Easy Peasy: Guacamole

One of my favorite dips to make is Guacamole, it's simple, quick, delicious and can be used in so many ways from a dip, to a spread, to a filling.

This is an extremely simple recipe, it can be fancied up however you like...if you like a little kick then throw in some cayenne pepper, if you're a vampire then toss in an extra clove of garlic or two (or don't? I forget if garlic kills or keeps vampires away).

Anywho - feel free to have fun and throw in some extras, it's deeelish as is but it's more fun to make it your own special recipe. 

Ingredients

3 small-medium avocados

1/3 cup diced tomatoes (remove seeds prior to dicing)

1/3 cup chopped red onion

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

2 cloves garlic, grated (I use a cheese grater...a tad ghetto I know..but works GREAT and mixes smoothly)

2 tsp fresh cracked sea salt

1 tsp fresh cracked pepper 

1 lime, cut in half

(more or less salt/pepper to taste)

Directions

Mash it, mix it, serve it up! 

.... I joke, I joke. I'll give a little more direction than that! Using a sharp knife, cut avocados down to the pit along the height of the avocado, not around the middle, as if you were cutting in half. Pry apart, remove pit. Using a spoon, scoop insides of avocado into a bowl.

Using a masher or fork, mash those bad boys up to your liking - I like my Guacamole smooth, some people like it chunky. I won't judge. 

Throw in your onions, garlic, tomato and cilantro. Mix together. Squeeze in the juice of one lime, add salt and pepper. Mix well, taste and season to taste.

Note - Guacamole is best served immediately. To prevent discoloring prior to serving, either transfer the guacamole to a container with a lid, or seal TIGHTLY with foil or saran wrap, store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. 

Summer Fave: Grilled Peach-Berry Cobbler

Now this is the epitome of a summer dessert. What's better than fresh fruit? Fresh fruit on the grill. Oh yeah baby!! This recipe is delicous and really simple. 

Ingredients

5 peaches, peeled and sliced. (Don't half-ass, no canned peaches please..atleast do frozen if you don't want to cut and peel! :P )

2 small boxes of raspberries (abt 2 cups)

2 small boxes blackberries(abt 2 cups) 

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

1/4 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

2 tblsp instant tapioca 

Crust:

7 graham crackers, crumbled

3/4 stick of butter

3 tbsp packed brown sugar

1/3 c flour

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Materials

3 foil baking pans (I use small, bread shaped pans)

Tin foil

Directions

In a large bowl, mix together raspberries, blackberries and peaches. 

In seperate bowl mix sugar, tapioca, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Add mixture to berries and use hands to mix and coat evenly. Let sit while you prep your grill by heating it to medium-hight.

Transfer mixture evenly into foil baking tins. Cover tightly with tin foil. 

Place on grill and cook covered for about 20-25 minutes. 

While those cook, mix together crushed graham crackers, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Use your hands (I always use my hands, I suppose there is proprably some tool to to this...a fork perhaps?) Anywho..mix this all up until it's nice and crumbly. 

Now go check your fruit! You'll know it's ready when you see the juice bubbling over and running down the side of the pan. (sorry, got carried away). 

Remove foil and generously crumble the topping in each pan. Again...i use a good handful but if you're really measuring I'd say about 1 cup in each tin. Close the top and grill uncovered for another 10-15 minutes. 

Remove from heat, let cool and enjoy. Deeelish with vanilla ice cream. 

Summer Fave: Caribbean Jerk Grilled Pork Chops

Summer is officially here and we all know what that means....grilling time! I love, love, love cooking on the grill. It's healthy, delicious and just screams summer sunday funday. This is a great recipe that is extremely easy, and tastes delicious!

Even moreso than other cooking methods, when using a grill your meat is the star of the show. Splurge a little on your meat, you don't need much for the rub and you can serve this with rice and a ear of corn and it's a full meal. It'll be worth the extra few bucks, I promise!

Carribean Jerk Rub:

**Note** This recipe is mild-medium, if you like a little more kick throw in an extra 1/2 tsp hot sauce and 1/2 teaspoon cayanne pepper

2 Thick cut bone-in porkchops

2 cloves garlic

2 teaspoons Whole Foods Caribbean Jerk Blend seasoning (or comparable seasoning blend)

1 teaspoon Melinda's Mango Habanero Sauce 

1 teaspoon packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

Wash and pat dry porkchops, leave out on a clean dish while you prep your rub. It's best to grill meat right at room temperature, it cooks more evenly. (Tip: this is true for most things you grill. Be careful not to leave meats and seafood out too long, but room temperature is ideal for grilling). 

Grate your garlic cloves into a small bowl. Using a small spoon, mix in seasoning, sugar, habanero sauce and olive oil until smooth and a deep brown/auburn color. If you're looking for some heat, add in the cayenne pepper in this step as well. 

Spoon a generous amount of the mixture onto one side of each chop and use your fingers to rub in well. Turn over and repeat process on the other side. Let sit for about 45 minutes to an hour - this is a great time to prep or cook anything else you want to go with this. I served this with grilled corn (check back for recipe!), guacamole, and cilantro-lime rice (see recipe here)

Here's the even easier part! It's grill time baby...and who said grilling was for men? Scoot that bf/hubby/daddy or brother that THINKS he knows what he's doing on the grill out of the way and toss your chops on a medium-high heat and close the grill. Turn over after 3 minutes to start a nice, even cooking. You'll want to flip these one or two more times at about 3-4 minute intervals to get a nice even color and grill marks. 

To test the meat - using a fork or spoon, press the flat side of the fork to the middle of the chop. If it's extremely soft and bounces right back it's not done. If it's medium the meat will give some and bounce back a bit slower, if it's well-done the meat will barely give at all. 

Remove and enjoy!

Domesticelle Mastering the Classics: Filet Mignon with Herb Butter and Beurre Noir

  
 

This is one of those classic dishes that you love to order at restaurants but never seem to be able to get quite right at home. There's a true science to cooking a great steak, and it's not hard at all! This recipe sounds fancy and looks fancy, but there's nothing fancy about it. 

It's extremely simple and uses ingredients you should already have in your kitchen. Make sure you spring for the high-quality ingredients for this dish, it will make a difference. 

I have to warn you though, be careful who you cook this for or you may have a stalker on your hands! If that's your goal then hey...I don't judge. Mama always said the quickest way to a mans heart is through his stomach ;)

It's best served with your favorite sauted veggies and a potato dish. I chose garlic and lemon sauted spinach with easy twice-baked sweet potatoes.

Ingredients:

Steak

2 6-8 ounce cuts of Filet Mignon

Fresh ground pepper - approximately 4 tbsp

Fresh ground sea salt - approximately 4 tbsp

1/2 stick unsalted butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

Herb Butter:

1/2 stick unsalted butter

1 teaspoon fresh chopped garlic

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon rosemary

Beurre Noir

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms, sauted in 1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2-3 cloves garlic - sliced thin

1 cup imported good-quality Balsamic Vinegar

2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter 

1 healthy tablespoon tomatoe paste

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Main Equipment:

1 heavy bottom iron skillet

1 nonstick skillet

1 small square dish/plate to mold herb butter (recommended, not necessary)

1 nonstick backing pan

Directions:

Note: the timing of your cooking will be important as the Beurre Noir is best served immediately. For this recipe, I recommend preparing your ingredients first as things will start to move quickly. So slice and chop that garlic, saute those mushrooms! Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. (coincidentally this is the same temp for baked sweet potatoes, if you feel like throwing some in the oven poke them a few times with a fork and throw them in that bad boy for about 45 minutes. They should be done by the time your steaks are done!)

First make the Herb Butter by mixing 1/2 stick of butter softened, garlic, thyme and rosemary until well blended and smooth. Form butter mixture into a shape either with your hands/spoon or using a mold - I chose a square dish. Refrigerate until ready to use. (How easy was that?! Seriously..the rest is just as easy).

Next - start your Beurre Blanc.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in your nonstick skillet. DO NOT LET THE BUTTER BROWN. I know..browned butter is delish but no worries you'll have plenty reason to brown butter later on in this recipe. Stove should be on medium to medium-low. Once the butter is melted add in sliced garlic. Again - do not let the garlic brown. Once garlic is soft, pour in your balsamic vinegar, turn heat to low and let simmer until liquid has reduced to about 1/3 of it's original volume. This should take between 10-15 minutes.

In the mean time...

While your Beurre Noir is reducing, heat 1/2 cup butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in your heavy skillet on high until EXTREMELY hot. Like..hotter than you'd ever normally get butter and olive oil.

While this is heating up, generously season top and bottom of filets with salt and pepper (approximately one teaspoon of salt and pepper per side - don't go overboard but make sure it's seasoned well, some of it will cook off). 

Hey...don't forget about your Beurre Noir - make sure to give it a quick stir or two during this process - you don't want it to stick and those parts that stick to the bottom have great flavor.

Place your stakes in the hot butter and oil mixture and sear for 3-4 minutes on each side until they develop a nice brown crust. Spoon the butter sauce over the steaks a few times while they cook. Once steaks are seared and have developed a nice color on both sides, place into a pan and put in the center of the oven.

Let cook for about 10 minutes for medium steaks. Hint: A few minutes before your steaks are done, get that herb butter out and throw a nice siced slice on top of each steak and let cook the remaining time. 

While steaks are cooking, back to your Beurre Blanc.

At this point your Beurre Blanc should be nicely reduced to 1/3 the original volume. Add in your tomato paste, salt and pepper and stir well until ingredients mix. The sauce should be a beautiful dark color with a smooth consistency. Turn the heat off, and add in your cold butter, mixing constantly until the butter melts and sauce is thoroughly mixed. Throw in your mushrooms, give one last stir and your good to go!

Remove steaks from the oven, make sure the middle temperature is at least 165 degrees. Serve with a spoonful of sauce and whatever sides you've decided to make and voila! Filet Mignon tender enough to cut with a butter knife.

Thank me later :)

Perfect Chocolate Chunk Scones

This is the perfect recipe for that monday morning when you have a little extra energy, or to bake sunday to have for a sleepy monday morning. Chocolate chunk scones (and this recipe can be used for a number of different types of scones, just throw in your favorite dried fruits, nuts, etc) with the perfect cup of coffee or tea is like...ken and barbie, bert and ernie, Jay and B..you know where I'm going with this. AND they're SUPER easy to make and only take about 15 minutes to cook! Let's get started:

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

2 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

4 tsp Sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 stick of room temperature butter

2 tblsp melted butter

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

Chocolate chips/chunks to taste (This is where making your own treats comes in handy, I like mine light on the chocolate chips so I use about 1/3 cup, if your a chocolate lover throw about 1/2 cup in there. I wouldn't suggest going over 1cup even for the chocolateyist of chocolate lovers)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425

2. mix dry ingredients in medium sized bowl

3. cut up one stick of butter into tablespoon sized chunks, fold into dry mixture with a fork until mixture is crumbly

4. in seperate bowl, mix wet ingredients (egg, milk, vanilla)

5. Mix mixture into dry mix with a fork, add in chocolate chunks

6. mix with fork until all ingredients are combined

7. knead 4-5 times on a floured surface

8. knead or roll into a circular form and cut in slices like a pizza

9. Place slices about 1inch apart on a well-buttered cookie sheet (important! bottoms WILL burn if the cookie sheet is not greased)

10. Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar

11. Bake 15-17 minutes or until tops are slightly golden brown - careful not to let bottoms burn.

12. Enjoy!