Sweet As Honey…

Tonight’s dinner was an easy one – honey mustard pork with roasted potatoes & garlic spinach. I marinated the pork for a few hours, chopped up & seasoned my potatoes then baked both in the oven. As that baked, I sauteed some spinach on the stovetop with some minced garlic & olive oil. Voila! Dinner is ready….Here is my recipe for the honey mustard marinade:

1 part honey
1 part yellow prepared mustard
1 part praline mustard glaze

Combine equal parts of the above ingredients and whisk together well. If you cannot find praline mustard glaze, you can substitute it with pure maple syrup. I added it in for an extra depth of sweetness. This is great on pork and chicken!

Delicious Experiments!

In preparation of our cookout tonight, I experimented with a few recipes in hopes of something unique and delicious. What resulted was some awesome offerings to our cookout table.Croutons are surprisingly packed with flavor and are a great ingredient to incorporate into dishes aside from topping salads. In fact, croutons are the “secret ingredient” to my deviled eggs! Here is my recipe for Ceasar Deviled Eggs:2 dozen eggs – hard boiled
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup yellow mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 package ceasar croutons – processed into crumbs.

Prepare your hard boiled eggs and cut in half.
Carefully remove the yolk and place in a large bowl.
Break up the yorks well.
Add all the remaining ingredients to the bowl and combine.
Allow the filling to chill for flavors to meld.
Place filling into a ziploc bag and pipe into eggs.
Top with a sprinkle of paprika and parsley leaf.

Another dish I prepared for the cookout was fajitas, using my own mixture of spices. It was spicy sweet and a tad smoky. Everyone loved it as it was a twist to just grilled meat. Here is my recipe for the fajita seasoning I used:3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon chicken ramen packet
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon cumin

Combine and sprinkle over meats as a rub.For a nice summertime cocktail, I threw together a quick drink. I was a little embarassed at first with the ingredients but it was a hit at the cookout! Here is my recipe for Watermelon Berry Punch (alcoholic): 2 cups watermelon martini mix
1 bottle Strawberry Hill Boones Farm
1 liter club soda
ice

Combine in a pitcher and serve chilled over ice.

Honey BBQ Sauce for Pork Ribs

Honey BBQ Sauce for Pork Ribs

1 cup honey
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 white distilled vinegar
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
1 tablespoon teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
2-3 lbs pork ribs

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients until well blended. Season your pork ribs and allow them to marinate in the BBQ sauce overnight. Grill or bake your ribs to your preference.