Well this is the coolest Memorial day weekend that I can remember in quite sometime. It was in the low 40′s this morning with high of in the low 60′s but with a real cool breeze, but mostly sunny! Started the Holiday off with a delicious dinner, a Seasoned Rubbed Pork Loin Boneless Roast w/ Green Beans and Bacon and Ranch Red Potatoes.

I purchased another of the Pork Loin Boneless Roast with a JB’s Fat Boy Premium Rub already on it from Kroger yesterday. The last one was incredible!! To prepare it I laid the Roast out for about 20 minutes to get it to room temperature. I then opened the Roast up and applied about 3/4 cup of JB’s fat Boy BBQ Sauce to it, rubbed it in real good, and rolled it back up. I placed the roast in a shallow pan and roast in a 350 degrees F. oven for 1 hour (about 20 minutes per pound), until internal temperature on a thermometer reads 145 degrees F. Removed it from oven; let rest about 10 minutes before slicing to served. It will serve about 6-7, with leftovers! The Roast came out moist and delicious, the JB’s Fat Boy Rub along with the Sauce gave it a fantastic flavor. The juice and drippings from the Roast were incredible! I also had a side of the JB’s Fat Boy Haugwaush Sauce on the side for dipping but used very little because I kept readding the juices and drippings to the Roast and it needed no other flavor or seasoning.

I made a couple of sides to go with the Pork Roast, Idahoan Steakhouse Bacon and Ranch Red Potatoes and Cut Green Beans. I prepared the new one from Idahoan; Idahoan Steakhouse Bacon and Ranch Red Potatoes. I really love using these Idahoan Products, they’re all delicious and so easy to prepare and this new one is no different. Great seasoning and taste and love the added Bacon and Ranch to it. Another great option from Idahoan. the Green Beans were Del Monte Cut Green Beans. I also baked a loaf of La Brea Artisan Multi Grain Loaf Bread. For dessert my favorite treat, Jif Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter! I had Peanut Butter on Ritz Whole Grain Crackers.

Idahoan Steakhouse Bacon and Ranch Red Potatoes

Idahoan Steakhouse Bacon & Ranch Red Potatoes start with world-famous Idaho® red potatoes in a premium ranch sauce, then finish with a real bacon topping! These Steakhouse Bacon & Ranch Red Potatoes will add premium restaurant quality flavor to any meal. Gotta love real bacon!

Oven Directions
In 1 1/2 qt casserole dish, combine potatoes, contents of sauce pouch, 2 Tbsp butter, and 2 cups boiling water.
Add 1/2 cup milk and stir to combine.
Bake uncovered at 450°F for 25 minutes.
Sprinkle crunchy onion topping on top of potatoes. Let stand 5 minutes, then serve.

Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving Packaged Prepared
Calories 110 160
Calories from fat 15 60
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1.5g* 2% 11%
Saturated Fat 1g 5% 23%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 5mg 2% 7%
Sodium 600mg 25% 28%
Total Carbohydrates 20g 7% 7%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4% 4%
Sugars 2g
Protein 3g

http://idahoan.com/

LaBrea Bakery Take and Bake Artisan Multi Grain Loaf
Satisfying, hearty and wholesome. The sweet and nutty flavor combination delivers a perfect taste.
Ingredients
UNBLEACHED ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), WATER, WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, SOUR CULTURE, FLAX SEEDS, SUNFLOWER SEEDS, MILLET, RYE FLOUR, SALT, YEAST, SUGAR, WHEAT BRAN, CANOLA OIL, WHEAT GLUTEN, WHEAT FLOUR, CULTURED WHEAT FLOUR, GUAR GUM, GUM ARABIC, WHITE DEGERMINATED CORN MEAL, CARAMEL COLOR WITH SULFITES.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 slice (57g/2oz)
Servings Per Container: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories 160 Calories from Fat 25
% Daily Value
Total Fat 2.5g 4%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 320mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 29g 10%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Sugars 1g
Protein 6g

http://www.labreabakery.com/our-breads-foods/take-bake/multi-grain-loaf/

Reblogged from Chef Doru's Blog:

Reblogged from Foodimentary - National Food Holidays:

 
The results from all my blood work came back negative! So they say it looks as though the high enzymes that showed up for my liver is being caused by a bit of fat on the liver, nothing that can’t be taken care of. Woke up this morning and it was 40 degrees with a chilly wind! Only a high in the 50′s, but sunny! For dinner I fired the grill up, grilling a couple of Angus Beef Burgers for Mom and Dad and myself a Turkey Burger along with a side of Roasted Red Potatoes and Green Beans.

 
The Parents are partial to Beef over Turkey so I grilled them a couple of Walmart Brand Angus Beef Burgers. For myself I grilled a Jennie – O Lean Turkey Burger Pattie. They are 1/4 lb Burger Patties and are 180 calories and 0 carbs. They grilled up real nice, I grilled it about 15 minutes flipping 3 times. It’s one juicy Burger, seasoned it with sea Salt and Ground Black Pepper. Served all the Burgers on Aunt Millie’s Light Whole Grain Buns and topped my mine with a slice of Sargento Ultra Thin Colby/Jack Cheese.
For a side to with our Burgers I prepared another Of Meijer’s New Steamable Frozen Products, Roasted Red Potatoes and Green Beans with Rosemary Butter Sauce. Just microwave it in it’s steamable bag for 5 minutes and it’s done! Another good one from Meijer, plus it’s only 60 cal, 1g fat, 12 carbs. For dessert later a Healthy Choice Vanilla Bean Frozen Yogurt. Happy Memorial Day Weekend All!

Jennie – O Lean Turkey Burger Patties
Lean Turkey Burger Patties
An all-natural burger choice.
Product Features:
Gluten Free
All Natural
The Biggest Loser® product
Cooking Instructions:
STOVETOP METHOD:
Spray skillet with nonstick cooking spray or add 1-2 teaspoons of oil.
Preheat skillet over medium-high heat.
Place burgers patties in hot skillet.
Cook approximately 15 to 17 minutes, turning occasionally (2-3 times).
Always cook to well-done, 165°F. as measured by a meat thermometer.

GRILL METHOD:
Spray grill rack with nonstick cooking spray.
Preheat grill over medium-high heat.
Place burger patties on grill rack 4 inches from heat source.
Grill approximately 15 to 17 minutes, turning occasionally (2-3 times).
Always cook to well-done, 165°F. as measured by a meat thermometer.

Nutritional Information
Serving Size 112 g Total Carbohydrates 0 g
Calories 180 Dietary Fiber 0 g
Calories From Fat 80 Sugars 0 g
Total Fat 9.0 g Protein 21 g
Saturated Fat 2.5 g Vitamin A 2%
Trans Fat .0 g Vitamin C 0%
Cholesterol 80 mg Iron 6%
Sodium 100 mg Calcium 2%

Hamburgers being grilled

referred to as barbecuing but that word can also mean a different cooking technique.
Grilling usually involves a significant amount of direct, radiant heat, and tends to be used for cooking meat quickly. Food to be grilled is cooked on a grill (an open wire grid such as a gridiron with a heat source above or below), a grill pan (similar to a frying pan, but with raised ridges to mimic the wires of an open grill), or griddle (a flat plate heated from below). Heat transfer to the food when using a grill is primarily via thermal radiation. Heat transfer when using a grill pan or griddle is by direct conduction. In the United States and Canada, when the heat source for grilling comes from above, grilling is termed broiling. In this case, the pan that holds the food is called a broiler pan, and heat transfer is by thermal radiation.
Direct heat grilling can expose food to temperatures often in excess of 260 °C (500 °F). Grilled meat acquires a distinctive roast aroma from a chemical process called the Maillard reaction. The Maillard reaction only occurs when foods reach temperatures in excess of 155 °C (310 °F).
Studies have shown that cooking beef, pork, poultry, and fish at high temperatures can lead to the formation of heterocyclic amines, benzopyrenes, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are carcinogens. Marination may reduce the formation of these compounds. Grilling is often presented as a healthy alternative to cooking with oil, although the fat and juices lost by grilling can contribute to drier food.

In the United States, the use of the word grill refers to cooking food directly over a source of dry heat, typically with the food sitting on a metal grate that leaves “grill marks.” Grilling is usually done outdoors on charcoal grills or gas grills, a recent trend is the concept of infrared grilling[citation needed]. Grilling may also be performed using stove-top “grill pans” which have raised metal ridges for the food to sit on, or using an indoor electric grill.
A skewer or brochette, or a rotisserie may be used to cook small pieces of food. The resulting food product is often called a “kabob” or “kebab” which means “to grill” in Persian, which is short for “shish kebab” (shish = skewer)(similar to a “satay” in Asian cuisine, or “alambre” in Mexican-Yucatán cuisine). Shish kebabs have a Persian origin, but are now commonplace in American cuisine.
Mesquite or hickory wood chips (damp) may be added on top of the coals to allow a smoldering effect that provides additional flavor to the food. Other hardwoods such as pecan, apple, maple and oak may also be used.

Methods
Gridironing

Gridironing is the cooking of meats or other foods using a grill suspended above a heat source. Grilling is often performed outdoors,

Preparation of Barbecue grill

using charcoal (real wood or preformed briquettes), wood, or propane gas. Food is cooked using direct radiant heat. Some outdoor grills include a cover so they can be used as smokers or for grill-roasting/barbecue. The suspended metal grate is often referred to as a gridiron.
Outdoor grilling on a gridiron may be referred to as “barbecue”, though in US usage, the term barbecue refers to the cooking of meat by indirect heat and smoke. Barbecue has several meanings and may also be used to refer to the grilled food itself, to a distinct type of cooked meat called Southern barbecue, to the grilling device used to cook the food (a barbecue grill), or to the social event of cooking and eating such food (which may also be called a cook-out or braai).

Charcoal kettle-grilling
Charcoal kettle-grilling refers to the process of grilling over a charcoal fire in a kettle, to the point that the edges are charred, or charred grill marks are visible. Some restaurants seek to re-create the charcoal-grilled experience via the use of ceramic lava rocks or infrared heat sources, offering meats that are cooked in this manner as “charcoal-cooked” or “charcoal-grilled”.

Grill-baking
By using a baking sheet pan placed above the grill surface, as well as a drip pan below the surface, it is possible to combine grilling and roasting to cook meats that are stuffed or coated with breadcrumbs or batter, as well as to bake breads and even casseroles and desserts. When cooking stuffed or coated meats, the foods can be baked first on the sheet pan, and then placed directly on the grilling surface for char marks, effectively cooking twice; the drip pan will be used to capture any crumbs that fall off from the coating or stuffing.

Grill-braising [edit]
It is possible to braise meats and vegetables in a pot on top of a grill. A gas or electric grill would be the best choices for what is known as “barbecue-braising” or “grill-braising”, or combining grilling directly on the surface and braising in a pot. To braise on a grill, put a pot on top of the grill, cover it, and let it simmer for a few hours. There are two advantages to barbecue-braising: the first is that this method now allows for browning the meat directly on the grill before the braising, and the second is that it also allows for glazing the meat with sauce and finishing it directly over the fire after the braising, effectively cooking the meat three times, which results in a soft textured product that falls right off the bone. This method of cooking is slower than regular grilling but faster than pit-smoking, starting out fast, slowing down, and then speeding up again to finish; if a pressure cooker is used, the cooking time will be much faster.

Indoor grilling
Many restaurants incorporate an indoor grill as part of their cooking apparatus. These grills resemble outdoor grills, in that they are made up of a grid suspended over a heat source. Indoor grills are more likely to use electric or gas-based heating elements, however. Some manufacturers of residential cooking appliances now offer indoor grills for home use, either incorporated into a stovetop or as standalone electric devices.

Stove-top pan grilling

Stove-top pan grilling is an indoor cooking process that uses a grill pan – a cooking pan similar to a frying pan but with raised ridges to

A grill pan

emulate the function or look of a gridiron. In pan grilling, heat is applied directly to the food by the raised ridges, and also indirectly by heat radiating off the lower pan surface via the stove-top flame. Stove-top grill pans can also be used to put sear marks on meat before it is finished via overhead radiant heat. When cooking leaner meats, oil is often applied to the pan ridges to aid in food release.
Some griddles designed for stove-top use also incorporate raised ridges in addition to a flat cooking area. These are either on half of the cooking surface, or, in the case of reversible two-sided griddles, on one side with the flat surface on the other.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend Everyone, have a Happy One and Safe One!

Reblogged from Foodimentary - National Food Holidays:

 
Yesterday afternoon a couple of good friends of mine called and said they just got back from Florida and they had me something. Did they ever, they had went fishing the day before and brought me back a huge package of fresh Gulf Coast Grouper! Beautiful fillets, one of them was a 26 lb. Grouper. They also gave a bag of Cobalt which I tried for the first time last year. So tonight for dinner I prepared Grilled Blackened Grouper w/ Southwest Style Rice, Cut Spears of Asparagus, and Beans, and Whole Grain Bread.

To prepare the Grouper I’ll need a tablespoon or so of Blue Bonnet Light Stick Butter and Zatarain’s Blackened Seasoning. Preheated the grill up on high I rinsed the Grouper off and patted dry. Melted the 1 T butter in a microwave about 15 seconds and brushed both sides of the Grouper with the melted butter. I then coated both sides of the Grouper with a generous amount of the rub. Then I got my Fish Basket out and sprayed it with Pam Grill Spray. Loaded the Grouper in the grill basket. If you’re using a griddle then add a tablespoon or so of vegetable oil to grill. Do not use olive oil since it smokes at high temperatures. Placed my Grouper on the preheated grill and closed the lid. Grilled for only 2 minutes and then flipped it and grilled another 2 minutes. Use a watch and keep a very close eye on it, do not over cook! The result some beautifully delicious Blackened Grouper! You had the heat of the Blackened Seasoning and grilling it with the lid shut gave it a nice smoked taste also. I couldn’t get it much fresher either, straight from the Gulf and on to the grill in a matter of 3 days! I’ll have some leftovers for Grouper Sandwiches for lunch tomorrow!

 
To go with my Grouper I prepared a new dish from Meijer, Meijer Steamable Southwest Style Rice and Beans with Butter Sauce. Comes frozen in a microwaveable bag. Just heat for microwave 4-5 minutes and it’s ready. Meijer’s has winner with this great taste, easy to fix, and it’s 210 calories, 2g fat, 38 carbs. They had several new Steamable Items and I purchased 2 other kinds I’ll give a try another time. I also had a side of Green Giant Cut Spears of Asparagus, and Healthy Choice Whole Grain Bread. For dessert later a Jello Sugar Free Double Chocolate Pudding.

Zatarain’s Blackened Seasoning
This spicy seasoning blend is rubbed on the outside of fish (or chicken, steak or other meats) for blackening. Also great as a seasoning rub for the grill or broiler.
Ingredients:
SALT, PAPRIKA, CAYENNE PEPPER, BLACK PEPPER, WHITE PEPPER, CHILI POWDER, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, ONION, GARLIC, SPICES.
Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1/4 tsp. (.71g)

Servings Per Container: about 120
Amount Per Serving % Daily Value
Calories: 0

Calories from Fat: 0

Total Fat: 0 0

Saturated Fat: 0 0

Cholesterol: 0 0

Sodium: 170mg 7%

Total Carb: 0 0

Dietary Fiber: 0 0

Sugar: 0

Protein: 0

Vitamin A: 4%

Vitamin C: 0%

Calcium: 0%

Iron: 0%

Organic: 0%

http://www.zatarains.com/Products/Spices-and-Extracts/Blackened-Seasoning.aspx