Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

This is a very simple, delicious dish that can be served as an entree, appetizer or side item. *** Warning *** It is very addictive!

I air fried this, but it can be cooked in a regular oven just as easily. By experimenting with our air fryer and regular oven, I have found that at least with our appliances, you usually double the time in a regular oven but all ovens may vary.

Servings – 2

Prep / Cook Time – about 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh asparagus spears
• 4 oz thin sliced prosciutto
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp Good Seasons dried Italian Seasoning mix
• black pepper

Clean and trim the asparagus. Divide the prosciutto into equal parts matching the amount of asparagus spears you have. Add the olive oil, Italian seasoning and a pinch of black pepper to the asparagus spears and blend well. (no need to add salt due to the salt content in the prosciutto) Wrap the prosciutto around each spear and place on a sheet pan. The thin sliced prosciutto will cling to the spears. Air fry at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until crispy or oven bake at 400 for 30 minutes. Serve while hot. You could also top with fresh parmesan cheese if desired.

Enjoy!

# Note: Asparagus may cause some people’s urine to have a strange odor. This is nothing to worry about. Some bodies convert asparagusic acid into sulfuric containing chemicals that can cause a pungent aroma. I call this phenomenon asasparapiss. It is only temporary.

“A few stems of Asparagus eaten, shall give our Urine a disagreeable Odour”

– Ben Franklin 1781

Suggested music to listen to while preparing the asparagus…

Since Tuesday when I prepared this was the birthday of two of my favorite singers, Gladys Knight and John Fogerty, how about “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” from the 1971 Creedence Clearwater Revival album “Pendulum” and “Who’ll Stop the Rain” – the Duet version with Bob Seger from John Fogerty’s 2013 album “Wrote a Song for Everyone”

“Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)” a single by Gladys Knight and the Pips released in 1972. Another awesome version of this song is the version by Hall & Oates from their 2004 album “Our Kind of Soul”

Hot German Potato Salad

Here is a recipe for a delicious Hot German Potato Salad with a bacon vinaigrette dressing…

My Father used to make this sometimes when I was growing up. I have always loved it, but do not make it very often because I forget about it unless we are having bratwursts. I do not have the exact recipe that my Dad used to make so I improvised a little and it tasted pretty close to what I remember.

Unlike American Potato Salad, most German Potato Salads are meant to be enjoyed hot, although in some German restaurants in the United States (and even a few in Germany ) I have had it served cold but I prefer it hot.

Servings 3-4

Cook / Prep Time – about 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds small potatoes, red or gold
• 3 strips bacon
• 1 rib of celery
• 1 large shallot
• 1 medium sweet pepper – any color
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp chives
• 1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp celery seed
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• salt
• pepper

Bring 1 1/2 quarts of salted water to a boil. Clean and wash the potatoes. Slice the potatoes about 1/2 inch thick and boil them until tender. Drain and rinse and set aside. Clean and dice the celery, shallot and bell pepper into 1/2 inch pieces. Chop the bacon and place it in a skillet. When bacon is crisp, add the diced vegetables and saute them with the bacon for a few minutes.

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Add the vinegar, water and sugar and stir to dissolve. Add the dijon mustard, celery seed and chives. Dissolve the cornstarch in 3 tablespoons of water and stir in the mixture to thicken the sauce. Add the cooked, sliced potatoes and blend well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook until the potatoes are heated thoroughly. Top with chopped parsley and serve. It goes great with Brats!

Serving suggestion….

Enjoy!

Here are a few Polka song suggestions for your listening pleasure while preparing this potato salad…

“Beer Barrel Polka” by Bobby Vinton from his 1975 album “Heart of Hearts”

“In Heaven There is No Beer” – a traditional German song also titled “Im Himmel gift’s keen Bier” in German. This is a song about the existential pleasures of drinking beer.

My beloved Iowa Hawkeyes also have a version of this song called the “Hawkeye Victory Polka” played by University of Iowa Hawkeye Marching Band and other pep bands at Iowa sporting victories since the 1960’s.

Product Review : Copper Chef Grill and Bake Mats

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I love grilling on my Lodge cast iron Hibachi Grill, but I have to constantly clean the grates so when I saw these on television I thought that these grill mats would be worth a try….

I am a big fan of our Copper Chef fry pans and I love “striping” steaks, chops , chicken and burgers on my cast iron grill like these pork chops below….

The striping gives them an eye appealing look and taste so when I saw on TV that these Copper Chef grill mats stripe right through the mat, I thought it was a no brainer to try.

Cost – $9.99 for two mats – a 15.75″ x 13″ and a 13.25″ x 9.25″

The box comes with two mats and you can trim them with scissors to make smaller mats if needed.

After seeing the beautiful striped filet mignon picture on the box, I thought I would try to duplicate that look with a filet mignon of my own…

I started off by seasoning the steak with a seasoning blend that I make for steaks and pork chops.

• 1 part sea salt
• 1/2 part coarse ground black pepper
• 1/4 part granulated garlic
• 1/4 part granulated onion

I seasoned the steak and let it rest at room temperature for 1 hour before grilling.

When the charcoal coals got white and ready, I set the mat on the grill to heat up. Then I put the steak on it, grilling the sides first….

It had a nice sizzle to it. I let it set for about 5 minutes to get those nice stripes on it…

However, when I turned it over, it looked like this…

It looked and smelled great, but no stripes, so I pulled it off of the mat to stripe it on the grate anyway…

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I cooked it to 140 degrees and pulled it of and let it rest for 10 minutes.

The steak was delicious but the mat did not provide the stripes like I had seen on TV.

Am I glad I bought the mats? Yes. Although the mat didn’t stripe the steak (and I was doubtful that it would), the mat worked great. It will also be great for veggies and skewers because nothing will fall through. It is also a better alternative than a cast iron skillet in the kitchen due to the smoke and splatter it causes.

Overall, I thought it was a good investment because they do reduce flare ups, they cook evenly, and food cannot fall through. They are non stick, dishwasher safe and reusable and you don’t have to clean the grill grates!

*** This not a paid endorsement***

You can get these grill mats even cheaper from Amazon by clicking the link below….

Suggested music for your listening pleasure while grilling the steak….

Since Stevie Wonder turned 69 yesterday, how about his classic album “Songs in the Key of Life’ released in September 1976.

Easy Roasted Balsamic Bacon Brussel Sprouts

Here is a very easy, quick recipe for Roasted Balsamic Bacon Brussel Sprouts…

I was going to wait to post this until the red brussel sprouts in our garden come in but they are very slow growers and I fear the hot weather might hinder their growth.

Servings – 2-3

Cook/Prep Time – Less than an hour

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh brussel sprouts
• 1 large shallot
• 3 strips of bacon
• 1 tbsp olive oil (may use the bacon grease instead)
• 1 tbsp Good Seasons Italian dressing seasoning
• 1 tbsp balsamic reduction or glaze

Pan fry the bacon strips and set aside. Wash the brussel sprouts and slice in half. Peel and dice the shallot. Place both in a mixing bowl and add the olive oil and Italian seasoning mix and mix well. Spread them out on a sheet pan.

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Roast at 400 degrees in an air fryer for 12 minutes or in standard oven for 24 minutes, turning them over at the halfway point.

Chop the bacon and add to the sheet pan.Pour the balsamic glaze over them and cook for a few more minutes. That’s it!

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Enjoy!

Suggested songs for your listening pleasure while preparing the brussel sprouts (or R B.B.B.S)

“Turning into Randolph Scott (Humid Child)” by Leo Kottke from his album “Peculiaroso” released in 1994.

“Carrots where her eyes were bright

Orange where she’s blush

Brussel sprout conditioned fists

Dropped string beans into her socks”

Leo Kottke

Also released in 1994, “Bob Seger Greatest Hits” by Bob Seger in honor of his birthday this past Monday…