Grillin' and Chillin' with Fire and Flavor

Summer is here, ready or not!  Get those grills fired up and slather on some sunscreen.  Get yourself a cold one and lounge in your grilling throne while your steaks come to the perfect level of done for you, all while you just chill!

I have a product I think you are going to love.  Do you can?  Do you pickle?  Do you roast?  And I KNOW you grill!   When I heard of this company I thought to myself, "Self you aren't a HUGE fan of grilling, but this is something incredible and you owe it to your grill and your food to give it a shot".  I am a very honest person, lying about a product for me is NOT an option.  I respect my readers to much than to mislead you, and I owe more respect to a company I review to NOT be honest.  Sometimes being opinionated is a curse!  Anyway, none of this is a problem here.  These Fire and Flavor products are off the charts, awesome.   One of the best things....?  You can pronounce and KNOW every single ingredient!  Simple and natural!  This company was founded in 2003 by Gena and Davis Knox.  They have expanded to 14,000 retail stores with their products!  Incredible drive and determination I say!

So, my camera decided to not transfer some of my photos to the card but delete them off my camera, I will give you such a descriptive interpretation you will swear you can taste it.  You might even sweat as if you were out grilling and might need to grab a cold beer to satisfy your summer thirst!


First off I tried the Sweet Ancho Chile (seasoning for oven roasted fries).
Shut the front door.  These are so good, don't let the fear of heat get to you, they aren't spicy hot!  I squeezed a little lime juice over the top before serving as well, and shaaaa-ZAM!  This seasoning, seasons 5 LBS of potatoes!!!  (sweet or regular).  This is my ONLY wish with this product.  That they had a ziploc closure on the packaging.  5lbs is alot of potatoes MOST people won't be making that many for one meal and even though I just popped mine into Ziploc I do wish they had their own little closure thing.  By the way did I mention I love their packaging?  I do.  For the record.  I don't see any reason you couldn't put your wedges on the grill as well.  I might par cook my potatoes in the micro for 5 minutes, but then oil, and season them up and throw them on the grill with your meat or fish!  Retails for only $3.99!

Next I tried the Crispy Icebox Dill Spices.  These were great as well! I just made one container, (thank you to my fav Chinese takeout place for these great reusable containers).  Look at the spices and flavor in there!  There are easy directions on the back of the package.  I would advise soaking your cucumbers in cold water as it suggests first, for a crispier pickle.  I like crunchy pickles so that is my opinion.  They are kind enough to give you directions for quick refrigerator pickles or shelf stable canning of the pickles.  This retails for only $3.99!

Next are the Fire and Flavor Cedar Grilling Planks.  These are AwWwwwsssooOmmmmMeeeE!  So easy to use and the flavor infused into my chicken like crazy!  It was smokey, woodsy, and rustic, and so moist and juicy!  I wish I had photos but I will insert a photo of the planks from the website.

They are so easy to use, you just soak them in water.  This is SO important!  Don't skimp on your time, make sure they are soaked well and make sure your grill is to the directed temp.  I cooked chicken because I wanted a good healthy and honest flavor to come through and I thought the mild chicken flavor would allow that.  Please, try these.  You can even reuse the planks, if you follow the directions on how to do so!!   Fire and Flavor also has put out these Cedar Papers.  You roll your food in them after following the directions and throw them on the fire!  They are single use, and there is a recipe right on the package for you, if you like.  I don't want to open the package so you will have to just read the directions if you get them!  There are 8 in the package.

Then there is a Salt and Vinegar Seasoning.  If you follow my blogs you will know I posted a Roasted Sunflower Seed recipe.  I did a second batch using some of this seasoning and it was incredible.  I love seasonings I can use for more than one thing!  I will be doing potatoes with them next week, my husband grew up in England, he will love them!  He keeps asking me when I am going to make them!

I really couldn't be happier with these products.  I feel they were a complete hit, and completely worth their inexpensive price.  You get so much product for the money.  They deliver in every way.  There is such a huge array of products, I urge you to go check them out on their website and do some shopping.  Father's Day is coming!  Perfect for your dad and his grilling addictions!

Here is where it gets even more exciting.  The kind folks over at Fire and Flavor send me some goodies to give away to one of my readers!  I saved out a few cool items and added a Grilling cookbook!  The rules are easy.  When you have done each of these leave me a comment here saying you have done so.  So if you do them all, you will have left me 5 comments! (5 entries)  Got it?

1. Follow here me on Blogger.
2. Follow me on Facebook
3. Follow Fire and Flavor on Facebook.
4. Follow me on Twitter.
5. Leave a comment under this blog with the product you would most like to try from their website.

This giveaway is open from the minute I broadcast this blog until 6 p.m on Sunday, June 10th.  I will use random.org to choose my winner.

Remember when you follow me on Facebook to add FoodThoughtsOfaChefWannabe to your news feed or a list so it will show up in your news feed!  I love having an interactive FB page, but with all of their new craziness, unfortunately unless you do this, I cannot reach all of you!

I can't wait for one of my lucky, faithful readers to get to try these products!  Make sure to get entered and thank you as always for reading and keeping me entertained with your funny food stories, photos and opinions on everything!

Your "Fire and Flavor lovin"chefwannabe

Chris

Linguine in Clam Sauce

I realized the other day, that I have never blogged anything with seafood.  This has a couple of explanations.  I mostly hate seafood.  I only like lobster and crab legs.  I don't have enough money in the bank for the amount of crab legs I generally WANT to eat, and lobster is so expensive I usually just eat it out, same price and half the work right?  Anyway, my husband is an avid seafood lover, growing up all over the world but much of his adult life spent on the eastern shore.  Of course he loves clams.  I LOVES clams.  After moving to Nebraska, I did find a great place for seafood, some seafood.

Truth be told, I suck at cleaning clams.  I know all the right things to do, however, I seem to always end up still with a little bit of grit in my sauce.  Some say, deal with it, that is normal.  No way, I can't stand it!    My husband told me with great deal of trepidation that he prefers it made with canned clams anyway.  What?  I never have to clean clams again?  Seriously?  Awesome honey, I LOVE YOU!  I love the look of the real clams, I really do.  But as far as easier and faster, canned clams it is friends!  


This dish is so easy.  I know, some purists say absolutely NO cheese, but I do use some parmesan cheese.  Not the stuff they sweep off the floor, GOOD parmesan!  I urge you to give it a try.  Some of the ingredients might seem, "off" to you but, it is sooooo good!  Just trust me on this one, would ya?  You can make the sauce in a different pan and have it done by the time or before your pasta is cooked.


Clams in Linguine Sauce


1 lb pkg linguine
2 6.5 ounce cans of clams.  DO NOT DRAIN!
5 tbsp butter
1 tsp garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup white wine (your fav)
1/2-3/4 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)


Cook your pasta according to package directions in WELL salted water.  Make sure to use a big enough pot.  So many times people cook so much pasta in such a small pot!  Pasta needs room to groove!  


In a medium sauce pan or high sided skillet type pan, add in butter, olive oil, red pepper flakes, and garlic.  

Stir constantly for 30-45 seconds.  Add in wine, stock and clams (do NOT drain their liquid).  Cook for 2-3 minutes stirring constantly to avoid burning.  

Let the sauce reduce uncovered and then add linguine back into sauce.  Add in parmesan cheese, parsley and toss!  Serve with some crusty bread to soak up the sauce!!


Feel free to use more clams if you like.  I just used the 2 cans I had purchased but I might have used more had I had them on hand.  I would NOT use whole grain pasta with this.  Of course you all should now by know I loathe whole grain pasta and I think the taste would completely overpower the delicate flavors of wine, butter and clams.  If you choose to do it, I can't stop you, OR guarantee the final taste of the dish!  So there!


I hope you enjoy my first seafood recipe.  Can we have a moment to commemorate this event?  

Your "seafood savvy" chefwannabe

Chris

George says, "My meatballs are better than hers". Really?

This is George, but my wife is typing this for me.  (I think it is just to monitor what I am saying

My wife and I have always had this little meatball competition.  She'll never admit to it, but, everyone says mine are better.  She just told me that was a complete lie.  I said it isn't.  The truth is, I was making meatballs while she was still in grade school and I learned from my best friends mom, who was a child of Italian immigrants.  She taught me all of her secrets, and my wife can't accept that my meatballs are far superior to her own.  Consistency, flavor, texture, and over all "mmmmm-mmmmm" value is off the charts.

Think he can juggle them?  Mr, Flour and Water make them stay together like glue

For our wedding, I cooked 300 meatballs.  We had about 30 guests, and all 300 were gone in less than 30 minutes.  A feat which my wife has never accomplished.  (ok, this is Chris, this is getting completely ridonkulous, just had to get that in).  Ok, George says, back to him.  Normally I make them slightly smaller than golf ball size, so if we have leftovers they make the perfect meatball sub.  But for a little change I made almost tennis ball size meatballs.

So here are a few of my secrets to amazing meatballs.  The most important secret in the mix is to add a cup of flour.  You will never see anyone add that.  But what it does when you are shaping the meatballs, you wet your hands with water, and roll them in your hand.  The water and the flour works as a glue to seal the meatballs.  The secondary reason for the flour, when you brown them in the pan, it browns them evenly in color.  Another secret is to brown the meatballs in the pan.  DO NOT cook them in the pan, and do not feel tempted to cook them all the way through in the pan or bake them.  The biggest secret of all is the flavor that they will release once you simmer them, in the sauce.  All of the natural flavors from the meat are released into the sauce.  Flavoring your sauce, even jarred sauce, into your own.  I also use the Kitchen Aid mixer I so graciously got my wife, to mix the meat mixture.  I throw everything right in the mixing bowl.  I used to use my hands, so if that is what you have, go for it.  But you need to mix it for 10 minutes until the mixture is completely mixed.

What is THIS? Is he cooking or doing kitchen olympics?

 So I challenge you to make hers, and make mine.  You be the judge.  Make sure to come back and comment about how good mine are and how there is no comparison in flavor and texture.  (now he is laughing)

Geo's Famous (formerly secret) Meatball Recipe
3 lbs ground beef
1.5 lbs ground pork  (NOT sausage of any kind)
4 cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
4 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup dried Italian seasoning (or more, you can't put to much in, and it can be the dollar store variety it doesn't matter!)
1/8 cup garlic POWDER
1/8 cup dried basil
2 tbsp salt

Mix entire list of ingredients in your mixer or by hand.  Mix for 5 minutes in a mixer or at least 10 by hand.  (this is Chris again, he isn't joking I have witnessed him mixing for 10 minutes by hand)

Shape meatballs into the size you desire.  This time we made slightly smaller than a tennis ball.  Use a bowl of water to wet your hands before forming each meatball.  (I think the best size is golf ball size for the record, like I said above)

While I mix the meatballs up, I have already prepared the sauce.  Here is what I use for my sauce, and yes, it involves jars of sauce:
2 jars of your favorite sauce
1 can diced petite tomatoes
1 container Pomi Strained Tomatoes
1/4 cup Italian seasoning
1/4 cup sugar (This mortifies my wife.  I personally like 1/2 cup)
1/8 cup dried basil
Oregano and red pepper flakes are optional
Salt to taste (optional as well)
Optional - fresh basil to tear and stir in at the END otherwise it will turn black

Simmer  your sauce in a large pot.  Remember you are going to need enough room for all of your meatballs to cook.  We didn't allow for this today. HaHa!

Sorry, back to the meatballs.  When you have formed them all.  In a skillet (nonstick) on medium heat, add 4 tbsps olive oil.

Add meatballs, to the pan, do not overcrowd, leave enough room to turn them a few times, and so they fry and not steam.  You will see when they have nice color, and you can flip them.  When they are done browning take them out and drain them on a cooking sheet lined with paper towels, newspaper or baking racks.  After you have let them drain, place them into your sauce.  The sauce should be at a slow boil by this time.  Make sure to stir often, from the bottom, up.  Do this every 15 minutes for the first hour.  After that let simmer for at least another hour.  For the full great taste of these AMAZING meatballs (was that to much?) let them cook at least 2 hours, more is better.  If they cook 4 they will be even better!  The longer they cook the better the sauce AND meatballs taste.  The meatballs flavor the sauce, and the sauce flavors the meatballs.

We just ate these.  She refuses to admit they are better than hers.  Its ok, you will all try both and let us know, right?  Honestly, I already know the answer.  Just keepin' it real with you all.  

Your "awesome Italian ChefWannabe"chefwannabe's husband

George

Roasted Chili Lime Sunflower Seeds

These are SO good you guys!

My intention originally was to roast and flavor raw sunflower seeds IN the shell, however when I went to pick them up they didn't have them so I nabbed some of these instead!  The story is actually that my husband quit chewing tobacco almost 2 years ago.  He still has a terrible craving for it when he is in the car.  A few months ago we started with sunflower seeds in the car, which is his worst time.  I am currently addicted to dill pickle sunflower seeds, but even with a good handful of options, I decided I wanted to try and make my own.  


Sunflower seeds have great nutritional properties including amino acids, vitamin b1, and cholesterol lowering phytosterols.  They are rich in minerals such as iron, magnesium, potassium, calcium and zinc!  What a great snack or great addition to your diet!  Like I said I would have preferred the shells on, but the shells off are great too!


These will make a great snack, or a great salad topper!  I would even consider crusting some fish or chicken with them!  


I know this is a little short blog, but, I want to get down to it!  I was able to get these at Whole Foods by the way.  I am sure you can get them at health food stores as well!


3 cups RAW sunflower seeds (no shell) 
1 tbsp cumin (I used my Penzey's cumin, or chili powder)
2 tsp salt (reduce if you like)
2 limes


Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.  Cut your lime in half, and squeeze them over the bowl of sunflower seeds.  Add in cumin, and salt and mix completely.  


Lay them out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Get them spread out into as thin of a layer as possible.

Put them in the oven for 7 minutes, remove and mix, toss them around and get them spread back out.  Bake for 7 more minutes.  Take them out and let them cool completely.  Let the munching begin!!

Use these in a trail mix or just to snack on, top salads, or crust chicken or fish.  I love when tasty is still healthy!


I am going to use my ranch dressing dry mix to do some too!  How about some other ideas?

Your  "doesn't miss spittin' shells" chefwannabe

Chris

Pudding Cake - Visits from Philly

As many of you may or may not know, an uncle who is very dear to me and my brothers and sisters had a massive stroke 2 days ago.  With brilliant medical intervention and PRAYER, he is doing much better and will be headed to a rehab facility soon.  Thank you all for your prayers.  

Look at those heavenly layers of cake, pudding and whipped cream!

That being said, the last few days have been spent walking down memory lane about my Uncle Will and his wife Aunt Millie.  They still live in the same neighborhood my dad was raised in, and though it has been rare that they leave the city, they did venture out to visit "our world" in Nebraska when I was a kid.  My dad in a way, "dared" leave the old neighborhood and the family.  In reality he did it (at 17) so his dad would have one less mouth to feed.  Anywho, so the story goes that my dad met my mom and they made their life in my hometown, which is also my mom's hometown.  For big city people, this WAS a different world.  


My Uncle Will took me and my sister Patty to "Mel's Dime Store".  If you are from my hometown, you remember the ol' place!  We didn't have alot of money growing up and rarely got toys aside from Christmas and birthdays.  Well, he took us in and let us each pick out 2 toys, anything we wanted.  I remember knowing I wanted to pick TWO baby dolls.  I couldn't believe in my 5 year old mind that someone had THAT MUCH MONEY they could buy us each 2 toys! Oh the GLORY!  


While we were busy picking out toys, my Aunt Millie was busy at home....cooking!  She is Italian to the core and cooked us a feast every single night of their visit!  She also made us "pudding cake".  We were sure this was a "city dessert" when in reality it was cheap and cheerful!  She was after all feeding a family of 12 plus themselves!  It was the first time I was introduced to "jimmies".  When we learned what they were we felt so "la-dee-dah".  She made 2 pans of this one night and it has stuck in my head like glue ever since.  (I grew up and moved to South Jersey and jimmies are a food group of their own!)  I want to share it with you.  It is so delicious and not to heavy for these hot summer months.  


I used a sugar free angel food cake from the store.  You can easily use sugar free pudding and fat free whipped cream.  NONE of those choices will affect the dessert at all, only make you be able to eat more!  

Aunt Millie's Pudding Cake
1 angel food cake
2 sm. boxes chocolate pudding
2 sm or 1 lg container of whipped cream
chocolate jimmies


Cut your angel food cake into slices.  Lay them in the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  Prepare pudding as directed and pour over the sliced cake.   Spread on whipped cream (you could make your own too!)  Sprinkle the top with jimmies.  HEAVY on the jimmies please!  Refrigerate until ready to serve!

I hope you make this easy, delightful dessert.  What a great recipe for your kids to make or to help with!  Enjoy this as much as we did as kids and do as adults.  Thanks Aunt Millie for teaching us "country kids" about jimmies.  It changed our lives! 

Your "missing Uncle Willy and Aunt Millie" chefwannabe

Chris

All American Appetizer! Pinwheels!

I hope this finds you all having a relaxing evening, recovering from this ugly Monday syndrome!  What a fantastic day here in Nebraska, gorgeous weather, and summer is on the horizon!

Now, I know that most of you have eaten, heard of, or in fact made these appetizers, which we call "picky food".  Truth is, they are old news right?  Well, I would have to agree to some extent, but I am hoping to revive these always popular finger lickin' "picky's" and give you some new idea's on how to fill them.  They are so easy and as my sister and I were making them, I was thinking of a million different things you could really do with these babies and I was amazed at my on genius.  Well, I am sure someone else has thought of most of my ideas as well but, in reality you can do about anything you would do in a wrap!!  Just cut the pieces smaller!

My secret is that I put as much as I can in the food processor.  I process it until it is 2 notches from mush.  Seriously, I do.  There are tiny pieces but it is very spreadable and not to big to be rolled effectively into the pretty little pinwheel shape!  Tomatoes, onions, olives, bacon (unless you use bits) all can be done in the food processor and prepared to complete perfection for this appetizer.

To begin you will need cream cheese, sour cream, and flour tortilla's.  From there I will go into specific varieties and list you my versions!

Here is what you need for the basic bacon, tomato, ranch version:

1 8oz. pkg cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
8 flour tortilla's
1 tbsp ranch dressing dry mix
1/2-3/4 cup bacon (bits or crumbled)
1/2 cup onion (optional)
3 tomato's minced in food processor
(pictures is all my ingredients for other versions as well)

In a bowl with a hand mixer combine cream cheese (room temp), sour cream and ranch dressing mix.  Mix until smooth.  Set aside while you process your other ingredients.  After you process your tomatoes, let them drain in a small strainer to get as much liquid out of them as possible like this.

Lay out your tortilla.  Spread with a layer of your cream cheese mixture.  Layer on tomatoes, and bacon.  Roll up and put on a plate, seam side down.  Continue until your cream cheese mixture is gone.  Refrigerate 1 hour before slicing into pinwheels!

Dill Pickle and Ham Version (my personal fav of course)

1 8oz pkg cream cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1lb thin sliced deli ham

1 jar of your favorite WHOLE dill pickles

Mix cream cheese and sour cream completely.  Lay out tortilla and spread on mixture.  Cover in slices of thin sliced ham.  I would do 2 layers of ham.  Line your pickles up on one end and roll like this!

Taco Pinwheels
1 8oz pkg cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup taco sauce OR 1 pkg taco seasoning mix
black olives
tomatoes (processed) and drained
onion
1 pkg grated cheese (cheddar or mexican blend)

Do I need to type this again?  HAHA   Drain olives and tomatoes like this...

Spread on cream cheese layer, tomatoes, olives, onions and cheese.  Make sure not to use so much it pushes out the end and won't roll nicely.  As with all the others refrigerate for 1 hour before slicing.

Now there are a TON of options....you could do ground beef in these if you make sure it is in tiny pieces.  You could shred chicken to add as well.  You could use guacamole as a second layer of spread.   I wouldn't use lettuce as it will wilt and get slimy.

There are NUMEROUS sweet version ideas as well.  Mashed bananas, cream cheese with powdered sugar, nutella, thinly sliced strawberries, fruit preserves, ganache, the possibilities are endless!

It is a almost Memorial Day weekend, what a great EASY fingerfood to take to your bbq!!

Your "picky lovin" chefwannabe

Chris

Pastelillos!

Thank you Puerto Rico for pastelillos!  Here is the story behind why I wanted to recreate these little pockets of love!

Where we used to live in NJ, we had a Flea Market every week.  A food truck guy named "Fat Daddy" used to come and serve these along with many other items.  These were our favorite.  I don't even know if Fat Daddy was Puerto Rican, but does it really matter?  He made these so good!  It has been a long time since we have had the originals but I decided to recreate our favorite filling.

I had to call 10 Spanish food markets in the city to find the correct dough "discos".  I knew I had seen Goya ones and ended up having to call Goya direct to find who they supplied in this city.  When I got her on the phone it was a disaster and when Geo and I got there, well, finally found them and I was ready to go!  I suppose there are other brands.  I suppose you could make this dough homemade.  I suppose I would rather hang myself by my eyelids.  Sometimes it isn't about having to have everything homemade, it is about putting it all together to create something amazing!

I hope you are sitting down.  Oh wait, you probably are.  My husband said only ONE thing could have made these better.   Drum roll please........ONIONS!  WHAT?  I almost went batcrap crazy on him!  I left the onions out FOR him and now he wants onions?  Where was my REAL husband?  The one who hates onions so much words can't express.  Wow.  So.  I will write this up with onions though ours didn't have any.  Pfftt.  (scratching my head) I still don't get that he WANTED onions.  Anyway, the fillings for these are endless.  They are a Puerto Rican version of an empanada.  Plain and simple.  I can't imagine there is anything you can't put in them!  I would get the plain discos if you are planning something sweet though.  The ones I used and Fat Daddy used were a reddish, orange color.  I assume turmeric is the culprit but honestly I didn't remember look at the package that close!

This recipe will make 20.  It seems like alot but I would say 2 or 3 would be a serving.

2 lbs ground beef
1/2 lb white American cheese (use any cheese you like)
3 envelopes Adobo Consazon
1 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 cup finely minced onion  (could use dehydrated onion too)



In a skillet, brown your hamburger and onions.  As it is browning add in adobo and garlic powder.  Drain in a colander if needed and get an assembly line going.  I used only half a piece of cheese because it is all that really fit and honestly it was perfect.  Use an entire piece if you feel so inclined.

Lay out your discos and on one half lay down your cheese, some ground beef and using a bowl of water, wet the edges with your finger, fold in half and pinch together.

Use a fork to fully seal the edges.  It is slightly time consuming but so well worth your effort.  My husband decided to come help halfway through and sealed half of it up turn it so it was going up and down and would put in more meat.  His were way fatter than mine, and they were better.

Here they are!  All done and ready to fry!  Using 2 inches of peanut oil in a pan, heat to 360 degrees.  When it is hot enough put in 1 or 2, you don't want to overcrowd you pan, it will be the temperature of the oil down and you will soak up all that greasy oil instead of frying properly in it.  They cook literally 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side!  They are so fast!  Drain on racks or paper towels.  Here is what you get on the inside when they are done!

They were so good, we just sat and reminisced.  I love recreating foods we have eaten that we love.  Culinary memories.......ahhhh.

We decided we needed a dipping sauce.  Let me know what YOU think these should be dipped in the comments below!  

Your "pastelillos lovin' what can I put in it next"chefwannabe

Chris