Apologies for my absence

I just wanted to submit a formal apology for my lack of posts lately.  I have been immersed in personal and healthy issues for the past few weeks and coupled with the heat here in Tacoma, just haven’t felt like doing much of anything.

However!… The weather is finally calming down and I’m feeling up to baking again.  I recently got some new Cricut cartridges for my Imagine as well, so I anticipate making some Autumn, Halloween, and Thanksgiving decorations and cards in the next few weeks after I get the craft room set up (and cleaned) better.

I also found it very taxing to post every single day and have come to the realization that most other bloggers don’t do this.  Some of my favorite bloggers only seem to post every few days with the occasional slew of daily posts when they are particularly active.  So with that, I think I will take it easy a bit and will stop trying to post every single day in the hope that when I do post, what I have to say will feel more substantive.

Cheers,
L

Beef and Bleu Burger

While my husband hates bleu cheese in any form or application, I *love* it.  Love, Love, Love.  I love it on salads and burgers most of all.  Nothing beats a thick, beefy burger with bleu cheese dressing (and bacon if you have it) – except maybe a bacon avocado cheeseburger!

So tonight, because I had bleu cheese, some caramelized onions, and beef left over from previous dinners, I thought hey, what the heck.  I’ll make a bleu cheese burger for myself and a regular burger for Bryan.

I whipped up a little bit of bleu cheese dressing for the burger and realized it was probably a tiny bit too much, so munched on lettuce leaves (also leftover) dipped in the dressing.  Mmm, scrumptious.  It made me realize something:  I don’t have salad with bleu cheese often enough and I should have it a lot more.  Beginning… now!

I added the carmelized onions to my burger, but also came to another realization:  I really don’t care for them on bleu cheese burgers.  I much prefer smoky bacon over sweet onions.  So next time, I think I’ll crisp up two slices of applewood smoked bacon and crumble those on top.  I’m starting to drool.

Beef and Bleu Burger
Serves 1 healthy appetite

Dressing

4 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
1-2 tablespoons milk (to desired consistency)
Pinch each – black pepper and onion powder
Bleu cheese, crumbled (about 3 tablespoons)

Combine all ingredients except bleu cheese in a bowl or a mini-prep food processor. Blend or pulse to combine.  Add bleu cheese and either smoosh it in by hand or blend very briefly so you mix in the bleu cheese, but still have some chunks and bits left over.

If you really love bleu cheese dressing, you can make any amount of this dressing you want.  2 parts mayo, 1 part each sour cream and milk (less milk for a thicker dressing). Add onion powder, black pepper to taste, then add however much bleu cheese you want!

Burger (On to the main event!)

1/3 – 1/2lb ground chuck (mine was probably closer to 1/2lb), formed into a patty and seasoned with salt and pepper
1 Hamburger bun, seeded or not
Lettuce leaves
Tomato slices
Bleu cheese crumbles (optional, if you want even more bleu cheese deliciousness)
Bacon bits or slices (optional)
Bleu cheese dressing
Caramelized onions (optional – see my In-N-Out recipe here for instructions)

Grill or pan fry your burger to desired doneness.  Just before burgers are done, place bun on grill and toast until medium golden brown.

On top bun, spoon desired amount of dressing (I glopped mine on nice and thick).  Then place lettuce and tomato.  Set aside.

On bottom bun, spoon more dressing, if desired, and place cooked patty on top.  Top with bleu cheese crumbles, bacon, and onions, if using.  Place previously prepared bun on top and voila… nom nom nom.

Irish Beef Stew with Stout

This delicious Irish-inspired beef stew was so good, both Bryan and I had seconds.  That never happens in this house – we usually scarf down our meal and save the rest for lunch the next day.  If we’re still hungry after dinner, we have some kind of dessert or snack on something.

But.  The tender chunks of beef and the rich sauce all made for a comforting meal on what felt like a fall night.  It was windy and chilly last night and I could swear fall is just around the corner.  Don’t worry, I’m not complaining.  I would love for fall to be here and last 5 months, but I have a feeling we haven’t seen the last of summer yet.

I wanted to get pictures of the stew, but ran into two problems.

1.  Pictures of beef stew aren’t very appetizing.  It’s a brown, chunky looking dish that, well, looks like dog food to be frank.

2.  For some reason, the steam interfered with my shots.  They turned out either fuzzy, steamy with glare, or had weird lines in them as if the camera couldn’t record the image properly.

So, I am left without pictures, but with an amazing recipe.  It’s another one of those precise recipes that requires you to accurately measure out ingredients.  Not.

Bryan said he would have liked some potatoes in the mixture, but my pot couldn’t have handled anything more added to it.  I had originally intended on serving it over mashed potatoes, but the stew was so thick I didn’t think it needed anything else.  I guess I was wrong!

Irish Beef Stew
Serves 2 very hungry people or 4 normal people

About 1.5-2lbs chuck roast, cut into 2″ cubes
1/2 cup flour seasoned with 1/2 teaspoon each, salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil

1 very large onion (about the size of a grapefruit), cut in half with ends removed, then thinly sliced from root to tip
1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 1 very large clove)
1 12oz bottle stout beer (I chose one that was dark and rich with chocolate and caramel notes)
6oz sliced mushrooms – any kind you want

3 beef bouillon cubes dissolved in 2 cups hot water
1 heaping spoonful tomato paste (about 2 tablespoons)

Fresh thyme to taste (about 1 tablespoon)

Start by coating the beef with the flour mixture.  Set aside.  In a large, heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Brown beef in batches, making sure not to crowd the pan.  Turn meat over to brown evenly and remove to a bowl or plate. Continue browning meat in batches until all meat is browned.

If the pan is dry, add a bit more oil.  Add sliced onions and cook until translucent and golden brown.  Add garlic and mushrooms and continue cooking until mushrooms have released their liquid and onions are starting to caramelize.

Reduce heat to a simmer.  Deglaze pan with 8oz of the stout (leaving the rest for you to drink!), scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Add beef back to pan and stir to combine. Add beef bouillon/water mixture to pan and stir.  Add tomato paste.

Cook over low heat until meat is tender – about 1 1/2 – 2 hours.  Stir in fresh thyme leaves (you can also use dried – use half the amount called for and add them in with the bouillon) and cook another 5-10 minutes.  Serve alone, with crusty French bread, or over mashed potatoes.

Note:  Most Irish stews seem to have carrots in them.  I didn’t have any, so mine didn’t. But feel free to add some baby carrots to yours if you have them.  Add them in when you add the mushrooms and continue as usual.

In-N-Out Burger Clone

So last night, I finally got around to trying the In-N-Out burger clone recipe found here.  I have to say it was a pain in the ass to make and was really messy.  That mustard-grilling thing splattered mustard *everywhere*.  BUT.  They were really good.  I think with a few tweaks, we’d have a really viable clone.  It needed more sauce and more mustard, but they were yummy and were quickly gobbled up.  It’s no wonder In-N-Out wraps theres in paper – our burgers literally fell apart without wrapping.  The onions slid off as did the lettuce, but still.  Did I mention they were good?

I ground my own beef as ordered, made my own caramelized onions (ahead of time), and did most things the same as the recipe.  But I didn’t have the thick-sliced cheese and used regular American slices.  I don’t think it made a huge difference, though.  The cheese was meltingly delicious as it was.  The biggest issue, as I mentioned, was the lack of enough sauce and mustard.  The sauce recipe was supposed to serve two, but we had leftovers – which means we didn’t use enough on the burgers.  I also felt it needed more of a mustardy flavor.  I never realized how that was missing from my previous attempts, but it really was.  It lends a lot to the finished burger.  I used Trader Joe’s white buns because, for some ungodly reason, our version of Arnold (Oroweat here) buns don’t come in plain old white.  WTF… seriously?  They only have sesame, potato, and whole wheat.  Whatever.  Next time, I might even make my own as I’ve heard In-N-Out makes their own and it’s similar to a light brioche bun.

Oh how I do miss the original, though.  Nothing beats heading down to In-N-Out and grabbing a double double and fries.  If we didn’t just buy a house in Tacoma last year, I think I’d really push for Bryan to get a job in California.  Yes, just so we could have In-N-Out again.  They are that good.  The abundance of Trader Joe’s stores doesn’t hurt, either.

Almost In-N-Out Burgers
Serves 2

1/2 pound fresh beef chuck with plenty of fat, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
1 large onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
2 soft Hamburger buns, preferably Arnold brand
Freshly ground black pepper
8 dill pickles chips
2 quarter-inch-thick slices ripe tomato
2 leaves fresh iceberg lettuce, white core section removed, torn to bun-sized pieces
1/4 cup yellow mustard
4 slices American Cheese

If using a meat grinder: Place feed shaft, blade, and 1/4-inch die of meat grinder in freezer until well-chilled. Meanwhile, place meat chunks on rimmed baking sheet, leaving space between each piece and place in freezer for 10 minutes until meat is firm.

Combine meat in large bowl and toss to combine. Grind meat and refrigerate immediately until ready for use. Handle as gently as possible. Proceed with step three below.

If using a food processor: Place bowl and blade of food processor in freezer until well-chilled. Meanwhile, place meat chunks on rimmed baking sheet, leaving space between each piece, and place in freezer for 10 minutes until meat is firm, but not frozen.

Combine meat in large bowl and toss to combine. Working in two batches, place meat cubes in food processor and pulse until medium-fine grind is achieved, about 8 to 10 one-second pulses, scraping down processor bowl as necessary. Refrigerate ground meat immediately until ready for use. Handle as gently as possible.

Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 400 degrees while you cook the onions: Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt to skillet. Reduce heat to medium low, and cook, tossing and stirring occasionally until onions are well browned, about 15 minutes. Once onions begin to sizzle heavily and appear dry, add 1 tablespoon water to skillet and stir. Continue cooking until water evaporates and onions start sizzling again. Repeat process, adding 1 tablespoon of water with each iteration until onions are meltingly soft and dark brown, about 3 times total. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

Make the sauce: Combine mayonnaise, ketchup, relish, sugar, and vinegar in small bowl. Stir to combine.

Place closed buns in preheated oven for 2 minutes until slightly darkened and crisped. Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in 12-inch non-stick skillet or griddle over medium-high heat until shimmering. Open buns and add face-down to skillet. Toast until dark brown around the edges, about 1 minute total.

Form ground beef into four 2-ounce patties, using damp hands to press each into a patty about 3/16ths of an inch thick and 4 inches wide. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon oil to pan, swirl to coat, and heat over medium-high heat until lightly smoking. Add burger patties and cook without moving until well browned and crusty on first side, about 2 1/2 minutes. While they are cooking, spread 1 tablespoon mustard on raw side of each patty with a spoon. Meanwhile, top each bottom bun with up half of spread, 4 slices pickles, 1 slice tomato, and lettuce. Flip patties with a thin spatula so mustard side is down and continue to cook for 1 minute. Top each patty with a slice of cheese. Divide onion mixture evenly between two patties. Place the other two patties directly on top of the onions , sandwiching them between the beef. Transfer patty stacks to bottom bun. Top with top bun, and serve immediately.

Two Salads

So… remember how I was saying I would do at least one thing every day.  Well, I haven’t forgotten about that!  I did do something yesterday, I just didn’t post about it until today.

This is where you say, “ok, well what did you do today then?”

Um, well, about that…

See, all day today, I spent researching my family’s ancestry.  So I did actually do something, but nothing I can actually post about… yet.  Eventually, I’ll post a link or maybe some images of what I’ve found so far (and it’s a lot, let me tell you – my paternal grandmother’s side of the family really knows how to breed).

Anyway, back to last night.

Since I really did two things last night (for the price of one), I feel my sort-of lack of doing anything today is somewhat justified.  Or at least a little ok.  Maybe.  Right?

“What did you do last night that was so great” you ask?

Well, first, I made this scrumptious chicken salad for dinner.  It was *so good* I can’t even explain it.  You just have to try it – unfortunately, you’ll need a Trader Joe’s nearby or a really good recipe for a dressing that can approximate theirs.  But try it, you won’t be sorry.  It was so good our plates were totally clean afterwards.

 

 

Second, I used the leftover chicken breast and made Bryan his lunch for tomorrow – a Thai-inspired noodle salad with cabbage, cilantro, and peanut dressing.  I made mine with leftover flank steak from the steak salad Saturday.  I have to say that next time, I’d use rice noodles (the thin ones) or at least angel hair pasta.  Spaghetti, especially whole wheat, is just too thick for a salad like this, I think.  The peanut dressing is also from Trader Joe’s, but I’d imagine any similar dressing would work.  I’ve made similar salads before just by combining some peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, honey or brown sugar, and chile flakes.  Thin with a little water and you’re good.  It’s really done just to your own taste.

Now on to dinner…

Spring Greens with Chicken, Bleu Cheese, Candied Walnuts, Pears, and Pear Gorgonzola Vinaigrette 

Serves 2 as a meal, 4 as a starter
Note:  This is another really precise recipe!

1 Bag spring greens
2 Small chicken breasts, cooked and diced (I simmered mine in water, then
browned them, but you could grill them or use rotisserie chicken)
1 pear, diced
Bleu Cheese (about 2 tablespoons per person)
Candied Walnuts (1 small handful per person – I got these at TJ’s)
Trader Joe’s Champagne Pear Vinaigrette with Gorgonzola (to taste)

Divide the bag of greens among 2 dinner plates (4 salad plates for a starter).

Sprinkle diced chicken and pears over greens.  Sprinkle bleu cheese and walnuts to taste.

Drizzle dressing over salads and serve.

Steak Salad

Though it wasn’t all that hot today, 75° can feel hot when you don’t have air conditioning and when it’s 70%+ humidity outside.  Tomorrow is supposed to be even hotter, so I decided we would make salads this weekend in order to have something fresh and cool to eat that didn’t require heating the oven or stove too much.

We headed to Trader Joe’s, our favorite store, which is, unfortunately, about 6 miles from us and proceeded to gather everything needed for the next several nights.  We decided on salads tonight and tomorrow night and then, using the leftover meats from those, a salad for lunch on Monday as well.  We also picked up a half turkey breast and some other things to get us through at least Wednesday.

We were originally going to make chicken salads with pear tonight, but that would have required forethought that neither of us had.  So the chicken breasts, which are defrosting in the fridge now, will have to wait until tomorrow.  Not to mention, the pear we got is still pretty firm.  So, steak salad to the rescue!

I was going to add some caramelized onions to the party, but when I went to make them, 3 onions turned into less than 1/2 cup cooked.  Since I need those for our clone In-N-Out burgers sometime this week, I opted to leave them out of the salad.  Even so, I think it would have dragged down the bright flavors of this salad.  I only wish I’d had garlic bread to go with it.

Steak Salad
Note:  This is a VERY precise recipe as you can see.  Serves 2

2-3 handfuls any lettuce blend per person
1-2 handfuls arugula per person
1lb flank steak if you want leftovers, 1/2lb if you don’t
1 small handful crumbled bleu cheese per person
1 tomato, chopped
Vinaigrette or other dressing (see below)

Arrange lettuce and arugula on large dinner plates and top with steak, bleu cheese, and tomato. Drizzle with vinaigrette.

Vinaigrette

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
A few grinds of black pepper
Agave nectar, honey, or sugar to taste (I used about 1/4 cup agave)
1/2 olive oil

Add all ingredients except olive oil to bowl and whisk to combine.  Slowly drizzle in olive oil while whisking.  Serve immediately or re-whisk as needed before serving.

Cheese Danish Casserole

Today, I was shocked to learn it was actually pretty cool outside.  It was supposed to get up to 78° (that doesn’t sound hot, but it is when you have a kitchen full of windows and no central air), but really only got up to 68° and was overcast all day.  It was slightly chilly when I got up, especially with the breeze, but the humidity can really mess up what’s an otherwise cool day.  Anyway, I decided to take advantage of the lack of heat today to bake something I’ve been wanting to bake for a long time.  There is this crescent-roll-cream-cheese-filled-streusel-topped thing that looked so good when I saw it.  Luckily, the cream cheese I bought last month was still good (and good until October!) so off I went to bake.

I gathered my ingredients and proceeded with the recipe.  The initial forming of the “crust” with the crescent roll dough was ok when I was doing it in the pan.  The top layer of dough, however, was kind of a pain.  The seams wouldn’t stick together, so I think next time I make this, I will buy the sheets of dough, not the crescent rolls as originally called for.

Mixing the cream cheese mixture and spreading that went pretty easily – there was enough that I wasn’t having to scrimp in order to cover all the dough (this means lots of filling once it’s done, too!).  One “oops” moment was when I mixed the streusel topping.  Apparently, I was supposed to top the cheese mixture with half of it, then lay the top layer of dough, then sprinkle on the other half, but because I was reading this recipe  by going back and forth into the office, I missed that part.  Oh well, it still turned out well.  I’m not sure how it would affect the taste overall – I guess you would get some gooey parts of the brown sugar streusel mixed in with the cheese and that could be good.  But either way, it would be fine.

I baked it and removed it from the oven before waiting 30 minutes to have a slice (I was starving and it smelled really good).  Someone commented on the original site that it tastes like a cinnabun, but that’s not really true at all.  It really tastes more like a cheese danish because of the buttery, flaky dough and the rich cheese filling.  So that’s what I’m calling it – a Cheese Danish Casserole.

 

Cheese Danish Casserole
(Adapted from Sweet Cheese Delights by Pillsbury)

2 packages (8oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla (I used vanilla paste)
2 cans (8oz each) crescent roll dough (use sheets if possible)
1 cup chopped pecans (I left these out of mine)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted (I used unsalted)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375°.  In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer or in bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed until fluffy.  Add egg yolk and vanilla and beat on low until blended.

Unroll 1 can of dough into 1 large rectangle; press seams and perforations to seal (or use sheet dough as mentioned above).  Press onto bottom of ungreased 13″ x 9″ glass baking dish.  Spread with cream cheese mixture.

In small bowl, mix pecans (if using), brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon.  Sprinkled half the mixture over cream cheese layer (or reserve all for the top).  On lightly floured surface, press or roll out remaining dough into 13″ x 9″ rectangle and place over filling.  Sprinkle remaining streusel mixture over top.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool slightly on cooling rack.  Cover and refrigerate leftovers.

Note:  When eating leftovers, I would imagine they would be best warmed in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds.