A Belated Thank You to a Fine Houston, Texas Gentleman.

Back in September 2014, I met a man passing through town that needed directions; not a problem for me and I happily gave him the information he needed. We struck up a conversation about the area and, per usual, food and restaurants came up. I lamented on how, when I had moved here, I was under the illusion that barbecue and smoked meats would be the norm, not the holy grail. How I had learned the techniques myself, owned two smokers, but time was not always on my side when in the mood for this most excellent type of food.

He then halted the conversation with a, "I'll be right back", went to his vehicle and began rooting around inside. He then returned with a plastic bag, handed it to me, and said, "This is for you." Inside was an approximately two pound beef brisket; he explained that it should be wrapped in foil and cooked for two to three hours at 200 to 225 degrees.  I was in shock and, at first, reluctant to take this man's food from him; he was going camping and hunting and this was one of his provisions.  He insisted, explaining how nice and helpful I had been; and he wanted to share something with me that he knew I would enjoy.

Since my hubby would be home for dinner that night; of course I was going to prepare this treat for us.  Wrapped in foil, oven preheated; it was the waiting that would be the worst.  Roy arrived home just as I had finished preparing red skinned mashed potatoes, a vegetable medley and the brisket.  The aromas wafting throughout the home were intoxicating!

The brisket had an evident smoke ring around it; you could taste the smokiness and I don't know what he used in his rub, but it was awesomely flavored!  It was very tender and melted in the mouth as we chewed; talk about food heaven!  As much as we wanted to eat the entire brisket in one seating, we did save enough for one more wonderful meal.

I allowed so many things to get in the way of my writing this blog post immediately, and I apologize deeply for the lateness of this thank you.  THANK YOU Travis Staudt (hope I spelled your name correctly) of Houston, Texas for your own kindness, and this generous gift you gave to my hubby and myself.  You are a fine gentleman, and this gesture will not be forgotten.

Mary Cokenour

Semi-Homemade Apple Pie.

As I keep stating, I'm not much on baking as I don't like to do all that precise measuring. Whenever I've made a fruit pie in the past, I used the canned stuff; I know, shocking!  When I received six large Granny Smith apples in my last Bountiful Basket pack, I simply stared at them.  They're too tart, in my opinion, for eating as is, so I've always used them in some type of cooking recipe.  This time I was going to be brave and bake them, but the decision was , "Apple Dumplings or Apple Pie"?

I don't make my own pie crust which is what I would need for either recipe.  Off to the local market I went to get refrigerated pie crusts, but the Marie Callender deep dish pie shells were on sale too; so apple pie it was.  Now how to put the pie together?  Well, I've always enjoyed watching baking shows, have several books on baking; as always, I was going to wing it. 

Surprise!  My little adventure came out a delicious success.  The apples were neither too soft, or too firm; they had just the right scrunch.  The butter melted and combined with the brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg to make a rich, fragrant sauce that, again, was neither too thin, or too gooey.  Goldilocks would have been so awesomely proud of my creation.

Apple Pie

(Recipe makes two pies)

 

Ingredients:

6 large Granny Smith apples

2 qts. cold water
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. nutmeg
2- deep dish (9 inch) pie shells
1 package refrigerated pie crusts
8 Tbsp. butter

 

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425F.

 

Core, peel and slice apples into ¼ inch slices; place in a large plastic bowl, cover with water and add in lemon juice.

 

 

 

In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Cut each tablespoon of butter into quarters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Into each pie shell, place ¼ of the apple slices; use a strainer to remove from the water and shake excess off.  Sprinkle ¼ cup of the brown sugar mixture over the slices; dot with eight quarter pieces of butter.  Repeat each layer – apple slices, brown sugar mixture, butter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top with pie crust and pinch the excess around the edge; with the tip of a knife, pierce the crust 9 to 12 times.

 

 

Place a piece of aluminum foil on the oven rack; center pie on top of foil to catch any dripping.  Bake for 45 – 50 minutes; until pie crust is a golden brown.

 

Mary Cokenour

Smoked Meat Lovers Haven in Dove Creek, Colorado.

L&M Smoked Meats at the Dove Creek Sinclair

419 US Highway 491
Dove Creek, Colorado, 81324

Phone: (970) 677-3300

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dove-Creek-Sinclair-Station/127811170599131




Only 20 minutes east of Monticello, along Route 491, is the small town of Dove Creek, Colorado.  Sinclair of Dove Creek may look like an ordinary gas station/convenience store, but they hold a foodie secret….smoked meats.  Beef Brisket, Pulled Pork and Ribs with meat so tender and delicious; you could swear you’ve gone to barbecue heaven.

 

The owners of the Sinclair, and L&M Smoked Meats, are Laurie and Mike Steele.  Originally from California, they moved to Dove Creek in October 2010 and purchased the Sinclair.  After buying the smoker, Mike got schooled in the art of smoking and opened up L&M in December 2010.  At first the decision to purchase and live in Dove Creek was difficult, but after sitting inside the station, watching and hearing all the friendliness shown by the locals; their decision hit home fast.

 

Mike uses oak wood for the smoking; you can easily smell the aromatic aroma the second you exit your vehicle.  He hand pulls and shreds the meats for sandwiches, taking out as much fat as possible, so you get a full mouth of meat.  The barbecue sauce used is Cattlemen’s brand; natural ingredients and spices that only enhance the smoky taste of the meat.  Looking for a unique meal for a party, reunion or simply a get-together; L&M does catering.  Need a reference?  Ask the San Juan County Sheriff’s department what they enjoy for their lunch meetings.

 

Currently the operating hours for the L&M section of the business is Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; 12 Noon until all the yummy smoked goodies are gone.  Mike is considering adding Monday to the schedule, but smoking meat to perfection takes time and he’s not rushing anything.  Besides seating inside the station, there are beautiful stone picnic tables outside; don’t forget to take your photo with the Sinclair Dino.
 

 

Love smoked meat?  Why drive hours to elsewhere, when you can fill your belly with the good stuff just next door?  L&M Smoked Meats at the Sinclair of Dove Creek; now that hits the spot!

Mary Cokenour

 

Say Si Senor when in Farmington, New Mexico.

Si Senor 4015 East 30th Farmington, New Mexico, 87402 (505) 324-9050 Website: http://sisenorrestaurants.com/ (Note: address is not listed on this website, but the menu is similiar with a few names changes) Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Si-Se%C3%B1or-Restaurant/375288312413 Only a short distance from the Animas Valley Mall is Si Senor, a superior Mexican cuisine restaurant where dress can be from your Sunday best to the most comfortable casual. The interior is beautifully done with hanging ristras (arrangements of dried chile pods) and awards for their fine wines. The hostess is quick to greet you with a smile and seat you at one of their beautiful tables. The centerpiece of the restaurant is a lovely white fountain surrounded by fine wooden tables and carved chairs. There is marble everywhere, including the restrooms, and you have the feeling of being in a fine hacienda. A waitress takes your drink order, giving you time to peruse their varied menu, and a listing of daily specials. After giving our food order, we received a basket of fried tortilla chips with two condiments, a salsa and a divine jalapeno cream cheese dip which I suspect has sour cream in it to obtain its creaminess. Now here is a hint on the spice index for Si Senor; medium to hot. If you are one who likes your spice slim to none, Si Senor is not your type of place; then again, how can one eat Mexican without a little heat? There were five of us dining together, so you'll get a good glimpse of what is available. The Si Senor salad - Marinated chicken or beef, grilled with fresh onion, bell peppers and tomatoes, placed on a bed of fresh green lettuce, served with cheese, guacamole and sour cream. Taco Platter - three tacos made with corn tortillas, chicken, shredded or ground beef; served with rice and refried beans. While the rice is spicy, the refried beans are creamy and absolutely delicious; both are basically served with every entree. Many dishes are served with a choice of red or green chili sauce; tender chunks of pork are in the sauce; the green sauce is slightly sweeter than the red. Combination #1 - chile rellano, taco and cheese enchilada. Combination #2 - tamale, taco and cheese enchilada. Combination #3 - flauta, taco and cheese enchilada. For dessert we had Sopapillas (deep fried flatbread) with honey; a perfect light finish to one of Si Senor's meals. So when in Farmington, New Mexico and you're craving Mexican food, just say "Si Senor!" Mary Cokenour

Lasagna Without Using Your Noodle.

Now I've made traditional Italian lasagna using noodles; I've made vegetable lasagna, again, using noodles. What happens though when, instead of pasta noodles, vegetables themselves become the noodles?  While I did have large zucchinis which I could have sliced lengthwise thinly; I decided to try it out with eggplant; sort of as if lasagna and eggplant parmigiana decided to have a baby.

Eggplant is a spongy type of vegetable; when fried in oil, it will absorb a good deal of the oil.  However, I didn't want my lasagna to be a soppy, oily mess and made the decision to oven fry the eggplant slices.  If it works for potatoes, why not eggplant, right?  By the way, to make it a bit more interesting, I sautéed green bell peppers and grape tomatoes (look like miniature Roma tomatoes) together and made that one of the layers.  In my opinion, this addition made the entire dish come together into a delicious perfection; but then again, I'm biased.

Eggplant Lasagna

 Ingredients:

1 large eggplant

1 cup Italian flavored bread crumbs
2 eggs
½ cup milk
1 small green bell pepper
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 Tbsp. olive oil
½ tsp salt
½ tsp garlic powder
1 (32 oz.) container part-skim ricotta cheese
1 (8 oz.) package finely shredded mozzarella cheese; divided in half
3 cups homemade pasta sauce

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F; spray baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray, and a 2 and ½ quart baking dish.

 

Cut ends off the eggplant and peel off skin; cut into ¼ inch slices.  Place bread crumbs onto flat plate; lightly beat eggs and milk together in a wide mouth bowl.  Dip the eggplant slices into the egg mixture, then lightly bread on both sides; place on baking sheet.  Bake for 5 minutes on one side; turn over, bake for another 5 minutes; remove from oven, but keep oven at 350F.

 

While eggplant is baking; take seeds out of the bell pepper, cut into strips and then dice; cut the tomatoes into halves.  In a 10 inch skillet, heat olive oil on medium-high; add in the bell pepper, tomatoes, salt and garlic powder.  Sauté for 5 minutes, remove from heat.

 

 

 

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta and 4 ounces of shredded mozzarella; if using whole milk ricotta, add one egg when mixing to achieve smoothness. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the sprayed baking dish, spread one cup of sauce on the bottom; place 3 slices of eggplant on bottom.  Spread half the cheese mixture over the eggplant; spread half the vegetable mixture over the cheese.   Repeat process: one cup sauce, 3 eggplant, half cheese, half vegetables, one cup sauce and remaining eggplant slices.  Top the entire casserole with the other half of the shredded mozzarella; bake for 30-35 minutes (cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling up).  Remove from oven; let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

 

 

 

 

Makes six servings.

Mary Cokenour