Happy Mardi Gras!

New Orleans Muffuletta, one of the favorite sandwiches of Mardi Gras. 
This is my contribution to the Tastemade Mardi Gras collaboration.

Ingredients:
1 lg loaf of ciabatta bread
 Italian olive salad
1/4 lb smoked ham
1/4 lb Genoa salami
1/4 lb mortadella
1/4 lb mozzarella cheese slices

Other contributers:
SmokyRibs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohS2C__0Gg0&feature=youtu.be
James Strange: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lokQaHmN8-E&feature=youtu.be
Haniela's: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_72sRy7xxzM
Tom's Test Kitchen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBEGOgQrYKw&feature=youtu.be
PescaFoodie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTj6BijtA2o
TheVegetarianBaker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kW7Pyhadgpk

Chicken and Lil Smokey Sausage Soup

Chicken and Lil Smokey Sausage Soup
 Felt like making soup on a cold damp day, I saw the  little smokey cocktail wieners and thought I'd try them  with chicken. It turned out really good but I should  have trusted my instinct and used only 1 cup of pasta.

 Ingredients:
 2 lbs chicken thighs
 2 tbsp vegetable oil
 1 pkg Lil' Smokey beef cocktail wieners
 1 onion, minced
 1 c pasta, salad macaroni
 1 10 oz can of Rotel tomatoes and green chilis
 1 packet Goya Sazon (coriander & Annatto)
 48 oz chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

Tom's Test Kitchen http://www.youtube.com/user/tdjtx

This is Pugsly watching the sunset.

Greek Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

1 seedless cucumber
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1/2 red onion
1 tomato
1 tsp mediterranean oregano
1/2 container of crumbled feta cheese
2 tbls olive oil
1 tbls lemon juice
salt to taste

Directions

Roughly chop the veggies and place in a bowl. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano and toss well to combine. Add the feta cheese and mix well. Chill for a couple of hours before serving.

How to insert an image in a blog post

A friend of mine who is new to blogging asked me how to insert an image into her blog posts. I thought the easiest way to show her was to make a quick tutorial of how to do it.

Giardiniara

I really like giardiniara but have never been satisfied with the jarred store bought brands.
Recently on the Food Channel I watched a new show called "Sandwich King". They made
Chicago style Italian Beef sandwiches topped with a homemade giardiniara. It looked so good
that I had to give it a try, so here it is.

Ingredients

1/4 c salt (I prefer sea salt but you could use regular table salt)
1 c diced carrots (3 medium sized carrots)
1 c small cauliflower florets
2 diced and seeded jalapenos (leave the seeds if you like it hotter)
2 cloves minced garlic
1 rib of minced celery
1 diced red bell pepper
2 c canola oil
1 tbsp oregano

Directions

Dissolve the salt in 2 cups of water. Add the carrots, cauliflower, jalapenos, garlic, and
bell pepper and stir well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Drain and
rinse the veggies to remove the excess salt then place in a clean bowl. Pour the canola
oil in and mix well. Cover again with plastic wrap and refrigerate for two days then
place in a clean air tight jar. It should keep well in the fridge for at least 2 to 3 weeks,
that is unless you eat it all within the first week.

Thai Red Curry Wings

Here is my take on Thai Red Curry Chicken Wings.

2 lbs chicken wings
5 tbsp unsalted butter
1 rounded tbsp Thai red curry paste
1/4 c honey
1/4 c soy sauce
1 tbsp Sriracha sauce
1/2 tsp liquid smoke

Combine all of the ingredients, except the wings, in a sauce pan and heat to
boil, stirring. Remove from heat. Bake wings in a 425 degree oven, fatty skin side
down, for 20 minutes. Turn wings over and bake for another 20 minutes then
place them under the broiler for a few minutes to crispen them up. Toss wings
with the sauce and let rest for 5 minutes then toss again, coating them twice.
Enjoy.