Black and Blue Sliders

Jeff and I recently visited some friends in Asheville, North Carolina.  We had a wonderful time.  We went to the Biltmore, the Grove Park Inn, and many breweries.  Every restaurant we visited had some version of this burger on the menu.  I liked it so much that it was the first dish I made upon our return.  I decided to make sliders because the taste is so bold that a little bite will do you. This tastes really good with a dark stout.

Servings:  8 burgers
Hardware:  Measuring spoons and cups, a small plate, a large plate, a pepper grinder or a mortar and pestle, a spatula, a heavy bottomed frying pan

Time: Prep-5 minutes, Cook-7 minutes

 

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ pounds ground beef (the best that you can afford)
• ¼ cup course cracked peppercorns
• Salt
• Enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan
• ¾ cup blue cheese dressing
• ½ cup crumbled blue cheese
• ½ cup French fried onions (I use Durkee)
• 8 potato dinner rolls

1. Coarsely crush the pepper and place it into the small plate.
2. Divide the ground beef into 8 equal ¾ inch patties. Sprinkle both sides with salt.  Press one side of each patty into the cracked pepper.
3. In the pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high.  Place each burger pepper side up into the pan.  Cook for 3 minutes and then flip.  Cook for 3-4 more minutes. Place one tablespoon of blue cheese onto each burger during the last minute or so of cooking.
4. To serve place the warm burgers, pepper side down, onto the split buns.  Top each burger with 1 ½ tablespoons of dressing and 2 tablespoons of French fried onions.

How to Host an Easy Dinner Party

I host dinner parties often.  I’ve thrown them to show off a newly decorated room in my home, to get to know my new co-workers, to celebrate the holidays, and to catch up with old friends.  Throwing a party may seem like a daunting task, but if you plan very carefully you can have just as much fun hosting one as you do attending one.




3 weeks before the party:  Make a guest list.  Keep the party small.  I try to keep the number down to eight diners in total.  Send invitations.  How you send the invites will set the tone for the party.  Hand written invitations sent through the mail mean the party will be more formal.  A phone call or an e-mail signal that the party will be less formal. 

Two weeks before the party:  Create a menu.  Think about any dietary restrictions your guest may have.  Don’t decide to serve something exotic.  While you may love fried eel or goat burgers (I do), you shouldn’t assume that your guests are as adventurous as you.  Choose items that can be made or prepped before hand or that don’t require you to spend a great deal of time in the kitchen.  Try to think through the entire meal:  appetizers, salad, entrée, side dish and dessert.  If the entrée is heavy, serve a light salad and dessert.  If the entrée is light, you can serve more appetizers and a more substantial dessert. Think about foods that are in season because this will make your dinner taste better and keep the cost down. Use the internet.  Many web sites have dinner party menus already created for you.  If you chose a dish you have never cooked before, prepare it once before the party for practice.  Your guests are not Guinea pigs.  

One week before the party:  Choose entertainment.  Will you sit around and talk?  Play a game?  Watch a movie?   Play Wii?  I recently had friends over and we watched the opening ceremonies of the Olympics.  When deciding upon the entertainment, know your audience.  Also don’t become wedded to your idea.  There is nothing worse than forcing a room full of disinterested people into playing charades.  Once the party starts, go with the flow. If everyone seems to be enjoying the conversation, just let that happen. I really think of entertainment as a back up plan if the party is experiencing a lull. 

Two days before the party:  Clean your house.  You should not put everything off until the day of your party.  Things go wrong.  You underestimate the time it will take to prepare dinner.  Get the house clean early and then you will just need to spot clean the day before hand.  Also, write out a shopping list.  Writing the list early will give you time to tweak it.

The day before the party:  Go shopping.  Spot clean your house.

The morning of the party:  Spot clean.  Pre-prep all the food that you can.  Pre-measure everything.

Two hours before the party:  Set the table.  Put out flower arrangements.  Get yourself ready.

One hour before the party:  Make the appetizers.  Set out all the pots, pans, and cooking utensils you will need.  Take any ingredients you can and set them out for ready use.

During the party:  Have fun!  Just stack the dishes in the sink and worry about cleaning tomorrow.

Beer Cheese Soup

This soup is wonderful: the sweet milk, the bitter beer, and the salty cheese meld together to make your mouth very happy. The creamy texture is complemented perfectly by the crunch of croutons. So the next time the day is blustery or the night is dark and cold, warm up the people you love with this hardy, simple soup.












Servings: 4-6 (depends on your appetite)
Time: Prep: 10 minutes; Cook: 20 minutes
Hardware: Measuring spoons and cups, a cutting board and knives, a bowl, a large soup pot, an immersion blender (or a food chopper, or food processor), a whisk, a wooden spoon, a ladle, serving bowls
Optional: a small frying pan, a plate covered in a paper towel

Ingredients:

• ½ stick of butter
• ½ a leek
• 2 stalks of celery
• 1 large carrot
• 2 cloves of garlic
• ⅓ cup flour
• 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cups broth (chicken or veggie)
• 2 cups of brown ale (I used New Castle)
• 2 cups of milk
• 4 cups of shredded cheddar (the best you can afford)
• Fresh ground black pepper
• Black pepper and sea salt croutons
• 4 pieces of bacon (optional)

1. If you are using the bacon, fry it until it is crisp. Put it on the paper towel covered plate to drain.
2. Slice the leek as thin as possible. Separate it into rings. Place the leeks into a large bowl of cool water and swish around to remove any dirt. Drain.
3. Clean and dice the celery, carrots, and garlic.
4. Place the butter in the pot and melt on medium. Add the veggies to the butter and cook on medium until the veggies are soft, about 7 minutes. Purée the veggies.
5. In the soup pot, whisk the puréed veggies and the flour until it is the consistency of paste. DO NOT allow the mixture to brown.
6. Stir in the mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Slowly stir in the broth and the beer. When the foam has disappeared, turn the soup up and allow it to boil for 2- 3 minutes.
7. Turn the soup back down to medium and stir in the the milk. DO NOT LET THE SOUP BOIL FROM THIS POINT ON!
8. Add a cup of the cheese. Stir until it is completely melted. Continue to add the cheese by the cup, stirring, and melting until all the cheese has been added.
9. Allow the soup to simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring often.

To serve, ladle the soup into serving bowls, place 2 grinds of black pepper onto each serving. Place a few pieces of crumbled bacon and a few croutons in the center of each bowl. Serve right away.

Sunshine Peach Cobbler

My friend Kathy has been bringing peaches to work for lunch all week. I have also seen them for sale in the grocery store. So I have peaches on my mind. The fact that I live in Florida means that I have access to fresh Georgia peaches. Georgia peaches come to market in May and last until around the end of August. Sadly, peach season is ending. So you should make this dessert right away. Otherwise, you’ll have to wait another year to enjoy summer in a bowl.

Servings: 8-10
Time: Prep: 15 minutes, cooking: 55 minutes
Hardware: Measuring cups and spoons, knives, cutting board, wooden spoon, sauce pan, mixing bowl, and a 13”x 9” glass baking dish

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/16 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 4 cups fresh peach slices-5 to 6 peaches
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 2 tablespoons orange preserves

1. Preheat the oven to 375°
2. Put the butter in the glass dish and put it in the pre-heating oven to allow it to melt.
3. Remove the glass dish from the oven.
4. Combine the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt; add the milk, stir until the dry ingredients are just moistened.
5. Pour the batter over the butter. DO NOT stir.
6. Mix the corn starch in the orange juice until it dissolves.
7. Put the peach slices, brown sugar, orange juice and orange preserves in the sauce pan and bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir constantly.
8. Pour the peaches over the batter. DO NOT STIR.
9. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until it is golden brown.

 Serve the cobbler warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It also tastes great at room temperature.

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Hint, Hint:  Learn how to peel a peach here

Shrimp and Surimi Salad

“What is surimi?” you ask. To tell the truth it is Krab with a “k”. Most people think that eating Krab is a joke. Joke’s on them.  This salad is wonderful with a “w”.

This is the perfect summer salad

Servings: 4-6
Time: Prep: 20 minutes; Cooking: 2 minutes
Hardware: Measuring spoons and cups, a cutting board and knives, 2 large pots, a colander, a bowl, a mixing spoon

Ingredients:

• ½ pound 31-35 count shrimp
• 1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
• Ice
• ½ pound surimi “Krab legs” (I use Kanimi Crab Smart Sticks)
• 1 lemon
• ¼ cup plain yogurt
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 green onion stalk
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill
• Salt to taste

1. Zest and slice the lemon. Set the zest aside.
2. Place the lemon slices and Old Bay in a pot. Fill the pot with water and bring it to a boil.
3. Fill the other pot with ice and water.
4. Drop the shrimp in the boiling water and cook for 2-2 ½ minutes.
5. Drain the shrimp and place them in the ice bath to stop them from cooking. When they have cooled, drain them again.
6. Peel and clean the shrimp. Cut each shrimp into three pieces.
7. Cut the surimi sticks into ½ inch slices.
8. Wash and slice the green onion.
9. Wash and chop the dill.
10. Mix the yogurt, mayo, onion, dill, and lemon zest.
11. Fold in the shrimp and surimi. The surimi should separate.
12. Salt to taste.
13. Refrigerate until you are ready to use.

This salad is great on a bed of Bibb lettuce. You can also make really tasty sandwiches by serving this on crusty bread with slices of fresh tomato and shredded lettuce.

Chicken Agrodolce

Agrodolce means bittersweet in Italian.  Honey lends sweetness to the bitter tang of balsamic vinegar.  The taste is complex, but the dish is simple to make.  
This is NOT traditional Agrodolce (which has raisins and olives) but my very American take on the dish.

Servings: 4-6

Time:    Prep: 10 minutes; Cook: 15 Minutes

Hardware:  measuring spoons, a cutting board and knives, a gallon Ziploc bag, a heavy bottom skillet (I prefer a cast iron skillet), a wooden spoon,  tongs, a plate, tinfoil, a whisk (I use a flat whisk)

Sticky, sweet, tangy goodness

 

 

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons very hot liquid (water or chicken stock)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (maybe more)
• 1 lb chicken breast sliced very thin and cut into bite size pieces
• 1 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• S&P to taste

1. Mix the hot liquid (I use chicken stock), vinegar, and honey together.  Stir until the honey is melted.  Set aside.
2. Place the flour, cornstarch, onion powder, thyme, and garlic salt in the Ziploc.  Shake like crazy to mix.  Put the chicken in the bag and shake it.  Make sure all the chicken pieces are coated.  Set aside.
3. Loosely tent the plate with foil.
4. Heat the olive oil in the pan on medium high.
5. Shake as much flour from the chicken as possible and add it to the pan a few pieces at a time.  Don’t crowd the chicken.  You may need to cook it in batches.  If you cut the chicken thin enough it should only need to cook for 2- 2 ½ minutes per side.  Turn the chicken with the tongs.  Remove the cooked chicken from the pan and keep it warm in the tinfoil tent as you add more pieces.
6. You may need to add a little more olive oil if the pan becomes dry.
7. Turn the pan down to medium and add the liquids.  Use the whisk to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Allow the sauce to simmer for about 3 minutes.  Using the whisk, stir often, scrapping the bottom and sides of the pan as you do.
8. Add the chicken to the sauce and cook for another minute or so until everything is warmed through and the chicken is coated.
9. S&P to taste

Serve right away.  This goes great with rice.

Flatbread Fish Tacos

This beautiful dish screams, "Spring!"  Well it doesn't actually scream, but you might after you taste it.  It's that good!

Servings: 4

Time:  Prep: 10 minutes

Hardware:  A cutting board and knife, measuring spoons

Ingredients:

• 1-1b prepared, warm breaded fish fillets (You can purchase them or make your own)
• 6 tablespoons Lime Chipotle Mayo (you can substitute plain mayo or salsa)
• ½  pint cherry tomatoes
• 1 ½ cups shredded lettuce
• 2 green onions
• 1 avocado
• 1 lime
• 4 flatbreads (I like Toufayan)

SPRING!

1. Wash the veggies.
2. Chop and seed the tomatoes.
3. Slice the green onions and the avocado.
4. Slice half the lime for garnish.
5. Warm the flatbreads according to package directions.
6. Divide the fish among the flatbreads.
7. Drizzle mayo over the fish.
8. Divide the veggies evenly among the flatbreads.
9. Squeeze the lime over each flatbread.

Serve with a lime slice to garnish.  You can change this up by using Lime-Ginger-Garlic Dressing instead.

Gnocchi with Sausage Cream Sauce

I just created this dish last night.  It is very good, if I do say so myself.

Servings: 6-8

Time:    Prep: 10 minutes, Cook: 25 Minutes

Hardware:  measuring spoons and cups, a cutting board and knives, a can opener, a large heavy-bottom skillet (I prefer a cast iron skillet), a large soup pot, a slotted spoon, a bowl, a colander

Gnocchi are fluffy potato dumplings

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 oz Italian sausage (spicy or mild)
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 small onion (1 cup)
• 1 small red bell pepper
• 4 oz baby Portobello mushrooms
• 2~14.5 oz. cans of diced tomatoes-Undrained
• 1 sprig rosemary
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 cup cream
• 4 leaves of basil
• 4 quarts of water
• 16 oz gnocchi
• Salt & pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese

Garlic bread

1. Heat the oil in the skillet on medium.
2. Remove the sausage from the casing, cook and crumble, until it’s no longer pink.  (About 7 minutes)
3. Put 4 quarts of salted water on to boil.
4. While the sausage is cooking prep the veggies.  Dice the onion and garlic.  Wash and slice the mushrooms.  Remove the seeds and white ribs from the pepper.  Cut it into long, thin strips. Set aside
5. Remove the sausage with the slotted spoon and place it in the bowl.  Set aside.
6. Drain most of the fat from the pan.
7. Place the veggies in the pan and sauté over medium heat until the onions are clear. (About 5 minutes)
8. Return the sausage to the pan.  Stir in the tomatoes, wine, and pepper flakes.  Throw in the whole sprig of rosemary. 
9. Allow this to boil vigorously for about 8 minutes.  Stir occasionally.
10. Stack the basil leaves and roll them up.  Cut them into very fine strips.  Set aside.
11. Add the gnocchi to the salted water.  They will only take about 4 minutes to cook.  They are done when they float. 
12. While waiting for the gnocchi, turn the heat under the sauce to low.  Stir in the cream and basil.  Fish out the rosemary stem.  It will be naked.
13. As soon as the gnocchi begin to float, drain them.  Add them to the sauce immediately. 
14. S&P to taste.
15. Serve right away.

Serve with garlic bread.  Offer your guests Parmesan.

10.  This is called chiffonade

Bone-in Chicken and Yellow Rice

Today when I woke up it was cool outside.  So in anticipation of fall I am giving you a warm, hardy dinner.

 

Servings: 4

Time:    Prep: 10 minutes; Cook: 45 -50 Minutes

Hardware:  measuring spoons and cups, a cutting board and knives, a large heavy bottom skillet (I prefer a cast iron skillet) with a lid, a wooden spoon, tongs, a can opener, a plate, tinfoil

 

Ingredients:

1. 2 tablespoons olive oil
2. 4 chicken thighs
3. 3 cloves of garlic
4. 1 small onion
5. ½ cup trinity pepper mix
6. 2 teaspoons turmeric
7. ½ teaspoon cumin
8. ½ teaspoon saffron
9. 28 ounces canned diced tomatoes –DO not drain
10. 1 cup rice
11. 2 cups of chicken broth
12. 2 bay leaves
13. 1 cup frozen sweet peas-thawed
14. ½ cup green olives with pimentos-chopped (optional)
15. Salt & pepper to taste

1. Dice the onion and garlic.
2. Wash the chicken.  Salt and pepper both sides.
3. Heat the olive oil in the skillet on medium high.
4. Add the chicken skin side down and cover.  Turn the pan down to medium and cook for 8 minutes.
5. Turn the chicken with tongs, cover, and cook for 7 more minutes.
6. Remove the chicken to the plate and tent with the foil.
7. Pour most of the fat from the pan.
8. Add the peppers, garlic, and onion to the pan and turn the heat up to medium high.  Allow the onions to sweat.
9. Add the rice to the pan and sauté it until the edges of the rice are clear, about a minute. Stir in the cumin, saffron, and turmeric.
10. Add the can of tomatoes and the broth.  Allow the rice to come to a boil.
11. Tuck in the bay leaves.
12. Place the chicken skin side up on top of the rice. 
13. Turn the heat down to low and cover.
14. Allow the dish to simmer, covered, for 20-30 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.
15. Remove the bay leafs and stir in the peas and olives (if you are using them).
16. Salt and pepper to taste.

To plate pour the rice into a serving dish and lay the chicken skin side up in the middle.  Offer hot sauce, salsa, and malt vinegar at the table.

I love the bright red, green, and yellows

Orange Beef Broccoli

This dish is inspired by my favorite Chinese take out.

Marinade

 Servings: This will marinate up to 2 pounds of steak and give you an extra cup for sauce.

Time: Prep 10 minutes Resting: 2-6 hours

Hardware: Measuring cups and spoons, a cutting board and knives, a glass (or some other non-reactive) bowl, wooden spoon or a whisk, NO POWDER latex gloves, a large plastic Ziploc bag, a container for saving a cup of liquid (a plastic Glad container, an old jelly jar), and a refrigerator

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup rice wine vinegar (you can substitute apple cider vinegar)
• 2 cups orange juice
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1/8 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sliced ginger
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 chopped green onion (all of it, even the green part)
• 1 large hot pepper, diced (I use Serrano peppers. Choose whatever pepper you like. The seeds and the white ribs of a pepper contain the heat. So remove these accordingly. If you aren’t into spicy food, remove all of the seeds and ribs. I just wash and dice mine. I like hot. Always seed and chop peppers using gloves.)
• 1 ½ pounds 1 inch thick sirloin steak

1. In a large glass bowl mix all of the ingredients except the steak.
2. Reserve one cup of the marinade. It will become sauce later. Store it in the fridge until you need it.
3. Put the steak in the Ziploc. Pour the remaining marinade in the bag too. Place that in the fridge. (I always put this in a bowl, bag and all, because sometimes those zippers unzip. Then you have a huge mess.)
4. Marinate from 2-6 hours, turning the bag over every once in a while. 

Orange Beef Broccoli

Servings: 6

Hardware: Measuring spoons, a large skillet that can be used on top of the stove and in the oven (I use a cast iron frying pan), tongs, a cutting board, knives, a plate, tin foil, a wooden spoon, a measuring cup, a fork

Time: Prep: 5 minutes Cooking: 20 minutes

 Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 ½ pounds marinated steak
• 1 large red bell pepper
• 1-12 ounce bag of Steam-In-the-Bag frozen broccoli florets
• 3 green onions
• 1 small orange (when buying an orange make sure to find one with a beautiful skin)
• 1 cup of cold water
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 cup of the reserved marinade
• 2 teaspoons of sesame seeds

1. Pre-heat the oven to 500.
2. Wash and dry the vegetables and fruit.
3. Heat the olive oil in the skillet on high. You want the pan to be HOT.
4. Drain the steaks and place the steaks in the very hot pan. The idea is to sear the outside.  Allow the steaks to sear for two minutes on each side. Turn them with the tongs.
• Hint: Always turn meat with tongs. When you use a fork, you must pierce the surface, allowing juices to escape, and in the process drying out the meat.
5. Put the steaks, in the same pan, into the pre-heated oven. Cook them 5 minutes for rare and 7 for medium rare. If you want them cooked more than that, you should stop eating steak.
6. While the steaks are in the oven prep the veggies.
7. Seed the pepper and remove the inner white ribs. Slice it into long thin strips.
8. Chop the green onions.  Discard the root.



Beautiful & healthy

9. Slice the orange against its natural segmentation. You want orange wheels. Remove any seeds or fibers.
10. Remove the pan from the oven. Careful it is HOT. Place the steaks on the plate and loosely tent them with foil.
11. Put the same pan onto a medium high burner. Open the bag of frozen broccoli and pour it into the pan. Stir fry for 2 minutes.
12. Add the pepper. Stir fry for another 2 minutes.
13. Add the green onion and the orange. Cook for a minute. Push the vegetables to the side.
14. Add the cornstarch to the cold water. Use the fork to mix until the cornstarch is completely dissolved.  Add the cornstarchy water and the reserved marinade to the hot pan and stir. Allow it to boil. The mixture should thicken.
15. Stir so that all the vegetables are covered and remove the dish from the heat.
16. Slice the steak, against the grain, into bite sized strips. Add to the vegetables.
17. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

Serve immediately with Baked Egg Rolls for an Asian-inspired meal. 

It can be eaten over rice, Raman noodles (yes those Raman noodles, just drain completely and discard the flavor pack), rice noodles, or egg noodles.

This dish is so vibrant that it doesn’t need garnish.