Category: MISC

Fire Day Friday: Torta de Espinacas

Don’t you hate it when you are doing a main dish from a certain country and then you are stuck trying to come up with complimentary side dishes?
Tonight I was trying out Lomo Al Trapo, a popular Colombian beef dish. When I needed to find side dishes, I knew right where I was going….to Erica’s blog My Colombian Recipes. Erica lives in the states now but is from Medellin, Colombia and posts recipes inspired by her homeland. Tonight Alexis made Erica’s Torta de Espinacas (Spinach Cake) on the Big Green Egg.


Torta de Espinacas (Spinach Cake)
Source: My Colombian Recipes
Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter
11/4 cups milk
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Pinch nutmeg
1 garlic clove
8 oz frozen spinach, thawed
3 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons bread crumbs
2 tablespons parmesan cheese
Directions
In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk often until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Add the milk gradually and continue whisking often until the sauce is smooth and thick, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Place the spinach and garlic in a blender and add the white sauce(bechamel sauce). Blend until smooth.
Place the spinach mixture in a plastic container and add the eggs. Season with salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 350F.
In a small bowl, mix the parmesan and bread crumbs.
Pour the spinach mixture in a baking dish and sprinkle with bread crumbs and parmesan mixture.
Bake for about 35 minutes or until the cake is done.

We only did a few things differently. First, we used about twice as much bread crumb/cheese mixture on top. Second, we did ours on a 375f grill set up for indirect heat for the 35 minutes.

This recipe fits perfectly inside a Weber Small Drip Pan (6″ x 9″, come ten to a pack). Don’t be alarmed if it poofs up a bit like a souffle, it will fall back down.

We found that this recipe converted to the grill very well and will definitely make it again. It would also be good in the oven but I think the fire roasting adds a little something. Besides, you know we like playing with fire!
So Labor Day is coming up. Is that the end of the grilling season for you or are you just getting started?

It’s a Red Velvet Birthday Cake!

Greetings all!

What a great time we had while celebrating my friend and neighbor’s birthday.  Actually, it was the somewhere between 15th and 20th anniversary of the first time she turned 29, so this is really her anniversary of her birthday cake… but I digress.

Here it is in progress, all 4 tiers of it (special day, special cake).

I have a set of oval cake pans.  So a smaller base, but taller cake makes for a special presentation.

Just a couple of hints, the butter cream frosting I used needs to be just slightly chilled, while the cake must be completely cooled before you start frosting it.  Think about it, a warm cake will melt the frosting.  And a harder cold frosting will tear holes in the cake while you frost it.

Also, I used a full bottle of the red food coloring to get the red cake look.  The more, the merrier!

The pink frosting has a bit of peppermint flavoring added.

The clowns are made with a large tip at the end of a pastry bag.

Make the body from a big glob of starred frosting, then add the arms and legs.  the clown heads are from broken toys.

Red Velvet Cake is legendary for it’s chocolate richness, buttercream icing decadence and the beauty of the red cake contrasted with the white icing.  Bobby Flay did one of his Throwdown shows about Red Velvet cake a few years ago.  A simple Google search came up with that recipe on the Food Network Website and I stuck to it…



Ingredients For the Cake  



  • 3 3/4 cups AP Flour
  • 3 tablespoons Dutch processed cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cups vegetable oil
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure Vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon red food coloring
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
  • The Frosting Recipe Follows

For the cake:

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour 2 (9-inch) cake pans and line each pan with a round of parchment paper.
Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl
Cream the butter, sugar and oil in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beat until incorporated. Beat in the vanilla, vinegar and food coloring.
Add the flour mixture to the batter in 3 batches alternating with the buttermilk, mixing well after each addition. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool on a baking rack for 15 minutes before removing the cake from the pans. Let cool completely before frosting. Slice each cake into 2 layers and frost.

Frosting:

  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
  • 7 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups superfine sugar
Combine the cream, milk, vanilla bean and seeds in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Remove the vanilla bean and discard. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened to a paste, about 2 minutes. Scrape into a bowl, cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 2 hours.
Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat until the mixture is very fluffy and the sugar is totally dissolved, about 6 minutes. Add the cold paste, a few tablespoons at a time to the butter mixture and whip until light and fluffy.


Just as good as it looks!

Dave here from MY YEAR ON THE GRILL. It really is just this easy!  

 … I CAN COOK THAT! 

And so can you!

SWEDISH MEATBALLS REVISITED – made healthier, quicker for weeknights and yummier too! ALSO made into a SWEDISH MEATLOAF.

Traditionally this recipe is served with lingonberries – YUMMMMMMY!!
MEATBALLS*
1 Jumbo egg
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 large slice white bread, crusts removed, and bread torn into 1-inch pieces
8 ounces ground pork, double ground
8 ounces ground beef, double ground
1 medium onion, grated or minced
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
Olive Oil, heavy coat

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Whisk egg and cream together in small bowl. Stir in bread and set aside to soak.
  • Blend hamburger & pork, onion, nutmeg, allspice, pepper, brown sugar, and salt smooth and uniform.
  • Using fork, mash bread mixture until no large dry bread chunks remain.
  • Add mixture to beef mixture and blend until well mixed.
  • Form 1-inch round meatballs. You’ll have about 25-30. 
  • Bake 20-25 minutes until cooked through.
  • At this point you can either complete the recipe or freeze the meatballs for a later weeknight.

SAUCE
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon
Table salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • Melt butter over medium high heat.
  • Once melted, add flour and cook, stirring constantly with whisk, until flour is light brown.
  • Slowly whisk in broth.
  • Add brown sugar and bring to simmer.
  • Reduce heat to medium and cook until sauce is reduced to about 1 cup, about 5 minutes.
  • Stir in cream and return to simmer.
  • Add meatballs back to sauce and simmer, turning occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes.  If making the meatloaf, at this point pour sauce over the meatloaf and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
  • Stir in lemon juice; season with salt and pepper to taste and serve over noodles.
    *I doubled this recipe and also made a “Swedish Loaf” for the freezer that I can then just add the sauce over and bake one evening.

    aprons 3

    An email story from my mom to make you chuckle…

    GOD: Frank, you know all about gardens and  nature. What in the world is going on down there  on the planet? What happened to the dandelions,  violets,  milkweeds  and stuff I  started eons ago? I had a perfect no-maintenance  garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of  soil, withstand drought and multiply with  abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting  blossoms attracts butterflies, honey bees and  flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast  garden of colors by now. But, all I see are  these green rectangles.
    ST. FRANCIS: It’s the tribes that settled there, Lord. The  Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers  ‘weeds’ and went to great lengths to kill them  and replace them with grass.
    GOD:  Grass? But, it’s so boring. It’s not  colorful. It doesn’t attract butterflies, birds  and bees; only grubs and sod worms. It’s  sensitive to temperatures. Do these Suburbanites  really want all that grass growing  there?
    ST. FRANCIS:  Apparently so, Lord. They go to great  pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin  each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning  any other plant that crops up in the  lawn.
    GOD:  The  spring rains and warm weather probably make  grass grow really fast. That must make the  Suburbanites happy.
    ST. FRANCIS:  Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows  a little, they cut it-sometimes twice a  week.
    GOD:  They  cut it? Do they then bale it like  hay?
    ST. FRANCIS:  Not  exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put  it in bags.
    GOD:  They  bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell  it?
    ST. FRANCIS:  No,  Sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it  away. 

    GOD:  Now,  let me get this straight. They fertilize grass  so it will grow. And, when it does grow, they  cut it off and pay to throw it  away?
    ST. FRANCIS:  Yes,  Sir.
    GOD:  These Suburbanites must be relieved in the  summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up  the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves  them a lot of work.
    ST. FRANCIS:  You  aren’t going to believe this, Lord. When the  grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses  and pay more money to water it, so they can  continue to mow it and pay to get rid of  it.
    GOD:  What  nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees.  That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say  so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring  to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In  the autumn, they fall to the ground and form a  natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and  protect the trees and bushes. It’s a natural  cycle of life. 

    ST. FRANCIS:  You  better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have  drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall,  they rake them into great piles and pay to have  them hauled away.
    GOD:  No!?  What do they do to protect the shrub and tree  roots in the winter to keep the soil moist and  loose?
    ST. FRANCIS:  After throwing away the leaves, they go  out and buy something which they call mulch.  They haul it home and spread it around in place  of the leaves.
    GOD:  And  where do they get this mulch?
    ST. FRANCIS:  They  cut down trees and grind them up to make the  mulch.
    GOD:  Enough! I don’t want to think about this  anymore. St. Catherine, you’re in charge of the  arts. What movie have you scheduled for us  tonight?
    ST. CATHERINE:  ‘Dumb and Dumber’, Lord.  It’s a story about….
    GOD:  Never mind, I think I just heard the whole  story from St.  Francis.

    aprons 3

    Summer Squash, Zucchini & Pea Risotto

    I love risotto but I’ve never made it.  I’ve seen a ton of recipes for it and have been tempted.  But never made it.

    Until now.

    Peas are not a vegetable that you’ll see a lot of from me. My husband hates peas.  Like, “file-for-divorce-if-you-make-peas” kind of hate. So needless to say, we don’t eat a lot of peas. I happen to LOVE peas but clearly don’t get enough of them.

    So I saved this recipe for when he was at work! I hid the leftovers in the back of the frig and ate them for lunch the next day before he ever knew they were made.

    Whew!  Marriage saved!

    Luckily it was also a fairly cool day as it does take plenty of time of stirring in front of the stove.  (Ha! That’s what 13 year old daughters are for!)

    It turned out perfect and was delicious! 

    We ate this with a Honey Mustard Chicken with Pretzel Crust which paired nicely with the risotto. I will for sure make this again. – When the husband is gone again, of course!

    This is linked with Works For Me Wednesdays over at We Are THAT Family.
    Also linked with Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum.

    Summer Squash, Zucchini and Pea Risotto
    Adapted from 990 Square

    1 tbsp. olive oil
    1 medium onion
    1 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise and then in 1/4 thick slices
    1 medium yellow squash , cut lengthwise and then 1/2 in. thick
    1 quart of chicken stock
    2 tbsp. butter
    1 cup arborio rice
    1 cup peas
    juice of 1 lemon
    Salt and pepper to taste

    In a saucepan. heat the olive oil on high. Add the squashes, saute for 2 – 3 minutes. Set aside.

    Melt the butter in a heavy large saucepan over moderate heat and add the onions, sauteing them for about 3 – 4 minutes, then add the rice, stirring until it is well coated. Add 1/2 cup stock and cook, stirring constantly until the stock is absorbed.

    Continue adding stock, about 1 cup at a time, stirring frequently. By the time most, or all of the stock is added, the rice should be tender but still firm, the mixture creamy. Add the reserved zucchini, squash and peas and cook until they are heated through. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Add salt and pepper as desired.

    Total calories = 1395 calories
    6 big servings = 232 calories per serving

    Honey Mustard Chicken with Pretzel Crust + Summer Squash, Zucchini & Pea Risotto = 532 calorie dinner

    Check out my Honey Mustard Chicken with Pretzel Crust on Debbi Does Dinner Healthy! 

    ITALIAN GARLIC SUPREME PIZZA

    We have a favorite pizza – ITALIAN GARLIC SUPREME from Round Table Pizza.  This pizza is full of pepperoni, Italian sausage, Roma tomatoes, white mushrooms, green onions and lots of chopped garlic and is baked with a blend of 3 cheeses in a creamy garlic sauce.  Unfortunately they are not a national chain.  We have spent horribly disappointing meals  out trying to find a local replacement for this pizza.  I have since decided the best replacement is the one I make myself.  And when hubby got home the other night he whole heartily agreed!
    ITALIAN GARLIC SUPREME PIZZA
    CRUST
    1 cup of warm water (105F)
    3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
    2 tablespoons of olive oil
    2 teaspoons of honey
    1 teaspoon sugar
    1 teaspoon of salt
    1 teaspoon of yeast
    • Put warm water into a bowl. Add salt, sugar and honey and mix well. Add the yeast, mix and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
    • Gradually add the flour and olive oil until well blended.
    • When the mixture gets too heavy to mix, start kneading the dough with your hands.
    • Knead the dough until you have a smooth ball. If the dough cracks it is too dry. Add water bit by bit until if forms a nice smooth ball. If you need to add water or flour, do it by small amounts.
    • Coat the dough with olive oil, place it in a large bowl and cover it with kitchen wrap and a flour sack towel. Let the dough rise for about an hour at room temperature, then push it down again so it deflates. Let it sit for about another hour. Either bake it or refrigerate for later use.
    • Put the dough on a lightly floured surface, put a bit of flour on top and make it into the shape of a pie by stretching it out from the center outwards. Use a rolling pin until the dough is about 1/4″ thick. Punch some holes in the dough with a fork to let the air escape while the pizza is in the oven.
    • Lightly oil a cookie sheet with olive oil and sprinkle with cornmeal.
    • Pre-Bake dough at 400 degrees for 5 minutes.
    TOPPINGS 
    1 package John Morrell pepperoni
    3 Italian sausages, cooked and crumbled 
    1 can Contadina tomato paste with basil and oregano
    1/2 pound mushrooms, thinly sliced
    1 large bunch green onions, thinly sliced including the majority of the tops
    6 cloves garlic, finely minced
    1 Roma tomato, diced small
    2/3 cup grated mozzarella cheese
    2/3 cup grated provolone cheese
    2/3 cup grated Romano cheese
    Extra light olive oil
    • Whisk together the tomato paste, garlic and 1 teaspoon olive oil to make the sauce.
    • Brush pre-baked dough with a small amount of olive oil and then an even layer of the sauce.
    • Evenly sprinkle the crumbled sausage over the sauce followed by half of the pepperoni.
    • Top with the mushrooms, green onions and tomatoes.
    • Evenly sprinkle the cheese over it all
    • Top with the remaining pepperoni.
    • Bake the pizza at 400-450° F for about 20-25 minutes until the crust is golden.

    aprons 3

    Broccoli OR Carrots?

    A friend asked me recently why I don’t list my entire meal on my menu plan.  I told her it was because I never know what I will be serving with it until I go to the store.  She was surprised and shocked I went to the store more than once a week.  Since I only cook from scratch, including the sides and vegetables, I shop 2-3 times a week so I am using the freshest of produce.  I don’t want to list broccoli as my vegetable and then not like the way it looks at the market and switch to carrots.
    So my question is, how often do you grocery shop?

    aprons 3

    Chocolate Marshmallow Cake

    Today’s recipe is my first post as a new host of Save Room for Dessert from OuR kRAzy kitChEn. I am beyond excited! Baking is a passion of mine, so when I emailed Tamy about the possibility of being a part of OuR kRAzy kitChEn, and she responded with an offer to be a host, I jumped at the chance.  Just a little bit about me – I’ve been blogging over at my site, Louanne’s Kitchen, since February, and it’s been more fun and rewarding than I ever could have imagined. I’m married to Brett and I’m a mom to Andrew, and by day, I’m a librarian; we live in south Louisiana, just across Lake Pontchartrain, north of New Orleans. My cooking style is varied – I love to try new ethnic dishes – my current favorite is curry – but I also make many dishes passed down from my Sicilian & French grandparents. I’m looking forward to meeting you all and can’t wait to try out the delicious recipes I’ve found here!

    Now, on to the reason we’re all here…

    Chocolate Marshmallow Cake
    9 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
    1 teaspoon vanilla
    1/2 cup sugar
    1 large egg
    2 tablespoons agave syrup
    2 1/2 cups self-rising flour
    1 1/4 cups milk
    2 tablespoons cocoa
    1/4 cup cold brewed coffee
    2 cups mini marshmallows

    Chocolate Glaze
    4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
    2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    • Lightly grease a 9″ springform pan and set aside.
    • Cream butter, vanilla, sugar, egg, and agave syrup until light and fluffy.
    • Stir in half of the flour and half of the milk, then stir in remaining flour and milk.
    • Place half of the batter in a separate bowl, and stir in the cocoa and 1/4 cup cold, brewed coffee.
    • Dollop alternate spoonfuls of each batter into prepared pan.
    • Using a butter knife, swirl through the batter to make a marbled effect.
    • Bake for 45 minutes, remove from oven, and spread on marshmallows.
    • Return cake to oven, and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
    • Remove from oven, cool for 10 minutes, and drizzle on chocolate glaze.
    • Allow to cool for an additional 15 minutes before removing side of pan.
    • While cake is cooling, make glaze by melting chopped bittersweet chocolate and butter together in a small saucepan over low heat.
    • Drizzle with chocolate glaze and allow to set before serving.
    • Enjoy!

    PEACH BBQ RIBS

    3 pounds cut spareribs
    1 can Peach Comstock*
    1 cup Sweet Baby Ray’s hickory smoke BBQ sauce**
    Juice of 1 lemon
    salt and pepper 
    1 tablespoon Frank’s hot sauce

    • Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper; rub well. 
    • Place in baking dish and top tightly with foil, shiny side in.
    • Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour, reduce heat to 375 degrees for an additional 30 minutes. 
    • Pour off any excess liquid. 
    • In the meantime pour peach Comstock into a food processor and puree.
    • Add BBQ sauce, hot sauce and lemon juice. Pulse until well blended.
    • Remove from oven, brush meat with sauce, turn, brush sauce on other side. 
    • Bake at 375 degrees with foil loose and open 30 minutes.

    *Cherry works great too!

    **or any other favorite brown sugar based sauce – I’m allergic to mustard so Sweet Baby Ray’s is about the only prepared sauce on the market I can use.  I really prepare to make sauce fresh.

    Crab Salad Nigiri Sushi

    I first saw this crab salad nigiri sushi that my blogger friend Pikko had made on her blog Adventures in bento making . I thought I’d give it a try for a gathering at my husband’s work one evening. Pikko’s are much prettier, I’ll have to keep practicing. Her creation was a hit though. I put them in a deviled egg carrier to bring them in. Since we were all hanging outside behind the shop it didn’t have to be fancy.
    First off my rice cooker died on me. How frustrating. It would turn on and keep warm, but the cook button wouldn’t work. I went to check it and there it sat, all that water still hanging out on top. I transferred it to a pan and cooked it on my stove top, forgot to time it, but it turned out fine! Once in the bowl I added the already prepared sushi vinegar while it’s still warm. I don’t add much sugar at all to my sushi rice (personal preference).

    Using the stick version of the imitation crab. Chop up the crab and add mayo, I added a little wasabi powder to it, but not enough for it to be too much for those who don’t like it. I am a wasabi fan!
    It took a little while to get used to handling the sticky sushi rice, having a bowl of water on hand to help. I hand made the rice balls (I am using a rice ball maker next time, sounds like a good investment). A little adjusting on what size to make them. With scissors cut the nori sheets into strips, being careful to cut them straight because it will show if you cut it crooked.
    Wrap the strips around the rice, sealing it with water. With a tiny baby spoon I filled the cups with the crab salad. Those little spoons come in handy, good thing I saved them!
    I topped some with srircha, some with wasabi and left some without, because I know Maranda would like it plain. I have to tell you this it was funny. A couple showed up later, they came riding in on their motorcycles all noisy, just to make an entrance. (The owner’s brother and his girlfriend). She is acting all tough in her leathers. Someone is telling them what we have to eat. Now for a few of them this was the first time they’ve tried sushi. He pointed out the sushi, she says “No I only like real sushi”. Okay, alright then, now I was good, and I only said “this is real sushi”. Then I let her do her thing. After eating some 7 layer taco dip, she did try a piece and loved it. No wasabi for her, she doesn’t “do ” wasabi. Then she ate another one, then said “I wish we were here earlier and didn’t miss most of the sushi” She ended up eating the last one too. I just smiled to myself. Maranda and Wade did bring it up later, and we laughed about it.
    Thanks Pikko it was a hit.

    You can check out more of my food trials and ethnic ventures at The Tiny Skillet . Or check out The Tiny Bento for my bento lunches that are so popular in Japan!
    Have a great weekend!!

    Fire Day Friday – Chorizo Joes

    Football season has started up. That means a lot of tailgating parties with typical hot dogs and hamburgers. But you can shake things up, because you know that the grill is capable of much more than burgers and dogs.
    Once the leaves start to turn, the winds begin to actually feel chilly, and weekends are about game day entertainment, try sloppy joes on the grill for something different. And these are much better than opening a can of that….that….Stuffwich stuff.

    Sloppy Chorizo Joes
    Ingredients
    1 lb ground beef
    1 lb Mexican Chorizo sausage
    2 Anaheim peppers
    1 sweet red bell pepper
    1 small onion, diced
    4 cloves garlic, minced
    6 oz can tomato paste
    2 cups water
    1/2 Tbsp cayenne pepper, ground (I used my home made chili pepper blend)
    1/2 Tbsp cumin
    1 Tbsp turbinado sugar
    salt and pepper to taste
    8 hamburger buns
    Instructions
    Char the peppers over a hot grill, burner, or broiler a few minutes a side. Remove when charred and blistered, resting in a zip lock bag for 5 minutes.
    Peel the charred skin, slice open and de-seed the peppers (see video). Dice.
    Preheat a dutch oven over medium heat on the grill. Brown the ground beef and chorizo, then remove and drain.
    Add the onions to the dutch oven with 1 Tbsp of the reserved meat drippings and saute for 5-7 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook 1-2 minutes longer.
    Return the meat mixture to the dutch oven. Add the roasted chili peppers. Mix the water, tomato paste, pepper, cumin, and sugar together and then add to the dutch oven. Once this comes to a simmer, cover and kill the grill heat (shut the vents or gas).
    After 5 minutes, stir, season with salt and pepper to taste and remove to rest (covered) for another 5 minutes.
    Serve with plain white hamburger buns.