Juicy Lucy

We had our annual Christmas tree burning Saturday night at the neighbors fire pit. It is quite a show, those dried up trees really burn. So remember - do not place the tree too close to your curtains!! As the fire was burning and we were all hanging out we decided on Sunday supper -  Juicy Lucy's. What is a Juicy Lucy you might be asking yourself. Well it is a burger with the cheese in the middle. Matt's Bar (here in the Twin Cities) claims to have invented and perfected the burger. We went to Matt's last summer and it is a very tasty burger.

So our plan was to try to recreate Matt's Juicy Lucy. It started as a large party - you know sitting around a fire, having a cold one, it is about 10:30 PM, everything starts to sound like a good plan. Well turns out by the next day it was down to a party of 4. Kz, Rindy, Johnny Pilates and myself. No worries - less burgers to build! Here we go!

menu:
rindy's classic pasta salad
ore ida shoestring french fries
zehrz seasoned sour cream
juicy lucy's
rindy's 'Best Ever' brownies
malbec - Thanks Johnny


rindys classic pasta salad
ingredients:

1 box Classic Suddenly pasta salad

(make as directed on box)
Diced tomatoes
Cubes mozzarella cheese

ore ida shoestring fries
Cook according to package and add seasonings

zehrz seasoned sour cream
ingredients

Note: add in the following order - stirring after each addition

1 cup mayonnaise
8 oz sour cream
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp cup finely diced parsley
1/4 tablespoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon dill weed, finely diced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon curry powder

juicy lucy's

ingredients

(4 burgers)

1 1/2 lb ground beef (80-85 % lean)

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp garlic powder

kosher salt

pepper

4 slices american cheese

directions:
add first 5 ingredients to a bowl and mix well.
divide mixture into 8 equal parts (~3 oz each)
make thin patties and place 1 slice of cheese  (folded in half twice) on one of the patties. Top with other pattie

and crimp edges together. Be sure to make a tight seal as steam will

try to escape - along with the cheese

Grill over high heat 3-4 minutes per side. The burgers will puff up a little but this is OK. Very Important Note - After flipping burgers, poke each one with a toothpick to allow steam to escape. This is key to not having the cheese leak out.

I add some onions to the grill when I flip the burgers.

When the burgers are done, remove from grill to a platter and cover with foil.
Flip the onions and put the buns on the grill for a minute or so.

rindy's 'Best Ever' brownies
for the brownies:

1 box Pillsbury family size Chocolate Fudge

 brownie mix made as directed on box

adding 1 additional egg

for the frosting:

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons margarine or butter
6 tablespoons milk
1 1/3 cups sugar
2/3 cups chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
In medium saucepan combine margarine,

milk and sugar. Bring to a boil. Boil and stir

constantly for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in

chocolate chips and vanilla. Stir until chocolate chips

 are melted. Pour over brownies.

Now it is time to chow down!

Hope you all have  great week and we will see you next Sunday.

Johhny Yoga

Cheers!

 

Brisket?

Tonight's supper was actually planned the day before by mistake. Kz was out shopping for the Saturday night birthday party when she picked up a brisket instead of a flank steak. When I asked her why she said " Well the brisket was twice the size and half the price". Little did she know that brisket takes 3-4 hours to cook unlike a flank steak which can be grilled in 12 minutes! No harm, no fowl we ran a grabbed the flank for Saturday and now had a nice piece of meat for Sunday Supper.

It has been awhile since Kz an myself have had a nice quiet Sunday supper alone so we decided to have just the 2 of us for tonight. Slow cooked brisket, salad and a nice bottle of wine. Tasty! Normally I would slow cook the brisket in the smoker but of course we are in Minnesota and even though it is May 1, the temp outside is about 40 degrees and the wind is howling. So instead I slow cooked it in the oven with a newly created marinate to cook it in.

menu
mixed green salad
oven roasted brisket

mixed green salad
mixed greens
grape tomatoes
green pepper, chopped
feta cheese
poppy seed dressing

directions
mix all ingredients and toss well. Serve on chilled plates, if desired

oven roasted brisket
ingredients

3 lb brisket, flat cut
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, sliced
1 bottle chili sauce
12 oz beer
2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbs brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste

directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place brisket, fat side up,in shallow roasting pan. Rub garlic on brisket, add salt and pepper. Place sliced onions on top. 

Mix chili sauce, beer, Worcestershire and brown sugar together, pour over brisket.

Cover tightly with foil and bake for 2 hours. After 2 hours flip brisket and continue to cook, covered, for an additional 1-2 hours, until fork tender.

Remove from pan and let rest 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with BBQ sauce if desired.

The finished product is a tender, juicy brisket that melts in your mouth!

The BBQ sauce we used came highly recommended from a friend of my brother in law. When we were in Fort Dodge last weekend Don told us about a sauce made in Iowa that was the best ever. We tried it and are hooked. It has a sweet and smoky flavor that adds a lot to any grilled meat.

Cheers! See you next Sunday.

Saturday Night Special

Well it is only Saturday but we have a special night in store. Our friend Rindy's birthday was last Sunday and we were all out of town so could not celebrate. The plan was to have a belated party tonight, the last day of April. And since it was Rindy's birthday she picked the menu:

Johnny Yoga Salad
Grilled Margarita Shrimp
Grilled Flank Steak
Rice Pilaf
Lemon Bars

An excellent menu choice! Plus Johnny makes  the 'Best Ever' bloody mary mix so of course we had to start the night with a tasty bloody.

For appetizers we had roasted shrimp cocktail, homemade cocktail sauce and blanched green beans with a spicy red pepper Greek yogurt dip. All very tasty!

On to the main menu.

Johnny's baby spinach asian salad

Ingredients:

baby spinach

feta cheese

roasted almonds

mandarin oranges

toasted sesame dressing

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and toss. Add dressing to taste.

grilled margarita shrimp

(courtesy of allrecipes.com)

ingredients

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons tequila
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
1.Combine the shrimp, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, tequila,

cilantro, red pepper, and salt in a bowl; toss to combine;

refrigerate 30 minutes.
2.Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil grate.

Drain the marinade from the shrimp and discard; thread the shrimp on the skewers.
3.Cook on preheated grill until the shrimp turn pink, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

grilled flank steak

2 lbs flank steak

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 can beer

cayenne pepper to taste

cilantro

salt

pepper

directions

Combine all ingredients in a large Ziploc bag. Marinate for 3 hours or over night. Grill over high heat for 6 minutes a side for medium rare. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Rice Pilaf -
This recipe comes from our friend tmk - the Savory Gourmet - you can find this recipe as well as many other tasty treats! Thanks tmk!
http://savorygourmet.blogspot.com/

Brown Basmati Rice Pilaf
adapted from Whole Foods
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 c. diced celery
1/2 c. diced shallots
1 c. brown basmati rice (washed & drained)
2 c. chicken broth
sea salt (to taste)
fresh ground pepper
Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add celery and shallots and saute for one minute. Add the rice and saute for another two minutes. Add broth, salt, pepper and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 40-45 minutes until broth absorbed.

lemon bars
( this comes from my mother-in-law who cut this out of a Sunday paper many years ago and has used this recipe ever since - thanks Mary!)

for the crust:
1/2 lb butter, room temp
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour

for lemon filling:

6 eggs, room temp

2 Tbs lemon zest

1 cup fresh lemon juice

1 cup flour

powdered sugar, for dusting

directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or spray 9 x 13 inch pan.

To make crust: Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy using an electric mixer, for at least 5 minutes. On low speed, work the flour into the butter mixture until just mixed. Press dough into the prepared pan. Chill.

Bake crust until lightly browned, 15 - 20 minutes.

In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and flour. Pour over crust, bake an additional 30-35 minutes, until filling is set. Let cool, dust with powdered sugar, cut and serve.

Now it is time to open gifts and eat. Cheers!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RINDY!

That is all for the Saturday Night Special - See you Sunday!

Easter Sunday

For this weekend Kz and me went to Fort Dodge to visit family. Instead of cooking on this Sunday it was church, brunch at the club then 18 holes of golf. We went out for supper and it was an all around great day.

See you all next Sunday for another edition of Sunday Supper!

Shrimp and Windex

Tonight's edition of Sunday Supper is going to include a few more guests. 9 total including Kz and myself, should be a great evening. Kz chose tonight's menu and also wanted to make dessert. She has decided cooking is not her cup of tea so she is going to try baking. She found a recipe in House Beautiful for a Goat Cheesecake with strawberry topping courtesy of Tyler Florence ( one of our favorites) and it looked easy enough.

Kz was following the directions, had everything mixed, stirred and looking good. She put the cheesecake in the oven and as she was looking at the counter noticed there was still an unused cup of sugar. Looking back at the recipe instructions, it called for a cup of sugar but never mentioned adding it. So we pulled the cake out of the oven (after it had baked for about half the time), scooped the filling back into a bowl and whisked in the sugar. Back into the oven it went and we think we saved it. Only time will tell.

menu:

Fantastic Caesar Salad

Baked Shrimp Scampi
Peppery Pasta
Goat Cheesecake with Strawberry Topping

With the menu in place all systems were go for a great evening!

Fantastic Caesar Salad - courtesy of Johnny Yoga
Ingredients:

romaine lettuce

croutons

Parmesan cheese

Caesar dressing

directions:

add all ingredients in a large bowl

and mix well







Baked Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients
2 pounds (12 to 15 per pound) shrimp in the shell
3 tablespoons good olive oil
2 tablespoons dry white wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
1/4 cup minced shallots
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 extra-large egg yolk
2/3 cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)
Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Peel, devein, and butterfly the shrimp, leaving the tails on.
Place the shrimp in a mixing bowl and toss gently with the olive oil,
wine, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper.
Allow to sit at room temperature while you make the butter and garlic mixture.

In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the garlic,
shallots, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice,
egg yolk, panko, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper until combined.

Starting from the outer edge of a 14-inch oval gratin dish,
 arrange the shrimp in a single layer cut side down with the
tails curling up and towards the center of the dish. Pour the
remaining marinade over the shrimp. Spread the butter mixture
evenly over the shrimp. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until hot and bubbly.
If you like the top browned, place under a broiler for 1 minute.
Serve with lemon wedges

Peppery Pasta

Ingredients
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly ground coarse pepper
Salt
1 pound angel hair pasta
1 lemon, zested
3 ounces manchego or Parmesan, finely grated

Directions
In a large straight-sided saute pan over medium heat,
add the olive oil, pepper and a pinch of salt. Heat and
toast the pepper until the oil is fragrant with the pepper scent,
3 to 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water,
cook the pasta until al dente, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain
in a colander and allow the moisture to evaporate from
the pasta for a couple of minutes.

Add the pasta to the pan with the olive oil, raise the
heat to medium-high and continuously toss the pasta with
tongs to coat with the olive oil and pepper. Remove from
the heat, add the lemon zest and cheese, toss and then
transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

Goat Cheesecake with Strawberry Topping
ingredients
crust

10 oz graham crackers
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 stick unsalted butter, melted

filling
4 oz cream cheese, room temp
4 oz goat cheese, room temp
1 pint sour cream, room temp
3 eggs, room temp
1 cup sugar
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp vanilla

topping
6 oz fresh strawberries, halved
1/4 cup sugar
juice of 2 lemons

2 oz Grand Marnier

(Kz used orange juice instead)

1/2 cup fresh basil

2 Tbs frozen crumbled goat cheese

directions

preheat oven to 325 degrees

heat 6 cups water just to boiling, set aside

crust - combine all ingredients in food processor and process until

evenly moistened. Wrap outside of 9" spring form pan tightly with foil. Press mixture into pan to 1/4 inch thickness and smooth with juice glass. Chill uncovered until ready to use.

filling- combine all ingredients in food processor and mix until smooth.

Note: this is where the instructions in the magazine forgot to mention adding the one cup of sugar and caused the mini drama.

Pour mixture into prepared pan.

Place the pan in the center of a large roasting pan. Pour hot water into roasting to 1 1/2 inch depth around pan. Put pan on center rack of oven and bake for 45 minutes. The cheesecake should be firm at the edges but still jiggle in the middle. Remove pan from oven and cool in pan for 45 minutes. Then chill uncovered until ready to serve.

topping - In large sauce pan combine all ingredients. Cook over medium heat, 5 - 7 minutes. Remove strawberries and continue to cook syrup for 3 - 5 minutes or until reduced by half. Remove pan from heat and let cool.

Spoon the strawberries and syrup liberally over the chilled cheesecake.

Served garnished with basil and frozen goat cheese.

And that's it! Now it is time to enjoy the food and conversation with our friends.

And one final note on tonight's festivities.a couple of our friends were travelling back from Wisconsin on Sunday and realized once they got back to Minnesota they did not have any beer to bring over for the night. (and of course if you live in Minnesota you know the liquor stores are closed on Sunday) So knowing how much Kz enjoys cleaning the island and how much she LOVES the Windex with vinegar, they brought a couple bottles of that along. Awesome! We have such great friends!!!!

Enjoy and see you all next week!

Plan B

     When I got up and walked the dog this morning, I could not help but notice how warm it was! Did not really need the jacket and it was only 7:30 in the morning. This can only mean one thing - Grilling! We love to grill out but have not done much with our never ending winter. Don't get me wrong, I have grilled in snow and cold, but it is so much better to grill when the temp is above 50 or 60. Kz and I put together a simple menu for grilling - filet mignon, asparagus and baked potatoes. This was going to be tasty!

     As we were sitting around watching the Masters, the house seemed to be getting much cooler. I went outside to check things out and wouldn't you know it, the wind was now blowing about 25 mph and the temp had dropped about 20 degrees. Charcoal grill + wind + cold just do not mix. Since we had already been to the store we kept the same menu, just had to change the cooking method. Plus I added chocolate cupcakes to the menu. I was watching Food Network and there was a 30 second spot with Ina Garten making cupcakes that looked really good. Now, if i can just remember all the ingredients........

     No salad tonight so Johnny brought over shrimp cocktail to get the night started.

menu:
pan seared filet mignon
roasted asparagus
baked potatoes
chocolate cupcakes


pan seared filet mignon
ingredients:
6 oz filets
salt
pepper
vegetable oil

directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Let the meat sit at room temperature for
30 minutes before cooking.

Brush the filets with vegetable oil.

Normally I use olive oil when cooking but for this the

vegetable oil performs better when searing over a high heat.

Mix salt and pepper in a bowl and roll filets in mixture. This will give an even coating on the filets. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. When the pan is good and hot add the filets and brown on all sides, 2 minutes per side. Put pan in oven and cook for 6-8 minutes for medium rare, 8-10 minutes for medium. Adjust times for desired doneness. Remove from oven, place on a platter and cover tightly with foil. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Note: if cooking past medium you might as

 well save some money and have a hamburger:)

  roasted asparagus

ingredients:

asparagus

olive oil

salt

pepper

lemon juice

directions

Cover a baking sheet with foil. Spread asparagus over pan.

Squeeze juice from half a lemon over asparagus

Drizzle olive oil and season with salt and pepper

Roast in 400 degree oven for ten minutes. Serve hot.



baked potatoes

ingredients

baking potatoes

vegetable oil

salt

pepper

sour cream

directions

Wash and dry potatoes. Brush with vegetable oil

and poke holes in each potato with fork. Cook in microwave for

12 minutes (this was enough time for 3 potatoes)

Let rest a few minutes before serving. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with butter and sour cream.

Put it all together and enjoy. I came to find out

this is how Kz actually prefers her filet to be cooked.

We also had some wild mushrooms sauteed in red wine

to go with the filet.

Now time for the dessert.....

chocolate cupcakes

ingredients

1 stick butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

1 can Hershey's chocolate syrup

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup flour

Directions

preheat oven to 350 degrees

cream butter and sugar in mixer

add eggs and mix well

add vanilla and Hershey's syrup while continuing to mix

add flour and mix until batter is smooth

pour into cupcake pans

bake on middle rack for 30 minutes or until toothpick in center comes out clean. Cool on wire racks.

We served these with ice cream and fresh sliced strawberries. Excellent!               

See you all next week!

Swedish Fish

Sunday, Sunday, it is always nice to kick off the week with with good food and good friends. For tonight I was thinking of Sunday Pot Roast with Mushroom Gravy and Loaded Mashed Potatoes and ran the idea by K. Well I got the 'look' and could tell she was not thrilled with the idea. (Being married for 20+ years, I have learned about the 'look'). K was thinking something a little fresher and springlike. Although there is still some snow on the ground and the high today is only going to be around 50, that is a true Minnesota spring day.

K suggested Sweet Pea Risotto and Pork Loin. That did sound fresh and I was down with the idea. We heard from Johnny Mailbox and told him to bring a springy salad.

You may be wondering about the title "Swedish Fish". Well when Johnny came strolling in not only did he have the fixings for the salad but also a tub a Swedish Fish. One of K's favorites!!

Here is the menu:

Strawberry Fields Forever Salad

Sweet Pea Risotto

Herb Crusted Pork Loin

Strawberry Fields Forever Salad

Ingredients

feta cheese

slivered almonds, toasted

fresh strawberries

baby spinach

poppy seed dressing

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put slivered almonds in a heat proof skillet and cook in oven for 10 - 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Add all ingredients to large bowl. Toss with dressing.

Sweet Pea Risotto

Ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
kosher salt and black pepper
2 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed

Directions
Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the rice and stir until coated. Add the wine and stir until all the liquid is absorbed. Add 1 cup of the broth and cook until absorbed, stirring occasionally.
Add the remaining broth ½ cup at a time, waiting until each portion is absorbed before adding the next. Continue until the rice is cooked al dente, about 35 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
Meanwhile, puree 2 cups of peas in a blender or food processor.
Before serving, stir the peas into the rice until fully incorporated, then fold in remaining whole peas.

Herb Crusted Pork Loin

Ingredients
                                                                 1 (4-pound) boneless pork loin, with fat left on

1 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried basil

Directions
Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.

Place the pork loin on a rack in a roasting pan. Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. With your fingers, massage the mixture onto the pork loin, covering all of the meat and fat.

Roast the pork for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 425 degrees F and roast for an additional hour. Test for doneness using an instant-read thermometer. When the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees F, remove the roast from the oven. Allow it to sit for about 20 minutes before carving. It will continue to cook while it rests

Now that all the cooking is done, and a few samples have been tasted, it is time to plate up and dig in.

Until next week. Cheers!