Whining 'N Dining

Labor Day Barbecue Muffins

Just in time for Labor Day....Farmhouse Barbecue Muffins. Since I'm always on the hunt for creative meat recipes for picky whine 'n dine girl, this recipe piqued my interest. Barbecue in a muffin. Genius. She can help me make these, too. Even more genius.

So I'm adding this one to our list of activities for our little girls weekend while the BBQ man of the house is away.

Recipe from Taste of Home

Ingredients:

• 1 tube (10 ounces) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Separate dough into 10 biscuits; flatten into 5-in. circles. Press each onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased muffin cup; set aside.
    In a skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar and chili powder; stir until smooth. Add to meat and mix well.
    Divide the meat mixture among biscuit-lined muffins cups, using about 1/4 cup for each. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 375° for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before serving. Yield: 10 servings.

Toddler Test Kitchen: Meditteranean Quesadilla

We have a new favorite in the quesadilla department...a Meditteranean-style quesadilla. I made it for myself one day and then somebody cozied up to me jonesing for a bite.

Ingredients:

2 Whole wheat flour tortillas

White Bean Hummus (Trader Joe's or any hummus will do)

Handful of fresh spinach

Canned red peppers

1/8 cup of Feta cheese

1/4 cup of mozarella cheese

Directions:

1. Spread one tortilla with White Bean Hummus.

2. Sprinkle with feta, mozarella, layer a few red pepper slices, top with handful of fresh spinach and other tortilla.

3. Heat skillet and spray with oil or use a little butter (I use Earth Balance spread - found at Trader Joe's).

4. Place quesadilla in pan and cook until cheese melts (be sure to flip a few times).

Toddler Test Kitchen: Trader Joe's White Bean & Basil Hummus

 Whew! Busy week. Still trying to master the juggling of two children. 

One thing I did learn from last week was that my two year-old digs Trader Joe's White Bean & Basil Hummus. It's a refreshing change if you are looking for something new in the land of hummus. Despite the intensity of last week's schedule, I was able to serve this up a few different ways...

1) Snack - red pepper strips dipped in hummus

2) School lunch - whole wheat pita with turkey to dip in hummus

3) My lunch - cooked up a Mediterranean quesadilla - spread the hummus on a multigrain tortilla, sprinkled feta & mozzarella, sliced red pepper, handful of fresh spinach (didn't give this to my daughter, but it's on the list for this week). This could also work as a tortilla pizza.

So, a big hit all around. My daughter even grabbed the spoon and started eating it out of the container.

Try This: Mexican Black Bean Dip

This week, my nanny gave me a brilliant idea for trying to get my ever so finicky daughter to eat veggies. She's been making bean dip with veggies in it. In fact,  I just polished off a batch that I found sitting in my fridge. I melted some cheese on top and ate with some tortilla chips. Yum!

This is a great recipe for school lunches as you can send this along with tortilla chips, pita chips or carrots & celery for dipping. And you'll know that your kid will be happily eating his or her veggies as they nosh on this tasty dip.

Ingredients:

1 15.5-ounce can black beans or white beans

1/3 cup mild or medium-hot salsa

1/3 cup of fresh or frozen mixed veggies (i.e. carrots, bell peppers, peas, etc)

1/4 cup cilantro leaves, plus extra for garnish (optional)

4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

l small garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon of cumin

Salt to taste

Directions:
1. Drain and rinse the black beans.

2. Cook the veggies (I like to sauté them).
2. Combine the black beans, salsa, veggies, cilantro leaves, lemon juice, garlic, cumin and salt in a food processor. Blend until smooth.
3. Garnish with cilantro leaves, if you like. Makes 1 1/4 cups and serves 4 to 6.

Grilled Artichokes: The Houston's / Gulfstream Way

Every time I leave Gulfstream / Houston's / Bandera's, I find myself dying to know the secret behind their grilled artichoke appetizer. If you haven't ordered this before, you MUST the next time you grace one of the Houston's restaurants. We've tried to replicate the appetizer at home, but we cannot seem to get the artichokes tender enough. My husband basically gave up on trying out of sheer frustration.

After a spectacular lunch at Gulfstream yesterday, I asked our server if she could shed some light on how they make the artichokes so delicious. Here's a similiar recipe (original source AllRecipes.com & FoodTV) plus a few tips that she gave me....

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large artichokes
• 1 lemon, quartered
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Fill a large bowl with cold water. Squeeze the juice from one lemon wedge into the water. Trim the tops from the artichokes, then cut in half lenghwise, and place halves into the bowl of lemon water to prevent them from turning brown.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat.
3. Add artichokes to boiling water, and cook for about 15 minutes. Drain. Squeeze the remaining lemon wedges into a medium bowl. Stir in the olive oil and garlic, and season with salt and pepper.
4. Chill artichokes for 1 hour.
5. Brush the artichokes with a coating of the garlic dip, and place them on the preheated grill. Grill the artichokes for 5 to 10 minutes, basting with dip and turning frequently, until the tips are a little charred. Serve immediately with remoulade (see recipe below).

Remoulade Sauce:
2 cups mayonnaise
3 tablespoons green sweet relish
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons capers
1 tablespoon anchovy paste (optional)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. It is best to refrigerate for several hours to allow the flavors to meld.

Grapes: A Suprising Substitute for Tomatoes

To celebrate grape season, I thought I'd write a little diddy on this favorite fruit....

I don't know about you, but we have a lot of grapes kickin' around our fridge these days. Before we had our daughter, I think consumed far more grapes via vino than on the vine. With a grape surplus in our midst, I decided to experiment with using our purple and green friends for other, unconventional uses. My investigation revealed that grapes are a nice substitute for tomatoes. Here's what I am talking about....

1) Arugula, grape & goat cheese salad - Arugula, sliced grapes, goat cheese bits, toasted pine nuts, roasted chicken with a basic viniagerette.

2) Brie & grape quesadilla - Two flour tortillas, sliced brie, sliced grapes, spray with cooking spray and cook in a skillet (or George Foreman grill) for approximately 4 minutes a side or until slightly browned.

Me gusta la salsa verde

Salsa verde or as we call it in Texas "green sauce" is muy delicioso on chips, enchiladas, grilled fish / meat and eggs, to name a few. We've always wanted to make it ourselves, but have been a tad intimidated with handling tomatillos. Today, we mustered up the courage and bought a bunch of the little green, tomato-like fruit at the Hollywood Farmers' Market. Did our research and discovered an easy salsa verde recipe on Simply Recipes. So easy that I feel so foolish for avoiding an attempt at it for so long....think of all of the enchiladas I've missed out on.

We ate this salsa verde on grilled flank steak and sauteed polenta (from TJ's), and everyone was asking for more sauce. My husband shouted to me from the table, "Sweets, I think we found  a new condiment!" You're thinking we are total nerds, aren't you?? Or maybe you just have condiment envy?