Great Everything at Cottonwood Steakhouse!

Cottonwood Steakhouse

Main Street (Highway 191)
Bluff, Utah, 84512

Phone: (435) 672-2282

Website: http://www.cottonwoodsteakhouse.com

Hours of operation: Monday thru Sunday, 5:30pm to 9:30 pm.

Reservations Recommended; Beer and Wine menus available.

If we could eat at the Cottonwood Steakhouse every week, we'd do it; my hubby and I were completely blown away by the entire Cottonwood Steakhouse experience: food, service, atmosphere, staff and owners are top notch!!!


As soon as we parked and opened the vehicle doors, the savory scent of grilled onions filled our nostrils, our salivary glands began pumping hard. Walking over to the entrance, we could see the cook working his culinary magic over cast iron pots full of potatoes and onions.  We were greeted by the friendliest staff and the owners (Rick and Diana) themselves; they made us feel so welcome and right at home.  The big decision comes – seating inside with its full rustic charm, or seating outside with Old West regalia, and the huge, old cottonwood tree. Hint; leave the inside for inclement weather, the outside is glorious!







Indoor Seating

Outdoor Seating

The menu is chock full of mouthwatering T-Bone, Ribeye, Flat Iron steaks (thick and juicy), Baby Back Ribs (half and full racks) are slathered in a smoky/spicy barbeque sauce, Pork Chops, Chicken and Brisket with a sweet/spicy barbeque sauce); the key word is TENDER; steak knife is optional! Included with the main meal item are those savory potatoes; ranch beans so flavorful, you can’t stop eating them; vegetable; salad (bleu cheese dressing is house made) or coleslaw; and warm, freshly made bread. If you’re lucky, the vegetable will be carrots; slow roasted with olive oil and herbs, so the carrots own sugar creates an amazing glaze. If it’s in season, and it is now, savor a cup of the Roasted Tomato Basil Soup; semi-chunky, slow roasted tomatoes and freshly chopped basil; you can definitely tell this soup is made from scratch.  Newest item on the menu is Seafood Skewers, chunks of halibut and salmon between layers of red bell pepper and red onion, served with rice pilaf; so good!



Homemade Bread, Coleslaw, Salad, Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
 

Brisket



Half Rack Baby Back Ribs

Ribeye Steak

T-Bone Steak

Seafood Skewers

A friend joined us for dinner and we happily round robin-ed our meals and desserts. The servers were so attentive with, “How is your meal?”, “Is everything to your liking?, “Do you need anything else?”; all we could do was answer with “Mmmmm, mmmm”, “Yum”, smacking lips and many an “Oh my God, this is awesome!!!” All around us, diners were laughing, smiling, and stuffing their mouths with all the delicious awesomeness of their own meals. Several times we would hear Rick say to departing diners, “Thanks for coming back again!” Business is definitely booming for them in Bluff; and the place was jumping for a quiet Sunday evening.




We left enough room to try the homemade desserts; pecan, cherry and key lime pies at all times; other fruit pies are available when in season. Diana uses her mom’s recipe for the pie crust which includes corn oil and milk; here comes that word tender again. Bread pudding full of cinnamon, piping hot and covered in Jack Daniels Whisky sauce; brownies thick and rich with chocolate are the star in the Brownie Sundae.





On the way home, hubby and I were basically silent for the hour drive home.  We were basking in the afterglow of the most fantastic meal we’d had in ages.

….and wondering when the top button on our jeans was going to pop off; hoping it would not hit the windshield and chip it.

Mary Cokenour

Pork - Fry or Bake vs. Crock Pot

Roy: Hunny, can you fry the pork chops?
Me: Ugh, all that mess from the grease. Really?
Roy: Alright, can you put bread crumbs on them and bake them in the oven, like "shake and bake"?
Me: Fine...whatever.

An hour later, Roy comes into the kitchen and sees me put the pork chops inside the crock pot.

Roy: I thought you were going to bake them in the oven, or change your mind and fry them?
Me: No, I felt inspired; pork chops in the crock pot smothered in cream soups and topped with stuffing. What do you think?
Roy: I think that sounds delicious.

...and so another crock pot recipe was born in my kitchen.

Pork Chop and Stuffing Bake

Ingredients:

8 boneless pork loin chops

1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
½ tsp. garlic powder
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 can (10.5 oz.) cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk, divided in half
1 (6 oz.) package seasoned stuffing cubes
1 can (10.5 oz.) cream of celery soup

Preparation:

 

Spray the inside of a 4 quart crock pot with nonstick cooking spray.

Season chops with the salt, black pepper and garlic powder; layer into the crock pot; spread mushrooms over the pork chops.

 

When you layer the chops, place each one over the ends of the others underneath.  This makes a well and the creamed soups can flow down to all the layers of chops, not just the ones on top.

 

 

 

Mix the cream of mushroom soup with a half cup of milk; pour over chops and mushrooms.  Spread out the stuffing cubes; mix the cream of celery soup with other half cup of milk; pour over the stuffing cubes.

 

Cover, set on high; cook for four hours.

Makes 8 servings.

 

After eating two servings, and making lots of "Hmmm" sounds; Roy decided that "Yeah, this was much better than frying or baking."  I already knew that, but let him believe he'd made a great culinary discovery.

 

Mary Cokenour

Old West Comfort Food at the Horse Head Grill.

Horse Head Grill

380 South Main Street (Route 191)
Monticello, Utah, 84535

Phone: (435) 587-3058

 

A new chef has come into Monticello, taken over the old MD Ranch Cookhouse; serving up comfort food to all us cowboys and girls. Lou Jean Cressler’s her name; cooking, grilling and baking are her claim to fame. After perfecting her skills in southern San Juan County, Lou Jean decided that Monticello was in need; to the rescue she came. Open six days a week (being open on Sunday is in the works) from 7am to 9pm, Lou Jean and her friendly staff serve up breakfast, lunch and dinner. The exterior and interior of the restaurant still have the looks of an old, rustic cookhouse; the memorabilia on the walls is dedicated to that most beautiful animal, the horse.

 

While the menu for breakfast offers up such delectables as French Toast, Pancakes, Burritos and Omelets; and the dinner menu gives you hearty Country Fried Steak, Ribs, Pork Chops and juicy Steaks; we were there for lunch.

Bacon Cheeseburger

Lunch is a dream for anyone who has just finished a long hike or busy morning at work. Horse Head Grill’s burgers are made for them special at Blue Mountain Meats; that’s right, they source in locally! The burgers are half pounders that are cooked on a charcoal grill; one bite and you’re sighing, “Charcoal…yum!"    Make sure to order something with bacon…thick cut, crispy and a generous portion make any burger or sandwich totally complete. Sides are fries, chips or a small salad; I recommend the onion rings that are lightly battered, whole onion and not greasy. The onion rings are also an appetizer, so a portion can be shared between two people; that is if you want to share after you taste one.


Big Boss Burger

Big Boss Burger cut in half.

Onion Rings - Great as an Appetizer or Side.

The lunch menu includes other items like Philly Cheesesteak, Chicken Strips (4 large tenderloins), Navajo Taco, BLT and more.  There is also a salad bar that can be added to any meal; or made into the meal itself.





Desserts are house made by Lou Jean; cakes, pies and most awesome brownies.  I had the chocolate mint brownie; cake like brownie on the bottom; a layer of minty gooeyness in the middle; with a chocolate frosty layer topping it off.  I was in such ecstasy, I almost slid out of the booth seat; half was eaten there, the other half went home for later on.

Occasionally there is live music at the Horse Head, so keep an eye open when reading the San Juan Record (local newspaper) for announcements; or the Grill's Facebook page.  Hungry little cowpokes, yes, there is a children’s menu; and don’t be stealing that corndog off your child’s plate if you want to keep that hand.

Horse Head Grill has Old West décor, comfort food, welcoming attitude; don’t pass this place by when driving through Monticello, Utah.

Mary Cokenour

Wonderful Gourmet? Too Soon to Tell.

Wonderful Gourmet

733 South Main Street
Blanding, Utah, 84511

Phone: (435) 678-3388
Fax:     (435) 378-3488


A new, and much needed, restaurant has recently opened in Blanding, Utah; Wonderful Gourmet.  The owners of Ocean Pearl and Hong Kong Chinese restaurants, of Cortez, Colorado, pooled their resources together, and introduced San Juan County to Chinese and Thai cuisines.  The restaurant is housed in the former Fattboyz/Olde Tymer building located on Route 191; while the exterior had a face lift, the interior is relatively the same.  The booths are still in place while the salad bar is no longer around; the bar with western themed mural is the prep station for the wait staff.

Unfortunately, the wait staff are very unfamiliar with these cuisines, so cannot answer questions immediately, and have a tendency to forget ordered dishes.  Definitely more training is necessary in this regard, however, they do maintain a friendly attitude and can be easily forgiven.  Remember, the restaurant only opened in February 2015, and the wait staff are not used to the foods of these cultures.




Onto the foods; Egg Rolls (3) are crispy, packed full of shredded vegetables, served with a sweet and sour sauce; very tasty indeed.  The Fried Dumplings (6) are meat filled, served with a soy based sauce; and also a nice treat to begin the meal with.








Our first main dish was Mongolian Beef; thinly sliced beef, onions, green onions in a mildly spiced brown sauce.  The chili peppers used gave a nice heat to the dish and allowed the flavors of the beef and onions to come through.  It might look heavy, but it was surprisingly light.







The second dish ordered was the Sweet and Sour Triple Delight; chicken (all white meat), pork and shrimp in a light, crisp batter and not, thankfully, drenched in sweet and sour sauce.  Vegetables were slices of onion and green bell pepper; usually pineapple chunks come with this dish, and they were definitely missed.









The Fried Rice was a huge disappointment; simply white rice that has been doused with soy sauce.  No evidence of stir frying, no vegetables, no diced, fried egg, and no diced roasted pork which are standards in any Chinese restaurant.   While it was a much better choice than plain white rice, still, it was overall disappointing in quality.






Now comes the big question, would we eat there again?  While there, we noticed a steady influx of diners who all seemed to enjoy their meals; we also noticed the owner continuously carrying take-out orders to the front counter.  Obviously, Wonderful Gourmet is developing a following in the town of Blanding; and I believe that we are going to be jumping onto that band wagon.  While our first experience gets a rating of C+, we see a great potential for this new business; and hope to see it be successful in San Juan County.  Here's the biggest news yet, Wonderful Gourmet is open on Sundays which is wonderful news to the residents of the area, and visitors coming through the area.

Mary Cokenour


Menu Pages

Jalapeno Peppers are a Popping!

One of my husband's favorite appetizers is the jalapeno popper; either made with cream cheese or cheddar cheese, but he prefers the cream cheese ones.  Not many restaurants use cream cheese, since it is softer than cheddar.  Then again, they also use smaller jalapenos, double batter to make them look huge, but have to cook them longer and cream cheese won't hold up.

I, in turn, find the largest peppers, stuff them with cheese, lightly batter; they fry up faster, the firm cream cheese melts to a perfect, creamy softness, and the peppers retain a certain amount of "scrunch".  By the way, with the light batter, the peppers put forth more of their "hotness"; whereas the thick double batter of restaurants tames the heat.

To each his/her own.  The light batter recipe I'll be giving you is great for any veggie you like to munch on after its been deep fried.

Batter for Frying Vegetables

Ingredients:

1/2 cup  flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
pinch ground cayenne pepper
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp. water
1 small egg, beaten
1 Tbsp. canola oil

Preparation:

In a medium size bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, black pepper, garlic powder and cayenne pepper.

In a small bowl, combine all the water, beaten egg and oil; add wet ingredients to dry and combine until well mixed and batter is smooth.

Makes 1 and 1/2 cups.

Now comes the fun part, and you'll need to wear plastic gloves for this...cleaning and stuffing the peppers.  Find 6 to 8 large jalapeno peppers; slice off the tops about 1/8 of an inch down, discard; cut a slit lengthwise down the pepper; carefully remove the seeds and white pith without cracking or splitting the entire pepper. 

If you didn't already know, using the plastic gloves will keep your skin from absorbing the oil of the seeds.  If you decide to go gloveless; do NOT touch your face, especially the eyes.  The oil will not wash off, and you might have a burning or tingling sensation on your skin for a couple of days.

If using a deep fryer, follow its instructions on putting in the oil, and temperature setting.  I use a deep skillet, so fill it two inches with either canola or peanut oil; whichever I have on hand at the time.  Turn the heat to high, and it's ready when you flick a few drops of cold water into the oil, and you can hear it sizzle and pop.


To stuff them with the cream cheese, use about 2-3 tablespoons of firm (not whipped) cream cheese.  It's easier to simply use your fingers to stuff them; don't over stuff; you want to make sure the cheese is not coming out of the top, and that the sides of the lengthwise slit can close together.














Put each stuffed pepper into the batter individually; use a fork to lift the batter coated pepper out and let the excess drip off.  Then place into the deep fryer or oil filled skillet; don't do more than two at a time, or the oil temperature will go down too fast.  If you need to, turn the peppers after 3-5 minutes to brown the other side.  Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels.

Now enjoy as is, as dip into your favorite sauce...ranch, southwestern ranch and bleu cheese work the best.

Mary Cokenour

Hellmann's Parmesan Crusted Chicken Done My Way.

You know the commercial, mom makes a dish with chicken slathered in mayonnaise, some type of coating added, baked and her kids go ga-ga over it.  I finally decided I was going to try it out.  I printed out a copy of the recipe and looked it over; I didn't understand why the seasoned Italian bread crumbs.  Then at the bottom there were options mentioned, and one was, ""Omit Parmesan cheese for magically moist chicken".  Now I'm really confused, how can it be named "Parmesan Crusted Chicken" without the Parmesan cheese?  Or was the name now, "Magically Moist Chicken" because the cheese was omitted?  You have to love advertising people and the things they come up with to confuse the heck out of us.

First off, I'm going to post the Hellmann's recipe with the options; then I will post my recipe which is straight forward and without confusion.  I call my recipe simply "Parmesan Chicken" as these are the two main actors; the other ingredients are the supporting cast.

Hellmann's Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Hellmann's or Best Foods Real Mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 4 tsp. Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 425°.
2.Combine Hellmann's or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise with cheese in medium bowl. Arrange chicken on baking sheet. Evenly top with Mayonnaise mixture, then sprinkle with bread crumbs.
3.Bake until chicken is thoroughly cooked, about 20 minutes.

SMART TIP: For the Hellmann’s taste you love with the goodness of olive oil, substitute Hellmann's or Best Foods Mayonnaise Dressing with Olive Oil.

Time saving Tip: Try making this dish with thin-cut boneless skinless chicken breasts! Prepare as above, decreasing bake time to 10 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

TIP: Omit Parmesan cheese and have "Magically Moist Chicken" on the table in less than 30 minutes.

Now for my recipe:

Parmesan Chicken

Ingredients:

1 (6 oz.) bag shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 cup mayonnaise with olive or canola oil
6 (4 oz.) portions of boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F; spray baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

On a large plate, combine cheese, black pepper and garlic powder.  Brush mayonnaise on underside of chicken, press onto cheese mixture.  Turn chicken to skin side up, brush with mayonnaise, press onto cheese mixture; lay on baking sheet with underside down.  Repeat with remaining chicken.


Bake for 30 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Side Dish:  Prepare 2 (4.4 oz.) packages of Knorr Pasta Sides - Pasta Alfredo; decrease
water needed by one cup.  Instead, add one (8 oz.) package of frozen broccoli cuts; cook according to Knorr directions.  The moisture from the frozen broccoli will substitute for the one cup not added.

Mary Cokenour