Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Feta Burger with Gourmet Cheese Spread



Had to add this.. my burger monster! She loved it :)



We served these burgers for Julia's Bday cookout. They're awesome. So much flavor. I had small grape tomatoes from the garden so I used those. Put lots of cheese spread on your bun.. you won't regret it. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 red onion, minced
1 3/4 pounds ground beef
1/4 pound ground pork sausage
1 1/2 cups crumbled feta
1/4 cup red wine
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

1 large heirloom tomato, sliced
1 medium red onion, sliced
8 leaves green leaf lettuce leaves
8 Kaiser rolls, split

Directions


In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, 1 clove minced garlic, basil, and dill. Cover and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat and cook 1 clove minced garlic and onion for 4 to 6 minutes, or until translucent. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil grate.
While the grill is heating, gently mix together the cooked garlic and onion, ground beef, pork sausage, feta cheese, red wine, egg, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Do not over work the meat mixture. Divide into 8 equal parts and form into patties.
Grill patties on preheated grill for 5 to 10 minutes per side, until well done. Toast the split buns on the grill for 1 to 2 minutes. Assemble the burgers by spreading 1 1/2 tablespoon of the cheese and herb spread to both the top and bottom of each roll. Place patties on the bottom half of the rolls and stack a slice of tomato, sliced red onion, and a leaf of lettuce on each burger. Add the roll tops and serve.



Monday, August 22, 2011

Raspberry Frozen Yogurt



I've made this before. This is what the recipe looks like if you cut it in half. The recipe cut in half makes two batches in my 1.5 quart Cusine Art ice cream maker. Which is plenty for our small crowd. I usually make the first batch and put the second batch in the fridge, refreeze my ice cream bowl... and make the second batch later in the week! It's so good and so refreshing! Perfect for a summer dessert. I ate way too much..

Ingredients

4 Cups plain yogurt
4 Cups raspberries
1 whole smashed bananas
1/8 cup O.J
1/8 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk

Steps

Whip bananas and milk in a blender. Add orange juice, lemon juice, sugar, vanilla, and cream. Mix yogurt and berries in separate bowl, then add to the banana mixture. Freeze according to manufacture directions.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Grilled Jalapeno Bacon Wraps



These are easy to make and so delicious! They went great with our grilled steak fajitas. If you like a little bit more heat, you can leave some of the seeds in. I also threw them in the freezer for about 10 min to get cream cheese firm before grilling. These are a great side for any last summer cookouts on the grill.

Ingredients

6 fresh jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
12 slices bacon


Directions


Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.
Spread cream cheese to fill jalapeno halves. Wrap with bacon. Secure with a toothpick.
Place on the grill, and cook until bacon is crispy.


Sunday, August 14, 2011

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Blueberry Midnight Muffins






This recipe had amazing reviews so I had to give it a try. I call these my "midnight muffins" because both times I've made them I start craving them late at night and decide to start making muffins late in the evening :) Last time I made them I doubled the recipe. The brown sugar-cinnamon crumb topping is amazing! They make nice big cafe style serving when you feel the batter almost reaching the top of the cupcake liner. Theses blubbery muffins are amazing!

Yield: 8 Large muffins

Ingredients


1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar ( i USED BROWN SUGAR..SO MUCH BETTER WITH BROWN SUGAR!)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.
To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.