Bacon Wrapped Yums, Watermelon Mojitos, ShishKaBobs & Pie...Oh My!

Being that June 30th was the weekend before 3rd of July and many of us were going to be out of town we decided to put Girls Night off until the following week. Soooo, July the 7th we were at my house. The LAST time we will be at this house luckily...as our girls night is growing, I realized that we needed to upgrade to something with a larger kitchen :) Ok, honestly it was for the ever-growing family we have but in the back of my mind was GN when it came to finding just the right kitchen.

I started baking & cooking at nearly 9 am. Even though I had in mind that my DIY (do it yourself) dinner would be the easiest route, I had to bake a pie for dessert.

Appetizers were Bacon Wrapped, Asiago Cheese Stuffed Prunes. Originally I had meant to stuff dates instead but in a hurry grabbed the wrong thing at the grocery store and let's face it ANYTHING wrapped in bacon is A-MAZING, so it worked. This yummy idea courtesy of my friend Cara & her sis. I ate practically all of the ones they brought to a football game party a few years ago. One note: Do buy the chunk of cheese rather than shredded, as it is much easier to stuff into the fruit. Wrap with bacon and secure with a toothpick. Bake at 325 until bacon is golden brown and cheese is oozing out the sides. Now I'm hungry!

Drinks (along with wine - a staple at GN) were Watermelon Mojitos. And although my cookbooks are already packed, I can tell you to puree 1/2 of a small watermelon and a small bunch of fresh mint leaves in a food processor until smooth (this is great because you still get that great mint flavor without having to suck it up a straw or worry that it's in your teeth). Add to a large drink pitcher. Stir in 1/2 a cup of fresh lime juice and 12 oz white rum. Garnish with a small watermelon slice and sprig of mint. Optional is a splash of sparkling water or club soda if you want it to have some fizz.

My DIY dinner was building your own Shish-Ka-Bobs. The key is to cut everything into the same size pieces so that everything cooks evenly. Options to add to your (olive oil soaked) sticks were:

Chicken - marinated with lime juice and minced garlic
Pork Loin - Hormel Italian Cheese
Elk Sirloin - coated with a special Montreal Steak Seasoning. I WISH I knew what was in this because when I run out I'm going to be a VERY sad girl!

White Onions
Crimini Mushrooms
Red & Green Peppers

I had the girls build their masterpiece, brush it with melted garlic & herb butter and put them on the BBQ. Cook them at approximately 350-400 until the meats are cooked all the way through. I served them with Roasted Butternut Squash, which I cubed into 1" pieces, coated with olive oil, butter, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes & chopped fresh rosemary. Roast them in a 350 pre-heated oven for about 30 mins, taking time to turn them once or twice.

After we stuffed ourselves and settled in with some wine I served a Peach, Rhubarb & Nectarine Cream Pie:

Pre-heat oven to 375

1 1/2 lbs clean & dry fruit - Any combo of the 3 or others of your choosing are fine. Blackberries are great!
3/4 c. flour
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

Toss fruit into a bowl of well mixed flour & sugar. Fill into pre-made crust (I prefer Pillsbury flat crusts). Pour in whipping cream. Sprinkle 1tsp flour on top. Put top crust on. Cut slits to allow ventilation. Use marinating brush to apply 1 Tbsp milk or remaining cream. Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp sugar.

Heat in 375 oven for 10 mins. Reduce temp to 325 for 40 mins. If edges of crust brown to fast cover with foil, but remove for last 10 mins of baking.

We have since decided that someone each week is going to volunteer to bring a side dish or dessert since our group has been growing. Cooking for 10-12 is fun, but sure is work too. It's great to share the passion of cooking with so many wonderful women!

Thanks for reading! Become a follower of the blog so you don't miss any of the great recipes.

Amanda

Savory Jambalaya & Healthy Rosemary Almond Cookies

Unfortunately I wasn't able to attend Girls' Night at Teresa's house on June the 23rd (wow, I am behind on posts) but I was sent the recipes to share with everyone.

Her Jambalaya recipe is as follows:

(Serves 4-6)

4-6 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 1 1/2#)
table salt and ground black pepper
5 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 pound andouille sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 1/2 c long grain white rice
1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 (8oz) bottle clam juice
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 pound large shrimp (31-40 per pound), peeled and deveined
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Heat 2 tsp of oil in skillet over med-high.  Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces.  Cook until sides are golden. Set aside on plate.
2. Add andouille and cook in skillet until light brown. Set aside.
3. Add remaining 3 tsp of oil to skillet.  Add onion, bell pepper, garlic and 1/2 tsp salt, cook until onion is softened.  Add rice and stir until edges turn translucent.  Stir in tomatoes, clam juice and chicken broth, bring to a simmer. Add chicken. Cover and reduce the heat to low and cook until the rice is tender (~35-40mins)
4. Stir in the shrimp and sausage. Stir in parsley. Season w/ salt, pepper and cayenne or hot sauce.

Sounds amazing! Normally I wouldn't have been able to eat this dinner due to a shellfish allergy but T was nice enough to offer to prepare me a serving that was shellfish-free. So, feel free to omit it as well if you have the same problem or just don't care for seafood much. It's sure to be just as delicious.

Now, being the nutritionist in the group, Teresa found a healthy recipe for cookies. I am a SUCKER for rosemary in anything so I will definitely be trying this recipe out in the near future.

Almond Rosemary Cookies:

INGREDIENTS2 cups Almonds (soaked in water ~2 hours)
4 sprigs fresh Rosemary
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
2/3 cup Real Maple Syrup
2 Egg Whites or 1 whole egg

DIRECTIONS1) Heat oven to 325
2) Place soaked almonds and rosemary in food processor. Run until a fine meal is produced.
3) Place almond meal mixture in medium bowl and stir int the other dry ingredients, baking soda and salt.
4) Add the maple syrup and mix well
5) Put egg whites or egg in food processor and mix until light a fluffy
6) Add egg to batter
7) Using a tablespoon drop dough onto greased or nonstick cookie sheet.
8) Bake ~15 min or until golden brown

Again I wasn't there to enjoy these but it sounds like they would pair well with a cup of after-dinner coffee (a little Bailey's in there for me).

More great recipes on their way...

Amanda

Summer Salmon Burgers

I have to say I was a little weirded out thinking salmon on a burger was going to be dinner at Danielle's house. It totally worked and tasted amazing! Super simple with a delicious garlic-dill aioli. Make your neighbors jealous as you fire them up on the grill.

Danielle buys the  packaged frozen salmon burgers from Costco and says "It is important
to get wild Alaskan salmon as opposed to farmed Atlantic salmon.".

She grilled the burgers for about 7 minutes on each side and topped
them with provolone cheese. Atop toasted buns we slathered on a garlic-dill
aioli sauce. She found the recipe on food network and modified it
slightly:

Ingredients-
1/2 cup light mayo
2-3 TBSP Dijon mustard
1 small package fresh dill- chopped (about 2-3 oz)
1-2 tsp minced garlic (to taste)
3 TBSP chives
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
lemon juice to taste
-Mix all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Along with the burgers we had a classic fave- Suddenly Salad and a
spinach salad with white balsamic vinaigrette.

The perfect Summer BBQ plate.

We have been asked to review a site on our blog but want to get a few opinions firts. Has anyone used CouponChief.com before? A few of us will be looking into it to see what we can post as far as a review of the site goes. If you are familiar with it please email us with your thoughts (thursdaygirlsnights@gmail.com). Thanks!

-Amanda

An Asian Invasion Menu

Vacations, early Spring camping & a just plain busy schedule are to blame for my lack of updated posts and I apologize. I am back....with a new "girls night favorite" recipe! HOLY GUACAMOLE (Ok, not exactly, but it will satisfy your avocado craving)!

We hung at Em's house this week and were brought to life by the goodness her Avocado Egg Rolls and Thai Lettuce Wraps. (recipes to follow)

After dinner we all got caught up with each other. A few of us have been missing in action for a few weeks. Our teachers have been busy with end of the year stuff, sick kids, families and Hawaiian vacations have kept us apart. Lauren hosted a Bic Soleil Razor party so she gave us a bunch of goodies. The razors are amazing...best disposable ones I've ever used, and they even smell like coconut (perfect for Summer). Emily unveiled the couponing stockpile she has in her garage to us. Pretty impressive... Aaaaand I told stories of our trip to Hawaii, flash floods and wild boars...exciting stuff.

So, the recipes are as follows (you will NOT be disappointed!) If you've ever had the Avocado Egg Rolls at The Cheesecake Factory or the Lettuce Wraps at PF Changs, these might taste familiar ;-)

Lettuce Wraps (serves 4)
Ingredients:
2-3 tablespoons oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup water chestnut
2/3 cup mushroom
3 tablespoons chopped onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4 -5 leaves iceberg lettuce

Special Sauce1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon hot mustard
2 teaspoons water
1 -2 teaspoon garlic and red chile paste

Stir Fry Sauce2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
Directions:Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 25 mins1 Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl.
2 Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil.
3 Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve.
4 Combine the hot water with the hot mustard and set this aside as well.
5 Eventually add your desired measurement of mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over the wraps.
6 Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan.
7 Saute chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes per side or done.
8 Remove chicken from the pan and cool.
9 Keep oil in the pan, keep hot.
10 As chicken cools mince water chestnuts and mushrooms to about the size of small peas.
11 Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.
12 When chicken is cool, mince it as the mushrooms and water chestnuts are.
13 With the pan still on high heat, add another Tbsp of vegetable oil.
14 Add chicken, garlic, onions, water chestnuts and mushrooms to the pan.
15 Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple minutes then serve it in the lettuce"cups".
16 Top with"Special Sauce".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Avocado Egg Rolls (serves 2 as an appetizer)

dipping sauce:
3 -4 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon tamarind pulp
1/2 cup honey
1 pinch powdered saffron
1/2 cup chopped cashews
2/3 cup fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves
2 green onions
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup olive oil

egg rolls:
1 large avocado, peeled, pitted, & diced
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped
1 tablespoon minced red onion
1/2 teaspoon fresh cilantro, chopped
1 pinch salt
3 egg roll wraps
1 egg, beaten
Directions:
1 Stir together vinegars, tamarind, honey, and saffron in a microwave safe bowl, and microwave for 1 minute.
2 Stir until tamarind is dissolved.
3 In a blender, Puree tamarind mixture, cashews, 2/3 cup cilantro, garlic, onions, sugar, pepper, and cumin.
4 Pour mixture into a bowl and stir in oil.
5 Refrigerate until ready to use.
6 Gently stir together avocado, tomatoes, onion, 1/2 teaspoon cilantro, and salt.
7 Distribute filling evenly onto center of each egg roll wrapper.
8 Position a wrapper so that a corner is pointing toward you; fold the bottom corner up, 1/4 of the way over the filling.
9 Brush remaining corners and edges of the wrapper with egg, roll up from side to side, fold top corner over all and press to seal.
10 Repeat with remaining wrappers.
11 Continue by deep-frying the egg rolls in 375 degree oil for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown.
12 Drain on brown paper bags.
13 Slice egg rolls diagonally across middle and serve with prepared dipping sauce!

Until next week...

Simple Dinner, Amazing Dessert

We kept it pretty simple this past week at T's house with some Taco Salads. Our spread included taco meat mixed with black beans (great taste together), red & yellow peppers, the combo salsa/sour cream dressing with the option of queso dip (for Nelle), diced jalapenos (I was told were for my benefit :) ) and the one ingredient that makes it to nearly every girls night...AVOCADOS! Can't go wrong...

Dessert was a homemade blueberry pie! We really should have gotten a picture of this thing...it was beautiful. Teresa loves getting recipes from http://www.cooksillustrated.com/ They have true tried & tested recipes. This site is based on a membership that must be paid for but you can get a free 14 day trial period to see how you like it. Teresa swear by it and none of her food has ever let us down :) Here is the link to the recipe for her pie:

http://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/detail.asp?docid=14947&frtk=dph67jtv2XH8306qS6UyJ50aSLP5i67B

Teresa notes: The only thing I altered was that I did 1/2 + Tbsp butter rather than shortening and a little less water to compensate for the additional water in the butter.  Butter is 80% fat as apposed to 100% fat in the shortening.

If you couldn't tell, Teresa is the dietitian in our group. We appreciate her always looking out for our health & wellness while she cooks for us. If you have any questions about ANYTHING food/ingredient related she can help you out. Just shoot us an email or leave a comment.

I almost forgot to mention the cheese sampler platter we had for our appetizers. T, will you please leave a comment with the name of the place your aunts got all those cheeses? I know most of us would like to go get more...

This week we'll be out and about celebrating Cinco de Mayo since it falls on a Thursday this year. Lucky us! So there may not be a recipe posting for this week but I'll try to get some pictures up.

Enjoy this beautiful day we finally have here!

Amanda

Adult Mac-N-Cheese...that kids will love too!

When we were at Bea's house a few months ago she made this amazing mac-n-cheese from scratch and I just had to share...not to mention all of us girls want to make it again, so here it is...


Adult Mac-N-Cheese

1 lb of elbow pasta (cooked and drained)

Sauté the following in olive oil for a few mintues:
Sliced mushrooms
1 diced onion
Spinach
*toss in food processor, pulse on and off a few times, until everything is minced evenly and set aside

Cook and crumble pancetta (or bacon) and add to veggies

Alfredo (I make my own, but you can use store bought)
Coat pan with olive oil on medium heat
Add 3-4 chopped cloves of garlic and cook about 1 minute
Add 3 spoonfuls of cream cheese and allow to melt
Add 1 pint carton of  heavy whipping cream
Salt and Pepper to taste
*Stir continuously for 15-20 minutes
Pull off heat and stir in 1 carton of parmesan cheese

Mix everything together and top with bread crumbs
Bake until heated through and serve immediately.

***You can use mix in any cheeses you want. I have used mozzarella and gorgonzola in the past. You can also use any mix of veggies (i.e. peas, corn) or spices (cayenne, parsely) that you like to make it your own!*

I just realized I have all of these ingredients...guess I know what we're having for dinner tonight.

-Amanda

A New Twist on a Few Old Favorites!

This week we met up at my house...which make me realize I need a bigger dining room (and kitchen). Our group is growing! We missed out on a few girls this week that had family in town for Easter plans and Jessica doing her community work at "The Dump" in Mexico. Sometimes it happens. We can't all make it every week, but we sure do try. We almost look forward to Thursday more so than the weekend anymore. It's our time to relax, have a glass of wine, a yummy dinner & have some "us" time. We're having fun planning weddings, house-warming parties & the Summer schedules. It also helps that our husbands/fiances/boyfriends & children all get along so we can all get together outside of just Thursday evenings.
For dinner I made All-American Meatloaf and dessert was Peanut Butter & Jam Cakes. My meatloaf recipe is from a cookbook my mother-in-law gave me for Christmas. It's called America's Family Favorites: Best of Home Cooking. (found here on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1445405687/ref=cm_cr_error ). I've made a number of things from it, including Roasted/Stuffed Bell Peppers, and highly recommend it!

Dessert was from the Cuisine at Home magazine subscription my mom get for me. Check out www.CuisineAtHome.com for subscription options. I just renewed mine. 1 year for $24 (6 issues) or 2 years for $42 (12 issues). I love it because each issue you receive has recipes that are perfect for that specific time of year and with ingredients that are in season at the time.

Here are the recipes:

Many consider a plate of meatloaf and mashed potatoes to be the quintessential American comfort food. This modern version uses lots of aromatic vegetables to add moisture and flavor.


All-American Meatloaf

Ingredients
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup each, diced: carrot, celery, yellow onion & red bell pepper
4 large white mushrooms, sliced
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp rosemary, fresh & finely minced
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 tsp cayenne
2 1/2 lbs ground chuck
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1 c plain bread crumbs

For the glaze...
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
Pinch of salt

• Preheat oven to 325 F
• Add the garlic, carrot, celery, onion, red bell pepper and mushrooms into a food processor. Pulse on and off until the veggies are very finely minced. Scrape down sides of bowl with spatula if needed so to allow them to mince evenly.
• Add the butter & olive oil to a large skillet and fry over med/high heat. When the butter melts, add the veggie mixture and cook while stirring, about 15 mins. The veggies are done when most of the moisture has cooked out and they begin to caramelize.
• Remove from heat and stir in thyme, rosemary, Worcestershire, ketchup & cayenne pepper. Set aside and allow to cool to room temp.
• Add the ground beef (which should be very cold), to a large mixing bowl. Very gently break up the meat with your fingertips. Pour in the cooled veggie mixture, salt, black pepper & eggs. Gently combine the mixture with your fingers for just 30 seconds. Add the breadcrumbs and continue mixing until combined. The less you work the meat, the better texture the meatloaf will have.
• Lightly grease a shallow roasting pan with a few drops of olive oil. Place the meatloaf in the center, forming it into a loaf shape, about 6" wide by 4" high. Place in the center of the pre-heated oven and set the timer for 30 mins.
• In the meantime, whisk together the brown sugar, ketchup, Dijon and a pinch of salt to make the glaze. After 30 mins, evenly spread the glaze over the top of the meatloaf and return to the oven to continue baking for another 35-45 minutes, or until you have an internal temp of 155 F. Remove and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Peanut Butter & Jam Cakes

The cakes can be made a day ahead. Let them cool completely then tightly wrap in plastic wrap.

1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 c Turbinado sugar (Sugar in the Raw)
3 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 c whole milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 c creamy peanut butter
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 c granulated sugar
1 c packed brown sugar
6 eggs, room temp

• Preheat oven to 350. Coat inside of twp 9X5-inch loaf pans with 1 Tbsp butter; coat generously with Turbinado sugar.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda & alt in a bowl; set aside.
• Combine milk & vanilla in a measuring cup; set aside.
• Cream peanut butter, 1 stick butter, granulated sugar & brown sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on med-high speed until very well combined, 5 mins.
• Add eggs to the creamed mixture, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Alternately add flour and milk mixtures to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition  just until mixed, scraping sides of bowl as needed.
• Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake cakes 50 mins, then sprinkle with additional Turbinado sugar. Loosely tent with foil if edges are getting too brown. Return cakes to the oven; bake until toothpick inserted in the center of each comes out clean, 10-15 more mins. Let cakes rest in the pans for 20 mins, then turn cakes out onto the racks to cool completely.
• Prepare Blackberry Jam Spread and Peanut Butter Frosting.

Blackberry Jam Spread

If fresh berries aren't available, frozen berries can be substituted.

3 c blackberries

1/2 c sugar

1 Tbsp water

2 Tbsp cornstarch

2 Tbsp berry juice (from the cooked berries)

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

• Combine blackberries, sugar & water in saucepan over med-low heat; simmer until berries release juice, about 20 mins.
• Whisk together cornstarch and berry juice in a bowl, until smooth; blend into the berru mixture, and cook until thickened, 2-3 mins.
• Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice. Cover and chill 30 mins.

Peanut Butter Frosting

3/4 c peanut butter

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

3 c sifted powdered sugar

1/4 c milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

• Beat peanut butter and butter in the bowl of a standard mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on med-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 mins.
• add powdered sugar, milk and vanilla, mixing just until smooth and creamy.

Filling and assembling:

Trim off the ends of each cake, and then cut into sixteen 1/2 inch thick slices. Spread 3 Tbsp of frosting and 1 Tbsp jam onto a slice of cake. Top with another slice, and cut diagonally into two triangles. Repeat with remaining cake, frosting & jam.

These recipes should give your loaf pans some use :) Enjoy everyone! I'll be making these again soon!

Amanda

A Cute Easter Dessert... for Next Year

Before I begin, I must say that I did not come up with this idea myself. Browsing another blog I follow (fabulesslyfrugal.html) I came across this super cute cupcake. And with Easter almost over, I guess you can just keep this in mind for next year maybe. Or I guess it could be a Spring cupcake.

Since I had some (cheap) cake mix and frosting I had picked up at Fred Meyer a couple of weeks ago and coconut already in the cupboard all I needed was the Robin's eggs for the top. And luckily, the blog posted a deal at Albertson's on the eggs. So I printed off my coupon and got a bag for $.69!

These were the eggs I used, but you could probably use any other type of candy eggs. I liked the fact that they were speckled. These also come in mini eggs, but they didn't have them.

The directions are pretty simple: bake cupcakes and frost. To tint the coconut I just put it in a zip lock bag and added food coloring. Shake until all coconut is colored. I ended up having to use blue and yellow food coloring because I was out of green. But I think it gave it an even deeper green color doing it that way. I then put the eggs on the frosting and covered the rest of the frosting with the coconut. Putting the eggs on first worked better because they stuck to the frosting better than the coconut.

And here is the final product!