Change is in the Air!

Long time no see friends!  I need to get a few things off my chest:

1.  I would like to say thank you, Thank You, and THANK YOU to all of my readers!!  I'm honestly astounded by how many hits I get on this blog!  It humbles me, and encourages me!

2.  Anyone that's close to me knows that I've always battled with my weight. It's safe to say it's been a roller coaster... For the past 5 years, my weight has gone from healthy levels to very unhealthy levels, and honestly... I'm SICK of it! I'm no stranger to exercise, but the problem is what I put in my mouth. I've decided... it's time for a change! I'm not going on a diet because diets, in my opinion, aren't fun at all! I'm not going to start eating just lettuce and water every day either! My wife, Ashlynn, and I are challenging ourselves to change the ways we eat food, what we eat, and why we eat food. I have no problem sitting here today and saying I enjoy eating food! I do! It's comforting to me. I LOVE going out to eat and trying new places. And I refuse to eat food that I can't stand. I'm just not going to do it. This isn't a New Years Resolution. Ashlynn and I have been discussing this and researching this for weeks. We feel it's time to take control.

3. With all this said above, Dudes Cook Too is about to change directions a little bit. This will always be a food blog, and I dare not say I'm changing it to a health blog, but the recipes you will see in the future will be wholesome, nutrient rich, and good for you. It's all about perspective. Trust me, I won't tell you to throw lettuce in a bowl and enjoy it, but together, we can learn to cook foods that are rich, not just in flavor, but in vitamins we need, and on top of all that, taste delicious!

Now that we got that over with... :)

I'm trying to keep this post as short as possible, because I have a lot to say about things I've found about the food I eat! But, with time, I'll get it all out on the table. If you are interested in learning more with us, by all means, join us! I'm not a nutritionist, and I don't claim to have all the answers... We are just sick of the way we're living, the way we feel when we get out of bed in the morning, and the toll the foods we are currently eating are taking.

If you are interested, I'd like to encourage you to watch two documentaries. These films changed my view on everything. Before this, it was in black and white on a page, but these movies brought it to life. After watching "Food, Inc." I will never eat at a fast food restaurant again, or buy meat ANYWHERE that isn't certified organic. Don't worry, that topic is for another day. We watched both of these films on iTunes, but you can get them almost anywhere. Watching this will change your viewpoint on the food we eat, and if it doesn't, something is wrong!

One more thing... I'm currently testing different wheat bread recipes, and the first two were a bust...so if any of you know a great recipe for whole wheat bread, feel free to email me, and I will test it!

Once again, thank you so much for everything! 2011 has been a great year for Dudes Cook Too, and I can't wait to see what happens in 2012!

Baked Chicken with Butternut Squash Pasta

There's really not much I can say about this recipe except... it's good!

We love pasta dishes around our house, and we're always looking for new and different ways to make it, and this is one of favorites. Why? Because it combines two of my favorite things... butter and brown sugar! Not to mention, it has some veggies in it too.

Start with sautéing an onion, two bell peppers, and one butternut squash in a skillet with half a stick of butter, and about 3 tablespoons of olive oil

After you get everything in the skillet, throw in a pinch of salt and pepper, and two tablespoons of light brown sugar. Oh yeah.

While all this is going, get your pasta ready! We used eggshell because that's what we had. FYI--Whole Foods has the BEST pasta we've ever put in our mouth.

Here's the recipe! I hope you like it!

Butternut Squash Pasta

1 stick of butter
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil (more if you like)
1 yellow onion
1 yellow bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 butternut squash
1 lime
2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
Salt
Pepper

!. In a skillet, saute' the diced onion, bell peppers, and squash with 2 Tablespoons of light brown sugar, half a stick of butter, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
2. While this is cooking, start your pasta
3. When all is done, pour the veggies over pasta, and add the other half stick of butter.
4. Add the juice of one lime, and more salt and pepper.
5. Serve!

Chicken!

For this chicken recipe, I sprinkled salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder, and baked it at 350* for about 30 minutes.

Cinnamon Rolls

It's that time of year.  Fall... the season to cook.  I'm not sure what it is, but cooler weather always makes me want to eat.  These cinnamon rolls are perfect for Thanksgiving morning!  Homemade... from scratch, and they melt in your mouth!

The ingredient list.  Flour, Sugar, Buttermilk, and Sugar

 Cut butter into cubes, and pour on top of flour

 Next, mash the butter into the flour.  The idea is for the butter to be flattened into the flour.  This will make your dough flaky when it's done.

 Next, mix with buttermilk, add some flour, and roll out on a cutting board.

 Roll the dough out, then sprinkle cinnamon and sugar.

 Roll the dough.

 Cut into small rolls, place them in a skillet, and bake at 400* for about 20-30 minutes.

Here's the recipe!  I hope you like it!

Cinnamon Rolls

2 cups flour
1/2 cup butter
1 cup buttermilk
Cinnamon
Sugar

1.  Smash butter and flour together.  Keep the butter as cool as possible.
2.  Pour in buttermilk, and stir until a dough forms.
3.  Roll out the dough, and knead it for a couple of minutes.
4.  Roll out until smooth and flat, and sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top.
5.  Roll it into a tight spiral, and cut into small rolls
6.  Bake at 400* for 20-30 minutes.

ENJOY!

Skillet Apple Pie

I'd like to take a minute to one... apologize for not blogging in two months, and two... to thank everyone for continuing to visit... and three... to thank my professors for bestowing the courtesy to give me a little free time so I could blog...  Now... Let's get back to business...

My Favorite place on earth is the Smoky Mountains.  If you want me to forget my worries... what bills have to be paid, what paper or assignment is due... send me there!  

This is Nany's cabin!  We love to stay with her, and while we're there, she always fixes us good food.  A couple of weeks ago, we spent a couple of nights with her, and we got there, she had this pie waiting on us!  It was literally one of the best things I've ever put in my mouth!  And it's a piece of cake to make... or..err.... pie!  Whichever...

Start with a stick of butter... melt it... 

Then mix in a cup of brown sugar, and let it cook for a couple of minutes. 

Get a pre-made pie crust from the grocery store, and lay it over the butter and brown sugar mixture.  Next, in a bowl, mix your apples with sugar and cinnamon, and spoon it over the crust.

oh yeah...

Next, cut some holes or slits... whichever works for you, and place it over the apples, and seal it off with your hands.

Don't forget the vanilla sugar....

Bake at 350* for 1 hour.... I hope you like it!

• 3 Granny Smith apples
• 3 Braeburn apples
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 (14.1-oz.) package refrigerated piecrusts
• 1 egg white
• 2 tablespoons Vanilla Sugar
• Vanilla Ice Cream

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Peel apples, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Toss apples with cinnamon and 3/4 cup granulated sugar.

2. Melt butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat; add brown sugar, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, and place 1 piecrust in skillet over brown sugar mixture. Spoon apple mixture over piecrust, and top with remaining piecrust. Whisk egg white until foamy. Brush top of piecrust with egg white; sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. Vanilla sugar. Cut 4 or 5 slits in top for steam to escape... or 3 holes... whichever.

3. Bake at 350º for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly, shielding with aluminum foil during last 10 minutes to prevent excessive browning, if necessary. Cool on a wire rack 30 minutes before serving. Serve with butter-pecan ice cream.

Homemade Buttermilk Ranch

If I grew up on a farm, I don't think I'd have any trouble living off the land. I love making homemade from scratch recipes. I just think they taste better. I also think the finer the ingredients, the better the taste. Let's face it, You can throw half a stick of butter in pot full of green beans, and you still don't have the calorie intake you'd get from a Big Mac at McDonald's. Homemade is simply... better.

So, I found this recipe from Joy the Baker for Buttermilk Ranch, and had to try it, and it turned out great!



So, let's get started. I've got my mayonnaise, my "light" sour cream that I just happened to have already, my parsely, chives, my salt and my garlic. Lets do this!



This is the most "gourmet" part of the recipe. Mince a clove of garlic, and sprinkle a small amount of salt on top, and with a fork, blend the salt and garlic to make a paste.



Next, finely chop your herbs, and blend with the rest of the ingredients.



This came out amazing. I added a tablespoon of sugar just to shake

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing (Adapted from Joy The Baker)

1 cup of real mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

buttermilk

1 clove of garlic

1/4 cup Italian flat leaf parsley

2 Tablespoons fresh chives

1 Tablespoon sugar

salt to taste

healthy pinch of freshly ground black pepper

dash of Tabasco


Mince the garlic with a knife and then sprinkle about 1/4 teaspoon of salt onto the garlic. With a fork, mash the garlic and salt into a thick paste.

In a bowl combine all of the ingredients except for the buttermilk. Stir. Add buttermilk until you've reach the desired consistency. Taste and season as necessary. Chill for a couple hours before serving. Thin with milk when it comes out of the fridge if you wish.

Porches Chicken Salad

I have this bad habit. Maybe it's a good habit... I'm not sure, but I associate warm memories with restaurants I eat at. I know... call me crazy!

Back before I married my wife, I used to take my Mom to a restaurant called Porches literally every week, and literally... every week, we got Chicken Salad on Croissant. And now that I live 7 hours away, when we visit, we always make time to go there. I've even blogged about it. It's a great southern restaurant where they know me by name.

A few years ago, they came out with a cookbook, and in it was the recipe for their Chicken Salad. Although it's never as good as going there in person, my wife and I make it at home frequently, and I wanted to let you in on the secret.

Let's start with four boneless skinless chicken breast. Sprinkle some salt and pepper, and bake em'. While that's going on get out the food processor. We're going to need it. If you don't have a food processor, that's fine... you can do this the old fashioned way... you know, with a knife. :)



While the chicken is baking, cut your celery and red onion into smaller pieces so the food processor can dice them down.



After the chicken has cooled, break into chunks, and place in the food processor.



Next, pulse the chicken a few times to break it up.



Then, add your onion and celery and do the same.



Then, add your mayonnaise, lemon juice, and salt and pepper, and this is what you'll get!

I hope you like it! Here's the recipe:

Porches Chicken Salad

4 large boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2 red onion
2 stalks celery
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and Pepper to taste

Boil or Bake chicken breast until done

Dice chicken into small chunks

Place chicken in food processor and pulse 3-5 times

Place onion and celery in food process and pulse again 3-5 times

Combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.

Strawberry Preserves

This morning I decided to test out a new recipe. I've never attempted preserves before, but I wanted to give it a shot.

The upside to making homemade preserves is... when you make it at home, you know exactly what goes into it, and exactly what goes in your mouth. No artificial sweeteners, sugars, words I can't pronounce... you get the idea.

I made a small amount just to see how it turned out, and it turned out awesome! It's sweet, rich, and healthy.

This recipe is a piece of cake (I wish I had a piece of cake right now). There's two ingredients: Strawberries and Sugar.



First, hull and slice your strawberries. I left my in decent chunks. I'm a chunky preserve kind of dude.





Next throw 'em in a pot, and add your sugar. Take a load off, because the hard work is done.



Then, bring to a boil and then simmer for about 20 minutes... depending on altitude, humidity, and barometric pressure. (I'll explain further down.)



I was told to let simmer for about 15 minutes, but it took about 20-25. Your best bet is letting it simmer until you get the right consistency. I like mine thick... not runny, so I let mine simmer a little bit longer.

When you get to the consistency that's right for you, pour it in your mason jar, let it cool, and dig in.

For this recipe, I used a small amount to make sure it would turn out right, so I'm going to go ahead and double this recipe for you to make it easier. I hope you like it!

32 ounces strawberries
1 cup sugar

First, hull and dice your strawberries, and put in a saucepan.

Next, add 1 cup of sugar. I used raw cane sugar, but if you have granulated, have at it.

Bring to a boil, and let simmer for about 20 minutes, until you reach the consistency that's right for you.

Pour into a jar. Let it cool. Serve.