Chick-fil-A donated money to a Christian organization that is against gay marriage and now we have an angry gay man trying to make an issue of it. Guess what Perez, if you don't like it then don't eat Chick-fil-A. This crazy country we live in allows us to like or not like things like gay marriage. Our world is NOT a Facebook page where you can only click the "Like" button. I don't like you. How do I handle that? I waste as little time as possible on you Mr. Hilton. You have every right to voice your opinion and support the causes that you choose to support but guess what?!?! So do we heteros.
Also, last I checked, Chick-fil-A was a PRIVATELY owned company. They can do and say what they want. Just like you like to shoot your mouth off in any direction that you please about mostly meaningless things...Chick-fil-A can say that they believe marriage to be between a man and a woman.
Don't get your pink boa feathers all ruffled...this one is not worth it. Chick-fil-A will go on with out your support Perez....and your 15 minutes were up long ago.
No recipe today...I am still upset with the dinner we had at Rio Nuevo Cantina on North Point Parkway in Alpharetta, Ga. It sucked like Taco Bell for the price of Ruby Tuesday. Worst 65.00 bucks I ever spent!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
I Love the South!!
Man I love the south! Growing up in Chicago I did not know any better...until I moved to Georgia! It is January and today it is going to be sunny and mid 60's! Way to nice to be inside! Living in the south makes it easy to cook outside year round as well. Today, I am thinking a little Grilled Chipotle-Lime Pork Chops and Spanish Rice for dinner.
There are two ways to go about this....you can make your marinade fresh like this:
1 chipotle chile, dried, re-hydrated and minced
2 teaspoons oregano
2 crushed garlic cloves (I like more than this though)
1/4 cup olive oil
2/3 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt
Combine all the ingredients and pour over the chops in a plastic bag. Squeeze as much air out of the bag as you can so you get a lot of marinade to chops contact surface. This is good for 4 chops (bone in or boneless)
OR...you can just buy a bottle of the Chipotle-Lime Marinade and save a lot of time. Marinade for at least an hour...overnight if you can!
If you have boneless chops they will cook much faster than bone in chops. Light your grill for high heat/ direct cooking. The times below are assuming that your chops are about 1 inch in thickness.
For boneless chops cook directly over the high-heat for 4 minutes per side (chops should be about room temperature when you take them to the grill). I like to do the quarter turn after 2 minutes on the first side so that I get the nice cross hatch on one side for presentation purposes.
For Bone in cooking, I still use the direct high heat for the same time span as the boneless. When that time is up I move them to the indirect lower heat side of the grill for an additional 8 - 10 minutes.
For the Spanish rice...I wing it! I boil my rice in chicken broth for a little extra flavor, then I add a little paprika for color, some chopped onions, jalapeno (seeds and veins removed), tomato (seeds removed), salt, pepper, and cilantro. I have no idea how much of each I use....guessing, I would say about a teaspoon of each season and a 1/2 cup of each the onions and tomato to a full cup of rice....maybe one jalapeno.
Another month until pitchers and catchers report! Enjoy the day! AND if you have any topics that you would like to see discussed let me know! Otherwise you are just going to see a whole bunch of recipes!
There are two ways to go about this....you can make your marinade fresh like this:
1 chipotle chile, dried, re-hydrated and minced
2 teaspoons oregano
2 crushed garlic cloves (I like more than this though)
1/4 cup olive oil
2/3 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt
Combine all the ingredients and pour over the chops in a plastic bag. Squeeze as much air out of the bag as you can so you get a lot of marinade to chops contact surface. This is good for 4 chops (bone in or boneless)
OR...you can just buy a bottle of the Chipotle-Lime Marinade and save a lot of time. Marinade for at least an hour...overnight if you can!
If you have boneless chops they will cook much faster than bone in chops. Light your grill for high heat/ direct cooking. The times below are assuming that your chops are about 1 inch in thickness.
For boneless chops cook directly over the high-heat for 4 minutes per side (chops should be about room temperature when you take them to the grill). I like to do the quarter turn after 2 minutes on the first side so that I get the nice cross hatch on one side for presentation purposes.
For Bone in cooking, I still use the direct high heat for the same time span as the boneless. When that time is up I move them to the indirect lower heat side of the grill for an additional 8 - 10 minutes.
For the Spanish rice...I wing it! I boil my rice in chicken broth for a little extra flavor, then I add a little paprika for color, some chopped onions, jalapeno (seeds and veins removed), tomato (seeds removed), salt, pepper, and cilantro. I have no idea how much of each I use....guessing, I would say about a teaspoon of each season and a 1/2 cup of each the onions and tomato to a full cup of rice....maybe one jalapeno.
Another month until pitchers and catchers report! Enjoy the day! AND if you have any topics that you would like to see discussed let me know! Otherwise you are just going to see a whole bunch of recipes!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
STOP IT!! You are forcing me to ROOT for Cutler!!
We are two days past the Bears loss to the Packers in the NFC Championship at Soldier Field. I think the wounds are healing. Actually the pain of a loss to the Packers quickly turned to anger and disgust for the people and fans that questioned the character and toughness of Jay Cutler. To make myself perfectly clear....I never liked Cutler. In fact normally his pouty mannerisms sicken me. That does not remove that he is a Bear. And the Bears come first.
To MJD - you are an ass-hat, sitting at home watching...not playing....watching the NFC Championship game. How can you possibly make a comment without knowing what the injury is? You and all your NFL counterparts should have been the first to tweet that you should not judge before you know the injury. Your ass-hatness (yup I will make up words too!) is pushing me to root for Cutler to get a chip on his shoulder and prove that he can lead this team to greener pastures.
To the fans of the Bears...any of you who watched Cutler get sacked 50+ times this year and 10 times against the Giants, yet still question his toughness...you are not welcome on the Bear Wagon. I believe in getting on a player for a poor performance. I also believe in getting on a guy when he is in a leadership position. I do not agree with getting on a guy all Bartman style because you need a scape goat after the Packers kicked the Bears ass.
Which brings me to the positives! After hearing all week how Rodgers invented the forward pass, it was refreshing to see the Bears knock his QB rating down to the 60's level. It was just as refreshing to see Peppers knock Rodgers back to the 1960's with that great, worthwhile 15 yard penalty of a hit! I only wish he could have had the chance to do it again! I applaud the Bears D for a great game.
21-14 is not a horrible loss. Sure it was painful because it was the Packers. However, we have something to build on! I for one am looking forward to the Bears 2011 season where I will be rooting for Cutler to get tough all over the NFL. Thanks for taking away my biggest complaint about the Bears.
To MJD - you are an ass-hat, sitting at home watching...not playing....watching the NFC Championship game. How can you possibly make a comment without knowing what the injury is? You and all your NFL counterparts should have been the first to tweet that you should not judge before you know the injury. Your ass-hatness (yup I will make up words too!) is pushing me to root for Cutler to get a chip on his shoulder and prove that he can lead this team to greener pastures.
To the fans of the Bears...any of you who watched Cutler get sacked 50+ times this year and 10 times against the Giants, yet still question his toughness...you are not welcome on the Bear Wagon. I believe in getting on a player for a poor performance. I also believe in getting on a guy when he is in a leadership position. I do not agree with getting on a guy all Bartman style because you need a scape goat after the Packers kicked the Bears ass.
Which brings me to the positives! After hearing all week how Rodgers invented the forward pass, it was refreshing to see the Bears knock his QB rating down to the 60's level. It was just as refreshing to see Peppers knock Rodgers back to the 1960's with that great, worthwhile 15 yard penalty of a hit! I only wish he could have had the chance to do it again! I applaud the Bears D for a great game.
21-14 is not a horrible loss. Sure it was painful because it was the Packers. However, we have something to build on! I for one am looking forward to the Bears 2011 season where I will be rooting for Cutler to get tough all over the NFL. Thanks for taking away my biggest complaint about the Bears.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Well...That Sucked
That one hurt! To see Cutler go down, then Collins, then have Hanie almost lead them back....just heart breaking...my 11 year old son actually cried...not going to lie, I actually liked that! He is learning the love of the Bear! Time to move on though! Come on Blackhawks! Lets go White Sox!!!
I can honestly say that to see the Packers win the NFC in Chicago sickens me. However, apps were great! My wife (Kari) discovered a great recipe for a Chicken Bruschetta (promised in previous post). It is pretty easy too and the mix of sweet and salt is perfect! Here is the recipe:
Chicken Bruschetta
Apricot Jelly
Ciabatta bread
Olive Oil
Smoked Chicken (we get Boars Head from the deli)
Sliced Fontina
Prosciutto
Pre-heat the oven at 400. Slice the bread into appetizer sized slices. Brush olive oil on the slices and toast them in the oven. When the bread is toasted, spread a thin layer of apricot jelly...just a scrape! Top with a piece of Fontina, a slice of chicken, and a piece of prosciutto. That is it!
We also had Apple Smoked Brats. This one takes a little more time but is well worth it!
Apple Smoked Brats
Brats
Apple wood
Mustard
Onions
Light the the coals for the grill. Use the chimney smoker so that you do not get that nasty fuel taste on your food. Once the coals are ready, set up the grill for some indirect cooking. I dump the coals on one side and place the brats on the other side. Drop a couple of handfuls of water soaked apple wood chips on the fire and cover. On a Weber, close the top vents completely, leave the bottom vents wide open. Make sure you have a cast iron skillet in there so it gets real hot! Onions will go in there shortly. Set a timer for 20 minutes. Slice the onions, toss them in just a very light drizzle of olive oil. After 20 minutes drop those Onions into the skillet. Stand back and watch for a possible flare up of fire. You don't want that! When the onions are caramelized, remove the brats and cover them in onions and serve on hoagie rolls with mustard. Onions should only take about 10 minutes.
Well now that the Bears are done, it is time to start thinking about hockey and baseball....and root for whoever plays the Pack in the Super Bowl!
I can honestly say that to see the Packers win the NFC in Chicago sickens me. However, apps were great! My wife (Kari) discovered a great recipe for a Chicken Bruschetta (promised in previous post). It is pretty easy too and the mix of sweet and salt is perfect! Here is the recipe:
Chicken Bruschetta
Apricot Jelly
Ciabatta bread
Olive Oil
Smoked Chicken (we get Boars Head from the deli)
Sliced Fontina
Prosciutto
Pre-heat the oven at 400. Slice the bread into appetizer sized slices. Brush olive oil on the slices and toast them in the oven. When the bread is toasted, spread a thin layer of apricot jelly...just a scrape! Top with a piece of Fontina, a slice of chicken, and a piece of prosciutto. That is it!
We also had Apple Smoked Brats. This one takes a little more time but is well worth it!
Apple Smoked Brats
Brats
Apple wood
Mustard
Onions
Light the the coals for the grill. Use the chimney smoker so that you do not get that nasty fuel taste on your food. Once the coals are ready, set up the grill for some indirect cooking. I dump the coals on one side and place the brats on the other side. Drop a couple of handfuls of water soaked apple wood chips on the fire and cover. On a Weber, close the top vents completely, leave the bottom vents wide open. Make sure you have a cast iron skillet in there so it gets real hot! Onions will go in there shortly. Set a timer for 20 minutes. Slice the onions, toss them in just a very light drizzle of olive oil. After 20 minutes drop those Onions into the skillet. Stand back and watch for a possible flare up of fire. You don't want that! When the onions are caramelized, remove the brats and cover them in onions and serve on hoagie rolls with mustard. Onions should only take about 10 minutes.
Well now that the Bears are done, it is time to start thinking about hockey and baseball....and root for whoever plays the Pack in the Super Bowl!
Bears/ Packers...NFC Championship...and some app-ies
Well this one will be quick! I am all Beared up and ready for the Bears! I love football season and the "big games" because it is an opportunity to dress like an ass and create some good app-ies!
First and foremost....GO BEARS!!! My whole family is all Beared up! We are jacked!
Second....the app-ies:
First is nachos. I love nachos! Normally it is a chance for each person to customize what they want on them...today it is specific!
Chili and Roasted Corn Nachos:
1 bag chips
2 Cups Corn
2 cups chili
2 cups cheddar cheese - shredded
Chopped green onion
Chopped tomato
Jalapeno
Pre-heat the oven at 375. Place a pan on the stove top and get that pan hot (over medium-high heat). Put all the chips in a casserole style dish. Spread the chili over the chips and then sprinkle the cheese over the chili. Place the casserole dish in the oven until the cheese is melted. At the same time put the corn in the hot pan. When the cheese is melted remove the nachos from the oven and spread the fire roasted corn over the nachos. Add the onions, tomato, and jalapeno......FEAST FOR YOUR TEAM!!!
More app-ies later....Chicken Bruschetta and Apple Smoked Brats are the only previews I will give.
GO BEARS!!!
First and foremost....GO BEARS!!! My whole family is all Beared up! We are jacked!
Second....the app-ies:
First is nachos. I love nachos! Normally it is a chance for each person to customize what they want on them...today it is specific!
Chili and Roasted Corn Nachos:
1 bag chips
2 Cups Corn
2 cups chili
2 cups cheddar cheese - shredded
Chopped green onion
Chopped tomato
Jalapeno
Pre-heat the oven at 375. Place a pan on the stove top and get that pan hot (over medium-high heat). Put all the chips in a casserole style dish. Spread the chili over the chips and then sprinkle the cheese over the chili. Place the casserole dish in the oven until the cheese is melted. At the same time put the corn in the hot pan. When the cheese is melted remove the nachos from the oven and spread the fire roasted corn over the nachos. Add the onions, tomato, and jalapeno......FEAST FOR YOUR TEAM!!!
More app-ies later....Chicken Bruschetta and Apple Smoked Brats are the only previews I will give.
GO BEARS!!!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Welcome to Men in Aprons
Don't be confused by the title...this blog will not focus on one area of interest. I think of the things I love the most (besides my family) and it is hands down cooking and football!! So yes there will be a lot about both of those topics in here.
First a little background. I was born and raised in a south suburb of Chicago. I grew up a die hard White Sox fan and Bears fans. So yes tomorrow is a big day for me when the Bears take on the Packers for the NFC Championship! I moved to Georgia about three years ago. I always loved to cook but in recent years, I feel like I have furthered my skills greatly. Thanks to input from my wife, I started cooking using fresh foods and really mixing sweet, salt, and spice. I also started doing BBQ competitions a couple years ago. I admit, I have a smoking addiction! I want to smoke pork, beef, poultry, really anything I can get my hands on! I will be sure to include pictures and recipes along with some good sports analysis!!
We are going to cook some app-ies tomorrow for the game so I will be sure to take some pics and start with some recipes there....I am new to this blogging thing so bear with me! We can grow together!
First a little background. I was born and raised in a south suburb of Chicago. I grew up a die hard White Sox fan and Bears fans. So yes tomorrow is a big day for me when the Bears take on the Packers for the NFC Championship! I moved to Georgia about three years ago. I always loved to cook but in recent years, I feel like I have furthered my skills greatly. Thanks to input from my wife, I started cooking using fresh foods and really mixing sweet, salt, and spice. I also started doing BBQ competitions a couple years ago. I admit, I have a smoking addiction! I want to smoke pork, beef, poultry, really anything I can get my hands on! I will be sure to include pictures and recipes along with some good sports analysis!!
We are going to cook some app-ies tomorrow for the game so I will be sure to take some pics and start with some recipes there....I am new to this blogging thing so bear with me! We can grow together!
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