Cavey’s Chicken Ziti

Been so long sice I answered the bell for a new recipe, I’m feeling a lot like Ferris Bueller … “Caveman? Caveman? Caveman?”. But, I am coming out of my self-imposed hiatus with a true winner – my baked chicken ziti. Super easy to make; incredibly delicious; freezable for future meals; and, with Fall setting in, it is a meal that will stick to any Neanderthal’s ribs. What else could you want? For those that replied, “You to make it for me.”, dinner is at 6:30pm. 😉

INGREDIENTS

6 Cups Cavey’s Italian Sauce
1 Pound Ziti
2 Boneless Chicken Breasts
6-7 Slices Provolone Cheese
2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1.5 TBS Shredded Parmesan Cheese
1.5 TBS Dried Italian Herbs
1 TBS Minced Garlic
1 TBS Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

RECIPE

Prepare 6 ups worth of Cavey’s Italian Sauce and set aside. Shred mozzarella cheese and set aside.

Cook the Ziti according to directions on package. Be sure to cook it “a la denté” … slightly underdone, as it will continue to cooking when we get to the baking stage. Drain well.
NOTE: If you can’t find Ziti, Penné, Rigatoni, or other short pasta tubes will work just fine.

Return Ziti to pot, add 1/4 to 1/2 of a cup of the Italian sauce, and gently stir in evenly. Set aside.

Cut chicken into large bite-sized pieces. In a large skillet, warm olive oil, quickly sauté garlic, add chicken, Italian herbs, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until almost done.
NOTE: Don’t overcook or it will get dry during baking.

Add 1/4 to 1/2 of a cup of the Italian sauce and continue to sauté for another minute. Then, remove from heat and set aside.
HINT: Once you have your sauce simmering, most of the remaining steps above can be done simultaneously. It’s a real time saver!

Take a large, deep baking dish butter it well. Place a layer of half the pasta evenly into the dish. Evenly distribute half the cooked chicken and cover with half the remaining sauce. Completely cover with slices of Provolone cheese.

Now, evenly distribute the remainder of the pasta, chicken and sauce (in that order). Cover with Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

Preheat oven to 350°, cover baking dish, and place into oven for 20 minutes. Then, uncover baking dish and place back into the oven for another 10 minutes.

Remove from oven when cheese begins to bubble and the edges are golden brown. Let stand for 5-10 minutes (Yes, I realize it’s difficult to not just dig in. But, you need to let it set up).

Spoon into plates and serve with garlic bread and a salad. YUMMMMMMMMM!

HINT: For a vegetarian version, just remove the chicken from the equation, or add Gardein meatless chicken strips, instead.
HINT #2: This is a great dish to make ahead of time. You can either refrigerate it unbaked for up to 3 days, or freeze unbaked for up to 3 months. Just be sure to cover it well.

Prep Time = 45 minutes
Cooking Time = 30 minutes
Serves 6-8

©2017 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Cavey’s Holiday Helper

Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza, New Years … they’re all approaching fast. Which means you should be preparing for your Holiday feast. What’s that? You’re not ready?? Not sure what to make??? Never fear … Caveman is here! Just read on for some suggestions on how to make your celebratory spread highlight your time with friends and family.

Of course, nothing piques an appetite quite like some sumptuous appetizers. You could throw a bowl of nuts on the table and call it good. Though, at C3 we take our pre-meal hors d’oeuvres pretty seriously. A recent favorite of the Cave crowd has been Cavey’s Colossal Shrimp Cocktail. These giant seafaring crustaceans are plump, succulent, delicious, and relatively easy to make. Plus, you can make them ahead of time, and then plate them just before your guests arrive. Other tasty starters include our Baked Brie with Peach Sauce; Lamb Wontons, Teriockeye Salmon Wontons, or – if you are feeling fancy – our incredible King Crab Wontons.

With Hispanic influences solidly embedded into California cuisine, it is no surprise that Tamales are a savory Christmas tradition that we have heartily embraced in the Cavehold. While we are solidly in the Gringo category on the census questionnaire, we will hold our Killer Chili Rojo (Red Pork) Tamales and Killer Queso (Cheese) Tamales up against any competition from South of the border. The masa (dough) in these two recipes is smooth, almost creamy, with a fantastic flavor all on it’s own, while the fillings are so scrumptious and hearty. A perfect blend that makes for a fiesta for your taste buds. While they are labor intensive recipes, it really is a very easy dish to pull off. Besides, if you gather your masses together for an assembly line when it comes time to actually fill and roll the tamales, it goes by very quickly.

Side dishes are always a key to making any Holiday meal a memorable gathering. 2x Baked Potatoes are always a welcomed Holiday treat. Yes, they are truly the “angioplasty special”. But, you aren’t starting your New Year’s resolutions for another week or so! Besdies, it’s the Holidays … live it up!! If you need to tone it down a bit, you could always opt for our Roasted Red Balsamic Potatoes for a tasty tater alternative. Other sides you might consider are our Sauteed Asian Veggies, Caramelized Red Pear Salad, and our annual must-have Super Spinach Soufflé. You can’t go wrong, no matter what you choose.

The main course usually goes one of two ways for the Holidays: turkey or beef. Since we recently enjoyed a T-day Turkey Brined bird over Thanksgiving, along with some Phenomenal Focaccia Stuffing, we are opting for our world renowned Glazed Teriyamic Prime Rib. Whether you call it Prime Rib, Standing Rib Roast, or a bone-in Ribeye Roast this is one recipe that is full of flavorful nuances. It is a delectable dish that will have everyone at the table silent, save for the occasional mewl of palatable pleasure.

A sweet treat is always the way to end a marvelous meal. Unfortunately, the Cavewoman does most of the baking and dessert making around here, and the vast majority of her incredible recipes have yet to make it onto this cyber rag. However, we do have a few posted up that might merit consideration. At the top of the list are her Hand-Dipped Holiday Cookies and other treats. These are an easy way to take some of your favorite store-bought cookies and turn them into something special to cap your Christmas-Hanukkah-Kwanza-New Year’s soirée. Plus, you’ll see that you also get to make pretzel/nut clusters, as well … my personal favorite. Some other temptations include our Pumpkin Whoopie Pies, Easy Peasy Cherry Crumble Cake, or simply top some ice cream with either our Cognac Marinated Mint Strawberries or Candied Kahlua Pecans. Any of these will certainly put the finishing touches onto your Holiday bill of faire.

I know! I know!! I’ve given you so many options to choose from. But, isn’t that better than being stuck in menu limbo like you were before you read this post? Yeah … I thought so! Besides, you could always just celebrate ALL the Holidays … it will give you an excuse to make more than one Holiday meal! 😉 Let us know how it goes.

The entire Cave clan wishes you a happy, healthy, and delicious Holiday season.

©2016 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Let’s Talk Turkey … And More!

Without a doubt, the Thanksgiving feast is the all-time favorite meal in the Cavehold. The combination of good times with family and friends; the enticing colors, aromas, and flavors of the Fall season; and to be able to celebrate all that we are thankful for all makes for a memorable and savory Holiday. With that in mind, we are going to share most of the recipes and tips that help to make our Turkey Day such a favorite for us and our guests.

First, unless you will be cooking a fresh bird or some other type of main course, you need to consider when to start defrosting your turkey. Click here to discover how to safely and effectively thaw the centerpiece of your Thanksgiving dinner. We describe both the Refrigerator Method (preferred) and the Cold Water Method (acceptable). Once you have your bird returned from it’s frozen state, you’ll want to check out our famous T-day Turkey Brine to ensure your fowl is juicy, tender, and full of flavor. It’s so good, I’ve been threatened with great bodily harm if I ever change the recipe.

You can’t have a Holiday Turkey without some tangy-sweet cranberry sauce. Unfortunately, far too many modern homo-sapiens are good with the canned variety of the berry relish. We strongly advise you to adopt the Neanderthal way of thinking and give our Cave’s Cranberry Sauce a go. It only takes an extra 20 minutes in your meal’s preparation, and you will end up with a C-sauce that will forever have you shunning the pre-made type in the future. Plus, it’s easy … just the recipe on the package with some molasses and either wine, port, cognac or brandy added. Best of all, you can make it a day or two ahead of time and refrigerate it until chow time – which actually also helps it to set up better, both, flavor and consistency wise. The only problem with early prep is keeping everyone away from it until the big meal … the Cavewoman is our biggest offender on that!

Another essential feature of the T-Day meal, that can also be prepped ahead of time (something we recommend doing whenever possible for this labor intensive repast), is the all important gravy. Our Cavey Gravy is readily prepared the day before the big meal. Then, all you need to do on Thanksgiving is add some turkey drippings and reheat. Best of all it is a flavor filled moisture making sauce that goes good on the bird, mashed potatoes, stuffing … you name it!

Unfortunately, we have yet to post our delicious Focaccia Bread Stuffing recipe. But, we promise to take pictures next week and post the recipe before Christmas. Though, another side dish considered a staple on the Thanksgiving plate is the mashed potato. We have long used our scrumptious Garlic Mashed Taters for this crucial purpose. They are loaded with flavor, easy to make, and are sure to be a hit with your Turkey Day crowd. BTW, you can also see our video version of this recipe … it’s a hoot!

Another fun and flavorsome player in our Turkey Day lineup are Cavemom’s Orange Yam Turkeys. These unique, colorful, and tasty yam birds have become a real favorite of the Cavekids … not just to eat, but to make as well. They really look forward to working in the kitchen on these with their Cavenana. Put one of these on your guest’s plate, and we guarantee they will be ooing and cooing about how cute they are. That is, until they taste it and start oohing and awing about how delicious they are! Yams, orange, pineapple, nuts, marshmallows, butter … what could be bad about that, right?!?! Plus, they are real hit with the vegetarians in your life.

This next dish has become a regular for just about all of our Holiday meals, no matter what time of year we are celebrating. The Cavewoman’s Super Spinach Soufflé is a warm, zesty, delicious dish that you probably won’t have any leftovers on, since everyone always wants seconds, and even thirds, on. While it is plainly obvious that this is not a healthy dish, we try to cut out some of the fat by using non-fat milk and light sour cream. It works great, and there is plenty of other fat in there to more than make up the difference!

Of course, every T-Day in the Cavehold is filled with football, family and friends. Which means we are together for an extened period of time. So, we always have plenty of apps, from shrimp cocktail with Cave’s Quick Cocktail Sauce to our scrumptious Baked Brie with Peach Sauce. Post-dinner, we somehow always have room for the Cavewoman’s apple pie and pumpkin pie. But, one of her biggest winners in the dessert selection are her incredible Pumpkin Whoopie Pies … a unique and welcome change to the usual T-day sweet treats. Give these a try and we promise you will be smiling with delight as they melt in your mouth.

We hope that the above recipes help inspire you to create a fantastic feast for your Holiday crowd. Whether you employ these or concoctions of your own, we wish that your Thanksgiving is filled with the warmth of family and friends; the flavors and aromas of the occasion; and, most importantly, the spirit and essence of the season. In other words, Happy Thanksgiving!

©2015 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Road Trip Hit: ToM’s TaCos (Torrance, CA)

Road Trip Hits. Taking a page from Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives, this ongoing series features some of those little known paragons of road-trip rations.

Anyone who has lived on the West side of Los Angeles has likely heard of, or eaten at, Tito’s Tacos. A multi-decade mainstay of simplified Mexican fast food in Culver City, CA (originally they had an Anaheim location, too). Most days, you will find long lines of hungry patrons waiting at one of their several ordering windows to get their mitts on the munchable burritos, tamales, enchiladas and, of course, tacos. One of those dedicated locals was a man named Ted Niida, who loved their food almost as much as life itself. So, when Tito’s decided to sell their location behind the Orange Curtain, Ted immediately jumped on the opportunity. He changed the sign slightly so that it read “ToM’s TaCos” (named after his beloved late father) and proceeded to offer the same great menu.

Over the years, Tito’s has raised their prices, reduced their portions, and turned to lower quality ingredients. Meanwhile, ToM’s kept the same dedication to quality, and customer satisfaction that made them both such gastronomic successes … and, even expanded their menu slightly to include tostadas, taquitos, nachos, quesadillas, and french fries. Plus, ToM’s Tacos also offers a chicken version of their taquitos, as well as their namesake dish.

So, about a year ago, it was with considerable glee that I directed a Disneyland-bound friend to nearby Ball Road for some great grub. Though, I was deeply saddened to receive a text from that friend, saying that ToM’s had closed it’s doors. Yes, Anaheim is long way from the Cave. But, there was so much comfort knowing that ToM’s was there waiting for my return to Orange County. Fast forward to this Summer, when I was recounting my disappointment to another friend, who excitedly stopped me mid sentence to tell me that ToM’s TaCos had actually relocated to Torrance, CA (4669 Torrance Blvd. Torrance, CA 90503 310-371-0625), not far from his factory. Needless to say, I was ecstatic that my beloved ToM’s was not only still in business, but less than half the distance from me as before. “Get the $*&# out!” I shouted, and we immediately packed up the families and headed over for some beef and cheese tacos, all beef and cheese burritos, bean and cheese burritos, and beef taquitos.

Having grown up about a mile from Tito’s, I remember the quality, size, and flavor they used to offer. As mentioned, it has since waned as their prices have skyrocketed … presumably to cover the cost of the TV advertising they now employ. But, one bite of ToM’s fare immediately brought me back to those delectable carefree days. My beef and cheese burrito was hefty, zesty, and tasty. The pourable quac was thick and full of flavor, and the famous chips and salsa were as mouthwatering as I remember. The Caveboy and Cavewoman exclaimed they had the best bean and cheese burritos they’d ever tasted, the Cavegirl was too busy munching her taquitos to even mutter a word, and the Cave friends all agreed the food was just like what Tito’s used to be … perhaps even better!

The rave reviews should be no surprise considering that ToM’s TaCos uses no trans fats, no lard, and no MSG. They do, however, use the freshest, high quality ingredients they can find while taking no short cuts in their cooking process. Which leads to the most tender, flavorful cubed beef in the Chili Colorado for the burritos; savory shredded beef in the tacos and taquitos; and hearty, mouthwatering refried beans.

So, the next time you are cruising around the South Bay, and your stomach starts to rumble, head over to ToM’s Tacos for some simple but scrumptious Mexican food. You will walk away sated and full, as will your wallet. Plus, if you are a devotee of Tito’s, you will readily become a ToM’s convert! Yes, it’s that good!! Do keep in mind that ToM’s TaCos only accepts cash, and is closed on Mondays.

©2015 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Killer Queso (Cheese) Tamales

While this is a labor intensive recipe, and I’m all about the easy, it isn’t a very difficult dish to pull off. Besides, if you gather the whole Caveclan together for an assembly line when it comes time to actually fill and roll the tamales, it goes by very quickly. Plus, when you finally unwrap one and take a bite, you’ll forget about all the steps involved!

INGREDIENTS

Masa (Dough):
3 Cups Tamal (Instant Masa Mix)
3 Cups Vegetable Stock
1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 1/3 Cups Vegetable Shortening
3/4 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Relleno (Filling):
10 Ounces Mexican Melting Cheese – Shredded (I prefer Manchego or Oaxaca; can substitute Jack)
1/2 Cup Canned Chilies – Diced
1/2 Cup Salsa Verde

1 Package Hoja (Dried Corn Husks)

RECIPE

Cover the Hoja (corn husks) with cool water for 30-40 minutes. When thoroughly soaked, squeeze excess water out then place into a colander to allow rest of excess water to drip out. Do not let the husks dry completely – they must be moist and pliable when wrapping the tamales.
HINT: Place a heavy plate on top of the husks so that they stay completely submerged.

Place shortening into mixer and whip it until silky (3-4 minutes). Yes, Devo fans. I said, whip it. Whip it good!

Meanwhile, place all the dry ingredients (Tamal, baking powder, salt, cayenne pepper) into a large mixing bowl and whisk together.

Add vegetable stock to dry ingredients. Using your hands, mix well until evenly distributed.

Add ingredients from mixing bowl to whipped shortening. Again, whip it until smooth and creamy (3-4 minutes). And yes, again, whip it good!

In the interim, place shredded cheese, diced chilies, and salsa verde into a medium mixing bowl and fold together until completely mixed.
NOTE: Believe it or not, now the real work begins! Gather your minions, if you can … or pop open the beverage of your choice and get ready to roll.

Place one of the large Hoja (husks) on a flat surface and spoon about 2 tablespoons of the masa (dough) onto it. Now, this is where some tamale veterans may cringe, but I have found that this next step makes things go much faster and smoother. Take a small piece of plastic wrap and place it over the masa. With your hand, smooth and spread the masa out evenly, leaving several inches from the bottom of the husk, a couple inches from the top and far edge, and less than an inch from the near edge. The masa layer should be about 3/16″ thick. Remove the plastic wrap and set aside to use again. Then, scoop about 2 tablespoons of the relleno (filling) into the center of the masa.
HINT: If your Hoja are on the smaller side, just overlap two of them by a few inches to make one big leaf. Use a rubber spatula to spread a little masa on the near edge of the bottom husk to act as “glue”.

This is where a history of being a Rastafarian, or a teenager in the 1960’s, comes in handy. Take the near side of the Hoja and fold it over the the far edge. With your fingertips, lightly press the edges of the masa down to seal in the relleno. Then, while holding down the far edge of the husk, push down and draw back the near edge of the husk an inch or two so that the filling forms a sealed tube, of sorts. Now, fold up the bottom (narrow) end of the Hoja, making sure it is snug up to the bottom of the filling. Finally, roll the entire thing away from you, over the remaining flap, and …

… BOOM! You have a tamale!! Most folks say tying up the open end of your tamale is optional. But, with cheese tamales, the relleno has a tendency to bubble out, especially if you haven’t sealed in the masa well on the top end. Tying them up with a strip of Hoja not only solves that problem, but it also make them look better!

Once you have formed all of your tamales, fill the bottom of a large steamer pot with water, place the steam insert into the bottom, and cover it with several Hoja leaves. Stack the finished tamales standing up in the steamer. Bring the water to a boil and cover the steamer, allowing the tamales to steam for about 60 minutes.
HINT: You’ll notice that the one tamale I didn’t tie up leaked out the top. Which is why I strongly urge you to give them the “50 Shades Of Grey” treatment.

When you think they are done, remove one to test. When it has cooled sufficiently, unwrap it and enjoy. If it has steamed sufficiently, remove the rest from the steamer. Serve with avocado, guacamole, pico de gallo, salsa, rice and beans … you name it! These also freeze very well for future use. Just re-steam them or nuke ’em in the microwave, once they have defrosted.

For those of you who are dedicated carnivores, don’t worry. I’ve posted the carne (meat) version of these tasty bundles right here!

Prep Time = 90 minutes
Cooking Time = 60 minutes
Makes 22-24 Tamales

©2015 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

C3TV: Super Stuffed Chicken Breasts

This dish is so simple to make, yet it will make you look like you’re a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu! In fact it is so quick and easy, you can make a mid-week meal feel as if it was a special occasion!! This recipe is bursting with flavor, and sure to become one of your clan’s favorites. You can also give it a whirl with some thick-cut Boneless Pork Loin in place of the chicken, if you’d prefer.

Episode 201

©2013 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at https://cavemancooking.wordpress.com authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Super Stuffed Chicken Breasts

I can’t believe that I haven’t posted this recipe yet! We have been enjoying it for several years around the Cavehold. Plus, it is about to make an appearance on a new episode of C3TV. So, I figured I’d better get it up on here, PRONTO! Enjoy!!

INGREDIENTS

4 Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breasts
8 Fresh Basil Leaves
4 Slices Semi-Soft Cheese
4 Heaping Teaspoons Pine Nuts
3 Garlic Cloves – Minced
Salt & Pepper to taste

RECIPE

Rinse basil leaves, and pat dry. Toast pine nuts until lightly golden (add a pinch of salt, if desired).

Mince garlic, and slice cheese.
NOTE: While just about any semi-soft cheese will work well, smoked Gouda is a very good choice for this dish. If you want to take it up several rungs on the evolution scale, try some aged Cougar Gold White Cheddar from the Washington State University Creamery.

With a sharp knife, cut a pocket into the chicken breasts … taking care not to slice all the way through. Stuff each breast with one slice of cheese, two basil leaves, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic, and a teaspoon of pine nuts. Then, with a turkey lacer, seal up the hole (sometimes, it takes two lacers).
HINT: You can substitute the chicken for some thick-cut boneless Pork Loin. That’s all about the YUM!

Place finished breasts onto a greased cookie sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste. Place into a 400° preheated oven for 35-40 minutes.

When finished, remove from oven and, with a couple of forks, remove turkey lacers.

That’s all folks! Serve them alongside some rice pilaf or Garlic Mashed Taters and some Sautéed Veggies and you’ll be eating like a King … while only putting in the effort of a Neanderthal!!

Prep Time = 20 minutes
Cook Time = 40 minutes
Serves 4

©2013 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

A Neanderthal Thanksgiving

Well, the big day isn’t until tomorrow, but the cooking almost certainly starts in earnest today. So, if you are looking for a few last minute Turkey Day ideas, I thought I’d share the annual standards we employ in the Cavehold.

I just posted my famous Cavey Gravy recipe the other day. But, you’ll need to put that gravy on something (though, some have considered just grabbing the gravy boat and a straw! 😉 ). Of course, the main event (ie. turkey) is a prime candidate to be smothered in that savory sauce, which calls for a start 24 hours before you pop it into the oven. That’s because we always use our T-day Turkey Brine to ensure a moist, flavorful bird. White wine, grapes, garlic, and rosemary are the mainstays of this magnificent marinade.

One thing that most Thanksgiving gobblers agree on: mashed potatoes are a must! Plus, they are another traditional landing pad for the gravy. But, if you are going to cook like a Caveman, you are going to have to bump it up a notch or two. We accomplish that with our tasty Garlic Mashed Taters. Milk, sour cream, and cream cheese are all combined into this recipe to create a creamy, delectable side dish … which does make it the “Angioplasty Special”. Though, if you are only cranking these spuds out once or twice a year, your cardiologist shouldn’t mind too much. I can attest that your taste buds won’t complain one bit!

Every meal calls for a vegetable. But, even the most anti-veggie attendee can’t turn their nose up on the Cavewoman’s incredible Super Spinach Soufflé. With eggs, two kinds of cheeses, milk, and butter it is plainly obvious that this is not a healthy dish, either. So, we try to cut out some of the fat by using non-fat milk and light sour cream. It works great, and there is plenty of other fat in there to more than make up the difference! I guarantee if you try this one at your T-Day feast once, it will become a regular participant in your family’s faire for years to come.
HINT: I highly recommend that you get some Cougar Gold from the WSU Creamery for this recipe. It adds the perfect flavor that just pushes the entire dish over the top.

Holiday cooking has always been where my Mom shines brightest in the kitchen. Her creative mind is always at work … but, none more so than when she puts her signature touch on a recipe. This is plainly evident with her Cavemom’s Orange Yam Turkeys – an ingenious spin on the traditional Thanksgiving yams. This unique, colorful, and tasty dish has become a real favorite of the Cavekids … not just to eat, but to make as well. They really look forward to working in the kitchen on these with their Cavenana, and this year is no different! They’ve already been asking us if their grandmother was “bringing all the stuff to make Yam Turkeys”. Put one of these on your guest’s plate, and I guarantee they will be ooing and cooing about how cute they are. That is, until they taste it and start oohing and awing about how delicious they are! Yams, orange, pineapple, nuts, marshmallows, butter … I mean, what could be bad about that, right?!?!

You can’t call it a Thanksgiving meal without cranberry sauce. However, far too many call it “good” with a canned variety of the tangy berry relish. If you are in that crowd, I strongly advise you step out of your canned comfort zone and give my Cave’s Cranberry Sauce a go. It will only take an extra 20 minutes in your meal’s preparation, and you will end up with a C-sauce that will forever have you shunning the pre-made type in the future. Plus, it’s easy … just the recipe on the package with some molasses and either wine, port, cognac or brandy added. Best of all, you can make it a day or two ahead of time and refrigerate it until chow time – which actually also helps it to set up better, both flavor and consistency wise. The only problem with that is keeping everyone away from it until the big meal … the Cavewoman is our biggest offender on that!

Most of all, we wish you the sweetest of Thanksgiving Holidays, filled with laughter, love, and memories to last a lifetime!

©2013 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. These recipes originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. These recipes may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies them.

Are You Ready For Some Football (for the last time this season)???

Perhaps the most popular non-holiday observance in this country is the perennial championship of professional football … better known as the Super Bowl. For many, the game-time menu carries as much importance as the game itself (and the commercials, of course). So, if you haven’t gotten your meal plan together yet, read along as we share the fare the Caveclan will being enjoying for this 46th edition of the pigskin classic.
For starters, we’ll be whipping up a big honkin’ batch of our Rockin’ Guac. Ripened avocados, tomatoes, onion, garlic and other sundry ingredients combine to make a bowl of YUM! Scoop it up with tortilla chips, pita chips, crackers, or even plain ol’ Ruffles and wait for your taste buds to start doing their own end zone dance … it won’t take long!

For those looking to get a little more fat in their diet, we also will be sporting some Baked Brie with Peach Sauce that just may be the food embodiment of nirvana. Conjoin gooey French cheese with peacans; pureed peaches; dried berries, cherries, and/or cranberries; and slap it all on a water cracker or lavosh and your eyes will likely be rolling into the back of your head while mewls of pleasure begin wafting through the air after that first bite … and each successive bite, as well! True, this would never make onto Paula Dean’s new diabetic diet, but that’s why we save this one for special occasions like this.

Not all of our menu will consist of choices from the appetizer arena. In fact, the centerpiece of our feast will be individual bowls of meat, beans, onions, sauce, cheese … and TEQUILA! That’s right, our award winning 2+2 Tequila Chili is the MVP of this edible all-star team. Though, I highly suggest you start cooking this dish as soon as you are finished reading this post, as this is by far at it’s best when made ahead of time and allowed to “brew” sufficiently for all the flavors to fully blend together. However, the chili police are not going to knock on your door and confiscate your chili-stash if you do have to make it on game day. Just grate up some cheddar cheese (yeah, more cheese), sit back, and get ready to enjoy the biggest bowl game of them all with a big brimming bowl of meaty goodness.
Yes, you’ll probably be living on fruits and vegetables for several days after this super football fiesta to cleanse your insides. But, trust me, it will be well worth it. Besides, we have to ring out the football-year in fine fashion don’t we?!? I’d like to be able to give you a few more words of hopeful justification that might entice you to join us for your own version of this gridiron spread, but I’ve got to get busy on the chili … and the quarter boxes!

©2012 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at https://cavemancooking.wordpress.com authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Super Spinach Soufflé

While you wait for the next episode of C3TV (which is coming next week) we thought we would tempt your taste buds with this delicious dish that works great with any meal, but is especially suited for your Holiday fare. This is also a recipe that we have gotten many requests for since this site came to be. So, before we need to make any more excuses why it hasn’t appeared here yet, please read on … 😉

INGREDIENTS

2 10 Ounce Packages Frozen Chopped Spinach – Defrosted and Drained
2 Cups Cougar Gold Cheese (or another aged white cheddar cheese) – Shredded
2 Cups Medium Cheddar Cheese – Shredded
2 Cups Milk
1 Cup Sour Cream
4 Large Eggs – Beaten Well
6 Tablespoons Butter
1 Tablespoon Garlic – Chopped
1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Salt
1/4 Cup Flour
Salt & Pepper to taste

RECIPE

Defrost and drain spinach.
NOTE #1: You might be tempted to use fresh spinach in this recipe, but we have found that the frozen variety works MUCH better.

Shred both the Cougar Gold (which you might just have to crumble instead) and the cheddar cheese.
NOTE #2: While you can use another type of aged white cheddar cheese, we highly recommend using Cougar Gold for this dish. It’s unique flavor adds the right amount of zing to the taste of this soufflé. Plus, you can use whatever you have leftover for Stuffed Pork Loin, fondue, cheese puffs, or just served with crackers and grapes … Mmmmm MMMMMMM!
Also, you might want to shred some extra cheese if your brood is anything like the ingredient-stealing, cheese-munching Caveclan.

Place spinach, shredded cheeses, and sour cream into a large mixing bowl and set aside.

In a medium sized sauce pan over a medium-low flame, melt the butter then whisk in the flour. Yes, this is a “roux”.

Now, slowly whisk in the milk. When the sauce becomes evenly smooth and creamy, whisk in the garlic.

Add the sauce to the large mixing bowl with the other ingredients and mix everything together well.

Stir the eggs into the mixture (It is at this point that we would suggest you stop your “taste-testing” of the raw but delicious mixture). Salt and pepper to taste.
HINT: It’s best to have your own beautiful and talented Cavewoman to put this dish together. Besides, it’s her recipe, so I had to give her some props! 😉

Place the entire mixture into a large, well buttered, baking dish. Place it, uncovered, into an oven preheated to 400° for about 45 minutes … until the top is slightly caramelized and the soufflé hardly moves when the baking dish is jiggled. As actual oven temperatures my vary, so will cooking times … just make sure it is cooked all the way through!

When done, let the soufflé set up for 10 minutes before serving. Eat your heart out, Popeye!

NOTE #2: It is plainly obvious that this is not a healthy dish. So, we try to cut out some of the fat by using non-fat milk and light sour cream. It works great, and there is plenty of other fat in there to more than make up the difference!

Prep Time = 30 minutes
Cook Time = 45 minutes
Serves 8-12

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.