Had time today, so drove down to say ‘hi’ to the old gang. Side note; nothing/nobody has changed… kinda depressing. Anyway, was fun seeing everyone, visiting… then suddenly Florentino appears, and first thing he says to me, “go get some food”, lol! AND, I never went overboard taking advantage of his generosity. Is a perfect amount, thanks my friend!
served on the most motherf’n freshest bread (was too hot to handle when I bought it; made in-house) ya could ever get. grilled chicken/grilled steak & roasted creminis w/ caramelized onions … on a bed of romaine, beefsteak tomato, sliced sweet onion! And here’s the kicker, sliced English cucumber … ’cause I had some! Yep, wrap me!!
Pan-Roasted Chicken with Harissa Chickpeas – Bon Appétit.
Tiff found this in her Bon Appétit magazine … perfect for a wintry, cold Canadian day. And, I did my shopping yesterday ahead of the storm!
… and my kick-ass version
Warm weather means BBQ season’s back. Not a moment too soon, winter was long … and nasty. And with hotdogs, hamburgers, steak, chicken, etc., set to sizzle, the time for replenishing supplies is prime … talkin’ ’bout the essentials … A1 Steak Sauce, Heinz 57 Sauce, Cheez Whiz, and Kraft Singles … yep, I’m good to grill!! 😎
my latest helping-my-sorry-old-ass-body kick that I’m on. loaded with lots of the good stuff. a quickie google search, and you’ll know what I’m talkin’ ’bout Willis!! today I made sammies on Italian rolls; leftover chicken, red onions, hothouse tomatoes, havarti … and my new superfood friend, the avocado. reheated rice and potatoes (more leftovers – waste not want not) served on the side and bob’s yerfuckin uncle. a coupla pics y’all. 
few words, few pics instead. up against it lately – don’t know which way is up, which way is down. time change didn’t help, warmer weather (recording breaking day today) did.
boneless skinless chicken thighs tossed on the hot grill
portabello caps tossed on too, and lotsa s&p
getting sauced – the chicken I mean, lol
more and more bbq sauce
almost done now folks
and don’t be fooled by my backyard patio light. this was night/dark y’all!!
Was hungry as that proverbial horse today. Normally don’t eat too much for lunch, and honestly, I don’t know how the rest of y’all do it, day after day. Went to my fave BBQ Chinese fast food take out joint (these places are all over the city), and every time I show my mug the owner reminds me that he’s known me for over twenty years. “Twenty years” over and over he keeps yelling as he laughs and smiles. Then I have to remind him, we’re BOTH getting old, lol!! He must be doing something right (look at the pics) … AND look at all the food he gave me – $7 + $1 for water shoulda been the price but it wasn’t, I’m embarrassed to tell ya what he charges me so I won’t … just look at the pics, lol!! 😉
LOVE this – so much to choose from …
BBQ chicken and pork over rice in the ubiquitous styrofoam container …
… sorta!! I did cheat a little by giving myself a bit of a boost, saving time AND achieving what I set out to accomplish – win win. My goal was to create an Asian, Hawaiian, Caribbean inspired sauce … something sweet and packing heat!! My two essential ingredients; pineapple and scotch bonnet peppers!! To start, I wanted a good, solid base, and I chose SWEET BABY RAY’S bbq sauce (award winning, lol) … I use it often when I bbq, I love its neutrality … not smoky, not too sweet … a perfect pleasant balance. Before I go any further, a reminder of my method (& madness) of cooking, building recipes. I don’t use exact measurements, I typically use the amount I feel right, AND I’ll vary ingredients depending on my pantry and my mood. Call me the whimsical chef, lol!! Go ahead Food Network … steal that one too, lol!! With a bottle of Ray’s in my saucier, I incorporated brown sugar, cinnamon, soy sauce, orange juice … along with the stars of this show, the pineapple and scotch bonnet …oh, a word about scotch bonnets. These tiny peppers are hot beyond hot – you take a bite and bonnie bites back … a 300,000 Scoville unit chomp!! I rough chopped (seeds and all) and whizzed it in my spice grinder (tip: added a bit of brown sugar making puréeing easier, facilitating homogenization). I grilled (indirect method) plump chicken breasts (skin on, bone in) slathering them with my sauce right before taking them off the Weber, letting them get all glisteningly glazed and caramelized. It was spot on, the citrus tang & sweet combined with the fire of the pepper married beautifully, neither one was overpowering, rather complimenting each another … it was sublime. A few pics, enjoy y’all!! 😉
The Sauce is the Boss!, lol …
Baby packs a wallop …
Puréed …
All the ingredients in the pot before slowly simmering …
An hour later – looks great eh? I know, lol!! …
Mopped with ma sauce … a few minutes more …
A close-up (LOVE LOVE that char) of my efforts …
Leftover grilled chicken à la pulled pork, thinly sliced ham, cheese, onions, tomatoes, iceberg lettuce – the most underrated lettuce in my opinion, often overlooked for its simplicity … love the contrasting cool crispness it imparts, and mayo. Oh, and on toasted white bread, I know eh, lol?! Also, wanted to try it with 2 completely different cheeses so I made one with Muenster, the other with Cambozola … both were VERY good, though I think I’d give the nod to the Muenster sammie … but if I used bacon in place of the ham, I’d go blue since I love that combo!! A couple of pics, enjoy …
danistrulytheman 