One of my neighbors, now a good friend, just celebrated a birthday this week, the same week she was throwing her now 4 year old daughter a birthday! As us Moms know, our own birthdays are now about the little things like an extra hour of sleep, a quiet dinner, or maybe a piece of really good cheesecake.

I had offered to make her a dessert to enjoy at a little after the party, party. Even when you pay a place to handle the kid’s birthday party, it’s just nice to look forward to adult time later. She said she liked strawberries, so I settled on cheesecake.

Cheesecake does take a long time. And with 5 blocks of cream cheese, 5 eggs plus 2 egg yolks, and a cup of sugar it isn’t good for you either! Still, this recipe was fantastic. The only ignored the part about using multiple berries and instead went full on strawberry. Strawberry jam and 2 pints of fresh strawberries straight from the farms in Plant City made up the fruit filled topping. I would reduce the jam just a little as it got runny, but otherwise this was amazing. Light, silky, with a touch of lemon in the filling. The crust was sweet and crunchy. And the topping just brought it all together. I will make it again, but maybe not too soon!

It turns out I had more than enough on hand make up my own meat pie. I have mentioned before that I am not a huge fan of ground beef. It’s a staple for any family who is budget conscious and not on the current plant based diets that seem to pervasively winning over my once meat loving friends. Still, it’s usually pretty blah. Meatloaf, meatballs, and tacos step aside! I have discovered a savory meat pie!

Savory Meat Pie

Ingredients
1lb ground sirloin
2 heads garlic, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried rubbed sage
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp Worcestshire sauce
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 tbsps sour cream
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 egg
1 tbs water

Preheat the oven to 400F. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over med heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 mins. Add the ground beef and cook until browned. Drain grease if it is pooling.

Ground the rosemary, sage, turmeric and chili powder together and add to meat, continuing to cook over low heat. Add Worcestshire sauce. Mix well. Remove from heat and mix in frozen peas. Finally, add sour cream and mix.

Roll out puff pastry to about 16″x12″ and place on greased cookie sheet (or use a silicon mat like I did.). Spoon meat mixture onto the puff pastry dough leaving space around the edges. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Start at the short side and roll into a log. Place seam side down and pinch the ends to seal.

Mix egg and water. Brush onto the dough. Bake 20 minutes until golden brown. Let cool 5 minutes before slicing into 1/2″ servings. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

Ok, it’s not really a pie. But it had so much more depth and texture than I expected! The meat filling is hearty and full of flavor. Then comes the pastry, crispy, flaky and a little soft in the middle. Finished off with the sour cream, cool and creamy.

When you start cooking on the stove top, but finish hours later in the oven, your home smells incredible.

There are several pieces of art within a kitchen.  Objects that live for years, producing some of the most memorable tastes to grace the kitchen.  The first of my collection was my Kitchen Aid mixer.  It was a Christmas present years ago from Hubby.  Suddenly, batches of cookies weren’t as daunting, whipping egg whites was a breeze and I became more efficient letting the mixer run while I prepared other ingredients.  Since then, I have acquired a cast iron skillet, several nice chef knives, and a roasting pan that has delivered some amazing turkeys and roasts.  This year, I received a long-awaited Christmas wish, a Le Creuset round french oven.

Within the hour, I was looking up recipes to christen my new collector’s piece.  I had already done Julia Child’s boeuf bourguignon a couple of years ago for New Years, so this had to be something different.  I landed on Bon Appetit’s number 1 recipe of the year, Red Wine Braised Short Ribs.  Paired with a wonderful bottle of B Cellars Blend 24.

Not only does this dish make the house smell amazing, it is the perfect dish to create on a colder day with a glass of wine in your hand.  Each step is a master of basic  french style and feels so satisfying.  Below is a quick photo blog of the creation.  I served over mashed potatoes.

5 lbs USDA Choice Short Ribs

Brown on all sides in oil over medium high heat. I used Canola.

Remove the short ribs, drain most of the fat and then add the vegetables.

After 5-8 minutes of vegetable cooking, add the ribs back in with the red wine, 750 ml of a Cabernet Sauvignon. Bring to a boil, reduce to medium and reduce the wine by half, about 25 minutes.

Finally, add the herbs and garlic. Bring back to a boil and then place into the 350 F degree oven for 2-2.5 hours until tender.

After you remove from the oven, pull out the ribs and strain the sauce. Spoon out the fat from sauce. Plate over mashed potatoes with sauce drizzled on top. Enjoy!

Bang Bang Shrimp Copycat
Photo Credit: Clay Smithers

In the spirit of Auld Lang Syne, a group of my friends from the college years reunite  for New Year Year’s Eve every year.  We spend half the year selecting a location, finding a house to rent and then all of December planning the meals.  This year, it took an 8 bedroom condo in Myrtle Beach to house 10 adults and 6 kids.  Three of the regular group weren’t able to attend plus 3 children spent the time with their grandparents, so you can see how this tends to be one big party each year!

Lately, I handle New Year’s Eve dinner.  Last year, we had artisan pizzas with all the leftovers in the mountain cabin.  This year, I knew I had a big kitchen and plenty of time to prep, so I arranged a tasting party.  The first step was to visit the party store.  This irks my husband to no end.  He hates when I visit the party store because it costs a lot for things made of paper and plastic.  I went anyway, rebellious wife that I am!

Lucky for you, I found a package of the similar products on Amazon for a lot less.  (Shhhhh, please don’t tell hubby.)  Click here to get the tiny plates and forks.  Click here to get the spoon servers.

Yes, I started by buying the serving pieces without even determining the menu.  That’s how I work.  Let’s move on to the menu.

Menu

• Bang Bang Shrimp (copycat)
• Crab Wontons
• Roasted Garlic Cherry Tomatoes
• Shanghai Drummettes
• Spinach and Artichoke Dip
• Pesto Pizza

Bang Bang Shrimp
Photo Credit: Clay Smithers

I love Bonefish Grill’s Bang Bang Shrimp.  A lot of other restaurants have a similar appetizer now, so I thought I might find a copycat recipe.  I did and it was a huge hit. Having never actually bought fresh shrimp, nor fried it, I was a little wary that I could pull this off, but it was super easy.  I bought the shrimp locally in Myrtle Beach from Mr. Fish.  It was already peeled and deveined, because, honestly, who enjoys that job?

I just used Thai Kitchen’s Spicy Thai Chili as opposed to sweet along with hot sauce.  It worked great and I wouldn’t change a thing.  Plate with richly colored lettuce leaves or crispy shredded lettuce.

Crab Wontons
Photo Credit: Denise Smith

Next up was the Crab Wontons.  This is so simple, it is on my menu for most parties.  Mix 1 pkg of 8 oz cream cheese with 1 can of crab (or use fresh if you have it!).  Add 1 tsp of soy sauce and tbsp of scallions.  Mix thoroughly.  Then, spoon 1 tsp into a wonton wrapper and place in a mini muffin tin.  Repeat until the tin is full and brush the tops of the wonton wrappers with egg wash.  Bake at 400 for 8-10 mins.  They come out crunchy on top and creamy in the middle.  Serve plated with sweet and sour sauce.  The bright orange sauce really makes the dish pop!

Shanghai Drummettes
Photo Credit: Clay Smithers

I think I had a thing about Asian flavors for this party.  I saw this recipe for Shanghai drummettes and I thought it was brilliant.  I made the marinade before ever leaving on the trip and kept it in the cooler. Then, the night before the party, I slipped all the drummettes into a freezer bag with the marinade and left it in the refrigerator.   I turned it a few times to make sure they were well covered.  The drummettes were sticky and sweet, full of flavor.  They were very satisfying!  I completely forgot to add the sesame seeds and I think that would have put them over the top.

Roasted Garlic Tomatoes                                             Photo Credit: Michael McLaurin

The Roasted Garlic Cherry Tomatoes took awhile to prepare, which is why I took care of them the night prior to New Year’s Eve.  First, I roasted a head of garlic.  (Cut off the top, place on square of foil, drizzle with olive oil and salt, wrap tightly, then bake at 400 for 45 mins to an hour.)  After the garlic cools, squeeze out the roasted garlic into a bowl and discard the paper outer shells.

Clean and rinse the tomatoes and cut off the bottoms so they will stand flat.  At the top, scoop out the pulp into a bowl or sink.  Repeat until you are done with all tomatoes.   Then mix 1 pkg of cream cheese with the roasted garlic along with salt and pepper to taste.  I didn’t, but I would in the future add some dried herbs to the mixture including 1 tsp basil and 1 tsp oregano. Fill each tomato with the cream cheese mixture by adding the mixture to a pastry bag with a tip or a plastic bag and cut off a small bottom corner. Garnish with basil.

This Spinach and Artichoke Dip came from a Pampered Chef Party I attended back in October.  Again, this one is so easy, just mixing things already made for you and baking, but it is pretty good. I served with store bought bread, which I should have toasted, and Tostitos because tortilla chips are salty, crunchy goodness.

For the Pesto Pizza, I had pre-made pizza dough before we ever left and kept it cool using a cooler and the fridge until a few hours before the party.  I rolled and stretched it out on a cookie sheet and lightly covered it with store bought pesto and 5 cheeses.  I also covered half with caramelized onions.  Baked at 400 for about 7-8 minutes.

The presentation and taste of the food was well received, but I should have had a few more things.  It wasn’t quite enough to fill us up or combat all the evening’s cocktails.  But, it was a lot of fun and they really did look great!  My friends were sweet and cleaned all the plastic plates and bowls and forks so I can use them again!  I am already thinking about the next occasion!

Yet, I will persevere.  Tomorrow I am creating a tasting party with Shanghai Drummettes, Roasted Garlic filled tomato bites, a version of bang bang shrimp and more.  Hopefully, I can share it with you later this week. 

Happy New Year!!! May 2013 be a year full of peace and love for all of you!

WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 3,100 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 5 years to get that many views.

Click here to see the complete report.

Prosciutto wrapped NY Strip stuffed with goat cheese

Let’s start with New York Strip steaks.  Steak is really hard to improve.  It’s so perfect with just salt and pepper cooked at the right temperature.  So, why in the world, would I slice it open and stuff it with goat cheese?  Why would I wrap it with prosciutto and have the Grill master (aka Hubby) fire up the iron grates?  Because it tasted as good as it looks.  That’s why.  Tangy, salty, creamy and tender. That’s why I loved this steak.

Prosciutto wrapped shrimp

Next up, prosciutto wrapped grilled shrimp served with grits.  The shrimp is rubbed with finely chopped garlic, dill, salt and pepper.  It’s then wrapped with 1/2 sheet of prosciutto and grilled 4 minutes on each side on wooden skewers until it’s pink and tender. I served it with grits mixed with Parmesan cheese.  It’s not the shrimp and grits you would get in the Gulf Coast, but it is a salty chew with a creamy finish.  I scraped the plate with my fork before I used my finger.  Never said I had table manners!

I had an idea. Chicken, stuffed with this amazing pepper flavored white cheddar, maybe some bacon, and some kind of chicken broth and white wine based sauce. But then, I tried steaming some corn for my baby girl, and I burned my hand. Bags of ice later, I knew I couldn’t make dinner. Hubby took over, placating me with more ice and a glass of wine.

I gave up the chicken idea because I was making up the recipe and I couldn’t explain something I hadn’t yet made up. So, I told him to pull out pork chops instead, sprinkle with salt and pepper and pan fry them. I had already shredded the pepper flavored cheddar so after pan frying, he added the cheddar and put under the broiler on high for a few minutes.

They were great! A little spicy, with soft melty cheese. Kudos and thanks to Hubby for saving dinner! Now, off to nurse my pathetic fingers.

Thank you Edgewood Bakery

It was supposed to be a little birthday party for my daughter.  She turned 2.  Two year olds don’t even remember their birthdays. They certainly don’t understand making a wish and blowing out candles.  So, it doesn’t make a ton of sense to have a huge party to celebrate.  However, I survived the last two years, so isn’t that worth a party?  Yes, it is.  Just not this kind of party.

I bought 8 invitations.  Turns out she had 12 kids in her class.  She’s 2.  How can there by 12 kids in the class?!  Ok, fine, I invited the kids.  And their siblings who shared a class with my son.  Yikes.  Can’t forget the family.  And the neighbors.  Um, ok, this got a little bit bigger than I thought.  I need another table.  And 8 more chairs.  And we need some kind of fence to keep them from falling off the 6′ drop off into the woods.  Oh, and food.  We need lots of food!

Having done some entertaining, I know there a few tricks to feeding a crowd.  First thing, find cheap meats and cook them low and slow.  I got a huge pork shoulder, bone and skin still on for super cheap ($13 total).  It was too big to fit into my crock pot, so I had to do some cutting.  I cut out the bone and cut off the skin.  It took me about 20 minutes but for someone who has never de-boned anything, I think I did pretty good!  I covered the meat in a store bought pork rub, because if you need that much rub and don’t already have the spices, you’ll spend a ton on each spice.  Just easier and cheaper to use this for something so low key.

Come and get it!

I put it in the crock pot at 11pm the night before on low.  The party was at 11am.  When we woke up, the house smelled heavenly.  I imagine heaven must have pulled pork.  My heaven anyway.  By 10, I shredded it by just turning it over with a spoon.  I’m not kidding.  I used a ladle to pull out all the juice (and fat) and let it cook down another 30 minutes.  Then I added a 1/4 cup of store bought bbq sauce.   Hello, Love on a fork.

I made little sandwiches for the kids.  Peanut butter and jelly for some and ham and cheese for everyone else.  We sliced apples and served with Apple Crack.  You’ll understand why I call it that after you try it.  I reserved part of the batch for myself for later.

I made the  Baked Crab Wontons below and served with store bought sweet and sour sauce.  I made cole slaw with store bought cabbage, but the dressing below.  There was a cheese and sausage plate and fruit salad.  Finally, I made my mac and cheese.  The only difference was I doubled the recipe and I added more than usual milk (about 2.5 cups total) so it was super creamy after baking 25 minutes.

The kids had a fantastic time.  The parents had a good time, but keep in mind, we were chasing after 10 kids under the age of 4. After everyone left, I slept for 2 hours straight and then enjoyed watching my football team win a great game while eating all the leftovers.  Ah, Saturday.

Baked Crab Wontons or Crab Rangoon

• 1 pkg cream cheese 8 oz, softened
• 1 can canned crab 5.5 oz, drained
• 2 tsps soy sauce
• 1/4 sweet white onion (I had onion, I didn’t have scallions, turns out onion is good)
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 pkg wontons
• 2 tbsps butter, melted

Mix the first 5  ingredients together with hand mixer or stand mixer. Place wonton on a greased cookie sheet or on a silicon mat on a cookie sheet (my preferred method).  Scoop a 1/2 tsp of the mixture into 1 wonton.  Brush the edges of the wonton with the melted butter and press together to seal (should look like a puffy triangle).   Brush the top with butter.  Repeat until you have filled a tray. Bake at 350 F for 12 minutes.

Cole Slaw Dressing

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 cup cider vinegar

Mix well.  Empty bag of store bought cole slaw mix into bowl and pour dressing on.  Mix well and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. (The longer it sits, the better it tastes, but eat within 4 days.)

The cake pictured above can be made from Edgewood Bakery.

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com app. Seriously, how can I cook without food app inspiration? I chopped the onion and 2 heads of garlic. I threw them into a hot iron skillet for 1 minute before adding the 1 lb of ground beef. I let that brown and then drained the liquid. I added 1 cup of beef broth, 1 tbsp of Worcestshire sauce and 2 tbsps of hot and spicy bbq sauce. After simmering for another 5 mins, I drained the liquids and poured the Yorkshire pudding batter. The skillet was super hot from cooking on the stove. I put it in the preheated 350 oven for 45 mins.

Hubby said it reminded him of his mom’s Impossible Cheeseburger Pie. It has no cheese in it, but the Yorkshire pudding is smooth and savory. The hamburger is a little tough, but provides good texture under the pudding. I used BBQ sauce (hot and spicy) over the A-1 sauce and didn’t have the carrots or celery on hand.

I love having something a little different for dinner.

Recipe Details – taken from Allrecipes.com app

Ground Beef Yorkshire

6 Servings, Prep Time: 30 Minutes, Cook Time: 55 Minutes

Description

This dish features ground beef and Yorkshire pudding in a comfort food one-dish casserole.

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 pound extra lean ground beef
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup chopped carrot
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon steak sauce (such as A.1.™)
Directions

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8×8 inch baking dish.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and the 1 teaspoon salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and butter. Pour the egg mixture over the flour mixture; beat until well blended. Stir in parsley; set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in the ground beef and onion. Cook and stir until the beef is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Drain and discard any excess grease.
Combine the drained meat mixture with the celery, carrot, the 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and steak sauce. Spread meat mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish. Pour the batter over the meat.
Bake in the preheated oven until the pudding has risen tall and is golden, about 45 minutes. Serve immediately.
Nutritional Information

Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 346

Carbohydrates: 21.6g
Fat: 19.2g
Dietary Fiber: 1.0g
Protein: 21.0g
Cholesterol: 164.0mg
Sodium: 887.3mg
Sent from Allrecipescom Dinner Spinner Pro for the iPhone