Casual Sunday BBQ w/ Family

We capped off a great weekend with a casual get-together with my sister and her partner this weekend. She has 'gifted' us with lot's of yummy veggies from her garden, so we decided to return the 'gifting' by providing the main course for dinner, namely some delicious steak tips from a local farmer who provides the best in organic, grass-fed cattle, from his small farm in Wilton NH. We usually just do a simple marinade, and then throw them on the grill. For starters, we combined my sister's raw veggies, hummus dip and smoked oysters with our offering of kalamata olives with fresh feta cheese, which is drizzled with EVOO, a sprinkling of fresh oregano, and then baked (Or microwaved)just until the olives are warm and the cheese is melted. We also brought an artichoke "marinade" recipe that I got from my mum that is ADDICTIVE. It's so easy, and we end up using it for just about anything, from salad dressing, to a topping for grilled veggies, fish, etc, but it's best served in a little dish to eat spooned on crackers or crusty toasted bread! Best of all, it keeps a long time in the fridge, which makes it the perfect little snack to serve with drinks for drop-in company!

Mum's Artichoke Marinade

1 large jar (16 oz) of artichoke hearts (in oil)save oil/marinade from jar
2 small tins (8 oz each) mushroom bits/stems, drained
20 pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1-2 tsp ginger, finely chopped (must be fresh, do not substitute dried ginger)
2-3 TBSP good extra virgin olive oil
2 TBSP balsamic vinegar.

Chop artichoke hearts add to a glass bowl, adding the marinade from the jar.
Add the remaining ingredients, stirring well. Chill at least 30 minutes before serving. Keeps weeks in a jar in the fridge. Good as an accompaniment for crackers, bread etc, as well as in salads, and on grilled fish, chicken. Try it in hot pasta. Enjoy!!!

We're Havin' A Heatwave!

Wow, we are in the midst of a major heat wave.. all the more reason to love the salads, and other quick and easy meals Thom & I have been making this week. Tonight, we made "Mini-Mushroom Cheeseburger Sliders". It's a variation of a recipe I found in magazine, and tore out.. but for the life of me I cannot remember which magazine! I think it might have been Canadian Living. Anyway, I changed it up a little by adding some extra spice, and swapping out the ground beef for ground turkey, which is pretty much all I use for ground meat these days... (P.S. T says Mini-Sliders is a redundant title... but I don't care! LOL)

Mushroom-Cheeseburger Mini-Sliders

8 cremini mushrooms (I used regular white ones)
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
1 lb extra lean ground beef (I used ground turkey)
1tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp each black pepper and cayenne pepper (or chipotle chili powder!)
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme (I used a scant 1/2 tsp dried)

For the toppings:

2 cups baby arugula
12 small slices extra strong cheddar (about 1.5x1.5 inches.. if you buy the block it's a perfect size)
12 small slices tomato
12 mini multi grain flat breads, or pitas.

In a Food Processer, finely chop the mushrooms and onions; scrape into a bowl
Add the ground meat, and seasonings.

Divide the meat into quarters. Make 3 patties from each quarter. They should be roughly the diameter of the mini flat breads. Press your thumb into the center of each patty. This will keep the patty flat, and prevent it from 'bulging'. (cool trick, eh? It works for regular sized patties too.)
Cook on the grill, or in a grill pan on med high heat, turning once. Thom says 3 minutes per side ought to do it!

I prepped the mini "buns" while the meat was grilling. The baby arugula on the bottom slice, and the tomato and cheese on the top slice, with the cheese on top, so when the top is placed on the meat, the cheese will melt on contact. We had this with grilled sweet potato "fries", and salted crunchy cucumber slices. Pretty darned decent! :)

Mediterranean Sardine Salad Recipe - Every Day with Rachael Ray

I think sardines get a bad rap. Maybe because a lot of folks don't care for anchovies, and they think of sardines as cousins to anchovies. Whatever it is, sardines are *not* at all like anchovies! And they're cheap! And they are very good for you! And... last but not least, if you try this salad, you will discover they are actually really good! At least give it a try, I think you will be surprised! This is a Rachel Ray recipe from the May 2011 issue. Just click on the link below to get the recipe!


Mediterranean Sardine Salad Recipe - Every Day with Rachael Ray

What do *you* do with Swiss Chard?

We love swiss chard, it's often compared to spinach, but you can't eat it raw; it is a heartier green than spinach, although not as hearty as kale. Anyway, whenever I see an interesting recipe for this great veggie, I jump on it! This one is from the Canterbury Farmer's Market, via an article I read in our local paper, the Hippo. The original recipe included directions for a cornmeal pizza dough crust, but I'm lazy, and usually rely on Boboli or any good quality pre-baked crust...) For a vegetarian version, simply omit the bacon.

Swiss Chard and Ricotta Pizza

Pre-heat your oven (or in this weather, your grill!) to 450 degrees f.

1 bunch Swiss chard (about 12 ounces)
4 slices of bacon, cut into 3/4 squares
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
salt/pepper to taste
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup grated mozzarella (or use those cute little bocaccini(sp)
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 Boboli crusts. (or just one, and keep 1/2 of the toppings for another meal, like us... we will have it for lunch on 6" pita rounds tomorrow!)

1. Strip the swiss chard leaves from the stems. Chop stems, and tear leaves; set aside.
2. In a medium skillet on medium heat, cook bacon until just beginning to brown. Remove and drain. Pour off all but 2 TBSP of bacon fat from the skillet.
3. Add the garlic, cook and cook until golden, 2-3 minutes. Add the chard stems, and cook 8-10 minutes until softened (I added a few tablespoons of beer (the chef likes beer!) to deglaze the pan and help soften the stems. Then add the leaves, and cook another 5-8 minutes with the skillet covered, stirring occasionally.

To Make the Pizza.

Divide all the topping ingredients in half, using each half on top of the 2 crusts.
First, spread the chard evenly over the crusts
Next, "dollop" small amounts of the ricotta (use a teaspoon) evenly over the chard.
Next, sprinkle the parmesan, and then the mozzarella.
Finally, sprinkle the chopped bacon, and then sprinkle with hot pepper flakes to taste.

Bake 15 minutes in 450 oven (or wicked hot grill)

Let set for a couple of minutes before cutting.
Makes 8 slices total, 4 servings.