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Roasted Rack of Lamb Recipe with Herb Bread Crumbs and Dominos Potatoes

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Roasted Rack of Lamb Recipe with Herb Bread Crumbs and Dominos Potatoes

This Roasted Rack of Lamb Recipe actually has a more sophisticated name, as it is formally known as lamb persillade.   Persillade is fancy French name meaning a combo of parsley and seasonings, which is exactly what we added to the bread crumbs and compound butter in this roasted rack of lamb recipe.  I know this is big of me, but this has and always be 1 of my favorite dishes of all time.  I’ve always said that lamb and duck are my 2 favorite things to eat and this rack of lamb doesn’t disappoint.  From the ridiculously flavorful butter and bread crumbs, to the sear on the lamb, to the amazingly tasty dominos potatoes, this dish is jam packed with awesomeness.

Easter is around the corner and since I am a bit of a traditionalist, so lamb is always on the menu come Easter.  Ever since I learned about this Roasted Rack of Lamb Recipe with Herb Bread Crumbs, or Lamb Persillade as we call it in the industry, I fell in love.  My first time making it was in culinary school and I literally could not get enough.  I went by everyone who made one and asked if they had leftovers because I wanted to eat it!  Another funny story is when I made this years ago for some friends and I couldn’t stop talking about how much I loved it, so one of my friends said I should change my name from Billy Parisi to Billy Persillade lol.  I know, I’m over the top sometimes.  There are also twists on this version as well.  Instead of using this really tasty herb butter, you can also use Dijon mustard in place of it and put that down on the lamb before adding on the crumbs.  Both ways are awesome, just different.  In any event, once you try this you will love it guaranteed and my hope is that it will become not only your new favorite lamb dish but also your favorite dish in general.

If you’ve got an herb butter lying around be sure to use it, if not it’s as easy as whipping together chives, thyme, parsley, unsalted butter, finely minced garlic, salt and pepper until the butter becomes light and fluffy.  Just note that you most likely won’t use all of the butter but be sure to freeze it and use it for another recipe.  It is delicious mixed into some veggies or finished over a tasty steak.  You’re welcome :-).

When preparing large meals for a crowd, I’m all about finding ways to help me create things more efficiently, so I can enjoy the company of the folks that are breaking bread with me.  One of my favorite tools in my kitchen is my Franke Roller Mat.  It has so many different functions from drying dishes, to being used as a hot pad, and my favorite as a colander.   Since the potatoes take the longest to cook it’s important for timing purposes that we start with those first, which means washing them.  Thanks to my Franke roller mat, it rolls out perfectly over my gorgeous bright white Franke farmhouse sink perfectly and I can use it to clean off my vegetables without having to bend down low into my sink.  I’m about 6’3 plus boots, and I’ll do just about anything to save the life of my back, so if it means putting less stress on it while I rinse my veggies then that’s a huge win in my book.  Like I said, it gets used all the time.

Once your potatoes are sliced up, basted with butter and seasoned with salt, you want to press them down gently onto a sheet tray with parchment paper so that they represent dominos, hence dominos potatoes.  They take about 45 minutes to cook so after 20 to 25 minutes you want to get started on your lamb.  Be sure to French the lamb by removing all of the fat and sinew away from the bones to make them really stand out and pop.  It looks so much better this way and I promise your guests will be wowed.

 

 

It’s important to season your lamb very well on both sides with salt and pepper before searing it in olive oil until it is golden brown and caramelized on all sides.  From there flip it over to be fat side up and spread on the butter and sprinkle on the bread crumbs, and send it to the oven to finish it up to your desired internal temperature.  A rack of lamb can take a minute to cook so be sure to set aside 10-15 minutes to achieve a medium-rare internal temperature.  If you love medium or medium-well then for sure give yourself 20 to 25 minutes.  If you like well done, just throw it away!


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Roasted Rack of Lamb Recipe with Herb Bread Crumbs
 
Try this classic Roasted Rack of Lamb Recipe with Herb Bread Crumbs that is sure to be a family favorite!
Ingredients
  • 1 New Zealand or Domestic rack of lamb
  • 1 tablespoon dry thyme
  • 1 tablespoon dry parsley
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • ½ cup Panko bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
  1. Season the lamb rack with salt and pepper and in a hot skillet with sear till golden brown on all sides. For the herb crumbs, place everything in a mixing bowl and mix until completely combined minus the mustard.
  2. Once the lamb rack is perfectly seared keep it in the pan with the fat cap side up.
  3. Next spread the dijon mustard evenly and generously sprinkle the herb crumbs on top.
  4. Place pan in the oven on 350° for 6-10 minutes for a perfect medium-rare.
  5. Slice rack, serve hot and enjoy

Egg Nog Crème Brulee Recipe with Kahlua and Whipped Cream

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Egg Nog Crème Brulee Recipe with Kahlua and Whipped Cream

Believe it or not, one of my favorite things during the Christmas season is egg nog.  It was something I couldn’t stand as a kid, but man do I love it now! It’s not like I’m chugging gallons at a time, but I do love a nice cold glass of egg nog.  With all that in mind, I figured mixing some into some crème brulee – along with some Kahlua – would be a pretty good idea. Man was I right! It’s delicious and not ridiculously easy to make, believe it or not.

Traditionally, you want to put everything in a pot over low heat, just like in the picture, and whisk it until it’s warm and nappe, or can coat the back of a spoon.  However, if you want to save a few minutes, you can just put everything in a bowl and whisk it until it’s completely combined.  To be honest, I actually prefer the latter because it’s less work and that process makes for an easier time in the oven.

One of the cool things about crème brulee is that it can be manipulated in just about any fashion, so you can infuse almost any flavor you want.  Just think of all the extracts or liqueurs you can add in to completely change up or enhance the taste of it! As I stated earlier, I’m an egg nog fan, so swapping out some of the cream in the recipe with egg nog is a no-brainer and a ridiculously delicious flavor-enhancer.  In addition to adding in the egg nog, I thought I would spike the crème brulee with a little Kahlua!  If you happen to have a bottle of Bailey’s lying around, then no need to drop $20 on the Kahlua, Baileys will still give you an amazing tasty crème brulee.

Once your ingredients are combined, you want to divide the custard liquid between your brulee dishes, which are shallow and wide. You can also cook the crème brulee in ramekins or small glass cups, but remember they all need to fit on a sheet pan while baking.  I kept it traditional – simply because I wanted to be able to load up the tops with fresh berries and whipped cream.  This egg nog crème brulee recipe makes enough to fill 5 of the brulee dishes, which is honestly quite a bit.  This recipe is super rich, so don’t be surprised if you can only eat ½ of it at a time!  In addition to pouring the crème brulee custard into the baking dishes, you also want to pour warm water around the dishes in the sheet pan.  Don’t fill it up all the way, you’ll only need about ½ inch in the pan.

Bake the crème brulees in the oven and cool them for about 30 minutes or so.  One of my favorite go-to cooling racks is my Franke Roller Mat – it’s an amazing tool to help cool baked goodies.  Not only does it work as a cooling rack, it also serves as a surface to dry dishes on, a colander, or even as a surface area to wash dishes, which will save you from bending over for long periods of time. The Franke Roller Mat rolls up for easy storage and while it’s unrolled, it covers about ¾ of our oversized Franke farmhouse sink.

After the egg nog crème brulee cools at room temperature, transfer it to the refrigerator and let it cool completely, which will take about 1 hour.  As it cools, we can make our fresh whipped cream – complete with a bit of mascarpone cheese! I also use this time to wash off our fresh berries.  As I stated earlier, I like to use the Franke roller mat to help save my back because I’m pretty tall. I like to put the strainer right on the Roller Mat while I use my Franke Gooseneck faucet hose to spray off the berries.  After rinsing, simply set the berries aside to let them drain naturally before using.

Last but not least, sprinkle on 1 teaspoon of sugar and shake the dish around to spread the sugar around before torching it. Torch until its caramelized and crisp, and don’t worry if you get a few dark spots in the sugar! It’s absolutely delicious, and you won’t even taste it.  With that being said, be careful when bruleeing the sugar because you don’t want to burn the whole top – again, it’s ok if there are a few dark spots.  Serve this egg nog crème brulee up with some whipped cream and fresh berries and you’ve got yourself one delicious and festive Christmas dessert!

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Egg Nog Crème Brulee Recipe with Kahlua and Whipped Cream
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 5
 
Spice up your holidays this season with this amazing Egg Nog Crème Brulee Recipe with Kahlua and Whipped Cream that is sure to satisfy!
Ingredients
For the Crème Brulee:
  • 1 ½ cups of heavy whipping cream
  • 1 ½ cups of egg nog
  • ¼ cup of sugar + 5 teaspoons
  • 2 tablespoons of Kahlua
  • 6 egg yolks
For the Toppings:
  • 1 cup of heavy whipping cream
  • ¼ cup of sugar
  • ½ cup of mascarpone cheese
  • assorted fresh berries
Instructions
  1. Crème brulee: Preheat the oven to 325°.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients except the 5 teaspoons of sugar. Divide the custard between 5 brulee dishes.
  3. Transfer the dishes to a cookie sheet tray. Fill up the tray until there is about ½ inch of water in it.
  4. Bake the dish at 325° for 25-30 minutes or until the center is set. Note: you may get some cooked brown spots on the outside of the crème brulee, but it’s totally fine.
  5. Remove the brulee dishes from the pan and cool for 30 minutes before completely cooling in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.
  6. Toppings: While the brulee is chilling, add the whipped cream and sugar to a standing mixer with the whisk attachment on high speed and whisk until stiff peaks are formed, about 3 to 4 minutes.
  7. Add in mascarpone and whisk for 1 more minute and chill before serving.
  8. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar to the top of a crème brulee and move it around so that it is coated. Using a torch, caramelize the sugar on top until browned and hardened.
  9. Serve the egg nog crème brulee with the whipped cream and fresh berries.

 

Bone In Standing Ribeye Roast Recipe with Red Wine Pan Sauce

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Bone In Standing Ribeye Roast Recipe with Red Wine Pan Sauce

The holiday season is in full effect, which means I’m dissing the turkey and saying yes to beef, just like in this Bone In Standing Ribeye Roast Recipe with Red Wine Pan Sauce!  I say it in so many of my posts around this time of year, but I just can’t stand to eat another bite of turkey for the rest of the year following Thanksgiving.  It’s not that I don’t like turkey it’s just that I ate it for Thanksgiving and Christmas for 25 years, so lately it’s been all about the bone in standing ribeye roast recpie and I couldn’t be happier.  In addition, to be quite honest, I’m all for changing up Thanksgiving as well should you want to cook something up that doesn’t have wings.

When selecting your bone in ribeye roast, you should figure about 2 pounds per 1 bone.  While you’ll lose a few ounces because of the bone, you’ll still be left with at least 24 ounces of beef left per bone which should definitely feed at least 2 people.  So, in the end, a 4-bone rib roast should feed about 8 people just so you can get your calculations correct in case you were thinking it’s a bone per person.  There are several different grades of meat as well, including prime, choice, grass fed, you name it there’s a cow for it.  My personal thought is that rib roasts are expensive and your loading it up with herbs, garlic, salt and pepper, and slow cooking it, so no need to drop the bank on the most expensive cut of beef.  Don’t get me wrong, you definitely can, but I just think for the normal every day palette that it’s probably not worth it.

I always promote trussing any protein before roasting it for long periods of time in the oven.  This holds the cut of meat together and keeps all the juices inside and intact until you slice it.  The next thing is of course rubbing it down with some herbs and garlic.  It’s important to wash your herbs before using them.  Just think to your own garden in the summer time when you pull out some fresh chives and there is some dirt on it?  Same thing applies when buying fresh herbs, or any fresh produce, from the grocery store; It needs a rinse.  I’m absolutely in LOVE with my Franke gooseneck faucet with hose extension.  Honestly, I probably use the hose more than the actual faucet because I like to be able to move the water around as well as being able to maneuver it around the sink.  Not only does it look incredible in our kitchen but it also works to perfection.

After your rib roast is trussed and rubbed down, then hit it in the oven and let it roast until golden brown and rare in the middle.  Yes, I know rare seems to scare people, but for me I love leftovers and if you go past rare then chances are when you reheat it, you’re going to be well done which is no good.  When cooking in the oven you want to first get a nice brown on the outside by cooking it at high temps before turning the heat down and letting it slow cook.

With about 25 minutes or so before the ribeye roast is done cooking, I tossed some potatoes around in some of the leftover herbs and garlic mixture and put them right in the pan with the rib roast and once the potatoes are done, so is the bone in ribeye roast.  I can’t even begin to tell you how much we use the Franke Roller Mat.  I use it for drying dishes, as colander to spray off fresh produce with, and most importantly as a hot pad to protect my countertops with.  You want to remove the ribeye from the pan along with the potatoes and pop the pan onto the burner and cook some shallots and garlic.  Just a little note here but if there is some burnt on herbs in the pan, just simply discard them before cooking.  Deglaze the pan with wine, and feel free to take a little swig since cooking over the holiday can be stressful, and cook it until the wine is almost gone or “au sec.”  Add in some beef stock, season it up , and pour a bit over the rib roast and you’ve got yourself one serious Christmas feast!

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Bone In Standing Ribeye Roast Recipe with Red Wine Pan Sauce
Author: 
Recipe type: main
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 8
 
Get creative this holiday season by making this amazingly delicious Bone In Standing Ribeye Roast Recipe with Red Wine Pan Sauce!
Ingredients
  • 30 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • rosemary leaves from 2 sprigs
  • 6 garlic cloves + 2 finely minced
  • ½ peeled shallot + ½ finely minced
  • ⅓ cup of extra virgin olive oil
  • 8-pound bone-in standing rib roast, trussed
  • 2 pounds of assorted colored baby potatoes
  • ½ cup of red wine, cabernet sauvignon
  • 2 cups of beef stock
  • 2 ounces of unsalted butter
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 475°.
  2. Add the thyme, rosemary, 6 garlic cloves, ½ peeled shallot and olive oil to a food processor and pulse on high speed until it becomes like a paste.
  3. Add ¾ off the garlic and herb paste to the rib roast and apply it to all sides of the roast. Season the roast well on all sides with salt and pepper and place in a roasting pan.
  4. Bake at 475° for 25 minutes and then turn the heat down to 325° and cook for 70 minutes for a rare to medium rare internal temperature.
  5. With about 25 minutes left in the cooking process add the potatoes, the remaining garlic and herb paste, and salt and pepper to a large bowl and toss until coated.
  6. Add the potatoes to the pan with the rib roast and cook for 20 minutes.
  7. Remove the rib roast and potatoes form the pan and return the pan to a burner over medium-high heat.
  8. Add 2 finely minced cloves of garlic and ½ peeled and finely minced shallot to the pan and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes before deglazing with the red wine.
  9. Reduce the wine until it is almost gone and then add in the beef stock and cook for 3 to 4 minutes over high heat. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper and finish with butter.

 

Chocolate and Orange Panettone Recipe

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Chocolate and Orange Panettone Recipe

I remember growing up in Detroit and always going to these huge extravagant Christmas Eve parties at my dad’s side of the family.  They were absolutely loaded with food, music, games and fun.  If you know an Italian just ask them about how much food is rolled out on any holiday throughout the year, you’ll be floored.  Honestly, you’d think we were getting ready to feed the entire neighborhood with the amount of food that is made.  There were literally several different tables set up by courses for you to go through and pick what you’d like to eat.  Obviously the most glorious table in my young eye sights was the dessert table.  I mean still to this day I don’t think I’ve ever seen more cookies in 1 place then on that desserts table on Christmas Eve.  The most delicious pies, cakes, tarts, you name it this thing would make Willy Wonka blush.  I always remember some funny looking tall bread that had raisins in it on the edge of that table, but never once ventured on taking a slice.  Well that tall bread was panettone and dang it did I miss out on it for so many years.

There are so many things I wish I could go back in try when I was younger that I just didn’t do.  Sure, I’ve been able to eat a lot of those things now, but I never ate them the way my Italian relatives made them.  Were they better than the recipes I’ve had now?  What did they smell like?  How long were they cooked?  I mean I’m so bummed that I didn’t eat these things when I had the chance.  All I’m trying to say is don’t take these simple things for granite or else you’ll never get the opportunity to know how they were made.  While I’ve made panettone several times, I just wish once that I had taken a bite out of the ones my family made 30 years ago.

The comforting part about all of this is at least now I have a really solid recipe and ingredients that I trust to make an insanely delicious panettone.  I won’t ever know if mine tasted like theirs, but I know everything in my panettone is good.  I can’t tell you how much I swear by Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Flour.  It has a ton of protein in it making it perfect for making breads, crusts, pie shells and cakes, and quite frankly it’s the only flour I trust.  In all honestly it always gives me confidence knowing that I’ve used really good ingredients in my cooking.  Thanks Bob for helping me create this Chocolate and Orange Panettone Recipe!!

With all that being said, as I wipe a tear from my eye reminiscing on my childhood in Detroit let’s get into this Italian Christmas Cake, or you all know Panettone!  Panettone is a light fluffy sweet bread that is usually spiked with some dry fruits and topped off with nuts or sugar.  While I’ve done the traditional recipe before, I wanted to change things up so putting in some chocolate chips and orange zest will do the trick.  I added these ingredients because it’s a guarantee my daughter will eat it.  I don’t want to scare her with a bunch of dried fruit and raisins like I was when I was a kid.  I want her to remember everything that I make so that she can pass it on to her kids one day, and the best way I know how to do that now is through chocolate chips :-).

The main thing that panettone requires is time.  It needs time to rise twice, so don’t be thinking this is some after dinner treat you are going to whip, because you’re going to need about 5 hours or so to complete this recipe before you can eat it.  I suggest starting this in the morning or even on a weekend day.  The beautiful thing about panettone is you can swap out toppings and fillings to your liking.  While the dough stays the same, you can spike the flavor with whatever you want.  Maybe it’s lemon, or some kind of liqueur, or perhaps even nut based.  All I’m saying is that you can get creative with this recipe and do whatever you’d like with it!  Happy baking guys, and remember to be sure and try everything even if you don’t like it, try it anyways just so you know!


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Chocolate and Orange Panettone Recipe
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
 
Get in the holiday spirit and learn how easy it is to make a Chocolate and Orange Panettone Recipe that is topped off with almonds!
Ingredients
  • 1 ½ packets of yeast
  • 1 ½ cups of water heated to 110° to 115°
  • 1 ½ cups of whole milk heated to 110° to 115°
  • 1 ½ cups of sugar + 1 tablespoon
  • 1 egg + 1 egg white
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • Zest of 1 orange
  • ½ cup of melted butter
  • 8 cups of Bob's Red Mill all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup of chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°
  2. Sprinkle the yeast into a bowl with the warm water and milk and whisk in 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Let sit for 5 to 7 minutes or until it becomes very foamy.
  3. Next, whisk in the rest of the sugar, 1 egg, salt, vanilla, orange zest and melted butter until combined and transfer it to a standing mixer with the hook attachment.
  4. Slowly pour in the flour and mix on low speed until combined and kneed for 5 to 10 minutes.
  5. Let sit for 1 hour or until it doubles in size.
  6. Add the chocolate chips and fold them in the dough until they are completely folded in. Put the dough into a prepared 4” tall by 8” cake pan or use a panettone liner and let rise for more 30 minutes.
  7. Brush the top of the bread with the egg white and sprinkle on the 1 tablespoon of sugar and bake at 350° for 60 to 70 minutes or until browned on top and the inside is cooked.

 

Lemon Herb Flattened Chicken with Root Vegetable Panzanella Salad

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Lemon Herb Flattened Chicken with Root Vegetable Panzanella Salad

Let me first start by saying how much I’ve enjoyed creating these videos for you guys and this Lemon Herb Flattened Chicken with Root Vegetable Panzanella Salad may be one of my favorites.  I’ve only done a few of these long form videos, i.e. 10 mintues +, but still I like being able to share in more detail what and why I’m doing it instead of cramming so much cooking information into a 1 minute video.  No offense but I don’t carry any more about those and I’m not going to cook recipes that can be prepared in 20 minutes, that’s not my style and not what has gotten me to this point.  I have a culinary degree and 15 years of restaurant experience so I feel it’s my duty to share my story and cooking knowledge with you all and I hope in some way it inspires you to cook and enjoy every day in the kitchen.

Once you start appreciating every step of the cooking process you will truly learn to love cooking.  This honestly takes so much time and I never felt this way until about 5 to 6 years ago when I had time to focus on what I was cooking instead of tickets printing and a chef yelling at me to hurry up.  This Lemon Herb Flattened Chicken with Root Vegetable Panzanella Salad video is a little long but man everything about this recipe is so good.  The lemon herb chimichurri sauce is divine and the prep that goes into it amazing.  When you are preparing it stop and smell each herb.  Taste each one.  After chopping it, smell it and taste it again to see if it changed.  Take your time while doing this and enjoy it.  After you mix in the lemon and garlic, taste it, season it, and taste it again.  Set the lemon herb sauce to the side until it’s ready to be used.  I called it chimichurri just because to me it’s what it resembles the most, and also this stuff freezes really well if you’ve got any extra leftover.  Just a little FYI there.

For the flattened chicken, you need to remove the back bone.  Don’t be scared when you hear the word flattened chicken because it’s not really flattened, it’s just a chicken that is a little flatter because the backbone has been removed.  Think about it, when you buy a whole chicken it is called a whole chicken, so when it’s flat, it’s called flattened.   You can do this by using some really sharp kitchen shears or a meat cleaver.  If you are a traditionalist like me, save the back bone and freeze it because man you can make a delicious chicken stock with that long back bone piece so save it up.  Drizzle on some olive oil all over the chicken to help it brown and you want to season all sides of the flattened chicken with Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper.  Also, drizzle on about half of the lemon herb chimichurri sauce all over the chicken.  As the flattened chicken cooks the herbs are going to infuse into the chicken making it so dang delicious.  You could actually marinate in the lemon herb mixture over night if you wanted to as well.  I personally like to use it more like a sauce at the end so that’s just my cup of tea but it does not have to be yours.  You want to roast this chicken at around 375° for a bit and then crank up the heat to help finish crisping up the skin before it’s ready to serve.

The root vegetable panzanella salad is super easy to make and honestly can be just about whatever you want.  I used a combo of French and multigrain bread but dang it use whatever artisanal homemade bread you’ve got lying around the house.  Remember when you bake it you just want it to be toasty on the outside and softer on the inside, you aren’t making crunchy croutons ok?!  Panzanella is Italian and the salad in it’s original form was so that everything in the kitchen got used up so if you had some leftover crunchy bread that was a few days old, you cut up and put into a salad with veggies and greens.  Obviously same concept here but my bread was fresh and needed to be toasted.  Toast it up and toss around with some seasonal greens.  It’s winter so things like chard, mustard greens, collards, kale and spinach are in season so try to stick with those!  The root vegetables can be an assortment of things.  I used beets, sweet potatoes and Brussel sprouts, but you can absolutely use things like carrots, celeriac root, turnips, parsnips, potatoes, etc, you name it you can use it if it’s a root vegetable.

Well that’s all I got, thanks for hanging out and listening to me blabber on about nothing.  Watch the video and be sure to subscribe to my channel.  Thanks!

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Lemon Chicken with Panzanella Salad
Author: 
Recipe type: main
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
Break out that loaf of artisan bread and learn how to make this delicious Lemon Herb Flattened Chicken with Root Vegetable Panzanella Salad!
Ingredients
For the Salad:
  • 1 thinly sliced sweet potato
  • 15-20 brussel sprouts, cut into quarters
  • 1 each quartered and thinly sliced golden and red beet
  • ½ loaf each French and multigrain loaf cut into 1” cubes
  • 4 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 head each of kale and spinach, trimmed and cut into bite size pieces
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
  • optional garnishes: micro-greens and goat cheese
For the Dressing:
  • ⅔ cup of mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup of white balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon of grainy mustard
  • 2 tablespoons of honey
  • ¼ cup of olive oil
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
For the Chicken:
  • 3 tablespoons each finely minced fresh parsley, chives, thyme, rosemary and oregano
  • 4 finely minced cloves of garlic
  • zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • ½ cup of olive oil + 2 tablespoons
  • 1 whole chicken, backbone removed
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°.
  2. Salad: Spread the sweet potatoes, Brussel sprouts and beets out on 2 ½ sheet trays lines with parchment paper and drizzle on 2 tablespoons of olive oil and salt and pepper.
  3. Bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes or until light browned and tender. Cool completely.
  4. Spread the cubed bread out on a ½ sheet tray lined with parchment paper and drizzle on 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until slightly crunchy on the outside but soft in the center. Set aside.
  5. dressing: Whisk together all of the ingredients in a medium size bowl until combined. Cool before serving.
  6. Chicken: In a medium size bowl whisk together the herbs, garlic, lemon and olive oil until combined to make a chimichurri style sauce and set aside.
  7. Place the flattened chicken on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and cover it on all sides with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper, and ½ of lemon herb sauce. Bake skin side up for 50 minutes.
  8. After 25 minutes turn the chicken pan around so that it cooks evenly on all sides.
  9. After the 50 minutes is up turn the heat up to 425° and cook for 15 more minutes or until the skin is golden brown and cooked throughout.
  10. To Serve: Serve the chicken with the remaining lemon herb sauce and place the bread, greens and chilled root vegetables into a large bowl and dress with the desired amount of dressing, salt and pepper and optional garnishes micro-greens and goat cheese.
  11. Enjoy!

Homemade Sweet Potato Pie Recipe with Marshmallow Merengue

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When I was a kid I wasn’t too adventurous when it came to trying new foods, and the holidays were filled with things I had never heard of.  We spent thanksgiving and Christmas at my grandparents’ house and we always hung out and ate in the basement.  When it came to dessert time there were the usuals, apple pie, pumpkin pie, ice cream, etc.  However, I do remember one time someone, can’t quite recall who it was (maybe my Uncle Jack), who brought a sweet potato pie.  I couldn’t quite grasp the concept of a potato pie because to this point all I had been used to seeing was a sweet potato baked or sliced up and cooked.  It took several years after that for me to even try it.  After that first bite, I was so mad at myself for consistently passing on such a delicious dessert for all this time.

I like sweet potato pie so much that I won’t even touch pumpkin pie if it’s around.  To me it is light years better than pumpkin pie and so much more flavorful, and with the marshmallow merengue on top you will be floored at the wonderful combinations in this homemade pie.  There are a few ways to prepare the sweet potatoes.  Some some folks boil them, but I prefer to bake them.  I always wash my produce no matter what, even if I end up peeling it.  My chef used to tell me that there are people just like you and me packing up these fruits and vegetables so it’s in my best interest to give them a rinse first.  With the Franke roller mat it has become incredibly easy to wash my produce.  The mat is malleable so you can roll it right over the top of your sink and from there use a hose extender or faucet to rinse your veggies.  If you have small fruit you can put in a colander and rinse it while it rests on the roller mat.  I like doing this because I’m tall so anything that can help save my back from constantly bending over, then I’m game.

While the sweet potatoes are cooking it’s the perfect time to make the crust.  I would say the crust, no matter the filling, is probably my favorite thing to eat in a pie.  It just brings about so much balance and a little saltiness to the pie filling making it perfect.  Not sure who invented the pie crust, but THANK YOU!  Since a pie crust only takes about 5 minutes to make I mold it to the pan and pop it right into the refrigerator to let the dough rest until it’s time to fill and bake.

Once the potatoes are done cooking you want to peel them and mash them.  You can absolutely do all this in a standing mixer, using a hand mixer or a potato mill, which is what I do.  Sweet potatoes mash pretty easy so don’t worry about being able to get them broken down.  Once you mix in all the goodies you fill up the pie crust and bake it for about an hour until it becomes firm on top.  Once things go in the oven I usually try to clean up a bit and get caught up in the kitchen before doing something else.  That same roller mat that was used to wash my potatoes became a drying rack for my dishes while I wiped down the kitchen.  Seriously this thing is AMAZING!

After I cleaned up I had plenty of time to make the marshmallow merengue, which will go on top of the sweet potato pie after it is done baking.  You want to wait until there is about 5 minutes left in the baking process before starting this since you want to put it on top immediately and get it right back in the oven.  Once your egg whites have reached medium peaks you fold in the marshmallow whip and mix it until it reaches stiff peaks.  This is really important for how I styled my pie with the tall little points sticking up out of the pie.  I used the Franke roller mat as a trivet for the hot pie after I pulled it out of the oven to keep my countertops safe.  You definitely do not have to do what I did for the topping so please feel free to add on how you feel comfortable.  Pop the pie back in the oven for a few more minutes or until the merengue is browned and you are good to go!  Sweet potato pie is delicious warm or cold, so take your pick!


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Homemade Sweet Potato Pie Recipe with Marshmallow Merengue
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 1 pie
 
Leave the pumpkin pie at home this year and try this amazing Homemade Sweet Potato Pie Recipe with Marshmallow Merengue!
Ingredients
For the Crust:
  • 1¼ cups of flour
  • ½ teaspoons of Kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar
  • ½ cups of ice cold unsalted butter, cut up
  • ¼ cup of ice cold water
For the Filling:
  • 3 large sweet potatoes, baked and skins removed
  • 1 cup of brown sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 5 tablespoons of unsalted butter
  • ½ cup of whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon of nutmeg
For the Marshmallow Merengue:
  • 3 egg whites
  • ¼ teaspoon of cream of tartar
  • ¼ cup of sugar
  • 1 8 ounce jar of marshmallow whip
Instructions
  1. Sweet Potatoes: Wash the potatoes and bake at 375 for 60 minutes.
  2. Crust: Add the ingredients, except for the water, into a food processor and pulse until it becomes like a meal. Slowly drizzle in the water until the dough begins to slightly come together.
  3. Remove the dough and roll it out on a clean flour dusted surface so that it will fit into a 9” pie tin.
  4. Form the dough to the pie tin and trim any access. Chill in the refrigerator until the sweet potatoes are done baking.
  5. Filling: Peel the sweet potatoes and add them to a large bowl along with all the other ingredients and mix until combined.
  6. Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake for 60 to 65 minutes at 375° or until it becomes firm on top and in the center.
  7. Merengue: While the pie is cooking add the egg whites, cream of tartar and sugar to a standing mixer with the whisk attachment and whisk on high speed until they’ve reached medium peaks, about 3 to 4 minutes.
  8. Next, add in the marshmallow whip and mix on high speed until it reached stiff peaks.
  9. When the pie is done cooking add the marshmallow merengue to the top of the pie in any decoration that you’d like and bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until they are browned.
  10. Serve the pie warm or cool and enjoy!

 

Mixed Berries with Vanilla Crème Anglaise and Whipped Cream

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It’s the season for barbecues, picnics, cookouts, and outdoor get-togethers – and I have the perfect dessert to impress your guests! This one is particularly patriotic, with gorgeous mixed berries (I used blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries), whipped cream, and a vanilla crème anglaise. You can make it ahead of time, so when it comes time to serve, you just assemble and sit back as your friends ooh and ahh over the sweet treat.

The star of this dessert is the crème anglaise – a sweet, custard-like sauce that gets spooned over the mixed berries. It sounds fancy and intimidating, but if you follow the steps carefully, you’ll have a beautiful, decadent sauce as good as any French pastry chef could make. The two keys to this sauce are your patience and a strong forearm for whisking.

The first step is to separate 12 egg yolks from the whites. We’ll only be using the yolks here, so save the whites for another recipe (a meringue or angel food cake would be tasty!). After putting the 12 egg yolks in a bowl, pour one quart of heavy whipping cream into a saucepan. I know this sounds like a lot of fat-laden ingredients, but I can assure you that it’s worth it when you have one taste of the decadent sauce that results from it! The mixed berries balance it all out – or so I like to think!

I split two vanilla beans down the middle and dropped them into the cream, then I scalded the cream. Scalding means to cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the cream starts to bubble along the edges. You’ll notice some of the insides of the vanilla bean start to release into the liquid—this is perfect! To get the rest of the vanilla bean seeds, I ran the back of a paring knife along the cut sides to release the tiny flecks inside the bean, which I added to the cream. There’s nothing quite like fresh vanilla beans—I think they add such a nice flavor that you can’t get from extract, but if you can’t find them, of course, feel free to use a high-quality vanilla extract made from real vanilla beans or a vanilla bean paste instead.

Next, I tempered the eggs, which means I brought them to a warmer temperature. If eggs come in contact with a hot ingredient too quickly, they’ll scramble, so I added a quarter cup of the cream to the egg yolks while whisking to make them a little warmer. Then, I whisked the warmed egg yolks into the heavy cream, followed by 1 cup of sugar. Now onto the fun part: lots and lots of stirring.

Bring your favorite whisk and your patience, because this next step takes a little time. My advice is to keep the heat low and keep stirring. You’re looking for an alfredo sauce-like texture here. It should be somewhat thick and will coat the back of a spoon when it’s ready. Watch carefully, because it can go from liquid to overcooked in just moments! As soon as it looked done, I remove the pan from the heat and placed it on my Franke roller mat – an awesome trivet for hot pans, among other things! – and whisked vigorously to make sure they weren’t any lumps. If you want to be extra-sure that there aren’t any lumps, you can run the mixture through a chinois or fine mesh sieve after it cooks.

Then I transferred the mixture to a bowl and stuck it in the refrigerator (or the freezer if you’re in a rush!) to cool.

Meanwhile, give the berries a quick rinse in the sink and let them sit to dry on the roller mat while the crème anglaise cools. The Franke roller mat is incredibly versatile – I use it every day! Sometimes as a dish dryer, or a colander, or a hot pad to help protect counter tops. The side spray on my Franke farmhouse faucet with hose extender is especially beneficial when it comes to washing produce over the roller mat.

Finally, I whipped more heavy cream and a spoonful of sugar into the bowl of a standing mixer until it reached stiff peask, and then I set it in the fridge until it was time serve.  I’d recommend grabbing  your prettiest wine glasses or parfait glasses and letting your guests layer their dessert as they please. I’m personally privy to a little more crème anglaise rather than a little less, but to each their own! As for the sparklers – totally optional but highly encouraged! Hope you have a fantastic 4th of July!

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Mixed Berries with Vanilla Crème Anglaise and Whipped Cream
Author: 
Recipe type: dessert
 
Give your dessert a spark with this tempting Mixed Berries with Vanilla Crème Anglaise and Whipped Cream that is sure to be a hit!
Ingredients
  • 1 lb fresh strawberries, quartered
  • 1 pint blueberries
  • 6 oz raspberries
  • 6 oz blackberries
  • 12 egg yolks
  • 5 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
  • 2 vanilla beans
  • 1¼ cup sugar, divided
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks and place the yolks in a large bowl. Reserve egg whites for another use. Split the vanilla beans lengthwise down the middle. In a heavy saucepan, add 4 cups of heavy cream and the vanilla beans. Heat the cream over low heat until bubbles begin to form on the edges. Remove from the heat. Remove the vanilla beans from the cream. Using the back of a paring knife, scrape the inside of the vanilla beans to remove the insides. Add the insides of the vanilla beans back to the heavy cream.
  2. While whisking constantly, pour ¼ cup of the heavy cream into the egg yolks to bring the yolks up in temperature. Add the egg yolks to the heavy cream and whisk quickly to combine. Whisk in 1 cup of sugar.
  3. Place the heavy cream and egg mixture on a burner over low heat. Low heat is essential here! Whisk constantly until the sauce is thickened and coats the back of a spoon, about 8–12 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer through a fine mesh sieve or chinois, if desired. Refrigerate for 2–3 hours or until cool.
  4. Beat the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream with ¼ cup sugar and ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract to stiff peaks. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
  5. Rinse the berries and allow to dry. When ready to serve, layer the berries with crème anglaise and top with whipped cream. Serve immediately.

 

Smoked Country Style Ribs with Mustard BBQ Sauce and Texas Toast

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Smoked Country Style Ribs with Mustard BBQ Sauce and Texas Toast

First off, drop a comment below in the comments section and tell me your favorite bbq dish to eat for a chance to win a $50 gift card!!

I’ve been having a ball the past 2 years whipping up delicious smoked goodies out on my smoker.  From smoked salmon, to chicken to pulled pork, I’ve been loving experimenting and of course eating all of it.  Something about being outside smoking food and then lighting up the grill to finish it off is just so therapeutic. The grill to me means spring, summer and fall, which in Chicago, means nice weather comes in spurts and is always welcome.  Whether it be grilling a delicious steak to making some amazing BBQ, I just want to be outside cooking over the flames.

If you’ve ever been to Texas and had the opportunity to eat BBQ, which I hope you have, you’ll notice that with every BBQ plate you order, you almost always get a side of Texas Toast.  Well in the spirit of loving Texas BBQ I plan on doing the same, except with New York Bakery®’s Garlic Texas Toast!  If you’ve never had the chance to eat country style ribs then I must say that you’ve been missing out.  Country style ribs come from either the blade cut or shoulder cut, but when those are left whole and smoked then you’ve got some delicious pulled pork.  Essentially, it’s that big pulled pork shoulder sliced down to what are called country style ribs.  There are a few ways to cook these delicious meaty ribs and you can do it in the oven, in a slow cooker, on the grill or smoked.  Since I love cooking I decided I wanted to smoke them and then char them up over the grill once finished.

Almost all BBQ starts with some form of seasoning or rub to further enhance the flavor.  As intricate as I can be with cooking techniques I usually like really simple flavors, and the same applies to rubs.  I used a simple combo of onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper.  You of course can get as creative as you’d like for the rub or even buy a pre-made one, but this one here is easy and always delicious.  Once you make the rub you want to generously rub them all over the country style ribs, literally over every square centimeter.  I like to let whatever I’m smoking to sit in the rub at room temperature for about an hour. This will allow the chill to come off of your meat and will let the smoke penetrate it much more quickly.  Now if you don’t have a smoker don’t worry.  Once your ribs are rubbed down, simply transfer them to a casserole dish, add in a little chicken stock, cover with foil and slow cook in the oven at 325° for about 3 hours.  However, if you do have access to a smoker, be a true BBQ’er and smoke these up!  Once the ribs are done smoking, or cooking in the oven, it’s time to baste them up and get to grilling.  I’m always interested in trying out new recipes so instead of the traditional red BBQ sauce I made a really tasty mustard baste BBQ sauce and whoa is it good.  It has a perfect blend of sweet, tangy and spicy and compliments the pork perfectly.  You can absolutely use one of your favorite BBQ sauces or make your own, it’s completely up to you.

When you put the ribs onto the grill to crisp up, this is also perfect timing to place the New York Bakery Texas Toast on the grill as well.  Grilling the toast just adds another layer of flavor onto the already delicious garlic taste of the Texas toast.  You get this wonderful smoky flavor that when married with the BBQ is a match made in heaven.  It’s perfect!  Serving up any BBQ with a side of this garlic Texas toast is an excellent way to boost up your recipe, not-too-mention when you just happen to place a big chunk of these smoked ribs on top and eat it.  To prepare the Texas toast all you do is take it straight from the freezer, unwrap it, and place it directly on the grill.  Be sure to stay away from the hottest spot on the grill as you don’t want the butter in toast to create any unwanted flames.  With that being said, you definitely want to brown these up and get some nice grill marks on them.  If you happen to have a second shelf on your grill just pop these up top until they are nice and toasty.

Talk about some amazing BBQ, these Smoked Country Style Ribs with Mustard BBQ Sauce and Texas Toast will definitely hit the spot!

Don’t forget to leave a comment below in the comments section and tell me your favorite bbq dish to eat for a chance to win a $50 gift card!!

5.0 from 3 reviews
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Smoked Country Style Ribs with Mustard BBQ Sauce and Texas Toast
Author: 
 
Turn up your grilling game this year with these Smoked Country Style Ribs with Mustard BBQ Sauce and Texas Toast!
Ingredients
For the Rub:
  • 1 teaspoon of paprika
  • 1 teaspoon of onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon of chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon of cumin
  • 1 teaspoon of dry oregano
  • 1 ½ teaspoons of Kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper
  • 7 pounds of boneless country style pork ribs
For the Sauce:
  • 2 cups of yellow mustard
  • ¼ cup of grainy mustard
  • 1 cup of white balsamic vinegar
  • ½ cup of brown sugar
  • ½ cup of honey
  • 1 ½ tablespoons of soy sauce
  • 1 ½ tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
  • 1 loaf of New York Bakery Garlic Texas Toast
Instructions
  1. Preheat the smoker to 225° or the oven to 325°.
  2. Combine all of the spices and herbs together in a small bowl and generously season the pork ribs on all sides with the rub. let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
  3. Next place the ribs on a smoker rack or directly on a grill and smoke for 3 hours, or until it reaches 200° internally. Alternately place the ribs in a casserole dish with 1 cup of chicken stock, cover and cook in the oven for 3 hours.
  4. While they are cooking combine all of the sauce ingredients together in a pot and bring it to a boil. Remove from heat and keep warm.
  5. Once the ribs are done cooking baste them in the sauce, making sure to reserve some of the sauce for later, and grill them on the grill at 400° to 450° until grill marks are formed and a light char is on the outside.
  6. While the ribs are on the grill, remove the Texas toast from the freezer, unwrap and place directly on the grill and cook until lightly brown and toasted.
  7. Remove everything from the grill and serve alongside additional mustard BBQ sauce.

 

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of New York Bakery®. The opinions and text are all mine.



Braised Lamb Shanks Recipe with Parmesan Risotto

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Braised Lamb Shanks Recipe with Parmesan Risotto

I have always said that lamb and duck are hands down my favorite proteins of all time, and because they are it of course means I don’t get to eat them too often.  My wife isn’t too adventurous when it comes to eating foods that are a little different from the norm, and she especially won’t eat lamb or duck.  However, when it’s holiday season I usually get to make just about whatever I want.  For instance, I made smoked turkeys for Thanksgiving, which is definitely a little different than the norm, and the whole family was totally ok with it!  In light of having some success with twisting things up for the holidays I figured I would whip up this Braised Lamb Shanks Recipe with Parmesan Risotto for the Easter holiday weekend.  Now I’m not sure if my wife will dig it, but I am 100% confident that she’ll at least eat the risotto, which is a meal in itself.

Braising lamb shanks is actually really easy, it just requires some time, but it’s way quicker than braising most other meats like brisket or pork butt.  Once you taste the rich flavor combos of the lamb and red wine beef broth it’s braising in, you’ll forget all about the fact that it took 3 hours to make it.  Once you taste all of that goodness with the risotto you won’t care about anything at all, yes it’s that good!  The first part of braising lamb is seasoning them and then searing them in a bit of olive oil until they are golden brown.  The process of braising is caramelizing until roasted, not over cooked, and then finishing by simmering in a flavorful liquid.  Once the lamb is browned on all sides you want to remove it and then add a bunch of vegetables into the pan that you roasted the lamb in.  I’m a huge fan of not peeling my root vegetables simply because there is so much flavor and so many nutrients on the skin of vegetables.  Instead of peeling them, I like to simply wash them really well and then slice them up.  One my favorite kitchen gadgets to help me do this our Franke Roller Mat and Gooseneck Faucet with Hose Extender.  The Roller Mat acts as a colander, among many other things, making it easy to wash vegetables right over of the sink.  It’s honestly one of the coolest things in our kitchen and we use it daily!  Once the veggies are washed and rinsed you then want to roast them up in that pan until they are caramelized.  This part takes about 15 minutes to do it properly.  Once browned add in some tomato paste to help give it some color and body followed up by deglazing with red wine.  From there add the liquid, herbs, the browned lamb shanks, and a lid, and off to the oven it goes. I promise it’s that easy, just check out the video!

While the lamb is in the oven you’ll definitely have some time on your hands, so go hang out for 2 hours before returning to the kitchen to prepare the risotto.  I grew up in a kitchen that made risotto every day, so it’s as serious as religion for me.  You must always use an oversized pot to make it in and you must always use a wooden spoon while always continuing to stir in the exact same direction.  Don’t you dare let me catch you stirring any other way :-).  To me, the most important part of risotto is making sure you take the time to brown up and caramelize your onions.  Preparing the onions this way will make for the most flavorful rich risotto ever, so be sure to give yourself an hour total to make the risotto.  Once your onions are browned, add in the rice to toast it up a bit.  You then deglaze with white wine followed up by adding in chicken stock a few ladles at a time until the rice absorbs all the liquid, all while continuing to stir.  You repeat this process quite a few times until the rice is al dente, or slightly crunchy.  Always finish off your risotto with some fresh grated parmesan cheese and cream to give the richest of flavors.

The last thing you want to do is plate everything by adding a lamb shank over a bed of risotto along with some of the jus from the braising pot.  You can garnish with some fresh herbs, but I suggest not wasting too much time so you can eat this deliciousness ASAP!  Happy cooking everyone!

5.0 from 1 reviews
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Braised Lamb Shanks Recipe with Parmesan Risotto
Author: 
Recipe type: main
 
Sink your teeth into this delicious and elegant Braised Lamb Shanks Recipe with Parmesan Risotto that is sure to be a family favorite!
Ingredients
For the Lamb:
  • 4 lamb shanks
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 3 sliced carrots, peelings on
  • 2 sliced parsnips, peelings on
  • 1 sliced turnip, peelings on
  • 1 sliced yellow onion, peelings on
  • 4 sliced celery stalks
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 12-15 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
  • 1 small bunch of parsley
  • 3 tablespoons of tomato paste
  • 2 cups of red wine
  • 32 ounces of beef stock
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
For the Risotto:
  • 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
  • 1 peeled and small diced yellow onion
  • 2 cups of Arborio rice
  • 2 cups of chardonnay
  • 64 ounces of chicken stock
  • 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup of heavy whipping cream
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 325°.
  2. Lamb: Season the lamb on all sides with salt and pepper and sear them until golden brown in a large pot with olive oil over high heat. Once brown remove them from the pot and set aside.
  3. Next, add all of the vegetables and herbs into the pot and caramelize, about 15 minutes.
  4. Add in the tomato paste and stir until combined and cook for a further 3 to 4 minutes. Deglaze with red wine and cook until it becomes very thick and incorporated into the mixture.
  5. Add in the stock followed up by adding in the lamb shanks. Place a lid over the pot and cook in the oven at 325° for 3 hours. Remove them from the pot and strain the vegetables and serve with the remaining liquid.
  6. Risotto: Risotto: Melt the butter over medium heat in a large pot and add in the onions and caramelize, about 20 minutes.
  7. Next, add in the rice and toast for 2 to 3 minutes before deglazing with white wine.
  8. Stir the rice constantly until the rice has absorbed the wine and add in 8 ounces of chicken stock at a time while continuing to stir until the liquid is absorbed. Repeat the process until the risotto is al dente or slightly crunchy.
  9. Fold in the Parmesan cheese, whipping cream and season with salt and pepper until combined. Keep warm.
  10. Serve the lamb over a bed of risotto.

 

Baked Brie En Croute Recipe and Baked Brie with Cranberries

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Baked Brie En Croute Recipe and Baked Brie with Cranberries

I have to admit, when I was growing up I couldn’t stand the thought of baked brie.  I thought the brie cheese in the center that was oozing out was delicious, but what on earth is this weird fuzzy layer on the outside protecting all that goodness in the middle?  I know now that the rind of the brie is intended to be eaten, but even to this day it’s a little weird.  It kind of has an earthy mushroomy flavor to it that is just plain odd.  However, when you bake brie with all the goodness that I did and then wrapped up in a puff pastry or phyllo dough shell that is ridiculously good!  However, you will notice from the pictures that I didn’t just make the baked brie en croute recipe, I also hooked up a baked brie with cranberries and apples and dang was that good too.

Baked Brie En Croute Recipe and Baked Brie with Cranberries 1

As you get older your palette changes.  Mine moved from sweet berry fruits to citrus.  While I still love the sweetness of berries, I really like citrus flavors nowadays.  In addition, I used to like pilsner style beers and now I’m in search for the darkest thickest motor oil looking beer I can find.  Brie used to be gross to me even with some sweet jam on it, and now I can’t wait to dine with the ladies and eat brie like it’s my job.  Sorry, just seems like ladies’ love brie J.  It’s so bad now that if someone has it at a party that I literally eat half of it.  I’m greedy, so what.  At least I know where the good stuff is!!  OK, let’s talk about how I made this Baked Brie En Croute Recipe and Baked Brie with Cranberries.

Baked Brie En Croute Recipe and Baked Brie with Cranberries 2

The baked brie en croute recipe is super simple and is extremely versatile.  You don’t have to use the same sweet jam as I did or even top off with the candied pecans, dried cherries and caramel.  However, you do need to start off with a good brie wheel and some puff pastry or phyllo dough.  I used phyllo in this because I wanted some thin flaky layers, plus I already had some on hand so boom!!  I used a triple creamed brie that was really cheap.  I think I only paid $6 bucks for it.  Next, I spread a really thick layer of sour cherry jam all over the top of it and set it aside while I rolled out the phyllo dough just a smidge.

Baked Brie En Croute Recipe and Baked Brie with Cranberries 3

Baked Brie En Croute Recipe and Baked Brie with Cranberries 4

From there I wrapped up the brie and cherry jam and pinched it tight with some water underneath.  You can brush the top with a whisked egg or simply milk, which is what I used.  Bake this puppy up in the oven at 350° for 35 minutes or until the top of the phyllo is golden brown.  Now because I’m crazy I didn’t stop there.  I made a really easy bourbon caramel sauce and some candied pecans to go over top.  I also had some dried cherries lying around from the recipe I did the other day and topped off with them also.

Baked Brie En Croute Recipe and Baked Brie with Cranberries 5

This guy is gooey but dang is it ridiculous.  There’s no right way to eat it, just grab a knife, cut in to it and go to town!  I like serving up baked brie with an assortment of crackers and a sliced baguette, in case you were wondering.   So now on to the baked brie with cranberries, in case for some crazy reason you don’t like a baked brie en croute recipe.  Start by carefully slicing off the top layer of brie cheese, but laying it back on top.  This will help keep the oozy cheese in side from pouring out while it’s baking.  Next in a pot boil together some water, sugar and lemon juice and then add in some cranberries and diced apples and cook it until it becomes super thick.  Honestly it will resemble a chutney.  Finish it off with some cinnamon and currant and chill it in the fridge.  From there wait till the brie cheese is done baking, remove that top layer you cut off and pile the cranberry apple mixture sky high on top and get in there with some crackers my friend!

Baked Brie En Croute Recipe and Baked Brie with Cranberries 5

Baked Brie En Croute Recipe and Baked Brie with Cranberries 7

Both these Baked Brie En Croute Recipe and Baked Brie with Cranberries are extremely easy to make and oh my gosh delicious!  I just wanted to whip these up real quick in case you were looking for any last minute appetizers.  I do want to note that you will have some leftover cranberry goodness, but hey perfect timing to slap it on your turkey this holiday season!!  Enjoy!!!

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Baked Brie En Croute Recipe and Baked Brie with Cranberries
Author: 
Recipe type: Appetizer
 
Wanting to spice up your holidays with some amazing appetizers? Try this Baked Brie En Croute Recipe and Baked Brie with Cranberries recipe!
Ingredients
For the En Croute Recipe:
  • 1 cup of packed light brown sugar
  • 6 ounces of unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup of heavy cream
  • 1 ½ tablespoons of good bourbon
  • 2 cups of pecan halves
  • 1 phyllo dough sheet at room temperature
  • 1 6” brie cheese wheel
  • 1 tablespoon of whole milk
  • ⅔ cup of sour cherry jam
  • 1 cup of dried cherries
For the Brie with Cranberries:
  • ⅔ cup water
  • ⅔ cup sugar
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 3 cups of cranberries
  • 1 peeled and small diced granny smith apple
  • 1 peeled and small diced fuji apple
  • zest of 1 orange
  • juice of 1 orange
  • ½ cup of currants
  • ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
  • 1 6” brie cheese wheel
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
  2. En Croute: In a pot over medium heat whisk together ½ cup of brown sugar, 4 ounces of butter and heavy cream until it becomes smooth and like caramel, about 4 to 6 minutes. Finish it by whisking in bourbon and set aside and keep warm.
  3. Next add ½ cup of brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of butter to a saute pan over medium heat.
  4. Once the butter is melted add in the pecans and stir until the brown sugar begins to stick to the pecans. Remove and spread out the pecans on parchment paper and let sit until the brown sugar hardens.
  5. Roll out the phyllo dough slightly on a clean surface dusted with flour and set aside.
  6. Spread the cherry jam over top of the brie cheese wheel and wrap the phyllo dough over it and mold it to the cheese.
  7. Pinch the bottom using water to help secure and then brush the top of the dough with milk. Bake in the oven at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
  8. Garnish with bourbon caramel, candied pecans and dried cherries.
  9. Brie with Cranberries: In a medium pot boil together the water, sugar and lemon juice and then add in the cranberries and apples and cook until the mixture becomes very thick like a chutney. Finish with orange zest, orange juice, currants and cinnamon and refrigerate until cool.
  10. Next, remove the top rind of the brie cheese wheel and then place it back on. Bake the cheese on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper at 350° for 15 minutes.
  11. Remove the top rind and add on the cool cranberry apple mixture.
  12. Serve both baked brie cheeses with assorted crackers and bread.

 

How to make potato rolls with goat cheese and honey butter

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How to make potato rolls with goat cheese and honey butter

Thanksgiving is one of those holidays I often take for granted.  We have so much here in the US, and so many things are readily accessible that we often don’t think about being thankful for the little things.  The past year has been incredibly challenging for me, mostly from a health standpoint.  I’m only 35, but man has 2016 beat me up, chewed me up and spit me out a couple of times.  I’ve had horrible back pain, surgery, been super sick, been deaf in 1 ear for a month, I mean I’m one whipped puppy.  Not-too-mention all the political stuff that infiltrates are social feeds on a daily basis, which can often be incredibly negative.  However, in the midst of all the craziness this year has brought in, I really have so much to be thankful for.  My family is amazing, we have a cool house, a new kitchen, great friends, a supportive family, food on the table, and the bills are paid.  All I can say after that is AMEN!  So much to be thankful for.  I’ll write another post that explains in a bit more detail…

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With giving thanks, more times than not, comes with delicious food.  Soft delicious and hot rolls are a staple at my table at every holiday, and truth be told I’m Italian so I want some form of bread at the table at all times haha.  Not sure if you’ve ever wondered how to make potato rolls, but truth be told they are super easy to make and 10 times better homemade then what you are going to get in the store, and it ain’t even close J.  Potato rolls are simply using mashed up skinless potatoes with all of the other ingredients that go into making bread.  While these little potato rolls are delicious by themselves, I paired it up with a goat cheese and honey butter to make it even more delicious.  More of that later though.

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There are a few different ways to cooking the potatoes.  I’ve seen people pierce them and microwave them and I’ve seen peeled, boiled and strained.  I’m a bit of a purist so I simply roasted them in the oven at 375° for about 70 minutes until they were nice and tender.  Now these suckers are hot, so be sure to hold them in a towel while pealing them with a paring knife.  Good way to hone those potato peeling skills, almost like you were 3 floors sub-level in the navy :-).

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When the potatoes have all been peeled and mashed, it’s now time to heat up some milk, add in the yeast and sugar and watch it chow down.  The yeast will form almost a raft like top to it, don’t let it weird you out, it’s perfect!  Once it is to that level then you begin to add your other ingredients.  To make sure these potato rolls had the right consistency, I used Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour which is stone ground.  The protein content is lower in this pastry flour which makes for the most tender baked goods, which is pretty much exactly what I’m looking for when making these potato rolls.  Now, normally when making these I would have used extra virgin olive oil which would have been totally fine.  However, I had some leftover rendered bacon fat lying around that I thought might help kick these up a notch and make them even more tender.  I was right, they’re ridiculous.

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Once the rolls were rested under a towel, I brushed them with melted unsalted butter and topped them off with some sea salt and oats for some flavor and of course appearances.  This part is totally up to you, feel free to simply brush with butter and bake in the oven.

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While the potato rolls are in the oven, it’s time to make a goat cheese and honey butter to spread all over them.  Honey butter by itself is so stinkin’ good, but adding in goat cheese and fresh thyme, FA-GET ABOUT IT EH?!  Dang delicious!!  Make sure your butter is soft, as well as the goat cheese, and simply whip them together with the honey and thyme using a wire whisk or in a standing mixer with the paddle attachment.  I seasoned it just a little with salt and pepper, but the bacon fat in the roll and salt on top are going to make these plenty seasoned and should complement each other perfectly when paired with the goat cheese and honey butter.

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Well folks, that’s all I got!  If you want to make some homemade rolls this Thanksgiving, I’d look at these guys, they’re good.  Oh yeah, don’t forget to give thanks :-).

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How to make potato rolls with goat cheese and honey butter
Author: 
Recipe type: side
 
Wanting to make homemade bread this holiday season? Learn How to make potato rolls with goat cheese and honey butter!
Ingredients
For the Potato Rolls:
  • 3 medium sized baked and peeled russet potatoes
  • 1 ½ cups of warm whole milk (110° to 115°)
  • ½ tablespoon of yeast
  • 1 tablespoon of sugar
  • ¼ cup of rendered bacon fat or extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 eggs
  • pinch of Kosher salt
  • 4 cups of Bob’s Red Mill Pastry Flour
  • 2 cups of Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Flour
  • ¼ cup of melted unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon of sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon of rolled oats
For the Butter:
  • 1 pound of softened unsalted butter
  • 1 cup of softened goat cheese
  • 2 tablespoons of honey
  • 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°.
  2. Rolls: Mash the peeled cooked potatoes in a large bowl and set aside.
  3. Next, add the milk, yeast and sugar to a standing mixer with the hook attachment. Lightly mix and let sit for 5 minutes.
  4. Add in the potatoes, bacon fat and eggs and mix on medium speed until combined.
  5. Mix the Kosher salt and flours in a large bowl and add them to the mixer in 2 different batches until combined. Do not over mix.
  6. Cover the bowl with the dough in it with a towel and let sit for 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.
  7. Next, form 20 balls of dough and place them on cookie sheet trays lined with parchment paper. Cover with a towel and let sit for 15 to 20 more minutes.
  8. Brush the tops with melted butter and evenly sprinkle on salt and oats.
  9. Bake in the oven at 375° for 18 to 22 minutes or until they are lightly browned and top and cooked in the center.
  10. Butter: While the rolls are cooking whip together the softened butter, goat cheese, honey, thyme leaves, and salt and pepper until it is light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Chill before serving alongside the rolls.

 

Mediterranean Turkey Burger with Zucchini Fritter and French Remoulade

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Every summer that comes along I always get pressured to buy turkey burgers by the pound at least once a week from my wife, so I whipped up this Mediterranean Turkey Burger with Zucchini Fritter and French Remoulade.  She is literally obsessed with turkey burgers, as are my in-laws, so every time I make them they seem to make arrangements to come over J; Needless-to-say, I live with Turketarains!  If you aren’t sure what that is, it’s someone who has taken the concept of eating turkey as much as possible to another level.  Now I’m not saying that it’s all we eat, but we love it.

Turkey burgers are such a great option when grilling for the family or for guests.  The Butterball® All Natural White Frozen Turkey Burgers are such a nice change to the normal everyday burgers.  I love the fact that they’re frozen and that there is never any pressure to have to cook them or else they go bad.  They are packaged up already portioned out and separated with parchment paper making them super easy to prepare and not-too-mention they are much healthier choice, which I’m always on the lookout for.  My 3 ½ year old is getting pickier by the second, believe me I know, and she eats these up in seconds!

Mediterranean Turkey Burger with Zucchini Fritter and French Remoulade

While they are fantastic when simply grilled up and eaten plain on a bun, I love getting creative with turkey burgers.  I always feel that there are more possibilities because the flavor of turkey isn’t very forceful making it easy to enhance with other ingredients.  I obviously did this turkey burger up right by adding tons of awesome fresh vegetables, a killer sauce and one tasty fritter to top off with.

Because I got so creative, there are a few moving parts here so be sure to follow the video closely.  To start off though you can either brush the burgers with oil, season with salt and pepper, grill and keep warm, OR you can prep up everything else and cook the burgers last.  I can cut pretty fast so cooking the burgers at first is no problem for me, but you be sure to do what’s comfortable for you.

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I have become more and more infatuated with middle-eastern, Mediterranean and Indian cuisines.  I admire their healthy approach married with bold flavors for an always exceptional experience.  I tried to head down that same path with this Mediterranean Turkey Burger with Zucchini Fritter and French Remoulade.  For the toppings I first started out with marinating some crumbled feta cheesed in some crushed red pepper flakes, fresh chopped basil, extra virgin olive oil, and salt and pepper.  This really brings forward a ton of flavor and adds an amazing silk cheese element to this burger.

Since every great burger comes with an insanely delicious sauce, I decided to whip up a classic that has some nice Indian flavors in it to help compliment everything else.  The sauce is called a French remoulade and it’s as easy as whisking together mayonnaise, yellow curry, grainy mustard, white wine vinegar and salt and pepper.  Honestly the burger would be extremely delicious if it was grilled and only served with this, but it’s even better with everything else on it.

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Heading back to the middle east I put together what we would call an Israeli salad.  Think of an Italian salad, i.e. tomatoes, cucumbers and red onions, along with some bell peppers and tossed in fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and salt and pepper.  To make it even cooler I finely diced everything to give it an almost relish feel, and for some reasons when traditional things are cut different it tastes better… Or I’m just weird, but either way it’s tasty!

Let’s talk about this fritter…  I’m not even lying when I tell you that this thing is insane and so ridiculously easy to make.  It’s literally only 4 ingredients plus salt and pepper.  This little zucchini and chickpea fritter is my little secret into getting my daughter to eat more vegetables and man did I succeed.  She loved’em and asked for seconds.  SCORE!!

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Once everything is prepped up it’s time to assemble.  While the hot new bun the past few years has been a pretzel but, the latest craze this year is the brioche bun so you know I did on that!  Don’t forget greens on this burger, but don’t use a traditional green leaf or butter leaf lettuce, try using arugula and or kale.  I did both and was the flavor bold.

Butterball has a ton of delicious turkey products including turkey burgers that are packed with sweet onions, so yummy!  Now the only question is, are you going to be a Turketarian also? Be sure to check out all of their great food items at Butterball.com and check them out on the social media channels below!

Save Print
Mediterranean Turkey Burger with Zucchini Fritter and French Remoulade
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
 
Up your grilling game by making this ridiculously delicious Mediterranean Turkey Burger with Zucchini Fritter and French Remoulade!
Ingredients
For the Turkey Burger:
  • 8 Butterball® All Natural White Frozen Turkey Burgers
  • 4 tablespoon of olive oil
  • Kosher salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cups of arugula leaves
  • 2 cups of kale microgreens
  • 8 toasted brioche buns
For the Feta:
  • 1 cup of crumbled feta cheese
  • ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh basil
  • 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
For the French Remoulade:
  • 1 cup of mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon of yellow curry
  • 1 heaping tablespoon of grainy mustard
  • 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar
  • Kosher salt and cracked pepper to taste
For the Israeli Salad:
  • 1 cup of finely minced tomatoes
  • ½ cup of finely minced cucumbers
  • ½ cup of finely minced red onion
  • ½ cup of finely minced red bell pepper or yellow bell pepper or both
  • juice of ½ lemon
  • 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley
  • Kosher salt and cracked pepper to taste
For the Fritter:
  • 1 finely grated zucchini, liquid squeezed out
  • 1 15-ounce can of mashed chickpeas, drained
  • ½ cup of flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons of ground cumin
  • Kosher salt and cracked pepper to taste
  • canola oil for frying
Instructions
  1. For the Burgers: brush each turkey burger with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook on a hot grill (450° to 550°) for 4 to 6 minutes on each side or until dark grill marks are formed and it is cooked through out. Keep warm.
  2. Remoulade: Whisk all ingredients together in a medium size bowl until combined and keep cool.
  3. Israeli Salad: Whisk all ingredients together in a medium size bowl until combined and keep cool.
  4. Fritter: Mix together all ingredients in a large bowl until completely combined and form 8 thin patties.
  5. Fry the patties in a large saute pan in canola over medium heat until golden brown on each side, about 6-8 total minutes. Drain on a paper towel after.
  6. To Serve: Spread some French remoulade on the bottom of a toasted brioche bun. Next, place on the grilled turkey burger and top off with arugula and some marinated feta. Then place on the fritter followed up by placing on some of the Israeli salad and finish with the kale microgreens and the top toasted brioche bun.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Butterball. The opinions and text are all mine.

Grilled Chicken Satay with Sweetened Soy Noodles

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Grilled Chicken Satay with Sweetened Soy Noodles

I love simple foods, both to make and eat, and this Chicken Satay with Sweetened Soy Noodles is that to the T.  Big flavor, easy to prepare, and something a little different is what I am always on the lookout for.  If my daughter isn’t digging the peanut buttery taste from the chicken I know she’ll at least dig the sweetened soy noodles, which has veggies in it!

To begin this recipe, I boiled the noodles first and then chilled them.  You can use a rice noodle, udon, soba, you name it, it can be used.  One of the coolest functioning things in our kitchen is our Franke pot filler faucet, which I use literally every day.  Outside of it’s easy use, it looks beautiful with its chrome gooseneck extending arm.  It reminds me of something you would see in a French restaurant somewhere in Paris.   In fact, my wife and I always say that our kitchen looks like a little French café, in other words we’re in love!

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Because I want to be a responsible parent I have to make sure I get some veggies in there somewhere, so I figured I would hop on the trend bandwagon and slice up some zoodles.  Note that you can’t do this at home, you need a spiralizer to do this.  This is such a great way to use zucchini as most kids don’t really like the flavor, but if you get it to look like a noodle there may be some hope!

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I also boiled the zoodles just as I did my udon noodles and simply tossed them together once they were finished.  For the sauce I made a really simple sweetened soy sauce consisting of oyster sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, honey and fish sauce, and simply cooked it down over medium heat until it got thick.  It’s a super easy sauce and super tasty!

Before you grill the chicken you have to rub it down with spices.  I used a combination of cumin, coriander seeds, turmeric, ginger, salt, pepper and olive oil, rubbed them into the chicken and skewered’em up!  From there it’s time to get these delicious skewers onto a hot grill and cooked up!  It will take about 12 to 14 minutes for the chicken to completely cook, but I advise to not put it on the hottest part of the grill and make sure to keep the grill lid shut so they cook also by indirect heat!

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The peanut butter sauce is really easy to make as well and goes on after they are grilled or as a dipping sauce.  I personally like basting the chicken after it’s grilled as the peanut butter melts a bit right in to chicken making it even more delicious!

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Now that everything’s done simple plate it up!  Toss the noodles and zoodles in the sweetened soy sauce and lay the peanut butter smothered chicken skewers over top.  I served it alongside a lemon just in case the chicken is too spicy.

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If you’d like you can garnish with fresh basil and cilantro, I chose sliced green onions and sesame seeds.  It’s up to you!Enjoy, and don’t forget to check out my friends over at Franke on Social Media at:

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Grilled Chicken Satay with Sweetened Soy Noodles
Author: 
 
Enjoy these tasty Grilled Chicken Satay with Sweetened Soy Noodles that are extremely easy to make and full of flavor.
Ingredients
For the Noodles:
  • 8 ounces of uncooked udon noodles
  • 1 large zucchini cut on a spiralizer to make zoodles
  • ⅓ cup of oyster sauce
  • ¾ cup of soy sauce
  • ½ teaspoon of fish sauce
  • ½ cup of brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of honey
For the Chicken:
  • 2 pounds of chicken breasts cut into 1” pieces
  • ½ tablespoon of ground cumin
  • ½ tablespoon of crushed coriander seeds
  • ½ teaspoon of ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon of turmeric
  • 3 tablespoons of olive oil
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
For the Peanut Butter Sauce:
  • ½ teaspoon of grated fresh ginger
  • 1 grated clove of garlic
  • 1 cup of coconut milk
  • 1½ cups of creamy peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
  • ¼ cup of water
  • 2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
  • juice of 1 lime
  • ½ cup of canola oil
  • 1 tablespoon of Sriracha or chili garlic paste
Instructions
  1. Preheat the grill to high heat.
  2. Noodles: Boil the noodles and zoodles in separate pots of boiling salted water and cook them until they are al dente, or slightly crunchy. Strain and chill
  3. Sauce: In a pot simmer together the oyster sauce, soy, fish sauce, brown sugar and honey until it becomes thick like teriyaki sauce. Keep warm.
  4. Chicken: Combine all of the ingredients into a large bowl and place the chicken on skewers.
  5. Cook the chicken on a hot grill for 12-14 minutes or until light grill marks are formed and the chicken is cooked throughout.
  6. Peanut Butter Sauce: Whisk together all of the ingredients until combined and brush the chicken skewers once they are removed from the grill.
  7. To Plate: Toss the noodles and zoodles in the warm sweetened soy sauce and serve with the grilled peanut butter chicken skewers.

 

Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwich Recipe

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If you’re family is anything like ours then you most likely have about 9 million slices of ham leftover from Easter.  Don’t get me wrong this isn’t a bad thing, but there is only so much ham & bean soup and ham sandwiches with mayonnaise that one person can take.  So if you are looking to use up all that delicious ham in the tastiest way possible then this Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwich Recipe is exactly what should be on your menu.  It’s not only a great way to use up ham, it’s also a fantastic post Easter brunch recipe that will leave your family and guests begging for more, literally!

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The Kentucky Hot Brown is a staple food at the Kentucky Derby every year, and while there are different variations out there, I think mine takes the cake.  I add a few more ingredients and procedures to the traditional to help spruce it up a bit to give it a little more flavor.  It all starts with the tasty cheese sauce that you pour all over the top of the sandwich at the end.  First make a roux, which consists of equal weights butter and flour.  A roux is used to thicken sauces, so when I make a roux I usually make a little more than I’m supposed to because it refrigerates well and can always be used down the road a few weeks.

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A significant element to the flavor of the sauce is the cheese, this is where you get creative.  Traditionally A Kentucky Hot Brown Recipe uses Parmesan, but I feel like I eat Parmesan like 5 nights a week because I’m Italian.  If you want to you Parmesan too, fine, but I chose to use a combo of Crystal Farms shredded mozzarella and cheddar.  They have the texture and taste of being shredded right off the block, which to me screams quality.  I also appreciate the bigger shreds of cheese because it holds up better under the broiler and is less likely to burn.  Similar to the roux I usually make a little extra of this sauce because it goes amazing on vegetables, which my family also loves.

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Because we are right before getting into season for tomatoes I feel it wise to help concentrate the flavor in fresh tomatoes by slow oven roasting them to ensure they are loaded with flavor.  Simply line up some quartered Roma tomatoes skin side down on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper, season with salt and pepper, drizzle on a little olive oil and throw them in the oven on 275° and forget about’em for 3 hours.  This process is also known as tomato confit and honestly you should to them with peak season tomatoes as well if you love intense flavors.

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To further change this recipe up I am using up all that leftover Easter ham along with a fried egg on top.  Seriously whenever in doubt on what to finish off a dish with, add on either bacon or an egg because as I always say fat equals flavor.  I’m telling you once you get to the center of this Kentucky Hot Brown and the yolk breaks and oozes out all that deliciousness all over the sandwich, you will know exactly why I added it on there.

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To finish it off, toast up some Texas Toast, or perhaps another favorite bread, and then add on some sliced turkey, some leftover ham slices, crispy bacon, fried egg, a few tomato confit and a few tablespoons of the cheese sauce, followed up by sprinkling on a bit more cheese.  Bake it under the broiler until the cheese begins to turn lightly brown and crispy, about 3 to 4 minutes on low.  Do not waste any time, eat it immediately!

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This sandwich is incredibly rich so I caution not to make too many because most likely everyone will only be able to eat just one.

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The last thing I’ll say about this recipe is feel free to get creative.  If you want to add on some roasted vegetables so be it, if you want to use fresh in stead of roasted tomatoes fine, you are only limited by your own creativity, so have fun doing it!

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Be sure to check out all of Crystal Farms cheeses on their website at CrystalFarmsCheese.com and on all of their social channels below.

Save Print
Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwich Recipe
Author: 
Recipe type: lunch
 
Leftover ham from the holidays? No Problem, make this amazingly delicious Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwich Recipe!
Ingredients
  • 6 Roma tomatoes cut into quarters
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
  • 6 tablespoons of flour
  • 3 cups of whole milk
  • 2 cups of Crystal Farms Shredded Mozzarella
  • 2 cups of Crystal Farms Shredded Cheddar
  • pinch of ground nutmeg
  • 8 slices of toasted Texas toast
  • 1 pound of leftover sliced spiral ham
  • 1 pound of sliced turkey
  • 16 slices of cooked crisp bacon
  • 8 fried eggs
  • chopped parsley for garnish
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 275°.
  2. Place the tomatoes skin side down on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and drizzle on olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 3 hours.
  3. In a medium sauce pot over medium heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour until combined to form a roux.
  4. Reserve ½ of the roux in the refrigerator.
  5. Whisk the milk into the leftover roux in the pot and bring to a boil to thicken, think alfredo sauce. Turn the heat to low to keep warm.
  6. Next, whisk in 1 ½ cups each of the shredded mozzarella and cheddar until completely combined.
  7. Finish the sauce with nutmeg, salt and pepper and keep warm.
  8. Turn the broiler on to low heat.
  9. Place the slices of toasted Texas toast on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and evenly layer on the ham, turkey, crispy bacon, fried egg, oven roasted tomatoes and a few tablespoons of cheese sauce, followed up by adding on some of the leftover shredded cheeses.
  10. Broil on low for 3 to 4 minutes or until the cheese turns light brown.
  11. Serve hot!

 

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Crystal Farms. The opinions and text are all mine.

Homegating with PepsiCo

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Football is a huge deal in my house every weekend! Whether it’s getting the food ready, inviting people over, or just watching the pregame sports networks to get hyped up, I love Football season! In fact, I get sad after the first game of the year because it’s 1 more week closer to the end of the season. All summer long I wait in anticipation to get to that opening weekend! Man I LOVE IT! My wife, not so much a huge fan of football, but a huge fan of hosting and entertaining and of course the opportunity to hang out with friends and family.

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I try to change up what we eat every football game because I really don’t like repetition when it comes to food. I love changing things up all the time because 1 I like to eat so many different types of foods and 2 I want everyone else to experience something they don’t normally eat.

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For my latest #KitchenQuarterback shindig, I put together a few quick bites that allow people to either sit down and enjoy or stand up and walk around the house to mingle with folks. I love dips to no end and there are so many different ones to create.

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The dip I made was super easy and really just involved some cutting up of some fresh vegetables and piling’em high on my favorite classic hummus, Sabra. Their hummus is perfectly smooth and loaded with lemon, chickpea and tahini flavors that complimented my Greek style toppings to the T!  Not to mention Sabra makes a family size which is essential when entertaining on game day. For the dip, I added on some chopped tomatoes, sliced green onions, feta cheese, black olives, Kalamata olives, cucumbers and banana peppers! This dip pairs perfect with Stacy’s Pita Chips! The recipe is below.

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Greek Style Hummus
Author: 
Recipe type: Appetizer
 
Impress your guests at your next tailgating event with this Greek Style Hummus!
Ingredients
  • 1 family size Sabra Classic Hummus
  • ½ small diced cucumber
  • ¼ cup of banana peppers
  • ¼ cup of sliced black olives
  • ¼ cup of sliced Kalamata olives
  • 2 small diced tomatoes
  • ¼ cup of feta cheese
  • 3 thinly sliced green onions
  • Stacy's Pita Chips or Tostitos Tortilla Chips
Instructions
  1. Layer on the cucumbers, peppers, olives, tomatoes, cheese and sliced green onions on top of the Sabra Classic Hummus inside of the container and serve along side Stacy's Pita Chips or Tostitos Tortilla Chips.

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Of course decorating is huge when it comes to watching football. To me it’s like Christmas or Halloween, you have to be thematic! Wear your jerseys, decorate the table with ribbon of your team’s colors, or even serve everything on football napkins and plates.

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Another great way to add some flare to your serving table is by putting on football decals! You can pick up a ton of stuff at a craft store and literally go nuts!

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For the other food item, I served up the recent classic, Walking Tacos! I’m obsessed with this and so is my wife and daughter! In fact, they ask for it in the middle of the week and not just for the game, they are that good. You can make walking tacos as simple as you want or as fancy as you want. You could slow cook up some carnitas pork, or simply grill a chicken breast and serve it up, but 1 thing is essential and that’s the chips. You can use Doritos, Sun Chips, or traditional Fritos. All work and all provide different tasty flavors to enhance your walking nachos. Check out my recipe below!

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Walking tacos
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
 
Spice up your tailgate with an easy and delicious recipe for Walking tacos.
Ingredients
  • 12 assorted single serving bags of Doritos, Sun Chips, or Fritos.
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • ½ small diced yellow onion
  • ½ small diced red bell pepper
  • ½ small diced green bell pepper
  • 1 ½ pounds of ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon of chili powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons of cumin
  • 3 small diced tomatoes
  • 8 ounces of shredded Colby Jack cheese
  • 1 head of shredded iceberg lettuce
  • 1 bunch of sliced green onions
  • 1 bunch of chopped fresh cilantro
  • sour cream
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. In a large saute pan on high heat add in the olive oil and saute the onions and peppers for 6 to 8 minutes.
  2. Next, add in the beef, seasonings, salt and pepper and cook over medium-high heat until the beef is cooked through out and there is no pink.
  3. Serve the spicy ground beef alongside the diced tomatoes, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, sour cream and assorted single serving bags of Doritos, Sun Chips, or Fritos.
  4. To Plate: Place a small amount of ground beef, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, sliced green onions, chopped cilantro and sour cream into a single serving bag of Doritos, Sun Chips, or Fritos and from there you are free to move about the homegate. Just remember to use a fork!

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Last but not least you have to serve up some beverages and when it comes to food like this soda just makes sense! Whether it’s in cans or a 2-liter, Pepsi is hands down my favorite! It actually stems back from being a kid in Detroit and my grandma would always have a ton of them out in a refrigerator in her garage and I just loved swimming in her pool and drinking a Pepsi®. Ok I digress, back to football! I am really digging the Pepsi® with real sugar. It’s how it was made back in the day and man by the end of the first can, I was in love, definitely check it out! Thanks for stopping by and checking out my latest football party!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of PepsiCo. The opinions and text are all mine.

Roasted Sweet and Savory Acorn Squash

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When it comes to cooking for the holidays I know how stressing it can get.  You’ve got “those” family members coming over that you only see like 3 times a year, kids are running around, your house is trashed and your kitchen has crusty foil lids laying around and food is everywhere.  Yeah, I’ve been down that road a few times.  But, it’s all good because eventually that delicious meal you’ve been working up to will get served, people and kids will eat, and your favorite relatives will eventually go home :-).

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One of the biggest questions I get is how to save space and time on that crazy cooking day.  To me it first starts with prep, make sure you’ve got everything you need so all you have to do is cook, not cut then cook, then cut again.  You get it.  The other is to try cooking some stuff in the slow cooker or even on the grill to help save precious oven space.  However, if you just need a bit of space and the oven is all you’ve got then this Roasted Sweet and Savory Acorn Squash recipe is for you.

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This is a crazy easy side dish that everyone will love, plus they are single serving, which means you can plan on exactly the amount you need without worrying about tons of leftovers.  Start by cutting them in half and copping out the seeds.

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Now because these squash are sweet and savory I whipped up a really easy butter consisting of butter, brown sugar, fresh chopped sage and of course bacon :-).  To prepare them season the inside of each squash with salt and pepper and then with a tablespoon or 2 of the melted sweet and savory butter with all the fixings in there right into the squash cup.

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To help balance of the dish I used a bit of Crystal Farms® Shredded Mozzarella Cheese.  Honestly it’s fantastic straight out of the bag.  It’s incredibly moist and the flavor and texture makes it seem as if shredded it straight off the block myself… Color me impressed and a fan!  Sprinkle some of that delicious cheese right on top and line them up on a sheet of foil and place them on the far side of the rack, which will leave plenty of space in the oven for the turkey, potatoes, green bean casserole, etc.  Roast’em up on 375° for 45 minutes and then boom, you’re good to go! Be sure to check out all of Crystal Farms cheeses on their website at CrystalFarmsCheese.com and on all of their social channels below.

https://www.facebook.com/crystalfarmscheese

https://twitter.com/Crystal_Farms

https://www.pinterest.com/crystalfarms

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Also, I am giving away a Le Creuset 14″ Oval Stoneware Dish.  Simply login below, like The Crystal Farms Facebook Page and then write in the comments below your most memorable Christmas memory!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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5.0 from 2 reviews
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Roasted Sweet and Savory Acorn Squash
Author: 
Recipe type: Side Dish
 
Spruce up your holiday meal with this amazing Roasted Sweet and Savory Acorn Squash recipe!
Ingredients
  • 5 fresh acorn squashes cut in half and seeded
  • ½ cup of unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup of packed light brown sugar
  • ½ cup of chopped crispy bacon
  • 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh sage
  • 1 cup of Crystal Farms® Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°.
  2. Place the butter, brown sugar, bacon and sage in a small pot and cook over low heat until the butter is melted. Stir until combined.
  3. Next, place the acorn squash flesh side up on a sheet of foil. Season them with salt and pepper and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the melted butter mixture into the cup of each squash. Top off with 1 to 2 tablespoons of Crystal Farms® Shredded Mozzarella Cheese.
  4. Fold up all sides of the foil to ensure the squash is covered and bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
  5. Serve hot!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Crystal Farms. The opinions and text are all mine.

Easy Thanksgiving Day Slow Cooker Stuffing

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Save precious stove top and oven space by making this amazingly Easy Thanksgiving Day Slow Cooker Stuffing.

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Easy Thanksgiving Day Slow Cooker Stuffing
Author: 
Recipe type: Side Dish
 
Save precious stove top and oven space by making this amazingly Easy Thanksgiving Day Slow Cooker Stuffing.
Ingredients
  • 1 small diced yellow onion
  • 3 small diced stalks of celery
  • 8 cups of cubed crusty bread
  • 1 tablespoon of dry sage
  • 1 tablespoon of dry thyme
  • 1 cup of melted butter
  • 1 cup of chicken stock
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients into a slow cooker, mix and cook on high heat for 2 hours and serve.

 

Pumpkin and Chocolate Pake Recipe

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Man do I have something cool and crazy for you!  A Pumpkin and Chocolate Pake Recipe that literally combines a pie and cake.  Check it out!

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Super easy to make actually, just follow along below!

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Start by baking a Marie Callender’s Pumpkin pie and cooling it to room temperature.

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Next make a simple chocolate sheet cake, don’t worry instructions are below!

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And maybe I am going to put a little chocolate sauce over the top 🙂

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Using a circle cutter, start making your rounds.. Literally!

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Stack the pie onto the cake, drizzle with chocolate sauce and top off with whipped cream and sprinkles, if you so desire!

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The combo of pumpkin and chocolate is amazing.  Two of the best things coming together in 1 bite!

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1 more for fun 🙂

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Pumpkin and Chocolate Pake Recipe
 
Stand out this Halloween with this amazingly delicious and unique Pumpkin and Chocolate Pake Recipe!
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cake:
  • 2 fully cooked and cooled Marie Callender’s® Pumpkin Pies
  • 1 cup of soft unsalted butter
  • 2 cups of granulated sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla
  • 2 ½ cups of all purpose flour
  • ¾ cup of cocoa powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons of baking soda
  • 1 ½ cups of whole milk
For the Chocolate Sauce and Garnishes:
  • 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 2 tablespoons of heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
  • Reddi-wip® for garnish
  • Chocolate sprinkles for garnish
Instructions
  1. Cook the Marie Callendar’s® Pumpkin Pies according to it’s instructions on the packaging and cool to room temperature.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350°.
  3. In a standing mixer with the paddle attachment cream together the butter and sugar until it becomes light and fluffy.
  4. Next, add in 1 egg at a time on low speed until it is combined and then finish by adding in the vanilla.
  5. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, coco powder, salt and baking soda.
  6. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter mixture on low speed in 3 different batches alternating with the milk, but beginning with the dry ingredients and ending with the dry ingredients until it is combined.
  7. Once it is combined pour it into a buttered and floured 13x9 baking dish and bake in the oven on 350° for 40 to 45 minutes or until the center is firm.
  8. Cool the cake to room temperature.
  9. Using a 2” circle round cutter, cut 10 individual rounds for the chocolate cake as well as from the 2 cooked and cooled Marie Callendar’s® Pumpkin Pies and set aside.
  10. Chocolate sauce: Place the chocolate chips, heavy cream and unsalted butter into a double boiler and cook on low heat until combined. Keep warm
  11. To Assemble: Place the 2” cut circle pumpkin pie on top of the 2” cut circle chocolate cake and repeat 9 more times until they have all been used up.
  12. To Garnish: Place a small amount of Reddi Whip® on top of each mini cake and sprinkle on some chocolate sprinkles.
  13. Optional Garnish: Drizzle chocolate sauce on top of each pumpkin/chocolate cake before putting on the Reddi Whip® or chocolate sprinkles.

Sloppy Joe Marinated Beer Can Chicken

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Want to top your friends beer can chicken recipe, then this Manwich® marinated beer can chicken is exactly what you should make.

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Marinate the chicken for 4 hours in Manwich® and then it’s as simple as placing it on a 16-ounce beer can and cooking on medium heat on the grill.  To make sure the flames stay down, place the chicken and beer onto a cast iron skillet.

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While you can eat this as is, feel free to pull the chicken and serve it up with some roasted peppers and onions on a hoagie roll.

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It’s important to baste the beer can chicken every 15 to 20 minutes with a fresh can of Manwich® (make sure to discard the marinated Manwich® before grilling).

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Pin the big one below!

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Sloppy Joe Marinated Beer Can Chicken
 
Top your friends beer can chicken recipe with this delicious and easy to make Sloppy Joe Marinated Beer Can Chicken!
Ingredients
  • 1 whole roasting chicken
  • 24 ounce can and a 16 ounce can of Manwich® Sloppy Joe Sauce
  • 16 ounce beer in a can, pour out ⅓ of it
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 seeded and thinly sliced red bell pepper
  • 1 seeded and thinly sliced green bell pepper
  • 1 thinly sliced yellow onion
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Place the chicken and 24-ounce can of Manwich® Sloppy Joe Sauce into a large plastic bag and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 hours.
  2. Once the chicken is done marinating, place the carcass end of the chicken around an opened 16-ounce can of beer and place it on a cast iron skillet and place on a grill heated to medium for 65 to 70 minutes or until browned and cooked through out. Discard the bag with the remaining Sloppy Joe sauce. Baste the chicken every 15 to 20 minutes with the 16-ounce can of Manwich® Sloppy Joe Sauce.
  3. In a large saute pan with olive oil, or directly on the grill on high heat, roast up the peppers and onions until browned.
  4. Serve the cooked beer can chicken along side the roasted vegetables.

Bacon Wrapped Beer Bratwurst with Grilled Onions

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This is how you take brats to the next level at your next tailgate!  Boil them in beer, wrap them up in bacon and grill!

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Top them off with a delicious sweet coleslaw countered with a srirarcha ketchup to balance it out!

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If you do twice the amount of brats, the coleslaw recipe will serve 10!  Plenty for an all day tailgate.

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Grilled onions add that extra bit of love to these brats!

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Big pic below for pinterest!

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Bacon Wrapped Beer Bratwurst with Creamy Coleslaw Sriracha Ketchup
 
Looking to impress at your next tailgate? Try this Wisconsin inspired Bacon Wrapped Beer Bratwurst with Grilled Onions, Creamy Coleslaw & Sriracha ketchup!
Ingredients
  • 10 bratwursts
  • 3 cans of beer
  • 10 strips of bacon
  • 1 peeled and thickly sliced large yellow onion
  • 2 cups of of coleslaw mix
  • ¼ cup of mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar
  • ⅓ cup of Hunt’s® Ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons of Sriracha
  • hot dog buns
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Bratwursts: Place the brats, beer, salt and pepper in a medium sized pot and bring to a boil, and then turn down the heat and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.
  2. Next, wrap each bratwurst in bacon and prepare a grill with PAM® Grill spray and cook the brats on low indirect heat for 20 minutes or until the bacon is crispy.
  3. Toppings: While the brats are cooking place the onion rings onto the hot part of the grill (450° to 550°) and cook until soft and grill marks are formed, about 15 to 20 minutes.
  4. In a separate large bowl whisk the mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar and add in the coleslaw mix and toss until combined. Keep cool.
  5. In another separate bowl whisk together the Hunt’s® Ketchup and Sriracha until combined.
  6. To Plate: Place the cooked brat into a bun and top off with a few tablespoons of creamy sweet coleslaw, add on some grilled onions and top off with some Sriracha ketchup.

Kosher Italian Beef topped Chicago Dog

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If you’ve never been to Chicago you are missing out at one of my favorite foods, Italian Beef!  However if you can’t make it up this way I’m going to bring you the best of both worlds.  A Chicago dog and an Italian beef all wrapped up in one!

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Of course it starts with a delicious Hebrew National® Kosher dog and some slow cooked Kosher Beef in some Italian Seasonings and peppers.

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The more toppings you can fit, the merrier!

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Of course there won’t be any ketchup on this Chicago classic!

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Enormous picture below for pinning.

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Kosher Italian Beef topped Chicago Dog
 
Try this Kosher Italian Beef topped Chicago Dog for the ultimate hot dog taste at your next football tailgate!
Ingredients
  • 4 cups of water
  • 10 Hebrew National® Regular Size Kosher Beef Franks
  • 1 ½ pounds of cooked deli Kosher Prime Rib Beef thinly sliced.
  • two .7-ounce Italian dressing dry seasoning packets
  • 2 cups giardiniera
  • 1 cup of sport peppers
  • 10 quartered pickle spears
  • 1 cup of sweet pickle relish
  • 2 cups of chopped tomatoes
  • Gulden’s® yellow mustard
  • celery salt to taste
  • poppy seed hot dog buns
Instructions
  1. In a slow cooker mix together 4 cups of water, the Italian seasonings packet, 1 cup of giardanara peppers and ½ cup of of sport peppers and cook on high heat for 30 minutes or until hot.
  2. Once the broth is hot, add in the slices of roast beef and heat until hot.
  3. Preheat the grill by spraying with PAM® Grill Spray and heat to medium (350° to 400°).
  4. Heat the Hebrew National® Kosher Beef Franks on the grill until golden brown on all sides, about 7 to 9 minutes.
  5. To Plate: Place the heated frank in a hot dog bun and top off with a few slices of the cooked Kosher Italian beef, pickle spears, giardiniera, sport peppers, chopped tomatoes, mustard and celery salt.

Southwest Turkey Burger with Guacamole and Chipotle Mayo

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As a family we are always hanging out in the back yard and grilling up some delicious food!  In the summer time we like to try new things, like new bbq recipes or new burger recipes, so I decided to make an insanely delicious turkey burger.  I was looking for a little kick in the spice department so I whipped up a really tasty chipotle mayo, that honestly would have been ridiculously tasty with some fries, but instead I dumped it all over my burger J.  In addition, the the chipotle mayo I made a really good guac recipe to even out some of that spice and provide a ton of balance to the burger.

Another thing we look for when it comes to cooking is quickness.  We’ve got a sweet, and crazy at times, 2 ½ year old that wants food and wants it now so speed of cooking is essential!  Butterball® makes some great frozen turkey burgers that cook up in minutes after being brushed with a little olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper.  They are perfectly moist and great for our family because they are always in our freezer whenever we want’em.  In any event, hook this recipe up ASAP!

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Southwest Turkey Burger with Guacamole and Chipotle Mayo
 
Fire up your grill and dry this amazingly delicious Southwest Turkey Burger with Guacamole and Chipotle Mayo Recipe that is sure to be a hit!
Ingredients
For the Guacamole:
  • 1 seeded and mashed fresh avocado
  • ½ small diced sweet onion
  • ½ seeded and small diced jalapeño
  • juice of ½ lemon
  • 1 ½ teaspoons of ground cumin
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
For the Chipotle Mayonnaise:
  • 1 ½ finely minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
  • ¾ cup of mayonnaise
  • juice of ½ lemon
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
For the Turkey Burgers:
  • 4 Butterball® Frozen Turkey Burgers
  • 3 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 thickly sliced red onion
  • 1 un-shucked ear of corn
  • 1 thinly sliced tomato
  • 2 leaves of green leaf lettuce
  • 2 slices of pepper jack cheese
  • 2 slices of cheddar cheese
  • 2 brioche hamburger buns
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Guacamole: Mix together all of the ingredients in a large bowl until completely combined and keep cool.
  2. Chipotle Mayonnaise: Mix together all of the ingredients in a large bowl until completely combined and keep cool.
  3. Turkey Burgers: Preheat the grill to high heat.
  4. Brush both sides of the burgers and sliced red onions with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
  5. Place the burgers, onions and corn on the grill and cook.
  6. Grill the burgers and onions on each side for 4 to 5 minutes or until golden brown and cooked.
  7. Cook the corn on all sides for a total of 15 minutes. Once it’s done cooking shuck and slice of the cob.
  8. To Plate: place a leaf of green leaf lettuce and then a cooked turkey burger on the bottom of a brioche but and add on a slice of cheddar. Next add on the other cooked turkey burger and add on a slice of pepper jack. Top off with sliced tomatoes, grilled onions, a few tablespoons of guacamole, a tablespoon of chipotle mayo, some grilled corn and then the top of the brioche bun.

Three Different Delicious Dishes With Only 9 Ingredients

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Have you ever made a really good dish and thought to yourself afterwards what else could you possibly make from the ingredients? Well, I took nine ingredients, plus salt-and-pepper, And made three really great dishes. I was able to take sweet onion, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, Hunt’s whole peeled tomatoes, LaChoy soy sauce, lemon, eggs, rolls, and fresh salmon and make breakfast, lunch and dinner.

FIRE ROASTED SALMON WITH TOMATO-GARLIC MOIGUE SAUCE

 

Fire Roasted Salmon with Tomato-Garlic Amoigue Sauce

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I’ve got breakfast and lunch covered, so now it’s time for dinner. I’m going to have to steal an old family recipe, with my twist on it of course, and add it to a simple fire roasted salmon. If you’ve never had moigue sauce, I highly recommend finding a recipe. If you’re Italian than you already know what I’m talking about, however I bet that each of your recipes are different than my family’s.

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I of course even changed the recipe that I grew up with to only include onions, garlic, whole peeled tomatoes, lemon zest, soy sauce, and extra virgin olive oil. You can either stew this in a large cast iron skillet right on the grill or in a small pot on a burner.

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The salmon is very simple to prepare, coated in a little bit of olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper and laid down on a very hot spot on your grill. I used two 8-ounce fillets so they took in between 4 and 6 minutes to cook on each side.   I’m such a huge fan of salmon that I don’t need anything after this point I could eat it just like this every time.

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You can either put the sauce on the bottom with the salmon on top or dump that moigue sauce all over the top. Don’t forget to pin the big pic below.

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Fire Roasted Salmon with Tomato-Garlic Amoigue Sauce
 
Need a great fish recipe? Try this incredibly easy to make and tasty Fire Roasted Salmon with Tomato-Garlic Amoigue Sauce!
Ingredients
  • ½ small diced sweet onion
  • 2 tablespoons of finely minced garlic
  • 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • 28 ounce can of Hunt's® Whole Peeled Plum Tomatoes, undrained, crushed with your hands
  • zest of ½ lemon
  • two 8 ounce fresh salmon fillets
  • 2 tablespoons of La Choy® Soy Sauce
  • Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat the grill to high heat.
  2. Place a cast iron skillet on hot grill with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and caramelize the onions and garlic. Once they are brown add in the tomatoes, lemon zest, soy sauce and salt and pepper and let it stew on high heat for 10 to 12 minutes. Finish by stirring in 4 tablespoons of olive oil and keep warm.
  3. While the sauce is half way through the stewing process, coat the salmon with the remaining olive oil, salt and pepper and cook on a hot spot on the grill for 4 to 6 minutes on each side or until dark grill marks are formed and it’s cooked through.
  4. Plate by pouring in 1 cup of the moigue sauce into a bowl and top off with the cooked salmon.