Tag Archives: summer

Cabo Beach Burgers.

Posted on June 15, 2012 by Jey| 6 Comments

The Swap theme this time around was another Blogger’s Choice.  I was assigned Sweet Beginnings, which was awesome since I’ve had my eye on a bunch of Jaida’s recipes for a while now.  Sadly though, the Husby has been out of town for the past two weeks (which is our time frame for the swap) so I had to choose something that would be easily adaptable for one.

I typically have a really hard time cooking for just myself when DH is away.  It’s so much easier to just pick up something prepared at the grocery store or place a call for delivery.  But this week was different.  After gorging myself on all the delicious food in Seattle at BlogHer Food this weekend, I was determined to get in the kitchen and take control of what I was eating.

I found some ground beef in the freezer so off I went to search the site for a great recipe.  I loved the sound of this burger, and it turned out that I was only missing one ingredient so I just made an easy substitution!  So while the Fruitaholic dined on some avocado, blueberries and bacon (this child’s eating habits are quite interesting), I happily munched away on my burger.

The creamy avocado provided a nice contrast against the crisp bacon, and the flavor of the patty was out of this world.  I didn’t want to buy a full container of chipotle mayo so I mixed a chopped chipotle pepper and a bit of its sauce into some greek yogurt instead of mayo.  I also mixed some of the chipotle pepper and cilantro into the ground beef as well.  What can I say?  I like things spicy!

And speaking of BlogHer Food, I was lucky to meet the fine folks over at Ziplist.  The Erins were incredibly nice and welcoming and I thank them for allowing me to crash their party!  Ziplist allows you to save a recipe to your recipe box and even create a shopping list to take with you to the grocery store, so make sure to head over and check them out.  They have a database full of thousands of recipes from your favorite bloggers and food sites.  It’s free so what do you have to lose?!

I have much more to tell you about BlogHer Food in the near future but for now, tell me:  What do you think of the new formatting here on TJOC?

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Cabo Beach Burgers

Serving Size: 4 Burgers

Ingredients

  • 1 Lb. Lean Ground Beef
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 Chipotle in Adobo, seeded and chopped + 1 Tbsp. Sauce,
  • 2 Cloves Garlic, chopped
  • 1/4 Cup Cilantro, chopped
  • 1/4 Cup Greek Yogurt (or Lite Mayonnaise)
  • 1 Chipotle in Adobo, seeded and chopped + 1 Tbsp. Sauce
  • 4 Slices Bacon, cooked
  • 4 Slices Pepper Jack Cheese (I shredded about a cup)
  • 4 Burger Buns
  • 1 Avocado, sliced
  • 1/2 Cup Cilantro, chopped

Instructions

Heat your grill or a grill pan over medium-high heat.

In a medium bowl, combine the beef, Worcestershire sauce, chipotle and sauce and cilantro. Form the mixture into 4 patties. Cook for 4-6 minutes per side to your desired amount of doneness.

While the burgers are cooking, combine the yogurt/mayo and chipotle and mix well. Set aside.

Toast the buns. Spread the sauce on the bottom bun. Assemble the burgers in the following order: bottom bun, patty, cheese, avocado slices, 2 half strips of bacon, cilantro, top bun.

Source -

Slightly adapted from Sweet Beginnings

http://www.thejeyofcooking.com/cabo-beach-burgers/

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Sesame Noodle Salad and a Giveaway!

Posted on June 1, 2012 by Jey| 17 Comments

This week’s recipe swap was Noodles!  I was super pumped for this swap because while I love pasta, we don’t eat a lot of it at home (I know, crazy right?).  I was matched again with Simple Gourmet Cooking and her recipe for Sesame Noodle Salad did not disappoint!  I’m a huge fan of Asian flavors and this was a great addition of something different to our Memorial Day spread.  I loved being able to serve something cold on a hot summer day.

I cheated a bit and used Trader Joe’s Healthy 8 Chopped Veggie Mix since TJ’s was out of red cabbage and I didn’t feel like making an extra stop.  I always love adding in extra veggies where I can and this was the perfect way to do so.  It was also the perfect opportunity to test out my new toy: A Salad Dressing Shaker from OXO!!

The Salad Dressing Shaker has a great design, is BPA free and dishwasher safe.  It’s airtight, waterproof and has a leak proof, one handed open/close seal.  The wide opening allowed me to add all of my ingredients directly to the “bowl” and when open, the seal allowed enough room for the chunky ingredients to pass through.  Oh, and you didn’t hear it from me but it also works great as a drink shaker… The Husby used it to make an incredible martini!

OXO generously provided me with two Salad Dressing Shakers – one to demo and one to give away to a lucky TJOC reader!

To enter, just leave a comment telling me what you would use your Shaker for.  A winner will be chosen at random on Tuesday, June 5 at 3pm CST and will be contacted by email.  The winner will have 48 hours to respond or I will choose another winner.  Must live in the United States.

Sesame Noodle Salad – slightly adapted from Simple Gourmet Cooking

For the dressing:

  • 1/2 Cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. Toasted Sesame Oil
  • 2 Tbsp. Canola Oil
  • 2 Tbsp. Rice Wine Vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp. Ginger, minced
  • 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
  • 4 Green Onions, chopped
  • 1/4 Cup Cilantro, chopped

For the salad:

  • 1 Lb. Soba, Spaghetti or Lo Mein Noodles (I used TJ’s Brown Rice Spaghetti noodles)
  • 1 Package TJ’s Healthy 8 Chopped Veggie Mix OR
  • 1 Cup Red Cabbage, shredded
  • 2 Carrots, peeled and shredded
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1 1/2 Cups Edamame, shelled and cooked
  • Toasted Sesame Seeds, for serving (I forgot to add these)

In the bowl of a salad dressing shaker, combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, canola oil, vinegar, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, green onions and cilantro.  Replace the top of the shaker and shake to combine.

Cook the noodles according to package directions, drain and rinse with cold water.  Transfer the noodles to a large mixing bowl and toss with the veggies.  Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until well coated.  Sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds before serving.  Serve cold.

Tastes even better the next day!

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Cookies and Cream Ice Cream.

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Jey| 7 Comments

I still can’t believe that it’s already May.  This year is seriously flying by!  While we had a bout of nice weather back in February, it seems we’re finally turning the corner as it’s continuing to get warmer and warmer.  Therefore, this week’s swap theme, Warm Weather/BBQ Food, came at just the right time.

I was swapped with my friend Melissa’s blog, I Was Born to Cook.  Melissa sent along two recipes in case whomever received her blog didn’t have an ice cream maker.  And while her Pesto Pasta Salad with Grilled Chicken sounded amazing (I plan to make it at a later date), it was her ice cream recipe that ultimately won out.

The final product was sweet, rich and creamy – everything you could ask for in a frozen treat.  The only thing I would change for next time would be to add more cookies to really give it that chocolate punch.  I also would use a coarser crumb in order to incorporate bigger chunks of cookie into the mix.

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream – slightly adapted from I Was Born to Cook

  • 2 Cups Whole Milk
  • 2 Cups Heavy Cream
  • 1 Cup Sugar, divided
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla
  • 5 Egg Yolks
  • 12 Oreos

Whisk together the milk, cream, 1/2 cup sugar, salt and vanilla in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.  Bring the mixture just to a boil.

While the mixture is heating, add the egg yolk and remaining 1/2 cup sugar to a medium bowl.  Whisk together until the mixture is pale and thick.

Whisking constantly, add about 1/3 of the hot mixture to the yolk/sugar mixture.  Repeat with another 1/3, then returned the combined base to the saucepan.

Stir constantly with a wooden spoon over low heat until it coats the back of the spoon.  Be careful not to boil or the yolks will overcook.  It should only take a few minutes.  Remove from heat and bring to room temperature.  Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours, or overnight.

When you are ready to make the ice cream, pulse the Oreos in a food processor until you achieve your desired crumb size.  Process and freeze the ice cream base according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Add the cookie crumbs 5 minutes before finishing.

Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer until your desired consistency is reached.

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Strawberry Balsamic Chicken with Grilled French Onion Packets.

Posted on March 23, 2012 by Jey| 5 Comments

We swapped blogs instead of recipes for this week’s swap.  I was paired up with Cheesecurd in Paradise.  I’ve made some of Ashley’s recipes before and they were delicious, so I was really excited to browse through her blog and pick the perfect recipe (plus, she’s a fellow Midwesterner (albeit a Packers fan), so how could she possibly steer me wrong?).

The weather here in Chicago has been beyond gorgeous, which is so untypical for March.  Last week, the Husby cleaned out the grill and we’ve been having delectable grilled fare ever since.  Luckily, Ashley has a bunch of amazing recipes for the grill on her site, it took me a while to narrow it down to just one, so I gave a few ideas to the Husby and let him decide which sounded best.  I think he was thrilled to get some sort of say in the food I make for him, ha!

He ultimately chose this recipe for Strawberry Balsamic Chicken with Grilled French Onion Packets, and I’m so glad that he did.  The marinade for the chicken was so good, I kept sneaking spoonfuls (pre-chicken, obviously).  While marinating, I couldn’t stop thinking about it, so I reduced it into a sauce to serve over the chicken as well.  It would also make an incredible salad dressing!  Droooooool.

The chicken was incredibly moist and flavorful, and the sauce, well you know how I feel about it.

We also really loved the onions.  They were super soft and sweet due to the extended time on the grill, and the French onion flavor had me swooning and eating the leftovers off of the Husby’s plate.

Strawberry Balsamic Chicken with Grilled French Onion Packets – adapted slightly from Cheesecurd in Paradise

For the Chicken:

  • 8 Strawberries, tops removed
  • 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
  • 1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1 Shallot, minced
  • 1/2 tsp. Salt
  • 1/2 tsp. Pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. Honey
  • 4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

Combine all ingredients except the chicken in a medium bowl and blend using an immersion blender until fairly smooth.  Don’t have an immersion blender?  You can use a regular blender or a food processor instead.

Place the chicken into a large Ziploc back and pour the marinade on top.  Allow to marinate for at least an hour.  Remove chicken and grill over medium high heat until cooked completely.

While the chicken is on the grill, pour the remaining marinade into a saucepan.  Bring to a boil then simmer, stirring constantly 5-10 minutes.  If the sauce is too thick, add about 1/4 Cup white wine.  Serve over the chicken.

For the Onions:

  • 2 Large Sweet Onions
  • 2 Beef Bouillon Cubes
  • 4 Tbsp. Salted Butter
  • Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Peel the onions and chop of the tops and bottoms.  Cut out a small pocket in the center and place the bouillon cube inside.  Top with the butter and season with pepper.

Wrap each onion in foil, twisting at the top to create a seal.  Grill over medium heat on the top rack for 30-40 minutes, until onions are soft and the bouillon has dissolved.

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