Baba Ghanoush

  20m active cooking • 1h total  |  Makes ~2-3 lb

Ingredients:

• 2 lb eggplant
• 1/3 cup tahini
• fresh juice of 1-2 lemons
• 1 bulb garlic
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• Few fresh parsley leaves
• 1/4-3/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Remove stems from eggplant, and cut into 8 or so pieces longways. It’s important that they be roughly the same size.
3. Roast the eggplant in the oven on a greased cookie sheet until it can be poked through with a skewer quite easily, somewhere between 20-40 minutes.
4. After eggplant cools, mix in food processor with tahini, lemon, garlic, salt, pepper, and parsley. Add olive oil as you go until desired texture is reached.
5. Dig in!

Grilled Biscuits

  30m active cooking • 30m total  |  Makes a dozen or so

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 tbsp white vinegar

Directions:

1. Combine milk and vinegar, and let sit for a few minutes.
2. Mix in remaining ingredients. Dough will be very sticky.
3. Split into evenly shaped balls, and place into greased pan. You can use cast iron or steel, as long as it’s grill-safe.
4. Move pan to hot pre-heated grill set to medium (350-400 degrees). Once they have shape, remove pan from grill.
5. Pick up individual biscuits and place directly on grate. Use higher grates if that’s an option with the particular grill in use. If not, be careful to watch the heat to avoid scorching.
6. Remove once golden brown and nice grillmarks have been achieved.
7. Slather with butter, and enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

  30m active cooking • 1h total  |  Makes 8×8 pan

Ingredients:

• 3-4 chicken breasts
• 1/4-1/2 cup Frank’s Red Hot, depending on heat preference
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 8 oz blue cheese, crumbled
• 4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
• 4 oz Monterrey jack cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Bring water to a boil over the stove.
3. Place chicken breasts in boiling water, and cook until white throughout.
4. Remove from pan, and let cool for a few minutes.
5. Shred chicken breasts with fork.
6. Combine the shredded chicken with the hot sauce in a bowl.
7. Press 4 oz softened cream cheese across bottom of 8×8 greased pan.
8. On top of that, crumble the blue cheese.
9. Next, add the chicken mixture evenly across the top.
10. Lastly, add the cheddar and jack cheeses, creating an even layer on top.
11. Cook until the cheese looks melted. Maybe 20-30 minutes.
12. Once cheese is melted, crank up the heat to broil setting so the top can get crispy.
13. Once top is nicely browned, remove from oven.
14. Serve hot with celery, carrots, chips, or whatever you so desire.

Grilled Romaine Salad

  15m active cooking • 15m total  |  Makes 1 salad, good for two people

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 8 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp hot sauce
• 8 anchovy filets plus 1/2 tsp of their oil
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• crumbled blue cheese
• 1 large romaine head, halved lengthwise

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients except for olive oil and romaine in a large bowl.
2. Heat grill to medium heat.
3. Oil one side of romaine half and place face down on grill.
4. Let cook until leaves are starting to get browned and wilted around the edges.
5. Now, oil side that’s face up, and flip so freshly oiled side is facing the flame.
6. Let cook for another 2-3 minutes until both sides are browned and wilted.
7. Remove romaine halves.
8. Cut off bulb end of romaine heads, and slice remainder into salad size lettuce pieces.
9. Toss warm romaine with dressing in large bowl.
10. Serve warm.

Buffalo Wings

  1h 30m active cooking • 1h 30m total  |  Makes 18 wings

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs chicken wings (about 18 wings)
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp table salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 – 2 quarts vegetable oil for frying
• 2 tbsp really hot hot sauce
• 1/2 cup hot sauce, preferably Frank’s Red
• 2 tsp cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• Celery sticks
• Baby carrots
• Blue cheese dressing

Directions:

1. Melt butter in small saucepan over low heat. Whisk in vinegar, brown sugars, and hot sauces until combined. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line baking sheet with paper towels.
3. Heat 2 1/2 inches of oil to 360 degrees.
4. While oil heats, mix together salt, black pepper, cayenne, salt, and cornstarch in small bowl.
5. Evenly coat chicken wings in dry mixture.
6. Fry some of the chicken wings until golden and crisp, 10 to 15 mins. This will have to be done in batches.
7. Transfer cooked wings to prepared baking sheets, and place in 200 degree oven until all wings are done.
8. Pour sauce into large bowl with chicken wings, and toss until wings are evenly coated. Serve immediately with celery and carrot sticks and blue cheese dressing on the side.

Jalapeno Poppers

  1h 30m active cooking • 1h 30m total  |  Makes 24-36 poppers depending on pepper size

Ingredients:

• 1 pound jalapenos
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1/3 cup cheese of choice shredded or in small cubes
• 1/4 cup minced red onion
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup milk, beer, or water
• 2 cups oil
• Salt & pepper
• Dash of favorite hot sauce

Directions:

1. Take the stems off of the jalapenos. Slice them in half, and remove the insides. Set the seeds aside in a bowl.
2. Soften the cream cheese, and mix with other cheese, onion, salt, pepper, garlic, hot sauce, and jalapeno seeds.
3. Take each jalapeno half, and spoon in some of the cheese mixture. Fill it so that it is slightly heaping.
4. Once all jalapenos contain the cheese mixture, individually dip each into the milk, beer, or water, and then roll in flour. Set aside to dry.
5. Once all jalapenos are dry, dip each into the liquid of choice, and coat in bread crumbs. Let dry.
6. Heat the oil in a small sauce pan. Drop each pepper in, cooking just a few at a time. Flip after a couple of minutes, to attain a golden crisp on the outside.
7. Repeat with the remaining jalapenos, and let dry on a paper towel.
8. Serve hot.

Fried Cheese Ball

  45m active cooking • 45m total  |  Makes 24-30 cheese cubes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb cheddar, cut into cubes
• Vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup italian bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup cornmeal

Directions:

1. Beat eggs and set aside.
2. Mix bread crumbs and cornmeal, and set aside.
3. Dip each cheddar cube into the egg mixture, one at a time. Then roll each into the bread crumb mixture.
4. Fry each ball for a couple of minutes until the outside is golden brown. Remove from oil and allow grease to drain. Serve hot.

Cheese Fondue

  5m active cooking • 50m total  |  Makes 1-2 cups

Ingredients:

• 1/2-3/4 lb random cheese
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup wine
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp mustard powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Throw everything into Little Dipper or double broiler.
2. Plug it in, and let it melt for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Hot Corn Dip

  15m active cooking • 45m total  |  Makes 9 inch pie pan

Ingredients:

• 1/2-3/4 lb cheddar, shredded
• 1/4-1/2 lb jack, shredded
• 1-2 tomatoes, diced
• 1 can corn
• 1/2 onion minced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1-2 jalapenos, minced
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
• 1 fresh lime
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Grease 9 inch pie pan. Layer in half the cheese.
3. Add diced tomatoes, corn, onion, garlic, jalapeno, and cilantro.
4. Top with the remaining cheese.
5. Squeeze lime on top, and throw some salt and pepper on top.
6. Bake until melted. Broil at the end for a crispy top. Eat with some nice tortilla chips