BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

If you know me, then you know I live in a house surrounded by boys. I have my husband and my three men in training. Our schedules are crazy and at this point in the baseball season we rarely are able to sit down to dinner as a family. Last night the two older boys had practice and a game, and of course they were in totally different locations. Dinner was going to have to be a fast and easy one that they could grab whenever they were here and hungry. This is one of our favorite "Big Dumb Dinners".

 

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

 

 

 

1 rotisserie chicken, meat pulled off and shredded

1/2 onion, sliced

5 garlic cloves, whole

1 bottle of bbq sauce (whatever is your favorite)

hamburger rolls

1 bag of pre-shredded cole slaw mix

1/2 cup mayo

1/2 cup milk

1 Tbsp white vinegar

1 Tbsp sugar

salt and pepper

 

 

In a sauce pan, combine the chicken, onion, garlic and bbq sauce. Let the whole business simmer for 30 minutes until the onions and soft.

 

While you are letting that simmer, make the coleslaw. Mix the mayo, milk, vinegar, sugar and salt in a bowl. Once combined, pour over the preshredded cole slaw mix and stir until all covered. Add the pepper and taste for seasoning.

 

To make the sandwiches, I toast the burger rolls under the broiled until lightly brown and crispy. Take the garlic ouf of the chicken mixture and then top the rolls with the chicken. Now top the whole sandwich with a nice scoop of the cole slaw. Get you pile of napkins out and enjoy! If you are anything like my family, you will have to double this recipe because one sandwich is never enough!



Garden Party 2013

It all started because I was trying to figure out a fun way to showcase the food we had been growing in the garden. I am always one to try to convince everyone the benefits of a vegetable garden. What better way to do this than throw a fabulous dinner party making all food from the garden?! Brad and I went all out for this, using as much from not only the garden but also from our yard in general. We wanted to make the whole party as organic and natural as possible.

 

For the table, I started with a white table cloth then layered burlap on top of that and finally made a runner out of fabric that I found. The fabric has most of the colors of my yard in it so it worked perfectly.

 

Brad cut chargers out of an old tree from our property. I sanded them down and sealed them. We did the same for the name tags on each chair. I used a dremel to cut the names in and then burned them with a wood burning tool. I finished them with a coat of sealer and a bit of twine.

 

I used basic white dishes to keep it simple but added some color with the bandanna napkins. Then to add a little elegance, I used my silver place settings.

 

I filled mason jars of all sizes and shapes with sand and a tea candle. The glow of the candles gave the whole night a romantic feel while the sunflowers kept the table happy and fun.

 

 

For the cocktails, I kept it fun! I premade all the drinks in labeled mason jars and put them in an ice bucket next to the table. Here are the cocktails I made.

 

Raspberry Vodka Spritzer

             750ML bottle of vodka infused for 1 week with raspberries (rasp from garden)

              Serve 2 oz of vodka, club soda & mint (mint from garden)

 

Pimms Cup

             Muddle cucumber and an orange slice (cucumber from the garden)

              Top with 2 oz of Pimms and finish with 7up

 

Pear Mojito

              Muddle 10 mint leaves and 1 tsp of sugar (mint from the garden)

              2 oz Pear Nectar

              2 oz white rum

              Finish with club soda and a slice of pear (pear from our pear tree)

 

They were all a huge hit and everyone had a different one as their favorite! We served red and white wine on the table for dinner along with cucumber water.

 

 

 

For the food, I wanted to keep it simple but still fun and fresh. I did a menu of mostly make ahead food so I could really enjoy the party and my guests. Here are what I had for hors 'd oeuvres.

 

Pea & Goat Cheese Tarts

I used the frozen filo cups and filled them with goat cheese that I mixed with a bunch of herbs and topped them with snow peas that I took out of their shell. They were so light and fresh!

 

Sliced Sweet Peppers with Hummus

 

Caramelized onion & Apple Tarts

(I used apples from our apple trees)

See previous blog posting for recipe

 

 

Stuffed Jalapenos

Preheat the broiler and move the oven rack to the top position. Slit the jalapenos from the stem end to the top and halfway around the base (Don't slice all the way through). Remove all the seeds and put the jalapenos cut side down on a pan. Broil them until the skin begins to blister. Remove them and set aside until cool enough to handle.

In a small bowl, mix the 8 oz of goat cheese, 2 minced garlic cloves, 10 minced pickled cherry peppers and 3 Tbsp of the cheery pepper brine. Stuff the jalapenos with about 2 oz of the cheese mixture. Place the peppers back onto the pan and broil them, cheese side up, until golden brown.

 

Bruschetta

Use your favorite recipe

 

Cream Cheese with jalapeno jelly

Check back this summer for the jalapeno jelly recipe.

 

 

For Dinner, I kept with the same idea of making it all ahead of time and keeping it simple.

 

On both ends of the table I had a loaf of zucchini bread with three different spreads. I had a purple basil butter, pear jam and a rhubarb jam. I put these all on a wood charger and burned "Grow, Cook, Eat" into it (Its the name of an amazing cook book by Willi Galloway).

The day before the party, I marinated boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a simple marinade. The day of the party, I grilled the chicken and drizzled pesto over the top. I served this sliced and cold.

 

For side dishes, I made a simple, yet tasty Tabboleh salad. This showed off the tomatoes from the garden which were so sweet and yummy and a bunch of herbs! Along side this, I made a zucchini, squash and cucumber salad. I peeled them with a vegetable peeler and then dressed them in a carrot and ginger dressing (the carrots were from the garden).

 



I think dessert was my favorite part of the meal because it was so unexpected! The main attraction was chocolate zucchini cake. This was drizzled with raspberry sauce and served with three kinds of ice cream on the side: Beet & Orange, purple basil raspberry swirl and basil and mint. They were so weirdly good!

The night was so much fun! I had some of my favorite people around me and the setting was perfect. We had a fire lit after dinner where we all sat around and relaxed. The night was simple and perfect! Of course the one thing that made my life unbelievably easy that night was using staff from Feel Like a Guest to do all the serving and clean up! 

 

 

 

Get Your Hands Dirty!

It's that time of year... my hands are dirty, my boots are caked in mud and my dining room table is covered with seedlings starting to pop. It's garden time! This literally is my absolute favorite time of year. I get so excited thinking about the fruits and veggies my yard is about to produce for me and more importantly, how I can roast them, grill them, bake them, preserve them.... well you get the point. I won't deny having a big garden is a ton of work. However, it might just be the most satisfying work you can do. It is also a ton of fun. Obviously, I love to cook, but cooking with something that you just pulled out of your garden 5 minutes before just makes that dish so much more amazing. Plus, last year I had a fabulous garden party at the end of the summer and made everything out of food from the garden (I will post about that a little later). So, if you are planning a vegetable garden or just trying to get some ideas, then keep reading!



I always start by loading up on seeds in early February. I get any seeds I think look fun or different. I also really like getting vegetables with lots of color so my garden is bright and fun. I have done Dragon Tongue beans and black krum tomatoes, anything to bring a little color to my dinner table works for me! I start the seeds in bathroom Dixie cups in the house in the end of February. Normally it's tomatoes, peppers, herbs and then a few random flowers. These won't all fit in my garden so I will pass them out to family and neighbors too.

Around this time is also when I plant all of my cold crops. Cold crops are the veggies that can withstand the cold or even snow; lettuce, snow peas, etc...

My wonderful husband Brad made me all of the raised beds for the garden. He does all the hard labor at the beginning of the season. He roto-tills the garden and adds the manure and compost along with being the "structural engineer" for the garden itself.

 

When all that is done, I step in and take over. It is time to clean up and get the garden ready to go!

Here is what I do to help keep the weeds down. In the beginning of the season, I weed everything as much as I can. This usually takes me a full day or two. When that hell is over, I line all the aisles with newspaper and wet it all down so it sticks to itself. Follow that with hay to keep the paper from blowing away. It looks really nice but it also serves a very important purpose. Weeding an overgrown huge garden is the worst!

When the garden is weeded and cleaned up from the winter, it is time to start planting! Around here in Philadelphia, planting your summer crops is always on Mother's Day weekend. The fear of frost is gone so the plants will be able to survive. The vegetables I always plant are tomatoes, lettuce, all varieties of peppers, green beans, red and golden beets, cucumbers, squash, zucchini and onions. I have tried a bunch of other crops too but these are the ones that I have stuck with for the past 4 years.

 

From May to the end of September, I am picking, weeding, cooking and preserving. It is hard work but some of the best kind of work! I have tons of awesome recipes for veggies from the garden so stay tuned!



Questions or Comments? I would love to hear them!

Bridal Shower Menu Part 2

If you are bored of the same old brunches or shower menus, give this one a try! This is an unexpected twist to a basic menu.

 

 

Crab Strata Supreme

 

This is originally from "Big Book of Breakfast" by Maryana Vollstedt but was given a few tweaks by my friend Margo Eremus who was nice enough to pass it on to me. Keep in mind this is a "make the day ahead" recipe.

 

Ingredients:

1/2 loaf day old French bread, cut into 1/2" cubes

2 Tbsp butter

4 oz medium mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

6 green onions, including some tender green tops, chopped

3/4 cup diced celery

2 cups grated Swiss cheese

2 lbs jumbo lump crab

8 large eggs

1 1/4 cup half & half

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1 cup sour cream

2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

 

 

Place the bread cubes into a lightly sprayed or oiled 9x13" baking dish.

 

In a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the mushrooms, red pepper, green onions and celery. Saute until tender, 6-7 minutes. Spoon the mixture evenly over the bread. Layer the crab and Swiss cheese over the mixture.

 

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, half & half, wine and seasonings. Use a whisk and fold in the sour cream. Pour this over the bread mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night.

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While the oven is heating, bring the strata out and let it come to room temperature. Bake, covered with foil, until set, about 35 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle with the grated Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, until bubbly, about 10 more minutes. Let it stand for ten minutes before serving.

 

 

Pistachio Cream

 

 

 

This is a really fun twist to serving beef tenderloin sandwiches. As much as I love horseradish sauce, this is something that brings color and an unexpected flavor to the table! This is originally from The Food Network Magazine but was given to me by Ellen Wheeler.

 

 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup salted pistachios

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 clove garlic, roughly chopped

juice of 1/2 lemon

2 cups spinach

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

1 cup Mexican crema or sour cream

 

Combine the pistachios, red pepper flakes, garlic, lemon juice and spinach in a food processor. Pulse until chopped. With the motor running, slowly stream in the olive oil until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper and process for 5 more seconds. Pour the mixture into a bowl and whisk in the crema.

 

Serve with sliced beef tenderloin and rolls.

Sunday Funday

Bloody Marys!

Whether it is a little hair of the dog or just a relaxing afternoon, nothing says Sunday Funday like the perfect Bloody Mary! Everyone has their own version of the perfect bloody Mary and I am no exception. I found the most amazing recipe that has the perfect balance of tomato, heat and vodka. This is Kristin Alfandre's recipe from Mason's Grill in Baton Rouge.  Beware! It definitely has a kick to it!

 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz Absolut Peppar
1 pinch horseradish
1 piece lime (squeezed)
1 piece lemon (squeezed)
2 Dashes of celery salt
4 dashes of Tobasco
4 dashes of worcestershire
4 oz bloody mary mix
1 garnish of bacon
1 garnish celery
1 garnish pickled okra
1 garnish cocktail onion
1 garnish spicy green bean

Add ice to a shaker. Add all the ingredients except for the garnishes and shake vigorously. Dip the rim of your glass in a little freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice and then roll rim in the sea salt. Fill the glass with the contents of the shaker and then garnish with whatever you like!

The Mint Julep

 

I don't know why for for some reason these always taste better in the silver julep cups. Start sipping on one of these and you will immediately feel yourself relaxing!

 

 

 

Ingredients:

3 oz Makers Mark

Fresh mint (about 8 leaves)

2 oz simple syrup*

crushed ice

 

 

Muddle the mint and simple syrup in a silver julep cup. Add the bourbon and then fill the glass to the top with crushed ice. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint and enjoy!

 

*Simple syrup- mix equal parts sugar and water. Bring them to a boil to thicken and then let it cool. 

If you have a favorite Sunday cocktail, share it in the comment section below! I would love to hear from you!



Bridal Shower Menu

The flowers and blooming and the sun is out so this can really only mean one thing... WEDDING SEASON! What goes hand in hand with wedding season? Bridal Showers! I just happened to go to a beautiful one this past weekend for a family friend. We showered the happy bride with presents and best wishes and then of course gorged ourselves on an amazing brunch and champagne! If you are planning a brunch for any occasion, here is a simple and classic menu.

 

Quiche

 

 

 

There are so many different kinds to choose from, but these are some of my favorites!

 

DOUGH: Buy Pillsbury pie dough and let it come to room temperature on the counter. Roll the dough out, increasing the diameter by about 20%. Place the dough in your pie plate and gently push the dough down the sides of the pie plate. Trim the excess along the rim and turn the crust edge under and crimp. Put the crust into the fridge to keep it from shrinking when you cook it.

 

After about 45 minutes, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Put some foil inside the pie plate and up the sides. Fill the shell with pie weights (or beans) and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the weights and foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes (you want it to be a pale golden). Let it cool on a wire rack. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

 

EGG MIXTURE:



4 Large eggs

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1 pinch nutmeg

 

Whisk all the ingredients together in a medium bowl.

 

FILLING CHOICES:

 

Bacon and Onion: Cook 6 slices of bacon until crisp. Drain them on a paper towel. Wipe out the pan and add 1 thinly sliced medium onion. Saute with 2 Tbsp of butter and a pinch of salt until slightly brown. Crumble the bacon in the bottom of the pie shell and add the sauteed onion.

 

Leek and Goat Cheese: Thinly slice the white part of one large leek and saute it with 2 Tbsp of butter and a pinch of salt until very soft. Crumble 4 oz of goat cheese into the pie shell and add the leeks.

 

Bacon and Cheddar:

Cook 6 slices of bacon until crisp. Drain them on a paper towel. Crumble the bacon into the pie shell and add 4 oz of shredded cheddar cheese.

 

Artichoke and Onion:

Thinly slice 1 medium onion and saute it with 2 Tbsp of butter and a pinch of salt until lightly browned. Open 1 can of artichoke hearts packed in water, rinse them and squeeze out remaining liquid. Chop the artichokes into small pieces. Spread the onions and artichokes on the bottom of a pie shell.

 

After you have put your fillings into the pie shell, put the shell onto a baking sheet and pill it with the egg mixture (up to 1/4" from the top). Cover the rim of the pie shell with foil and bake in the middle of your oven for 55-60 minutes. Test it by sticking a clean knife into the center. It should come out clean. Let the quiche cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

 

These are great to serve at a brunch because they can be eaten warm or cold!

 

 

Pear and Blue Cheese Salad

 

 

 

Ingredients:

2/3 cup walnuts

1 bunch arugula

1 bunch spring mix

1 Tbsp cider vinegar

2 Tsp whole grain mustard

1/4 tsp kosher salt

black pepper

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 ripe pears (Anjou or bartlett)

2 oz mild blue cheese

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread out the walnuts on a sheet pan. Bake, shaking the pan occasionally, until the nuts are slightly toasted (about 7 minutes).

 

Meanwhile, whisk the vinegar and mustard together in a large salad bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is smooth and thick. Add the lettuces to the bowl. Quarter and core the pears and then thinly slice. Add these to the salad bowl. Scatter the cheese and nuts over the salad. Toss the salad together and enjoy!

 

 

Fruit Salad

 

 

 

 

This is the Pioneer Woman's fruit salad and it is spectacular!

 

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

zest and juice of 1 orange

1 vanilla bean

4 pints strawberries, hulled and halved

2 pints blueberries

2 cups green grapes, halved

2 cups red grapes, halved

fresh mint leaves

 

Place the sugar, 1 cup of water, orange juice and vanilla bean in a small pan and stir to dissolve the sugar. Then bring it to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes until it thickens up. Set aside to cool.

 

Prepare all the fruit in a large bowl. Pout the cooled syrup over the top and toss it all together. Decorate with the mint leaves and keep in the fridge until you are ready to serve!

 

 

 



 



 



You can always add a meat in this menu by doing filet sandwiches on mini brioche rolls . Check out my previous post about how to cook the perfect beef tenderloin!

 

Be sure to have plenty of pink champagne and add some fresh raspberries to make it extra special!

 

Mojitos!!!!

Mojitos!!!

 

 

 

Mojitos in the winter?? Im telling you.... I need it. I am done with the snow. Done done done. I have been dreaming of the beach and heat and floating in a pool. Instead, I am shoveling, de-icing and salting. Its torture. So in honor of needing summer, I decided to make my favorite summertime drink....The Mojito.

 

 

Ingredients:

Makes 1 mojito

 

10 fresh mint leaves

1/2 lime, cut in 4 wedges

2 Tbsp white sugar

1 cup ice

1 1/2 ounces white rum

1/2 cup club soda

 

Put mint leaves and 1 lime wedge into a glass. Use a muddler and crush them together. Add 2 more lime wedges and the sugar and muddle again. Fill the glass almost to the top with ice. Pour in the rum and then top off with the club soda. Stir and then garnish with the last lime wedge.

 

Enjoy!