One of Joe’s favorite sandwiches is the “Fireball” from PepperJax Grill. They serve an awesome Philly Cheese Steak sandwich and if you order the Fireball you get a sandwich loaded with jalapenos along with the juice. I thought I’d give it a try to try and recreate this tasty sandwich. I cooked it outside on the griddle which made this so easy. It was almost like a stir fry, adding each item to the griddle for a quick toss in butter and olive oil.
I love this time of year when I can grill outdoors. So many things to grill and everything always tastes so good. One of my easy go to meals is grilled chicken. This time I’m trying out a soy sauce and ginger marinade for the chicken that will pair with a fresh pineapple salsa. Pineapple salsa brightens up grilled chicken with it’s citrusy fresh taste and looks beautiful on a plate. This recipe will make up to six pieces of chicken. Since it’s just Joe and I most days, I grilled what we wanted for one meal and saved the rest to grill the next.
I love chorizo but chorizo didn’t always like me. Recently I found a local smoked meat market that makes their own chorizo. It is much lower in fat and doesn’t cook out an excessive amount of grease the way some do while maintaining the spicy flavor. First thing I wanted to make was soup. I imagined a healthy and tasty black bean soup loaded with beans, chiles and corn and now a chorizo sausage that was lighter with very little fat. It was terrific if I do say so myself! And the best thing of all was I didn’t have to share. Those who won’t touch beans don’t know what their missing!
I’ve found that you can make pizza with almost anything. Whereas pizza might have been considered Italian in the past, it’s now anything you can imagine. Some of our favorites are Greek pizza, Verde pizza, Flatbread pizza, Barbecued Chicken pizza and Breakfast pizza. If you’ve ever eaten at California Pizza Kitchen you know they sometimes add a scoop of coleslaw or black bean and corn salsa in the middle to enhance the flavor. I find it appealing and another layer to add to the flavor of the pizza. So when I had leftover Chipotle pulled pork and sauce, it was logical to make pizza and add a scoop of coleslaw to go on top. Josh ate it morning, noon and night until it was all gone!
As it nears the end of May my mind wanders to the beginning of summer barbecue. Pulled pork is one of our favorites, it’s fall apart tender and makes the best sandwiches. Plus you can spice it up so many ways. This time I went with a chipotle rub and sauce to flavor the pork and it was fantastic. If you love that smoky spicy flavor of chipotles, you’ll love this barbecue. We had our fill of sandwiches and then tried a new pulled pork pizza that I’ll be sharing soon.
As a summertime treat, ice cream is hard to beat. And anytime you have a slice of fruit pie or cobbler, a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream can’t be far behind, at least I think so. I love this recipe, adapted from “David Lebovitz Living the Sweet Life in Paris”. With so many flavors of ice cream to choose from you might think vanilla to be plain. But using a real vanilla bean brings out the boldest of flavor that will make this ice cream seem anything but plain. It takes a bit of prep work but you will be rewarded in the end. This sweet cool treat can stand on it’s own as well as add a layer of deliciousness alongside your favorite dessert.
In early summer I am always on the lookout for fresh rhubarb. I love the tart and tangy taste of rhubarb that makes the most delicious desserts. Occasionally I find it at the farmers market but rarely at the grocery store. Imagine my surprise when I found fresh crisp stalks in my local grocery store. I couldn’t pass them up and picked up several stalks of rhubarb along with some fresh raspberries with the idea to make a cobbler or crisp. I decided to make individual crisps in half pint jars. They were easy to make and really cute to serve for a special occasion.
One of my guilty pleasures is chips and Espinaca Queso dip. This creamy blend of cheese, spinach and jalapenos has become my favorite queso dip. It’s made with Velveeta Queso Blanco which I know isn’t the healthiest choice but you just can’t beat the way is melts to perfection. It tastes so good combined with fresh spinach, tomatoes, onions and jalapenos. I made Tex-Mex burrito bowls and spooned some of this creamy cheese over top. I got thumbs up all around!
My favorite food holiday by far is Cinco de Mayo! This holiday celebrates the Mexican culture and heritage with festivals and parades but mostly with great Mexican food. While I don’t need an excuse to eat Mexican, I always look forward to making something special to celebrate the day. I’m making quesadillas filled with marinated steak, thin sliced potatoes and poblano chiles. It’s Muy Bueno! Paired with guacamole and salsa makes this quesadilla a party for your taste buds! Happy Cinco de Mayo all!
An Inspired Cook 