Steak Salad

Nothing says summer like a good salad. But sometimes you live with men who like some substance on their salad. I found the perfect combination of boy meets girl in this steak salad. Real Simple August issue is packed with some great salad recipes this month. This is one of the first of many that I will be making this week! I have had a salad similar to this at a steak place in Seattle….I am blanking on the name now. Just know that with this salad you can control the calories by how much bacon and dressing you put on the salad. Sometimes, just having a hint is all that is needed.

The three of us without a palate of a baby loved this salad…..the middle son had a bowl of cereal and the youngest just ate some steak. The point was, we all ate at the same time and at the same table….which is huge considering how busy we are. I am happiest when we are all together laughing and sharing our day together. If only you knew what we talked about at dinner!

 

Steak Salad with Bacon, Crispy Potatoes, And Blue Cheese Dressing

 

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces sliced bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 8 ounces potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 tsp. oil
• 3 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 cup sour cream (we used low fat)
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1 green onion, chopped
• Lettuce

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp and drain on a paper towel.
2. Add the potatoes to the bacon drippings and season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until browned and tender. Transfer to a paper towel to drain.
3. Meanwhile, grill the steak with seasoning until it is cooked to your desired doneness. Let rest a few minutes before serving.
4. For the dressing, combine the sour cream, buttermilk, vinegar, green onion and 1/4 tsp. salt and pepper. (we left the blue cheese out of the dressing and simply put it on top of the salads for those who liked blue cheese)
5. Place lettuce on each plate and top with steak, bacon, potatoes and drizzle with dressing….and if you like blue cheese, blue cheese crumbles.

To Joyful, Simplified Living,

MS. Simplicity 

MS. Simplicity, also known as Melissa Schmalenberger  operates her business as I Did it with MS. Simplicity.  She is a Professional Organizer based out of Fargo, ND and her website can be found at http://www.ididit-fargo.com/. 

• Interested in starting your own Professional Organizing business, visit http://www.mssimplicity.com/  to learn about how Melissa can help you! 

• Need to contact MS. Simplicity privately, you can email her at melissa@mssimplicity.com.

• MS. Simplicity offers monthly classes, click here to find out the latest offerings!

• For daily organizing tips find the MS. Simplicity fan page here.

Tomato Bread With Prosciutto

June 3, 2011

How good is this recipe? So good we forgot to take a picture and ate it all before we remembered. If I could pick two words to describe this recipe, it would be yummy and fast. Enough said. Seriously, so good and so easy. A quick char of the bread on the grill. A quick whir of the food processor and you are done.

I have blogged 2 of Bobby Flay’s cookbooks in the past. They are always full of good recipes. This one is no exception. The subtitle of the book is “125 Reasons to Light Your Fire”. As if we need any reasons to grill!

The Ruling: As stated above, we all loved it! Well, youngest child just ate the grilled bread. It was nice and light and really hit the spot. So quick to make. You could even use this as a fast meal, serve with a salad and you are good to go!

Tomato Bread with Prosciutto, pg 37

 Ingredients:

• 6 very ripe plum tomatoes or 3 beefsteak tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• ¼ cup olive oil, plus extra for brushing
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
• 8 slices ciabatta or other crusty, country-style bread, about 1/ inch thick
• 8 thin slices prosciutto, Serrano, or Smithfield ham

Directions:  

1. Combine the tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste in a food processor or blender.  Puree until smooth, transfer to a bowl, and stir in the thyme.  Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.  (The puree can be made up to a day in advance, covered, and kept refrigerated.  Bring to room temperature before serving.)
2. Heat your grill to high.
3. Brush the bread slices on both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Grill the bread for 1 minute on each side, until lightly charred.  Remove the bread from the grill and generously brush each slice on one side with the tomato puree.  Top each one with a slice of prosciutto and serve.

To Joyful, Simplified Living,

MS. Simplicity

MS. Simplicity, also known as Melissa Schmalenberger  operates her business as I Did it with MS. Simplicity.  She is a Professional Organizer based out of Fargo, ND and her website can be found at http://www.ididit-fargo.com/.

• Interested in starting your own Professional Organizing business, visit http://www.mssimplicity.com/ to learn about how Melissa can help you! 
• Need to contact MS. Simplicity privately, you can email her at melissa@mssimplicity.com.
• MS. Simplicity offers monthly classes, click hereto find out the latest offerings!
• For daily organizing tips find the MS. Simplicity fan page here.

Queso Fundido

Day 153: Mario Tailgates Nascar Style

June 2, 2011

Doesn’t everything taste better with cheese? At least that is my motto. My middle child loves queso of any type and since we are trying to get him to gain weight, I thought this would be a great choice of a recipe. The rest of us don’t need to gain any weight, but I am a mom and want to do what is right, so I made him this calorie laden dish…..because I am a good mom….right?

Did you know that there was a NASCAR Style of cooking? I know I did not. Did you know that Mario Batali is an officially licensed NASCAR tailgating cookbook? I was surprised about that one too! Well he must be serious about his NASCAR and I know he is serious about food, so you must know that this cookbook is full of some yummy recipes.

The Ruling: We had a hard time with this one. Our cheese would not blend with the wine and whatever we did, we could not get it to work. I am sure that if we were to make it blend, it would have tasted lovely. The way it turned out for us, we had a hard time even getting it on a chip.

Queso Fundido, page 45

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white wine
• ½ pound mozzarella cheese, grated
• ½ pound Monterey Jack cheese, rated
• ½ pound goat cheese, crumbled
• Two 4-ounce cans chopped green chiles
• ¼ pound cooked chorizo, cut into ½ inch dice
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Tortilla chips for serving

 Directions:

1. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the wine to a simmer.  Immediately remove it from the heat, and the mozzarella cheese and Monterey jack cheeses, and stir continuously until they are melted.  You’ll need to place it back on the grill for a few seconds to help it along.  (if using a gas grill, reduce the heat to low for this step.)
2. Stir in the goat cheese, green chiles, chorizo, and garlic.  Continue heating and stirring for 5 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Transfer the mixture to a fondue pot and serve with tortilla chips

 To Joyful, Simplified Living,

 MS. Simplicity

 MS. Simplicity, also known as Melissa Schmalenberger  operates her business as I Did it with MS. Simplicity.  She is a Professional Organizer based out of Fargo, ND and her website can be found at http://www.ididit-fargo.com/.

• Interested in starting your own Professional Organizing business, visit http://www.mssimplicity.com/ to learn about how Melissa can help you! 
• Need to contact MS. Simplicity privately, you can email her at melissa@mssimplicity.com.
• MS. Simplicity offers monthly classes, click hereto find out the latest offerings!
• For daily organizing tips find the MS. Simplicity fan page here.

 

Father’s Day Grilling Menu

There seems to be a rule that if you are a father, you love grilling. Maybe it is just if you are a man, you love grilling! So what to make for that man who loves to grill on his special day? I have been grilling a lot lately, so I will share with you what I think would be a great menu to show that special father how much you love him! Note to my dad….come and visit and your grandsons will make this for you! Note to my kids….make this for dad as I will be on an airplane flying back on Sunday. I will be sure to make sure my kids read my blog today!

Appetizer: Grilled Shrimp, Scallion and Bacon Quesadillas with Smoky Guacamole

Side Dish: Grilled Potato Salad With Crisp Bacon

Salad: Grilled Asparagus Chopped Salad

Main Dish Chicken: Curried Chicken Breasts

Main Dish Beef: Grilled Steak With Blender Chimichurri

Dessert: Grilled Chocolate Raspberry Burritos

To Joyful, Simplified Living,

MS. Simplicity 

MS. Simplicity, also known as Melissa Schmalenberger  operates her business as I Did it with MS. Simplicity.  She is a Professional Organizer based out of Fargo, ND and her website can be found at http://www.ididit-fargo.com/.

• Interested in starting your own Professional Organizing business, visit http://www.mssimplicity.com/ to learn about how Melissa can help you! 
• Need to contact MS. Simplicity privately, you can email her at melissa@mssimplicity.com.
• MS. Simplicity offers monthly classes, click hereto find out the latest offerings!
• For daily organizing tips find the MS. Simplicity fan page here.

Grilled Pizza Dough

Day 152: Let the Flames Begin: Tips, Techniques, and Recipes for Real Live Fire Cooking

June 1, 2011

Have you ever grilled a pizza? The first time we tried it, it ended in disaster! I remember coming home after my husband had grilled the pizza and my oldest son asked if we could order some “real” pizza. Needless to say, our kids were not impressed at our first attempt. That was about 10 years ago and I felt it was time to try it again. I know that people have great success with grilling pizzas, so I knew I had to try it again.

Did you know that grilling cookbooks don’t always just cover the traditional grilling recipes that you imagine. Sometimes they expand to do pizza dough! This is a fun cookbook for those who love to grill as for those who are new to grilling.

The Ruling: We made this with friends on their smoker grill. We grilled the bread and then added some non traditional ingredients, such as pesto and artichoke hearts as well as tomatoes, garlic stuffed green olives and mozzarella. One thing that I loved is that the dough that did not stick to the grill, like I thought it would. Success! I liked the addition of the beer, it added a level of flavor that was unexpected.

EZ Grill Bread with Personality, pg 77

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup warm water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing
• ½ cup beer of your choice, at room temperature
• ¼ cup yellow cornmeal, plus more for dusting
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling

 Directions:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, stir together the yeast and ½ cup of the flour.  Add the warm water and mix until just blended.  Cover with a damp towel and let stand in a warm, draft-free place (inside the oven with the pilot light on, for example) for 30 minutes, until the mixture is thick and foamy and gives off a sound sort of like soda fizz when you stir it.
2. Add the 2 tablespoons of oil and the beer to the yeast mixture and mix well.  Now add the ¼ cup of cornmeal and the teaspoon of salt, then begin adding the remaining 2½ cups of flour, ½ cup at a time, to form a soft dough (you may not need all of the flour).  Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead , adding as much of the remaining flour as necessary to prevent the dough from sticking, until the dough is satiny and slightly sticky, about 8 minutes.
3. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turning once to coat.  Cover loosely and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 to 1½ hours.  Divide the dough into quarters, then form each one into a ball.  Sprinkle a cookie sheet with cornmeal and put the balls of dough on the sheet, then cover loosely and let rise again for 30 minutes.  Or, if you want, at this point you can cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate until about 1 hour before you want to cook the bread.)
4. Build a multi-level fire in your grill:  leaving one quarter of the bottom free of coals, bank the coals in the remaining three quarters of the grill so that they are three times as high on one side as on the other.  When the coals are all ignited and the temperature has died down to medium (you can hold your hand about 5 inches above the grill grid, over the area where the coals are deepest, for 4 to 5 seconds), you’re ready to cook.
5. Stretch each ball of dough into a rough circle or rectangle about 1/8 inch thick and 10 inches across.  Brush with additional olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt, then place on the grill directly over the coals and cook until black spots from on the bottom and bubbles form on the top, about 4 minutes.  Flip the bread and grill the other side until golden and crusty, about 3 to 4 minutes.  Remove from the grill and serve.

 

To Joyful, Simplified Living,

MS. Simplicity

MS. Simplicity, also known as Melissa Schmalenberger  operates her business as I Did it with MS. Simplicity.  She is a Professional Organizer based out of Fargo, ND and her website can be found at http://www.ididit-fargo.com/.

• Interested in starting your own Professional Organizing business, visit http://www.mssimplicity.com/ to learn about how Melissa can help you! 
• Need to contact MS. Simplicity privately, you can email her at melissa@mssimplicity.com.
• MS. Simplicity offers monthly classes, click hereto find out the latest offerings!
• For daily organizing tips find the MS. Simplicity fan page here.

 

Grilled Potato Salad With Crisp Bacon

Day 149: Al Roker’s Big Bad Book of Barbecue 

May 29, 2011

I have made a grilled potato salad before and it always surprises my guests. We all have our favorite potato salads that our moms, aunts, sisters or grandmas have made. We may love them with eggs, love it heavy on the mayo or the mustard, or maybe even onions. But grilling the potatoes makes it so exciting! Take that potato salad to the next level.

If you watch the Today Show, you know that Al Roker loves food. He even has produced shows on the Food Network. He created this cookbook with about 100 recipes of food on the grill. There were a lot of choices in this cookbook and gave me a challenge to just pick one. My oldest son while looking at it, said that we should keep the cookbook for a while as he wanted to make many recipes in it.

The Ruling: We all liked it. We liked it so much that my oldest son made it again. He did say that it took him longer than he thought when he made it. So don’t expect it to take a few minutes as it does take time to boil the potatoes and then slice and grill them. Is it worth the effort….you bet!

Grilled Potato Salad with Crisp Bacon, pg 102

Ingredients:

For the Dressing:

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons canola oil, or other vegetable oil
• Salt
• Freshly ground pepper

For the Salad:

• 4 pounds small (3-inch) red potatoes
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Coarse salt, such as kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 6 strips bacon
• 1 medium red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• ½ cup chopped parsley leaves

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients.  Cover and refrigerate until needed, or for up to 2 days.
2. Scrub the potatoes, put them in a large pot, and add water to cover by about 2 inches.  Salt the water generously.  Cover the pot and set it over high heat.  Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a brisk simmer and cook until the potatoes can just be pierced by a fork.  The time will vary with the size of your potatoes, but they may take up to 25 minutes.
3. Drain the potatoes, place them in a shallow pan, and drizzle with the oil.  Roll the potatoes in the oil to coat, season with salt and pepper, and let cool to room temperature.  Cut the potatoes in half, and toss to coat the cut sides in oil.  You can do this several hours ahead of time; let the potatoes sit at room temperature.
4. Prepare a charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill for direct cooking over high heat.
5. While the grill is heating, warm a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the bacon and cook, turning as needed, until crisp, 12 to 15 minutes.  Remove the bacon from the skillet and drain on paper towels.  When it’s cool, chop roughly and set aside.
6. Grill the potatoes, turning them frequently, until they are well browned and beginning to char in spots. 5 to 8 minutes.  Put them in a bowl, and add the bacon, onion, and parsley.
7. Drizzle the dressing over the potatoes, toss gently, and serve immediately.

To Joyful, Simplified Living,

MS. Simplicity

MS. Simplicity, also known as Melissa Schmalenberger  operates her business as I Did it with MS. Simplicity.  She is a Professional Organizer based out of Fargo, ND and her website can be found at http://www.ididit-fargo.com/.

• Interested in starting your own Professional Organizing business, visit http://www.mssimplicity.com/ to learn about how Melissa can help you! 
• Need to contact MS. Simplicity privately, you can email her at melissa@mssimplicity.com.
• MS. Simplicity offers monthly classes, click hereto find out the latest offerings!
• For daily organizing tips find the MS. Simplicity fan page here.

Curried Chicken Breasts

Day 148: Barbecue Nation

May 28, 2011

What type of chicken do you grill? We tend to stick to the same boring boneless, skinless chicken breasts. So much easier to eat and you know that I am all about ease! However, there is something about eating the chicken with the skin and bone on that takes that plain chicken breast to the next level. You see, the juices stay in the breast as it grills and the chicken with the bone and skin on, simply stays juicy. Of course with the skin on, you have the added calories as well….but that is ok once in a while.

This is one smart cookbook author, he searched the country for the best home cook inspired barbecue recipes and compiled them all in one book. How come I wasn’t contacted? Just kidding! I do love to get recipes from friends that you know are not full of fuss but are full of flavor! Wouldn’t we rather get a recipe from a girlfriend or neighbor than a cookbook? If so this is a great option!

The Ruling: We all loved this! This one is going in the monthly rotation file for our family. We didn’t let it marinate long enough…but even the short amount of time, it still had a lot of flavor!

Curried chicken breasts, pg 145

 Ingredients:

• 1 cup salted dry-roasted peanuts, finely chopped
• 1 cup orange marmalade
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup fresh orange juice
• ¼ cup Dijon-style mustard
• ¼ cup fresh tarragon leaves, chopped
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts

Directions:  

1. Combine the marinade ingredients in a large bowl.  Add the chicken breasts and coat thoroughly.  Transfer the chicken to a roasting pan, pour over the marinade and cover with plastic wrap.  Let marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours.
2. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Place the roasting pan in the oven and bake for 35 minutes.  (At this point, you can proceed with the recipe or let cool, cover, and refrigerate up to 3 days)
4. Light a charcoal fire or preheat your gas grill on high.  Oil the grill’s cooking surface.
5. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on the grill.  Cook about 10 minutes per side to heat through, basting with the marinade.  When done, remove the chicken to a platter and serve immediately.

To Joyful, Simplified Living,

MS. Simplicity

MS. Simplicity, also known as Melissa Schmalenberger  operates her business as I Did it with MS. Simplicity.  She is a Professional Organizer based out of Fargo, ND and her website can be found at http://www.ididit-fargo.com/.

• Interested in starting your own Professional Organizing business, visit http://www.mssimplicity.com/ to learn about how Melissa can help you! 
• Need to contact MS. Simplicity privately, you can email her at melissa@mssimplicity.com.
• MS. Simplicity offers monthly classes, click hereto find out the latest offerings!
• For daily organizing tips find the MS. Simplicity fan page here.

Grilled Asparagus Chopped Salad

Day 147: Bobby Flay’s Grill It!

May 27, 2011

I am on a salad kick that is now combined with grilling. I rarely make a meal using my oven in the summer but I do get tired of the traditional grilled chicken breasts. Mix it up when you grill and add in something fun like grilling fruits and vegetables.

Bobby Flay is that cutie pie grilling Iron Chef master that can be seen on the Food Network. His focus is on the grill, and when he writes a cookbook, I pay attention. This cookbook is full of 150 dishes that are not all that complicated but as always full of flavor.

The Ruling: So good! I can’t wait to make this one again. We did not have Meyer Lemons, and used just regular lemons and it was still delicious. Did my fussy eaters try the salad…..nope. Too bad for them!

Grilled Asparagus Chopped Salad with Creamy Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette and Grilled Pita Chip Croutons, pg 14

Ingredients:

• 2 pocketless pita breads
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups mesclun greens
• ½ pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 8 ounces aged white Cheddar cheese, cut into ½ inch dice
• 1 English cucumber, cut into ½ inch dice
• ½ cup black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
• 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained, rinsed and drained again
• Perfectly Grilled Asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces (recipe follows)
• Meyer Lemon Dressing (recipe follows)

Directions:

1. Heat your grill to high.
2. Brush the pita on both sides with oil and season with salt and pepper.  Grill until golden brown and crispy, about 1 minute per side.  Remove the pita to a cutting board and cut each pita in half.  Cut each half into ½ inch slices.
3. Combine the mesclun, tomatoes, cheese, cucumber, olives, chickpeas, and asparagus in a large bowl.  Add half of the dressing and toss well to coat; season with salt and pepper.  Drizzle with more of the dressing and top with the pita chips.

_____________________________

Perfectly Grilled Asparagus, pg 11

Ingredients,

• 1 ½ pounds (about 24 medium stalks) fresh asparagus
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat your grill to high.
2. To trim the asparagus, snap the spears with two hands; the tough part should break right off.   For a cleaner look and less waste, you can cut off the tough bottoms with a knife and peel the bottom half of the stalk if necessary.
3. Place the asparagus on a baking sheet, toss with the oil, and season with salt and pepper.  Grill the asparagus, perpendicular to the grates of the grill, for 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until just crisp-tender.

______________________________

Meyer Lemon Dressing, pg 15

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup fresh Meyer lemon juice or 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice plus 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice.
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves

Directions:

1. Whisk together the Meyer lemon juice, vinegar, honey, mayonnaise, both mustards, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl.  Slowly whisk in the oil until emulsified and then stir in the tarragon.

To Joyful, Simplified Living,

MS. Simplicity

MS. Simplicity, also known as Melissa Schmalenberger  operates her business as I Did it with MS. Simplicity.  She is a Professional Organizer based out of Fargo, ND and her website can be found at http://www.ididit-fargo.com/.

• Interested in starting your own Professional Organizing business, visit http://www.mssimplicity.com/ to learn about how Melissa can help you! 
• Need to contact MS. Simplicity privately, you can email her at melissa@mssimplicity.com.
• MS. Simplicity offers monthly classes, click hereto find out the latest offerings!
• For daily organizing tips find the MS. Simplicity fan page here.

Grilled Chocolate Raspberry Burritos

Day 146: Better Homes and Gardens Gas Grill Cookbook

May 26, 2011

Have you ever tried grilling dessert? I have made grilled pineapple, fabulous! So you can imagine that my curiosity was piqued with the title Grilled Chocolate raspberry Burrito. What is not to like in grilling dessert. Keeps the heat outside and the oven off.

I have a gas grill so a cookbook centered around the gas grill made sense to me. Cooking with a gas grill you can have more heat control and can have the grill ready to go in minutes. I could not find a picture of this cookbook on Amazon….so it must not have published very many copies. Easy to follow cookbook however. Reminds me of the ones that my mom had collected in the ’70s.

The Ruling: Surprise, surprise…we all loved it! We never would have thought of this on our own. Very simple to make! We had blackberries and substituted those in when we ran out of rasperries…they tasted great as well. Surprise your next dinner guests with this dessert, it will become your new favorite.

Grilled Chocolate-Raspberry Burritos, pg 77

Ingredients:

• 4 8- to 9-inch flour tortillas
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Stack the tortillas and wrap in a piece of foil.  Preheat gas grill.  Reduce heat to medium-low.  Place foil packet on the grill rack directly over heat.  Cover and grill about 5 minutes or until tortillas are warm and pliable, turning packet once halfway through grilling.  Remove from grill (or wrap the tortillas in microwave-safe paper towels; microwave on 100% power [high] for 20 to 40 seconds.)
2. Sprinkle the chocolate pieces and raspberries in the centers of warm tortillas.  Fold in sides and roll up.  Brush the burritos with half of the melted butter.  Place burritos on the grill rack directly over heat.  Cover and grill about 3 minutes or until the tortillas begin to show grill marks and the chocolate is melted, turning once halfway through grilling.
3. Transfer the burritos to a serving platter.  Brush with the remaining melted butter.  In a small bowl combine the sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over the burritos.  Serve immediately.

To Joyful, Simplified Living,

MS. Simplicity

MS. Simplicity, also known as Melissa Schmalenberger  operates her business as I Did it with MS. Simplicity.  She is a Professional Organizer based out of Fargo, ND and her website can be found at www.ididit-fargo.com .  Need to contact MS. Simplicity privately, you can email her at melissa@ididit-fargo.com.  MS. Simplicity offers monthly classes, click here to find out the latest offerings! For daily organizing tips find the MS. Simplicity fan page  here.

 If you try any of my suggestions, I would love to hear from you.  It helps me to understand what my readers want me to write about and what they think is a waste of their time….thanks for taking the time to help me out.

Beer Baked Beans

Day 144: Barbecues 101

May 24, 2011

Now that grilling season is upon us, I now have to look for the perfect side dish to go along with everything that I am pulling off the grill. Baked beans seem to fit the bill. Summer is the only time that we tend to make them in our household. Everyone likes them, but I am not sure why we don’t eat them more year round. My favorite bean recipe is the one where you add hamburger and bacon along with several variety of beans. You can find the type that I am talking about here. I think my original recipe is still written on an index card….it goes back that far. What I love about that bean recipe is that is an all in one meal. You don’t need anything else but the beans!

Can I tell you how excited I am to be in the grilling section of the cookbooks in the library? If you are a novice at grilling, this cookbook authored by Rick Rodgers can help you gain some confidence. He goes in-depth of safety precautions as well as concerns with temperature. Want to learn how to brine and smoke a turkey….this cookbook will show you how.

The Ruling: We brought this to some friend’s lake home for dinner. Everyone loved them. One friend in particular had 3 helpings! I just thought they were ok. I think they were a little on the sweet side for me. The can of beer added some depth of flavor that was unexpected. If you didn’t tell people that there was beer in it, they would wonder about the flavor.

Beer Baked Beans, pg 105

Ingredients:

• 5 ounces sliced bacon, coarsely chopped
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 (12-ounce) can lager beer
• ½ cup ketchup
• ½ cup honey
• ¼ cup spicy brown mustard
• 5 (15 ½ to 19 ounce) cans white kidney (cannellini) beans, rinsed and drained

Directions:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degree F.
2. Place the bacon in a Dutch oven or flameproof casserole.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is browned, about 6 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels, leaving the fat in the pan.  Cool the bacon and set aside.
3. Add the onions to the fat in the Dutch oven and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 6 minutes.  Stir in the beer, ketchup, honey, and brown mustard.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.  Stir in the beans and reserved bacon.  Bring to a simmer.
4. Cover tightly and bake for 1 hour.  Uncover and continue baking until the beans have absorbed most of the liquid and look glazed, about 30 minutes.  Serve hot.

To Joyful, Simplified Living,

MS. Simplicity

MS. Simplicity, also known as Melissa Schmalenberger  operates her business as I Did it with MS. Simplicity.  She is a Professional Organizer based out of Fargo, ND and her website can be found at www.ididit-fargo.com .  Need to contact MS. Simplicity privately, you can email her at melissa@ididit-fargo.com.  MS. Simplicity offers monthly classes, click here to find out the latest offerings! For daily organizing tips find the MS. Simplicity fan page  here.

If you try any of my suggestions, I would love to hear from you.  It helps me to understand what my readers want me to write about and what they think is a waste of their time….thanks for taking the time to help me out.