Family Matters

I generally like my double entendres to be a little more lighthearted, but such is not the case. This is just a quick note to let you know that I'll need to take a break from the blog this week to attend to some pressing family matters. I will be back before you know it, and I want to wish all of you a happy and thoughtful Memorial Day. 

Curly “Q” Sausage – Get It Twisted

Someone sent me a video link last summer, showing someone spiral cutting a hot dog. The wienercision was done by Blake Smith from Chow.com, and I remember wondering if this technique would work with parboiled Italian sausage.

Oh, it worked. It worked real good. By the way, I was going to provide a link to the aforementioned video, but Blake ended the demo by putting ketchup on his hot dog, so forget it. Okay, fine, since I did steal his technique, here you go.

Not only does this look very cool, the technique also provides a significantly greater amount of surface area, and when you’re talking about grilling meat, it’s all about the surface area. You could brush barbecue sauce on an un-helixed Italian sausage, but here you’re literally flavoring the sausage inside and out. 

And if you're skeptical about how well barbecue sauce goes with Italian sausage, take it from someone who ate one; it’s a match made in backyard barbecue heaven. I’d like to wish all you a safe and very festive Memorial Day weekend, and I hope you “spring” these curly “Q” sausages on your guests. Enjoy!

View the complete recipe

Pan-Roasted Marble Potatoes – A Short Post About Little Potatoes from a Small Town

You’ll have to excuse the smaller than usual blog post, but I just flew across country, and boy are my arms tired…sorry, not arms, I meant jokes. 

Anyway, I’m back at my mom’s for a few weeks to help her out after some shoulder surgery, and despite a very late, turbulent, and sleepless flight, I had just enough energy left to post this marble potatoes video.

I generally try to stick with ingredients that can be found at any large grocery store, and I hope that’s the case here, but to be honest I really didn’t care, as these were just too damn cute not to film. If at all possible, I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 stripes bacon, sliced

1 pound marble potatoes

salt and pepper to taste

2 tsp chopped rosemary

1 tbsp rice vinegar, or any vinegar

View the complete recipe

Smoked Turkey & Spring Pea Fettuccine – A Pasta From My Salad Days

This rich and creamy, smoked turkey and spring pea fettuccine recipe is inspired by a pasta I learned long ago, working at my first real chef job in San Francisco. 

You may have heard me mention Ryan’s Café in the past, especially if you’ve tried our famous chicken Marsala, and it was at this same restaurant where I learned what I still consider one of the best pasta recipes ever.

As I mention in the video, the original was done with smoked chicken, but for whatever reason smoked turkey is much easier to find at the market. I blame the sandwich industry, but no worries, as the turkey is just as good. There’s just something very special about the way the creamy, slightly sweet, aromatic sauce pairs with the smoky meat. Which reminds me, this is also wonderful with leftover ham.

Regarding what many would consider the dangerously large quantities of cream, I’d like to take a moment to do some math. The recipe makes four appetizer size portions. There’s about 1 3/4 cups of cream used, which is roughly 350 calories worth of butter-fatty goodness per serving. To put that into perspective, those two small ladles of dressing you used during your last trip to the salad bar had about the same amount. So, long story short, relax.

Anyway, now that I’ve armed you with a comeback for when your (probably too thin) friend questions your copious cream usage, I hope you give this very simple, but extraordinarily delicious pasta recipe a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 small or 2 large portions:

8 oz dry fettuccine noodles, boiled in salted water

For the sauce:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp minced shallot

1 3/4 cup heavy cream (about 34-36% fat)

6 oz smoked turkey, sliced

1/2 cup green peas, frozen or fresh shelled

2 tbsp minced fresh tarragon leaves

salt, pepper, cayenne to taste

1 tsp lemon zest

Parmigiano-Reggiano to garnish

View the complete recipe

Memorial Day, Already?

I can't believe it's almost Memorial Day weekend! Seems like just yesterday I was watching people shoveling snow and scraping ice. Of course, I live in California, and that was on the Weather Channel, but still, seems like yesterday. I blame my beloved Golden State Warriors for making the playoffs, and throwing off my seasonal clock.  

Anyway, the upcoming long weekend is considered the official start of cookout season, and to celebrate I thought I'd repost this collection of grill-friendly recipes. By the way, in addition to looking and tasting great on their own, these dishes all have a proven track record of pairing well with cold beer. Enjoy!! 

Santa Maria Tri-Tip	Grilled Lamb Chops
Grilled Pickled Veggies	Grilled Korean Short Ribs
Grilled Flank Steak	Grilled Lemon Chicken
Cornell Chicken	Grilled Barbecue Chicken
Grilled Pork Tenderloin	Grilled Asian Skirt Steak
Spicy Tarragon Grilled Chicken	Grilled Calabrian Chicken

Baked Goat Cheese “Caprese” – Hot and Not

No salad will break your heart like the “Caprese.” It always sounds great; creamy mozzarella, fragrant basil, and sweet, juicy, vine-ripened tomatoes…what’s not to love? Well, false advertising for one. With very few exceptions, the tomatoes used on these Caprese salads are not sweet, juicy, ripe tomatoes; they’re the opposite.

They’re almost always your standard, conventionally produced, picked green and left to redden (not ripen) in the case, tomatoes. They’re mealy, flavorless, and completely undeserving of being paired with ingredients as perfect as mozzarella and basil.

While I’m invariably disappointed by the execution of this classic salad, I do love the combination of flavors, and by using cherry tomatoes, I thought it would translate perfectly for a baked goat cheese appetizer. Did it ever. When you take into consideration the taste, appearance, and ease of preparation, there’s a real chance this could become your new favorite summer appetizer.

By the way, as long as you are using high quality, oven safe ramekins, you can also do these on the backyard grill. Place a piece of foil on the grates, set down your ramekins, close the cover, and cook until the juices are bubbling, and the cheese is heated through.

I hope you give this delicious, and so not disappointing “Caprese” a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

8 oz log fresh goat cheese, cut into 4 equal pieces

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp basil chiffonade

16 cherry tomatoes, halved

freshly ground black pepper and cayenne, to taste

*bake at 400 degrees F. for about 15 minutes

View the complete recipe

Next Up: Baked Goat Cheese

Salads

Burger King's new menu has a purpose. Last year, Wendy's surpassed Burger King to become the second best selling burger chain in the United States. It was close: Wendy's had $8.5 billion in sales, while Burger King had $8.4 billion. (Both were miles behind No. 1 McDonald's, at $34 billion). In an effort to regain the No. 2 slot,  the chain has undergone a massive makeover, complete with Burger King new menu items, decor, and employee uniforms.

Burger King first unveiled salads in 2002, but the nation’s third-largest burger chain has long lagged behind McDonald’s and Wendy's in the salad game. Now the company is trying to make big changes, including three new “Garden Fresh” salad offerings. The Burger King new menu includes:

• Chicken, Apple, and Cranberry Salad  
• Chicken BLT Salad  
• Chicken Caesar Salad    

All of the salads come with your choice of grilled or breaded chicken.

The Chicken, Apple Cranberry Salad has seven premium lettuces, crisp apples, sweet dried cranberries, and crumbly blue cheese. Served with a Creamy Apple Cider Vinaigrette.

APPLE CIDER VINAIGRETTE

Burger King Copycat Recipe

Makes 1 Cup

1/2 teaspoon instant apple cider drink mix (sugar-free)

1/3 cup vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons cider vinegar

Add ingredients to a small mixing bowl. Mix well. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Chicken BLT Salad  has even premium lettuces, including romaine, spring mix and iceberg, and is garnished smoked bacon, tomatoes, red onions, and a three cheeses. Served with an Avocado Ranch Dressing.

AVOCADO RANCH DRESSING
Burger King Copycat Recipe


1/2 cup ranch dressing
1 ripe avocado

Blend the ranch dressing and the peeled and pitted avocado until smooth. Serve over salad.

Chicken Caesar Salad  has romaine lettuce, juicy tomatoes, Parmesan croutons, and shaved Parmesan cheese. Served with a Citrus Caesar Vinaigrette.

CITRUS CAESAR VINAIGRETTE

Burger King Copycat Recipe

Makes 1 Cup

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons anchovy paste
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 clove garlic, minced


Combine all the ingredients in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid.  Cover and shake to blend. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Blueberry Biscuits

These little nuggets appeared on the menu at Burger King in late 2010.  Not sure how long they stayed there but most of the reviews were pretty bad.  You got 4 mini biscuits and a vanilla dipping sauce for a dollar.  We can do much better by making them at home with this copycat recipe.

BLUEBERRY BISCUITS
Burger King Copycat Recipe

Makes about 1 1/2 Dozen

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon fresh grated lemon peel
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon soda
1/3 cup shortening
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup buttermilk
2/4 cup unthawed frozen blueberries (keep frozen right up until adding to dough)

Mix 2 cups of the flour with the sugar, baking powder, lemon peel, salt, and soda in a large bowl. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix egg and buttermilk then stir into the flour mixture. Stir in the frozen blueberries.

Sprinkle remaining flour on the countertop. Scrape dough out onto the flour; flour fingers and gently knead 6 or 7 times, just until dough begins to hold together. Pat dough into a rectangle or round 1/2-inch thick. Cut out rounds with a floured 2-inch cutter or glass. Place biscuits 2 inches apart on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake in center of a preheated 400° oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Barbecue Shrimp – So Good, and So Not Barbecued

No one’s really sure why this magnificent dish is called barbecue shrimp, but since it was invented in New Orleans, let’s just assume they had a great reason, and move on to more important issues, like making and eating a huge plate of these.

There are countless ways to make this dish, almost all containing copious amounts of butter, along with garlic, black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. This is not something you’d serve to your friend with the bland palate. By the way, can’t believe you’re still friends with that bland palate dude.

Anyway, feel free to adjust and adapt to your heart’s content. My version is fairly light, which is kind of funny to say, since I call for half a stick of butter, but I’ve seen versions that were basically deep-fried in the stuff. So, you know, compared to that, this is like spa food.

As far as seasoning goes, be careful with the salt. The Worcestershire is pretty salty, so you may not want to add it all to the shrimp stock like I did. I used about 3 generous tablespoons, since I like mine pretty salty, but it’s probably safer to just add 1 or 2 tablespoons, and then taste/adjust later on.

Other than that, and finding some colossal shrimp (the bigger the better), this recipe is a breeze. It may not have anything to do with barbecue, but like its namesake, it’s incredibly delicious and another great culinary gift from the south. I hope you try some soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 servings:

1 1/2 to 2 pounds colossal shrimp

1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1/8 tsp Old Bay seasoning, optional

4 tbsp cold butter, cut in cubes

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp minced fresh rosemary

1 1/2 cups shrimp stock (using reserved shells, sauteed in 1 tsp butter, and simmered with 2 cups stock or water for 20-30 min)
juice of 1 lemon
hot sauce to taste 

2-3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, or to taste

lots of white rice

View the complete recipe

Donut Holes

Donut Holes just appeared on the menu at Burger King as a complement to the new coffee items in the summer 2013.

DONUT HOLES
Burger King Copycat Recipe

Makes about 3 Dozen


1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
oil for deep-fat frying


In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. In a small bowl, combine the egg, milk and butter. Add to dry ingredients and mix well.

In an electric skillet or deep fryer, heat oil to 375 degrees. Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls, five or six at a time, into oil. Fry until browned, about 1-2 minutes, turning once. Drain on paper towels.



GLAZE


1/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners' sugar

Combine milk and vanilla in a medium saucepan and heat over low heat until warm. Sift confectioners' sugar into milk mixture. Whisk slowly, until well combined. Remove the glaze from the heat and set over a bowl of warm water. Dip doughnuts into the glaze, 1 at a time, and set on a draining rack placed in a half sheet pan for 5 minutes before serving.

Specialty Coffee Menu

The new coffee menu at Burger King includes an extensive line of 10 new great-tasting beverages custom-blended:

Brewed Smooth Roast Coffee - The 100 percent Latin American arab ica blend from Seattle’s Best Coffee is designed specifically with BK® guests in mind and delivers a smooth, balanced cup of brewed coffee that pairs perfectly with both sweet and savory menu items. Also available in decaf.

Smooth Roast Iced Coffee -The new refreshing iced coffee now available in four flavorful varieties:

• Plain
• Vanilla
• Mocha
• Caramel

Lattés - 100 percent Latin American arab ica espresso from Seattle’s Best Coffee is the base for this indulgent coffeehouse latté. Available in:

• Plain
• Vanilla
• Mocha 
• Caramel 

Enormous Omelette Sandwich

ENORMOUS OMELETTE SANDWICH
Burger King Copycat Recipe

Makes 1 Sandwich

2/3 cup egg substitute
2 slices American cheese
olive oil flavored cooking spray
1 burger king breakfast sausage patty
1 (7 inch)  sesame seed roll 
2 slices bacon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly mist 2 nonstick mini loaf pans with oil spray. Pour half of the egg substitute into each pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until set.

Place a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lay the bacon slices and sausage patty in the pan. Cook the sausage for 2-3 minutes per side, or until lightly browned and no longer pink inside. Cook the bacon,flipping occasionally, for 4-6 minutes, or until cooked but not crisp. Transfer the sausage and bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Cover with a lid to keep warm.

Set a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place the bun top and bottom, cut-sides down, in the pan. Cook for 1-3 minutes or until toasted.

Place the bun bottom, toasted-side up, on a plate. Carefully using a knife to loosen, remove one omelet from the pan and place on the bun bottom. Cut the sausage patty in half. Place the halves over the omelet, running the length of the bun. They will overlap slightly. Top with the bacon and the remaining omelet. Top with the cheese running the length of the bun. Cover with the bun top.

Croissan'wiches

CROISSAN'WICH
Burger King Copycat Recipe

Makes 4 Sandwiches

1 (8 oz.) can Pillsbury Original Crescent Rolls
4 eggs
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
8 ounces ground breakfast sausage or 8 slices of bacon
4 slices American Cheese


Make Croissants: Prepare the rolls by first unrolling the dough out of the can. Separate the dough into four sections, each made up of two triangles. Detach the triangles by tearing along the diagonal perforation, then reattach the dough along the outside parallel edges, pinching the dough together along the middle. This will make making one bigger triangle. Loosely roll the dough from the wide end, all the way up. Now, bring the ends around so that they overlap and the roll is in the shape of a circle. Press the ends together and place roll onto a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, then bake following the directions on the package (375 degrees for 11 to 13 minutes).

Make the Eggs:  Spray a skillet over medium heat with non-stick cooking spray. Open both ends of a clean, small sliced pineapple can. Spray the inside of the empty can with the non-stick spray, and then place the can in the pan to heat up. Use more than one can if you’d like to speed up the cooking process. Beat an egg, then pour it into the empty can mold, add a bit of salt and pepper, and cover with a saucepan lid. Cook for a couple minutes, then scrape a knife around the edge of the egg to release it. Remove the can then turn the egg over and cook it for another minute or two. Repeat with the remaining eggs.

Prepare meat:  If using sausage, form 2-ounce portions of sausage into patties with the same diameter as the rolls. Cook the sausage in another hot skillet over medium heat until brown. If using bacon, cook the bacon and drain on paper towels.

Assembly:  Slice a roll in half through the middle. Build each sandwich by first stacking egg on the bottom half of the roll. Next arrange sausage (or 2 slices of bacon) on the egg, then a slice of American cheese. Top off each sandwich with the top roll half, then zap it in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds to help melt the cheese. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.


Notes:  Burger King currently has the following croissant sandwiches on the menu:

• HAM, EGG and CHEESE
• SAUSAGE, EGG and CHEESE
• BACON, EGG AND CHEESE
• DOUBLE STUFFED  (with sausage, bacon, egg and American cheese. The Double tag refers to two meat portions on the sandwich)

Other variants available:

• Croissan'Wich with sausage and American cheese
• Croissan'Wich with egg and American cheese
• The Double Croissan'Wich with ham and bacon or sausage and ham
• The Double Croissan'Wich with double sausage, ham or bacon

Previous promotional products:

• The Western Croissan'Wich ham, sauteed onions, eggs and American cheese
• The Hawaiian Croissan'Wich spam, eggs, sausage, sold in Hawaii.

Homemade BK Sausage

SAUSAGE PATTIES
Burger King Copy Cat Recipe

Makes 4 Patties

7 ounces ground lean pork
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

In a small bowl, combine the pork, maple syrup, onion powder, salt, sage, black pepper, red-pepper flakes, and nutmeg. With hands or a fork, mix to blend well.

On a sheet of waxed paper, divide the mixture into 4 equal portions. Shape each portion into a 4" patty.
Place in a plastic container lined with waxed paper. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Biscuit Sandwiches

BISCUIT BREAKFAST SANDWICHES
Burger King Copycat Recipe

Makes 5 Sandwiches

5 buttermilk biscuits (Pillsbury "Grands" Five biscuits per can)
5 eggs
10 ounces sausage patties or (two slices bacon or ham per biscuit)
5 slices American cheese

For the eggs, you will need to create a ring to make them perfectly round. Just cut both ends off tuna cans, clean thoroughly, and you will have a mold to use. (You can also use a small round bowl to cook each egg individually in the microwave.)

Be sure to use non-stick spray around the sides that touch the egg. When they're time to flip over, lift the can up and loosen the egg from the can with a knife.

Prepare biscuits according to package instructions. Meanwhile, cook bacon and/or sausage. Flatten the sausage out.

Notes: Burger King currently offers the following types of biscuit sandwiches:

• BACON, EGG and GOUDA
• HAM, EGG and CHEESE
• SAUSAGE, EGG and CHEESE
• BACON, EGG AND CHEESE

Iced Mocha Coffee

ICED MOCHA
Burger King Copycat Recipe

Serves 3

2 cups coffee
2 cups half and half
1 cup chocolate syrup
ice, as needed

In a pitcher mix together the coffee, half-and-half, and the chocolate syrup. Chill in the fridge if you have time. Serve with ice.

Hershey Sundae Pie

HERSHEY SUNDAE PIE
Burger King Copycat Recipe

Makes 1 Pie

Crust: 1:
chocolate pie crust (store bought or Hershey crumb recipe)

Layer 2:
8 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup powdered sugar
8 ounces Cool Whip
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Layer 3:
1 large box chocolate pudding
milk

Whip cream cheese until softened. Blend in powdered sugar and remaining ingredients and place on crust.
Make pudding as directed, but minus 1/2 cup milk. Top pie with pudding mixture. Finish with Cool Whip and chocolate curls.

Rodeo Burger

RODEO BURGER
Burger King Copycat Recipe

Makes 1 Sandwich


1 fully cooked hamburger patty
1 hamburger bun with sesame seeds
4 small minced onion rings
2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
2 pickles, slices


Lightly toast the bun. Put the fully cooked meat patty on bun. Place pickles and onion rings on burger. Drizzle with barbecue sauce.

Notes:  Burger King also served a Rodeo Cheeseburger

Chicken Fries

CHICKEN FRIES
Burger King Copycat Recipe

Serves 4


1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup Zatarain's  Seasoned Fish Fry
1/2 cup flour
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
oil, for frying
various dipping sauces such as barbecue sauce, honey mustard or ranch dressing




Butterfly the chicken breasts. Then cut them down the middle to separate the breast halves. Next cut into the shape of chicken fries with meat scissors or a knife.

Put flour and Fish Fry into separate resealable plastic bags.

Lightly beat the egg with one tablespoon water. Shake four chicken fries at a time in the flour, shake off the excess, dip in egg wash. Shake off the excess, then shake in Fish Fry. Place the chicken fries on a plate to reserve for frying.

Heat one inch of oil in a skillet to medium hot. Fry chicken fries in batches so they do not touch, turning, until they are golden brown.  Drain chicken fries on paper towels and serve with dipping sauce of your choice.

Notes: Burger King has taken the chicken fries off the menu. if you decide to try this make sure you get the seasoned fish fry because it has a spicy kick needed to make this restaurant copycat recipe.

Don't feel like cooking but are craving chicken fries?  Just spotted these in the freezer at my local Walmart.  Haven't tried them yet but I'm sure they would be better with some Cajun spices sprinkled on them before you bake them in the oven.

Onion Rings

ONION RINGS
Burger King Copycat Recipe

Serves 3



1 large onion, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg

1 cup milk, or as needed
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
seasoned salt to taste
1 quart oil for frying, or as needed


Heat the oil in a deep-fryer to 365 degrees. Separate the onion slices into rings, and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Dip the onion slices into the flour mixture until they are all coated; set aside. Whisk the egg and milk into the flour mixture using a fork. Dip the floured rings into the batter to coat, then place on a wire rack to drain until the batter stops dripping. The wire rack may be placed over a sheet of aluminum foil for easier clean up.

Spread the bread crumbs out on a plate or shallow dish. Place rings one at a time into the crumbs, and scoop the crumbs up over the ring to coat. Give it a hard tap as you remove it from the crumbs. The coating should cling very well. Repeat with remaining rings.

Deep fry the rings a few at a time for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove to paper towels to drain. Season with seasoning salt, and serve.










ONION RING SAUCE
Burger King Copycat Recipe

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 1/2-2 teaspoons ketchup
1/2-3/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoon horseradish
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well with a spoon or whisk. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour before using. Do not adjust the amount of ingredients until after you have chilled it and tasted, the flavors become strong as they chi

Big King Burger

BIG KING BURGER
Burger King Copycat Recipe

Makes 4 Sandwiches

Sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons French dressing
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Sandwiches:
8 sesame seed hamburger buns
4  frozen burgers (4 ounces each)
16 slices American cheese
1 1/3 cups shredded lettuce
12 white onion rings
8 dill pickle slices
Salt and pepper, to taste

Sauce:  Mix the first five ingredients together in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Cook:  Heat barbecue or gas grill on high heat. Grill frozen burgers to desired doneness. Season to taste. Toast buns either on the grill or in a toaster oven.

Assembly:  Spread 2 tablespoons sauce on top bun and then place 1/3 cup lettuce evenly over sauce. On bottom bun, place one burger, then one slice of cheese, then another burger, and another slice of cheese. Follow this with 3 onion slices and then 2 pickle slices. Finish with top bun.

Muffin Sandwiches

BACON GOUDA MUFFIN SANDWICH

Burger King Copycat Recipe

Makes 2

2 muffins
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons half and half
4 pieces of bacon - cut in half
1 tablespoon butter (divided use)
2 to 4 small slices of smoked Gouda cheese
salt and pepper to taste , if desired

Bake bacon:  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cut bacon in half and place on a baking rack that is nested in a baking sheet. Bake bacon for about 20 minutes or until brown and crispy. You can cook this on the stove top as well.

Make eggs:  In a small bowl combine 2 eggs and 2 tablespoons of half and half. Whisk together well. Pour eggs over a hot griddle that two teaspoons of butter has been melted on. Cook eggs on medium-low heat until they are done. Do not disturb the eggs while cooking. When eggs are almost done cut the eggs in half, and fold eggs into smaller portions.

Assembly:  Toast muffin, and butter both sides. Assemble sandwich by placing the eggs on the bottom bun, then the cheese slices, and finally add the 4 pieces of cooked bacon. Top with remaining muffin top.

Notes:  Burger King also offers egg muffin sandwiches with sausage and/ or cheese.  You can follow the same method to make these at home as well.

Southwestern Breakfast Burrito

The Southwestern Breakfast Burrito at Burger King is a combination of  eggs, sausage, two slices of melted American cheese, crunchy Hash Browns, diced white onions, and salsa all wrapped up in a soft white flour tortilla.

Next Up: BBQ Shrimp

Happy Mother’s Day!

I want to wish all the moms out there a very happy Mother’s Day! I’m blessed to have two great moms in my life, my mother Pauline, and my mother-in-law Peggy. Both continue to be my biggest fans and supporters, and as I’ve said before, this blog wouldn’t exist without them.

To honor them, and everyone else out there who nurture and take care of others, I give you this inspired performance by future rock star, Teal Greene. While I chose this because of Teal’s heartfelt lyrics, I have to admit his wardrobe choices of baggy, long underwear, sunglasses, and San Francisco Giant’s cap  sealed the deal. Enjoy!

Chilled Sugar Snap Pea Soup – Ain't Nuthin' But a "P" Thang, Baby!

I’ve never been a big cold soup fan. Where I’m from, cold soup gets sent back, but over the years I’ve grown to appreciate things like gazpacho, vichyssoise, and…that’s about it. Well, thanks to this gorgeous chilled sugar snap pea soup, my repertoire just expanded in a very delicious way.

Traditionally (from what I hear), chilled pea soups are made with English peas, but thanks to the very user-friendly sugar snap, not only is there no shelling involved here, but I think they impart an even sweeter flavor. Speaking of sweet flavor, you’re going to want to contrast that by garnishing with some sour cream or crème fraiche. If you can’t get or have that, then use a few drops of lemon juice or rice vinegar to balance the flavors. 

As far as the mint goes though, I’d make every effort to obtain some, as I can’t imagine another herb pairing as well. Lastly, the Snoop Dogg reference in the title foreshadows a Snoop Dogg reference made during the garnishing portion of the video. For more information, ask your kids. I hope you give this lovely, spring soup a try soon. Enjoy! 

Ingredients for about 6 cups of soup:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup sliced leeks

4 cups chicken broth

salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste

1 pound sugar snap peas

2 mint leaves

crème fraiche or sour cream, and more fresh mint to garnish

View the complete recipe

You Can Count on Monte Cristo Benedict for Mother’s Day Brunch

I always get a ton of food wishes this time of year for creative brunch ideas, and I was thinking about doing some new type of eggs Benedict, when I happened to see a photo of a Monte Cristo sandwich. At first, it just made me want a Monte Cristo sandwich, but after that wore off, I started thinking about how I’d seen these topped with fried eggs before.

Long story short, I decided to simply make an open-faced version of the famous stuffed sandwich, and top it with poached eggs, and hopefully a new American brunch classic was born. Of course, I'll let you decide, but there was nothing I didn’t love about this plate of food. Okay, the salad was kind of phoned in, but the rest was awesome.

The base is a variation of our famous Restaurant Style French Toast recipe, which marries perfectly with the ham, cheddar and havarti. It was so tasty you really don’t even need the poached eggs. Actually, forget I said that. Do the eggs. If only so you can pop those yolks, and watch them run. Besides the eating, that has to be the best part.

I’ve also re-posted a poached eggs demo below, since poaching your eggs ahead of time is the only way to go, especially if you have a larger group. By the way, you can hold the Monte Cristo bases in a warm oven while you pull the rest of the meal together. I hope you give this new Benedict a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

For the batter:

2 large eggs

1/4 cup cream

1 tbsp sugar

pinch of salt
pinch of cayenne

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp allspice

4 thick slices of French bread
1 tbsp butter

8 slices ham

4 slices cheddar cheese

4 slices havarti cheese

8 poached eggs

chive to garnish

How to Poach Eggs 

 

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View the complete Monte Cristo Benedict recipe

Lemon Bars for a Lasting Mother’s Day Impression

Mother’s Day is coming up, and since so many of you brave souls will be attempting a celebratory brunch, I thought I’d post this much-requested lemon bars recipe, in case things don’t go as smoothly as anticipated. 

Preparing brunch can be tricky anytime, let alone under mom’s watchful (aka “extremely concerned”) eyes. Can someone please get her a mimosa and walk her into the garden?

So, even if a few poached eggs break, or the toast gets a little too golden-black, no worries! If you finish the meal with these gorgeous, and absolutely impossible to mess-up lemon bars, she'll be as proud as she will be impressed. Our moms may have taught us the importance of a good first impression, but its America’s restaurateurs who discovered the importance of a delicious last impression. There's nothing like a well made pastry to make one forgive a tough steak.

Other than a baking dish, there’s no special equipment or techniques required. Both the shortbread base and the lemon custard take only minutes, and are simply hand-mixed in a bowl. 

Basically, if you can move your arm in a circle, and effectively set a timer (there’s one on your phone), your lemon bars should look just as good as these (maybe better – see meringue note below). Anyway, whether you’re going to make these for Mother’s Day or not, I hope you give them a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 16 Small Lemon Bars:

For the shortbread crust:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup room temp unsalted butter (1 stick)

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

Bake crust at 350 degrees F. for 22 minutes

For the lemon layer:

2 large whole eggs

1 large egg yolk

1 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp grated lemon peel

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 25 minutes

Garnish with powdered sugar; or top with *meringue (the extra egg white whipped with 1 tablespoon of sugar) and brown with torch.

*My Meringue
If you decide to turn these into lemon meringue bars, do yourself a favor and actually measure the sugar. I couldn’t be bothered to check a recipe, so I only tossed in a teaspoon of sugar, and it should be closer to a tablespoon. The technique is the same; beat the extra white to the ribbon stage (where drips of white stay on the surface for a few seconds), and then add the sugar and continue whipping until you have nice, glossy peaks. My “by eye” batch worked fine, but it was a little too dry, and not quite sticky enough. Be advised.

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Those Other Tortillas

I know we've done flour tortillas on the blog, but I've not yet attempted the far more intimidating corn version. Why do they scare me so? I'm not sure, but it's a real problem. Anyway, one of these days I'll muster up the courage to give it a go, but in the meantime, here's a demo from my buddies at Allrecipes.com showing the basic method. Can it really be this easy? Enjoy!

Shrimp & Jalapeno Nachos for Cinco de Mayo or Cinco de Anytime

These simple and addictive shrimp and jalapeno nachos are not only a nice alternative to more common versions, but a great reminder of how this iconic snack was actually intended to be served. Contrary to current fashion, nachos didn’t start out as a giant pile of chips drenched in ladles of florescent gold cheese sauce.

The earliest versions were made by simply broiling a single layer of cheese-topped chips, which were then garnished with jalapeno peppers – simple and elegant, with every chip genetically identical to the next. Over time we’ve added hundreds of toppings, as well as replaced the broiled (real) cheese with something that you can also use to grease an axel.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the aforementioned version just as much as the next guy wearing pajama jeans, but once in a while it’s good to revisit a simpler time in American snacking. If you’re planning to party, I wish you a fun and safe Cinco de Mayo, and hope you give these very tasty chips a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 Portions:

1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp (I used 50-60 per pounds size, which are ideal for this)

1 tbsp vegetable or olive oil

pinch of cayenne

1/4 tsp ground chipotle pepper

salt and pepper to taste

50-60 large tortilla chips, or as needed
2 jalapeno peppers, sliced very thin

about 3 1/2 cups of shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese

avocado creama (1 avocado, 1 cup sour cream, and juice of 1 lemon or 2 limes; liquefied in a blender)

sliced cherry tomatoes and freshly chopped cilantro to garnish

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