Grilled Chicken Burritos With Roasted Pepper and Tomatillo Sauce served with Torched Cherry Mojitos

So Julie was working on Saturday and texted me that she wanted to have Chicken Burritos for dinner. So George and I adventure out to Meijers for the first time just the 2 of us. It was kind of fun. But once I got to the store I decided to do Grilled burritos with fresh pico. While gathering the Pico ingredients(used the recipe from the Tostones with small changes like roasted Green, red and yellow peppers), I think about making a sauce for the burritos using Tomatillos (those little green tomatoes with a husk), roasted Peppers, and tequila. These turned our really good, if not a little spicy (Great for me, but Julie wished we had sour cream...oops I forgot it at the store). 

Also since it is summer and we have a herb garden with mint it...I made some Mojitos using Bacardi Torched Cherry Rum. Be careful with this one...They are powerful summer drink.

Roasted Pepper and Tomatillo Sauce
1/2 roasted green, red, and yellow peppers Diced
1 clove garlic diced
6-8 Tomatillos cubed
1 shot Tequila
1 cup chicken stock (1tsp Better than Bullion Chicken and 1 C boiling water)

Combine all ingredients in sauce plan and bring to a boil for approximately 45 minutes. pour contents in a food processor to liquefy. If sauce looks runny place back in pan and cook down more should thickly coat a metal spoon. Set aside or place in fridge and reheat before plating.

Grilled Chicken Burritos

2 Chicken Breasts
2 handfuls Cherry Wood chips soaked in water until moist
6 9-10" flour Tortilla shells
1 can refried beans
1 package of Spanish or like style rice
Pico
Shredded Cheddar cheese

Season Chicken with Salt, pepper and Garlic salt. If you grill has a smoker box place wood chips in there if not put into a foil wrapper with holes in it. After placing wood chips light the grill and wait for the chips to start to smoke before placing the chicken on it. Cook chicken fully 160° internal temp. Remove from Grill and leave on...Slice into pieces and start building your burritos. Place beans, rice, cheese, chicken and pico into the tortilla shell and wrap. Place burritos on the grill about 3minutes a side (or til you have grill marks). Remove and plate topping with Tomatillo Sauce.

Torched Cherry Mojito

Double Shot Torched Cherry Bacardi Rum
7-10 Mint leaves
Splash lime juice (to taste) (also if you have fresh limes, quarter and place into pint glass with mint leaves)
7up

Place mint leave and lime juice into glass and muddle. Add rum and top with 7up and ice. ENJOY!

Pretzel Breaded Chicken with Guinness Cheese Sauce

So it seems like every post begins the same way...It has been too long since I have cooked. The truth is more so...It has been to long since I have cooked anything new. So over the 4th of July we were up in Northern Michigan (still in the LP), and I had an idea for what I thought would be a quick tasty dinner. Although I must admit it would not be a healthy option. But it turned out to be very tasty...I would make a few changes to it next time (I will note them). I also made 2 different types of cheese sauce, rather same sauce with 2 different beers, Guinness and Smithwick's. Both were good but the Guinness had much better taste. Hope you enjoy.

Guinness Beer Cheese Sauce
1/2 Clove of Garlic
1 C Guinness Irish Stout (Smithwick's makes a more traditional looking sauce, but I liked the taste of the Stout)
1 C fresh shredded Cheddar
1 C fresh shredded Colby jack
1/2 C Velveeta cheese small cubes
3 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp yellow mustard
Kosher Salt and fresh ground black pepper


Rub the bottom and side of a heavy saucepan with the cut garlic. Place the garlic clove in the pan, add the beer, and bring to a boil over high heat. Put shredded cheese and cornstarch in a bowl, toss to mix. Sprinkle the cheese into the boiling beer, stirring it with a wooden spoon. Let the sauce come back to a boil; Add the Velveeta. Sauce should thicken, if needed mix 2parts cornstarch to 1 part water and pour in to thicken. Reduce the heat slightly, stir in the mustard, and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Let the sauce simmer gently until smooth and rich-tasting, 3 to 5 minutes, stirring steadily with the wooden spoon. You can fish out and discard the garlic clove; otherwise,someone will get to eat it.

Pretzel Breaded Chicken

2 Chicken Breast
2 C Crushed Sourdough Snyder's of Hanover Pretzels (I made them into an almost powder, but I would go more course next time)
2 Eggs
1/8 C Milk (appox)
1 C Flour
Salt and Pepper to taste

Put Pretzel into a food processor to coarsely ground and place into a flat bottom container. Mix salt, pepper, and Flour into anther flat bottom container. Beat Eggs and milk together in a third flat bottom container. Dry the chicken and first place into the flour mix and coat. Transfer the floured chicken into the egg wash and then in to the pretzels. In a large pan coat the bottom with olive oil and heat oil. Preheat oven to 350°. Brown each side of the chicken in the pan. Then place on to a baking sheet and place into the oven for 15-20 mins, internal temperature of 160°. Top with Cheese and serve with Tator Tots or Sweet Potatoes Fries.

Stuffed Burger with Bacon and Cheese

So I have Brandon Chestnut to thank for this...I saw this awesome kitchen toy on one of his posts on Twitter. It is a Stuffed Burger Press from William Sonoma. I have to say this makes the best tasting burgers that I have had in a long time. AlsoServed with my personal favorite beer Yuengling Lager.

Yuengling is the oldest brewery in the country based in Pennsylvania. They make a Lager, Black and Tan, Porter, and of course a Light Beer. I have not had a single bad beer from them, but they have a major flaw in their beer...it is not sold in Michigan. I was recently in Pa for work and brought back enough for me and a few friends. If you ever get out to the east coast definately try this beer. There is a reason they have been around since 1829.

 I made 2 different version of these since Julie loves mushrooms and I allergic to them. One is stuffed with mushrooms, garlic and swiss cheese and the other is Sweet Baby Ray's and Chedder cheese

Stuffed Burgers with Bacon and Cheese

1 lb Ground beef

1 egg

1/2 cup Cracker crumbs (try different kinds of crackers)

1 clove of Garlic

Salt
White Pepper
1-2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

Mushroom Filling (enough for 2 burgers divided)
1 Button Mushroom top diced
1 Slice of Swiss diced
1 small clove of garlic diced

BBQ Chedder Filling (enough for 2 burgers divided)
3 Tbsp Honey Chilpote Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce
2-4 Tbsp Shredded Chedder

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Divide into 8 equal balls. Cover each side of the burger press with plastic wrap and press burgers into it.  Fill with your choice of filling and grill to your preference. top with choice of cheese and fully cooked bacon.

Award Winning Chili - Shredded Pork BBQ Sweet Chili

So every year Julie's family goes camping at the Gischia's place up in Lake City, MI. IT is a beautiful piece of property. Well every year there is a chili cookoff up there. I have competed every year and have never won...until this year. I tried something that I have wanted to try for a very long time. It is a Shredded Pork BBQ Sweet Chili
Shredded Pork
1 5+ lb Pork Shoulder
1 onion coarsely chopped
3 cloves of garlic chopped
kosher salt
white pepper
fresh sage chopped
2 bottles of hard cider
1+ C of apple cider

Season the pork shoulder with salt, pepper, and sage. Sear in a large sauce pan to lock in the juices. Place in a slow cooker on low in the both ciders with onions and garlic and cool for 10 or more hours. I cooked mine for 12 hours over night. Remove from slow cooker and shred with a fork.

Chili
Shredded Pork from above
1 large and 1 small can of tomato sauce
1 Batch of Peach BBQ Sauce
1 small onion diced
2 cloves of garlic diced
1 Jalapeno halved and seeds removed
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large stock pot and cook over a low heat...The longer the better I think it was about 3 hours for mine. Before serving pull the jalapeno out as it is just there for flavoring. Serve with your favorite chili toppings.

Pork Tenderloin with Homemade Peach Barbecue Sauce

This is probably one of my specialities. I have been making those huge pork tenderloins that you get at grocery store or Costco...usually only about $20-30 for a 10lbs tenderloin, for about 10 years. I used Sweet Baby Rays for a long time until I found this recipe for a Peach Barbecue Sauce, and I have tweaked it over the years. Again the original came from Epicurious.com (as usual it is a great starting point). Recently I tried a chili with the BBQ sauce in it. I usually make a double batch for the Pork if I do a full tenderloin for a large group like George's Baptism.

Peach Barbecue Sauce


8 oz bacon slices, chopped (can use turkey bacon but pork taste better)
2 dried chile de àrbol,* broken in half
1 coarsely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 about tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tbsp whole black peppercorns, crushed
1 jar of canned peaches with juices (unfortunately the Peaches in Michigan are not very sweet or juicy)
1 1/2 cup orange juice
1 1/2 cup ketchup
1 1/2 tbsp (or more) fresh lemon juice
3-4 drops hot pepper sauce


Sauté chopped bacon and chilies in heavy large saucepan until bacon is crisp. Add onions and garlic; sauté until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add Worcestershire and peppercorns; stir 1 minute. Add peaches and and juice, sauté for about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer until sauce thickens enough to coat spoon thickly, stirring sauce often, about 30-60 minutes.

Strain sauce into medium bowl, pressing enough liquid and solids through strainer to yield 2 cups sauce; discard solids in strainer. Original author said to, Season sauce to taste with salt and more lemon juice, if desired. I have never found a need for this.  (Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Pork Tenderloin

1 8-10 lb Pork tenderloin
1-2 tbsp extra virgin Olive oil
Diced fresh herb including Sage, thyme and rosemary
1-2 tsp kosher salt
White pepper

Unwrap and dry Tenderloin. Combine the Oil, herbs, Salt and pepper together. Rub the Tenderloin with oil mixture and place on a spit for a grill rotisserie. Place on a Grill under mid-low heat for 2 hours and brush with barbecue sauce during the last 30 minutes. If Grill is equipped with multiple burners and rotisserie burner place rotisserie burner on medium-high and just outside burners on low. Cook to above 140°.

Long time between posts

It has been a while since my last posts...the little guy has kept both of us very busy. We have been cooking at home a lot but finding the time to post the recipes is difficult. So I downloaded the Blogger app to my Xoom in hopes it would inspire me to do the posts. So I thought I would try it out by listing of the recies younwill see soon.

Here are a few things we have been working on.

• Whiskey Maralade glazed Corned Beef Brisket and Cabbage with Irish Potatoes, glazed carrots and parsnip.
• Beef Wellington with a port wine sauce that was actually Mushroom free. This is Julie's recipe and she did it without mushrooms due to my allergies
• Sweet Italian Sausage with Peppers, Sweet Onion, and Shallots in a Spicy Marinara sauce.

I have a few more but that will have to wait until I have more time. So I will see how this turns out from this app.