adsorptive property can be greatly increased; charcoal so treated is known as activated charcoal.

Information in this blog post has been paraphrased from text but not limited to the references herein:

[1] http://www.primogrill.com/charcoal.html
[2] “charcoal.” The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, Houghton MIfflin Company, 2004, 03 Apr.2008 and taken from Dictionary.com
[3] Author not available, CHARCOAL., The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition 2007
[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charcoal#History

Baked Breaded Tilapia

This recipe will take less time to cook than it does to heat up the Big Green Egg, but it will be worth the effort (as is EVERY BGE experience). Works with ANY white fish probably, we just eat Tilapia in our home.

Ingredients Recommended
4-6 Tilapia Filets Depends on how hungry you are!
½ Cup Breadcrumbs
¼ tsp Garlic Pepper Big Green Egg Brand
½ tsp Sea Salt Fresh Ground
1 Tbs Lemon Juice Fresh Squeezed Lemon
¼ cup Light Mayonnaise
¼ cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese Kraft
1/8 cup Parsley Fresh chopped or flakes if you must!
Wax Paper
Shallow Pan (round or square) Sized to fit the BGE
Optional - Byron's Butt Rub replaces all the above including the breadcrumbs

Preparation Directions
Use FRESH tilapia from the butcher shop
Using a non-stick vegetable spray (cooking spray) lightly spray a shallow pan (round or square)
Mix all ingredients together in a small mixing bowl
Rub the ingredients on one side of tilapia filets
Combine bread crumbs and parsley and spread on Wax Paper
Press Tilapia in crumbs and place in cooking pan, crumb side up
.

Cooking Directions
Preheat and stabilize the Big Green Egg to 450 degrees.
Place tilapia in the pan with crumb side up.
Place on BGE and cook approximately 10-15 minutes or until bread crumbs brown (time depends on thickness of tilapia filets)

Recommended Side Dishes and Deserts
Lemon Juice to top Tilapia
Four-Cheese Rice
Fries or Potato Wedges

Chicken ROMA Pizza

Pizza on the Big Green Egg is as close to brick oven pizza as you can get without the brick oven. This recipe is a slight variation on the Chicken Bobo, uses less cheese, substitutes green onions for chopped white onions and adds Roma Tomatoes. It still utilizes store bought ingredients and doesn’t require you to prepare pizza sauce and with NO LOSS OF FLAVOR OR ENJOYMENT.

Ingredients Recommended
2 Chicken Breasts – Boneless, Skinless
1