Need a quick Saturday afternoon snack. Here you.  I’m firing up my stovetop skillet and whipping up some apple-chicken bratwurst and loading up the bun with some fried onions, smoked apple wood bacon, some shredded cheddar cheese, mustard and ketchup. This is a real simple meal to make. All you need is: 5 Bratwurst 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese 5 pieces of apple wood bacon 1 large onion Ketchup Mustard 1 tablespoon of garlic powder Set your oven to 400 degrees and place five strips of bacon on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake the bacon for 12-15 minutes. On the stovetop in a skillet, …

Hello everyone and welcome to another edition of Andre Taylor’s Tasty Tidbits! This is the third of four installments on the art of grilling and cooking out. Today I will share my tips on how to prepare some good coleslaw. To me, coleslaw makes ribs, pulled pork and just about anything off the grill taste so much better. I’m going to share my recipe with you today in hopes that you fire up the grill, make some coleslaw and some homemade lemonade and send me an invite. Here’s what you will need: 1-½ cups of shredded cabbage 1 cup of shredded red cabbage ½ cup of shredded carrots 3 tablespoons …

Hello everyone and welcome to another edition of Andre Taylor’s Tasty Tidbits! Over the next four weeks, we’ll dive into barbecue as we approach the summer. Today I will share my tips on how to prepare some good barbecue ribs. I must admit, I love the taste of a sweet, tender, smokey rib. I like to make my own rub for my grilled meats and today I will share that recipe with you. Here’s how I do my ribs: The Rub 4 tablespoons of brown sugar 2 tablespoons of season salt 1 teaspoon of garlic powder 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper The Ribs 2 slabs of baby back ribs Now I know some people, including …

 Today I’m going to share my recipe for chicken salad. Picnic season is here and chicken salad always makes a great entrée for a small outing in the park or a family get together at the house. It’s easy to make but the reward is always great. For this recipe, here is what you will need: 5 large boneless chicken breast 6 tablespoons of Miracle Whip 1 cup of diced celery ½ cup of diced onion 1 tablespoon of garlic powder 1 tablespoon of season salt 1 teaspoon of black pepper 2 tablespoons of apple vinegar Now that you have the ingredients, here’s how to make the chicken salad. Pour seven cups …

 Welcome to another edition of Andre Taylor’s Tasty Tidbits! Today, I share my recipe for homemade wonton soup made with shrimp. I love wonton soup just as much as anyone, I can’t always find a good place to get it. With that in mind, I taught myself to make it and realized it’s easy to make and not only that, it’s pretty inexpensive! Here’s what you need to make it: 1 pack of wonton wraps 2 pounds of shrimp 3 large containers of chicken broth 1 cup of chopped green onion 1 cup of sliced mushrooms 2 tablespoons of garlic powder 2 tablespoons of season salt 1 tablespoon of black pepper 1 …

Hello everyone and welcome to another edition of Andre Taylor’s Tasty Tidbits! The boys of summer have clocked in and the 2011 baseball season has arrived! Besides football season, this is my favorite sports season. To welcome in this baseball season the right way, I will share my favorite way to dress up a hotdog with you all. This hotdog delivers a grand slam to make you a winner in your own home. Here’s what you will need: 1 pack of turkey hotdogs 1 pound of thick sliced bacon 1 medium yellow onion 1 pack of potato bread hotdog buns 3 tablespoons of brown sugar 4 tablespoon of olive oil …

Today, I'm going to share some dessert recipes: pumpkin pie and eggnog cheesecake! Some of us will eat eggnog anytime. I'll start with the easiest recipe, the pumpkin pie: 4 cans of pumpkin filling 2 piecrusts 3 eggs ½ cup of white sugar 1 cup of light brown sugar 2 sticks of butter 2 tablespoons of nutmeg 1 tablespoon of cinnamon 2 tablespoons of vanilla flavor  You want to set your oven to 350 degrees. Make sure you mix the pumpkin filling with the sugars, vanilla flavor, cinnamon and nutmeg, eggs and butter until the form a smooth consistency. Once the mixture is done, use it to fill the …

About five-years ago when I met my now wife I noticed one big difference we had. She’s a vegetarian and me, I eat just about any kind of mammal or bird that once ran, jumped or at least tried to jump. Knowing that she has a diet she has been on for some time now, I have tailored some of her favorite dishes so she can now enjoyed them. I know she loves chili but she gave up beef several years ago. So, I have been hard at work in the kitchen and this chili is so good I even grabbed a bowl of it. Here’s what you will need: 2 pounds of soy meat (or if you just have to eat meat, use ground turkey…

Today, I'm going to share my momma's recipe for some good old fashioned, yummy, back road down south collard greens! The mere mention of my momma's greens are enough to make my mouth water and rush me up Interstate-95 to Philadelphia to stand in line for a plate or two, or three or four. The recipe is very simple, but if you want to do it right, you have to buy the bushels of collard greens, not the canned kind. Sorry, I'm just saying. One of the biggest steps in preparing collard greens is make sure they are clean and this can take a full day. Here is what you need to make this recipe show …

Hello everyone and welcome to another edition of Andre Taylor’s Tasty Tidbits! With warm weather helping usher “Old Man Winter” out the door, I figured I’d offer up one of my favorites that won’t break your pockets and won’t steal away your day in the kitchen. I have always loved Italian wedding soup with the little meatballs but once I met my wife, who doesn’t eat meat, I had to twist up my recipe so we could share it. For you fans of this marvelous soup, please don’t be mad, I changed the recipe out of love. Here’s the long list of groceries you’ll need for this recipe: 2 large cans of …

Growing up the son of a southern momma, I know a thing or two about southern cooking. In this edition of Andre Taylor's Tasty Tidbits, I will share one of my all-time favorite dishes. You can eat fish and grits for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Trust me, I have had it for all three meals! Some people may turn their nose up at the mere mention of fish and grits together, but I am here to tell you: "Don't knock it until you try it!" Today, I am going to show you an alternative to deep-frying your fish that won't take away from the taste. Here is what you will need: 3 pieces of Tilapia 3 …

Today, we I'm going to share one of my favorite treats for this time of year, my pumpkin cheesecake. That's right, I've combined two of my favorite things, cheesecake and pumpkin pie. With this recipe, you can please everyone at the Super Bowl party or your friends that come over for Valentine's Day. Let's get started on this recipe so you can enjoy this awesome treat. Here's what you will need: 1 9 ½ inch spring pan 3 packets of cream cheese 2 tablespoons of sour cream 1 small can of pumpkin filling ½ a cup of sugar 3 eggs 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract 1 tablespoon of cinnamon 2 tablespoons…

Hello everyone and welcome to Andre Taylor’s Tasty Tidbits! Today I am going to share my recipe for honey-bourbon chicken wings that you bake (or grill if you’re in the mood). These wings are great for parties or just lounging around the house on a weekend. Most of the ingredients for this meal you can find in your kitchen cabinets and if not, here’s what you will need:   2 pounds of chicken wing parts 2 tablespoons of season salt 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon of garlic powder   (For the sauce) 6 tablespoons of honey 1 tablespoon of bourbon 1 tablespoon of pineapple juice 1 teaspoon…

Welcome to another edition of Andre Taylor’s Tasty Tidbits! This dish is one of my favorites and one of the most flavorful things you have ever tasted! Salmon is good grilled, steamed, baked and pan seared. As always, I have stepped it up a little and I used the seasonings and some butter to pan-fry this salmon. Here’s what you will need: 3 8oz salmon filets with the skin on the bottom 3 tablespoons of season salt 2 tablespoons of onion powder 2 teaspoons of garlic powder 2 teaspoons of black pepper 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper 1 stick of butter For the pineapple glaze, here’s what you’ll …

Hello football fans and welcome to another edition of Andre Taylor’s Tasty Tidbits! The college bowl season is over but the NFL playoffs are still going on, so with that said, here’s some quick snack food to liven up the party. Being a Philly native (with no team to cheer on in the playoffs anymore), nothing says game time like a cheese steak! And nothing compliments a cheese steak (NOTE: If you are from Philly or you are in Philadelphia when ordering, there is no need to say “Philly cheese steak!”) better than some fries. Today, I’m going to kick it up a notch and make some cheese steak egg …

Hello everyone and welcome to the first of two football party inspired Andre Taylor's Tasty Tidbits for this week!Now a lot of people know I played football in high school and collegiately and I have always been a fan of the sport! This time of year for me always means great finger foods, watch parties and if my favorite teams don't win their bowl or playoff game, a lot of tears.Today, I want to share my recipe for spicy deep-fried jumbo prawns. Here what you will need: 4 pounds of peeled jumbo prawns3 eggs1 cup of flour1 cup of corn meal3 tablespoons of season salt2 tablespoons of cayenne …

Our colleague at the Falls Church Patch loves to cook. He's sharing his original recipes with his McLean neighbors. Look for his column each Saturday afternoon. Hello folks and welcome to another edition of Andre Taylor's Tasty Tidbits! Here's a favorite soup to get 2011 started: my crab soup. I know it sounds boring but man I'll tell you something, this soup is sure to grab your attention and that of any guests still around from the New Year's Eve party. Here's what you will need: 6 cups of chicken broth 2 cups of lump crab meat 1 ½ cups of mixed vegetables (canned or frozen) 2 cups of …