I purchased this adorable vintage tablecloth while I was home last week. I love how it matches my new plate settings.
Dinner was served with homemade iced sweet tea
I love my new plate settings (Corelle Ware from Wal-mart)!
(the middle plate is not new and did not come with the set,
but doesn't it just go along so well?)
The best part is they are break and chip free, so my style!
Also, while I was home visiting Joe and I ate, per his request, at Dinosaur BBQ with the company of my lovely sister and brother-in-law. This is no ordinary BBQ. I believe it has been featured on the Foodnetwork 2 or 3 times. After downing a platter of pulled pork, brisket, mac-n-cheese, BBQ baked beans, corn bread, and sweet tea, I recalled my grandmother owning a Dinosaur BBQ cookbook. She said I could borrow it and has since said I can keep it. Lets just say I will be busy cooking many of these recipes this summer.
So...
When we returned the first dinner I made was from the cookbook. Ya never knew a Dinosaur BBQ recipe could be so fancy as grilled chicken stuffed with goat cheese and asparagus, huh?
...and asparagus, red pepper, & Potato Salad
No worries the recipe was still BBQ style while the chicken was dusted with creole seasoning and stuffed with Italian sausage as well, and finished off with slathering sauce to finish
This was a keeper for sure!
Stuffed Chicken Highbrow:
"As far as Dinosaur patrons are concerned, anything with goat cheese is kinda suspicious. Add some asparagus and you're tippin' the highbrow scale - hence the name of this dish. Many have discovered the tangy difference goat cheese makes when matched up with ourMutha Sauce."
Asparagus, Red Pepper, & Potato Salad
The Veggies
1 pound new red potatoes
1 pound asparagus
1/2 large red pepper, seeded
1/2 cup slivered red onion
Dressing (this is really good on regular tossed salad also)
5 tablespoons creole mustard or spicy brown
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 clove garlic pressed or finely chopped
6 tablespoons olive oil
tabasco sauce
Scrub potatoes and cook in boiling salted water to cover until tender. Without peeling cut potatoes into quarters (this is if they are very small. If they are large cut them in 3/4 inch cubes). Snap off tough bottoms of asparagus and dicard. Then cook the tops in a shallow pan of simmering salted water until tender crisp. Drain and shock in cold water. Slice asparagus into 1 1/2 inch pieces and add to the potatoes. Cut the pepper into sticks about the same width and length as the asparagus. Put in the bowl and add in the onion.
Mix dressing by stirring together the mustard, vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, and garlic in a bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil slowly while whisking constantly to make a creamy dressing. Add a couple dashes of tabasco if you wish.
Splash the dressing onto the vegetables and give the salad a good stir. Serve right away for best color in the asparagus.
20 thin asparagus spears
kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, cut in half lengthwise
2 mild Italian sausages
4 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts
black pepper
5oz goat's cheese
1/4 cup sliced scallions
olive oil
creole seasoning (recipe follows or you can use their cajun foreplay seasoning sold in grocery stores)
1 1/2 cups Mutha Sauce (recipe as followed below)*
kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, cut in half lengthwise
2 mild Italian sausages
4 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts
black pepper
5oz goat's cheese
1/4 cup sliced scallions
olive oil
creole seasoning (recipe follows or you can use their cajun foreplay seasoning sold in grocery stores)
1 1/2 cups Mutha Sauce (recipe as followed below)*
*Dinosaur BBQ sells their sauce in many grocery stores. I did not have the time to make to Mutha sauce, but their bottled slathering sauce does just as well.
Wash asparagus and cut off the rough bottoms. Pour an inch of water into a skillet and season with salt and add garlic cloves. Bring to a Simmer. Slide in asparagus and cook til tender. Remove from water, discarding the garlic. Set aside. In another skillet, cook the sausages whole and set aside.
Pull the tenders off the breasts. Leave the breast whole and with the smooth side down, open like a book on a work surface. Flatten then with a mallet or large glass bottle until 1/4 in. thick. Season breasts with salt and pepper. Slice the sausages thinly on the diagonal and place one on each side of the butterflied chicken breast, leaving a thin border round the edge of the chicken. On top of the sausage, layer 5 thin asparagus spears, letting the points hang out the ends. Cut 12 thin slices of the goat cheese and layer 3 on top of the asparagus on each breast. Sprinkle with the scallions.
Fold the uncovered lobe of each breast over the stuffed side. Press around the edges to seal. Gently oil each breast and season with salt and pepper and creole seasoning.
Wash asparagus and cut off the rough bottoms. Pour an inch of water into a skillet and season with salt and add garlic cloves. Bring to a Simmer. Slide in asparagus and cook til tender. Remove from water, discarding the garlic. Set aside. In another skillet, cook the sausages whole and set aside.
Pull the tenders off the breasts. Leave the breast whole and with the smooth side down, open like a book on a work surface. Flatten then with a mallet or large glass bottle until 1/4 in. thick. Season breasts with salt and pepper. Slice the sausages thinly on the diagonal and place one on each side of the butterflied chicken breast, leaving a thin border round the edge of the chicken. On top of the sausage, layer 5 thin asparagus spears, letting the points hang out the ends. Cut 12 thin slices of the goat cheese and layer 3 on top of the asparagus on each breast. Sprinkle with the scallions.
Fold the uncovered lobe of each breast over the stuffed side. Press around the edges to seal. Gently oil each breast and season with salt and pepper and creole seasoning.
Build a bed of coals in your grill. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes on each side. Check the temperature with and instant read thermometer. It should register 160.
Let the breasts rest for 5 minutes and slather with Mutha sauce.
Creole Seasoning :
1/2 cup paprika
1/2 cup granulated garlic
1/4 cup granulated onion
3 Tbl black pepper
2 tsp white pepper
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup dried oregano
1/4 cup dried thyme
2 tsp ground cumin
2 Tbl sugar
Combine everything in a bowl and mix it up well to blend. Store in plastic or glass container with lid
1/2 cup paprika
1/2 cup granulated garlic
1/4 cup granulated onion
3 Tbl black pepper
2 tsp white pepper
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup dried oregano
1/4 cup dried thyme
2 tsp ground cumin
2 Tbl sugar
Combine everything in a bowl and mix it up well to blend. Store in plastic or glass container with lid
Mutha Sauce:"Just like the name says, this is the basis - the true mother of all the sauces we have in this book. It is a balanced blend of sweet, savory, spicy, and smoky flavors that acts as our leapin' off point for creating a world of barbecue sensations. It can even stand alone as a traditional slaterin' sauce for ribs and chicken."
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup minced onion
1/2 cup minced green pepper
1 jalapeno, sliced and minced
pinch each of kosher salt and black pepper
2tbsp minced garlic
1 can tomato sauce
2 cups ketchup
1 cup water
3/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup cayenne pepper sauce
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1tbsp liquid smoke (optional)
Pour oil into a large saucepan and set over medium high heat. Toss in the onions, jalapenos and give a good stir. Season with salt and pepper and cook until soft and golden. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Dump in the rest of the ingredients besides the liquid smoke. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the sauce can simmer. Simmer a total of 10 minutes, then swirl in the liquid smoke and let it all cool. Use as needed and save the remainder in a container for the next BBQ!
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup minced onion
1/2 cup minced green pepper
1 jalapeno, sliced and minced
pinch each of kosher salt and black pepper
2tbsp minced garlic
1 can tomato sauce
2 cups ketchup
1 cup water
3/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup cayenne pepper sauce
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1tbsp liquid smoke (optional)
Pour oil into a large saucepan and set over medium high heat. Toss in the onions, jalapenos and give a good stir. Season with salt and pepper and cook until soft and golden. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Dump in the rest of the ingredients besides the liquid smoke. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the sauce can simmer. Simmer a total of 10 minutes, then swirl in the liquid smoke and let it all cool. Use as needed and save the remainder in a container for the next BBQ!
Asparagus, Red Pepper, & Potato Salad
The Veggies
1 pound new red potatoes
1 pound asparagus
1/2 large red pepper, seeded
1/2 cup slivered red onion
Dressing (this is really good on regular tossed salad also)
5 tablespoons creole mustard or spicy brown
6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 clove garlic pressed or finely chopped
6 tablespoons olive oil
tabasco sauce
Scrub potatoes and cook in boiling salted water to cover until tender. Without peeling cut potatoes into quarters (this is if they are very small. If they are large cut them in 3/4 inch cubes). Snap off tough bottoms of asparagus and dicard. Then cook the tops in a shallow pan of simmering salted water until tender crisp. Drain and shock in cold water. Slice asparagus into 1 1/2 inch pieces and add to the potatoes. Cut the pepper into sticks about the same width and length as the asparagus. Put in the bowl and add in the onion.
Mix dressing by stirring together the mustard, vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, and garlic in a bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil slowly while whisking constantly to make a creamy dressing. Add a couple dashes of tabasco if you wish.
Splash the dressing onto the vegetables and give the salad a good stir. Serve right away for best color in the asparagus.
Mmmmmm! I'm inspired. It's not even 7:30 in the morning and I'm craving BBQ. It's gonna be one of those days. Love ya.
ReplyDeleteyour table cloth looks really good. it was a good way to spend a little money. and of course the food makes me drool!!
ReplyDelete