K & A Chuckwagon Still Dishing Out Good Grub.

K & A Chuckwagon

496 N Main
Monticello, UT 84535

(435) 587-3468

Hours: 5pm - 9pm; Thurs, Fri and Sat only

While K & A Chuckwagon is still for sale, the owner, Anna Clarke, opened up her outdoor eatery on June 1, 2014 once again.  She was not going to disappoint the locals, visitors, groups and bus tours who look forward each summer to her most delicious chuckwagon style menu.  What is so wonderful about her food; homemade with love!  That's right, homemade bread, salads, desserts, honey butter for the bread, ranch beans, country style potatoes.  To add to it, she does the grilling herself of a full pound of either boneless, skinless Chicken Breast, New York Strip Steak or Baby Back Ribs.  Hold on for a sec while I wipe the drool off my chin just thinking about all that awesome food.















Alright, back to writing; after placing your order, Anna gets to work grilling it up to perfection.  The chicken is basted in a lemony butter sauce; the ribs and steak sprinkled with a seasoning mixture; the ribs get a good basting of her "secret bbq sauce" at the end.  The Colonel of KFC stole the phrase "finger lickin' good" from Anna, I will attest to that!  Don't be fooled by Anna's appearance; just because she is sporting a bit of grey on top of that head of hers; she ain't no fool, has lots of sass, yet full of sweetness.

Now I'm going to call a spade a spade here; this has got to be some of the best chuckwagon style food around Southeastern Utah. Anyone looking at the photos saying, "Yuck, that's gross; I wouldn't eat that!" Well you can stick with your foie gras, bonbons and dabbing your dainty lips with a linen napkin. I'm going to enjoy chowing down on those sides and wearing that bbq sauce all over my face when I'm eating those ribs. 

Oh, right, I'm supposed to describe the food itself too; tender, juicy, mouth watering, not a single bite leftover of the chicken, ribs or steak; well except the bones from the ribs.  The salads are fresh and tasty; the bread is soft; the honey butter is sweet, creamy and rich; the ranch beans are cooked to perfection with a nice kick to them; the country potatoes...I would kill for a second helping of those potatoes; the dessert is to die for.  That enough description for you? 

Let the photos do the real talking here...

Baby Back Ribs

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast

New York Strip Steak



A Variety of Fresh, Homemade Salads



Homemade Bread and Honey Butter

Homemade Desserts



Slices of Apple Crumb Pie

Groups and Tour Buses - call in advance with all the information of when you'll be there, how many people and what everyone is going to want for the main entree.  

Don't miss the experience of truly authentic Southwestern style cooking; go to K & A Chuckwagon in Monticello, Utah.  Hurry, the summer will be over before you know it!

Mary Cokenour



Men At Work, Tools and the Breakfast Burrito.

My hubby, Roy, and his friend Sean have been doing a little updating on the home. Now being the nurturer that I am, I make sure they're well watered and well fed; that included a good start to the day. I've never made a breakfast burrito before and to my great delight, I now had two male guinea pigs at my disposal.

Wolfed down the burritos? No, they practically inhaled them without chewing. The greatest compliment I received from Sean was, "You could put that burrito truck guy down in Blanding out of business selling these!" Whereas Roy than added, "Man, you should try one of her Smoked Sausage Burritos!"  See, that's what I love about having these two men as my guinea pigs, they will tell you that way it is without the sugar coating. The first time I made them, I forgot the cheese and they pointed that out immediately at the first bite. The second time I added the cheese, and all was perfect in the world...food wise.

Enough talk, lets eat!  Oh, the list of ingredients; yes, that is for one burrito.  Who in the world would make a skinny burrito!?!

Breakfast Burrito

Ingredients:

1 - 10 inch flour tortilla

6 strips crispy bacon
2 Tbsp butter, divided
1 cup shredded potatoes
1/4 cup diced onion
2 Tbsp diced red bell pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

 
 

Preparation:

Lay the bacon across the center of the tortilla, but leave 2-3 inches open space from the edges of the tortilla.

 

Melt one tablespoon of butter, medium-high heat, in a 10 inch skillet.  Add the potatoes, onion, bell pepper, salt and ground black pepper; mix, press down to spread out evenly and cook one side for 2 minutes.  Flip the mixture over and cook other side for another minute. 













Add the beaten eggs and cheese; mix and cook until eggs become firmer and cheese is thoroughly melted. 













Spread the potato/egg mixture over the bacon and do not let it go to the edges. 















Fold up the long sides of the tortilla over the ingredients; fold up the ends and secure with toothpicks until ready for the skillet.

 

Add the remaining tablespoon of butter to the skillet, melt over medium-high heat.  Remove toothpicks and lay tortilla "packet" seam side down into the skillet; cook for 1-2 minutes, until browned and seams are sealed.  Flip burrito over and cook for 1-2 minutes, until browned.  Remove to plate, cut in half or eat two handed style.

Makes one burrito.

Mary Cokenour

Oh So Easy Shrimp, Veggies and Pasta.

The most difficult part about making a pasta recipe is choosing the pasta. Do you want tubular; long and thin; long, flat and thin; curly; wavy; a shape such as a bowtie or shell; yada, yada, yada? There are so many choices in the world of pasta and it basically depends on what shape you feel like looking at on your plate, and forking over into your mouth. For this recipe I chose pappardelle; a broad, flat, long pasta that is shaped into a "nest" when drying; once cooked though, it's snakes alive!

Shrimp and Vegetables over Pappardelle

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 large zucchini, cubed
1 large yellow squash, cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (8 oz) package Pappardelle
water to cook pasta
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 lb. large shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 cups tomato vodka cream sauce**

Preparation:

In a large skillet, heat oil on medium-high heat, sauté zucchini, yellow squash and onion till the edges just begin to brown.  While waiting to brown vegetables, heat water in a large pot and cook Pappardelle until al dente.

Add the garlic, salt, pepper and shrimp to the vegetables; mix. 

When the shrimp turns opaque, drain the pasta and place a serving on each plate.   Spoon sauce over the pasta and top with the shrimp and vegetable mixture.

 

 

Makes 6 servings.

** Recipe for Tomato Vodka Cream Sauce

Tomato Vodka Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp butter

¼ cup diced onion
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup vodka
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup grated Romano cheese

Preparation:

In a large skillet, medium-high heat, melt butter and sauté onion until translucent. Add tomatoes and cook until liquid reduces by half; stir frequently to keep from sticking or burning.

Add cream, vodka and pepper flakes; bring to a boil; reduce heat to low; add in cheeses and let cook 10 minutes to let sauce thicken.

Makes 4 cups.

Mary Cokenour


 

Got Donuts? You've Got Bread Pudding.

That's right, this post is about creating bread pudding out of donuts; not just any donut, but yeasty glazed donuts. Donuts made with yeast are light, airy and absorb liquid without becoming too heavy, mushy and falling apart.  Glazed donuts are packed with sugar, so this is not diabetic friendly; however the brown and white sugars normally used for bread pudding are not needed.  Will it be overly sweet, surprisingly not; if you want "hurt your teeth sweet", than add sugar to the recipe.  My hubby doesn't care for bread pudding, but he tried this and went wild for it; especially when I served him a scoop of Tillamook's "White Chocolate Raspberry Yum" ice cream along side.

I've teased you enough, lets get to the recipe.

Glazed Donut Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

12 (yeast made, not cake) glazed donuts
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup pecan pieces
8 Tbsp (1 stick) butter
2 and 1/2 cups milk (2%)  - creates a lighter "custard" which is best for the donuts
4 large eggs
1 Tbsp cinnamon
2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 Tbsp vanilla

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F; spray a 2 quart baking dish with nonstick baking spray.

 

 

 

 

Cut donuts in half; cut halves into thirds; place in large bowl with raisins and pecan pieces and mix.  The glaze on the donuts will help hold raisins and pecans to the donut.  Spread out into the baking dish and top with any remaining raisins and pecan pieces that did not adhere to donuts.

 

 

 

In a medium saucepan, melt butter into the milk on medium-high; do not let boil and remove from heat when butter is melted.  In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. 

 

 

 

 

 

Slowly pour egg mixture into the butter/milk mixture and begin whisking immediately to avoid scrambling the egg mixture.  Pour mixture over the donut pieces; use a spoon to work liquid between the pieces.

 

 

 

 

Bake for 40-45 minutes; top is a golden brown and sides are bubbling.  Let cool 15 minutes before serving.

 

Makes 12 servings.

Enjoy the treat! 

Mary Cokenour

Delicious Dumplings from Poland.

Dumplings; usually a circular layer of unleavened dough which has a filling put into its center, folded over and sealed with a dap of water along the edges. If you have had Italian ravioli, then you've eaten dumplings. In Poland, the dumpling is referred to as a pierogi; the usual filling is a mixture of potato and onion; first boiled, then baked or fried.  Almost every culture in the world has some sort of dumpling, the fillings are infinite, and they are a comfort food.




Being pasta making challenged, no, I don't make my own dumplings; instead I rely on Mrs. T's Pierogies found in most supermarket freezers.  Just like frozen ravioli, they are a convenience, especially when the mood for them suddenly strikes.  Just pop them in boiling water until they float, strain, fry them up in butter and/or oil, and eat as is, or sauce them up.   Like ravioli, they come in a variety of fillings, but my favorite is potato with cheese.  By the way, the recommended serving size is 3, but who am I kidding; 4 or 5 is my usual serving.

Pierogies

 

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz) box Mrs. T's potato and cheese pierogies (or whichever potato variety desired)

1/2 cup each diced red and yellow bell peppers
1/2 cup diced onion
water to boil pierogies
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

  

 

 

 

 

Preparation:

 

 

 

 

Fill a large pot halfway with water and bring to a rolling boil.  Add in the pierogies and cook for 5 to 7 minutes; until they float to the top and are puffed up; turn off heat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While pierogies are cooking, melt the butter with the olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat.  Add in the bell peppers, onions, salt, garlic powder and black pepper; sauté for one minute.   Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pierogies to the skillet; brown one side for 4 minutes; turn over and brown the other side for an additional 4 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Makes 4 servings (3 pierogies per serving).

Mary Cokenour

Casserole with a Long Name and Lots of Flavor.

There I was, chicken breasts defrosted so I could make a favorite of mine, Seared Chicken and Risi E Bisi for lunch. I'd also defrosted small shrimp to make Skillet Shrimp and Pasta for dinner. Now here comes the problem, coming home after a three hour adventure which included two hours of hiking and climbing up to an arch doesn't put you in the mood for cooking...anything.

I half heartedly pulled out the ingredients for the first recipe, but then I spied a packet of broccoli which I had chopped up, steamed and frozen; then it came to me!  What if I take the chicken, shrimp, broccoli and mixed it all up with the rice into a casserole dish and cooked it all at once?  Yeppers, I was feeling inspired and it wouldn't be that hurtful to my already aching muscles.  For the Risi E Bisi I would use Arborio rice, since this is actually a risotto dish; instead I used packets of chicken flavored rice to make life just a little bit easier.

Now if you can't or don't like shrimp, simply leave it out, but add another half pound of the chicken in its stead; only a half pound because it is denser than the shrimp.  I did let a friend sample this creation out of my tired mind, and she enjoyed it.  Oh, the long name?  Each main ingredient is almost equal to the next and couldn't decide who to give the most credit to; I gave it to all of them!  Even the Cheddar cheese which was screaming at me from the cheese drawer, "pick me...pick meeeee!!!"

Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole with Chicken and Shrimp

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into one inch pieces

1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 (5.5 oz) packets chicken rice mix
1 and 1/2 cups small chopped broccoli pieces
1 lb. small shrimp, cleaned and deveined
4 cups hot water
1 (12 oz) bag shredded mild Cheddar cheese

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400F; spray a 3 quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, mix the chicken pieces with the salt, paprika and black pepper.  In a large skillet, heat oil on medium-high heat; sauté chicken for five minutes.

 

 

Into a large bowl, mix together partially cooked chicken and remaining ingredients, except the Cheddar cheese.  Pour mixture into baking dish and cover with aluminum foil; bake for 15 minutes (shrimp will turn slightly opaque).

  

 

 

 

Remove foil; spread cheese evenly over top of mixture; bake an additional 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

Mary Cokenour

 

Sweet Salmon and Squash..

As much as Roy and I enjoy eating out and trying new restaurants, eating at home is more cozy and convenient.  So, when I told him I had salmon and asked how he wanted it cooked, he suggested I try and copycat the recipe from the Line Camp Steak House.  There are a lot of elements to their "Salmon in Maple Glaze and Crushed Pecans"; one being orange zest and I was too lazy to rehydrate my dried zest, or run to the store for a fresh orange.  Therefore, my recipe does not include that element and something tells me that the brown sugar I used is my own inclusion. 

The side dish I served with the salmon was very easy to make; spaghetti squash using the same flavoring ingredients as used with the salmon.  I put the spaghetti squash in the oven and timed the baking of the salmon to coincide with the final preparation of the side dish.

By the way, this is what you'll really love about both dishes; besides the main items, you only need three other ingredients to use in both for a total of four.  How simpler could it be!?!

Sweet Maple Salmon with Pecans

Ingredients:
 

6 (6 oz) boneless, skinless Salmon fillets

3 tsp brown sugar
1 cup maple  syrup
1/2 cup small pecan pieces

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375F; line a baking tray with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

 

Place the fillets, skin side down, on the aluminum foil; spread a half teaspoon of brown sugar over each.  Bake for 10 minutes.

  

 

Remove tray from oven; pour maple syrup over each fillet; sprinkle pecan pieces over each.  Bake for additional 10 minutes.

 

Makes 6 servings.




I used a large spaghetti squash to get enough to serve with each fillet.  Once the squash finished baking, I used an oven mitt to hold each side (they're hot!) and scraped the "spaghetti strands" into a large bowl.  I used the exact same amounts of brown sugar, maple syrup and pecan pieces as specified in the salmon recipe.



There you go, a home cooked meal that looks gourmet restaurant style, just not as pricey.

Mary Cokenour