Lump of Coal Candy...

Lump of Coal...Oh No! Have you been naughty or nice? Give someone special this gift and let them decide, but NOT suffer! Haha...It's candy! It's simple, easy and quick!


Lump of Coal Candy
The CattleQueen Cooks

1 box of Rice Krispies
11/2 cups of chopped nuts
1 10 ounces bag of small marshmallow's
2 bags of candy melts from Wilton's, Black in color

Directions:

Divide food items in half. It will be easier to create your lumps of coal.
In a large bowl add 1/2 of the Rice Krispies, Nuts and Marshmallow's, mix together.
Microwave the 1/2 candy melts according to the package directions, when completely melted, pour over the cereal, marshmallow's and nuts, coating completely .
Using a table spoon, scoop out small amount of candy mixture and place on waxed or parchment paper, in a small mound. Let dry to hardened.
Serve ASAP! :))) only because they are sweet and fun......

Notes: Repeat with the second half of the ingredients...this recipe makes quite a few treats!

When I wake up at 4 am and feel the eager to make something... I like to make a cup of coffee and enjoy a fire while I cook, early in the morning...

Rice Krispies, Nuts & Marshmallow's...

 Add chocolate, tinted black, and instant fun making Lumps of Coal candy!

 Very yummy and quick to make....

A fun gift...let the receiver decide if they are worthy of such a treat! :)))

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Brisket Taco's

Brisket Taco's...

Pine Creek Style

This Brisket was so good...smoked just right & moist!

Mmmm...Cooked just right!

Read the complete post before cooking...

There are several steps and details..but all are simple. 

You just need time & planning! But so worth the wait!

Enjoy!

 Choose a brisket between 7-10 pounds. Fresh, not frozen, unless you have time to thaw and prepare...

This is a time consuming process and SO worth the time!

The fat cap should be around 1/4 inch thick...the fat cap helps tenderize this cut of meat while smoking. If the cap is any thicker, trim it down to size..you want the smoke to penetrate the brisket.

Start the smoker:

We used Mesquite pellets in our Traeger Grill...run the heat at 225-250 degrees. 

Cook the brisket for 4 hours, uncovered. Baste every hour or so.

 *See basting recipe below

Check the meat temperature, it should be 165-170. This is when the meat starts to tenderize.

 Then wrap aluminum foil for another 3+ hours. This helps the brisket to become tender.

The Brisket is done when the meat thermometer slides in easily and reads 185 degrees.

When done...Wrap the meat in foil, place in an ice chest.

 **(DO NOT ADD ICE!) 

The meat will stay hot and continue to tenderize until you are ready to serve. It may stay in the ice chest for up to 1 to 2 hours before serving.

~~~

I placed my meat in a roasting pan with some broth while cooking, *(see the Infusion Broth Recipe below).

**You will check your meat every hour or so and baste the meat with the broth! No need to turn the meat. Just make sure you close the smoker door each time.

**DO NOT BASTE THE MEAT AFTER THE FOIL HAS BEEN PLACED ON THE MEAT, (after about 4 hours).

There is some prep time involved and a rub to add to the meat...

Some of my photos were lost..."I DON'T KNOW HOW" but...I shall muddle through...The end results were awesome and there are enough photos to help you through the process! 

 We injected a mixture of:

The Infusion:

1 cup of beef broth

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup of brewed Coffee

Mix well and inject the liquid in several places around the brisket about 4 or 5 times. Reserve the remaining broth for cooking and basting the meat. If you need more broth simply use plain beef broth.

*Some people use Apple Juice & Water to baste with, this would replace my Broth Recipe.

The basting Broth keeps the meat from drying out!

Then there is the...

 Pine Creek Style Rub

1 tablespoon Worcestershire Pepper Blend

1/2 tablespoon of cumin

1 tablespoon of Brown Sugar Splenda 

*(or 1/2 tablespoon of Brown Sugar) 

1/4 cup of sea salt

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

1 teaspoon of onion powder

1 tablespoon ground mustard

1 tablespoon of mexican chili power

Mix well.

Put olive oil on both sides of the brisket, then apply the rub to both sides of the meat.

This recipe is for ONE brisket...

It may be multiplied for more briskets.

 Yum this Brisket has the perfect crust!

 Cooked to perfection! Remove the fat cap and discard before cutting or fork splitting the meat. If slicing, cut AGAINST the grain!

We cut ours into small bites. We also froze half of the meat to use later for other recipes.

On this night we made Brisket Tacos! YUMMY!

Brisket can be served several ways...with potatoes & gravy...ETC.

 YUMMO....let's start layering!

 We made ours simple....We wanted the Smoked Brisket to be the main flavor!

Lettuce, green onions, tomatoes, cilantro & sour cream...

And a touch of HOT Sauce!

These were SO tasty...the smoked flavor really made a difference!

This Brisket had Pine Creek Style...

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Fina'denne' or Finadene Dipping Sauce...

Fina' denne' Dipping Sauce or commonly known at Finadene Sauce. It is a versatile sauce that hails from Guam. I was at the neighbors recently for a casual cocktail party and tried their recipe for Spicy Finadene Sauce. Just a simple, little recipe brought from Guam by our neighbors and friends D & L. Big on taste and a wonderful enhancement of your food.

When I looked up this sauce I found several versions.  But the basics are the same, the main ingredients are soy sauce & vinegar. I have posted two versions. My neighbors & mine. I used the ingredients I had on hand for my recipe.  I compared their version to a few others, they are all very similar, just a few additions here or there. Both of ours was delicious. It will get spicier /stronger the longer it sits, melding flavors! You can also add a little water to tone it down after a few days if desired. * Just like most recipes, ingredients vary due to ingredients and amounts. One recipe even called for cucumbers, that sounded delicious as well.  This dipping sauce is often used for fiesta's and is a staple in most homes in Guam from what I read. And, I can see why! It is awesome ......

                 This was lunch today: Left over rock cornish Game Hem Dipped in Fina' denne'      

Fina'denne' Dipping Sauce
  The CattleQueen Cooks

Ingredients:

2/3 cup of Soy Sauce, *low sodium worked well
1/2 cup of white wine vinegar (used what I had on hand, regular white vinegar is the norm)
1/4 of a medium yellow onion, chopped
2, 3, or 4 red peppers, seeded & smashed &/or chopped *smashing will intensify the warmth of the     peppers.
1 clove of garlic smashed and chopped or 1 level teaspoon of prepared chopped garlic.
Black Pepper to taste.
Heavy squeeze of Lemon juice.

**Tabasco may be used in place of Peppers, season to taste

Directions:

Mix together all liquids, then add spices and other ingredients, blend well. Store in a glass container in the fridge.
Serve Cold.
The longer this sauce sits the stronger the flavors become.
Serve as a Dipping Sauce, a Marinade, BBQ sauce, or use over Rice or Noodles.

      Store in a glass container. The hotness will intensify the longer it melds. Store in the refrigerator.

Spicy Finadene Sauce
  Recipe by D&L

50% Soy Sauce
25% Lemon juice
25% White Vinegar

Add some Chili peppers or Tabasco sauce, freshly ground Pepper, Sliced onions and small minced ginger if desired.  All are to your taste.

Mix well. Great BBQ Sauce for ribs!

XO...Enjoy!

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Crab Cakes...Best Ever!

it was Sunday and I have been in a clean & purge mood. So when dinner time came...I went to the pantry...I had forgotten to thaw anything doe dinner! I spied Crab in the can...don't whence...yes there are some great canned crab brands out there.  I often keep this & salmon on hand for quick dinners. Living in land & in the foothills, fresh crab is not always available ! (I wish I had had fresh crab!) So next best thing! These crab cakes were maked in a muffin tin and were so tasty. We served them with cocktail sauce & dijon mustard. My fave is to use both! YUM...kicked it over the top!

Crab Cakes...Best Ever!
  The CattleQueen Cooks

Ingredients :

3 cans of premium canned crab meat, packed in water, rinsed, drained and placed in a paper towel to remove excess water. (or 1 pound of fresh Crab)
1 cup of ritz crackers, ground fine
1 smal jar of oil packed pimentos, do not drain
1 egg
1 heaping teaspoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, chopped fine or dehydrated
1 heaping teaspoon of Old Bay Seasoning
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce

After baked: Garnish with 1 heaping tablespoon of butter, seasoned lightly with garlic salt

Directions:

Place crab meat in a medium bowl, check for any fragments of shell, fork shred into small pieces
Add crushed ritz crackers , I used a food processor to do this.
In a separate bowl, mix together: The egg, pimentos w/oil, mustard, seasoning. lemon juice. and worcestshire sauce, blend well
Mix the sauce mixture with the crab meat and crackers.
In a prepared muffin tin, add the meat mixture to fill.... makes 10-12 crab cakes depending how fill you fill the muffin tin.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle 1 heaping table spoon of melted garlic butter over the top equally!  Serve immediately!

Serve with Cocktail sauce &/or Dijon Mustard, serve alone, as a meal or on a bed of lettuce.

Ornery gave this a two thumbs up between bites!!!
XO

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Homestyle Mac 'n Cheese...Diet friendly!

Who doesn't love comfort food! Especially when you start that dang diet again! Haha... It's that time again, the "I ate too much through the Holidays, got to go on a diet NOW" time! :))))
Anyway, my daughter and have teamed up to work together support wise...as we go on our choosen diets and exercise routines! Here is my first post for the "Lean 'n Mean Cuisine " recipes....

Homestyle Mac 'n Cheese

  TheCattleQueen Cooks

Ingredients:

1 box of DreamFields corkscrew pasta
Enough water to cover about an inch over the pasta in a deep pot or cast iron pan.
1 chicken broth soft cube, Knorr's brand. *(Or add one can of chicken broth with some water to cover as mentioned above)
1 jar of cheddar cheese dip, (Find in the Chips & Snacks aisle)
1 bag of shredded cheddar cheese, about 2 cups
Season with pepper or a non salt seasoning, (the broth has plenty of sodium or use a low sodium)
1 small jar of pimentos with the oil
3 strips of bacon cooked crisp and crumbed for topping.
Chives for garnish

Directions:

In a large stock pot, add the past, water, broth cube and jar of pimentos /oil. Boil until the pasta is cooked. No need for draining liquids.
Fold in the jarred cheddar cheese dip & stir well.
Next, add the shreaded cheese and blend.

Ready to serve...
Add some crumbled Bacon on top and garnish with Chives.

A  "Lean 'n Mean Cuisine" meal for a Low Glycimic Diet



XO

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Beef & Pepper Sauce (aka... Au Poivre Sauce)...

Beef & Pepper Sauce....When you sit down to dinner and at first bite....You fall in love with the flavors... & then you know.... You have a winning recipe! It's that YUMMY!

Brown, sear and simmer the ground sirloin meatballs. Shown with the lid on!

 Shown with the lid off....

 Dinner is served...

 Au Poivre Sauce...aka Pepper Sauce...OH MY, OH MY!!!

 My sautéed veggies served with the meat & sauce.  Sliced Potatoes, Zucchini & Onions.

These meatballs were the bomb!!! Big & Beefy!

We were in love with this new recipe of mine at first bite!

XO

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