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Bacon-Cheese Omelet with Ranchero Sauce
Yields 4 servings

8 large eggs
4 T. water
salt and pepper to taste
¼ tsp. cream of tarter
2 T. butter
1 jar Hormel real bacon bits
8 oz. Colby and jack shredded cheese mix (store bought)
1 batch ranchero sauce
4 oz. Manchego cheese, shredded


In a mixing bowl, whisk together egg, water, salt, pepper, and cream of tarter until fluffy. Preheat large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add butter to melt. Pour egg mixture in hot pan. Using a spatula, push egg away from the side and tilt pan to let uncooked egg slide into its place. Repeat until all the really runny egg is gone; reduce heat to low and flip. Top with bacon bits and Colby-jack mix. Continue to cook about 45 seconds. Remove from pan, top with hot ranchero sauce, and top off with shredded manchego cheese, serve with fresh tomato slices.

Ranchero Sauce:
6 to 8 servings
2 T. olive oil
1 large red onion, diced
2 pablano chilies; deseeded, peeled, and diced
1 red bell pepper, deseeded and diced
3 (15.4 oz.) cans diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 T. ground cumin
1 ½ tsp. McCormick’s cayenne pepper
½ tsp. celery salt
Salt and pepper to taste

Using a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil, onion, red pepper, and poblano chilies. Sauté until almost soft. Add the tomatoes, bring to a boil, stir in cumin, cayenne, celery salt, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes or until it reduces by a fourth and begins to thicken. Serve hot over eggs, poultry, beef, pork, or fish. Physically challenged: Use method #3—dicing; #2— whisking; and #1—shredding cheese.




Barbecue Chicken, Southern Style
Yields 8 servings

8 chicken legs and thighs (as one piece)
16 T. Butter
1 batch chicken rub (recipe to follow)
1 batch Southern barbecue sauce (recipe to follow)
fresh parsley for garnish
fresh lemon sliced and twisted for garnish


Chicken rub:

5 T. smoked paprika
¼ c. light brown sugar
2 T. kosher salt
1 ½ T. ground cumin
1 T. ground allspice
1 T. chipotle chili powder

Whisk all ingredients together in small bowl.

Sweet Southern Barbecue Sauce:

3 c. water
3 c. ketchup
1 ¾ c. brown sugar
2 ½ T. minced garlic
1 small lemon sliced
6 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 ½ tsp onion
1 ½ tsp. chili powder
3 tsp. hickory-flavored liquid smoke


Place all above ingredients in a medium pot and whisk together. Simmer on medium heat for 45 minutes to an hour or until it has reduced by at least a third and thickens.
Use the lemon slices as a garnish over finished chicken.
Preheat grill on medium heat. Prepare two large sheet pans with foil and spray with nonstick spray. Wash chicken, pat dry. Place chicken on baking pans. Lift the skin and rub with butter as far as you can. Push your fingers. Then lift skin again and place about 1 tsp. to 1 ½ tsp. of chicken rub under skin—rub it in good. Then rub the outside skin with butter and chicken rub. Continue this until all 8 leg thigh pieces are done. Place chicken on preheated grill at 350°F for about 40 minutes to 1 hour with lid down. Turn every 10 to 20 minutes. Apply sauce during the last fifteen minutes of cooking to both sides with a barbecue mop or a paintbrush. Remove chicken from grill. Cover in sweet barbecue sauce and let stand five minutes. Garnish with lemon and fresh parsley.


Greek-Stuffed Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Goat Cheese, Rosemary, and Thyme
Yields 4 medium breasts or 2 extra-large breasts

4 small to medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 2 large ones (butterflied)
4 T. olive oil to coat breasts
3 tsp. Covender’s all-purpose Greek seasoning (for coating of breasts)


Goat cheese stuffing:

4 oz. goat cheese (soft)
1 ½ tsp. rosemary
½ tsp. thyme
¼ tsp. fresh ground pepper
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. garlic powder

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a medium baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Wash, pat dry, and filet chicken breasts. Set to the side. To make the stuffing, place goat cheese, rosemary, thyme, pepper, salt, and garlic powder into a small bowl. Using a fork, thoroughly mix all the ingredients together. We are now ready to stuff the breasts. First, evenly divide the stuffing into 2 or 4 portions, depending on how many breasts you are using. Using your hands, form each portion of cheese into a small log, open a breast, place stuffing in, and simply fold breast back over. Lightly press together. Rub each breast with softened butter and liberally sprinkle about 1 tsp. per breast with Greek seasoning. Use more if needed. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and continue cooking for another 20 minutes or until meat reaches 180 degrees.