Sunday, May 31, 2015

Grilled Burgers with Jerk Seasoning Glaze topped with julienned vegetables


This recipe was one of those that evolved as I was prepping the burgers for the grill.  I have found the BEST marinade and sauce blend. I used World Harbors Jamaican Style Jerk Marinade and Sauce  in place of BBQ sauce after the burgers were cooked.  The flavors are amazing.

2 pounds ground chuck
salt
pepper
World Harbors Jamaican Style Jerk Marinade and Sauce

Shape the ground chuck into 6 or 8 burgers. Make a small indention in the middle of each patty. Lightly salt and pepper. Preheat grill and cook burgers 5 - 7 minutes per side. When burgers are cooked to your desired level of doneness, brush on the sauce on one side of the burgers and let that glaze over and then flip burgers and give the other side a nice coating of sauce.  

Top with the vegetables prepared as follows:

1 small yellow onion, halved lengthwise and then thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 medium zucchini, julienned
2 medium carrots, julienned
Corn oil
McCormick's Perfect Pinch Caribbean Jerk Seasoning

Place a medium sized cast iron skillet on the grill and and a tablespoon or two of corn oil. Let oil heat until it shimmers and then add vegetables.  

Let them cook just until they begin to soften.  


Remove from grill and season with the Caribbean Jerk Seasoning. Top the burgers with the vegetables. 



Garlic and Lime Grilled Corn


Shuck and silk the corn and give it a good washing.  Let the corn drain and then coat with a light coating of olive oil.

In a small bowl, mix 1 stick softened butter, a few shakes of salt, a few grinds of black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic.

Place the corn on a pre-heated grill over medium high heat and let the corn cook about 10 minutes, turning the corn with tongs as the corn cooks.

Remove from the grill, place on a serving tray, and brush on the softened garlic butter.  Top with freshly grated lime zest and serve immediately.

Fried Potatoes on the grill!



It's grilling season!  And remember you can carry that cast iron OUTSIDE to the grill!

Before I put the burgers on to cook, I cubed up a few Russet potatoes, added a little corn oil to one of my cast iron skillets and let that get sizzling hot.

Added in the potatoes and let them cook.  Don't stir them for at least 5 or 6 minutes.  If you give in to the urge to stir, they will stick and you will have a mess.  Don't ask me how I know this.

When the potatoes are a nice golden brown, remove from the grill (CAREFULLY) and scoop out the potatoes to a paper towel lined planed to drain.

Sprinkle with a little salt and McCormick Caribbean Jerk Seasoning.  Serve immediately.



What a Jerk! (the weather that is!)


I had planned a great last night of vacation meal on the deck.  I thought I'd just fire up the new grill and proceed to the Islands....at least in my mind.  

Well.  All things can change in an instant.

Right when I got all the goodies on the grill, the thunder started.  Then the torrents of rain.  So in typical Lolly fashion, I quickly moved to Plan B.  Let's just pull that grill over to the dining room door .....


And in between lightning flashes, open the door and check the food!


I hope you got a chuckle out of this! 

Saturday, May 30, 2015

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Tennessee T-Bone Steaks with Whiskey Butter


Fired up the new grill (see what I did there?) and christened it with these beautiful t-bone steaks.  Another recipe from the John Wayne Way to Grill cookbook.  These were served with whiskey butter which you can put on top of the steaks or spread on biscuits.

2 (1 1/2 inch thick) T-bone steaks
2 t. salt
1 t. black pepper

Bring grill to medium heat.  Cover both sides of your room-temperature steaks with salt and pepper.  Put steaks on grill and cook for 9 - 11 minutes, flipping once.

For the Butter:

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 T. whiskey
1 T.white wine vinegar
1T. Worcestershire sauce
2 t. Dijon mustard
1/4 t. salt
1/4. t. cayenne pepper

Mix all the ingredients together until well blended. Pack into a small bowl with wax paper, cover and chill until you're ready to serve.


It was a delicious meal!



 

Friday, May 29, 2015

Cheese Straw Wafers



I made these dainty little cheese straw wafers for the granddaughters' tea party birthday party a few weeks ago. Instead of a traditional cheese straw which is extremely delicate to handle, I used the cookie press to make, easier for little girls to handle, "wafers."

1 stick butter, softened
8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. ground cayenne pepper
1 1/2 - 2 cups all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, blend the first four ingredients together until well combined, about 5 minutes.

Add flour, a few tablespoons at a time, until dough comes together and holds its shape.  

At this point you can either put dough into a pastry bag with a star tip and squeeze out into long ribbons, cutting each about 2 inches long OR you can put a disc into a cookie press and press out little wafer like I did above.

Bake 13 - 15 minutes until golden brown. Let cool on wire racks. Store in airtight containers with a sheet of waxed paper in between layers.
Beat first 5 ingredients at medium speed with a heavy-duty stand mixer until blended. Gradually add flour, beating just until combined. For a traditional cheese straw, you can use a cookie press with a star-shaped disk to shape mixture into long ribbons on parchment paper-lined baking sheets and cut ribbons into 2-inch pieces. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. - See more at: http://jewishfoodexperience.com/recipes/southern-style-savory-cheese-straws-or-wafers/#sthash.FORumpXI.dpuf
Beat first 5 ingredients at medium speed with a heavy-duty stand mixer until blended. Gradually add flour, beating just until combined. For a traditional cheese straw, you can use a cookie press with a star-shaped disk to shape mixture into long ribbons on parchment paper-lined baking sheets and cut ribbons into 2-inch pieces. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. - See more at: http://jewishfoodexperience.com/recipes/southern-style-savory-cheese-straws-or-wafers/#sthash.FORumpXI.dpuf

Grilled Texas Toast


Here's the bread I cooked on the grill to go along with our John Wayne Happy Birthday Party.  Coated with garlic butter and sprinkled with cheese right before removing from the grill, makes plain old rolls VERY delicious.  

1 loaf Texas Toast
1 stick butter, softened
4 cloves of garlic, pressed
1/4 t. dried parsley
salt and pepper
Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded

Mix butter, garlic, and parsley in a small bowl until well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Brush both sides of the bread with the mixture and put the bread on the grill. Grill each side of the bread for 1 - 2 minutes or until it turns a light golden brown.

Right before you remove the bread from the grill, add a pinch of cheese. When it melts, remove the toast to a plate and serve.

Adapted from The John Wayne Way to Grill Cookbook.

Scalloped Cheddar Potatoes



As regular readers of the blog know, my love of potatoes is legendary.  And cheese, I love you so.  This is the best of everything.  It's certainly not something you could (or should) eat every day, but as our side dish for the Happy Birthday to John Wayne Party, it was PERFECTION.

3 lbs. Russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
3 cups milk
1 clove garlic, minced
3 T. butter, softened
1 cup heavy cream
8 oz. cheddar cheese, grated
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Combine potatoes and milk in a saucepan over high heat.  Bring to a boil, then bring back down to low.  Cover and simmer for about 3 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Drain potatoes and save the milk, making sure you have at least 2 cups.

Coat the inside of a large cast iron skillet with garlic and butter.  Add sliced potatoes and top with salt and pepper.  Add reserved milk and cream. Stir cheese into potatoes.

Bake for about 85 minutes or until golden brown and milk has reduced and thickened.

From The John Wayne Way to Grill Cookbook.

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Happy Birthday John Wayne!

May 26th is John Wayne's birthday. I recently purchased The Official John Wayne Wayne to Grill Cookbook that is filled with memories from his family about his life, family recipes, and many photos.  So in honor of The Duke's birthday, I decided to try some of the recipes and have a Cowboy Themed table.  I'll post individual pictures/recipes of the menu items.

 







Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Memorial Day Cookout - Charred Corn Mexican Salad


A friend requested that I bring a corn salad to the cookout yesterday.  I had never made a corn salad, but automatically I started forming my plan for ingredients.  A quick review of online recipes offered canned or frozen (and thawed) corn.  I knew I wanted to use fresh corn and by charring it on the grill, that would add an entirely new flavor dimension.

Here's the ingredients:
5 medium sized ears of corn
corn oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
2 cups of diced cherry tomatoes
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can red beans, rinsed and drained
1 avocado, diced
1/3 cup olive oil
2 T. rice wine vinegar
Zest of one lime
Juice of two limes
1/4 t. chili powder
1/2 t. salt (or more to taste)
oregano
basil
parsley
cilantro

Lightly apply a thin layer of oil on the ears of corn.  Over a gas flame or on a gas grill, char the corn and let cool.  When corn has cooled enough to handle, cut corn from the cob and place in a large mixing bowl.

Add the remaining nine ingredients and stir gently to combine.

In a two cup measuring cup, whisk together the remaining ingredients and pour over the salad ingredients and gently stir to make sure everything is covered with dressing.

Choosing which herbs you favor, add a few tablespoons of each or more of some or less of others.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Memorial Day Cookout - Vidalia Onions cooked with white wine and cream and topped with Parmesan/Reggiano Cheese


I made these a few weeks ago in the oven.  For yesterday's cookout, I thought they would be delicious cooked in a cast iron skillet over an open fire.  Yes, these were even better.

Here's the recipe:

Peel and slice 3 or 4 Vidalia onions about 1/4 inch thick.  Keep the rings together.  Place in a buttered cast iron skillet and drizzle with olive oil.  Top with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Cover with foil and let cook over an open fire until onions begin to soften.  Depending on how close to the fire you have the skillet and how the fire is, this should take about 30 minutes more or less.

Whisk together 3/4 cup of heavy cream and 1/2 cup white wine with 1 t. dried Italian seasoning.  Slowly pour into the skillet and recover with foil.  Let the liquid come to a boil and let onions simmer for about 10 more minutes.

Top with 1/2 - 3/4 cup freshly Parmesan/Reggiano cheese.  Let cook until cheese melts and begins to brown.

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Beginning of Summer!

We've been working hard the past few weeks to improve our backyard to add more areas for entertaining. Some beautiful flowers planted, a LOT of mulch spread about, weeding, trimming azaleas, adding some pretty accent pieces and we were ready for a small gathering tonight. There's still work to do, so maybe this party should be considered as a "soft opening."  :)  

I used my Bobby Flay Mediterranean serving pieces. I love the bright summery colors on these. I made my favorite pimento cheese. The recipe is found HERE.  I purchased Tuscan Herb Hummus and added mixed nuts and green grapes to the offerings. Wheat Thins, Club Crackers and Pasta Chips rounded out the menu.

Some people hesitate to entertain because they are afraid they can't cook, or they can't get everything together, or their house isn't "company ready." These photos prove that with a little bit of effort, you can host a gathering of your friends and have a lovely time relaxing, resting and recharging. 




Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Asian Green Beans


Green beans.  The staple of many dinner plates when you know you NEED to have a green vegetable. 

I served these alongside turkey patties that were glazed with some of the remaining sauce used for these green beans. The recipe for those are found here http://fleurdelolly.blogspot.com/2015/05/asian-turkey-patties-with-soy-ginger.html

1 lb. fresh green beans
1 T. cornstarch
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon sodium soy sauce divided
2 t. vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ t. minced ginger
3 T. honey
2. T dry sherry
1-2 t. Sriracha sauce or 1/2 t. dried red pepper flakes
2 t. toasted sesame oil

Steam green beans until crisp tender and set aside. In small bowl whisk together corn starch and 1 T. soy sauce set aside.

In large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat; add garlic and ginger and saute for 1 minute. Add to skillet, 1/3 cup soy sauce, honey, sherry, Sriracha, and sesame oil; whisk to combine. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Whisk in cornstarch/soy sauce mixture; stir and heat until thickened. It will thicken quickly! 

Remove about half the sauce to a small bowl. This is what you will use to glaze the turkey patties in the recipe found HERE.

Add green beans to skillet and toss until evenly coated with sauce. Transfer to platter and sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired.



Adapted from The Yummy Life.

Asian Turkey Patties with Soy Ginger Glaze


I am thoroughly enjoying my new found love of ground turkey and turkey patties.  Instead of a burger, I decided to serve these with rice and pineapple rings along with Asian Green Beans.

The recipe for those is found here http://fleurdelolly.blogspot.com/2015/05/asian-green-beans.html

1 lb. ground turkey divided into four patties
Ground Ginger
Granulated Garlic
Salt
Pepper
1 T. vegetable oil
Pineapple slices in juice, juice drained and reserved

Season turkey patties on both sides with ginger, garlic, salt, and pepper.  Heat oil in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat until shimmering.  Add turkey and cook, turning as they brown, until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Lower heat to the lowest setting you have.

Whisk 1 - 2 T. of the pineapple juice into the reserved sauce from the green beans.  Brush on glaze, turning patties over several times until glaze thickens. Remove patties and place on a plate.

Add a few pineapple rings at a time to the skillet and brush those with the glaze as well.  Enjoy!


Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Roasted Parmesan Creamed Vidalia Onions



It's Vidalia Onion time!  Which means, if you're not familiar with this delicious variety of onion, it's time to enjoy the best onion ever.

Very sweet and mild, they are only grown in one distinct area of Georgia and their season is short, but what great recipes we can enjoy while it lasts.

For more information on these delicacies, click HERE.

I adapted this recipe from one posted by Proud Italian Cook.  These cooked up so soft and sweet and creamy, that I had to make myself stop eating them.

4 medium to large Vidalia Onions 
olive oil
salt and pepper
granulated garlic
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 up white wine
dried Italian Seasoning
Finely grated Parmesan cheese
chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Peel and slice the onions into 1/4 inch slices.   Using a thin, metal spatula, carefully place the slices on the parchment lined sheet, keeping the rings intact. Drizzle the onion slices with olive oil and lightly season with salt, pepper and granulated garlic.

Place in the oven for 15 minutes.  At this point, your kitchen will smell unbelievably delicious and your tummy will be growling.

While the onions are roasting, place the heavy cream and white win in a small saucepan and simmer until it begins to bubble around the edges.  Remove from the heat and set aside.

When the onions have roasted, remove from oven and carefully transfer them to a shallow baking dish, once again, keeping the rings intact.  Sprinkle with additional pepper, dried Italian seasoning and up to 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese.  Slowly pour over the cream sauce over the top of the onions. Cover baking dish with foil.

Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees and place in oven for another 20 - 25 minutes.  Remove foil and allow the cheese to get nicely browned and bubbly. 

Guaranteed to be delicious!!!

Monday, May 18, 2015

Pork Cubed Steak with Golden Brown Gravy



Another one of those recipes that I can make in my sleep and will be in the Facebook album entitled "Simply Southern." If you're fortunate enough to be able to find pork cubed steak in your supermarket, give it a try. If not available, beef cubed steak is a perfect substitute. Simply substitute beef stock for the chicken stock in your gravy.

1 - 1 1/2 lbs. cubed steak
1 cup self rising flour
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
1/4 t. onion powder
1/4 t. granulated garlic
vegetable or corn oil
2 1/2 cups chicken broth

In a cast iron skillet over medium high heat, add oil to a depth of about 1/2 inch. Place flour and seasonings together in a shallow plate and using a fork, stir to combine. Place a few pieces of the cubed steak in the seasoned flour and coat thoroughly. When a drop or two of flour sizzles, your oil is ready.

Slowly add a few pieces of the steak into the oil and reduce heat to medium. Let steak brown and carefully turn over and cook the other side. Remove to a plate and continue cooking steak until all done. Keep remaining flour to make the gravy.

Lower heat to medium low, and pour out all but a tablespoon or so of the oil. Add remaining flour to the oil and, stirring constantly, let cook for a minute or two until the flour has browned. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Slowly pour in chicken broth and continue stirring while gravy thickens.  

Lower heat to low and add the cubed steak back into the gravy until ready to serve. I served over mashed potatoes. 

Sunday, May 17, 2015

Birthday Tea Party

The twin granddaughters turned 4 years old a few weeks ago and their little sister will be 2 years old in a few weeks.  Their mother (my daughter) chose a Birthday Tea Party to celebrate all the birthdays.  

Y'all know my love of lace tablecloths.  A young(ish) salesperson told me recently that lace tablecloths must be a "generational thing" because the only one she ever remembers seeing was at her grandmother's house years ago.  Well, thank goodness, the little ladies who attended yesterday's Birthday Tea Party will grow up knowing that sometimes lace tablecloths, floppy hats, sandwiches with the crusts removed and cheese straws will never be a "generational thing," but a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.

The hats were purchased at Dollar Tree and pretty silk flowers were hot glued on the brims.  The assorted tea cups and saucers with Salvation Army store finds!



I've had these beautiful teapots, sugar bowls and creamers for years.  They were put to excellent use as table decorations to hold beautiful pink carnations and little sweet treats.





The serving table was filled with treasured glassware give to me by friends and family through the years. 


Their mother baked the cupcakes and made the white chocolate dipped, sprinkle topped sugar wafers.





Lolly baked the Cheese Straw "Wafers."  The recipe will be coming soon.


This serving piece was the birthday girls' great-great grandmother's!  And the sandwiches had their mother's recently canned strawberry jam from strawberries the girls picked themselves.


 Teapot and tea cup cookies were the perfect little nibble as well.




The party guests had their choice of Yellow or Pink Lemonade.