May Re-Make Recap

How is it the end of May already? I feel like I was just lamenting the cold temps in February and March and now here we are, almost to summer, temps in the 70s and 80s and the humidity quickly setting in. Crazy how time flies, isn't it?

I couldn't get enough of asparagus while it was in season (and, let's be honest, I'm going to continue to enjoy it throughout the summer). The linguine with Alfredo, asparagus, peas and poached egg was just as good the second time around. I love a poached egg on top of, well, just about anything really.

When I need a quick, tasty dinner these grilled chicken Caesar flatbreads are my go-to. In fact, after typing up this post I decide to add it to my weekly menu. So good.

I've made this antipasto salad countless time but recently I've become obsessed with chopped salads where all the ingredients are finely chopped. I turned this salad into a chopped salad and man, oh man was it good.

I've also been on a burger kick lately and in looking back through some of the burgers I've made I stumbled upon these ultimate sriracha burgers. The fact that I've gone more than two years without remaking these is a crime. Such a fantastic, flavorful burger.

Whenever I make burgers I have to make these oven fries. The method takes a little bit of time but the results are worth it.

For a healthy dish this bacon broccoli mac and cheese packs a lot of flavor. I always love adding veggies to my mac and cheese because I feel less guilty eating it.

I went all out for Cinco de Mayo this year, starting with these delectable citrus chicken fajitas. I marinate the chicken for a couple of hours in the citrus marinade and the flavors are incredible. You can really taste the lemon, lime and orange.

And what Mexican meal would be complete without these homemade refried beans. I cannot stress enough how good these are. And so, so simple. I implore anyone who buys canned refried beans to try this recipe. They even freeze beautifully (or so I hear, I never have leftovers).

I had to make the spicy pork and asparagus stir fry again while asparagus was in season and it never fails to amaze me how a recipe with such simple ingredients can be so flavorful. We all love this one. A lot.

I went a long time between making these Philly cheesesteak sloppy Joes for the first time and finally remaking them, but now that I have we've rediscovered our love for this simple sandwich. I've been serving mine with lettuce, tomato and raw onion, along with a red wine vinegar, oregano and mayo sauce, to be like a cheesesteak hoagie. Delicious.

After seeing this recipe for orange chicken on another blog recently I had to make it. And then I realized I already had. Ha! Just goes to show it had been too long. It's a little time consuming but that crispy coating bathed in the delicious, spicy orange sauce is so worth it.



These Sausage and Spinach Breakfast Sandwiches were so delicious I decided to try another combination - ham, asparagus and goat cheese. All I can say is wow. The flavors were perfect and I can't wait to try other variations soon.

We had quite a few overripe bananas sitting on the counter so SP suggested I make banana bread. I added chocolate chips and was reminded why I like this recipe so much. Good thing we have more bananas in the freezer.

I really struggle with side dishes, especially in the spring and summer when my old standby of mashed potatoes won't cut it. This chickpea salad with tomatoes, lemon, and herbs is flavorful and healthy and reminded me why I love beans so much.

We had a cookout with my parents to celebrate Memorial Day and I brought one of my favorite sides - beets with goat cheese and arugula. In looking back through my blog to find a post about this salad I realized I've never actually done one. If I'd known I would have taken a photo of the gorgeous platter of food. I bought both regular and golden beets and they were delicious. It's a good thing we eat this salad all summer.

I wanted to make an easy side dish for Memorial Day and since we've been eating a lot of potato salad lately I thought macaroni salad would be perfect. This recipe is so easy and simple.

Baby Girl is allergic to nuts so Chinese food is off-limits due to the risk of cross-contamination. It's a good thing I've got recipes like this beef and broccoli that taste almost as good as what we can get from our favorite local restaurant.

I needed a quick dinner since the girls from my bootcamp class have decided to get together to exercise once a week, so this California club blue cheese chopped salad was perfect. This time I subbed hard boiled eggs for the chicken, which I think was a great idea.

BLT Spaghetti Carbonara

You all know how much I love carbonara. I've made quite a few versions over the years but this BLT Spaghetti Carbonara might just be my new favorite.

In this recipe, traditional carbonara is paired with tomatoes and spinach for an awesome twist. The tomatoes and spinach cut the richness of the carbonara (and we can pretend this is semi-healthy because of the veggies, right? Right). Baby Girl was a big fan, which is saying something because so far she hasn't been into spinach. Mixed with ingredients she loves - bacon, tomatoes and, of course, pasta - made it more palatable.

Even SP, not the biggest fan of carbonara, loved this one. He kept asking me what I did differently with the bacon and said it was perfectly seasoned, creamy and delicious. I have to agree. If you love carbonara, you've got to try this version.

BLT Spaghetti Carbonara
Modified from Nigella Lawson and Tide and Thyme

1 pound spaghetti
6 slices bacon, chopped into bite-size pieces
2 large onions, sliced
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 6 oz bag baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup dry white wine or vermouth
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly ground nutmeg

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet that will fit the pasta later, cook the bacon until crispy but not crunchy. Add the onions and cook until softened and starting to caramelize, about 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes and spinach and cook for a few minutes to wilt the spinach, then add the white wine or vermouth and let it bubble so that, after a few minutes, you have a small amount of thick syrup left.

In a bowl, beat together the eggs, Parmesan, cream, pepper and nutmeg.

Add the pasta to the pan with the bacon, tossing well to coat with the syrupy sauce. Take the pan off the heat (remove from the stove completely, don't just turn off the burner) and add the eggs and cheese mixture, swiftly tossing everything with tongs to mix. Grind over some more pepper and grated cheese, if desired. Serve.

Pepperoni Pizza Sliders

If you've been reading this blog for awhile you know we usually make homemade pizza on Fridays. Now that the temps are climbing I'm less interested in heating the oven to 550 degrees but I still had a hankering for pizza flavors. Enter these Pepperoni Pizza Sliders, a knock-off of the Sweet Ham and Swiss sliders that have been so popular in the blogosphere lately.

These did not disappoint. They were incredibly easy to assemble and tasted great. Between the three of us we ate all 12 sliders. Whoops! Next time I'll serve them with a Caesar or antipasto salad on the side to make more of a complete meal.

Pepperoni Pizza Sliders
As seen on What's Cookin, Chicago?

For the sandwiches:
12 slider rolls
3/4 cup pizza sauce
24-36 slices pepperoni
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

For the topping:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Separate each roll, then spread a little pizza sauce onto both halves. Place 2-3 slices of pepperoni and a large piece of shredded cheese on each roll. Close rolls and place them close together in a 9x13" baking dish.

In a small bowl, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients. Brush evenly over all of the sandwiches, just enough to cover the tops; let sandwiches sit for 10 minutes to absorb the butter and seasonings. At this point, sandwiches can be assembled a day ahead, covered and kept in the fridge ready to bake.

Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover and cook for 5 additional minutes or until tops are slightly brown and crispy. Serve warm.

Recipe Swap: Cowgirl Chicken Sandwich

It's Blogger's Choice recipe swap time again and this round I was assigned Ali's blog, Sparks From the Kitchen. I spent a lot of time looking through her blog before deciding on this Cowgirl Chicken Sandwich. I've been on a serious sandwich kick lately, eating one at least once a week, and SP was just asking me to make something with BBQ sauce.

I wanted to add a few toppings to the sandwich so I mashed up an avocado with a little lemon juice, salt and pepper and added crispy Romaine and sliced tomato. Baby Girl loved this sandwich, making all kinds of happy noises while she was eating. SP and I liked it, too, although I forgot to add additional BBQ sauce to our sandwiches and we both thought they needed it for that extra kick. It's a simple sandwich that tastes great.

Cowgirl Chicken Sandwich
As seen on Sparks From the Kitchen

2 large chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
8 pieces cooked bacon
Cheddar cheese, sliced thin
BBQ sauce
Kaiser rolls
1 avocado
Juice of half a lemon
Romaine lettuce
Sliced tomato

Preheat grill pan or grill over medium high heat.

Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Add to the grill and cook 4-5 minutes on the first side, the flip and cook 3 minutes on the other side. Brush chicken with the BBQ sauce and then add the cheese. Turn off the heat and tent loosely with foil to melt the cheese.

Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Mash the avocado with the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Split the rolls in half. Put some of the mashed avocado on the top half of each roll. Place a little sauce on the bottom piece of bread, top with chicken, bacon slices, lettuce and tomato. Add the top piece of bread and serve.

Hamburger Steak with Onion & Mushroom Gravy

With the weather quickly changing from spring to summer I knew I had to take advantage of a cool day to make this Hamburger Steak with Onion & Mushroom Gravy.

This one was right up SP's alley with the mushrooms and mashed potatoes but my stomach is definitely in light summer mode and it seemed too heavy. It was delicious, so I'll definitely make it again in the fall or winter.

Hamburger Steak with Onion & Mushroom Gravy
As seen on Our Best Bites, adapted from Cooking Light

1 pound ground sirloin
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon butter
1 large white onion, vertically sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup sliced baby portobello mushrooms
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef stock
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Divide the meat into 4 1/2″-thick patties. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the patties and cook for 4-5 minutes and then flip and cook for another 4-5 minutes or until cooked through. Remove the patties from the pan and set aside. Drain off any excess fat/grease.

Heat the teaspoon of butter in the skillet. When melted, add the onions and sprinkle lightly with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until they become tender and start to caramelize, about 5-7 minutes (you may need to add an additional teaspoon of oil if the onions are burning or sticking). Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook until the mushrooms are tender, being careful not to let the garlic burn.

When the onions and mushrooms are cooked, sprinkle them with 1 tablespoon of flour and stir quickly to combine. Add the broth and vinegar and cook until thickened. Add the beef patties and heat through. Serve each patty over mashed potatoes and top with mushrooms, onions, and gravy.