Apple Pie a la Mode (On a Stick)

Since living in Utah my husband and I have been to Arches National Park and now Yellowstone, and I highly recommend seeing either or both of them to anyone who, like me, is just amazed at the beauty of this country. The parts of Yellowstone we got to see this past weekend were just plain cool. Before going I was vaguely aware that Old Faithful was there and that we might see bison. That's about all I knew about it. Come to find out, going to visit Yellowstone is like visiting another planet. One where there is not just one, but multiple waterfalls like this:

and where wild animals are everywhere.

(Believe it or not, we saw so many bison that I kept thinking I would take a picture the next time I saw them. Eventually we were on the drive home and I realized I hadn't take a single one.)

In Yellowstone you might pass by a pond that looks normal, until you realize that it's boiling. Or you might see one of many beautifully clear hot springs . . . 

 . . . that look like they go straight down to the center of the earth. 

You see craters of boil mud:

and, of course, geysers are all over.

It was definitely an amazing place to see, and we only saw just a small part of the park. My poor nephew got the stomach flu about halfway through the first day so we cut our sightseeing short. (Note: When a little boy is in a car and he says he feels sick, give him a bag or bucket or something, just in case you don't get a chance to pull over soon. Lesson learned.)

In honor of the beauty of Yellowstone and the many natural wonders we have in our country, and of course with the 4th of July coming up, I thought I'd share a very "American" recipe today - apple pie a la mode on a stick. 

It's layers of apple pie filling and vanilla ice cream in a convenient popsicle form. How can you get better than that? Making the apple pie filling on the stovetop means you can get great apple pie flavor without turning on your oven. The popsicles are easy and fast to make, meaning you can spend more time lighting sparklers, floating in the lake, roasting marshmallows, watching fireworks or enjoying any other holiday traditions you have for the Fourth. Whatever you enjoy doing, they're a delicious way to cool off, relax, and enjoy summer.

Apple Pie a la Mode (On a Stick)

Apple pie filling

4 cups Granny Smith apples, chopped medium (if you use a sweeter apple decrease the sugar)
2 tsp lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1/8 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of nutmeg
2/3 cup water

1 quart vanilla ice cream

24 popsicle sticks

1. In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice and set aside. Pour water into a large saucepan over medium heat. Combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Add to water, stir well, and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add apples and return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until apples are tender, about 2-5 minutes. (Or until apples soften and taste "cooked" rather than raw.) Remove from heat, let cool and chill in the refrigerator until cold.

2. Let ice cream sit on the counter for 15-20 minutes, or until it has softened. You might want to stir it up to make sure it is evenly softened throughout.

3. In a popsicle mold or small paper cup, add a spoonful of chilled apple pie filling. Top with a spoonful of softened ice cream. Repeat until the mold or cup is full. Add a popsicle stick and freeze until firm. (I let mine freeze overnight) Un-mold the popsicles to serve by running the mold briefly under warm water. Serve.

Makes about 24 small popsicles

Recipe Source: Heat Oven to 350

Almond Pancakes

The day my husband and I left for Yellowstone, we decided to take things easy. We slept in, watched the morning news and went over our plans for what we wanted to see inside the park. I made us some of these almond pancakes and we sat and watched the sun come over the tops of the mountains while we ate them.

At least, that was the plan.

We did sleep in, and I did decide to make us pancakes, but instead of being a relaxed, peaceful morning, it was a little bit crazy at our house. I wasted too much time figuring out what clothes to bring to make sure I was prepared for every possible weather scenario, so by the time I started making breakfast I was frantically mixing things up in the kitchen and making a floury mess everywhere. Meanwhile, my husband decided it would be a good time to play the drums instead of packing. I ate my pancakes out of one hand while standing by the stove watching the rest of them cook. My husband didn't even have any pancakes because by the time they were ready he had moved on to packing and there was no way I was going to interrupt that. We loaded the car and then added about fifty things that we didn't really need but thought we should bring because we had room. (Like kites. For real? Did we think we were going to fly kites in Yellowstone? Not quite sure, but we brought them, "just in case".)

These pancakes are on the list to make again on a morning that isn't quite so busy, because they're good enough that they deserve some undivided attention. I'm a fan of almond flavor, so the use of ground almonds in them and almond extract was just perfect. They were delicious on their own, scarfed down straight off the griddle, or with whipped cream and fruit. 

Stay tuned for Yellowstone pictures and stories. It was beautiful up there and I'm in the processing of sorting through my pictures.

Almond Pancakes

1 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

about 1 1/4 cup raw almonds

2 T sugar

2 cups low fat yogurt (Greek yogurt won't work because it is too thick.)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla

1 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/8 tsp almond extract (for subtle flavor) or 1/4 tsp almond extract (for strong almond flavor)

Directions:

1. Preheat a non-stick griddle over medium heat. Lightly grease the cooking surface with butter or spray with non-stick spray.

2. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a mixing bowl.

3. Add almonds and sugar to a food processor. Pulse several times until the mixture is finely ground. (I like little tiny chunks of almonds in my pancakes. If you wanted the mixture to be smoother, sift out the larger pieces and pulse them again until they are fine.)

4. Measure out 1 cup of the almonds/sugar mixture and add it to the flour mixture until just blended. Stir the yogurt, eggs, butter and almond together in a separate bowl; add to the flour mixture, stirring only until just incorporated. The batter will be thick and airy. (You can add a couple tablespoons of milk if it is too thick to spread on the griddle.)

5. Pour about 1/3 cup of the batter onto your preheated cooking surface, leaving space for the pancakes to expand. Cook until dry around the edges and bubbles have formed over the top, 2 to 3 minutes; turn and continue cooking until done in the middle and golden brown, another 1 to 2 minutes.

Recipe Source: Adapted from allrecipes.com

Grilled Potato Salad - Mayo Version

As you're reading this, I'm currently enjoying the beauties of Yellowstone. Actually, there's a 30% chance that I might be enjoying the beauties of a lodge somewhere while waiting out a thunderstorm. Regardless, I'll try to take some lovely pictures to share when I get back. 

This is grilled potato salad number two, for those who like their potato salads with mayo. I'm an easy-to-please potato salad eater and like them pretty much all ways, but I realize that there are often strong feelings when it comes to mayo or no-mayo. Marriages have even broken up over an inability to compromise on this important issue. Actually, that part is a complete lie as far as I know. Still, whatever side you are on, between this salad and this one, consider yourself covered.

Besides the grilled potatoes, there are a few other things that I really like about this recipe. It uses light mayo, which is always a bonus in bathing suit season as far as I'm concerned. It also has pickle juice replacing some of the vinegar that you find in traditional potato salads which takes away some of the harshness that vinegar can have. The paprika/spice mixture that goes on the potatoes before grilling gives 

them such great flavor, I could be perfectly content with eating them right off the grill and skip making the rest of the salad. 

Grilled Potato Salad - Mayo Version

8 medium yukon gold potatoes (about 2 lbs.), cut into 3/4 inch planks

2 T olive oil

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp pepper

1 cup low-fat mayonnaise

2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

1 dill pickle, chopped

3 T dill pickle juice

1 T spicy brown mustard

1. Place the first five ingredients in a large bowl; toss to coat. Moisten a paper towel with cooking oil, using long handled tongs lightly coat the grill rack. Grill potatoes, covered, over indirect medium heat for 25-30 minutes or until tender, turning once. Cool. Cut into quarters and place in large bowl. 

2. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Pour over potatoes; toss to coat. Refrigerate 1-2 hours to allow flavors to blend. Serve.

Recipe Source: Taste of Home Healthy Cooking

Grilled Potato Salad

Things I'm a sucker for:

1. Dollar Tree. Yes, that's Dollar Tree as in, the dollar store. Don't judge. I dare you to go in there and not find something that you can use in your house. And about 5 other things you can't use but feel compelled to buy because they are only a dollar.

2. Atomic FireBalls. I can't eat any remotely spicy food, yet I've built up a tolerance to eat these hot jawbreakers. I even had them at my wedding. No lie. 

3. The Bed Bath and Beyond 20% off coupons. For some reason, I can't let these go unused. It's like they summon me to the store and make me buy something.

4. 80s rock ballads. Tell me you don't sing along with "More Than A Feeling", too.

5. Grilling food that isn't normally cooked on a grill. (If you couldn't have already guessed from the grilled angel food cake.) I don't know if I see it as a challenge or I just love the taste of grilled food (probably a little of both) but I love trying different foods on the grill. Some experiments work really well, and others are chalked up to learning experiences. 

Grilled potato salad is what I would call a successful experiment. So successful that I'm not only going to share a grilled potato salad today, but on Friday as well. I love the flavor that potatoes get from cooking on a grill. Slightly smoky and lightly charred, they make boiled potatoes seem bland and boring. This recipe has you partially pre-cook the potatoes so that you can leave them in planks and still have them cook through without burning. 

This is a win if you've ever tried grilling about 50 little things at once. Something is bound to get burnt when I try doing that. Cooking the onions and bell peppers on the grill helps give the same smoky flavor to those ingredients as well. I was unsure about the capers at first, but they give the salad a nice, salty flavor. This salad is best served warm or at room temperature. Don't serve it cold as I may or may not have done last weekend. The potatoes will get hard and the salad will lose a lot of its flavor, and your brother may or may not ask you if the salad came from cleaning out your garbage disposal. Remind me again why I'm going to miss him when they move? 

Grilled Potato Salad

3	tablespoons white wine vinegar
2	cloves  garlic, minced
	Ground black pepper
9	tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2	pounds medium red potatoes, scrubbed (Look for ones about 3-4 inches in diameter.)
1	large red onion
1	large red bell pepper (I like to use a mix of mini colored peppers)
	Table Salt
3	tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed
3	tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

1. Whisk vinegar, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 6 tablespoons oil in large bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup dressing and set aside for finishing salad.

2. Slice potatoes into 3/4-inch planks, unpeeled onion into 1/2-inch rounds, and bell pepper according to photos. Bring potatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, and enough water to cover potatoes by 1 inch to boil in large saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until edges of potatoes begin to soften but centers are still firm, about 10 minutes. Drain potatoes thoroughly in colander, transfer to medium bowl, and toss with 2 more tablespoons oil. Toss onion and pepper with remaining tablespoon oil in separate bowl. Season vegetables with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Grill vegetables, uncovered, over moderate fire until well charred on both sides, 5 to 10 minutes per side (onions and peppers will take less time than potatoes). Remove vegetables from grill. Using tongs, remove skin from onions. Cut onions and peppers into 3/4-inch pieces and potatoes into quarters.

4. Toss grilled vegetables with dressing (not 1/4 cup reserved dressing). Toss in capers and cool salad to room temperature, about 15 minutes. Just before serving, toss with remaining 1/4 cup dressing and parsley. Adjust seasonings and serve.

Recipe Source: Cook's Country

Cajun Rice with Sausage

Yellowstone it is.

That was the final decision in the great should-we-drive-out-to-Vermont-with-my-brother-and-his-family-or-go-on-the-vacation-we-planned-with-them debate. (Thanks for all the advice from those of you who weighed in with your comments last week.) In the end, weighing many factors such as cost, time off of work and ability to drive big trucks, my wonderful dad won the opportunity to drive out with them. Congratulations to him. Devon and I have to content ourselves with going on a vacation to Yellowstone with my brother and his family instead. Darn.

We've been giving my brother a hard time about taking four days to drive up to Yellowstone when he is moving just a few days after he gets back. In fact, he's starting to get a little sensitive about it, probably because the word "crazy" is all but implied in every conversation the family has with him concerning the trip. Seeing how excited my nephew is about going is enough to make you realize why they're going ahead with it. He is just fascinated with Old Faithful. He even gave us a lesson last night on how geysers work that was incredibly detailed and enthusiastic. I'm pretty sure there are incoming college freshman that know less about the inner workings of a geyser. So, crazy or not, we're joining them on the vacation they planned as one last fling before they move away.

In honor of our upcoming Yellowstone trip, I thought I'd share this Cajun Rice and Sausage dish.

Okay, okay. I know. Cajun Rice has nothing to do with Yellowstone. In fact, I'm not sure what kind of food even would. S'mores, maybe?

This dish does go with summer, if that helps. It's the type of stovetop, not-heating-up-the-kitchen meal that I like to cook during the summertime. Easy, fast, with plenty of leftovers that heat up well. That's what I like to go for in the few months of the year here where the temperature is above 60. The cajun sausage gives the rice a little bit of a kick and a unique flavor. Plus, I get to buy okra for it, and how exotic do I feel buying okra? (The answer is: very.) Don't let the okra turn you off, though, if you've never had it before. It has a mild flavor in this dish and would be a great chance to try it if you haven't before. Everything is cooked in one skillet, meaning there are less dishes and more time to go outside and enjoy the sun. 

Or pack for your trip to Yellowstone.

Cajun Rice with Sausage

2 slices bacon, chopped
12 ounces spicy chicken sausage (preferably Cajun style), cubed
1 small onion, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
2 gloves garlic, minced
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups chopped frozen okra, thawed
2 T chopped fresh parsley

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Add the sausage, onion and bell pepper to the skillet and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft and the sausage begins to brown, about 3 minutes.

2. Add the garlic, thyme, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper to the skillet, then stir in the rice. Add the chicken broth and 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Stir in the okra, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, 5 minutes. Add the bacon and parsley and fluff with a fork before serving.

Recipe Source: Food Network Magazine

Homemade Strawberry and Blueberry Lime Soda

When I was in middle school, the neighbors down the road got a carbonation machine. I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. You’d put a drink in one of these special bottles, put it on the machine and suddenly you had soda. Amazing. The kids in the lucky carbonation-machine-owning family would tell us about all the cool soda flavors they made. Word was that they had even tried to carbonate milk, just because they could.

When another set of my parent’s friends got a carbonation machine, it was starting to feel like our family was the only one left out of this fancy, fizzy, soda-making party. In fact, I honestly thought just about everyone had carbonation machines until the time I was in college and asked my roommates if they remembered when carbonation machines were all the rage.

Blank stares all around. Apparently carbonation machines were only all the rage in the little world I lived in as a kid.

That didn’t stop me from wanting one to make cool sodas like our friends. Eventually my brother and I came up with what he called “the poor man’s carbonation machine” – ginger ale. We figured out that we could make pretty much anything into soda by mixing ginger ale in it, and decided maybe we didn’t need a fancy carbonation machine after all.

I was reminded of this a few weeks ago by an Italian soda I got when my husband and I were out with some friends. When ordering, I really had no idea what an Italian soda was but decided to give it a try. It was delicious. After googling it at home I learned that Italian soda was just a flavored syrup mixed with club soda. Guess my brother and I weren't the only ones who thought to make soda by mixing a fizzy drink with juice. I started to think of the fun drinks my brother and I used to make and all of a sudden I wanted to make my own soda flavors again.

You can imagine how excited I was when I found this article. (Thanks for the heads up on this magazine, Snails Life.) I gave the strawberry and blueberry lime flavors a try, and they are amazing. Even better than the concoctions I’d come up with as a kid, or even that great Italian soda I had enjoyed so much. The sodas are perfect summer drink and I love how you can adjust how sweet they are by how much syrup you add. I think it would be a fun party idea to make up a bunch of the syrups and have people mix their own sodas at a party or BBQ. (Check out the online version of the magazine - there are other cool flavors there that I have yet to try. I've got my eye on the pink grapefruit kind next.) Even if you get tired of drinking soda, the syrups themselves would be delicious over ice cream. Is this something I'd do if I drank soda every day? Probably not, since it requires more prep time than most of my lunches. But for a fun, refreshing summer treat these sodas are just perfect. No machine required.

Strawberry Soda

3 lbs strawberries, trimmed and hulled
4 T white vinegar
2 cups sugar

1. Place strawberries in a blender and pulse until smooth. Add vinegar and mix well.

2. Pour into a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and let drain. Stir so you get all the juice from the berries and discard the pulp.

3. Transfer juice to a medium pot and add sugar. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 5 minutes. Cool and mix with soda water. (Since the syrup is somewhat thick, I found it easier to mix with a small amount of soda water first to lighten it up, and then add as much soda water as I wanted to taste.)

Blueberry-Lime Soda

4 cups blueberries

2 cups water

1 cup sugar

2 T lime juice

Soda or Tonic Water

1. Place blueberries and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes. Cool

2. Pour blueberries into a fine mesh sieve over a large owl and let drain. Stir so that you get all the juice from the berries. Discard pulp.

3. Transfer juice to a medium saucepan and add sugar and lime juice. Stir mixture and bring to a boil. Let simmer 5 minutes.

4. Cool and mix with soda water and ice.

Recipe Source: Sweet Paul

 

Honey Fruit Salad with Grilled Angel Food Cake

I usually like to taste new dessert recipes before I serve them to other people. There's nothing worse than dishing up a beautiful apple crisp that turns out to be bland and watery, or handing someone a macaroon that has extra salt. (To this day I have no idea how those cookies got so salty.) 

Some desserts are a little harder than others to taste test. It's really difficult to disguise an entire missing slice of pie or half-eaten cake. (If you have tricks on how to do this, please let me know.) Luckily I'm usually baking dessert for Sunday dinner with my brother's family and they're okay with overlooking things like this. Sometimes I even wonder if my nephew thinks it is normal for a finished cake to have a piece missing. 

Last Sunday when I made this dessert, I really wanted to try a piece of the angel food cake grilled. I had eaten the fruit salad part of the dessert before and knew I loved it. What's not to love about some of the best fruits in the world sweetened with some honey and a touch of mint? The juice they release after being combined with the honey is delicious, and perfect for soaking up with some angel food cake. But how would that angel food cake taste grilled? I couldn't get the idea out of my mind, so finally I just broke down and gave it a try, thinking that an entire angel food cake was more than enough for four adults and two children. I even tried grilling a couple pieces, just to make sure I didn't burn one. And then I just had to pile a bunch of the fruit salad on top with some whipped cream, and of course, I had to eat it all, too, just to make sure it still tasted okay. Then I packed up the rest of the angel food cake, fruit salad and whipped cream and we headed over to my brother's house.

When we got to my brother's house, his mother-in-law answered the door. She was there with my sister-in-law's sister and husband. What do you do when you realize you've brought a half-eaten dessert over to share with twice the people you were expecting? You start to laugh, pull out the angel food cake with a giant section missing and tell everyone about what you did. It's a good thing they're not fussy people. Nobody really minded, and even though I had left a good portion of the angel food cake at home (and in my stomach) when dessert time came around there was plenty for everyone. The only bad thing was that I was so preoccupied with making sure we had enough portions that I forgot to grill the angel food cake for them. So if you see any of them, don't tell them it tastes completely delicious grilled. They just had to be content with the un-grilled version, which was pretty delicious too. 

Honey Fruit Salad with Grilled Angel Food Cake

Ingredients:

Fruit Salad:

1 mango

1 cup strawberries

2 kiwis

1 banana

2 navel oranges

3 tablespoons honey

3 to 5 sprigs fresh mint

1 cup raspberries or blueberries

1 Angel Food Cake

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 T sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Peel and dice the mango and put in a medium bowl. Trim the strawberries' stems and half or quarter, if large. Add to the bowl of fruit. Peel and dice the kiwi, add to bowl. Peel and slice the bananas, add to bowl.

Cut the top and bottom off the oranges just deep enough to expose the inner fruit. Following the curve of the fruit cut the skin and pith off the orange in panels. (Like described for a grapefruit here.) Holding the orang over the bowl cut between the membranes to free the citrus segments. Let them fall into the bowl as they are cut free. By hand, squeeze all the juice from the remaining membrane over the fruit, then discard. Repeat with the other orange.

Lightly stir the honey into the fruit. Strip the mint leaves off the stem, tear, or chop into smaller pieces, and stir into the fruit salad. Add the berries and set aside for 10 minutes or up to 2 hours.

Serving: 

Slice angel food cake into 1 1/2 inch pieces and grill over medium heat until just beginning to brown. Turn and repeat on the other side.

Whip cream, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until it begins to get frothy. Increase the speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form.

Arrange angel food cake slices on plates or in bowls and top with fruit salad mixture. Add a dollop of whipped cream and serve.

Recipe Source: Fruit salad adapted from foodnetwork.com

Grilled Garlic and Herb Kebabs

I know I just barely posted a recipe for the grill, but I mentioned my brother in my last post on burgers and thought I'd dedicate this post to him and his family. I don't know if I've mentioned before, but Devon and I found out that he got into a computer science school out here in Utah the day before we got married. We were living in Minnesota at the time and were very happy there. We had friends there, we had family there, I had a job I liked. It was perfect except that Devon's dream school was across the country. When the school called and told Devon he was accepted we were excited, and then the reality sunk in. We'd have to pack our stuff up, say goodbye to our friends and family, quit my job and move across the country. All in less than a month, too. Let's just say it wasn't the easiest decision to make, but it felt right and we've enjoyed this extended honeymoon out here as we decided we'd call it the other day. 

We soon realized one of the bonuses of moving across the country was living near my brother and his family. My brother and his wife are awesome, and they have the cutest kids in the world. (It's true, they've been awarded that distinction.) Living half an hour away from my brother meant Sunday dinners together every week. My brother is a grill master, so usually he'd take care of the main dish and I'd bring sides and dessert. Usually we'll eat and talk and laugh at something crazy the kids did and gear up for the next week of school and work. Since I always like to try out new recipes, their family has had many weird foods over the two years that we've been here. Luckily they weren't all bad. In fact, most of the recipes that make it on this website were first screened by them.

After two years of this little rountine, it's now time for my brother and his family to have their own cross-country moving adventure. My brother got a job opportunity in Vermont, which is close to both my parents and my sister-in-law's parents. In less than a month, they'll be packing up their stuff and driving across the country.

Side note: There is a slight possibility that we might join them on their little adventure. Would you take a free trip to Vermont if it meant spending four days driving a 26 foot long truck with a car attached to the back? And if it meant skipping out on a trip to Yellowstone and Las Vegas that you've been planning? Feel free to add in your input, since we just can't decide.

As we near the final few Sunday dinners together, my brother has been making some of his favorite recipes to feed us before he goes. I'm just realizing that I need to get copies of most of those recipes to have when they are gone. I already have a little section of my recipe binder with favorites from his house, and this kebab recipe is one of them. I think it is one of the first recipes we had over there. As kebabs go, these are my favorite because they have so much flavor from the garlic/herb marinade they sit in before grilling. It's also very versatile because by changing which herb you use, you can really change the flavor of the recipe. I like that I can get the chicken ready the night before and just skewer it while the grill heats up the next day when I get home from work.

Although Devon and I will miss our Sunday dinners with my brother and his family, we're excited for them and this next adventure in life. If you're in Vermont on a Sunday evening, you should really stop by their house for some great company and delicious food.

Garlic and Herb Marinade

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup minced fresh basil, parsley, tarragon, oregano, mint, or snipped chives or 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme or rosemary
• 2 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
• 1teaspoon salt
• Ground black pepper

Kebabs

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs , cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks (You can substitute chicken breasts, but they aren't quite as juicy.)
• 1 1/2 cups bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1-inch wide wedges
• 1 1/2 cups onions, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick wedges
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

1. For Marinade: Whisk the ingredients, including pepper to taste, together in small bowl.

2. For Kebabs: Mix the marinade and the chicken in a gallon-size zipper-lock plastic bag; seal the bag and refridgerate, turning once or twice, until the chicken has marinated fully, at least 3 and up to 24 hours.

3. Turn on all the burners to high, close the lid, and heat the grill until very hot, about 15 minutes. Use a grill brush to scrape the cooking grate clean. Turn the burners down to medium-high.

4. Meanwhile, lightly coat the peppers and onions by tossing them in a medium bowl with the oil and salt and pepper to taste.

5. Remove the chicken chunks from the bag; discard the marinade. Use one hand to hold two skewers about 1/2-inch apart, then thread a portion of the chicken, peppers and onions on both skewers at once for easy turning on the grill. Repeat with the remaining chicken, peppers and onions to make eight sets of double skewers.

6. Grill the kebabs, uncovered, turning each kebab one-quarter turn every 2-minutes, until the chicken, peppers and onions are lightly browned and the meat is fully cooked, about 9 minutes (or 8 minutes if you are cooking white meat). Check for doneness by cutting into one piece when it looks opaque on all sides. Remove the kebabs from the grill when there is no pink at the center. Serve immediately.

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated

Good Old-Fashioned Hamburgers

Have you ever shrugged your shoulders and served a meal that flopped? 

I'd have to raise my hand in answer to that question. I served my entire extended family dry hamburgers at a family BBQ several years ago at my parents house. Aren't I nice? It wasn't completely my fault. My brother finished a two year mission for our church and had just come home, so my parents put together a big BBQ to celebrate. My mom and I made a bunch of salads the day before and my mom planned on making the burgers the next day right before everyone got there. 

It was a great plan except that it turned out the next day my mom had to spend the morning at the hospital with a friend. She told us to go ahead with the BBQ and that she'd try to be back as soon as possible. 

At the point people started arriving for the BBQ (which, in the tradition of my mom's side of the family means 15 minutes early) I started to realize that I was going to have to make the burgers myself. I had only occasionally watched my mom make burgers and never tried them on my own. I plopped the meat in a bowl, mixed in some garlic and worcestershire sauce, shaped it into patties and gave them to my dad to grill. 

Well, it's a good thing my whole family is great because those burgers were pretty dry and didn't taste like much. While I sat there forever chewing my slightly bland first bite I thought, "I should really learn how to make good hamburgers." (Wouldn't you know, my wonderful family ate them and didn't say a thing. And in all reality, they probably didn't mind a bit even if they did notice. They're really wonderful people.) 

Many years and many recipes later, I now can make a pretty darn good burger. My favorite recipe for them is the one I'm sharing today, and I love it because it's easy, fast, doesn't use crazy ingredients, stays juicy when cooked and tastes delicious. My brother gave me the recipe and if he tells you a grilled recipe is good, you listen to him because he's about as good as they come. He's probably made just about every other hamburger recipe you can find, including ones where you grind your own meat. The key to the burger staying moist is to use meat with a higher fat percentage (20-25% fat) and mix in a bread/milk paste. I have to admit, the paste threw me off at first but it works amazingly well to hold to burgers together and help them stay juicy. What you get in the end is a perfect, juicy, flavorful, good old-fashioned beef burger. 

I'm ready for the next family BBQ.

Good Old-Fashioned Hamburgers

1 large slice high quality white sandwich breat, crust removed and discarded, bread chopped into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1/2 cups)

2 tablespoons whole milk

3/4 teaspoon table salt

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 medium clove garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)

2 teaspoons steak sauce , such as A-1

1 1/2 pounds 80 percent lean ground chuck

Vegetable oil for cooking grate

6 ounces cheese, sliced, (optional)

4 hamburger buns or rolls

Instructions

1. Turn all burners to high, close lid, and heat until very hot, about 15 minutes. Use grill brush to scrape cooking grate clean. Lightly dip wad of paper towels in vegetable oil; holding wad with tongs, wipe cooking grate. Leave primary burner on high, turn other burner(s) to low.

2. Meanwhile, mash bread and milk in large bowl with fork until homogeneous (you should have about 1/4 cup). Stir in salt, pepper, garlic, and steak sauce.

3. Break up beef into small pieces over bread mixture. Using fork or hands, lightly mix together until mixture forms cohesive mass. Divide meat into 4 equal portions. Gently toss one portion of meat back and forth between hands to form loose ball. Gently flatten into 3/4-inch-thick patty that measures about 4 1/2 inches in diameter. Press center of patty down with fingertips until it is about 1/2 inch thick, creating a slight depression in each patty. Repeat with remaining portions of meat.

4. Lightly dip wad of paper towels in vegetable oil; holding wad with tongs, wipe cooking grate. Grill burgers on hot side of grill, covered, until well seared on first side, 2 to 4 minutes. Using wide metal spatula, flip burgers and continue grilling, about 3 minutes for medium-well or 4 minutes for well-done. Distribute equal portions of cheese (if using) on burgers about 2 minutes before they reach desired doneness, covering burgers with disposable aluminum pan to melt cheese. While burgers grill, toast buns on cooler side of grill, rotating buns as necessary to toast evenly. Serve burgers on toasted buns.

Recipe Source: Cook's Illustrated

Rhubarb Cookies

When life hands you ________, make _________ cookies.

That's the unofficial theme of my life.

Do you have a type of dessert that you find yourself going back to again and again? Some people are crazy about cakes, and others love making pies. For me, I swear I think in terms of cookies. You give me a dessert, and I wonder how it could be a cookie. (Root beer float cookies, anyone?) You give me some fruit - I put it in a cookie. Candy? Cookie. Nuts? Cookie again. I'd say it was a problem, but I don't see anything wrong with it.

It would follow, then, that when my totally awesome neighbor offers me some rhubarb from her garden, the first thing I do with it is put it in a cookie.

Now, some cookies turn out better than others. The caramel apple cookies weren't actually that good. (The caramel melted and the apples didn't taste remotely fresh. Probably because they were dried.) The chocolate cayenne pepper cookies had too much cayenne and not enough chocolate. (They were tasteless until this heat would hit you in the back of the throat like a mac truck and leave you running for some milk.) Some cookies are works in progress. That's all I will say about those because you will see them when they are perfect. Someday. I promise.

And then some cookies are home runs.

These rhubarb cookies are home runs.

To be fair, I cheated a little. I adapted a cookie recipe that I knew was a winner already, and one that I could easily imagine being equal to the challenge of balancing the tart and juicy rhubarb. It turns out it was more than up to the challenge, and it was a happy moment when I tasted the first cookie. (Not that I hadn't tasted plenty of the dough before the first cookie was done baking.) The cookies were soft and sweet, with tart bits of rhubarb that really stood out, but not in a mouth-puckering way. Just enough so that you enjoy the unique flavor of rhubarb, all wrapped up in a fluffy, soft cookie.

I can't wait to see what life hands to me next.

Rhubarb Cookies

1 1/2 cups rhubarb, chopped medium
1/2 cup plus 2 T granulated sugar, divided
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup plus 2 T heavy cream
Coarse sugar, for sprinkling

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine rhubarb and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar in a small bowl. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 7 tablespoons granulated sugar in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, or rub in with your fingers, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cream until dough starts to come together, then stir in rhubarb mixture.

2. Drop 1 1/2 T of dough onto baking sheets, spacing evenly apart. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, and bake until golden brown, 11-12 minutes. Let cool on the cookie sheet five minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies are best served immediately, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.

Recipe Source: cookie base adapted from www.marthastewart.com

Simple Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

Sometimes recipes rush their way onto this site because I'm excited about them and just can't wait to share them. Other recipes get posted because they are old favorites that I love and make sure to photograph sometime when I've made them. Then there are recipes like this one - dishes that I'm excited about but just need to tweak a little. And a little more. And a little more. Finally it gets to the point where they are perfect to me and my husband's tastes but I've almost forgotten that I haven't posted them yet. I make them so often that I figure I'll take photos the next time around.

This macaroni and cheese dish started out with a trip to Noodles & Co. My husband loves the mac and cheese there, and when he let me try a bite I realized why. It's deliciously cheesy, but not overly so. You can taste the cheddar and monterey jack cheeses but it doesn't feel greasy at all, and the texture is just thick enough. Halfway through eating his bowl, my husband told me I should figure out how to make mac and cheese just like Noodles.

That was six months ago.

It took a while to get a recipe we both liked. I started out by making mac and cheese recipes from my usual favorite recipes sources, but they just weren't right. One was so cheesy it tasted like you were eating straight cheddar. Another had too many odd flavorings in it. Another tasted like evaporated milk. I tried a copycat recipe that didn't do the job, either. Eventually I started taking out things that didn't seem to belong. Mustard powder? Gone. Cayenne? Out. Hot Sauce? Not sure why you were there in the first place. Finally it came down to seven ingredients and the winning recipe. It was simple, it was cheesy, and it was easy. It was just thick enough, and had just enough cheese flavor. And I could make it in same amount of time that I can make the box version. A win all around.

Simple Stovetop Mac and Cheese

14 oz elbow pasta

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup flour

2 cups milk

1/4 tsp salt

4 oz shredded Monterey Jack cheese

4 oz shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese (I use Cabot extra sharp white cheddar. If you use a mild cheddar you might need to add more to get the same taste.)

Shredded cheddar (optional)

Directions: 

1. In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.

2. While water is coming to a boil, in a medium sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour and whisk together. Cook for 1 minute. Slowly (very slowly at first so that you don't get lumps) add milk, whisking well after each addition until the milk is incorporated. Cook and stir mixture until it thickens, about 4-5 minutes. 

3. Remove milk mixture from heat and stir in cheeses until melted.

4. Drain pasta and toss with cheese sauce. Season to taste with additional salt, if needed. Serve with additional cheddar cheese on top. (If desired; Sauce with be slightly thin at first and thicken after standing for a minute or two.)

Recipe Source: HeatOvenTo350

Chilled Strawberry Yogurt Soup

There were two book series that I read over and over again when I was growing up. One was the Little House on the Prairie series, and the other was the Anne of Green Gables series. I just loved Anne, her imagination, and her independence, and I wanted to be just like her. I not-so-secretly wished that my hair was red and I used to call my best friend in elementary school Diana. (For the record, she also called me Diana because she wanted to be Anne, too.) 

I was brought back to my "Anne" days when I was making this soup because of this conversation I had with my husband while I was making it:

Husband: What are you making with those strawberries? 

Me: Strawberry yogurt soup.

Husband: Yuck. That sounds gross.

Me: Really? It's really good. It's fresh strawberries in a yogurt sauce lightly sweetened with white grape juice and a little cinnamon." 

Husband: Oh, that sounds pretty good. I think the word soup was throwing me off. Yogurt soup sounds gross.

The conversation reminded me of the Green Gables books because Anne said once that she didn't think a rose by any other name would smell quite as sweet, at least if the name were something like "thistle" or "skunk cabbage." I tend to agree with her. There's really something in a name, isn't there? My husband and I have already had conversations about what we will name our future children and it's amazing what strong opinions come out when you talk about associations with names.

Unfortunately, fresh-strawberries-in-a-yogurt-sauce-lightly-sweetened-with-white-grape-juice-and-a-little-cinnamon is too long of a title to put on a blog post. If you're like my husband and don't like the "soup" label, feel free to call it whatever you want. Just don't let the name make you pass this recipe up. It's a great refreshing and simple dish. It is fast to put together and really highlights the taste of fresh strawberries. The white grape juice adds flavor and just enough sweetness. It's a great light breakfast or lunch. Or mid-morning snack. Or mid-afternoon snack. Or late-night snack. I think you get the picture. 

Call it what you want, but be sure to give it a try. 

Strawberry Yogurt Soup

1 32 oz container of nonfat plain yogurt

1 3/4 cups white grape juice

3 T sugar

2 T fresh lemon juice

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1 pint fresh strawberries

1 kiwi, sliced (optional)

In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt and white grape juice. Add the sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon and mix until thoroughly blended. Pour into a plastic container, cover, and chill for several hours or overnight.

Before serving, wash, hull, and slice the strawberries. Spoon several berries into a large cup or bowl and pour the yogurt mixture over them. Garnish with kiwi slices, if desired. 

Serves 6-8

Recipe Source: Disney's Family Cookbook

Mexican Grilled Chicken Bowl with Cilantro Lime Rice

Drip, drop 

Splish, splash

Ready yet? Urgh.

Plink, plink

Pitter, patter

Still not done.

Plip, plop

Sprinkle, sprinkle

Done! 

Those were the sounds of my Memorial Day barbecue. How about yours? Did you have to grill in the rain? I was grateful that it was at least rain - when I woke up in the morning I looked out and saw a light dusting of snow on the cars and rooftops. I immediately went back to bed. You need extra sleep to deal with a day that starts with snow at the end of May. 

Luckily for me, the rest of the day was great. I had planned on making these grilled chicken bowls and I wasn't about to let a little rain stop me. Fortunately, it really was just a little rain by dinner time, so I didn't have to suffer too much for my stubbornness. I love these bowls. So much that we've had them twice in the past couple weeks, and that's not including the leftovers. They're simple to make and quick to cook. Chicken on the grill is delicious in general, and the quick marinade in this recipe gives it a lot of flavor and a great color. The cilantro-lime rice is great on its own, and perfect with the grilled chicken. Throw on some queso fresco, tomatoes, beans and tomatoes and you've got a killer dinner that you'd be willing to make, even if it means standing outside in rainy, 55 degree weather. 

It helps to be a little stubborn in that case. 

Mexican Grilled Chicken Bowl with Cilantro Lime Rice

Marinade
2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
2 T fresh lime juice
2 T ancho chile powder (the is the primary ingredient in most chili powders and has very little heat. You could probably leave it out if you can't find any, but it gives it great color.)
1 T minced garlic
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 6 oz each

Rice
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 T lime juice

2 medium Hass avocados, cut into 1/2 inch dice
2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1/2 cup green onions, sliced thin
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed
1 cup queso fresco
2 limes, cut into wedges
6 handfuls tortilla chips

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk the marinade ingredients. Place the chicken in a large, resealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Press the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Turn the bag to distribute the marinade, and refrigerate while you prepare the rice.

2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the rice, broth and salt to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Move off the burner and keep covered for 10 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Keep a lid on the rice until ready to use.

3. While the rice is cooking, prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat (350 to 450 degrees.)

4. Brush the cooking grates clean. Remove the chicken from the bag and discard the marinade. Grill the chicken over direct medium heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until the meat is firm to the touch and opaque all the way to the center, 8-12 minutes, turning once or twice. (If you are using chicken breasts larger than 6 oz, and most that I've bought recently are, increase this time or slice each breast in half before putting in the marinade.) Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 3 to 5 minutes. Cut into 1/2 inch chunks.

5. Divide the rice evenly among individual bowls. Top the rice with small mounds of chicken, avocado, tomato, green onion and beans. Sprinkle the queso fresco on top. Serve with lime wedges and tortilla chips.

Serves 4-6.

Recipe Source: Weber's On The Grill: Chicken and Sides