Recently we had some family over for a get together and I made a batch of heath bar cookies. Yes, I braved the hot oven but it wasn’t so bad, I started early and got done before the heat really set in. Cookies make people happy no matter what time of year even though it might be a challenge to bake during the hot summer month’s. I added a few toffee pieces just as they came out of the oven which melted right into the cookie for an added bit of crunchy topping.
One of my favorite flavors of ice cream is coffee, but I never thought I’d be able to recreate the taste like they make at an ice cream parlor. This recipe is about as good as it gets and comes from “The Perfect Scoop” by David Lebovitz. It creates a rich creamy ice cream with the flavor of coffee, but not too overpowering. It’s a bit on the sweet side and I might cut back on the sugar just for my own preference. You also have the option to use decaffeinated beans which I would probably use next batch. I wasn’t thinking about it at the time and used caffeinated beans but found that having a bowl in the evening can make for some fitful sleep. Oh well, it was worth it!
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Awhile back Joe and I ate at a Mexican restaurant where they served Charro Beans on the side. That first bite brought back memories of something my Mom used to make. Only she called them Chuckwagon Beans and I remember asking her to make them. I looked up an old index card with her handwritten recipe and found that she seasoned her pinto beans with cooked bacon, onion, green chiles and tomatoes. Of course out on the farm we rarely had a meal without a pot of beans on the table, but I remember the Chuckwagon beans as special, much more flavorful. Since Joe doesn’t like beans I kind of got away from the pinto’s over the years. I pulled out Mom’s old recipe and tried it out just to see if it tasted like the charro beans and I’m happy to say they were pretty darn close. Thanks Mom. . . for the recipe and the memories!
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I call this burger the Santa Fe, loaded with cheese, green chile, grilled onions, tortilla strips and guacamole. Red Robin used to offer a similar burger that had pepper jack cheese and a whole roasted poblano. It was my favorite thing on the menu and when they discontinued it I was determined to make my own version. I love big burgers with layers of flavor in every bite. I think I’ve found it in this burger! It also reminds me of New Mexico where you will find the best green chile and cheese burgers on earth!
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One of my favorite summertime treats is sorbet. I love almost any flavor of sorbet and it’s so simple to make. Originally I was going with a straight up strawberry sorbet made with a simple syrup but when I saw the limeade concentrate in the freezer, I knew the combination was too good to pass up. I switched out the simple syrup with the prepared limeade and added a bit more sugar to counter the tartness. It was very refreshing with a hint of citrusy lime in the background. This is definitely one of my “make again soon” recipes!
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Wow, I can’t believe where the time has gone. It’s been 2 years since I posted my first recipe and it’s been quite a journey. You learn things about yourself as well as others when you put yourself out there on a blog for anyone to see. This blog was supposed to be about leaving something for my boys, a remembrance of times shared around a plate of good food. But what I didn’t expect was the kindness I receive from so many friends, family and bloggers that enjoy the same love of food and family that I do. So to start off another year of recipe sharing, I have a great pork kabob that is both easy to prepare and tastes terrific. The soy and honey marinade go perfectly with this tender pork and just about melts in your mouth.. The kabobs grill in minutes and will go with just about anything . . . maybe fried rice or vegetables added to the skewer. We ate our kabobs with a garden salad and sweet potato fries out on the patio. It was the perfect outdoor meal!
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A few weeks ago I was asked to make nine dozen cupcakes for an office party where Joe works. I knew it was going to be a challenge, especially since I had little time to prepare. I thought a variety of cupcakes would work best and went to work looking through recipes. When I found this muffin posted on “A Bountiful Kitchen” I knew it would be a big hit. The muffin was so moist inside topped with a crunchy walnut streusel. And the contrast of the salty maple glaze gives your taste buds a real treat. They were so addicting I had to make another batch.
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Every summer when the corn and tomatoes start showing up at the farmers market I make a batch of black bean and corn salsa. Nothing tastes better along side a good grilled steak or chicken or as a topper for your favorite taco. Plus I could eat it all day with nothing but tortilla chips. It’s completely vegetarian and packed with everything good for you. I found these little cast iron half pint kettles at a Lodge Factory Outlet in the little town of South Pittsburg, TN, near the Alabama border. What a store. . . they have almost anything you could dream of, if you’re into cast iron. A little room at the back has some great bargains on many of the cast iron skillets, dutch ovens some other items listed having a scratch or blemish. I couldn’t find anything wrong with them and came home with a large 12 inch skillet, a griddle/grill and these mini kettles.
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Looks sinful huh! Actually it doesn’t seem that bad after the Kookamonga burger challenge Joe and I witnessed in Memphis. We went to this little joint called Kooky Canuck where they make these monster burgers filled with 4, 6 or 8 pounds of ground beef alone. We watched while a young couple (ironically they were from KC) attempted the 2 person challenge of eating a burger with 6 pounds of meat loaded with an additional 6 pounds of cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and bun. If they completed the challenge in 1 hour or less they ate for free. I knew they were doomed when it was announced that the burger was a mere 18,000 calories. If you could see the eyes on the young girl, you would know she was about to freak out! So while we may be in a butter coma for the evening, I think we’ll survive. As long as we don’t do this very often. Once a year or so I treat my guys to a steak dinner with all the trimmings and Father’s day seemed like the perfect time. Firing up the grill for some grilled corn on the cob and a medium rare rib-eye steak is about as good as it gets, but add a little herb butter and you’ve got something extra special. You certainly don’t have to add green chile, but it sure does spice it up. I planted some herbs earlier in the Spring that are coming along quite nicely so I snipped some chives, parlsley and thyme plus I had some cilantro in the fridge. Along with some salt and green chile this butter makes any meal special. Just don’t do it too often!
I’ve been feeling guilty for being away for so long but honestly I needed a break. Joe and I took a road trip to Tennessee, first to Memphis where we stopped by all the tourist locations, then headed farther east, driving South to North through the Sequatchie Valley where we went in search of my family tree. We had fun researching through libraries and archives trying to dig up little tidbits of interesting history. And when we returned home I had a little present about to be delivered (actually it was kind of big). Joe let me pick out my dream stove, a gas stove with a few extra bells and whistles. I haven’t cooked on gas in ages but it’s what I wanted to get back to and believe me there’s been some challenges. So while I’ve been relearning how to cook I’ve taken a couple weeks off to practice. My first test was nine dozen cupcakes for an office party where Joe works. I was a bit nervous about temperatures and fretted over every little detail but in the end my new oven didn’t let me down. So now that things have settled down a bit I’m hoping to get my groove back and post a few recipes again. This week I found cherries on sale and they were so good! I decided on individual crumbles because Joe loves that crumbly topping. I cut down a pie filling recipe and altered the crumb topping so that it fit perfectly in my half pint jars. So cute and irresistible, plus they tasted great too!
An Inspired Cook 