TAMALE-CHILI CASSEROLE – THE HE-MAN SUPPER

Well, the wife was out, running around on me again tonight (no not that…a softball game for the granddaughter), so I was on my own. That is usually pretty dangerous since I usually go on carb-overload when she is away!

So, that’s exactly what happened, but you know, it was darn good!

I stole this off the back of a Hormel Tamale can, so it isn’t original Mushy cooking, but hey, I’ve still got a hurt shoulder, remember?

Take a baking dish, one with a top, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and then layer the dish as follows:

- pour in a can of chili without beans
- open a can of tamales and line them up on top of the chili (don’t forget to remove the paper)
- add a layer of chopped onions and jalapeño peppers
- cover all that with a thick layer of cheddar or coby cheese

Place the covered dish in the oven for 30 minutes or until hot!

That’s it…unless you want to line the edges of your bowl with Ritz Crackers as I did! More carbs…yummm! Some Frito chips would have been better, but hey, Mushy works with what he has!

ANYTHING YOU WANT – AT CRICKET’S RESTAURANT

Cricket’s Restaurant is just 1 minute from downtown Pine Mountain, Georgia, well, actually, it’s more like 3 minutes! It’s either that, or the guy who drove the distance off before making the sign drove at 75 MPH!

Whatever the distance, it’s worth the trip down HWY 18 from Pine Mountain to taste the 14 oz. Rib-Eye or the 8 oz. Filet cooked to taste, and served with Brabant Potatoes (that’s Cajun fer diced and fried) and sweet corn! Served with a nice Bass Ale!

Afterwards, sit on the porch and watch the traffic ramble on to Columbus or back down to Pine Mountain. Soon, you will be hearing the hoot owls and whippoorwills calling down in the Callaway Gardens’ forest. Ah, that sure is country down there!

For pictures and more details on our trip, click over to Mushy’s Moochings or Flickr!

AN EVENING IN DOWNTOWN KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE

The firm that handles my and my brother-in-law’s retirement fortunes provided us with free tickets to see James Gregory at the beautiful Tennessee Theater Friday (the 13th) evening! Go to Mushy’s Moochings for photos of the evening.

We enjoyed a very nice meal at the Downtown Grille and Brewery prior to the comedy concert. These were our selections:

The Angus Burger - It's a half-pound of ground beef cooked to your liking and served on a corn meal bun topped with lettuce, tomatoes, and red onions (mustard and mayo upon request). We then dress it with another half-pound of golden brown potato sticks (french fries friend, french fries). For a nominal fee you can top this classic patty with either: 1 of our 8 different cheese choices, bacon, mushrooms, or any combination thereof.

The Santa Fe Chicken - This monster of a chicken sandwich will fire up your taste buds to get them ready for a wave of flavors that will keep you searching for the next bite - watch your fingers around the edges. We cover our chicken burger with barbecue sauce, red onions, both cheddar and Monterey jack cheeses and jalapenos. We provide a side of guacamole for spreading on your bun (not that one wise guy). Oh yeah, not that you'll need them, but we'll throw in the half-pound of fries.

The Mesquite Grilled Fajita Salad - For those of you that didn't want the full fajita dish or are afraid of the sizzle they make, we offer them in a salad version. You get your choice of steak, chicken, or portabella. We lay these on top of a bed of romaine or iceberg lettuce mix, pico de gallo, mixed cheese, sour cream, red onions, Mexican veggies, and black olives.

All topped off with a little Downtown Blonde Ale - a light-bodied Kolsch displays a smooth malt note and a hint of fruit flavor in the finish. The Kolsch style has little hop flavor or aroma, letting the sweet malt taste prevail.

Once inside the beautifully restored theater, beer in hand, we settled in for a great show. Judy and I had seen James some 15 years ago, but he was even funnier Friday evening. However, the old boy had put on about a hundred pounds!

The event was in support of the West Knoxville Rotary Club, who does a lot of charitable work in the area.

Should you get an opportunity to see James Gregory, we recommend you go. He is a hilariously funny Georgia boy and he does not curse at all…I think there was one damn…but people can be funny without using foul language.

WELCOME TO BAILEY’S

It had been sometime since any of us Knights had been to Bailey’s Sports Grille. So we took the opportunity for being in Knoxville, first to have the orthopedic clinic check out the finger he hurt playing basketball, and to have his oil vehicle’s oil changed to drop in for some “serious fun!”

Technically, Corey is not a Knight since he has not declared his wife a dragon, but he will graduate someday! We always do!

We always begin with a tall draft of Sierra Nevada and a glass of tea for Corey, along with Bailey’s bottomless crisp rainbow chips and blistered onion salsa made fresh daily, and an order of Queso on the side. Of course, it’s up to me to eat the tomatoes since I’m the only one who cares for them.

After the second round was requested, Corey ordered THE BLACK FOREST - Sliced turkey, smoked bacon, Monterey Jack cheese, lettuce and tomato served on a giant Bavarian pretzel roll with special Honey Mustard.

Ron ordered GRILLED CHICKEN - A delicious marinated chicken breast, grilled and topped with melted Monterey Jack cheese, sautéed onions and pickles. Served on an onion roll.

I wanted the GRAND CHAMPION WINGS - Served with celery and Ranch or Bleu Cheese dressing.

However, this is where my good time broke down for me. The wings were not good at all on Thursday. They were either dry or freezer burnt, and Angela encouraged me to discuss them with the manager. He volunteered to take them off my bill, although I was willing to pay. Bailey’s management does a great job at public relations and everyone appreciates them for it. I guarantee that if I get wings the next time, they will be juicy like they normally are!

Long story short, we finish with a cigar. See Mushy’s Moochings for the rest of the story!

STOPPED BY THE RIVERSIDE TAVERN

The Riverside Tavern is one of three similar restaurants in the Knoxville area, owned and operated by the same company. The Riverside Tavern was near where we chose to walk today, which was along part of the Dogwood Arts Trail through Sequoia Hills. You can see more on the walk at either Flickr, or Mushy’s Moochings.

My wife and I shared the:

- Tavern Chicken Pasta Combo - Marinated grilled chicken breast, mushrooms, spinach, sundried tomatoes and broccoli florets, sautéed with penne pasta in a light white wine cream sauce, paired with a House salad, and the…

- Brick Oven Pizza and Salad Combo - Barbeque Chicken pizza accompanied by a House salad.

The food and the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale on draft was very complimenting.

LOS PRIMOS CRAVINGS

There are a lot of Los Primos Mexican Restaurants around the country, and I doubt they are all connected, but I’m sure most have excellent food. We have one in Harriman and what I like best is that they have Dos Equis XX on draft, and in the large frosty mug size!

I did not photograph my plate, as I known to do, because most Mexican restaurant servings look similar, but instead I focused on the ambiance. Los Primos here has a very colorful theme that is very festive, and relaxes me even before the waiter brings my mug!

The staff is very friendly and very efficient. They seem to anticipate your needs rather than having to be flagged down as they pass.

I don’t speak Spanish, but I do understand a little, and I some times think it best to use a little of their native language in order to show that I respect their heritage. The other evening when ordering my Dos Equis, I said “Grande” to indicate I wanted the big mug.

The waiter, without hesitating said, “The large one?” Was he respecting me back, or was he making fun of my attempt at Spanish?

PORK CHOPS WITH SWEET APPLES AND ONIONS

I haven’t started cooking again, but my sweetie has been keeping me well fed.

Tonight she cooked pork chops in the oven – cooked 4 at 425 for about 40 minutes, followed by another 20 minutes at 375. She likes her meat well done! Salt and pepper is the only condiment she used.

She cooked up some brown rice according to Uncle Ben’s directions.

Then she “Rachael Rayed” some apples and onions! Cook the peeled and sliced apples until about half done. Then add in the raw onion and finish cooking until the apples are soft.

Make up about a ½ cup of maple syrup and sweet-hot mustard, with a dash of rice vinegar and pour it over the apples and onions. Stir until it is thoroughly mixed in and then remove from the heat.

Serve as shown and your lips will start smacking and your tongue will start licking! Mmmmm!

TAKING COMFORT FROM A DEAD LOBSTER

I know, I haven’t been cooking much lately, but it’s a little awkward with one wing in a sling. That’s why I’ve been seeking refuge and the easiest way out lately.

Tonight, we celebrated (early) my daughter’s 41st birthday at the Dead, I mean Red Lobster.

I usually stick to the usual Admirals Feast, all fried and such, but tonight I decided to spread my wings (so to speak) with something new from the menu:

- Margarita Lobster, Shrimp and Scallops - Skewered and fire-grilled with southwestern seasonings, then topped with tequila-lime sauce and pico de gallo. Served over wild rice pilaf.

My granddaughter chose:

- Crab Linguini Alfredo - Sweet crabmeat tossed in a Parmesan cream sauce on a bed of linguini. It was a hit with her, as you can see by the toothpick (at the table) she’s using.

My wife and daughter stuck to the traditional “have it your way” fried shrimp!

FIRST RIDE IN THE GONDOLIER

Ms. Mushy and I took our first ride in the Gondolier Restaurant today. It hasn’t been open that long, but the county has been needing something like this for some time. There are a couple of other in nearby cities, but to have one in Midtown, Tennessee is just too tempting.

- I tried the “House Special Pizza” - Cheese, beef, pepperoni, ham, sausage, mushrooms, green peppers & onions.

- While she tried the “Baked Cannelloni” - Noodles stuffed with fresh ground beef, ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan cheese, lightly seasoned and baked with our homemade meat sauce and topped with mozzarella cheese.

My only compliant is that they only have domestic beer on draft. My taste runs a little darker, so the Bud and Bud Light tasted like water.

RUBY’S TRIPLE PRIME BURGER

I know, as I am prone to do, I took a bite, or two, before I remembered I wanted a nice shot of the plate as served. However, I was so hungry that my instincts took over and I lunged for the burger. It really is a nice burger and it goes well with the Sierra Nevada draft served there.

If you go though, Ruby will be glad to give you one without the missing bites.

A LITTLE FREEDOM AT CARRABBA’S

Six of us went out tonight to celebrate a little of the freedom I am beginning to enjoy again after my shoulder operation. I am still on the Cipro, but decided to indulge in a couple of Newcastle Brown Ale’s and not worry about it. By the time I finish the regiment, I will have been on the antibiotic for around 21 days, and enough is enough!

Carrabba’s was menu of choice tonight and everyone got something different. My wife and I decided to share the following items, and it was wonderful!


SPIEDINO DI MARE
Shrimp and sea scallops coated with Italian breadcrumbs, grilled and topped with lemon butter sauce.

Lobster Ravioli
Ravioli stuffed with tender Maine lobster in a white wine cream sauce with diced tomatoes.

I will have to say, that I have wanted a cold beer for over 15 days now and tonight’s two were the highlight of the evening to me!

WALNUT SHRIMP ALFREDO

I didn’t have any “ribbon like” noodles for a fettuccini, so I had to use a “round like” spaghetti noodle instead!

It don’t matter, if you’re cupboard doesn’t contain everything you need and your in a hurry and hungry…improvise!

I found frozen shrimp, so I let it thaw a little and then pulled off the tails, and then cut it into bite size pieces.

I boiled the spaghetti, which only took 9 minutes, strained the water off, put it back in the large deep pan it was cooked in, and set it aside. I added a little more salt to the noodles for taste.

In a saucepan I heated Bertolli’s Mushroom Alfredo Sauce over low heat.

I cut up a large onion, chopped up a big handful of walnuts and set them aside.

In a large hot skillet, I poured in some olive oil, dumped in a large spoon of garlic, added the onions and walnuts, some hot crushed red peppers, some dried tomatoes (I like a lot of the sweet taste), some salt, and black pepper, and a large jar of sliced mushrooms. Once this mixture began to steam, I dumped in the shrimp and stirred it for about 10 minutes (only slightly longer for fresh shrimp).

When the onions begin to turn transparent, dump it all over the spaghetti and mix.

That's it!

As an extra, I think cooked bacon or a spicy sausage would compliment the flavor. If I’d had some, I would have used it.

RECHARGING WITH AUBREY’S COMFORT FOOD

After Saturday’s punishing hike to the White Oak Sinks, the waning explorers stopped at the nearest restaurant with draft pulls! The closest and the best on our trip back was Aubrey’s Restaurant in Maryville, Tennessee.

The rounds went something like this, Pabst Blue Ribbon (on draft no less for Steve), iced tea (Corey), Sierra Nevada (followed by a Bass for Mushy), another Sierra (for Ron), Newcastle (for Matt), and Bud Light (for Gary)! After clinking glasses, we downed the first glasses in short order.

Next in order of importance – food – comfort food, and lots of it for tired trail hands!

In the same order, except that I missed Gary’s prime-rib sandwich, our choices from the menu:

- Peanut Crushed Catfish Fingers
- Boston Scrod with loaded back potato and macaroni

- Rattlesnake Pasta with chicken and spinach
- Grilled Tuna Sandwich
- Ragin’ Cajun with Firehouse Chili

Times don’t get any better than that guys!

SCALLOP STIR-FRY

My wife has been under the weather for the last 3 weeks, so cooking has been pretty much left up to me. That’s okay, she can wait on me next week after I have my shoulder operation!

Any, here’s a quick meal that will satisfy your hunger and your taste buds.

- Heat some olive oil and a large helping of minced garlic in a large skillet.
- Toss in a package of frozen scallops.
- Salt and pepper the scallops as they begin to cook, and then generously sprinkle some hot crushed red pepper over them.
- Toss in a large handful of almonds.
- When the scallops are cooked through (about 10 minutes), dump in 2 or 3 handfuls of Birds Eye Thai Stir-Fry frozen vegetables.
- Add extra onions…they never have enough in those packages for my taste!
- Add a generous squeeze of honey to the mixture and about of 1/3 bottle of Kikkoman Stir-Fry Sauce.
- Salt and pepper the vegetables once again to taste.

The vegetables should only take about 12 to 15 minutes to cook tender.

Serve in a bowl (if you are a caveman), or on a plate with rice if you want the full carb treat!

SPICY CHICKEN WINGS

As you know from my other blog, I was in Alabama this weekend. So, we did not buy provisions last week and made do on what we had to make it until we left Friday morning.

I found some Tyson Frozen Chicken Wings and decided “hot wings” is what we will have for supper Thursday evening.

I placed the full bag, about 27 mixed pieces of “flats” and “drums” on a greased baking sheet and heated the oven to 400 degrees. I cooked the uncovered wings for about 50 minutes, taking them out and turning them after about 30 minutes.

About 10 minutes before the wings came out of the oven, I heated 1/3 stick of butter, 2 or 3 tablespoons of vinegar, 4 tablespoons of my favorite hot sauce, 1 cup of hot and spicy barbeque sauce, and about ¼ cup of honey in a large skillet.

As soon as the wings came out of the oven, I tossed them into the hot, sweet, and spicy mixture and continued to toss them repeatedly until fully coated in the sauce.

I served the wings with a frosty glass of Old Scratch beer and plenty of paper towels!

If you like you wings a little crunchy, I suggest broiling them for about 5 minutes on each side prior to tossing them in the sauce.

Finger licking good!

QUICK AND TASTY RIBS

We were a little rushed for our evening meal tonight and there was little to be found in the pantry. However, I finally found a rack of frozen baby back ribs in the freezer, a packet of heat and eat rice pilaf, and enough lettuce, carrots, onion, and tomatoes for a small salad each.

The quickest way to get juicy tender ribs is to boil them for 45 minutes on low to medium heat.

I cut the rack in to so they would fit into my boiler, filled with water that just covered the meat, poured in a beer (not one of favorites – too precious to waste), added salt, garlic powder, and a little cayenne pepper for subtle flavor.

While the boiling was going on I opened a Blue Moon for myself and relaxed.

I then took the ribs out of the water and placed them on a slightly oiled Pampered Chef baking dish. I covered both sides of the ribs in sweet honey barbeque sauce and tomato catsup. I baked them for 1 hour, taking them out in 30 minutes to recover them in more sauce.

That left time for another Blue Moon!

Say hello to my little ribs! Delicious!

ORANGE CHICKEN STIR

Well, I am back on the caveman kick, having gained 2 pounds in Jackson Hole, but it was worth it. Now, it back to meat, nuts, veggies, and fruit!

Tonight I fixed Ms. Mushy my new Orange Chicken Stir-fry, and it was wonderful.

I first fried the chicken tenderloins in a hot skillet of olive oil, minced garlic, and hot sauce. I placed about 8 pieces in the hot oil, allowed them to thaw about 5 minutes, turned them, and put on salt and pepper. By that time, the other side had thawed enough to hold the seasonings, so I flipped them back over. I let that side brown before turning again. Once each side was a dark brown to black, they were done. I put them on a paper towel to cool.

I opened a Shipyard IPA, poured it into a frosty mug, and took a long pull!

I then cut up a package of broccoli and carrots into small pieces. I also cut up about half of a large onion and placed all the veggies in a bowl.

Over the top of the veggies I grated orange peel, sprinkled the top with more salt and pepper, added a handful of almonds, and put in a good amount of tarragon powder. I then drizzled a little more olive oil over them and mixed it well.

I then dumped the veggies into the hot skillet and stir-fried them until tender, dumped the chicken (cut to bite size) back into the mixture, and squeezed the juice from the orange halves over the hot food.

It was very good for the caveman!

THE CADILLAC GRILLE

The Cadillac Grille is the third, and top shelf, in the complex consisting of the Cadillac Lounge, and Billy’s Burgers (see below). This was the most expensive meal ($305 for six - 18% gratuity included) we had in Jackson Hole, but it was worth every penny. My Grilled New York Strip steak, with glazed onions and creamed spinach was primo!

Ron had the Buffalo Bolognese - Ground Buffalo Sirloin, Bell Peppers and Roasted Garlic in a Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce Tossed with Penne Pasta, Fresh Basil and Romano Cheese. Yummy!

Naturally, it was all washed down with Snake River Pale Ale!

SNAKE RIVER PALE ALE WITH BILLY BURGERS

We visited the Snake River Brewery and toasted each other with their fine pale ale every chance we got. It seems this is the favorite drink in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and we also appreciated it with Billy Burger and fries.

If you sit in the Cadillac Lounge, you can order of from either Billy’s or the Cadillac Grille’s menu. Billy’s half-pound burgers are good eatin’ and you can get anything up to Elk steak from the Grille. One evening I had the strip steak with glazed onions and creamed spinach (pictures later). Everything was yummy with a draft, or two, of Snake River Pale Ale!

CAVEMEN DID HAVE BEER!

Finally found out why beer is not affecting my diet…cavemen did have beer! Well, sorta.

Scots have been making beer since at least Neolithic times. In 1985 archaeologists uncovered Pictish pots dating from 6500 B.C. containing remnants of beer brewed with barley and oats, honey or heather, meadowsweet and royal fern. In the late fourth century the Irish High King Niall of the Nine Hostages launched a campaign against the Picts, at least in part to learn the Scots’ brewing secrets. He succeeded in wiping out the Pictish population of Galloway, but was unable to extract the secrets of Scottish ale even from the last survivor.

To my ancestors I say, thanks guys!