Chocolate Cupcakes w/ Toffee Crunch

Happy Friday guys!

I'm so glad the weekend is upon us!  I've still got to work tomorrow, but I've got Sunday and Monday off, so it's not too bad.

Any plans for the weekend?  We're probably going to be lazy - I know I'm going to be catching up on some sleep! 

Anyway, I thought I would end the week with a sweet treat!  It won the last bi-weekly poll and was a winner in our house too!  The original recipe had some Caramel Frosting to go with it - but I wasn't in the mood to fool with frosting and just kept them simple with some chocolate ganache and toffee bits. 

And don't forget to vote in this week's bi-weekly poll - I'm obviously in the mood for something chocolately!




Ingredients:
Adapted from Bakers Royale's recipe

1 cup flour
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons hot coffee
1/2 cup Heath toffee bits


Chocolate Ganache:


2/3 cups dark chocolate
2 tablespoons whole milk



In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

Add the butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat on medium speed for one minute.  Stir in hot coffee.

Beat for 20-30 seconds until the batter is smooth. The batter will be slightly on the thin side. 

Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.  Divide the batter evenly among the liners. Bake 18-22 minutes just until a toothpick inserted into a few of the cupcakes comes out clean. Set the pan on a rack to cool completely.

To make the ganache, place the dark chocolate and milk in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 30 seconds.  Stir until combined and smooth (you can heat again in 15 second intervals if chocolate isn't completely melted).

Once cupcakes are cooled, dip the tops into the ganache and sprinkle desired amound of toffee bits on top! 

These were delicious!  So simple and just enough of that toffee crunch to bring these to another level!  I think Andy had one of these for breakfast everyday for the past week - so we know he liked them!

Have a great weekend guys!

CSA Week #13

It's CSA Thursday guys!  This week we got our first ears of sweet corn of the season - I definitely know I'll be heading to the Farmer's Market this weekend to find some more because I love it so much!

•  Peaches
• Nectarines
• Eggplant 
• Purple Peppers
• Tomatoes
• Sweet Corn
• Cucumbers
• Basil
• Cantaloupe 
• Okra

I'm definitely looking forward to using up this week's share!  Possibly some ice cream in the works with those peaches?  Yeah, sounds like a good idea to me!

Now let's check out some other blogger's goodies!

Mindy over at The World In My Kitchen:

Fingerling potatoes, Hothouse Tomatoes, Heirloom Tomatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, Okra, Sweet Onions, Basil, Shallots

It definitely looks like Mindy was loaded down with delicious tomatoes!  And her Okra Succotash recipe looks like the perfect way to use up our own okra, as well!

And Kristy over at Gastronomical Sovereignty:

red chard, some beautifully fragile and amazing red lettuce, cucumber, golden beets (my fav!!), green onions, fresh blueberries, curly parsley (not my favorite), snap peas, spicy arugula, and new garlic

It looks like Kristy and I share a love for golden beets!  Can't wait to see what she ends up doing with them!

So thanks to Kristy and Mindy for joining in on the CSA sharing today!  Want to join next week?  I'd love for you to!

***If you guys received a CSA this week, what did you end up getting?  I'd love to have a weekly round-up of your CSA goodies (if you participate in one), or even if you made a weekly visit to your Farmer's market (or even just picked from your own garden!) - I'd love to see the local produce everyone gets!  So feel free to e-mail a snapshot of your goods (as well as your name and blog title (and don't worry if you don't have a blog, your name will be just fine!) as well as a link to your blog) at mtlabor85 (at) yahoo (dot) com and I'll post them in next Thursday's CSA post!

See you all tomorrow (it's Friday - yay!)... we're ending on a sweet note - so don't miss out!

Chicken Tostadas

It's getting pretty ridiculous in the heat department, isn't it?  It is here in Louisville, anyway.   It's sitting at a nice 97F right now.  And yes, I do still have to play volleyball in this crap tonight.

So when it's hot like this, firing up the stove or the oven is the last thing I want to do.  This is when I have to start getting creative for dinner.  And we all know how fun it is to get creative with leftovers, right?  So if you just roasted a chicken the day before - or possibly made Jonathan Waxman's Chicken Al Forno (which is AMAZING, by the way) the night before for dinner (which, if you haven't gotten the hint - I did) - then you can have dinner the next day ready in no time.  Well, that is if you planned to have leftovers of the al forno!


Ingredients:

Leftover chicken, shredded
Salsa verde, homemade or store-bought
15 oz can seasoned black beans, drained
1 large tomato, chopped
Shredded cheddar cheese (I had a chipotle blend that was THE bomb!)
6 corn tortillas

Now, I know I promised I wouldn't turn on the oven for this one - but it's really only to crisp up your corn tortillas.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Place corn tortillas directly onto the center oven rack (or if you wanted to dirty up a baking sheet - be my guest).  Bake for about 3-5 minutes, or until tortillas are crisp and golden.

Heat your shredded chicken in the microwave (if you want - I left mine cold because we're trying to cool down remember?).

Place 3 tortillas on a plate.  Top with desired amount of black beans, shredded cheese, chicken, tomatoes, and salsa verde.

Easy as pie right?  And totally hits the spot, too!  You could definitely do this with any leftover protein and veggie combo.  I just used what I had on hand and had dinner ready in no time!

Hope you guys stay cool - I'm off to get ready for my volleyball game (and seriously contemplating letting Andy spray me with the hose before I go - he's out watering the grass right now, hehe)

Garlic & Dill Roasted Root Vegetables

If you haven't noticed, there's a couple of changes around these parts!  Obviously, the header is new - I couldn't resist using some of our engagement photos (with our photographer's permission of course!) to make a new header for the blog!  These two are definitely two of my favorites!

Also, thanks to all of you for the input about a possible blog name change in the future - Feeding Andy is definitely a top contender.  

Anyway, let's get to why you came!  The food!  

Every now and then, my crisper drawers and pantry get overloaded with vegetables.  What's my favorite thing to do with vegetables?  Roast them!  It's so easy, and I just love the way roasted vegetables taste.  Throw in a few herbs and even better!

Ingredients:

2 large new potatoes, cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch cubes

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped

1 large turnip, peeled and cubed (same as the potatoes)

2 large carrots, peeled and sliced

2 large beets, peeled and cubed (again, same as the potatoes - and don't be afraid to get a little red)

Preheat oven to 375 F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Add potatoes, garlic, turnip, carrots, and beets to the baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat.  Spread into an even layer on the baking sheet.  Season with salt and pepper.

Roast vegetables for about 30 minutes, or until browned and vegetables are tender.

Place vegetables in a large bowl and stir in chopped dill.

The dill definitely brings this side to a whole new level.  It's such a unique flavor and I loved having it in something other than some ranch dressing or tartar sauce!

What do you do when you're overloaded with vegetables?

Lemon Braised Chicken Thighs

Happy Monday everyone!  How was your weekend?

We didn't do much, I had to work on Saturday so Sunday ended up pretty lazy.  With the exception of getting out to play a game of tennis with some friends.  We got our butts handed to us - I blame it on Andy being my partner.  Hehe.

I've also been working on a re-design of the blog.  Of course, it's not quite finished yet, so I'll just have to keep you in suspense.  I also wanted to get a quick opinion about a possible name change.  I realize Andy can't be my "Fiance" for eternity, but I don't know whether to change the name of the blog or not.  I've already changed it once, and if I do change it again, it'll be for good.

So a couple names I've been playing around with are "Andy Likes It So It Must Be Good" (that way, regardless of what he becomes - i.e. my husband, there's no need for a change) and "Feeding Andy".  Either way, I know I'm going to be changing my URL (because frankly, my current one is a little long and ridiculous - which was bad planning on my part when I first made this blog).  So anyway, any suggestions are welcome so feel free to give me your input!

Ingredients:

Adapted from Tastespotting the Blog's recipe

6 boneless and skinless chicken thighs
salt and pepper, to taste
canola oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup white wine
3 thai chiles, minced
2 Bay leaves
4 strips of lemon zest
juice from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon thyme
1 cup chicken stock
small handful of parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 F and set a cooling rack atop a baking sheet.

Season the chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil in a large cast iron skillet (or other oven-proof skillet/pan) under medium high heat.  Add chicken thighs in one layer and cook until browned, about 4-6 minutes.  Turn thighs over and cook an addition 2-3 minutes to sear the meat.  Transfer the chicken to the cooling rack.

Reduce the heat on the cast iron to medium low and add onions.  Cook until they start to soften, about 2-3 minutes.  Add garlic and chiles and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Pour in the wine and simmer for about 2-3 minutes, or until alcohol has burnt off.  Stir in bay leaves, lemon zest, lemon juice, thyme, and chicken stock.  Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce down to a simmer. 

Transfer skillet to the oven and cook for about 20-25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh parsley.

This was definitely one of those feel-good meals.  We served it with a mixture of roasted potatoes and beets.  Of course, it would be outstanding with skin-on chicken thighs, as the skin would crisp up - but we're trying to be a tad healthier over here, so we opted out of that. 

Hope you all have a great Monday and see you back here tomorrow afternoon!

Swiss Chard Smoothie

 

Okay, I know what you're thinking.  I've gone off my rocker.  That debate is still open for interpretation though. 

Anyway, there is a TON of swiss chard in this, but you would never be able to tell.  I mean, for one... the color isn't green - but that's due to the addition of certain fruits.  Fruits that help ease me into the realm of "green" smoothies. 

Back in the early weeks of the CSA, we had tons of greens that I kept needing new ways to use up.  And so I decided to delve into smoothie making.  While I'm not completely on the bandwagon with all-green smoothies - I really need the fruit in there! - this was definitely something I can find myself drinking after a weekend of really bad eating.  You know, we all have those weekends every now and then, but downing one of these smoothies just might make you feel a little bit less guilty about it!

Ingredients:

1 bunch swiss chard
1/2 cup frozen raspberries
1/2 cup frozen pineapple
1/2 cup frozen peaches
3 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
Ice
1/4 cup orange juice

Combine swiss chard, raspberries pineapple, peaches, and orange juice in a blender.

Add a few handfuls of ice to the blender (this is really up to your discretion) and puree until all ingredients are smooth.

Pour into a tall glass and garnish with additional mint, if desired.

This is definitely one of those feel-good drinks.  I thought the greens would make me not like this, but really, you couldn't even tell.  So a great way to sneak in some healthy greens to your unsuspecting children!  It's not evil, I promise.


What's your favorite smoothie?

Have a great weekend guys!

CSA Week #12

It's CSA Thursday!  We were loaded down with fruit this week and I couldn't be happier!  There's nothing I like better during the summer than snacking on fresh fruit!  Let's check out what we got this week:

• Beets
• Green Bell Peppers
• Potatoes
• Jalapenos
• Peaches
• Nectarines
• Blackberries
• Green Beans
• Watermelon

Check out these blackberries!  They are sooooo good - I practically ate most of them today during lunch!

Now let's see some goods from other bloggers - we've got two today!

Mindy over at The World In My Kitchen:

Carrots, Haricots verts, Green cabbage, Bell pepper, Okra, Cherry tomatoes, Tomatoes, Potatoes, Raspberries!

I'm jealous of all the okra Mindy keeps getting!

And Sam from Cooking My Way Through My CSA is back this week with her goods:

lettuce, cucumbers, Red Norland potatoes, garlic, Italian parsley, zucchini, beets, Japanese turnips, Swiss chard, gooseberries, raspberries and red currants

 And I've been seeing gooseberries all over the place - and Sam does not disappoint because she made this awesome jam out of hers!

It's a hot one today, so our softball game got cancelled (so that's why this post is not being done right before I go to bed!).  Glad that Mindy and Sam could join in on the fun - be sure to check out their blogs to see what they do with their goodies!

See you tomorrow guys!  Remember, it's Friday!  Woohoo!

***If you guys received a CSA this week, what did you end up getting?  I'd love to have a weekly round-up of your CSA goodies (if you participate in one), or even if you made a weekly visit to your Farmer's market (or even just picked from your own garden!) - I'd love to see the local produce everyone gets!  So feel free to e-mail a snapshot of your goods (as well as your name and blog title (and don't worry if you don't have a blog, your name will be just fine!) as well as a link to your blog) at mtlabor85 (at) yahoo (dot) com and I'll post them in next Thursday's CSA post!

Sausage & Broccoli Pasta

It's late, so I won't keep you up too long.  I'm pretty darn exhausted.  We had our spring/summer volleyball tournament tonight and well - we lost.  It was double elimination and we won 1 of our 3 matches, so it just wasn't meant to be.  The summer/fall season starts next week, so we'll be ready to rock it out.

Anyway, I thought I'd post this simple sausage and broccoli pasta because it's one of my favorite weeknight dinners.  It's one of those meals that I combine the veggies I have on hand and just make a meal of it!




Ingredients:

1/2 lb. ziti
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 chicken sausages, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 thai chiles, chopped
1 medium sized broccoli head, chopped
14 oz can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
small handful of basil leaves, chopped
1/3 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, shredded, plus more for topping
2 ears of corn, cut off of the cob

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add ziti and cook according to the package directions for al dente.  Drain.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium high heat, add olive oil.  Add sausage and cook until browned, about 4-5 minutes.

Add more olive oil, if needed, and add garlic and chiles.  Stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add broccoli pieces and corn and saute for about 2-3 minutes.

Stir in crushed tomatoes, salt, and pepper.  Simmer for about 10 minutes. 

Stir in ziti and toss to combine.  Remove from heat and stir in basil and Pecorino Romano cheese.  Top with additional Pecorino Romano, if desired.

This was just one of those simple pasta dishes that whips together in no time!  Packed full of veggies and flavor - it's definitely worth keeping in the weeknight dinner rotation.

Don't forget that tomorrow is CSA Thursday, so if you've got a CSA/Farmer's Market find/Garden goodies to share - e-mail me with a picture and/or link to your blog post @ mtlabor85@yahoo.com and I'll post it in the roundup tomorrow evening!

Homemade Sushi Rolls

I've got a surprise for you guys!

What, you ask?!  Our engagement pictures are done!  And I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE them!  Our photographer Adam did such an amazing job!  If you want to check them out, head on over to his site and let me know what you think!

Andy and I love going out for sushi.  It's probably one of our go-to things for dinner when we're in one of those indecisive modes.  It's always a winner.  But it can get a little pricy sometimes, so every now and then, we'll make it at home!

Ingredients:


2 cups cooked rice
1-2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
cooked shrimp
smoked salmon
cream cheese
Sriracha
avocado
cucumber
nori sheets

The great thing about sushi is that you can practically put anything you want it there!  Just don't over pack!

The only real work you have to do is make the sushi rice.  And that's just basically mixing cooled cooked rice with some seasoned rice vinegar (we don't really have a ratio, just add as much as you see fit!).  

We made two different rolls here:

The first being shrimp, avocado, cucumber inside out roll with Sriracha dots on top.

And the second being a traditional roll of smoked salmon, cucumber, and cream cheese.

Both were equally delicious!  I made a sushi post last year with a great how-to on how to roll sushi, so just check that out here!

Have you ever made your own sushi?  What do you like to put in it?

Secret Recipe Club: Apple & Brie Grilled Cheese

It's that time again!  Secret Recipe Club time!  Last month was my first time and I had so much fun so I knew I had to join again for another round!

What is the Secret Recipe Club, you ask?  It's basically a secret Santa for food bloggers!  The brainchild of Amanda from Amanda's Cookin' - bloggers sign up to get a "secret" blogger from whom we choose to make a recipe from their blog and post on a designated day!  I think my favorite part is seeing what others do with my own recipe!  Last month, Dana from Food For Thought made an awesome rendition of my Coffee Ice Cream Pie by turning it into a Cookies & Cream Ice Cream Pie!  So I can't wait to see what whoever has me this month does with something else of mine!

So let's get to it!  My secret blogger this month was Sara from Cupcake Muffin.  I'd never checked out her blog before, and my first thought was - Cupcake Muffin - Andy's going to reap the benefits of this one!  Although there are tons of sweet treats on Cupcake Muffin, there are also many delicious savory dishes as well!  It's pretty much an all-around blog with tons of great stuff!

Something that really caught my eye was the recipe for Pear and Goat Cheese Sandwiches.  It has been extremely hot here, so the last thing I've wanted to do was actually cook something or turn on the oven/stove.  Sara says it best in this post when she says that these are so simple, but so gourmet!

But during my shopping trip, I couldn't find good looking pears anywhere!  So I opted for apples and switched out the goat cheese for Brie.  I mean, I love me some goat cheese, but Andy's a little picky about that one for some reason.  So I got some Brie - which is also creamy and crowd pleasing.  And everyone knows that Brie is best melted - so I had to turn this sandwich into a grilled cheese!

Ingredients:
Adapted from Cupcake Muffin's Pear & Goat Cheese Sandwiches

1 Granny Smith Apple, sliced thinly
Dash of Apple Cider Vinegar
Lettuce Leaves
Brie Cheese
Sliced Sourdough Bread
Pumpkin Seeds
Dash of ground cinnamon
1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Sprinkle the lettuce leaves with a little bit of apple cider vinegar and toss.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium skillet under medium high heat.  Add one piece of sourdough bread (kind of swirling the bottom of the slice in the melted butter to coat) and top with one or two lettuce leaves.  Then add 3-4 slices of apples.  Layer on desired amount of Brie and sprinkle top with pumpkin seeds and cinnamon.  Top with slice of sourdough.

Once bottom is golden brown, carefully flip sandwich over (adding more butter to the pan if needed - and swirling again to get butter on 2nd slice).  Cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown on other side.

Simple as that!  Not much cooking at all, just basically some quick melting of the cheese and toasting of the bread.  This was probably one of the best sandwiches I've ever had, and could have never happened if I wasn't inspired by Cupcake Muffin's sandwich (which I will definitely be trying once I find some decent pears!).



Want to join the Secret Recipe Club?!  You should!  Click here to find out more and don't forget to check out what all the other SRC participants did this month!

Blueberry Bourbon Cocktail

Happy Friday guys! 

Anybody planning anything fun for the weekend?

We have a meeting with a potential caterer tomorrow, so we're really excited about that!  Just another thing to check off the list you know?

And after the somewhat crazy week we've both had, I think one of these cocktails will definitely be in order as well!

But first, don't forget to vote in this week's bi-monthly poll...




Ingredients:

1 to 2 shots bourbon (we used Maker's)
1 cup blueberries
juice from 1 lemon
zest from 1 lemon
1 tablespoon maple syrup, divided
2 tablespoons sugar

We had gotten a bunch of blueberries from our CSA in the past couple of weeks, so I needed to make use of them - and what better way than to make a cocktail?

Start with about 3/4 cup of blueberries.  Muddle them down in a cocktail shaker (or bowl if you don't want to dirty two cocktail shakers) - you could strain them if you'd like, but I was kind of lazy so I went for a "rustic" cocktail.

Add in bourbon, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of maple syrup, and a dash of sugar.  Shake for a good minute or two.

Mix the lemon zest with about a tablespoon of sugar (more if needed) on a flat plate.

Brush the rim of a mason jar with maple syrup and dip in lemon zest/sugar mixture.

Fill the mason jar with ice and some leftover blueberries.  Pour the bourbon cocktail into the jar and garnish with a lemon slice.  Enjoy!

What a way to celebrate the weekend right?

What's your favorite Friday night cocktail?

CSA Week #11

Both Andy and I want to thank everyone for their kind comments on his post from this morning!  And if you haven't read it, check it out here!

And now let's check out this week's CSA!

• Carrots
• Sweet Onions
• Green Beans
• Beets
• Basil
• Cucumbers
• Zucchini & Summer Squash
• Mizuna Greens
• Broccoli

Just look at those beautiful orange carrots!  I've been dying to get some pickling done this year, so I know they'd be perfect for it!  Might have to make some banh mi sandwiches later on!

We've got 4 other bloggers to check out this week!  So exciting that we're growing bit by bit!

First up is Kristy from Gastronomical Sovereignty.  Kristy's blog is new to me, so I'm so glad she found me and joined up this week!  After perusing her blog, I know I'll definitely be a regular because she's got awesome recipes (wine poached pears, anyone?) for anything you can think of!  And check out the awesome box her CSA comes in!

blueberries, arugula, beets, dandelion greens, lettuce, italian parsley, snap peas, summer squash, turnips, and a ton of beets

And Lyn from Life Lyn Style is back with both of her CSAs for the week! 

raspberries, green leaf lettuce, red leaf lettuce, onion, yellow squash, zucchini, tomatoes, broccoli, cucumbers, beets, green onions, kohlrabi, potatoes, and sugar snap peas

Next up is Sam from Cooking My Way Through My CSA!  I mean, her blog is about all things CSA, so I am so glad she joined in for all the fun too!  Check out Sam's blog to see how she makes her way through her CSA - she's got an awesome Zucchini Pasta that I'm dying to try!  And those purple carrots are gorgeous!

Japanese turnips, Collard greens, Lettuce, Green beans, Zucchini & Yellow Squash, Purple carrots, Basil, Raspberries, Blueberries

And last, but certainly not least, is my fellow Kentuckian, Mindy from The World In My Kitchen!

Carrots, Rainbow Chard, Red Potatoes, Cucumbers, Cabbage, Tomatoes, Okra

So thanks to everyone that participated this week!  And sorry it's so late - but tomorrow is Friday and we're celebrating with Bourbon!  So be back tomorrow to see what I've got in store for ya =)

***If you guys received a CSA this week, what did you end up getting?  I'd love to have a weekly round-up of your CSA goodies (if you participate in one), or even if you made a weekly visit to your Farmer's market (or even just picked from your own garden!) - I'd love to see the local produce everyone gets!  So feel free to e-mail a snapshot of your goods (as well as your name and blog title (and don't worry if you don't have a blog, your name will be just fine!) as well as a link to your blog) at mtlabor85 (at) yahoo (dot) com and I'll post them in next Thursday's CSA post!

A Special Day & A Special Guest Post!

Don't worry, the CSA post is still coming up later on this evening...

July 14, 2011.  Today is my two year blogiversary!  Can you believe I've been at this for this long?  I never would have dreamed I would have fallen in love with food blogging, let alone not gotten bored with it.  I've made so many dear friends along the way (and I hope to make many many more!) and I think that's been the main reason I've stuck with it.  The blogging community is such a supportive part of my life and I really want to thank you all for sticking around with me =)

But today is extra special because I've got a special guest poster.  The person whose voice remains silent amongst it all - mainly because he's stuffing his face with all the delicious (and not so delicious) food I make! 

So if you haven't guessed yet - it's ANDY!  The "Fiance" part of My Fiance Likes It So It Must Be Good.  So without further ado, I'd like to let Andy take over and show you one of his favorite things to make!

So hello all! This is Andy, the grand inspiration for Peggy’s blog!!!

 Actually Peggy’s love of food and photography are the reason for this awesome place where so many people have come to acknowledge her tasty creations and good stories.

I think it’s awesome that she has found this love and passion for this wonderful hidden talent that she continually grows from and is continually inspired by. I am very proud of her accomplishments and look very forward to sharing my life with her and her being a part if mine!

She asked me a few weeks ago if I wanted to celebrate her 2 year anniversary of her blog, and I said “heck yeah!” I will be a guest food blog champ!!!

So, let’s talk food!

I didn’t know I loved this meal until we visited her brother James when he lived in Savannah, Georgia.

We ended up at this swamp/bayou style eatery with a baby alligator farm out front, which Peggy happened to forfeit her camera lens cap, when it accidentally fell in while taking pictures of the baby alligators… Anyway we got a seafood platter for two which had crab, shrimp, crawfish, potatoes, sausage, and other things I don’t remember, but I do remember it was good! So that is my inspiration for this meal…

If you can buy food and boil, you can make this…

Ingredients:

(Really anything you want to boil, but here is what I have chosen)

(2) Lobster Claws

(2) Decent sized snow crab claws

(1) Half bag of yellow fingerling potatoes

(2) Cobs of corn cut into pieces

(2) Overflowing fistfuls of shrimp

(1) Large U shaped chicken sausage cut into pieces

A lot of melted butter!!!

A lot of shakes of old bay seasoning all over the place!!!

The messier the better!!!

Steps to make this awesomeness!!!

First I place the potatoes and corn in the boiling water for 6-8 minutes

Next I add the chicken sausage and let everything cook for another 3-4 minutes

Last I throw everything in and let her boil for about 10 minutes…

After I deem all satisfactory, I drain the water and drop a stick of butter in to the pan to melt all over the goodness inside… I also place another stick of butter in the microwave to use for dipping everything into.

The last step is to shake old bay seasoning healthily over everything including the dipping sauce!

I hope you try this, or expand my idea and create your own! It’s easy and tasty!!!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention that Peggy turns into a savage beast when eating this and usually requires a full roll of paper towels or a shower after!!!!

Thanks for reading and I hope you continue to support Peggy, she really loves this and enjoys all you readers and friends she has made!!!

Cheers and tallyho!

-Andy

 

So there you have it.  And no, I really don't turn into a savage beast when eating this - well... I mean, look at it.  It's not the most prim and proper meal out there - you really have to dig in and eat it! I want to thank Andy for guest posting today and giving you a glimpse of the amazing, goofy, and supportive man that I get to happily spend the rest of my life with!  Love ya babe! 



Stay tuned for later today when the CSA round up is up - still time to get it on the action (e-mail me at mtlabor85@yahoo.com!)

Steak Sauce Kale Chips

I've been wanting to make kale chips for quite some time.  And when I had an over abundance of kale from our CSA, I knew it was due time.  But I didn't want to make any old kale chips.  I needed to kick them up a notch.  And that's where steak sauce comes in.  Who says it's only for red meat?  Whoever did, is quite wrong.  Because it's also a perfect match for kale chips.  I may even go as far as saying that it's a genius idea on my part.  But I won't gloat too much - it is getting late, after all.



Ingredients:

1 bunch of kale
salt and pepper, to taste
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
D.I.Y. Steak Sauce

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Remove stems from kale and tear into large pieces.  Place in a medium bowl and drizzle with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.

Drizzle steak sauce over kale (about 2-3 tablespoons) and toss to coat.

Line the kale on the baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake for about 8-10 minutes, or until kale is crisp.  Watch it carefully because they can go from crisp to burnt in a blink of an eye. 

And then enjoy the best snack known to man.  Well, maybe that's pushing it... or maybe it's not.  Needless to say, these were darn tasty - so I suggest you try them soon =)  If not the kale chips, the steak sauce itself is worth the time.  I seriously put it on everything!  Have a great rest of your Wednesday night guys!

And don't forget that tomorrow is CSA Thursday so e-mail me at mtlabor85@yahoo.com with your CSA/Farmer's Market/Garden photos/blog posts and I'll include them in the round-up!

Tempeh Stir Fry

I'm happy to say that this Tuesday morning started off a lot better than yesterday's dog fiasco.  The only thing wrong with today (so far) is that Andy happened to take my keys with him to work!  But I didn't have to work today, so it wasn't like I needed them for anything.  And it gives us an excuse to have lunch together so he can give me my keys back.  So win-win if you ask me =)

And boy is it a hot one!  Almost as hot as yesterday's heat index of 114 F!  Seriously?  114!  And as of right now, it's a heat index of 111 F.  Will. NOT. Be. Running. Outside. Today.  As much as I hate running on the treadmill, my butt is not going to be found passed out on the sidewalk (which I know it will be if I attempt to run outside!).

Anyway, we've been trying to eat a little bit healthier around these parts, but still wanting to get our protein in.  Tofu really isn't an option right now for us, I'm still quite unsure about it - I know, I know - it takes on the flavor you put it in and all that jazz, and eventually I'll get over this hump, but right now, we're both on the fence about tofu. 

I've been hearing a lot of good things about tempeh - which can best be described as a soybean cake, so I figured we could safely give that a try!  Whole Foods had a couple different varieties, so we opted for 2 packs of Vegetable Blend Tempeh.  Andy was still a little leary about it, but I told him to trust me on this one!

Ingredients:

Adapted from Post Punk Kitchen's recipe

1 cup chopped collard greens
1 cup chopped kale
2 8 oz. packages Vegetable Medley Tempeh
2 tablespoons soy sauce
juice from 1 lemon
1 cup water
2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 shallot, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
small handful of cilantro, minced
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
3 Thai chiles, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
2 golden beets, peeled and cubed
2 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
Barbecue Sauce, optional

Preheat oven to 400F.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread beets and potatoes on sheet in a single layer.  Season beets and potatoes with salt and pepper.  Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and bake for about 25 minutes, or until potatoes are golden brown. 

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add collard greens and kale.  Simmer for about 8-10 minutes.  Drain greens and set aside.

Crumble up the tempeh into 1/2 inch pieces and place in a large skillet under medium high heat.  Add 1 cup of water, soy sauce, and lemon juice.  Cover and bring mixture to a boil.  Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid is gone.

Lower the heat and push tempeh to one side of the skillet.  Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil on the bare side of the skillet and add shallots, chiles, and garlic.  Sauce for about 1 minute, or until fragrant.  Mix garlic and shallots in with the tempeh and saute for about 4-5 minutes.

Stir in cilantro, fennel seed, and greens.  Cook for 10 more minutes before mixing in beets and potatoes.  Cook until heated through, about 2-3 minutes and serve!  Top with your favorite barbecue sauce, if desired.

This meal exceeded every expectation in my book.  The only thing Andy thought was somewhat off about it was the beets, but he's not as big of a fan of beets as I am, so that's completely understandable.  But he actually liked the tempeh!  So that's a win in my book.

This definitely won't be the last time I ever try tempeh, it's my vegetarian protein of choice as of right now =)

Have you guys tried tempeh?  What's your favorite way to have it?


See you guys tomorrow!