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Contest: MUG Root Beer Giveaway

Posted by Jenny Lewis Categories: Dinner, Features, Site Announcements, Holiday Cooking, Summer Cooking, Condiments, Soda, Barbecuing, Grilling

MUG root beer fathers day giveaway
We’re less than a week out from Father’s day, and I can smell the charcoal already. While some may head out to a nice steakhouse for a special dinner for Dad, tons of us will be gathered around a grill doing it ourselves. My friends at Mug Root Beer want to help make all of this summer’s BBQs a culinary triumph for you.

From today until Sunday at 8:00 PM Eastern, comment on this entry about your most memorable “Dad” moment. Did your dad show up to the aforementioned steakhouse in a Hawaiian shirt and flip flops? Maybe your friend’s dad stepped in to save the day when a road trip went bad, or your uncle’s BBQ went up in a blaze of meat glory. I want to hear about it! I’ll be choosing five of the most memorable BBQ stories that you all share and the winners will each receive a prize pack, containing the fantastic recipe for MUG Root Beer Southern Specialty Brew-B-Q sauce (and the sauce is awesome - I was given a copy of the recipe and made some last night) and all of the ingredients to boot, in an insulated MUG bag with a MUG apron.

Lay’em on me guys - I want to hear your Dad stories!


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Recipe: Summer Berry Muffins

Posted by Jenny Lewis Categories: Breakfast, Dessert, Comfort Food, Recipes, Baking

bbrb-muffins

It’s time for fresh berries! One of my favorite ever weekend breakfasts (okay, most weekend breakfasts are my favorite) is a nice warm blueberry muffin. Or a few. And yes, there are plenty of mixes and bakeries around who will hook my breakfast up right for just a little bit of time and money, but I’m still firmly of the belief that everything tastes better when it comes from my personal oven.

These muffins are an adaptation of a recipe from the Butter Queen Paula Deen - when I went to buy blueberries this week, there were some raspberries that I just couldn’t resist. I added a streusel topping recipe found on the Chowhound message board for a little bit of extra sweetness and crunch. And before you ask, I did not eat muffins straight off of my counter - there IS a plate under there. It’s just clear. I swear.

 

Click to continue reading Recipe: Summer Berry Muffins

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Cinco de Mayo Dessert: Mexican Chocolate Icebox cookies

Posted by Jenny Lewis Categories: Dessert, Snacks, Holiday Cooking, Chocolate, Spices, Baking, Festivals, Parties

Mexican chocolate icebox cookies

Cakes are great, pies are good, anything gooey and sweet is fantastic. But cookies? So underrated. Cookies are, in my opinion, the best way to end a party. Put a big plate of cookies out at the end of a party and people will eat them up! I made these Mexican Chocolate Icebox cookies the first time a couple years ago, and they’ve been the sleeper hit in my repertoire.

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 3/4 t ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 t cayenne
  • 1/4 t salt
  • 1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
  • 12 T (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 egg

PREPARATION:
Sift together the flour, cocoa, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in vanilla extract and egg. Gradually add flour mixture until dough is uniform in color and no unmixed flour remains.

Shape into two 9” logs and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Make sure the wrap is airtight. Freeze overnight. The dough will keep up to six weeks in the freezer.

When ready to use, preheat oven to 375F and bake for 8-10 minutes. Cookies should feel a bit firm at the edges. Store in an airtight container when cool.

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Cinco de Mayo Dinner: Mexican rice recipe

Posted by Jenny Lewis Categories: Dinner, Holiday Cooking, Kitchen Gadgets, Recipes, Grains, Boiling, Parties

taco-platesHopefully you didn’t fill up too much on and , because I believe I have a beauty of an entree idea and a gadget that is perfectly matched.

“Make your own…” bars are super fun, and incorporating them into a party is always a hit - everyone gets exactly what they want.  And a Cinco de Mayo taco bar couldn’t be more awesome! Get yourself a meat or two, lettuce, sour cream, cheese, radishes, and some leftover guacamole and pico de gallo, set them all out in bowls with a stack of warmed tortillas for soft tacos and a stack of taco shells. And I recently made the life-changing discovery of these taco plates that keep your tacos upright and your ingredients safely inside the shells.

So what’s to serve with the tacos?

Click to continue reading Cinco de Mayo Dinner: Mexican rice recipe


Video: Diddy on KFC vs. Popeye’s fried chicken

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Dinner, Lunch, Side Dishes, Product Reviews, Poultry, America

Just leave it to Diddy, hip-hop star, fashion mogul, and leader of Bad Boy Records, to bring such a scientific experiment into the forefront of our minds. Why the final word between KFC’s fried chicken and that of Popeye’s has taken so long to be settled is beyond me, but we need to thank the heavens above that Diddy was able to bring this important issue into light.

Now we won’t ruin the results, but we will say that we have to agree with his assessment that says KFC mashed potatoes and gravy beat Popeye’s version, while Popeye’s beans destroy those of KFC. But really, this is all about the chicken, is it not? Hit the video above for the results - we’ve kept you waiting long enough.


Recipe: Panko Crusted Salmon

Posted by Vicky Lane Categories: Cuisine, Fish, Meal Time, Dinner, Lunch, Preparation, Broiling, Specials, How To, Quick Meals, Recipes

pankocrustedsalmon

One of my favorite, recent creations is a light, alternative to fried fish that is easy but still packs a ton of flavor. Panko Crusted Salmon is a great go-to meal during the week that literally takes maybe 20 minutes to prepare and broil. In this recipe, I used Norwegian Salmon, mostly because it always looks so great at the seafood counter but also because the flavor is amazing. Most fish would work with this recipe but it is perfectly matched with Salmon.

Panko is the Japanese term for bread crumbs and in my opinion creates a much crunchier, crispier crust on anything. If you are looking for a better alternative to bread crumbs, panko is by far the way to go. They are light and flaky and can be used for toppings on casseroles or even filler to crab cakes (it can really replace anything requiring bread crumbs). I love panko crusted seafood but have also used these delicious, airy crumbs to crust chicken and pork chops. Panko can absorb seasoning well (as they are rather bland alone) and don’t make foods heavy like bread crumbs usually do. Panko is perfect when you want a crunch without frying and can be found at most grocery stores and all Asian specialty stores.

Panko Crusted Salmon
Serves 4
Prep Time : 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

4 Salmon Fillets (6 oz each)
Nonstick Cooking Spray
1 Tbs Rosemary chopped finely
1 Tbs Parsley chopped finely
Dijon Mustard
3/4 cup panko crumbs
Salt and pepper
Lemon wedges

Click to continue reading Recipe: Panko Crusted Salmon


Recipe: Lobster Macaroni and Cheese

Posted by Vicky Lane Categories: Cuisine, Cheese, Fish, Shellfish, Dinner, Lunch, Side Dishes, Comfort Food, How To, Product Reviews, Recipes, America

macncheese

As a Foodnetwork addict I am constantly experimenting with great recipes from from my favorite shows.  On Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello on an episode entitled “Pot luck challenge”, Jan Birnbaum, chef and restaurateur, caught my eye with an upscale, hearty mac n’ cheese.

The original recipe called for shrimp, which I was all about, but after visiting the seafood counter at Whole Foods, husband and I couldn’t resist the lobster meat (shrimp vs. lobster? no contest). So we splurged justifying that this would be our Superbowl Sunday feast.

Here is my adaptation of Jan’s recipe:

Ingredients

  • 1 box medium shell pasta
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup tasso ham or bacon (I used bacon)
  • 5 large shallots, minced
  • 1 clove garlic, mined
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup white wine (see review below)
  • 2 cups cream
  • 1 cup grated fontina
  • 1/2 cup grated Cheddar (I prefer mild but sharp would be great too)
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
  • 6-8 oz lobster meat cut up in good bite size chunks (we bought the precooked tub at the seafood counter)
  • 2 cups gently packed spinach
  • Kosher salt and ground white pepper
  • Hot pepper sauce, to taste (recommended: Tabasco)
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs ( I used panko, my new favorite thing)
  • 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley leave

Click to continue reading Recipe: Lobster Macaroni and Cheese


Recipe: Sauteed Corn, Spinach, and Green Beans

Posted by Monica Edwards Categories: Dinner, Side Dishes, Recipes, Salad, Vegetables, Vegetarian, America

Sauteed corn, spinach, and green beansI prefer to have vegetables prepared with every dinner that I serve my family, so it is nice to come across a recipe that is easy to prepare while the entree is cooking away. True, the kids may pick and choose which veggie is their favorite, as my 4-year-old would, but I enjoy all three as I hope your family will. This recipe calls for frozen vegetables to save time, but I always love to use fresh when given the choice…up to your preference.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pkg. 10 oz. frozen corn kernels
  • 1 pkg. 10 oz. frozen cut green beans
  • 5 oz. fresh baby spinach
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
  • coarse salt and ground pepper

Preparation:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high, add corn and green beans, and cook about 4-6 minutes, until green beans are warmed through. Next add the thyme and spinach, seasoning with salt and pepper. Toss until spinach is wilted, about 1-2 minutes, then stir in the vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in a bright dish for added pizazz.


Recipe: Tzaziki

Posted by Jenny Lewis Categories: Appetizers, Snacks, Recipes, Condiments, Dairy, Mediterranean

tzaziki

I can’t even come up with words to properly convey my feelings for tzaziki. Cool, creamy, and fantastic with everything from vegetables to steak. It’s incredibly easy to make, and incredibly easy to customize to your own taste.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups plain yogurt (this can be regular yogurt or Greek yogurt, fat free or as fatty as you’d like, as long as it’s plain)
  • 1 cucumber, peeled and seeded
  • 1 or 2 pinches of salt
  • 1/4 cup fresh mint
  • 3 cloves of fresh garlic or 1 tablespoon of pre-minced garlic from a jar

 

Click to continue reading Recipe: Tzaziki


Monkey-picked tea

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Beverages, Tea, Far East, Boiling

Monkey picked teaWe know, it sounds odd. Why would anyone want to drink tea that has bee picked by a monkey? Does it make it taste any better? As the story goes, this is some of the best tea available, but the trees it grows in are too high, and the mountain face where the trees are is too steep. However, the tea is so delicious that the locals had to have it - so they trained monkeys to pick it. Fast-forward to today, and the practice of monkeys picking tea has pretty much died out, except in one small village where the tradition continues to this day.

Each package is about 2 oz, and we hear it is just about the finest loose tea you’ll ever taste. Each bag makes about 28 servings. Go ahead and pick up a bag over at ThinkGeek Caffeine. Find it under the drinks area.

Read More | ThinkGeek Caffeine

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