Beer Can Chicken

I wanted to try beer can chicken in the oven since it wasn't the greatest day for cooking outdoors. We have a holder for the chicken that fits, sort of, over the can. When I thought the chicken was done, I wanted to check the temperature of the chicken to make sure it really was done. When I tried to put the thermometer in the chicken it toppled the beer over into the juice in the pan. What a great flavor it made for gravy. I'm going to do this everytime I make it indoors. I won't knock it over, but I will add the beer to all the drippings.



Recipe for Beer Can Chicken
Rinse and dry inside and out of whole chicken.
Apply a seasoning rub, I used a blackened seasoning that I had, inside and out, about 6 Tbls. Try to get under the skin.
Take a beer can, pour out ½ cup of it but don't throw away - drink it, you deserve it.
Using a can opener poke a couple of more holes into and put a Tbls of seasoning into it. Sit the chicken completely onto the can carefully so that the chicken rests on it legs.

Cook the chicken about 1-1/2 hours at 350ºF. To ensure proper doneness, make sure the temperature of the thigh is 170ºF, as measured with a reliable meat thermometer.

When done, remove the beer can and use the contents to make a gravy. If made on the grill, all the juices just drain away.

Here's a rub recipe for the chicken:
Beer Can Chicken Rub (1/4 Cup of Rub)

2 TBSP. Paprika
1 ½ tsp. Dark Brown Sugar
1 ½ tsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
½ tsp. Celery Salt
½ tsp Ground Pepper
½ tsp Garlic Powder
½ tsp Onion Powder
½ tsp Dry Mustard

Combine all ingredients in a jar. You may store the rub in an airtight container for up to six months. Make sure to shake the rub thoroughly before using.
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Dinner is served

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On our way to Pittsburgh

We stopped at the Welcome Center when we entered PA and got a view of Lake Erie.




Laura in the back seat.


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Paula's German Chocolate Bars

Paula's Sweet Treat: German Chocolate Bars - ABC News

Paula's German Chocolate Cake Bars

Makes one 9x13-inch pan

Irresistible bites of gooey deliciousness! Cut your squares big for a dessert-size portion or smaller if you're serving a crowd.

Crust:
1 18-ounce box chocolate, Swiss chocolate, or devil's food cake mix (not the one with pudding added!)
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg

Filling:
1 14-ounce can low-fat sweetened condensed milk1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan well with butter.
In a medium bowl, mix together the cake mix, butter and egg, and press into the bottom of the prepared pan. The crust should not come up the sides. Bake for 7 minutes and remove from the oven. The crust will not look done.

While the crust is baking, in a medium bowl mix together the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, egg, pecans and coconut. Pour evenly over the warm crust, sprinkle evenly with the chocolate chips, and bake for 24 to 30 minutes, until the top is a light golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool completely before cutting into squares. *Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen's Kitchen Wisdom and Recipe Journal; Simon & Schuster, 2008.

My Version of French Onion Soup

I took what I thought was the best of a couple of recipes and it became this:

4 lbs yellow onions
6 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
3 tbls unsalted butter cut into 3 pieces
¾ cup wine (whatever you have - red or white)
⅓ cup cognac

2 cans chicken broth

2 cans beef broth

6 sprigs fresh thyme tied with kitchen twine

1 bay leaf

1 tsp Dijon mustard

Sourdough bread

Gruyere or Swiss cheese, grated or shaved

Directions:
For the soup:

1. Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Generously spray the inside of a heavy-bottomed large (at least 7-quart) Dutch oven with a nonstick cooking spray. Place the butter in the pot and add the onions and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, covered, for 1 hour (the onions will be moist and slightly reduced in volume). Remove the pot from the oven and stir the onions, scraping the bottom and sides of the pot. Return the pot to the oven with the lid slightly ajar and continue to cook until the onions are very soft and golden brown, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours longer, stirring the onions and scraping bottom and sides of pot after 1 hour.
3. Carefully remove pot from oven and place over medium-high heat. Using oven mitts to handle pot, cook onions, stirring frequently and scraping bottom and sides of pot, until the liquid evaporates and the onions brown, 15 to 20 minutes, reducing the heat to medium if the onions are browning too quickly. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the pot bottom is coated with a dark crust, roughly 6 to 8 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary. (Scrape any fond that collects on spoon back into onions.)
4. Stir in 1/4 cup wine, scraping the pot bottom to loosen crust, and cook until water evaporates and pot bottom has formed another dark crust, 6 to 8 minutes. Repeat process of deglazing 2 or 3 more times, until onions are very dark brown. Stir in the cognac and cook, stirring frequently, until the cognac evaporates, about 5 minutes.
5. Stir in the broths, mustard, thyme, bay leaf, and ½teaspoon salt, scraping up any final bits of browned crust on bottom and sides of pot.
6. Increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove and discard herbs, then season with salt and pepper.

While the soup is cooking slice the bread and put on baking sheet in 400 degree oven for abaout 10 minutes until the bread is dry, crisp, and golden at edges.

Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Set individual broiler-safe crocks on baking sheet and fill each with about 1¾cups soup. Top each bowl with 1 or 2 bread slices (do not overlap) and cover evenly with cheese. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly around edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Let soup cool sufficiently to be able to taste the flavor. If eaten when it is too hot the savory flavor is lost.

Stuffed Cabbage

Cabbage Rolls are made with cabbage leaves filled with ground beef and rice, with tomato sauce.

Ingredients:

• 1 head cabbage
• .
• Filling:
• 1½ pounds ground beef
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup milk
• .
• Sauce:
• 1 lg can tomato juice

Optional for sweet and sour:

• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons vinegar

Preparation:

Put cabbage in pot on stove or bowl in microwave and cook for awhile.  Remove softened leaves, return to heat and conitne until all cabbage leaves are separated from core. For filling, combine ground beef, rice, onion, egg, and salt, pepper, and milk. Mix well and place a portion into the center of each cabbage leaf. Roll leaf around filling and place in pot.  Pour tomato juice over cabbage rolls. Start on medium high heat to warm it up then turn down and simmer until done.

Salsa Chicken Rice Casserole

I haven't made this but I want to one of these days so I'm saving the recipe here and maybe I'll see it again one day.

Salsa Chicken Rice Casserole

Rated: Submitted By: Gweneth Photo By: CookingMommy Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 1 Hour Ready In: 1 Hour 20 Minutes Servings: 8

"Layers of rice, chicken, cheese and a creamy salsa sauce bursting with sass."

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups uncooked white rice 2 2/3 cups water 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup 1 onion, chopped 1 1/2 cups mild salsa

Directions:

1.	Place rice and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
2.	Meanwhile, place chicken breast halves into a large saucepan, and fill the pan with water. Bring to a boil, and cook for 20 minutes, or until done. Remove chicken from water. When cool enough to handle, cut meat into bite-size pieces.
3.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
4.	In a medium bowl, combine Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses. In a separate bowl, mix together cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, onion, and salsa. Layer 1/2 of the rice, 1/2 of the chicken, 1/2 of the soup and salsa mixture, and 1/2 of the cheese mixture in prepared dish. Repeat layers, ending with cheese.
5.	Bake in preheated oven for about 40 minutes, or until bubbly.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2009 Allrecipes.com

Printed from Allrecipes.com 11/18/2009

Kitchen Book

Click here to view this photo book larger

Updated Kitchen Pictures

Knobs and matching backsplash

Decorative touch above cabinets



We added 2 more lights


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A Busy Friday

We played golf this afternoon, the temp was in the 50s. On the 9th hole I hit a drive 151 yards up to the Purple Martin house


followed by an awful 47 yard fairway shot.
We had a late lunch at the club and now we're at the RPO.





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French Onion Soup

I want to make this Onion Soup

http://www.cookography.com/2008/the-best-french-onion-soup-ever

A Beautiful Golf Day

It's November 8 and 61 degrees. No wind, absolutely perfect. I'm on the 2nd green and already feeling warm in my black long sleeved shirt.



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Placemats

I made the placemats while the tile was installed so that I would stay out of their way and not offer my helpful?? advice.


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Location:Midship Cir,Webster,United States

Tile is going up

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Our first dinner on the island

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Countertops

The granite countertops and sink were put in yesterday.  The faucet and garbage disposal will be installed today, they only are put in place for the pics.  The ceiling light and tile backsplash also are on the list.  

The previous pics I took yesterday, the following pics I took just now with my phone.  We're waiting for Ray and Charles to come to start the finishing steps.

Now I need to make some placemats.

How long do you think the counters will stay so neat with nothing on them?

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Wegmans Meatloaf

I finally got around to making the meatloaf that Wegmans had in their Menu book last winter.  That was when I bought the Barbeque Sauce and Panko bread crumbs that were used in it.  Until I looked at the recipe again, I didn't remember why.

Meatloaf
SERVES 6   ACTIVE TIME: 10 min    TOTAL TIME: 1 hour  5 min

1   lb Wegmans 80% Lean Ground Beef
2   Wegmans Large Eggs
1/2   cup Food You Feel Good About Cleaned & Cut Chopped Onions
2   Tbsp Wegmans Basting Oil
4 1/2   Tbsp Wegmans Memphis Style BBQ Sauce, divided
1/2   tsp salt
1   tsp pepper
1 1/4   cups Kikkoman Panko Bread Crumbs (International Foods)
1   pkg (11 oz) Food You Feel Good About Beef Culinary Gravy (Grocery Dept), warmed

You'll Need: Rimmed baking sheet
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Combine beef, eggs, onion, basting oil, 2 1/2 Tbsp BBQ sauce, salt, and pepper in large bowl. Add panko crumbs. With clean hands, combine beef mixture well and form into loaf shape. Center on baking sheet.
    
2. Bake 30 min; remove from oven and top with remaining 2 Tbsp BBQ sauce. Return to oven. Bake 25-30 min or until internal temp reaches 160 degrees. (Check by inserting thermometer halfway into thickest part of meat.) Serve with warmed gravy.

Calories: 290

Nutrition Info: Each serving (about 4 oz meat loaf, 1/4 cup gravy) contains 290 calories, 17 g carbohydrate, (0 g fiber), 20 g protein, 16 g fat, (5 g saturated fat), 115 mg cholesterol, and 670 mg sodium.

Featured in Menu Magazine
Holiday 2008
Winter 2009
Click here to link to the recipe at Wegmans site

Beautiful Fall Day

It was a beautiful day in the upper 50s.







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