Author Archives: Carl Fisher

Hiking New Zealand and Exploring Sydney Australia

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Summary: A previously planned trip with REI in 2020 was cancelled due to COVID. This was the replacement trip with Active Adventures to the South Island of New Zealand and on our own in Sydney Australia. The bus tour traversed over 1,700 miles in 13 days. We had 12 different hikes covering 55 miles, one 15 mile bike trip and a 2 hour kayaking tour. In Australia we spent 5 days in Sydney, did two chef led tours and took in a show in the Sydney Opera House.

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Steak Shish Kabobs, Marinated

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Be sure to cut the pieces of steak into the same size pieces so they cook at the same rate. The recipe says the prep takes 3 hours and 10 minutes. However, 3 hours of that time is marinating the meat which give you time to have a favorite cocktail.

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Steak Shish Kabobs, Marinated

Prep Time3 hours 11 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4

Ingredients

Marinade

  • 1 cup soy sauce
  • ½ cup white vinegar
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup onion diced
  • 2 TBL vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp garlic minced
  • 1 tsp ginger ground
  • salt and pepper to taste

Other Ingredients

  • 2 pound sirloin cut into bite sized pieces (can also use flank steak)
  • 1 medium red onion cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1 medium green bell pepper cut into bite sized pieces
  • 8 ounce mushrooms cut into bite sized pieces
  • 8 shish kabob skewers

Instructions

  • Whisk all marinade ingredients together in a bowl or container. Place pieces of steak in the marinade and pierce with a fork to allow juices to soak into the meat. Cover and store in the refrigerator for at least three hours (the longer the better!).
  • Let skewers soak in water for up to 30 minutes before grilling to prevent them from burning. After meat has marinated, slide alternating pieces of meat, onion, bell pepper and mushrooms onto skewers. Heat grill to medium-high heat and grill for 8-10 minutes until done.

Sweet Potato Fries in the Air Fryer

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Do your best to cut the sweet potato into evenly sized strips so they all cook at the same rate. Don’t skip adding the cornstarch – it’s the secret to getting crispy fries. The dipping sauce in this recipe can be used for more than just fries.

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Sweet Potato Fries, Air Fryer

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 2

Ingredients

Sweet Potato Fries

  • 1 medium sweet potato
  • 1 TBL canola oil
  • t TBL cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/8 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/8 tsp paprika ground

Dipping Sauce

  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp honey can also use sugar

Instructions

Sweet Potato Fries

  • Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F
  • Cut sweet potato into 1/2 inch wide fries. Soak for 10 minutes in cold water. Drain and completely dry before placing in a bowl with canola oil; toss to coat. Lightly dust with corn starch before seasoning with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika; mix until all fries are evenly coated.
  • Working in batches if necessary, place an even layer of fries in the air fryer basket. Cook in the preheated air fryer until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Repeat to cook remaining fries.

Dipping Sauce

  • Thoroughly mix all of the dipping sauce ingredients

Chicken Bacon Caesar Bubble-Up Bake

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Lori rated this recipe very, very, good and Carl thought it was excellent. Try the recipe for yourself and let me know your rating.

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Chicken Bacon Caesar Bubble-up Bake

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 8 oz container garlic & herbs spreadable cheese
  • 1/2 cup Caesar salad dressing
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 can Pillsbury Grands Flaky Layers Buttermilk biscuits 16.3 oz can, 8 biscuits, refrigerated
  • 2 cup rotisserie chicken chopped
  • 3/4 cup bacon cooked and chopped
  • 2 cup spinach fresh, coarsely chopped
  • 2 cup Italian cheese blend shredded (8 oz)

Instructions

  • Bring biscuit dough to room temperature. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13×9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
  • In large bowl, mix spreadable cheese, Caesar dressing, water and pepper with whisk. Separate dough into 8 biscuits; cut each into sixths, and add to bowl, mixing until incorporated.
  • Add chicken, half of the bacon, the spinach, and 1 cup of cheese to the biscuit mixture; fold in until mixed well.
  • Spoon mixture into baking dish; top with remaining 1 cup cheese and remaining bacon.
  • Bake 33 to 37 minutes or until deep golden brown and biscuits are baked through.

Buttermilk Cornbread

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This side dish is extremely moist and slightly sweet. Even better, it is easy to throw together. It is a good use of left over buttermilk for other recipes. You could consider buttermilk pie as well.

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Buttermilk Cornbread

A good use for leftover buttermilk
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups cornmeal
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 cup buttermilk reduced fat
  • 1 large egg
  • 6 TBL unsalted butter melted and divided

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place an oven-proof 10-inch cast iron skillet in the oven.
  • In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
  • In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg and 3 tablespoons butter. Pour mixture over dry ingredients and stir using a rubber spatula just until moist.
  • Remove skillet from the oven and add remaining 3 tablespoons until heated through, about 1-2 minutes.
  • Working carefully, immediately scoop the batter into the hot skillet. Place into oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool 5 minutes.
  • Serve warm.