Pub Burger with Mushrooms and Kalamata Olives with New England Baked Beans

I saw Sara Moulton on Rachel Ray today, and she was making her DET Burger that she use to make when she worked in an Ann Arbor, Michigan pub. One of the best burgers I have ever have had.The baked beans went so perfect with the hamburger - nothing like New England Baked Beans.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onion, sliced (about 2 cup)

1lb mushrooms sliced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

One 7-ounce can sliced, green chiles or  (if you like a little heat use jalapeno pepper, drained)

1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced

1 1/2 pounds ground beef sirloin or round

6 ounces pepper jack cheese, cut into 4 slices

1/3 cup beer (your favorite)

4 hamburger buns, split and toasted

Directions:

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over high heat until hot. Reduce the heat to medium; add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium high; add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms have browned and the liquid they release has evaporated, 4 to 5 minutes. Season the mushroom mixture with salt and pepper to taste and transfer it to a bowl; add the jalapeno peppers and olives and set aside. Wipe out the skillet.

Gently shape the beef into four 4-inch burgers; season with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the skillet over high heat until hot. Reduce the heat to medium-high, add the burgers, and cook 3 minutes. Turn the burgers and cook 2 minutes. Top each with a quarter of the jalapeno pepper mixture and a slice of cheese. Add the beer to the skillet; cover and steam until the cheese has melted, about 3 minutes.

Crockpot New England Baked Beans

These baked beans with molasses and other ingredients give you the true taste of New England Baked Beans.

Note: Start these beans the night before.

Ingredients:

1 pound dry navy or dry great northern beans

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 pound salt pork, diced (I used bacon)

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup molasses

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Preparation:

The night before: Rinse beans and pick over. In a saucepan bring beans and 8 cups water to boil: reduce heat.

Simmer, cover 1 ½ hours. Pour beans and liquid into a bowl; cover. Refrigerator overnight. Drain beans, reserving 1 cup liquid; place in Crock Pot. Add 1 cup reserved liquid.
Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 12 to 14 hours or until beans are tender. Stir before serving.

Thai Chicken



I did not think I was a Thai cuisine fan until our good friends Mike and Cindy took us out to a Thai restaurant. It has made a huge Thai cuisine fan out of me! I prepared a Thai Chicken recipe this past week. It was delicious! Be sure and make it with the dipping sauce that tops the dish.  If you do not have a pestle and mortar you can use a food processer instead.

 

Ingredients:

10 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

1 tablespoon coriander

1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed and cut into small segments

2 red or green Thai chiles

1/2 fresh chicken, quartered

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons yellow curry powder

1/2 can coconut milk

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Dipping Sauce, recipe follows

Directions:

Heat a grill to medium.Using a mortar and pestle crush garlic cloves, peppercorns, coriander, lemongrass, and Thai chiles into a chucky paste. Using a large spoon, transfer the paste to a large mixing bowl. Add the chicken and the remaining ingredients and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. Put the chicken on the grill, skin side down, and brush with the marinade. Grill for about 15 minutes then flip the chicken over and brush with the marinade. Grill the second side for about 15 minutes. Discard the marinade. When the chicken is cooked and tender transfer it to a serving platter and serve with warm dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce:

1/2 cup  rice vinegar

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 large garlic cloves or 4 small, minced

2 teaspoons Thai red chile sauce or Sriracha

1 tablespoon fish sauce

Put all ingredients in a saucepan and put on the grill. Stir and bring to a boil. Move the pan to a cooler part of the grill and let the sauce simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce will reduce and become thick. Serve warm with chicken.

Red Chile Roasted Potatoes

Wow!! I never would have thought to add ground chile spice to roasted potatoes and the result was fabulous. I let them cook a little longer because we like them soft and crispy. They were a big hit and I will definitely be making them again! While in Santa Fe New Mexico I was fortunate to be able to go to the Chile Shop and buy my chiles and spices which are also available online by clicking  the link below for their web site.

http://thechileshop.com/driedchilepowderandpods.aspx

 

Adapted from Santa Fe School of Cooking Cookbook

Serves 6

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup finely chopped onions

24 oz Idaho potatoes cut in 1/2-cubes (24oz = 1 1/2lbs)

2 tablespoons pure ground chile

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Prepare the oven 350 degrees. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium- high heat. Add the onion and cook 4 minutes, or until softened. Place potatoes in a large bowl and toss with the cooked onion, Add the chile and salt, stirring to combine thoroughly. Scrape the mixture into an 8 inch-square baking pan and bake for 40 minutes, until the potatoes are golden and cooked through. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro through. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and serve.

Low Calorie Easy Pasta Salad

Very simple and light, and tasty salad. You can add more or less salad dressing depending on your taste and you could experiment with other salad dressing flavors as well. Just simple and delicious!

Ingredients:

1 box tri-color pasta

1/2 to 3/4 bottle fat free Italian dressing

1 green pepper, chopped

1 yellow, red or orange pepper, chopped

3 to 4 tomatoes seeded and diced

2 to 3 cucumber, peeled and cut into bite size chunks

1 cup sliced pitted black olives

2 carrots, diced or shredded

Shredded parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

Prepare pasta according to directions on package. When done, drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process, drain again. Put in serving bowl, and add vegetables. Pour dressing over top of the pasta and vegetables. Toss well and chill for at least 4 hours.

Bread Machine Dinner Rolls

 

 

This is one fail-safe recipe for bread machines and it's so versatile. You can make them into rolls, breadsticks, hamburger, hotdog buns and even garlic knots. I will be using this recipe anytime I need fresh bread or rolls and  cannot wait to have them with all our holiday family dinners!

Adapted from Betty Crocker

Ingredients:

1 cup water

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

1 egg

3 1/4 cups Gold Medal Better for Bread flour

1/4 sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons bread machine or active dry yeast

Butter or margarine, melted, if desired

Directions:

Measure carefully, placing all ingredients except melted butter in bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacture. Select Dough/Manual cycle. Do not use delay cycle. Remove dough from pan, using lightly floured hands. Cover and let rest 10 minutes on light floured surface. Grease large cookie sheet with shortening. Divide dough into 15 equal pieces. Shape each pieces into a ball. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Cover and let rise in warm place 30 to 40 minutes or until double. (Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.) Heat oven to 375 F Bake12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Brush tops with melted butter. Serve warm, or cool on wire rack.

Tip:

If you like rolls that are golden brown on top but have soft sides, place the rolls close together on the cookie sheet so they will rise and bake together.

Do-Ahead Tip:

After you have shaped the dough into rolls and place them on the cookie sheet, cover with plastic wrap. You can refrigerate them 4 hours up to 48 hours. Before baking, remove rolls from the refrigerator and remove plastic wrap. Cover with kitchen towel and let rise in warm place about 2 hours or until double. Bake the rolls as directed above.

Baked Beef Stew

 

I found this recipe on line while searching for a Beef Stew recipe, different than the same old, same old recipe. I came across this recipe and thought I would give it a try. I did and, while it was good, I would definitely double the broth and serve with a hot delicious homemade dinner roll.

Ingredients
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup water
3 tablespoons instant tapioca
1 tablespoon beef bouillon granules
2 teaspoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 strips celery, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
3 potato, peeled and cubed
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 slice bread, cubed

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the stew meat; drain and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, water, tapioca, beef bouillon granules, sugar, salt and pepper. Stir in the beef, carrots, celery, potatoes, onion, and bread cubes. Pour into the prepared baking dish.
Cover and bake for 2 hours, or until meat and vegetables are tender

Tex-Mex Patty Melts

 

I am always looking for a new burger recipe and, having this new craving for Mexican flavor in my cooking, found this recipe for Tex-Mex Patty Melts. I knew I had to try them, am please to say they were a hit! In our house we have a saying – it’s either a recipe blog keeper or not. These were a double-keeper. The flavor from the chili seasoning and the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce really stand out. The beer does adds a nice flavor and tenderness that makes you say: “Wow" That is so delicious!! What’s in this?” I did not use the bread but choose to use hamburger rolls.

 

Adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

3 tablespoons chili seasoning mix

2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced

1/2 fluid ounce beer
 

1/4 cup mayonnaise1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced

6 (1 ounce) slices white bread

6 (1/2 ounce) slices pepperjack cheese

Directions:

Mix together the ground beef, chili seasoning mix, 2 minced chipotle peppers with adobo sauce, and the beer in a bowl. Divide the mixture evenly into three patties.
Stir together the mayonnaise and 1 minced chipotle pepper with adobo sauce in a small bowl. Divide the mixture between the bread slices and spread evenly. Place a slice of pepperjack cheese on top of the mayonnaise mixture on each slice of bread.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the patties in the skillet until no longer pink in the center, 5 to 7 minutes each side for well done. Remove each burger to a slice of bread, sandwiching them with the remaining slices.
Drain the skillet, reserving 2 tablespoons of the grease. Heat the reserved grease in the skillet over medium-high heat. Grill the sandwiches in the skillet until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

Black Bea Soup

 

I had the good fortune to be able to travel for three months this summer and try some amazing cuisine. One of our stops was in New Mexico. I truly enjoyed the varied flavors, colorful decoration and variety of spices and ingredients in the Mexican cuisine. I purchased a cookbook that is called The SANTA FE… School of Cooking COOKBOOK while in Santa Fe and stocked up on a variety of chiles.

Armed with my new cookbook and a variety of chile’s I have been busy in the kitchen trying new recipes. The recipe below is one of the recipes in the cookbook.  We truly enjoyed it and will definitely be making it again. The list of ingredients is lengthy but the incredible flavor of this soup made it worth the time it took to gather them all out of the spice rack...

Black Bean Soup

Adapted from Santa Fe School of Cooking

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

4 sprigs fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried (I used dried)

6 springs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried (I used dried)

6 sprigs fresh oregano or 2 teaspoons dried (I used dried)

1/4 ounce fresh epazote or 1 tablespoon dried

 

1/4 cup canola or olive oil

 

3 to 4 dried chiles de arbol, chiles chipotles, or chiles moritas, or 2 teaspoons crushed red peppers

2 cups chopped white onion

2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 pound smoked pork shank (I used cubed pork tenderloin)

2 teaspoons freshly ground toasted cumin seed

2 teaspoons freshly ground toasted coriander seed

1 teaspoon ground canela or 1/2  teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves or allspice

1 pound dried black turtle beans, picked over and soaked overnight in water to cover

8 to 10 cups chicken broth

2 to 3 teaspoons cider red wine, or sherry vinegar

1 to 2 teaspoons coarse salt or to taste

1/4 cup finely diced red onion for garnish

1/2 cup sour cream for garnish

Directions:

Tie the fresh herbs and epazote into a bundle with kitchen string. Heat oil in 6-quart pot over medium-high heat and sauté the chiles for 30 seconds or until toasted but not burned. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, or until softened. And the pork and the herb bundle, or dried herbs if using. Stir in the spices, beans, and 8 cups of the broth and combine well. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, stir-ring occasionally, for 2 to 3 hours or until the beans are soft. Add the vinegar and salt and simmer the soup an additional 30 minutes. Remove the pork shanks, herb bundle, and chiles, if desired. Serve the soup in bowls and garnish with chopped red onion and a dollop of sour cream.

Pistachio Biscotti

This recipe is absolutely amazing, it comes from a very close friend of mine - Andrea Leland.She would make this at the Christmas holiday to give as gifts. I was lucky enough to be on the receiving end and have been hooked on them ever since. I think you will be also.

Recipe adapted from www.piebirds.org

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups pistachios
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Lay the pistachios on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake for 8 minutes or until the nuts are lightly toasted. Remove from the oven.
In an electric mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. With the mixer running, gradually add the eggs, sugar, and vanilla; mix until creamed. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix the dough until smooth. Using a wooden spoon, mix in the pistachios until evenly distributed.
Put the dough on a lightly floured surface and cut in half. Roll each half into a log, each 12 inches long by 1-inch high. Place the logs on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly brown. Let the logs cool for 5 minutes and then place on a cutting board. Slice each log on a diagonal into 1/2-inch thick pieces. Put the cookies back on the cookie sheet and bake 6 minutes. Turn the cookies over and bake the other side for another 5-7 minutes.

Chocolate Pistachio and Cranberry Biscotti

I think Heather said it best when she wrote, not only is this crispy biscotti intense in chocolaty flavor, but it is also studded with delicious and festive green pistachios and red dried cranberries. You get sweet, tart, nutty and rich flavors all in one cookie. Thank you Heather for sharing this recipe!!! This will be added to my list of favorite biscotti recipes.

Recipe adapted from www.heatherchristo.com

Makes 18 large cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup minced dark chocolate (I used 72% cocoa), finely chopped
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1/3 cup dark cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup raw pistachios
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Prepare a sheet pan with a sheet of parchment or a silpat. In a small bowl, combine the finely chopped chocolate and the brown sugar.
In the bowl of a standing mixer, whip the eggs and vanilla until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar/chocolate mixture and mix on high another 2 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer and combine until you have a wet cookie dough. Add the pistachios and the cranberries and gently mix them in. Using a well floured surface (and hands) form a log out of the dough, at the center it should be about 1” thick, and about 4” across. Put the cookie dough on the sheet pan with a silpat or with parchment paper, and bake the biscotti log for 40 minutes.  Let the log cool slightly, and then transfer the log to a cutting board. With a serrated knife, slice the biscotti into ½” thick wide pieces. Lay them on their sides on the same baking sheet. Bake them for 15 minutes, and then flip the cookies and bake an additional 15 minutes on the other side. Let cool and enjoy!

Stuffed Mushrooms

Absolutely delicious!!They are easy to make, everyone will go crazy for these amazing mushrooms! Joe says they taste like the ones his mother use to make..

Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Italian-style dried bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

28 large (2 1/2-inch-diameter) white mushrooms, stemmed

Directions:

Preheat  oven to 400 degrees F. Stir the bread crumbs, Pecorino Romano, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper, to taste, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium bowl to blend. Drizzle a heavy large baking sheet with about 1 tablespoon olive oil, to coat. Spoon the filling into the mushroom cavities and arrange on the baking sheet, cavity side up. Drizzle remaining oil over the filling in each mushroom. Bake until the mushrooms are tender and the filling is heated through and golden on top, about 25 minutes. Serve

Maple Pumpkin Pie

I decided to try putting a twist on my pumpkin pie this year. I added real Vermont maple syrup. It turned out wonderful! The Maple Syrup is not overpowering, it just adds that little something extra that is so perfect. This is now officially the new family recipe for pumpkin pie.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup real maple syrup

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

2 large eggs

1 cup evaporated milk

1 (15oz) canned pumpkin

1 deep dish 9 in pie crust

Directions:

To prepare filling, mix 1/2 cup sugar and next 5 ingredients. Slowly add sugar mixture through eggs at medium speed until well blended. Add milk and pumpkin; beat well. Pour into prepared crust. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees; bake an additional 50 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack.

Apple Pie by Grandma Ople

I made this pie for Thanksgiving dinner and it was phenomenal!!!!! Slightly different than traditional apple pie, more like apple crisp with crust on top. The caramel flavor of the apples really makes this pie something special. Definitely a keeper…..

Recipe adapted from Allrecipe.com Apple Pie by Grandma Ople

Ingredients:

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie

1/2 cup unsalted butter

3 tablespoons all- purpose flour

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

8-10 Granny Smith apples – peeled, cored and sliced

1 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp fresh ground nutmeg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer. Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly.  Add 1 tsp vanilla to suagr and butter mixture. Slowly pour half of the sugar and butter mixture over the apples. Cover with a lattice work crust. Slowly pour remaining sugar and butter mixture over crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the tempeture to 350 degrees F (175 Degrees C).  Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.

Cranberry Sauce

This is fantastic! This will be a staple for all holidays dinners at my house from now on!  It is a definite keeper!

Recipe Adapted from allrecipe.com

Ingredients:

12 ounces cranberries

1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1-2 tbl Jack Daniel’s Whiskey (optional)

Directions:

In medium sized saucepan over medium heat, dissolves the sugars in the orange jucie.Stir in the cranberries and cook until the cranberries start to pop (about 10 minutes). If some of the berries do not burst, gently mash them w/ a potato masher or pulse on low speed w/ a hand blender. Remove from heat stir in Jack Daniels and place sauce in bowl. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.

Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast

This was extremely easy and delicious!! Wonderful flavor without adding a lot of fat.

The flavor of the fresh herbs just permeated the turkey...and it was the moistest turkey ever. I'll be doing this again next Thanksgiving.

Recipe Adapted from 2008, Ina Garden


Ingredients:

1 whole bone-in turkey breast, 6 1/2 to 7 pounds

1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)

2 teaspoons dry mustard

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons good olive oil

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup chicken broth or white wine


Directions:


Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place the turkey breast, skin side up, on a rack in a roasting pan.
In a small bowl, combine the garlic, mustard, herbs, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice to make a paste. Loosen the skin from the meat gently with your fingers and smear half of the paste directly on the meat. Spread the remaining paste evenly on the skin. Pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the roasting pan.
Roast the turkey for 1 3/4 to 2 hours, until the skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest and meatiest areas of the breast. (I test in several places.) If the skin is over-browning, cover the breast loosely with aluminum foil. When the turkey is done, cover with foil and allow it to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Slice and serve with gravy over the turkey.


Gravy

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour or corn starch

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Directions:

Pour any pan drippings into a degreasing cup or small bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the fat discarding the rest and add the separated juices to the stock. Add the reserved fat to the roasting pan and place on a burner over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, make a paste with the butter and flour in a small bowl, set aside. Add the broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil and whisk in the flour mixture. Boil until sauce thickens to make gravy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning, to taste. Remove from heat. Serve.

Lady and Sons' Chicken in Wine Sauce

I made this for Joe and he is not a cream of anything kind of man but, he just loved this dish. Added sliced mushrooms on top of the cheese it was a tasty, very easy change of pace for a weeknight dinner when you are in a hurry or don’t’ feel like cooking.

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Ingredients:

4 large skinless boneless chicken breasts (pounded thin)

4 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more for casserole

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 ounces (about 8 slices) Swiss cheese

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup

1/4 cup white wine

1 cup herb-flavored stuffing mix, crushed

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Add the chicken to a shallow buttered casserole and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Layer the cheese slices on top of chicken. In a medium bowl, add the soup and the wine, season with salt and pepper and pour over the cheese. Sprinkle stuffing mix on top and drizzle with melted butter.* Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.