Food for My Family » Main Course http://foodformyfamily.com ...one plate at a time. Wed, 16 May 2012 19:55:09 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Grilled and Blue Cheese Buttered Steak with Bourbon Caramelized Onions http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/grilled-blue-cheese-buttered-steak-with-bourbon-caramelized-onions http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/grilled-blue-cheese-buttered-steak-with-bourbon-caramelized-onions#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 19:50:49 +0000 Shaina http://foodformyfamily.com/?p=11343 Get your grill ready for a perfectly grilled steak sitting on a bed of bourbon caramelized onions and topped off with blue cheese butter.


This weekend we finished our patio. Well, that’s not entirely true. We finished the main structural pieces that pull the patio space together. There are still plenty of other pieces that need to come together before the project can be signed off on. Still, we have an actual outdoor space to occupy for the first time in the last five years, and it’s a nice feeling.

As it were, patio completion coincided with my daughter’s last supper. Well, for a while anyway. Braces went on early this morning, which stretched nearly to the afternoon, and while her teeth weren’t smarting too much just a few minutes ago when I dropped her off for the last hour of school, I know from experience that it will be a while before she is indulging in foods that require a significant amount of chewing.

A steak dinner seemed like the best solution to both christen in the new patio space, as well as to give Kiera a proper meal before we break out the blender and suck down some wheat grass. (Check and check on that front.)

A can of Bush’s Bourbon and Brown Sugar Grillin’ Beans served as the impetus for our meal, which led to spiking the caramelized onions with a bit of bourbon flavor and topping off our steak with a healthy dose of salty blue cheese to combat the sweetness. A few bold condiments to complement the steak, a side of beans, and a giant salad, and we’re moving into a summer of outdoor eating.

“Grillin’ Bold this Memorial Day? Bush’s has the beans for it. Come join the cookout with Cookin’ Canuck and Hoosier Homemade sponsored by Bush’s Grillin’ Beans.” Link up for your chance to win! I’m linking up this juicy steak dinner, and I can’t wait to see what you come up with.

Disclosure: I’m working with Bush’s Grillin’ Beans. That means I am compensated for things like this, but all thoughts, opinions, pictures, and screw-ups are still mine. I claim them. You’re welcome.

4 8-ounce New York Strip Steaks
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper

For the caramelized onions:
1 large yellow or white onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup bourbon*
1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

For the butter:
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
3 tablespoons softened butter

Remove steak from the refrigerator and set aside to allow it to come to room temperature. Preheat your grill to the highest setting (around 500º F).

In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter on medium high and add onions. Stir occasionally until the onions caramelize and brown, about 5-8 minutes. Add brown sugar and stir for about a minute to combine with the butter and juices in the pan. Stir in the bourbon and black pepper, and reduce the heat to medium. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, for another 3-5 minutes until the bourbon cooks down and is absorbed by the onions. Turn off the heat.

Season both sides of the steaks with salt and pepper. Spray down the preheated grill grates with olive oil or cooking spray. Close the lid for one minute to allow the grates to heat back up. Place the steaks on the grill and close the lid. Cooking times will vary depending on the thickness of the meat. For medium doneness with 1-1/2″ steaks, flip the steaks to an empty part of the grill after about 2-3 minutes and close the lid. Allow the steaks to grill for another 2-3 minutes and remove to a plate and cover with foil to rest for at least 5 minutes. Adjust your cooking time to achieve your preferred level of doneness.

Mix together butter and blue cheese until combined. Use marinated onions to build a foundation on the plate, and lay the steak on top. Finish with a scoop of blue cheese butter and serve.


Makes (4) 8-ounce steaks, 8+ servings


*For the kids or the sans alcohol version, just eliminate the bourbon and replace with 2 teaspoons extract plus 3 tablespoons water for a similar taste.

Copyright © Food for My Family.

]]> http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/grilled-blue-cheese-buttered-steak-with-bourbon-caramelized-onions/feed 21 Cilantro-Lime Fish Cakes with Sriracha Lime Mayonnaise: Leftovers Redone http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/cilantro-lime-fish-cakes-with-sriracha-lime-mayonnaise-leftovers-redone http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/cilantro-lime-fish-cakes-with-sriracha-lime-mayonnaise-leftovers-redone#comments Wed, 02 May 2012 16:42:05 +0000 Shaina http://foodformyfamily.com/?p=11274 Leftover fish and rice find themselves transformed into a cilantro-lime fish cake topped off with a spicy sriracha lime mayonnaise.


Do you ever feel like you’re walking around with a sign on your back that says, “Not cool enough?”

I suppose it may just say, “kick me,” and the “not cool enough” factor is inferred. It is on my back. I can’t see it all that well.

I like to imagine the sign changes with each person who sees it. While one person may look and see that my sign says “standoffish,” someone who has known me longer may see that it says “reserved,” which is closer to the truth. Does it really matter what one person reads in comparison to the other? Should it bother me that some, but not all, associate kindness with extroversion or that sarcasm is often misread? People are entitled to their own opinions, and it remains within yourself whether or not you seek to change their mind.

If I told I was going to serve leftovers you may instantly turn away, bored at the thought of a meal of reheated tubs of food. However, if I presented it as a crisp, lightly fried rice cake with flaky fish topped with a bit of sriracha spice, you may stay a while and see what I’m serving. It’s all in the packaging and the wording, but if they decide to leave when they see the “leftovers” sign it’s their loss.


It’s probably not cool to continuously tell you about my leftovers. The chicken salad in a jar: leftovers. Fish cakes: leftovers. Who said leftovers had to be boring and reheated in the microwave?

We try to keep a regular amount of fish in our diet, but one of the things that always bothers me is leftover fish. I do not want to waste good fish. It’s not a resource I can just throw away, but reheated fish just isn’t all that exciting. That is, unless it’s turned into crispy fish cakes and served with a spicy mayonnaise. Suddenly leftovers are no longer leftovers, and instead, they’re a perfectly presentable meal.

A Few Notes

  • Feel free to approximate the rice and fish as long as you end up with around 3 1/2 cups of substance. You can mix and match a bit if your leftovers aren’t exact.
  • I used Hinode’s Medium Grain Rice. (They didn’t pay me to say that. I work with them, but I happen to also like their rice. That’s why it’s a good relationship.) The medium grain is a bit stickier than your average long grain. If you have long grain, add a bit of extra mayonnaise a tablespoon at a time to help it stick together if you have problems forming your cakes.
  • You can make these with a variety of leftover fish. They are equally delicious with salmon or whitefish, tuna, snapper, or tilapia. I used a snapper that had been prepared with lemon and grilled in a parchment bag. If you have a salty piece of fish, you may want to decrease the salt level a bit.
2 cups cooked rice, cooled
1 1/2 cups leftover fish
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup diced green onions
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 egg
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
2-4 tablespoons butter
greens of choice
Sriracha Lime Mayonnaise for garnish (recipe below)

In a large bowl, mix together the rice, fish, bread crumbs, green onions, and cilantro. In a separate bowl, whisk mayonnaise, egg, lime juice, salt, and pepper together until smooth. Add the mayonnaise mixture to the rice and fish. Stir to combine.

Using a 3-tablespoon scoop, press together the mixture. Flatted the scoop into a patty and carefully roll in the breadcrumbs to cover. Repeat until all the mixture is gone.

In a heavy-bottomed skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. Add the fish cakes to fill the pan. Cook for 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside. Repeat with remaining butter and fish cakes.

Serve warm on a bed of greens with sriracha mayonnaise.


Makes 15-18 fish cakes.


Sriracha Lime Mayonnaise
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
4 teaspoons sriracha sauce
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
3/4 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

Add the egg yolk, vinegar, lime juice, sriracha, and salt to the tall vessel of an immersion blender or a tall cup. Add the oil last slowly so that it sits on top of the other ingredients. Place the immersion blender blade at the bottom of the cup and turn it on. With the blender running, slowly start moving the blade towards the top, working in all the oil until it has been incorporated. Pulse the blender up and down a few times to mix thoroughly. Stir in cilantro.


Copyright © Food for My Family.

]]> http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/cilantro-lime-fish-cakes-with-sriracha-lime-mayonnaise-leftovers-redone/feed 39 Mason Jar Meals: Ranch Chicken Salad in a Jar http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/ranch-chicken-salad-in-a-jar-mason-jar-meals http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/ranch-chicken-salad-in-a-jar-mason-jar-meals#comments Thu, 26 Apr 2012 18:37:18 +0000 Shaina http://foodformyfamily.com/?p=11243 An easy on-the-go lunch or dinner, this ranch chicken salad is a great way to repurpose your leftovers, make lunch grab-and-go, and ensure you’re eating right even when life feels like it’s running a marathon.


I roll over, kicking the covers off and lying there in my bed, letting myself adjust to the temperature difference. The cold air washes over me. Slowly, I open my eyes, daylight streaming in through the windows feels far too bright for the time of day.

Closing my eyes again, I listen for the sounds of life in the house.

In a perfect world, I’ll have a few minutes to sit at the computer, letting the feeling of being upright rush over me and sipping a cup of coffee before the kids come running out needing help finding clothes, breakfast, testing the weather to see if they can get away with shorts, searching for the homework they swear up and down to have put in their backpack last night that has mysteriously vanished. And lunches.

Every evening after dinner I spend a few minutes repackaging our leftovers so they’re easy to grab for lunches. Including Ole, there are currently four lunches that need to go out the door each morning. Having those things together, even partially, before the morning rush hits does a lot to keep me sane. Enter: the mason jar.

The jar does a lot to keep the things inside fresh, the lunch in one neat package, and to keep packing it simple. I loathe the lunches that have seven separate containers that never seem to fit in the dedicated lunch box. Not to mention that those school lunch emergencies always seem to occur five minutes before the bus pulls up. The jar means I just need to add an apple on the side, a slice of bread, a simple snack and everything is ready to fly out the door. Additionally, it makes a great picnic meal, with everyone getting a jar and a fork instead of multiple dishes and plates, and when you’re done, it’s easy to cap off and carry back instead of storing dirty dishes somewhere.

Last month I had the opportunity to travel to New York to shoot a video for Hellmann’s Mayonnaise. My job is hard. I get to see people I love, like Amanda. It involves staying in Kimpton Hotels, which are easily my favorite hotel chain and have been for the last four years. You can see our gorgeous rooms at the Eventi Hotel on Amanda’s site. Finally, it involves laughing in the green room with a bunch of wonderful bloggers. Oh, and that bit about shooting a video. There was some of that going on, too.

Amanda is addicted to Instagram, which I’m sure is why she has her phone out in this photo. At the moment she’s in Italy, and her pictures of her trip have been just amazing. It was Amanda’s idea to make our dish in a jar. It’s because she’s a dessert lover, and I’m pretty sure the jars remind her of the photo shoot we did for Desserts in Jars last October.

Ignore that I tell you this twice in the video thanks to editing: The wet ingredients go on the bottom. It keeps them separate from the lettuce, which prevents it from wilting. Wilted lettuce does not a good salad make.

The Facts

  • I used a 1-Liter Leifheit Canning Jar They are one of my favorite jar manufacturers. You can use any 1-quart or 1-liter jars, but be sure you pick one with a wide-mouth lid.
  • This will easily stay 5 or so days in the refrigerator, so you can make a variety on Sunday night and have lunches for the week ready to go.
  • If you skip the video, you can just shake it up to combine all the ingredients before you eat, or you can just open it and stir it as you go.

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons parsley, minced
2 teaspoons fresh chives, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
kosher salt and pepper
6 ounces cooked pasta shells or other small shape
6 ounces chicken, cooked and cut into pieces
1 red pepper, chopped
2 cups fresh spinach or baby lettuces

In a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, parsley, chives, dill, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add in the pasta and stir until combined. Split the creamy pasta between two 1 quart or 1 liter mason jars.

On top of the pasta layer, add the chicken pieces, split between the two jars. Next, layer the diced red pepper, and finally, top the jar with the lettuce. Seal and store in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

When time to serve, shake the jar until all the ingredients are covered in the sauce. Unscrew the lid and eat.


Makes 2 salads in a jar.
Copyright © Food for My Family.

]]> http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/ranch-chicken-salad-in-a-jar-mason-jar-meals/feed 40 Bean and Barley Arugula Salad: A Picnic for the Planet Giveaway http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/bean-and-barley-arugula-salad-a-picnic-for-the-planet-giveaway http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/bean-and-barley-arugula-salad-a-picnic-for-the-planet-giveaway#comments Wed, 18 Apr 2012 17:55:54 +0000 Shaina http://foodformyfamily.com/?p=11182 Large cannellini beans, barley, and arugula mix together to become an easy salad for bringing to the park to enjoy on a warm spring day. April 22nd is Earth Day. Get involved. Have a Picnic for the Planet.


The weather has been kind lately. Too kind, almost.

Where I live the weather can change quickly, from sunny and warm to cold and snowing overnight (as it did Sunday to Monday this week). The changing seasons and shifting temperatures remind us to take advantage of the good weather while it’s here: forcing us outdoors, inviting the neighbors over at the last minute, postponing dinner to get a family bike ride in. If you live in a climate that is regularly 70 degrees and sunny, taking advantage of a nice day to get outside and enjoy it may not be a priority. You get overly comfortable with the idea that tomorrow will be just as nice, every bit as enjoyable and inviting.

Never stop taking advantage of those perfect moments when the breeze is gently blowing, the sun slowly setting in the west. Those nights are the perfect excuse for an outdoor picnic, for standing around with friends and neighbors and talking. Your house doesn’t need to be clean, but you can still enjoy the weather and the company of the people you love.

Sunday, April 22nd is Earth Day, and the Nature Conservancy is encouraging everyone to get outside and enjoy and celebrate the planet we live on. Last year’s Picnic for the Planet boasted over 600 picnics in 61 countries across the globe. This year, The Nature Conservancy is going for the official Guinness Book of World Records title for the most people picnicking in a 24-hour period. Find out how you can join in on Picnic for the Planet and get involved in setting the record!

2 cups cooked barley
2 cups cooked cannellini beans
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/2 lemon, juiced and zested
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups baby arugula leaves

In a large bowl, combine the barley, cannellini beans, and red onion. In a small container, whisk together the lemon juice and zest, red wine vinegar, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Slowly whisk in the oil. Pour the dressing over the barley and bean mixture and toss to coat evenly. Place the bowl in the refrigerator and allow to sit for 30 minutes for the flavors to combine.

Just before serving, add in the tomatoes and arugula, and toss to combine. Serve chilled.


Makes 6 servings.
Copyright © Food for My Family.

A Giveaway:

I’m giving away a Picnic for the Planet basket from The Nature Conservancy full of fun picnic supplies for the summer!

  • Coleman Collapsible canvas basket lined with gingham fabric
  • Official Picnic for the Planet merchandise (water bottle, tee, blanket, temporary tattoo)
  • Reusable bamboo utensil set by To-Go Ware
  • Popchips
  • Peeled Snacks organic dried fruit
  • Green and Black chocolate bar
  • Back to Nature crackers and cookies
  • Burt’s Bees chapstick

TO ENTER:

  1. Simply leave a comment on this anyone telling me what you’re doing for Earth Day, what you like to bring to picnics, just say hi.
  2. Follow Food for My Family and The Nature Conservancy on Twitter and Tweet the following and leave a comment letting me know you did:

    Enter to win a @nature_org Picnic for the Planet basket from @FoodforMyFamily http://wp.me/puu57-2Um #giveaway

  3. If you follow Food for My Family or The Nature Conservancy on Facebook, let me know with a comment.

Make the rounds for more chances to win:
::All Day I Dream About Food
::A Spicy Perspective
::Cookin Canuck
::Created By Diane
::Dine & Dish
::Food for My Family
::Gourmande in the Kitchen
::I am Baker
::Jeanette’s Healthy Living
::The Little Kitchen
::Tidy Mom

THE RULES:

This giveaway will run until Sunday, April 22, 2012 at 11:59 pm CDT and is open to all U.S. residents 18 years of age and older. A winner will be chosen at random using Random.org from all eligible entries. Chosen winners must respond within 48 hours of notification to claim their prize. Good luck!

]]> http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/bean-and-barley-arugula-salad-a-picnic-for-the-planet-giveaway/feed 86 Cream Biscuits and Sausage Gravy Breakfast http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/cream-biscuits-and-sausage-gravy-breakfast http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/cream-biscuits-and-sausage-gravy-breakfast#comments Wed, 29 Feb 2012 17:25:47 +0000 Shaina http://foodformyfamily.com/?p=10981 A recipe on how to make easy creamy-style biscuits and sausage gravy for a quick and easy breakfast or breakfast for dinner.
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Let me begin by telling you that there is nothing remotely light about this recipe. This is stick-to-your-ribs food. It’s the type of meal you eat when the last possible day in February starts with an ice and snow storm. It is destined for lazy Saturdays when you actually feel like cooking just a bit or evening meals when you’re short on time but ravenous at the thought of food. A meal that you eat after a cold, brisk walk around the lake.

I’ve started enjoying the lake more. It’s just down the road, with a walking path that is frequented by other walkers, runners, and the occasional miscreant. Surrounded by park land, a community golf course, and the neighborhood zoo, it’s a tiny slice of heaven right in my backyard.

I find the cold wind rather freeing, and it’s been great for clearing my head and getting away when the walls seem to be pushing in on me inside the house. I’ll mourn the loss of the cold just a bit as spring comes and then summer sets in, bringing extra people to navigate around, and making it feel a bit less secluded. Exercise I suppose is a bonus, but then, I’m apt to undo any sort of benefit by serving biscuits and sausage gravy up for dinner.

The beauty of cream biscuits is their short prep and cooking time. Start to finish, biscuits can be on the table in less than 20 minutes. While they bake, you can whip up whatever else you’re going to eat with them. In this case, sausage gravy and a side of eggs rounded out the meal, accompanied by a sad-looking pomegranate that had made itself quite comfortable at the bottom of the produce drawer. Inside, however, the arils were bursting with bright red juice, and their tart-sweet bits were just what was needed to cut the richness of the gravy.

Love or hate the winter wonderland outside my door, I’m glad to be huddled inside with the oven on, waiting for soft, fluffy biscuits to put on the plates of my family.

Notes:
*You can substitute butter for bacon grease if you don’t have any available, I suppose.
*Cream biscuits (barely) adapted from Smitten Kitchen via James Beard’s American Cookery

For the cream biscuits:
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon baking powder (preferably aluminum-free)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons melted butter

For the gravy:
1 pound raw breakfast sausage
2 tablespoons bacon grease
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup flour
1 cup heavy cream
3 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon black pepper
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Make the biscuits: Preheat the oven to 425º F and line a large baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in 1 1/4 cups of the heavy cream until incorporated. Slowly stir in the remaining cream until the dough reaches a soft and easily handled consistency.

Turn the dough out onto a flat, lightly floured surface. Knead lightly into a ball, and then press the dough into a circle just about 1″ thick. Using a round biscuit cutter, cut into circles. Press remaining scraps into a flat circle again and repeat until all the dough is used.

Dip the dough rounds into the melted butter, and then place them on the prepared baking sheet, butter side up, 2″ apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes until tops are golden brown. While the biscuits are baking, prepare the gravy.

Make the gravy: Brown the sausage in a large saucepan over medium heat. Set aside. In the same pan over medium heat, melt the butter and bacon grease. Slowly whisk in the flour until is incorporated into a smooth paste. Add the cream while constantly whisking to thoroughly mix. Stir in the milk and pepper.

Continue to heat and stir until gravy thickens and reaches desired consistency. Add the sausage back into the gravy. Salt if needed, but many sausage varieties will be salty enough. If the sauce becomes too thick, stir in additional milk. If a spicier gravy is preferred add cayenne pepper.

Remove the biscuits from the oven. Serve gravy over warm biscuits.


Makes 10 biscuits with gravy.
Copyright © Food for My Family.
]]> http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/cream-biscuits-and-sausage-gravy-breakfast/feed 34 Mediterranean-Style Brown Rice Bake with Hinode Rice http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/mediterranean-style-brown-rice-bake-with-hinode-rice http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/mediterranean-style-brown-rice-bake-with-hinode-rice#comments Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:13:49 +0000 Shaina http://foodformyfamily.com/?p=10954 A Mediterranean-style rice bake with marinated artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomato and goat cheese is just the thing for those end-of-winter days.
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We live in meat-and-potatoes country. My husband grew up on it, and my family is guilty of it as well. Still, despite our upbringing, my husband and I don’t often fall back on the food of our childhood dinner tables. Instead, we choose to round out meals in a more eclectic fashion, often opting for alternative carbohydrates.

More often than not—in part thanks to our Zojirushi—we end up with a protein, a large number of vegetables and rice. We bake it, turn it into pilaf, slow cook it into creamy goodness, panfry it and add it to soups. It is definitely a staple at the dinner table, and it even makes it s way into lunch boxes at school quite often.

It seemed an obvious choice, then, when the people at Sun Foods came to see if I’d be interested in trying out their rice products, maybe creating a few recipes and becoming a spokesperson to share—well—rice with you. It was even more obvious when I learned their goal was to get families eating more whole grains, which means more brown rice, at their family dinner table.

There are days when family dinners are a daunting task. The light seems to be sucked from the sky all too quickly, leaving hungry mouths and plenty of homework, errands, and daily chores still left to do before heads hit their pillows.

Even on the busiest of days, however, I’m aware that I still need to be doing my best to provide healthy meals for those small people who are depending on me, and in those minutes, it’s wonderful to have products to turn to like Hinode‘s Brown Rice Pouches that can get brown rice on the table in just a matter of minutes.

Add to that a wide selection of products from jasmine and basmati rice all the way to black rice (you so need to try some “Forbidden Rice;” it’s a superfood, you know) and I was smitten. Luckily, so are my kids, because we’ve been eating even more rice than usual lately.

Back in January I flew down to Florida to share a few rice facts on an episode of The Balancing Act, which will air this Thursday, February 23rd at 7:00am ET – 8:00am PT on Lifetime Television channel.

If you’d like to try Hinode’s products, grab a $0.55/1 Hinode Dry Rice printable coupon or a $1/2 Hinode Microwaveable Rice printable coupon. I’ll be around here and there as we launch Hinode Rice products at Kroger, Safeway and Walmart stores. To find the nearest retailer near you, visit Hinode’s Store Locator.

This rice bake is a great meal on its own, and it reheats into enviable lunches. With preserved foods like artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes, it transitions us from winter to the beginning of spring, just as the first asparagus start to appear.

3 cups cooked Hinode medium-grain brown rice
1 cup small artichoke hearts, quartered
1 cup asparagus pieces about 1″ long, blanched
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, with oil
¼ cup diced roasted red pepper
6 ounces chèvre
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 375º F. In a large mixing bowl, combine rice, artichokes, asparagus pieces, sun-dried tomatoes and roasted red pepper. Stir to combine. Cut off 4 ounces of the chèvre and break into ½”-sized pieces and add to the bowl. Add red wine vinegar, olive oil, parsley, salt and pepper and toss to combine.

Spread rice mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish. Dot the top with remaining chèvre. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until heated through and goat cheese begins to brown lightly.

Remove from oven. Serve warm.


Makes 6-8 servings.
Copyright © Food for My Family.

Disclaimer: I have been hired by Hinode and SunFoods as a spokesperson. Part of that role was telling you all that I’m doing it, but I also get to fly around and promote them beyond the internet, too.

]]> http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/mediterranean-style-brown-rice-bake-with-hinode-rice/feed 21 Cordon Blucy Burgers to Tailgate To: A Juicy Lucy Twist http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/cordon-blucy-burgers-to-tailgate-to-a-juicy-lucy-twist http://foodformyfamily.com/recipes/cordon-blucy-burgers-to-tailgate-to-a-juicy-lucy-twist#comments Fri, 18 Nov 2011 01:45:13 +0000 Ole http://foodformyfamily.com/?p=10300 Prosciutto and Gruyère stuffed and grilled into the center of the cheeseburger, creating an oozing center of delicious to your Juicy Lucy tailgate eats. Try this along with a side of Bush’s Boston Recipe Baked Beans for a complete tailgating meal.

Tailgating in the summer is easy. It’s often done in t-shirts and flip-flops, and the variety of food available is vast. Nothing more than a few hot dogs or a thin cheeseburgers are required for a main course and they can be casually ingested on a balmy afternoon.

The same cannot be said for late fall or winter sports. To tailgate a football or hockey game your preparation needs to be a bit more tactical. Wimpy hot dogs can turn into meat-sicles in a matter of minutes and that puny quarter-pounder can turn into a hockey puck before you sit down. Luckily, however, there is a little known Minnesota specialty that just so happens to be the perfect fit for a crisp autumn tailgating session.

As the story goes, two bars on the same street in Minneapolis both claim to be the original inventor of what’s known as the Juicy Lucy (or the Jucy Lucy). It consists of a generous portion of cheese pressed between two uncooked hamburger patties and then fried on the flat top until the cheese transforms into a molten core. A trip to Minneapolis is not complete without consuming at least one of these.

It turns out, this technique lends itself perfectly to outdoor, cold weather cooking because the volcanic cheese will keep the burger hot for an extended period of time, even when the air temperature is quite low. This translates to a more pleasurable and leisure dining experience in the presence of cold air. Another plus is that all of the hard work can be done before hand thus making it easier for the cook on game day. Add a side of baked beans, and your tailgate meal is complete.

Today, we’ll be making something we like to call a Cordon Blucy. This borrows flavors from the classic cordon bleu palate, by using a slightly sweet and savory Gruyère cheese and salty chopped prosciutto on the inside and a topping of tangy Dijon mayonnaise and baby arugula, which pair perfectly with the sweet and rich Boston Recipe from Bush’s. All the steps prior to grilling can be done beforehand in the comfort of your own home and packaged for later use in the parking lot of your choice.

For each burger, slice up about 1 ½ ounces of cheese, chop about 3 slices of prosciutto and gently form out two quarter pound patties, being sure to make them fairly thin. Place the cheese and prosciutto on top of one patty, and then cover with the other. Here is the important part. Lovingly press the edges of the patties together making sure to completely seal in the cheese. Any breach between the pocket and the outside will result in your cheese being lost as an offering to the grill. Nobody wants that, so take care when sealing the burgers. And they’re ready for the trip to the big game.

WARNING! When you pull the burger off the grill, it is not time to eat. Your burger needs to rest for a good five to ten minutes, although the outside air temperature will determine the exact rate of cooling. Nobody wants a mouthful of burning cheese. Give it a minute to come down to a reasonable temperature.

So take a few minutes, breath deeply, and prepare to enjoy a big bite of Minnesota food heritage, a hearty burger that will stay warm, and keep you warm during the cold months of the year.

This post was sponsored by Bush’s Beans. Their Baked Beans make a great side dish for your tailgating session. Opinions, recipes and photos are my own. You can get more tailgating in with these sweet and sticky chicken wings and a few tailgating tips.

2 pounds ground beef
8-12 thin slices prosciutto
6 ounces Gruyère cheese
salt and pepper
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil mayonnaise
3 cloves of garlic, pressed
baby arugula
4 soft French rolls
butter

For each burger pat out two 1/4-pound patties of ground beef. Finely chop 2-3 slices of prosciutto and spread in the center of one patty. Cover the prosciutto with Gruyère cheese and place the second patty over the first. Seal well, pressing the edges of the burger together. At this point you could refrigerate the burgers until ready to grill.

Add patties to a preheated grill and grill for 4-5 minutes, sprinkling with salt and pepper once on each side. Flip and continue grilling 3 more minutes. Flip twice more, grilling 3 additional minutes for each flip. Remove from grill, tend with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

While the burgers are resting, butter and toast the rolls on the grill until golden brown. Mix together mayonnaise, garlic and Dijon mustard. Place the burger on a toasted French roll and top with Dijon mayo and baby arugula.


Make 4 burgers.
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