Hot Sauce - from Grilled Veggies

My brother-in-law Marcus made some great hot sauce a couple of days after Thanksgiving..... Man was it good!  He also had some great chicken and rice boudin which most of us had never eaten before (he got it in Louisiana).  We all acted like we hadn't even just had a huge Thanksgiving feast two days before, it was sooo good!  The day before that some of us had gone to Canton, Texas for some shopping and when we came home he had Gumbo and Etoufee waiting for us...  again we ate like we hadn't had a big meal in days!  So much flavor in everything!

The next week I made this hot sauce in the freezing cold! I just kept thinking about how good it would be and being cooped up in the house there was a lot of cooking going on!  But still I wanted hot sauce!!  In Texas we had an ice storm but it didn't keep me away from  using the grill outside!  I make Hot Sauce a lot (link in blue of my original sauce), as good as the one I make is I love the grill taste for something different!  It reminds me of Pappasito's hot sauce and I love love theirs.  Marcus' is actually better!  Our whole family agreed and we all love Pappasito's!

You eat this hot sauce hot as in temperature! Might sound weird but it's really good!

I made this again a few weeks later and stored the leftovers in the fridge.  I ate some of the hot sauce cold out of the fridge and then I reheated some in the microwave.  I liked it both ways!

Place onions, tomatoes and jalapenos on the hot grill

 

 

This is what they look like when I took them off the grill, the peeling on the tomatoes comes right off.

 

 

I put this in a pitcher and used a hand held blender that you can place right in the pitcher.  You can also use a regular blender or food processer.

 

Delicious!

 

 

 

5 to 6 tomatoes 

3 to 4 jalapenos (or more if you like it hot, hot)!

1 onion sliced in thick slices (kept together)

Lawry's Garlic salt with the green lid

Black Pepper

 

Place tomatoes, jalapenos and onions on the hot grill.  Grill until the onions start to get a black marking then take off, same with jalapenos.  The Tomatoes will become soft and the skin will start peeling off, they are ready then..  The jalapenos you just throw with the black skin (after removing the stem but the tomatoes you peel, it will come right off after they get hot.

 

Put all in either a pitcher or blender then just pulse 4 or 5 times....don't over process or it will get pasty.   Season with garlic salt and black pepper!



Daniel Fast Recipes and ideas

 I am on the Daniel Fast as a lot of you probably are, I have really enjoyed it!  The items I have listed below you may already do but I thought I would share what I have been making.

I will be adding more recipes as the weeks go by.  If you have any that you would like to share, PLEASE do!

I have tried a few recipes that I found one being a breakfast cookie.  It didn't look anything like the picture at all!  It tasted pretty good if you could get over the look of the cookie.  It was kinda colorless and rubbery looking. It had bananas, apples, raisins, oats and almond milk.  I might try it again but... so if I do and they turn out different I'll let you know.

I made a Spicy Thai Noodle using wheat pasta.  It was very good, I had made it before but the original recipe has you eat it cold.  I heated it up and liked much better that way.  I will add that recipe later.

Also I know beans are good for you and good for this fast...just so happens I don't like beans :(.  So if you have a bean recipe you would like to share feel free!      

                                                              

                                                 Breakfast

                                                               Oatmeal

I cook the oatmeal like it says on the box then I cut up bananas in place them in a bowl

I then  poured the cooked oatmeal over the bananas and add a tablespoon or two of unsweetened applesauce to help sweeten it.  Then I added strawberries on top!  

                                  Snacks

       My sister Tammy told me about this Salt & Pepper popcorn, it's pretty good!!  Actually it is really good!  No butter but you don't feel like you miss the butter at all!

It comes in a mini bag so it's just the perfect size for 1!

 

I found a new way to make popcorn! In a lunch sack!

Here is the link to my post on this blog for making popcorn in a lunch sack!

Normally I would use butter or vegetable oil but you could use olive oil instead! click on link below

Popcorn in lunch sack 

takes 2 to 2 1/2 minutes in the microwave!

 

 

 

                I like apples but I do not like the skin.  I normally peel them and then cut them up.  The other day I put one in  the food processor and I bet I could have eaten 3 apples like this in one sitting!  So refreshing!

Peel a apple then slice it into chunks then turn on your food processor!

It's so simple but so refreshing in little bites like this this!

Bananas with peanut butter- delicious and filling.  I just cut up a banana and place onto a plate then plop a tablespoon of peanut butter on the plate!  I take my spoon and get some peanut butter then a banana slice for each bite!

Smoothie!  One of my favorites!  Our church is doing juice so I have orange juice in here but if you aren't you can throw in a orange.  I have in here about 8 oz of Orange Juice then  a whole banana, 3 blackberries, 3 strawberries and then after I mix that up,  I add about 10 to 12 ice cubes

Delicious and honestly filling!

I have made these for years and it taste like what I get at Thirsty's

 

I found these juices at HEB in Waxahachie, all juice nothing added and they taste good!!!

 

I will drink sooooo much water if it's nice and cold and has a lot of ice!!  I for the last year will go

to Sonic and get a large water with extra ice.  I then add my water bottles to the ice after I drink the water out of it!  I have found all Sonic's are different in price, some are always .27 some are .52 and some are .76!  If you go at happy hour is 1/2 that!!!!

 

 

Need a gateway to some guacamole or hot sauce??  Use a Triscuit!  

Sometimes you just need that crunch! I also just top these with a slice of avocado!

Guacamole!!!

Ingredients 

Triscuit Thin Crisp and Hummas!

I got this at HEB which owns Central Market.  I never thought I like Hummas until several months ago when I bought it for a dinner I was going to.  It's delicious and I really like this Mediterranean Hummus.

This has Kalamata olives and green olives

Thin Triscut

 

Another thing to dip those Triscuit is this great hot sauce! 

 

it's done on your grill!  Here is the link to the Hot Sauce on this blog!

 

                               These are great Tortilla Chips they have them at Sam's and Costco!

 

Green Beans

Now I love some good ole slow cooked fresh green beans with some bacon and potatoes in the pot cooking for hours but I am going to be honest and say probably 80% of the time I use can green beans!  I don't buy any other vegetables in cans unless you count whole tomatoes as a vegetable!  I buy frozen and fresh corn & broccoli then everything else I get is fresh.

 I buy the Allen Italian Green Beans most but I also buy De Monte regular green beans too!  I often buy the large can at Sam's because it's like $2.97, you just can't beat that especially when you are cooking for more than 6 or 7!  The can says it serves 25 but it's more like 20.  You can even freeze part of the large can of green beans if you would like in a zip lock bag. 

I drain all the liquid of the green beans. The green beans soak in that butter and honestly your not using that much.  With the liquid being gone the green beans can soak it all in easier.

Honestly when I cater people ask me all the time "how did you make those green beans".  It's really just so simple!

I used these today, drain all the liquid in the can then

melt butter, add black pepper and Lawry's Garlic Salt (with green lid) then pour green beans in pan

Cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes

Buttery Green Beans and you really didn't use that much butter!

Green beans

1  can of green beans

1 to 2 Tbs of real butter

Lawry’s garlic salt (with green lid)

Black pepper

Drain liquid off the green beans and pour into a pan.

Add butter and some garlic salt & pepper to taste let cook on med-hi

For about 5 minutes then turn down to low and cook for

15 minutes.

When I am making the large can of green beans from Sam's I use 1/2 stick of butter sometimes more. Then just season with black pepper and garlic salt to your taste.

Baked French Fries

Ok, so I will have to say these are really good baked fries!  Now you do add oil to them but at least they are not saturated in oil while frying them since you bake them!  This is a french fry that taste so much closer to a real fried french fry but they are baked!   

I will always try at least once to bake things that are usually fried but if it doesn't taste good I won't do it again!  Like I haven't mastered a baked tortilla chip yet.  Just not the same! So I will fry up some corn tortillas in a skillet with some oil especially when I make tortilla soup! 

I am a sucker for anything that has to do with a potato!   Really I am! 

Something happens to these frys when you let them soak in the hot water it releases some of the starch. 

Cut potatoes lengthwise

boil some water

pour boiling water over potatoes and let sit 10 to 30 minutes

drain potatoes and dry each one with a paper towel then add oil and toss

add 4 Tbls oil, salt, pepper and I love to add Lawry's Garlic salt (with green lid)...I didn't have it this time :(

toss potatoes in oil...you could get by with adding just 2 to 3 Tbsp of oil instead of 4 tbsp

bake in oven tossing them after 10 minutes

I don't like mine too brown so this is when I pull them out but if you like your more crisp and brown bake until they are the color you like!  Just poke a fork in to see if they are tender before taking out.

                                                           

Baked Oven Fries

Ingredients

3 russet potatoes (about 24 oz. total), peeled and cut lengthwise into even sized wedges

 5 tbsp. vegetable, canola or peanut oil, divided

¾ tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste

¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

Lawry's garlic salt to taste with the green lid

Preheat the oven to 475˚ F. Place the potato wedges in a large mixing bowl. Cover with hot water; soak for 10-30 minutes. Put 4 tablespoons of the oil onto a heavy, rimmed baking sheet. Tilt the sheet side to side to evenly coat the pan with oil (a pastry brush can also help with this). Sprinkle the pan evenly with the salt and pepper. Set aside.

Drain the potatoes. Spread the wedges out on layers of paper towels or on clean kitchen towels. Pat dry with additional towels. Wipe out the now empty bowl so it is dry. Return the potatoes to the bowl and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Arrange the potato wedges on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 5 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the bottoms of the potatoes are spotty golden brown, 15-20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet after 10 minutes. Using a metal spatula and tongs, flip each potato wedge keeping them in a single layer. Continue baking until the fries are golden and crisp, 5 -15 minutes. Rotate the pan as needed to ensure even browning.

When the fries are finished baking, transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain some of the grease. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Green Bean Bundles

These little bundles look like you went through alot of trouble to make but they are pretty fast to assemble the bacon to the green beans and then you just pour over the mixture after it comes to a boil and place them in the oven!

They are really delicious and have a great flavor to them!  I often will place them on a white platter then I pour the juice on top when serving them.

Just fyi, you can buy a large bag of frozen extra fine green beans for $6.50 at Sam's Club and it's a large bag!   They changed the packaging so now there are 5 small bags in the large bag making it easier to use and store.

You basically just wrap a 1/2 a piece of bacon around 6 or 7 green beans then pour the sauce over them...you can squeeze a lot of these in 9X13 pan.  The first picture below was for just a few people but the second picture was for alot of people!

So this is a smaller size portion I did once

and this is a large deal I did for a wedding so they are bunched together!

Green Bean Bundles

1 bag of fresh or frozen extra fine green beans

1 lb bacon – cut strips in two

½ cup    Butter

½ cup    Brown sugar

3 Tbl      Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbl      Soy Sauce

¼ cup    Water

Preheat oven to 350

Take a bundle of green beans (about 6 or 7) and wrap them with bacon.  Place in a 9X13 baking pan (or smaller if you make less) lined up side by side.

In a sauce pan melt butter add brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and water until it comes to a soft boil.

Pour sauce over bundles and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven and bake for about 30 minutes until bacon is done.