Plate 'N' Playlist

Saturday, June 2, 2018

Tropical Troubadours

Long Time No Sea

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

Here's to all the unsung heroes that keep us happy and entertained at the back bars, tiki huts, wharfs and docks on the shoreline. It's time to head back for a little "Beach Therapy" and we all know that the "Ocean is my Potion".

Today we're offering up some grilled Chilean Sea Bass and a Watermelon Mint Julep Slushie; and of course some music from some of our favorite "Tropical Troubadours".

Stay Tropicool... The Pots Are On!

The Plate...

Chilean Sea Bass/Roasted Yellow Pepper Grits & Roasted Poblano Sauce

Nothing better at the beach than grilled fish... and no better fish to grill than Chilean Sea Bass. Just trust us when we tell you that this unique combination of grilled fish, grits and spicy sauce works great together. We think that the Poblano sauce alone can be put on just about everything.

What you need...

The Sea Bass-

4 (6-8 ounce) Chilean Sea Bass filets

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Roasted Yellow Pepper (see below)

Roasted Poblano Sauce (see below)

Yellow Pepper Grits-

3 yellow peppers

olive oil

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 large Spanish onion/finely chopped

3 large cloves of garlic/minced or finely chopped

1 tbsp of chipotle sauce

2 16oz cans of hominy/drained

1 cup of heavy cream

1/2 cup grated white cheddar cheese

Poblano Pepper Sauce-

3 Poblano peppers/roasted, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

3 tbsp chopped cilantro

2 tbsp Agave Nectar

salt and pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

What you do...

The Sea Bass-

Brush bass with olive oil on both sides and season with salt and pepper. Heat your grill to medium-high. Grill, skin side down, for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown. Turn over and continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes for medium-well doneness. Place a heaping mound of Yellow Pepper Grits onto 4 dinner plates. Place a fillet on top of each and drizzle with the Poblano Sauce.

Yellow Pepper Grits-
Preheat grill to medium-high. Rub the yellow and poblano peppers with the oil and place directly on the grill. Grill until charred. Place the peppers in a medium bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 15 minutes. Remove the skin and seeds from the peppers. Place 2 of the yellow peppers in a food processor and process until smooth. Cut the remaining yellow pepper into fine dice and set aside. Peel and chop the poblano peppers and set aside.

Place the hominy in a food processor and process until smooth. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add the hominy, yellow pepper puree, and heavy cream. Season with salt, pepper, and chipotle puree. Cook for 10 minutes and fold in the diced yellow peppers and cheddar.

Poblano Pepper Sauce-
Place poblano peppers, vinegar, cilantro and agave nectar in a blender and season with salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil until emulsified.

The Playlist...

Tropical Troubadours

Oh how we love this... a mix of tunes to help you go "Off the Grid". From our good friend Marty Nickel to some new finds like John Frinzi and Ben Hammond... they're all here to assist you in your time of leisure.

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

The Mix...

Watermelon Mint Julep Slushie

They should serve these at every convenience store in the country.

What you need...

1 small watermelon/cut into cubes

1 cup simple syrup (half water/sugar)

1 bottle of Bourbon

Fresh mint/finely chopped

What you do...

Put the watermelon cubes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place in freezer.

Add the frozen watermelon to a blender and add the simple syrup.

Serve in a cocktail glass and pour bourbon over the watermelon.

Top with fresh mint.

Be Tropicool...

Please... Day Drink Responsibly

&

Keep On Cookin'!

Friday, May 4, 2018

Mi Tierra

Happy Cinco De Mayo!

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

Mi casa es su casa. Come on in. It's time for some musica and margaritas... "Vamos de Fiesta." It's not every day that you get to celebrate kicking some French ass.

Today we have whipped up some awesome Salsa Verde Chicken pasta on the grill and paired it with a refreshing Strawberry-Mint Margarita. Put your mouth around that! Of course we have some tunes that will help make your fiesta just right.

"de nuestro hogar a los tuyos"... from our home to yours, we wish you a Happy Cinco de Mayo!

The pots are on!

The Plate...

Salsa Verde Chicken Pasta

Pasta on the grill? Why not? This is so easy and so good. It's creamy and with the mild heat of the Salsa Verde it makes the perfect combination for a celebration feast.

What you need...

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts/cubed

2 tbsp olive oil

3 tomatillos/chopped

1 large white onion/chopped

1 large red bell pepper/chopped

2 tsp smoked paprika

3 cups uncooked rigatoni or rotini pasta

2 1/4 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 salsa verde

4 tbsp chopped cilantro

5 oz cream cheese

1 lime/juiced

Diced avocado for topping

What you do...

Preheat you grill to 350 degrees.

Preheat a cast iron skillet for 5 minutes.

Add the olive oil, tomatillos, onion and peppers.

Cook for 5 minutes... stirring occasionally.

Season the chicken with paprika, salt and pepper; then add to the skillet.

Cook for another 5 minutes.

Now add the uncooked pasta, broth, salsa and cilantro.

Cook for 25 minutes until the pasta is cooked through and the liquid has reduced.

Add the cream cheese until melted.

Remove from the grill and stir in lime juice.

Garnish with diced avocado and cilantro.

The Playlist...

Mi Tierra

Some traditional, some new... all from mi tierra! Enjoy!

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

The Mix...

Strawberry-Mint Margarita

What you need...

1/2 cup of fresh strawberries / chopped

16 leaves fresh mint

8 oz Silver Tequila

6 oz fresh lime juice

3 oz orange liqueur

1 oz agave syrup

What you do...

Put strawberries and mint in a large cocktail shaker.

Muddle for about 30 seconds.

Add the Margarita base and shake to combine.

Pour into glasses filled with ice.

Fiesta Like There's No Mañana!

Please... Day Drink Responsibly

&

Keep On Cookin'!

Saturday, April 21, 2018

Swerving In My Lane

It's Been One Of Those Days

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

There you are, just minding your own business when somebody cuts you off, decided they needed to stop in the middle of the intersection or cross three lanes of traffic to exit. It's a kill or be killed world out there on the road kids.

Now, we're sure that this will probably not apply to you, but some us just lose our cool. Today's post is dedicated to our good friend Shelby who coined a great phrase for these "idiots of the road"... but we'll get to that later.

So, in order to survive the drafting, drifting, lallygagging people who should not be given a license to drive; we've come up with a few comforting tools for the road. How about some comfort food, a high powered libation and some tunes that will help let off some steam.

We'll hold the bottle, you hold the wheel... The pot's are on!

The Plate...

Chicken & Waffles

We figured that in these trying times you all needed a little comfort food. And, there is nothing more comforting than good ole fried chicken and waffles. We didn't want to make you work too hard so we let you off easy by using frozen waffles. You courageous folks out there feel free to whip out the waffle iron and have at it.

What you need...

Vegetable oil

1/4-1/2 cup of hot sauce

8 chicken tenders

1 large egg, lightly beaten

3/4 cup of flour

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

Kosher salt and ground pepper

3 tbsp of butter

2 scallions, sliced

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

4 buttermilk or Belgian-style waffles

Maple syrup

What you do...

Heat about 1 inch of oil in a large cast-iron or heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat. Whisk the hot sauce and egg in a medium bowl; toss the chicken in the mixture to coat.

Combine the flour, poultry seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Set aside 3 tablespoons seasoned flour in a separate bowl; dredge the chicken in the remaining seasoned flour until coated, shaking off any excess.

Place the chicken in the hot oil and fry until golden and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning once. Transfer to a rack to cool slightly; discard the oil.

Melt the butter in the same skillet and whisk in the reserved seasoned flour until smooth. Whisk in the scallions, then slowly pour in the broth. Bring to a simmer, whisking until the gravy is smooth. Meanwhile, toast the waffles.

Place a waffle on each plate and drizzle with maple syrup. Top with chicken and gravy and garnish with scallions.

See, don't you feel better already?

The Playlist...

Swerving In My Lane

Along with all of the "Road Rage Relief" tunes, we have included one of our favorites... the infamous I-95 (asshole song). Sorry kids... close your ears. This song has mistakenly been credited to Jimmy Buffett when it was actually written and performed by Fred "August" Campbell. If you have ever driven on I-95 you will definitely get the gist of this song.

But, we start it all off at the scene of the crime with "Swerving in my Lane"... we've all been there.

The "Playlist" runs on Spotify-Click on the link to listen Swerving In My Lane

The Mix...

Rocket Fuel

A little something to calm your nerves. Now, we know that

it is in a "Go Cup" but we are not suggesting that you drink

and drive. Just consume at your own risk.

What you need...

2 oz Dark Rum

2 oz Amaretto

1 oz 151

1 oz coconut cream

6 oz pineapple juice

Splash of milk

Crushed ice

Brandied cherry

What you do...

Pour the rum, amaretto, cream of coconut, pineapple juice and milk into a blender with crushed ice.

Blend until smooth and pour into your favorite glass.

Top it off with the 151 and garnish with a cherry.

Learn How to Drive...

You Cock Waffle!

Please... Day Drink Responsibly

&

Keep On Cookin'!

Sunday, April 1, 2018

Beautiful Day

New Beginnings

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

With each sunrise, we are given a chance for a new beginning. A time to look around, take it all in, be grateful for what you have and embrace the new day.

What a great time to be with family and friends. I always say that you should "celebrate your success". So, take time today to celebrate this day with the ones you love and look to tomorrow and all that it brings.

We are celebrating today with a great recipe for a smokey glazed ham, some beautiful music and a the perfect wine pairing for you to enjoy.

The Pots Are On...

The Plate...

Maple-Jack / Glazed Ham

This is the most awesome and easiest things you can cook (smoke) on your grill. The ham is already cooked, so you're really just heating/smoking it slowly to enrich the flavor. I'm here to tell you that it is some kind of good. The Maple syrup and Jack Daniels glaze will give it an awesome crust just like a "Honey-Baked" ham. And, the Maple syrup injection will keep it moist and sweet.

I think you're gonna like it. And... nothing is easier than cooking something low and slow that you never have to touch.

Okay... let's get started.

What you need...

For the Ham -

10-12 lb cooked, ready to eat spiral cut ham

1/2 cup Maple syrup

Cherry or Apple wood chips

Meat injection syringe

For the glaze -

2 tbs Maple syrup

2 tbs fresh ground pepper

2 tbs Dijon Mustard

1 tbs Jack Daniel's Whiskey

1 tbs vegetable oil

1 tbs smoked paprika

1 tbs onion powder

1 tbs chili powder

1 tsp Kosher salt

What you do...

Preparation (the Day Before) -

Place the ham in a pan face-down.

Inject the ham with 3/4 cup of Maple syrup (it will run out of the sides by inject it all)

Put together all the ingredients of the glaze and smear all over the exposed surface of the ham (except the flat side).

Cover loosely with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator.

Cooking (the Day Of) -

Set your grill with hot side and cool side (total temp. 250)

If you have a Big Green Egg - set temp to 250 degrees place plate setter leg side up with regular grid on top.

Place wood chips on top of coals.

Place ham on top of grate (flat side down).

Cook until internal temp reaches 140 degrees (about 5 hours).

The Playlist...

Beautiful Day

A little "Happy" music for you to help celebrate this beautiful day. Check out "Oh Happy Day" by Queen Latifah... now it doesn't get much better than that.

One of my favorites from the last couple of years is "The Sound of Sunshine" by Michael Franti & Spearhead. If your having a bad day, this will help turn it around.

Don't worry... be happy!

("The Playlist" runs on Spotify. Don't have Spotify?... Click here it's free )

The Bar...

The Perfect Wine Pairing -

Belle Glos Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is french for "pine and black"; the pine alluding to the grapes being tightly clustered in a pine-cone shape.

It's a great wine to pair with a light flavored meat like pork, chicken or ham; light tannins with strawberry, cherry and raspberry notes.

It will be great with your "Maple-Jack Smoked Ham"!

Every day is a new beginning...

Take a deep breath and celebrate!

Saturday, February 24, 2018

Pour Decisions

And My Doctor Says I Need Glasses

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

Well, spring is just around the corner. Time for hanging out, porch parties, chillin', grillin' and whatever else you can think of for an excuse to be outside. The only thing you have to do is... make a decision.

There always comes a time when we all have to make pour decisions. What can we say... things happen! Don't worry, we are here to help. We've made a few decisions to help you with your dilemma. We've got Drunkin' Pork Tenderloin, the Kitchen Sink cocktail and a few drinking songs to help you feel better about all of your decisions.

Pour me... The Pots Are On!

The Plate...

Drunken Pork Tenderloin

I cook with wine... and sometimes I even put it in the food. Ok, ok old joke. In this case a little wine is an awesome addition. You just have to make a decision on which wine.

What you need...

2 lb Pork Tenderloin

1 tbsp garlic powder

salt and pepper

1 large white onion / thinly sliced

1 bottle of red wine (make a decision)

1 packet of brown gravy mix (this is the secret ingredient)

What you do...

Preheat oven to 350°. Remove the pork tenderloin from the package and trim off any silver skin – this is a shiny fat type piece that may (or may not) be on part of the tenderloin. Honestly though if you don’t take it off now it is not a big deal, you can cut it off the cooked pork as you are eating it if you need to. Sprinkle the garlic powder, salt and pepper (to lightly cover) over all sides of each piece of pork. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the pork tenderloins. Let the pork sit without moving for about 3 minutes. Before that it will seem like they are “stuck” to the pan, but after 3 minutes or so the pork tenderloin pieces should release. Rotate the pork tenderloins so that you get each of the outside surfaces browned nicely. Remove the browned pork tenderloin from pan and place in a rectangular baking dish.

Now add the onions to the same pan you used to brown the pork tenderloin and saute them for about 5 minutes. Then carefully add about 1/4 bottle of the wine to deglaze the pan. It will steam up a lot and you need to take a wooden spoon and scrape the bottom of the pan right away to loosen up all of those nice browned bits – they are full of pork flavor! Once you have the bits scraped up, add the rest of the bottle of wine and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 3 minutes. Now pour the onion and wine mixture over the browned pork tenderloin in the baking dish. Now place in the oven and bake for approximately 35-40 minutes. Use your meat thermometer to make sure the pork is at 145° in the thickest part. Remove from the oven and place the pork tenderloins on cutting board to rest. Now pour the liquid from the baking dish into your skillet on high heat and whisk in one package of brown gravy mix. Cook on medium for about 3 minutes to thicken and reduce. Slice your roasted pork tenderloin, after it has rested for about 10 minutes, into about 1/4” thick slices and serve with the onions and top with the red wine gravy.

The Playlist...

Pour Me

As Mr. Chesney says-"One is one too many and one more is never enough"! What's a person to do? Well, we say... Pour Me!

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

The Bar...

The Kitchen Sink

No decision here...

What you need...

2 oz gin

2 oz light rum

2 oz triple sec

2 oz vodka

8 oz lemon-lime soda

4 sprigs of mint

2 oz simple syrup

4 lime wedges, for garnish

What you do...

Muddle the mint in the bottom of a cocktail shaker with the simple syrup.

Add ice to the shaker then the booze and shake.

Strain into 4 rocks glasses filled with ice.

Top each with some lemon-lime soda and garnish with a lime wedge and some mint.

There... decision made. Wait, what was that middle part again? Never mind, just pour me!

Pour Me Another One...

Cheers!

Please... Day Drink Responsibly

&

Keep On Cookin'!

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Rewind 2017

Replaying All The Favorites

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

Today we thought we would replay some of the favorites from this past year. We've had quite a year and thank all 33,148 of you for stopping by. So here's to you with a look back at your Favorite Plate'n Playlist.

The Plate features our Honey Chipotle Wings with a Playlist of 100 of your favorite tunes. Ok, we did come up with a little something new at the bar. How about a frozen Margarita... in a bag? Just think of it as an adult Juice Box or Capri Sun.

Be kind and please rewind... The Pots Are On!

The Plate...

Honey Chipotle Wings

With the big game coming up we couldn't think of a more popular dish to throw on the grill.

The PnP favorite Plate comes from our Super Bowl post last February. These are not your usual Buffalo Wings... these babies will light you up then cool you down in a sweet way. The key here is the baking powder. It's the secret ingredient to help get crispy grilled wings. Oh yeah!

What you need...

3-4 lbs chicken wings
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp ancho chili powder
1 tsp kosher salt

For the gaze:
3 chipotles in adobo sauce
1 tbsp of the adobo sauce
1/2 cup honey
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fresh cilantro chopped

Get cookin'...

Pat the chicken wings dry with a paper towel and place in a large bowl.

Sprinkle with baking powder, chili powder, and salt to coat.

Arrange the wings in a single layer on a wire rack and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

Place all of the ingredients for the glaze in a blender and give it a buzz.

Set your grill with a hot side and a cool side (all coals to one side) or indirect heat on a BGE.

Place the wings skin side up and cook until the skins are crisp and starting to brown (20 min).

In the last 10 min of cooking brush the wings with the glaze then flip and glaze again.

Remove the wings from the grill and sprinkle with the cilantro.

Game On!

The Playlist...

Rewind 2017

Over 100 hundred of your top songs from 2017. As usual you will find some old, some new and some you didn't even know (but liked). So recline and rewind... just don't spill your drink.

The "Playlist" runs on Spotify-Click on the link to listen Rewind 2017

The Bar...

B&T Frozen Margarita

What you need...

1 cup bourbon

1 cup tequila

3/4 cup orange liquer

1 liter bottle club soda

12 oz can frozen limeade / thawed

1/12 cup water

Lime slices for garnish

What you do...

Stir together all of the ingredients together.

Divide between 2 large 1 gallon plastic freezer bags and seal.

Freeze for 24 hours.

Serve in salt rimmed glasses and garnish with lime wedge.

2017... seems like it was just yesterday!

Here's To Good Times Ahead!

Please... Day Drink Responsibly

&

Keep On Cookin'!

Saturday, December 30, 2017

Swing This

Happy New Year!

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

Time to put on your fancy duds, dancing shoes and get ready to "Swing in the New Year"!

To help you "Get In The Mood" we've put together some fancy "walk-around" food (otherwise known as fancy apps), a great Tequila/Champagne cocktail and some swinging tunes.

So grab your partner, cause there's good rockin' at midnight.

The best is yet to come... The Pots Are On!

The Plate...

BBQ Bacon Burnt Ends/BLT

This was one of our favorite finds this past year. This was just one of the fantastic appetizers that Chef Eric Gephart whipped up at the Kamado Joe block party. And man is it good.

What you need...

2 lbs of thick slab bacon
1 cup of your favorite thick BBQ sauce (we like Stubb's "Sweet Heat")
Cherry tomatoes
1 head of Bibb Lettuce

What you do...

Cut the bacon into large cube size pieces.

Coat the bacon evenly with the BBQ sauce.

Marinate for at least 3-4 hours.

Pre heat your grill to 250.

Cook indirect with a pan underneath to catch drippings.

Flip every 20 minutes for 2 hours, the bacon should be tender.

Now skewer the tomato, a piece of lettuce and then the bacon.

And, just like that BLT appetizers.

The Playlist...

Swing This

Go Daddy-O... Time to get this party swinging. As we say Au Revoir to 2017 and swing the new year, ain't nothing better than some good ole Swing music.

We've got some oldies from New Orleans on Louis Prima and Glenn Miller, but check out some of the new blood like the Atomic Fireballs. Watch out they'll put a "Hex" on ya!