Double Smoked Chicken Chile Rellenos... Skillet Style

I make chile rellenos so often I'm probably turning into one. :)
I usually stuff the chilies with smoked meat, then batter and fry them individually..
like this
A smoking friend said he makes them in casserole form.. so I thought I would give it a try.

I smoked two hens not long ago, made some smoked chicken and egg noodles with some of the meat. Decided to use part of my chicken in some rellenos..





I blister and steam the peppers for easy peeling...



peeled and seeded....



made my batter... 4 egg whites beaten, add 4 TBs flour and the 4 beaten yolks...
use more if needed for a large batch of peppers..





I poured a bit of batter into a well oiled cast iron skillet...



added my chilies stuffed with the smoked chicken, cheese, and topped with minced scallions..



poured the remaining batter on to cover the chilies..



into the Memphis Pro....



I did the toothpick test to make sure they were cooked through..



topped with a few scallions and a sprinkle of cheese..






The smoked chicken chile rellenos with sauce...






They were really tasty. I couldn't help but giggle at the little "tails" sticking up but they tasted good. :)

They probably were easier to prepare than my usual way of dipping each one then frying... I might do this again when I'm short on time.

Purple fingers, day dreaming and bloomin' yucca

I know it doesn't sound pleasant... but it's a tell tale sign when I see little purple dots on the small sidewalk in front of my house.
It means the mulberries are ripe and the birds are beating me to them. :)



My favorite mulberry tree is a short walk from my front porch.



I'm able to gently pull a limb down to reach the little purple berries.



This is one of my favorite places. I snack on the sweet berries and watch the sky darken to the east while the sun sets behind me.

I think about friends in the east..... so far away. I day dream about what it would be like to grow wings and fly east to see them. :) I wonder if they are up listening to music, or sleeping and dreaming of what the next day will bring.
(yeah I'm a dork :))



The mulberries turn my fingers purple...



I plop my little batch of berries on a fence post so I can admire the blooms on a yucca plant..






Two things come to mind...
What kind of woman would day dream of sprouting wings to visit a friend in the east... :)
and what kind of woman would plop berries on a dirty fence post, wipe her purple sticky hands on the hind end of her cut off jean shorts... just to admire a bloomin' yucca?

I think I'm a country girl with big dreams. :)

Smokey Chicken & Egg Noodles

I smoked a couple of hens the other day and have been enjoying the meat in a few different dishes..
I rubbed the birds with butter and gave them a simple kosher salt and cracked black pepper sprinkle.. Placed them into the Memphis Pro with hickory. Also used pans this time to save the drippings..





Made a batch of egg noodles...



You can tell which egg was store bought and not one from my hens.. :)

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
add three egg yolks and one whole egg
mix well then add 1/2 to 3/4 cups of water







Divide the dough into fourths. Roll out one fourth at a time. After rolling the dough, I wrap it around the pin



slip the rolling pin out and cut the egg noodes with a pizza cutter...



then shake the noodles out and hang for 2 hours to dry a bit..



break into pieces as long or short as you want...



boil in salted water until tender...



I added some of the smoked chicken with pan drippings and about 1 cup of chicken stock. seasoned with salt and pepper...




Topped with cracker crumbs and dotted with butter. Also made a batch of bacon biscuits.
Smoked in the Memphis Pro until hot and bubbly.....about 45 minutes at 325F




It was one of those perfect days for sharing the wonderful aroma with my neighbor....
I parked the pot of smokey chicken and noodles with the rack of bacon biscuits on top of the old corner fence post and let the breeze do the rest. :)



My neighbor's ranch, on the horizon.
I'm sooooo sure they could smell my supper. :)



I loved the smoked chicken and noodles. Loved the biscuits too!



I'll definately make this again soon. :)

Simple things that make me smile :)

It's not the prettiest rose bush...
and the roses are wind blown and skimpy...
but it's my favorite thing in the yard.



I walked past the rose bush at least a dozen times today,
busy with work and deep in thought.

On my last trip past the bush, feeling tired and eager to call it a day,
I stopped to smell the sweet roses. They were amazing.... and instantly reminded me that the best things in life are free. :)



I picked a handfull, climbed into my pickup and drove to the top of the hill to watch the sun set.
It was a beautiful evening and it felt soooo good to slow down for a few minutes..



Yeah... I'm a sap. :)

Crispy Pulled Pork Burrito

I needed to restock my pulled pork stash so I injected two nice hunks of pork (shoulders) with an apple juice/brown sugar mixture, let them chill overnight...
then seasoned with some Little Louie's seasoned salt with black pepper.



Into the Memphis Pro at 280F with a bit of hickory for smoke. Used beer and a few wild onions in the drip pans (love the aroma :)).
Smoked until the butts reached an internal temperature of 185F... foiled and let them rest..





They were so tender and juicy...



My pulled pork stash. :)



I just had to try some of it!
I loaded a tortilla with some of the pulled pork, black beans, rice and minced scallions..



Rolled and fried til crisp..



Topped with fresh pico de gallo...



I don't know if I was extra hungry at the time but that was the best burrito I've had in a loooong time. :)