Mr. Gooch Cooks - A Super Salad

This last week Mr. Gooch surprised me with having dinner ready when I got home from work.  While that was wonderful all in its own, it was the salad that made it absolutely memorable.

Who knew that apples, bacon, romaine and smokey seasoned ranch could combine for such tastiness?   I mean, I am a firm believer that bacon makes everything better, but in this case, it is definitely true.

The sweetness of the apples, along with the saltiness of the bacon, added to the cool romaine and the slight smokey heat of the dressing combine to make a salad worth making again and again.

Ingredients
3 pieces of bacon
1 head romaine lettuce, chopped, washed and dried
1/4 cup ranch dressing
1 teaspoon Northwood Fire seasoning
1 apple cored and sliced into 4 slices lengthwise
1/4 cup cashews, chopped

Directions
Combine ranch and Northwoods fire in a small bowl, set aside.
Cook bacon in a skillet until crisp.  Set aside to cool.
Place apple slices in skillet with bacon fat, cooking for about 1 minute on each side. Set aside to cool.
Wipe out skillet and place cashews, toasting lightly.  Set aside to cool.
Chop bacon and apples into small pieces.
In a large bowl, combine romaine, apples, bacon and dressing, tossing lightly.
Once tossed, add cashews.
Serve.

Mr. Gooch Cooks - Cucumber & Pepper Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

The night that I made Beef Meatballs in Marinara over Rigatoni, Mr. Gooch made this tasty salad.  I had been out running some errands at Home Depot (I swear that I am in that place weekly), Hobby Lobby, the grocery, and the bank.  So coming home to flowers and dinner already started was so sweet.

The best part of the deal?  This recipe is quick, easy and tasty. So if you need to whip up a quick salad that is an alternative to the usual lettuce based version, this is for you.

Cucumber & Pepper Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
(Source:  Depths of Mr. Gooch's Brain)
Ingredients
1 red pepper, cut into bite sized pieces
1 yellow pepper, cut into bite sized pieces
1 orange pepper, cut into bite sized pieces
1 cucumber, quartered and cut into bite sized pieces
1 Tbs Olive Oil
1 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp Italian Herb Blend

Directions
Place peppers and cucumbers in a large ceramic bowl.
Combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar and herbs in a small bowl. 
Mix thoroughly.
Pour over peppers and cucumbers.
Stir to coat.

For best flavor, place in fridge and allow flavors to meld for an hour or more.

Mr. Gooch Cooks (Seasoned Steak Perfection)

Or V for Victory!  Mr. Gooch believes, and I agree, that we have achieved steak perfection with this recipe. 
The spices and the balsamic glaze all combined with the tenderness of our thick-cut New York Strip steaks from Heartland Meats to create nirvana.

A quick plug for Heartland Meats - if you are located near Chicago and you can get some of their meats, do it.  You won't regret it.  After finding their booth at the Oak Park Farmers Market several years ago, we were regular customers until our move.  We miss our favorite meat man.

If anyone knows of a rancher of grass-fed beef in western Michigan, please leave a comment.  We are looking for a local supplier since we don't get to our old Farmers Market anymore.

Back to the recipe.  It is easy; however the only drawback is that two of the key ingredients are proprietary  blends.  The Chicago Steak Seasoning I purchased at The Spice House in Chicago.  They do, however, have an online store so you can order a batch for yourself.  And I would suggest that this is an ingredient that any beef lover should have in their spice pantry.  Mr. Gooch has added it to hamburgers with great success.  The Smokey 4/S Special Seasoned Salt is from Penzeys, our absolute favorite spice store ever.  Again, they also have an online store you don't have one of their physical locations near you.

Seasoned Steak Perfection
(Source:  Depths of Mr. Gooch's Brain)
Ingredients
1 tbs Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 tsp Mesquite Liquid Smoke
1 tbs Chicago Steak Seasoning (from The Spice House)
1/4 tsp Smokey 4/S Special Seasoned Salt (from Penzeys)
Directions
Combine Worcestershire Sauce, Balsamic Vinegar and Mesquite Liquid Smoke in a small bowl.
Combine Chicago Steak Seasoning and Smokey 4/S Special Seasoned Salt in a second small bowl.
Rinse and dry the steaks.
With a basting brush, brush one side of the steaks with the liquid, then sprinkle with the dry seasonings.

Flip the steaks and repeat.

Place seasoned steaks into a zipper bag and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours (overnight is better).

Heat your grill to a low to medium temperature. 

Cook low and slow on the grill until it reaches your desired doneness.

Then enjoy!

Mr. Gooch Cooks (Spicy Mojo Tuna Kabobs)

Mr. Gooch is on fire!! Well, cooking with fire and making spicy treats for the two of us.

After a trip to our local Costco and seeing a gorgeous piece of fresh tuna, Mr. Gooch knew exactly what he wanted to make. Spicy Mojo Tuna Kabobs which stars one of our favorite seasonings, Tabasco Chipolte Pepper Sauce. Man how we love that stuff. I think we would buy it in a gallon jug if we had the room in our pantry. Mmmm, chipotle...sorry, got distracted.

The key to this recipe is to cube the tuna before putting in the marinade and using a kabob basket like the one seen in the picture below for grilling. This ensures the tuna doesn't flake into small pieces. I got ours at Bed Bath & Beyond several years ago.

Spicy Mojo Tuna Kabobs
(Source: Mr. Gooch's brain and tabasco.com)
Marinade Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup minced garlic
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup TABASCO® brand Chipotle Pepper Sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin

Marinade Directions
Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat; stir in garlic and cook 15 seconds or until garlic releases its fragrance.
Remove from heat to cool slightly, then stir in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Kabob Ingredients
1 lb good quality tuna (cubed)
3 colored peppers cut into pieces about the same size as the tuna cubes

Kabob Directions
Place tuna and peppers into a large Ziploc bag and pour in marinade.
Let marinade in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
When ready to grill, heat grill to medium/medium high heat
Once tuna and peppers have completed marinating, place tuna and peppers in the kabob baskets.
Cook on grill for 10-15 minutes or until tuna is cooked and peppers begin to char slightly, using left over marinade to baste while cooking.
Once done cooking discard any remaining marinade.
Serve cooked tuna and peppers with rice.

Mr. Gooch Cooks (Spice-Rubbed Bacon)

Last Saturday was Mr. Gooch's birthday. In honor of his big day, and the fabulous weather (60+ degrees in Chicagoland in February), we grilled steaks. They were marinated in another Mr. Gooch concoction, his Southwest Marinade. However, to give them an extra special something, he also made Spice-Rubbed Bacon.

Inspired by a burger ordered at Chili's last fall which combined beef with bacon, Mr. Gooch knew that the flavors would be a nice compliment to the steaks.

He tried to cook the bacon on the grill, however, with the sugar, it turned out to be too difficult (since the fat and sugar both burn) so the bacon was cooked in the oven.

Spice-Rubbed Bacon
(Source: Inspired by a hamburger from Chili's)
Ingredients
4 pieces Thick Cut Bacon (we used Jimmy Dean
1 teaspoon Chili Powder (Penzeys Chili 3000 would also be fabulous)
2 teaspoons Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon Northwoods Fire Spice mix (from Penzeys)

Directions
Separate pieces of bacon on either a cookie sheet or piece of aluminum foil

Mix together the Chili Powder and Brown Sugar, making sure the completely combine. (The brown sugar has tendency to form into small balls and not mix completely with the chili powder).

Divide and spread mixture first onto one side (rubbing the spice into the piece of bacon), then the other.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. You do not need to flip the bacon.

Once cooked, we cut the long bacon pieces in half and placed on top of the steak. The sweet heat of the bacon melded nicely with the spiciness of the Southwest Marinade used on the steaks.

Mr. Gooch Cooks (Southwestern Marinade)

Mr. Gooch loves to grill. In the winter, he even shovels a path to our grill from the back sidewalk. To me, it shows dedication when you need a hat, gloves and winter coat to cook dinner. But then again, I also love the grilled meat so if he wants to brave the elements, who am I to stop him.

Part of his love of grilling, is creating marinades for the various meats to be cooked on the grill. One of his favorites is this recipe for Southwest Marinade. This mixture lends a spicy heat to steaks and I think would be nice on chicken too. (I will have to report back on that one.) The best part is this marinade works best if you let the meat soak up the flavors overnight so make it up the night before and the steaks will be ready to go when you get home from work.

The source for this recipe is the depths of his brain and a too full cupboard of spices, vinegars and oils.

Southwest Marinade
(Source: the depths of Mr. Gooch's brain)
Ingredients
1/2 c olive oil
1 t worchestershire sauce
1 t chipotle Tabasco sauce
2 T BBQ & Roasting Vinegar (red wine vinegar can be substituted)
1 t Grill Mates Montreal Streak seasoning
1 t taco seasoning
1 t Kirkland Sweet Mesquite seasoning
1/4 t liquid smoke
1/2 t crushed red pepper
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 c water

Directions
In a small bowl, mix together all ingredients.
Place meat in an appropriate sized Ziploc bag.
Pour mixture over meat.
Seal bag and place in refrigerator.
Turn meat occasionally.
Marinate at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours.

Mr. Gooch Cooks: Yams Make Great Fries

At one of the last Farmer's Markets we visited, one of the farmers had some good looking yams. Now I know that yams are very similar to the sweet potato. This was per Mr. Gooch, who apparently knows all about such things.

Not knowing much about the yam or sweet potato, I asked Mr. Gooch what he wanted to make out of this particular veggie. He asked for fries.

I found several recipes online and on other blogs but when it came down to it, Mr. Gooch just did his own thing. And it tunred out great. Some of the pieces got a little dark, but those were the sweetest ones, strangely enough.

We served this with the Chicken Bacon Ranch Calzones.

Yam Fries

Ingredients

1 large yam

olive oil

seasoned sea salt

fresh ground pepper

Tony Chacherie's Creole Lite seasoning

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Line 2 cookie sheets with tin foil

Slice the yam down into real small strips

Place the sliced yams in a large bowl

Coat with olive oil

Spread onto the foil lined sheets

Season with sea salt, Creole seasonings and fresh ground pepper

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the pieces begin to darken

Mr. Gooch Cooks (Steaks with Sweet Mesquite Marinade)

Mr. Gooch was my hero last night.

I had a early evening meeting so I wasn't going to be able to cook dinner. Mr. Gooch took charge. (I love it when he does that!)

We ended up having steak in a marinade he created, left over pesto pasta from Monday night and his caprese-style salad. Can you say yum? I know I did.

The best part, he even took some photos so that I could post.

Sweet Mesquite Marinade Recipe

Ingredients
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/2 cup water
2 Tablespoons Vinegar (he used 1 T garlic vinegar and 1 T basamic vinegar)
1 Teaspoon Worchestershire Sauce
1 Teaspoon Sweet Mesquite Marinade (Kirkland Brand)
1 Teaspoon Italina Seasoning (Tastefully Simple brand)
1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Teaspoon Rosemary

Directions

Combine all ingredients and place in ziploc with steaks.

Marinade for at least 4 hours.

Once meat is done marinating, you can use leftovers to keep steak moist during grilling.

Fabulous Dinner on the Grill: Tri-Tip, Potatoes, Corn and Peaches

Monday is Mr. Gooch's night off during the week. So it is the night we do our most involved dinner. This week it was all about the grill. Mr. Gooch was very happy as he loves cooking on the grill.

The menu included
Ceasar Salad
Marinated Tri-Tip Steak
Grilled New Potatoes with Parmesan and Herbs
Easy Grilled Corn on the Cob
Grilled Peaches



We purchased the tri-tip a couple of weeks ago from a vendor at our local farmer's market. The family has been in farming for over 100 years and cows on their farm are grain-fed, locally raised and have been certified hormone free. It is tastes amazing. The nice thing about purchasing a larger piece of meat is that there is enough left over for lunches.

Marinated Tri-Tip Steak
Ingredients
1 1/2 pound tri-tip steak
McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Marinade

Directions
Marinade steak for at least 24 hours in the refrigerator
Heat grill to low heat
Grill meat for approximately 45 minutes over low heat
Flipping every 10-15 minutes or so

Grilled New Potatoes with Parmesan and Herbs (from epicurious.com)
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds small red-skinned potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley (from our garden)
1/1/2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano (from our garden)

Directions
Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain potatoes; cool.

Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Cut potatoes in half; transfer to large bowl. Add 1/2 of the oil; toss to coat. Grill potatoes until golden, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Drizzle with rest of oil and add remaining ingredients; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Easy Corn on the Grill (from cooks.com)
Ingredients
2 ears of corn for each person
1 tablespoon butter for each ear of corn
3 tablespoons crushed ice for each ear of corn
aluminum foil or foil pockets
salt, to taste

Directions
Husk corn and rinse. Heat grill to 350F.

Cut a rectangle of aluminum foil large enough to wrap each corn cob twice. Place each corn in the center of foil with the shiny side in. Add 3 tablespoons crushed ice and 1 tablespoon butter.

It's important to wrap the corn with the aluminum foil so that the edges of the foil are crimped and sealed securely so that as the ice melts, the liquid will be retained in the foil pocket. Make an envelope with the foil and double fold the edges, then place the seams on the top.

Place the corn pockets on the hot grill and cook for 30 minutes or so, turning over half way through cooking time. (Length of cooking time will vary depending on the tenderness, variety and age of the corn - some types of corn may be done in half the time).



When I was buying this week's batch of peaches, I overheard one of the farmers telling a customer that a great (and easy) dessert to be made on the grill is roasted peaches. Based on the basic directions I heard, I headed home and pulled together the recipe below.

Grilled Peaches
Ingredients
Ripe Peaches (this ensures that the peach with some off the pit easier)
Brown Sugar

Directions
Cut the peach in half
Remove the pit
Fill the whole with packed brown sugar
Create envelope using tin foil making sure you can access top to check for doneness
Place filled peaches in envelop
Cook over medium to medium high heat until peaches are soft
Serve with vanilla ice cream with the juices from the brown sugar and peaches

Mr. Gooch Cooks (Chicken and Peppers Marinated in Spicy Chipotle Tabasco Marinade)

Mr. Gooch was in charge of dinner this evening. He made one of his specialties - chicken and peppers marinated in Spicy Chipotle Tabasco Marinade. These are one of my favorites, let me tell you.

Marinade Recipe
Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup minced garlic
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup TABASCO® brand Chipotle Pepper Sauce
1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions:
Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat; stir in garlic and cook 15 seconds or until garlic releases its fragrance. Remove from heat to cool slightly, then stir in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Set aside 1/2 cup marinade to serve at the table. Use remainder to marinate* poultry, meat, or seafood before grilling; discard used marinade.
We usually cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and marinade overnight for best flavor. We then add the cut peppers to the marinade about 2 hours before cooking.

To cook the chicken and peppers, we place in kebob baskets for grilling using medium-high heat and cooking until done.

I will often make a taco/fajita out of them using low-cal/high fiber/great tasting tortilla from Tortilla Factory. For those doing Weight Watchers, the point value on these is 0 points (score!)

Mr. Gooch Cooks (Multi-Veggie Caprese Salad)

Mr. Gooch liked the idea of his creations being out on the web, so he asked to be a regular recipe contributor to About a Bit of Everything. So here is his second installment.

Mr. Gooch is always using the kitchen like a laboratory. He sees a dish in the newspaper, a magazine, a restuarant review and will want to recreate it. However, he knows that in most cases he will have to make some changes. The reason: I am a picky eater. So to accomodate me and to avoid eating the same 7 things over and over, he concocts, modifies, formulates and creates like crazy. But he loves it. It frees his creative side and makes him feel like "King of the Kitchen."

Multi-Veggie Caprese Salad

Ingredients
Peppers (Use green, red, yellow and orange to add color)
Grape/Cherry Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Fresh Mozzarella, drained
Grated Parmesean Cheese
Italian Dressing (I prefer a spicier version)
Fresh Basil

Directions
Cut vegetables and mozzarella into bite size pieces keeping quantities of each ingredient about equal
Combine in large ceramic bowl
Drizzle liberally with Italian dressing
Stir so all pieces are coated in the dressing
Let salad sit in refrigerator for at least one hour
Prior to serving, stir and sprinkle with parmesean cheese and torn basil leaves

Add any cooked meat like chicken, beef or salmon to this to make a meal instead of a side dish.

Mr. Gooch Cooks (Peppers)

For lunch today, Mr. Gooch made tasty cooked peppers. He read about a restaurant in Chicago having stuffed tomatoes with spicy couscous. Not being a fan of the tomato, he created his own version utilizing a seasoned feta cheese. Have to love the creative cooking husband.


Couscous Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients:
½ teaspoon season salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon chipotle Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
8 oz ground meat
4 Peppers (Red, Yellow, Orange)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
8 oz. couscous/maftul (cook with broth instead of water)
1 tablespoon parsley
½ teaspoon cumin
4 oz. feta cheese

Directions:
Knead season salt, garlic powder, onion powder, chipotle Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ground meat together insuring thorough mixing. Then brown meat in pan and drain of excess fat.

In separate pan sautee minced garlic then cook couscous (maftul) with broth flavored to match meat choice. Add parsley and cumin before boiling.

Try to time couscous and meat to finish about the same time. Adding them to feta cheese while hot will help cheese melt and make the next step easier.

Before combining couscous and browned meat, drain any excess fluid.

Combine cooked meat and couscous in bowl with feta cheese. Stir to coat meat and couscous with cheese.

Hollow 4 medium peppers and fill with stuffing. Cook for 20 minutes at 350 degrees, or grill on medium heat wrapped in foil.

Works great with brighter colored peppers, yellow or orange or red. For authentic flavor use lamb, but beef and chicken or turkey will work just fine. Just remember to mix seasonings with meat before cooking. I prefer finding a feta cheese that is pre-mixed with Mediterranean flavors but you can always spice up plain cheese.