BBQ Grilling: Goat Cheese Stuffed Grilled Sweet Potatoes

                    AP photo: Matthew Mead -- Goat Cheese-Stuffed Grilled Sweet Potatoes

From Denny:  This is a delicious unusual recipe twist for the popular sweet potato.  We all know that goat cheese is a low salt and low fat alternative to the regular highly salted - OK, totally yummy - cheeses.  

I've tried goat cheese as the soft melting quality cheese in my omelets and found it a bit sour in comparison to  my favorite cheddar cheese but eventually created a medley of white cheddar, fontina or mozzarella in addition to just a touch of goat cheese for my favorite blending of flavors..  

Yet that slightly tangy sour taste is the perfect healthy complement to the very sugary sticky sweet potato.  This recipe also adds fresh thyme and olive oil for aromatic delight and lots of fresh garlic and butter for robust flavor.  To sweeten it up a bit the zest of an entire orange is added for that citrus brightness that pairs so very well with sweet potato!

It's advised you slice the sweet potato in thick chunks so it is easy for the thick smear of cheese, oils, herbs and citrus zest to adhere better.  If you like your potatoes to have a bit of crispness on the skin, then open up the aluminum foil in the last 10 minutes of grilling to brown and crisp up a bit.  

Also note that you will require a microwave to partially bake the potatoes before placing on the grill.  This recipe is best done at home instead of at some remote fishing camp with no electricity - like we have so many of here on the Gulf Coast, especially Louisiana. :)

This is such an easy recipe it is kid friendly and a good choice to help teach the kids to learn how to grill by helping you with the prep work.  What creative kid would not enjoy smearing a gooey mess onto those sweet potatoes?  I rest my case. :)  Enjoy!

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BBQ Grilling: Butterflied Barbecue Chicken with Alabama White Sauce

AP photo: Matthew Mead -- Butterflied Barbecue Chicken With Alabama White Sauce

From Denny:  With all this ridiculous hot weather across the nation we are all left wondering if we are the ones getting grilled!  But wait!  Time to grill that famous summer BBQ chicken, this time with the Alabama White Sauce becoming so popular.  

If you are not familiar with Alabama White Sauce it's based on mayonnaise.  Yucky mayonnaise, you say?  Hey, all that oil delivers the spicy flavor of this unusual sauce and the mayonnaise taste is completely changed by the following:  There is plenty of cider vinegar and lemon juice to cut the oil and the addition of cayenne pepper, black pepper and horseradish definitely spices up the taste.  The recipe for this sauce follows so you can make your own. 

This Alabama White Sauce recipe is from Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, Alabama, the restaurant famous for this sauce.  They have also been featured on the Food Network.  And hey, if you can't travel to Alabama, Big Bob's does sell gift baskets of their famous sauces on their web site.

During the rest of the week I'll be posting these recipes below that would make a great complement for a stellar entertaining menu:

BBQ Grilling: Red Onions, Shishito Peppers with Peanut Sauce

BBQ Grilling: Grilled Puttanesca Gazpacho

BBQ Grilling: Tasty Compound Butters To Compliment Your Recipes

BBQ Grilling: Goat Cheese Stuffed Grilled Sweet Potatoes

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Summer Slow Cooker: Strawberry Shortcake

Photo/Patrick Dennis @ The Advocate

From Denny:  Summer heat.  Bring on the berries!  If you enjoy fresh strawberries and blueberries - along with a side dish of easy to make dessert - then this recipe is for you.  Our local food columnist is a master at kid friendly recipes, quick recipes and less effort recipes for the working or busy parent.  So, when the summer heat gets you tired, think: what can the slow cooker do for me so I don't have to stand over the stove?  

Julie Kay recommends this slow cooker recipe is best if you are home to make sure it does not over cook. In fact, it's one of those desserts that can be cooking while you serve dinner.  If you have any extra fresh blueberries in the fridge then feel free to add them after the shortcake has cooked.  This pretty dessert would be perfect for the Fourth of July holiday celebration too.

Remember:  Cook this dessert on High so that the dough topping will get a chance to brown a bit.

Serve:  Be sure to reserve a cup or two of fresh strawberries to add as a colorful garnish when serving this dessert and you also get those layered tastes of both cooked and fresh strawberry!

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Turkey Cooking Tips: How Good Is Your Holiday Roast Turkey?

President Obama, daughters, pardoning Popcorn from becoming
White House Thanksgiving dinner.  Caramel pardoned too.
He's a nice man. Two 40-pound turkeys get retirement.

Update follows post.
Update: 2013 White House
Gingerbread House video.
From Denny:  Roasted my Thanksgiving turkey a day early.  Sure beats stressing on the Big Day.  Also, my husband, affectionately known as "Satan" misses out on trying to micro-manage the cooking, driving me absolutely crazy.

"Satan" never did learn to cook but thinks he knows how to tell you all about how to do it anyway.  Getting the Big Bird done a day early is a win-win for everyone as he was less stressed just as much as me!

Though he did try only twice this season to be ever so irritating:  once, when taste testing the fabulous gravy he made The Yuck! Face but could not keep his composure for long, laughed, and then raved about it as one of the best yet.  Later he decided he just had to tell me how to cut the French bread for sandwiches his way rather than the normal slices I was doing for hot garlic bread, his favorite.  Since I'm basically The Spatial Engineer in this house (just ask me to pack a car for travel and I am The Expert on finding every nook and cranny to fill) I explained to him how his way made no sense but cut a few slices for him anyway.  He was so disappointed to realize I was right after all.  "Satan" lost that round.  Never a dull moment at our house, that's for sure!

Hey, we should all be challenging the White House chef to a Roast Turkey Cook Off.  Bet mine is one of  The Best!  We love spices at our house and every year I create something different.  This year's wet rub spices were swimming in clarified butter:  sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smokey paprika, cumin, curry powder, marjoram leaves, lite sodium soy sauce, Moscato wine and Remy Martin cognac...

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Apple Cobbler Cinnamon Roll Style

From Denny:  This is an interesting twist to the old-fashioned apple cobbler.  The dough is rolled out into a rectangle like for a jelly roll sheet cake, then the apple-cinnamon filling is spread on top.  You roll up the rectangle lengthwise and then slice into rounds.  After placing the slices into the baking dish - they look like spirals - a sugar syrup is poured over the entire pan.

This recipe is based off of the idea of how to make a Swedish tea ring.  The beauty of it is that you don't work with yeast dough or have to wait for it to rise before baking!

The sugar syrup is absorbed by the dough while baking.  Fair warning: this is a sweet dish! :)  It's definitely eye candy to match the sweet taste and would make a special dish for a holiday brunch or breakfast for the Christmas season or just when family and friends visit. For the holidays you could be really decadent and offer up a small dollop of some fresh whipped cream to top it at the table or on the side for individual servings...

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Caramel Frosted Apple Sheet Cake

From Denny:  You know me; I just have to rummage through a favorite product's recipe database to root out some interesting items to share.  Journalists like to research.  Martha White flour is a favorite at our house, more so than Gold Medal (which we also buy) when it comes to making tasty breakfast items like biscuits and scones.  Though Martha White really could use some help in the naming of their recipes so they made more sense to a reader and a search engine.  (The original name is below with the recipe.)

No, I don't represent Martha White or any of these companies.  Oh, that they would pay me! :)  But no, all my 24 blogs are done for the love of sharing and the love of writing as I can squeeze in the time.  Google AdSense ads are the only piddly income.  It pays for snail mail stamps and keeps me in copy paper...

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Bavarian Apple Torte in 3 Layers

From Denny:  Autumn apples are arriving soon and here is the perfect recipe to try out for the season. The only step that takes time is slicing fresh apples quite thin.  This recipe is faster with the use of the apple cinnamon flavored muffin mix from Martha White.

Their flour is the absolute best for baked goods and is a favorite here in the South.  Just in case you are not living in the South or not familiar with this brand I've linked the muffin mix from their site.  Their prices are quite reasonable online or in the store.

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Comfort Food From Louisiana: New Orleans Chef Recipe: Jambalaya For A Crowd

Comfort Food From Louisiana: New Orleans Chef Recipe: Jambalaya For A Crowd: From Denny:  Need an easy recipe for a crowd during Mardi Gras season?  Chef John Besh of New Orleans paired with Zatarain's to create this faster version of jambalaya using Zatarain's Dirty Rice mix.  In fact, the famous chef has a lot of great recipes on their site.

What makes jambalaya so tasty is the browning of the chicken and andouille sausage, mixing in the veggies like celery and onion, some liquid (some people like to use chicken stock in place of water) and then the rice to cook in all those tasty seasonings and juices.

It's a fabulous one-pot meal that is easy to make and a real crowd pleaser.

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Comfort Food From Louisiana: New Orleans Recipe: Crescent City Shrimp Jambalaya

Comfort Food From Louisiana: New Orleans Recipe: Crescent City Shrimp Jambalaya: From Denny:  Not in the mood for the chicken version of jambalaya?  No problem; make it with shrimp and andouille sausage for a change of pace.  Shrimp is ridiculously popular down South that we are forever creating new dishes to keep up with the demand.

Louisiana cooking is based off of French cooking and with the same mindset of employing whatever food sources are at hand.  From the bayous or spillways teeming with yummy crayfish to the gorgeous shrimp and oysters from the Gulf of Mexico we create recipes around our bountiful food.

Louisiana Seafood Reusable Shopping Bag

Check out awesome Louisiana eating: oysters, shrimp, crawfish, gumbo, jambalaya

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Comfort Food From Louisiana: New Orleans: Creamy Seafood Jambalaya Pasta

Comfort Food From Louisiana: New Orleans: Creamy Seafood Jambalaya Pasta: From Denny:  Need a quick pasta dish finished in 30 minutes?  Zatarain's created a product using the traditional jambalaya seasonings but with pasta noodles instead of rice!  If you want to include more than shrimp, like some tilapia or other fish, then cook these first and set aside.

Cooking shrimp separately to be added by the diner is also a good idea if you have diners who don't like shrimp or are allergic.

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Comfort Food From Louisiana: New Orleans Chef Recipe: Crabmeat-Shrimp Fritters, Creole Tomato Dressing

Comfort Food From Louisiana: New Orleans Chef Recipe: Crabmeat-Shrimp Fritters, Creole Tomato Dressing: From Denny:  Like to make easy fritters for the family for a quick meal?  I sure remember those yummy clam or corn fritters my mother used to make on Saturdays when I was a kid.  Apple fritters are equally tasty, especially when dusted with some cinnamon and sugar.  So, when I run across yet another variation to The Fritter Family then I'm game to try it.

This new fritter recipe comes from New Orleans Chef John Besh and Zatarain's.  Claw crabmeat, corn and small shrimp are featured in this recipe along with its own special tomato creole dressing.  Pull out your food processor to make this easy tasty dressing of Creole seasoning, garlic, Creole mustard (like stone ground mustard) and tomato.  Chill for an hour and then you are off to the dinner races!

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Comfort Food From Louisiana: New Orleans Chef Recipe: Jambalaya For A Crowd

Comfort Food From Louisiana: New Orleans Chef Recipe: Jambalaya For A Crowd: From Denny:  Need an easy recipe for a crowd during Mardi Gras season?  Chef John Besh of New Orleans paired with Zatarain's to create this faster version of jambalaya using Zatarain's Dirty Rice mix.  In fact, the famous chef has a lot of great recipes on their site.

What makes jambalaya so tasty is the browning of the chicken and andouille sausage, mixing in the veggies like celery and onion, some liquid (some people like to use chicken stock in place of water) and then the rice to cook in all those tasty seasonings and juices.

It's a fabulous one-pot meal that is easy to make and a real crowd pleaser.

Funny Friday Weekend iPhone 5 Case

Tell the world how you really feel about coming back to work

* * *  Support Warriors Pearl Foundation - contributing to fund efforts to help homeless female military veterans come home.  Visit Denny Lyon Gifts  @ CafePress.com  -  see what's new!  

From Grand World Champion Pit Master: Apple City Barbecue Ribs

From Denny:  How often can you get a renowned grill master, a barbecue world champion, to walk you through the steps to successful and perfect ribs?  Here's your chance. Good Morning, America invited him on to the show to show us his way of making the most delectable mouth-watering ribs.  This is July Fourth and we sure think ribs for this holiday.

Mike Mills has managed to parlay his love of cooking ribs into creating seven national restaurants - from four in Illinois to three in Las Vegas.  This is really amusing:  He is the only barbecue pit master with top-security clearance to board Air Force One.  Mike is also the only barbecue pit master who’s been featured in Vogue magazine for a total of four times.  


Of course he was also inducted into the National Barbecue Hall of Fame in 2010.  You have to read his bio and list of appearances and accomplishments.  The man has been quite busy for the past twenty years!


I took the time to find his various sites.  There are links for his cookbook on Amazon, his link to his bio and list of accomplishments that will make you smile and a link to his restaurant site with several locations.  Mike Mills is big on teaching and holds smoke seminars and consults too.  What a guy.






Mike Mills in the middle, of course

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The Healing Waters: Summer Slow Cooker: Warm Chicken Pita or Lettuce Wrap

The Healing Waters: Summer Slow Cooker: Warm Chicken Pita or Lettuce Wrap: From Denny:  The beauty of slow food is you can forget about it for awhile after it gets going on the stove.  Then you are free to run a few short errands close to the house, go grocery shopping or clean around the house.

Since I'm no fan of long hours of house cleaning like it's a Saturday marathon I clean in short spurts for 10 to 15 minutes several times a day or week, depending upon how long a project takes.

I've even educated my husband how you can load the dishwasher in the amount of time it takes for commercial TV breaks to scream at you around the corner.  Fortunately, this year Congress passed a law forcing the advertisers to turn down the volume.

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Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Almond Nuggets with Chocolate Drizzle

Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Almond Nuggets with Chocolate Drizzle: From Denny:  Chocolate and almonds are the ideal combination for a cookie.  This is basically a sugar cookie with sliced almonds that makes for a stiff dough.

It is a simple exercise of dropping the cookie dough onto the cookie sheet - so that makes it easy even for beginner bakers.  The chocolate comes in when you ice the cookie with bittersweet chocolate that has been melted together with real butter and almond extract.

What's amusing is how the recipe creator actually thinks these mere 24 cookies will last long enough to make it into a covered container.  Bring your friends! :)

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• Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Triple Chocolate Pistachio Mint (dennysguestbloggers.blogspot.com)
• Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Chocolate Crackled (dennysfoodandrecipes.blogspot.com)

Unusual 2 Tasty: Valentines Day: Warm Upside-Down Pear Cake With Tangerine Custard Sauce

Unusual 2 Tasty: Valentines Day: Warm Upside-Down Pear Cake With Tangerine Custard Sauce: From Denny: For pear lovers - and lovers - this is an outstanding dessert good enough for any holiday!

Like any upside down cake this one is practically beginner cook and foolproof. The custard requires a more experienced cook and a little time but is well worth the effort.

Related articles

• Comfort Food From Louisiana: Mardi Gras: New Orleans Zulu King Cake (unusual2tasty.blogspot.com)
• Comfort Food From Louisiana: 2 Recipes: Coffee Cake and Apple Cake Topped with Pecan Streusel (unusual2tasty.blogspot.com)
• Romancing The Chocolate: National Chocolate Cake Day Today! 2 Recipes (unusual2tasty.blogspot.com)

Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Spiced Chocolate Macaroons

Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Spiced Chocolate Macaroons: From Denny: Do you like spice cookies but crave the addition of chocolate? This cinnamon and chocolate pairing also happens to improve as the cookie ages. What could be better than that? A stale cookie that tastes great! :)

The cookie also contains the background dark note from a hint of cloves like I like to use in my morning stovetop cooked oatmeal. There is nothing like the pairing of cinnamon and cloves to add richness to a dish whether sweet or savory.

Related articles

• Romancing The Chocolate: Black Raspberry Chocolate Macadamia Cookies (thehealingwaters.blogspot.com)
• Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Chocolate Crackled (thehealingwaters.blogspot.com)
• Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Triple Chocolate Pistachio Mint (dennysguestbloggers.blogspot.com)
• Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Double Chocolate Chunk Mint (dennysfoodandrecipes.blogspot.com)
• Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Chocolate Bliss (unusual2tasty.blogspot.com)

Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Chocolate Crackled

Image via Wikipedia

Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Chocolate Crackled: From Denny: These chocolate chunk cookies are delightfully decadent as they also include ancho chile pepper that provides some smokey heat. Cinnamon and extra vanilla extract balance the chile heat and intense semi-sweet chocolate.
A variation of this cookie is provided that enjoys using roasted ginger spice in place of the cinnamon.

Check out the interesting variations of your favorite chocolate chunk cookie!

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• Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Double Chocolate Chunk Mint (dennysfoodandrecipes.blogspot.com)
• Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Mini-Chocolate Chip Dipped Shortbread Sticks (dennysfoodandrecipes.blogspot.com)
• Romancing The Chocolate: Easy Triple Layer Mud Pie (unusual2tasty.blogspot.com)
• Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Mini-Chocolate Chip Dipped Shortbread Sticks (unusual2tasty.blogspot.com)
• Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Triple Chocolate Pistachio Mint (dennysguestbloggers.blogspot.com)

Romancing The Chocolate: Chef Recipe: Chocolate Tart with Caramel and Cream

Romancing The Chocolate: Chef Recipe: Chocolate Tart with Caramel and Cream: From Denny: Everyone who enjoys a chocolate tart every time they can, raise their hands. Yeah, I thought so - sisters of the soul. I sure order it from the La Madeleine restaurant or other local bakery whenever it shows up in the display case. It's like a little piece of heaven in one tiny spot - a rich little chocolate pudding, a dollop of cream and some pie crust, simply divine.

This is a New York chef recipe from the famous restaurant Aureole. Chef Christopher Lee uses Sicilian sea salt to enhance the sweet creamy richness of the indulgent chocolate dessert.

He also includes the unlikely addition of the chocolate malt Ovaltine to the bittersweet baking chocolate.

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• Romancing The Chocolate: Awesome Chocolate Pecan Tart (unusual2tasty.blogspot.com)
• Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Chocolate Crackled (thehealingwaters.blogspot.com)
• Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Triple Chocolate Pistachio Mint (dennysguestbloggers.blogspot.com)
• Romancing The Chocolate: Awesome Chocolate Pecan Tart (dennysfoodandrecipes.blogspot.com)
• Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Chocolate Bliss (unusual2tasty.blogspot.com)

Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Triple Chocolate Pistachio Mint

Image via Wikipedia

Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Triple Chocolate Pistachio Mint: From Denny: These rich cookies are perfect for the holidays from Thanksgiving to Christmas to Valentine's Day to Mardi Gras. Any celebration will do when it comes to chocolate!

Chocolate and peppermint are a great pairing, each complementing the other. What I like about this chocolate recipe is it uses bittersweet chocolate and white chocolate too. The contrast of the very dark and the light white is awesome, balanced by the roasted pistachio nuts. Can it get any better?

Related articles

• Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Mini-Chocolate Chip Dipped Shortbread Sticks (dennysfoodandrecipes.blogspot.com)
• Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Double Chocolate Chunk Mint (dennysfoodandrecipes.blogspot.com)
• Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Vanilla Rich Chocolate Chip (dennysfoodandrecipes.blogspot.com)
• Romancing The Chocolate: Black Raspberry Chocolate Macadamia Cookies (thehealingwaters.blogspot.com)
• Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Chocolate Bliss (unusual2tasty.blogspot.com)