BBQ Competition

Here are some pics from my last BBQ competition. These are pictures of pulled pork, and ribs. No recipes, just because it's our competition stuff. My brother and I have the team, our name is the WHR Meatmasters.

Pork Butts in the Smoker, about 30 at a time.
A table full of ribs resting after being cooked.

Smoked Salmon Appetizers

This is one of my favorite party treats. It's quick and easy, but everyone thinks it fabulous.

2 blocks of cream cheese

1 small package of good smoked salmon (about 4-6 oz)

Water crakers

Caviar

Mix the cream cheese and smoked salmon, scope them on to a water cracker. Then make a small indention with your wet thumb, and add about a 1/4 teaspoon of caviar. That is it. I usually use a little rosemary for a decoration.

This is a cedar table I built, with the help of my sister Beth (my photographer except in these, I finally got a camera, welcome to the 21st century Dan). In the knots I inlayed turquoise (I just figured out how to do it well so I've been doing it a lot). The table is 3ft wide, by 6ft long by 30 inches high. There are matching benches that are to come shortly.

Her Necklace

So I made the dark beads on this necklace on my lathe, they are a wood called Texas Ebony, I inlayed one with turquoise. My sisters helped me bead this up, it was all for a girl that I've been dating, I won't put her name so she's not embarrassed.

Pesto Pita Pizza

Alliteration aside this is a fantastic and pretty healthy meal that can be whipped up in minutes and devoured even quicker. I start with a pita dough from one of my earlier posts then cover it with a fresh pesto that is made as follows:

2 cups fresh basil
2 tablespoons or so roasted almonds (pine nuts work)
A few parsley sprigs
2 cloves of garlic
Olive oil
1 1/2 cups of Parmesan Cheese
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper

Using a food processor mince the almonds and the garlic. Add the basil and parsley and chop to a fine texture. Slowly add olive oil until a good consistency is reached. Add the Parmesan and chop, season to taste with salt and pepper.

Once the pesto was done I spread it on uncooked pita and covered it with Feta crumbles, followed by baby bella mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, grilled eggplant (my sister said I had to use eggplant somehow, she's kinda like the chairman on Iron Chef, my favorite show) and grilled chicken. The grilled chicken and eggplant were seasoned with Greek Seasoning and a little olive oil before grilling.

This was all baked at 425 for about 20 minutes, or until the dough is cooked, it really is quite delicious.

Eggplant Eggsmant pictures

Eggplant Eggsmant

So I spent the last week at my father's house, and he fully indoctrinated me on "heart healthy" foods. I must say that I was impressed and upon returning to the land of Texas, which is currently scorching (a nice 101) today, I set about making some heart healthy meals. As you can quickly see most of the meals I have made have no real significant health benefits so I'll try this out and see what happens. As we know Omega-3 fatty acids are good for our hearts, so we take fish oil and Altoids to get rid of the smell, so some fish needed to be included, I chose salmon because of the popularity and high omega-3's. Vegetables are also very important in creating a healthy meal, in this case I used Eggplant which is high in fiber, and a very nutrient dense food, and surprisingly tasty although not always beautiful. The final major ingredient is Bleu Cheese, vitamin K2 has been found in aged cheeses, and there is evidence that it helps to take the calcium from arterial plaque and redeposit it in bones, thus helping with heart disease and osteoporosis both. So enough said here is the recipe.

1 Eggplant (known as Aubergine in the Mediterranean.)
1 8oz Salmon pouch (found by tuna fish) you can also use fresh salmon filets, and it will most likely have a better flavor.
Bleu Cheese
Cavender's Greek Seasoning
Kosher Salt
Garlic
Ground Black Pepper
Olive Oil

Cut the eggplant in half, coat the cut surface with olive oil and roast in a 475 oven until the eggplant softens (using a grill will provide a nice smokey flavor). Scoop out the eggplant so that you are left with two hollow sides. Mix the salmon the scoopings and some seasonings, then restuff the eggplant. Top with bleu cheese and roast until the cheese melts. Enjoy.