....AND I'LL MAKE IT BETTER!!

Whether you choose the "Classic" version or the "Spicy" version, most folks enjoy a big fat chicken sandwich from one of the national restaurants.  While they may be delicious, the problems are price and ingredients.  For about the same price as dinner for a family of four, we'll make four tasty sandwiches with all the fixin's, we'll trade fries for fresh corn, and we'll have  groceries left for two more meals.

1 1/2- 2 lbs boneless chicken breast

1 1/2 cups dill pickle juice (we used the juice that was left after a 24 oz jar of dill spears)

2- Tsp Old Saratoga Garlic-Smoked Salt blend (GSSP-mild, GSSJ- a bit spicy, 5P- medium, GSSD- hot, Reaper or Fire for insane)

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1/2 cup all pupose flour

1- large egg, beaten

1/4 cup Ranch Dressing

1 Tbsp Old Saratoga Sweet Chipotle or 1 Tsp Southwest Zest

1 Tsp Old Saratoga Smoked Kosher Salt

4 ears fresh corn

Hot Oil

Rolls, lettuce, tomato, onion, butter for the corn

Cut 4 chicken breasts across using the thicker half for this recipe.  In a freezer bag, combine pickle juice, 1 1/2 tsp Old Saratoga Garlic-Smoked salt blend, and 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar.  Drop in chicken, squeeze out the excess air, and refrigerate 2-24 hours.

Add remaining Old Saratoga Garlic-Smoked Salt blend with the flour.  Dredge chicken, cover loosely, and set aside, on a rack if possible.  Let dry for 10-15 minutes.  Beat the egg, coat the floured chicken in egg, and dredge again in the flour.  Place aside again, covered loosely, to dry a bit.

Now start heating your oil to 335 degrees.  Once it comes to temp, use tongs to gently place chicken in your oil.  DO NOT SPLASH.  Ours was done in about 7 minutes but times will vary.   When it is done, place it on a rack to drain.

Mix the Ranch dressing with the remaining brown sugar and the Old Saratoga Sweet Chipotle.  Give the roll a smear, drop on the chicken and fixings, and unlock your jaw.  Happiness follows.  You get that great chicken taste but this time you know what you are eating.

The corn we steamed,.  Some added butter, some not, and then we all gave ours a sprinkle of Smoked Kosher salt.

May

World Champ Jerk Pork Sandwich

Since we posted our October Peach Glazed Jerk Ribs recipe, something pretty cool happened.  Our Caribbean Lime Jerk Spice was rated Best Jerk Spice in the World for 2025 at the Fiery Foods Show in Albuquerque.  In honor of that accomplishment, we decided to bring back that tasty combination in a different look.  We hope you enjoy!

1- 3 to 4 lb pork loin

2 Tbsp Old Saratoga Caribbean Lime Jerk

(Pro tip- for a mild jerk spice, replace half the Jerk Spice with brown sugar)

Coat loin and cook in some dry method on a moderate heat.  Ours worked very well on a small rotisserie using charcoal.  If you are oven roasting, a small rack to lift the roast above the pan will yield better results.  Cook to your desired internal temp.  Set aside to rest.

To prepare the glaze, scroll down to our October recipe and follow the instructions for the glaze.  Set aside.

1/2 tsp butter per sandwich

1/8 tsp Old Saratoga GSSP per sandwich

2 slices hearty style bread (We used a Homestyle Oat)

Melt the butter, spreading it around the pan.  Sprinkle in GSSP and grill the bread slices.  Top a slice of bread with thinly cut loin, slather on the peach glaze, and ask your family for a few moments alone.

APRIL

Sometimes, ya just gotta switch things up.  We were tired of the same old- same old.  So on meatloaf night, we decided to go a little wild.  Keeping with last month's theme, we stayed in the Southwest with competing loaves: one BBQ, one Green Chile.

3 lbs ground meat (beef, pork, turkey, chicken, or even tuna)

1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs 

3 large eggs (beaten)

1 med sweet onion (diced small)

1 celery stalk (diced small)

Combine these ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Then divide in half.

BBQ-

to half of the mix, add 

2 tsp Old Saratoga Smoky BBQ or Sweet Chipotle 

1 tsp Old Saratoga GSSP

Form the loaf and set aside.

Green Chile-

to the other half of the mix, add 

2 tsp Old Saratoga Green Chile Blast

1 tsp Old Saratoga GSSJ Mix

1 small can Fire Roasted Green Chiles (drained)

Combine the ingredients and form the loaf.  Set both loaves on a baking pan with sides.  Place in oven at 350 degrees.  At5 the 30 minute mark, cover BBQ loaf with sauce and put back in oven unti both loaves reach an internal temp of 155-160 degrees.  Let them rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

March

Southwest Inspirations

Our Inspiration came from our recent trip to New Mexico. It cost a fraction of what the same would have cost in a restaurant and we had some ingredients left for another day.  We made tacos, taquitos, tostadas, and enchiladas.

1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken

1 lb ground beef

16 oz sour cream

16 salsa

8 oz shredded cheese

8 oz queso fresco

1/4 each (diced small) red and green pepper

1 medium sized sweet onion (diced small)

1 small can mild green chiles

1 can traditional refried beans

1- 14 oz tomato sauce

8 oz broth or water

6 inch tortillas (Corn, flour, or both)

Shredded lettuce

Diced tomato

OLD SARATOGA SPICES:

Taco-Fajita-Chili Mix

Southwest Zest

Green Chile Blast

Garlic-Smoked Salt-Jalapeno (But any of the G-SS- family would work)

Optional:

Old Saratoga Smoked Salt

Lime juice

Cilantro

Start cooking the ground beef.  Add 1 tsp Old Saratoga TFC Mix, 1/2 tsp Old Saratoga Smoked salt, and 1/8 cup diced onion.  Cook until done, remove from pan, set aside. Divide in half for tacos and taquitos.  Season half of chicken with Old Saratoga TFC Mix.  Add the diced pepper, and 1/8 cup diced onion and brown in the same pan.  Remove, set aside.  Season remaining chicken with Old Saratoga Green Chile Blast and cook completely in the same pan turning frequently.  Remove from heat and set aside when done.  Keeping the flavors separate, chop or shred chicken into small pieces.

Now it's time to make the fillings

Mix half the ground beef with 1/8 cup sour cream, 1/8 cup salsa, and 2 oz crumbled queso fresco.

Combine TFC Seasoned chicken with 1/4 cup tomato sauce.

Combine Green Chile Blast seasoned chicken with half the small can of green chiles, 1/8 cup sour cream, and 2 oz crumbled queso fresco.

ENCHILADAS: In a bowl, combine remaining tomato sauce with broth or water and 1 tsp Old Saratoga Southwest Zest Mix.  Place a coating on the bottom of a 9X9 baking pan.  Fill 6 tortillas with the red chicken mix and a pinch of shredded cheese. Roll and place in pan.  When all six are done, cover with remaining sauce and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  Sprinkle on more cheese and bake another 15-20 minutes.

While that is baking, prepare your taquitos and tostadas.  Each filling should make 6-8 taquitos.  Fill and roll each and place on a grated baking rack to keep them rolled.  Spray them with a spritz of baking spray so they will get crisp and bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes.  For the tostadas, lay 4 to 6 - 6 inch tortillas flat on a rack or in a pan, spritz with baking spray, and bake 15-20 minutes.

While they are baking, combine your refried beans with some Old Saratoga Green Chile Blast or Southwest Zest mix.

TO SERVE:

Smear some seasoned refied beans on the flat baked tortillas, add shredded lettuce, diced onion, diced tomato, and a sprinkle of queso fresco and you've made a tostada.

Mix sour cream with Old Saratoga GSSJ, some lime juice, and some chopped cilantro for a taquito dipping/taco topping sauce.

All together serves 5-7.

February

New Orleans Style Jambalaya

Happy Mardi Gras, everyone!  In the spirit of the time, let's jambalaya.  You will want:

12-16 oz  andouille sausage cut in 1/2 inch slices

(For kosher, use 12-16 oz beef kielbasa.)

1 lb chicken thighs, diced to 1 inch

Optional- 8 oz diced tasso (Cajun ham)

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 green bell pepper, diced

1/2 sweet onion, diced

2 celery sticks, diced

1 large can diced tomato

32 oz low/no sodium chicken stock

1- 16 oz brown rice

1 lb  large shrimp, shelled and deveined

1 1/2 tbsp Old Saratoga Cajun Bayou Blast

1 tsp Old Saratoga G-SS- (mild-GSSP, medium GSS5P, hot-GSSD)

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp oil or Optional- 3 tbsp butter

Chopped green onion

First, season the chicken with the GSSP and 1 tsp Cajun Bayou Blast and the shrimp with 1 tsp Cajun Bayou Blast.  Set aside.  In a heavy, deep skillet or pan, brown the andouille and tasso.  Remove the meat and brown the chicken in the remaining fat.  Remove the chicken from the pan, and cook the veggies in the  remaining fat.  (At this point, you may need to add a little oil or butter.)  Keep your veggie temps low.  The idea is to saute, not to brown the veggies.  The juice from the tomatoes should deglaze the pan.  Now add the meat back with 1 tsp Cajun Bayou Blast, add the chicken stock, the rice, and the remaining seasonings.  Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer.  Cook 50-60 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed by the rice.  Serve in a bowl with French bread and a garnish of green onion. 

January

Nashville Hot Wings

We are big fans of the philosophy: I'll make it myself and I'll do it better!  A number of the folks who have tried these Nashville Hot wings say they are the best wings ever. They are crunchy, sweet, tangy, and as spicy as you decide.

For this recipe, we use 18 jumbo party wings, which was about 3 1/2 lbs.  Here is your first opportunity to decide the spice level.  There will be another spot later if you want different spice levels.  As we always recommend for wings, marinate them in 1/2 tsp per pound in one of our Old Saratoga Garlic-Smoked Salt blends.  (Garlic-Smoked Salt-Pepper will be mild.  The Jalapeno Salt will be slightly spicy, the 5 Pepper Salt a bit spicier and Death Salt will begin the real heat.  Reaper and Friends and Garlic-Smoked Salt-Fire are only for the culinarily insane.)

After 6 hours or overnight, dredge the wings in plain all purpose flour and set on parchment paper to dry for at least 30 minutes before frying.  We heat the oil in our coutertop fryer to 375 degress and then drop it to 350 once the chicken goes in.  A batch of 6-8 wings generally takes around 8-10 minutes.  They float when they are done.  (This also goes for regular wings.  They float when they are done.)  If you stop right there, you have a bunch of delicious fried wings.  Now, on to Nashville!

The true secret of Nashville Hot Chicken is the sauce.  We mix 1/3 cup Buffalo Wing or Hot Sauce, 1/3 cup honey, and 2 tbsp hot oil from the fryer.  Toss the wings to coat.  I store them in a 170 degree oven until all my batches are done.  To split the heat level, run half the batch through the sauce and the other half after the sauce is spiced up.  As for the sauce itself, use Buffalo Wing sauce for mild. For medium, use hot sauce.  For extra spicy, add Old Saratoga OKMFR , Garlic-Mustard, Jala-Reaper, or Reaper-Potle to the sauce mix.

The sauce in the little bowl in the picture is 1 tsp Old Saratoga Garlic-Smoked Salt-Jalapeno mix combined with 1/2 cup mayonnaise and 1/2 cup buttermilk. It makes a great dipping sauce for veggies or fries or a tasty salad dressing.

HOLIDAY IDEAS

DIPS/SALSA/SPREADS

1-2-3! Did you write that down? All our Garlic-Smoked Salt blends (Pepper, Jalapeno, 5 Pepper, Death, or Reaper and Friends) and all of our lower salt Flavor Mixes (PHG, TFC, GMJ, SWZ, HGC, PBF, OKMFR, or GCB) can be combined with sour cream, Greek Yogurt, hummus, cream cheese, or salsa at a ratio of 1 tsp per 2/3 of a cup. 1 tsp---2/3 of a cup, 1-2-3. For a little more pizzazz, add some chopped up roasted red pepper or diced jalapeno to the sour cream, cream cheese, or hummus.

For mayo, ketchup, or mustard, our favorite is Southwest Zest (SWZ) for a chipotle version. Other ways we improve the taste of basic sauces is to add Garlic-Mustard-Jalapeno (GMJ), Horseradish-Garlic-Chive (HGC), OKMFR, or even Reaper-Potle.

POTATOES

Oven Roasted/diced: toss in a mixing bowl with a combination of a little canola or vegetable oil and the spices of choice. We usually mix Provencal Herb & Garlic and GSSP. The amount will depend on how much you are making and what level of seasoning you are looking for. Always use the least amount of oil that will get the job done.

Baked: Crack open a baked russet potato, add butter, sour cream, cream cheese, or any combination thereof, now add one of our Garlic-Smoked Salt blends or our PHG Mix. Orrrrrrrrrr.........

Cut the potatoes lengthwise being careful with the skin. Spoon out the cooked potato and mash with cream cheese, milk, butter, and Garlic-Smoked Salt-Jalapeno Mix for very tasty Garlic/Jalapeno Smashed. Load the remaining skins with bacon, shredded cheese, sauteed mushrooms and onions, and season with a little Smoked Kosher Salt and PHG, HGC, GMJ, or SWZ.

MEATS/POULTRY/FISH

Prime Rib/Beef Roast: Garlic-Smoked Salt-Pepper. Period. Stop. The outside gets a liberal dose of that. The night before is best but it can be done immediately before cooking as well. Sprinkle a little HGC Mix on your prime rib once it is on the plate.

Turkey/Duck/Chicken/Quail: We are fans of GSSP on the inside of the body and PHG on the outside for that crispy herb and garlic skin. Going spicy? Rub the cavity with GSS5P the night before and SWZ on the skin before cooking. 

Seven Fishes- seven different flavors. Salmon? How about Sweet BBQ? Shrimp? Helloooooo Cajun Bayou Blast! Calamari? Add Hot Cue or OKMFR to your marinara for Fra Diavolo (depending on how hot you like it). Grilling light colored fish like haddock or cod? Go with Provencal Herb and Garlic or Garlic, Smoked Salt, Pepper or even a light dusting of Sweet Dragon Spice. Clam chowder a little boring? Stir in just a little Garlic, Mustard, Jalapeno. Whether your seventh dish is conch fritters, stuffed clams, or scungilli salad, all do better with a dusting of Horseradish, Garlic, and Chive or Southwest Zest.

DRESSING/BREADS

Use Old Saratoga Herb and Garlic (PHG) mix to season homemade versions of stuffing/dressing. Add PBF, GMJ, or SWZ to add some spice of depth to packaged mixes. For cornbread, we LOVE to add Garlic-Mustard-Jalapeno Mix to ours.

If we think of more we will add them. 

November

Pistachio Honey Mustard Chicken Strips

The sauce is "built-in" for this tasty recipe.  You'll need:

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced into strips

1 cup chopped or food processed salted pistachios or cashews if you prefer

1/2 cup plain panko breadcrumbs

2 tbsp yellow mustard

2 tbsp honey

1 tsp Old Saratoga Garlic-Mustard-Jalapeno Mix (or Old Saratoga Garlic-Mustard-JalaReaper mix for blazin' hot strips)

Parchment paper or baking spray

Combine honey, mustard, and GMJ Mix in a bowl.  Toss strips in mix to coat.  Set aside.  In a separate bowl, combine the chopped pistachios and the panko crumbs.  Before you coat the strips in the pistachio-panko mix, prepare the landing zone.  You'll need a flat baking pan covered with the parchment paper or lightly coated with the baking spray as these have a tendency to stick to untreated pans.  Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees.

Take the coated strips and dredge them in the nut/crumb mix before placing them on the pan.  As soon as they go in the oven, LOWER THE TEMP TO 350 degrees and bake for 20-30 minutes depending on how big the sliced strips are.  The sauce is built in so as soon as they cool enough, nosh away!

October

Peach Glazed Jerk Ribs

Any food with a flat surface will do.  We used ribs but this can be done with salmon, chicken, tofu, eggplant, or even portobellas.

1--rack of ribs

Old Saratoga Caribbean Lime Jerk

Brown Sugar (Optional)

1--14 oz can peaches

Apple cider vinegar

Red onion (diced small)

Cinnamon

Packaged Yellow Rice

Onion, Mushroom (Optional)

Old Saratoga Garlic-Mustard-Jalapeno

If you wish to make things less spicy, combine equal portions of brown sugar and Caribbean Lime Jerk.  Coat the rack and place on a rack in a pan in the oven and bake at @235 degrees for 2-3 hours.  Remove from the oven, cover tightly, and put it back for 1 hour at @300 degrees.

During that last hour there are things to do.  Separate the peaches and juice, placing the juice in a pan with half as much apple cider vinegar as peach juice, along with as much finely diced red onion as you like.  Simmer and reduce by 1/3 to 1/2.  Add peaches back in, mash and add cinnamon to taste.  Continue to simmer and reduce again by 1/3 to 1/2.  Set aside.  When the hour is up for the ribs, remove the cover, slather on the peach mix and switch to the broiler.  Bring to a golden brown crust-DO NOT BURN!!!, and remove.

For the rice, use some of the red onion, add quartered mushrooms, and prepare as directed.  When it is almost done, add the GMJ as desired.

September

Teriyaki Beef with Peppers, Onions, and Ramen noodles.

This dish can be made in a slow cooker or in the oven.  We chose the slow cooker method to minimize effort.

2-4 lb chuck roast

1 each -green pepper, red pepper, and medium sweet onion OR use a 10-16 oz bag frozen pepper and onion strips

2 packages ramen noodles

1 tbsp Old Saratoga Sweet Dragon Spice

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp brown sugar

2-3 cups hot water

Combine in your cooking vessel the Sweet Dragon Spice, soy sauce, brown sugar, and one cup of hot water.  Put roast in.  Make sure to coat all sides with liquid.  After slicing them into strips, drop in peppers and onions, turn on high if using a slow cooker.  Use a tightly covered pan at 350 degrees for the oven.  In about three hours your roast should be tender.  Open your ramen.  AFTER THROWING THE FLAVOR PACKETS IN THE GARBAGE, lift the roast, add 1-2 cups of hot water, and drop in the ramen noodles.  Place the roast back down on them, cover and simmer for 3-5 minutes until noodles are done.  Our serving suggestion is pictured.

August

When we have the time to play a bit, we like to lay out plates full of good food and tasty flavors.  This month we feature some old and some new.

LAZY RIBS

TORTELLINI SALAD

POBLANO AND CHORIZO POTATO BAKE

FRIED MUSHROOMS WITH JALAPENO DIP

Lazy Ribs

We got a package with two racks so we could do two flavors.  One got a good dose of Old Saratoga Sweet Chipotle Dry Rub.  The other got a coating of Old Saratoga Sweet & Smoky BBQ Rub.  Because both of those flavors have a naturally smoky flavor, we decided to oven cook them.  We put them on a rack over a pan at 180 degrees for 4 hours.  At the 4 hour mark, the Sweet Chipotle get another hit of the dry rub.  They get covered and put back at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour.  The Smoky BBQ ribs get some sauce and the same treatment.  Then put them under the broiler just long enough to make yourself happy.  Rest, cut, and serve.

Tortellini Salad

Started with a good 5 cheese tortellini.  Dropped into UNSALTED boiling water until they floated.  Rinsed and cooled.  1/2 tsp Old Saratoga Garlic-Smoked Salt-Pepper Mix, 1/2 tsp Old Saratoga Provencal Heb and Garlic Mix, a few cherry tomatoes and a little fresh basil from our garden.  Then we added a little Three Cheese Dressing and balsamic glaze, stirred, chilled, and served.

Poblano and Chorizo Potato Bake

8 oz chorizo

2 poblano peppers

1 med sweet onion

5 med Russett Potatoes sliced very thin

1 pint half and half

1 tsp Old Saratoga Green Chile Blast

1 tbsp cooking oil

8 oz Mexican Four Cheese Blend (If desired)

We used an iron skillet for this part.  Start with Spanish or Columbian chorizo, dice small and simmer.  When some fat is rendered, drop in the diced poblano and sweet onion.  Simmer until onion is translucent.  Add Old Saratoga Green Chile Blast.  Remove to second dish.  Add half and half and mix.  Set aside.  Add oil to the skillet and line with sliced potato.  Once a solid layer of potatoes is down, Spoon in some of the liquid mixture, cover with another layer of potatoes, and then the last of the liquid.  In the oven- 350 for about an hour with the cheese going on the lat 5 minutes.  On the grill- turn one side on high and place the pan on the other side.  Close the cover.  Walk away.  See where you are in an hour.  (I can't know how windy the day or efficient your grill so we leave things loose depending on your mad skills.)  Cheese may take a bit longer with this method.  We touched ours under the broiler (right after the ribs) to brown the top and rested about 15 minutes before serving.

Fried mushrooms with Jalapeno Dip

(Please scroll down to our February- Superb Owl Menu.

July

It's July Fourth and you want to impress the fam with your mad culinary skills while not working too hard to do it.  We got your back.  Knock 'em out with :

Bacon wrapped Chili dogs

'Move the needle" potato salad

Tomato-mozzarella salad with homemade crostini.

Bacon Wrapped Dogs:

It is easy if you have a fryer.  Starting at one end of a good hot dog, (We used Hoffman's Natural Casing) use a toothpick to pin one end of the bacon slice to the dog.  Wrap diagonally until it reaches the other end where you will use another toothpick to pin it in place.  After your dogs are prepped, drop them in the fryer until bacon is cooked.  Hold warm until serving.

Pro Tip- NO fryer?  Steam them in a large frying pan with 1/4 inch of water until the bacon is cooked.  Then crisp the bacon dog on the grill.  Trying to cook them entirely on the grill will give off a lot of grease and burn your toothpicks.

Meat Sauce

Start with 1 lb ground beef.  brown and crumble adding 1/2 teaspoon Old Saratoga Smoked Kosher Salt.  Once the beef is browned, add 1 1/2 tsp Old Saratoga Taco-Chili-Fajita Mix, 1-14 oz can tomato sauce, 2 tsp dehydrated minced onion or 1/8 cup fresh (diced small), and 1/2 to 1 cup of water, depending on how thick you want it.  Add more TFC Mix if a stronger flavor is desired.  Also at this point, you can divide your sauce and hit half with a dash of Old Saratoga Taco-Chili-Fa-Reaper Mix to make a delicious Supercharged Sauce.  Simmer for 10 minutes and serve over dogs, nacho chips, or baked potato.

"Move the Needle" Potato Salad

Choose your potato.  Russets will break down a bit when diced and boiled, giving a slightly mashed consistency.  Properly cooked red potatoes will be firmer.  We generally use about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of mayonnaise per 5 lbs boiled.  We add to that 1/2 cup each celery, onion, and carrot, all diced small.  We season with 1 1/2 tsp of one of the Old Saratoga Garlic-Smoked Salt blends, usually GSSP.  Those will give a flavor of bacon even though there is none.  Then, to 'Move the Needle", we dust the top generously with one of the following:  Old Saratoga Garlic-Mustard-Jalapeno, (slightly spicy- nothing crazy), Horseradish, Garlic, and Chive Mix, or Southwest Zest Mix.  OKMFR, Reaper-Potle, or Garlic-Mustard-Jala-Reaper are very tasty but very hot.  Better to set those in front of the dish and let everyone who dares....

Tomato/Mozzarella Salad with Crostini

Start with baguette rolls, cutting them into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices.  Baste with a mix of melted butter, extra virgin olive oil, and a combination of Old Saratoga GSSP and Provencal Herb & Garlic Mix.  Optionally, you can also add a bit of Parmesan cheese.  We don't give amounts because that will depend on how much you are making.  Coat one side of each slice and place under the broiler or on the grill until lightly toasted.  Remove and set aside to cool.  For the salad, mix 1 cup de-seeded and diced ripe tomato, 1 cup diced mozzarella, 1/4 cup finely diced sweet onion, 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 tsp Old Saratoga GSSP and 1/2 tsp Old Saratoga Provencal Herb & Garlic Mix.  Combine and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.  Complete with a dash of good balsamic vinegar for serving.

NOW GO IMPRESS THOSE IN-LAWS!!

JUNE

Rotisserie Beef

For Father's day last year, since we already had two grills and a smoker, I received a rather inexpensive rotisserie charcoal grill.  A couple of days ago, we wanted something low carb.  The picture explains what we did.  The next day, Mrs Rubs had lean roast beef on a salad and I cut a bunch of very thin slices.  I then piled them onto a big fat roll, topped them with Swiss, mayo, and a real good shake of our Garlic-Mustard-Jalapeno mix and stuffed it into my very happy face.  Here's what we did.

1  2-3 lb round roast, eye roast, or any lean beef roast.

2 tsp       Old Saratoga -- Garlic-Smoked Salt Mix.  For mild use GSSP.  For a bit of spice, use GSS5P or GSSD.  Need lower salt, try our Southwest Zest, Portobello, or (Sugar Free) BBQ Mix.  (A lean roast doesn't exude the moisture of a steak so the powder will still adhere through the cooking process.)  For more of an Italian twist, use our Provencal Herb & Garlic Mix.

8 lbs charcoal

Heavy Duty wide aluminum foil

FIRST- Coat your cut of meat with both teaspoons of the Old Saratoga flavor of choice.  If at all possible, season before you freeze.  If fresh wrap tightly in a ziploc bag for 1-24 hours.  Longer is better.  You regulate how well done it will be by three things: whether you allow it to warm a bit before cooking, temp of charcoal, and time of cooking.

NEXT- Get the charcoal going hot.  If, during the process you need more, start it in a charcoal chimney or other device and add to the rotisserie fire only when fully aglow.  Remove the roast from the bag. Pierce the roast with the skewer and secure in place with the end pieces.

GET COOKING- Place the seasoned roast on the rotisserie and hit the switch.  We then took a large strip of foil and wrapped it around the back of the rotisserie, folding the top a bit over.  This not only blocks any wind but also acts as a heat reflector helping you cook.  For reference, our roast in the picture was out of the fridge for the 20 minutes or so until the charcoal was ready.  We prefer our lean beef medium rare.

NOW GET SOME REST!- When you reach done, about an hour or so later, remove the roast from the fire.  Take the foil that is on the rotisserie, wrap the roast, spit and all, and rest 10-15 minutes.  Remove the spit and holders after resting the roast or you will lose a lot of juice.  You can see in the picture what the sliced results look like.  HAPPY DAY DADS!!

May

Mexican Chicken Parm

When the world zigs, we gotta zag.  I know it seems like we eat a lot of chicken, because we do!  And another way to flavor the same ol' bird is always welcome.

4 boneless skinless chicken thighs or cutlets

4 ciabatta rolls

1 cup salsa

4-6 oz queso fresco

Old Saratoga Chile-Lime Mix

Old Saratoga Garlic-Smoked Salt-Pepper

Old Saratoga Southwest Zest Mix

1 tbsp butter

Generously season the chicken with the Old Saratoga Chile-Lime Mix.  Set aside for at least 1 hour if possible.  Crumble your queso fresco.  Set aside.  Butter each of the rolls and sprinkle with a little Old Saratoga Garlic-Smoked Salt-Pepper Mix.  Set aside.  For a little kick, add one tsp Old Saratoga Southwest Zest Mix to the salsa.  Mix and set aside.  

When it's time to cook, get a lubricated grill hot.  Sear the chicken on both sides.  Then turn off one side and movre the chicken there.  Top with salsa and queso fresco.  While that gets tastier, grill the rolls on the hot side of the grill.  As you can see from the picture, our serving suggestion is with chips and more salsa.  Buen Provecho.

April

Long Point Chicken

Pretty sky, pretty water, not hot or cold.  There were beverages and live bait and music.  The problem was that the guest of honor, a fish for dinner, never showed up.  Therefore we were inspired to create Long Point Chicken to honor the county park in Brevard County where we stayed.

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs

Old Saratoga Sweet Chipotle Rub

BBQ Sauce

Roasted red pepper strips

Aged or smoked gouda cheese

Liberally coat each side of the thighs with Old Saratoga Sweet Chipotle rub.  Place in refrigerator to marinate for 2 hours or even overnight.

Start your grill and get it hot.  Wipe the grill surface with a moist paper towel (in tongs) to clean.  (Pro tip- chicken thighs especially do not release from the grill until they are ready.  To anyone cooking meat on a grill- the meat will let yoy know when it can be flipped.)

Grill the first side.  Once flipped have the sauce, the peppers, and the sliced cheese ready to go.  When the second side is nearing done, lightly coat the top with BBQ sauce, drop on the strips of roasted red pepper, and then top with the cheese.  If you are using a gas grill, turn it off, close it, and let the latent heat melt the cheese.  For charcoal or wood, move the thighs to a cooler part of the grill and cover long enough to also melt the cheese.  Place on a bed of romaine lettuce or between to toasted buns.  (Pro tip- for better buns, butter them a little, sprinkle with Old Saratoga GSSP, pat it so it sticks, and THEN grill.)

March

Chicken Enchiladas

2-3 large (chicken) leg quarters

1 1/2 cups frozen onion/pepper mix chopped smaller

1- 28 oz can tomato sauce

1- 8 oz queso fresco (Optional)

1 lb shredded cheese

8 med or lge soft taco shells

2 tsp Old Saratoga Garlic-Smoked Salt blend (Pepper, 5P, and Death work the best)

1 1/2 tbsp Old Saratoga Taco-Fajita-Chili Mix

1-2 tbsp Old Saratoga Southwest Zest Mix

For BEST RESULTS, start the day or morning before by simmering the chicken with one tsp of the Garlic-Smoked Salt mix in about two cups of water.  Once chicken is thoroughly cooked, remove from water to cool.  Chop and set aside.  Save that water!  Place in a bowl in the refrigerator so the the fats can harden (into schmaltz) and the liquid will congeal.

In a non stick skillet on med heat, start with 1-2 tbsp of the chicken schmaltz.  Add chopped frozen onion/pepper mix and 1 tsp Old Saratoga Garlic-Smoked Salt mix.  Saute for a few minutes before adding the chopped chicken and the Old Saratoga Taco-Fajita-Chili Mix.  Add about 1/4 cup of the juice form the simmered chicken.  Simmer 5 minutes and remove to cool.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl combine tomato sauce, 2 cups water, and the Old Saratoga Southwest Zest Mix.  Put 1/4 inch layer of the sauce in the bottom of 2- 9X13 pans.  Chop or crumble queso fresco.  Lay out tortilla and fill with chicken mixture and some of the crumbled cheese.  Roll and place in pan with a small space between.   Spoon a bit of the sauce over each one before placing in the preheated oven.  At 10 minute intervals, spoon more sauce of each enchilada.  At the 30 minute mark, smother in the cheese.  30 minutes later they are ready to come out.  Let stand at least 10 minutes before serving (and they will still be hot!).  Top with sour cream and green onion if desired.

February

SUPERB OWL MENU

We will enjoy guac, fried mushrooms, cheese and crackers, wings, and cheesy garlic bread.  Some of these may be repeats but this is what we are having.

GUACAMOLE

3 ripe avocados

1/3 cup diced sweet onion

1 1/2 tsp Old Saratoga GSSP Mix

2 tbsp lime juice

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

2-3 Roma tomato, diced and deseeded

Combine lime juice, GSSP, onion, and chopped cilantro in a food processor.  Give it a few spins.  Add diced avocado.  Give it a few spins.  Now add tomato, give a few more spins, and get your chips ready!

FRIED MUSHROOMS

1 lb mushrooms trimmed and cleaned

2 tsp Old Saratoga Garlic-Smoked Salt blend (GSSP, GSS5P, and GSSD recommended)

1 cup flour

2 med or 1 jumbo egg, beaten

1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

EITHER 1/2 cup buttermilk and 1/2 cup mayo OR 2/3 cup sour cream

1 tsp Old Saratoga Garlic-Smoked Salt-Jalapeno or 5 Pepper Mix

350 degree oil

Place mushrooms in microwave proof bowl awith just enough water to cover and season with 1 tsp GSSP. Microwave about 6-9 minutes until partially cooked. (We usually save trhe water to cook something later.)  Drain and let dry a bit before starting the dredge.  Combine remaining Old Saratoga mix with the flour.  Run the mushrooms through the flour, egg, and breadcrumbs and allow to set up for a bit before frying.  2-3 minutes in the oil and when they float remove them to a draining rack or paper towel.  While they cool, make your dip and enjoy together.

CRACKERS AND CHEESE

Keep your favorite Old Saratoga Flavor Mix handy for this part.  At our table, we will have Garlic-Mustard-Jalapeno, Southwest Zest, Horseradish, Garlic, and Chive, and OKMFR.  (For the culinarily insane, we also have the new Lucifer's Private Reserve Original.)  Spinkle a little on your cheese and pepperoni cracker and take it to new places.

WINGS

It's about the process.

1-Marinate the wings overnite in the Old Saratoga Garlic-Smoked Salt blendof choice from GSSP all the way to Garlic-Smoked Salt-Fire (245,000 Scovilles).

2-Bake (on a rack so they drain) at 300 degrees for 45 minutes.

3-Then they go into that oil already hot from the mushrooms.

4-Once they float, remove them, sauce or dust, and serve.  We will have BBQ sauce on some and others we will dust with Old Saratoga Sweet Chipotle rub.

CHEESY GARLIC BREAD

1 loaf of Italian Bread

1 1/2 tbsp melted butter

1 1/2 tbsp EVOO

1 tsp Old Saratoga GSSP, GSS5P, or GSSD

1 tsp Old Saratoga Provencal Herb and Garlic Mix

8 oz mozzarella or shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Combine butter, EVOO, and seasoning with the parmesan cheese.  Split loaf lengthwise and cover each side with the butter mix.  Place under a hot broiler until it just starts to brown.  Remove, add cheese, and put back under the hot broiler until golden brown and delicious.

Even if the game sucks and the commercials are boring, at least you'll enjoy the food.

January

Triple Threat chicken

Breaded chicken is one of our favorite blank canvasses.  Making different versions at the same time is usually not a big deal.  Today we took the standard large package of chicken breasts and turned them into each person's favorite: Chicken Parm, Chicken Tuscaloosa, and chicken strips

4 boneless skinless chicken breast

Old Saratoga Garlic-Smoked Salt-Pepper mix (or GSSJ, GSS5P, GSSD, or Reaper and Friends)

2-3 eggs, beaten

All purpose flour

Seasoned bread crumbs

Marinara sauce

BBQ Sauce

Fresh Mozzarella cheese

Sharp cheddar

350 degree oil

2/3 cup sour cream

1 to 1 1/2 tsp Old Saratoga Horseradish, Garlic, and Chive Mix or Garlic-Smoked Salt-Jalapeno Mix

Start by laying the breasts flat and slicing 2 into two or three thin layers.  Slice the other two into 3/4 inch wide strips. Season with one of the Old Saratoga Spice Rubs Garlic-Smoked Salt Blends.  Place in a bag or bowl and allow to marinate 2-3 hours (if possible) in the refrigerator.  Set up a breading station.  That means a flat dish of flour, a bowl of beaten eggs, and a flat dish of breadcrumbs.  Coat each piece of chicken in flour first, then egg, them breadcrumbs.  (Pro tips- use different hands for dry and wet parts of coating to avoid club hand.  Lay out pieces on a wire rack to dry a little while the oil heats up.)

Start heating the oil and preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

Chicken Parm

Cook pieces of breast in the hot oil until they are GBD (Golden Brown and Delicious).  Lay them in a pan and spread the top of each piece with marinara sauce and top with sliced mozzarella.  Place in oven to allow cheese to melt.

Chicken Tuscaloosa

I posed this question to my people, "If marinara and mozzarella makes Chicken Parm, where do breaded chicken, BBQ Sauce, and Cheddar meet?  The first answer was "Tuscaloosa!", hence the name.  Take other pieces of the now Golden Brown and Delicious chicken and give it a coat of your favorite BBQ sauce and top with sliced cheddar.  Into the oven next to the Chicken Parm it goes to melt that delicious cheese.

Chicken Strips

Same treatment as the other chicken.  Flour, eggs, breadcrumbs, fryer.  Once they are all floating, you're done.  Mix some sour cream with your favorite Old Saratoga flavor and dip away.