Bourbon, Bacon & Burgers...Brilliant!

Good evening everyone! First and foremost, my apologies for not posting my regularly scheduled recipe last week – we ran into a little ingredient difficulty (Read: shortage) and that forced me to postpone my dish into this week.

If you watch the Food Network with any sort of regularity, you’ve likely encountered the show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives”. If you’re unfamiliar with the show and its boisterous host, Guy Fieri, the premise is simple. Guy travels across the country stopping at various diners, drive-ins and dive bars, looking for the best menus, great food items and unique culinary ideas. We enjoy the show simply because you get to see such a large cross section of American cuisine. There are those that find Guy’s passionate and catch phrase heavy presentation to be too much of a shtick, but if you’re going to let things like that bother you – your issues are probably more with yourself than with any host of any show.

Last month’s Food Network Magazine featured a burger from the show. The burger was discovered during Guy’s visit to St. Paul Minnesota at a place called Casper’s & Runyon’s Nook. This recipe blends some of my favorite things – burgers, bacon and bourbon -  and is appropriately called “The Triple B Burger” You can’t have a trifecta like that and NOT expect me to try it! Let’s get cooking!

The Recipe: The Triple B Burger

Original Recipe From: Casper’s & Runyon’s Nook (St. Paul, Minnesota)

What You’ll Need:

(Serves 6)

For the bourbon sauce:

¼ Cup Cornstarch

¼ Cup Confectioners’ Sugar

¼ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

¼ Teaspoon Salt

¼ Teaspoon Black Pepper

¾ Cup Bourbon

2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup

1/3 Cup Sesame Oil

2 ½ Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar

1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard

1 Teaspoon Minced Garlic

1 Teaspoon Minced Onion

1 ½ Teaspoons Tabasco Sauce

½ Cup Packed Brown Sugar

½ Cup Granulated Sugar

For the burgers:

2 Pounds 85/15 Ground Beef*

12 Slices Thick Cut Smoked Bacon, Cooked Until Crispy

6 Slices Mild Cheddar Cheese

6 Fresh Bakery Buns, Buttered and Toasted

* Many burger recipes call for 80/20 beef, simply because they want all of that fat to stay within the burger for a juicy finish. More fat means a greater chance that the beef will retain that moisture. I’ve found that 80/20 beef tends to cause more grill flare ups (essentially – grease fires) than it’s worth. By dropping the ratio to 85/15, I’ve reduced the flare ups and still manage to preserve a great deal of the burgers natural juices. For burgers 90/10 is typically too lean, but 85/15 seems to be the sweet spot (when using a grill at least).

In a medium bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Set this mixture of dry ingredients aside. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan or skillet (12 inches) combine the bourbon, 1 cup water, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, maple syrup, sesame oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic, onion, Tabasco, brown sugar and granulated sugar over medium low heat. Bring this mixture to a light simmer before slowly incorporating the dry ingredients with a whisk. When the mixture is well combined (no clumps or dry ingredients should remain) all the mixture to simmer for one more minute before removing it from the heat. Set this mixture aside.

Preheat your grill to medium heat and bring it up to temperature. Lightly season your burger patties with salt and pepper, then place them on the grill to cook for 4 to 5 minuets per side (medium doneness is achieved at this time, add time to increase doneness). 1 minute before the burgers are done, add a cheese slice on top of each burger and close the lid of the grill to allow the cheese to melt completely. Remove the burgers from the grill, add them to your toasted buns topped with the crispy bacon and a generous helping of the bourbon sauce. Serve and enjoy!

The Results:

Burgers with bacon and cheese are as guaranteed as death and taxes. It’s pretty tough to screw that premise up – so the real question is – how was the bourbon sauce? In short, delectable. The sauce was a beautiful blend of sweet yet smoky flavors with the undertones of the bourbon shining through with each bite. The harsh ‘bite’ that most people find unappealing in bourbons was gone, replaced by a sweet (but not too sweet) base from the sugars and maple syrup. Drizzled all over this burger, this sauce was simply perfection.

That’s all we have for you this week, we’re back next week with a few brand new recipes, including a dessert recipe that you’re sure to love. Until then,

~Cheers

It's Mag-potle

Good evening everyone!  As I was compiling my dishes (yes, there is more than one this week,) it hit me that both of these recipes have a restaurant equivalent.  By no means did I intend on doing this, it was a happy surprise, so I'll roll with it.  I am a big fan of Chipotle, but I'm often discouraged that their dishes are quite high in caloric count (and that's without any chips and salsa or a drink.)  While Chipotle is known for their burritos, tonight's recipe can be comparable to their burrito bowls (same ingredients for the burrito go in the bowl, without the large flour tortilla to wrap it in.)  Tonight, we're cutting the calories even more.  With more flavorful and better for you ingredients, this recipe can be made in a snap, without relying on Tex-Mex pitstop.

The Recipe:  Tex-Mex Rice Bowl
Original Recipe Found In:  Cooking Light, September 2013 iPad Issue

What You'll Need:
1 (8.8 Ounce) pouch precooked Brown Rice
8 Ounces ground Sirloin*
1/4 Cup Water
1 1/2 Tablespoons 40%-less-sodium Taco Seasoning
1/2 Cup frozen Whole-Kernel Corn
1 (15 Ounce) can organic Black Beans, rinsed and drained
1 Cup fresh Pico de Gallo
1 Jalapeno Pepper, minced
4 Teaspoons chopped fresh Cilantro

*We found that it's quite impossible to find sirloin that is comes pre-ground.  As Tyler has mentioned previously, that's one task that can be easily solved.  If the sirloin comes in steaks, cut them into one-inch pieces.  Place the sirloin pieces in a food processor and pulse six to eight times.  This will yield a similar result to ground beef.

To start, cook the brown rice in a microwave or according to package directions.  While the rice is cooking, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Once at temperature, add the ground sirloin.  Cook the beef for three minutes or until browned, stirring to evenly cook.  Once the beef is cooked, stir in the water and taco seasoning and bring to a simmer.  Next, stir in the corn and beans and cook for one minute or until heated through.  Stir in the rice and stir until all the ingredients are well-combined and heated through.  Divide into four bowls, top with pico de gallo and jalapeño, serve, and enjoy!

The End Result:

This recipe tastes so similar to Chipotle, I bet you can't taste the difference!  Letting all the natural and flavorful ingredients shine through is the winning key for this dish.  Tyler and I both agreed that adding sour cream or cheese would have given this dish more quality of flavor, but it shined all on its own.  The healthfulness of this recipe is definitely the winning ingredient.  This "burrito bowl" is just over 300 calories.  In comparison, a burrito bowl, with the same exact ingredients, is almost 500 calories.  This recipe is a true winner for a fast, fresh, healthy dish!

Thanks for joining us tonight!  Check back tomorrow as Tyler presents a brand new burger recipe and I'll return later this week for a tasty and healthy dessert.  Until then,

~Cheers!

Sign Us Up for Fast and Healthy Mexican!

Good evening everyone!  As followers of the blog know, I have been on an avid quest to claim gold with the perfect Mexican dish.  The qualifiers for this dish would be a recipe that's low calorie, minimal time, and, of course, taste delicious.  Whether or not I felt like I have met this goal previously, tonight's dish has definitely claimed that title and I'm excited to share with you all!

The Recipe:  20 Minute Chicken Enchiladas
Original Recipe Found In:  Cooking Light, August 2013
(Serves 6)

What You'll Need:
1 Cup prechopped Onion
1 Cup unsalted Chicken Stock
1 Tablespoon All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
2 Teaspoons ground Cumin
3/4 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 (15 ounce) can unsalted Tomato Sauce
3 Cups shredded, boneless, skinless Rotisserie Chicken Breast
1 (15 ounce) can unsalted Black Beans, rinsed and drained
12 (6 inch) Corn Tortillas
3 Ounces preshredded 4-Cheese Mexican Cheese (shredded Pepper Jack Cheese would also do in a pinch)

To start, preheat an oven to 350 degrees.  Next, in a large saucepan, combine the onion, chicken stock, flour, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, salt, and tomato sauce; stir to combine.  Bring this mixture to a boil over high heat and cook for two minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.  Carefully, spoon out 1 1/2 cups of the sauce mixture and set aside.  The sauce might be splashing on the sides of the pan, so I urge extreme caution while putting your hand in the pan to retrieve the sauce.  To the remaining sauce in the pan, add the chicken and beans and cook for two minutes or until the chicken is throughly heated.  Take the pan off the heat and set aside.

Next, on a clean plate, stack the tortillas and wrap the stack in damp paper towels.  Place the plate in a microwave and cook for 25 seconds on high.  Once the tortillas are warmed, you can begin to assemble the enchiladas.  Prepare a 9x13 inch glass baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray.  Spoon about 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla and roll them up.  Place the rolled up tortillas seam side down in the baking dish.  Once all the tortillas are filled, top with the reserved sauce and sprinkle with cheese.

Place the baking dish in the oven and cook at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese is slightly browned and the sauce is bubbly.  If you wish, serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprig or two of cilantro, and enjoy!

The End Result:

Out of all the Mexican dishes I created here on the blog, this was, by far, the best one I've made.  All the flavors melded together so well and it helps that the sauce was "homemade", not from a can.  Adding shredded chicken and black beans made the filling so, well, filling.  The cheese adds a bit of melty goodness that is undeniably Mexican.  Not only was the flavor incredible, but the caloric value really made this dish pop.  At 374 calories for two (TWO?!) enchiladas, this dish has won every round in my journey of Mexican recipe gold.

Thanks for joining us this evening.  Check back tomorrow when Tyler hits us with a brand new dish.  Until then,

~Cheers!

Tex-Mex Pizza...Like You've Never Seen Before

Good evening everyone!  As a notorious fiend of Mexican and Tex-Mex, my love for cooking and eating these recipes are often overshadowed by how long most of these recipes take.  The cooking time takes longer than I usually have patience for and I usually stuff the food in my mouth when the food is done.  But tonight, I'm whipping up a dish that satisfies that Tex-Mex craving, without taking too long to make.

The Recipe:  Individual Tex-Mex Chicken Pizzas
Original Recipe Found In:  America's Test Kitchen Simple Weeknight Favorites

What You'll Need:
(Serves 4)

1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1/3 Cup chopped fresh Cilantro
2 Tablespoons Lime Juice
1 (15 Ounce) can Refried Beans
1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
4 (8-inch) Flour Tortillas
8 Teaspoons Vegetable Oil
2 Cups shredded Rotisserie Chicken
4 Ounces shredded Pepper Jack Cheese

To start, preheat an oven to 475 degrees.  While the oven preheats, whisk the sour cream, one tablespoon of lime juice, and 1/4 cup of cilantro in a small bowl.  Mix all these ingredients until well combined.  Place this bowl in the refrigerator until the pizzas are ready to serve. In another bowl, mix the refried beans, chili powder, and the remaining one tablespoon lime juice.  Set this bowl aside.

Next, place four tortillas on a clean plate.  Brush one side of the tortillas with one teaspoon of vegetable oil.  Place the tortillas, oil side down, on two rimmed baking sheets.  Brush the other side of the tortillas with another teaspoon of oil.  Place the baking sheets in the oven and cook until the tortillas are golden brown on both sides, two and a 1/2 minutes on each side, five minutes total.

Once the tortillas are cooked, take them out of the oven and place on oven pads.  Spread a 1/4 cup of the bean mixture on each tortilla and spread until there is a 1/2 inch border around the tortilla.  Then top with a 1/2 cup chicken and a 1/4 cup cheese.  Place the baking sheets back in the oven and cook until all the ingredients are heated through and the cheese is melted, six to eight minutes.  Slice the pizzas into quarters and liberally drizzle the sour cream mixture on top.  Serve and enjoy!

The End Result:

All the ingredients work so well together in these individual "pizzas".  Starting from the ground up:  The tortillas become a cracker-thin crust and are crunchy, yet satisfying when bit into.  The refried beans serve as a good base, keeping all the ingredients stuck to the tortillas and they have a hint of heat, due to the chili powder.  The cheese definitely kicks the heat up, but not enough to melt any faces.  The sour cream mixture is the perfect element to cool this pizza down, if it does get a bit too hot.  With simple ingredients and differing flavor components, this recipe is ready to devour anytime of the week!

Thanks for joining us tonight.  We will return next week with new recipes to share.  Until then,

~Cheers!

Product Review: Dorot Frozen Garlic & Herbs

It’s probably the most common thing we hear from people when we talk to them about the blog, “Oh, I’d love to cook like that, but we just don’t do it often enough to justify the money for fresh ingredients” or, “I hate buying fresh herbs, I use half of them for one recipe then they go bad!”

It’s a fair point. Unless you cook for yourself 3+ times a week, many fresh ingredients such as garlic, basil, thyme, parsley – etc. will be bad before you can use them again. It’s wasted money and enough to frustrate many amateur chefs into simply not buying fresh ingredients or just avoiding cooking from scratch all together.

For years, we haven’t really had a reply to these statements. We could merely shake our head and say something to the effect of “Yeah, I can see that” or “Sure, if you don’t cook that much, it’s hard to justify the money”. That was before we discovered a new product on the shelves of our local Trader Joes. This product looks to fill the need of the at home chef who wants to cook from scratch, but doesn’t do it often enough (or in large enough quantity) to justify spending money on garlic and herbs that will go bad long before they can use them again.

Enter, Dorot frozen garlic and herb cubes.

We’ve tried our fair share of packaged herb products before – from pastes to different verities of dried, they each have their limitations. Dried herbs are great, but they don’t pack the flavor that fresh herbs do. Herbs worked into a paste are nice, but only if they’re going to be used IN a recipe (they don’t work well as a topping) and their shelf life is only moderately longer than their fresh counterpart.

That’s where Dorot’s products attempt to fill the void. They make fresh ingredients into tiny cubes, and then freeze them. The concept is brilliant – fresh herbs, but preserved for nearly an infinite amount of time so that any chef, no matter how frequently they cook, can use fresh ingredients in any dish.

The proof is in the pudding, as they say (note: don’t use these products for pudding, that’d be gross) so do Dorot’s clever little cubes solve the kitchen conundrum? We put them to the test, here’s what we found out:

The Selection:

Dorot offers a wide range of the most commonly used herbs and spices including; garlic, ginger, red chiles, basil, cilantro, dill and parsley. They also make a line of pesto and pasta bases, but we have not tried those products, so we’ll keep our focus on the garlic and herbs.

That selection covers the basics, although it would be nice to see Dorot expand into some of the lesser used spices, such as tarragon and sage. Since recipes only occasionally call for these herbs, it would be great to have a frozen option for them as well. Still, all things considered this product line should cover a majority of the at home chef’s needs.

The Flavor:

We’ve tested herbs in paste form before and weren’t thrilled by the flavor they delivered. After all, there’s little point in using a product as a substitute for fresh ingredients if it doesn’t pack any more flavor than their dried counterparts.

Our tests focused on the basil and garlic forms of Dorot’s line, and we were very pleased with both results. The garlic is on the milder side, but it still imparts great flavor into any dish with the same ratio as fresh garlic cloves (1 cube = 1 clove). We found that a recipe calling for 2 cloves crushed garlic could easily be covered by 2 cubs of the frozen alternative.

We found the basil to be considerably stronger than expected. They list 1 cube being equivalent to 1 teaspoon of fresh chopped basil, but we found the ratio closer to 1 cube = 2.5 teaspoons fresh chopped basil. That’s not necessarily a bad thing (you’ll get more value for your money, after all) but it does mean the first time using the product is a bit experimental.

Ease of Use:

Herb pastes have always been limited by the rather small area of use. They work well if you’re stirring the herb INTO the recipe, but if it’s meant to top the dish, they simply don’t cut it. Unfortunately, Dorot frozen line suffers from the same limitations. The cubes are packed with water and / or soybean or sunflower oil to help in freezing them. That means that as they ‘melt’ they take on more liquid form than dry form. If you’re topping a dish with a particular herb, you’re still going to want to turn to fresh or dried.

When it comes to every other aspect of cooking, however, Dorot’s products worked great. The cubes melt extremely quickly when added to a hot pot or skillet and once melted, they behave much like their fresh counterparts. Recipes that call you to cook the garlic until fragrant, for example, can still be followed to the letter. Simply add the cube, allow it to melt (20 to 30 seconds in our experience) and then let it simmer until it becomes fragrant.

We put these cubes through their paces in a multitude of recipes (Including marinades, pestos, sauces and rubs) and never once found the cube to be a hassle or hurdle to normal cooking. Simply pop the cube out of the easy to access tray and drop it right into the recipe. Easy as that!

Value:

Pricing may vary depending on your store of choice, but these cubes sell for between $2.99 and $3.99 at our local Trader Joes. Considering you get 24 cubes per package, that’s not too bad of value, especially since they last such a long time.

Final Verdict:

These cubes deliver on flavor, although we found the garlic to be a bit mild and the basil to be a bit strong – each was close enough to their fresh counterpart to keep the recipe tasting like it should. They’re easy to use and versatile, despite not being able to top a recipe, they will work in nearly any other cooking situation (even recipes that call for garlic to be rubbed across a steak – simply use the cube to rub – works like a charm!). With 24 cubes in most packages, this product will last you for months and you never have to worry about it going bad before your next dish – making these fresh herb alternatives a winner in our book.

Please not that we received no financial compensation from Dorot to talk about their product, nor are they involved with this post in any way. We simply found a product we liked that we felt many other at home chefs should know about and wanted to share our thoughts. The above post is our honest opinion of the product and nothing more.

That’s all we have for you this evening, we close out our great big week of blogging tomorrow night with a brand new recipe from Maggie. Until then,

~Cheers

A New Twist on a Summertime Favorite

Good evening everyone! In my opinion, summertime produces the world’s greatest vegetable – sweet corn. Sure, sweet corn may have nonexistent nutritional value but it’s loaded with delicious value (which is a metric I just made up). There are few things that can top freshly picked sweet corn, lightly glazed in butter, eaten right off the cob.

The only downside with sweet corn is from a culinary creativity standpoint. Other than wrapping it in bacon, throwing it on the grill or getting cute and slathering it in a medley of spices and herbs, you can’t really deviate from the norm of corn on the cob.  When I found this week’s recipe – corn chowder – I was intrigued; it took fresh summertime sweet corn and placed it in a form that I’ve yet to try (chowder) the only question is, would this new form still carry the great flavors of summer, or would we create something entirely different? Let’s get to cooking and find out!

The Recipe: Corn Chowder

Original Recipe From: Cooks Country Online

What You’ll Need:

(Serves 6)

8 Ears Sweet Corn (Husks, silk removed – washed, boiled and cut from cob)

3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter

1 Onion (Finely chopped)

4 Slices Bacon (Halved lengthwise, then cut into ¼ inch pieces)

2 Teaspoons Fresh Thyme

¼ Cup All Purpose Flour

5 Cups Water

¾ Pound Red Potatoes (Diced into ½ inch pieces)

1 Cup Half and Half

Sugar

3 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Basil

Begin by preparing your sweet corn the standard way (clean, boil for 5 to 7 minutes). Then, using a sharp chef’s knife or corn stripper, remove the kernels from the cob and transfer them to a large bowl. Don’t discard the cobs – instead transfer them to a plate until you’ve finished removing all of the kernels from all of the ears.

Once the kernels are removed, grab the cobs and use a butter knife to scrape off any of the remaining pulp left behind on each cob (scrape this pulp into a small bowl). Repeat this process on all 8 ears until you’ve gotten a nice amount of pulp (the recipe says you will get about 2 to 2 ½ cups of pulp but my experience yielded about ¼ to ½  of a cup). Next, take a kitchen towel or paper towel and wrap it around the pulp. Over a clean bowl, squeeze the towel until you’ve worked all of the moisture out of the pulp (once again the recipe claims 2/3 a cup of juice, I was closer to 1/8^th of a cup). Set this juice aside.

Next, melt the butter in a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Once melted, add the onion, bacon, thyme, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and cook (stirring constantly) for 8 to 10 minutes or until the onions begin to brown along the edges. Stir in the flour and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes (be careful the flour doesn’t burn or brown too quickly – if it is cooking fast, move on to the next step regardless of the time). Whisk in the water slowly and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, stir in the corn kernels and the red potatoes and return the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium low and let the mixture simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes have softened.

Remove 2 cups of the chowder from the dutch oven and process it in a food processor or blender until it becomes smooth. Then return this to the dutch oven. (This process creates a creamy base for the choweder, while keeping all of the great flavors we’ve been building). Add the half and half and return the mixture to a soft simmer. Once simmering, remove the pot from the heat and stir in the reserved corn juice from earlier along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Taste the chowder and add up to 1 tablespoon sugar as needed (don’t over sweeten if the corn has provided enough natural sweetness). Top with fresh basil, serve and enjoy!

The Results:

This is one tasty chowder! The sweetcorn blends beautifully with the red potatoes to create a dish reminiscent of 'fresh of the grill' summer flavors. I found the chowder to be sweet enough without adding any extra sugar, but your results will vary based on how sweet your sweet corn actually is. The one tweak I would make to this recipe would be to cook the bacon before adding it in with the onions. It never fully browns while being cooked this way and great crispy bacon bits would be a better addition than bacon on its own. 

That's a minor gripe in what otherwise was a very tasty and easy recipe. If you're in the mood for summertime's greatest vegetable, but don't want to prepare it in the same old way - give this recipe a try. 

That's all we have for you this evening. We're back tomorrow night with a product review that just may make the life of the at home chef so much easier. Until then, 

~Cheers 

Pastry Perfection

Good evening everyone! Just because we focus on healthy eating doesn’t mean we can’t have a little not-so-healthy fun every now and again. No matter your diet regimen, everyone has a soft spot for pastries. Whether they’re soft, crispy, flaky, frosted, cream filled, or just laced with sugar the humble pastry is a classic guilty pleasure dish. When you can make this dish yourself (and avoid all the ‘extras’ that mass produced pastries have in them) you’re better off. Today we have a delectable morning bun recipe that will satisfy your sweet tooth. It isn’t health food, but if you’re going to deviate from healthy eating once in awhile, you might as well enjoy it!

The Recipe: Morning Buns

Original Recipe Found On: Cooks Country Online

What You’ll Need:

(Makes 12 rolls)

For the Dough:

3 Cups All Purpose Flour

1 Tablespoon Sugar

1 Envelope Instant or Active Rise Yeast

¾ Teaspoon Salt

24 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter (Cut into ¼ inch pieces – chilled)

1 Cup Sour Cream (Chilled)

¼ Cup Orange Juice (Typically this is the amount of juice you can get from one orange)

3 Tablespoons Ice Water

1 Large Egg Yolk

For the Filling:

½ Cup Granulated Sugar

½ Cup Packed Light Brown Sugar

1 Tablespoon Grated Orange Zest

2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Begin by combining the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large (1 gallon) zipper baggy and tousle the bag to evenly distribute the ingredients. Next, add the butter slices into the bag, shaking the bag occasionally to work the butter into the flour. Once you have all the slices into the bag, give it a good toss to cover all the butter slices in flour.

Next, lay the bag on the counter and use a rolling pin to work the butter slices flat and flaky. I found that simply starting the pin in the center of the bag and rolling it towards the front, then the back and repeating 3-4 times worked well. Flip the bag and repeat the above process. Toss the bag a few times, repeat the rolling process again. Once your butter is thin and flaky (you should be able to feel it through the bag) transfer the dough to a large bowl.

Work in the wet ingredients (orange juice, egg yolk, sour cream and water) with a large spoon or your hands (I found using my hands was easiest – albeit a bit messy). Once the ingredients are worked in, turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead the dough with your hands until the dough becomes one smooth, cohesive ball.

Next, take a lightly floured rolling pin and work the dough into a rough 12 X 20 rectangle. Once flatted, prep a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper and clear space in your freezer for the baking sheet. Beginning on the edge closest to you, roll the dough into a tight cylinder (use flour to clean up any sticky or soft spots in the dough). Pat the cylinder into a rectangular shape (essentially flattening the sides and top) then transfer it to the baking sheet and place it in the freezer for 15 minutes.

While the dough is “chilling out” (pastry humor!) you can begin working on your filling. In a medium bowl, combine the sugar and brown sugar and toss by hand to evenly incorporate. Next, add the orange zest and vanilla extract and toss to combine. Set this mixture aside.

Remove the dough from the freezer and transfer it to a lightly floured work surface. Use a rolling pin (reapply flour if it has worked off from the earlier rolling) to work the dough back into a 12 X 20 rectangle. I’ve never been able to get a perfectly even rectangle in the process, so I don’t have a lot of tips to help you form one either. Try to keep the shape as uniform as possible as it will make things much easier over the next few steps – but don’t fret if it isn’t perfect, mine certainly wasn’t and it all worked just fine.

Once you’ve formed a respectable rectangle, distribute the filling across the top of the pastry, leaving about ½ inch of space along all of the edges. Use your hand to make sure the filling is at even depth across the pastry – a thicket patch of sugar will make the next step harder than it needs to be and a bald spot (sugar free) will be disappointing to the final consumer!

Beginning on the short edge closest to you, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Work slowly and diligently to make sure the roll is staying tight. Once you’ve made your cylinder, inspect it to see if there are any large bulges (thicker spots in the dough will yield to thicker portions of the cylinder) and work those out by hand.

Next, use a chef’s knife to cut the dough in 12 evenly spaced parts (you can trim ½ inch of dough off of each end and discard, that dough is likely free of any filling). Place 12 aluminum cupcake liners into a muffin tin and spray them lightly with cooking oil. Transfer each slice into a cupcake liner (you may have to squeeze, squish or otherwise manipulate your dough to get it to fit nicely in the liner – that’s okay). Once all 12 slices are in a liner and placed in a muffin tin, cover them loosely with plastic wrap and transfer the muffin tin to the refrigerator to rest for at least 4 hours (up to 24 hours).

After the 4 hours are up, preheat your oven to 200 degrees and then shut it off once it reaches 200. Remove the plastic wrap and place the muffin tin into the (off) oven for 20 minutes. This allows the rolls to nearly double in size. Once they’ve grown the oven, remove the muffin tin and preheat the oven to 425. Return the tin to the oven and allow the rolls to cook for 5 minutes before reducing the oven heat to 325. Allow the rolls to bake for 40 to 50 minutes at 325 or until they turn a deep golden brown color.

Remove the tin from the oven and let the rolls rest for 5 minutes. After resting, immediately remove the rolls from their liners and set them on a wire rack to cool. Serve warm and enjoy!

The Results:

These rolls are certainly not the easiest thing to make (they’re time consuming to say the least!) but the payoff is of-so-worth-it! Because we worked the butter into the dough and left it flaky, the final dough is crisp and flaky, much like a croissant. The filling caramelizes during cooking, creating a very ‘cinnamon roll’ like flavor in the center of the bun while the bright citrus from the orange juice and orange zest pops in every once in a while to keep the roll from being too sweet.

All in all, these delightful little buns make for a great weekend treat the whole family is sure to enjoy! That’s all we have for you this evening, but we’ve got a lot more planned for this coming week. I’ll be in the kitchen tomorrow night with a brand new recipe that features summertime’s greatest food item. We’ll follow that up with a product review on Wednesday (I didn’t forget last week’s promise, the weekend simply got away from us!) and then Maggie will close out the week with a new recipe of her own. It’s going to be a busy week of cooking her at Out of the Culinary! Be sure to stop in tomorrow night to see what’s on the menu. Until then,

~Cheers

What Would Be Better with Fish? Bacon, of Course!

Welcome back everyone to another night of Out of the Culinary!  As we are still caught up in the bacon craze across this nation, there will always be new recipes using bacon to try out.  Some recipes make sense, like the sweet potato bacon hash - the sweet and smoky tastes amazing together.  But pairing sweet and savory flavors to bacon?  This definitely peaked my interest!

The Recipe:  Hailbut with Bacony Corn Saute
Original Recipe Found In:  Cooking Light, August 2013

What You'll Need:
1 Tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 (6 Ounce) skinless Halibut fillets
2 slices center-cut applewood-smoked Bacon
2 1/4 Cups fresh Corn kernels (about 4 ears)
1 1/2 Tablespoons Butter
3/4 Cup (1 inch) sliced Green Onions
Lime Juice

To start, heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add oil to the pan and swirl to coat.  Sprinkle the fish evenly with salt and pepper.  Once the oil has begun to shimmer, add the fish to the pan.  Saute the fillets until completely cooked through, about four to five minutes on each side.  After the fish have cooked, remove the fillets from the pan and place on a plate.  Cover to keep warm.

Next, reduce the heat to medium and allow the pan to cool slightly.  Add the bacon to the pan.  Cook the strips until crisp, about four minutes total, two minutes on each side.  Remove the bacon from the pan and lay on a paper towel lined plate.  Once the bacon has cooled, crumble into small pieces.  Next, add the corn to the skillet and cook for three minutes or until the corn begins to brown, stirring to ensure no sticking to the skillet.  Add the butter and stir until the butter is mixed in and melted, about one minute.  Stir in the crumbled bacon and green onions until everything is heated through.  Serve a generous portion of the sauté with the fish, add a dash of lime juice over the fish and saute, serve, and enjoy!

The End Result:

The old adage, adding bacon to anything will make it better, is never more true than in this recipe.  While the halibut is fresh, it is quite plain.  The true star of this recipe is the sauté.  The sweetness from the corn, the crunch from the green onions, and the smoky flavor from the bacon, all cooked together, makes for one heavenly treat.  I mentioned to Tyler that I could have made a whole pan of the saute itself and it's wouldn't be enough.  All these ingredients alone don't make a whole lot of sense, but when they are mixed together, it sure is delicious!

Thanks for joining us tonight.  Check back tomorrow for a special quick hit from Tyler.  Until then,

~Cheers!

Super Sauce Free Steak

Good evening everyone! Sometimes, the "culinary world' just dictates which recipes we'll try in a given week. For example, as I perused my favorites spots for inspiration last weekend, I was finding little in the way new recipes. Digging a little deeper, I stumbled across a unique steak marinade featuring vegetable juice and vodka. I tabbed the page, essentially marking it as "come back to in the future". Further browsing into another source eventually lead me to ANOTHER steak marinade recipe featuring vodka, hot sauce and vegetable juice. That settled it - the culinary world was telling me to try this marinade, and I wasn't about to ignore that message.

So, armed with two "bloody mary" marinade recipes I combined the best parts of each and set out to try this idea on my own. Here's what I came up with: 

The Recipe: 'Bloody Mary' Steak 

What You'll Need: 

(Serves 2) 

1 Large Skirt Steak (1 - 1.5 Lbs) 

1 Cup Vegetable Juice 

1/2 Cup Vodka 

1 Teaspoon Hot Sauce 

1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce 

2 Garlic Cloves (Crushed) 

Salt (Pinch)
Pepper (Pinch)


Begin by combining all of the ingredients in a large 1 gallon sealable bag or in a small glass dish with a lid. (I prefer the second option, as it makes for easier cleanup and it's easier to get the steak out when the marinating process is over). Mix the ingredients well until everything is evenly combined, then add the steak to the bag / dish and seal. Place the steak in the refrigerator for 8 to 24 hours prior to cooking.

When you're ready to cook, remove the steak from the marinade and allow the excess to liquid to drip off the steak (don't pat the steak dry, however). Place the steak on a grill set to medium high heat and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, making sure to flip halfway through the cooking process. This method will produce a medium rare steak, for those who prefer things a little more done, add a few minutes per 'level' of doneness (3 more minutes for medium, 6 minutes for medium well - etc.)

Allow the steak to rest for 3 to 5 minutes before slicing it and serving. Enjoy!

The Results:

The best testament I can give to this recipe is that you don't need a steak sauce. The steak is so full of great flavor that a steak sauce would only mask what the marinade created - even those that THINK they HAVE to have a sauce with every steak may find themselves surprised. Flank steak on its own is a relatively underwhelming steak. It gets the job done, but it's not typically going to be the star of the dish. (Most flank steak recipes feature a sauce or side to help "pick up" the steak) With this marinade, the typically ho-hum flank steak shines with great, rich flavor. You have to try it to fully believe it, but this marinade is certainly one to keep close by for a summertime cookout.

That's all we have for you this evening. Maggie takes to the kitchen tomorrow night for a brand new recipe of her own, and we'll close out the week with a product review that may help those of you who aspire to be at home chefs, but feel like you can't cook enough to justify buying the fresh ingredients. Intrigued? You should be!

Until then,

~Cheers 

Delightful Delicious Cod Cakes

Good evening everyone!  It's always fascinating when one cooks to take an ingredient and mold it in such a way to make it familiar.  This is often done with fish and rightfully so.  If you are cooking for kids (and adults,) they recognize round patties and never think twice on what they are eating.  Tonight, I'm whipping up a batch of fish cakes that won't get confused with any kind of burger.

The Recipe:  Cod Cakes with Garlic-Basil Aioli
Original Recipe Found In:  America's Test Kitchen Simple Weeknight Favorites

What You'll Need:
1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
1/4 Cup chopped fresh Basil
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1 Garlic clove, minced
1 Pound skinless Cod fillets, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 Cups Panko Bread Crumbs
1 large Egg
2 Scallions, finely chopped
1/4 Cup Olive Oil

To start, place the mayonnaise, basil, lemon juice, and garlic in a food processor.  Blend these ingredients until everything is smooth and lightly green, no more than 20 seconds.  Transfer this mixture to a serving bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Clean the aioli remnants out of the food processor and begin to prepare the cod.

Place half of the cod in the food processor and process until the cod pieces are finely minced, about six pulses.  Transfer the cod into a large mixing bowl and repeat the process with the other half of the cod.  Add the previously processed cod back to the food processor.  Next, add 3/4 cup panko, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, an egg, the scallions, and 3 tablespoons aioli.  Blend this mixture until all the ingredients are evenly mixed, between 10 to 15 pulses, depending on how well you want this mixture combined.

On a clean plate, place the remaining 3/4 cup panko and spread into a thin layer.  Reach into the food processor (with the blade out!) and form into 3 1/2 inch patties.  If there is any remaining liquid, gently squeeze out and reform the patties if necessary.  Lightly dredge the patty into the panko to adhere and place onto another plate.  Repeat this process until there are four patties.

Next, inn a nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat, until about shimmering.  Add the patties to the skillet and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about four to five minutes.  After they have cooked on the one side, carefully flip the patties over and cook for another four to five minutes.  Serve with the remaining aioli and enjoy!

The End Result:

We've said it once, we'll say it again:  cod is such a versatile fish.  It will absorb from any other flavors, mask its fishy flavor, and leave you completely surprised.  Biting into the cakes, I didn't get any overwhelming fish flavor, but instead, I got a little crunch from the panko and from the scallions.  Using the food processor to blend all the ingredients together is brilliant, because you will end up with a lifeless blob (trust me, I tried it.)  The garlic basil aioli is actually a great take on a tartar sauce.  The basil might be a bit much for those who aren't used to that basil flavor.  But it's a great topping over these delightful little cakes!

Thanks for joining us this week.  Check back again next week as we continue to explore our culinary creativity.  Until then,

~Cheers!

Sweet Potatoes + Bacon = Perfect Hash

Good evening everyone! If we had to make a short list of our favorite ingredients to use in a recipe, sweet potatoes would certainly be among the finalists. The sweet root is versatile, easily adaptable to most dishes and can even act as a sweetener and thickener for other recipes. We’ve used sweet potatoes in about every way imaginable, we’ve mashed them, baked them, cooked them into soups, paired them with chorizo, put them in pies – you name it, we’ve tried it. Or so we thought.

Last week I came across an America’s Test Kitchen recipe that paired the orange root with an ingredient I had yet to try – bacon. Following the philosophy that everything tastes better with bacon, I decided to tackle this dish and expand our sweet potato horizons. It didn’t hurt that the “star” of the dish was a variant of a maple glazed pork chop, which we’ve tried before and know to be a fantastic end result.

The Recipe: Maple Pork Chops with Sweet Potato Bacon Hash

What You’ll Need:

(Serves 4)

1 ¼ Pounds Sweet Potatoes (Peeled, cut into ½ inch chunks)

6 Slices Bacon (Chopped fine)

4 Bone-In pork chops (1 inch thick, 8 ounces)*

2 Teaspoons Minced Fresh Thyme

½ Cup Maple Syrup

1 Tablespoon Cider Vinegar

2 Teaspoons Dijon Mustard

* We have a large supply of boneless, thin cut pork chops that we use for most of our pork chop recipes. The instructions below are for the thicker cut chop (we’re adapting for our smaller chops, but leaving the recipe original).

Begin by placing the sweet potato in a large bowl and cover with a microwave safe lid (or use a microwave safe plate as the lid  if you don’t have a lid). Microwave for 4 to 7 minutes on high until the sweet potatoes are soft. Meanwhile, add the bacon to a large (12 inch) non stick skillet and cook over medium high heat until the bacon is golden brown. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a paper towel lined plate. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon fact from the skillet before wiping it clean with a paper towel.

Pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel and lightly season them with salt and pepper. Score the outer surface of the pork chops lightly with a knife (this prevents the chop from ‘curling’ during cooking). Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved bacon fat to the same skillet you used before and bring it up to temperature over medium high heat. Add the pork chops to the skillet and cook for 4 minutes per side, or until the chops are golden brown and cooked through. Transfer the chops to plate and loosely tent with aluminum foil. Set aside.

Add the remaining tablespoon of bacon fat to the same skillet you’ve been using all along and set the temperature to medium. Add the sweet potatoes to the skillet and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until they become slightly crispy and browned. Once browned, stir in the bacon and thyme and season lightly with salt and pepper. Transfer this mixture to a serving bowl.

Finally, add the maple syrup, vinegar and mustard to the skillet (yes, the very same one we’ve been using all night) and cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens (make sure to stir occasionally to prevent sticking). Return the pork chops to the skillet and rotate the chops in the mixture for 2 minutes (flipping every 30 seconds or so) until the glaze begins to stick to the chops. Serve with the potato / bacon hash and enjoy!

The Results:

As I mentioned in the open, we’ve cooked a variant of this maple glazed pork chop before (it was actually our first ‘return’ to cooking with pork) so we knew the flavors here were going to be great. (Spoiler: it was)

The pork chop was great, but the sweet potato hash was something special. The perfect blend of the sweet potatoes with the rich, salty flavors of the bacon was one of those “wow!” moments of home cooking. The two ingredients blend so well, it’s hard to believe bacon / sweet potatoes aren’t mandated partners in every recipe. Okay, that may be overdoing it – but I want to convey just how good these two are together. This certainly won’t be the last time we combine these two ingredients! Do yourself a favor and give this a try at home (Oh, and at 300 calories per serving it’s easy on the diet too!)

That’s all we have for you this evening. Stop back tomorrow night for Maggie’s brand new recipe! Until then,

~Cheers

Grilling with Fruit, Take Two

Good evening everyone!  Since we have a grill, it's been delightful trying new ingredients to put on the grill to see if they stand up to the test.  So far, those ingredients haven't let us down, which is a good thing.  Tonight, we throw another ingredient on the grill, with another slice of meat heaven, to produce one sweet and savory dish.

The Recipe:  Grilled Pork and Mango with Rum Sauce
Original Recipe Found In:  Cooking Light, August 2013

What You'll Need:
1 Tablespoon Jamaican Jerk Seasoning
2 Tablespoons fresh Lime Juice, divided
1 1/2 Teaspoons Canola Oil, divided
1 (1 Pound) Pork Tenderloin, trimmed
2 ripe Mangos
1/4 Cup packed Dark Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup golden Rum
2 Teaspoons unsalted Butter
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt

In a medium bowl, combine the jerk seasoning, one tablespoon lime juice, and one teaspoon oil.  Mix these ingredients until well combined.  Place the tenderloins on a plate and drizzle the seasoning mixture over the pork.  Rub the seasoning over the meat until everything is well coated on both sides.  Set the plate aside.  Next, peel the mangos and cut into 1/2 inch slices.  Place these slices on another plate.  Drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon of oil until all sides of the cut mango are coated with oil. 

Preheat a grill to medium high heat.  Add the pork to the grill and cook for four minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees.  Take the pork off the grill and add the mango slices.  Cook for three minutes on each side, until grill marks are visible and some of the natural juice starts to come out.  Take the mango slices off the grill.

Next, on a stovetop, combine the brown sugar, rum, butter, and salt in a small saucepan.  Bring this mixture to a boil, which should take about two minutes (or shorter!)  Reduce the heat and simmer for four minutes or until thickened.  Stir in one tablespoon of lime juice to combine.  Drizzle the sauce over the pork and mangos, serve, and enjoy!

The End Result:

I expected the pork to have some out-there flavor, or have a kick of super spice, but it actually tasted very mild.  Granted the jerk seasoning has a whole lot of different flavor elements, the lime juice and the oil seemed to subdue that flavor.  Grilling the pork with that seasoned mixture was the ideal way to cook it.  The grilled mangos are quite flavorful too, although you want to be sure that you have ripe mangos, because it will make for one very chewy fruit.  The rum sauce was quite the show stopper.  Obviously, cooking the mixture to remove any of the booziness from the rum is a wise decision, but the flavor that is left behind is sweet, almost kind of nutty.  But it's perfect for this unique dish!

Thanks for joining us this week!  We will back next week, hopefully not melted, with brand new dishes for you to try at home.  Until then,

~Cheers!

The Magical (Flavor) Qualities of Pine Nuts

Good evening everyone! If you do any type of at home cooking (which, seeing as you're presently reading a cooking blog, I'd assume you'd at least dabble in) you've likely come across a recipe or two featuring pine nuts. These tasty little morsels are the main ingredient in many pesto recipes and feature as a key component in a lot of different breading dishes as well. Their flavorful, easy to work with and readily available at almost any grocery store. Their one drawback?

Those little suckers are expensive!

Our local grocery stores sell pine nuts in 4 ounce jars for $6.99. That usually results in me standing, staring at the shelf while I mumble something about checking into a career growing pine nuts, because that's clearly where the money is. I've never been able to justify $7 for such a small quantity of something, so we've used pine nuts VERY sparingly on the blog.

Enter: Trader Joes. Our newest grocery store of choice not only carries pine nuts, but they sell them in 8 ounce bags for - $6.99. Yup, twice the quantity, same price. They're still expensive, but with the small amount of pine nuts that most recipes call for, an 8 ounce bag will last you a good while.

Armed with our cost effective pine nuts, our blog will be an unstoppable culinary force!

Or...we will have some new recipes to dabble in. Same thing.


The Recipe: Pine Nut and Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Original Recipe Found In: America's Test Kitchen: Simple Weeknight Favorites

What You'll Need: 

(Serves 4) 

4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (Trimmed of excess fat) 

1/3 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs 

1/3 Cup Toasted Pine Nuts 

1/3 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese 

3 Garlic Cloves (Minced) 

3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

1/4 Cup Light Mayonnaise 

1/2 Cup Chopped Fresh Basil 

Begin by preheating your oven to 450 degrees and spraying a large rimmed baking sheet with non stick spray. 

The original recipe calls for you to toss the pine nuts, bread crumbs, oil, cheese, garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper together in a medium bowl until everything is homogenous. I found it was much easier to add all of the ingredients into a small food processor and simply pulse for 4 to 6 seconds until the mixture was blended nicely. This creates a more even breading as well (no large pine nut chunks or spaces where some ingredients don't appear). 

Next, combine the light mayo in a bowl with the basil. Stir until evenly blended. Pat you chicken breasts dry with a paper towel, then spread an even coating of the basil / mayo mixture over each breast (just the top). You don't need much, just a thin layer will suffice. This spread will both add flavor to the chicken breast and act as a 'food glue' to keep the breading in place. 

Speaking of the breading - it's time to spread it on! Set your chicken breasts on the baking sheet and then simply sprinkle the  mixture across all of the breasts, making sure to work it into any crevices of the chicken and making sure all the sides are covered (again, focus mainly on the top and do not bread the bottom).  

Once each breast is evenly covered, pop the baking sheet into the oven and let the chicken cook for 18 to 22 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Serve with a side of green beans or other veggie and enjoy! 

The Results: 

This dish hits all of the 'must haves' when it comes to weeknight cooking. Flavorful? Check - the panko / pine nut breading creates a beautiful crunchy crust that blends great with the juicy chicken and surprisingly fresh basil spread. Quick and easy? Check - at roughly 30 minutes start to finish, this dish can go from concept to reality in time to feed a hungry family (or just a family of one). Healthy? Check - at just under 350 calories per serving, this dish will deliver on the flavor while keeping your healthy eating goals a reality. This dish is a must try! 

That's all we have for you this evening, we're back tomorrow night with Maggie's turn in the kitchen. Until then, 

~Cheers 

Wrapped Chicken Yields Super Delicious Results

Good evening everyone!  As Tyler mentioned earlier this week, sometimes we share simple recipes that are easily duplicated.  While elaborate recipes are mighty tasty and worth the extra effort, a quick recipe that looks simple enough can surprise with an outstanding flavor.  Tonight, I present to you a dish that fits those qualifiers and will make you want more.

The Recipe:  Prosciutto Pesto Chicken
Original Recipe Found In:  Grill This, Not That

What You'll Need:
4 boneless, skinless Chicken Thighs
1/2 Cup fresh Goat Cheese
2 Tablespoons store-bought Pesto
4 thin slices Prosciutto

To start, place the goat cheese on a clean plate.  Let the cheese soften at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, or until it is easy to spread.  Add the pesto and combine until well mixed.  Set this mixture aside.  Now, if you like the freshness of just prepared pesto, you are more than welcome to create this palate pleaser.  But, if you want a quick mix, store-bought pesto is your best bet.  Honestly, I couldn't tell the difference between freshly prepared and store-bought pesto.  The choice is yours!

Next, preheat a grill to medium-high heat.  On another clean plate, season the chicken with salt and pepper.  On the underside of the chicken, place a line of the pesto/cheese mixture down the middle.  It's just as easy to spread the entire mixture over the chicken, but, just so nothing runs out while cooking, stick to the middle.  Wrap each piece of chicken with a slice of prosciutto until snug.  If one piece of prosciutto doesn't fit, another piece or two won't harm the chicken.

After the chicken is wrapped in prosciutto, place each piece of chicken on the grill.  Cook on four minutes on each side, until the prosciutto is crispy and browned.  Be careful when flipping the chicken, because it might want to separate from the chicken.  Place the chicken on a serving plate and enjoy!

The End Result:

The chicken remains super moist around the coat of the prosciutto.  Four minutes on each side is a perfect amount of cooking time.  But of course, 160 degrees is the cooked time for the chicken, if you want to be safe.  The pesto and the cheese combination is something I've never tasted before.  The pesto will be the predominant flavor, which cheese playing second fiddle, but a creamier, herby flavor is not to be missed.  And finally, the prosciutto keeps all these flavors encased is a salty wrap.  The prosciutto almost tastes like bacon, but has a deeper flavor to it.  Overall, these are tasty little chicken numbers that are so easy to create, it'll become your next weeknight dinner!

Thanks for joining us this week.  We'll continue on our culinary journey next week with brand new recipes to share with you.  Until then,

~Cheers!

Simple Yet Savory Steak

Good evening everyone! If you're a regular watcher of any cooking related TV shows ('Chopped', 'Iron Chef America', 'Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives' or the like) you've likely seen more than a few interesting culinary trends when it comes to cooking the classic steak. I tackled one of those trends a couple of weeks ago, and this week I'm looking to take on another.

Whether it's in a high end restaurant or a small diner along the roadside, chances are if someone is cooking up a high quality steak, they're topping it with a butter infused sauce or simply topping it with butter by itself. At first this seems a bit odd, why top a perfectly good steak with a rich fat like butter? The answer is surprisingly simple, the butter becomes a beautiful glaze that adds just a bit of richness to the hearty steak. Even better, you can infuse butter with other flavors, such as garlic and onion, to further enchance the steak's flavor. The key to using a butter sauce, like anything in the culinary world, is moderation. Too much butter and you'll overwhelm the final dish.

With a bit of the background out of the way, let's get to cooking our own butter enhanced steak!

The Recipe: Grilled Steak with Vegetables and Lemon Herb Butter
Original Recipe Found In: Food Network Magazine (July, August 2013)

What You'll Need:
(Serves 4)

1.5 Pounds Sirloin Steak (About 1 inch thick)
1 Red Onion (Sliced into 1/2 inch rings)
2 Large Zucchini (Cut diagonally into 3/4 inch slices)
1/2 Cup BBQ Sauce (Your choice, we have recipes HERE & HERE)
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
2 Teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter (Room temperature)
2 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley (Chopped)
1/2 Teaspoon Lemon Zest

Preheat your grill to medium high heat.

Meanwhile, add the steaks, zucchini, onion, BBQ sauce, worcestershire sauce, chili powder and a pinch of salt and pepper into a large bowl. Toss everything until all the ingredients are evenly covered. Let everything rest for 5 minutes to allow the marinade to settle in.

While your steaks are resting, mash the butter with the parsley and lemon zest. (A fork works well here). Set this mixture aside.

Remove your steaks from the bowl and transfer them to the grill. Transfer your vegetables to a grill basket and add them to the grill as well. Cook the steaks for 4 to 5 minutes per side (for medium) and then move them to a cutting board and allow them to rest for 5 minutes.

Leave the vegetables on the grill for another few minutes (making sure to toss / stir them every couple of minutes) until they're nice and crispy.

Slice the steaks into a few pieces and top with the lemon herb butter. Serve with the vegetables and enjoy!


The Results:

True to the concept, the lemon herb butter adds just a touch of richness to the steak without overwhelming the flavor. The grilled vegetables complimented the steak beautifully (you really can't top fresh veggies off the grill) and the BBQ sauce 'marinade' ties everything together remarkably well. The best part is that this entire dish clocks in just under 330 calories. Low calorie and full of flavor, that's a win - win recipe!

That's all we have for you this evening. Maggie takes to the kitchen Thursday night with a brand new recipe of her own. Until then,

~Cheers

I Swear, I'm Almost Out of Burger Recipes

Good evening everyone!  As much as I love burgers and all the different variants between the kinds of meat and toppings, I realize that some of our followers are probably burnt out on all the burger recipes we've shared.  But since we went three and a half years without a grill, I'm bound to make up for lost time.  Tonight's burger recipe is quite a unique one, but also has every component to make a great American burger.

The Recipe:  New England Turkey Burger
Original Recipe Found In:  Cooking Light, July 2013

What You'll Need:
(Serves 4)

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 Cups thinly sliced Onion
3/4 Cup Samuel Adams Summer Ale
1 Pound ground Turkey
1.5 Ounces reduced-fat Vermont White Cheddar Cheese, shaved
4 Teaspoons Canola Mayonnaise
2 Teaspoons Whole-Grain Mustard
4 Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns

To start, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Once the pan is heated, add the oil and swirl to coat.  Once the oil is heated, add the sliced onion and cook until the onions are tender and slightly translucent, about seven minutes.  After the onions are cooked, slowly add the beer to the skillet.  Bring the heat of the skillet to a medium-high heat.  Once at a boil, reduce the heat of the skillet to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, until the onions are golden and the liquid is nearly evaporated.  Stir occasionally to prevent the onions from sticking to the pan.  Remove the skillet from the heat and cover with a lid.

Next, preheat a grill to medium-high heat and clean with a grill brush once the grill is heated.  In a large mixing bowl, lightly toss the ground turkey to get it at a consistent mixture.  Remove 1/4 cup of onion from the skillet and finely chop the onion.  In the mixing bowl, stir the turkey and onion together until everything is well combined.  Divide the mixture into four equal parts and shape until the patties 1/2-inch thick.  Press a thumb-sized indentation in the center of each patty and season with salt and pepper.  Once the grill is heated, place each of the turkey patties in the grill.  Cook for five to eight minutes on each side.  On the second size, place a slice of the cheddar cheese on each patty.  Grill until the cheese is melted, about one minute.  By now, the turkey patties should be fully cooked, about 165 degrees.

While the burgers are cooking, combine the mayonnaise and mustard in a small bowl.  Spread the mixture evenly on the bottom half of each bun, along with the cooked burger, and reserved onions.  Top with the other halves of the buns, serve, and enjoy!

The End Result:

There are so many different flavor notes that are in this burger.  Immediately, the tang from the whole-grain mustard hits your tongue.  Although the mayonnaise cuts out almost all of the sharpness from the mustard, you can still taste it and it is delectable.  The sweetness of the caramelized onions is also very pronounced, but again, it definitely adds to this well-rounded dish.  The turkey meat isn't too heavy for the pallet (or the gut), and when cooked right, it can be very juicy.  If you want, adding a leaf or two of lettuce and a slice of tomato will only enhance the deliciousness of this burger.

That's all we have for you this evening.  Most of you will have a day off tomorrow (and possibly a long weekend.)  Enjoy our nation's holiday and remember to be safe!  Join us next week as we continue our culinary adventures.  Until then,

~Cheers!

Fish Tacos Meet a Unique Sauce

Good evening everyone! We're back after a bit of an unplanned hiatus. Maggie's birthday was last week and we took a few vacation days to celebrate. We had planned on returning to the blog on Thursday and Friday for our new recipes, but later in the week I came down with a bit of a bug (cold, sinus type thing) and that basically shut down any aspirations of cooking for the week.

One week later, we're healthy once again and ready to return to cooking. With the 4th of July nearly upon us, grilling season is in full bloom and the "grilling super bowl" is on our doorstep. Tonight's dish is a great option for those who want to grill out a nice, fresh evening meal, but don't want to rely on the usual grilling staples of burgers and hot dogs. Let's get cooking!

The Recipe: Grilled Fish Tacos with Tequila Lime Crema
Original Recipe Found On: Cacique.com

What You'll Need:
(Serves 4)

2 Tilapia Fillets
Corn tortillas (warmed)

(For the rub)

4 Tablespoons Chili Powder
2 Tablespoons Lime Juice
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Cumin
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper

(For the tequila lime crema)

1 Cup Crema Mexicana*
Juice from 1 Lime
1/4 Premium Tequila
1 Teaspoon Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper

*Crema Mexicana is essentially Mexican sour cream. You may not find something labeled exactly the same, but if you search out a sour cream that lists heavy cream as an ingredient, you've effectively found the same thing. Crema Mexican is a rich, creamy sour cream that doesn't have as much bite as traditional sour cream - even a mild sour cream would do well as a substitute for this recipe.

Begin by combining all of the rub ingredients together in a small bowl. Pat your fillets dry with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture before rubbing each fillet thoroughly in the spice mixture. Make sure each fillet is coated evenly and that all crevices are cracks have been covered by the rub. Place the fillets on a plate and store them in the regrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes prior to cooking. This gives the rub time to penetrate into the fillets, making sure this delicious flavor is present in every last bite of the final dish.

While your fillets are marinating, you can began preparing the tequila lime crema. In a small blender, combine all of the ingredients for the crema and pulse until everything is evenly blended and the mixture is smooth. Store the mixture in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve. You can prepare this sauce up to 24 hours in advance if you'd prefer.

Once your fillets have marinated for at least 20 minutes, preheat your grill and oil the grates. Place the fillets directly over the heat and cook for 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until the fish is cooked through and the meat is opaque and flaky.

Remove the fillets from the grill and thinly slice them. Serve on the warmed tortillas with a helping of the crema and other taco toppings such as fresh salsa, cabbage and red onion. Enjoy!


The Results:

The appeal of this dish, for me, was the tequila lime crema. I was intrigued to try such a unique sauce alongside the traditional 'hot and spicy' fish taco. The crema didn't disappoint, the mild sour cream becomes a great base (and neutralizer) for the bite of the tequila, and combined the two create a fresh, citrus sauce that compliments the heat of the tilapia fillets very nicely. We topped our tacos with fresh salsa, finishing the fresh, bright flavor profile of this dish. If you're in the market for something a little more fulfilling than the standard burger fare, these delicious little tacos are worth a shot!

(No photo tonight, we had a series of technical difficulties that kept us from posting pics...sorry!)

That's all we have for you tonight, stop by tomorrow night to see what Maggie has cooking. Until then,

~Cheers