Beer Brats

These sausages are delicious. And so easy to make. They were so good that as I was preparing dinner the next night, all I could think about was how I wanted more of these sausages! The onions in the dish taste sweet. Make sure you have some with each bite of sausage!

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We ate them as is but they would also be good in a roll with mustard.

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2 teaspoons olive oil

6 bratwurst sausages (I used Johnsonville)

1 large sweet onion, sliced into 1/4 inch rings

1/2 bottle beer, preferably dark but I used a lager

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Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Brown sausages until deep golden brown (do not puncture sausage). Remove to a platter.

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To the drippings, add the remaining teaspoon of oil and the onion rings. Toss onions to coat with oil. Cook, stirring often, until onions are limp and golden but not brown.

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Return the sausages to the onions and add the beer. Cook over medium heat, turning midway through, until beer has cooked down to a syrupy sauce, about 15 minutes.

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Recipe from about.com that I found while searching for a way to use these sausages.

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Spanish Tomato Soup

We have been loving the soup and sandwich combo at our house since my mom got us a Breville panini press - which I highly recommend - for Christmas. Grilled cheese is a go-to and this time we stuck to the classic partner -tomato soup. I found this Spanish tomato soup from my Cuisine at Home magazine from October 2011.

As you read the recipe, it calls for olives and parsley to be stirred in before serving, which we did not do because I didn't have olives, plus Adam doesn't like them.

Adam was expecting a traditional tomato soup but I wanted to mix things up a bit. I really enjoyed the spices in the soup and the roasted potatoes on top.





Potatoes:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 1/2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and diced
Soup:
1 cup diced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
pinch red pepper flakes
1/4 cup dry sherry
2 cups tomato juice
2 cups vegetable broth
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 Tablespoons orange juice
1/2 cup manzanilla olives, sliced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

For the potatoes, combine 1 Tablespoon oil and 2 teaspoons paprika in a large bowl, then toss with potatoes. Transfer to a baking sheet and roast until golden, 30-40 minutes, stirring midway through cooking.

For the soup, in a dutch oven, sweat onion and garlic in 2 Tablespoons oil over medium-low heat until soft, 5 minutes. Stir in 1 Tablespoon paprika, oregano, cumin and pepper flakes. Deglaze pot with sherry and cook until nearly evaporated.

Add tomato juice, vegetable broth, and tomatoes. Increase heat to high and bring soup to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes.

Stir in orange juice. Puree soup with a hand blender until smooth.

Stir in olives and parsley; season with salt and pepper.

Serve topped with the roasted potatoes.

Wedding, Honeymoon & Tuna Sandwiches

I feel like such a slacker for not posting in over a month!

But over the past year I've been so busy planning our wedding that sometimes we'd take the easy route on meals and I just wasn't trying anything new.

It was all worth it though because I had the best day of my life on July 23rd when I became Mrs. Pankake. See a few of our wedding day photos on our photographers' blog - Part 1 and Part 2. And see our cake baker's blog: We love Jasmine at the Couture Cakery! And more on our food caterer and event coordinator, C&J, in another post.

Photo by Bec

Then we went to Munich, Germany for a week. We had the most wonderful time! It was a whirlwind trip but we saw a lot and visited some friends.

Adam at the Hirschgarten

Once we got home I made a trip to the grocery store because we have now vowed that we are going to eat well, incorporating lots of fresh food into our diet.So the first meal I made for my husband was Blackened Dixie Tuna Sandwiches and they were so amazing!! It was Adam's first time trying ahi tuna steaks and he loved them. And it was the first time I used celery root and it is so delicious! It's a starch that tastes like celery. This recipe if from the August 2011 issue of Cuisine At Home.

For the remoulade:

2 Tablespoons mayonnaise

2 Tablespoons minced red bell pepper

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 cup peeled, matchstick-cut celery root

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 Tablespoon capers (I omitted)

1 Tablespoon chopped scallions (I omitted)




For the tuna:


2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried thyme (I omitted)

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 ahi tuna steaks

olive oil

2 rolls (the recipe is for an open face sandwich but we used used the top and bottom of the bun for each sandwich)

Mayonnaise

Lettuce leaves


Preheat grill to medium-high. Brush grill grate with olive oil.

For the remoulade, combine mayo, bell pepper and Dijon in a bowl. Stir in celery root, parsley, capers and scallions; cover and chill until ready to use.

For the tuna, combine brown sugar, garlic powder, thyme, paprika, black pepper and cayenne in a small bowl.

Brush tuna with oil and firmly press the spice mixture on both sides of the tuna steaks.

Grill tuna, covered, 2-3 minutes per side. Brush cut side of rolls with oil, then grill, cut side down, to toast, 1-2 minutes.

To assemble, brush the bottom roll with mayo, top with a lettuce leaf and a tuna steak. Divide roumoulade evenly between sandwiches.

I have lots of other great meals planned too! Stay tuned!

Rebecca's Bridal Shower

Last Saturday was Rebecca's bridal shower. We held it at my parents house, outside by the pool in the sweltering heat. I can confidently say that party was flawless - the guests were charming, the games entertaining, the food aplenty and the bride glowing! Here is Rebecca (center) with her bridesmaids:


I had the pleasure of preparing the food for the 3pm shower. This is the menu:

• chicken waldorf salad - chicken, mayo, salt, pepper, chopped celery, chopped granny smith apple, quartered red grapes, and walnut - with potato slider rolls
• turkey, bacon, swiss on mini pretzel rolls with a guacamole sauce - 2 smashed avocados, lemon juice, lime juice and salt and pepper
• vegetable pizza (recipe below)
• mini caprese salad skewers
• strawberry salsa (recipe below)
• cannellini bean salad crostini (recipe below)

Bec's mom made her famous orange juice & peach schnapps slush topped with 7Up. My favorite and perfect for summer!

Here is the food table (Miriam provided the beautiful flowers):

The mini pretzel sliders:

The guac:

The strawberry salsa:

1 quart strawberries, washed, hulled & chopped

2 Granny Smith apples, washed, cored & chopped

3 kiwis, peeled & chopped

2 tablespoons apple jelly, melted in the microwave for 30 seconds

2 tablespoons brown sugar

juice of 1/2 orange

1 tablespoon orange zest

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Mix all together. Best if enjoyed immediately.

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Serve with cinnamon & sugar chips: cut a flour tortillas in wedges, brush with melted butter, sprinkle with cinnamon & sugar and bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

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This is the vegetable pizza. I made it earlier in the summer and Bec requested it for her shower:

2 cans crescent rolls

2 8oz. packages cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup mayo

1 package ranch dressing mix

chopped vegetables - I use broccoli, cauliflower, carrots & celery

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread rolls out onto a baking sheet to make a crust, making sure all seams are pressed together. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool completely.

Mix together cream cheese, mayo and ranch. Once crust is cool, spread evenly over crust. Sprinkle chopped vegetable over cream cheese mix. Cut into squares to serve.

The caprese skewers - mozzarella balls, grape tomatoes, olive oil, salt, pepper and chopped fresh basil:
Cannellini bean salad:

*I only have a photo copy of this recipe so I can't give credit to the source

2 1/2 cups dried cannellini white beans

1/2 medium onion, chopped (I used a red onion)

4 green onions, chopped (I omitted cause I didn't have)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (I used dried)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

1/3 cup olice oil

juice of 1 lemon

salt & pepper

2 cloves, crushed

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1/2 cup prosciutto, thinly sliced & chopped (optional - I did not use but regret it!)

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Place beans in a bowl and add 6 cups fresh cold water. Allow to sit on the counter overnight. Drain and place in a 6- to 8-quart pot. Add 3 quarts water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 25-30 minutes until barely tender. Drain well and pour the beans out onto a large sheet pan. Allow to cool completely and put in a large bowl.

Add all the remaining ingredients to the bowl. Toss and allow to marinade for at least 2 hours at room temperature before serving.

I made crostini rounds to eat with the bean salad - slice French bread, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt & pepper and bake at 350 degress for 15 minutes:

I don't have a photo of the chicken salad but it did look pretty with all the colorful ingredients!

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I also made a chocolate sheet cake (click on that link and make that cake. it is to die for!) and peanut butter icing and a Boston cream pie - Bec's 2 favorite cakes. They were a success!!

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Happy Bridal Shower to Rebecca!

Only 5 more weeks until her wedding!!

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All the photos you see here are from Rebecca!

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Labor Day Weekend Fête - Part 1

Last Saturday we had some friends over for an end of the summer cookout so my mom and I were busy bees in the kitchen from Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon. Everything from berry iced tea to shrimp kabobs to tabbouleh to roasted nuts - after lots of chopping, boiling, peeling and stirring, we were ready for our guests. Below are two collages Rebecca created with the photos she took of the food. What great talent she has!

Over the next few posts, I will tell you about what I made, beginning with the Beef Tenderloin Sandwiches.

At our house we get so many food magazines, filled with recipes that look absolutely delicious. There are way too many for us to make! I went back through the Paula Deen magazines and found this delicious recipe from a few months ago. I planned on 1/4 lb of beef per person - so that was a 6 lb loin - fortune for our party and fellowship but unfortunate for the amount of meat - more people came than I prepared for so those 6 pounds went very quickly!

This recipe serves 12

3/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 (4 1/2 lb) trimmed beef tenderloin
12-15 onion rolls, split, buttered, and toasted (We used regular, poppy seed and sesame seed rolls and we didn't toast them - if I were to make 5 instead of 24, I would butter and toast them!)
arugula
Bacon Horseradish Sauce (see below)


In a large resealable plastic bag, combine soy sauce, oil, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, garlic, and pepper. Add tenderloin, seal bag, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. ** We used a big plastic container (instead of a bag) that we could keep flipping throughout the marinading processes. We let it marinade overnight and through to our afternoon cooking time.**


Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a broiler pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place rack on pan; spray with nonstick cooking spray.


Drain tenderloin, discarding marinade. Place tenderloin on prepared pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted in thickest portion reads 145. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. ** Of course my mom and I argued over when it was done. I enjoy this type of beef cut medium rare, otherwise it gets tough. You will have to adjust the cooking time depending on how big your loin is but this is a very appropriate cooking temp and time.**

Spread desired amount of Bacon Horseradish Sauce (See recipe below) over botttoms of buns. Top with desired amount of arugula. Top with sliced tenderloin. cover with bun tops. Serve immediately.


Bacon Horseradish Sauce

1 cup mayonnaise
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (I used like 9 slices! - my rule of thumb: ALWAYS use more bacon than called for!)
4 teaspoons prepared horseradish
2 teaspoons green onions, minced
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, bacon horseradish,green onion, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Cover and chill.

** Sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance.

The tenderloin right out of the oven, as I attack it with the electric knife! Oh and thank you to Bunny for taking over that knife for me.

We kept the beef warm in the chafing dish for serving.

The assembled sandwich.

Another creation was Carolina Coleslaw - a very colorful combination with a vinegar-based dressing.

1 head cabbage (red, green or mix) shredded
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, grated (bought a bag of the carrot matchsticks)

Dressing:
1 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp celery seed
1 cup cider vinegar
2/3 cup Vegetable oil

In a large bowl, toss vegetables together

In a small sauce pan, mix together sugar, salt, mustard, and celery seed. Add vinegar and oil. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.

Pour hot dressing over salad; toss well

Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 days before serving.

All photos by Bec.

DMB

The concert Arielle has been waiting for since I bought the tickets in March finally came last Friday... Dave Matthews in Hershey. Arielle is a huge fan and knows all his songs and everything about him. Luckily a little over a week before the concert Arielle gave me their latest cd to listen to in my car so I was well prepared. They played lots of songs from their new album, several of which I love. But before the concert, Arielle made us some great treats:

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Spicy Pretzels:

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 package Ranch dressing mix

1 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon lemon pepper

15 oz. pretzels

Mix all ingredients together. Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 2 hours at 200 degrees. Let cool completely on baking sheet and store in air-tight container.

Son of a Peach Cookies

These are a great soft, cakey cookie. We had just bought some fresh peaches in Adams County the week before.

Oh and the name... After I had one of these cookies, I had to run out in the pouring down rain in my long flowy skirt and when I got back in the car, I was soaked and yelled 'son of a peach' and the name stuck. ha!

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1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

3 medium peaches, peeled, pitted and chopped

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, mix all dry ingredients.

In the bowl of a mixer, beat butter and sugar until well mixed. Add egg and mix. Slowly mix in dry ingredients until well blended. Stir in peaches by hand. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes.

Picnic Loaves

This is a favorite. We make it for church potlucks, parties, picnics, tailgating... It's from a Taste of Home Cookbook.

2 loaves Italian bread
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (we use McCormick brand)
½ lb roast beef
¾ lb provolone cheese
16 basil leaves
3 small tomatoes, sliced (or however much you like)
¼ lb hard salami
10 oz. salad greens
½ lb turkey
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper

Cut loaves in half horizontally. Hollow out some of the bread, being careful not to go get too thin against the crust. Mix the oil and garlic together. Brush oil on the cut side of the 4 pieces of bread then sprinkle with Italian seasoning. On the bottom loaves, begin building the sandwich in this order: beef, cheese, basil, tomato, salami, salad greens, turkey & onion; sprinkle with salt and pepper and repeat layer. Place the top of the loaves on the layers. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour before slicing.

Sisters

The rain was over by the time the show started and we ended up having a great evening!

And I'm loving this song.

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Shredded Beef Sandwiches

I made this recipe awhile ago but I wasn't able to get home that evening to try any. My family said it was good so I thought I'd try it because it seemed easy to serve at a party in front of the TV (my goal was to have no silverware involved).

3 lb. beef chuck roast

1 large onion, chopped

3 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon cloves

1/3 cup white vinegar

Place roast in crock pot (may have to cut meat to fit in pot). Add onion and spices; pour vinegar over all. Cook on low for 11-12 hours or high for 5-6 hours. Once done, discard bay leaves & shred meat with fork. Serve in rolls with reserved juice.

Beginning of cook time.

My roast was frozen and the defrosted it for 10 minutes in the microwave but it was still almost completely frozen. I put the meat in at 7am on low and it was done by 5pm (10 hours) or maybe before that. The outside of the roast was nice and dark but the center was a brighter color (but still fully cooked).

Real minced garlic and ground black pepper would be more flavorful with this.

We ate our sandwiches on rolls with Sweet Baby Ray's bbq sauce.

We got about 8 servings out of this recipe. The day after, we sauted peppers and onions, heated the meat and made fajitas. We added shredded cheddar, the left over guacamole and made a salsa of chopped tomatoes and cilantro. They were tasty and all Greg's idea!