griff's recipe report

Griff's Sausage & Shrimp Jambalaya

2012-01-28T10:18:00.000-08:00

I published a tasty jambalaya recipe awhile back, but I thought I’d experiment with something completely different to kick off 2012. It turned out to be great!

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. olive oil
½ lb. fresh pork Andouille sausage
12 oz. smoked sausage
10 oz. fully cooked frozen shrimp (thawed)
2 cups chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
2 cloves minced garlic
2 cups uncooked rice
1 (14.5oz.) can reduced sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes with green pepper, onion and celery
1 cup water
½ cup pale ale
1 tbsp. Louisiana hot pepper sauce
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
½ tsp. white pepper
½ tsp. Lawry’s® seasoned pepper
½ tsp. dried oregano leaves
½ tsp. dried basil leaves
½ tsp. dried thyme leaves
2 tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley

Instructions:

In a large pot or skillet, heat olive oil. Add Andouille sausage and brown. Add bell pepper, onion, celery and garlic and stir for several minutes until tender. Add rice, broth, pale ale and water. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes, spices and seasonings (but not the fresh Italian parsley) and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook a couple more minutes until rice is the right consistency. When serving, sprinkle with the parsley and additional Louisiana hot sauce to taste. Serves about 8.

"If You Can Boil Water, You Can Single Handedly Brew Your Own Beer!"

2011-11-25T13:40:00.000-08:00

You may have noticed that I use beer in a lot of my cooking recipes. That's because of the multiple layers of rich flavor that beer often adds to many dishes. If you are a beer lover, you may have often thought about brewing your own beer at home. According to Justin Sieglaff (pictured at left), home brewing is easy, inexpensive, and truckloads of fun! There are many styles of beer that can be made at home. Justin takes you step by step with a video training series, and 640 home brewing recipes. Included in Justin's course are 8 of his best home brew recipes: Cascade Pale Ale Recipe, Can't Lager Oktoberfest Recipe, India Pale Ale Recipe, Mac's Amber Ale Recipe, Oatmeal Stout Recipe, Pre-Prohibition American Pilsner Recipe and Strawberry Blond Recipe. The emphasis in Justin's instruction is easy to follow video training, because he recognizes that many people are visual learners. The whole package, with bonuses, is only $12.95. Here is his website:

Click Here!

If you are interested in brewing your own beer, or if you already brewing, here are some other resources that might interest you...

Even if you have no experience in home brewing, Jake Gold’s famous system will teach you how to make amazing beer by providing you with idiot-proof step by step instructions:

Click Here!

Check out Australian home brewer Pat Quinn’s free video presentation and sign up for his free home brewing course:

Click Here!

Let's Do Chinese! Griff's Tangy Chinese Chicken

2011-11-05T13:48:00.000-07:00

I had to put something together real fast this week and I wanted to fix a Chinese dish reminiscent of General Tso's chicken, yet different. Here is what I came up with--and it was great!

Ingredients:

1.25 lb. boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/4" strips
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1/8 tsp. dried, crushed red pepper (or more, to taste)
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
4 tsp. brown sugar
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 (14.5 oz.) can chicken broth
1/2 cup cold water
3 tbsp. corn starch
6 to 8 servings prepared white rice

Instructions:

Prepare the white rice. Preheat a wok or large skillet and add the olive oil. Add the chicken and the garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, white pepper, and dried, crushed red pepper. Cook the meat, turning often. When meat is close to being thoroughly cooked, add the celery, green and red bell peppers, and onion, turning often. When the celery, peppers, and onions are tender, add the brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and chicken broth. Stir often. Add corn starch to the cold water, stir, and add to the meat and vegetables, stirring often. Serve on plate next to the white rice. Serves 6 to 8.

The Paleo Recipe Book

2011-10-18T09:57:00.000-07:00

For great health, it's all quite simple, really: no grains, no dairy, no sugar, no vegetable oils and no preservatives. But the good news is, you can alternate this wonderful diet with your normal eating habits! The Paleo Recipe Book is the hottest book on the internet, with over 370 easy recipes and 395 pages with lots of photos. Specific charts show the important details regarding your health. Check it out:
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Griff's Easy Beef Creole

2011-09-27T08:25:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone--it's great to be back! Here is a very easy and quick recipe I put together for a quick dinner recently. The results were astounding!

Ingredients:

1.25 lb. any kind of beef steak sliced into 1/4" strips
4 tbsp. olive oil
4 tbsp. butter
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Louisiana hot sauce
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tbsp. Lawry's® seasoned pepper (or ground black pepper)
2.25 cups Spicy Hot V-8® vegetable juice
6 servings prepared white rice

Instructions:

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. In a separate large pan, heat the butter over low-medium heat. Add the green bell pepper, the onion, and the celery to the heated
butter and saute until everything is tender. Add the beef strips to the oil in the large skillet and season with the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and seasoned pepper (or ground black pepper) while browning. Turn the beef several times until browned thoroughly. Then add the sauteed vegetables, the V-8® juice, the Worcestershire sauce and the Louisiana hot sauce to the beef. Simmer for about 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Serve on top of the rice--makes about six servings.

Griff's Cuban Pork Chops

2009-03-21T11:27:00.001-07:00

Cuban cuisine is characterized by the taste of tropical juices, but
often it is less spicy than the food of its neighbors in the
Caribbean. The spices in my Cuban pork chops give this dish a
little extra kick, but are not overpowering.

Ingredients:

4 boneless pork loin chops (about 2 lbs. of meat)
3 tbsp. canola oil
2 cups orange juice (fresh squeezed if possible)
1/2 cup lime juice (fresh squeezed if possible)
1 cup fresh, diced tomato
3/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 cloves minced garlic
4 tsp. fresh, chopped parsley
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. Lawry's® seasoned pepper (or ground black pepper)
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. onion powder
1.5 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Instructions:

Set aside 1/2 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup white wine and two tbsp. lime juice for later use. Take the orange juice, the lime juice and the wine that you did NOT set aside, and mix in a bowl along with the brown sugar. This is your marinade. Put the meat in a baking dish. Pour in the marinade and cover, and allow the meat to marinate in the refrigerator for about an hour, turning the meat over once after the first 30 minutes. In a small bowl, thoroughly mix the seasoned pepper, the garlic powder, the onion powder, the ground cumin, the dried oregano and the kosher salt. This is your spice rub. Take the meat out of the refrigerator, pat dry, lay on some aluminum foil, and rub thoroughly on both sides using the entire spice rub that you've mixed. In a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Place the chops in the skillet and seer on one side until brown. Flip the meat over and turn down the heat to about medium or a little lower. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic around the meat and sauté for several minutes. Add the 1/4 cup of orange juice, the 1/4 cup wine and the 2 tbsp. lime juice that you set aside, and simmer until the meat is thoroughly cooked and the liquid has begun to thicken and is somewhat reduced. Remove chops and let stand on a platter covered with aluminum foil. Continue to heat the liquid left in the skillet until it reduces a bit more, then spoon on top of each chop. Place the diced tomato evenly on top of the chops for garnish, and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.

If you like Cuban, you may like Jamaican! If you want to prepare some tasty, healthful and authentic Jamaican recipes, here is a great, instantly downloadable resource:

Click Here for Jamaican Recipes!

Griff's Boston Honey-Mustard Cod

2008-10-18T09:31:00.000-07:00

The very first colonial industry in America was groundfishing; that is, catching fish that swim close to the bottom. In fact for over 400 years, groundfishing has been a prominent part of both the economy and the culture of New England. Bottom-dwellers caught by groundfishing include cod, haddock, redfish and flounder.

Here is a tasty and easy to fix cod recipe that has some really interesting layers of flavor. Other whitefish may be substituted for cod.

Ingredients:

4 cod fillets (approximately 6 oz. each)
1 cup honey mustard salad dressing
1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup crushed potato chips
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. Lawry’s® seasoned pepper (or black pepper)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with no-sick spray. In a bowl or deep dish, marinate the fish filets in the honey mustard dressing. In another bowl, thoroughly mix the shredded cheese and the crushed potato chips together. Place the marinated fish on the baking sheet and sprinkle the pepper and garlic powder on top of fillets. Then top with the cheese/chip mixture. Bake, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

“New England has a harsh climate, a barren soil, a rough and stormy coast, and yet we love it, even with a love passing that of dwellers in more favored regions."
--Henry Cabot Lodge

Griff's Chip-Chopped Ham Sandwiches

2008-09-13T08:14:00.000-07:00

I lived in Pittsburgh for 10 years and a favorite lunch and picnic food in Western Pennsylvania is "chip-chopped" ham a.k.a. "Pittsburgh style" ham. Chopped ham is a mixture of ham chunks, trimmings and seasonings, ground together and pressed into loaves. We can get it at the grocery store deli here in Arizona, so I assume it is available in many places. Chip-chopped ham is ham that is sliced razor thin on a commercial meat slicer at the deli. Isaly's in Pittsburgh made chip-chopped ham famous.

Chip-chopped ham is most often prepared with a BBQ sauce type mixture, often including Pepsi or Coca-Cola, and served on sandwich rolls or hamburger buns. After being away from Pittsburgh for almost 30 years, I decided it was high time to cook up some chipped-chopped ham sandwiches. It took a bit of time for the lady at the grocery store deli to slice the meat so thin, but this is what gives chip-chopped ham its unique character. Here's my recipe...

Ingredients:

2 lb. chip-chopped ham
2 tbsp. butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped bell pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
4 tbsp. yellow mustard
2 tbsp. cider vinegar
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1 cup ketchup
1 cup Coca-Cola
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. chili powder
12 (approx.) hamburger buns or sandwich rolls

Instructions:

In a large skillet, melt the butter and sauté the garlic, chopped onion and bell pepper (being careful not to overcook. Add the chip-chopped ham and cook slowly, stirring often until the pieces of ham are well separated and the onions and peppers are thoroughly mixed in with the ham. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Serve on your favorite sandwich rolls or hamburger buns. Makes about 10 to 14 servings.

Griff's Creole Stuffed Bell Peppers

2008-08-30T08:56:00.000-07:00

Those of you who have received my recipes for any length of time know that I love to cook from scratch. I even mix my own spice mixes and meat rubs, instead of buying the pre-mixed ones (I save a lot of money doing that, too!). However, there is another side of me that likes to put together something once in awhile that is quick and easy. Yes, sometimes I like to put together a "Rachael Ray" type meal--something that has layers and layers of flavor, but does not require hours and hours of prep time. Awhile back I thought it would be great to substitute Zatarain's® jambalaya mix for plain white rice in a stuffed pepper recipe. This idea developed it into what I would have to say is one of the best recipes I've ever come up with! Here it is:

Ingredients:

8 to 10 green bell peppers
2 tbsp. canola oil
1 lb. ground sausage (mild Italian is good)
1 lb. ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 (8 oz.) package Zatarain's® New Orleans Style Jambalaya Mix
1 cup ketchup
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 tsp. Louisiana hot pepper sauce
1/4 tsp. celery salt

Instructions:

Cut the tops off the green peppers and remove seeds and membranes from peppers. Chop from the edges of the tops of the peppers until you have 1 cup of chopped pepper. In a large saucepan or skillet, heat the canola oil. Add the sausage and ground beef and break up thoroughly while browning (and mix together well). When the meat is fairly well browned, add the chopped pepper, onion and celery. Keep stirring over medium heat until veggies start to become tender. Add 2.5 cups of water and the Zatarain's® jambalaya mix. Keep stirring. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand. Refrigerate this mixture a few hours before stuffing peppers. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Set the peppers in large casserole and/or a deep baking dish (or dishes). With a spoon, fill each pepper with the jambalaya mixture. Pack down the mixture pretty well and fill so that mixture is level
with the top edge of each pepper. (Depending on the size of the bell peppers, the mixture should fill 8 to 10 peppers.) In a 2-cup measuring cup or a bowl, thoroughly mix the ketchup, the tomato sauce, the pepper sauce and the celery salt. Scoop this mixture equally over the top of the mixture in the peppers. Cover (aluminum foil makes a fine cover) and bake at 350 degrees for an hour. These peppers taste great served with a side salad and French rolls!

Five Star Indian Recipes

2008-08-23T13:51:00.000-07:00

Here are the best Indian recipes compiled by award winning five-star chefs of India! Five Star Indian Recipes is a collection of over 1000 delicious Indian recipes, beautifully arranged, and covering every kind of Indian cooking. This instantly downloadable ebook gives you detailed step-by-step instructions, showing you how the Indian chefs prepare their mouth watering presentations. For all the details:
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Griff's American Grilled Ribs

2008-08-17T07:17:00.000-07:00

Here is a recipe I created after doing a lot of research. I wanted to produce ribs which were tender, with a great dry rub and a tangy barbeque sauce. I wanted layer upon layer of flavor. I wanted an outdoor barbeque flavor, but something I could do in the oven and just finish on the grill. I put it to the test, and it passed with flying colors! This recipe will require a bit more work than many of my recipes, because there are three separate things going on: the dry rub, the braising liquid and the barbeque sauce. But you won't need a fancy smoker--just your oven and a grill (preferably a charcoal grill). And you can even skip the grill part if you want and just finish them in the oven. I think you'll be pleased with the fruit of your labor!

Ingredients:

3 slabs (or about 8.5 lb.) pork back (or baby back) ribs
5 tbsp. Griff's American Dry Rub (see below)
1 (12 oz.) bottle beer
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 cloves minced garlic
6 tbsp. brown sugar
1 batch Griff's American Lemon BBQ Sauce (see below)

Instructions:

Place each slab of ribs on its own sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil (shiny side down). Make sure there is enough foil in each sheet to completely wrap around each slab. Sprinkle each slab on both sides with Griff's American Dry Rub (about 1 tbsp. per slab). Rub into the meat and wrap the foil over top of meat and fold the end pieces of foil over the top of each slab. Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour.

In a medium bowl, mix the beer, the soy sauce, the brown sugar and the mixed garlic together well. This will be the braising liquid. Cover and refrigerate until using. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Put the braising liquid into a microwaveable dish and heat in microwave oven on high for one minute. Take one of the slabs out of the refrigerator and place (while still wrapped in foil) on yet another large piece of foil (large enough to completely wrap around the slab). Make sure the foil that covers the slab is crimped tight on the top, and open up an end. Pour 1/3 of your braising liquid in the end, and holding that end up a bit, gently rock and turn the slab so that the braising liquid swishes all around it. (I learned that trick from Alton Brown!) Fold the end back up over the top of the slab. Fold the second sheet of foil up over the slab like you did with the first to assure that there will be no leaks. Repeat the procedure with the other slabs. Place the slabs directly on oven rack and braise for 3 hours.

Now you can prepare Griff's American Lemon BBQ Sauce according to the instructions below. If you're using a charcoal grill to finish (and I hope you are), get the fire going about a half hour before the three hours of braising is finished. Remove the ribs from the oven and let stand a few minutes. Then with gloves to protect your hands from heat, remove the slabs from the foil and place on hot grill. Sprinkle the top of each slab with about 1 tsp. of Griff's American Dry Rub. With a basting brush, paint on a generous amount of the lemon bbq sauce. Grill for only a few minutes until the surface of the ribs get a bit crispy and the edges darken. Flip and repeat the dry rub, bbq sauce and grilling procedure. Remove from grill, put on platter and cover tightly with aluminum foil and allow to stand at room temperature about 10 minutes before eating. Serves from four to six.

Griff's American Dry Rub

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. kosher salt
2 tbsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp. onion powder
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. Lawry's® seasoned pepper (or black pepper)
1 tsp. rubbed sage
1 tsp. thyme leaves
1 tsp. cayenne pepper

Instructions:

Mix these ingredients together in a small bowl. Save in an empty spice container and rub and/or sprinkle on anything you grill!

Griff's American Lemon BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:

1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. yellow mustard
1 tsp. Louisiana hot sauce

Instructions:

Mix these ingredients together in a small saucepan and slowly bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce thickens a bit. Remove from heat and let stand.

Ron Douglas's Offer You Can't Refuse!

2008-08-09T10:44:00.000-07:00

Ron Douglas, author of America's Most Wanted Recipes, has a new, great offer that will be hard to refuse: 20 recipe ebooks for just $20! Ron says, "Stop wasting time searching for generic recipes on the net! Save this amazing collection of cookbooks to your computer and instantly access thousands of delicious homemade recipes whenever you want." Ron's collection includes all different kinds of recipe books--to see them all:
Click Here!

Griff's "Killianized" Steak

2008-08-02T07:57:00.000-07:00

I've been grilling just about every week during the summer as the grocery stores have been running some excellent sales on rib eye and some other cuts. I've really become fond of steaks marinated with beer as one of the marinade ingredients. Different kinds of beer add some truly interesting layers of flavor to steaks on the grill. Here is a recent number I put together using George Killian's® Irish Red beer...

Ingredients:

4 rib eye steaks
1 (12 oz.) bottle George Killian's® Irish Red beer
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. dried parsley flakes
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. Lawry’s® seasoned pepper (or black pepper)

Instructions:

Tenderize steaks by piercing repeatedly with a fork. Combine all other ingredients in a a large measuring cup and mix thoroughly with a spoon. Place steaks in a large food storage bag placed in a large bowl. Pour the marinade into the bag, seal and refrigerate for at least two hours, turning the steaks several times. Grill steaks to preference.

Competition BBQ Secrets

2008-07-26T06:05:00.000-07:00

Bill Anderson's Chatham Artillary BBQ Team team recently took 1st place in chicken, 2nd place in ribs, and 2nd place in pork in the Barnsville, GA BBQ & Blues Festival (a FBA sanctioned event). They also were the Reserve Grand Champion (2nd place overall), winning a total of 4 trophies and $1300 in prize money.

Bill has put together the recipes and techniques he competes with into a best-selling ebook, Competition BBQ Secrets. I purchased a copy of this last year and I use it as a reference book. Bill says, "What we don't give you is a bunch of useless barbecue sauce and rub recipes that are in other books just to make the book 'look' bigger. Don't get me wrong... we do give you exact details on the barbecue recipes we use for chicken, ribs, pork, and brisket. These are the exact barbecue recipes we use in the contests. Why would we give you 50 pages of untested sauce, rub, and marinade recipes and let you pick which "loser" to use in a contest? Our barbecue recipes are 'tried and true.' One book we bought wasted the whole first chapter on the definition of 'barbecue' and where the word barbecue originated from. If you want a history lesson, do not buy our book! Your time is valuable and we're not going to waste it with a whole lot of useless 'filler' to create a book with a lot of useless pages. This is done by others to make it 'seem' like your are getting your money's worth. We provide all you need to know in a short but sweet 62 pages." For more details on the instantly downloadable ebook, Competition BBQ Secrets...
Click Here!

Griff's Lean Louisiana Scrambled Eggs

2008-07-19T07:02:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to announce that since last August, I've lost 30 lbs. and have managed to keep it off. Nothing crazy, I just work out with a reasonable exercise program three to five times a week and watch the calories during the week, cutting myself some slack on the weekends. A good breakfast is essential to a healthy diet and here is one of my favorite breakfasts. I created this recipe to turn Egg Beaters into something I could really look forward to in the morning. I use a milder Louisiana hot sauce--if you use a really hot sauce, like Tabasco sauce, you'll want to use less! This actually a double serving, but I eat it all without a guilty conscience, because the whole thing is only 100 calories!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Egg Beaters (or the equivalent)
1 tsp. canola oil
2 tsp. Louisiana hot sauce
1/8 tsp. Lawry’s® seasoned pepper (or black pepper)
1/8 tsp. celery salt

Instructions:

In a measuring cup, pour the Egg Beaters to the 1/2 cup mark. Add the hot sauce, the seasoned pepper and the celery salt and mix thoroughly with a spoon. In a skillet, heat the oil over medium-hot temperature. When the oil is nice and hot, add the egg mixture and scramble with a spoon to desired consistency.

By the way, concerning my diet, I have found authentic Chinese cooking to be of great help because so much of it is low-fat and low-carb, but it is not low on taste and filling you up! Here's a great resource from a Chinese master chef with over 40 years experience:
Click Here!

Secrets from Inside the Pizzeria

2008-07-12T07:27:00.000-07:00

Do you dream of a heavenly slice of New York style pizza--with golden brown crust baked to perfection, crisp outside, chewy inside--topped with a secret blend of zesty tomato sauce, brimming with flavorful melted cheeses and your favorite toppings? Don't head for New York City--Get a copy of Secrets from Inside the Pizzeria. You'll get an instantly downloadable ebook, PLUS a one hour and 20 minute DVD video demonstration that covers everything in the book! By learning the secrets of the best pizzerias, the best pizzeria in town will be your own kitchen. Are you saying, "my kitchen?" Yes, you can outshine your favorite pizzeria in your own home kitchen with to-die-for pizzas any day of the week. Your spouse, children, and friends will take one bite and know they're in Pizza Heaven. For more details:
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Joey Chestnut Remains Top Dog at Nathan's; Griff's Coney Island Sauce

2008-07-05T07:05:00.000-07:00

I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July, celebrating the independence of this great nation, the Unites States of America. I thank the Lord for the great principles of freedom our nation was founded on!

Nathan's of Coney Island is a great American institution and so is Nathan's annual July 4th hot dog eating contest, ever since Nathan's opened in 1916. As you may know, in yesterday's 93rd annual contest, six-time Japanese champion Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi and defending American champion Joey Chestnut, were tied with 59 hot dogs eaten after the new ten-minute time limit, but Chesnut held onto the title by winning a five-dog "eat off". It looks like the mustard colored Nathan's championship belt stays in the good old USA, at least for another year!

Though formerly an Island, Coney Island is a peninsula located in south Brooklyn, NYC. Famous for its beach on the Atlantic, Coney Island once hosted a major resort. It was also well known for its amusement parks, and of course, for Nathan's. The area reached its zenith of popularity in the early 1900’s.

A “Coney Island hot dog” is widely understood to be a hot dog with “Coney sauce” (This sauce is not used in the contest mentioned above), usually a kind of chili without beans. In reality, Coney sauce did not originate on Coney Island but is thought to have been invented in Michigan. Here is a recipe I developed a couple of years ago, taking what seemed to me to be the best of the ingredients from a number of Coney sauce recipes.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove minced garlic
2 tbsp. butter
1 lb. lean ground beef
2 tbsp. yellow mustard
2 tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1 cup ketchup
2 tsp. paprika (Hungarian paprika preferred)
2 tsp. chili powder

Instructions:

Sauté the onions and garlic, add the ground beef, cook until brown, drain off excess grease. Combine all of the other ingredients and mix well. Add mixture to the ground beef mixture. Stir well and heat. Let simmer for at least an hour.

Copy Cat Cookbook: The Best of the Best Restaurant Recipes!

2008-06-28T07:27:00.000-07:00

"My husband and I went to Red Lobster mainly for the cheddar biscuits and clam chowder. Since I bought your book, we've been able to cook both of these at home, whenever we want." That's what Jessica had to say from Clearwater Beach, Florida. The Secrets behind the recipes of Red Lobster and many other great restaurants are the subject of the instantly downloadable ebook entitled Copy Cat Cookbook. Here is a list of the Red Lobster recipes:

Red Lobster Bisquick Rolls (Cut Down)
Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits
Red Lobster Brushetta
Red lobsters' Bahama Mama drink
Red Lobster Boston Tea
Red Lobster Deep-Fried Catfish with Hush Puppies
Red Lobster Eggs Benedict with Smoked Salmon
Red Lobster Fried Shrimp
Red Lobster Grouper Siciliano
Red Lobster Grouper Summer Seviche
Red Lobster Oriental Scallop Salad
Red Lobster Rock Shrimp Creole
Red Lobster Seafood Chili
Red Lobster Shrimp Quiche
Red Lobster Shrimp Salad
Red Lobster Shrimp Scampi
Red Lobster`s Crab Au Gratin
Red Lobster`s Lobster Chops
Red Lobster`s Roasted Maine Lobster with Crabmeat Stuffing
Red Lobster`s Sesame Ginger Seared Salmon with Asian Vegetables and Noodles
Red Lobster Parrot Bay Coconut Shrimp with Piña Colada Sauce
Red Lobster Shrimp Diablo
Red Lobster Mussels Marinara
Red Lobster Broiled Dill Salmon
Red Lobster Citrus Couscous
Red Lobster Country Fried Flounder
Red Lobster Crab Alfredo
Red Lobster's Perfect Potato
Red Lobster Pina Colada Dipping Sauce
Red Lobster Sauce
Red Lobster Caesar Dressing w/Variations
Red Lobster Caesar Salad Dressing
Red Lobster Cajun Seasoning
Red Lobster Barbecue Sauce
Red Lobster Creamy Caesar Dressing
Red Lobster's Easy Cheesecake

Then there are recipes from Applebee's, Chili's , T.G.I. Friday's, Olive Garden, Outback Steakhouse and Starbucks: 332 in all! But then you get, as a bonus, Copy Cat Cookbook #2, with 424 recipes featuring many restaurants, including Ruby Tuesday's, Popeye's, Bob Evan's, Cracker Barrel, Cheesecake Factory, and the list goes on and on. Plus 3 additional bonuses: All for only $32.95! For all the details:
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Cheez Whiz, Senator Kerry! Griff's Philly Cheesesteak

2008-06-21T09:49:00.000-07:00

Should you ever visit Philadelphia and go to Pat's or Geno's for an authentic Philly cheesesteak, please don't repeat the horrific blunder that Senator John Kerry did on August 11, 2003, while campaigning for the 2004 presidential race: Do Not ask for Swiss cheese!

3 days after Kerry's faux pas, Don Russell wrote in a post on PhillyNews.com: "Now I suppose in some corners of the world, Swiss is a perfectly acceptable sandwich ingredient. Switzerland, maybe. But in Philadelphia, ordering Swiss on a cheesesteak is like rooting for Dallas at an Eagles game. It isn't just politically incorrect; it could get you a poke in the nose."

If that wasn't enough, Kerry was having such a rough time trying to delicately maneuver that monster sandwich that he asked reporters to stop taking pictures--and of course the shutters continued to click. You can see a photo of the Senator being manhandled by a Philly cheesesteak at:

http://www.cheesesteaktown.com/kerry.html

Is he terrified of that cheesesteak--or just depressed because of all one must do to try to be commander-in-chief? In any case, the Senator learned that in Philadelphia they use Cheez Whiz.

This brings me to my recipe for this week's post: My version of the Philly cheesesteak. And while I'm sure that there are Philadelphians who will find fault with my methods, I do know this: My version of the Philly cheesteak tastes great!

Ingredients:

1 lb. breakfast/sandwich steak, sliced thin
2 large or 4 small submarine sandwich rolls
2 tbsp. butter
1 cup onion, cut into strips
1/2 cup green bell pepper, cut into strips
1/2 cup red bell pepper, cut into strips
1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
1 clove minced garlic
2 tbs. olive oil
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. Lawry's® seasoned pepper (or black pepper)
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 cup Cheese Whiz

Instructions:

In a skillet, heat butter over low-medium heat. Add the onions, peppers and minced garlic and saute until tender. In another skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the meat and sprinkle on the salt, seasoned pepper and garlic powder. Turn meat often until thoroughly cooked. Spread Cheez Whiz on both halves of each roll, add meat and top with the veggies.

Now, at the risk of being a bit like the Senator and offending the Philly cheesesteak purist, I'm going to suggest how you can give this Philadelphia treat an Arizona kick: Add a chopped jalapeno pepper to the mixture of bell peppers and onions that you saute. Awesome!

5-Star Secret Recipes

2008-06-14T07:05:00.000-07:00

Ron Douglas, author of America's Most Wanted Recipes, now has another offering--only this ebook does not provide the recipes of the most popular restaurant chains and franchises, but is sometheing completely different. 5-Star Secret Recipes reveals the secrets behind the dishes of the very best chefs of the 5-Star rated restaurants of the world! And the really great thing about this book is that you don't need to be an experienced cook to prepare these recipes and you can do it all right in your own home on a frugal budget!

Ron explains: "How would you like to experience the finest food this world has to offer? What if you could step inside the shoes of the ultra wealthy and enjoy the amazing dining experiences which they take for granted? Wouldn't it be great to get a taste of 'the good life'--the elusive 'American Dream'--and do it all at home, for a fraction of the cost? What a novel idea I thought to myself. If only I could enable the average person on Main Street to experience the world’s finest cuisine without financial strain. If only I could provide a step-by-step blueprint for the home cook to prepare meals like the top chefs from 5-Star rated restaurants around the world. Well, that's exactly what we did with 5-Star Secret Recipes." 5-Star Secret Recipes is an instantly downloadable ebook. The cost is only $29.97 and it comes with 4 great bonuses! For more details:
Click Here!

Griff's Chuck Steak Dijon

2008-06-07T06:03:00.000-07:00

Beef chuck 7-bone steak was on sale for 99 cents last week! ("7-bone steak" does not contain 7 bones, but refers to the shape of the bone, which resembles the number "7.") Chuck steak is tougher than the higher priced cuts and it has a stronger flavor--therefore it is a great candidate for some types of marinade you might never use on a T-bone or ribeye. Here's what I did...

Ingredients:

4 to 5 lb. beef chuck 7-bone steak
3/4 cup dry, white wine
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. dried parsley flakes
2 tsp. Lawry's® seasoned pepper (or black pepper)
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder

Instructions:

Cut the steaks into pieces no wider than about 6" and tenderize by piercing them with a fork or tenderizing instrument. Place the steaks in a re-sealable plastic bag set in a large bowl. In medium size bowl, combine all of the other ingredients to make your marinade. Pour the marinade into the bag that the steaks are in and refrigerate the bowl containing the bag of steaks for two to four hours, turning the bag over occassionally. Drain the steaks and discard the marinade. Grill the steaks (preferably on a charcoal grill), covered, until meat is thoroughly cooked. Serves 6 to 8.

In Flanders Fields

2008-05-24T06:55:00.000-07:00

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

By Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

We remember with gratitude those who, throughout the generations, have given the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation, securing our freedom through military victory!

Griff's Stout-Brined Pork Loin Chops

2008-05-17T08:01:00.000-07:00

Here is yet another great recipe using Guinness extra stout, this time as a component of a brine solution. I put this together last weekend and it got rave reviews from all. Use more or less spices as desired--delete the cayenne pepper altogether if want less spiciness and more of the subtle Guinness tones.

Ingredients:

2 lb. boneless pork loin chops about 1 " thick (about 5 chops)
1.5 cups Guinness Extra Stout
1.5 cups water
3 tbsp. kosher salt
2 tbsp. molasses
2 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. black pepper (coarse grind)
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Instructions:

Place the chops in a resealable plastic bag set in a large bowl. In a large bowl, combine the stout, the water, the molasses and the brown sugar. Stir until salt dissolves. Pour the brine over the chops, seal the bag and marinate in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours, turning the bag occasionally. While meat is marinating, combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl or container, mixing well. Drain the chops and discard the brine. Pat the meat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the pepper mixture over both sides of chops and rub into meat with fingers. Grill the meat (preferably on a charcoal grill), covered, until meat is thoroughly cooked. Serves approximately 5.

Announcing: My New eBook Store!

2008-05-10T06:25:00.000-07:00

I am real excited about my new ebook store, All Your eBooks. At All Your eBooks you can browse and find ebooks that you can download instantly on just about any subject, plus instructional videos and unique software products! For example, are you interested in recipes and cookbooks? Just enter the word recipes in the search field in the middle of the site and check out all the selections that appear: just about all of the products I have reviewed on this site and in my weekly newsletter! Hobbies, Investing, Real Estate, Employment, Health, Fitness, Publishing, Education, Marriage, Relationships, Music, Home Improvement... The list goes on and on... Literally thousands of digital products! Browse and enjoy! To go directly to this ebook store:
Click Here!

You Might Be a Redneck If...

2008-05-08T19:28:00.000-07:00

You might be a redneck if...
...your seafood platter looks like this!

I couldn't resist posting this photo taken by my friend Dennis from Prescott, Arizona, of the lunch he made today. Thanks for the photo and the humor, Dennis!

Griff's Irish Lamb Stew and Champ

2008-05-03T11:54:00.000-07:00

Here is something to else to do with that Guiness extra stout: Use it as one of the ingredients in this authentic Irish lamb stew. So what the heck, you might be asking, is “champ”? Champ (or in some areas the dish is called “poundies”) is an Irish mashed potato dish that includes chopped green onions. It is served piled high with a well in the center full of melted butter. The dish is eaten from the edge with each bite dipped in the melted butter. It is often eaten as a side dish for lamb stew. I have based my recipes for this lamb stew and champ on genuine Irish recipes. If you feel you must, you can substitute beef round steak for the lamb.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. canola oil
2.5 lb. lamb (shoulder or stewing meat), cut off of bone, trimmed of fat and cubed
1 bottle (12 oz.) Guinness extra stout
1 (14 oz.) can beef broth
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
16 oz. fresh white mushrooms, stems removed and halved
1.5 cup diced onion
1.5 cup sliced celery
1 cup milk
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. dried thyme

Instructions:

In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil and then add the lamb. Brown the lamb meat well and then add the stout, the tomato sauce, the beef broth, the salt, the pepper, the thyme, the celery and the onions. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the mushrooms and simmer for another 15 minutes, or until lamb and vegetables are tender. Add the flour to the milk and mix thoroughly. Blend into stew and bring the stew back to a low boil. Continue to cook for a couple of minutes, stirring until stew is thickened. Tastes great with a piece of sheepherder bread (to soak up some of the gravy) and a side of champ (see recipe below). Serves 4 to 6.

Champ

Ingredients:

2 pounds red potatoes, scrubbed (but not peeled) and diced
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons of butter (and plenty of extra butter as a condiment)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. Lawry’s® seasoned pepper (or black pepper)

Instructions:

Cook the potatoes in boiling water until tender. Simmer the milk and onions for about 5 minutes. Strain the potatoes and mash thoroughly and add the 2 tablespoons of butter, the salt, the seasoned pepper and the milk and onion mixture. In an individual dish or bowl for each serving, pile the potatoes high, place a scoop of butter in the center to melt. Eat the champ from the outside, dipping each spoonful in the well of butter in the center. Serves 4 to 6.

Cafe by the River

2008-04-26T09:40:00.000-07:00

Nothing goes better with fine food than fine art, in my humble opinion. I love the fresh, loose approach of the young and popular artist, Didier Lourenco. Didier Lourenco was born in 1968 in Barcelona. When he was nineteen years old, Didier went to work in his father's print studio. where he learned the art of lithography. Taking over a small corner of the studio, he set up his own "mini-studio," painting on paper and canvas. Visiting artists would view his work with excitement, and Didier was excited about the opportunity to learn from these artists. This was his art education. The above 38x36" print, Cafe by the River, sells for $64.99. Just click on the link below and enter 10287344A in the search field. A vast selection of work by Lourenco is available at:
Buy artwork by Didier Lourenco at Art.com

Griff's Shanghai Pepper Steak

2008-04-19T06:56:00.000-07:00

The photo above is of Shanghai, China, in the 1920's. It took me a couple of times to perfect what I have come to call "Griff's Shanghai Pepper Steak," with the right ingredients, but I believe I've got it down now! This is excellent and easy to prepare--and lean and healthy too! If you don't like things so spicy, just cut the amounts of the black pepper and the crushed red pepper in half.

Ingredients:

1.25 lb. beef strips (the more tender, the better)
2 tbsp. canola oil
1 cup diced green bell pepper (with most seeds and membrane removed)
1 cup diced red bell pepper (with most seeds and membrane removed)
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced yellow onion
1 tbsp. corn starch
2 tsp. brown sugar
1 14 oz. can beef broth
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. sesame seeds
1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1.5 cups (dry) Uncle Ben's® Converted® rice and ingredients called for in instructions on box.

Instructions:

Prepare the rice according to the instructions on box. In a large
skillet, heat the oil. Add the meat and heat, stirring often, until
the meat is brown on all sides. Drain off about one half of the
liquid from skillet. Add the fresh veggies and continue to stir
often, until veggies are tender (but don't overcook!). Add the beef
broth, the soy sauce and the rice vinegar and then all of the dry
ingredients except for the corn starch. Continue to stir often. Mix
the cornstarch into the 1/4 cup of cold water and add to skillet,
Continue to stir until gravy thickens. Serve on the rice. Serves
about 6.

Overcoming Hypoglycemia

2008-04-12T06:43:00.000-07:00

Don't let hypoglycemia deprive you of enjoying a normal life! At last there is a way to find the solution you are so desperately looking for. The wonderfully inspiring and instantly downloadable ebook, Overcoming Hypoglycemia, outlines in simple, step-by-step detail, all of the most proven strategies, hints and tips that author Damian Muirhead has developed through his experience in successfully conquering his condition. This is a one-of-a kind ebook which is long overdue! It provides real solution for a condition that has frustrated millions of people. For more details:
Click Here!

Griff's American Sloppy Joe

2008-04-05T07:37:00.000-07:00

Sloppy Joe--American through and through! Here is a recipe I have developed that, in my humble opinion, is the best in the world...

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped bell pepper
2 lb. lean ground beef
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 tsp. garlic powder
4 tbsp. yellow mustard
2 tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1 cup beer
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. chili powder

Instructions:

In a large skillet, melt the butter and sauté the chopped onion and bell pepper(being careful not to overcook). Add the ground beef and cook slowly, stirring often until beef is cooked thoroughly. Drain off excess grease. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for several hours. When the beer is added, the mixture will seem thin at first, but it will thicken as it simmers--and after all, it is called sloppy Joe! Serve on your favorite hamburger buns. Makes about 8 to 12 servings.

Griff's American Campout Stew

2008-03-22T07:43:00.000-07:00

The photo above is of my tent during a Boy Scout "Polar Bear" campout in the 1960's. I sure hope I never have to do anything like that again! However, good camping weather is just around the corner, and here is a stew recipe perfect for the camper. It's easy to prepare and hearty!

Ingredients:

1.25 to 1.5 lb. ground beef
1 cup diced green bell pepper
1 cup diced celery
3/4 cup diced onion
2 (15 oz.) cans sliced white potatoes
1 (12 oz.) bottle beer (optional: add a little water or broth as alternative)
1 (10.75 oz.) can condensed tomato soup
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. garlic powder (or 4 cloves garlic)
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper.

Instructions:

In a skillet, brown the ground beef over medium heat breaking it up well. Add the bell pepper, celery and onion to the meat and turn down the heat a little. Stir often until vegetables start to become tender. Add all ingredients and slowly bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour.

The Complete Grape Growers Guide

2008-03-15T07:10:00.000-07:00

Do you know of any grape grower who knows how to produce 42 pounds of grapes on a single grape vine? Let Jerry, the award-winning "Grape Guy" share his know-how and secrets with you!

Do you know how to grow grapes? How to prepare your soil before you plant a grape vine? How to fertilize and irrigate your grape vine? How to train your newly planted grape vine? How to prune your grape vine? How to prepare your grape vine for optimum grape production? How to decide when your grapes are ready for harvest? What to do after you have enjoyed the fruit of your labor?

No problem! Jerry owns an export grape farm in South Africa, and with more than a decade of grape growing experience, he can help you grow your very own grape vine. Jerry's instantly downloadable ebook, My Grape Vine comes with lots of great bonuses. For all of the details:
Click Here!

Griff's American Beer-Braised Shrimp

2008-03-08T07:47:00.000-08:00

I put this in one of my weekly newsletters awhile back. If you don't receive my FREE recipe-of-the-week, emailed every Tuesday morning, why not sign up at the right hand column of this blog?

Beer gives seafoods and meats some wonderful layers of flavor. For this recipe, use a hearty American lager.

Ingredients:

1 lb. raw shrimp, thawed and peeled
12 oz. beer (lager)
1/4 cup canola oil
6 cloves minced garlic
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. dry, ground mustard
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper

Instructions:

In a large skillet, heat the oil and the minced garlic for about
two minutes over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, and sprinkle
with all of the dry ingredients. Add 1/2 of the beer and cook for 5
minutes. Turn shrimp and add the lemon juice and the rest of the
beer. Cook until meat is firm. Serves 2 to 4.

My Pizza Sauce Breakthrough!

2008-03-01T08:35:00.000-08:00

What a breakthrough! Let me tell you about it. I put together a recipe for a pizza sauce some time ago based upon various recipes I had researched on the internet. It tasted really decent. It involved cooking down some tomato sauce with some spices and a wee bit of brown sugar added. As I was saying, it tasted really decent. However, I get pizza delivered once in awhile from a local pizzeria that does New York Style Pizza and I am always amazed at how light and fresh the sauce tastes. I began to ponder on this and wondered just what it is that I was missing in my recipe.

Since pizzerias are usually pretty secretive about their recipes I decided not to bother trying to find out what they did to get their pizza to taste so good. Instead I went online and surfed for more sauce recipes. Then I stumbled upon a site by Jeff Varasano, who “reverse-engineered” the pizza of Patsy’s Pizza in East Harlem, New York. Reverse engineering is, instead of engineering a product, taking an existing product and breaking it down to find out how it is made so you can replicate it.

Jeff, the founder and CEO of a software company, loved the product from Patsy’s so much that he committed himself to finding out how he could produce a pizza with the same qualities. After six years of research and experimentation, Jeff not only reached his goal, but he has generously shared the details of his work and many tips for putting together an excellent pizza. You can read all about it at:

http://slice.seriouseats.com/jvpizza/

But getting back to the sauce. Jeff said something about pizza sauce that got my attention. He said, “Don't make a sauce. That is, don’t pre-cook the tomatoes. The tomatoes will cook on the pizza. If you cook a sauce first, it will cook again on the pizza, turning it brown and yucky. No need to make a sauce. Look at how overcooked many sauces are. The best places don’t do this.” Jeff also said something about the canned tomatoes he uses: “Always buy whole, peeled tomatoes and crush them yourself.”

I thought long and hard about this and figured that Jeff probably knew what he was talking about! It all seemed to make sense. Now I definitely don’t do everything the way Jeff does, but I have implemented his strategy of crushing whole, peeled tomatoes and, without pre-cooking them, applying them directly on the pizza before before putting it in the oven. The results have been phenomenal! I have discovered what my pizza sauce was missing and how to make my sauce taste as fresh and light as the wonderful New York style pizza that I get delivered. Here is my recipe:

Ingredients:

1 14.5 oz. can whole, peeled tomatoes (I like Hunt’s®.)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. Lawry’s® seasoned pepper (or ground black pepper)
1/4 tsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. McCormick® crushed red pepper

Instructions:

Mince the garlic. In a bowl, blend the garlic, the tomatoes and all other ingredients and crush the tomatoes by hand. Or, mince the garlic in a food processor and add the tomatoes and all other ingredients and process until tomatoes are crushed (but not pureed). Spread evenly on pizza dough and add your cheese, pepperoni, etc. This will make enough sauce for two 12” pizzas.

Here is a resource you might be interested in: Do you dream of a heavenly slice of New York Style Pizza--with golden brown crust baked to perfection, crisp outside, chewy inside--topped with a secret blend of zesty tomato sauce, brimming with flavorful melted cheeses and your favorite toppings? That’s amore! But don’t head for New York City. Get a copy of Secrets from Inside the Pizzeria! You'll get an instantly downloadable ebook, PLUS a one hour and 20 minute DVD video demonstration that covers everything in the book! By learning the secrets of the best pizzerias, the best pizzeria in town will be your own kitchen. Are you saying, “My kitchen?” Yes, you can outshine your favorite pizzeria in your own home kitchen with to-die-for pizzas any day of the week. Your spouse, children, and friends will take one bite and know they’re in Pizza Heaven. For more details:
Click Here!

By the way, have you of Albert Grande, "the pizza man"? Making pizza is Albert's passion--he's been doing it for over 20 years. He claims that his pizza is "spiritual pizza--right from the heart!" He invites you to join the exclusive club of less than one percent of people who really know how to make pizza. for more details:
Click Here!

Olive Garden's Alfredo Sauce from Ron Douglas

2008-02-23T08:15:00.000-08:00

Ron Douglas is a well-known author and researcher of the secrets behind famous restaurant recipes. Here is a new offering from Ron:

Olive Garden's Alfredo Sauce

1 1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup imported Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup imported Romano cheese, grated
6 egg yolks from fresh jumbo eggs
Salt and black pepper to taste

Procedures:
Heat milk and cream in a heavy bottom saucepan until it begins tosimmer. Turn off heat. Slowly whip in cheese, then remove from heat. Place egg yolks in a separate bowl and slowly whip in a portion ofthe hot milk and cream mixture. Slowly add egg yolk mixture backinto remaining cream mixture. Place back on very low heat and continually stir until simmering. Take sauce off heat so it thickens. (This will increase temperature of egg yolks, known as tempering). Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve over your favorite pasta.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 4

After 5 years of research and testing with over 45,000 members of his Secret Recipe Forum, Ron makes this bold claim: "We'll teach you the jealously guarded secrets behind actual dishes from billion dollar restaurants: The Cheesecake Factory, KFC, The Olive Garden, PF Chang's, Red Lobster, Hard Rock Cafe... (far too many to list here) and show you how to easily make them at home!" Check out Ron's website at:
Click Here!

How to Grow Juicy Tasty Tomatoes

2008-02-09T08:07:00.000-08:00

Spring is just around the corner! Are you going to be growing tomatoes this year? If so, you'll want to get the instantly downloadable ebook, How to Grow Juicy Tasty Tomatoes, by Annette Welsford and Lucia Grimmer. Lucia Grimmer, a leading plant pathologist, has authored several scientific papers and won awards for her technical articles. She holds a Master's Degree in Plant Pathology, is a plant nutrition technician and a world authority on plant disease. Every day she provides technical advice to professional tomato growers all over the world. Now she shares her professional secrets with home gardeners! Lucia has collaborated with fellow tomato lover Annette Welsfort to write this easy-to-read, comprehensive ebook with hundreds of photos.

How to Grow Juicy Tasty Tomatoes is divided into two parts. The first part is called Quick Start and gives you simple step by step instructions so you can get your first crop started straight away. Each step is illustrated with photographs to make it easy for everyone (even a complete novice) to follow. The second part is the detail. This is your reference section, with incredible detail on every aspect of growing tomatoes. Novice and seasoned tomato growers alike find this section invaluable, as it contains everything you will ever need to know, and more!

The instantly downloadable ebook version is only $29.95 and comes with some great bonusus. For more details:
Click Here!

Turn Your Love of Food into A Highly Profitable Catering Business

2008-01-26T09:42:00.000-08:00

Most successful caterers started as people just like you, with a passion for food and a flair for entertaining! From one person operations, some have grown into prominent national entities, while others simply are content to be legendary in their own home town. This comprensive manual, The Expert Guide to Starting Your Own Catering Business, covers every aspect of catering success and will guide you through every step of starting, running and succeeding with your own catering business. From planning your business to menu creation and marketing, every relevant subject is addressed.

Every essential element of being a successful caterer is covered in depth in clear, easy to follow information: Costs, attracting clients, menus, equipment, setting prices, panning events, preparing the food, hireing the right help... The list goes on and on... This instantly downloadable package is only $23.95 and comes with over $60.00 worth of bonuses, including The Business Plan Workbook, Dinner Parties Made Simple and The Instant Business Letters Kit. For more information:
Click Here!

Griff's American Steak with Shallot Wine Sauce

2008-01-19T08:31:00.000-08:00

Here is an easy, but elegant, entree to serve at your dinner party. I grilled these on my kitchen counter a couple of weeks ago on my George Foreman electric grill. The steak tasted great and made a beautiful presentation.

Ingredients:

For the steak:

3 lb. (approx.) New York strip steak
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. dried parsley flakes
2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

For the Sauce:

2 tbsp. butter
4 cloves minced garlic
2/3 cup beef broth
2/3 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup chopped shallots
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. chopped chives

For the Topping:

2 tbsp. chopped chives

Instructions:

The sauce:

In a sauce pan, heat the butter over low heat. Add the garlic, shallots, and chives and sautee until shallots are tender. Then add the broth. the wine and the vinegar. Stir everything together and bring to boil. Then turn down heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

The steak:

Sprinkle half of the ingredients for the steak on each side, while grilling. When steak is cooked to your preference, top with the wine sauce and 2 tbsp. fresh, chopped chives when serving.

How to Make Restaurant Quality Sauces

2008-01-12T07:47:00.000-08:00

In as little as 20 minutes, you can make rich, velvety brown sauce just like you get served in your favorite restaurant--or classic lobster based seafood sauce to serve with fish! Discover how to make dozens of classic and everyday sauces at home in your own kitchen--even if you have never taken a cooking class in your life! With this instantly downloadable ebook, ou'll learn the "how's" and "why's" behind making dozens of great sauces at home. Learn the sauce making secrets professional chefs use!

After using How to Make Restaurant Quality Sauces at Home, Susan Davidson, of Seattle, Washington, wrote: "I don't have a lot of time to spend on making dinner except for every now and then, so the recipes I choose have to be relatively simple. Last weekend I decided to try the Peppercorn Sauce using the Demi-Glace Gold. I served it over a cut of ribeye steak, along with the rosemary/sage red skinned potatoes recipe using the Graisse de Canard Gold and a side of Caesar salad. This meal was like nothing I had ever made before. The Peppercorn Sauce was easy to make and out of this world. It was laced with richness, full of complex flavors, and absolutely delicious. It tasted more like something I would enjoy at a 5-star restaurant rather than something I whipped up in my kitchen for the family."
How to Make Restaurant Quality Sauces at Home is only $11.95 and includes a great bonus gift! Read all about it at:
Click Here!

Griff's American Glazed Spiral Ham

2008-01-05T07:47:00.000-08:00

I did this one for Christmas day, but I plan to do another one this month too! This is easy, but delicious, with complex, wonderful layers of flavor.

Ingredients:

1 fully cooked spiral cut ham (approx. 9 lb.)
1/2 cup apple sauce
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. yellow mustard
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 tbsp. prepared horseradish
1/2 tsp. ground, dried mustard
1/4 tsp. ground clove

Instructions:

Put all of the ingredients except the ham into a sauce pan. Slowly bring ingredients to a boil, stirring often. Remove from heat immediately. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Remove all packing materials from ham and place, flat side down, in an open, shallow roasting pan. Do not cover. Bake for about 1/2 hour at 325 degrees F. Remove ham from oven and brush glaze on ham and in between slices. Put ham back in oven and continue to bake at 325 degrees F for another 30 to 60 minutes, or until internal temperature is 140 degrees F. Remove ham from oven and increase temperature to 425 degrees F. Brush ham again with glaze, on top and in between slices. Return ham to oven for about 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Remove, serve, and enjoy!

Do You Want a "New You" for the New Year?

2007-12-29T07:04:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! On or about New Year's Day, many people resolve to diet and begin excercise programs. I actually have jump on those who are making such new year's resolutions: I began my diet and fitness program in August. See my August 25 post (Click Here). I am now happy to report that I have lost 26 pounds. I have gone from 220 to 194 pounds, from a 38" to a 36" waist--and it is not from following any fad diet or doing anything crazy. I have put myself on a program of healthy and sensible eating and excercise.

I probably could have lost even more weight in the last five months if had gone for one of these radical weight loss programs. But I have opted for a healthier approach by which I am gradually converting fat to muscle, and becoming physically fit in the process. I must say, I have not starved myself. In fact, I have bothcreated and eaten almost all of the recipes that I have posted on my blog and published in my weekly newsletters for the past five months while I have been losing weight.

All of this has been a real education for me--and I think that is such an imortant word when it comes to dieting: "education." I have learned about how it is actually important to not starve yourself, but to become aware of foods which help to burn fat. I have learned about eating a number of small meals throughout the day, at the right times, and how this keeps the fat burning away!

No matter what anyone tells you calories are an issue in dieting. I began my diet by meticuloulsy recording my caloric intake each day. I found out that you can actually eat very satisfying meals throughout the day and stay within the limit of calories by which you can constantly lose weight! I don't count calories now, but I stay conscious of approximately how many I'm taking in througout the day--and I'm still losing weight. I also must tell you that two days a week I relax and eat what I want, when I want, and how much I want. I don't go wild on these days, but I reward myself, often with recipes like I've been publishing!

I have also learned that there are "good fats" and "bad fats." And there are definitley a lot of great tasting foods that are highly proficient at fat burning!

My new way of eating, coupled with my very sensible fitness program (one half hour of excercise three times a week) has made me feel better than I've felt in many years! If you are considering making some changes in 2008, here are some resources you might want to check out...

The Mediterranean Diet is also known as the Heart Diet or Cancer Diet and is currently one of the most respected diets known today. Now if you're like me, you might not want to totally commit to any one diet--but you might want to consider adding some of these unique, tasty and healthful recipes into your meal schedule. I reviewed this diet on the September 1 post of my blog at:

The Mediterranean Diet--Click Here!

Medical researcher Shola Oslo has written an ebook which gives all the details of extensive research on foods which fight fats--resulting in fast, yet safe and healthy weight loss. Shola tells us "...there are some scientifically proven foods that are known to aid weight loss? These are foods doctors, scientists, medical researchers and nutritionists know help weight loss." See my review of this ebook at:

Discover 110 Amazing Fat Fighting Foods!--Click Here!

Quickly shrink your waistline, lose body fat, eliminate low back pain and develop a stunning set of six-pack abs... David Grisaffi has been an exercise specialist, strength coach and personal trainer since 1994, working with all types of people from professional boxers to housewives who want to get rid of cellulite. Check out his course, Firm and Flatten Your Abs, at:

Firm and Flatten Your Abs!--Click Here!

The Greatest Gift Ever Given...

2007-12-22T08:12:00.000-08:00

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." --Luke 2:10-11

"For God so loved the world that He gave His unique Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."
--John 3:16

May You Have a Very Merry Christmas!

Griff's American Christmas Brined Turkey

2007-12-08T07:01:00.000-08:00

I brined a turkey for Thanksgiving, and it was wonderful. You might want to try this for your Christmas dinner. I put together a recipe for this largely based on a recipe by Alton Brown, but I made quite a few changes, especially in the aromatics. It was a joy both to prepare and eat this bird.

Brining is a process in which meat is soaked in a salt solution (called a brine) before cooking. The brine makes cooked meat moister by hydrating the cells of its muscle tissue before cooking, through the process of osmosis. This process causes cells to hold on to the water while the meat, poultry or fish is cooking. That's the short version of it. Scientists could go on forever about this process, but I'm not a scientist. I just know that it works.

Ingredients:

1 thawed turkey (approx. 20 lb.)

The Brine:
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 gallon iced water
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp. Lawry’s® seasoned pepper (or black pepper)

The Aromatics:
2 cups water
1 large handful fresh parsley leaves (cut off the stalks)
6 (4” long) pieces celery
4 (4” long) pieces carrot
1 sliced red apple
1/2 sliced onion
4 whole, peeled cloves garlic
2 tsp. rubbed sage
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
Olive oil for basting

Instructions:

The night before: Combine all of the ingredients for the brine, except the ice water in a large (8 qt.) kettle and bring to a boil, stirring well so as to dissolve the salt and sugar. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Then combine the brine and the ice water in a large and clean insulated cooler. Place the turkey, breast side down in cooler, and put lid on. Marinate for about 8 to 10 hours, turning once.

When you are ready to roast the bird, combine the celery, the carrot, the apple, the onion and the garlic in a large, microwave safe bowl. Stir the rubbed sage and dried thyme leaves into the water and add it to the ingredients in the bowl. Microwave on high for 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the turkey from the brine and discard the brine. Wash the bird inside and out with cold water. Place the turkey in a roasting pan. Pat dry with paper towels and put the celery, the carrot, the apple, the onion the garlic, and the fresh parsley leaves in cavity. Tuck back the wings and coat the whole turkey liberally with olive oil.

Roast the turkey on the lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cover the breast area only with a double layer of aluminum foil. Insert a meat thermometer between the thigh and breast just beyond the lower part of the thigh bone, making sure that the thermometer does not touch any part of the bone. Reduce oven to 325 degrees F and put the bird back in the oven. The remaining roasting time for a turkey of about 20 pounds should be anywhere from about 4 to 5 hours. Make adjustments for different size birds. Turkey should be done when the meat thermometer reaches 190 degrees F in the deepest part of the thigh muscle. (Some sources give lower temperatures, but I like to be sure.) After removing from oven, cover entire bird loosely with foil and allow 15-20 minutes standing time before carving. Discard the aromatics.

Write a Cookbook and Make it Sell

2007-12-01T06:35:00.000-08:00

"It's a crying shame. There has never been a better time to publish a cookbook, but most of the people I speak with don't think they can do it. You know the type of people I'm talking about--the ones who, even with opportunity staring them right in the face, will always tell you why they can't do something."

These are the words of Ron Douglas, the author of a new, instantly downloadable instructional course, Write a Cookbook and Make it Sell. Ron shows you how to make quick cash by selling your own cookbook, even if you can't cook and don't like to write. Ron, a best selling cookbook author, reveals his inexpensive step-by-step system to create a cookbook and earn big profits in 60 days or less. Some great bonuses too! For all the details:
Click Here!

Griff's Brother's American Mac and Tomatoes

2007-11-24T08:04:00.000-08:00

We all know that kids love mac & cheese. When we were kids, there was a dish my brother Jay loved even more than mac and cheese. He called it "Macaroni and Tomatoes" and it was one of the first dished he learned to cook. This is easy to make and it makes a great lunch. It also makes a great side dish to accompany beef, pork, fish or poultry.

Ingredients:

1 qt. water
2 cups elbow macaroni
2 tbsp. butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce

Instructions:

In a small pan melt the butter over low to medium heat. Add onions and sauté until tender. In a medium size pan, bring water to a boil over medium to high heat. Add the macaroni and reduce heat a bit, stirring frequently until macaroni is at desired firmness. Drain off the water in strainer and put the macaroni back in the pan. Add the onions and the tomato sauce and heat a couple of minutes over low heat, stirring frequently. This tastes great topped with grated dried Parmesan cheese and fresh ground black pepper! Serves 4.

Discover 110 Amazing Fat Fighting Foods!

2007-11-17T07:51:00.000-08:00

In my August 25 post I noted that I was counting calories to lose weight. I'm also on a sensible exercise program. I'm happy to say that I've lost 21 pounds so far. And I've still been eating some great meals--check out the Cajun surf 'n turf we recently ate (on a recent post). But counting calories hasn't been the key to my success. I've been learning about foods that are scientifically proven to burn fat. I'm dieting smarter now!

Medical researcher Shola Oslo has written an ebook which gives all the details of extensive research on foods which fight fats--resulting in fast, yet safe and healthy weight loss. Shola tells us "...there are some scientifically proven foods that are known to aid weight loss? These are foods doctors, scientists, medical researchers and nutritionists know help weight loss." Here is an example she cites:

"In a recent California study, doctors discovered that eating half a grapefruit before meals helped patients reduce their insulin levels for 2 hours after eating. The patients who ate the grapefruit before meals lost 1.6kg on average, compared to 0.3kg lost by the patients who were not given the grapefruit, making grapefruit 433% more effective at burning fat compared with dieting alone."

Whole-wheat protein is another example of a food which was proven in a study to aid in weight loss. Shola writes:

"Scientists gave one groups of overweight women a whole-wheat protein to eat, and compared results with another group following a standard low calorie diet. The group who ate the wheat protein lost an average of 5.5kg during the experiment, while the group who ate the standard low calorie diet lost only 2.8kg, making whole-wheat proteins 96% more effective for weight loss."

What you will learn in Shola's ebook will astound you: A comprehensive guide to fat fighting fruits, fat fighting, vegetables, fat fighting proteins, fat fighting herbs and spices--even fat fighting fats! Plus, a simple easy to follow plan. Fat Fighting Foods contains a very simple and easy to follow way of eating, with just a few rules to follow. She has even summarized them on one page so you can put it up on your refrigerator, take it shopping or keep with you for easy reference. For more information:
Click Here!

Thank You, Veterans!

2007-11-10T08:09:00.000-08:00

As tomorrow will be Veteran's Day, I wanted to thank all of you who have been, or are currently, in our nation's military. There is not a day that goes by that I do not reflect, with gratitude, on the freedom we enjoy in our great nation, the United States of America. That freedom has been secured only through the sacrifice of those in our military forces throughout the generations, including those serving at the present time.

While the media in this nation relentlessly puts a negative spin on our nation's mission in Iraq and our military, our troops continue, with high morale, to risk their lives daily and remain focused on their task. They are highly skilled professionals and they are doing an incredible job. I often pray that God will protect those who are in harm's way as they protect our lives, our freedom, and our very way of life. They are achieving success and Americans should not be willing to settle for anything less than success.

Veteran's Day Recipe Special: "S.O.S"

I thought that as we recognize our Veterans with gratitude, it would be kind of fun to look at an actual recipe from our military's past. Those in our nation's armed forces have, for many years, commonly (and affectionately) referred to creamed chipped beef as "S.O.S"--that is, "sh** on a shingle." According to SeaBeeCook.com, the following recipe comes from the 1910 Manual for Army Cooks Recipe no. 251...

Chipped Beef

Yield: 60 men
Portion: not given

Ingredients:

15 lb chipped beef
1 lb Fat, butter preferred
1&1/4 lb flour, browned in fat
2 (12 oz.) cans evaporated milk
1 bunch parsley
1/4 oz. pepper
6 qt. beef stock

Method:

Melt the fat in the pan, and add the flour; when it has been cooked a few minutes, add the milk, dissolved in the beef stock, or water. Stir the batter in slowly to prevent lumping, and then add the beef. Cook a few minutes, add the parsley, and serve on toast.

Notes:

If the beef is very salty, it should be scalded before cooking.

[My note: if you're cooking for a family of 6, just divide this recipe by 10!]

Operation Happy Note

How would you like to be a blessing to some of those who are laying their lives on the line to protect us? Check out my post about Operation Happy Note on my music blog at:
http://flatpickpost.blogspot.com/2007/11/ohn2.html

Joe's Foot Warmer Corn "Chowda"

2007-10-31T18:27:00.000-07:00

In my October 30 Recipe-of-the-Week Newsletter, I invited my subscribers to share their recipes with us--that is, to send them for possible publication in my weekly newsletter or my blog. (If you don't receive my FREE weekly recipe newsletter, why not sign up on the right column of this blog?) Joe, of Winter Garden, Florida, responded with an intriguing story and a recipe that sounds great. Joe writes:

I used live in Northeastern Massachusetts with my wife of 35 years, 2 cats, 2 macaws and a cockatoo. Our three kids have all started families of their own, and the grandchildren all love to come to "Grumpy's" house for dinner. This recipe came to me through at least 3 generations of grandmothers. I make this dish primarily in the winter. New England winters can be cold. The kids used to say that one bowl of this chowder for supper would keep your feet warm all night. Have it with your favorite bread and don't be shy about dipping...

Joe's Foot Warmer Corn Chowda

Ingredients:

1/2 pound thick sliced bacon (as lean as possible)
(Salt pork is the traditional way, but I like it better with bacon. Lean salt pork is difficult to get unless you make your own.)
3-4 medium onions (coarsely chopped)
6-8 potatoes (washed, skin on, cut into large bite sized pieces)
4 Tbs. butter or margarine (Nanna made her own butter)
1.5 tsp. salt
3 (15 oz.) cans creamed corn (your favorite brand; of course, Nanna made her own from her ownhome grown corn)
3 (15 oz.) cans whole kernel corn, drained (see note above for cream style)
4 to 5 cups whole milk or Half & Half (I like the Half & Half as it gives a creamier feel on the tongue--Nanna used whole milk straight from the cow, not this processed and remanufactured substitute we call milk today!)
Fresh ground black pepper

Instructions:

Cut the bacon into squares about 1" X 1" and toss it into a large, preheated pot, (if the pot is heated the bacon won't stick). Cook stirring occasionally until just before it starts to crisp. Drain the bacon grease and discar (don't be too fussy about trying to get it dry). Add the chopped onions, potatoes, salt and barely cover with water. Bring to a low boil and cook until potatoes are barely tender. Stir in the creamed corn, and whole kernel corn and bring it back to a very low boil. Stir in the condensed milk or Half & Half. Bring the temperature back to just below scalding for the milk stirring constantly and remove from heat. Cut the butter into pats and drop onto the surface, but do not stir at this time. Sprinkle the entire surface of the chowder with black pepper as lightly or as heavily as your pallet permits. Cover the pot and let it rest for about half an hour. Stir and serve in large bowls with chunks of fresh baked bread (for dipping). Serves 10 to 12 people. (Leftovers freeze well!)

Hope you all enjoy this as much as my family does!

Joe, Winter Garden, Florida USA

Kristy Leigh's "ChocoFactory" System

2007-10-27T07:51:00.000-07:00

Kristy Leigh has put together the most comprehensive chocolate recipe resource I have ever seen! Her ChocoFactory system, for a one-time fee of only $19.99, includes a vast multimedia approach to preparing, at a very low cost, desserts prepared by world-famous chefs.

First, there is Kristy's downloadable course. This is the most complete, easy to implement, authentic, & best tasting collection of recipes and lessons for making "scrumdiddilyumptious" desserts from your own home that you or anyone eating at your house or event has ever encountered!

Next there is The Official ChocoFactory eCourse.You will receive Kristy's ecourse featuring 50 pages of complete step by step instruction on how to make any mouth watering dessert up to 5-star restaurant standards. Learn the all of Kristy's tactics to have your own gourmet chocolatier eatery in your own home.

I think this is probably the best component of the package: The ChocoFactory DVD quality video tutorials that you'll have access to online! This comprehensive & supplemental video tutorial/instructional series teaches you Kristy's secret system of pumping out desserts and candies fast and at low cost. You may even want to watch to the videos multiple times to get the full value of this massive package.

Thousands of the most original, cutting edge recipes--plus some great bonuses! For all the details:
Click Here!

Griff's Cajun Surf 'n Turf!

2007-10-20T07:07:00.000-07:00

My son Nate and I pulled off a great grilling project this weekend. What we decided to try to accomplish was a Cajun style “surf ‘n turf.” We started with my Creole seasoning mix. I always make a pretty large batch, because I use it in all kinds of recipes! I use it on fish, on chicken, in my jambalaya, on pork... If you scroll down, you’ll find a couple of posts where I’ve used it. I also use it some of the weekly recipes I send out. If you don’t receive my FREE weekly recipe newsletter, why not sign up on the right hand column of this blog? The bottom photo is the final presentation of our grilling endeavor, accompanied by some Zatarain's® New Orleans Style Dirty Rice Mix. This turned out to be one of the best cookouts we've ever done! Nate took these great photos of the food. Here are the recipes for the seasoning mix, the steak and the shrimp:

Griff's American Creole Seasoning Mix

Ingredients:

4 tbsp. paprika
2 tbsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp. onion powder
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. white pepper
1 tbsp. Lawry’s® seasoned pepper (or black pepper)
1 tbsp. celery seed
1 tbsp. dried oregano leaves
1 tbsp. dried basil leaves
2 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. dried thyme leaves

Instructions:

Mix together in a roomy plastic food storage container, put the lid on and shake everything together real well. (For best results, use fresh spices!)

Griff’s Cajun Grilled Steak

Ingredients:

4 nice, thick steaks (1/2 to 1 lb. each)
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup fresh, chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 cloves minced garlic
3 tbsp. butter
4 tsp. Griff’s American Creole Seasoning Mix (See recipe above)
1 tsp. Louisiana hot pepper sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. coarse, ground pepper

Instructions:

In a small sauce pan, gently heat the butter over low to medium heat. Add all other ingredients except for the steak and the Creole seasoning mix. Sauté over low heat, stirring often, until peppers, onions and celery are tender. Grill the steaks (preferably on a charcoal grill). While grilling, evenly sprinkle about 1/2 tsp. of Griff’s Creole Seasoning mix on each side of each steak. When steaks are finished, apply the pepper-onion-celery mixture on top of each steak and serve.

Griff’s Cajun Shrimp Kabobs

Ingredients:

1 lb. jumbo shrimp, deveined and shelled
3/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup canola oil
1 green bell pepper, cut into squares between 1” and 1.5”
1 cup red onion, cut into squares between 1” and 1.5”
1 cup celery, cut into 1” long pieces
1 cup cherry tomatoes (or grape tomatoes)
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
1 tbsp. Griff’s American Creole Seasoning Mix (See recipe above)
1 tsp. dry, ground mustard
1/4 tsp. celery salt

Instructions:

In a bowl, mix 1/4 cup of the oil and all of the ingredients except for the shrimp, the bell pepper, the onion and the tomatoes. Place shrimp in another bowl. Pour the liquid mixture over the shrimp, cover and marinate in refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours. Alternately place the shrimp, bell pepper, onion and tomatoes on thin, wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for a couple of hours. With a basting brush, apply canola oil over the entire surface of everything on the skewers and grill over hot coals just until the meat turns opaque. Serves 4 to 6.

245 Recipes That Will Make Your Dog the Happiest Dog in Town!

2007-10-13T07:35:00.000-07:00

I'm so enthusiastic about recipes for people, I sometimes forget that dogs are people too! (At least some people think they are!) Have you ever thought of putting together some great--and healthy--recipes for your dog?

50 years ago, a young dog fancier named John Miller wanted to improve his dog's growth. After analyzing commercial dog food formulas, he found they were all loaded with unhealthy chemicals. John developed a better recipe and tried it on his own dogs, using healthier ingredients. The result was a complete triumph!

John couldn't believe how fast his dogs health and behavior improved. Also he reduced his dog food costs by 50%. Happy with his discovery, he tried, hundreds of new recipes in the following years so he could see their effects on dog health and growth. Through these experiments, John created dozens of amazing recipes that make dogs grow faster and stronger--without using harmful commercial products (because they are infamous for mineral deficiencies).

John's recipes were so easy to do and so effective that multinational companies offered John more than $500,000 for his recipes, but above all, they wanted his silence. However, John is a man of principles and always refused such money. In fact, John wants you to know how to have a healthier dog, without spending a fortune on products! For all of the details:
Click Here!

Griff's Grilled Beef Pepper Burgers

2007-10-06T05:15:00.000-07:00

Catch one of the last grilling weekends of the season with this awesome burger recipe. Of course, if you're like me, you grill year-round. These burgers also taste great pan-fried.

Ingredients:

2 lb. ground beef
1 egg, beaten
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
2 tbsp. finely chopped jalapeno pepper (with most of seeds and membrane removed)
2 tbsp. finely chopped green onion
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 tbsp. McCormick® Grill Mates® Roasted Garlic Montreal Steak® seasoning
1 tsp. Lawry’s® seasoned pepper (or black pepper)

Instructions:

Blend well, by hand, the meat, garlic, peppers, and onion in a mixing bowl and form into eight patties. Coat grill with a little oil or PAM® spray. Grill burgers, pouring the sauces, and sprinkling the seasonings, on each side of burgers while grilling. Serve on sesame seed buns with your favorite fixins'.

America's Most Wanted Recipes

2007-09-29T06:27:00.000-07:00

This is now my favorite restaurant "copy-cat" cookbook because it is now two cookbooks--volumes I and II--with 7 additional bonuses. The extensive research behind these recipes is what makes America's Most Wanted Recipes, Volumes I and II, the hottest selling instantly downloadable recipe ebooks on the internet.

After 5 years of research and testing with over 45,000 Members of a secret recipe forum, you can finally learn the jealously guarded secrets behind actual dishes from billion dollar restaurants like Applebee's, Bahama Breeze, Bennigan's, Boson Market, Brooklyn Cafe, The Cheesecake Factory, Chili's, Hard Rock Cafe, KFC, The Olive Garden, PF Chang's, Rainforest Cafe, Red Lobster, ... (far too many to list here) and learn how to easily make them at home!

Get both volumes along with the 7 great bonuses for only $29.97! For all the details:
Click Here!

Griff's Mom's American Party Mix

2007-09-22T06:19:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid in the 1960's, my parents would have patio parties and my mom would make her slightly modified version of the famous "Chex Party Mix." My older brother and I always enjoyed the leftovers the next day.

Ingredients:

3 cups Corn Chex® cereal
3 cups Rice Chex® cereal
3 cups Wheat Chex® cereal
1 cup Fritos® corn chips
1 cup roasted peanuts
1 cup bite-size pretzels
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. In an ungreased, large roasting pan, melt butter in oven. Stir in seasonings. Gradually stir in remaining ingredients until evenly coated. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool, about 15 minutes. Serve in a big glass bowl Store leftovers in an airtight container. Makes approximately 24 1/2 cup servings.

Dream Cakes Made Easy

2007-09-15T07:35:00.000-07:00

Do you need that perfect cake for--a wedding--a graduation--a birthday--an anniversary--a sports occasion--any occasion? With a lifetime subscription to Dream Cakes Made Easy you get step-by-step detailed instructions to make 25 celebration cakes with ease--PLUS more than 100 cake recipes from all over the world! Save a lot of time and money and bake that perfect celebration cake! In addition to this instantly downloadable ebook for only $34.95, there are four great bonuses! For more details:
Click Here!

Griff's Mom's American Cocktail Sauce

2007-09-08T07:43:00.000-07:00

Here is a recipe for a simple, no-nonsense, great tasting cocktail sauce. My mom taught me this one back in the day. I know there are some similar ones out there, but my mom's is the best, of course. This is great on shrimp, but I also love it on any kind of fish. In fact, on scallops I'll take this over tartar sauce any day of the week!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup tomato ketchup
2 tbsp. lemon juice
4 tsp. prepared horseradish
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Instructions:

In a small bowl or food container, mix all ingredients together thoroughly with a spoon. Cover, refrigerate for about an hour and serve.

The Mediterranean Diet

2007-09-01T08:11:00.000-07:00

Are you thinking of dieting? What would you think about a diet that is safe and achievable with recipes that are easy and healthy--and taste great? You may want to consider the Mediterranean Diet. This is not a "fad" diet: It has had centuries of verification. The Mediterranean Diet is also known as the Heart Diet or Cancer Diet and is currently one of the most respected diets known today. Now if you're like me, you might not want to totally commit to any one diet--but you might want to consider adding some of these unique, tasty and healthful recipes into your meal schedule.

One of the important features of the Mediterranean Diet is olive oil. Says author Ray Darken: "The history of olive oil, olive oil uses and olive oil facts are looked at very seriously because of the health benefits of olive oil and other related properties ... In the early stages (several years ago) I tried a recipe of Moussaka and Greek Salad to see if I would enjoy the taste and versatility. I never looked back! My house is now full of recipes from the Mediterranean Diet. This style of diet is one you will never turn your back on!" For more details about this safe and healthy diet:
Click Here!

Griff's Quick & Lean Chinese Chicken

2007-08-25T07:03:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of August I started counting calories. Now don't worry, on two days of each week I cook and I don't count calories, so I'll still be publishing my "usual" kinds of recipes. But on Wednesday I put together an awesome Chinese style dish that was fast, easy, great tasting, lean and healthful. In fact, at six servings, I figured the calories came in at 345 per serving. What's more, the fat per serving is only 5 grams! Now if you want to make the preparation time even faster, buy the packaged, frozen pepper strips and diced onions. That way the only thing you'll dice is the tomatoes.

Ingredients:

1 lb. pre-grilled chicken breast strips
1 tbsp. canola oil
2 cups bell pepper strips (green, red, yellow or mixed)
1 cup chopped or diced onion
1 cup fresh, diced tomatoes
1 tbs. corn starch
1 (14 oz.) can chicken broth
1 (8 oz.) can water chestnuts, drained
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
4 cloves mince garlic or 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper
1.5 cups (dry) Uncle Ben’s® Converted® rice and ingredients called for in instructions on box.

Instructions:

Prepare the rice according to the instructions on box. In a large skillet, heat the oil. Add the meat and, the bell peppers and the onions and continue to stir often, until veggies are tender (but don’t overcook!). Add the chicken broth, the water chestnuts, the soy sauce and the rice vinegar and then all of the dry ingredients except for the corn starch. Bring to boil and then simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often. Add the tomatoes. Then mix the cornstarch into the 1/4 cup of cold water and add to skillet. Continue to stir until gravy thickens a bit. Serve on the rice. Serves about 6.

If you are interested in authentic Chinese recipes, learn how to cook low fat & low carb Chinese food from a Chinese master chef with 40 years of cooking experience! For more details:
Click Here!

If you are considering a diet, check out the Mediterranean Diet: It's safe, easy, achievable, healthy with wonderful tasting recipes. Centuries of verification! This diet is also known as the Heart Diet or the Cancer Diet and is currently one of the most respected diets known today. For more details: Click Here!

Secrets of the Indian Restaurant Curry

2007-08-18T09:16:00.000-07:00

Imagine... serving wonderful Indian restaurant type cuisine to your family and friends (for just a fraction of the cost of eating out) even if you can burn water or can't boil an egg!

This instantly downloadable ebook is not just another collection of recipes. Secrets of the Indian Restaurant Curry is a hands-on guide which actually shows, step-by-step, how Indian restaurant chefs create such wonderful meals.

This ebook will teach you everything about making curries exactly like the Indian curry you enjoy at the curry house. A curry recipe for every occasion. Create the most delicious, spicy, hot, mouth-watering and tasty foods from the comfort of your own kitchen.

Included are great recipes for vindaloo curry, chicken curry, madras curry, chicken tikka masala, balti, chicken korma, basmati rice, lamb tikka, bhuna, bhoona, basic curry sauce, special spice mixture, biriyani, jalfrezi, onion bhaji, passanda, tandoori and much, much more.

Learn the curry secret for making great Indian restaurant style food! Vegetarian dishes are also included. Indian restaurant cooking at home will become second nature to you. Turn your kitchen into the curry kitchen. For more details: Click Here!

Griff's American Grilled Peaches

2007-08-11T06:17:00.000-07:00

Here is a wonderful dessert to do on the charcoal grill right after you take the steaks or burgers off. It might seem odd that black pepper would be used in a dessert recipe, but trust me, it won't taste like you would expect it to, and the pepper is an important layer of flavor. The taste will be rich and fruity with an aroma of the great outdoors. A scoop of vanilla ice cream served beside it makes the perfect dessert for your cookout.

Ingredients:

4 ripe peaches
6.5 oz. white wine
6 oz. maple syrup
Freshly ground black pepper (enough to sprinkle lightly on all peach halves)

Instructions:

Mix the wine and maple syrup in a shallow baking dish. Cut the peaches in half and remove pits. Lay the peach halves flat-side-down in the wine and syrup and soak for at least an hour. Place halves on grill round-side-down and sprinkle flat side pretty well with fresh ground black pepper. Allow the peaches to grill until you get some black grill marks on the skins. Flip over flat-side-down until grilled thoroughly. Serves 4 to 8.

Why Did I Eat All of Those Pickles?

2007-08-04T08:21:00.000-07:00

“Why did I eat all of those pickles?” asks Jonathan Heusman. Then he answers his own question: “Because they were so good. As I grew up, Grandma's pickles never failed to bring a smile to my face and a treat to my tastebuds.So one day I decided I wanted to make my own.

"Once I was old enough, I made sure Grandma taught me everything about her famous pickling recipes and techniques. She gave me all of her pickling secrets and knowledge to create amazing pickles. Since then, I have developed even more great pickling techniques, utilizing the technology of today."

Jonathan put all of his techniques together in The Ultimate Guide to Pickling, a comprehensive resource that is instantly downloadable. It’s not just for pickles but for other vegetables too!

E. Peterson of Scottsdale, AZ, writes regarding Jonathan’s ebook: "I had always wanted to pickle, but had never had the step by step instructions that I needed... until now. The Ultimate Guide to Pickling not only led me step by step through pickling, but provided me with tons of great tips, recipes, and resources. My family will be pleasantly surprised come the holidays!"

This great guide to pickling is only $19!
For more details: Click Here!

Griff's Caribbean Grilled Tilapia

2007-07-28T06:43:00.000-07:00

Back in the spring, I sent this one out in my newsletter as my recipe-ot-the-week. I got so many raves about it that I thought I ought to add it to my blog, especially since it's still grilling season. This is a recipe that is really easy to put together and is extremely healthy to boot. It's great for your summer patio party--unique with a tropical flair!

Ingredients:

4 fresh or thawed tilapia fillets (or another white fish)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup white wine
2 tsp. McCormick® Caribbean Jerk Seasoning
1 tbsp. dried parsley flakes
1 (8 oz.) can sliced pineapple, in its own juice

Instructions:

Mix the olive oil, wine and parsley marinate the fish in the mixture for about an hour. Place the fish on hot grill (preferably a charcoal grill--and don't forget to oil the grill, or spray with some PAM®). Sprinkle fish with half of the Caribbean jerk seasoning and half of the pineapple juice from the canned pineapple. With a basting brush, brush some of the oil marinade on the pieces offish. Place the pineapple slices on grill as well. Turn fish over, sprinkle with rest of seasonings and add pineapple juice and oil marinade as on first side. Flip the pineapple slices as well--serve the fish with pineapple slices. This dish tastes great topped with Griff's Caribbean Mango Salsa (see below).

Griff's Caribbean Mango Salsa

Ingredients:

2/3 cup chopped mango
2 tbsp. fresh squeezed lime juice
2 tbsp. fresh squeezed orange juice
4 rounded tsp. jalapeno peppers (with most of the seeds and membrane removed), very finely chopped
4 rounded tsp. finely chopped red onions
2 rounded tsp. finely chopped red bell peppers (with most of seeds and membrane removed)
2 rounded tsp. finely chopped green bell peppers (with most of seeds and membrane removed)
1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. Lawry's® seasoned pepper (or black pepper)

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients well and refrigerate for an hour or more before serving.

Do you like Caribbean and Jamaican cooking? (Or would you like to try it?) Learn the tricks that Caribbean and Jamaican pros use every day to make soups, seafoods, meats, jerk food, and even vegetarian dishes. This kind of food is wonderfully tangy, unique, and "health friendly." Here are two great and inexpensive, instantly downloadable resources:

Click Here for Caribbean Recipes!

Click Here for Jamaican Recipes!

Real and Healthy Chinese Cooking

2007-07-21T06:51:00.000-07:00

The thing I like most about the instantly downloadable ebook, Real and Healthy Chinese Cooking, is that it is authentic. Here is the author’s story:

“I'm Nicholas Zhou. I love Chinese food since I was born. I began to learn cooking Chinese food from my mom when I was 9. I was able to know the difference between ginger and garlic and how to use a pancake turner.

“When I was 12, I began to help my aunt in the kitchen (this was how I paid for my school clothes and supplies). My aunt was a very famous chef in town. Actually she was like the local chief chef and was invited to cook for all the major events, feasts and wedding parties held in town. She taught me everything about cooking - selecting ingredients, balancing nutrition, 6 key techniques in Chinese cooking, 8 Chinese cooking styles and even table etiquette.

“I still remember one day when I was 15. ‘Hui (my nick name), I don't have anything to teach you any more,’ my aunt said after a graduation feast. I guess that's when I graduated from Chinese cooking school.

“In the past 10 years, I never stopped learning cooking. I always bring my favorite Joyce Chen wok with me whenever I move to.

“But I never thought of coming up with a cookbook until February 3rd, 1997 - my aunt passed away because of cancer. I didn't have a chance to say goodbye to her face to face because I was going to college far away from hometown. I was thinking of doing something for her. Nothing is better than writing a cookbook.

“After one and a half years of work, I came up with the Chinese version cookbook in
1998 and got it published with a national publisher. About 560,000 copies have been sold since then.

“In 2000, my friend suggested me to translate my cookbook into English and bring it to all people around the world who love Chinese food. In order to let this book be suitable for most people, I visited all the major Chinese restaurants here in Ohio and studied hundreds of restaurant menus. I talked to scores of doctors about healthy eating and nutrition. I subscribed to several major health publications and read health news regularly. After two years of research, I came up with my English version e-cookbook Real and Healthy Chinese Cooking.”

For more details: Click Here!

Griff's American Grilled Beer Burgers

2007-07-14T06:27:00.000-07:00

Talk about a Recipe that is American through and through! Here is an all-American burger recipe I put together recently. Be extra patriotic and use an American brew for this recipe!

Ingredients:

1.5 lb. lean ground beef
1 egg, beaten
2 cloves minced garlic
1 12 oz. bottle beer
4 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. chili powder
4 tsp. McCormick® Grill Mates® Roasted Garlic Montreal Steak® seasoning
1 tsp. Lawry's® seasoned pepper (or black pepper)
2 tbsp. butter
1.5 cups thinly sliced sweet onion
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp. Louisiana hot pepper sauce
1 tsp. yellow mustard
7 or 8 hamburger buns

Instructions:

The burgers:

In a large bowl, thoroughly combine the ground beef, the egg, 1 clove of minced garlic, 3 tsp. of the brown sugar, the chili powder, and two tbsp. of the beer. Make into patties (makes seven or eight small patties). On a well-oiled grill, grill the burgers, sprinkling the Montreal Steak® seasoning and the seasoned pepper on each side of burgers while grilling. Serve on toasted hamburger buns and top with beer braised onion sauce (below).

The beer-braised onion sauce:

Melt the butter in a sauce pan (avoid getting too hot). Add the onions and the remaining clove of minced garlic and sauté for 5-10 minutes. Add half of the remaining beer, and the soy sauce, Worcestershire Sauce, 1 tsp. brown sugar, and yellow mustard. Cook until the beer has been well absorbed into the onions and the onions are slightly brown. Add the rest of the beer and simmer for awhile.

I use beer in many of the recipes I develop because it enhances the flavors of a recipe and adds layers of flavor. Award winning brewmaster Mike Snyder has written an excellent eBook offering 36 recipes, all using beer. Breakfast recipes, soup & chili recipes, dinner recipes, bread & sides, desserts... It's all there! Everything from baked french toast to cream of potato soup to turkey stir-fry to banana pudding. While specifying the quantity of beer in each recipe, Mike has purposely excluded brand names and styles of beer, allowing the cook complete flexibility to use his or her own flavor variations and to experiment. Purchase this eBook for only $4.95 from the following link:
Beer Inside A collection of food recipes containing beer. Instant ebook download.

101 Tasty Chicken Recipes

2007-07-07T06:47:00.000-07:00

I’ve always loved chicken, and I have come up with some pretty good chicken recipes (for example, see my Cajun Bourbon grilled chicken recipe on my June 9 post). I like the health benefits of poultry, and I like how versatile chicken is for use in dishes of virtually every ethnicity and every region of the good old U.S.A. However, something I have never really ever thought about is just how many different chicken recipes there are!

There is an amazing new cookbook, an instantly downloadable ebook, called, "101 Tasty Chicken Recipes." It covers nearly every chicken recipe you will ever need to know so that you can make new and exciting chicken dishes for yourself, your friends and your family! Here is the list:

1. Chicken Breast
2. Fried Chicken
3. Baked Chicken
4. Chicken soup
5. Chicken Salad
6. Chicken Crockpot
7. Easy Chicken Recipe
8. Chicken Parmesan
9. Chicken Marsala
10. Chicken Pot Pie
11. Chicken and Dumplings
12. Chicken and Rice
13. Chicken Casserole
14. Chicken Noodle Soup
15. Chicken Curry
16. Chicken Wings
17. Chicken Enchilada
18. Chicken Cordon Bleu
19. Low Fat Chicken
20. Lemon Chicken
21. Chicken Stir Fry
22. Chicken Spaghetti
23. Chicken Alfredo
24. Chicken Cacciatore
25. Chicken Pakora
26. Orange Chicken
27. Chicken Tortilla Soup
28. Teriyaki Chicken
29. Roast Chicken
30. Sesame Chicken
31. Chicken Pasta
32. Kentucky Fried Chicken
33. Chicken Thighs
34. Barbecue Chicken
35. Bourbon Chicken
36. White Chicken Chili
37. Healthy Chicken Recipe
38. Rotisserie Chicken
39. Slow Cooker Chicken
40. Sweet and Sour Chicken
41. Grilled Chicken
42. Chicken Kiev
43. Chicken Burger
44. Chicken Quesadillas
45. Chicken Chili
46. Chicken Stew
47. Chicken and Broccoli
48. Feta Stuffed Chicken Breast
49. Whole chicken
50. Chicken Fajitas
51. Italian Chicken
52. Moroccan Chicken
53. Chicken Salad Sandwich
54. Tender Chicken
55. Oven Fried Chicken
56. General Tso's Chicken
57. Baked Chicken Breast
58. Chicken Piccata
59. Southern Fried Chicken
60. Jerk Chicken
61. Stuffed Chicken
62. Chicken Fried Rice
63. Chicken Leg
64. Chicken Divan
65. Homemade Chicken Soup (with noodles)
66. Chicken a la King
67. Low Carb Chicken
68. Steamed Chicken
69. Quick Chicken
70. Butter Chicken
71. Cashew Chicken
72. Chicken Marinade
73. Chicken and Noodles
74. Chicken Fingers
75. Ground Chicken
76. Chicken cutlet
77. Mexican chicken
78. Pineapple Chicken
79. Chicken and Mushrooms
80. Tomato Chicken
81. Chicken Francaise
82. Leftover Chicken
83. Chinese Chicken
84. Deep Fried Chicken (in Beer Batter)
85. Tandoori Chicken
86. Chicken Strips
87. King Ranch Chicken
88. Chicken Tetrazzini
89. Garlic Chicken (with Lemon)
90. Mango Chicken
91. Coronation chicken
92. Chicken Tikka
93. Chicken Korma
94. Chicken Risotto
95. Chicken Chasseur
96. Chicken Lasagna
97. Chicken Chow Mein
98. Balti Chicken
99. Chicken Liver Pate
100. Chicken Madras
101. Chicken and Cream Soup

This comprehensive recipe ebook costs only $7 and it comes with some great bonuses! Check it out at:
Click Here!

Celebrate Independence Day with a Great Steak!

2007-06-30T06:21:00.000-07:00

To celebrate Independence Day (and it is is a day we should celebrate!), many of you will be grilling in the back yard or patio with your family and/or friends. Here is a recipe for a steak rub I came up with recently. These spices enhance a good steak with layers of flavor, but do not overpower the fine flavor of the steak.

Griff's American Steak Dry Rub

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1 tbsp. dried parsley flakes
1 tbsp. kosher salt
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
Canola oil (see instructions)

Instructions:

With a brush, baste steak with enough canola oil to cover all surfaces of steaks. Rub in, liberally, as much of the above mixture as it takes to distribute evenly to all cuts of steak. Grill steaks (preferably on charcoal grill) on both sides until done.

This rub has many potential applications. I was grilling some burgers last night and decided to baste each side with oil an sprinkle the steak rub while grilling. Tasted great!

Speaking of the American backyard grilling experience--Here are some excellent ebooks that reveal some All-American BBQ secrets:

Professional Barbecue Recipes! Competition style ribs, butts, chicken, and beef brisket...
Click Here!

This is what you need to know to have the best BBQ in town... Secret's in the Sauce! And we will tell you what that is.
Click Here!

Want to cook up BBQ so tasty your guests beg for seconds and talk about it for weeks? "Amazing Secret Finally Revealed by Retired Kentucky Restaurant Owner Eliminates All Guesswork... And Makes Cooking Up 'Practically Addictive' Barbecue Simple!"
Click Here!

Griff's American Cajun Potato Salad

2007-06-23T08:36:00.000-07:00

Do you have some Griff's American Creole Seasoning Mix left over from your Griff's Cajun Bourbon Grilled Chicken? If not, just scroll down two posts to get the recipe for this seasoning mix to use in this great potato salad I just put together.

Ingredients:

6 medium to large russet potatoes, peeled
7 hard–boiled eggs
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup mayonnaise
4 tbsp. sweet pickle relish
1/4 cup green onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup green bell pepper (with most of seeds and membrane removed), finely chopped
2 tbsp. yellow mustard
1 tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tbsp. dried parsley leaves
2 tsp. Griff’s American Creole Seasoning Mix (Scroll down two posts to my Cajun Bourbon Grilled Chicken recipe to get my recipe for this seasoning mix.)
1 tsp. celery salt
1 tsp. Lawry’s® seasoned pepper (or black pepper)
1/2 tsp. Louisiana hot pepper sauce

Instructions:

Boil potatoes in water until done. When cool enough cut the potatoes into 3/4” cubes. Boil eggs in water until done. Remove shells from eggs and dice. In a large bowl, blend the potatoes, eggs and all other ingredients together by stirring gently with large spoon. Refrigerate before serving.

Living on a Dime

2007-06-16T06:22:00.000-07:00

Recipes are just part of the great Living On A Dime E-Book Extravaganza that teaches you how to make the most of what you have in many areas of life. This set includes ebooks on money management, grocery savings, recipes and activities for kids, holidays, menu planning, quick dinners & much, much more! 11 ebooks in all, all instantly downloadable. The whole set is only $35! Plus you get some great extra bonuses--is it any wonder that this is one of best selling products on the internet? For more details: Click Here!

Griff's Cajun Bourbon Grilled Chicken

2007-06-09T09:57:00.000-07:00

I just put this simple recipe together and tested it over Memorial Day weekend. Talk about layer upon layer of flavor! The brown sugar and bourbon marinade gives the meat sweetness and full flavor from within. The Creole spices provide a nice tangy surface.

While you can use pre-mixed Cajun or Creole spice blends as a substitute for my mix (described below the chicken recipe), it would be well worth your while to mix from my instructions (or tweak it a little if you'd like). In I'm Just Here for the Food, Alton Brown describes how he bought a jar of spice mix with a full color photo of a celebrity chef on the label. At the same time he bought all of the individual ingredients that were listed in the chef's mix. He put together his own blend of the raw ingredients and, using a pharmacy scale, discovered that the markup on the chef's mixture was about 500%! It will take a little time to mix these, but if you do, you'll have plenty left over for when you make jambalaya, gumbo, blackened fish or chicken, etc. Here's the recipe for the chicken...

Ingredients:

4 to 6 boneless and skinless chicken breasts
1 cup bourbon
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 cloves minced garlic
2 to 3 tbsp. Griff’s American Creole Seasoning Mix (see below)

Instructions:

Combine the bourbon the brown sugar, the Worcester sauce, the soy sauce, the minced garlic and 1/4 cup of the canola oil in a deep dish and mix well with a spoon. Add the chicken and cover. Refrigerate for four hours. Pour off and discard the marinade and place the chicken breasts on a well oiled, hot grill. When grilling each side, brush on oil (from the remaining 1/4 cup of canola oil) and sprinkle on Griff’s American Creole Seasoning Mix (see below). Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Griff's American Creole Seasoning Mix

Ingredients:

4 tbsp. paprika
2 tbsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp. onion powder
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. white pepper
1 tbsp. Lawry’s® seasoned pepper (or black pepper)
1 tbsp. celery seed
1 tbsp. dried oregano leaves
1 tbsp. dried basil leaves
2 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. dried thyme leaves

Instructions:

Mix together in a roomy plastic food storage container, put the lid on and shake everything together real well. (For best results, use fresh spices!)

Finally, Top Secret Original BBQ Sauce Recipe is Revealed in Texas!

2007-06-02T07:33:00.002-07:00

Debbie "BBQ" Beaston's secret family recipe for the best BBQ sauce in texas has been revealed! Debbie shares the history:

"Barbecueing began in the late 1800's during cattle drives out West. While on the trail, there wasn't much to eat and what they did get, was usually the lower quality cuts of beef.

"The cattle Barons of the times were more concerned about profits then feeding their hands and thus, the cowhands were fed the disposable cuts of beef. The main choice for this was Brisket, which is very tough, stringy piece of meat.

"However, the cowboys learned that if you left this brisket to cook for a long period of time (5-7 hours) at a very low temperature that what was once a disposable cut of beef became a tasty treat. During this time, the cooks began to experiment with sauces to put on the barbecue beef, thus even making a more tasty piece of beef.

"Some cooks became revered for their their barbecue sauces and were the first to be hired onto a cattle drive, thus enticing the better cowhands to join up. You can imagine how secret they kept their recipe, it was not even unheard of for the cook to mix the ingredients at night so the cowhands couldn't see what went into the sauce.

"It is THESE sauces that have made Texas famous for barbecue. And it is the BEST of these sauces that my family has been guarding for decades."

Debbie maintains that for guaranteed success with any BBQ, the secret is in the sauce. She has now revealed her family's secret recipe. Here is a review of Debbie's sauce by Bobette Williams, of Anchorage, Alaska:

"You were right, this recipe is ABSOLUTELY the best recipe for barbecue sauce in existence! I know 'cause I have tried them all! I just wanted to thank you for making it available..."

Debbie provides a lot of helpful BBQ and grilling techniques for FREE on her website, plus, of course, she bids you to purchase her family's original BBQ sauce recipe for a very low price. It is instantly downloadable and includes some great free bonuses! To go to Debbie's website:
Click Here!

Remembering with Gratitude...

2007-05-26T06:24:00.000-07:00

As Memorial Day approaches, I am ever more conscious of the freedom we have in our great nation. I am aware that I can enjoy cooking and so many other things in life because of those who,throughout the generations, have given the ultimate sacrifice of their lives in military service to this nation. Our freedom is currently being protected by our men and women in uniform--many of whom are presently in harm's way. We in the United States of America have so much to be thankful for: God has blessed this nation so greatly!

Did you know that SPAM® luncheon meat played a crucial role in the effort of the Allied forces to liberate Europe during World War II? Hormel Foods provided 15 million cans of SPAM® (invented in 1937 by Jay Hormel) to the troops each week, and SPAM® quickly became a regular part of their diet. Here is a SPAM® based stew that I developed from a recipe that was said to have been used in the galley of a U.S. Navy ship during WWII.

Griff's American Navy Stew

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. butter
1 clove garlic
1 cup green bell pepper (with membrane & seeds removed), diced
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
1 12 oz. can SPAM®, cubed
1 15.5 oz. can Trappy’s® navy beans flavored with slab bacon (or great northern beans)
2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves
1 tsp. Lawry’s® seasoned pepper (or black pepper)
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1/2 cup water

Instructions:

In a large pan or pot, melt butter over low heat. Add the cubed SPAM® and heat at low temperature for a few minutes, stirring frequently. Then add the garlic, bell peeper, onion, and celery and sauté until tender, but do not brown. Then add all other ingredients. Slowly bring to boil, cover and turn down heat and simmer for an hour or until potatoes are tender. Tastes great with fresh rolls and butter!

Caribbean Cooking Tips

2007-05-19T07:31:00.000-07:00

Your loved ones will rave about your cooking and beg for more when you discover how to master and prepare over 300 of the best Caribbean recipes! These are recipes that have been served in restaurants throughout the world--yet they can easily be prepared by anyone--even a novice!

Patrick Foster was born in the Caribbean and frequently travels to Jamaica, the Bahamas, and other islands. He has eaten foods throughout the Caribbean and recognizes authentic flavors. He now lives in sunny South Florida and wants to share his recipes with you! Patrick is motivated by the fact that when we eat out at restaurants, we are often disappointed. Did we get a generous portion of our favorite food? Was it too salty? Was it spicy enough? Was the steak under or over cooked?

Now you can take control and cook foods exactly to your liking and satisfaction! Caribbean cooking can be fun and it can be prepared by anyone! This ebook downloads instantly to your computer and costs only $19.95! Patrick guarantees 100% satisfaction by offering a full refund within 60 days of purchase. Payments are easily accepted by credit card and PayPal. For more details and to order:
Click Here!

Griff's American Cabbage Goulash

2007-05-12T06:19:00.000-07:00

Up for something refreshingly different, something healthful, something easy to cook, yet with layer upon layer of flavor? Try Griff's Cabbage American Goulash.

Cabbage belongs to the Cruciferae family of vegetables along with broccoli, collards, kale and Brussels sprouts. Cabbage is sturdy, abundant, nutritious, and inexpensive--and thus is a staple throughout the world. It stores well and is so widely cultivated that it is available at all times of the year, but it's at its best during the late fall and winter months.

Of course, Griff's American Goulash bears little resemblance to Hungarian Goulash or most strains of American Goulash--but it sure tastes great! It's tangy and robust--here's how to make it:

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground pork sausage (I use mild Italian)
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper (with most of seeds and membrane removed)
1 14.4 oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 tbsp. cider vinegar
2 tsp. paprika
1.5 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. red crushed pepper
4 cups chopped cabbage

Instructions:

In a kettle, brown the sausage. When sausage is almost browned, add the fresh veggies and continue to brown, stirring often. When sausage is thoroughly browned, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, vinegar, and spices and cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Add the cabbage and simmer for 20-25 minutes (or until cabbage is tender but not over-cooked). Makes 5 to 6 servings.

Griff's American Buffalo Burgers

2007-04-28T08:03:00.000-07:00

Tens of millions of American Bison (which we usually refer to as buffalo) were awaiting the European settlers who traveled across America's Great Plains in the early 1800's. But among these settlers were trappers and traders, who thrived from the uncontrolled selling of meat and hides. And they weren't the only ones killing off the American Bison. Train companies made a business out of providing tourists the chance to shoot buffalo from the windows of their coaches. These shooters slaughtered innumerable bison, only pausing to reload upon running out of ammunition. The corpses of these animals were just left out on the plain. They even had buffalo shooting contests. It is said that one person set a record by killing 120 bison in only 40 minutes. (Do the math--that's 3 per minute!) "Buffalo" Bill Cody is reported to have killed more than 4,000 buffalo in just two years. What a great contrast this is with how the Native Americans had conserved, for centuries, this great resource by hunting only for food and making use of the entire animal.

However there is good news. Through the responsible efforts of many Americans, the American Buffalo is coming back. When I was a boy visiting my grandparents in South Dakota, I enjoyed driving through the plains and seeing hundreds of these majestic animals. I also remember my parents eating a buffalo dinner at the restaurant at Mount Rushmore. (I had chicken or something--the idea of eating buffalo seemed too strange to me!)

So what could possibly be more American than an American buffalo? Maybe an American buffalo burger! Ground buffalo meat is appearing more and more in grocery stores. Mixing butter in with the meat might seem a bit odd, but it adds a little fat, helping to bring the flavor out, and it keeps the burger from becoming too dry, as buffalo meat is very lean. (By the way, its leanness makes buffalo meat a great choice for a healthy meal!)

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground buffalo meat
3 tbsp. butter
1 egg, beaten
1 clove minced garlic
2 tbsp. finely chopped jalapeno pepper (with most of seeds and membrane removed)
2 tbsp. finely chopped green onion
1 tbsp. dried parsley flakes
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. Lawry’s® seasoned pepper (or just ground black pepper)
4 tsp. ketchup
2 tsp. horseradish
1 tsp. yellow mustard

Instructions:

In a small saucepan, heat the butter just enough to melt it. In a large mixing bowl, blend well all ingredients, including the melted butter, and make into four or five patties. Cover the burgers and refrigerate for about an hour. Fire up the grill, spray grill with some PAM® (or rub some vegetable oil on it) and grill the burgers on both sides just like you would grill hamburgers--that’s it--all the seasonings are already in the burgers! If you do not wish to grill, just oil a pan and fry.

Griff’s Grilled Half-Moon Mediterranean Burgers

2007-04-14T08:24:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was warm and sunny here in the hills of northern central Arizona (in contrast to what's been going on out east!), so I figured it was time to fire up the old grill. I wanted to do something a little different than the usual Arizona grilling experience, so here's what I came up with:

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground lamb
1 lb. ground beef
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2.5 tsp. dried oregano leaves
2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1 tsp. dried mint
1 tsp. Lawry’s® seasoned pepper (or ground black pepper)
10 pieces pita bread

Instructions:

Mix ingredients together well in a mixing bowl. Form into small patties (should make about 10 patties). Then, cut each patty down the center, making 2 half-moon shapes, so that when you serve on the pita bread (folded over), the shape of the burger conforms to the pita bread. Grill the patties on a well-oiled grill. Baste each side or patties with olive oil while grilling and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper if desired. Warm the pita bread in an oven or microwave before serving. Place two of the half-moon patties on each piece of pita bread and fold the pita bread over. Tastes great with fresh onion slices and fresh tomato slices added—and, or course, Griff’s Mediterranean Cucumber Dressing (see recipe below).

Griff's Mediterranean Cucumber Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
1 clove minced garlic
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. dried mint

Instructions:
Thoroughly mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.

The Pizza Therapy Pizza Book

2007-04-07T07:20:00.000-07:00

Albert Grande, "the pizza man," says: "You will discover how to have fun, save tons of money, and make Pizza!" Albert's eBook (which includes 5 bonuses and sells for only $11.97) walks you through the process by which you will make amazing pizza even if you don't know how to make dough. Albert's recipe for dough is superb and easy, but if you don't want to make dough, he'll even tell you where to get it.

Why does Albert call it "Pizza Therapy"? Perhaps because of testimonies like this one from Maxwell: "The best pizza sauce I ever made. It was a true success. I have a two year old son ... My past dough had not turned out too well, but I wanted us to make the pizza together so it was interactive and special for him. It was, and The Pizza Therapy Pizza Book assisted us in having the best homemade pizza in our house in over 4 years of marriage."

Making pizza is Albert's passion--he's been doing it for over 20 years. He claims that his pizza is "spiritual pizza--right from the heart!" He invites you to join the exclusive club of less than one percent of people who really know how to make pizza. for more details:
Click Here!

Griff's American Garlic Parmesan Spread

2007-03-31T07:21:00.000-07:00

Last weekend my wife Sue was cooking some of her fantastic spaghetti and sausage, and I decided I want to concoct something new, but I didn't want to put too much work into it as I was feeling pretty lazy... So I said, "Hey, I'll do the garlic bread!"

I decided that instead of doing the usual--spreading some butter on the bread sprinkling a little minced garlic on it and maybe a little grated cheese--I thought, why not create my own garlic spread? So, I thought for awhile about what ingredients would taste good together in a spread. It turned out to be a real winner. Here's what I came up with:

Ingredients:

1 stick (4 oz.) butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup Italian dressing (I prefer Good Seasons® that you mix yourself)
2 tbsp. mayonnaise
1/2 cup dried, grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. dried parsley leaves
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper

Instructions:

In a mixing bowl, blend all of the ingredients together well. Cut a loaf of Italian or French bread lengthwise in two, or in slices, spread the mixture on the flat surfaces and heat in an oven or toaster oven until the edges of the bread are golden brown. Makes more than enough for a very large loaf of bread. Just refrigerate what's left, and make some garlic bread by the slice for the next couple of days!

The Copy Cat Cookbook

2007-03-24T09:35:00.000-07:00

Why spend hours waiting in a restaurant lobby to be seated? Why spend a lot of money each month paying others to cook recipes that you could learn how to cook with ease? Get the Copy Cat Cookbook and cook your favorite recipes from your favorite restaurants for your family and your friends by learning the secret recipes of the very best restaurants!

The highly guarded secrets behind dishes from Red Lobster, Applebee's, Chili's, Olive Garden, T.G.I. Fridays, Outback Steakhouse... in fact, 332 of the most popular recipes! PLUS the sequel, Copy Cat Cookbook #2 with 424 recipes and many more restaurants! PLUS: the Crock Pot Cookbook, Holiday Cookbook, and Cookie Cookbook. I have previously reviewed a product with a similar concept, but the restaurants and recipes in the Copy Cat Cookbook are the very best! An excellent package--instantly downloadable for $19.95. for more details:
Click Here!

Griff's Manhattan Clam Chowder

2007-03-17T09:12:00.000-07:00

The name "Manhattan" comes to us from the word Manna-hata, which means "island of many hills" in the language of the Lenape Native Americans. The island had been purchased in 1626 from the Lenape by Peter Minuit, the third director of New Netherland, the territory discovered by the Dutch East India Company. The island was acquired for 60 guilders worth of trade goods, which has historically been translated to about $24, but is said to be about the equivalent of $500-$700 in today's United States currency. The above photo of Manhattan was taken in 1942.

In the late 1800's Manhattan clam chowder was called "Coney Island clam chowder" and sometimes"Fulton Fish Market clam chowder" (named after the Fulton Fish Market established in New York in 1822). The name "Manhattan clam chowder" became popular in the early 1900's. In contrast with New England clam chowder, Manhattan clam chowder is characterized by a transparent broth of a reddish color from one of its most important ingredients: tomatoes!

Here is a delicious recipe for Manhattan clam chowder that I have developed:

Ingredients:

4 6.5 oz. cans minced clams in clam juice
1 medium onion
2 cloves minced garlic
4 medium spuds, peeled and diced
2 medium carrots, chopped
3 large stalks celery, chopped
8 slices thick cut bacon, diced
1 10.75 oz. can condensed tomato soup
2 11.5 oz. cans V-8® vegetable juice
3 14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes
1.5 tsp. dried thyme
2 tbsp. dried parsley flakes
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. Lawry’s® seasoned pepper
(or ground black pepper)

Instructions:

Fry bacon in an 8 quart kettle. Add the fresh veggies and lightly sauté in the bacon grease for about 10 minutes. Add the canned items (except for clams) and simmer for about 3 hours. Add the clams, including the clam juice, and simmer for ½ hour or until ready to eat. Serves 10 to 14. Just freeze the leftovers and have again!

I love New York!

Starting a Catering Business

2007-03-10T09:47:00.000-08:00

Do you like to cook? Do you like people? Would you like to work from your home and be your own boss? Have you ever thought about starting your own catering business? If so, here is a resource that will be very helpful to you.

The Starting a Catering Business Start-Up Guide Kit™ is a step-by-step guide which provides a collection of valuable sound advice and practical guidance for starting your own successful catering business.
You will benefit from this kit if you are ready to take your knowledge and experience of working with food and people and applying it to your own business.

This kit was designed to guide you with the information you will need to start and run a successful catering business. It offers many pointers that even experienced caterers will find useful. In language that is clear, readable and straight to the point, it explains what is required to start the business, determining what to charge, how to attract clients, billing and accounting, managing your cash flow, record keeping, keeping your clients happy, growing your business, plus much, much more!

The kit also includes forms, business letters, and a complete business plan that are all essential to starting a successful catering business. You will have everything you need to get your new business started!

There are some good books out there, but I haven't seen any that are this highly detailed in giving you the needed information on starting a catering business. This Start-Up Kit provides you with concrete no-nonsense information about how to start your catering business from the ground up. For more details:
Click Here!

Griff's African Grilled Tilapia

2007-03-03T10:12:00.000-08:00

History records the fish known as "tilapia" as far back as ancient Egypt. Tilapia is believed to be the fish that Jesus used to feed the five-thousand on the Sea of Galilee, and it is doubtless the fish that is the subject of other Bible references; in fact, one of its common names is "St. Peter's Fish."

Native to Africa, tilapia is fairly new to the American market. Through fish farming, it has become an excellent tasting fish. It is mild and delicate, with a wonderful texture. Tilapia is ideal for both baking or grilling. The fish is very healthful, being high in omega 3 fatty acids. In the kitchens and on the streets of countries in Africa, tilapia is commonly seen grilling over a charcoal fire. This recipe is inspired by several authentic African tilapia recipes.

Ingredients:

4 fresh or thawed tilapia fillets
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup white wine
Juice of one fresh lemon
2 tbsp. butter
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup green bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup orange bell pepper finely chopped
1/2 tsp. McCormick® crushed red pepper

Instructions:

Mix the olive oil, wine and lemon juice in a baking dish and marinate the tilapia in the mixture for an hour or more. In a small pan, melt the butter and sauté the peppers, onions and garlic—don’t over cook. Put the fish on a grill. (A charcoal grill is best!) It is best to use a grill basket so you can easily flip the fish. Don’t forget to coat the grill or basket with some oil or spray oil, such as PAM®. Carefully brush on some of the marinade on the fish while on the grill, and sprinkle with half of the crushed pepper. Flip fish and repeat. Add the sautéed veggies to the top of fish and serve.

Grilled tilapia tastes great with a side of long grain and wild rice!

Cajun Clark

2007-02-24T10:30:00.000-08:00

In my most recent post I gave you my recipe for jambalaya and a bit of history regarding this robust and spicy dish. Speaking of Cajun, let me tell you about an incredible resource entitled Cajun Clark Presents: One Inch from the Top... The Only Way to Cook! In it you'll find Cajun fried turkey and everything you'll ever want or need to know about beef and pork ribs; in fact, check out the hundred or more chicken and pork chop recipes. Cajun Clark includes recipes from his friends in Maine and Ontario, Canada; small game recipes, and soul food recipes... Got a sweet tooth? There are recipes for cookies, cakes, pies, puddings, cobblers, tea cakes and candies... Recipes, recipes, and more recipes--in fact more than 1,100 recipes! And not only recipes, but a lot of great reading; and some dang funny reading! This book is available in a 659 page Adobe Acrobat PDF download for only $19.95. Perhaps we should let Cajun Clark describe his own book:

"Howdy! da ol' mon Caj here with a few words to all you time strapped, stressed out Soccer Moms, CEOs, and other folks that are meeting-yourself-coming-and-going: This is NOT your mother's cookbook, it never was intended to be. Nor is this cookbook for everyone, it never was intended to be. Cajun Clark's Cookbook: One Inch From the Top--or whatever you call it--is for the select few who enjoy something unique, something different. Who enjoy humor, a good 'read,' and over 1,160+ mouthwatering, easy-to-prepare recipes. In other words, if you want to be entertained, this is YOUR cookbook. With that said..."
Click Here for More Details about Cajun Clark's Cookbook!

Griff's Lousiana Creole Jambalaya

2007-02-17T10:16:00.000-08:00

Ready for some "jazzy" Louisiana Creole Cookin'? Here's a recipe I have developed for jambalaya. Experiment with different kinds of sausage, and add shrimp if you like!

The Cajuns invented jambalaya around the bayou. Food was scarce there, in contrast to the wealthier part of Louisiana. There were many slaves in Louisiana, and the word "jambalaya" is believed to be a compound of the French word jambon, "ham," and aya, meaning "rice" in African. The primary difference between Cajun and Creole jambalaya is that the Cajun dish does not contain tomatoes or tomato sauce, while Creole jambalaya does.

I've done something a little different with my jambalaya than you usually see: I make the jambalaya and the tomato sauce as separate units and add the sauce on top as you would add marina to spaghetti. I used to enjoy jambalaya made in this way by an authentic Creole/Cajun chef in our area. I like making it this way because it gives you a chance to separate the tastes of both the Creole and Cajun style jambalaya!

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. butter
5 cloves minced garlic
2 cups chopped celery
2 cups chopped yellow onion
1.75 cups green bell pepper (with seeds and membrane removed), chopped
1 cup red bell pepper (with seeds and membrane removed), chopped
1 cup orange bell pepper (with seeds and membrane removed), chopped
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
5 8 0z. cans tomato sauce
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tbsp. paprika
1 lb. skinless & boneless chicken filet, cubed in pieces ranging from between about 1/2" and 1”
1.5 lb. smoked sausage, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into 1/4” or 1/2"pieces
3 cups Uncle Ben’s® Converted® Original long grain white rice
3 14 oz. cans chicken broth
3/4 cup water
3 tbsp. Griff’s American Creole Seasoning mix (See recipe for this mix below.)

Instructions:

Mix the fresh veggies all together: that is the chopped onion, celery, green, red, and orange bell peppers, and garlic and separate into two equal piles. In a medium size pot, heat the butter. Then add half of the fresh veggies and sauté until they are soft. Then add the tomato paste, tomato sauce, brown sugar, hot pepper sauce and 1 tbsp. Griff’s American Creole Seasoning Mix (see recipe for this below). Cover and simmer while preparing the rest of the dinner. In a mixing bowl or on a baking sheet, sprinkle the paprika on the the chicken cubes and roll them around in it. Heat canola oil in a large kettle and add the chicken. Heat the chicken until thoroughly cooked and then add the smoked sausage and continue to heat for 5 minutes or so, stirring often. Then add the other half of the veggies. Heat together for about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, water and 2 tbsp. Griff’s American Creole Seasonings Mix. Bring to boil. Add rice. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 or 25 minutes (or until rice is cooked). Serve on plate or in a bowl with the tomato sauce mixture on top, in the same manner you would serve spaghetti and marinara sauce. Makes about 12 hearty servings.

Griff's American Creole Seasoning Mix:

Ingredients:

4 tbsp. paprika
2 tbsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp. onion powder
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. white pepper
1 tbsp. Lawry’s® seasoned pepper
1 tbsp. celery seed
1 tbsp. dried oregano leaves
1 tbsp. dried basil leaves
2 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. dried thyme leaves

Instructions:

Mix together in a roomy plastic storage container, put the lid on and shake everything together real well. Great for blackened fish and chicken and a host of Creole and Cajun dishes.

America's Most Wanted Recipes

2007-02-10T10:03:00.000-08:00

How would you like to discover the secrets to America's most wanted recipes? America's Most Wanted Recipes, by Ron Douglas is an eBook from which you can "...learn the jealously guarded secrets behind the actual dishes from The Cheesecake Factory, KFC, The Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Hard Rock Cafe... (far too many to list here) and learn how to easily cook them yourself!" You may not consider yourself a good cook--but you can cook killer dishes like the pros do "on demand" from your very own kitchen! Your family and friends will go gaga over your food at your next party or gathereing. Applebee's, Boston Market... The list goes on! With no training you can cook like a chef from detailed instructions with exact amounts of ingredients to use. This eBook, along with 4 FREE bonus gifts, is available for immediate access in PDF format for only $19.97. For more information, or to order:
Click Here for More Details about America's Most Wanted Recipe Secrets!

Griff's Coney Sauce

2007-02-03T10:22:00.000-08:00

Though formerly an Island, Coney Island is a peninsula located in south Brooklyn, NYC. Famous for its beach on the Atlantic, Coney Island once hosted a major resort. It was also well known for its amusement parks, and the area reached its zenith of popularity in the early 1900’s.

In 1916, Nathan’s Famous original hot dog stand opened on Coney Island. The annual hot dog eating contest associated with Nathan’s has been held there since its opening, but has only become widely known in recent years.

A “Coney Island hot dog” is widely understood to be a hot dog with “Coney sauce,” usually a kind of chili without beans. In reality, Coney sauce did not originate on Coney Island but is thought to have been invented in Michigan. Here is a recipe I developed taking what seemed to me to be the best of the ingredients from a number of Coney sauce recipes.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove minced garlic
2 tbsp. butter
1 lb. lean ground beef
2 tbsp. yellow mustard
2 tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1 cup ketchup
2 tsp. paprika (Hungarian paprika preferred)
2 tsp. chili powder

Instructions:

Sauté the onions and garlic, add the ground beef, cook until brown, drain off excess grease. Combine all of the other ingredients and mix well. Add mixture to the ground beef mixture. Stir well and heat. Let simmer for at least an hour.

Write, Publish and Sell a Cookbook

2007-01-27T10:17:00.000-08:00

In my first post on this blog, I mentioned that I am in the process of testing and compiling my own recipes to publish in a cookbook. Recently I was mulling this over and wondered if by some remote chance there is a "how to" resource designed specifically for creating and self-publishing a cookbook. I searched on google and, lo and behold, I came across an audio recording and printed transcript of a 1 hour and 45 minute teleconference seminar entitled Write, Publish and Sell a Cookbook.

The host of the seminar is Willie Crawford, author of Soul Food Recipes, a book I have seen quite often on the internet. Joining Willie is Chef Stephan Block, who wrote and published his own successful cookbook, and internet marketing guru Jack Humphrey, who wrote a cookbook of recipes for canine lovers to prepare for their dogs!

The amount of information is astounding--and essential for the would be author and publisher of books or eBooks. Covered are copyright laws, choosing a theme, finding recipes (for free!), confirming the market, promoting, selling... and the list goes on. I can't believe the amount of useful information that was covered. Specific websites of a number of helpful resources are also provided. For only $19.95 you can instantly download the complete audio, as well as a typed PDF transcript (plus 3 bonus eBooks!). I just listened to the seminar and read the transcript as I listened. All I can say is... Incredible! I think this will turn out to be best investment of a twenty dollar bill I've ever made. Order yours by clicking below:
Click Here!

McGowan's Arizona Chili Recipe

2007-01-20T10:46:00.000-08:00

Here is a great chili recipe from my old friend Dennis McGowan of Prescott, Arizona. Thanks, Dennis!

Ingredients:

1 lb. Ground Beef , 85% lean (or ground chuck or turkey)
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 dash allspice
1 dash ground oregano
1 dash ground cumin
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. onion salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. minced garlic, or 2 or 3 cloves of chopped fresh garlic
1 or 2 tbsp. chili powder (how hot do you like it?)
1 to 2 tbsp. vinegar
1/2 cup chopped green or red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion (or 1 med. size onion)
1 four 4 oz. can of diced green chilies (mild or hot depending upon your taste)
2 8 oz cans of tomato sauce
2 15 oz. cans Bush’s® pinto beans (drained and rinsed)
1 cup of water (add more if you like soupy chili)

Instructions:

Sauté the ground beef in the hot olive oil and then add the remaining ingredients and spices and cook with the beef. Cover and bring to slow boil and then simmer for 45 minutes on low heat (or put in slow cooking low heat crock pot for a few hours). A deep cast iron pot works best!

If you prefer more tomato taste:
Add one 14 oz. can Hunt's Diced Tomatoes (or 1 cup of chopped tomatoes). For more pepper taste, add a few dashes of black pepper and/or cayenne pepper.

If cooking in a crock pot, a couple of bay leaves adds a flavor touch.

The Healthy Express Cookbook by Erin Rogers

2007-01-13T11:05:00.000-08:00

In my recent post, Griff's Grilled Pepper Turkey Burgers, I noted that ground turkey is popular today among those who try to eat healthy meals. For those who are conscious of health but extremely busy, I highly recommend Erin Roger's eBook, Healthy Express Cookbook: 101 Fresh, Light & Quick Dinners. Erin is , in her own words, "a busy, working mom of two busy kids with a busy husband and busy friends and family."After slipping into a unhealthy, convenience-food diet, Erin finally put her foot down and learned how she could incorporate healthy living habits into her life without sacrificing time or convenience. Now she is willing to share the knowledge she acquired with you! Download this eBook for only $12.95 from the following link:
Think Cooking Healthy Food is Time-Consuming? We've got 101 Recipes for Fresh, Light AND Quick Dinners. Start Eating Healthy Today!

Griff's Grilled Pepper Turkey Burgers

2007-01-06T10:31:00.000-08:00

Ground turkey is very popular today not only because it is healthy but because it tastes great! Here is a turkey burger recipe I developed that is, if I may say so myself, fabulous! Although intended for the grill, they may be fried as well.

Ingredients:

1.25 lb. ground turkey1 egg, beaten
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
2 tbsp. finely chopped jalapeno pepper (with most of seeds and membrane removed)
2 tbsp. finely chopped green onion
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 tbsp. McCormick® Grill Mates® Roasted Garlic Montreal Chicken® seasoning
1 tsp. ground black pepper

Instructions:

Blend well, by hand, the meat, garlic, peppers, and onion in a mixing bowl and form into seven patties. Coat grill with a little oil or PAM® spray. Grill burgers, pouring the sauces and seasonings, and sprinkling the seasonings on each side of burgers while grilling. Serve on french rolls or hamburger buns and gobble, gobble!

Mike Snyder's Unique Cookbook

2006-12-30T10:02:00.000-08:00

You may have noticed that in the bratwurst recipe I posted recently, one of the ingredients is beer. I use beer in a number of recipes because it adds a unique layer of flavor that is often complimentary to the other flavors--and it also helps to blend the other ingredients in a way that enahnces the taste of each layer. Award winning brewmaster Mike Snyder has written an excellent eBook offering 36 recipes, all using beer. Breakfast recipes, soup & chili recipes, dinner recipes, bread & sides, desserts... It's all there! Everything from baked french toast to cream of potato soup to turkey stir-fry to banana pudding. While specifying the quantity of beer in each recipe, Mike has purposely excluded brand names and styles of beer, allowing the cook complete flexibility to use his or her own flavor variations and to experiment. Purchase this eBook for only $4.95 from the following link:
Beer Inside A collection of food recipes containing beer. Instant ebook download.

Griff's Wisconsin Beautiful Brats

2006-12-23T09:35:00.000-08:00

In Wisconsin, “grilling season” is from May through September. During these months you will find bratwurst being served at all kinds of sporting events, fairs, picnics, and in back yards. Here is a recipe I concocted with ideas from a number of brat recipes by Wisconsinites:

Ingredients:

4 to 6 links bratwurst
1 cup chopped onion
1 large clove minced garlic
1 12 oz. bottle beer (from Wisconsin, of course!)
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp. yellow mustard
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. Lawry’s® seasoned pepper (or black pepper)

Instructions:

Combine everything except the brats in a shallow baking dish. Mix well. Put in the brats and take some of the beer marinade and pour over the top of brats several times. Cover the dish and refrigerate for several hours or overnight, periodically stirring a bit and pouring the marinade over the top of the brats. When ready to cook, place everything in a large pan and simmer for about 10 minutes. Take the brats out of the marinade and grill until brown and firm (keep the marinade simmering). Put the grilled brats back into the simmering marinade and simmer until ready to serve. Serve on hotdog buns or French rolls (though a true Wisconsinite would insist on a Sheboygan hard roll). Brats taste great with horseradish mustard!

Welcome to Griff's Recipe Report

2006-12-16T10:12:00.000-08:00

On my initial blog, The Flatpick Post, at http://flatpickpost.blogspot.com/ my profile describes me as "painter, picker, grinner, sometimes collector and sometimes purveyor of fine, fretted instruments." However, there is something else I am deeply passionate about: I love to cook.

It all began a couple of years ago when my wife Sue challenged me to share in the cooking duties; that is, to alternate: She would cook dinner one night, I would take the next night. We both work full time jobs, so it is certainly appropriate that I assist in the kitchen duties. Yet I hesitated because I had always been a klutz in the kitchen. In fact, there had been a long-standing joke about my old family recipe for baked beans. Whenever we would go to a group picnic or pot luck dinner, I would open a couple of cans of Bush's® baked beans, take them in a deep dish or crockpot and tell everyone that these beans are from an old family recipe. I did not mention that it was the Bush family, not mine.

However, I took my wife up on her challenge and decided if I was going to do this I'd go all the way and do some real cooking. I spent several weeks studying cookbooks and recipes on the internet and watched some of the great ones on the cooking channel: Emeril, Bobby Flay, and Rachael Ray. I thought, I can do this. I began to really get caught up with this whole thing and one day found myself daydreaming about how I'd love to be one of these great cooks flitting about the kitchen, enthusiastically preparing a fabulous presentation. It seemed to me that it must be very rewarding to be able to not only produce exceptional cuisine but to share with others how you do it.

I determined, from that day forward, that while I would continue to receive education and inspiration from many resources, every recipe I would prepare on the nights of my kitchen duty would be my own. I would gather a number of recipes for any given dish and draw from each one the ingredients and methods that I thought would work best, adding my own ideas here and there. I would keep meticulous records of each concoction, recording them in my word processor. The idea of experimentation intrigued me.

The upshot is that there have been some recipes that passed with flying colors on the first attempt. There have also been some real disasters. Sometimes the second or third attempt at a dish has produced favorable results. Sometimes I've decided the best thing to do is to cut my losses and move on. I now have thirty-nine recipes in my word processor. Most of them have developed to the level of quality I desire. In the past two years I have learned many things about cooking in the kitchen, and with help from my son Nathan, about grilling in the back yard. My goal for the not-too-distant future is to publish my own cookbook, directed especially toward people who are how I was--people who are basically non-cookers.

I still have much to learn, but I now find myself with a great enthusiasm for cooking and a passion for culinary excellence. As this blog develops, I look forward to sharing with you some of the things that excite me--and I look forward to being blessed by those who will share their recipes, their ideas, and their love of cooking.