All posts by Foster Johnson

Classic Recipes, Misc. Recipes, Side Dish, Tips and Tricks, Vegetables

Smoke Bag recipe for Corn on the Cob

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One cannot complain about the addition of a tasty corn on the cob when added to a plate heaping with grilled chops. Especially if that corn on the cob wafts up with a distinct flavorful aroma of smoked wood.

INGREDIENTS:
4 ears of corn
1 Tablespoon butter or margarine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Prep ears of corn by dehusking and washing. Soak the ears for 20 minutes in cold water. Remove from water and pat dry.

Rub the butter or margarine over the corn. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place the corn in a Smoker Bag, seal it and cook on a hot grill for about 40 minutes.

Desserts, Misc. Recipes

My Favorite Cinnamon Biscuits

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Toss out a platter of these sweet little cinnamon infused biscuits for a special dessert.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar (granulated)
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 stick butter, room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix up flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a mixing bowl. Combine ingredients until they are blended. Stir in 1/4 cup vegetable oil. Add buttermilk and stir until blended.

Knead the biscuit dough on a flour coated counter-top until smooth. Roll the dough into a 13 inch by 9 inch rectangle. Grease a nine inch round pie pan.

Spread butter on the top of the dough. Blend the sugar, the cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle on top of the butter topping. Roll up the rectangle like a jelly roll. Pinch the seam into the roll to seal off the end.

Cut the roll into 1 – 1/2 inch long slices. Arrange the slices with the cut side up in the greased pie pan. Bake about 15 to 20 minutes (at 400) until lightly browned. Sprinkle milk over the top of the biscuits and server while still hot.

Fish and Seafood, Misc. Recipes

Salmon off the Grill with a side of Salsa Picante

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Whip up your favorite Salsa Picante. Or if you’re just too busy, break out the Pace.

INGREDIENTS:
4 salmon steaks (5 to 6 ounces each) or 6 salmon fillets (5 to 6 ounces each)
Juice of 2 limes
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup Salsa Picante

DIRECTIONS:
Place the salmon in a shallow glass dish and sprinkle both sides with the lime juice. Add salt and pepper. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or less. If not grilling in 30 minutes, refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

Fire up the grill. Bring the coals to the hottest point. Brush olive oil over the salmon and grill turning once, about 4 to 6 minutes per side, depending on thickness and how close your grill grate is to your coals. Check for good browning, and that the meat is opaque but still juicy in the middle. I like to place a dollop of the Salsa Picante onto the center when serving and ladle a portion along the side.

Attributed to: Racquel Osborne

Side Dish, Tips and Tricks, Vegetables

Smoker Bag Trick for Potatoes

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You might not think that potatoes and other veggies benefit from a smooth smoke flavor. You might be wrong.

INGREDIENTS:
4 medium potatoes
2 Tablespoons garlic salt

DIRECTIONS:
Slice each potato into 1 inch cubes, I leave the skin on. Toss the potatoes in a bowl with the garlic salt. Place the potatoes in a Smoker Bag. The best Smoker Bags for grill or oven are imported from Finland. Jennifer Honeycutt tells me that that you can buy these bags direct in the U.S. from her company found at Hot Diggity Cajun. See her comment below.

Cook on a hot grill or in a covered grill over medium hot coals for 20 to 40 minutes.

Misc. Recipes, Poultry, Sauces and Marinades, Side Dish

Crispy Curry Chicken Wings with Cucumber Sauce

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A flavorful blend of soy sauce and chutney rises from a crisp wing crust. The cool cucumber sauce adorned with coriander is the perfect complement.

INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds chicken wings
4 Tablespoons curry powder
4 Tablespoons Major Grey’s chutney, minced
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon soy sauce
CUCUMBER DIPPING SAUCE
1 cup plain yogurt
1 six inch cucumber, chopped fine and seeds removed
1/3 cup minced fresh coriander
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:
Chop off the wing tips. Cut the wings at the joint. In a large bowl combine curry powder, 2 Tablespoons of the chutney, lemon juice, salt and cayenne. Add the wings and toss to coat evenly. Allow the wings to marinate covered and refrigerated for at least 4 hours. Overnight is best. Toss the wings occasionally.

In a small bowl combine the remaining 2 Tablespoons of chutney and the soy sauce. Remove excess marinade and place the wings skin side up on a hot grill. Grill evenly for about 15 – 20 minutes or until the underside is done. Turn and baste with the sauce. Complete the cooking of the skin side checking if they are cooked through and skin is crispy not charred.

In a serving bowl combine yogurt, cucumber, minced coriander, lemon juice and salt to taste. Serve the cucumber sauce along side the wings and watch them disappear.

Poultry, Tips and Tricks

Peking Style Chicken Wings

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Grab a bottle of Hoisin sauce and you are ready to grill up a pile of lip smacking Peking flavored drummettes and wings.

INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup dry sherry
6 scallions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup orange marmalade
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 Tablespoons minced green bell pepper
1/8 teaspoon Tabasco
4 pounds of chicken wings, remove wing tips, separate the wings at the joint

DIRECTIONS:
Add hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sherry to a large mixing bowl. Toss in the scallions, garlic, vinegar. Drizzle the honey over all and fold in the marmalade. Add orange and lemon zest, the minced bell pepper. Add Tabasco.

Add the chicken wings, stirring to coat evenly. Allow the wings to marinate, covered and refrigerated for at least 4 hours or overnight. Give the mixture a stir every once in a while.

Transfer the wings to a grill rack or foil, reserving the marinade. Fire up the grill to approximately 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Turn every 15 to 20 minutes and baste with reserve marinade. When done, discard the remaining marinade, serve wings on a bed of shredded lettuce or bok choi.

Attributed to: 1998 Cooking Show

Beef, Sauces and Marinades, Tips and Tricks

Texas BBQ Rub

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Store bought barbecue rubs can leave you unimpressed. The reason is that the flavor blend has flattened from storage on the shelf. Make your own and keep it fresh and free of shelf preservatives.

INGREDIENTS:
1 – 1/4 Tablespoon Kosher salt
1 – 1/2 Tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 Tablespoon sweet paprika
2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoon mustard powder
1 – 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 – 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

DIRECTIONS:
Blend in a large jar. And use it up as soon as possible so you can make some more.

Attributed to: A highly informational communication from Saveur Magazine. The best of the best.

Events and Fun Stuff, Fondue

Fondue Vaudoise

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Serves: Four

This four cheese combination might sound like it simply blends into a single flavor. However, the perfect balance of each maintains a wonderful combination that strikes each unique character in different areas of the tongue.

INGREDIENTS:
7 ounces Gruyere cheese
5 ounces Emmental cheese
5 ounces Raclette cheese
5 ounces “Vacherin de Fribourg” cheese
1 clove garlic
1 – 1/4 cup dry white wine
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 Tablespoons Kirsch
freshly ground pepper
nutmeg (dash)
Baguette or cubed french bread (about 2-3 days old)

DIRECTIONS:
Grate the cheese. Cut the bread into hefty cubes. Peel the garlic and cut in half. Rub the inside of a fondue pot or cast iron sauce pan with the garlic.

Pour in the wine. Heat the wine on a medium to hot burner. Add the cheese and stir constantly until the cheese melts. Blend the corn starch with the kirsch. Then stir the mixture into the cheese fondue. Bring to a light even boil, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper. Add a hint of nutmeg to your preference.

Transfer the cooking pot to a burner under a rack. Offer fondue sticks around and watch as friends and family stab the bread and fight over soaking it into gooey and wonderful aromatic cheese sauce.

Goes well with (optional): A dry white wine or a cordial of gheist or kirsch

Inspired or Credited to: This recipe comes from a search for fondue, way back in the earlier days of the Internet, when the only browser was Mosaic!

Classic Recipes, Side Dish, Vegetables

Green Beans Casserole

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There are so many variations on this popular casserole, however Mom and you will love this one.

INGREDIENTS:
1 – 1/2 teaspoons butter
1 – 1/2 cups of milk
3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
4 teaspoons of ranch style dressing mix (my fav; Hidden Valley)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup chopped onion
1 – 1/2 cups of sliced fresh mushrooms
1 – 1/4 pounds of fresh green beans, cooked or steamed until crisp but tender
1 cup of fresh bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS:
Make a rue based on the traditional white sauce recipe. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir in the flour. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Whisk in milk and bring to a boil. Cook, whisking constantly for 1 to 2 minutes more. Stir in the dressing mix and the white pepper and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Apply non-stick cooking spray to a medium skillet. Heat the skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook stirring for 2 to 3 minutes or until glassy. Remove half of the onion mixture and set it aside.

Add mushrooms to the remaining onion and garlic mixture in the skillet. Cook for about 5 minutes until mushrooms are tender. Combine mushroom mixture, green beans and white sauce in a 1 – 1/2 quart casserole. Combine bread crumbs with the rest of the onions (set aside) and sprinkle over casserole. Bake uncovered until hot, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Serve and enjoy.

Beef, Tips and Tricks

Mr. Flat Iron Steak topped w Steak Butter

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The so called “flat iron” steak claims to be the second tenderest steak this side of filet mignon. Let’s see how it ranks on America’s favorite grill.

INGREDIENTS:
Four 8 ounce flat iron steaks
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter
3 Tablespoons roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
3 Tablespoons roughly chopped chives
1 shallot, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS:
Rub steaks on both sides with salt and pepper and set aside to absorb the seasoning for about 30 to 45 minutes. If longer, refrigerate.

For Steak Butter, combine butter, parsley, chives and shallots in a medium bowl. Mash roughly with a spoon or fork. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.

Fire up the grill, bring the coals to peak heat, nice and red just before they start to settle into a gray tone. Add the steaks and cook flipping once until seared and at least 130 degrees with a testing thermometer. Transfer to serving platter and let rest for five minutes. When slightly cooler, top each steak with a dollop of herb butter.