Gobble, Gobble

Continuing on my road to low-calorie living (admit it, you're surprised I've stuck with it this long aren't you? It's okay, you can think it - I am pretty darn surprised myself....) I've discovered just how many things can be made with turkey instead of beef. Slider burgers are a go to favorite as a delicious snack or an entire meal. Football food on game day or busy weeknights. The Music Man didn't really notice the switch and the little people had no complaints - that's a win at our house! I've had a few folks ask me what the difference is between a slider burger and a regular burger. The key difference is merely size. I like to "doctor up" the meat by adding flavorful fun into the mix, like garlic or, as in this burger, cheese and scallions. Sometimes we caramelize onions and pile on top or sprinkle a little worcestershire into the raw meat mixture. The sky is the limit really. I think a little smoky chipotle cheese and some cumin would make a yummy mexican burger. Be creative or stick to a recipe, but whatever you do - take time to really taste it and enjoy it!

Turkey Slider Burgers

1 1/2 lb. ground turkey (to use fully cooked, leftover Thanksgiving turkey, lightly pulse in food processor, place in large bowl, fold in one egg with a fork, and then gently stir in remaining ingredients, do not overmix or overwork the mixture)

2 Tbs. ketchup

2 scallions, finely sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

2/3 c. shredded monterey jack cheese

Dinner rolls

Tomato

Leaf lettuce

Gently stir together turkey, ketchup, scallions, garlic, salt and pepper until blended, but do not overmix (turkey is a bit more fragile than beef and can become tough if overmixed). Gently stir in cheese. Shape meat mixture into desired size patties. You may need to dampen your hands slightly to prevent the meat from sticking to your palms. Lightly oil a large skillet and cook patties approximately 4 minutes on each side over medium high heat. Not sure how to tell if they are done? An instant read thermometer should read 160 degrees. Place on dinner rolls or buns and top with a tomato slice, lettuce or any other favorite ingredients. 

xox,

A

Happy New Year!

The new year is a great time for fresh starts and new goals. Our family is particularly anxious to put 2018 behind us and we're fervently praying for 2019 to be filled with family adventures, health, and nothing exciting at all. I've had my fill of surprises in 2018 and appreciate the growth that all of the unexpected activity has brought into my life. 2018 has been a year of tremendous emotional, spiritual, and marital growth. We have been blessed. 

Keeping with tradition, we will be scarfing down our black eyed peas tomorrow in the form of a yummy pork based soup. In an attempt to combine the northern tradition of pork and sauerkraut (cabbage) with the southern tradition of black eyed peas and cornbread, this soup was born.

Black Eyed Pea Soup

2 lbs ground pork

1 large onion chopped 

2 cloves garlic, minced

6 cups beef broth

1 28oz. can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup roughly chopped cabbage

3 cans black eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1 4oz can chopped green chilies

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cumin

In a large pot, stir together pork and onion and cook until the meat is no longer pink. Drain excess fat and return meat/onion mixture to pot. Stir in garlic and heat for just a couple of minutes then add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer for about 15-20 minutes allowing flavors to combine. Serve with cornbread and top with sour cream, if desired. 

May your 2019 be merry and bright! 

Devilish Chipotle

Looking for something new and delicious for your holiday table? We made these chipotle deviled eggs at Thanksgiving and loved them. A little spicy, but the heat can be tempered by lessening the the amount of chipotle peppers used and/or adobo sauce. I have found the simplest way to get a consistency conducive for piping is to place the hard-boiled yokes and remaining ingredients into a food processor, pulsing until smooth. A pastry bag fitted with a #22 tip (open star) is perfect for deviled eggs, in my opinion. Spooning the filling the old fashioned way is just as yummy. 

Chipotle Deviled Eggs

12 large eggs, hardboiled

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 TBS canned chipotle chilis in adobo sauce (reduce to 2 tsp or even 1 tsp if heat sensitive)

1 tsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Cilantro and scallions for garnish

Cut eggs in half, separating yolks from whites. Place egg whites on a platter; place yolks in the bowl of a food processor with mayo, chipotle peppers, and mustard. Pulse yolk mixture until smooth. Spoon into pastry bag fitted with #22 decorating tip and pipe into egg whites. Garnish with cilantro and scallions. Serve immediately or refrigerate in an air tight container. 

Chocolate Mousse Tart

This is not a recipe for the gluten-free, dairy-free friends in my life. I have successfully replicated this crust with vegan cream cheese and gluten free flour; however, there is no replicating the filling without the heavy cream. It just doesn't work. This dessert is perfect for the holidays because of its rich, decadent texture making it the perfect once-in-a-while indulgence. You can also make it well ahead of time.

Crust

1/2 cup butter, softened
4 oz. cream cheese, softened (1/2 of the standard size 8oz package)
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. table salt
1/2 cup finely chopped, toasted pecans

Mousse

1 (12oz) package semisweet morsels
2 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided 2 cups and 1/2 cup
1 Tbsp. bourbon *optional*
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

To prepare the crust, beat together on medium speed the butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the flour and salt, beating at low speed until just blended. Shape into a disk, wrap with plastic warp, and chill for 1 hour. After chilling is complete, preheat oven to 400 degrees and lightly grease aa 12"x8" tart pan. Roll dough on a lightly floured surface into a rough 13x9 rectangle. Gently press dough into pan and press up side, trimming excess dough. Bake dough for 15-17 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely.

For the mousse, microwave the 1/2 cup cream and chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl for 1 1/2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Stir in bourbon and vanilla; let stand 5 minutes. Beat remaining 2 cups of cream at med-high speed until medium peaks form; fold cream into chocolate mixture and combine well. Spread in cooled tart shell. Topped with coarsely chopped pecans. Chill for at least 4 hours, but at least overnight is preferred.

Sheet Pan Supper #2

I tried to like the Instant Pot. I really did. I tried many times over to get the hang of it and make it do all of the things so many promised me that it could do. My Instant Pot failure is another notch on my belt that proves to me....

Things that are popular just never work out for me.

I think my expectations are a little too high. If it's popular and receiving rave reviews, then it must be some sort of magical. If the Instant Pot is supposed to be faster than the crockpot, maybe I expected it to be George Jetson fast. Like super-futuristic-nearly-magical fast. Perhaps I wasn't patient enough.  At any rate, I feel the IP is never gonna work for me and I can't keep small appliances around that don't carry their weight in productivity. The only food I successfully cooked from the Instant Pot were super yummy, buttery, golden potatoes. However, for an appliance to hold a spot on my pantry shelf....you gotta be able to make more than potatoes.  I guess I'm old school when it comes to kitchen cooking tools and I couldn't get on board with the IP fascination that so many of my friends have come to enjoy. I felt the same way about Botox. I tried to like it, I really did.  Everyone told me it was wonderful...everyone was wrong. The headache, the inability to move my muscles - My GOD-given muscles! Yes, I know that is supposed to be the point, but I guess I didn't close the loop on what Botox actually is/does until it was too late. WHAT are we doing to ourselves?! Does it really improve my life to  inject toxin into myself? Not one bit. I think it actually made my life worse. I may be the only person to spiral into a full on panic attack....from Botox. Won't be doing that again any time soon. Just let it be already. YOU ARE FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE. (Psalm 139:14) We get to Jesus at the finish line no matter what sefl-inflicted, fountain-of-youth tactics we do to ourselves beforehand. However, true to my gender, I reserve my right to change my mind at any point that I feel like trying something irrational again in the future. I digress... 

When the Instant Pot did not work out for me, I went back to my tried and true oven and my ever faithful sheet pans. 

Preheat said oven to 350 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Toss 6 plums (halved) with 1 Tbs. of olive oil, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp. nutmeg. Spread them onto parchment lined sheet pan. Thinly slice 1 red onion and coat with 1 Tbs. olive oil. Add onion to the sheet pan. Season entire pan generously with salt and pepper. 

I realize from looking at the picture that I used more than six plums or else I most likely quartered them. You get the point though. Throw some plums on the sheet pan. Add some thinly sliced onion. Heat 3 Tbs. of butter in a cast iron skillet and lightly sear two pork tenderloin roasts...

Place seared pork tenderloin on your bed of plums and red onion....

Roast uncovered in 350 degree oven for about 45-50 minutes or until pork reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees. Let meat rest for about 15 minutes before serving. 

Slice pork and serve with roasted plums/onions and a complementary vegetable - steamed asparagus works for our family, but caesar salad would be nice as well or a buttery green bean. Do what works for you! Enjoy! 

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Sheet Pan Supper #1

I adore cooking and find it very relaxing especially after a long day of baking. I know it may seem contradictory to enjoy being in one kitchen after having spent your entire day in another, but as any foodie will tell you....cooking and baking are two entirely separate beasts just as owning a bakery and managing a home kitchen are two boats in completely different ponds. That said, I've been dying for more simplicity when it comes to dinner time with 6 people. We are not fast-foodies or even convenience-foodies which only serves to complicate dinner when there are limited shortcuts between beginning the meal prep and all of the ingredients actually reaching edible. I am venturing into sheet-pan-suppers and trying to find ways to get our evening meal executed with minimal cookware, resulting (with any luck) in minimal dishes. This sheet-pan-supper was my first attempt and turned out incredibly savory. So simple and a very flexible recipe that will allow for a myriad of seasonings and vegetables for numerous variations. Change it up! 

Start by placing your veggies of choice on a sheet pan. I opted for baby carrots and onion, but potatoes would be oh so yummy as well. I will definitely try with fresh brussel sprouts next time. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and dried oregano. Dice and cook 8 oz of bacon and cook in a skillet.  Remove bacon and sprinkle on top of your sheet pan veggies. Cut up a whole chicken (or buy it already cut up if you prefer), season chicken well with salt/pepper, and brown chicken portions in the bacon fat of your skillet. You may have to do this in batches to get all of the chicken browned. Layer your seared chicken portions on top of your veggies and pour any remaining bacon fat and juices from your skillet over the sheet pan of chicken/veggies. Place your sheet pan in a 400 degree oven and carefully pour in 1/2 cup chicken broth and 1/2 cup dry white wine (sauvignon blanc is my favorite to cook with) OR you can use 1 cup of chicken broth and skip the wine if you prefer. Set your timer for 1 hour and roast it all together until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees. You will have ample yummy broth in your sheet pan to pour over your plated chicken.  Or use the fluid to make a flavor filled gravy to drown your day in as many calories as possible. Why not?  Sometimes life calls for exactly such salve. Enjoy!

My apologies for the photo quality - I didn't set out to blog this recipe, but when I witnessed how delectable it was shaping up to be, I couldn't help whipping out the iPhone an snapping what I could before my people devoured the goodness.

Old Man Winter {Red Bean & Bacon Soup}

Baby, it's cold outside. Maybe not so much for my northern friends and Ohio family, but for Oklahoma and for this thin-blooded girl in particular, I'm a freezin'. I can't seem to get enough soup. This version of red bean and bacon soup is particularly yummy as it's gently pureed - making all the ingredients that my sometimes picky offspring might turn their nose up to (celery, etc) unidentifiable. With bacon sprinkled on top, who can resist? Sneak the good stuff in under the bacon, ha. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! 

Red Bean & Bacon Soup

1 lb. dried red beans, soaked according to package directions

1/2 lb bacon, cut into 1/2" pieces

1 1/2 cup chopped onions (about 2 onions)

4 garlic cloves, chopped

2 bay leaves

1 1/2 tsp. cumin

1 Tbs. chili powder

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 1/2 cups chopped celery (about three stalks)

1 1/2 cups chopped carrots

6 cups chicken broth 

1 28 oz can whole tomatoes

Cook chopped bacon in the bottom of a heavy post over medium heat until crisp. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Add to your pot the onions, garlic, bay leaves, chili powder, cumin and cayenne. Cook and stir about five minutes until onions are soft.  Add the celery, carrots, beans, and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about an hour or until beans are tender. Add the canned tomatoes and their juice, roughly breaking up the tomatoes - if you choose not to puree the soup, go ahead and chop the tomatoes. Since I pulse it in the food processor, it is unnecessary to chop the tomatoes. Stir to combine the tomatoes and their juice into the soup. Discard the bay leaves. In small batches, pulse the soup in a food processor until coarsely pureed. Just a few pulses to keep it with some rough texture, not completely pureed. Return to pot and heat through. Serve topped with sour cream and chopped bacon. Sprinkle a little parsley fro good measure.  Enjoy!

xox, 

A

Gimme Goulash

We recently had the opportunity to travel to Austria for a week-long adventure in performing arts and while there partaking of authentic cuisine topped my to-do list. We managed to find  dining experiences off of the beaten path and especially enjoyed restaurants where no one spoke a word of English. Since our German linguistic skills were limited to mostly enunciation ability with little knowledge of actual meaning, we  were able to clearly state what we wanted from the menu without actually knowing what we were going to get. Thank you, UCO, for German diction class. A few times the "surprise" meal was a little questionable, but after assuring myself the restaurant would not be in business if people were dying, I ate what arrived at my table with only slight hesitation. I'm still not sure what all I consumed in Austria, but I didn't die. So there's that. 

One thing we particularly enjoyed was authentic goulash. Typically made with an egg noodle accompaniment, my american-ized version sports potatoes - you could easily substitute 8-10 oz of  radiatore pasta or if you're feeling really adventurous, whip up some egg noodles from scratch. 

As most good things begin, cook half a pound of diced bacon in the bottom of a heavy pot. Nice and crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Keep the meat coming, and add 2.5 pounds of cubed chuck roast to the piping hot bacon grease and brown. You do not need to cook the meat through at this point, just brown it and remove, again with a slotted spoon. Add it to your bowl of bacon and set aside.

Next, add 4 onions (chopped) and four cloves of minced garlic. Every since reading Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential, I hesitate to mince garlic in a garlic press as this is a big no-no in the Bourdain world.  Nonetheless, I press, mince, and ask forgiveness from the fowl-mouthed celebrity chef. Cook and stir onion/garlic mixture in meat drippings until nearly translucent. 

Stir into the onion mixture 1/3 cup flour and 3 Tbs paprika. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes. The longer you cook flour, the more starchiness cooks out.

Add to the pot a 6 oz can of tomato past that has been mixed with 1/4 cup red wine vinegar...

Cook and stir together for about 2 minutes. This mixture will be very thick an goo-like. Stick with me, it gets better. 

Now add two red bell peppers (chopped) along with 5 cups of beef broth and 4 cups of water. You could use straight beef broth for the entire liquid portion, but as beef broth is a bit stronger than other broth (and since there are so many other strong flavors in this dish) mix the beef broth with water to tame it a bit.

Also add about 2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cubed. At this point, you could substitute 8-10 oz. uncooked small pasta in place of the potatoes. 

Return the bacon and beef to the pot. Stir together well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer partially covered for about 45 minutes.

Serve it up with your favorite vino on a cold winters night.

Hearty Goulash

1/2 pound bacon, chopped
2.5 lbs boneless beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 TBS paprika
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
6 oz. can tomato paste
5 cups beef broth
4 cups water
2 red bell peppers, chopped
2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cubed

Cook bacon in the bottom of a heavy pot until crispy; remove with slotted spoon and set aside. Add meat to pot and cook until browned. Remove with slotted spoon and add bacon. Set aside. Add onions and garlic to pot and cook until tender. Stir in flour and paprika; cook for about 2 minutes. Add tomato mixed with the red wine vinegar and stir/cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Whisk in broth and water; add red pepper and potatoes, return meat to the pot as well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for about 45 minutes. Enjoy!

xox,
A

Blueberry Lovin'

I just ate three of these. No joke. In, like, less than a minute...okay, maybe it took me three minutes, but still - inhaled these puppies as if it were my last day on earth with only an hour left to live and I have to run for my life while being chased by Nazi's with machine guns. Get that mental image out of your head.

Seriously, though, I love summer. I even like the heat, but mostly I like the fresh produce. Does a body good. Super happy to find fresh blueberries in abundance and really looking forward to making peach jam later this summer with my gal pal Mandy over at Stansberry Jam. Her parents have a peach farm in eastern Oklahoma - it's good to have friends such as these. *love*

For now, I'm cranking out these puppies and scarfing them down almost as quickly as they come out of the oven. Perhaps this is why my jeans don't fit. Oops!

Blueberry Scones

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
6 Tbs. butter, diced
1 cup fresh blueberries
3/4 cup milk

For Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in cold diced butter until mixture has a coarse crumbly feel to it. Gently fold blueberries in to flour mixture being careful not to burst the blueberries if possible. Stir in milk, again being gentle to  keep the blueberries in tact. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and with floured hands pat into a rectangle. Cut the rectangle into squares and then cut the squares diagonally to give your scones the traditional triangle shape. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for about 15 minutes before drizzling with the glaze. Enjoy!!

Meatball Veggie Soup

The end of winter is finally near and I've never been happier. While I've spent my fair share of years north of the Mason Dixon (including my birth if we're being honest), my heart sings happy tunes in warmer weather. That's not so say you won't hear me complain when we consistently top over 100 degrees this summer. Let's just say I don't like extremes - clearly,  I need to live in Hawaii. At any rate, a couple of weekends ago our temps dropped rather low again and I couldn't resist another go-round with a steaming pot of soup. We actually eat soup year round, but with exceptional frequency in the colder months. You can find additional soup recipes here, here, here, and here. 

For this meatball-veggie-pot-o'-crazy, I started with lots of good things....In the bottom of a heavy pot place:

4 TBS butter

1 large onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

2 jalapeno's seeded and chopped

4 medium sized potatoes, cubed

Saute and stir often until onions are transparent and veggies begin to wilt.

In the meantime, assemble your mini meatballs. In a mixing bowl combine:

1 lb. lean ground beef
3 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup italian bread crumbs
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. peper
Dash of Worcestershire

Mix well with your hands and roll into quarter-size meatballs.

Place meatballs on sheet pan and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until no loner pink in the center.

The meatballs will appear to be too dry - you want this. They are going into your soup and need to be slightly dry so they can absorb the liquid in the soup without falling apart.

As soon as your root veggies begin to soften add to your pot:

2 cartons of beef broth (approximately 28-32 oz. each)

1 can of tomato sauce

1 cup frozen corn

1 cup frozen green beans

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

Bring to a simmer and gently stir in your meatballs.

Top with fresh grated parmesan and parsley. Enjoy and stay warm - summer is almost here!!

xox,
A

I'm So Bleu I Don't Know What To Do

I sat down to write this post two or three...okay six...times. I've never officially been diagnosed with ADHD, but it's quite obvious I am burdened with chaotic focus and I think that's pretty much the same thing. "Chaotic focus" being in and of itself an oxymoron I know. Regardless, I sometimes always get distracted. Amazingly, I do get plenty of things accomplished though often in roundabout ways. *SIGH* It really is mentally draining to live in this skin. 

We are quickly approaching an event that beckons for girlfriends to get together, put their feet up and enjoy a night filled with girl talk, fashion, champagne, and laughter. The Golden Globes. And then a few weeks later...The Oscars/Academy Awards. Any party isn't a party without yummy hors d' oeuvres to munch on and great music. Here, I give you the first of a few appetizers I plan to share in the coming weeks for your partying pleasure. 

When I was actively catering, these bleu cheese stuffed tomatoes were a huge favorite. Since laying aside the catering aspect of my business over a year ago, I'm finally becoming comfortable with the idea of parting with a few of my prized recipes. Oh there are some you will never see on here - like my red sauce, or coconut cream pie, or ganache brownies. But bleu cheese stuffed tomatoes? I can share those for the sake of salivating cheese lovers everywhere...

Begin with cherub tomatoes. Cut off the top of each tomato and use the small end of a melon baller to scoop out the insides. Don't worry about getting every last seed out of the center, just a small scoop allowing enough room for dose of bleu cheese cream in the center. 

I then turn them over onto a rack or cookie sheet in order to drain out the excess juice. They don't need to be completely dry, but leave them to drain at least 30 minutes or so.

Now for the fun part. Place in a bowl:

1-8oz package of cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup mayo (or miracle whip, either will work though miracle whip is sweeter)

1/4 to 1/2 cup crumbled bleu cheese. Begin with the 1/4 cup and add more depending on your taste and if you like bleu cheese. I happen to love it, so I go all in with 1/2 cup (maybe even more...I really do love those little tantalizing bleu nuggets of tastebud awakening).

1/4 tsp salt and a dash of pepper

3-4 Tbs. of finely chopped fresh basil (must be fresh! don't try to skimp and used the dried stuff, it won't work)

Juice from 1/2 lemon

Mix everything together on high speed until well combined, scraping down your bowl at least once to make sure all of the ingredients have married nicely.  Fill a pastry bag fitted with a start tip with the cream cheese mixture and pipe the creamy goodness into the prepared tomatoes. I hope you will try making these for your next gathering! Enjoy!

Back to Basics

I've found during the hustle and bustle of life in general that menu planning is tremendously helpful. Not only does it alleviate the daily stress of feeding the crazies family, it saves $$ too. Combine that with occasionally making a couple of recipes at the same time, especially when they use the duplicate core ingredients, and the fridge is stocked whether I'm home or away working my fingers to the bone doing what I love.  Here are a couple of kid-friendly favorites - just in case you are among the five people in America who don't already know how to make chili and shepherd's pie (ha!). 

Both recipes begin with:

2 pounds of ground meat

1 onion and 4 cloves garlic

For Shephard's Pie add 2 carrots and 1 stalk celery (chopped)

Brown the beef, drain...

Return to pan and add 2/3 cup flour, stir to combine.

Add to cans of beef broth, 1 tsp. of ground thyme and cook over medium-high heat until thick and bubbly.

Spread the meat mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 pan

I'm always looking for a way to sneak more veggies in for my two toddlers and while traditional shepherds pie does not include green beans, I sneak a cup of frozen veggies in at this point. Sometimes we use peas or even corn.

You will need six cups of cooked mashed potatoes. I boil them with the skins on, drain, return to the pan with 1/2 cup butter, 2 tsp garlic salt, pepper to taste and one cup cheddar cheese. Mash well. 

Spread potato mixture onto the top of the meat filling...

And bake at 375 until hot and bubbly. I usually place under the broiler for about five minutes at the end just to brown the top a little. 

For the chili - begin with the same three core ingredients: ground meat, onion chopped and four cloves of garlic….

Brown the meat, drain, and add to it: 2 cans chili beans, 2 cans chili-ready tomatoes, 2 cans tomato sauce (do you see a pattern here?) and 1 can dark red kidney beans. Stir together and add 2 tsp. chili powder, 1/2 tsp. pepper and 1 tsp. salt. Cook and simmer for 20 minutes to allow flavors to combine. 

Happy cooking!!

xox,
A