Category Archives: Recipe

Boeuf Bourgiognon – Step by Step

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Mastering the Art of French Cooking Vol. 1 by Julia Child

Recipe created by Julia Child   As is the case with most famous dishes, there are more ways than one to arrive at a good boeuf bourguignon. Carefully done, and perfectly flavored, it is certainly one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man, and can well be the main course for a buffet dinner. Fortunately you can prepare it completely ahead, even a day in advance, and it only gains in flavor when reheated. 

Vegetable and Wine Suggestions
Boiled potatoes are traditionally served with this dish. Buttered noodles or steamed rice may be substituted. If you also wish a green vegetable, buttered peas would be your best choice. Serve with the beef a fairly full-bodied, young red wine, such as Beaujolais, Côtes du Rhône, Bordeaux-St. Émilion, or Burgundy.

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Mike’s Chili

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An similar version of this recipe won the Professional category at the 2020 Orlando Crimeline Chili Cookoff. Take your time, grab a beer, and make sure to taste as you go!! This recipe should yield about 1 ½ – 2 gallons of chili.  You will need at least an 8-quart pot to complete this recipe.  This recipe can also be cooked in an 8-quart crock pot set to low for 4 to 6 hours.

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Crazy Yummy Holiday Herb Oil

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This will be the first in a series of articles that I will present that include my personal recipes for Thanksgiving that have been tested with my family for over 10 years. I begin the first with a recipe from ChefSteps, yes the joule sous vide people. The chief over there is named Grant Crilly and this chef has serious, mad skills. Last year he came up with this oil infusion procedure which blew my mind. It is the yummiest and most flavorful holiday condiment recipe I have.

This recipe bottles up all the flavors of Thanksgiving into a fragrant, delicious herb oil so you can use it to liven up any holiday meal. If you’re anything like the rest of America, you’re probably loading your cart at the grocery store with one-ounce packs of fresh herbs for holiday meals. Not only are those expensive, but they wither and blacken quickly in the refrigerator. It’s a much better idea to make this oil instead.  Make this herb oil and you will have a flavorful oil for drizzling on everything in the next month.

Holiday-Herb-Oil in Microsoft Word FormatDownload

Fried Chicken Livers

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Southern Fried Chicken Livers! Love them or hate them? I happen to love them and have since I was a child. I wasn’t even tricked into eating them. I knew exactly what they were and have liked them ever since my first crunchy bite.  In case you’re thinking you don’t care for chicken livers, you may have had them in dishes and weren’t even aware of it. For instance, they are a main ingredient in preparing Cajun Dirty Rice. The chicken livers are what give the rice the “dirty” look.  Chicken livers are also part of making the beloved giblet gravy for holiday meals.

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Sweeteners and Glycemic Index

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Glycemic Index:

The Glycemic Index is an indication of how quickly a specified amount of food will cause a rise in blood sugar level. The amount of food is the portion that contains 50 grams of carbohydrate (200 calories from carbs). So it is really an indication of how one carb compares to another.

Certain foods cause a spike, or rapid rise, in blood sugar level. This spike causes an insulin response and may over time lead to health problems such as diabetes, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and other issues. Maintaining a more even blood sugar level appears to be beneficial in many ways.

Only foods that contain carbs cause this spike, proteins and fats do not. They provide calories but do not cause an immediate rise in blood sugar levels. Meat and eggs contain no carbs at all, they can be considered to have a zero glycemic index. However this is not strictly true as the test cannot be carried out on them: no amount of eggs will give the required 50 gm of carbs.

The test is carried out on volunteers who have been fasting for a period of time. They are fed a portion of food containing 50 gm of carbohydrate and their blood sugar level monitored over a 2 hour period. This data is drawn on a graph and the area under the curve measured, the larger the area, the higher the glycemic index (GI). Glucose is used as the standard with a value of 100 and all other foods are compared to this.

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Breakfast while on Vacation 2020

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My wife and I are both on vacation this week. We schedule this every year to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Every year previous, we would book a hotel room at a resort on the beach somewhere in Florida. 2019 was a fine time at Amelia Island, The Omni Amelia Island Resort was are destination which proved to be everything that we had heard. Due to the time of year, there are no crowds and the Florida humidity is lower. We stayed at a wonderful section of the resort that is actually condos that snow birds rent out when they are living up north. Our room came complete with a fully stocked kitchen, a living room and a very nice bedroom. I would say, probably 1000 square feet. and we paid around $179 a night. Yes my friends, it pays to live and grow up 1 hour from several beach’s in Central Florida. It’s precisely the reason I have never left this area.

Fast forward to 2020, the scenario this year has changed quite significantly. I have always said that the best vacation I ever had is the year I wasn’t at work and this cycle is no different. I did, however, want to have a few special moments for my wife considering we have been on lockdown since mid March. A few days ago I began planning a special breakfast complete with all our favorites. I chose to have breakfast on Sunday morning because I am always at work on Sunday. I figured that an awesome breakfast, followed by a nap, and then an afternoon of NFL football would be just the ticket for my wife and I. Did I mention that my wife is more into football than I am. That’s right, I hit the wife lottery. In more ways than one. The breakfast menu was an easy to list to prepare. We had been to breakfast at several fine restaurants here locally and with most things, we are creatures of habit. So here is what I planned for……

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Sharon’s Guacamole

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4 Ripe Avocados
2 Limes, juiced
1 Roma Tomato, diced
1 Small Red Onion, diced
1 Jalapeno, deseeded and diced
1/4 cup Cilantro, chopped
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1 tsp Garlic Powder
Kosher Salt to Taste

Take the avocado cut across the center and split in halves. Take the pit out and take the avocado out of shell using a large spoon. Place in a mixing bowl and add juice of lime. Incorporate together using a large spoon to break up the avocado.

Add remaining ingredients, stir to combine, and season to taste.

Mike’s Sloppy Joe’s

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Homemade sloppy joes are incredibly easy to make and come together in one skillet in about 20 minutes or so.  Browned beef is mixed with onion and green pepper and simmered in a sweetened tomato sauce.  The secret is in finding the right seasoning for the sauce!

I grew up eating sloppy joes. My mother was a school teacher, so mid week dinners were quick and simple. And while I’m at it, sloppy joes in our house were actually browned ground beef smothered in Manwich sauce. Not very creative, but at the time it was a staple that I loved as a kid.

What is the difference between Manwich and Sloppy Joe? Technically Manwich is a pre-made sauce that’s used to make sloppy joes.  I am not sure exactly what’s in it, and have never tried it myself, so I can’t say that my recipe tastes similar or not.  Manwich is marketed as a easy way to make sloppy joes… but in reality, homemade sloppy joes are just as easy to make!

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Cheesy Roasted Green Beans

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Roasted green beans are a delicious holiday side dish, roasted in olive oil, garlic and parmesan, then baked with cheese until melted and bubbling!

The perfect side dish to serve along with your turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy! The bonus? Roasted Green Beans are low carb, Keto approved and incredibly delicious!

Cheesy Roasted Green Beans

The easiest way to get green veggies into your diet is roasting them. Throw them on a baking sheet or tray and letting the oven work it’s thing! It doesn’t get any easier.

Not everyone’s a fan of these green stalks! Coming up with ways for everyone to enjoy them can be a nightmare. That’s where this roasted green beans recipe comes in! You’re only five main ingredients away from having the best green beans of your life.

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