Jalapeño Margarita

Happy Cinco de Mayo!  Kyle's father, a Sir Gary Masterson, recommended this recipe to us, and we found it to be quite tasty.

Ingredients:

1 fresh jalapeno pepper

1 oz tequila

1 oz agave nectar

6 oz sour mix

dash of lemon or lime juice

lime wedges for garnish

salt to rim the glass (if desired!)

Cut a thin slice from the jalapeno pepper and dice it finely. The final call will be up to you - the more pepper, the more heat!  Drop the pepper into a cocktail shaker, add the tequila, and muddle.  Add the remaining ingredients and fill with ice, then shake the ingredients until cold.  If desired, salt the rim of a chilled margarita glass.  Pour contents, with ice, into the glass.  Garnish with a lime wedge.

Tips:  A margarita is usually made with triple sec, but Gary recommended the agave, to cut the sweetness.  I didn't have any agave on hand (though I plan to get some to try this correctly), so I used triple sec, and it was still plenty tasty!

This just makes two margaritas - if I know you like I think I do, you'll want to triple the recipe to make a pitcher.  Enjoy!

Roasted Garlic Bread

As much as I cook, I only recently started making my own garlic bread.  I just always thought, how much better can it be than the frozen kind?  The answer is, a lot!  And it's easy to make!

Recipe:

3 bulbs garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 loaf fresh French bread

1/2 cup butter

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice the tops off of the garlic bulbs so that the tip of each clove is exposed. Place the bulbs on a baking sheet, and drizzle with the olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes, or until garlic is soft.

Once the garlic is done cooking, let it cool a bit and then squeeze the cloves into a mixing bowl. They should pop out quite easily, just be sure to remove any of the outer skin that may fall into the bowl. Smash the garlic cloves into a paste, then add the butter, oregano, salt, and pepper.  Stir until well blended.

Set the oven to broil and slice the loaf of bread in half horizontally.  Place the cut side up on a baking sheet and spread the mixture evenly onto each half loaf of bread.  Broil for about 5 minutes, until toasted and nicely browned.

Tips:  Don't skimp on the garlic - 3 bulbs may seem like a lot, but we're making garlic bread here, it needs to be a lot!  If you have fresh thyme, it will substitute nicely for the oregano.  Adding cheese, Parmesan or other, is always a plus.  Oh, and if you have the bright idea to melt the butter to make this easier to spread, like I did, don't do it.  Yes, it will be easier, but it makes the bread soggy.  Much smarter to let the oven, and your wrist, do a bit more of the work.  Enjoy!

Scavenger Hunt Pub Crawl

For Kyle's birthday, I planned a scavenger hunt pub crawl.  It was a legendary night!

I got the birthday boy a tiara, pink feathered boa, and microphone so that he could make speeches.

I planned the pub crawl down a particularly bar infested street, and asked everyone to meet at the first bar.  I handed out the scavenger hunt instructions, the route, and assigned teams.  We had 3 teams of 4 people each.  I didn't play so that I could keep track of the game as it progressed.

In a lucky twist of fate, while shopping at the dollar store, I happened upon the most amazing insect backpacks.  I bought 4 of them and assigned each one to a team leader, to store their scavenger items.  It also made it easy to keep track of our group....

I printed out the instructions, scavenger hunt list, and trivia questions to be completed at each bar for extra points.  And, of course, included plenty of embarrassing photos of Kyle for everyone to enjoy!

The instructions were - 

Proceed to each bar on the list.  Complete as many photo and trivia challenges as possible.  Gather scavenger items as you go along.  Avoid arrest.  Arrive at the last bar by 11PM for dancing, drinking, and debauchery.  Prizes await - good luck!

Earlier that day, I went to each bar on the list and hid bonus scavenger hunt items that were heavily weighted in points.  I placed them in unexpected areas (behind the bar, in the men's bathroom, etc).

It is important to make the`scavenger list long and varied, as no team will "find" all of the items.  As you can see from the list, there were some very odd items to locate.  I was taken aback by how competitive everyone was, and how hard they worked to gather all of the items and complete the list of photos!

I assigned point values to the items and photos according to difficulty.  Each page of trivia was worth a flat number of points.

Example of items to be gathered:

Toothpick                      Red lipstick                   Shot glass                     Sugar Packet

Newspaper                   Tampon                         Postage Stamp            Leaf   

Pencil                            Fork (not plastic)          Q-Tip                             Drink Coaster

Illinois quarter                Paper Airplane              Grey hair (plucked)       Envelope

Roll of toilet paper (it did not occur to me that we would be walking away with an entire bar's supply of TP - until I was handed 4 hefty rolls.  Whoops!) 

Original ink drawing of birthday boy, phone number from a stranger... you get the point!

The photo challenges were a lot of fun, and pretty much tell the story of the evening:

Take a photo of:

A person with a mullet
An unidentifiable body part

Your team jumping, everyone in mid-air

An animal tattoo or tramp stamp

A bartender tossing a bottle into the air, Cocktail style

Your team imitating The Beatles crossing the street (Abbey Road)

An unshaven female leg

Pose with someone in uniform

Team spelling a word with their bodies

A live pigeon

The clock at 10:32 PM

A man (or woman) with a handlebar mustache

A team member on someone else's shoulders

Your team name spelled out in ketchup

Someone eating something seductively

Your team leader giving a stranger a lap dance

The entire team line dancing
A male team member wearing lipstick

A same sex kiss

Someone doing a body shot

An open mouth with at least six fillings

A group hug

A team member sitting on a toilet

Someone with a strange hat

A police officer

Team members playing dead

Paying for a beer with change
Someone moonwalking
Chugging a beer with a stranger

All team members with shirts on inside out
A solar eclipse
Team lifting their captain into the air

Someone drinking a margarita

Team with spoons hanging off their noses

Someone playing a pin ball machine

And, finally, someone with a wet t-shirt.  Luckily I chose to wear black that day, as I had no idea I was going to have a drink thrown on me.

The bonus scavenger items I hid at each bar were the oddest (and cheapest!) things I could find - a bat mobile hot wheels car, a wind-up chicken, a stuffed milkbone, a plastic dagger, and the ultimate prize, worth more points than anything, the Mama Bear!

That bear may look innocent, but Mike ran through the pouring rain and captured it just before the other team, winning the game by just a few points!

The length of the total pub crawl was 1.5 miles.  I estimated it would take us 3 hours to complete... It actually took around 4, and we didn't even make it to the final bar!  But that didn't stop us from celebrating.

Dancing and debauchery was had by all!

I made prize bags with miniature bottles of champagne, bubbles, candy necklaces, personalized photo keychains with pictures of Kyle, noise makers, etc.  And of course, one top prize bag, with bigger, better versions of everything.  The group tore into them like rabid beasts, which is I guess what happens when you distribute snacks & beverages to drunken adults.

The birthday boy in all his glory!

Spicy Garlic & Jalapeno Shrimp

I found this recipe online, made a few changes to it to suit my own tastes (more garlic, more heat, more, more, more!).  It's fantastic!

Recipe:

1 pound large raw deveined shrimp 

1/2 cup olive oil

3 jalapeños, NOT seeded, coarsely chopped

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 lemon, juiced

1 tablespoon butter

In a large bowl, combine the shrimp with the olive oil, jalapeños, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and lemon juice and toss well to mix. Cover and marinate the shrimp at room temperature for 20 minutes, or in the refrigerator for up to 6 hours.

Preheat the oven to broil and place a baking sheet in the oven for at least 10 minutes so that it gets extremely hot.  Remove the hot pan from the oven and spread the shrimp across it in one layer.  Pour the remaining marinade and bits of garlic and jalapeño over the shrimp.

Roast the shrimp until they turn bright pink, 8-10 minutes, without stirring.  Remove the shrimp from the oven and slice the butter into a couple of pieces and drop onto the baking sheet.  The heat should melt the butter and make a nice sauce.  Mix well and remove from the pan.  Serve the shrimp and sauce with warm French bread for dipping.

Tips - Be sure to buy the raw, frozen shrimp because it will be more tender.  This recipe is usually made with the head-on shrimp but I personally don't like seeing the little beady eyes. Feel free to substitute, it might taste better, so long as the eyes are not a problem for you!
Next time I make this, I am going to try omitting the butter and using it for shrimp tacos!
Also, for less heat, use fewer jalapeños and/or remove the seeds.

Chuck Roast over Mashed Potatoes

I was planning to make a chuck roast in the crockpot, when I happened to see a cooking show on television where they were making a beef stew, and adding bacon to it.. and the wheels in my brain started to turn.

I decided to serve the roast on top of mashed potatoes, which made it even better!

Ingredients:

One 2-3 pound chuck roast

3 ripe tomatoes, cores removed, cut into quarters

1 red bell pepper, core and seeds removed, cut into slices

1 green bell pepper, core and seeds removed, cut into slices

1 lb package of bacon (don't worry, you can remove most of this after stewing!)

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 bulbs garlic (yes, bulbs!), skin and peel removed.

3/4 cup red wine

1 tsp cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

Gravy (after meat is cooked)

1 cup beef broth 

1/4 cup all purpose flour

Season meat all over with salt and pepper, then place in the bottom of the crockpot.  Slice the bacon in half, peel apart and add to crockpot.  Place vegetables on top and season lightly with salt, pepper, and cayenne, then pour the red wine over the top.

Cook this on low for 10-12 hours or on medium for 6-8 hours.  Once you are ready to serve, skim the fat from the top of the pot, and remove the roast.  Depending on your own preference at this point, you can either remove all of the bacon, or just the fatty bits (some of it will have already dissolved into the liquid).  Once you have done that, remove about half of the sauce and transfer it to a sauce pan on low heat.  Add the beef broth and flour, and whisk to make a gravy.

To serve, slice the roast (it should fall apart easily) and place over a layer of hot mashed potatoes, with the vegetables and gravy drizzled over it.  Enjoy!

Tips - If you are lazy or don't have a lot of dishes, you can make the gravy directly in the crockpot, after removing the roast.  It will just be a little more difficult to stir!

Also, you can chop the garlic or leave it in whole cloves, it's up to you.  Either way it will get really soft and much of it will dissolve into the sauce.

Macaroni & Cheese Trifecta

I wanted to make mac & cheese to bring to a party, and couldn't decide what cheese to use, when I had a brilliant idea. Why not make 3 types, and assemble them side by side? I thought it would be fun for people to try each one individually and/or mix them together.  It was a bit of work but a huge hit at the party!

I decided to make a traditional Velveeta and cheddar version, a blue cheese version, and one with Gruyère, so I looked up a bunch of different recipes and modified them to my liking.

You will need 3 baking dishes for this. I made the pasta first, then the cheese sauces, assembled the three dishes, and baked them in the oven all at once.

Gruyère Mac and Cheese 

 
4 tablespoons butter
1 and1/2 cups milk
1 and1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese
2 cups grated Gruyère
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
3/4 cup Panko crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

3. While whisking, slowly pour in the milk and cream. Continue cooking until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, 8 to 12 minutes.

4. Stir in the salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 2 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyère, and mix until melted, then turn heat to low.

5. Cover a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Cook the macaroni until slightly underdone, about 5 minutes. Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir the macaroni into the cheese sauce.

6. Pour the mixture into a casserole or baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheeses and Panko crumbs over the top. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes (you may need to turn the heat up at the end, to really get it brown).



Velveeta and Cheddar Mac and Cheese

4 tablespoons butter
1 and1/2 cups milk
1 and1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups Velveeta cheese, cut into cubes
1/2 cup shredded Muenster cheese
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
3/4 cup Panko crumbs


Follow cooking directions above, making sure to reserve some of the cheese to sprinkle over the top.



Blue Cheese Mac and Cheese

4 tablespoons butter
1 and1/2 cups milk
1 and1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 1/2 cups blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 pound Penne pasta
3/4 cup Panko crumbs

Follow cooking directions above, making sure to reserve some of the cheese to sprinkle over the top.


Finished! Once all of the macaroni and cheese is cooked, removed the casserole dishes from the oven. I chose to serve them side by side on a serving dish (see below). I also considered serving this layered in a trifle dish.

The nice thing about macaroni and cheese is you can serve it hot or cold (though personally I think it tastes better warm!), so you can bring this to a party or BBQ, or serve it as a main dish at home.

Butterfinger Cheesecake Bites

Don't you lay a finger on my Butterfinger...cakes...

Crust:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

3 tbsp. granulated sugar
2 tbsp. melted butter
1/8 tsp salt

Cake:
8 oz softened cream cheese
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tbsp. heavy cream
1/8 tsp salt

Topping:
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
3 tbsp heavy cream
8 fun size Butterfinger candy bars, crushed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cookie crumbs, sugar, butter and salt into a bowl; mix to combine. Spoon mixture into bottoms of mini cheesecake or muffin pan and press down to firm the crust. Bake for 5 minutes and remove from oven.

Reduce heat to 300 degrees. Beat cream cheese and peanut butter until smooth. Add sugar, egg, cream and salt until well combined. Evenly spoon batter into crusts (about 3/4 full). Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheesecake is set.  Let cool for at least an hour.

Melt chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second intervals until smooth. Stir in cream. If needed, return back to the microwave for 15 seconds or so until smooth. Spoon the chocolate mixture over the cakes, then sprinkle crushed butterfinger over the top.  Let sit for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Tips:

I like to use the mini cupcake tins that have the outer foil, so that you don't have to use a special pan (or wash extra dishes!).  Those are available in the baking section at the grocery store for like $1 and well worth the time savings.

Try to make the crust on the bottom of these thin - thick enough to hold together, but thin enough that you have a nice proportion of cheesecake to chocolate and crust.  Enjoy!

Chorizo and Black Bean Phyllo Cups

Yummy and easy to make! These bite size phyllo cups (or you can use the shells, which are much larger, to make this a more substantial recipe) can be found in the frozen aisle at the grocery store, near the phyllo dough.


Recipe:


2 packages phyllo cups (12 per package)
1 package chorizo, cooked and drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup cheddar cheese
olive oil
salt & pepper to taste


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook and drain chorizo. Heat about 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan and add all of the vegetables except the black beans. Cook the vegetables until soft and translucent. Season with salt and pepper to taste. In a large bowl, combine chorizo, rinsed black beans, and cooked vegetables. Stir until combined and then fill phyllo cups with the mixture. 


Sprinkle with a decent amount of cheese, and place cups on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese has melted and cups are hot. Serve immediately. 


Tips - Make sure to drain the chorizo really well as it is very greasy - I usually put it on a pile of paper towels, layer more paper towels on top of it, and press down to really squeeze out the majority of the grease.