White Potato Salad

I do love the diversity of the potato.  It can literally be anything or anyway that you want it to be.  In this particular potato salad, I used a red potato.  I do believe that this should be the staple potato used in potato salads because of it's creaminess and because of it's nature of holding shape.  They don't fall apart as easily as other kinds of potatoes do when they are cooked.  And let's not forget the splash of red that they add.  That's why you usually see most of my potato recipes with the skins still on, not only does it look better, but it's better for you.  The skins have all of the good stuff in them. 

8-10 red potatoes (washed, sliced then quartered)
3 cups of real mayonnaise
3 T. of white vinegar
3 t. of sugar
2 tsp. of salt
5 stalks of celery (sliced)
1/3 cup of red cabbage (diced)

-Boil the potatoes with a little bit of sea salt for about 20 minutes.  Strain and rinse in cold water; let drain in strainer.  Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar and salt.  Fold in the cooled potatoes, celery and cabbage.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or so before serving.  Serves 10.  Enjoy!

Brats in Beer

These were just delicious.  The way that all of the seasonings worked together along with the beer was just amazing.  They were sweet and juicy with many layers of rich flavors.  I just changed my standard way of preparing them, which is to boil my uncooked brats in beer for 10 minutes then toss onto the grill.  Instead, I added a ton of seasonings to the beer and boiled/ grilled them at the same time.  Also, the addition of the vidalia onion was definitely in the right direction.  They almost caramelized during the cooking process, adding in so much flavor and a bitter sweetness that the brown sugar alone can not do.  They were all around spectacular.

5-8 uncooked bratwurst
1 bottle of beer (I always cook w/ Miller Lite-it's what my Dad drank)
2 T. of light brown sugar (packed)
2 T. of lite soy sauce
1 T. of chili powder
1 T. of ground dry mustard
1/8 tsp. of garlic powder
1 large vidalia sweet onion (sliced into rings)

-Preheat grill to medium-high heat.  Create a make-shift pan out of 2 layers of extra strong aluminum foil, making sure to fold up sides and pinch the corners closed so the beer doesn't pour out (place "fake" pan over a cookie sheet for you to carry it out to the grill, then transfer carefully onto bottom grill rack).  In a small bowl combine the beer and all of the seasonings.  Place brat's evenly across the pan, spread onions across them and pour beer mixture over all of it.  Grill on the bottom rack on medium-high heat for 15-20 minutes, making sure to occasionally turn brat's and onions into the beer.  Serves 5-8.  Enjoy!

Grilled Honey Peaches

Grilling the peaches takes peach desserts to a whole another level.  They are truly spectacular off of the hot grill.  The flavors are intensified and the juices are increased,  making them probably one of my most favorite and desired treats now.  And the brown sugar sour cream dip is simply amazing.  Anyone would be fooled into thinking that it was some form of a yogurt.  It is thick and sweet, enhancing the brightness of the peaches and also taming down the tartness of them.    This would be the perfect compliment to anything from pairing along with some BBQ ribs, all the way down to accompanying a glass of chilled wine.   

4 large slightly ripened peaches (cut in 1/2 and pitted)
2 T. of pure natural honey
1/2 cup of sour cream
2 T. of packed light brown sugar

-Preheat your grill to a medium heat.  Brush honey on the inside half of the peaches.  Place cut side down on the top rack of the grill.  Grill on medium heat for 5 minutes or until the skin begins to blister and separate from the flesh of the peach (watch as to not burn the cut side).  Meanwhile in a small bowl stir together the sour cream and the brown sugar.  Remove peaches from the grill and serve with the brown sugar sour cream to dip.  Serves 4.  Enjoy!

Deep-Fried Jalapeno Dill Pickles

Let me just start out by saying that I love a good fried pickle.  I am all about the peppery beer batter, the tart and tangy bite of the pickle and the dredging of it through some buttermilk ranch sauce.  And truth be told, I haven't had a decent one in the past few years since the particular restaurant that we went to for them is no longer in business.  I have literally been on a good fried pickle hunt since then; always to be let down time and again.  So, I had an epiphany when we purchased our outdoor fish fryer, that I would simply make my own.  Wow, I sure am a quick one sometimes-I only make my own pickles and all.  And what a hands-down best-ever fried pickle that my own Jalapeno Dill Pickles make inside of my Grandma Neva's Beer Batter.  Truly fantastic. 

12 of my Jalapeno Dill Pickle Spears (see my recipe:  http://tonya-justcooking.blogspot.com/2011/05/jalapeno-dill-pickles.html , or you could use a jar of store bought dill pickles-I would suggest Claussen for their crunch)
1 recipe of my Grandma Neva's Beer Batter (cut in 1/2)
peanut oil for frying
buttermilk ranch dressing for dipping

-Preheat oil to 350* in your fryer.  Dredge pickles through the beer batter and drop into hot oil.  Fry for 4 minutes.  Remove from fryer and place on a paper towel-lined platter.  Serve with ranch for dipping.  Enjoy!

Grandma Neva's Beer Battered Chicken Strips

I had completely forgotten that I had this hand written recipe tucked away in one of my many, many let me stress to you, of recipe boxes.  As I pulled it out of it's orderly place among the rest, I cannot describe in words the intense mixture of feelings that I was thrown into.  I had never even made this one, nor had I even remembered filing it away many years ago.  It was like a gift.  A wonderful surprise, that was sitting and waiting for me.   I was merely searching for inspiration for deep fried recipes to concoct.  I am not a huge at home frying type of a person, so I was racking my brains and my boxes to find some staple frying recipes for everyone.  Then, I came across this one.  And I stopped.  I then knew that I must attempt this particular recipe and include it in my cook book for her, my late Grandma Neva, for my family, for all of you and especially for myself.  Thank you Grandma for everything that I have learned from you while I watched from the edges of the kitchen.  And thank you Grandma for these little treasures of yours that I am still learning from now. 

3 large boneless/ skinless chicken breasts (sliced into thick strips)
3/4 cup of cornstarch
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1 tsp. of baking powder
1/2 tsp. of salt
1/4 tsp. of pepper
1/4 tsp. of cayenne (this was still mild-you could totally add more if you prefer)
1 beer
1 egg (slightly beaten)
peanut oil for frying

-Preheat the oil in your fryer to 350*.  In a medium bowl, stir together the first 5 ingredient's; add beer and egg. Stir until smooth.  Dredge your chicken through the batter and drop about 6-9 pieces in at a time.  Fry for 5-6 minutes.  Remove and place on a paper towel-lined platter to cool before serving. You can use this batter for chicken, onion ring's, vegetable's, cheese etc.  Serves 4-6.  Enjoy!

Good Stuff Dip

The name for this delicious chili cheese dip was founded by my Step-Dad, Mike.  He's just about as straight forward as they come, so it's no surprise that this good stuff was named just that by him, Good Stuff Dip.  This was a staple late-night, movie watching, pigging out snack at our house.  I can remember my Mom lining the coffee table with yesterdays newspapers as my Step-Dad quickly assembled the dip for the oven.  Getting to eat in the living room was nearly as much of a treat as the snack itself.

1 brick- 8oz. of cream cheese (softened)
1- 15 oz. can of Hormel chili with beans (or even better yet-2 cups of Scratch-Made Chili recipe)
1 pkg.- 2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
pickled jalapeno pepper slices for garnish
corn chips (I use Frito's Scoops)

-Preheat oven to 375*.  Spread the cream cheese evenly across the bottom of a 8x8 or a 9x9" square baking dish.  Cover with a layer of chili and then top it off with the cheese.  Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starting to bubble up.  Remove from oven and let stand for about 10 minutes to cool and set up some.  Dot with jalapenos and serve with corn chips for dipping.  Serves 6-8.  Enjoy!

French Fried Potatoes

Sometimes, I have to remind myself that even when I am not trying to create a "special" recipe, that I am still creating special recipes with my everyday cooking.  I mean after all, that is what this is all about, me cooking away each and everyday.  All the way down to some regular old fried potatoes.  It's not always just what your making that is special, but it's the way you do it with what you are using. 




6 large Idaho potatoes (washed, julienne sliced)
peanut oil for frying
a dash of sea salt/ a healthy amount of fresh cracked pepper
a good sprinkling of Season-All Salt

-Heat your peanut oil up to 350* in an outdoor fryer.  Drop 1/2 the amount of the fries in for about 3-5 minutes give or take for how crispy you prefer them to be.  Pull basket out of oil, shake excess oil from fries, and drop back in for 1-2 minutes more (makes them the best).  Place on a large paper towel-lined platter and season while still "wet looking" (so it sticks).  Repeat for remaining 1/2 of fries.  Serves 6.  Enjoy!

Applesauced BBQ Ribs

Apples and pork are a regular pairing at my house.  I like to make my pork roasts with apple juice, my pork chops with sauteed apples covered in an apple brown gravy and now my ribs rubbed in spicy applesauce.  And boy oh boy were these puppies flavorful!  What a wonderful idea from an old friend (hats off to you Dave and this wonderful suggestion).  See, like I always say, inspiration can really come from anywhere ;)

3 1/2 lb. rack of baby back ribs
1 cup of cinnamon applesauce
1/4 tsp. of ground mustard
1/8 tsp. of ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. of ground cayenne pepper
BBQ sauce of your liking for basting

-In a small bowl, combine the applesauce and the spices.  Cut your ribs into 2 rib slices, place in a stockpot and boil for 15-20 minutes or so.  Remove from pot and place in a large baking dish.  Rub applesauce mixture over them, remove from the pan and toss onto the top rack of a preheated grill at low-medium heat (indirect heating is the best method for them).  After about 10 minutes begin basting them with BBQ sauce and continue basting and flipping them for the remainder of the grilling-somewhere between 30-40 minutes.  Serves 4.  Enjoy!

Fresh Fruit BBQ Salmon

I had no idea that you could BBQ salmon, but you sure can.  And let me be the one to tell you that it's so extremely good.  It brings out the natural sweetness of the fish from the brown sugar and molasses that is in most BBQ sauces.  And the fresh fruit relish really rounds it all out and enhances each and every bite.  This dish is both sweet and savory.  Sweet, savory and simply delicious.

4 salmon filet's
1/2 cup + 1 T. of BBQ sauce (divided, I used Sweet Baby Ray's)
2 ripe nectarines (peeled, chopped)
1 cup of fresh blueberries (rinsed)
1/2 cup of toasted pecans

-Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Lightly salt and pepper the salmon and place onto the top rack of the grill, skin side down (will just separate from the salmon once done).  Grill for about 8 minutes or until it starts to flake apart.  Then thickly slather on 1/2 cup of the BBQ sauce. Grill for a few more minutes.  Meanwhile for the fresh fruit relish, stir together the nectarines, blueberries, toasted pecans and the remaining 1 T. of BBQ sauce. Serve the salmon alongside some Jasmine rice and garnish with a heaping spoonful of the fresh fruit relish. Serves 4. Enjoy!

Pina Coladas

As I reach for my Pina Colada I am transfixed to another place.  With the first sip comes the cool ocean waves rushing upon the shore, cascading over my toes that are shallowly dug in the sand.  I reach up to shade my eyes with my wide-brimmed sun hat and readjust my bikini top, so that I can lean back into my beach chair and relax.  I am just breathing in the sweet and salty ocean air.  Completely content.  With the second drink I am dancing across the sand as the sunsets.  Wiggling this and shaking that with some dark-skinned man, who's name is Rich but goes by Ricardo on this island.  There is a bomb fire to our right and the dark crashing ocean to our left.  And we are somewhere in between sensing and absorbing everything and nothing but each other all at the same time.  And, oh wait, my drink is gone and I am sitting on the porch listening to Rich telling me about some fish and what it did with his jig.  Oh well, a girl can dream right?

3 oz. of clear coconut rum (I used Margartaville's Premium Coconut Rum)
3 oz. of spiced rum (I used Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum)
1 cup of cream of coconut or coconut milk (cream of coconut is thicker and better)
1 cup of pineapple juice
1 tray of ice
a couple maraschino cherries and a teeny tiny splash of their juice (very important)
fresh strawberries for garnish

-Combine both rums, cream of coconut, pineapple juice and the ice in your blender.  Blend until smooth.  Pour into glasses, top with 2 cherries, a tiny splash of cherry juice and a strawberry on top.  Makes 4.  Enjoy! 

BBQ Burgers

I do like a tasty burger.  And I do like them just about anyway.  I could probably write an entire cook book on different types of hamburgers.  This was just one of my impulse burgers that I whipped out for dinner last week.  I generally always start them the same way, with pepper, salt and a little bit of garlic powder, then grill them basted in Worcestershire sauce (I learned this bartending many years ago).  I just usually change the condiments and the fixings around each time.  I am not even sure if I have ever made the same burger more than once or twice.  The possibilities are of course endless.

1 1/2 lbs. of 80/20 ground beef
fresh cracked pepper/ sea salt
1/4 tsp. of garlic powder
Worcestershire sauce
sliced American cheese
sliced muenster cheese
a sweet and tangy BBQ sauce
yellow mustard
pickles (I used my Jalapeno Dill Pickle recipe)
chopped red onion
hamburger buns

-Preheat your grill to a high flame.  In a large mixing bowl, using your hands, combine the beef, pepper, salt and garlic powder together.  Create 4 equal balls, then using the palms of your hands, flatten each of them into a nice thick patty.  Toss onto the top rack of the grill, squirt some Worcestershire sauce over the tops of them and grill for about 5 minutes or so on each side for Medium doneness (my fav way).  Try and only flip them twice per side and each flip you can toss on a little bit of Worcestershire sauce again.  Place a slice of American and a slice of muenster cheese on top to melt for a minute, then pull off the grill.  Place on a bun with some BBQ sauce, mustard, a sliced jalapeno pickle and a sprinkling of diced onion.  Serves 4.  Enjoy!

Double Chocolate Cupcakes

Normally, I will pass on cupcakes.  Not that I don't love them, but generally they are either made from a box or bought from a store.  To me, they are nothing more than over-sweetened stiff hunks of flavorless bread with way too much nasty frosting.  But, not mine.  And there in lies the difference.  There is something about scratch making your own cake.  This batter creates a lighter, moister and richer cupcake that is nothing short of amazing.  And, by adding the scratch-made butter-cream chocolate frosting, you also have nothing short of spectacular.  So, don't be afraid to push these cupcakes on the ocassional "Cupcake Passer", you can be sure that they will not only love it, but most likely, as in most of my experiences, ask for another one.  They all come around for these ;)

For Cupcakes:
2 cups of sugar
1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
3/4 cup of cocoa powder (I use Nestle)
2 tsp. of baking powder
2 tsp. of baking soda
1 tsp. of salt
2 eggs (beaten)
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup of canola oil
2 tsp. of real vanilla extract
1 cup of boiling water (microwave for 3 minutes)

-Preheat your oven to 350*.  Place paper cupcake liners in a 12 count muffin pan.  Combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and the salt in a large mixing bowl.  Add in the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla.  Mix on medium speed with a hand-held mixer for about 2 minutes.  Stir in the boiling water (batter will be very thin-it's ok).  Using a ladle or a pouring pitcher, fill each cupcake liner 3/4's of the way with batter.  Bake 1 pan at a time for 20 minutes.  Using a metal spoon, remove the warm cupcakes from the pan and place on a platter to cool.  Once cupcakes are completely cool, frost with my homemade chocolate butter-cream frosting.  Makes about 36 cupcakes.  Enjoy!

For Frosting:
1/4 cup of real un-salted butter (melted)
1/3 cup of cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar
1/4 cup of milk
1/2 tsp. of real vanilla extract

-In a medium mixing bowl, stir the cocoa into the melted butter.  Begin adding in the powdered sugar and the milk alternately in small increments.  Making sure to thoroughly mix before each addition.  Stir in vanilla.  Spread on cooled cupcakes.

Fresh Beer Battered Catfish

Fish fry season is amongst us.  No matter if it's catfish, walleye, crappie or blue gill we are doing it up at home.   And depending on what type of fish-thick and flaky or small and light I will decided what type of batter to use on it.  I prefer a spicy cornmeal based beer batter for my catfish and a lighter flour based beer batter on the others.  Catfish just goes well with a little bit spice.  We use an outdoor gas tank powered fish fryer with peanut oil to fry Rich's bountiful catches.  And we were pleasantly surprised when he came home on his birthday with 6 huge catfish.  Probably his most favorite birthday gift ever-but that's ok ;) 

5-6 lbs. of catfish (cut into chunks)
milk
1 gallon of peanut oil (to fry in-it's lighter than other oils so it keeps to temperature better and is better tasting and healthier for you)
1 container of fish dry batter (since it's catfish, I used a spicy cornmeal dry batter)
2 cups of lite beer
fresh lemon
tartar sauce (see my homemade recipe:  http://tonya-justcooking.blogspot.com/2011/06/scratch-made-tartar-sauce.html )

-Heat peanut oil as directed in your outdoor fish fryer to 350*, outdoor turkey fryer or indoor fry daddy.  Place cleaned catfish in a large baking dish with enough milk to cover, wrapped in saran wrap and into the fridge for at least 20 minutes (this will take the fishy taste out of fresh water caught fish).  Mix 1 1/2 cups of the dry fish batter with 2 cups of beer in a large mixing bowl.  Place the remaining dry fish batter into a large 1 gallon zip lock bag.  Remove catfish from milk, dredge in wet batter, drop into zip lock bag of dry batter-seal it-shake it then place in the fry basket.  Once you have about 10-15 chunks of battered fish in the basket, drop it in the 350* peanut oil-temperature must be precise.  Fry for only 3-4 minutes, remove, strain and place on a paper towel lined platter.  Return peanut oil to 350* before dropping in your next batch.  You can reuse your peanut oil about maybe 3-4 times, by straining it through a paper paint-strainer dropped inside of a plastic funnel.  Just pour it back into it's original container for later use.  Note though, once fish has been fried in it, it's only good to reuse for fish again.  Garnish each plate with fresh lemon slices and some of my Scratch-Made Tartar Sauce.  Serves 6-8.  Enjoy!

Scratch-Made Tartar Sauce

There are certain things that I just will not purchase from the store.  And tartar sauce is one of them.  I like my tartar to be light and bright and the only way to achieve that is to make it fresh as needed.  I always have the ingredients for it on hand, so whenever we have a fresh fish fry, which is often in the summer due to my fishing/ hunting obsessed husband Rich, I can just whip some up.  Remember though, that miracle whip is never ever a substitute for mayonnaise when you are making dips, sauces or dressings.  Believe me, real mayo is necessary.


1/2 cup of real mayonnaise
2 T. of dill relish
1 T. of fresh lemon juice

-Mix together all ingredients in a small bowl.  Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate until ready to use with fish.  Makes about a cup.  Enjoy!

Roasted Sweet Pepper Cheese-Filled Tortellini

Here is yet another way to use roasted sweet peppers.  And what better way than served with this tangy basil red sauce over some soft cheese-filled tortellini.  I love how each flavor plays off of each other making it a melody of flavors and fragrances.  What a delicious, fast, fresh and healthy dinner.

1 large green sweet pepper (roasted and chopped) (see my Roasting Sweet Peppers recipe)

1- 26oz. jar of traditional red sauce (I use Prego)

2 tsp. of dried basil

2- 16oz. packages of frozen cheese-filled tortellini

fresh Italian leaf parsley (snipped)

-In a large saucepan over medium-high heat bring the red sauce, the sweet peppers and the basil up to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer on low for at least a little while (the longer the better).  Prepare tortellini as directed and stain it straight into the sauce; gently fold it in with two large wooden spoons.  Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.  Serves 6.  Enjoy!

Peach Crumble Pie

Oh do I ever have a love affair with peaches.  Peaches are may favorite fruit to bake with.  Especially to bake a pie with.  Peach pie is sweet sweet summer to me.  And, even if I am hasty to buy peaches and are left only available to unripened one's, I love to use them in a pie.  If your peaches are unripe, just place them in a brown paper bag with 1 ripe apple.  Roll the top down closed and place in your pantry for a few days.  Even the hardest peaches will flash ripen this way.  So, needless to say, ripe or not, it's always a good time to make a homemade peach pie.  Let summer begin.

For Pie:
3/4 cup + 1 T. of sugar
2 T. of cornstarch
1/2 tsp. of ground cinnamon
7-8 medium ripe peaches
juice from 1/2 of a lemon
1 pie shell made from my Tonya's Special Pie Crust recipe:  http://tonya-justcooking.blogspot.com/2010/11/tonyas-special-pie-crust.html

For Topping:
1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 cup of light brown sugar (packed)
3 T. of real un-salted butter (melted)

-Preheat your oven to 400*.  Blanch your peaches (flash boil) for about 6 minutes in a large stockpot of boiling water.  You will see the skin split and loosen on the peaches.  Remove pan from stove, pour out hot water and set in the sink with the cold water running into it until the peaches are cool enough to handle.  The skins will literally slide right off.  Then just cut in half, remove pit and slice the peaches a little bit thick.  In a small bowl stir together the sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon.  Place the peach slices into a large mixing bowl and toss with the lemon juice; stir in the sugar mixture.  Pour into an unbaked pie shell.  Stir together the topping ingredients in a small bowl and sprinkle over the top of the pie.  Bake for 20 minutes, then cover the edges with foil (take a big square of foil, fold it in 1/2, cut out a 1/2 circle on the folded edge, unfold it so it is a big square with a big circle cut out of the center, place over pie and kind of finger-cinch it into place so that it covers the crust but leaves the center open to cook.  Bake for 35-40 more minutes with the crust covered.  Remove from oven to cool, then cover and refrigerate.  Serves 8.  Enjoy!

Potato Cream Salad

What better way to say summer than with a homemade potato salad.  It graces every picnic table for pool parties, birthdays, get-togethers and at my house even for lunch.  And just like many other of my recipes, simple is better.  All you need are the basic essentials and you can whip one up for dinner tonight.  In the summer, when the days are long and hot, I prefer cold sides with my meals.  This is pretty much how we eat our potatoes this time of year.  Well, it's just one of the potato salads that I do.  Give me time, and I will show you more :)

9 large red potatoes (chopped into big-bite cubes)
1/2 cup of real mayonnaise
1/2 cup of sour cream
3 green onion stalks (sliced thinly)
3 tsp. of country style Dijon mustard
4 large hard-boiled eggs (chopped)
good amount of sea salt and fresh cracked pepper

-Get a large stock pot set on the stove to boil.  Add your potatoes in once it has reached a rapid boil (if you put them in when the water is cold-they will fall apart once boiled) and let them simmer on a medium flame for 20-30 minutes.  Once they are soft, drain them and rinse with cold water and let them air dry for a bit.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the mayo, sour cream, onions and mustard.  Stir in potatoes; fold in eggs.  Salt and pepper to your liking and cover it to refrigerate for a few hours.  Serves 8.  Enjoy!

Horseradish-Honey Mustard Pretzel Dip

My in-laws stopped on by last night.......right before supper time.  And all I had planned on doing was heating up some leftovers from the night before.  I only had enough Italian Beer Sandwiches for maybe 4 people.  So, needless to say, but since they are so easily redirected, the kids got hot dogs ;)  I love to cook and they always seem to really enjoy my cooking when they do come down for dinner.  So, to please my father-in-law Bud, I decided to whip up a little goody for him.  He loves horseradish and he loves snacking  on pretzels.  I asked him if he would like some horseradish mustard dip with pretzels, and he responded with, "Do you have a recipe for that?"  I then naturally in return said, "No but I will in about 3 minutes ;)  And here it is.  And let me tell you that we all loved it.  And, they took a copy of the recipe home so he can make some again today. 

1 T. of honey
1/4 cup of sour cream
4 tsp. of Country Style Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
2 tsp. of French's Yellow Mustard
1/2 tsp. of apple-cider vinegar
3 tsp. of prepared horseradish

-Combine all ingredients in a small bowl; stir well.  Serve with pretzels.  Enjoy!

Slow-Cooker Italian Beer Sandwiches

What a delicious sandwich this one is.  This is one that I can always count on for everyone liking.  It's basic enough to serve at a cookout and unique enough for people to remember it.   And then they usually want the recipe too.  I prefer it as is, my husband likes BBQ sauce on his, Parker likes ketchup and mustard and Paige goes with just some ketchup.  And I think what makes it the best is the egg bun.  The texture is so soft and the flavor is almost buttery.  They don't get soggy as fast as regular buns.  Because, I will be the first to admit that, I don't care much to be "wearing" my food down the front of me.  I like a sandwich that stays together and holds up.  But, since this one is so delicious, it really doesn't have to hold up long before it's gone.   

1- 3 1/2 lb. beef sirloin tip roast
1- 0.7oz.  packet of Italian salad dressing and recipe mix
1- 12oz. bottle of lite beer
1 pkg. of egg hamburger buns
sliced muenster cheese
my sliced Homemade Jalapeno Dill Pickles (see my recipe)

-Place roast, seasoning packet and beer into your slow-cooker.  Set to go Low and slow for 8-10 hours (as always in a slow-cooker, the longer the better).  When done, using two large forks, shred the roast.  Place on buns with a slice of cheese and pickle.  Serves many.  Enjoy!

Rosemary Swordfish

Talk about a presentation in it's self.  This came out positively gorgeous.  Actually, to be truthful, this was my first time ever making swordfish, let alone ever even eating it.  And, I absolutely loved it.  It is thick and meaty more like a steak than like a fish.  It's not too fishy and it's not too tough.  It was just perfect with the light delicate seasonings and the roasted tart sun-dried tomatoes. 

4 thick swordfish steaks
1 small jar of sun-dried tomatoes in oil (drained)
zest and juice from 1 large lemon
4 T. of extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. of dried rosemary (crushed)
sea salt and fresh cracked pepper

-Preheat your grill to a medium-high flame.  In a small bowl, combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, e.v.o., dried rosemary and some salt/ pepper.  Brush both side of fish with the oil mixture and grill about 6-8 minutes on each side (depending on thickness), remembering not to over flip (dries food out).  Just before the last side is done, sprinkle a good amount of the sun-dried tomatoes on top and continue to grill until they are roasted on the edges.  Serves 4.  Enjoy!