Flank Steak, Grilled Veggies, & Twice Baked Potatoes - 6/22/2014

Peter enjoyed his dinner in front of the World Cup.

Father's Day aka Meat Fest 2014

Chipotle Lime Chicken Fajitas Skewers - 6/8/2014

Slimmed Down Piña Coladas Mocktail

(with Do You Wanna Build a Snowman straws)

 2 cup(s) pineapple, cubed   

1 1/2 cup(s) pineapple juice or frozen pineapple

2/3 cup light coconut milk   

6 oz fat-free vanilla yogurt   

1 cup ice cubes

Deconstructed Mexican Street Corn

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

5 ears of corn

1/2 cup sour cream

3 limes (juiced)1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)1 tbsp fresh cilantro (chopped)

Start by pulling the husks off the kernels, yet keeping them attached to the cob for easier handling. Place the ears of corn on the grill over medium heat.

Rotate the corn on the grill 2-3 times while cooking for 15 minutes or until slightly charred. Remove from the grill and allow to cool slightly for easier handling.

Remove the kernels from the cobs using a sharp knife.

And the kernels to a saucepan over medium heat.

Add the sour cream, lime juice and cayenne pepper and mix well.

Heat for 5-7 minutes then place in a serving bowl and top with the Parmesan cheese and fresh cilantro.

Chipotle Lime Chicken Fajita Skewers

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts (app 2 lbs)

5 limes (juiced)

1/2 tbsp sea salt

1/2 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp ground chipotle pepper

1/4 cup cilantro (chopped)

1 garlic clove (minced)

2 red bell peppers

2 green bell peppers1 red onion

Start by juicing four of the limes into a small mixing bowl. Mix in the salt, cumin, chipotle pepper, cilantro and garlic to make the marinade.

Chop the chicken breasts into cubes and place in a large Ziploc bag or plastic container. Pour the marinade over the chicken.

Close and shake well until all of the chicken is covered. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to marinate.

While the chicken is marinating chop the bell peppers and onions.

After the chicken has soaked up all of those amazing flavors start to skewer the chicken, bell peppers and onions.

Place the skewers on the grill over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, flip and grill for an additional 5-7 minutes.

After the chicken is cooked through, remove from the grill, squeeze the last lime over the skewers and serve!

After the chicken is cooked through, remove from the grill, squeeze the last lime over the skewers and serve!

Black Bean, Mango and Tomato Salad

Ingredients
 1 large mango(es), diced, divided* (about 1 3/4 cups)
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
3 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp table salt  
15 oz canned black beans, drained and rinsed  
1 cup(s) fresh tomato(es), diced  
1/2 cup(s) uncooked onion(s), sweet, diced
1/4 cup(s) mint leaves, or cilantro, fresh, cut into thin slivers
1 Tbsp pickled jalapeno peppers, or fresh, minced (if using fresh, do not touch seeds with bare hands)
Instructions
In a large bowl, mash 1/4 cup of diced mango with a fork; whisk in lime juice, water, oil, cumin and salt.
Add remaining diced mango, beans, tomato, onion, mint and jalapeno to bowl; toss to mix and coat. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate up to 1 day. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving.

Notes
*Make sure your mango is ripe enough that you can mash some of it with a fork (as per the instructions above).
Serves: 8

1/2 cup = 3 points

 

Pavlova Recipe

Yield: Makes 8-10 pavlovas

INGREDIENTS

Meringue:

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar OR 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar OR distilled white vinegar

1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup (6 ounces, about 6) large egg whites, preferably room temperature

Pinch salt

Topping:

2 pints fresh or frozen berries1/4 cup sugarWhipped Cream for topping

METHOD

1 Place rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 275°. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour the vanilla and vinegar (if using) into a small cup. Stir the cornstarch into the sugar in a small bowl.

2 In a large bowl of a heavy-duty mixer, fitted with whisk attachment, whip egg whites, cream of tartar (if using) and salt, starting on low, increasing incrementally to medium speed until soft peaks/trails start to become visible, and the egg white bubbles are very small and uniform, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.

3 Increase speed to medium-high, slowly and gradually sprinkling in the sugar-cornstarch mixture. A few minutes after these dry ingredients are added, slowly pour in the vanilla and vinegar (if you didn't use cream of tartar.) Increase speed a bit and whip until meringue is glossy, and stiff peaks form when the whisk is lifted, 4 to 5 minutes.

4 Pipe or spoon the meringue into 8-10 large round mounds that are 3 inches wide on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon liner. With the back of a spoon, create an indentation in the middle of the mound for holding the filling once meringue is baked.

5 Place baking sheet in the oven. Reduce oven temperature to 250°F. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the meringues are crisp, dry to the touch on the outside, and white -- not tan-colored or cracked. The interiors should have a marshmallow-like consistency. Check on meringues at least once during the baking time. If they appear to be taking on color or cracking, reduce temperature 25 degrees, and turn pan around.

6 Gently lift from the baking sheet and cool on a wire rack. Will keep in a tightly sealed container at room temperature, or individually wrapped, for up to a week if your house is not humid.

7 Served topped with your favorite filling - lemon curd, raspberry or blueberry sauce, and freshly whipped cream.

Recipe adapted from Flo Baker's pavlovas in the San Francisco Chronicle: Fourth of July dessert has roots in Australia

Sauce or Filling Directions

If you want to make a berry sauce, heat a couple pints of fresh or frozen berries in a medium saucepan with about a quarter cup of sugar. Heat on medium heat, stirring once or twice, for about 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how much the berries are falling aprt. Remove from heat and let cool.

Meyer Lemon Curd

6 egg yolks + 2 whole eggs

2/3 c. sugar (use a full cup if you’re using regular lemons, which are tarter)

pinch salt

2/3 c. meyer lemon juice

4 tbsp. unsalted butter

1/4 c. heavy cream

In a heavy, non-reactive saucepan, whisk the eggs and yolks together. Whisk in the sugar, salt and lemon juice.

Put the pot over medium-low heat and add the butter. Heat, stirring constantly, until the butter is gone and the mixture coats the back of a spoon.

Take the pot off the heat the pour the curd through a mesh strainer to get out any cooked eggy bits that may be lurking. Whisk in the heavy cream.

Pour into storage containers and cool (it will firm up as it cools; in the pic above, it’s still warm). Especially delicious over a piece of toasted pound cake

Angel Food Trifle with Strawberries, Cream and Chocolate

Pre-dinner Pool Party

Grill Master

An ice cream + the car all to herself!

What it looks like in humid KC

What it looks like on temperature controlled TV

Layers of Love Angel Food Trifle with Strawberries, Cream and Chocolate 

by Ryan Hutmacher

Cupcakes

1 package Angel Food Cake; 12 servings- yields total 24 cupcakes

1 1/4 cup Water

1/2 cup Cocoa Powder 

Strawberry Filling

3 cups Strawberries; fresh; sliced (approximately 1 pint)

1 1/2 tablespoons Sugar

2 teaspoons Lemon Juice 

Citrus Maple Cream Cheese

8 tablespoons Light Cream Cheese; room temperature

1 tablespoon Pure Maple Syrup

1 teaspoon fresh Orange Zest

1 pinch of Salt 

Chocolate Sauce

3 ounces Dark Chocolate Chips; (72% cacao)

3 ounces Heavy Whipping Cream

Cupcakes: Set the oven rack to its lowest setting.  Line muffin pans with Cupcake liners.

Whisk the Water and Cocoa Powder gently for 30 seconds until incorporated. Combine Cake Mix and Water in a large bowl.  Beat with mixer on medium speed for 1 minute or whisk by hand.  Do not overbeat. Pour batter into Cupcake liners, filling about 2/3 full, making 24 total Cupcakes.  Bake for 25-30 minutes until there is a golden brown crust atop of the plain Angel Food Cakes.  Remove Cupcakes from the baking pans and transfer to a cookie sheet, allowing them to cool slowly.

Strawberry Filling: In a small bowl, mix the sliced Strawberries, Sugar and Lemon Juice together. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Citrus Maple Cream Cheese: In a small bowl, whisk Cream Cheese, Maple Syrup, fresh Orange Zest and a pinch of Salt together.  Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Chocolate Sauce: Place the Chocolate Chips in a small metal or glass bowl.  Heat the Whipping Cream in a sauce pot until it begins to steam, then pour over the Chocolate Chips.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let stand for 5 minutes.  With a fork, gently stir the warm Chocolate mixture together, then re-cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

Assemble: Build the Angel Food Cake trifle using an 8 ounce canning jar.  With paper liners removed, begin with 2 Cupcakes, sliced horizontally.  There should be a total of 4 flat slices of Cupcakes per serving.

Place one slice of Cupcake in the bottom of the jar. Next, add one heaping tablespoon of Strawberries followed by 1 heaping teaspoon of Cream Cheese mixture.  Next place a slice of white Cupcake atop of that, followed by one heaping tablespoon of Strawberries followed by 1 heaping teaspoon of Chocolate Sauce.  Repeat these steps until the last slice of white Cupcake reaches the top.  Pour some of the Strawberry Juice onto the top layer then drizzle with remaining Chocolate Sauce and garnish with a Strawberry Slice.