Some chefs on here, and I have a new iGrill2 so I’ve been looking at something to smoke. Today I need to make about 10 chicken breasts, and I need to do some work in the garage.
It’s a perfect opportunity to try this thing out in my smoker.
Using this recipe…
This should be fun. Eat a couple of them tonight and bag the rest up for fajitas and chicken salad.
Anyone else got some food out there?
Ooh. Those sound delicious. I’m barbequeing pork chops and zucchini tonight. I haven’t done anything photo-worthy lately, but I have started making dessert sourdough pancakes recently.
Take a package of cream cheese, add 1/4-1/2 cup of sugar and mix until creamy. Get a jar of your favourite jam (I really like the Smucker’s with honey) and a can of whipped cream. Make sourdough pancakes (2 cups of sourdough starter, 1 egg, 4 Tbsp olive oil, 2 Tbsp sugar all mixed together. In a separate small cup put 1 Tbsp warm water and 1 tsp baking soda. When ready to make the pancakes, add the water/baking soda mix to the batter)
Put cream cheese mix and jam near one edge of the pancake and roll it up. Spray a line of whipped cream down the top of it. Eat and enjoy.
That sounds nice 
Last night we made spacial mince and dumplings. The mince had chip-spice (seasoned salt) and jerk seasoning mixed in to it, along with a red wine gravy and diced red pepper and white onion. The dumplings had half the suet swapped out for cheddar cheese. It was gooooood.
What smoker do you have? I’m thinking of getting one for sharing for our anniversary, but there are so many of varying price points and really it’s a can with shelves, so what’s the difference? 
I have a Treager. I’m pretty happy with it, it’s not a professional grade “smoker” smoker, but it burns wood to create heat and make smoke. It’s also useful as a second oven, and can pinch hit for a grill. It’s not as good of a smoker as one of those tall cabinet things, but it’s a hell of a lot more flexible.
I have what’s now called the Texas Elite, and I’d buy it again. I’d suggest their grill cover too, it’s something special. The pellets run $19.95 for about 20-30 hours of cooking.
Today I am making sourdough crust pizzas (personal size). I made the dough this morning and it’s at home rising now. When I get home I’m going to shape it into flat rounds and let it sit for another hour or so, then pile toppings on, and bake. The best part about doing personal size pizzas is that I can have the toppings I want and the roommate can have what toppings he wants.
…is that you can eat the whole pizza and nobody can tell you off for it 
…which is why our favourite local pizzeria calls the 10 inch “personal” hahahaha
Caesar salad. This is the time of year that my breath is nothing but garlic, and I’m okay with that.
Okay, so this isn’t what I’m cooking, but it goes well with pretty much anything that you might barbeque.
Early in the morning on the weekend before it gets hot, I make enough fixin’s to keep us going all week with this.
I cube 2 entire baguettes; one white, one whole-wheat. I spread these out on a couple of foil-lined baking sheets, coat thoroughly with olive oil, then bake at 350˚ for 20 minutes.
I thinly slice up 2 pounds of bacon and cook that on the stove until dark and crunchy.
Once cool, this can go in the freezer (in separate bags).
To make dinner, I tear up a couple of heads of romaine lettuce and wash it, then spin dry.
The dressing is not complicated, but there are a lot of ingredients.
anchovy paste, a line about 2 inches long
3-4 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced (vinegar may be used instead, but not suggested)
a bit of salt and pepper
a dash of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard (not seeded)
2 cloves of freshly crushed garlic, peeled
1 coddled egg
Put a mug of water in the micro on high for 2 minutes. Put the egg in the water for a minute or so. Crack it open and add to the dressing ingredients in the bowl. Stir madly with a fork.
Add the lettuce, a generous amount of croutons, bacon and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Fold the salad with 2 forks.
Done.
Enjoy with a nice glass of red wine. We don’t usually have anything else with this as it is a delicious meal by itself.
I’m making vodka sauce this evening. It is, really, an excuse to use up some heavy cream we had sitting around.
I am finally making meatloaf today.
And also Peach Apple Bourbon Pie.
In other news, the smoker is still kicking ass. Though I’m not using it quite as much lately. it’s been bitter cold and it has issues maintaining a good heat when it has to overcome 10 degree temps in the first place. I could get a insulated cover for it but blech.
I am making enchiladas tonight or tomorrow night to use up some leftover chicken.
I’m going to make a coffee. Does that count?
Enchiladas were good. Tonight looks like my night to cook, so I’m thinking it’s steak salad night. Next weekend is a party, so I think we’re making soda bread, guacamole, irish egg rolls, and a couple other things.
Nice, we’re having our pastor and his wife over tomorrow night so it’s Fettuccine Alfredo from Back Pocket Pasta. Next week we are camping so we’re trying to set the menu to reduce the shopping once we get there.
Camping? Isn’t it a bit cold in your neck of the woods still?
You can’t let the weather dictate your camping or you’ll never get out. Then again, I remember going to Polar Bear camps when I was in Scouts. We used to put the milk in the cooler so that it WOULDN’T freeze. Good times…
I think he’ll be in a camper, not a tent.
Aha! That makes sense.
The only camping I ever did was in an old army surplus tent.
That was a spacious tent! Not particularly warm but we had good quality sleeping bags.
Stay warm Woodman!
I’m in a camper. As far as chilly, we went camping between Christmas and New Years, it hit negative 3, I’m not too concerned. We’re also going a bit farther south to Mammoth Cave.
I used to camp with a poncho liner and a pillow, but then I got old. And upgrading to a big tent and a ton of supplies was getting annoying. So I’m living in the lap o’ luxury now.
+1 for just what you need.
'When I was younger… ’
I was in Scouts and there’s a thing called the Order of the Arrow. Basically an award for being a really good camper. Part of the ‘trial’ was to camp out overnight in the woods in mid-summer. I showed up and there were people with full packs on. Tents, pots, tarps, the whole gear. I had a small rucksack and an Army blanket. No tent, no tarp and no rain gear. I got asked what would happen if it rained. Well, I’d get wet. And by mid morning tomorrow I’ll be back at home. I can stand being wet for a night or not getting a good night’s sleep. BTW, it didn’t rain and I slept wonderfully in my Army blanket hammock I made.