Smoked Ribs

Who says you need a Traeger grill to cook amazing, meat falling from the bone ribs?  At the cabin all we have is a well used Weber charcoal grill.

After 3 1/2 hours, and torturing all the neighboring cabins with our smoking rib smell, we dug in!  Gotta love a good old fashioned Weber charcoal grill. 

Gooey Butter Cake

One of our family favorite dessert bar is Gooey Butter Cake.  We became familiar with this addicting treat a few years ago when a friend's neighbor dropped off a warm batch.  When our friends asked for the neighbor's recipe they were told it was a family secret.

The next day I was putting cream cheese on a bagel and noticed a recipe on the side of the Kroger cream cheese box for Gooey Butter Cake!  I couldn't believe it!  The 'secret' family recipe wasn't so secret after all.  Paula Deen has a few variations of this recipe online too.

The bar is a two step process to make, but doesn't require many ingredients.  I only have a picture I have of this cookie is in the creating process.  They disappear too quickly to take an 'after' shot! :)

Gooey Butter Cake

Base:

1 pkg yellow cake mix

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 egg

Topping:

1 - 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened

2 eggs

1 - 1 lb box confectioners' sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix together dry cake mix with butter and 1 egg. Pat base mixture into an ungreased 9 x 13 inch cake pan.

Cream together cream cheese, eggs, powdered sugar and vanilla. Pour over base mixture, spreading evenly. Bake for 35 minutes. May be slightly wobbly in center.

When cake has cooled top lightly with powdered sugar and cut in to small squares.

Tonya's Bridal Shower

Today I cohosted a shower for my sister-in-law with the Matron of Honor, Alexis.  The party started at 10am so we had a variety of brunch-like items.

I like displaying party foods in a unique way.  This helps add variety to the table and looks fun!  For the caprese skewers I purchased short bamboo skewers (at specialty kitchen stores) and added a basil leaf folded in half, then mozzerella, then a grape tomato.  I then stuck them in a halved mini watermelon.  (Do not hollow out the watermelon as it could topple over when people pull the skewers out)

I also made my favorite orzo salad with golden raisins, feta, red onion, and tangy dressing.  This recipe is a favorite among my friends for showers.  If you want the recipe please email me as I don't have an electronic version to post, but can send a scanned copy. (It is pretty easy and you can make ahead. Email me at: byguessbygosh@yahoo.com)

Aside from the usual brunchy items of bagels, spreads, cinnamon rolls, fruit salad, orzo salad, etc we had to have dessert!  Alexis made Ina Garten's coconut cupcakes and topped them with little wedding rings she found at the fabric store.  LOVE it!  You can make the cupcakes from scratch, or purchase Ina's box mix.

And I made the very chocolate bundt cake that I featured on here for Mother's Day.  It was just as tasty this time around and Alexis' son thought so too!

Kitchen Gadget

Tony gave this little hand mixer to me and I love it!  The Ratchet Multi Mixer is perfect for salad dressings, dressings for pasta salad, or even beverages that need a mix.  I think you need one.

Pasta with Prosciutto and Asparagus

I love when spring arrives because all the farmer's markets arrive too.  Today I stopped by the Bellevue market to pick up my favorite flower - peonies!  You have to get to the market early as these flowers always sell out fast.  I also picked up fresh made bread to go with our dinner of grilled chicken and proscuitto and asparagus pasta.

The pasta recipe is an oldie but goodie from Martha Stewart.  I don't know why I haven't made it before because the end result was very tasty and Blake asked me for another helping!

Don't let the cooking/blanching of asparagus scare you. I cooked asparagus in my big pot and used the same water to boil the pasta.  

And let me tell you a secret - I only have one true mixing bowl. And it's very small. Yes, me of all people has just one bowl for mixing (aside from my giant KitchenAid mixer).  It may be time to finally buy another one, that actually fits an asparagus spear! (and don't you love the top/bottom pic of asparagus on here? I saw this idea on another site and loved it!)

This dish was delicious.  A little sprinkling of parm on top and it was good to go!

Pasta with Prosciutto and Asparagus, Martha Stewart Living 2000

1 pound Fresh Pasta (I use dried pasta like Campanielle)

1 pound asparagus, trimmed

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon olive oil

4 ounces prosciutto, cut in pieces

2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced

2 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I did not use nutmeg, but next time I may try dash)

Freshly ground pepper

2 ounces Parmesan cheese, optional

Fill a bowl with ice and water; set aside. Bring a pot of water to a simmer; blanch asparagus about 5 minutes, just until tender. Transfer to the ice bath. When cool, drain and cut into 2-inch lengths; set aside.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt; cook pasta until al dente, about 1 minute. Drain, and set aside.

Heat a saute pan over medium heat; add oil. Add prosciutto; saute 2 to 3 minutes, until browned. Add sage and cream; cook until cream is slightly reduced and thickened, about 8 minutes. Add reserved asparagus and pasta; warm about 3 minutes. Serve with nutmeg and pepper, and the grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Corn Chowder

My friend Piper made this amazing corn chowder for Charlotte and my baby shower back in January. I think everyone at the shower had a second helping.  It is really that good!  The original recipe is from Cooks Illustrated, and I have made some minor tweaks to speed up the cooking process and give a little more bacon flavor.

Definitely add this soup to your rotation of meals.  It makes a good amount and kids seem to love it too!

Corn Chowder

6 c. frozen corn kernels, semi thawed (I typically buy sweet corn)

3 strips bacon

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 large onion , preferably Spanish, chopped fine

2 medium cloves garlic , minced

3 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour

3 c. low sodium chicken stock or chicken broth

2 medium-large red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/4-inch cubes (about 2 c.)

1 bay leaf

1 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves (or 1/4 tsp dried)

2 c. whole milk

1 c. heavy cream

2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley leaves

1 1/2 tsp table salt

Ground black pepper

Set aside 3 cups of corn kernels.  Place remaining 3 cups of kernels in food processor and pulse 10-15 times so you end up with chopped kernels and some juices (this should give you about 2 to 2.5 cups). Transfer to separate bowl and set aside.

Sauté bacon in Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, turning with tongs until crisp and golden brown, about 5-10 minutes. Reduce heat to low, stir in butter and onions, cover pot, and cook until softened, about 12 minutes. Remove bacon, chop up in small pieces and reserve.

Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Whisking constantly, gradually add stock. Add potatoes, bay leaf, thyme, milk, 2-2.5 cups chopped corn, and diced cooked bacon; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are almost tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the 3 cups reserved corn kernels and heavy cream and return to simmer.

Simmer until corn kernels are tender yet still slightly crunchy, about 5 minutes longer. Discard bay leaf. Stir in parsley, salt, and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Country Fried Steak (or chicken) with Green Beans and Rice

If Tony sees chicken fried steak or chicken fried chicken on a menu, typically he orders it.  Especially if we're at his favorite truck stop off I-90.  Yes, Tony has a favorite truck stop eatery near North Bend.  And I have to admit, it isn't bad!

So when I came across this country fried steak recipe on Martha Stewart's website I immediately wanted to try it.  The recipe is from her Everyday Food collection which typically means the meal doesn't take long to create.  Even better!

For tonight's dinner I opted for the thin sliced boneless chicken breasts instead of steak.  I guess I was wanting the meal to sound a bit 'healthier', though I'm not sure it was, or really needed to be.  But, I can definitely say it was really good; so good that Blake asked for second helpings of everything!

Country Fried Steak with Green Beans and Rice

Serves 4

1 cup long-grain white rice
2 large eggs
1 c. plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp paprika
4 minute steaks (each about 2 ounces and 1/4 inch thick)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/4 c. plus 1 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 c. whole milk
1 small onion, diced
3/4 lb green beans, trimmed

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Cook rice according to package instructions; cover, and set aside. In a wide, shallow bowl, beat eggs; in another, combine 1 cup flour with paprika. Season eggs, flour mixture, and steaks with salt and pepper. Dredge each steak in flour, then dip in egg; allow excess to drip off, then dredge in flour again.

In a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet, heat 1/4 cup oil over medium-high. Cook steaks in skillet until crust is golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a baking sheet, and place in oven to keep warm.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon oil from skillet. Add remaining teaspoon flour; cook, whisking until golden, about 30 seconds. Gradually add milk while whisking; raise heat to high, and boil until thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Season gravy with salt and pepper. Cover, and set aside.

In a medium skillet, heat remaining teaspoon oil over medium-high. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add green beans and 1/3 cup water; cover, and cook until green beans are bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Uncover; continue to cook until green beans are crisp-tender and onion begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes more. Reheat gravy, thinning with milk if necessary. Serve steak with green beans, rice, and gravy.