Repeat Attempt: Blue Cheese Burgers

If you haven't read my previous post yet, please start there. ;) I attempted to make Barbecue Blue Cheese Burgers last week, and it just didn't pan out. I don't give up that easy, so tonight I gave it another whirl (this time with a recipe in hand.) I also decided to drop the BBQ portion of the burger, a simple twist should be enough.

Recipe:

1 pound ground sirloin

1.5 oz of blue cheese, crumbled

2 tbsps sauteed red onion

1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp dry mustard

4 hamburger buns

1) In a medium size bowl, mix ground beef, blue cheese, sauteed onion, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, salt and dry mustard by hand. Create 4 to 5 patties.

2) On medium heat, fry patties in a large skillet for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on preference of color.

3) Toast buns, and serve. For an extra kick, sprinkle on a little bit more blue cheese. I did...it was great! ;)

Recipe adapted from: All Recipes

My First Official FAIL

Well friends, I just had my first completely failed dinner! I'm pretty disappointed about this one. I didn't have time to look online for a good recipe to make, so on my walk home I thought up my own. I was hoping to make Blue Cheese - Barbecue Burgers.

I started by picking up a little over a pound of ground sirloin (which makes this fail even worse since sirloin is such a great cut of meat.) I headed home and added 1/8th teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper and 1/2 a teaspoon of onion powder.

Now here is where I took a turn for the worse: next, I added 1/4 cup of BBQ sauce. I mixed all the ingredients together by hand and noticed that the BBQ sauced didn't mix through all the meat, so I added another 1/4 cup. For some reason, I didn't stop there (although my gut feeling said NO!) After another 1/4 cup (making that a grand total of 3/4 cups of BBQ sauce,) I finally stopped.

I formed 4 patties, and put 2 of the larger in a frying pan on high. While these began to cook, I stuffed blue cheese in the smaller patties - just incase I didn't taste good, I'd still have 2 burgers without cheese.

As these cooked, they began to fall apart rather rapidly. I tried my hardest to keep these together but the longer they cooked, the more they fell apart. I tasted some of the fallen meat and it was insanely sweet!!! (Probably because I decided to use Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce.)

I finally gave up and turned off the burner. In no way did these taste good. I think I could have saved the meat and made a really spicy pasta sauce then thrown it in to sweeten the sauce up, but honestly, I never wanted to see the meat again!

So there you have it: My first official FAIL! :( I plan on retrying these burgers soon, with someone else's recipe of course! ;)

Flat Iron Steak in a Red Wine Mushroom Sauce

I'm keeping this whole "cook something new" thing going as long as I possibly can. I know that if I fall back to my old ways, I'll probably end up cooking a different variation of chicken night after night. Don't get me wrong, I love chicken. There's nothing wrong with grilling a quick piece on a busy night, but I wouldn't necessarily post about it, unless of course there was an amazing secret ingredient.

With that said, It's time to make myself a new goal. Here it is: at least 3 times a week I will cook new, out-of-my-comfort-zone, blog-worthy meals! (And since prior to October, I was constantly cooking pasta, the sky is my limit!)

It's been a while since I've had a good piece of steak so I thought it would be the perfect meal to make tonight!

Flat Iron Steak in a Red Wine Mushroom Sauce

Recipe:
2 (6 ounce) flat iron steaks (My grocery store did not have flat iron (or skirt steak) so I picked up thinly sliced sirloin. I wouldn't advise doing this - the meat was too thin and cooked too way too fast to follow this recipe - but still delicious!)2 tablespoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard powder
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 1/4 cup sliced portobello mushrooms


1) Allow the steaks to come to room temperature.
2) Stir together 2 tablespoons of olive oil, cayenne pepper, black pepper, ground paprika, salt, mustard powder, and garlic powder in a small bowl to make a paste.
3) Prick steaks all over with a fork and rub them well with the spice rub paste, working the rub into the meat. (This rub is insanely delicious!!!!)
4) Heat a large, heavy skillet over high heat and add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Heat oil until it just begins to smoke and quickly sear the steaks until the outside has browned but the center is still blood red and just warmed, 2-3 minutes per side.
5) Remove steaks from skillet with tongs. Pour the dry red wine into the skillet, and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
6) Stir in sliced portobello mushrooms, and cook on high while stirring until mushrooms are fully cooked and have released their liquid, about 5 minutes.
7) Return steaks to the skillet on top of the mushroom-wine sauce. Reduce heat to LOW and cook until sauce reduces and thickens, about 5 minutes.
8) Remove steaks to serving platter and pour mushroom sauce over steaks to serve.



It's hard to make out the mushrooms in this picture, but that is because they are packed full of flavor! The rub for the steak is orange in color (because of the cayenne mixed with the black pepper and mustard.) Once combined with the red wine and the steaks, the mushrooms absorbed this color and the flavors of the entire pan.
I don't usually like spice rubs, but this rub was fragrant, spicy and savory. It would be delicious on almost any kind of meat - and probably taste even better if it was cooked on a grill!
Enjoy!

Chilly Weather = Hot Soup!

The temperature was beyond frigid in NYC today! To avoid any chance of getting frost bite, I walked as fast as I could just to get out of the cold. AND so I could get home and make soup - from scratch! Exciting, right? It was for me! ;)

For the third night in a row, I am doing something I have never done in the kitchen before. 1st, I cooked with wine, next I made lamb chops and today, I made homemade Baked Potato Soup!

This wasn't the quickest recipe I've ever made, but it was delicious. It also gave me a bigger appreciation for soup, knowing how much effort went into the final product.

Baked Potato Soup

Recipe:

Courtesy of Annie's Eats

4-5 Baking potatoes

4 tbsps butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour, divided

6 cups of 2% milk

2 tsps salt

Ground black pepper, to taste

3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup scallions, chopped

1/3 to 1/2 cup light sour cream

For Topping:

Sour Cream

Shredded cheddar cheese

Chopped scallions

Bacon pieces

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Poke potato with end of fork then bake for 45 minutes to and hour. Remove from the oven and let sit until cool enough to handle. Peel off skin and place potatoes into food processor. Pulse until the pieces are broken into small chunks. (If potatoes are soft enough, you can skip the food processor and break potatoes into chunks with a fork. It worked well for me.)

2) In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, melt the butter, on medium-high heat. Add ¼ cup of flour to the pot and whisk into the butter. Cook, whisking constantly, until golden brown, about 2 minutes.

3) Whisk in the milk and the rest of the flour. Cook (still on medium-high heat) until thick and bubbling, about 6-8 minutes.

4) Mix in the potato chunks. Whisk in the salt, pepper, and cheddar cheese and stir until the cheese is melted.

5) Remove from the heat, stir in the green onions and sour cream.

6) Serve immediately. Garnish with sour cream, cheddar cheese, green onions and bacon as desired.

The soup turned out amazing! It was so filling, I was able to make it my entire meal. If you have a hungry appetite (like my boyfriend,) bake up a few breaded chicken breasts or make a side salad to complete the meal.

This soup definitely helped keep the chill away!

Succulent Lamb Chops

After a week of not cooking, I feel like a complete bum (and my taste buds and stomach are craving any and everything that is packed full of flavor.) While I was sick, I realized how much I love to cook. Every night I had zero energy, but really wished I could have been whipping something tasty up to eat.

I tend to talk about my blog a lot with friends and co-workers (surprise, surprise.) Something I noticed from this: a lot of people love to cook. It's just one of those things people don't usually talk about it, since eating is a necessity in life. But I'm not going to lie to you, I really like talking about it! ;) One of my co-workers is always telling me about these amazing dishes she comes up with, just by looking at ingredients she has in her fridge and knowing what flavors go well together. It's amazes me to hear about what she does, but it's so discouraging because after almost 3 months of regularly cooking, I'm not able to do that. There aren't many dishes that I can whip up by looking at random things I have on hand. Everything I cook requires a recipe.

I know everything takes practice and I can't wait until I'm mixing recipes and creating my very own dishes. I'm ready to keep at it and grow in my cooking abilities. With that said, I decided to cook outside of my comfort zone tonight.

Lamb Chops with Couscous and Broccoli

I have never given a single thought to cooking lamb, but why not? I need to take risks in my kitchen and tonight was the night to start. I combined a recipe I found on cooks.com with a strong suggestion made by my local butcher. These turned out AMAZING! They were full of flavor and very tender and juicy.

Recipe:

6 to 8 lamb chops, 1/2 to 1 inch thick

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped

3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp rosemary, crumbled

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1) Combine all ingredients except chops and combine well, by hand. Rub mixture into chops on both sides. (The recipe then called for 2 hours of stand time to allow the rub to set it. I did not have time to do this so I went straight on to cooking.)

2) Place chops in a dry large skillet and cook on low heat for 20 to 25 minutes. Be sure not to add any oil to the pan, the chops will already be coated from the rub. My butcher was very adamant about this. When I told him my original plan was to broil the chops (which you can do - 5 minutes on each side,) he yelled at me, saying that the chops should be cooked slowly. I figured I should listen to the pro and did as I was told.

Take a look at how great these turned out!

Next onto the side dishs: I love couscous. I don't know what it is about it, but the texture and taste make for a great add on to any meal. There is really nothing special about this recipe. I advise that everyone follow directions straight from the package that you buy. The only extra thing I add is a tablespoon of butter and a dash of Lawry's Seasoning Salt. For the broccoli, again, follow the directions from your package of choice. You can't go wrong. ;)

If you haven't tried something new in a while, I suggest you give this a whirl. It's not the cheapest dinner, but it tastes great. And if you're anything like me, you'll feel pretty accomplished when you're finished! ;)

Penne with Chicken and Broccoli in White Wine Cheddar Sauce

Tonight was the night to get back in the kitchen! After 1 full week of not cooking, I was totally ready to get back to it. Although I was excited for a new challenge, I had to stick with something that seemed easy. (Work has been busy, with long hours lately.)

I found this amazing recipe for Penne with Chicken and Broccoli in White Wine Cheddar Sauce.
I've never cooked with wine before, but after the last two weeks, I figured it would be a great addition to my meal! ;) When you read the recipe below, you'll see that there isn't a lot of wine or cheddar in this dish, but once combined these two ingredients create the most amazing flavor. It's a little tangy, gooey party in your mouth!

Recipe:

8 oz. penne or ziti (I used whole wheat)
1 ½ tbsp butter
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 ½ tbsp flour
¼ cup dry white wine (I used chardonnay)
1 cup chicken broth
1 box fresh broccoli florets, blanched or steamed until tender
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, grilled and cut into bite-sized pieces
¾ cup shredded white cheddar cheese
salt and pepper

1) Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta until al dente.

2) Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Just as butter starts to foam, add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Next, add the flour to the skillet and cook until it begins to turn golden, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook until evaporated, about 1 minute.

3) Stir the broth into the pan and simmer the sauce until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Add the cheddar and stir constantly while returning to a boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (If you really love cheese, sprinkle a little more than the 3/4 cup already required.)

4) Fold in the pasta, chicken and broccoli and stir until the sauce covers uniformly. Plate and top with shaved Parmesan, if desired.

EVERYONE has to try this! It is so delicious. I don't usually experiment with white sauces, but this was very very tasty (and beyond easy.)

Recipe adapted from Annies-Eats.

Not (feeling) Well

I haven't cooked a single thing this week! I've been incredibly sick with either a reallllllly bad cold or a sinus infection... I'm not sure which. I'm so sick, that I've ordered take-out all weekend because the only things left in my refrigerator are condiments and spolied milk.

On the bright side, since I didn't leave my apartment all weekend, I had plenty of time to surf the Internet. I came across a pretty ironic, yet SO helpful little tool for everyone at home. Check out this great Table of Condiments! Ever wonder how long you should keep condiments in your fridge? This link will give you all the answers you need!

I hope to get back in the kitchen by Tuesday at the latest. I can't wait to eat home made food!

Have a great week.

-Beth