London Broil Potato Bites
Did yall know Virgina Tech is known for their outstanding food court on campus? They were ranked #3 in the country for Best Campus Food in the 2016 Princeton Review -- can you imagine a food court that good in college?! Pretty impressive! While there might be plenty of food for students to choose from, West Inn Market's London Broil with Garlic Mashed Potatoes happens to be one of the most popular dishes on campus. So with the VA Tech food court in mind, I recreated the recipe into something bite sized... Easy and fun for any Gameday party!
Grocery List (4 dozen bites):
1 lb Flank steak
24 small new potatoes
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Pepper
6 tbsp butter
5 garlic cloves - minced
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup heavy cream
Directions:
1. Take Flank steak out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss the potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper on a sheet pan. Roast potatoes in the oven for about 25-30 minutes or until a knife easily pierces through them.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, heat butter in a small saucepan over low-medium heat. Once melted, add the garlic and let cook for one minute, being careful not to burn the garlic. Set aside.
3. Let potatoes cool slightly and slice each one in half. With the small end of a melon ball scooper, scoop out the middle of the potato and toss into a medium bowl, being careful to leave a small border around the sides and not break the skin. To the bowl, add the garlic butter mixture, sour cream, heavy cream, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Mash together with a potato masher or a fork until ingredients are mixed together and potatoes are smooth. Fill each empty potato with the mixture. Put back in the oven for about 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Heat a grill pan over high heat. Brush olive oil and sprinkle a gracious amount of salt and pepper on each side of the Flank steak. Grill for about 3-4 minutes per side for medium rare. Set aside and let rest for at least 5 minutes. With a very sharp knife, slice very thin slices of the steak against the grain, until you have 48 pieces. If you run out of pieces and need more, cut each piece in half. Top each potato with a slice of steak.
CHEERS TO A HAPPY FOOTBALL SEASON!!!
Almond Buckeyes
Having several friends from the state of Ohio, the official recipe for this school was an easy one to figure out. These little cookies are the perfect representation of Ohio State's mascot: the Buckeye! I put a little twist on them by using almond butter instead of peanut butter because I happen to like it better. But what really makes them stand out is the nutty, sweet flavor from the almond extract and toasted almonds. Like Ohio State's football team, these are a winner!
Grocery list (20-25 cookies):
1/2 cup sliced almonds
3/4 cup almond butter
1/2 cup butter - room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 tsp almond extract
Kosher Salt
2 cups chocolate chips
2 tbsp Crisco
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350. Evenly spread the sliced almonds on a small baking sheet. Roast in the oven for about 6-8 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool and chop into small pieces.
2. In a medium bowl, add the almond butter, butter, powdered sugar, almond extract, and a dash of salt. Mix together until completely smooth and even. Using a small ice cream scoop, roll into 1 inch, smooth balls. You should have about 20-25 balls. Place on waxed paper or a silicone mat and chill in the fridge for 30 to 45 minutes, or until firm.
3. In a small bowl, melt the chocolate chips and Crisco together in the microwave. I do this by heating for 15 seconds, taking it out and stirring. Then I repeat that process until it comes together melted and smooth.
4. Using a toothpick, dip each one of the balls in the chocolate one at a time, leaving a small amount of the almond butter showing at the top so they look like Buckeyes. Sprinkle the sides and bottom with the chopped almonds and place back on the waxed paper. When you remove the toothpick, smooth the hole over with your finger. Refrigerate until the chocolate hardens.
CHEERS TO A HAPPY FOOTBALL SEASON!!!
College Football Fridays
Pizza Trio
Pizza makes me think back to all times I've ever had friends over to play around in the kitchen with me. With pizza, you can mix and match ingredients and everyone can have fun coming up with their own pizza combos. I love having friends over for homemade pizza parties, and these three pizzas happen to be my favorite flavor combos I've discovered!
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL VIDEO!!!!!
Grocery List (4-6 people for 3 pizzas)
Pizza Dough (makes 3 medium pizzas):
¼ cup dry white wine
2 packages of Pizza Crust yeast (no rise necessary)
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp Kosher salt
4 tbsp olive oil
3 ½ cups flour (plus extra for kneading)
Apple, Smoked Gouda, & Bacon Pizza:
¼ cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion – sliced thin
Kosher salt
1 small Granny Smith Apple – sliced thin
6 oz smoked gouda 5 slices bacon – fried and crumbled
Fig, Burrata, & Prosciutto Pizza:
¼ cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
10-12 dry black mission figs – chopped
8 oz burrata cheese (or mozzarella) – sliced
4 oz prosciutto – sliced
BLT pizza:
2 tbsp sour cream
1 tbsp mayo
1 lemon – juiced
1 tsp garlic - minced
2 tbsp chives – chopped
Kosher Salt
Pepper
2 medium Heirloom tomatoes – sliced ½ inch thick
8 slices of bacon – fried
2 cups arugula
2 tbsp olive oil
Directions:
Pizza Dough:
Combine the wine with 1 cup of water and heat in a microwave until it’s 100-110 degrees. Add it to a stand mixer with the yeast, honey, salt, and 3 tbsp of the olive oil. Stir with your hand to combine.
With a dough hook attached begin mixing at medium-high speed, slowly adding 1 cup of flour at a time until dough begins to form and is slightly sticky. If it’s too sticky, add more flour. (Cook’s Note: You don’t have to use a stand mixer to make pizza dough. You can just as easily do it manually by putting the wet ingredients into a bowl and slowly incorporating the flour with a wooden spoon until it all comes together).
On a well-floured surface, bring dough together in a ball and knead for about 3-4 minutes or until smooth and elastic, adding flour to the board if it sticks. Pour the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil into a bowl and spread around with your fingers so the oil completely covers the inside of the bowl. Put the ball of dough in the bowl and roll around, covering in olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside until ready to use.
When ready to use, flour your board again so dough doesn’t stick. Cut the dough into three even pieces. One at a time, using a rolling pin, roll each piece out into an oval/rectangle shape and place on a baking sheet covered with a thin layer of olive oil. Get ready to build your pizzas! (Cook’s note: you should have your ingredients ready to go once you roll your dough out. If dough sits in open air too long, it can become dry and crack).
Apple, Smoked Gouda, & Bacon Pizza:
Heat oven to 475 degrees. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a sauté pan. and sauté onions with a sprinkle of salt until soft and light brown in color. Pour olive oil mixture over prepared pizza dough and spread evenly. Top with smoked gouda, apples, and bacon. Bake for 10-12 minutes until crust is light brown and crisp.
Fig, Burrata, & Prosciutto Pizza:
Spread olive oil evenly over prepared pizza dough. Top with figs, burrata, and prosciutto. Bake for 10-12 minutes until crust is light brown and crisp.
BLT Pizza:
In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream, mayo, juice of half the lemon, garlic, chives, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and spread evenly over prepared pizza dough. Top with sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Bake for 10-12 minutes until crust is light brown and crisp. Toss arugula in a medium bowl with the juice of the other lemon half, olive oil, and a dash of salt and pepper. Top cooked pizza with arugula salad.
Andrea's Cooktales - Series 2, Episode 10 - Pizza Trio
Peach and Burrata Salad
I love having friends over for dinner parties and doing three to four courses paired with wine. It's fun, it's classy, and everyone loves it because they get to try a little bite and little sip of several different things! A good salad is something I love starting with and this recipe reminds me of just that. Tres and I had one of my former work friends over a couple of weeks ago for a dinner party and we had a total blast - particularly because this salad I created for the party was so delicious! She has to travel to Memphis occasionally for work now, so I'm hoping many more of these fun dinner parties happen and I can create more and more salads this wonderful! If you live in Memphis, I highly recommend peaches from Jones Orchard! They're known for their peaches and for good reason!
Grocery List:
4 cups arugula- roughly chopped
2 cups mint - roughly chopped
1 tbsp + extra - white balsamic syrup
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt
Pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 peaches - sliced
1/2 cup walnuts - toasted
2 tsp honey
1 tsp cinnamon
8 oz Burrata cheese (or fresh mozzarella)
Directions:
1. In a medium bowl mix the arugula and mint together. In a small bowl, add the white balsamic, lemon juice, a dash of Kosher salt and pepper, and whisk in the olive oil until thick. Pour the dressing on the arugula and mint salad and toss together.
2. Evenly distribute the salad mixture onto four small plates. Top with the sliced peaches and sprinkle a little salt on all the peaches.
3. In a small bowl, toss the toasted walnuts, honey, and cinnamon together very well. All the walnuts should have a little honey and cinnamon on them.
4. Sprinkle about 2 tbsp of walnuts on each salad. Top each salad with about 2 oz of sliced burrata. Salt and pepper the burrata and drizzle a little white balsamic syrup over each salad.
CHEERS TO HAPPY EATING!!!
Strawberry Watermelon Basil Cocktail
This weekend Tres was out of town so I went to my best friend Ginger's house for pool time and cocktails! I came up with this concoction using Jones Orchard's Christmas Jam. Yes, I'm aware we have a log way to go until Christmas! But this cocktail is definitely a summer cocktail - the jam is full of strawberries and while it's delicious over a slice of bread it's also perfect as a simple syrup in a cocktail for a hot summer day! If you don't have access to Christmas Jam, you can substitute with strawberry jelly. I featured this recipe today on Local Memphis Live, but wasn't able to show the whole recipe, so here it is! Make this delicious drink asap!
Grocery List:
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup Christmas Jam (or strawberry jelly)
3/4 cup basil plus more for garnish
1 cup fresh strawberries - chopped
1 cup fresh watermelon - cubed
1/2 cup vodka
1 bottle prosecco or sparkling wine
Directions:
1. In a small saucepan over high heat combine the water, sugar, jelly, and basil. Bring to a boil for 1 minute then take off heat and let cool. When cooled, remove the basil.
2. Add the strawberries and watermelon to a blender. Blend on high until completely liquified. Pour the fruit mixture through a strainer, into a pitcher to remove pulp from the fruit. Add about 1/2 cup of the simple syrup, the vodka, and the bottle of presseco or sparkling wine. Stir to combine.
3. To serve, add ice to 4-6 glasses, pour the mixture evenly into glasses and garnish with a basil leaf.
CHEERS TO HAPPY DRINKING!!!
Crispy Brussel & Spinach Salad
I was on Local Memphis Live today using The Mighty Olive olive oil for 3 recipes with 6 ingredients or less! Coming back from Italy, I've had olive oil and simple recipes with few ingredients on my mind. If you have great olive oil and good ingredients, recipes can be so easy because they don't require a whole lot of anything... Just good food! This salad is healthy, delicious, and takes little time!
Grocery list:
1 lb Brussel sprouts - thinly sliced
1 tbsp plus 1/3 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Pepper
6 oz baby spinach
4 oz fresh Parmesan cheese - whole
2 lemons - juiced
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425. On a sheet pan, toss sliced brussel sprouts with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Roast brussels for 10-15 minutes or until brown and crispy.
2. As soon as you take the brussels out of the oven, lay the spinach over the top of the warm brussels and toss with clean hands. The heat from the brussels will slightly wilt the spinach.
3. Using a knife or fork, make small chunks out of the Parmesan cheese. Add to the salad.
4. In a small bowl, combine lemon juice and a dash of salt and pepper. Whisk in 1/3 cup of the olive oil. Pour over the salad and mix everything together with clean hands. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed. Serve with Parmesan shavings over the top.
CHEERS TO HAPPY EATING!!
Corn Salad with Roasted Shrimp
Every July 4th, I think of Tom Lee Park on the Mississippi River in Memphis. As a kid, I remember going out there every year and watching the fireworks. Aside from a fantastic firework show, all I really remember was the endless number of picnic blankets that lined the park. I think the 4th is the perfect time for a picnic - to sit back, relax, watch fireworks, and drink some rose! My go-to picnic dish is something I created a few years ago and couldn't wait to feature as a Cooktale! This July 4th and every picnic after, make my Corn Salad with Roasted Shrimp!! You won't be disappointed and neither will your crew!
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE!!!
Grocery List:
Salad:
1 lb uncooked shrimp – peeled and deveined
1 tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt
Pepper
5 large ears of corn – shucked
2 tbsp butter
4 green onions – chopped
1 large avocado – cubed
1 tsp Kosher salt
Dressing:
½ cup cilantro – chopped (more or less to taste)
2 tbsp jalapeno – seeded and minced
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 lime – juiced
3 tbsp agave nectar
1 tsp Kosher salt
½ tsp pepper
½ cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. On a sheet pan, toss shrimp with olive
oil and a sprinkle of Kosher salt and pepper. Roast for about 8
minutes, until shrimp just turn pink. Set aside to cool.
2. Heat a grill pan to high heat. Place corn on the grill and turn
every few minutes for about 12 minutes. When ready, corn should have several black, charred pieces. Set corn aside to cool slightly. When
cool enough to handle, take corn off the cob, slicing downward with a
sharp knife directly into a bowl. To the bowl, add the butter, green onions, avocado cubes, and salt. Stir to combine.
3. Make the dressing in a small bowl. Combine the cilantro, jalapeno,
white wine vinegar, lime juice, agave, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk
in the extra virgin olive oil until the dressing comes together. Pour
the dressing over the salad and toss together.
4. Toss shrimp into the salad or place on top. If you’re a vegetarian, you can leave the shrimp out, and the dish will still be perfect!
CHEERS TO HAPPY EATING!!!
Andrea's Cooktales - Series 2, Episode 9 - Corn Salad with Roasted Shrimp
Truffle Sliders
Once upon a time, I took Tres to the Pearl Jam concert at Wrigly Field in Chicago, and since then we have become Chicago summer regulars. In addition to an awesome concert scene and perfect weather, Chicago has easily become one of my favorite food cities. I had the best sliders of my entire life at Sable Kitchen and Bar in this great city! We found out about the place from a local, and the cocktails and food did not disappoint. When visiting a city with tons of great restaurants, we rarely go back to the same restaurant more than once, but we ended up at Sable three times for their truffle sliders!! So of course, I had to recreate them when I got home, and I have to say, mine are pretty close to the real thing!
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE!!!
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
2 onions - sliced thin
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 lb Ground Chuck (80 lean/20 fat)
3 oz truffle butter - room temperature
4 oz Taleggio or Havarti cheese
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp honey
10 mini burger buns or rolls
1/4 cup mayo
1 tsp truffle oil
Heat grill to medium-high. On your stovetop, heat olive oil and butter in a large sauté pan over medium-low. Add onions, balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Put the lid over the pan and let onions cook, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and let onions continue to cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. When ready they should be soft, brown, and caramelized.
While the onions cook, prep the sliders. In a medium bowl, add ground chuck, 2 oz truffle butter, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Mix ingredients together lightly with a fork - just enough to combine. Be careful to not over mix or the meat will get tough. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, shape the meat into 10 patties. In the center of each patty, make an indention with your thumb (this will keep sliders from puffing up too much when grilling).
Add 1 tbsp of honey to the leftover 1 oz truffle butter and mix together. Open each burger bun and spread the mixture on the inside of each bun.
Place buns on the grill, cut side down and toast for about 1 minute. Grill sliders for about 2 minutes on each side. When you flip the burgers, top each one with a slice of cheese and close the lid the last minute.
5) In a small bowl, add the mayo, truffle oil, and 1 tsp honey and mix together. Build burgers by spreading the mayo mixture on the buns. Top with the cheesy burger and the caramelized onions.
CHEERS TO HAPPY EATING!!!
Andrea's Cooktales - Series 2, Episode 8 - Truffle Sliders
Peach Salsa with Honey Rinds
Peaches and honey are a classic combination and a perfect one for summer. Because it's swimsuit season, I try to come up with new ways to eat healthy, low carb foods, and I've been turning to Southern Recipe pork rinds a lot. They're low in fat and calories, high in protein, and have zero carbs. I can't think of a healthier snack! So in honor of peach and honey season... Try my peach salsa with honey rinds!
Grocery List:
Honey Rinds:
1 bag Southern Recipe Original Pork Rinds
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp honey
Salsa:
10 peaches - pitted, diced small
1 large jalapeño - seeded and minced
3 green onions - chopped
2 tbsp cilantro - minced
1 lemon - zested and juiced
2 tsp agave nectar
1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread pork rinds on a baking sheet lined with foil. Heat butter and honey together in a bowl until melted. Using a brush, brush each side of the pork rinds liberally with the honey butter. Bake honey rinds for 4-5 minutes until light brown and caramelized. Let cool.
2. In a medium size bowl, combine the peaches, jalapeño, green onions, cilantro, lemon zest and juice, agave nectar, and salt. Mix together until completely combined. Taste and add more salt or agave if needed.
3. Spoon salsa into a serving bowl and serve with honey rinds.
Unfried BBQ Pickles
I was invited to go on Local Memphis Live again this week and create more Southern Recipe Pork Rinds recipes! I have to say, this gets more and more fun every time. I love getting creative with the pork rinds and coming up with new, innovative recipes. I happen to love fried pickles, so I thought a healthy, high protein version would be perfect for summer!
Grocery List:
2 eggs - beaten
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups Southern Recipe BBQ Pork Rinds - finely crushed
1 16 oz jar sliced pickles
Directions:
1. Heat oven to high broil. Place oven rack in the middle of the stove. Beat the eggs, flour, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. In another small bowl, add the finely crushed pork rinds (I crush them with my hands).
2. Take the pickles out of the jar and lay on paper towels. Blot off all the liquid from the pickles. Dip each dry pickle into the egg mixture, then into the crushed pork rinds, pressing to adhere the crumbs to the pickles.
3. Lay "breaded" pickles onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Put in the oven for about 6-8 minutes. You want them to be brown and extra crispy when they come out! Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Andrea's Cooktales - Series 2, Episode 7 - Bourbon Peach-Pecan Galette w/ Maple Cream
Lavender Mules
This holiday weekend, Tres planted our herb garden, complete with one of my favorites: lavender! While he was out golfing on Monday, I was relaxing outside on our balcony, enjoying a good book and the ambiance of our new spring garden. I decided all these herbs should be broken in, so I decided to make a cocktail. I often use lavender syrup for many of my concoctions, so I knew I wanted to start there. Luck also had it that Tres talked me into buying these fun little lavender soda waters at Fresh Market the day before, so I pulled out our copper mugs and made what only could be described as Lavender Mules!
Grocery List:
Lavender syrup:
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
2 large lavender sprigs
Drinks (1 serving):
2 oz vodka
1 small lime - juiced
1 oz lavender syrup
Lavender soda water or Ginger beer
Lime wedges & lavender sprigs - for garnish
Directions:
1. Make simple syrup. Bring sugar, water, and lavender springs to a complete boil. Take off heat to let steep and cool.
2. Fill a copper mug or highball glass with crushed ice. Add vodka, lime juice, lavender syrup and stir together. Top off with the lavender soda water to taste.
3. Garnish with limes and lavender.
CHEERS TO HAPPY DRINKING!!!
Cream Taco Dip
This recipe will forever and ever go first on my game day snacks recommendation list. This dip is beyond the best dip that literally ever existed on earth. I don’t know how to more dramatically explain it in words. I’ll bluntly put it this way, if you’ve ever made a cheese dip, Velveeta dip, or chili cheese dip and thought it was fabulous, get rid of it and make this one. I promise it’s 100,000 times better than any dip you’ve ever made. You’ll never make another cheese dip recipe. People show up to my house hoping I have this on the stove or in the Crock Pot.
One year when I was a kid and out of school for the summer, I went to a pool party where I had the best meaty, spicy, creamy cheese dip of my life! I loved it so much, my mom got the recipe from the host. More than 20 years later, that recipe is still in our family and has been a staple for parties and summer get togethers ever since. I've turned up the volume a bit on the recipe, making it a little more zesty and fun! This is the perfect Memorial Day weekend or go-to summer party recipe!
SEE THE VIDEO HERE!!!
Grocery List:
1 lb chorizo
1 10 oz can Rotel
1 15 oz can chili no beans
1 15 oz can ranch style beans
1 large package Velveeta cheese
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Directions:
In a large pot or dutch oven, cook the chorizo over medium heat until done, breaking up the meat into small pieces as it cooks. Drain the fat from the pot.
Pour in the Rotel, chili, ranch style beans, and stir together. Cube the Velveeta and add to the pot. Stir everything together until melted.
Add the heavy whipping cream and stir to combine. Let the dip heat completely and serve with tortilla chips.
CHEERS TO HAPPY EATING!!
Andrea's Cooktales - Series 2, Episode 6 - Cream Taco Dip
Cocoa-Cola Baby Back Ribs
It's May!!!! In Memphis that means sun, fun, festivals, and none other than what we're famous for: BBQ! I tell every out of town friend I have, if you visit Memphis, make sure it's in May! Every weekend, there's something fun going on, but the biggest weekend yet is the World Championship BBQ Cooking Contest! Tents line Tom Lee Park along the river with the smell of BBQ in the air. The entire week is one big party and some serious competition!
Tres and I go every single year, spending a lot of our time at our good friends' tent, Pigs Gone Wild. Those guys are a blast, and to go along with them having a tent bursting with celebration, they can also cook some mean BBQ! BBQ Fest... It's literally the BEST WEEKEND IN MEMPHIS! So in honor of the weekend coming up, I'm doing my own version of ribs. Cocoa-Cola Ribs are exactly what they sound like... A little bit of chocolate and a little bit of Coke make these guys sweet, hearty, and will always make me think of the city I live in and love!
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE!!!!
Grocery List (4 people):
2 racks baby back ribs
4 tbsp good quality unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp salt
2 tsp liquid smoke
2 tsp all spice
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cup regular coke
4 medium onions - roughly chopped into large pieces
1 cup good quality barbecue sauce
Directions:
1. Rinse the ribs and pat dry with paper towels. Mix the cocoa, brown sugar, salt, liquid smoke, all spice, paprika, and pepper together in a bowl. Rub the mixture onto the ribs and press to adhere. Cover ribs and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.
2. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Prep two baking pans by pouring 3/4 cup of coke into each pan. Add the chopped onions over the coke. Place the ribs on top of the onions. Cover the pan tightly with foil. Roast for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until meat is tender and almost falling off the bone (I like my ribs to still have substance to them.. Not quite falling off the bone).
3. Using tongs, move ribs to a baking sheet lined with foil. Strain the onions from the coke. Reserve 1/4 cup of the coke and mix with barbecue sauce. Brush a thick layer of the sauce onto ribs.
4. Put ribs back in the oven for 20 minutes. Serve with the extra cola-barbecue sauce on the side!
CHEERS TO HAPPY EATING!!