Although I should have titled this post “Delivery System for Tequila” I needed to share this new recipe for jalapeno limeade.  Super simple, easy to make and will be the foundation for all tequila this year.

1 Cup of sugar
1 Cup of Water
2 Jalapenos
1 Cup of fresh lime juice (about 8 limes)

Start by making a simple syrup, in a 2 quart saucepan combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil.  Once at a boil, add the 2 jalapenos sliced in half and reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes.  While that is simmering, extract the juice from the limes.  I like to use a citrus press as it is the most efficient way to get all the juice out.  After the 5 minutes, remove the chilies from the simple syrup.  Fill a half gallon pitcher full of ice and add the simple syrup and lime juice and fill the rest of the pitcher with water.  Now, from here is where some tweaking may be needed.  If it is too tart you can take some out and add more water or sweeten with honey or agave nectar.  Either way, time to make a margarita.

I am a big fan of a lot of other food sites, I like to read what other bloggers are doing, how they are pushing the limits and reading about recipes that get me inspired.  One site that I love is Food Porn Daily.  Not every day does that site get me chomping at the bit to get into the kitchen but a few weeks ago, it did just that.  Now, to make a panini is not that difficult.  Yes you can get one of those fancy dancy press things that go for $80 or something like that.  Not needed.  Two hot stainless or cast iron pans will work just fine.  Here is what you need:

Some good bread
Brie
Proscuitto
Red onion
Tomato
Butter

This one is pretty simple.  Start by grabbing a few slices of really good bread, for this, I used a kalamata olive bread from one of the local bakeries.  Next spread the outside with butter, better yet, use some of that bacon chive butter you just learned about the other day.  Take the brie out and slice off the casing.  You don’t really have to slice off the casing i guess but I have never been a fan so I cut it off.  Next, slice up the tomato and red onion super thin.  Now start to build your sandwich.   Bread, brie, red onion, tomato, and the proscuitto followed by the other slice of bread.  Now get your first skillet going on medium heat.  Note: all stoves are different, the key hear is to toast the bread to golden brown while melting the cheese inside. If you burn the bread, it will be ruined and if the cheese isn’t melted, well, it won’t be done correctly.  As you are getting the first side of the bread toasted in the skillet, heat up the second skillet on high heat.  After flipping your grilled cheese at this point, take the hot skillet and use it as a press.  Don’t press too hard that it mashes the sandwich, press just enough that you can hear some searing going on and that the sandwich presses.  return the 2nd skillet to the heat for a few minutes before flipping the sandwich again and pressing a 2nd time.  When the cheese is melted and the sandwich looks like above…eat.  That simple.

If you are like most of the people I associate with, I probably had you at “butter” right?  What could be better than butter though?  Compound butter.  To be more specific, bacon chive butter.  The image alone, although poor quality just makes my mouth water.  Now how to make it.  It is so simple, there is really no reason not to have this in your kitchen at all times.

1 stick of unsalted butter at room temperature
1 slice of bacon cooked crispy
3 Tbsp of chopped chives or green onions
1 Tbsp of bacon fat

Start by cooking the bacon (obviously cook more than one strip for snack bacon) and chop it up into small bits.  If you try and sneak by and use bacon bits, may you fall on a fork at some point in your life.  USE REAL BACON.   After that is cut up, chop up the chives.  Now, add the butter into a mixing bowl of some sort and grab a fork.  Use the fork to mix in the chives, bacon, and the little bit of bacon fat.  The key is not to overdo it with the bacon.  You want a balance of bacon, chive and most important, keep the butter flavor alive.  After all is mixed, drop it into a sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a roll.  Or, be lazy and keep it in a bowl, really doesn’t matter all that much.

Now, how to use it.  My favorite way, is to put some on top of the eggs before you poach them and serve over hash browns.  Use on the outside of a grilled cheese, put in cornbread, or just spread on a nice warm roll.  Either way, it never goes to waste.  This keeps a few days in the fridge, not because it goes bad but because you use it so much, there is none left.  Enjoy

A sandwich can be one of the most enjoyed meals in all the land.  The sandwich fits in our society at any time and at any place.  The top of a 14,000 ft peak, the beach, in your cubicle, and countless other occasions, the sandwich is the go to food.  Our August weekend took this joy in life and tried to take it to another level in flavor.  Here are the recipes:

Elk roast beef sandwich  This one started a few days before the weekend when I took out a 3 lb elk roast from the previous fall and put it in a large freezer bag.  Also in the bag was a marinade that consisted of red wine, sea salt, pepper, crushed garlic, and some Italian seasoning. After we got together, the first thing we did was get the roast in the oven at 350° until the temp in the center of the roast was 120°.  You have to be very careful while cooking elk as it can become very dry quickly. While the roast was cooking, we sautéed some red onions and garlic in some olive oil until fork tender.  When they were just about done, we added some pepperocinis to the mix to heat them up a bit.  By now the roast was fully cooked and it was time to pull out of the oven.  We let the roast sit for about 5 minutes to rest before slicing very thin.  We layered the meat on a ciabatta role topped with the onions and added a healthy layer of gorgonzola cheese on top.  Finally we added some mayonnaise on the upper layer of the roll and served.

Meatball Sub For those wanting an outstanding meatball sandwich, look no further.  This one starts out with a pound of ground Italian sausage, a pound of ground buffalo, and a pound of ground beef.  Mix the meat up in a bowl with garlic, parmesan cheese, and red onions.  Cook these meatballs in a cast iron skillet until golden brown and move them to the sauce that we are going to make next.  Start the sauce by sautéing some garlic in oil and adding a can of fire roasted tomatoes.  Bring to a boil and add the meatballs to cook for about 30 minutes. While the balls are getting hot, slice open a baguette and start shredding some mozzarella cheese.  Once the balls are done, place them on the bread with a good helping of sauce and top with the cheese.  You will not be disappointed.  

A note about sandwiches – NEVER USE CHEAP BREAD!!!!!!!!  The bread that you choose will make or break your sandwich.  Find a good local bakery and buy your bread there or learn to make it yourself.

In our last show Todd and I were up snowshoeing just north of Durango near Cascade Creek.   When we were finished, we cooked up some awesome chicken sandwiches to cure the appetite.  As promised, here is the recipe:

For one sandwich
1 Red Bird Chicken Breast
Uncle Dennis Chipotle Powder
Uncle Dennis Anahiem Powder
Bridgford Pepperoni
Mozzeralla Cheese
Serrano Chilies
Prosciutto Ham
Kaiser Roll – Don’t skimp and get cheap bread

Fillet out the chicken breast and give it a healthy coat of the Uncle Dennis spices.  Next grill until the breast is about 140 degrees in the center.  165 degrees is the FDA recommended temperature for chicken.  The idea is to pull add the cheese, pepperoni, and serrano chilies before the chicken is done to give the cheese time to melt.  Remove for the grill and fold in half so the breast is whole again with all of the goodies in the center.  Finally, take a good slice of the ham and wrap it around the sandwich.  Put the chicken in the bread of choice, toasted or untoasted and eat.  We were out in the wilderness and didn’t bring any mayo with us but that would be a good add.  Enjoy.

Liquor Name:  Straight Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey

Distillery: Pocket Shots

Location:  San Jose, California

Why review:  This product intrigued me the first time I saw it.   Since I am typically out on the go in the woods, at sporting events, or cooking competitions it offered a potential solution to a problem that had plagued me for years.   While I am out and about how can I make a quick cocktail without bringing the whole bottle of booze and looking like a complete lush?  It is true that I am a bit of a lush but that is another topic all together.  

When I got my first pocket shots my expectations were not that high, even though my friend that gave them to me assured me that they were actually premium spirits they just happen to come in a convenient pouch.   Of course I am one to try most anything so I quickly got down to business and gave them a try.    

Distillery Description:  They do not distil in San Jose for the Bourbon.   To be considered Bourbon Whiskey it technically has to be distilled in Kentucky.   This is a true Kentucky Straight Bourbon which is aged for 4 years before they put it in the pouch for you to carry around.

Nose:  Slight hint of fruit

Color: Golden Brown

Taste: Keep in mind that 4 years is not enough time for any bourbon to gain a great deal of complexities.   With this bourbon the aging has given it a smooth finish so you do not have the harshness of a cheap shot of whiskey.   You do pick up the vanilla as well as a bit of the charcoal from the barrel it was aged in.  I drank this whiskey straight as well as used it in a couple of mixed drinks.   Since it is well finished bourbon it is easy to drink neat or on the rocks.   It has a good flavor profile that ads a very nice touch to mixed drinks as well. 

Alcohol Content: 40%

Final Thoughts:  If you are one to be out and about in the woods or at the ball game this would be an excellent item to put in a pocket so that you can enjoy a nice cocktail to help relax during one of your favorite pastimes.   The convince of this product is great but what truly makes it a worthwhile purchase is the fact that they did not just put some cheap crap Whiskey in the pouch they went the extra mile and filled it with some delicious goodness.  

Reviewed By: Todd Youngblood

Why mess around with little wings when you can do whole chickens?  In our last episode, after a long day of skiing, we stopped on our way home to light up the deep fryer and cook some chicken.   First, if you don’t own a deep fryer, you are missing out.  Second, If you haven’t tried the wing sauce from Captain spongefoot, you have to try that as well.  Like we said in the video, great ingredients makes great food and the combination of Red Birdchicken and Captain Spongefoot Wing Sauce is like peanut butter and jelly, bacon and eggs, or steak and potatoes.  Here are some tricks for the fryer.

Use peanut oil for best results
Don’t use the deep fryer in your garage on on your deck
Make sure chicken is dry and completely thawed before putting in the oil

In this case, we used our injector to put hot sauce on the inside of the bird.  This helps add that wing flavor deep into the chicken.  Again, make sure you did not overfill the fryer with oil and the chicken is not frozen (Red Bird Chicken is never frozen) and is completely dry. Heat the oil to 350 then reduce the heat.  It is IMPORTANT to monitor the temperature of the oil as if it gets too hot, you could have one serious fire on your hands.  Drop the chicken in the fryer for three to three and a half minutes per pound.  Remove the chicken when done and let cool for a few minutes.  Next, drop the chicken in a gallon sized ziploc bag and drop about half a bottle of wing sauce in.  Seal and shake the bag until the chicken is completely coated with sauce.  Remove from the bag and dig in. You will find that deep frying chickens, turkeys, and ham is some of the best food you will ever eat.

Here is the recipe for Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos

During our pond hockey show we made “Le Crepe”  It is how the Germans would invade a French breakfast.  Here is what you need to make this

Follow Post for Crepe Recipe
Sauerkraut
Shredded Cheese
Brats of your choice

Make crepe batter based on previous post and set aside.  Next start cooking your brats.  In the show, we cooked Bloody Mary Sausages in the bacon fat from cooking breakfast.  For simplicity, we used canned sauerkraut but we know there is better stuff out there.  For in the kitchen, heat up the sauerkraut of your choice. 

Now it is time to put it all together.  Get your crepe on a plate, add shredded cheese, the cooked brat, and top with sauerkraut.  Roll it up, don’t even think about going for a fork and eat it.  Some twists you can put on this is adding diced jalapenos, hot sauce, chipotles in adobo sauce, or some sauteed onions.

Today was done right. Recipes to follow but I am too stuffed to write all this out right now. Just wanted to give an overview of the day.  The day was intended to be the “game” game where we eat wild game and watch the game but deep fryer interests took over. 

Breakfast:
3 cups of Coffee with Irish Creme
3 pancakes drowned in syrup

Rest of Day (it was non stop eating)
2 smoked quail wrapped in bacon
2 duck breasts smoked and wrapped in bacon
1/4 smoked pheasant
1 lb of elk roast marinated in red wine, whiskey, and Worcestershire sauce
5 deep fried oreos
2 deep fried pickles
onion rings dipped in ranch
blue cheese
Spinach dip with Triscuits
Chips with ranch dip
3 sodas
Sausage Queso Dip
Goat Cheese
Deep fried Peach
Deep fried bananas covered in Chocolate Sauce

And the kicker – Deep fried peanut butter, jelly, marshmallow, and reese’s pieces sandwich covered in pancake batter, then topped with powdered sugar, maple syrup, and chocolate syrup. It was really Good.  I wish I had the calorie count for this day.  The goose I have marinating never made it to the grill like it was suppose too.  Anyone want to guess what I am having for dinner tomorrow night?