Chow Hall Versus Chowing down

I want to be inventive this week. I am leaving for military drill weekend tomorrow and I (being as cheap as i normally am) reside to eating in the chow hall because it is free. But I want to eat healthy and satisfying bu tot also include being able to take it back to my hotel room as I like to lounge at the end of the day.  So I have access to a wonderful salad bar and fruit and chicken….can I get some outside of the box ideas that i can try to conjure up myself in a to go box that I have may not thought of??

Oh yeah…now thats a gooood taco Jim Boy!!

My family has been making these tacos for years, I think my mom had a taco some where near El Paso one year and we combined it with our flare and yum!!  It is so simple too. I will tell you 3 ways how yo make it. The first will be the “correct way” second will be the way I normally do them and the 3rd is how my parents do theirs now that they are old and lazy…lol  (I know my mom will read this…)

Jim Boy Taco’s

Ingredients:

Corn Tortillas

Ground beef

Oil

Any taco seasoning

Taco sauce

Shredded cheese

Shredded lettuce

Chopped tomatoes

Parmesan Cheese.

Steps:

Fry beef, with taco seasoning, I don’t use but 1/4 cup of water with it.

Pour in about 3 TBSP of the taco sauce while frying too.

Heat oil over medium heat

When oil is ready, lay one tortilla in, let fry for 5 seconds flip and put 1-2 tbsp of meat and some shredded cheese in center then fold one half over. (Do this step quickly so that it does not fry too crispy while laying flat)

When light golden flip

Version 1  (this is where the three different ways come in)

Have griddle on and med-high heat

When taco is taken out of fry pan, bring to griddle sprinkle parm cheese on lightly on each side and lightly salt  and lay on griddle, when cheese looks lightly toasted to shell flip

Version 2:  (my way most of time)

When I take taco out of fry pan, I put it in a bar pan and and salt them and just sprinkle the parm cheese on each side and place in warm oven to hold while I finish the rest of tacos

Version 3  (Super easy (code for lazy mom) way)

When taco is done in fry pan..screw parm cheese..just salt and eat

Don’t forget all your taco stuffing…lettuce, tomatoes and taco sauce…ENJOY!!   This goes well with my homemade salsa and guacamole.

If it’s WHITE, can it really be BBQ sauce? Who cares, it is freakin AWESOME!!!

Many years ago, a much lighter and younger me, thought it would be cool to work at a bar in Montgomery AL-A-BAMA!  I got a job as a cook/ assistant bar manager at a little southern dive bar place called the Love Shack….and yes it was on Atlanta Highway…how cool was that?   But anyways, only a few good thing came from that year of working there…I realized that at that young age I had a liver of steel, loud southern rock music is awesome, I could knock out a guy if I had to and this amazing white BBQ sauce I had to make for Jerk Chicken wings. Before this place I had never heard of white BBQ sauce, and if you mention it to people that have never been to the South, they will look at you strange, but  O-M-G…yum!!   It is great on so many types of chicken, but jerk chicken wings with this will make your day!! Even tequila-lime wing or hot wings are great with this!  Try it and you tell me what chicken recipe you like it with the best!!

White BBQ

2 cups of mayo

1/2 up of white vinegar

1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp of lemon juice

3 tbsp of black pepper (I have even added another 1/2 tbsp of white for kick)

1tsp of salt

1tsp of cayenne pepper  (add another 1/2 tsp for a spicy kick)

You can add sugar 1/2 tsp at a time if you want some sweetness, but for those that have had mine…I did not add any sugar.

Steps

Mix all ingredients together very well. Let it sit in fridge over night or at least 6 hours so all the flavor melds together and the BBQ sauce is nice and cold!

Put in bowl for dipping or brush on chicken near end of grilling time!

Hope you enjoy this my lovely Tia!

A Salad that Traveled the Seven Seas

Well maybe not quite that far, but far enough!  This salad I originally attempted when I stationed in Germany for my friend Terilyn. She had described the salad from vague memory (she craved this salad so) and I tried to reconstruct her lost love. I did and she loved it, then I brought the recipe  with me here to Florida and made it and my sister has fallen for the same salad. It was originally made to be a hot pasta (well warm, as I served it right away) but Terilyn and I put it in the fridge one night for a picnic on the Mosel River..and waalllaa…a succulent salad was born.

Shells a la Caprese

Ingredients

1. 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2. 2 Tbsp of lemon juice
3. 1 1/2 small clove garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (I can do more…I love gggaaarrrlliiicc)
4. 1 small shallot, finely minced
5. Salt/pepper about 1/2 tsp each
6. 4-5 ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
7. 12 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut or pulled in pieces
8. 1 pound pasta shells ( i like bowties)
9. 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
10. 1.5-2 teaspoon sugar (depending on your level of sweetness…you can always add, but never take away)

Directions  (but here is where you must make the dreaded decision of making it hot or cold, because if hot, you wanna time out your pasta to the marinating time of your tomatoes, but if cold you can do the noodles first and early and put in fridge to ensure they are cold)

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, garlic, shallot, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
Add the diced tomatoes, toss gently to combine, and set aside for up to 60 minutes. I think at least 45 is the best for flavor infusion.
Cook your desired pasta choice to al dente
Combine the hot or cold pasta, mozzarella and basil to the tomato mixture, gently tossing to combine. Adjust seasonings with additional salt, pepper, lemon juice or sugar, as desired.
mmmmmmmm…….makes a great stand alone or side dish!

P.S.

My sis also has me skip the pasta and trade in the mozzarella for feta cheese. Then she dips a nice french bread or a good crunchy sour dough in it….delish I must say!

Good Food, Good Friends, Good Fun!

Welcome my friends to my blog. I have spent many years traveling the world as a military brat and as a military member. During that time I have met great friends and fallen in love with many different cuisines.  Friends and cooking became my passion so barbecues filled with great friends and a great feasts emerged.  But sadly, as the military requires, came the separation of friends. But here I hope we can all come together again and share our love of cooking. So many times a great recipe is intertwined with love and passion of the cook and with out someone to share it with, the art and joy of cooking is lost.  At this site no soul with be lost…lets get cooking!!