Summer Suppers 2

Holy deliciousness.  I can always count on Bobby Flay for sensational recipes, but this one is To. Die. For.   And I just love how it's so perfectly summery too.   If you've never had grilled peaches before, they are afreakinmazing, especially glazed with this luxurious, syrupy reduction of red wine vinegar and honey that comes together in just a few minutes.

Grilled Pork with Agrodolce Grilled Peaches (Click here for recipe)



We not only had rain in the forecast when we prepared this; it was pouring.  But hub wouldn't permit two consecutive non-grilled dinners, so he resorted to this arrangement.



He stood in the garage doorway, and the grill hid safely under the awning. The garage fire alarm only went off three times. A grill is NOT required for this feast though, so please let that not make you miss out on this seriously awesome dish. The pork can be roasted in the oven (look for a 135-140 internal temp), and the peaches would be fab broiled.

Our modification to the recipe was pretty much born of laziness. We used a pork tenderloin instead of a roast and didn't bother with the brine. We simply rubbed it with olive oil and generously sprinkled it with kosher salt, black pepper and chopped fresh rosemary. 



This immediately became a top 5 summer dish.   I'm in love, and I feel pretty darn confident that you will be too if you try this!

Summer Suppers

After a nutty few weeks with traveling and dinners of whatever-works, I was giddy to anticipate a relatively uneventful week at home.  This meant a Sunday afternoon sit down sesh to organize some meals for the upcoming week.  I'm the first to admit that I can deem that process a total pain and wish it - and the subsequent shopping/chopping/prep - over before it starts in favor of, oh, I don't know, a Starbucks date with Molly, a family baseball game in the front yard with pizza box cutout bases, a nap (wait, what is that again?).  But in this, the heart of summer, the vast a supply of fresh goodness had me jazzed to figure out what to cook.

This meal was actually tonight's dinner, and it was yummy enough to prompt a visit to my ever so slightly neglected blog!  This dish is tasty, satisfying, and super easy to prepare.  Try to find fresh sausage for this if you can...it's sooo good.

Sausage and Summer Squash  (Click here for recipe)



Just cook the sausage and veggies in your fave store bought Italian dressing amplified with chopped fresh garlic.  Brush the same dressing onto a sliced baguette and throw into a 400 degree oven until golden and crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside.




That's it!  What a fun surprise that simple Italian dressing can make this dish so surprisingly tasty.  And whoever says the bread isn't the best part is totally lying.

The only downside of this feast was the mess factor. Do you see the splatterville around the pan?  Argh.



We've actually made this dish on the grill before, which both adds great flavor and spares the kitchen clean-up.  No doubt we would have gone that route tonight had rain not been in the forecast.  The good news is that it's awesome prepared either way!

This easy dinner is a winner. I hope to have more successful summer suppers to report soon!

BSE

I must beg your forgiveness for such an uncreative title. It stands, simply, for Best Sauce Ever.  I'm irrationally jazzed up by dishes served with dipping sauces, because they lend another chance to pile on unique layers of deliciousness.  This dipping sauce was born after I had some leftover long peppers from a tangy, incredible steak sauce recipe and just had to dream them into a thicker sauce (reminiscent of my beloved Peruvian chicken).  What is a long pepper, you ask?



These are just a zippier version of roasted red peppers, which are a totally great substitute in this recipe, by the way. In all honesty, "recipe" is an indulgent term though, since this is really just a few ingredients quickly zapped together in a food processor that elevate a simple protein like rotisserie chicken into something seriously memorable. (I identify rotisserie chicken in the category of simple since it is most typical to pick up a rotisserie chicken at the store.   It may be no surprise that my hub resides in a different category: one that prepares said rotisserie bird himself, undeterred by 103 degree temperatures, with a result that could be the juiciest and most flavorful chicken ever. But as I had zero involvement in that project, I'll just say that this sauce is darn awesome on anything from store bought rotisserie chicken to wings to frozen chicken nuggets!)

Anyway, the scoop is below...  I so wish I measured this stuff precisely.  Even after a handful of preparations, I've never taken the time to figure out whether a "glug" really equals a tablespoon.  The good news is that it can be easily adjusted to taste.  If it needs a wake up, add a wee bit more vinegar.  If it feels overly acidic, add another squeeze of honey.  Remember to always season generously with salt and pepper too!



BSE

3-4 red long peppers
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup mayo
1 Tbsp (glug-ish) red wine vinegar
1-2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor, mini chop or blender and enjoy along with chicken, shrimp, or pork.   Don't forget the fries.

Bueller?

I am giddy to be back in the blogosphere today after one of the craziest work months ever, which seemed to allow time for little else in the way of responsibilities/chores/life, much less the fun escape of blogging.  I'm even more giddy to share this crazy fab recipe.  Can I tell you why? 

1.  It was amazingly savory...like restaurant-quality yumness that necessitated carrying on about it for nearly 30 minutes post-meal.
2.  Said yumness was achieved with very few ingredients.
3.  The whole thing was prepped and on the table in 30 minutes.

Seared Scallops with Fennel and Cherry Tomatoes (click here for recipe)

 

I've mentioned before that I love fennel...like, love it. Spotting it pictured in last month's Real Simple mag nestled in a rich broth with seared scallops and, even better, accented by two garlic toasts on deck for dunking, sealed the deal. This was on the list to prepare, um, immediately. We made a few modifications:  First, in lieu of searing, Ryan took the scallops to a super, super hot grill (for just a sec, so as to not overcook them, particularly since they would have a minute or two in the simmering broth to cook even further...scallops can turn from scrumptiously tender to heinously rubbery in a millisecond).  As no surprise, he grilled the bread as well.  It is kind of ridiculous how a brush of olive oil, sprinkling of salt and pepper, rub of a fresh garlic glove, and quick visit to hot grates elevates a simple baguette into an almost stupid level of deliciousness. 

I had an unexpected dose of happy from those little cherry tomatoes.  They simmered in the sauce just long enough to release their sweetness, which had a lovely mellowing effect on the slight brininess of the clam juice and white wine mixture.  The finished plate was to die for, which makes me again in awe of how little time and effort it required.  Even if Ryan wasn't outside knocking out the scallops and bread while I threw the sauce together at the stove inside, it still would have been ready in the prescribed 30 minutes.

If you're looking for an awesome date night or company-worthy meal, try this!

Holy Cow

After an unintentional, extended blogging hiatus, I can think of no better recipe to bring me back online.  Best. Friggin. Burger. Ever.  I know that is quite an assertion, and though my passion should admittedly be reigned back in to planet Earth from time to time, please trust that this is no exaggeration.  This is one of those food experiences that beg a closed eyes, slow motion approach to each dreamy bite.  No shame, folks.  No shame here at all.

Burger with Red Cabbage Slaw and Pickled Okra Russian Dressing (Recipe at the end of the post)



While the recipe calls for buffalo, I opted for 85/15 beef in the spirit of familiarity for the kids.  Ryan somehow managed to get the grill to a screaming 650 degrees, which delivered the most gorgeous crust to the outside of the meat itself.  So yes, the meat rocked.  But the toppings, oh the toppings... just total Heaven.

Imagine the first layer: delicious, melty fontina cheese hugging the burger.  Before it's nestled on the bun, the bread is first brushed smothered with an incredible Russian dressing speckled with none other than chopped pickled okra.  We hunted multiple stores for it just knowing that this vinegary element could be something to write home a blog about, and I'd go through that effort twice over to recreate this masterpiece of a burger.  Another generous spoonful of the sauce tops the burger, followed by a heap of tangy red cabbage and carrot slaw dressed in a light and sweet rice wine vinaigrette.  The bright flavor and crunch of the slaw amounts to perfection alongside the rich sauce.  No wonder you are famous, Bobby Flay.

Okay, so these burgers were no joke.  A pig out.  But it's hard to make something like a burger - especially one this insanely yummy - without some picnic-y sides.  I couldn't resist deviled eggs this time, which I'll blame on the little 'variations on the deviled egg' feature in the latest Real Simple mag.  We went the classic route, with mayo, fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper.  Would you believe that two of my six eggs had double yokes?  Isn't that weird?  I should probably go buy a lottery ticket.



For the second side, we brought out more Bobby Flay brilliance in the form of grilled sweet potato and scallion salad, which I've actually already rambled about here.  This is an easy, fresh, delicious salad that requires balsamic AND cider vinegar.  So you know I'm all over it.

Here's a shot of the plate in all its sloppy glory.



So yes, I'm hitting the gym hard this week after such a ridiculous caloric performance.  I know it's not something we should have every day.  My brain is clearly not cooperating, however, as it continues to strategize over when we can make these burgers again.

Burger with Swiss Cheese, Red Cabbage Slaw, and Pickled Okra Russian Dressing
Courtesy of Bobby Flay's Grill It

Burger
1 1/2 pounds ground buffalo (or beef, turkey, chicken, etc)
2 Tbsp canola oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 (1/4 inch thick) slices Gruyere or fontina cheese

Red Cabbage Slaw
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tsp honey
2 Tbsp canola oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 small head of red cabbage, finely shredded
1 large carrot, peeled and finely shredded.

Pickled Okra Russian Dressing
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup finely diced pickled okra
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.  To  make the slaw, whisk together the vinegar, honey, oil and salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl.  Add the cabbage and carrot and toss until combined.  Let sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour before serving.

2.  Heat grill to high.

3.  Form the meat into 4 burgers, each 1 inch thick.  Brush with the oil and season liberally with salt and pepper.  Place on the grill and cook until golden brown and slightly charred, 3 to 4 minutes.  Turn the burgers over and continue cooking until desired doneness.

4.  Place 2 slices of the cheese on each burger, close the lid or tent with foil, and cook until the cheese just begins to melt, about 1 minute.

5.  Spread some of the Russian dressing on the tops and bottoms of each bun.  Place a burger on each bottom half and top each burger with some of the slaw and a bun on top.  Serve immediately and devour.

Marth's Wise Words

Martha Stewart - my guru of domesticity - once instructed to always make your bed, because "cleanliness begets cleanliness".  She maintained that you'll be less likely to drop things on the floor around a pretty, perfectly made bed than if it were disheveled.   My poor, poor husband has actually endured me repeating that phrase to him, because, like many insane over the top helpful but questionably bizarre tips she offers, I ate it up with a spoon.  Anyway, I heard the same "begetting" concept on a commercial once (for cereal maybe?) that one healthy decision leads to another one.  So if you invest time to exercise, you're likely to make more responsible food choices since the progress is already under way.

I'll coin a new phrase today:  Cooking begets cooking.  Sometimes it's just a matter of getting started for the groove to kick in.  For those that like the idea of cooking at home, but can't seem to find the spark to get started, there are some great tools available to aid with the most common road block: time!  Here are a few...

• Meal swaps with friends
• Use the slow cooker
• Bulk frozen cooking
• 5-meals-in-1-day methods
• Preparing weekly menus (this is one of the first posts on this very blog!)

The only rule is to feel no pressure...because then it won't be fun and will just feel like yet another obligation on the to-do list.  Be further encouraged:  1) No one says "homemade" has to equal "fussy" or "gourmet"!  2) Cooking just once or twice can get you through the better part of a week if you plan for leftovers.  3) There's not a thing wrong with take-out.  To the contrary, taking a break is not only refreshing but necessary in my book.  (In fact, I'll be at Chick Fil A tomorrow night for my Kindergartner's school spirit night!)

If you're someone who is interested in cooking more, start small and give it a try...you might just find yourself on a roll.

My Vinegar Heaven

Italian Sub Salad (Click here for recipe)



Italian subs are one of my fave pizza shop staples, and the more heaping/gloppy the toppings, the better, as far as I'm concerned. A tangy vinaigrette and classic shake of oregano are so perfectly complimentary to salty Italian meats and provolone. 

When I came across this recipe claiming to convert such a substantial and delicious sandwich to a salad, my reaction was admittedly mixed: wow-this-sounds-incredible-if-it's-really-possible-to-achieve-the-awesomeness-of-this-sub-in-a-salad  vs. no-chance-a-salad-can-compare-to-the-awesomeness-of-this-sub-and-PS-recipes-like-this-kind-of-annoy-me.  It's probably rather clear since it's landing in this forum, but the former sentiment prevailed.  Hurray!

For me, the treasure of this salad comes from this glorious little jar of Italian pickled veggies.  I have no idea how I've managed to pass over such a gem of an ingredient for so long, as my love of pickled things clearly borders obsession. 

The zesty brine serves as the base for the dressing.  Genius.

A second dose of genius is toasted bread cubes (my theme lately, it seems), which boast the crispy outside and satisfyingly tender inside of a perfectly fresh Italian sub shop roll.  THEN these already tasty little nuggets take it one step further and drink up the dressing for a burst of flavor.

Toss some sweet Peppadews and salty olives from the Mediterranean bar on top, and I am totally in love. 

Win win to find such vinegary goodness (little less 'ode' and a little more, um, 'reverence' in this entry, eh??) in a salad that also just *nearly* satisfies like a sub!