by Kathy Douglas | Sep 10, 2018 | Appetizers
This beefy dip appetizer will upgrade your Tailgate or Football Watch Party to the championship level. While the charm of Sloppy Joes is the messy sandwich, when it comes to partying this easy recipe makes a neat little dip. Serve with mini bun pieces (made from hot dog buns) and/or crunchy kettle chips for dipping. Serves 8-10 appetizer portions.
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground beef, 80% lean, 20% fat
½ medium onion, small dice
½ green bell pepper, small dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
½ teaspoon Ancho chili powder
¼ cup tomato sauce
¾ cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons pickle relish
For Serving:
Toasted bun slices, recipe follows
Kettle chips
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Add the beef and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until browned on all sides but not thoroughly cooked through, about 6–8 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving the remaining fat in the pan.
Reduce the heat to medium, put the pan back on and add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic, stirring, until tender but not browned, 6–8 minutes; season with a few pinches of salt and a pinch of black pepper. Add the Ancho chili powder and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire, mustard, molasses, and the beef along with any accumulated juices back into the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring and scraping up any brown bits, until mixture is thick and saucy, about 15 minutes; season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with the shredded cheese and cover to melt the cheese, about three minutes. Top with the pickles and serve with toasted bun pieces and kettle chips for dipping.
Toasted Bun Slices
INGREDIENTS
6 uncut hot dog buns, sliced into ⅜” pieces
4 tablespoons butter, melted
Kosher salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Lay the bun slices on a parchment lined sheet tray. Brush lightly with the melted butter and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 10 minutes until toasted. Serve warm with the dip.
by Kathy Douglas | Aug 13, 2018 | Appetizers
An original 1970’s throwback staple, the dried-onion-soup-package-with-sour-cream dip was a special treat served at sleepovers and parties. Oven-roasting the onions, and stirring in fresh green onions, gives this updated dish a deliciously deep onion flavor. While we dig the ‘70’s vibe eating this dip with potato chips, the platter can also be updated and shared with some seasonal fresh raw vegetables such as cucumber, celery, carrots, radishes, baby peppers, cauliflower and more.
In this recipe, you let the oven do all the work; roasting the onions to caramelized sweetness before combining them with the remaining ingredients.
INGREDIENTS
6 medium Vidalia onions, Papery parts peeled, cut into ⅛“ rings
¼ cup olive oil
kosher salt
2 cups sour cream, divided
2 tablespoons crème fraîche
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
dash hot sauce, or more to taste
freshly ground black pepper
4 green onions, thinly sliced, white and green parts
potato chips
seasonal fresh veggies: cucumber, celery, carrots, radishes, baby peppers, cauliflower
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat oven to 425°F. In a large bowl toss the raw onion slices with the olive oil and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, then pour on to a baking sheet. Roast, stirring every 15 minutes, until soft, darkened, and caramelized, about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Strain off any excess oil and cool.
Add the cooled roasted onions to the work bowl of a food processor and purée until smooth. Add 1 cup of sour cream, crème fraîche, mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and purée again until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours or overnight.
When ready to serve, very thinly slice the green onions. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the dark green parts, then stir the rest into the remaining 1 cup of sour cream with a ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt. Transfer the onion dip to a serving bowl, top with the sour cream/green onion mixture and gently swirl into the onion dip. Try not to over mix; you want the mixture to be swirled together. Add the remaining green onions on top and serve with fresh vegetables, potato chips, or both. Serves 8-10.
by Kathy Douglas | Aug 6, 2018 | Appetizers, Entrees
Create these tasty nachos using up any shredded leftover BBQ meat – chicken, pork, or beef. Just toss the meat with your favorite sweet BBQ sauce and top over tortilla chips. Add lots of cheese, green onions, jalapenos, cherry tomatoes, and fresh grilled or roasted corn off the cob.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup grilled chicken, pork or beef
½ cup sweet BBQ sauce (we like Williams Sonoma Sweet Onion Applewood)
½ cup green onions, thinly sliced white and green parts
1 jalapeno, very thinly sliced
½ cup quartered cherry tomatoes
½ cup roasted corn on the cob, removed from cob
4 cups tortilla chips, we like the homemade version at Lucky’s
1 8-ounce package of Mexican Mix shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup sour cream
Juice of ½ lime
Zest of one lime
¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
Shred the meat with two forks, add the BBQ sauce and mix thoroughly. Thinly slice the green onions and jalapeno, cut the cherry tomatoes into quarters, and removed the grilled corn from the cob; set aside.
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. In an oven-proof pan or cast iron comal pan add a layer of tortilla chips. Top the chips with 1/3 of the cheese, chicken, green onions, jalapeno, tomatoes, and corn. Repeat with two more layers of chips, cheese, and toppings. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
While the nachos bake, whisk together the sour cream with the lime juice. Place in a serving bowl then top with the lime zest. Remove the nachos from the oven and top with the fresh chopped cilantro. Serve the sour cream with the warm nachos.
Makes 4 servings.
by Kathy Douglas | May 28, 2018 | Appetizers, Entrees
Need a quick visit to the tropics? This recipe is your ticket to paradise – caramelized and smoked fresh pineapple rings with a delicious crunchy topping made with toasted coconut and almonds then finished with pan-sear shrimp tossed in caramelized pineapple sauce.
The Perfect Pureé of Nappa Valley Caramelized Pineapple Concentrate used in this recipe can be ordered online direct or through Amazon. If you don’t have a smoking gun, simply cook the pineapple on a grill with a handful of apple wood chips to get a nice smoky flavor.
Coconut & Almond topping
INGREDIENTS
½ stick butter, melted
¼ cup flour
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup slivered almonds
½ teaspoon of salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ingredient together and spread on a Silpat mat or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-22 minutes until golden, stirring every eight to ten minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Process the mixture in the work bowl of a food processor until it becomes finely ground. Set aside.
Caramelized Smoked Pineapple
INGREDIENTS
1 pineapple peeled and cored, cut widthwise into 3/8” thick rounds
1 ½ tablespoon dark rum
1 ½ tablespoon packed dark-brown sugar
1 tablespoon melted butter
Smoking Gun or BBQ Grill and Applewood chips
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 375˚F or heat a grill to high heat. Place pineapple rounds on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Whisk together the rum, brown sugar, and butter in a small bowl. Brush rum mixture onto pineapple.
Roast until the liquid has evaporated and pineapple has caramelized about 30 minutes. Using a smoking gun, cold smoke the pineapple with apple wood chips. Or heat a BBQ to high heat, add applewood chips, and roast the pineapple turning frequently until cooked through and caramelized.
Sautéed Shrimp
INGREDIENTS
One pound 16/20 shrimp
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 cups of The Perfect Pureé of Nappa Valley Caramelized Pineapple Concentrate*
¼ cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
Olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Peel and devein the shrimp. Retain the shrimp shells; place the shrimp back in the refrigerator. Add the shrimp shells to a quarter sheet tray and roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Pour the shells and any liquid on the sheet tray to a small 1 quart saucepan and cover with 1 cup of water. Bring to a simmer and reduce the liquid to 2 tablespoons. Strain and discard the shells saving the liquid.
In another saucepan add the lemon juice, Perfect Pureé of Nappa Valley Caramelized Pineapple Concentrate, soy, and fresh ginger. Reduce the mixture to 1 cup. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer, place back in a clean saucepan and then whisk in the shrimp liquid. Cover and keep warm.
Over medium-high heat, cover just the surface of a large 12” sauté pan with olive oil. Sauté the shrimp in one layer for 1-1 ½ minutes per side, then add a ¼-½ cup of the sauce, tossing and sauté for one more minute then remove from the heat. Retain the remaining sauce for drizzle on the plates.
Assembly
INGREDIENTS
Fresh Cilantro leaves, torn or chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
In the center of a plate add a pineapple ring. Lightly press the coconut and almond topping into the pineapple. Top with the shrimp, spoon sauce over, and finish with cilantro leaves right before serving.
*The Perfect Pureé of Nappa Valley products are available on Amazon or https://www.perfectpuree.com/shop/.
by Kathy Douglas | Apr 30, 2018 | Appetizers, Entrees
Serve our easy Hot Browns at your Derby party in a delicious flatbread. We’ve taken this famous dish and converted it into a flatbread with six “sandwich size” single serving pieces or cut those in half for 12 smaller bites. To make the recipe, we covered thinly-rolled pizza dough with white cheddar, thin slices of roasted turkey and topped those with additional white cheddar, sliced tomatoes, Mornay cheese sauce, and bacon. Then baked it to cheesy, bubbly deliciousness. As a plus, you will have extra cheese sauce. Save it to make delicious pasta for another meal.
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
kosher salt
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Dash of hot sauce
6 slices applewood smoked bacon, cut in half
½ pound of pizza dough, fresh homemade or frozen store-purchased, thawed
olive oil
1½ cups grated white cheddar
6 pieces, very thinly sliced, roasted turkey breast, about 8” x 3” in size
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced into 12 thin slices
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
INSTRUCTIONS
To make the Mornay sauce, melt the butter in a medium saucepan and whisk in flour until combined. Cook until thick roux forms. The mixture should look like wet sand. Whisking frequently, continue cooking for 2-3 minutes until the mixture turns a blonde color. Whisk in the heavy cream and cook until the mixture thickens about 2 minutes. Immediately remove from heat and stir in the cheese, ⅛ teaspoon salt, nutmeg, and hot sauce. Stir until the cheese melts, then pour into a high-speed blender and blend until the sauce is creamy and thick.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Arrange the bacon pieces on a rack set over a foil-lined baking sheet. Cook until golden and crisp, about 30 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels, turning over once to drain both sides or blot off excess fat.
Increase the oven temperature to 450˚ F.
Lightly brush olive oil on a 9”x13” quarter sheet pan; sprinkle the pan lightly with salt. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to a 10 x 14” size then press the pizza dough evenly to fit inside the pan. Brush the dough lightly with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Add 1 cup of cheddar cheese over the dough. Top with three pieces of turkey overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with ¼ cup of cheese, then top with three more pieces of turkey. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of cheese over the turkey,
Slice the tomatoes and sprinkle lightly with salt. Place on paper towels, and cover with another paper towel. Press gently to remove any excess water. Place tomato slices, two together alongside each other for form 6 “hot browns.” Add two tablespoons of cheese sauce over the tomatoes and gently spread to cover. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, remove and top each set of tomatoes with two pieces of bacon. Place back in the oven and bake for 2 minutes more or until the edges and bottom of the pizza are browned. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Remove from the pan and top with chives and parsley.
Cut the flatbread in half lengthwise then into 6 long pieces for individual “hot browns” or into 12 pieces.
by Kathy Douglas | Apr 9, 2018 | Appetizers, Entrees
A welcome start for any spring event, appetizer, or a light dinner, our flatbread is chewy on the inside, crispy and crunchy on the outside. Covered in roasted garlic, black olives, parmesan cheese and fresh rosemary, it’s perfect for dipping in a fresh tomato sauce. You can substitute green-pitted olives for the black or if you’re not an olive fan, the flatbread tastes great without the olives too. This recipe showcases the pizza dough, so use a high-quality brand of either thawed, frozen store purchased or fresh homemade.
INGREDIENTS
1 large garlic bulb
Olive oil
Kosher salt
½ pound fresh homemade or thawed, frozen store-bought pizza dough
12 pitted black olives, cut in half
15 small sprigs fresh rosemary, about 3-5 leaves per sprig
½ cup shredded Parmesan Cheese, plus 1 teaspoon, divided
½ cup canned or boxed fresh tomatoes, chopped
fresh ground pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
3-4 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat an oven to 375˚F. Cut the top off the garlic bulb exposing the cloves. Place on top of a piece of foil in a small baking pan. Sprinkle with olive oil and salt. Place on a sheet tray and bake for 20 minutes until the cloves are browned and softened. Remove from the oven but leave the oven on. Cool slightly so you can remove the roasted cloves from the garlic skins.
Lightly brush olive oil on a 9”x13” quarter sheet pan; sprinkle the pan lightly with salt. Roll out the dough on a floured board to 12 x 14” then press the pizza dough evenly to fit inside the pan. Set aside.
Preheat the oven temperature up to 450˚F.
Brush the top of the dough lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place the black olives, roasted garlic cloves, and rosemary evenly on the dough and pressing them slightly into the dough. Top with ½ cup shredded Parmesan Cheese. Place in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes until the edges and bottom are browned. Remove and cool slightly. Cut in half lengthwise then into 16 long pieces.
In a blender add the fresh tomatoes, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoons black pepper and the garlic powder; process until smooth. Pour in a serving bowl and top with the remaining cheese and basil leaves. Serve on a platter with the cut flatbread. Make 4-6 servings.
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