Dishcrawl Battledish

I am super excited and still in shock to have been invited to be a guest judge for the International Battledish Culinary Competition in Seattle this Oct 5th hosted by Dishcrawl!  This is going to be a fun and entertainingly tasty event, so I encourage all my Seattle friends to grab a ticket here, taste some incredible food and drinks from the 6 talented competing chefs and cast your vote for who you want the next Battledish Champion to be.

Thank you dishcrawl for this amazing opportunity.  I can't wait to be apart of your fabulous food community and help crown a winner!  

Gluten Free Meatball Burgers on Garlic Toasted Buns

Just as the scorching sun was setting last Labor Day Monday, I threw some patties on the grill.  These aren't just any burgers... but Italian inspired Meatball Burgers!  And just like the typical meatball sandwich, these suckers are essentially the same, but in burger form, of course.  Not only are they easier to eat and slightly smaller in portion, but you don't have to worry about a meatball escaping onto the floor or worse... your lap!

They're moist due to having the same ingredients as a meatball, just a tad messy from the tangy marinara sauce and the best part.... served on a garlic toasted bun, which bumps them up a whole other level.

I have to admit, eating homemade burgers as a kid was never too exciting.  Sorry, Mom!  Plain buns, plain beef with a few sprinkles of seasoning, ketchup, lettuce and tomato.  It was too fast, too simple and the taste reflected just that.  Thankfully, she's gotten a bit fancier since then with her gourmet toppings.  :)  But these Meatball Burgers are worth the extra 20 mins to make and taste like a true restaurant burger that are a bit healthier than the one you'll order when you're out but still bursting with rich flavor.  And your guests will never know they're gluten free.

Serves 4 - 6

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

What you'll need: 

1 slice gluten free bread (I used Udi's whole grain) cut in 1/2 inch cubes

2 - 3 tbsp low fat milk

1 lb ground beef sirloin (I used 93% lean)
1/4 yellow onion (finely chopped)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup gluten free Italian breadcrumbs

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

lite provolone cheese (sliced)

marinara sauce

Garlic Toasted Buns:

gluten free hamburger buns (I used Udi's whole grain)

4 tbsp lite butter (room temperature)

1 clove garlic (minced)

1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

sprinkle smoked paprika 

Prep the bar-b.  Get your buns ready first.  In a small bowl, combine the butter, garlic and cheese.  Spread both the top and bottom of the bun with this mixture and then sprinkle on the smoked paprika.  Set aside.  

In a small bowl, combine the milk and cubed bread and let the bread completely soak up the milk and break up, about 5 minutes.  In a medium size bowl combine the ground beef, onion, garlic, parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, soaked bread, oregano, basil and pepper until all is incorporated.

Mold the meat into about 2 inch balls.  Then press down the balls to create flat burger patties, about a 1/2 inch thick.  Throw on the grill over medium flame.  Cook each side about 5 mins.  Don't over cook!    These are thin patties and can dry out quickly if you forget.  Keep an eye out.  After you flip, top the cooked side with a slice of provolone cheese.

Throw on the buns (face down) the same time as the patties.  Let toast until golden brown, about 5 mins.  

Heat up some marinara sauce in a small sauce pan over low heat, about 5 mins.

Assemble your meatball burger - bottom bun, a ladle full of marinara sauce, patty (with cheese) and top bun.  "Ciao" down!  :)

Roasted Spicy Sausage and Peppers

 

When people ask you what's your favorite thing to smell, one of the first things that pop in my mind is Sausage and Peppers.  There isn't anything quite like the yummy smell of spicy savory sausage sizzling away in a vat of bell peppers, onions, garlic and wine.

My Grandma Kay was Croatian but married an Italian man and when he went off to war, she stayed with his very full blooded Italian parents who used to cook peppers all the time because they had a pepper garden in the back yard.  She would tell me stories of how she always had to leave the house and take my dad on long walks for hours just to get away from the smell, "Oh, that smell, that smell, I'll never forget it!".  This story always makes me laugh because I'll never understand what she didn't like about that sweet and peppery scent which to me is one of my favorites and always makes me reminisce about family and dinnertime.  Maybe it's an Italian thing.

What's great about this dish is that you can either make it for two or you can make it for twenty.  This classic Italian comfort food goes a long way but also makes delicious leftover sausage sandwiches the next day.  And the convenient thing about Italian sausage is that is freezes really well.  So, even if you're forced to buy a pound and only need enough for two, you can freeze whatever you don't use and it will keep for a few months.  The key to this recipe is finding great quality authentic fresh Italian sausage.  Please do me a favor, find your favorite Italian deli and buy it from there!  It makes a world of difference!  Trust me on this one.

 

What you need: serves about 4

1 lb spicy Italian pork sausage (about 5 links)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 green bell pepper (julienned)
1/2 red bell pepper (julienned)
1/2 yellow bell pepper (julienned)
1/2 orange bell pepper (julienned)
1 small yellow onion (julienned)
4 cloves garlic (smashed)
1 cup white wine
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
kosher salt and crushed black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, brown the sausage for about 5 mins each side.  This not only makes the sausage look more appetizing to eat but it gives the casing a nice crunch.  In a large baking dish or pan start lining in the seared sausage about an inch apart.  Toss in the rest of the ingredients but try not to cover the tops of the sausage.  Because we are baking the sausage in wine, we want to let them breath as much as possible instead of fully steaming them.  Otherwise, they'll lose the crunch that you previously gave them!  And don't worry about wasting the other half of the bell peppers.  There is always pizza making night during the week, right?  Or you could easily just pick your two favorite bell peppers and use the whole thing.  I like color, so I used all four halves.  :)

Bake for about 45 mins or when the peppers have soften and the sausage is fully cooked.  Serve hot or in a roll for an Italian Sausage Sangwich.  

Tomato Artichoke Tapenade

I may be a bit bias, but Italian restaurants have gotten it right by feeding you immediately with free food, right?  I mean, there is nothing more frustrating than heading out to eat while starving and not being able to get your grub on until a half hour after you've ordered.  It's the same thing when going to a dinner party or coming home from a long day of work... you're hungry and want to eat now!  That's what's so great about Tapenade.  It's a smart and complementary starter to any Italian meal that is easy to make the day before so that you can just pop it out of the fridge the next evening and eat right away while you're eagerly waiting for the main dish.  

Tapenade is usually made of olives, capers and anchovies, but there are a couple of folks in my family who despise olives (I know, maybe they're not real Italians, oh, and I'm kinda one of them...).  So I thought this just as tasty dip could be a good substitute.  Because of the tomatoes, it almost becomes a thick Italian salsa/bruschetta that works great on slices of bread instead of chips.  And without that tangy and salty bite from the capers and anchovies, the artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes works as a smart alternative.  A simple but decadent appetizer that will impress all your friends and family your fabulous authentic Italian skills.  :)

What you'll need: serves 4-6

1 heirloom tomato (roughly diced)

2 6 ounce jar quartered artichokes (not canned, drained)

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (if from jar, drained, roughly chopped)
2 cloves garlic (roughly chopped)
1/4 cup Italian parsley
1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese (a tasty substitute for salt)
1 tsp black ground pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

In a food processor, throw in all the ingredients.  Pulse a couple of times and then blend for a few seconds until everything is finely chopped.  Depending on how chunky you want the paste will determine how long you'll process.  I like mine on the finer side and blended for about 5 seconds.  Chill at least 4 hours or overnight for the flavors to meld together.  Serve on bread or crackers!

Cranberry Citrus Sangria

Sangria is the drink that both winos and not so winos love.  A party pleaser that can satisfy everyone's drink tastes without having to come up with a bunch of other beverage ideas!  And it's so much fun to make because the ways to mix it up are endless.  This time around was super simple but very effective in more ways than one.  :P  Because the wine is more acidic tasting, I wanted to break that up with a lot of citrus and tang by adding Squirt and cranberry juice.  And the best part of it all... the fruit!  Lots and lots of fruit.  Because after you take that last sip of Sangria, you have a wine soaked snack at the bottom of your would-be-sad-empty-glass on any other regular day.  Not only did I stuff the pitcher with diced up crispy anjou pears, granny smith apples, limes and oranges but also froze small slices of limes and oranges in hexagonal shaped ice cubes to keep the drink chilled in a fun way.   

What you'll need: Serves 4

1 bottle less expensive red wine

16 ounces Squirt

16 ounces cranberry juice

1 anjou pear (diced)

1 granny smith apple (diced)

2 limes (1/4 inch sliced) + additional for garnish and ice cubes

1 orange (1/4 inch sliced) + additional for garnish and ice cubes

Nothing to it, just throw all the prepared fruits and fluids in a pitcher, cover and chill over night or four hours before serving.  This amount of time allows the fruit to soak up all the flavors of the Sangria.    Serve over the fruit filled ice cubes, garnish and drink up!

Brie and Pear Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Well, we are now waist deep into National Grilled Cheese Month and I have to say it's been a heck of an awesome April so far - grilled cheeses are a good omen in my book.  I mean, life can't be THAT bad when you have a plate of creamy flavorful cheese in between two pieces of buttery toast, right?  I've mentioned before that when I was a wee thing, I had a grilled cheese sandwich and a sliced up pear everyday during the summer while I sat in front of the TV "wondering" if Kevin Arnold was ever going to end up with Winnie Cooper.  And all that was maybe slightly sad going on in my life like misplacing my favorite blanket or breaking my favorite sky blue crayon all went away when my mom put that simple yet wonderful grilled cheese sandwich in front of me. 

Of course, back then I would have never thought in a zillion years to put the pear inside my sandwich, but today it's an absolute must.  It gives the classic grilled cheese a sweet and savory twist that excites your pallet.  And pair it with some thyme and pecans and you've got yourself a delicious combo of nutty and herby flavors that complement the creamy brie and sweet pear beautifully.  

And the best part, you can still reminisce about your childhood grilled cheese days without having to feel like a kid when eating this one.

What you'll need: serves 2

1 Anjou pear (thinly sliced) crispier pears work better for this recipe
1 tbsp butter (plus extra for toasting the bread)
1/8 cup raw pecans chopped
3 sprigs thyme (roughly chopped)
4 slices White Bread (GF Udi's White Sandwich Bread)
Double Cream Brie Light (1/4 in. slices)

In a small sauce pan over medium heat, melt the 1 tbsp of butter, throw in the slices of pear, chopped pecans and thyme.  Let cook for about 15 mins, until the pears have softened, stir every couple of mins.  Remove from heat.

Butter your bread for a golden crust and start layering in a pan over low-medium heat - bread, brie, pear mixture (get all those pecan and thyme morsels in!), more brie and bread.  Let each side cook for about 5 mins to allow the brie enough time to melt, but don't burn the bread!  Lower the heat if the crust is getting too brown too quickly.  Slice in half, plate and enjoy!

Cucumber Margarita

Spring is officially here and I'm ready for a cool and refreshing drink.  I'm all for the typical fruity margaritas but they can often be over sweet and mask the yummy flavor of tequila. Cucumbers, on the other hand, are light, healthy and complement tequila and lime very well - the perfect drink for these sunny late afternoons.  All this margarita is missing is a set of maracas!  Trust me, you'll wish you had some after a couple glasses of these.  Aye yai yai!

What you'll need: serves about 4

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cucumber (skin removed, finely diced)

4 jiggers El Jimador Tequila Blanco

4 jiggers Jose Cuervo Light Margarita Mix Classic Lime

juice from 2 limes

1/2 cucumber (skin removed, quartered for garnish)

cherry tomatoes for garnish
kosher salt for glass rim

In a small sauce pan over medium heat, bring the water and sugar to a bowl, to make the simple syrup.  Once the sugar has dissolved (about 5 mins), remove from heat and let completely cool.  In a blender, puree the diced cucumber until completely smooth.  Add 1/2 cup of the cooled simple syrup and mix until well incorporated.

Rub some lime juice around the rim of four margarita glasses and dip in kosher salt.  Fill each glass with a couple handfuls of ice.  Divide the cucumber mixture and add to each glass along with one jigger of tequila, one jigger of margarita mix and a tablespoon of lime juice.  Mix and drink up!