Recipes Discovered - Recipes

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 12 large sea scallops
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 pound escarole or bok choy greens, thinly sliced or torn into 2-inch pieces
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup chicken stock or broth

Directions:

Pat the scallops dry.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until hot but not smoking. Add the scallops to the skillet, being careful not to crowd the pan. (You may need to cook in batches or in 2 skillets; if the scallops are crowded, the moisture they emit cannot escape and they will steam, not sear.)

Cook the scallops, without moving them, until the bottoms are golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Using tongs or a spatula, gently turn the scallops and cook them just until opaque throughout. (If uncertain, remove a scallop from the skillet and cut it open to check.) Transfer the scallops to a dish; cover to keep warm. (The scallops will continue to cook slightly.)

Return the skillet to medium-high heat, add the escarole or bok choy greens and stir-fry just until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and divide among individual plates.

Return the skillet to medium-high heat, add the vinegar and stock and simmer, stirring to scrape the bottom of the skillet, until the sauce is reduced to about 1/4 cup and forms a glaze that will coat the back of a spoon, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer the scallops to the plates and spoon the sauce around the scallops and greens.

Serves 2.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Recipe courtesy of Washington Post.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds thick cut bacon
• 2 pounds pork sausage
• 1 bottle BBQ sauce
• 1 jar BBQ rub or seasoning

Directions:

To kick off the construction of this pork medley you’ll need to create a 5×5 bacon weave.  If the strips you’re using aren’t as wide as the ones pictured, then you may need to use a few extra slices to fill out the pattern.  Just make sure your weave is tight and that you end up with a nice square shape to work with.

The next step is to add some barbecue seasoning on top of your bacon weave.  

Now that you’re pork is well seasoned, it’s time to add more pork.  Take two pounds of Italian sausage and layer it directly on top of your bacon weave.  Be sure to press the sausage to the outer edges of the bacon creating a patty that is the same thickness all the way across.  Most grocery stores carry loose sausage, so just pick out one you like.  

Next up is bacon layer number two.  Take the remaining bacon slices and fry them up the same way you would for breakfast (or lunch, or dinner, or a midnight snack).  If you like soft bacon, make it soft.  If you like crunchy bacon, make it crunchy.  If you like your bacon burnt so the smoke detectors go off, then burn it so the smoke detectors go off.  These pieces are going to be a major part of the inner flavor of our sausage fatty, so cook them your favorite way.  

Since this is a barbecue recipe, we need to add another layer of barbecue flavor.  Take your favorite sauce and drizzle it all over the top of the bacon pieces. Once you’ve sauced the bacon, sprinkle on some more of the barbecue seasoning you used on the bacon weave.

Now comes the fun part.  Very carefully separate the front edge of the sausage layer from the bacon weave and begin rolling backwards.  You want to include all layers EXCEPT the bacon weave in your roll.  Try and keep the sausage as tight as possible and be sure to release any air pockets that may have formed.  Once the sausage is fully rolled up, pinch together the seams and ends to seal all of the bacon goodness inside.

At this point we can start to see the final shape of our Bacon Explosion, but we’re missing one key item.  To complete the construction process, roll the sausage forward completely wrapping it in the bacon weave.  Make sure it sits with the seam facing downward to help keep it all sealed up.

Sprinkle some barbecue seasoning on the outside of the bacon weave, and now this bad boy is ready for the smoker or oven. Cook your Bacon Explosion at 225 degrees until your thermometer gives an internal temperature reading of 165 degrees.  Normally this will take about 1 hour for each inch of thickness, but that could vary depending on how well you maintain your fire or oven. On average, it will take 2 1/2 hours.

Now that our Bacon Explosion is fully cooked, we need to add some finishing flavors.  Remember that barbecue sauce we used for inner flavor?  We’ll be using that same sauce to glaze the cooked bacon weave.  Using a basting brush, coat the entire surface with a thin layer of sauce.  Sweet sauces are loaded with sugars, so they’ll give your fatty a nice glossy finish.  Spicy and vinegar based sauces don’t contain as much, so they won’t set up as well.  If you’re dead set on using those sauces, just cut them with a bit of honey and you’ll get the same effect.

Slice the Bacon Explosion into quarter to half inch rounds to serve.  If your roll was good and tight, you should now see a nice bacon pinwheel pattern throughout the sausage.  Obviously pork is best served by itself, but if you feel the need to make this meat monster into a sandwich, try placing a couple Bacon Explosion slices on a warm Pillsbury’s Grands Biscuit. 

Serves about 10 people.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

I did this in the oven and it reached 165 degrees in about 2 hours, but the bacon was still very soft. I turned the heat up to 400 for about 30 minutes until the bacon was a little more done, coated it in barbecue sauce, and baked it for another 10 minutes to glaze.

Recipe and photos courtesy of BBQ Addicts.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Directions:

Add the vinegar, sugar, mustard, lemon juice, and salt to a blender and blend. With the blender running, slowly stream in the oil. Continue to run the blender for 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the poppy seeds.

Makes about 1 cup of dressing.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

The dressing was good, but very basic. I will try other seasonings and herbs to spice it up next time.

My own concoction.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 8 ounces  cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 (3.5 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
• 3 1/2 cups milk
• 8 ounces Cool Whip, thawed
• 1 package Oreos (18 ounces)
• Gummy worms, for decoration (optional)

Directions:

Divide cookies in half. Roughly chop half of the cookies; set aside. Place the remaining cookies in a food processor and process until very fine; set aside.

In a bowl, blend the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. In another bowl, mix the pudding and milk with a hand mixer for 2 minutes, or until thickened. Stir in the Cool Whip and then combine with the cream cheese mixture. Add the chopped Oreos.

Transfer to a serving bowl and top with Oreo crumbs. Decorate with gummy worms.

Serves 12.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Alternatively, all the Oreos can be turned into crumbs and you can layer the cream cheese pudding mixture with Oreo crumbles, similar to a trifle.

Recipe courtesy of Allrecipes.com

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds small red creamer potatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Cut potatoes in half. If there are some larger halves, cut those in half so everything is fairly uniform in size. Put potatoes in a large bowl and toss with oil and seasonings. Spread potatoes onto a foil lined baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 2 hours before checking. Potatoes may need to bake for up to 3 hours. Taste for seasoning and add addition salt if needed.

Serves 6.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

After 2 hours, the potatoes didn’t seem done at all, and I was getting a little anxious due to company coming. I turned the heat up to 400 for 45 minutes and the potatoes turned out perfect. Creamy on the inside with a slight crust on the outside.

My own concoction.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups garlic cloves (4-5 heads)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup diced onion (1/4-inch dice)
• 1 cup finely chopped leek, white part only
• 1/2 cup diced celery (1/4-inch dice)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• 1 cup diced, peeled, russet potatoes
• Freshly ground pepper
• 4 to 5 cups chicken stock or canned low salt chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 cups roughly chopped spinach leaves
• 1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Peel the garlic cloves, cut in half lengthwise, and remove the central greenish core. Put in a small pan of salted water and bring to a boil. Drain and repeat twice to remove the garlic’s heat and leave only the sweetness behind.

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat until hot. Add the onion, leek, celery, bay leaf, and a little salt to draw the water out of the onion. Cover and cook until the vegetables are soft but not brown, about 10 minutes. Add the potatoes. Add the blanched garlic and stock. Season with salt and pepper and oregano (only if using dried), to taste. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes. Add the oregano (if using fresh), spinach, and cream and cook 1 minute to wilt the spinach. Transfer to blender and carefully blend until smooth.

Serves 4.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

I only used 3-4 cups of chicken stock and about 1/2 cup of milk (not cream).

Recipe courtesy of Michael Chiarello.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 3 ounces popped popcorn, approximately 3 quarts
• 1 cup salted peanuts
• 4 ounces unsalted butter, 1 stick
• 16 ounces dark brown sugar, approximately 2 cups
• 1/4 cup corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Spray a sheet pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper with nonstick spray as well and set aside.

Combine the popcorn and peanuts in a large mixing bowl. Set aside until ready to use.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, corn syrup and vanilla and stir until combined. Heat the mixture until it reaches 250 degrees F, approximately 10 minutes.

Pour the syrup over the popcorn and stir to combine. You will need to work quickly because the syrup hardens rapidly. Spread the mixture onto the prepared sheet pan and bake in the oven for 1 hour. Cool completely.

Break into pieces and serve immediately or store in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 2 cups (18 ounces) creamy peanut butter
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (if using salted butter, cut down to 1 teaspoon)
• 1 1/2 cups (18 ounces) raspberry jam or other jam
• 2/3 cups salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a 9 x 13 x 2-inch cake pan with parchment paper or grease and flour the pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light yellow, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter and mix until all ingredients are combined.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture. Mix just until combined.

Spread 2/3 of the dough into the prepared cake pan and spread over the bottom with a knife or offset spatula (batter is very thick and will probably need to be pressed lightly into the pan). Spread the jam evenly over the dough, leaving about 1/2 inch gap between the sides of the pan. Drop small globs of the remaining dough evenly over the jam. Don’t worry if all the jam isn’t covered; it will spread in the oven. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and cut into squares.

Makes 24 squares.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

I used strawberry jam.

Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion, finely chopped
  
• 4 cloves garlic, minced, divided
  
• 2 boxes frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
• 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
  
• 1 pound ground chicken or turkey
  
• 1 tablespoons grill seasoning
• 1 1/2 cups Greek style plain yogurt or strained plain yogurt
• 1/3 seedless cucumber (about 1/2 cup), peeled and chopped
  
• 3 tablespoons fresh dill or 1 tablespoon mint
  
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.In a bowl combine onion and 3 cloves of garlic. Squeeze the water out of the spinach until completely dry. Separate the spinach as you add it to garlic and onion. Add feta, chicken or turkey and grill seasoning to the bowl. Mix the meat with veggies and feta and form into meatballs. Place the meatballs on a nonstick cookie sheet and bake 10 to 12 minutes until they are golden and juices run clear.

Place yogurt, garlic, cucumber, dill or mint, lemon juice, cumin, coriander and a little salt in a bowl. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve meatballs alongside sauce with toothpicks.

Makes 48 small meatballs or 24 regular meatballs.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet frozen prepared puff pastry, 11 x 17 inches, defrosted
• 1 wheel brie or Camembert cheese, about 8 ounces
• 2 to 4 tablespoons jam
• 1/4 cup nuts, crushed or sliced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9 inch pie pan or line a baking sheet with foil.

Spread the puff pastry sheet onto a counter. Slice the wheel of Brie in half, horizontally, so that the halves are two, flatter wheels of Brie. Place half of the brie onto the puff pastry. Spread the jam on top. Sprinkle the almonds on the jam. Replace the top half of the brie. Wrap dough up and over the brie, starting at the corners. Turn over so the sealed side is underneath.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Great served with crackers.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Strawberry jam and almonds is one of my favorite combinations. Walnuts and raspberry or apricot also work well.

Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray.