Shea Center Appetizer Party

SALMON GRAVLOX WITH MANGO SALSA


JALAPENO SOUFFLES AND CRAB CAKES WITH CAPER LEMON SAUCE


JERK CHICKEN WITH PINEAPPLE SALSA AND PESTO SHRIMP WITH GUACAMOLE AND BBQ SAUCE


CAPRESE SKEWERS WITH TOMATO, MOZZARELLA, AND BASIL


DESSERT TRAY WITH LEMON AND CHOCOLATE TARTS AND CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES



One of the things I love to do is help out the Shea Center where I used to work. Every year they auction off an appetizer or dinner party and some years they sell 2 or 3 at once! yikes! But it's always really fun! I cook with an employee there, Susan who is a really good cook and combined we make some really delicious food. We spend all day friday prepping everything and then put everything together on the day of the event. The big hits of the night were the jalapeno souffles and the jerk chicken. The chef found all these recipes online and I'll put up as many as I can find. : ) The dates and caprese skewers are explained below because they are so simple to make but they have to be made the day of the event.

The menu consisted of:

-Salmon Gravlox w/mango salsa (make 3 days before, add mango to salsa day of)
-Jalapeno Souffles (make day of is best, make early in day and reheat with cheese later)
-Dates Of course- Mejdol Dates stuffed with goat cheese and wrapped in basil and proscuitto. Eventually broil at 400 fro 3 minutes until cheese bubbles and proscuitto is crispy. (make day of)
-Crab cakes w/ lemon mayo sauce (make sauce cakes except don't add crab till day of)
-Cilantro pesto shrimp on avocado chipotle toasts (really tostitos scoops)
-Caprese Skewer- small tomatoes, bite size pieces of mozzarella, basil leave, and balsamic vinagrette (make day of)
-Jerk Chicken skewers (marinade night before, cook day of)

For Dessert we made:

Mini lemon pies and dark and white chocolate tarts
chocolate dipped strawberries.

We were able to make the tart shells the day before then fill them and cool the day of. The shells were just store bought pie dough cut into small rounds and baked in a mini muffin pan. To make them look really pretty we added fresh berries to the pies and found a really cool silver serving tier tray.


JALAPENO SOUFFLES by Sara Moulton

The beauty of these little souffles is their resilience. You can make them a day ahead, toss them in the refrigerator, and then just top with cheese and reheat them when your guests arrive. People aren't usually served mini-souffles, so they will be charmed. Indeed you might find yourself reaching frequently for those mini-muffin tins. You can minimize just about any cake or muffin. If your jalapeno lacks bite (as so many do these days), just reach for a pickled jalapeno, either your own homemade version, or your favorite store-bought brand. I always keep a jar on the door of the refrigerator to toss into those dishes that need a little perking up.
Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus extra for buttering the tins
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons very finely chopped pine nuts
1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced
6 tablespoons whole milk
1/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 large egg, separated

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Butter a nonstick mini-muffin tin with 12 (1/8-cup) wells that measure 1 3/4 inches in diameter and 3/4-inch deep. Mix 1 tablespoon of the flour with 1/2 the pine nuts in a small bowl. Dust the tins with the flour and nut mixture. Tap out the excess.

Melt the 1 tablespoon butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons flour and the jalapeno. Cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and add the cheese, salt, pepper, mustard, and egg yolk. Cool to room temperature.

Beat the egg white until firm but not stiff. Stir a 1/4 of the white into the cheese sauce. Gently fold in the remaining white. Spoon into the prepared tins and bake until puffed and golden, 7 to 10 minutes. Cool in the tins on wire racks. When cool, run a small knife around the edge of each souffle. (The souffles will fall as they cool.) They can be prepared up to a day in advance and refrigerated. Bake in the muffin tins in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 5 to 7 minutes before serving.


JERK CHICKEN

Marinade:
4 whole green onions, ends trimmed
2 tbs fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
3 serrano chiles, minced (include seeds for extra spice)
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup cooking oil
2 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs cider vinegar
Chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite size pieces

Directions:

Char green onions on the grill or stove burner. Chop when cool enough to handle. In a food processor combine all the ingredients for the jerk marinade. Add chicken and marinade over night.

On the day of the party, remove chicken from marinade and thread onto metal skewers. Grill for a few minutes until chicken is cooked through and has nice grill marks. Rest chicken on the metal skewers and when cool enough to handle place on small wooden toothpicks or skewers.

At the party we served the chicken with a pineapple salsa but you could also serve it with some marinade that you reserved originally. (don't use marinade that had raw chicken in it over night). This is better if its served warm but still tastes really good when its at room temp.

Steak and Eggs

If you ever want a really filling breakfast with lots of protein, this is the meal for you! I personally love steak so getting an excuse to eat it in the morning is good to me. Thank goodness I went on a big hike in the forest by my friends cabin after this meal! haha

Ingredients:

1 steak
3 eggs
2 slices of potato already pre-cooked
butter
salt and pepper


Directions:

1. Pull steak out of fridge and season with salt and pepper and allow to come to room temp. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Crack eggs into a bowl and whisk together. Set aside.

3. Place a large pan over high heat with a dab of butter. Place the steak and cook on one side for about 4 minutes or until a nice brown crust forms.

4. Flip steak and cook on other side for another 4 minutes. If steak isn't done to your liking at this point, place it in the oven and allow to cook.

5. While steak finishes cooking, start heating up the already cooked potatoes. I cut mine up so they looked a little more like breakfast potatoes.

6. When steak is done, remove it from the oven and place somewhere to rest for 5 minutes.

7. As steak rests, cook eggs to your liking. We did scrambled but you could also do fried eggs with a runny yolk.

8. When eggs and potatoes are done, put on a plate and then thinly slice the steak and serve all together!

Chicken Pita

I wanted to use my leftovers from yesterday in another healthy way so I thought with the greek style yogurt sauce I should make pitas! I was too lazy to go to the store to get the pitas so I used tortillas but both are good. You could probably also make this into a chicken sandwich too.

Instead of eating the potatoes I decided to make a small batch of rice so the pita wouldn't be so heavy. One of the best things about this meal was the lemon taste. While reheating everything I used lots of lemon and it really brightened up the dish.

Ingredients:

3-4 oz of pre cooked chicken (I used 1/2 chicken breast)
2 tbs yogurt sauce
1/2 cup of long grain rice
1 cup water
1 grilled onion slice

Directions:

1. Place a small saucepan with a lid on a burner on medium heat. Place 1 tbs of butter in the bottom and allow to melt.

2. Add the rice and toast for 2 minutes. Add the water and allow it to come to a boil. Once boiling, cover pot with lid and turn heat down to low. Let it cook 10 minutes on the heat then remove from the heat and seat aside with the lid on for 5 minutes. Then fluff with a fork.

3. Preheat a small saucepan over medium heat. Place slices of chicken and onion into pan and allow to reheat for about 5 minutes. Squeeze some fresh lemon over the top as it heats up.

4. Warm tortillas directly over a burner on the stove, turning with a pair of tongs, until tortilla is warm and a little blackened.

5. Once everything is heated through go ahead and place it on the tortilla or pita and enjoy!

Grilled Everything!!!

I'm at my parent's house in Orange County and they have a big, beautiful grill and since it's summer this seemed like the perfect dinner. I loved being able to add lots of flavor and char with the grill without adding a lot of fat so I could eat a ton of this dinner and feel good about it later, which is always a good thing.

Ingredients:

Chicken Breasts
1 medium yukon gold potato per person
1 sweet mayan onion cut into thick slices
olive or canola oil

spice rub:
salt and pepper
red chili flake
oregano
thyme

Basil Lemon Sauce:
5 large leaves of basil, diced
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 container greek yogurt (or plain yogurt)
salt and pepper


Directions:

1. Turn on grill and allow to start getting hot.

2. Combine spice rub ingredients and rub all over chicken. You can do this early and allow to marinate in the fridge or just let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes.

3. Poke the yukon gold potatoes with a fork a few times and place in the microwave for 5 minutes or until fork tender. The potatoes should be almost completely cooked because the grill will just give them marks and a smoky flavor but not really cook them.

4. In a bowl large enough to fit all the potatoes combine 5 tbs of olive oil and 2 tbs of lemon juice with a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.

5. Combine all the ingredients for the basil lemon sauce and set aside. (make sure to taste and season this)

6. Once potatoes are par cooked, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices. They need to be thick so they won't fall apart on the grill. While still warm combine with the olive oil and lemon mixture.

7. Now it's time to start grilling. Cover each chicken breast with a little oil to prevent sticking and place skin side down on the grill over high heat. Let cook, UNTOUCHED for 5 minutes. Once it has grill marks rotate it 90 degrees to get the pretty hash marks so people will know it's been grilled.

8. While chicken is grilling, place potatoes and onion slices on the side of the grill and cook until marked. Place on a pan, covered, on the side of the grill or keep warm in the oven while chicken cooks.

9. When one side of chicken is finished, flip it over and allow to cook another 10-15 minutes. Remove it from the grill and cover it with foil and allow to rest for a few minutes.

10. Place your sauce, potatoes and onions, and grilled chicken on the table and let everyone serve themselves.

South Western Salmon

There's a farmers market right down the street from my apartment and while walking around and looking at all the summer veggies I decided to make a south western salmon. Normally I like an Italian flavored salmon but I wanted to try something new. I served my salmon with rice and beans to keep up the south west idea but feel free to serve this salmon with potatoes or fried tortilla strips for a crunchy contrast. If you want to get really fancy you can also serve this with a sour cream, adobo, and lime sauce. A great way to serve left overs would be to reheat everything and serve it up in flour tortillas for tacos or burritos.

Ingredients:

2 salmon filets
olive oil

Avocado Topping:
1 small ripened avocado
1 lime
1 slice red onion
salt and pepper

Seasoning Mix for Salmon: (a dash of each)
paprika
thyme
oregano
small pinch red chili flake
salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Clean, cut, and remove skin (if you like) from salmon and set aside.

2. For Avocado Topping: cut avocado in half longways and remove seed carefully. Score avocado into squares and then scoop out into a bowl with a spoon. Try to keep pieces intact since it will look better on top of finished dish. Place slice of red onion on the grill or in a saute pan with a pat of butter over medium heat. Grill onion lightly until some pieces are charred. Dice into small pieces and add to avocado. Squeeze 1/2 of lime over the top and season with salt and pepper. Cover tightly with plastic wrap so avocado doesn't oxidize and turn brown and keep in fridge until ready.

3. When ready to eat pull out salmon filets. Cover them with a drizzle of olive oil and season with spice mix.

4. Preheat a saute pan with a tbs of olive oil over medium high heat. Place salmon in pan and cook on one side for 4-5 minutes. If cooking with skin on, put skin side down onto pan surface first.

5. Flip salmon and cook another 3-4 minutes. (time may vary depending on thickness of salmon filet). At this point I like to start the basting method. To do this put a big hunk of butter in the pan with the fish and as it melts baste the salmon with the butter by using a spoon, tipping the pan, and then pouring a spoonful of butter over the filet. You can also add fresh herbs to the butter in the pan and add more flavor to the basting.

6. While salmon is cooking heat up pre-cooked rice and beans (or whatever side dish you are serving)

7. When salmon is finished put on a plate and top with avocado topping. Add rice and beans to the plate and eat away!

Garlic and Parmesan Breadsticks

I wanted a quick snack to have with my movie and beer and I found some puff pastry in my freezer so ta-da, breadsticks! haha. I served mine with a marinara dipping sauce to give it extra flavor.

Puff pastry is awesome and really good to have on hand because it's really versatile. You can do anything from cover a nice french onion soup to create a shell for a delicious sweet filling. I suggest buying the sheets if you can find them because you can make them into any shapes.

Ingredients:

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
2 tbs grated parmesan cheese
1 tbs melted butter
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano

Directions:

1. preheat oven to 400 and cover a sheet pan with parchment paper.

2. Place thawed puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. If there are any cracks in dough, pinch together so it sticks.

3. Brush entire top of sheet with the melted butter.

4. Sprinkle cheese, garlic powder and oregano on puff pastry. Also sprinkle a little salt and pepper on top.

5. Cut into strips about 1 inch wide. If you want a fancy touch you can twist the dough and place it on the sheet pan for a nice look. Otherwise just place them straight onto baking sheet.

6. Bake breadsticks for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.

7. While baking, heat a dipping sauce like marinara.

8. Remove breadsticks from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes and then ENJOY!

BBQ Chicken, Mac & Cheese, and Mashed Potatoes

I wanted to use up the leftover BBQ sauce from my brisket recipe so I decided to marinate and bake some chicken. I think by keeping it simple and homemade the food tasted better.

Ingredients
10 Chicken Drumsticks
4 Chicken Breasts
3 cups BBQ Sauce

Mac and Cheese Ingredients (found in Feb 2010 post)
Mashed Potatoes Ingredients

Directions:

1. Place chicken in a plastic bag and pour in half the marinade. Seal bag and rub chicken so marinade coats everything. Set in a bowl and place in the fridge for 4 hours or up to 2 days.

2. Make Mac and Cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and refridgerate until ready. (you can freeze the mac and cheese for a dinner at a later date)

3. Make mashed potatoes. Keep on stove top until ready to use and then reheat slowly over medium heat while stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.

To put everything together:

1. Place chicken on a foil lined pan and place into a preheated 350 degree oven. Cook until chicken reaches 160 degrees about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

2. When chicken is half finished mac and cheese (uncovered) to oven.

3. When chicken is finished remove from oven and cover with foil to keep warm. Turn broiler on in oven and place mac and cheese about 6 inches from heat source on top of oven. Heat mashed potatoes on stove top while mac and cheese browns.

4. Once everything is finished remove to the table and enjoy!







Mac and Cheese recipe in February 2010.

Dad's Chili

Dad’s Chili

Cooking oil
3 pounds lean ground beef
2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed and diced fine
3 15 oz cans tomato sauce
3 or 4 T chili powder
2 t ground cumin
¼ t Tabasco sauce
1 cup water
3 15 oz cans red kidney beans

Pour oil to cover a large pot and brown beef. Remove and drain oil

Place more oil into pan and soften vegetables. Add beef, tomato sauce, spices and water. Simmer covered for an hour.

Stir in beans (do not drain liquid) and simmer another half hour.

Serve with cheese, sour cream, chives on potatoes, hot dogs or bread

Burger Options

While looking through some old recipes I found my list of burger options. By mixing and matching just a few of each category you can make tons of different and flavorful burgers. With summer coming and the weather turning nice I think it's time to start grilling again.

There are a ton of ideas below but here's the formula to make a burger that is good but isn't over the top. You want to be able to balance the tastes together but still have only a few ingredients so you can actually taste what's on the burger. Here's the formula for perfect burgers. (of course you can change this formula to your liking!)

1-2 types of protein + 3-4 seasonings + 1-2 types of cheese + 1-3 fix-ins + 1-3 condiments + 1 bun = DELICIOUS BURGER

Burger Options

Types of Protein:
Make sure protein is ground and has some fat. I like 80 protein/20 fat. If you want to use some unusually meats ask the person at the meat counter to grind it for you. Tell them you're making burgers and they can help you choose the right grind size.
Beef
Pork
Chicken
Turkey
Veal
Fish: salmon, tuna, and shrimp
Sausage
Lamb

Seasonings
Use different textures and flavors mixed in to the burger. These mix-ins work especially well with turkey, chicken and seafood burgers--they not only add flavor, but also moisture.
Grated cheeses
Barbecue sauce
Seasoned salts and spice blends
Fresh herbs, like basil, parsley, cilantro or sage
Plain yogurt (great for lean meats)
Cooked or caramelized onions
Finely chopped peppers--mild or hot
Sun-dried tomatoes
Mushrooms
Bacon or Pancetta


Fix-ins
The classic Burger is great, but sometimes you just want more than lettuce, tomato and onion. Try some of these unusual toppings to make your burgers unique.
Caramelized onion
Cooked Pancetta
Oven-roasted tomatoes
Sauteed mushrooms
Roasted peppers
Ratatouille
Tapenade
Cooked, chopped, spicy sausages
Beef broth or flavored sauce for dunking--think French Dip sandwich


Cheese
No matter what cheese you decide to use make sure that there is enough of it to give you that melty deliciousness in the burger. I suggest covering the burgers with a grill lid of stainless steel bowl so cheese melt quicker onto burger.
American
Cheddar
Swiss
Provolone
Havarti
Parmesan
Gruere
Feta
Jack
Mozzarella
Brie

Breads
Hamburger buns are certainly convenient, but there is a world of other breads out there. Consider using:
Wraps
Tortillas
Pitas
Brioche
Kaiser rolls
Baguettes
Focaccia
Lavash
Multi-grain bread and rolls
English muffins


Condiments
Take your burger to new levels by using different sauces. In place of the usual ketchup and mustard, try some of the following:
Steak sauce
Salsa
Flavored mayonnaise
Chimichurri sauce
Homemade mustard
Homemade ketchup
Homemade relish
Chutney
Cheese spreads
Pesto
Yogurt sauce like tatziki

Cinnamon Rolls

I was watching a movie and for no real reason at all, cinnamon rolls popped into my head and after rummaging through cabinets I found I actually had all the ingredients for the buns! I love finding the stuff you need to make something you're craving. I made the dough and rolled the buns up and allowed them to proof overnight in my fridge so they were ready for breakfast the next morning.

Ingredients
1 (1/4-ounce) packages dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, melted

Filling:

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Icing:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Spray a large mixing bowl with nonstick spray.

1. Dissolve yeast in water in a bowl of a standing mixer with dough hook. Let sit for 5 minutes.

2. In a large measuring cup beat together eggs, sugar and salt. Whisk in egg mixture to the bowl of yeast.

3. Add 1 cup flour and mix until smooth.

4. Add melted butter and mix well. Add remaining 1 1/2 cups of flour in stages and mix until stiff dough is formed.

5. Add dough to greased bowl. Place bowl in a warm area with a towel on top. Let rise until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.



Filling:

1. On a cutting board, sprinkle 2 tablespoons flour.

2. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.

3. Punch down and roll out dough to approximately 8 x 10-inch rectangle.

4. Spread with butter. (using your hands works best)

5. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon.

6. Roll dough into a large pin wheel cylinder and cut ends off the roll. Cut into 8 portions. Put in greased pan, pin wheel side down and let rise to double in size.




7. Make glaze while cinnamon rolls bake: Mix all icing ingredients in medium size bowl with whisk until smooth. Drizzle glaze over on top of the cooled rolls.

If making immediately then bake for 20 to 25 minutes in a 325 oven until browned evenly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. I flipped mine before serving so the cruncy sugary bottom of the pan ended up on top of the roll. Once cooled, pour glaze over top.

If making later after second rise cover rolls with saran wrap and place in the fridge overnight. In the morning, pull out rolls and allow to come back up to room temp. Bake as directed above.

Philly Cheese Steak

Since I have a ton of shredded beef left over I decided to whip up a different type of sandwich-the classic philly cheese steak. A basic philly is beef, cheese, and bread. For the cheese there are two schools of thought- sliced cheese that's melted or cheese sauce. The cheese can range from simple american or cheddar to fancy gouda and fontina. My personal preference is a mix of cheeses that I grate for better melting. I also like to add some caramelized onions for extra texture and flavor.

Ingredients:

1-2 cups of shredded beef (depends how big of a sandwich you want)
1/4 onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup shredded cheese- cheddar, swiss, and mozzarella
1 bread roll
2 tbs beef broth of reserved beef juices

Directions:

1. Place a 1 tbs of butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add sliced onion and a pinch of salt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are a deep brown color. Set aside.

2. Add beef broth to another saute pan over low heat and add shredded beef. Stir and cook over low heat until slightly warm.

3. Add onions and shape beef in pan like roll and sprinkle cheese over beef and cover pan with a lid. Cover and cook over low heat until beef is hot and cheese is melted through. I liked to remove the lid and baste the extra hot juices over the cheese to help it melt and baste the meat.

4. Once cheese is melted, tip out of pan onto a toasted roll and enjoy!

Shredded Beef BBQ Sandwich

This is one of the most intricate and time consuming recipes I've ever made. Make this if you're bored all day like I was because this recipe takes a lot of time and patience. In the end it was really delicious and I'm glad I made it.

The BBQ sauce recipe comes from chef Rick Bayless with a few Klein twists. I was really surprised just how awesome this sauce was. It seemed to hit every part of my palette aka sweet, spicy and savory. The next time I make it I think I'll add in either a fresh jalapeno or serrano or some dried peppers for a little more kick.

For the sandwich I wanted to keep it really simple so the delicious flavors of the beef and sauce could come through. To make the sandwich combine the sauce and the shredded beef in a sauce pan. Heat for a few minutes over medium heat until beef is warmed through. Fill up a nice hoagie or french roll with the beef and eat with pickles, coleslaw, potato salad or potato chips!!!

Shredded beef:
1 boneless beef brisket (about 3 pounds) cut into 4 pieces
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup beef broth

Rub for Beef:
1 part salt
1/2 part black pepper
1/2 part white sugar
1/2 part brown sugar
1 tbs paprika
1 tbs red pepper flake
1 tbs garlic powder
1 tbs onion powder
1 t cumin
1 t thyme
1 t rosemary

1. Combine all ingredients of the rub in a bowl. Reserve 1 Tbsp and set aside for BBQ sauce.



2. Cut roast into 4 large chunks. Using the tip of a sharp paring knife, make 20 evenly spaced small slits about 1 1/2-inches deep all over the pot roast. Season the roast on all sides with the rub.



You can season the roast right before cooking but for extra flavor season the beef and then place in the fridge uncovered overnight or up to 48 hours. This allows the seasoning to really penetrate the meat and also lets the meat dry age a little. I found out this is something they do in most restaurants so if they do it, I think I should too haha.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

3. Heat a Dutch oven just large enough to hold the roast over high heat. Add the oil and, when hot, sear the meat until very well browned on all sides, about 4 to 6 minutes per side. Don't be afraid to let the roast get very brown,this is where a lot of the flavor comes from.



My meat was too big to fit in one pan so I used two pans to sear them. Once they were browned I placed them in a larger roasting pan. To get the delicious brown bits from the searing pans I added some of the beef stock and scrapped with a wooden spoon. I then poured the broth into the roasting pan. The liquid should reach about half way up the beef so add water if extra liquid is needed.

4. When the roast is evenly browned on all sides, carefully add the broth and cover the pot. Transfer the roast to the oven and cook, turning once or twice during the cooking time, until it is falling apart-tender, about 2 1/2 hours. Check occasionally to make sure that there is always at least 1-inch of liquid on the bottom of the pan. Add more broth or water, as necessary, to keep this level during the entire cooking process.



5. When the roast is very tender, remove it from the oven and let rest briefly. Using 2 forks, pull the meat apart into thin shreds, mixing the meat with the accumulated drippings left in the bottom of the pan. Allow meat to cool slightly before making the sandwich.



BBQ SAUCE:



BBQ Sauce:
2 garlic cloves
1 cup ketchup
1 Tbsp vinegar (cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar)
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp boysenberry jam
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 to 1 tsp barbecue spice (recipe below) or chili powder
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Salt

Peel garlic and crush through garlic press into a small saucepan. Add all the remaining ingredients and 3/4 cup water. Simmer over medium-low heat for 30 minutes. Taste and season with salt if you think necessary. The sauce is ready to use. It can be stored, refrigerated in a sealed jar, for up to a month. I wanted a really smooth sauce so I ran it through a fine mesh strainer before storing it in the fridge.

Pasta Carbonara

I was in the mood for something that could cook fast and while looking in my fridge I realized I had all the ingredients for pasta carbonara. I love how the eggs in the recipe get all creamy and saucy and trick the eater that the sauce has cream in it. If when making this the eggs scramble (happened to me the first time) just go ahead and eat it. It'll still be delicious even if it's "wrong" haha. Or if you don't want the lumps when plating add the pasta to the plate and then run the sauce through a fine strainer over the plate. This will catch any curdles and make everything nice and smooth.


Ingredients:
8 ounces dry fettucine
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pieces finely chopped bacon
1 clove thinly sliced garlic
1 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup of hot pasta water, reserved
Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, salt, add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until "al dente."

2. Meanwhile, add bacon to a medium skillet and saute for about 5 minutes or until it has rendered its fat and bits are crisp. Add garlic and saute for few seconds. Remove skillet from the heat, over and set aside until pasta is done.

3. Whisk eggs and cheese together and season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. When pasta is done, RESERVE SOME COOKING LIQUID, drain well and return to pot, off heat.

5. Slowly temper egg and cheese mixture by drizzling hot pasta water into mixture while whisking furiously so eggs don't scramble.

6. Thoroughly combine pasta with bacon, garlic and oil in pan. Stir well and coat each strand with some of the bacon fat.

7. Stirring pasta continuously with a long wooden pasta fork or tongs, slowly pour in the egg mixture. Continue to stir, over low heat, until the eggs thicken into a sauce. Remove from the heat immediately or eggs will curdle.

8. Pour everything into a bowl and garnish with crispy bits of bacon.