Portobello, Broccoli, and Red-Pepper Melts

My sister in law came over a few weeks ago for lunch. She sent me a recipe she wanted to try, so between the two of us we collected the ingredients and made it together. I was very hesitant in it cause it sounds gross, and I do not like mushrooms usually. But, I am all into expanding my horizons and trying new things. Good thing cause these are awesome! The tasted like delicious little pizzas. The best part is they can be made to be super healthy, and they would make great appetizers for a party!

Portobello, Broccoli, and Red-Pepper Melts

1 small head broccoli, cut into small florets (stalk discarded)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 portobello mushrooms (stems removed), sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 red bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1 small garlic clove, crushed through a press
4 thick slices country bread
4 ounces Gouda cheese, thinly sliced

 

Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. On a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, toss broccoli with oil; season with salt and pepper. Broil, tossing once or twice, until broccoli begins to char, 4 to 6 minutes.
Add mushrooms and bell peppers to sheet; season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Broil, tossing once or twice, until vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes more; set aside.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Place bread on a work surface. Dividing evenly, spread with mayonnaise mixture, and top with vegetables, then cheese. Place on baking sheet, and broil until cheese is melted and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Baltimore Beef Bad Boys with Grilled Romaine

 This is a great recipe from the Food Network Magazine. It is great to have a recipe source that I know ALL the recipes will be good. This particular recipe comes from Guy Fieri, and if Guy Fieri told me dirt tasted good I would probably believe him. This recipe does not taste like dirt however, it is delicious and easy to assemble. It reminds of a beef rueben sandwich, and I love reubens. This is also a great recipe because my husband is in charge of the grill, so it is a great way to "trick" him into making dinner. 


We also threw out some grilled romaine to add to this meal. Cut the romaine hearts into halves or fourths. After you grill your meat add on romaine hearts with cut side down and grilled until the leaves are just charred. Top with crispy bacon, blue cheese and ranch dressing!

Baltimore Beef Bad Boys

2 tablespoons seasoned salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 pounds top round, cut in 2-equal pieces*
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup horseradish
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
16 slices Rye bread, lightly toasted

Combine seasoned salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper, onion and garlic powder, oregano, paprika and chili powder in a 1-gallon sealable plastic bag. Mix thoroughly and then add 1 piece of meat, shake it around in the bag, remove it and repeat with the second piece of meat. When both pieces are done, return them to the bag, and let marinate for 24 to 48 hours in refrigerator. Remove meat from refrigerator at least 20 minutes, prior to grilling.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, horseradish, garlic and sea salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and place into refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
Set grill or large grilling pan to high heat. Cook meat for 20 minutes or until desired temperature. Remove from heat, cover and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Best served medium-rare.
Slice cooked and rested steaks paper thin using either a knife or counter-top deli-slicer. Place 4-ounces of meat on a slice of toasted rye and spread on sour cream horseradish.

This made more than enough or my family of 5, so after I dredged the meat in the seasonings I wrapped one up and threw it in the freezer for next time!

*remember, you can ask the guy behind with meat counter at the grocery store to split your top round in half for you. 

Chipotle Shrimp with Broiled Asparagus

I love finding new recipes for shrimp. Our family can really put down the shrimp, so I always make sure to make a lot! This recipe is great because it can be easily doubled, and it is very easy. I served it with crusty bread and broiled asparagus.

Chipotle Shrimp
from May 2009 Real Simple


1 1/2 lbs shrimp peeled and deveined
1/2 tsp ground chipotle chilies or chicle powder
salt and pepper to taste
(since we are mass producing jalapenos from our garden, I also threw in a couple seeded and chopped jalapenos)

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook the shrimp until opaque throughout, 2-3 minutes per side.


Broiled Asparagus

1 lb asparagus, trimmed
salt and pepper
olive oil for brushing

Turn oven on the a low broil (if you don't have that option, just turn the broiler on and reduce the cooking time). Lay trimmed (just cut off the ends) asparagus on a baking sheet, and brush with olive oil. Them, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set in broiler for 5-8 minutes, watching closely. Remove when asparagus tips begin to blacken.

Garden Week: Avocado, Cucumber Tomato Salad

This is a very simple salad recipe I have from my mother-in-law. We love to make it during the summer with garden tomatoes (and this year with garden cucumbers from our neighbors). It is quick, easy, and delicious!

Avocado Cucumber Tomato Salad

1/4 tsp grated lemon zest
1/4 c lemon juice
1 TBSP white wine vinegar
1 c vegetable oil
1 1/2 lbs vine ripened tomatoes, chopped
2 cucumbers peeled, seeded and chopped
3 avocados, chopped

In a bowl whisk together zest, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Then whisk in oil, whisking until dressing is a milky liquid.  Put tomatoes, cucumbers and avocados in 3 separate bowls and toss with dressing. serve separately or on a platter divided into sections. Can be prepared 2 hours ahead and chilled.

I actually just mix everything together, and it works great that way too!

Garden Week: Fried Zucchini

This is the best fried zucchini hands down.

Fried Zucchini

1 3/4 c parmesan
1 1/2 c panko bread crumbs
3/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
3 medium zucchini peeled, and cut into rings or strips

Pour enough oil into a large frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inchs (or use a deep fat fryer). Heat oil over med heat to 350 degrees.

Stir 1 1/2 cups parmesan, the panko and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk the eggs in another bowl. Working in batches dip the zucchini in the eggs, let excess drip, and then coat the zucchini in the panko mixture, patting to adhere completly.

When oil is hot, fry the zucchini in batches until they are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Holiday Dinners: Father's Day

There are two times a year when I over do it on the food planning: Father's Day and my husbands birthday. I tend to plan way too many dishes and I spend the whole day cooking! Someday, maybe I will finally figure it out. So this is my father's day 2010 meal, all cooked by me, minus the steak because I don't do steaks.

New York Steaks seared and broiled to perfection by my awesome husband, topped with Gorgonzola cheese sauce


Gorgonzola Cheese Sauce

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons crumbled Gorgonzola

cheese

1 green onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

fresh ground black pepper to taste

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the butter, Gorgonzola cheese, green onion, garlic and pepper. Warm slowly for about 5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally until the sauce is nice and creamy.

With side dishes of: Not-Too-Sweet Baked Beans, Chantilly Potatoes, Corn on the Cob, and Butterhorn Rolls.

Not-Too-Sweet Baked Beans

From: Our Best Bites

1 15 1/2-oz. can Great Northern beans

1 15 1/2-oz. can navy beans

1 15 1/2-oz. can baby butter beans

1 15 1/2-oz. can pinto beans

2 14 1/2-oz. cans stewed tomatoes

1/3 c. molasses

2 Tbsp. light brown sugar

2 Tbsp. prepared mustard

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1/2 tsp. Tabasco or other hot sauce

6 oz. bacon (1/2 of an average-sized package), divided

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 350. Reserving two slices of bacon, cook the remaining bacon in a large skillet. While it's cooking, place all beans in a colander and rinse and drain. Transfer to a large baking dish.

Pulse the tomatoes in a blender or food processor about 5-6 times or until they are breaking down but not smooth. Pour over beans. Add molasses, brown sugar, mustard, salt, and pepper.

When the bacon has cooked, remove bacon from the pan and cook the onions in the bacon drippings, stirring frequently. While the onions are cooking, crumble the cooked bacon over the beans. Add onions and combine all the ingredients well. Cut remaining slices of bacon into 1" pieces and place over the beans. Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Allow to stand for 5 minutes and then serve.

Slow Cooker Instructions:

Follow the instructions for cooking in the oven, except place the ingredients in the crock of a slow cooker instead of baking dish. Cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours.

Chantilly Potatoes
from: My Kitchen Cafe


3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/4 cups heavy cream, chilled
3/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Place the potatoes in a large microwave-safe bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Microwave the potatoes on high for 8 to 12 minutes, giving the bowl a shake halfway through, and cooking until the potatoes are tender. Mash the potatoes well with a potato masher (or you can use a potato ricer set over a second large bowl). Cover the potatoes again with plastic wrap and microwave the mashed potatoes until they are heated through, 3 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper and stir well.

In a large bowl, beat the chilled cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Gently fold 2/3 of the whipped cream into the potatoes with a rubber spatula until the cream is mostly absorbed. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish. Carefully spoon the potatoes into the baking dish. They don't have to be evenly flat on top - you want to take care not to deflate this potato layer. They will look slightly uneven. With a rubber spatula, fold all but 1/4 cup cheese into the remaining cream. Spread the cheese/cream mixture over the potatoes and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

At this point you can either cover the potatoes and refrigerate until baking. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bake the potatoes, uncovered, for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are hot and the top is golden brown. If you are making the potatoes to eat immediately, preheat the broiler and broil the potatoes until the top is golden, 2 to 3 minutes (don't let them burn!). Let rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

Buttery Peas with Thyme

I really struggle with vegetable side dishes. I am one to make a great meal, and then serve it with a side of steamed broccoli, peas, or corn. Nothing fancy, and if you are lucky, I will even put butter on them. When I saw this recipe on My Kitchen Cafe, I was so excited. We love peas at our house, but I love the thought of doing something different with them. These are great tasting and easy to make.

Buttery Peas with Thyme
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 medium onion)
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 medium garlic cloves, finely minced
3 cups frozen peas
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 teaspoon fresh)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and add the onion, sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook until the onion is softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in the peas and thyme and cook, stirring often, until the peas are just heated through, about 3 minutes. Season with black pepper (and additional salt if desired) and serve immediately.

Recipe Source: from My Kitchen Cafe/originally adapted from The Best Skillet Recipes by Cook's Illustrated

Corn and Black Bean Salad

I had lunch at a friends house a few weeks ago, and she served this fabulous corn and black bean salad. I have been looking for a good recipe like this, so I was very excited when she brought me a copy of the recipe! There are many different variations to this recipe, so I will just post the one I did. But, if you make this, get creative and throw in whatever sounds good, you might be surprised!

*I apologize for the blurry picture, I think I was just too excited to eat it! Just be grateful you're getting a picture

Corn and Black Bean Salad

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained and rinsed
1/2 c (or more) or chopped fresh cilantro

Combine in a bowl and let chill while making the dressing.

Dressing:
2 tbsp vinegar (be creative and use whatever vinegar you want. I used 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar and 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp salt (I added a bit more to carry the flavor)
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Whisk the dressing ingredients together then pour onto vegetables. Store in the refrigerator.