FatBoy Creations: Fatboy Cheesesteak

Fatboy's Take on a steak sandwich!I love a nice steak sandwich, but get tired of philly-style cheesesteaks. I wanted something cheesy and full of flavors I love, and this is what I came up with. It was a hit in my house, see how your family likes this little piece of FatBoy Heaven.

Fatboy Cheesesteak

YIELD
 4-6 Sandwichs
ACTIVE TIME
 20 minutes
TOTAL TIME
 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

    • 1 lb. Bacon
    • 2 lbs. Thin-cut Carne Asada Steak
    • 1 tub Philly Cooking Cream - Italian Cheese and Herb flavor
    • 1 lb fresh whole leaf spinach
    •  Hard hoagy style rolls

INSTRUCTIONS

    1. Brown bacon in large deep cast iron skillet until crispy, drain on paper towels and set aside
    2. Cut steak into 1 inch wide strips on the bias
    3. Fry steak in bacon grease until cooked through medium-rare, drain grease
    4. Add Cooking Cream and stir into steak, coating well and cooking until cream starts to brown
    5. Cut rolls
    6. Layer fresh spinach, then steak, then top with chunks of Bacon and serve

Dinner Tonight: Leftovers become an awesome Asian soup

An amazing soup comes from adding some simple ingredients to leftoversThe other night I made a Five Spice Pork and had some leftovers in the bottom of the crock pot.  I saved them and put them in the fridge thinking that it would be good for lunch the next day, but then I had a better idea.  Since there were such classic asian flavors in the pork, I could make an easy Asian broth to turn them into a soup.  Here's what I did.

Ingredients:

8 cloves of garlic

Large piece of fresh ginger

32oz Vegatable Broth

Leftovers from the Honey Apple Five Spice Pork

Bok-choy or raw spinach

Directions:

  1. Seperate pork from the the other pan drippings and solids in the leftovers and set aside
  2. Add remaining leftovers to pot
  3. Peel garlic and slice thinly, add to pot
  4. Peel ginger and cut into 1/2 inch pieces, add to pot
  5. Add vegatable broth
  6. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 20-30 minutes
  7. In a frying pan, saute greens in water until wilted
  8. Place some greens in each bowl
  9. Brown reserved pork until crispy in same frying pan.  Divide and add to each bowl
  10. Cover greens and meat with broth and serve!

Dinner Tonight (and tomorrow) - Apple Honey Five Spice Pork

Great crockpot asian pork with Chinese Five Spice

A very common combination in american cooking is apple and pork, but I was looking for a way to bring something more to the flavor profile this time.  When I started thinking I realized that a lot of the same flavors that we use with apples are present in Chinese Five Spice recipes, and thought this would be a great combination.  The pork came out fall apart perfect with a great combination of flavors.  It was at once both familiar and exotic.  This one will get made again here in Fat Boy Heaven.

Apple Honey Five Spice Pork

YIELD
 6 servings
ACTIVE TIME
 20 minutes
TOTAL TIME
 7 hours, 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

    •  Pork Loin, 2.5-3 lbs.
    •  Red Delicious Apples, 3 sliced
    •  Honey, approx 4 T
    •  Chinese Five Spice, 2 T

INSTRUCTIONS

    1. Lay the apple slices (from two of the apples) in the bottom of the crockpot.
    2. Sprinkle with five spice.
    3. Cut slits in the pork loin (approx 1/2″-3/4″).
    4. Drizzle some honey into the slits.
    5. Then place apple slices into the slits.
    6. Place the pork loin into the crockpot.
    7. Drizzle the top with the remainder of the honey.
    8. Place the rest of the apples on top.
    9. Then sprinkle the whole thing with five spice.
    10. Cook on low for 7 hours

NOTES

Serve with veggies

Bacon Night! - Apple Bacon Tomato Soup

It is really easy to find new recipes using bacon, but finding new recipes that intrigue me with new flavor profiles takes some doing.  I love doing soup this time of year, mostly because it makes for great leftovers that usually hold up well in the freezer for quick meals when we need them.  I found this recipe at All Recipes in an email they sent out a few weeks ago, and decided to give it a try.  Super simple to make and great flavors have added this to the FatBoy rotation.

Apple Bacon Tomato Soup

 

YIELD
 8 servings
ACTIVE TIME
 15 mins
TOTAL TIME
 45 mins

INGREDIENTS

    • 5 slices bacon
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1/2 white onion, chopped
    • 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
    • 2 cups beef stock
    • 1 (15.5 ounce) can pinto beans
    • 1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
    • 2 stalks celery, chopped
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 1 medium apple, thinly sliced
    • 1/2 cup red wine
    •  salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

    1. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, coarsely chop, and set aside.
    2. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, and saute white onion and garlic 3 to 5 minutes, or until tender. Stir in beef stock, pinto beans, tomatoes, celery, and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer.
    3. In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook and stir the apple in the red wine until soft.
    4. Mix bacon, apple, and remaining red wine into the soup mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally until well blended.

Dinner Tonight: Redeye Mole Chili

I was looking for a new dinner recipe a few weeks ago and stumbled across this great recipe from Rachel Ray for Redeye Mole Chili.  The combination of sweet spices from the mole with a classic redeye sauce (a southern specialty featuring coffee) makes a unique and new addition to my recipe box.  Give it a try, you won't be sorry.

Redeye Mole Chili

 

YIELD
 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

    • 3 cups beef stock (if using ground beef) or chicken stock (if using ground turkey)
    • 2 ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
    • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
    • 4 slices lean smoked bacon, chopped
    • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef sirloin or ground turkey
    • 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
    • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
    •  Salt and pepper
    • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
    • 1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed
    • 1 15 ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
    • 2 tablespoons instant coffee
    • 1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
    • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
    • 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 2 cups shredded or crumbled extra-sharp cheddar cheese
    • 1 small red onion, finely chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

    1. In a large saucepan, bring the beef stock and ancho chiles to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until softened, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and puree.
    2. Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven or soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat until smoking. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the beef, increase the heat to high and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Lower the heat to medium, add the yellow onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes; season with pepper.
    3. Stir the tomato paste into the chili for 1 minute. Stir in the ancho liquid, black beans, tomatoes, coffee, paprika, coriander, cocoa and cinnamon and simmer for 5 minutes; season with salt.
    4. Serve the chili in shallow bowls. Top with the cheese and red onion.

Dinner Time - Slow Cooker Maple Pumpkin Pulled Pork

I love experimenting with new ways to use ingredients, and thought this would be a great flavor combination.  It exceeded my expectations.  The delicate moistness of the pumpkin holds up well to the maple but the bourbon and worcteshire sauce help smooth the transition.  When combined with the salty goodness of the pork it is amazing.  Give this a try, you won't regret your visit to Fat Boy Heaven.

Slow Cooker Maple Pumpkin Pulled Pork

If you like pulled pork, you're going to love this beautiful recipe for slow cooker pulled pork. Rich & salty, with just enough sweet to make you crave it nightly, you're gonna love this recipe twist!

YIELD
 8 servings
ACTIVE TIME
 5 minutes
TOTAL TIME
 4 hours

INGREDIENTS

    • 3 pound pork roast
    • 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
    • 2/3 cup brown sugar
    • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
    • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 teaspoon maple extract
    • 2 tablespoons bourbon
    •  hamburger buns

INSTRUCTIONS

    1. Place pork roast in a slow cooker. Add the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, salt, Worcestershire sauce, bourbon, and maple extract. Use a spatula to mix together the pumpkin mixture over the top of the pork. Cover and set slow cooker to high. Cook for 4-6 hours, or until pork is tender.
    2. Using two forks, pull the pork apart until well shredded. Stir well into the pumpkin mixture. Cover and allow to cook for another hour, until the sauce thickens.
    3. Spoon mixture onto hamburger buns. Serve and enjoy!

Dinner Time - Steak Gratin

When I was planning this weeks menu I noticed that top sirloin was on sale, and was trying to figure out what I could do with it.  I remembered my Dad making homemade Mac and Cheese when I was a kid with hamburger, and have always loved the flavor combination.  I took that and ran with it to kick things up a few notches with this Steak Gratin.  The rich flavor of the sirloin combines well with the lighter marscapone and parmesan cheeses to really let the meat shine.  The addition of a little bit of dried mustard with salt and pepper takes the flavor just a little bit higher without overwelming.  If you are looking for comfort food, welcome to Fat Boy Heaven.

Steak-Macaroni Gratin

 

ACTIVE TIME
 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

    • 4 tbsp. butter
    • 1 lb. sirloin, sliced
    • 1 small onion, finely chopped
    • 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
    • 3/4 tsp. dry mustard
    • 1/2 tsp. salt
    • 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
    • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
    • 2 cups mascarpone cheese
    • 1 cup Parmesan cheese
    • 1 lb. pasta, cooked al dente
    • 1 cup fresh bread crumbs

INSTRUCTIONS

    1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a med.-size oval baking dish.
    2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in deep skillet over med.-high heat; add steak and onion; sauté until vegetables are tender, about 5 min.
    3. Stir in flour, mustard, salt, and pepper; cook 1 min.
    4. Gradually whisk in milk; stir until slightly thickened, about 3 min.
    5. Remove from heat. Add cheeses and stir until cheese melts.
    6. Mix in pasta. Remove to baking dish.
    7. Melt remaining butter; add bread crumbs and sauté until golden. Sprinkle crumbs over pasta. Bake about 20 min.

Dinner Time - Kentucky French Toast with Bourbon Candied Bacon

I wanted something warm and tasty for dinner tonight, and started thinking about new ways to cook bacon.  Once I decided on candying it with bourbon and brown sugar I started thinking about what to cook with it.  Eggs and pancakes seemed to easy.  I decided on a bourbon and cream french toast that I am calling Kentucky French Toast.  Freaking amazing!  Give this little taste of fatboy heaven a try!

Bourbon and Brown Sugar Bacon

Sometimes bacon needs a little dressing up, like when it is served for dinner. This is a simple way to change it up and still get the salty fatty goodness that only bacon can provide.

INGREDIENTS

    • 1 lb Bacon
    • 2 oz Bourbon
    • 1/2 cup Brown Sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

    1. Preheat oven to 350
    2. Mix bourbon and brown sugar to thick paste
    3. lay our full slices of bacon on baking sheet lined with parchment paper
    4. spread brown sugar mixture over bacon
    5. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes until bacon is crisp but not burnt

 

Kentucky French Toast

I saw a recipe for Irish Toast on AllRecipes.com and decided to change it up with my favorite cooking bourbon instead of irish whiskey.

YIELD
 6 servings
ACTIVE TIME
 5 mins
TOTAL TIME
 50 mins

INGREDIENTS

    • 1 (16 ounce) loaf French bread
    • 4 large eggs
    • 2 fluid ounce Bourbon whiskey
    • 3 fluid ounces half and half
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 tbs pumpkin pie spice
    • 1/4 cup butter
    •  confectioners' sugar for dusting

INSTRUCTIONS

    1. Cut the bread into 12 slices. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, bourbon, half and half, and vanilla extract until well blended.
    2. Heat some of the butter in a skillet over medium heat until the butter is hot and the foam has disappeared. Press each bread slice into the egg mixture, then fry in the hot skillet until nicely browned on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Add more butter to skillet as needed. Brush each slice with butter, and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

Dinner Time - Sloppy Cheeseburgers

I was trying to think of a new way to change up the sloppy joe concept, and struck on this one. Who doesn't like cheeseburgers? I served them on hard rolls, because I didn't feel like baking today and they were the only firm rolls in my grocers bakery today, but next time ill try them on pretzel buns as sandwiches instead of open-faced like we served them tonight

YIELD
 10 Sandwiches
ACTIVE TIME
 15
TOTAL TIME
 4 hours 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

    • 3 lbs Ground Beef
    • 3/4 cup ketchup
    • 1 large onion, diced
    • 3 tbsp worshtershire sauce
    • 3 tbsp mustard
    • 1 lb medium cheddar cheese
    • Garlic
    • Salt
    • Pepper
    • Garlic powder

INSTRUCTIONS

    1. Brown ground beef, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in worshtershire sauce, and simmer adding onions to soften
    2. Add beef and onion mixture to crock pot
    3. Add ketchup and mustard, mixing well
    4. Cube cheese and add to meat mixture, covering cheese
    5. Cook on high 3-4 hours until cheese is well melted and incorporated
    6. Serve on a firm bun or roll

Dinner Time - Easy Baked Chicken and Dressing

I love stuffing, and wish it was more common to eat year round instead of just at the holidays. To make up for it's lack throughout the year I find myself looking longingly at the Stove Top boxes when I walk through the grocery, but cannot bring myself to eat that crap. So periodically I make this dish to make a normal day feel like the holidays, just a little bit.  Chicken came out cooked perfectly, nice and juicy without any pink.  Dressing was flavorful and moist.

Easy Baked Chicken and Dressing

ACTIVE TIME
 20 minutes
TOTAL TIME
 80 minutes

INGREDIENTS

  • Stuffing

    • 1 lb bag of Stuffing Croutons
    • 2 1/2 cups Chicken Broth
    • 1 stick butter or margarine
    • 1/2 cup diced Celery
    • 1 Large onion - Diced
    • 1 Large Egg

  • For Chicken

    • 3 lbs Boneless Skinless chicken breasts (3-4 depending on size)
    •  Salt
    •  Pepper
    •  Garlic Powder

  • For topping

    • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

    1. Preheat oven to 375

  • For Stuffing

    1. Place croutons in a large mixing bowl
    2. Add liquid ingredients, mixing well
    3. Lightly beat egg and stir into the mixture
    4. Add veggies and mix well
    5. Pour mixture into large baking dish

  • For Chicken

    1. sprinkle chicken breasts with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
    2. place chicken on top of stuffing

  • Topping

    1. sprinkle cheese over the top of baking dish and cover with foil
    2. bake at 375 for 1 hour

Dinner Time - King's Hawaiian Baked Ham & Swiss Sandwiches

I was looking for dinner ideas and ran across some posts on Pinterest about doing these sandwiches and though I'd give them a try.  The flavor profile is amazing!  My daughter swears there was pinapple, but alas there was none.  The cheese melted thoroughly and the butter soaked rolls crisped up extremely well.  A little messy in the hand, but well worth having to hold a napkin close at hand.  Give this one a try folks, this is Fat Boy Heaven right here!

King's Hawaiian Baked Ham & Swiss Sandwiches

 

YIELD
 12 Sandwiches
ACTIVE TIME
 15 minutes
TOTAL TIME
 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

    • 1 12 pack of King’s Hawaiian Original Rolls
    • 3/4 lb. deli ham, shaved
    • 1/2 lb. Swiss cheese, thinly sliced
    • 1 1/2 sticks butter
    • 3 tablespoons Stone Ground deli mustard
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
    • 3 teaspoons of poppy seeds
    • 1 onion, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

    1. Heat oven to 350. Melt butter and mix in mustard, Worcestershire sauce, onion and poppy seed. Simmer for several minutes.
    2. Cut the entire pack of rolls in half, horizontally (keeping all top and bottom halves in tact).
    3. In a greased 9×13 pan, place bottom half of rolls and spread 1/3 of the onion mixture over the bottom of the rolls followed by the ham and cheese.Spread 1/3 of onion mixture over the bottoms of the rollsLayer ham and cheese evenly over bottoms
    4. Replace the tops of the rolls and spread the remaining onion mixture over top.
    5. Cover and bake for 15-20 minutes and, once finished, separate for serving.Ready to cut apart and serve!

Dinner Time - Baked Garlic and Brown Sugar Chicken with Southern Honey Corn Pudding

I was looking to do something different with Chicken the other night and found quite a few recipes for baked chicken, but I wanted something lighter than the breaded recipes I was finding everywhere.  The wife had put me on notice that with Thanksgiving coming, she wanted lighter meals, but that just doesn't happen in Fat Boy Heaven!  I threw this dinner together as a compromise.  The chicken came out light and delicious with great flovors from the brown sugar and garlic combining perfectly with some of the juciest chicken I've ever made.  The southern corn pudding is something you have to try to appreciate.  Think creamed corn, but taken to a new level.  Corn is mixed into a basic custard flavored with Jack Daniel Tennessee Honey Liquor to make a delicate and flavorful but not overly sweet side dish that your family will love.

Baked Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken

“A quick, easy chicken recipe for days when you don’t want to spend time in the kitchen. Even finicky people will eat it. Goes great with traditional potatoes or rice.”

YIELD
 4 Servings
ACTIVE TIME
 10
TOTAL TIME
 40

INGREDIENTS

    • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
    • 4 garlic cloves, minced
    • 4 tablespoons brown sugar
    • 3 teaspoons olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS

    1. Preheat oven to 500°F and lightly grease a casserole dish.
    2. In small sauté pan, sauté garlic with the oil until tender.
    3. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar.
    4. Place chicken breasts in a prepared baking dish and cover with the garlic and brown sugar mixture.
    5. Add salt and pepper to taste.
    6. Bake uncovered for 15-30 minutes.

Southern Honey Corn Pudding

This Tennessee version of a corn pudding recipe I created has Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey added to the ingredients. The results are peerless. Everytime I serve it, the dish is emptied and people want to know about that wonderful flavor. The alcohol cooks out in the 400 degree oven

INGREDIENTS

    • 5 large eggs
    • 1/3 cup butter, melted
    • 1 tablespoon sugar
    • 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
    • 3 tablespoons Tennessee Honey (Jack Daniel’s Whiskey)
    • 1 tablespoon orange juice
    • 1/2 cup half/half
    • 4 tablespoons cornstarch
    • 2 (15.25-ounce) cans whole kernel white corn
    • 2 (14.75-ounce) cans cream-style white corn
    • 1 small green cayenne pepper, chopped fine (remove seeds if you want less heat which I do for guests)
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
    •  Dash onion powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

    1. In a large bowl, lightly beat eggs; add half/half and beat. Stir in the remaining ingredients, adding the corn last. Blend well. Pour mixture into a buttered 2 quart casserole dish. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for one hour or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

FatBoy Creations: Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

 

Growing up one of my favorite meals was stuffed cabbage, but we rarely had it because it took so long to prepare. Rolling the cabbage stuffed with meat and rice was time consuming, and very hard to do without making a mess.

I decided to try and make it easier by deconstructing this great dish into a casserole instead of all of the time in assembling it the traditional way.

FatBoyHeaven Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

Ingredients:

  • 2 tsp olive oil, divided
  • 1 lb. 95% lean ground beef
  • 1 large onion, chopped fine
  • 1 tbsp finely minced garlic
  • 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
  • 1 tsp sweet Hungarian Paprika
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste 
  • 1 1/2 heads green cabbage, coarsely chopped
  • 1 can (14.5 oz.) petite dice tomatoes with juice
  • 1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 cups cooked brown rice

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a large glass casserole dish with non-stick spray. (My dish was 13" x 10")
  2. Heat a large frying pan on medium heat; add ground beef and cook until it's browned and cooked through, breaking it apart as it cooks. Remove ground beef and set aside.
  3. In the same pan, add 1 tsp olive oil, chopped onion and cook over medium heat until the onion is translucent and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic, dried thyme, and paprika and cook about 2 minutes more. Then add the diced tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, and ground beef. Add water to the pan. Simmeruntil it's hot and slightly thickened, about 15-20 minutes.
  4. While it simmers, cut cabbage in half, cut out the core, and remove any wilted outer leaves; chop the cabbage coarsely into 1 inch pieces.
  5. Heat remaining olive oil in a large frying pan or dutch oven; add the cabbage and cook over medium-high heat until the cabbage is wilted and about half cooked, turning it over several times so it all wilts and cooks. Season with salt and fresh-ground black pepper.
  6. When the meat and tomato sauce mixture has cooked and thickened a bit, stir in the 2 cups of cooked rice and gently combine.
  7. Spray casserole dish with non-stick spray and the layer half the cabbage, half the meat mixture, remaining cabbage, and remaining meat mixture. Cover tightly with foil and bake 40 minutes, or until the mixture is just starting to bubble on the edges.

FatBoy Creations: Fatboy 3-Meat Stew

I decided that the weather and turned cold enough to start working on a signature soup this week, and ended up creating an awesome stew.  I wanted something rich and meaty yet fairly healthy, and this is what I came up with.

A big pot of goodness right hereFeaturing ground buffalo, ground beef, and kielbasa sausage this was an instant hit at my house.  To save time I went the easy way and used mostly canned vegetables, but you can use fresh if you want to take the extra time.  The stew came out as smooth and flavorful as I ever could have hoped, and this afternoon it passed the important "day after" test.

Here's the recipe, I hope you enjoy!

Fatboy 3-Meat Stew

Ingredients:

1lb Ground Buffalo

1lb Ground Beef

2lbs Kielbasa Sausage - sliced into coins

2 cans (10oz) Diced tomatoes with green chiles

2 cans (15oz) pinto beans - drained and rinsed

2 cans (15oz) stewed tomatoes

1 bag (16oz) Frozen Corn

1 bag (16oz) Frozen mixed vegetables

1 large white onion - finely diced

4 large baker potatoes - peeled and cubed

Seasoning Salt

Pepper (to taste)

1 tsp Cumin

2 tsp Chili Powder

Directions:

1. Place ground meat, onions, and sausage in 3" deep skillet.  Season with seasoning salt.  Cook until ground meat is no longer pink.  Drain fat and place mixture in stock pot.

2. Add remaining ingredients to your stock pot and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and cover.  Cook for at least 1 hour, tasting for proper seasoning and stirring every 15 minutes. Wait until potatoes are starting to break down before serving.

Happiness can come in a bowl

 

Holiday Recipes to try (or try and avoid)

OK, here's an idea that looks good, but I'm not sure how it will come out.  I may just have to give this one a try this holiday season.  Who knew that Spam came in Turkey flavor??  Stay tuned for reactions!

SPAM:

SPAMSGIVING™ Day Delight

"There are times when you just have to look around and be thankful for what you have. And if you look around and see SPAM® Oven Roasted Turkey in your cupboard, you’ll really be thankful—and so will your family when they try this tasty twist on tradition. "

Flavors of Fall: Oven roasted lamb with Baked Fall Sweet Potato Mix

I love fall.  Brisk mornings and moderate temperatures.  The smell of the heater kicking on for the first time in months.  Most of all, I love the comfort food that fall brings.  Especially the early fall, when we have a bounty of fresh vegetables and aren't afraid of the house getting too hot to roast them in a warm oven for dinner.  

Last night I decided I was in the mood for Lamb.  When I was at the Feast of Portland I ran into the folks from American Lamb, who were handing out samples of their Lamb Rub.  A wonderful mix of Rosemary, Mustard Seed, Sea Salt, Pepper and other spices that is the easiest preperation I have ever had for lamb.

I paired the lamb with a fall favorite around our house, what I call my Fall Sweet Potato Mix.  An oven-roasted mix of sweet potatoes, yams, and apples coated in seasoning salt and cinnamon.  Super simple and a delicious piece of Fat Boy Heaven.

Lamb

Have your butcher butterfly and tie a leg of lamb (this removes the bone and trims up some of the fat)

Coat lamb roast with olive oil, then apply spice rub (as stated, I used American Lamb's 'Lamb Rub')

Roast in oven at 450 for 20 minutes and then reduce heat to 350 and continue to roast for 45-55 minutes or until internal temp reaches 140 degrees

Fall Sweet Potato Mix

3 medium Sweet Potatoes (yellow)

2 Large Yams (orange)

2 medium apples (I prefer a pie-crisp or Braeburn)

3 tablespoons cinnamon

2 tablespoons seasoning salt

1/8 cut olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

Cut vegetables up into equal sized chunks.  I usually trim the yam and slice it, then cut the slices in half or quarter them depending on how rough I want the texture to look.

Combine cut vegetables in a 1-gallon zip lock bag.

Add oil and shake to coat evenly

Add spices and shake until well coated

Arrange around meat or on baking sheet and bake until tender

Dessert time: Old South Coca-Cola Cake

When trying to decide what kind of cake to make for my Daughter's birthday today I started thinking back to a recipe my Grandmother made when I was little. I was reintroduced to it when I was in college down in Florida. A nice, light chocolate flavor combined with the spice from the cola and a smooth buttery taste from the glaze give you all you could ask for in a moist, amazing cake.  Here is how you make it:

YIELD 1 Cake 

ACTIVE TIME 10-15 minutes

TOTAL TIME 60 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Flour Mix

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda** 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Hot mix

1 cup butter

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup coca-cola (from bottle is my preference!) 1/2 cup buttermilk

Add to combined mixture:

2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Glaze

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 cup coca cola
4 cups of confectioners’ sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350, and grease up (I like Crisco) a 9×13 (or so) pan.

  2. Mix flour mix ingredients together in a bowl

  3. Mix hot mix ingredients in a saucepan over medium high heat stir this up good until it boils

  4. Stir two mixes together, then add eggs and vanilla extract

  5. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes

  6. When cake is nearly done, make glaze in saucepan, bringing first three ingredients to a boil and then stirring in sugar until smooth. Keep on low so glaze is warm when pouring over the cake.

  7. Once cake is out of oven, immediately pour glaze over the top, then allow to set for 5- 10 minutes before serving. 
  8. Enjoy a big piece of Fat Boy Heaven!

Dinner Time made SIMPLE: Pannekoeken

Tonight I was looking for something fast and easy to do for dinner, and decided to pull out an old recipe from my mis-spent childhood helping my Dad in the kitchen.  We did this a few times a month for dinners or breakfasts with quite a few varieties.  Tonight I did it very basic and traditional, served with lemon juice and powdered sugar.  The recipe is VERY simple:

Pannekoeken

3 eggs

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup milk

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Powdered Sugar

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 425

2.  Mix eggs, flour, and milk together in a mixing bowl

3.  Put butter in a well seasoned cast iron skillet and place in over for 5 minutes (butter will melt and begin to brown)

4. Remove skillet from oven and tilt around in a circular motion to make sure butter coats the sides of the pan, and then add batter.

5. Quickly return pan to oven so that it does not cool, and bake for 20 minutes.

6. Sprinkle with lemon juice and then sift powdered sugar over the top.

7. Remove and serve up a piece of Fat Boy Heaven!

 

Notes:  I doubled the recipe and used a 2" deep 12x24 baking pan.  This recipe can be easily adapted by making additions to the batter.  One of my favorites is to brown 3-4 slices of bacon, then both substitute bacon grease for the butter and sprinkle crumbled bacon into batter after adding it to the pan.  Another great way to dress it up is to simply add Lingden Berries to the batter, which compliment the lemon very nicely.

Here's what it looks like plated!

Dinner Time: Slow Cooker Pumpkin Maple Pulled Pork

I was looking through recipes last night, and thought this one seemed an awesome way to blend summer BBQ with the flavors of fall.  It really has amazing depth of flavor, and hits spice notes you don't usually think of as being a part of BBQ.  The cloves and allspice from the pumpkin pie spice blend with the maple and pumpkin to smell like thanksgiving came to your backyard BBQ.  Add to the thanksgiving feel the creamy richness of slow-cooked pork and you end up with an amazing and EASY dinner.  I served this with onion hamburger buns, but you can use any bun you prefer.  Next time I think I'll use a corn-muffin style bun to bring in the cornbread stuffing element.  Enjoy another little piece of Fat Boy Heaven right here:

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Maple Pulled Pork

If you like pulled pork, you're going to love this beautiful recipe for slow cooker pulled pork. Rich & salty, with just enough sweet to make you crave it nightly, you're gonna love this recipe twist!

YIELD 8 servings

ACTIVE TIME 5 minutes

TOTAL TIME 4 hours

INGREDIENTS

3 pound pork roast

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon maple extract

2 tablespoons bourbon

hamburger buns

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Place pork roast in a slow cooker. Add the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, salt, Worcestershire sauce, bourbon, and maple extract. Use a spatula to mix together the pumpkin mixture over the top of the pork. Cover and set slow cooker to high. Cook for 4-6 hours, or until pork is tender.

2.  Using two forks, pull the pork apart until well shredded. Stir well into the pumpkin mixture. Cover and allow to cook for another hour, until the sauce thickens.

3.  Spoon mixture onto hamburger buns. Serve and enjoy!

Dinner Tonight: MOROCCAN MEATLOAF WITH LEMON HONEY GRAVY AND ZUCCHINI COUSCOUS

MOROCCAN MEATLOAF WITH LEMON HONEY GRAVY AND ZUCCHINI COUSCOUSI was looking for some new flavors and types of foods to cook when planning our menu for the week, and found this great recipe for a Moroccan Meatloaf made with ground lamb that looked too good to pass up.  The greatest thing about Moroccan food is the wide range of spices that are used to combine into dramatic new flavors.  A savory dish with cumin, mint, lemon zest and cinnamon that is topped by a citrus and honey sauce can be found nowhere outside of the Middle East that I've ever seen, and this one was off the charts good.  

The silky smooth gravy of Honey, Lemon, and a classic rue kicked the flavors of the meat to a new level, and the combination of sauted zucchini and mint in the couscous made the pairing perfect while sneaking veggies onto the kid's plates.

Give this one a try, the fat boys in Morocco are on to something here....

You can find the recipe on Rachel Ray's site here.