I saw on Pinterest (yes, I’m a millennial) a recipe where you marinade your chicken in pickle juice. We have been going through a ton of pickles lately. I have tried this once before, just salt and pepper on the dried off, pickle juice marinated chicken thighs. Last time I just pan fried them in butter and a little bit of olive oil. This time I wanted to fry them, fry them. I wanted to bread them. I have a shaky recipe for this though because it was the first time I breaded them…

This is for almost 3 lbs of chicken. I made two batches of pork rind crumbs. I did not end up breading like 4 of them because it would’ve taken a whole bag of pork rinds and I ran out on the second batch….

Egg wash was 5 eggs, a bit of water, salt and pepper.

“Bread crumbs”
1/2 cup of grated parm
1/2 tbls of onion powder.
2 cups of pork rinds
(Parm in first so I could see the consistency. I guess that’s a judgement call. The pork rinds went in my food processor in two batches).

Chicken went on a sheet pan. Dry it by laying down a paper towel on a cookie sheet. I salted, peppered the chicken. I did a light layer of dried dill and onion powder on the chicken. I think the dried dill made it taste the most like a fried pickle.

Only went once in egg wash, once in bread crumbs. Next time I will probably double that though. Then just put them straight in the oil and butter on medium high heat on the stove top to fry. I can’t tell you an exact time frame for each side to fry, I had so many different sized pieces. If they’re thicker, tenderizing them manually will always give you a quicker cook time which will help with not burning the crust. Just make sure they’re golden brown and the juice runs clear when you pull them off. Also, I accidentally marinaded these for almost 2 days because 4th of July festivities got the better of my time this week. The first time I marinated them in pickle juice I only had them in the fridge for like 4 hours. They were good but I would definitely try for overnight.

Equipment: Pellet Grill or Oven, ceramic-coated cast iron skillet (or any heavy-bottomed oven-safe skillet), baking sheet with a wire rack (if using an oven).

Temperature: 375°F

Total Cook Time: 45 - 55 minutes

Ingredients

Truffle-Mustard Chicken Quarters:

4 bone-in, skin-on chicken quarters

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard

2 drops truffle oil

Spices: Salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika

Optional: 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese (mixed into the binder)

One-Skillet Cheesy Herb Brussels Sprouts Gratin:

Brussels sprouts, tough stems removed and sliced in half lengthwise

2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter

1 to 1.5 cups ricotta cheese

Fresh basil, roughly chopped

Fresh chives, chopped

1 to 1.5 cups shredded cheese blend (Mozzarella, Colby Jack, and Monterey Jack), divided

Spices: Salt, black pepper, and garlic powder

Phase 1: Preparation

1. Preheat the Pellet Grill or Oven: Fire up your pellet grill or preheat your oven and set the temperature to 375°F.

2. Prep the Chicken: Pat the chicken quarters completely dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, spicy brown mustard, exactly 2 drops of truffle oil, and the optional parmesan. Brush a light, even layer of this mixture over the chicken skin. Generously season the top with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.

3. Prep the Gratin Base: In a small bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, chopped fresh basil, chopped fresh chives, half of your shredded cheese blend, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Set this aside.

4. Prep the Brussels Sprouts: Toss the halved Brussels sprouts in olive oil or melted butter, salt, pepper, and garlic powder directly inside your ceramic-coated cast iron skillet. Arrange them cut-side down so they get direct contact with the bottom of the pan to build a crust.

Phase 2: The Cook

Minute 0: Place the seasoned chicken quarters directly on the pellet grill grates, skin side up. *(If using an oven, place the chicken on a wire rack set inside a baking sheet to allow airflow under the chicken).* Close the lid or oven door.

Minute 10: Place your cast iron skillet full of the cut-side-down Brussels sprouts onto the pellet grill or into the oven alongside the chicken.

Minute 30:Pull the cast iron skillet off the grill or out of the oven (the sprouts should be tender with nice charred edges on the bottom). Spoon your ricotta, basil, and chive mixture directly into the skillet. Gently fold and stir everything together right in the hot pan until the sprouts are fully coated and the fond from the bottom of the pan is mixed in. Pack the remaining half of your shredded cheese blend evenly across the top, and put the skillet back onto the pellet grill or into the oven.

Minute 45 - 55 (The Finish): use a meat thermometer to check the chicken. Pull the chicken quarters when the thickest part of the thigh reads 170°F to 175°F.

Pull the skillet when the cheese crust on top of the gratin is bubbling and golden brown.

Phase 3: Serving

Let the chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving so the juices redistribute. Plate a crispy chicken quarter alongside a massive scoop of the rich, one-skillet Brussels sprouts gratin.

Calories: 735

Fat: 57g

Protein: 45g

Carbs:15g (10 net)

2lbs of ground beef
1lb of Italian sausage
1/4 cup of grated parm
1/2 tbl sp of thyme
2 tsps of garlic
Salt, pepper and onion powder to taste.

I put the salt, pepper and onion powder in the mixture and then seasoned each side after I formed the patties. Just put a little olive oil, about a tbsp of butter in the pan to fry them in and then the fat rendered off as I made batches. They are very tasty and I think my husband will want these over reg hamburger patties for now on.

I don’t want us to get sick of any one thing that we just rotate so I’m trying to find dishes that I can change out ingredients with so we have options of flavor profiles.

Will you guys post your recipes where you’ve changed things because you were getting sick of them? Or just a tastier take on something that’s very regular?

My first time trying spam and wow. This didn’t even feel like a “ketofied” meal. It just tasted decadent, indulgent and something I’d be served at a restaurant:

Two medium poached eggs

Two thick slices of spam fried in avocado oil (can’t see it on the picture beneath the bed of arugula but it’s there)

Pickled red onion

Arugula lightly tossed in freshly squeezed lemon

Dijon aioli (mayo, Dijon, lemon, minced garlic, cracked pepper, salt)

Topped with cracked black pepper

👌

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The Ingredients

The Turf: Thick-cut steaks (looks like beautiful NY Strips).

The Surf: Lobster tails (split/halved) and large shrimp (skewered).

The Veg: Fresh asparagus spears.

The "Liquid Gold": Smoked chive lemon butter.

The Side Dish (Indoor): Baked mostaccioli loaded with a heavy layer of melted mozzarella.

The Pitmaster Prep

1. The Seafood: Skewer the shrimp so they don't fall through the grates. Carefully split the lobster tails (watch those fingers!) to expose the meat for the fire.

2. The Butter: Melt down butter and mix it heavily with fresh chives, a squeeze of lemon, and a hit of smoke/rub.

3. The Grill: Fire up the Recteq pellet grill and push it through the stall until it reaches a roaring 650°F+.

The 6-Minute Sprint (The Cook)

Minute 0:00:** Open the lid, drop the steaks and asparagus directly onto the grates, and immediately shut the lid.

Minute 1:30: Open the lid, place the lobster tails meat-side down for a hard sear, and slam the lid shut.

Minute 2:30: Open the lid. Flip the steaks to build the crust on the other side. Flip the lobster tails so they are shell-side down. Drop the shrimp skewers onto the grates. Shut the lid.

Minute 3:30: Open the lid. Generously spoon or brush the smoked chive lemon butter all over the lobster meat and shrimp. Give the asparagus a quick roll to blister the other side. Shut the lid.

Minute 5:00 - 6:00 (The Pull): check for a perfect medium-rare on the steaks, pink/opaque shrimp, and firm lobster meat. Pull everything off onto a heavy-duty platter.

The Finish

Pour any remaining pan drippings and butter directly over the steaks and seafood, serve alongside the baked mostaccioli, and watch the birthday girl's jaw drop!

Freezing then thawing a cabbage head is actually the ultimate pro-move here. Freezing breaks down the cellular walls of the cabbage, meaning the leaves are already soft and soggy.

The Rolls:

12-14 large Green Cabbage leaves (thawed and patted completely dry)

1 lb 80/20 Ground Beef

1/2 lb Hot Italian Sausage (casing removed)

1 1/2 ups Riced Cauliflower

2 oz Cream Cheese (softened)

1/2 cup Finely diced onion

3 cloves Garlic, minced

1 Egg

1 tbsp Smoked paprika, salt, and cracked black pepper

1 can (14 oz) tomato puree or crushed tomatoes (no sugar added)

2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp Red pepper flakes (optional, for kick)

1. Mix the Filling

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, hot sausage, raw cauliflower rice, softened cream cheese, onion, garlic, egg, and spices. Mix it thoroughly with your hands. The cream cheese is going to bind everything and give it an incredible, rich mouthfeel.

2. Roll Like a Pro

Because your cabbage leaves are thawed, they will be super easy to work with. Trim the thick, woody part of the vein at the base of each leaf. Place a hefty log of the meat mixture at the stem end, fold the sides in, and roll it tightly forward.

3. Set Up the Skillet

Whisk your tomato puree, ACV, Worcestershire, and red pepper flakes together. Pour a thin layer into the bottom of a large cast-iron skillet. Pack your cabbage rolls in, seam-side down, tight against each other. Pour the remaining sauce over the top, leaving the very tops of the cabbage rolls exposed so they can catch the smoke and crisp up.

Fire up the grill or oven to 300.

Put the skillet on the grates uncovered. Let them smoke or sit in conventional for 45 minutes. This lets the cabbage absorb that clean wood flavor and allows the sauce to start reducing.

Crank the heat to 400 for the final 15–20 minutes until the meat hits 165 f internally and the tips of the cabbage leaves are beautifully charred and caramelized.

Pull and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrional information per roll:

Calories 290-310

Fat 20-22 grams

Protein 16-18 grams

Carbs 4 grams

Net carbs 2.5 grams