Barbecued Dr. Pepper Beef
(Steve's recipe)
1 Angus roast, approx 3-4 lb.
8 oz. Dr. Pepper
1 packet dry onion soup mix
1 bottle chili sauce, 12 oz.
This recipe isn't actually mine, I got it from my mom, but she calls it the "Coke Roast" and uses Coca-Cola. SO MINE IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE INSTEAD OF COKE, THERE'S DR. PEPPER. But really, any soda would work. Cam'ron Wagner used Mountain Dew Code Red once, I'm pretty sure he said that was awesome.
Anyway: put the roast in the slow-cooker/crock pot. Add in the chili sauce, the dry onion soup mix and the 8 oz. (like 3/4 of a can OR one of the "small cans") of Dr. Pepper. Turn on the slow-cooker and let it ride for about 6-8 hours. Me personally, I fire it up before I go to work in the morning. OK, so now the beef will be really tender, which is perfect since the next step is to start pulling it apart with a fork. Now you've got some shredded beefs that are able to properly simmer in the delicious Dr. Pepper/onion soup/chili sauce concoction; give em around 30 minutes to do that and then you're ready to eat.
I serve it on a bun and usually throw some cheese on it, sometimes it's muenster, sometimes it's swiss, sometimes it's provolone. I've been thinking about serving it on a pretzel roll, haven't done it yet but that might be awesome. Some folks I know like this with Ranch dressing, try that for sure.
Spit In The Ocean
(Amelia and Zaid's recipe)
2 slices of bread
2 eggs
butter
salsa (optional)
Warm a skillet to medium heat and melt a tablespoon or so of butter in the pan. Using the rim of a small wine glass, press a hole in the middle of each bread slice (cookie cutter style). Save the bread holes for later. Now lay the bread in the pan. While the bread is browning crack an egg into each hole. Let the bread/egg combo cook to your taste or egg done-ness. Flip as necessary.
While you are waiting make sure to fry up those bread holes; they are called "onos," and taste really yummy all fried up in the butter.
Serve with coffee, OJ and - for extra variety and excitement - add salsa. We call this "Spit in the Baja."
Hawaiian Ahi Poke-man
(Amelia and Zaid's recipe)
This appetizer tastes best eaten with chopsticks in one hand and a giant Mai Tai in the other, preferably with feet dangling in an ocean tide pool. However, in a pinch, feet can be dangled off a smelly Lake Michigan pier; substitute Miller High Life. Your tummy will be as happy as a, um... Pokeman!
2 pounds fresh sashimi-grade Ahi (tuna) steaks, cubed
1 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper (optional)
In a medium size non-reactive bowl ("non-reactive" is definitely the best part), combine Ahi, soy sauce, green onions, sesame oil, sesame seeds and chili pepper; mix well. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.
May Or May Nachos
(as seen on Can You See The Sunset From The Southside)
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 (16 ounce) can refried black beans
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 large bag of tortilla chips (El Ranchero chips in the green bag are best)
1 small bag Cheetos (use Flamin' Hot Cheetos for added spice)
6 green onions (sliced)
1 small can sliced olives
1 fresh jalapeno pepper (sliced)
1 tomato (diced)
1/4 head of iceberg lettuce (shredded)
Salsa
Sour Cream (buy light to cancel out the rest of the fat)
Guacamole
Negra Modelo (optional)
Patron Silver (optional)
Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. In a large frying pan, brown ground beef over medium heat. Drink a Negra Modelo with your free hand. Break the meat into very small pieces while it is cooking. Drain grease. Add taco seasoning according to taco seasoning instructions.
Using a cookie sheet lined with non-stick aluminum foil spread a base of refried beans about 1/4 inch thick. Then add a layer of ground beef... be thorough. Crush Cheetos to a fine powder (keep in bag while crushing to avoid covering fingers in delicious cheese powder). Spread Cheetos bits evenly on top of beef layer.
Next arrange a tower of chips, taking care to dispense layers of cheddar cheese, tomatoes and olives intermittently throughout the tower. Place in oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Have another beer while you wait, with a chilled shot of Patron Silver on the side.
Remove from oven and garnish with lettuce, jalapenos, salsa, sour cream and guacamole. Eat immediately, alternating bites of nachos with swigs of Negra Modelo. Take a bath. Go to bed in shame.
Egyptian Enchiladas
(Zaid's recipe)
Ingredients:
10 authentic small soft tortilla shells
1 green bell pepper sliced long
1 red bell pepper sliced long
1 red onion sliced long
1 can plain tomato sauce
2 cooked chicken breasts (grilled, baked, sauteed, doesn't matter) sliced long
1 bag shredded cheddar cheese
Ranch dressing
Louisiana hot sauce
Obtain a deep Lasagna-style baking pan (glass is best). Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line up your tortillas in a row and distribute the bell peppers, chicken, and onion so that the tortilla shell can fold up in a tube. Next sprinkle each with the cheese. Now carefully place each rolled up tortilla in the pan in a neat row so that they're pressed snug up against each other. Pour the can of tomato sauce over all the tortillas making sure to cover everything. Now drizzle ranch dressing over all the enchiladas. Bake for about 25 minutes. Allow to cool for a couple minutes and then season with Louisiana hot sauce. The end!
UPDATE FROM ZAID: allow me to distribute the missed steps: saute the vegetables in olive oil. then, slice the raw chicken breast and saute in the same pan for the full flavor effect. before adding the enchiladas to the pan put a thin layer of tomato sauce in the baking pan. this seasons the tortilla on all sides and prevents sticking. also, sprinkle chz inside and outside of the enchiladas. now you have obtained enchilada perfection.
Long Weekend Recovery Veggie Soup
(Amelia's Recipe)
Ingredients:
1 carrot (sliced)
1 zucchini (sliced)
1 small yellow squash (sliced)
1/2 red onion (diced)
1-2 celery stalks (sliced)
2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
3-4 tomatoes (diced)
1 cup diced ham (optional... I like b/c it adds a little flavor)
1 potato (diced)
6-8 cups chicken broth
variety of herbs - lots! (basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary... whatever you like)
1 small tomato paste can
Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large soup pot. Sautee onion, garlic, herbs and ham. Then add carrot, zucchini, squash, celery. Sautee until the veggies start to soften up a little and onions begin to turn translucent. Add broth, tomato paste (whole can), diced tomatoes and diced potato. Put the lid on and start a slow simmer. Cook for about 1 hour, testing occasionally to add salt/pepper. You may need to add some water, too. Serve with grated parmesan.
It's mostly just throwing a bunch of your favorite veggies like together in a big pot... no standard form. Sometimes I add mushrooms or spinach, cabbage and/or elbow macaroni.