Bacon Cheddar & Hot Dogs

Oh yes we did…….ok so this post is not going to win any “healthy” awards, but every now and then you have to just say “to heck with it.” When Traeger posted this recipe on their blog there was a unanimous chorus of “we have to try that!” Wow, everyone in agreement on what to eat – I guess bacon has that effect on people 😉

These are very easy to make, you will need –

• Jumbo all beef wieners
• Marble cheese sliced in long strips
• Thin strips of bacon
• Hot dog buns

• Slice the wieners lengthwise about 3/4″ through
• Add strips of cheese (don’t be skimpy because it does melt down)

• Wrap a single piece of bacon around the whole length of the wiener
• Insert a toothpick into each end to hold the bacon in place
• Place on warmed up Traeger at 325 deg for 30 mins

• Serve on toasted hot dog buns

I was expecting these to possibly be greasy, however we were all pleasantly surprised they weren’t.  The bacon was nice and crispy, the cheese was melted to perfection, still if you are counting calories this recipe is probably not for you 😉

Have a great weekend!

*this recipe is from the Traeger Blog, with the only tiny tweak by me being I used marbled cheese

Homemade Montreal Style Bagels

Bagels had never remotely entered my thought process as far as making them went. I mean they just got bought at the store.

However, I should have figured that with bagels being just about, if not as big, as smoked meat in Montreal making them would at some point come up. After all, we finally nailed the Smoked Meat on about the 6th try, so we needed a new challenge right 😉

After some searching for a Montreal style bagel recipe on the internet Al found one from The Fresh Loaf, and with a few minor tweaks we decided to give it a try. They are actually pretty straightforward to make, there are just a lot of little steps. I will try to show you with as many pictures as I can.

Ingredients

7 1/2 cups of bread flour

2/3 tsp yeast

4tbsp sugar

4 1/2 tsp malt flour

(after calling every health food store and grocer we finally found the malt flour at Gourmet Warehouse)

1 large egg

2 cups water

2 1/2 tsp vegetable oil

1: Mix the dry ingredients

2: Add egg, water, oil

3: Mix until the dough starts to come together

4: At this point you will want to continue mixing with your hands to give your mixer a break ~ trust me by now you will hear your mixer complaining!

5: Turn dough onto and un-floured counter & knead the dough ball for approx 8 minutes ~ and whew, it is a work out, I handed the job over to Al after about 3 minutes 😉

6: Let dough sit, covered for 45 minutes.

7 : Weigh 4 oz pieces

8: Spray the counter with a tiny bit of water (this just helps with rolling the dough and since bagel dough is already dense you don’t want to add any flour) and roll dough. I alternated between rolling on the counter and in between my hands.

9: Bring each end of the dough together and attach (I sprayed a bit of water to each end to help them stick). Lay them on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Cover while you are working on the other ones.

10: Now here is the weird part for me – Place prepared bagels in a large stock pot of boiling water.

11: They will float to the surface once they are done. Approx 7 – 10 minutes

12: Scoop out with a strainer

13: Dip in whatever topping you wish

Bake on a Traeger at high, or in a conventional oven @ 400 deg for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Patty’s Guatemalan Salsa

I am surrounded by foodies! I get excited when my new design or gossip magazine shows up in the mailbox, for them it is Bon Appetit. They whip up random & new recipes like nobody’s business (are your ears burning yet Patty, Tania, Auntie Sandra…. 😉 ?) So when Patty’s son was studying Guatemala and she whipped up this salsa, I knew that I had to share it with you all.

• 3 Green Onions (which for some reason I forgot to put in the picture….oops!)
• 12 Medium sized Tomatoes
• 1 cup Corn (frozen works)
• 2 Garlic Cloves crushed
• 3 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Lime – juice only
• 1/2 cup Chopped Cilantro
• 1/2 seeded & minced Jalapeno Chili
• Salt & Pepper to taste

• Place whole tomatoes & corn on a cookie sheet and broil on the lower rack for about 10 minutes (or until the corn is golden and the tomatoes are soft and peeling)
• Chop green onions
• In a bowl, combine whole tomatoes, chopped green onions and crushed garlic – break up tomatoes
• Add olive oil, lime juice, grilled corn, cilantro, minced jalapeno chili and salt & pepper
• Serve warm over grilled chicken breast or cold with chips, crackers and add a dollop of sour cream

Here’s to a spicy week 😉

Honey Garlic Ribs

The description doesn’t lie, these puppies just fall off the bone

What you will need to make your own ribs

– 1 rack of Baby back pork ribs

– Onion powder, Garlic powder, Paprika & Ground Black Pepper

– Traeger Pork & Poultry Rub

– Canadian Club Honey Garlic BBQ Sauce

– Apple Juice

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Steps to making your own ribs

– Trim the ribs of any silver skin

-Sprinkle the back of the ribs with Onion powder, Garlic powder, Paprika & Ground Black Pepper

– Sprinkle the front of the ribs with Traeger Pork & Poultry Rub

– Turn the Traeger to “Smoke” and smoke the ribs for 2 hrs (place a foil container half full of apple juice in the corner of the grill, this will enhance the flavour as it smokes)

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– Take the ribs off the Traeger and place on a cooking sheet.

-Turn the heat up to 325deg

-While the Traeger is heating up, pour any remaining apple juice (from the foil container that was inside the smoker) in the pan & brush the ribs with Bbq sauce. Then tent heavy tinfoil over the ribs, sealing tightly around all sides of the cookie sheet.

– Cook for 2 1/2 hours

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– Remove from grill and turn up the heat to High (around 450 deg – 500 deg)

– Brush with more Bbq sauce & place the ribs directly on the grill, cook for 15mins.

– Let rest for 5 minutes & enjoy!

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*this recipe was done on a Traeger using the whole smoking process, not sure how it would work on a traditional BBQ 😉

If you have never heard of Traeger you need to check them out here. No this is not a sponsored post, just such an amazing way of cooking pretty much anything, I even use it for my Chocolate Chip Cookies, that we had to share.

Tandoori Turkey Burgers

So Christmas is upon us and it has been a typical Vancouver autumn…rain, rain and a little more rain, but who is complaining, at least it does not require shoveling, ok I digress! Anyways, one may think of burgers as more “summer food” but these babies are so yummy and simple to make, that they are perfect after a busy day of Christmas prep!

This recipe is straight from the Traeger website, so we don’t get any creative credit 🙂

Ingredients for Cucumber Sauce

1/4 cup plain yogurt (thick greek style) or sour cream

2 tbsp mayonnaise

2 tbsp finely diced cucumbers

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to your taste)

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl & whisk to mix. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. I have found that making this in the morning or the day before really makes the flavours that much yummier.

Ingredients for Patties

1 1/2 lbs ground turkey (well chilled)

1/4 cup thick plain yogurt or sour cream

1 green onion minced (white & green parts)

1 tbsp minced fresh parsley

2 tsp fresh ginger

1 1/2 tsp garam masala

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix lightly but thoroughly. (the mixture will be wet and loose) Wet your hands and form 6 equal patties.

To cook these on the Traeger: Start the grill on smoke with the lid open until the fire is established. (4-5 mins) Carefully place the patties on parchment and slide onto the grill. Smoke for 30 mins. Increase temperature to 325deg F and cook until internal temperature is 165deg F.

To cook these on a traditional BBQ: Cook as you would regular beef patties to an internal temperature of 165deg F.

You can eat these as you would a hamburger with lettuce, red onion, cucumbers and tomatoes, or you can slice up the patty and serve with a warmed pita, lettuce, red onion, cucumbers and tomatoes. Either way you prefer don’t forget the yummy cucumber sauce!

This weekend we are heading out to cut our Christmas tree, fingers crossed that the weatherman is right and we will get sun!

Coffee anyone?

I used to be able to say that I did not drink coffee…well I can no longer say that. I have discovered that with just the right amount of cream (about 3/4 of the cup) and sugar (that amount I won’t disclose 😉 ) and a splash of coffee, I have the perfect hot drink for the wet season. I think that qualifies as coffee, right!?

The perfect cup of coffee needs the perfect mug….and I found it. I am a sucker for type and I love the simple clean look of this mug from Starbucks.

What about you, do you have a favorite winter-time drink and a favorite mug to drink it from?

Happy Friday – Have a great weekend!

West Coast Blackberry Pie

Ahh Blackberries, those little berries that grow everywhere, and anywhere in abundance here on the West Coast! With so much of this free fruit the options are really unlimited as to what you can do with them. We decided to try baking a Blackberry pie on the Traeger Grill, and wow how super easy! ( I am not a cooked fruit fan myself, and when it comes to pies I will take the crust and the ice cream any day, but according the the rest of the family it was delicious!)

Ingredients you will need

Pie Crust for a 9″ pie (homemade or store bought)

8 cups Frozen Blackberries (I had previously frozen them)

1/4 cup Flour (since the berries are frozen this will help thicken the filling as it cooks – thanks for the tip Patty!)

1/2 cup White Sugar

1/4 cup Brown Sugar

Mix the berries with sugars and flour, then fill pie crust. It will look like a lot of berries however they do cook down.

Cover the pie with remaining pastry, and brush with a light coating of milk.

Turn the Traeger to 400 deg and allow to warm up then bake pie for 60 – 70 mins or until the crust is golden.

Let cool and enjoy with ice cream.

This weekend brings us rain here on the Westcoast, and we have a lot of gardening to do. My garlic has been drying, now waiting for the 15th, the magical day to plant. Our pumpkins are getting big and my rubber boots are leaking….guess I know what I will be buying this weekend 🙂 I am excited to share with you next week how the planting of the garlic goes!

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Montreal Smoked Meat

Finally!! – After going through 6 Briskets, using all sorts of different methods, and combinations of spices, Al nailed Montreal Smoked Meat!

You see, Al hails from Montreal, and one thing Montreal is famous for is Smoked Meat sandwiches on Rye Bread. So ever since getting the Traeger trying to make the perfect Montreal Smoked Meat has been a must! It is quite the process, but once all the steps are done, oh so worth it! It really did take quite a lot of tweaking and figuring out, but this time it tastes just like a Famous Dunn’s smoked meat.

Ingredients needed

• 7 pound Beef Brisket
• 1 cup Mixed Peppercorns
• 1 1/4 cup Kosher Salt
• 1/3 cup dextrose (sugar)
• 1/2 cup coriander seed
• 1 1/2 tbsp clove
• 1 tbsp bay leaf
• 1 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp Prauge #1 (pink salt) This is the secret to getting the meat nice and pink

1. Grind to a coarse texture (we actually used a coffee grinder) Peppercorns, Coriander Seeds, Clove & Bay Leaf.
2. Once ground, mix all of the spices, salts & sugar  in a bowl.
3. Rub all of the mixture over the brisket, covering liberally.
4. Once all sides of the brisket are covered, wrap the brisket up tight in Saran wrap (this process is a little messy 🙂 and an extra set of hands makes it much easier!)
5. Place in a big roasting pan and put a heavy weight on the meat (we used a paving stone wrapped in a plastic bag and tinfoil) You will need the pan since as the salt works there will be moisture come from the meat.
6. Turn the Brisket twice daily for 8 days

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1. After 8 days, rinse the Brisket of all the cure then soak in cold water for 2 – 3 hours changing the water every 20 minutes
2. Coarsely grind 2 cups of mixed Peppercorns & 1 cup of Coriander Seeds, add 1/4 cup garlic powder.
3. Pat the Brisket dry and rub with spice mixture.
4. Again wrap the Brisket and place in the fridge overnight.
5. Unwrap Brisket.
6. Set the Traeger on smoke and once Traeger is ready, smoke the Brisket for 3 1/2 hours.

Just before wrapping the Brisket in tin foil

1. After 3 1/2 hours raise the temperature of the Traeger to 225 deg
2. While you are waiting for the heat to increase, wrap the Brisket in tinfoil.
3. Place back on the Traeger. Cook until internal temperature is 150 deg.
4. Once temperature has reached 150 deg take off Traeger and cool to room temperature
5. Keep the tinfoil on, and wrap with Saran wrap.
6. Refrigerate overnight

ahh beauty – one of the few times you want your meat pink!

Just when you think it is over it isn’t. One of the most important parts, if not the most important part still needs to be done before you can truly have a tender, juicy Montreal Smoked Meat. The piece of Brisket that you are going to eat must be steamed for no less than 2 hours. No that wasn’t a typo. Smoking the meat is half the battle, but the other half is steaming it before you serve it.

• Pick the piece of meat that will feed the number you are cooking for.
• Place a steamer basket in a large stock pot and fill with hot water. (you may need to have a kettle on standby with hot water to keep the water level in the pot)
• Set the piece of meat on the steamer basket, but not in the water, cover and steam for 2 – 2 1/2 hours

• You will know your Smoked Meat is done, when you can easily poke it with a carving fork right through, with very little resistance.
• Remove meat and slice to your likeness as far as thickness goes.

Now a true Smoked Meat Sandwich is served on non-toasted Rye Bread. It is a bit of a faux paus to toast the bread, but I am a true west coast girl, so I just get away with toasting mine!

bon appetite

Easy Pizza on the Grill

Let’s face it, life can be busy – and sometimes figuring out what to have for supper (that everyone likes!) can be a pain. Homemade pizza does the trick, especially done on the grill, either traditional Bbq or Traeger Wood Pellet grilled.

I keep it simple and buy the pizza crust, but you could also easily make your own. The most important thing to grilling pizza is keeping the crust thin so that everything cooks evenly. If the crust is too thick, by the time the toppings cook, the bottom of the crust will be burnt. Obviously as far as pizza toppings go the options are unlimited. In our home one likes it plain, a couple like pepperoni and then pepperoni and green pepper.

If cooking on the Traeger

– bring heat up to 375deg

– once warmed up place the pizza’s on the grill (either directly on the grill or I use the Pampered Chef Pizza Pan which are slotted to allow even cooking ).

– cook for approx 20 minutes, rotating pizza once.

– after 20 minutes increase heat to 420deg. Cook pizza another 10-15 minutes, or until golden.

– once off the grill let pizza stand for 5 minutes

If cooking on Traditonal Bbq

– heat the Bbq to 400deg

– place pizza’s on grill (either directly on the grill or on the pizza pan)

– cook approx 25 minutes until golden, rotating pizza’s often (you may need to keep the lid of the Bbq open, so the temperature stays at 400deg)

– once off the Bbq let pizza stand for 5 minutes

Enjoy!

Classic Oatmeal Cookies with a Twist

There is almost nothing more classic than an Oatmeal Cookie.

After trying the Chocolate Chip Cookies a couple of weeks ago on the Traeger Wood Pellet Grill, and with Oatmeal Cookies being a favorite in this house, I knew we had to bake them using the same method.

 – Pre-heat Traeger to 350 Degrees (today we used Hickory Wood Pellets)

– Line 2 Cookie Sheets with Parchment Paper

Whisk together

– 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

– 3/4 tsp baking soda

– 3/4 tsp baking powder

– 1/2 tsp salt

– 1/2 tsp cinnamon

– 1/2 tsp nutmeg

Beat until well Blended

– 1 cup butter softened

– 1 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed

– 1/4 cup white sugar

– 2 large eggs

– 2 tsp vanilla

Blend the flour mixture into the butter mixture until well blended and smooth.

– Stir in 3 1/2 cups rolled oats

My recipe calls for raisins but I have a huge aversion to them and forgot to pick them up today at the grocery store (I know, how in the world can you have Oatmeal Cookies without raisins? Al did deal with it pretty good though! ) I did however add semi sweet chocolate chips to half of the batch.

– Drop the dough on the cookie sheet by (about a golf ball size)

– Flatten cookies with the palm of your hand

– Bake for 10 – 12 minutes

On a side note – These cookies can also be baked in an oven, but I would not recommend trying to bake these on a traditional Bbq, given the uneven heat that they produce.