Thursday, June 4, 2009

May Potluck

This month was our Gourmet BBQ Favorites of the USA! Lots of thanks to Jennifer who helped find all the fabulous recipes and let us take over her home for few hours. And thanks to everyone who contributed with the food and the clean up!!

Hot Beef Dip with Sourdough Bites
12 ounces cream cheese
8 ounces diced green chilies
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 1/2 ounces chipped beef (glass jar found near tuna and canned meats)
Round sour dough bread loaf
8 ounces sour cream
3 green onions
Mix together all ingredients (except bread). Chill for 24 hours. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Serve in hollowed out bread loaf. Use inside of bread for dipping and/ or serving with crackers

Summer Salsa
1 can shoe peg (or white) corn
1/2 c red bell pepper, diced
1/2 avocado, chopped
1 mango, diced
1/2 to 3/4 bunch cilantro, minced or chopped finely
4 tsp rice vinegar (may use regular also)
15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 c green bell pepper diced
3 to 4 tomatoes, chopped
1 to2 fresh limes, squeezed
1/4 to 1/2 c red onion chopped finely
Mix together all ingredients. Serve with colorful red and blue corn/tortilla chips.
Paula Deen's Red Potato Salad
6 cups cubed red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled (about 1 3/4 pounds)
Salt
2 ounces bacon (2 or 3 strips)
1 c chopped bell pepper (any color or a combination)
1/4 c minced red onion
1/4 c sliced scallions (about 2 scallions)
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
3 T red wine vinegar
1 T dijon mustard
1 T mayonnaise
Freshly ground pepper
Put the potatoes in a large pot, add water just to cover and season with 3/4 tsp salt. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and cook until tender, 8-10 minutes. Drain and cool slightly.Meanshile cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Drain on a paper towel and finely chop.In a large bowl combine the potatoes, chopped bacon, bell pepper, onion and scallions. In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, mayo, 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Pour over teh potato mixture, tossing gently to coat. Cover and refridgerate or serve at room temperature.
Corn, Tomato and Avocado Salad
Dressing-1 1/2 c packed fresh cilantro
1/2 c good quality extra virgin olive oil
2 T fresh lime juice
1 tsp finely grated lime zest
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Salad-4 ears corn, kernels removed (about 3 cups)
1 1/2 pounds grape tomatoes, halved (about 3 cups)
1 pound fresh mozzarella, diced
2 medium avocados, diced
Combine the dressing ingredients in a blender, using 2 teaspoons salt and pepper to taste, process until smooth. Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Let sit at least 15 minutes before serving, or cover and refridgerate for up to 4 hours. Serves 8

Cheyenne Burger
Crisp bacon strips
Sharp cheddar cheese slices
Onion Rings
Homemade BBQ Sauce (recipe below)
LA Burger
Avocado Relish
Tomato
Lettuce
Monterrey Jack Cheese
Dallas Burger
Dill Pickles
Coleslaw - whisk 3/4 c mayo, 1/2 grated white onion, 2 T sugar, 2 tsp celery seeds, 3 T apple cider vinegar, and salt and pepper. Mix with 1 small shredded head cabbage and 1 shredded carrot. Let sit for 15 minutes
BBQ Sauce - 2 T canola oil 1 Spanish onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 c T ancho chile powder 1 T paprika 1 heaping T dijon mustard 1 T red wine vinegar 1 T Worcestershire sauce 1 chipotle chile in adobo, chopped 2 T dark brown sugar 1 T honey 1 T molasses kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Heat oil in saucepan, add onion, cook until soft, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 min. Add the ketchup and 1/3 c water, bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients (except salt and pepper). simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Transfer the mixture to a food processor, pree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into a bowl, cool to room temp. Will brush patties with BBQ sauce while cooking and add to the burger after.
Watermelon Berry Lemonade
8 cups cubed seeded watermelon
3 cups hulled and quartered strawberries
2 12 oz cans frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
8 cups water
In blender, combine half of the watermelon, strawberries and lemonade concentrate. Cover and blend until smooth. Transfer to serving container. Repeat with remaining. Add water. Chill up to 2 days.Serve over ice with floating watermelon wedges and strawberries (opt).
Raspberry Limeade
On the Border Margarita NON-ALCOHOLIC Drink Mix (I feel a little weird when I buy this-but it’s so much cheaper and with no pulp than frozen limeade J)
2- 2 liters Sprite (lemon-lime soda)
¼ can frozen limeade concentrate (do not add water)
¾-1 cup Torani Italian Raspberry syrup (Crest-in hot chocolate/coffee aisle)
¼ cup raspberry puree (puree fresh or frozen raspberries; strain seeds) (Can omit this and add more raspberry syrup, but it gives nice color)
Lots of crushed/cubed ice
Fresh raspberries and a few limes – too many will turn drink bitter) for color
(I doubled this recipe for our group)
Cinnamon Brownie Dessert
Homemade Cinnamon Brownies
1 cup butter or margarine (melted)
2 cups white sugar
1 tsp vanilla flavoring
2 eggs
½ cup cocoa
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 cups plain flour
Add ¾ cup- 1 cup chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream margarine and sugar. This works well with a mixer, but you can do it by hand.
After the creaming stage, switch to a spoon for mixing. Brownies tend to get tough if worked too much.
Add the vanilla and eggs and mix just until smooth.
Pour in cocoa and flour and cinnamon. Again, mix until smooth and lumps are broken up. But, don't go to wild on the mixing.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Bake for 18-20 minutes in 2 pans size 8 inches by 8 inches. You can use a larger pan like the 9 x 9 and cook for a little longer-25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. If you use a single pan, then the Scratch Brownies are thicker.
˜ OR for Semi-Homemade: Use Betty Crocker Original Supreme brownie mix (w/chocolate syrup pouch) or Duncan Heines mix; Add ¾-1 cup chocolate chips and ¾-1 tablespoon ground cinnamon and don’t over-bake.
Hot Fudge Sauce
Ingredients
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (use a good quality chocolate)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Combine the cream, corn syrup, sugar, cocoa, salt, and half of the chocolate in a 1 1/2-quart heavy-based saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring, until chocolate is melted. Reduce heat and cook at a low boil, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and whisk in the butter, vanilla, and remaining chocolate, whisking until smooth. Cool sauce slightly before serving. Sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week; reheat before using. Makes about 2 cups. OR Quick version: Buy Archer Farms Belgian Chocolate (Target) – remove lid and warm in microwave (about 30 seconds).

No Weep Whipped Cream
Ingredients
1 pint whipping cream
2 tablespoons dry vanilla instant pudding mix (fold over paper envelope it comes in and keep for future use (1 box does about 3 batches of whipped)
1 teaspoon powdered sugar, more to taste for sweetened whipped cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
· Whip all ingredients together until firm peaks form.
· Cover leftovers tightly, preferably in an air-tight plastic container.
· This stays the same consistency until used and will keep for a week in the fridge without deflating.

Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
· 1 cup white sugar or organic evaporated cane juice
· 1 cup heavy cream
Steps
Heat sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. (Do not use a nonstick pan.) After several minutes, you’ll see clear patches of melted sugar beginning to appear. Continue heating until about half the sugar is melted. Stir. Continue cooking and stirring occasionally until all the sugar is melted and the caramel is deep golden-brown.
Meanwhile, heat cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Cover and remove from heat.
While whisking the caramel vigorously, add about 2 tablespoons (a small splash) of cream. The mixture will bubble and sputter. Continue whisking and adding the cream in a steady stream until all the cream is added and the mixture is mostly free of lumps. Turn off heat and strain the caramel sauce through a fine mesh strainer into a metal or ceramic bowl.
Use immediately or cool to room temperature and refrigerate in a glass jar. Leftovers may be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop. OR Quick Version: Buy homemade Caramel sauce (gourmet store) & Archer Farms (Target) Chocolate Caramel sauce. Mix 2 T. Chocolate Caramel Sauce to 8-12 oz. of caramel sauce – melt in microwave (about 30 seconds).
NOTES
· When making caramel, don’t use a large pot that hangs way over the edge of the burner. The sugar around the edge won’t melt well.
· You can add a little coarse salt and vanilla extract to the cooling sauce if you like; the salt balances the flavors and the vanilla adds complexity.
· (Attain caramel mastery after reading Matthew Amster-Burton’s column on cooked sugar at http://www.culinate.com/columns/bacon/caramel.
Mile-High Brownie Sundae Assembly
· Drizzle caramel sauce generously on plate
· Add brownie to plate (on top of caramel sauce)
· Add 2-3 scoops vanilla bean ice cream; (Add another brownie on top-optional)
· Drizzle hot fudge sauce over ice cream and top with lots of whip cream
· Shave chocolate sprinkles on whipped cream (add nuts if desired).

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