GRANDMA KEYSER'S CHOW MEIN

Ingredients: amounts to taste
Pork - cubed
Celery - sliced on a slant 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick
Onion - slice 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick
Sprouts
Water Chestnuts
Chow mien noodles

Cook pork in fry pan cover with 2-4 cups of water and simmer until tender (plan about an hour) add water as needed.

In a large pot place onions and cover with water, bring to a boil. Add celery and boil for another minute.  Drain vegetables, reserve water. Add sprouts and Water Chestnuts

Pour water from meat to another pan, add corn starch to thicken adding  vegetable water as needed. Pour gravy into vegetables, add soy sauce to flavor. Stir gently to mix careful not to break sprouts.

Serve over chow mein noodles

BRISKET

1 tsp. celery salt
3 tsp. salt
1 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic salt
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 bottle liquid smoke
1/2 bottle barbecue sauce or use recipe below

Sprinkle onion, garlic, and celery salt on both sides of brisket. Place brisket in low roasting pan with fat side up, pour liquid smoke over brisket. Cover with foil and place in refrigerator over night.

Sprikle salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce over both sides of brisket, cover with foil and bake in oven for 7 hours at 275.
Remove foil and cover with barbecue sauce and bake uncovered 45-60 minutes longer. or
shred and serve with barbecue sauce on the side.


ROCKY MOUNTAIN BRISKET BARBECUE SAUCE
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 14 oz bottle catchup
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp liquid smoke
4 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tsp. dry mustard
2 tsp. celery seed
6 Tbsp. butter

Combine all ingredients in sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cook for 10 minutes. Serve with sliced or pulled brisket.

Crunchy Chicken Bake

The Elders asked for this recipe, so I thought I'd pass it along! It's a yummy twist on oven-baked fried chicken.

2/3 cup cornflake crumbs

1 T all-purpose flour

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp packed brown sugar

3/4 tsp garlic powder

3/4 onion powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground coriander

4 skinless boneless chicken-breast halves

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

2. Combine the cornflake crumbs, flour, paprika, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and coriander in a large ziplock bag. Spray the chicken lightly with nonstick spray and place 1 piece in the bag. Shake the bag to coat the chicken evenly; then transfer to the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken breats.

3. Bake until the chicken is golden and cooked through, 40-45 minutes.

Serves 4 (or more for us, because the kids don't each much..)

I usually serve it with "favorite"/"funeral" potatoes and salad, but the cookbook I found it in also said it would be good sliced in a mixed-green tossed salad.

Carne Asada

1/3 cup white vinegar

1/3 cup soy sauce (GF Tamari Sauce)

4 cloves minced garlic

2 limes, juiced

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup orange juice

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp paprika

Mix together all ingredients. Use as a marinade for carne asada meat, or flank steak. Marinate for 1 to 8 hours. Overnight is probably best.

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cut the marinated flank steak into cubes or strips. Cook, stirring constantly until the meat is cooked through and most of the liquid has evaporated.

Use the meat for tacos, or eat plain with rice.

We cooked the steak whole on the grill then ate it with Mexican rice.

Baked Stuffed Tomatoes

Ingredients

6 slices bacon
4-6 Medium tomatoes
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 chopped onion
1/4 C. Grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 C. Seasoned stuffing (dry)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Cook bacon until crisp, then crumble. You can use the pre-cooked "bacon bits", but I think freshly cooked bacon is better. Cook the onions and green peppers in a little oil or bacon grease over medium heat until tender. While things are cooking, wash the tomatoes and slice off the tops. Carefully scoop out the pulp, leaving a 1/2 inch wall. Finely chop the pulp and place 1/3 of it in a medium mixing bowl. You can discard any remaining.
Mix the bacon, onions, peppers, cheese and stuffing into the tomato mixture. Salt and Pepper to taste. Spoon the mixture into the hollowed out tomatoes. Place stuffed tomatoes into a prepared baking dish. I like to use 4 tomatoes, which will leave a little bit of the stuffing mix left over. I think just spoon this into the baking dish as well. The kids eat it better outside of the tomato. If you don't want to do this, use 6 tomatoes. Sprinkle the tops of the tomatoes with a little parmesan cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until heated through.

Chicken Alfredo Pizza

This is my new favorite dinner recipe. It is so delicious! I found the original recipe on Allrecipes.com, but have made a few changes. You can see the original here.


Ingredients

DOUGH
1 C. Warm Water
1 package yeast
2T. Olive Oil
1T. White Sugar
1/2t. Salt
1/4t. Dried Rosemary
1/4t. Garlic Powder
3 C. Flour

SAUCE
4T. Butter
1/4t. Salt
1 dash black pepper
4T. Flour
1 C. Milk
3/4 C. Parmesan Cheese

GARLIC BUTTER
2T. Butter
1 Clove Garlic, Minced
1 pinch dried Rosemary
1 pinch Salt

TOPPINGS
1 Chicken Breast Half, cut in small pieces and cooked
Season with Rosemary, Thyme, Garlic powder, Salt and Poultry Seasoning. Or, you can season the chicken however you want.
1 Red Pepper, cut into slices
1/2 C. Mushrooms, sliced
1 Roma Tomato, diced
1/4 C. Fresh Basil, diced

DIRECTIONS
1. To Make the Dough: Pour the warm water into a small bowl and stir in the yeast until dissolved. Allow to rest until the yeast foams, about 5 minutes. Mix the oil, sugar, salt, rosemary, and garlic powder together in a mixing bowl. Stir in the yeast mixture, and gradually stir in the flour. Gather into a loose ball and knead until a smooth ball forms. Cover, and let rise 1/2 hour. If kneading in a KA, use the dough hook and knead for about 6-8 minutes.
2. Carmelize your red peppers by cooking them on low/medium heat in about 1T. Butter. I start these at about the same time I do the dough and let them cook until I'm ready to put them on the pizza. Make sure to stir them often so they don't burn.
3. To Make Sauce: Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Blend in salt, pepper and flour, then stir in the milk and Parmesan cheese. Simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat, cover and set aside.
4. To Make the Garlic Butter: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Blend in garlic, rosemary and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is tender but not browned. Remove from heat, cover and set aside.
5. Preheat over to 400 degrees F. Spread dough out on a pizza pan. Top with cooled garlic butter, cover the entire crust. Next spread the Sauce on top, leaving crust edges. Top with the chicken, peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes and basil.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until bottom crust is lightly browned. Remove from oven and let set for 2 to 3 minutes before cutting.

Shrimp Scampi and Artichoke

Ingredients:

2 TBS Olive Oil
1/4 C Shallots, chopped
1 clove garlic
1/2 to l lb shrimp, shelled and divined
11 oz. frozen artichoke thawed
1/3 C. dry white wine (I used white grape juice)
1/2 lemon

Directions:
Heat oil in skillet over medium heat,
add shallots, cook for a minute add garlic cook for 2 - 3 minutes careful not to over cook.
stir in shrimp, mix through
add artichoke, stir through
add wine and juice from lemon
let simmer 3 to 4 minutes until shrimp are cooked through

add 2 TBS chopped parsley for color and flavor

serve with simple salad and hunk of whole grain italian style bread

simple salad
Open bag of prepared salad

Dressing:
in small dish mix:
2 TBS olive oil
1 TBS red wine vinegar
Pinch of: Basil, salt and pepper

pour over salad and serve

Korean-Style Beef Bowl

This recipe is super easy and easily one of Kurt's favorite dishes I make. It's from the Pampered Chef 29 Minutes of Less cookbook -- which is even better for me, because I'm really bad at planning ahead. :) However, if you do plan ahead the steak would probably be even tastier if you started marinating it earlier in the day.

Steak & Marinade:
2 green onions w/tops, divided
1 lb skirt steak - also called flank steak (we've tried other cuts of meat and they don't work as well)
2 garlic cloves, pressed
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vegetable oil (I used Olive oil)

Rice & Vegetables:
1 cup uncooked jasmine rice (I usually use our Japanese white rice, either would work)
2 medium carrots
2 cups bean sprouts

1. For steak & marinade, thinly slice green onions, reserving 1 tbsp of the tops for garnish; place remaining green onions into bowl.

2. Cut steak crosswise into 2-in (5-cm) pieces. Slice each piece into thin strips, cutting against the grain; add to bowl. Press garlic over beef. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, black pepper &; sugar; mix well. Cover & refrigerate until ready to use.

3. As beef marinates, cook rice.

4. Meanwhile, for vegetables, peel carrots; discard skin. Continue peeling carrots to make long ribbons. Place ribbons into ice water until ready to serve

5. To finish steak, add vegetable oil (or what ever type of oil you want to use) to (12-IN/30-CM) SKILLET; heat over medium-high heat 1-3 minutes or until shimmering. Add beef to skillet in a single layer and cook undisturbed 2 minutes or until beef is brown. Stir; cook an additional 3-4 minutes or until beef is no longer pink. Remove from heat.

6. Divide rice among serving bowls and serve with beef, carrots and bean sprouts. Garnish with reserved green onion tops.

Yield: 4 servings

US Nutrients per serving: Calories 410, Total Fat 20gt, Saturated Fat 7g, Cholesterol 70mg, carbohydrate 29g, Protein 28g, Sodium 790mg, Fiber 2g

US Diabetic exchanges per serving: 2 starch, 3 medium-fat meat, 1/2 fat (2 carb)

Chicken Cordon Bleu

This is a super easy recipe and very yummy!

4 Chicken Breasts
4 slices of deli ham
4 slices of Swiss Cheese
1 C. Seasoned Stuffing, crushed (you can also use seasoned bread crumbs, but I think stuffing is the best!)
Salt & Pepper
8-12 Toothpicks
1lb. asparagus (optional)
1 packet Hollandaise Sauce (optional)
Wax paper (optional)


Place wax paper over the top of your chicken. Use a meat mallet to pound out your chicken. If you don't have a mallet, you could also use the bottom of a cup or a rolling pin. The wax paper is optional, it just prevents the chicken from sticking to your pounding apparatus.
Season your chicken with the Salt and Pepper on both sides. Place your ham and cheese on one side of the chicken. Put the asparagus in the middle. Starting with the small end of the chicken, roll it tightly up. Use the toothpicks to keep it closed.
Place your crushed stuffing onto a plate and roll the chicken around in it so that it's completely coated. Place your chicken in a greased pan and cover. Cook for about 30 minutes at 400 degrees or until the chicken is cooked all the way through. Top with Hollandaise sauce, if wanted. I've tried making Hollandaise sauce from scratch, but I like it out of the packets so much more! Not to mention, it's way easier!
Makes 4 Servings.

Chicken Parmesan - at least thats what I think it is :-)

This was one we posted on our blog, we've had it a couple times now and love it. Bon-appetite

Chicken Parm. on a bed of noodles (Serves 4)

First Bread 4 boneless chicken breasts using Italian seasoned bread crumps (just mix italian seasoning in with the bread crumbs) and egg whites (2) and fry them in a little extra virgin olive oil until browned and cooked through.

Sauce (start by lightly toasting the garlic in the olive oil (2 or 3 tsp of fresh chopped garlic)) Then,

- Add 2 cup of cherry tomatoes, cut in halves

-1 large yellow onion

- Salt and pepper to tase

-1/2 cup of olive oil

- a covering of oregano, 3 fingers of sage and thyme, and parsley

-a little bit of hot pepper seeds

- 1/3 jar of your favorite brand of mushroom spaghetti sauce (you can make it without this part but I like to thicken the sauce a little)

cook all of this until everything is nice and blended put a lid on it to keep it hot and moist.

while cooking the sauce start the noodles and turn the oven on to bake at 400 degrees.

also try to keep the chicken warm.

when the sauce is ready pore it over the breaded chicken in a glass cooking pan and sprinkle a cup of mozzarella cheese on top and put it in the oven for 10 or 15 minutes until you can see the cheese melt and the sauce start to boil. quickly remove and serve on top of a bed of noodles plated individually. The glass pan in the picture is larger than usual and there is more chicken for this size double the sauce recipe (9’’x 13’’).

It is imperative to time this all together so everything is hot, if you don’t it will still taste great but I recommend timing it just perfect. If you think the recipe could use some tweaking go for it, like I said we kind of winged it so let us know if there are any improvements we could make.

ORANGE CHICKEN

So my mom had this idea to have an assigned category every month and have everyone post a recipe during the month. It doesn't have to be anything fancy or exciting, it could even be something you cook every week. I would love some new recipes to try as I often feel that I am cooking the same things over and over again. So if everyone is interested then I thought this month we could make it easy and have everyone post a chicken recipe.

My recipe is one that Doug's family cooks a lot and so we have had it often since we have been married. They call it "Orange Chicken" but I think that is more because of the color then the flavor.

Orange Chicken

3 lbs chicken breasts (I usually just use enough for our family to eat and I cut it into smaller pieces)

garlic salt

black pepper

beaten eggs

flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup vinegar

1/2 cup chicken broth

3 1/2 tbsp ketchup

1 tbsp soy sauce

Sprinkle both sides of chicken with garlic salt and pepper. Let stand for 1 hour or more. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Dip chicken in beaten egg then flour. Brown in hot oil. Place in baking dish. Cover with the following sauce: Mix sugar, vinegar, chicken broth, ketchup, and soy sauce in sauce pan and heat. Pour over chicken. Bake uncovered for 1 hour. Turn chicken over once or twice while cooking.

Real Italian Calzones

I got this recipe from Allrecipes.com.
"This is real calzone, because there is no tomato sauce INSIDE of it! We eat it at least once a week. Have a bowl of tomato or spaghetti sauce on the table for people to top their calzone with, if desired."

INGREDIENTS:
1 package active dry yeast
1cup warm water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup diced pepperoni
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
1 egg beaten

DIRECTIONS:
1. To make dough: In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add the oil, sugar and salt; mix in 1 cup of the flour until smooth. Gradually stir in the rest of the flour until dough is smooth and workable. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes, or until it is elastic. Lay dough in a bowl containing 1 teaspoon olive oil, then flip the dough, cover and let rise for 40 minutes or until almost doubled.
2. To make filling: While dough is rising, combine the ricotta cheese, Cheddar cheese (we used mozzarella), pepperoni, mushrooms and basil leaves in a large bowl. Mix well, cover bowl and refrigerate to chill.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
4. When dough is ready, punch it down and separate it into 2 equal parts. Roll parts out into thin circles on a lightly floured surface. Fill each circle with 1/2 of the cheese/meat filling and fold over, securing edges by folding in and pressing with a fork. Brush the top of each calzone with egg and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
5. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Samoan BBQ Chicken

1 part low-sodium soy sauce (we prefer Kikkoman)
2-3 part water
brown sugar to taste
large pulverized onions (we use a food processor or chopper)
fresh garlic buds (crushed)
fresh ginger root (peeled and crushed/ground)
frozen, boneless chicken thighs (Sysco has boxes of flash-frozen thighs for cheap if you're cooking for a big crew)
Calrose white, short-grained rice
shredded cabbage

Mix the soy sauce and water first. For a 3 lb bag of thighs, we mix up about 1/3 of a 26 cup bowl with the water/soy sauce mix first in a large tupperware bowl. I've never measured the exact amounts but it doesn't really matter - it should be to taste. Add the brown sugar and stir until it's slightly sweet. We add about a fistfull or so for a large bowl. Add the onions, garlic and ginger root. Again, it's to taste, but we like the mixture to be fairly full of these to add additional flavor.

Once you're satisfied with the flavor of the sauce, dump the frozen chicken in and let it sit overnight (or about 6 hours if you're prepping on a schedule) in your fridge. The longer you let it soak, the better. If you're only doing it for a few hours, you may not need to refridgerate it. We often do this in a cooler (for mutual activities) and don't refridgerate it at all - just remember to close the lid!

Once it's done marinating, BBQ it (all our Samoan and Tongan friends only use charcoal - gas doesn't give it the right flavor). We pull each piece out dripping wet and baste the others that are on the grill already as you put the new one on. Repeat for all pieces. Flip them often - you're not looking for blackened or dry, just bouncy, juicy meat. If you cook it too long, it'll be too dry. When they're done, toss them in a pan/bowl with a bed of shredded, slightly boiled cabbage on the bottom. Put a lid on to keep them hot and steam the cabbage a bit. It'll absorb the juices too and tastes amazing with the meat and rice.

We use this a lot for our "youf" (Samoan for 'Youth') in our ward. It can easily be made in a large cooler or multiple coolers for any occasion and tastes great with Calrose white rice, and macaroni salad in the true island way. Makes an awesome beach bbq bonfire dinner.

Talofa!

For the Cafe Rio lovers....

**I stole this from a friend and am making it for the first time this Sunday for Kelsie's blessing. She said the recipe is REALLY good. Enjoy! Here is the link to the original post with more details: http://favfamilyrecipes.blogspot.com/2007/11/jared-and-i-love-cafe-rio.html

SWEET PORK

2 pounds pork
3 cans Coke (NOT diet)
1/4 c. brown sugar
dash garlic salt
1/4 c. water
1 can sliced green chilies
3/4 can enchilada sauce (I used Old El Paso brand, medium spiciness)
1 c. brown sugar

Put the pork in a heavy duty Ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight.

Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry). Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.

In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste..). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.

Put shredded pork and sauce in crock pot and cook on low for 2 hours. That's it!

OR, if you prefer chicken:

CAFE RIO CHICKEN

1 (8 ounce) bottle Kraft zesty Italian dressing
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
3 garlic cloves, minced
5 lbs chicken breasts

Directions

1. Cook all together in a crock pot for 4 hours on low.
2. Shred meat.
3. Cook 1 additional hour.
4. Enjoy!
   

CILANTRO-LIME RICE

1 c. uncooked rice
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.


BLACK BEANS

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro. (**NOTE** we added a can of corn, drained, to the beans with a dash of cumin and chili powder, it was AWESOME! We recommend doing this even though it's not "traditional Cafe Rio")


CILANTRO RANCH

1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK)
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. buttermilk
2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno (we like it SPICY so we kept the seeds in it, if you like it mild, just remove the seeds)

Mix all ingredients together in the blender. That's it!

Barbecued Shrimp

2 doz. jumbo shrimp
1/2 lb. butter
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Juice of 1 lemon (3 TBS)

Shell all but tails of shrimp. Mix all ingredients for marinade, add shrimp and marinade for 1 hour. Place shrimp on skewers and barbecue over hot grill, covered with foil, for about 29 minutes.

Try wrapping bacon around shrimp before grilling.

Khalbi (Korean Short Ribs) - Family Favorite

Beef short ribs (amount according to family size-left overs are good)

Marinade
1 1/2 cup soy sauce (GF Tamari Sauce)
3/4 cups sugar
4 cloves crushed garlic
1/2 finger crushed ginger
1/4 cup chopped green onions
3 Tablespoons oil

Mix marinade ingredients together, stir to dissolve sugar. Add meat and marinade for 1-2 hours or over night; turn meat occasionally. (use zip lock bags). Remove meat and broil or cook on grill.

Shrimp with Snow Peas

2/3 lb. fresh shrimp

Marinade:
1-1/2 teaspoon rice wine or dry sherry
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Seasoning sauce:
1 tablespoon chicken broth
3 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons oyster sauce

1/2 cup vegetable oil (I have never used this much)
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 lb.fresh snow peas

Shell and devein shrimp. Rinse and pat dry with a paper towel. Combined marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. (I use zip lock bags) Add shrimp; mix well. Let stand 30 minutes. Pat dry with a paper towel.
Combine ingredients for seasoning sauce in a small bowl; mix well.
Heat oil in wok 30 second over high heat. Stir-fry garlic until golden, 30 seconds. Add shrimp. Stir-fry about 30 seconds until shrimp are pink. Remove from wok with a slotted spoon, draining well over wok. Add salt and snow peas to oil in wok. stir-fry over high heat 30 seconds. Add seasoning sauce. Stir-fry until sauce thickens slightly. Add cooked shrimp. Stir-fry to coat shrimp with sauce. Serve hot. Makes 4 servings
serve with fried rice see recipe under side dishes.

Crock Pot Lasagna

Kurt doesn't like lasagna, but loved this!

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1(28ounce)can tomato sauce
1(6ounce)can tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
12 ounces cottage cheese(we like 2%)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese or asiago cheese
12 ounces lasagna noodles, uncooked
16 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions
1. Brown ground beef, onion and garlic in frypan.
2. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt and oregano.
3. Cook long enough to get it warm.
4. Spoon a layer of meat sauce onto the bottom of the slow cooker.
5. Add a double layer of uncooked lasagna noodles (break to fit) and top with cheeses.
6. Repeat with sauce, noodles and cheeses until all are used up.
7. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours.

Tri Tip Steak

Ingredients:
1 2.5-pound tri-tip steak (I use skirt, flank or london broil; listed in order of preference)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Spice Rub
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons fennel seeds (I didn't use these as we don't usually like the flavor)
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground chili powder
1 tablespoon fresh black pepper
1 tablespoon kosher salt

In a pan over very low heat combine all fresh spices and toast until fragrant. Remove from pan to cool. In a spice grinder combine all the ingredients for the rub. Mix until a well blended powder. Place the roast on a cutting board and rub both sides of the meat with the spice mixture. Wrap in plastic and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, or overnight in the refrigerator.
Preheat a grill to medium-high. Rub meat with EVOO. Place the roast on the center of the grill and cook 15 minutes on one side, then flip it and cook for another 10 minutes, to medium-rare.
Remove from the grill and allow to rest covered with foil for 10 minutes before carving.
serve chimichurri on the side.

Chimichurri Sauce
1 cup chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
3 cloves garlic, whole
1 heaping teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili pepper flakes
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
2 shallots, whole
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
In a food processor, combine all ingredients until smooth. Allow to sit in the fridge.

ROSEMARY CHICKEN (aka lemon butt)

Ingredients:3 to 3 1/2-pound chicken
2 lemons, quartered
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
3 tablespoons fresh, chopped rosemary
2 tablespoons picked thyme
Extra virgin olive oil
Butcher's twine

Instructions:Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Rinse and dry the chicken. Season cavity liberally with half the salt and pepper, reserving the remaining half to season the outside. Stuff the cavity with rosemary, thyme, and lemons, squeezing the lemons as you put them in. Truss the bird tightly to keep the breasts from drying out. Add salt and pepper over the surface. Heat a sauté pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, over low heat for 1 minute. Add the chicken, breast side up.
Transfer to oven and for 18 minutes per pound. For a 3 1/2-pound chicken, one hour is perfect. Do not open oven or baste chicken during roasting. If the chicken is cooked properly, when pierced with a knife in the thigh, the juice will run clear, not pink. Remove from the pan and cover loosely with foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes prior to serving.