Vegan Veggie Kabobs with tofu and Howling Wolf Cranberry Orange BBQ sauce

All of my BBQ sauces and dry rubs are vegan friendly, so they are a great choice when serving up veggies to your meatless friends!  My Cranberry Orange BBQ sauce chars up nicely on the grill, it is the best sauce to use for kabobs of any kind.

Cranberry Orange BBQ glazed ham on grill

Howling Wolf Sweet & Sour Chicken

I live in a small town, with no good Chinese food anywhere close by. That means if I want it, I need to make it myself at home. I was pleasantly surprise to discover my Howling Wolf Cranbery Orange BBQ Sauce , when combined with the red onions and green peppers in this dish, makes an excellent traditional tasting sweet & sour glaze. The flavor combinations this dish creates give you a beautiful, fresh tasting meal, with no MSG, preservatives, or any other unnecessary filler. And it is so easy!

20 oz chicken thighs

1 lg  green pepper

1 lg red bell pepper

1 med red onion

1 bunch green onion

vegetable oil for sautéing

2-3 cups (before cooking) white short grain rice (sushi rice, Rose, Cal Rose)

1/3cup Howling wolf Cranberry orange BBQ sauce

optional soy sauce and sesame oil

Start cooking the rice per the package

Large dice the peppers and onions and set aside in one bowl

Slice the chicken in strips and set aside. Optional lightly coat with the soy sauce and sesame oil.

Heat sauté pan on high and add the chicken and lightly brown. 

Add peppers and onions and heat through.  (you still want them crunchy)

Add the Howling Wolf Cranberry Orange BBQ Sauce and coat the ingredients.  Serve with the rice and top with the green onions. 

Remember for best results,  the whole cooking takes a very short time and is on high heat the entire time. 

The chicken can be substituted with shrimp too 

If you discover a great use for Howling Wolf BBQ sauces or Rubs, please feel free to share!  I love to hear your suggestions.  Be sure to follow me on Facebook to get updates on my new recipe ideas.  http://facebook.com/hwBBQ

Oven Roasted Baby Back Ribs

Cooking baby back ribs in your oven can be a satisfying way to get your bbq fix in the middle of winter or when you don't have a lot of time.  My technique is fast and easy, you will be licking your fingers in no time.

Baby back ribs are very tender ribs, so they do not need to be cooked long in the oven  Cooking them for a long time, other than smoking, will just dry them out.

I also do not recommend  boiling them in any type of liquid first.  Doing this will only rob the meat of flavor and the texture will be all wrong.  Well cooked ribs should have a little pull to them. Technically you don't want the meat to fall off the bone, the meat should pull cleanly off the bone with a little bit of resistance.

preheat your oven to 400 degrees
Season the ribs with salt and pepper or any of my Howling Wolf Dry Rubs, see top rack in first picture for the proper amount. Since baby back ribs are a bit thinner than other types of ribs, you can go easy on the dry seasoning.  Place the ribs on a shallow baking sheet or roasting pan.  You can then decide to slather on a sauce. I prefer my Howling Wolf Cranberry Orange BBQ Sauce for cooking on the meat, or sometimes I roast my ribs with just a rub and dip them in sauce as I eat them.  My Original BBQ and the Extra Spicy work best as finishing/dipping sauces.

cook the ribs for 1 hour - serve immediatly

A good day to roast a turkey - (with Howling Wolf Mediterranean Rub and preserved Meyer lemons)

Today when I woke up, the wind was howling, the snow was blowing, the kids had a two hour delay to the start of school because of weather, and I said "it is a good day to roast a turkey".

I had actually been planning this for a few days, and had decided to try something new with this bird. I split 4 heads of homegrown garlic in half across the cloves and put them in the cavity with 4 halves of my preserved Meyer lemons.  I rubbed the turkey inside and out with extra virgin olive oil and about 2 oz of my Howling Wolf Mediterranean Rub. Then I let it marinate, covered and sealed tight, for about 2 days in the refrigerator.

To roast, I preheated the oven to 400F, threw the turkey in and turned it down to 350F.  I cooked it upside down to keep the breast meat extra moist.   I know it is done when the juices run clear when poked between the breast and the thigh.  My 20 pound turkey took around 3 1/2 hours.  Let rest 15 minutes before carving.

This turkey was juicy, flavorful, and one of the best I have ever had. I highly recommend you give it a try, and you don't have to wait until Thanksgiving!

For more tips on cooking a turkey you can check the USDA website.

Howling Wolf Chicken Chili

Here is a recipe submitted by a favorite customer. (Lynne Darner)

INGREDIENTS
1 pound dry white beans
5 cups of chicken stock
4 tablespoons of butter
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs cut into ½” pieces
Howling Wolf Mediterranean Poultry Rub
Salt & pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ cups chopped green chilies – canned or fresh
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Pinch red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS
Rinse dry beans and cover with water. Soak at least 2 hours. Drain. Put the beans in a large pot with the chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat.

Dredge chicken thigh pieces in Howling Wolf Mediterranean Poultry Rub, salt and pepper. In a sauté pan, melt the butter and sauté the chicken pieces until browned – partly cooked. Remove the chicken from the pan to a platter. Add olive oil to the pan and sauté the onions and garlic until soft. Add the onions, garlic, chicken, chilies, cumin, and red pepper flakes to the beans. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally for approximately 1 ½ hours. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with garnishes available: chopped cilantro, diced peppers, red onion, cheddar cheese, sour cream, or yogurt.

Howling Wolf BBQ sauces and rubs for breakfast!

My Howling Wolf BBQ sauces and rubs work really well with eggs, especially on  a ham and cheese omelet. Try them all!  What's your favorite?

If you haven't tasted them yet, I'll get you started. I am offering you the Original BBQ sauce for only $5 plus shipping, and I will include a free pack of Seafood rub.  In fact, I'll throw in a free pack of rub with any purchase! (now until Valentine's Day)

p.s.  aren't those eggs beautiful?  They are from my SIL's chickens.  So good!  And the plate?  Made by my wife.  We are a DIY kind of family!

Too Hot to Cook! - A Cool Salad for Hot Weather

It is TOO hot to cook tonight, even outside on the grill, so I made a refreshing cool salad for dinner using my Cranberry Orange BBQ Sauce as a dressing.  It is so good, needs no additions, right out of the bottle.  Think of it like a spicy, slightly thicker, and more flavorful French Dressing. 

On the way home I picked up a rotisserie chicken from the store, and grabbed a few garden essentials.  This sauce pairs well with red onion, peppers, and cheddar cheese, so of course I had to add some 4 year from Widmer's.  Once home, I shredded the chicken, and added it to the other ingredients.  Play around with what you might like.  The corn in this salad was a really nice addition.

Other ideas for ingredients are deli ham, turkey, cucumbers, hard boiled egg, and/or broccoli. 

See here for other salad ideas using Howling Wolf Sauces and Rubs.

Cheeseburger with Mediterranean Rub

Mix any of my rubs in ground beef for an easy, delicious way to season your next burger.  I prefer the Mediterranean or Land & Sea.  Topped with Widmer's Ceddar (of course!) Try it with any of my sauces, too!

Howling Wolf Fried Catfish

 for up to 3 lbs of any type of fish (I love catfish)

1 qt buttermilk

¼ cup beer

2 eggs

3 Tbs Land & Sea Rub

3 cup all purpose flour

1 cup bread crumbs

1 tbs corn starch

2 qts peanut oil for frying  (enough for 4 inches in your pot)

Soak the catfish in the liquid mixture for at least 1 hr.

Dredge in the flour mixture. Let sit for 15 min before deep frying.

Pairs well with homemade French fries and my Mediterranean coleslaw.

Mediterranean Coleslaw

1 Medium head of green cabbage shredded

1.5 cup white vinegar

1 cup sugar

2 Tbs Mediterranean Rub

Mix together. Let sit overnight for best flavor.

Brussels Sprouts with Mediterranean Rub

Happy Thanksgiving!
This is what I am making today using my Mediterranean Rub.

3 lbs Brussels sprouts
1 medium onion, sliced
4 Tbls butter
2-3 Tbls Mediterranean Rub

Blanch then quarter the Brussels sprouts
Melt butter in a saute pan, add onion and Brussels sprouts
Saute over medium/low heat until golden, toss with rub and cook another 5 minutes

Easy gourmet flavor!

Hunter's tips for cooking wild game with Howling Wolf

The black label rub is my favorite for wild game, including duck and turkey, but feel free to experiment with all three rubs and sauces.
* in the field, keep a pack of HW rub with you to season you meals.  My favorite hunting camp technique is using a dutch oven in a campfire to slow roast meat or simmer stews.
* for steaks, chops, and breasts - season with your favorite HW Rub and sear in a hot pan or on the grill.  Don't over cook, med rare- medium is best.
* at home for larger cuts of meat use with rub or sauce in a crock pot
* for ground game, mix the rubs directly into the meat before cooking.

Cabbage with Sautéed Onions

This is a quick and easy customer submitted recipe idea using my black label Original Dry Rub.

Last night I made sautéed cabbage and onion with your cinnamon-y rub, (black label Dry Rub) a little nutmeg, and a few red pepper flakes.  So fast - easy - very tasty. - Lynne

Howling Wolf Spicy Bloody Mary

Here is my popular BBQ Bloody Mary recipe again for all of you who saw me at the Wisconsin Cheese Festival this past weekend.  Thanks for stopping by for a taste!

in a rocks glass with ice
1 shot Vodka
1/2 shot Howling Wolf Extra Spicy BBQ Sauce
1 dash Celery Salt
1 tsp juice from pickled Jalapeños
Fill glass with V-8 or Tomato Juice

Finish with a Jalapeño or your favorite spicy garnish.

Mediterranean Pork and Beans

1 pork shoulder roast (picnic roast, pork butt) size to fit your crock pot or nesco
1 large lemon
½ pack Howling Wolf Mediterranean Poultry Rub
½ lb Great northern beans, soaked
1 28oz can diced tomatoes
1 red pepper

Rub the pork with the zest of the lemon and coat well with the Howling Wolf Rub. Let sit over night.
Place pork shoulder in a large crock pot or cooker of choice.
Drain beans and add to the pot
Turn on low add ½ cup of water (add more if needed near end of cooking)
When pork has become tender, (approx. 6 hours or when you get home from work) add the diced tomatoes and peppers.
Season to taste  with salt and pepper
The pork should fall apart with a fork.  Pull out the bones and shred meat.  
This can be done in an oven as well in a large covered pot on low (200).  (I do not recommend this method unless you are home to monitor it.)

Howling Wolf Quick Tomato Pasta

1 16 oz box pasta 
4 oz  mushrooms cut thick
½  onion, diced
¼ pack pepperoni or other cooked sausage
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil 
1 Tbs Howling Wolf Mediterranean Poultry Rub

Begin to cook your pasta (al dente)
Lightly heat the olive oil and sweat the onions and mushrooms
Add sausage, tomatoes and the Rub
Simmer sauce till pasta is done cooking
Drain pasta, mix with the sauce and serve

Land & Sea Chip Dip

This dip could not be easier, simply add 1 Tablespoon of my Land & Sea Rub to a 8 oz container of sour cream and mix thoroughly.  That's it!  It is perfect for last minute get togethers, and goes great with vegetables, pretzels, or your favorite potato chips.

Quick Tips - Spicy Ham & Cheese Omelet

Try a  Ham & Cheese omelet made with farm fresh eggs, Black Forest Ham, Widmer's 4 year cheddar cheese and topped with a drizzle of my Extra Spicy BBQ Sauce.  It's the ultimate!

Valentine's Day Recipe Idea - Perfectly Cooked Shrimp Cocktail w/ Cranberry Orange BBQ Dipping Sauce

Shrimp cocktail done right can be an easy way to start your romantic dinner for Valentine's Day, however most people make the mistake of not flavoring the shrimp's cooking water. This recipe will give you the most flavorful shrimp you have ever tasted. Give it a try!

Here is what you need ...

2 lbs shrimp (I prefer 16/20 e-z peel, the shells add flavor and keep them moist)
large pot and 1.5 gal water
½ bottle dry white wine
1 cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup pickling spice
1 lg yellow onion
1 med carrot
2 stalks celery
1 head garlic split in half

(optional ingredients)
½ cup gin
¼ cup sugar
chili flake to taste
----------------------------
Rough cut carrots, celery, & onion

Place all ingredients into the pot except the shrimp.

Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 min

Turn heat to high and add the shrimp, stir regularly.

This next step will be perfected with practice, the shrimp will begin to curl and loose their glassy appearance. Watch carefully because the shrimp will be done before the water returns to a boil. I like to pinch a few shrimp to expose the ridge on the back and when the glassy look is gone, they are done. When they are cooked right, they are very tender. If they are over cooked, the shrimp will be a little tough but the flavor will be good. If they are not cooked enough, the shrimp will also be tough and have an unpleasant texture.

Once you have determined the doneness, Drain off 90% of the water and refill the pot with the coldest water you have(add ice if you like). The idea here is to stop the shrimp from cooking without flushing all the flavor off. When they have sufficiently cooled off, drain and place in a container in the fridge.

I like to leave all the vegetables in with the shrimp until ready to serve, they help keep the shrimp moist while chilling completely.

My Cranberry Orange BBQ make a great shrimp cocktail sauce right out the bottle, a nice compliment to this flavorful recipe.