This one goes back to the days of youth, when I was working as a short order cook at a fancy restaraunt. A certain lady-love of mine would come in for dinner a few times each week and would have me fix this dish for her. I didn’t know that the restaurant manager was watching me on these nights. I didn’t get in trouble or anything, but she did appropriate my recipe and began offering it on the menu. Eventually, I quit working at that restaurant and my lady-love began coming over to my place every few days so she could still enjoy this dish. She said that I must be doing something different, because those at the restaraunt just didn’t taste as good. By the way, these are fixed on a barbeque grill for the Out-of-doors, Flame-cooked taste!
4 Ribeye Steaks
8 long Bacon Slices
16 wooden toothpicks, round type
¼ cup Soy Sauce
¼ cup Apple Cider
¼ cup Worcestershire Sauce
½ cup Smirnoff® Vodka, 110 proof
2oz. Lemon Juice
1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
1 tablespoon Garlic Salt
I tablespoon Molasses
1 teaspoon Basil
4 teaspoons Cinnamon
2 whole Bay Leaves
Wrap two strips of bacon tightly around the edge of each steak and pin in place with 4 toothpicks per steak. Set aside until marinating sauce is ready. Combine the Soy Sauce, Worcestershire Sauce, Lemon Juice, Brown Sugar, Garlic Salt, Molasses and Basil in a saucepan and cook on medium until sauce begins to bubble. Reduce heat to low and stir in the Apple Cider and Vodka. Drop in Bay Leaves and allow to simmer 5 minutes, covered, stirring often. Remove from heat and allow to cool, then pour sauce into a wide plastic container with a lid.
Pierce both sides deeply, several times with the tines of a fork. Place bacon-wrapped steaks into a container with marinating sauce. If sauce doesn’t cover the steaks, spoon sauce onto top of meat. Cover and let sit in refrigerator for minimum of four hours (I usually let the steaks marinate overnight). Place steaks on bar-beque grill directly from marinating container. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon Cinnamon on each side of steak and cook to desired degree (rare, medium, well-done, etc.), then remove and serve hot. Salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with a sprig of Parsley.
A ladyfriend and I wanted Chicken for dinner one evening, but we didn’t want it barbequed or fried—and we were tired of Fast-Food. I recalled a dish I used to cook when I was younger. I hadn’t fixed it in many years, but as I began to prepare it, the recipe came flooding back into my mind. The dish practically fixed itself, so my ladyfriend and I busied ourselves with other amusements. When the dish was ready, the meat literally fell off the bones and melted into our mouths!
2 complete Chickens, cut up
16 oz. (one pkg.) wide Egg Noodles
Carrots, thickly sliced
fresh Mushrooms, sliced
2 stewing Onions, chopped
2 Celery Stalks, chopped
2 small Russett Potatoes, cut into small chunks
1 small Bell Pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon Minced Garlic
2 tablespoons Orégano
1 teaspoon Crushed Thyme
1 teaspoon Sweet Basil
¼ cup fresh Parsley, chopped finely
1 tablespoon Salt
4 cups Water
Paprika, to taste
In a large pot, place the Chicken, Carrots, Mushrooms, Onions, Celery, Potatoes, Bell Peppers, Water and Salt and start cooking on Medium-High heat until water begins to boil. (Depending on size of Chicken, more or less water may be required.) Reduce heat to medium, add in the Garlic, Orégano, Thyme and Basil. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring often. Reduce heat to low, stir in Parsley, cover and simmer for one hour. Drain off enough water from pot to cook the Egg Noodles in and proceed to cook the Noodles according to package instructions. Afterwards, discard that water. Scoop a healthy portion of Noodles onto serving plates. Ladle vegetables on top of Noodles, with Chicken pieces placed on side. Sprinkle Paprika over vegetables and Noodles. Salt and pepper to taste.
The mother of a girlfriend in my youth made the most delicious Tuna Patty Melts I had ever tasted. I practically begged her for the recipe, but nothing I said would get her to share that secret with me. I had left that girlfriend (and my youth) far behind before I attempted to duplicate that wonderful taste I remembered. Friends who have eaten these (and enjoyed them) will possibly curse me if they find out what one of the ingredients are. That they ate them of their own accord is beside the point. The fact is, they hate that particular item. My remedy—? Don’t tell them what’s in it, just let them try it. If they like it, fine! If they don’t, there’s more for me!
4 cans Chicken of the Sea® Tuna Fish in Spring Water
2 cups seasoned fine Bread Crumbs
1 Jalapeño Pepper, diced
4 Anchovy fillets (flat type), chopped
2 large Egg Whites, slightly beaten
1 small stewing Onion, diced
1 tablespoon Parsley Flakes
2 tablespoons Garlic Salt
2 teaspoons Ginseng Powder
1 tablespoon Chili Powder
1 tablespoon Barbeque Sauce Country Crock® tub Butter
In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and 1 tablespoon of the Butter. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are damp and form into balls easily. Using waxed paper, form the mixture into 24 patties, separated by small stretches of that waxed paper. Fry lightly, in a large frypan, adding butter as needed, until both sides of the patties are golden brown. Patties can be frozen and microwaved before eating. Serve warm with salt and/or pepper to taste or eat cold as a snack. Can even be placed between slices of bread with cheese and other condiments.
I came up with this recipe one night when I lit the barbeque for the chicken and it was put out by a sudden rainstorm. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a lid for my hibachi and the chicken was already cut-up to cook. My girlfriend said she’d fry it. I said no, that I had promised to cook barbequed chicken. She was mystified, but she left me to what she considered an impossibility. When I served dinner, she raved about the taste and how the meat just fell off the bones. From that point on, she preferred barbequed chicken barbequed this way!
8 pieces Chicken
½ cup Hickory Smoke Barbeque Sauce
¼ cup Country Crock® tub Butter
2 tablespoons Best Foods® Mayonaise
1 tablespoon French’s® Mustard
¼ cup Sweet Pickle Relish, drained
4 fresh Mushrooms, diced
¼ cup Green Olives w/Pimentos, quartered
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon Malt Vinegar
3 tablespoons Honey
Chili Powder, to taste
Onion Powder, to taste
Barbeque Seasoning, to taste
Hickory Smoke Salt, to taste
Garlic Salt, to taste
Into a saucepan, stir together the Barbeque Sauce, Mayonaise, Mustard, Lemon Juice, Malt Vinegar and the Honey. Stirring often, heat over medium heat until bubbles begin to appear, then remove from heat. Place two stretches of aluminum foil in an “X” on your work surface with three or four pieces of Chicken in the center. Liberally brush the chicken with the barbeque mixture. Spoon Butter around the pieces of chicken, then sprinkle the Pickle Relish, Mushroom and Olive pieces over the chicken.