secret recipe club – Page 6

SRC: Blueberry Burgers

June 3, 2013June 5, 2015 Sarah

Blueberry burgers? You must think I’m crazy. And you might be right. However, to borrow a phrase from Katie who blogs at This Chick Cooks and introduced me to this fabulous recipe, these burgers might sound so wrong, but they taste so right. Ben and I made these burgers last week for our Memorial Day dinner and let me tell you–they do not disappoint!

Unfortunately, we don’t have a grill at our apartment so we had to cook them indoors on the George Foreman, but they still were a tasty introduction to summer eats… and a great recipe for this month’s Secret Recipe Club post! I love SRC days because they encourage me to broaden my culinary horizons while introducing me to a new blogger.

If you’re new, you might be a bit confused. SRC? What’s that? Let me explain. It’s a pretty amazing blogging club. Basically, the premise is this: you’re assigned a different member’s blog every month. You visit their blog, choose any recipe you want, then make it and share it on your blog… all while keeping your assignment a secret! Everyone else posts about their secret blog the same day. It’s fabulously fun to try out new blogs. If you have a blog, definitely check it out and consider joining! I highly recommend it.

Katie writes This Chick Cooks with a focus on eating and cooking real, whole foods. It is her mission to feed her family well, and she has plenty of recipes to accomplish that. She has tons of wholesome, tasty recipes–including many for muffins and coconutty treats… two of my loves! 🙂 Aside from making these unique burgers, in the future I’m definitely going to try Coconut Cream Larabars, Cornmeal Apple Cheese Muffins, and Creamy Corn and Chicken Summer Soup. They all sound so amazing, but for now, let’s talk about these burgers!

Blueberry Burgers are so fresh and tasty. I totally get the sentiment that fruit in burgers is just weird, but hear me out. The sweet, ripe burst of blueberries throughout is a sophisticated [Ahem… Can burgers be sophisticated? I vote yes.] foil for the salty, vinegary tang from the balsamic and Worcestershire sauce. Add in the bite of minced garlic and this meat really shines.

When I first saw this recipe, I wondered how to top these burgers. Normally I’m a cheeseburger-all-the-way kinda girl, but I thought these burgers bursting with juicy berries were perfect with just a bare minimum of fresh burger toppings like lettuce, tomato, onions, and ketchup [some unpictured because I forgot the sliced tomato and onion on the countertop until I was halfway done with my burger…ha!]. My homemade pretzel rolls [click here for the recipe!] made these burgers even better. Thanks, Katie–I enjoyed checking out your site and will be back soon. 🙂

Now, before the recipe, I do want to make one shameless plug–I recently made a Facebook page for The Pajama Chef. Please take a moment to check it out and like it here. Thanks!

Blueberry Burgers

Servings: 5
Time: 20 minutes
Print

from This Chick Cooks

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup blueberries [fresh or frozen]

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine ground beef, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic. Add pepper to taste, then gently mix in blueberries. Shape into burgers, then cook as you normally would. On our George Foreman, this took about 8-9 minutes. Serve on buns with lettuce, tomatoes, onion, and desired condiments.

Be sure to check out other great recipes from this month’s SRC round-up at the linky below. Have a happy Monday!

Breakfast, Recipes, Waffles

SRC: Club Soda Waffles

May 6, 2013May 6, 2015 Sarah

I love breakfast food! So much in fact, that we had breakfast for dinner at our wedding. True story, one I’ve told too many times on this blog. It should come as no surprise then I immediately look at breakfast recipes on whatever blog I am assigned to for the Secret Recipe Club each month. If a good looking breakfast recipe is there, you can bet I’ll make it!! Okay, that’s not always true… there are so many good recipes on SRC blogs these days! But I do try my best to find yummy breakfast recipes whenever I can.

This month I was assigned to The Keenan Cookbook, a fun husband and wife food blogging team. They have a great system down: he cooks, she photographs, they enjoy. Love it!! Chris and Rachel seem like such a fun couple, and they have the most adorable little boy. Seriously… he’s so cute! I first “met” them in SRC awhile ago, and I loved that they chose one of my favorite desserts when they had my blog back in November. 🙂

I was really torn between three recipes–these waffles, Mint Orange Couscous Salad [ultimately nixed because my mint hasn’t grown enough yet… and I didn’t want to pay $5 for some at the grocery store], and Chocolate Coffee Cake. Though I’m sure all those recipes are great, these waffles are incredible!

Ben though they were the best waffles I ever have made, and I must say I was pretty impressed myself. They are crispy and light and airy all at once. It’s a miracle! A carbonated miracle! Apparently it’s an old-timey recipe… I did a little google-investigation and saw that it might have originally been featured in the Hints from Heloise newspaper column. But I’m not an expert on the history… have you ever heard of these waffles? I am so glad that Chris and Rachel introduced me to them… they are perfect for those times when you’re out of milk but still want waffles, or need to be dairy-free [obviously taking the butter into account too]. Delicious! Be sure to check out The Keenan Cookbook for more great recipes! Thanks guys. 🙂

Club Soda Waffles [waffles from The Keenan Cookbook, Bisquick substitute from Unsophisticook]

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
1 egg
3/4 cup canola oil
1 1/3 cups club soda

Directions:

Preheat waffle maker.

In a large bowl, stir together flour and baking powder. Add cubed butter and cut in with two knives or a pastry cutter until fully incorporated. Then add egg, oil, and club soda and stir gently until combined. Do not overmix!

Spoon batter into hot waffle maker in ~ 1/2 cup* increments. Cook until crisp.

Serve with powdered sugar, fruit, and yogurt, or your desired toppings!

Time: 20 minutes.

Yield: 6 waffles [may vary based on your waffle maker].

Notes:

Can substitute 2 cups Bisquick mix or the like for the flour, baking powder, and butter. The original recipe advises that uncooked batter does not keep because of the club soda, so make all the waffles at one and then reheat if necessary. I always use my toaster or toaster oven to do this.

Check out other SRC recipes here! 🙂

Appetizers, Recipes

SRC: Herb, Tomato, and Cheese Crackers

April 8, 2013May 6, 2015 Sarah

Happy SRC Day! I love being part of the Secret Recipe Club and getting to explore a new blog every month. If you’ve missed my past SRC posts, the premise is this: you’re assigned a different member’s blog every month. You visit their blog, choose any recipe you want, then make it and share it on your blog… all while keeping your assignment a secret! Everyone else posts about their secret blog the same day. It’s fabulously fun to try out new blogs. If you have a blog, definitely check it out and consider joining! I highly recommend it.

This month I was assigned to Sawsan’s blog, Chef in Disguise. Sawsan writes this wonderful blog from Jordan–a country halfway around the world from my home in Indiana. It’s crazy how blogs and technology can make what is so geographically far so close. Chef in Disguise has tons of wonderful sounding recipes–like Peppermint Chocolate Almond Butter, Coconut Cake, and Fattoush (a Middle Eastern bread salad). Now that this recipe is posted and the secret is out, I can pin away yummy recipes without Sawsan’s suspicions aroused. 🙂

This month, I wanted to try to make a completely new type of recipe–something I’ve never made before: homemade crackers. For some reason I always thought they were complicated to make, but that’s ridiculously far from the truth. At least, that’s what Sawsan’s blog taught me. She has several homemade cracker recipes but I wanted to go with a classic cheese cracker. Now, these classic cheese crackers are fancied up with sundried tomatoes, herbs, and spices. Fannncy!

In a way, the flavor of these crackers reminded me of pizza–so if you’re not a cheesy tomato person, you might wanna check out the link and see some of Sawsan’s other cracker recipes. I can totally see dipping these in a creamy ranch dip or a spicy marinara sauce for a lovely appetizer. YUM!

And let me tell you–though these are fancy crackers with great flavor, they are incredibly simple to make. You just mix up the dough, roll it into a log, chill for an hour or so, take it out, and bake. Easy as that! Just like slice ‘n bake cookies. Except, slice ‘n bake crackers. 🙂 New business venture, anyone?!? Next time I make them, I’m going to roll it into a thinner, longer log to have smaller crackers. These crackers were thick and a bit chewy, and I’d like to try them thin and crispy. No matter how you slice them, these Herb, Tomato, and Cheese Crackers are amazing! Thanks for a great recipe, Sawsan!

Herb, Tomato, and Cheese Crackers [from Chef in Disguise]
click to print

Ingredients:

6 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
4 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons sundried tomatoes [drained, if oil packed, soaked in water if dry]
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon dried parsley
1/8 teaspoon dried sage
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/8 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:

Combine cheese, butter, and tomatoes. Then, add flour, salt, and herbs/spices. Mixture will be somewhat crumbly. Roll the dough into a log and wrap with saran or foil.

Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 3 days. [Can also be frozen for several months.]

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.

Thinly slice log and place on prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Time: 15 minutes, plus chill time.

Yield: 2-3 servings.

Note: can substitute 1 teaspoon herbs de Provence for all the 1/8 teaspoon herbs/spices above.

Be sure to check out the other SRC posts today here:

Have a wonderful Monday!!

Desserts, Other, Recipes

SRC: Quick Chocolate Pudding

March 4, 2013May 6, 2015 Sarah

Have you ever made homemade pudding before? I never knew until this weekend just how simple it is–and how utterly delicious the results are! This month for the Secret Recipe Club I was assigned to Shannon’s blog, Searching for Dessert and I am so glad that I was–otherwise I may never have discovered the wonder of homemade pudding!! And this version is luscious, rich chocolate pudding so it is very wondrous. 🙂

If you’ve missed my past SRC posts, the premise is this: you’re assigned a different member’s blog every month. You visit their blog, choose any recipe you want, then make it and share it on your blog… all while keeping your assignment a secret! Everyone else posts about their secret blog the same day. It’s fabulously fun to try out new blogs. If you have a blog, definitely check it out and consider joining! I highly recommend it.

If you’ve never visited Shannon’s blog, you’re missing out! As the name implies, the focus is on dessert… as well as meatless recipes! Yum to both! There are SO many new recipes I’d love to try, like these Cranberry and Pecan Granola Bites and this Parmesan Pizza Dough. Everything I saw looked amazing, but since Shannon is an excellent photographer and a former pastry chef, that is no surprise. Now, she is a student [graduating this year, like me… yay! By the way, I don’t think I’ve announced this here yet but I turned in a FULL DRAFT of my thesis a couple weeks ago! I’ll have to do revisions later this month, but this is a big step forward. :)]. Shannon is also a wife and a mother–most recently the new mom of a little girl. So fun! I’m sure her family loves it when she makes this quick chocolate pudding for dessert at night. It’s no pastry but it sure is tasty.

This rich, fudgy chocolate pudding is amazing! It comes together in a flash [hence the quick part]. Probably the hardest part is straining the lumps out at the end. Seriously. You just gotta be prepared and have all the ingredients ready as you go along. Even if it was a bit more complicated, I think I would still love it just as much because it is SO much better than any pudding mix you can buy at the store.

Since the pudding cooks and thickens on the stove, there is really no need for refrigeration prior to serving. I had never had warm pudding before, and man, was it good! It was like eating a bowl of milky hot fudge. It was also great cold, but it was such a treat hot out of the pan. Shannon’s original recipe called for flavoring the chocolate pudding with fruit, specifically black cherries. I intended to buy some, but just never did, so we enjoyed the pudding plain and also with coconut and mini chocolate chips. Be sure to check out her original post for more fruit ideas… she had a ton.

I feel like this post is super scattered, but just to emphasize again… this Quick Chocolate Pudding is superb! It is rich and chocolatey, with richness drawn from the coffee, vanilla, and butter. If you aren’t a coffee fan, don’t be scared–you don’t actually taste it, it just serves as a flavor enhancer. I won’t go so far as to say I’ll never make boxed pudding again… but I really shouldn’t. I’ve been enlightened… and I can’t wait to find more pudding recipes now. Anyone have some they wanna send my way? 🙂 Enjoy… and go show Shannon and her new baby girl some love at Searching for Dessert!

Quick Chocolate Pudding [from Searching for Dessert]

Ingredients:

1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup coffee, hot
1 cup milk, hot
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate [I used a block of chocolate but Shannon used chips]
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup fruit, if desired [Shannon used frozen black cherries]

Directions:

Add sugar, cornstarch, and cocoa powder to a medium saucepan and whisk well to blend. Then pour in the hot coffee and whisk again until fully incorporated.

Then, place the saucepan over medium high heat. Gradually pour in the hot milk, whisking after each addition. Using a wooden spoon, consistently stir the mixture for 2-3 minutes as it thickens.

Add chocolate, and stir until melted. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and butter, stir until melted.

Set a fine strainer or sieve over a bowl and push the pudding through to remove any lumps. This will take a few minutes, but the results are well worth it.

Serve immediately, with 1/4 cup fruit per 3/4 cup serving [if desired]. Alternatively, place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap [touching the pudding] and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Time: 20 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings [3/4 cup each].

Be sure to check out the other SRC posts today here:

Appetizers, Recipes

SRC: Baked Jalapeno Popper-Ranch Dip

February 4, 2013May 6, 2015 Sarah

This month for the Secret Recipe Club I was assigned Wendy’s wonderful blog, The Weekend Gourmet. As I’ve said before, numerous times, I absolutely love being part of the SRC. It’s a fun way to try new blogs and recipes and be part of a fun community. If you’ve missed my past SRC posts, the premise is this: you’re assigned a different member’s blog every month. You visit their blog, choose any recipe you want, then make it and share it on your blog… all while keeping your assignment a secret! Everyone else posts about their secret blog the same day. It’s fabulously fun to try out new blogs. If you have a blog, definitely check it out and consider joining! I highly recommend it.

Anyway, when I first visited Wendy’s blog I was overwhelmed by the number of fabulous recipes there. Wendy is from Texas, and is as warm and welcoming as can be. I mean, how could she not be… she’s from Texas after all. Plus, she has a cat. Nice people always have cats. 🙂 I could hardly decide what to make. Peppermint White Hot Chocolate? Cranberry-Nut Caramel Popcorn? Citrus-Walnut Brown Rice Pilaf? Mmm, I wanted to make them all. In one day. What a delightful day that would have been! But I asked Ben, my chief culinary consultant what sounded good to him, and then we got to talkin’ about appetizers. Our church small group takes turns bringing snacks each week, and if left to my own devices, I would always bake something. But Ben wanted to do something different, so we settled on Jalapeno Popper Dip. But not just any Jalapeno Popper Dip… Baked Jalapeno Popper-Ranch Dip.

This dip is, in a word, awesome. Spicy and creamy and cheesy. Yum. In another word, addicting. It’s great hot right out of the oven [but beware… Wendy calls it hot lava right out of the oven, and I agree]… and it’s equally as good cold out of the refrigerator [ask me how I know… it’s a great 11 pm snack to finish off peppermint tea… ha!]. And in a last word, forgiving. The recipe I’ll give you will be Wendy’s, through and through… even though my version was laden with “mistakes.”

There were so many! I misread the recipe and put all the ranch seasoning in the cheesy mixture, instead of splitting it between the cheese and the topping. I forgot to buy the green onions so those were omitted. I accidentally used up the plain green yogurt in another recipe, so had to substitute some sour cream and mayo instead. I also rubbed jalapeno juice into some tiny cuts on my hand, which was fun. But you know what? Even with all that craziness, this dip was just SO good. It was just demolished by everyone who tried it, even an adventurous two year old. 🙂 You should totally make it for your next appetizer need… I wish I could have posted it before the Super Bowl, but alas… Ben loved it and says you can eat it anytime!

Enjoy, and be sure to check out Wendy’s blog for more recipe inspiration. Thanks for a great recipe, Wendy!!

Baked Jalapeno Popper-Ranch Dip [from The Weekend Gourmet]
click to print

Ingredients:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened [I used Neufchâtel]
6 ounces plain greek yogurt [I used 4 ounces sour cream + 2 ounces mayo]
1 – 1 ounce package dry ranch dressing mix
1 small can chopped jalapeno peppers, drained [I used 3 fresh jalapenos, about 1 heaping cup, and deseeded 2 of them]
2 sliced green onions
1 cup shredded co-jack cheese
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray a shallow casserole dish [I used a 10 inch dish].

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine cream cheese, yogurt, and half of the ranch seasoning. Mix on low until everything is combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl, then add the jalapenos, green onions, and cheese. Mix again, then spoon into prepared dish.

In a second bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, parmesan, and the rest of the ranch seasoning. Spread on top of the cheese mixture, then spray or drizzle on olive oil.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until topping is golden brown and dip is bubbly. Turn dish around halfway for even browning.

Cool for 5 minutes before serving with tortilla chips.

Time: 40 minutes.

Yield: serves 10-12.

Be sure to check out other great SRC recipes here, and have a great day!