Quinoa and Avocado Salad

   I love the nutty texture and wonderful earthy flavor of this grain-like seeds. Tossed with fresh lemon juice and creamy ripe avocado chunks, it makes the most perfect summer side dish. 

  Click here and read about how Miss Sophie prepared this wonderful quinoa salad for the President of General Dynamics; yeah, he is pretty big guy around here in Savannah.   Read more about the history of quinoa here, too.  

Fresh lemon and zest is the key to brightening up this dish.  

Keeping it real; my kitchen is in complete disarray whenever I take food photos.   Prep person, the cook, dishwasher, and photographer, all in one!

Halved grilled tri-color peppers make fabulous presentation.  

Print This Recipe!

Quinoa Salad with Avocado and Pecans with Grilled Peppers
Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking 
Serves 6

1 cup quinoa, rinsed well (I used try-colored quinoa here)
1 teaspoon salt; divided
1 large lemon, zest and juice of one lemon
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 medium firm-ripe avocados, pitted, peeled, and diced in chunks
2 medium green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Optional: 6 halves of multi-colored peppers, grilled to fill the quinoa salad (lightly coat peppers with olive oil, salt & pepper, then grill)

Put quinoa in a small meshed colander or sieve and run cold water through to rinse well. Let drain. In a small bowl, whisk the lemon zest and juice with the olive oil, coriander, cumin, paprika, fresh ground pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside.

In a 2-quart saucepan, bring 2 cups water, the quinoa, and 1/2 tsp. salt to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is translucent and tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Fluff quinoa with a fork.

In a large bowl while quinoa is still warm, toss with vinaigrette and let flavor absorb. Let cool for about 10 minutes. Then gently fold in toasted nuts, diced avocado, green onions. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

 Optional: serve this in beautifully grilled pepper halves to make an excellent vegetarian meal

Herb Roasted Leg of Lamb

"Are you making the lamb for someone, or is that for us?"

When my husband and I go out on a date, I usually order pizza for my four children.  But lazy summer days (where I don't have to shuttle them from sport practices, music lessons, and such) are ones where I can spend more time on a good dinner.

 I surprised them with a roasted leg of lamb and quinoa salad (recipe post coming Wednesday) last week before we headed out for dinner with some friends.  

Note: No, my children don't eat like this everyday.

 Here is a simple marinade which works wonderfully for lamb and chicken:   

Print This Recipe!

Herb Roasted Leg of Lamb

Serves 6-8

3 lb boneless leg of lamb

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Marinade:

1/2 cup packed fresh herb leaves (Rosemary, oregano, basil, parsley, and sage are what I used)

1 Tablespoon sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

5 cloves of garlic peeled

Zest and juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup olive oil, extra virgin

Using a food processor, pulse fresh herbs, garlic, salt, pepper, lime juice and zest.  With the motor running, slowly pour 1/4 cup of olive oil.  

Put lamb in a gallon size ziplock bag.  Scrape all the marinade into the bag and let the air out and zip it tightly.  Massage the bag so marinade will fully cover the meat.  Marinade overnight or at least 6 hours in the refrigerator.  

1 hour before cooking, let bag sit out to room temperature.  

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 

Using a large cast iron pan, preheat to med-high until almost smoking point.  Take the lamb out of the bag, gently pat dry, leaving the herb mixture as much as possible. 

Drizzle 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and sear the lamb on all sides.  

Once the meat is well browned, leave the meat in the pan and put it in the oven for 50 minutes to one hour until internal temperature reaches about 145 degrees for medium rare.  Remove lamb from the pan and cover loosely with a sheet of foil,  let rest for 15 minutes before carving.  Serve with your favorite sides.   

Grilled Pork Chops with Coffee Dry Rub and Coffee BBQ Sauce

A few weeks ago, Miss Sophie and I took a little private tour of our city's favorite coffee roaster, Savannah Coffee Roasters.  Beautiful aroma surrounded us as Lori Collins, ever-so-gracious CEO of the company, explained the process of how good coffee beans are roasted.   

Click here to read about our visit on Savannah Morning News with Miss Sophie......

And this is Nigel Gardener, SCR's roastmaster and brainchild of creating new specialty blends;  a retired rocket scientist, whose passion and knowledge for coffee are unlimited as the sky.  

I often use coffee for baking recipes where coffee boosts chocolate flavor and adds a great dimension to baked good.  Well, I learned that coffee will do the same for the savory recipes, adding depth to the flavor and even tenderizes the meat.  

Freshly ground coffee in dry rub or brewed coffee in BBQ sauce can enhance the meat flavor like no other ingredient.  

 And my sincere thanks to my local butcher, Roy White at The Butcher's Block in Bloomingdale, for going above and beyond to cut this beautiful piece of pork!  Thanks Roy!

My family and I wholehearted agreed that this was the finest pork chop we have ever had and we have the picture to prove it.  

To order from Savannah Coffee Roasters Click Here

Print This Recipe!




Grilled Pork Chops with Coffee Dry Rub and Coffee BBQ Sauce
Serves 4

4 bone-in pork chops (about 1 inch thick) or French cut pork loin as shown
Coffee Dry Rub, recipe follows
Coffee BBQ sauce, recipe follows

Basic Pork Brine

1/4 c kosher salt
1/4 c brown sugar
4 cups of water

 In a medium bowl, combine the salt, sugar and water. Whisk vigorously until all the salt and sugar is dissolved. Then pour this mixture over pork chops. Soak at least 6 hours or overnight.

To fully submerge the  pork chops, use gallon size zip lock baggies. Divide the chops to fit the bags, carefully pour brine mixture, let all the air out of the bags and seal the bagstightly.  Place bags in a shallow pan /bowl and refrigerate 4-6 hours or overnight.

After brining, drain and discard the water.  Pat dry the pork chops well with paper towel and let sit room temperature while preheating the grill. Generously rub both sides of the pork chops with the coffee rub. Grill the pork chops for about 5 to 7 minute on each side over a medium heat, internal temperature about 145 degrees F.  Off the heat, let the chops rest covered with aluminum foil before serving with Coffee BBQ sauce and your favorite sides.

Coffee Dry Rub 
Enough for 8 pork chops

1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon fine ground coffee (Savannah Roasters Columbian Supremo beans, finely ground)
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon tumeric

In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients until well blended.  Store in airtight container and refrigerate to store for weeks.

Coffee BBQ sauce 
Makes about 2 1/2 Cups


1/2 cup brewed strong, dark coffee, (used Savannah Coffee Roasters Colombian Supremo)
1 cup ketchup
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
1/2 cup sweet red chili sauce Apricot or other mild fruit marmalade can be substituted)
 2 cloves garlic grated
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons ground cumin
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon Sriracha

Stir all ingredients in a medium sauce pan. Bring to simmer then reduce the heat to low until flavor meld about 40 minutes, occasionally stirring the sauce. Cool to room temperature and serve.  Will keep for about 2+ weeks in refrigerator.  

Red Potatoes with Bacon and Sage

Though I used to cater fancy parties and bringing home fancy leftovers to enjoy, my family really are basic meat and potato people.  Nothing excites them more than good roasted potatoes and grilled meat during summer.   

I used my favorite cast iron skillet from start to finish. From crisping the bacon, sautéing the shallots, and tossing the potatoes; then straight into the oven or the lighted grill.  One pan cooking is what I like.  

Stay tuned for this Wednesday post....I have some awesome pork chop recipe for you.  It may or may not involve coffee.   

Print This Recipe!


Red Potatoes with Bacon and Sage
Serves 6-8

5 strips of thick-cut bacon slices, cut crosswise into thin strips
3 pounds baby red potatoes, halved (smaller, the better)
1/2 cup of shallots, sliced thinly
7-8 sage leaves, sliced thinly, extra for garnish
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt, more as needed

Cook sliced bacon in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat until crisp.  Transfer crispy bacon bits to paper towels to drain using a slotted spoon.  Reserve 2 tablespoon of bacon fat in the pan, discarding the rest.

Sauté sliced shallots for about 2-3 minutes until wilted, then add potatoes, sage leaves, softened butter, salt, and pepper and gently toss to coat.

At this point, you can finish cooking by roasting in the oven at 375 degrees F for about 45 minutes until potatoes are done.  If you don't want to heat up the house during summer, simply loosely cover the iron skillet with foil and place the skillet near the hot coal and close the grill cover.  Cook for about 45 minutes or until fully cooked, stirring occasionally to ensure potatoes are not too dark.

Sprinkle more salt and pepper, bacon bits, and extra sage leaves.  Serve immediately.

Summer Berry Gelatin Salad with Miss Sophie

Yay, it's Wednesday and that means we get another great comfort food recipe from Miss Sophie!  

Click here for her weekly food column on Savannah Now...... 

OK, I'll be totally honest with you.  When Miss Sophie told me that she was going to feature jello molds for this week's newspaper article, my heart groaned.  Being a native South Korean girl, jello is not something I grew up with.  So naturally, my four children rarely had it either.  

But out of three recipes she emailed me, this one caught my eye.  Colorful summer berries mixed with cranberry juice, and splash of fresh lemon juice and bubbly club soda?  Hey, this just may have some potential! 

And using these cute molds for the photo shoot was so fun!  Food geek all over here.   

The result?  Absolutely beautiful jello salad filled with fresh, crunchy berries with sweet-tart flavor that my four children and I went wild about.  My daughter even "instagrammed" it.  So, yes, it's officially good.  

Print This Recipe!

Summer Berry Jello Salad
Recipe by Miss Sophie
Used with Permission

6 oz strawberry gelatin
2 cups boiling cranberry juice
1-1/2 cups club soda, chilled
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup each fresh blueberries, raspberries and finely diced strawberries
Additional mixed fresh berries for garnish

 In a medium sized bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling cranberry juice.  Let cool for 10 minutes.  Stir in club soda and lemon juice; refrigerate for 45 minutes or until partially set.  (To quicken the jellying process, carefully put the bowl containing the jello mixture in a larger bowl of ice water and stir occasionally for about 10-15 minutes).

Fold in berries. Pour into a 6-cup ring mold coated with cooking spray or use several miniature molds as shown.  Refrigerate for 4 hours or until set. Unmold onto a pretty platter.  Garnish with additional berries and serve.  

Peanut Butter-Fudge Blossoms

IPC kitchen orders the grocery from Sam's Club each week.  Due to lack of refrigerator/freezer and dry storage space, we can't buy in bulk from large food vendors.  Though Sam's Club's fax n pull service is wonderful, you don't always get what you order so we learn to be flexible and improvise.

These peanut buter blossom cookies use Hershey's Chocolate Kisses (click for previous post), but since we did not get them in time to make our Wednesday dessert, we made simple fudge instead to fill the cookies.   And boy, these cookies freshly baked with warm, soft fudge center was simply beautiful!   

Since we multiplied the recipe by 5, we use the scale to measure the dry ingredients.  Here is a baking conversion chart.   If you are baking in large volume, measuring by weight is really the best way and your  baking result will be more consistent.  

PRINT THIS RECIPE!


Peanut Butter-Fudge Blossom Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

8 Tablespoon (1 Stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Fudge
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment papers. Process 2/3 cup flour and peanuts in food processor until finely ground. Transfer to bowl and stir in remaining flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and beat until well combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in two batches, mixing until just combined. Do not over beat. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes until firm.

3. In the mean time, put chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl.    Microwave on medium until ingredients are melted, about 3-5 minute, stirring once or twice during cooking.  Let cool for few minutes and put the chocolate mixture in a gallon Ziplock bag to use it as a piping bag.  Keep it at room temperature while shaping and baking cookies.

4. Shape tablespoonfuls of dough into 1-inch balls. Place dough balls 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake one sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes until just set and beginning to crack. Remove from oven, and immediately, using the back of the measuring spoon or round dull object, make small depressions in the center of the cookies.  Let cool slightly.

5. Cut a small opening in one corner of the ziplock bag with a pair of scissors.  Carefully pipe the fudge into the center of the cookies.  Cool 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. 

Sausage and Wild Rice Casserole with Miss Sophie

For this Wednesday post, Miss Sophie writes an article about her daddy and her childhood dinner table.  She shares with us her daddy's favorite meal,  Sausage Casserole.  This simple and humble dish describes  many fathers around the country who faithfully love and provide for their families.  

"How do you write a food article about your father? I never have trouble writing about my mother and food because we’ve spent so many hours in the kitchen together, but Daddy?......click here to read more

Print This Recipe!


GOURMET SAUSAGE AND RICE CASSEROLE
Recipe by Miss Sophie 

 2 lbs mild ground pork sausage
 1/3 cup green pepper
 1 can cream of mushroom soup
 ¾ cup milk
 ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
 1 (4 oz) jar pimento, drained
 2 cups of a rice blend or white rice.

 Preheat oven to 350 F. Cook rice according to package directions. Brown sausage medium skillet and drain. In a large mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add rice and sausage to bowl mixing well. Pour into a well greased baking dish. Bake 35-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Freezes well.

Pork BBQ Sandwich Topped with Asian Slaw

 East meets West.  I love a good pork BBQ sandwich, but I love it better when it is topped with crunchy and flavorful Asian Slaw.  This was a huge hit when we served it at Wednesday Noon Service lunch past week.  Served with hot fried onion rings and our famous Garlic Pickles, it couldn't be a better meal.  

Print This Recipe!

Pork BBQ Sandwich Topped with Asian Slaw

4 large seeded hamburger buns
1 pound of shredded pork BBQ
Your favorite BBQ sauce, we used Cattleman's Tangy Gold

Assemble the sandwiches and top the pork with slaw and BBQ sauce.  Serve immediately.


Asian Slaw (Original Post from two years ago)
Serves 6-8

Halve this recipe to top the sandwiches only or make one full recipe and serve as a side

Dressing:

6 tablespoon rice vinegar

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons sesame oil

5 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

3 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar

1 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger

1 tablespoons grated garlic

5 cups thinly sliced green cabbage

2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage

2 large bell peppers, red and yellow, julienne cut (do not use green bell pepper)

2 medium carrots, peeled, cut into matchstick-size strips

4 large green onions, cut into matchstick-size strips

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Whisk in a bowl first 8 ingredients in small bowl to blend. (Dressing can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Stir well before using.

Prepare the vegetable.  Can be made two days ahead.  15-20 minutes prior to serving,  in a large bowl, toss the prepared veggies with the dressing

Adapted from Epicurious.com 

Hello June! And Sites I Love

Each month, I would like to share with you and highlight web sites I love.  There are so many beautiful sites I adore but I don't want to bombard you, so let's start with these four this month, but more coming! 

Salted and Styled: Original recipes, awesome food photography, fashion, life style, videos, podcast and so much more!  This site has it all, quite amazing.  Check it out.  

Photo by Chia Chong; Styled by Libbie Summers

Eat, Live, Run : Jenna is a chef-writer, recipe developer, and a wonderful friend.  

You will love her daily posts and her life antics.  

Photo by Jenna Weber

Apricosa : From authentic Korean to German food, not to mention beautiful food photography, 

Erica shares beautiful stories behind the food her site.  

Photo by Erica

Tiny Urban Kitchen: Winner of Project Food Blog in 2010 and other prestigious awards,
Jen and her husband travels extensively and has the best global restaurant reviews.  

Photo by Tiny Urban Kitchen