I can't stop.
I can't stop mixing beer and cheese.
I'd like to promise that it's not going to happen again, but the truth is, I already came up with two more ideas just while writing this recipe alone.
This recipe is a combination of some of my favorite things.
Steak. Cheddar. Caramelized onions. Beer.
Since I've spent the last few weeks dining mostly on sweet desserts, this is an complete 180 degree change, and a welcome one at that.
This sandwich definitely hits the spot with it's hearty, intense flavor. It almost feels wrong to enjoy this in 80 degree weather because it makes you feel so cozy and content in your air-conditioned bliss.
Enjoy!
Cheddar Ale Grilled Cheese Sandwich
8 slices of bread
8 slices sharp cheddar cheese
8 slices thinly-sliced steak (you can also use roast beef)
2 onions
1/2 cup ale
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
4 tbsp Dijon mustard
Salt & Pepper to taste
Cook the onions in 2 tbsp olive oil on medium until soft and translucent. Add in beer and worcestershire sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil. Then, reduce to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes. All of the liquid should have evaporated.
Compile 2 slices of cheddar cheese and a large spoonful of onions on a slice of bread. Spread a tbsp of dijon mustard on the inside of the top slice. Cook in a skillet on medium-low in olive oil until the cheese has melted and the bread has browned.
Listening to: Christina Aguilera - I Turn To You
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Monday, June 4, 2012
Mixed Berry Pancakes with Brandy Syrup
After making Cherries Jubilee, I got thinking about other liquer-soaked desserts I could make. At first, I presumed that a Cherry-Kirschwasser combination would be good with a slightly sweet cakey bread.
Then I thought pancakes.
Then I thought blueberry pancakes.
Oh, then strawberry pancakes.
With liquer?
Maybe another fruity brandy?
Brandy's good.
...
Now that you see how my mind jumps around from place to place on a semi-regular almost-constant basis, you can see how this breakfast dish originated.
Mixed berry pancakes? Oh.my. So good. Just like every other "mixed berry" creation on the planet.
Brandy? What a nice bite to accompany the sweet, fruity syrup.
The best part, I think, about these pancakes (besides the taste, obviously) is how versatile it can be. There are a bajillion combinations of berries that you can use to customize your pancakes. Maybe you just want blueberries and some blueberry syrup. Or, maybe raspberries and strawberries together with blackberry syrup. Maybe you want to throw in every berry flavor you can find. Custom pancakes.
The only bad part about this is convincing people that brandy at breakfast can be perfectly normal.
What is normal, anyway? Right?
Mixed Berry Pancakes with Brandy Syrup
Pancakes:
2 cups fresh or thawed mixed berries, roughly chopped
3 cups flour
2 tbsp baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp vanilla
Brandy Syrup:
(adapted from Cherries Jubilee)
2 cups pureed berries
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1/4 cup berry-flavored brandy (I used blackberry)
1 cup whole mixed berries
For the pancakes, whisk all of the ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth.
Ladle batter in small increments onto a greased skillet or griddle over medium heat.
Watch for bubbles to accumulate on the top of the batter before flipping. Flip and cook until the other side is golden brown.
For the syrup, combine the berries, sugar and and lemon zest in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 5 minutes to thicken some.
Add the whole berries and brandy. Light the mixture with a long matchstick to flambe.
Pour the mixture over the pancakes. Top with whipped cream.
Then I thought pancakes.
Then I thought blueberry pancakes.
Oh, then strawberry pancakes.
With liquer?
Maybe another fruity brandy?
Brandy's good.
...
Now that you see how my mind jumps around from place to place on a semi-regular almost-constant basis, you can see how this breakfast dish originated.
Mixed berry pancakes? Oh.my. So good. Just like every other "mixed berry" creation on the planet.
Brandy? What a nice bite to accompany the sweet, fruity syrup.
The best part, I think, about these pancakes (besides the taste, obviously) is how versatile it can be. There are a bajillion combinations of berries that you can use to customize your pancakes. Maybe you just want blueberries and some blueberry syrup. Or, maybe raspberries and strawberries together with blackberry syrup. Maybe you want to throw in every berry flavor you can find. Custom pancakes.
The only bad part about this is convincing people that brandy at breakfast can be perfectly normal.
What is normal, anyway? Right?
Mixed Berry Pancakes with Brandy Syrup
Pancakes:
2 cups fresh or thawed mixed berries, roughly chopped
3 cups flour
2 tbsp baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp vanilla
Brandy Syrup:
(adapted from Cherries Jubilee)
2 cups pureed berries
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1/4 cup berry-flavored brandy (I used blackberry)
1 cup whole mixed berries
For the pancakes, whisk all of the ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth.
Ladle batter in small increments onto a greased skillet or griddle over medium heat.
Watch for bubbles to accumulate on the top of the batter before flipping. Flip and cook until the other side is golden brown.
For the syrup, combine the berries, sugar and and lemon zest in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 5 minutes to thicken some.
Add the whole berries and brandy. Light the mixture with a long matchstick to flambe.
Pour the mixture over the pancakes. Top with whipped cream.
Listening to: Jessica Simpson - Irresistible
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Cherries Jubilee
This weekend is the Diamond Jubilee celebration in the United Kingdom. I've been hearing a lot about it on the internet news sites as the royal family has been traveling all over the world as part of the celebration.
I decided to try and make Cherries Jubilee for the occasion. This is kind of huge for me considering the love/hate relationship I have with cherries. See, I like cherry-flavored goodies. Usually, because when something sugary says "cherry-flavored", it actually tastes nothing like the fruit.
The actual berry (Is a cherry a berry? Or, is it just a rhyming coincidence?) is not something I concur with as of yet. I pick them off of ice cream sundaes. I nibble the chocolate off of chocolate-covered cherries. They just aren't my fruit of choice.
Nonetheless, I tried this out because I figured if anything could make me like cherries, it would probably be booze. A nice heaping helping of Kirschwasser could make anything tasty, right?
Turns out, I was half-right. I still couldn't get into the cherries. Just not my thing, I suppose. I tried, too.
But, when you spoon the cherry and liquer sauce over vanilla ice cream.... jackpot. I think this dessert would be perfect alone, or together with pancakes or crepes, maybe some poundcake or shortcake, too. Mmm... the wheels are definitely turning.
Needless to say, this may be my new go-to cherry ice cream sauce. It's so rich and fruity with a sweet, hot aftertaste. If you like cherries, you will love this.
I don't like cherries, and I love this.
Cherries Jubilee
1 cup black cherries
1 cup cherry juice
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp grated orange zest
1/4 cup Kirschwasser
Vanilla Ice Cream
Combine the cherry juice, orange zest and sugar in a saucepan on medium. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 5 minutes to thicken some.
Add the cherries and Kirschwasser. Light the mixture with a long matchstick to flambe.
Pour the mixture over a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Listening to: Carrie Underwood - Undo It
I decided to try and make Cherries Jubilee for the occasion. This is kind of huge for me considering the love/hate relationship I have with cherries. See, I like cherry-flavored goodies. Usually, because when something sugary says "cherry-flavored", it actually tastes nothing like the fruit.
The actual berry (Is a cherry a berry? Or, is it just a rhyming coincidence?) is not something I concur with as of yet. I pick them off of ice cream sundaes. I nibble the chocolate off of chocolate-covered cherries. They just aren't my fruit of choice.
Nonetheless, I tried this out because I figured if anything could make me like cherries, it would probably be booze. A nice heaping helping of Kirschwasser could make anything tasty, right?
Turns out, I was half-right. I still couldn't get into the cherries. Just not my thing, I suppose. I tried, too.
But, when you spoon the cherry and liquer sauce over vanilla ice cream.... jackpot. I think this dessert would be perfect alone, or together with pancakes or crepes, maybe some poundcake or shortcake, too. Mmm... the wheels are definitely turning.
Needless to say, this may be my new go-to cherry ice cream sauce. It's so rich and fruity with a sweet, hot aftertaste. If you like cherries, you will love this.
I don't like cherries, and I love this.
Cherries Jubilee
1 cup black cherries
1 cup cherry juice
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp grated orange zest
1/4 cup Kirschwasser
Vanilla Ice Cream
Combine the cherry juice, orange zest and sugar in a saucepan on medium. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 5 minutes to thicken some.
Add the cherries and Kirschwasser. Light the mixture with a long matchstick to flambe.
Pour the mixture over a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Listening to: Carrie Underwood - Undo It
Friday, June 1, 2012
Batter Buttercream
In continuing my quest for cake batter domination, I decided to make something to frost my cupcakes with. And, what better to frost with than the cake batter mix you used to make the cake with!
This is perfect for a quick, easy, hassle-free dessert with a creative twist!
And, as a bonus, I will let you in on a secret. I stole a quarter cup of mix from a new box to make the frosting, then I went ahead and prepared the boxed mix as directed to make the cupcakes. Turns out, the recipe does not mind when you steal a little mix.
My un-classically trained not-a-chef self could not detect any problems with the final cake, taste or consistency-wise, with a little less mix. So, this can actually be completed using one box.
Talk about efficient!
Batter Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup boxed mix
1 3/4 cups Confectioner's sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
Beat butter and vanilla until smooth.
Add the boxed mix and sugar in 1/2 cup increments until smooth.
Listening to: A-Ha - Take On Me
This is perfect for a quick, easy, hassle-free dessert with a creative twist!
And, as a bonus, I will let you in on a secret. I stole a quarter cup of mix from a new box to make the frosting, then I went ahead and prepared the boxed mix as directed to make the cupcakes. Turns out, the recipe does not mind when you steal a little mix.
My un-classically trained not-a-chef self could not detect any problems with the final cake, taste or consistency-wise, with a little less mix. So, this can actually be completed using one box.
Talk about efficient!
Batter Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup boxed mix
1 3/4 cups Confectioner's sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
Beat butter and vanilla until smooth.
Add the boxed mix and sugar in 1/2 cup increments until smooth.
Listening to: A-Ha - Take On Me
S'Mores Dip
With summer (almost) officially upon us, there are so many warm weather recipes I'm dying to try. As most people in this area know, most of our summertime meals out in the boonies are cooked up on the grill.
Meat with char marks. Veggies cooked up in skillets or foil. Hot dogs and marshmallows over open flame.
If we can cook it outside... believe me, we will.
The only problem with our dreamy fantasy summer life is that picky, uncontrollable, unpredictable weather. Sometimes, it's too cold. Sometimes, it's too windy. Sometimes, it's raining. A lot of the time, it's raining.
So, this dip is kinda, like really, useful for me. For those days when there's an 80% chance of showers and I'm 100% certain I want s'mores for dinner.
By the way, it is absolutely okay to eat s'mores for dinner. I had salad for lunch, mind you.
I earned s'mores dip.
Sorta.
S'Mores Dip
(adapted from Tasty Kitchen)
1 11.5 oz. bag of dark chocolate chips, melted
1 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
1 cup marshmallow fluff
1/4 cup mini marshmallows
1 box graham crackers
Combine dark chocolate and milk until smooth. Fold the chocolate into the marshmallow fluff.
Transfer mixture into a serving dish. Top with the mini-marshmallows in a single layer. Toast mini marshmallows briefly with a torch. Drizzle with a little additional melted chocolate if desired.
Serve with graham crackers.
Listening to: Paramore - CrushCrushCrush
Meat with char marks. Veggies cooked up in skillets or foil. Hot dogs and marshmallows over open flame.
If we can cook it outside... believe me, we will.
The only problem with our dreamy fantasy summer life is that picky, uncontrollable, unpredictable weather. Sometimes, it's too cold. Sometimes, it's too windy. Sometimes, it's raining. A lot of the time, it's raining.
So, this dip is kinda, like really, useful for me. For those days when there's an 80% chance of showers and I'm 100% certain I want s'mores for dinner.
By the way, it is absolutely okay to eat s'mores for dinner. I had salad for lunch, mind you.
I earned s'mores dip.
Sorta.
S'Mores Dip
(adapted from Tasty Kitchen)
1 11.5 oz. bag of dark chocolate chips, melted
1 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
1 cup marshmallow fluff
1/4 cup mini marshmallows
1 box graham crackers
Combine dark chocolate and milk until smooth. Fold the chocolate into the marshmallow fluff.
Transfer mixture into a serving dish. Top with the mini-marshmallows in a single layer. Toast mini marshmallows briefly with a torch. Drizzle with a little additional melted chocolate if desired.
Serve with graham crackers.
Listening to: Paramore - CrushCrushCrush
Apple Nachos
I don't know who came up with this idea.
But thank you.
Apple slices + Caramel + Peanut Butter + Chocolate + Coconut + Marshmallows + Nuts = Heaven.
If you're wondering what my inspiration was for this, I will tell you that it is a treat that is a whole season of temperamental weather away. Candy apples are one of my favorites, despite how much my teeth hate me afterward.
Every fall, I dive headfirst into harvest festivities. Apple picking, meandering through the in-progress pumpkin patches, amateur nature photography, the whole shootin' match.
One of my favorite things to do is visit a local business that makes custom candy apples with a crazy amount of different toppings. So, when I went to make apple nachos, I applied the same creativity and threw all my favorites onto the plate.
Trust me, this is how you get away with candy apples in June.
Apple Nachos
3 apples, cut in 1/4" slices
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp peanut butter, warmed
2 tbsp caramel sauce
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup mini marshmallows
Toss the apple slices in the lemon juice to coat.
Lay the apples out on a large plate, and drizzle with peanut butter and caramel. Sprinkle almonds, chocolate chips, coconut and marshmallows over the top.
Listening to: Poison - Nothin' But A Good Time
But thank you.
Apple slices + Caramel + Peanut Butter + Chocolate + Coconut + Marshmallows + Nuts = Heaven.
If you're wondering what my inspiration was for this, I will tell you that it is a treat that is a whole season of temperamental weather away. Candy apples are one of my favorites, despite how much my teeth hate me afterward.
Every fall, I dive headfirst into harvest festivities. Apple picking, meandering through the in-progress pumpkin patches, amateur nature photography, the whole shootin' match.
One of my favorite things to do is visit a local business that makes custom candy apples with a crazy amount of different toppings. So, when I went to make apple nachos, I applied the same creativity and threw all my favorites onto the plate.
Trust me, this is how you get away with candy apples in June.
Apple Nachos
3 apples, cut in 1/4" slices
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp peanut butter, warmed
2 tbsp caramel sauce
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup mini marshmallows
Toss the apple slices in the lemon juice to coat.
Lay the apples out on a large plate, and drizzle with peanut butter and caramel. Sprinkle almonds, chocolate chips, coconut and marshmallows over the top.
Listening to: Poison - Nothin' But A Good Time
Tzatziki Sauce
Here's the recipe for tzatziki sauce.
It's a yogurt sauce that goes great with so many greek dishes.
Tzatziki Sauce
2 cups greek yogurt
1 cucumber, peeled and finely diced
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp chopped dill
1 tsp dried oregano
Strain as much water out of cucumbers as possible.
Mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator for two hours before serving.
Listening to: Joey & Rory - Cheater, Cheater
It's a yogurt sauce that goes great with so many greek dishes.
Tzatziki Sauce
2 cups greek yogurt
1 cucumber, peeled and finely diced
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp chopped dill
1 tsp dried oregano
Strain as much water out of cucumbers as possible.
Mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator for two hours before serving.
Listening to: Joey & Rory - Cheater, Cheater
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