Slow Cooker Lechon Asado (Cuban Pork) and Yellow Rice

Going to college in South Florida, I learned to LOVE cuban food. One of the regular parts of my diet became Lechon Asado with yellow rice. A juicy, tender pork seasoned with citrus and garlic. The slow cooker is a great way to cook it unattended. For a more authentic texture and flavor, sauté the meat after removing it from the slow cooker.  A great Gluten Free and Wheat Free meal.

Cuban pork with yellow rice

The rickness of the pork is broken up a bit by the citrus, and the spices help round out the flavor.  The mixture has always been perfect.  I always eat it with cuban bread or tortillas as well.

Find my slow cooker version of this Cuban classic here.

Bacon Night! - Bacon Pancakes!

We love breakfast around here, and we love bacon even more.  So combining the two into a delicious pancake is a no brainer.  I love crispy edges on my pancakes, and the best way to get that texture and flavor is to fry the pancakes in plenty of hot bacon grease.  This recipe just makes the process easier, and I think tastier.  It worked great tonight, and we will definately do it again.  Recipe is here!

The mixture of bacon and maple inside the pancake meant that even I didn't need to add butter or syrup to make these taste perfect.  Nice fluffy texture an perfect flavor.  I was a bit worried that the wheat-free flour mix would make these a bit denser than normal wheat flour, but they really were perfect.

Cooking with Beer Wednesday: Pot Roast!

Perfect Pot Roast!OK, everyone loves a GOOD pot roast.  Unfortunately, everyone HATES a bad pot roast.  Anyone who has had a dried out piece of boiled beef knows that it can go horribly wrong.  There is a secret to perfect pot roast every time, and the biggest part is how you cook it.  I've had a few failures, but none of them have been when I used a slow cooker.  The lower heat and extended cooking time has never done me wrong.  The second mistake people often make is not taking the time to brown the meat before cooking adding the liquid.  After years of experimenting, I think I have got the recipe down perfectly, so I present to you here, my perfect pot roast.

Leftover Magic: Frito Pie

The wife made chili Saturday night, and there were about two bowls leftover in the fridge. I decided I would make the kids one of my favorite foods from college with the leftovers. It seems like a guilty pleasure, but Fritos are actually pretty healthy compared to other snack chips, and using the homemade chili meant I didn't need to worry about high fat or strange preservatives.

Frito Pie. A Frito crust, a fair bit of leftover chili, and a pound or so of cheddar cheese later, Frito Pie was ready for the oven. After it baked at 350 for 45 minutes in a deep casserole pan, dinner was served.

It disappeared too quick for pictures, but it was perfect for a cold rainy Oregon evening.

Bacon night!: Bacon-cheeseburger Nachos

Kids wanted something different tonight, and I thought Bacon Cheeseburger Nacho's were a great sounding combo.

I took a pound of bacon diced before cooking, and 1 pound if 85/15 Ground Sirloin. I browned them up together to get the flavors combining a bit. I then took this mixture and put it over Fritos Scoops on a cookie sheet. I topped this with a pound of grated Tillamook Medium Cheddar and baked at 300 degrees until cheese was melted.
I love the scoops for nachos in place of traditional tortilla chips because they don't get soggy, an the meat and cheese settle into the bowl of the chip making them easier to eat.
There are no leftovers, so I think the kids agreed.

Apple Special Announcement - Education

Apple has just posted the video from this mornings event, and I'm watching it now.  I think the barrier for entry for a lot of people is going to make it hard for iPads to get traction in schools, but certainly starting with the collegiate market can help speed that.  Apple launched itself to the forfront of computing in the late 70's by getting their Apple II into schools, where it was a mainstay even through the 80's when I was in elementary and junior high school.  If they can do the same with the iPad, they could really make a difference.

Making the tools available to educators to build course work into .epub files that can organize assignments and link to text books could be huge.  I know my Son loves his iPad, and could probably be much more interested in reading and homework if everything could be done on his iPad.

The other great part of this is the fact that textbooks becoming digital will relieve so many students of the hulking backpacks they need to carry every day.  In addition, allowing textbooks to become interactive in this way I think can really appeal to the internet generation.

I'll be playing around with the new applications released today, and will have a review of them up tomorrow.  Stay tuned!

The video of the event can be found here.

Cooking with Beer Wednesday: Beer-braised pork shanks with Gluten-Free Sirloin Gratin

Tonight I wanted to stretch myself a bit, so I found a couple recipes that I thought would go well together, and adapted them to our dietary needs. Since wheat does not agree with me, making recipes wheat and gluten free can sometimes be a struggle.  Using a gluten and wheat free flour substitute can change the flavor profile a bit.

I was afraid that doing the rue needed for the gratin (a fancier Mac and cheese using marscapone and parmesan cheeses) would stretch that to its limit, but it got rave reviews.

The seasoning in the braised pork added some great flavors as well.  The use of cinnamon and cloves in the braising liquid really deepened the flavor profiles with flavors that you don't usually find in a meat dish.  The kids didn't want to try it when they found out there was beer in the liquid, but Carrie asked for seconds, so I think it was pretty good.

Recipes can be found here.

Friday night out - Stanford's Restaurant and Bar

Carrie and I decided to go out for a bite and a drink tonight when she got home from work, and decided on Stanford's since we hadn't been our here in a while. I ordered the Sizzling Garlic Shrimp from their specials menu. It looked and smelled amazing. Shrimp came out sizzling and tasting great. The flat bread they served with it was undercooked and completely unappealing. It was served with a lime-chile aioli that tasted like a plain mayonnaise.
All in all a pretty disappointing meal for the prices they charge.

Bacon Night! - Slow Cooker Northern White Bean Bacon Chowder

Bacon, Beans, and Crock Pots - yes please!Ok folks, it's been cold and windy, so a nice soup sounded good tonight.  I started with Northern White beans, and kicked them up with lots of bacon.  Add some chicken broth, veggies, and seasoning then throw it into the slow cooker and forget it for 8-10 hours.  Nice quick prep in the morning, then nothing left to do when you get home from work but add some milk to smooth it out and dish up dinner for the family.  You can find the recipe here.

CES 2012 - The Lamest Show on Earth

Ok, we are at the last day of CES, and I am glad I didn't spend the money to go.  The consensus from every report and podcast I've seen is there is nothing to see.

Yes, TV's are getting bigger and cheaper - no news there

Yes, everyone is trying to make a tablet to catch up with the iPad 2 or beat the Kindle Fire's price point- no news there

Yes, Nikkon announced a new camera to try and shift things back their direction after Cannon's last announcement - no real news or suprise here

When the biggest news is that Apple has called a press anouncement in NYC next week when millions of dollars have been spent setting up this wonderland of consumer electronics, we have a problem.

Cooking with Beer Wednesday - Beer Braised Irish stew w/ Colcannon

Beer Braised Beef - always a good start!Cooking with beer.  Just makes you feel good to hear those words to start a post doesn’t it?  This week I turned to AllRecipes.com for inspiration, and found a new go-to dish.  I modified this recipe to make it gluten-free by using a gluten-free beer from 10Barrels brewing, and using an all-purpose gluten free flour mix from Bob’s Red mill.  The only other change I made was to use red potatoes instead of russets.  

Recipe is here for you to give it a try!  The beef was as tender as anything I’ve ever made, it almost melts in your mouth. The Colcannon was what made this meal interesting.  The little bit of crunch and slight bite from the cabbage and the richness of the bacon really kicked up the mashed potatoes.  I had never heard of Colcannon before, but even the kids agreed it was great.  I may never make mashed potatoes any other way again.  

A nice big plate of Fat Boy Heaven right here!

Durable replacements for your disposable cups

One of the great things about the internet and modern technology is the ability for quick-moving smaller companies to bring pop-culture icons to market quickly and well constructed.  Along those lines, the Amazon Fairy delivered a couple of nice surprises Saturday, and I’m just getting a chance to post pictures.

First, an image that will be familiar to anyone who has visited New York City, or ever seen a TV show or movie set there: the iconic “Anthora” coffee cup.  The New York City Coffee Cup is world-famous, and instantly recognizable to anyone who has watched american TV or movies in the last 40 years.  Originally introduced in the Mid-1960’s this cup, called “The Anthora Cup” by it’s designer Leslie Buck, sells hundreds of millions every year.  Now the fine folks at wearehappytoserveyou.com have brought a ceramic version to market, and it exceeds the original in every way.  Better insulated, permanent, and a lasting reminder of NYC.  My darling wife already claimed it, so I may need to order on for myself now.

Red “Solo” Cup - now made permanent!

Another iconic cup, this time for cold beverages, has risen in popularity with the arrival of Beer Pong to the global stage.  I can’t think of a single party when I was in high school or college that did not feature this cup with prominence.  Now the Red “Solo” Cup is available in melamine (a very durable plastic used in a variety of places), so you no longer need to waste money buying new cups for your parties (but it will increase the cleanup).

A ceramic “Red Solo Cup”? What would Toby Keith think?

For a little bit more, the same iconic “Red Solo Cup” can be had in an even more permanent ceramic version as well.  While the weight may confuse some people, their joy at recieving this as a gift is sure to be great.

Review - Buffalo Wild Wings (Tanasbourne)

Friday night Carrie, Andrew and I went to Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner.  As always, I love the atmosphere in that place.  Huge screens to watch any game that is on essentially wallpaper the room, adding a nice game-day feel.

Fried Pickles - awesome starterWe started with Fried Pickles as an appetizer.  Nice crispy breading gave way to a still crisp yet warm pickle inside.  Perfectly cooked, great flavor.  When done right this is one of my favorite bar foods, and BWW did it right.

I love wings, but wanted a litte variety, so I went with the Ribs & Wings combo.  I was going for flavor and not planning on drinking more than a single beer, so I went with the Garlic Parmesian sauce for my wings. Rather than normal fries I upgraded to their signature Buffalo Chips, a cross between a fry and a potato chip that was cooked to crispy perfection.  

Essentially a kicked-up creamy Cesar dressing, the Garlic-Parm is usually well executed at BWW.  This visit was no exception, and the creamy spice of the garlic sauce made the wings great.

The ribs, however, were a disappointment.  Nice thick cuts, but little flavor and overcooked.  I love a good rib, but a bad rib drives me crazy, especially in a restaurant that should know better.  I tried to take a bite, and ended up with most of the meat coming off and falling to the plate.  A well-cooked rib should yeild to the bite, but stay on the bone.  It can happen sometimes trying to time several orders properly, but it was still a disappointment.  A great looking plate, but mixed bag of flavors

The lack of flavor cannot be excused though.  This is a chain whose bread and butter are great sauces, but the wasn’t even a trace of BBQ on these ribs.  It’s almost as if the forgot to add and seasoning or sauce to the ribs at all.  No dry rub, no sauce, no smoke……completely un-compelling.

Overall it was a good night, and great chance to spend time with our son, but definately not a heavenly meal.

Bacon, Bourbon, and Beef - It's Bacon night!

OK, as I said earlier today, I have decided that Thursday will be Bacon night from now on.  So to kick it off, I went all out today.

Bacon and Beef Meatloaf

Bacon and Burger Meatloaf

2 lbs. 85/15 Ground Beef

1 lb Bacon (roughly cut)

1 medium onion, diced

3 tbs. Worshtishire Sauce

1 tbs. minced garlic

1 cup Oatmeal

2 eggs

1.  Start by cooking the bacon in a saute pan untill cooked to desired color.  Set Bacon aside to cool.

2.  Saute the onion in the bacon grease, then remove, draining the fat.

3.  Mix all the ingredients together and put into loaf pan.

4.  Cook at 350 for 60-70 minutes until internal temp exceeds 170

Candied Bacon Yams

Candied Bacon Yams

Ingredients:

5 large yams

1 lb Thick sliced bacon

1/4 cup Brown sugar

1/2 stick butter

1.  OK, the first step here is to candy the bacon.  Lay the slices on a cookie sheet, then sprinkle with the brown sugar.  Bake at 350 until bacon is a golden brown (20-25 minutes).

2.  Let bacon cool, and then crumble.

3.  Peel the yams and cut into medium sized chunks

4.  Boil yams until fork tender

5.  Drain

6.  return to heat, adding bacon and butter

Gluten-Free Bacon Bourbon BowniesGluten-Free Bacon Bourbon Brownies

Ingredients:

1 pkg Betty Crocker Gluten Free fudge brownie mix

1/2 lb. Bacon

4 tbs. Bourbon

1 egg

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.  Fry bacon and then crumble.

3.  Add bacon crumbles (with grease), Brownie Mix, and all other ingredients to bowl and mix well.

4. Spread (mixture will be pretty thick) mixture into 9x9 pan.

5. Bake for 23-25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean from the center.

Bacon Night!

OK, bacon has rightfully taken it’s place as the sixth food group.  As such, Thursday night will henceforth be known as Bacon Night in America.  To start things off, tonight will be a bacon feast: Bacon Burger meatloaf, Mashed Yams with Bacon, and Bacon Bourbon Brownies for dessert.  Stay tuned for recipes and pictures!

Cooking with Beer: 15 Bean Cajun soup with Ham Shanks

A nice soup on a cold wintery day can be just the thing.  One of my favorites is a nice thick 15 Bean soup. Hurst’s Hambeens Cajun 15 Bean Soup can be found with the other beans and legumes at most grocery stores.  I love their flavor, and the great mix of beans they provide.  I also found when I first started cooking that their recipes on the back were great for making sure the soup came out perfect every time.

I started today by soaking the beans in water for 7 hours.  The longer you let them soak, the better and faster they cook.  Keep this in mind if you want to cook them in the crock-pot.  Leaving them to soak overnight before turning on the crock-pot in the morning will give you perfect beans every time.

Once I had drained the water from off of the beans (trust me, never use the liquid you soaked them in to cook them), I added them to the pot.  At this point the standard recipe and I diverge in the wood.  Hambeens recipe calls for just 2 quarts of water.  I prefer a thicker, more flavorful soup, so I used 2 bottles of Henry Winehard’s India Pale Ale, and 2 cups of beef stock.

To this I add the included seasoning packet, 3 tbs. of Garlic Powder, 2 tsp. black pepper, and 2 tsp. Lowery’s Seasoning Salt.

I then add 2 Large Ham shanks.  I prefer the shank to the hock as it has more meat, and seems to have less salt.  You could also brown some cajun sausage links or the like here for different flavor profiles.

Bring the soup to a rapid boil for 3-5 minutes, then turn to low and let it cook.  After about 2 hours, here is what it looks like:

Enjoy!

New Feature - Cooking with Beer!

Starting today, each Wednesday I will be posting a Dinner recipe that features beer.  This is not just a gimmick, this is something that I fell quite strongly about.  Wine has been used for centuries in cooking, but Beer has never quite gotten it’s due.  With more nutritional content and often more flavor than wine, I find beer to be an amazing liquid to cook with, often using it in place of stock or even water in recipes.

Stay tuned, this could get a little crazy!

LunaTik LYNK - Turn your iPod into a great watch

LunaTik is a crazy little company. They started as a KickStarter project just after Apple announced the touch-screen Nano. They started out trying to raise $15k for this idea, and ended up raising over $1M. Now they have been able to bring several products to market, and even have been featured in an Apple keynote.
Which brings us to their newest product, the LYNK. $139.95 turns your iPod Nano into perhaps the best watch you've ever owned. Easily adjustable, with features no one else could dream of having in a watch. 16 watch faces. A design that bolts on to your iPod so you don't need to worry about it popping off, regardless of the activity. Built-in Nike+ training features. Carry music, audiobooks, podcasts, pictures......it is truly a great watch. Check one out, you won't be disappointed.

Sausage and Polenta Pie

I saw a great recipe for Sausage and Polenta Pie in a rundown of the best gluten-free winter recipes yesterday, and we thought we’d give it a try.

The classic combination of Sausage and Peppers never loses it’s appeal. However, the twist of adding polenta to the top I find much better than the typical bread it is paired with in typical sandwiches.  The creamy and cheesy polenta makes a great counter-point to the spice and earthiness of the sausage and peppers.  A great meal, all in one dish.

Give this one a try the next time you are looking for a healthy alternative to a classic.

Christmas Dinner - The Fat Boy Way

Ok, dinner is in the books, and everything came out perfect. Meat was amazing (see my earlier post), Yorkshire Pudding was awesome, potato/sweet potato mixture was tender and perfect. Here are the pictures to drool over. Merry Christmas from our family to yours.

Prime Rib, fresh from the oven

Prime Rib sliced and ready for plates

Yorkshire Pudding turned out golden and delicious

A roasted mix of potatoes and sweet potatoes - buttery sweet

MY dinner plate......jealous yet?

Drunken Plum Pudding.....no other words are needed