Beef Tenderloin w/ Espagnole Sauce

Wow... I've been M.I.A. for quite some time!  It's been even busier around here, and it's hard to even wrap my head around what I've gotten myself into!

The restaurant is going quite well.  I was on the pantry line (salads & desserts, a few cold and hot appetizers) for a bit of time, and last week I started training at the grill station.  I'm having tons of fun, and learning a hell of a lot!  Which is the whole point of all of this!

Did everyone (who celebrated) have a good Thanksgiving?!  I know we did.  My whole family went down to Andy's family's Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday and it went quite well.  I'm glad that our families could get together on a day like that and get along so well.

Anyway, I know everyone still might have turkey on the brain, but in honor of me training on the grill station, I thought a nice, juicy steak felt like just the thing to post.  Hopefully I'll be back sooner next time, instead of going on a three week hiatus, but who knows what the next week of life has in store for me!

Ingredients:

2 6-8 oz. cuts of beef tenderloin
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut medium dice
spinach, optional
Espagnole sauce, recipe here
salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil, for rubbing and drizzling

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Rub each steak with about a tablespoon of olive oil.  Season your steaks with salt and pepper, on both sides.

Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with about 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Toss well and spread into one even layer.  Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.

Heat a large skillet under medium high heat.  Add about a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and heat until shimmering. 

Add steaks and cook until desired doneness (I think a medium rare is perfect, about 6-8 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your cut).  Let rest on a cutting board for about 5 minutes.

Warm up Espagnole Sauce, if needed.

To plate, place a good amount of sweet potatoes on the center of the plate.  Top with steak and drizzle Espagnole sauce over top.  Serve with a side salad of spinach and some fresh bread.

This brings "meat & potatoes" to a whole new level.  It was a simple enough dinner to be ready in no time, but also one that is sure to impress dinner guests, as well!

And on a side note, a reader had asked in the comment section of the Espagnole Sauce recipe about a proper way to make a Demi Glace. 

By definition, a demi glace is half brown sauce (Espagnole), half brown stock (beef stock), reduced by half.  Easy enough right?  So for 1 cup of demi glace, use 1/2 cup of Espagnole Sauce, 1/2 cup of beef stock... bring to a boil, then let reduce until the whole mixture is 1/2 cup, or until desires consistency.

Hope to see you guys sooner than later!  And thanks for sticking around with me =)

Tomato & Roasted Red Bell Pepper Soup

"Carmageddon" has officially hit Louisville.  While probably not as drastic as the major traffic that was caused in Los Angeles - but definitely something that perturbs me.  I love Louisville for the fact that it doesn't have 'major city traffic'.  Sure, we have crazy rush hour, but nothing compared to cities like LA, New York, or even Nashville.

Until last Friday.  The Sherman-Minton bridge was closed "indefinitely" due to some cracks found in some foundation beams.  While yes, safety is priority - it has put Louisville (and most parts of Southern Indiana - as the bridge connects New Albany, IN to Louisville) in a traffic tizzy, because now everything has to filter through to the other bridge (The Kennedy) - adding about 76,000 more cars that way.  And don't even get me started on the stupid detours.  My normal 20-25 minutes commute to work took a little over an hour today.  Yeah, I wasn't in a good mood.  But surprisingly enough, my commute home was more of normal pace, about 30 minutes.  I'll just have to think smarter for tomorrow's drive in.

Now that I've got my rant out of the way (I'm sure you all just wanted to hear about my traffic annoyances, right?) - let me tell you about something that calms me down... soup.  Yes, soup.  Now that fall has set in, soup will be a regular occurrence in our house - at least weekly.  And this week's soup?  This wonderful tomato and roasted red pepper soup.  Perfect for dipping grilled cheese!

Ingredients: 
Adapted from Sea Salt With Food's recipe

2 Red Bell Peppers
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Onion, peeled and diced

3 Cloves Garlic, peeled and chopped

2 Heirloom Tomatoes, seeded and diced
3 tablespoons Tomato Paste
small handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
4 cups chicken stock
1 & 1/2 teaspoons Cumin
1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Sour Cream
Croutons

Broil red peppers under a broiler or open flame on gas stove until charred on all sides.  Place red peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Set aside until cool enough to handle.  Peel, remove seeds, and roughly chop.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven.  Add onion and garlic.  Cook until soft and translucent but not brown in color, about 3 to 5 minutes. Then turn the heat on high and mix in the tomatoes, tomato paste, peppers, cilantro, cumin, and paprika. Sauté the mixture for a minute or 2, and add the chicken stock.  Bring mixture to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 30 to 40 minutes.

Allow the soup mixture to cool slightly, then puree it with an immersion blender. Bring the soup back to the boil and season with some salt and pepper. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, some croutons, and a grilled cheese sandwich (if you're the dipping kind of gal like me!)

This was super tasty, made great use of our CSA tomatoes, and will be a soup that paired perfectly with a simple grilled cheese!


Hope you guys have a great Tuesday!  See you tomorrow night!

Secret Recipe Club: Beef & Pork Keema

It's Secret Recipe Club time again!  What is Secret Recipe Club?  Well, it's the coolest thing to hit the internet since Google originated, that's what!  It's basically a monthly "secret santa" among food bloggers.  You get assigned a food blogger, and you get to tackle one (or more!) of their recipes to post on reveal day (which is, of course, TODAY!)

I was really excited to be assigned Dana from Dana's Food For Thought.  Why?!  Well, Dana was assigned my blog for the first Secret Recipe Club that I participated in!  So it was so great to return the favor!

Dana's blog is full of amazing recipes, it was definitely hard to choose.  Recently engaged herself, Dana and I are very similar (as she said in her post when she was assigned my blog!).  She's got everything from Morel Mushroom and Brie Tart to Lime Chicken Empanadas with Ranchero Ranch Dressing!  Do I have your mouth watering yet?!

As I was perusing through Dana's blog, something really caught my eye - the Turkey Keema.  It had all of the Indian flavors that Andy and I both love, but still remained somewhat "normal" when in comes to "Americanized-Ethnic" food.  Andy was definitely surprised at how much he liked it - because looking at the ingredients, he was definitely weary... but I told him to trust me.  And I'm glad he did!  Because this was awesome - and I definitely will be taking Dana's suggestion of putting the filling into sandwiches, because I'm sure it'll be incredible!

Ingredients:
Adapted from Dana's Food For Thought's recipe

1 & 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
2 & 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 & 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 & 1/2 teaspoons salt
about 5 red potatoes, diced
6 oz plain Greek yogurt
3/4 cup 2% milk
3/4 cup frozen vegetables medley (peas, corn, carrots, green beans)
juice from 1 lemon
small handful cilantro, chopped

In a cast iron skillet, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the onion and cook until starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute longer. Add the ground beef and pork and cook until no longer pink, about 3 minutes.  Remove any extra fat.


Stir in the coriander, cumin, pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon of the salt to the pan. Cook for about 1 minute. Stir in the potatoes, yogurt, and milk. Bring just to a boil. Cover the pan. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Uncover the pan and simmer for 5 minutes longer.

Stir in the frozen vegetable medley and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Simmer until the vegetables are just done, about 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and cilantro.  Serve with warm naan bread.


This was absolutely amazing.  It definitely exceeded every expectation and I can totally understand why Dana included it in her 7 Links Challenge as the 'Post That Didn't Get The Attention It Deserved'.

So I'm glad I got a chance to see why Dana thought this!  

I'm glad I got a chance at one of Dana's recipes, and I can't wait to experiment with others!  

If you want to join in on the fun of the Secret Recipe Club - feel free to check it out here!

Pretzel Bites with Beer Cheese

It's late.  As usual.  I might as well just start posting late at night instead of trying to get a post done during the day. 

Anyway, excuses aside - I think I've finally done it.  I've successfully made a beer cheese that resembles a local favorite.

Andy and I grew up in southern Indiana (of course in different eras - we do have a 7 year gap between us!), but we both loved Sportstime Pizza - now under the name The New Albanian Brewery.  They, of course, have beer - great microbrews (one should definitely check them out during 'Gravity Head' where they feature high-alcohol content and special season beers).  But the main reason we frequented the place was for their beer cheese.  It's one of a kind - spicy, cheesy, and absolutely perfect with some breadsticks.

So when I told Andy last week that I was making some pretzel bites to snack on while watching a pre-season football game, he eagerly suggested I make a beer cheese to go with them.  Always up for a challenge, I accepted, and boy am I glad I did.  I think I came pretty close (dare I say, maybe even better??) to our old time favorite from The New Albanian.

So if you're looking for a great Sunday snack - football lovers and non-football lovers alike - this is it!


Ingredients:
Adapted from Sunny Side Up in San Diego's Recipe

4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 & 1/4 cups warm water
5 cups flour
1/4 cup white sugar, plus 1 teaspoon
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 & 1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, melted and divided
1/2 cup baking soda
2 egg whites
Kosher salt, for topping
cooking spray


Beer Cheese:


1/2 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup Indian Pale Ale (or whatever favorite beer you might have)
1 tablespoon horseradish sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup Velveeta, cut into small cubes (I swear I wanted to use some Chipotle Cheddar Cheese, but I'd run out, and this was all I had - but it worked out so well!)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Freshly ground black pepper

In a measuring cup dissolve the yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Set aside for 10 minutes. If the mixture is foamy, you're good to go - if not, start over with new yeast.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, white and brown sugars, and salt.  Pour the water/yeast mixture and 2 tablespoons melted butter into the bowl. Knead for 6-8 minutes until the dough is smooth. Add extra water if dough is too dry, until you get your desired texture.

Lightly oil a large bowl. Shape dough into a ball. Place the dough ball in the bowl, cover with a clean towel, and allow to rise for one hour.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine 4 cups of hot water and baking soda. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg whites and remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter.

After the dough has risen, punch down the dough and then knead with hands for one minute. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and break off small chunks of dough - Roll the chunks into 1 inch diameter balls (I got about 20-25).

Dip the pieces in the baking soda water and place on the baking sheet.  Gently drying with a paper towel if they become too wet. Brush each pretzel ball with egg whites/melted butter then sprinkle with kosher salt.

Bake for 7-8 minutes, until browned.

To make beer cheese, place cream cheese in a microwave safe bowl and heat for about 30 seconds.  Stir until smooth.  Stir in beer, horseradish sauce, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.  Heat for another 30 seconds in the microwave.  Stir until smooth.  Add in Velveeta.  Heat another 30 seconds, and stir until cheese is melted and smooth. 

Pretzels and beer cheese.  Success at last!  And this beer cheese was so easy to whip up, that I will definitely be finding myself making it many many times over!  Even with Velveeta - I'm not ashamed!


Have a great weekend guys!  I just have to get through one more late shift at work and I've got 2 days of relaxation ahead of me!

Peanut Butter Quick Bread

Happy Thursday guys!  I'm absolutely exhausted from this week already!  And I've got to work through Saturday before I get to have my "weekend"!  Hopefully I'll make it.

I'm pretty stoked that tonight - in about 30 minutes, the official NFL regular season starts!  Football season is probably my favorite time of year.  Go Eagles!  And as an avid Peyton Manning-hater... I'm glad the sad little puppy dog is sitting out for a couple of months, but I digress.

Let's talk peanut butter.  I've found a new love.  Move over JIF (I keep it old school), I've got a new favorite.  And I'm pretty sure I'm late on this bandwagon, too.  But better late than never!  Peanut Butter & Co. Bee's Knees is the SHIZ!  I find myself just eating spoonfuls throughout the day because it's so good.  So I knew that using up the last bit of it in this bread was bittersweet because I'd be using up the last of it (I can always restock right?!), but also genius, because when you use good ingredients, good things happen right?  Right!

Ingredients:
Adapted from the 1945 Edition of The Boston Cooking School Cook Book

2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup peanut butter (I highly recommend using PB&Co!)
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk

Glaze:


1 tablespoon heavy cream
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Using a fork, incorporate peanut butter and beaten egg.  Stir in milk until a smooth batter is formed.

Grease a loaf pan and pour in batter.  Bake for about 50 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. 

Let rest on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes, or until cool enough to handle.

To make glaze, combine cream, powdered sugar, and peanut butter until smooth.

Remove bread from pan and pour glaze over top. 

This was pretty tasty.  If you're a peanut butter lover, you'd definitely love this!  It's something I don't see a lot of - especially when zucchini breads are so popular right now!  Hey... zucchini peanut butter bread - I think I may be on to something.  I'll experiment and get back to you guys!

See you guys tomorrow!  It's TGIF!

Grilled NY Strip w/ Vegetables & Olivada

Can you believe that before this meal, I haven't had a bit of red meat in over 2 months?  And you know what?  It made this meal all the better!

It was simple, but elegant.  We had our friend Terry over and he straight cleaned his plate.  That's always a sign that the meal is good, right?!

While I'm not usually a big fan of olives, this olivada (very similar to a tapenade - but easier!) was a winner in my book.  Intermingled with the vegetables and on top of the steak, it was a great condiment and rounded out the dish well.

So the next time your in the mood for a steak dinner - this is where it's at!


Ingredients:
Adapted from Food & Wine's recipe

1 red onion, cut into thick slices
1/2 cauliflower, cut into 2-inch florets
1 lb. asparagus, trimmed
1 yellow bell pepper, cored and cut into strips
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for brushing
salt and pepper, to taste
3 12 oz. New York Strip Steaks

Olivada:

1 cup green olives, pitted and chopped
1 tablespoon capers
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil

To make olivada, combine olives, capers, garlic, red pepper flakes, vinegar, and olive oil in a small bowl.  Let sit for about 20 minutes for flavors to meld.

Meanwhile, combine onion, cauliflower, asparagus, and bell pepper in a grill pan  Toss with 1/4 cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Grill under direct heat until vegetables start to char - about 10 minutes or so.  Toss vegetables with about half of the olivada.  Set aside.

Brush the steaks with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Grill steaks on direct heat, turning once, about 8-10 minutes for a medium rare.  Cook a little bit longer if you want them more done.  Let rest on carving board for about 5 minutes.

Serve steaks alongside the vegetables and top steaks with additional olivada, if desired.

Seriously, if you're a carnivore, this is sure to please ya!  I don't know if it was because I hadn't had meat in so long or what, but this meal is definitely a keeper!  See you guys tomorrow - have a great rest of your Wednesday!

Good-bye Summer!

The temperature has literally dropped like 40 degrees since Saturday.  It's a beautiful 58 F outside right now.  It's the first morning I've had to actually put on a sweatshirt to walk around the house.  And it feels amazing!

I'm still dreading going back to work after a nice and relaxing long weekend, but the bills gots to be paid, right?!  Anyway, in honor of letting summer go, I'm leaving you with a bowl of summer.  Because from here on out, the food is gonna get "comfy" and hearty... just like fall intended it to be!

No real recipe here.  Just combine your favorite fruits of summer (in my case, just simply green grapes and chunks of watermelon), and get your snack on!

I'll be back tomorrow with something less-lazy... I promise!

Peach & Clove Ice Cream

Happy Labor Day guys!

I always joke that this is my day... well, because my last name is "Labor".  I know, I'm a dork.

I thought I'd celebrate the day by sharing a special treat with you guys!

This was the first time I had busted out my ice cream maker all season long.  And I had to make it perfect if I was going to get Andy to like it - he's got this crazy belief that "dessert should not include fruit" - so if I was going to make this, and make him like it - it had to be incredible.

And you know what?  He LOVED it!  Albeit... he did mix it with a crumbled up brownie and drizzle it with chocolate syrup - but hey, I'll still take it as a win!  Me?  I enjoy the simple flavors of the peaches, and interesting addition of the cloves.  I like to savor every bite of this one, because it truly is one of my favorites!

Ingredients:
Adapted from Oklahoma Peach Fuzz's recipe

1-1/3 lbs ripe peaches (about 6), peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon Triple Sec
1 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
juice from 1 lime
Combine peaches, water, cloves, and Triple Sec in medium nonreactive saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until peaches are soft and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat.  Mix in sugar, and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Add peach mixture to food processor with Greek yogurt, heavy cream, milk, vanilla, and lime juice. Process until smooth. Chill thoroughly in refrigerator, about 6-8 hours. Once chilled, transfer to ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

Happy Labor Day guys - I'll be spending the day relaxing and not thinking about having to return to work tomorrow!

Mixed Greens w/ Apples & Smoked Gouda

I know I've been posting a lot of simple salads over the past few months - but I can't help it!  I love lunchin' on salads!

One of my favorite additions to salads are julienned apples - Granny Smiths to be exact.  Raise your hand if you agree!  They just give a welcomed and refreshing sour bite in the midst of some semi-bitter greens.

Happy mid-week to ya guys and just remember - 2 more days and it's a 3 day weekend (for those of us in the US that is!).


Ingredients:

Mixed greens
1/2 cup Smoked gouda, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Granny Smith apple, peeled and julienned
1/4 cup deli turkey, chopped

In a large bowl combine greens, gouda, apple, and turkey.  Serve plain or dressed with your favorite dressing!

Simple right?  Right. 

I promise I'll start posting "harder" recipes soon!  Stay tuned tomorrow for my review of our Danville, KY tasting and a meet-up with other KY Food Bloggers!  Have a great rest of your Wednesday guys!

Black Bean Salad

Hope everyone is having a good week so far!  I'm already ready for our three-day weekend!

I've got to head out to work tonight, but I just wanted to do a quick post first.

This black bean salad is quick, easy, and practically goes with any summer meal!  You could even eat it all by itself (I know, because I did for lunch a couple times!)

Ingredients:

1 15 oz. can seasoned black beans, drained
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
3 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
small handful fresh Basil, chopped
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste

In a medium sized bowl, toss together black beans, cucumber, tomatoes, garlic, parsley, basil, parmesan cheese, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.  Season with salt and pepper.

Let marinate in the fridge for at least 45 minutes for flavors to meld.  Serve as a side dish for practically anything!

Don't you just love easy, throw together dishes like this?  I know I do!  Have a great Tuesday guys!

Secret Recipe Club: Fish Tacos

I know what you're thinking.  I already had my turn.  I was in Group A that posted earlier this month for The Secret Recipe Club.  Now I'm just being greedy.

But no, I'm actually being helpful!  I got an e-mail at the beginning of the month, that somebody from Group C had backed out, leaving a blogger without a "Secret" partner.  And being that last month, I happened to be a blogger that had someone back out on me (and thank goodness Winnie from Healthy Green Kitchen stepped up to volunteer to do another post - she's awesome!), I knew I had to step up and pay it forward!

And it turns out I got one of my favorite blogs - Kelly from Eat Yourself Skinny!  Everything always looks good on Kelly's blog, whether it be her Grilled Chicken Thighs with Pineapple, Corn, and Bell Pepper Salsa or her Watermelon Martinis - there's something for everyone there.  And you know what the best part is?  Most, if not all, of Kelly's recipes are absolutely figure friendly and healthy for you!  You know how I know?  She includes all of the nutritional info with all of her posts, which is always helpful!

With so many choices, it was hard to pick what to make - but I eventually settled on her Sauteed Tilapia Tacos w/ Grilled Peppers & Onions.  Fish tacos are my absolute fave, and I believe it is essential that they grace everyone's table at least once during the summer!  I made a couple small changes, just based on things that I already had on hand - I used flounder as my fish and utilized my purple peppers from our CSA, as well as adding a little Asian flare with the Ginger Miso dressing (I'm obsessed right now!).

Ingredients:
Adapted from Eat Yourself Skinny's recipe

1 small onion, sliced
2 purple bell peppers, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
2 large flounder fillets (about 1/2 lb.)
6 corn tortillas
Ginger Miso Dressing (I bought some from a local sushi joint - but you could easily make your own!)

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet under medium high heat.  Add onions and bell pepper and cook until starting to soften, about 6-8 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Remove from skillet and set aside.

Season flounder on both sides with salt and pepper.  Heat remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the same skillet used for onions and bell pepper (if needed) under medium high heat.  Add flounder and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side, or until fish is white throughout.

Place tortillas on a microwave-safe plate and cover with a semi-damp paper towel.  Microwave for about 15 seconds, or until warm.

Flake off the flounder and divide amongst the tortillas.  Top with onion and bell pepper mixture.  Then add a little bit of ginger miso dressing on top, if desired.  Fold up and enjoy!

These were seriously delicious!  And I felt good eating them!  Although, my changes probably made them a little less healthy than Kelly's.

And funny story about these tacos.  I had eaten 2 out of the 3 when I had to get up from the table and get something from another room.  When I came back, my last taco was gone.  I looked at Andy and said "where's my taco?!"  He shrugged his shoulders, and then we both saw Zappa (one of our dogs), licking his chops on his bed, and a little piece of corn tortilla by his paw - the dog stole my taco!  And apparently he liked it too!

Anyway, these were tasty, and I can't wait to try more goodies from Kelly's blog!

Want to join in all the fun?  To find out how, check out The Secret Recipe Club!

S'Mores Pie

Ahh sweet Friday. 

I always love when this part of the week comes.  Especially when we have a full weekend planned.  Well, half of a weekend, anyway.  Tomorrow is the annual Brew At The Zoo.

I did a review of last year's festivities and it was a blast... and this time Andy gets to join.  So it's bound to be tons of brilliant fun.  So stay tuned for that.

And yesterday, I drove down to Danville, KY.  I met up with a few other food bloggers from the state (including Mindy from The World In My Kitchen, Lori from Fake Food Free, Fiona from Crazy Englishwoman Cooks, Beth from The Goodness of the Garden, Rona from Savoring Kentucky, Deanna from Mirabelle Creations, and Carolyn & Erin from Bourbon & Beans).  More on that next week, of course!  But it was so fun to finally meet in person - everyone was so friendly and warm, just like they are on all of their blogs!

Anyway, let's talk about everyone's favorite campfire treat.  I'll be the first to tell you that I am not a camping person.  AT ALL.  Bugs.  Nature.  No running water.  Yeah... I can't handle that very well.  But s'mores.  Those I can do.  And thank goodness I don't have to be in the middle of a forest to indulge in them! 

But actual s'mores can be somewhat messy (but I'm sure that's half the fun, right?) - so as soon as I saw this neat little pie over at The Pastry Affair, I knew I had to try it.  Andy said this was THE best dessert I've made ever.  EVER.  Personally, I don't think so - it was really rich, but I think chocolate ice cream is rich, so don't take my word.  Take Andy's.  After all... he knows best.

Ingredients:
Adapted from The Pastry Affair's Recipe

Graham Cracker Crust

2 cups honey graham crackers, about one sleeve
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted
2 teaspoon cinnamon

Chocolate Filling
 
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup milk
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Pinch of salt
2 eggs, whisked
1 bag of large marshmallows
Chocolate sauce (I used a bottled kind, but you could easily make your own), optional

Preheat oven to 325 F.

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until finely crumbled.

Add cinnamon and melted butter and pulse until combined and the mixture resembles wet sand. Press mixture into a 9 inch pie plate. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until fragrant.

Keep oven running.

In a medium saucepan, whisk together cream and milk. Warm over medium-low heat. Add in chocolate and salt. Stir until chocolate has melted and is smooth. Slowly add whisked eggs and mix until smooth and slightly thickened.

Pour chocolate filling into baked pie crust. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until chocolate filling is set and does not move when pie is lightly shaken. Remove from oven.

Cut marshmallows in half and place on top of the pie until covered.

Set oven to broil. Place pie under the broiler and lightly toast the marshmallows, about 2 minutes - but watch the marshmallows carefully because everybody's oven is different and you could go from toasted to crazy, nasty burned in a matter of seconds.

Drizzle with chocolate sauce, if desired.  Chill pie in the refrigerator to set for 2-3 hours.

Cut into slices and enjoy!

So yeah, I let Andy have half of the pie and took the other half to work.  Needless to say, it was a winner all around.  If you're a chocolate lover - you have got to try this!


Have a great weekend everybody!

Zucchini Frittata

Good morning! 

I woke up with a killer cramp in my calf this morning, so I'm slowly limping around the house.  As time passes, it seems to be getting better... but it doesn't look like I'll be getting my run in today.  I figure I better let it rest up and I'll get back at it Saturday.

I'm pretty stoked today because I get to take a little roadtrip to Danville, KY to meet up with a few other Kentucky Food Bloggers.  We're doing a tasting of a few restaurants tonight and I'm really excited to actually meet these awesome bloggers in person.  I'll definitely post pictures and a review of the experience next week!

I made this frittata when we had tons of zucchini from our CSA.  It was quick, easy, and my only complaint... I used too big of a pan, so it looks rather thin (and more like an omelette) than an actual frittata.  Oh well, it still tasted mighty good!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 zucchini, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
6 eggs
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup milk

In a medium skillet under medium high heat, add about 1 & 1/2 teaspoons olive oil.  Add zucchini and saute until starting to brown, about 5-7 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Remove zucchini and set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and milk together.  Season with salt and pepper.  Heat a non-stick skillet under medium low heat and add remaining 1 & 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil.  Coat pan with oil.

Pour the egg mixture into the pan and let cook until the egg starts to solidify, about 2-3 minutes.  Spread the zucchini over top of the eggs and top with cheddar cheese.  Cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until egg is cooked through and cheese is melted.

Slice and serve right away.

This was simple, delicious, and easy.  You could have it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  It's perfect for any time of day!  Feel free to swap out the ingredients for what you have, and add whatever you like!  Frittatas are versatile like that =)

Have a great Thursday guys!

Spicy Pickled Carrots & Asparagus

 

I've been dying to pickle something ever since the summer began.  Cucumbers, Okra, Radishes... you name it, I wanted to pickle it.  Did I ever get around to pickling those things?  Well, no.  Life got in the way.

But I did manage to do a quick pickle on some leftover carrots and asparagus that turned out great!  We used these on tacos, as accompaniment to salmon, and even ate them straight out of the jar.  Not bad for a first timer, if I do say so myself.


What's your favorite vegetable to pickle?

Ingredients:
Adapted from Apt. 2B Baking Co.'s Recipe

1 lb. carrots, peeled and julienned
about 10 asparagus spears, cut into 1 inch pieces
10 Thai chiles, split in half
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 & 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 cup warm water

In a medium bowl, combine carrots, asparagus, 2 teaspoons of sugar, and salt.  Massage sugar and salt into vegetables until they because somewhat flexible.  Transfer to a colander and rinse with cold water.  Drain.

In another bowl, combine the remaining sugar, rice wine vinegar, and warm water.  Stir until sugar is dissolved. 

Tightly pack the drained carrots, asparagus, and chile peppers into pint-sized mason jars (I did 2 jam-packed jars).  Pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables until about 1/2 inch from the top.  Seal jars and place in refrigerator overnight.

These were a quick pickle, so I'd say they would last no more than 3 weeks in the fridge.  Ours didn't last that long, since I pretty much served them with everything we ate!

I'm off to go play a night volleyball game and tomorrow I'm down for a road trip to Danville, KY where I'll be meeting up with a few other KY Food Bloggers.  Pictures to come!

Sausage & Peppers

Phew what a busy day it has been! 

I know it's crazy late, but you know me... had to get a post in.

After work today, I headed over to register for classes.  CULINARY SCHOOL CLASSES.  Oh yeah.  I don't think I've ever been so excited to receive a stack of textbooks and binders.  I think today it's really starting to sink in.  I'm actually going to culinary school.  I'm following a dream.  And it is awesome.

So now that I've gotten my excitement out of the way, let's talk food.

I recently received a package in the mail from the Foodbuzz Tastemaker's program to try a sample of an upcoming line of Birdseye Chef's Favorites.  They're a variety of side dishes that include Mushroom & Green Bean Risotto, Creamy Primavera Risotto, and Lightly Sauced Creamed Spinach. 

I paired the Mushroom & Green Bean Risotto with this sausage and peppers meal and it was okay.  It was a tad bit "mushroomy" for my taste - but I mean, it was Mushroom and Green Bean Risotto after all.  I tried the Creamy Primavera Risotto as well and I found it more appetizing.  My only real complaint was that the packaging said there were 2 servings per package.  Now, I don't know if Andy and I just expect big servings of things or what, but there was definitely only 1 feasible serving on the package.  But other than that, if you're looking for a quick side without the hours of labor - then this might be for you, so look out for it!

Now, these sausage and peppers are a different story.  Quick, easy, and tasty.  No complaints on this one!


Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
1 purple bell pepper, sliced
1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup diced tomatoes
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 mild italian sausages, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt, to taste

Heat olive oil in a large skillet under medium to medium high heat.  Add onions, jalapeño, and bell pepper and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until starting to soften.  Season with salt.

Add sausage slices and cook until browned, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes and mozzarella cheese until heated through and cheese is melted.


This was definitely a winner in my book.  Almost doesn't even need a side dish accompanied with it.


Well, I'm off to bed.  Have an early morning at work again tomorrow!  See you all in the afternoon!

*I received a free sample of Birdseye Chef's Favorites through the Foodbuzz Tastemaker's Program.  All opinions shared in this post are my own.

Duck Breasts w/ Panzanella

Happy Monday everybody! 

How was your weekend?  Ours was pretty relaxed, nothing new right? 

We had our first Fantasy Football draft of the season (we're in 3 leagues!) yesterday and I ended up with a pretty solid team.  I'm just so happy that #1.  NFL Football is actually happening this year. & #2. That the season is actually here!  Sundays = Football in our house!  And I can't help but laugh when I think about when I first met Andy, he didn't like any sports whatsoever.  I guess we do rub off on eachother.

Anyway...

I usually don't post something I've made right away.  I usually wait a day or two most of the time.  I've just got tons of things in my Lightroom gallery that it's hard picking what to do next.  However, we had this for dinner last night, and it was so amazing that I couldn't wait to share it.  Seriously, if you like duck (it's probably my favorite protein) and want something special and elegant - this is it.  Trust me.

Ingredients:
Adapted from Food & Wine's recipe

2 boneless duck breasts
4 ears of corn
2 potatoes, scrubbed and diced
15 asparagus spears, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
4 slices of bacon, chopped
5 slices of bread (we used a local bakery's Cereal Loaf), cut into 1 inch cubes
salt and pepper, to taste
1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup red wine vinegar

I'm so glad I decided to buy a whole duck instead of just the breasts.  It's a lot cheaper, plus I have the rest of the duck to use to make a confit (which is actually in the works as we speak! The house smells so good right now!).

Food & Wine recommends aging the breasts for 4 days - but I didn't have 4 days.  So I quickly aged the duck breasts for about 2 hours.  Just place the duck breasts in a glass dish, skin side up.  Season with salt and pepper and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours, and up to 7 days.

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Line up corn, asparagus, and potatoes on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Roast for about 30 minutes, or until potatoes are golden brown, stirring occasionally.  You'll want to flip around your corn every once in a while too.  Let vegetables cool slightly, then cut off kernels from corn cob.

While the vegetables are roasting, heat a large cast iron skillet under medium heat and add bacon.  Cook until bacon is crisp, about 5-7 minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel-lined plate.

Add the bread cubes to the bacon fat (this was genius!) and coat well.  Transfer skillet to the oven (on a rack underneath the vegetables) and bake until crisp, about 13-15 minutes.  Season croutons with salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet under medium high heat.  Add duck breasts, skin side down, and cook until skin is golden and crisp - about 12-14 minutes.  Turn duck over and cook until medium-rare (if you're not comfortable with that, cook it a little longer) about 4-6 minutes. 

Transfer duck to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.  Slice thinly.

While the duck is resting, you can prepare your panzanella.  In a large bowl, combine the corn, potatoes, asparagus, bacon, croutons, tomatoes, scallions, and oregano.  Toss well. 

In a small bowl, combine the red wine vinegar and 1/4 cup olive oil.  Season dressing with salt and pepper and drizzle over vegetables and croutons in bowl.  Toss to mix well.

Divide the panzanella among plates and top with slices of duck. 

Seriously, this was absolutely amazing.  I think it took Andy all of 5 minutes to clear his plate.  He said it was so good he couldn't help but keep shoving it in his mouth.  Me, I took it slow.  So I could enjoy every bite because it was really the perfect meal! 

Have a great Monday guys!

Chef Salad w/ Honey Mustard Dressing

Boy am I glad it's Friday!  I don't really have big plans for the weekend (possibly the KY State Fair?), but the usual - relaxing. 

Andy is going to be out tonight for a bachelor party, so that leaves me to fend for myself tonight for dinner.  I work late, so I might just throw together some CSA vegetables and see what I come up with!

Salads are always my go-to lunch during the week, but every now and then you'll see them appear for dinner.  I made this a while back, but it's still been in the back of my mind because it was one of the best and most filling salads I've ever had.  The easy honey mustard dressing really makes this something special!

Ingredients:

Dressing:

1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon chopped dill

Salad:

Romaine Lettuce
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and julienned
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
3 pieces of bacon, cooked and chopped
shredded cheddar cheese
sliced turkey, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped

I love the "Mason Jar" method when making salad dressings.  What is that?  Well, basically, throw in all of the ingredients for the dressing into a Mason Jar.  Shake until mixed.  Pour on top of salad.  Easy?  Hell yeah it is.

To assemble the salad, wash the lettuce and shake dry.  Divide among plates and top with apple, eggs, bacon, cheese, turkey, and carrots.  Drizzle on dressing. 

And bam!  Lunch or dinner is ready in no time. 

I don't usually like honey mustard as anything other than a dipping sauce for chicken, but on top of this salad... it was amazing.

What's your favorite salad & dressing combo?

Have a great weekend guys!