Glam-ping Gourmet: Southern-style Pork, Potatoes and Greens

I've got more good food from our camping adventures to share with you!  This camping dinner is super yummy and requires just a little bit of preparation at home; most of the meal can be prepped and cooked at your campsite.

Home Prep

Drunken Collard Greens

1 head of fresh greens, washed and chopped or 1 and ½ bags of frozen, chopped greens

4-5 slices of bacon or salt pork

1 small onion, chopped

1 (14.5 oz) can of chicken broth

½ tsp. Cayenne pepper

salt and pepper, to taste

In pot over medium heat, brown bacon/salt pork until almost crispy.  Add onion and cook until almost translucent.  Add greens, Cayenne pepper and chicken broth and bring to boil.  Boil for 2 minutes then reduce heat to medium-low, add salt and pepper, cover and simmer for about 1 hour.  Let cool, drain half the liqiud and place in sealable container for transport.

Cooking you Camp Dinner

Southern-style Barbecue Pork

1 packaged pork tenderloin (usually two in package)

Favorite flavor Barbecue sauce (we used Uncle Rob's homemade Apricot & Peach BBQ sauce - yummy)

salt and pepper to taste

Place tenderloins in a disposable aluminum pan.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Spoon barbecue sauce over pork.  Cover entire pan with tin foil and cook on grill grate (over campfire) or on grill until internal temperature of pork reaches approximately 145-150 degrees F. 

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Approximately 1 sweet potato per person, peeled and sliced lengthwise

1-2 tsps. Olive oil

½ tsp. dry Rosemary

2 tbsp. butter

salt and pepper, to taste

Place peeled and sliced sweet potatoes in disposable aluminum pan.  Coat with olive oil and season with Rosemary, salt and pepper.  Cover pan with tin foil and cook on either grill grate over campfire or on grill approximately 20-30 minutes.  Uncover just enough to place pats of butter over potatoes and cook until potatoes are tender, approximately 5-10 minutes.

Drunken Collard Greens

Put pre-cooked collard greens into medium sauce pan; add half a can of beer.  Cook on grill grate over campfire or on grill until heated through.

Serve up your Southern-style barbecue pork and your sides.  Enjoy a delicious camp meal!

Glam-ping Gourmet: Asian Barbecue Night

Ma loves to cook when we are camping...well, it's really "glam-ping" the way we camp...so I guess I can say Ma is a Glam-ping Gourmet.  BOL

One of her favorite dinners to cook is an Asian Barbecue, which usually consists of some Asian-marinated (Korean, Szechuan, etc.) chicken kabobs, Korean cucumber salad and rice noodles.  With a little prep at home before we leave, it is a simple dinner to cook on the first evening in camp. 

Home Prep

Chicken Kabobs, 1-2 days before heading out:  Cube some boneless chicken breast and place it in a zip lock baggie.  Add the marinade of your choosing to the bag with the chicken;  Ma likes either Korean or Szechuan marinade because they are a bit spicy but you could also use a Garlic Ginger or whatever you like best.  Squish the air out of the bag, seal and place in the freezer (so it will slowly defrost in your camp cooler).

Korean Cucumber Salad, 1-2 days before heading out: 

1-2 seedless cucumbers, thinly sliced

1-2 tsps. sesame oil

2-3 tsps. rice vinegar

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. sugar

1 scallion or green onion, chopped

1-2 tsps. red pepper flakes (like you use on pizza) - can add more or less for desired heat

Mix all ingredients in sealable bowl/container.  Chill in refrigerator.  (The longer the salad sits the more the heat builds.)

Cooking your Camp Dinner

Chicken Kabobs Recipe

Marinated Chicken

1-2 red bell peppers, cut into approximately 1 inch squares

1 red onion, sliced in half and cut into quarters

Alternately place chicken, red bell pepper and red onion onto kabob skewers.  Cook either on grill (charcoal or portable propane) or grill grate over camp fire until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165 degrees F. 

Rice Noodles

Meanwhile, on camp stove or on grill grate over camp fire, bring pot of water with some rice noodles to boil until noodles expand.  Drain.

Serve chicken and veggies either on skewers or remove from skewers onto plate with or without rice noodles (rice noodles can be served on side as well).  Open your container of cucumber salad.

Dig in and enjoy your Asian Barbecue!

Lexie's Chicken Tikka Masala

So many have requested this recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala that Lexie (@dogstoyevsky) stole it from her dad and sent it to Taste-Tested by the Dog! 

Thank you, Lexie!

MARINADE

400-700 g chicken (you can add as much or little as you want if you is watching your weight)

250ml plain yogurt

Juice of one lemon

1 tbsp chopped coriander

4 tsp garlic & ginger paste each

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1/2tsp turmeric

Wordless Wednesday - Cheese, please!

I am not supposed to beg...but with Levi and Lenox getting some free cheese from Aunt Linda, I decided to join in!

You Say Tomato...Sauce

Ma's Tomato Sauce

This is a basic tomato sauce that we use over pasta or to make other yummy Italian sauces.  It is not the typical thick tomato sauce - it is a bit thinner and has chunks of tomato & garlic in it.

Ingredients:

4-6 cloves of fresh garlic, peeled and crushed
3 28-oz cans of whole, peeled Roma tomatoes
       or A LOT of fresh Roma tomatoes, blanched and peeled
Dried basil
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Instructions:

1) Heat 2-3 tablespoons of Olive oil in large pot over medium-low or medium heat.

2) When oil is ready, add the crushed garlic and sauté, continuously moving the bits around, until the garlic is light brown.  (Note: you do not want the oil too hot as it will burn the garlic.)

Yummm...garlic

Cesar Cookie Crunchies

Taste Tested by the Dog has received the first review of the

Cesar Cookie Crunchies dog treats. 

(Please note: I felt that giving only my review of the Cesar Canine Cuisine Cookie Crunchies could be misleading since the last time Cesar sent me samples they included the Softies treats...which I LOVE.  So, to provide an unbiased opinion I sent a sample package to several of our Official Taste Testers.)

Package received!

What to Do with My Latest Pineapple

My latest pineapple is almost ready for picking!!!  We love growing pineapple even though it takes forever to get fruit.



We usually just slice it up and eat it.

"...like a big pizza pie..."

That's amore!!

Ma's homemade pizza!

Some have asked how Ma makes homemade pizza so I decided to sneak you ALL the recipes.  Please note: the word RECIPES is plural because Ma sometimes cheats and doesn't make the dough (gasp!). If you are up to making your own dough - which can take a while - here is the recipe Ma uses.

Wordless Wednesday - Time to Share!

The lovely folks at Cesar Canine Cuisine sent me this package well...quite a while ago.  I intended to share these treats so Cesar Cuisine could hear from more than just this dog how tasty their treats are but I got sidetracked by family situations (and a broken paw).  Anyway, I am ready to share now and will be sending some of these treats to friends for their opinions...so stay tuned!

(Special Message for Ollie, Griff, Sprite and Finnegan: We will be shipping the packages tomorrow!  Keep a lookout for the delivery man!)

Oz

Supper Club Winner Receives Cesar Feast

It's been a long time coming...or a long time going, depending if you were the one receiving the package or mailing it (BOL) but Kelso Terrier finally received his winnings in the mail from the Supper Club Contest.

Let's go to the video!



I hope you enjoy all those great flavors, Kelso and let us know how your Burns Supper party turns out!

Cesar Cuisine and Contest

Oh, doggness!  I am "a day late and a dollar short" on announcing the winner of the first Supper Club Contest!  (I apologize.  Yesterday turned out to be a terrible day.)

Anyway, before I announce the winner, let me tell you a little bit about the Cesar Canine Cuisine that I have tried thus far.  (I am still waiting for Lenox and Levi to come over for a supper club so we can all try the Filet Mignon and the Chicken & Liver flavors.) 

The very first flavor I tasted was the Grilled Steak & Eggs; it was super delicious!  I was only given a small taste to begin with so I had to beg to get the rest of the container.  I had a little for breakfast and the rest for dinner.  Yum!

I also have tasted the Beef and the Grilled Chicken flavors.  Both were pretty delicious too!  I ate them both up pretty quickly!

The Softies Medley treats are fun.  They are small, come in fun shapes (hearts, bones and paw prints) and make for great carry-around treats.  They are quite tasty too; there are three flavors in the package: Porterhouse, Grilled Chicken and Applewood Smoked Bacon.  *licks chops*

Anyway, I know the winner of the first Supper Club Contest is going to enjoy the Cesar Canine Cuisine care package!  

So, who's the winner, you ask?  Well...

There were so many great responses to the Supper Club Contest like a beach barbecue, a romantic candlelit dinner, a bash by the lake, and a backyard party to name a few.  I wish I had enough Cesar Canine Cuisine so everyone could host their supper clubs, but I only have a care package for one winner.  *sad eyes*

And now, let's announce the winner...drumroll..."The winner is..."

Kelso Terrier

Kelso will be hosting a Burns Supper - for those of us not living in Scotland or Northern Ireland, a Burns Supper is a celebration of the life and poetry of Robert Burns, a wonderful Scottish poet.  Haggis is usually served at a Burns Supper but I am sure that the Cesar cuisine will be a wonderful addition for Kelso and his pals!  After dinner, Kelso said there would be lots of Ceilidh dancing!  What fun!  I wish I lived "across the pond" so I could join in the merriment - I love poetry and dancing, but I am unsure about the Haggis. BOL

So, congratulations Kelso Terrier!!  I will be sending you your Cesar Canine Cuisine parcel as soon as you "drop me a note" with your complete mailing address.  You can DM it to me on twitter or you can email it to me here.

Oz

The First Supper Club Contest

Recently, I was contacted by a very nice gentleman who asked me if I was willing to try his dog food and then tell you all about it.  I said "Absolutely!" and suddenly this arrived at my door:



"Is that box filled with treats for me?"

When I opened it, I found this huge bag of dog food and treats from Cesar canine cuisine!


"Holy Moly!"

There are two bags of Softies Medley treats and seven different flavors of dog food including Grilled Chicken, Chicken & Liver, Grilled Steak & Eggs, Filet Mignon, Chicken & Veal, Chicken & Cheddar and Beef.  All the flavors say they come "in Meaty Juices".  Wow!  Sounds delicious!


"Oh dog! Look at all that food!"

BOL - they even sent Ma a t-shirt with a silhouette of a Westie on it that says "Go Small or Go Home".

Anyway, I am so excited to start sampling all this Cesar canine cuisine that I am thinking of hosting a Supper Club for some of my very good pals here near home.  This way, I can write about more than my own opinion of the food.  Hmmm, I wonder when Levi and Lennox can come over for supper?  *pulls out calendar* 

But, I am not going to stop there because...the nice gentleman didn't just send ME all of these samples of Cesar canine cuisine.  He sent a whole other box of dog food and treats just like it for one of the followers of my blog!  *zoomies in a circle*  (That guy is totally pawesome!!)

 

Two boxes, not one! Pawesome!



So, if you want to try the seven flavors of Cesar canine cuisine AND the Softies Medley treats (and your Ma wants a nifty t-shirt) then please enter Oz's Supper Club Contest as follows:

• Become a Supper Clubber and follow my blog;
• Leave a comment on this post and tell everyone about:  1)  What kind of Supper Club you would host (i.e. picnic, fancy dining, etc.);   2)  What pals you would invite and   3)  What flavor of Cesar canine cuisine already has you drooling to win!

These would be my answers if I had to enter to win:

1.  I think I will host my Supper Club as a backyard barbecue because, after all, it is summer and I love to be outside!

2.  I am definitely inviting Aunt Linda's boys, Levi and Lennox because we are so good at sharing together!

3.  I am begging to try the Grilled Steak & Eggs first!  It sounds delicious!  I cannot wait much longer!!!!

The winner will be announced on June 30, 2011...so think about your Supper Club Contest answers and leave your comment soon!  Oh!  And be sure to check back here on June 30th to see who has won the contest!  It could be YOU!!!!

Bon Apetit!

Oz

Brogue's Irish Pub

After our bike ride through John Prince Park this past weekend, we ended up having lunch at Brogue's Irish Pub in downtown Lake Worth, FL.

Brogue's Irish Pub, Lake Avenue



Brogue's is dog-friendly all day, every day if you sit outside on the patio - which is exactly where we sat to enjoy our lunch.  The patio offers great people (and dog) watching as people stroll the avenue's shops and restaurants.



Investigating under table for dropped food

We started with the Oak Smoked Irish Salmon which was served on whole wheat flatbread with a cream cheese spread and a garnish of peppers, capers and lemon.  It was light, very tasty and fresh.  Everyone really enjoyed it - including me!   



Oak Smoked Irish Salmon

After the appetizer, Ma, Daddy-Dog and Uncle Robbie enjoyed another round of 'adult beverages' (Guinness, Smithwicks, Harps) while I lapped some cool water.  Then came our lunch entrees:

The 'Dublin Dip'

Hot roast beef with provolone cheese and sauteed onions served with delicious au jus and a side of steak fries.

The Shrimp Po'Boy (a special for that day) 



Not typical Irish Pub fare...

Uncle Robbie said it wasn't a true Po'Boy but it was good.  It was served with a side of steak fries too.

The Fish and Chips

I can always get Ma to order me some fish and chips!  The fish was light and flaky inside and crispy on the outside (Harps beer batter).

Everyone agreed the steak fries (chips) weren't really that good - I didn't even like them much.  The restaurant also serves other Irish favorites like Bangers and Mash, Shepherd's Pie, and Corned Beef.  In the evenings, they have live entertainment (music) inside.

If you are looking for a nice spot that is dog-friendly, has good people watching and good food, then you may want to check out Brogue's Irish Pub at 621 Lake Avenue in Lake Worth, FL.

Rating:

3 dog bones out of 4

Oz

Wordless Wednesday - Pub Time

*licks chops and drools*

Oz

Doggie Bags - May 24, 2011

I came across this great coupon today, while reading the paper, to get - *licks chops* - two FREE strips of BACON!  Denny's will allow your human to add two strips of bacon to any breakfast meal and hopefully, they will ask for a Doggie Bag to bring those two strips of bacon home to you!  The offer expires on June 6, so click here now to get your coupon and have your human truly "bring home the bacon".

*zoomies in a circle* I was so excited about the possibility of free bacon that I kept searching, and you know what I found?!?  More great deals!

This is a coupon for a FREE slice of cheesecake...with a $30 purchase at The Cheesecake Factory, your human can get a FREE slice of cheesecake (hopefully, they will get a Doggie Bag and share with you) with this coupon through June 28.

Or how about a Barbecue BOGO?!  *drools*  With this coupon, your human can buy one entree at Smokey Bones and get another one FREE any Monday-Thursday before June 2!  Oh, how I'd love to eat some pulled pork!

And this last one is a coupon to get $5 off any purchase of $15 or more at participating TGI Fridays - it expires June 30.  I wonder what would be in that Doggie Bag?!  *dreams of bacon*

Pals, if you want some great Doggie Bags, then print these coupons ASAP!

Oz

Food for Thought Friday (May 6)

"Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon!"

--Doug Larson

Have a great weekend!

Oz

Wordless Wednesday - In Celebration of Cinco de Mayo

A mish-mash of Latin cuisine: Chili con carne with fixings, white rice, black beans, plaintains, patacones and lechon asado...

*licks chops*

Oz

Rachel Ray Nutrish Dog Food

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Nutrish for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Nutrish knows a dog is a part of the family.

And because Nutrish knows a family only wants what's best for their dog, they have offered several families (ah, dogs) to be the first to sample the new Rachael Ray Nutrish just 6 dry dog food - a limited ingredient dog food with only six simple, natural ingredients, plus vitamins and minerals for complete and balanced nutrition. 

Guess what?  I am one of these dogs!  However, you don't need Nutrish to contact you if you want to try the new food - you, too, can get a free sample to try from their website!!! 

The package came in the mail yesterday and though it was addressed to Ma, I could tell by the smell that it was really meant for me.  Once Ma opened the box, I gave the contents some inspection. 

Yep!  It was the Rachael Ray Nutrish just 6® and a small dog bowl.   

I received the Lamb Meal and Brown Rice recipe.  *licks chops*  What's really exciting is that this dog food does not include corn, wheat or soy.  That's a great thing because a lot of dogs have a food allergy or food intolerance to those ingredients.  (I would be one of those dogs, so I was so excited they sent me a limited ingredient food!)

So, you are probably thinking, "Oz, what are the six simple, natural ingredients in the food?" 

Well, in the Lamb Meal and Brown Rice recipe the first six ingredients listed on the package are: Lamb Meal, Brown Rice, Ground Rice, Dried Beet Pulp, Poultry Fat and Natural Chicken Flavor.  There are more ingredients listed after those and they are vitamins and minerals like Vitamin E supplement, Niacin, Vitamin A supplement...lots of good stuff.

Our only (and slight) concern was with the ingredient Poultry Fat.  Some dogs can have a food allergy to chicken and if they do, those dogs need to avoid all foods that contain chicken/poultry protein or fat.  My pals, if you are one of those dogs, please avoid the Rachael Ray Nutrish just 6 dry dog food to be on the safe (and healthy) side.  

After all this reading of the package (by Ma, mostly) I was starting to wonder (I bet you are wondering too), "How does it taste?".  Ma gave me some to try...I gave it a good sniff, took a nibble and then...DEVOURED what was left in the bowl!  I would say it tastes pretty good. BOL

If you are interested to see if Rachael Ray Nutrish just 6 dry dog food is right for you, like I said before...you can request a free sample from Nutrish.

Let me know if you like it!!!

Oz 

The Cheese Shop on Park

Because life is too short for supermarket cheese!

If you ever are on vacation in Orlando, Florida, and you love cheese, then you need to stop in at The Cheese Shop on Park - located approximately 15 minutes outside of downtown Orlando in Winter Park, Florida.  Owned and operated since 2008 by Kirsten and Alan (a.k.a The Cheese Monger), The Cheese Shop on Park offers over 80 types of local and imported artisan cheeses as well as meats, beers, wine and locally made chutney, jams and relish. 

Hard Cheese Case, courtesy of The Cheese Shop on Park

On a recent visit, Kirsten and Alan had just received some new cheeses from Oregon and we were  delighted when they offered us a tasting.  The cheese was surprisingly mild and creamy.  After the tasting, we decided to order the Cheese Monger Favourites plate off the Cheese Plates Menu (the shop also offers a Lunch Menu of sandwiches and salads) which included four different types of cheeses, three types of artisan crackers, a side of olives and a small side of locally made relish.


Cheese Monger Favourites plate

So, what cheeses were on our Cheese Monger Favourites plate?

Saint Andre (nearest to relish) - Cow France - This is a soft cheese that looks a bit like whipped butter and tastes a little buttery as well.  We enjoyed it with the thicker crackers.

Manchego - Sheep Spain - You probably already know this firm, dry cheese which has a nutty flavor with a hint of pepper.

Grafton Classic - Cow USA - This is an aged, Vermont cheddar and we always enjoy the cheddars out of Vermont.

The last cheese was supposed to be Drunken Goat, a goat cheese from Spain however it is so popular, it was out of stock when we were there.  Unfortunately, we cannot remember what cheese was substituted for the Drunken Goat but we can tell you, it was delicious as well.

And let us tell you about the relish which was surprisingly sweet with a little heat!  It was Nita P's Original Sweet Mustard Relish that is made locally in St. Augustine, Florida.  We enjoyed it so much, we bought a jar of it at The Cheese Shop to take home.  It was a great accompaniment to the cheeses on our plate.

We highly recommend stopping in at The Cheese Shop on Park if you are ever in town for either a light lunch, a cheese plate snack or to purchase the many locally made chutneys, jams and relishes.  If you "dine-in", you can sit inside the shop or outside at cafe tables - and if you are outside, the shop is dog-friendly!  You can also purchase all the cheeses, meats, beers and wines to take home with you as well for a delicious souvenir. 

Sitting outside at The Cheese Shop on Park, Winter Park, FL

When you stop in, be sure to say "Hello" to Kirsten and Alan for us!

Chili con Carne

No, we do not soak our own beans for this recipe.  Yes, sometimes we use canned tomatoes (because there are times during the year when the fresh tomatoes look awful).

No, I do not get to taste this recipe because Ma and Daddy-dog like their chili spicy and we all know dogs cannot have spicy food. 

Ma starts this recipe by making Cuban-style sofrito, a combination of aromatic ingredients used for the base of many Latin dishes.  Sofrito can be made with the aromatics just being chopped but Daddy-dog doesn't like big chunks in his chili, so the aromatics are put in the food processor.

Ingredients:

For the sofrito:

1 medium or large onion, peeled and quartered

½ medium bell pepper (whatever color you prefer), chopped

4-5 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

1 tsp. olive oil

Salt and pepper

*optional: 1-2 chili peppers, chopped (jalapeno, Scotch Bonnet, Habanero - whichever level heat you prefer.  Ma likes to use Habanero. *spicy*)

The Scoville Heat Scale for Chili Peppers

For the chili:

1 tsp. olive oil

1 lb. (453g/16 oz) ground beef or beef mince

*2 large cans (822g/26 oz) small red beans (Daddy-dog doesn't like a lot of beans so sometimes we only use 1 can (411g/13 oz) of small red beans.  You can also use dry beans, but then cook time will take longer!)

¾ lb. (368g/13 oz) diced Roma tomatoes, fresh or canned (if canned, drain liquid and discard)

1 small can plain tomato sauce

Shredded Cheddar cheese, for serving

Instructions:

1. Make the sofrito by placing onion, bell pepper, garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil and chili pepper* in food processor.  Grind until all ingredients blend into puree.  Set aside.  (*You can leave the chilies out of the sofrito and add it later, as it does tend to create 'pepper spray' when sautéing  in the sofrito.)

2. Heat remaining 1 tsp olive oil in large pot over medium-high heat.  When pot comes to temperature, add sofrito and sauté until aromatic, approximately 3-4 minutes.

3. Add ground beef (or beef mince) to pot and cook until all meat is browned, approximately 10 minutes.  Add beans, with liquid, and tomatoes (and chilies, if you did not add them to sofrito) and cook for another 5 minutes.

4. Turn heat to low, add tomato sauce, cover and simmer for 1-2 hours (The longer it simmers, the more flavor the chili will have.)  

Simmering in the pot. *licks chops*

5. Serve in bowls and sprinkle with Cheddar cheese.  (You can also add a dollop of sour cream and some chopped scallions for garnish.)

One chili con carne coming right up!

This recipe makes a large amount of chili con carne.  Ma likes to have extra so she can freeze individual servings, in those soup-size plastic containers, for a quick lunch or dinner.  The chili reheats well in either the microwave or on top of the stove!

Delicioso!

Oz