by | June 17, 2011 · 8:21 am

Father’s Day Cookout: Jalapeno Cheddar Burgers

It’s that time of year again! A day to celebrate dad. And what better way to warm your dad’s heart than through his tummy. Spice up your traditional Father’s Day BBQ with these easy jalapeno cheddar burgers topped with chipolte smashed sweet potatoes. A twist on the traditional burger and a bit healthier with sweet potatoes for that smooth topping texture. If you really want to make your man happy, add a slice or two of crispy bacon to the top.

Jalapeno Cheddar Burgers w/ Chipolte Smashed Sweet Potatoes

1 1/2 – 2 lbs ground chuck
1 jalapeno, diced (dice into fine pieces)
1/4 C shredded cheddar cheese
1 TBSP canola oil
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 TBSP milk
1 TBSP butter
1 tsp chipolte powder
salt and pepper to taste

In mixing bowl, mix ground chuck, jalapenos and cheddar cheese. Separate into 4-5 burgers. Press down into patties. Place a thumbprint into the top of each patty. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brush lightly with canola oil. Preheat grill.

In a medium saucepan, boil sweet potatoes, approximately 15 minutes. Drain potatoes. Add milk, butter, salt, pepper (to taste) and chipolte powder and mash. Set aside and keep warm.

Grill burgers on high heat 4 minutes on the first side, 4-6 minutes on the second side. Flip only once.

Place burgers on bun, top with a heaping spoonful of smashed sweet potatoes.

Wishing all the dads out there a very special day!

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by | June 15, 2011 · 8:22 am

Cheesecake filled Strawberries

With strawberry season right around the corner, I have been searching for some new strawberry recipes.  I came across this one from the Our Best Bites cookbook and decided to make them for a summer cookout this past weekend.  The recipe was simple and just a little bit fussy, but everyone at the party raved about these strawberries.  This recipe is definitely a keeper!

Cheesecake filled strawberries

2 pints of medium to large strawberries
1 8oz brick of cream cheese
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp almond extract
Wash and dry your strawberries.

Mixed the softened cream cheese with the powdered sugar and almond extract.  Set aside.

Using a knife, slice the strawberry about 3/4 of the way down from tip to stem, being careful not to cut the strawberry in half.  Then, slice the strawberry the other direction, so you have made at “X’.

Fill a pastry bag with the filling and, using the star tip, fill each strawberry with the cream cheese mixture.

These can also be drizzled with chocolate or even half filled and then chocolate dipped, like Stef’s mother-in-law suggested!   Next time I will most definitely add some chocolate.

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by | June 13, 2011 · 8:10 am

Lovebirds Bridal Shower

Last weekend I threw a lovebirds themed bridal shower for my younger sister who is getting married in August.  I created custom invites for the shower to match the colors of her wedding and complement her invitations, which focus on a pretty calligraphy font.

To fit the theme, the table was decorated with a rustic white bird cage that held two little bird candles as my “lovebirds” and was surrounded by moss and small potted garden flowers. The flowers were tied up with twine and tags with the couple’s name on them and served double duty as favors for guests.

love birds bridal shower decor

A mimosa punch was dressed up with paper straws that held whimsical paper bird cutouts.

lovebirds bridal shower

Simple salads were the dishes du jour, making it easy to prep food as a hostess. A chicken, grape tomato and bocconcini salad was dressed with spinach and garlic mustard pesto made from my CSA bounty. Served along side it was a mixed greens salad with radishes, pecans and green apples.  All dishes were marked with tags that matched the invitations.

chicken pesto salad

Mixed summer berries with a light balsamic mint dressing completed the salad trio.

mixed berries with balsamic

love birds bridal shower theme

For dessert, guests were treated to hand-dipped pirouette cookies and homemade Lemon Lavender Cupcakes, a favorite flavor combo of the bride-to-be.

lemon lavender cupcakes

lemon lavender cupcakes

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by | June 10, 2011 · 10:44 am

Salame Tasting Party & Antipasta Chopped Salad

When I used to think of salame, I would think of the old lunch meat on soggy white bread. My mind was recently transformed.

It was our pleasure to have the opportunity to receive an abundance of salame to create our own salame tasting party. I gathered a few of my closest friends and had them all taste from a wonderful plateful of Columbus Salame in a variety of flavors. While some varieties were liked more than others, all were devoured within an hour. Paired with a Bellavitano espresso cheese, french bread and black pepper crostinis, it made for a wonderful appetizer and great conversation.

We tasted six different varieties including: Hot Soppreseta, Salame Secchi, Salame Toscano, Italian Dry Salame, Peppered Salame and Herb Salame. The Herb Salame won the overall best tasting voting and kept everyone coming back for more. The rind has a wonderful oregano accent that enhances the flavor of the meat. The Salame Toscano is a perfect traditional tasting salame, which I used the leftovers for in my Antipasta Chopped Salad (see below). I thoroughly enjoyed all of them. Who doesn’t enjoyed some good cured meat!

Salame is great on its own and with a good piece of bread, but it also works great in recipes from apps to main dishes. I made this Antipasta Chopped Salad for lunch with the Salame Toscano and loved this little taste of Italy!

Antipasta Chopped Salad

1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped
1 6 oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts, chopped (reserve marinade)
1 C chopped hard salame (like Columbus Salame Toscano)
1/2 C chopped roasted red peppers
1 small can black olives, chopped
1/4 C fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 TBSP dried oregano
Pinch of crushed red pepper
salt and coarse ground black pepper to taste

Add all ingredients into large salad bowl and toss. Drizzle marinade from artichokes over the salad, toss until lightly dressed.

You will not need to add very much of the artichoke marinade because the oils from the other ingredients are pulled out in this salad. I would start with a tablespoon or less and go from there.

This salad is a perfect first course to a classic italian meal like spaghetti or lasagna. It is also wonderful on its own for lunch or a light dinner.

Ciao!

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by | June 8, 2011 · 8:18 am

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

I love this time of year when the first fruits and vegetables start popping up at local farmers markets.  I am always on the lookout for good zucchini because I absolutely love zucchini bread.  I have tried so many recipes and none of them created the perfect bread that I was looking for, that is until I came across this Paula Dean recipe.  It creates the perfect bread that is moist and flavorful without being overpowering.  I added mini chocolate chips to the bread because, well, I add chocolate chips to everything!

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup water
2 cups grated zucchini
1 teaspoon lemon juice

optional: 1/2 cup walnuts or 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips mixed with 1 tablespoon flour (prevents the chips from sinking to the bottom of the bread)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients and set aside.  In another bowl, mix the wet ingredients until just combined.  Finally, mix the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until moist.  Add the chocolate chips or nuts if you are using them.

Spray 2 average sized loaf pans with cooking spray.  I recommend using cooking spray instead of butter for greasing with this recipe.  The loaves seem to come out of the pan much better with the spray.  Divide the batter evenly among the 2 pans.  Bake for about one hour or until firm in the middle.

I often freeze the second loaf when I made this recipe, it tastes great even thawed out of the freezer.

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by | June 6, 2011 · 8:22 am

Rhubarb Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

This year I made my first foray into the world of CSAs. With just my husband and I to eat the goods, I had always been leery about spending money only to end up with seven gazillion pounds of tomatoes or a mountain of squash that we couldn’t eat fast enough. So instead I tested out a six week spring share with Milwaukee’s Braise RSA – minimal commitment plus nothing going on in my garden yet to compete.

Braise is run by local chef, Dave Swanson, who makes his boxes a little more special by including a recipe each week. Last week when I got a large bundle of rhubarb, this tasty muffin recipe came along with it. As a big fan of rhubarb and of streusel, this was right up my alley.

Rhubarb Muffins
Rhubarb Cinnamon Streusel Muffins
recipe from Braise RSA
2 C flour
3/4 C sugar
3 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 C sour cream
1 stick butter, melted
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 C rhubarb, diced

Streusel Topping:
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 C flour

Preheat oven to 400. Line muffin tins with baking cups.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and whisk well. In a separate bowl, whisk together sour cream, melted butter, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Gently combine the sour cream mixture with the dry mixture with a spatula until just combined. Gently fold in the diced rhubarb. The batter will be thick. Spoon batter into the muffin cups, filling to near the top.

In a small bowl, combine ingredients for topping. Use a fork or a pastry cutter to mix together until crumbly. Sprinkle the topping over the batter for each muffin. Bake until golden, 15-18 minutes, or 3-4 minutes longer for Texas size cups.

Cinnamon Streusel Rhubarb Muffins

CSA Thoughts:
Overall the quality of produce has been amazing and it’s been fun to try odd new items like ramps and nettles among the lettuce and asparagus. I’ve been cooking, blending and freezing away but it’s still been a little hard for me to keep up since spring veggies are fragile and go bad quickly. A summer share on top of my own overflowing garden would definitely be too much for me but would be great if you have a larger family or maybe split it with a friend. The jury is still out on if I’ll do it again…although with an extra mouth to feed arriving soon maybe the volume would be a better match!

Do you do a CSA?  Do you have tricks on how to manage the volume of produce?  Please share!

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by | June 3, 2011 · 8:06 am

Dorito Taco Salad

Finally! It’s arrived! Warm summer weather always makes me want a crispy salad. This easy Dorito Taco Salad has been a staple in my family since I can remember. It is very easy and very affordable. You may even have most of these things on hand. Any salad topped with Doritos is a winner in my book.

Dorito Taco Salad
Serves 4

1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped
2 small tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 bag of Baked Nacho Cheese Doritos
1 small can sliced black olives, optional
1/2 C light italian dressing

On stovetop, brown ground beef and remove grease. Set aside. In large salad bowl, add lettuce, tomato, green pepper, cheese and olives. Toss. Add ground beef and dressing and toss again. Using about a quarter of a bag of Doritos, crunch into small pieces. Shake over salad and lightly toss.

I always love eating the leftovers of this salad. The Doritos don’t stay very crunchy, but it is still delicious. You can choose to have each individual dress their own salad, but I prefer to do it ahead of time. Serve this up with some lemonade and you have summertime perfection.

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by | June 1, 2011 · 8:43 am

Simple Solutions {Spray Paint}

One of the reasons we fell in love with our new house was the beautiful (although non-functional) Lannon Stone fireplace.  It adds so much depth and design to our living room.  When we purchased the house, it came with a gold grate and screen that just didn’t go with our decor.

I looked into purchasing a new set, however the cost was well over $100 for both.  So, I marched over to my local hardware store and picked up a can of RustOleum Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint.

It took me just 20 minutes to give everything a few coats.

While the results are not too dramatic, they have changed the feel of our living room and definitely made it more cohesive.

All for just $7 and 20 minutes of time.  That is my kind of project!

**Remember, our fire place is not a working fire place.  If you are planning on spray painting grates and screens that you will actually use with fire, I suggest looking into another spray painting product that is fire safe once it dries.

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by | May 31, 2011 · 8:23 am

{Haute Pie} Dreamsicle Ice Cream Pie

Finally a little heat up in here! With warm weather finally arriving (and hopefully here to stay!) I tested out an ice cream pie for the holiday weekend. I’d been wanting to experiment with an ice cream pie for awhile and thought the classic combo of vanilla and orange would be a good way to start. As it turns out, ice cream pies are super easy so I think I’ll be playing with flavor combos all summer, however this Dreamsicle-style pie is a refreshing, cool dessert for any hot day.
Orange Dreamsicle Pie
Dreamsicle Ice Cream Pie
Ice Cream Pie Filling
1/2 pint french vanilla ice cream, softened
1/2 pint orange sherbet, softened
8 oz organic heavy cream
3 tsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 bar dark chocolate, shaved or curled

Sugar Cookie Pie Crust
(crust from Baking Bites)
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400. Beat together sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat in flour and salt. Beat in milk and vanilla until mixture is crumbly. Butter or spray a glass pie pan with PAM. Press cookie dough into pan, using your fingers to work dough evenly up the sides and evenly across the bottom. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Cool completely. Meanwhile, let vanilla ice cream soften. Once semi-soft, use a spatula to spoon a layer of ice cream in about half way up the pie shell. Return to freezer until ice cream hardens, meanwhile softening sherbet. Repeat step with sherbet, smoothing directly on top of vanilla ice cream, and return to freezer until fully frozen.

Dreamsicle Pie

In a small bowl, beat together heavy whipping cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form, about 3-5 minutes. Spread whipped cream on top of ice cream pie and top with chocolate shavings. Use a knife warmed under hot water to slice and serve.

ice cream pie

NOTE: If you don’t grease the pie pan first, like me, it will be difficult to get the slices out cleanly. I think butter or a light dose of cooking spray would probably do the trick but can’t say for sure since I didn’t realize I needed it. If you know a good tip, please share!

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by | May 27, 2011 · 7:57 am

Chocolate Chip Brownies with White Icing

I am not a chocolate person. I’ve mentioned this once before and offended a great many of you with that statement. My husband, on the other hand, is a chocoholic. So when special occasions come around, I always like to bake up a little chocolate treat to say I love you. This week we celebrated our third wedding anniversary. So on top of his traditional third anniversary leather gift, he was able to indulge in his favorite chocolate treat – chocolate brownies (or cake) with white icing.

I’ve never baked brownies from scratch before, so I decided to give it a whirl. With a little help from America’s Test Kitchen, I adapted this recipe to suit my hubby’s palate and the baking items I had on hand.

Chocolate Chip Brownies with White Icing

1/3
 C cocoa powder
1/2
 C plus 2 TBSP boiling water
2
 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 stick unsalted butter , melted
1/2
 C plus 2 TBSP vegetable oil
2
 large eggs
2
 large egg yolks
2
 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2
 C sugar
1 3/4
 C all-purpose flour
1/2
 tsp table salt
6
 ozs. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan. In a large sauce pan, boil water. Remove from heat and whisk in cocoa powder. Add unsweetened chocolate and stir until melted. Whisk in melted butter and oil. Add eggs, yolks and vanilla and continue to whisk. Whisk in sugar until fully incorporated. And flour and salt and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Pour mixture into baking pan and bake for 35-40 minutes. Allow to cool.

Buttercream Icing

1/2 C unsalted butter, softened
4 C powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 C milk

Cream butter in a stand mixer on medium high. Slowly add powdered sugar, 1/2 C at a time. Add vanilla. Drizzle milk and continue to beat until icing is at desired consistency.

Spread icing on cooled brownies with small spatula. Cut and serve.

These brownies don’t need the icing, but they add a little extra love. I asked my husband if he had any comments and he replied with, “Well….they are delicious.” So there you have it folks! Delicious homemade brownies.

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