On Fire

Grilling The Dream!

(Scroll down to "The Playlist" and hit play before reading... works better that way!)

Crank up the grill... we're on fire, burning it up!  The dog days of summer are almost behind us, so now it's time to hone in on those grilling skills. 

Today we're serving up some "Spatchcock Chicken", a smokin' margarita and some tunes to help get your fired up. 

Feel the heat... The Pots Are On!

The Plate... 

Spatchcock Chicken / Poblano Chili Sauce

Ha... you said "Spatchcock".  Ok, get your mind out of the gutter. Spatchcock refers to removing the backbone of a whole chicken so you can "butterfly" the bird. That means it cooks faster and more evenly than a whole bird. This makes it more juicy with a golden crust. Then we will finish it off with a little Poblano cream sauce. 

Yummers!

What you need... 

1 whole chicken (about 3-4 lbs)
a splash of white wine
1 tbsp of olive oil

The Rub-
1 tbsp paprika 
salt and pepper
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp chili powder

Poblano Chili Sauce-
2 Poblanos
1/2 cup greek yogurt
juice one lime
salt and pepper

What you do...

Get the chicken out of the fridge and let it sit out on the counter to get the chill off.

Combine the dry rub ingredients together.

Heat your grill to medium 350-400 degrees.

Place the chicken "breast-side" down on a cutting board. Using a heavy-duty knife, cut out the backbone by cutting from the neck all the way down to the tail on each side of the bone.

Remove and discard the backbone. 

Now press down on the chicken to flatten it our completely. 

Pour the white wine all over the inside of the bird and sprinkle a little rub all over.

Flip the bird over and brush with the olive oil the sprinkle on more rub.

Put the chicken on the grill and cook indirect for about 45 minutes until the the internal temp reaches 150 degrees in the breast and 170 in the thigh.

Take it off the grill and let it rest for about 10 minutes, then carve away. 

Serve with a little Poblano sauce. 

Poblano sauce-

Roast Poblanos on the grill until blackened. 

Then take off and put in a resealable plastic bag for about 10 minutes.

Peel the blackened skin off and put in a blender.

Add the yogurt, lime juice and a little salt and pepper.

Give it a whirl and serve over the chicken. 

The Playlist... 

On Fire

                 The "Playlist" runs on Spotify- Click on the link to listen to One Fire

The Bar... 

Grilled Citrus Margarita

Smoky Goodness

What you need... 

8 limes, 5 lemons & 4 oranges

1 cup superfine sugar, plus a little extra for rimming glasses

About a cup of tequila

What you do...

Preheat your grill to medium-high.

Slice a lime and lemon into wheels then set aside.

Cut the oranges and the rest of the lemons and limes in half.

Pour the sugar in a bowl or dish.

Dip the cut side of each fruit in the sugar to coat.

Grill the sugar side down on the grill just enough to get charred. 

When they are cool enough to handle use a juicer (or a fork) to juice the grilled citrus.

You should get about 2 cups of juice.

Stir in about 1/2 cup of the sugar into the juice and add the tequila.

Stir it up and refrigerate until chilled.

Pour the mixture into a large pitcher of ice and add the sliced citrus rounds.

Rim glasses with sugar and serve over ice.

Next Time Take It Easy On The Hot Sauce!

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!

Pray For Lousiana

Look Out For One Another!

(Scroll down to "The Playlist" and hit play before reading... works better that way!)

A special early release of PnP... Louisiana has gone through the worst flooding in over 1000 years.

Over the weekend, parts of southern Louisiana received as much as 25 inches of rain. Seven people died, the storm stranded more than 20,000 and left more than 11,000 seeking shelter.

The "Casual Catholic" recently published why national media shouldn't cover the south Louisiana flooding. Mainly, with everything going on in the world, it just "doesn't further an agenda". 

"Working together, Community, Self-Sacrifice, Love, Forgiveness, Healing, Service, Friendship and Prayer... These aren't things that the mass media seemingly wants us as Americans to embrace."

"You shouldn't come here because you'll find a people at the very end of their ropes extending their hands to their neighbor. You shouldn't come here because you'll find tireless spirits ready to save a stranger regardless of their race,ethnicity, religion, or SEC affiliation. You'll find rows of 4x4 pickup trucks with boats being trailed behind them headed to the once busy city streets to conduct rescue not because of compensation and not because of order by the government but because of the unspoken creed that holds South Louisiana together as something more than just people living near each other."- The Casual Catholic

So, we know their's a lot going on in the world, but Louisiana needs your help, support and Prayers. 

In the thought of helping a neighbor we're making Jambalaya, enjoying Abita's new Strawgator and listening to some tunes about our Southern Neighbor. 

Please Pray... The Pots Are On!

The Plate... 

Jambalaya

There are all kind of ways to make Jambalaya... chicken and sausage, shrimp or tasso... even duck or alligator. You can make it Creole-style with red sauce or Cajun-style "brown" with chicken stock. Either way it's a quick easy meal that is enjoyed all over south Louisiana.

What you need... 

1 lb boneless chicken / cubed bite sized
1 lb andouille sausage / sliced bite sized
The "holy trinity"- 1 onion/chopped, 1 bell pepper/chopped, 4 ribs of celery/chopped
6 cloves of garlic/minced
3 small cans tomato paste
4 large Creole tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
8 cups chicken stock
3 tbsp Tony Chacere's cajun seasoning
1 tsp oregano & thyme
2 bay leaves
Salt to taste
4 cups long-grain rice, uncooked

What you do...

In a saute' pan, brown the chicken spiced with a sprinkling of Tony Chachere's.

Brown the sliced andouille then pour off the fat.

In a separate pot, saute' the "trinity" (onion, celery and bell peppers). When onions start to turn transparent through in the garlic.

Now add the tomato paste to the pot. Watch for the color to deepen a little while stirring. 

Once the vegetables are translucent and the tomato paste is dark red deglaze the pot with 2 cups of chicken stock.

Now add the rest of the Tony Chachere's seasoning, tomatoes and salt. 

Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. 

Add the meat and cook for another 10 minutes. 

Now add the rest of the stock and stir in the rice. 

Turn the heat down to low and let the sauce thicken up a bit with the pot uncovered.

Stir it often for about 10 more minutes. 

When it's reached the "right" consistency (you'll know), it's done.

Serve with French bread and enjoy.

Don't forget to take some to the neighbors. 

The Playlist... 

Pray For Louisiana

   The "Playlist" runs on Spotify- Click on the link to listen to  Pray For Louisiana

The Bar... 

Abita Strawgator

A little something to help in the hard times. 

Strawgator is made with fresh Louisiana 

Strawberries and German Perie hops.

Results are a golden lager with 8% alcohol. 

Everbody Pulls Together

An armada of volunteers — known as the Cajun Navy — with their big pickups towing their personal boats — are helping neighbors near Baton Rouge, where record floods have displaced tens of thousands of people.

In South Louisiana We Don't Wait For Help...

We Are The Help!

Help One Another

Click this link to see how you can Help Louisiana Flood Victims

We Got This Y'all... God Bless!

Castaway

Leave The World Behind!

(Scroll down to "The Playlist" and hit play before reading... works better that way!)

Man... what is going on in the world? 

Too much stuff... Relax, we all need to just get in an Island State of Mind.  I personally think that my goal this weekend will be to "try and stay on top of my flip flops"- Kristian Bush. 

This week we are all about letting it all go and acting like a "castaway". Just forget about the world and enjoy a light and spicy lettuce wrap, sip on a frozen mojito while you listen to a few "Castaway" melodies. 

Time to get away... The pots are on!

The Plate... 

Chipotle Chicken Lettuce Wrap

Just a little something light and easy for your Island Excursion. We even dare say a little healthy. 

What you need... 

12 oz shredded chicken (rotisserie from the store is easiest)

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 cup whole milk

1 medium onion / diced

3 cloves garlic / minced

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1 chipotle pepper with adobo sauce / minced

1 tsp salt

6 bib lettuce leaves

Pico de gallo salsa

What you do...

Heat the coconut oil in a skillet.

Toss in the diced onion and salt. 

Saute for about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle in the cumin and oregano.

Add the chipotle and garlic to sauce for about a minute.

Pour in the milk and stir to combine.

Once the mixture has bubbled, mix in the shredded chicken to coat evenly.

Spoon the mixture evenly onto the lettuce leaves and top with pico de gallo. 

The Playlist... 

Castaway

"I wanna be a castaway and leave the world behind. Take a tropic holiday and say goodbye to keeping time"- Zac Brown

So pour me a vacation, and let me just think about Bob and his three little birds... "Don't worry about a thing cause every little thing gonna be alright!"

                  The "Playlist" runs on Spotify- Click on the link to listen to  Castaway

The Bar... 

Frozen Mojito

What you need... 

2oz light rum

Juice of 1/2 a lime4 tsp. sugar

12 mint leaves

2oz club soda

Ice

What you do...

Muddle mint, sugar and lime in a glass.

Add the rum and club soda and stir.

Strain ou the mint leaves and pour into a blender.

Add about 1 cup of ice and blend until smooth.

Garnish with mint leaves and lime slices.

You Don't Need A Reservation For Relaxation.

Just Tryin' To Stay On Top Of My Flip Flops!

Please... Day Drink Responsibly 

& 

Keep On Cookin'!