Brussel Sprouts a la Avalon Grille

On July 21st, Bill and I made the trek to Catalina Island. We lunched at Avalon Grille, which was absolutely fabulous. If you live in the area, I'd recommend you set aside an afternoon to give it a try. We had their "Crispy Brussel Sprouts" as our appetizer. I had eaten brussel sprouts before and absolutely despised them, but it had been many years and I felt they were worthy of another try. Boy, I'm glad I did! They were so good I searched for the recipe online and made them at home along side some salmon and cous cous. The result was as good as the original.

Ingredients (note: some quantities were not provided on the original recipe, so just add how much you'd prefer):

• 1 pound brussel sprouts
• 1 tbsp pancetta, diced
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• raw almonds, roughly chopped
• dried cranberries
• 1 tbsp honey mustard dressing
• parmesan cheese

Directions:

• Cut the brussel sprouts in half; toss with 1 tbsp. olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast covered at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside while you continue to the next step.
• Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in saute pan and cook the pancetta.
• Add the sprouts to the pan and saute until slightly crisp.
• Add the almonds and cranberries and saute for 1 minute.
• Remove from heat. Add the honey mustard dressing and toss.
• Top with parmesan cheese and enjoy!

~ Jennifer

Turkey Bolognese

Last weekend, I was tasked with fulfilling a special request for spaghetti with meat sauce made with turkey (vs. beef). Giada came through with her "Turkey Bolognese" recipe, found on the Food Network website: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/turkey-bolognese-recipe/index.html

I made two modifications to the recipe:

1. I didn't have any shredded, cooked turkey. So, I browned some ground turkey and diced panchetta based on a suggestion within one of the reviews.
2. My family is a big mushroom fan, so I added 8 oz of fresh sliced mushrooms along with the other veggies.

The result was a big hit! Everyone cleaned their plate, once and sometimes twice. The next time I make this, I'll omit the panchetta. Not only is it pretty expensive, but it's really not necessary since the sauce was flavorful enough on it's own.

~Jennifer

C-C's Potato Salad Review

I made Ceci's version of Barefoot Contessa's potato salad on July 4th. I must admit I was a little suspect about some of the ingredients (I've never cooked with dill before and capers in potato salad?!?). Since I was fortunate to have had the result at Ceci's house a few months ago, I had faith that mine would be fairly reminiscent of the original.

I followed the recipe to the "T" and the result was fabulous! The only thing I'd do differently is add a few more potatoes to the mix. Thank you for sharing, Ceci - this will stay in my recipe box for sure.

Chicken, Poblano & Cheddar Sausage
C-C's Potato Salad

~ Jennifer

Low Carb Zucchini-Carrot Cake with LC Cream Cheese Frosting

Let me begin by setting the tone. Steve and I have decided to begin a low carb eating journey. Of course, that said, there's no reason we should give up cake and other goodies. There are tons of recipes now that are low-carb and taste great. The above pictured cake is an example, so I'm publishing the recipe courtesy of Dana Carpender's 1001 Low-carb Recipes. Hope you'll give it a read to see if it may be something you'd enjoy (no garlic Bill! :-)

LC Zucchini-Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 c. hazelnuts
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c. oil
• 1/2 c. yogurt (I used unflavored Greek yogurt for lowest carb count)
• 2/3 c. Splenda
• 1/2 c. vanilla whey protein powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 3/4 c. shredded zucchini (about 1 large zucchini)
• 1/4 c. shredded carrot (about 1/2 large carrot stick)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a food processor, using the Sblade, use the pulse control to grind the hazelnuts to a mealy consistency. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until well blended. Add the oil, yogurt, ground hazelnuts, Splenda, protein powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg, mixing well after each addition. Add zucchini and carrots last, mixing well.
Thoroughly coat a ring mold or bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Batter will fill about half of the pan. I used a glass casserole dish which worked just as well (don't have a bundt pan as my life has been complete without one to this point, so don't intend to buy one :-) Bake for 45 minutes and turn out gently onto a wire rack to cool. Yields 8 generous servings. Has 6 grams of usable carbs and 16 grams of protein per serving of cake.

Cream Cheese "Frosting"

Ingredients:

• 3/4 c. heavy cream, chilled
• 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened (I prefer Neufchatel, a/k/a "Lite Philly" - 1/3 less fat) 
• 1/2 c. Splenda
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Whip the heavy cream until it's stiff.
In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese until very smooth, then beat in the Splenda and vanilla. Turn the mixer to its lowest speed and blend in the whipped cream, quickly. "Frosting" must be refrigerated at all times. It's not as sweet as you may be used to, but hit the spot for purposes of topping this cake. Overall, the cake was good. Steve and I ate too much, which really defeats the point of it being low carb.......had a pretty nutty consistency and did not rise a lot in cooking, but we enjoyed it, hope you will too if you venture to give it a try!

* Sherrie

Southern Crab Cakes Y'all

                                        (courtesy of Paula Deen)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs. lump crab meat (salmon can be used instead, if preferred)
• 1/3 c. crushed crackers (recommended - buttery Ritz of course!)
• 3 green onions finely chopped
• 1/2 c. finely chopped bell pepper
• 1/4 c. mayonnaise
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder (optional)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Dash Old Bay seasoning or cayenne pepper
• Flour, for dusting, 1/2 c. peanut oil  (if you intend to bake rather than fry the crab cakes, omit these ingredients)

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together (except the flour and peanut oil).
Shape into patties.

To Bake:
Preheat oven at 400 degrees.
Brush tops with melted butter and bake 10 minutes each side until golden brown and thoroughly cooked. Serve with preferred dipping sauce.

To Fry:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, carefully place crab cakes in pan and fry until browned, about 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip crab cakes and fry on other side until golden brown, about 4 minutes.

This is the best crab cake recipe I've ever encountered because there is very little filler (when ordering crab cakes at restaurants, my grandfather would always ask how much mashed potatoes they included.) I will use it with crab or salmon in the future. I baked the crab cakes and found them to be non-greasy and quite tasty. Steve liked them too so we had no leftovers!

* Sherrie

Beef Anyone?

One of my favorite offerings at Luby's is roast beef. So, I finally bit the bullet and made it at home. A local grocery store, HEB, published the recipe some time ago:

2 tbls course ground black pepper
6 cloves garlic, chopped (I pressed mine)
1 tbls kosher salt
1/3 cup light olive oil
5-7 lbs beef bottom round rump roast
1/2 cup red wine

1. Set oven rack to lowest position. Preheat oven to 450. Line a roasting pan with foil.

2. Combine pepper, garlic, salt, and olive oil in a small bowl.

3. Make several slits in the fat of the roast; insert some of the mixture in step 2. Rub the remaining mixture on all sides of the roast. Place the roast, fat side up, in the roasting pan. Place in oven for 10 minutes, and then reduce the oven temperature to 300. Roast for 30 minutes per pound.

4. Remove roast from the oven and cover with foil. Allow to rest for 30 minutes.

5. Place roast on a cutting board or serving platter. Add wine to the roasting pan and stir well. Return the pan to the 300 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. Serve the sliced roast along side the au jus.

The positives: The recipe was easy and the result was every bit as tasty as the Luby's version.

The drawbacks: The beef was pretty costly and, as it cooked, the scent of garlic was overwhelming. Even though I allowed the roast to rest as instructed, juices were plentiful as it was sliced - - making clean up a nightmare. Finally, the volume of leftovers could feed a small army.

In summary, this will not be a regular item at my house. I'll opt for the LuAnn plate the next time I have a hankering for roast beef!   ~Jennifer

Cinco de Mayo Celebration

I'm not quite sure of the cultural significance behind the "Cinco de Mayo" holiday, but I celebrated it with a good friend anyway! Brandy (BLLT for you CG folks) and I enjoyed several new dishes, all of which I would repeat - - holiday or not.

We began with  some of Bobby Flay's Red Sangria. I cut the recipe in half since it was just the two of us and I had to drive home after our celebration. I used a bottle of "Simple Life" pinot noir, which is available at HEB. Also, I substituted limes for the lemons and added blackberries to the mix. The end result was delicious. Get the recipe here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/red-sangria-recipe/index.html

We're both fans of chips & dips, so we made two versions to accompany tortilla chips. First, we made Paula Deen's Roasted Corn, Pepper and Black Bean Salsa. This time, we followed the recipe exactly. In hindsight, it would have been better to make the salsa ahead of time and let it sit for an hour or two so the flavors had a chance to blend. Click here for the recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/roasted-corn-pepper-and-black-bean-salsa-recipe/index.html

Second, we made Boudro's Famous Guacamole, substituting the serrano peppers for jalepeno peppers to lower the heat factor. I've visited the restaurant and enjoyed their tableside guacamole several times and this recipe nails it perfectly! Try it for yourself: http://www.food.com/recipe/boudros-famous-guacamole-riverwalk-san-antonio-406110

After baking some salmon filets, we rounded out the meal with Betty Crocker's Quick Mix Chocolate Cookies, joined by mixed berries and whipped cream on the side. The recipe is SUPER easy and available here: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/quick-mix-chocolate-cookies/b181b72f-4126-4796-b851-e2be6b33a440#?st=6&term=quick mix chocolate cookies&ps=9&pi=9

Attached below are photos of our desert plating skills. Enjoy!
~ Jennifer