Smitten Kitchen

Posted on September 26, 2013 by Kelli

Look what just arrived on my doorstep…

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I have loved Deb Perelman’s Blog for years- so I know it will be a joy to cook from this book.  The photos alone will make your mouth salivate in anticipation.

Lets get started…

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Bobby Flay Meeting

Posted on September 25, 2013 by Kelli

We had a great Bobby Flay’s Boy Gets Grill meeting this last weekend.  Expecting a smaller turn out than usual, we had the opportunity to actually plan a meal and all cook together- which was a new delicious twist.

One of the components I love about cookbooks is when they include complete menus.  I find that I don’t have to think quite so hard about what to serve because it’s all right there for you- and often suggests items together that I would normally not do.  Sunday, we tackled the Italian-American Firehouse Dinner.

KT brought all of the fixings for the Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella with red and yellow tomatoes and basil vinaigrette.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWe all commented that we don’t know why we don’t eat like that more- just simple and delicious.  Of course this dish is only fantastic in the summer…

Joye was responsible for the Grilled Pizza with Grilled Sausage, peppers, onions, and oregano Ricotta.  She started with Pizza Dough from Trader Joes which I will say was much easier than the fiasco I had when trying to make this dish.

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It also gets grilled peppers onions and sausages….

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Fontina, items off the grill, and some oregano ricotta and you have this delicious treat…

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Joye picked fresh basil that morning to put on top- which of course we forgot in our enthusiasm to consume- but you can imagine.

Now… the pizza was the SIDE DISH.  That’s what I mean by pairing this I wouldn’t normally pair.  On to the main…

Porterhouse Steaks with Fra Diavolo Barbecue Sauce and Cherry Pepper Salad…

I did the “salad” and the BBQ.  Both were done in the morning- which is nice for later- but that means I don’t have many pictures.

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Here is the salad- which is why I had it in quotes.  More Dressing than tomato but it goes on top of the steaks and is perfect.  You might also notice the extra BBQ sauce in the background for passing at the table.

Carol brought the Porterhouse Steaks- which were gorgeous.  They got brushed with the BBQ sauce.

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After the rested, the steaks were sliced thin… and served with pizza.   Awesome.

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To cap it all off, Ashley brought the fixings for Grilled Peaches with Creme Fraiche and Molasses.

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The peaches took much longer on the grill than the directions- but we got there eventually.  Who could complain when you end a meal like this….

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This was a fun way to have a small meeting.

Overall thoughts-

-none of us were comfortable on the grill.  None of us ARE comfortable on the grill.  At least we gave it a go and it isn’t quite so intimidating.

-We like photos.  No, they shouldn’t be the reason to buy a cookbook or not, but they do make us want to eat the food in there.  More pictures please.

– Appreciate that we didn’t have to turn pages to finish a recipe- thoughtful layout.

– Many recipes have lots of ingredients- but not hard to find- just a lot.

Fall is here!  New book…coming soon!

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Grilled Pork Tenderloing a la Rodriquez with Guava Glaze and Orange-Habanero Mojo

Posted on August 11, 2013 by Kathy Thompson

First off…Bobby likes long recipe names. 🙂 This one in particular. Regardless of the name, the dish was delish.  I didn’t end up using guava jelly because my store didn’t have it and I didn’t want to truck around town to find it. Instead I used his alternative ingredient of apricot jam.

Dwane helped again by being the grill-master which was awesome. For some reason I don’t love standing out by the grill cooking. I’d much rather tag-team the effort.

I was in a hurry this night so I didn’t get great photos. Don’t let that deter you. I would make this again!!!

BBQ Pork Tenderloin

Along side of it, I made the Avocado Salad with Tomatoes, Lime, and Toasted Cumin Vinaigrette. This was GOOOOOD.

Avocado Salad

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Asian Spice-Rubbed Pork Chops with Wild Mushroom-Soy Vinaigrette

Posted on July 24, 2013 by Kathy Thompson

This dish was pretty amazing. It wasn’t difficult, just a little prep with the rub and mushroom mixture.

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First mix all the spices for the rub in a good container. Where in the world do you find GROUND STAR ANISE? I must find a good spice shop. I took some anise seed and ground as much as I could with my mini prep.

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Then you chop up the shallots, garlic, and ginger. I love shallots. I think I need more recipes with them included. Stir fry them with a little peanut oil.

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Thinly slice a mixture of mushrooms. It called for a variety (and I got whatever I could find at my nearest store.) Mix up the soy vinaigrette mixture and mix all together. It smelled amazing.

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Rub the pork chops with some of the rub and grill. Dwane helped me on this one. He’s a good griller.

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Top them off with some of the mixture and enjoy! It was very good. Quote from Dwane “I can’t get all the meat off the bone!” We didn’t end up with any leftovers. 😉

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Crushed Blackberry Sundae

Posted on July 9, 2013 by Kelli

With Toasted Pecans and Caramel Sauce

For anyone who has yet to thumb through the dessert section of this book- I suggest it.  Full of mostly simple desserts that seem perfect for summer nights.  Now that I have some legitimate grilling under my belt, I think I should probably treat myself with a Sundae.

I’ve made my own caramel a few times now and I’m getting better at it.  I should know not to take pictures too close to the optimal caramel point though- this was on the edge- almost too done.  IMG_3752

I should also know to use a bigger pot than you think you are going to need when you add the cream.  IMG_3757

It really bubbles up- and the last thing anyone wants is this all over their range- or their floor- ore their bare summer foot….IMG_3755

Disaster averted.  Stir- add butter- everything is better with butter- even caramel.  IMG_3761

Put in a handy jar for later use.  IMG_3762

I should also note that the blackberries are sitting in a bit of sugar- just waiting to be united.

Scoop some delicious ice cream in bowls.  (If it was Thomas Keller you would have made your own- I sort of appreciate the easy way out.)  Pour your caramel on top.  IMG_3773

Follow up with the Blackberries.  IMG_3775

And toasted Pecans.  IMG_3777

Huge hit.

You will notice I did skip the whipped cream- I wasn’t feeling quite so indulgent- still really good.  I’ve actually been eating it for three days.  oops.

Who knew?  Blackberries and Caramel?  Never had that combination before- I’m sure I will again… probably tomorrow.

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BBQ Brisket

Posted on July 7, 2013 by Kelli

Last summer our family got a smoker- and though it is not something that we use every day- or even once a week- there are certain times that there is nothing better than  tending a huge slab of meat for hours.  Call me weird- most people do.

I saw the Barbecued Brisket Sandwich on Texas Toast recipe and knew I had to attempt it.  I’d never made a brisket before- so I was pretty excited.

First, I made the mop- simmered onion, garlic and serrano chiles, cider vinegar, brown sugar…IMG_3745

AND six bottles of dark beer.  (incidentally, this was a great use for my over purchase of guinness for our St Patricks Day party)IMG_3747

This just simmers for about 15 minutes and then cools and is ready to go.  I made this a couple days in advance.

The day you are indulging in this meaty treat, prep your grill.  Expect neighbors to poke their noses over fences and casually mention that they don’t have dinner plans.  IMG_3763 IMG_3764

Here is my Brisket all spiced up right when it went on the grill… IMG_3766

This gets mopped every half hour during cooking time.

Five hours later…IMG_3767

OOOH Yeah.  IMG_3768

In my typical form I was too excited to eat to be bothered taking pictures of the texas toast or the finished sandwich for that matter.

Thoughts:

1.  It was delicious.

2.  It wasn’t as tender as I expected.  I am not sure if I didn’t cook it long enough- but my instant read thermometer was spot on- so I’m not sure what I did.  Apparently I will have to try again.

3.  Texas Toast.  Yes please.

4.  I only used 1/2 the mop.

5.  Can anyone say leftovers?

I’d make this again on another day I feel like busting out the smoker.  It was good.  The left overs were great.  Most of the ingredients were Pantry items which I appreciated.  Thanks Bobby.

From Boy Gets Grill

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Tandoori Chicken Skewer

Posted on July 5, 2013 by Kelli

My first attempt at grilling in a while… need something not too intimidating.  Can a person screw up a skewer?  I’m hoping that I can’t screw it up too bad…

This is out of the Big Party Section- and though I would love to have the opportunity to have a big party and try all of these skewers together- not going to happen.  I’m going to go with the tandoori chicken.  Sounds easy and delicious.

Most important part- the marinade.  I like that this is done early in the day.  Frees up my mind around dinner time when all I want to do is eat.

First- mortgage your house and buy some saffron.

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Steep a bit in water and put the rest in a safety deposit box.

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Most of the marinade is pantry items- assuming you’re well stocked at this point in your cooking career.

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Lime, onion, spices, garlic, ginger-

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This gets mixed with some yogurt and the cut up chicken marinates away.  At least four hours.

It then gets skewered.

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And put on the grill…

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And flipped… so far so good…

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And they are done!  I served these with some of my old stand bys from Raising the Salad Bar.

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Easy and Tasty.  Would make again- and a good intro to the grill- for those of us who tend to cook indoors.

From Boy Gets Grill.

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Boy Gets Grill

Posted on July 3, 2013 by Kelli

Several years ago, a few of my girlfriends and I started a club called “Grill More Girls.”  Our intention was to up our game on the BBQ- face our fears- pick up the tongs and have at it. Plus it had the added benefit of having the opportunity for a really cute personalized apron.

This is when I first picked up Boy Gets Grill by Bobby Flay.

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Grill More Girls lasted through about two beers and a burger but my desire to get more comfortable on the grill continues.  I couldn’t be more pleased that someone nominated this book for our next selection.  I have had it for a long time, and I have consumed quite a few of these recipes.  Now it’s my turn to enter the man-zone and Grill.

Look out Bobby, here we come…

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We Raised the Salad Bar

Posted on July 2, 2013 by Kelli

A big thanks to Ashley to hosting our Raising the Salad Bar get together.

General thoughts on this selection:

– Ingredients were easy to find and versatile for many of her recipes.

– We were all introduced to at least one new ingredient.  I will be adding wheat berries as a pantry staple.

–  Dressings were so easy to prepare- done buying store bought.

–  It is a very easy book to cook from- for whatever flavor profile suits your fancy.

Come to think about it- I’m pretty sure there weren’t any real gripes about this cookbook…. aside from a couple disgruntled husbands who lack imagination in the salad department.

I would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves salads- or doesn’t- may this would change their mind.

On to the good stuff… the food.  For everyone who was not there- here were all the delightful things we ate.

I brought the curried wheat berry salad with pistacios and coconut.  (with almonds and no coconut)

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Joye brought Baby Spinach and Strawberry Salad.IMG_3789

Carol made Chicken Salad with Fruit and Toasted PecansIMG_3791

Ashley made Lemony Asparagus and Artichoke Pasta Salad.

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Bev and Devon both brought thePesto Chicken Salad with Bacon, Tomatoes, and Garlic Croutons- this one is Bev’s.IMG_3790

And Devons…  I actually like the rare times that two people bring the same thing because they are always so different- I like the different interpretations of the same recipe.  IMG_3793

Randie made the Avocados stuffed with Shrimp Salad- IMG_3796

Obviously, these were not stuffed in avocados, but we were all impressed with the presentation and the portability- makes a great appetizer.  Yum.IMG_3799

KT brought Arugula and Avocado Salad with Shaved Parmesan.  IMG_3801

A very satisfying meeting- it’s always fun to get together and I actually walked away feeling like I ate a vegetable or two- which I suppose I did.  Can’t wait to see everyone in September!

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Seared Salmon with Baby Greens and Mango Salsa Vinaigrette

Posted on June 17, 2013 by meeganders

(posted by Ashley H.)

This salad (pg.118) required a little more effort for the mango salsa vinaigrette, but it was definitely worth it. I would make this again in a heartbeat.

For your vinaigrette: combine red wine vinegar, fresh lime juice, and honey. Add your olive oil and whisk until dressing is emulsified. Add red onion, jalapeno pepper, fresh garlic, cumin, diced mango and tomato, salt, and cilantro. Mix together.
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Prepare your salmon, place it on your salad greens, and generously spoon the vinaigrette over the fish. Delish!
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