HAPPY WIFE, HAPPY LIFE

PANKO BREADED PORK CUTLET WITH MUSHROOM AND ONION GRAVY

PANKO FRIED MUSHROOMS and GARLIC/PAPRIKA ASPARAGUS

For Mother's Day, we put some of Mrs. Rubs' favorite things together onto one plate.  We used pork cutlets but any meat or poultry will be fine.  This one does take about 90-120 minutes between prep and cooking but the results are worth it to us.

4 cutlets 

1 lb baby portabella mushrooms divided in 1/2 by size

1/4 sweet onion julienne cut

2 eggs, beaten

1-2 lb fresh asparagus

2/3 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup butter

2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp paprika

2/3 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt

Old Saratoga Smoked Kosher Salt

Old Saratoga Garlic-Smoked Salt-(Your Choice: Pepper/5 Pepper/or Death)

1 tsp Old Saratoga Garlic-Smoked Salt-Jalapeno or Horseradish, Garlic, & Chive Mix

1 tbsp Old Saratoga Portobello and Friends Mix.

Pound the cutlets and the dredge in a mix of 1/2 cup flour with two teaspoons of any  Old Saratoga Garlic-Smoked Salt-blend.  Set aside to dry for a few minutes.  Then run each piece through a beaten egg dip and the panko crumbs.  Set aside to dry for a bit.

In a heavy skillet melt @3tbsp butter on low heat.  Once melted, add the minced garlic, the paprika, the asparagus, and about 1/2 tsp Old Saratoga Smoked Kosher Salt.  Cover and cook on very low heat so as not to burn the garlic.  The idea is a VERY slow sautee.  This part should take 35-45 minutes.  (Pro tip-this part can also be done in the oven on about 240 degrees.)

Take larger half of mushrooms and slice thin.  Set aside.  Place 1/4 inch of water in a non stick skillet. Turn on high heat and bring to a boil.  Carefully place smaller mushrooms into the water, cover, and turn off after about one minute.  After five minutes of standing, remove the mushrooms and place stem down or on side to drain.  Add 1 1/2 cups water back to the pan and add 1/2 tsp Old Saratoga Garlic-Smoked Salt blend, the sliced mushrooms, and julienne onions.  Simmer until tender.  Place in a holding dish and save the pan for later. Dredge the par-cooked mushrooms in the seasoned flour, the eggs, and then the panko crumbs. Handle carefully to keep panko in place.  Set aside.

So now, the cutlets, mushrooms, and gravy are prepped and the asparagus is doing it's thing.  Time to fry. Heat some oil to 335 degrees.  Cook each cutlet until golden brown and delicious.  Remove and drain. Carefully place the mushrooms into the oil allowing each to brown.  As soon as any makes a deeper noise, they are done.  Set aside to cool and drain.  Mix the GSSJ or HGC mix with the sour cream and set aside.

In the pan the mushrooms were cooked in, melt the remaining butter.  As soon as it strts to bubble add the remaining seasoned flour whisking vigorously to creat a roux.  Add the mushroom water back slowly at first, constantly whisking to prevent lumps.  Once the mix is back in the pan bring to a boil, turn the heat off, and stir in the PBF Mix.

As you can see in the picture, the cutlets get a mushroom and onion gravy bath, the panko fried mushrooms get a sour cream dip, and the asparagus should be very tender with butter, garlic, and paprika all clinging.  Happy Mother's Day!

April

JERK CHICKEN SANDWICH with  4 INGREDIENT PEACH CHUTNEY on a GARLIC/PEPPER GRILLED ROLL

We ran this recipe about two years ago but we get asked all the time for it at events.  You can give it more zip by making either the chicken or the roll extra spicy.

4 pieces boneless skinless chicken (or boneless pork chop or fish filet.)  Season with Old Saratoga Caribbean Lime Jerk.  Go light for mild or heavy for spicier.  Set aside.

Separate one 14 ounce can of peaches, placing the juice in a sauce pan or skillet.  Add about half as much apple cider vinegar as juice, one tbsp water, and 1/4 red onion diced small.  Set peach sections aside.  Bring liquid with onions to a simmer and continue until it is reduced by half.  Mash peaches and then add back to reduction along with 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon.  Continue reducing on low heat until you achieve the desired thickness for the sauce.  Remove from pan and set aside.

I wipe out my skillet and use the same one for the roll as I used for the chutney.  Melt some butter in the pan and then sprinkle it with one of Old Saratoga's Garlic-Smoked Salt blends.  (GSSP for mild, GSS5P for medium, and GSSD for HOT)  Now place the roll down in the butter/spce mixture to toast.  PRO TIP- make sure to rotate your roll halfway through or one side will be WAY more done than the other.

AND THEN...

Because I had chutney left, I then took a small loin, hit it with OLD SARATOGA Caribbean Lime Jerk, and roasted it in the oven.  The chutney was great on it.

AND THEN.... AND THEN......

Because I now had some extra loin, I cubed it small, browned it, and then made a commercial yellow rice mix in the pan with the meat.  So good....

March

Just came back from a camping trip.  Met a lot of great peeps out there and learned of a great need.  Many folks still struggle with the GRILL MADE BURGER.  Charcoal, wood, or propane, it makes no difference. Their burgers stick.  They break.  They burn on the outside and don't cook inside.  They are NOT great.  We are stepping into the void this month and maybe we can help some folks out there.  There are many ways to go, we will cover things from the beginning using our method.

Gloves- wear some gloves so you don't get everything on your hands.  All gloves are NOT created equal. Make sure yours are food grade.

Meat- we will refer only to beef here but the lessons can be transferred to other foods.  Whenever possible, pat out your own burgers.  We like to go about 6 ounces and make a burger about 4-5 inches wide.  SEASON ONE SIDE OF THE BURGER WITH OLD SARATOGA SMOKED KOSHER SALT.  Two things that make foods stick to a grill are food residue and lack of heat.  Make sure the grill is very hot, clean, and lubricated.  Lay the burger on gently, salted side up.  Let the burger cook on that side until it releases from the grill.  (Pro tip- after brushing, use damp paper towels and tongs to clean a hot grill.  Then use cooking oil on a paper towel and tongs to lubricate after cleaning.  That is especially important when cooking leaner burgers or meats.)  Your burger will tell you when it can be flipped.  If it is sticking, it is trying to tell you it is not ready yet.  AFTER YOU FLIP IT, SEASON THE OTHER SIDE WITH ONE OF OLD SARATOGA'S LOWER SALT BLENDS such as TFC, GMJ, SWZ, OKMFR, Reaper-Potle.  I put my cheese on right away and close the cover for a couple of minutes.  Once again, the burger will release itself from the grill when the second side is done.  We determine rare or well done by the temp of the burger before cooking.  Rare- leave refrigerated until cooking.  Well done- let burgers come to room temp, while covered, before cooking.  After cooking, let the burgers rest while you grill the rolls.

Buns- GET GOOD BUNS!!  Kaiser rolls, pretzel buns, ciabatta rolls, stadium rolls, even a split hoagie roll- all good.  Hamburger rolls?  Maybe for the little kids.  Apply a thin coat of butter or olive oil to the roll.  Then season with one of our Old Saratoga Smoked Salt blends.  While the burgers rest, grill the seasoning onto the buns.

Extras- therein lies the true beauty of a good burger: you can pile things as high as you want or simply toss a patty on a bun.  It's still a burger.

February

SEARED SCALLOP WITH BACON, ONION, RED PEPPER JAM

Got this inspiration from a visit to Florida recently.  We actually made this recipe on a small propane grill at a beach side campsite.  We used a flat square non-stick pan.  At home, we would probably have gone with cast iron.

4 slices thick cut bacon diced small

1 lb scallops

1/2 sweet onion diced very small

1/2 red pepper diced very small

1 tbsp butter

1 tsp Old Saratoga G-SS-(P, J, 5P, or D)

1/2 tsp Old Saratoga PHG, GMJ, SWZ, OKMFR, or Reaper-Potle (if desired)

Start with the scallops.  It is VERY IMPORTANT that they are DRY when you season them and when you sear them.  Otherwise, if there is too much moisture on the surface, they will steam and not sear.  Dab with a clean paper towel if you have to.  Once dry, the scallops should be seasoned with half of the Old Saratoga Garlic-Smoked Salt blend.  Set aside.

Place diced ingredients in your pan with the remainder of the seasonings.  Cook on low stirring occasionally to allow the bacon, onion, and pepper to slowly darken.  This part should take 20-30 minutes.  Remove the finished jam from the pan and place in a serving bowl.  Put the butter in the pan and turn the heat to medium-high.  Once the pan is hot, in goe the scallops- 90 seconds on a side for the big ones.  About a minute per side for the little guys.  Top the scallops with the bacon jam and enjoy.

January

WILD RICE AND PORTOBELLO STUFFED ROLL

Whether you use beef, pork, or even salmon, a stuffed roll creates a pretty picture when sliced and on the plate.  Ours includes wild rice and mushrooms but almost anything works.

1-  12 to 14 inch section of pork loin (about 3-4 pounds)

1-  5-6 oz package feta cheese

1-  8 oz package unseasoned wild rice/wild rice blend

1-  32 oz or 2-14 oz low sodium broth

1-  8 oz package sliced portobello or wild mushroom mix

5-6 slices spicy capicola

1/4 cup diced sweet onion

4 tbsp softened butter

2-3 tsp Old Saratoga Garlic-Smoked Salt-Pepper Mix 

Toothpicks or butcher twine

Start with the stuffing.  Chop mushrooms into smaller pieces and cover with broth in a microwave safe dish along with the onion.  Add 1 tsp Old Saratoga GSSP.  Cook on high for 4-6 minutes until mushrooms are mostly cooked. Prepare the rice according to its instructions using the cooking liquid from the mushrooms (plus needed broth), one tablespoon of the butter, and 1/2 teaspoon Old Saratoga GSSP.  Combine rice, mushrooms, and feta and set aside.

Create flat pork loin.  Method one-cut pork loin from side to side stopping one inch from the cutting through.  Splay out the two attached sides and repeat.  Cover meat in plastic wrap and pound flat.  Method two- Cut a slice about 3/4 of an inch deep end to end across the loin.  Roll the loin slightly and repeat- being careful not to cut through.  After a few cuts, you will have a flat piece of pork unrolled on the cutting board.  (Pro tip- for best results, use a very sharp non-serrated blade.)

Spread softened butter on the flat meat.  Lay out sliced capicola.  Cover with a thin layer of the rice and mushroom mix.  Leave the last two inches of the meat uncovered in the direction it will be rolled.  Roll the meat and stuffing and close with the toothpicks or twine.  (If you are using toothpicks, place the seam down along one side to help keep it from unrolling.  It will expand slightly in the oven.  Tied rolls should also go in a roasting pan seam down.)  Season outside with remaining Old Saratoga GSSP (or GSSJ, GSS5P or GSSD).

Place, uncovered, into a 300 degree preheated oven for about 75 minutes.  At that time, add remaining broth, cover, raise the temp to 350 and cook another 30 minutes.  You are looking for an internal temp of at least 160 degrees.  Rest 15 minutes and remove toothpicks before slicing.  Use the pan juice as demi-glace or as a base for gravy.  Serve with remaining mushrooms and rice.

December

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.  

Whether you are celebrating a holiday this month or not, we wish to thank all of our loyal customers and our hope is for you all to have a peaceful, healthy, and blessed 2023.

November

Whether you are bringing something to someone else's house or having some of the family over, this month begins a run of get-togethers.  So we need easy, inexpensive, and elegant.  Gotcha.  How about we use cream cheese or hummus as a base and do a couple or three things?

Start by prepping the spread.  Whether it is cream cheese or hummus, chop up some roasted red pepper to add to it.  Set aside.  If you make your own hummus or are using cream cheese, use one of the Old Saratoga Garlic-Smoked Salt varieties to season depending on desired heat level.    If you are using purchased hummus, then you probably will get better results from one of the Old Saratoga low salt blends such as GMJ, HGC, PBF, PHG, SWZ, OKMFR, or even Reaper-potle.  Combine cream cheese or hummus with diced pepper and spices.  (Pro tip- If you are doing multiple flavors of roll ups, leave the spread without spices and sprinkle them on individually on each rolled up tortilla.)

Roll ups or Swirls

Spread mix on a large flour tortilla.  Make sure to spread all the way to the edge because this will be the glue that closes them.  Now add a layer of sliced deli meat, shredded cheese, or sliced cucumber.  (Pro tip- slice cucumber lengthwise thinly and set in paper towels in the refrigerator for an hour or two to drain some of the moisture.)  For better results, refrigerate to firm up the filling before slicing into 1 inch cross sections.  Plate and dust with more spice before serving.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Start with either white or portabella mushroom caps.  If desired, add crab or cooked ground beef with the cream cheese mix before stuffing mushrooms.  Top with bread crumbs mixed with parmesan or shredded cheese and bake at 350 degrees.  

Stuffed Other Stuff

Start with a chicken breast or pork chop.  Create a pocket with a knife and fill with cream chease and spice mixture.  Seaon the outside and bake until desired level of doneness is reached.  Let cool for at least ten minutes before serving.

October

I know, I know....

Regular visitors might have noticed that we have done a recipe or two in the past for different breakfast hash ideas.  This one mimics a breakfast cheeseburger.  We made it on a camp weekend back in September.

1 lb finely diced beef

1/3 lb bacon (thick cut if possible)

2-3 medium potatoes

1/2 medium sweet onion

1/2 cup chopped matchstick carrots

1 tsp Old Saratoga Spice Rubs GSSP, GSSJ, GSS5P, GSSD, GSSRF

1 tsp Old Saratoga Soice Rubs PHG, OKMFR, GMJ, PBF, or SWZ

Optional: diced pepper, diced celery, halved cherry tomatoes, two tablespoons unsalted butter, shredded cheese

Place bacon in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up.  Dice potato and onion to 1/2 inch.  Chop carrots.  Dice optional vegetables.  Potato and onion (and peppers) go into a microwave safe dish with just enough water to cover.  Cook in the 'wave on high until the veggies are mostly, but not all the way, done.

We chop off one end of the bacon package and cut the pieces to a width of 1/3 of an inch or so and start them on medium heat.  As soon as they start to brown, remove them from the pan, leaving the fat, and put the beef in the pan.  Brown.  Drain and add the cooked veggies (and the carrot and celery) to the pan along with the butter.  (Pro tip- most finely diced beef is not too fatty so the bacon alone will not provide enough lubrication to keep the veggies from sticking to the pan.  If you don't use butter you may need a little extra oil even in a non-stick pan.)  Add Old Saratoga Smoked Salt blend.  Cook covered on medium, lifting and draining the cover every few minutes.  Allow to brown a bit on the bottom for more flavor and use an oven safe pan to finish there.  Top withthe optional cheese, dust with the other teaspoon of  seasoning and let it rest for a few minutes before serving.

SEPTEMBER

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

2 lb boneless chicken

Old Saratoga Sweet Dragon Spice

8 skewers

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp soy sauce

Optional: 1 tbsp lime juice, 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

Because the ginger, garlic, and chile flake is in the Sweet Dragon Spice, you don't need to put them in the sauce.  Cut the chicken into 8 strips.  Skewer them lengthwise.  Apply Sweet Dragon Spice to each side as desired.  Place aside for up to 24 hours before cooking.  The chicken will cook fairly quickly so make the sauce as close as you can beforehand.

Whisk together the peanut butter, soy, and honey and optionals if desired.  Add a bit more honey if you prefer a sweeter sauce or a tiny touch of Old Saratoga OKMFR to make the sauce fiery.  Set aside.  Get your chicken over a hot grill and cook fast and hard turning regularly.  Pro Tip:  This works A LOT better when your grill is cleaned and oiled.  Put some kind of spray or bottle cooking oil on something clean and wip it on your grill using tongs to keep your hands away from the heat.

When the chicken is done, drizzle with the peanut sauce and serve with rice or noodles.

August

Garlic Bread Steak Sandwich

You'll need:

1 loaf Italian Bread

1- 2 lb London Broil or other steak

1/8-1/4 cup softened butter

8 oz shredded or sliced cheese

1/8 cup Worcestershire Sauce

Old Saratoga Garlic-Mustard-Jalapeno Mix

Treat the steak with Worcestershire Sauce, sprinkle with Old Saratoga GMJ Mix, and set aside.  Split the Italian loaf leaving one side attached.  Butter, sprinkle with Old Saratoga Provencal Herb & Garlic Mix, and set aside.  At this time, cook your vegetable and set aside.  Grill the steak and set aside, covered, to rest.Take the split buttered and seasoned loaf and either grill of place under the broiler to brown to desired color.  (Pro tip- If you are going to melt the cheese under the broiler, make sure not to brown too much during this phase.)  Slice rested steak on the bias ( that means lean your knife over and cut at an angle).  Place rested steak in loaf, top with sauteed vegetables, top with cheese and either place in hot turned off grill or under broiler for cheese to melt.

OPTIONS: Use julienne cut sweet onion, green or red pepper strips, or sliced mushrooms.  Take any of these and saute them with a little butter or oil and some Old Sarartoga Garlic-Smoked Salt-Pepper or 5-Pepper Mix.

July

Garden Time!

If you planted your seeds in April or you have a good farm stand nearby, then the local first tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, and squash should be coming in.  Let's talk about some garden love: salads, bruschetta, tomato/mozzarella salad, sauteed squash and onions, and grilled hearts of romaine.

Salads- add whatever you wish veggie wise we're concerned with the dressing.  Combine 1/2 cup mayo, 1/2 cup buttermilk, and 1 to 1 1/2 tsp of almost any Old Saratoga Smoked Salt blend or Flavor Mixes.  The ones people tell me about most often are Horseradish, Garlic, and Chive (HGC), Garlic-Smoked Salt-Jalapeno (GSSJ), GSS5P, GSSD,Provencal Herb and Garlic (PHG), and Southwest Zest (SWZ) for a chipotle ranch style dressing.

Bruschetta- we like ours pretty basic; fresh diced tomatoes, some sweet onion chopped small, extra virgin olive oil, and our Provencal Herb & Garlic Mix.  Put a spoonful atop a nice ciabatta crostini.

Tomato/Mozzarella Salad- again we keep ours pretty basic: diced mozzarella, diced deseeded tomatoes, sweet onion chopped small, extra virgin olive oil, Old Saratoga GSSP and PHG Mix.

Grilled Romaine- split a heart of romaine.  Brush the cut side with some neutral oil and place cut side down on a hot grill for 30 seconds or so.  (Not trying to cook, just trying to put grill marks on.)  Remove from the grill, sprinkle with a little Old Saratoga Smoked Kosher Salt, drizzle with a little balsamic vinegar and serve.....OR...... top with a little bruschetta or tomato/mozzarella salad and then serve.

Sauteed Squash with Sweet Onion- Whether it is yellow or zucchini, harvest you squash smaller rather than bigger as the plant should grow more.  Slice into 1/4 inch thick slices.  Julienne some sweet onion.  Melt some butter on medium heat and when the bubbling slows down, add the onions and squash.  Add one of our Garlic-Smoked Salt- blends (P, J, 5P, D, RAF) or perhaps a Provencal Herb & Garlic (PHG) or even Sweet Chipotle (SwCh).  Stay with it as it should be cooked hot, briefly, and minded.  The process will release a lot of water so the temp must be hot enough to saute, not boil.

June 2022

Dogs, burgers, potato or macaroni salad, maybe some deviled eggs, that's what I think of when I think of summer celebration food.  Hot dogs are OK, but chili dogs with onions and cheese is better.

1 lb ground beef

1- 14 oz can tomato sauce

1 tbsp dried minced onion

1 1/2 tsp Old Saratoga TFC Mix

1/2 tsp Old Saratoga SKS

1/4-1/2 cup water

In a medium frying pan brown the ground beef with the SKS.  Add minced onion and TFC Mix and stir.  After spices are fully integrated, stir in the tomato sauce and the amount of water desired to bring to desired consistency.  Simmer for 3-4 minutes and remove from heat.  Spoon over dogs, burgers or fries with shredded cheese and diced sweet onion.

For potato or macaroni salad, I will forego the lesson.  I will, however, offer a few tips.  We don't salt our macaroni or potatoes while cooking.  We want to save any room in the flavor profile for the Smoked Kosher Salt in the other seasonings we are going to add.  Use good mayonnaise.  Cheap mayo doesn't taste as good.  Add fresh veggies- dice them small.  Most people like the taste of carrots, peppers, onions, or celery but few want to bite into a big chunk.   Use Old Saratoga GSSP for regular or GSS5P for a spicy salad. Lastly, you gotta add some dust.  Once your salad is in its pan, bowl, serving tray, or whatever vessel it will be taken from, dust the top of it with your favorite Old Saratoga condiment flavor.  (People who can't have/don't want what you added can avoid the top layer.)  Instead of some boring paprika, how about some tangy Southwest Zest Mix?  What about trading a dust of mustard powder for Old Saratoga Garlic, Mustard, Jalapeno Mix?  HGC is for the horseradish people and the crazy spicy can add OKMFR or any of our Reaper blends.

Deviled Eggs are one of those things that almost everybody has their version.  Again, we will leave the specifics to you.  What we would tell you is to use one of our Garlic-Smoked Salt blends to season the yolk/mayo filling.  Then dust your awesome eggs with one of our condiment seasonings like GMJ, HGC, or OKMFR.

MAY 2022

If you aren't one of those people who stands at the grill in a snowstorm, your time has come.  The days are longer and warmer, the children put down the gaming console for 5 minutes, and you want to cook over a fire.  This month we made some delicious skewers.

Start with the right skewers themselves.  The twisted ones, the round ones, and the bamboo ones all allow the food to spin when you try to turn the skewer.  Get the flat wide stainless ones.

Prep the food right.  Make sure the meat is cut small enough to finish at the same time as the veggies.  Also, try to trim most fat to avoid grill flare ups.  Beef, pork, chicken, or firm fish all work.  We cut them into about 1 1/2 inch cubes.  For peppers, we cut into 1-1 1/2 inch squares.  For onions, we get a large sweet onion, cut it lengthwise into six sections, and use the large "petals".  We save the inner parts to chop up for something later.  For mushrooms, we use white button or baby bellas.  We cover them in water and partially cook them in the microwave so they don't split when you skewer them.  The smaller 'shrooms can go on whole, going through the bottom of the stem to the top.  The bigger ones can be split.  Skewer them through the cut side going to the thicker side of the cap.  When we used pineapple, it was raw chunks while the sweet potato was par cooked in water in the microwave.

Assembly requires care.  BE CAUTIOUS TO AVOID JABBING INJURIES.  Do not crowd the skewer.  There has to be space for the heat to get between different pieces.  No need to leave big gaps but also don't jam pieces together.  Once assembled, spritz them lightly with baking spray.  Now the rub will stick to all the parts.

Going classic and sugar free?  Sprinkle on some GSSP, GSSJ, GSS5P, Cajun Bayou Blast, or (Sugar Free) BBQ Spice.

Prefer a some sweetness?  Dust those beauties with Sweet BBQ (sweet & mild), Sweet and Smoky (not as sweet, slightly spicier), Sweet Dragon (sweet, gingery, and a little spicy), or the new Sweet Chipotle (first comes sweet, then the chipotle flavor turns on, then a warm heat builds behind it).

Something spicier?  Go with our GSSD, Caribbean Lime Jerk, Hot Cue, or one of our F.N. Hott Carolina Reaper rubs.

Once everybody is cut up, stuck on the stick, spritzed, and sprinkled, it's time for the fire.  Make sure the grill is hot and lubricated.  Also remember to have tongs on hand to turn your skewers as the metal will be hot.  Let rest for a few minutes before removing from skewer.

SUGGESTED USES

For dips or spreads made with cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, hummus, or salsa, add about 1 tsp of the dry mix to 1/2 to 2/3 cup of the base.

S-K-S-   Use just like regular salt on meats, poultry, fish, vegetable, potatoes, eggs, anything.

G-SS-P-   grilled or roasted anything (veggies, potatoes, meats, poultry, fish, use as garlic/salt/pepper base for any dish and add herbs or other spices.

G-SS-J-  popcorn, cheese spreads, Ranch style dressing, dip

G-SS-5P-  SPICY popcorn, spreads, dips

G-SS-D-  VERY HOT  Burgers, popcorn, eggs, dips,hot chili

HGC-  steak, salmon, popcorn, spreads or dips, baked potatoes, oven fries, dressing

GMJ-  anything with eggs, macaroni, or dairy, spreads, dips, prepared mac & cheese, leftover chicken sandwich

TFC-  taco or fajita meat, chili or meat sauce (for hot dogs), popcorn, dips, oven fries or tots

PHG-  poultry, fish, roasted potatoes, vinaigrette dressing, microwave veggies, dips, spreads

SWZ-  dips, spreads, Ranch dressing, cornbread, store-bought salsa

PBF-   eggs, dips, potatoes, steak, chicken, burgers

OKMFR-  EXTREMELY SPICY!  Dips, eggs, chicken or tuna salad, steaks, popcorn

BBQ, Sweet & Smoky, Sweet & Spicy:  any BBQ application, homemade (sweet) potato chips, most fish, grilled veggies

Sweet Dragon:  to make teriyaki flavor, mix equal parts Sweet Dragon Spice, brown sugar, and soy sauce (suggestion 1 tbsp each), popcorn or popcorn balls, pumpkin bread, apple pie slice

YOUR ONLY LIMIT IS YOUR OWN IMAGINATION!