DA SPOT HITS THE SPOT !!

Last night I made a delicious sandwich. It's called the DaSpot Chicken Sandwich by Aaron McCargo (NFNS of last season). It was a best seller at the restaurant called DaSpot that he worked at in Camden, NJ. I was a little nervous using the jalapeno along with the chipotle peppers. I decided that I would follow the directions exactly this time and I can tweak it the next time if needed. I even used the Tabbouleh Salad that I was kind of thinking of passing on. It turned out GREAT! Everyone loved this sandwich! To make things easier, you can make the chicken part ahead of time and refrigerate it until you're ready to bread them. The Chipotle Mayo Sauce can also be made ahead of time and put in the fridge. * One note, I ran out of Panko bread crumbs so I put some sliced white bread in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes to crispin it up. I then stuck them in the food processor to make coarse crumbs out of them. Pictures below!

DaSpot Chicken Sandwich
Recipe courtesy Aaron McCargo Jr.

Serves:
4 to 6 servings

Ingredients
Canola oil, for frying
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (3 to 4-pound) store-bought rotisserie chicken (I used my leftover chicken from a roast)
1/4 cup diced red pepper
1/4 cup diced green pepper
1/2 cup diced onion
1 jalapeno seeded and diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon granulated chicken bouillon
Pinch cayenne
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 egg
3 tablespoons panko bread crumbs
Chipotle Mayo, recipe follows
1 pint store-bought tabbouleh salad
4 to 6 Portuguese rolls, split

Breading:
1 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups panko bread crumbs, in shallow dish

Chipotle Mayo, recipe follows

Directions
Preheat a deep-fryer with canola oil to 350 degrees F.
Pick the chicken from the bones and add to a large bowl. Set aside.
In a medium saute pan over medium-high heat, add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the peppers, onions, jalapenos, and garlic and cook until slightly caramelized. Stir in the bouillon and cayenne and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Place pepper and onion mixture, picked chicken, egg and bread crumbs into a food processor and pulse until well incorporated and slightly chunky. Form chicken mixture into burger-size patties. Put the flour into a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. Put the eggs and bread crumbs into separate shallow dishes. Bread the patties by dredging into the seasoned flour, then the eggs and finally through the bread crumbs. Transfer to a platter.
Fry the patties until crispy and golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Spread Chipotle Mayo on both sides of the Portuguese rolls. Add the chicken patties to the bottom of the rolls and top with a good spoonful of tabbouleh. Cover with the roll tops and serve.

Chipotle Mayo:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce, minced
Pinch kosher salt
Pinch cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon chopped garlic

In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients until well incorporated. Cover and put in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Greek Pasta Salad with Shrimp, Tomatoes, Zucchini, Peppers, and Feta

I made this pasta salad for Scott and Alyssa to take with the to Linda's house in Rhode Island this weekend. I saved a little for me to have for lunch today and that is the reason it made it to the blog. It was sooo good! I'm not a fan of Feta Cheese or Kalamata Olives either but I knew that Linda's family likes them so why not give it a try. I was very pleasantly surprised and how good it was! Maybe because it was a day later and the flavors melded. Whatever the reason, I will be making this again!

***As usual, I did change something. Instead of using the oven to BAKE the veggies and shrimp, I GRILLED them outside. I think that little bit of charring really made it!

SUBMITTED BY: USA WEEKEND columnist Pam Anderson PHOTO BY: DeAnna

"The ideal outdoor meal: this colorful main-course pasta salad chock-full of protein, vegetables and bold flavorings. For fresh flavor and peak texture, toss the salad right before serving. Pack the dressing in a jar and the salad ingredients in a gallon-sized zipper bag. When ready to serve, drizzle on the dressing, close the bag and squeeze it all over until the dressing completely coats the salad. Pour into a serving bowl."

Greek Pasta Salad with Shrimp, Tomatoes, Zucchini, Peppers, and Feta

INGREDIENTS

Dijon Vinaigrette
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 large clove garlic, minced
Big pinch of salt
Black pepper, to taste
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Pasta Salad
2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 medium yellow pepper, halved lengthwise, seeded
2 tablespoons olive oil
Ground black pepper and salt, to taste
2 tablespoons salt for pasta water
1 pound medium pasta shells
1 pound cooked shrimp, halved lengthwise
8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup coarsely chopped, pitted Kalamata olives
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 small red onion, cut into small dice
2 teaspoons dried oregano

DIRECTIONS
To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the first five ingredients, then slowly whisk in the oil for a thick consistency. Pour into a jar with a tight-fitting lid to transport it to the picnic.
Adjust oven rack to highest position and turn broiler on high. Toss zucchini and bell pepper with olive oil, salt and pepper, and arrange on a large baking sheet with sides. Broil eight to 10 minutes, until spotty brown, turning zucchini slices and pepper halves once. Set aside in a large bowl to cool, then cut into bite-sized pieces.
Bring 1 gallon of water and 2 Tbs. of salt to boil. Add pasta; boil using package times, until just tender. Drain thoroughly (do not rinse) and dump onto the baking sheet. Set aside to cool.
Put vegetables, pasta and remaining ingredients (except dressing) in the bowl or a gallon-sized zipper bag (can be refrigerated for several hours). To serve, add dressing; toss to coat.

WARM BACON & SPINACH PASTA SALAD

Many years ago Kris introduced me to a great pasta salad recipe. We both made it for many dinners and gatherings. I had wanted to make it for one of my kids confirmations but couldn't find the pasta anywhere! I borrowed Kris's last package! When I went to replace it, I searched high and low and couldn't find one. It turned out the Mullers stopped making it! So for the coming years, I tried a few different brands but they weren't too good.I found the recipe the other day and my quest has started again! I mentioned it to Kris and LouAnn this morning and LouAnn suggested to throw in a packet of Lipton's Garlic & Herb soup mix.
I thought that was a great idea! So I made it and think it turned out GREAT!!!!

Warm Bacon & Spinach and Pasta Salad
6 slices of bacon, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 knorr chicken bouillon cube (I actually used chicken stock)
1 TBSP cider vinegar
6 oz Muller's Savory Collection Roasted Garlic & Herb Rotelle, cooked and drained ** they don't make this pasta anymore so you'll need to find another brand OR add one packet of Lipton Garlic & Herb soup mix to the simmering bouillon.
4 oz fresh spinach, torn into bite size pieces

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large skillet, cook bacon until browned. Drain bacon on paper towels; set aside. Pour off all but 3 TBSP of the drippings.
2. Add onion, and carrots to the drippings; stirring frequestly, cook 4 minutes. Add 1/3 cup of water and bouillon cube; bring to a boil; stirring. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in vinegar.
3. In a large bowl combine pasta and spinach. Add carrot mixture and bacon; toss to coat. Makes
4 servings Prep time: 15 minutes

COFFEE MARINATED STEAK

Last night I made a delicious London Broil. I used the marinade that is below. I let it soak up all of the flavors for 3 days! Scott and Alyssa both said that the steak tasted like the ones that we used to buy at Oscars Adirondack Smoke House http://www.oscarssmokedmeats.com/

whenever we would head up to Otto's cabin. That is a big compliment!

Coffee Marinated Steak

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup strong brewed coffee
1 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 pounds boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut 1 inch thick

DIRECTIONS
In a skillet, toast sesame seeds in butter. Add onion and garlic; saute until tender. In a bowl, combine the coffee, soy sauce, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and sesame seed mixture. Pour half into a large resealable plastic bag; add steak. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight, turning occasionally. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade.
Drain and discard marinade from steak. Grill steak, covered, over medium-hot heat for 6-10 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a meat thermometer should read 145 degrees F; medium, 160 degrees F; well-done, 170 degrees F). Warm reserved marinade and serve with steak.

ASIAN INFUSED PORK CHOPS w/ MANGO SALSA

Last night I made a delicious meal. It was very light and healthy tasting. It's from one of my favorite cooking blogs...

http://creatingpostitnotes.blogspot.com/

ASIAN INFUSED PORK CHOPS w/ MANGO SALSA

MARINADE:

¼ cup soy sauce

3 Tbsp oil

¼ cup fresh lime juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp gingerroot, grated

Salt and pepper

Put pork chops in a dish or Ziploc and pour marinade in. Allow to marinate for at least an hour or overnight.

SALSA:

1 mango, peeled and diced

1 red bell pepper, roasted, skinned, and diced

2 bunches green onion, chopped

¼ cup cilantro, chopped

Fresh lime juice

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

Grill the marinated pork chops on the grill. When the center flesh is firm, the chops are done. Serve the pork chops with the mango salsa on top.

PULLED PORK BBQ WITH COLE SLAW

I made this pulled pork recipe a few days ago. I thought we could get 2, maybe 3 meals out of it. NOT! Scott couldn't get enough of it! When he was finally finished, there was about 1/4 of a cup of pulled pork left. You'd think he could have just finished the whole thing!

I had it cooking all day while I was at work. Scott and Alyssa were home so I felt safer leaving the oven on. Being that I wasn't going to be home until 7 1/2 hours later, I lowered the temp to 285 instead of 300. When I got home, it was PERFECT! I made the sauce, pulled the pork and it was done! I made the coleslaw the day earlier so that the flavors would meld together. YUM. Great dinner and extremely EASY! I also would have never thought of putting coleslaw on a pulled pork sandwick but boy was that good! Once again, Tyler comes through!

Pulled Pork Barbecue
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence
Prep Time:
20 min
Inactive Prep Time:
3 hr 0 min
Cook Time:
6 hr 15 min
Level:
Intermediate
Serves:
12 servings

Ingredients
Dry Rub:
3 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
3 tablespoons coarse sea salt

1 (5 to 7 pound) pork roast, preferably shoulder or Boston butt
Cider-Vinegar Barbecue Sauce:
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup yellow or brown mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pan drippings from the pork

12 hamburger buns

1 recipe Cole Slaw, recipe follows
Pickle spears, for serving

Directions
Mix the paprika, garlic power, brown sugar, dry mustard, and salt together in a small bowl. Rub the spice blend all over the pork. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Put the pork in a roasting pan and roast it for about 6 hours. An instant-read thermometer stuck into the thickest part of the pork should register 170 degrees F, but basically, what you want to do is to roast it until it's falling apart.
While the pork is roasting, make the barbecue sauce. Combine the vinegar, mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, salt, cayenne, and black pepper in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer gently, stirring, for 10 minutes until the sugar dissolves. Take it off the heat and let it sit until you're ready for it.
When the pork is done, take it out of the oven and put it on a large platter. Allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes. While it's resting, deglaze the pan over medium heat with 3/4 cup water, scraping with a wooden spoon to pick up all of the browned bits. Reduce by about half. Pour that into the saucepan with the sauce and cook 5 minutes.
While the pork is still warm, you want to "pull" the meat: Grab 2 forks. Using 1 to steady the meat, use the other to "pull" shreds of meat off the roast. Put the shredded pork in a bowl and pour half of the sauce over. Stir it all up well so that the pork is coated with the sauce.
To serve, spoon the pulled pork mixture onto the bottom half of each hamburger bun, and top with some slaw. Serve with pickle spears and the remaining sauce on the side.

Cole Slaw:
1 head green cabbage, shredded
2 carrots, grated
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 green onions (white and green parts), chopped
1 fresh red chile, sliced
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 lemon, juiced
Pinch sugar
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
Several dashes hot sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine the cabbage, carrots, red onion, green onions, and chile in a large bowl. In another bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, and sugar. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss gently to mix. Season the cole slaw with the celery seed, hot sauce, salt, and black pepper. Chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator before serving.

UNHEALTHY ASPARAGUS YET DELICIOUS!

Normally I just steam or grill asparagus and we eat them without anything on them. Being that we were changing things up for Easter, I thought I'd add a little pizzazz to them. I found a recipe on allrecipes.com that every reviewer liked so I thought that's the one to try. They were very good. If you don't want to grill these, they can be put in a 450 oven for about 15-20 minutes, turning to get all sides brown. You can then put it on broil for about 3 minutes to crispen the bacon.

*The ingredient amounts are really up to you. I had some thin asparagus so I wrapped the bacon around 5 spears and some were thick so I used 3 spears. In the recipe, she wraps each spear. (I sense a heart attack!)

Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus
SUBMITTED BY: Patricia Kitts

PREP TIME
20 Min
COOK TIME
10 Min
READY IN
30 Min


INGREDIENTS
30 spears fresh asparagus, trimmed
1/4 teaspoon pepper
15 bacon strips, halved lengthwise

DIRECTIONS
Place asparagus on a sheet of waxed paper; coat with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle with pepper; turn to coat. Wrap a bacon piece around each spear. Grill, uncovered, over medium-low heat for 8-12 minutes or until bacon is crisp, turning occasionally.
OR place in a 450 degree oven for 15-20 minutes