Maple Glazed Southwestern Dry Rubbed Salmon with Marinated Avocado Salsa

I am an avid salmon-hater. I'd literally rather eat my own foot than even buying the fishy stuff. But as of lately, my husband and I have been trying to eat a tad bit healthier. And unfortunately for me, my mountain man is an avid salmon-lover. So, when we were going over healthy dinner options, he asked me if I was willing to give it one more try and make salmon for a weekday meal. I knew that in order for me to eat it, I would have to try and mask the fishy flavor that gives me the goosies (shutter). I eventually decided upon dry rubbing the filets in a southwestern spice mix that you broil in the oven until it blackens just slightly. After that, you just brush on the smallest amount of maple syrup to give it a little bit of sweetness. Now you've got this smokey, spicy blackened salmon that is cooked just perfectly with a candied flavor, which perfectly complements the bold southwestern seasoning. But what really takes this dish over-the-top is the marinated avocado salsa! This salsa is essentially a more rustic guacamole because it has big chunks of avocado instead of being finely mashed. The addition of the extra virgin olive oil gives it such a luscious texture, it feels like absolute velvet. However, the biggest compliment I could give it would be that it completely hides all of the fishy flavor that I have hated my entire life! We have made this dish 4-5 times since and I gobble up the whole thing, which is newsworthy. I decided to finish up the meal with some sauteed bell peppers and onions, but I also think that rice, black beans, or a salad would go great with this meal! Enjoy y'all :) 

For the Maple Glazed Southwestern Salmon:

1t Smoked Paprika

1t Chili Powder

¼t Cumin + Coriander

1t Sugar

1t Salt + Fresh Cracked Pepper

4 Salmon Filets

2T Maple Syrup

Fresh Minced Cilantro, For Sprinkling

For the Marinated Avocado Salsa:

3 Ripe Avocados, Sliced

1 Lime, Zested + Juiced

2-3T EVOO

1 Large Shallot, Minced

1 Clove of garlic, Finely Minced into a Paste

1-2 Fresh Jalapenos, Minced (depends on your spice preference)

2T Fresh Cilantro, Roughly Chopped

Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to broil, set an oven rack about 6 inches from the top of the oven, and line a baking shit with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

2. For the Marinated Avocado Salsa: In a mixing bowl, add in the sliced avocado, followed by the lime zest, lime juice, EVOO, minced shallot and garlic, fresh jalapenos, roughly chopped cilantro, kosher salt, and fresh cracker pepper. Toss all of the ingredients together, so that the avocados are covered in the lime. The sliced avocado should have some still some large chunks, instead of being like guacamole. Set the marinated avocado in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it with the salmon.

3. For the Maple Syrup Glazed Southwestern Salmon: Mix together all of the spices together into a bowl and place the salmon onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the spice mixture heavily and evenly all over the filets of fish. Broil for 5 minutes, remove the pan from the oven, and brush the salmon with the maple syrup. Place the pan back into the oven and broil for one more minute.

4. Assembling the Salmon: Remove the glazed and blackened salmon from the oven onto a serving plate and top it with a large serving of the marinated avocado salsa. I served our dinner with sautéed bell peppers and onions, but rice and black beans would be a great option as well!

Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Pineapple-Poppy Seed-Honey Mustard Coleslaw

Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Pineapple-Poppy Seed-Honey Mustard Coleslaw

Pulled pork has to be the ultimate game-day food for us. I mean, it requires very little work and you just pop it in the oven for 6 hours and you have amazingly fatty shreds of porkiness in front of you. Even better, you can stretch it into different meals for days. On Sunday, I'll post a recipe for some of the best Pulled Pork Waffles that you've ever seennnnn. In the meantime, I made a different version of some BBQ sandwiches... and they involve a kinda-crazy coleslaw... made with pineapple. Yes, I realize that might sound odd, but it's strangely delicious. The dressing has a bunch of ingredients, but it mainly involves a homemade honey mustard sauce with prepared horseradish, poppy seeds, and crushed pineapple. It's tangy, sweet, yet has a nice "zang" to it. It's the perfect topping to any sandwich and I think it would go great with a pulled chicken sandwich as well. If there are any Alabama fans out there reading this, it would be a great recipe at your tailgates this weekend since the Crimson Tide plays Arkansas. But, don't worry... this isn't only for us 'Bama fans!! Enjoy :)

For the Dry Rubbed-Pulled Pork:

2T Salt

4T Brown Sugar

4t Garlic Powder

4t Onion Powder

2t Ground Cumin

2t Chili Powder

2t Black Pepper

1 5lb Boston Butt

For the Pineapple-Poppy Seed-Honey Mustard Coleslaw:

1 16oz Bag of Coleslaw Mix

3 Green Onions, Thinly Sliced

8oz Crushed Pineapple (squeezed of all excess juice)

3T Mayo

2T Dijon Mustard

1T Grainy Mustard

3T Honey

1t Creamy Horseradish

1T Poppy Seeds

Salt & Pepper, To Taste 

For the Sandwiches:

Toasted Buns

Warmed Pulled Pork

Your Favorite BBQ Sauce

Prepared Coleslaw

Pickled Red Onions, For Garnishing

Pickles, For Garnishing

Directions:

1. To Make the Oven-Roasted Pulled Pork: Mix together all of the seasonings and rub the spice blend all over the pork and marinate the pork overnight, covered, in the refrigerator. The next day, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Put the pork in a roasting pan and bake for 6 hours, or until an instant-read thermometer registers to 170 degrees. Remove the pork from the oven and transfer to a large platter and allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes. While still warm, take two forks and pull the meat to form shreds.

2. To Make the Pineapple Coleslaw: In a medium-mixing bowl, whisk together the mayo, drained pineapple, Dijon mustard, grainy mustard, honey, horseradish, and poppy seeds. Toss this mixture with the coleslaw and green onions until completely coated. Set it aside until ready to assemble the sandwiches.

3. Assemble the sandwiches by stacking the pulled pork, BBQ sauce, pineapple coleslaw, and other toppings onto toasted buns and enjoy!

Dry-Rubbed Beer Can Chicken with Alabama White BBQ Sauce

Dry-Rubbed Beer Can Chicken with Alabama White BBQ Sauce

Have y'all ever had Beer Can Chicken? It was one of my favorite meals growing up. I think it was because of the sheer amazement and excitement that a whole chicken was stuffed with a beer can and then cooked on the grill to absolute perfection. It's almost like it is poached on the inside from the beer, but crispy & smoky from the grill. My dad was the ultimate grill-master, me? Not so much. So, I decided to try and make Beer Can Chicken in the oven. Well people, it was so good. So good that we made it the next night. And well, we don't do that a lot. First, you gotta rub the chicken down with your favorite dry rub. I'm partial to mine because it's smoky, sweet, & a little bit spicy. And it goes good on anything, especially this chicken and BBQ. Then, you shove a bunch of fresh herbs and lemon inside the chicken, which just gives it the best herby & lemony flavor. Well, after that you just pop it in the oven until it's golden brown & crispy, then cut it into pieces (or if you are disgusting like us, pick off half the meat and eat it straight). I drizzled our chicken with a classic Alabama White BBQ Sauce, which a lot of people have not heard of, but it is dear to my heart. It is a mayo based sauce, that is super vinegary & peppery, and it goes perfectly on chicken. Most people in Alabama actually marinate the chicken in the sauce and then grill 'em up... and that's super good too (so try that soon as well). We served our Dry-Rubbed Beer Can Chicken with Mexican Grilled Corn, which I'll post in a day or so!! Enjoy :)

Look at the gorgeous brown skin...

And that yummy drizzle of Alabama White BBQ Sauce... 

Here's some chicken without the sauce.

Here's the chicken right out of the oven, beer can still in baby. 

For the Dry Rub:

1T Salt

2T Brown Sugar

2t Garlic Powder

2t Onion Powder

1t Ground Cumin

1t Chili Powder

1t Black Pepper

Vegetable Oil

3-4lb Whole Chicken (sometimes referred to as a young or fryer chicken)

For the Beer Can Chicken:

Prepared Dry Rubbed Chicken

1 Can of Beer (your choice of beer)

2 Fresh Rosemary Sprigs

3 Fresh Thyme Sprigs

Handful of Fresh Parsley

½ Lemon, Sliced Thinly

1 Small Vidalia Onion, Quartered

3 Garlic Cloves, Smashed

For the Alabama White BBQ Sauce:

1C Mayo

1t Dijon Mustard

¼C Apple Cider Vinegar

3 Drops of Worcestershire

1T Sugar

¼t Cayenne, Paprika, Onion Powder, & White Pepper

2t Prepared Horseradish

1 Large Clove of Garlic, Finely Minced

1T Lemon Juice

Salt & Pepper, To Taste  (I like a lot of pepper for this recipe)

Directions:

1. For the Dry Rub: Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and its packaging. Wash and dry the chicken completely. In a small bowl, combine all of the spices and seasonings to make the dry rub. Rub a little bit of vegetable oil and the seasoning mixture all over the chicken until it is completely coated and covered. Stuff the inside of the bird with the lemon, onions, garlic, and parsley. Let this marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a roasting pan with tin foil. Set out and open a beer to allow it to get to room temperature (making sure to pour out half of the beer for your drinking pleasure). Stick the sprigs of rosemary and thyme into the beer can. Place the beer can into the center of the lined roasting pan, and then slip the chicken on top of the can, using its legs as a tripod, so it will stand up straight.

3. Cook the beer can chicken in the preheated oven for 1 hour, rotating it halfway to ensure even cooking (It’s also yummy to baste the chicken in some of the beer reduction every 20-30 minutes or so). After an hour of cooking, bump the oven heat up to 450 degrees. Cook the chicken at this high temperature for 10-15 minutes, turning the pan to make sure the chicken skin crisps and browns evenly on all sides. After the chicken skin has crisped, remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. The juices should run clear and the temperature of the thigh meat should be about 170 degrees when checked with a meat thermometer. Gently remove the hot beer can from the chicken and place onto a cutting board. Cut the chicken into pieces, brush with some more beer reduction, and serve with the Alabama White BBQ Sauce.

Date Night : Coffee-Rubbed Rib Eyes with Beer Battered-Chipotle Onion Rings, Potato Puree, & Balsamic-Red Wine Reduction

Here's another romantic date night with the boyfriend, and we decided to go with the classic steak & potatoes combination, but with a little twist :) We purchased some beautiful thick-cut rib eyes and rubbed them with a chili-coffee seasoning mix. The rub is surprisingly sweet, but so smoky & delicious, which perfectly compliments the fatty rib eye. The seared steak is served on top of a bed of the creamiest potato puree that will surely bust your jeans open... it is just that unbelievably smooth. We topped the sliced rib eyes with huge beer battered-chipotle onion rings that have a nice kick, but aren't too spicy. I mean what is better than some red meat & crispy onions? Nothing, I'm pretty sure. Finally we drizzled the plate with a balsamic-red wine reduction, just for a touch of sweetness, which really brings out the great natural flavor of the steak. I also served our dinner with some easy sauteed garlic haricot verts because you just have to have some kind of greens to make you feel a little bit better about yourself. This is the perfect meal to serve up to a hungry man (especially anyone who can eat like my Mountain Man), he was stuffed to the brim!! Enjoy :)

Coffee-Rubbed Rib Eyes with Beer Battered-Chipotle Onion Rings, Potato Puree, & Balsamic-Red Wine Reduction

If you look very closely, you can see the potato puree peeking out just a bit!

For the Coffee-Rubbed Ribeyes:

¼C Chili Powder

¼C Ground Espresso

2T Paprika

2T Dark Brown Sugar

1T Dry Mustard

1T Salt

1T Pepper

1T Dried Oregano

2t Ground Ginger

2 Ribeyes (2 inches thick & 1 ½lbs each)

Canola Oil & Butter, For Frying

For the Balsamic-Red Wine Reduction:

½C Balsamic Vinegar

½C Red Wine

2-4T Brown Sugar (to taste)

 

For the Tequila Battered Chipotle Onion Rings:

1 Large Vidalia Onion, Cut into ½inch Thick Rings

1C Buttermilk

1C AP Flour

1C Cake Flour

½t Salt

¼t Baking Powder

½C Mexican Beer

2T Tequila

2T Chipotle Adobo Sauce

Cajun Seasoning & Parsley, For Garnishing

    

For the Potato Puree:

2 Large Baking Potatoes, Peeled & Cubed

1 Stick of Butter

4oz Cream Cheese

¼C Sour Cream

¼C Whole Milk

Salt & Pepper, To Taste 

Directions:

1. To Make the Coffee-Rubbed Ribeyes: Combine all of the spices in a bowl. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Preheat a cast iron pan over high heat with canola oil and butter. Brush each side of the steak with oil and season each side liberally with salt and pepper. Rub 2T of the coffee rub onto each side. Cook the steaks on the first side for about 3-4 minutes. Flip the steak over and cook for another 2 minutes. Transfer the steaks to a baking sheet and cook in the oven to medium-rare doneness, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
2. For the Balsamic-Red Wine Reduction: In a small sauce pot over medium-high heat, bring the vinegar and wine to a boil. Let it boil for about 5 minutes, and then add the brown sugar. Reduce to a simmer and continue reducing the mixture until it thickens to a syrup, about 5-10 minutes. Set it aside until ready to garnish. 
3. For the Beer Battered-Chipotle Onion Rings: Marinate the onion rings in buttermilk for an hour. Heat the peanut oil in a deep fryer to 350 degrees. Once marinated, drain them from the milk and dredge in flour. Shake of excess flour. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Add the beer, tequila, and adobo sauce. Whisk until just blended. Dip the dredged onion rings into the batter, shake off the excess, and gently drop them into the oil. Fry until golden brown, about 2-4 minutes. Transfer the onion rings to paper towels to drain and sprinkle with Cajun seasoning. Keep the fried onion rings warm in the oven while you cook your remaining meal. Garnish with chopped parsley.
4. For the Potato Puree: Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the whole potatoes and cook over moderate heat until tender, 20 minutes. Drain and wipe out the saucepan. Working with 1 potato at a time, pass the potatoes through a ricer into the saucepan. In a small saucepan, melt the butter, cream cheese, and sour cream in the milk over moderate heat. Gradually whisk the hot milk-cheese mixture into the potatoes and season generously with salt. Cook over moderate heat, whisking, until hot. Serve with the steak.
5. Serving the Steak: Spoon some of the potato puree onto the plate. Place a cooked steak on top of the potatoes. Top with the crispy onion rings and drizzle the reduction around the plate. Serve with sautéed green beans.