Pan Fried Gnocchi

Gnocchi, amore

So, after reading a few other blogs about it (one at 101 Cookbooks & one at bitchin' Camero) I gave it a try.

I formed the gnocchi, and then I put them in a hot pan with some oil and let them hang out for a few minutes.

I was afraid they would fall apart in the water if I tried to boil them. They were delicious-like a light potato cream melted in the middle of the two crisp sides. I encourage you to try to make your own gnocchi. It's a much more affordable and yummy side than the store bought kind.

Beer Can Chicken

Beer Can Chicken

Take one 5 lb chicken and give it a good rinse and one over, plucking off any yellow outer skin hanging on or feathers. Sit the Chicken on a ¾ full open beer (we used Miller Lite). Rub the chicken of a mixture of ~1/4 C olive oil, 3tb salt/spice mixture.

To make potatoes on the side, par boil 1 lb. halved red new potatoes for about 5 minutes. Then drain and toss with a blended mix of 4 tb. Olive oil and half of a packet of onion soup mix. Arrange the potatoes around the chicken.

Cook the chicken dish in the center of a 325°F oven for an hour.

After an hour of cooking the chicken (once it reaches an internal temp of about 130°F) prepare the glaze.

We used a small bottle of Orangina type juice drink, the juice of half a lemon and one lime, ¼ ts fresh ground ginger, red pepper flakes & cayenne pepper, finished off with a nice dredge of honey. Let your glaze ingredients come together for a good half hour then dab it all over with a brush then pour remainder over chicken.

Let the chicken go until it reaches a temperature of 180°F (in the breast, ~165°F in the thigh)

Crock Pot Pulled Pork

So my mother actually came up with this recipe. Contrary to what it seems like, my mother doesn't actually like to cook. But I will give her credit when due; this dish turned out great. My F. loves barbeque, and this way was so simple and easy.

Crock Pot Barbeque

At 10 pm the night before take a 5lb boneless and netted pork shoulder and put it in a medium sized crock pot. Add a couple cups of chicken broth and 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar and a 1/4 ts crushed red pepper flakes. Put the crock pot on "low" and let it go all night.

At 9ish the following morning, turn off the crock pot, and remove the netted pork shoulder to cool. Strain the liquid off and reserve. Clean the crock pot. Once cool, remove the netting from the pork. The boneless shoulder will break apart easy where the bone once was, when this happens, scrape the fatty bits off the meat with a knife, then "pull" the pork apart with two forks.

Put the pulled pork back in to the crock pot with about two cups of the reserved liquid. Let it go until you're ready for a fabulous pork lunch. Serve with steamed buns and a tabkespoon of your barbeque sauce of choice.

Pork Chops with Spiced Apples and Yellow Rice

2 chops (dredged in mix of 1 tb smoked paprika & 1/2 tb cinnamon) fried in pan

3/4 ts tumeric
1/8 ts cumin
dash of cinnamon
-heat in dry pan till fragrent. Add, 1.5C water + 1 tb butter and bring to boil.
Then add 3/4C rice. Cover, simmer for 20 min or until done.

Bake peeled and cubed apples in a clay dish with a cinnamon stick and a tablespoon of brown sugar at 350 for a half hour.

Serve up & enjoy