A Trio of Showstoppers for a Triple Celebration

Shrimp Deviled Eggs, Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Blue Cheese, and Planked Salmon

Best Showstopper of All:  Watching Grill Master Adam Cook!

                                                         

     As I'm writing this on Friday of  Memorial Day Weekend, I can hardly believe that it's already been two weeks since we celebrated three events on the same day. Allison graduated from college with flying colors; Jenn, who flew in for the graduation, had a birthday along with her cousin Maddie; and it was Mother's Day. Because Jenn's birthday usually falls on or is close to Mother's Day and we have aunts and a grandma that live close by, I am usually the hostess of the get-together.  This year I felt like a guest at my own party because Caroline's boyfriend Adam showed me how to make  planked salmon ever and his version of roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon and blue cheese. Uncle Russell brought over a huge salad and assisted Adam with the salmon. I rounded it out with deluxe deviled eggs with shrimp Dijon filling. It was a fabulous meal but the most wonderful part about the day was catching up with the Yates family and seeing the cousins enjoying each other's company. A house filled with love and laughter is really what it's all about  <3

Deviled Eggs with Shrimp and Dijon

Ingredients:

12 hard boiled eggs

1 cup frozen cooked salad shrimp

1/2 cup mayonnaise

                                       2 tablespoons Frank's Hot Sauce                                   

2 tablespoons sliced green onion

1 generous tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Optional: salad greens and baby dill for garnish

Directions

     Peel the shell away from the hard boiled eggs and slice each one in half. Remove the yolk from each half, place it in a mixing bowl, and set the halves on a serving platter. With a fork mash each yolk.  Add the mayonnaise, hot sauce, green onions, Dijon mustard, and black pepper.  Combine well and gently stir in the all but a few shrimp.  Spoon a teaspoon of the yolk mixture into the well of each egg half. Top with the remaining shrimp. If desired, garnish with a bit of dill. A nice touch is a bed of few greens on the serving platter.

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Blue Cheese

Ingredients:

1 pound Brussels sprouts

2 tablespoons melted butter

2 pieces bacon (I used turkey bacon)

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (I used Gorgonzola)

Optional: Some really good balsamic vinegar to drizzle before serving

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Rinse and drain the Brussels sprouts.  Peel off the tough outer leaves and cut the tough stem at the base off.  If they are on the large side, cut each Brussels sprout in half and place in baking pan.  Dice up the bacon and sprinkle it over the Brussels sprouts.  Pour the melted butter over the Brussels sprouts and bacon.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from over and distribute the crumbled blue cheese over the top.  Replace in the oven and bake for another five minutes.  Then place on a serving platter and drizzle with a bit of some really good balsamic vinegar if desired.

Planked Salmon

Ingredients:
1/2 pound of salmon per person is more than enough
Dry rub made for salmon
Cedar planks

  

Directions:

     Submerge the cedar planks in water and let them soak for a couple of hours.  Cut the salmon into serving portions and rub the seasoning into each one.  *Uncle Russell brought over a salmon rub made by Weber Grill and everyone loved it.  Adam likes to take the skin off before cooking, but Uncle Russell and Uncle David say to leave it on. Heat the grill up, then lower the temperature to 350 or low to medium low.  Place the empty planks on the grill for 3 minutes.  Then turn them over and place the salmon pieces on them.  Close the cover and continue to cook for 20 minutes.  Keep a watch on the temperature and try to keep adjusting the heat so it stays close to 350 degrees.  It's best to cook it low and slow.  After 20 minutes, check a piece of salmon to see if it flakes with a fork in the thickest part.  If its not ready, give it more time and keep checking it often - just be careful not to over cook it.  

Loaded Whole Wheat Oatmeal Cookies

Here's a confession:  No matter how healthy I eat during the day, I always want a bit of something sweet at night.  This cookie recipe came about one evening when there wasn't anything in the kitchen that was going to meet my little craving.  Roy loves oatmeal raisin cookies, but I wanted something that at least gave a nod to being halfway nutritious.  So I substituted whole wheat flour for white and threw in other accouterments besides regular raisins to jazz it up.  I knew I had a winner when I took some down to Allison and her college roommates, and she asked for me to make them again.  She graduates this weekend, so I made some for the celebration.  They freeze well and are in the freezer now - hopefully they will remain undiscovered until Saturday! 

Ingredients For About Three Dozen Cookies:

The Good Stuff

1/4 cup blanched, sliced almonds

1/4 cup pepita seeds (shelled pumpkin seeds)

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup chopped dried apricots

The Dry Stuff

3 cups old fashioned oatmeal (uncooked)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

The Sweet Stuff

3/4 cup brown sugar (packed)

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Using an electric mixer combine the brown sugar, white sugar, and butter together until "creamed" (it will look spreadable).

Add the eggs and the vanilla and blend well.

Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt.  The electric mixer could be used to combine this as well.

Using a wooden spoon or something similar, add in the oatmeal, almonds, raisins, pepitas, cranberries, and apricots and mix until everything is combined together.

Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil.  Drop the dough by rounded spoonfuls onto it.

Bake for 12-14 minutes until the cookies start to get brown on top.  The cookies will feel very soft when they are first removed from the oven, but they setup as they cool. Let them sit for at least a minute on the cookie sheet before they are transferred to a cooling rack or platter. Pour a glass of milk and enjoy!

Juicy Lamb Slider Lettuce Wraps

A week ago Roy and I were in beautiful sunny southern California visiting Jenn.  I love to go to the restaurants there because it's easy to find one right on the beach and most of them have outdoor seating.  If there is a sight evening chill to the air, it doesn't matter because fire pits on the patio are big out there. On the night before we left she took us to one she called the best kept secret around.  It's in an area that's not as trendy but the view of the ocean was terrific.  We got a great table out on the deck and watched the surfers riding the waves as the sun went down. I ordered the lamb sliders which were dressed up in a hot and sweet little sauce. They weren't bad, but we all commented on wouldn't it be nice if they were just served with good old tzatziki sauce... So, when I got home, I had to make lamb sliders and see what I could do to make them really tasty.  Rubbing them with the lemon spice mixture makes a huge difference and I even added some of it to the yogurt sauce.  I pickled the red onions in vinegar for a few minutes to make it a bit more fancy.  Serving them as wraps with lettuce instead of a bun is a nod toward cutting back a bit after having a bit too much fun eating comfort food this winter.  They were so tasty, I didn't even miss the bread!

Ingredients for Four Lamb Slider Lettuce Wraps:

1 pound ground lamb

1 lemon

3 garlic cloves, put through a press (or 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder)

3 tablespoons dried oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons dried marjoram

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon finely diced white onion

1/2 cup diced cucumber 

4 good sized Boston lettuce leaves

4 tomato slices

1/2 medium sized red onion

1/3 cup white vinegar

4 toothpicks if desired

Directions:

Divide the ground lamb into four portions and fashion into patties.Squeeze the lemon and put the juice (about 1/4 cup) in a bowl. Add the garlic, oregano, marjoram, salt and pepper and whisk to combine.  Set 1 tablespoon of the mixture aside and spoon the rest over both sides of the burgers. Rub the mixture into the meat. 

Grill over medium heat for six minutes per side. The internal temperature should be 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

While the burgers are cooking, thinly slice the red onion and place it in a bowl with the vinegar. Let it sit for at least five minutes or until ready to serve the slider lettuce wraps.

Spoon the Greek yogurt into a bowl and add the reserved 1 tablespoon of lemon spice mixture, the white onion, and the cucumber.  Stir to combine.

To assemble, place the burger on a lettuce leaf, top with a tomato slice, then the slice, and finally the red onion slices.  Secure with a toothpick if needed.

It's fun to put the lettuce, tomato, onions, sauce, and burgers out on platters and let people put together their own wraps.

Piperade - Basque Base for Poached Eggs

This post is my variation on piperade, a traditional Basque dish.  I make it with different colored peppers and use a Serrano pepper for the heat instead of the customary Piment d'Espelette.  It's impressive looking enough for company but it is really just a humble affair - just some sliced and sauted vegetables. Of course everything is better with an egg on top and hopefully the video above will take away any fear about how to poach one. I also use piperade as a sauce for pizza, pasta, and Italian sausage by using 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes instead of the Serrano and adding  in 1/4 teaspoon each of oregano,  basil, rosemary, and fennel seeds.

Ingredients for Four Servings:

4 to 8 eggs: 1 or 2 per serving

1 onion

2 bell peppers:  I used 1/2 each of green, red, yellow, and orange

1 Serrano pepper  

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 garlic clove

3 large ripe tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

 Directions:

Core and dice the tomatoes.  Set the tomatoes aside.  Peel and slice the onion. Core, remove seeds and membranes, and slice the bell peppers. Discard the membrane and seeds from the Serrano peppers and dice.  Place the oil in a large pan or skillet and add all the bell peppers, Serrano pepper, and the onion. Over medium low heat, saute for about 8 to 10 minutes until the vegetable mixture are tender but not brown.  Peel the garlic clove, put it through a press or mince it finely.  Add it to the pan and continue to saute for another 30 seconds.  

Add the tomatoes to the sauted vegetable mixture. Over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, cook for about 10 minutes. The piperade is down when the tomatoes break down, most of the liquid has evaporated, and the mixture is thick. Transfer to serving dishes and top with poached eggs.

Sweet Potato Corned Beef Hash

     So what could a  poached egg be put on top of tomorrow?  Since today is St. Patrick's Day, there might be a chance that somebody might want to make hash out of left over corned beef. Every Irish family has their own method of making corned beef.  My dad, whose name was Patrick, would actually wrap a brick in foil and place it on top of a baking brisket.  But, although I've included my recipe for corned beef brisket here, the real star of this post is the hash made out of leftovers. This one is made with sweet potatoes which blend so well with the savory, slightly salty meat, Dijon mustard and the hint of thyme.  It is just delicious with a poached egg on top and is really such a special treat, perhaps this hash made with left overs should be served for a weekend brunch instead!

Ingredients for Four Servings of Sweet Potato Corned Beef Hash:

1 cup corned beef (recipe below), chopped

1 cup cooked sweet potatoes, chopped 

1 medium onion

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 clove garlic, put through a press

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

1/8 teaspoon ground pepper

poached eggs (recipe below), how ever many you wish to serve

 Directions:

Dice the onion and saute it with the butter over medium low heat until tender.  Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds.  Add the beef, potatoes, parsley, mustard, thyme, and pepper to the pan and combine. Over medium low heat, cook for about four minutes.  Then turn the mixture over with a spatula and cook another three to five minutes until the onions, sweet potatoes, and meat begin to brown.  Watch it carefully so that it doesn't start to burn.  Transfer the hash to service dishes and top with a poached egg or two. Recipes for corned beef and poached eggs are below.

Corned Beef

1 (3 lb. or so) corned beef brisket

2 bay leaves

3 teaspoons peppercorns (black, green, or one of those colorful mixtures)

2 teaspoons mustard seed

6 whole cloves

6 carrots

Small head of cabbage

6 large carrots

8 potatoes - new w/skins on or sweet potatoes

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Place one of the bay leaves, one teaspoon of the peppercorns, one teaspoon of the mustard seeds,  two of the cloves, and the brisket into a large pot.  Add enough water to cover it, but don't fill it up all the way to the top.  Turn the heat up to high and bring it to a boil.  Let it boil for five minutes, occasionally skimming off the "scum" that floats up to the top.  I use a slotted spoon and transfer the frothy stuff to bowl, then throw it away later.  While the corned beef is boiling, peel the carrots and cut each one in two. If you are using them, wash the potatoes, leave the skin on,  and cut each one in two.  Place the carrots, potatoes, and the remaining bay leaf, 2 teaspoons peppercorns, 1 teaspoon mustard seed, and 4 cloves into an oven safe 9 by 13 baking dish.  At the end of the boiling time, get rid of any remaining scum in the pot and transfer the brisket into the baking dish.  Pour the cooking water from the top into the baking dish, leaving an inch or two of space at the top. Cover the baking dish with foil, and carefully place it in the preheated oven.  Bake for 3 hours and 45 minutes.  Ten minutes or so before the baking time is over, Wash the head of cabbage and discard the bruised looking outer leaves.  Core and slice the cabbage into 8 wedges.  Place the wedges into a pot large enough to hold them and set aside.  After taking the brisket out of the oven, transfer the meat and vegetables to a serving platter.  Cover with foil to keep it warm.  Pour the cooking liquid from the baking pan over the cabbage wedges and bring the pot up to a boil.  Turn down the heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes or until cabbage can be pierced by a fork but is not mushy. Remove the cabbage from the pot and add them to the serving platter. Slice the corned beef across the grain and serve while everything is still hot.

Poached Eggs:

Bring at least 1/2 a pot of water in a sauce pan up to a boil. One or two at a time, crack the egg(s) onto a saucer. With a wooden spoon, give the water in the pan a swirl and slip the egg off the saucer into the middle of the swirl.  Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 3 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, lift each egg out of the water and place it on a cloth dish towel until ready to serve.

South American Influenced Power Breakfast: Poached Egg on Quinoa

     Last year, between semesters, Allison had the opportunity to travel to Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, and Peru. She tells me that in South America, the thought of having eggs for breakfast is basically unthinkable. They do like to serve a cooked egg over meals at other times of the day.  In fact, one favorite dish at a barbecue, or an asado, is a pepper grilled with an egg in it.  In Peru, it's common to serve an egg on top of a stew made with quinoa. So, for us that means it's a breakfast item - right?  Well - maybe more like brunch since the quinoa in this post has some fairly complex flavors due to the cumin and coriander in this recipe.

One of the Many Friends Allison Made While in Peru

Ingredients for Four Servings:

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained

1/2 red pepper, diced to make 1/2 cup

1 medium onion, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, put through the press

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

3/4 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 (15 oz.) can broth, vegetable or chicken

2 large tomatoes, diced or 1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes

1 ripe avocado, diced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

4 to 8 eggs, how ever many you wish to serve

Directions:

Saute the diced onion and red pepper in the olive oil until tender. Add the garlic, paprika, cumin, coriander, and pepper and cook for another 30 seconds.  Add the quinoa, broth, and tomatoes and bring to a boil.  Turn the heat down to medium low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. While the quinoa mixture is simmering, or a head of time, poach the eggs. Take off the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes.  Spoon into bowls, top with avocado, cilantro, and  poached eggs*.

*While the quinoa mixture is simmering, or a head of time, poach the eggs.

Bring about 4 inches of water in a sauce pan up to a boil. One or two at a time, crack the egg(s) onto a saucer. With a wooden spoon, give the water in the pan a swirl and slip the egg off the saucer into the middle of the swirl.  Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 3 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, lift each egg out of the water and place it on a cloth dish towel until ready to serve.

French Toast with Apple/Cranberry/Walnut Topping

     Last weekend Jenn flew in from California to go to a sorority sister's wedding.  Her plane landed about 11 p.m Friday and it was midnight when we got home.  About ten minutes later her good friend Colleen arrived from Chicago.  Even though they had to get up early the next day to

Jenn and Colleen - Ready to Party!

drive three and a half hours to the wedding, they found the time for a lot of laughter and catching up that night.  In the morning I wanted to send them off with a good breakfast, so I quickly made a family favorite - French toast made with whole wheat bread that is smothered in a Granny Smith apple/cranberry/walnut topping. This apple mixture is great over pancakes, waffles, and even ice cream. Taking the short cut of cooking the sauce in the microwave made it easier and I had more time to visit with the girls! They made great time getting there, had fun at the reception, and Jenn even caught the bouquet!

French Toast with Apple/Cranberry/Walnut Topping for Four

Ingredients and Directions:

For the French Toast:

8 slices of whole wheat bread

3/4 cup milk

2 eggs

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon of salt

Whisk the ingredients together in a mixing bowl.  Submerge each slice of bread in the egg mixture so that both sides are coated.  Brown the bread in a greased skillet, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.

For the Apple/Cranberry/Walnut Topping:

2 medium sized Granny Smith apples

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup walnut pieces

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

Keeping the skin on the apples, slice them thinly, and discard the core. Dice the butter into small pieces. Put the apples, cranberries, walnuts, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt into a microwave safe bowl.  Mix the ingredients together and microwave on regular power for five minutes.  Stir when finished cooking. 

Put two pieces of French Toast on each plate and spoon the hot apple topping mixture over each one.