Wood Baked Cranberry Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

Nothing brings back memories like an old family recipe for cookies from grandma (for me honorary grandma).  Though with a couple of personal touches like cooking these on a wood grill to add some extra flavoring to them.

Ingredents:

1. 3 Eggs
2. 1 TSP. Vanilla
3. 1 Cup Dryed Cranberries
4. 1 Cup Pecans
5. 2 Cups Oats
6. 2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
7. 1 TSP. Salt
8. 1 TSP Ground Cinnamon
9. 2 TSP. Baking Soda
10. 1 Cup Butter
11. 1 Cup Brown Sugar
12. 1 Cup Sugar

Directions:

1. Soften the butter before hand and then in a bowl cream together with brown sugar and sugar.
2. Lightly beat in a small bowl 3 eggs and then add to the cream mixture along with vanilla and mix together.
3. Gradually add and mix in flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon to the mixture until smooth.
4. Mix in oats, cranberries, and pecans making sure the mixture has an even distribution.
5. Preheat wood grill with pecan wood to 325 °F (~162 °C) (Oven to 350 °F (~176 °C)).
6. Shape into 1 inch (or 2 inch if you wish for bigger cookies) balls and place them on an ungreased baking sheet.
7. Allow the cookies to bake for 15-18 Minutes (10-11 Minutes in the oven) or until they turn golden brown.  Allow to cool for 2 minutes on the sheet then remove and place on a cooling rack until cool enough to handle with your hands.

Baby Portobello Mushroom Pappardelle

At the request of a Vegetarian friend of mine I try my hand at making a dish that he would be able to eat.  After some time thinking and researching I decided to do this dish which he was happy about and enjoyed not having a plate of dead animals presented in front of him.

Ingredients:

1. 8 oz uncooked pappardelle pasta or thick cut pasta of choice
2. 1 TBSP. Olive Oil
3. 1/2 Cup Finely chopped Sweet Yellow Onion
4. 8 oz Baby Portobello Mushrooms Sliced
5. 2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
6. 2 TBSP. Dry Sherry
7. 1/4 Cup Italian Cheese Blend
8. 1/4 Cup Heavy Whiping Cream
9. 1/4 Cup  Water
10. 1 TSP. Chopped Sage
11. 1/2 TSP. Black Pepper
12. 1 TSP. Truffle Oil or Olive Oil
13. Sage Leaves (Optional)

Directions:

1. In a large pot place water and 1 TBSP of salt and bring to a boil.  Add pasta to the water and bring back up to a boil then remove from heat and cover allowing pasta to finish cooking until al dente.  Reserve 1/4 cup of water from the pot.
2. Heat  olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  add onion, mushrooms, and garlic; Sauté for 5 minutes, Stirring frequently. Stir in cherry and 1/4 TSP. salt; cook for 1 minute or until the liquid evaporates.
3. Reduce heat to medium and stir in 1/4 reserved cooking liquid, water, cream, 1/4 cup of Italian cheese, chopped sage, and pepper into the mushrooms and onions. remove from heat after cheese melts and mixed together.
4. drain the water from the pasta then return to the pot.  Add the sauce from the skillet and toss together coating the pasta.  Drizzle truffle oil or olive oil on top then toss again.  Serve into a bowl and top with some of the remaining Italian cheese garnish with sage leaves if desired.

Apple Bourbon Pork Chops with Onion Grilled Baby Potatoes and Butter Garlic Green Beans

This dish is one of my personal favorites due to the extra flavor the glaze adds to the pork chops and the addition of the grilled baby potatoes and green beans helps in rounding out this meal with complementing flavors.

Ingredients:

1. 4 4oz Boneless Pork Chops
2. 2 Cups Apple Juice
3. 1 Cup Apple Jelly
4. 2 TBSP. Dijon Mustard
5. 1 TBSP. Bourbon
6. 2 TSP. Lemon Juice
7. 1/2 TSP. Ground Clove
8. 1 lb. Green Beans, Trimmed and Snapped
9. 2 TBSP. Butter
10. 3 Cloves Garlic, Minced
11. 1 lb. Baby Potatoes
12. 1/2 TSP. Rosemary
13. 1/2 TSP. Onion Powder
14. 2 TBSP. Olive Oil
15. Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. First start by getting your pork chops to room temperature and season one side. Wash the green beans and potatoes making sure that you remove all excess dirt and possible chemical residue. Snap green beans in half and remove the ends if this has not already been done.
2. In a small sauce pan on medium-low heat, melt the apple jelly in the apple juice.  Whisk in the mustard, bourbon, lemon juice, ground clove till mixed.  Allow mixture to continue cooking till it thickens up slightly into a glaze then remove from heat.
3. Preheat the Grill to 450 °F (~232 °C).
4. Place the potatoes into a roasting pan or baking dish while getting the green beans and placing them into a pot or pan and filling with water to the point where the green beans are slightly below the water.
5. Combine together the olive oil, onion powder, 1 clove of garlic, rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste to a small bowl and mix together. Then pour this mixture over the potatoes and toss together till the potatoes are completely covered with the mixture.
6.  Take pork chops and the potatoes and place on the grill and allow them to cook for 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender and pork chops are amber brown on the sides. stir the potatoes occasionally and flip pork chops half way though cooking.
7. While the rest are cooking on the grill add to the green beans in the bath the butter, remaining cloves of garlic, and salt and pepper and cook at a low temperature stir occasionally
8. in the last 10-5 minutes of cooking apply glaze to pork chops by either brushing them or spooning the glaze on top about 2-4 times while they finish cooking.
9. Once potatoes and pork chops are done cooking on the grill allow the meat to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
10. use a slotted spoon to serve up the potatoes and green beans and if extra glaze is left over you can also spoon some on top and enjoy.

BAZziggy Cooking What it's all about

Hello everyone,

In this blog I will be sharing some of my favorite recipes along with some new ones that I pick up along the way to share with everyone who might be interested.  I'll also post on here some not quite successful projects that I undertake but hopefully learn from.  I hope that this journey will both be entertaining and educational for both you and me as I prepare delicious meals.