Last week would have been the 100th birthday of Julia Child. Her book on French cooking is a cooking class between covers. Julia played a major part in the interest of French cuisine in the U.S.. Along with Julia came Jacques Pepin. They did a number of television programs showing their very different points of view on French cooking; much like a comedy routine. Several other chefs have entered into the world of French cooking. Dorie Greenspan, Laura Calder and even Ina Garten has a French cookbook.. Marilyn's Table this week is my voyage into French cuisine:
Swordfish en Papillote
Salade Chevre Figue
Lemon Berry Crepes
I have only done fish in parchment paper in cooking classes so this was my first attempt at home. It came out very well if I do say so. The fish is placed in the center of a heart shaped piece of parchment paper. I chose seasonal vegetables to go in with it. I used heirloom baby tomatoes, shallots, sliced zucchini, fresh corn kernels and fava beans. I lightly salted the mixture and added a spoonful of home made pesto before sealing the packet. It roasts in the oven for about half an hour. Serve the packet on a plate; cuta cross in the paper so the packet can be folded back to show the fish and vegetables. The aroma was lovely.
Along with the fish, I made a salad of fresh figs, cut in quarters. A spoon of herbed goat cheese is put in the center of the fig and it is served on chopped kale with walnuts pieces. A dressing of EVOO, vinegar (I used a fig vinegar from Olive Tap in Long Grove) and seasonings to drizzle over all. It complimented the fish very well.
Crepes are a French tradition and served in many ways. My last attempt, years ago, was not a good one; this one went better. As always the first couple went in the garbage and then they started coming out correctly. Eggs, milk, melted butter, flour, sugar and salt are whipped into a thin batter. In a small non-stick pan, spray a bit of canola oil and add about 3 tablespoons of the batter. Swirl the batter around until the crepe is very thin. Turn over once until both sides are lightly browned. Stack them under paper towels until all are done. They were folded into thirds and arranged on a plate. A squeeze of lemon juice over the top with lemon slices, raspberries and a dusting of powder sugar. At least it was supposed to be a dusting. The bag slipped and most of the bag went on the floor. But they were a lightly sweet ending to a successful meal.
I plan to venture into the French cuisine more often, but next week is Labor Day and BBQ will be on the table. Stop by.....when you smell the ribs cooking, dinner won't be far behind. Have a good week and if you are on the road, drive safely.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
A Celebration of Plums
One of the many things I love about summer is the availability of stone fruits and berries. This week I celebrate plums. This is what is on Marilyn's Table:
Almond Crusted Chicken with Plum Chutney
Avocado Vegetables Lettuce Wraps
Plum Shortcakes on Basil Parmesan Biscuits
All of these are very simple. Onion, jalapeno, chopped plums, brown sugar, cider vinegar, curry powder and ground ginger are sauteed until the plums are soft. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. The chicken pieces (skin on or off, your choice) are seasoned with salt and pepper and brought to room temperature. The outside is then brushed with Dijon mustard and rolled in finely chopped almonds. The pieces are baked on a rack in a foil lined pan until juices run clear. The pieces are served with a spoonful or two of the chutney. I really liked the tartness of the chutney, the crunch of the almond crust and the juiciness of the chicken.
The vegetable wraps were sort of semi-successful. Avocado is mashed and seeded chopped tomatoes, diced jalapeno, diced onion, garlic and fresh corn cut from the cob are stirred in. Juice from a lime is added along with salt and pepper. A couple of tablespoons are spooned onto a lettuce leaf and wrapped into a packet. I would not use romaine again as it falls apart, probably iceberg would work better. I would also use some different vegetables for more texture.
The biscuits were a simple baking powder mix: flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and chilled butter are mixed together. Chopped basil and grated Parmesan are stirred in. Egg and milk are mixed and then added to the flour mixture. I patted the dough into a round about an inch thick. Two inch circles are cut out and baked on a parchment covered baking sheet until the tops are browned. These have a very nice flavor and can be used in many ways other than shortcakes. I had leftovers with jam for breakfast and again with my tea in the evening.
The sauce for the shortcake is simple; thinly sliced plums with a pint of blackberries are put in a bowl. Add a pinch of salt and sugar to taste. Squeeze an inch piece of fresh ginger over the fruit and let sit at room temperature for an hour or so. The biscuit is split, the fruit spooned over and a sauce of Greek vanilla yogurt is spooned over the fruit. I added a spoon full of brandy to the yogurt and with a sprig of mint the dessert looked great (tasted great as well)
This was a very nice summer meal. The plums were perfect, but I can see using any number of other stone fruits and berries. I am not sure about this weeks meal. We shall see what the farmers market has to offer. Have a good rest of the week. It's supposed to warm up again. I am ready for fall.
Almond Crusted Chicken with Plum Chutney
Avocado Vegetables Lettuce Wraps
Plum Shortcakes on Basil Parmesan Biscuits
All of these are very simple. Onion, jalapeno, chopped plums, brown sugar, cider vinegar, curry powder and ground ginger are sauteed until the plums are soft. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. The chicken pieces (skin on or off, your choice) are seasoned with salt and pepper and brought to room temperature. The outside is then brushed with Dijon mustard and rolled in finely chopped almonds. The pieces are baked on a rack in a foil lined pan until juices run clear. The pieces are served with a spoonful or two of the chutney. I really liked the tartness of the chutney, the crunch of the almond crust and the juiciness of the chicken.
The vegetable wraps were sort of semi-successful. Avocado is mashed and seeded chopped tomatoes, diced jalapeno, diced onion, garlic and fresh corn cut from the cob are stirred in. Juice from a lime is added along with salt and pepper. A couple of tablespoons are spooned onto a lettuce leaf and wrapped into a packet. I would not use romaine again as it falls apart, probably iceberg would work better. I would also use some different vegetables for more texture.
The biscuits were a simple baking powder mix: flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and chilled butter are mixed together. Chopped basil and grated Parmesan are stirred in. Egg and milk are mixed and then added to the flour mixture. I patted the dough into a round about an inch thick. Two inch circles are cut out and baked on a parchment covered baking sheet until the tops are browned. These have a very nice flavor and can be used in many ways other than shortcakes. I had leftovers with jam for breakfast and again with my tea in the evening.
The sauce for the shortcake is simple; thinly sliced plums with a pint of blackberries are put in a bowl. Add a pinch of salt and sugar to taste. Squeeze an inch piece of fresh ginger over the fruit and let sit at room temperature for an hour or so. The biscuit is split, the fruit spooned over and a sauce of Greek vanilla yogurt is spooned over the fruit. I added a spoon full of brandy to the yogurt and with a sprig of mint the dessert looked great (tasted great as well)
This was a very nice summer meal. The plums were perfect, but I can see using any number of other stone fruits and berries. I am not sure about this weeks meal. We shall see what the farmers market has to offer. Have a good rest of the week. It's supposed to warm up again. I am ready for fall.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Hen and Tarts
The table this week features two tarts with fresh produce from the farmers market. I expect until the market closed is October, most menus will feature my purchases from the market. Here is what is on Marilyn's Table this week.
Cornish Hen with Tapenade
Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart
Peach Tarte Tatin
It has been a long while since I had a Cornish hen. When I saw them in the supermarket, I decided it was time. I had a recipe that split the hen and roasted it flat in a pan. I cut out the back bone and then pressed on the breast so it would break and lay flat in the pan. The hen is sprayed with a bit of EVOO and tapenade is pressed under the skin before roasting. A bit of salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon and the hen was ready to roast.
While it was in the oven I prepared the tomato tart. A sheet of puff pastry is defrosted and rolled out on a lightly flowered surface. A salad plate is laid on top and with a sharp knife a circle is cut out, the bottom pricked and refrigerated on a parchment covered cookie sheet. Onions and garlic are sauteed in a pan with salt and pepper and a bit of white wine and fresh thyme leaves. When they are lightly browned they are removed from the heat. The cookie sheet is removed from the oven, grated Parmesan is sprinkled over the bottom of the tart leaving about half an inch boarder. The onion mixture is put on top of the cheese. Crumbled goat cheese is put on top of the onions. Next comes a half inch slice of an heirloom tomato. Shaved Parmesan is placed on top of the tomato. the edges of the pastry are brought up over the sides of the mixture and the pastry is baked until the pastry is golden brown. This was excellent and quite simple to put together.
There is enough of the puff pastry left to make the top for the peach tatin. Peaches are sliced, tossed with sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice. Sugar and butter are placed in a cast iron skillet and cooked until the syrup bubbles. Drain the peaches and arrange in a circle covering the bottom of the syrup is covered. The pastry is rolled out and laid over the top of the peaches. Make a few cut in the top to release the steam. Bake until the pastry is browned and puffed. At this point the tarte is inverted on a serving plate. It looks very pretty, but the pastry gets a bit soggy so I would leave it in the pan and serve wedges of the pastry and spoon the peaches over the top. Perhaps some ice cream? I made a honey, lemon and chopped mint sauce to drizzle over the peaches. This too was an easy dessert and would work with most any seasonal fruit.
This was a mouth watering table and there was enough leftover for another evening meal. Next week is a mystery. I need to check out my cookbooks for something seasonal. Stop back and see what appears.
Cornish Hen with Tapenade
Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart
Peach Tarte Tatin
It has been a long while since I had a Cornish hen. When I saw them in the supermarket, I decided it was time. I had a recipe that split the hen and roasted it flat in a pan. I cut out the back bone and then pressed on the breast so it would break and lay flat in the pan. The hen is sprayed with a bit of EVOO and tapenade is pressed under the skin before roasting. A bit of salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon and the hen was ready to roast.
While it was in the oven I prepared the tomato tart. A sheet of puff pastry is defrosted and rolled out on a lightly flowered surface. A salad plate is laid on top and with a sharp knife a circle is cut out, the bottom pricked and refrigerated on a parchment covered cookie sheet. Onions and garlic are sauteed in a pan with salt and pepper and a bit of white wine and fresh thyme leaves. When they are lightly browned they are removed from the heat. The cookie sheet is removed from the oven, grated Parmesan is sprinkled over the bottom of the tart leaving about half an inch boarder. The onion mixture is put on top of the cheese. Crumbled goat cheese is put on top of the onions. Next comes a half inch slice of an heirloom tomato. Shaved Parmesan is placed on top of the tomato. the edges of the pastry are brought up over the sides of the mixture and the pastry is baked until the pastry is golden brown. This was excellent and quite simple to put together.
There is enough of the puff pastry left to make the top for the peach tatin. Peaches are sliced, tossed with sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice. Sugar and butter are placed in a cast iron skillet and cooked until the syrup bubbles. Drain the peaches and arrange in a circle covering the bottom of the syrup is covered. The pastry is rolled out and laid over the top of the peaches. Make a few cut in the top to release the steam. Bake until the pastry is browned and puffed. At this point the tarte is inverted on a serving plate. It looks very pretty, but the pastry gets a bit soggy so I would leave it in the pan and serve wedges of the pastry and spoon the peaches over the top. Perhaps some ice cream? I made a honey, lemon and chopped mint sauce to drizzle over the peaches. This too was an easy dessert and would work with most any seasonal fruit.
This was a mouth watering table and there was enough leftover for another evening meal. Next week is a mystery. I need to check out my cookbooks for something seasonal. Stop back and see what appears.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Feasting on Fresh
Since this is the height of the fresh fruit and vegetable season, I decided to prepare some of my favorites for Marilyn's Table. This week the table is vegetarian from beginning to end. Here is what's on the table:
Chopped Mexican Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette
Pesto Filled Oven Roasted Tomatoes
Fresh Peach and Brie Quesadillas with Lime- Honey Drizzle
Building the salad was a bit tedious because of all the chopping, but well worth it. Not only is it pretty to look at, it's very tasty. First one red and one orange pepper are cut in half lengthwise. The stem, seeds and membranes are removed. Two ears of corn are husked and the silk removed. The peppers (cut side down) and corn are placed on a foil covered baking sheet, rubbed with EVOO and the corn salt and peppered. They are roasted for about 20 minutes or until the peppers begin to blister. (rotate the corn once during roasting). Cool until the skins of the peppers can be removed easily. Dice the peppers into bite sized pieces (keep separate piles) Do the same dice with tomatoes which have been seeded and cored, jicama, and avocado, and drained and rinsed canned black beans. Cut the corn from the cob. Arrange the vegetables in rows on a plate and drizzle with the dressing. Outstanding!
The dressing is made with mashed garlic and salt, lime and orange juice, minced shallot, honey and cumin. Whisk together adding EVOO until correct consistency. I added minced mint leaves, a bit of black pepper and a bit more salt.
Early in the season I bought several large bunches of basil and made a large batch of pesto. I poured it into ice cube trays and froze it. I now have a large plastic bag of pesto cubes in the freezer to use as needed. These tomatoes were straight from the farmers market. The top cut off and the center core scooped out. I filled the center with thawed pesto cubes and topped with Panko crumbs. They were roasted on the same cookie sheet as the peppers and corn for the salad though they did take a bit longer. One is served with a serving of the salad. No question this is one of the most colorful plates ever. I was very pleased with the flavor of the pesto in the tomato and the crunch of the Panko.
Dessert featured the fresh peaches so readily available. They are thinly sliced and tossed with a bit of sugar to wake up the juices. Fresh chives are snipped and added to the peaches. One tortilla is covered with thinly sliced Brie and covered with the peaches. A second tortilla is laid on top and put in a heated skillet. Flip after a few minutes when the cheese begins to melt. When both sides of the tortilla have been browned transfer to a serving plate and cut into wedges. Drizzle with a mixture of honey, lime juice and more snipped chives. I served extra slices of peach on the top. Yum!
This table was one of my favorites. Next week more fresh produce will be featured. Stop by and check it out.
Chopped Mexican Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette
Pesto Filled Oven Roasted Tomatoes
Fresh Peach and Brie Quesadillas with Lime- Honey Drizzle
Building the salad was a bit tedious because of all the chopping, but well worth it. Not only is it pretty to look at, it's very tasty. First one red and one orange pepper are cut in half lengthwise. The stem, seeds and membranes are removed. Two ears of corn are husked and the silk removed. The peppers (cut side down) and corn are placed on a foil covered baking sheet, rubbed with EVOO and the corn salt and peppered. They are roasted for about 20 minutes or until the peppers begin to blister. (rotate the corn once during roasting). Cool until the skins of the peppers can be removed easily. Dice the peppers into bite sized pieces (keep separate piles) Do the same dice with tomatoes which have been seeded and cored, jicama, and avocado, and drained and rinsed canned black beans. Cut the corn from the cob. Arrange the vegetables in rows on a plate and drizzle with the dressing. Outstanding!
The dressing is made with mashed garlic and salt, lime and orange juice, minced shallot, honey and cumin. Whisk together adding EVOO until correct consistency. I added minced mint leaves, a bit of black pepper and a bit more salt.
Early in the season I bought several large bunches of basil and made a large batch of pesto. I poured it into ice cube trays and froze it. I now have a large plastic bag of pesto cubes in the freezer to use as needed. These tomatoes were straight from the farmers market. The top cut off and the center core scooped out. I filled the center with thawed pesto cubes and topped with Panko crumbs. They were roasted on the same cookie sheet as the peppers and corn for the salad though they did take a bit longer. One is served with a serving of the salad. No question this is one of the most colorful plates ever. I was very pleased with the flavor of the pesto in the tomato and the crunch of the Panko.
Dessert featured the fresh peaches so readily available. They are thinly sliced and tossed with a bit of sugar to wake up the juices. Fresh chives are snipped and added to the peaches. One tortilla is covered with thinly sliced Brie and covered with the peaches. A second tortilla is laid on top and put in a heated skillet. Flip after a few minutes when the cheese begins to melt. When both sides of the tortilla have been browned transfer to a serving plate and cut into wedges. Drizzle with a mixture of honey, lime juice and more snipped chives. I served extra slices of peach on the top. Yum!
This table was one of my favorites. Next week more fresh produce will be featured. Stop by and check it out.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Yet Another Hot Summer Weekend
First let me say, that I am not a fan of sandwiches, at least not those served on a bun the size of a football. Generally I do like what is inside. So during this very hot weather, I decided to prepare a sandwich, salad and grilled fruit for Marilyn's Table. In place of a large bun I have used a spinach tomato tortilla wrap. Here is what is on the table:
Portobello Wrap with White Bean Chile Spread
Shaved Asparagus and Edamame Salad
Grilled Peaches with Bourbon Sabayon
The filling for the wrap included some of my favorites. I purchased a large Portobello cap at the farmers market. It is wiped clean and the stem and gills removed. Italian salad dressing is brushed over all and then it is grilled. While it is grilling on both sides, a can of cannellini beans is drained and placed in a blender with garlic, EVOO, salt, chile powder and blended until smooth. Fresh baby spinach is tossed with a bit of the dressing and set aside with the bean spread for assembly. A wrap is spread down the center with a thin layer of the bean spread about 3 inches wide. The mushroom is sliced, laid down the center of the wrap and topped with the dressed spinach and crumbled goat cheese, wrapped and cut in half diagonally. I was a little heavy handed with the garlic in the paste and would adjust that in the future. Pretty to look at and very tasty.
I served a salad with the wrap. It was an unusual combination of vegetables, but it too was very pretty and lots of nice flavors. A bunch of cleaned raw asparagus is shaved into strings and placed in a large bowl with a bit of EVOO. Thin sliced red onion is added along with thawed edamane beans. Orange and lemon juice are added with champagne vinegar and tossed with the vegetables. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Toasted walnuts and grated parmesan cheese are added and the salad is garnished with torn basil leaves. Serve chilled. Excellent.
Grilling a stone fruit is one of my favorite ways of serving them. This time I used fresh peaches, but plums would work well also. A sabayon is a custard made with eggs and sugar cooked over a hot water bath. This recipe called for 2 teaspoons of bourbon for the flavoring. Well I grabbed the wrong measuring spoon and added 2 tablespoons. Oops! Quite a zing but yummy over the warm peaches. A sprig of mint for garnish.
All in all this was a great meal for yet another very hot weekend. I have no idea what will be on the table next week, but it will depend on the weather. Perhaps another cold meal. Have a great week and stop by again.
Portobello Wrap with White Bean Chile Spread
Shaved Asparagus and Edamame Salad
Grilled Peaches with Bourbon Sabayon
The filling for the wrap included some of my favorites. I purchased a large Portobello cap at the farmers market. It is wiped clean and the stem and gills removed. Italian salad dressing is brushed over all and then it is grilled. While it is grilling on both sides, a can of cannellini beans is drained and placed in a blender with garlic, EVOO, salt, chile powder and blended until smooth. Fresh baby spinach is tossed with a bit of the dressing and set aside with the bean spread for assembly. A wrap is spread down the center with a thin layer of the bean spread about 3 inches wide. The mushroom is sliced, laid down the center of the wrap and topped with the dressed spinach and crumbled goat cheese, wrapped and cut in half diagonally. I was a little heavy handed with the garlic in the paste and would adjust that in the future. Pretty to look at and very tasty.
I served a salad with the wrap. It was an unusual combination of vegetables, but it too was very pretty and lots of nice flavors. A bunch of cleaned raw asparagus is shaved into strings and placed in a large bowl with a bit of EVOO. Thin sliced red onion is added along with thawed edamane beans. Orange and lemon juice are added with champagne vinegar and tossed with the vegetables. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Toasted walnuts and grated parmesan cheese are added and the salad is garnished with torn basil leaves. Serve chilled. Excellent.
Grilling a stone fruit is one of my favorite ways of serving them. This time I used fresh peaches, but plums would work well also. A sabayon is a custard made with eggs and sugar cooked over a hot water bath. This recipe called for 2 teaspoons of bourbon for the flavoring. Well I grabbed the wrong measuring spoon and added 2 tablespoons. Oops! Quite a zing but yummy over the warm peaches. A sprig of mint for garnish.
All in all this was a great meal for yet another very hot weekend. I have no idea what will be on the table next week, but it will depend on the weather. Perhaps another cold meal. Have a great week and stop by again.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Hot, Hot, Hot...
This week has been over the top HOT. My table needed to be food that could be done early and eaten later in the day. I chose a quiche for just those reasons. I found a great recipe in Tupelo Honey Cafe's cookbook which I purchased in Asheville a couple of months ago. At a later date I will recreate the Shrimp and Goat Cheese Grits with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce I had when I visited. It needs to be a lot cooler. This is what was on this weeks table:
Broccoli and New Potato Quiche
Watermelon Wedge Salad
Making pie crust has never been successful for me, so I purchased frozen pie shells. The bottom of the shell is pricked with a fork, prebaked for 10 minutes and set aside to cool. Red potatoes are boiled just until soft and also cooled. Broccoli florets are blanched in the hot water for a couple of minutes and put in an ice bath to stop cooking. I sauteed thin slices of shallot until crispy and set aside. Grated sharp cheddar cheese is sprinkled on the bottom of the crust. The potatoes and cubed and added to the pie along with the blanched broccoli. Eggs, heavy cream and seasonings are beaten and poured over the potato, broccoli, cheese mixture. The crispy shallots are sprinkled over the top and the pie is placed on a cookie sheet (in case it cooks over) and baked until a toothpick comes out clean and the top is golden brown. Let cool to room temperature before slicing.
Wedge salads were a big deal while I was growing up. Lately they have come back in to fashion and appear on many menus. This salad is a variation. Instead of wedge lettuce, watermelon is cut into wedges and feta yogurt dressing is pour over and garnished with a sprig of basil. The dressing is made up of yogurt, buttermilk, lemon juice and chopped chives. Crumbled feta is folded in at the end. The dressing is drizzled over the wedges of melon. I enjoyed this combination very much. It set off the richness of the quiche. I had pomegranate iced tea with the meal.
It's a bit cooler right now, but I understand it will be back into the 90's by the weekend. The farmers market had bison sirloin which I will marinate for kabobs over the weekend. Stay tuned to see what else will be on Marilyn's Table. Stay cool....
Broccoli and New Potato Quiche
Watermelon Wedge Salad
Making pie crust has never been successful for me, so I purchased frozen pie shells. The bottom of the shell is pricked with a fork, prebaked for 10 minutes and set aside to cool. Red potatoes are boiled just until soft and also cooled. Broccoli florets are blanched in the hot water for a couple of minutes and put in an ice bath to stop cooking. I sauteed thin slices of shallot until crispy and set aside. Grated sharp cheddar cheese is sprinkled on the bottom of the crust. The potatoes and cubed and added to the pie along with the blanched broccoli. Eggs, heavy cream and seasonings are beaten and poured over the potato, broccoli, cheese mixture. The crispy shallots are sprinkled over the top and the pie is placed on a cookie sheet (in case it cooks over) and baked until a toothpick comes out clean and the top is golden brown. Let cool to room temperature before slicing.
Wedge salads were a big deal while I was growing up. Lately they have come back in to fashion and appear on many menus. This salad is a variation. Instead of wedge lettuce, watermelon is cut into wedges and feta yogurt dressing is pour over and garnished with a sprig of basil. The dressing is made up of yogurt, buttermilk, lemon juice and chopped chives. Crumbled feta is folded in at the end. The dressing is drizzled over the wedges of melon. I enjoyed this combination very much. It set off the richness of the quiche. I had pomegranate iced tea with the meal.
It's a bit cooler right now, but I understand it will be back into the 90's by the weekend. The farmers market had bison sirloin which I will marinate for kabobs over the weekend. Stay tuned to see what else will be on Marilyn's Table. Stay cool....
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Happy 4th of July
The weather is very hot, so my 4th of July picnic has been moved indoors. Though I am not a fan of burgers (mostly the bun is too much for me) I picked up a pound of ground bison meat at the farmers market. The burger turned out to be fabulous. Here is what was on Marilyn's Table for the holiday:
Bison Burgers with Caramelized Onions and White Cheddar on a toasted Pretzel Roll
Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
Mango-Peach Sangria
Thinly sliced onions are sauteed over a low flame in a small bit of EVOO until they are browned and sweet. Then removed from the heat and kept warm.Grass fed bison meat is very red and only slightly resembles ground sirloin of beef. The texture is tighter since it is much leaner than beef. The burger is mixed gently with minced shallots and dry thyme. I cooked the patties on a griddle over low heat, lightly seasoning it with salt and pepper until medium rare. Sharp white cheddar cheese slices are melted over the burger before it is placed on a split toasted pretzel roll which has been spread with Dijon Mustard. The onions top the burger and consumed with much pleasure. A great burger and pretzel rolls are a favorite of mine. Perhaps more burgers are in my future?
The salad is made earlier in the day. A large bowl is filled with broccoli florets, cauliflowerets, julienned red pepper, thinly sliced carrots, thinly sliced red onion, chopped Kalamata olives and cubes of sharp cheddar cheese. The dressing is mixed in a separate bowl: low fat mayo, Greek yogurt, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and dill weed. The dressing is poured over the vegetables, mixed to coat and covered with plastic and refrigerated at least 1 hour. I really like this salad; lot of flavor and texture. It made an excellent side for the burger.
The Sangria was a nice surprise. Most Sangria I have had is made with red wine; this was made with white. Sugar and water are heated in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves into a simple syrup. When cool it is poured into a pitcher and refrigerated until cold. A bottle of chilled white wine is added to the pitcher along with Grand Marnier (or other orange flavored liquor). Chopped mint, mango and peaches are added. This makes a very pretty drink when poured over ice. Garnish with a sprig of mint.
This was an excellent meal, I just wish the weather would not have been so warm. Eating it outdoors on the balcony among my plants and flags would have made it a bit more festive. I was very pleased with the bison so I may purchase another cut for this weekend. Stay tuned to see what will grace Marilyn's Table.
Stay cool!
Bison Burgers with Caramelized Onions and White Cheddar on a toasted Pretzel Roll
Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
Mango-Peach Sangria
Thinly sliced onions are sauteed over a low flame in a small bit of EVOO until they are browned and sweet. Then removed from the heat and kept warm.Grass fed bison meat is very red and only slightly resembles ground sirloin of beef. The texture is tighter since it is much leaner than beef. The burger is mixed gently with minced shallots and dry thyme. I cooked the patties on a griddle over low heat, lightly seasoning it with salt and pepper until medium rare. Sharp white cheddar cheese slices are melted over the burger before it is placed on a split toasted pretzel roll which has been spread with Dijon Mustard. The onions top the burger and consumed with much pleasure. A great burger and pretzel rolls are a favorite of mine. Perhaps more burgers are in my future?
The salad is made earlier in the day. A large bowl is filled with broccoli florets, cauliflowerets, julienned red pepper, thinly sliced carrots, thinly sliced red onion, chopped Kalamata olives and cubes of sharp cheddar cheese. The dressing is mixed in a separate bowl: low fat mayo, Greek yogurt, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and dill weed. The dressing is poured over the vegetables, mixed to coat and covered with plastic and refrigerated at least 1 hour. I really like this salad; lot of flavor and texture. It made an excellent side for the burger.
The Sangria was a nice surprise. Most Sangria I have had is made with red wine; this was made with white. Sugar and water are heated in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves into a simple syrup. When cool it is poured into a pitcher and refrigerated until cold. A bottle of chilled white wine is added to the pitcher along with Grand Marnier (or other orange flavored liquor). Chopped mint, mango and peaches are added. This makes a very pretty drink when poured over ice. Garnish with a sprig of mint.
This was an excellent meal, I just wish the weather would not have been so warm. Eating it outdoors on the balcony among my plants and flags would have made it a bit more festive. I was very pleased with the bison so I may purchase another cut for this weekend. Stay tuned to see what will grace Marilyn's Table.
Stay cool!
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