Neopolitan Cheesecake

Taste Verdict: Success
                   Presentation Verdict: Eh                   

Neighbor-worthy

This was one of my riskier attempts at making my own dessert.  I love cheesecake and have been craving it something fierce lately.  I have already posted my margarita cheesecake, but this one was a stretch and I thought would be a good blog entry. 

This weekend I wanted to make my own marble cheesecake.  Then I thought "Ok, I'll make a strawberry-marble cheesecake for the blog".  Then I thought about trying to make a vanilla bean cheesecake.  Blah, blah, blah-I was obviously longing for a fun cheesecake-and I thought up a really fun thing to try: Neopolitan. 

Neopolitan is the ice cream choice that my parents (and probably yours) made for gatherings thinking it would cover more peoples' preferences as it is 1/3 strawberry, 1/3 vanilla and 1/3 chocolate. More times than not, we were left with a carton of strawberry 'cause no one wanted it.  That was fine with me as I hated it (SEE NOTES).  Well, I don't think that could ever be the case with cheesecake...cheesecake is just too good to avoid a flavor. 

I used this recipe for the basis of my recipe. I tweaked it by stripping it of its flavor and made the rest up as I went along. 

Ingredients:

Vanilla Simple Syrup:

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 vanilla bean split with seeds removed but reserved

Crust:

1 3/4 2 cups graham cracker crumbs

3 2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 stick melted butter

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Cheesecake(s):

3 8oz packages cream cheese reduced-fat cream cheese
3 eggs plus one yolk
1 15oz can pureed pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup sour cream reduced-fat sour cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons strawberry jam
3 oz semi-sweet chocolate

Heat a small sauce pan over Medium-high heat and combine water, sugar and the stalk (pod) and seeds. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Stir occasionally as you cook it until the sugar has dissolved. Take off the heat and allow the syrup to cool. 

In a medium bowl, place the graham crumbs, sugar and cinnamon and mix the hell out of them.  Add the butter and mix.  Press mixture firmly into a 9" springform pan (trailing it up the sides some).

Beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth and add the sour cream and sugar, then eggs, one by one.  Add the flour and the vanilla and continue to beat until combined.  Separate into three bowls.

In a small sauce pan, melt your chocolate and allow to cool-but not long enough for it to harden.

Bowl 1: Add your chocolate and mix well.
Bowl 2: Strain your simple syrup, add 1/2 cup and mix well. 1/4 cup.
Bowl 3: Add your jam and mix well.

Pour the contents of your chocolate mix into your crusted pan first.  Chill in fridge for 10 minutes.  Then CAREFULLY layer your vanilla above on top of the chocolate and chill for 10 minutes.  Pour the strawberry upon the vanilla.  Place in the oven and bake for 1 hr.  Remove from the oven and let sit for 20 minutes.  Cover with plastic wrap and throw in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Before you pop the spring to serve, run a knife along the rim to loosen the side crust trail.  Some will fall off-no big deal.

Notes:
I love being adventurous.  This was my creation including making a vanilla cheesecake as I have never seen one nor read a recipe for one.  I had used a simple syrup in another recipe and thought "why not try it here?"
This is probably the worst presentation I have had for something I've made to date (on the blog).

No-foul Error in Judgement:
When I do this again, I will use less syrup for the vanilla.  It watered that layer down causing the strawberry to integrate with it when poured in.  It ended up tasting just fine (well, awesome actually).

Happy Accident:
**The strawberry ended up being the slightest layer which works for me.  :)


Tweaks:
I made the receipe Neopolitan
I substituted reduced-fat sour cream and cream cheese for the recipe.
I (obviously) removed the spices and pumpkin from the recipe.
I added graham cracker crumbs to yield more crust (I LOVE crust).


Any ideas for me?  themaniccheater@gmail.com.

Spicy Chicken Empanadas

Verdict: Success

Neighbor-worthy

This recipe is one of my own after having totally ripped off a bunch of similar recipes over the years so there is no trackable tweaking here.  There are however cheats.  It is/was a Tuesday night and I am/was too tired to make my own dough which I usually do for these.  The same goes for the salsa in the recipe.  Corners are cut on this post.  I'll tell you how I do those another time.

The recipes I have done before have called for frying the empanadas, which obviously makes them taste awesome, but it really isn't necessary.  I bake them.

I LOVE these empanadas and if you haven't caught on yet, I love spicy food.  If you do not, then leave out the jalapeños and only use a little hot sauce.  If you really do not, then skip the hot sauce all together.


Serve these with nachos, sour cream and my guacamole.  Or yours, whatever...

Ingredients:

1/2 rotisserie chicken meat stripped from bones (about 3 cups worth)

2 jalapeño peppers diced

1 red bell pepper chopped

1 cup low-fat shredded cheddar

1 yellow onion chopped

just short of 1 tablespoon cumin

2  tablespoons canola oil

4 oz fat free cream cheese

1 cup home made salsa  (recipe DOES NOT follow today)

home made dough (recipe DOES NOT follow today)

salt
pepper

flour for sprinkling

water

hot sauce (Franks Red Hot or Cholula recommended)

+ store bought (freshest, non-processed as possible) salsa

+ 2 ready-made pie crusts
+ olive oil

Pre-heat your oven to 400°

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over Medium-high heat.  When the oil smokes, lower the heat to Medium and add the onion and bell pepper and season with salt and pepper.  When veggies get soft, add the chicken followed by the salsa.  Mix well with a wooden spoons and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Throw the chicken mix into a large bowl and add the jalapeño, cheese, hot sauce, cumin and cream cheese and mix well.

Lie your pie crusts on a work surface and lightly flour.  Using a cookie cutter (or in my case, as a non-cookie cutter owner, something round you can cut around--a glass or a lid of some sort) cut out circles from the dough (5" diameters or so).  Use the leftover scraps to roll and cut out additional circles.  Try to get 10.

Spoon a tablespoon and a half of the mixture you made onto one side of the circle, but not to the edge.  Dip your fingers in water and lightly wet the outside of the circle all the way around.  Fold the empty side over the mound of chicken to line up with the other side.  Using a fork, press down on the sides to seal the edges of your creation.  Lie on a cookie sheet sprayed with a vegetable spray (like PAM) and repeat the process.  Reserve any leftover mix and put on top of nachos or something.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Brush with some olive oil as these are dryer than the greasy one that come from oil.

Notes:  I will definitely do these again when I fry them but I am trying to stay away from fried foods as much as I can.  It's easier to do with recipes like this where it tastes so good without it.

Tweaks:

I baked these instead of frying them as is the (mostly) traditional method.


Cheats:

I used store bought salsa instead of making my own.

I used ready-made pie crusts instead of making my own dough.

Confession:

I am pretty sure my motivation for not making my own salsa and dough was mostly 'cause I didn't want to write it all out for a looong post.

Send me some challenges!  themaniccheater@gmail.com.

Glazed Cranny-Apple Chicken Sandwich

Verdict: Success

Neighbor-worthy

This one is mine.  It is pieced together from many recipes that I have used in the past, so don't get me wrong, it is totally stolen. It is however an amalgamation of enough sources that it has morphed into my own creation (not to mention I don't recall where I got them all from nor whose they are).

It is a sweet and savory sandwich which is a perfect summer bite.

(Intended for 2 sandwiches with some extra spread just in case you want more)

Ingredients:

Multi-grain bread toasted

Rotisserie chicken breast sliced thin

1 granny smith apple sliced thin

Honey

4 oz fat-free cream cheese (room temperature)

1/4 cup craisons

1 teaspoon black pepper

4 slices center cut bacon

Lettuce

In a medium bowl, mix craisons and cream cheese until smooth.  Add the pepper and mix until you have a nice speckled spread.  Lie out your apple slices and drizzle with honey and set aside.  Pan fry your bacon until crispy in a small skillet (or large, I don't care). Toast your bread and plate. 

Lie your lettuce on one slice of toast (this will be the bottom) and top that with your chicken (as much as you prefer).  Top that with your apple slices followed by the bacon.  Spread the, well, spread  on your other slice of toast and top off the sandwich.  Eat it. 

Notes:

I love it and so does the bf.

Perfect for those who like salty and sweet at the same time.   If that's not your thing, skip this.

Injuries:
I sliced into my thumb while slicing my apple.  I cursed that S.O.B.

Pesto Arugula Pizza

Verdict: Success
Neighbor-worthy

This recipe is one of mine and uses 2 other recipes (pizza dough and pesto) I have already made and had in the freezer which is cool.  If you are going to do your dough fresh, make it a day early!

*You will need a pizza stone for this recipe.  And if you are as cool as me, a pizza peel.


Ingredients:

Pizza Dough:

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 (1/4 oz) active dry yeast
5 cups all-purpose flour (and extra for dusting)

1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt 
olive oil  

-or-

take a trip to your Pontillo's or local pizza shop and buy some dough.

Pesto:

1/4 cup pine nuts

10 cloves garlic

5 cups fresh basil leaves (packed down)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 cups olive oil

1 cup pecorino romano

-or-

buy a bottle

Pizza Topping:
2 handfuls part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
1 palmful romano cheese
2 chicken breasts cooked and chopped and seasoned with salt and pepper
3 tablespoons pine nuts
2 cups fresh arugula
flour for dusting
cornmeal for dusting

Preheat oven to 500º (and put your stone in the oven if you are using a pizza peel).

If making fresh pesto and dough, follow the links.  If you have made these recipes before and have a stock frozen, allow for time to thaw.  I threw mine in the fridge last night.

Flour up your work space and a rolling pin. Flatten your dough with flat hands and spread out.  It doesn't spread right away.  Roll out the dough with a rolling pin when it has softened some (and for those who have worked with pizza, give it a toss or two).  Roll again until it's flattened some and around a foot in diameter and 1/2" thick.  Cut it on it's sides if you are particular about its roundness.  Me 'n my family spin to make sure the cornmeal is allowing for the pizza to move around a little.  Using your fingers trail the diameter with pinches to give your edges a bit of a lift.  This part makes the crust or "bones" (a term coined by my cousin Grady. One that we still use today in our family).

Spread about a cup of pesto onto your dough and using a ladle, spoon, spatula or fingers almost up to your pinched crust.  Cover your pesto with pine nuts, then mozzarella, then a layer of arugula.  Cover your arugula with the chicken and cover with a palmful of romano.  For the skilled peel owner, slide your pizza off your peel onto your stone.  Place your stone onto the middle rack of your oven and start to cook.

I'm a creature of habit and as I have always known how we do it at our pizza shops, I always turn my pies as they cook so they won't stick and get an even cook.  It is not necessary but it will come out better.  About 7 minutes into cooking, peel users and those not afraid of burns (or those used to burns that don't care anymore (read: me) slip your peel under the pie and spin it by the crust 180 degrees and close the oven and let it keep cooking.

After 7 or 8 minutes use your peel to remove your pie onto a workspace where you can slice up the pie.  OR just remove the stone as you can slice it right on there.  That's what I'm doing....I'm not going to risk hurting my slicer on my granite.  Formica owners: Don't hurt your counters!

Notes: 

We (extended family) are pros but even we get different results at home than we would at the pizza shops with the ovens we are used to.  You're going to have to learn by trial and error.  Mine still come out a little doughy in the middle sometimes.  When you cut into it the first time, check to see if you want to throw it back into the oven a little more.

Possible Cheats:

Buy your own dough and pesto--no one will judge you.

Injuries:
I burned the shit out of my hand, er, wrist...hang in there with me...you know the spot Spiderman shoots his web from?  There.  I know I got all cocky in this post about burns...well I didn't take into consideration that the stone rack thing that mine came with served more an obstacle than asset.

Do you want to be on the mailing list or have recipes you want to share with me?  Contact me at themaniccheater@gmail.com.

Baked 'n Chilled Pesto Chicken Salad Sandwich
Mixed Greens w/ Simple Dressing & Romano Pizzelles
(with Healthy Tweaking)

It is HOT out.  I hate heat.  I needed a chilled meal so I picked a really simple thing to make to start: my stand-by salad dressing for a cool mixed green salad and then a hot chicken salad that I tweak to cut out some fat and chill for my own needs.  I also wanted to try something new in lieu of croutons--tried to make a little cheese cracker.

The recipe used to be fatty fatty fatty with tons of mayo and a bunch of cheese.  Not needed for mine....

 

Ingredients:

3 chicken breast cooked and diced to your chunky preference
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 cup mayonnaise 1/4 low-fat cup mayo
1 cup celery chopped 1 large stalk celery chopped
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded 1 handful low-fat shredded cheddar
2/3 cup crushed potato chips 1 handful crushed BAKED potato chips
salt
pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice juice of 1/2 lemon
+ 1/2 cup pesto (recipe follows)  

+ 1 handful bagel chips crushed

rolls, baguettes, pita or bread--your choice for the sandwich

mixed greens (optional: slices of low-fat swiss)

Pesto:

1/4 cup pine nuts

10 cloves garlic

5 cups fresh basil leaves (packed down)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon back pepper

1 1/2 cups olive oil

1 cup pecorino romano

Salad Dressing:

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Pizzelles:

Romano cheese

Preheat oven to 400°

Chicken & Pesto:

Pound and slice your chicken breasts in half and wrap in foil.  Bake for 20 minutes.  While it cooks, put the pine nuts, garlic, basil, salt and pepper into your food processor and "process" on low for about 30 seconds.  While the ingredients break down, stream in the olive oil through that hole thing on the top of the processor.  When the ingredients are pureed, add the romano and puree for another 45 seconds.  Set aside and put the remaining amount,with a layer of olive oil on top, in a tightly sealed container and freeze for later use.

When chicken is done, allow to cool.  Add your celery, cheese, almonds, lemon juice and 2 pinched of salt and pepper to a large bowl and mix.  When the chicken has cooled, chop it up and add to your bowl followed by the mayo and pesto.  Mix and salt and pepper to taste.  Spread out the mixture into a glass baking dish and cover with the bagel chips. Put in the fridge to chill.

Dressing:

Add your ingredients to a dressing mixer and shake (duh) or whisk in a bowl. 

Pizzelles:

Lay parchment paper on a cookie sheet and spoon circles of romano (about a tablespoon each) onto the surface making sure they do not touch.  Cook for about 10 minutes before allowing to cool and peeling them off carefully.

Toast bread, roll, pita (or not) with the swiss and top with some greens and the chicken salad.  Toss the salad with the dressing and serve with the pizzelles.

Notes: I have successfully made this my own by making it a pesto dish.

Tweaks:

I cut most of the mayo (and substituted low-fat for what little I did use) in favor of Pesto.  I think it gives it something and mayo is just oil and egg really.  I don't think we need that in us.  Pesto has oil and cheese but you can control how much you use if you are being health conscious.

I serve this chilled instead of its intended hot state.

I used reduced-fat cheddar cheese.

I used more lemon for flavor .

I used less celery as the almond gives enough crunch and isn't as wet.
I used baked potato chips instead of fried.

Possible Cheat:

If you are a wuss (or just in a hurry), you can use bottled pesto.

Verdict: Success

Neighbor-worthy. 

Do you want to be on the mailing list or have recipes you want to share with me?  Contact me at themaniccheater@gmail.com.

Cilantro Salsa and Guacamole

This post shows my take on a salsa that I have made for 5 years (with the necessary use of an over abundant cilantro) and a staple guacamole.

Ingredients:

Salsa:
3-4 cloves garlic
3 jalapeño peppers
1 handful fat leaf parsley chopped
2 tablespoons fresh mint chopped tablespoons dried mint
2 large tomatoes
juice of 1 lemon
salt

Dice garlic and jalapeños on a large cutting board.  Add parsley and cilantro and further chop your ingredients. Chop your tomatoes, adding to the pile and using the flat part of your knife, "flip" or turn your salsa over like a pancake.  When tomatoes are done being added, douse with juice and salt to taste and continue to chop and "flip" until your salsa is very wet.

1 handful cilantro chopped

2 Hass Avocados
1/2 small red onion
1 jalapeño pepper chopped
1 handful cilantro
juice of one lime
salt

Guacamole:

Scoop out your avocado and set your pits aside.  Put half in a bowl or mortar.  Add cilantro, onion, juice and jalapeño.  Top with the other half of avocado and start mashing with either a fork (bowl) or pestle (mortar).  Salt to taste.  Mash until desired creaminess.

Tip:  Put your reserved pits into the finished product to keep the guacamole from browning too quickly. 

Notes:

These recipes are two staples that I do...except for the "cilantro" part of my salsa...I hate wasting ingredients and I hate over-buying: I needed only a little cilantro and because you sometimes HAVE TO buy enough of an ingredient to last a month but only need a little, I thought I'd use the leftover from my guac and tweak my own salsa by making use of the excess.

Tweaks:

Read above for the big tweak based on unfair purchasing sizes/quantities

Cheats:
I couldn't get my hands on a year's worth of fresh mint (or any for that matter), so I had to use dried.

Verdict: Success

Definitely Neighbor-worthy

Do you want to be on the mailing list or have recipes you want to share with me?  Contact me at themaniccheater@gmail.com.

Rigatoni
with Marinara, Pesto and Ricotta
(The Effortless Kind)

Kneel to the King:  I started making this dish years ago after having something similar at our favorite pub down the street, The Half King.

Ingredients:
1 lb rigatoni
marinara (use whatever you like-homemade or bottled (if you wanna anger Ma))
pesto *recipe here or used jarred.
part-skim ricotta
2 tablespoons pecorino romano cheese
salt
cinnamon


Easy Explanation: I am using already prepared marinara as well as the pesto that I made a couple of weeks back for my Simple Sandwich recipe and froze. I took it out last night to thaw so that today I could just make an easy meal.

Boil water and add salt to a large pot for your pasta.  Prepare your pasta, al dente, as instructed on your box.  While the pasta cooks, heat up your marinara (I had my marinara left over) If you want it fresh and new, prepare ahead for this recipe before you boil your water.  Take your pesto (jarred or pre-prepared) out of the fridge to allow to come to room-temperature.

When the pasta is done, strain and spritz with a little cold water to make the rigatoni (a little) firm.  Toss, still in the colander, with the romano 'till all are covered with cheese and plate, dish or bowl it.  Cover first with the red sauce, then the pesto and top it off with a spoonful of ricotta.  My family's regional background has sweetness in it's blood, so we always add some cinnamon to our cheeses.  My bf likes it in certain dishes, but not this one so I didn't mix the cheese or anything, I just sprinkled mine with a dusting of flavor.


Notes:

This recipe is one of mine. It is super simple...and uses ingredients that may already be in the house. 
I did use that Pesto I made a while back and froze--it was still amazing!
And btw, when you allow the heat of the sauce to essentially melt the ricotta into the pesto, uhh, so good!.

Cheats:

Though not technically cheats, as this is my recipe and my shortcuts (existing marinara and pesto) were made by me, others can cheat by using jarred sauces.

Verdict: Success

Definitely Neighbor-worthy.

Do you want to be on the mailing list or have recipes you want to share with me?  Contact me at themaniccheater@gmail.com.

Grilled Tuna Steak(s)

with Roasted Garlic Rosemary Potatoes

                                                       *Pictured: Lime & Dry Rub Tuna Steaks

This entry looks looooong but it includes THREE variations of Tuna Steak-Marinated, a Picante Dry Rub and a Lime version-all of which are original and all mine. 


Ingredients
2 1 lb cuts of fresh tuna steak cut in half height wise or thick wise, if I can coin a phrase
2 small green chili peppers (something a notch below the heat of a habanero) finely chopped
4 russet potatoes cut up into nothing larger than 2 inches in any direction
8 oz olive oil (2 for potatoes and the remaining for Marinade)
4 garlic cloves diced
1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary dried crushed rosemary
fresh lime juice
vegetable spray


Marinade:
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder


Dry Rub:
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder


Pre-heat oven to 425º


For the three variations (I have a zillion) I have done tonight, start with the Marinade. In a medium bowl, combine the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and follow with the remaining dry ingredients.  Whisk until a nice even mix has been achieved.  Add all 4 pieces of fish into the Marinade and flip and alternate until all pieces are at least wet or submerged.  Put in the fridge for 30 minutes (rearranging the tuna 15 minutes in).


While the tuna soaks in the Marinade, cut your potatoes and put in a large bowl.  Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to the bowl followed by the garlic, salt, pepper and rosemary.  Mix, making sure all pieces of potato are covered.  Empty the contents of the bowl into a glass baking dish prepared with vegetable spray and place on the center rack of the oven.  Cook for 45 minutes.


While you wait for the tuna to marinate and the potatoes to cook, combine the ingredients of the Dry Rub in a small bowl and mix up (with clean, dry fingers or a fork or…to be honest, I don’t care what you use, just mix it) until no one color/ingredient dominates the rub.


Preheat your Grill, Griddler, grill pan or whatever grill-type thing you need on High if you are dealing with slim cuts (like I did here) that you want cooked through or (for thick cuts) if you like your tuna pink in the middle.  Otherwise, Medium-High and do a slow cook to cook all the way through (non-pink) for a thick cut piece so that you don’t over-cook the outsides.  *I’ve screwed this up many times.  It’s an expensive lesson to learn but worth it to get to where you are confident to make it the ideal way.


Remove your tuna from the fridge and move two pieces from the bowl to paper towels and wrap individually.  Pat dry and lay side-by-side on a work surface.  Cover the first tuna steak enough of the Dry Rub that it covers it one whole side and, well, rub it.  Spread the chopped chiles sparingly over the rub. Turn it over and repeat on the other side with the rub and peppers. Leave the second, towel-dried piece alone for now.


Lay the first two portions onto your choice of vegetable sprayed grill-type thing.  Remove the remaining steaks from the bowl and add to the heated surface while still wet.  Douse the odd man out (the non-rub, non-dripping one) in lime juice and season with pepper.  You can re-lime juice him (and drip the remaining marinade on the two “wet” ones) when it comes time to flip.


Cook for about 3 minutes on each side for thin cuts that you want cooked all the way through or thick cuts where you want the middle pink. Use your judgment for thick cuts that you want cooked though-cut through it to test. *Different grills, of whatever type you use, can cook at different "tru temps", so always feel out your own threshhold .


Take out the potatoes at allow to cool for a few minutes and allow the fish to continue cooking.  While this is being done you can prepare your salad, bread or anything else you plan on serving.


Carefully remove the fish from your grill-type thing (if you are a presentation snob like this spaz, you don’t want them to rip or split) and plate with your potatoes and any other accompaniments.




Notes:


Obviously it won't have as many steps when you just pick one variation---I'm the only idiot to do three different types of one fish in one sesssion (and secret: while things were cooking I cooked the scraps a 4th way with dijon mustard as a snack which I'll walk you through another time.)


These were all my creations and unplanned as I had one of those days where you end in Whole Foods with your ingredient list for the meal you planned (excitedly) in your hand only to clench that sucker when you find out that they are not only out of the key ingredient to the thing BUT also the “cheat”, substitute ingredients. 


I was almost as mad as I was from the Honey Incident.


Cheats:
It’s hard to cheat yourself when you make your own recipe, but I still did.  I could have gotten “fresh” ingredients but was too pissed off to look for more vegetables.  If they were out of them, I may have thrown my basket.
I substituted dry crushed rosemary when I should have used fresh.
I also used one of those cheesy plastic lime squeeze things instead of a real lime. No-shame cheat.


Verdict(s):
Marinade Tuna Steak: Success
Lime Tuna Steak: Success
Dry Rub Tuna Steak: Success
Roasted Garlic Rosemary Potatoes: Success


All three variations are neighbor worthy meals to share.

Side note: I am pa-psyched (that's a notch above "psyched") about the dry rub I threw together.  I will be using that on meats, chicken and whatever else I can!



Want to be on the mailing list or have a recipes to share? Contact me at themaniccheater@gmail.com.